Everytime I read some comment about how magical, charming, fun-loving, and sportsmanlike the Sri lankans are, I can't help but remember Amnesty Internationals opinion of their human rights record. Rather like that of the countires from which the writers of this sort of rubbish, come from.

I am for magic.
Let's hope for sri lankan win

does anybody else see the irony in the way Sri lanka is being held up as some sort of freedom fighters against the brutalising tyrants australia? Of Murali gettin his revenge against these oppressors of true cricket? ( an image constantly put out by Cricinfo writers.) When the Sri Lankan coach, who has got them into this winning form again is an AUSTRALIAN? How Murali and the boys must be suffering under this despot!

Kamran thank you for putting something nice on the blog compared to the craziest thing you would have ever thought of; the theory of two vice captains last week. Hopefully one day we would hear from you what your thoughts were after getting responses to your two vice captains theory.
I fully agree with you(for a change) that the moment belongs to Sri Lanka. They have fought hard for the place where they are today. I wish them the best to bring the cup to subcontinent.
VIVA SRI LANKA

From last one or two decades cricket become like a professional business.
Money is very much involving in the cricket.
This is become more business oriented game.

First time in the history of WC one player stood up against culpirts or mafia and put match fixing allegations on his own country man player.

At that time most of us thinks he was lying or its a part of politics.

But later we found this players was true.

This player almost lost his career after telling the true.
But we were not able to abolish this match fixing mafia.
Now see in 1999 Pakistan was one of the best team of the world.

In my opinion it was almost like a Dream Team of Pakistan. Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akthar, Saqlain, A Razzak (when he was in good form), Saeed Anwar, Afridi, Inzi, Moin etc were in one team.

And Pakistan lost against weakest team of that WC, Bangladesh.
Pl. note all upset results makes WC interested.

Now once again, Pakistan lost against weakest team of this World Cup, Ireland.

SA & India lost against Bangladesh.
Ok Bangladesh became little better team now compare to (1999) b4 but still it’s hard to believe they can beat SA outside Bangladesh.
Pl. note next match become interested btw SA & England.
Situation was like, only the winner qualified for the Semi Final.
So we see lot of crowds in the match too.

why Bob Woolmer has been murdered?

Mushi speacility was a leg spin bowling and our only leg spin bowler Danish did not play the WC matches.

why Mushi was the Coach of Pakistan team?
He was ban by Justice Qyayyum for any designation with PCB.
Who brought him and why?

what was his role?
Who removed Waqar Yonius from the Coach position?

Answers to the above questions will take you to the truth.

Cricket become business like .....

I request to all business oriented players, please do not use name of Islam or ALLAH in your dirty business dealings.
Islam is not limited to the beared or Salat.
Islam is your complete way of living.
how you deal with others? business or non-business, how you provide justice to other?, how you follow right path? etc

Dawar
LA, USA

Dawar
LA, USA

I could not agree with you more... I am looking forward to Mahela and Murali kicking Aussie ego out of the park. It would be cool if McGrath had a notable performance in his last match, but I'd like him to be on the losing side.

Go aleem dar. and since this is Pak spin. I would also like to congratulate asad rauf on a brilliant WC. He was even better than aleem.

Thank God you chose a neutral topic at last and an apt one. No doubt Australians are the best and it's going to take one hell of effort to dethrone them. But for cricket's interest I wish they be dethroned. If not, at least Sri Lanka give them the fight cricket lovers have been waiting for so long...
Go Murali go!

go magic!

You chose correctly Brother !

Yawn...

Couldn't you have come up with something slightly original? I mean we've seen at least a dozen blogs with the "Australia power, Sri Lanka magic" theme. Surely even the fanatics who actually believe it's that clean cut are getting bored of it.

oh c'mon mate, you just avoid the blooy facts an cheer the unerog you are four times older then me an i no about life more then you ever woul. THE WORLd CHEERS THE UNDEROG, AN WHEN THE UNEROG GETS TO THE TOP, THE WORL KICKS IT OFF.

australia are on another leven, another league, another class, another level where they look down at hte cricketing world. do yourslef a favour, in your blogs dont talk about only "ifs" ,talk about the facts.

australia to win again, to win one more time where no west indies team have gone, we will be recogniseD as the greatest cricketing team to even have played the game of cricket.

I have abselutely no doubt it is 'magic' that's going to win this match for sri lanka.
MAY THE TRIPLE GEM BLESS THE LANKANS

Sri Lanka has the magic &
Australia has the magic formula.

I reckon it's Australia (Nothing is left to chance with Australians).

By 2011, there'll probably be a coach, trainer, psychologist, dietician etc., etc., FOR EACH player!!!

Cricket is NOT Cricket anymore. Money/Technology has spoiled this great game.

Thank goodness finally we are discussing about the World Cup on this blog. A few days ago, in one of the previous threads, I wrote about the current WC debacle and demanded Malcolm Speed & Co.'s resignation not only due to the financial losses that incurred 'coz of the ICC's serendipities and stupidities but, also for the horrendous format in which the teams were grouped. And, my point that in 1992, if the same format was used then Pakistan may not have reached the second round i.e., IF there was any second round!

Now Malcolm Speed is forced to admit the mistakes and fallacies after Ali Bachar, Ken Gordon and the whole world is talking about the financial losses and debts arising from the WC. Its a shame that the ICC, especially Speedy Gonzales is trying to sugar coat the problem by saying the format was too long. Thats all ! There is no mention of 'disgustipatingly' pathetic poor planning, or a word about the serious lapse in security which resulted in the Bob-ul-Omar Tragic Chapter and about the one sided matches with no interest in the tournament, neither from the viewers or the spectators. A simple sorry should have sufficed the issue instead of saying the format was too long. What a load of cow manure, is he from the Royal Family of the Great Britain that he cannot say sorry? Just like the Queen went to Jallianwala Bagh in 1997 almost 78 years after the massacre, stayed silent and did not open her "Royal Bootha" to say sorry!

Back to the WC, after the one sided semi-finals the WC has reached its climax and I hope Sri Lanka plays just one game. All they need is Jayasuriya, Sangakara and Jayawardene to play Baila the Sri Lankan music. The skipper has so far done a good job and batted well, the other two needs to contribute decently and then let Murali's doosra, Malinga's slanting yorkers and Chaminda's drifters do the rest.

Australia has proved their might and so far they are unbeatable in this WC. But, all Sri Lanka needs to do is play one game, just one game, and they will be through. Whether they win this WC or not, they have proved to the rest of the world that they are the second best team in the tournament. I am glad to see the team with the chokers tag were humiliated as usual and could not reach the final of any WC since they are participating. I only wish this last match to be a nail biting thriller rather than a one sided cake walk. Sri Lanka must bring Australia's stratagem to naught and that will be the magical music of Baila. Viva Lanka!

yeah i choose magic too..murali shut those jealous aussies... the whole world knw u r better than shane warne they have to accept it now

True without the Sri Lankans this tournament would be as exciting as watching paint dry.The Icc got this whole format wrong big time.The way they out priced the locals from the live games ,was criminal,Greed is a dangerous thing.

