Cricket World Cup Group B

ENGLAND + IRELAND + INDIA + BANGLADESH + SOUTH AFRICA + WEST INDIES + NETHERLANDS

GROUP B FIXTURES
(9am GMT start unless stated)
19 Feb (8.30am) India v Bangladesh Dhaka, Ban
22 Feb England v Netherlands Nagpur, Ind
24 Feb South Africa v West Indies New Delhi, Ind
25 Feb (8.30am) Bangladesh v Ireland Dhaka, Ban
27 Feb India v England Bangalore, Ind
28 Feb West Indies v Netherlands New Delhi, Ind
2 Mar England v Ireland Bangalore, Ind
3 Mar (4am) South Africa v Netherlands Mohali, Ind
4 Mar (8.30am) Bangladesh v West Indies Dhaka, Ban
6 Mar (4am) India v Ireland Bangalore, Ind
6 Mar England v South Africa Chennai, Ind
9 Mar India v Netherlands New Delhi, Ind
11 Mar (4am) Ireland v West Indies Mohali, Ind
11 Mar (8.30am) Bangladesh v England Chittagong, Ban
12 Mar India v South Africa Nagpur, Ind
14 Mar (3.30am) Bangladesh v Netherlands Chittagong, Ban
15 Mar South Africa v Ireland Kolkata, Ind
17 Mar England v West Indies Chennai, Ind
18 Mar (4am) Ireland v Netherlands Kolkata, Ind
19 Mar (3.30am) Bangladesh v South Africa Dhaka, Ban
20 Mar India v West Indies Chennai, Ind

ENGLAND
ICC World ranking: 5
Coach: Andy Flower
Captain: Andrew Strauss
World Cup best: Runners-up 1979, 1987, 1992
Recent ODI series results:
Feb 2011 v Australia (A) L1-6
Sep 2010 v Pakistan (H) W3-2
Jul 2010 v Bangladesh (H) W2-1
Jul 2010 v Australia (H) W3-2
Warm-up matches:
16 Feb - beat Canada by 16 runs
18 Feb - v Pakistan
Prediction: Quarter finals
England has not won any of the nine previous editions of the Cricket World Cup and does not seem likely to win at the 10th attempt. Never at their best on the sub-continent, England's squad of players come into this World Cup on the end of a 6-1 One-Day series spanking from Australia.
Many put the heavy defeat down to fatigue at the end of a long Ashes tour and, while this was a factor, the turn around for this bloated, gruelling affair was not much more than a few days. Anyway, the problems are much more fundamental than that.
After Matt Prior failed to impress with the bat Down Under, the enigmatic Kevin Pietersen became captain Andrew Strauss' 13th opening batting partner since the 2007 World Cup. Also, there are concerns over the form of the middle order, outside of the impressive Jonathan Trott, and over the fitness of the bowlers.
The latter concern has led to the call-up of Chris Tremlett, though the returning Stuart Broad has impressed in warm-up wins over Canada and Pakistan, taking five-wicket hauls in successive matches.
And yet, despite Broad taking 5-37, England only just beat the Canadians by 16 runs. On that basis, an appearance in the last four looks far too optimistic.

IRELAND
ICC World ranking: 10
Coach: Phil Simmons
Captain: William Porterfield
World Cup best: Super Eight 2007
Recent ODI series results:
Sep 2010 v Zimbabwe (A) L1-2
Sep 2010 v Canada (A) D1-1
Aug 2010 v Netherlands (H) W2-0
Jul 2010 v Bangladesh (H) D1-1
Jul 2010 - won ICC World Cricket Division One (W6 L0)
Warm-up matches:
6 Feb - lost to Zimbabwe by six wickets
8 Feb - lost to Kenya by three wickets
12 Feb - lost to New Zealand by 32 runs
15 Feb - beat Zimbabwe by four wickets
Prediction: First round
Irish cricket celebrated St Patrick's Day like never before four years ago after stunning Pakistan to reach the Super Eight stage of the World Cup and it is a shame that the joyous scenes were subsequently overshadowed by the untimely and still mysterious death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer. However, it should be remember that in that tournament, the Irish also tied with Zimbabwe and beat Bangladesh to earn plenty of plaudits and reignite interest in the sport on the Emerald Isle.
Ireland is widely recognised as the strongest of the Associate nations and proved this again by winning all six matches in the ICC World Cricket Division One against other Associate countries. William Porterfield's men followed that success with a creditable 1-1 series draw against Bangladesh but, despite their game improving, the Irish have struggled when abroad. Their last tour to Bangladesh in 2008 resulted in a 3-0 loss and, more recently, the team lost 2-1 in Zimbabwe.
The Irish squad has plenty of familiar names for supporters of the English county game with no fewer than eight of the players plying their trade across the Irish Sea including Sussex's Ed Joyce who played for England in the 2007 World Cup. South Africa-born Andre Botha and former captain Trent Johnston will also provide invaluable experience alongside the O'Brien brothers, Kevin and Niall.
A repeat of past glories is not out of the question with both Bangladesh and West Indies vulnerable on their day. However, it is far more likely that Ireland will have to settle for just another win against the Dutch and no more.

