Cricket- the sport not the insect

[auscyclefan94]

What was with the ball tampering allegations re Aussie test ? Supposedly happened in the first innings and it wasn't an official protest. Starc is certainly good, bowling at the tail and had the yorker going nicely. Like to see him do better against the best batsmen.

It was a non-story. The footage that Sri Lanka provided showed no evidence of tampering and Sri Lanka did not officially report the incident. Starc largely got the bunnies at the end, Siddle is the far more impressive bowler.

 

[Alphabet]

I disagree with Sehwag as the 5th best batsman of the 2000s. Surely Dravid, Inzamam, Yousuf, Laxman or Hayden, Smith or Cook or Jayawardene would edge him out there, because none of them are irresponsible gits that are as likely to get out first ball, trailing by 500 as they are to score a triple hundred. Sehwag was far too inconsistent.

Top ODI player, though.

 

[hoerpi]

Malinga's bowling motion shouldn't be more wearing on his knees than a "normal" pace bowling motion.

Some T20s coming up now, it's funny to see the status of T20 in England and India if you compare their teams.

 

[Alphabet]

India take international T20 so seriously, always packing their team with established senior players like Gambhir, Dhoni and Yuvraj. Just about every other country uses it as an opportunity to play some youngsters. No way would India give someone like Dananjaya (who played for Sri Lanka at the recent World Cup) or Maxwell (ditto, for Australia) a chance, and that is hurting their youth development. Their youngsters only get to play in the rubbish Ranji Trophy competition (which is laughably weighted in favour of batsmen) or the IPL, and thus never get exposed to proper quality bowling/batting until they make their international debuts.

 

[the asian]

India take international T20 so seriously, .

We also take it seriously

Just really shows the mindset of the sub continent teams and the cricketing culture of the sub continent.

 

[Alphabet]

Which is a shame. International T20 matches, except maybe the World Cup, should be treated like the Tour de l'Avenir.

 

[hoerpi]

Which is a shame. International T20 matches, except maybe the World Cup, should be treated like the Tour de l'Avenir.

Agree, I don't even bother about todays horrible showing from NZ (I know there's no hope for tests without southee and taylor).

 

[Alphabet]

I just love the silence that follows in the crowd in a cricket match in India whenever the visiting team does something good. This was just brilliant, Eoin Morgan's last-ball six to win a T20 earlier today. Start watching at about 13 minutes, and relish the silence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ZmWC9948gnY#t=783s

 

[the asian]

Which is a shame. International T20 matches, except maybe the World Cup, should be treated like the Tour de l'Avenir.

I didn't watch a single T20 World cup match on home soil until our SF with Pak istan.
The overdose of T20 makes me sick. However we are more likely to win a ODI WC or T20 WC than attaining World No 1 ranking in Tests, hence the shorter formats are often prioritized.

Anyway Glad that the English have even beaten India at their favourite format

 

[Alphabet]

That silence is just so unsporting, it's as though they saw a cricketer pass away on the field whenever someone hits a boundary or takes a wicket.

Indian cricket fans are the worst in the world.

 

[ramjambunath]

That silence is just so unsporting, it's as though they saw a cricketer pass away on the field whenever someone hits a boundary or takes a wicket.

Indian cricket fans are the worst in the world.

Really? Indian fans don’t seem to pontificate about the Australians despite the shockingly sh!t attendance at Hobart, which even Nagpur eclipsed despite it being more than 30km outside the city with little connectivity.

Brett Lee was chided with no ball chants in the 2002 Ashes. Langer sooked to the media. Wonder how Murali was treated by the Aussies…. Yeah, Indian fans are so sh!t.

Silence when your team’s lost…. The shock.

Which is a shame. International T20 matches, except maybe the World Cup, should be treated like the Tour de l'Avenir.

And breed in the likes of Steve Smith, Raina and Warner, eh? It shouldn’t be treated as anything but hit and giggle. Post tour crit sh!t.

India take international T20 so seriously, always packing their team with established senior players like Gambhir, Dhoni and Yuvraj. Just about every other country uses it as an opportunity to play some youngsters. No way would India give someone like Dananjaya (who played for Sri Lanka at the recent World Cup) or Maxwell (ditto, for Australia) a chance, and that is hurting their youth development. Their youngsters only get to play in the rubbish Ranji Trophy competition (which is laughably weighted in favour of batsmen) or the IPL, and thus never get exposed to proper quality bowling/batting until they make their international debuts.

Rubbish Ranji? Remind me of the top four that the Sheffield shield has produced. 78/79 all over again. India has 4 batsman waiting to play test cricket atm (Rahane, Tiwary, Mukund, Bist and even Rohit and Saha are close. Bowlers is a completely different equation). It’s the selection that’s haywire. Maxwell a test player… funny. Test players hone their skills in FC cricket, not 2020 or LOI matches. How did Michael Bevan work? Youngsters, with bat and ball, should never be blooded into any team on the basis of pyjama performances.

