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The Cup according to Kumble

There is, seemingly, a World Cup-oriented CD-ROM coming out per minute, these days.

And then there is Anil Kumble's effort. The twin-CD pack, due for official release on April 21, kept me engrossed for hours.

The best bit about this presentation is that it combines three CD-ROMs into one. The first is a World Cup encyclopaedia -- a sort of everything you ever wanted to know about the Cup but didn't know who to ask. Features include in-depth reports (text and audio) of every single World Cup; exhaustive reports on every single World Cup match played since the tournament began; video and audio clips highlighting the deeds of the 20 greatest performers of all time, on the World Cup stage, and -- to me the most interesting -- a computerised performance analysis of every single performance in WC competition to date.

Once you are full to the brim with the facts and the figures, give the World Cup Quiz (part two of the package) a shot. Designed for a single player or two players at a time, it gives you all the options -- different playing levels, time controls, buzzer rounds, and a format that includes audio and video questions as well.

And then there is the Cup itself. A game that you can play, either solo or interactive. A database of 700 players, with playing records weighted to account for the differing eras, enables you to either play out the Cup with today's teams, or try out your favourite all time lineups -- Sachin Tendulkar to open with Sunil Gavaskar? Donald Bradman to lead a side that has Shane Warne and Dennis Lillee spearheading the attack? Vivian Richards and Brian Lara making up a West Indies middle order? Name it, you got it.

The CD-ROM hits the shelves in India on the first of May. However, thanks to a tieup between Rediff and the Kumble brothers Anil and Dinesh, they will be available for online purchase from April 22, a full ten days before the hard launch. Look for details on this site, on that date.

Meanwhile, for those hankering to know more about the CD ... or about Anil Kumble's own website, www.goworldcup99.com ... or, most importantly, about his views on the upcoming World Cup competition, and India's chances therein, the place to be is the Rediff Chat Room. On Thursday the 22nd, at 11 am IST (EDT 01.30).

He'll be there -- make sure you are, too.