But several punters, looking for a dark horse to put a wager on will go for New Zealand, with 11-1 odds, to upset the ‘Big Two’ and take home the most prestigious prize in one-day cricket.

The New Zealanders, buoyed by their recent limited-overs success over India, have made significant strides in both forms of the game, moving up the ladder in both the Test and one-day ratings.

Under the leadership of inspirational captain Stephen Fleming, the TelstraClear Black Caps have shown the necessary intestinal fortitude and a steely resolve, especially against the more vaunted teams.

Not blessed with any real stars, New Zealand’s all-round strength and athleticism in the field have been a major factor in their rise to prominence, as they have become fierce competitors in the abbreviated game.

The New Zealanders have also brought a new dynamism to the one-day game with attacking bowling in an attempt to capture early wickets rather than adopting defensive runs-saving methods.

“It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a while and now we are getting the personnel with the confidence and ability to do it and that’s exciting,” an upbeat Fleming said about his bold one-day tactics.

Forced to play without their top all-rounder in Chris Cairns for most of the past year, the New Zealanders have dug deep into their reserve and shaped a really competitive line-up.

Over the years, New Zealand, under the shrewd captaincy of their outstanding middle order batsman Martin Crowe, have brought a refreshing and innovative approach to one-day cricket.

The Kiwis shocked the cricketing world by surprisingly using off-spinner Dipax Patel to share the new ball while big left-hander Mark Greatbatch was catapulted into the opening role as ‘pinch-hitter’ to capitalise on the field restrictions in the first 15 overs.

These tactics by Crowe helped to shape New Zealand into a combative unit and current skipper Fleming has also shown imagination as a leader, experimenting with his batting line-up.

Fleming, normally a solid No.3, promoted himself to open the innings with the experienced stroke-making Nathan Astle, giving New Zealand a free-scoring pair at the top of the order.

The Fleming-Astle alliance will be crucial to New Zealand’s fortunes as they are the two premier batsmen in the side.

However, a lot will also depend on seasoned campaigner Craig McMillian, the versatile Lou Vincent, Mathew Sinclair and wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum in the batting department.

These will be ably supported by the all-round talents of Cairns, veteran Chris Harris, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram and Andre Adams, providing New Zealand with plenty of depth in their batting.

In the bowling, department, the fiery Shane Bond, tall swing bowler Daryl Tuffey and the improving Kyle Mills, will be expected to make early inroads in the opposition’s batting line-up.

Back-up support will come from Adams, Styris, Oram, Harris, bespectacled left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori, who is usually a mean one-day bowler and the influential Cairns.

Convenor of the New Zealand selectors, Sir Richard Hadlee, one of the best bowlers of the modern era, has already fired warning shots to opposing batsmen about their pace bowlers, noting they have “physical presence”.

“They are big, they are strong, they are intimidating to look at and they are getting the ball to bounce off a length,” Hadlee said after he had announced the New Zealand squad.

He said the “bowlers have made a tremendous stride forward and that has to be good for our own game whereas in the past we have struggled a little bit.”

Hadlee also said he was happy with the way the New Zealand players have handled his tough talk, prior to the selection of the World Cup squad.

“That pressure is all about accepting the challenges. If they can handle what has gone on over the last few months, then I think they are conditioned mentally, physically and technically, hopefully to handle pressure in South Africa,” he said.

One such player who is accustomed to challenges is the recuperating Cairns, who is rated among the best all-rounders in contemporary cricket.

He definitely possesses the ability to alter the course of a game with his big-hitting batting or effective fast-medium swing bowling and, according to captain Fleming, may be slotted in at either No.4 or No.5 to maximise his explosive batting talents.

Fielding is always a crucial aspect in one-day cricket and New Zealand, with Vincent, Harris and Sinclair in their line-up, plus several other sure-handed fielders, will be among the better equipped sides in this department.

Despite these assets, their task will still not be an easy one against previous Cup winners, West Indies, India, Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan as well as hosts South Africa and the unpredictable England.

But certainly, every New Zealander will say that once Cairns is on song and his team-mates perform to their potential, the Black Caps, could be celebrating their first ever World Cup triumph, giving punters a handsome pay-day on their investment.