Javed.A.Khan. My my my I have definitely hit a raw nerve have'nt I.I take it all back It dont look like you ever had the RHYTHM or the RHYME. Well My 'Brudda' it was not I who made a marriage proposal on a cricket blog. After the firm rebuttal You stated that I am looking "for someone with more finesse", I think that even EENIE,MEENIE,MINEY and MOE would consider that to be a pretty lame excuse.

I feel for you my Brudda still looking for someone at your age.Dont lose hope Bro all is not lost. Javed Bhai maybe its time you got rid of that Blue Blazer and the old school tie it just aint cool.Being able to quote Shakespeare may have been Hip back in the day,but in the 21st century its makes one look a little nerdy my dear ole chap.So may be you should go down to the HOOD and learn how to be cool from the Bruddas out there.Get some new threads and wear plenty of Bling,bling hopefully that will bring you some success,and you wont need to serenade yourself to sleep by listening to Elvis Presleys tune "Are you feeling Lonesome":}

I agree, anybody other than a Australian will be rooting for Sri Lanka who was also the last team to win the World Cup not named Australia. If Australia do win though i truly believe that the Australian side we have unfortunately witnessed for the last three World Cups are the best team collectively to ever play the game of cricket. Afterall they are on the verge of building a cricket dynasty here.

I would support the Lankans too. But, but, but ... with the sort of form Aussies have been in, I can almost see Ponting lift the cup. But then, so many of my predictions have gone wrong this world cup... Hope I am wrong this time too. :)

it should really be reason or magic, or scientists or tricksters.
I pick magic.

I believe "tomorrow" belongs to SriLanka. Yes Australia is unbeaten and formidable opponent. But I believe this cup is belongs to Lankans. I agree if Srilanka can win the toss and bat first and put around 260 or 270 on the board, they will be in good shape.More over we are all tierd of too much of Australia.Lets get behind SriLanka. " GO LANKA GO"

Kamran, just once I would like to read your article and not finish it having to sit through your anti-Australian sentiment. Please, just acknowledge that Australia, as has been thoroughly demonstrated throughout this event, are the best team in the world, and are, in leaps and bounds, the most deserving team to hold the world cup aloft.

If Sri Lanka do win this thing, please, by all means, throw these comments back in my face, but don't deny the Aussies of the respect they have worked so wonderfully hard to earn.

I, like everyone else, am certainly hoping for a close contest. But I would not at all be disappointed if it was a walk over, because it would accurately reflect the place that the respective teams are at.

For now, I'm going to make some coffee and tape my sleep-deprived eyelids open, as we all wait for the greatest spectacle in cricket. Good luck to both teams.

Agreed with the format you suggested. This WC did not prove as good as it was expected for many reasons. I hope the next WC will be well planned. I still do not understand who were responsible (ICC or ground staff) for the green track provided in the PAK/IRE match. The ICC leadership needs changes. I am glad SA loose the semi final. They were overconfidence and too proudy so they deserve the defeat. I respect the Australian team for their wonderful playing ability but I wish Sri Landa to won the WC and keep Asian representation on top. Even if they loose, they are (SL) still the Champions by their excellent performance. Both Australia and Sri Lanka deserve to be in the final and whichever team wins or loose they both are champions by their standard. Thank you Mr. Abbasi for this informative column.

srilanka is tournament favorite and everyone wants sl to win but reality aussies are far better team than us.sl have much expieriences and hunger for the win that counts most.good luck sl even win or loose you are our heros

What a mouth watering Prospect this is. I hope Sri Lanka manage to steer clear of shark ridden aussie waters.

Every 1 is supporting Sri lanka other than Australians. I think Sri Lanka has what other Asians Lacked (PAk in 92 and INDIA 2003), They are more disciplined and They always put up a fight....Good luck to them..

This time ASIA Vs Australia match is tend to us to show Asians strength.
Sri Lanka is the member for asia to do this chanlenge.
Sri Lankans will win world cup 2007 and all Asians support to that.

What magic are ppl so inspired about Sri Lanka? Honestly?

While I understand neutrals supporting SL due to the mere fact of an another team triumphing, the media coverage of the WC Final in the last few days has been nothing short of a smear campaign trying to put Australia down. Exactly what magic do SL possess that Australia don't? Is it a slinger? That can't be it, as we have Shaun Tait. Is it a special spinner? That could be, tho Brad Hogg certainly is no mug. Is it a mercurial wicketkeeper-batsman? Sangakkara and Gilchrist are on par with each other in my opinion.

Is it a smart left arm paceman? Can't be, as Bracken and Vaas match up pretty well. Or is it as a fielding unit, where most will argue that Australia is still superior to SL despite the latter's massive improvement of the last decade.

So where does the magic exactly lie? Or are ppl emphasising SL's magic as a way to compensate the fact they fall exceedingly short of Australia in the power stakes? That's got to be it.

Or is it in the sledging stakes? If ppl think that the Sri Lankans are a bunch of wordless saints, then let me destroy ur miserable dream right now. Sangakkara is as good an orator as they come, and players of yore (Ranatunga, De Silva) never did shy away from a word or two. SL give as good as they get, so its naive to target sledging and mental tactics as a quintessential Australian trait.

Ppl have to detach themselves from demonising the Australian cricket team as a way to support the underdog. While it could be refreshing to see us lose tonight, for too long have the narrow minded ppl (esp in the subcontinent) failed to appreciate the skill and professionalism of Australia. They play with every bit of flair and exuberance that SL do, just with a bit more consistency. On that note, justice would state Australia should win tonight. That said, SL are an attractive team to watch and would be popular champions.

But please, support your team without denigrating the achievements of others. Both have appealing cases to be champions, albeit for different reasons.

I choose magic as well. It's time for a change, for a better change!

Well, even after all the shenanigans, the best two teams have made it to the final.

The format was too long definitely. There shouldn't really be two group stages, thats absurd. Why not just follow the FIFA format. Have one group stage and then move to knock-outs; Last 16, quarters, semis and then a final. The last few games of the super 8 were so horribly meaningless, and then the two semis on two consecutive days were over in a flash!!

I, for one, will not pick favorites even though I know that if you're not Australian you're probably routing for a Lanka win. But, whoever wins will deserve it. I only hope that its better contested then the semis.

Good Luck to Australia and Sri Lanka.

A country wakes up and all turn up the volumes on the radios and turn on their tv screens to catch the latest news on the game all of sri lanka will stay up for but the grand game is twelve more hours away. A country united chants in prayer and plays patriotic songs that makes a person stand still raising goose bumps! SL has already won what they wanted to win as they have played their brand of cricket and have given this long tournament two games that made a sports fans money and time worth against two formiddable sides. Swing, Sling and Spin echoes in a poets work when describing the SL Lions. When Malings turned at the far end of the ground that was eagerly awaiting to see this legend in making charging in like a black and golden haired Lion locking in for its kill. Woosh!! .... Wooosshhh!!! Wooooossshhh!!! followed by wow!!! were the words that came from another legend Michael Holding when the Mali deliveries went passed the blade of Ross whose tail [Tailor] was pretty much down every time that white leather ball went passed its outside edge. Win or Loose Sri Lankan Lions have roared and its echoeing in around the world and Even if the kangaroo is to jump away with a trophie in its belly with a quick hop the Lion will always be a Lion and will be the King in this Jungle of a game! More to come......

