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Why the Cricket World Cup Qualifiers is a sad time for cricket

Charbel Coorey
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Why the Cricket World Cup Qualifiers is a sad time for cricket

You might be thinking “sad time? What do you mean?”

I’ll explain, without referring to the obvious disappointment of most matches not even being televised.

10 hopefuls (the number of teams in the World Cup) are competing for two spots in the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England, and the competitiveness of the cricket has been heartening to see. Some of the performances, including Scotland’s amazing run, PNG’s challenge v West Indies and Zimbabwe’s incredible comeback win v Afghanistan, has been superb.

However, the feeling I have around these matches is significant disappointment. How can these teams, who obviously have talent, be expected to grow? How can cricket become a truly global sport with the pathetic mindset the ICC has, limiting the World Cup to 10 teams? What these World Cup Qualifiers tell us is that the ICC has no interest in truly globalising our great game.

An argument I hear: “But these teams are not competitive in World Cups, and makes for too many one-sided games”.

Rubbish.

For years, fans have been crying for more opportunities for these teams to gain greater exposure against higher ranked sides in the four year window between World Cups. Yes, this might mean an opportunity or two for associate nations instead of an India v Australia ODI series, for example, which we see plenty of. How on earth could one expect teams to compete against big teams, when the only time they play them is in World Cups? What is the solution? Enabling them to do better, or eliminating them altogether? The ICC has chosen the latter, and it’s a real shame.

You tell me what is better for cricket – an India v Australia ODI series that fans are desensitized to because we see it so damn often, or seeing these associate nations play against their heroes? Isn’t it better if the likes of Nepal, Hong Kong and Scotland play some ODIs against top ranked nations, at the expense of more meaningless, frequent ODI series? What about the rise of Afghanistan? There is a great chance we won’t even see Afghanistan at the World Cup, as they have suffered as a result of key absentees (Shahzad and Stanikzai) in this tournament, which is a huge shame. Could you imagine kids watching their national team in a big series for them? More kids will want to achieve what their heroes are, and that’s how you grow the game globally. Encourage participation, and give an opportunity for these nations to develop!

Sure, the “financial” argument always comes in, based on the amount of revenue a series brings in. However, this is short term thinking. This is not thinking that will help expand our game. Sometimes, revenue needs to be put to the side for a second to think about the future of our sport. Cricket is not thinking long term enough, and as a result, our associate nations are not growing. They are not getting the exposure and experience they need to improve, and they are being punished for somehow not competing with the established nations in a World Cup setting. “You guys are giving us no value, so only two spots available for you”, say the ICC. “And hey, you’ll have to compete with full member nations such as the West Indies to even try get a spot in the showpiece event.”

What I hope to see from the 2019 World Cup is the ICC coming to its senses, realising that a 10 team World Cup is NOT GOOD for cricket. Please, expand our game, and give a chance to the lesser experienced nations, who are crying out for more exposure. Let’s truly globalise our great game, and the way to do that is by supporting, enabling and encouraging the lesser nations thanks to long term decision making.

Spread the message, cricket fans.

Nidahas Trophy: 3rd T20I Preview – Easy win for Sri Lanka v Bangladesh?

Charbel Coorey
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– A team (Sri Lanka) that won their first game convincingly, against a team (Bangladesh) the lost their first game convincingly.

– A team (Sri Lanka) that recently smashed the other (Bangladesh) 2-0 in a recent T20I series.

– A team (Sri Lanka) that poached the other team’s (Bangladesh) coach, and is enjoying some success straight away.

Sri Lanka should beat Bangladesh easily, right?

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However, the beauty of T20 cricket is that anything can happen on the day. Bangladesh,, without Shakib Al Hasan, look to be really struggling at the moment, and their struggles were on show in a very poor performance against India. The concerning aspect for the Tigers is that India didn’t even get out of second gear throughout the game, and still won easily. They now come up against a Sri Lanka side that was impressive against India, so the key questions are – do Bangladesh stand any chance? What is their best route to victory?

A win for Sri Lanka would give them one foot in the final. The Lions had a wretched 2017, but have started 2018 promisingly, even though they haven’t played any top opposition yet. However, India still possessed some very good players in their side, and Sri Lanka put in a professional performance to nail their chase of 175. Chandika Hathurusinga knows Bangladesh inside and out, and if Sri Lanka put in a performance like they did versus India, it would surely be enough vs Bangladesh.

Key to a Sri Lanka win


Fast start by the top order.

This was key to Sri Lanka’s success on their Bangladesh tour, as well as their first game against India. A good start from the top order gives the middle order freedom to express themselves, and for Sri Lanka fans, they would have taken heart by how well the batting line up performed in a tricky chase first up.

Kusal Perera was dynamic with his 66, and Thisara Perera built on his good showing against Bangladesh with a strong 22 off 10 balls to see the Lions home against India. I’m really looking forward to see how Kusal Mendis goes against a team he has enjoyed playing against in recent times. A fast start by Dinushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera might be too much for Bangladesh to come back from.

