Topic: International Cricket 2022 - 2023 - General Thread

[Trump's tiny tiny hands]

Will be flat or slow like all MCG pitches.

I'm sure our batsmen will find a way to make it look like a minefield.

[Fiasco]

At least India lost anyway

I had a couple of bob on the Windies to chase that down. Almost 5-1 they were, which was ridiculous. Great knocks by Hetmyer and Hope, they done it so easily. Could've chased down 350.

[Crosby Nick]

Best Christmas XI, any improvements welcome.

Jacques RUDOLPH
It’s beginning to look a lot like CHRIS SMITH
ROBIN Smith
INZI bleak midwinter
O come let us adORAM
Mitchell SANTA
John SNOW
Shannon GABRIEL
Ansari JOSEPH

Umpire: Bruce lowly OXENford

Any more for any more?!

[Trump's tiny tiny hands]

Chris Pringle/Kris Kringle?

[dudleyred]

Best Christmas XI, any improvements welcome.

Jacques RUDOLPH
It’s beginning to look a lot like CHRIS SMITH
ROBIN Smith
INZI bleak midwinter
O come let us adORAM
Mitchell SANTA
John SNOW
Shannon GABRIEL
Ansari JOSEPH

Umpire: Bruce lowly OXENford

Any more for any more?!

Phil MEAD
Ian BISHOP

Home ground of Christchurch presumably?

Edit: Ian BELL

[Trump's tiny tiny hands]

And I've got one Wiseman, if we can find 2 others?

Paul Wiseman

[Crosby Nick]

HEROD Larwood?

[Crosby Nick]

And I've got one Wiseman, if we can find 2 others?

Paul Wiseman

Bringing gifts of Ian GOULD, FRANK HAYES and Kiran MORE?

[Kekule]

Here’s another one to be getting on with.  Identify the bowlers disguised as Santa from their delivery stride.

[vagabond]

3rd across on top: Brett Lee
3rd across on bottom: Shoaib Akhtar
4th across on bottom: Wasim Akram
6th across on bottom: Mitchell Johnson?

[Kekule]

3rd across on top: Brett Lee
3rd across on bottom: Shoaib Akhtar
4th across on bottom: Wasim Akram
6th across on bottom: Mitchell Johnson?

Correct on all counts.

[dudleyred]

Is top right Malinga?

[voodoo ray]

Is top right Malinga?

I figured it was Thompson

[vagabond]

To the left of Akhtar is Vettori

[dudleyred]

I figured it was Thompson

May well be right

[Kekule]

I figured it was Thompson

Correct.

[Kekule]

To the left of Akhtar is Vettori

Correct.  Half way there.

Top: 1) Jasprit Bumrah 2)? 3) Brett Lee  4) ?   5)?  6) Jeff Thompson
Bottom:  1)?  2)Dan Vettori  3)Shoab Akhtar  4)Wasim Akram  5)?   6)Mitchell Johnson

[Crosby Nick]

Is 5 on the top row Haribjhan Singh (can’t spell it!).

[Samwise]

Top left - Bumrah?

[Kekule]

Is 5 on the top row Haribjhan Singh (can’t spell it!).

No, it’s not him.  Good thing to as I can’t spell it either!

Top left - Bumrah?

Yep. I thought that was the most distinctive and immediately obvious one. Clearly not!

[demain]

My guesses:

1. Bumrah
2. Warne
3. Lee
4. ?
5. Mushtaq
6. Thomson
7. Anderson
8. Vettori
9. Shoaib
10. Wasim
11. Swann
12. Johnson

4. could be Simon Jones but not really sure.

[voodoo ray]

2nd from the left top looks so familiar that I'm sure I've seen the picture it's taken from, but fucked if I can remember who I think it is.

And I might be totally wrong of course.

[Kekule]

My guesses:

1. Bumrah
2. Warne
3. Lee
4. ?
5. Mushtaq
6. Thomson
7. Anderson
8. Vettori
9. Shoaib
10. Wasim
11. Swann
12. Johnson

Correct.  Almost nailed it, but...

4. could be Simon Jones but not really sure.

...that one's wrong.

1 left to get.

