*Official* Quarter Final 4 - Sri Lanka v England

[Bun]

Probably not much between the sides in terms of days of cricket played, but I think they will have had the luxury of more than three days at home in the last five moths or so. Also the amount of preparation and pressure that goes into an Ashes series is incomparable to most Test series. That said, this is not the main reason for a below par WC performance, merely contributory factors.

while I do agree the ashes are indeed the biggest priority of manuy e englishmen, please that doesnt mean other nations prepare any lightly in series against other nations. not all countried share that notion that ashes are be and end of test cricket.

Pakistan cricketers havent played a home match in years, and they are still touring as we speak. An exile. which might last years. spare a thought for them too.. instead of crying aloud, they've gone ahead and given it their best shot, and they find themselves in the semis.

Nobody in the world have been put under so miuch scrutiny, derision, hammer than these chaps,. Yet they have come out of it pretty well. Its not as if the english players were put ina gulag, they were permitted to bring in their girlfriends, and heck some of us IT professionals dont have even that privelage while doing in site duty for six seven months altogether.

 

[Woodster]

This thread shouldn't head towards us English fans blaming the scheduling entirely for our demise in this WC, and I don't think any of us England fans believe this is the sole problem. It is a factor and has been for some time now. But I still don't think we've identified the right players in the right positions to make the most of the talented one-day players we have in England.

Don't get me started on not playing a 50-over domestic competition!

 

[Bun]

Add to that, 3 first class warm up game and that one day game against the Presidents XI, I think like Woodster said it's the time on the road that hasn't helped and the effort put in to do what they did in Australia. I think, both England and Australia, would have benefited from playing less ODi's after the tests and should have got to the sub continent earlier.

should could have rested the players. who asked them to play all their elites in a stupid seven match one day series?

 

[Woodster]

while I do agree the ashes are indeed the biggest priority of manuy e englishmen, please that doesnt mean other nations prepare any lightly in series against other nations. not all countried share that notion that ashes are be and end of test cricket.

Pakistan cricketers havent played a home match in years, and they are still touring as we speak. An exile. which might last years. spare a thought for them too.. instead of crying aloud, they've gone ahead and given it their best shot, and they find themselves in the semis.

Nobody in the world have been put under so miuch scrutiny, derision, hammer than these chaps,. Yet they have come out of it pretty well. Its not as if the english players were put ina gulag, they were permitted to bring in their girlfriends, and heck some of us IT professionals dont have even that privelage while doing in site duty for six seven months altogether.

Other sides do not prepare as thoroughly or intensely as England did for the Ashes. Other countries may play only a single warm-up game before a Test series, not the amount we did. I for one certainly prefer us to win the Ashes than the World Cup, but achieving the recognition as being the best Test side in the world is the pinnacle.

Pakistan may have also endured a tough time, this isn't a case of who has had it worse. I still think they'll have had much more time at home than England have though.

 

[vcs]

Overall, I will have quite a few positive memories of this England WC side, which is more than I can say of their also-rans in the previous four editions.

 

[Woodster]

Overall, I will have quite a few positive memories of this England WC side, which is more than I can say of their also-rans in the previous four editions.

We certainly played in some very exciting contests, sometimes of our own making when a more efficient side would have taken care of business in a more professional manner, but we did entertain. There are a numer of this side that should be retained in this format, but we just miss one or two X-factor players in all disciplines.

 

[Bun]

Other sides do not prepare as thoroughly or intensely as England did for the Ashes. Other countries may play only a single warm-up game before a Test series, not the amount we did. I for one certainly prefer us to win the Ashes than the World Cup, but achieving the recognition as being the best Test side in the world is the pinnacle.

Pakistan may have also endured a tough time, this isn't a case of who has had it worse. I still think they'll have had much more time at home than England have though.

Please spare the judgement on other test nations. fact is not many countries get the previlage of playing warm ups and acclimatisation which England or Australia enjjoy in their ashes tours.

I find it amusing how an advantage is now seen as a disdvantage and burden now.

With all due respect, I find the suggestion that English players prepare more than any other nation for a test series, laughable, ignorant and a tad jingoistic, but I'll take the first and just laugh it off, no offence intended.

 

[Woodster]

Please spare the judgement on other test nations. fact is not many countries get the previlage of playing warm ups and acclimatisation which England or Australia enjjoy in their ashes tours.

I find it amusing how an advantage is now seen as a disdvantage and burden now.

With all due respect, I find the suggestion that English players prepare more than any other nation for a test series, laughable, ignorant and a tad jingoistic, but I'll take the first and just laugh it off, no offence intended.

You're not quite understanding my point here. As I said, I would prefer us to win the Ashes as the England management probably do, so the preparation that went into the Ashes was well worth it, despite the inevitable repercussions of all that effort evident in this WC. Not a burden, we just focused more on the Ashes than the WC, so in that respect it was a success.

Whether it is down to the fact of us being in a better position to prepare to the extent we did for the Ashes I don't know, and I'm not saying other series don't mean as much to other nations, but I personally don't know of many other teams that have had such preparation for a Test series recently. You clearly know different so perhaps you could enlighten me ? I know of some recent Test series that have been played without any warm-up matches, despite them being played in entirely different conditions to what the away side is used to! Not good prep in anyones book.

You suggest not many countries have the privilege of playing warm-ups and time for acclimatisation that we do, and then later on say that it's a laughable suggestion that we prepare more ?? A contradiction perhaps ?

 

[Furball]

while I do agree the ashes are indeed the biggest priority of manuy e englishmen, please that doesnt mean other nations prepare any lightly in series against other nations. not all countried share that notion that ashes are be and end of test cricket.

