Rank the World Cups

[Nintendo]

Insightful stuff. Counter argument

Which is the higher number
5 or 4

Atg post

 

[Molehill]

First world cup to have more than 1 million fans attend live but the grounds are empty? Get a grip. There's been plenty of good games/moments.

Huge stadiums and the fact people have been turning up after it's cooled down a bit has made it look averagely attended.

But there really haven't been many decent games and it's been predictable from very early on.

 

[GIMH]

Atg post

erm no, it was a terrible post

 

[Nintendo]

erm no, it was a terrible post

 

[OverratedSanity]

it's been predictable from very early on.

Hmm, the predictions turned out to be correct but it took an interesting road to get there imo.

 

[Nintendo]

Huge stadiums and the fact people have been turning up after it's cooled down a bit has made it look averagely attended.

But there really haven't been many decent games and it's been predictable from very early on.

Has it? Afghanistan nearly made the semis and the defending champions/one of the favourites coming in bombed and didn't come close to the semi's.

 

[Molehill]

Hmm, the predictions turned out to be correct but it took an interesting road to get there imo.

The fact that there were some slightly odd results and we still ended up with the semi finalists we predicted from about Oct 21st shows how ****ed this format is.

Has it? Afghanistan nearly made the semis and the defending champions/one of the favourites coming in bombed and didn't come close to the semi's.

Afghanistan were actually 2 wins away in the end, so not that close really. That England bombed was interesting, but we knew they were out from about Game 4.

 

[Sunil1z]

Afghanistan were 1 catch away from making SF . Mujib did Gibbs .

 

[Owzat]

2019 the best, 2007 the worst. Felt like it was never going to end.

then get ready for much of the same if it is another group then "super shi....." phase, just stick to basic formats/structures and quit with the round robin fixation whether that is the group or that is the "super" group

needs to be a balance, since they scrapped the 4x4 format which was unsurprising once the precious that is BCCI saw their team knocked out because of the flimsy format they barely look twice at minnow participation. Whilst they may go with qualifying for any Test side not ranked 1-8 or 1-10 just look at what numbers could be that involve a few more minnows and work out best format there without panicking if you don't get PAK, IND, ENG, AUS, SAF and NZL play each other at least once

what I'd advocate is a reversion to a format used in early World Cups, first two were the risky 2 groups of 4 playing each other once, boy do India not like that format as it saw them not get out of the groups in 1975, 1979 or 2007

1983 and 1987
groups : 2 groups of 4, played each other twice.
knockout : semis and final


Obviously would want to recognise more good countries, or just more Test nations (12, were less back then, half even)

Ideal/alternatives
groups : 4 groups of 4, play each other twice.
knockout : QFs, SFs and a final

or

groups : 4 groups of 5, play each other once.
knockout : QFs, SFs and a final

first format gives you 4x12 plus 7 games = 53, second format gives you 4x10 plus 7 games = 47.

The problem is it's all about $$£££$$ and TV, TV wanting big games all round, hence the round robin even in "super" phase/stage, and why they scrapped the 2007 format when India and Pakistan were gazumped. BUT you'd get plenty of big games and whilst there'd be a few more one sided games with more minnows at least it wouldn't be a long slog to the finish line with nothing really gained

some berk on BBC feedback claims the format (50 overs) is "dead" or "irrelevant", actually he's the latter, it is a thriving format and can remain so IF they don't bore the pants off people with it for the sake of TV. It is accessible like T20is, worst thing they can do and have done is close the door to sides outside the Test nations by giving the rest too few spots at major tournaments which is their best hope of the ££$$ to fund themselves and expand the game.

at best it is short sighted, at worst it is plain stupidity. ODIs and latterly T20is, and other innovations, ultimately kept cricket alive, Test cricket is the format plodding along like a dinosaur out of its era, a throwback to over a century ago when only a handful of elite sides were even invited to play.

 

[Blenkinsop]

1. Rugby
2. Cricket
3. Soccer
4. Tiddlywinks

and I don't even like rugby

 

[Owzat]

The fact that there were some slightly odd results and we still ended up with the semi finalists we predicted from about Oct 21st shows how ****ed this format is.

