WC Preview: India vs England

Saturday, February 26, 2011 , , , , , No Comments

Here comes India's first competitive match of the tournament, and it's against a team that was saying a lot of things before they got whipped by Australia. England still doesn't know what its strongest side is, and what their order should be, and maybe that's preventing them from being as good as they're capable of being. The Castrol Index doesn't rate England's chances too highly, and neither do I, going by their record in India on recent tours (5-0 and 5-1 before that).


India's batting line-up is in superb form, racking up 360 against New Zealand in the practice game and then 370 in the World Cup opener against Bangladesh, but then they haven't had to play a strong bowling attack. Broad, Anderson and Bresnan can blow holes in any line-up when they are on song - but they don't seem to be, in conditions that don't favor them - you only need to know how the Netherlands handled them as proof. Graeme Swann bowled well, however, and he's always a threat - England will consider bringing in Michael Yardy or even James Tredwell for Bresnan. They shouldn't - they aren't likely to be better than an open buffet.

For India, making a big total will hinge on at least one batsmen batting through the innings - if more than one does, it's the game in the bag. Sehwag (now fit) seems determined to do so, we know Sachin can, and Gambhir and Kohli were always inclined to do so. My pick, however, is Yuvraj Singh. He has an excellent record against England (1129 runs at 53.76, 3x100 and 5x50, High 138*, SR 100.62) and he's overdue a big innings anyway.

Our bowling, as always, will be a concern - if Pieterson takes a liking to it and gets going, he could be very dangerous indeed. Before getting himself out, that is. The good thing is, Sreesanth's "I-want-to-show-you-how-bad-I-am" performance against Bangladesh means he is probably going to be dropped. And for some reason, you know what sounds really good to me? Ashish Nehra. Against England. In a World Cup. I don't know why.



Right. So if we're picking another spinner, I'd go with Chawla, just because I feel like. I'm sure that's how Dhoni's captaincy works anyway. If we're batting first, I think we'll be all right. Batting second, Kohli will be super-crucial, as he has been in our chases. When England bat, get Strauss and Trott out quick, the rest will fall into place.

Ideal line-ups (for me):

India: Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (c)(wk), Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel.

England: Andrew Strauss (c), Kevin Pieterson, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior (wk), Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Tim Bresnan, James Anderson.

Official-looking prediction: India to win easily. Yuvraj and Munaf Patel will be key players. Likewise, Bell and Bopara for England.
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WC Preview: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan

Friday, February 25, 2011 , , , , , No Comments

It should be a great clash between these subcontinental teams tomorrow. The favorites will be Sri Lanka of course, since they are playing at home, where it takes a very good team to beat them, and they are also one of the picks to win the whole tournament. Castrol Cricket has predicted their chances like this:


Pakistan struggled to get going in the face of a very disciplined opening burst from Kenya the other day, and it took some great batting from the Akmals, Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq to get them past 300. But where the Kenyans released the pressure, you can expect Sri Lanka to hold on tight and make them pay, especially since their real strength is in the middle overs when their spinners are operating.

Younis and Misbah are doing a great job of holding the middle order together and leaving the slogging to Umar Akmal, Afridi and Razzaq, but I wouldn't bet on that strategy to turn out well with Malinga (and possibly Murali) bowling at the end.

Pakistan's bowling hasn't been great either - the pace bowling has been erratic, and Dilshan and Tharanga aren't likely to let bad deliveries go unpunished. Afridi took five against Kenya the other day, but I don't think he or Ajmal/Rehman are likely to trouble a Lankan middle order featuring Sangakarra and Jayawardene. Pakistan's best hope is to get those two out and expose the soft underbelly of the Lankan batting - Kapugedera and Samaraweera haven't spent as much time at the crease as they would have liked, and barring Mathews, it's pretty much the tail after that.

So to summarize, it all comes down to how well Pakistan's power-packed lower middle-order performs and how quickly they get can the Lankan top four out.

Ideal line-ups (for me):

Sri Lanka: T Dilshan, U Tharanga, K Sangakarra (c)(wk), M Jayawardene, T Samaraweera, C Kapugedera, A Mathews, T Perera, N Kulasekara, L Malinga, M Muralitharan.

