ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

Excellent from Pakistan, great opportunity of getting a decent draw for the QFs.
 
Ole's_toe_poke said:
If there's one team in the world that make a "hard" draw look easy or an "easy draw look hard it's Pakistan.
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True, the inevitable Pakistan collapse has begun with our best batsman (Younis & Misbah) both going in successive balls. Lee's been excellent again, a wonderful bowler.
 
Good delivery from Johnson gets rid of Shafiq, a good innings from him - looked composed at the crease and got a decent score.

Pak still need 38 runs with 5 wickets in hand, game is still in the balance.
 
fecking tit Afridi, his batting is as useful as Chris Martin's - stupid shot from the captain.
 
Pakistan win and finish top of Group A, the Aussies 34 game unbeaten run in world-cups has finally come to an end.

Good performances by Shafiq & Umar Akmal and for once we fielded well. Lee was exceptional for Australia & Krejza didn't bowl too badly but the others were very ordinary.
 
ha_rooney said:
Pakistan win and finish top of Group A, the Aussies 34 game unbeaten run in world-cups has finally come to an end.

Good performances by Shafiq & Umar Akmal and for once we fielded well. Lee was exceptional for Australia & Krejza didn't bowl too badly but the others were very ordinary.
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about time. Now that is out of the way, it really is one massive achievement.
 
Pak V Windies
South Africa Vs NZ
Oz Vs India
Sri Lanka Vs England...

probably.

Aussies Vs Indians'll be a humdinger.
 
They'll probably beat us. Our bowling won't nearly as good as Pakistan's was today.
 
Aus bowling can be shit too. I'm surprised Tait and Johnson have kept it up for so long in the sub-continent. I think our batsmen are good enough to take them for runs. Watson's just okay and we always play spin well.

After all this hype, I really, really hope we don't go out in the QF :\
 
Going to India vs Windies tomorrow..
There's a terror alert out, though.. lots of army personnel called in.. hope nothing bad happens.
 
amolbhatia100 said:
They'll probably beat us. Our bowling won't nearly as good as Pakistan's was today.
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Your batting is clearly stronger. I think it'll be a very close game. Pakistan's bowling was indeed superb , today...and winning batting second at the Premedasa against the Aussies is no mean feat. And the Bengalis should be ashamed...what the hell was that?
 
Spoony Youngblood said:
Your batting is clearly stronger. I think it'll be a very close game. Pakistan's bowling was indeed superb , today...and winning batting second at the Premedasa against the Aussies is no mean feat. And the Bengalis should be ashamed...what the hell was that?
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It will be close. I just hope there are fewer games with 320+ scores now. Sick of games where one team makes 350 and the other team gets close or wins it, and a bowler conceding at 6 an over is some sort of achievement.

Actually, I think we're the ones usually involved in those.
 
amolbhatia100 said:
It will be close. I just hope there are fewer games with 320+ scores now. Sick of games where one team makes 350 and the other team gets close or wins it, and a bowler conceding at 6 an over is some sort of achievement.

Actually, I think we're the ones usually involved in those.
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I agree. I prefer pitches that offer a little. Otherwise the game becomes pretty mundane.
 
Spoony Youngblood said:
I agree. I prefer pitches that offer a little. Otherwise the game becomes pretty mundane.
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That's why I haven't enjoyed the world cup from India's perspective. The only meaningful contests have been like that.

I think tomorrows game is at Chennai where Windies and England played, so should be better.

Any idea where we play our semi?
 
amolbhatia100 said:
That's why I haven't enjoyed the world cup from India's perspective. The only meaningful contests have been like that.

I think tomorrows game is at Chennai where Windies and England played, so should be better.

Any idea where we play our semi?
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No idea....other than it'll definitely be played in India.
 
amolbhatia100 said:
That's why I haven't enjoyed the world cup from India's perspective. The only meaningful contests have been like that.

I think tomorrows game is at Chennai where Windies and England played, so should be better.

