So the day is here...India vs. Sri Lanka more or less a knock out match for India. It's time India proves they are no longer paper tigers. Matches are won on the ground, not on paper.
Sri Lanka enter the match with a great momentum on the back of 2 mammoth wins over B'desh and Bermuda (both of them minnows). Understandably their confidence is high, all their players are firing...scoring runs...taking wickets.
India must look to maximize its own strengths and use the weakness of SL. For that one might be tempted to say India must chase considering the fact that batting is superior to bowling and during the initial stages of the match ball can swing a bit and Vaas can be handful.
However, if they are inserted they must look to play off the first 5 overs without losing any wickets. After that they can increase the scoring. Vaas is extremely dangerous only initially...when the ball is swinging around and less effective once the hardness and swing goes off, since he doesn't have the pace to trouble class batsman (mind you he has good control over line and length).
Malinga as we all know is very dangerous because of his pace and unique action. He will bowl the odd quick surprise bouncer to Ganguly and Sehwag (for the matter to anybody). But he can be erratic and will definitely bowl boundary balls. India has to be aggressive and cash in early and hit him out of the attack. Ditto to Maharoof. If India goes hard on these guys, then they can bring out the lack of experience in these 2.
Murali is the most dangerous person. India must play him carefully. This can be done by taking singles and rotating strike and in the process frustrate Murali. Dravid and Sachin play Murali the best and when Murali is bowling, these guys better take responsibility.
Their 5th bowling is going to be shared by Jayasuriya, Dilshan and Arnold. India must aim to make the most out of these 10 overs and target to score atleast 70 runs.
India should be patient with Uthappa. He is a duplicate of Sehwag to an extent. He will fail in some matches but when he contributes it can be a match winning innings. He is a gamble but well worth it. He must play this match.
India has to bowl and field properly and that's my concern. Sadly we have only 1 good bowler in Munaf - rest all are looking average. It will help if Agarkar is replaced by Pathan or Sreesanth. If India bats first, much will depend on how (badly) Agarkar bowls.
The icing on the cake is if India wins, it will take 2 points to the next round (almost sure). But the biggest question is will it...?
Overall a cracking contest awaits us tonight. What more can you ask for on a Friday night ? Well, some may say an Indian Victory...we'll wait and watch.
Come on India - Jeetna Hai Today !!!
Friday, March 23, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Task Cut Out For India
Now that India has beaten Bermuda by a handsome margin, it should allow them to breathe a lot more easier. The task is pretty much cut out for India now, just beat SL on March 23.
The match against Bermuda should give the Indians some confidence even though it was against the minnows. I am not going to write too much about the match since we were expected to win it. The only question was whether we will win it convincingly and by how much margin. The 250 run margin was just what the doctor ordered...just about enough to climb above SL in the run rate table.
That was an important match - particularly for Sehwag since he was struggling so much. It was really good to see him firing after a long time. Now the key is for him to continue his form into upcoming matches. Ganguly seems to be showing terrific consistency ever since he's made a comeback to the ODI Team. That Ganguly was struggling for timing for sometime is worth a mention but if he can increase his strike rate a bit that will help us.
All our batsmen barring Uthappa and Dravid got a decent outing. Zaheer was ordinary and Agarkar was horrible. Only Munaf Patel seems to be bowling good and consistent line and length.
India should not be worried about Uthappa. He is an out and out aggressive player and he must be asked to play in that fashion only and the captain, coach and team must support him and back him and give him the licence to hit. As we've seen in the past a quick 70 or 80 from him can tilt the match in our favor. Anyways we have 6+1 batsmen, so it's well worth the gamble.
India must look to Tendulkar to play well against SL, as he has the history of doing well against them. Also, if the think-tank can be sensible (and can think) it will be well worth it to drop Agarkar and bring in Pathan or Sreesanth. Agarkar has been bowling bull shit and Jayasuriya will be eagerly waiting to thrash the stupid bowler who shows great consistency in bowling cow dung on both sides of the wicket.
Since SL has lot of left handers in the line up (Jayasuriya, Tharanga, Sangakkara, Arnold, Vaas), they might just replace Kumble with Harbhajan. Either way it won't matter since both these guys are bowling horribly. Kumble might just edge him out thanks to the bag of 3 wickets against Bermuda.
Hope India beat SL and SL beat Bangladesh by a decent margin and that would just be enough to get us through to the next round with 2 points (along with SL). I am assuming though that Bangladesh won't beat Bermuda by 250 runs or chase a target of 100 runs in 10 overs.
Basic point is India should beat SL and we are into Super 8 (errr...Super 7...eh?)
Come on INDIA !!!
The match against Bermuda should give the Indians some confidence even though it was against the minnows. I am not going to write too much about the match since we were expected to win it. The only question was whether we will win it convincingly and by how much margin. The 250 run margin was just what the doctor ordered...just about enough to climb above SL in the run rate table.
That was an important match - particularly for Sehwag since he was struggling so much. It was really good to see him firing after a long time. Now the key is for him to continue his form into upcoming matches. Ganguly seems to be showing terrific consistency ever since he's made a comeback to the ODI Team. That Ganguly was struggling for timing for sometime is worth a mention but if he can increase his strike rate a bit that will help us.
All our batsmen barring Uthappa and Dravid got a decent outing. Zaheer was ordinary and Agarkar was horrible. Only Munaf Patel seems to be bowling good and consistent line and length.
India should not be worried about Uthappa. He is an out and out aggressive player and he must be asked to play in that fashion only and the captain, coach and team must support him and back him and give him the licence to hit. As we've seen in the past a quick 70 or 80 from him can tilt the match in our favor. Anyways we have 6+1 batsmen, so it's well worth the gamble.
India must look to Tendulkar to play well against SL, as he has the history of doing well against them. Also, if the think-tank can be sensible (and can think) it will be well worth it to drop Agarkar and bring in Pathan or Sreesanth. Agarkar has been bowling bull shit and Jayasuriya will be eagerly waiting to thrash the stupid bowler who shows great consistency in bowling cow dung on both sides of the wicket.
Since SL has lot of left handers in the line up (Jayasuriya, Tharanga, Sangakkara, Arnold, Vaas), they might just replace Kumble with Harbhajan. Either way it won't matter since both these guys are bowling horribly. Kumble might just edge him out thanks to the bag of 3 wickets against Bermuda.
