Muted Expectations

It's hard being a kiwi fan for there are trying times, and the desperate ones too. The present seems to be somewhere in between. Is it really as bad as that? Suddenly the hitherto well organised one day unit has been bastardised by alleged self doubt and cracks in the machine, thanks to a string of close defeats across the Tasman recently. All the while I thought the side played competitively at worst, but this sure isn't the best appetiser to savour before a World Cup. I've been looking at the WC predictions that have been pouring in online from people all over the cricket world, and everyone feels the kiwis are the weak link among the 'big eight', and in fact will have to play well to even make it past the first round (Kenya have been tipped to cause an upset in their group). And I too have a bad feeling about it. Then again I'm not sure if I'm being my pessimistic self, because back in 2003 I was thinking the same thing. The kiwis were beating India comfortably on horrendous home pitches, and I had a feeling the side would be shown up in the World Cup. They did start with a loss to Sri lanka, but went on to make the super six where two irresponisble defeats to Australia and India denied them a semifinal spot, but only just.

The build up this time has been frustrating to say the least. We now have three games at home against the Aussies (not again!) which could either turn out to be ideal preparation (given the high standard of opposition) or plain demoralising (given our well publicised track record aginst Oz of late). We've played the Aussies so many times over the last two years the opposing players must be sick at the sight of each other by now. Much has been made of the injuries to key Aussie players, but I remember in November 2003 when we were up against the in the tri series in India, how a second-choice Aussie team was enough to beat us. In the third game, Australia rested Gilchrist, Hayden and a quickie called Brad Williams who had the wood on us at the time. Instead they called upon Jimmy Maher and Ian Harvey to open, Michael Kasprowicz as a replacment for Williams, and still won on a two paced Guwahati pitch. Well, OK this might be Fleming's final chance to assert any pretences of superiority over the Aussies for half a decade, so i shouldn't complain much about the staging of this series.

As for this series, I was really disappointed to see Chris Harris overlooked again, probably for the last time (more on that in another post). Anyway, it will be interesting to see Daryl Tuffey's return. In the meantime, I can only hope this summer of frustration is turned around.