Head says Australia but my heart says Sri Lanka.
Magic of an tiny island can not be stopped only by power.
Australians need to show magic to defeat Sri Lanka.
But Master Magician belongs to Sri lanka in the form of Muralitharan
Go Lions Go
Get the Kangaroos Jugular vein.
Stop them for good
Long live Cricket....!!

As to format, I have my thoughts, and I will share.

I think the group stage should stay the same, as is. Pakistan and India are the only ones to blame for their losses, to say that they were hijacked is absurd, there was a match, and they lost.

After the first round you have 8 teams. Form a bracket, and then play best of 3 series through the end. I belive that ads up to

Group stages

4*(3+2+1) = 24

Knockout

4*3+2*3+3 = 21 (max)

==>45, which is a slightly better, while giving the good teams full chance, and giving the minnows full exposure. In addition, each match is extremely meaningful in a best of 3, so people will always be VERY into the matches. I don't know if you guys have watched NBA playoffs, but a Game 7 is always intense.

Disadvantages: I guess logitistics/preplanning, due to the uncertain nature of number of matches. Also, by luck of draw, might lose possibly heavyweight match ups (like perhaps no India Pakistan) but in the end you will get good matches due to knockout and they will be more exciting because of the best of 3 format. I would thoroughly enjoy it. There is no dead rubber (except for possibly in the group round).

Just my thoughts, as if Malcolm Speed and company or Kamran reads these posts (except for Javed from Montreal and Euceph).

-AR

Yes, For the sake of cricket Srilanka should win the cup, they deserve to win.
Becoz the gap between Ausralia & the rest of the teams is huge and results are becoming too predictable and this has to be changed for the good of cricket.
I would love to see Jayawardhene lifting the cup.

We all love magic. You are correct! Certainly..... the moments must belong to Sri Lanka

Dear Kamran Sahib,

I was just thinking that why Kamran Sahib did not write about the current status of the World Cup 2007 which is at culmination point tonight and whoever wins, will be a big achievement. But you are, no doubt, absolutely right that the Australian is formidable and they have achieved everything which is rare to see in the cricketing arena. They are the team who has not lost anything match since 2003, let us see if Mahela could turn the table today. I was, of the opinion, that Sub continent will emerge victorious whether it is India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka and in other article I have put my weight towards Sri Lankan because they are one of the best prepared team for this World Cup. They have definitely their game plan and that is why they rested Murli and Vaas against the Australian. I think this trump card is going to beneficial for Sri Lankan. I think Sri Lankan have had their best ever combination of Coach and Captain. Both are young and energetic and it is a good lesson for others to gain something. Tom Moody is definitely going to be one of the demanding coach in the new era. He has done wonders with the Sri Lankan Team. His man Management has been excellent. Their dressing room atmosphere is fantastic. They are one of the best charming bunch at the moment and every member of the team is enjoying their cricket and therefore, they are going to lift this World Cup.

Getting back to ICC format. Kamran Sahib, at least the authorities of ICC have been able to understand that this world cup is one of the boring and time wasting event I have ever seen. The format was absolutely not perfect and it was too long for the audience to watch cricket. Although, the real charm was gone with the exit of India and Pakistan and if they would have been in Super 8, there might have been some enjoyment. The ICC has now understood that India and Pakistan are the two cricket crazy nation and they are the biggest driving force of money. Money matters for ICC and even for Sponsors in India, they are dictating cricket board. In the recent interview Mr. Sharad Pawar has indicated this view.

Kamran Sahib, pick up your mighty pen once again and write something about the deteriorating condition of the gentleman’s game since cricket has become money milking game. I think this game is loosing its charm because now the cricket lover is very sensible and they have understood this money business. Nobody is against earning money but you can not make money by destroying the game since everything has its limit and it is high time that we should put comma or full stop on this otherwise the indication is not good and we will forget this gentleman’s game – CRICKET.

What You have said is true that Aussies are a powerful & an awesome side.But in this world there are things that always don't depend on powerfulness. Cricket is a game where luck & magic plays a big part.

It was the same thing that happened in 96 too. Aussies were the clear favourities at that time but the luck & the magic of the Sri Lankan underdogs helped them in some way for them to win the 96 glory. In that match Aussies did miss some straight forward catches & runout chances where as the Sri Lankans were able to grasp the half chances that came in thier way which made a huge diference. I hope & wish the past of 96 to be repeated today too.

GO SRI LANKAN LIONS GO!. The whole counrty is waiting to see you guys repeat 96 triumph & bring the ICC Cricket world cup 2007 to Sri Lanka.

May the blessings of triple gem be with our heroes.

i am rooting for SL to pull off an upset. it will be a big boost for cricket in the sub-continent which SL is a part of.
SL team is a great example of self-less cricketers fighting for one cause - win the cup - unlike their two neighbours - india & pak - full of egotistic, selfish players (case in point Younis Khan - who would not want to captain the national team?) and many others.
GO SL - Beat the aussies.

I choose Magic!

if aussies win ill admit they are truly the champs, and commend them for thier cricketing skills, and not so much hate them for thier on field behaviour.
if srilanka win then well.... hahaa ill have the laugh of a lifetime looking at thier faces just like i did when i saw shane warnes fae when they lost in 94

Well written Kamran. Perhaps your best and most objective piece so far. Probably, it having nothing to do with pakistan might be the reason. The groundswell of support for Sri Lanka is heart-warming. It is time that we Asians stood together and put the scheming Western nations in place. Chris Broad of England reports Muralitharan when refereeing Aussie-SL. Previos day, he is spotted chilling out with the Aussie players. Darrel Hair brazenly defies lawas, rules and common sense in his one-eyed hate for the Asians. Yet, the western media and players continue to talk as if they are paragons of virtue and that Asian Boards are to blame. High time, God struck a crucial blow on these "White-men" whose burden it is to cleanse the cricket world,and rid them of their delusions

dont think too much. SL is well lubricated to win by 6 wickets and 9 overs to spare.

I support Magic.

Throughout the world cup only couple of matches were worth watching SIR VS ENG , SIR VS SA. Other matches were all one sided & Borning.
May be the new pitches laid on almost all the grounds did effect the circket & most of the matches were one-sided affair.

The world cup 07 has been too boring and disappointing for the Indian, and Pakistani fans but for the rest of the world it has been pretty exciting, people may have complained about the length of the tournament but other than Pakistan and India hardly anybody else has complained about the format.

I think if anybody has to be blamed for a boring world cup and for the disappointment of the fans of these two countries, it should be these two teams, who came to play the world cup without any preparation and were expecting to win on the basis of their past reputation.

