Which International Team Do You Support?

[bond21]

Australia.

2nd favourite team is South Africa, I like Pollock and Kallis.

Least favourites are India, England and New Zealand.

Only player from India I like is Tendulkar...im sure hes embarassed by idiots like Harbhajan running around international cricket.

Pakistan imo have more talent, they just suck behind the scenes, they produce better bowlers than india by a mile and theyre either not playing or sucking or doing drugs and hitting team mates.

Also dislike NZ because all the NZ commentators expect NZ to be beating good teams, when maybe 1 player from their team would get in another team, shane bond for example

No wonder Shane Bond broke down, he was their only quality bowler and they relied on him for everything. He couldve been so much better if they didnt push him so bloody hard.

Also I couldnt name half of the english XI right now because they replace half the team every bloody test match, geez no wonder they cant win, having a different team every time doesnt help. Also dropping Hoggard....that says it pretty much. Their only good performer over a long period of time and one bad day and they drop him, idiots. Why did Harmison get an entire 5 test ashes series of total suck and not get dropped, yet Hoggard gets dropped after one bad day.

Gee no politics there....maybe Hoggard doesnt like Flintoff as much as Harmison does so he doesnt get the defense Harmison does.

 

[Prince EWS]

No wonder Shane Bond broke down, he was their only quality bowler and they relied on him for everything. He couldve been so much better if they didnt push him so bloody hard.

Yeah, 0 Tests a year would be hard work.

 

[Richard]

Also I couldnt name half of the english XI right now because they replace half the team every bloody test match, geez no wonder they cant win, having a different team every time doesnt help.

Yes, most sides would have a different team if they had 2 or 3 players get injured every year. It's also very rare for that many teams to go that many Tests at a time without changing the team

Also dropping Hoggard....that says it pretty much. Their only good performer over a long period of time and one bad day and they drop him, idiots. Why did Harmison get an entire 5 test ashes series of total suck and not get dropped, yet Hoggard gets dropped after one bad day.

Gee no politics there....maybe Hoggard doesnt like Flintoff as much as Harmison does so he doesnt get the defense Harmison does.

Err, no, no politics at all... FFS, what a stupid suggestion. Stephen Harmison is not a very good bowler but is an exceptionally nice guy. It's natural and ranging accross a wide range of individuals - far from confined to Flintoff - to want him to play and do well. It's also ranged accross a wide range of individuals to believe he has tools that other bowlers don't so must be persevered with for longer than some others. Not a school of thought I subscribe to, but one subscribed to by several learned posters on this forum, and certainly not one related to any form of politics.

 

[DaRick]

1) Australia (obviously)
2) Bangladesh (because they're underdogs)
3) West Indies (seeing them actually win is heartening)
4) Sri Lanka (I'm not sure why really - I just like watching many of their players)
5) Pakistan (they'd be infuriating to support, but they're great to watch as a neutral observer)
6) New Zealand (I'm more or less ambivalent, really, though I find myself disliking Ian Smith's commentary)
7) South Africa (They just don't turn me on - plus Graeme Smith irks me in so many ways)
8) England (TBH, flogging them is nice)
9) India (they've always been my least favourite team - mostly because of the insane hype transcending some of their players, but also because of their intermittenly hypocritical and reactive attitudes - i.e: Anil Kumble accusing Australia of not playing within the spirit of the game, only for Dinesh Kartthik to spit at Michael Clarke after a decision was correctly turned down in Adelaide)

 

[Richard]

6) New Zealand (I'm more or less ambivalent, really, though I find myself disliking Ian Smith's commentary)

Can only dream of what you think of Martin Crowe, Mark Richardson, Simon Doull and Gavin Larsen then.

Smith's the only NZ commentator at the current time I particularly like TBH.

 

[Prince EWS]

Can only dream of what you think of Martin Crowe, Mark Richardson, Simon Doull and Gavin Larsen then.

Smith's the only NZ commentator at the current time I particularly like TBH.

I like all of 'em TBH. Smith can be a bit of a tool at times but he still adds insight so I'd rather him be there than not. I'm actually a big fan of Richardson, Coney and Crowe as commentators.

 

[pietersenrocks]

Love England,but hate all Asian teams,they lack spirit.

 

[pietersenrocks]

Australia.

2nd favourite team is South Africa, I like Pollock and Kallis.

