Who Will be World Champion of Cricket ?

re: #54 by rsridhar

The world cup itinerary was finalized many months ago, remember?. At that time India wasn`t sure if it would qualify for the Super Six at all.
Despite fear of losing, India didn`t want to simply forfeit its 4 points to Pakistan. Pre-tournament calculations are always cautious and nervous.

Once the world cup started, India couldn`t boycott the Pakistan game even if it wanted to. Such political decisions are made before the start of the tournament, not after it has commenced. So your argument of India ``making a political statement by choosing to play Pakistan`` is a cold turkey!

To play or not to play was not a choice at that late stage in the tournament.

#58 by rsridhar

no Pakistan dont have a proper cricket team, but what India loosing final against Australia has to do with Pakistani cricket team? India was aiming to win the worldcup or it was all about beating Pakistan?

common, you are not one of those Indian who obsessed with Pakistan and compare everything with it?

Latest team rankings issued.

Austrlia is at top, South Africa at seconed and Pakistan is on third. Due to good performance in worldcup India advanced from number 8 to 5.

#55 by nawaid
Alright, i concede to your argument. India is the second best team in the world. Australians are the best. They whipped us in the finals. Are yu happy now?
Question to you. Does Pak have a cricket team today?
BTW, South Africa pulled out of sharjah. Srilanka sooner or later will. Pakis can play among themselves to their heart`s content and reminisce about the good old days.
Sridhar

re:#57 by Keb-?-
Thanks for your post and informative comments.
Sridhar

rsridhar: It indeed does seem disheartening at times that we dont do well in other sports, but I think we should be bold enough to face the fact that we are just not built mentally or physically to be great sportsmen. But still I guess things are changing. Very slowly but changing nonetheless. Chennai is now a regular stop on the ATP tour, golfers are coming up in the remote small towns, the athletics contingent did remarkably well in the Commonwealth games and reasonably well in the Asian games, Indian shooters have started to make themselves counted in the world areana, and other such small things. All this is happening because cricket has got just too expensive for some sponsors and they dont mind to expirement a bit and also a little bit of help from the government and of course because of general appreciation of sporting talents in the country. Agreed it is no where near the stupendous progress made by the Chinese, but then again it boils down to the fact that we are Indians. We would rather churn out 10 engineers than 1 swimmer. We would rather have 50 engineering colleges in a state than one Olympic sized pool in a state.

And all those arguing about what why Indian government doesnt allow the cricket team to play the Pakis, I dont think any of you have got it right. Its plain and simple, the two countries are in a conflict, perhaps not explicitly, but still nobody can argue with the fact. Neither country will let go of any chance to hurt the other`s interests if it can. The Indian team not playing Pakistan has hurt the Pakistani team very badly. It has hurt the sponsorships, and also the TV rights money which forms the main part of the Board`s income these days. From being amongst the richest boards along with India after the 1996 World Cup today the Pakistani board is in dire straits financially. It was one of the first board to sign one of the most biased contract for the players for the World Cup, while the Indians were able to get the contract changed specifically for themselves and signed it on their terms. And with money drying out it has invariably affected the talent in the team. They are now more interested for playing out of the country rather than for their country. Can anyone imagine Wasim Akram saying that they struggled to make even the 11 for the game for most matches even two years back. And now with no other country either willing to come to Pakistan things are only getting worse. Does anyone really think that Mushy and that other General in charge of the Pakistan Board are such great sport lovers to beg the Indian govt to let the two teams play. Every body knows there is no other team that can help Pakistani cricket as much as the Indian team can.

re:#48 by HisExcellency
Guys,
I do not care about cricket in India or pakistan. I live in US and hardly see any cricket. I saw the India Cricket match on VCR after the match was over. I was amazed at the team effort of India. Pak played well but was outperformed by India just as it was by Australia during the finals.

I know cricket is religon in India and more than religion ( a matter of honor and dignity) in Pak. I saw a gentleman (a Paki muslim, the bearded one, if you know what i mean) among the Paki supporters in that match between India and Pak. This man was fervently appealing to Allah (with his outstretched hands heavenwards) to grant Pakistan victory. His lips were feverishly reciting some Qoranic verses. It was an amusing sight. In the end, the better team won.
The same goes for India. A lot of Indians prayed for India during the India-Australia match. Still, the better team won.
Conclusion: Allah does not interfere with the mundane affairs of human beings!
India does not play (rightly so) Pakistan because board of cricket there has been taken over by military men (or ex-genearals). India has aversion to ex-Paki generals.
There is truly a lot of anti-Pakistani sentiments among general public in India. If you take an opinion poll, i am sure most Indians would vote for India not playing aganist Pak. GOI is only following public sentiments.
Besides, i am intrigued for the following reasons:
1. If Pak team is that good, why does the present Paki cricket board not simply say: well, this was a one time bad performance. Our boys are good. Let us persist with the same team. A lot of Paki players, as you know have been axed.

