Ireland played their last match of the Cup yesterday and today's match will be the last for Bangladesh. They are up against the West Indies, a team that will be looking to salvage some pride after their disastrous run in the Super Eight stage. It will be interesting to see the line-up for the Windies, if skipper Brian Lara will play or not. Wish Lara steps up and lights up this World Cup with his brilliance, even though it will be a little too late.
Our predictions:
Bangladesh v/s West Indies
AKG: West Indies
MJV: Bangladesh. If they bat first, a score of around 200 would be a fighting total to defend once their three left-armers come on to bowl. The shot selection of some of their batsmen, including the classy Mohammed Ashraful, is awful. Aftab Ahmed is a dozen runs and done kind of batsman at the moment.
Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi).
Showing posts with label Bangladesh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bangladesh. Show all posts
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
SHOWDOWN - SUPER EIGHT - MATCH DAY 18
The clash of the 'minnows' the scribes call it, also a watered-down version for those fans who were expecting a Indo-Pak clash. This match for sure won't be short on enthusiasm or the competitive spirit. Had the Bangladeshi batsmen put on more runs on the board against England, perhaps this match would have assumed even more significance. If they fail today and lose, it would be a disappointment since they are the higher-ranked team. Also, it would nullify the positives of defeating India and South Africa. On the other hand, Ireland could become the 12th team on the ICC's one-day rankings if they beat Bangladesh today. And their best chance to register their first win in this stage would be against Bangladesh.
Our predictions:
Bangladesh v/s Ireland
AKG: Ireland
MJV: Bangladesh
Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi).
Our predictions:
Bangladesh v/s Ireland
AKG: Ireland
MJV: Bangladesh
Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi).
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
SHOWDOWN - SUPER EIGHT- MATCH DAY 14
Today's game should be an interesting one. Bangladesh take on England at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Our quick predictions for today -
Bangladesh v/s England
AKG: England
MJV: Bangladesh
Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi).
Bangladesh v/s England
AKG: England
MJV: Bangladesh
Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi).
Thursday, April 5, 2007
SHOWDOWN - SUPER EIGHT - MATCH DAY 10
Here's our predictions for today.
Bangladesh v/s South Africa
AKG: South Africa
MJV: Bangladesh
Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi). Do check DD-1 as well.
Bangladesh v/s South Africa
AKG: South Africa
MJV: Bangladesh
Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi). Do check DD-1 as well.
Monday, April 2, 2007
SHOWDOWN - SUPER EIGHT - MATCH DAY 7
Bangladesh will be hoping to repeat their win in the warm-ups over New Zealand at Antigua today.
Bangladesh v/s New Zealand
Our predictions for today.
AKG: New Zealand
MJV: Bangladesh, though the head still favours the Kiwis. I hope Tamim Iqbal does well; the young lad is wonderful to watch or perhaps it was the shoddy Indian bowling that made him look like a wristy Saeed Anwar with the strong arms of a Jayasuriya.
Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi). Not sure about DD-1, but do check when Bangladesh or Sri Lanka are playing.
Bangladesh v/s New Zealand
Our predictions for today.
AKG: New Zealand
MJV: Bangladesh, though the head still favours the Kiwis. I hope Tamim Iqbal does well; the young lad is wonderful to watch or perhaps it was the shoddy Indian bowling that made him look like a wristy Saeed Anwar with the strong arms of a Jayasuriya.
Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi). Not sure about DD-1, but do check when Bangladesh or Sri Lanka are playing.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Showdown - Matchday Thirteen
The last match of the group stages shall see Bangladesh take on Bermuda.
Our prediction:
Bangladesh v/s Bermuda
AKG and MJV: Bangladesh. If Bermuda does, Mathew thinks India will win the World Cup.
Match starts at 1900 IST on SET MAX.
Our prediction:
Bangladesh v/s Bermuda
AKG and MJV: Bangladesh. If Bermuda does, Mathew thinks India will win the World Cup.
