Rivals still chasing Aussies in World Cup betting

The Ashes may be uppermost in the minds of most fans in England and Australia, but it is worth checking on the progress of all the teams for next year's World Cup, which is now less than six months away.

Australia will defend the trophy they won so convincingly in 1999 and 2003, while hosts the West Indies will be hoping home advantage can help them to re-establish themselves among cricket's elite. The likes of England, India, Pakistan and New Zealand will also be itching to get their hands on the Cup.

Click here to bet on the World Cup at bet365

Let's take a look at the main contenders for the 2007 Cricket World Cup:

AUSTRALIA 2/1 (3.00)
ICC Ranking: 1st
Statistics can sometimes be misleading but it's hard to argue with Australia being installed as 2/1 (3.00) favourites, where they have been for months now. Head and shoulders clear at the top of the ICC one-day world rankings, they won the recent series with West Indies and India with a weakened side. They have won 13 of their past 20 one-day matches and will go into the 2007 competition as the two-time defending champions. The only thing that could go against them is that Glenn McGrath, the outstanding Australian seam bowler of this generation, is likely to be making his final bow.

The fixture list, which has them in the Caribbean in 2007 for a Test and One-day series, is in their favour, but their Ashes defeat showed they are no longer unbeatable and that is reflected in their price, which was originally set at 13/8 (2.63). However, they have rebounded well from their Ashes loss and will be the ones to beat.

PAKISTAN 5/1 (6.00)
ICC Ranking: 3rd
Perhaps the dark horses of the competition. Pakistan are an enigma - brilliant at times and pathetic at others - but they appear to be getting things right. Inzamam-ul-Haq has been a player transformed by the captaincy and his young side have plenty of talent to succeed. A brilliant come-from-behind series victory in India showed the rest what they can do and they built on that with a convincing series win over England before matching Andrew Strauss's side this summer. They also have a fine World Cup pedigree, having won the trophy in 1992 and reached the finals in 1999.

INDIA 5/1 (6.00)
ICC Ranking: 3rd
In each of the past three World Cups, India have appeared to have had the perfect team for success, but only in 2003 did they manage to put some results together and make the final, for the first time since their stunning victory in 1983, when they upset the then-mighty West Indies at Lord's. Their top six is still packed full of runs, with the brilliant and rejuvenated Tendulkar complemented by Dravid, Laxman and Sehwag. Their bowling has a good mix of youth and experience and the likes of Anil Kumble are still going strong. Greg Chappell overcome some early problems and if he manages to gel the team, they will be a serious threat.

SOUTH AFRICA 13/2 (7.50)
ICC Ranking: 2nd
The only side to really rival Australia for their professional approach to the game in recent years, South Africa are beginning to show signs of peaking once again after a period in transition. The disappointment of what happened in 2003, when their miscalculation of the Duckworth-Lewis method saw them miss out on a semi-final berth, will only spur them on, while in Jacques Kallis they have arguably the best all-rounder in the one-day game. South Africa have now won 11 of their past 20 one-dayers so the chances are they will make the semi-finals at least.

ENGLAND 8/1 (9.00)
ICC Ranking: 8th
Duncan Fletcher's side set its stall out for the 2007 World Cup, determined to make up for their underachievement in a competition they have yet to win. But the results have not come and they have won just five of their past 20 matches. They do have a good blend of youth and experience but after a long Ashes series, they will do well to regroup in time for a crack at the trophy.

NEW ZEALAND 8/1 (9.00)
ICC Ranking: 5th
Under the captaincy of Stephen Fleming, New Zealand have excelled in the one-day game, though their semi-final appearance in 1999 remains their best showing at a World Cup. A superb fielding side, the Black Caps are a team full of all-rounders and they have won 10 of their past 20 games. A lack of strength in depth in the bowling department remains a worry though they have time to put that right. Outsiders for a semi-final berth.

SRI LANKA 9/1 (10.00)
ICC Ranking: 6th
Another side who simply cannot be ruled out, given their love of the one-day game. Having gone as high as second in the ICC rankings, they dropped back to sixth but they know how to get the job done when the World Cup comes round. A semi-final appearance in 2003 was a good effort, while few while forget their amazing victory in 1996 when they romped past the world's best. A few of their top performers may be perhaps past their very best, but underestimate them at your peril.

WEST INDIES 10/1 (11.00)
ICC Ranking: 7th
Since reaching the semi-finals in 1996, the West Indies have been in almost terminal decline in both forms of the game, but, despite recent capitulations against South Africa and Australia, they have shown signs of improvement in limited overs cricket. Still too reliant on Brian Lara for runs, they need Chanderpaul, Sarwan and Gayle to take more responsibility.

Their bowling, though, is the main problem, with no one seemingly able to block up one end, let alone make the breakthroughs. They have picked up of late and have now won 11 of their past 20 one-day matches, but 10/1 is still not the most amazing value, even if hosting the tournament should be a huge advantage. They still ought to make the last four, though, particularly if Lara responds to what could be his last hurrah.

BANGLADESH 100/1 (101.00)
ICC Ranking: 10th
Perhaps the most talented of these three, they could win the odd match.

ZIMBABWE 250/1 (251.00)
ICC Ranking: 9th
Going from bad to worse and no chance of rewarding each-way bets by making the final.

KENYA 300/1 (301.00)
ICC Ranking: 11th
Reached the semi-finals in 2003 almost by default and not up to this class.

Please note that odds are correct at time of publication and are subject to change.