Tony Becca

The World Cup is just around the corner and the region, certainly Jamaica, is buzzing with excitement - not only because they are looking forward to hosting the best World Cup ever based on off the field activities, but also based on what happens on the field, in anticipation of the greatest World Cup of all time.

And once again, the question is: who will win it? Will it be defending champions Australia for the fourth time, South Africa for the first time, or will it be the West Indies - not only for the third time, but as the first home team to win it?

Well, if you are a betting man, it appears that Australia, despite the absence of fast bowler Brett Lee and based on the bookies, is the team to back.

According to Bet 365 out of England, Australia are 12/5 favourites to win and according to Jamaica's own Track Price Plus Limited, the odds on them are 8/5.

With South Africa at 4/1 and in second-place followed by Sri Lanka at 7/1 and India at 7/1, the West Indies and England at 15/2, New Zealand at 8/1 and Pakistan at 10/1 according to Bet 365, according to Track Price Plus behind Australia are South Africa, Pakistan, England and India at 6/1, the West Indies at 8/1, New Zealand at 10/1, and Sri Lanka at 12/1.

As far as winning the groups are concerned, according to Bet365, it is Australia 4/6, South Africa at 11/10 in Group A, India 10/11, Sri Lanka 5/6 in Group B, England 5/6, New Zealand 5/6 in Group C, and in Group D, it is West Indies at 4/6 and Pakistan at 11/10 with Track Price Plus, according to their odds, picking Australia at 4/6 to reach the finals along with South Africa at 2/1.

Interesting performances

( L - R )Australia's Ricky Ponting andChris Gayle

Some interesting odds are also on the individual performances.

In batting, for example, Bet 365 has Australia's Ricky Ponting at 13/2 scoring most runs followed by India's Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, South Africa's Graeme Smith and Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya at 14/1 with Chris Gayle of the West Indies ninth on their list at 16/1 and followed by West Indians Shivnarine Chanderpaul at 18/1 and Brian Lara at 25/1.

Although Track Price Plus posts Ponting at 7/1, they have the Australian followed by Gayle and Smith at 14/1, followed by Jayasuriya at 16/1, Kevin Pietersen of England, Matthew Hayden of Australia and Sachin Tendulkar of India at 18/1 with Chanderpaul and South Africa's Jacques Kallis at 20/1. Lara is listed at 28/1.

In the bowling, the top men, according to Bet 365, is New Zealander Shane Bond and South African Makhaya Ntini at 8/1, and they are followed by Sri Lankans Lasith Malinga and Muttiah Muralitharan at 9/1 with the West Indies' Jerome Taylor in 24th spot at 50/1 followed by colleague Ian Bradshaw in 26th at 100/1 and by another colleague Dwayne Bravo also at 100/1.

According to Track Price Plus, it will be Ntini at 8/1, followed by Bond and Muralitharan at 10/1, Australia's Nathan Bracken, Pakistan's Mohammad Asif and South Africa's Shaun Pollock at 12/1, Australia's Glenn McGrath and Malinga at 14/1, and England's Andrew Flintoff at 16/1.

Who will be the West Indies top run-getter?

Brian Lara

According to Bet 365, 9/4, it will be Chanderpaul or Gayle followed by Lara at 3/1 Ramnaresh Sarwan at 5/1 and Marlon Samuels at 14/1 with newcomer Kieron Pollard at 100/1.

According to Track Price Plus, however, it will be Gayle, also at 9/4, Chanderpaul at 5/2, Lara at 5/1, Sarwan at 11/2, Samuels at 9/1, Devon Smith at 14/1, Dwayne Bravo at 16/1, Lendl Simmons at 20/1 and Pollard at 33/1 with Dwayne Smith going off at 40/1.

According to Track Price Plus, the West Indies at 9/2, followed by Sri Lanka and India at 11/2, Australia and South Africa at 5/1, are tipped to post the highest score of all the teams with Bermuda, at 6-4, to come up with the lowest.

( L - R ) Graeme Smith and India's Sachin Tendulkar