2015 Cricket World Cup

[Librarian On Fire]

Bugger the Brit Awards we've got over a month's cricket to watch. Righto, the 2015 Cricket World Cup was opened last night. We've now got a month of ODI action. Who's going to win? You can never rule Australia out and they must go in as favourites. They've won something like eleven of their last twelve ODI's. New Zealand are looking very, very good. We've come of the back of beating Sri Lanka in series here in New Zealand. Brendan McCullum is playing outstanding cricket. Quite possibly the best bastman in the world right now. New Zealand's low and slow wicket will keep down the pace attack. South Africa and England are also looking really good. India didn't do very well in the series in Australia and they just don't quite have the team for a win. However on the day who knows. So I will say it will be a Australia, New Zealand final with New Zealand pulling off with an upset win.

 

[123xyz]

Obviously I'm biased but I'll pick Australia. Their fast-bowling depth is really quite impressive and they mauled India easily in the recent series. India , for a team that emphasises ODIs over Tests ( such blasphemy !) , played like teenage stoners ; they really looked uninterested.

I see the West Indies beat Scotland by only three runs in yesterday's warm-up match. It's bizarre to think they once dominated world cricket for twenty years...

 

[Bluebirds]

I'm afraid the WIndies are in disarray. I'm off there to watch the England Test Series in April. I'm imagining a few days on the beach will occur. I'm more of a Test Match fan than One Day Cricket I'm afraid. Pyjama crap

As for the World Cup however I'll make an exception. The Black Caps look really strong, as do Australia and South Africa who usually choke in the latter stages.

A team that no one is backing is Pakistan. And I also think Sri Lanka always raise their game for World Cups.

I'd like to see New Zealand win it (and think they'll beat England later on today/ this morning here) but believe the Convicts will be too strong. Be interested to see what happens with Michael Clarke when he returns from injury as the Aussie one day team is George Bailey's side imho.

 

[pdlqnbiy]

I am with New Zealand....

 

[Bluebirds]

Well I wasn't expecting that

 

[Librarian On Fire]

Well we tried and we failed and we were nice.

Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has justified his sledging of the Black Caps in the Cricket World Cup final because they had made him “uncomfortable” with their “nice” attitudes earlier in the tournament.

Haddin was speaking to Sydney radio station Triple M on Monday, as the all-night victory celebrations rolled on from their seven-wicket hiding of New Zealand the night before.

Haddin was under fire because of repeated chatter and “sending off” of New Zealand batsmen Martin Guptill and Grant Elliott. But the hard-nosed gloveman didn’t back away from that, declaring: “You know what? They deserved it.”

Haddin suggested the pleasant attitude of the Black Caps during Australia’s pool match in Auckland, which the Kiwis won, had hardened his attitude towards Brendon McCullum’s team if there was to be a rematch in the playoffs.

“They were that nice to us in New Zealand and we were that uncomfortable,” Haddin told the radio station in an interview that was reported in Australian media by News.com.

“I said in the team meeting: ‘I can’t stand for this anymore, we’re going at them as hard as we can.'”

“It was that uncomfortable,” Haddin said.

“All they were was that nice to us for seven days.

“I said, ‘I’m not playing cricket like this. If we get another crack at these guys in the final I’m letting everything [out].'”

 

[Charlie Cheswick]

Well we tried and we failed and we were nice.

Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has justified his sledging of the Black Caps in the Cricket World Cup final because they had made him “uncomfortable” with their “nice” attitudes earlier in the tournament.

Haddin was speaking to Sydney radio station Triple M on Monday, as the all-night victory celebrations rolled on from their seven-wicket hiding of New Zealand the night before.

Haddin was under fire because of repeated chatter and “sending off” of New Zealand batsmen Martin Guptill and Grant Elliott. But the hard-nosed gloveman didn’t back away from that, declaring: “You know what? They deserved it.”

Haddin suggested the pleasant attitude of the Black Caps during Australia’s pool match in Auckland, which the Kiwis won, had hardened his attitude towards Brendon McCullum’s team if there was to be a rematch in the playoffs.

“They were that nice to us in New Zealand and we were that uncomfortable,” Haddin told the radio station in an interview that was reported in Australian media by News.com.

“I said in the team meeting: ‘I can’t stand for this anymore, we’re going at them as hard as we can.'”

“It was that uncomfortable,” Haddin said.

“All they were was that nice to us for seven days.

“I said, ‘I’m not playing cricket like this. If we get another crack at these guys in the final I’m letting everything [out].'”

He sounds like he needs a hard kick in the bollocks.

 

[123xyz]

After the match , a friend and I looked up the various World Cup winners and were surprised to discover the number of Australian victories ( I think it's 5 now ?). I wonder how healthy this is for the sport as a whole , globally ...

 

[Librarian On Fire]

I heard something in passing saying New Zealand was ranked number 6 in ODI's. Surely we must be higher than that now. England, South Africa and New Zealand have yet to win the ICC World Cup. There's also the other minow nations such as UAE who have bugger all chance of winning.

Interesting that that game between New Zealand and Australia in the pool games was the first time we had played each other for six years. The ICC are more interested in getting TV rights to games in India than promoting a fair and balanced international schedule of fixtures.

Roll on the RWC 123xyz!

 

[Bluebirds]

The ICC - the only sport governing body that actively promotes a reduction in participators.

Oh well 11 days from now I will be watching a Test Match in Antigua.... You can keep your pyjamarama cricket. Unless all the games are like that New Zealand v South Africa semi-final

 

[CrystalGeezer]