Everybody has Australia but I tip WI or India: Sobers
Tuesday, February 11 2003 00:51 Hrs (IST)

Barbados: Cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers has tipped either West Indies or India to win the World Cup and dethrone reigning champions Australia.

"Everyone has Australia as the number one World Cup team but I don't believe that Australians are going to win the World Cup," Sobers said.

"I believe that somewhere, probably West Indies will have a good chance as well as India and Sri Lanka," Sobers told reporters in St Lucia for the launch of the historic double World Cup in April.

"I think the lower teams have got a tremendous chance of winning the World Cup. They realise there is an opportunity for them in One-day cricket and they build their game particularly for the World Cup," Sobers said.

"I think that is where you are going to find teams like New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is always a force to reckon with at the One-Day level," he said.

"Australia does have Adam Gilchrist, who is known as one of the best One-day players. Matthew Hayden is the kind of player who could tear bowling apart, and captain Ricky Ponting, so they've got fairly good One-day players.

"But I think the other teams have concentrated more on Limited Overs cricket because they can't really live up to the standard of Test cricket at the present moment.

"I think they realise there is a part to play in cricket and One-day is the scene," he said.

PTI

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