2. Did you ever ponder over the fact that, while the ex-generals and armywallahs of Pak do not waste time in India-bashing at every opportunity, they seem to want India-Pak cricket match? Something does not jive here. The answer is simple. Cricket, at the highest level, brings in revenues. Not just for the players. For the ones in cricket board, for the ones who speculate money (which includes our infamous Dawood Ibrahim, for whom cricket in sharjah was an important source of money) and for those pathetic ones who seem to view this as something close to and Indo-Pak war. I am not shedding any tears if this game does not take place between India and Pak. India can play against a number of other teams. The last i heard, few teams are willing to tour Pak for security reasons.

Sridhar

#48 by HisExcellency
``To mask this fear of losing, Indian politicians are inventing reasons like Kashmir, infiltration, unfriendly attitude, blah blah blah. After all, the hockey, soccer, squash and polo teams from both countries are still playing each other. ``

If that was the real reason, India would have avoided playing Pak in this world cup as well. After all, India still had a chance (to qualify for the Semis) if it lost to Pak but Pak had to win that match to qualify.
England and some other teams did not play Namibia for political reasons. India could have said: ``we do not want to play Pak because of the political problems and Pak`s support of terrorism``. I think, this would have made a strong political statement even though India would have been severely criticised. India chose to play and made a more powerful statement by winning that important match. Tendulkar single-handedly thrashed that chest-thumping, foul-mouthed monkey (who also goes by the name of Shoab Akthar) into oblivion. That is a statement enough. The result is there for all to see. You do not have a cricket team today. Yes, there are young players in Pak but who would want to play there. Foreign teams do not want to play in Pak for security reasons. India does not want to play Pak for political reasons. There is little to encourage these young players. If Pak cricket has to survive, army has to liberate it from its clutches and improve relations with India. Unfortunately, whether you like it or not, cricket has become a victim of subcontinental politics.
Other games are being played because they do not bring in that much revenues and are still played in the spirit of the game. May be India`s next diplomatic move (if relations with Pak deteriorate further) will be to severe all sporting links with Pak. Then, even a third league polo match will not be played.
As i write these words, i am reminded that only a few days ago many innocent hindu women and children were massacred by Kashmiri militants actively aided by Pak. Forget cricket, guy. Fear what Uncle Sam will do to your country once it is through with Iraq.
Sridhar

oh my God! i was hoping some Indian`s ass kicking by aussies but in final those asses were bleeding....what the hell was that....it was Srinath`s last match but he was bowling like his first club match...and Ganguly was just standing there, it was more pathetic then Yunus performance as Captin and who advised him to bowl first.....too much Hardcore for Indian boys,,,,,

#28 Sridhar
[I do not care if India loses to Australia. As far as i am concerned, India has won this cup by whippint the stinking Paki A$$.]

WoW...its more sound like........Angoor Khatay Hain.

re:#43 by Keb-?-
I feel bad that Cricket is the only game India seems to be serious about. In a few years, Olympics will be staged in China. As China romps home one Olympic Gold after another, India will be sitting in the sidelines not winning even a single medal. Again and again, the Chinese national anthem will be played and it will make chinese at home and abroad proud. India, with more than a billion population, will have nothing to show.
China has shown what it can do if it is serious about training young athletes. It has concentrated on some areas like swimming, gymnastic and has produced world class players. India has not produced even one gold medalist in Olympics in area other than hockey (where it does not stand chance anymore). This should make every Indian feel ashamed.
Sridhar

#20 by borg on March 22, 2003 7:15pm PT
India is more likely to win if:

1/ They win the toss
2/ Tendulkar clicks
3/ or score over 240

India is less likely to win if:

1/ They lose the toss
2/ Chase over 200


+++

India won the toss, Tendulkar did not click and scored slightly less than 240.

Astrology should be banned!!!

Hockey?

The Australians have proved that Cricket is not by chance.

And they have also proved that four departments Captaincy, fielding, Bowling and Batting have each equal 25% stake in the team winning.

