ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

[kthanksbye]

As for the second point, nah. Shankar is a bang average bowler at best and on those pitches he'll be smacked around the ground. It's gonna a tournament dominated by batsmen and that's where that massive hole between 3 and 7 will hurt us.

You're right, I wouldn't be confident about Shankar's bowling, but having a bit of a variety could help in a tournament which is going to be high scoring.
I still feel our strength lies in the middle overs with Kuldeep, Chahal and Kedar. If MSD offers us something that not many keepers in the world do is how he helps and directs the spinners from behind the stumps, always thinking and talking.
If Kuldeep and Chahal have a good tournament, we should be in the last 4.

 

[Moby]

You're right, I wouldn't be confident about Shankar's bowling, but having a bit of a variety could help in a tournament which is going to be high scoring.
I still feel our strength lies in the middle overs with Kuldeep, Chahal and Kedar. If MSD offers us something that not many keepers in the world do is how he helps and directs the spinners from behind the stumps, always thinking and talking.
If Kuldeep and Chahal have a good tournament, we should be in the last 4.

MSD should be captaining the team when he's on the field, period. Especially given the gulf in quality between him and the next best option.

 

[Dudu]

The Sri Lankan captaincy merry go round is hilarious!

10 captain changes since 2011.

 

[Samid]

The only consistent thing with SL is that there are always several Perera's in their squads. Wondering which ones they'll include this time.

 

[Dudu]

No Akila Dhananjaya?! So basically no wicket takers other than Malinga.
No Gunathilaka .. but Thirimanne returns?! Somehow we can't get rid of this fecker. At least Kusal Perera is back from injury.

Also No Dickwella. No Chandimal. No Oshada.

And it could get even worse if Malinga goes ahead and retires..

Feck SLC. I'm so done with them. Worst Board on the fecking planet.

 

[KM]

10 captain changes since 2011.

SL Squad for the World Cup. How do you evaluate this? Surprised at now Dickwella, Chandimal and Akila.

 

[K2K]

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Amla makes it into the team.

 

[KM]

No Morris is good news for Delhi.

 

[Dudu]

SL Squad for the World Cup. How do you evaluate this? Surprised at now Dickwella, Chandimal and Akila.

Shocking. Absolutely shocking.

SLC have basically ignored international performances over the last few months and years and essentially selected players largely from a hurriedly arranged domestic tournament that just concluded. What should have been 4 years prep for the WC was dumbed-down to 8 odd games over the last 2 weeks. A good example of this is Thirimanne scored a 100 in the final of said tournament.. and voila - straight into the WC Squad! They completely ignored how he has time and time again failed miserably time and done feck all for the national team. The reverse of this is Danushka Gunathilaka, where they ignored that he played reasonably well for the national team in recent times before getting injured against NZ. He recovered in time for this domestic tournament but didn't perform well.. and guess what? Didn't make the cut. Bizarre that Avishkha Fernando makes the squad too. A decent young top order talent, but he played 5 ODIs against SA on debut last month and his top score was.. 29.

The biggest blunder in this squad is dropping Akila. Malinga and Akila are our only consistent wicket taking options in recent times. Lakmal is a great bowler but struggles to take wickets. I genuinely cannot think of any reason whatsoever to drop Akila. Shocking..

Relieved that Mathews and Kusal Perera have returned from injury.

Even if he they are out of form I would have picked at least one of Dickwella or Chandimal.. if not both. Definitely would have picked Dickwella as an X factor who can come good on his day and provides a lot of personality for the team behind the stumps, while Chandimal is the experience we are sorely lacking in the side.

Isuru Udana is a decent bowler who can also have a swing.. good selection this. However it is so fecking bizzarre how we have selected Jeevan Mendis and Milinda Siriwardana. Both of them a bits and parts players.. okay with bat and ball but nothing special. Siriwandana has only played a couple of games for us over the last year or so, while Jeevan last played an ODI for us in 2015.

Not to mention the whole BS surrounding the Captaincy. SLC have essentially thrown this team into chaos. If Malinga retires (and he has every right to), then we at risk of getting 0 wins.

To sum up: Feck SLC.

 

[Moby]

Who are these people

 

[ha_rooney]

Really surprised Pakistan have not included Amir. Not been in good form recently, but his record in England is very good. Also I’d have taken Shinwari instead of Hasnain.

 

[Cloud7]

For the Saffers or those in the know, is there some background reason why AB retired before the World Cup? Surely he had it in him to give it one more whirl and then retire afterwards?

 

[Dudu]

Decent team. Interesting that they chucked in Abid Ali after a few goods games against Australia.

Really surprised Pakistan have not included Amir. Not been in good form recently, but his record in England is very good. Also I’d have taken Shinwari instead of Hasnain.

I believe he's part of the team to play England next month. So he still has a chance to make the final squad..

 

[Samid]

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[madRedDevil07]

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Amla makes it into the team.

This bowling line up looks super strong. Only if they have few more better batsmen ( Only Faf and QDK are world class as per recent form).

