Icc World Cup 2011

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nairbe said:
I tend to agree with you. Somehow (now that the ICC has made the decision to leave the minnows out) they must find a way to get some experience against better opposition so as to improve their game. If they don't they will simply slip further and further away from the world group. To be honest Zimbabwee and Bangladesh are no better than Ireland so do we drop them off to?

Australia won over night by 60 runs over Kenya. Had this been a test nation i would say good win, but considering the opposition i must question how good was it really? or is it that the minnows are not that far off the pace and with more work might give us all a scare. Now that would not do at all would it.
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The Kenyans didn't try to win (which for me is always a negative regardless of how big a run chase it is), they were just trying to make personal bests and the Aussies went through the motions. I thought it was a trash game all round.
 
Looks like a decent start from Ireland to have SA 5 for 125, although you would probably think they wouldn't want to be chasing too many against an attack the quality of South Africa's.
 
Poor start with pretty some average bowling from Australia against Canada to only have them 1 for 54 of only 5 overs. Ideally you'd think that they would want to crush them for nrr although I guess some extra time for batsman at the crease might not hurt.

edit* Lee bowling some more short crap.
 
England and West Indies playing a crucial game at the moment. England must win to have a chance at making the quarter-finals and West Indies need to win to make sure they will make the next stage of the tournament.

England have made a good start, 1/78 in the 12th over.
 
Kram81 said:
Poor start with pretty some average bowling from Australia against Canada to only have them 1 for 54 of only 5 overs. Ideally you'd think that they would want to crush them for nrr although I guess some extra time for batsman at the crease might not hurt.

edit* Lee bowling some more short crap.
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Some how this was another unconvincing victory over another minnow. We will see how the pakistanies go?
 
^^Yeah pretty ordinary performance from Australia, especially by the bowlers. I wonder if that poor bloke that got smashed in the goolies has recovered yet lol.

Good to see England are still absolutely shizen against leg spin bowling. 5 for 140 and England have a lot of work to do here to get past the group stage :)

*edit another one, Bopara gets his pegs knocked out of the ground.
 
England get over the line after the West Indies looked like reaching the target of 244 fairly late in the run chase. England although pretty poor at times have been involved in some tough and tight contests (unlike some teams in the other group that haven't really been tested) which in a strange way could help them in the knockout stage.

I think it looks like Australia will now be probably facing one of these side in a quarter final?? Not sure which would be the better opponent really.
 
Some nice clean hitting from the Netherlands to reach 306 with a ten Doeschate ton against Ireland. Maybe a few too many pints of guinness yesterday? :cool: Should hopefully be a fairly entertaining run chase.
 
England are quite confusing. they have played so poorly but yet can still make the quaters if they beat Bangladesh. Why?, they are terrible. Maybe a super six would be better???
 
nairbe said:
Maybe a super six would be better???
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I would've liked the first placed team in each group to go straight through to the semi and positions 2 and 3 play for the other semi spot, the first round would be so more interesting. But the ICC are all about $ and not integrity, if a couple of their cash cows that pull the puppet's strings choked liked in the last world cup getting knocked out in the first round it would cost them too much.
 
Gee, the Aussie batsmen were piss poor today.

You can forgive Watto for that loose drive as at least he got a cracker of a delivery, but Clarke, Haddin, Punter all got out to really lame shots, mind you that's kind of par for the course with Punter now. That mishit pull shot that went for four, he was so late on that it's like he was still on the balcony.

Not sure what happened with Huss, maybe the ball stuck as his shot to get out looked as lame as the others. The Pakistan team have a good attack.
 
Kram81 said:
I would've liked the first placed team in each group to go straight through to the semi and positions 2 and 3 play for the other semi spot, the first round would be so more interesting. But the ICC are all about $ and not integrity, if a couple of their cash cows that pull the puppet's strings choked liked in the last world cup getting knocked out in the first round it would cost them too much.
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Yes your formulae sounds very good, puts much more pressure on in the rounds.
Australia were shown for where they really are at and this loss puts the series against England into perspective. England are worse but we really don't seem to have the edge when we need it.
 
The batting is a massive worry, was absolutely horrible last night. Ponting looks about finished and White or Steve Smith should probably be dropped for Dave Hussey. Australia are playing the winner of the game between India and the West Indies, a WI win would set up a QF between India and Sri Lanka, that would be interesting.
 
