Wonderfull article! You have put in words what I have in my mind.

It's pretty poor when Sri Lanka turn up without two of their best. Where's Murali and Chaminda? What a let down!

srilanka kill the sprit of this mouthwatring clash.

"Sri Lanka is charming, joy-filled and ebullient"? I believe you must be confusing Sri Lanka with West Indies...

I think it is cowardly act for Sri Lanka to protect Murali and Vaas from this encounter. Malinga may have a legitimate injury but leaving out these two was atrocious. I sincerely wish that they get injured for the next clash between these two sides.

how do you arrive at charming, joyous, ebullient.. i don't get it.. does any team take prisoners if it can help it?, typically Indian, fanciful prose by guys from a country of dud sportspersons, content not very related to how things are... wish you would elaborate on the charm, there is charm in brad hogg's chinaman and in how murali bowls and who do you think is more dour between russel arnold and mike hussey?... there's a lot of camaraderie and charm in aussie team spirit and their celebrations... dont build fancies man, just enjoy the game.

sitting down here in Sri Lanka, what I would like to think is, the decision made to rest 2 key bowlers is nothing but strategy. Sri Lankans' probably didn't wanna right now shot the trick outta the hat right now.. They probably wanna save it to the Semi's or the Finals. This is Just a Gamble.. to see what the outcome is gonna be. Only if the top order batsmen had performed well.. Anyhow, nothing to lose, yet.

Excellent article. Other differences. Aus - Batsman heavy, go back to their fist choice XI. SL - Not batsman heavy and are without their top three bowlers. I think that SL are trying to get some psychological advantage since the whatever the result of this game, they will end up playing NZ in the semis and also if they win or even run the Aussies close with a second string side, the Aussies might panic. Why unleash Murali on them when he can be held back and used as a shock weapon in The Final. Brilliant move, Tom & Mahela.

If SL loose this match in a big way with out key players like Murali and Vass it could have an psychological impact on the SL players and could affect in the rest of the games. This is no time to relax. The Aussie attack could maul Kulasekara. Well they have to choose from the squad they took there. I guess time to rest Upul and bring back Marvan he is increasingly becoming unreliable. Very surprising move to rest the two players!?

Superb summary of what in our hearts we know - Australia are the joyless, ruthless, slege-them-if-it wins, rude, disciplined, emtionless assassins; Sri Lanka the cheerful, entertaining, almost lovable, but thoroughly competent foe. A world-wide neutral survey would find, I would venture, 80% of us neutrals praying for a SL victory. For music lovers, it's vinyl vs CDs - it's art vs Science - it's robotic victory vs Nostalgic, heart-felt feeling-goodness. Go Sri Lanka!! Please beat the Aussies - you'll just make us Neutrals, who no longer have a team, just so much happier than to watch the heartless, grim reaper roll on in its joyless ride to yet another mechanical, scientific victory.......

Very good analysis... For the most important Semis I think SL should opt for Marven instead of Tharanga who is out of form and struggling to score and not finding gaps during last few games... Tharanga's strike rate has been very very low... (No doubt that Tharanga is a real asset to the SL Cricket, but just out of form at the moment)... After all Marven has an excellent ability to find gaps and rotating the strike and definitely add an extra muscle to Sri Lankan batting.

"It's pretty poor when Sri Lanka turn up without two of their best. Where's Murali and Chaminda? What a let down!"

Its called 'Tactics' mate......Save the best for the last. (Having said that I would have preferred to see how Aussies react to Murali's recently perfected Doosra and Malinga's Fiery yorkers. I guess Im gonna have to wait till the final aren't I....)

I think Sri Lanka doesnt mind losing this one.. they do not want Aussies to get familiar with Malinga and Murali... also they want to test their strength without main bowlers. Perfect strategy..either way Sri Lanka cannot lose this one psychologically... Aussies will have nothing to gain from this match!

terrific strategy on the part of sri lanka to play without their top 3 bowlers. even if australia win today, they will not feel confident, when sri lanka come back at full strength.

there are a few things you do not do as a cricket team / cricketer..

1. refuse a single that is available - unless the guy on the other end isnt half the batsman you are; and it is one of the first 3 balls of the over; and you have more than 5 overs to play

2. rest your key players in the middle of a tournament - especially when it is a long tournament with enough rest days in between - unless ofcourse the players are injured

cardinal sins these..

and Sri Lanka have committed one of these - lets see what the outcome is - not in this match, but on the tournament on the whole

and, what abt idiots like me who took half a day off hoping to see murali bowl to aussies; not to mention those poor souls who spent a fortune to have the wretched luck of being on the ground today..

DUH!! this is the _world cup_ for god-sakes; all teams are _expected_ turn out with their best teams, irrespective of the value of the points earned through the match...

another farce in a worldcup that, for a large extent, been a farce anyways..

good thinking from Sri Lanka, if they come close to winning against australia today, they will gain a lot of confidence since murali n vaas r not in the lineup. Sri Lanka belives they will be in the finals, cuz they trust their team to reach the finals with australia, they dont want aussies to have a good look at vaas n murali a little early.

Attapatu should have been in for Tharanga.this selection is unbelievable

That is what we call tactics Dravid mate, why should we unnessasarily expose our 2 of our best bowlers to Aussies when they can easily get used to our bowlers and get some good batting practice against them ahead of a possible Semi final or a final? I believe Moody and Mahela did the right thing by not playing our bowling trio Slinga, Vassy and Murai in a dead rubber like this and not letting the Aussies enjoy a free batting session against quality bowling! Aussies must be kicking themselves now! LOL!

War vs Joyousness?
Where do you stand on Stereotypes vs Pig Ignorancet?

Well David... earlier SL may have played to reach Semis, and having assured a place in Semis they are now playing for the cup... and understandably SL's 3 of most valuable players are rested, and there will be no free practice for Aussies versus that 3!! That's SL's strategy!!

You are wrong. Australia as a team, also play with fun filled agression - with a mood to attack, and enjoy it all the time.
The surgical game you talked about - is the kind of game South Africa plays and therefore, nomatter how hard they try, they never win big tournaments.

Australia and Sri Lanka on the other hand, always play with fire, energy and positive aggression, the kind of game West Indies were once famous for.

Well its obvious that Sri Lanka is taking each team as another team and right now there best bet is to give the Hard Working Horses a ride before the big games start. Some might think its very ironic that it had to be in this match in particluar but it shows that even with the enthusiasm the Sri Lankans had leading up to this match on and off the field they wanted to really equip themselves and try the team in the worst possible conditions as they just did. But by no means is the team for todays show down any less as Malinga Bandara is a class product from the Portals of Spin Wizardry but having to walk in the shadows of the all time great no doubt. The 2nd half is about to start and lets see what more SL will offer. SL stood calm and collective when wickets fell and showed their grit. Will the bowlers have it in them. Lets see lets see!

