IANS
PORT OF SPAIN — South African coach Mickey Arthur has named India as one of the six teams that can go on to win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.
"There are six teams in my opinion that can win and they are, of course, South Africa, Australia, West Indies, New Zealand, India and Sri Lanka," reports here quoted Arthur as saying soon after his arrival, along with the South African squad, at the Piarco International Airport here early on Thursday.
He said this World Cup is very open and the team that plays better on the day can win the World Cup.
South Africa was the first side to arrive in Trinidad & Tobago for the World Cup. The team will play two warm-up matches against Ireland and Pakistan at the Frank Worrell Oval at the University of West Indies near here.
Once the tournament starts, it will play its preliminary group matches in St. Kitts & Nevis. South Africa is placed in Group A along with Australia, Scotland and the Netherlands.
"It is all about peaking at the right time and I think, for us, things have been going nicely this season," Arthur said "We have shown an upward curve so hopefully our planning is coming to fruition."
Meanwhile, South African captain Graeme Smith said that he does not read much into the fact that his team is now rated number one in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) ratings.
"I don't really read much into these things, of course it is nice to be rated the number one team, but I concentrate more on delivering on the field of play," the Guardian report quoted him as saying.
"I am hoping to have a good World Cup and together with the other senior players, I will be looking to do my part in order to make my team successful," he said.
Smith described his side as having a good bowling attack.
"...We have got a lot of variation so I think we back ourselves pretty well and I think this will be the key with the wickets not being tested and the team that adapts best will be able to get the most of it," he said.
Source : www.khaleejtimes.com
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