Sporting An Opinion

The Indian cricket board announced a ‘new look’ team for next month’s tour to Bangladesh and there were to very big names missing in the one-day team: Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. While it doesn’t seem like the end of the road for them, the signal is clear. Their days may be numbered unless they start performing more consistently. But what is the definition of perform for these two greats? Unlike a greenhorn for whom a 30 or a 40 could be seen as a good effort, such a score is barely enough for these two. They need to score big, score fast, score attractively (fans like to see them play well) and do all this every time they go out to bat.

While Virender Sehwag gets another lease of life (wonder why Rahul Dravid is supporting him so much), lady luck has not smiled as nicely on Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar and Harbhajan Singh. One cannot help but feel that this could well be it for Ajit Agarkar. He has not performed half as consistently as he should or he can and he simply refuses to learn his role with the bat. The tag all-rounder is unfit for him and he always gets selected as one. With Pathan also being dropped, who is India’s all-rounder?

The death knell could well have been sounded for Harbhajan Singh as well with the inclusion of Romesh Pawar who needs to perform well in Bangladesh to make the cut for England. For Harbhajan and Pathan, the road back looks tough but this will be the real test of their character and they could take a lesson or two from Zaheer Khan.

Meanwhile, England has a new coach: Peter Moore replaces Duncan Fletcher who resigned a couple of days ago. Fletcher’s match against the West Indies will be his and he, like Brian Lara, who will be playing in his last match, will be hoping for a winning finish. Michael Vaughan could well be another player we see for the last time in an ODI and while there is uncertainty about his future in the shorter game, he would also like to bid a winning goodbye.

Lara’s career (and not just in ODIs) ends tonight. And unless there is a coaxed return to the team by selectors, he will not be seen on a cricket ground on the international stage. In his 16 years, Lara has been the one West Indian cricketer who looked like he belonged on the big stage all along. He was one of the major West Indian crowd pullers and his loss will be a big blow to cricket in the Caribbean. For tonight, though, let’s just enjoy him on the field one last time.

Had things gone according to plan in the group stages, Sunday, April 15 would have seen India take on Pakistan in the World Cup. As it turns out, it is going to be Ireland versus Bangladesh! Not to belittle the teams, but the fact is that with India and Pakistan both missing out on the second stage, a lot of the sheen has been taken off the tournament.

In most respects, this seems like a match up of equals, but Bangladesh would have the upper hand having beaten India and South Africa. Ireland did beat Pakistan, but in the Super Eight, they have been thrashed by most teams.

Bangladesh will not finish at the bottom of the table and would like to make sure there are no loopholes in that by beating Ireland. They still have a match left against the West Indies, but no one expects them to win that. Nonetheless, while Sunday’s match won’t exactly be the most exciting of all, it could put up some good cricket.

The real matches of difference, though, are on Monday and Tuesday. Australia takes on Sri Lanka and South Africa faces England. The South Africa-England match is a playoff now with New Zealand beating the Proteas on Saturday but Australia v Sri Lanka is for the top spot in the final standings.

Australia is way ahead on their net run rate and Sri Lanka could well yet take the top spot with two wins; their last match is against Ireland! Australia, on the other hand, could lose both their next matches (against Sri Lanka and New Zealand and well find themselves in second or even third place. But the question is who from New Zealand and Sri Lanka are desperate enough to avoid Australia in the semi-final? A better question, perhaps, would be does it matter?

In the knock out stage (which is really just the semi-final), one bad day and Australia could be out. And most teams making it to that stage would be giving it their all so the possibility cannot be ruled out. For the moment, the semi-final line-up looks to point to Sri Lanka versus New Zealand and Australia versus South Africa (we assume England won’t be able to beat South Africa).

Two years ago, Bangladesh shocked the world by beating Australia in an ODI. Today, they would be hoping for a similar performance but Australia on current form is the runaway favourite! There are conflicting signals coming from both camps with Ponting dismissing any lack of focus or intensity while Bangla captain Habibul Bashar says that the Bangladeshi gameplan is not dependent on Australia! Strange as that sounds, it may be best for Bangladesh to play their own game!

