ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 : Fever Starts
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World Cup 2011: Top Four Contenders
On the 19th of February 2011, the most awaited spectacle of the cricketing calendar will kick-off. Co-hosts, India and Bangladesh will face each other in the opening encounter of the World Cup that will see one team being crowned as the Champions of the World. This is the third time the World Cup is being played in the Indian subcontinent after 1987 and 1996. As many as 15 teams will try to dethrone the Aussies, who have won three successive World Cups since 1999. In the previous two editions, in 2003 and 2007, the Aussies put up dominating performances and took the title without losing even a single match. However, things should not be that easy this time around. A number of key members of the side that dominated world cricket for a large part of the past decade like Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist have retired and the Aussies are no longer the world beating side that intimidated teams around the world. Also, teams like India and South Africa have progressed rapidly over the past four years or so and they will surely not be going down without a fight. Here in this piece, we look at four of the major pre-tournament favourites to lift the coveted trophy.
India
This will probably be Sachin Tendulkar's (top) last World Cup and Mahendra Singh Dhoni's (bottom) men would love to win the Cup for him
India has historically been a difficult side to play at home. Even the best in the business have found it difficult to get going in India. And to make things worse for the opponents, the current Indian side is one of the best ever to have represented the country. In Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India has a clever tactician who has the ability to stay calm under pressure. Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag make up one of the most dangerous opening combinations ever in the history of ODI cricket. Sachin is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, to have ever played the game and has almost every record to his name. Sehwag, meanwhile, is a destructive force and on his day, he can take any attack apart. The World Cup is the only trophy missing from the cabinet of Tendulkar and considering the fact that this might be his last world cup, the entire team will be giving it all to try and win it for him. Senior pro Yuvraj Singh has had a difficult 18 months or so with the bat, but he showed glimpses of getting back his touch in the recently concluded ODI series in South Africa. Virat Kohli has in the past year or so emerged as a batsman capable of adapting to any situation. Dhoni himself too is the kind of batsman who can play anywhere in the middle order and can mould his game depending upon what the team and the situation demands. Indias most probable number 7, Yusuf Pathan has been in devastating form in the past few months and if he gets going, no ground in the world is big enough to confine him. The experience of Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh is a big positive in the bowling department. Zaheers fitness has been an issue, but he seems to be in good shape at present and the entire country will be hoping that the injuries stay away so that Zaheer can concentrate on his game. In Praveen Kumar, Dhoni has a very handy new ball bowler who can swing the ball both ways. Ashish Nehra has in the past few years developed into an ODI specialist. He is quite good at bowling yorkers and in home conditions, he will be expected to deliver on a consistent basis. In the fielding department, India has improved drastically in the past decade or so. With the home crowd behind them, cheering every run and every wicket, the Indian team is without doubt hot favourites to win the World Cup.
Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain, wk), Virender Sehwag (vice-captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Piyush Chawla
South Africa
South Africa's in-form batsmen, Hashim Amla (top) and AB de Villiers (bottom), will have a big role to play if the Proteas want to win their first World Cup
South Africa played their first World Cup in 1992. In every edition the Proteas have featured in, they have had squads capable of winning the Cup, but somehow they have faltered and they are yet to even reach a World Cup final, let alone winning one. Graeme Smith will hope that this time around his team can get rid of the tag of chokers. Opener Hashim Amla was the best ODI batsman in the world in 2010. If South Africa are to win the Cup, Amla will have a big role to play. Another South African who has had an excellent last 12 months is AB de Villiers. de Villiers can play both brands of cricket-defensive and offensive. He is quick on his feet too, an attribute that is bound to prove handy against the spinners in the subcontinent. Jacques Kallis is another legendary figure who is yet to win a World Cup. In all probability, this will be his last shot at it and he will definitely want to make the most of it. Jean Paul Duminy has slowly become into a very handy lower order batsman for the Proteas. There were a few concerns about his form a month or so ago, but he got a couple of good knocks under his belt in the recently concluded home series against India to drive away all fears. South Africas bowling attack too looks quite formidable on paper. In Dale Steyn, they have the best pacer in world cricket at this moment. His new ball partner will in all probability will be the left-armer, Lonwabo Tsotsobe who was a bit shaky at the start of his career, but has looked more at home with each passing day. Morne Morkel, South Africas third pacer is a tall fellow who can extract more bounce than most other bowlers on any wicket. To go with the bounce, he also has an average speed in excess of 140 kmph and he can be an extremely uncomfortable customer for even the best of batsmen. South Africa have the experienced Johan Botha as their lead spinner. They also have a fresh face, Imran Tahir in the spin department who is yet to make his debut. His domestic record is impressive and provided the opportunity he will surely try his best to make an impact at the biggest stage of them all. The Proteas pride themselves as a top-fielding side and the likes of Duminy and de Villiers have helped them in maintaining that reputation. A number of South Africans have been involved in the Indian Premier League, an experience that might prove to be handy.
