Quarter final predictions - Time for introspection

We suck at predicting out comes of cricket matches. A 50% accuracy rate is not shameful but its getting kind of difficult to back our 100% guarantee.

Okay, so we got the West Indies and England losses wrong. 2 of the most boring one sided games in the World Cup. One way of looking at it would be that we were way off the mark. We weren't even in the frame.

Another way to look at it; which we prefer; is that we got the South African upset right and we correctly predicted that India will dethrone Australia as champions. So if you notice, we are big match predictors. Give us a big game and we will rise to the occasion.

Our previous predictions

• Upset predictions for the WC
• Predictions for 2011

Juicy Semi-Final Line ups

The monetary health of cricket has been assured by this World Cup. What better semi-final line up than the three power-houses of the sub-continent to line up in the semi-finals. An India Pakistan semi-final or final is the dream of TV broadcasters world wide. Move over superbowl, an Indo-Pak semi-final or final is the ultimate. Should Sri Lanka get past New Zealand, a sub-continental team is assured of winning the World Cup. This is stating the obvious and I assure didn't take any genius on my part to figure out. The reason I even say it is because the death of the ODIs is now delayed. Golandaaz and I were both not huge fans of ODIs due to their becoming stale. But this world cup has definitely re-energized the format. However, sundry bilateral series still have no worth.


Coming to the games themselves, Sri Lanka's emphatic defeat of England was definitely an upset. While SL winning itself may not have been one, the manner of victory definitely is one. England fast depletion of first choice players showed in their inability to revive their innings or inflict any early damage on the Sri Lanka batsmen. Yardy would have been useful on this wicket and was missed. England's batting resembled New Zealand's yesterday. Trott hung in there gallantly and weathered difficult conditions for English batsmen. Sri Lanka has top class spinners who became extremely hard to get away on that wicket. While one could argue that the victory was "fixed" due to the conditions heavily favoring the home team, it's clear that England would not have been competitive anywhere else either except perhaps on a pure featherbed. Losing the firepower provided by Pietersen and Broad was going to be hard to overcome. The bowling was out of sorts without Broad's passion and the batting didn't really rise up to the level of "threatening". Neither Bopara nor Morgan were able to genuine break free.

Sri Lanka have secured home advantage for their game versus New Zealand, who under coach Wright seem to have figured something out. New Zealand has always been a good team despite not having super-stars. Right through the Hadlee, Martin Crowe era, there were very strong role players in Chatfield, Coney, Andrew Jones and Wright himself. This team has the most number of useful allrounders. None of them may rise to the skill level of Chris Cairns or Shane Watson, but on their day, they can excel in one of the two departments. Combine this with the team's fielding skills and New Zealand are very dangerous. What their wins against Pakistan and South Africa have shown is that they need one of their top line batsmen to dig in. In Ryder, Taylor, Guptill and McCullum, they have the capability. Hopefully, they have seen the light given how Ryder's innings pretty much dictated the course of the match.

Sri Lanka though will find it hard to apply their formula in Mumbai. Even though, they have played a game at Mumbai and won, it's difficult to see it succeed against Pakistan or India. But that preview will have to wait.

One must ask why English cricketers are more prone than others to reaction to stress. I don't blame the victims, but I definitely believe that it's harder to be an English celebrity than in any other place, given the culture. India is a hard place to grow up and one is toughened early and often. In England (and I'm no expert), it appears that the move to the limelight is very, very tough. My sympathies for Yardy, Trescothik and others who have had this happen.

South Africa favorites for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

We bring you a preview of the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup to be held in Australia. Something tells us, we are safely the first ones off the block.

We at Opinions, on behalf of our South African readership (which stands at 2)  like to let go and move on. We, in our minds moved so far ahead that we find ourselves in the Australian summer of 2015...

What must hurt South Africa's fans is that the loss to New Zealand was not even a choke. They lost before one could argue they had a firm grasp of the game. New Zealand beat  them while never really allowing South Africa get in front.

It was a typical kiwi win but a very un-Protean loss. Anyways, as we said; time to move on towards the summer of 2015


With the talk of minnows now settled, this World Cup guarantees some of the most exciting matches since 1992, featured in a World Cup. The ICC has gone back to its most popular format from 1992 where each team plays against every other, before the semi final line up is decided.