The Bangladesh team has shown some good batting prowess in the tournament so far and they need to be clear about their plan. Bat first or second, they cannot afford to lose early wickets. At the same time, they also cannot afford to let the Australian bowlers get on top and contain the scoring rate for the pressure created by this would only lead to wickets and eventual annihilation!

Australia at the moment are looking and playing the part of being world champions and Bangladesh is perhaps too small to stand up to them. Heck, even South Africa couldn’t manage that! So long as Australia doesn’t play suicidal, they should win on a canter. But then again, Bangladesh has beaten India and is in the Super Eight at their cost. This could also be a good opportunity for Australia to give some of the other members in the squad a chance. Mike Hussey could use the opportunity to come higher up the order and get a chance to face some more bowling. Andrew Symonds could also use the opportunity to spend some more time in the middle with the bat.

Can Bangladesh even stem the flow of records? In the last six matches, Australia has scored in excess of 300 every time they have batted. If they bat first again, 350-400 is possible. Chasing that down would be nigh impossible for Bangladesh. Their bowling does have some teeth, but not enough to cut through the strong Aussie batting. Masrafe Mortaza would be their best bet for a good start and they do have a couple of handy spinners to make good of a start.

What is Bangladesh’s best result? A win of course, but if they lose (which they most likely will), a margin of under 50 would do them great deal of good. Even South Africa could not bring down the margin of loss to under 50!

The first two weeks of the World Cup were expected to be an extended practice session but have instead thrown out two big names: India and Pakistan. And in their place come Bangladesh and Ireland who may not give the big six any trouble, but rather just the odd scare! So with the major six teams virtually guaranteed two wins in the Super Eight, it really comes down to who can hold their own against the rest! Let’s look at all the contenders (yes, all eight!).

Australia: Still the favourites and especially after their win over South Africa, their chances look better than ever. Can anyone beat them? New Zealand has shown the aptitude but that was at home. England beat Australia in Australia, but since then, they have had problems of their own. South Africa is expected to beat them and maybe on a bigger ground, could well do so. Sri Lanka is in good enough form to beat anyone, but against Australia, it’s more a question of confidence than skill. At the moment, a spot in the final looks assured! Team Australia

South Africa: They may not have lived up to their number one billing against Australia, but they are a good team, albeit predictable. They miss that one enigmatic performer, that outstanding talent who could make the difference… a Shane Bond, or an Andrew Symonds or even a Kevin Pietersen. Herschelle Gibbs is as close as they can get, but he delivers rather rarely these days. They are still strong enough to make the semi-final, though, but no further. Mental toughness is still lacking and the bowling looked fairly ragged against Australia. Team South Africa

Sri Lanka: The win over India would have given Sri Lanka a lot of confidence. For one, they eliminated one of the biggest teams and a team that had just beaten them convincingly. For another, they showed strength of character and a team spirit that is a must to win at such a tournament. Their batting looks great, bowling outstanding and fielding stupendous! Can they be stopped? Only by the devils in their mind! Team Sri Lanka

England: In some ways, they have a chance. But in all practicality, they don’t seem to have the drive that is needed. Recent events that showed a lack of team spirit have further dented confidence. Freddie Flintoff returned to take the English home against Kenya, but the bigger teams in the Super Eight will be a different proposition altogether. Semi-finalists? Really outside chance. Team England

New Zealand: They were in great form against Australia and also have the mental upper hand against them. Should the two meet in the final, many may just bet against Australia! Much of New Zealand’s strength lies in the number of utilitarian players they have. Jacob Oram, Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, Brendon McCullum… all do dual roles and as a result, the batting and bowling line-ups are long. They have a good chance to go all the way provided they don’t shoot themselves in the foot. Team New Zealand