Sri Lanka are the best bowling side in this WC when Malinga,Vaas and Murali are in the side. Their weakness is their batting. If Sanath Jayasuriya gets out early they will always struggle, and possibly put up a feeble 210 or 220. If Sanath gets a 70 odd or a hundred then the rest accumulate around 280-320. Thats Sl cricket in a nutshell today. Sangakarra is a loud talker, an underated brilliant wicketkeeper, but his batting is slow and unsure. Jayawardene can score quicklly but has slowed down in recent years. Silva is a find for the middle order, but Arnold and Dilshan are always suspect. Mahroof can score fours and sixes, ala Symonds but is in and out of the team. Pity Dilhara Fernando cannot bat. SL will probabaly never find another Sanath. He is a marvel.

This is the so-called 'final before the final'. But, watch out for New Zealand. Fleming's men are my finalists against Australia

Sri Lanka in it's present form is anything but charming. They are full of vigor alright, and they also mean BUSINESS!!! They are playing real hard cricket, something the other teams from the subcontinent couldn't emulate. Murali may smile, but only after he get's a wicket. Just listen to the after-match conf given by Jayawardene, he won't give even an inch away to the other team.

No buddy, SL mean business, in that sense they are not that much diff from Aussies.

Jayawardane is a great captain. He has got a bright future ahead and many more world cups to pocket. I think it was a master stroke by him not playing Vaas and Murali in this inconsequential game. You need a step back before you jump ahead; eager to see how far Sri Lanka manage to jump.

are you saying that australia have no flair and flourish in their play and don't counterattack with the most style especially when in tight situations?

Or are you just tired of seeing them win all the time so it's actually gotten boring for you soumya?

But on the demeanour front you're probably right. Australia have been winning for 10-15 years so ODI matches don't mean as much to them anymore, so obviously they don't jump around as much (unless you're lee). But did you seem them when they won in india in 04 or regained the ashes?

My heart goes out to West Indies Team. I honestly wanted them to reach much further but what to do now. I still feel a sense of pride since my other team Sri Lanka is still riding high. I just love those guys. What brought me to love that team is that one day i watched them played at that time A. DeSilva was a valuable player on the side, and from that day on i made Sri Lanka my team apart from West Indies.
I was so disappointed this morning when i saw Chaminda and Murali absent, but still i hope Sri Lanka will stand up and fight Australia, I have all the faith in them.

I think Sri Lanka adopted a v good strategy today by resting Murali & Vaas. Had they been in team today & Sri Lanka lost, it been would have been v disappointing for Sri Lanka & their might have been a slight dent in their confidence. Now that the big players are not playing, if Sri Lanka happens to win (unlikely) or finish the match close (v likely), that wil still keep their spirits high & they will feel, they have a chance when they meet Australia in finlas(most likely). Also, Australia now didn't get a chance beforehand to play Sri Lanka's best attack b4 the finals unlike Sri Lanka, who today would have had a pretty good look at Australia's attack.I would say, Tom Moody has played it right today by not selecting Murali & Vaas.

Dont these guys understand the psychology of sport? Australia play no dead rubbers...ever and because of that they pile on the mental pressure. Silly Sri Lanka.

Sri Lamnka 'charming, joy-filled and ebullient' ? What a joke. How about cynical, negative and fraudulent. What they did today has no place on what is supposed to be the showpiece of world cricket. Good on the Aussies for turning up in force and giving them a good spanking. SL has just proved why they do not deserve to win the World Cup.

Charming and joyfilled hey? Is this the same team who would tell their bowler to pull up without delivery on the final ball of a match to a semi-tailender? That didn't come across as charming - even contrary to the spirit of the game verging on that "bringing the game in to disrepute line" the ICC tend to spout on about while tolerating it. Perhaps the charm refers to the way Kumar Sangakara had a go at Pollock back in the 2003 World Cup - Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying when he was batting the chit chat from Boucher would have been stuff you'ld like your children to hear, but it ain't charming in my version of the word. The truth of it is that the Aussies are a steam roller and Sri Lanka are an underdog. At the end of the day society tends to look at underdogs as dainty and charming shortly before they get squashed. The only charm I have seen in this world cup has come from the Irish squad. They don't seem as loud or bolshy as the rest of the outfits. They seem to embody the spirit far better, even if their skills aren't quite where the rest of the teams are. If you want charming, probably you should go watch a play or something along those lines.

If that was a "Preview. Sneak peak. Dress rehearsal." of the final, then the final’s going to be one sided and excitement free. Besides, I think New Zealand will be meeting Australia in the final, not Sri Lanka.

I think you wrote the article too soon...U should have asked Srilankan about his team sheet..NO MURALI, NO MALINGA, NO VASS....wht was he thinking!!! Aussies just proved they BEST TEAM to have ever played the GAME...Srilanka should gratefull that they showed some respect by no chasing target with 30 over against a toothless attack that was supposed favor Srilankans...This World Cup is most boring ever...Cause one team so strong and rest are pathetic to say the least!!!!
I guess ICC should allow aussies to have two teams so we can have one High Quality Match...

cant help comparing to brazil and germany in the football world cup!

ausralia has been my team since 1975 win lose or draw, and i do hope they win the 2007 world cup. this is all the way from Bermuda

Sri Lankan batting has looked weak aginst good bowling throughout. Well beaten by Australia, well beaten by South Africa (4 freak balls aside), flattered by NZ on an off day. Can Sri Lanka bowl their way to number #1? They certainly talk themselves up but soon it's time to put words into action and we shall see...

I'm personally getting quite tired of hearing (and seems to mostly be indian) authors talking about how full-of-joy and passionate the Sri Lankans are and how ruthless and mechanical the Aussies are. In my opinion the Sri Lankans are terrible sports and in that sense don't play the game in the right spirit. By not playing Vaas and Murali today (and you can bet they will play against Ireland), it seems Sri Lanka wanted to achieve three things; Give Kulasekara and Mahroof another game out in the middle, "preserve" and perhaps gain some sort of advantage of surprise by playing Vaas and Murali in their (if they get there) next encounter with Australia and finally avoid playing South Africa in the semi-final. Lets not forget Fernando's last ball farce against England, so much for passion. So the Australians are clinical and decisive, that does not mean they don't have as much passion as Sri Lanka. They're far better sports (Clarke (eventually) took the fielders word and walked today), and you can see the the enthusiasm and delight when any of their bowlers picks a wicket (particularly Hogg and Symonds). The passion with which they're always running around and chatting with each other, the alertness and delight in direct hits, its all professional, but you can see they're really enjoying themselves at the same time. Whenever Hayden takes a catch, or Gilchrist stumps a batsman, if you haven't noticed the ebullience you're not watching the game with impartially, but rahter have already formed your opinion and made your judgement. Lets try and give credit where credit is due, this might be a job for the players, but Australia is successful because they enjoy themselves as well as anyone out there.

