General Cricket Discussion

[richowebbo]

The legal capacity? Are you doing time?

Yes. Hard time. I killed a man.

 

[Skater]

Yes. Hard time. I killed a man.

Put a gun against his head?

 

[richowebbo]

Put a gun against his head?

Nah, this guy called me on my use of language on a cricket forum, instead of talking about cricket, so I killed him with my bare hands.

Bloody smart arses!

 

[Skater]

I always say the smartest arse gets the smoothest toilet paper.

Right, cricket. Er, this World Cup has had a fair few one-sided games hasn't it?

 

[richowebbo]

I always say the smartest arse gets the smoothest toilet paper.

Right, cricket. Er, this World Cup has had a fair few one-sided games hasn't it?

Yes, yes it has.

 

[cricket_icon]

I always say the smartest arse gets the smoothest toilet paper.

Right, cricket. Er, this World Cup has had a fair few one-sided games hasn't it?

well that's what happens when we have teams with cast gaps in experience, skill and talent. Having said that, there's already been an upset everyone is avoiding (WI V Ireland), an upset that may not really have been an upset but was a great game (Aus v NZ) and probably the finest associates game of all time (Ireland v UAE).

Also, some of the most destructive batting ever has been on display. Shaping up to be a good world cup...if only there weren't so many games.

 

[PokerAce]

Tendulkar calls for 25-team World Cup | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

Fully Endorse this. While 25 teams maynot be possible, 24 more like would present a good format, however fully endorse the view that the WC needs to look at having more teams, not less.

Tendulkar has said that having lesser teams is a backward step and I have to agree again.

 

[ParkedTheBus]

Is anyone else bored of the sheer number of 400+ scores? Wish the pitches could be encouraging to bowlers also.

 

[Params7]

Tendulkar calls for 25-team World Cup | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

Fully Endorse this. While 25 teams maynot be possible, 24 more like would present a good format, however fully endorse the view that the WC needs to look at having more teams, not less.

Tendulkar has said that having lesser teams is a backward step and I have to agree again.

What these Associate nations need is just more exposure by playing Test nations in between world cups. That is how they will develop. Having more sides in WC is great, but if they are to develop and become good competition for the Test sides, they must get that focus in between the WCs. Maybe have AFG play any touring Test nation that comes to India as warm up games. Or have India/Australia's A side tour AFG regularly. Pour some funding so the AFG players can leave their day-jobs for cricket full time.

When they play with the best, they will develop faster. But they get basically zero exposure. I feel PCB can help AFG develop their game. BCCI/ICC are too busy counting money in their little circlejerk to care any more about Associates. Players like Sachin are passionate with what they say, but I feel they can do a lot more in seeing it through. ICC needs an overhaul.

 

[abhi_jacko]

At the very least, the Associates should get full proper series against atleast A-teams of full member nations.

Have full fledged ODI tournaments or even championships - 4 top A teams with 4 top Associate teams (if not more). Played in significant venues. With a handsome prize money if possible. That in itself will be a massive boost to the Associates because they will have to up their game to compete and win.

 

[Skater]

As we know, two teams tour England every summer - this year New Zealand and Australia. Instead of two indiviudal ODI series between England and each country, it might be an idea to have the first tourists (who will have just played a Test series against England) and the second tourists (who would have just arrived) to play against England and Ireland, crucially, in a 4 team ODI tournament. Everyone could play each other twice, so six games in total at that stage, and then the top two could play in a final at Lord's. The whole thing would be 13 ODIs, it would give the matches a competitive feel rather than having a repetitive ODI series between just two teams, and Ireland would gain some experience. They'd be guaranteed 6 ODIs against top nations every summer - albeit 2 of them against England. To carry this fantasy even further, if you had two games on consecutive days (so, England v New Zealand on Saturday and then Australia v Ireland on the Sunday), then a rest day, before another two games on consecutive days on the Tuesday and Wednesday, the whole thing would be done in 19 days. If the first touring team played a Test series in mid-May to early June, the rest of June could be used for this ODI competition, leaving all of July, August and as long as the weather holds in September for the second, traditionally bigger Test series.

You are all free now to tell me why this would never work.

 

[_Sam_]

10 ODI games cut down to 6 in a single summer probably wouldn't be viewed positively from a financial perspective.

 

[IceAgeComing]

As we know, two teams tour England every summer - this year New Zealand and Australia. Instead of two indiviudal ODI series between England and each country, it might be an idea to have the first tourists (who will have just played a Test series against England) and the second tourists (who would have just arrived) to play against England and Ireland, crucially, in a 4 team ODI tournament. Everyone could play each other twice, so six games in total at that stage, and then the top two could play in a final at Lord's. The whole thing would be 13 ODIs, it would give the matches a competitive feel rather than having a repetitive ODI series between just two teams, and Ireland would gain some experience. They'd be guaranteed 6 ODIs against top nations every summer - albeit 2 of them against England. To carry this fantasy even further, if you had two games on consecutive days (so, England v New Zealand on Saturday and then Australia v Ireland on the Sunday), then a rest day, before another two games on consecutive days on the Tuesday and Wednesday, the whole thing would be done in 19 days. If the first touring team played a Test series in mid-May to early June, the rest of June could be used for this ODI competition, leaving all of July, August and as long as the weather holds in September for the second, traditionally bigger Test series.

You are all free now to tell me why this would never work.

they used to have a tri-series between the two touring teams and England instead of two long ODI series; and adding Ireland to that wouldn't be that bad. I'd personally rotate it occasionally so that Scotland get to participate some years; but in the short term sticking with Ireland would work. I'd personally mandate that the second touring party had to play an ODI in Scotland; like Australia do every time they tour, that'd guarantee one ODI a year for Scotland which is better than nothing! In the long term you'd also want to include the Dutch: they're the one major West European nation that gets ignored in these things.

You could make it up to near ten by making it a best of three series for the final; perhaps with the first game in Ireland and the last two in England. Besides does anyone really care about the ODIs after the Oval test: they usually end up being played in late September when everyone has moved on from cricket to something else. That Oval test should be the last big international game played in England IMO

 

[Satan666]

Tendulkar calls for 25-team World Cup | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

Fully Endorse this. While 25 teams maynot be possible, 24 more like would present a good format, however fully endorse the view that the WC needs to look at having more teams, not less.

Tendulkar has said that having lesser teams is a backward step and I have to agree again.

Yeah gotta agree there, read the article earlier. Hope the ICC heed the great Tendulkar advice a world cup with 10 teams is ludicrous. Still open to the idea of a double inns ODI also, overall excellent stuff from Tendulkar!

 

[blockerdave]

Very good article very sensible opinions from Sachin.

Just watching guys smash everything into the stands with bowlers powerless is not cricket. The ODI format needs freshening up and the split innings idea sounds good though fielding restrictions and arguably bouncer restrictions need looking at.

And the more exposure for Associates including A Team tours is spot on. Chucking these sides in at the deep end every four years then complaining they're not competitive is a joke