By Clay Smith

The Cricket World Cup is upon us, but who will win is anybody’s guess. On present form, the obvious teams to choose to win the tournament are South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

However, with the history of upsets at previous World Cups, we know not to take anything for granted. With this in mind, I have reached out to some of Bermuda’s top cricketers to get their views on who will win and why.

If form is anything to go by, two of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand will be in the final. The pressure is on South Africa and New Zealand as two countries that have never won the World Cup previously.New Zealand are finding form at the right time and will be tough to beat at home. South Africa have worn the chokers’ tag for far too long; surely this has to the year to get the monkey off their back.

Australia are red-hot favourites, especially being at home and having won the World Cup on four other occasions. Boasting a lethal batting line-up and a potent bowling attack, it will take a special team to beat them.

The one team very few people are mentioning to win the tournament is Sri Lanka, but they are my dark horse team. Sri Lanka know how to win and they find ways to win. Sri Lanka lost in the finals of the past two World Cups and should never be underestimated.

West Indies have one of the most feared batsmen in Chris Gayle, but they have left two of their best ODI players at home in Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard. This has obviously diminished their chances tremendously.

England have one the best fast-bowling attacks in world cricket, but do they have the batting to back them up? Given the much storied sacking of Kevin Pieterson, they are looking for a game changer in the batting department. They could come up short.

India and Pakistan, who are seen to best effect on the subcontinent where their slow bowlers can come to the fore, will do well just to reach the semi-finals. Both teams have looked ordinary in the build-up to the World Cup. However, both teams have class players who can single-handedly win them matches.

The rest of the teams are not to be taken lightly either, as previous World Cups have shown. Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have been among the top teams for years and are more than capable of an upset. Then we have the Associate teams, Scotland, Ireland, UAE and Afghanistan, who are looking to show the rest of the world that they belong on the world stage.

Now let’s take a look at a few of Bermuda’s top cricketers and get their views on who they think will win World Cup and why.

Stephen Outerbridge: I’m really not a supporter of the Cricket World Cup as I believe the ICC is restricting the development of the game with the proposed format change in 2019.

How could it be a World Cup if only the elitist countries will feature? I get tired of seeing the same players play over and over. Nevertheless, I think West Indies will win. I know it is far-fetched, but they have the potential to cause a few upsets on any given day.

Lionel Cann: Australia to win it on home soil, New Zealand or South Africa in the finals, with England as dark horses.

The conditions are too bouncy for the Asian teams and the wickets won’t spin enough for them.

Allan Douglas Jr: I like India because of their aggressive, attacking style of play.

Jacobi Robinson: Australia because they look like the complete unit. They have firepower up front with Aaron Finch and David Warner and they also have in my eyes the Cricketer of the Year in Steve Smith. But it doesn’t stop there, as their batting is deep. They also have a good bowling attack led by Mitchell Johnson. The return of Michael Clarke as captain will boost their confidence and let’s not forget the World Cup is in Australia.

Columnist’s pick: New Zealand. They are riding on a wave and I think, if they can keep this confidence going, being on home soil could lead to them shocking the world.

The last time World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand in 1992, Pakistan beat England in the final.

Will an Asian country defy the odds this time around and make it to the final?

Regardless of who wins, over the next week or so there is going to be some action-packed cricket. What’s more important, though, is that our cricketers, both young and old, take time out to watch as many games as possible.

My suggestion is don’t just watch for the excitement, but watch to see what you can learn.