Birds Eye View - WC 2007

Finally the most awaited World Cup Cricket has come to an end. Team Australia are crowned the champions. There is a lot to be discussed about this tournament, lot of take aways are there. On my view here I summarize,

1. Length: This is not English Premier League or Formula 1 races to be played like a season. Its one-day cricket. The beauty of the tournament was lost due to its length. If teams liks India were till the end, injury scares would have been there at the end. The WC 99 was a perfect style, that would give opportunity to all position teams to perform.
2. Shame: There was lots of shame circling around this tournament. But the murder of "Bob Woolmer" was the most shameful act in the history of this game. Also the ups and downs in the investigation is not creditable.
   
3. Minnows: This was truely a sensational WC for the minnows. They proved that they were a team worth to play the WC. Both Bangladesh and Ireland proved their point. Their presence was predominantly talked on April 15th on Kensington Oval, which was supposed to a dramatic clash between Pakistan and India.
   
4. Ground Staff: This WC was most affected by showers. But the ground staff in all the grounds made their presence felt in the efforts they took to resume the game as soon as possible. At one side it was a bats man paradise pitches. It was cheer for the crowd to watch.
   
5. Toss: Sometimes people say, some captains are lucky in winning tosses. It proved to be a vital aspect of this WC. Many matches were decided by the toss itself. But there were few collapse with a winning toss, esp the semifinals between Australia & South Africa. The other semifinal also was the same case, who ever wanted to win the toss wanted to bat first.
   
6. Farewell: It seems to be a big WC for the cricket lovers as well as emotional ones to watch their super stars to walk in for the final time. Inzy was a man with character. Cricketing world has lost him. What can you say about the next person Lara, One of the Gods of the game. We will be missing the spectacular with his bat. Next one was the most accurate bowler, I have ever seen. He was able to maintain that off-stump line for years. He's a batsman's nightmare. Glenn McGrath was his name, and was given a high farewell by winning the WC.
7. Team India: Already made a post on the same note. Now BCCI has opened its eyes a little, the big guns are being dropped for the next Tour of Bangladesh. New format of the management and Sashtri leading the way. Lets see how far will this work out.
   
8. Pakistan: Pakistan played poorer cricket than India, but their performance was over shadowed by their coach's murder. Soon PCB will be taking a look into it.
   
9. Favorite: Some of my favorites of the WC would be Collinwood catch at point in the match against West Indies. He showed how catches win matches. Next best would be by Dwayne Leverock in the slips in the match against India. Favorite match was Group Match played between Australia and South Africa. I loved it because, the game showed good/bad bowling, some awesome batting from both side and finally thinking hat of the captains (Pointing), of how he took the power play and sealed the match. Since at one point when Devillers and Smith were on a roar, the target seems to be easy one!
10. Bedi: Manthra Bedi was not so glamorous as she was for the previous WC. :)
    

So thats it to ramp up here. Hope teams win and loose, the love for the game never fades.