Squad: Graeme Smith (captain), Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (wk), Jean Paul Duminy, Colin Ingram, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Wayne Parnell, Johan Botha, Robin Petersen, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Morne van Wyk (wk)
Australia
Shane Watson (top) will be skipper Ricky Ponting 's (bottom) primary weapon in the World Cup
Australia may not be the same side that they were in 2007 or even 2003, but the fact is that there is enough talent in the squad to clinch their fourth successive World Cup. Skipper Ricky Ponting, who has been widely criticised for losing the Ashes at home, will be desperate to win back some of his fans who might have gone astray and what better way can there possibly be than a World Cup triumph. Shane Watson at the top of the order is the key man for Australia. His form has been excellent in the past couple of years and his captain will expect him to continue getting those runs. The fact that Watson can bowl is a huge plus. Ponting and his deputy, Michael Clarke at number 3 and 4 respectively have all the experience in the world they will be expected to lead the team by example. Michael Hussey has struggled a bit with his form in test matches but he was back to his best in the Ashes. His ODI form too has been good quite good in the recent past. Hussey is a very busy player and he is someone Australia can count on to bail the team out of difficult situations. Lower down the order, Australia have a dangerous hitter in Cameron White who can turn a match upside down in a matter of minutes. A batsman like White is an asset for any team and the Aussies are fortunate to have him. Australias pace attack is probably the best in world cricket at this moment. Each of Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Doug Bollinger and Shaun Tait can bowl at speeds over 140 kmph on a consistent basis, a frightening prospect for any batting line-up. Brett Lee hasnt played much international cricket of late, but he has improved steadily in the ODI series against England and Australia will hope that he is at his peak for the World Cup, both in terms of form and fitness. The only major area of concern for Ponting is the spin department. Australia do have Nathan Hauritz and Steven Smith in the squad, but neither of them can possibly be classified as a world-class spinner and that might prove to be a drawback on sub-continental wickets where the ball is expected to grip and turn. The Aussies have traditionally been a top fielding side and they will be expected to maintain the high standards they have set for themselves over the years.
Squad: Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke (vice-captain), Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Michael Hussey, Cameron White, David Hussey, John Hastings, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Doug Bollinger, Shaun Tait, Nathan Hauritz, Steven Smith, Tim Paine (wk)
Sri Lanka
Kumar Sangakkara(top left), Mahela Jayawardene (top right) and Muttiah Muralitharan (bottom) are experienced campaigners who can turn thing around in Sri Lanka's favour
The last time the World Cup was held in the Indian sub-continent, it was Sri Lanka who went on to win it and theres no reason to believe that Kumar Sangakkaras boys cannot do what Arjuna Ranatungas boys did in 1996. The biggest plus for the Lankans is the experience they have, especially in the batting department. Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene at number 3 and 4 is probably the best possible combination a team can have. They have an excellent understanding themselves and have won numerous matches for their team. Tillakaratane Dilshan will have to take the responsibility of giving his team brisk starts in the powerplay. Dilshan has been prolific ever since his promotion to the top of the order. He is not afraid to play his shots and a good start from him will be the perfect platform for the men to follow. Angelo Mathews has in about two years made himself as an indispensable part of the Lankan side. His temperament is good and his ability to read and judge situations is quite outstanding. He has starred in a number of rescue operations for Sri Lanka and is a proven match-winner. Besides being a good batsman, he is also a useful medium pacer. Sri Lanka have a potent new ball combination of Nuwan Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga. Kulasekara is someone who thrives on accuracy. His impeccable line and length has made him a premier ODI bowler. Malinga is probably the best death overs bowler in world cricket at present. He is one of the very few bowlers who can bowl the yorker at will. He also possesses an equally lethal bouncer and all that come at almost 90 mph. Add to that a well disguised slower delivery and you have all the ingredients of a world-class fast bowler needs. As far as spin is concerned, there cannot possibly be anyone better than the smiling assassin, Muttiah Muralitharan. Murali is the sole member of the squad who was also part of the 1996 World Cup winning squad. He knows what it needs to win the Cup. He knows how it feels to hold that trophy aloft. Murali has retired from test cricket, but the passion and the desire to touch that trophy has forced him to go for one last hurrah. Murali has already announced that this World Cup will be his last international assignment and one can be rest assured that he will put everything on line to win his second World Cup.