INDIA
ICC World ranking: 2
Coach: Gary Kirsten
Captain: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
World Cup best: Winners 1983
Recent ODI series results:
Jan 2011 v South Africa (A) L2-3
Dec 2010 v New Zealand (H) W5-0
Oct 2010 v Australia (H) W1-0
Aug 2010 - lost to Sri Lanka (A) in Final of Triangular Series (W2 L3)
Jun 2010 - won Asia Cup v Sri Lanka (A) (W3 L1)
Warm-up matches:
13 Feb - beat Australia by 38 runs
16 Feb - beat New Zealand by 117 runs
Prediction: Winners
India always expects the very best from its cricket team but especially so this time. With the Final scheduled on 2 April at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, all of India expects the home side to be there, adding only a second World Cup to the collection.
Indeed, this tournament represents a chance for India to improve their overall World Cup record which stands at just one win in 1983 and one runners-up placing in 2003. Even the 1983 Cup victory lost some of its lustre soon afterwards when the side which the Indians had beaten in the Final, the West Indies, returned to India and won a One-Day series 5-0.
India took their underachievers tag to the extreme four years ago when they crashed out of the World Cup in the First Round after defeats to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It was not only a disastrous result for India but for neutral supporters and tournament sponsors who were denied the chance to see one of the most talented sides in the world in the latter stages.
Now, it is payback time, and it just so happens that India's first match is against Bangladesh in Dhaka. There, they will line-up with a frankly frightening batting order including Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, captain-wicketkeeper MS Dhoni and Sehwag's opening partner Sachin Tendulkar.
This tournament is the 37-year-old Tendulkar's sixth World Cup and, most probably, his last chance of winning it. Much has been said about India's obsession with the Twenty20 format given the riches of the Indian Premier League. But, for the next six weeks, the Indian dream is for the Little Master to strike the winning runs amid an unimaginable atmosphere on a swelteringly hot April evening. If India can hold their nerve, then their dream will come true.

BANGLADESH
ICC World ranking: 8
Coach: Jamie Siddons
Captain: Shakib Al Hasan
World Cup best: Super Eight 2007
Recent ODI series results:
Dec 2010 v Zimbabwe (H) W3-1
Oct 2010 v New Zealand (H) W4-0
Jul 2010 v Ireland (A) D1-1
Jul 2010 v England (A) L1-2 Jun 2010 - finished bottom in Asia Cup (W0 L3)
Warm-up matches:
12 Feb - beat Canada by nine wickets
15 Feb - lost to Pakistan by 89 runs
Prediction: Quarter finals
Since promotion to the Test arena after a successful 1999 World Cup, Bangladesh has been forced to put up with a lot of stick. Given the level of some of the team's performances, not all of it was undeserved.
But the detractors would be careful to mock no more. The Tigers' victory against England last summer finally completed a full set of wins at One-Day level against the major nations, and it should come as no real surprise that the cricket-mad nation of Bangladesh has begun to make great strides in the game.
The Test team remains liable to a humiliating collapse and a heavy defeat but the One-Day side is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with. The team warmed up for the World Cup with a 3-1 ODI series win against Zimbabwe and a 4-0 thumping of New Zealand. With home advantage again in the tournament Group Stages, the Tigers are my tip to cause a surprise.