When the rest of the teams were working hard to prepare themselves for this prestigious tournament, the players of these countries were busy signing lucrative endorsement deals, the boards of these two countries were guilty of selecting old players who should have retired at least two years before the world cup, these two teams not only betrayed their own fans but their early exit made the super 8 round boring, one-sided and unattractive as the cricket fans around the world had to watch too many one-sided matches, the whole tournament became too predictable and the element of suspense and surprise was completely lost.

Besides these two teams England and West Indies also disappointed the cricket fans around the world by playing some slow, dull and unattractive cricket.

However two of the best teams have made up to the finals, I have no favorites, may the best team win and I hope that we get to see an exciting WC final.

We all could only hope that this final would be different from previous 2 finals.

Iam not talking about australia's defeat but my point is that we want a thrilling match not 1 sided match which has been a track record of previous 2 finals.
99, pakisatn terribly dismissed on famous 132, and in 2003 against india really nothing to say after "Punters" inning he literally slaughter indian bowlers and match result had been assumed after aussies inning.

so lets be optimistic that todays final 'd be different from previous and being an asian

we hope its result 'd different as well...!

Yes the moments havew indeed belonged to Sri Lanka, which is why Austrtalia are without shadow of doubt the more deserving team of victory. Sri Lanka have relied on moments of brilliance (Malinga) or moments of opposition implosion (England) to get to this point, whereas Australia has never been headed. Justice would surely be served with an Australian win, rather than a better on the day, or toss of the coin inspired result.

As for poetic justice for Murali, for justice to be required a crime must be committed. There has been no crime. Yes, an Australian umpire (and crowds, and the Australian Prime Minister, called the throwing, quite rightly as it turned out. Could a player operating outside the laws of the game at the time expect anything less.

A Sri Lankan victory would serve the game in Sri Lanka, and would be a financial boon for all involved, but it would also serve to disguise the seeming chasm between Australia and the rest of the world.

I would love for Sri Lankan to win.
How special though is this Australian team. One of the greatest of all time and a jewell of the game. Come on Sri Lanka but my what a great Aussie side

This World Cup is a triumph for sling bowling

the gap is too big. so we want srilanka win. Srilankan win is good for cricket? rubbish asian mind. Aussies didnt become supreme with the help of icc or other orgs. they performed and dethroned WI in 1995. today's game indeed do not dethrone aussie from World Champion. WORLDCUP CHAMPIONS ARE NOT WORLD CHAMPIONS BUT WORLD CHAMPIONS CAN BE WORLDCUP CHAMPIONS. LONG LIVE AUSSIES LEGACY.
I wish best of luck to both SL and OZ.
I wish mukul and sowmya to learn from kamran bhai to write blogs

i choos my favorit lions go guys break the record

Well don't know if there has been any magic in this world cup. I have watched every game and have failed to see anything that would qualify as a great game.

Every game that had some meaning to it has been horribly one sided. I guess these things happen. It was the regularity of these things happening that causes concern. Will the final be the same?

Good luck to Sri Lanka, as said in previous posts I hope someone other than Australia win it. Just to break their strangle hold on cricket. But as you do quite rightly point out who can argue that Australia really are heads and shoulders above the rest.

If I were to place a bet it would be a lot of money on Australia to win once more.

have u noticed the past three finalists including this one are all asian and include the Australia, and what has been the result of the last two ,absolute annihalation. the team of pak 1999 was arguably the best team in the tournament. the india team of 2003 was in the form of their lives, i think both those teams were better than the current sri lanka XI and that's why i predict yet another asian anniahlation by the aussies!(i am an asian by the way)

I would like to see game of cricket as winner and then I will agree with Kamran that we have two different types of teams one with poweplay approach and the other with variety in the bowling as well in batting.
Sirilankan win will boost the cricket in Asia where bulk of the population and cricket mad crowed lives with less funds to feed the extraordinary talents available in the region.
It is time that ICC should look at the facilities available in Asia which provides them the maximum funds. So these funds should be diverted to these countries to improve the facilities and to provide support by funding the academies, so that art of cricket could flourish.
It is a pity that the West Indies team which used to be the King in the seventies and eighties have lost that edge due to internal problems and same goes with Pakistan and Indian cricket talents.
I would be interested to see a survey of the cricket loving fans about their favourit team and the reason for their views whether it is divided on the basis of origin or cricketing knowledge.

The format has to be looked at and changes must be made in future World cups, so that interest of public remains with the cricket.

SL team possess no magic. Its all hard work, similar to aussies. Only difference is Aussies got money and technology much more than SL.
However SL team has more natural talent and natural talent is much more attractive than mechanical excellence.
SL win means we have a hope for cricket's future.
Aus win means the game is sold for money and lost forever.

Go SL you must win this for us, all and for above all for the game of cricket.

Can you share the world cup format that you think is ideal?

In response to the first response to this post by Caro:
The writer of this blog refers to the "charming, fun-loving, and sportsmanlike" manner of the Sri Lankan cricketers. Not the nation as a whole.

A look at countries other than those from "which the writers of this sort of rubbish" comes yields apartheid; enslavement and subjugation of a third of the world; mandatory detention for immigrants and the massacre of the aborigine people (Coniston for example). Those are off the top of my head.
So sod off and read a book.

I choose magic, and let's hope our Sri Lankans will win. Australia wins all the time, its so boring. Come on Sri Lankans, the trophy has our name written on it!

May be it is jealousy but ill definitely opt for magic. All hats off to the australians for attaining perfection in the game, but they seem too "perfect". Correct. As if a computer program programmed to win. Whereas with Sri Lanka, we see them working, huffing, puffing. i'd like to see SriLanka win! I reckon thats better for the game overall!

Read all comments. As a Sri Lankan and getting ready to watch the match at home having a party with my friends we back up our guys to win. But........ considering the way Australia has played we know its fair and they deserve a win more than us. Can AUS keep the cool and stop sledging. Its not the victory but how its achieved . Let me go now........... and get the BOTTLES ready........ BYE !!!!! GAHALA DHAMU KOLLO... (Lets win BOYS)

ONE more thing..... SL will win... Hmmmmm....
Jayasuriya 20 or less
Tharanga 50 - 75
Sanga 100 +
Mahela 50
Chamara 35
Dilshan 45
Arnold 20
Maharoof 20 & 1/50
Murali 3/45
Vaas 2/35
Malinga 2/55

My bet SL to score 275 + and Aus ALL OUT by the 44th over.

Before the World Cup started I had predicted that Sri Lanka would play the final. There is a sense of eagerness and flair about the Lankans and seem destined to take the Cup. Most teams have struggled because they have been overambitious and trying to score too many runs. Australia hasnt had a decent competitive match and this could go against them. I batting first Lankans put 260+ on the board I am sure Aussies will struggle. BEST OF LUCK SRI LANKA!

I have to admit I 'm getting a bit tired of the "Aussies are brutes, Sri Lanka are magic" comments. Which team indulged in gamesmanship with the bowler stopping in his rup up before the last ball to see whether the batsman would pull away? Which team rested in key bowlers in a match to give it an advantage in the final? These tactics, if Australia had tried them, would no doubt be decried as cheating, but since Sri Lanka is the one doing it, then it is called smart.

