Cricket's Coming Home
The Cricket World Cup is the most significant event to occur in the Caribbean since Christopher Columbus discovered the islands more than 500 years ago.
Being a Trinidadian-born cricket lover I am finding it very hard to stay calm as we get closer to the opening match in Jamaica on 13 March.
I'm getting ready to depart and leave my other sporting love, horse racing, behind to take up duties as a roving World Cup reporter for BBC TV.
The people of the West Indies are preparing to put on the greatest party ever, spread across eight countries and expect every Caribbean cliché to be trotted out repeatedly over the next two months.
We know it will be a carnival of cricket with a calypso atmosphere and plenty of fun in the sun. The Barmy Army are likely to top-up their tans on the golden sands beside the sea, but it is what we don’t know that is really generating genuine excitement.
On the pitch, can England build on their remarkable turnaround in fortune down under? Are the Aussies really as vulnerable as they have seemed in the last month? What magic can Brian Lara still conjure as he approaches the end of his 38th year? And above all else, just who will lift the trophy in Barbados on 28 April?
Off the pitch, how will the infrastructure of the eight developing countries cope with the large number of visiting supporters? How many hotels will be overbooked? And how many bags will be lost at airports over the next two months?
We’ll know the answers to all those questions eventually, but I want to know them now.
In the meantime, I shall satisfy myself with discussing, or shall I say arguing, with friends and family over my predictions and theirs for the 8th Cricket World Cup. Just for the record here are a few:
- Everyone seems to think that there are going to be huge scores, one or two have said that 500 is a possibility. But given the uncertainty over the nature of the newly-laid wickets, I believe that batsmen will need to find their feet before blast-off. There may be some low-scoring games, at least during the group stages.
- I shall be having a small flutter on Liam Plunkett to be the tournament’s leading wicket taker at 50-1. The Australian top order was unable to cope with his pace and swing in the recent series and he should be high on confidence.
- On the batting front, I’m taking a chance on Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousuf being the leading run scorer at 25-1. He is a player capable of adapting to any conditions and his team should go a long way.
- I see the semi-finalists as India, Pakistan, West Indies and England, but I won’t go further with my Mystic Meg impersonation.
Instead I shall start packing and the next time you hear from me I should be in Jamaica ready for West Indies v Pakistan at Sabina Park.
Til then, take it easy.
Pakistan having lost 3 front line bowlers will not make the semi finals. It does not appear to swing very much in the west indies warm up games so forget Plunkett for the leading wicket taker.
I will take Sri Lanka to win 8-1
Complain about this postLeading wicket taker Malinger 22-1
Run scorer tough one but Ganguly is a good outsider now he is opening or Jayasuria
Rishi - Have a great time mate and i look forward to watching your reports on the beeb.
Complain about this postIndia, Pakistan, West Indies and England?
What about the pre-tournament favourites of Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka?
Liam Plunkett as the leading wicket taker?
Normally I think the BBC tried to be impartial... but I think its time you opened your eyes to the rest of the cricket world, outside of England that is
Complain about this postDon't underestimate South Africa!!
Complain about this postI think Panesar is a better bet for most wickets. Plunkett was helped in Aus by faster pitches and day/night games that assisted swing. I think pace bowlers might not excel as much at the World Cup.
Don't think you can look much further than Yousuf on the batting front. Again, I've heard so much about the slowness of pitches over there that the big hitters could be somewhat quiet!
England, for the record, have no chance! I only wish they did.
Complain about this postMohammad Yousuf's record in the West Indies drops more than almost any other batsman in world cricket - his average loses some 20 runs. But I think you might be right with the early low scorers.
Complain about this posthi
there is no way India will make it to the semi finals and pakistan unfortunately have too many injuries.
i predict a south african victory
Complain about this postvernon
I do hope the BBC coverage of the World Cup is not going to dry up when England are knocked out :-)
Complain about this postSouth Africa will make the semis and bottle it again - Australia will return to their best and cruise to victory (I'm not aussie so this is not a biased view!)
Sri Lanka could be entertaining but didn't do well in recent one dayers and are prone to england-esque toporder collapses.
SA, Aus, India & Windies in the semis.
Complain about this posti'm really sorry rishi but this collective english self delusion really needs to be nipped in the bud as quickly as possible. what do you mean australia wasn't able to "cope" in the "recent series". they won 80 per cent of their matches- and england won 50 per cent. and their record was only tarnished because of fatigue, injuries and most likely complacency. speaking as a kiwi supporter your predictions are the most ludicrous thing i've ever read. the poms are ranked where they are for a reason. if this was soccer then england would have been no more than a plucky middlesborough side upseting an off colour man u when describing the poms' recent couple of successes against oz. get real. and whilst although i think that u got india right (and i think they will win it) how u could predict england defies belief. they will really struggle to get past kenya, and canada will give them a hell of a game.
Complain about this postI think that England will do well semi's at least, leading run scorer Jayasuria and leading wicket taker shane bond
Complain about this postYou leave out No 1 and 2 ranked in the world.
Complain about this postI'd have to question your credentials to reach this conclusion.
Liam Plunkett - leading wicket taker!
It must be the sun affecting the grey matter.
Good to see someone actually sticking their neck out, for once.
Some brave predictions. I will have a small investment on each. Thank you
KK
Complain about this postAs a Yorkshire man I love my cricket, however are we overrating the chances of the England team in the World Cup ?
Complain about this postYes we had a good 1 day Triangular tournament in the end but lets not forget the first few games. Should we look at the England team with an outside chance of winning or as one of the favourites ?
It is inbuilt into any English man or woman that England should win at everything due to its history, but this is no longer the case. England is far behind in many sports, rugby being a prime example, is this a mindset we have or is this how English children are changing into stay at home computer addicts who no longer are interested in sport ?
I fancy Sri Lanka to win it. They do have a pesky habit of nicking matches. That said, I always like to see the home time doing well in tournaments, so if Brian Lara scores the winning runs in a Windies victory I may well cry real tears.
England might make the semis if they get lucky, but I don't think they've got any chance of winning it...not that I'd complain if they did of course!
Leading wicket-taker: Shane Bond
Complain about this postHighest run-scorer: Chris Gayle
Interesting comments and to be honest England should do well but they need all XI to click! Tips for the tournament
Leading Bowler - Shane Bond 12/1
Leading Batter - Chris Gayle 16/1
Semi Finalists
Australia, Windies, South Africa & New Zealand
Winners - South Africa 5/1
Also, agree the world record ODI innings total will be beaten, if any one of the elite sides bat first against the minnows!
