2010 FIFA World Cup: Can England Give Its Nation Double Success?

England are the champions of the world.

This is a phrase the pessimistic English rarely believe will come true, and is a phrase which is actually written or spoken even less.

But today, that phrase is true, as England are indeed Champions of the World. Of course, that's not in football, but rather twenty-over cricket, as the Three Lions won the ICC World Twenty20.

The superstar South African-born duo of Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen made opponents, Australia, pay in the final for some slack bowling with a second-wicket stand of 111.

Kieswetter especially was in fine form, hitting 63 runs from only 49 balls to claim a deserved man-of-the-match award.

It was a win for England over their friendly Australian rivals that for years was never in the cards, considering the English had never won a world title in cricket, and were dismissed in this tournament for their lack of experience in this form (playing just twenty overs) of the sport.

But ultimately it was the reason why the English had won; unlike most other countries, England had hardly any of their stars playing in the glamourous, star-studded Indian Premier League (IPL) which ended just days earlier.

Therefore, when the big moments came, England were not tired or fatigued and thus were able to play their cricket very effectively.

And victory in the final of cricket's twenty-over World Cup was a massive boost to England, both the cricket team and the nation.

For the cricket team, it was their chance to prove to the world their power in all formats of the sport, not just test matches and one-day internationals (ODIs).

More importantly, for the nation of England, it was the first chance they've had in a long time to be truly proud of their world-conquering sporting stars, who have finally showcased the cricketing talent that is found in the country.

Their victory in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament can also transcend across sports, as the England football team can take heart in the achievements of their cricketing counterparts.

The cricketers proved England, as a nation, has the infrastructure to win world titles against the best and most technologically advanced teams in the world in terms of sport. 

As a football team and country, England has all it needs to win world titles.

And as a nation of sporting spectators, England now knows what it's like to beat the best and be world conquerers.

Football's Three Lions have the men they need to succeed; they have the best manager possible in Fabio Capello, and on the pitch, they have a very reliable and trustworthy striker in Wayne Rooney, a strong, creative and very skillful midfield duo in Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, an experienced captain and defensive rock in Rio Ferdinand, likewise with John Terry.

Across the field they have similar players, plus strength in depth with award-winning midfielders, experienced and reliable defenders, and proven goal-scoring strikers.

England's cricket team were very similar; they had lethal bowlers in Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom, and clinical batsmen in Kieswetter, Pietersen and Paul Collingwood.

The England cricket team believed they could win, and thus won the ultimate prize in twenty-over cricket.

So surely, if the England football team believe they can win, with the quality of players they know they have, surely they can go onto win? Not even supposedly better opponents could stop the cricketers winning, so therefore, what is there to stop the footballers?

The English footballers will go into the World Cup with the backing of most of the media, and probably with the vocal backing all of the nation's 50 million interested spectators and die-hard fans.

And equally important, they will head to South Africa knowing the country's cricket team won a prestigious world title against the odds.

So as England proved at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, what is there to stop this nation winning world titles?

Absolutely nothing.