Australia's two-time World Cup winning captain Ricky Ponting Wednesday said India were a serious contender to retain the coveted trophy.

"India have got too many class players in their team to not be serious contenders at some stage. If they happen to play as well as they can, they are very dangerous," the former batsman was quoted as saying by bccitv.com.

"I think they will get better, it was a very encouraging start for them the other day, although I thought it was a pretty weak Pakistani side," Ponting said.

"India got into the World Cup after a tough time in the Test series and the tri-series. But I got a feeling that they got a bit of a downtime after that and started to build things up at the start of this tournament. I think Australia are favourites."

Shehzad may be axed

Following reports of three senior Pakistan players misbehaving with fielding coach Grant Luden, it is learned that opener Ahmed Shehzad may be sent home from the World Cup.

Luden is believed to have offered to quit after complaining to the Pakistan Cricket Board that Shahid Afridi, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal misbehaved with him during a training session on Tuesday.

The incident occurred when Luden apparently urged Shehzad to try harder. Sources said Afridi defended his team mate and the situation got worse when Akmal complained to team manager Naved Cheema about the coach using abusive language.

The PCB, however, maintained that there is no rift in the team, though they did not confirm Luden's position.

Haddin's last WC?

This is the third World Cup for Australian star Brad Haddin, the 37-year-old wicketkeeper, so it comes as no great surprise that he may hang up his gloves from one-day cricket at the conclusion of this tournament.

But the way the evergreen Haddin has reinvented his career over the past couple of years, you could never write him off.

“I haven't really thought about when I'm going to pull the pin but it obviously looks like I haven't got many one-day games in front of me. From my point of view, I'm just enjoying this whole campaign of a World Cup. It would be good to be around in a month's time at the MCG for the finale but I'm just enjoying this tournament,” he said.

“Obviously it would be a great way to sign off from one-day cricket, but I haven't really thought about when I'm going to pull the pin.

“But it's getting close – definitely from one-dayers.”

SA coach backs Vernon

South Africa coach Russell Domingo detected enough bounce in the team's past game at the MCG, against Australia in November, to be confident wily seamer Vernon Philander will trouble India's batsmen in Sunday's heavyweight clash in Melbourne.

"There seemed to be a little bit of bounce here last time. Vernon thrives on wickets that offer a little bit, so hopefully there will be something in the wicket for him because he's a hell of a good bowler when there's something in the wicket for him," Domingo said.

Courtsiders at Manuka Oval

A man was caught courtsiding at the International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh at Manuka Oval on Wednesday night, police said.

On Wednesday, the man - understood to be an Australian national - was thrown out of Manuka Oval after he was caught and issued with a ban notice by the ICC, since he breached the terms and conditions of entry.

The incident is the third case of courtsiding so far in the cup.

Three men were evicted from the Sri Lanka and New Zealand match at Christchurch's Hagley Oval and one man evicted from the Ireland and the West Indies match at Nelson.

– Compiled