And so less than a week away from the opening of the world cup, we have the inevitable bravado and tough talk coming from the various camps. Some of it is justified, some just laughable. Lets take a look at what some of the big boys of world cricket had to say, and how far up in the clouds they are.
Shahid Afridi
"Realistically, with the kind of team we have, we should really make the semi-final and of course we want to play the final and win it - everyone does - but we should make the semi."
Rarely is there a weak Pakistan team on paper. In every World Cup it is the case where they *should* get there, so that point is just media talk according to me.
Cloud Score: 6/10
Virender Sehwag
"This time I'll try to bat 50 overs if I can. I have been trying for 10 years, I'm still trying."
Sehwag is aiming to break the individual 250 barrier. Maybe against the Dutch.
Cloud Score: 8/10
AB De Villiers
"We are not focusing on what happened in the past. We have a different look now. In recent times we have been the opposite of chokers."
Oh dear. Look at http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-india-2010/engine/match/463151.html. This was a pretty decent sized choke if you ask me. Don't say these things before a world cup. De Villiers could do with a bit of media training.
Shahid Afridi
"Realistically, with the kind of team we have, we should really make the semi-final and of course we want to play the final and win it - everyone does - but we should make the semi."
Rarely is there a weak Pakistan team on paper. In every World Cup it is the case where they *should* get there, so that point is just media talk according to me.
Cloud Score: 6/10
Virender Sehwag
"This time I'll try to bat 50 overs if I can. I have been trying for 10 years, I'm still trying."
Cloud Score: 8/10
I declare this world cup free of useless cameos. © AFP |
AB De Villiers
"We are not focusing on what happened in the past. We have a different look now. In recent times we have been the opposite of chokers."
Oh dear. Look at http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-india-2010/engine/match/463151.html. This was a pretty decent sized choke if you ask me. Don't say these things before a world cup. De Villiers could do with a bit of media training.
Cloud Score: 9/10
Daniel Vettori
"There is not much you can do about what's happened in the past but hopefully we can reflect back on the last game, which was a win against Pakistan, and bring that confidence over to the World Cup."
Poor Vettori, only he could scrape up a positive from a streak that reads 14 losses from 16. The man handles the media well, managing to massage the journalists sound optimistic in a team resembling fish in a barrel.
Cloud Score: 6/10
Yuvraj Singh
"It was a tough phase, I've gone through it, definitely my body is feeling better and I'm feeling 100% fit at the right time, which is the World Cup."
Fitness doesn't include being overweight and hopelessly out of form apparently.
Cloud Score: 8/10
Ricky Ponting
"Our lead-up couldn't really be much better, having just beaten a pretty good English side 6-1 at home"
Actually, this is a bad omen for the Aussies. They usually go into world cups with issues and a string of losses. (Last year it was a 3-0 loss to New Zealand).
Cloud Score: 6/10
Chris Gayle
"The West Indies have a legacy of winning and I want to give my best to win matches for us"
"I'm going to give it my all, give it my best shot. I am looking to try and dominate the World Cup"
That "winning legacy" ended in the 80's Chris. He may dominate the world cup, the real problem is getting his boys to follow suit.
Cloud Score: 7/10
Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive
Daniel Vettori
"There is not much you can do about what's happened in the past but hopefully we can reflect back on the last game, which was a win against Pakistan, and bring that confidence over to the World Cup."
Cloud Score: 6/10
Hey we won the toss didn't we? © Getty Imanges |
Yuvraj Singh
"It was a tough phase, I've gone through it, definitely my body is feeling better and I'm feeling 100% fit at the right time, which is the World Cup."
Fitness doesn't include being overweight and hopelessly out of form apparently.
Cloud Score: 8/10
Ricky Ponting
"Our lead-up couldn't really be much better, having just beaten a pretty good English side 6-1 at home"
Actually, this is a bad omen for the Aussies. They usually go into world cups with issues and a string of losses. (Last year it was a 3-0 loss to New Zealand).
Cloud Score: 6/10
Chris Gayle
"The West Indies have a legacy of winning and I want to give my best to win matches for us"
"I'm going to give it my all, give it my best shot. I am looking to try and dominate the World Cup"
That "winning legacy" ended in the 80's Chris. He may dominate the world cup, the real problem is getting his boys to follow suit.
Cloud Score: 7/10
Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive
'Confident of corruption-free World Cup'
In the land of the IPL? Seriously?
Cloud Score: 10/10
Love the last one - nice!
ReplyDeleteHow about England, what do you think there? I'm secretly hoping the Bangas knock them out at the group stage.
Yeah I also want to see Bangladesh progress, I like the tigers.
ReplyDeleteI don't really rate England highly as an ODI team, contrary to what Ian Chappell thinks. There is a good chance they will be going home early.