The thread of international goodwill and fellowship

[jot1]

The Irish. Their spectators are more entertaining than their cricket.

[Evermind]

Wonder where they got the real Leprechauns from! I thought they'd just get normal guys to dress up in tall hats and orange beards.

[honestbharani]

I love almost all countries that play cricket, tbh.


Australia - Their professional approach to everything is wonderful and off the field, these guys (the present bunch, have not had the opportunity to meet past teams) are some of the nicest you can hope to meet. Very down-to-earth, and always respectful of us fans eventhough we aren't even 1 millionth as talented as they are...


Windies The way they play their cricket is amazing. What is even more amazing is how much they know about the game. Indian journalists can cook lies like "no one can beat the average Indian in cricket knowledge" as many times as they want but truly speaking, I haven't seen more knowledgable crowds than the ones we get in the Windies. They know when batsman should be blocking and when they should be attacking and everything is applauded when done at the right time. I remember during the Barbados match of Lara, Lara got into a bit of a slanging match with McGrath and was just trying to hit him out of the attack, which could have gotten him out. Adams went down to have a word with him and when Lara defended the next ball, it was cheered more than any four or six he hit. THOSE are fans who know their cricket, not our mob-mentality guys who boo batters if they play 4 dot balls on the trot.


New Zealand - Love the attitude of the players and the way they combine as a team to constantly punch above their individual weights in terms of talent and results.


England- They invented the game and have one of the most sporting crowds when compared to around the world. 'nuff said.


South Africa - Love their gritty style and the way they methodically do stuff in cricket.


Sri Lanka and Pakistan and Bangladesh - Similar to India when it comes to passion for the game. Our neightbours as well. Love the way they play their cricket, Pakistan more than Sri Lanka because I think Pak is more about flair than Sri Lanka who are a little bit more methodical about it.


Zim - a tragedy, really.


Kenya, Bermuda and other associate nations - Love their enthusiasm for the game and hope it grows well in all these countries.

[Fiery]

Originally Posted by honestbharani

New Zealand - Love the attitude of the players and the way they combine as a team to constantly punch above their individual weights in terms of talent and results.

mmm...I appreciate the compliment but always feel slightly patronised by it tbh...we've always been good at sport

[honestbharani]

Originally Posted by Fiery

mmm...I appreciate the compliment but always feel slightly patronised by it tbh...we've always been good at sport

I meant in terms of cricket, AND in the time of my watching which was after 1992. You've got to admit that in terms of individual talent, apart from Crowe and Cairns and Bond, you have had nothing stand out and yet, as a team, you guys have always been around the top 4. That is what I meant. No offence intended.

[Fiery]

Originally Posted by honestbharani

I meant in terms of cricket, AND in the time of my watching which was after 1992. You've got to admit that in terms of individual talent, apart from Crowe and Cairns and Bond, you have had nothing stand out and yet, as a team, you guys have always been around the top 4. That is what I meant. No offence intended.

Oh no offence taken honestbahrani. Your comments are pretty spot there. We're a country that only produces a great cricketer once every 10 years or so...30's Stewie Dempster, 40/50s Bert Sutcliffe, 50/60s John Reid, 70's Glenn Turner, 80's Hadlee (and boy what a player he was), 80/90s Crowe, 90s/2000s Cairns.

[honestbharani]

Originally Posted by Fiery

Oh no offence taken honestbahrani. Your comments are pretty spot there. We're a country that only produces a great cricketer once every 10 years or so...30's Stewie Dempster, 40/50s Bert Sutcliffe, 50/60s John Reid, 70's Glenn Turner, 80's Hadlee (and boy what a player he was), 80/90s Crowe, 90s/2000s Cairns.

Well, I am not sure about the word "great cricketer". But I dont think NZ produce as many stars as India or Pak do, but still they are always a match (and at times, more than a match) for these sides inspite of them not having that many stars. Greatest example of what determination and team work can do in cricket, for me.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by honestbharani

Well, I am not sure about the word "great cricketer". But I dont think NZ produce as many stars as India or Pak do, but still they are always a match (and at times, more than a match) for these sides inspite of them not having that many stars. Greatest example of what determination and team work can do in cricket, for me.

