411mania's 2007 Cricket World Cup Coverage- Semi Final Preview
Posted by Andy Bracken on 04.23.2007
The Cricket World Cup has finally reached the knockout stages.
411mania's Cricket World Cup Coverage- Semi Final Preview
The old saying is true- Money IS the root of all evil.
Now, I love nothing more sitting back and watching a day's cricket (and I didn't think I'd ever say this) but the tournament is just too damn long. The itinerary of this cup, with just one match on per day, just drags the thing out interminably. Seriously, if a guy like me, who can watch every ball of a five day test match and be enthralled throughout, says that the thing is dragging, then they are doing NOTHIN to promote the game to new viewers. I can't see anyone who doesn't understand the nuances of the game sitting through the whole two months of this.
Also, if you can't get the stands full during the showcase event of the game, then you have serious issues. Part of the fun of watching series in the Caribbean is seeing the crowds singing and shouting, with the obligatory bottle of rum in one hand and a fat Jamaican joint in the other, banging drums and carrying on. I don't think I have ever watched a match in the Caribbean that didn't have a packed house, and yet with the allure of the greatest spectacle in the game they have half-filled stands.
Here's a tip. If the country you are playing in has a total population of 100,000 people, and they earn an average of a hundred clams or so a year, you can't expect 25,000 of them to drop a quarter of that on one cricket game. That's how you end up with empty stands.
They should have just said, "Fuck it. We're making hundreds of millions from the TV rights, let's just open the gates and let them enjoy the game. You would have made memories for thousands of West Indians that might otherwise not have the chance, and you'll have a TV product that looks like the carnival that it should be.
No. They got greedy, and they ended up with a dud. The CWC has looked crap, and lost a LOT of it's mystique and allure, and for the sake of a few more shekels for an obscenely rich ICC. Idiots.
I have been more disappointed in the performance of the hosts ON the field. They would have known coming into the tourney that this was it. This would be the only chance they would ever get to play the premier event in front of their own crowds. The ICC like cash, and of all the places in the cricket world to make money, the West Indies is NOT at the top of the list. They had one shot.
And they blew it. Instead of playing out of their skins, they spent every game looking as though they were being inconvenienced by playing for their people. They sucked, and I would put money on the fact that there is another player pay dispute brewing. Just before deadline edit: Yep, the England tour is now in doubt due to a pay quarrel. Very predictable.
There have been some good things to come out of this cup. Firstly, the three top teams have been excellent to watch. Australia has been back to their best after a poor lead up, New Zealand is a side that plays their hearts out and squeezes every last result out of their talent, and Sri Lanka has built themselves into a formidable side, and probably the best combination they have put together in their history.
The emergence of Bangladesh has been great for the game. They are at the stage now that, while still a way behind the established teams, they have closed the gulf and can regularly compete with the better sides. This may well be the last World Cup where Bangladesh are considered minnows, and that is a huge leap forward for the development of cricket.
Going Home
Four teams have come to the end of their World Cup campaigns. They are:
West Indies: The performance of the West Indies is THE disappointment of this World Cup, even more so than the Indian and Pakistani debacle.
The West Indies ARE a talented side. Gayle is a top notch batsman, and guys like Samuels, Bravo and Devon Smith are all impressive young players. They had the experience of Lara and Chanderpaul, and a solid, if not world beating, attack. They had the side to have a crack at the semi-finals.
As has been the case for a few years, though, their weakness is their attitude. After starting pretty well, their demeanour on the field visibly changed, and they just stopped.
I don't see what other motivation they needed. They were playing the biggest tournament in the world in their own backyards for the first, and probably only, time. While Lara's immediate retirement was probably a surprise, they would have known that he was getting close to the end, and sending off a great with a spirited performance is a given in team sports. What else did they need to lift them?
I am glad that Lara retired. I doubt he was particularly well liked within the team, and now the team needs to find new leaders, and a new way of running the team. Hopefully this will trigger something in them.
Also, if they had pulled their finger out, I could have picked all four semi-finalists. Bastards.
England: BONUS ENGLAND CRICKET JOKE: What is the difference between the English Cricket Team and a tea bag? The English WISH they could stay in the Cup as long as a tea bag does…
England were dismal. The fact that they were in with a chance of making the semi-finals right up to the South Africa game is more of an indictment on the tournament format than a measure of their effort.
There is no end to the problems in their line up. Their captain hasn't scored a hundred in 90-odd games, while batting in the top three almost exclusively. He only averages mid twenties in ODI cricket. How on earth can you justify a place in the team with that record?
Easy- have no viable alternatives. Bell, Joyce and Strauss are all just as bad, and the fact that they have a top three without a genuine stroke maker means that they will either get off to an average start, or a bad start. You'll never see England, with this order, at 1/100 of 15 overs. They just don't have the cattle to do it, which puts them behind every other team before they even get on the field.
Pietersen is a gun player, no doubt. The problem is, by the time he gets in, he's already behind the eight-ball. He can never just come in and start blazing, because the penalty of him failing is that his team will lose. As good as he is, he could be so much better with a half decent top order above him.
Until they find someone, he should just bat at three and be done with it. At least it'll give him the chance to win a few games, especially if Collingwood bats with him at four.
Flintoff batting at six in another issue. He is doing absolutely nothing at the moment, and is showing why he is not up to playing as a batsman who bowls. Either he needs to be at seven or eight as a late order hitter, or he should open with a license to hit out while the field is up.
Nixon has actually done quite well, but he won't be around in four years. They need to find a keeper that HASN'T been demoralised by Fletcher's retarded man-management philosophy and stick with him. Matt Prior has potential.
