Thread: World Cup 2007

and that brings up the 400.......

Australia were worthy winners of Cricket's World Cup - but it was an appalling tournament in almost every way

In 2003 Australia won the Cricket World Cup winning all their 11 matches. In 2007 they did the same again and they were even more convincing - not once in this year's run of 11 wins did they even look remotely in trouble.

• 2 hours, 20 minutes ago

Australia - worthy winners of a deeply flawed tournament.
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But the tournament left a sour taste in the mouth for most cricket fans due to its ill-conceived structure and the greed of its administrators - the International Cricket Council.

Australia's success based on supreme self-confidence


That the Aussies had a squad of very technically proficient players goes without saying - but arguably no more proficient than any of the other fully professional squads at the tournament. True they have in Ponting a batsman of the highest class - but India had Tendulkar, Pakistan Yousuf, England Pietersen, South Africa Gibbs, West Indies Lara… all players of comparable talent. True Ponting is a good Captain - but arguably no smarter than Dravid, Vaughan, Fleming or Jayawardene. True Australia has a well-balanced bowling attack - but was it really that much more capable than those of the other top sides? I think not. What Australia had and most of the other sides only fitfully, was self-belief.

Leaving the Caribbean with pride


Whilst only Australia can leave the Caribbean with total satisfaction there were some other performances of note and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Ireland can look back with pleasure on the tournament. The Lankans, well coached by Tom Moody and well led by Mahela Jayawardene, were deserved runners-up. Bangladesh, again with a skilful coach in Dav Whatmore, did more than could have been expected of them in reaching the final stages and getting the scalps of India and South Africa along the way. And Ireland, a team comprised mostly of good amateurs rather than elite professionals, pulled off the shock of the tournament in beating Pakistan and also did exceptionally well in their tie against Zimbabwe and their later win against Bangladesh. For the rest of the combatants in this year's tournament it was a tale of failure, farce, frustration and tragedy.

Pakistan were vanquished and battered


The ghastly death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was a tragedy that cast a dark shadow over the whole tournament and it is no surprise that we have had to wait until after the World Cup was over for the truth about this horrific happening to begin to emerge in detail. For the confused and knavish morass that is Pakistan cricket Woolmer's death, and the ineptitude of their team's perfomance, must surely be the ultimate wake-up call. They now need a new coach and a new captain who will assert themselves in the right way - first by breaking up the introspective and sanctimonious cabal of players over which Inzamam so dominantly presided.

India, South Africa, New Zealand and the West Indies all blinked at the wrong moments


The only real explanation for a team as talented as India to have performed so abysmally is that they were so scared of losing vital matches that they forgot how to win. The Bangladeshis had nothing to lose - and so they won. The same with Sri Lanka who were through to the Super Eights already when they played India. The South Africans also suffered from Bangladeshi brio and bravado and continued to let the Aussies lord it over them - two humiliating losses to their old foe. The Kiwis did well - until the prize of the final glinted in their eyes and they were then comprehensively demolished by Australia and Sri Lanka in the Super Eight games and delivered a blow-par and spineless performance in the Semi-final. The Windies qualified comfortably but then subsided losing the last five of their final stage matches. All four teams had the talent to win this tournament, but the pressure was just too much for them in some of the must win games.

England were inept, ill-lead, ill-disciplined and a bungling embarrassment


In September 2004 England got to the final of the "Champions Trophy", beating World Champions Australia along the way. They should have won that final but took their eyes of the ball at a vital moment and let the West Indies in. In 2005 there was more steel and determination, matched with talent, as England under Michael Vaughan's inspired leadership and Duncan Fletcher's canny coaching regained the Ashes in a summer to remember. This win gave the team fame and fortune - three of them (Vaughan, Flintoff and Trescothick) bought million dollar homes on an exclusive Barbados golf course and they all, quite reasonably, cashed in on their success. That team has now fallen apart both literally and metaphorically. Injury and illness removed key players for some or all of the time. But the real failure was the absolute lack of a plan B when the going got tough. The contrast with the Australians is revealing. They too lost players through retirement, loss of form or fitness but at all times there was the leadership of Ponting and the sometimes unfairly belittled coaching of John Buchanan to rely upon. This continuity, combined with belief in themselves and a ruthless determination to win led not just to the green and goldwash of a 5-0 Ashes win but the retention of the Cricket World Cup in brilliant fashion.