Kusal Perera was excellent against India

Key to a Bangladesh win

In my preview of the India v Bangladesh game, I spoke about the onus being on the bowlers to perform. However, their batting was so awful that it was nearly impossible to watch, especially with the game kicking off at 12:30am here in Sydney. 
After all these years, Bangladesh still seem to struggle with the notion that T20 cricket is NOT ONLY about boundaries. For Bangladesh to improve in T20 cricket, their strike rotation has to be top of the agenda, as this was a major concern against India. In their innings of 139/8, they chewed up 68 dot balls, meaning they only scored off 52 balls. So basically, Bangladesh gave themselves 8.4 overs to put up some sort of score. Horrible stuff.
Against Sri Lanka, this has to change if they are to have a chance of winning. They need to cut out the dot balls, and keep Dinesh Chandimal guessing as to what field placings he should employ. It’s easy to say that Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah are key to Bangladesh’s chances, but in reality, all batsmen have to contribute in some way or another, and that starts with effectively rotating the strike.
Tamim Iqbal needs to perform for Bangladesh at the top

Predicted teams

For Sri Lanka, why change? They are playing with more confidence at the moment, and should stick with the same team. There is talk, however, of Suranga Lakmal being left out for Nuwan Pradeep. I think Lakmal will play, though.
Sri Lanka XI: 1. Danushka Gunathilaka, 2. Kusal Mendis, 3. Kusal Perera, 4. Dinesh Chandimal (c & wk), 5. Upul Tharanga, 6. Dasun Shanaka, 7. Thisara Perera, 8. Jeevan Mendis, 9. Akila Dananjaya, 10. Dushmantha Chameera, 11. Nuwan Pradeep
Bangladesh’s bowling held up pretty well against India, but just didn’t have enough runs to defend. The onus will be on the batsmen to put up some sort of fight in this match, to pretty much keep their hopes alive of reaching the final. I would not be surprised if a bowler is left out to cater for an extra batsman, even though their attack did OK against India.
Bangladesh XI: 1. Tamim Iqbal, 2. Soumya Sarkar, 3. Liton Das, 4. Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5. Mahmudullah, 6. Sabbir Rahman, 7. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8. Mustafizur Rahman, 9. Rubel Hossain, 10. Taskin Ahmed, 11. Nazmul Islam

Stats & Facts:

  • Since January 23, Bangladesh have lost two ODIs, a Test, and three T20Is. They have recorded no wins in this time. 
  • Soumya Sarkar, Bangladesh’s leading T20I run scorer in 2017, has scored 40+ three times in his last five innings.
  • Sri Lanka will be looking to take advantage of Bangladesh’s inability to rotate the strike. Reminder: Bangladesh played out 11.2 overs of dot balls v India.
  • Sri Lanka have won their last three T20Is, after losing their previous eight.
  • Kusal Mendis’ 66 v India was his eighth fifty in T20Is, and equaled Kumar Sangakkara’s record of most fifties for Sri Lanka in T20Is without a hundred (eight).

Prediction:

Not much is expected of Bangladesh at the moment, which is often when they can be at their most dangerous, However, with the pitches getting lower and slower as the tournament progresses, I again expect Bangladesh to struggle to make an impact with the bat, especially without Shakib Al Hasan. The variety in Sri Lanka’s attack, as well as knowledge of the Bangladesh team thanks to Chandika Hathurusinga, means that Sri Lanka are likely to be too strong.
Kusal Mendis was superb against Bangladesh in their recent series, and I expect him to be man of the match in a comfortable Sri Lankan victory.
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2nd Test Preview: South Africa v Australia – enough talk, let’s play!

Charbel Coorey
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The headlines have been dominated by David Warner vs Quinton De Kock.

What was said?

Was it an overreaction?

Who started it?

For me, who cares.

It’s cricket time, and in a series as high profile as this, I think it’s best we talk about the cricket instead.

South Africa were incredibly passive in the first Test. I didn’t see the aggression and intent that South Africa are often associated with, and for me, that began on the first day even before they were bundled for 162. Improvement in performance begins with improvement in mindset, and I’m interested to see if the events of the last few days will spark some more Protea fire in the belly. Of course, the performances of Aiden Markram and Quinton De Kock in the second innings were a major positive, and the Proteas should be looking to build on this.

Australia were very impressive in the first Test, taking advantage of South Africa’s passive approach, and making their mark on the series. Mitchell Marsh and the middle order were key in helping Australia reach 351 in Durban, but the Aussies will need better conversion of starts at the top of the order. Mitchell Starc joined the party with a dominant performance (9 wickets in the Test), and if South Africa don’t find a better way to play him, as well as the entire Australian attack, the Aussies will be enjoying a 2-0 series lead. Nathan Lyon will again have a key role, especially considering the track is expected to be dry and slow, so it might be worth attacking him from a South African perspective.

Key to a South Africa win

These are frustrating times for South Africa’s batsmen. Dating back to the series against India, they have failed to put together a complete batting performance.

