Each Team's Weaknesses

[YorksLanka]

Sri Lanka - still no stable opening partnership, lower middle order v inconsistent, bowlers cant take wickets(apart from that their great lol) oh and tail needs directions on which end of the bat to hold...

 

[morgieb]

Australia - hard to see many, but I feel we're too much icing, not enough cake, we don't have a gun spinner and it remains to be seen how well we replace Faulkner (I suspect he'll be back by the quarter-finals though)

 

[Athlai]

Sri Lanka - still no stable opening partnership, lower middle order v inconsistent, bowlers cant take wickets(apart from that their great lol) oh and tail needs directions on which end of the bat to hold...

Eh? Dilshan + Thirimanne is decent. Kula+Malinga+Herath is a pretty good core attack. Your lower middle order and lack of decent 3rd seamer is probably your biggest weakness.

 

[theegyptian]

Australia - hard to see many, but I feel we're too much icing, not enough cake, we don't have a gun spinner and it remains to be seen how well we replace Faulkner (I suspect he'll be back by the quarter-finals though)

Australia have the fewest weaknesses for the conditions but if you were gonna be picky I would suggest a lack of a real outstanding odi bat.
Also whilst they've been winning convincingly for a while it's by no means a settled team. It's credit to the quality of the players that they've been so good whilst playing loads of different players. But in a high pressure semi final or final they could get something tactically wrong due to not having a settled team.
Spinner is probably less of an issue given the quality of the seam bowling and the conditions but personally I've wanted Lyon in the ODI and T20 team/squad for a while.

 

[Athlai]

Australia's biggest weakness is Shane Watson IMO. If he doesn't bat and bowl well then it's something other teams should look to exploit.

 

[Julian87]

Australia's biggest weakness is Shane Watson IMO. If he doesn't bat and bowl well then it's something other teams should look to exploit.

You honestly think Finch is a stronger batsman than Watson?

 

[Athlai]

You honestly think Finch is a stronger batsman than Watson?

Not at all, I think Shane Watson is a class act with bat and ball and has been the greatest allrounder in the world a few times throughout his career. However I think he has been pretty out of form for a while now.

 

[straw man]

Wouldn't be surprised if NZ's traditional weaknesses make a starring appearance at the wrong time during the tournament:
- facing genuinely fast bowling
- bowling at the death

I don't think there's been much stress-testing of either of the above in our warm-ups or last six months.

Despite this curmudgeonly post I'm still feeling unhealthily optimistic though.

 

[Athlai]

Well our top 4 don't have any major issues against genuinely quick bowling. Not beyond what any other team does anyway.

Malinga problems though...

 

[Isura]

Sri Lanka:
Very thin bowling after Malinga and Herath. If Perera and Mendis are our 4/5 bowlers we will get murdered by NZ, Ind, Aus, SA.

 

[Athlai]

Sri Lanka:
Very thin bowling after Malinga and Herath. If Perera and Mendis are our 4/5 bowlers we will get murdered by NZ, Ind, Aus, SA.

Kulasekara is a proper decent ODI bowler. Mathews is the worlds best ODI allrounder.

I think you're selling the bowling a bit short. But yeah you're definitely lacking a 3rd specialist seamer. Dilshan/Perera should be the ones to make up the remaining overs. I'd say if this WC was being played in SL conditions you'd be right up there with one of the better attacks.

Bit of a shame that next time you get the chance in more helpful home conditions you'll be missing so many ATG SL players.

 

[Daemon]

India's problems

Our two ATG ODI batsmen being in dire form
Best bowler is Shami. Need I say more?

 

[Jimbo the giant]

Kulasekara is a proper decent ODI bowler. Mathews is the worlds best ODI allrounder.

I think you're selling the bowling a bit short. But yeah you're definitely lacking a 3rd specialist seamer. Dilshan/Perera should be the ones to make up the remaining overs. I'd say if this WC was being played in SL conditions you'd be right up there with one of the better attacks.

Bit of a shame that next time you get the chance in more helpful home conditions you'll be missing so many ATG SL players.

I actually agree with him. Kulasekera is not at his best and conditions don't suit him. Mathews is a top all rounder but only because his batting is so strong. He's only a part time bowler who's coming back from injury, 5 overs max from him. I get the feeling he's reluctant to bowl himself these days.

They have had plenty of time with their guns in conditions that suit. I'm happy they won't get too much more to be honest Haha Probably the team I least want to win this world cup. I don't like their over aggressive appealing and the way they get too excited about taking wickets. The Kula send off was pretty sour as well. Not to mention all the times they have knocked us out of world cups. Rant over (I did like them circa 95)

 

[hendrix]

Conditions suit Kulasekara more than anywhere else apart from England.

 

[Jimbo the giant]

Conditions suit Kulasekara more than anywhere else apart from England.

Thats not true he's miles better at home then anywhere else and NZ is becoming quite a batmans paradise.

 

[Jimbo the giant]

Conditions suit Kulasekara more than anywhere else apart from England.

Thats not true he's better at home then anywhere else and NZ is becoming quite a batmans paradise.

*just actually checked his odi stats, quite surprised hes actually been the pits in England. Nz is poor and Aussie is quite good. Conditions do change over time. I still reckon they don't seem to suit him.

 

[YorksLanka]

Eh? Dilshan + Thirimanne is decent. Kula+Malinga+Herath is a pretty good core attack. Your lower middle order and lack of decent 3rd seamer is probably your biggest weakness.

dilly, yes, but Thirri hasnt proven any consistency yet as for the bowlers, Malinga- not fit yet(if ever),Kula- lost pace, can make it wobble but if he gets it wrong he becomes a 120k's military medium and herath- yes good but more about economy than ripping through a team in these conditions..

 

[Athlai]

dilly, yes, but Thirri hasnt proven any consistency yet as for the bowlers, Malinga- not fit yet(if ever),Kula- lost pace, can make it wobble but if he gets it wrong he becomes a 120k's military medium and herath- yes good but more about economy than ripping through a team in these conditions..

No what I mean is Dilshan is legitimately one of the best in the world, he makes up for the mild direness of thiri.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Wouldn't be surprised if NZ's traditional weaknesses make a starring appearance at the wrong time during the tournament:
- facing genuinely fast bowling
- bowling at the death

I don't think there's been much stress-testing of either of the above in our warm-ups or last six months.

Despite this curmudgeonly post I'm still feeling unhealthily optimistic though.

Don't forget the classic semi final collapse against a subcontinental side.