Pakistan: M Hafeez, A Shehzad, K Akmal (wk), Y Khan, M ul-Haq, U Akmal, S Afridi (c), A Razzaq, W Riaz, S Ajmal, S Akhtar.

Official-looking prediction: Sri Lanka to win a tight, low-scoring game.

WC Preview: South Africa vs West Indies

Wednesday, February 23, 2011 , , , , , No Comments

Not here, but at HoldingWilley, where I'm doing posts from the West Indies' perspective. So get over there. Now. Now. Stop reading and click. Now. Still here? Okay, just checking.

Kohli: a perfect second-fiddle innings

Saturday, February 19, 2011 , , , , , No Comments

He came in when India had lost Gautam Gambhir for 39 in the 24th over. The score was 152/2, so it was a pretty good platform for him to start with.

I don't need to describe the innings, you all (probably) saw it. He's a slow starter, and that part didn't change. He had reached 6 from 16 balls before he got his first boundary, an off-drive off Mahmudullah. That's where he started to get fluent - rotating the strike with ease, getting the boundaries with cover-drives (the best-looking shot there is) against spinners. He didn't hit any boundaries in the batting Powerplay, but instead did the smart thing and passed the strike over to Sehwag, who had already reached his hundred and was looking to explode, but not literally.

Kohli's fifty came from 46 balls, which means that he had scored his last 44 runs from 30 balls. As the partnership grew and India went into the final 10 overs with 400 a possibility, some of us (and me) were probably thinking. "55 from 55? Well done Kohli, but maybe it's time for Pathan or Dhoni." He ended up scoring 45 from the 27 balls he faced in the last 10 overs - not bad for someone who was playing in Sehwag's shadow.

The point I just made up, and which I also just realized I am making so that this article isn't completely pointless, is that Kohli could be great. Not simple adjective great, but great great. He just keeps ticking along, scoring runs while everyone is focused on the more flamboyant players around him. Even as he was set, going towards his hundred, we were probably watching Yusuf Pathan. Remember Dravid? Yeah.

Also, which other batsman would have played the same kind of innings? Not Yuvraj, he would have got out to Mahmudullah in the same over Gambhir got out, or perhaps a while later to Naeem Islam. Not Dhoni, we've all seen his middle-overs batting. Not Yusuf. Maybe Raina, but I prefer classy cover drives to midwicketal hoicks any day. Yep, I just made up a word. Poetic license and all.

Anyway, it's a great start to Kohli's World Cup. He seems to bursting at the seams with runs, and there's no better place to let them out. Having won one World Cup already, he's likely to want more. Um, go forth.

India v Bangladesh. This is not a revenge match.

Saturday, February 19, 2011 , , , , , No Comments

No, it's not about revenge. Seriously, who even remembers that game? It's not like I was up late watching every ball until the end, hoping Munaf Patel or Sehwag would win it with the ball. That was a long time ago. We've beaten them enough since then, it's all water under the bridge. On to the match, then.

But first, a video.

World Cup Preview #8: Bangladesh + Minnows

Friday, February 18, 2011 , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

I had to make that distinction, because Bangladesh is a level better than the non-Test sides. Obviously, the 4-0 drubbing of New Zealand comes to mind. They will be glad, of course, that they're in a group that they can actually qualify from.

Their batting has come a long way, posting competitive totals more regularly now. The structure is somewhat similar to the Kiwis - a deep batting line up filled with bit-part all rounders (except with spinners instead of medium pacers), the best bowler/important batsman/captain bang in the middle of it, and capable but potentially expensive quicks.

Tamim Iqbal is a huge factor, as everyone would have already told you, and when he gets going, the others know well to bat around him and let him do his thing. Junaid Siddique and Imrul Kayes like to stick around when they can, and the other little guys - Shakib Al-Hasan, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim and Naeem Islam - like to go for their shots and can pack a serious punch.

Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam are a little better than simply take-the-shine-off pacers. The former reminds me of Dilhara Fernando a little bit, and that can never be good. The latter has decent variations, but often, his lack of pace does him in. It's no secret that they will rely heavily on their spinners, and Shakib likes to get in and bowl early. Abdur Razzaq is a superb limited-overs bowler and the supporting off-spin cast of Naeem Islam and Mahmudullah are pretty effective too. The back-up leftie, Suhrawadi Shuvo, was the highest wicket taker in the world in 2017 in my International Cricket Captain game, so that's a good reason to watch out for him.

Lastly, there's the mini drama show called Mohammed Ashraful. Will he get a go in the established line-up that was doing well without him? Will he finally come good on the biggest stage? Are cookies really controlling devices invented by dwarf minions of Steve Jobs? Stick around to find out (no).

Official-looking prediction: Super Eights. I think they might leapfrog the Windies to qualify from Group B, but that will be the end of the line for them. They'd want this count, because there will be no associate teams to beat in the next World Cup.

Zimbabwe

They're also in that corridor between the strong teams and the minnows, but only just. Give them a flat track and they will score big with Brendan Taylor or Elton Chigumbura (love the name) making hundreds, but they will struggle to defend even 350. Give them an ultra-slow track, and they will score 150 and almost defend it with their decent spinners. In all other situations, I don't see them winning a game.

Apart from the aforementioned Taylor and Chigumbura, the players to watch out for are Charles Coventry (one-time joint holder of the highest ODI score) and Graeme Cremer, because he's a leggie.

Official-looking prediction: Group stage, maybe a victory against Pakistan.

Canada

The folks here are pretty much blissfully unaware that their country's playing in a World Cup. The only things I know about their side is that apart from blistering contributions from 40-year old John Davison or Rizwan Cheema, they will struggle to reach 200 for the most part. Their keeper, Ashish Bagai, is a steady scorer, and pacer Khurram Chohan can be a handful for a few overs before exhaustion sets in.

Official-looking prediction: Group stage, maybe a victory against Pakistan. See what I did there?

Kenya

They'll be a little more confident than the other Associates, having had the experience of actually reaching the semis in 2003. Steve Tikolo is still around, and will be taking the field in a wheelchair and telling everyone war stories during the lunch break. Other familiar faces are paceman Thomas Odoyo, leggie Collins Obuya and his brother, keeper David Obuya.

They've got some talented batsmen coming in, like Tanmay Mishra, the coolly named Seren Waters, and Alex Obanda.

Official-looking prediction: Group stage, maybe a victory against Pakistan. Okay, I'm ending that joke.

Ireland

They put up a good performance in their practice game against New Zealand, and I think they're capable of another couple of upsets to go with their conquering of Pakistan in 2007. They have a lot of heart (and alcohol) (bad stereotype) and aren't afraid to go for it. Well-established county cricket players like skipper William Porterfield and Ed Joyce lend the batting some stability, while lower down lurk a couple of power hitters in brothers Kevin O'Brien and Niall O'Brien. 36-year old Trent Johnston will lead the bowling attack for probably the last time. They also have a couple of token South Africans, Andre Botha and Albert van der Merwe. Watch out for 18-year old spinner George Dockrell.

Official-looking prediction: Group stage, maybe a victory against Pakistan. Yeah, that was going too far - they aren't even in the same group. Impossible to resist having a go.

Netherlands

Ahh, the land of the shmoke und a pancake, the flapjack und a shigarette, the Shigar und a waffle, the Pipe und a crepe, the Bong und a blintz. Goldmember quotes aside, I know nothing about them. Ryan ten Doeschate is a very good all-rounder. That's pretty much all I have.

Official-looking prediction: Group stage.


World Cup Preview #7: Australia

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 , , , , No Comments

The Aussies. They may have lost their all-conquering legends (Ponting apart), they may have lost in India a lot recently, they may have lost the Ashes away and at home, but they are still a great one-day side packed with potential winners. They also picked up some sizable momentum by beating England 6-1. Even though it was at home, confidence is not to be underestimated. With Ponting, Lee and Tait back they look much stronger.




Shane Watson could well be in possession of a World Cup trophy at the end of April 2, even if Australia hasn't won it. I sense he won't take defeat very well. Either way, he's potentially one of the best performers.