As for their bowling, they need to strike some balance. Harmison has retired from ODIs, which is a blessing, and losing Lewis hurt their plans. Anderson showed a bit over the past month and he could be a guy to build an attack around. Mahmood needs to be placed under pressure, and told that either he starts producing or he's out. He has the raw tools, but he seems to just go through the motions. That needs to stop. Panesar is good, and he'll get better.
They really shouldn't be this bad, and hopefully with Fletcher gone they'll be able to get past some of their past scars. I will say this, though- long term, their success in the 2005 Ashes series was a detriment.
Bangladesh: Bangladesh took some big leaps in this tournament. They certainly aren't up with the top sides just yet, but they have a nucleus of players that will improve enough for them to start pushing them along.
Bottom line, though, they overachieved in this CWC, so they should be happy with their efforts.
Ireland: There is no point overanalysing the Irish team. They did well, and with their proximity to England, they have the ability to slide into a first-class structure and improve further.
They won't develop all THAT far, though. ICC politics dictate that the chances of another "white" nation getting ICC support is next to zero. No point destroying the power of the sub-continental voting bloc after the effort it took to create it.
I know I've glossed over the two minnow teams, but there really isn't much more to say about them. They have added to the CWC in a positive way, and for that they should be proud.
I have a lot of hope that the last phase of the CWC will lift the tone of this World Cup, so let's move on to the semi-finals.
Semi Final: Australia vs. South Africa.
This should be a good one.
The South African side has, as I predicted, not been as dominant as their pre-tournament ranking suggested. There has been no real surprises as to their strengths, their quicks have done the damage, and their strong batting line up has scored heavily.
Their glaring weakness is still their lack of a quality spinner. They have struggled to run through sides on the flatter tracks, when the new ball hasn't been productive.
Conversely, Australia's spinner has been in great form. Brad Hogg has always been vastly underrated (particularly by his own selectors), and the way that the failed Cameron White experiment pushed him to the forefront could have either made or broke him. He responded brilliantly, taking important wickets and being a strength for his side. If South Africa don't work out a way of picking his wrong ‘un, they will struggle.
The Saffies have had a string of solid performances with the ball. Hall is their leading wicket taker with 14, with Langeveldt next on 13. Pollock has been relatively quiet, and Ntini has been almost MIA. They will need to find a game-breaking spell at the start of the innings, or they will find themselves under the pump from Australia's formidable top three.
As for the Australian side, there aren't too many problems presenting themselves. Hayden and Ponting are in rare form, Gilchrist is his usual self, and can hit a 80-ball hundred at any time, regardless of form, and Symonds, Clarke and Hussey are all class players who can change matches. Add to that the batting form of Watson, and the South Africans can bet on chasing more than 300 if they bowl first.
There is no doubt that the South Africans can chase. They bat right down the list, and proved last year that they have the guns to fire at anything. Kallis is in great form, even if his team commitment is questionable, Gibbs is in the Gilchrist mould, in that he can score heavily on any day, regardless of whether he is playing well. Smith tends to get his back up against the Australians, and will be itching to play well. There is one factor that could affect them, though.
Will they choke?
The Australian side love nothing more than bringing up the South African "chokers" tag. Matt Hayden has come out this week and claimed that the South Africans "fear" the Australian team, which understandably raised the ire of their opponents.
I think that the Australians will win, and win well. They are in great form, and if the Australians play near their best they form of the other side is irrelevant. I know it sounds arrogant, but the South Africans will have to catch the Australians on a bad day, or they will exit the World Cup. Regardless, I have no doubt it will be a great game to see.
My pick- Australia, by a decent margin.
Semi Final- New Zealand vs. Sri Lanka
This is going to be another cracker. These are two side that have great balance, both with a couple of real stars and a list of guys who play their roles to perfection. Down the list, there isn't much to split them.
New Zealand boasts probably the best captain in world cricket in Stephen Fleming. He is composed, creative and proactive, and he commands the utmost respect within his team. Just as importantly, he seems to have absolute confidence in his players, and gets the most out of every one of them.
Shane Bond has been THE bowler of this World Cup. Whilst he has been somewhat brittle during his career, he is fit and in peak form leading into this match. He has gone at an economy rate of less that three per over, which in today's game is incredible. He will trouble the Sri Lankan top order.
The Lankans have their own speedster in Lasith Malinga. He is not as economical as Bond, but as his four-in-four-balls shown, he has the pace and the unorthodox surprise factor to make anyone look average.
The Sri Lankans have much better depth behind their quick. Chaminda Vaas is a true great of today's game, and just doesn't ever seem to bowl a bad spell. He is far from express, but he has McGrath-like control and movement to spare. Of course, the real danger in Sri Lanka's attack is the venerable Murali. Finding a way to combat Murali is imperative.
After Bond comes Daniel Vettori. Vettori is real class, and should be considered in the top bracket just behind Murali. He is a brilliant left-arm spinner, but he will be coming against an attack that grew up on spin bowling. The New Zealand back up bowling of Styris, McMillan and Oram will be vital against guys like Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Jayasuriya- if they aren't on the spot, they will go.
As for the batting line ups, both are strong, and more importantly in form. Styris is only behind Hayden and Ponting in runs scored in the world cup, and is in career best touch. Oram and McMillan can just as likely go cheaply or score a run-a-ball hundred, but are both playing extremely well at the moment. Sri Lanka has the great Jayasuriya heading the order, and there just isn't a safe score when he is going. Sangakkara and Jayawardene are pure class, and fill out the order nicely.
To be honest, these sides are just far too well matched to pick with any certainty. They are both extremely good teams, and either one would be a worthy finalist.
My pick- I'll go with Sri Lanka, in a close match. Look for Vaas to take a few.
That's how I see things going, and I'll be back before the final to preview the big one.
