Australia worthy winners of Cricket's appalling World Cup tournament (page 1 of 2)

But the tournament left a sour taste in the mouth for most cricket fans due to its ill-conceived structure and the greed of its administrators - the International Cricket Council.

Australia's success based on supreme self-confidence

That the Aussies had a squad of very technically proficient players goes without saying - but arguably no more proficient than any of the other fully professional squads at the tournament. True they have in Ponting a batsman of the highest class - but India had Tendulkar, Pakistan Yousuf, England Pietersen, South Africa Gibbs, West Indies Lara... all players of comparable talent. True Ponting is a good Captain - but arguably no smarter than Dravid, Vaughan, Fleming or Jayawardene. True Australia has a well-balanced bowling attack - but was it really that much more capable than those of the other top sides? I think not. What Australia had and most of the other sides only fitfully, was self-belief.

Leaving the Caribbean with pride

Whilst only Australia can leave the Caribbean with total satisfaction there were some other performances of note and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Ireland can look back with pleasure on the tournament. The Lankans, well coached by Tom Moody and well led by Mahela Jayawardene, were deserved runners-up. Bangladesh, again with a skilful coach in Dav Whatmore, did more than could have been expected of them in reaching the final stages and getting the scalps of India and South Africa along the way. And Ireland, a team comprised mostly of good amateurs rather than elite professionals, pulled off the shock of the tournament in beating Pakistan and also did exceptionally well in their tie against Zimbabwe and their later win against Bangladesh. For the rest of the combatants in this year's tournament it was a tale of failure, farce, frustration and tragedy.

Pakistan were vanquished and battered

The ghastly death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was a tragedy that cast a dark shadow over the whole tournament and it is no surprise that we have had to wait until after the World Cup was over for the truth about this horrific happening to begin to emerge in detail. For the confused and knavish morass that is Pakistan cricket Woolmer's death, and the ineptitude of their team's perfomance, must surely be the ultimate wake-up call. They now need a new coach and a new captain who will assert themselves in the right way - first by breaking up the introspective and sanctimonious cabal of players over which Inzamam so dominantly presided.

India, South Africa, New Zealand and the West Indies all blinked at the wrong moments

The only real explanation for a team as talented as India to have performed so abysmally is that they were so scared of losing vital matches that they forgot how to win. The Bangladeshis had nothing to lose - and so they won. The same with Sri Lanka who were through to the Super Eights already when they played India. The South Africans also suffered from Bangladeshi brio and bravado and continued to let the Aussies lord it over them - two humiliating losses to their old foe. The Kiwis did well - until the prize of the final glinted in their eyes and they were then comprehensively demolished by Australia and Sri Lanka in the Super Eight games and delivered a blow-par and spineless performance in the Semi-final. The Windies qualified comfortably but then subsided losing the last five of their final stage matches. All four teams had the talent to win this tournament, but the pressure was just too much for them in some of the must win games.

England were inept, ill-lead, ill-disciplined and a bungling embarrassment

In September 2004 England got to the final of the "Champions Trophy", beating World Champions Australia along the way.