How poor have NZ become?

Scared of the Bangles?


New Zealand wary of Bangladesh threat

05 October 2008 (11:51)

Daniel Vettori © Action Images
New Zealand will have to be on top of their game to avoid an upset this month against Bangladesh, skipper Daniel Vettori said on Sunday.
New Zealand will play three one-day internationals from October 9-14, before the first of two tests starts on October 17.

"We have come here expecting to win," Vettori said at a news conference.

"We are not underestimating Bangladesh, we know how good they can be. If we are not on top of our game we can get upset and that's the thing we are trying to avoid."

Bangladesh have won only one of their previous 53 tests (47 defeats) since making their debut in 2000.

The two teams last met in New Zealand in December-January, where the hosts won all three ODIs and two tests. New Zealand have yet to taste defeat to Bangladesh in 11 ODIs and six tests.

Vettori said Bangladesh would enjoy home advantage and that New Zealand had to beware their formidable bowling attack.

"Look at their bowling attack; they have (Shahadat) Hossain, (Mashrafe) Mortaza and (Abdur) Razzak," he added.

"They are going to be formidable opposition for us."

Bangladesh have recently lost 14 leading cricketers, who joined an unofficial league and were banned for ten years.

Its not that they're poor. They're just so used to being the underdogs, they thrive on that.

But to portray yourself as underdogs to the Bangles is pushing it a bit.

Think of it as reverse psychology, they can't lose on that front. Bangladesh tends to start off the first test of a series remotely well then deteriorate to the extent that they allow Gillespie and Smith to dominate.

I'm predicting that the Bangers will pinch one of the ODI's against NZ.

We are not underestimating Bangladesh, we know how good they can be

And how good is that Dan? Sh!t?

I think the Bangers have beaten the Kiwi's a couple of times.

Harry was right ...TAYPOC

Had they achieved a clean sweep against Bangladesh, they could have gone to #2 in the one day rankings

If my aunt had balls she would be my uncle.

If you didn't live at high altitude, you'd . . . no, maybe not.

*Bows*

Thankyou very much. This is the team who had ambitions of being number 2 in the world?!

NZ have become so poor that they only beat England 3-1 in their home and away ODIs this year.

You could sense the decline.

It's weird that England - one of the most random and shambolic ODI sides going - have yet to lose, or even come close to losing, to the Bangles.

In test cricket they are 17 points behind Pakistan that tells us something about how poor they have become.In ODIs they are still ok but certainly no where near as good as they were in the 2007 world cup.

Unfortunately the ICL-IPL thing has taken a lot of their good players away. Players like Mcmillian, Bond, Fleming and Styris(in tests) could have still served the team for the next 3 or 4 years.

It was not entirely unexpected result. Atleast not from an Indian point of view.

They similarly stifled us in THAT WC'07 game, didn't they?

In these conditions they could stifle ANY opposition, let alone NZ.