Brad Haddin (or Buzzcut Haddin, as I call him) (no, actually I don't, I made that up just now) has returned to the top order despite T-Paine's worthy attempt to usurp him. I fully expect that change to be made at some point during the tournament.






Ricky Dubya Ponting has returned to the helm after his injury, and he duly scored a fifty on a difficult pitch against India's difficult spinners (subconscious Harbhajan joke). He doesn't disappoint at World Cups, this man, and an "eff you" scoring run could be coming up.





Michael Clarke's return to form coincided with Australia's 6-1 thumping of England, and just before the World Cup too. How conveniently convenient. He did fail in the first warm-up, though, being out-thought by Piyush Chawla. He'll have a decent tournament.






Cameron White seems to have lost his form, meanwhile, which is unfortunate because he's a huge player to have when the it's Powerplay time. I think he has a big one just around the corner, up his sleeve, in the tank, between the cheeks. Right, moving on.






David Hussey, the lesser brother, popped up just before the World Cup and began scoring. He has more batting time now, which gives him enough space to get himself in before launching an assault. He's the best spinner in the team, too.




Steve Smith has been called many things, such as 'fluke', 'shite' and 'right-handed Ravindra Jadeja' (the last one was just me), but you've gotta give him credit for the results. He does take wickets, and once in a while he'll score a porky 30+. Ferguson might be preferred over him, but that may mess up the team balance a bit.





Mitchell Johnson, random as he is, will do everything. He'll take five-fers, get smashed, score at least one fifty, and then lay a couple of eggs to even it out. I should stop, I get weirded out seeing him thanks to Alternative Cricket.






We all know why Brett Lee suddenly got into shape and form before the World Cup: Bollywood. When he isn't taking expensive wickets, he will record a chart-topping single, which I will download, listen to, and delete, all in a 30-second span.






Doug Bollinger hasn't brought his A-game of late, but his performance in India in the IPL will probably see him keep his spot. Also, his potential replacements, Hastings and Krezja, are rubbish.







Shaun Tait, the thunderbolt man, should play every game in my opinion. He has enough control not to go over 6 an over, and he tends to pick up 2-3 wickets a game just with his pace. He'll have a profitable World Cup. If he stays fit, that is.




Callum Ferguson will count himself lucky to be in the squad, even though he should have found a place in it anyway. Playing him would mean playing seven batsmen and messing with the team balance because he doesn't bowl, so I see limited opportunities for him.






Tim Paine, as I mentioned above, should be in the starting line-up, because he's a quality batsman who is a good foil for Watson. He can certainly stick around. In India, he will be mistaken for T-Pain and somehow end up doing a rap solo on Brett Lee's single.







John Hastings is rubbish. Him instead of Siddle? Really, Aussie selectors?








Jason Krezja is no Nathan Hauritz. How's that for a comparison? He'll get whacked if he plays. I could be wrong, but this is what I think for now.




Official-looking Prediction: Semi-finalists. The lack of a decent spinner will only get them so far, and without Michael Hussey, the middle order doesn't look as solid when Cam White is out of form. They will not make it four World Cups in a row.

Guptill stars in Kiwi victory

Monday, February 14, 2011

Martin Guptill's century steered New Zealand to victory over a brave Ireland side in a pre World Cup warm-up game in Nagpur. The Kiwis scored freely on their way to 311-6 from their 50 overs and managed to avoid an upset, stopping the Irish 32 runs short of their total mainly in thanks to their captain Daniel Vettori's four wickets in the middle of Ireland's innings.

Guptill's 130 the stand-out performance, the opener's innings coming from 134 balls. The opener shook of the loss of partner Brendon McCullum in the third over and pushed on with Jesse Ryder to put on 79. Ryder's typically aggressive innings came to an end two shy of his half-century. James Franklin (49) and Guptill's fourth wicket stand of 104 was the deciding factor for the Kiwis, Ross Taylor's 33 and Scott Styris' quick-fire 29 helping New Zealand finish on an intimidating total. The Cricket World Cup odds indicate the side will need to put in performances like this on the sub continent if they are to stand any chance of making an impact in the competition.