Hope India beat SL and SL beat Bangladesh by a decent margin and that would just be enough to get us through to the next round with 2 points (along with SL). I am assuming though that Bangladesh won't beat Bermuda by 250 runs or chase a target of 100 runs in 10 overs.
Basic point is India should beat SL and we are into Super 8 (errr...Super 7...eh?)
Come on INDIA !!!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Losses and Losses
This is a delayed post. I was away from home (and computer) for the last 2 days after India's pathetic, horrible, baffling (what not) performance against Bangladesh. Nothing worked right for them that day.
What India needs to do looks fairly simple. Get around 375 runs against Bermuda and bowl them out for 100 runs to get a high net run rate. Remember Sri Lank won by more than 200 runs against them so India needs to do better than them to go ahead. Next thing is to beat Sri Lanka (fairly well) - then it'll end up in 2 wins and then hope other teams performance helps them get through. These are some scenarios which will help India.
1. If Bermuda beats Bangladesh then it will be the best possible case for India (assuming SL beats B'desh). Ok lets be practical - B'desh beats Bermuda (I think it will) and SL beats B'desh. So B'desh has 2 wins, so does India and SL. So top 2 teams will go through. So higher run rate will help. SL already has good run rate, so India must do something to get closer to them and hope SL and India go through - it that case India will take 2 points with it.
2. If B'desh beats Bermuda and SL (it can happen...anything can happen), then India gets through but with 0 points.
3. Main thing India must play well and play as if each match is a Final just like Pak did in 1992 and Aus did in 1999 when they were struggling in the initial couple of matches.
Important:
Sehwag is under performing badly that even I can play instead of him and score 10 runs. India (read Dravid) must drop him and play Pathan. Pathan can get you atleast 25-30 runs and can bowl as well. Kick out Agarkar (god knows why he is in the team) and play Sreesanth. Sreesanth can leak runs but he can get wickets.
Also, the old duo of Tendulkar and Ganguly must be restored at the top of the order and look to use the powerplays to maximum. Uthappa at 3 and rest of them in usual batting places.
Losses:
India lost to Bangladesh and Pakistan lost to Ireland (can it get bigger than that ?) and are kicked out of the World Cup. It was a black day for these two Asian teams.
Finally another big loss is the sudden demise of Bob Woolmer. Thats indeed a big loss to his family and the cricketing world.
God save India...
What India needs to do looks fairly simple. Get around 375 runs against Bermuda and bowl them out for 100 runs to get a high net run rate. Remember Sri Lank won by more than 200 runs against them so India needs to do better than them to go ahead. Next thing is to beat Sri Lanka (fairly well) - then it'll end up in 2 wins and then hope other teams performance helps them get through. These are some scenarios which will help India.
1. If Bermuda beats Bangladesh then it will be the best possible case for India (assuming SL beats B'desh). Ok lets be practical - B'desh beats Bermuda (I think it will) and SL beats B'desh. So B'desh has 2 wins, so does India and SL. So top 2 teams will go through. So higher run rate will help. SL already has good run rate, so India must do something to get closer to them and hope SL and India go through - it that case India will take 2 points with it.
2. If B'desh beats Bermuda and SL (it can happen...anything can happen), then India gets through but with 0 points.
3. Main thing India must play well and play as if each match is a Final just like Pak did in 1992 and Aus did in 1999 when they were struggling in the initial couple of matches.
Important:
Sehwag is under performing badly that even I can play instead of him and score 10 runs. India (read Dravid) must drop him and play Pathan. Pathan can get you atleast 25-30 runs and can bowl as well. Kick out Agarkar (god knows why he is in the team) and play Sreesanth. Sreesanth can leak runs but he can get wickets.
Also, the old duo of Tendulkar and Ganguly must be restored at the top of the order and look to use the powerplays to maximum. Uthappa at 3 and rest of them in usual batting places.
Losses:
India lost to Bangladesh and Pakistan lost to Ireland (can it get bigger than that ?) and are kicked out of the World Cup. It was a black day for these two Asian teams.
Finally another big loss is the sudden demise of Bob Woolmer. Thats indeed a big loss to his family and the cricketing world.
God save India...
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Post Toss - India vs. Bangladesh
Its 630pm and India just won the toss and elected to bat. This would be a toast for millions of Indian fans to see India bat and go to sleep in peace (thats assuming India bats very well).
India is playing 6 batsmen, 1WK and 4 bowlers...same concept they used in 2003. I am really hoping Sehwag would get into some sort of form very early in the WC. If Pathan was in good bowling form he would have made the 11 - unfortunately there are no ifs and buts in cricket or rather any sport.
Am happy Dravid has chosen to bat. For sometime India has been looking to chase given their strong batting line up (compared to bowling). This shows that Dravid is ready to change that and be flexible and make necessary changes depending on conditions. For today, I am hoping India can score somewhere around the region of 300.
Key players for Bangladesh will be Mashrafe, Habibul Bashar, Aftab Ahmed and to an extent Ashraful. They are all highly talented along with the veteran bowler Rafique. They have the ammunition to upset good teams...and I guess they might give a scare to India or Sri Lanka. Whether they can apply themselves on the field for 100 overs will be crucial to their team's success.
Man to man India's batting line up is best on paper compared to any team. Thats more or less obvious due to the fact that 3 of them have more than 10k plus runs. How much more would they add to it will shape India's chances ? Whos bowling is going to blow away the opposition consistently (like Nehra against Eng in 2003) will determine if India will win the World Cup.
Come on India !!! Show the World that you are not paper tigers !!!
India is playing 6 batsmen, 1WK and 4 bowlers...same concept they used in 2003. I am really hoping Sehwag would get into some sort of form very early in the WC. If Pathan was in good bowling form he would have made the 11 - unfortunately there are no ifs and buts in cricket or rather any sport.
Am happy Dravid has chosen to bat. For sometime India has been looking to chase given their strong batting line up (compared to bowling). This shows that Dravid is ready to change that and be flexible and make necessary changes depending on conditions. For today, I am hoping India can score somewhere around the region of 300.
Key players for Bangladesh will be Mashrafe, Habibul Bashar, Aftab Ahmed and to an extent Ashraful. They are all highly talented along with the veteran bowler Rafique. They have the ammunition to upset good teams...and I guess they might give a scare to India or Sri Lanka. Whether they can apply themselves on the field for 100 overs will be crucial to their team's success.