Best of luck to SRI LANKAN team.They are the most brilliant bunch.They have done the job so far with magic.I love them as they are well mannered.Did u see the Malinga's over to NZ Ross Taylor?He could not read a single delivery.what malinga did?innocent smile to taylor and he enjoyed the moment.what about Andre Nel of RSA?We saw how he reacted to such situations.sri Lankans are bringing decipline to the game.Any tru lover of cricket will never want rubbish or filth from cricket.no matter which country, good cricket will be true pleasure and enjoyment for true cricket lover.We need good cricket.Play the game with the ball and the bat.we love it.
Thats why sri lankan team are magic.they play good cricket.they play deciplined cricket.They are calm and cool.It's a pleasure to watch them playing and they kept their country very high on the map.Best wishes to sri lankan team to give us a very good match and to win the cup.

Aussies think they are the best, but, rest of the world needs to prove that it is not the case. Sri Lanka single handeldy has taken a great fight against them from about 1995. In the past 4 world cups, Aussies were consectivly in Final, but no one could beat them except SL, and everyone should wish, pray and hope that SL will do its miracle once more. Aussies are too much, they disgrace cricket. They bring their inhuman, uncivilised Footy ways into cricket, the gentlemans game. Neutrals wish for a SL win bcos Aussies are a disgrace to cricket and the mankind. Whole World,,,, lets hope SL Lions deliver things for us! Its the wish of UK, Ind, Pak, SL, West Indies, Bangladesh, NZ. Aussies dont respect anyone bcos of their past, they insult britishes, NZs so hardly, and do the same for Asians, so no difference to anyone. So entire world here is backing Sri Lanka, the honest smiling friendly lions!

Magic to me would be to see Glenn McGrath holding the World Cup high above his head after Australia win, with McGrath taking 4-5 wickets in the last game of his wonderful career. That my friends is Australia's secret weapon in todays final. The Australian team are determined to send their friend and teammate into retirement having won 3 World Cups! That will truly be magic!!!

Win or lose...we'll booze...
Lanka.lanka..lanka....oi.oi.oi...

Both teams are strong. They both deserved their place in the final. Australia, for me, are the favourites because of their mental strength and intensity when on the field. They always look like they are there to win and their attitude is aggressive and succesful. Ponting is definately the best batsman in the world at present, and I really dont mind who wins. Sri Lanka have done well to get here however on paper, I think Australia are definately the better side. Both teams would deserve their win, as a neutral, I hope the best team wins - I dont have any particular preference. All this talk about Sri Lanka winning to stop Australia's dominance is nonsense...firstly a World Cup final will never erase Australia's accomplishments since 1994-95. Secondly, if Australia is so far ahead of everyone else..its not their fault but the fault of all the other cricket boards around the world for not producing players good enough to compete with the Aussies. I like the way the Aussies play cricket..and they deserve all their success. If Sri Lanka win the final, they too would deserve this win because of the manner in which they have been playing, however, they would have a lot of work to do to become the best team in the world, even if they are the ODI World Champions. Here's hoping for a great final.

I had predicted that the finals will be between australia & srilanka.It was a guess based on the current form of the teams. It has now come true & let us wish SRILANKA all the best.My support to SL is not that they are from sub continent but Australia has been too much dominating & it is not good for the game -so they deserve to lose.I agree with JAVID A KHAN that malcom speed should step down for the rotten shedule the ICC has prepared for this WC.Iam not suggesting this bcos both india & pak are out in the first round.You should not judge a team by just three matches.
KAMRAN,you have not mentioned about ur format-you should have given that.My suggestions are as under.
A) SUGGESTION 1
PLAY ALL TEAMS AGAINST EACH OTHER & BASED ON THE POINTS SELECT FOUR TEAMS FOR THE SEMI.
B)SEMI. SHOULD BE TWO MATCHES EACH AMONG FOUR & TOP TWO WOULD GO TO THE FINALS.
SUGGESTION 2
A) FORM ONLY TWO GROUPS SO THAT MORE MATCHES A TEAM CAN PLAY & TOP TWO TEAM OF EACH GROUP WILL GO TO SEMI.REPEAT AS SUGGESTED ABOVE FOR SEMI,& FINALS.
SUGGESTION 3
TOP SIX TEAM AS PER ICC RANKING WILL STRAIGHT AWAY GO TO SUPER EIGHT & THE REMAINING TEAMS PLAY FOR THE OTHER TWO SLOTS.THEN SEMI & FINAL AS SUGGESTED IN SUG.1
THIS WOULD BE BETTER BECOS ICC RANKINGS TAKE MATCHES PLAYED ALL OVER & CONSISTANCY DERIVED.
Time frame can be reduced by playing matches at different venues simultaneously.This will suit sub continent very well as icc/host . need not worry about collection
For fear of elongation iam not suggesting best of three finals but it will be good if feaseable.

Btw Kami...how come you're STILL allowing the Afridi-fanatic Javed Khan on your blog? Didnt you see the report on animal planet? There's a province-wide look out for one Javed.A.Khan who escaped from the Montreal Zoo, just last week. By harboring an escaped monkey from Quebec, you're making the French very angry indeed! Next thing you know, you may end up talking and thinking like Javed Khan! As it is, you're having a hard time after your wild-two-vice-captain theory so the last thing you need at this point is confused thingies like Javed Khan corrupting your mind! Act fast, Kamran...Kuch Karo !

Re: Caro's comment...
Dear Caro, you are in the wrong blog. I think you have to find another blog to present your opinions about human rights. This place is for people to share their views about the Cricket World Cup.

My heratiest wishes to Mahela and the rest of the team. Well done Sri Lanka, well-deserved to be the winners. You can show people like Caro "how magical, charming, fun-loving, and sportsmanlike the Sri lankans are". Good luck!

Power !! of course power.

I guess it's only natural that the underdog will be supported. It's funny when a team does so well that we look for other characteristics to point out such as the sledging and so called poor behaviour. Come on Sri Lankan supporters let's get behind our team but cut the crap about the 'magic'. I'm not too sure what has been wrong with how Australia has got to the final. Let's not celebrate mediocrity. India has turned that into a fine art. Come on SL

vas: very well said, i agree 100%.

Interesting reading the sentiments of some of the writers here. It is dissapointing that in some respect they see it as an Asia vs Australia contest.
Time to grow up guys. It's the sort of attitude that cricket can do with out. It's not a racial contest. They are the 2 best teams in the world and this game is perfect for cricket. If Australia wins then so be it. Cricket will not die. I will give you that tip.
Rather than complain about 'perfect' Australia, Borrow their techniques, their attitudes,professionalism.
It is time to bury the tired arguaments of Asian magic and try to win the bloody game!

No doubt, Aussies are the better allround team on recent performances. They deserve to win.

However, so does Sri Lanka. They have come up the rankings very fast and may well be able to match and even better the Aussies on their day. Let's see if their day is today. They may deserve to win too.

Either way, cricket is the real winner. May the team that plays better on the day prevail.

