After a summer watching nothing but Australia and England, it is all-too apparent what frailties and strengths both these sides possess heading into the World Cup. But what about the rest of the competition? Here are five names to keep an eye out for as the tournament gets underway. Some are well known, others bolters, but all are likely to have an impact as Australia looks to take home a fourth consecutive title.

Hashim Amla

The 27-year-old South African will enter the 2011 World Cup as the undisputed form batsman in the 50-over format. In the last 12 months he has scored over 1300 runs at an average in excess of 72. Nobody in the game comes close to matching those numbers and with a career strike-rate of over 93; he's no slouch either.

Of Indian descent, Amla's game is perfectly suited to the sub-continent and his control of wristy leg-side flicks will mean he is a danger finding boundaries during powerplays as well as working the gaps in the middle overs.

Incredibly, Amla did not make his ODI debut until 2008, three-and-a-half years after his Test debut. His inclusion as opener, alongside Graeme Smith, gives South Africa a balanced right-left combination and an excellent base from which to introduce matchwinners, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy.

With South Africa likely to make the business end of the tournament, expect Amla to be one of the leading run scorers at its close.

Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib Al Hasan is a prodigiously talented Bangladeshi all-rounder. His left-arm orthodox spinners have brought him 39 wickets in the last 12 months, the most of any bowler in ODI's. He can also bat a bit, with five career ODI centuries contributing to a handy average of 35.

The 23-year-old was instrumental in Bangladesh's whitewash of New Zealand in a recent four-match ODI series and with home advantage The Tigers will expect to progress to the knockout stages at the expense of Ireland, the Netherlands and the West Indies.

Much will rest on the shoulders of Al Hasan though, and his ability to convert his dominance over the weaker international sides into performances against the elite.

Paul Stirling

Ireland's Paul Stirling is unlikely to be well known to anyone that doesn't follow emerging nations cricket, but that could all change following this World Cup.

In September, the solidly built 20-year-old smashed 177 for Ireland against Canada, while a month earlier he was the only associate member to be nominated in the "Emerging Player" category at the ICC Cricket Awards.

As Canada's John Davison showed in his record-breaking 67-ball century against the West Indies in 2003, it only takes one innings to cement a place in history and with powerplays to his advantage and sides likely to field weakened XI's against Ireland, Stirling could yet have his moment in the sun.

Following in the footsteps of fellow Irish stars Ed Joyce and Eoin Morgan, Stirling is now playing with Middlesex in English county cricket.

Lasith Malinga

‘The Slinger' has moved imperceptibly from international cricket's wild thing to one of its greatest exponents of controlled pace bowling - particularly at the death. Still only 27, the Sri Lankan has been around international cricket for a number of years but it is only recently that his worth has begun to be truly felt.

Malinga is one of the few players who can claim the IPL has transformed their standing in the game - for the better - as the paceman has honed his craft with the Mumbai Indians.

Another of the ‘home' competitors, Malinga will ensure that Sri Lanka will concede little in its powerplays and offer genuine wicket-taking potential with his full-pitched inswing deliveries.

As Australia learned to their cost earlier in the summer, Malinga is also a carefree lower-order hitter (as pictured, above) who can damage sides who fail to take him seriously.

Kieron Pollard

Big West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard's record does not yet indicate greatness, but his role in a poor side should not be underestimated. For example, the 23-year-old has hit 22 sixes in just 29 ODIs and bowls with an average a shade over 28.

A superstar in T20, Pollard is yet to consistently convert his massive hitting ability into other formats. Recently, however, his liquorice allsorts bowling has been sufficient to include him as a bowling all-rounder with license to bat aggressively in the lower-middle order.

With such power and timing, Pollard is exactly the kind of performer that can turn a game in an instant. If the West Indies make it to the knockout stages, it won't matter who the opposition happens to be, if Pollard is in the mood there will be trouble, and entertainment, ahead.