T20 WORLD CUP PREVIEW

Just 12 days after the Mighty Chargers lifted the IPL trophy, cricket fans (most of us anyway) are licking our lips at the 3rd biggest thing in T20 after the IPL and the proposed Champions
League. It will not impress the ICC that their tournament ranks 3rd in my book, but to hell with them. It should still be a lot of fun.

In my view, the thing that sets the other 2 tournaments aside is the fact that there haven't been, nor are there likely to be any matches deemed to be very obviously one sided before a ball is bowled. The same cannot be said about the T20 WC. To look down the fixture list in search of a one-sided clash, one needs look no further than Game 1 featuring (term used loosely) England and the Netherlands. No matter how crap England are at the moment in the T20 format, one can't see the Dutchmen banking maximum points on opening day. 3 of the first 5 games should result in landslides and there will be many more to follow in the group stages. I do believe it will be good to watch from Game 13 onwards by which time minnows should have eliminated. The tournament really only kicks off at Super 8 stage.

After a fantastic warm up in the shape of the IPL, all except possibly 7 or 8 of the world's best players will have had time to play themselves into form, or get the bad form out of the way depending on how you wish to look at it. Mitchell Johnson, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and 1 or 2 others along with the entire Pakistan team should be reasonably well rested. So everyone participating will be able to put a positive spin on their preparations.

2 sides in particular will put their hands up in the form department - India and SA. Defending champions India will have a lot more pressure on them this time round as holders I would think, not that there wasn't much pressure on them in the previous edition. In a way, SA will have less pressure on them given the fact that they've had a good summer regardless and this time round they are not hosting the tournament. Sa have gone in with a squad that virtually selected itself, and most of the team members reached good form during the IPL. To be an Indian selector can't be the easiest job it world sport at the moment and no matter what final XI is settled on, there will always be good players being left out, such is the depth in Indian cricket at the moment

While all teams will have a chance and anything can happen come semi final time (pick your cliche), the reality is that teams with quality players and proven BMT are more likely to rise to the top. For your winner, look no further than India, South Africa or Australia. There, I've said it. Every other side in this tournament is there to make up the numbers.

The warm up games have led me to believe a few things to be true :

• Scott Styris - the 'step' shaven into his head didn't work for Jason Donovan, and it won't work for him - but he'll be there to mop up the shortcomings of his so-called flamboyant opening batsman - he of KKR fame
• Rohit Sharma - In 15 years' time Rohit will be remembered as one of India's best ever. And by that time it will be a case of Yuvraj who ?
• Like any of the top sides, India can blow hot and cold. When they blow cold they may lose close games or even still win against lesser teams. When they blow hot they will be decidely unstoppable.
• South Africa look very well prepared. As they did for World Cups in 1996 (Lara blitz in quarters),1999 (tied semi after mix up),2003 (DL cock up) etc etc - need I say more ?
• DLF maximums (although not so called in this tournament) will abound. In some areas, the boundaries at Lords are 60m. Ropes have been brought in at both other grounds as well. For people like Morkel,Yuvraj,Jayasuriya and numerous others, short-arm jabs will clear the ropes at a canter
• The IPL's 160 avg winning score will have to climb. Pitches will be flat and with short boundaries and dare I say a few inferior attacks, 180 will become par.
• The recent IPL produced 2 centuries in 59 games. The T20 WC will produce more hundreds in half the number of games
• I think the pitches will offer something to real pace, and good spin. Run of the mill medium pacers will travel. Collingwood, Oram, Maharoof, Luke Wright and co had best hope they all bat and field well if they intend to contribute.
• Minnows are minnows in any form. Bangladesh may surprise the odd team, but Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands will leave , in the words of Anne Robinson, with nothing.
• Pakistan will be Pakistan. They will murder more fancied opposition at some stage. And they will throw away at least 1 game from a very dominant position. Of not entertaining they will never be accused.
• If the full England team were playing in my back garden, I would draw the curtains. A sorrier, less glamourous, less effective outfit you will not see. KP will produce the odd cameo but it will not be enough to save the 3 Lions.
• 1 of Sa, India or Australia will win it.

Enjoy !

Deccan Charges on to the Title !!

