Sporting An Opinion

Will you experience withdrawal symptoms with the upcoming two-day break in the cricket? Or do you think the cricket was never good enough to be addicted to? We are sure there are some who feel that way, but on the whole, it’s been pretty good cricket. If only the atmosphere at the grounds had been the same!

Enough and more has been said about the extravagantly high cost of tickets and how the crowds have found it forbiddingly expensive. Despite the best efforts of the organisers with pools in the stadiums and all being installed, the crowds simply haven’t been there. Not even for the West Indies matches.

The break also offers a good opportunity for officials to recharge before the final leg of the tournament. Once this break is over, the final scramble for the semi-final slots shall begin in all earnest. Australia seems like they will get there on a canter. As will Sri Lanka, New Zealand and South Africa. England perhaps blew their hopes when the lost to Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, one of the two surprise exits in the first round, India, has begun the investigations into the debacle and the results are being seen already! Greg Chappell has already resigned and the race for the Indian coach will hot up once again. Dav Whatmore and Viv Richards have both shown interest but the mysterious ways in which Indian cricket works, it’s best not to make any predictions.

And there is more turmoil in Indian cricket with the announcement of the ICL. But Lalit Modi, BCCI vice-president, has said that the league is not possible without the BCCI support. That is true, but there may just be other ways to get this off the ground. The proposal now also has the support of some former players including Arun Lal. The uncertain days surrounding Indian cricket continue.

And it’s likely to be around for a while.

India’s exit from the tournament is reason enough that many Indian cricket fans would stop following the tournament altogether. I mean, how does it matter to the Indian fan who wins? Only the die-hard will see the key matches hoping for some good cricket. Right? One hopes not, actually. Cricket is so much a part of an Indian that the World Cup is his pilgrimage. And the rude end to this pilgrimage may not be handled too well by most.

In our conversations with some fans, we have found that cricket is today only as important as any other soap opera at prime time. The earlier fights for the remote and control over the TV has reduced considerably. Only perhaps an England v West Indies or Australia v New Zealand match will arouse some good interest. And who can blame them? The time for watching a match live is just too wrong. Most people have to go to work and following it beyond the first innings (that ends at about 10.30 pm) is criminal.

Honestly, this could be one reason that the Caribbean may not host another World Cup for a very long time. It’s not well suited to the large TV audiences around the world. Matches in Australia are no problem to follow for the subcontinent or even England. Ditto for games in South Africa and the games in England may be a bit of a problem for Aussie fans, but they are pretty used to it now thanks to the Ashes!

What has also been disappointing is the lack of crowds at the grounds. A similar problem was noticed at the recent ICC Champions Trophy. With limited venues and too many matches, the cost of tickets can be prohibitive. But the ICC and the organisers did not reduce the cost or even make it free. As a result, the locals have all but abandoned the matches. Brian Lara has already gone on record lamenting the lack of support and with India and Pakistan bowing out, even those who had planned trips to the Caribbean have reconsidered and some, canceled.

While the format would come under scrutiny, it cannot be an excuse for two exits. Upsets are part of the game but one upset cannot decide the fate of a team, right? It happens in tennis with an upset in the early rounds but there are more top players to fill the void in a pool of 128 players in a Grand Slam. If this is the Grand Slam of cricket, two of the top seeds are out and that leaves a small field of six top teams to pull in the crowds. Rather inadequate. With Bangladesh and Ireland, it has also meant that 12 matches have suddenly become one-sided. That translates to 12 days of lost revenue on TV, crowds in the stands and lack of interest.

Will this issue be addressed? Is there an issue to start with? Should the top eight teams be ensured entry into the later stages? The obvious answer is yes, at least until the lesser teams are good enough to put up a fight. There would be many who would not like or agree with this solution, but in a world that comprises eight big names, the securities needed to keep the business going are tremendous. Tough decisions need to be taken and the ICC will need to make them. They don’t have the best track record in this regard, but for once, they will need to do it.

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!

All things equal, what is it that would differentiate the six big teams in the World Cup. For practical reasons, let us not consider Bangladesh and Ireland. One is tempted to leave out the West Indies too, but let’s not!

Australia has redefined the art of aggression. And for once, we will not go on a rant about their sledging. It’s not always about sledging when Australia takes the field. It’s body language, the small signals they send out even when they are throwing the ball back to the keeper, they dont merely lob it back. Every throw leaves an impression on the batsman. It also helps that they chase down just about everything. And drop almost nothing. So when a team comes up against a unit that is so good, how do you win? Are there any chinks in the armour?

The only real chink seems to be the bowling. But that has more to do with the lack of big names than anything else. But they do seem breakable on this front as New Zealand has proved time and again. In the batting department, they are just as in your face playing audacious shots. Sure a long and talented (and in-form) batting order helps them take a risk or two but one needs to have the self-confidence to play the way they do.