Whilst Australia was showing the way England descended into a slough of despond with players of true class like Strauss, Vaughan and Harmison failing comprehensively and with the iconic Andrew Flintoff totally losing the plot. Flintoff was an inept Captain in Australia and his personal performances there, and later in the World Cup as well, were nothing like those of a world-class all-rounder. His behaviour off the field was hardly setting a good example either. But the feeble England leadership had no idea how to cope either with the fall into dysfunctionality of Flintoff and some others or with the loss of form of key players. England's World Cup performance was nervous, tactically naïve and utterly lacking in confidence. When they scored 15 runs off ten overs (with fielding restrictions in place) at the beginning of their innings in the "must-win" match against South Africa it made one wonder whether anyone in the England camp had the foggiest idea how to play One Day cricket.

Overblown, over-hyped and over-sold


But of all the failures of this appalling 2007 Cricket World Cup it is the failure of the International Cricket Council (ICC) that stands out. The money wasted on new half-empty stadiums that nobody wanted to visit. The ticket prices that made the matches unaffordable for locals. And above all the ludicrous commercially driven seven-week schedule. After the 2003 tournament commentators were unanimous that the competition had gone on for far too long and had included far too many matches. Here is what Wisden said at the time, " [The tournament] suffered profound structural and organisational faults. It was simply too big and too long." The 2003 event had lasted 43 days and included 54 matches but the ICC (as is their wont) ignored all the criticism and arranged for the 2007 World Cup to be even longer at 47 days (albeit with a slight reduction in matches to 51). So ignore the opportunistic weasel words of ICC Chief executive Malcolm Speed who has just said about this year's tournament "We listen to criticism, and there has been a lot of it from people saying it's been too long, so we'll look to make it shorter." They didn't listen last time and, unless forced to, I doubt that they will this time either.

Cricket at the crossroads


World Cricket is at the crossroads. The commercial and sporting failure of the 2007 Cricket World Cup will concentrate the minds - not least in the financial powerhouse of the game in India. The Indian Board of Control will wonder why they need a tournament that gave them nothing and they will be unlikely to agree to a similar format again. The ICC will be forced to sit up and take notice - their otiose, aureate edifice is under real threat at last.

Originally Posted by MeMock

oh and MtD...did you read the last line where credit was given to the ownership of the story......obviously not.

No, because internet etiquette dictates that if it's a quote, you place the article within quote tags. The article itself was long and boring, so I didn't read past the first few lines.

internet etiquette??? Bwahahahahah this is teak door!

i wonder if they gonna tell us now what happened to bob?

Woolmer's body arrives in South Africa
Cricinfo staff
April 29, 2007
The body of Bob Woolmer has arrived in South Africa after Jamaican officials gave permission on April 23 for it to be released and handed back to his family.
A casket bearing Woolmer's embalmed body arrived at the Cape Town International Airport shortly before 10:00 am (0800 GMT) on a South African Airways Flight from London. The Doves funeral group confirmed that the wooden casket wrapped in plastic being offloaded from the Boeing 747 contained Woolmer's remains.
"The body would be kept at a mortuary while his family makes funeral arrangements," Theo Rix, the Doves Western Cape general manager, told AFP. "We are meeting the family tomorrow morning to make the final arrangements."
Woolmer's body was in Jamaica since his murder on March 18 having been held back for the inquest scheduled for April 23. But instead the coroner allowed the body to be released and postponed the inquest indefinitely in light of what he described to be "significant developments."
Gill, Woolmer's widow, who lives in Cape Town's Pinelands neighbourhood, has previously said her English-born husband's cremation ceremony would be a private family affair.
© Cricinfo

kw - r u in bkk at the moment?

^ nah mate, Jkt. will be in Bkk sometime around June/July, well definately july since I'mplaying in the Asia Champs footy!

oh ok - just you said something on that other thread that i dont understand about having breakfast at the dubliner. I leave tomorrow for bkk and was gonna say hello.