I called it, And so it came to pass : Less than an hour ago Deccan Chargers were crowned 2009 IPL Champions and I for one was ecstatic to see it ! In T20 cricket, any team can win on the day and while Deccan's campaign often seemed to stutter, they started well, and finished well. What a glorious occasion for the 10 million people of Hyderabad, and indeed for the team's adopted fans across the world. To finish stone last in IPL's first season and then return to lift the trophy in the 2nd edition is a fantastic achievement and all credit is due to Shrek, Gilly and the team for this remarkable turnaround in fortunes.

The final itself was an unconventional thriller in many respects. Being inserted and scoring 143 after losing the captain on 0 did not inspire too much confidence, but then finals are a different animal. Kumble oozed class, and his 4 wickets kept Deccan in check. Gibbs would have been praised in one respect for carrying his bat but criticized in another for marshalling the strike inefficiently and not upping his strike rate sufficiently in the closing 5 overs. That none of that matters anymore is a huge source of joy for Deccan and their loyal fans. A comfortable victory loomed for the Bangalore faithful when it seemed Ross Taylor was getting comfortable with almost 6 overs to go and the score on 99/4. It was almost as if the occasion was not going to live up to it's billing, that the hype around the final and indeed the IPL was going to finish in an unimaginable anti-climax. But the the commentator's curse struck. To cut a long story short, a steady procession to and from the dugout eventually left Bangalore with too much to do in the last 2 overs and the result was in the bag. 

For Bangalore, Kumble was a treat to watch, slowing down the scoring rate at will, and dismissing key batters almost at will. Kallis' 0/24 was more quality than the bowling figures suggested and both vd Merwe and Ross Taylor were dismissed just when they seemed to be swinging things the Royal Challengers' way. Dravid will remember tonight's game for all the wrong reasons. He dropped an absolute dolly to grant Symonds a life and then scratched around for 9 before losing his leg stump. 

For Deccan, Gibbs was instrumental, and Symonds and Sharma were crucial without being destructive. Gilly marshalled the bowlers superbly and Symonds, Ojha and Harmeet Singh strangled the RCB batsmen just when it seemed the game was getting away from them. Harmeet Singh saved his best performance of the tournament for the final, grabbing 2/23 from his 4 overs and holding on to a fantastic diving catch at fine leg in the dying stages. Not enough can be said about the teams' revival but my bias prevents me from looking for any downside. Mental disintegration is and will always be part of the modern game and so Symonds' actions early on in Bangalore's innings I believe should not be criticized too much. The young Pandey was clearly unsettled and paid the ultimate price when he was dismissed cheaply when concentration waned.

Deccan Chargers. 2009 IPL Champions !

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Ravi Shastri said at the end of the match that 145 in a final is like 165 on any other night batting first, and this is why Bangalore struggled to reel the total in. As much as I enjoy Mr Shastri I would like to respond to that comment by saying : "What an absolute load of crap". At the halfway mark, not a single commentator thought it was enough, although they did point out the 3 individuals that gave the total a respectable look. That commentators always need to be correct in hindsight astounds me. We know they are human and fallible, just like Gilly. The difference is that Gilly sees no shame in accepting it. They should try it sometime, its not like we'll stop watching cricket.

As anybody who has read this blog more than twice will tell you, I have been rooting for the Chargers since last year's IPL.  Times were tough for 12 months, but now I have 12 months' worth of bragging rights. Aint it cool ? I made a host of predictions before the tournament, some of which came good and others that were way off the mark.

Some of my dodgier predictions included Dhoni's efforts as a batsman. He did much better than I thought he would - it doesn't make me a bad person. Graeme Smith did worse than I expected. Rohit Sharma performed better than I had expected, as did JP Duminy.

I also got some predictions right though, and I am certainly not gonna miss the chance to brag about them. Before a ball was bowled I predicted Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore to waltz in to the semi's. They waltzed in in exactly that order. I then predicted that Deccan would be a challenger as it were for the fourth spot on offer and so they were. I called for vd Merwe's inclusion into the Bangalore starting line up long before Ray Jennings felt it necessary. I also predicted a drought in all areas for KP and Freddie Flintoff. The one prediction I will rue because it was neither right nor wrong centres around Charl Langeveldt. How the worst team in the IPL could keep one of its best bowlers restricted to just a single performance is an absolute travesty. Rumours abound that Ricky Ponting will be given the captaincy and full authority around the team for next year's IPL and if it is the case, expect them to make semi's. How's that for nailing your colours to the mast before a ball is bowled ?

