10 things we've learnt from the World Cup so far

The World Cup is now two weeks old, and has recovered from a slightly below-par start to become one of the most talked about editions of the tournament ever. Thus far the competition has had everything from amazing tied matches to shock results for the associate nations, and that’s just England’s story.

But what have we learnt from the great festival of cricket that is the World Cup...

1. England are the most unpredictable team in the world. Granted, most people already knew this, but the performances that Andrew Strauss’ side have put in during their three matches so far have been so different from each other it has to be seen to be believed. After a workmanlike but unremarkable victory over the Netherlands, the tie against India in Bangalore was one of the greatest batting performances by an England one-day side in living memory. However, after being talked up by almost every commentator and pundit in the sub-continent, the defeat at the hands of the Irish has brought Andy Flower and his players back down to Earth with a bump. They still should qualify from the group stages, but I would not back them to go much further after their opening performances.

2. James Anderson is not a world-class one-day bowler. Anderson has struggled in England’s first three matches and is fighting for his place in the team heading into the tomorrow’s match against South Africa. His 28 overs in the tournament have been hit for 212 runs, whilst he has only picked up two wickets. His performances have reflected those of the whole team, and he must aim for much more consistency if he is to resurrect the form that saw him become the leader of the attack in recent years.

Anderson has struggled in the tournament thus far

3. Kevin Pietersen could become an opener. When it was revealed that KP was going to open the batting, many asked whether his game would be suited to taking on the new ball. However, he has shown glimpses of the temperament and intelligence that he would need to continue as an opener in the one-day game.

4. India aren’t as good as everyone thinks. It is without doubt that MS Dhoni’s team have one of the best batting line-ups in the world, but this is only half of what a team needs to win the competition, and currently their bowling and fielding is coming under fire. Zaheer Khan’s burst during England’s batting powerplay has been the only highlight in the field for the hosts thus far, and the likes of Munaf Patel, Sreesanth and Piyush Chawla are not proven international bowlers. If India are to win the competition, their bowlers will have to step up to the mark, as their batsmen cannot be relied on for the whole tournament.

5. The quicker, the better. When teams go to the sub-continent, they tend to pack their bowling attack with spinners. However, it has been the quicker bowlers who have been most impressive in the opening two weeks of the tournament. Kemar Roach and Lasith Malinga have both taken hat-tricks, whilst the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait have fired Australia to two victories wth their full and fast approach. This World Cup could very well surprise a lot of people and be the tournament where the world’s best fast bowlers are the main stars.

6. The good Pakistan have turned up. Whenever an international competition comes around, many people ask which Pakistan are going to turn up, and this year it looks as if they are at their brilliant best. Despite a shaky batting performance against Canada, they have emerged as genuine contenders, and with an inspired Shahid Afridi leading from the front, they could easily find themselves lifting the trophy for the second time.

7. The World Cup needs the associate nations. Ireland’s victory over England has shown to the ICC that the associate nations have a place in world cricket’s premier events. The performance brought about one of the greatest ever World Cup shocks and lit up the tournament, something which those that govern the game cannot ignore if they want to keep people watching future tournaments. Despite weak performances from Kenya and Canada, I for one feel it would be unfair if the likes of Kevin O’Brien and Ryan Ten Doeschate did not get the chance to show off their skills on the world stage.

8. Chris Gayle is cooler than anyone thought. As always, Chris Gayle has been the epitome of cool throughout the tournament. However, he proved just how cool he was as he took time out from dodging rocks on his team bus to tweet to the world. Many would have concentrated on their own safety, but not Gayle. He wanted to let his 39,000 followers what was going on outside the ground. The man is very cool.

9. Not even his teammates like Sreesanth. After India’s first game of the tournament against Bangladesh, opening batsman Virender Sehwag was quoted as saying everyone had played well apart from Sreesanth. It is well known that opposition players and supporters aren’t particularly fond of the young bowler, but Sehwag’s comments shed light on what the Indian dressing room thinks of their outspoken contemporary. It seems that the only person who likes Sreesanth is the man himself.

Sreesanth has never been one to make friends
on the cricket pitch

10. No one knows who is going to win the tournament. Unlike the last few tournaments, it does not seem as if it going to be a non-event of a tournament that ends predictably with Australia holding the trophy aloft. In fact, it would be somewhat of a surprise if Ricky Ponting’s side even made it to the final. Any number of teams could be celebrating victory at the end of the tournament, and I for one would not like to be the person to predict who that will be.... 


