The World Cup

Donaldo

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Might be too early to make a thread like this but I'm making this to get an opinion of some of the genuine cricket watchers here about their favourites as of now.The sides have been picked, there's only a few of the last second games left and with the injuries cropping up for some of the big teams its going to be highly interesting how they cope.

I'll start off with my tip for the teams I reckon can possibly win it.

Australia- Definite favourites, alarming dip in form or not.They have some of the most accomplished one day players the game has seen and a few players capable of turning a game on its head.However, Symonds is out for atleast the opening rounds with a torn bicep or summat and thats a huge blow.Lee is 50-50 and thats another dent on their chances this time around.McGrath's looked pretty ordinary lately and their spin department doesn;t have much to speak of.Key Players-Gilchrist, McGrath, Ponting, Hussey

Ok I have to go.I'lll do the rest along the way.:)
 
hate to say it.. but the Aussies look all favourites..

after them..
2. SA (just that there recent wins have been on pitches completely unlike wat they will be in WI)
3. England (should have had Flintoff as captain!!)
4/5. WI/ SL - Need key players in form of their life!
6/7. Pk/ NZ - Need to be lucky. really really lucky
8.. India :( .. We just lost ourselves in the last year or so.. injuries all around now (even Sachin has a back problem)..

Rest of the teams.. ah well!!!........
 
Aussies and Sri Lanka for me. The Aussies have fecked around with the team of late and rested key players but when they play their best 11 they'll take some beating.
SL have a good ODI side and can do well.
S Africa will make it to the semis and get beaten by the Aussies again.
England, who knows, so unpredictable. Might make the semis.
 
Obviously Aussies are favorites. I'd say Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and even West Indies are all equally good at second best.
 
I'm going for either Australia or India.

Don't expect England to get out of the group stages.
 
India's found some sort of form atleast....after a terrible time in SA, we needed Indian conditions to get us going again and remind us of our quality.As I type this Ganguly's made his 50 and Yuvraj is batting like he's been in the form of his life.Sehwag looked good in the morning and Uthappa is one of the best youngsters around.What a fecking batsman.

Now if the Indian batting clicks at the WC...Tendulkar, Sehwag, Uthappa, Ganguly, Dravid, Yuvraj, Dhoni.....not one other side can boast of such talent and class in their ranks.

Pathan, Zaheer, Agarkar, Kumble, Bhajji are some of the most experienced bowlers in in ODI cricket but it all depends on the balance of the team.IMO no harm in going in with three fast bowlers and two spinners.

IMO a lot depends on Pathan finding his touch so that the balance of the team is right.He's a quality bowler and a more than useful batsman.

I'd tip India to go till the semis...but a lot depends on the batsmen.
 
yuvi coming back into the form is a good sign..
but we are carrying some "extra baggage".. its a big risk!! and we surely have been inconsisten as hell in recent times...

one good thing tho.. history.. last time a team was about to win a 3rd WC in a row we won it.. and its the same thing again..
 
I've got questions about the format. Apparently theres now a super eight instead of super six. So in that super eight, every team plays every other team once like a mini league? Someone told me this, it just sounds ridiculous.
 
Red Rat Racer said:
If the Pakistanis put on the explosive show they are capable of then they will win the whole thing.
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That can be said about a lot of teams.
 
Red Rat Racer said:
What I mean is that when the whole of the Pakistani team is in the mood, man for man they are better than any team other than the Aussies.
Pakistan just don't gel as a team and that is there problem......oh and they can't field.
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Have you watched them play the moving ball?
 
Red Rat Racer said:
What I mean is that when the whole of the Pakistani team is in the mood, man for man they are better than any team other than the Aussies.
Pakistan just don't gel as a team and that is there problem......oh and they can't field.
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:lol:
 
amolbhatia100 said:
I've got questions about the format. Apparently theres now a super eight instead of super six. So in that super eight, every team plays every other team once like a mini league? Someone told me this, it just sounds ridiculous.
Click to expand...

pretty much so.. just that in teh Super 8, teams dont play the one team that was in their group in the first round! (points are carried fwd like earlier super 6's)

So basically it is a round robin between 8 teams.. the first round is time for people to make World Cup records!!
 
Australia tops for obvious reasons.

Next SA or the home side WI

The rest are on the same plane: India, Pak, Eng, NZ, SL
 
Red Rat Racer said:
If you mean watched them play cricket, then yes. Thats why i know they can't field, hardly ever gel etc.etc.
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:lol:
No i mean how they play the ball when it seems around. Then again it wont do much of that in the Windies.
 