Least favourites are India, England and New Zealand.

Only player from India I like is Tendulkar...im sure hes embarassed by idiots like Harbhajan running around international cricket.

Pakistan imo have more talent, they just suck behind the scenes, they produce better bowlers than india by a mile and theyre either not playing or sucking or doing drugs and hitting team mates.

Also dislike NZ because all the NZ commentators expect NZ to be beating good teams, when maybe 1 player from their team would get in another team, shane bond for example

No wonder Shane Bond broke down, he was their only quality bowler and they relied on him for everything. He couldve been so much better if they didnt push him so bloody hard.

Also I couldnt name half of the english XI right now because they replace half the team every bloody test match, geez no wonder they cant win, having a different team every time doesnt help. Also dropping Hoggard....that says it pretty much. Their only good performer over a long period of time and one bad day and they drop him, idiots. Why did Harmison get an entire 5 test ashes series of total suck and not get dropped, yet Hoggard gets dropped after one bad day.

Gee no politics there....maybe Hoggard doesnt like Flintoff as much as Harmison does so he doesnt get the defense Harmison does.

There is nothing about liking Freddie and there isnt much policitics in English cricket like Pakistan etc,.

England have always produced good fast bowlers and we never lacked bowlers,we did struggled in the Ashes 2006 but it was a bad time.

When the Old guns like Harmy&Hoggy stopped firing .. we had to throw it to the young lads like Jimmy&Broad .. And,it worked well!!!

Dunno,how long Jimmy,Sidebottom,Broady play but our we'll always produce good results in bowling and dats wat matters....Harmy's career looks over now !!

 

[haroon510]

1) Australia (obviously)
2) Bangladesh (because they're underdogs)
3) West Indies (seeing them actually win is heartening)
4) Sri Lanka (I'm not sure why really - I just like watching many of their players)
5) Pakistan (they'd be infuriating to support, but they're great to watch as a neutral observer)
6) New Zealand (I'm more or less ambivalent, really, though I find myself disliking Ian Smith's commentary)
7) South Africa (They just don't turn me on - plus Graeme Smith irks me in so many ways)
8) England (TBH, flogging them is nice)
9) India (they've always been my least favourite team - mostly because of the insane hype transcending some of their players, but also because of their intermittenly hypocritical and reactive attitudes - i.e: Anil Kumble accusing Australia of not playing within the spirit of the game, only for Dinesh Kartthik to spit at Michael Clarke after a decision was correctly turned down in Adelaide)

i agree.. not to forget Kumble himself sledging Mohmmad Yousuf during the the Pak india test series.. Sreesanth's behavior and disrespectful attitude toward legends like lara, inzi, pointing and many others..

 

[honestbharani]

1) Australia (obviously)
2) Bangladesh (because they're underdogs)
3) West Indies (seeing them actually win is heartening)
4) Sri Lanka (I'm not sure why really - I just like watching many of their players)
5) Pakistan (they'd be infuriating to support, but they're great to watch as a neutral observer)
6) New Zealand (I'm more or less ambivalent, really, though I find myself disliking Ian Smith's commentary)
7) South Africa (They just don't turn me on - plus Graeme Smith irks me in so many ways)
8) England (TBH, flogging them is nice)
9) India (they've always been my least favourite team - mostly because of the insane hype transcending some of their players, but also because of their intermittenly hypocritical and reactive attitudes - i.e: Anil Kumble accusing Australia of not playing within the spirit of the game, only for Dinesh Kartthik to spit at Michael Clarke after a decision was correctly turned down in Adelaide)

i agree.. not to forget Kumble himself sledging Mohmmad Yousuf during the the Pak india test series.. Sreesanth's behavior and disrespectful attitude toward legends like lara, inzi, pointing and many others..

Small point, but Kumble wasn't talking about sledging alone when he mentioned about the "spirit of the game"...

 

[honestbharani]

India obviously.



#2 used to be the Windies for me, but with the way Lara's send off was handled and the attitude of guys like Marlon Samuels, I am not really interested in them anymore, although I still think Chanderpaul is a legend.


Right now, don't have a clear #2 team that I support, but mostly I like to see all teams do well. Like to see New Zealand and England do well simply because of the joy it gives to the supporters of those teams here... Pakistan because the amount of natural talent some of their players, esp. their pace bowlers have, is simply mind boggling. Sri Lanka because of Murali... Bangladesh and Zim because they are the perennial underdogs. South Africa because I think they are one of the most intense teams when it comes to planning for their games etc...