[Samwise]

4 - Courtney Walsh i think

[Kekule]

4 - Courtney Walsh i think

Not Courtney Walsh.

Trying to think of a clue without giving it away completely.  He started playing Test Cricket around a similar time as Walsh, although didn't have the longevity.  Was described by his captain as his country's "greatest national pest".

[Crosby Nick]

Not Courtney Walsh.

Trying to think of a clue without giving it away completely.  He started playing Test Cricket around a similar time as Walsh, although didn't have the longevity.  Was described by his captain as his country's "greatest national pest".

Is he a seamer? I was thinking he might be a spinner.

[Trump's tiny tiny hands]

Swervin Mervyn Hughes

[Kekule]

Is he a seamer? I was thinking he might be a spinner.

Very much a seamer.

[Kekule]

Swervin Mervin Hughes

Bingo!

[Trump's tiny tiny hands]

Bingo!

Him and David Boon, man. What a time to be alive for moustaches.

[Crosby Nick]

Him and David Boon, man. What a time to be alive for moustaches.

Gooch,Hadlee, Kapil Dev. Lovely stuff.

[vagabond]

[Trump's tiny tiny hands]

Gooch,Hadlee, Kapil Dev. Lovely stuff.

Miandad, Russell, Lillie... christ, was there a more English fellow than Jack Russell

[voodoo ray]

The ones these days are invariably shite.

[Kekule]

Allan Lamb had a decent try.  Ian Botham’s was shite though.

[Hendollama]

Article from Cricinfo:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/28364947/can-siya-kolisi-jurgen-klopp-inspire-south-africa

Faf du Plessis and Siya Kolisi are not your average BFFs. One is the captain of the national cricket team, a leader who has recently weathered a storm that saw all the team's management replaced. The other is the captain of the national rugby team, a leader who lifted the World Cup in 2019. As far as 2019 goes, du Plessis and Kolisi could not be on more opposite ends but if they needed reminding it came when they dined out in Cape Town last month.

At the same restaurant was Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who Kolisi had a "man crush moment" with because of his support for the Reds. Klopp was equally starstruck by the Springbok captain, having watched him lead the team to victory over England just ten days before their meeting. Asked if Klopp recognised du Plessis in the same way, South Africa's cricket captain had a short, sharp answer.

"No," du Plessis said, quickly changing tack. "But he (Klopp) said he watches cricket. The Liverpool guys watched the cricket World Cup and he knew about how well England did, so that's great."

Klopp also knows about how to lead a group of people - Liverpool won last year's Champions League and sit atop this year's Premier League table, having also won the Club World Cup - and though their conversation was brief, du Plessis was so impressed with what he saw that he has now become a Liverpool fan.

"For someone to be that famous, he is a great guy, and that's what I believe real leadership is about," du Plessis said. "It's about connecting with people, having great relationships with people, so I became a massive fan. I am not a huge football fan, I don't support a lot but I do support him now."

Ultimately, du Plessis' friendship with Kolisi and admiration for Klopp speaks to something bigger: his need for South Africa to remember what it's like to be successful. They enter this England series off the back of five consecutive Test defeats spanning two series. The one at home, against Sri Lanka, was a dent to their pride - no subcontinent side had ever won a series in South Africa before - while the one away, in India, was the crash that exposed the mass of problems that South Africa have spent the last three weeks untangling.
...

[Guz-kop]

Absolutely love watching the cricket at 1130pm on Christmas night

Great start from new Zealand. Brave toss and swinging it round first couple of overs

[demain]

Smith complaining to the umpires about NZ's bodyline strategy. 

Couldn't happen to a better bloke.

[Rosario]

Smith complaining to the umpires about NZ's bodyline strategy. 

Couldn't happen to a better bloke.

I mean he wasn’t complaining about the tactics but about the umpire incorrectly calling a dead ball. But whatever suits your agenda I guess 

[Gerry Attrick]

Smith's average in Australia is stupid. Visiting teams may as well just offer him a ton before he walks out and be done with it. New Zealand aren't helping their own cause by continually playing Santner in this format; he just doesn't take wickets. Useful in slap and tickle cricket where you need to keep it tight but he can't get anybody out.