Cricket World Cup

[wotdoiput]

Well with only 20 something days until Crickets World Cup I thought that I would start a thread on it.

This time the tournament is being played in the West Indies, which should make things very interesting to say the least......

Firstly to the groups

Group A
Australia
Netherlands
Scotland
South Africa

well i think its fairly easy to see who will go thru as the top 2 from this group. Even with the Aussies drop in form and loss of Gilchrist for the first two games they should have their way with ICC minnows. Huge game between South Africa and Australia to see who is number one... atm I dont think the Aussies can beat the springboks.... but should still be a good game...

Group B
Bangladesh
Bermuda
India
Sri Lanka

Again it would seem predictable that India and Sri Lanka will go thru, and that Bermuda will be whipped every game, but to me Bangladesh cant be discounted... if they play at their best ad India and Sri Lanka take them lightly I htink they could spring an upset... as it is I htink they will be gallant but Sri Lanka and India will progress.. with the Sri Lankans finishing on top of this group.

Group C
Canada
England
Kenya
New Zealand

What a difference a couple of weeks makes... 2 weeks ago everyone was saying that England may not make it out of this group.. now they would be favourites to win it... especially with Pieterson returning... New Zealand didnt play at there best here in Australia and i expect them too lift.. Kenya are the best of the non test countries and have beaten test oppostion and cant be taken lightly... even Canada cant be taken lightly.. former South Aussie playr John Davidson captains Canada and is a handy spinner and big hitter of the ball who showed what he could do with a stunning hundred in South Africa in 2003.. plus they have one of my old favourties..40 year old former West Indian Anderson Cummins.....but NZ and England get thru... NZ on top after beating the English in a tight game.

Group D
Ireland
Pakistan
West Indies
Zimbabwe

The last group.. with again 2 standouts.... Ireland and Zimbabwe just wont have the weapons (even though Zimbabwe is looking to get Taibu back hopethey do) to match the other two but I htink there gmae to hold off bottom spot could be interesting.... Pakistan could destroy everyone or be destroyed.. depens on which Pakistan turns up.. they have some questions on their squad to.. but on pure talent alone will get thru but i think only in second place... the West Indies will win this group to me.. the have Gayle at the top of the order who can be destructive if gets going, Chanderpaul is a good opening partner for him.. Samuels showed some of what we have been expecting from him in years in India, Bravo is a great allrounder.. oh yeah and theres htis guy called Brian Lara who apparently hits them alright.... Pakistan 2nd, West Indies top

Ill be back later with the 15 man squads... hope this thread catches on....

 

[Shadowmancer]

This is the Black Caps squad for the WC.
Stephen Fleming (c)
Shane Bond
James Franklin
Peter Fulton
Mark Gillespie
Michael Mason
Brendon McCullum
Craig McMillan
Jacob Oram
Jeetan Patel
Scott Styris
Ross Taylor
Daryl Tuffey
Daniel Vettori
Lou Vincent

Unfortunately they have Daryl Tuffey, the man who can't bowl outside of New Zealand and even then he managed to have an eleven ball over a couple of years ago.

 

[wotdoiput]

^ yeah was a somewhat odd choice for the BlackCaps to replace Kyle Mills... I guess they had to pick a fast bowelr though to replace him. Bt perhaps Andre Adams or even Chris Martin may have been a better bet... well maybe the 2 years that Tuffey has spent on the sidelines has helped him... but unless their are injuries I dont think he will play..

Is a good allround team for NZ.. if they fire they will be dangerous

The aussie ssquad looks like this

1. RT Ponting (captain)
2. NW Bracken
3. MJ Clarke
4. AC Gilchrist (wicketkeeper)
5. BJ Haddin (wicketkeeper)
6. ML Hayden
7. BJ Hodge
8. GB Hogg
9. MEK Hussey
10. MG Johnson
11. B Lee
12. GD McGrath
13. A Symonds
14. SW Tait
15. SR Watson


Not a bad squad for Australia... but I still feel a lot will ride on when Symonds comes back and how he perfomrs when he comes back... I still expect Australia to make the Semi Finals at least... but Symonds could be the difference between a top 4 finish and a 3rd wold cup in a row.

Unlucky players to me are Cam white and definately Stuart Clark.. I htink SHaun Tait is somewhat fortunate as we have only seen hin in 2 games.. and while he can bowl amazingly, he can also go for plenty and there doesnt seem to be an in between... although I like Watson I think he is rahter fortunate.. he hasnt shown anything since he returned... and still injury prone imo... luckiest man is without a doubt Brad Haddin... yes ivee seen reports of how is batting is stellar blah blah blah... but he is only there so he can keep in the games Gilchrist will miss... look at all the other countries squads.. none have taken a back up keeper.. Haddin is very lucky...