Any idea where we play our semi?
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Ahmedabad is the QF, Mohali the SF.

Colombo hosts one QF and SF. Mirpur gets the other 2 QF.

Final at Wankhede.
 
After topping the group with some impressive performances I fully expect Pakistan to put in a shambolic performance in the quarters and get knocked out.

Its just the way they are.
 
zing said:
Ahmedabad is the QF, Mohali the SF.

Colombo hosts one QF and SF. Mirpur gets the other 2 QF.

Final at Wankhede.
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I know Mohali has been known to help the seamers a fair deal but what about Ahemedabad?
 
amolbhatia100 said:
I know Mohali has been known to help the seamers a fair deal but what about Ahemedabad?
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Flat. They take the grass out for the India matches. Before the SA Ireland match at Kolkata, the curator said "It's not an India match, so we are leaving grass on the pitch.". If you want to help the home team, why not prepare a pitch like Chennai which turns? why a 350+ wicket? Bloody annoying. It's more of a hinderance than a help with out shit bowling.

Not sure how Mohali's going to play, either. The only other match played there in this WC, SA scored 350..
 
zing said:
Flat. They take the grass out for the India matches. Before the SA Ireland match at Kolkata, the curator said "It's not an India match, so we are leaving grass on the pitch.". If you want to help the home team, why not prepare a pitch like Chennai which turns? why a 350+ wicket? Bloody annoying. It's more of a hinderance than a help with out shit bowling.

Not sure how Mohali's going to play, either. The only other match played there in this WC, SA scored 350..
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Exactly. Not only does it make for, IMO, shit cricket, but also doesn't do us any favors. I'd rather we reverted back to our slow and low turners than these dross pitches that too nothing for the bowlers. It seems as though our plan is to basically bat teams out of games which is too
 
I am seriously impressed by the way Team Pakistan have gone about there business in this tournament so far. There have been no 'off the pitch' issues regarding legitimacy or squad unity and ever so quietly they have won the group with serenity and poise. And Boom Boom has yet to get his bat out yet as well!

A favourable QF draw and so its into the semi finals .... and with Shoaib Ackter always playing potentially his last ever game. They will hate me for saying so, but I reckon they are favourites to wi it right now .... they just seem to have gotten every single department in their side working effectively and in unison with each other. Defo the team to beat right now.
 
Spoony Youngblood said:
Wankhede's got major issues with dew.
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Yeah, when i lived in Bombay years ago, I played in a knock around on the pitch under lights. There was so much dew on the pitch as well as the very high levels of sea humidity in April (Wanakade Stadium backs directly onto Marine Drive and is less than 50 metres from the Arabian Sea).

I remember, I dived to field a ball once and when i go up, felt like I'd just taken a wet shower!
 
Spoony Youngblood said:
Pak V Windies
South Africa Vs NZ
Oz Vs India
Sri Lanka Vs England...

.
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Thats my semi final prediction.

The maddest thing is England could still very well win this! ENgland are the Pakisatn of the 1992 world cup. I have a real feeling that things will work out for Strauss and co.
 
Spoony Youngblood said:
Your batting is clearly stronger. I think it'll be a very close game. Pakistan's bowling was indeed superb , today...and winning batting second at the Premedasa against the Aussies is no mean feat. And the Bengalis should be ashamed...what the hell was that?
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A third rate side performing like a third rate side...

Losing is acceptable, not having the stomach for a fight is not.

WI - 58 all out
RSA - 78 all out


The idiots will get Jamie Siddons the sack, and maybe he does need to go, he has been with the team for a while now...

In truth though, what can the coach do, when the players freeze 9 out of 10 times when placed under pressure?
 
Spoony Youngblood said:
Your batting is clearly stronger. I think it'll be a very close game. Pakistan's bowling was indeed superb , today...and winning batting second at the Premedasa against the Aussies is no mean feat. And the Bengalis should be ashamed...what the hell was that?
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In my short stint as a journo covering Bangladesh's performances in CWC11, he is the piece that I wrote after the West Indies debacle. I cant be bothered to submit a new piece about the South Africa game because frankly I just cant be bothered, instead, when reading this, just replace the world 'West Indies' with 'South Africa.