N.B. Fastest century Chris Gayle - 12/1
Complain about this postI do go with Rishi Persad - cannot substantiate my (our!) prediction quite well but cannot see teams like South Africa, New Zealand and Australia (all very one dimensional) and Sri Lanka (poor showing overseas traditionally) progress through the super 8 stages. If it was a bilateral one day series the above four teams could actually settle into a mode and show their prowess (Sri Lanka Vs England last summer). But where the second round finds them play a different team in a foreign environment every day, they do not have the ammunition to overpower their opponents consistently - either they would eventually be found out or start performing too late in the day.
As for the four predicted teams, West Indies will certainly make use of the home advantage whereas England will break into the semi finals purely through the sheer force of confidence gained from the one day series in Australia (we know what a good showing in Australia can do - don't forget Sri Lanka in 1996). India has an unusual mix of bowlers to prosper in these untested wickets whereas Pakistan will be the wounded tigers with enormous amount of talent and vigour to kick rest of the teams into their place.
After the SFs the WC could be anyone's.
Complain about this postMy predictions for semis: India, West Indies, New Zealand, Australia
West Indies Australia final. WI win.
I think Shane Bond is a good pick for leading wicket taker.
Complain about this postit is ok
Complain about this postPakistan - no Asif Akhtar or Razzaq... i really doubt it..attack isnt scary enough
West Indies - i pay u that one.. coz they are at home...
England - too inexperienced but may sneak in
India - i'd pick em...
id go with
Australia, India, West Indies, Sri Lanka
not putting Aus in is really weird.. they'll come back hard... especially the bowlers.. you watch
Complain about this postInteresting thoughts, Rishi, but your semi-finalists have missed the boat!
England and Pakistan in the semi's?? Very doubtful!
I believe the semi finalists will be South Africa, West Indies, India, Australia!
Dont care leading run and wicket scorers, but please, dont EVER underestimate South Africa and Australia!!
Complain about this postRishi,
Almost as cliche ridden as your brother's "inspirational captain's talks" :) It must be the excitement.
Enjoy yourself!
Complain about this postIn my view South africa are the hot favourate along with Srilanka and Australia. The fourth one i reckon is Pakistan, it may be biased but on paper Pakistan still look descent side.
Complain about this postIf i was given a little chance to pick the opener i wud definately give a chance to Azhar Mahmood, he plays well to da shot pich deliveries and has got good technique against fast bolwers.
BOB give him a chance for da Southafrica Match and den its easy to reach final stage.
The Plunkett bet is brave as I don't think he will even play and the wickets certainly won't help him.
For me the semi-finalists will be New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa and either England or Australia.
I think Sri Lanka will win - too many match winners in their team.
Complain about this postIndia has been in the quiet zone for sometime.....do not underestimate the likes of great batsmen in the camp....Sachin, Sehwag, Ganguly, Dravid, Dhoni, Utthappa and bowlers who are also now keeping up.....Sreesanth, Zak, Munaf and the class spinners bhajji and Kumble........
I predict an Indian uprising beyond all.........
Proud to be an Indian!!!!!
Go India!
Complain about this postI don't think Pakistan will do so well, but i agree India and England, provided that Vaughan (who somehow consistently manages to be both rather rubbish and enormously talismanic) recovers.
I also agree with Kauto that its good to see someone making some more interesting predictions. I certainly agree that Plunkett has an outside chance (who suggested Monty? you must be joking...) because his weakness lies far more in his lack of economy than his ability to take Wickets. Jayasuria to top-score.
Final Prediction? Scotland to beat Australia.
Presumably you've realised I'm scottish, so im lending some absolutely unbiased support to Rishi's predictions.
Complain about this postI think the WC looks as exciting as it ever has with huge variations in form coming into the start.
For me it will be a battle between Australia, Sri Lanka and the WI
Complain about this postIt seems to me that England have a half-decent chance of making the semis, but if I was going to back an outsider, I'd fancy Sri Lanka to do rather well.
As for the bowling, I confess I am not yet convinced about Plunkett. He has had some golden moments certainly, but top bowler??
Given that the grounds in the Carribean are unlikely to offer much help to the bowlers, you really do need someone who has consistent line and length. That's where Jon Lewis scores. He's not overwhelmed by the big occasion, and what he may lack in pace he makes up for in accuracy.
Complain about this postHELLO
FIRST OF ALL I AM REALLY EXCITED THAT WORLDCUP IS SO NEAR....
MY SEMIFINALS TEAM WOULD BE
PAKISTAN
AUSTRALIA
SRILANKA
ENGLAND
BEST BATSMAN : BRAIN LARA/ INZAMAM
BEST BOWLER : NTINI/ BOND
AND WORLD CUP WINNERS WOULD BE
ENGLAND (FINGER CROSSED)
WITH FINTOFF WOULD BE PLAYER OF THE TOUNAMENT.
Complain about this postI am very concerned about the state of the wickets. The format of the tournament results in playing 6 games in 10 days at most venues which will not help the groundsmen generate good tracks. Its been interesting that in the first tranche of warm up games, were all the (so called) minnows bowled first, the highest score achieved was 300 by the Indians against a very weak dutch attack. The predictions of high scoring run fests may be dulled by slow low wickets of variable pace
The general feel from the opening games is bat first, put up a total and then watch the wicket die on its bottom (to be polite) making chasing good totals very very difficult
Hope I am wrong, but we will find out soon - I CANT WAIT!!!
Complain about this postHi, have a safe trip. You are very optimistic including India in thesemi's...and leaving out Australia. Dont you count them out. They know how to win on the given day.
Oh, while in Ja. perhaps, you could catch up with Ravi Ramphall for a chat. He is coming back from a long series of injuries....and doing very well. He tore up the opponents in our local carib. league one day series. I am impressed with him. He started to represent the WI when he was nineteen. A lovely young man. My only regret is that he cannot be considered for the World Cup.
Complain about this postHow would you like to chat, down here in Ja. with a 96 y.o. cricket enthusatic. Who's legs are slow, but wit, sense of humour and mind is as sharp as ever. He lives in Kingston. Let me know. YOu can get my email address from you control centre.