Man to man India's batting line up is best on paper compared to any team. Thats more or less obvious due to the fact that 3 of them have more than 10k plus runs. How much more would they add to it will shape India's chances ? Whos bowling is going to blow away the opposition consistently (like Nehra against Eng in 2003) will determine if India will win the World Cup.
Come on India !!! Show the World that you are not paper tigers !!!
Friday, March 16, 2007
Preview - INDIA
INDIA
Team India is now riding on a misplaced confidence of beating West Indies and Sri Lanka at home just a month back. However they would very well be advised to remember the horrible ODI series loss in South Africa just prior to these 2 home series.
India would be hoping to win the World Cup after 24 years and that too after a good showing in 2003. One would feel that this time around they are better balanced than 2003. In 2003, Tendulkar almost single handedly took India forward before the bowlers ruined it all up in the finals.
Zaheer has finally found some form after a hard kick in the rear. Agarkar still remains an enigma to one and all. He mixes good balls with poor ones with amazing regularity. Much would depend on how (badly) he bowls.
Munaf as a first change bowler is refreshing. He bowls stump to stump with McGrathesque accuracy. However Harbhajan has been disappointing off late. There is no point trying to just contain runs in the middle overs. One would rather have 50 for 4 in 10 overs rather than 30 for none. Captain must back him and set aggressive fields to prize out wickets. Here is where India missed a trick by not taking Powar and picked up the useless Kumble ahead of him.
Irfan Pathan sadly has been a shadow of himself. His pace has dropped down very badly and so is his confidence. His forte which is swing has seriously deserted him. He is a genuine match winner and a couple of good spells with wickets should do his confidence a world of good.
The less said about Kumble the better. Sreesanth is raw, aggressive and good but can be erratic sometimes. Both these guys would however not be in the first choice eleven.
Tendulkar, Sehwag, Yuvraj and Ganguly would be called up to roll their arms overs in case India decide to go with just 4 specialist bowlers.
Ganguly has had a terrific come back to ODIs too. He can destroy any attacks in the world and he backs himself to clearing the ropes against anybody (remember 99 World Cup against Sri Lanka and 2000 ICC Champions Trophy against SA) to name a couple).
Robin Uthappa is young and an aggressive player. He takes far too risks but even if his success rate is around 50% India will be extremely benefited. You need an out and out attacking player like him to take the match away from the opposition very quickly. Now that Sehwag has been in so poor form, the onus is on Uthappa to give India brisk starts.
None doubts how much damage Sehwag can do but how many chances can he be given is something to debate. Since Sehwag is struggling he can either play at 3 or be replaced with Pathan. Tendulkar provides solidity at 4 (though I feel he is best at opening). Dravid and Yuvraj complete the lineup and their middle over batting will be extremely critical since India has more than 1 unpredictable player at the top of the order. How much ever the tails wags it’s just a bonus. Dravid’s thinking and marshalling the resources would be extremely important.
It will be the last World Cup for great players like Dravid, Ganguly and Kumble. People would urge me to include Tendulkar in the list but he is just 33. If Lara, Inzy and McGrath can play at 37, I feel even Tendulkar can play another World Cup. But whatever it is, a major tournament trophy is missing in his great resume.
Strengths:
· Tendulkar’s versatility in controlling the middle overs both in batting and bowling.
· Dhoni’s slog overs hitting.
· Ganguly’s current form is positive.
· Munaf Patel’s accuracy.
Weaknesses:
· Woefully out of form Sehwag inspite of captain’s backing.
· Pathan’s bowling form creating imbalance in the team.
· Poor Fielding and fitness levels. Need to hide Ganguly and Munaf Patel in the field.
· Lack of wicket taking bowlers in the middle overs (where is Ramesh Powar ??)
· Kumble – can’t bat, can’t bowl, can’t field in ODIs. Karthik is average – waste of 2 spots.
· Agarkar is not dependable – he bowls a 4 ball atleast once every over.
Key Players:
· Leading run scorer in World Cups – Sachin Tendulkar
· Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni
· I guess I better say all :-)
Dark Horse:
· Robin Uthappa, Munaf Patel.
My Take:
· Semifinal / Final
My Team:
Saurav Ganguly, Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag (or Irfan Pathan), Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid (c), Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Dhoni (wk), Ajit Agarkar, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel.
Team India is now riding on a misplaced confidence of beating West Indies and Sri Lanka at home just a month back. However they would very well be advised to remember the horrible ODI series loss in South Africa just prior to these 2 home series.
India would be hoping to win the World Cup after 24 years and that too after a good showing in 2003. One would feel that this time around they are better balanced than 2003. In 2003, Tendulkar almost single handedly took India forward before the bowlers ruined it all up in the finals.
Zaheer has finally found some form after a hard kick in the rear. Agarkar still remains an enigma to one and all. He mixes good balls with poor ones with amazing regularity. Much would depend on how (badly) he bowls.
Munaf as a first change bowler is refreshing. He bowls stump to stump with McGrathesque accuracy. However Harbhajan has been disappointing off late. There is no point trying to just contain runs in the middle overs. One would rather have 50 for 4 in 10 overs rather than 30 for none. Captain must back him and set aggressive fields to prize out wickets. Here is where India missed a trick by not taking Powar and picked up the useless Kumble ahead of him.
Irfan Pathan sadly has been a shadow of himself. His pace has dropped down very badly and so is his confidence. His forte which is swing has seriously deserted him. He is a genuine match winner and a couple of good spells with wickets should do his confidence a world of good.
The less said about Kumble the better. Sreesanth is raw, aggressive and good but can be erratic sometimes. Both these guys would however not be in the first choice eleven.
Tendulkar, Sehwag, Yuvraj and Ganguly would be called up to roll their arms overs in case India decide to go with just 4 specialist bowlers.
Ganguly has had a terrific come back to ODIs too. He can destroy any attacks in the world and he backs himself to clearing the ropes against anybody (remember 99 World Cup against Sri Lanka and 2000 ICC Champions Trophy against SA) to name a couple).
Robin Uthappa is young and an aggressive player. He takes far too risks but even if his success rate is around 50% India will be extremely benefited. You need an out and out attacking player like him to take the match away from the opposition very quickly. Now that Sehwag has been in so poor form, the onus is on Uthappa to give India brisk starts.
None doubts how much damage Sehwag can do but how many chances can he be given is something to debate. Since Sehwag is struggling he can either play at 3 or be replaced with Pathan. Tendulkar provides solidity at 4 (though I feel he is best at opening). Dravid and Yuvraj complete the lineup and their middle over batting will be extremely critical since India has more than 1 unpredictable player at the top of the order. How much ever the tails wags it’s just a bonus. Dravid’s thinking and marshalling the resources would be extremely important.
