An apt battle-field for the young guns

As if India's draw in the World Cup is not challenging enough in itself, a couple of veteran players are on the verge of retirement, their powers waning with every passing series. But the one aspect that is sure to generate huge interest when the tournament hits Africa in February and March is the charge of the youth brigade. In fact, even across the spectrum of teams, the past year has seen an almost unprecedented rise of young cricketers surging to the front-lines of battle.

Starting with India, there is little need to look further than the cornerstone of their recent limited-overs success ­ both home and away. Even as the side struggled to come to grips with the loss of strength in the bowling department, skipper Sourav Ganguly and coach John Wright pegged their hopes on the batting and fielding departments. The mantra for success was heard over and over again ­ save runs on the field and run between wickets like hares.

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Few put this theory into practice better than the duo of Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif. With Rahul Dravid keeping wicket, India were able to pack the side with batsmen, but they still needed to be especially sharp in the field. This was where the natural athleticism of Yuvraj and Kaif came to the fore. Who can forget the way India edged past South Africa in the Champions Trophy almost solely on the brilliance of Yuvraj Singh? Plucking catches out of thin air in crucial positions close to the wicket, Yuvraj made sure that South Africa were under pressure at all times. And, of course, possibly India's greatest triumph of the year ­ the NatWest series triumph - was engineered by the frantic running between the wickets of Kaif.

But that's not all. Two other pillars of India's success ­ Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag - truly came of age in 2002. While Sehwag has stolen many hearts with his dashing brand of batting at the top of the order, few will disagree that Zaheer's fire in the belly has propelled him into the role of spearhead of the bowling attack. For this pair, like Yuvraj and Kaif, the forthcoming World Cup will be their first.

And what an arena! Every cricketer, let alone the young, dreams of doing well in the World Cup, and India will be particularly motivated after their dismal tour of New Zealand. But India, even with their success, is not the only team that has turned to youth to bolster their sagging fortunes.

Australia, easily the front-runners to walk away victorious for the second time in a row, have shifted their policy from experience to youth in a systematic manner. Legends like Steve Waugh find themselves out in the cold as Australia search for a young all-rounder to take them forward.

Australia's oldest enemy, England, have traditionally been the slowest to move their feet when it comes to accepting change. Even they, however, have had to rethink their strategies, backing up experience with the precocious enthusiasm of youth. The latest entrant to the side, 20-year-old James Anderson, impressed with his nippy bowling in the VB Triangular Series in Australia. With Darren Gough a constant injury concern and Andy Caddick losing pace by the day, Anderson will have to put his hand up and be counted if England are to go far on the seamer-friendly South African wickets.

In sharp contrast to England, Pakistan have always believed in throwing the cricketers into the deep end when they barely know how to swim. It was under pressure in the 1992 World Cup that Pakistan threw up the talent of Inzamam ul-Haq, and in 2003, it will be the left-hander Taufeeq Umar to carry the burden of expectation. A responsible batsman at the top of the order, Umar will have the unenviable task of lending solidity to a brittle batting line-up that can be as shaky as it can be brilliant.

Competing almost directly with Umar is his Sri Lankan counterpart, Jehan Mubarak. Only 21, Mubarak was born in Washington but schooled in the privileged bastion of Sri Lanka's educational system, Royal College, where he was a highly talented all-round sportsman. After choosing to stick with cricket, the tall but elegant left-hander has fast made a name for himself as a batsman of high promise. In a team that has explosive yet unorthodox batsmen like Sanath Jayasuriya and Avishka Gunawardena, Mubarak comes as a whiff of fresh air.

Last, and certainly not least, come the men from the Caribbean. Having recently beaten India 4-3 in an action-packed one-day series, the West Indies discovered the strength of its youth. While Chris Gayle's wanton hitting at the top of the order was certainly the one aspect that stole the show, there were two other youngsters whose roles will be crucial in the World Cup.

Ramnaresh Sarwan looks cool, composed and all class when he is out in the middle. He has the ability to pace himself and stay at the wicket long ­ something that the West Indies has always lacked. And then there's Jermaine Lawson; with pace, strength and a force of character, Lawson blew away the much-vaunted Indian top-order with a spell of fast bowling that conjured up visions of the West Indians teams of old.

With conditions playing a large part, it will be adaptability that wins the day. While experience has its obvious advantages, there's a certain freshness and enthusiasm that only comes from youth. and the drive, the passion to go the extra mile and edge someone else out, is where the rookie looms large. The World Cup will separate the men from the boys; only, the boys may come out on top with the men stopped dead in their tracks.