Get cracking with the packing. Catch you in Ja.
CaribbeanLadylove
I would say brave man with brave predictions.
I would agree that this time around the pre tournament favourites may struggle. I don't know why but it seems that way, maybe foolish hope.
any way my tips for teh semi would be,
India, England, South Africa and potentially, Pakistan or West Indies...
The reason I say Pakistan or West Indies, is that it all depends on the first opening game, to lose that may affect the dimensions of the Super 8 games.
I think WI will be strong, but the picthes newly laid will not favour them either.
England have the edge over Australia, but that might change come warm up game on Fri/Sat.
All in All, can't wait. All I hope is for good exciting, aggressive cricket to be played.
Complain about this postYour predictions, Mr. Persad, are very daring and risky but I believe you may be losing quite a lot of money during the world cup. I believe Plunkett won't play as England will stick to Lewis, Anderson and Panesar but we will probably find out on Friday. I believe the pitches will favour spin and a bit of reverse swing so I'm going for Freddie or Murali as the highest wicket taker. As for best batsmen I don't think it will be Yousef as Pakistan won't go very far and look too unbalanced. Highest run scorer will be Ponting or Jayasuria.
Complain about this postMy tip for the Semi's are Australia, Sri Lanka, India and England (C'mon lads!). South Africa will falter at the big stage and W Indies will just miss out or edge England to the last four. I'm optimistic Eng will win as I support them but I fear it may be Aussies year if they get everyone firing. Sri Lanka will come very close but seem to lack firepower in the middle order. Jawardene over rated as a batsman!!!!
Big call to leave South Africa and Australia out of the Semis... not to mention Sri Lanka.
I would agree with India and possibly England (if they fire up and everything clicks), but Pakistan are a mess both on and off the pitch and I would not be surprised if they failed to get out of their group - Ireland or Zimbabwe may just give them a shock in the group matches.
As for the Windies - well, it is their home tournament I guess, but do you really think they have the fire power to knock over the World's best?
I respect your romanticism, but I think that your rose tinted glasses may need a clean...
Complain about this postI believe your "Mystic Meg" will be pretty close, Rishi. I think Liam Plunkett is the most exciting cricketer to have hit the world stage in the last year or so. He really rattled the Aussies with his swing bowling, and dont underestimate his his batting. The Australians will be very competitive, and losing to the Poms in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy was a major blow. They will bounce back and Nathan Bracken and Michael Clarke will be key players. Home ground advantage will be huge so my prediction is West Indies versus either England or Australia in the final.
Complain about this postnoooooooo way west indies and pak... it sounds funny.
my predictions:
most runs getter.......... sachin tendulkar
most wicket taking bowler........makhaya ntini
my semi finalists... 1. australia
2. south africa
3. india
4. west indies
my finalists........ india vs southafrica
cup winners......... INDIA
Complain about this posthahahaha, some of these guys predictions really make me laugh!
Im a south african nd obviously think we hav a great chance of winning the world cup. I also think that u cant write off the other big guys like australia. I also think india and sri lanka are the teams 2 look out for.
Some countries that hav no chance- England!! its typical they win a game or 2 and think that they are the best in the world again, do me a favour and be realistic. I would hav liked 2 say pakistan for the cup as well but due 2 recent events i think their bowling will let them down a bit.
Complain about this posthahahaha, some of these guys predictions really make me laugh!
Im a south african nd obviously think we hav a great chance of winning the world cup. I also think that u cant write off the other big guys like australia. I also think india and sri lanka are the teams 2 look out for.
Some countries that hav no chance- England!! its typical they win a game or 2 and think that they are the best in the world again, do me a favour and be realistic. I would hav liked 2 say pakistan for the cup as well but due 2 recent events i think their bowling will let them down a bit.
Partymangrooves had the by far and away worst predictions ever. Australia being one-dimensional, hasnt stopped them from winning the past 2 world cups at a canter and being the no1 side for many years until now.
come on the proteas!!!
Complain about this postnoooooooo way west indies and pak... it sounds funny.
my predictions:
most runs getter.......... sachin tendulkar
most wicket taking bowler........makhaya ntini
my semi finalists... 1. australia
2. south africa
3. india
4. west indies
my finalists........ india vs southafrica
cup winners......... INDIA
Complain about this postI believe your "Mystic Meg" will be pretty close, Rishi. I think Liam Plunkett is the most exciting cricketer to have hit the world stage in the last year or so. He really rattled the Aussies with his swing bowling, and dont underestimate his batting. The Australians will be very competitive, and losing to the Poms in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy was a major blow. They will bounce back and Nathan Bracken and Michael Clarke will be key players. Home ground advantage will be huge so my prediction is West Indies versus either England or Australia in the final.
Complain about this postnoooooooo way west indies and pak... it sounds funny.
my predictions:
most runs getter.......... sachin tendulkar
most wicket taking bowler........makhaya ntini
my semi finalists... 1. australia
Complain about this post2. south africa
3. india
4. west indies
my finalists........ india vs southafrica
Leading run scorer - jacques kallis
Leading wicket taker - Monty Monty Monty Monty Panesar!!
Semi-finalists - Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
You heard it here first!!
Complain about this postI think Rishi should be practical and appears that he does not know the subject. However, he is entitled to his opinion.
My semi finalists are AUS, IND, SAF & SL. You need 4 wins out of 6 to be there in SF. Consistency is a must. The above teams got the ability. Though I am a Sri Lankan it is very difficult to predict from SF onwards.
Fastest 50- Sanath
Fastest 100- Gayle
Leading run getter- Gayle
Leading wicket taker- Vaas
I predict England to go home early. They will miss Trescothik. Hoggard should have been there. Paks will miss Asif a lot. From the rest only NZ could create some problems to the top 4.
Complain about this postYour prediction for the semifinal line-up shows a certain naivety influenced by horse racing where if a good horse falls, the race is over for the horse. Fortunately or unfortunately , in cricket it rarely happens that way. For Australia and SouthAfrica to be both missing from the line-up is very unrealistic. For Pak and Eng to make it into Semis, would be nice but unlikely.
Complain about this postAgree with d last post here unfortunately this will be the most open world cup ever as all the pitches have either been relayed or the entire square moved. Actually in a funny way the ball is in WI court in terms of how the pitch will play, but I feel Rishi being a trini born cricket love needs to revisit his circket root with his picks. As with any trini which includes this one will be heckling him all day asking him if he mad..