New Zealand is another side that has all the confidence. Scrappy they may look, but they are effective. Making every resource count is their motto and while they may not be as aggressive in terms of body language, they dont lack any aggression in their play. Right from the top of the batting order, they have players who are ready to dig deep and play out whatever situation they may be faced with. Shane Bond and Jacob Oram perhaps personify their aggression but one cannot forget Craig McMillan, the true scrapper who simply refuses to lie low. The New Zealand-Australia match should be the highlight of the ongoing Super Eight and perhaps, the best final.

South Africa is fragile and although their captain and non-stop chattering bowlers would like to show that they are on top, their body language sometimes belies that. The batting is aggressive, but at some level, lacks the skill. A couple of failures leaves them exposed and a good bowling and fielding line up (the kinds Australia and New Zealand possess) can hold up their progress. At this stage, they are good enough to make the semi-final, but should they be up against New Zealand or Australia, it could well be curtains.

Sri Lanka has the skill, but they seem to be getting the batting wrong. Fielding is as good as any, and the bowling has the enigmatic Malinga and Murali with the steady and incisive Vaas to back up but that apart, they can be run ragged. Malinga himself is erratic and the loss to South Africa would have hurt. Now they need to get past the West Indies, one minnow team and England to ensure a spot in the semis. The games against Australia and New Zealand should be exciting but one doesn’t see them beating Australia. New Zealand, perhaps.

Which brings us top the two underperforming big teams: England and West Indies. If the four teams mentioned prior to this form the possible semi-final line-up, these two teams have only themselves to blame. They have too many internal issues and trivial things that should have been sorted out by now. Team selection and infighting will be the bane of the West Indies team while an out of form top order and erratic bowling will bring down England.

If we are to argue that the skills of the top six teams are well matched (not really true across the board, but on an average, there are minor differences) it will eventually be the will to win and the aggressive outlook that would differentiate them. Australia v New Zealand looks the most likely final at the moment unless they end up facing each other in the semis.

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!

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.

Stephen Fleming must be thinking when he will catch his lucky break. If the bowlers are the usual suspects for injuries, this time, it’s his batsmen that have let him down! But not without some help from the bowlers. Shane Bond broke Lou Vincent’s hand and Ross Taylor’s hamstring has been pulled. Vincent must be an especially bitter loss after he had fought his way back into form with a century.

Despite that, however, New Zealand has a decent enough side to challenge the West Indies on their home turf. That the Windies would be playing for the third day running won’t help the home team, but New Zealand are not complaining! With two guaranteed wins against Ireland and Bangladesh up for grabs, they just need to ensure they win a game against West Indies and maybe their bunny team Australia! The semi-final spot is theirs for the taking!

The West Indies need a bolt of lightning from the blue to lift their chances. They were fairly lucky to make it to this stage with two points but still need to win a few to make it further. Their lacklustre performances so far are hardly confidence-arousing and could well continue if Lara spends more time commenting on the crowd support rather than focusing on what ails his players. And what ails them is completely mental.

If playing at home cannot ensure them wins, the Windies really don’t deserve to go any further. Winning a tournament at home has always been tough but getting to the semis has been easier (England and South Africa being the exceptions!).

Over-simplifying the West Indies problems, all they need to do is field better, bowl better and bat better. Of course, everyone knows that but it’s still not happening, is it? The batsmen seem to dislike the sun for they are always in a hurry to return to the comfort of the dressing room.

Jokes apart, though, if the Windies can beat the New Zealanders today, it would be just the shot the Super Eights needs. Else, the semi-finalists may just be decided before the last few games are played.

Australia takes on the West Indies today in the opening Super Eight fixture and the World Cup is truly underway now. Brian Lara is keyed up for his team’s key clash against the reigning champions and today’s performance from the Aussies will be the first indicator whether they still have the fire to complete their hat-trick.

The Aussie tactics over the years have been clear and they are known to target the main player of the opposition. But Brian Lara is not one to be disturbed by such announcements. He has seen it all in his 15-plus years of playing international cricket. “It is the thing that actually drives me - that the opposition is going to come after the so called key player,” said Lara referring to the Australian tactics.

Today’s match should be an interesting one since the Australian bowling and West Indian batting are both slightly under par! Australia is relying heavily on Glenn McGrath and Nathan Bracken and hoping others play their part while the West Indian batting depends on Lara, Chanderpaul and Gayle. Two of the three are out of form at last count!

Writing off the Windies, though, would be foolish. They are a determined and talented bunch and have recovered from a hiding at the hands of India in the warm-up game. And now, having seen India crumble out after that performance would have given them even greater confidence.

Australia has so far looked the part of being the World Champion. They have won all their matches convincingly and barring a spectacular loss of form, should win easily. For today’s match, though, they may need to start slightly circumspect considering the opposition is neither Scotland now Holland! It didn’t matter really even when the opposition was South Africa!

Ricky Ponting has begun the mental games in all earnest but Brian Lara is not biting yet. What the team strategies would be will depend largely on the pitch conditions but one does expect the West Indies to bowl first and make any use of the morning conditions possible.

After two weeks of lead-up, this is the real thing. Four weeks to go for a (new?) world champion to be crowned.

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.