Ganguly should have batted first on the perfect batting wicket at the Wanderers. He made the same mistake that Waqar Younis did by putting the Aussies in first. Even batting first, India would have to score 280+ to win against the Aussies.. quite a tough ask against McGrath, Lee and Bichel.

I am rather amused by some Indian suggestions that India is a much better side than Pakistan simply because of one World Cup match!

I can bet that if India and Pakistan play in any part of the world next week, Pakistan will cream India. On paper, the Indian victory over Pakistan on March 1 looks convincing. But if you analyze the game clinically, Shahid Afridi`s rash dismissal cost Pakistan about 20 runs. During the Indian innings, Razzaq moved in from the circle where he could have caught Tendulkar at 35. On any other day, Pakistan would defended 271 successfully.

One-day cricket is all about how you play on a particular day.

What really impresses me about Australia is that they could be playing ANY team on ANY day for ANY number of times and still win. Unlike the South Asian champions (India, Pak, Sri Lanka), Australia are the true champs because they have maintained a consistent No.1 record after they won the 1999 world cup.

I think the rest of the world should form one team and play the Aussies for the next 4 years :-(

re: #37 by rsridhar

[Get rid of Mushy, the whore and get a friendly democratic Pak in place. Games are only played between friends, not between enemies.]

The nature of regime in Pakistan is neither the business of BCCI nor the ICC. I don`t think cricket in subcontinent is doomed. I am quite optimistic that this World Cup will spark more competition. It will be a turning point for the subcontinent. Younger players with tougher temperaments will emerge. In 2007 the young guns of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will have more experience to challenge the Aussies in West Indies.

re: #37 by rsridhar

[There may be a desire to outdo India in the only field where Pak stands a chance viz Cricket. Alas, even that chance has now slipped away. Indian team today is vastly better than the best team that Pakis can produce. BTW, losing to Australia was not a shame. Indians fought well and went down fighting. ]

If Sridhar is so confident of India`s cricket superiority over Pakistan, why does he oppose an Indian cricket tour of Pakistan in April? Three test matches and 3 one-dayers will determine if India is really that good. You can`t determine this on the basis of just one World Cup match. Kenya just beat Sri Lanka in the World Cup but that doesn`t make them the better team.

The real reason why India avoids playing Pakistan is fear of defeat. Indian politicians are quite aware that cricket is taken too seriously in the subcontinent and despite, the win at Centurion, India are likely to get thrashed by Pakistan in a test series.

To mask this fear of losing, Indian politicians are inventing reasons like Kashmir, infiltration, unfriendly attitude, blah blah blah. After all, the hockey, soccer, squash and polo teams from both countries are still playing each other.

Congratulations to Aussies on their WC win. They outclassed India in all aspects of the game. India and the other teams of the world need to do a lot more to match the might of Aussies.

Players from subcontinant got to improve their mind strength , pressure absorption and physic. And less ( much less ) conecentration on money.

HI Folks,

Quite opposite to what I thought and wished Aussies won the worldcup in a style.

Ricky Ponting`s batting was just awesome and took match away from India. There was a time when I thought Aussies might end up scoring 400 runs.

Congratulations to Aussies on their 2nd consecutive world cupvictory. Australia is set to win next world cup.

India played great cricket in the world cup and has nothing to feel bad about. India is blessed with some very talented cricketers and their future seems very bright. I hope BCCI does not do the stupidities that PCB is so famous for.

I am thinking of taking off from cricket for a while, I will continue to work on some of the articles that I am writting.

Jarrar

India might have lost but they certainly did not disgrace themselves. This is the team for the future with most of the players being very inexperienced. Even the mighty present day Aussies lost the world cup in final 1996 which is when the nucleus of the present day team started building up. India is in more or less the similar position. If the selectors show some patience with this team, they will pretty much be the team to watch out for in 2007. Also remember the fact that Indians were able to do so well in South Africa, a place where they have never performed well to put it mildly. One really wonders what would have happened had the cup been in the subcontinent. This team has the spirit which very much reflects the new India, an aggressive country who believes they have a place for themselves under the sun. Look out for the men in blue in the Carribean in 2007.......

But what worries one more is the state of cricket in general. Never mind all the talk of globalization and new countries coming in, it certainly is not in a great shape. Except Australia, India, and perhaps the West Indies (perhaps the most unlucky team in the tournament), no other team is showing any promise of new and exciting talent. Even the minows Kenya who created history had more or less the same team they had in 1996. One really hopes that this is just a passing phase and in the coming seasons we will see some exciting games with exciting young players.

