ICC Cricket World Cup WEST INDIES 2007

format_quote Originally Posted by chacha_jalebi

wait wait wait

its not about the big names, right now pakistan isnt like a favourite too win, but there is still a massive chance, obviously shoaib and asif is a big lose, but lol i wouldnt be surprised if they do come back in the WC squad in the nex few days, and even if they dont still pakistan is gona win

lol stop dreaming

pakistan has become the one of the most depleted weak sides right now

:laugh:

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! Shoaib and Asif out of the World Cup

As had been expected for some time now, Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were finally ruled out of Pakistan's World Cup squad, though the decision, farcically, came minutes before the team's departure to the Caribbean. Asif is down with an elbow injury while Shoaib is nursing a crocked knee.

"We have received their medical assessments and the players are physically unfit. Therefore we felt we shouldn't take them for such a big tournament," PJ Mir, the team spokesman told Cricinfo. "Their injuries will take time to heal so after selectors consulted Inzamam-ul-Haq the decision has been taken to not take them."

The pair will be replaced by fast bowler Mohammad Sami and allrounder Yasir Arafat. "Sami and Arafat will join the team in the Caribbean in a few days but we have to get clearance for them from the ICC's technical committee. Their names were decided by the captain and the selection committee together," Mir added, mindful perhaps of reports today speculating that the decision to name Azhar Mahmood as a replacement for Abdul Razzaq overlooked the selection committee altogether.

Though injuries remain the official reasons for their withdrawal it is understood that continuing doping-related concerns clinched the issue. The pair tested positive last year for Nandrolone in internal dope tests conducted just before the Champions Trophy got underway, but their bans were eventually overturned, much to the chagrin of the global cricket community.

Fears that traces of Nandrolone remained at unacceptably high levels in their bodies were enhanced as the pair, for varying reasons, avoided undergoing another PCB-conducted dope test, held last week for all members of Pakistan's World Cup squad. Only last week, an official close to the team had told Cricinfo that neither of the injuries were serious enough and if the pair didn't go, it would only be "over concerns with the doping issue", a thought confirmed once again today by an official. There was a threat that if the two tested positive again, either in internal tests or those conducted by the ICC, they would face stringent bans.

Shortly before the pair were ruled out, the ICC confirmed they would be target-testing players at the World Cup and Malcolm Speed made specific reference to Shoaib and Asif. "Both Shoaib Ahktar and Mohammed Asif have played for Pakistan over the past few months despite testing positive for prohibited substances last year," he said.

"That is a fact neither player has disputed and it is also a fact that has caused the game a high level of embarrassment as a result. We want to make absolutely sure that all players who take part in the World Cup do so on the basis that they are free from banned substances.

"From an ICC perspective, having the option to target test as well as the already-scheduled tests in place means that if a player does have anything in his system then there is a very strong possibility he will be caught out."

Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, however, stressed that Shoaib and Asif's exclusions were due to injuries and unrelated to the doping issue. "The truth is both of them are injured and they may take even months to make a full recovery," Ashraf told PTI."The board's medical panel will soon check them out but the chances of them recovering quickly from their injuries is very bleak."

Whatever the reasons for their exclusion, the impact of their absence cannot be underestimated; Asif is one of cricket's most exciting young bowlers and Shoaib one of the game's fastest. Inzamam acknowledged to reporters that losing the two, and the uncertainty surrounding them, was not the best way of preparing for the tournament. "It is not an ideal situation for us. We are going there under intense pressure. But in the past we have played in such situations with tremendous team spirit and we can achieve best results even without our key players."

Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, preferred to draw strength from good results achieved over the last two years without the two bowlers. "It is a big blow and I feel sorry for both these players. They are missing a mega event.

"But last year we did well without Shoaib in Sri Lanka and the year before in India without either of the two bowlers," he added. "I want to remind the players of those two series and of playing with the same unity and spirit we showed on those tours. If we can replicate that, we can still do well. We also now know at least where we stand and exactly what players we have available."

It now means that Pakistan go into cricket's premier event without three key components of their team, after Razzaq was also ruled out of the tournament this week with a serious knee injury. Additionally, they will be without allrounder Shahid Afridi - owing to a four-match ban imposed by the ICC for misconduct in South Africa - for their first two games, including a tough opening game on March 13 against the hosts. Preparations for big series or tournaments in Pakistan are often blighted but few in recent memory have been as ravaged by injuries, controversies and scandals as this.

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i think i jus saw NZ win 3-0 against australia doc!...
DOC:really take two of these wid a glass of water n everything will be fine in the morning.

BTW
South Africa and Newzeland dont do very well on slow pitches,n caribiean is full of slow pitches..i think Sirilanka has a good chance since the nature of caribiean pitches are so similar to sirlanka's turf.And lets not rule out Australia since Symonds iss feelin good all of a sudden..:!,those guys are just to consistant...the key to winning series i might add...and as 4 pakistan..no predictions frm my side,those guys can pull stunts frm nowhere,but since no Shoaib or Asif things dont look so rosy for pakistan anymore.

we can only speculate what the truth is behind shoib and asif being dropped for the world cup - either they were dropped really because of injury OR the pakistan cricket board has dropped them because of the fears of doping scandal of they being tested + ve during world cup and thereby their careers being threatened.

Sehwag got bowled! Haha!

India all the way insha'Allah !

World Cup trophy damaged in India
March 9, 2007

The World Cup trophy has been damaged while on display in India, organisers said on Friday.

A gold ring below the coins depicting previous winners of the tournament got detached from the wooden base of the 11-kilogram (24-pound) trophy, made in England at an estimated cost of US$80,000.

The damage was discovered when the trophy, brought to India by one of the global sponsors of the International Cricket Council (ICC), was displayed in Kolkata on Thursday. The trophy was immediately removed from public gaze and is being shipped for repairs to England before being taken to the Caribbean where the World Cup opens on Sunday.

A statement from the sponsors claimed the gold ring came unstuck when the trophy was handed over by the ICC earlier this week. "The lower gold ring of the World Cup was detached from the wooden base when the trophy was received from the ICC," the statement said. "ICC policy does not allow anyone except the official trophy makers to repair/polish the trophy. "Therefore, LG (sponsors) received the trophy with the lower ring detached from the wooden base."

There was no immediate reaction from the ICC. The trophy had been displayed in New Delhi on Wednesday before being taken to Kolkata. The trophy will be presented to the winner of the World Cup final in Bridgetown, Barbados on April 28.

eh... thats Indians for u <_<

j/k

Pakistan best South Africa...Wow!

format_quote Originally Posted by AmarFaisal

Pakistan best South Africa...Wow!

Was there ever any doubt?

format_quote Originally Posted by Silver Pearl

Cricket isn’t even a sport:X . They used to make us play cricket in school, wasteful lessons so we swapped to rounders, it was so worth it.

I think the South Africans should win.

Why because they are the hosts? Or because their kit looks pretty?


zAk, you seen this?

India v West Indies, World Cup 2007
Dravid reposes faith in Sehwag
Cricinfo staff
March 10, 2007


Rahul Dravid, the Indian captain, has reiterated his confidence in Virender Sehwag, despite his third-ball duck in the warm-up match against West Indies on Friday. But he also added that Sehwag, who's failed to cross 20 in 11 of his last 13 innings, was one of the several opening options that the team had in front of them, suggesting that a move down the order shouldn't be ruled out.

Bechara....

Ah, my bad... So it must be the kit then.

format_quote Originally Posted by Sanobar

PAKI's winning the world cup.. no doubts...

you are a pakistani....no doubts....