Showing posts with label world cup 2011. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world cup 2011. Show all posts

Worst XI of the World Cup

Monday, April 04, 2011 , , , , , , , No Comments

This one's all about those who were expected to do better, but grossly underperformed throughout the tournament, or whatever they played of it anyway.

The order/combination is irrelevant, since there seemed to be way more successful bowlers than batsmen.


Champions

Saturday, April 02, 2011 , , , , , , , No Comments

This man. Thank you.
You too, Gambhir and Dhoni. Not you, Sreesanth. 


World Cup Final Preview: Yes, it's the last preview.

Friday, April 01, 2011 , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

Two great players. Two long careers. Two teams (or at least their fans) that are sick of seeing each other.

Two scripts for tomorrow. Who will get his perfect send-off: Murali or Sachin? Who will win in the battle of highest run-scorer versus highest wicket-taker? Who will weep in the post-match presentation? Who will offer a handshake that the other will shun by slapping the hand away? Who will answer all the stupid rhetorical questions?

Find out tomorrow, or today, depending on when you read this.

The Captains: Sangakarra and Dhoni.

There's no need to dish out extensive analysis for this one - it's the final game, we've seen all the recurring themes for both the teams throughout the tournament. So here's all the standard stuff I won't be saying:

WC Semifinal Preview: India vs Pakistan - It's on, and other pre-game words.

Monday, March 28, 2011 , , , , , No Comments

Here it is. The match. The one we've all been waiting for, hoping for, it's finally here. The game that thousands of dormant "cricket fans" suddenly wake up and try to hijack from those of us who had calendars marked for all its potential dates of occurrence long before the World Cup began. A game so highly anticipated, that it is believed by some (there's gotta be some) that India and Pakistan both conspired to be knocked out early in 2007 in order to double the anticipation for this encounter.

Now, it's probably stupid to use logic to predict who could win this, but my Stats guy Inna Curate informs me that India and Pakistan have met 463 times in World Cups, and India has won all those games by 10 wickets or 200+ runs, even when it rained. But silly stats aren't predictive in this case, so let's not take them into account, impressive as they may be.

The Captains: Afridi and Dhoni

South Africa and Ch**ing

Friday, March 25, 2011 , , , , , , , No Comments

Okay. It's a cheap shot. And also a reasonable explanation. Darth Vader is All Black after all.


WC Quarterfinal Preview: India vs Australia

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 , , , , , No Comments

When India was playing the West Indies in the Group stages, we knew that they were going to play one of 2007's finalists based on the result.

Four years ago, we would've picked the Lankans as our preferred opponent without thinking twice. When I say 'we', I am obviously referring to Indian supporters, because neutrals would probably enjoy an India-Australia match more. Such has been Australia's decline, that we'd rather play them than Sri Lanka now, and our success against them at home is something else you can throw into the mix. Also, I'm sick of Sri Lanka, because of how much we played them last year. Then there's the big one - the potential India-Pakistan semifinal - but that's looking a little too far ahead. So I won't talk about the India-South Africa final, or the Twenty20 World Cup in 2020.

So much to look forward to... Ponting's imminent rubbishness, Harbhajan vs all Aussies, Sehwag and Sachin, Navjot Singh Sidhu vs Saurav Ganguly, Steve Smith being stuffed into a locker, and much more.

The Captains: Ponting and Dhoni
Now we can expect (or at least hope for) a turning pitch in Ahmedabad, perhaps similar to the one where India beat Australia in the warm-up game. If that is the case, Chawla (incidentally the hero of that game) could return to side at the expense of Yusuf and Raina, because Sehwag will be back too. If just one batsman has to be dropped (which I don't think should happen) then it might be Yusuf, because he has been, if I may say so in Latin, a 'Failurus Colossus', scoring 74 runs in 6 innings. Gambhir drops back down to #3 and the #4 problem resurfaces, when there shouldn't be one. It's simple enough - don't mess around with Kohli. Bat him at #4 or #5, but no lower. Failurus Colossus does NOT need to bat higher, while Raina is all thumbs-up with wherever he bats. And my suggestion for the batting Powerplay? Take it as early as possible if Sehwag sticks around.

