Clayton Hinds, who writes as a volunteer 'Well-Being Australia' Sports Writer for Christian Today Australia.
Even before the series is over, cricketing attention has shifted to the One Day International (ODI) series with England and whether Australia will be able to win its fourth ODI World Cup on the trot.
It’s vital for Australia’s World Cup bid that they are able compete against the fourth ranked England in the series starting on 16 January. Failure in this series will almost definitely result in a poor world cup performance.
Australia and England will go head to head in a seven match series that will conclude on 6 February – just a few weeks prior to the 2011 World Cup.
The World Cup kicks off in India in just 43 days with Australia facing up to Zimbabwe on 21 February.
Despite Australia’s less than memorable Ashes series, the team has an impeccable ODI record (despite the series loss to Sri Lanka in November) and will be drawing on a group of fresh ODI players not shaken by the heavy losses to England in the Ashes.
Australia has won the last three ODI World Cups, although all three were played on wickets suited to Australia’s pace attack. The 2011 World Cup will be played in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - countries famous in cricketing circles for their flat turning pitches.
This could make life difficult for the Australian selectors who tested three new spinners over the proven Nathan Hauritz in the Ashes. None of whom demonstrated the form needed to win a world cup.
Fourteen countries will challenge for the World Cup with the teams to be split into two groups.
Australia’s group consists of New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Canada and Kenya with the top four going through to the second round.
Group B consists of Bangladesh, England, India, South Africa, West Indies, Ireland and the Netherlands.
100,000 World Cup tickets have gone on sale starting at 20cUSD. Tickets can be purchased through the International Cricketing Council.
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