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SYDNEY - Given Glenn McGrath's last-ball wicket and his teary test farewell alongside Shane Warne and Justin Langer in last month's Ashes series, it's clear international cricket is a place where fairytales can happen.
McGrath's brilliant test career is over but the 37-year-old paceman has an opportunity to script his own one-day international swansong in the March 13-April 28 World Cup in the laid-back surroundings of the Caribbean.
Australia hope to down a few runs after becoming the first team in World Cup history to win three successive titles, but Ricky Ponting's men are not the only team within sight of a fairytale.
Reggae-loving hosts the West Indies are keen to send out their skipper Brian Lara on a high note.
Lara, 37, is in his third stint as captain and the gifted strokeplayer is unlikely to be still around in four years time for a sixth World Cup campaign.
The Windies have not won the main event since claiming the opening two world titles in 1975 and 1979, but have shown by reaching the Champions Trophy final against Australia in India in November that they are strong contenders.
The hosts have never won the World Cup in eight previous tournaments. (Sri Lanka were co-hosts in 1996 and beat Australia in the final in Lahore, Pakistan.)
Sri Lanka's dasher Sanath Jayasuriya is another 37-year-old left-hander with a fitting farewell on his mind.
Like Lara, Jayasuriya is his nation's all-time leading runscorer in one-day internationals. But unlike Lara, the Sri Lankan opener is already a World Cup winner.
"The conditions will suit our players," the 1996 Sri Lankan World Cup star Aravinda de Silva said.
"In batting, Sanath will be the key. He's a dangerous player.
"Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) is a world-class performer and lots of people under-rate Vaasy (Chaminda Vaas)," de Silva added of his side's bowling.
Both Sri Lanka and the Windies can go into the tournament with confidence in their attacks, something Australia are lacking with strike bowler Brett Lee out injured and young quicks Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait and Shane Watson down on form.
Pakistan, while strong in their batting, also face questions marks over their bowling lineup with doubts surrounding paceman Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif who may face further dope testing before being included in the 15-man national squad.
"It is very important for us that Shoaib and Asif play for us in the World Cup because they are our main wicket-taking bowlers," captain Inzamam ul-Haq told reporters in Lahore.
Australia's batting, led by skipper Ricky Ponting, can hold its own. Left-arm wrist-spinner Brad Hogg could be the key to a successful title defence, however, if he can regain top form.
Coming into the World Cup on the back of five consecutive losses against England and then the Kiwis, Australia's poor form can be attributed partly to key batsmen Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds going down with injuries and Lee missing the New Zealand series with an ankle complaint.
Symonds (bicep) will miss the early matches while Lee has been ruled out of the World Cup, leaving his replacement Stuart Clark in the mix for a role in the Australian pace attack.
The old argument may still hold that nothing stops a batting team's momentum like wickets, but given the quality of bat-making these days, the number of sixes being hit and the small grounds in the West Indies, it's sure to be a feast of high scores.
The leading scorer in ODI history, India's Sachin Tendulkar, is another ageing star set for a big tournament, alongside ex-skipper Saurav Ganguly who has resurrected his career after a previous stand-off with coach Greg Chappell.
But a glance at the latest ICC world rankings confirms Australia's greatest fear -- South Africa may be finally poised to claim a world title.
Australia have already been embarrassed by the Proteas, when the home side were set a world-record 435 to win and made 9-438 in Johannesburg last year. Australia's recent form slump has gifted Graeme Smith's side the top ranking.
With Jacques Kallis, Smith and Ashwell Prince the three leading scorers in ODIs this year, and Shaun Pollock coming off a 5-23 last game against Pakistan as part of a dominant pace attack, South Africa are in good shape.
All-rounder Pollock in particular will be anxious to redeem himself after he was blamed as then-skipper for a run-rate miscalculation against Sri Lanka in Durban which cost South Africa a place in the Super Sixes stage in 2003, four years after a farcical run out allowed Australia to tie their semi-final against South Africa and advance to the final against Pakistan.
Captain Stephen Fleming's Black Caps, with a new-found confidence after three remarkable wins over Australia in New Zealand, are also poised to make a mark on the World Cup.
Australia seemingly have no answer to Kiwi quick Shane Bond in particular (34 wickets at 13.88 against the world champions).
Opening batsman Lou Vincent, who has been a vocal critic of Australia's sledging tactics, is in top form and has found a willing ally in the feisty, fast-scoring all-rounder Craig McMillan.
But returning to the fairytale theme, Sri Lanka vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara is a believer.
"Brian Lara is another one, at home probably his last World Cup," he told Cricinfo.
"I think people who are coming to the end of their careers are going to be the most dangerous players in this World Cup.
"Because they will be just that bit hungrier to leave that little legacy, that little mark, that personal touch -- like that was my World Cup."
Tickets for the Barbados final sold out quickly and the shortage of accommodation on one of the world's most famous holiday spots will be partly offset by cruise ships.
"We are a fun-loving, unique people," West Indies batting great Viv Richards said.
"Apart from that we have got some good sounds.
"This will be a good opportunity to light the World Cup with some of the sounds of the Caribbean -- they will be amazing."
- AAP
