England team - 2003 and 2007

Simply comparing the team that played the last edition of the WC verses the team that will be playing this edition tells a story. It tells you what the team has been upto in last 4 years. While you are free to interpret the story in your own way, here is how I would read it :

The 2007 England team is a much younger unit. There are only 3 players who have played in the 2003 WC. The English bowling attack is as fresh as it could get. Scouts must have worked over-time trying to replace aging stars with younger talent. One name thats missing from the 2007 squad is that of Steve Harmison. He is the first casulty of the Ashes whitewash. On paper, this team does not look threatening - especially if you compare roaster to that of the star-studded Indian side. But as a unit on the ground they may be able to do quite a bit of damage.

What the comparision doesn't tell you is that England won and lost Ashes in the same breath. When the lost - they lost bad.