Colin Croft

There are so many reasons that I look forward to the 1999 Cricket World Cup tournament. Advanced technology, new spirit in cricket, all teams more or less on the same level with regards to performance and personnel and just being involved with the greatest cricket show there could be are just a few of them.

The 1999 Cricket World Cup will be like no other before. Even before we even think about the players and the teams, we must appreciate the technology which is now available.

The 1996 Cricket World Cup, only three or so years ago, is really ancient when it comes to recent technological advances. This 1999 tournament will be seen and heard by more than two thirds of the world's population because of the blanket coverage and availability of television and radio and the Internet.

Outside of the fact that many of the countries interested would be those with past British influences, like India or the Caribbean countries, even countries with an American influence, including the United States itself, (through Cable News Network - CNN), are becoming fully involved because of the explosion of cricket world-wide over the last two years or so. At least, when the tournament is held in the more developed part of the world, there is no problem with communication. Tremendous exposure.

The teams themselves are in tremendous mood and spirit. However, it must be noted that for the first time ever, in my opinion, this premier one day competition would actually be benefiting from the close and absolutely enthralling encounters we have recently had, over the last two years or so, in the longer version of the game.

The West Indies rebounded well to draw a wonderfully even series, (2-2 for Tests; 3-3-1 for ODI, cannot be more even), with Australia, after being destroyed by the South Africans. The South Africans, in turn, struggled to come to grips with New Zealand. Just before the Australians came to the Caribbean, they managed to beat the English in another great series of Tests matches.

The Indians and Pakistanis cricket teams, playing proper Tests series against each other for the first time in eons, brought a new and gloriously appropriate understanding to their long-standing political differences on the cricket field. If politicians cannot learn from that, something I very much doubt, then they would learn from nothing.

Even the supposed minions of the competition, Zimbabwe, Scotland and Bangladesh have had their say in international cricket recently. Sri Lanka, the defending champions, are always dangerous.

I tell you, there is so much parity in the teams these days that it is very difficult to even pick a final four, much less a winner.

The most potentially intriguing and exciting thing expected of the 1999 Cricket World Cup, however, must be the individual star players who would be on show for this Mecca of One-Day cricket. Any event which can feature players such as the following must be special.

Glen McGrath, the Waugh Brothers and Michael Bevan from Australia; Brian Lara, Jimmy Adams, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh from the West Indies; Alex Stewart, Graeme Thorpe, Nasser Hossein and Darren Gough from England; Muttiah Muralitherran, Aravinda Da Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya, Arjuna Ranatunga and Romesh Kaluwitherana from Sri Lanka; Mohammed Azzaruddin, Sachin Tendulkar and Raoul Dravid of India; Wasim Ackram, Izimam Ul Haq and Shaheed Alfreedi of Pakistan; Alan Donald, Hanse Cronje, Herschell Gibbs, Jonty Rhodes, Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock of South Africa; Greg Larsen and Chris Cairns of New Zealand; the Flower Brothers of Zimbabwe plus others waiting to star, would light up the 1999 Cricket World Cup as never been done before.

I can tell you that there would be nothing, barring death or very serious injury or illness, to prevent me from experiencing, fully, this smorgasbord of international one day cricket. Luckily, I will be on commentary, print journalism and electronic media teams for this feast. I would have been there anyway!!

For the last full one day competition of the millenium, no-one could ask for more. Oh, for winners, I believe that the final four will be (1) South Africa, (2) Pakistan, (3) England, New Zealand or Australia and (4) West Indies, as a final surprise qualifier.

Any team, though, can win. That, folks, is really a wonderful thought!!