What are Sri Lanka's prospects, in the Cup? In my opinion, there is no doubt, that Sri Lanka are joint favourites with India, with England, and Pakistan coming next. But why are Sri Lanka so strong? Let us look at their indifferent aspects. In the batting line-up, there is one natural striker of the ball, who can play a long innings. That is Dilshan. Sangakara is not a natural big hitter of the ball, as is Dilshan. If Sangakara tries to hit the ball on spin friendly wickets, then it will be against what he wants to do. They have two very good bowlers, but their second regular seamer, is not so well reputed, as Malinga, and Murali. The rest of their bowling depends on how the wicket is assisting their bowlers. Generally, if one looks at the wicket assisting bowlers, then one may feel that the wicket is spinning or seaming too much, or two little, on given days.
The batting is not overpowering, but extremely competent. One expects the Sri Lankan batsmen, to hang in there, whatever it takes, unless it just becomes too much for them. My statement is double edged. The batting is extremely competent, until it becomes too much for them. India have played many series in Sri Lanka, and found out this lesson, although India have lost many matches in the past, before starting to win series there. If one attacks the Sri Lankan batsmen's weaknesses, then they get fidgety. If there is one area, where they are strong, it is their enduring and absorbing power, to take punishment. This has more to do with the Lankan's mental make-up, than with any direct cricket ability. Their fielding is much better than the international average of fielding.
 
India are favourites for me, because of the combination of the bowling, and batting. Look at Nehra, Zaheer, Harbhajan, Ashwin, and Chawla closely. They may be not performing, but do you associate non-performance with these Indian squad members? India had other bowlers to pick for the World Cup, but they stuck with these. Now, compare their reputation, and their recent performance, and then compare the warm up match which India played, before India played the historic series in 2005 against Pakistan. India lost that warm up game comprehensively, but were the favourites to win that series, throughout the series, both the Test series, and the One Day series. And they did win. Also compare Shane Warne's performance at the Cup, which, according to Waugh, Kluesner dropped. I think, before the quarter-finals, Warne was either not playing, or deliberately underperforming. During or after the quarters, the performance started spiking upwards. I think the Indians are not trying to be incisive with their bowling. After all, South Africa, England, and the West Indies, are all in the quarters. For the teams facing India in the knock out stages, it is better for them to face an unknown commodity, when they face India on the cricket pitch.
 
1st Quarter-Final - Pakistan v West Indies (Match C)
Prediction: Pakistan

2nd Quarter-Final - India v Australia (Match E)
Prediction: India

3rd Quarter-Final - New Zealand v South Africa (Match F)
Prediction: South Africa

4th Quarter-Final - Sri Lanka v England (Match D)
Prediction: Sri Lanka


1st Semi-Final - Match D v Match F (South Africa v Sri Lanka)
Prediction: Sri Lanka

2nd Semi-Final - Match C v Match E (Pakistan vs India)
Prediction: India/Pakistan


I actually think Pakistan are a good shot at this. They have a reasonably well balanced side and if they pull they goodies out at the right time they will win any match. However India are my favourites for the title.

I'm not just saying it because I want it to happen (which I do), but never rule out Australia. This is the sort of pressure they relish, they get better and better the more you put on them. I would very much not be surprised if India were of turned on Wednesday, World Cups are the one place where you don't really want to come up against them.
 
Pakistan have to be very very careful, for them to enter the semi's. To be frank, I love the way they play their cricket, but at the higher echelons of cricket, cricket is more like a chess game. Plans do not guarantee success, but if a team has a plan, then they have a direction towards which they can work. If a team is getting thrashed, for example, if the bowlers are going for plenty, then not having a plan, can cost very dearly.
For me, a plan is not made to out-wit the opposition, but to give direction to the effort of a team, or individual on the playing field.
But sometimes, even chess players over-do the planning bit. If fifteen moves behind, I am sure that I will win the chess game in fifteen moves, taking into account the best moves of my opponent, and he has different, but equally good personal plans, then, I will perhaps loose, because I am playing not to my strength, but according to what I feel my opponent will play.
How I wish India and Pakistan could field a joint cricket team.
 
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