Aussies firm favorites

The day that Phillip Hughes died last November it sent a shockwave around Australia and the whole of cricket. The nation's cricketers, together with the international cricket community, went into collective mourning.

Since their self-imposed break after Hughes' death though, Australia's national team has done nothing but grow. They won a tough test match series against India, and have also been undefeated in their 50 over matches through the summer. Now, the team look ready to put the tragedy behind them, on the eve of the Cricket World Cup which begins on Saturday.

Batsmen David Warner and Steven Smith have been in fantastic form and their bowlers - despite the memory of Hughes' death at the back of their minds - have been bowling fast and with focused aggression. Not even the injury troubles of their captain, Michael Clarke, have stopped their progress.

Will India inspire?

While the Aussies are firm favorites with the bookmakers to win the tournament, the team obviously aren't expecting it to be a piece of cake. Perennial tournament favorites South Africa will be desperate to win their first World Cup trophy and will feel almost at home in the conditions Down Under. Co-hosts New Zealand have a well-balanced team and also their best chance in a long time of making the final.

Then there are the Indians, led by MS Dhoni, who have been touring Australia since November of last year and have only just registered their first win on Australian soil, in a friendly against Afghanistan. The World Cup defending champions will have a point to prove once the tournament begins, as they hope to re-assert their credentials. Their first game is likely to once again break TV viewership records, when they take on Pakistan in Adelaide this Sunday.

"I think it's just a matter of time until their batting order starts functioning," said Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood when asked about India, on the eve of the tournament.

"They've got some outstanding players and they've all got great records," he added. "They are a very dangerous side."

Cricketing minnows on show

Once again this World Cup will feature the top ten cricketing nations who all qualified for the tournament directly. From Pakistan to West Indies, Zimbabwe to Sri Lanka, each team has their own set of talented players who can all dominate any opposition on any given day.

For years the world's top cricketing nations have been arguing for a less inclusive approach. The idea being that the top countries would compete only amongst themselves at the world's most important tournaments, while sharing the tournament revenue at the same time, of course.

After the initial (eventually reversed) decision by the sport's governing body to limit the number of teams at the tournament to just 10, there'll be plenty of interest in the fate of the four smaller teams included this year. Ireland, Scotland, United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan will be taking to cricket's biggest stage - with the latter even making their first World Cup appearance. They should enjoy the experience while it lasts: in 2019 only 10 teams will play in the World Cup.

But to exclude teams like Afghanistan would be a shame. One of the highlights of recent World Cups was Ireland's surprise win against their oldest rivals England in 2011 for instance. Set 327 to win in Bangalore, Ireland looked down and out before Kevin O'Brien played the innings of his life scoring 113 runs from just 63 balls. It was the highest successful run chase ever in World Cup history.

Only one doubter

Still, when it comes to picking which team looks most likely to win the tournament, it's tough to look past co-hosts Australia. Set to play most of their games on their country's notoriously fast and bouncy pitches, the Aussies will have a major home advantage.

England's fiery paceman Stuart Broad thinks that Australia may not win the tournament though. He expects either New Zealand or South Africa to make the final on March 29 - playing against none other than the English themselves. He'll have a chance to put his words into action, when England play Australia on the opening day of the tournament in Sydney.

"Every game is going to be huge in this World Cup, but I think we are gaining momentum quite nicely," said Broad. "There will be no better time to get a win than in our first match of the World Cup, on Saturday against Australia."

If Broad is right, it may signal the unraveling of a nation's cricketing dream that formed in Australian minds back on that dark day in November. If he's wrong, one of the world's proudest cricketing nations will be on track to deliver one of their greatest achievements.