Across different innings, one or two players will perform well, but without support from others. For example, AB De Villiers was superb in the opening two Tests against India and in the first innings in Durban in this series, but the the top order was outclassed. Then, Aiden Markram scored big in the second, but AB De Villiers was run out. Another is Hashim Amla’s brilliance in the third Test against India, but nothing in Durban vs Australia, and Dean Elgar’s magnificent effort in the second innings in Johannesburg v India recently, but a quiet first Test vs Australia.

The key for South Africa is to display more belief and aggression in this Test, and that can transfer to their batting. They are in desperate need for a complete batting effort, with partnerships right throughout the innings. There is no more important time than now.

Aiden Markram was superb in Durban

Key to an Australia win

Get into the South Africa top order early.
If Australia can expose South Africa’s middle order again, that will go a long way to a 2-0 series lead. Australia possess the best bowling attack in the world because of their ability to take wickets even in conditions that aren’t too helpful. The pitch in Port Elizabeth is predicted to be dry, so wickets up top with the ball can expose the middle order to Nathan Lyon and reverse swing later in the innings.

Mitchell Starc was unstoppable in Durban

Predicted teams:

South Africa should stick with a similar team to the one that lost in Durban. However, a change they may make is Temba Bavuma in for Theunis De Bruyn. Also, how the fast bowlers perform will have a big say in whether they can level the series. David Warner and Steve Smith are the two big wickets, and extra belief and intent from the South African bowlers can help them achieve this. They’ll certainly be keen to target David Warner, for obvious reasons. Also, the battle between Keshav Maharaj and Nathan Lyon will be fascinating on a slow, dry Port Elizabeth track.
South Africa XI: 1. Dean Elgar, 2. Aiden Markram, 3. Hashim Amla, 4. AB de Villiers, 5. Faf Du Plessis (c), 6. Temba Bavuma, 7. Quinton De Kock (wk), 8. Vernon Philander, 9. Keshav Maharaj, 10. Kagiso Rabada, 11. Morne Morkel
Australia will stick with the same XI that won in Durban, with Cameron Bancroft locking down his place for at least another Test after a half century in the second innings.
Australia XI: 1. Cameron Bancroft, 2. David Warner, 3. Usman Khawaja, 4. Steve Smith (c), 5. Shaun Marsh, 6. Mitchell Marsh, 7. Tim Paine (wk), 8. Patrick Cummins, 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Nathan Lyon, 11. Josh Hazlewood

Stats and Facts:

  • This is only Australia’s second Test in Port Elizabeth in the last 20 years. They lost their one game, when Dale Steyn went on a reverse swing rampage in 2014.
  • Morne Morkel needs three wickets to reach 300 in Tests.
  • If Australia win this Test, they will be just one win away from second place in the Test rankings (provided South Africa don’t win a Test in this series).

Prediction:

The pitch is again expected to be slow. However, I saw some good fight from South Africa in the second innings, and I genuinely believe they can still win the series.
In my opinion, Australia don’t necessarily have the better team on paper, but rather, showed a lot more intent and belief in Durban. I predict South Africa will show more of this and put on an a better showing in this Test to level the series 1-1. Looking forward to a good contest.

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Nidahas Trophy: 2nd Match Preview – Bangladesh v India

Charbel Coorey
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Yes, another India v Sri Lanka series, but the refreshing thing this time around is that another team is involved. And hey, if we get the drama we did the last time these two sides met in a T20I, it’d be pretty fun, right?

Bangladesh, in their first match of the tournament, have a chance to put India under real pressure after their first up loss to Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Come on Bangladesh, make this interesting, will you? Their form lately has been shocking, and they miss Shakib Al Hasan big time. He was originally considered a chance for the 2nd Test v Sri Lanka last month, but his finger still hasn’t recovered sufficiently enough, and Bangladesh will again be without him. They have not done well in T20Is in recent years even with Shakib in the side, so the fact that they don’t have him here makes their task even tougher.

India’s less experienced players would have taken plenty of lessons from their loss to Sri Lanka. The powerplay in both innings let them down significantly – India were 40-2 and Sri Lanka were 75-2 at the end of each respective powerplay – such a difference is almost always going to lead to one result. For India, they have a chance to sort this out against a Bangladesh side who are low on confidence.

Shikhar Dhawan spoke of India’s death by powerplays in the opening game

Key to a Bangladesh win

Bangladesh’s batting, while not great, has been holding up a lot better than their bowling in recent times.

To make this match as tricky as possible for India, much will depend on how the likes of Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Mehedi Hasan (if selected) perform. In the recent series against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh’s bowlers were carted all over the park in both losses, and will be hoping that Courtney Walsh’s time with the fast bowlers working on their mental strength can pay dividends.

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan possess the bulk of experience in this Indian line up, and their wickets early on will put pressure on the Indian middle order. You can’t trust Bangladesh’s batsmen to rack up 170+, and neither can you trust Bangladesh’s bowlers to defend a big score. However, keeping India quiet puts less pressure on the batsmen, so the onus is on the bowlers to perform well.

