Calcutta cries, Bangalore gains !

The World Cup at Eden Gardens has been shifted to Bangalore, as the stadium will not be ready for the India England match.

So Calcutta loses a golden opportunity. This match will be fiercely competitive, as England, spurred by the Ashes win, says it will defeat India, who is placed second in ICC ODI Rankings. It ia a No 5 challenging a No 2.

Calcutta will host three matches but then they are considered lesser matches. SA vs Ireland, Ireland vs Holland, Kenya vs Zimbabwe. These matches cannot be crowd pullers like the India England match !

Bangaloreans get a great chance to see a glorious match, which will be keenly fought. England, though mauled by the Aussies in ODIs, won the Ashes in Australia and is trying to overcome India, who can be formidable on home pitches.

The other matches at Bangalore are England vs Ireland, India vs Ireland, Australia vs Kenya & Australia vs Canada. These matches also cannot be crowd pullers like the Indo England match.

Meanwhile, England's ace batsman, Pietersen, has blasted the WC schedule, saying that fixture of six weeks is longish and playing matches with six day intervals is simply ridiculous.

"It's far too long. How can the England team play once and then in six days' time play again, and then in six days' time play again? It's ridiculous but there's nothing we can do about the schedules"

On the other hand, these intervals are a blessing in disguise for the Indian team, whose many players are smarting under injuries. This one month interval ( after the series in SA ) and six days intervals come like manna sent from heaven !

But for England, it is adverse. England fly out for the showpiece tournament just three days after arriving back from the tour of Australia, which began from Oct last year. No rest for the Englishmen !

"Our schedule is ridiculous going into this World Cup. It has been for England teams for a very long time and that's probably why England have not done well in World Cups" said the master blaster.

"I wouldn't say we're going to be knackered because it's going to be the World Cup and we all want to win this World Cup. I know what I'll be doing (in the three-day break) - lying on my couch."

He said he loves IPL and will not quit IPL, which begins just six days after the WC Final on Apr 2. If England reaches the Final, then they would have been away from home for all but 3 days, for 5.5 months !

"I don't know about second thoughts about IPL. When you are in a good thing, you know it's a good thing and you enjoy it, I was always going to be putting my name in the hat for it. It's such a relaxed environment as much as the intensity is electric, the intensity is 100 per cent on the field," said the master batsman.