Topsy turvy World Cup

Surprises and upsets have surfaced at the ICC World Twenty 20 India 2016. Some of the jack in the boxes included India being bowled all out for 79 to lose to New Zealand by 47 runs, New Zealand defending 142 against the mighty Australians, and England chasing a whopping 229 against South Africa. Furthermore, surprise qualifiers Afghanistan nearly beat Sri Lanka, and gave South Africa a run for their money in their group matches. Overwhelming pride felt by some fans has been reflected by heart-break in others. In the end, some teams will progress and others will not. It appears that some highly-ranked countries might not make the cut this time, but that does not make the show any less exhilarating.

Image from www.wikipedia.org

Right now it is anybody's guess how things will turn out. Teams attaining high scores are not necessarily defending them. And teams slugging out meagre totals are pulling rabbits out of hats to everyone's astonishment. In my opinion, West Indies look like the strongest team at the moment, proving themselves with bat, ball and in the field. New Zealand have also proven that they are title contenders, with great performances. The three that usually make the top of the favourites list – India, Australia and South Africa – have fallen behind. India and Australia have both lost matches that should not have been lost. South Africa's bowlers lack confidence and discipline. They gave 26 extras away against England!

Champions Sri Lanka do not look as good as they used to. It seems that as time goes by, Sri Lanka's bowling attack gets weaker. It is hard to expect that their current bowlers could follow on from where Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas left off. Pakistan are not as good as they were a few years ago – without Saeed Ajmal or Younis Khan.

Whatever happens, I believe this World Cup will be entertaining for all. And a little drama never hurt anyone.

A giant cricketing clash

India will soon host South Africa for a cricketing tour that will last a lengthy 72 days, including three T20s, five One Day Internationals and four Test Matches. The extensive contest between two of the world's top teams will be one of the most exciting of the season. The tour starts on 2 October with the T20 series.

According to ICC rankings, in T20s India is fourth in the world and South Africa is sixth. In ODIs, India is second and SA is third. In Tests, SA is first, and India is fifth. Therefore, across all formats SA has an average ranking of 3.33 and India averages 3.67. Both teams are very strong. The tour should be a close affair.

While India is very strong in its batting, with the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and MS Dhoni, it is weaker in the bowling department, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar the only bowlers we should worry about.

AB de Villiers is the highest-ranked ODI batsman while Virat Kohli is the highest ranked T20 batsman. photo from www.worldcup2015livestreaming.com

South Africa is good in both departments, as I have mentioned before. AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla will have a point to prove, being two of the best batsmen in the world (AB is the best in my mind, at number one in ODIs and two in Tests). Dale Steyn will again come firing, while Vernon Philander will look to make a strong comeback in his performances.

But playing in India is never easy. We have lost many series there, and again India will come at us hard, with belief that they can win. I think that India will win the T20 series. We should pip India in the Test series, but the ODI series could go either way.

A surprise in the jungle

A ferocious monster now lurks in the dense jungles of Bangladesh, as Pakistanis, Indians and now South Africans can attest to. For decades, the beast that prowled the small Asian country, was too small to catch substantial prey. Its teeth were blunt and its fangs too short. But sometime in the last three months, this creature underwent a metamorphosis, changing into something far scarier.

Photo from http://nancynwilson.com/work-at-home

This beast has developed a greater appetite, as well as the means with which to catch and kill larger prey. Soon this new appetite will force the creature to go hunting overseas.

I am talking, of course, of an awakening in the Bangladesh cricket team. ODI series victories against Pakistan, India and South Africa are demonstrative of an ascension in the Tigers. Not only has the arrival of wonder-kids Mustafizur Rahman (in bowling) and Soumya Sarkar (in batting) bolstered the team, but every other player seems to be playing twice as well as he did before. The result is impressive.

No longer will Bangladesh be seen as the underdogs, or the easy win. International teams will have to completely rethink how they plan to beat the Tigers.

I will conclude with three questions:

- How long will this show of form last?

- Couldn't the Tigers have improved before the World Cup in February and March?

- Will they pick themselves up after an inevitable setback in the future?