Squad: Kumar Sangakkara (captain, wk), Mahela Jayawardene (vice-captain), Tillakaratane Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath
On the 19th of February 2011, the most awaited spectacle of the cricketing calendar will kick-off. Co-hosts, India and Bangladesh will face each other in the opening encounter of the World Cup that will see one team being crowned as the Champions of the World. This is the third time the World Cup is being played in the Indian subcontinent after 1987 and 1996. As many as 15 teams will try to dethrone the Aussies, who have won three successive World Cups since 1999. In the previous two editions, in 2003 and 2007, the Aussies put up dominating performances and took the title without losing even a single match. However, things should not be that easy this time around. A number of key members of the side that dominated world cricket for a large part of the past decade like Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist have retired and the Aussies are no longer the world beating side that intimidated teams around the world. Also, teams like India and South Africa have progressed rapidly over the past four years or so and they will surely not be going down without a fight. Here in this piece, we look at four of the major pre-tournament favourites to lift the coveted trophy.
India
This will probably be Sachin Tendulkar's (top) last World Cup and Mahendra Singh Dhoni's (bottom) men would love to win the Cup for him
India has historically been a difficult side to play at home. Even the best in the business have found it difficult to get going in India. And to make things worse for the opponents, the current Indian side is one of the best ever to have represented the country. In Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India has a clever tactician who has the ability to stay calm under pressure. Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag make up one of the most dangerous opening combinations ever in the history of ODI cricket. Sachin is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, to have ever played the game and has almost every record to his name. Sehwag, meanwhile, is a destructive force and on his day, he can take any attack apart. The World Cup is the only trophy missing from the cabinet of Tendulkar and considering the fact that this might be his last world cup, the entire team will be giving it all to try and win it for him. Senior pro Yuvraj Singh has had a difficult 18 months or so with the bat, but he showed glimpses of getting back his touch in the recently concluded ODI series in South Africa. Virat Kohli has in the past year or so emerged as a batsman capable of adapting to any situation. Dhoni himself too is the kind of batsman who can play anywhere in the middle order and can mould his game depending upon what the team and the situation demands. Indias most probable number 7, Yusuf Pathan has been in devastating form in the past few months and if he gets going, no ground in the world is big enough to confine him. The experience of Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh is a big positive in the bowling department. Zaheers fitness has been an issue, but he seems to be in good shape at present and the entire country will be hoping that the injuries stay away so that Zaheer can concentrate on his game. In Praveen Kumar, Dhoni has a very handy new ball bowler who can swing the ball both ways. Ashish Nehra has in the past few years developed into an ODI specialist. He is quite good at bowling yorkers and in home conditions, he will be expected to deliver on a consistent basis. In the fielding department, India has improved drastically in the past decade or so. With the home crowd behind them, cheering every run and every wicket, the Indian team is without doubt hot favourites to win the World Cup.
Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain, wk), Virender Sehwag (vice-captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Piyush Chawla
South Africa
South Africa's in-form batsmen, Hashim Amla (top) and AB de Villiers (bottom), will have a big role to play if the Proteas want to win their first World Cup
South Africa played their first World Cup in 1992. In every edition the Proteas have featured in, they have had squads capable of winning the Cup, but somehow they have faltered and they are yet to even reach a World Cup final, let alone winning one. Graeme Smith will hope that this time around his team can get rid of the tag of chokers. Opener Hashim Amla was the best ODI batsman in the world in 2010. If South Africa are to win the Cup, Amla will have a big role to play. Another South African who has had an excellent last 12 months is AB de Villiers. de Villiers can play both brands of cricket-defensive and offensive. He is quick on his feet too, an attribute that is bound to prove handy against the spinners in the subcontinent. Jacques Kallis is another legendary figure who is yet to win a World Cup. In all probability, this will be his last shot at it and he will definitely want to make the most of it. Jean Paul Duminy has slowly become into a very handy lower order batsman for the Proteas. There were a few concerns about his form a month or so ago, but he got a couple of good knocks under his belt in the recently concluded home series against India to drive away all fears. South Africas bowling attack too looks quite formidable on paper. In Dale Steyn, they have the best pacer in world cricket at this moment. His new ball partner will in all probability will be the left-armer, Lonwabo Tsotsobe who was a bit shaky at the start of his career, but has looked more at home with each passing day. Morne Morkel, South Africas third pacer is a tall fellow who can extract more bounce than most other bowlers on any wicket. To go with the bounce, he also has an average speed in excess of 140 kmph and he can be an extremely uncomfortable customer for even the best of batsmen. South Africa have the experienced Johan Botha as their lead spinner. They also have a fresh face, Imran Tahir in the spin department who is yet to make his debut. His domestic record is impressive and provided the opportunity he will surely try his best to make an impact at the biggest stage of them all. The Proteas pride themselves as a top-fielding side and the likes of Duminy and de Villiers have helped them in maintaining that reputation. A number of South Africans have been involved in the Indian Premier League, an experience that might prove to be handy.