We present the real contenders for the title, starting with India; of course

Coming into this World Cup, India start as legitimate contenders. Since their last world cup, India have surrendered their Test #1 status to England but India has emerged as the #1 ODI team on the back of 1760 wins against just 7 losses. Critics argue that most of the wins have come at home against lesser opposition but a team that has such appetite for wins has to be considered as favorites.

Harbhajan Singh has said that the team wants to win the World Cup for Sachin, who will also be hoping to use the matches in the World Cup to complete 150 International centuries. He has been well rested for this tournament and has featured in only 5 ODI games since India's loss to New Zealand in 2011 World Cup finals.



Australia, are facing tremendous criticism from their press. Cameron White, their skipper, who is under pressure to relinquish his captaincy to someone younger, has been firm through the crisis. After the debacle when Michael Clarke was made captain, Australian selectors are much wiser and do not wish to engage in a change of leadership with just before the World Cup. Having decided to go for youth 41 year Michael Hussey is tipped to take over if Australia do not win the World Cup. But as 4 time champions, Australia too have to be included in any talk that centers around World Cup contenders.


After the way South Africa were ousted from the 2011 team, in spite of having the best team on paper, no one is giving them any realistic chance of winning but all experts agree that they will reach the semi finals. And any team that reaches the semi finals have to be seen as contenders. Since losing to eventual champions New Zealand in 2011, South Africa have focussed exclusively on mental conditioning. They have modified their domestic competitions to such a degree that all matches are now knock out games. They have done away with regular league games.


Being the #1 Test team in the world, England are in the contenders list too. With no obvious skills for the shorter format of the games, there is no other reason why England deserve to be in this list, other than the fact that it seems logical to include the best Test nation in the contenders list. With no minnows this time, England have less reasons to worry and should make the semi finals quite comfortably.


Struck by age related arthritis in both his knee joints, Murali has got dispensation from the ICC to bowl using a wheel chair. Backed by the BCCI, this move generated a lot of criticism world wide but Murali who has promised that he will retire after this World Cup can well lead Sri Lanka to their 2nd World Cup win in 21 years.


The British Government has requested its courts to speed up the ongoing trials involving all 15 members of the Pakistan cricket team. Brought on after the ECB accused the Pakistan cricket team of various charges related to ball tampering, spot-fixing and age misrepresentation (in the U-19 WC), the trials have been progressing slowly since the summer of 2013. Pakistan have not played a single international game since their ill fated tour of England. They have not named a captain yet.

Shahid Afridi who is the only player not involved in the legal mess was banned from playing any form of cricket after appearing as a model, in an ad campaign for a "X" rated movie.

Porn is illegal in Pakistan; and much of the subcontinent.


Reports coming from West Indies who are facing a captaincy crisis, suggest that Devendra Bishoo will lead a side of 9 fit players. West Indies are hoping to find 6 other West Indians from the local Australian immigrant community. West Indies are contenders because they are such an unknown quantity.



New Zealand being defending champions, are a contender too.

Quarter final predictions 2 - Courtesy Update

We are not the kind of people who get any thrills from saying.... "We told you so...." 

For that we'll let our work speak for it self - Quarter final predictions - New and Improved.

We certainly get a boost to hear from our customers who have come to depend on our predictions. The only ones in the industry that come with a 100% money back guarantee and did we mention accuracy and precision.

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Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar

I don't want Ricky Ponting to retire.

I think I now know what Ricky Ponting needs to do for people to start liking him. He needs to bat like he batted at Motera in the quarter-finals against India. We may all rejoice at an Indian win but now that the victory has sunk in, it feels like India teamed up to beat Ricky Ponting.

And for just a while Ricky Ponting was ahead.


Today Ricky Ponting was Australia. His century was as much a personal statement as an effort to uphold Australia's pride. Without him there would have been no contest. Without him Australia would have been humiliated. He came pretty darn close to beating India. Australians should be proud of Ricky Ponting today.

In much the same way as Indians used to be proud of Sachin Tendulkar after his century fell short of win.

From the outside these individual efforts seem selfish and self centered. They are not. Because sometimes the other 10 guys are just not good enough. That doesn't mean you walk away.

