BBC Crystal ball on BD

[fwullah]

There are three predictions on Bangladesh:

1) July:

Australia opt to experiment during a two-Test home series against Bangladesh, handing the Test captaincy to Austin Waugh and calling up female leg-spinner Brooke Warne.

Behind the stumps is 18-month-old Harrison Gilchrist, son of another recent Test star.

The home side's plans are thrown into chaos, however, when young Gilchrist throws his toys out of his pram and is handed a suspension by the ICC.

2) September:

Confidence buoyed by memories of their World Cup meeting in 1999, Bangladesh upset Pakistan to record their first ever Test series victory.

And the dancing in the streets of Dhaka reaches fever pitch when a quirk in the ICC rankings system sees the side named as the new Test Championship holders.

3) December:

After a topsy-turvy year in international cricket, things return to normal.

True to away form, India fail in Australia, New Zealand out-class the Pakistani tourists and England lose a two-Test series in Bangladesh.



Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/funny_old_game/2634557.stm

[Arnab]

Wow! 2 series wins! The crackheads at BBC are being excessively generous.

[Pundit]

Disgusting - little do those snotty Lord-ies know that in a few years their last prediction WILL become a reality.

:P

[Tehsin]

In a few years, we will be a better away team then India. We will go to England in a few years and start a new series (like the Ashes) and bring the house down on 'em every year until the end of time. :)

[James90]

Maybe the Pakistanis.....they're going down while i think England can only go up from here. And I think if you should have a tournament like the Ashes it should be against India or Pakistan

[fwullah]

BBC Sport's last year's crystal ball prediction was that South Africa's batting line up will face dramatic collapse against Bangladesh in the test series, but despite that South Africa will beat Bangladesh by a huge margin.

Well, BBC's last year's prediction did not turn out to happen like that in most occassions. Only in the 1st ODI that South Africa's wickets fell like nine-pins and that in the closing stages of that match WHILE BATTING FIRST.

And in the test series, there was no such batting collapse by South Africa whatsoever.

[Mahmood]

BD will have its own version of Ashes. But that can only start after Kenya gets test status.

[Pundit]

H_fan, yes, you are right, and I was just joking about BD, lets say, when I speak of "dethroning" England at any thing ! England is definitely on the ascendency !

Actually, if all these current trends continue, this is how the teams will be positioned over the next 3 years (TEST rankings) -

Top tier - Australia, SA, England
Middle Tier - WI and maybe SL.
Lower Tier - India, PAK, again SL , in any order.
And the rest - Zim, followed by BD !

Pretty glum, if you root for the likes of Tendulkar or Shoaib Akhtar !!

And after 5 years, expect BD to crawl into the middle tier. :o

[Edited on 8-1-2003 by Pundit]

[James90]

Where's NZ?

[Pundit]

South of Australia !

[James90]

A- New Zealand is not in the list
B- New Zealand is not south of Australia

[Pundit]

OK - sorry, its SE of Australia.

I guess my aussie philosophy is getting kinda rusty.

Also, I definitely see NZ in the middle tier, behind WI.

And unless Wasim Akram retires soon, Pakistan will continue to remain as an ill disciplined outfit.