It's without doubt the best World Cup ever. A bunch of amateurs from Ireland in touching distance of a fully professional team from England in the most English of all sports. What's not to love?
-
-
We would have won the world cup if Colly had been keeper
FACTComment
-
This has been the worst WC ever. Absolute worst.
Crap attendances
**** weather (yes, it has been **** in so many games)
An alleged murder followed by a Police investigation so amateur it makes Dads Army look like the CIA
Possible match fixing
One totally dominant team who will win it
.. and Pakistan are out
"Its not about the long ball or the short ball, its about the right ball." Bob PaisleyComment
-
-
"For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son"Comment
-
I should also have added that's it's the only World Cup I've ever seen.Comment
-
-
england were terrible the coach must go new ideas are needed the fact that the top 3 yesterday only strauss has a odi hundred too many player are picked on reputation and not formThe future you have, tomorrow, won't be the same future you had, yesterday.Comment
-
he's Irish isn't he?Originally posted by SouthAfricaRed View PostHe can only be an Australian or Irish Supporter or Maybe a NZ one
Definately not English, West Indian, Indian or Pakistani supporter
I live with Steptoe.Comment
-
mahroof three wickets in an over
We need better attacking players!
Torres aint enough
Rafas number #1 fanComment
-
England captain Michael Vaughan admitted his side had "let a lot of people down” after they were knocked out of the World Cup by South Africa.
Bowled out for 154, England could manage a solitary South Africa wicket in reply as the Proteas romped home with more than 30 overs to spare to book their semi-final place. Graeme Smith led the way with an unbeaten 89 off just 58 balls, Andrew Hall having taken 5-18 earlier in the day.
Vaughan admitted his side were low on form but insisted they would improve and learn from their mistakes: “We were pretty average today and we’ve let a lot of people down. Our batting has not been good and we know we need to improve. We’ve got a big game against West Indies on Saturday but we know we’re out of the World Cup and we’ve got a lot of pride. We know we have a lot of fans here.
“We have a big summer ahead but it’s important that we analyse what went on here. [We’ve had a poor winter in all respects."
No **** Sherlock!I live with Steptoe.Comment
-
-
hahaha, oh dear, you couldn't make this **** up if you tried.Originally posted by Mumsafan View Post
Here's some more stating the bleeding obvious:
England 'need new one-day plan'
By Rob Hodgetts
England captain Michael Vaughan - Vaughan scored 130 runs from eight innings in the World Cup
England's one-day strategy needs a complete re-think, according to a key figure in planning the team's future.
Brian Rose, a member of a panel set up to review the Ashes disaster, says England's poor World Cup results betray a failure to adapt to the modern game.
"Other sides are more aggressive. We don't seem to have taken the game forward in comparison," said Rose, Somerset's director of cricket.
"We have to come up quickly with a philosophy of how to play the game."
Rose is part of a seven-man panel, alongside Nasser Hussain, Nick Knight, Angus Fraser, Hugh Morris, Mickey Stewart and former European golf tour boss Ken Schofield, reviewing England's performances over the last four years, including the recent Ashes whitewash.
The review was set up to analyse what went wrong in Australia and to recommend the necessary changes to ensure it does not happen again.
It's no coincidence, for example, that the four semi-finalists in the World Cup are very aggressive at the start of the innings
Brian Rose
It will not necessarily be accepted wholesale by governing body the ECB.
Rose insisted that details of the review should remain confidential until it is published in May but he refused to single out coach Duncan Fletcher for England's World Cup failure.
Fletcher has guided England from last to second in the world Test rankings since taking over late in 1999 but his side are seventh in the one-day standings, above just West Indies of the major Test-playing nations.
"The comparison between England one-day performances and the English Test team over the last few years is black and white, apart from a few peaks," Rose told BBC Sport.
"I think Fletcher is trying to motivate them but for some reason it's not happening.
"But you just can't target one bloke. It's a combination of selection, coaching, captaincy and the players available at the time. It needs very carefully looking at and it needs looking at quickly."
England captain Vaughan, meanwhile, has had a disappointing World Cup with the bat, scoring just 130 runs in eight innings at an average of 16.25.
And Rose said Vaughan's continuing selection in the limited-overs side should be discussed as part of a wider-ranging rethink.
"You have to have a strategy first and then have a selection policy," added Rose.
"We've got to identify people who can perform at whatever level, whether it's one-day cricket or Test cricket. I'm not sure we've been good enough at specifically gearing our teams to specific tasks.
"If, for example, you went round the counties and said, 'Who are the best one day players?' they might not be the same as the best Test players.
"It's no coincidence, for example, that the four semi-finalists in the World Cup are very aggressive at the start of the innings.
"Michael Vaughan has been a great Test player for England and a great captain but his style of play is difficult to adapt to being aggressive in the first 15 overs of a one-day international.
"It doesn't seem to be compatible and I think his record clearly shows that.
"If the philosophy states that England will play what they consider to be the best one-day side, that may contain someone who is not the Test captain."
Former England captain Alec Stewart also stood behind Fletcher and said the players must be accountable.
"He's been the best coach that I've worked under in an England set-up and he's taken English cricket forward," Stewart told Five Live.
"Just a couple of years ago everyone was singing his praises. I'm more concerned about the way the players have played. I always say coaches coach and prepare, players play, and the players haven't played well enough.
"So it needs to be looked at. People start saying well is county cricket too soft? Do we not produce enough international-class cricketers? Those questions have been asked for a long, long time. I just want to come up with some answers."Comment
-
Duncan Fletcher to go which will be confirmed at the press conference at 4:30Comment
Comment