India, Pakistan favourites for Cricket World Cup 2015

India and Pakistan have emerged as overwhelming favourites to win next year's Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

In a poll conducted by Emirates 24|7 as the 100-day countdown began for the global cricket showpiece which begins on February 14, 2015, the two Asian giants were engaged in a dead heat when readers were asked to predict who would emerge champions.

Amazingly India and Pakistan were tied at 40 per cent each followed by hosts Australia (8%) and Sri Lanka (4%).

Defending champions India will launch its title defence against Pakistan in Adelaide on February 15.

The two sides could feature in a dream final on March 29 at Melbourne.

World Cup winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said India was capable of adapting and performing is any condition.
 
“Following the World Cup triumph in 2011, the India side won the 50-over ICC Champions Trophy in the United Kingdom. This reflects the calibre and talent of the side, and its ability to adapt and perform in any condition. The tour to Australia in the lead up to the World Cup will be a good opportunity to hone our skills and be fully prepared for cricket's ultimate prize,” said the 33-year-old speaking of their aspirations at the countdown for the event.
 
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who was part of the side that lost the semifinal to India in Mohali in 2011, said every match in the ICC Cricket World Cup will be important.

“The tournament opener against India in Adelaide (on 15 February) will be an important match but every game in the World Cup will matter as each side will enter into the competition believing that it can lift the coveted trophy. We will take one match at a time, try to stick to our game plans, aim to do the basics right and then hope for the best,” said Misbah who will be aiming to emulate Imran Khan's feat in 1992.
 
The veteran of 151 ODIs hopes that the ICC Cricket World Cup 1992 victory will guide his side through to next year’s event.

“Pakistan has unforgettable memories from the event when it was last staged in Australia and New Zealand. Though you don’t require any extra motivation when representing your country, the 1992 World Cup will help us at every stage during next year’s tournament.”

Australia captain Michael Clarke, who won the tournament in the West Indies in 2007, said it was a unique opportunity to play in the ICC Cricket World Cup in front of home crowds.
 
“The last time the ICC Cricket World Cup was played in Australia was 23 years ago, so to be able to play in one at home is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said the 33-year-old veteran of 237 One-Day Internationals.
 
Australia opens its campaign against England, which had reached the final when the event was last staged in Australia and New Zealand in 1992.

Clarke’s opposite number Alastair Cook, who will be featuring in his maiden ICC Cricket World Cup, said his side will be aiming to do better than the England side of 1992.
 
“England reached the final the last time the competition was staged in Australia and New Zealand so there’s a real incentive for us to go one better next time and win the ICC Cricket World Cup for the first time in our history,” said the 29-year-old, who has featured in 86 ODIs to date for England.
 
South Africa captain AB de Villiers, who will be featuring in his third ICC Cricket World Cup, was also upbeat about their chances.
 
“We are in a really good space as an ODI unit, we have put in some consistent performances over the last few months and we would like to continue with that ahead of the tournament. Our current tour of Australia will be a good assessment of where we are as a unit and it is always a welcome challenge playing Australia in their own backyard,” said the 30-year-old world number-one ranked batsman.
 
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews was eager to erase bitter-sweet memories of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
 
“I have bitter-sweet memories of the 2011 World Cup where we were runners-up and I tore a quad muscle in our semi-final so this time we hope to go one better,” said the 27-year-old, who has played in 134 ODIs.
 
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said his side will be taking inspiration from past victories against the formidable oppositions.
 
“We have not been in the best of form lately as a team but our victories against some top nations like Pakistan, India, South Africa and England in past World Cups is sure to inspire the players when we set foot Down Under,” said the all-rounder.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who will be featuring in his fourth ICC Cricket World Cup, admitted his side needed to do a lot of work.
 
“There’s a lot of work to be done between now and then, but come our opening match against Sri Lanka in Christchurch we’ll be raring and ready to go,” said the 33-year-old, who, after Stephen Fleming (280), Daniel Vettori (277) and Chris Harris (250) has played the most ODIs for New Zealand (232).
 
A total of 49 matches will be played across 14 venues, seven in New Zealand (Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Napier, Nelson and Wellington) and seven in Australia (Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney).
 
The format of the tournament is the same as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, i.e. two groups of seven sides each, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. All the knock-out stage matches will have reserve days.
 
Apart from the 10 Full Members, four qualifiers – Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland and the United Arab Emirates – will take part in the tournament.

The International Cricket Council on Monday announced a 20 per cent increase in prize money for next year's World Cup in .

The winners will take home $3.975 million (3.18 million euros), but if a team remains unbeaten that would rise to more than $4m.

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