Let's hope they meet again in the final. Nice article.

It was a let down - but again it goes on to show how different the sides are. One believing in maintaining momentum and clinical consistancy - the other perhaps thinking more tactically/opportunistically. I believe SL could have played Murali, Vaas and Malinga - but chose not to for the following 3 reasons.
1. SL might have not wanted to reveal their trump card Malinga (especially with the OZ's not having played him in a one dayer yet) - and it made sense to continue that theory one step further and give day off to both Vaas and Murali as well...
2. SL would prefer playing the 1st semi final next Tuesday (2nd Vs 3rd) on a slower track more suited to their wickets back home
3. They'd rather meet the OZ's in the final - hoping that RSA (or ENG if they make it) get a shot and having a great day and knocking off AUstralia in the 2nd semi final.

Kinda makes sense doesnt it?

Unless ofcourse you believe that momentum is all that it is blown up to be.

Soumya, you clearly have the perspective of the fan who appreciates the beauty and art of this wonderful game. Your analogies are interesting and whilst understandable, perhaps a little disappointing to an Aussie who always has trouble with the constant categorising of his countrymen as ruthless warrior types!
This, it seems is part of the price of success! And yet when I proudly look at Gilchrist or Ponting or Clarke or Hussey when they bat I see enthusiasm for the "game", flourish in strokeplay, daring do, an approach that says, lets have a go and have some fun! How could you not be thinking thats what Hayden was doing when he was having a tonk last night and it was good to watch albeit, a brief "flourish".
Boy oh boy I prefer this to the days of Lawry Simpson,Boycott and Barrington of my younger days. Ought we not to be just a little grateful that such an approach can produce winning cricket, that todays champions are in reality the vanguard of this enterprising adventurous era of the last 5 years or so?
And as for the Sri Lankan team, well of course there has been much to admire but to walk away from the field of play when it is the world stage, I am afraid that was happily not something that your champions of the past were known for.

Lovely tactical move by the Sri Lankans, rest your best players, benefits them physically (Albiet everyone in this bloody tournament has too much rest), but also psycologically plays with everyone include the Sri Lankan team which I believe is what is most important. That they believe they can beat them with their best team... What Fun! For all those who think this is classless, well Aussies sledge, i dont think thats classless, i think its a great tactical strategy, maybe you should look at this the
same way.

A match with no consequences!!! So why should we give bowling pratice to Aussie's. Aussie's too could have done the same thing and no body would said anything, when SL does it's disgraceful. Anyhow I agree with the ploy, and if it works it's good or else will accept the defeat with grace.

batiing is sri Lanka's weakness.
BRING BACK MARVAN, Sack Tharanga , he had enough opportunities but did not perform.
Get Malinga Bandara for Russell Arnold. Bandara can get some quick runs at the when needed.

ajay, germany in football have been wrongly stereotyped just like this australian cricket team. (Except it was for non-football related historical reasons.) If you watched germany in the 70s, 1980, 1990 and this current team, you'll know what joyful beautiful football is.

anyway, onto the cricket :

1) even with vaas and murali, aus win 75% of the time anyway!

2) vaas and murali are hardly unknown quantities to the australians. they've played against them a lot, so there's nothing to hide. And the argument can be put forward both ways. You can also say vaas and murali didn't get to bowl to hayden, gilchrist, ponting, symonds etc...

3) vaas and murali have quite average records against aus. If you visit the match home for this game, there's an article with the stats. their records are much worse than their career averages.

4) malinga has not bowled to or been faced by australian batsmen in an ODI but he's played 2 tests against them, so that helps both sides.

5) australia are also without bowlers - lee and watson. lee will not hand out freebies in the form of wides (9 today and 60 in the tournament in wides) and is probably the best ODI bowler around these days. Watson's 5th bowler option is better than clarke and a partially fit (bowling-wise) symonds combining for 10 overs. Ok, only watson will be available in this tournament but it's still a difference.

6) this match wasn't even close like some posters above stated. unlike what they were hoping for, which was a close game without the 3 bowlers, it turned out to be very one-sided.

7) it smacked of fear when sl didn't play vaas and murali on a subcontinental-like wicket, which gave them their best chance to beat aus. Barbados will be fast and bouncy if both teams get to the final!

8) Having said all that, let's just see what happens in the semis and the final. Who knows - it might work out for sl, or aus might keep rolling on. Ponting said he didn't care what sl's tactics were and they intend to keep focusing on their own game.

PS. I posted this message before soumya, so can you make sure it gets published this time?

Yesterday's thoroughly boring match between Australia and Sri Lanka highlighted the yawning gap that exists between world's best and the next most likely contender in the search for World Cup glory. As Ponting successfully fulfills his ambition to better the records of the Waughs, Chappells and Borders of this World, total domination of the sport turns into over domination, and in so doing, threatens to kill the desire of the ever loyal cricket fan to continue supporting the game. The Aussie way reminds me of a Johnnie Walker slogan: "To make our whisky of such quality that nothing in the market shall come before it"!

there are a few things you do not do as a cricket team / cricketer..

1. refuse a single that is available - unless the guy on the other end isnt half the batsman you are; and it is one of the first 3 balls of the over; and you have more than 5 overs to play

2. rest your key players in the middle of a tournament - especially when it is a long tournament with enough rest days in between - unless ofcourse the players are injured

This is for KH:

Cricket has changed with time and it now involves a lot of mind game. All sri lanka came up with is strategic planning (not negative playing as they still wanted win this game) They are simply turning into clever cricketers. I see nothing wrong with this.

It shows their cunningness. Incase if Vaas and Murali would have bad days yesterday, that will totally dismantle their World cup confidence. But SL is going to play semis in Jamaica and finals in Bridgetown, i dont think their part time slowers can bring dividends + IF Bond will have good day at office, SL Hopes will be terminated. This is not strategy, just hiding their prime players weaknesses to be exposed by Aussies. Aussies could prove that Vaas or Murali is not someone exceptional.

