SHOWDOWN - SUPER EIGHT - MATCH DAY 24

The last match of the Super Eights will see the hosts playing England. Both teams would be disappointed with the fact that they would not be taking further part int he tournament, especially the Windies. It will a good stage for batsmen like Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brian Lara, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss to leave a mark on this World Cup. This match will be the last international game for Brian Lara, though a few more may be on their way out.

England v/s West Indies
AKG: England
MJV: West Indies

Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi).

SHOWDOWN - SUPER EIGHT - MATCH DAY 23

Since there's no more competition for semi-final berths apart from the the final standings, we decided to do the showdowns for the rest of the Super Eight matches early (also yours truly needed a break). The Kangaroos take on the Kiwis today, and it is surely going to be a battle. New Zealand would be hoping that they can avoid playing the Sri Lankans in the semis, for which they need to win the match for starters. Australia, on the other hand, would also know that Muttiah Muralitharan can easily wreck their chances of a treble.

However, both teams would need to focus on this match first. Shane Bond has troubled Australia in the past and Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming will be hoping that the bowler rises to the occassion. Bond though has looked slightly off-pace though his swing and line have generally been on target. Perhaps being pitted against the tearaway bowler Shaun Tait would spur him to bowl that much quicker.

New Zealand have had successes in the recent past against the Aussies but no one has beaten this side in the World Cup for a good 26 matches. This one should be a thriller, especially if the Aussies are given a target to chase. It would be good preparation for them, though handling Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel well by no way means that the champions are ready to face Murali.

Australia v/s New Zealand
Our predictions:
AKG: New Zealand
MJV: Australia

Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on DD-1, SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi).

SHOWDOWN - SUPER EIGHT - MATCH DAY 22

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).

SHOWDOWN - SUPER EIGHT - MATCH DAY 21

Today's match is only significant as Sri Lanka might just slip to fourth place if they lose to Ireland. Anyways, if Sri Lanka win today or lose by a narrow margin then they are set to most probably face the Kiwis in the semis at Jamaica's Sabina Park. But if the Kiwis complete a shock and convincing rout of the Aussies, then the Lankans are up against Ponting and Co. for the second time in three matches.

Ireland will feature in their last match of he tournament and most of these cricketers will return to their workplaces back home, very well knowing that this World Cup will always be the highpoint of their sporting careers. They bought a sense of joy to this World Cup, and the 'Chicken Dance' is just one of the few examples. Hope the world has one more cricketing nation to look up to.

Ireland v/s Sri Lanka
AKG: Ireland
MJV: Sri Lanka

Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi).

SHOWDOWN - SUPER EIGHT - MATCH DAY 20

Key players won't be rested today. That's because if either England or South Africa lose today's match, they are out of the tournament. Predictions -

England v/s South Africa
AKG: England
MJV: South Africa
Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on DD-1, SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi).

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).

SHOWDOWN - SUPER EIGHT - MATCH DAY 17

The Aussies are through to the semis, and the Kiwis can join them if they manage to hold off another nation from the Southern Hemisphere - South Africa. New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming should play both his spinners unless the wicket is one that overtly favours the quicker bowlers. After all, spin has been the Achilles Heel for the Proteas, both in terms of facing it as well as employing it to their advantage. But today Graeme Smith will be expecting his experienced batsmen in the middle-order to play sensibly against Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel. Maybe, he should be smart enough to use his better batsmen of spin -Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher - when the spin duo comes on to bowl and leave Gibbs and Kallis for the big hitting towards the end.

The Kiwis will be looking to Shane Bond to pick up the early wickets before they can bring on the slower bowlers to squeeze the South African batsmen into making mistakes. However, Fleming will still be worried about the form of his batsmen. Though the South African new-ball attack of Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini has not done much damage of late, they still have the potential to wreck the Kiwi batting. Our predictions follow:

New Zealand v/s South Africa
AKG: New Zealand. They have looked far better this tournament than the Graeme Smith's side.
MJV: South Africa. If not for their ability, than more for having a "showdown" with Ashok. However, they still do not seem good enough to be World champions.

Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi).

SHOWDOWN - SUPER EIGHT - MATCH DAY 16

It's Friday the 13th, and Ashok is looking forward to Ireland shocking Australia. Mathew realises it's the Aussies and feels that it's a good chance for Hussey and Symonds to make big scores.