On a slow track, Lee will be the biggest threat because he has enough variations, and Johnson has a decent slower one as well, but the top order should have no problems taking them and Tait on. Krezja is a buffet bowler. Steve Smith crossed the "step-forward-if-you-can-bowl" line by the thinnest of margins.

As for the Aussie batting: Watson and Haddin are their leading scorers, with 265 and 279 runs respectively, and 3 fifties each. Clarke has 225 runs but has only been dismissed twice. Hussey remains the pivotal piece of their middle order. White was given a tour of the batting crease by someone else, and he took pictures to remember how it looks. Steve Smith... just look at the info on his bowling above and apply it to his batting.

My picks: Sehwag and Sachin, Gambhir, Harbhajan, Ponting, Clarke, Johnson.

Ideal line-ups (for me):

India: Sehwag, Sachin, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni (c)(wk), Harbhajan, Ashwin, Chawla, Zaheer, Munaf.

Australia: Haddin (wk), Watson, Ponting (c), Clarke, White, Hussey, Smith, Johnson, Krezja, Lee, Tait.

Official-looking prediction: India to edge a low-scoring game. Spin will rule. At least two people will cry on the field.

WC Preview: India vs West Indies

Friday, March 18, 2011 , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

Finally. The last match of the awesomeness that was Group B.

Drama, injury, close games, tears, backstabbing, wardrobe malfunctions, weave-pulls, wine chucked in faces, and superb dance moves. But enough about England, this is India v West Indies.

The Captains: Sammy and Dhoni

This game will be pretty much a dead rubber if Bangladesh doesn't beat South Africa, because India is already through and it would take a very large defeat for the West Indies' NRR to fall below Bangladesh. So here's hoping the Banglas win, to ensure that the Windies have something riding on that last game. It will also mean that my pre-WC prediction, that the Banglas qualify ahead of the Windies, has come true. That looks as likely as... something highly unlikely.

Expert analysis aside, India hasn't beaten a Test side in the World Cup yet, apart from Bangladesh. This could and should be an easy win - if James Tredwell and Ravi Bopara can choke the Windies, just think of what Harbhajan and Ashwin could do! No seriously, I'm backing Harbhajan in this game to the extent of picking him in my Fantasy team with my one remaining transfer, and I intend to make him the captain too. As far as Ashwin goes, he could be as hittable as Chawla. Everyone wants him to play just because he hasn't played and got thrashed yet, unlike the others. The cloak of mystery is probably why he should play. Proof - Imran Tahir, James Tredwell, Devendra Bishoo, Ajit Agarkar (find the odd one out). He still has to bowl well, though. Crap on a stick won't get you wickets.

The game is being played in Chennai (another sign for Ashwin), a very good place for Sachin and spinners. It is going to be a fresh pitch apparently, so it could be another high-scoring game. It will be anyway if India bats first, but Gayle looked in a particularly rapish mood against England, so expect a close, exciting contest for about 15 overs. Brian Bravo has been underwhelming so far, as has the rest of the order - a good score will depend entirely on Pollard, IPL teammate of Harby and (formerly) Zaheer.

My picks for the game:  Harbhajan, Sachin, Ashwin, Yuvraj, Gayle, Bravo, Benn.

Ideal line-ups:

India: Sachin, Sehwag, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni (c)(wk), Harbhajan, Ashwin, Chawla, Zaheer, Nehra.

West Indies: Gayle, Chanderpaul, Bravo, Sarwan, Pollard, Sammy (c), Thomas (wk), Russell, Benn, Bishoo, Roach.

Official-looking prediction: India to win with ease. High-scoring game. There will be 4 celebrities in the crowd.

TV in front of me, which seat should I take?

WC Preview: India vs South Africa

Friday, March 11, 2011 , , , , , No Comments

This is a big game. A huge game. A Game.

Obvious statements aside, both these potential champions haven't come even close to peaking, and have had the same problems that everyone expected them to have. For India, bowlers not named Zaheer continue to be unthreatening, and they only seem to field well when the heat is up to saunatic temperatures. [Note: two words in that sentence aren't in the dictionary.] South Africa's issues are sort of Oesophageal - that is a much more polite way of describing their woes than the phrase "the C-word", which can often mean something pretty offensive.