Squad: Graeme Smith (captain), Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (wk), Jean Paul Duminy, Colin Ingram, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Wayne Parnell, Johan Botha, Robin Petersen, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Morne van Wyk (wk)
Australia
Shane Watson (top) will be skipper Ricky Ponting 's (bottom) primary weapon in the World Cup
Australia may not be the same side that they were in 2007 or even 2003, but the fact is that there is enough talent in the squad to clinch their fourth successive World Cup. Skipper Ricky Ponting, who has been widely criticised for losing the Ashes at home, will be desperate to win back some of his fans who might have gone astray and what better way can there possibly be than a World Cup triumph. Shane Watson at the top of the order is the key man for Australia. His form has been excellent in the past couple of years and his captain will expect him to continue getting those runs. The fact that Watson can bowl is a huge plus. Ponting and his deputy, Michael Clarke at number 3 and 4 respectively have all the experience in the world they will be expected to lead the team by example. Michael Hussey has struggled a bit with his form in test matches but he was back to his best in the Ashes. His ODI form too has been good quite good in the recent past. Hussey is a very busy player and he is someone Australia can count on to bail the team out of difficult situations. Lower down the order, Australia have a dangerous hitter in Cameron White who can turn a match upside down in a matter of minutes. A batsman like White is an asset for any team and the Aussies are fortunate to have him. Australias pace attack is probably the best in world cricket at this moment. Each of Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Doug Bollinger and Shaun Tait can bowl at speeds over 140 kmph on a consistent basis, a frightening prospect for any batting line-up. Brett Lee hasnt played much international cricket of late, but he has improved steadily in the ODI series against England and Australia will hope that he is at his peak for the World Cup, both in terms of form and fitness. The only major area of concern for Ponting is the spin department. Australia do have Nathan Hauritz and Steven Smith in the squad, but neither of them can possibly be classified as a world-class spinner and that might prove to be a drawback on sub-continental wickets where the ball is expected to grip and turn. The Aussies have traditionally been a top fielding side and they will be expected to maintain the high standards they have set for themselves over the years.
Squad: Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke (vice-captain), Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Michael Hussey, Cameron White, David Hussey, John Hastings, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Doug Bollinger, Shaun Tait, Nathan Hauritz, Steven Smith, Tim Paine (wk)
Sri Lanka
Kumar Sangakkara(top left), Mahela Jayawardene (top right) and Muttiah Muralitharan (bottom) are experienced campaigners who can turn thing around in Sri Lanka's favour
The last time the World Cup was held in the Indian sub-continent, it was Sri Lanka who went on to win it and theres no reason to believe that Kumar Sangakkaras boys cannot do what Arjuna Ranatungas boys did in 1996. The biggest plus for the Lankans is the experience they have, especially in the batting department. Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene at number 3 and 4 is probably the best possible combination a team can have. They have an excellent understanding themselves and have won numerous matches for their team. Tillakaratane Dilshan will have to take the responsibility of giving his team brisk starts in the powerplay. Dilshan has been prolific ever since his promotion to the top of the order. He is not afraid to play his shots and a good start from him will be the perfect platform for the men to follow. Angelo Mathews has in about two years made himself as an indispensable part of the Lankan side. His temperament is good and his ability to read and judge situations is quite outstanding. He has starred in a number of rescue operations for Sri Lanka and is a proven match-winner. Besides being a good batsman, he is also a useful medium pacer. Sri Lanka have a potent new ball combination of Nuwan Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga. Kulasekara is someone who thrives on accuracy. His impeccable line and length has made him a premier ODI bowler. Malinga is probably the best death overs bowler in world cricket at present. He is one of the very few bowlers who can bowl the yorker at will. He also possesses an equally lethal bouncer and all that come at almost 90 mph. Add to that a well disguised slower delivery and you have all the ingredients of a world-class fast bowler needs. As far as spin is concerned, there cannot possibly be anyone better than the smiling assassin, Muttiah Muralitharan. Murali is the sole member of the squad who was also part of the 1996 World Cup winning squad. He knows what it needs to win the Cup. He knows how it feels to hold that trophy aloft. Murali has retired from test cricket, but the passion and the desire to touch that trophy has forced him to go for one last hurrah. Murali has already announced that this World Cup will be his last international assignment and one can be rest assured that he will put everything on line to win his second World Cup.
Squad: Kumar Sangakkara (captain, wk), Mahela Jayawardene (vice-captain), Tillakaratane Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath
Ammyy
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Really a great logic
How told you that its compulsory to watch whole match ???
i know nothing about cricket and dont watch it, you tell me.
Ammyy
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No problem ....
Those who like cricket will definitely watch WC
But i think i am not able to understand you comment
But i think i am not able to understand you comment
because it takes the whole day for a cricket match.
Ammyy
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ODI Cricket World Cup 2011 Preview: Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka will fancy their chances. I mean, who doesnt? The islanders, though, are a good side with a mostly settled line-up. They already have three of the worlds best bowlers, three top batsmen, one superb all-rounder. Add to that their agility in the field, put them on subcontinental pitches, and you have strong contenders for the title.
