ICC WORLD CUP 2023 DISCUSSION THREAD!

[Fuso.hp]

Afghanistan's opener partnership is out in today's match but the next batsmen will be able to lift Afghanistan's victory. As they didn't lose a wicket till 128 runs, the next batsman, Afghanistan, should not face any problem to collect 155 runs. I can already see the example that Pakistan will lose in today's match.

Today Afghanistan game was good and seems to be the winning strike against the Pakistan,because the first wicket was taken just now with the score of 130 runs.Ibrahim was still in the strike with 60+ runs and help the Afghanistan in the right way to chase the target.The target for the game was just 280 runs from the 50 overs,So no need to worry for the chase.The opening partnership was not expected by the Pakistan team from the Afghanistan.To be frank the Afghanistan and Netherland was taking more responsibility in this league compared to the Srilanka and England.No one believe the England was the winner of the last World Cup by the current game.

Afghanistan's celebration shows how important this win is to them in the World Cup. Afghanistan played a total of 17 matches against Pakistan in World Cup excluding yesterday's match where only two matches were won by Afghanistan and remaining 15 matches were won by Pakistan. Afghanistan's win over Pakistan by 8 wickets in yesterday's match has changed the equation a bit now that they have won three of their last 18 matches. 

From the players to the coaching staff, everyone in Afghanistan was very excited about the win. By defeating Afghanistan in this match, Pakistan may have pushed Pakistan far away from their semi-final dreams. It will be very difficult for Pakistan to make a comeback in the semi-finals from the position they are in now.

[Sithara007]

Afghanistan's celebration shows how important this win is to them in the World Cup. Afghanistan played a total of 17 matches against Pakistan in World Cup excluding yesterday's match where only two matches were won by Afghanistan and remaining 15 matches were won by Pakistan. Afghanistan's win over Pakistan by 8 wickets in yesterday's match has changed the equation a bit now that they have won three of their last 18 matches. 

From the players to the coaching staff, everyone in Afghanistan was very excited about the win. By defeating Afghanistan in this match, Pakistan may have pushed Pakistan far away from their semi-final dreams. It will be very difficult for Pakistan to make a comeback in the semi-finals from the position they are in now.

These stats need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Aghanistan received their test status only in 2019, and therefore most of the matches were played when they were still an associate. Now their funding is comparable with that of Pakistan, but earlier that was not the case. As you mentioned, Afghanistan have won only 2 out of 17 matches against Pakistan, but this trend will not stand in the future. Despite difficulties arising as a result of the Taliban takeover, at present Afghanistan is one of those teams making most rapid improvement in international cricket.

[Fuso.hp]

Afghanistan's celebration shows how important this win is to them in the World Cup. Afghanistan played a total of 17 matches against Pakistan in World Cup excluding yesterday's match where only two matches were won by Afghanistan and remaining 15 matches were won by Pakistan. Afghanistan's win over Pakistan by 8 wickets in yesterday's match has changed the equation a bit now that they have won three of their last 18 matches. 

From the players to the coaching staff, everyone in Afghanistan was very excited about the win. By defeating Afghanistan in this match, Pakistan may have pushed Pakistan far away from their semi-final dreams. It will be very difficult for Pakistan to make a comeback in the semi-finals from the position they are in now.

These stats need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Aghanistan received their test status only in 2019, and therefore most of the matches were played when they were still an associate. Now their funding is comparable with that of Pakistan, but earlier that was not the case. As you mentioned, Afghanistan have won only 2 out of 17 matches against Pakistan, but this trend will not stand in the future. Despite difficulties arising as a result of the Taliban takeover, at present Afghanistan is one of those teams making most rapid improvement in international cricket.

While other teams take a long time to become a good team after gaining status in ODIs and other formats, Afghanistan have been able to improve very quickly. Afghanistan will probably achieve the highest in this World Cup tournament compared to other World Cups.  Afghanistan may not be able to play the semi-finals but it will cause big teams to drop out of the tournament. Afghanistan have two matches ahead where I will see Afghanistan as favourites. Afghanistan will go ahead with wins against Sri Lanka and Netherlands. If they can win against the Netherlands and Afghanistan, they will make it four matches and if they crash in either of the next two matches, Afghanistan will have a chance of making the semi-finals. In the last few years, Afghanistan has made great progress in the Test T20 and ODI 3 formats.

