The prize-money too has been increased phenomenally. The previous World Cup offered a total of just US$ 250,000. In 1999, the winner alone stands to take home US$300,000 while the total prize money offered is a whopping US$ 1 million.

And it does not end with that. The total outlay is expected to cross Rs 350 crore which is close to seven times the turn over of the 1996 event which was pegged at Rs 56 crore. Truly in every sense of the word the last World Cup of this millennium is cricket's greatest-ever event.

But will it be the most exciting event ever? Not if the organisers have their way. For the format is such that the excitement of an upset is all but ruled out.

THE VILLAIN: One of the criticism of the previous World Cup was that the real tournament began only with thequarter-final matches. The group games were dismissed as warm-up games, virtually. This was inevitable as Group A had Sri Lanka (the eventual champs), Australia (runners-up), India, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Kenya while Group B comprised South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand, England, UAE and Holland. Only two teams from each group needed to be knocked out at the end of the league games. As expected, even though the West Indies and Australia conceded their match to Sri Lanka, the eight senior Test playing nations advanced.

Any excitement in the league phase, like Kenya beating West Indies, was only artificial and had no bearing on the standings.

This year the league phase will be more keenly contested as only three from each group will advance to what the organisers have branded as the Super Six.Sri Lanka, India, South Africa and England are the prime contenders for the top three spots from Group A, though a strong Zimbabwe team could do one of these teams a favour by beating the other prime contenders.(Zimbabwe as spoilsports might provide all the excitement this year).

Group B is weaker. Nevertheless competition will be intense among Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand and West Indies for the three berths in the Super Six. Scotland and Bangladesh, the other two teams will be mere pushovers.

CONSISTENCY THE KEY: The creation of the Super Six has robbed the tournament of unpredictability. In fact one of the poignant features of the previous World Cup was the ambush laid by the Lara-inspired West Indies to fell high-flying South Africa in the quarterfinals. That win might not have been as sensational as nonentity, bicycle-riding Peter Dohan's ambush of champion Boris Becker in the first round of Wimbledon, but it brought out just as well the glory of the unexpected in sport.

However, it is this very sort of excitement the organisers hope to eliminate with the Super Six. Their bid is to ensure that even if anybody can win the World Cup, only a somebody can make the semifinals. In typically drab Englishfashion they have dismantled the joy and thrill of an upset (no mayhem please) and substituted it with consistency (order must prevail).

Indeed consistency is the key to a berth in the semifinals. The three teams that advance from the groups to the Super Six will not play each other in the second stage, but the points they notched up playing each other in the group will be carried forward and added to the points they gain in the Super Six. For example, if India, South Africa and England make the Super Six from Group A, they will not play each other again in the Super Six. Instead these teams will play each of the Group B qualifiers, say Australia, Pakistan and New Zealand.

But the points, say, India won, against South Africa and England in the group matches will be added to the points they gain from their matches against Australia, Pakistan and New Zealand. The top four with the maximum points will then advance to the semifinals. Thus the organisers have ensured that it is not enough for a team to havejust one great match. They need to play a series of great matches to make the semifinals.

This format may be good for the consistently better team. But it robs the tournament of the unexpected.

Outstanding matches like the WI Vs SA or India Vs. Pakistan quarterfinals of the previous editions would have no bearing. And that is the pity. For one of the undoubted charms of sport is of David slaying Goliath, the underdogs having his day.till there is one small consolation, and this might defeat the organisers designs of making it a drab World Cup. That is the unpredictability of the English weather. Who knows, rain at the wrong time might still upset a lot of calculations.