Twenty20 World Cup 2014

Starts next weekend. The tournament format is really shit this time.

Teams qualified to get into qualifiers, top team from each of the qualifier groups go to the main draw... and 5 teams in each group.

They really want to milk a beast dry, or a dry beast. At least it's going to be held only once in four years after 2016.

The first few T20 world cups were quite appealing because it only lasted a couple of weeks and there wasn't an excess of meaningless games.

But you can always count on the ICC to f*ck a good thing up in name of blatant greed, so bravo them.

Except the ICCCT which they wanted to scrap.

Root ruled out then... replaced by Bell, who wasn't in the original shortlist of 30, and hasn't played a T20 game of any description for 3 years.

But he is Warwickshire, so that's always going to work in his favour now.

Would we pick a player for Test cricket who hasn't played an FC game for three years? Well, actually, you wouldn't rule it out with this lot in charge.

Of the original 30 man squad (which Bell has bypassed), you'd think Sam Patel (can bowl spin - just the ticket in Bangladesh), Craig Kieswetter (former T20 WC winner), Michael Carberry (domestic T20 daddy) and Kevin Pietersen (ex-county pro and Twitter enthusiast) had way more of a claim to a place than Bell.

But there you go.

taipan wrote:Except the ICCCT which they wanted to scrap.

Never got the point of that tournament. Although I end up saying it's decent each time it is played. 4 teams in a group works well, except if they want to play it out to a bloody super 8 stage.

England will not win a game!

We'd honestly struggle to beat Afghanistan in this format.

beamer wrote:Root ruled out then....

To take up what being said in the other thread, having your thumb broken in 8 places sounds horrific.  They're saying it'll take time for him to recover- flipping heck, I was thinking there goes his career.

furriner wrote:

beamer wrote:Root ruled out then....

To take up what being said in the other thread, having your thumb broken in 8 places sounds horrific.  They're saying it'll take time for him to recover- flipping heck, I was thinking there goes his career.

A good result then.

England have no chance of winning one, let alone a clutch of games in order to "compete".
The entire cricketing world has moved on apace whilst England take time out to nurse good feelings
within the team.
Still, they'll all be feeling good about themselves as they board the plane home after 3 straight losses.

Merlin wrote:

furriner wrote:

beamer wrote:Root ruled out then....

To take up what being said in the other thread, having your thumb broken in 8 places sounds horrific.  They're saying it'll take time for him to recover- flipping heck, I was thinking there goes his career.

A good result then.

England have no chance of winning one, let alone a clutch of games in order to "compete".
The entire cricketing world has moved on apace whilst England take time out to nurse good feelings
within the team.
Still, they'll all be feeling good about themselves as they board the plane home after 3 straight losses.

"Well we taught that KP twat a big lesson"

interesting to see the meerkat manor of 1 post - sort of - on a cricket related matter

Would be an embarrassment if the host didn't make it to the tournament proper, and at this stage, not completely unrealistic either.

Ben Stokes misses the T20 W.C. because he hurt his lickle ickle hand by hitting a locker.

Words don't fail me but I am mindful of Mrs Stokes' all-seeing eyes!

Oh yes, and Stokes has been replaced by Chris Woakes - the way Stokes has played in the T20s - the locker he tried to assault would have been more use to the side. Come to think of it - the locker or Chris Woakes? Now that is one hard choice.

Are we now down to four certainties for the next Test side then? Cook, Bell, Broad and Anderson, injuries permitting (and I'd happily permit injuries to all four of them so we can start from scratch...)

Must we go through with this crap?

beamer wrote:Are we now down to four certainties for the next Test side then? Cook, Bell, Broad and Anderson, injuries permitting (and I'd happily permit injuries to all four of them so we can start from scratch...)

Five if you include Gilo as coach   

Basil wrote:Ben Stokes misses the T20 W.C. because he hurt his lickle ickle hand by hitting a locker.

  

The things a player does to avoid playing for England...  

Has Stokes blamed KP yet?

What's the format again?

JGK wrote:What's the format again?

8 teams play off in two sections to qualify for the top 10. Top 2 teams go forward. 2 sections of 5 play off with 1 & 2 going to semis.

Cheers.

Go the Ghanis.