[Sithara007]

While other teams take a long time to become a good team after gaining status in ODIs and other formats, Afghanistan have been able to improve very quickly. Afghanistan will probably achieve the highest in this World Cup tournament compared to other World Cups.  Afghanistan may not be able to play the semi-finals but it will cause big teams to drop out of the tournament. Afghanistan have two matches ahead where I will see Afghanistan as favourites. Afghanistan will go ahead with wins against Sri Lanka and Netherlands. If they can win against the Netherlands and Afghanistan, they will make it four matches and if they crash in either of the next two matches, Afghanistan will have a chance of making the semi-finals. In the last few years, Afghanistan has made great progress in the Test T20 and ODI 3 formats.

Even if they win against Sri Lanka and Netherlands, it will be difficult for Afghanistan to qualify for the semi-finals. As per my calculation, in order to enter semi-finals each team need to win at least 6 matches. Afghanistan has so far played 5 matches and they have won only 2. That means that they need to win all of their remaining 4 matches, including the next one (vs Sri Lanka). I am not sure whether it will be possible to enter semi-finals with 5 wins. But if there are a few upsets in the coming matches, then even that maybe possible.

[Jateng]

We did not see the expected performance from Pakistan. A target of 283 runs was set aside by them. It is a good enough target considering the pitch. But the bowlers are not doing well. Afghanistan collected 130 runs in the first wicket pair. And they lost their second wicket for just 190 runs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 65 runs and Ibarhim Zadran scored 87 runs. Rahmat Shah remains unbeaten with 32 runs. Afghanistan need only 93 runs. It is not a difficult task.

This match was a great disaster by Pakistani team they have lost the match against a weaker time and now it's proven that they won't be able to stand against South African team in the upcoming match. This time team Pakistan discouraged its fans very bitterly and their poor performance shown that their captain isn't competent enough to manage the team. Team Afghanistan won against team Pakistan which was totally unexpected victory. I thought that Pakistan may show dominance against Afghanistan but they weren't dominant at all.

Afghanistan beat two World Champions in the last three matches. Afghanistan Dream run continues First England, and now Pakistan by 8 wickets. For the first time ever, Afghanistan have won 2 matches in a World Cup edition. Dominated the Afghanistan right from the start of the second innings, responsible batting from the top-4. A historical moment it is for Afghanistan. No century for Ibrahim Zadran Built a massive opening 100 plus partnership with Gurbaz, continued the positive approach even after losing his partner, and now he has done his job 286/2. After a historic win against Pakistan, Afghanistan now moves to sixth place in the points table with two crucial wins with 4 points.

[pakhitheboss]

Never expected Pakistan to get defeated by an underdog team like Afghanistan. This defeat will leave a psychological scar in the minds of the Pakistan team, already after their defeat against India they have been losing matches. Until yesterday they have won 2 matches and lost 3, In order to qualify for the semifinals they need to win a minimum of 6 matches. Out of the 4 matches left for them to play in the World Cup, they will be playing against South Africa on the 27th of this month at the same stadium. It won't be an easy game considering the powerful batting lineup South Africa has then they will be playing against Bangladesh followed by NZ and England. If they manage to win two matches out of the four left their chance of qualifying looks bleak for now.

[Sithara007]

Never expected Pakistan to get defeated by an underdog team like Afghanistan. This defeat will leave a psychological scar in the minds of the Pakistan team, already after their defeat against India they have been losing matches. Until yesterday they have won 2 matches and lost 3, In order to qualify for the semifinals they need to win a minimum of 6 matches. Out of the 4 matches left for them to play in the World Cup, they will be playing against South Africa on the 27th of this month at the same stadium. It won't be an easy game considering the powerful batting lineup South Africa has then they will be playing against Bangladesh followed by NZ and England. If they manage to win two matches out of the four left their chance of qualifying looks bleak for now.

