posted Mar 22, 2007

Pakistan lost because on the day they were not as good as Ireland

Overall they are a far better team, but so were Australia 2005 and they lost to Bangladesh.

To cut out the minnows would stop the upsets and the shocks and stop players like Davison from Canada scoring the fastest century in WC history(2003). Also they aren't doing too badly v NZ at the moment.

This has been a great WC, more records broken in 10 days than I can remember. Also the tragiedies of Woolmer's "murder"(his neck bone or summit was found to be broken APPARENTLY) but with Shahid Nazir scoring 160 or summit was fitting. You cannot say that the World Cup is bad because the minnows ruin, they dont, alright 9/10 times they will lose by 200 runs, but that 1/10, goes down in cricketing folklore and will be remembered long after our bones rot.

If you want the best to compete have a World Series where the top 8 teams play each other and two finalists play each other. That would be a replacement for the ICC Champions Trophy, and would be great 20/20 style as well.

You are talking rubbish and the fact is the World Cup is great because its the WORLD Cup, not just a Champions League.

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posted Mar 22, 2007

Congratulations to the Netherlands – even more reason for the ECB to reinstate them into the C&G.

Yes, the tournament is too long. However I think the Associate nations deserve their place, albeit on two conditions;
1) They remain able to produce shock results - see Ireland
2) Inclusion is part of an overall framework of development - including participation and organisation of domestic population, performance within the World Cricket League and relations with neighbouring Test nations.

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posted Mar 22, 2007

Decroy - Ireland are through and Bangladesh will be in with a shout if they beat Bermuda. They beat India, who have to beat Sri Lanka to have a chance of progressing.
Even if India beat Sri Lanka, Bangladesh would have 4 points, the same as India and Sri Lanka.

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posted Mar 22, 2007

why don't people stop having a go at ireland.we beat pakistan fair and square and we should have beat zimbabwe.we might not be a big cricket nation but the lads have believe and can cause more shocks.we got to the super 8's, england haven't.so a lot of ye just have sour grapes that we are in the last 8 and ye are not.come on ireland.

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posted Mar 22, 2007

The only way the associate nations will get better is by playing the test nations.

These matches are not a farce, they are part of a learning curve that all countries will have to go through if they are to achieve test status at some time in the future.

In order to get more people in the associate countries playing cricket, they need to have more exposure to cricket, and what better way than to put associate nations into the World cup. That way these countries will garner support and make more people in these countries interested in playing cricket.

Ireland have epitomised the sort of guts and hard work required to pull of a shock result, lets set it straight, the associate nations work every bit as hard as test nations once they have qualified, they obviously don't want to be anyones whipping boys.

Admittedly, Scotland, Bermuda and The Netherlands haven't done great but lets face it, Scotland and the Netherlands were in the same group as the top two one day sides in the world! Bermuda were always going to struggle as the weakest of the associate nations.

I think the associate nations deserve to be there and indeed NEED to be there for the global recognition of the sport. The sport is never going to progress or increase in popularity if it remains the property of a handful of countries.

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posted Mar 22, 2007

The interest generated in Ireland is phenomenal, I have GAA fans asking me about the cricket, surely a first. Did Pakistan roll over?? I doubt it. We have the makings of a resonable county side, we're never going to be Australia but could cause the odd upset. Anyway, isn't it the world cup? If you don't wnat the associate nations rename it and go for the American world series line of thought.
Sorry, just realised I was replying to DC's wee quote on some page or other, article above is fairly meaningless, DC is a w/n,k"r

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posted Mar 22, 2007

I wish Ireland the best of luck ...they will need it and after all they did bowl the WI out for 25 in 1969 so flukes do happen. How come no one commented on the fact that a few of the individual countries within the West Indies like Jaimaica, Guyana, Trinidad, Barbados etc should be represented in their own right anyone of them have better teams than these so called associate teams. The West Indies is not a country thats why FIFA won't allow them to field a soccer team.

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posted Mar 22, 2007

i think its been a fantastic world cup, so far Ireland are through to the super 8s (thats the top 8 teams in the world, not too bad really!), bangladesh have a great chance, who says the minnows are doing terrible

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posted Mar 23, 2007

I am proud to be Dutch again!

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posted Apr 4, 2007

RKO legend don't call us banlga minnow we a very good team, now we going to defeat ireland and negland u wait and watch.Scotland loose all their match haa haa

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