It will be the last World Cup for great players like Dravid, Ganguly and Kumble. People would urge me to include Tendulkar in the list but he is just 33. If Lara, Inzy and McGrath can play at 37, I feel even Tendulkar can play another World Cup. But whatever it is, a major tournament trophy is missing in his great resume.
Strengths:
· Tendulkar’s versatility in controlling the middle overs both in batting and bowling.
· Dhoni’s slog overs hitting.
· Ganguly’s current form is positive.
· Munaf Patel’s accuracy.
Weaknesses:
· Woefully out of form Sehwag inspite of captain’s backing.
· Pathan’s bowling form creating imbalance in the team.
· Poor Fielding and fitness levels. Need to hide Ganguly and Munaf Patel in the field.
· Lack of wicket taking bowlers in the middle overs (where is Ramesh Powar ??)
· Kumble – can’t bat, can’t bowl, can’t field in ODIs. Karthik is average – waste of 2 spots.
· Agarkar is not dependable – he bowls a 4 ball atleast once every over.
Key Players:
· Leading run scorer in World Cups – Sachin Tendulkar
· Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni
· I guess I better say all :-)
Dark Horse:
· Robin Uthappa, Munaf Patel.
My Take:
· Semifinal / Final
My Team:
Saurav Ganguly, Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag (or Irfan Pathan), Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid (c), Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Dhoni (wk), Ajit Agarkar, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel.
Preview - South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa ranked no.1 now due to the efforts of New Zealand (in beating Aus) will be desperate to win the 2007 edition after narrow and unlucky misses in the last 4.
1992 rain rule killed them then, Lara was lightning best in 1996 when a consistent SA just had a bad day, 1999 purely unlucky to tie the semi finals against Aus and 2003 Duckworth-Lewis rain calculation undid them. Whatever the excuses, they have been chokers on big stage and that clearly reflects as they haven’t won a major tournament yet.
In Smith they have an over aggressive and a loud mouth captain who spends more time answering verbal volleys than spending time at the crease when it comes to crucial matches. Kallis and Pollock remain the key all rounders for them for the past few years.
An aggressive de Villiers at the top of the order along with late sloggers should keep the SA run rate high. Gibbs recent form has been just ordinary and that should concern SA. However I feel their bowling can be vulnerable due to lack of any quality spinners. Good teams will be looking to thrash Smith’s offspin if at all he bowls.
It will be the last world cup for Pollock and may be for Kallis and Gibbs too. If they can battle it out as much as they talk, it will be worth watching the all round skills of the South African Teams.
Strengths:
· Depth in batting line up.
· Lots of All rounders.
· Lot of attacking players to keep up the run rate (except Prince and Kallis to an extent)
Weaknesses:
· Smith’s big mouth.
· Lack of quality spinners.
· Gibbs’ current form looks ordinary.
· Chokers tag in big games hangs around their neck.
Key Players:
· Pollock, Smith, Kallis
Dark Horse:
· De Villiers, Boucher
My Take:
· Super 8 Stage / Semifinals
My Team:
Graeme Smith (c), AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher (wk), Justin Kemp, Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini.
South Africa ranked no.1 now due to the efforts of New Zealand (in beating Aus) will be desperate to win the 2007 edition after narrow and unlucky misses in the last 4.
1992 rain rule killed them then, Lara was lightning best in 1996 when a consistent SA just had a bad day, 1999 purely unlucky to tie the semi finals against Aus and 2003 Duckworth-Lewis rain calculation undid them. Whatever the excuses, they have been chokers on big stage and that clearly reflects as they haven’t won a major tournament yet.
In Smith they have an over aggressive and a loud mouth captain who spends more time answering verbal volleys than spending time at the crease when it comes to crucial matches. Kallis and Pollock remain the key all rounders for them for the past few years.
An aggressive de Villiers at the top of the order along with late sloggers should keep the SA run rate high. Gibbs recent form has been just ordinary and that should concern SA. However I feel their bowling can be vulnerable due to lack of any quality spinners. Good teams will be looking to thrash Smith’s offspin if at all he bowls.
It will be the last world cup for Pollock and may be for Kallis and Gibbs too. If they can battle it out as much as they talk, it will be worth watching the all round skills of the South African Teams.
Strengths:
· Depth in batting line up.
· Lots of All rounders.
· Lot of attacking players to keep up the run rate (except Prince and Kallis to an extent)
Weaknesses:
· Smith’s big mouth.
· Lack of quality spinners.
· Gibbs’ current form looks ordinary.
· Chokers tag in big games hangs around their neck.
Key Players:
· Pollock, Smith, Kallis
Dark Horse:
· De Villiers, Boucher
My Take:
· Super 8 Stage / Semifinals
My Team:
Graeme Smith (c), AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher (wk), Justin Kemp, Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini.
Preview - New Zealand
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand always comes up with average performances in World Cup except the 1992 edition in which they were brilliantly led by Martin Crowe. Otherwise they have been under achievers. They are yet to win a major tournament. But the 3-0 domination over Aus in the recently concluded series would have raised their confidence sky high.
Lack of star players has undone them. But sometimes that’s a blessing in disguise since their team effort compensates for that.
They have a great captain in Stephen Fleming. However he has been just a decent batsman with an average of just 33. How Fleming can marshall his resources will very well dictate NZ’s performance in this World Cup.
Ross Taylor is a young and energetic player. I am guessing he can make it big down the years. Vincent has been in superb form and that should help NZ get solid starts. McMillan’s recent form has been good but one would hope for consistency from him to show the world that his recent form is not a thing of past.
Oram has been in terrific batting form of late. But his bowling of late has not been upto the mark. Fleming and NZ would be hoping that Oram’s batting form rubs into his bowling as well. That could very well dictate the fortunes of the team. They have good late order hitters like McCullum and Vettori.
Bond is an awesome fast bowler and he is the only one who can rip out any batting lineup from this team. Fleming should look to use him at important stages and very carefully too since Bond’s back is highly susceptible to last a full World Cup. Vettori would also need to play a key role in bowling during the middle overs.
What still baffles me is why Tuffey is picked. His bowling is so poor that even the minnows will be looking to get some runs off him.
It might be Fleming’s last World Cup and if he is going to continue leading the side after WC then he better put up a good performance and lead his team to semis or else its over to Daniel Vettori.
