Pool A
New Zealand: Just one surprise when the squad was named, Grant Elliott replacing Jimmy Neesham. The rest were predictable. They have batting power from Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson and captain Brendon McCullum, power and fast finishing from Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi, a good range of fast-medium bowlers and two canny spinners. Must make the semifinals. Beyond that will be new territory.
Australia: The big question is captain Michael Clarke's fitness. He has until February 21 - the day of Australia's second game against Bangladesh - to prove his readiness. There are serious hitters in Aaron Finch, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and allrounder James Faulkner lower down, and plenty of pace in Mitchell Johnson, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. They tick most boxes.
Sri Lanka: By far the most experienced squad. Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillekaratne Dilshan are three of the four players at the cup who have made more than 300 ODI appearances. Sri Lanka have collectively played more than 750 games more than the second most-capped side, Pakistan. Must be a big chance, but will be hurt if key seamer Lasith Malinga isn't effective when he comes back from an ankle injury.
England: Have dumped captain Alastair Cook and installed Eion Morgan as skipper. They've had better squads, better players and while the batting should be okay, the bowling, beyond James Anderson and Stuart Broad could be hit or miss. Getting beyond the quarter-finals might be a stretch. Watch out for England v Scotland at Christchurch on February 23. Who do you think the neutrals will be cheering for?
Bangladesh: Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe 5-0 in their last series at home. They lost 12 ODIs before that including one against Afghanistan. They have the world's leading allrounder, Shakib al Hasan, and quality batsmen in Tamim Iqbal, Mominul Haque and wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim. Bowling could be a problem against top teams.
Scotland: Gave New Zealand a scare in a friendly at Lincoln at the start of the summer and have a handful of useful batsmen, including Kyle Coetzer, Calum MacLeod and captain Preston Mommsen. But the bowling looks skinny.
Afghanistan: The youngest player in the tournament is 18-year-old Usman Ghani. They're coached by former New Zealand mentor Andy Moles. The fact they are at the tournament is an often-told but fantastic story of perseverance. Watch for tall seamer Shapoor Zadran; he's hard to miss, and Dawlat Zadran, who is reputed to be slippery. They'll eye Scotland and Bangladesh. Win those and that'll be a fabulous return.
Pool B
India: The batting stars will all be there - Rohit Sharma, who hit the world's best score, 264, against Sri Lanka late last year, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina. Ravi Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin are tidy spinners and the seamers are steady. New Zealand cleaned them up 4-0 last summer. Have the firepower but a hunch says they won't make the semifinals.
Pakistan: Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq is a highly respected figure, and he's 40. Only two players in the cup are older. Younis Khan will be the key batsman. Shahid Afridi, with 389 ODIs behind him, was in strong form against New Zealand in the UAE last month. He must fire, while other key figures include opener Mohammad Hafeez, lefthand middle order batsman Haris Sohail, young dasher Umar Akmal and giant left armer Mohammad Irfan. Unpredictable but not the worst by a long shot.
West Indies: Big dramas when this squad was named, minus former captain Dwayne Bravo and burly hitter Kieron Pollard. Star batsman Chris Gayle gave the selectors and the West Indies board what-for over that. Young seamer Jason Holder is skipper, tricky spinner Sunil Narine is back as is fast bowler Kemar Roach. They could be terrific, or ... But underestimate this side at your peril.
South Africa: Sure to start among the favourites, but their cup history is littered with misfortune and blown opportunities. Captain AB de Villiers is the best one-day player on the planet says former Australian star Adam Gilchrist. Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis round out the batting Big Three. Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander are a seam bowling threat to any side. Big chance.
Ireland: Well capable of pulling off a shock, as they have done in the past two cups, against Pakistan in 2007 and England four years ago. They have a core of experienced figures and will probably target the West Indies as their best chance of upsetting the big four. Wins over Zimbabwe and the UAE are a must.
Zimbabwe: Will be led by hard-hitting allrounder Elton Chigumbura. Have lost 13 of their last 14 ODIs - the exception, stunningly, was a three-wicket win over Australia in Harare in August. Key batsmen? Brendan Taylor and Hamilton Masakadza. Prosper Utseya, back after an arm check, is a useful offspinner. Question: might India push 400 when they meet Zimbabwe at Eden Park on March 14?
UAE: A dubious claim to fame: the team from the Arabian Peninsula have the two oldest players in the cup, former skipper Khurram Khan and new captain Mohammad Tauqir, both of whom are 43, and born on the same day, June 21, 1971. This will be their second cup appearance, after 1996, when New Zealand beat them in Faisalabad by 109 runs. They will settle for small targets. Turn over Ireland and Zimbabwe and they'll be chuffed.