Originally Posted by MeMock

oh ok - just you said something on that other thread that i dont understand about having breakfast at the dubliner. I leave tomorrow for bkk and was gonna say hello.

ah - yes i did, that twat was threatening me and claiming her knew my isp address so i was testing him......

i think most of the posts got thrown into the kiddies room thereby reducing the meaning of that post.

sorry - didnt realise you were in BKK.

Originally Posted by MeMock

I leave tomorrow for bkk and was gonna say hello.

BTW. I've had lunch at the Downunder Bistro twice this week, and the food was pretty good (I did remove the bladdy pineapple from my burger though).

Friday wasn't so good. Full of squealing plastic Thai women watching shitty Thai TV.

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Friday wasn't so good. Full of squealing plastic Thai women watching shitty Thai TV.

welcome to thailand....

Did the burgers have beetroot?

[QUOTE=kingwillyhggtb;294599]

Originally Posted by MeMock

sorry - didnt realise you were in BKK.

I'm not. I leave tomorrow.

^^ just wot i was thinking....

w/o beetroot it aint a burger!

I eat beetroot straight from the can. I love it.

I'm such a man

Yes, it had one measly slice of beetroot. I love it too.

They put slices of mandarin in the chef's salad too. Fekkin' weirdos in that place.

chef must be a pom

^ Thai, but trained by an Aussie.

Back to the cricket...


how fucking good are the Aussies eh? How many players are waiting in the wings to get a spot?
Lee didn't play, Clarkhardly playedand Johnson didn't even get picked...
The batsmen are strong as well..

Originally Posted by Butch

how fucking good are the Aussies eh?

Pretty feckin good really .

Someone told me that ICC's Malcolm Speed got hit on the head by a falling ICC logo at the start of the post final press conference. Did anyone see that?

Originally Posted by Wayne Kerr

Did anyone see that?

No. I think everyone was asleep due to boredom.

some oldies but goodies

1 Rod Marsh & Ian Botham: When Botham took guard in an Ashes match, Marsh welcomed him to the wicket with the immortal words: "So how's your wife & my kids?"
2. Daryll Cullinan & Shane Warne: As Cullinan was on his way to the wicket, Warne told him he had been waiting 2 years for another chance to humiliate him. "Looks like you spent it eating," Cullinan retorted.
3. Glenn McGrath (bowling to portly Zimbabwean chicken farmer EddoBrandes): "Hey Eddo, why are you so F***ing Fat?" Eddo Brandes: "Because everytime I F*** your wife, she throws me a biscuit"
4. Robin Smith & Merv Hughes: During 1989 Lords Test Hughes said to Smith after he played & missed: "You can't f***ing bat". Smith to Hughes after he smacked him to the boundary: "Hey Merv, we make a fine pair. I can't f***ing bat & you can't f***ing bowl."
5. Merv Hughes & Javed Miandad: During 1991 Adelaide Test, Javed called Merv a fat bus conductor. A few balls later Merv dismissed Javed: "Tickets please", Merv called out as he ran past the departing batsman.
6. Merv Hughes & Viv Richards: During a test match in the West Indies, Hughes didn't say a word to Viv, but continued to stare at him after deliveries. "This is my island, my culture. Don't you be staring at me. In my culture we just bowl." Merv didn't reply, but after he dismissed him he announced to the batsman: "In my culture we just say f*** off."
7. And of course you can't forget Ian Healy's legendary comment which was picked up by the Channel 9 microphones when Arjuna Ranatunga called for a runner on a particularly hot night during a one dayer in Sydney... "You don't get a runner for being an overweight, unfit, fat c***!!!"
8. James Ormond had just come out to bat on an ashes tour and was greeted by Mark Waugh....... MW : "F*** me, look who it is. Mate, what are you doing out here, there's no way you're good enough to play for England" JO : "Maybe not, but at least I'm the best player in my family"
9. McGrath to Ramnaresh Sarwan: "So what does Brian Lara's d*** taste like?" Sarwan: "I don't know. Ask your wife." McGrath (losing it): "If you ever f***ing mention my wife again, I'll F***ing rip your F***ing throat out."
10. Mark Waugh standing at second slip, the new player (Adam Parore) comes to the crease playing & missing the first ball. Mark "Ohh, I remember you from a couple years ago in Australia. You were s**t then, you're f***ing useless now". Parore- (Turning around) "Yeah, that's me & when I was there you were going out with that old, ugly sl*t & now I hear you've married her. You dumb c***".
11. Yet another Australian witticism with this time porky Sri Lankan batsman Arjuna Ranatunga the victim. Shane Warne, trying to tempt the batsman out of his crease mused what it took to get the plump character to get out of his crease and drive. Wicketkeeper Ian Healy piped up,"Put a Mars Bar on a good length. That should do it."
12. Malcolm Marshall was bowling to David Boon who had played and missed a couple of times. Marshall : "Now David, Are you going to get out now or am I going to have to bowl around the wicket and kill you?"
13. Fred Trueman bowling. The batsman edges and the ball goes to first slip, and right between Raman Subba Row's legs. Fred doesn't say a word. At the end of the over, Row ambles past Trueman and apologises sheepishly. "I should've kept my legs together, Fred". "So should your mother" he replied.

