Cricket World Cup 2015

[Buzzo]

Scotland

We're the worst team in the tournament. It was doomed from the second we started talking ourselves up. History shows etc. etc.

AB just got 162 from 66 Balls!

There is some monumental scoring going on in this tournament. When some of these guys get past the first over or so their scoring is just incredible. Gales 200+ the other day also...

I think its going to be great tournament come the latter stages.

[EwarWoo]

NZ now needing 1 per over. Lol. At least were not the only ones they've humiliated

[Chazza]

Not sure how bad we have to be before Hales gets in the team, sounds like Ballance is going to retain his place.

[RichC]

Only the 9 wicket loss to Sri Lanka then. Absolutely smashed by NZ, Australia and now Sri Lanka and yet still in with a chance of a quarter final spot

Some outstanding figures from our bowlers again

Anderson 8.0 0 48 0
Broad 10.0 1 67 0
Woakes 9.2 0 72 0
Finn. 8 0 54 0
Mooen 10 0 50 1
Root 2 0 12 0

[Shaggy]

Only the 9 wicket loss to Sri Lanka then. Absolutely smashed by NZ, Australia and now Sri Lanka and yet still in with a chance of a quarter final spot

It's an absolute joke. **** tournament IMO. Goes on way too long and as you say England could still go through having lost every meaningful game.

[RichC]

It's a complete joke part of me actually wants us to get knocked over by Afghanistan or Bangladesh just to cut short us being there.

Interestingly there seems a slight change of tack from the ECB - Colin Graves the ECB Chairman has said the door is not shut op KP returning to the England side; what after realising just how ****ing bad we are

[Chazza]

Given the resources we are easily the worst team in the tournament.

Moores, Saker and Ramprakash can all **** off.

[EwarWoo]

It's a complete joke part of me actually wants us to get knocked over by Afghanistan or Bangladesh just to cut short us being there.

Interestingly there seems a slight change of tack from the ECB - Colin Graves the ECB Chairman has said the door is not shut op KP returning to the England side; what after realising just how ****ing bad we are

Also pointless given he'll be 39 at the next world cup.

[RichC]

Who mentioned the WC?

[EwarWoo]

Thought you were talking about 1 dayers, in which case anything other than the WC is pointless. Well, even more pointless

[RichC]

Could do with him for our ashes side and I'd certainly have him in 2020

[EwarWoo]

I'd definitely have him in our ashes side. But I can't see it whilst Cook is still captain. Though he shouldn't be.

2020 is a long time away, 39 could be too old.

[RichC]

I'd definitely have him in our ashes side. But I can't see it whilst Cook is still captain. Though he shouldn't be.

2020 is a long time away, 39 could be too old.

I mean 20/20 cricket

[EwarWoo]

Even less point than 1 dayers

Bloody entertaining but couldn't give the slightest of ****s how England do in them. Big bash / IPL is far more fun.

At the risk of coming over all Boycott, its not cricket it's just a bit of slap and tickle.

[Buzzo]

The thing is and when you look at Sri Lanka you get a good feel for a team with players who know how to play short format or white ball cricket. I would say KP is the only England player that fully understands what is required to be succesful in this format, so if an ethos is to be introduced who better to do it.

I listened to his interview on SKY yesterday, and despite Charles Colvile trying to get a scoop on a story that had only just broken and is fairly unsubstantiated. He was trying to say would KP be ok with playing county cricket, when few counties could afford to take him. Clearly playing IPL and Big Bash helps develop one day cricket and it is hard to think KP is in it for the money. The most interesting questionwas when he was asked about the current team what he (KP) said at the end was true, that the one thing that worried him was Joe Roots mention of stats and the perception that they had posted a good score.

Watching on SKY it was Colville, Willis and to a lesser extent Butcher who seemed to have issue with Pietersen and how he can make it back. Nick Compton seemed to have no issues at all, he said Pietersen was a great guy to have around the team, and that the way he played and the positivity he has was infections (ok he is SA also )The players Pietersen fell out with are gone, the young players could definitely learn a lot by having Pietersen around. To me a no-brainer, but then the decision to get rid was surely political to begin with. So age doesn't come into it (look at Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara) - I'd have him in the team and involve him in the coaching.

In watching the innings, it was obvious that around the early to middle part of the innings, England should have gone in for the kill, its what NZ, Aus, SA, India would have done - smell blood and then go for it. instead you could tell they were batting for 300 which they felt was going to be a decent score.

Clearly it was a flat pitch.

Clearly Sri Lanka had a chance of chasing the total. The fact they did it so easily underlines how wrong Englands stat based approach was. There is no way McCullum, Gayle OR De Villiers are thinking about stats when they start praying the ball around. So although it was a shocking bowling performance, it equally was a gettable total - and if England had put the hammer down they could have posted a really big total... The problem England also have is that when they approach a game in this way with a more cavalier style, they start shipping wickets. I suspect this is because the test cricket mentality is to the fore and in the DNA of the majority of England cricketers - the one exception - Pietersen. So if England want to fins a way forward in short format cricket he is clearly the man to have around.


England have NZ and Aus coming over in the summer. They also have the makings of a decent team but it is being strangled by the ECB and the selectors. It could be an interesting summer.