Nottingham (United Kingdom) (AFP) – West Indies captain Jason Holder urged his side to be “as positive as we possibly can be” against Australia as he prepares for a potential World Cup classic. Trent Bridge will play host to the match on Thursday as Holder’s side and a hungry-looking Australia renew a rivalry dating back to the start of the event in 1975. West Indies came out on top against Australia in the first World Cup final in that year and won the next tournament, also in England, four…
New Zealand won the match but Bangladesh won the hearts of the fans, as they fought like real tigers to win their second-round clash at the 2019 ICC World Cup at the Kia Oval in London yesterday. Bangladesh has captured the imagination of the fans at this World Cup with their brave display and with a little more luck and runs yesterday, they could have won their second successive match. Set 245 runs to win, New Zealand got 82 from Ross Taylor as they scraped home in front of 25,000…
“All positive experiences begin with a smile” tweeted Jasprit Bumrah less than 24 hours before India’s World Cup opener. Accompanying the Twitter post was a photo of Bumrah grinning in front of the Indian team bus, yet after just six overs of play against South Africa the seamer was somehow beaming even more widely. That smile stood in stark contrast to the Proteas top order’s expressions but in fairness, facing the world’s top-ranked ODI bowler is much more of a harrowing experience than a positive one. And don’t be fooled…
Pakistan showed yet again on Monday why it’s always a good idea to predict the unpredictable when it comes to their cricketing fortunes. Pakistan showed yet again on Monday why it’s always a good idea to predict the unpredictable when it comes to their cricketing fortunes. As far as the early stages of their ICC Men’s World Cup 2019 campaign are concerned, it has been a case of well beaten one minute, dynamic the next for Sarfaraz Ahmed’s team. On Friday, Pakistan had no answer to a fearsome barrage of…
LONDON: Bangladesh promised to fight fire with fire against South Africa’s attack and promptly proceeded to deliver, setting the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 alight with a thrilling performance in the closest game of the competition so far. More than 600 runs were scored at the Oval, 330 of them by Bangladesh, who made a strong statement about their batting prowess. This was Bangladesh’s highest ever ODI score, surpassing their previous best of 329/6 against Pakistan in Dhaka in April 2015, to upset third-ranked South Africa, who sit four places above…
BRISTOL: The fond memories of 2015 came rolling back for Mitchell Starc after beginning his ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup campaign in near-identical fashion to his crowning moment. Four years ago the rangy, left-arm fast bowler immediately dented New Zealand hopes in the first over of the World Cup final when he clean-bowled Brendon McCullum for a duck, his third delivery to the dynamic Kiwi captain. With their most destructive batsman back in the pavilion, New Zealand were unable to post a suitably-competitive total and the Australians went on to…
NOTTINGHAM/ENGLAND: It wasn’t a case of Pakistan Zindabad but a case of Pakistan playing bad, as West Indies of old came to Trent Bridge to whip Pakistan by seven wickets in both teams first match of the 2019 ICC World Cup in England yesterday. The International Cricket Council (ICC) put a notice in the media centre that lunch will be served between the hours of 2 pm to 4 pm, well we didn’t get to that, as the game was finished before lunch. West Indies pacers led by Oshane Thomas…
London (AFP) – Australia captain Aaron Finch says disgraced stars Steve Smith and David Warner will use the World Cup to restore their “world-class” credentials after their role in the infamous ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. Smith and Warner served 12-month bans following the “sandpaper-gate” incident in the Cape Town Test in March last year and Smith lost the Australia captaincy as a result. Both players are back in the Australia squad for the World Cup in England and Wales and are set to start their country’s first match of…
Peshawar (Pakistan) (AFP) – Groomed on dusty pitches as a refugee, record-breaking Rashid Khan will face his toughest examination yet at the World Cup, with former coaches confident the Afghan can “dismantle” top batting line-ups. The world’s top-rated Twenty20 bowler from the war-torn nation last year made history as the fastest to reach 100 one-day international wickets. Aged just 20, and after a remarkable cricket upbringing shaped by years of conflict and displacement, Khan will on Saturday make his World Cup debut against defending champions Australia. “I am sure…
London (AFP) – Australia head coach Justin Langer has called on fans to show Steve Smith and David Warner respect in the World Cup and not jeer them. The pair, who both recently completed bans for ball-tampering, were given a hostile reception by the crowd at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton during Australia’s World Cup warm-up victory over England. There were audible boos, jeers, and chants of “cheat”, but Langer has urged supporters not to repeat that behaviour during the tournament itself. “You (the media) talk about earning respect, and…