Proteas are the front runners in 2015 says Dean Jones

Before there was Michael Bevan or MS Dhoni, there was Dean Jones, the original ODI maestro. Making his debut in 1984, barely a decade after the format was introduced at the international level and had few stars, Jones went on to become one of the pioneers of modern ODI batting as he compiled 6068 ODI runs from 164 matches at an average of 44.61 and at the time, a rapid strike rate of 72.56 with 7 centuries. Unlike later ODI specialists though, Jones was equally adept at Test cricket, scoring 3631 Test runs at an average of 46.55 in the days of Marshall, Holding and Imran.

PakPassion: What are your thoughts on the WICB issue? Who do you blame?

Dean Jones: I will say again that I fully understand where West Indies cricket is, I fully understand that the players need to be paid. But the player power is really poor within the West Indies; they just haven't worked it out. Now let's look at it like this, this has been the ninth time a tour has been abandoned since 1977. People have been killed, massive riots, assassinations, all these things, bombs and other problems. West Indies are the only ones that have gone home because of a pay dispute, like, really?!

They really didn't think it through. I even think that, what I believe, and my people tell me that there is some sympathy from the BCCI with the West Indian players, but don't bring this stuff halfway through a tour and use that as leverage. What they (players) should have done was say to the BCCI, we want some advice about this from you and can you help us out. They need to understand India provides all the dough and they are the big bosses there whether they like it or not. They should have said well we're not going to come to India in the first place so can you please fit Sri Lanka, Bangladesh or whoever in that spot and then BCCI would have had time to fit that in.

But now since they left halfway through a tour they've left them in a huge mess and now that's left BCCI in a litigation situation with broadcasters, major sponsors and corporate partners. And they've got every chance they can get sued which would be followed by West Indies getting sued. The worst outcome is that if they do sue them for $70 million and the WICB become insolvent. So technically they could be disbanded and broken up and the only way we can see them play would be if Trinidad, Barbados, and Jamaica become playing countries. I don't think that WILL happen but that can easily happen. The player power, they just haven't worked it through and now we hear that some of the players might be playing in the IPL. They just haven't worked it through; they've been dummies, instead of working with the BCCI and the friends they made through the IPL, they should have said we are coming over, can you help us with this situation? Instead they have acted irresponsibly.

PakPassion.net: Australia amongst all of the teams look like front runners for the World Cup. Who do you think are their main rivals?

Dean Jones: The favourite, without a doubt to me, is South Africa. They have got bowlers who can bowl at the top end, bowlers who can bowl in the middle and at the death but what sets them apart are the batters. Bowlers win you Test matches and batsmen win you One Day matches. Faf Du Plessis, AB De Villiers and Hashim Amla look really strong and they can play on bouncy swinging pitches, where the two new white balls can get through players if they've got a bit of a weakness with their back foot defence and where it's also important to understand how to hit the ball down to third man.

I think they will definitely make the semi-finals and I think Australia will as well. I think Sri Lanka will also have a good chance but only if Lasith Malinga is fit and if he is not, then I've got a query about Sri Lanka's chances.

Also New Zealand plays well in World Cups and we know that because history tells us that. India is a question mark for me, batters aren't in great form, they don't cope well with the swinging ball down south and it all depends on how well they play the Test matches (in Australia), funnily enough to me. If some of the Indian guys hit good form and play in Australia and get runs, then that'll bleed into their One Day match performances. That is how I look at India's chances. The others, I'm struggling to see them make an impact.

PakPassion.net: If one just looks at current form, then it would appear that Mitchell Johnson will simply run through all batting line ups at the World Cup - He won't even need a partner to do so! With Johnson in that form, the Australian bowling attack is a formidable one. Do you think Australia is in that place?

Dean Jones: No, I don't think they are in a good place bowling wise, I think they are getting smashed at the death, they don't have a death bowler and there have been plenty of times when they've gone for 90 runs or more in the last ten overs, so they are struggling to bowl their defensive lines and lengths. Whereas South Africa have got Morkel, Steyn and the rest, these boys are in better form and they just have a better idea of where they are going.

PakPassion.net: What do you think are Pakistan’s chances at the World Cup?

Dean Jones:

PakPassion.net: What is the reason for the panic in the Pakistani ODI team batting line-up, why can't they do the simple things right?

Dean Jones: A simple thing would be like hitting balls into holes - and that's not necessarily simple. It all boils down to understanding your game, such as when you’re facing a spinner you've got to hit targets. Now what I call a target is a boundary rider, deep mid-off, deep long on, deep point, deep square leg. If you’re any good, whatever line and length the spinner bowls you should be able to hit one of those targets, and consistently keep ticking the ball over and that’s what they don’t do - well they can’t do. Do they practice enough? probably not. Can they drop the ball at their feet when it's back of a length? Can they drop the ball within one metre and then pinch a single? No they don't!

PakPassion.net: Johnson, Steyn or Anderson, whose the best pace bowler at the moment?

Dean Jones: Johnson by a long way and without any hesitation! He is a bowler that batsmen fear. They feel that they can end up in the hospital if they face him and that is a great advantage he has. Other bowlers can do that once in a while but Johnson can do this consistently. In his previous spell, he was a good bowler but now, he has found a new friend – that friend is bounce and that is what is disconcerting for any batsmen to deal with and that is what makes him the best fast bowler at the moment.