Match starts at 1900 IST on SET MAX.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Showdown - Matchday Nine
A bereaved Pakistan take on Zimbabwe in Jamaica while a buoyant Bangladesh will be looking to stun Sri Lanka at the Queen's Park Oval in today's World Cup matches.
Here are our predictions for today.
Pakistan v/s Zimbabwe
AKG: Pakistan
MJV: Zimbabwe
Match starts at 20:00 IST on SAB TV.
Bangladesh v/s Sri Lanka
AKG: Sri Lanka
MJV: Bangladesh
Match starts at 19:00 IST on SET MAX.
Mathew seems to be on a minnow-supporting spree. We shall get back soon with the scores so far for both our contributors.
Here are our predictions for today.
Pakistan v/s Zimbabwe
AKG: Pakistan
MJV: Zimbabwe
Match starts at 20:00 IST on SAB TV.
Bangladesh v/s Sri Lanka
AKG: Sri Lanka
MJV: Bangladesh
Match starts at 19:00 IST on SET MAX.
Mathew seems to be on a minnow-supporting spree. We shall get back soon with the scores so far for both our contributors.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Showdown - Matchday Six
The minnows will not repeat yesterday's events. Thats what both Mathew and Ashok feel. The reason is that the past days events would have made England and Australia double their efforts at annihilation.
Both of us went completely wrong yesterday. The Irish have handed the Pakistani's a rough exit on a day which bristled with the seminal Irish occasion.... St.Patrick's Day.. which we forgot to mention. The Bangladeshi's whipped India, on a day when their energy was amazing, and the Indians looked very sluggish with a Real Madrid like feel about them. Rather play for a winning team than be a member of a higher earning team....
Both of us went completely wrong yesterday. The Irish have handed the Pakistani's a rough exit on a day which bristled with the seminal Irish occasion.... St.Patrick's Day.. which we forgot to mention. The Bangladeshi's whipped India, on a day when their energy was amazing, and the Indians looked very sluggish with a Real Madrid like feel about them. Rather play for a winning team than be a member of a higher earning team....
The Minnows Strike Back
Mathew J. Varghese
I think we have all lost count of the number of detractors who would have shot down the so-called ‘minnows’ over the last one month. I hope all those who made that statement have learnt a lesson for good after watching yesterday’s matches.
Every Indian supporter will crib over the team’s bad performance; Sehwag should be sent back home blah blah…. But anyone who watched the game without the ‘patriotic’ fervour would have easily seen the difference between the two teams. Bangladesh played like a professional side all through out. Their attitude was positive to say the least, best exemplified by Mashrafe Mortaza’s opening spell, Tamim Iqbal’s aggressive and attractive strokeplay and above all, the team’s daunting presence while on the field. Skipper Habibul Bashar’s prophetic words on the eve of the match was no empty-handed threat. Bangladesh are pretty similar to what Sri Lanka were in the 1996 World Cup, and under the guidance of the same coach. Though I would still not predict anything drastic, as this time’s World Cup is hardly similar to the one in 1996, as far as the schedules go.
Talking about schedules, many blamed the long duration of this World Cup on the fact that the ICC had to accomodate minnows. The 2006 Football World Cup with 32 teams has double the number of teams than what its far-less popular equivalent in cricket has and yet finishes within a month’s time. The group stages in both tournaments see the teams divided in groups of 4 each, with the top two making it through to the next round. However, while the Football World Cup enters a frantic knockout mode after the opening group phase, the ICC since the 1999 World Cup has had a lousy round-robin league for the second phase as well, with the top four making it to the semi-finals.
This is reflected in the schedules as well. While the first stage of this World Cup is from March 13- March 25, the ‘Super Eight’ stage (which was the Super Six in 2003 and 1999) is from March 27 to April 21, after which follows the semis and the finals. When the 'Super Six' was introduced in 1999, many felt it was a backdoor attempt to ensure the sub-continental teams India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were involved for most of the tournament, as that’s where the event will be most followed. Well, has it worked? Pakistan has crashed out in the first stages of this World Cup as well, to add to their ignominious exit in 2003. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka could also put an end to the sport’s biggest revenue-spinner - India.
