Australia vs World XI: Match 3

[Occasional Fan]

Either way, seems like a lot of brass for what is essentially a friendly match.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Yet still there was more effort and organisation the current england football team.

[Mohammed]

they left afridi out in the second match? thats weird

and funny how lara didn't do anything lol

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Mohammed

they left afridi out in the second match? thats weird

and funny how lara didn't do anything lol

Hi Mohammed,
The whole series is wierd, very few of the world stars have shone.

Flintoff's bowling has been poor, his batting as good as most, and better than Lara.

I think this series in an anti climax after the Ashes series, the planners did not think England would win.

Nothing wrong with the series, just to soon after the Ashes.

[Rachael]

I'm rather bemused by the reception this contest is getting: I'm SERIOUSLY up for it. OK... pyjama cricket isn't my cup of tea... but I'm REALLY looking forward to the six-day thing... not least because the Aussies are looking like they've got over the mega underperforming blip of this summer.

Looks like McGrath is 100% again (wouldn't THAT have made a difference this summer) with Lee likely to find the pitches FAR more to his liking than the dogs of pitches he found in the UK.... and Warne lying in wait... we've the prospect of the best batting line up the world has seen in a generation facing an attack of real quality... and much the same in reverse when the Aussies get to bat!

[Henners]

i blame one-dimentional bowling, i mean flintoff, bowls same or simalar to aktar and pollock, the fast bowling line up was useless, the spinners bowled well, i guess.

england have a mixed attack, simon jones reverse swing, hoggard the conventional swinger, and flintoff and harmison the pace men, giles the supporting spinner, worked well in the ashes, [i think if you want to see world XI win, select 9 england players(collingwood for Bell) then select murul for giles and sanakarra for G Jones]

[Ernest]

You can't tell anything IMHO from these matches, Australia would be silly to draw any conclusions from these matches against a none team.
With respect it's thinking like this that has done Australia no sevice, the bowling still needs sorting.

Australia need to be looking at the attitude of watson(one Beny told us 9 moths ago to look out for), players like Watson Lee, and Tait are the new order for Australia.

Father time says glen McGrath has not much longer, his best is only as good as his body will allow.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Henners

i blame one-dimentional bowling, i mean flintoff, bowls same or simalar to aktar and pollock, the fast bowling line up was useless, the spinners bowled well, i guess.

Well the 3 mentioned are all different in a way, Flintoff is a fast bowler who can swing the ball both ways, aktar is out and out pace, and Pollock is a line and length bowler.
The World X1 aren't a ream, are they?you are right, there should have been more England players to stand a chance.
Pointless these one day matches.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Henners

i think if you want to see world XI win, select 9 england players(collingwood for Bell) then select murul for giles and sanakarra for G Jones]

That's a bit silly: England's batting pretty much sucked this summer.... but with an out of form Gillespie and Kasprowicz to contend with.. and Lee trying too hard for the wonder ball... and Warne struggling with unhelpful pitches... they generally had it pretty easy (Lords excepted: that was the fairest comparison of the two sides in the entire summer, in that there was a chance for all the bowlers to shine in their own way - McGrath using the slope.. Harmison using the bounce... and so on).

Kallis had a great series against England recently.... and deserves his place. Dravid has generally looked a class apart in recent years... and also deseves his place. In fact... whatever doubts might surface over the ODI selections... the Test side doesn't look far off.

Critically.. even if there could have been some slightly better ODI selections... the players picked were not unworthy: they SHOULD have done better. You can't complain about a ODI middle order of Kallis, Dravid and Lara... Inzi, Chanderpaul and Collingwood might have done better... but it wasn't a POOR 2nd best!

Credit where it's due: Autralia have picked themselves up magnificently.

[Crunchy]

That's a bit silly: England's batting pretty much sucked this summer....

Against Warne it did.

but with an out of form Gillespie and Kasprowicz to contend with.. and Lee trying too hard for the wonder ball... and Warne struggling with unhelpful pitches... they generally had it pretty easy (Lords excepted: that was the fairest comparison of the two sides in the entire summer, in that there was a chance for all the bowlers to shine in their own way - McGrath using the slope.. Harmison using the bounce... and so on).

Why the constant excuses cant you just accept the Aussies got beaten by the better team.

Critically.. even if there could have been some slightly better ODI selections... the players picked were not unworthy: they SHOULD have done better. You can't complain about a ODI middle order of Kallis, Dravid and Lara... Inzi, Chanderpaul and Collingwood might have done better... but it wasn't a POOR 2nd best!

Credit where it's due: Autralia have picked themselves up magnificently.

They didnt need to pick themselves up magnificently in the one day game. Everyone knows they are the best one day team. Even though the row performance in all three games was embarrassing. It's the test arena where the jury is out on who's the best side.