Which is the team that you would least want your side to face in a knockout clash...

[smash84]

I'd have to say Pakistan. I know there's no such thing as the law of averages, but they're due to beat us at the WC sometime, and I'd hate for that to happen in a knock out match. I still remember watching the '96 quarterfinal, and the Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail partnership gave me a sinking feeling like no other.

And the sinking feeling that I had after they departed was as bad as any that I have ever felt.

 

[smash84]

It's funny that you guys say this because the one pairing I'd most love to see in a knockout stage match is India-Pakistan.

Are you from the sub-continent????? The only time that I was confident of facing India in the world cup was when Imran was around as captain and even then we lost to India what to say of lesser captains.

Just because he hasn't done that well in a relatively short ODI career so far doesn't mean he can't blow you away in one spell. He definitely can do that and, I reckon, will do that in the world cup.

If he hasn't done that in about 50 ODI while he is plain outstanding in test matches during that same period. I don't know when he will start to "blow oppositions away"

 

[pup11]

There are gonna be three knockout games for a team that makes it though to the finals, so that means your team would be pretty much pitted against every decent side at least once, so really if you want to win the big prize then you gotta to good enough to beat almost every side in the tournament.
Sri Lanka and India are possibly the two sides that I fear the most as an Oz fan, simply because our guys would be against the combination of Mendis-Murali for the first time, and as for India I guess there is hardly going to be a team that are gonna be not scarred of that batting line-up.

 

[Athlai]

Sri Lanka - quality bats, and Malinga mean they can take you apart at any stage of the game.

 

[Prince EWS]

Sri Lanka - quality bats, and Malinga mean they can take you apart at any stage of the game.

Really don't rate their batting lineup that much in one day cricket at all tbh. Jayawardene and Sangakkara are name players but their ODI records are quite average. I know that ODIs in Sri Lanka are generally a bit low-scoring but it doesn't make up for averaging 30 odd like Mahela does.

 

[BoyBrumby]

In all honesty there's no-one I fear more than any of the others. We've been that dire in WCs since 92 there's never been a chance for any patterns to develop. Good oppo = English loss, pretty much.

I'd only be semi-confident against the Windies out of the big 8. NZ aren't the team they were, but have held the whip hand over us for yonks.

 

[Athlai]

Really don't rate their batting lineup that much in one day cricket at all tbh. Jayawardene and Sangakkara are name players but their ODI records are quite average. I know that ODIs in Sri Lanka are generally a bit low-scoring but it doesn't make up for averaging 30 odd like Mahela does.

Sanga, Dilshan, Kandamby, Matthews have all been better than Mahela recently. Heck arguably Tharanga has too. Chandimal is going to be a star at this world cup.

 

[Shri]

Taking the choke factor into account, I would love it if India play SA in the final stages. And PAK too, we are pretty much guaranteed a WC victory against them. Not uncomfortable with any side tbh. Bring it on!

 

[Athlai]

New Zealand are booked in to take up a spot in the semis while never looking like a team that can win the whole thing.

Be wary of our ability to make it the semi finals imo.

 

[Athlai]

New Zealand are booked in to take up a spot in the semis while never looking like a team that can win the whole thing.

Be wary of our ability to make it the semi finals imo.

 

[Prince EWS]

Taking the choke factor into account, I would love it if India play SA in the final stages. And PAK too, we are pretty much guaranteed a WC victory against them. Not uncomfortable with any side tbh. Bring it on!

Haha I'd love it if this was a massive jinx.

 

[Prince EWS]

Sanga, Dilshan, Kandamby, Matthews have all been better than Mahela recently. Heck arguably Tharanga has too. Chandimal is going to be a star at this world cup.

I bet you anything you'd like to wager that Chandimal won't even score a half century in the whole tournament.

 

[Athlai]

Can't believe he didn't get in the squad. Bets still slightly tempting at any wager, surely if Silva got injured....

 

[vcs]

Really don't rate their batting lineup that much in one day cricket at all tbh. Jayawardene and Sangakkara are name players but their ODI records are quite average. I know that ODIs in Sri Lanka are generally a bit low-scoring but it doesn't make up for averaging 30 odd like Mahela does.

Agree. I don't like Dilshan much but he's the key to their ODI batting lineup - he fires and they become a fearsome proposition.

 

[Prad100w]

Australia and i don't care about their recent form. When it comes to knock out pressure i would bet them against anyone. They may have had a torrid Ashes series, but still when it comes to the odi's they are still one of the top teams and capable of defeating any other team.

 

[Furball]

Sri Lanka or India, given that we'd face them at home.

Agree with PEWS about Sri Lanka's ODI batting, but that might not matter if Murali, Mendis and Malinga run riot.

 

[Cevno]

From a Indian point of view, i would say Australia.

We will be facing Srilanka in India ,right?

Not worried about them much in India ,tbh . If however the match is in Srilanka i would be worried.

 

[smash84]

Haha I'd love it if this was a massive jinx.

Me too. I hope it is. Pakistan will be fielding probably their weakest side since the 1983 world cup and if Pak beat India in a knockout game with such a pathetic team then I would be laughing really hard.

It might come back to haunt Shri

 

[jeevan]

Me too. I hope it is. Pakistan will be fielding probably their weakest side since the 1983 world cup and if Pak beat India in a knockout game with such a pathetic team then I would be laughing really hard.

It might come back to haunt Shri

If you're slightly better than BD 2007 that's all it takes sometimes. The WC 2011 India squad is comfortingly strong on paper, but so was the one four years ago.

Read Shri's post and went "you need to "

 

[pup11]

Haha I'd love it if this was a massive jinx.

Would be very surprised if either Pakistan or South Africa even make it into the last 4.
Pakistan would have been one of the favourites for the worldcup had the tainted trio been the part of the group, but without them their side looks light on all counts.
As for the Saffers, their bowling attack would struggle in the sub-continental conditions, Parnell, Tsotobe, Morkel are all going to find it hard and without their support Steyn and Botha would probably be under even more pressure.
Though as I said, as an Aussie fan Sri Lanka and India are the two sides that I'm the most worried about, India in particular is looking ridiculously strong in the batting department, and if all those batsmen turn it on in the worldcup then I possibly can't see how any team would beat them, regardless of how poor one might think their bowling attack is in comparison to their batting line-up.