What impact will the Fizz have?

Key to an India win

It’s no secret that India suffered in the powerplays against Sri Lanka.
Against a bowling attack that looks a little thin, Shikhar Dhawan and co. will be keen to get off to a flyer with the bat, and the bowlers will be hoping for a much less expensive return than the other night. India will be keen for a good start, and with the good showing from the middle order after being 9/2 against Sri Lanka, the men in blue can take the game away from Bangladesh.
In must be noted also, with the ball, India pulled things back pretty well after the initial onslaught to leave Sri Lanka a little nervous towards the end of their chase. However, as a result of the powerplays, they just had too much catching up to do.
Rohit Sharma will be hoping for a better night this time around

Predicted teams

Sabbir Rahman is still frustrating all associated with Bangladesh cricket, and I believe he will miss out in this game. Taskin Ahmed is likely to play, and Bangladesh need to show faith in him because he has shown talent early in his career. Much of the onus with the bat will lie on Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah.
Bangladesh XI: 1. Tamim Iqbal, 2. Soumya Sarkar, 3. Liton Das, 4. Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah (c), 6. Ariful Haque, 7. Nurul Hasan, 8. Mehedi Hasan Miraz, 9. Nazmul Hossain, 10. Taskin Ahmed, 11. Mustafizur Rahman
Expect India to give the same team another chance. One change they might make though is Mohammad Siraj for Shardul Thakur, who was expensive and went for 26 in one over against Sri Lanka
India XI: 1. Shikhar Dhawan, 2. Rohit Sharma (c), 3. Suresh Raina, 4. Manish Pandey, 5. Rishabh Pant, 6. Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7. Vijay Shankar, 8. Washington Sundar, 9. Yuzvendra Chahal, 10. Jaydev Unadkat, 11. Mohammed Siraj

Stats and Facts:

  • The last time these two teams met in a T20I was THAT night in Bangalore when Mushfiqur Rahim decided that celebrating early was a better idea than actually hitting the winning runs.
  • India have beaten Bangladesh in all five T20Is between the two teams.
  • India have not lost two T20Is in a row since 2016. They have played 19 games since then.
  • Bangladesh have lost nine of their last 10 T20Is.

Prediction:

Bangladesh certainly have the talent, even without Shakib, to cause India a few headaches.
However, Bangladesh still haven’t mastered the T20I format, which is weird considering they enjoy playing their shots. Their mentality at the moment is quite poor, and they don’t seem to have much direction since Chandika Hathurusinga left. India’s fringe players will believe they have a lot to prove after a challenging first night in the series, and I think India, even without some of their best players, will be too good.
I will stick by my prediction that Bangladesh will not win a game this series.
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5 predictions for the Nidahas Trophy

Charbel Coorey
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Yes, India will play Sri lanka AGAIN, but let’s try be positive about it, shall we? Asia plays host to its first ever T20I Tri-Series, after Australia, New Zealand and England battled it out in a one-sided tournament recently, the first ever of its kind. In this article, I will preview each team briefly, and then have a light hearted look into some key predictions for the series (including Daniel Alexander, haha).

Sri Lanka, the home team, will be looking to continue the momentum from their recent successful tour of Bangladesh. However, despite thrashing Bangladesh twice in the T20Is, we must not forget that Sri Lanka were on a losing streak of eight matches before that, and despite India in particular not being full strength for the series, I’m not fully confident that Sri Lanka will take advantage. It remains to be seen if the likes of Kusal Mendis and Thisara Perera can continue on from their excellent showings in Bangladesh.

India usually test their bench strength in dead-rubber matches, but this tournament is a great opportunity to test fringe players in pressure situations. Sure, this series might not rank too highly on their priority list for 2018, but I’m sure India would not like to lose a series involving two Asian rivals. Had they had a full strength side, there is no doubt in the world they would have been too good for Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. But, key personnel missing levels the playing field a little, and it will be interesting to see how India go.
Bangladesh have had a shocking start to 2018. A home series involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe should have meant success, but they lost the Tri-Series, Test Series and T20Is, which was arguably their lowest point since 2014. The loss of Shakib Al Hasan has haunted Bangladesh big time over the last few weeks, and desperately need their bowlers to show some sort of fight. It’s tough to see them doing well in this series, but when the expectations are low, that’s when they’ve often prospered. It will be interesting to see if they can do that in this series.
With that, here are my predictions for the Nidahas Trophy:

Daniel Alexander will block at least 15 Indian fans on Twitter throughout the series!

In case you don’t know who Daniel Alexander (@daniel86cricket) is, he is a proud Sri Lankan fan and administrator at Island Cricket. It’s safe to say he doesn’t like the Indian team, and the India fans don’t like him either.
In this series, I expect there to be plenty of banter between fans and Daniel. If India are successful, he will be the target of plenty of trolling, and if Sri Lanka are successful, he will dish out plenty of trolling! All in all, I expect a few fans to be blocked :p
Don’t mess with Daniel Alexander!

