World Cup Favourites

[PakPowered]

Pakistan managed 2-2 against England... getting done over by Mahmood in the last game, what a top side. Pakistan used to have a good bowling attack, now they don't. That attack used to give them the slight edge any team needs to push themselves up the rankings as 2-8 have been close together. The state they're in now is all that matters and the bowling is in a sorry state, which is a real shame after they went to all that trouble of getting the drugs cheats off (I'd absolutely love it if the new tests still show traces of Nandrolone). They need some medical miracles to get their bowling back up to strength, which makes them overall long shots to win the World Cup at this stage.

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Pak beat Eng 3-2 in OD series in Pak and managed 2-2 draw in series played in Eng, certainly looked to me a better team than the team that is being tipped to be second fav after Australia.And what about England's performance against SA and India???

Pak still have the same attack they used to have when they played against Eng.Name a single bowler that is not into squad that played against Eng ??? Don't go by Pak bowling performane in recent OD series in SA as both Gula nd Akhtar missed out while they happen to be named into WC squad.

As for medical miracles needed by Pak team, funny its comming from an Englishmen whose own players happen to have the worst fitness record.

I would absolutely love England to reach the final and then to lose it for the fourth time.Such a painful loss would be absolutely sweet.

 

[PakPowered]

Anyone who thinks NZ have a good chance doesn't really know cricket. The mental part of the game is huge in the World Cup, that's why NZ and India have virtually no chance. None of the top 8 sides are ever going to be good enough that they should just brush aside all the rest, but Australia have been doing that in finals and the World Cup for years because teams mentally fall apart against them.

And this from the guy who think that England has a great chance!!

 

[alternative]

Altho i want India to win, i wouldn't mind if either Australia or Sth Africa takes this away.

 

[IndianByHeart]

That attack used to give them the slight edge any team needs to push themselves up the rankings as 2-8 have been close together. The state they're in now is all that matters and the bowling is in a sorry state, which is a real shame after they went to all that trouble of getting the drugs cheats off (I'd absolutely love it if the new tests still show traces of Nandrolone). .

Pak in SA. --- Asif, Naveed,Razzak,Mahmood,Afridi,Malik

Pak for WC---Asif, Gul,Akhtar,Afridi,Razzak/Malik

See the difference?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

In terms of likelyhood of winning the thing:

Australia
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South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies
Pakistan
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New Zealand
India
England
-
Bangladesh
-
Zimbabwe & the rest

Theoretically I suppose anyone could win it, but I don't rate anyone outside of that top 5 as consistent enough to actually do it. Really, I can only see Australia, South Africa and maybe Sri Lanka as likely candidates at the moment. West Indies and Pakistan have the quality to go on a great streak and win it, but I'd not bet on it.

New Zealand have plenty of quality but seem to really lack in knockout matches in recent times. India are the same. England are more or less the opposite. Can imagine them winning big games when the likes of Pietersen, Flintoff and perhaps their inconsistent seamers get it right, but can't see them being consistent enough over a long tournament.

 

[IndianByHeart]

Anyone who thinks NZ have a good chance doesn't really know cricket. The mental part of the game is huge in the World Cup, that's why NZ and India have virtually no chance. .

Every team has a chance in onedayers, teams like Australia are twice as likely to do well in big matches like final coz of being mentally tough than teams like India, but that doesn't mean that teams like India have no chance.. First task for a team is to reach the last four stage of competition.I think NZ are good enough to do that, SA and Aus will certainly reach the semis, and i think India have a fairly good chance to reach the semis.

England can win the WC, if they are asked to skip all the matches and play just the final match of the tour, thats the only way i think they can win it.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Pak in SA. --- Asif, Naveed,Razzak,Mahmood,Afridi,Malik

Pak for WC---Asif, Gul,Akhtar,Afridi,Razzak/Malik

See the difference?

How many are them are declared fit and passed the drugs test.

Exactly.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Every team has a chance in onedayers, teams like Australia are twice as likely to do well in big matches like final coz of being mentally tough than teams like India, but that doesn't mean that teams like India have no chance.. First task for a team is to reach the last four stage of competition.I think NZ are good enough to do that, SA and Aus will certainly reach the semis, and i think India have a fairly good chance to reach the semis.

England can win the WC, if they are asked to skip all the matches and play just the final match of the tour, thats the only way i think they can win it.

I said virtually no chance. I wouldn't even say India have a fairly good chance of getting to the semis. Their team will be worse than England's because their best player (Tendulkar) is past his best. England bringing back Anderson and KP (second best bowler and best batsman) for their worst bowler and worst batsman is a big improvement already on a side that beat a near full strength Australia three times in a row.

 

[IndianByHeart]

How many are them are declared fit and passed the drugs test.

Exactly.

You simply don't wanna see the difference and hope for the worst.

Doesn't matter if Gul and Akhtar are fit or not, in a month time they will get fit , atleast Gul will and even if Akhtar misses out it is still not a bad attack.I hope you realise that the matches Pak beat England were the one in which Akhtar didn't played!!!!!

As for drug tests, chances are that by march 2 those chemical will dissapear and they will pass the test.

 

[IndianByHeart]

I said virtually no chance. I wouldn't even say India have a fairly good chance of getting to the semis. Their team will be worse than England's because their best player (Tendulkar) is past his best. England bringing back Anderson and KP (second best bowler and best batsman) for their worst bowler and worst batsman is a big improvement already on a side that beat a near full strength Australia three times in a row.

