Images: Female fan fare drives World Cup

The ongoing Cricket World Cup may not be the best in terms of quality matches played, but that hasn't deterred the fans from pouring into the stadiums to back their favourite teams.

This edition of the quadrennial event has seen its share of new supporters -- female fans are making their presence felt big time.

Here we have three beautiful ladies screaming their lungs out for the Pakistan team during the match against Australia in Colombo on Saturday.

Were their screeches heard by the Pakistan players? Did their support work for the 1992 champions? One could say that, considering the ease with which the Pakistanis steamrolled the defending champs, halting their 34-match unbeaten streak in the World Cup since May 1999.

Does this prove that behind every successful man is a woman, and behind every successful cricket team is a battery of female fans?

These Australian ladies came out in all their splendour to back their mates. But considering the phase that the Australian team is currently going through, it seems like lady luck also couldn't do enough to put the team off their misery during the match against Pakistan.

After the failure of their batsmen -- Australia were bundled out for 176 -- the Aussie bowlers tried to inject some hope in an effort to revive fortunes. But that was not enough as Umar Akmal guided the Pakistanis home, after an early stutter in chase, to finish the league stage atop Group A.

We have seen the popular Barmy Army and Pakistan's famous Chacha leading the cheers for their respective teams, but no one can beat the passion of the Indian cricket fan.

Here is a perfect example of the quintessential Indian fan who rallies around his team even at net practice!

This bloke here, with a gigantic Indian flag in tow, does the rounds of the VCA stadium on the eve of the match between India and South Africa on March 11. He was jogging up and down the neighbourhood of the stadium while the Indian cricketers were inside practicing in the nets.

Talk about passion and loyalty!!!

However, all the show of support was not enough as Team India went down to Proteas in a thrilling contest in Nagpur. The fans screamed and shouted as Tendulkar slammed a blistering ton before India suffered a stunning batting collapse, losing nine wickets for 29 runs, to be all out for 296 in 48.3 overs.

And Indian bowlers did nothing to defend the total as they were dismal in their effort. With that, the fans in the stands witnessed India's first defeat in the 2011 World Cup.

The Sri Lankans too have their share of fans. Come hail or storm they rally around their players.

This is exactly what these ladies in the picture proved. They came to the stadium to watch their boys take on the mighty Aussies despite the fact that there was a possibility of rain disrupting the match.

The weatherman was right -- the rain gods were unrelenting and the fans had to go home, but not before witnessing Sangakkara notch his sixth World Cup half-century -- his second World Cup fifty against Australia.

South Africa also have had their share of supporters; the green jersey is being flaunted by young and old.

While Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers and Graeme Smith are more popular with the ladies, it seems, from this picture, that opener Hashim Amla also has his fair share of fans.

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And Amla didn't disappoint one bit as he went on to complete his eighth ODI century whilst these ladies cheered the bearded bat

Fans have witnessed a few close matches at this World Cup and the match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka can definitely be counted as one of those.

These Lankan lasses showed their support to the Lanka players but it wasn't enough to see Sri Lanka through.

With twists and turns in the script, the match went right down the wire as Pakistan pulled off a stunning 11-run victory.

There is no stop to the number of beautiful faces appearing in the stands. Here is a perfect example.

As this South African beauty was soaking in the atmosphere at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi, the South African team went about their job with clinical precision against the Windies.

Here some more beautiful faces cheer the Proteas during the same match. And the Graeme Smith-led team didn't disappoint the fans and what a start to their campaign it was!

AB de Villiers smashed an unbeaten century and debutant Imran Tahir scalped four wickets as South Africa launched their cricket World Cup campaign with a comfortable seven-wicket win over the West Indies.

It was the opening match of the World Cup and these girls were bitten by the cricket bug. As India were gearing to take on the hosts in this opening encounter these Bangla beauties had their hearts on their sleeves as they cheered heartily for their team.

But it was Virender Sehwag's day. The dashing opener gave Bangladesh fans a heartache as he mercilessly assaulted the Bangladesh bowlers to guide India to an 87-run win.