Posted by Much as we enjoy writing about administrative staff, what they think and what they may or may not have meant when they said something in an interview, we rather feel that the World Cup is a time for writing about actual cricket.
Colin Graves has said some things, the ECB have said some different things in faceless, Borg-like fashion and Kevin Pietersen has expressed enthusiasm, as he is wont to do. While all of this may amount to something one day, it isn’t all that meaningful right now. A whole bunch of things would have to happen in the correct sequence before there could be any impact on a cricket match and lest anyone forget, cricket is about cricket matches.
Cricket-wise, South Africa’s huge score against Ireland changes nothing in our eyes. They have a couple of exceptional batsmen, some middling ones and a long tail. We still think they’re vulnerable.
Pakistan play the UAE tonight and could, quite honestly, lose. We say this only because they appear to be even worse than England and England certainly seem in the market for a mugging; ambling about the dangerous part of town with a bulging wallet tucked precariously in a back pocket.
In the other match, Australia play Afghanistan. There shouldn’t be an upset there, but it could provide some exceptionally entertaining moments.
The bowling shows up Ireland’s lack of depth sadly – they might have been a different proposition if they had Murtagh (injured) and Rankin (anglicised) available.
I do wonder how they’d fare as a Test nation. To be honest they can’t be too far away, at least in comparison to the state of various other countries when they were accorded Test status. Obviously there is the commercial issue of whether Test cricket could draw a decent crowd either in Belfast or Dublin, but thinking just about what happens on the field, that lack of bowling depth could produce some painful results over five days play. Four day Tests, with suitable over rates, might actually be better suited for associates on both counts.
On the other hand, New Zealand cricket does pretty well with a similar population to Ireland (and fewer Kiwi-ancestry/diaspora players they could borrow from elsewhere) and a similar situation as a minority sport.
South Africa’s scores are going up, but the rate of inflation is falling alarmingly. from 177 vs Ind to 408 vs WI, an increase of 130.5%, to 411 vs Ire, an mere 0.7% increment, demonstrates that as with many real-world economies, they are flirting dangerously with the spectre of deflation – a nightmarish spiral from which escape is very difficult. All of which bodes nicely for the possible meeting with England in the QF, when under Japanese-style deflation, the 230 we’d do well to limp to might just be the new 370.
I know an economician who specializes in global financitics who’d wholeheartedly agree with your thesis.
Strangely, I spent the afternoon at this:
http://www.longfinance.net/events/long-finance-conferences.html?id=893
Not quite sure what the Shimomuran amendment to the Duckworth-Lewis system might be, but I’ll give the matter the degree of deep thought it deserves.
I don’t understand why you think Aus vs Afg wouldn’t provide an upset. I for one would be genuinely upset if Afghanistan get beaten.
I am sorry, your majesty but if the ECB and ICC have proven anything in the past few years, cricket is about selling broadcast rights, selling over-priced, over-watered beer and slagging off most productive batsman to represent this country.
If anything, cricket matches are a hindrance to the core mission- building a vast tower into which enough gold can be stacked that a family of greedy ducks start to swim in it.
When does the tournament proper start?
Has anyone else been irritated by the talking dachshund in the Sky TV ads?
And has anyone else noticed that the Tony Hancock impersonation voice, which was the most annoying feature, has, in the past few days, subtly been changed to a bland voice?
The bland voice is slightly less irritating than the Hancock voice, but the anthropomorphic conceit/construct of the ad series is its main failing. In the absence of the ghastly voice, my irritation is now focussed on that hopeless construct.
I am so glad I have got that off my chest.
One, the dog appears to hate cricket. He’s glad when it’s ‘over’ which is INFURIATING because the stupid hound clearly doesn’t understand the sport. He confuses the end of an over with the entire match being over. If that is your grasp on proceedings WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE, YOU CANINE SHIT?
Two, there only seem to be about two different versions of the ad. When the ad plays at the start and end of every ad break in a cricket match which lasts most of a day, two ads is not nearly enough to keep things interesting. In fact, it becomes very, very irritating, very, very quickly indeed and only becomes more irritating with every reappearance.
I couldn’t agree more, KC.
The very thought of anthropomorphic mammals showing indifference to cricket makes my blood boil.
Come the revolution…
Don’t worry, Ged, somewhere I have a poor-quality, overexposed photo of my cat being quite interested in some cricket highlights, I think it was when India were 8/4 in a test match at some point last year. I could post it now or keep it in reserve for when you really need it?
My dog is on her final warning re any disagreeable cricket comments. Its hard to take this WC stuff seriously. I watched Amla in a semi stupor only because I wonder what he keeps in his beard. Or what he could keep in his beard.
Shaiman Anwar just top-scored again. I wonder who has the record for most consecutive top scores in ODIs.
Australia have made a real meal of getting to 400 against the Afghans, and Clarke just doesn’t seem to know his best batting position. They look like a side in crisis alright and ripe for the picking.
Yes, if we can keep them to 399 or less in future we may be able to lose by as few as 200 runs.
If Gary Ballance can no longer rely upon their potential to ensure their ODI place, they might wish to study the work of Juan Roman Riquelme and play more matches in Argentina and suchlike so that they become identified with successive waves of youth prospects, a phenomenon which would doubtless be effective in England cricket now that English cricket is in conflict about how important T20 is and whether football might be better cricket and indeed whether KC isn’t already a football blog out of sheer arrogance.