The Carribean Carnival
Just 18 days to go for World Cup 2007 and I cant wait to see the first ball bowled. The Carribean has waited 22 years for this and the people there deserve to host an event such as this one. It is without doubt the best venue in the world to play cricket. The wonderful cocktail of cricket, music, passion and absolute love for the game comes out beautifully in the West Indies. So why exactly am i looking forward to WC 2007 ? Just read on....
First up, its gonna be a real celebration and a last hurrah for some of my favorite cricketing heroes. These are the guys I have followed for the last 15-17 years and these are my heroes. Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Brian Lara, Glenn McGrath, Shaun Pollock, Muttiah Muralitharan, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Stephen Fleming.. what an outstanding list of players that is. Each a true champion. To have all these guys slugging it out for one last time to get that ultimate prize is dream stuff. What amazing contests we will have on the cards, superlative bowling performances, stunning knocks and great catches -- its all gonna happen at WC 2007.
So who has a chance at the Cup this time around? Australia and their aura of invincibility -- that is all gone. The recent reverses against England at the CB finals and the 3-0 scoreline at the Chapell - Hadlee series is not some blip in form that many Aussie fans would like to beleive. Having seen their performances in these last 5 matches, I can sense that an era is coming to an end. Some big names left the scene at the end of the Ashes and a few more will at the end of the Cup. Not only does this directly affect their performances but also their much vaunted bench strength is'nt all that promising. In Shaun Tait they do have an outright quickie but he needs to be groomed. I see them sliding down the world rankings in the next 2-3 years before the new breed gains experience and blossoms again. Australia need to be patient during this time. They might just scrape through and reach the semis with one last gasp, but their future seems pretty uncertain. I see a distinct lack of quality in both their batting and bowling as far as the reserves are concerned. Only time will tell if I am right.
Also Australia's loss in form has left the Cup wide open. To me there are six realistic contenders for the title, each with an equal chance. Australia, West Indies, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, India and Pakistan. You might be thinking I am crazy to leave out South Africa - the top team according to the ICC rankings. But thats not surprising - coming in to every WC they have always been the form team. But their performance disintegartes as they progress further in a World Cup(92,96,99 and 03). They get stagnated in the high pressure matches where they have to win at all costs. They will always be a brilliant team but a WC win also needs nerves of steel and I dont see them having that as yet.
West Indies are a firm favorite in their backyard. Lara could just be saving his best for something big like this. In crucial matches he could churn up some unbeleivable stuff. Gayle is another force to reckon with and their slow spinners are a handful in those conditions. New Zealand are playing some inspired cricket at the moment and are in sublime form. Ross Taylor is the new star and the Kiwis need just one reason for motivation - they better give back something to their skipper. Fleming's been around long now and his team ought to repay him for the way he has carried them through all the highs and lows over the last decade. This imaginative captain will finally have at his disposal a quality side that is expected to reach the last four.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka are always the enigmas. All they need is an inspired performance by one of their lead stars. Jayasuriya and Sangakkara are the key men for SL. They will determine if SL go the distance this time around. With Vaas and Murali in their bowling ranks, they will always be able to place the stranglehold in the middle overs. Pakistan are a huge force becasue they have the most imaginative bowling attack of all the teams in foray. Watch out for Inzi and Yousuf, they could run into some big time form. For big Inzi it will be the last World Cup and he has been one of the most prolific ODI batsmen ever. Asif, Akhtar(if fit) and Gul are quite a handful when it comes to some pitches in the Carribean. But hopefully we will have some sporting tracks for this WC unlike some flat belters that we are used to in India.
So finally our very own Team India. A disastrous tour of South Africa, some lacklustre performances in the one day competitions such as the DLF cup and the Champions Trophy have only worked out to our advantage. For the first time despite the two back to back victories at home(SL & WI), high hopes are'nt being pinned on this team to go the distance. And having followed this Team all the way through for so many years, I can safely vouch that they play their best and most belligerent cricket when they are away from the pressure and limelight. Sit back and sample what we have in our team. Sachin, Sourav and Dravid - each with over 10,000 runs and in awesome form - they will be the backbone for our campaign. Add to that their experience of playing in previous WC's and their familiarity with the conditions in the West Indies. Now thats serious - these guys will go in with a plan to take us into that last four. Its the last World Cup all three will be playing. Then you have the Dhonis and the Yuvrajs, they are the future of our cricket and they already are through the grind. Zak has matured and become a better cricketer, more variety and a calmer presence means that we wont be seeing any more of that dreadful stuff he produced in the finals of WC 2003. So just relax and quietly follow Team India's progress. You might see some incredible performances by our most beloved cricketers. A Rahul Dravid fan, I would so much love to see him lifting that Cup.
More than anyone else Sachin Tendulkar desrves to have a World Cup victory in his long list of achievements. His teammates owe him this victory. Last time was so near yet so far. This is when they have got to make it count, make it happen for him. It will be a fitting tribute to this giant performer. And this is the most capable team to do it. These guys have been in a WC final before. They know what to expect. Buck up all you guys and girls - its gonna be party time this March and April. The Cricket Carnival is all set to unfold, pure delight awaits all the crazy fans who love this game more than anything else. Cheers!!!!
