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.

As you glance down the top run scorers list for the ongoing World Cup, you can’t help but notice one anomaly: an Englishman! The only player from a team not in the semi-final, Kevin Pietersen is typical of everything not English in this World Cup. He is a fighter, scored consistently and is ready to take the fight to the opposition.

There is another anomaly: a West Indian. An even rarer sight. But Ramnaresh Sarwan, despite his failure in the last match against England, is marginally ahead of such players as Michael Clarke, Stephen Fleming, Adam Gilchrist and even Kumara Sangakkara.

These two players represent teams that promised much over the course of the last one-year and when the time to deliver came, buckled. They did not have enough support from players around them and that was the only consistent thing about their teams!

Compare this with the other players in the top ranks and you will notice that there are some rather high-ranking players from the teams in the semi-final. Of course that’s the reason they made it this far anyway.

Among the semi-finalists, there are some head to head comparisons that could prove interesting. For the two Australians in the top ten, there are two South Africans. Things get more interesting when you note that both captains are up there with Ponting at number 2 ahead of Jacques Kallis only on strike rate while Graeme Smith is at number six only 39 runs behind the two. The one man who has run away from everyone else of course is Matthew Hayden. His aggregate of 580 is only 113 runs behind Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 693 set in South Africa. The rate at which he is scoring runs that could fall in the semi-final itself!

Of the other two semi-finalists, Scott Styris finds himself as the lone Kiwi in the top ten while Sri Lanka has two representatives: captain Mahela Jayawardena and the stalwart Sanath Jayasuriya. Eleven runs separate the two teammates while Styris is ahead by over 50 runs.

The reason we are looking into this is to try to understand which teams have a better chance of winning their semi-finals. Sri Lanka looks favourites for more reasons than having two batters in the top ten. They have players like Murali and Vaas who have been there before and won the cup once. The pressure and expectations won’t be completely new to them. New Zealand has Craig McMillan and Stephen Fleming to call on their experiences from the 1999 semi-final loss to Pakistan and they would do well to remember their lessons well.

The South Africa versus Australia semi-final would be keenly contested and there are some old scores to settle there. The 1999 semi-final for one! Australia won’t let South Africa forget that day and there are some survivors from that match too. However strong they may be, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs and Mark Boucher won’t forget that too soon.

Four well matched teams with players in form. The Englishman only has Brian Lara’s run-out to hang on to for now!

Two mentally fragile teams will fight a battle for survival today when England takes on South Africa. The numbers have been crunched, the permutations and combinations done and the requirements are clear: England must win to keep their semi-final hopes alive. South Africa needs to win to ensure a place in the semi-final. But as always, there is some fine print.

Should England win today, they would be equal with South Africa on points and have a chance of making a clean entry into the semis if they beat West Indies in their last Super Eight match. But should England win today and lost to the West Indies, it would come down to net run rate between the two teams and once again, Graeme Smith’s men could well lose out. Their run rate is already in the negative and another loss won’t help it at all. Unless England loses disastrously to the West Indies, they should go through. All this, of course hinges on the fact that they need to win today. A loss today will be goodbye for England!

Coming to the match, England seems to be the fitter of the two sides with South Africa unsure of Herschelle Gibbs’ availability. England has its team sorted out and now it’s a question of performing. Easier said than done, of course, but England needs to draw on their experience of beating Australia in the CB Series final to make an impact. Plus the mini-battle of Kevin Pietersen v South Africa would also spur him on to perform better. One cannot ignore the lack of form that Andrew Flintoff has been going through. He needs to come good today and along with Paul Collingwood would be called upon in the closing stages to up the run rate.

But a bigger worry for England would be the top order. It’s a crucial match and they cannot afford to be 40/3 after 15 overs. Even if they are 60 after 15 overs, they need to ensure it’s without loss. And to this effect, Michael Vaughan needs to open with Andrew Strauss and not Ian Bell. Pietersen could come in at number three to boost scoring and offer some variety to the batting and Bell could help stabilise the middle order.