 

[Shadowmancer]

Well Aussie and New Zealand have. The only problem with New Zealand is the mindset they have if they get to the middle of the batting order. Even if they are on a good course they seem to think that they are behind. So that would be on the down side but New Zealand will probably make it to the semis.

 

[wotdoiput]

^ well in the CB series I think that thee Black VCaps were guilty of taking it to easy in the Middle overs of an innings and not batting with any urgency... just being content to nudge singles and get maybe 4 runs an over without hitting the accelreator... they seemed to try and leave it to either Oram or McCullum to hit them to a big score in the last 10 overs and while it paid off sometimes i think Oram hits better once he is set and been in a while and expecting him to slog 6's from the get go was a tatical error that New Zealand made...

 

[Shadowmancer]

Agreed, but the top order are almost completely set, unless there's Injuries.
McCullum or McMillan ( Cant remember which one opened)
Vincent
Flemming(The Yellow Wiggle)
Taylor (Made the spot his own in the last two series that have been)
I wouldn't be surprised though for the Black Caps to open with Flem and Vettori, in at least one match. Two lefties to open would fuck any opening bowling duo. Oram and PigDog Styris should be hitting their stride after this Chappell-Hadlee series is over.

 

[Downward Spiral]

Australia need Symonds. That showed in the CB series in the finals. He leaves a gaping hole they need to fill if they are going to go 3 in a row this year. Aussies look the favourites though, and should be in the finals again with an easy draw first up. But they all need to step up. Black Caps? Please. No chance.

 

[wotdoiput]

^ totally agree with Symonds, without him they will still go well but I dont think will win it... but with him the team is totally different.. he will save 15-20 runs is a not bad one day bowler and as we know and explosive batsman.

For the English fans out there heres a look at Englands World Cup Squad

1. MP Vaughan (captain)
2. JM Anderson
3. IR Bell
4. RS Bopara
5. PD Collingwood
6. JWM Dalrymple
7. A Flintoff
8. EC Joyce
9. J Lewis
10. SI Mahmood
11. PA Nixon (wicketkeeper)
12. MS Panesar
13. KP Pietersen
14. LE Plunkett
15. AJ Strauss


Not any real suprises there and its good to see Pietersen back..... i was a little mistified why Mal Loye missed out for Bopara.. Loye didnt set the world on fire in Australia but i thought he looked ok and was at least another big hitter. I know Vaughans cataincy is first class, but his hamstring is still dodgy and he has a very poor record in ODIS at it is... so im not sur ethat he wa spicked for any other reason tan to captain the team. They have a few guys under injury clouds.. but with the relaxing somehwta of injured players being replaced this shouldnt effect them 2 much

 

[Downward Spiral]

Australia have foolishly left Shaun Tait out of the Chappel Hadlee series in NZ even though he is in the World Cup squad. I don't see why they don't utilise this warm up series by using guys who need to play before the World Cup. Injuries after a long Summer are creeping up on the Aussies, and it could be disastrous for their world Cup hopes. Without Symonds, they will struggle, and I think that England/Pakistan/S. Africa may be in with a chance to grab the first World Cup that the Aussies haven't won since 1995 I think. The Summer was again too long and leaves them tired and doesn't look good for them heading into the tournament. The West Indian conditions could prove good for guys like Tait who have Raw pace, but again these young guys should be getting all the matches they can get before March. Australia look doubtful unless they take the opposition seriously and don't have many injuries. Looks interesting though, but I won't see it as we don't get the channel it is on. Damn.

 

[Shadowmancer]

Bret Lee is out injurred for the Chappel Hadlee series. I think, I only got that watching the news I don't know of any ubdate after that. They are flying someone in from SA to cover for him. Anyway my prediction for this is Aussie First Match on Wellington, Second match Eden Park will be a New Zealand Win. Third match will be a draw. So far in New Zealand every single series whether Test, Twenty-20 or One Day has been a Draw since December.

 

[Shadowmancer]

I am glad to be wrong. Aussies first ever 10 wicket loss in one-dayers. The only blackspot from The Black caps point of View is Orams gone and broken his ring finger on his left hand.

 

[wotdoiput]

Well I think the Aussies World Cup hopes have taken a sharp and very drastic decline with an awful showing... yes they were missing some players.. but that was a terrible terrible effort... though the pitch seemed to be a crock of shit.... but then Fleming and Vincent showed the Aussies how it was done.. worrying times

Ok next.. Pakistan

1. Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain)
2. Younis Khan (vice-captain)
3. Abdul Razzaq
4. Danish Kaneria
5. Iftikhar Anjum
6. Imran Nazir
7. Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper)
8. Mohammad Asif
9. Mohammad Hafeez
10. Mohammad Yousuf
11. Naved-ul-Hasan
12. Shahid Afridi
13. Shoaib Akhtar
14. Shoaib Malik
15. Umar Gul


On paper an extremely strong sqaud.. but unfortunately for Pakistan the game isnt played on paper... they could very easily destroy everyone and take the world cup out... just as easily the could implode and win nothing.. definately a team to be wary of.

