Summary

Twenty-three years since the World Cup was last held on Australian shores, Michael Clarke's men face the task of achieving what Allan Border's side could not in 1992. Back then, Imran Khan lifted the trophy as Pakistan jogged around the boundary of the MCG on an evening in late March, England the vanquished opponents. Australia had not even made the semi-finals. When the last week of March comes this time, will the Melbourne crowd again be neutral or will it be a partisan audience out for Australian success?

At the very least, Australia enter the tournament with a more realistic chance than they did in India in 2011, if for no other reason than the conditions are so familiar. The 2011 World Cup ended with defeat at the hands of India in a quarter-final, and Ricky Ponting stood down from the captaincy in the days that followed. Quite what his successor decides to do after this World Cup remains to be seen. Clarke's participation in the tournament has been a subject of great debate - the selectors set him a deadline of the second match against Bangladesh on February 21 to have recovered from his hamstring surgery, and he looks a good chance of making it. But it would not be a surprise if Clarke eases out of one-day cricket after the World Cup.

Clarke, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson are the only four players remaining from Australia's 2007 World Cup glory and their chances in this tournament will largely rest in the hands of newer men. Neither Aaron Finch nor David Warner were picked for the 2011 World Cup but their work at the top of the order will be critical to Australia's hopes in conditions where the ball will come on to the bat. Equally, Johnson and his fast-bowling colleagues must make a few opponents uncomfortable. James Faulkner is a key man with his ability to finish an innings, and the side strain he picked up in the tri-series final against England earlier this month is a concern.

World Cup pedigree

No team can match Australia's World Cup history. Six times they have reached the final and their four titles included a hat-trick of triumphs in 1999, 2003 and 2007. There was also a run of 34 consecutive World Cup matches without a defeat from 1999 to 2011, a record that will almost certainly never be matched. But their early exit in 2011 signaled the end of their era of dominance, and although they will enter the 2015 tournament confident at home, long gone are the days when Australian victories could be assumed.

X-Factor

It's easy to lose track of how often Glenn Maxwell has been described as "the X-factor". By coaches, by selectors, by team-mates. By himself. In other words, he's that guy who might win it for you single-handedly in the space of a few overs, with 50 off 20 balls. Or with a breathtaking, athletic catch. He might bat anywhere in the order, bowl at any time or not be used at all. He may go three or four games without a contribution. But when he hits his straps Australia will probably win, and win fast.

Players in focus

Mitchell Johnson

The man who delivered the Ashes back into Australian hands might be a key to returning the World Cup to his country as well. It is a quirk of Johnson's one-day career that some of his best work has been performed in Asian conditions, but on the quicker pitches at home and on the big stage of a World Cup, he can be expected to rattle batsmen from virtually every team. At times, his speed may translate to the ball flying just as quickly off the bat, but if he picks up plenty of wickets along the way his job will be done.

Aaron Finch

During their golden era of one-day cricket, Australia were well served by destructive opening batsmen like Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Mark Waugh. Aaron Finch is the latest to join that list. A muscular man with a good eye, Finch will be coming off a highly productive 2014 that included, among other achievements, an unbeaten 181 in the Lord's bicentenary celebration match, when he batted with Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. He likes the ball coming on to the bat and is a proven hundred-maker, with the potential to be Australia's key batsman.

George Bailey

One of the key players to have joined Australia's one-day side since the previous World Cup, Bailey enters this tournament in a very strange situation. If Clarke is unfit for the first game against England, Bailey as his vice-captain will lead the side. But his lack of recent form - he averages 19.68 in the past year - means he will almost certainly be dropped when Clarke returns. In his first two years in Australia's ODI team, Bailey scored 1647 runs at 53.12, a remarkable record that placed him way out in front on the Australian list over that period - Shane Watson was second with 949. His clean hitting can make him an effective finisher but he is versatile enough to have rebuilt Australia's innings several times when the top order has stumbled. Unfortunately, he himself has stumbled at just the wrong time.

Game style

Under coach Darren Lehmann, aggression has been the key word for Australia in all three formats. "There are no fielders in the car park," Lehmann likes to say, which reflects the style he brought to his own batting game. That extends to attacking intent in the field and with the ball as well. Match-winning though such an approach can be, it can also lead to the occasional collapse.

Prediction

They may no longer be unbeatable, but on their familiar pitches with pace and bounce, Australia should still be a handful for most teams. They will consider it a disaster if they do not at least reach the semi-finals and there is every chance they will be there for the decider at the MCG on March 29.

World Cup stats

• Australia have lost only two of their past 36 World Cup matches - it just so happens that those two defeats were their two most recent games
• Ricky Ponting is the all-time record holder for most appearances in World Cup matches and will remain so after this tournament; no current player can reach his mark of 46 World Cup games

If they were an actor

Jack Nicholson: Swaggering multiple trophy winner - but best work in the past?

Theme song

"Don't Dream It's Over" - Crowded House