Yeah it makes you wonder if other teams took that method that nothing is impossible. Really for the size of India should be doing a lot better. I know it is not as simple as that though.

[Fiery]

Originally Posted by Craig

Yeah it makes you wonder if other teams took that method that nothing is impossible. Really for the size of India should be doing a lot better. I know it is not as simple as that though.

No, it's not as simple as that...you have to take into account the huge disparity of wealth there. Only a small percentage of the population ever get the chance to play cricket at a level that will get them anywhere near being noticed by anyone, anywhere, near the international selectors.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by Fiery

No, it's not as simple as that...you have to take into account the huge disparity of wealth there. Only a small percentage of the population ever get the chance to play cricket at a level that will get them anywhere near being noticed by anyone, anywhere, near the international selectors.

I don't mean to be a pedent, but isn't that what I said at the end of my last sentence of the post you quoted?

[Fiery]

Originally Posted by Craig

I don't mean to be a pedent, but isn't that what I said at the end of my last sentence of the post you quoted?

yes, I was agreeing with you

[Evermind]

Originally Posted by Fiery

No, it's not as simple as that...you have to take into account the huge disparity of wealth there. Only a small percentage of the population ever get the chance to play cricket at a level that will get them anywhere near being noticed by anyone, anywhere, near the international selectors.

On the surface level, this may be true, but then when you look at SL...

SL has a population of 20mil, just about on par with Aus. Much, much lower than that of England, even - and their facilities are arguably much worse. They have no first class system to boast of. Ethnically, they're not too different from Indians. Yet, they produce equally good cricketers - why is that?

I think it's a certain national spirit that comes through in sports, maybe not unlike the sort one sees in military campaigns/defences. Perhaps India is too diverse a land for it to congeal in any expedient way. The lack of homogeneity is comparable to that of the whole of Europe: different languages from different language-families, different customs, massive differences in the way people of a certain province look, etc etc. That may also be a reason why territorialism and local politics affect selection policies in cricket and political administration so much.

And I think a certain amount of mental weakness also afflicts its cricketers like it has afflicted its national policies. An unsureness, a lack of confidence and assertiveness - something very important in sports - but also a certain lack of worldliness that comes from the philosophical/cultural history of the land.

[Fiery]

Originally Posted by Evermind

On the surface level, this may be true, but then when you look at SL...

SL has a population of 20mil, just about on par with Aus. Much, much lower than that of England, even - and their facilities are arguably much worse. They have no first class system to boast of. Ethnically, they're not too different from Indians. Yet, they produce equally good cricketers - why is that?

I think it's a certain national spirit that comes through in sports, maybe not unlike the sort one sees in military campaigns/defences. Perhaps India is too diverse a land for it to congeal in any expedient way. The lack of homogeneity is comparable to that of the whole of Europe: different languages from different language-families, different customs, massive differences in the way people of a certain province look, etc etc. That may also be a reason why territorialism and local politics affect selection policies in cricket and political administration so much.

And I think a certain amount of mental weakness also afflicts its cricketers like it has afflicted its national policies. An unsureness, a lack of confidence and assertiveness - something very important in sports - but also a certain lack of worldliness that comes from the philosophical/cultural history of the land.

Holy crap Evermind...that's a highly philosophical and intelligent post buddy

[Matt79]

South Africa: wow, you guys are a pack of tough hombres (and I mean that as a compliment!). Matches with South Africa are always worth watching IMO because you know the South Africans will bring their considerable talent, discipline and competitiveness to bear in whatever they do. The pride they feel for their reborn country is manifest in the way they carry themselves. As an Aussie fan, I always look forward to the Saffies coming over because you know that they'll test the Australians in a way that's different to any other teams. Shaun Pollock is an all-time player IMO, as is Kallis, and as was Donald - in some ways they were unlucky to have coincided with the Australian team of the past 10-15 years, because otherwise the history books might have reflected this as a decade dominated by an extremely tough, disciplined, and talented South African outfit.

[Richard]

TBH, even though the SAfricans have never beaten the Aussies since their return (which, coincidentally, was near enough the exact same time the Aussies became the best Test side in The World - 1992), there have undoubtedly been times when the SAfricans were the better side.