Quarter final team previews

West Indies

Roach, Sammy, Benn, Russell, Rampaul and Bishoo have produced a number of good bowling performances.  A Gayle or Pollard onslaught is just the sort of thing that could cause the wheels could come off for Pakistan in the field, but my guess is that Afridi, Gul and co will stop that happening.

Pakistan
Anyone else noticed that Shahid Afridi often stands with his arms crossed when being interviewed at post-match ceremonies?  Is this in a vain attempt to look serious?  That said, while his batting is crazy, his bowling really is pretty serious, and Pakistan are pretty serious contenders.  They've cruised quietly  to the top of their group and now have a very winnable quarter ahead of them. I don't know why people didn't take more note of them earlier.  Be Afridi.  Be very Afridi.

India
Batting-wise, the top order's in top nick, but the middle order men can't middle it.  Here's what Zaheer Khan had to say yesterday about the bowling: "As a bowling unit, I think I am doing well."  You have to say that's a pretty entertaining Freudian slap in the face for Harbhajan, Sreesanth and co.

Australia
Likely to be presented with a juicy greentop in Ahmedabad, tailor-made for their speedsters.  Not.  Crumbled against Indian spinners in a warm-up game in Bangalore.  If Harbhajan remembers how to take wickets, I'd expect a repeat.  But beware Mike Hussey.  I repeat: beware Mike Hussey.

Winter Wildlife I: A Roach and some limpets

West Indies fans have been cheered up by the emergence of Kemar Roach, Brendan Nash and Narsingh Deonarine

A couple of years ago, Ricky Ponting was tormented at the WACA by a 19-year-old Ishant Sharma. In last week’s Perth Test, Ponting suffered at the hands of a new pest – 21 year-old Kemar Roach. The Barbadian is genuinely quick, regularly clocking 150kph, and is clearly an exciting prospect. It remains to be seen whether he will fulfil his potential or fade away, as several recent Caribbean pacemen have done. West Indies fans will be praying that Roach proves hard to get rid of.

Speaking of stickability, it appears that the West Indies have also managed to find potential replacements (or reinforcements) for their middle-order linchpin Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Diminutive left-handers Brendan Nash and Narsingh Deonarine are both stubborn accumulators rather than strokeplayers, and their limpet-like adhesiveness is just what the West Indies’ batting needs right now.