The ICC laxing the laws on injured players helps to.. as there are doubts over there 3 best bowelers, Asif, Gul and as per normal the walking hospital Shoaib

 

[Downward Spiral]

That was a disgusting loss by the Aussies which sends them crashing down to Earth and dampening their world cup hopes more than the loss in the VB Finals did. They showed no fight or passion, and was a pathetic display from people who are meant to be World Champions. I don't care for any injuries because if the guys who are waiting in the wings for their spot are supposedly the best in the World, and they couldn't step it up there when they had the chance. If they want to prove that they are the guys who are supposedly as good as they are meant to be and get a chance for the World Cup, they didn't prove much then. That is a disgrace and I don't give a damn if it was just a minor series because the World Cup is just around the corner and expectations are high and failures like this from the guys who crave spots is not acceptable. Mike Hussey was the only one who looked good, and guys like Hayden should have stepped up as well. What a terrible display by the Aussies against a team who made 90 or so against Sri Lanka in NZ. The World Cup is not looking good.

 

[Shadowmancer]

This was the first time that Aussie has lost by Ten Wickets. thats in over 600 One dayers that has never happened. But then again with that low a score, Aussie just seemed to be going through the motions trying to defend that score, There were chances that I can't believe they missed. They could have gotten Lou Vincent out but didn't catch the ball.

 

[Shadowmancer]

I say to look out for the subcontenant (Sp?) Countries and the Windies to do well, if it is dry as people think its going to be.Look out for spin bowlersthey will be a force mark my words. Windies I chose because of Home town advantage. They are on 'Island time' for finishing the grounds so we may see play rescheduled around that.

 

[Downward Spiral]

Just letting some people know that the World Cup VBookie is up and I hope to see some bets soon.

Symonds is also scheduled to be back a lot earlier than was first expected, which is great news for the Aussies. His rehab is going very well and he is up to facing proper bowling in the nets and should be back soon. He is even wearing the gear on the sidelines now, so that shows that he is raring to go and he should provide the boost that Australia needed.

 

[Cyric]

Well, England lost to the Aussies in the one-day warm ups.

Why does this feel like a bad omen?

 

[Downward Spiral]

I wouldn't look too much into the result as it was just a warm up match and it is to be expected. They were both getting the feel of the conditions but it looks like Australia came off the better, by far. England should do well in their group but I suppose that they won where it mattered, and we beat them in a practice game, although a loss from either side would hurt either side for pride reasons. Nice fielding by Monty as well, although he made up for his humourous blunders with his bowling, which was the one standout for England's miserable day.

 

[Shadowmancer]

Never base the pre tournament warmup games to be accurate. The Black Caps lost to goddamned Bangladesh. My pick for the Dark Horse of the Tournament. This is out there But the Netherlands, it will mean that either Aussie or South Africa will be knocked out but, No biggie to anyone there it would make the tournament completely wide open.

 

[wotdoiput]

Well the group stages of the World Cup are over, and a fair few surprises which always seem to happen.

India and Oakistan are out... Pakistan doesnt surprise me that much as their inconsistent nature means that they are prone to results like the ones at the World Cup, then next month they could come out and slaughter everyone... India being knocked out surprised me the most, they were one of my bets for the World Cup, but alas know they ar egoing home.

Bangladesh & Ireland benefit from this, and I think its great for cricket that these 2 are through to the next round. Bangladesh have the makings of a good team with some terrific young players and im glad that they are finally making steps. And IOreland... who would of thought it?? Glad one of the ICC countries got thru to the Super Eights, it may set up some one sided matches but will do a lot for cricket around the world...
Was also a little suprised the Aussies beat South Africa... but i should know by now underestimate Australia at your peril.

Still either Sri Lanka or Australia for the World Cup

 

[MidNight Rider]

So fucking disappointed that India and Pakistan are both out, I don't have anyone to root for anymore...Also the Bob Woolmer murder is really bad for Pakistan's reputation.

My pick to win the World cup is either:

South Africa

Or

New Zealand

big Shane Bond fan here...

 

[Cyric]

Looks like Sri Lanka are fucked already....

The Aussies are doing some nice batting, 11 runs in the first over. They're going to win this one easy, by the looks of things....