Unexpected World Cup

[Gurjot95]

This is turning out to be very unexpected World Cup. India and Australia who were the favorites before going into WC aren't the top sides in their group. Not only this, they struggle against Associate Nations too.

England who were also one of favorites lose against Ireland and Bangladesh and had a close encounter against Holland.

Pakistan who were considered one of the weakest test nation team going into WC, went on to beat Sri Lanka and Australia who won their 34th consecutive matches before in WC and were looking unstoppable. They surprised everyone by topping the group.

Ireland surprised everyone by their performance and they gave a good competition in all their matches. Their fielding looked very impressive. They were no where same like other Associated teams.

Kenya was expected to give a good fight after they reached Semi finals in 03' but they failed to win even a 1 match in their WC campaign.

New Zealand who came into WC after getting whitewashed from Bangladesh surprised everyone by beating Pakistan comprehensively.

TBF, no team looked like the same as they were looking before WC.

What's next? Perhaps a unexpected team to win WC?

 

[AbhishekS]

I don't feel that England ever were the favorites to win the cup.

And this will turn out to be an unexpected world cup only if New Zealand somehow manages to win the world cup, that'll be absolutely shocking considering their recent performances against India and Bangladesh in the sub-continent.

 

[Haarithan]

Yeah , England were no were near the the tagline of 'favorites' , not after that 6-1 mauling by the Aussies .

 

[aussie1st]

The English were equal with Australia in the odds before the WC so the bookies did rate them pretty highly for some reason.

 

[STLIndian]

What's unexpected is that it's actually working pretty well.

I thought the group stage would be irrelevant, but it hasn't been. Pakistan and South Africa have been rewarded for being the best team in their group by getting to play WI/NZ. And AUS and IND now have to play each other as a result of a slightly underwhelming group stage.

It's already been WAYY better than 07, even though theoretically 07 was a better format.

 

[shravi]

It's been a great world cup. It's just a shame I couldn't watch most of it. Can't wait till AUS/NZ (2015) or till West Indies gets it again.

 

[Params7]

Yeah the associate matches aside, this WC has seen some pretty awesome matches and its all even right now. Sri Lanka could win the WC as much as India, Australia, SA (I kid) or Pakistan.

 

[Paki007]

Ireland surprised everyone

Yeah their performance against Bang was quite surprising

 

[SaiSrini]

Has been a very exciting World Cup. The low scoring thrillers have also been in good parts, which has made stuff exciting. Group B has made this World Cup so interesting and fun.

Hope the knockouts live up to the hype and this WC ends memorably.

 

[Gurjot95]

Yeah their performance against Bang was quite surprising

You may be sarcastic there but they did surprised them also by bowling them out in under 200. It's there batting who is to blame, they did fine with bowling in that match and they were not the team who only shined with either bat or bowl for whole tournament unlike other teams

What's more exiting about this WC is that no team is going unbeaten in QF's.

 

[icyman]

It's been a great world cup. It's just a shame I couldn't watch most of it. Can't wait till AUS/NZ (2015) or till West Indies gets it again.

England get in in 2019, Then again I feel the South Africans will get a chance to host it in 2023. A long time for the Windies to host it from here.

Has been a very exciting World Cup. The low scoring thrillers have also been in good parts, which has made stuff exciting. Group B has made this World Cup so interesting and fun.

Hope the knockouts live up to the hype and this WC ends memorably.

The knockout stage was expected to make the WC interesting, it will do so !

 

[simsanta123]

The knockout stage was expected to make the WC interesting, it will do so !

Or (and I hope I am wrong) it may turn out to be less substance, more hype. Even with all the teams evenly matched, there is no knowing how one sided some games could be.

 

[Owzat]

I don't feel that England ever were the favorites to win the cup.

England are always "built up" by the media, but frankly the last time they were a threat in a World Cup was 1992 when they probably should have won it.

I'm not convinced this is an "unexpected World Cup", the eight teams the ICC and TV wanted through got through, maybe they wouldn't have wanted the aussies to face India in the QFs but they probably wanted it at some point (SFs or Final)

England slipped up against Bangladesh and Ireland, but other than those two games were there any great shocks? (and I'm not convinced Bangladesh counts as a true shock) As World Cups go, this hasn't had many shocks, not of the David over Goliath variety leastwise.

1975 (0)
1979 (1) Sri Lanka beat India
1983 (1) Zimbabwe beat Australia
1987 (0)
1992 (1) Zimbabwe beat England, although I'm sure Zimbabwe were a Test nation that same year
1996 (1) Kenya beat West Indies
1999 (1) Bangladesh beat Pakistan
2003 (4) Canada beat Bangladesh, Kenya beat Sri Lanka, Kenya beat Bangladesh, Kenya beat Zimbabwe
2007 (2) Ireland beat Bangladesh, Ireland beat Pakistan
2011 (1) Ireland beat England

Considering some of those are "shocks" more because the team beaten was borderline case for Test status anyway, there aren't that many and this World Cup no more than before. Only 1975 and 1987 featured no shocks at all.

So one shock and the eight teams you'd have backed to get through to the QFs, is that REALLY "unexpected" ? Not in light of how embarrassingly bad England can be and Ireland have enough about them to shock sides these days, although you could argue England's progress is a little bit of a surprise but it isn't really as they are better than Ireland and Bangladesh

 

[simsanta123]

Or (and I hope I am wrong) it may turn out to be less substance, more hype. Even with all the teams evenly matched, there is no knowing how one sided some games could be.

Hehe, I was proved right by the Pak vs WI game. Hope the other games turn out better.

 

[sami ullah khan]

Nobody gave Pakistan any chance to go this far and yet they march on. Next surprise could be Newzealand toppling Africans and England getting the better of Sri Lanka.