The Irish were always up against it but came close to pulling off a surprise win, openers William Porterfield and Paul Sterling putting on 93 for the first wicket. Sterling fell for 39 but skipper Porterfield pushed on to pass his half-century from 48 deliveries, before falling to Hamish Bennett for 72.

Ed Joyce in positive form with his 41 but Daniel Vettori's tore out the heart of the Irish middle order with four wickets, swinging the game back in his side's favour. The Kiwis ultimately showed their superior class to close the game out, taking the final three wickets for 39 runs to avoid a morale bashing defeat.

The performance will give the Irish heart heading into the 2011 Cricket World Cup as they look to repeat their heroics from 2007, when they reached the Super Eight stage, after a famous victory over Pakistan. If Porterfield's side can tighten up in the field and find more consistency from their bowlers then they may have a chance of achieving something in this year's tournament.

The Kiwis will need their batsmen to continue the sort of form they showed here in Nagpur then they could upset the form book and challenge in the latter stages of this competition although the bowlers will need to support Vettori and not leave the wicket taking solely to their skipper.

Tanvir out as Pakistan call up Khan

Friday, February 11, 2011 No Comments

Pakistan have decided fast bowler Sohail Tanvir hasn't recovered enough from his knee injury to be ready for the start of the World Cup, calling up the uncapped Junaid Khan in his place. The decision hasn't gone down well with left-armer Tanvir, who has claimed he is fit and ready.

"It is hugely disappointing to be dropped from a major event like the World Cup at the last moment. I don't know why they dropped me and the selectors should tell me the reason because I was fit and getting better in bowling and fielding," he said.
Tanvir played in five games in the recent victorious six match ODI series against New Zealand before falling out of favour but was recalled for the initial World Cup squad, only to now miss out. The 26-year-old has looked good in his 31 ODI's for Pakistan, taking 44 wickets in that time at an average of 28.90.

Taking a 90% fit Tanvir would have been a safer option rather than calling up 21-year-old rookie Khan. The left-armer has impressive figures domestically, taking 167 first class wickets at a measly 21.32 but his inexperience could be exposed on the international stage, especially as his side are one of the favourites in the ICC Cricket World Cup betting.

After returning to winning ways recently in New Zealand, Pakistan will be desperate to continue rebuilding after such a shocking few years, both on and off the pitch. The somewhat maverick call of calling up Khan could have a big say in how they do in this tournament.

World Cup Preview #6: South Africa

Wednesday, February 09, 2011 , , , , No Comments

Here are the potential champions, for me at least. A very strong (and consistent) batting line-up packed with batsmen who can play long innings as well as attack when the situation demands it, the best new-ball pair in the world, and supremely athletic fielders. If there's a weakness, it's the back-up bowling. Their only bowler who can turn a ball is uncapped, and the others, while steady, are not wicket-takers. Anyway, here's the player-specific crap.


Graeme Smith is going to have a good tournament, and not just because Zaheer doesn't play for every team. He's a captain who leads from the front, and he will be a key part of South Africa's success.







Hashim Amla might fail. Yes, that's a brave call on my part, but bad form has to catch up with him sometime, right? This will probably be the worst prediction anyone has ever made, more out of hope than clairvoyance.
AB de Villiers







I've put Morne van Wyk in at #3 here because he could be needed as a keeper, just in case AB may not want to keep. He's also a very good attacking batsman, so he might actually bat anywhere in the order when acceleration is needed.






Jacques Kallis has an excellent World Cup record, and that will not change in his last one. At 35, he has played four World Cups without winning one, and this could be his best chance, as long as he doesn't incapacitate himself by being tempted by street food.




AB deVilliers is one of the best batsmen around, especially in ODIs. Having said that, I think he may have an inconsistent tournament - he, like the team, can be susceptible to quality slow bowling, and he'll definitely be out of his comfort zone. Not when it comes to music, though - a song with Asha Bhosle or someone could be on the cards.





JP Duminy has struggled overseas, but he hasn't been around long enough for that to be a fixture. He was in good form against India and should do well given a little time to get his eye in. There's also his super-handy offspin.





