Memorable World Cup Moments

Well right now there are no matches for 2 days. Seems kind of odd after the flurry of matches we were treated to over the last month. But neway...this gives me a moment to just list out a few of my most memorable World Cup moments.


Firstly is the rather unfortunate death of Pakistani coach Bob Woolmer. The World Cup will always be remembered for this incident no matter what else happens. The police still don't know how he was killed. But the whole incident just brings to light the pressures and madness that the sport represents to the poeple of the sub continent.


Second on the list is the magnificent catch by Dwayne Leverock of Bermuda to dismiss R Uthappa in the group stage. Here was a man being critise for his weight and whats does he do? Flings himself to his right to pull of a one handed blinder! It was a catch that will remain as one of the defining moments of World cup 2007.


Third will be the magnificent draw between Ireland and Zimbabwe. Ireland who have never ever been in any major cricket competition vs the relative minnows of the sport but experienced nevertheless. Ireland really showed great spirit to draw the match but would probably think they should have won it.



Next is again Ireland. Butt his time its their win over Pakistan! What a victory. Niall O'Brien proving what a class act he is. And to think he can qualify to play for England next October!


Fifthly is Malinga's brilliant 4 wickets in 4 balls. The man just wrote himself into cricket folk lore. But how he must wish he had snagged 5 in 5! Sri Lanka may have pulled off a great and dramatic victory!


Next, though this does hurt me, is the Bangladeshi's win over India. They were the rank underdogs not expected to ruffle any feathers. Yet they beat New Zealand in the warm ups and sent out a warning. India of course realised it the hard way and got knocked out of the tournament.

So there you go. My pick of great World Cup moments so far!

England Game and Shastri

England have progressed to the second round of the World Cup but their showing in the Super Eights has been ordinary at best. They fought to get past Ireland and then capitulated to Sri Lanka.

But the match against Lanka showed a few points of England cricket that must have delighted the home fans. Bopara and Nixon showed something that England cricket had lacked for a long time. A lower order that could fight. They could actually have won that match! Who would have thought that when those 2 came out ot the middle. But Bopara justified his selection into the World Cup squad in great style. Nixon has been a live wire for England behind the stumps but has seldom impressed in front of it. But this match really showed why he was held in such high regard in the county Twenty20 championship.

However, Sri Lanka have shown again why they are serious title contenders. It would have been easy for them to conceded defeat after a bad batting performance and then the Bopara-Nixon partnership. But they hung in there and came out victorious. The small margin of win shows that they are capable of holding their nerve when it matters, a sign of champions! Lasith Malinga has impressed in this World Cup with his bowling. 4 wickets in 4 balls against South Africa really was the highlight of the World cup so far. Once again Lanka showed the never say die attitude that will take the team places.

Anyway coming back to Indian cricket, Ravi Shastri has been appointed the new Indian Team Cricket Manager. A post that is akin to the coach but not the coach because the powers that be felt that the team doesn't need a coach, but just someone to come up with strategy and decisions. This is something that does impress me. Consider football. They have managers and not coaches and the principle seems to be working well over there. People in teams like this are well trained professionals and they don't need coaches. They just need someone with a wise head to help them crack the opposite team. Mayb Shastri can talk to Sir Alex Ferguson for some advice on man management and getting the best out of the players you have. Manchester United with their limited resources are going for the treble this season against the richer more talented Chelsea bunch. Something the Indian crciket team would never be able to against the Australian Team.

Well, this seems like a step in the right direction, and let us hope the man who hit six sixes in six balls can provide the Indian cricket scene with the shot in the arm it really deperately needs!

Chappell Resigning!

Greg Chappell resigned from the post of coach of the Indian cricket team. Smart move one must say especially after the tumultuous time he has had as coach. All his decisions and calls for dropping under performing "star players" have disturbed more than his fair share of feathers. He knew what the spineless board would do to please players and a few blind fans. So he resigned sparing the oard and himself a lot of trouble. Smart Man!

Well then there also was the small issue of the death of a rather famous cricket coach from the sub continent after his team made an unceremonious exit from the World cup. Why take a risk like that right? Why draw the ire of the underworld, bookies, fans and whoever else? Afterall in the sub continent anybody who is anybody has a view of the Crickt Team! (Yeah i know i know! Not a very bright thing to say while writing a blog on cricket!)

So who will the new coach be? Who will be the new captain?

For coach i say we should go for someone like Greg Chappell. Say what you might about his tactics and policies, i liked them and you cannot deny that is what the team needed. That they didn't play well as a team is a different issue. I still believe that if he had been given more time he would have produced a World beating side. The team needs someone who will call a spade a spade and crush the inflated ego of so many of our players. People who claim that "They were hurt that the coach thought that they were not giving their all". Let me tell u mister, half the nation thinks that! You just don't know!

Look how mush good getting dropped did to the man Ganguly. At some time he was confident of retaining his place in the side even if he became blind and lame. His performances reflected this. His batting and fielding showed that he was not interested in breaking a sweat but rather preferred the safety of knowing his position wa secure. But now we see a Ganguly who is ready to battle it out and actually score runs the hard way even if his silken touch deserts him instead of lamely conceding his wicket!

So though the decision was probably in the best interest of both parties, Indian cricket must make sure it doesn't go backward in appointing the new coach. The appointment of the next coach may well determine where cricket in the country goes in the next 4 years.

World Cup Disaster!

India out of World Cup 2007 in the first round! If someone had told me this before the World cup I would have laughed at his face. I am one of the cynical people when it comes to Indian cricket and believe that the team is over rated, over paid and under performs! (I know a lot of people share this view but prefer to keep it to themselves fearing for their lives!) But even I thought the team could defeat the Bangladeshis and Bermudans! So yeah! They would go through.

But then the team found a way to shatter my confidence in the only way they could! Lose the first match without so much as putting up a fight! It was a shame to watch the way the team played! They had no desire and no interest! They were there for the sake of it and God alone knows what they were doing! The Bangladeshis on the other hand knew they were the under dogs and used this to good effect to spring a surprise!

So there you go! India out of the World Cup in the first round and expect heads to roll now!