TheScooby

Seeing as there aren't a huge number of Scoobynet people who are huge cricket fans, this is probably going to make much sense to a few people(Yes planky).

<Rant On>
The ICC have really made a mess of the whole New Zealand playing in Kenya debarkle. It's not the first time, but they made their decision for the money. The TV company GCC(owned by Mr Murdoch), would have demanded millions of dollars in lost revenue if the game was to be taken from Kenya and put elsewhere. So the ICC's decision had little to do, with the safety of the players or in fact, the game. The people they consulted (An American firm) advised previsouly, that all Westerners are advised to leave Kenya!! But then the ICC state that it is absolutely all right for the New Zealand cricket team to travel to Kenya!! Well i'm baffled, and so are NZcricket. Hence their decision not to go to Kenya, forfit their easy points against Kenya, and a have a substantial fine slapped on them.

Now i know there was an issue about the English cricket team visiting Zimbabwe (I am not sure about the outcome so could someone inform me??), this is relatively the same, if not worse than the Kenyan issue. Effectively, our World Cup hopes now face a very steep hill climb, and, as you can tell, I am not happy.
<Rant Over>

Any views?

TheScooby


[Edited by TheScooby - 2/1/2003 3:47:46 AM]

sonu

I think New Zealand should have played in Kenya. I don't think South Africa is safer than Kenya.

Thanks

Sonu

planky

I dont know what Englands finally going to do,STILL waiting,they seems to be fuking about and cant make their minds up,personally England shouldnt go and NZ is right not to do go if theres dangers in Kenya,both of them countrys are dodgy IMO...ICC should change the game to a 'safer' country like SA,which they can do easy without any penalties to England and NZ.

Atleast the NZ to team had the guts to say no,its NOW down to England and f*ck Murdoch and hes TV rights[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

TheScooby

Hit the nail on the head planky. I've talked to some people and apparently England are in fact playing their games in Zimbabwe. A bit spineless if you ask me. So now we have to win 2 out of our 3 games rather than the 2 out of four that we had to win before. We'll still do it, but it'll put a bit more pressure on the couch supporter.

Sonu - Maybe, but the safety of the players provided by the police and security forces is very different in Kenya. The support required to PREVENT an attack is virtually non-existant, and even the response time is below standard. Definetly not acceptable. South Africa may be a dangerous place, but not for Westerners and in general Cricket teams.

TheScooby

sonu

Sorry guys, I disagree. Where did you get the info that Kenyan security is inferior to SA security?

Thanks

Sonu

planky

Thescooby,England havent decided yet if they going to play in Zimbabwe..They want to read the Kroll report first but the ICC wont let them,Hmmm..make your mind up on that one.

TheScooby

Sonu - I think the main issue here is that in Kenya, the presense of "Westerners" (and i use that term loosely) is not liked, by some extremists in Kenya. This was shown by recent terror attacks there. On the basis of some recent information received by me from various sources, the Kenyan security is not up to standard, and that is why New Zealand is NOT going there. The South African security forces are deemed adequate by the ICC and the NZ cricket board.

Planky - Yes, heard about it today. Nasser was going on about how he has to stay tight-lipped to avoid blowing up the situation. Seems pretty wishey washy, but i think they will end up playing. Hopefully, the NZ cricket board and the ICC can come up with an alternative solution for us backing out of the Kenyan match. Fingers crossed i guess.

What is this Kroll report??

TheScooby

planky

The scooby,Nasser wants the whole team to boycott the match in Zimbabwe,which is the ONLY way as the ECB is towing the ICC line

The Kroll reports is the name of the USA firm that was checking out the security in Zimbabwe.

TheScooby

Planky - After hearing a bit more about the poms, yes it seems pretty certain that England will follow what the New Zealanders have done and boycott the game in Zimbabwe. Also, Australia are also looking increasingly doubtful to play, the Australian government has said that it will fund any fines or penalties that they receive if they do not attend the match in Zimbabwe, good on them i say. Do you know if England and possibly australia will be fined and docked points in the same way that New Zealand will?

TheScooby

planky

If the ICC agree to move the match there will be no fine to England or points loss but nothings been decided yet..Fingers crossed.

England should know in the next 24hrs.

TheScooby

I will be a little bit pissed off if England get their game moved to South Africa. If they do, it will be the most text-book case of double standards EVER. There are a few IFs involved, but IF the ICC decide to grant England the move to SOuth Africa, then shouldn't they have to also grant New Zealand the same thing? Most definetly wouldn't be fair if they didn't......

TheScooby

planky

As you said,theres a lot 'if' and 'buts' so it might turn against England and we could end up in the same boat as the kiwi's.

I'll keep you posted.

TheScooby

Cheers mate, fingers crossed ay.

TheScooby

planky

Looks like we've going lose 2 points and probably the chance of progressing in the WC..The ICC panel has ruled against the England match being moved to SA.England are appealing but i wouldnt hold my breath on winning especially with the panel who are judging our case

Anyway Zimbabwe WASN'T going to play in SA,so it would of been a load of bollocks anyway.

sonu

I don't think England would progress even if they had the 2 points

planky

Ive just heard its 4 points,WTF!! we've got NO chance now...With the appeal going out the window,its looks like Nasser will now have to boycott the match and the end of the WC for us.

Thescooby,hows the Telstraclear black capsdoing??are they going to appeal to the ICC or just leave it.

