did sri lanka 'pull up' so not to play australia ?

[bayman]

did sri lanka pull up so they did not meet australia until the final ? & not in the semi final

[am Bays]

Where's the option: no chance of playing Australia in the semis unless we won and the Kiwi's won (v Aust) so needed our best team agaisnt them

In short Bayman SL more likely to play Aust if they lost against us it put them in jeopardy of finishing 4th (remote)

Their chance of playing Australia are dependant on the NZ v Aus game the winner of that will go top in other words the Aus v SL relatively superflouus to the final finishing order

[bayman]

perhaps i miss read the article the other day, but how i read it (interpreted it) is the way i put it up, anyway why would you 'rest players' at this time of the tournament ?

[Newman]

How pathetic of Sri Lanka to not play Vaas and Murali against the aussies. What's even more pathetic they play them against Ireland bowl them out for 77 and talk them selves up again. I hope they get absolutely smashed in the semi.

[Aerie]

Such is the nature of the tournament, Sri Lanka could send out who they liked for the game against the Aussies. It was a dead rubber. Only a few more of these warm up games before the tournament actually gets serious in the Semis. Any news on whether Malinga will be fit enough to resume playing before the tournament is over?

[mighty_tiger_79]

there was nothing wrong with what sri lanka did, as holding explained before the withdrawal of the sri lankan players australia were $1.50, as soon as people found out the teams the aussies shortened dramatically on betfair

nothing wrong with resting players, they made a smart move, as it is in their best interests to avoid australia till the final and im sure australia are grateful to the extent they only have to play sth africa which would be an easy game for them.

[Newman]

Time will tell if it was a bad move or not. I just think that if they were going to rest players why did they not against the easier game Ireland. Perhaps they didnt want to expose Vaas and Murali to the Aussies. In any case Murali takes 4/19 against Ireland and people start talking him up again. He has taken 450 ODI wickets and I would like to know how many of those wickets have come against the lesser known countries. Until he can do it consistently against the best in the world there will always be a question mark over him for mine.

[RustyCage]

How pathetic of Sri Lanka to not play Vaas and Murali against the aussies. What's even more pathetic they play them against Ireland bowl them out for 77 and talk them selves up again. I hope they get absolutely smashed in the semi.

Vaas and Murali are two people who could miss 12 months of cricket and come back and dominate straight away, so it wont effect the two players, some other players got match practice, and they didn't lose confidence by having their full strength team beaten by a team they will play again at some stage very soon. No harm done I dont think.

[Newman]

They always seem to dominate the minnows

[Hondo]

Maybe they were trying to stop Australia getting the psychological edge that may have been gained if the Aussies easily beat their best team. Sort of gave the game away waiting for a more important tilt at either the Semi's or the final.

[bayman]

the proof is in the pudding !!! read one of the sydney papers they bluntly said what i said, now sl have won overnight they only meet australia again if we make (& will) the final, in short sl pulled up & it worked & good luck to them

[am Bays]

the proof is in the pudding !!! read one of the sydney papers they bluntly said what i said, now sl have won overnight they only meet australia again if we make (& will) the final, in short sl pulled up & it worked & good luck to them

As I said didn't matter what they did win they would have avoided us is all likelihood they would have finished on top and we would've come 2nd, lose and they would have avoided us as they did....

[mighty_tiger_79]

Sri Lanka pulled up against the AUSSIES, and they rested key players who performed very well this morning against the kiwis.

The result from the game against the aussies probably wouldnt have mattered because they could have finished top and avoided the semi clash and they by losing although there was some risk in meeting the aussies again, it was unlikely to happen. they rested key players, they got the $1.50 on australia on betfair before the teams were announced.