England's fortune down under was most due to Aussies becoming tired, changing their side and injuries, but good on England not expect much more than Semis for them. Final four most likely AUS, WI, NZ, IND.
Plunkett is a swing bowler and if he drifts too far he will not be leading wicket taker, it can possibly be a spinner although WI pitches are not spin wickets. Line and length bowler or fast to slow medium will be leading wicket taker.
Batting is down to any number of today's current stars but hoping that Brian Charles Lara bows out of the WC on a high.
Complain about this postI think Rishi should be practical and appears that he does not know the subject. However, he is entitled to his opinion.
My semi finalists are AUS, IND, SAF & SL. You need 4 wins out of 6 to be there in SF. Consistency is a must. The above teams got the ability. Though I am a Sri Lankan it is very difficult to predict from SF onwards.
Fastest 50- Sanath
Fastest 100- Gayle
Leading run getter- Gayle
Leading wicket taker- Vaas
I predict England to go home early. They will miss Trescothik. Hoggard should have been there. Paks will miss Asif a lot. From the rest only NZ could create some problems to the top 4.
Complain about this postI would not write off South Africa so easily in your predictions. Although they have failed to perform in major events in the last decade they are still a force to be reckoned with. I agree with India and Pakistan making the semi's. Would have to say the 4th slot is up for grabs and could come down to a AUSvs Eng encounter to decide it.
Complain about this post'Cricket's Coming Home'....I think you'll find that cricket was invented in England.
Complain about this postIn the coming world cup, my semifinals teams would be SOUTH AFRICA, INDIA, AUSTRALIA and ENGLAND. In final there would be SOUTH AFRICA and INDIA...Finally SOUTH AFRICA will win the cup. My best team is ENGLAND but SOUTH AFRICA is too good. I want to see ENGLAND in final but doudt very much.
Complain about this postSouth Africa stands a really good chance,since i feel they are much more prepare in every aspect compared to other World Cups.
And of course there is the Jonty Rhodes factor,he was the king of fielding and gives SA the edge mentally..
Complain about this postGo SA Go......its the world cup is ours for the taking.....
In the coming world cup, my semifinals teams would be SOUTH AFRICA, INDIA, AUSTRALIA and ENGLAND. In final there would be SOUTH AFRICA and INDIA...Finally SOUTH AFRICA will win the cup. My best team is ENGLAND but SOUTH AFRICA is too good. I want to see ENGLAND in final but doudt very much.
Complain about this postSemis : India, Australia, Sri Lanka, England.
Top Runscorer : S. Ganguly
Top Wicket-taker : C. Vaas
India to beat Sri Lanka in the final.
Complain about this postFor me, India, WI, SA & Aus with Sri Lanka and Pakistan just missing out.
England fans need to get over this dream that Vaughn is the key. He is, in mine and many others opinion nothing more than an average cricketer, albeit a brilliant captain.
If Symonds plays Australia to win and if he is out they will struggle as their lack of an economical spinner will be exposed.
Aus v WI for the final
Complain about this postPredictions for this tournament are so hard to make.
Not only is it a lottery as to how well teams play on the day but also the top 8 teams are all capable of beating each other anyway.
Nice to see England stuffing Bermuda though. Lets hope they do the same to Australia on Friday.
I enjoyed watching Dwayne Leverock do his stuff. He's like a black Shane Warne, isn't he.
Complain about this postFirstly let me defend Rishi here - despite the bbc website being global, at the end of the day it is a UK website and is not made to tell you how great Australia is - you get enough of that one-eyed stuff by reading the Aussie papers!
So aside from Scotland and Ireland (maybe the windies due to Rishi's heritage) he has a responsibility to big up England and he is doing nothing that any Aussie, Kiwi, Indian, South African or Pakistani blogger won't do for their own countries - so lay off otherwise I'm going to go on some Antipodean blog and do exactly the same and moan how they are promoting their own sides interests above anyone else!
Complain about this postIf you're going to make big calls like that Rishi you should post some odds too.
Complain about this postBrave predictions but i think South Africa and Australia both missing out on a semi final spot is unlikely.
Complain about this postI feel Samuels will have a good world cup with both bat and ball and the leading wicket taker will be Ntini.
Semi finalists will be Australia,SouthAfrica,India and WestIndies.
Rishi, I am sorry to say your excitement about the forthcoming World Cup has clearly overwhelmed your sense of judgement. Whilst I agree with Windies and India reaching the semi-finals, how can you possibly leave out Australia.
I cannot even begin to fathom how you arrived at the conclusion that Liam Plunkett could ever be the leading wicket taker, as you should know only too well, the conditions in the Caribbean will certainly not favour swing bowlers, and there are several opening batsmen around the world relishing the prospect of having to face Plunkett first up.
As for a Mr Jonathan Rowley who posted a reponse to your blog, I think he should concentrate on driving his car around Hertfordshire rather than commenting on the team talks of your brother (an inspirational captain I am told).
Complain about this postindia are a good team so they would be there
england and pakistan no chance
instead i would count on South africa and new zealand this time along side with THe Host
donot count australia out people
they are like wounded tigers
THEY GONNA COME BACK HARD
ESPECIALLY AT ENGLAND AND kIWIS
Complain about this postGreatest Party ever?? Me and my group of 7 ardent cricket lovers can only dream and dream.
18months of planning and 1 year after booking our cruise with Bharat Army,it has just been cancelled.
Well wish you all the very best and enjoy the greatest ever tournament
regards
Complain about this postVinu and team
Luton
uk
I feel there are lot more things to think. This world cup might turn up with some surprises. I don't think teams like Pakistan, England, Srilanka, South Africa will make it to the finals.
Australians have good chance
India have better chance
West Indies have best chance (remember @ home)
NewZealand beaten by a low profile third rated team will surely jump back on track.
It's going to be New Zealand/ WestIndies vs India /Australia in the final
[b][font color=red]My ratings:[/font]
1) India - 90% Chance
2) Australia - 85% Chance
3) NewZealand - 80% chance
4) WestIndies - 75% chance[/b]
I didn't mention the 100% chance site. That might be a surprise team if it comes. lol
Complain about this postI feel there are lot more things to think. This world cup might turn up with some surprises. I don't think teams like Pakistan, England, Srilanka, South Africa will make it to the finals.