As you read, I don't really believe in the conspiracy views I put forward, they were just playful attempts to clutch at straw. The key issue is one of mental incompetence. Through life I have been trained to handle pressure by having to pass exams, playing school football, meeting horrendous deadlines at work and watching how my team MAnchester United never ever succumb the pressure. The reasons for Bangladesh's abject pathetic performances is simply that this generation of players have been less prepared on how to deal with pressure even less than I have, let alone what teams like England, Australia and Manchester United have!


What exactly happened to Bangladesh vs West Indies?

Having arrived at Mirpur Stadium with my wife Sarah expecting a full day of cricket, I was looking forward to experiencing many contrasting emotions, watch some good cricket and maybe celebrate a happy finale with Bangladesh winning at the end. Of course, the end came way too soon and so suddenly I had 5 hours free that I had no plans for! So my conspiracy analytics went into overdrive and sitting with some roadside chai-wallahs after the game here is as far as we got ....

Seriously knowledgeable, objective and neutral cricket commentators like Soarav Ganguly, Michael Atherton and David Lloyd ridiculed Kenya's recent scores of 112 and 69 as having lowered the prestige of this 'World Cup'. So where does that leave Bangladesh's innings of 59?

Well firstly, its complicated by the fact that they are now a test nation as well as co-host of this years tournament. And this honour was given in part because Bangladesh should now be treated as part of the 'grown up' family (and so perform like one, on of off the pitch). Talk of it being a 'minnow' is simply are not true anymore; the team has some degree of genuine talent with players like Tamim, Saqib, Kayes, the enigma that is Ashraful and bowlers like Shafiul and the absent Mortoza.

So if a team of Kenya's ability is struggling to hit 100 (which is rightly deemed as unacceptable for such a prestige performance), then a team of Bangladesh's capability must surely have a negative base line that is higher. Peter Schiemical, Manchester United's brilliant former goalkeeper stated that his definition of a players class is to judge his lowest capable performance and see if that is noticed by his team mates. Whenever Paul Scholes (or in the old days Bryan Robson) had a bad game, it was unnoticeable as he had simply dropped to a level of most other players playing at their best.

As a test playing nation full of 'professional' cricketers who are on central contracts playing in home conditions in front in what has rightly been applauded as possibly the most passionately vocal supporters in world cricket, Bangladesh's base line for its worst performance simply has to be higher than scoring 59. It just has to be. Else, how can they be deemed as 'professional'. A professional by definitions promises you a certain lowest form of acceptability. Bangladesh's is surely higher than playing in a game expected to end at 10pm but the suddenly all over by 4.30pm! So for anyone who says 'it can happen', I say no, this should just not happen to a team of this kind. Every professional at any competence has to have an acceptable base line. Bangladesh's performance was simply not acceptable.

So if its not ability, then what other factors? A few come to mind. The first is that this side has virtually no mental discipline and so the players crumble under even the faintest of pressure, most of which is imaginary in their own minds. But surely that cant affect all 11 players at the same time as it did today?

Perhaps the game was compromised in some way through irregular financial arrangements. But given the extra vigilance exerted by the authorities since the Pakistan trio were rumbled in the recent England tour, it would make such a thing very difficult to pull of. And even then, if you were going to throw a game, would you really make it so obvious?!

My last possible scenario is team inter-dynamics. I remember back to the 1998 Football World Cup Final where France played Brazil in Paris. Before the game, news got out that there was a selection dilemma on whether to played Brazils legendary striker Ronaldo who was clearly unfit. Brazils President and Nike's global CEO both put pressure on the coach to include Ronaldo. The coach thought otherwise and so in the hours leading up the game of a lifetime, the Brazil dressing room was noisy with international telephone calls, in fighting and divisions. Soon players took sides, the arguments got fiercer and sometimes violent. In the end, the coach was ordered by his national president to play Ronaldo or be sacked on the spot. That is the mindset the Brazil team took onto the field when they went out to play with Ronaldo in the team. As you will remember, they were comprehensively thrashed 3-0 with Zizou scoring twice.

