World Cup 2007 - Preview thread

[aussie_ben91]

I honestly think taking hayden is a waste of our time, he has just slowed down the top order the whole series bar 1 innings

Age isn't an option really, I don't think he is going to detierate over the space of 4 months. Didn't you watch the last few games? If he didn't make runs then we would've got crushed if he didn't score runs. To add to that he scores quicker then Watson and can actually tonk the ball whenever he wants. Hayden is classes above Watson and Watson's overall performance is lower as an opener. His to injury prone to open the batting and bowl 10 overs. Replace him over Clarke at 4 and drop Clarke back down.

Gilchrist / Haddin / Clarke
Hayden
Ponting
Watson
Hodge / Symonds
Clarke / Hussey / Haddin
Hussey / Haddin
Lee
Bracken
Tait / Hogg
McGrath

 

[Leicester Fox]

so long as we pick Plunkett over Lewis we can win this

 

[aussie1st]

Haddin - in my 15, could even replace hodge if he can field... but i dont think he can

You can blame the selectors for that! They could have at least tried him as a specialist fielder or even Gilly but yet again they have missed a trick and now we have to keep making assumptions on whether or not he can field.

White has potential to rescue us but we haven't seen it so that doesn't give me too much confidence in him given hes failed 3 times when the pressure is on. Haddin looks like a cool calm customer that could well do some rescuing while also being able to hit a few biggies.

 

[Skater]

I just typed out all the World Cup fixtures for my site and I thought I would post them here too for your benefit:

13th March: West Indies v Pakistan at Jamaica
14th March: Australia v Scotland at St Kitts
14th March: Canada v Kenya at St Lucia
15th March: Bermuda v Sri Lanka at Trinidad
15th March: Ireland v Zimbabwe at Jamaica
16th March: England v New Zealand at St Lucia
16th March: Holland v South Africa at St Kitts
17th March: Bangladesh v India at Trinidad
17th March: Ireland v Pakistan at Jamaica
18th March: Canada v England at St Lucia
18th March: Australia v Holland at St Kitts
19th March: Bermuda v India at Trinidad
19th March: West Indies v Zimbabwe at Jamaica
20th March: Kenya v New Zealand at St Lucia
20th March: Scotland v South Africa at St Kitts
21st March: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka at Trinidad
21st March: Pakistan v Zimbabwe at Jamaica
22nd March: Canada v New Zealand at St Lucia
22nd March: Holland v Scotland at St Kitts
23rd March: Ireland v West Indies at Jamaica
24th March: England v Kenya at St Lucia
24th March: Australia v South Africa at St Kitts
25th March: Bangladesh v Bermuda at Trinidad
27th March: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Antigua
28th March: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Guyana
29th March: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Antigua
30th March: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Guyana
31st March: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Antigua
1st April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Guyana
2nd April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Antigua
3rd April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Guyana
4th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Antigua
7th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Guyana
8th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Antigua
9th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Guyana
10th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Grenada
11th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Barbados
12th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Grenada
13th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Barbados
14th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Grenada
15th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Barbados
16th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Grenada
17th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Barbados
18th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Grenada
19th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Barbados
20th April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Grenada
21st April: TBC v TBC (Super Eight) at Barbados
24th April: TBC v TBC (Semi Final) at Jamaica
25th April: TBC v TBC (Semi Final) at St Lucia
28th April: TBC v TBC (Final) at Barbados

 

[siddharth2002]

lol, but how are we gonna find your post when the thread moves on to next few pages. I am sure fixtures will be posted in the first post.

 

[evertonfan]

I'm giving England an outside chance but nothing more. Pietersen, Flintoff, Collingwood and someone at the top of the order all need to bat well and make hundreds whereas Jimmy, Plunkett and Panesar need to constantly take the wickets. I'm licking my lips over the prospect of Jimmy and Pudsey sharing the new ball for us but no doubt they'll go with Lewis who I still think is way out of his depth.

 

[Skater]

Admin could put the fixtures into the first post.

 

[nightprowler10]

Admin could put the fixtures into the first post.

There won't be a need for that. A world cup sub forum will be up soon.

 

[MUFC1987]

The more important thing regarding England is, who are they thinking about as being taken from outside the original 30?

 

[Hooper]

...Watson's overall performance is lower as an opener. His to injury prone to open the batting and bowl 10 overs. Replace him over Clarke at 4 and drop Clarke back down....

Watson at 4 instead of Clarke? Are you serious? Thats a bit to far...leave him at 7 and let him play a Freddie Flintoff Type roll.

 

[Stephen Bailey]

Watson at 4 instead of Clarke? Are you serious? Thats a bit to far...leave him at 7 and let him play a Freddie Flintoff Type roll.

That isn't his game though. He is a player who needs time to settle and batting at 7 for Australia means that more often than not, he'll be in with a maximum of 10 overs left.

 

[aussie1st]

That isn't his game though. He is a player who needs time to settle and batting at 7 for Australia means that more often than not, he'll be in with a maximum of 10 overs left.

Spot on sums up what I was going to say.
My 11 would be
Hayden/Watson
Gilly
Ponting
Watson/Clarke
Clarke/Hodge
Hussey
White/Haddin
Lee
Bracken
Tait
McGrath

We lacked that big hitter in the CBS final series with Symonds gone so White or Haddin should be able to fill that breach.

 

[irottev]

I thin the commentator in the second final summed it up. We have 8 teams who can win again. Each team has looked good at times. Wins are actually alternating around. No team looks better then another really. If it was tomorrow, i'd have trouble picking a winner or the top few. It'll come down to a good piece of luck in the finals. Winning tosses, and then the basics like taking catches and batting an innings which we havn't seen on a few occasions recently.

Will be a great World Cup to watch. All teams should go in with some confidance. The only team which may be a little under the rest could be the West Indies. They have the talent there though. NZ is in a poor period but I expect it to pick up, they have 3 more matches to get it right.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Watson at 4 instead of Clarke? Are you serious? Thats a bit to far...leave him at 7 and let him play a Freddie Flintoff Type roll.

Watson could play the roll what Martyn played at number 4 throughout his ODI career.

 

[aussie1st]

I would say SA would be favourites right now, I would rate their batting as the best in the business especially given they have taken 2 teams for 400 and almost took Pakistan for one. Their bowling is right up there as well, I'd definitely expect them to be in the semis if not the finals.