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...... i feel good .......... i don`t know why, i don`t even care about cricket, but i still feel vindicated and sort of smug.......... i feel like walking across the street to doctor gupta`s house and going ``na na na an boo boo`` .....

...... last night i went over to his house for the unholy gathering of head wagging dravids and karnataks gathered for the world cup party ......... not that i am a hindoo lover, astaghfirullah, but the man always has a stock of single malt scotch that i love ...... and his wife, god bless her, makes some mean palak pakoras ......... allah ki kasam, i never touch her other vegetarian offal, but the pakoras do go well with her husband`s whiskey ...... so after polishing off half a bottle of eighteen year old macallen, a plate of pakoras, and a pound or two of rather good fried kingfish, i came back home to watch the first war of this century on television.......... the infidels planned on staying up all night and then watching the game - fools!........actually the war is not as exciting as i thought it would be, and i was having fun at the guptas, but mrs hamidm dragged me home - she hates it when i start having fun ............

P.S. .... is it just me, or is the war on tv a sleeper ......... it is kind of pretty - with downtown baghdad silhouetted agains a grey sky and light reflecting off the tigris river and big balls of fire going off in the background ......... but there is no sound, no blood, no gore ........ these still shots of baghdad don`t really do it for me ......... i`d rather warch the redwings whop the blues and see stevie score his first goal of the season ..... so what if it was an empty net - at least the sound was on ..........

Time to play hockey now.

The good thing coming out of this world cup is chance for new players to replace old ones, at least in Pakistan.

Two Muslims did not perform well but two Sikhs performed good. Lets hope it does not play on the streets of Ahmedabad. Any harijan on the team? Now or in the hisotry of Indian cricket?

I feel sorry for the Indian team loss. I guess Indian can turn their attention from disappointment to celebrating the birthday of the unborn and possibly unconceived great great grandchild of Nehru.

mr sridhar,
shall we clap in unison at your profound and penetrating expose of pak psyche??as far as being ahead of pakistan in all aspects....no shit. pakis should start comparing themselves with bhutan...that would be par, just like india comparing itself with pakistan, and i am sure the pakis will come out smelling like the leading light of the world. btw with 500 million people living below the poverty line, you still have the cheek to talk about `mera bharat mahaan`?

Aussies...world cup champs of 2003. India was simply outclassed.

To Brother Hamidm, seriously you really do hate hindoos or it`s just the wicked humor. I`m a Paki but I don`t hate them all the time. Is something wrong with me :) But please dont hate`em we all share the same genes dont we. At least my ancestor came from the wrong side of the border. But more importantly keep your humor comming.

re: Cricket in the subcontinent
cricket in the subcontinent is doomed. We are never going to see another Indo-Pak cricket match in near future. Just as military regime has taken over the management of cricket in Pakistan, Indian cricket has fallen to emotions. There is a strong feeling in that country that there should be no sporting links at highest levels. If Field Marshal of Chowk wants to change all that, he has to start from his home front. Get rid of Mushy, the whore and get a friendly democratic Pak in place. Games are only played between friends, not between enemies.
That apart, i am intrigued. Reason why many military and ex-military men keep asking for re-establishment of cricketing links between India and Pak has more to do with lost revenues than any humane sentiments. Pak board lost something to the tune of 10 million dollars last year alone, huge some by subcontinental standards. Much of this money would have gone into military pockets in Pak.

India outperforms Pak in every department. Science, Arts, movies, etc, etc. Heck, pak`s military leaders have lost every war they fought with India. There may be a desire to outdo India in the only field where Pak stands a chance viz Cricket. Alas, even that chance has now slipped away. Indian team today is vastly better than the best team that Pakis can produce.
BTW, losing to Australia was not a shame. Indians fought well and went down fighting. Hell, they had 8 consequetive wins before going to finals and losing to an all time best team ever. That is something.
Sridhar

YAHOOOOO!

Australia win the world-cup - the toss advantage was squandered by sending Australia in to bat.

India should have batted after winning the toss. Ganguly used amazing logic and over-estimation of his teams bowling attack and did not bat first. Bad mistake.

There is a statistics calculate by Wisden, which ranks the all-time best one-day bowlers, ever to play the game. Interestingly, the Pakistan team in the current World Cup can lay claim to something, which perhaps no team may ever be able to lay claim to, i.e

Four out of the top twelve bowlers ever to play one-day cricket were on the current Pakistan team - and three of the top six to ever play one-day cricket. Wasim at 1, Waqar at 3, Saqlain at 6, Shoaib at 12. Pakistan ended up playing poorly, inspite of this.

