Some Interesting Views From Amongst You

As some of you might already know, I'm judging Google's Cricket blogging competition. Here are some interesting entries we have recieved so far:

From The Match Referee:

What are fast and lively wickets going to achieve? They will result in fast bowlers who get results handed to them on a platter, batsman might get slightly better and the breed of twirlers will be fast driven to extinction. Spinners have been our traditional strength and now is not the time to ditch them.

From Dharmagraha:

Successful teams can be classified into two types. One, that win on technical perfection; examples are South Africa under Hansie Cronje and Clive Lloyd’s invincible team. Two, that win on an emotional high supported by excellent individual skills; examples are Dada’s Indian team supported by excellent individual performances by Sachin and you, Imran’s Pakistani team supported by geniuses of Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram, Ranatunga’s Sri Lankan team with Sanath Jayasuriya and Arvinda De Silva. There is also a third variety which has a dangerous combination of both at the highest. That is Australia, both under Steve Waugh and under Ricky Ponting. Logically, a coach should have sat down to classify what is the temperament of the team, find its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and approached you accordingly. I don’t say that Greg Chappell has not done that, but I say, it just doesn’t show.

From Best Of World Cup:

If a game starts taking lives, there is something sickeningly wrong with it. But this is not really about Woolmer. We didn't need someone to die to awaken us to a problem. The signs have always been there, it's just that most of us have found it expedient to ignore them. Commodification has been chipping away at the soul of cricket for years, and now the game is the danger of losing its head.

From Srikchin:

We started preparing the team for World cup 24 months ago, and by the time it kicks of none of the team probables could make it. Those who managed to crawl are down with injuries. Round the clock cricket & rudimentary domestic circuit. Slow pitches, weak opponents and back to back series crowns. Too much of money, too many strategies, too many expectations, too loud applauds and hence too embarrassing desolation.