BOLD and DECISIVE are concepts that do not fit well with English way of life.

As Pink Floyd sang decades ago, "hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way." True today as was then.

Really sad about Martin Crowe.

As for England, I think preparation for a World Cup should be a 4 year plan. Yes, you should be wanting to win matches throughout the period, but your long term decisions should have one eye on the tournament.

Picking Cook as captain, sticking by him, then removing him just before the World Cup was poor planning, He should never have been the ODI Captain in the first place.

Lara said today thst "Pakistan won't create any fear in the opposition. Even if they do reach the Q-finals, they certainly won't make it to SF".... Spot on


But concentrate on the windies mate... More teams will fear this third rate Pak team over windies anyday

That*

3rd rate

Excuseistan

England, Pakistan, WI all are poor at the moment, I wonder if any of these teams get knocked out in the first round. Might be the kick up the backside they need.

SL and NZ don't have the belief.

Oz, SA and India seem the likely winners, but always feel SA have one abysmal match in them especially at the knockout stage.

This leaves India and Australia. Quite a boring final to be honest, the 2003 final had much more star power

If we get NZ in QF I actually fancy us. If we get the Aussies then it's best not to turn up.

lefty your team are called Kholia remember

Ireland must be terrified of facing SA tonight after seeing what they did to the Caribes.

If SA were to bat first, Green boys must do something not traditional for them like opening the bowling with Dockrell. Why not?

Amla dropped on 10 off KOB's first delivery. Will this be costly?

Faf dropped on 19!

Great to see the Green machine roll to another score over 400....

Fantasy points for me at last. Amla PP and also Faf.

Pak need Ireland to get hammered here.

I wonder what Pakistan must be thinking watching practically every other top nation piling on the runs... Let's put it into perspective
Paks highest score so far : 235-7 (50)
Emg highest score so far : 309-6 (50)
SA in last ten overs batting first: 383-4 (30)

According to my calculation (take with a pinch of salt..... If saffers restrict Ireland to 175 or below Pakistan will have a better run rate than Ireland.

we are only ahead of Afghan and Scotland in terms of runs.

comment by Afridi14 (U2805)
posted 4 seconds ago
According to my calculation (take with a pinch of salt..... If saffers restrict Ireland to 175 or below Pakistan will have a better run rate than Ireland.
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We just need to try and win by a big margin tonight. The weather in Napier has improved from bad to decent.

I reckon if we win the toss against saffers, put on 270 somehow we can beat them too.. They often can bottle a chase, but are in a league of their own when batting first.

SA are like a slightly better version of us when it comes to chasing.

Hope UAE win tonight....

Also - If India do lose to west Indies....that will be be a blow to Pakistan too.

Balbirnie

200

DJ we are looking at a 3 way tie for 3rd and 4th spot.

I reckon Pak, WI and Ireland will all end up with 3 wins.

Net run rates

West Indies -0.313
Ireland -1.137
Pakistan -1.373

We need big win tonight/tomorrow