Sri Lanka should have brought in Atapattu for Tharanga mainly because Tharanga is not performing well at all and its Atapattu's last world cup, Tharanga might be able to play another 3.

Don't want to downplay the fact that the Sri Lankans play the game in the spirit intended.

But could we please have one blog on this site in which the Aussies aren't depicted as racist automatons.

Yes we play hard, but we admire those who give it back, and it's just a game people.

It's just a game.

Boring, boring. boring.
Over 90% of all World Cup matches played and not a single one worth remembering, except upsets by Ireland and Bangla. Sri Lanka has killed the fun of this match by omitting 3 bowlers, so much that I turned off with 2 hours to go. Where was art and passion in SL performance today? What a myth about joy and flourish! There was nothing on show. Good night, let's all go to bed.

Great strategy by Sri Lanka- to ensure a slower pitch for the semis, save their main weapons for the finals agains aussies etc, but there could be a few problems. First, srilanka has lost the rhythm they had, and it may not be easy for them to recoup after being thrashed so well. Mind you, it was not their bowling alone which failed- their batsmen (none of whom were rested) came croppers against a mediocre aussie attack. This could cause problems against New Zealand- who are also familiar with slower tracks- Styris, vettori, macmillan could create enough problems. And as so many of the comments have mentioned, there is nothing great or flamboyant about the Lankans- its just the viewer's perception of mind. Is there any figure who comes close to Afridi or Dhoni in full flow, or even to a Symonds of Pieterson? Even AB De villiers or Gibbs have more flair than any srilankan batsman.
But to all those waiting for an Australia- srilanka encounter, you would have to wait a long time. Its going to be south Africa-New Zealand final this time.

I THINK this article is a bit harsh. Australia is innovative, brilliant and full of happiness and joy while playing. They do the little things with precision such as running between the wickets and the other things that often go unnoticed so suddenly they are assassins?

Australia plays with aggression, finesse and fearlessness. How can you say it is not wonderful watching Ponting, Hussey, Hayden, Clarke, Symonds or Gilchrist in full-flight? The subtleties’ of Bracken. The speed and excitement of Tate and Lee. The variations of Hogg and until recently, Warne. The greatness of McGrath. The wonderful fielding on display just about every time by one of the great fielding teams ever seen…

I guess a team is fun to watch, vibrant and joyous only when they struggle to put teams away and out of the match when they are well in front and allow them back into it, but not when they beat them easily? Or when their star has a goofy, happy and appealing grin? Sri Lanka are rightfully popular, but don't paint Australia as being a boring, robotic team. They are just unpopular because they are the favourites and are smashing everyone at the moment, which is understandable and common in sport and indeed life...But your article is unfair.

My take on the frequent painting of Aussies in a bad light is that it is mostly born of envy. I am one of the most die-hard supporters of the Indian team and I know I would give an arm and a leg for the Indian cricket team to imbibe some of the Aussie spirit. (I do of course go into phases of &^#%!$#@$%# Aussies right after a heavy loss, but mostly we all admire how good the Aus team is :))

What is funny is that I have met quite a few ppl from Aus in real life, and without fail, they have been real nice easygoing blokes. Hardly fits the stereotype of the cricket team, does it? :).

Reason I wrote the above is that I find it very unfair that someone should be criticized for being good at what they do. Surely nobody expects them to throw a World Cup or two here and there just to be liked :).

Good Strategy by SL not playing V/M in the game. But I feel that in a WC like this esp, when both teams are in Semis it is always wise to pick you best team and test the opponent. If there are any mistakes made then it one has time to repair it before the Big game. Now if SL and Aus meet in final it could happen that Vaas and Murli could pose trouble to Aus. But what if both Vaas and Murli fail? do they have a chance to come back again. No. Moreever I feel that SL should have batted second as their batting is weak esp. when chasing. That way if they have to chase in a WC final then they know how to go about doing that. Any case they had rested their 3 big bowlers so no body would have given them a chance in 16th game. I believe SL missed a good opportunity here.

Let me first say that these are professional sports. Games or in this case a the whole tournament is played to be won. Granted we do not know the exact reason that Vaas and Murali were kept out (injury or Strategy?)it is the team's decision. Lets just say for arguments sake that it was strategy. Every team has a strategy (NZ VS SL delaying the Power play, Steve Waugh's go slow tactic vs west indies in '99 etc). Australia cannot think that the way they play the game is the only way. There are many ways to skin a cat. I just think that they are mad at being outfoxed for once. Maybe this will work for SL maybe it wont, I just think that the Aussies dont like being outsmarted. Didnt they not play Glenn McGrath in all the Tri Series matches before?
Too bad they didnt think of doing it this time. Maybe they just thought lets steam roll the SL now and demoralize them so even if they meet us in the finals we will have the psycological edge. Didnt work out the way they wanted. Too bad

Yeah Guys I understand the tactics concept behind omitting Murali and Chaminda and from that point of view have no dramas with it. But, from a fan's point of view wanting to see a clash of the best teams it was desperately disappointing. If the Aussies or Sri's bow out in the semi's we will have missed a cracker of a game. It's also stinks of poor sportsmanship and has ripped off those that paid to see the game at the venue and on tv.

I would rather Australia lost against a full strength Sri team than what we saw - a dull non event. Good luck Sri Lanka against the Kiwis and let's hope the semi's bring some excitement whowever wins.

travis, aus has earned the rep of being racist automatons by their actions, not anything else.

I read comments/complains/accusations of many. but it seems many are just fans without brains. SL is a team with handful talented players unlike Australia. So they must rest them to avoid any injury. for Sl, as well as Aus, this match is less significant. So it is predictable that Sl is not going to play their key players. next time, before you are going to take your day-off, use your brain. My guess for next Ireland match: All key players including Marven will play.

I know one thing that all r against Aussies here. i dunno why?? They are just about clinical in all departments. I can see one thing that SriLanka want to hide their tactics and they believe on luck so they can upstage an upset for Aussies if they qualify till final, indeed Aussies alos should qualify for final. After yesterday's game, SA will try to eliminate Aussies.

One of the SL extremist considers Australian bowling as mediocre, which shows they are just jealous and fuming that they were not able to upset Aussies with their batting line up. whatever changes they make, Aussies also make up their plans. Indeed all you guys find the Individual Atatistics of Vaas and Murali against Aussies in Neutral Venues. I dont whats not exciting in Aussies also? excited to watch jayasuriya, mahela and so on but not exciting to watch Ponting and Co. This is because Ponting hits always but the others hits when they find their luck along the way. :)). I know Aussies are not the greatest. But they are true professionals.