Strengths:
· Shrewd Captain in Fleming
· Lot of all-rounders
· Team Strength / Effort
· Bond’s aggressive fast bowling.
Weaknesses:
· Absence of stars.
· Fleming’s poor batting form.
· Mediocre set of bowlers (except Bond).
· Bond’s susceptible back.
Key Players:
· Lou Vincent, Jacob Oram, Shane Bond
Dark Horse:
· Ross Taylor, McCullum
My Take:
· Super 8 Stage
My Team:
Stephen Fleming (c), Lou Vincent, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Peter Fulton (or Craig McMillan), Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum (wk), James Franklin, Daniel Vettori, Mark Gillespie (or Michael Mason), Shane Bond.
New Zealand always comes up with average performances in World Cup except the 1992 edition in which they were brilliantly led by Martin Crowe. Otherwise they have been under achievers. They are yet to win a major tournament. But the 3-0 domination over Aus in the recently concluded series would have raised their confidence sky high.
Lack of star players has undone them. But sometimes that’s a blessing in disguise since their team effort compensates for that.
They have a great captain in Stephen Fleming. However he has been just a decent batsman with an average of just 33. How Fleming can marshall his resources will very well dictate NZ’s performance in this World Cup.
Ross Taylor is a young and energetic player. I am guessing he can make it big down the years. Vincent has been in superb form and that should help NZ get solid starts. McMillan’s recent form has been good but one would hope for consistency from him to show the world that his recent form is not a thing of past.
Oram has been in terrific batting form of late. But his bowling of late has not been upto the mark. Fleming and NZ would be hoping that Oram’s batting form rubs into his bowling as well. That could very well dictate the fortunes of the team. They have good late order hitters like McCullum and Vettori.
Bond is an awesome fast bowler and he is the only one who can rip out any batting lineup from this team. Fleming should look to use him at important stages and very carefully too since Bond’s back is highly susceptible to last a full World Cup. Vettori would also need to play a key role in bowling during the middle overs.
What still baffles me is why Tuffey is picked. His bowling is so poor that even the minnows will be looking to get some runs off him.
It might be Fleming’s last World Cup and if he is going to continue leading the side after WC then he better put up a good performance and lead his team to semis or else its over to Daniel Vettori.
Strengths:
· Shrewd Captain in Fleming
· Lot of all-rounders
· Team Strength / Effort
· Bond’s aggressive fast bowling.
Weaknesses:
· Absence of stars.
· Fleming’s poor batting form.
· Mediocre set of bowlers (except Bond).
· Bond’s susceptible back.
Key Players:
· Lou Vincent, Jacob Oram, Shane Bond
Dark Horse:
· Ross Taylor, McCullum
My Take:
· Super 8 Stage
My Team:
Stephen Fleming (c), Lou Vincent, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Peter Fulton (or Craig McMillan), Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum (wk), James Franklin, Daniel Vettori, Mark Gillespie (or Michael Mason), Shane Bond.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Preview - England
ENGLAND
The 3 time runners-up look to be going into the tournament with a lot of confidence with the background of winning the CB cup in Australia and even better – beating them 3 times. This was done in the absence of Vaughan and Pietersen – so this is definitely a confidence booster for the team.
The last 3 world cups have been nothing short of disaster for them and they would be looking to make big time amends this time around.
They would be missing Trescothick and Simon Jones due to injuries but would be hoping that Pietersen would provide the team with tons of aggression. They have this man who can win the match and even an entire series for you single handedly. He is aggressive, highly confident and consistent. If he can get going and with a bit of support from his team then he can change the fortunes of the team.
For now England would be hoping Vaughan can play every game. He is not only a good batsman but also an astute captain. No one would forget the fact that England beat Aus in Ashes 2005 and one of the reasons was his captaincy.
I don’t believe Vaughan will be fit enough to last the tournament. They do have a back up captain in Flintoff – am sure he will be called upon to do the job during some stage of the tournament. But unfortunately Freddy’s form dips a lot, especially his batting, if he’s the captain.
This might very well be the last WC for Vaughan given his never ending list of knee operations and he better answer his critics if he’s going to limp away if England fail badly.
Strengths:
· Pietersen’s aggressive batting.
· Collingwood’s cool head.
· Vaughan’s captaincy.
· Flintoff’s bowling.
Weaknesses:
· Vaughan’s dodgy knee (or the lack of it).
· Captain (Vaughan) unsure if he will play every match.
· Joyce and Bell tend to be slow batters.
· Woefully out of form Strauss.
· Panesar’s fielding, Erratic Sajid Mahmood.
Key Players:
· Undoubtedly Kevin Pietersen, Freddy Flintoff the all-rounder.
· Vaughan’s captaincy.
· Collingwood.
Dark Horse:
· Dalrymple, Monty Panesar
My Take:
· Super 8 Stage
My Team:
Michael Vaughan (c), Ed Joyce, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Jamie Dalrymple, Paul Nixon (wk), Liam Plunkett, James Anderson, Monty Panesar.
Preview - Sri Lanka
SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka was the first team to win a World Cup at home back in 1996. After a rather poor WC in 1999 and an average one in 2003 (even though they made it to semis), they would be having high hopes this time around and rightly so.
Sri Lanka appears to have a good mix of players in this world cup. They have a left arm opening bowler Vaas, express pace in Malinga, off spin (javelin thrower) in Murali and a left arm spinner in Jayasuriya.
Batting wise they have the murderer Jayasuriya at the start and a cool head in Sangakkara to take care of middle overs. They can expect Tharanga to provide good support to Jayasuriya and also Dilshan and Maharoof to slog at the death.
They have quite a no. of all rounders who can do a decent job when called for. Jayasuriya, Dilshan, Arnold can rotate their arms and do some bowling - same with Vaas who can swing his bat merrily in the later stages or provide solid support according to the situation.
This will be the last World Cup for Jayasuriya, Vaas, Murali and Atapattu – so you can expect a good effort from them (though I have my own doubts about Atapattu).
As mentioned earlier my money is on Sri Lanka or atleast I expect them to have a decent WC.
Strengths:
· Jayasuriya still has it in him to get his team to a flier.
· Sangakkara can provide great middle innings support.
· Decent all-rounders in the team
· Vaas with the new ball and Muralitharan during middle overs are as dangerous as ever.
· Malinga’s unique action can be a X-factor.
