New Zealand

[CG123]

I'm thinking about putting a lazy $20 on NZ to win the damn thing. I probably sound crazy but I have a good feeling

I was actually thinking the same thing yesterday, considering we have a 99% of chance of making the quarter finals, 15 to 1 are bloody decent odds.

The three teams IMO we need to avoid (until the final) are Australia, India and Sri Lanka. Australia always turn up to play at World Cups (IIRC they've won some stupid amount like 17 World Cup games in a row), and India and Sri Lanka as the two home nations will be very tough to beat.

I'd say we're 50 - 50 against England (Yes, I think their current team is very overrated after their Ashes win), 50 - 50 against Pakistan, 70 - 30 against the West Indies, and probably about 40 - 60 against South Africa (Again I think they're slightly overrated, they don't normally preform to their full potential at World Cups, and I think they have a few weaknesses).

 

[ferg512]

I would love to see us win it, but realistically I think we could make the semi finals, in which I think we may end up facing India or Sri Lanka who could be rather difficult at home. The team does look good though, a lot of batting and although I'm a bit concerned about the bowling, we have a lot of slow bowlers (I would count Oram, Styris and Franklin) who will be really useful on sub-continent decks.

I think how we go could be mostly a confidence thing (win the Pakistan ODIs) and also how the draw pans out for us. I also am praying really that there are no injuries, because every player of our XI is so important. It's also an advantage I think that we have pretty much nailed down our XI. I think there is still a lot of sides very unsettled as to which will be their final team.

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I'd say we're 50 - 50 against England (Yes, I think their current team is very overrated after their Ashes win), 50 - 50 against Pakistan, 70 - 30 against the West Indies, and probably about 40 - 60 against South Africa (Again I think they're slightly overrated, they don't normally preform to their full potential at World Cups, and I think they have a few weaknesses).

I couldn't agree with you more there. I'm very unsure as to how England will go especially on the sub-continent. I would seriously give us a good chance of beating SA if we came up against them, we have beaten them in the last two world cups iirc, and I think they would be rather complacent.

 

[Howsie]

Worst possible squad they could have chosen really. I mean the first 11 players were a lock in, and Bennett but the other three is pretty shocking.

Jamie How is a shocker I'll give you that, especially as it looks as though he made the team because he can apparently keep "a" little bit. Williamson and Woodcock were no brainers for mine however.

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Ok first of all Williamson will be great in the future for us, but not now. He should just be playing test cricket where he doesn't have pressure to score. I mean come on his SR in ODIs so far is 60 and its not going to get any easier at a world cup.

His strike rate of 60 while not being anywhere near good enough looks pretty good when compared to the likes of Elliott, How, Watling, Stewart and Redmond, all of whom are striking at around 50 since August 2010 (from the start of New Zealand's three SC tours).

 

[ferg512]

Im not really that sure on Woodcock tbh. I would have much prefered Rob Nicol, Woodcock really is a batter that bowls but then I suppose he is pretty much an exact copy of Yardy for England, who is pretty average but does the job. I can understand why Williamson was chosen, but I don't really get how How was selected, and I cant believe John Wright didn't interfere. Surely they would ask him?

 

[Chewie]

Some of the Cricinfo comments are rather ridiculous.

One person thinks Oram is absolutely rubbish.
One person thinks there isn't a lot of bowling options
One person reckons Bennett is better than Southee
One person reckons Watling should be there as backup keeper instead of How
One person thinks one of the Marshall brothers and Peter Fulton should be there
One person (I think sarcastically) thinks Hopkins should be there
Another thinks Butler, Broom, Stewart and Redmond should be there...because Redmond can keep :/ His lineup has Redmond down at 8 as keeper, and Broom/Stewart at 3
One person thinks that B McCullum is our only good ODI player

 

[CG123]

Some of the Cricinfo comments are rather ridiculous.

One person thinks Oram is absolutely rubbish.
One person thinks there isn't a lot of bowling options
One person reckons Bennett is better than Southee
One person reckons Watling should be there as backup keeper instead of How
One person thinks one of the Marshall brothers and Peter Fulton should be there
One person (I think sarcastically) thinks Hopkins should be there
Another thinks Butler, Broom, Stewart and Redmond should be there...because Redmond can keep :/ His lineup has Redmond down at 8 as keeper, and Broom/Stewart at 3
One person thinks that B McCullum is our only good ODI player

A few of those literally made me lol.

The only one I would semi agree with is point four, as Watling is a know part-time keeper, while How as a back-up keeper was completely out of the blue (for me anyway), although I would've preferred McGlashan over both of them.

 

[Chewie]

If we wanted a backup keeper, McGlashan should really have been the only one in the picture.

 

[CG123]

I just have to post that Broom/Butler/Redmond guys comment here:

where is the keepers? i see B-Mac and no one else? apart from that i would have liked to see Ian Butler, either Neil Broom or Shanan Stewart and Aaron Redmond who can keep. nice to see Oram and Styris there. my perfect 11 would have been; 1.B.McCullum 2.How 3.Broom/Stewart 4.Taylor 5.Styris 6.Franklin 7.Oram 8.Redmond(wk) Vettori(c) 10.Mills 11.Butler. but from that 15 i say; 1.B.McCullum 2.Ryder 3.Williamson 4.Taylor 5.Styris 6.Franklin 7.Oram 8.Vettori 9.N.McCullum 10.Mills 11.Southee.

He wants How/Broom/Stewart ahead of Ryder, and Butler ahead of Southee, where's he been living?

He's more than likely a one eyed Cantab, or someone else living in the deep South, as all of his random players are from the South Island.

I still can't get over Redmond batting at eight, as the keeper.

 

[Chewie]

Ryder should be the backup keeper He's done it for NZ once in a warmup game I think

 

[CG123]

Na, Vincent all the way!

 

[riz7khan12]

nah, he has injury problems too.

Na, Vincent all the way!

lol rig.

 

[CG123]

lol rig.

Yeah, screw the preliminary 30 man squad.
I wonder what the ICC would do if we picked someone from outside it, I bet if India did it nothing would happen, but I'd assume they'd do something is we did it.

 

[-D-S-B-]

Another thinks Butler, Broom, Stewart and Redmond should be there...because Redmond can keep :/ His lineup has Redmond down at 8 as keeper, and Broom/Stewart at 3

Obviously a retarded South Islander, I'm picking Gore and I bet he has 12 finger and 12 toes as well. And his perfect XI has How in it but his XI from the 15 man squad doesn't

And regarding the squad I'm just glad they didn't pick Ian Butler, you never know with our selectors.

 

[riz7khan12]

yeah i dont think the ICC would care tbh, that 30 man squad is supposed to be a guideline to the local board. But the BCCI might get pissed because we didn't follow the rules...

 

[ferg512]

Sometimes its hard reading through those cricinfo comments, sometimes I don't even know that people know what they're commenting on lol.

Its kinda NZC fault though, I know Vincent wasn't in the greatest form when they named the 30 but guys like Bracewell (I rate him highly but too inexperienced atm), Brownlie, Stewart and Young shouldn't really have been in there.

I was wondering also Andre Adams, he wouldn't have been available anyway right because hes an overseas player?? Hes been in quite good form for Auckland. It's a shame how Bracewell treated him and then he left. He was actually was a pretty good cricketer and still is, he would have fit nicely into the current squad.