DevilsOwn said:
pretty much so.. just that in teh Super 8, teams dont play the one team that was in their group in the first round! (points are carried fwd like earlier super 6's)

So basically it is a round robin between 8 teams.. the first round is time for people to make World Cup records!!
Click to expand...
I dont like this whole points carried over to another round business. As it is, its one of the most complicated sports, they should have kept this simple. Why not just have group stages and then handing over of any advantage of doing better in your group by alloting easier matches like the football world cup.
 
amolbhatia100 said:
:lol:
No i mean how they play the ball when it seems around. Then again it wont do much of that in the Windies.
Click to expand...
:lol:
Ah I see, yes I have. They can't, but as you point out the ball won't be zipping of the seem much. Which is why I fancy them.
The Australians attack looks poor without Warne and McGrath, which again may swing it towards the Pakistanis. I think with the batting and bowling line up Pakistan have, not to mention they will be going into the world cup off the back of a series loss against SA, may just spur them on to victory.
NZ may also be a good outside bet after their series win against AUS.
 
Australians are still favourites, however they are reluctant to play Brad Hogg in their side and tend to opt for four seamers, most likely Brett Lee, Glen Mcgrath, Shane Watson and Shaun Tait. Watson is nothing special and can be taken to. Lee is either brilliant or very shit. Tait is quick, very quick infact although is inconsistent. Mcgrath is one of the best bowlers in the world, but is not the same as the Mcgrath five years ago. It is a good bowling attack but is beatable, as shown by both Kiwis and English on their home soil. Aussies spin will come from the part timers of Symonds, Clarke and White (if playing). None are brilliant which may cost the Aussies dearly on West Indians low turning pitches. The wierd thing being they have quality spinners in Brad Hogg and Stuart Mcgill, although as mentioned they prefer the four seamers. Batting wise, Aussies are the best in the world.

SA are in very good form and are second favourites. Their big problem is a lack of quality spin, so are at a disadvantage on turning pitches.

I'd rate my NZ team as the dark horse for the tournament. I certainly think we play better on foreign soil than SL, Pakistan and India, and I certainly see us reaching the semi finals. I think we have a much better bowling attack than any of those three teams, certainly in Bond and Vettori we have two of the very best in our attack. We are very good chasing with Vincent in brilliant form, Fleming, Ross Taylor who looks a very good batsman, and with Oram, Macca, Mcullum, Vettori and Franklin down the order we certainly have a very strong tail.
 
Gillespie broke Hayden's toe didn't he? Lots of injury problems for Australia
 
Don't give a flying feck who wins, although I'd prefer it was Australia.

I'd love West Indies to finish in the semi-finals somehow. That'd be very good for cricket.
 
Anyone of 8 teams could win it....But Australia still have to be favourites despite recent injuries and form. South Africa i don't think will do well. One of India, Sri-Lanka and Pakistan i feel will reach the final.
 
Ranatunga has announced his expected semi finalists: India (to win it), Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

To leave out the world's number 1 team: South Africa is amazingly daft, or just plain daft. There is no way Sri Lanka are getting to the semis as they are most other teams biatches. India and Pakistan both have a jinx over the SL team in one days. But I guess he has to say SL as its his bloody nation, but that comment is as meaningless as Vaughan saying he expects England to be one of the semi finalists. :lol:
 
Dumpstar said:
To leave out the world's number 1 team: South Africa is amazingly daft, or just plain daft.
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Yes it's a crucial distinction.
 
World Cup trophy damaged in India

March 9, 2007



The World Cup trophy on display in Kolkata © Getty Images



The World Cup trophy has been damaged while on display in India, organisers said on Friday.

A gold ring below the coins depicting previous winners of the tournament got detached from the wooden base of the 11-kilogram (24-pound) trophy, made in England at an estimated cost of US$80,000.

The damage was discovered when the trophy, brought to India by one of the global sponsors of the International Cricket Council (ICC), was displayed in Kolkata on Thursday. The trophy was immediately removed from public gaze and is being shipped for repairs to England before being taken to the Caribbean where the World Cup opens on Sunday.

A statement from the sponsors claimed the gold ring came unstuck when the trophy was handed over by the ICC earlier this week. "The lower gold ring of the World Cup was detached from the wooden base when the trophy was received from the ICC," the statement said. "ICC policy does not allow anyone except the official trophy makers to repair/polish the trophy. "Therefore, LG (sponsors) received the trophy with the lower ring detached from the wooden base."

There was no immediate reaction from the ICC. The trophy had been displayed in New Delhi on Wednesday before being taken to Kolkata. The trophy will be presented to the winner of the World Cup final in Bridgetown, Barbados on April 28.
 
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