Australians have good chance
India have better chance
West Indies have best chance (remember @ home)
NewZealand beaten by a low profile third rated team will surely jump back on track.
It's going to be New Zealand/ WestIndies vs India /Australia in the final
[b][font color=red]My ratings:[/font]
1) India - 90% Chance
2) Australia - 85% Chance
3) NewZealand - 80% chance
4) WestIndies - 75% chance[/b]
I didn't mention the 100% chance site. That might be a surprise team if it comes. lol
Complain about this postVery interesting predictions rishi, I agree with you about Pakistan. They are a very good team even without Asif, Shoib, Razzak. I think highest wicket Taker would be either murali or harbajon singh but proportionally i think Mashrafi of Bangladesh would be highest wicket taker. I think either Lara or Yousuf can have a huge scoring time.
Complain about this postMy Dear Sir,
Complain about this postJust to clarify one thing, Columbus did not discover Jamaica or the West Indies. Our forefathers were here, they were not lost.
In fact Columbus and his crew of criminals were the ones lost.
this is ridiculous!how does anyone think that england actually have a chance of making the semi's?? if it wasnt for jd the other day they would've been screwed-their batting was terrible!
Complain about this posti don't like to stereotype but once the english win a couple of games they think they're the best in the world!
it took how long for the english team to win a match in aus?
get a grip guys, your own team will be surprised if they make it into the semi's, no matter what they say....have you not looked at the odi rankings lately no?!
doesn't seem like you have.
It's an interesting prediction. It really reflects the openness of the World Cup and the evident weaknesses of all of the leading contenders. It means that you can think of reasons why any of them can fail. Despite the comments that they were going to take the match very seriously indeed, Australia did not anihilate Zimbabwe as expected; in fact, if Zimbabwe had not dropped three chances the final margin might have been surprsingly respectable.
Similarly, South Africa were at one point seemingly heading to a defeat against Ireland (only an Irish panic with 50 needed, the runrate very getable and 6 wickets in hand saved South Africa). The strongly fancied New Zealand lost embarassingly to Bangladesh and England struggled initially against Bermuda.
No one knows what side India, Pakistan and the West Indies will put out on the field: all have, in the last year, ranged from brilliant to abysmal in different matches and series and for each early momentum will be essential. And Sri Lanka depend a great deal on a few players (Charmindar Vaas, for example, does not have a good record away from Asia, but much depends on his skill with the new ball).
It is hard to believe that neither Australia nor South Africa will make it to the semi-final, but who would have picked India to win in 1983, Australia to play England in the Final in 1987, Pakistan to survive elimination on a technicality and then win in 1992, or Sri Lanka to be so devastatingly unbeatable in 1996, or Kenya to reach the semi-final in 2003????
Whatever happens, at least one team will come through and surprise the pundits by getting further than anyone imagined possible. It has happened in almost every World Cup so far.
Complain about this postAustralia will not even make the Semi's. There day is gone.
Sri Lanka
Complain about this postWest Indies
South Africa
Pakistan
Last four, West Indies, Australia, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
Top batsman, Ponting.
Top bowler, Ntini.
Complain about this postUh, Plunkett. He has been picked by the bookies to be one to send down the most number of wide balls.
Complain about this postThe pitch may play differently and imporatnt part in this world cup. Slowness of the pitch may help the team like India and Sri Lanka.
But the Aussie have the talent to play in any wicket and South africa may edge out new Zealand.
Do not underestiamte Pakistan in these type of Wickets as well Home-WI. NZ does not have a good team to play at slow wickets.
As such, we may see AUS, IND and SRI in Semis with SA or WI
Ricky or Khalis ma be leading run getter with medium pacers such as Pollock and Vass may get into wickets.
Complain about this postVery amusing reading. I'm not sure if most of the people posting on here actually understand cricket. Pakistan = no chance of making the semis. They are a shambles who have just lost Asif (absolute star) and Shoaib (and Afridi is still suspended I believe). Inzy would need to be an extremely inspiring captain to get the current squad into the semis. Inspiring captain he is not. In fact he gives the impression that he would prefer to be somewhere else. He's still a great bat though. Pakistan will win perhaps 1 game against the other 7 decent teams. They will not even beat England. It will also be very surprising if England can win more than 2 games against non-minnows. Lets not get carried away here about their chances. Yes, they did well to beat the Aussies recently but this is the World Cup we are talking about and the big guns will come to play. Sit down and compare Englands starting XI to other top notch teams and you begin to see how much of an uphill battle it is for them. It's just ludicrous to leave the Saffas and Aussies out of the semis. Teams can lose three games and still make the semis. S.A and Aust will not lose this many. That said, once the semi finals come around it's anyones game but I think it will be the following teams involved. Hardly sticking my neck out I know ! Noteable exclusion is West Indies. Can beat anyone on their day but are far too inconsistent. Home ground advantage is overrated.
Semi Finalists.
1. South Africa
Complain about this post2. Australia
3. India
4. Sri Lanka
All the way here in distant western Canada, we anxiously await the start of the potentially incredible tournament. I think that the most exciting team in the world, West Indies, should do well but to win they will have to leave at home their tendency to be rather brittle when least expected. On any given day they can crush any opposition.
I think that the island, the tournament and the world would greatly benefit if West Indies does well for they bring a brand of cricket to the game that is uniquely their own.
Complain about this postFirst off I completely disagree with your idea on a possibilty of Liam Plunkett being the leading wicket taker of the world cup; I mean look at him against Sri lanka, terrible isn't it?
Ist ODI - 1-32 in seven overs in the first match- Alrite but not impressive enough for the leading wicket taker.
2nd ODI - 0-58 in 8 overs- Pathetic
3rd ODI - 0-46 in 5.2 overs- Ha ha got smashed
4th ODI - 2-60 in 9 overs - Give me a break
5th ODI - 0-46 in 5 overs- C'mon..
Average- 80 point something Now tell me he's gonna be the leading wicket taker.. He is completely out of the question..If anything I'd nominate the following from the top countries..
Aussies- Lee but he's injures so S. Clark
Bangladesh- Mortaza or Abdur Razzak
Sri Lanka- Vaas or murali no malinga isn't that good
India- Srisanth or Zaheer khan
Pakistan- No good bowlers in the bowling dept. however there are some ...
South Africa- Pollock or Ntini
Windies- Taylor this is why The windies would not win it.. They don't have bowlers yeh they got fire power..
