The World Cup [admin's warning: contains cricket]

[SmileyMan]

About the only positive from the World Cup for England has been Ravi Bopara, although why Vaughan refuses to bowl him and instead lets loose the opposition-run-machine that is Mahmood.

I think Fletcher's a gonner after this. About time too - it needs a shake up. Isn't the chap who's been coaching the Irish available now?

[Resurrection Ox]

As Aggers said on TMS, tonight was the best thing that could have happened to English cricket. We're a poor team (and an abysmal one day team), and a lucky result against SA would have allowed us just to paper over the cracks again. Not that all the luck in the world would have saved us from that total mauling.

We need wholesale changes in both personnel and approach if we are to regain the optimism of a couple of summers ago - which anyway only came about because McGrath trod on the ball in an unfortunate Billy Hamilton-esque scenario.

See how I linked it all back to OUFC?

We are NOT a poor test team . Look at the stats.

We ARE a terrible one day team.

[Kernow Yellow]

We are NOT a poor test team . Look at the stats.

We're not as good as some of the players seem to think we are.

Look at the 'stats' of our recent test series in Australia.

[ty cobb]

We are NOT a poor test team . Look at the stats.

We're not as good as some of the players seem to think we are.

Look at the 'stats' of our recent test series in Australia.

Where three of our best players didn't play. Taking MT, MV and SJ out of England is like taking Hayden, Pointing and Clarke out of the Aussies, put our players back in and take those out and the series would have been very different.

We aren't that bad a one day team if we select the right players, why break up the team that beat NZ (looking like one of the best teams in it) and the Aussies who are the best in the C'Wealth series?

[GodalmingYellow]

As Aggers said on TMS, tonight was the best thing that could have happened to English cricket. We're a poor team (and an abysmal one day team), and a lucky result against SA would have allowed us just to paper over the cracks again. Not that all the luck in the world would have saved us from that total mauling.

We need wholesale changes in both personnel and approach if we are to regain the optimism of a couple of summers ago - which anyway only came about because McGrath trod on the ball in an unfortunate Billy Hamilton-esque scenario.

See how I linked it all back to OUFC?

we all knew we were lucky less than 2 years ago, The Ashes series reinforced that, nobody exected a good world cup but I'm still VERY disappointed with todayt's performance.

Vaughan has proved that he is not a one day batsman therefore not a one day captain. We were compromised by having to drop Joyce to retain Vaughan. Collingwood or Strauss should be given a chance as captain. I heard that Stuart Broad had been taken over as an injury replacement and I think it's about time he was let loose on the world.

Its been a bad World Cup. Both Vaughan and Fletcher must go after the last World cup match.

A captain must be able to justify his place in the side on his cricketing form and ability first and foremost. Vaughan clearly can't demonstrate that. Collingwood would be my choice.

Fletcher refused point blank to change his approach to the World cup matches, particularly in use of power plays, whereas the rest of the nations use them as a chance to get after the bowlers. In ODIs there isn't the luxury of time to play yourself in significantly, that's why the power plays were introduced.

Some of the players picked clearly weren't good enough. Mahmood particularly disappointed, as did Joyce.

Some of the players should have played much better. Flintoff only retains a place because of his bowling. Strauss has been very disappointing. Anderson so-so. Panesar ineffective. Panesar can be excellent but needs to develop a wider range of balls.

The only players who got crddit in my book were Bopara, Nixon, Petersen, Collingwood and of those, I suspect Nixon's time in the team will be limited becuase of his age (which personally I think is a daft reason, if you are fit enough and good enough you should be selected).

I think the batting and bowling coaching has to be looked at as well. The standards have fallen so far.

The only element we did consistently well was fielding, but even then our accuracy on run out throws hasn't been the best.

I suppose we could take a small glimmer that we ended up 5th best nation in the major knock out tournament (assuming we do) whereas the rankings had us as 7th best. Though this is more to do with capitulation of India and Pakistan than through our own good work.

[Snake]

We may well finish 5th, but who exactly did we beat of any note in the entire tournament?

[Pe├▒a Oxford United]

I suppose we could take a small glimmer that we ended up 5th best nation in the major knock out tournament (assuming we do)

A large assumption, although West Indies would have to beat both Bangladesh and England in order to come ahead of England and they're probably even more demoralised (and arguably worse) than England.

Incidentally, I don't know if this statistic has done the rounds, but a friend of mine sent me an email listing the longstanding Test nations (i.e. not Zim or the Tigers) that England have beaten in the last four World Cups combined. I've not got it now but I think it consisted of one win against Pakistan and one against Sri Lanka.

[Resurrection Ox]

We may well finish 5th, but who exactly did we beat of any note in the entire tournament?

Ireland. And Bangladesh.

[Kernow Yellow]

We aren't that bad a one day team if we select the right players, why break up the team that beat NZ (looking like one of the best teams in it) and the Aussies who are the best in the C'Wealth series?

Disagree. We were woeful for much of that Commonwealth series. Some of the most pitiful one-day performances ever. We got lucky when Australia started throwing away winning positions against us - possibly because they had already started training bloody hard for the World Cup. They didn't care about that series at all - and quite frankly, nor would we have done had we just beaten them 5-0 in the test series.

I don't know what's gone on with NZ - maybe they just know how to raise their game for the big tournaments too.

[GodalmingYellow]

I see Fletcher has now run out of arrows.

Unfortunately, David Morgan is hinting that Peter Moores will get the job. Not good in my view. Yes he improved Sussex, yes he's done OK in the academy (though how many big name players have reached the England First XI from the academy?), but crucially he has no experience at International level.

England has by far the biggest set up for cricket in the World and we should be aiming for top spot in all forms of the game. Tom Moody is the man for me, though whether he would take the job is another matter.

[Resurrection Ox]

I see Fletcher has now run out of arrows.

Unfortunately, David Morgan is hinting that Peter Moores will get the job. Not good in my view. Yes he improved Sussex, yes he's done OK in the academy (though how many big name players have reached the England First XI from the academy?), but crucially he has no experience at International level.

England has by far the biggest set up for cricket in the World and we should be aiming for top spot in all forms of the game. Tom Moody is the man for me, though whether he would take the job is another matter.

Moores wil get the job on interim basis - and they'll see how things go. Moody is going to W Australia.

One thing people always forget. The gap left by the bowling coach trolling back to the Aussies. He's a bad miss.

[Snake]

It seems like Mr. Duckworth and Mr. Lewis may have to decide who are the World Champions of Cricket.

What a farce this tournament has become.

[SmileyMan]

So, 10 weeks to find out that Australia are better than everyone else? A round of about 3 or 4 pints could have done the same job.

A word to the ICC - make the next one a straight knockout competition. Make every game a do or die battle, so we don't end up with by far the best game of the competition (England v Windies) being a dead rubber.

Give 16 minnows a first round all of their own, so at least half of them come out of the competition with at least one win, then each winning minnow goes into a second round game with one of 8 seeded teams. The winning team will be (assuming it's a seed) the one that wins four games on the trot against increasingly tough competition.

So, you expand to 24 teams, pleasing the associate nations, make every game crucial, pleasing the TV companies, and have the chance for a few shocks and upsets, pleasing the fans. The current format is just too good at accurately determining the best team in the world, which like I said, could be done in the pub by pretty much any cricket fan anywhere.

Now watch the hypocrisy as I argue against the use of playoffs in league football!

[Snake]

Are we allowed to talk about Rugby on here?

If so can ‘admin’ please amend the warning on this topic.

Come on Wales..

[Pe├▒a Oxford United]

Yes, provided you call it &quotrugby union&quot. Or &quotthe fat version&quot.