A small piece of advice to the Pakistani team - they should rather focus on playing instead of doing all that drama on and off the field. They were complaining that someone chanted "Jai Shree Ram" towards one player in Ahmedabad and that was the reason why they couldn't focus. At Chennai, the vast majority of the crowd was chanting "Pakistan Zindabad" and yet they lost the match. Stop complaining first. And then remove the captain. He is good for nothing. His tactics have failed in almost all the matches.

[elevates]

Yesterday, we saw how Afghanistan outperformed a big team like Pakistan and created another upset in the World Cup. None of us had expected Pakistan to lose against Afghanistan so badly. Today Bangladesh will be playing against the South African team at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. South Africa has lost a match against the Netherlands team. Can Bangladesh defeat South Africa today? As per betting odds, RSA is the favorite team to win today.

Betting Odds

South Africa - 1.27
Bangladesh - 3.93

Can there be another upset today? Can Bangladesh beat the South African team today?

[Sithara007]

South Africa - 1.27
Bangladesh - 3.93

Netherlands had odds of 10-12 against South Africa, and yet they won that match. And here Bangladesh is being given odds of 3-4. I don't think that these odds are closer to reality. At the most, they should be given the same odds as that of Netherlands, or even worse. So far the only win for Bangladesh came against the weak Afghanistan and they don't stand a chance against South Africa. Their batting is in really poor shape, and the bowlers are being inconsistent. Today, given the odds I would rather pick South Africa.

[Juggy777]

Never expected Pakistan to get defeated by an underdog team like Afghanistan. This defeat will leave a psychological scar in the minds of the Pakistan team, already after their defeat against India they have been losing matches. Until yesterday they have won 2 matches and lost 3, In order to qualify for the semifinals they need to win a minimum of 6 matches. Out of the 4 matches left for them to play in the World Cup, they will be playing against South Africa on the 27th of this month at the same stadium. It won't be an easy game considering the powerful batting lineup South Africa has then they will be playing against Bangladesh followed by NZ and England. If they manage to win two matches out of the four left their chance of qualifying looks bleak for now.

A small piece of advice to the Pakistani team - they should rather focus on playing instead of doing all that drama on and off the field. They were complaining that someone chanted "Jai Shree Ram" towards one player in Ahmedabad and that was the reason why they couldn't focus. At Chennai, the vast majority of the crowd was chanting "Pakistan Zindabad" and yet they lost the match. Stop complaining first. And then remove the captain. He is good for nothing. His tactics have failed in almost all the matches.

@Sithara007 in addition to all that drama their own media was saying that there’s heavy infighting going on with the Pakistani team and the captain had failed to stop it and when I read that news I had a feeling that they could lose this game. @pakhitheboss personally I’m expecting them to be eliminated soon now because this a team that’s lacking confidence and the motivation to perform at the highest level hence don’t wager on them as I doubt that they’ll win any of their remaining matches.

[Bureau]

South Africa - 1.27
Bangladesh - 3.93

Netherlands had odds of 10-12 against South Africa, and yet they won that match. And here Bangladesh is being given odds of 3-4. I don't think that these odds are closer to reality. At the most, they should be given the same odds as that of Netherlands, or even worse. So far the only win for Bangladesh came against the weak Afghanistan and they don't stand a chance against South Africa. Their batting is in really poor shape, and the bowlers are being inconsistent. Today, given the odds I would rather pick South Africa.

Betting odds doesn't matter in cricket as a match can turn anytime. Like the one that happened yesterday where the betting odds were almost the same as for today. It all comes to how much pressure a team can take and whether they can put in the skills required to win a game. Bangladesh has been not been good in the World Cup but they have a few good players.

[jasonjm]

Never expected Pakistan to get defeated by an underdog team like Afghanistan. This defeat will leave a psychological scar in the minds of the Pakistan team, already after their defeat against India they have been losing matches. Until yesterday they have won 2 matches and lost 3, In order to qualify for the semifinals they need to win a minimum of 6 matches. Out of the 4 matches left for them to play in the World Cup, they will be playing against South Africa on the 27th of this month at the same stadium. It won't be an easy game considering the powerful batting lineup South Africa has then they will be playing against Bangladesh followed by NZ and England. If they manage to win two matches out of the four left their chance of qualifying looks bleak for now.