England- Distant... No experience I'm sorry there just so bad..I would nominate Jon lewis or Flintoff though..
Here's analysis on the top eight teams-
England- Could expect to reach the quarter finals but that's as far as it goes.. There batting looks strong but their bowling is too inexperienced. The whole teams age ratio is about 27 and Freddie's the one with the most matches under his bag- 182 and that's not alot. Sure they beat australia but they lost 28 out of 39 matches last year. So Winning it? No.
West Indies- A lot have been tipping them to reach the semis but I reckon they'll go as far as the super eights because there bowling was poor. They struggled against Kenya yersterday and you expect them to win it..Fat chance
Sri Lanka- A very Balanced team with nuff firepower and good EXPERIENCED bowlers..Like vaas and murali. Reaching the semis looks realistic and we'll have to see form there..
India- Semis looks just rite for them Good bowling good batting fielding not too bad..
Pakistan- Quarter finals look ok..
Aussies- Well tournament favourites should win this one. Semis..
Bangladesh - Ah this I think one of the minnows who will go quite far to be frank.. Watch out.
South Africa- Good Allrounders two of the best bowlers in the world, no 1 ranked team well it looks good for the proteas.. semis, you betcha,
Semis- S.Africa, Sri Lanka, Australia, India
Finals- I don't think the aussies will book a place but India and South africa does. Sl has a better chance than Aussies..
Complain about this postI would be the most surprised person on this earth if England reached semis. England are a terrible one day team, and they don't know how to handle pressure. Australia, south africa, Sri lanka, and India are going to be in semi-final most likely.
Complain about this postI am fascinated by these predictions. Doesn't anyone realise that of the major sides, only South Africa (8-2) have a winning record in their last 10 ODIs. The only other Test side with a recent winning record is Bangladesh! England, with 5-5 have the second best recent record of the big 8. What is the basis for such confidence that India and ("injury" ravaged) Pakistan are unbeatable and certain semi-finalists?? Everyone has been irregular recently, which is why the tournament is so open.
Complain about this postYou under estimate the Kiwi's who also smashed the Aussies
Complain about this postChris:
New Zealand have just been beaten by Bangladesh. Let's say that their form has been just as irregular as their rivals over the last 3 months.
Complain about this postlisten you guys
leading bowler is gonna be shuan pollock or shane bond
leading batter is kp or ricky ponting
the higest score will be 465-5 by sri lanka jayurisa 200 of 130 balls against bermuda then bowl them for 47 vass 6-13
i back bangladesh to beat to beat india and bermuda get through but beat only 2 teams in super 8 morfaza bare good 31 in 14 balls to win it for the tigers!!!!!
Complain about this postpak in finals? do some research man before writing for BBC. they are without shoaib, razzaq and their best bowler asif.
this is a very open WC, with any of top 8 teams except PAK having a realistic chance
semis are difficlut to predict, but AU SA IN and any one of SL/WI look likely
NZ and EN will have to step their game up (given their past record in WI) to reach semis
finals -- SA -vs- AU is the most mouth watering (given 1999 WC and "that" 400+ match), IN -vs- AU is next
my wish is any non-AU team winning the WC (its enough of AU domination)
Complain about this postWest indies will suprise every1 and will win the world cup,also in the semis there will be india, south africa and australia. South africa will bottle it in the semis. Ausralia are in bad form and india have a bad record in finals
Complain about this postSemifinalists:
South Africa - All rounders of All rounders, where one falls the other picks up
Australia - highest EQ (Emotional Quotient), they strive under pressure
India - Sachin is still a force to reckon with (averages 60 in WC games) and deep batting line up
Anyone's guess? - Maybe NZ but who knows.
Why I think others won't make it-
WI - inconsistent
SL - possibility but inconsistent
Pak - ace bowlers are injured
Eng - possibility but inconsistent
Minnows - inexperience, won't tally enough points in Super 8 but expect atleast 1 game upset by Canada or Kenya
WC winner - SA (law of averages - great team but still no cup yet)
Complain about this posti think the kiwis or india may surprise, after watching SAFs dismal performance against ireland i am geussing no more than middle place in the super eight, Australia will go all the way but surely will not win.
1st. England...sorry
2nd. Australia
3rd. india
4th. new zealand
top runscorer: KP
Complain about this postmost scalps: shane bond
england, india, pakistan and windies!
idiot
Complain about this postHi there,
I reckon the semi finalists will be:
ENGLAND
AUSTRALIA
SRI LANKA
SOUTH AFRICA
I would love ENGLAND to win it, but I reckon it will be a South Africa Australia final with SA winning it.
Most runs I think will be Pietersen, He loves the big stage, and if England get South Africa in the semis...
Most Wickets I think will be between Ntini and Flintoff. I know alot of people have said the West Indies will be a very spin orientated place, but I dont see enough consistent spinners (in the right team) out there to be the leading wicket taker. So I'm going to have to go with the class of Ntini and Flinoff
Complain about this postAs a patriot I hope England ends wc wit some pride.A lot has been thrown these days at em.Honour is what WE all crave for.
Complain about this postAs per some fan sayin bang'desh beat Ind...U must be on doping sir as half the pak bowlers are on
Though I’m satisfied with our discussion,. I would argue on certain predictions with the best of my cricketing knowledge…
Even though most of fans would expect huge score’s in limited over matches, it’s not feasible to score 10 runs per over, which we could probably expect with the next generation. Definitely the 8th cricket world cup would see a lot off low scoring matches, with no more than 300 runs expected in this chalice.
I shall be having a small flutter on munaf patel followed by muralidharan, to be the tournaments leading wicket taker. On the batting front, I’ m taking a chance on sachin tendulkar, mohammad yousuf, being the leading run scorer in wonderful 2007 cricket world cup.
The 24th and 25th April as Australia, South Africa, India and West Indies, but I will go further with my mystic meg leaning towards New Zealand.
I believe strongly myself that 28th april, would be a great day for the last time runner’s up!!!
Complain about this postThough I’m satisfied with our discussion, I would argue on certain predictions with the best of my cricketing knowledge…
Even though most of fans would expect huge score’s in limited over matches, it’s not feasible to score 10 runs per over, which we could probably expect with the next generation. Definitely the 8th cricket world cup would see a lot off low scoring matches, with no more than 300 runs expected in this chalice.