Weaknesses:
· Over dependence on Jayasuriya to provide them flying starts.
· Playing Atapattu can be a gamble.
· Jayawardena’s form or the lack of it.
Key Players:
· Jayasuriya, Muralitharan, Vaas
Dark Horse:
· Dilshan, Tharanga, Maharoof
My Take:
· Semifinal / Final / Winner
My Team:
Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardena (c), Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Marvan Atapattu, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Russell Arnold, Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga.
Sri Lanka was the first team to win a World Cup at home back in 1996. After a rather poor WC in 1999 and an average one in 2003 (even though they made it to semis), they would be having high hopes this time around and rightly so.
Sri Lanka appears to have a good mix of players in this world cup. They have a left arm opening bowler Vaas, express pace in Malinga, off spin (javelin thrower) in Murali and a left arm spinner in Jayasuriya.
Batting wise they have the murderer Jayasuriya at the start and a cool head in Sangakkara to take care of middle overs. They can expect Tharanga to provide good support to Jayasuriya and also Dilshan and Maharoof to slog at the death.
They have quite a no. of all rounders who can do a decent job when called for. Jayasuriya, Dilshan, Arnold can rotate their arms and do some bowling - same with Vaas who can swing his bat merrily in the later stages or provide solid support according to the situation.
This will be the last World Cup for Jayasuriya, Vaas, Murali and Atapattu – so you can expect a good effort from them (though I have my own doubts about Atapattu).
As mentioned earlier my money is on Sri Lanka or atleast I expect them to have a decent WC.
Strengths:
· Jayasuriya still has it in him to get his team to a flier.
· Sangakkara can provide great middle innings support.
· Decent all-rounders in the team
· Vaas with the new ball and Muralitharan during middle overs are as dangerous as ever.
· Malinga’s unique action can be a X-factor.
Weaknesses:
· Over dependence on Jayasuriya to provide them flying starts.
· Playing Atapattu can be a gamble.
· Jayawardena’s form or the lack of it.
Key Players:
· Jayasuriya, Muralitharan, Vaas
Dark Horse:
· Dilshan, Tharanga, Maharoof
My Take:
· Semifinal / Final / Winner
My Team:
Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardena (c), Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Marvan Atapattu, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Russell Arnold, Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga.
Preview - Australia
AUSTRALIA
The 3 time Champion is the strongest team by some distance. Even though they are currently ranked behind South Africa, every Tom-Dick-n Harry knows that this is the team to beat.
Aus have reached the finals of the last 3 World Cups. And if you include the 1987 edition it means 4 finals in the last 5 tournaments. That’s an amazing record. Making a final itself is quite an achievement, the fact that they have won the most shows that they are just too good for all the teams.
Unbeaten in the 2003 tournament, other teams would be hoping that Law of Averages would catch up. They have a great leader in Ponting and he is the best batsman in the world at the moment. He leads their batting which remains more powerful than bowling. Hussey is an ideal finisher for them and they have Shane Watson as well down the order to do some big hitting in the slog overs. They have the capacity to set or chase high totals, but it’s their bowling which is becoming their liability of late.
Gilchrist’s form doesn’t inspire too much confidence. If Hayden’s toe can bear his heavy weight then he can be a handful.
They have too many inexperienced bowlers in their squad save McGrath. Tait is express pace but too raw. He can be wayward at times and if batsman get to him early then his inexperience can become his weakness. Even McGrath needs a good partner operating at the other end to put pressure but sadly this has been missing off late. With most of main player on the wrong side of 30 they certainly will be tested. Aus will certainly miss the cutting edge provided by Brett Lee.
If Symonds is not going to take part, then Aus are in serious trouble. To me he is the key. Remember Aus started their losing streak of late only after Symonds was injured and became unavailable. Some balance was lost. His slow bowling in the middle overs and his big presence on the field plus his main job of big hitting puts lots of pressure on the opposition.
For players like Gilchrist, Hayden and Hussey this will be last World Cup. But if they are to continue after WC they need to play convincingly, else, as always, Aus selectors will not think too much in dropping high profile players. This is the last time one would see McGrath on the field and a fitting farewell is what Aus would be hoping to give him.
Strengths:
· Great Captaincy.
· Awesome batting form of (current no.1) Ponting and ever consistent Hussey.
· Shrewd McGrath.
· Great fielding side and team spirit/game.
Weaknesses:
· No quality spinner.
· No quality bowler to contain during slog overs.
· Symonds’ injury may pose problems during middle overs (bowling). His absence in the field will be felt.
· Poor batting form of Gilchrist.
· Brad Hodge doesn’t fill the void left by Symonds properly.
Key Players:
· Symonds (if fit), Ponting, Hussey
Dark Horse:
· Shane Watson, Shaun Tait
My Take:
· Semi Final / Final
My Team:
· Adam Gilchrist (wk), Mathew Hayden, Ricky Ponting (c), Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds (Brad Hodge), Michael Hussey, Shane Watson, Brad Hogg, Nathan Bracken, Shaun Tait, Glenn McGrath
The 3 time Champion is the strongest team by some distance. Even though they are currently ranked behind South Africa, every Tom-Dick-n Harry knows that this is the team to beat.
Aus have reached the finals of the last 3 World Cups. And if you include the 1987 edition it means 4 finals in the last 5 tournaments. That’s an amazing record. Making a final itself is quite an achievement, the fact that they have won the most shows that they are just too good for all the teams.
Unbeaten in the 2003 tournament, other teams would be hoping that Law of Averages would catch up. They have a great leader in Ponting and he is the best batsman in the world at the moment. He leads their batting which remains more powerful than bowling. Hussey is an ideal finisher for them and they have Shane Watson as well down the order to do some big hitting in the slog overs. They have the capacity to set or chase high totals, but it’s their bowling which is becoming their liability of late.
Gilchrist’s form doesn’t inspire too much confidence. If Hayden’s toe can bear his heavy weight then he can be a handful.
They have too many inexperienced bowlers in their squad save McGrath. Tait is express pace but too raw. He can be wayward at times and if batsman get to him early then his inexperience can become his weakness. Even McGrath needs a good partner operating at the other end to put pressure but sadly this has been missing off late. With most of main player on the wrong side of 30 they certainly will be tested. Aus will certainly miss the cutting edge provided by Brett Lee.
If Symonds is not going to take part, then Aus are in serious trouble. To me he is the key. Remember Aus started their losing streak of late only after Symonds was injured and became unavailable. Some balance was lost. His slow bowling in the middle overs and his big presence on the field plus his main job of big hitting puts lots of pressure on the opposition.