Fans of the Tigers have much to celebrate at the moment. Photo from http://bangladeshcricket.com

SA on course in the World Cup

The Proteas are on course to do well in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. We may have only played one match so far, but the way we performed bodes well. We beat Zimbabwe by 62 runs on 15 February. It was through brilliant centuries by David Miller (138 off 92 balls not out) and JP Duminy (115 off 100 not out), an excellent bowling performance by Imran Tahir (three wickets for 36 runs) and fielding by AB de Villiers (three catches and a run out).

David Miller scored 138 not out to help the Proteas to a win against Zimbabwe. Photo taken from www.2015-icccricketworldcup.com

We scored 339–4 in our 50 overs and Zimbabwe did well to reach 277 all out. It was a tough game, but a good one because we were tested in all departments and passed with flying colours. When batting, we lost wickets early, but recovered to set a great score. When bowling, we were made to work hard for our wickets and were disciplined (although we gave 22 extras). The Zimbabweans had to work for their runs. Then in the field, our only dropped catches went down because they were incredibly difficult ones to take. AB de Villiers took one of the best catches I have seen to dismiss Solomon Mire.

Our next match will be played against India on 22 February. India recently beat Pakistan by 76 runs and their morale will be very high. They are a great team and will be very difficult to beat. Then we will play the West Indies on 27 February. The Windies recently lost to Ireland by four wickets, and their morale will be low. However, they will be determined to progress through the group stage, and will play hard against us.

Solution to India's wicketkeeper problem

The recent retirement of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (33) from Test cricket will likely be a blow to Indian cricket. Dhoni was formerly the Test captain, and a good wicketkeeper. He is a competitive but well-mannered, calm man, who one cannot help but respect. His aggression with the bat is well known, and he will probably destroy several bowling attacks in One Day Internationals and T20 Internationals for at least one more year.

A great wicketkeeper will be needed to fill the shoes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Photo from www.linkedin.com

But his calling time on Test cricket came a big surprise to many. Although Virat Kohli has been made the new Test captain, no suitable replacement wicketkeeper has been groomed yet. Here is a solution I propose of how the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should respond to the wicketkeeper gap Dhoni leaves behind.

1. Allow Wriddhiman Saha to fill the gap until the World Cup. The 30-year-old wicketkeeper is in the Test side but has not performed well in internationals yet. His age and poor performances leaves me to think that he should act only as a temporary replacement until the World Cup is over early next year, so that a suitable replacement can be slowly introduced in all three formats of the game.

2. Consider the 'Tried Alreadies'. Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel are all good wicketkeeper batsmen with some international experience. However, all three are 29 years old and the expiry dates on their international careers are sooner than one might like. The BCCI should consider them, as they at least deserve consideration, but then move on to better alternatives.

3. Consider the 'We Could Try Hims'. Ambati Rayudu (29) is a very good batsman who occasionally puts on the gloves. He could be persuaded to do so on a permanent basis. If he agrees and performs well he could be an effective wicketkeeper for a few years. But...

Sanju Samson (20) is the Quinton de Kock of India. He is a young, attacking batsman who has already hurt his country's best bowlers domestically. I think he would be the best long-term replacement for Dhoni in all formats. From what I have seen of him in the Indian Premiere League, he has the big match temperament and confidence that could see him go far. His domestic statistics are not great, but it is a tad early to judge them. I believe that he could easily be India's best wicketkeeper batsman in a few years.

Sanju Samson may be the solution to the wicketkeeper problem in India. Photo from www.sportskeeda.com

Sachin

In a game where false starts can end your international career before it really gets going.

In a game where media scrutiny and public criticism can smother one's self-confidence to the point of paralysis.

In a game where foul play and match-fixing abound and honesty is unexpected.

One man stood up as a shining symbol.




Image taken from http://htmlgiant.com.

 
Sachin tendulkar (40) stood up to the challenges of cricket and prevailed as a symbol of skill, resilience and integrity.
 

Image taken from http://sportsupdate360.blogspot.com.

Image taken from www.hdwallpapersinn.com.





Image taken from http://tendulkar.co.in.

Sachin Tendulkar is one of the best batsman the world has ever seen. He is the leading run scorer in tests and ODIs. He has scored 15,921 runs in tests at an average of  53.78, including 51 centuries and a best of 248*. He has scored 18,426 runs in ODIs at an average of 44.83, including 49 centuries and a best of 200*.
 