I've criticised the BCCI for its fair share, and by golly they deserve it (most of which wouldn't have even made it to Aussie news pages), but considering CA is basically a mini BCCI...

 

[the asian]

That silence is just so unsporting, it's as though they saw a cricketer pass away on the field whenever someone hits a boundary or takes a wicket.

Indian cricket fans are the worst in the world.

Without a doubt.

And remember the treatment given out to their players after their exits at the 1996 and 2007 World Cups.

 

[Alphabet]

Calcutta is the worst place for it, with those disgraceful riots in 1996. What do they hope to achieve? All they're doing is destroying their own public property over sport.

What happened in 2007? The standard treatment (i.e. burning effigies of the players)?

 

[auscyclefan94]

I believe that Clarke won't play on Boxing Day. Anyone else have any thoughts on this issue?

 

[the asian]

Calcutta is the worst place for it, with those disgraceful riots in 1996. What do they hope to achieve? All they're doing is destroying their own public property over sport.

What happened in 2007? The standard treatment (i.e. burning effigies of the players)?

Dhoni's house, which was being built was burned down.

In 1996 also as far as I know, some players' houses were burnt down.

 

[hoerpi]

I believe that Clarke won't play on Boxing Day. Anyone else have any thoughts on this issue?

As long as Australia are able to take 20 wickets I think they'll win, even if Clarke isn't playing. Without Malinga, SL don't have a very strong bowling attack when it comes to pace.

Now to something completly different, I hope that the board listens to Sanga on this

 

[Alphabet]

As long as Australia are able to take 20 wickets I think they'll win, even if Clarke isn't playing. Without Malinga, SL don't have a very strong bowling attack when it comes to pace.

Herath more than makes up for the toothlessness of the pace attack. He's a real talent, a shame that Murali's presence robbed him of what could have been a great career.

Also a Melbourne test will be very interesting. Considering the huge Sri Lankan population in Melbourne, the place will be almost like a home test for them. I'm predicting a 60-40 split in the crowd in favour of the visitors.

 

[the asian]

.

Now to something completly different, I hope that the board listens to Sanga on this

Nonsense, the senior players are quite happy that tests are culled because they get to play in the IPL. They just say the opposite to the media to look good.

Back when Arjuna Ranathunga was our Cricket board chairman, he arranged a test series with England in England to replace the Windies, but our players including Sanga and Mahela vehemently refused because they would miss the IPL.

As I said before, I wouldn't be surprised if we become a non factor in Test cricket in ten years' time, like Zimbabwe have become.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Herath more than makes up for the toothlessness of the pace attack. He's a real talent, a shame that Murali's presence robbed him of what could have been a great career.

Also a Melbourne test will be very interesting. Considering the huge Sri Lankan population in Melbourne, the place will be almost like a home test for them. I'm predicting a 60-40 split in the crowd in favour of the visitors.

Herath does not at all make up for the 'toothlessness' in teh Sri Lankan attack. He only slightly improves it. I do agree that there will be a very big crowd on Boxing Day this year with the large Sri Lankan community in Melbourne. That should contribute to a great atmosphere at the ground although unfortunately I will not be going this year.

 

[Alphabet]

Herath does not at all make up for the 'toothlessness' in teh Sri Lankan attack. He only slightly improves it. I do agree that there will be a very big crowd on Boxing Day this year with the large Sri Lankan community in Melbourne. That should contribute to a great atmosphere at the ground although unfortunately I will not be going this year.

I think he does. If he can guarantee 8 wickets a match, then the rest of them only need to scrap around for the remaining 12. Which they can eventually get by bowling defensively.

The one drawback Herath has is that he's not a matchwinner in the same sense that Warne and Muralitharan were. He can take 10 wickets a match, but it'll take him 40-50 overs or so and will cost about 200 runs. He can't replicate those two's regular "5/15 in 10 overs" performances.

 

[movingtarget]

Mitchell Johnson is playing so anything could happen. He will either take three wickets in his first over or go for 24 runs after a 10 ball over.

 

[the asian]

Hopefully Shaminda Eranga can improve in the 2nd test.

He impressed me in the series against the Kiwis and is a seam bowler rather than a swing bowler, so should do well.
We can't rely solely on Herath to take wickets and Eranga if he gets it right, will be our most dangerous fast bowler.

 

[Alphabet]

If Sri Lanka had held those two catches, we'd be in a lot of trouble.

 

[the asian]

Was Watson dropped too?

Humiliating first few hours for us. At least grabbing 3 wickets near the would have brought some satisfaction to our supporters who seem to have turned up in decent numbers.

 

[Alphabet]

Yeah, Sangakkara dropped him. To be fair, neither were easy chances, but that's the sort of thing you have to do if you only scored 150.