McCullum promised to resign if his team did not make playoffs. He should possibly have resigned 6 games before the end of KKR's campaign, so obvious was it that they would be rooted to the foot of the table. Another prediction that I got spot on before the start, if I may say so myself.

Disappointments from the rest of the tournament include Gony, Yuvraj Singh, Jayasuriya, Sreesanth, Kallis the bowler and Virender Sehwag. I guess we need to understand that a tournament like this will always create new stars and at the same time cast doubt in the direction of established ones. There is just too much cricket for certain players to perform consistently, and others to continue playing in their shadows. Next year's edition will prove no different. 

To Lalit Modi and the numerous people and bodies that work with him - South Africa loved every minute of the IPL. Being a true cricket fan I can only hope that all future editions are held safely in the country of their birth, India. But if ever again a substitute venue is needed - you know where to come. 

After nearly 6 weeks of constant T20 cricket I am now left to pick up the pieces insofar as the rest of my life goes. I will have to re-establish relationships with my son, my parents and of course my trusty Jack Russell who by the way was the only one who never once questioned my sanity throughout the tournament, not once. After the unfortunate incident where a father killed his son for watching too much IPL on TV, I received 2 phone calls from friends asking if I was OK, such was my dedication to the cause. Altogether I was only able to attend 4 live games but I enjoyed them all thoroughly. Only 320 days to go til IPL 2010.

In the meantime my focus will shift to things like the T20 WC, The ICC Champions Trophy, The Ashes and the Champions League scheduled to take place in India in October 2009. So the 320 days I lie in wait may not be spent quietly after all ....

IPL AWARDS - PART 1

Every major sporting event is often followed by the customary set of awards and the IPL will be no different. Apart from The Purple Cap and The Orange Cap, the IPL also annoints the most promising Indian u23 player. RP Singh, Matthew Hayden and Rohit Sharma take a bow - all 3 awards are well deserved. 

They say its never a good thing to reward mediocrity but this blog disagrees. So for the sake of naming and shaming the less publicised achievements of the 2009 IPL, please see attached :

MOST OVERRATED APPEARANCE IN IPL (FINALLY)

ANDREW FLINTOFF - toothless with the ball and harmless but to a lesser degree with the bat, CSK's owners must be wondering if they did the right thing signing the overweight pedalo professional from Lancashire. $1.55 mio for 6 weeks' work paid pro rata saw Freddie earn a hell of a lot more than he was worth. He was not a landslide winner here though and the runner's up award eventually went to KP

MOST EAGERLY ANTICIPATED DEPARTURE FROM IPL 2009 (FINALLY)

KEVIN PIETERSEN - a top score in the 30's, a mistimed switch hit, a couple of ducks  and a few poor decisions as captain would not have helped other RCB team members shed a tear when it was time for KP to join his England team back in blighty. That RCB reached the final was despite KP, not because of him. RCB cocked up their selections on a regular basis at the start of IPL 2009 and as captain KP would have played a role in that as well. Good riddance I say ....

MOST DISAPPOINTING SHOW FROM A BIG NAME

SANATH JAYASURIYA - 221 runs @ 18.4 with the bat and 7 wickets @ 23.3 might be enough to satisfy lesser players but I think its fair to say more would have been expected from the Mumbai stalwart. He's never gonna retire, so lets hope next season brings with it new fortunes for the little blaster. You may be wondering why KP and Freddie haven't won this award and the answer is simple - The Poms can't win everything, it wouldn't be fair to the other crap players.

BIGGEST DLF MAXIMUM

Yuvraj Singh hit local boy Albie Morkel for a DLF-er at Supersport Park that cleared the corporate entertainment suites and connected the floodlight pylon half way up. That can't be beaten. 119m if the television network is to be believed - to me it looked even bigger. This award will be treasured as much by him almost as much as the other thing he would seem to have won : Preity Zinta's heart ....

WORST TEAM

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS - Sure, it seems an easy award to allocate. But this award is included here purely so I can gloat. This blogs previous home, nominated Semi Finalists and Wooden Spoonists before a ball was bowled. To see how far off I was, simply click here to compare your initial selections with mine. McCullum sucked and so did Buchanan. Ganguly played 1 decent innings and never completed it. Ishant could not hold up the attach by himself and KKR's best player in this format, Charl Langeveldt was only given 1 game. Need I say more ?