some oldies but goodies

1 Rod Marsh & Ian Botham: When Botham took guard in an Ashes match, Marsh welcomed him to the wicket with the immortal words: "So how's your wife & my kids?"
2. Daryll Cullinan & Shane Warne: As Cullinan was on his way to the wicket, Warne told him he had been waiting 2 years for another chance to humiliate him. "Looks like you spent it eating," Cullinan retorted.
3. Glenn McGrath (bowling to portly Zimbabwean chicken farmer EddoBrandes): "Hey Eddo, why are you so F***ing Fat?" Eddo Brandes: "Because everytime I F*** your wife, she throws me a biscuit"
4. Robin Smith & Merv Hughes: During 1989 Lords Test Hughes said to Smith after he played & missed: "You can't f***ing bat". Smith to Hughes after he smacked him to the boundary: "Hey Merv, we make a fine pair. I can't f***ing bat & you can't f***ing bowl."
5. Merv Hughes & Javed Miandad: During 1991 Adelaide Test, Javed called Merv a fat bus conductor. A few balls later Merv dismissed Javed: "Tickets please", Merv called out as he ran past the departing batsman.
6. Merv Hughes & Viv Richards: During a test match in the West Indies, Hughes didn't say a word to Viv, but continued to stare at him after deliveries. "This is my island, my culture. Don't you be staring at me. In my culture we just bowl." Merv didn't reply, but after he dismissed him he announced to the batsman: "In my culture we just say f*** off."
7. And of course you can't forget Ian Healy's legendary comment which was picked up by the Channel 9 microphones when Arjuna Ranatunga called for a runner on a particularly hot night during a one dayer in Sydney... "You don't get a runner for being an overweight, unfit, fat c***!!!"
8. James Ormond had just come out to bat on an ashes tour and was greeted by Mark Waugh....... MW : "F*** me, look who it is. Mate, what are you doing out here, there's no way you're good enough to play for England" JO : "Maybe not, but at least I'm the best player in my family"
9. McGrath to Ramnaresh Sarwan: "So what does Brian Lara's d*** taste like?" Sarwan: "I don't know. Ask your wife." McGrath (losing it): "If you ever f***ing mention my wife again, I'll F***ing rip your F***ing throat out."
10. Mark Waugh standing at second slip, the new player (Adam Parore) comes to the crease playing & missing the first ball. Mark "Ohh, I remember you from a couple years ago in Australia. You were s**t then, you're f***ing useless now". Parore- (Turning around) "Yeah, that's me & when I was there you were going out with that old, ugly sl*t & now I hear you've married her. You dumb c***".
11. Yet another Australian witticism with this time porky Sri Lankan batsman Arjuna Ranatunga the victim. Shane Warne, trying to tempt the batsman out of his crease mused what it took to get the plump character to get out of his crease and drive. Wicketkeeper Ian Healy piped up,"Put a Mars Bar on a good length. That should do it."
12. Malcolm Marshall was bowling to David Boon who had played and missed a couple of times. Marshall : "Now David, Are you going to get out now or am I going to have to bowl around the wicket and kill you?"
13. Fred Trueman bowling. The batsman edges and the ball goes to first slip, and right between Raman Subba Row's legs. Fred doesn't say a word. At the end of the over, Row ambles past Trueman and apologises sheepishly. "I should've kept my legs together, Fred". "So should your mother" he replied.