TheScooby

Ok, let me clear this one up. So England are losing the points they would almost certainly gain from beating Zimbabwe AND losing 4 additional points? That is C-R-A-P!!

New Zealand haven't even bothered asking for their match to be moved to SA, and i don't think they will, now that England have been turned down. They are just content to hold their ground and not show up to the match and forfiet the $$ fine and the points for the match would go to Kenya. But this is the first thing that i have heard of knocking off aditional points? Are you sure about this?

TheScooby

TheScooby

Oh, and Planky, the TelstraClear Black Caps are doing fine, thank you for asking.

TheScooby

planky

I made a mistake on my last post..I thought we would be docked extra points for not playing but you get 4 for a win so if we dont play of course NO 4 points..My mistake.

Ive got a feeling that England WILL play in Zimbabwe cos Nasser knows we would probably have no chance getting in the super six if we lose the 4 points that we could get 'if' we beat Zimbabwe..I heard hes going tell the ECB tomorrow if they are going.

TheScooby

Don't scare me there plankyIf New Zealand or England don't play, then if they can just scrape through to the Super Six, the fact that they didn't play against Kenya or Zimbabwe will have no relevance because you only carry through points for teams that you beat that also made it through to the super six. And i very much doubt that Zimbabwe or especially Kenya will make it through to the Super Six. So i guess we'll just have to hope like hell that our respective teams get through

For all the crap that Nasser and the English team has goen through, i highly doubt that he would do a 180 and go to Zimbabwe, if they do, it will be a serious lack of spine.

TheScooby

planky

I saw the kiwi match today,SL look good for the super six.What do you think are the chances for the kiwi's qualifying now??

Update on England...Still waiting!!i think they are trying to get some points(2 thats what they want) out of the ICC before they throw in the towel,should know tomorrow.

TheScooby

Yeah, i agee Sri Lanka do look very good. Their batting line-up is absolutely superb. Scotty Styris's innings was absolutely amazing as well, 141 of 142 i think it was. He isn't even a very big guy but he can sure hit it!! Not too shabby for a number 7/8 batsman

As for our chances now, it is not really looking good. We really need those points from the Kenyan match. But it looks more and more likely that neither England or New Zealand are going to get anything. The road ahead for the kiwis, is almost vertical now. It is going to take some big heroics.

England are just going to have to get over it and concentrate on the matches ahead, they can't afford to be distracted.

TheScooby

planky

Yeah i saw Styris 140+,great knock IMO.
More news about the England match.Today the ICC decided to call it off for this thurs,so they can look at more evidence about security in Zimbabwe but it 'could' still be played in another location later in the tournament,so the saga STILL goes on.

TheScooby

They now reckon that England will possbily get the 4 points shared!!! And nothing has been heard about New Zealand getting anything, except a fine How can they possibly think that Kenya is safe, some nutjobs tried to blow up an embassy and shoot a plane with a rocket launcher Perfectly safe ay.......

Australia looked good in their win. When do England actually play their first game? New Zealand are playing the West Indies on Thursday night/Friday morning(NZT). Another night with no sleep for me, i went to sleep at 5am for the Sri Lankan game and got up at 6.30

TheScooby

TheScooby

TheScooby

Yeah, fair point. I am quite suprised that NZC have done NOTHING, not even request for the match to be postponed or anything, "if you don't ask you don't get" i guess. If England get the points then I guess we will have a much better chance of getting what we want. Although, I did hear on the news last night, some head of the somethingorother committee saying that the England case was a "very different" one from the New Zealand one. So once again, it is a lottery as to what is going to happen.

I think you guys will have a fair game against the mighty Holland. Shouldn't be too difficult. Although they did trouble india, got them all out for 208, but their batting is ****e, they only got 140

The Saga continues....

TheScooby

planky

Unlucky windies and Lara!!,atleast it gives your lot a fair chance now.

Looks like the big one is the game against SA,winner take all

[Edited by planky - 2/13/2003 10:16:48 PM]

TheScooby

Luck has nothing to do with it That run-out was absolute brilliance from Cairns. From the outside of the circle, side-on one stump direct hit. Just amazing.

Great game to watch, especially Adams at the end, and some of the fielding, I definetly think that New Zealand are the best fielding side in the world at the moment. Vincent is (now that rhodes is out) the best fielder in world cricket, Adams, Styris, Oram, Cairns, Sinclair, Harris the list goes on.
I am loving this world cup, hope that NZ make it through to the Super 6.

If we beat South Africa, i am hoping that all hell doesn't break lose (riots etc.)

TheScooby

planky

As expected the anti-English ICC has said no,so 4 points down the drain and a uphill struggle for England..Plus i heard NZ have officially pulled out of the Kenya match but have asked the ICC to change venue,lets see how this one goes.

[Edited by planky - 2/15/2003 9:57:24 PM]

TheScooby

Unlucky England, New Zealand will now definetly not get granted a venue move. Unless an act of god, or a terrorsit attack occurs in Kenya. So it looks like tonights game vs. South Africa will be do or die. Harris is out, McMillan is in, and I think Tuffey is out and Mills is in. Should be an absolute cracker, another late night for me

India are hopeless BTW, so it wasn't just our bowlers wickets

TheScooby

sonu

Naa. Okay, India are going through a crap patch at the moment, but once they kick into form they'll do well. I don't know if they'll turn it around for this world cup though.

Thanks

Sonu