Interestingly, Pakistan has now sidelined Saqlain and Shoaib. Both are young, and are ranked 6 and 12 all-time.

#15 by rsridhar on March 22, 2003 6:08pm PT
[Pakistan was never in the same league as West Indies or Australia during the 80s and 90s. I used to watch the game regularly then. Imran Khan was responsible for giving a new impetus to a team that was rich in talent but poor as a cohesive force. ]

I beg to differ. During most of the 80s, Pakistan was ranked 2nd behind West Indies in Test matches. WI and Pak were the only two teams who won both at home and away. In fact, Pakistan didn`t lose a test series at home from 1981 till 1995/96. During the same period, Pakistan beat India in India (1987), Eng in Eng (`87, `92, `96), NZ in NZ (`94). Pakistan was the only team that managed to draw the WI in WI (`88). Every other team was pummeled by the Carribeans both at home but Pak almost won the test series 2-0 had it not been for poor WI umpiring.

In ODIs too, WI was No.1 followed by England/Pak/Ind in close contest. Pak usually performed better in Sharjah than in Australia or WI during the 1980s.

The Australians had quite a weak team during the 80s especially after Lillee, Marsh and the Chappells left. They usually won against Eng and NZ but then who didn`t? Australia had a mini-revival in the 1987 world cup but it didn`t mature until 1994 when they beat WI in WI.

[India, btw, never had world class players in 80s and 90s except Gavaskar (in 80s) and Kapil Dev. The spin trio was on the wane in 80s. I cannot even recall names of even one player who i can say was world class except the above 2. ]

I disagree again! Dilip Vengsarkar, Navjot Sidhu and Azharuddin were truly world class batsmen. Ravi Shastri was another magnificent all-rounder especially in ODIs. However, Vengsarkar and Shastri lacked the killer instinct of Tendulkar and Ganguly. But then, the 80s was a different era. There were no 15-over field restrictions, fewer one-days, no restrictions on bouncers per over... Most matches were low-scoring (less than 230 runs per team).

Jarrar 2 # 13:

`` As they say that ``Statistics are like lamp pole, a drunkard can use to hold on to and it can also be used to light`` so use it the way you want to use. ``

They also say, ``statistics are like a bikini. They hide more than what they reveal`` and that, ``statistics and numbers are like humans. You torture them enough and they will tell you any thing``

;)

re:#23 by Romair
You guys got your A$$ licked and still you talk about winning against India. India did not play Pak due to fear of losing? That is the biggest BULL i have ever heard. Right now, Pakistan does not even have a cricket team.
India does not play cricket with Pak because of Pak`s military regime and continuing political problems between the 2 countries. No team wants to visit Pak for security reasons. Stop smoking Hashish and get back to your sanity.
Sridhar

re:#22 by Romair
I said one time in chowk that i do not watch cricket as avidly anymore but i will still be interested to see Paki A$$ whipped in world cup. Did you watch how Tendulkar whipped Shaib Akhtar`s A$$. And that is the guy you were saying will win matches for you!
I do not care if India loses to Australia. As far as i am concerned, India has won this cup by whippint the stinking Paki A$$.
Sridhar

yantric,

..... you have it wrong - they just don`t like hondas (and toyotas) ...... the poor hindoos are just an excuse ......... as for me, i don`t like anyone - hindoos, mullahs, homos, short people, people with nose hair, baskeball players, eskimos, jehovas witnesses, bushmen, corporate raiders and other assorted villians ...............

......... but most of all, i don`t like hindoos and pastry chefs .............

ya allah .......... dushman ka sar neecha kar ......

............ for the first time, ever in my life, i checked the cricket scores to make sure the forces of evil were meeting divine retribution ..........how about those aussies! ......... ya allah, if the aussies win, i promise to switch to fosters for a whole year and drink that crap without complaining ......... good bye sam adams, hello fosters ............

P.S. just kidding - there is no way i`d touch fosters .......... but our incompetent god is easily fooled - i have been making and breaking promises all my life and am still waiting for that bolt of lightening .........

Sehwag is out. India is fukked.

re: romair

...your behind was missing for so long after march 1st.....got bitten by a rat?...

India wins toss and elects to field - unexpected decision by Ganguly.

Australia reach 144 for 2 in 23 overs - headed for 240+ easily unless someone from the Indian team pulls off a miracle ... tsk tsk - this match will need a miracle from SRT.