Bangladesh will not win a single game

As an ardent follower of Bangladesh cricket since 2006, I am so disappointed with the step backwards the Tigers have taken so far in 2018. In the past, they have managed to win some games without Shakib Al Hasan, but at the moment, they look absolutely lost without him. 
I expect this to continue in this series, with Bangladesh’s bowlers in particular under the spotlight. In the recent 2-0 series loss to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh failed to defend nearly 200 in the first match (SL chased 194 within 17 overs) and then conceded 210 in the second game en route to a huge 75 run loss. 
It was reported that Courtney Walsh, who I believe isn’t making a great impact as Bangladesh bowling coach, spent some time with his fast bowlers working on their mental strength. Will it pay off? I don’t think so. In a recent article I wrote, full of passion, I spoke of the danger Bangladesh cricket faces after Shakib retires. You can see the article here. Will Bangladesh give their fans some hope that the future after Shakib doesn’t look so bad? I don’t think so.
No Shakib, no Bangladesh at the moment…
Leading run scorer – Rohit Sharma (India)


Rohit Sharma will lead India this series in the absence of Virat Kohli, and I think he will also lead the run scoring charts. Rohit has had a good time against both these sides, most notably his last innings vs Sri Lanka, where he amassed 118 off 43 balls, and it was widely anticipated he could even reach 200.
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh both have bowling attacks that have struggled in this format over the last few years, and Rohit, in a less experienced India line up, will be keen to stand up and be counted. With this in mind, I expect him to have a good series – the best out of any batsman.
Rohit scored 118 (43) in last meeting v Sri Lanka

Leading wicket taker – Yuzvendra Chahal (India)

This category is one where I think Bangladesh (Mustafizur Rahman) and Sri Lanka (Akila Dananjaya) could have some joy. However, I think Yuzvendra Chahal will continue to build on his superb showing in South Africa, and will have a great time against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh batting line ups that are prone to collapses.
It was said that T20s could be the death of the spinner, but it has proven to be very wrong. I believe a spinner will top the wicket taking charts (unexpected given the conditions), and it will be Chahal to achieve it.

Yuzvendra Chahal continues to shine

Winners – India

Yes, India are without Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav, but they are still my pick to take out the title.
They’ll still beat Bangladesh comfortably in my opinion, which leaves Sri Lanka, still a struggling T20I side, who themselves are without Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne and recent ODI Tri-Series hat-trick hero Shehan Madushanka. 
India possess strong bench strength. In addition to Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Yuzvendra Chahal, keep an eye out for Suresh Raina, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Manish Pandey and Jaydev Unadkat, who will be keen to gain form ahead of the IPL. India’s side, even without some of their biggest stars, still excite me more than Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and I expect them to deliver on the field.
India v Sri Lanka final – India win.
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Australia excellent. South Africa? Come on, step up…

Charbel Coorey
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1-nil to the Aussies.

Comprehensive. Impressive. Standard set for the tour.

Australia dominated South Africa in Durban, and exposed what many of us thought would be the weakness for South Africa – their batting. While it was excellent to see Aiden Markram (HUGE future for this kid) and Quinton De Kock spark hope of an amazing victory on the fourth evening, the writing was on the wall after lunch on the first day, in my opinion.

Watching with interest on the first day, what was particularly disappointing for me was South Africa’s intensity, or lack of, in the field at times. With Australia three down at lunch on the first day, the second session was crucial, and South Africa came out and strolled around as if things would happen naturally.

You may think I’m being a little harsh here, but what did you think of Morne Morkel’s spell in particular after lunch? Morkel, playing in his final series, has had a good career, but with Australian star and captain Steve Smith at the crease, surely that is the time to crank the intensity up a notch, and put everything you have into that very important spell. Instead, Morne was strolling in bowling at 130km/h, offering either a half volley on Smith’s pads, or short wide “hit me” balls. Not what you expect in a key period in such a big series.

The lack of intensity at times was concerning, and it’s time for South Africa to find the fire in the belly again! Against a good Australia team in very good form, this is critical. Australia have now won six of their last seven Tests, and the thing they would want most is for South Africa to have a cautious mindset.

Faf’s cartwheeling offstump

South Africa conceding 350 first up, after having Australia 251/7, was disappointing, and the batting failed to deliver in the first innings. In such a big series, first innings parity is an absolute minimum if you have any thoughts of winning. Personally, South Africa showed Australia far too much respect, not only in the way they played, but from the pitch they prepared.

In the recent Ashes series, Australia were very good on the flat, slower than usual Australia pitches. South Africa, instead of backing themselves on a typical home pitch – the kind we saw in Cape Town v India – entered the match in fear of Australia’s attack, producing a very slow, lifeless pitch by South African standards. The point I’m making here is that when you enter a match giving the opposition too much respect, you are set for a tough time, because half the cricket battle is in the mind. Mitchell Starc (what a magnificent bowler this man is), Josh Hazlewood, Patrick Cummins and Nathan Lyon are all brilliant enough without the opposition doing them favours. Australia said “thank you”, and South Africa’s defensive mindset hurt them, getting bowled out for 162 in the first innings, giving the series lead to Australia gift-wrapped nicely with a ribbon on top.