The minnows have already proved their might at this World Cup. Bangladesh and Ireland have perhaps already accounted for the quota of probable upsets that were bound to occur. One needs to wait and watch if they can make it through to the next round, and if other teams such as Kenya and Zimbabwe can be in the reckoning. As far as Bangladesh pulling off an upset like Sri Lanka did in 1996, I would again say the scheduling perhaps will deny them the chance. Sri Lanka went easily through the group phases thanks to the forfeits by Australia and West Indies then and had three knockout matches that they won to clinch it. However, Bangladesh faces a far sterner test as they need to go through the Super Eight as well. Though one must note that Sri Lanka were unbeaten in that tournament, defeating India twice and Australia in the finals. This Bangladesh side has to now prove the recents wins are no one-off affairs like the one against Australia in 2005, and that they can display the ability shown yesterday with a fair amount of consistency.
The Indian team will be worried for sure, but I am waiting to see how many of the ‘big teams’ may have to pack their bags early thanks to the ‘might of the minnows.’
I think we have all lost count of the number of detractors who would have shot down the so-called ‘minnows’ over the last one month. I hope all those who made that statement have learnt a lesson for good after watching yesterday’s matches.
Every Indian supporter will crib over the team’s bad performance; Sehwag should be sent back home blah blah…. But anyone who watched the game without the ‘patriotic’ fervour would have easily seen the difference between the two teams. Bangladesh played like a professional side all through out. Their attitude was positive to say the least, best exemplified by Mashrafe Mortaza’s opening spell, Tamim Iqbal’s aggressive and attractive strokeplay and above all, the team’s daunting presence while on the field. Skipper Habibul Bashar’s prophetic words on the eve of the match was no empty-handed threat. Bangladesh are pretty similar to what Sri Lanka were in the 1996 World Cup, and under the guidance of the same coach. Though I would still not predict anything drastic, as this time’s World Cup is hardly similar to the one in 1996, as far as the schedules go.
Talking about schedules, many blamed the long duration of this World Cup on the fact that the ICC had to accomodate minnows. The 2006 Football World Cup with 32 teams has double the number of teams than what its far-less popular equivalent in cricket has and yet finishes within a month’s time. The group stages in both tournaments see the teams divided in groups of 4 each, with the top two making it through to the next round. However, while the Football World Cup enters a frantic knockout mode after the opening group phase, the ICC since the 1999 World Cup has had a lousy round-robin league for the second phase as well, with the top four making it to the semi-finals.
This is reflected in the schedules as well. While the first stage of this World Cup is from March 13- March 25, the ‘Super Eight’ stage (which was the Super Six in 2003 and 1999) is from March 27 to April 21, after which follows the semis and the finals. When the 'Super Six' was introduced in 1999, many felt it was a backdoor attempt to ensure the sub-continental teams India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were involved for most of the tournament, as that’s where the event will be most followed. Well, has it worked? Pakistan has crashed out in the first stages of this World Cup as well, to add to their ignominious exit in 2003. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka could also put an end to the sport’s biggest revenue-spinner - India.
The minnows have already proved their might at this World Cup. Bangladesh and Ireland have perhaps already accounted for the quota of probable upsets that were bound to occur. One needs to wait and watch if they can make it through to the next round, and if other teams such as Kenya and Zimbabwe can be in the reckoning. As far as Bangladesh pulling off an upset like Sri Lanka did in 1996, I would again say the scheduling perhaps will deny them the chance. Sri Lanka went easily through the group phases thanks to the forfeits by Australia and West Indies then and had three knockout matches that they won to clinch it. However, Bangladesh faces a far sterner test as they need to go through the Super Eight as well. Though one must note that Sri Lanka were unbeaten in that tournament, defeating India twice and Australia in the finals. This Bangladesh side has to now prove the recents wins are no one-off affairs like the one against Australia in 2005, and that they can display the ability shown yesterday with a fair amount of consistency.
The Indian team will be worried for sure, but I am waiting to see how many of the ‘big teams’ may have to pack their bags early thanks to the ‘might of the minnows.’
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