aT the time of this writing most of the tEams are reachinG the caRRibeaN for the caRniVal of cRikKEt due in 2 weeks!
moSt of the teams at this woRld cUP have a few players who would be playinG their lasT woRld cUP. Let us talk about the veteRanS and their impaCT in this tournament.
The teams from the sub-continent (India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) have a few players who would want to leave their mark in most probably their last world cup appearance. The famous FOUR from India -> Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly and Kumble in all probability might be playing their last world cUP. It might be argued that Tendulkar and Dravid might make it to the next world cUP but it is 4yeaRs away and any discussions about that may not be valid at this juncture! Watch out for some sizzling performances from these wounded Tigers from India! Sri Lanka as well have players like Jayasuriya, Muralitharan, Vaas and Attapattu who would want to make it a point in their last world cUP appearance. Jayasuriya and Murali have the earlier experience of winning the cUP in '96 and that would mean a lot in crunCH situations @ this cUP! On any day they can be 4Some to any oppostion! Pakistan on the other hand have players like and Inzamam, Mohammed Yousuf and Shoiab Aktar(if he'z cleared and fit to play now!) who would be playing their last world cup. Watch oUT for these old war-horses!
Teams from the Australian sub-continent have a lot of players who may be playing their last world cUP. The New zealanders are an under-rated team at the world cUP always just because of the number of all rounders in the team! Fleming and Bond are definitely playing their last world cUP with Mc Millan and Styris might have a long shot to make it to the next world cUP. So the under-rated team would want to make a definite impaCT! Watch out for the fiery Bond and the ever-determined leader Fleming! The situation from their trans-talisman neighbors, the Australians is worse with players Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Mc Grath, Symonds, Hayden and Hussey being on the wrong side of the 30s. It might be argued that Hussey, Ponting and Symonds may stretch it out until the next world cUP but is not worth discussing now! Watch out for the wading and the hungry kangaroos!
This leaves us with the English, the African and the American nations. The English leader Michael Vaughn with the history of his injuries and age catching up would be playing his last world cUP. It might be also argued that Collingwood who'z already 30 might be a doubtful starter for the next world cUP with the amount of all-round responsibilities he'z shouldering now a days! It definitely takes a lot of toll on the body! Watch out for the shrewd leader Vaughn who might still have a trick or two left in his hat! The West Indies which is a part of the American nations have one player Brian Charles Lara who is definitely playing his last world cUP. Chanderpaul who'z already in his 30s might be also playing his last world cUP. These guyz might definitley want to re-write the history books with a host nation winning the title! Watch out for these Lions in their own den!
Now coming to the African nation, South Africa has players like Pollock, Gibbs, Boucher and Kallis definitely playing their last world cUP. These guyz have a point or two to prove that South Africa are no longer chokers when it comes to cruCH games and major tournaments! Watch out for these methodical determined lot!
Starting March 1st watch out for a new story evryday unTiL the D-DAY....the start of the inaugural match at the cUP!
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
tHe tEeeamS...The anAlysIS!
It is 16dAys and 16 more hOurs to go b4 the world cup starts with 16tEams competing for the coveted trophy! Who'z gonna win it and who'z gonna miss it?
This is the 9th world cup edition and this is the first instance when there is no clear favorite to win this cup. All the previous editions had a stand out favorite to win the cup, ofcourse it is a different story all together if the favorites really win the cup or not! Let us now analyze all the teams competing for the world cup glory.
Let us first take a look at the bottom 8 teams in the competition. Scotland and Netherlands with Australia and South Africa in Group "A". It is tough to see any surprise upSet in this group though Scotland might be a team to watch out for the future! Bangladesh and Bermuda with India and Sri Lanka in Group "B". It is tough to see any surprise upSet in this group either but I would bet Bangladesh giving a tough fight with Sri Lanka! Now in Group "C", there might be a surprise upSet with both Kenya and Canada playing well in the ICC cricket League. Kenya and Canada are pooled with England and New Zealand. A surprise upSet is a possibility! In Group "D", Zimbabwe and Ireland are pooled in with Pakistan and West Indies. A surprise upSet is a possibility but not very much a likelihood since Zimbabwe is not doing very well either! It depends on how bad Pakistan or West Indies can play on a given day!