England simply didn't turn the corner otherwise they, and Pakistan who were what they are, great when great, poor when not, might have made the placings less certain. I think the venue didn't help either, could have engraved India's name in the semis from the second it was scheduled in India, were only ever likely to be five vying for the other three spots and Pakistan didn't turn up enough, England didn't turn up really at all (I don't count wins over Bangladesh and Holland as much of a "turn up", Pakistan was so late in the schedule Pakistan were pretty much out, and to counter those two wins England lost abysmally to Sri Lanka and didn't do well against Afghanistan, bowling was a joke half the time in the tournament, batting sometimes made it look good)

Afghanistan were actually 2 wins away in the end, so not that close really. That England bombed was interesting, but we knew they were out from about Game 4.

agreed. Holland and Afghanistan both did well considering their respective resources and experience, the clout of those that finished 1-4 told well before it was close to not being.


I do find the theory England needed more games ahead of the tournament amusing, only four sides played more than 5-8 games in the FOUR months before the World Cup and THREE of the semi finalists were among those who played 5-8 games, India played 12 but as hosts could have probably not bothered and still got to the semis

England = poor squad, mainly bowlers not fit for overseas bowling, ageing squad, batting wasn't balanced and didn't fire often enough. As pointed out in the analysis thread on the groups when England batted first they actually did quite well, blown away by Sri Lanka but otherwise 270+

Wood and Ali may as well not have bothered, Willey was ok, Topley and Rashid stand out, Woakes latterly got better returns, Livingstone and Curran non-entities

and despite a couple of big hurrah finale totals, Root, Brook, Bairstow and the middle to lower order were poor, Root has been past 3-4 years, they left behind 4-5 players who may not have made a difference, they may have, but may have made a lot more sense eg Dawson. Wood has been poor in ODIs throughout his career, had one tyre (a goodyear) in 2019, balanced out by the other year he played 16 ODIs and took half as many wickets at about twice the average, 2023 averages 49.63 with ball and frankly has to be in on the theory he's quick and gets bounce

 

[Owzat]

1. Rugby
2. Cricket
3. Soccer
4. Tiddlywinks

and I don't even like rugby

you call football "soccer" says all needs to be known about the poster, and spare me the usual about the origins etc, only two types reference it as "soccer" and those are ones whose country plays a sport that is called that but involves as much if not more handling of the ball than kicking it, and well you can probably guess what the other is - although some qualify on both counts

 

[Molehill]

Afghanistan were 1 catch away from making SF . Mujib did Gibbs .

Nope, that would've put them level on points with NZ, but were still behind on NRR.

 

[Sunil1z]

Nope, that would've put them level on points with NZ, but were still behind on NRR.

Nope . If Afghanistan had dismissed AUS on 130 or below , their NRR would have better than NZ. Maxwell was dropped when team score was 112

 

[GIMH]

Nope, that would've put them level on points with NZ, but were still behind on NRR.

Impossible to say. If they beat Oz then maybe they go on to beat SA?

 

[Molehill]

Nope . If Afghanistan had dismissed AUS on 130 or below , their NRR would have better than NZ. Maxwell was dropped when team score was 112

Sorry, don't think that's true. They were about 300 runs behind NZ on NRR, not 150.

They would've moved above on points, but they were never getting their NRR ahead of NZ's.

 

[Sunil1z]

Sorry, don't think that's true. They were about 300 runs behind NZ on NRR, not 150.

They would've moved above on points, but they were never getting their NRR ahead of NZ's.

You sure about the calculation. Then why were commentators repeatedly mentioning 130 number
Even if I assume you are right about NRR, Afghanistan would have played SA with more intensity if SF qualification chance was alive

 

[Molehill]

Ok I might be wrong on NRR . But they would have played SA with much greater intensity if SF qualification chance was still there.

Just re-worked the numbers - For Afghanistan to have moved above NZ on NRR at that stage they'd have needed to bowl Aus out for 2!!

No doubt about the intensity, but to say they were one catch away from the Semi Finals is clutching at straws. Who knows, if they beat Aus then maybe they lose the toss against SA and watch them smack 400!!

 

[Sunil1z]

Just re-worked the numbers - For Afghanistan to have moved above NZ on NRR at that stage they'd have needed to bowl Aus out for 2!!

No doubt about the intensity, but to say they were one catch away from the Semi Finals is clutching at straws. Who knows, if they beat Aus then maybe they lose the toss against SA and watch them smack 400!!

You are underestimating Afghanistan performance at this WC .

 

[Molehill]

You sure about the calculation. Then why were commentators repeatedly mentioning 130 number

I don't think anyone was even discussing moving their NRR above NZ's at that stage, they'd have moved ahead on points anyway.

You are underestimating Afghanistan performance at this WC .

I am?? How do you know what happens against SA? How about with the actual chance of reaching a semi, they fold under the pressure. Could just as easily happen if you ask me.