Colin Ingram, though, won't get a lot of time to settle in. At #7, his role will be mostly just to attack from the moment he comes out to bat. That's something he is good at, but he may not necessarily succeed. He could also be batting higher up the order when they play an extra bowler.




Johan Botha is not a very good player for someone who is supposedly going to be captain in the future. His bowling is nothing more than steady, and he isn't a batsman who will play a long innings. He will have some useful contributions in the WC, but nothing spectacular.






Dale Steyn is at the top of his game, able to land it where he wants at high pace and with swing to boot. This is his first World Cup and he looks ready to take it by the neck and make it his bitch. Of course, a high quality batsman could nullify him on a flat pitch, however well he bowls, like Sachin did at Gwalior last year.





Morne Morkel has also turned into a world-class bowler in the past year, and his pace and bounce will be needed in the subcontinent. If batsmen go after him, however, he tends to become erratic. He will win a couple of games on his own but also will be expensive in a couple of other games.





Lonwabo Tsotsobe cemented his place with some good spells against India. He isn't just a trick created to confuse commentators, he can take the ball away and bring it back in with good effect, with decent variations in pace probably being his biggest weapon.





Wayne Parnell (not related to Chris Parnell) will get a game or two, and he will be expensive. That's all I can guarantee about him right now.








Robin Peterson is basically a left-handed Botha, but with half the skill. Might get a game. He shouldn't. Especially not as opening batsman.






Faf du Plessis had a good debut, but didn't do much after that. His best chance of playing is Colin Ingram or Morne van Wyk failing (a lot). Has the stupidest nickname in the squad. Seriously, Faf? Sounds like someone with a bad lisp saying "sass".





Imran Tahir, or "super secret weapon X" as he is called by nobody, was included on reputation alone, and hasn't yet played for South Africa after becoming eligible only recently. I think when, and if, he plays, he will get clobbered. What do I know, I'm only a legspinner.




Official-looking prediction: Champions. It's possible, this is a very strong team with one strong batsman following another, and then the Steynmeister and Morkel. Also, by nominating them, I hope that the 'C' word is thrown out to Fate for them. I'm polite enough not to utter the word itself.

No, I'm not.

Chokers!

(Note: I don't really believe they always choke, but it seems to annoy the Saffas, so I won't stop)

Twin Towers

Wednesday, February 09, 2011 No Comments

As anyone who appreciates sport betting will know, it used to be a regular occurrence that talented players appeared at top level in both cricket and football. Willie Watson and Arthur Milton reached International honours for England at both disciplines. Whilst the Compton brothers also appeared at a high level, with the longer seasons and more demanding fitness requirements, the chance to perform in both spheres has disappeared. Chris Balderstone once played first class cricket at Headingley on the same day he appeared for Carlisle United at Doncaster in the Football League and Phil Neale, who has been part of the England management set up since 1999, was left back for Lincoln and captain of the successful Worcestershire side in the 1980s.

In more recent times, talent in both areas has meant the need to choose, so Gary Neville (who was regarded as more talented than Freddie Flintoff in Lancashire’s age sides) chose football. Manchester United betting fans are extremely glad he made that choice! The added monetary incentives tend to push the dual sportsmen towards the winter sport but Warwickshire currently have an exception.

Keith Barker, whose father played cricket for British Guiana in the 1960s, had spells at Blackburn Rovers and Rochdale but has chosen to concentrate on cricket. In 2010, he managed to become a regular in the Bears' one day sides and during the coming season will look to establish himself in the Championship line-up. With Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott likely to be on Test duty, he should at least have the opportunity to impress.

World Cup Preview #5: New Zealand

Monday, February 07, 2011 , , , , No Comments

The Kiwis.

They may have lost a lot of games and series, including a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Bangladesh, but come World Cup time, they're back as the eternal underdogs/dark horses. The batting, while inconsistent, is packed with quality game-changers, that looked like being in some form against Pakistan. The bowling was sort of harmless, but then they were playing on some pretty flat pitches.