Australia is picked to win the final, and are quite a better team than India, and better than all other teams. However, this is about as good a chance as India has ever had to defeat Australia. Australia`s no. two and three bowlers aren`t playing, and neither is a top Aus. batsman playing. India on the other hand is healthy and playing their best cricket in years.

India stopped playing cricket with Pakistan, because they were afraid of losing to Pakistan in cricket and the bad press that would raise in India. For some reason, they did however play Pakistan in the World Cup. And India did play Pakistan in all other sports where India had some chance of winning, i.e. hockey, polo etc. Doesn`t quite make sense.

Now India should have some confidence, after their success in the World Cup. So if an Indian win will convince India to stop mixing politics with sports and will give it enough confidence to play Pakistan in cricket, then I support India to win the final. If India continues to mix politics with sports, even after a win in the final, then I support Australia to win.

Australia is picked to win the final, and are quite a better team than India, and better than all other teams. However, this is about as good a chance as India has ever had to defeat Australia. Australia`s no. two and three bowlers aren`t playing, and neither is a top Aus. batsman playing. India on the other hand is healthy and playing their best cricket in years.

India stopped playing cricket with Pakistan, because they were afraid of losing to Pakistan in cricket and the bad press that would raise in India. For some reason, they did however play Pakistan in the World Cup. And India did play Pakistan in all other sports where India had some chance of winning, i.e. hockey, polo etc. Doesn`t quite make sense.

Now India should have some confidence, after their success in the World Cup. So if an Indian win will convince India to stop mixing politics with sports and will give it enough confidence to play Pakistan in cricket, then I support India to win the final. If India continues to mix politics with sports, even after a win in the final, then I support Australia to win.

Ref hamidm #5

I am amazed about the bigotry you kids exhibit about hindoos. Wonder where the got it from......... My kids have muslim and even pakistani friends although they are aware of the history of the subcontinent. Guess you really have got ur genes to mutate to be hindu hating scum. Guess you can take a muslim out of pukiland but cannot take puke out of him.

India is more likely to win if:

1/ They win the toss
2/ Tendulkar clicks
3/ or score over 240

India is less likely to win if:

1/ They lose the toss
2/ Chase over 200

#17 Pankaj,

I am an ardent cricket fan in the mould of old cricket lovers for whom the cricket is also very important. I loved the Aussies Vs Pak game and enjoyed throughly the level of professionalism Aussies shown, and who can not love Tendulkar`s batting against Pakistan.

I would have loved to see Pakistan winning and being in the semies, but not the way they played in the world cup. Their team selection, coach selection, team analyst`s selection (Sikandar Bakhat has 69 test wickets and I cant imagine what would he suggest to Akram and Waqar!).

I loved Indian team`s approach and the way Srinath has fine tuned that software that Indian team uses has to be applauded and must be used to learn a lesson or two from it. Indian team is said to have lap-tops for every single player and a computer specialist (who with help from Srinath) developed this software. Each player takes help from the software about his shortcommings and things about opponenet teams.

I am not saying that India will surely win, but my thesis is India is THE TEAM that can put the sentence ``Australia runners up of 2003 world cup`` in the history books.

Jarrar

Jaffari Sahab

I am impressed by your support of Indian team though the odds are aginst them. I am going for the nightout in any case to watch the match irrespective of whoever wins. Thanx.

..... if the indians win the world cup and the infidel forces capture baghdad and the israelis mange to build the temple by july, then jesus should be back by late september - just in time for octoberfest (i have seen pictures of the last supper with those overflowing steins of ale) ............

........... for a while there, i thought this guy, emmanuel - with his sandals, robe and halo - was jesus ............ then it turned out that he was just your ordinary, run of the mill polygamist with a thing for under aged girls ...... kind of like us muslims ............ but now i am really worried ........ the other day i had a dream that urstruly was riding a jackass and eating ladoos with a one-eyed mullah walking behind him and picking up the crumbs .......... they came to a dusty cross-roads and were met by a six foot four arab without underwear and a five foot four indian in batting pads - osama and tendukar! ......... it was confusing, to say the least .......... and then jesus was eating green eggs and grits with dr seus and tendulkar at a shoney`s in kentucky ......... verily, the world is coming to an end ..................

Hi,
There has been another very important factor in the victories of the Indian team, the team camaraderie the fact that individual intersts must be suordinated by the team`s goals.

I am great fan of the Yankees organization and been reading a bunch about them and came across an interview of their General Manger Joe Torre. He said:

``I have always judged peopel on effort as oppose to the bottom line ...... All players should be told that they don`t have to be on the winning side to be a winner.``

who would say Kenyans are not winner even though they lost to Aussies and India, its all how you fought. DOes any one remember Aussies Vs S. Africa semi final of 1999?

