Ok, so I know I've already started one cricket related thing with 'The Worlds Best Test side', and that starting a second one now means I'm likely to do my usual thing of abandonment at the beginning. I will not do that now however, and the reason for the lack of continuation with the test blog is that I have no computer, hithero no means of writing anything. Also, I had the idea for this column this morning, and as the world cup starts in under a month, it made sense to go ahead with this. So here we go. This series will look at the top contenders for the 2011 ICC World Cup, and to break away from the norm, I shall tell you exactly why each side will not win the world cup. This is intended to be not entirely serious as well, so take with a pinch of salt. Today, I'll look at the top sides in Group A. Ahead!
WHY AUSTRALIA WILL NOT WIN THE WORLD CUP.
- Pace attack. Australias 15 man squad comes along with a lot of fitness question marks, and these are in some pretty key areas. The decision was made to take both Shaun Tait and Brett Lee, who on their day are 2 of the most intimidating fast bowlers in the world today. Lee's record speaks for itself, and Tait almsot singlehandedly won Australia a series in England last summer. He was also the joint lead wicket taker in the 2007 World Cup. Both of these quicks however, have spent the majority of the last 18 months injured, and injuries take their toll on fast bowlers more than most. If they fire, they will take wickets at the top of the order without question. If they don't fire however, they will go for a lot of runs, and a lot of runs fast. So say they don't, and Australias opposition get off to a flyer 70-0 after 10 overs. Who is the next quick in line to try and restore some control? Mitchell Johnson. A man who is as famed for his lack of control as he is for his wicket taking ability. Taking Tait and Lee (with the unlucky Peter Siddle missing out) is a huge gamble. If it comes off, Australia could pick up a 4th straight world cup. However, it won't.
- A lack of confidence. Yes, thats right, as unbelievable as it is to say, Australia are lacking confidence right now. Now, of course this works differently with the Aussies, they have different levels of confidence to most sportsmen in the world, but their recent battering in the Ashes and the merciless battering they took in the press will cause some doubt in the squad. Add this to question marks over the fitness of Ponting, Hussey, Lee and Tait, doubt as to the form of Michael Clarke, the ever hanging Nathan Hauritz question and the sides lack of a top quality all rounder, and you have clouds of doubt over an Australian side that haven't been seen for 20 years.
- Nathan Hauritz. You really have to feel for Nathan Hauritz. First, he's chosen as the sides spinner and is ripped apart by critics worldwide. He puts in steady performances and slowly shows his worth to the side. He's then dropped abruptly and the whole world demands to know why. Now, he is back in the squad for the world cup. He is literally, on a hiding to nothing. He isn't reknowned for his confidence, and his record in India (something that Hilditch claimed was a reason for his picking) is abysmal. If he doesn't start well, his 10 overs will be looked at by opposition sides as buffet time.
- WHY PAKISTAN WON'T WIN THE WORLD CUP.
- Drama. Huge cliche, yes. Pakistan have made more headlines for their off field dramas than they have for on field performances as of late, and these can only prove distracting. After the spot fixing scandal of the summer, they are missing 3 of their top players, Zulqarnain Haider is in hiding in Britain and there is uncertainty surrounding the side. They were supposed to be co hosting this tournament, but political instability has made this impossible. Pakistan and drama go hand in hand, and it usually leads to distraction.
- No Mohammed Yousuf, Yes Misbah-ul-Haq. Mohammad Yousuf has got a generally poor world cup record, that can't be argued with. His performances in recent ODIs have also not set the world alight. However, that is more than can be said for Misbah, despite his recent elevation to test captain. Yousuf is widely regarded as one of the classiest players of the last 15 years, and his calm batting should not be shunned. The reasons for his lack of selection are valid, but I'm sure there will be a time when his presence would have been needed. Misbah's record does not fill fans with joy either, and the middle order of the side is a big question mark because of this.
- BOOM BOOM. Yes, its the reason everyone loves to watch Pakistani cricket. Invariably, there will come an explosion, and it will be entertaining. The side possesses many cricketers who on their day can win a match on their own, but are equally as likely to implode and leave the side in tatters. Shahid Afridi has made this almost marketable over the last 15 years. When he fires, there is no one like him in the world. However, his firing has become more and more rare. Abdul Razzaq is the same. He won a game on his own against South Africa recently, and then returned to fiddly scores. Umar Akmal is the latest exciting talent to join the side, and I'm sure his worlc up record will be somewhere along the lines of nothing, nothing, exciting 30, nothing, fantastic 60+, nothing.
WHY NEW ZEALAND WILL NOT WIN THE WORLD CUP.
- Poor bowling attack. Take Daniel Vettori out, and not a single other bowler would have made the first XI of another top side. Kyle Mills would be close, but his injury concerns have stunted his career. Tim Southee is an exciting prospect, but far from the finished article. Hamish Bennett is an unknown, as is Luke Woodcock. Nathan McCullum is steady, and James Franklin has impressed more with his batting than his bowling recently. This side misses Shane Bond more than any other side misses anyone.
- Reliance on key players. Its so much of a cliche, it could almost be a drinking game. Drink every time New Zealand and words such as 'fighters', 'gritty', 'workmanlike' and the such are mentioned in the same sentence. However, New Zealands top order seems to be full of more flair than usual. This leads to a reliance on these players however. If Jesse Ryder, Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor all fail, there isn't much around them to build big scores. Williamson and Guptill are inconsistent talents. Styris is the archetypical 'fighter'. However, if Ryder and McCullum fail, so will New Zealand.
- Recent record. New Zealand have struggled in recent times. They became the first full strength side to be beaten in a series by Bangladesh recently, and it was no fluke. They were entirely outplayed by the tigers, and deserved to be thrashed. They are about to play Pakistan in 6 games, and no one has high hopes for them. They have lost 11 games in a row. Their form is poor, and its not a good sign for the world cup.
WHY SRI LANKA WON'T WIN THE WORLD CUP.
- Malinga and Fernando. When they lose control and rhythm, they are both likely to be carted around. This is more true with Dilhara Fernando than Malinga, but stands for both. Fernando has a tendency to be expensive which leads to frequent no balls, and in what is expected to be a batsman friendly world up, such lack of control can only lead to problems for the Sri Lankans.
- Sangakkaras workload. In my opinion, Kumar Sangakkara is the best batsman in the side. He is also the captain, as well as the wicket keeper. He has the workload of three men on his shoulders, and has played this role for a couple of years now. The intentsity that comes with a world cup could lead to this weighing down on him and causing problems with one or more of his roles, and they are 3 key roles. If he fails with the bat, the side will be faced with a formless captain. It is imperative to the side that he juggles all 3 roles well.
And thus concludes day one of this. It was fun to write, if a little tiring. Hope you enjoyed it! Group B will be done next week some time, followed by a little piece on who I think will win the tournament.
No comments:
Post a Comment