Name a series other than the Ashes in the last 5 years which has seen the touring side play 5 Tests, 3 3-day First Class games and 1 4-day First Class game in the space of 2 months.

The floor is all yours.

 

[Furball]

The seven ODI's in Australia from a cricketing perspective was unnecessary. Maybe if we had a clearer picture of what our best ODI XI was going to be in this WC, we could have sent those that played the Tests home for a couple of weeks and to get out to the sub-continent in time for enough good preparation. The problem was they weren't sure of our best XI and used it as another chance to battle for places.

What should have happened IMO is the players should have flown home once the 5th Test was completed, had 3 weeks at home then flown out to either Dubai, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka and played a 3 game warm up series. It would have been far more beneficial as the players would have experienced conditions similar to those they would have faced (a 7 game series in Australia isn't exactly ideal preparation for a World Cup on the subcontinent) as well as given the players a much needed rest after 2 months hard graft in Australia.

 

[Woodster]

What should have happened IMO is the players should have flown home once the 5th Test was completed, had 3 weeks at home then flown out to either Dubai, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka and played a 3 game warm up series. It would have been far more beneficial as the players would have experienced conditions similar to those they would have faced (a 7 game series in Australia isn't exactly ideal preparation for a World Cup on the subcontinent) as well as given the players a much needed rest after 2 months hard graft in Australia.

Yes that would have been a more suitable scenario, but we will surely have had to oblige certain obligations in fulfilling a number of ODI's in Australia. I agree with what you say though, those Aussie pitches were nothing like what the players were likely to face in the sub-continent so gave us little opportunity to experiment with the team make-up.

 

[Furball]

Yes that would have been a more suitable scenario, but we will surely have had to oblige certain obligations in fulfilling a number of ODI's in Australia. I agree with what you say though, those Aussie pitches were nothing like what the players were likely to face in the sub-continent so gave us little opportunity to experiment with the team make-up.

IMO England and Australia should be fulfilling their ODI obligations in non-Ashes years. The main event of an Ashes summer is the Test series, no-one really gives a **** about the ODI series that follows. ODI series between the sides would mean a hell of a lot more IMO if they were seperated from the Ashes - I know I cared far more about the ODI series last summer than either of the most recent 7 match series.

 

[GIMH]

Please spare the judgement on other test nations. fact is not many countries get the previlage of playing warm ups and acclimatisation which England or Australia enjjoy in their ashes tours.

I find it amusing how an advantage is now seen as a disdvantage and burden now.

With all due respect, I find the suggestion that English players prepare more than any other nation for a test series, laughable, ignorant and a tad jingoistic, but I'll take the first and just laugh it off, no offence intended.

Jingoistic? ****ing disgraceful comment. What a **** post. One of the worst in the history of CW.

 

[Jacknife]

What should have happened IMO is the players should have flown home once the 5th Test was completed, had 3 weeks at home then flown out to either Dubai, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka and played a 3 game warm up series. It would have been far more beneficial as the players would have experienced conditions similar to those they would have faced (a 7 game series in Australia isn't exactly ideal preparation for a World Cup on the subcontinent) as well as given the players a much needed rest after 2 months hard graft in Australia.

Yes, agree and it should have been sorted years ago. We could have played a 3 game series in the sub continent against Australia, after the players went home for a few weeks.
I also enjoyed the one day series much more, when both sides could concentrate on the that series only, it makes for much better cricket, as both teams have found out after winning the test series.

 

[four_or_six]

Come on guys, I really don't want to have to close this thread too.

 

[Woodster]

IMO England and Australia should be fulfilling their ODI obligations in non-Ashes years. The main event of an Ashes summer is the Test series, no-one really gives a **** about the ODI series that follows. ODI series between the sides would mean a hell of a lot more IMO if they were seperated from the Ashes - I know I cared far more about the ODI series last summer than either of the most recent 7 match series.

Yes I agree there is little or no significance in the ODI's on the back of a much awaited Ashes Test series.

 

[Burgey]

Name a series other than the Ashes in the last 5 years which has seen the touring side play 5 Tests, 3 3-day First Class games and 1 4-day First Class game in the space of 2 months.

The floor is all yours.

Tbh I think it's a good thing to have better prepared test tours. I wish we had had more preparation for our test tours to England the past two tours, and in India last year too.

The problem is with a WC coming so soon after the Ashes, in this instance. From a purely personal POV I'd rather my team carry off test series wins, even though the WC is virtually the only ODI series worth anything, IMHO.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Batsman in averaging less if you took out his highest score shocker.

Just backing up what Jono said, tbh.

 

[Furball]

Tbh I think it's a good thing to have better prepared test tours. I wish we had had more preparation for our test tours to England the past two tours, and in India last year too.

The problem is with a WC coming so soon after the Ashes, in this instance. From a purely personal POV I'd rather my team carry off test series wins, even though the WC is virtually the only ODI series worth anything, IMHO.

Thought you guys had a pretty decent prep for the last series? Although funnily enough, that tour came after a T20 World Cup, which wasn't ideal either.

I'm all for better preparation for Test tours, and I'm also hugely in favour of splitting Test and ODI commitments for major tours. I'm not moaning about England's itinerary for the first 2 months of our tour in the slightest - merely countering the nonsense being spouted in this thread.

When India come here and get thrashed in summer, I wonder how many of the 'no excuses' brigade will all of a sudden point to their players being tired?

 

[Jono]

Lol Furball, you're probably right on that one.

Hopefully we don't get thrashed so it won't happen