I think you are being a tiny bit optimistic......

 

 

Ireland (with their performances so far) have made Holding look like an idiot. Instead of perhaps admitting that he might've been wrong, he is just digging an even bigger hole for himself.

 

I guess Holding might at least get some sympathy from Ponting and a couple of others who held similar views.

As well as the other 2 matches

Again??? Have they ever made it to the semis before???? when???

Great point...I have never thought about it this way before but what you are saying does make complete sense!

Yeah I totally agree with you there!

 

If Scotland manage to beat a somewhat deflated Aussie side, it can only be good for the country.

 

On the other hand, if a non-test team do get well and truly thumped, they're going to learn so much from getting beaten. You learn more losing by 10 wickets than winning by 10 wickets.

 

There's also the fact that more games bring in more people, thus more money; both for the West Indies and the teams involved. These non-test countries will get money and will be able to advance their cricket come the next big event.

In the world cup however, they have a real chance of seeing what is to be expected of them if they plan on being among the best. They get to take on the big guns for a change, and are forced to step up their game by a few notches.

It's good for the big teams too, because there's no bigger wake-up call than a freak loss to a minnow team, or even a closely contested match.

 

Keep the initial group stage the same, and the top 2 from each grou qualify as normal. Then instead of a super eight split the 8 remaining teams into two groups of 4 for a second group stage, with the qualifiers from each group in different groups to each other. Then instead of the teams playing 6 matches they play three and in half the time of the super sixes, and then follow it with the semi-finals and final, and you could keep the second group stage to a week to ten days.

 

That way instead of getting 51 games you get 39 games. If the group stage was 2 weeks long, the second group stage 10 days long and the semi-finals and final about a week long, you cut the tournament time by two weeks, and the whole thing is over with in a month and the players can join up with their domestic sides for the start of the county season (if they play in English cricket).

i agree with his comments bringing these team straight away in the wc in front of quality sides is not fair for these non test playing nations.on the other hand it might set some new world records.it is probably better to give them a little bit experience of international cricket then take to wc.