This article can be found at worldcricketwatch.com and sportsvoice.co.uk

Is the Twenty20 gimmick getting old?

With the impending ECB announcement that the amount of Twenty20 Cup group games in England’s domestic calendar is going to be cut from 16 to ten, many commentators have asked whether the pull of the newest form of the game is beginning to drop.

Throughout the 2010 County season, the issue of Twenty20 overkill was raised many times, with counties playing 16 group games each as appose to the usual ten. Attendances were down on previous seasons, whilst certain international games also saw less than capacity crowds. Players also complained of burnout, with some becoming injured before the season had come to an end.

This season’s competition was billed as the biggest and best so far, with more overseas players than ever before. The introduction of stars such as Herschelle Gibbs and Adam Gilchrist to the competition failed to galvanise audiences as the ECB and the various counties had hoped, and with the sheer volume of games, audiences dwindled. England’s matches against Bangladesh and Pakistan were watched by less than full stadiums as cricket supporters struggled to finance watching all the cricket that was on offer.

It wasn’t only the public who couldn’t handle the amount of games, but also the players. The likes of England Twenty20 World Cup winner Michael Lumb had their season’s cut short due to injury, whilst other players were rested so as to save them from burning out. Six extra days of cricket a year may not sound a lot, but with travelling and the enhanced warm-ups and fitness training that the modern cricketer has to go through, these six days can be the difference between a player staying fit or picking up an injury.

So is Twenty20 cricket, the format that those at the top of the game said would bring in a new mass audience, now losing its appeal?

The answer is most probably not yet, especially in countries such as India and Australia, where the IPL and KFC Big Bash have the biggest stadium and television audiences. However, in the country in which Twenty20 was formed, the draw of the shortened format is at its lowest since its inception in 2003. In the event that this pattern spreads from England’s shores, then the future of “the future of cricket” could be under threat.

This article can also be found at worldcricketwatch.com

IPL- really the future of cricket?

When the idea of the Indian Premier League was first proposed by Lalit Modi, the whole cricket world sat up and took notice.

However, since that announcement the tournament has been less about the on-field action and more about the off-field controversy. Security fears leading to a change in venue, the banning of several high-profile players and disputes with several international boards are just some of the problems the organising committee have faced.

So now, on the eve of the third annual competition, many cricket followers are asking whether the competition that was billed as the future of cricket will ever live up to its potential.

This years IPL, or IPL 3 as it is being billed in the Indian sporting media (one of the many examples of how the sport is becoming Americanised) could be the best tournament so far, with a plethora of the world's best players taking part at some stage.

The fact that players such as Shane Warne, Damien Martyn and Adam Gilchrist have decided to prolong their careers to take part shows the appeal the competition has. Whether that appeal is the urge to play cricket at a high level or the money involved is up to debate. The fact that the Twitter accounts of Warne and Martyn have this week been inundated with reports of them taking part in different photo shoots may answer this question.

The standard of the cricket in the competition is helped by these legends of the game taking part, and the experience and expertise they pass onto the many Indian youngsters in the various franchises will become invaluable to them as they build their own careers.

However, that is all but where the good points surrounding the IPL end. The main talking points surrounding the competition are contentious to say the least, with controversy seeming to follow it wherever it goes.

The security fears that have surrounded the Modi's brainchild since its inception have caused the most controversy, with some players expressing there fears in the build-up to the 60-game tournament.

The expulsion of all Pakistani players is also an issue which has raised debate. In last year's competition there was a blanket ban on all of Pakistan's players. However, this year the majority of Pakistan's national side were available in the main player's auction and many onlookers felt that normal service would be resumed.

The fact that not one of the eleven Pakistani players who were available in the auction were snapped up by the franchises might show that the countries differences are still at the fore. The excuse of the players being unable to obtain Visa's was given, but the fact that the tournament will miss the like of Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul, two of the world's best Twenty20 cricketers, is a great shame.

So whilst India prepares itself for its biggest sporting event of the year, many back in England will be none the wiser to what is going on. That is, unless, a major off-the-field incident again steals the headlines...