West Indies: They haven’t looked good enough and the pressure of playing at home will get to them sooner or later. The troubles lie at the top of the order with Chris Gayle not coming into any sort of form. Chanderpaul played well against Ireland, but that can’t say much! Lara, Sarwan and Samuels have all done well in the past but they need to put together a string of good performances over 3 weeks to make it further. Doubt if they can do that. Team West Indies

Bangladesh: They have played well to make it thus far, but this where they will find themselves out of depth. One will be the pressure of consistent matches and the other of the opposition. Most teams will look at a Bangladesh match as a good chance to up their run rate and the Bangla boys may just suffer. Well done, but they will not go any further. Team Bangladesh

Ireland: A tie against Zimbabwe saw them through to the second round at the expense of Pakistan. Had Zimbabwe won on that day, Ireland could well have gone home and Pakistan, through. But a win over Pakistan deserves to be rewarded and a place in the second round is what they will have to show for it. Once again, they will be the whipping boys even for Bangladesh. A couple of good matches will do them no harm and they should be realistic about their chances. Team Ireland

To sum it up, Australia and Sri Lanka would be worthy finalists with Sri Lanka having a good chance to win the tournament on current form. New Zealand would be the third favourites while anyone else would be a big surprise!
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It’s been over a day since India lost to Sri Lanka and although die-hard fans will continue to harbor hopes of India going through if Bermuda can beat Bangladesh, the real question is whether India wants to go through in such a manner? What will the repercussions of such a loss be in Bangladesh and the cricketing world?

The team is still in the Caribbean and one suspects they are ready with bags packed. One also suspects they are praying very hard! But it will be a hollow entry and all it would do is extend the lifeline to many of the players in the team. If Bangladesh does win (which it really should), there are some changes to be expected. Necessary or not, these changes are a must to appease the public in India.

Rahul Dravid may well be replaced by Sachin Tendulkar as captain and coach Greg Chappell may not see his contract being renewed. Also expect a campaign against a foreign coach rearing its head again after this debacle! Indian or foreign, one hopes it’s a coach who has a strong heart and can get his way with the players!

The post-mortems in the Indian and world media about India’s performance have begun and the cry for someone’s head will only get louder. Let’s hope there are no silly retirements in light of this poor showing. Tendulkar, Dravid, and Ganguly still have some years left in them. Even if they can’t be around for the next tournament, they would do well to stick around and ensure there is a good core in place after they have gone.

There is a surge of emotions across India has already shown what this means to the fans and they are baying for blood! Administrators and selectors had chosen the best squad and there is no mistaking that. It all went wrong on the ground. It definitely needs asking how India and Pakistan lost to two minnows on the same day.

Questions will also be raised about the preparation and fingers pointed at the endorsements the players undertook just before the tournament. None of this will be seen with practical eyes and for a few days, this will continue to boil. There is no formula for success in the days ahead and changes are inevitable. Let’s just hope there is some method behind the madness that is definitely going to follow.

Today, March 21, 2007 is going to be a big day for India in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007. Although India does not play today, a lot would depend on how things go between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka who face off in Trinidad & Tobago today. There really are only three scenarios:

Sri Lanka beats Bangladesh
This seems the most obvious outcome and will then make the group very interesting with the second round places not being decided until March 25 when Bangladesh plays Bermuda. But again, the margin of victory would be of interest to India. For India’s sake, SL needs to beat BAN by a very big margin; one big enough to make even a huge win for BAN over BER look pointless. But that’s for India’s sake, really! For their own sake, they just need to win! And then India would need to beat SL comfortably to see Bangladesh fall further behind on the net run-rate.

Bangladesh beats Sri Lanka
Now this would truly open up some possibilities. For one, it would put Bangladesh in the best position to qualify and even a close win over Bermuda later in the week would see them through and with two points! But this scenario would turn the India v Sri Lanka match into a knock out game with the loser certainly going home.

Washout/Tie
If today’s match is washed out or tied, it doesn’t help India much since it allows both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to go ahead of India on points. For India, this may help: if the Bermuda v Bangladesh match ends with a point being shared and Sri Lanka has beaten Bangladesh, India may just have a better chance of going through. Of course, India needs to beat Sri Lanka for any of this to be of consequence, but assuming that happens, then the rains on Sunday could well make Group B clearer!

