I can't tell if I'm biased or I just think the whole incident is blown out of proportion. Not just this one but many sledging incidents in the year or so. The many outcries that one of these days there will be a massive fight on the field just don't seem legit to me.

I agree with you Hang. Joe Root was asked about that today and he said this: "There's obviously been a few things that have happened in the last six months. That's not good for the game, but I can't see it going that far to lead to a punch. It's not ice hockey."

Strangely though, Chappelli is one of the main voice saying a bloke's got a bat in his hand, it could get ugly. And I almost always agree with him.

Re Warner, there's nothing in it. He's clearly not a racist and I don't even think the remark (when given full context) is racist. Though I found it hilarious that he said he asked Sharma "politely" if he would mind speaking in English. Warner is a prime moron though and I relish any time he fails with the bat. Which is sadly rarely these days.

Yeah, I mean I agree that it's not good for the game but I don't think it's hurting the game. It just makes the players look dumb. Warner has got to be the the dumbest of the lot with his constant doing stupid things and then apologising but I thought this Australian summer proved that Indians are just as likely to get in your face over absolutely nothing than the Australians. Even though I'm sick of hearing the phrase "there's a line we do not cross", I agree that they've never crossed any line, although the frequency that these incidents are happening just about negates that line. I also don't think it's as bad as any other time while I've been watching so I'm not sure why the sudden hype around sledging.

Sidharth Monga on cricinfo argues that it's basically just England, SA & India that are the repeat offenders. Could be something in that. SA play it hard but don't recall them being talk for the sake of talk. Eng & Aus do plenty of pathetic posturing these days. Anyway this was what Monga said:

"The teams playing the triangular series in Australia at the moment are not just financial Big Three of international cricket, but also the three worst-behaved teams on the field. The Test series between England and India was not played in the best of spirits last English summer. The two Ashes series before that set their own precedents for bad behaviour. The Test series in the Australian summer, between Australia and India, was bitter too. So puerile have been the skirmishes that it was boring by the end of it

Elsewhere in the world, Chris Gayle bowed down to AB de Villiers in admiration, and Sri Lanka and New Zealand have been congratulating and applauding the other team's performers, and talking the opposition up in the press."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUW7Ssv ... e=youtu.be

the great man laying down the law

Hah, I really don't think I'd support Australia if I didn't start from a young age. The 'aggressive' brand of cricket they endorse is really comical, childish and quite pathetic. I despise India anyway, and am no lover of England, so yeah. I still want New Zealand or South Africa to win the WC.

Ah, the loveable South Africans.

So who is gonna win this thing, eh?

Your mob, unfortunately.

That said, I've thrown some bets on India, SL & Pak. 11/1, 12/1 and 19/1 respectively. Rude not to.

We're definitely the strongest team and the big favourites, but those knockout rounds are going to be anxious for everyone. I can't see an Asian team winning it. Any of Aus/SA/NZ I could see winning. I would have thrown Eng in there but it's a fairly horrid start for them here. Warner gone, though.

Watto.

Yeah it's all moot because Johnson will knock us over every time. If we avoided you in the knock outs and someone else takes you out we have a sliver of a chance. But little more.

Will now be following the Asian teams with interest! Hoping Pak get an injury and send for Saeed Ajmal.

Well that's why I say an Asian team can't win. I really think the bowling will just not have enough strike power. India don't have one quality paceman and have no form whatsoever - they probably have one of the stronger batting lineups but even they struggled in the recent tri-series. Pakistan are missing most of their best bowlers and have found some unusual ways to lose in ODIs. Sri Lanka are inconsistent and Malinga hasn't played a lot of cricket recently.

Johnson and Starc are going to cause havoc, especially with the two new balls. And our first change bowlers and death bowling is also ridiculously strong. With our strong tail, yeah, it really is Australia's to lose.

I get what you're saying and it's not that I disagree but really it goes back to what you touched on earlier. It's effectively (well, I won't count my chickens from an English or Pakistani perspective as we are two sides that have a history of losing to minnows) a quarter final tournament. So you need to string together just 3 wins to lift the trophy. 3 wins and Pak are priced 19/1. 3 wins and SL are 12/1. 3 wins and India are 11/1. That is tremendous value!

Oh, sure. That is why I'm anxious about Australia's chances! It's not quite a T20 tournament where anything can happen but of course any team could win on their day. You sometimes can't really say that about a Test match. From a betting perspective, sure, that really is great value. But, yeah, from a cricket perspective, can't quite see it happening! But hey, if it isn't going to be Australia, I wouldn't mind a SL or Pak winning it.