Tillakaratne Dilshan has been around for a while, but this will be his first World Cup since he started fulfilling his potential as a top-order marauder. He will provide many attacking starts, and get out trying the Dilscoop at least once.
Upul Tharanga will be a good foil for Dilshan initially. Then he will realize that he is still trying to fill Jayasuriyas boots, and will fizzle out as the WC progresses.
Kumar Sangakarra cant not score. Its in his contract. With the devil. Which he typed out. With his blood. Which is partly ice.
Mahela Jayawardene might be playing his last World Cup, and if he plays freely and positively, he will score plenty. If not, we can all make fun of his name.
Chamara Kapugedera: theres failure written all over his face. He managed to Photoshop it out, but its really there. His place is far from guaranteed.
Angelo Mathews will be the best all-rounder in the World Cup, but no one will remember a single innings or bowling spell.
Thissara Perera, when he gets a chance, will fail with the bat unless he is playing India. His bowling works the other way round.
Nuwan Kulasekara is equal to Praveen Kumar. Make him bowl as many overs as possible at the start or middle of the innings and he swill swing it. Avoid at the death.
Sri Lanka will fancy their chances. I mean, who doesnt? The islanders, though, are a good side with a mostly settled line-up. They already have three of the worlds best bowlers, three top batsmen, one superb all-rounder. Add to that their agility in the field, put them on subcontinental pitches, and you have strong contenders for the title.
Tillakaratne Dilshan has been around for a while, but this will be his first World Cup since he started fulfilling his potential as a top-order marauder. He will provide many attacking starts, and get out trying the Dilscoop at least once.
Upul Tharanga will be a good foil for Dilshan initially. Then he will realize that he is still trying to fill Jayasuriyas boots, and will fizzle out as the WC progresses.
Kumar Sangakarra cant not score. Its in his contract. With the devil. Which he typed out. With his blood. Which is partly ice.
Mahela Jayawardene might be playing his last World Cup, and if he plays freely and positively, he will score plenty. If not, we can all make fun of his name.
Chamara Kapugedera: theres failure written all over his face. He managed to Photoshop it out, but its really there. His place is far from guaranteed.
Angelo Mathews will be the best all-rounder in the World Cup, but no one will remember a single innings or bowling spell.
Thissara Perera, when he gets a chance, will fail with the bat unless he is playing India. His bowling works the other way round.
Nuwan Kulasekara is equal to Praveen Kumar. Make him bowl as many overs as possible at the start or middle of the innings and he swill swing it. Avoid at the death.
Ammyy
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Muttiah Muralitharan will obviously want to end his career with a bang (or a trophy, whatever works). He will have good control over the runs, but may struggle to take wickets. Proof? Look, his grin looks toned down.
Lasith Malinga will not take 4 wickets in 4 balls, but a hat-trick is always a possibility at the death. His hair will be different come February 19th.
Ajantha Mendis will continue to struggle to make a big impact, and may be dropped for a game or two. Hell return after inventing a ball that can pull out a tranquilizer gun.
Thilan Samaraweera shouldnt really be here, he isnt a one-day batsman. He will have one grafty innings against Zimbabwe and another dogged one against Pakistan, but he could be the one to make way when they decide Perera must play. Hey, that rhymed.
Rangana Herath will play when Mendis is dropped. He will do slightly better and go unnoticed.
Dilhara Fernando: Why does he never go away? Theyre just going to hope he isnt appalling.
Chamara Silva: Refer to Chamara Kapugedera.
Official-looking prediction: Semi-finals. They can certainly win it, but the contributions of the Chamaras or Samaraweera will be crucial if they are to do so. Team game after all.
Ammyy
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I know that ...........
But in my office we take permission from admin for LCD screen during WC ..
Ammyy
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Pakistan : ODI Cricket World Cup 2011 Preview:
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 didnt 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 havent seen him bat on a slow pitch, though, so there is that window for failure. Id 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 wont change. His bowling wont be that effective, but just watch out when Pakistan needs 65765 from 3 balls.
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 didnt 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 havent seen him bat on a slow pitch, though, so there is that window for failure. Id 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 wont change. His bowling wont be that effective, but just watch out when Pakistan needs 65765 from 3 balls.
Ammyy
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Pakistan : ODI Cricket World Cup 2011 Preview:
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 isnt one to restrict the flow of runs between overs 1-35. He is known as a splendid death bowler, and thats the way it should stay.
Saeed Ajmal has been kept under wraps recently, which is a little weird since hes 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 hell miss out since he isnt a wicket-taking bowler. He needs to take a new picture, one that doesnt make you feel like hes about to stalk you. Yeah, didnt know what else to say about him.