Whatever the outcome, the task for India is clear: beat Sri Lanka by a hefty margin. What happens in the other matches won’t really affect them in that case. Ah, but if Bangladesh can beat Sri Lanka, then the fruits of a successful task on Friday are more assured!

The final leg of the first round of matches promises much excitement and potential heartbreak for cricket fans. While some groups have already been decided, there are some key matches that would decide how the teams shape up in the next round.

Australia and South Africa are certain to progress from Group A with SA expected to confirm this by beating Scotland on Tuesday. And then there’s the biggest match of the first round between the two top-ranked ODI teams in the world. Yes, there will be two points up for grabs that the teams will take with them, but more than that is the psychological advantage because at the moment, these two teams look the most probable opponents in the final.

New Zealand versus Kenya seems like a straightforward match, but a Kenyan win could throw group C wide open. And then, England’s loss to NZ may not seem as big a deal! But NZ should win that one and barring and English loss to Kenya, NZ and England should be safely through to the Super Eight by March 24!

Group D is all done and dusted with hosts West Indies and Ireland going through. But the match between these two top teams of Group D will decide who starts the Super Eight with two points already in the bank. West Indies are favourites, but Ireland is a team on a high. Man to man, they may not match the Windies, but can just as easily cause another upset.

One group that is still unsettled is Group B with Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh all having a chance of going through. In the most expected scenario, it will come down to the net run-rate and Bangladesh will then have the advantage of knowing exactly what they have to do to go through when they play Bermuda on March 25. That, interestingly, is the last of the group-stage matches and could well decide the fate of India and Sri Lanka!

Right from the start, this has been touted as one of the most “open” World Cups and how true it’s proving to be. Australia and South Africa apart, none of the big teams have shown the expected form and ruthlessness when playing the lesser teams. And the minnows have shown that they are not here to just make up the numbers. Their flair, charisma and sheer commitment has been a pleasure to watch. The next four days promises some outstanding cricket and even the lesser games will have a part to play in how the tournament shapes up.

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For all of us who wrote off the eight minnow teams, Saturday was a huge slap. Not only did Ireland and Bangladesh beat the big boys India and Pakistan, they have also vindicated the ICCs belief that the smaller teams need to play the bigger ones more for such results. Perhaps Indian and Pakistani fans may feel hard done but the two teams that beat them did play very well.
 
Bangladesh has promised a lot for a very long time and this could just be their year. Back in 1983, India was considered no better than Bangladesh is today when they went on to lift the Cup. Perhaps 2007’s Bangladesh is 1983’s India! And a win over Sri Lanka in their next match could well upset the balance of the entire group and further emphasise the progress they have made.
 
Ireland would have to be the biggest surprise of the tournament so far. Pakistan was expected to walk all over them but their bowling left the Pakistan batting in tatters. That Pakistan had been suffering from infighting didn’t help their cause either!
 
Bob Woolmer has apologized for Pakistan’s debacle but chose to blame the batting more than the Irish bowling. Inzamam has gone so far as to call this the worst day of his cricketing career. Perhaps it is a sentiment that Rahul Dravid would agree with as well. He was gracious in defeat, saying, “Credit to them. They came out and played some shots and their opener got them off to a very good start so that set them up well for the game,” but the task ahead is much tougher and now there is competition from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to make it to the second round.
 
Saturday would perhaps be known as the day of the minnow with two major upsets. It would also be interesting to note how the interest levels in the subcontinent are affected now that there cannot be an India-Pakistan match in the World Cup. The two teams had faced off each time since 1992 and this year will break the rivalry! They have only themselves to blame, really!

 
Day 4 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 was the first to be affected by rain and England paid the price for an up-and-down pitch. More than the pitch, though, it’s the facilities in the Caribbean that have left much to be desired. Sure the grounds and the stadia are outstanding, but the groundstaff have normally taken more time than they should when responding to urgent needs.
 