His ODI 200* was scored at the age of 36 against South Africa on 24 February 2010 and was the first ODI double century. Since then Virender Sehwag (219) and Rohit Sharma (209) have passed Tendulkar. 
 
A myriad of Tendulkar records can be seen on his website (http://tendulkar.co.in/) and at http://www.thatscricket.com/india/players/sr-tendulkar.html. My favourite is that he has the record for most number of man of matches and man of series in ODIs and man of matches in world cups; because that shows how superior he is to other players.
 
Tendulkar was just as good away from India. He scored a record 8,705 runs in tests away from home, including a record 29 centuries. He scored 3,630 test runs at an average of 55.00 in Australia.
 
Tendulkar began his career at the age of 16 and was the third youngest player to make a test debut. He then played international cricket for 24 years. As his records show, he was a brilliant batsman. As a bowler Tendulkar also took 46 wickets in tests (ave. 54.17) and 154 wickets in ODIs (ave. 44.48).

Image taken from www.examiner.com.

 

As a person Tendulkar showed integrity and humility right up until his departing speech, thanking and honouring everyone involved in his development in cricket. He began his speech by thanking his father.
 
Cricket South Africa Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said of Tendulkar, "Sachin has been one of the best role models the game of cricket could have ever wished for... we would all love our children to play the game in the same spirit that he does... I would argue there is no better modern cricketer in the complete sense than Sachin Tendulkar."
 
The few controversies Tendulkar was involved in can be found here http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130424/sports-cricket/article/controversies-involving-sachin.

I believe that Virat Kohli will be the next super-batsman, not just for India but for world cricket.

Can SA win the last Champions Trophy?

Clearly not... This is what one may have thought after the Proteas lost to Pakistan by six wickets in a warm up match and then to India by 26 runs in the first game of this year's (and the last) ICC Champions Trophy. However, since then the Proteas beat Pakistan by 67 runs and tied with the West Indies. This means South Africa is through to the semi finals.

As a South African cricket fan I can't deny that this tournament has suddenly become very interesting to me. Can we go all the way? Do we have what it takes? Equally important is the question: do the SA players have the hunger to win? 

None of the other teams have shown the consistency that India have displayed. Regardless, it takes four teams to make two semi-finals. Four teams have a chance for glory, to win the last Champions Trophy. 

The Proteas' performance has been up-and-down lately, but there has been an improvement. The team suffered the loss of Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn. However Steyn is back and the others have been replaced. I believe Chris Morris has brought more dynamism to the team than there was before. 

I have been thinking recently about what is more important to a sports team: talent or hunger to win. Skill is not everything, but an average person cannot walk onto a sports field and excel. Both are required. India look like they have both, and Shikhar Dhawan is playing absolutely brilliantly. They must be the favourites to win the tournament.

Shikhar Dhawan (27) scored his maiden ODI century against SA on 6 June. He was awarded the man of the match, scoring 114 (94). Nice picture. It was taken from http://www.espncricinfo.com.

However, for the Proteas Ryan McLaren has been quite good and consistent, and our bowling and batting attacks are both looking more determined and clinical with each game. Colin Ingram's 73 off 63 deliveries against the West Indies stands out for me as a demonstration that South Africa are still fighting. His man of the match performance, especially coming from a man who has not been very authoritative in his batting lately, reveals that the team wants to win and, as I can't think of a better way of saying it, will transform themselves, sacrifice their comfort, to do what they must to win. It is possible SA can do it.

It was nice seeing Colin Ingram (27) play so confidently and aggressively against the West Indies on 14 June. Image taken from http://www.espncricinfo.com

We are less consistent than India right now, but recent displays and the fact that some of our brilliant players have been dormant means that our true potential has yet to be realised in this competition. Has everyone forgotten that we have the two best batsmen in the world in ODIs, at least according to the last rankings I saw, and the best bowler in tests? On a side note, who would have thought that after two games Australia would be at the bottom of group A (which consists of NZ, ENG and SRI)?

If anyone is a soccer/football fan the Confederations Cup should be good. Brazil look great, I will probably support them and Nigeria.