Does a team's form leading up to the World Cup determine the next champion? Judging from the number of people (and pundits) who have Australia and South Africa on their lips as winners of World Cup 2003, it would seem so.

But the figures suggest otherwise. Except in the 1979 edition of the tournament, which the West Indies firmly entered as favourites and finally won, the top team based on form prior to the championship has never won the World Cup.

In 1983, the West Indies, who were then the top one-day side, were toppled by seventh-placed India.

Form cuts both ways. In 1987, Australia, who were placed fifth in the rankings before the tournament began, took home the trophy. In 1992, the Aussies who were at the top of the table, failed even to qualify for the last four.

The 1996 champion, Sri Lanka, had a miserable time prior to the tournament and were placed a lowly sixth with a win percentage of 43. But the team went on to win the title without losing a single game in the tournament.

Ditto South Africa in the last World Cup. Having won 75 per cent of the matches in the four years running up to 1999, the Proteas were firm favourites. But it was the fourth-placed Australians (win percentage: 50.66) who took away the honours.

So, what do these figures mean in 2003? Australia (win percentage 73.56) and South Africa (64.42) enter the fray as the top-two teams. Will they buck the trend? Or will the current favourites end up biting the dust?

And in the midst of all that, is there hope for India, which enters the tournament placed fifth in the rankings? Or is it cold comfort?

1975-79	P	W	L	D	T	%win	Team position in the 1979 WC
West Indies	7	5	2	-	-	71.42	won the WC
New Zealand	5	3	2	-	-	60.00	lost in the semi-final
England	17	9	7	1	-	52.94	lost in the final
Australia	10	5	4	1	-	50.00	failed to qualify for the semis
Pakistan	10	3	7	-	-	30.00	lost in the semi-final
India	5	1	4	-	-	20.00	failed to qualify for the semis

1979-83	P	W	L	D	T	%win	Team position in the 1983 WC
West Indies	34	23	11	-	-	67.64	lost in the final
New Zealand	39	23	15	1	-	58.97	failed to qualify for the semis
England	40	19	21	-	-	47.50	lost in the semi-final
Pakistan	25	11	13	1	-	44.00	lost in the semi-final
Australia	64	28	32	4	-	43.75	failed to qualify for the semis
India	27	10	17	-	-	37.04	won the WC
Sri Lanka	15	4	9	2	-	26.66	failed to qualify for the semis

1983-87	P	W	L	D	T	%win	Team position in the 1987 WC
West Indies	80	61	17	1	1	76.25	failed to qualify for the semis
England	49	26	23	-	-	53.06	lost in the final
Pakistan	78	38	36	4	-	48.71	lost in the semi-final
India	73	32	36	5	-	43.83	lost in the semi-final
Australia	82	35	41	5	1	42.68	won the WC
New Zealand	48	16	29	3	-	33.33	failed to qualify for the semis
Sri Lanka	42	8	32	2	-	19.04	failed to qualify for the semis
Bangladesh	2	-	2	-	-	00.00	did not participate

1987-92	P	W	L	D	T	%win	Team position in the 1992 WC
Australia	75	55	18	1	1	73.33	failed to qualify for the semis
Pakistan	79	43	34	1	1	54.53	won the WC
West Indies	79	41	33	3	2	51.89	failed to qualify for the semis
England	48	23	22	2	1	47.91	lost in the final
India	72	31	39	1	1	43.06	failed to qualify for the semis
New Zealand	59	23	36	-	-	38.98	lost in the semi-final
South Africa	3	1	2	-	-	33.33	lost in the semi-final
Sri Lanka	50	12	38	-	-	24.00	failed to qualify for the semis
Bangladesh	7	-	7	-	-	00.00	did not participate
Zimbabwe	-	-	-	-	-	-	failed to qualify for the semis

Team	P	W	L	D	T	%win	Team position in the 1996 WC
Australia	75	45	29	-	1	60.00	lost in the final
India	63	37	24	1	1	58.73	lost in the semi-final
West Indies	78	45	30	2	1	57.69	lost in the semi-final
Pakistan	87	46	37	-	4	52.87	lost in the quarter-final
South Africa	70	33	35	2	-	47.14	lost in the quarter-final
England	38	17	21	-	-	44.73	lost in the quarter-final
Sri Lanka	78	33	40	5	-	43.30	won the WC
New Zealand	65	23	38	3	1	35.38	lost in the quarter-final
Zimbabwe	31	4	24	1	2	12.90	lost first round
UAE	2	-	2	-	-	00.00	lost first round
Bangladesh	3	-	3	-	-	00.00	did not participate

Team	P	W	L	D	T	%win	Team position in the 1999 WC
South Africa	76	57	16	3	-	75.00	lost in the semi-final
Sri Lanka	81	43	34	3	1	53.08	did not qualify for the super league
Pakistan	106	54	49	3	-	50.94	lost in the final
Australia	75	38	36	-	1	50.66	won the WC
West Indies	50	24	25	-	1	48.00	did not qualify for the super league
England	49	22	25	1	1	44.90	did not qualify for the super league
India	119	50	59	9	1	42.02	failed to qualify for the semis
Zimbabwe	60	24	34	-	2	40.00	failed to qualify for the semis
New Zealand	65	23	34	5	3	35.38	lost in the semi-final
Kenya	19	6	13	-	-	31.58	did not qualify for the super league
Bangladesh	18	1	17	-	-	05.55	did not qualify for the super league

Team	P	W	L	D	T	%win	Team position in the 2003 WC
Australia	87	64	19	2	2	73.56	?
South Africa	104	67	34	1	2	64.42	?
Pakistan	108	64	42	1	1	59.25	?
Sri Lanka	107	61	42	3	1	57.01	?
India	118	58	56	4	-	49.15	?
England	64	28	34	2	-	43.75	?
West Indies	88	38	46	4	-	43.18	?
New Zealand	89	35	51	3	-	39.32	?
Zimbabwe	97	25	70	2	-	25.77	?
Kenya	22	1	20	1	-	04.54	?
Netherlands	2	-	2	-	-	00.00	?
Bangladesh	26	-	25	1	-	00.00	?