SOUTH AFRICA
ICC World ranking: 4
Coach: Corrie van Zyl
Captain: Graeme Smith
World Cup best: Semi finals 1992, 1999, 2007
Recent ODI series results:
Jan 2011 v India (H) W3-2
Nov 2010 v Pakistan (in UAE) W3-2
Oct 2010 v Zimbabwe (H) W3-0
Jun 2010 v West Indies (A) W5-0
Warm-up matches:
12 Feb - beat Zimbabwe by eight wickets
15 Feb - beat Australia by seven wickets
Prediction: Runners-up
It is not hard to see why South Africa has gained a reputation for being a team of chokers when looking back at recent World Cup history. In the 1999 tournament in England, South Africa tied with Australia in the semi finals after last batsman Alan Donald was run out with the scores level. The tie meant the Aussies went through as they had beaten South Africa in the Group phase.
However, if anything, the choke in the 2003 edition was even worse as South Africa failed to get out of the Group stage despite being hosts. The vital error came in the match against Sri Lanka which was again tied because the late Hanse Cronje misinterpreted the Duckworth-Lewis rule as the batsmen were called in from the worsening conditions.
In 2007, South Africa put together a solid tournament to reach the semi finals but, against Australia, the team fell to 149 all out and a subsequent heavy seven-wicket defeat. But recent form suggests that, this time, the Proteas will enjoy their best ever World Cup placing with bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel helping them finally to get rid of the spectre of underachievement.

WEST INDIES
ICC World ranking: 9
Coach: Ottis Gibson
Captain: Darren Sammy
World Cup best: Winners 1975, 1979
Recent ODI series results:
Feb 2011 v Sri Lanka (A) L0-2
Jun 2010 v South Africa (H) L0-5
Mar 2010 v Zimbabwe (H) W4-1
Warm-up matches:
12 Feb - beat Kenya by 61 runs
15 Feb - lost to Sri Lanka by four wickets
Prediction: First round
How West Indies fans must ache for a return to the days of Clive Lloyd and Sir Viv Richards - or even Brian Lara, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh - although the latter group never won the World Cup. At least in the days of the fearsome fast bowling duo of Ambrose and Walsh, the Windies still had their respectability intact.
Now recently-appointed captain Darren Sammy has the unenviable job of trying to make a competitive unit of an increasingly rag-tag bunch of individuals.
Last summer, under Chris Gayle's leadership, the Windies were humbled 5-0 at home in an ODI series by South Africa. Against Sri Lanka in February under Sammy, matters were little improved as the team went down to a 2-0 defeat.
Sammy still has Gayle to call upon, despite the latter resigning the captaincy, and his talent as an opening batsmen is often the Windies' best chance of winning a game. Otherwise, the onus falls upon the ageing Shiv Chanderpaul, now aged 36, to cover for a bowling attack best summed up by the hugely frustrating and inconsistent Dwayne Bravo. It is sad to say but this previously great cricketing set of islands is presently ripe for the picking against the likes of Bangladesh and Ireland.

NETHERLANDS
ICC World ranking: 12
Coach: Peter Drinnen
Captain: Peter Borren
World Cup best: First Round 1996, 2003, 2007
Recent ODI series results:
Aug 2010 v Ireland (A) L0-2
Jul 2010 - beat Bangladesh in one-off match in Scotland
Jun 2010 - finished fourth out of six in ICC World Cricket Div One (W2 L4)
Warm-up matches:
6 Feb - lost to Canada by four wickets
8 Feb - lost to Zimbabwe by 115 runs
12 Feb - lost to Sri Lanka by 156 runs
15 Feb - beat Kenya by two wickets
Prediction: First round
Associate nation the Netherlands had the brightest moment in its cricket history less than two years ago in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 competition when beating England, stunning the hosts by four wickets at Lord's.
However, memorable Dutch moments in the 50-over World Cup have been rarer with just two wins from 14 matches in three finals appearances. Those victories came against the powerhouses of Namibia and Scotland in 2003 and 2007 respectively, although - more encouragingly - the Dutch beat an ICC full-member in Bangladesh in a rain-affected one-off match held in Scotland last summer.
Netherlands will get to renew battle against England and Bangladesh in this World Cup, having been drawn into the tougher Group B. A repeat of those past successes against England and Bangladesh would come as a massive surprise and the Dutch are probably content to target a solitary victory against fellow Associate nation Ireland. Even then, the series last August and overall previous record suggests the Irish are stronger so the Dutch look set to finish bottom of a difficult section.