Even us
It is hard to tell if this article in the Daily Telegraph is attacking New Zealand or Australia. “One of international cricket’s worst sides” they say of us, which stings a bit. It’s true, sure, but it is our test ranking that brings our overall ranking down and we’re in Aus to play an ODI series.
I suppose the point of the article is actually to point out how crap Australia must be if a crap team like New Zealand rates our chances.
However, they demolish their own argument without realising it. About half-way into the article they quote Rod Hogg who reckons that Australia should really be ranked about number 4 in the world. So, checking the ICC ranking table, shifting Aus down to 4 and shifting the others up, South Africa goes to no. 1, India to 2 and into spot 3 goes New Zealand. Hey look! So in actuality we’re ranked above Australia. No wonder we fancy our chances, and the Telegraph should too.
January 28th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Dude, it’s the Daily Telegraph, Sydney’s designated Murdoch tabloid. If you believed everything they wrote, you’d be checking under your bed every night for the Muslim menace that will steal your Australian way of life if you’re not vigilant.
For what it’s worth, given NZ’s performance in the WI series, I’m doubtful of their chances. I sense that NZ has slipped at least as much as Australia, so the performance gap still remains. I wouldn’t mind a few Chappell-Hadlee Series-type performances, though, just to continue that weird streak of NZ regularly chasing down large Aus totals to the dismay of those schizophrenic sycophants/tall poppy cutters at the Telegraph.
January 28th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Dude, it’s the Daily Telegraph, Sydney’s designated Murdoch tabloid.
I thought as much. I noticed that it was the same story as appeared in other papers, but they had their own provocative byline. In writing about it, I was just being slightly sensationalist about the sensationalism.
For what it’s worth, given NZ’s performance in the WI series, I’m doubtful of their chances.
The results against WI were pretty damn good. A narrow loss in Xchurch, a thumping win in Wellington and chasing down the equivalent of 293 in Napier. But I do agree, from watching them play, that the Black Caps seemed off their game slightly.
I have a feeling that they lift their game to match their opponents. Recently, their margins of victory or defeat seem to be about the same, regardless of opponent, ignoring the occasional outlier of a game. That’s something I might look at in the future.
So, I’m hoping that the pressure of playing Aus at home will inspire some stronger performances.