Final.

[Turbinator]

1st India won the WC
Pakistan won it soon after
And then Sri Lanka went on to win it

Pakistan came into the finals against Aussies in 99' and got DESTROYED
India then came into the finals against the Aussies in 03' and got DESTROYED
Now Sri Lanka will come into the finals against the Aussies and will get DESTROYED

In 12 years Australia has thoroughly and successfully DESTROYED South Asia.

 

[Francis]

It's most likely Sri Lanka and New Zealand will play each other in the semis. That being said, I'm suprised there's so much support for New Zealand. New Zealand haven't shown they can play Murali yet, and then there's the threat of Malinga, and they haven't had a batsman in form like Jayasuria. I don't even know if the most in-form New Zealand batsmen are better than Sangakara. Shane Bond would have to have a very good day.

Sri Lanka and Australia in the final. I think it's 50/50 both ways.

 

[andyc]

It's most likely Sri Lanka and New Zealand will play each other in the semis. That being said, I'm suprised there's so much support for New Zealand. New Zealand haven't shown they can play Murali yet, and then there's the threat of Malinga, and they haven't had a batsman in form like Jayasuria. I don't even know if the most in-form New Zealand batsmen are better than Sangakara. Shane Bond would have to have a very good day.

Sri Lanka and Australia in the final. I think it's 50/50 both ways.

Scott Styris, averaging over 100. In a bit of form one feels.

 

[JASON]

1st India won the WC
Pakistan won it soon after
And then Sri Lanka went on to win it

Pakistan came into the finals against Aussies in 99' and got DESTROYED
India then came into the finals against the Aussies in 03' and got DESTROYED
Now Sri Lanka will come into the finals against the Aussies and will get DESTROYED

In 12 years Australia has thoroughly and successfully DESTROYED South Asia.

I agree it's Sri Lanka's turn to be the Bridesmaid.

 

[shortpitched713]

I agree it's Sri Lanka's turn to be the Bridesmaid.

Maybe its just because my team is already out but ffs Jayawardene feels quietly confident about beating the Australians, and he knows first-hand how good they are. The pessimism is just depressing tbh.

 

[Barney Rubble]

England to win

Even I have to sit back in wonder at the blind patriotism on display there. Good effort.

 

[Francis]

Scott Styris, averaging over 100. In a bit of form one feels.

He's in form, and of course they have in-form players or else they wouldn't have gotten so far. I still think guys like Jayasuria and Sangakara are better. Obviously that's not a knock on anybody since Sri Lanka are packed with great players. Hence the reasoning for my original post, why would people say NZ would make it over Sri Lanka?

 

[Swervy]

I agree it's Sri Lanka's turn to be the Bridesmaid.

do you actually SUPPORT Sri Lanka???

You always seem so much of a neghead about them

 

[el grapadura]

It's most likely Sri Lanka and New Zealand will play each other in the semis. That being said, I'm suprised there's so much support for New Zealand. New Zealand haven't shown they can play Murali yet, and then there's the threat of Malinga, and they haven't had a batsman in form like Jayasuria. I don't even know if the most in-form New Zealand batsmen are better than Sangakara. Shane Bond would have to have a very good day.

Sri Lanka and Australia in the final. I think it's 50/50 both ways.

Jayasuriya and Sangakkara are nowhere near in the same category. I know it's not what you said, but just have to get this off my chest...Jayasuriya is a dirty slogger and Sangakkara is one of the best 5 batsmen in the world atm, and can only get better. Jayasuriya is the type of guy who's as likely to get a duck as he is a hundred...I hate the fact he's scored so many runs in intl cricket.

BTW, I believe NZ hit Murali for 60-odd off his 10 overs in the warm-up game...and Fleming hit 274* against a Murali-led SL attack in Colombo a few years back...so NZ obviously can play him. The two teams are pretty evenly matched IMO, and NZ's loss last week was mainly occasioned by Fleming's decision to bat first. That was stupefying...

 

[JASON]

do you actually SUPPORT Sri Lanka???

You always seem so much of a neghead about them

the pessimism helps me to overcome the disappointment , While if they win I can turn around and still be elated .

 

[JASON]

Maybe its just because my team is already out but ffs Jayawardene feels quietly confident about beating the Australians, and he knows first-hand how good they are. The pessimism is just depressing tbh.

I am a realist... but if SL do something out of the ordinary that would still allow me to be jubilant...