Asad Shafiq won the lottery to be in this squad. Its probably the spot that would have gone to Malik or Yousuf otherwise. Im not sure what this guy does apparently hes 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 hes the bowler everyone goes after. Hes 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 Zealands.
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 isnt one to restrict the flow of runs between overs 1-35. He is known as a splendid death bowler, and thats the way it should stay.
Saeed Ajmal has been kept under wraps recently, which is a little weird since hes 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 hell miss out since he isnt a wicket-taking bowler. He needs to take a new picture, one that doesnt make you feel like hes about to stalk you. Yeah, didnt know what else to say about him.
Asad Shafiq won the lottery to be in this squad. Its probably the spot that would have gone to Malik or Yousuf otherwise. Im not sure what this guy does apparently hes 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 hes the bowler everyone goes after. Hes 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 Zealands.
Ammyy
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Infatuated Aussies bought copies of Sachin's bat: Hayden
NEW DELHI: "Bat-obsessed" Australian cricketers were so infatuated with Sachin Tendulkar's 1998 blade which gave Shane Warne nightmares that they bought the copies of the willow to produce its versions Down Under, former opener Matthew Hayden has revealed.
In his autobiography 'Standing My Ground', Hayden writes that Australians "have massive love affairs with their bats" and a special version of Tendulkar's 1998 blade was manufactured at a Brisbane factory.
"In 1998, the Australian team that was crucified in India by Sachin Tendulkar became so infatuated with the little master that at least eight of them brought back copies of his famous Vampire bat, and Brisbane firm Gabba Sporting Products even produced a special version of it," Hayden, who retired from international cricket in 2009, wrote.
"Tendulkar's extremely heavy bats were way too heavy for me. In fact, they may have even been too heavy for Tendulkar too. For a time during his career he suffered from an acute case of tennis elbow, and it was widely thought his heavy bats were partially to blame," he said.
Hayden also revealed his team-mates' obsession with their blades, calling Ricky Ponting a "bat sabotager" always trying to test others' willows while Mike Hussey "always travels with a set of scales to get the weight of his bat right".
The broad-shouldered opener, who scored 8625 runs from 103 Tests, claimed that he has "never been a bat aficionado" but ended up using the unconventional Mongoose bat while playing for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.
"I have never seen a brand catch fire like that. Indians are not known for embracing left-field experiments. The Mongoose caused enormous interest among my teammates. Everyone picked it up and played with it and were all eyes when I trained with it in the nets.
"Our Chennai captain MS Dhoni was mortified when he first set his eyes on that Mongoose. 'Are you going to use that?' he asked me, and when I told him I didn't know, he said, 'I'll give you any bat in my bag not to use it.' When I first pulled it out for a game in IPL I could sense the knives sharpening.
"When I was approached by the Mongoose firm while commentating in England in the 2009 Ashes series, I was open to the idea of using a differently shaped bat. I must admit I felt a bit anxious, because if I failed, the brand could go down with me. I've always thought Twenty20 cricket was about entertainment, and that there was room for experiment in many areas of cricket gear, bats included."
Recalling the acrimonious 'Monkeygate' row between the Indians and Australians during the Sydney Test in January 2008, Hayden said he "overheard spinner Harbhajan Singh calling Symo ( Andrew Symonds) 'Monkey'."
"Symo was taunted by chants of 'Monkey' throughout the 2007 tour of India, and the 'Monkeygate' affair had a lasting effect on him. Harbhajan was fined 50 per cent of his match fee for using abusive language (after an appeal by BCCI which was heard by ICC Appeals' Commissioner John Hansen).
"Hansen later admitted that if he had known about Harbhajan's other misdemeanours - including a suspended one-Test ban - he may have considered a more severe penalty. The verdict was a sobering jolt to us all. The whole affair was very regrettable and remains a weighty chapter in the development of both countries," Hayden wrote.
"India is the most important cricket market on planet, and the truth of the situation was that both countries understood that anything that would adversely affect their relationship was unacceptable, from a business point of view," he said about the row that had threatened to snowball into a major crisis.
Hayden had no inhibition in terming India the centre of world cricket, its manifestation, according to him, being the cash-rich Indian Premier League.
"An inescapable fact about world cricket: Australia cannot thrive without India, but India does not need us to the same degree. The IPL is the future and the master of Twenty20 cricket. There may be other leagues, but I believe the IPL will always be superior.
"The IPL was hastily organised as a response to the rebel Indian Cricket League, but from the start its plans were shamelessly ambitious. Marquee players, massive sponsorships, the world's top players lured by more money than they had ever dreamed of ... Cricket would never be the same," he wrote.
Hayden was, however, puzzled on why he and Ricky Ponting were bought at lesser amount of money than a Cameron White in the first IPL auction.