Just 18 days to go for World Cup 2007 and I cant wait to see the first ball bowled. The Carribean has waited 22 years for this and the people there deserve to host an event such as this one. It is without doubt the best venue in the world to play cricket. The wonderful cocktail of cricket, music, passion and absolute love for the game comes out beautifully in the West Indies. So why exactly am i looking forward to WC 2007 ? Just read on....
First up, its gonna be a real celebration and a last hurrah for some of my favorite cricketing heroes. These are the guys I have followed for the last 15-17 years and these are my heroes. Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Brian Lara, Glenn McGrath, Shaun Pollock, Muttiah Muralitharan, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Stephen Fleming.. what an outstanding list of players that is. Each a true champion. To have all these guys slugging it out for one last time to get that ultimate prize is dream stuff. What amazing contests we will have on the cards, superlative bowling performances, stunning knocks and great catches -- its all gonna happen at WC 2007.
So who has a chance at the Cup this time around? Australia and their aura of invincibility -- that is all gone. The recent reverses against England at the CB finals and the 3-0 scoreline at the Chapell - Hadlee series is not some blip in form that many Aussie fans would like to beleive. Having seen their performances in these last 5 matches, I can sense that an era is coming to an end. Some big names left the scene at the end of the Ashes and a few more will at the end of the Cup. Not only does this directly affect their performances but also their much vaunted bench strength is'nt all that promising. In Shaun Tait they do have an outright quickie but he needs to be groomed. I see them sliding down the world rankings in the next 2-3 years before the new breed gains experience and blossoms again. Australia need to be patient during this time. They might just scrape through and reach the semis with one last gasp, but their future seems pretty uncertain. I see a distinct lack of quality in both their batting and bowling as far as the reserves are concerned. Only time will tell if I am right.
Also Australia's loss in form has left the Cup wide open. To me there are six realistic contenders for the title, each with an equal chance. Australia, West Indies, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, India and Pakistan. You might be thinking I am crazy to leave out South Africa - the top team according to the ICC rankings. But thats not surprising - coming in to every WC they have always been the form team. But their performance disintegartes as they progress further in a World Cup(92,96,99 and 03). They get stagnated in the high pressure matches where they have to win at all costs. They will always be a brilliant team but a WC win also needs nerves of steel and I dont see them having that as yet.
West Indies are a firm favorite in their backyard. Lara could just be saving his best for something big like this. In crucial matches he could churn up some unbeleivable stuff. Gayle is another force to reckon with and their slow spinners are a handful in those conditions. New Zealand are playing some inspired cricket at the moment and are in sublime form. Ross Taylor is the new star and the Kiwis need just one reason for motivation - they better give back something to their skipper. Fleming's been around long now and his team ought to repay him for the way he has carried them through all the highs and lows over the last decade. This imaginative captain will finally have at his disposal a quality side that is expected to reach the last four.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka are always the enigmas. All they need is an inspired performance by one of their lead stars. Jayasuriya and Sangakkara are the key men for SL. They will determine if SL go the distance this time around. With Vaas and Murali in their bowling ranks, they will always be able to place the stranglehold in the middle overs. Pakistan are a huge force becasue they have the most imaginative bowling attack of all the teams in foray. Watch out for Inzi and Yousuf, they could run into some big time form. For big Inzi it will be the last World Cup and he has been one of the most prolific ODI batsmen ever. Asif, Akhtar(if fit) and Gul are quite a handful when it comes to some pitches in the Carribean. But hopefully we will have some sporting tracks for this WC unlike some flat belters that we are used to in India.
So finally our very own Team India. A disastrous tour of South Africa, some lacklustre performances in the one day competitions such as the DLF cup and the Champions Trophy have only worked out to our advantage. For the first time despite the two back to back victories at home(SL & WI), high hopes are'nt being pinned on this team to go the distance. And having followed this Team all the way through for so many years, I can safely vouch that they play their best and most belligerent cricket when they are away from the pressure and limelight. Sit back and sample what we have in our team. Sachin, Sourav and Dravid - each with over 10,000 runs and in awesome form - they will be the backbone for our campaign. Add to that their experience of playing in previous WC's and their familiarity with the conditions in the West Indies. Now thats serious - these guys will go in with a plan to take us into that last four. Its the last World Cup all three will be playing. Then you have the Dhonis and the Yuvrajs, they are the future of our cricket and they already are through the grind. Zak has matured and become a better cricketer, more variety and a calmer presence means that we wont be seeing any more of that dreadful stuff he produced in the finals of WC 2003. So just relax and quietly follow Team India's progress. You might see some incredible performances by our most beloved cricketers. A Rahul Dravid fan, I would so much love to see him lifting that Cup.
More than anyone else Sachin Tendulkar desrves to have a World Cup victory in his long list of achievements. His teammates owe him this victory. Last time was so near yet so far. This is when they have got to make it count, make it happen for him. It will be a fitting tribute to this giant performer. And this is the most capable team to do it. These guys have been in a WC final before. They know what to expect. Buck up all you guys and girls - its gonna be party time this March and April. The Cricket Carnival is all set to unfold, pure delight awaits all the crazy fans who love this game more than anything else. Cheers!!!!
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