Australia v/s Ireland
AKG: Ireland
MJV: Australia
Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi).

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).

SHOWDOWN - SUPER EIGHT - MATCH DAY 13

Hosts West Indies take on the recently dethroned World No. 1 team South Africa in a crucial encounter today. The Windies desperately need a win to stay alive in the tournament, while another loss for South Africa after the defeat to Bangladesh will add to the excitement in the scramble for semi-final berths. However, South Africa face a stern test against the West Indies. When it comes to big tournaments such as the World Cup and the Champions Trophy, the Proteas have come a cropper against the men from the Caribbean. Lara and Co. will be hoping to once again squeeze out a win against the 'chokers.' Below are our predictions for today -

South Africa v/s West Indies
AKG: South Africa. They will definitely bounce back from the Bangladesh loss. The Windies better watch out.
MJV: West Indies. The time is ripe for the hosts to revive their chances of winning a World Cup. A victory would surely electrify the atmosphere in the islands.

Match starts at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi).

SHOWDOWN - SUPER EIGHT - MATCH DAY 12

Sorry, we are running a bit late the last couple of days but today's delay was thanks to Blogger throwing up tantrums. Anyways, let's get to the point. With Australia all but booking their place in the semi-finals, their Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand will be hoping to do the same with a win over Ireland today. Here's our predictions for today.

Ireland v/s New Zealand
AKG: Ireland
MJV: New Zealand

Match scheduled to start at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English), SAB TV (Hindi) and DD-1.

SHOWDOWN - SUPER EIGHT - MATCHDAY 1

The Super Eight begins today, without two big names, India and Pakistan. But the intense rivalry will go on regardless. The astute oracles that we are, we have been proved otherwise in the last few days. This is a chance for redemption. The red hot Australians are making their opponents dance, but will the Windies follow suit? The Windies have home support and a certain Chris Gayle, along with the post-wicket celebration guru, Dwayne Bravo , which could be deterrents to the Aussie arsenal. Both the predictors, Ashok and Mathew think, and pray that the Windies win today!!

1900 IST on SET MAX (English) and SAB TV (Hindi).

Showdown - Matchday Eleven

Today's the big one. India have to beat Sri Lanka to qualify for the next round. West Indies will take on Ireland in the other match of the day; the Irish will be hoping that an upset win this time around won't have similar repercussions as the last one. Though both the teams have qualified for the next stage, this match is important as two points to be carried forward to the next stage are up for grabs.

So, as usual, our showdown for today.

India v/s Sri Lanka
AKG and MJV: India
Match starts at 1900 IST on SET MAX (English), SAB TV (Hindi) and DD-1.

Ireland v/s West Indies
AKG and MJV: West Indies
Match starts at 2000 IST on PIX.

Showdown - Matchday Ten

Our contributors once again have a go at stretching their powers of prediction.
Netherlands v/s Scotland
AKG: Scotland
MJV: Netherlands
Match starts at 19:00 IST on SAB TV.

Canada v/s New Zealand
AKG and MJV: New Zealand
Match starts at 19:00 IST on SET MAX.

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.

Twenty20 World Cup Draw

Inaugural Twenty20 World Cup Draw

Group A
Bangladesh
South Africa
West Indies

Group B
Australia
England
Zimbabwe

Group C
Kenya
New Zealand
Sri Lanka

Group D
India
Pakistan
Scotland

Venues: Kingsmead, Durban; Newlands, Cape Town; and Wanderers, Johannesburg.
Duration: September 11-24, 2007.

Showdown - Matchday Eight

Indian fans may have heaved more than a sigh of relief following the win over Bermuda yesterday. The West Indies also won their encounter against Zimbabwe, thus booking their place in the next round.

In today's matches, Scotland take on South Africa and New Zealand take on Kenya.

Scotland v/s South Africa
AKG and MJV: South Africa
Match starts at 19:00 IST on SAB TV.

Kenya v New Zealand
AKG: New Zealand.
MJV: Kenya.
Match starts at 19:00 IST on SET MAX.

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....

Poll - Predict this year's Champion

Vote Now - Who will win this year's Cricket World Cup?

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.’