I was expecting an Afghanistan win in the last game because they are very competitive when it comes to playing in spin-friendly conditions. Pakistan's current team is not very good against spin. In the past, we have seen many close contests between the two teams, and Pakistan won those matches with the barest of margins. Afghanistan outsmarted Pakistan in all three departments.
Pakistan's road to the semifinal is very difficult; they have to win all their remaining matches, which seems nearly impossible, looking at the current Pakistan team's form and their opponent's form, but you can't say anything about Pakistan. 

[2Pizza410000BTC]

Yesterday, we saw how Afghanistan outperformed a big team like Pakistan and created another upset in the World Cup. None of us had expected Pakistan to lose against Afghanistan so badly. Today Bangladesh will be playing against the South African team at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. South Africa has lost a match against the Netherlands team. Can Bangladesh defeat South Africa today? As per betting odds, RSA is the favorite team to win today.

Betting Odds

South Africa - 1.27
Bangladesh - 3.93

Can there be another upset today? Can Bangladesh beat the South African team today?

After losing the toss, Bangladesh started fielding. Shakib Al Hasan was hoping to win the toss today before the start of the match but Shakib Al Hasan's hopes were completely failed. However, Bangladesh is performing very well in bowling today, Bangladesh has picked up two wickets with 36 runs in eight overs. However, in today's match, if Bangladesh can pick up South Africa's batting more quickly, then Bangladesh can win this match. South Africa is under a lot of pressure after losing 2 wickets. Hope today Bangladesh will give an unimaginable victory by defeating South Africa.

[LDL]

South Africa - 1.27
Bangladesh - 3.93

Can there be another upset today? Can Bangladesh beat the South African team today?

By seeing betting Odds, Bangladesh far far weaker than south Africa. But many times such comparisons are not useful especially today's match if South Africa's top order batsmen fail then the pace of betting will be different.

A miracle could happen in today's match as South Africa have already lost two wickets. The South African side fell by two wickets of 36 runs if one of Bangladesh's best players, Shakib Al Hasan, was included in the squad. Top spinner Shakib Al Hasan and Mehdi Hasan Miraj are the main reliable all-rounders for Bangladesh in today's match if the spinners are supporting wickets then it will be difficult for South Africa to target above 300 runs.

[Bureau]

After the end of 10 overs South Africa has lost 2 important wickets. They have scored 51 runs and their run rate is below 5. I would say a good start for Bangladesh they were able to get 2 important wickets in the power play. It will help them to reduce the run rate and get RSA to give them a small target. We might see another upset if Bangladesh can get a couple of wickets before the end of 20th over.

[HelliumZ]

After the end of 10 overs South Africa has lost 2 important wickets. They have scored 51 runs and their run rate is below 5. I would say a good start for Bangladesh they were able to get 2 important wickets in the power play. It will help them to reduce the run rate and get RSA to give them a small target. We might see another upset if Bangladesh can get a couple of wickets before the end of 20th over.

If South Africa sets a target of more than 280 runs for Bangladesh in today's match, it will be very difficult to win. Bangladesh has been suffering from the lack of opening pair for a long time due to which the top order batsmen of Bangladesh are not able to benefit. Especially the old players who are Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah and Mehdi Hasan Miraj are doing well but the young players are not in form. So it becomes very difficult for Bangladesh to reach the target when it goes above 250 runs.

[JSRAW]

Never expected Pakistan to get defeated by an underdog team like Afghanistan. This defeat will leave a psychological scar in the minds of the Pakistan team, already after their defeat against India they have been losing matches. Until yesterday they have won 2 matches and lost 3, In order to qualify for the semifinals they need to win a minimum of 6 matches. Out of the 4 matches left for them to play in the World Cup, they will be playing against South Africa on the 27th of this month at the same stadium. It won't be an easy game considering the powerful batting lineup South Africa has then they will be playing against Bangladesh followed by NZ and England. If they manage to win two matches out of the four left their chance of qualifying looks bleak for now.

Tbh I was thinking that if the Afghans are again going to mess things up like they usually do against Pakistan, despite a big opening partnership. We have seen them throwing a couple of matches from the winning position so I had my doubts but i guess the confidence trajectory is on an uptrend after beating England and rightly so.