I generally enjoyed watching Australia, esp. Slater, the Waugh twins, Gilly, Langer (for some reason feel he is rather underrated), Martyn, Warney, and McGrath and also Gillespie and even MacGill. But with all those guys now gone, or almost gone, I really don't have much time for the new generation. Was and still am a big fan of Clarke, think he is one of the most amazingly gifted batsmen to have come through recently, but hate his attitude towards the game. Same with guys like Symonds, Hayden. Ponting does stupid stuff often but at least, to me, he gives the impression of a honest bloke who genuinely believes that he is doing the right thing and who won't mind apologizing for his deeds if he feels they were wrong later on. But I still like blokes like Bracken, Clark, Johnson, Hussey etc.

 

[DaRick]

Small point, but Kumble wasn't talking about sledging alone when he mentioned about the "spirit of the game"...

Well, I do agree that the "spirit of the game" is a vague term. However, Anil Kumble really should've known better. He must've realised that insinuating that a team did not play in the "spirit of a game", in a country whose media, at the very least, is given to bashing its own sportsmen when they supposedly slip up, would've stirred up a hotbed of unnecessary and potentially damaging debate - both here and in India.

Also, by using such a term, Kumble has placed his team on a 'moral pedestal' in comparison to the Australian team, if you like. Dinesh Karthik spitting at Clarke falls rather short of this, don't you think?

One more thing: sledging refers (or should refer) to verbal, non-racial abuse. Spitting isn't verbal abuse - just a vile act which looks even more unsightly (and unusual) on TV.

Kumble could've reffered to a multitude of issues, not just sledging; I agree with you there. But what issues do you think he was trying to bring up under that vague, all-encompassing term?

 

[pasag]

Well, I do agree that the "spirit of the game" is a vague term. However, he really should've known better. He must've realised that insinuating that a team did not play in the "spirit of a game", in a country whose media, at the very least, is given to bashing its own sportsmen when they supposedly slip up, would've stirred up a hotbed of unnecessary and potentially damaging debate - both here and in India.

Also, by using such a term, Kumble has placed his team on a 'moral pedestal' in comparison to the Australian team, if you like. Dinesh Karthik spitting at Clarke falls rather short of this, don't you think?

One more thing: sledging refers (or should refer) to verbal, non-racial abuse. Spitting isn't verbal abuse - just a vile act which looks even more unsightly (and unusual) on TV.

Kumble could've reffered to a multitude of issues, not just sledging; I agree with you there. But what issues do you think he was trying to bring up under that vague, all-encompassing term?

He was talking mainly about the catching/appealing, not the sledging.

 

[DaRick]

He was talking mainly about the catching/appealing, not the sledging.

Hmm...his argument still doesn't fly, though. Dinesh Karthik's reaction after an appeal for a catch was correctly turned down was unsavoury. Even the Australians, as much as they can behave idiotically sometimes, never, to my knowledge, resorted to spitting during the Aus/India test series. I've also heard rumours that Kumble once appealed when Brad Hogg hit a cover drive...not to mention appealing when Symonds nicked one onto his pad in Perth.

As for the Ponting/Clarke catches in Sydney...both had to turn their heads upon impact, so they may have thought, for all of the world, that their catches were legitimate. I'm not saying that they were, nor am I saying that's a certainity, but it is certainly possible.

I'm not saying that the Australians didn't appeal when they shouldn't have, I'm just suggesting that Kumble had no right to insinuate that his team played in the 'spirit of the game', while ours didn't. By doing this, he's placed his team on a 'moral pedestal' which they haven't been able to live up to since.

In the modern game, no team is going to play completely in the 'spirit of the game', as much as we idealists would like them to (that includes Australia and India, obviously). In terms of lifestyle, career and reputation, there's far too much at stake.

 

[pasag]

Kumble's issue was that an agreement was made before the series that the feilders word would be taken, then for Australia to claim catches in the very series, in his eyes was the ultimate con.

I'm also not sure what you're on about with the spitting, I saw Karthik involved in something while he was a substitute but it was a little bit of argy bargy, I don't remember any spitting.

 

[DaRick]

Kumble's issue was that an agreement was made before the series that the feilders word would be taken, then for Australia to claim catches in the very series, in his eyes was the ultimate con.