All subcontinent extremists hope for slow surfaces .:)). So they know that they can try to win only if the surface is slow which surely shows how they are hiding :)). i hope NZ or SA to energe as champions because they do deserve the crown.

I Think it was a brilliant move by team SL to rest Vassy and Murali, along with the injury pronounced Slinga.(Which is deinetely not the case)
IF sri lanka gets through the acid test of NZ in the semi. Th ICCWC is there for the taking for SL.

Mainly because SL Screwed up badly with the bat on the dress rehersal. they have time to work on correcting the mistakes. as well as how to reap better on Bracken & Hoggy factors. (Only 54 runs gained on the previous outing for a collective 20 Overs).

Luckily for the Aussies, last time they faced Vaas,Murali & Malinga was 2 years back. Wait till you feel the sharpened Claws baby.................

Hey Guys, the decision to rest or play a member for the team is the decision up to the team management. They do not have to be 'prize' fighters to come out each time to give a good 'show' for all the 'pugilists' out there. Games are played with a strategy and not for the 'gallery'. If Sri Lanka felt that the game against the Ausies had no impact towards their progression towards the semis, it is perfectly alright to rest a few of them. Have you noticed who has been complaining? Not the Ausies or the Sri Lankans or their fans. It is the commentators, the journalists and the sponsors who could not make any mileage with a heart stopping match between two top teams. They only want to cash in with big fights regardless of who wins the cup. We do not need bull fights to keep them going. What we need is a strategic approach towards winning the cup. If Sri Lanka does that, well and good. If they do not, just fine. It is how the game goes. Please do not get carried away.... and blame Sri Lanka as frauds or Ausies as ruthless. It is just not 'cricket'.

The American Eagle has summed up the whole issue nicely. He is spot on - and that's exactly what happened. You need BRAINS to understand the reality.

Well said Eagle.

Its foolish to believe that by not playing their mainline bowlers, Lanka can use them as secret weapons. In today's world, there are lots of TV footings always available at your command. Such tactics could have been successful against India, but definitely not against Australia. Anyway, the bowlers need the comfort of runs from their batsmen to go on attack. But do the Lankan batsmen have in them to stand upto the bowling of McGrath, Bracken and especially Tait. I feel that Sri Lanka has unwittingly passed on the advantage to Australia. Now, we can only hope that the final is not a repeat of one-sided affairs of the Champions Trophy Final or the 2003 World Cup Final.

whether it was a brilliant strategy or not only time will tell.As for the time being I feel the Sri lankans with their astounding move hs ruffled quite a few australian feathers including that of their illustrious former skipper Ian Chappel. as a Sri lankan I fervently hope Aus & SL do reach the finals to find out how successful the move of leaving out the 2 greats were.

WHAT IS THE MORE UNSPORTY MOVE, BOWLING UNDER ARM OR RESTING THEIR PLAYERS. ONLY CHAPPEL BROTHER WOULD KNOW !!!!!!

Yep I agree that it was a Tactical Decision by Jayawardene......But for sure it's not going to yeild him any results in the final or Semmi's where they will meet the Mighty Australians once again.

I believe that Australians will crush anything that comes in their way to Success. Am eagerly Waiting for the Final Day of the Tournament when the Aussie's will prove it once again that "THEY ARE THE BEST".

Well Played Aussie's Keep the Gud Work Going!!!

Why people are so concerned of resting SL key players.. They have a squad of 15 and accordingly they will do at the best interest of the team.. Anyway big days are yet to come.. We will see the real cream of cricket on those days.. Go Sri Lanka.. You can do it..

'Sri Lanka is charming, joy-filled and ebullient. It is beguiling in its approach'

-- Soumya, in light of what happened in this match, and the team selection by the Lankans, you could change the article a bit maybe...

How nice would it be now, if after all this Lanka loose the semis... after their tactics, some would say, they deserve it!!

Come on guys , why eveyr one is calling it a name , a shame , a disaster blablabla , You guys !
In my humble opinion , Prptecting one's assets & to use it at the right time and preserving ones secrets to unleash it at the most wanted time , is a preogative of the Team Management SL and they have done it the right way , so why make a fuss or a mountain out of a mole ? They have two important engagements SEMI FINAL and then the FINAL and their aim is to repeat their 1996 achievements for which they have been planning and working it out for the past 4 years SO why not to apply the tactics now that they know they have the goal just 2 games away . I think it is brillient on part of the CAP , the Coach and the key players to adopt this tactics . Unlike India & Pakistan who had not a clue of any planning or forward looking except to Blowing Hot & Hot at the top of each members voice " we will win the cup" before both the teams bit the dust they deserved to ,,, Hats off to SL , they are doing what they have planned for and they are implementing and succeeding too in thier plan ,, so why call is names or give their plan names , STOP SHOUTING GRAPES ARE SORE , they certainly are for INDIANS and for PAKISTANIS alike , so just stop the bullshiting behavioure and praise the SL , what they have achieved and how they have achieved " Planing and then walkign the Plan and making the plan succeed for thier ultimate goal " ...... BRAVO SL , GREATE TACTICS , SVAE THE BEST FOR THE SEMI AND FINAL ,, YOU HAVE MY VOTE ,,, I WILL CELEBERATE LIKE I DID YOUR 1996 SUCCESS EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT A NATIVE SRILANKAN NOR I AM AN INDIAN ,,,, IA AM A BAHRAINI FAN OF TOP PERFORMERS IN CRICKET AND THERE IS NO BETTER TEAM I ASIUA THAN TEAM SL ,, BRAVO KEEP IT UP GO ALL THE WAY AND MAKE ARJUNA ONCE AGIAN PROUD OF YOU GUYS .

Be realistic the fans were cheated by the omission of two (possibly three) top bowlers....shame on you Sri Lanka. I honestly hope New Zealand thrash them in their semi final. Soumya you need a new pair of glasses, your anti Australian rants are boring.

'Sri Lanka is charming, joy-filled and ebullient. It is beguiling in its approach'
What absolute garbage! This Indian writer is even worse than his team! Can't Cricinfo find some real writers? Ask the downtrodden Tamils if they find the Lankans so charming at home!

And what makes everyone think Sri Lanka are even going to be in the finals? There is a little matter of the Kiwis to get past first. My money is on the Black Caps. The Lankans obviously feel vulnerable, and now they have shown it to everyone else.

A lot of people have questioned SL's decision to rest Vaas and Murali. I think it is very unfair towards the guys who replaced them. Bandara and Kulasekhara have as much right to play in the WC as their better known colleagues. What this world cup and Sri Lanka especially has taught us is that it is not reputation that wins the match but commitment. And every player has the potential to play with focussed commitment whatever may be his past record, reputation etc. The action by SL is right in the spirit of the game and definitely laudable.