The Captains: Biff and Dhoni

The last time India played South Africa, the series ended in a 3-2 win for the latter, but India were without half the batting order and Zaheer Khan. Considering that and the fact that India are playing at home, clearly the advantage is with India South Africa no one. Most of the South Africans are familiar with the conditions, some more than the others. Amla, ABdV and Duminy are all in good form if you ignore their loss to England. 

India's batsmen have all scored runs too, they have needed to. This could be a massive run-fest, but of course that might depend on the pitch again. Plenty of stuff to watch out for in today's game: Biff vs Zak, Amla vs probability, Chawla vs Ashwin, Yusuf vs the ball, Harby vs failure, all Saffa batsmen vs pie-chucker.

My picks to succeed are Sehwag, Sachin and Kohli for India, and Kallis, Duminy and Steyn for South Africa. [those are completely random]

Ideal line-ups:

India: Sehwag, Sachin, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni (c)(wk), Pathan, Ashwin, Harbhajan, Zaheer, Munaf,

South Africa: Smith (c), Amla, Kallis, deVilliers, Duminy, du Plessis, van Wyk (wk), Botha, Steyn, Morkel, Tsotsobe.

Official-looking prediction: India to win a runfest comfortably. Or South Africa will just edge a low-scoring game.

WC Preview: India vs the Netherlands

Tuesday, March 08, 2011 , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

This will be India's last game against one of the minnows - unless, of course, one of them manages to qualify for the quarter-finals. So this is basically India's last chance to get their bowling attack right and fix any issues with the team, because every game after this is a big one, starting with South Africa on Saturday.

The captains: Borren and Dhoni
Now the Netherlands scored 290+ against England, which may make you think that they could score more against our worse attack, but it's not the same case. It's possible, and it will entirely on Ryan ten Doeschate, Tom Cooper and Bas Zuiderent, but India's part-timers should have good control over this. I say part-timers because the frontline spinners have been the opposite of spectacular. I don't know what the word is, but I believe the Swahili term is "crap".

Chawla bowled some great variations against England and Ireland, mixing up the bad balls with terrible balls quite well. So he should keep his spot. But again, I wouldn't be surprised to see Ashwin, Nehra or Agarkar in the line-up either. Dhoni's keeping everyone guessing by playing his cards close to his barrel.

As for the batting, Sehwag might want to bat 50 overs again, though I don't think he will. I sense big innings from Gambhir and Kohli, with attacking contributions from the lower middle order. You'd better believe it - my predictions tend to be right when I don't watch the game.

Ideal line ups (for me):

India: Sehwag, Sachin, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni (c)(wk), Pathan, Chawla, Harbhajan, Zaheer, Nehra.

Netherlands: Kervezee, Barresi (wk), Cooper, Zuiderent, ten Doeschate, de Grooth, Borren (c), Bukhari, Seelaar, Loots, Westdijk.

Official-looking prediction: India will crush them. Or not. But probably.

PS. Chawla has been a disaster.

WC Preview: India vs Ireland

Saturday, March 05, 2011 , , , , , , , , No Comments

Two weeks ago, if you had said that the India-Ireland game might be an even, thrilling encounter, people would have assumed that you were either insane, or you were taking whatever Charlie Sheen was taking.

"I'm tellin' ya. Those O'Briens have tiger blood and Adonis DNA."
Of course, that doesn't seem as crazy now, since Ireland chased 328 against the same team that almost chased 338 against India. Now I don't really think this will be a huge problem for India, but I'm not ruling out an upset just because it's unlikely that lightning will strike the same place twice. It's just that India's bowlers are the type that hold lightning rods up to the sky. And my weak analogy is complete.

Anyway, KOB might have played a one-in-a-lifetime innings, but there are plenty of other capable fellas in that team, like Porterfield, Joyce and Niall O'Brien. It's got to be their batting, because these bowlers could be made to look like toys by the Indian batsmen. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to watch that, but now part of me wants Ireland to make it too. Dockrell could well be a star in the making, but tell that to Sehwag.

This game is also being played in Bangalore, land of thrilling encounters (based on one game). India will want to address their bowling issues - Chawla went for plenty against England and Munaf wasn't great either. Nehra might get a look-in at Munaf's expense, while I think Chawla should be persisted with. I wouldn't be surprised, however, to see Ashwin playing. Or even both Munaf and Nehra. I've no clue. The rest of the Indian order and the Irish team should be unchanged.

