We can win WC---Flemming!!

[warrioryohannan]

Well i came under fire (at the hands of English fans as usual) for predicting that Black Caps would win the cup , but now its good to see the best skipper in game talking about BC winning the cup!



We can win the World Cup, says Stephen Fleming

REUTERS[ MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2003 12:36:15 PM ]

JOHANNESBURG: New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said his side now believed they could win the World Cup after beating South Africa in Group B on Sunday.



"If you'd asked me that this morning there would have been a big sigh and an apprehensive or tentative yes," he said after the nine-wicket win at the Wanderers.



But he added: "This team is now believing it can win the World Cup.



"This has done a lot of good for us. You have to get two good wins and then put away the so-called minnows of your group to go through and I think we might have done enough (to qualify for the Super Sixes)."

 

[krkode]

Certainly so! I would rate this as one of the best world cup comebacks of all time!

Just like India's and Australia's last world cup, where both teams had lost their first couple of important matches but came through with blazing victories later and squeezed through to the super six

It'll be interesting to see which team has a success story to tell in group A :P

 

[Simon]

you cant win the world cup with 1 front line bowler, whats the point playing adams if he bats at 10, surely he isnt the 2nd best fast bowler NZ have?

 

[krkode]

you cant win the world cup with 1 front line bowler, whats the point playing adams if he bats at 10, surely he isnt the 2nd best fast bowler NZ have?

Well Bond, Mills, Oram, Vettori are all viable opponents and can set off an upset anytime...

 

[nibbs]

you cant win the world cup with 1 front line bowler, whats the point playing adams if he bats at 10, surely he isnt the 2nd best fast bowler NZ have?

Hey if Northern Districts can beat Worcestershire in the WCC, New Zealand can win the world cup.

On a more serious note its can happen. New Zealand to my disbelief are 2nd favourites with English bookmakers William Hill. We look pretty damn certain of making the super six. I wish I could say the same about England
Our bowling attack is fine. Bond, Adams, Oram, Styris are all capable players. Adams took 4/45 against the West Indies, three of those were wickets were of front line batsmen. He has batted once at this tournament and batted at 9. NZ wont use him at 10 Broncoman. If theres ten overs left and we lose our fifth wicket, I'm sure they'd consider bringing him in.

We have every chance, so please don't write us off

 

[Simon]

im still not convinced, in fact im going on record here to say new zealand will not win the world cup. im willing to cop critisisim for it, but i am certain they wont win the cup.

 

[nibbs]

im still not convinced, in fact im going on record here to say new zealand will not win the world cup. im willing to cop critisisim for it, but i am certain they wont win the cup.

After we lost to Sri Lanka first up, I thought we were screwed. For some reason everyone got their jollies off our win over the West Indies. The media made it sound like some amazing against all odds victory, and to a certain extent it was. However the West Indies are an average team, and I wasn't so surprised that we beat them.

But I thought we were screwed heading into the South Africa game, even more so when they made 306/6. But, us to comeback and in such fashion was brilliant and to win they way we did was great. Sure this was basically a one man stand and had of Boucher held that catch it may have been a different story. But now this win, has given NZ a new lease of life. Beating South Africa, a team which has had the wood on NZ for the past few years was a huge feat, and its put confidence into our team, knowing that it is possible to beat teams like them.

 

[Tim]

I think there is still one change needed to be made.

And I think it has to be at the expense of Lou Vincent.
Kyle Mills is a useful bat at 8,9 or 10 but and his bowling ODI average of 22 is excellent & he keeps a very good line when he opens the bowling.

I think Jacob Oram is capable of batting up the order so he should move up & also allow Adams to move up because he shouldn't really be batting at 10.

 

[anzac]

IMO they won't change the current line up unless they hit further problems / injury concerns.

Regardless of this they won't drop Vincent because of his influence in the field - he does for NZ what Rhodes does for SA - energy & zip that the others feed off (see the difference in the fielding from the SL match & WI & SA). Furthermore he also made a fine 50+ n.o. V India when Bond went ballistic, so he had some form coming into the WC.