Apologies if I am dampening your optimism.

 

[JBH001]

Jayasuriya is a dirty slogger and Sangakkara is one of the best 5 batsmen in the world atm, and can only get better. Jayasuriya is the type of guy who's as likely to get a duck as he is a hundred...I hate the fact he's scored so many runs in intl cricket.

Now, I've heard everything. :rolleyes:

What a n00b.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Jayasuriya and Sangakkara are nowhere near in the same category. I know it's not what you said, but just have to get this off my chest...Jayasuriya is a dirty slogger and Sangakkara is one of the best 5 batsmen in the world atm, and can only get better. Jayasuriya is the type of guy who's as likely to get a duck as he is a hundred...I hate the fact he's scored so many runs in intl cricket.

Wow, that's more wrong than most things I've heard recently.

Yes, Sangakkara is a top class batsman. No, he is not in the top 5 in the world ATM - at the very least, Ponting, Hayden, Hussey, Dravid, Kallis and Pietersen are all better than him.

And as for Jayasuriya? He and Romesh Kaluwitharana transformed ODI cricket as we know it. The man is not only a batsman of the absolute highest calibre, but as close as one gets these days to a cricketing pioneer. Without him and Kalu, many of the scores we see today in ODI cricket would never have been thought possible.

 

[GIMH]

Even I have to sit back in wonder at the blind patriotism on display there. Good effort.

 

[slugger]

And as for Jayasuriya? He and Romesh Kaluwitharana transformed ODI cricket as we know it. The man is not only a batsman of the absolute highest calibre, but as close as one gets these days to a cricketing pioneer. Without him and Kalu, many of the scores we see today in ODI cricket would never have been thought possible.

I dont think thet were the pioneers of this strategy at all credits got to be given were credits due, this style was implemented by M.Crowe dueing the 92 WC and performed by openers M.Greatbatch amd R.Latham, M.Crowe was given Captain of the series for his strategies which also included D.Patel opening the innings with off spin.

From cricinfo:

Profile

A beefy and charismatic left-hander, Mark Greatbatch was a solid batsman at Test level but in limited-overs cricket he could be a different character and was one of the first one-day pinch hitters

 

[Perm]

I dont think thet were the pioneers of this strategy at all credits got to be given were credits due, this style was implemented by M.Crowe dueing the 92 WC and performed by openers M.Greatbatch amd R.Latham, M.Crowe was given Captain of the series for his strategies which also included D.Patel opening the innings with off spin.

From cricinfo:

While Greatbach started the trend of ODI pinch hitters, it wasn't until Jayasuriya and Kuliwitharana that the whole thing really came together and we started to see how these strategy could be effective.

 

[el grapadura]

Wow, that's more wrong than most things I've heard recently.

Yes, Sangakkara is a top class batsman. No, he is not in the top 5 in the world ATM - at the very least, Ponting, Hayden, Hussey, Dravid, Kallis and Pietersen are all better than him.

And as for Jayasuriya? He and Romesh Kaluwitharana transformed ODI cricket as we know it. The man is not only a batsman of the absolute highest calibre, but as close as one gets these days to a cricketing pioneer. Without him and Kalu, many of the scores we see today in ODI cricket would never have been thought possible.

Not disputing the fact that Kalu and Jayasuriya set SL on course for the 96WC win and in the process got a lot of people thinking how to approach the first 15 overs (in the olden days), just saying that I'm not a big fan of 'slash and hope for the best' batting approach epitomised by Jayasuriya.

As for Sangakkara, of the guys you listed Ponting is the only one who's clearly better than him, and Pietersen and Kallis probably are. Hayden is just in really good form right now (I've always seen him as a bit of a flat track bully) and as much as I like Dravid, on the evidence I've seen from both him and Sangakkara over the last couple of years I feel Sangakkara just shades it.

 

[Dasgupta]

just saying that I'm not a big fan of 'slash and hope for the best' batting approach epitomised by Jayasuriya.

It's a bit churlish to suggest Jayasuriya's batting is 'slash and hope for the best' ...and to even criticise the man. He's one of the all-time great ODI players.

 

[marc71178]

Yet in spite of that, he'll end his career with a fairly mediocre average in the grand scheme of things...

 

[Prince EWS]

El grapadura seems to say everything that I wish was true, but isn't. Jayasuriya is a good one day batsman, whether you or I like his approach, style or technique or not.