The Ashes And Champions Trophy

[monza gorilla 1]

Who gives a fcuk?

I'm more interested in the Ashes tour. So how do you see it playing out ykick?

[pumpdoc 2]

Well the stat which says that 1 billion people over 122 countries watch a one day cricket match in January 2005 is certainly not meaningless.

Prove it

[ykickamoocow 0]

Who gives a fcuk?

I'm more interested in the Ashes tour. So how do you see it playing out ykick?

I see Australia winning but i expect it to be a close series. Our bowling attack is reasonable at the moment though players like McGrath and Warne arnt as good as they were afew years ago. I think Bracken is important as he was one of our main wicket takers in the champions trophy. Our batting lineup is very strong and can punish England however they are prown to collapse if early wickets are taken.

I hope its a close and exciting series.

Prove it

The World XI cantered to a 112-run win in Melbourne as the top cricketers on the planet joined forces to raise money for the tsunami relief fund.

Ricky Ponting hit 115 in a massive total of 344-8 after electing to bat first in front of a crowd of 70,101.

Rahul Dravid top-scored with 75 not out in the Asian XI reply, after Virender Sehwag's brisk 45.

Daniel Vettori took 3-58 while England's Darren Gough took a wicket and a catch. Shane Warne had 2-27.

The game, broadcast in 122 countries to an estimated global television audience of one billion, has already raised nearly

[pumpdoc 2]

I see Australia winning but i expect it to be a close series. Our bowling attack is reasonable at the moment though players like McGrath and Warne arnt as good as they were afew years ago. I think Bracken is important as he was one of our main wicket takers in the champions trophy. Our batting lineup is very strong and can punish England however they are prown to collapse if early wickets are taken.

I hope its a close and exciting series.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/4158803.stm

estimated, that and a dollar will buy you a cuppa...................

[ykickamoocow 0]

estimated, that and a dollar will buy you a cuppa...................

Give it up. Why exactly would the BBC lie. It would be impossible to get a completly accurate viewer count with a audience that large. This is a thread created to discuss the Ashes and if all you are going to do is insult the sport i love then i ask you not to post here unless you can find something constructive to say.

[monza gorilla 1]

I see Australia winning but i expect it to be a close series. Our bowling attack is reasonable at the moment though players like McGrath and Warne arnt as good as they were afew years ago. I think Bracken is important as he was one of our main wicket takers in the champions trophy. Our batting lineup is very strong and can punish England however they are prown to collapse if early wickets are taken.

I hope its a close and exciting series.

Much as I would like to see England win, I think it'll be a draw. Oh, hang on, that means we keep the Ashes anyway!

[ykickamoocow 0]

Much as I would like to see England win, I think it'll be a draw. Oh, hang on, that means we keep the Ashes anyway!

As much as i love the Australian team i miss the days of the mid to late 1990's with the Waugh brothers and McGrath in his prime. I believe that the Australian team of 1999, 2000 and 2001 was the best team in the history of cricket and the records back me up as well.

[Loser Boy 0]

The fact is cricket is "popular" due to Asian public who are deprived of heroes in "individuality" sports. Too bad their eyes still don't open to the fact that all Asian countries are hopeless in cricket. It's an overhyped game in Asia ,especially India. Illusion at its best.

[monza gorilla 1]

Yep. That was a scary team! I know people complained about their dominance (me included) but let's face it, they were the best in the world. Personally, I'm glad they've gone! This time round I want to see the sort of cricket that the last Ashes encounter produced, with the same level of sportsmanship. Can't ask for more than that.

[ykickamoocow 0]

Yep. That was a scary team! I know people complained about their dominance (me included) but let's face it, they were the best in the world. Personally, I'm glad they've gone! This time round I want to see the sort of cricket that the last Ashes encounter produced, with the same level of sportsmanship. Can't ask for more than that.

Im actually quite worried about Australian cricket in the next few years as there are many players who have been the backbone of our team for many years will soon be retiring and i dont think we have any up and coming players who are potentially as good.

These are the players who will be retiring in the next few years

Adam Gilchrist

Jason Gillespie

Matthew Hayden

Michael Kasprowicz

Justin Langer

Stuart MacGill

Glenn McGrath

Damien Martyn

Shane Warne

Its a rather long list isnt it.

[Loser Boy 0]

I expect Kevin Pietersen to do well. He's uncomplicated. For him ,the ball's meant to be hit.

[bajo39 0]

I'm more interested in the Ashes tour. So how do you see it playing out ykick?

I see Australia winning...

Did you really need to ask?

[monza gorilla 1]

Yeah. I was hoping for a bit more than a 4 word answer but beggars can't be choosers.

[cavallino 2]

Well I wish England can win again.

That's 6 words

[ykickamoocow 0]

Yeah. I was hoping for a bit more than a 4 word answer but beggars can't be choosers.

I also gave you a insight into the current state of our bowling and battling attacks. The age of the Australian team will be a factor as the older bowlers like McGrath will not beable to bowl as many overs as he used to and most of the AUstralian team will not be as fit as the young English side. As i said before i do expect Australia to win but i anticipate it will be a close series. I also however expect the balance of power to shift in the next few years as a heep of our star players will retire and i dont think we have the youth players to replace them. Australia will win this Ashes but it will be close exciting cricket.

[goferrarigo 0]

How about we also get the India in South africa also in this discussion? And just therby keep one thread on cricket.

[ykickamoocow 0]

How about we also get the India in South africa also in this discussion? And just therby keep one thread on cricket.

Sure. Why not

[goferrarigo 0]

cool

btw just found this:

Rahul Dravid has been named captain of the World Team of the Year, an award to recognise the best international players of the last 12 months, at the annual ICC Awards ceremony in Mumbai.