 

[KM]

@Dudu - Re. Akila's omission, someone on Reddit said that he's bowling with a new action and the selectors are worried that he might be called for chucking.

 

[Dudu]

@Dudu - Re. Akila's omission, someone on Reddit said that he's bowling with a new action and the selectors are worried that he might be called for chucking.

Hmm. It's possible, but I doubt that tbh. He bowled with his new remodelled action against SA last month without any chucking issues..

SLC chief selector:

"After he modified his action his effectiveness is not there. I have been watching him and I haven’t been impressed at all"

Encouraging words to hear from your National Selector..

 

[K2K]

This bowling line up looks super strong. Only if they have few more better batsmen ( Only Faf and QDK are world class as per recent form).

Yeah.

South Africa won't choke at this tournament at least. They aren't good enough to get very far.

 

[iKnowNothing]

What do you folks think about the format in this World Cup? All teams playing everyone else.. I personally like it. The top 4 would be teams that are consistent throughout the tournament and not in one off games.

 

[zing]

What do you folks think about the format in this World Cup? All teams playing everyone else.. I personally like it. The top 4 would be teams that are consistent throughout the tournament and not in one off games.

Don't need knockouts by that logic, do we? Just do a league.

I don't like the format. Too long, the smaller teams are not invited, and no quarter finals which is one of the best things about knockout competition.

 

[The Man Himself]

Hmm. It's possible, but I doubt that tbh. He bowled with his new remodelled action against SA last month without any chucking issues..

SLC chief selector:

Encouraging words to hear from your National Selector..

Man..This is worse than Southgate on Smalling. How hard it is to say, "Akila has modified his action, so we want to give him time to adjust to it and get his rhythm back. He remains in our plans for future."

 

[Cloud7]

Carlos Braithwaite is still stealing a fecking career from that one over against Stokes

 

[madRedDevil07]

Carlos Braithwaite is still stealing a fecking career from that one over against Stokes

He has become a decent bowler in last one bowler and was good in the last series against England. He is the 4th seamer who can bat a bit in that WI playing XI.

 

[Samid]

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[KM]

Alex Hales is really a dumb shit isn't he?

 

[zing]

Removed from the world cup squad. His own fault, but sad.

 

[crappycraperson]

Bairstow to open?

 

[ChrisNelson]

Bairstow to open?

Wouldn't Bairstow have opened with Roy anyway?

 

[crappycraperson]

Wouldn't Bairstow have opened with Roy anyway?

I thought Hales and Roy was their established opening pair.

 

[ChrisNelson]

I thought Hales and Roy was their established opening pair.

I think that even without these recent issues, England would probably have opened with Roy and Bairstow. I may well be wrong but that's how I saw it.

Personally I think the decision to take him away from the scene is absolutely the correct one, not only does it take away any distractions for the squad but it's also in Hales' best interests because he can't keep getting rewarded for behaviour like this with more England caps and exposure.

It's a shame that Billings is out long term injured but the general consensus is that Vince will step up and given that he's just hit close to a double ton in the one day format I think this is the correct decision.

 

[Aboutreika18]

I thought Hales and Roy was their established opening pair.

Pretty sure that Hales was Roy's backup.

 

[FlawlessThaw]

I thought Hales and Roy was their established opening pair.

Bairstow has been first choice since the ICC trophy and then Roy eventually replaced Hales after the latter got suspended due to the whole Stokes night out debacle. Hales was first choice reserve and given Roy has some back spasms, he could have been quite important.

 

[rotherham_red]

Decent team. Interesting that they chucked in Abid Ali after a few goods games against Australia.



I believe he's part of the team to play England next month. So he still has a chance to make the final squad..

Rizwan should have been picked.

 

[NinjaFletch]

Feel a bit sorry for Hales. The ECB would have known about his ban before they announced the squad and picked him in spite of it. The only reason they've kicked him out is because the media found out.

Only a bit mind, Hales is a notoriously loose unit and his drug taking is an open secret. He's lucky he has only been caught twice.

 

[NinjaFletch]

I know Bairstow, Stokes and Buttler have been rested, but all of a sudden this England side looks a bit weak. Can't help but be baffled that Denly has wormed his way into the side.

 

[Samid]

England in a Little bit of bother.

 

[NinjaFletch]

Niall O'Brian is like an Irish Danny Morrison on coms.

 

[KM]

Just read on reddit, that Shadab Khan is doubtful of going to the WC because he has contracted hepatitis from a dentist’s unsterilised instruments.

Wow, wtf? Feel sorry for him if that's the case. Imagine missing out on the cricket's biggest tournament because of a fecking cnut doctor.

 

[Cloud7]

Just read on reddit, that Shadab Khan is doubtful of going to the WC because he has contracted hepatitis from a dentist’s unsterilised instruments.

Wow, wtf? Feel sorry for him if that's the case. Imagine missing out on the cricket's biggest tournament because of a fecking cnut doctor.

That’s crazy. Poor guy. Hopefully they can achieve clearance and he doesn’t get stuck with chronic hepatitis as a result of this. Very sad state of affairs.

 

[Samid]

This really can't start soon enough. Done with the football.