I shall be having a small flutter on munaf patel followed by muralidharan, to be the tournaments leading wicket taker. On the batting front, I’ m taking a chance on sachin tendulkar, mohammad yousuf, being the leading run scorer in wonderful 2007 cricket world cup.
The 24th and 25th April as Australia, South Africa, India and West Indies, but I will go further with my mystic meg leaning towards New Zealand.
I believe strongly myself that 28th april, would be a great day for the last time runner’s up!!!
Complain about this postThough I’m satisfied with our discussion, I would argue on certain predictions with the best of my cricketing knowledge…
Even though most of fans would expect huge score’s in limited over matches, it’s not feasible to score 10 runs per over, which we could probably expect with the next generation. Definitely the 8th cricket world cup would see a lot off low scoring matches, with no more than 300 runs expected in this chalice.
I shall be having a small flutter on munaf patel followed by muralidharan, to be the tournaments leading wicket taker. On the batting front, I’ m taking a chance on sachin tendulkar, mohammad yousuf, being the leading run scorer in wonderful 2007 cricket world cup.
The 24th and 25th April as Australia, South Africa, India and West Indies, but I will go further with my mystic meg leaning towards New Zealand.
I believe strongly myself that 28th april, would be a great day for the last time runner’s up!!!
Complain about this postI do not think England and Pakistan will make it to the semis. I would bet on Aussies Vs WI and India Vs SA in semis. And India will beat WI in the finals in a similar fashion as they have done it in1983!
Complain about this postHey mate,
Complain about this postLeading run-scorer Mohammad Yousuf...tentative but aren't we forgetting someone i.e. Sachin Tendulkar being the leading run scorer in world cups...and be aware of him as he is catching great form lately.
Leading wicket taker : Plunkett is there but only if engalnd reach semi-finals otherwise i would give 25-1 for Shane Bond
and i see the semi-finalists as India,south africa,west indies and New zealand..
as a betting man you know that most races 65% are won by the 1st or 2nd fav. It is a very bold prediction to leave out south africa and the aussies , but you never know. my own prediction to have a good world cup is sri lanka . An explosive top 4 batsman which can each make runs fast on the small pitches. they also have 2 of the best bowlers in the world.
Complain about this postEngland definitely have a chance to get to the semis. Their's is the only side (relatively young) fresh enough to keep on their strength till the very end. They have just tasted victory and will try their level best to keep on winning. I don't think India have a chance at all (what happened in the Champions Trophy at home?)
Complain about this postMr.Presad, Plunkett for the leading wicket taker ?? it appears English commentatotrs never rate potential of cricketers from other world countries !!!
Abdulhamid Ismail
Complain about this postMr.Presad, Plunkett for the leading wicket taker ?? it appears English commentatotrs never rate potential of cricketers from other world countries !!!
Abdulhamid Ismail
Complain about this postYou're a brave man to have made such bold predictions, my friend. But I believe you have almost got it right -- there are three teams out there, Sri Lanka, South Africa and New Zealand who have the "choker" label tattooed to them. Australia is the wild card here, but India is definitely a good call. Pakistan...not such a good call, but West Indies has a good shot if they can get it all together. England, well...once again, the jury's out on that one. But if I were you, I'd replace Pakistan with either one of Australia or South Africa, and MAYBE break down the final spot between possibly New Zealand (if Shane Bond is still around) or England.
And now I'm going to make a bold prediction: England and CANADA advancing from Group C. Howzat!
Complain about this postBet on Chris Gayle for leading scorer in the tournamant
Complain about this postHi
Complain about this postThis will be very exciting WC.
Simi-Finalists will be.
1 South africa
2 Australia
3 Sri Lanka
4 India
Final :- Australia Vs Sri Lanka.
winner :- Sri Lanka.
My Semi finaists are AUS/SAF/IND/SL. These teams will win at least 4 out of 6 to qualify in SF. Paks will miss their main strikers. NZ may give some headaches to the top 4. England will take an early flight home. Very difficult to predict the winner.
Fastest 50- Sanath
Complain about this postFastest 100- Gilchrist
Leading scorer- Ponting
Best Bowler- Vaas
Pakistan?? Now i believe they will get knocked out in the Quarter-Finals. Their bowling attack isn't strong since Shohaib is 'injured'. I think we need to be having one eye on Sri Lanka. They are not having much coverage but i say watch out.
Semi-Finals will consiste of - South Africa, Australia, Sri lanka and India.
Final - Australia and South Africa
Wninners - AUSTRALIA!!
(btw i support Pakistan so no bias)
Complain about this postAll i can say is that i'm happy Pak are not touted to do anything in this WC - perhaps also important for the remaining players to feel no pressure of expectation.....in a strange way these odds usually rally a side like Pak - they've never ever met expectations :)
Mercurial to the last......let the predictions roll in........
Complain about this postEveryone seems to forget the super eight format will favour the winners of the respective groups.
so having considered the groups this should be the table prior to the super eight
south africa
India
England
West indies
(these teams should (although Eng v NZ will be interesting) top their respective groups)
the other four then need to win their games in the super eight to have a reasonable chance at at least need to beat two of the four above.
the other four will be
australia
sri lanka
New Zealand
Pakistan
now taking the variables i believe that the table prior to the final games will be
South Africa
India These two will be through by now
Sri Lanka
England
West Indies
Australia no particular order these teams will need to win the last match to have a shot of the Semi-finals
Pakistan
New Zealand - feel that they both lack the all round attack to prevent the batting line ups.
So it will be
South Africa, India, and ........
Sri Lanka and Aust (although both WI and Eng could sneak in!)
the highest scorer will be Ganguly (look at the group!!!!) or possibly Jayasuriya
the highest wicket taker- Kumble or Ntini
Complain about this posti love cricket
Complain about this postEngland have a chance if they get the momentum. Beating Oz and NZ will boost their confidence. We also have some match winners. Realistically though I think England will fall short and anyone from Oz, SA, SL, Ind, NZ could win. Unfortunately I still think Oz have the best chance. A lot of teams still suffer mentally with regards Oz. One of the only teams who do not is England. If England do not win then I'll root for NZ, what an achievement winning the tournament would be for a country with a small population and a small pool of potential players due to the popularity of rugby. NEway come on England prove us all wrong and win.
Complain about this postSAF, NZL, IND, WIN in semi finals.
It will be an India - WI final. India will lose, breaking the host winner jinx.