A wet outfield left the teams waiting for the start in the England v New Zealand match and an unnecessary half hour was lost. Thankfully, that did not translate into lost overs.
 
Earlier in the week, there were reports that the practice facilities at the Sabina Park ground were not ready for the Pakistan v West Indies match and players had to go elsewhere. These are the bare minimum requirements that most would have thought are ready.
 
The pitches on display in the first few matches have been even-paced and offered something for batsmen who want to play their shots and bowlers ready to bend their backs. But as time goes on, these may dry out and the later games may throw up some low-scoring matches.
 
India takes on Bangladesh today and kicks off their campaign. One of the favourites to win the Cup, India will be followed well through the Caribbean and is expected to walk all over Bangladesh. Being one of the Test playing nations, much is expected of Bangladesh but one doubts how much they will deliver. After their shock win over Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup, they have struggled to make an impact on this stage.
 
With Herschelle Gibbs setting the bar (and a very high one at that) with the bat, there is a new buzz whether indeed a total of 500 is possible in this tournament. All signs point to a possibility in the first round for after that, no matter what the size of the ground, the quality of the bowling will also be consistently better. The run feasts will continue for a couple of weeks more before the standard of scoring is brought back to normal levels!

The upsets have started. But as Stephen Fleming put it, they were lucky this wasn’t a group stage match. Bangladesh, though, would be overjoyed with their performance and despite it being in a game that doesn’t count they would not think any less of it.
 
Mashrafe Mortaza and Abdur Razzaq stunned New Zealand and it was thanks to Jacob Oram’s 88 (still with all fingers intact), that they managed to post a somewhat respectable 226. But a good start and Mashrafe Mortaza’s fine 30 with the bat saw the Bangladeshis overhaul the New Zealand total and throw their preparation into turmoil. Coming on the back of a 3-0 win over Australia, New Zealand promised much and perhaps this is a timely wake-up call that nothing can be taken for granted.
 
Elsewhere, India was adequate as they beat the Netherlands by a substantial 182 runs, Australia was strong enough to defend 290 and win by 106 runs against Zimbabwe while Pakistan got their act together to win by 77 runs against Canada.
 
The Australians could not have been entirely happy with their preparation for a score of 300-plus was expected of them against Zimbabwe. To add to their woes, Bracken and McGrath (who had identical figures of 5-2-8-1) have proved beyond doubt that they are the containing bowlers and perhaps not the wicket-taking ones. And Shaun Tait continues to struggle for wickets.
 
India’s batting looked dodgy, to be honest, and it was a rejuvenated Dravid and the reliable (at World Cups!) Tendulkar who got them to safety. Irfan Pathan looked like he wants to perform badly, but he just didn’t look penetrating enough with the ball and against better batting line-ups, he will be taken to the cleaners. Pathan bowled around 122kmph (average) and barely swung the ball to trouble the batsmen. If this continues, his pace is ideal for the top batsmen in the world to take him apart. But there may still be some value in having him in the team instead of Dinesh Kaarthick because their batting abilities seem matched. Irfan could bowl an over or two if absolutely necessary!
 
Pakistan continues to struggle with its opening pair with bat and ball! Inzamam’s 59 would have allowed the team a sigh of relief for he is their most experienced and best batsman. Mohammed Hafeez, though, shone brightly as he picked up 3/10 after having topscored with 61. But letting a team like Canada get to almost 200 and within 77 runs of their target would have raised a few questions. There’s time, though, to sort it out before the opening match against hosts West Indies on March 13.
 
In all the matches so far, the pitches have not looked “Word Cup standard” and have offered a lot of assistance to the bowlers, especially the spin variety. In India’s match against the Netherlands, the pitch looked like it was broken and the amount of seam movement that S Sreesanth got was prodigious to say the least.
 
The initial matches are good signal to most teams for reconsidering their combinations and resetting targets when batting first. On the small evidence of the first two days of matches, the bowlers will perhaps enjoy this World Cup and the team whose batsmen bat more responsibly might be the one to go all the way.