Window on the World Cup

• Super League Group One involves Sri Lanka, South Africa, India and West Indies, Group Two pits together Zimbabwe, England, New Zealand and Pakistan. Other teams are in the Plate tournament. Matches start Sunday with Sri Lanka v West Indies and India v South Africa in the Supers

THE BIG SURPRISE

• Defending champions don’t mean much in age group tournaments but that doesn’t take anything away from the fact that Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe have managed to keep Australia out of the Super League, relegating them to the Plate League playoffs with teams like Canada, Uganda, Ireland

NO TEST FOR THE REST

• The other Test-playing nations, barring Bangladesh, made it through to the Supers. But India and Pakistan appeared the most impressive, the only two to make it with full points and fantastic net run rates: Pakistan +3.17 and India +3.13

THE STARS SO FAR

• The standout has easily been Sri Lankan captain Maharoof Farveez’s. The medium pacer has eight wickets from three matches and also scored a quick half-century against Australia in a losing cause. His opening bowling partner Kosala Kulasekara has also been going great guns, as have Pakistan’s medium pacer Muhammad Riaz Afridi and leg-spinner Mansoor Amjad. For India, it’s been Delhi opening bat Shikhar Dhawan all the way

A FAMILY BUSINESS

• Several players carry a burden of expectation heavier than normal because of their surnames. Ben Harmison is younger brother of English fast bowler Steve. ‘‘Ben looks very similar to Steve but he will come into our squad as a batsman who bowls rather that a bowler who bats,’’ said coach John Abrahams. Zimbabwe’s Craig Ervine is a sibling of Sean, New Zealander Matthew Short’s great-grandfather was also a Black Cap, and the father and uncle of Canada’s Keshvani brothers Shaheed and Abeed both played international cricket for Kenya. Also, Kirk Edwards is related to Fidel and Prosper Utseya’s cousin Stewart Matsikeneryi plays in the Zimbabwe national team