Even despite beating India 2-1 recently, South Africa were unconvincing at times. They were up-and-down, and if the Proteas want to be number one in Tests, they need to sort this out. What’s even more disappointing at the moment is that their top six are all showing glimpses of good form, but they can’t seem to all put it together. Hashim Amla, for example, was unbelievable in the final Test v India on an extreme Johannesburg pitch, but couldn’t get going here.

South Africa certainly have the talent to do well, and I certainly still believe they can win the series 2-1. However, we need to see more intensity and belief in the things they do. It starts with some more fire in the belly, and David Warner’s scuffle with Quinton de Kock can certainly help – this could fire the South Africans up! Knowing how Faf du Plessis goes about his work, he will ensure Australia don’t walk all over his side, and with some promising second innings batting, I expect South Africa to bounce back strongly in the second Test.

Believe me, this series is far from over. Australia are looking fantastic at the moment, but if South Africa can find their belief and mojo, this series might well live up to its billing.

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4 predictions for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers

Charbel Coorey
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It’s an exciting period for the associate nations, but a potentially difficult time for the full member nations, as the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers begin on Sunday.

Ahead of this tournament, I must say I am still disappointed at the ICC’s decision to reduce the World Cup to 10 teams. Yes, there are some very one-sided games in World Cups, but to expand the game and to give the less experienced cricket nations a chance, they should have far more exposure against the bigger sides in the four-year window between World Cups. If that means it is at the expense of another Australia-India ODI series, for example, then so be it.

Anyway, that is perhaps an argument for another article. This article will look into a few predictions for the ICC World Cup Qualifiers, with an opportunity for two teams to qualify for the showpiece event in England in 2019. In this tournament, there will be two groups of five, with the top three teams in each group qualifying for Super Sixes. Then, the top two teams will contest the final, and qualify for the World Cup.

Leading wicket taker – Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)

Rashid Khan has been incredible all over the world in T20 tournaments. Here in Australia, fans got a taste of the Afghanistan sensation, finishing equal leading wicket taker in the Big Bash tournament.
Sure, 50 over cricket is different to T20 cricket, but against opposition not equipped to handle spin effectively, Rashid Khan could wreak havoc. Equal top of the ODI bowler rankings, Rashid Khan has taken 86 wickets in 37 ODIs, at an average of 13, including 7/18 v West Indies last year.
He is certainly one of the most well-known players in this tournament, and will play a key role in Afghanistan’s quest to reach the World Cup.
Rashid Khan will be tough to handle…

Leading run scorer – Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe)

Brendan Taylor hasn’t had the best of times since returning to the Zimbabwe line up, but he remains a class player. 
In the last few games, there have been signs he is getting back to the Brendan Taylor we know. An excellent 125 v Afghanistan in Zimbabwe’s only win in the UAE would have given him and Zimbabwe a lot of encouragement, and he hit a solid 52 in Zimbabwe’s only warm up game against Papua New Guinea. One of the finest players Zimbabwe have ever produced, in a tournament where the bowling won’t be too flash by international standards, he needs to step up in his country’s desperate time of need.
Other candidates for top run scorer include Chris Gayle and Shai Hope (West Indies), William Porterfield and Kevin O’Brien (Ireland), Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) and Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan). 
Can Brendan Taylor show the form he displayed at the 2015 World Cup?

Surprise team…

Ireland.
With the great cricket Ireland have played over the years, it somewhat a surprise to consider them a possible surprise team. However, due to limited opportunities, they aren’t as strong as they used to be, and as a result, enter this tournament with at least three teams (West Indies, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe) more fancied to qualify for the tournament.
Players such as Paul Stirling, Kevin O’Brien and George Dockrell will have an impact, and it is safe to say they will at least reach the Super Sixes. Recently, they won an ODI Tri-Series featuring Scotland and UAE, and also beat Afghanistan 2-1. With Paul Stirling’s recent good form, as well as the experience in their team, expect Ireland to go close…
Paul Stirling… key for Ireland

Two teams to qualify

West Indies and Afganistan.
It would be special to see Zimbabwe, Ireland and the likes of PNG, Nepal, Hong Kong and UAE do well, but West Indies and Afghanistan are best equipped to qualify in my opinion.
How the mighty have fallen… Once cricketing powerhouses, West Indies will scrap just to qualify for the World Cup, a tournament they won in their glory days in 1975 and 1979. West Indies have been in the country preparing for about two weeks, and while their batting in the warm up matches has been atrocious, they have the players to step up against mostly inexperienced opposition. Their recent ODI form isn’t too great, but they have a side capable of beating anyone on their day – Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels in their side certainly helps. Despite their fall from grace, they can’t look at participation in this tournament as an embarrassment, but rather, they need to show up, show respect to every opponent, and play their best cricket. If they do this, they will certainly go through.
For Afghanistan, they keep progressing nicely in international cricket, and will be buyoed by spin twins Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Zadran. In addition, they have batsman that can pack a punch, including Mohammad Nabi and Mohammad Shahzad. Despite a recent 2-1 series loss to Ireland, they smashed Zimbabwe 4-1 (albeit in different conditions), and will be a handful for all teams they play in the tournament.
Jason Holder – “time for us to win a World Cup”. You must qualify first…
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Final say

