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Boycott's bombshell

Arjun

Cricketer Of The Year
This is what Boycott said: Makes the Dhoni-worship here look pale

When I got home to watch the highlights or listen to comments on the Jaipur ODI, I heard some rather hilarious comments by Geoffrey Boycott, the in-house expert, on Dhoni's explosive innings of 183 not out. This is what Boycott said, and it makes the Dhoni-worship here look pale.
Oh, it's so easy to score big runs off weak opposition like Westt Indies, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. When will he score runs against real opposition? He hasn't yet scored against England, the world champions, or Australia, who once were the world champions, or even South Africa o New Zealand. Where's the opposition?
I can understand Boycott often enjoys a joke, but this one's going way over the top.

After all, the ODI table shows something- where are 'World Champions' England and where are Sri Lanka? The 'weak' Lankans are the second-best ODI side, while England are somewhere in the middle of the table, and avoid hitting rock-bottom because of a weak West Indian side and a dreadfully out-of-form Indian team.

And how many ODI series have England won in the recent past? You can count them on the fingers of one hand, if you take into account what they have won since Vaughan took over, even if you include the wins against minnows. In comparison, the 'dethroned' Aussies have won nearly every ODI series they have played, while the 'weak' Lankans have a rather good ODI record, especially at home.

As a team, it's obvious, the Lankans are a lot better. The English may have some fantastic batsmen (Trescothick and Pietersen), bowlers (Harmison and Jones) and a phenomenal all-rounder (Flintoff), but as a combination, they have often found wanting. Support bowlers get plundered for runs, the fielding leaks and save three batsmen in the lineup, the rest of it looks weak. The Lankans may have a cheap look to them, but they stick to the basics and get it right, and it helps. They save runs. They pinch singles. They build partnerships. If the Lankans play seven matches against the English, even if the top batting and bowling honours are taken by England's stars, the Lankans can win the series.

p.s. No more bombshells
 
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Slow Love™

International Captain
Drivel. Sri Lanka were the number 2 ODI outfit up to a very short time ago - it seems like he's gotten himself mixed up between test cricket and one-dayers. At least he didn't mention his dear, departed mother.

While he's entertaining (so is Bill Lawry, in his own special way), I don't really understand why Boycs is held in such regard as a commentator. Well, by people other than Englishmen, anyway.

And I thought the bombshell might have been about something else too - don't know if I had the same thought as Pratyush though. :)
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
I am gonna assume some of these comments are tongue in cheek. Anyway, I am not surprised that he doesn't rate the Lankan Lions. He always thinks little of them, because of their away record, which isn't so good.
 

Arjun

Cricketer Of The Year
I do wish Navjot Singh Sidhu didn't lose his contract with the channel- his response to that would be hilarious!
And I thought the bombshell might have been about something else too - don't know if I had the same thought as Pratyush though.
I thought of that title on impulse.
 
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Arjun

Cricketer Of The Year
vic_orthdox said:
Who was the quote in the original post actually about?
That was what Boycs said on Follow Through, a half-hour discussion on STAR.
 

Scaly piscine

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Arjun said:
As a team, it's obvious, the Lankans are a lot better. The English may have some fantastic batsmen (Trescothick and Pietersen), bowlers (Harmison and Jones) and a phenomenal all-rounder (Flintoff), but as a combination, they have often found wanting. Support bowlers get plundered for runs, the fielding leaks and save three batsmen in the lineup, the rest of it looks weak. The Lankans may have a cheap look to them, but they stick to the basics and get it right, and it helps. They save runs. They pinch singles. They build partnerships. If the Lankans play seven matches against the English, even if the top batting and bowling honours are taken by England's stars, the Lankans can win the series.
Err did you even bother to look at the performances of England against Australia? It's pretty obvious to most people that England have used ODIs to help the progress of future Test players, they've not really taken ODIs seriously until the series against Australia. I think we'll see England move up to no. 2 in the table as they shift their focus on to the world cup. As for Sri Lanka (and New Zealand) they're on the decline I'm afraid.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
How predictable that Scaly comes here and talks about how England use ODIs to groom their test side. Even if that is so, that doesn't take away from England being "in the pack" along with all the other ODI teams other than Australia. England haven't been a good ODI side, maybe they will become one, but they're not the best at the moment. That's what Boycott is saying. Why do you get so frickin' defensive when the England team is criticised? The main point of this thread was that Boycott is completely underrated (and frnakly insulting) the SL team.

