World Cup 2007 - Preview thread

[aussie_ben91]

On the contrary, I think Australia might struggle to reach the final. The wickets wont have much pace in them and will have turn too. And Australia have proved that they are beatable (England beat them for a series in their own backyard).

So dont be too confident of an Australian final!

All the better for Matthew Hayden to bat on and on small grounds he'll eat the bowling alive. Not to mention if Ponting makes a century we'll probably win which seems to happen on a regural basis these days. Slow tracks won't have any effect if Tait's bowling at 165kph at the batsman toes either.

I'm sure we'll come good, I dunno what's happened to us lately. Haven't been quite playing our best. I'm sure we'll be back at our best in the WC and be a guareente in the WC Final.

 

[kodos]

The Windies will be a team up there and I feel will be the dark horses in the tournament. They qualified to the final of the CT and I can see them going into the semis. This 07 WC will be one of the most tight and balanced WC ever I feel. Because really all 8 teams can qualify to the semis.

 

[sohum]

All the better for Matthew Hayden to bat on and on small grounds he'll eat the bowling alive. Not to mention if Ponting makes a century we'll probably win which seems to happen on a regural basis these days. Slow tracks won't have any effect if Tait's bowling at 165kph at the batsman toes either.

Lots of ifs and thens. India will not have any problems if Sehwag opens and scores a quick 50, Ganguly plays for a well-made century and Dhoni bats down the order and sizzles with a quicker 50. We will also not have any problems if Zaheer picks up early wickets and Harbhajan stifles later.

Similarly, Pakistan will have no problem if Inzamam and Yousuf come good and Shoaib Akthar is at his fastest. Also, West Indies should do well if Lara bats well and Ian Bradshaw (very handy in West Indies) keeps the runs down. South Africa should be happy if Gibbs and Smith smash the bowling all over and then Ntini and Nel, with all their pace, cause oppositions trouble.

I could go on but every team is fairly good and can win the world cup. You only need 'consistency' over a few games to win the World Cup, and more than anything, luck. Australia probably would have won the CB series if the final was a best of 5. But the little things that often go overlooked (and are put down to luck) will play a large part in deciding the winner.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Well we play at our best, you play at you're best we'll win. If you're gonna use the CBS as an example then why not use the Ashes as the same? Verturally the same team and we went out and thumped the 2nd best team in the world 5-0 to add to that we can crush teams before they can even get into the match, we've done it in the last 2 WC Finals. Every team does have a chance but do they really have it in them to win the WC?

 

[aussie1st]

The Windies will be a team up there and I feel will be the dark horses in the tournament. They qualified to the final of the CT and I can see them going into the semis. This 07 WC will be one of the most tight and balanced WC ever I feel. Because really all 8 teams can qualify to the semis.

They seem to get up for the big tournaments, aka they won the CT in England and then made the finals of the recent one. I reckon they have the best opening pair in world cricket in Chanderpaul and Gayle. Both attack and when they both fire expect carnage. Only problem for them will be will the pressure of being the host get to them, it go to SA last time round.

I think we'll see a Aus v/s SL final at the WC.
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Thread merged into WC 2007 thread.

 

[wolf]

England squad: Vaughan (capt), Joyce, Bell, Pietersen, Strauss, Collingwood, Flintoff, Bopara, Nixon, Dalrymple, Plunkett, Anderson, Mahmood, Lewis, Panesar.

Bopara in for Loye, what idiocy. Apart from that I would go for that.

 

[Leicester Fox]

guess what i'm annoyed about : :crying

 

[The_gas]

England squad: Vaughan (capt), Joyce, Bell, Pietersen, Strauss, Collingwood, Flintoff, Bopara, Nixon, Dalrymple, Plunkett, Anderson, Mahmood, Lewis, Panesar.

Bopara in for Loye, what idiocy. Apart from that I would go for that.

Agree spot on with you except for Dalrymple. Id rather have Ian Blackwell instead, but thats just personel preference.

 

[barmyarmy]

Interesting choice not to take Read or Jones. Who would have called that at the start of the Ashes?
No place for Gough despite the media reports last week. All for the best imo - we should be using the tournament to blood new players.
Loye is probably a bit unlucky; I guess the fact that Bopara can bowl a bit (!) helped him.

 

[Leicester Fox]

aren't Loye and Broad the back up players? bearing in mind Englands injury record you wouldn't be surprised to see one of them at some point

 

[Dare]

anyone know what the deal is with Sarwan, nobody mentioned him since he fractured his foot ( or gul did it) which ever way. the last series the played at home against India he was the best batsman for both teams in the ODIs.

 

[Sureshot]

England squad: Vaughan (capt), Joyce, Bell, Pietersen, Strauss, Collingwood, Flintoff, Bopara, Nixon, Dalrymple, Plunkett, Anderson, Mahmood, Lewis, Panesar.

Bopara in for Loye, what idiocy. Apart from that I would go for that.

I don't think it's idiocy. If we go to a pitch that isn't spinning I'd much rather have Golden Arm in the team than JD and Monty.

Loye was quite inconsistent imo, didn't grab the bull by the horns.

 

[Cricketman]

I seriously hope India doesnt get involved in any one of those upsets. They are in the same group as the resurgent Sri Lanka and an upset could cause them heartburns!

I seriously want to see a sub-continental final. Have we had such instances before? Would be awesome. India-Pakistan, India-Sri Lanka or Pakistan-Sri Lanka (I dont want this!)

India-Pakistan
Awesome.

 

[puddleduck]

Does seem strange that Bopara has made it into the world cup squad with only one Odi performance. But then I guess he and JD will play depending on the pitch. If it's slow with no spin, get Bopara in to play alongside Colly as 5th and 6th bowlers. If it's turning JD and Monty will do the job alongside Colly. I would have liked to see Loye in the squad, as I think he could have been the surprise package of the world cup, in that he seemed to be picking up in that last game of the CB series, and he won't face any opposition better than Australia, so it would only get easier for him.

Still if Vaughans fit, rightly or wrongly he would obviously not have played, so I guess it makes sense to have him on standby for any injury to Vaughan.

My one complaint is perhaps Strauss, he has never really looked the part in Odis, and whilst I would assume he'll make way for KP, he just doesn't have enough shots in his armoury, or like Colly effective enough shots, to be a top Odi player. Decent fielder, but other than that, he doesn't exactly bring too much to the side. Still, as long as if Vaughan is injured they do draft Loye in for a straight swap, and not stick Strauss at the top of the order, then I'm happy. (it's no coincidence that Strauss and Vaughan/Bell opening for England happened to coincide with one of the worst runs of Odi form ever)

 

[SaiSrini]

All the better for Matthew Hayden to bat on and on small grounds he'll eat the bowling alive. Not to mention if Ponting makes a century we'll probably win which seems to happen on a regural basis these days. Slow tracks won't have any effect if Tait's bowling at 165kph at the batsman toes either.

I'm sure we'll come good, I dunno what's happened to us lately. Haven't been quite playing our best. I'm sure we'll be back at our best in the WC and be a guareente in the WC Final.

Good luck to Australia. How good it would be if some of the Indian fans show the same rock hard confidence on the Indian team?

India-Pakistan
Awesome.

But highly unlikely.