Now that the bottom 8 teams are analyzed, let us talk about the top 8 teams. Unlike the previous editions, I would say all the top 8 teams would be qualified for the SUPER "8" stage. Infact here is where the real competition fires up!
I would count on South Africa, England, India and Sri Lanka to make the Semis. Australia and West Indies have a distant shot to make it to the semis. I donot give Pakistan or New Zealand any chance to make it to the semis just for the fact that Pakistan do not yet have a decided bOwling combination(with dOping and inJury concerns) and New Zealand do not have good sloW bowlers! This edition of world cup does give a chance to the teams with good sloW bowlers and meDium paCers since the pitches in West Indies are kept very low and slow(unless this changes very drastically). I have put Australia and West Indies as a distant shot to make it to the semis for the reason being most of the Australia's top players are either rEtired or inJury hit! Symonds and Brett Lee are a doubt and Ponting is just coming back from a back injury! But they do have the fire power to come back strong against all odds. West Indies on the other hand is very uN-predictable and that is thE reason which stands against them. They have good batting line-up but the bowling is relatively in-experienced!
Now coming to my favorite 4, India are a well balanced side with a good mix of youth and experience in both the batting and bowling departments. FieldinG is deFinitely an area of coNcern...if addressed properly, they have the potential to be thE wInners. Sri Lanka on the other hand has good blend of youth and experience and is also a good fielding side. It needs to be seen if their famed bOwling can stand uP to deLiver! England is a team which is very in-cOnsistent but is the team to watch out for. They are the dark horses in the tournament! With a relatively second string team they were able to win against the mighty aussies and the kiwis in their own backyard. With Peterson back into the team and a fit Vaughn they have evry chance to win the cup! Getting eleVen fully fit experienced players day-In and day-OUt is the only thing which goes against theM! South Africa is the team to watch out for in this tournament. They have a well balanced side with good bowling and batting talents. Their fielding is exceptional as always. Their tag of cHokers and deLivering in cRunch situations is the only thing going against them!
So let's keep our fingers crossed to see who wins the most coveted cup in cricket!
My favorites are South Africa or England to win the CUP with India and Sri Lanka following close behind having equal chance as well if things fall in place on a given day!
This is the 9th world cup edition and this is the first instance when there is no clear favorite to win this cup. All the previous editions had a stand out favorite to win the cup, ofcourse it is a different story all together if the favorites really win the cup or not! Let us now analyze all the teams competing for the world cup glory.
Let us first take a look at the bottom 8 teams in the competition. Scotland and Netherlands with Australia and South Africa in Group "A". It is tough to see any surprise upSet in this group though Scotland might be a team to watch out for the future! Bangladesh and Bermuda with India and Sri Lanka in Group "B". It is tough to see any surprise upSet in this group either but I would bet Bangladesh giving a tough fight with Sri Lanka! Now in Group "C", there might be a surprise upSet with both Kenya and Canada playing well in the ICC cricket League. Kenya and Canada are pooled with England and New Zealand. A surprise upSet is a possibility! In Group "D", Zimbabwe and Ireland are pooled in with Pakistan and West Indies. A surprise upSet is a possibility but not very much a likelihood since Zimbabwe is not doing very well either! It depends on how bad Pakistan or West Indies can play on a given day!
Now that the bottom 8 teams are analyzed, let us talk about the top 8 teams. Unlike the previous editions, I would say all the top 8 teams would be qualified for the SUPER "8" stage. Infact here is where the real competition fires up!
I would count on South Africa, England, India and Sri Lanka to make the Semis. Australia and West Indies have a distant shot to make it to the semis. I donot give Pakistan or New Zealand any chance to make it to the semis just for the fact that Pakistan do not yet have a decided bOwling combination(with dOping and inJury concerns) and New Zealand do not have good sloW bowlers! This edition of world cup does give a chance to the teams with good sloW bowlers and meDium paCers since the pitches in West Indies are kept very low and slow(unless this changes very drastically). I have put Australia and West Indies as a distant shot to make it to the semis for the reason being most of the Australia's top players are either rEtired or inJury hit! Symonds and Brett Lee are a doubt and Ponting is just coming back from a back injury! But they do have the fire power to come back strong against all odds. West Indies on the other hand is very uN-predictable and that is thE reason which stands against them. They have good batting line-up but the bowling is relatively in-experienced!
