Champions Trophy

[Hong Kong Blue]

Any predictions, other than the obvious one of England to be thrashed?

[canveyshrimper]

Quote[/b] (Hong Kong Blue @ Oct. 10 2006,11:08)]Any predictions, other than the obvious one of England to be thrashed?
Pessimist. http://www.shrimperzone.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif http://www.shrimperzone.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

India on their home turf would be my favourites, along with Australia. It would be great for England to put a huge Ashes marker down when we play the convicts in our group game. I am sure England will be competitive come The Ashes but at the one day game we are bereft of ideas and tactics. Although the return of Flintoff may prove inspirational.

[scrounger]

Nope I'm afraid I am unable to predict the severity of our thrashing http://www.shrimperzone.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Hong Kong Blue]

I quite fancy Sri Lanka, who play more one-day cricket and more cricket in Asia than Australia. That might just work in their favour.

Pakistan could crumble or be united in the aftermath of Hairbeingstitchedup-gate.

[Matt the Shrimp]

Lanka. In superb form at the moment in the subcontinent, and (if you compare their record in their series in England), one of THE in-form teams at the moment.

More than dark horses for the world cup, I reckon - I'd put them second favourites for that tournament.

Matt

[Museshrimper]

Awful start for us against India. Put into bat, Bell, Flintoff and Yardy all out lbw, with Bell's being a terrible decision because of the height.

Not looking good already http://www.shrimperzone.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

[C C Csiders]

Good to see Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif drug-busted. Not that the Pakistanis cheat in any way, shape or form....... http://www.shrimperzone.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[Bluesmanager]

Those tests were done by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the ICC had nothing to do with them.

[sufcintheprem]

Watched the entirety of South Africa v New Zealand today.

South Africa were woeful batting while New Zealand looked very sharp in the field and were well worth their win. I'm not convinced that their batting line-up can stand up to the best bowling attacks but I would put them as dark horses.

Like Matt, I would have Sri Lanka right up there with the favourites. Having seen Patel ripping the ball around all over the place, I can only imagine what Murali will do and in Jayasuriya they have the potential to outbat any team.

[Groyne Strain]

Just out of interest why were Sri Lanka made to pre-qualify when it's been apparent for the past couple of years that England are a middling-to-poor one day side?

[Bluesmanager]

Must go on the rankings I guess.

[sufcintheprem]

I agree, they are clearly too good.

If the rankings show that England are better than a team that whitewashed them in an ODI series on home soil then either we've been well and truly murked by SL or there's something wrong with the rankings.

My guess would be the latter

[Ailsa Road Shrimper]

I think England need to stop playing 'bits and pieces' players such as Yardy and Dalrymple. Neither is going to score a 100 or take 5 wickets. Panesar and Hoggard deserve a run in the one day team, maybe Cook too. There seems to be too much mediocrity in England's ODI team thesedays.

[Bluesmanager]

"these days"? When was the last time we qualified for the Super Sixes?

[Hong Kong Blue]

Quote[/b] (Ailsa Road Shrimper @ Oct. 22 2006,20:13)]I think England need to stop playing 'bits and pieces' players such as Yardy and Dalrymple. *Neither is going to score a 100 or take 5 wickets. *Panesar and Hoggard deserve a run in the one day team, maybe Cook too. *There seems to be too much mediocrity in England's ODI team thesedays.
I'd agree with those sentiments about bits and pieces players, but the established test players are failing as well.

Cook should definitely be in the squad. I can't understand why he isn't. He has demonstrated that he is international class in the test arena. When he was given a chance in ODIs he did OK as he averages 40 at a decent rate, yet was inexplicably dropped.

In helpful bowling conditions I'd have Hoggy in my one-day side, although I would choose a different option for flat tracks.

ps Despite his unorthodox style of batting I think Yardy is more than a bits and pieces cricketer and a potential test batsman.

[number11]

Unfortunately England have gone along with their current plans for too long and now its too near the World Cup to change....though that said things are so bad a big shake couldnt do any worse.

The options to me are to play as near to our test team, or a team of the best proven one day players in county cricket...something akin to what they did under Hollioake which was the last time we were any good at the one day stuff. Id favour the former. They seemed to do this largely against Australia last year, when we did well,but have now scrapped that idea....

The test players have proven their international quality over the years, and the top order, with the exception of Cook all score at a brisk rate, and the team automatically has the 5 bowlers when Freddy is fit to bowl (plus Collingwood as a 6th). Therefore would a side of Tres (cook whilst he sorts his head out), Straus, Bell, Pieterson, Freddie, Collingwood, Read, (then 3 from Mahmood, Anderson, Harmison Hoggard) and Panesar actually be that bad?

The mish mash we have now seems to put too much pressure on Flintoff and Pieterson to get us a score. When Yardy went in early and was outclassed and out you could palpably feel the pressure being put on the more accomplished batters down the order.

That said the trouble we seem to have is our test players only get exposure to 1 dayers in the international arena and have few opportunities to develop their games in domestic one day cricket such is the state of the international calendar.