Six teams are represented in the 12-man line-up, four of which - Ricky Ponting, Andrew Flintoff, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath - were also named in the World Test Team of the Year in 2005. "It feels great to be back here, accepting an ICC Award," Dravid said. "It's the second time I have got into this team and it is a huge honour and privilege. I think to lead this time would be a pretty easy job - you would just have to throw the ball to someone and they would do the rest.

"We had some very good results for a while," Dravid said of India's achievements in the past 12 months, "and we have stumbled since then a little so the upcoming tour to South Africa will be a great opportunity to get things back on track. I am a little disappointed that we are not in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy - it would be great to be feeling nervous ahead of that final on Sunday."

The team was chosen by a specially appointed expert panel made up of Sunil Gavaskar, Ian Healy, Allan Donald, Waqar Younis and Arjuna Ranatunga.

World Test Team of the Year 2006 (in batting order):

1 Matthew Hayden (Australia), 2 Michael Hussey (Australia), 3 Ricky Ponting (Australia), 4 Rahul Dravid (India, capt), 5 Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan), 6 Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka, wk), 7 Andrew Flintoff (England), 8 Shane Warne (Australia), 9 Makhaya Ntini (South Africa), 10 Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka), 11 Glenn McGrath (Australia), 12 Brett Lee (Australia)

[goferrarigo 0]

A push for pawar.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/htcricket/81...22,00160137.htm

The aussies waiting to get the trophy soo badly they pushed the BCCI president and called hm buddy. & the media explosion erupted.

[pumpdoc 2]

Give it up. Why exactly would the BBC lie. It would be impossible to get a completly accurate viewer count with a audience that large. This is a thread created to discuss the Ashes and if all you are going to do is insult the sport i love then i ask you not to post here unless you can find something constructive to say.

Just returning the love mate, don't like it do you.............think about this thread the next time you just go off on how bad American sports are........fair play mate..........

[ykickamoocow 0]

Just returning the love mate, don't like it do you.............think about this thread the next time you just go off on how bad American sports are........fair play mate..........

I havent gone onto that American Football thread and posted what i think about that sport.

[B.P. 0]

England get flogged by the PM's IX !!!

Not looking good for the Ashes....

[ykickamoocow 0]

England get flogged by the PM's IX !!!

Not looking good for the Ashes....

Ah, but as i remember England wernt looking that good before the start of the last ashes series and look what happened then. Also the Australian pitches are very different to the pitches in England so it probably will take awhile for them to ajust to the different conditions.

I cant believe im actually defending the England team. I fell dirty.

[B.P. 0]

Ah, but as i remember England wernt looking that good before the start of the last ashes series and look what happened then. Also the Australian pitches are very different to the pitches in England so it probably will take awhile for them to ajust to the different conditions.

I cant believe im actually defending the England team. I fell dirty.

Yeah go wash yourself

True, the wickets in Australia are a lot harder and faster, and will take time to get use to.

I watched the highlights yesterday and was very impressed with Shaun Tait, he really had the English

on the backfoot....

If he continues bowling like that I think he will get the 3rd seamers position.

Imagine Brett Lee sending down 150+ rockets from one end and Shaun Tait sending them down from the other

C'mon Nov 23

[ykickamoocow 0]

Beefy claims Aussies too old

ASHES great Ian Botham has mocked Australia's ageing warriors, whom he feels may crack and fail to last the distance this summer.

Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer were yesterday dubbed "Dad's Army" in Britain's News of the World after the famous British comedy series set during World War II.

Australia may begin the first Ashes Test in Brisbane next week with its oldest Test side in 80 years, prompting Botham to attack Ricky Ponting's bunch of "colonial geriatrics".

"The Aussies are a year and a half older than when the teams clashed last time and they were creaking then - especially in the bowling department," he said.

"If they go into a Test with Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Stuart MacGill and Damien Martyn, the Aussies will have seven players aged 35 and over.

"I can't imagine there has ever been a team that old in international cricket.

"True, age doesn't necessarily mean you're no good.

"Warnie took 40 wickets last time and still finished on the losing side.

"There are some great cricketers in that list, but when Father Time starts to call, it can all fall apart very quickly."

While Botham is a noted pot-stirrer, his claims have substance this time because there is a feeling that the more youthful England's chances of retaining the urn improve with each day the series is "alive" .

The five-Test series will be held in a little over six weeks, with back-to-back clashes to close the summer in Melbourne and Sydney particularly gruelling.

Botham also called on England captain Andrew Flintoff to launch verbal hand grenades at the Australians.

Ponting and the likes of McGrath have gone on the verbal offensive since the tourists arrived, but the England camp - with the affable Flintoff as its front man - has largely been reserved.

"This bunch, led then by Michael Vaughan and now by Freddie Flintoff, are not scarred by Ashes failure," Botham said.

"That's why I want to hear the England camp talking more positively.

"I want to hear them saying how good they are and how p--- poor the Dad's Army of Aussies are.

"That's the attitude they must have.

"If they allow the Aussies any psychological advantage, they might as well come home.

"I am fed up hearing things like 'if we are right' and 'if we have a little bit of luck'. That's bulls--t.

"Lads, the Aussies are more than a year older than the team you beat last time. Start believing in yourselves."

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,2...1-23212,00.html

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Botham is dreaming if he believes the age of Australia's team will be a disadvantage. I expect the Australian players to be very strong dispite the average age of the team. The age of our team will be a disadvantage when all of our best players retire at the same time but for now i expect Australia to be very strong and anyone who thinks otherwise should have their head examined.