Ideal line-ups (for me):

India: Sehwag, Sachin, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni (c)(wk), Yusuf, Chawla, Harbhajan, Zaheer, Nehra.

Ireland: Kevin O'Brien (x11).

No, I'm kidding. But that would be fun.

Ireland: Porterfield (c), Stirling, Joyce, N O'Brien (wk), K O'Brien, Cusack, Botha, Mooney, Johnston, Dockrell, Rankin.

Official-looking prediction: India to have moments of unease, but win easily in the end. Not as high-scoring as you'd think.

Who are India's missing pieces?

Wednesday, March 02, 2011 , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments


As the Irish cricketers closed in on a remarkable upset at Bangalore, one group of cricketers would have sat in their hotel rooms, watching the game with a mixture of glee and trepidation. For the Indian team, it must have been rewarding to see a team who had the gall to almost pull off a record chase against them the other night, go down against their traditional sporting rivals in another record chase. At the same time, the Indian bowling attack is no better than England’s right now. If the bowlers don’t get their act together in time, the likes of Joyce, Stirling, Mooney and the O’Brien brothers will feast on the offerings and give their team a chance to cause the biggest upset at all.

To avoid England’s ignominy, India will have to first figure out whether they need to play 4 or 5 specialist bowlers. Personally, I would hate to drop any of the batsmen given the form they are in; and it is not like 5 bowlers will guarantee success anyway. India’s 5th bowler options are not too bad; If Yuvraj, Pathan and Sehwag can bowl 10 overs among themselves and concede close to 50-55 runs while taking a couple of wickets, they have done their job. It is better to pick 4 of our best bowlers and form a bowling game plan around them. Of course, it is not ideal, but Dhoni will just have to make the most with the resources he’s got.
Even then, India have no idea who their best 4 bowlers are. Sreesanth might have just bowled himself out of future games after a horror game against Bangladesh, while Zaheer and Harbhajan will remain as the only first picks in the bowling line up. It leaves Munaf, Nehra, Chawla and Ashwin battling for the remaining two spots.

Munaf Patel has done a decent job in ODIs recently. He helped India to a thrilling one run victory in South Africa, and in the game against Bangladesh pulled things back a bit after Sreesanth’s opening spell. Against England though, he showed why it is a risk to trust him as your 2nd choice pacer. On flat wickets (which are the norm in this tournament) and against superior batsmen, he will be exposed for the moderately talented bowler that he is. After the way KOB feasted on the likes of Broad, Bresnan and Anderson, Munaf could turn out to be dessert for the Irish batsmen.

Ashish Nehra, on the other hand, has more pace while possessing a canny mind. He has been off the boil, in the last few series; but there is nothing like a World Cup to motivate a sportsman. He should know. He burst into national consciousness on a Durban night, when he decimated the English batsmen in a canny display of pace and swing. Of course, the conditions are different and his form is not the same; still, he would be a better choice than Munaf and Sreesanth. For bonus skills, he can strike a four in the last over of a close game to win the match!

Piyush Chawla has had a good return to the team. A surprise pick initially in the squad, he has gone on to become Dhoni’s preferred second spinner. He troubled Australia in friendly conditions in a warm-up, but when he came on to bowl on a flatter pitch with a big total to defend against England, he didn’t do much to inspire confidence. He did pick Trott’s wicket which was a big one, but subsequently did not trouble the rest and his final expensive over put paid to any hopes of a miraculous Indian win. Of course, it is harsh to drop him based on one game, but he needs to be consistent to warrant a fixed place in the team.

Ravichandran Ashwin is the least likely to get a look in, atleast for the next few games; but Dhoni will do well to remember that Ashwin has rarely let his team down when he has been called on. Seeing the way Ireland demolished the English bowling in the Power Play, it might not be a bad idea to bring Ashwin, who has become somewhat of a Power-play specialist. He can bat as well as Chawla too.

So, my choices for the game against Ireland would be Zaheer-Nehra-Harbhajan-Chawla. If that doesn’t enthuse the skipper, he might as well take a page out of South Africa’s book and play 3 spinners in Harbhajan, Chawla and Ashwin!

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.

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.

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)

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.