Cricket: Trophy looks intriguing contest

For so long the bastard child of world cricket, the Champions Trophy which begins this month in India looms as unusually intriguing.

It will also see a merciful return to cricket stories concerning on-field action rather than real or perceived injustices involving tampered balls, injured subcontinental sensibilities and intransigent umpires.

In terms of quality, it should be a big lift on the previous four editions. Gone are the likes of the US, Kenya and other pre-determined also-rans. Gone too the format in which every game was effectively a knockout. Instead, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, West Indies and Zimbabwe will play off for the remaining two spots alongside the six top-ranked, one-day teams in the world.

Several storylines will act as backdrop to this subcontinent tournament. Principally are:

1. Who will emerge as World Cup favourites?

The smart money is on Australia to prevail after triumphing in one of those ubiquitous, seemingly meaningless one-day tri-series, involving also the West Indies and India, recently.

But it is far from fait accompli. Their leading bowlers are the wrong side of 30 - though Brett Lee is in the form of his life - and the next tier were found desperately wanting by New Zealand during the last Hadlee-Chappell Trophy.

Australia is set to meet England on October 21 in a match that is bound to be billed as the first "psychological" battle ahead of next month's Ashes series.

India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, should they qualify, will all be strong in familiar conditions.

South Africa are perhaps the unknown quantity. No longer considered in the top echelon of the one-day game and with a captain who seems to have alienated the rest of the cricket world, they need a confidence boost ahead of the World Cup.

2. Can New Zealand shake the cobwebs in time to be competitive?

Re-introductions first. New Zealand is captained by Stephen Fleming and contains such players as Nathan Astle and a clutch of near-permanently injured bowlers. That's all we can tell you, seeing as it's been a while.

In the past, New Zealand has either won the trophy (once, in Kenya) or been effectively knocked out before they have had time to unpack.

The new format means you essentially have to win two out of three pool matches to advance.

Given the lack of recent cricket, South Africa at Mumbai on October 16 will be a tough ask, but the Africans are no great shakes at present. New Zealand should fancy their chances of stealing two matches, if they stay fit. Which leads to...

3. Will Shane Bond fly home with the rest of the squad?

New Zealand needs Bond, otherwise there is no fear with the new ball.

How important will the new ball be in the West Indies? If you read Mark Richardson's column in this newspaper last week you'd realise it is vital.

On the Caribbean's flat pitches you cannot clog up the middle overs with medium-nothings as is New Zealand's tradition. The scoring rate will remain furious throughout the 50.

The only realistic way to rein-in totals is to do some damage at the outset. Bond can do that, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, James Franklin and Mark Gillespie have, as yet, failed to convince they can.

Bond launched a new lightweight cricket shoe a month ago and told reporters he was fully fit and raring to go, again. As Yogi Berra would say, "it feels like deja vu all over again".

4. Will Bracewell's faith in Hamish Marshall be rewarded?

Marshall must be brimful of confidence following an outstanding first-class season with Gloucestershire but picking a player for a one-day tournament on the back of four-day form is, at the very least, questionable practice.

Marshall's 20 ODI innings have seen him average a paltry 18.33, a fact made worse because he doesn't score his runs at a rate that is going to scare anybody come World Cup time. By most pundits reckoning, Ross Taylor was unlucky not to be given an opportunity to press his case for World Cup selection. How Marshall performs will either highlight the short-sightedness of Taylor's omission or validation of the selectors' faith.

5. Will this mark the return of Sachin Tendulkar the legend, or be another chapter in a sad and slow decline?

He came back with a bang after elbow surgery, scoring an unbeaten century and a half century in the KL tournament.

When he played recently in his hometown of Mumbai the unthinkable happened and he was booed, amazing the likes of Brett Lee who had described him as a god. That's the problem when you're elevated to deity status, there's only one way to go. In his last 11 test innings he has failed to reach 50, causing conniptions at home.

In one-day cricket, though, he remains king. In the 100-plus matches he's played since 2000 Tendulkar has averaged more than 50, significantly better than his career average of 44.