To Posted by: WB at April 28, 2007 8:06 AM

Well said, Sir ... well said. What can Amnesty International's opinion of their human rights record have to do with how magical, charming, fun-loving, and sportsmanlike the Sri lankans are? This is about character of sportsmanship, not character of nationhood. Enjoy what's on offer in a sports page as this and leave the politics of prejudice to another forum.

The British attained to their ascendancy as a maritime power through oppression and subjugation of less materially advanced civilizations. That did not stop these civilizations from admiring and respecting their sport and character of sportsmanship... among other things.

In Response to: Posted by: Caro at April 27, 2007 11:28 PM

Caro,
Your point further glorifies a Sri Lankan victory. Yes sri Lankan as a 3rd world country has been battling to fight terrorism. A two decade long war will have human rights issues involved. Bravo to you an amnesty for stating the obvious!
The australian team lacks and flair and the world is bored of their routine victories against mentally weak opposition. Its like watching the same movie over and over. The lions are here today to change that.

how disappointing that the majority of the posts reflect some form of racism......

Back to the cricket, please. It's a game, not life and death, the comments here are much worse than any sledging heard on the field

I reckon BOTH the Aussies and the Lions have plenty of magic....I hope it is a great game, but please no tie - a bowl off would be the pits!

Sri Lankans dont deserve to win. Australia has been the better team by far for a very long time. If Sri Lanka win, it will be a freak thing. Sri Lankans are only in the final because India and Pakistan screwed up their own chances, otherwise both teams are 10 times better than Sri Lanka.

Looking at the performances so far, what makes people dream that Shri Lanka has ny chance ?
How they loose will depend upon who wins the toss and who bats first.
It is not Gully cricket but world cup final.
It is surpriing that no team has been able to give Australia any close fight. They have not lost to Bangladesh or Ireland too... match fixing or not. Does Shri Lanka has a chance. Think from head and not heart and acept the reality.

SRI LANKA stands for Super Resiliant Invincible Labouring Ability Nettling Knowing Asians! good luck Sri Lanka

what a load of crap. both teams have roughly the same amount of mecurial players in them, and both have had memorable moments in this world cup. if sri lanka are to win, then they simply need to play better than australia. so far no team in this world cup has done that. that makes australia the favourites (and justly so). it makes me smile when other countries are waiting for mcgrath and warne to retire. how about beating australia at their peak? i think most countries are getting the thrashings they deserve!

it is true that Aussi's are the best, but we are the only one can upset them.
winning the toss, batting first, passing 275-280 will bring us the game 60-70%, then Murali and Vaas will take care of the rest with the help of nightmare Malinga....Go Slanka Go.....most of the cricket world with u....Best of luck

I hope and pray Sri Lanka wins today.

Would like to comment on the format.

The worldcup should really start from the super 8s -24 matches
2 semis and a final so thats 27 days and wud be a thriller everyday,hopefully

A qualifier tournament like the one which is played prior to the football worldcup should be played by the teams to qualify.May be 4 or 6 teams should automatically qualify and the rest should play each other to qualify for the event.

Even though Pakistan played poorly.No excuses but they had only two poor days and the worldcup was over for them.

People who have played cricket or atleast know something about it must be understanding enough that anyteam can have two poor days on the field,the bad thing was that Pakistan had them in the worldcup.

Best of Luck to Sri Lanka!

The Final is amore than a clash of magic versus power...

It's a clash of cultures in more ways than one...
It's a clash of gentlemen versus brawlers,
It's a clash of importance in playing well versus win at all costs,
It's a clash of sportmanship versus agression,
It's a clash of smiles versus curses and swearing,

It's a clash of spirit in which the game is played and for the sake of the game let's hope that it is that spirit that comes out the victor today.

Australia can win the next 10 world cups on the trot all they are worth, but their record is but a blemish on the history of the game!

To add to ....

Posted by: WB at April 28, 2007 8:06 AM

In response to the first response to this post by Caro:
The writer of this blog refers to the "charming, fun-loving, and sportsmanlike" manner of the Sri Lankan cricketers. Not the nation as a whole.

A look at countries other than those from "which the writers of this sort of rubbish" comes yields apartheid; enslavement and subjugation of a third of the world; mandatory detention for immigrants and the massacre of the aborigine people (Coniston for example). Those are off the top of my head.
So sod off and read a book

I think the last bit should have said sod-off and LEARN to read a book you ignorant moron. Pilger woudl be a good start for you...and he's an Aussie !!!!

go SL. lets hope that sl can wipe the smiles off the faces of those arrogant aussies.

im not an aussie basher, but isn't this aussie team simply bad/unpopular winners. They have never ever gracious to their opposition. there is no doubt that the current aussie squad are a great cricketing team. But over their reign they have been a blight to the great game of cricket.

Unfortunately they have never come under real scrutiny because of their winning ways. There is simply a prevalent distasteful culture within this aussie squad.

They have become bigger than the game itself. The way of the aussie cricketer consists of their constant back chat, their on-field verbal, constant questioning of umpiring decisions and the very un-sportsman like behaviour of their captain.

don't mistake me for a aussie basher. this current squad has produced some world class cricketers. good luck and the best of luck to the pigeon post-cricket. However nothing would make me happier than to see the aussie embarrassed this evening. They need to be brought back down to planet earth. go sl

There is no doubt that Ceylon has the most exciting brand of Cricket in the world presently.. Madman Malinga’s 1st over of the semi-finals was the most amazing I have ever seen since the glory days of Lilly and Thomson. Prediction for the final? My money is on Australia, but my cricketing heart will root for Ceylon.

Go Lankan Lions!!! Cup is yours

Ausralia is a better team and deserve to win. Regardless of the result, they will continue to be the no. 1 side in the world. The rest are pretenders to the throne.

About the format: First, a few words for A R. April 28, 2007 5:08 AM

A R: There is a saying that; "If you pray for rain, you better leave the house with an umbrella." if one doesn't have that kinda conviction then one shouldn't do anything superficial or do it just for the heck of it. I think there are other ways and things to do in life to kill boredom and monotony. I am sure that when you posted your thoughts you knew that someone will read it and may be someone will respond it too, didn't you?

I agree with you that may be Malcolm Speed himself doesn't read this blog, but the ICC is a billion dollar industry and they have a PR department, a research department and to get a feed back after an important event they have hosted, they need to keep a track of public opinion and media response especially from cricinfo. IF they don't then they are a bunch of idiots who are there to run a huge organization and don't know what is market research or the value of public opinion which is very important for organizations dealing not only with products but, services. As regards Kamran Abbassi, he does read the posts and even responds occasionally. Just two or three days ago, in the previous thread about the vice captains he responded and even defended his "bonkers idea." Thats one of the reasons Pak Spin is more popular than other blogs.