Frankly speaking the whole keeping Vaas and Murali secret is complete BS. its not like the Aussies have never played them. Even Malinga they've played against(maybe not in ODI but they have in tests). What's the point in hiding something the opposition has already seen? The best thing would have been for SL to play their best team, even if they lose if they put up a strong fight then it would give them confidence going into the semis and finals since no team has put up a fight against the Aussies yet. The Aussie middle order hasn't been tested, people like Hussey and Hodge haven't been put under much pressure. If SL could have attacked the Aussie middle order during the game then that would have planted the seeds of doubt into the Aussie team and they don't need that going into the business end of the tournament.

Charm? ebullience? and Sri Lanka?

Sure the bowling will be strengthened by the return of Vaas, Murali and Malinga. But the problem has been the batting. Without the exception of the most-experienced ODI player in the world, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Chamara Silva, to a lesser extent, none of the batsmen have stamped their authority and won the game. They should have brought in Marvan Atapattu in place of Upul Tharanga to give him some match practice. He wasn't even in the side against Ireland. However, all of the challenger sides have beaten each other. Soouth Africa beat Sri Lanka who beat New Zealand who beat South Africa and Australia (atleast in the previous ODI series). So finally the competitive matches begin after the rest of the Super 8s. I do not think there will be a repeat of the last two one-sided finals.

Talking of shrewd tactics, will the shrewdest of them all Stephen Fleming rest Shane Bond for the dead rubber against Australia?

And just as I predicted in my earlier comments in this blog, you could bet your bottom dollar that Vaas and Murali would play against minnows. I mean what was there for them to lose in playing Ireland, it could only help their stats. Apparently injury scares vaporised at the prospect of taking on the mighty Irish, if I were playing on probabilities though, I'd say you have as much chance of injuring yourself against the Irish as you have when you play against the Aussies. Those of you who insist that it was "brilliant strategy" or "excellent tactics" have blinded yourself from the obvious, and speaks volumes for the fragility of Vaas and Murali's minds and the limits to which Sri Lanka will go to "protect" these (and of course their stats!). The only point the author has got right is that that match was a clash of opposites, and I really hope the kiwis crush Sri Lanka in the semis.

Posted by: Aravind 5 hours, 17 minutes ago

"...Bandara and Kulasekhara have as much right to play in the WC as their better known colleagues..."

right said mate - might we extend the arguement and say you and I have equal right to play for the Indian cricket team (oops! i meant Team BCCI)? God knows we might play a weee bit better than some of our non-performing 'legends'..

huh! some arguement that... if you have played cricket any level mate, you wouldnt say it.

"Sri Lanka is charming, joy-filled and ebullient. It is beguiling in its approach, seeming to as much enjoy having the upper hand in a game as coming from behind" - really? - then cricinfo has it wrong when they describe SL's demolition of Ireland as "ruthless" - how charming!
How much can you flog a dead horse - how many articles can you write about how "charming" the SL team is and how "warlike" the Aust team is and how mechanical the SA team is and so on. All teams are here with one thing in mind - to win, and this is evidenced by SL decision not to play their two best bowlers in what is essentailly a match the it didnt matter as to the result - if resting the players was the reason, then why not get the additional benefit of resting them for the match against Ireland? Ergo what the SL team displayed was tactics... hmm sounds a little warlike to me!
ebullient - the only teams that are truly ebullient in this world cup are the Bangas and Irish and the eventual winners - Should it be SL then yes, they shall be filled with joy!

"...with flair and flourish and a sense of fun and goodwill.... "

A Sri Lankan friend of mine put out a book recently on his famous countrymen and women. He wanted to include Murali, had a brief talk with him, but found him to be an arogant sh_t.

Frankly speaking, SL need to concentrate on their batting. They fielded their best batting line up and could manage only 226. And the Aussies overhauled the total in the 42nd over with 7 wickets in hand. Considering the murali/ vaas factor and their record vs. australia in neutral venues, it would not have made too much of a difference. Probably aus would have lost a couple of more wickets and taken 2-3 overs more to reach the target. SL batting has been a weak link and unless that improves, it does not matter whether they rest vaas/murali play or not. Against strong bowling attacks - SA, Eng ( to some extent) and Aus- all their batsman have struggled and this should be a concern for them.

In reality, it's the ICC's fault that Vaas and Muralitharan didn't play. If they managed to construct a tournament where every match was important, then every team would field their best 11 in each match, and no players would be rested. Instead, the ICC have come up with this farcical layout, undoubtedly the worst World Cup of all time, whereby we have a week and a half worth of absolutely meaningless matches because the semi-finalists (well, 3 of the 4) were already determined so far in advance. And this is supposed to be the premier one-day event! What a joke!! By the time it's over everyone besides the true fanatics will have stopped caring.

Some of you people pretend like Sri Lanka owed you the chance to see Murali and Vaas bowl at Ponting and Co.

Get over it. This is a big competition and Sri Lankans are banking on the surprise factor. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Ian Chappel has been giving the team some flack calling it "disgraceful" among other things. Please.

Arjuna has also jumped on the bandwagon, but I suspect, knowing his history with the Aussies, that he just hates the idea of making it easy for them to win the match.

If SL get past NZ in the Semi and have to face Australia in the finals, then nothing more than the element of surprise is going to dethrone the Aussies. It is with that thought in mind that SL did what they did. If it pays off, then good on 'em. If it doesn't, then no harm done; atleast they showed they had the bottle to experiment - something the other teams are unwilling to do.

Ye yesterday's match showed that Jayawardene is hiding Murali's and Vaas's weakness from Australia. What a strategy. rest key players against big encounters but show their minnow bashing capability by bringing them in. and Jayavardene saying he want to give some practice for them. i dunno what practise do they get by bowling to a team who played just 10 ODIs. All others played a bit mercifully against Ireland or Banglas resting few players or changing lineups. SL encourages minnows in WC not to develop the minnows but to bash them and increase their wickets. I know all SL have best analysis with Zimbabwe, Kenya, Banglas and Now with Irish. Murali can play another 10years and get 2000 test wickets for sure, but more than half of them will be @ home and he is capable of making 10 fors or 15fors against all their tests against banglas. The Clone act of SL was touring Zimbabwe for a test series when ZIM was in crises with 90% of new players in ZIM to show their strength. Surely NZ has a few things to surprise them in semis

You know who brought the "game into disrepute"? Mr. Hair. The lankans use internal strategies and everyone has issues, but the Aussies rely on dirty umpires like Hair to attack the moral of their opponents and that is justified? You know why you are so angry? Its cos you realize that the Lankans made a good move. Strategy is part of sports. You should know that more than anyone else. May the best team win.

