ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

zing said:
You seem to have an inferiority complex. Cricinfo's full of articles about Pakistan players, interviews with Misbah, Hafeez, etc. There's nothing about India, because the Indian management has banned press conferences except the mandatory one after the match. If anything, it's India who've been under the radar.
Click to expand...

Maybe its deep burning nerves which aren't surfacing properly. Like a good hot curry.

I didn't realise the Indian board had banned conferences. Good move that. As for Pakistani articles in cricinfo that's why I said I had to log in there just to check.

I guess I was reading too much in Ponting's opinion which is India will win on Wednesday and given the home tie, the fans, the batting lineup, etc, its a fair opinion. But there's an element of side swiping in there (remember we ended Oz's unbeaten run with an embarrassing thrashing, it wasn't India) which even Indian fans don't share. It just adds the 'favourites' pressure on India and the 'underdogs' perception for Pakistan. Afridi has that to work with.

Anyway, he cited an opinion at a press conference. And I cited an opinion on him here. No skins on noses lost anywhere. Roll on Wednesday for a cracking game whomever wins. :drool:
 
STAT.............M I Runs HS Ave ... SR
IJL Trott (Eng) 7 7 422 92 60.28 80.84
Click to expand...

Ahead in sheer volume of runs and averages even of Tendulkar.

Pretty astonishing achievement that, esp for such a dour type batsmen.

How has he done it?
 
Pakistan have not played in India for four years now and if they win on Wednesday, I would be devastated.
 
So I think we've got one huge problem for Wednesday. The best way to get stuck into Pakistan is to get some early break through and put the more experienced younis and misbah under pressure. But we have almost no threat with the new ball. The only threat we post is usually from zaheer but he's basically been an old ball bowlers thks tournament.

Think we might give sreesaanth a game as big a risk as that will be.
 
amolbhatia100 said:
So I think we've got one huge problem for Wednesday. The best way to get stuck into Pakistan is to get some early break through and put the more experienced younis and misbah under pressure. But we have almost no threat with the new ball. The only threat we post is usually from zaheer but he's basically been an old ball bowlers thks tournament.

Think we might give sreesaanth a game as big a risk as that will be.
Click to expand...

I would pick Sreesanth ahead of Munaf. Munaf just hasn't done it for me in this tournament, his bowling might been more economical but he is not wicket-taking at all. Sreesanth might be more expensive but he is a wicket taking bowler also.
 
KM said:
I would pick Sreesanth ahead of Munaf. Munaf just hasn't done it for me in this tournament, his bowling might been more economical but he is not wicket-taking at all. Sreesanth might be more expensive but he is a wicket taking bowler also.
Click to expand...

Problem with munaf is he's neither here nor there. Hes a medium pacer at best so rarely bowls anything that even remotely looks like getting a wicket but more importantly in this tournament even his line and length has been poor which has been his forte before. He's been easily put away comfortably game after game. At that pathetic pace you'd expect at least discipline and possible even a little movement, none of which he's getting.
 
Sree is a better option in 50 overs for you lot. He can actually take wickets up front with his swing he generates. Munaf on the other hand will be better for 20 overs cricket where is stingy style of bowling will really benefit you.
 
sammsky1 said:
Ahead in sheer volume of runs and averages even of Tendulkar.

Pretty astonishing achievement that, esp for such a dour type batsmen.

How has he done it?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure it's that big a deal Sam. I remember in my playing days we were happy to let some players occupy the crease.

I constantly bitched about his scoring rate during the game.

Willis rightly commented on Saturday

"game losing innings"

I've always maintained he is a selfish player looking out for his own averages. He has occupied the crease for far too long in the tournament. When a player bats through nearly an innings the minimum expected is a run a ball these days. He has applied extra burden on other batsman throughout the tournament to take bigger risks than should be the case and has failed.
 
Sultan said:
I've always maintained he is a selfish player looking out for his own averages. He has occupied the crease for far too long in the tournament. When a player bats through nearly an innings the minimum expected is a run a ball these days. He has applied extra burden on other batsman throughout the tournament to take bigger risks than should be the case and has failed.
Click to expand...