"I went for USD 3,50,000 and Ricky went for USD 4,00,000 ... it was certainly under the odds when you consider Cameron White went for USD 5,000,000, and other players who'd done far less went for a lot more," he said.
Hayden was all praise for Lalit Modi for making the tournament a brand though he steered clear of controversies surrounding the sacking of the former IPL chairman just after the third season.
"The shocking postscript to the tournament was the suspension of the man who was the face and force of the IPL: Lalit Modi.
"I know nothing of these activities (charges against Modi). But what I can say is that he had incredible drive. He reminded me of Kerry Packer in that he was brave enough to see that the game had to be ushered into a new era, and bold enough to do it," he wrote.
He claimed that screening live of IPL games in Indian theatres was mainly due to Sachin Tendulkar.
"He (Tendulkar) bought the first ticket which was later auctioned off and raised several thousand dollars for charity," Hayden wrote.
NEW DELHI: "Bat-obsessed" Australian cricketers were so infatuated with Sachin Tendulkar's 1998 blade which gave Shane Warne nightmares that they bought the copies of the willow to produce its versions Down Under, former opener Matthew Hayden has revealed.
In his autobiography 'Standing My Ground', Hayden writes that Australians "have massive love affairs with their bats" and a special version of Tendulkar's 1998 blade was manufactured at a Brisbane factory.
"In 1998, the Australian team that was crucified in India by Sachin Tendulkar became so infatuated with the little master that at least eight of them brought back copies of his famous Vampire bat, and Brisbane firm Gabba Sporting Products even produced a special version of it," Hayden, who retired from international cricket in 2009, wrote.
"Tendulkar's extremely heavy bats were way too heavy for me. In fact, they may have even been too heavy for Tendulkar too. For a time during his career he suffered from an acute case of tennis elbow, and it was widely thought his heavy bats were partially to blame," he said.
Hayden also revealed his team-mates' obsession with their blades, calling Ricky Ponting a "bat sabotager" always trying to test others' willows while Mike Hussey "always travels with a set of scales to get the weight of his bat right".
The broad-shouldered opener, who scored 8625 runs from 103 Tests, claimed that he has "never been a bat aficionado" but ended up using the unconventional Mongoose bat while playing for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.
"I have never seen a brand catch fire like that. Indians are not known for embracing left-field experiments. The Mongoose caused enormous interest among my teammates. Everyone picked it up and played with it and were all eyes when I trained with it in the nets.
"Our Chennai captain MS Dhoni was mortified when he first set his eyes on that Mongoose. 'Are you going to use that?' he asked me, and when I told him I didn't know, he said, 'I'll give you any bat in my bag not to use it.' When I first pulled it out for a game in IPL I could sense the knives sharpening.
"When I was approached by the Mongoose firm while commentating in England in the 2009 Ashes series, I was open to the idea of using a differently shaped bat. I must admit I felt a bit anxious, because if I failed, the brand could go down with me. I've always thought Twenty20 cricket was about entertainment, and that there was room for experiment in many areas of cricket gear, bats included."
Recalling the acrimonious 'Monkeygate' row between the Indians and Australians during the Sydney Test in January 2008, Hayden said he "overheard spinner Harbhajan Singh calling Symo ( Andrew Symonds) 'Monkey'."
"Symo was taunted by chants of 'Monkey' throughout the 2007 tour of India, and the 'Monkeygate' affair had a lasting effect on him. Harbhajan was fined 50 per cent of his match fee for using abusive language (after an appeal by BCCI which was heard by ICC Appeals' Commissioner John Hansen).
"Hansen later admitted that if he had known about Harbhajan's other misdemeanours - including a suspended one-Test ban - he may have considered a more severe penalty. The verdict was a sobering jolt to us all. The whole affair was very regrettable and remains a weighty chapter in the development of both countries," Hayden wrote.
"India is the most important cricket market on planet, and the truth of the situation was that both countries understood that anything that would adversely affect their relationship was unacceptable, from a business point of view," he said about the row that had threatened to snowball into a major crisis.
Hayden had no inhibition in terming India the centre of world cricket, its manifestation, according to him, being the cash-rich Indian Premier League.
"An inescapable fact about world cricket: Australia cannot thrive without India, but India does not need us to the same degree. The IPL is the future and the master of Twenty20 cricket. There may be other leagues, but I believe the IPL will always be superior.
"The IPL was hastily organised as a response to the rebel Indian Cricket League, but from the start its plans were shamelessly ambitious. Marquee players, massive sponsorships, the world's top players lured by more money than they had ever dreamed of ... Cricket would never be the same," he wrote.
Hayden was, however, puzzled on why he and Ricky Ponting were bought at lesser amount of money than a Cameron White in the first IPL auction.
"I went for USD 3,50,000 and Ricky went for USD 4,00,000 ... it was certainly under the odds when you consider Cameron White went for USD 5,000,000, and other players who'd done far less went for a lot more," he said.
