Just hand us over the World cup!!!

[aussie_beater]

NZ becoming a contender for the world cup ? Are you people nuts ? They were thrashed mercilessly by Pakistan recently and their only claim to any ratings is that they beat Australia to reach the finals of that tri-nation earlier this year only to be whacked off by SA in the finals.They are an average side and can only go so much but when faced with quality opposition they are gonna just fold up.Remember Virender Senhwag's assault in Sri Lanka last year and they were clueless as to what hit them.Same happened when they ran against SA in the world series finals in Australia earlier this year.

NZ simply don't have the firepower to outsmart quality opposition.If the Kenya series happens between Pak,Aus and NZ it will become clear as to what they are really worth.

 

[Kiwi]

I agree that NZ are not really in contention for the world cup at the moment. Although with Bond back and Cairns recovering anything could happen.. They would still be in My top 4.

 

[yorker]

There are only 3 teams that can win the World cup. Aus, SA and Pak.

NZ-- They are a good side, but are highly overrated, i mean someone placed them over Pak which must be a joke.They were without some players in Pak & Sharjah, so were Pak(without Anwar and Akram in Sharjah).Its no excuse, they were simply outplayed by a much better team and i expect the same the next time the two teams will meet!

I believe the Fav's should be one that are the MOST BALANCED team, that is have a good combination of quality batters,bowlers & allrounders.

India have a good batting line up, but they have two problems.Their bowling is lousy, and they don't have an allrounder.To compensate for their lack of allrounders, they now go in with 7 batters and only 4 regular bowlers, hence their bowling looks more thin. I mean the ten overs bowled by bits and pieces players went for 72 runs today, against stronger opponents it will go for 80-100 runs.They should axe Mongia and bring in Nath in my opinion.

 

[Kiwi]

Yes only three teams in the running now but the world cup is still 6 months or so away. And if someone like McGrath got injured Aus would not be as strong. And someone like Cairns to be back and on form would be huge for the New Zealand team. NZ need to settle on an opening batting partnership and a bowler to partner Bond. Also they need to work out who is going to Keep.

 

[yorker]

Well even if McGrath gets injured, Aus still have a good attack in Jason,Lee& Warne (though it will be a blow) .
NZ have Cairns and Bond, what else??? What makes u think these two bowlers will make a huge impact??

If u ask me, Aus chances will get a boast if they reacll S waugh for the cup, without him it will be tuff for them!

 

[OZOZ]

For God sake, Black caps are a mediocre side.They did well to beat the Ozoz in a few matches but got thrashed in the fianls at the hands of SA.

Cairns and Bond alone can't take them all the way, they can at best upset a team or two, i do they they will make it to super six, but beyound that??? don't think so!

 

[aussie_beater]

Going by Aus's recent showing, I won't put them up there as favourites, more so because of absence of Waugh twins.If these guys are not there in SA, I think Aus may be in for a big surprise in the league stage itself.It ain't gonna be easy in that "group of death".

 

[OZOZ]

Well u are going too far buddy.

Aus will easily sail into the supersix.Atmost Pak will be danger to us, i don't think India can pose a threat, while Poms are never gonna make it to the super six!

I agree with u though that without Waugh it will be a tricky situation, but as Border said , Waugh is pretty much on the card, and he will be back for sure.I still think Ozoz are the best, Pak are the other contender!

 

[aussie_beater]

I think the problem in that group would be Zimbabwe because they are most likely gonna create atleast one upset and that would put that whole group in a spin with the prospect of an early flight home for whoever loses to them among the top four teams.

 

[OZOZ]

Its gonna be the Poms, they have a good team in the longer format of the game but in Onedayers they aren't just good enough!

 

[vandemataram]

The WC "03 Champion will be I_N_D_I_A!!!


Aussies are too old, NZ are a one man team in bond, Pakis are flukys and Poms and SL are absolutely crp!

The only danger to India will be from SA.Indeed they are a great team and i rate them higher than India, but the home ground factor will go against them coz of home crowd pressure, so the Winner can only be ??


Yeah baby, it will be INDIA!!

 

[lord_of_darkness]

yes everyone has a dream dont they ?

i dream of kenya lifting the wlcup trophy ... yea right ...

Lol the problem is no team yet played a full strenght nz side , eg with Cairns , adams , styris , bond , in it lol dont give up on nz so easily

India will do good but winning the natwest trophy doesnt /have to get India the cup

 

[vandemataram]

Full strength oneday team...Phew , man what can i say.If they are always injured what can we do then? Styris,Andre ?? they are all mediocres.
U got to have good replacement, NZ aren't just good enough, u can forget about them!

 

[Kiwi]

New Zealand a one man team... I don't think so. McMillian, Astle, Flemming, Bond, Vettori and Cairns are all world class players.
If u call NZ a one man team then India would be called one as well.

 

[Anoop]

This is turning out to be ridiculous!!
I don't think both India and NZ stand
a chance in SA...

For me.. Aus, SA, Pak are the only contenders
for the title..

India will definitely struggle against the pace attack of all these sides

get real ppl! :rolleyes:

 

[WIC_rules]

Well im Indian and though yesterday's performances were heart warming , i'm still inclined to say that India is a long shot for next year's WC. I would luv to see them perform in the same vein in the forthcoming Champions trophy in Sri Lanka and also in the one-dayers against the Windies and the Kiwis later on . Maybe then i would like to list them as anywhere close to being favorites.

There is a general impression that India is a one-man team in Tendulkar . At least , that seems to have been erased to an extent. Nows the need for some consistency ! Well done for winning the Natwest series in any case...

 

[Neil Pickup]

Wow, WIC_rules, an Indian fan who doesn't get hugely carried away with everything. I thought Reuben was the only one.

Any team struggles without their key players, and an NZ side missing Cairns, Astle, Bond and McMillan would struggle, just like if England missed Trescothick, Gough, Flintoff and Knight, or if India were without Tendulkar, Harbhajan, Ganguly and Yuvraj.

 

[vandemataram]

WOW, NZ had Bond and co in Wi , still the lost the onedayer series !!!

A good team doesn't fall apart if couple of its members are missing.India have been playing without its no 1 bowler Srinath, earlier they were without Sehwag.

Pak defeated Aus recently and were without two of the best bowler in the game, Saqalin and Razzak!! Before that , they were without Anwar!

No man, Black Caps are a overrated team, thats for sure!

I hope i won't get banned for not praising NZ team :I

 

[cozmiccoyoete]

In sharjah they had both Astle and Mcmillan, yet they were outplayed by teams like SL and Pak!!

NZ have always been a team with a couple of outstanding players, and the rest being bits and pieces players. They will do well as compared to brits, but won't go further than the super six.

 

[luckyeddie]

I'm afraid that this 'my side will thrash your side because we have x y and z playing' is meaningless, although you are all entitled to your opinions.
There is quite a long time until the World Cup, so why don't we just 'wait and see', eh? Suffice to say, Australia will start as favourites with the bookies. As far as anyone else is concerned, South Africa have home advantage (I know I would rather have 50,000 cheering for me rather than against me) so they must be second-favourites. All else is conjecture.
India beat England yesterday, but by crikey they froze for a while. A better team would not have let them off the hook. Maybe Nasser Hussain let them off the hook? Arguably, at 146-5, that was the time to bring Gough back on? Hindsight is a wonderful thing.