Lara went the same towards the end of his career, the selfish 400 against England was testament to that (even though it was in a different form of the game).
 
Pakistan are at their very worst when they lose composure. Sreesanth might get up the noses of the Pakistan batsman particularly if he takes an early wicket.

Munaf and Nehra are too timid as strike bowlers.
 
brewlio said:
Lara went the same towards the end of his career, the selfish 400 against England was testament to that (even though it was in a different form of the game).
Click to expand...

What's even worse Trott coming in at number three has meant he has mostly been in batting and bowling power plays where you need to go over inner field and risk your arm. It doesn't always come off, and you look silly as a batsman, but that's the nature of the game these days.

England failed to adapt, and were always doomed to failure with not taking risks. The only game they played inhibited, nerveless cricket was against India because they had no options and nearly paid off big time.
 
Sultan said:
Pakistan are at their very worst when they lose their composure. Sreesanth might get up the noses of the Pakistan batsman particularly if he takes an early wicket.

Munaf and Nehra are too timid as strike bowlers.
Click to expand...
I agree.
I wasn't sure of his ability to take wickets or get one over the batsmen because that is what will be required at stages in this tournament. He has been unconvincing the last couple of matches.
Having not given sreesanth another chance after that opening match, it would be a gamble playing him now. However, if Munaf is not able to finish his quota of 10 overs or control flow of runs then there is really no point playing him then.
 
I would actually prefer Nehra to Sreeshanth because the latter tends to be more expensive than the former. But is it important to have a right arm and left arm bowler in your lineup to keep the batsmen guessing, just like how it is important to have a left hand and right hand batting combination?
 
RDCR07 said:
I would actually prefer Nehra to Sreeshanth because the latter tends to be more expensive than the former. But is it important to have a right arm and left arm bowler in your lineup to keep the batsmen guessing, just like how it is important to have a left hand and right hand batting combination?
Click to expand...

Useful but not as important as having a combination of two really good batsman.

So much like the Indian team, I'm imposing a media ban on myself. There's only so much I can watch and hear of Imran Khan and the rest of the 'Kings of Cricket' ramble on about the same things again and again every little while. Need to forget about this for the next day or two for my own good.
 
amolbhatia100 said:
Useful but not as important as having a combination of two really good batsman.

So much like the Indian team, I'm imposing a media ban on myself. There's only so much I can watch and hear of Imran Khan and the rest of the 'Kings of Cricket' ramble on about the same things again and again every little while. Need to forget about this for the next day or two for my own good.
Click to expand...

What match are you talking about?
 
Spoony Youngblood said:
Yeah, it's awful when sport takes over a couple of nations.
Click to expand...

Good opportunity to ease tensions though. Sri Lankan PM has taken the first step.

Sri Lankan President invites New Zealand Prime Minister to cricket semi-finals
COLOMBO (March 28, 2011) : Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Sunday extended an invitation to New Zealand Premier John Key to attend the cricket World Cup semi-finals between the two countries in Colombo on Tuesday, a spokesman for the president's office said.

Sri Lanka defeated England on Saturday to book their place in the final four while New Zealand overcame South Africa on Friday.

Security in Sri Lanka has been stepped up for Tuesday's match which is expected to draw a capacity crowd of 35,000.

The other semi-final brings together India and Pakistan in Mohali, India, on Wednesday.Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh are co-hosting the World Cup which culminates in the April 2 final in Mumbai.
Click to expand...
 
Dileep Premachandran, the journo, tweets saying Sreesanth is likely to play..

The rumours he hears usually end up being right.
 
I was born in India - grew up in England - my mothers side of the family moved to Pakistan in 1947 from India.
 
It'd certainly be a shock if NZ win. However it's cricket, and if all goes well we could certainly see them in the final.
 
JayWalker said:
Yep, thats how I see it as well. Good toss to win for the kiwis. Their bowling also suits a tattered wicket plus they've relatively brought down the lankan spin threat by batting first.
Click to expand...

I thought the same about England. Reckon the game will follow a similar pattern.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.