The Indian team is going about the task of capturing World Cup glory with 'quiet determination', coach John Wright said on Friday, even as he put to rest all speculation about Sachin Tendulkar's injury worries.
"There's a bit of quiet determination in the squad, even the new players are talking of being successful, which is a very good sign," he said.
"It was a nasty blow for us, but we've had to manage Sachin during the time of his injury and he has fully recovered to make his place in the team.
"It's exciting times and we've been working towards this tournament for over a year and things seem to be coming together," the former New Zealand opener said.
Darren Lehmann was on the verge of quitting cricket because he was so distraught about being branded a racist.
Lehmann, his eyes moist, opened up for the first time on Friday about the five-match suspension he received from the International Cricket Council for shouting 'black c....s' near the Sri Lankan dressing room following his dismissal in a tri-series match at the Gabba on January 15.
"It's by far the toughest period of my life," Lehmann said after a coaching clinic with a group of young black players in Potchefstroom was washed out by a thunderstorm.
"I contemplated giving the game away.
"I gave it lots of thought. It was more a case of me working out whether it was all worth it, to be perfectly honest. To be branded a racist is a pretty tough call. Everyone knows who I am and what I'm like and I'm definitely not one of those."
A leading Australian broadcaster has warned that there could be more World Cup boycotts following New Zealand's decision to bypass their fixture in Kenya.
Despite assurances from the ICC, the Kiwis have decided not to honour their February 21 fixture in Nairobi on grounds of security.
The ICC had said on Thursday that Zimbabwe's six matches will not be moved, but players from England and Australia remain reluctant to play in the troubled country.
Tim Lane, cricket commentator for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, said an Aussie boycott is not out of the question.
"Australia were prepared to pull out of their tour to Zimbabwe last year on the basis of security concerns," Lane said of the abandoned tour in April 2002 over which the ICC chose not to take action.
England's cricketers could still boycott the match in Zimbabwe after describing Thursday's decision to go ahead with the fixture as a 'significant disappointment'.
Professional Cricketers' Association boss Richard Bevan is taking legal advice on whether Nasser Hussain's team would be justified in pulling out of the match on February 13.
"Legal advice is also being sought over the game's 'duty of care' not only to players, umpires and officials, but supporters and citizens of Harare," said a PCA statement.
"With reports of large numbers of people migrating to the major cities in Zimbabwe, there is a real concern of demonstrations occurring in greater numbers than previously.
"These numbers may well lead to the introduction of the army to support the Zimbabwe police, which, as the Foreign Office have commented on in the past, use brute force to quell demonstrations."
The ICC technical committee, if satisfied that a team has a reasonable case for boycotting a World Cup fixture because of security concerns, can order the four points for the match be shared.
Below are the six men who comprise the committee:
Ali Bacher, South Africa: World Cup executive director and captain of the last team to play official Test cricket during the apartheid era. He is responsible for the tournament's format, including giving six games to Zimbabwe and two to Kenya.
Malcolm Speed, Australia: ICC chief executive. The ICC has maintained that it is concerned solely with security and not political or moral issues.
Sunil Gavaskar, India: Chairman of the ICC cricket committee. The Asian countries support playing in Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Michael Holding, West Indies: The world's fastest bowler in the late 1970s and now a television commentator. A man of independent views, he announced he would not commentate on any West Indies matches after the appointment of Carl Hooper as captain.
Campbell Jamieson, Australia: ICC commercial manager. One of several Australians involved in cricket's governing body.
Brian Basson, South Africa: A former umpire who was involved in formulating the World Cup schedule.
Shane Warne has said that Australia have a psychological hold on South Africa.
The defending champions will not face South Africa during the first phase, but the countries are tipped to meet in the semifinals or final.
He said, "The results in the different forms [of the game] and the major fixtures we've played against them prove that.
"When it's got to the crunch, we've managed to beat them. We've also come back to win when they've been the side in a winning position."
Had one of South Africa's World Cup matches been scheduled in Zimbabwe, Gary Kirsten says he would not have played there.
The veteran South African opening batsman said at a charity function on Thursday night that he believed there is a 'security issue' around matches in Zimbabwe.
England and Australia are scheduled to play World Cup matches in Zimbabwe and, although players from both sides requested the matches be switched to South Africa because of their concerns over security, the ICC on Thursday ruled that the games in Zimbabwe will go ahead as planned.
"Politics should be left to the politicians. But I would not play in Zimbabwe... there is a security issue," he said.
Cash-strapped New Zealand Cricket faces possible penalties of up $2million for refusing to play their World Cup match in Kenya.
Should NZC lose an appeal to have the February 21 fixture against Kenya moved to South Africa because of terrorism fears, the Kiwis would not only lose two points for forfeiting the match but would be forced to pay heavy commercial compensation to the broadcast rights holders.
Australia's cricketers will not be placed in the position of making moral and political judgements over meeting Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe.
The World Cup champions have been assured that politicians will not come into contact with players during the 54 World Cup matches scheduled for South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Growing