It is hugely disappointing that this tournament will not be streamed by the ICC, but it is our job as cricket fans to show interest, and talk about the tournament on social media to give these teams the exposure they are craving. 
Hopefully the weather can hold, because this tournament is great for exposing these teams to high pressure situations. Here’s to a good tournament.
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India’s tour of South Africa – success?

Charbel Coorey
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India’s much anticipated tour of South Africa has come to an end, and I will have a look at whether India and their fans should consider this tour a successful one.

On first glance, especially so soon after more success in the limited overs leg of the tour, it seems India had a really great tour. However, I feel India’s biggest test came in the Test matches, and unfortunately didn’t prepare well enough, and ultimately lost a series they could have easily won. We all know India are an excellent limited overs side, but they needed to prove to the doubters that they can compete away from home.

Did they do enough? Let’s have a deeper look…

Tests – South Africa won 2-1

2018 began with a very high profile Test series between World no. 1 and 2. India have had plenty of success over the last two years, but have had plenty of doubters around the world saying that they haven’t been good enough in Australia, South Africa, England and New Zealand to warrant their number one Test ranking.
Even before the series, India made a major mistake in deciding against any tour matches, opting to acclimatise to conditions in the Test series. The impact of this was evident, with India starting off with a big loss, with their batsmen struggling, albeit in tough conditions in Cape Town. As the series progressed, despite some very weird selection decisions (i.e. Ajinkya Rahane and Bhuvneshwar Kumar), India got better and better, and finished off with an absolutely brilliant win in very extreme conditions in Johannesburg. Their batsmen proved that they could handle tough, foreign conditions, but India would be kicking themselves that they didn’t start the series like this.
All in all, India did enough to keep their number one ranking, and have given themselves, as well as their fans, plenty of hope that they can do well in England and Australia later this year. Virat Kohli was simply brilliant, topping the run scoring charts, with 286 runs, and the next best India was Hardik Pandya in 8th with 119 runs. India’s batting improved as the tour went on, and their bowlers showed how threatening they could be away from home.
Top players in the Tests for India: Virat Kohli (9/10), Mohammed Shami (8/10), Jasprit Bumrah (7/10), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (7/10)
India improved in the Tests, but it wasn’t enough to win the series

ODIs – India won 5-1

Wow. What a demolition job by India. 
Again, like the Tests, it was World no.1 v no.2, this time with South Africa the team considered the 
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best in the world. India took advantage of AB De Villiers and Faf Du Plessis missing for a good portion of the series, and taught the South Africans a huge lesson. I mentioned during the series that it was like no.1 vs no.8 in the world.
The rise of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal is a massive bonus for India, which can give them a big X factor for the World Cup in 2019. Between them, they took a massive 33 wickets at just 15.09, at an economy rate of under five. In addition, India’s top order, especially Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan, were absolutely superb, setting the innings up often for a middle order surge. Virat Kohli scored 558 runs, and became the first ever player to score 500 runs in a bilateral ODI series. This was done at an average of 186. What a player.
India are certainly a chance for the 2019 World Cup, especially if they can sort out a few questions in the middle order.

Top players in the ODIs for India: Virat Kohli (10/10), Kuldeep Yadav (9/10), Yuzvendra Chahal (8.5/10), Shikhar Dhawan (8.5/10)
India’s magnificent trio in the ODI series

T20Is – India won 2-1

Team India’s success continued into the T20I series, winning the deciding game in Cape Town to take the series 2-1.
The return of Suresh Raina proved to be a successful one, and has started conversations about a possible return in the middle order of the ODI side. Shikhar Dhawan, Manish Pandey and MS Dhoni were some of India’s best with the bat in this series (all with strike rates of over 150), Bhuvneshwar Kumar was superb with the ball (how good is he)!
A question to come out of the series though is Jaydev Unadkat – an economy rate of nearly 10 raises further doubts in my mind as to whether he is overpriced in the IPL. Is he worth the money? It remains to be seen.

Top players in the T20Is for India: Bhuvneshwar Kumar (9/10), Shikhar Dhawan (8/10), Manish Pandey (8/10), MS Dhoni (8/10), Suresh Raina (7.5/10)

My view

In the end, India won eight of their last 10 matches in the tour, after the 2nd Test defeat in Centurion.
The biggest prize, in my opinion, would have been a Test series win, but the third Test win in tough conditions, plus the awesome limited overs performance, makes this a successful tour for India. The reason I say this is that a successful tour is not just about the scorelines, but what platform a team sets up for themselves in the future. From this series, I believe India have gained confidence to go to England and Australia and do well.
Overall score for India in the tour: 7/10
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Ball hits bowler in the head, and went for six…

Charbel Coorey
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Source: New Zealand Cricket

One of the most extraordinary stories in the cricket world at the moment is what happened in New Zealand’s domestic 50 over competition.