Apart from the wins v WI & SA, another good sign is the fact that nearly all of the players have now made some sort of contribution with the bat apart from Oram, Vettori & Bond. Oram & Vettori have contributed with the ball (maybe not in taking wickets but in reigning in the opposition middle overs), and Bond is still upsetting the openers even if he is not getting any rewards as yet.

Now it remains to be seen if the new confidence & belief will result in a team performance from the batting lineup, and if the main bowling attack will start to click.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Note: Nasser Hussain is saying that England can win it. If you weren't saying that you thought your side could win it and your side was a top eight side then you shouldn't be in the job. Oh, and it's Fleming. One M. Copying off an article isn't difficult.

I agree with Simon, I can't see them winning it although you never know, and a NZ-Aus final would be the closest call the Aussies would get.

 

[Langeveldt]

Well seeing how they batted against RSA, they do look like contenders for the final, I doubt they can beat Australia though

 

[warrioryohannan]

Hussain said that??? funny it didn't made headlines, or perhaps it didn't deserve it!

Black Caps are the only team (possibly SL can be another one on turning wkt) that can match the Aussies, and i reaistly think they can win the WC!

 

[krkode]

Hussain said that??? funny it didn't made headlines, or perhaps it didn't deserve it!

Black Caps are the only team (possibly SL can be another one on turning wkt) that can match the Aussies, and i reaistly think they can win the WC!

That is in current form...teams change by the time the end is reached :P Look at last world cup...

 

[warrioryohannan]

That is in current form...teams change by the time the end is reached :P Look at last world cup...

What do you mean teams will change? the fundamentals are not going to change for sure. For Example WI & England can all play well but its highly unlikely that they will beat Australia.New Zealand can do that, and if you look at the resent matches between Aus and NZ , you will see that NZ have a very good record against Australia.

And to the guy who said that NZ have just one front line bowler in Bond, i would like to point out that NZ have a class spinner in Vettori, and they also have Cairns (who will get fit to bowl in a week time), also the support bowlers in Adams,Oram and Styris are pretty good too. NZ have probably the best captain in the game in Fleming, and their self belief is something that can be admired.
Lanka too might actually surprise Australia, as the tournament is progressing the whether is getting hot and pitches are getting drier and spinners will play a dominant role in later part of the cup.There are reports (unconfirmed) that SA will prepare turing tracks for matches between SL and Aus, if so then Murali/Jaysuria will be difficult to handle by the Aussies!

 

[krkode]

Australia lost to Pakistan in the group stages in the 99 world cup, but beat them nicely in the finals. That's what I meant by "change."

 

[Simon]

right now there are many teams that can win the cup, some people need to use common sense, Australia are at top form and its going to take one hell of and effot to beat them. I dont think New Zealand are the team to pull out a massive win and beat Australia. I think only Sri Lanka or the Windies look like they are capable of doing that in this world cup.

 

[warrioryohannan]

There is no doubt that Australia is the best team playing the WC right now, but it is not necessary that the best team will win the WC.After all its oneday we are talking about, Australia still remains the hot fav's to win the cup though.

WI will struggle against Australia, they simply don't have the bowling to trouble the Aussie batters, SL spinners can give a hard to to Aussies and the NZ pacers can trouble the Aussies too.

 

[nibbs]

Well seeing how they batted against RSA, they do look like contenders for the final, I doubt they can beat Australia though

I couldn't see us going far in the VB Series last year, but we beat Australia 3 times. Yes 3 Times!!!!! We also beat Australia in the '99 world cup, so their a every chance we can do it again.

 

[Tim]

Lets not forget Australia smashes us in the ICC Trophy last year.
I'd like to think NZ can win the World Cup but im keeping my feet on the ground until at least the semi's if NZ get there.

 

[nibbs]

right now there are many teams that can win the cup, some people need to use common sense, Australia are at top form and its going to take one hell of and effot to beat them. I dont think New Zealand are the team to pull out a massive win and beat Australia. I think only Sri Lanka or the Windies look like they are capable of doing that in this world cup.

*meh*

The New Zealand team is easily matches to the West Indies and nearly Sri Lanka. We have every chance against the Aussies. Considering when we beat Australia three times in a row in the VB Series when Australia was in top form. They had just crapped all over South Africa in that test series, and then they came into the VB Series arogant* as ever only to get some big wake up calls. NZ will be competitive, I am sure of that.