South Africa is suspect to good bowling. It could be fast or spin… doesn’t matter. So long as there is accuracy and some penetration backed up by above average fielding, they are susceptible to shooting themselves in the foot. With the right amount of pressure and some consistently good bowling and fielding, England can make sure that the Proteas go into their own shell and never come back out! Their batting can collapse especially if Gibbs isn’t around. Justin Kemp who is as reliable as an umbrella in a tornado could well replace him! Robin Peterson, the South African answer to Monty Panesar, isn’t close enough to being as good as Monty but South Africa has some good quicks. Unfortunately, they all get predictable after a while. That is, if the batting team can hold their ground long enough.

It should be a good match but unfortunately, both teams are capable of playing defensively and making it a question of survival rather than an emphatic statement. Someone will choke for sure. Will it be Vaughan or will it be Smith?

Every World Cup brings to the fore a new set of stars who one expects will replace some of the outgoing ones. On current evidence, there are a whole of lot of outgoing ones, but not nearly as many new ones on the horizon. Or are there?

Lasith Malinga is undoubtedly the latest bowling sensation to hit the cricketing world. His unusual action with some pretty good control and a heroic effort against South Africa have ensured he is in the news. And the Sri Lankans know that in Malinga, they have a future star and performer. They need to protect him against burnout and ensure he can play as long as possible.

The West Indies may have argued that Jerome Taylor is a new rising phenom but the team’s results are just not good enough. Nonetheless, he is a talent and something of a rarity in the West Indies: fast, accurate and wicket-taking! Another asset that needs to be managed well lest he also go the route some other promising talent did (remember Franklin Rose?).

Of course, more stars are born out of a situation more than choice. By that argument, players like Paul Collingwood, Shaun Tait, Andrew Flintoff, Shane Bond, Monty Panesar, Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith and many others still have a chance to make an impact. They have already done their bit but as we get closer to the part where nerves start to jangle, a player’s character would be tested. Even for someone like Malinga, could he repeat half his 4-in-4 in the semis against Australia? That would be the true test of his character.

It’s not all about the young stars, though. Old hands like Jacques Kallis, Sanath Jayasuriya, Matt Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan and Shaun Pollock have already tasted success. With almost all the above playing in their last World Cup, the scramble to finish on a high is going to be tremendous! Which is where a little help from the younger stars in the team won’t hurt! A couple of exceptional performances from some of the younger players would go a long way and the experience of the seniors could well win the day!

So who has the best combination of the young and the old stars? We would think Sri Lanka!

England versus Ireland may enthuse supporters of Rugby or even football, but in cricket, on paper anyway, it seems like a huge mismatch. England the powerhouse; Ireland the minnows who are lucky to be here…

Had things in the first round gone somewhat to plan, it would have been Pakistan playing England instead of Ireland. And England may well be relieved about not having to play the Asian powerhouse. But they cannot take the game lightly. They have made the Super Eight without any points having lost to New Zealand and need to beat South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka or Australia. Not easy and they would do well to take two points and up their run rate as much as possible against Ireland and Bangladesh.

For Ireland, this has been an incredible ride. A win over Pakistan and a tie against Zimbabwe means that they have truly earned their place. But they would also do well to ‘know’ their place. Without trying to be demeaning, Ireland are the whipping boys for the six big teams. By that, they should not roll over and play dead and an upset today could well mean goodbye for England. But a repeat of their performance against Pakistan may not be that easy to do.

England’s main problems lie in their batting. So far, only Collingwood and Pietersen have shown any signs of having adapted to the conditions and pressures of the tournament. They need Flintoff and one of the top three (Vaughan, Joyce and Bell) to score consistently and at least bat around Pietersen and Collingwood to ensure that they put up competitive scores.

On the bowling front, things have been marginally better, but once again, there is too much pressure on a couple of guys. Flintoff is almost expected to pick a wicket with every ball as is Monty Panesar. Liam Plunkett has shown glimpses of what he can do but others including Jimmy Anderson need to put up their hand and fast. What are they chances England is missing Steve Harmison?

It’s not a must win game for England from a survival point of view, but it’s a must win game from an advancement point of view. The difference is subtle and England needs to appreciate that quickly. A loss will not knock them out and a win won’t get them through. But one result will push them closer to elimination while the other, closer to qualification for the semi-final.