That's understandable. Using the term 'spirit of the game' to illustrate that point, though, is irresponsible and could lead (and did lead) to a whole host of interpretations - potentially damaging - on what he exactly meant. I don't know whether he did bring up the catching agreement during that 'press conference', but if he did, he should've left it at that, rather than harking on about the 'spirit of the game'.

I'm also not sure what you're on about with the spitting, I saw Karthik involved in something while he was a substitute but it was a little bit of argy bargy, I don't remember any spitting.

I'm absolutely certain that there was (its even been a talking point on other forums, FFS). I don't remember who commented on it; I think it may've been Richie Benaud.

Also, without sounding disrespectful, how do you know what honestbharani means? Has he been talking to you about what I asked him?

 

[R_D]

That's understandable. Using the term 'spirit of the game' to illustrate that point, though, is irresponsible and could lead (and did lead) to a whole host of interpretations - potentially damaging - on what he exactly meant. I don't know whether he did bring up the catching agreement during that 'press conference', but if he did, he should've left it at that, rather than harking on about the 'spirit of the game'.



I'm absolutely certain that there was (its even been a talking point on other forums, FFS). I don't remember who commented on it; I think it may've been Richie Benaud.

Also, without sounding disrespectful, how do you know what honestbharani means? Has he been talking to you about what I asked him?

wouldn't the spitting been highlighted by the wonderful Aus media ? the fact there wasn't much made out of it suggests to me that some people were seeing things that weren't there.
Kumble was talking about the way Aus were appealing for everything and claiming anything... dropped catches etc. Thats what he meant by not playing within the spirit.

 

[pasag]

That's understandable. Using the term 'spirit of the game' to illustrate that point, though, is irresponsible and could lead (and did lead) to a whole host of interpretations - potentially damaging - on what he exactly meant. I don't know whether he did bring up the catching agreement during that 'press conference', but if he did, he should've left it at that, rather than harking on about the 'spirit of the game'.



I'm absolutely certain that there was (its even been a talking point on other forums, FFS). I don't remember who commented on it; I think it may've been Richie Benaud.

Also, without sounding disrespectful, how do you know what honestbharani means? Has he been talking to you about what I asked him?

Are you referring to the 'his eyes' wrt honestbharni? If so I'm talking about Kumble and I guess as a result the general Indian standpoint there, not HB. But I agree, Kumble shouldn't have said that in public, just like 95% of the actions shouldn't have been taken over the summer. It's all academic now though.

I think we're talking about the same Karthik incident but I don't recall any spitting, just bullish behaviour, is there a video on youtube? Anyways, I don't want to take this thread anymore OT so I'll leave it at that.

 

[honestbharani]

Hmm...his argument still doesn't fly, though. Dinesh Karthik's reaction after an appeal for a catch was correctly turned down was unsavoury. Even the Australians, as much as they can behave idiotically sometimes, never, to my knowledge, resorted to spitting during the Aus/India test series. I've also heard rumours that Kumble once appealed when Brad Hogg hit a cover drive...not to mention appealing when Symonds nicked one onto his pad in Perth.

As for the Ponting/Clarke catches in Sydney...both had to turn their heads upon impact, so they may have thought, for all of the world, that their catches were legitimate. I'm not saying that they were, nor am I saying that's a certainity, but it is certainly possible.

I'm not saying that the Australians didn't appeal when they shouldn't have, I'm just suggesting that Kumble had no right to insinuate that his team played in the 'spirit of the game', while ours didn't. By doing this, he's placed his team on a 'moral pedestal' which they haven't been able to live up to since.

In the modern game, no team is going to play completely in the 'spirit of the game', as much as we idealists would like them to (that includes Australia and India, obviously). In terms of lifestyle, career and reputation, there's far too much at stake.

First of all, the DK incident happened at Adelaide. So maybe it was because the Indians had decided that enough was enough and decided to play the bad way themselves... And Kumble said what he did at Sydney because there is no way that guys like Clarke were playing in the spirit of the game. Not saying Indians, esp. Dhoni, are any better but at least when the agreement was in place, they didn't claim bump ball catches....


And yes, this issue has been discussed to death in other threads. IF you want to continue, I suggest we move these posts to some of the other related threads and continue there.

 

[Kovas]

I live in and support Australia, obviously.