For players like Gilchrist, Hayden and Hussey this will be last World Cup. But if they are to continue after WC they need to play convincingly, else, as always, Aus selectors will not think too much in dropping high profile players. This is the last time one would see McGrath on the field and a fitting farewell is what Aus would be hoping to give him.
Strengths:
· Great Captaincy.
· Awesome batting form of (current no.1) Ponting and ever consistent Hussey.
· Shrewd McGrath.
· Great fielding side and team spirit/game.
Weaknesses:
· No quality spinner.
· No quality bowler to contain during slog overs.
· Symonds’ injury may pose problems during middle overs (bowling). His absence in the field will be felt.
· Poor batting form of Gilchrist.
· Brad Hodge doesn’t fill the void left by Symonds properly.
Key Players:
· Symonds (if fit), Ponting, Hussey
Dark Horse:
· Shane Watson, Shaun Tait
My Take:
· Semi Final / Final
My Team:
· Adam Gilchrist (wk), Mathew Hayden, Ricky Ponting (c), Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds (Brad Hodge), Michael Hussey, Shane Watson, Brad Hogg, Nathan Bracken, Shaun Tait, Glenn McGrath
Preview - Pakistan
PAKISTAN
In the last World Cup Pakistan failed to reach the second round and Waqar Younis (the captain) was promptly kicked out along with the failing Inzamam. There have been quite a bit of changes since then under Inzy and Bob Woolmer. One of the biggest challenges for Inzy as a captain would be to get the best out of his players.
The most unpredictable team at the moment, Pakistan can go great heights as well as go to bad depths. Just like WI, it depends on whether Pakistani players have fire in their belly to do well.
The 1-3 drubbing they just received against South Africa should be forgotten by now, but not the lessons. Akmal should not open and Inzy should not bat low down the order. Inzy’s form and performance is extremely critical to his team’s chances. A horrible run in 2003 World Cup caused Pakistan to pull out after Round one. A great Inzy won the cup for Pakistan in 1992. Most often than not, Inzy is in reactive mode. That should change to proactive mode if his team is to go the distance in this edition.
Pakistan will definitely miss the all-round skills of Razzaq both with the ball as 2nd change bowler and also as a lower order fire power batsman. They do have some amount of depth in their batting with Malik, Afridi and Akmal (if he can get into some form) to provide some biffing, to up the run rate in the slog overs.
Inzy’s cool head and some team application can take them to semis….if not their dream will end at the Super 8 stage. Yet another world class batsman (Inzamam) playing his last World Cup and if one can look deep, then at the age of 37, this might be his last series as well.
Strengths:
· Mohd Yousuf’s amazing form.
· Lots of all-rounders.
· Batting depth.
Weaknesses:
· The Most Unpredictable Team.
· Poor Opening Stands.
· Malik wasted too much lower down the order.
· Kamran Akmal’s horrible batting and keeping form.
· Can Susceptible while chasing.
Key Players:
· Inzamam, Mohd Yousuf
Dark Horse:
· Shoaib Malik, a fit Umar Gul.
My Take:
· Super 8 Stage (Semi final if lucky).
My Team:
Mohd Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf, Inzamam (c), Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (wk), Rana Naved, Mohd Sami, Umar Gul.
(For the 1st match – replace Afridi with Azhar Mahmood since Afridi is facing a ban).
In the last World Cup Pakistan failed to reach the second round and Waqar Younis (the captain) was promptly kicked out along with the failing Inzamam. There have been quite a bit of changes since then under Inzy and Bob Woolmer. One of the biggest challenges for Inzy as a captain would be to get the best out of his players.
The most unpredictable team at the moment, Pakistan can go great heights as well as go to bad depths. Just like WI, it depends on whether Pakistani players have fire in their belly to do well.
The 1-3 drubbing they just received against South Africa should be forgotten by now, but not the lessons. Akmal should not open and Inzy should not bat low down the order. Inzy’s form and performance is extremely critical to his team’s chances. A horrible run in 2003 World Cup caused Pakistan to pull out after Round one. A great Inzy won the cup for Pakistan in 1992. Most often than not, Inzy is in reactive mode. That should change to proactive mode if his team is to go the distance in this edition.
Pakistan will definitely miss the all-round skills of Razzaq both with the ball as 2nd change bowler and also as a lower order fire power batsman. They do have some amount of depth in their batting with Malik, Afridi and Akmal (if he can get into some form) to provide some biffing, to up the run rate in the slog overs.
Inzy’s cool head and some team application can take them to semis….if not their dream will end at the Super 8 stage. Yet another world class batsman (Inzamam) playing his last World Cup and if one can look deep, then at the age of 37, this might be his last series as well.
Strengths:
· Mohd Yousuf’s amazing form.
· Lots of all-rounders.
· Batting depth.
Weaknesses:
· The Most Unpredictable Team.
· Poor Opening Stands.
· Malik wasted too much lower down the order.
· Kamran Akmal’s horrible batting and keeping form.
· Can Susceptible while chasing.
Key Players:
· Inzamam, Mohd Yousuf
Dark Horse:
· Shoaib Malik, a fit Umar Gul.
My Take:
· Super 8 Stage (Semi final if lucky).
My Team:
Mohd Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf, Inzamam (c), Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (wk), Rana Naved, Mohd Sami, Umar Gul.
(For the 1st match – replace Afridi with Azhar Mahmood since Afridi is facing a ban).
Preview - West Indies
WEST INDIES
The home team under Lara for the last time would be looking to win their 3rd World Cup. One of the Super Powers 20+ years ago, sadly have been on the decline for the last 10+ years. They have shown some improvement over the last couple of years but are still highly inconsistent. This is my favorite team after India but unfortunately they are highly unpredictable. They can get all out for around 125 as easily as they can score 300+ runs. It highly depends on which WI team comes out to the ground on a given day.
I do believe that this is the best WI team for almost 15+ years but sadly it doesn’t reflect too much confidence into winning the World Cup. I feel the home team advantage will continued to be talked about till they march out of World Cup. WI is highly a momentum team – if they play well then they usually carry the feeling forward into the next games as well.
Going by their strengths it will be prudent for them to chase a target rather than setting one – that’s something WI have been doing consistently in the recent past. However they should make necessary changes if need be, depending on conditions and opposition.
