Peaking at the right time

[Pratters]

I think it was Steve Waugh who said that winning the world cup was a lot about peaking at the right time. It doesn't apply to the absolute best teams at times but so many world cups, this has been a crucial factor.

You need ability, luck but also peaking at the right time a lot of times.

Which teams are at which stages?

Australia - getting better
New Zealand - possibly peaked
South Africa - getting better
India - peaked
Bangladesh - peaked or will peak soon
Sri Lanka - getting better
West Indies - most random curve. high one day, low the next
Ireland - improving, but slowly
Pakistan - improving, but look like close to peaking

By this accord, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Australia seem to have the best chances. New Zealand has obviously looked the best so far.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

kinda hard to say NZ have peaked when they haven't lost a game

 

[Pratters]

Yeah, which is why I have said possibly peaked. They have been sensational so far, so I am thinking they may be close to peaking.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

I think peaking is an irrelevant concept when you're on top because there's nowhere you can go. If it's a thing (which I'm not convinced about) it only matters for mid-table teams.

 

[Immenso]

How are South Africa "getting better"?

I was so confident they would be getting better that I lost too much money on the tab on them on Saturday. I'd be officially worried about them now.

India are looking to be timing it very nicely.

I think the Aus draw is now starting to build, so I'd be comfy in their position.

NZs draw is sucking the winds out of the "sails of momentum" TM.

 

[Spark]

Didn't SA lose their last match...?

 

[weldone]

The perfect time to peak is just before the knockout stage. England will prove this by peaking in the Afghanistan match.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Afghanistan could actually take advantage of England's poor form.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

It's Friday the 13th when Afghanistan play England and it's supposed to be raining. Looks Ominous.

 

[smash84]

Pakistan, improving but look close to peaking. What does that mean? They will reach a peak in the next 4 matches?

 

[Jono]

Good examples of peaking at the right time were Aus in 99 and Ind in 2011, but then you look at Aus in 03 and particularly 07. Just played well throughout (challenged in 03 a lot of but always withstood it).

 

[Xuhaib]

NZ batting has not peaked.

Taylor, Ronchi and Anderson are due and even McCullam will have one big score in this tourney 120+

India and Aus are going well but I believe India's batting and Aus bowling have an extra gear in them. We have still not seen a vintage Kohli or Johnson performance Kohli's Pakistan 100 was not too his standards.Pakistan bowling might have peaked and I am fearing their batting might have aswell.

 

[Zinzan]

I think it was Steve Waugh who said that winning the world cup was a lot about peaking at the right time. It doesn't apply to the absolute best teams at times but so many world cups, this has been a crucial factor.

You need ability, luck but also peaking at the right time a lot of times.

Which teams are at which stages?

Australia - getting better
New Zealand - possibly peaked
South Africa - getting better
India - peaked
Bangladesh - peaked or will peak soon
Sri Lanka - getting better
West Indies - most random curve. high one day, low the next
Ireland - improving, but slowly
Pakistan - improving, but look like close to peaking

By this accord, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Australia seem to have the best chances. New Zealand has obviously looked the best so far.

I hate this stereotype of when a team has been winning they must have peaked? Why have NZ peaked? How do you know they can't play better?

And lol @ SA getting better....surely they're getting worse if anything?

Same could be said for India, why not say they're getting better? They've won every game.

There is some truth to peaking in sports events, but I don't know how you can tell anything at this stage.

 

[Maximas]

Could make an argument that Pakistan is 'peaking' - or at least hitting some form, one feels SL has been playing about as well as they have all summer but were simply outplayed by NZ before the WC everyone else has either started the tournament in good form and it's continued or they are in decline if anything such as SA

 

[SkyBlue]

I think it was Steve Waugh who said that winning the world cup was a lot about peaking at the right time.

No its not often or rather not always the case.There are examples even in different sports,to suggest otherwise.

 

[Pratters]

There is some truth to peaking in sports events, but I don't know how you can tell anything at this stage.

Yeah, this is exactly why I have posted this. As Jono said, and I did in my opening post, there have been teams which have gone through all tournament without much hiccup as well. This is just to observe the peaking characteristic in this wc, which to me is more interesting as the wc is around 45 days long.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

This thread makes me want to take some ecstasy.

 

[Burgey]

Good examples of peaking at the right time were Aus in 99 and Ind in 2011, but then you look at Aus in 03 and particularly 07. Just played well throughout (challenged in 03 a lot of but always withstood it).

Yeah but going into those tourneys, was there anyone realistically not expecting those Australian teams to win the whole thing? They were ridiculously good sides.

Really think this remains a very open WC. There are probably four sides who could rout any other team on their day (SA, Aus, NZ & India) and a fifth team (SL) who have made the past two finals and know how to get it done in KOs.

 

[Athlai]

Yeah SL are very much still in this. Sangakkara is in godly form and Malinga is beginning to look on target. With the quality of the rest of their top (including Dilshan and Mathews ability to bowl) they could easily get over any team on their day.

I mean they did beat NZ 1 third of the time in the series before the WC, and in all honesty they looked significantly worse then.

 

[Dan]

This thread makes me want to take some ecstasy.

Duck across to Ireland. It's legal there for the next 24 hours or so.