So my last hypothesis is that perhaps the mother of all arguments had been raging within Team Bangladesh these past few days. Maybe some player has slept with the wife of another (Footballs John Terry did such a thing causing him to lose form for weeks) or one has been insulted by another (Bangladeshi's are renowned for their irrational and volatile emotions) that has gotten the entire team embroiled. In Wayne Rooneys case, its now clear that his liaison with a prostitute, and then worrying that the story would break, is what caused his terrible performances for England at the football world cup. Maybe some of them are about to be exposed for corruption charges ..... whatever it was, its plausible that the team did not had their minds on the job, zero mental preparation had taken place and they were just not unified strongly enough to deliver any kind of performance and in doing so have reduced their own prestige as well as that of the tournament.

Some say 'its just a game' Its clearly not ...'just a game' takes place every day on the small pitches that can be found in the middle of the sprawling housing projects of Dhaka like Lalmatia, Uttura and Gulshan. 'just a game' is what my nephews play at school (and always score more than 59 in an innings!).

No, this was serious sport central to a long term campaign to improve the reputation of Bangladesh within the global community. I know of many fans from the villages who have saved up for months to they could bring their child to its nations capital and experience what it is like for Bangladesh to host and play in a world cup. I have already heard countless stories of medium size firms spending small fortunes on corporate hospitality to take prospective clients with them, hoping to ingratiate these invited guest by providing them with the most prestigious seats, feeding them like kings and hopefully after several hours of one way sunshine compliments, as well as some enjoyable cricket, the prospect of a new big contract would be secured in the final hours when everybody was in a good mood as it looked as though their nation would pull off a historic win.

Instead a planned for 8 hour session was over in less than 3 hours, the catering could not be made ready in time for the early end to proceedings and the prospective client left the stadium in a bad mood and worse with an empty stomach and so any future deals his host might have had have gone up in flames much like Bangladesh's innings did. Even the cleaning staff who clear up the mess in the stadium after the game had lost out: one who complained to me pointed out "Bhayia, we only get paid by the hour so I have lost out on 5 hours of work!" Will Saqib and his delinquents pay out for these losses from the millions they earn because of their fame, earned because they are supposedly professionally good at cricket?

I look forward to hearing the multitude of hypotheses that will be discussed in the days ahead, I think its far more complicated and sinister than captain Sakib's lame explanation that 'It was just not our day today'. Sorry Sakib, just not good enough. Your card has been well and truly marked and perhaps your days as captain very well numbered. Only a miracle can restore some pride back into Team Bangladesh. Only then can he even start dreaming about a place with the genuine big boys in the 1/4 finals.
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India has won the toss and decided to bat against the Windies. They have a depleted lineup and hopefully we can get a win today. I hope our bowling clicks today so the Indian bowlers can get some confidence. Their bowling has to improve by some way if they are to be considered serious contenders.

Both teams are missing their power hitters in Sehwag and Gayle. I want to see how Reina plays. I still think Kohli is a better #3 than Gambhir and today he gets his chance.
 
The umpire said Tendulkar was not out. Even though I admire his sportsmanship, I just hate to see him off the pitch like that.
 
Great sportsmanship but if he's not out what's the need of walking off? I didn't see the replays though, was it out?
 
wr8_utd said:
Great sportsmanship but if he's not out what's the need of walking off? I didn't see the replays though, was it out?
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It was out...he actually walked before the umpire gave a decision, I'm not convinced he wouldn't have given him out. He was just taking his time giving the decision.
 
Bishu seems to be a great find.

Cricket is desperately short of quality leggies.
 
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