Underwhelming

[howardj]

Contradictory there pasag

Not really. He's just saying that the format is OK but would have preferred that, under this perfectly good format, Pakistan and India qualified.

 

[Perm]

I miss Test match cricket so much itbt.

Same here, am thoroughly looking forward to India touring England later in the year. Should be massive.

 

[LA ICE-E]

well everything seems to be going wrong this world cup but you can blame everything but the format...hopefully they do a better job with the 20/20 wc. But like nicholas said there's still time to fix the rest of it but will they?

 

[pasag]

Contradictory there pasag

Nope as Howardj and Ed said.

 

[howardj]

Was is it with cricket officials and ground admin being so heavy handed? It's like they view every spectator as a potential terrorist. It's absolutely ridiculous. The fun is really being taken out of going to the ground.

 

[Richard]

Let me take it a step further and say the fatal flaw led to Bob Woolmer's death then

I'm just wondering... doesn't match all the usual signs, and there was another account at the time... I won't post the pic 'cos I'm not that sure, but how about in IP-check?

 

[Scaly piscine]

Was is it with cricket officials and ground admin being so heavy handed? It's like they view every spectator as a potential terrorist. It's absolutely ridiculous. The fun is really being taken out of going to the ground.

The high ticket prices, the no parking withing 300 yards of the ground, the restrictions on musical instruments and various other things (you can't leave the stadium and go back in, for instance after a massive rain delay) and heavy handed security generally, the official sponsors rip-off tents (three times normal prices) etc. that are the only source of food and drink.

I'd imagine most of these stem from the ICC. The ICC is a clueless dictatorship with no interest in cricket that seemingly no-one can do anything about.

 

[Ash_A55]

Same here, am thoroughly looking forward to India touring England later in the year. Should be massive.

Is that in july?

 

[Perm]

Is that in july?

I think so, you may have to check the ICC Future Tours Program though. I know India are playing Bangladesh before they go to England.

 

[Richard]

It's after WI tour here - in July, August and September.

 

[simmy]

I have enjoyed the WC to be honest. Luckily the games start at 2pm here and so I can watch the game at decent hours in their entirety.

Games such as SL v Eng, Ire v Pak, Bang v RSA have been utterly compelling.

 

[pasag]

Can't blame the format, I like it heaps. But there's no doubt that the WC, imo, would have been so much better with India and Pakistan in the Super 8s. I have no doubt about that at all. Obviously Ireland and Bangladesh going through is fair and they deserve it thoroughly, but will I be staying up for South Africa v Bangladesh tonight? Hell no. Would I have stayed up all night for South Africa v India? Hell yes.

Plus the poor crowds have been awful. There's such a big difference watching a match with a packed house and one that isn't. Just the buzz makes it awesome. That's been missing and it's killing it. Also the matches have been pretty boring. Even SL v England was dire till the end.

I miss Test match cricket so much itbt.

Lucky I was talking out of my ass and actually stayed up to watch that night.

 

[Jono]

Haha I was going to quote that Pasag, particularly when I saw you in that thread, but I figured I'd let it slide.

I'm so glad I stayed up for that too. Was a great watch. Sort of made up for me falling asleep during the SL/SA and SL/Eng matches.

 

[LA ICE-E]

yeah i was going to go at that too, but didn't since you aren't so critical about the "minnows" and is more understanding.

 

[Jono]

Haha I was going to quote that Pasag.

Quote that 'pasag' from the bible.

 

[Richard]

Better make sure you omit the Biblical passage about Augustus...

 

[Jono]

Haha, I'll pay that.

 

[GIMH]

I miss Test match cricket so much itbt.

yes

 

[pup11]

Yeah i miss Test cricket too, i am really looking forward to the Test series between Ind v/s Aus when India comes to Australia, but its a long way away.


But some great games coming up in the WC now :-


1.Aus v/s SL
2.Eng v/s SA
3.Aus v/s NZ
4.SA v/s NZ


And then of course the 2 semis and then the big final, so there is a lot of good odi cricket coming up and i am expecting them to be very exciting games.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I've refrained from commenting until now, but I think there's little doubt that the WC hasn't quite lived up to expectations so far. Without wishing to go over points others have made, I think this is due to two main reasons:

1) The crowds have been shocking. This is certainly due to the reasons listed previously in the thread & has removed any semblance of the elusive "Caribbean flavour". The heavy-handed security at the stadia seems like some gruesome ironic joke, given the failure of "security" to stop the murderer(s) of poor Bob Woolmer. Not seeing the wood for the trees is I think the expression.

2) The cricket has been fairly ordinary too; I think we've seen maybe four genuinely decent contests (Ire-Zim, Ire-Pak, SA-SL, and Eng-SL) & even in those it was the closeness of the score rather than the brilliance of the cricket that kept us enthralled. I don't think we can blame the format for this depressing state of affairs; despite the assertions that an associate can take out a big-8 side with one result, this simply isn't true. If India had beaten Sri Lanka or Pakistan had beaten the Windies the admirable wins for Ireland & Bangladesh would've counted for nought. I think the real reason is that, Oz aside, most of the competing teams are fairly ordinary. The Commonwealth Bank & Chappell/Hadlee thingies made some of us think that the chasing pack had closed the gap, where in reality they were probably exactly the foot up the arse Australia needed. Buchannan's wish for a decent contest may actually have not been the dumbest request ever.

Hoping for better from the remaining games.