The Pakistan team is in a bad place and even bench strength is not looking good and the less we talk about the spin department, the better.

[synchronym]

After the end of 10 overs South Africa has lost 2 important wickets. They have scored 51 runs and their run rate is below 5. I would say a good start for Bangladesh they were able to get 2 important wickets in the power play. It will help them to reduce the run rate and get RSA to give them a small target. We might see another upset if Bangladesh can get a couple of wickets before the end of 20th over.

If South Africa sets a target of more than 280 runs for Bangladesh in today's match, it will be very difficult to win. Bangladesh has been suffering from the lack of opening pair for a long time due to which the top order batsmen of Bangladesh are not able to benefit. Especially the old players who are Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah and Mehdi Hasan Miraj are doing well but the young players are not in form. So it becomes very difficult for Bangladesh to reach the target when it goes above 250 runs.

With the way South Africa are batting, it looks like their team score will reach 300 runs. If South Africa gives Bangladesh a target of 300 runs then it is almost impossible for Bangladesh to win today's match. So the Bangladesh bowlers should get South Africa out very quickly. Already de Kock has scored a century, de Kock needs to get out very quickly. De Cock scored 102 off 103 balls. We all know that Bangladesh's batting line is very weak. If South Africa scores 300 plus runs, it is almost impossible for Bangladesh to win. Now it is to be seen how many runs South Africa will give to Bangladesh.

[Bureau]

Tbh I was thinking that if the Afghans are again going to mess things up like they usually do against Pakistan, despite a big opening partnership. We have seen them throwing a couple of matches from the winning position so I had my doubts but i guess the confidence trajectory is on an uptrend after beating England and rightly so.

The Pakistan team is in a bad place and even bench strength is not looking good and the less we talk about the spin department, the better.

I came across a video from a Pakistan channel on YouTube and saw Wasim Akram bashing the Pakistan team reason being sloppy fielding. The Pakistan team has not gone through any fitness checks for the last two years, that is what he revealed. That may be one of the reasons why yesterday a lot of boundaries were given away by Pakistani fielders. It is not going to be easy for Pakistan to reach the semifinals but there are murmurs that Afghanistan after the win against Pakistan might be able to reach the semifinals. Two big wins will give them a lot of confidence and the way the Afghanistan team is playing is very calculated. The road ahead is not that easy for the Afghanistan team.

[2Pizza410000BTC]

After the end of 10 overs South Africa has lost 2 important wickets. They have scored 51 runs and their run rate is below 5. I would say a good start for Bangladesh they were able to get 2 important wickets in the power play. It will help them to reduce the run rate and get RSA to give them a small target. We might see another upset if Bangladesh can get a couple of wickets before the end of 20th over.

If South Africa sets a target of more than 280 runs for Bangladesh in today's match, it will be very difficult to win. Bangladesh has been suffering from the lack of opening pair for a long time due to which the top order batsmen of Bangladesh are not able to benefit. Especially the old players who are Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah and Mehdi Hasan Miraj are doing well but the young players are not in form. So it becomes very difficult for Bangladesh to reach the target when it goes above 250 runs.

With the way South Africa are batting, it looks like their team score will reach 300 runs. If South Africa gives Bangladesh a target of 300 runs then it is almost impossible for Bangladesh to win today's match. So the Bangladesh bowlers should get South Africa out very quickly. Already de Kock has scored a century, de Kock needs to get out very quickly. De Cock scored 102 off 103 balls. We all know that Bangladesh's batting line is very weak. If South Africa scores 300 plus runs, it is almost impossible for Bangladesh to win. Now it is to be seen how many runs South Africa will give to Bangladesh.

South Africa lost two wickets in the beginning and was under a lot of pressure. Seeing South Africa's batting disaster at the beginning, I thought that Bangladesh will all out South Africa within 250 runs today. Then gradually South Africa built a strong pair under pressure and de Kock took a century from that pair.  Right now South Africa have collected 261 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 42 overs. From this performance of South Africa, it can be predicted that they can give Bangladesh a huge target of 330 runs today. If the target is above 300+ runs, it will be very difficult for Bangladesh to win today's match. In the beginning I predicted Bangladesh to win, but now I can't predict Bangladesh to win because of South Africa's performance.