Now coming to my favorite 4, India are a well balanced side with a good mix of youth and experience in both the batting and bowling departments. FieldinG is deFinitely an area of coNcern...if addressed properly, they have the potential to be thE wInners. Sri Lanka on the other hand has good blend of youth and experience and is also a good fielding side. It needs to be seen if their famed bOwling can stand uP to deLiver! England is a team which is very in-cOnsistent but is the team to watch out for. They are the dark horses in the tournament! With a relatively second string team they were able to win against the mighty aussies and the kiwis in their own backyard. With Peterson back into the team and a fit Vaughn they have evry chance to win the cup! Getting eleVen fully fit experienced players day-In and day-OUt is the only thing which goes against theM! South Africa is the team to watch out for in this tournament. They have a well balanced side with good bowling and batting talents. Their fielding is exceptional as always. Their tag of cHokers and deLivering in cRunch situations is the only thing going against them!
So let's keep our fingers crossed to see who wins the most coveted cup in cricket!
My favorites are South Africa or England to win the CUP with India and Sri Lanka following close behind having equal chance as well if things fall in place on a given day!
Friday, February 9, 2007
my India 15 for the meGa eVent
sO tHe worLd cUP is fast approaching here is my 15 for the Indian team....
Batsmen:
Uthappa
Ganguly
Sehwag
Tendulkar
Dravid
Yuvraj
Dhoni
Kaif/Kaarthick
Bowlers:
Anil Kumble
Harbhajan Singh
Zaheer Khan
Ajith Agarkar
Irfan Pathan
Munaf Patel
Ranadeb Bose/Sreesanth
I would still consider Kaif ahead of Kaarthick just because he has the experience in the international arena and he'z a great fielder. ofcourse he'z handy with the bat and he has a decent track record on the west indies soil as well! There is no need for a second wicket keeper like Kaarthick in the team since Dravid and Uthappa can act as the back-up keepers if need be! If Kaarthick is considered solely as a batsman, I am sure even Gambhir and Raina would come into contention! But I would still consider Kaif ahead of Kaarthick for the carribean islands!
On the bowling front, Sreesanth doesn't figure in my list, since he is very wayward! Sure he does have raw pace but still needs some supervision, guidance and maturity to get in to the ODI team. It is very important to be economical while bowling in the ODIs. I picked the Ranji star Ranadeb Bose, a surprise inclusion (who is not even listed in the 30 probables) into my 15. The reason being both Bose and Uthappa are in their best ranji form and this would definitely give good results @ the international level. If Munaf is match fit, which can be confirmed only when he fields for 3hrs and bowls his full quota of 10 overs in the Sri lanka series, should he be considered for the carribean islands!
anyWay...it'z only 2 more days before the final 15 is announced for the carribean islands!
Batsmen:
Uthappa
Ganguly
Sehwag
Tendulkar
Dravid
Yuvraj
Dhoni
Kaif/Kaarthick
Bowlers:
Anil Kumble
Harbhajan Singh
Zaheer Khan
Ajith Agarkar
Irfan Pathan
Munaf Patel
Ranadeb Bose/Sreesanth
I would still consider Kaif ahead of Kaarthick just because he has the experience in the international arena and he'z a great fielder. ofcourse he'z handy with the bat and he has a decent track record on the west indies soil as well! There is no need for a second wicket keeper like Kaarthick in the team since Dravid and Uthappa can act as the back-up keepers if need be! If Kaarthick is considered solely as a batsman, I am sure even Gambhir and Raina would come into contention! But I would still consider Kaif ahead of Kaarthick for the carribean islands!
On the bowling front, Sreesanth doesn't figure in my list, since he is very wayward! Sure he does have raw pace but still needs some supervision, guidance and maturity to get in to the ODI team. It is very important to be economical while bowling in the ODIs. I picked the Ranji star Ranadeb Bose, a surprise inclusion (who is not even listed in the 30 probables) into my 15. The reason being both Bose and Uthappa are in their best ranji form and this would definitely give good results @ the international level. If Munaf is match fit, which can be confirmed only when he fields for 3hrs and bowls his full quota of 10 overs in the Sri lanka series, should he be considered for the carribean islands!
anyWay...it'z only 2 more days before the final 15 is announced for the carribean islands!
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