Australians did the same while playing in the 2003 World Cup against WI in England.

Why was this the "biggest game of the tournament" ? This was a meaningless game as the outcome would not have impacted the result. Blame the ICC for the flaws in the tournament, not Sri Lanka.

Australia is a great team and are leaps ahead of any other team be it SA, NZ or SL.

Australia will NOT lose to Sri Lanka 2 times in this tournament.

At MOST they will lose 1 time as the law of averages would suggest they are bound to have a bad game one of these days as they are human beings afterall.

It's in the best interest of Sri Lanka that they try to beat Australia in a game of consequence.

So I dont really know why everyone has got their knickers in a twist over Sri Lanka giving itself the best opportunity to win the world cup ?

I am a Sri Lanka fan and I want SL to do well, but I am not naive enough to believe that SL is an efficient killing unit like AUS. Clearly SL is the David and AUS is the Golaith in this encounter. All SL is doing is what is right by SL cricket and SL fans, getting every possible advantage against a mighty and powerful enemy.

If NZ did this it will be considered "innovative".

If AUS did this it will be considered "a genius move by a genius strategist that is Ricky Ponting"

If India or Pakistan did this.. well they will be facing the same music from the same people playing it.

Dear MP, Who brought the game into disrepute?
"The Chucker" or the person who called "No Ball".
In cricket we don't throw while bowling. Such art is practised freely in Baseball.

Resting key players for the Aussie match was brilliant..Period.

No wonder everybody's so upset!Not many will argue that the Aussies are a far more consistent or even a better side than Sri Lanka.
What Sri Lanka are planning on is to beat the Aussies once!..."On the Day"..

Bringing in Marvan at the expense of Tharanga will be a brave move..a bit late for my liking but better late than never & depends on Marvan's fitness level & dont forget the understanding needed for those short singles!..No run out's please!.

Sri lanka's bowling & fielding is really good but after Chamara Silva,Dilshan & Arnold are not quite up to the mark(dont mean to be harsh...just being realistic).

If Sri Lanka are to win they should;

1.Score at least 275(batting first)

2.Restrict Australia to under 260(bowling first)

3.They should prefer Dilhara instead of Maharoof.

It has to be fast & spin bowling options ... the Aussies will 'cream'any medium pace bowling(even Vaas but he's a "Real Champion" who will be an exception)on a pitch where the ball comes on well.

Finally,it depends on the Sri Lankan top order to come good...Would be tradgic if they didn't 'cos there bowlers are sure to do their part of the job.

P.S.Let's hope they get to the finals.

SL rested vaas & murali in the Indian tour just b4 the world cup & lost the series..
then 2 teams met in the WC & SL won the match..
do u guys remember who did the damage to indian batting line up @ the start & in the middle? :)

As Shehan said,

SL has two plans, SL needs to score more than 275 runs to restrict Aussies with their bowling, else they must restrict Aussies around 260 and stroll past them. First thing SL must defeat NZ to go to Final and Aussies should defeat SA to go to final. So it means he is still in dreams.

2nd thing if Aussie and SL will play in final, according to him SL should score more than 275 to have a psychological edge or SL can have a good chase if AUSS is restricted around 260.So Srilanka has two plans to dismantle Aussies. But by now Aussies will have 25 plans to dismantel SL. Hope that none forget 2003 Semis, 203 became a big ask forSL when they made 21/0 in two overs and 45/4 in 9overs. Aussies are recists as all said, then what the f**k you need as Aussie coach? If Vaas or Malinga or Murali can strike and u all think that aussies are butter fingers or so. Aussies can easily repeat what happened in 2003 finals or yesterday against NZ. But believe me even Aussies will make 190, SL can win by scoring 191 but by that time they will loose 8wickets or aussies will win by 30 runs, bowling out SL for 140 odd. All have equall chances and SL cannot win by including Vaas and Murali, if u know 11 must play in field not some 2 can decide.

It seems like we have inherited more than just the game of Cricket from the British Raj - we have learned how to divide and conquer. Instead of sticking together as Asians that are downgraded and degraded, we put down our closest neighbors and staunch friends.

Go Sri Lanka and do us proud!!!

I think the wicket favours ,NZ more with their quick bowlers . I think it will be difficult to bat when Vettori and Patel also come in. I think Sri Lanka has all to do. Hopefully Sanaht will provide some entertainment.

It's a well-known feature of war psychology that you dehumanize your opponents to bolster your feelings of superiority and justify their denigration.

So Denis holds that Australia are 'joyless', 'ruthless', 'rude', 'emotionless' and 'assassins'; moreover their plans to win this series are characterised as 'heartless', 'grim reaper roll', 'joyless ride', 'mechanical', and 'scientific'......clearly, Denis, these Aussies are robotic untermenschen.......let us despise them!

Sri Lanka in contrast are 'cheerful', 'entertaining', "almost lovable' (!), and "thoroughly competent'....... human beings like you, dear Denis!

Be honest, Denis, be honest. You say you're a 'neutral'. But really, it's clear you support a team that has already been knocked out!

So you're NOT a neutral......

.....you're a loser........

And that's the explanantion.

Posted by: Valavan 5 days, 9 hours ago

"Surely NZ has a few things to surprise them in semis".....yes they did...they REALLY SURPRISED the Sri Lankans.....LOL

"First thing SL must defeat NZ to go to Final and Aussies should defeat SA to go to final. So it means he is still in dreams"......Yeah...wake up Vallavalan.....LOL

Last night Sri Lanka took their game to a higher level than we've seen through their performances in the League Stage...
However,Sanath J was unfortunately in a very irresponsible & over confident mood & Dilhara F'do ended up as a man who's spirit was broken .........
"....& Valavan is bowled ! ... through his legs!(Ooopseee!)....First of all deary,learn to be civil 'cos this is a wonderful way for people of different Cricket playing nations to 'exchange views'..not hatred :-)

Blah blah blah...yata yata yata. What a bunch of whiners. Well for those of you that were sure NZ would be in the final....IN YOUR FACE!!

Aussies are aggressive and unfriendly not to mention racist, most of the team is white is it not? Need I say more?

SRI-LANKANS WILL WIN THE WORLD CUP 2007. AUSSIES WILL GO HOME DEFEATED LIKE THEY SHOULD BE.

