Why ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Needs India-Pakistan match & India to Beat Australia

As if the burden of a billion people was not enough on team India in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, the health of the tournament also dictates that India prevail upon the three time defending champions simply because of the location and the timing of India's rise.

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There are obviously going to be far fewer takers for the semi final and final to follow if India are knocked out of the tournament by Australia in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 quarterfinals. That would be a disaster not only for the Indian cricket team on whom expectations have been built into a summit but also, on the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 that needs a thrilling climax that includes the primary host nation that will host the final.

While a World Cup final always brings out the crowds en masse, the idea of two local nations competing in a bitter clash for the ultimate prize is too good to pass up. If it happens to come in the form of the India v Pakistan ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi final, the tournament will take it.

In that light, the India v Pakistan goes beyond the cricket boundary and into the hearts and minds and emotions, making the clash more charged that otherwise for a semi final, which is an achievement in itself. Australia have been the Indian crowd favourite, but only for India to bump into them. In that they would have appreciated an India v Australia more than they would if Pakistan and Australia make it to the semi finals.

The absence of India from the most crucial stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 will be a set back for the ICC, the tournament organizers, and from their perspective, it would be unfortunate for Australia to lose the quarterfinal as the four time winners of the tournament but not the end of the World Cup.

To keep the sub continent pulsing and on its feet, the ICC's ideal scenario would be an India v Pakistan ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi final match and a final involving Sri Lanka with either India or Pakistan. While that is their utopian assumption, there are at least a couple of teams that will feel denied by this conjecture and very rightly so, which is perhaps it is back to the cricket field.