Martin Guptill has been batting beautifully without converting his starts, and he is due for a big one. Which he will get, probably against Australia, and maybe another fifty at another time, but nothing else.





Brendon McCullum doesn't have a track record for long innings and bad World Cup stats, yet New Zealand will rely heavily on him at the top order. He will continue doing what he already does: either getting out for a duck or smashing, at most, a very quick 40.





Jesse Ryder seems to be back in form after his recent century, even though it was in a dead rubber. It makes sense that one of his best innings came after a string of losses - there wasn't much "celebrating" before that. If you have an ice sculpture that you want to protect, don't take it to the Kiwi dressing room after they win a game.





Ross Taylor has scored at least one fifty in his last six one-day series, but his strike rates are all in the 70s - a clear sign of the pressure and responsibility on him. He will play his 100th ODI against Ireland soon, and I think he's going to have a good tournament.







Scott Styris, at 35, is surely playing his last World Cup. He has an amazing WC record: 767 runs at almost 70 with two hundreds and five fifties, and 13 wickets too. He looks fit and in form, and his bowling will be more than handy on slow pitches.






James Franklin has been a key member of the team with both the bat and ball recently - he can build an innings, accelerate when needed, and bowl effective fast-medium pace with good variations. He'll probably have a more memorable tournament with the bat, I feel.





Daniel Vettori is ready for his last assignment as captain. He hasn't been the most effective in World Cups, and his best figures in 2007 came against Ireland, but he has loads of experience and the conditions will favor him.






Nathan McCullum has recently been the better McCullum even with the bat, which really helps his cause because his bowling has really not been too great. He might be dropped for Oram.






Tim Southee tends to leak plenty of runs, as his economy rate (5.43) suggests, and he could have a bad tournament if he doesn't get it right. One thing he has going for him is his death bowling and his usefulness with the bat. OK, that was two things.





Kyle Mills made his debut in 2001 and has played 126 ODIs, only one of which is a World Cup game. He is extremely important to the Kiwis, as their only experienced fast bowler. Also: outswing, tall, bounce, lifeless pitches, and all those key words that people highlight in textbooks.






Hamish Bennett, the newbie in the team, could be a surprise package if he gets to play a few games. I'd watch out for this bloke, but mostly because I don't know much about him. I'm just being wary.





Jacob Oram could also be playing his last World Cup, even though he's just 32. He always has fitness issues, but has a good WC record, at least with the ball. 24 wickets at just over 22 is pretty great, and he will definitely add to that tally. He is sort of Yusuf Pathan-ish with the bat - he will score heavily if everything is pitched up.




Kane Williamson, the youngest in the squad, is potentially the Next Top Kiwi. He may not get many games, which is probably best, since he isn't completely ready yet and he hasn't really shown the ability to up the ante when needed. It's unlikely that we will see the headline "Williamson Kanes bowlers" anytime soon.







Speaking of headlines, Luke Woodcock is also here. He's only in as cover for Dan or Nate, and because he provides infinite amusement with his name.






How is Jamie in the squad? Just for that terrible pun?






Official-looking prediction: Super eights. That's a standard prediction for them, but they've always overachieved, so I won't be surprised if I'm wrong. Their pace attack might take a thrashing.

Flower right to demand voice when planning fixtures

Monday, February 07, 2011 , , No Comments

The ECB this week had to deny that coach Andy Flower was being considered to play in a World Cup warm-up match against Canada later this month.

A fairly ludicrous thing to have to dismiss I'm sure you will agree considering he is 42, played his cricket for Zimbabwe (despite now being an English citizen) and last played international cricket in 2003.

But such is the length of England's injury list and the rapidly depleting days left before the start of the World Cup, there is a real chance that England may only have 10 fit players for the Canada game, with ICC chiefs saying players outside the original World Cup party cannot be picked, though coaching staff may play. It seems a silly situation and anyone following the cricket live scores would agree.

This almost farcical situation must have played some part in Flower's recent comments, where he stated his belief that coaches should have more say in the scheduling of international cricket.

If this was the case now I'm sure Flower would raise some objections to the way England's cricket calendar has shaped up over the past few months.