Hayden was all praise for Lalit Modi for making the tournament a brand though he steered clear of controversies surrounding the sacking of the former IPL chairman just after the third season.
"The shocking postscript to the tournament was the suspension of the man who was the face and force of the IPL: Lalit Modi.
"I know nothing of these activities (charges against Modi). But what I can say is that he had incredible drive. He reminded me of Kerry Packer in that he was brave enough to see that the game had to be ushered into a new era, and bold enough to do it," he wrote.
He claimed that screening live of IPL games in Indian theatres was mainly due to Sachin Tendulkar.
"He (Tendulkar) bought the first ticket which was later auctioned off and raised several thousand dollars for charity," Hayden wrote.
Ammyy
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Hayden is the biggest chicken-hearted cricketer: Harbhajan
Read more at: Hayden is the biggest chicken-hearted cricketer: Harbhajan - CRICKETNDTV.com
Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh lashed out at Mathew Hayden terming him the "biggest chicken-hearted cricketer" he has ever seen and said the Australian's remarks against him for missing the Nagpur Test were "a lot of crap" to sell his book.
"I don't know what these Australian cricketers are up to? Even Ricky Ponting wrote a lot of crap to sell his book and now this guy Hayden is doing so," Harbhajan fumed while giving his reaction to PTI.
The former Australian opener in his autobiography "Standing My Ground" had said that erstwhile Indian captain Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan chickened out after having a look at the bouncy Nagpur strip during Australia's tour of 2004. He had even expressed his surprise in the manner in which Harbhajan had "food poisoning" on the eve of that Test which Australia won convincingly. (Read: Ganguly, Bhajji chickened out of Nagpur Test: Hayden)
"Who is Mathew Hayden to judge Harbhajan Singh's calibre. I don't know what he is smoking these days. Probably he was in some kind of trip when he wrote all that rubbish. Should I now give Hayden some money to keep quiet?"
If that wasn't enough, Harbhajan said that he is still willing to bowl if Hayden has the heart enough to face him. (Read: Hayden should behave like an international cricketer: Ganguly)
"This is an open challenge. Whenever and wherever Hayden wants me to bowl at him, I am ready. Does he have the courage to face me. Because, whenever I have seen him bat against me, he always had a petrified look. Just check the record books in case you want to know how many times I have got him out."
Referring to Hayden's term of "Greentrackitis", Harbhajan said, "I have scored half century even in Australian soil. May be Hayden has this habit of conviniently forgetting the achievements of Indian cricketers. At the end of the day, he doesn't have the qualification to judge the calibre of Indian cricketers."
Read more at: Hayden is the biggest chicken-hearted cricketer: Harbhajan - CRICKETNDTV.com
Read more at: Hayden is the biggest chicken-hearted cricketer: Harbhajan - CRICKETNDTV.com
Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh lashed out at Mathew Hayden terming him the "biggest chicken-hearted cricketer" he has ever seen and said the Australian's remarks against him for missing the Nagpur Test were "a lot of crap" to sell his book.
"I don't know what these Australian cricketers are up to? Even Ricky Ponting wrote a lot of crap to sell his book and now this guy Hayden is doing so," Harbhajan fumed while giving his reaction to PTI.
The former Australian opener in his autobiography "Standing My Ground" had said that erstwhile Indian captain Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan chickened out after having a look at the bouncy Nagpur strip during Australia's tour of 2004. He had even expressed his surprise in the manner in which Harbhajan had "food poisoning" on the eve of that Test which Australia won convincingly. (Read: Ganguly, Bhajji chickened out of Nagpur Test: Hayden)
"Who is Mathew Hayden to judge Harbhajan Singh's calibre. I don't know what he is smoking these days. Probably he was in some kind of trip when he wrote all that rubbish. Should I now give Hayden some money to keep quiet?"
If that wasn't enough, Harbhajan said that he is still willing to bowl if Hayden has the heart enough to face him. (Read: Hayden should behave like an international cricketer: Ganguly)
"This is an open challenge. Whenever and wherever Hayden wants me to bowl at him, I am ready. Does he have the courage to face me. Because, whenever I have seen him bat against me, he always had a petrified look. Just check the record books in case you want to know how many times I have got him out."
Referring to Hayden's term of "Greentrackitis", Harbhajan said, "I have scored half century even in Australian soil. May be Hayden has this habit of conviniently forgetting the achievements of Indian cricketers. At the end of the day, he doesn't have the qualification to judge the calibre of Indian cricketers."
Read more at: Hayden is the biggest chicken-hearted cricketer: Harbhajan - CRICKETNDTV.com
Sonic_boom
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Eh you know the answers..Visa problems..I dunno what will happen if Pakistan reaches final..
will they be allowed to play in mumbai?