Here is my advice to Indian team; if you you want to have the title of the world champions and be in the rare league of Windies and Aussies (those who won this vaunted title twice!!) then it boils down to simple five words:
DO THE BEST YOU CAN and belive me you will be world champs.

Jarrar

re:#9 by HisExcellency
Pakistan was never in the same league as West Indies or Australia during the 80s and 90s. I used to watch the game regularly then. Imran Khan was responsible for giving a new impetus to a team that was rich in talent but poor as a cohesive force.
India, btw, never had world class players in 80s and 90s except Gavaskar (in 80s) and Kapil Dev. The spin trio was on the wane in 80s. I cannot even recall names of even one player who i can say was world class except the above 2.
India, if i were to belive media reports, has today leapfrogged into a new age where technology and training go together. I read about a new software Indian cricket team uses that makes it possible for players to review their performance on any given day and correct their defects. They also study the defects of the opposing team very minutely. Their training is vastly superior now.
I saw the tape of India-Pak match and was impressed by the team effort even though Tendulkar`s knock stood out. I think this team has the potential to beat Australia.
Sridhar

#8 AhmedZai
{
Even then I would be willing to put my weight behing Australia. Its a game between professionalism and talent.
}
Indian team is very professional too. In my opinion the ``will`` to win the game is stronger in Indian team than Aussies and you never know.
I know beating Aussies wont be an easy thing but then if you want to be crowned as World champions you gotta just do this, right ?

My worries are:

1. Rahul Dravid`s injury.
   Dravid injured his finger during semi final and gave a rediculus amount of byes 16 runs. Such a display will be tough to defend against Aussies.
   Its not the time to try Parthik Patel (the teen age wicket keeping sensation of India!). I hope Draid does the good job.
   
2. Zaheer Khan`s maturity in bowling.
   It is time for Zaheer Khan to show some nerves and bowl with discipline.
   

#10 Ansari.

{
Jarrar; lagta hai aap hamare madani sahab ko jaante nahin hain. . .unko logon ko aazmane ka shauq hai. . .beshak thore difficult hain lekin ab tak naik niyat ka muzaahira kiya hai. . .aage bhi yehi umeed rahegi. . .
}
Its never easy to read URDU in Roman. And no I dont know ``Madni Sahib`` and you wrote that ``unko logon ko aazmane ka shauq hai`` so what they say in urdu:
``Too Teer Azma, Hum Jigar Azmien``
no I dont mind as long as criticism is limited to Cricket, for politics and relegion there are other forua too.

Cheers,
Jarrar

Kapil Dev`s statement:

JOHANNESBURG: India are better cricketers than Australia, former India captain and coach Kapil Dev said on the eve of the World Cup final.

``I think the Indian players are more talented than Australia. Australia are superior only in fitness and physique,`` Kapil said on Saturday.

The former all rounder, who led India to victory in the 1983 World Cup, added of India: ``They are playing like champions.``

India have won their last eight matches since being thrashed by nine wickets by the unbeaten Australians in the first round. Australia have not lost for a world-record 16 one-day matches.

Kapil is in South Africa as a television commentator but said he would not be at The Wanderers for the final.

He hoped attacking opening batsman Virender Sehwag and Saurav Ganguly would find their best form in the final.

Sehwag has hit one fifty from 10 innings. Ganguly has made three unbeaten hundreds but they have come against non-test sides Namibia and Kenya (2). His record against test sides in this tournament is just over 17.

``Sehwag is a very good player, but in this World Cup he has not shown anything which people in this country or elsewhere can enjoy,`` Kapil added.

``Saurav is a superb player... But he has not got many runs against genuine quick bowlers.

``He has scored runs against teams such as Australia, South Africa but over the period the impression he has given is he struggles against pace.``

Ganguly is likely to be targeted by Australia fast bowler Brett Lee, consistently the quickest bowler in the world and second in the list of World Cup wicket-takers with 20.


I don`t think that Indians are more talented lot than Aussies but they sure are at equal footing with them. And Physical fitness is an integral part of your talent its no good to have a raw talent but you can`t step in the ground.

