Best & Worst Cricket Tournaments?

[Arjun]

BEST:

• 1992 World Cup
• 1996 World Cup
• 1999 World Cup
• 2002 VB Series
• 2005 VB (or was it CB?) Series
• 2008 CB Series
• 2000 Champions Trophy (or International Cup)
• 2002 Champions Trophy

WORST:

• 2007 World Cup
• 2003 World Cup
• 2004 Champions Trophy
• Any exhibition tournament at a neutral venue- for their almost-total uselessness

 

[Richard]

The suggestion that Ireland beating Pakistan ruined that tournament is the one opinion in cricket i absolutely can. not. stand.

It didn't in itself ruin the tournament - as pointed-out by one person especially, it's fairly unlikely that Pakistan would have put-up much of a show in the Super Eights had they got there. This among other things.

But that Ireland victory over Pakistan was one piece in a massive jigsaw that ruined the tournament.

 

[Richard]

BEST:

• 2002 Champions Trophy

The one that had negligable crowds, even in Sri Lanka, and had the final twice washed-out (despite a virtual first-time-then-action-replay of the first 52 overs)?

 

[NZTailender]

The organisation was on a different plane, as was the good fortune (or lack of misfortune) - no awful deaths of leading cricket figures mid-tournament, no upsets which skewed the tournament of its intended axis, few woeful-quality games between teams that should be relatively evenly-matched.

Nonetheless, purely from the POV that the 2007 World Cup was played with ODIs and the Twenty20 thingy with Twenty20, 2007 WC >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2007/08 T20 World thingy.

Minus the death, or skewed 'upsets', and woeful-quality games, it was still boring. One game a day, and it dragged on forever.

Ironically, you've removed the most interesting parts of the tournament there. I enjoyed one match in the T20 championship more than the entire World Cup.

 

[Uppercut]

It didn't in itself ruin the tournament - as pointed-out by one person especially, it's fairly unlikely that Pakistan would have put-up much of a show in the Super Eights had they got there. This among other things.

But that Ireland victory over Pakistan was one piece in a massive jigsaw that ruined the tournament.

Ireland beating Pakistan was the one highlight in an otherwise dire tournament.

 

[Richard]

Minus the death, or skewed 'upsets', and woeful-quality games, it was still boring. One game a day, and it dragged on forever.

And if the games had been of better quality, it'd not have dragged-on forever, but marched on for a nice long time providing a long spectacle that all would have enjoyed for all it lasted.

One game a day, much as some decry it, is the only way to make a large profit. Having multiple games per day vastly decreases TV revenue.

Ironically, you've removed the most interesting parts of the tournament there. I enjoyed one match in the T20 championship more than the entire World Cup.

Yeah but you don't dislike Twenty20 - therefore that's near-inevitable.

 

[Richard]

Ireland beating Pakistan was the one highlight in an otherwise dire tournament.

If you're an Ireland (or underdog-in-general) supporter yeah, sure - but if you'd prefer watch India vs Pakistan than Ireland vs Bangladesh (as I can't help but suspect most cricket fans would) then it was a lowlight.

I happen to think that, few and far between though they may have been, there were a few highlights of that tournament, Pakistan-vs-Ireland not included. The incredible Sri Lanka-England match; the brief time when Smith and de Villiers were looking like reprising The Wanderers; the Sri Lanka-South Africa match where the easiest position ever to be thrown away almost happened before they got over the line. And probably 1 or 2 others that I've forgotten. Games which were anticipated and lived-up to the billing.

 

[Uppercut]

If you're an Ireland (or underdog-in-general) supporter yeah, sure - but if you'd prefer watch India vs Pakistan than Ireland vs Bangladesh (as I can't help but suspect most cricket fans would) then it was a lowlight.

I happen to think that, few and far between though they may have been, there were a few highlights of that tournament, Pakistan-vs-Ireland not included. The incredible Sri Lanka-England match; the brief time when Smith and de Villiers were looking like reprising The Wanderers; the Sri Lanka-South Africa match where the easiest position ever to be thrown away almost happened before they got over the line. And probably 1 or 2 others that I've forgotten. Games which were anticipated and lived-up to the billing.

Did you not enjoy the Pakistan batting lineup being ripped through by a team of part-timers? Or did you sit grumpily thinking "oh gosh, this tournament's now going to be less fun than anticipated..."?

Have to agree on some of those highlights too though, also Malinga's 4 in 4 alluded to, the Ireland-Zimbabwe tie.

