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LONDON, May 15: What has been billed as the most Open World Cup of all starts for Pakistan in Bristol on Sunday. Let the carnival begin! Wasim Akram's team will be pleased just to get their rain-ruined 'warm-up' programme behind them. Time now to let the likes of Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis and the captain himself off the leash.

Ian Chappell, Australia's captain when they lost the very first World Cup final in 1975, against the West Indies, believes Pakistan have ``the best attack in the competition''.

Most experts here, and there seems to be more paid pundits than ever before at this World Cup, bracket Pakistan with South Africa and Australia as clear favourites for the tournament.

Ian Botham, perhaps understandably, is desperately trying to stake the fires of English optimism by insisting a home victory is perfectly possible. Botham has even stuck a large bet on the unheralded Ian Austin, at 33-1 to be England's top wicket-taker because he is convinced that juicy, seaming pitches will give humble medium pacers the ammunition to outgun the likes of Shoaib, Wasim, Donald and McGrath.

My own view is that England's attack is a little too one-dimensional and over-reliant on Gough and Mullally taking wickets. Nevertheless, I also believe that only India and New Zealand are capable - given likely conditions - of breaking up a South Africa-Australia-Pakistan-England last four.

If Pakistan start well and defeat the West Indies then I cannot see Brian Lara's team recovering from such a set-back. Shivnarine Chanderpaul is a fine player, but so much depends on Lara - and he has not played a single practice match because of a damaged wrist. The West Indian bowling, likewise, is too dependent on the old guard of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, with the 36-year-old Walsh also missing the warm-up games due to a sore knee.

Sri Lanka, although they suffered by losing the toss, had their lack of bowling depth thoroughly exposed in Friday's opening match at Lord's. The champions simply had nothing of substance to support Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan, their two class bowlers.

Commentators like Chappell are describing this World Cup as three-tournaments-in-one, because of the format involving a qualification stage, a Super Six phase, and then a knock-out situation in the semi-finals and final.

But the format also heavily favours the team which can perform consistently well for all five weaks and still build themselves gradually to a peak of performance.

Points gained for winning group matches against fellow qualifiers will also count in the Super Six stage, which makes Pakistan's meeting with the West Indies doubly important ... if the West Indians see off New Zealand's challenge and also go forward to the second stage!

I see Saeed Anwar and Ijaz Ahmed as key men for Pakistan because, against the white ball especially, top-order stability is a necessity. Shahid Afridi will be given licence to destruct, but the middle-order accumulators must be protected and having wickets in hand for the last 10-15 overs will increase the effectiveness of Wasim, Azhar Mahmood and Moin Khan as hitters.

Pakistan, more so than Australia and even South Africa, have the capability to defend a moderate total. Two world-class bowlers may act merely as reserves but, although Mushtaq Ahmed looks like having to wait for an opportunity, I would expect Waqar to have an important role to play. Wasim, Shoaib and Saqlain Mushtaq, meanwhile, are all potential match-winners with the ball.

To look back over the six previous World Cups is to realise just how much cricket has changed. There were not even helmets around in 1975. But, whatever the era, or whether one-day or Test match cricket, there is no substitute for class. The World Cup, in 1999, involves ultra-intense international competition and - throughout 50 overs Pakistan have more ability than any other to keep up the pressure on opposition batsmen.