That is just one of the stupidest things Boycott has ever said, and he's said a lot of crap. I agree with SL, he's entertaining but the fact that people rate him amongst the best commentators in the world is a bit crazy. He's not even in the top 5 for me, taking into account 'entertainment' and 'tactical' commentary.

For someone apparently so smart as Boycott, he seems to not know the difference between tests and ODIs.
 
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lord_of_darkness

Cricket Web XI Moderator
As for Sri Lanka (and New Zealand) they're on the decline I'm afraid.
Lmao.. New Zealand is anything but on a decline SP..we have just lost a few tight games to S.A.. and with the return of bond.. and our batting clicking together things can only get better..
 

Pedro Delgado

International Debutant
Boycs eh, mad as a lorry. I couldn't give a monkeys aunt about ODI's. Obviously it would be nice to do well in the World Cup, but given the choice I'd take a Test series win in India over a WC victory any day. And yes I think England would lose a ODI series against the Ceylonese. And SA. And Pak, Ind, NZ, WI...
 

Scaly piscine

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
lord_of_darkness said:
Lmao.. New Zealand is anything but on a decline SP..we have just lost a few tight games to S.A.. and with the return of bond.. and our batting clicking together things can only get better..
What batting or bowling talent have you unearthed then? You're still picking the likes of Mills and McMillan and Cairns is being pensioned off - where's the improvement going to come from?
 

Arjun

Cricketer Of The Year
Scaly Piscine said:
Err did you even bother to look at the performances of England against Australia?
Yes...yes...yes!!! I've been looking at them from the point of view of series victories, and even if we stick to the English side on an upswing, they just saved the final of the Natwest series and LOST the Natwest challenge! World Champions? Give me a break!
Jono said:
England haven't been a good ODI side, maybe they will become one, but they're not the best at the moment. That's what Boycott is saying.
Did he? As I said earlier, he blatantly called them the World Champions!

A fly sits on a chariot. The chariot starts moving. The fly says, "My, what dust I have raised!"

Obviously, the chariot raised all the dust when it got moving. Even Navjot Singh Sidhu would agree that England still have a few ODI loopholes to plug.
 

Arjun

Cricketer Of The Year
Scaly piscine said:
What batting or bowling talent have you unearthed then? You're still picking the likes of Mills and McMillan and Cairns is being pensioned off - where's the improvement going to come from?
Sure, the Kiwis still pick Mills, but you often find at least one of James Anderson, Jon Lewis and some other dibbly-dobbler of a medium-pacer playing for England in ODI's. Not to mention, an off-form Gough. Even with Mills, they still get the ten wickets for not too many.

Macca's a more-than-useful batsman, but his shot-selection is a bit of a worry for the side. Not surprisingly, he's no regular in the playing XI.
 

Isolator

State 12th Man
Arjun said:
Did he? As I said earlier, he blatantly called them the World Champions!
Er... that's exactly what Jono is saying.

England haven't been a good ODI side, maybe they will become one, but they're not the best at the moment. That's what Boycott is saying.
=

England haven't been a good ODI side, maybe they will become one, but they're not the best at the moment.
This is what he says.

That's what Boycott is saying.
He says that Boycott thinks that they are the best in the world.
 

Scaly piscine

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Arjun said:
Sure, the Kiwis still pick Mills, but you often find at least one of James Anderson, Jon Lewis and some other dibbly-dobbler of a medium-pacer playing for England in ODI's. Not to mention, an off-form Gough. Even with Mills, they still get the ten wickets for not too many.

Macca's a more-than-useful batsman, but his shot-selection is a bit of a worry for the side. Not surprisingly, he's no regular in the playing XI.
The point is England have other options to try out like Plunkett, Tremlett and so on - if they find any that click England will improve. NZ don't appear to have any other options and end up going back to older players.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Arjun said:
Did he? As I said earlier, he blatantly called them the World Champions!
Arjun you totally misread my post, maybe I should have phrased it better but none the less if you read the REST of my post it was clear what my contention was.

Boycott is calling England ODI world champions, yet they are clearly are far from that and are not as good as SL.
 

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