Lara’s captaincy will be important. He is one of the big match players around the world and one can expect vital contributions from him. A rampant Gayle at the top of the order usually sets up games for WI. But a struggling Gayle usually means a struggling WI, unless someone else takes up the mantle. The onus must fall on Lara.
This means Lara must bat up the order, at least at no.4 if he is to make a difference to his side’s chances. Lara at 5 or 6 is not going to help his team. Big players set up the game. Sadly others haven’t been convincing enough to warrant a place above Lara.
A 1-3 loss in India won’t matter now. It’s a new day and a new tournament. My take is that they will be stopped at Super 8 stage…if that happens one would definitely feel for Lara since this is his last World Cup…and also his final One Day Series.
Strengths:
· A great Gayle and a lightning Lara.
· 2 spinners in Gayle and Samuels who can choke runs in the middle overs.
· Slog overs bowling by Bravo.
Weaknesses:
· Highly Unpredictable.
· Bowling. Don’t have a bowler who can run through the opposition.
· Slog overs bowling need to improve. Only Bravo instills a bit of confidence.
· Over dependence on Chris Gayle to give them flying starts.
Key Players:
· Gayle, Lara, Taylor
Dark Horse:
· Sarwan, Bravo
My Take:
· Super 8 Stage
My Team:
Chris Gayle, Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara (c), Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Dinesh Ramdin (wk), Ian Bradshaw, Corey Collymore, Jerome Taylor.
The home team under Lara for the last time would be looking to win their 3rd World Cup. One of the Super Powers 20+ years ago, sadly have been on the decline for the last 10+ years. They have shown some improvement over the last couple of years but are still highly inconsistent. This is my favorite team after India but unfortunately they are highly unpredictable. They can get all out for around 125 as easily as they can score 300+ runs. It highly depends on which WI team comes out to the ground on a given day.
I do believe that this is the best WI team for almost 15+ years but sadly it doesn’t reflect too much confidence into winning the World Cup. I feel the home team advantage will continued to be talked about till they march out of World Cup. WI is highly a momentum team – if they play well then they usually carry the feeling forward into the next games as well.
Going by their strengths it will be prudent for them to chase a target rather than setting one – that’s something WI have been doing consistently in the recent past. However they should make necessary changes if need be, depending on conditions and opposition.
Lara’s captaincy will be important. He is one of the big match players around the world and one can expect vital contributions from him. A rampant Gayle at the top of the order usually sets up games for WI. But a struggling Gayle usually means a struggling WI, unless someone else takes up the mantle. The onus must fall on Lara.
This means Lara must bat up the order, at least at no.4 if he is to make a difference to his side’s chances. Lara at 5 or 6 is not going to help his team. Big players set up the game. Sadly others haven’t been convincing enough to warrant a place above Lara.
A 1-3 loss in India won’t matter now. It’s a new day and a new tournament. My take is that they will be stopped at Super 8 stage…if that happens one would definitely feel for Lara since this is his last World Cup…and also his final One Day Series.
Strengths:
· A great Gayle and a lightning Lara.
· 2 spinners in Gayle and Samuels who can choke runs in the middle overs.
· Slog overs bowling by Bravo.
Weaknesses:
· Highly Unpredictable.
· Bowling. Don’t have a bowler who can run through the opposition.
· Slog overs bowling need to improve. Only Bravo instills a bit of confidence.
· Over dependence on Chris Gayle to give them flying starts.
Key Players:
· Gayle, Lara, Taylor
Dark Horse:
· Sarwan, Bravo
My Take:
· Super 8 Stage
My Team:
Chris Gayle, Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara (c), Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Dinesh Ramdin (wk), Ian Bradshaw, Corey Collymore, Jerome Taylor.
World Cup 2007 - Preview
World Cup Cricket 2007 - A Quick Preview
As the World Cup draws nearer, I thought I’d write some previews for all the teams. Unfortunately due to lack of time, I had to postpone it until the last day. Here I talk about teams’ prospects, team in general, their strengths and weaknesses.
Australia was a big winner back in 2003 without even losing a match. But this year I feel all the teams would lose at least 1 match. The reason being this particular edition is way too long and has too many matches, so keeping up good form throughout the tournament is going to be a big challenge even for the mighty Australians. The key to winning this World Cup, I feel, would be coming up with match winning performances on important matches and at vital times.
Once you are in the semi final then it’s kind of a lottery – its anybody’s game. At that point one feels any team can beat the other on its day.
I don’t expect this World Cup to be high scoring affairs in the regions of 300 (except may be games involving the minnows). A score of around 250 should be fairly competitive. Since there are no day-night matches, all matches should start on an even note so the toss factor in this tournament would not be that significant. However, since it’s a high profile tournament, teams winning the toss should look to bat first and set up a good score and put pressure on the opposition.
My Semifinalists
1. Australia
2. Sri Lanka
3. India
4. South Africa
I am guessing Sri Lanka will win the World Cup…but as always I hope India wins it.
For today I will send out previews for only West Indies and Pakistan. Will send it for the other 6 big teams before they play their matches or as and when I finish writing.
PS: I welcome any feedback (positive, negative, constructive…..)
As the World Cup draws nearer, I thought I’d write some previews for all the teams. Unfortunately due to lack of time, I had to postpone it until the last day. Here I talk about teams’ prospects, team in general, their strengths and weaknesses.
Australia was a big winner back in 2003 without even losing a match. But this year I feel all the teams would lose at least 1 match. The reason being this particular edition is way too long and has too many matches, so keeping up good form throughout the tournament is going to be a big challenge even for the mighty Australians. The key to winning this World Cup, I feel, would be coming up with match winning performances on important matches and at vital times.
Once you are in the semi final then it’s kind of a lottery – its anybody’s game. At that point one feels any team can beat the other on its day.
I don’t expect this World Cup to be high scoring affairs in the regions of 300 (except may be games involving the minnows). A score of around 250 should be fairly competitive. Since there are no day-night matches, all matches should start on an even note so the toss factor in this tournament would not be that significant. However, since it’s a high profile tournament, teams winning the toss should look to bat first and set up a good score and put pressure on the opposition.
My Semifinalists
1. Australia
2. Sri Lanka
3. India
4. South Africa
I am guessing Sri Lanka will win the World Cup…but as always I hope India wins it.
For today I will send out previews for only West Indies and Pakistan. Will send it for the other 6 big teams before they play their matches or as and when I finish writing.
PS: I welcome any feedback (positive, negative, constructive…..)
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