Best bet, dark horse and weak link

[Arjun]

Here's what you would get, if you picked the best bet, dark horse and weak link of each team.

AUSTRALIA:
Best bet: Everyone, especially Gilchrist
Dark horse: Brett Lee, Williams, Bracken, Lehmann
Weak Link: Brad Hogg

ENGLAND:
Best bet: Flintoff, Trescothick, Gough
Dark horse: Vaughan, Anderson, Harmison
Weak link: Giles, wicketkeeper and especially Anthony

INDIA:
Best bet: Sachin, Laxman, Dravid, Kumble
Dark horse: Pathan, Rohan, Harbhajan
Weak link: The rest of the pace attack, Ganguly and Dravid behind the stumps.

NEW ZEALAND:
Best bet: Astle, Cairns, Vettori
Dark horse: Oram, Styris, Butler
Weak link: McCullum (don't drop this one!), McMillan and especially Mills

PAKISTAN:
Best bets: Inzamam, Shoaib, Sami, Youhana, Razzaq
Dark horse: Younis Khan
Weak link: Inzamam (between wickets), the inexperienced batsmen

SOUTH AFRICA:
Best bets: Smith, Gibbs, Kallis, Pollock, Ntini
Dark horse: Rudolph
Weak link: The spinners and some other pacers

SRI LANKA:
Best bet: Sanath, Marvan, Murali, Vaas
Dark horse: Zoysa, Dilhara
Weak link: Dilshan

WEST INDIES:
Best bet: Lara, Gayle
Dark horse: Chanderpaul, Edwards, Lawson
Weak link: Collins, Carlton (with the bat)

What do you think?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Dark horse: Chanderpaul, Edwards, Lawson
Weak link: Collins, Carlton (with the bat)

Hmmm.... Edwards and Lawson aren't in the squad, so they'd definitely be dark horses.
Collins and Baugh aren't in the squad, so I guess there are no weak links.

 

[Tim]

I cannot believe you've missed out Fleming as a best bet when he's been our best ODI player over the last 6 months.

Hamish Marshall would be more of a darkhorse than Oram I think.

 

[Nate]

well bracken and williams arent in the squad so no worries there... sorry to do this again, but dont you think bracken should AT LEAST be in the squad as a reserve paceman? maybe???? whats he done wrong...

i think he just got 3/39 off 9 for gloucs... good luck to him.


GO THE WINDIES!!

 

[nookie_lk]

best bet for sir lanka - <include> sangakkara <remove> murali since hes not playing.
and why the hell did u put Dilshan as the weak link ??? i think it should be gunawardena or someone...

 

[age_master]

i wouldn't call brett lee or darren lehamnn dark horses, they are a couple of the best performers in the ODI's for Austrtalia in recent times.

i would call williams a weak link, not that hes gonna play any games cause hes behind virtual;ly everyone else

 

[Arjun]

I cannot believe you've missed out Fleming as a best bet when he's been our best ODI player over the last 6 months.

Hamish Marshall would be more of a darkhorse than Oram I think.

Good points. A pity Astle has not lived up to expectations since the 222. In fact, Fleming is a better bet than Astle on present form.

sorry to do this again, but dont you think bracken should AT LEAST be in the squad as a reserve paceman? maybe???? whats he done wrong...

He's better than most pace spearheads.

best bet for sir lanka - <include> sangakkara <remove> murali since hes not playing.
and why the hell did u put Dilshan as the weak link ??? i think it should be gunawardena or someone...

Fine Sangakkara as a batsman- his keeping is still suspect.

Dilshan does not score too many runs to threaten the opposition. Yes, Gunawardene as well. Did nothing special, just slogged hard, ran little and dropped a few. Absolutely no technique.

 

[Arjun]

Hmmm.... Edwards and Lawson aren't in the squad, so they'd definitely be dark horses.
Collins and Baugh aren't in the squad, so I guess there are no weak links.

No Edwards, Lawson or Best, who in this team can bowl fast? [EDIT- Lawson's name was announced, at least in the CricketWeb thread]

Well, there's always the fielding to give the opposition a chance...

 

[delkap]

Best bet: Sachin, Laxman, Dravid, Kumble
Dark horse: Pathan, Rohan, Harbhajan
Weak link: The rest of the pace attack, Ganguly and Dravid behind the stumps.

I dont think Ganguly will be a weak link at all.. although Laxman might well be that.. Kumble is not best bet for sure.. And I'll put Balaji as dark horse instead of Rohan (no pun intended )

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

No Edwards, Lawson or Best, who in this team can bowl fast? [EDIT- Lawson's name was announced, at least in the CricketWeb thread]

Well, there's always the fielding to give the opposition a chance...

Lawson was in the squad, but was withdrawn due to injury. The quickest bowler in the side is Dillon, but pace isn't everything.

 

[Arjun]

The quickest bowler in the side is Dillon, but pace isn't everything.

Not Dillon's pace. If pace is the team's main bowling strength, it is something important.

 

[Tim]

Astle had a good series in India last year..but he's never had the chance to play consistently due to the arthritis in his left(?) knee.
NZ will need him to get us off to a good start against Aus...Fleming will very much enjoy batting with him if he does fire.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Not Dillon's pace. If pace is the team's main bowling strength, it is something important.

Pace is not the West Indies' main bowling strength in ODI. Seam bowling is. That's why men like Bradshaw and Bravo have become regulars. They mix it up, bowl line and length and don't over-exert themselves. Also Dillon bowls around 82-85 mph which is still fast-medium.

 

[Nate]

bradshaw has impressed me a lot... i wonder why he didnt get a go at tests when the windies bowling was a minus?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

He wasn't in the squad. The West Indies appear to be wanting to specialize their ODI and Test teams to prevent injury to the seamers if nothing else. I agree that he would have been a useful replacement for an injured Pedro Collins (since the first ball of the series) as he would have been a steady bowler and a decent lower order batsman.

I like the look of him in the ODI team. He's a bit of a Cameron Cuffy in that he doesn't always take wickets, but he'll almost never go for a lot of runs. WI needs that kind of steady and consistent influence in the team, especially with players such as Best, Edwards and Rampaul firing it about.

 

[masterblaster]

Best Bet: Sachin?

Its a high chance he might even play due to his dreaded tennis elbow condition.



Its time Sachin, for you to get a lighter bat!

 

[Arjun]

Best Bet: Sachin?

Its a high chance he might even play due to his dreaded tennis elbow condition.



Its time Sachin, for you to get a lighter bat!

Sad, but so true.

Sehwag has dropped into the weak link section. Yuvraj too.

 

[Richard]

bradshaw has impressed me a lot... i wonder why he didnt get a go at tests when the windies bowling was a minus?

Personally I'd just ask why the hell hasn't Bradshaw played ODIs before he did?

 

[Smudge]

Weak link: McCullum (don't drop this one!), McMillan and especially Mills

McCullum? Maybe I'm biased because I've played with the guy back in his Dunedin days, but he is one of our best floating batsman. His glovework is still a little untidy, but he is by no means the worst keeper at the tournament.

 

[Nate]

Personally I'd just ask why the hell hasn't Bradshaw played ODIs before he did?

either is good mate