The tour down under finally came to an end on Sunday – more than three months after England played their first warm-up game.

Those involved in the World Cup squad will then have just three days at home before jetting out again to India and Bangladesh for the two-and-a-half month long World Cup. The English domestic season starts just two weeks after the conclusion of that.

Some common sense needs to be put back into these fixture lists and those keeping track of the live scores goalwire would probably say the same.

Planners are focusing too much on the financial side of things, looking to cram extra games in to maximise income. Someone like Flower would remind these people that the stars on show – the reason why punters pay at the gate – are not machines and a ridiculous busy cricket calendar will result in player burn out and increasing apathy from paying supporters.

Though they only need to look at the England treatment room for evidence of that.

World Cup Preview #4: Pakistan

Friday, February 04, 2011 , , , , , No Comments

Pakistan are predictable.

Had to go for the anti-cliche there, because they are predictable in their unpredictability. Brilliant one day, hilarious the next and sometimes just downright sad. Pakistan were not really considered title contenders while they were entertaining, but now, with the dullness of Younis and Misbah in the middle order, their chances can be respected again.





Mohammed Hafeez will bowl better than he bats. He would do better at the top of the order, if he didn't have that technical glitch of not being a good enough batsman.






Ahmed Shehzad could be one of the breakout stars of the World Cup with his fearless batting and clean striking. I haven't seen him bat on a slow pitch, though, so there is that window for failure. I'd back him anyway.







Kamran Akmal will be the first cricketer to try out an on-field tool called "CricAutotune". His behind-the-stumps wailing will suddenly sound awesome.






Younis Khan will smile. A lot. And he will make many starts amidst all the smiling, not many of which will be useful, not even the 150 against India.







Misbah-ul-Haq will continue to flourish in his current purple-patch. If he makes it to the final, and India are the opponents, he will successfully execute a paddle-scoop for six. Also, he will step in as captain midway through the tournament.





Umar Akmal has shown glimpses of being back in form of late, and he will always perform when there is little responsibility on him. He will give up the ugly green make-up and take up face-advertising like Chanderpaul.





Shahid Afridi will find a novel way to be insane. It could be sitting on the stumps and finding one missing when he stands up, or it could be turning into a bat at nighttime. He will never cross 20. In age.







Abdul Razzaq only works when there is something monumental to be done, and this won't change. His bowling won't be that effective, but just watch out when Pakistan needs 65765 from 3 balls.





Wahab Riaz has, of late, looked like the bowler who has held it together the most, and even he has all those wides. I just get the feeling (©Ravi Shastri) that he might be in for a thrashing on flatter pitches.







Speaking of being thrashed, Umar Gul isn't one to restrict the flow of runs between overs 1-35. He is known as a splendid death bowler, and that's the way it should stay.






Saeed Ajmal has been kept under wraps recently, which is a little weird since he's not really a 'secret' weapon. He is a weapon, though, and a darn good one. He will be very crucial in overs 20-35.






Shoaib Akhtar at the moment is fit enough to bowl 3-4 lethargic but quick overs. He ranges from 'in-control-and-taking-wickets' to 'getting-the-warts-thrashed-off-him'. He will make a cameo in a movie and a couple of ads when in India.





Abdur Rehman is competing with Ajmal for a spot, but he'll miss out since he isn't a wicket-taking bowler. He needs to take a new picture, one that doesn't make you feel like he's about to stalk you. Yeah, didn't know what else to say about him.







Asad Shafiq won the lottery to be in this squad. It's probably the spot that would have gone to Malik or Yousuf otherwise. I'm not sure what this guy does - apparently he's a keeper batsman? Put him down as back-up then, imaginary secretary, there was probably a max limit on Akmals in the squad.





Sohail Tanvir used to be brilliant, when he was getting everyone with his whirry arms and prodigious swing. Now he's the bowler everyone goes after. He's still cocky though, look at him!





Official-looking prediction: Super Eights. Sort out your bowling, fellas. Also, the strategy of batting slowly and leaving 12 runs per over to Akmal Jr, Afridi and Razzaq seems like something that could backfire against better bowling attacks than New Zealand's.