I am following the world cup and to-date only two games had trilling finishes, both semi finalds were duds,you would think when teams got this far they would put up some sort of fight. To-day South Africa came out like they wanted to catch the early plane home,even the steady Kallis give his wicket away, I hope the finald will not be a complete waste of time also.

To Caro,

Your comments and your so called author friend's perception about Murali is uncalled for and may even be biased. If you have read the columns by Anand Vasu, Dileep Premachandran and other cricinfo commentators, you will understand how amiable and friendly Murali is. If you have not read those articles I suggest you dig them up from the Cricinfo archives. Why is Andrew Flintoff very friendly towards Murali when playing against him, despite playing with Murali only for a short time at Lancashire?

May be the 'arrogance ....' problem lies elsewhere?

KH,

Sorry mate, your prediction of SL loosing the semifinals to NZ did not come through. Sri-Lankans are a humble lot.

Caro,

Remember the magnitude of charity work 'the arrogrant ... Murali' did for the Tsunami victims!

The result has proven without doubt what Sri Lanka can do.Why are so many people worried about keeping out and rotating palayers and the most worried seemed to be the australian team and Ian Chappel(Who no one take seriously),How many palyers does Australia rest in a middle of a tournment,They were taken off guard in this occasion,Mind you Sri Lanka is coached by an Aussie and the Aussies wanted him as their next coach,He is not Greg Chappel and knows the Aussies inside out and what they think,He cannot be wrong and the Aussies simply doesnt like Sri Lanka playing like them,Well done Tom,Penny,Mahela and Sanga for the brilliant tactical move or the move of the tournment.

Sitting in Sydney I hear so much bleating about Sri Lanka's tactical decision. I cast my mind back to the CB series this year, where Ponting and McGrath were rested for the final SCG ODI against England. Not once did I hear a pip about Australia devaluing the competition or being 'disgraceful'. Rather, it was shown as a 'well-earned rest' by many commentators. As a spectator at the ground, I was deprived of seeing these two stalwarts play on this occasion, although the media never erupted in a frenzy about how the spirit of cricket had been soiled, with the spectators being the great losers.

It's just bleating from the australian media after the Australians had been out-thought and out-manouvered by one of their own (Moody).

Go Sri Lanka!

all ur mouths wil be shut big time wen srilanka wins the world cup... then ur'l wil end up talkin with the other mouth.

The Sri Lankan cricket team's performance in the Ireland and New Zealand games was the best response to Ian Chappel, Michael Holding and others who must now be squirming at the prospect of the David and Golayath final this Saturday. Whilst I'm happy for our (SL) boys and wish them well, the following worries me:

1) Latest news is that Motta Raala is planning to visit the West Indies for the final. The last thing Sri Lanka's cricketers need is for Rajapakse and his band of travelling idiots to disrupt their prep by making them pose for photographs. Worse, if we do win the final, this moron will rush to get himself photographed along with the cup to milk it for political mileage. If the LTTE love cricket, they'd bomb the airport and prevent Motta Raala from getting on that plane.

2) Mahela doesn't have the killer instinct. If Ponting had been captain of the Lankan team, he'd have brought in Vaas, Murali or Malinga to cut off the Kiwi tail and win by a huge margin. Isntead, by letting Dilshan and Sanath bowl they let the tailenders get their eye in so they were able to negate Malinga and Murali when they did come back (Note to Mahela : eat more red meat).

3) Sri Lanka's 11 beat New Zealand's 13 last Tuesday. The umpires were blatantly biased and I'm sure we have more of that to come in the finals. In the semi-final they effectviely took one bowler out of the attack when the kiwi batsmen couldn't. Sri Lanka Cricket should release a video analysis of the fast bowlers from the top four teams to pre-empt a similar attack on Vaas, Malinga or Mahroof. Do it on the eve of the match and minimize the prospects of conspiracy or conspiracy theory alegations.

Aus Vs SL
Re-match is on

enjoy

Hey Val,

ok we defeated NZ.. now what u think ?

AA

Great Article. For everyone who ask "where are the key bowlers?" I think it was a strategic decision by the Sri Lankan team. Why would you want to give Australian batsmen a practice match for them to experience Sri Lanka's unique bowlers, when there is nothing for Sri Lankan's to loose. I think they saved the best for last, for the game with the highest stakes. Best of Luck, Sri Lanka.

Glad to see I'm not the only one offended by the obvious bias of this journalist. I've watched most of Australia and Sri Lanka's games in this cup, and the article's comparison of the two team's styles is bordering on the ludicrous. I honestly don't understand the basis for it - how are the Sri Lankans so 'charming, joy-filled and ebullient'? Because Murali grins maniacally when he takes another wicket? Because the keeper never shuts up, and their celebrations are so cosy?

Supporting Sri Lanka over Australia is fine, but putting out rubbish like this article isn't. It worries me that a cricket journalist has so little idea of the joy and passion that the Australians put into their cricket, which is part of what makes it so beautiful to watch. Stop trying to drag us along with your prejudices.

There seems to be some confusio,n ponting only suggested some fans were probably disappointed at Murali and Vaas not playing, seriously you guys are a touch paranoid about this. Secondly why are you allowing someone to post something as offensive asShindy, Aus are aggressive, unfriendly? white? therefore racist need i say mor
As an Australian if I said anything like this about the sub continent I would be rightly howled down as paranoid and racist. Why not take a leaf from the teams books as they treat each other with a respect for their abilities not some rubbish race line. I just look forward to a great contest

It is not that the Lankan's are super charming and ebullient. It is more like that the Aussies are rather arrogent and cold. They obviously enjoye their cricket but they make me cringe everytime they have a press conference.. They seem to make a fine art of rubbishing the team they are about to play. I don't think any other team does this in quite the same way as the Aussies. It obviously has its intended affect on the opposition.. especially the South African's .. but becomes a little tiresome for us average cricket fans.. its funny but i dont remember so many cricket fans disliking the Windies when they ruled the world.. I think it was because these guys preferred to do their talking on the cricket field instead of participating in these venoumous pre match interviews... its just not cricket!!

Re greatest allrounder. I guess with almost two billion people in India and Pakistan the results is not surprising. Don't get me wrong Imran Khan and Wasim Akram are two of the greatest cricketers that played the game,but Khan 37% to Sobers [The greatest of them all]14% that's a laugh, I suggest you ask Mr Khan who he thinks was the greatest allrounder and you might be surprised. When you are taking votes on these matters it is best to go direct to the people that played the game not to supporters who by sheer numbers will outvote the rest, it's a no contest. Wasim 13% and Hadlee 3% no way.