I have noticed that after Kamran Abbassi initiates a topic, the other journalists, sports critics and columnists often use the same topic, ideas, thoughts, lines and even the same jargons. (Like some people here are aping my jargons, I am not talking about khansahab - who is a pretty decent person but, there is another pseudonym character called L. Phakir. I dunno if his L stands for "Love-Do"? And whether it stands or not is another issue for the poor Lakir ka Phakir but, he seems to be a "gene-ass" as he can measure his dog's IQ and he came up with a brilliant theory of "braggadogio") Anyways, the last time even Dr. Nasim Ashraf issued a statement in response to Kamran's questioning on this blog about the PCB's hasty decision in appointing a captain, he said: "the PCB will not make hasty decisions." You are right that no one can read all the posts or the whole stuff, but you skim through the blog and if someone is making any sense or trying to get some personal attention you do get to observe it, right?

As regards the format, imo as per the ICC rankings the first top 6 teams must automatically qualify for the second round if there is one in future and even if they loose the first round, they must be accommodated. There has to be a system to accommodate them, otherwise the WC would loose its charm and interest. Imagine if Australia and SA were out instead of India or Pakistan? Perhaps the Australian Cricket Board would have scalped Malcolm Speed's head.

SAQIB to a certain extent you are right in saying that apart from India and Pakistan for the rest of the world the WC has been pretty exciting. Yes, for the Irish and Bangladeshi fans definitely they must have been pretty excited. But, the majority of the cricket fans or viewers are Indians and Pakistanis and they are not only in India and Pakistan but, all over the world. So you cannot rule out the feelings of a billion plus people. And I disagree with your views in the penultimate paragraph of your post. I think the match between West Indies and England was one of the best in the tournament. Both teams knew that they are out of the WC and were playing only for pride and it was an excellent thriller and fans of both these teams were pretty satisfied with the performance. The team that always disappoints their fans is South Africa.

This reminds me of Kamran Abbassi's BMJ article on Javed Miandad's last ball sixer. The South Africans seems to have the same effect on their psyche as the Indians had after the last ball six by Miandad. South Africa have been in exile due to the apartheid movement or whatever for such a long period and when they arrived for the first time in 1992 WC in Australia, they had a very good side on paper and were tipped as potential winners. At that time the Australian team was the weakest ever and this SA paper tigers still failed to qualify for the finals, because their players do not have that temperament for big games or when it matters. If they are labeled as chokers, I think they deserve that tag. This was their 5th attempt and they still could not reach the finals of any of the world cups they have played so far.

HA HA HA . AUSTRALIA WOULD WIN EASILY. INFACT VERY VERY EASILY. ACTUALY THIS IS A LITTLE THING WHICH IS PRESENT IN EVERYONE S HEART . WATCHING THE UNDERDOGS TURNING THE TABLE. BUT IN CASE OF AUSSSIS, IT IS NOT EVEN A REMOTE POSSIBLITIY. NO CHANCE FOR LANKANS.

My heart says Sri Lanka, my mind says Australia. I know SL have the potential to beat Australia, but Aussies perform the best in big games. Such is their mental strength. It would be nice for SL to be crowned world champions though. The Aussie domination makes international cricket appear lacklustre. We need more competition. After Pakistan and England were ousted, I was supporting New Zealand as I would have liked Australia’s little brothers giving Aussies a taste of their own medicine.

Coming towards Pakistan cricket, Inzi has expressed his desire to play county and domestic cricket in order to impress the selectors for Pakistan’s Test squad. I think Pakistan still requires Inzi’s services as an anchoring batsman, but I don’t like Inzi’s attitude. I think all he is vying for now is to break Miandad’s record of most Test runs scored for Pakistan. What other motivation can be there for someone who has been disgraced is such a manner and yet wants to continue playing? This shows that Pakistani cricketers only play for themselves and not for their country.

Shoaib Malik appears enthusiastic about leading Pakistan. When he was asked about whether he has garnered support of the seniors, he responded that Younis and Shoaib Akhtar have offered him their support. Is it a coincidence that the two least likely players to play regularly for Pakistan in ODI’s have expressed their support? What about the views of Afridi, Yousuf and Razzaq (although Razzaq does not deserve to play on merit, the only thing he really deserves is one hell of a long break)?

I hope the selectors make the wise choice in omitting Imran Farhat, Salman Butt, Imran Nazir, Faisal Iqbal, Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal from the 15 man squad. We must now have a policy of “consistency prevails” which means that these losers should be kicked out. I admit players like Hasan Raza and Misbah-ul-Haq were not impressive when they debuted, but we have to keep in mind that they were played a long time ago and they have been consistent in their domestic performances. In fact Hasan Raza played his last ODI in 1999. It’s funny how it works in Pakistan; continuous consistency is ignored while occasional flamboyance is appreciated.

Mr Javed A Khan from Montreal, Canada, forgive me for challenging your thoughts but recently you defended your stance on Afridi as captain by stating that Michael Vaughan averages only 27 and yet captains the England side owing to his leadership skills. Perhaps you overlooked a comment I posted not long ago which was addressed to you. I wrote in that comment that firstly, Vaughan at his worst is a more consistent batsman than Afridi. At his best he once topped the batting rankings. Secondly, Vaughan is shrewd. Afridi doesn’t look like a bright bunny to me. Thirdly and most importantly, Vaughan is the calmest person even in times of adversity. Afridi is hot-headed and impulsive and anything but calm and composed. If Afridi had brains he would have refrained from taking disproportionate action on that spectator which resulted in his ban. He should have thought that the WC is looming ahead and he must be at his best behaviour. I have been relieved to see that Afridi has his fair share of critics on this blog and that at least some people are not blinded by his rare and awfully inconsistent razzmatazz. Big deal he captained Karachi Dolphins and made 49 in one match- he could just have easily scored that knock is a less important match or even if he was not captaining because there are no ifs and buts for Afridi. If anyone should be credited with the Dolphins’ success, it should be Fawad Alam who deservedly won the many awards he won that night. Afridi is not a team man and he has done very little for the team’s success. People talk about the times when he has come to bat in a situation where Pakistan need to accelerate the scoring and he has changed the course of the match in one over. I admit there have been such occasions, but only a handful. What I have witnessed countless times however is that he has come to bat where the team needs someone sensible to anchor the team but he has ended up playing a lousy shot and getting caught at mid-off or cover. Yes Afridi has made a name for himself, has benefitted from many endorsements and gives cricket its sex appeal and excitement, but after all the fun is over what really matters is how consistently you have scored and how many matches you have won for your team. If Afridi lived in England or Australia he would have found it difficult to maintain his place even in a club side. It is only in Pakistan where we can consciously look beyond statistics and keep people like Afridi and Razzaq in the team.

I choose magic :)

Caro,

the way Aussies are being bashed here is just similar to Amnesty International and the Western Media bashing the SLn government.

In the Australia - Sri Lanka context it is populist to support the Sri Lankans from many "neutral's" point of view. And similarly it is populist to bash the Sri Lankan government just like the AI did. And it is not populist to criticize LTTE murder machine that kill the very people they claim to liberate - the Tamils. If AI is not populist and is genuinely concerned about human rights, they can go around Tamil Tigre organized sports festivals (where cricket is also being played) in Europe and other parts of the world and distribute a similar ball, "Prabakaran, play by the rules". And try to get the media attention.

I cross my fingers for Sri Lanka. I do not care the extreme pain and lack of sportsman spirit of Caro who wrote the first comment of this bolg.

