Words that have come back to bite.....

[Precambrian]

There have been interesting instances in the past when players, particularly captains brag about their sides and indulge in some wordery only to swallow them painfully afterwards. Instances that come to mind include,

1. Tony Grieg's infamous "We'll make them grovel" ahead of the home series against Windies in the late 70s. England were whitewashed in that series, and Grieg "literally" grovelled.

2. The then Wisden Editor's comment during the preview edition of the 1983 WC that he'd eat his hat if India won the trophy. The sporting editor, indeed made a cake in the form of a hat, and ate it afterwards.

3. McGrath's famous prediction of "5-0" whitewash ahead of Ashes 2005.

4. Ricky Ponting's "Lesser teams find T20 as a venue to be more competitive. India offer a good example of this" ahead of home series against them. Funnily, the only series they managed to win in the SA series was a T20 series.

Do you have any such instances to recollect?

 

[Matt79]

Didn't someone here offer to eat their computer if it turned out that Susudear was Precambrian in drag?

FWIW Ponting's comments are perfectly true. That subsequently in the future a developing Indian team surpassed an aging, retirement depleted Australian team is only ironic in the Alanis Morrisette-I-don't-understand-what-irony-means sense. And us beating SA in the T20 when we couldn't get near them in the longer forms proves Ricky's point further.

 

[NUFAN]

Also the McGrath isn't a big deal. He said this for every series as he always played to win every match.

 

[Redbacks]

1) Andy Caddick and co. claiming they would bore Hayden and Langer out during the 03 ashes

2) Think it was Healy who also predicted an easy win for Aus in the 05 ashes

3) 'Can't bowl, can't throw' the poor camera man

 

[HMas]

Paul Collingwood predicted 3-0 white wash in Pak 2005 after Ashes win. Eng avoided white wash thanks to poor weather in 2nd test.

 

[Precambrian]

Ah just got reminded of Ian Botham's famous gaffe during one ODI match Vs SL in 2006. He was blasting the captain for placing a deep point for Jayasurya, and the next ball, Sanath promptly cut one high and dry into the exact fielder's hand. The other commentator, Hussain I believe, couldn't stop laughing.

 

[Precambrian]

Didn't someone here offer to eat their computer if it turned out that Susudear was Precambrian in drag?

FWIW Ponting's comments are perfectly true. That subsequently in the future a developing Indian team surpassed an aging, retirement depleted Australian team is only ironic in the Alanis Morrisette-I-don't-understand-what-irony-means sense. And us beating SA in the T20 when we couldn't get near them in the longer forms proves Ricky's point further.

So that guy ate the hat?

I agree with Ponting's observations. However it was a bit "High horse" at that time. And is example was just wrong!

 

[R_D]

Probaly Ricky Ponting's new age or brand of cricket they were going to bring to India..... younger faster fielders..... He probaly forgot you need bowling and batting to win test matches

G Smith last time they toured Aus... he was making a big hue and cry in media about being aggressive or what not... can't remember the exact comment.... got humiliiated.

 

[Michaelf7777777]

- "We've got you this time Joe" - England captain Archie Maclaren to Australian captain Joe Darling at tea on the last day of the 4th Ashes test in 1902. England were 92-3 chasing 124 but after tea collapsed to 120 all out giving Australia the test and the ashes.

 

[fredfertang]

"Can't bat, can't bowl, can't field" - Journalist Martin Johnson's verdict on Mike Gattings 86/87 England side before they left

 

[Uppercut]

So that guy ate the hat?

I agree with Ponting's observations. However it was a bit "High horse" at that time. And is example was just wrong!

Hardly considering it was an Indian team who flopped big-style in the 50-over world cup then won the T20 equivalent. The fact that an Indian side miles better than the one around when he made that comment beat him a year later isn't relevant to the truth of his statement. It's pretty misleading tbh.

On topic though, I found this absolute beauty by The Sun from the evening after the fourth day's play at Adelaide in the 2006 Ashes.

But Bell, 24, had the last laugh as he was unbeaten at the end of the fourth day with England 59-1, a lead of 97 in the Second Test at Adelaide.

Something tells me that laugh wasn't quite the last...

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Let's keep an eye on Daren Powell.

 

[Furball]

Ah just got reminded of Ian Botham's famous gaffe during one ODI match Vs SL in 2006. He was blasting the captain for placing a deep point for Jayasurya, and the next ball, Sanath promptly cut one high and dry into the exact fielder's hand. The other commentator, Hussain I believe, couldn't stop laughing.

Given how he bats, I'd have thought a deep point for Jaya would be a decent move.

 

[wpdavid]

Paul Collingwood predicted 3-0 white wash in Pak 2005 after Ashes win. Eng avoided white wash thanks to poor weather in 2nd test.

IIRC he said England were aiming to win 3-0, which isn't the same as predicting it.

 

[wpdavid]

Back to the original question, Keith Fletcher famously wrote off Kumble after watching him struggle in SA shortly before India whitewashed England in 1992/93, with Fletcher's boys largely clueless against AK.

 

[Fusion]

Ah just got reminded of Ian Botham's famous gaffe during one ODI match Vs SL in 2006. He was blasting the captain for placing a deep point for Jayasurya, and the next ball, Sanath promptly cut one high and dry into the exact fielder's hand. The other commentator, Hussain I believe, couldn't stop laughing.

Visual evidence at the 55 second mark of the video link below:

YouTube - Cricket Fun

 

[Precambrian]

Hardly considering it was an Indian team who flopped big-style in the 50-over world cup then won the T20 equivalent. The fact that an Indian side miles better than the one around when he made that comment beat him a year later isn't relevant to the truth of his statement. It's pretty misleading tbh.

On topic though, I found this absolute beauty by The Sun from the evening after the fourth day's play at Adelaide in the 2006 Ashes.



Something tells me that laugh wasn't quite the last...

True point. However a guy with 10 years at the top should be intelligent enough not to make such stupid observations just based on one series and another. Especially ODI series. Royal backfire.

 

[Uppercut]

Pahaha that's so petty. If you pick someone up for a comment like that we might as well all cut off our tongues because it's the only way not to offend an India fan with sand in their ******.

 

[Precambrian]

Pahaha that's so petty. If you pick someone up for a comment like that we might as well all cut off our tongues because it's the only way not to offend an India fan with sand in their ******.

How so? To generalise that comment into entire Indian fans, you've just made yourself look stupid.

 

[Matt79]

Most offputting description in CW history? Worth a nominationin any case.