Pakistan and India in the World Cup final and other predictions - ICC World Cup 2011
(Continued from Part I)
The build-up to the World Cup has the same adrenaline rush. The same acrimonious scuffles between cricket enthusiasts unravel on numerous cricket forums. They support their teams endlessly but actually want to see the other teams’ burn in the ashes.
Even though everyone’s guilty pleasure is to see http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 spike a dominant team, they really want to see the other minnows pull off a shocking result.
England exiting early
After the Netherland thrashing, they would also be trotting their way out of the tournament, that too in the group stage. There used to be a time when England always used to reach the finals, or at-least roam around in the semi-finals. The last time it happened
was 18 years ago, in 1992. They don’t look good this time either. They have been really good in the Ashes but they fared badly in the ODI series against Australia. They are back home- injured, bruised and battered and they hardly had time to ward-off the jet-lag.
Apart from all this, England is being touted as the third or fourth favourite of this event; the first two positions have been taken by India. But it’s always amusing to read the bleeding (read insulting) headlines of the British papers and blogs the very
next day.
The Kiwis working their mettle
Whenever we think that the Black Caps will be hibernating in the tournament, they always seem to wake up. Every single time they are not given a chance in h**l; they reach the quarters or the super-sixes. After reaching the peak of the tournament, Jesse
Ryder becomes tired and he confesses that they have done enough and they should crash out.
World Cups can never be complete without the always underrated New Zealanders, who look good midway through the event.
Stupid run-outs
Whether it was Lance Klusener’s run debacle past a horrified and dumb-struck Allan Donald in the 1999 World Cup semi-final against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 or whether it was Inzamam’s numerous rolly-polly run-outs, the World Cup are always a joy due to the stupid run-outs.
It is especially fun, if the run-out happens at a time when the stakes are high for both the teams.
This experience is also enjoyed when you are in the company of a supporter of the opposition team. But if you are supporting Pakistan, then usually it is a time to excuse yourself for some fresh air.
No corruption charges
Now this one is hard to pull off. There just has to be corruption stories, especially when the World Cup is on the heels after the spot-fixing verdict on the disgraced Pakistani trio. No matter what http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Haroon-Lorgat-c61719 says, just don’t listen to him. The World
Cup is being held in the sub-continent, which is technically the hub of betting and other corrupted things. So it is just not possible, but then again it is wishful thinking.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 clash
This is why the World Cup is so intense and probably this is why Pepsi Co. allocates billions on sponsoring the event.
The Pakistan-India play is as exciting as the whole tournament put together and this why both the teams are positioned in different groups so as to set-up a clash at the knock-out stage. Both the countries have political/regional issues, and both the countries
are cricket-crazy nations. Effigies of the losing team would be burned and the Presidency would be announcing cash rewards for the winning team, including the supporting staff.
There will be reports of people who either shot the TV or either shot themselves. Even if it is a group match, they would be as crazy for it as they will be for a final set-up.
Again it’s just an innocent wish to see both the teams in the finals…
Disclaimer: The writer spawns up fiction and the views expressed above do not reflect bettor.com’s official editorial policy.
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