Complain about this postSorry, Rishi, you may have eben away from the islands for far too long.Truth is there is a flurry of activity here, but many of us feel that we are being colonised all over, again, by teh ICC.
Complain about this postFor example, Trinidad's government spent millions on new buses and paved the roads near teh cricket venues, not for the citizens, but for the visitors. (The Queen's coming, clean up the place!)
Jamaica is spending millions on new hospital equipment- CT scans and MRI machines- just in time for World Cup.
Smaller islands are spending millions, but many many people are left out of the loop. Yes we are excited about cricket- and this game goes way beyond the boundary, but this is not the ebst thing to happen to us in 500 years. Methinks you may have spent to much time with the colonial masters.
'The Cricket World Cup is the most significant event to occur in the Caribbean since Christopher Columbus discovered the islands more than 500 years ago' - you can't discover something that was already there - discovered for the Europeans to colonise and take for their own !.
Complain about this postIndia's batting line up are capable of chasing any score along with two of the best 3 spinners in the world H Singh & A Kumble they will win the WC, Plunkett leading wicket taker would be nice but no chance at all, Muralitherton SL 10 - 1 Excellent bet
Complain about this postI am a die hard Pakistan fan but I think this world cup final would be either between South Africa vs Srilanka or South African vs Australia. And in any scenario it would be a treat to watch.
I have read some of the comments and I can't believe you guys are not taking Australia serious...they have won over 80 percent of their one days...they are excellent team.
I hope either South Africa or Sri Lanka wins South Africa because they have been unlucky for the past three world cups despite there overall strength. They are the most balanced side. Sri Lanka because they have the best spin attack and that way we could keep the world cup in the sub continent. And besides these pitches are pretty much like Gaddafi Stadium and we all remember the clash between Aus and Sri lanka in 1996 world cup final.
In the end I wish Shane Warne (one of my favorites) was in this world cup..he would have enjoyed these pitches so much.
Complain about this postWhat about some of the minnows? I can see Ireland and Bangladesh upsetting a team or 2 and getting through to the "super" 8s. Is there really not a better format than that? very convoluted. Why not just have the best 10 teams play each other one, top 4 into the semis? Same number of games, everyone is happy. Plunkett for most wickets? I'd need 500-1. Maybe Maclean for most runs in a double bet? And do we place too much empasis on Vaughan? I find most captains are pretty worthless...
Complain about this postTo all that have responded, thank you.
There have been many points raised in relation to my predictions. Firstly I should apologise for not giving detailed reasons who I thought might make the semi-finals.
Let me deal with those who I thought wouldn't make it.
Australia and South Africa are clearly two sides who have talented players and fine one-day records, but I have left them out on the following basis.
South Africa have been labelled chokers, which is probably a little harsh, however just looking at some of the big-one day games they have played in the last four years they have failed when things have really mattered, for example against the West Indies in front of their home crowd in the opening game of the 2003 World Cup and more recently against the same opposition in the semi-final of the ICC Champions trophy - perhaps they will make the semis, I'll eat my words and then they get knocked out. In addition I think the team that wins the World Cup will need to be adaptable to any type of conditions, SA are too reliant on their pace bowlers and don't have any quality spinning options.
As for the Aussies - of course they have an outstanding chance given the talent in their squad, but the reason I have left them out is what I've called the Mike Tyson syndrome. When Iron Mike was at his most fearsome he had most of his opponents beaten before they were even in the ring and the Aussies certainly had a similar effect on the cricket pitch - their recent defeats to England and New Zealand should have stripped that aura of invincibility away and the rest of the world should be encouraged. They will miss Brett Lee enormously and have a few key players carrying injuries. They are currently on top against Eng in their warm-up match but it is only warm-up after all.
New Zealand and Sri Lanka, like the other two teams already mentioned, have some wonderful individual players but collectively they do not have the talent to match the best in the world, in my opinion. Many of you will disagree and have every right to.
I happily hold my hands up and admit that my inclusion of the West Indies in the final four is somewhat biased, but I am sure that many of you making predictions will do so with the will of wanting your team to do well. In any case, with Lara, Gayle, Samuels etc, they have the batsmen that can score heavily and quickly, while their bowlers may lack the overall class of
some teams, but they all know their roles well.
England have proved just what a strong team they are to bounce back from their lowest point in Adelaide during the Tri-series to turn things around. Pietersen is back and I would not underestimate the value of Michael Vaughan as a captain and influence, even if he is not fully fit for every game.
Pakistan are indeed missing a few key players, but they have always been a side that when you least expect it, they find their form and surprise everyone. Added to that they have a very good record in the World Cup as winners in 92, runners up once and Semi-finalists 3 times. Their trio of middle order stalwarts, Younis, Mohammad Yousuf and Inzi are also a huge asset.
India are arguably the best balanced side in the tournament, with many different options in both batting and bowling - they have a number of match winners and despite their 4-1 loss to the Windies in the Caribbean last year they have been improved travellers in recent times - as I write they've got the Windies in all sorts in their warm-up match!
The truth is anyone who loves or even just likes cricket will have their opinions on who will do well and will have the ammunition to back it up and I fully respect the opinions of everyone who have replied to my original contribution - the fact that you bothered shows that you care about cricket and above all esle I hope you enjoy the tournament and the BBC's coverage.
Finally, I hear the points of some West Indians who have been wary of the World Cup coming to the Caribbean.
I'd just like to clear up that I didn't actually say that this is the best thing to happen to the Caribbean, I thought this might be the most significant - given the fact that it involves so many countries and with the right administration it could have a wonderfully positive effect on the region - if its mismanaged then its likely to leave a lasting negative effect.
I hope and pray that the respective committees remember it is the people of the West Indies and the game of cricket in the Caribbean that should come out of these 7 weeks with reputations, infrastructure and hope for the future, enhanced.
Complain about this postI think that its INDIA's turn to win the cup
Complain about this postIt seams everybody has forgotten the team
Complain about this postthat are realy sporty,and what they can do
in the careibbian as the climate there is
wonderful and the SriLankan team could com home victorious. belive me this team is
unpredicted, so never underestimate the SriLankens, as i know that they are winers and not looses even if the do not win they are a proud team they know what SPORT IS
I know I have the help of hindsight, but there was no way that none of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia were going to get to the final, let allone semi-final. Shocker!
Complain about this post