 

[Richard]

Did you not enjoy the Pakistan batting lineup being ripped through by a team of part-timers? Or did you sit grumpily thinking "oh gosh, this tournament's now going to be less fun than anticipated..."?

TBH, I didn't actually sit through it at all - I was at work during most of the game and only watched the closing stages.

However, had I done so that would indeed probably have been a fair estimate at my feelings.

I never enjoy seeing supposedly top-class teams being ripped-up by part-timers - never. That just isn't the way I swing, and I make no apologies for the anti-romantic feelings. Romance can be dealt with elsewhere - I just don't enjoy it in cricket.

Have to agree on some of those highlights too though, also Malinga's 4 in 4 alluded to, the Ireland-Zimbabwe tie.

Was going to mention the tie TBH.

 

[Uppercut]

TBH, I didn't actually sit through it at all - I was at work during most of the game and only watched the closing stages.

However, had I done so that would indeed probably have been a fair estimate at my feelings.

I never enjoy seeing supposedly top-class teams being ripped-up by part-timers - never. That just isn't the way I swing, and I make no apologies for the anti-romantic feelings. Romance can be dealt with elsewhere - I just don't enjoy it in cricket.

Hmm, that's understandable then. But i don't think it's fair to say it made the tournament worse, because looking back on it, the best i can say of it now is "well at least we saw some surprises". Without those, the tournament had nothing.

 

[Richard]

If upsets are your cuppa - as they are for so many people, especially around these parts - then absolutely. If they're not, then they made the tournament worse still.

It just depends on whether you enjoy upsets as a rule. I don't - some people do.

 

[GIMH]

Did you enjoy the 05 Ashes Rich?

 

[Richard]

How would it've been possible not to?

The "I don't enjoy massive upsets" thing doesn't apply if I'm supporting the team who won the upset victory! I was ecstatic when Morpeth Town reached the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup in 1998/99 (just a shame we lost to Nigel Clough's Burton Albion) even though we almost certainly beat at least one far better team on the way (I didn't know enough about the teams we played to be able to say whether we did for certain).

I wouldn't really class 2005 as a massive upset though TBH - just a surprise. And it'd still have been hugely enjoyable if Warne had taken that catch and it'd been 2-2, just the result would've been much more disappointing.

 

[Craig]

So where do people rank Bangladesh beating India and South Africa in last year's tournament? TBF both were pretty big upsets (the way turbinator was harping on about India in the Ind-Bangladesh game).

 

[GIMH]

The India win was awesome. IIRC I was chuffed at the SA victory as it gave us a shot at going through, which we promptly pissed away

 

[Craig]

The India win was awesome. IIRC I was chuffed at the SA victory as it gave us a shot at going through, which we promptly pissed away

Ah typically English then

 

[Perm]

I never enjoy seeing supposedly top-class teams being ripped-up by part-timers - never. That just isn't the way I swing, and I make no apologies for the anti-romantic feelings. Romance can be dealt with elsewhere - I just don't enjoy it in cricket.

This is the exact reason you don't understand and appreciate cricket Rich, and I make no apologies for saying it.

I'm also going to sig the last line of this quote, as it sums up exactly what I mean.

 

[Perm]

So where do people rank Bangladesh beating India and South Africa in last year's tournament? TBF both were pretty big upsets (the way turbinator was harping on about India in the Ind-Bangladesh game).

I thought it was great, mainly because I'm a a Bangladesh supporter.

 

[pasag]

The suggestion that Ireland beating Pakistan ruined that tournament is the one opinion in cricket i absolutely can. not. stand.

It played a big part in it though. Ireland winning that game was brilliant, most people would agree with that, however because they got through to the next stage there were a heap of extra uncompetitive and boring games, same with Bangladesh (besides the SA match).

Again, Ireland and Bangladesh winning - brilliant. However the fact that they were in the Super 8 stage was a big reason (along with many other factors) as to why the tournament was so poor.

 

[Uppercut]

It played a big part in it though. Ireland winning that game was brilliant, most people would agree with that, however because they got through to the next stage there were a heap of extra uncompetitive and boring games, same with Bangladesh (besides the SA match).

Again, Ireland and Bangladesh winning - brilliant. However the fact that they were in the Super 8 stage was a big reason (along with many other factors) as to why the tournament was so poor.

The entire tournament was a heap of uncompetitive games, whether they involved Ireland, Bangladesh or otherwise. It started my decline of faith in the entire format.