Watching the Cup final I thought I'd check this blog for the first time since the sour grapes of 'McGrath had an okay career'.
And what do I find?
More anti-"white man" (and I do find it hard to believe that I that particular phrase on a 'respectible' forum in the 21st century) garbage.
They're magic because they're Asian?
They're magic because Australians sledge and sub-continent countries don't.
They're magic because Australian money is ruining world cricket.
Anyone who holds this view in particular needs to take a long, cold shower and then spend some time in the room of mirrors.
When 'Australian' money has a death count, maybe then you might have a chance to feel morally superior.
Maybe.

As for magic from the Sri Lankans...well I guesss there was Muralitharan and Vaas' vanishing act from the last time they were supposed to play Australia.
But then Australia has seen that particular trick from Muttiah so many times now, every time his team are due to play against the best team in their home country, for example.

Not a lot of magic in watching a couple of spinners ping the ball in at the batsmans legs either.
I just saw Aleem Dar make an Australian run disappear!
Fantastic.

Congratulations to those who have been able to keep a level head with their responses here.
And congratulations to those who have been so over the top that they gave me a good laugh, especially those who manage to somehow twist the occassion into another opportunity to wish the long retired Shane Warne would come back and play for their country.

SriLanka wallop the Aussis and then Pakistans absolutley slaughter SriLanka in AbuDhabi and gain tons of confidence in themselves and their captain after having beaten the WC CHAMPIONS. Great stuff is coming in the future for Pakistani cricket.

it is 3.30 a.m in colombo. And any dream of winning the world cup went out of the window. However,while the cricketers were having their moments on the field, in Barbados, Sri Lanka was having a nightmare of a moment of their own. An alleged terorist air attack ,to the city of Colombo took the mind away from cricket of all the fans .

It is a sad thing to happen. but i guess life is full of unexpected things.

But i agree with the comment that "the moments belong to Sri Lanka". It is indeed the truth ,not just limited to the players but the fans as well.

We are proud of our players. You guys did very well to be where you are today.Have a safe flight home. We will be there to welcome you.

Long Live Srl Lanka Cricket.

Javed A Khan- The world cup has been exciting not only for Bangalis or the Irish but it has been exciting for SriLanka, Australia and Newzealand also,I agree with you on South Africa,and also agree that the match between England and WI was pretty exciting but what about the rest of the matches,WI entered the tournament as one of the favorites but failed to live up to the expectations of millions of fans and the Cricket they played was exteremly dull and disappointing.
Pakistan and India because of their performance
in the WC not only disappointed the fans all over the world,but also created financial Problems for their own boards and ICC, it will be hard for these teams to get the same amount of match fees,
and their sponsorship revenues will also decline.
I strongly believe that their should be no Guaranteed spots for any teams as you suggested,
there is no precedence for it in any sport,however
I think if we have only two Pools instead of having four pools we will still be able to see some matches between the heavy weights,and the minnows will be tested throughly before they progress into the second round.
The only thing we can protest with ICC is for the Playing conditions.The pitches we have been getting lately in ICC tournaments are not consistent with the pitches other teams are getting and this clearly shows discrimination and bias on part of ICC.

Power and precision wins again! Go Aussies! 3 in a Row!

Finally the WC has come to an end after 47 days of madness in the Caribbean. But, not without a few more comedy of errors. First, the final was spoiled by the rain, then the confusion over D/L method and then the bad light which was offered to the SL players and they accepted it, followed by a brief OZ celebration. Then the decision to play the remaining three overs the next day! Which is really absurd and stupid. The match restarted and ended in a farcical manner. Anyways, had the 50 overs been played the result might have been different. The IF's and But's theories will continue but, the current Australian team is insurmountable and invincible. They have completed a world cup winning hat trick and what a co-incidence that each time they won they had to play against a team from the sub-continent. Even if they had lost this one game they would have still remained the number one team in the world.

khansahab; the comparison avec Vaughn was based "only" on the ODI performances and I still hold my view as correct. As regards the captaincy job you never know the capability of the other person until and unless he is made a captain. Secondly, we were talking about who else is available for the captain's role in the Pakistan team? If you think the one who has been named as the captain is more suitable for the job, then wait for a while, only time will tell whether it was a good decision or not. Besides, you are the one complaining more about the Punjabi dominance in the team and not me. I would like to see a Pakistan team and not just a Punjabi or a Pathan team. I wrote in one of my previous posts that, "one is an angry Pathan and the other is an arrogant Punjabi." And on the domestic circuit the Pathan has a better record of leading the team. Also, he has better record in terms of performance. Once again the selectors have proved "your point" that they prefer the Punjabi dominance in the team. Therefore, if you are happy with Malik's appointment then stop complaining.

Here is something for a Desperate Housewife who needs big time attention. In her seven lines post she mentioned my name four times! Wow, what a desperado, come on bibi stop worshiping me. It seems like when you are ignored you get more frustrated and your obsession seems to be growing bigger by the day. I must quote this Faiz Ahmad Faiz's verse, which is very apt for you.

wo baat saaray fasanay may jis ka ziker na tha
wo baat un ko bohat naagwaar guzri hai

And a big LOL for getting pally with Kamran Abbassi and calling him Kami ahahaha, bibi stop this flirting and pungay baazi based on the notion of Kuch nahee hai to adavat hee sahee it will make you more obsessed and more frustrated. Take a chill pill and stop watching TV soap operas.

CONGRATULATIONS TO AUSTRALIA FOR A WORLD CUP HAT TRICK

Well as expected Australia have won their third WC in a row,they were the best team in the tournament all along, however Srilanka put up a valiant fight,their bowlers however bowled to one single line and became too predictable,the pitch was not helpful at all however if the srilankans had varied their line and bowled occasional short of length balls they would have been more sucessful.
But Australians defended their title with swagger
and style,they elevated their game when it counted the most,thats the strongest attribute of this Australian team they can always raise their game to another level,they are fearless in their approach,the bigger the match the better is their response,no other team in International Cricket have these attributes,currently their is a huge gap between Australia and the rest of the teams and the Aussies are going to rule the cricket world for quite some time.

Well its all been played out now, but I think its ironic casting the Sri Lankans as as freedom fighters against an oppressive Australia. Cricinfo has frequently documented the dominance the sub continent, with its massive audience, has dominated cricket administration. Tours riddled with cash-cow events, bullying members off the international umpires group, all the while mismanaging their local games to the point of scandal all just highlight the fact that it is the game that is the underdog. Every time a team, like Australia but it could be anyone, wins a series through skill and quality of play it is a blow against those forces that want to own and sell cricket off by the pound without a single thought for quality. THEY are the source of this mythical romantic notion that you are attributing to SL. if you REALLY favoured the underdog, the romantic ending, the magic finish, you would have supported Bangladesh or ireland but instead they get spat on as tainting the series or hijacking places in the final from more deserving nations. You cant have it both ways. Either the better team wins, or the better selling story wins. Sport or marketing. Thank god sport won.

Death of Cricket 28 April, 2007

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