Toronto based freelance Australian writer Justin Robertson writes for Yahoo Sports Canada:
The first ball of cricket’s highly anticipated masterpiece starts in less than 24 hours in Melbourne and Christchurch. The ICC World Cup kicked off with a super low-key Opening Ceremony with local artists and cultural themes last night (in case you missed it, which you most likely did,here’s a quick look.) It’s no NFL halftime show featuring Katy Perry and dancing sharks, but, it happened all the same. This World Cup is expected to keep super fans and casual fans absorbed for six glorious weeks.
Like most world events, controversy comes in all forms. Security for the World Cup is on high alert after a Sydney authorities intercepted a terrorist attack just days ago. There are also protestsoutside the S.C.G stadium where large groups are lashing out against the estimated 200 foreigners being imported to broadcast the World Cup, intensifying secuirty fears.
On the field, this year’s World Cup will feature cricket’s tallest player: Pakistan’s Mohammad Irfan, standing at seven-foot, one-inch (2.16 metres). Other burning questions will be answered over the course of the tournament: can Australia win their fifth World Cup title? Can India go back to back? What about New Zealand and South Africa; could either of them win the title for the first time? With 49 matches and 14 teams remaining, we’ll find out those answers in late March. Here’s why Canadians should watch the next month and a half of the ICC World Cup.