• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

What the tournament needs...

Fuller Pilch

Hall of Fame Member
I think what the tournament needs is for Australia to beat the Windies and NZ to beat Pakistan. That way the West Indies - Ireland and Pakistan - Bangladesh games will be knock outs (rather than dead rubbers) and there might be some interest in pool play.

Comments?
 

AaronK

State Regular
it has been a boring tournment so far.. I don't know what the hell they were thinking puttling so many minnows vs giant matches..

The only thing i have enjoyed seeing indian batting struggling against afghan fast bowlers.. shapoor zadran is pretty impressive.. reminded me of young shoaib akhtar..
 

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
Pool play has indeed been pretty dull. Can say now without incurring wrath of karma upon NZ that the minnows have not contributed a great deal to the tournament so far.

Agree those results you suggested would add a little more spice.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Yesterday's games were lit up by McCullum's and Wright's wonderful knocks, but as contests they were both non-events. The Whigs actually had to rally to only lose by 116 runs, which is still more than England successfully defended against Pakistan in the warm-up.

Another problem with Zimbabwe and Afghanistan both playing the first two games in their groups is that SL/SA & India/England are both of curiousity value only now, especially with the seedings for the Super 8s decided regardless of finishing positions.

Agree with the OP, Australian and New Zealand wins would create some more interest.
 

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
I do like having 2-4 out of Bangladesh, Ireland, Zimbabwe plus 1 in world tournaments. They just haven't been particularly good so far this WC, so the group stage becomes like a pre-tournament just to get rid of them.
 

Debris

International 12th Man
I don't mind the minnows being in. It can show how good some players are when you see them against lesser opposition.

And to be fair, the minnows usually cause an upset or two to shake up tournaments.
 

stumpski

International Captain
It's both a convenience and a curse that there happen to be eight teams who play cricket to a substantially higher standard than the rest. It means that the last eight/quarter-final stage in any multi-team tournament is virtually pre-confirmed. I do wish that one or two of the so-called minnows could raise their game and somehow start to compete with the big eight on level terms, but who was the last team to break through the glass ceiling - Sri Lanka? They've been serious contenders since that '96 World Cup win.

What the tournament really needs, of course, apart from a close match or two, is for it to stop raining.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Minnows can't win in a way tho. When they're poo the first round's a forgone conclusion; when they actually beat their betters (a la Ireland & Bangladesh in 2007) they're blamed for breaking the tournament.
 

uvelocity

International Coach
how did they work out the seedings anyway. seems wierd how it has for instance eng and ind in one group and wi and aus in another
 

Daemon

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Pre determined so it would be easier for spectators to plan out schedules in terms of buying tickets and booking hotels according to harsha bhogle on twitter.
 

wellAlbidarned

International Coach
If you want to have a true world cup then you have to tolerate the fact that good teams are generally going to beat teams that aren't as good as them. Don't get what all this fuss is tbh.
 

uvelocity

International Coach
Pre determined so it would be easier for spectators to plan out schedules in terms of buying tickets and booking hotels according to harsha bhogle on twitter.
yeah thats well and good, but how far in advance, aus and wi have been lowly ranked since forever, why are they together? would make more sense 1,5,9 / 2,6,10 / 3,7,11 & 4,8,12 imo

well 3 in a pool is pretty silly too I think. but that's a different story.
 

stumpski

International Captain
Yes, a more competitive element could easily have been introduced - by having three groups of four, the top two from each going through to a super 6 stage. It would have been good for the minor teams to have had an extra match as well.
 

ankitj

Hall of Fame Member
yeah thats well and good, but how far in advance, aus and wi have been lowly ranked since forever, why are they together? would make more sense 1,5,9 / 2,6,10 / 3,7,11 & 4,8,12 imo

well 3 in a pool is pretty silly too I think. but that's a different story.
Typically it will be 1,8 / 2,7 / 3,6 / 4,5. This would make more sense.
 

Top