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!
Click Here to view Super Eight match schedules

 
The 2007 Cricket World Cup has taken a rather sad and somewhat bizarre turn with off-field events. While some are related to Pakistan’s loss to Ireland, others have more to do with indiscipline. All the same, the focus has shifted away from the cricket and all talk (almost all!) is currently hovering around Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer’s mysterious death, Inzamam ul-Haq’s resignation and the drunkenness of Andrew Flintoff.
 
Woolmer was obviously under tremendous pressure following Pakistan’s exit from the World Cup. That he was diabetic and suffered from other health problems was not known to the rest of the world. Woolmer’s death will be a huge loss to the cricketing world and more so to Pakistan. He was known as a visionary coach and his work the South African team helped them to become one of cricket’s superpowers. Woolmer had slightly strained relations with some players in the Pakistan team, especially with Shoaib Akhtar, but everyone is mourning his loss.
 
For the Pakistan team, things could not have become any worse. With no real heir-apparent in sight to succeed Inzamam ul-Haq, the PCB would have preferred he continue as captain for a little longer at least. But now, they need to make a quick decision. The obvious choices are Mohammed Yousuf and Younis Khan.
 
England may have lost their first match to New Zealand but that apparently wasn’t any reason to stop partying or drinking. Andrew Flintoff, Jon Lewis, James Anderson, Liam Plunkett, Ian Bell and Paul Nixon were seen partying away into the wee hours of the morning following the team’s loss to New Zealand and as a result, Flintoff was dropped from the match against Canada and also stripped of his vice-captaincy.
 
This is not the first time that Freddie has been caught “with his pants down” (metaphorically speaking, of course!) and he was warned at least four times in Australia to cut down on his partying. Obviously he did not heed. As for the others, they were apparently coaxed into going by Freddie and were allowed to play against Canada. This incident also means that Flintoff may never become the first-choice captain for England. Over the last year or so, this was a job, which was his for the taking, but a captain cannot be as indisciplined as this, according to coach Duncan Fletcher.
 
It really cannot get any more bizarre, unless of course, India now loses to Bermuda and Shoaib Akhtar is flown in as stand-in captain for the last Pakistan match. The first one is still a possibility, mind you!

There is growing uneasiness among all teams gathered in the Caribbean and understandably so. The World Cup officially kicks off next week, but for two weeks after that, there’s just one key match per team. For the fans, there are just four important matches. Here are the dates to remember and the matches that will be worth following in round 1:

March 13: West Indies v Pakistan (Jamaica)
March 16: England v New Zealand (St. Lucia)
March 23: India v Sri Lanka (Trinidad)
March 24: Australia v South Africa (St. Kitts)

Of all these teams, Pakistan would consider themselves unluckiest. They start their campaign with the most important match in the first round and they stand to lose momentum by the time they play next in the Super Eight stage. Their chances of winning are also not the best with the West Indies enjoying the home advantage and having had a better time of it lately. In the 12 days or so between their first match and the first Super Eight match (assuming they finish second in Group D), the will play Zimbabwe and Ireland. Bob Woolmer has a task on his hands.

For the betting inclined, here are the current odds as published by Ladbrokes: Australia 9/4, South Africa 4/1, Sri Lanka 7/1, West Indies 7/1, England 8/1, India 8/1, New Zealand 8/1, Pakistan 12/1. Australia is obvious favourites despite their recent form. South Africa is a close second, Sri Lanka and West Indies third followed by England, India and New Zealand and finally, Pakistan. For Pakistan to really make an impact, they would need an Imran Khan to lead them. Inzamam doesn’t quite fit the bill there.

Among the minnows, Zimbabwe has fallen below Bangladesh. What this means is matches involving Bangladesh may have better cricket than those involving Zimbabwe. May be true! Bermuda has very long shot at the cup and to be honest, I don’t know why we should even consider these teams! Well, here are the odds in any case: Bangladesh 200/1, Zimbabwe 250/1, Kenya 500/1, Scotland 500/1, Canada 1000/1, Holland 1000/1, Ireland 1000/1, Bermuda 2000/1.

These odds would have changed a bit by the time the Super Eight starts and there is little doubt that any of the minnows would be involved in those matches. For one, there are no games that are being forfeited and no walkovers to give free points to the minnows. As Ian Chappell rightly said, this is the most open World Cup in a long time (perhaps since 1992) where more than four teams have a real chance of winning.

It’s just that there’s a two-week wait after the start for the real action!