Just seven days remain for the World Cup and cricket fever is hitting the roof. We fans are so eager for the tournament to start but just think how the players must be feeling. The biggest tournament that they get to play is just a week away. After four years of wait, various tests and ODI’s, three T20 World Cups, three IPL’s, it all boils down to this. All the camps will be full of excitement and motivating talks. The mind games have already begun not just from players or captains but even from the former players. One by one we are seeing players being replaced due to injuries. The last week build up to the World Cup is the most exciting as it just adds to your eagerness and expectations. The mind games, injuries, publicity etc. are all a part of it. This build up should be enjoyed except the injuries off course.
I have mentioned in my previous posts what a World Cup means to a player. When a player plays it for the first time, his heart and soul are full of expectations and hunger to do well. When he has played it more than once it is all about winning it for the country as there is nothing to prove individually. No other tournament generates a greater team feeling than the World Cup and this is the most beautiful aspect of the grand event. It is this very reason why I feel really bad for the players out injured.
Playing in the World Cup is a dream and the most frustrating thing for a player is to miss it due to injury. Being dropped doesn’t feel as bad as being ruled out injured. Australia, England and India have all lost at least one main player due to injury. Most of these players have been the key to their teams’ consistency and at some stage they will be missed. Let us have a look at the injuries in each team, their implications and their replacements.
1. Australia: Michael Hussey and Nathan Hauritz are the players out injured. Michael Hussey is the biggest casualty for them as we know he is their mainstay and the most dependable batsman in the middle order. He is the kind of a player who can do the difficult easily. His exclusion is a big blow to the Australians but they had many options to choose from. Adam Voges and Callum Ferguson were the top contenders but Ferguson was picked. It is to be seen how well he can do but at some stage they will miss Hussey. Nathan Hauritz was lucky to be picked in the squad in the first place but the nasty injury at Hobart really spoilt his chances. Xavier Doherty also injured himself making way for Jason Krejza. I think Krejza is the luckiest man going into the World Cup as nobody would have imagined him making the flight as he made his ODI debut just last Sunday. With just one ODI and two tests behind him let us see what he can do.
2. India: Praveen Kumar could not recover in time from his elbow injury. He along with Zaheer and Nehra forms a very good One Day bowling unit and will be missed. His skidy pace and wily movement is a big asset and in particular in the sub continent. His replacement is S.Sreesanth. He was unlucky to make the cut but now he has a chance to play in the World Cup. Sreesanth will get you wickets but can be a touch expensive at times.
3. England: Eoin Morgan is the biggest casualty as he injured his finger in the final stages of the ODI series in Australia. England had done well by sending back players with niggles so that they can recover for the World Cup and Morgan’s injury is something that they just missed out. It was believed that his finger was bruised but it was later revealed that it was in fact a fracture. His maverick innings will be really missed in this World Cup. He can score in uncanny areas and that is a headache for opposition captains. Ravi Bopara has flown in all the way from the Caribbean to replace Morgan. Bopara is a good hitter and an impact player but it is to be seen if he can have the same impact as Morgan or emulate his own performance of the previous World Cup.
MIND GAMES
As the World Cup comes nearer I am glued to the news waiting for some statement by any player, captain or ex player. Most captains have done well by being very diplomatic in their statements but some have set the tone by laying down a challenge.
The most vocal player from the Indian camp has been Virender Sehwag. He has already said that India are wary of Bangladesh but are looking forward to the revenge match at Mirpur on next Saturday. Today, he has said that he is looking to carry his bat through the innings something that his opening partner Sachin Tendulkar has been trusted with. On the other hand MS Dhoni has been playing down the hype and has said that India are looking to perform and are not thinking about the expectations etc.
The main statements from the Australian camp haven’t come from Ricky Ponting but from his predecessor Steve Waugh. He has warned India that playing the World Cup for Sachin is not going to help them win. He has stated that the team comes before the individual. I think Steve Waugh is trying to put pressure on the home team but has failed to understand the meaning of “winning it for Tendulkar.” For years he has been the talisman of Indian Cricket and lives in the heart of every Indian Cricket fan. All the fans want the cup for the country and his trophy cabinet. At the end of the day if India wins the World Cup then the fans would be happy that “India has won the world cup.” So, according to me it is still and will always be about the team.
Meanwhile the Canadian captain Ashish Bagai has said that his team is not here to be the pushovers of the tournament. They are here to compete and are aiming to beat Zimbabwe, Kenya and any of the top teams. He said that “If this is not our aim then there is no point in coming to the World Cup.” Going into the tournament this is the right attitude from the captain. If his other players can back him then anything is possible.
AB de Villiers has said that South Africa are no longer “chokers.” He has said that they have been performing in tough situations and that is the opposite of “chokers.” South Africa have always performed under pressure but not in crunch knock out matches. The last time they performed in a knock out fixture was when they won the 1998 Champions Trophy (then the ICC knock-out). If we rewind to May last year, they were well placed to go through to the ICC World T20 semi final but they just choked against Pakistan letting the latter go through. If South Africa can do really well at this World Cup or even win it then they will get rid of the tag of chokers. Playing in an ICC tournament is very different from any regular series and let us see if South Africa can find the consistency in the World Cup that they usually display.
The most amazing statement has come from Shahid Afridi who has said that his side is the most dangerous in the tournament and should make it to the semis. We know how dangerous they can be but I think Sri Lanka is the most dangerous side in the tournament because they are the most balanced side. They have the batsmen, bowlers and all rounder who can all win matches. Pakistan is a balanced and a dangerous team but Afridi’s statement can work both ways. It may boost the confidence of his players or may in turn put a little extra pressure on them. As a cricket fan I hope they play some good cricket and thrill the crowds at this World Cup.
Coming back to the field, the first on-field action starts today as various teams are going to play their warm up games. The matches scheduled are
1. Kenya vs. West Indies (Can Kenya repeat 1996)
2. Sri Lanka vs. Netherlands
3. Bangladesh vs. Canada (Is there a repeat of the 2003 World Cup encounter where Canada emerged victorious)
4. Ireland vs. New Zealand
5. South Africa vs. Zimbabwe
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