For ur kind info Sachin is no longer, infact has been no longer the best player for India.He's still effective in onedayers and thus is still in the team.

Eng team is being tipped as fav just on the basis of three matches that they happen to have won which seems completely absurd.As i said earlier the only way England can win the WC is if they are asked to directly play the finals!

 

[Scaly piscine]

You simply don't wanna see the difference and hope for the worst.

Doesn't matter if Gul and Akhtar are fit or not, in a month time they will get fit , atleast Gul will and even if Akhtar misses out it is still not a bad attack.I hope you realise that the matches Pak beat England were the one in which Akhtar didn't played!!!!!

As for drug tests, chances are that by march 2 those chemical will dissapear and they will pass the test.

The odds aren't on Pakistan's side as far as fielding a better bowling attack than they did in SA as far as I'm concerned. They've got to pass doping tests which could go either way depending on what reports you believe, then they're are three bowlers who have an injury cloud over them and since they've got that doping test they might not recover that quickly this time. That's a lot of ifs and buts.

 

[Scaly piscine]

For ur kind info Sachin is no longer, infact has been no longer the best player for India.He's still effective in onedayers and thus is still in the team.

Eng team is being tipped as fav just on the basis of three matches that they happen to have won which seems completely absurd.As i said earlier the only way England can win the WC is if they are asked to directly play the finals!

Or if they win 4 of 7 games against the other top 8 sides, then they very probably get to the semis... wow that's really beyond a team that just beat the best ODI side 3 games in a row and NZ once with a weaker side. 4 games out of 4 is that...

 

[PakPowered]

How many are them are declared fit and passed the drugs test.

Exactly.

In a months time fitness level of players are going to change.In a way its better for a player to be injured now rather than getting injured during WC. How many times have we seen England losing a pacer coz of injury?? if they are declared fit right now it doesn't mean that they will remain fit throughout the tournament.

As for drug test, if the player test positive again, then obviously they will miss the cup, in such a scenario, Pak pace attack would be actually weak.As losing Asif would be a big blow that Pak team would struggle without him.

 

[IndianByHeart]

The odds aren't on Pakistan's side as far as fielding a better bowling attack than they did in SA as far as I'm concerned. They've got to pass doping tests which could go either way depending on what reports you believe, then they're are three bowlers who have an injury cloud over them and since they've got that doping test they might not recover that quickly this time. That's a lot of ifs and buts.

The only think they got to do is pass doping tests and that all.

As for 3 injurred players, Asif is said to be injured yet is actively playing in SA!! How he can't play WC after a months time is beyond me.Gul has made rapid improvemnet and is reportedly to be near fit, that why he's named in the squad.The only question mark is on Akhtar, but there are chances that he would be played in just the important games of the cup.

Also how would doping test delay their healing process???

 

[IndianByHeart]

Or if they win 4 of 7 games against the other top 8 sides, then they very probably get to the semis... wow that's really beyond a team that just beat the best ODI side 3 games in a row and NZ once with a weaker side. 4 games out of 4 is that...

All ur assumptions are based on "selected 3 matches" performance before those matches can't be taken account.

As far as i'm concerned, a team that has been a laughing stock in shorter format of the game for soooooo long cannot be suddenly taken sooooo seriously just on the basis of good performance in few matches.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Umar Gul has one month to gain fitness and since his illness is not that serious he's very likely to be fit and be the opening bowler with Asif.

The man is not ill. He had a suspected stress fracture of his ankle IIRC. That sort of stuff doesn't just go away without anything to show for it. There's every chance that he will break down before or during the World Cup.

Asif is a world class bowler already... i fail to see how one question's asif's class and abilty.

Not quite in ODIs. He's a decent ODI bowler. He's not world class yet.

ODIs /= Tests.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

The only thing that is rubbish apart from Pak opening pair is ur post.

You're saying the Pakistan fielding is passable??

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Or if they win 4 of 7 games against the other top 8 sides, then they very probably get to the semis... wow that's really beyond a team that just beat the best ODI side 3 games in a row and NZ once with a weaker side. 4 games out of 4 is that...

As well as England played in the last few games of the CB series, you've never been shy of over-rating them. Any glimmer and they're suddenly one of the best ODI teams in the world.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

As for 3 injurred players, Asif is said to be injured yet is actively playing in SA!! How he can't play WC after a months time is beyond me.

The fact that he's playing with an injury in South Africa actually contributes the theory that he won't fit for the World Cup. Common sense would dictate such.

And the reason that Asif, Akhtar and Gul have been named in the squad is that they can be replaced if they aren't passed as fit. If they were left out now and passed fit, the would not have a route into the squad. Again, common sense.

 

[PakPowered]

The man is not ill. He had a suspected stress fracture of his ankle IIRC. That sort of stuff doesn't just go away without anything to show for it. There's every chance that he will break down before or during the World Cup.

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Did you read the reports? it is said that he his stress fracture has healed and he's bowling with full run up daily ??

.[/QUOTE]Not quite in ODIs. He's a decent ODI bowler. He's not world class yet.

ODIs /= Tests..[/QUOTE]

He's a very good strike bowler in OD cricket, decent is someone who Afridi is !

.[/QUOTE]You're saying the Pakistan fielding is passable??.[/QUOTE]

No, that remains their weakness, and even all these years when the team was doing so well they were weak in fielding.

Unless Asif is ruled out of cup coz of dope test i don't see their bowling struggling in WC.Their major problem remains their opening pair, if they can sort that out they should then do well, but then the chances of sorting taht out is close to none.