In a match between Auckland and Canterbury, New Zealand Test batsman Jeet Raval hit a ball back so hard that it hit Canterbury captain Andrew Ellis in the head and went for SIX.

Immediately, I feared the worst, but thankfully (somehow), Ellis passed a concussion test and came back to bowl a further six overs, including taking the wicket of Raval.

This incident, which could have potentially been much more serious, might fuel further calls for helmets for bowlers, which has already been trialed. I certainly think this incident is a warning for the game of cricket, and should act now to ensure the bowlers are protected as much as possible. The game of cricket must not wait for more serious (and potentially fatal) injuries to bowlers before action is taken.

Otago bowler Warren Barnes trialed a custom helmet in late 2017

2nd T20I Preview: Last chance for South Africa to keep series alive

Charbel Coorey
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Further domination.

India put a complete performance in the 1st T20I to consign the hosts to yet another defeat. Since the second Test in Centurion, where South Africa wrapped up the Test series, India won the third Test, thrashed the hosts 5-1 in the ODIs, and then won the first T20I well. Remind me who is the home team again?

Led by Shikhar Dhawan, India batted beautifully, nailing over 200 in Johannesburg, and their fans would have been really happy to see some good middle order contributions as well. South Africa will have to find some way to contain the India batting line up, and need to take heart from the fact they managed over 170 against a good Indian bowling attack, even with Bhuvneshwar Kumar taking five wickets.

Key to a South Africa win

Higher chance of snow falling in Centurion than this happening?
Higher chance of everyone suddenly falling in love with Donald Trump?
In all seriousness, the inexperienced bowling attack for South Africa needs to hold up as best they can against a strong, experienced India line up. They have to find a way to keep the Indians quiet, and
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 if they manage to do that, the batsmen must be in the runs. The short ball didn’t work in Johannesburg – the key would be to bowl really tight lines and lengths, and limit the boundaries.
To win this, South Africa need everything to go their way, and put in the near perfect batting, bowling and fielding performance, whilst hoping India have a bit of an off day.

Key to an India win

Ruthlessness.
India have South Africa on the mat, and the key to victory is keeping the foot on the throat. Most teams in the world would trade their top order for India’s top four of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli. India’s batting line up is experienced and knowledgeable enough to know that letting South Africa’s bowlers settle at all would give their opposition hope of being competitive.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar then led a solid Indian bowling attack, where South Africa simply were never in the running to chase down 204. More of the same will be the order of the day, and then India could look to experiment with their squad in the third T20I if indeed it is a dead rubber.
Both these two were superb in the first T20I

Predicted teams:

South Africa desperately need more from the JP Duminy and David Miller, their most experienced players, to support the likes of Reeza Hendricks, who played well in the first T20I. Also, Chris Morris has been very quiet in the limited overs games v India, and South Africa need him to have a big one with the series on the line. Also, all of South Africa’s efforts with spin haven’t worked in th ODIs and T20I, which could see Aaron Phangiso come into the side.
South Africa XI: 1. Reeza Hendricks, 2. Jon-Jon Smuts, 3. JP Duminy (c), 4. David Miller, 5. Farhaan Behardien, 6. Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 7. Andile Phehlukwayo, 8. Chris Morris, 9 Dane Paterson, 10. Junior Dala, 11. Aaron Phangiso
India, on paper, look so much stronger than South Africa, and will look to seal the series with the same team before any experimentation. Suresh Raina will have another chance to cement his place in this team, and also get the Indian selectors thinking about a possible place even in the ODI side.
India XI: 1. Rohit Sharma, 2. Shikhar Dhawan, 3. Suresh Raina, 4. Virat Kohli (c), 5. Manish Pandey, 6. MS Dhoni (wk), 7. Hardik Pandya, 8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9. Jaydev Unadkat, 10. Jasprit Bumrah, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal

Stats & Facts:

  • India have only ever lost one T20I v South Africa in South Africa – March 2012 in Johannesburg.
  • India thrashed South Africa twice at Centurion in the ODI series – by nine and eight wickets respectively (2nd and 6th ODIs).
  • Virat Kohli needs 130 runs in the remaining two T20I games to reach 1,000 runs for the tour.
  • India have won their last five T20Is. South Africa have won three.

Prediction:

The forecast says there is an 80% chance of afternoon thundershowers, which could potentially see a shortened game. No doubt, the shorter the game, the better chance South Africa have of causing an upset.
However, India look superior in all departments, and will produce another professional display under the ruthless Virat Kohli to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead. The top order will set the platform, and I pick Rohit Sharma to win the Man of the Match award, with a strong performance from the great Virat Kohli.
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