Sachin Tendulkar did not.

For many years Sachin Tendulkar was India. India's pride even when wins were hard to come by. In time, the team got better. It started winning games. Eventually Sachin Tendulkar had the privilege to be playing for a champion team.

In time Sachin Tendulkar became Ricky Ponting.

His contributions secured wins. They were purposeful to the team's cause. Like the innings he played today at at Motera in the quarter-finals against Australia.

Sachin Tendulkar is the Ricky Ponting of the old.

Ricky Ponting is the Sachin Tendulkar of the old. Australia needs him. Ricky Ponting is Australia.

From being Sachin Tendulkar to being Ricky Ponting seems like an easier, smoother a more logical transition. From being Ricky Ponting to being Sachin Tendulkar is a more cruel transition. But Ricky Ponting wants it.

Let him have it.

India combine to dump Australia

Finally, India came to the party as a team. The bowlers, fielders and batsmen all showed up and executed the script well. Munaf, Sehwag and Dhoni were compensated for with ease. Ashwin bowled like a frontline bowler. Zaheer and Harbhajan manned up and bowled the crucial overs. Yuvraj did his bowling part really well and Tendulkar and Kohli didn’t give it away.


India will be concerned about Sehwag’s absolute waste of opportunity at the top of the order. With the revival in Yuvraj and Raina’s form, India can afford the luxury of carrying Sehwag. However, it’s time for Sehwag to deliver. What better time than the game against Pakistan to take things by the scruff of neck! Taylor showed that attacking Pakistan can defeat them even without bowling a ball. Otherwise, people will realize that it doesn’t have to rain sixes to reach 300, we can get there with steady, methodical cricket too. This is the brand of cricket that Tendulkar, Gambhir and Kohli seem to have mastered.

Raina showed the cricketing world that he had conquered his demons against short bowling. His two sweetly timed pulls – one against Lee for four and another assured one against Tait – were a revelation. Even though they were not as brutal as a Ponting or Hussey pull can be, they looked assured. His success could translate into a huge revival for Dhoni in the game against Pakistan. Dhoni’s innings today was one of a confused man. His mind was waffling between attack and percentage shots. He couldn’t blend the two and the innings ended in a whimper. This happened despite Dhoni not looking in any kind of trouble at all. Most likely, he felt like most of us did - that he was the last recognized batsman.

But let’s spare a thought for Yuvraj Singh. He is probably Ponting-lite for most Indians. They hate to love him. Tendulkar and Gambhir set up the game nicely for Yuvraj and company to finish it off. But given the collapses of recent days, it was still anybody’s game. Yuvraj led and Raina followed to snuff out the Australian challenge. The pivot was over number forty. The first ball was dispatched by Raina (the aforementioned pull for four). Lee was taken for fourteen runs. The team didn’t skip a beat despite just losing Dhoni in the 38th over. Following Raina’s four, Yuvraj came into his own and took over. I had said in my preview that he had broad shoulders and a role that matched his ego. Today he showed that he loves responsibility and wants to be the man. The game’s perennial brat has delivered in style.

India will be a handful for Pakistan in the semi-finals. India seems have discovered the winning combination. Unless Sehwag decides to make the game one-sided, it could be a cracker of a contest.

Wicket keeping is overrated

Pakistan's dismantling of the West Indies and qualification to the World Cup semi-finals has proved one thing. In modern times; especially in one day cricket; wicket keeping is over rated.

If you have a good bowling attack, a decent enough batting line up, fielding skills adequate enough to allow you run towards the general vicinity of the ball, and a captain who has experience eating balls in search of reverse swing, then you can make a serious run at the World Cup trophy even with Kamran Akmal in your side.


Perhaps Pakistan's think tank know something that is, in our estimation likely to quickly become a commoditized tactic. Like the ones advocated and distributed freely by Ian Chappell and Ravi Shastri.

We had...

Never run on mis-fields.

Spinners should flight the ball - This one makes Sanjay Manjrekar horny, every time a spinner does give it some air

Partnerships are the key

Catches win matches - Less used off late due to commentators' fear of getting killed by frustrated fans

Now you can add to that... Wicket keeping is overrated.