Jarrar

I wanted to include following statistics in the article, and have no idea how I missed:


Feb 15 2003, Centurion: Australia won by 9 wickets

April 6 2001, Goa: Australia won by 4 wickets

April 3 2001, Visakhapatnam: Australia won by 93 runs

Mar 31 2001, Indore: India won by 118 runs

Mar 28 2001, Pune: Australia won by 8 wickets

Mar 25 2001, Bangalore: India won by 60 runs

Oct 7 2000, Nairobi: India won 20 runs

Jan 30 2000, Perth: Australia won by 4 wickets

Jan 26 2000, Adelaide: Australia won by 152 runs

Jan 14 2000, Sydney: Australia won by 5 wickets

Total matches played: 67

Australia wins: 40 India wins: 24 Tied/NR: 3

As they say that ``Statistics are like lamp pole, a drunkard can use to hold on to and it can also be used to light`` so use it the way you want to use.

Jarrar

Best of luck to India tonight.

I wonder how they feel with Pakistani fans in their corner.....

India is going to need the luck and a lot more.

Ras

Jarrar; lagta hai aap hamare madani sahab ko jaante nahin hain. . .unko logon ko aazmane ka shauq hai. . .beshak thore difficult hain lekin ab tak naik niyat ka muzaahira kiya hai. . .aage bhi yehi umeed rahegi. . .

Aamir

Reply #5:

{
..... i don`t know much about cricket and care even less,
}

Its quite obvious that you dont know anything about Cricket, and it also seems that you happen to not like Hindus, I have no idea why but I hope you might have some solid reasons.

I just wanted to make a point that the forum is not to vent such hidden anger, I am sure there are other chat rooms where you will be welcome.

Please pitch in your thoughts about the final so we can have a conversation about what the article is about.

Thanx for your understanding.

Jarrar

Jarrar:

Laws of averages go against Aussies. Last world cups trend analysis go in favor of India too (Pakistan had defeated Australia in group match, but had lost the final in 1999, similarly, Australia vs. Sri Lanka in 1996 and Pakistan vs. England in 1992).

Even then I would be willing to put my weight behing Australia. Its a game between professionalism and talent.

Throughout the 80s and 90s, India had world class batsmen who pummeled Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, England and New Zealand but collapsed against Pakistan, Australia, South Africa and West Indies. Against the ``Big Four``, India whimpered because of a lack of mental toughness and raw aggression.

I feel that the current Indian team has worked very hard over the last 2 years.. they exude more confidence and aggression.

However, to win against Australia, you need more than talent and aggression. Pakistan and South Africa have learnt this lesson the hard way.

The Aussies are the most attacking cricketers in the world today. They are the only team in the world that could lose 5 wickets for 80 runs and still go on to score 310. To win against the Aussies, you need talent + aggression + intelligent strategy. India will need to strategize on an over-by-over basis to win against Australia.

OK fine we will try to win this cricket shricket cup shup, you please now play and try to win hockey vockey.

..... i don`t know much about cricket and care even less, but i don`t want the indians to win .......... i can`t stand the thought of them winning anything ........heck, if i thought an indian was going to pick up my garbage from the curb, i`d bring it back in and put it in the middle of my drawing room......... i know this sounds insane, but it must be in the genes ......... the other day my kids, born and raised in the usa, went on the war path when i suggested buying a honda ...........``it is an indian car - specially those beige ones,`` they yelled and screamed ......... `` what`s next - are you going to make us eat veggie burgers and wear dots on our foreheads!`` ............ i wanted to point out that some of their best friends were indians, but then decided to give up before i was declared a senile hindoo-lover ...........

#2,

Thanx for liking the article.

I am sure (as I said) that India is the only team in the world that has the potential and will to defeat Aussies. Cricket is much more than simply playing a stroke and bowling a ball. Team role and cohesivness plays a big role in the victories.

Indian team is playing as if it is a one man (the whole is knitted into one unit). There isa lot of planning that goes into game planning and they must be planning this for quite a while. I have followed Tendulkar`s career with almost as much of an enthusism as an Indian would and I know he has never done the same mistake twice. Aussies wont be getting him out the way they got him in the league game.

If Indian can`t win it now then there is no stopping to the Aussies for many many years to come. I think Indian cricket has been heading in the right direction and it is paying off now.

Cheers,
Jarrar

...india is going to get a royal beating from mighty aussies...i don`t think it matters who plays the aussies...they will get a royal beating...


india batting first:

bowled out for 150 or so

australia batting first:

look for 350 or so

I want India to win. The Cup should come to South Asia.

In the present form, the Indian batting is the best in the world & Tandolkar, the best batsman.

I liked your article. It seems you observe a lot. But Indians prevailing over the aussies... naah.. :-)