World Cup Predictions

[PhoenixFire]

Interesting . . .

Indeed. I accidentally added an extra 0 on the end. I meant to say Pietersen getting all 10 V Australia

 

[alternative]

World Cup Winners: India
"Big 8" side to perform most poorly: Pakistan
Player with most runs: Ricky Ponting
Player with best strike-rate: Justin Kemp
Player with biggest score of tournament: Sanath Jayasuriya
Bowler with most wickets: Mohammed Asif
Bowler with best economy rate: Shaun Pollock
Bowler with best performance of tournament: Shane Bond
Tournament's emerging player: Ab De Villers
Most disappointing player: Mike Hussey
Surprise package: Kenya
Biggest disappointment: New Zealand

 

[Steulen]

Player with biggest score of tournament: Adam Gilchrist (will cash in big time against a minnow)

Won't play any matches against minnows

 

[IndianByHeart]

World Cup Winners: ---New Zeland
"Big 8" side to perform most poorly: Pak (if missing Akhtar/asif, otherwise England)
Player with most runs: Ponting
Player with best strike-rate: Dhoni
Player with biggest score of tournament: Ponting
Bowler with most wickets: BOnd (if he remains fit, otherwise Ntini)
Bowler with best economy rate: Pollock
Bowler with best performance of tournament: Bond
Most disappointing player: Plunkett
Surprise package: WI
Biggest disappointment: Australia (even as losing finalist would be a great dissapointment for them)

 

[Steulen]

World Cup Winners: South Africa
"Big 8" side to perform most poorly: India
Player with most runs: Michael Hussey
Player with best strike-rate: Darron Reekers (will play three 2-ball innings of 4 runs each)
Player with biggest score of tournament: Sehwag (vs. Bermuda)
Bowler with most wickets: Shaun Pollock
Bowler with best economy rate: Daniel Vettori
Bowler with best performance of tournament: Shane Bond
Tournament's emerging player: Ross Taylor
Most disappointing player: Adam Gilchrist
Surprise package: Ireland
Biggest disappointment: India

 

[Johnners]

World Cup Winners: Australia
"Big 8" side to perform most poorly: Pakistan
Player with most runs: Kumar Sangakarra/Ricky Ponting
Player with best strike-rate: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Player with biggest score of tournament: Ponting, 170+ in the semi's, or final.
Bowler with most wickets: Shane Bond
Bowler with best economy rate: Shaun Pollock
Bowler with best performance of tournament: Shane Bond - taking an 8-fer when NZ are in a real need of it after making a <180 score
Tournament's emerging player: Robin Uthappa, Ross Taylor, Liam Plunkett & Shane Watson (forgot to add bowles)
Most disappointing player: Makhaya Ntini
Surprise package (Team):England - They'll come a helluva lot closer to making the Semi's than many think IMO.
Biggest disappointment: The bowlers are going to cop an absolute pasting in the majority of the games. Spin bowlers especially.

 

[Zinzan]

World Cup Winners: ---New Zeland
"Big 8" side to perform most poorly: Pak (if missing Akhtar/asif, otherwise England)
Player with most runs: Ponting
Player with best strike-rate: Dhoni
Player with biggest score of tournament: Ponting
Bowler with most wickets: BOnd (if he remains fit, otherwise Ntini)
Bowler with best economy rate: Pollock
Bowler with best performance of tournament: Bond
Most disappointing player: Plunkett
Surprise package: WI
Biggest disappointment: Australia (even as losing finalist would be a great dissapointment for them)

Lol...wouldn't NZ be the surprise package if they won the damn thing

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Won't play any matches against minnows

Fair point actually. Backing Jayasuria then.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Jayasuriya has an extra 'y'

 

[Richard]

Just a bit of fun Richard, but fair enough.

I did do me best to avoid "what an utterly pointless, stupid thread" ism.

 

[The Baconator]

World Cup Winners: SA
"Big 8" side to perform most poorly: India
Player with most runs: Jacques Kallis
Player with best strike-rate: Dhoni
Player with biggest score of tournament: Jayasuriya - Berserk against a minnow
Bowler with most wickets: Ntini
Bowler with best economy rate: Pollock
Bowler with best performance of tournament: Murali - 7/8-fer v England in Super 8
Tournament's emerging player: Ross Taylor,
Most disappointing player: Ricky Ponting
Surprise package (Team): New Zealand - Close semi loss or final for mine
Biggest disappointment: Poor bowing out for McGrath

 

[oz_fan]

World Cup Winners: Australia
"Big 8" side to perform most poorly: Pakistan
Player with most runs: Ricky Ponting
Player with best strike-rate: Sanath Jayasuriya
Player with biggest score of tournament: Chris Gayle
Bowler with most wickets: Shane Bond
Bowler with best economy rate: Shaun Pollock
Bowler with best performance of tournament: Makhaya Ntini
Tournament's emerging player: Ross Taylor
Most disappointing player: Mohammed Yousef
Surprise package: West Indies
Biggest disappointment: Pakistan

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

The stage is set for the biggest South Africa choke to date. Australia are suffering blow after blow to what once seemed unbreakable confidence, and South Africa are in incredible form. Pollock is back on top of his game, Ntini is the best seamer in the world, Kallis is bowling well again. The top order batting has found form and Mark Boucher and Ashwell Prince are in the form of their lives.

So many doors seemed to have opened for South Africa to finally win the Cup. And I don't expect they will. It would go against everything I've come to expect of South Africa.

 

[Richard]

Expectations are made to change, TBH.

Until very recently, they hadn't even won a non-ad-hoc series against them.

 

[Zinzan]

The stage is set for the biggest South Africa choke to date. Australia are suffering blow after blow to what once seemed unbreakable confidence, and South Africa are in incredible form. Pollock is back on top of his game, Ntini is the best seamer in the world, Kallis is bowling well again. The top order batting has found form and Mark Boucher and Ashwell Prince are in the form of their lives.

So many doors seemed to have opened for South Africa to finally win the Cup. And I don't expect they will. It would go against everything I've come to expect of South Africa.

I don't necessarily think that just because they have choked before that they will again. Having said that I do think if a less likely team like England, NZ or West Indies made the final against them they (the latter teams) wouldn't feel the pressure quite so much. Obviously being relaxed makes a huge difference in cricket

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Expectations are made to change, TBH.

Fair enough that Tino Best's Test career will sort itself out then.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I don't necessarily think that just because they have choked before that they will again. Having said that I do think if a less likely team like England, NZ or West Indies made the final against them they (the latter teams) wouldn't feel the pressure quite so much. Obviously being relaxed makes a huge difference in cricket

Just a few months ago the West Indies thrashed South Africa in a semifinal of a major tournament - the Champions Trophy. Whether or not they choked, they were outplayed thoroughly by one of the "less likely" teams.

 

[Richard]

Fair enough that Tino Best's Test career will sort itself out then.

Tino has just another 3 or 4 years... at best.

South Africa have as long as they have a team playing international cricket... and your lifetime, obviously...

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Tino has just another 3 or 4 years... at best.

Such is your expectation.

 

[Zinzan]

Just a few months ago the West Indies thrashed South Africa in a semifinal of a major tournament - the Champions Trophy. Whether or not they choked, they were outplayed thoroughly by one of the "less likely" teams.

Thats true, but S.A would have been much more suited to the seaming track that NZ and Aust played the other semi on in the CT. But who knows what the wickets will do. Actually now i'm thinking about it, SA may really struggle if there are a few slow decks with their bowling lineup and lack of good slow bowlers.