2011 World Cup Pre-Event Discussion

[McLOVIN]

100 Days Countdown to World Cup 2011 has sarted.

Anybody watched the start to countdown show? =S

 

[Papa_Smurf]

Really excited about this one - with all the recent one day series being absolute classics, this tournament promises to be a cracker.

Any of the big nations can win it.

 

[sami ullah khan]

Here are my semifinalists

Australia
South Africa (better not choke this time around)
Sri Lanka
England or India
I will be very surprised to see any of the other teams to make it to semis. Pakistan, West Indies and Newzealand are not much far off from Bangladesh atm.

 

[Gaurav_7]

I would love to see Bangladesh make it big this time and at least be in the semis. Recent series against NZ proves they are getting better and better day by day. I will not hesitate to put my money on them to reach the semis this time round.

 

[sami ullah khan]

While Bangladesh did well to beat Newzealand I don't think they will be able to upset more than one quality opposition.

 

[aussie1st]

I always thought it was just the host. It probably was coincidence that the host of the previous one faced them as the groups are determined by rankings.

 

[Papa_Smurf]

Here are my semifinalists

Australia
South Africa (better not choke this time around)
Sri Lanka
England or India
I will be very surprised to see any of the other teams to make it to semis. Pakistan, West Indies and Newzealand are not much far off from Bangladesh atm.

I won't be surprised - NewZealand seem to be always in the semi's for most of the recent icc tournaments.
Pak also have been in every single semi since the 2007 world cup (although most of them were 20/20), plus them having really close odi series with eng and sa.
Bangladesh have just whitewashed, not beaten, but whitewashed the kiwis. Considering they did it where the wc is happening, this could be the confidence booster they needed to perform.
Not too sure about the WI - haven't seen much of them recently.

 

[McLOVIN]

hey nice touch to my thread title.

that was a good call. thnx to who ever

 

[Cricketman]

Ashes will have a massive influence I reckon. Aussies will either be super deflated and England will be on an all time high or it will be flipped and Australia will be pumped and England brought back to Earth a little. If Ashes go Australia's way, I can see them bouncing back big. But if it's England... they will be as confident as ever and I think they will have the momentum to win it.

You can never tell with India, ever. Especially with our drastic imbalance in the team and usually bad team selection in ODIs. If guys like Ravinder Jadeja and Munaf Patel etc are in the squad we have no hope. I'd personally like to see Uthappa back. My XI would be something like

Sehwag
Tendulkar
Gambhir
Yuvraj/Kohli
Dhoni
Raina
Uthappa
Harbhajan/Ashwin (never gonna happen, but one can hope)
Praveen
Zaheer
Nehra

I'm digging the pace trio and a good spinner to back it up will be enough. Raina/Yuvraj/Sehwag can get through 10 overs easy enough I reckon. Slots 3-7 are completely fluid and brings massive depth and flexibility to the batting order.

I'm going to put my money on SA...Amla is going to have a dream run I think.

 

[sifter132]

I'm going to put my money on SA...Amla is going to have a dream run I think.

SA win a major tournament?? Look for Australia to lose the summer series to England, go in as a mere 2nd or 3rd favourite (after SA, Ind and maybe SL) and take the tournament. That's happened the last 3 World Cups...

Whatever happens, it's looking like a good open tournament as people have mentioned.

 

[McLOVIN]

(starting from odd years, excluding 96) Aus v Pak 99, Aus v Ind 03, Aus v Sl, Aus v Ban 11.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

India's bowling sucks
Australia have mastered the art of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory
South Africa are chokers
England, while improved, are prone to phases of total incompetence
Pakistan has match-fixers and, like England, are prone to phases of total incompetence
New Zealand are struggling for depth of talent
Bangladesh, despite improving are, well, Bangladesh
West Indies are in disarray, need work

Sri Lanka are my favourites for this competition. But not by much.

This is gonna be fun.

 

[Cricketman]

SA win a major tournament?? Look for Australia to lose the summer series to England, go in as a mere 2nd or 3rd favourite (after SA, Ind and maybe SL) and take the tournament. That's happened the last 3 World Cups...

You can't even compare the teams of the last 3 WCs to the current Australian set up...

 

[pcfan123]

Will be nice to see a WC in which Australia is not favored to go undefeated. England or South Africa to take it.

 

[sifter132]

You can't even compare the teams of the last 3 WCs to the current Australian set up...

Well kindof I guess, but that's what the experts were saying in 2003: this is no 1999 team...no Shane Warne, no Gillespie, blah blah. Big questions over Symonds, Hogg and Bichel etc. And in 2007 the Aussies lost the summer ODI tournament and the series in NZ before the WC and were universally ragged on. Then it was different analysis: Gilchrist, Hayden and McGrath were 'past it' and Lee was our best bowler and he got injured before the WC.

It'll be the same this time, people love to find chinks in the Aussie armour, and are very quick to nominate other contenders. But Australia is still ranked #1 in the world, they still have plenty of players that other teams would like and they still play tough cricket.