ICC CRICKET WORLDCUP TEAMS, GROUP B : WEST INDIES

The once feared West Indies are a struggling unit today. Champions in the first two World Cups, they are looking to merely cause a few ripples at the 2011 edition. The tussle between the administrators and top players has hit West Indies cricket hard. Though the issue got resolved and the likes of Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul are back in the side, performance wise the team has hit a new low.

A batsman like Gayle is a huge plus for any team. He can provide a blistering start and can be useful with the ball in the middle-overs. If veterans Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan perform to their potential and support Gayle, the team will be able to post big totals consistently. All eyes will be on maverick batsman Kieron Pollard, who is yet to replicate his T20 success in the 50-over format.

ICC CRICKET WORLDCUP TEAMS, GROUP B : NETHERLAND

The Netherlands stunned the cricketing world by beating England in the opening match of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 and in July 20, 2010, in a one-off match shortened by rain to 30 overs a side, they beat Bangladesh by 6 wickets.

In 2007 World Cup, they made a first round exit. But in 2011 World Cup, they will be charged up to upset few teams if they play aggressively. 

ICC CRICKET WORLDCUP TEAMS, GROUP B : ENGLAND

England's cricket fortunes nosedived in a matter of weeks. From a heady World Twenty20 championship last year to an Ashes triumph down under after 24 years, they crashed to a 1-6 defeat against Australia in the One-dayers. The loss of exciting batsman Eoin Morgan with a broken finger along with the poor form of Paul Collingwood adds to their worries.

The trio of Jimmy Anderson, Tim Bresnan and Broad have bowled consistently well in powerplays and their ability to reverse swing can be potent in the subcontinent.

ICC CRICKET WORLDCUP TEAMS, GROUP B : BANGLADESH

Home conditions, current form, youthful vigour and a balanced team composition could make Bangladesh the side to watch out for in the cricket World Cup. Several of the present crop of players were in the side which had inflicted a shock five-wicket defeat on India in the previous edition of the World Cup in the Caribbean.

The 2007 World Cup proved to be a fairy tale of sorts for the populous South Asian nation which marched into the Super Eight where they again scalped South Africa before making an honourable exit. The showing had signaled to the cricketing fraternity that Bangladesh - which has taken part in all World Cups since 1999 - could no more be considered pushovers on the big stage.

ICC CRICKET WORLDCUP TEAMS, GROUP B : IRELAND

Ireland, who made a dream World Cup debut by stunning Test playing nations Pakistan and Bangladesh in the 2007 edition, are looking to replicate their stupendous performance. The 15-man squad, led by seasoned batsman William Porterfield, has nine players from the sensational 2007 side. Their performance four years changed the country's approach to the sport. It is no longer a mere pastime but has grown into a thriving professional sport.

The team's batting line-up is dominated by left-handers such as Porterfield, wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien and former England player Ed Joyce, who played 27 One-day Internationals before returning to his native country. Porterfield and O’Brien have scored more than 1,000 ODI runs each and the team obviously looks up to them. Joyce's return will strengthen their batting and his experience of playing for England will come in handy.

ICC CRICKET WORLDCUP TEAMS, GROUP B : SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa would like to bury the past and also the tag of "chokers" as they get ready for the 2011 World Cup as one of the top favourites. The Proteas suffered heartbreaking losses in the previous World Cups -- in the 1992, 1999 and 2007 semi-finals, inexplicable loss to the West Indies in the 1996 quarter-final and a forgettable 2003 when they bowed out in the first round at home.

The Proteas have made a bold move by excluding experienced wicket-keeper Mark Boucher, seamer Charl Langeveldt and all-rounder Albie Morkel. The Proteas have one of the most potent pace attack, led by fiery Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. Smith and his men will take confidence from their 3-2 ODI win over co-hosts India into the mega event.

ICC CRICKET WORLDCUP TEAMS, GROUP B : INDIA

Sachin Tendulkar holds every conceivable cricket record in an illustrious career spanning over two decades, and the only thing missing from his portfolio is the World Cup. He makes no secret that he wants to be part of a victorious India team, playing in his record sixth and probably the last World Cup this spring.

It was the shocking defeat at the hands of Bangladesh in the preliminaries that literally knocked India out of the last World Cup in the Caribbean. While the Indians try to live down that memory and the tag of favourites, the other contenders see them as the team they need to beat to win the Cup. India's strength is their batting, a line-up that has Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and their bowling, too, is in the capable hands of Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh.