Zimbabwe's coach, Alan Butcher, thinks it's unlikely his team will beat the defending champions on Monday. The captain of Australia, Ricky Ponting, is not expecting a surprise loss. The bookmakers have Australia as almost unbackable favourites. But somewhere in the back of the minds of this Zimbabwe group is a sliver of hope, the knowledge that upsets can happen. And that if their three spinners can make use of an Ahmedabad pitch that could provide assistance, it might be just enough to bring Australia back down to a more even footing. Of course, everything must go right for Zimbabwe, who have not beaten Australia in an ODI since their shock win at the 1983 World Cup. Everything would also need to go wrong for Australia, who have not lost a World Cup match since 1999, back in the era of Steve Waugh and Alistair Campbell. "The longer a winning run goes, the closer it must be to coming to an end," Butcher said on Sunday. "It may not be us that ends it but someone has got to. All we've done is tried to prepare as well as we can, on the basis that if we play as well as we can in six matches during this World Cup, we can't do any more than that. If on the way one or two of the big sides have a bad day and slip up, hopefully we will take advantage of that. "If we play confidently, play our best cricket and Australia don't, then we may have a chance. Let's be honest, if both sides play their best cricket, it's very likely that we'll lose." Butcher is nothing if not a realist. But the Zimbabweans have kept an eye on Australia's performance during the warm-up matches, when they struggled against top-quality spin. Ray Price, Prosper Utseya and Graeme Cremer are not quite the same as Harbhajan Singh, but spin is the strength of Zimbabwe and Australia will need to force the pace for much of their innings. It's nearly seven years since the teams have met in a one-day international, although the Australians will remember with frustration being upset by Zimbabwe at the 2007 World Twenty20. In the past year, Zimbabwe have had ODI wins against India, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Bangladesh, so they know how to beat good teams, but Ponting is confident his side will have their measure. "We had a good team meeting last night and talked about all their players, individually, and went through batters and bowlers," Ponting said. "They've got a lot of spin options, even a couple of part-time spinners and a quality left-arm offspinner and a legspinner as well, that I wouldn't be surprised if they play. "We've had a good look at them. We know what their strengths and weaknesses are. We've also seen their record, and their record is not that strong either, and that's against some of the smaller nations. We'd expect to play well tomorrow and hopefully get the tournament off on the right note." And after powerful performances from India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka against weaker sides in the opening matches of the tournament, it seems likely Australia will continue the trend. Zimbabwe's most ardent fans might say that it means a surprise is due.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Canada's gun prepares to fire
By deed, if not by sight, the exploits of Rizwan Cheema of Canada have travelled well. There is the start: 89 0ff 69 balls and 61 off 45 against the West Indies in 2008, nine sixes off men such as Jerome Taylor, Darren Powell and Kemar Roach. There is the 2008 Shoaib Akhtar encounter, where our hero lofted him for six over long on off the third ball of their introduction, having told his family as he left the house that morning that he would do so. There is the strike rate: 121.38 in T20s and 119.4 in ODIs. There are the ten sixes in a T20I tournament in Canada, more than anyone including Shahid Afridi and Sanath Jayasuriya. For this tournament he warmed up with a 70-ball 93 against England and though it wasn't recorded, he likely scared the bejeebers out of them. At practice in the magnificent but isolated Mahinda Rajapakse stadium in Hambantota on Friday evening, the most relentless drive to hit balls, every single ball, as high, hard and handsome as possible was Cheema's. Not all connected but the ones that did were pure, clean hits, of the kind that bring movement around to a halt. Canada's foremost cricket analyst Faraz Sarwat notes that a Cheema hand is essentially a "primal" joy. It is based essentially, as for so many subcontinent players, on hand-eye coordination. The range of shots is not expansive and not technically attuned, but if the ball falls in an area he likes, lord help the bowler. Asked to describe himself as a batsman after practice, Cheema smiled and said, "Hard-hitting....I like to hit the ball." A pause, another smile. "Out of the park." It says something for pure talent that he has managed the deeds that he has. Climatically, Canada is not given to cricket. "The set-up isn't great there because only four months out of the year do we have a chance to play outdoors and rest of year it snows," he says. "Right now it's minus 30 there. So we're totally opposite to cricket weather-wise but still we try indoor practices and since we qualified, we've played outside Canada in the winter. There are indoor facilities but that's only matting, not turf." Some players have at least been given central contracts so that there are seven full-time professionals in the side. The chances of a plumber running through a team have receded, though for the sake of a tale, it is a little loss. And as any self-respecting big team has done or still does, there were serious grumbles about the squad for the tournament, in particular the omission of Ian Bilcliff and Geoff Barnett. A young squad has thus arrived, including five players from the Under-19 side. There has been quarter-final talk but Cheema, understandably for a 32-year-old perhaps, is more realistic. "We've been working hard for almost a year now preparing for this. We'll try to win three games that is the goal. Realistically we're not going to win the World Cup but we're trying to make sure we go out and take lots of positives from here, maybe reaching the second round." Soon he will come across his former countrymen. Shoaib might be around as well, hoping to reacquaint. Cheema is, of course, from Gujranwala and only moved to Canada in 2000, having played club level stuff in Pakistan and idolised Imran Khan. He initially wanted to play only recreationally in Toronto but ended up in the Toronto and District Association League and, from 2005 onwards, began to do the kind of things he is now known by: 161 off 61 balls (eight fours, 15 sixes), a 145 with 15 fours and nine sixes. He only qualified for Canada selection in 2008. "I played against them in Canada in 2008. It's always a good feeling playing against players you grow up following and the team you want to be in from your heart, but fortunately I'm playing for Canada now. I want to make a hundred that is my main goal, maybe against Pakistan. The 93 against England has given me lots of confidence." It is not something he lacks particularly but it is on the hope that such players might do something, no matter how brief or how lost the cause - even one shot - that you remember forever after, it is on such hope that a World Cup also runs. Given his age, there might not be another chance for Cheema. Given the ICC, there might not be another for Canada either. Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Osman Samiuddin © ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Feeds: Osman Samiuddin © ESPN EMEA Ltd.Thursday, March 10, 2011
Sangakkara happy in unfamiliar home
Laxman, Steyn, Tendulkar win ESPNcricinfo awards The India-South Africa rivalry was the key contest of the year, one that the ESPNcricinfo Awards reflect Passionate Bangladesh provides perfect opening For a sport that has a bad history with opening ceremonies, nothing could have been more welcome than the sheer enthusiasm and passion with which Bangladesh had put together its show World Cup 2011: The opening ceremony Follow ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of the World Cup opening ceremony World Cup searches for certainty The World Cup's 10th edition has greater significance even before it begins: it is the one that will decide what course the 50-over game will take over the next few years The five favourites for the World Cup England, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia are looking good
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
'Our quicks will do well on slow tracks' - Lee
Laxman, Steyn, Tendulkar win ESPNcricinfo awards The India-South Africa rivalry was the key contest of the year, one that the ESPNcricinfo Awards reflect Passionate Bangladesh provides perfect opening For a sport that has a bad history with opening ceremonies, nothing could have been more welcome than the sheer enthusiasm and passion with which Bangladesh had put together its show World Cup 2011: The opening ceremony Follow ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of the World Cup opening ceremony World Cup searches for certainty The World Cup's 10th edition has greater significance even before it begins: it is the one that will decide what course the 50-over game will take over the next few years The five favourites for the World Cup England, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia are looking good
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Watson looking forward to challenge of opening
When he wasn't hobbling around with a nagging calf strain, Shane Watson spent much of the 2007 World Cup padded up, waiting, and watching Matthew Hayden crush opponents with help from his opening partner Adam Gilchrist. Hayden dominated that tournament more than any other batsman, with three centuries against top teams, and it's a role Watson wants to play this time around. So dominant were Hayden, Gilchrist and the rest of the top order that Watson, who was batting at No. 7 during that period, had to face only 85 balls through the entire seven-week event. Fast forward four years and Watson is an established, in-form opener, and Australia will be desperate for him to have a massive series, with less depth and experience in the middle order than in years gone by. "It's a different challenge compared to batting at No. 7 in the team that we had," Watson said. "It's a much bigger responsibility opening the batting and trying to lay a great platform for the team like Matt Hayden and Adam Gilchrist did so beautifully throughout their careers. I know it's a big responsibility and I'm really looking forward to it. "It's a great challenge over here and I've been lucky enough to spend quite a bit of time here over the past two years to get used to the conditions. They're big shoes to fill because [Hayden and Gilchrist] have performed unbelievably well throughout their careers, especially in World Cups." Watson enters the 2011 tournament with some formidable figures behind him. He's scored 832 one-day runs in the past year, comfortably Australia's best, and earlier this month he won his second consecutive Allan Border Medal. He didn't just win it, he annihilated all his colleagues by earning 295 votes, a full hundred in front of the second-placed Michael Hussey. It's a form-line that will leave opponents scratching their heads as to how to control him. The first team that has to find the solution is Zimbabwe, whose batting coach Grant Flower has been searching for some inside tips from his brother Andy, who as coach of England recently saw Watson plunder 161 at the MCG, after he was one of the few Australians who also had a solid Ashes series. "He has been playing brilliantly," Grant Flower said in the lead-up to Monday's game. "I spoke to my brother last night and asked him the same thing, and he didn't have many answers. But there are a lot of class players and there are no obvious weaknesses, otherwise they wouldn't be playing at international level. But our main strength is spin, so hopefully we can get it in the right areas and he might succumb to the same pressures that everyone else is under." One thing in Zimbabwe's favour is that it was spin that troubled Australia during their two warm-up losses, against India and South Africa over the past week, although Watson fell to pace both times in making 33 and 0. Australia know they must improve from those two opening encounters, although Watson was confident that the defeats were not an indication of how the rest of their campaign would unfold. "We played some good cricket throughout the summer in Australia but we also knew that there was a little bit of improvement to go in just about all aspects of our one-day cricket," Watson said. "The past couple of days have been excellent for getting used to the Indian conditions and getting our game-plans and our roles in the team exactly where they should be." Australia enter Monday's match Against Zimbabwe, in Ahmedabad, hoping to keep their unbeaten run in World Cups going - they have not lost a World Cup game since 1999 - but knowing they should not compare themselves to the teams headed by Ricky Ponting at the past two tournaments. "I don't really see the pressure to defend the World Cup because we are a very different team to what the team was in 2007," Watson said. "In the end there's pressure on every team to win the World Cup, no matter what."
Old guard leaves Zimbabwe's revival
Laxman, Steyn, Tendulkar win ESPNcricinfo awards The India-South Africa rivalry was the key contest of the year, one that the ESPNcricinfo Awards reflect Passionate Bangladesh provides perfect opening For a sport that has a bad history with opening ceremonies, nothing could have been more welcome than the sheer enthusiasm and passion with which Bangladesh had put together its show World Cup 2011: The opening ceremony Follow ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of the World Cup opening ceremony World Cup searches for certainty The World Cup's 10th edition has greater significance even before it begins: it is the one that will decide what course the 50-over game will take over the next few years The five favourites for the World Cup England, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia are looking good
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sehwag and Kohli sink Bangladesh in opener
India 370 for 4 (Sehwag 175, Kohli 100*) beat Bangladesh 283 for 9 (Tamim 70, Shakib 55, Munaf 4-48) by 87 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
There was no reprise of the 2007 upset at Port of Spain in the opening game of this World Cup. Instead, Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli gave evidence of the havoc this Indian batting line-up can create during centuries that demoralised Bangladesh's bowlers. Shakib Al Hasan's men failed to maintain their composure in the grandest match of their lives and conceded a total beyond the reach of their batting abilities.
There was wisdom in Bangladesh choosing to chase - the previous 12 day-night matches at the Shere Bangla were won by the team batting second - but their bowlers were wayward on a slow pitch that kept low and had loopy bounce not conducive to shot-making. Shakib wanted to keep India below 260 when he put them in because of the dew factor later in the evening. He watched the target surge past that as Sehwag and Kohli, who justified his captain's decision to leave out Suresh Raina, dismantled the attack in front of a shell-shocked crowd and powered India to 370.
Bangladesh, however, did not go quietly. Faced with an impossible chase, Imrul Kayes attacked from the outset after which Tamim Iqbal and Shakib took charge. They set off at a sprint, swinging fearlessly, edging luckily, and brought cheer to their supporters. What Bangladesh failed to do, though, was sustain the aggression for as long as Sehwag did, and the asking-rate soared irreversibly out of reach.
With a withering back-foot drive, Sehwag had slammed the first ball of the tournament to the cover boundary, the opening move of his maiden century against Bangladesh silencing a boisterous Mirpur crowd. Shafiul Islam had given Sehwag too much width, and in his second over he strayed twice on to Sachin Tendulkar's pads with dire consequences. His day would not get better and he conceded 69 off seven.
India raced to 36 after four overs, forcing Shakib to turn to his premier spinner, Abdur Razzak, in the fifth. Razzak looped the ball into Sehwag from round the wicket, following the batsman and cramping him for room as he tried to hit inside out through the off side. Sehwag had scored 12 off his first six balls and 13 off his next 24.
Bangladesh were listless, though, as Sehwag regained his touch and never lost it again, but they also had some good fortune. A mix-up, during which both Tendulkar and Sehwag were ball-watching, left both batsmen at one end and the Mirpur crowd found its voice again.
Sehwag, however, continued piercing gaps and hit the tournament's first six, hoisting Razzak over wide long-on to reach fifty off 45 balls. With Gautam Gambhir, Sehwag added 83 to build on the opening stand of 69. While Sehwag used muscle, Gambhir played with precision - dabbing, pushing and chipping into gaps. His dismissal for a run-a-ball 39, bowled by a straight one from Mahmudullah, was against the run of play.
The exceptional feature of Kohli's innings was his driving. On a surface this slow, he reached the pitch of the ball, gathering momentum with a forward thrust of his body, and drove crisply through the off side with a whip of his wrists. He did it against pace and spin, scoring effortlessly at more than a run a ball. In the 33rd over, Kohli drove Naeem Islam twice to the cover boundary and pulled him behind square, placing the ball just wide of the fielders each time. India took their batting Powerplay after the mandatory ball change and scored 48 for 0 during the fielding restrictions.
At one stage Sehwag, who had Gambhir running for him because of an injury, had a shot at a double-century. He fell in the 48th over, though, almost making good his pledge to bat through the innings. Kohli continued to motor towards a hundred in his first World Cup match and got there off the penultimate ball of the innings, possibly having secured his spot for the rest of the tournament.
The pitch quickened in the evening, making shot-making easier, and the dew greased the outfield, making the ball harder to grip. But Bangladesh's bowlers had conceded too much ground for their batsmen to regain. They tried, though, and the initial assault on the Indian bowlers was fierce.
The highlight of that brief blitz was the attack on Sreesanth. Kayes edged, flicked, pulled and drove him for boundaries, and a wayward wide contributed to Bangladesh taking 24 runs off the fifth over. They were 51 for 0. Kayes then tried to force the slower pace of Munaf Patel, who replaced Sreesanth, through the off side and played on, ending the opening partnership at 56.
Zaheer Khan's control and the introduction of spin resulted in an increase in dot balls and a reduction in boundaries, and by the half-way stage the asking-rate was already 9.36. Tamim and Shakib completed aggressive half-centuries and the rest of the batsmen also struck the ball fluently during a heartening display. Victory, however, had already escaped them. Bangladesh will hope to reproduce this batting effort in a match in which their bowlers get their act together.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: George Binoy © ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
There was no reprise of the 2007 upset at Port of Spain in the opening game of this World Cup. Instead, Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli gave evidence of the havoc this Indian batting line-up can create during centuries that demoralised Bangladesh's bowlers. Shakib Al Hasan's men failed to maintain their composure in the grandest match of their lives and conceded a total beyond the reach of their batting abilities.
There was wisdom in Bangladesh choosing to chase - the previous 12 day-night matches at the Shere Bangla were won by the team batting second - but their bowlers were wayward on a slow pitch that kept low and had loopy bounce not conducive to shot-making. Shakib wanted to keep India below 260 when he put them in because of the dew factor later in the evening. He watched the target surge past that as Sehwag and Kohli, who justified his captain's decision to leave out Suresh Raina, dismantled the attack in front of a shell-shocked crowd and powered India to 370.
Bangladesh, however, did not go quietly. Faced with an impossible chase, Imrul Kayes attacked from the outset after which Tamim Iqbal and Shakib took charge. They set off at a sprint, swinging fearlessly, edging luckily, and brought cheer to their supporters. What Bangladesh failed to do, though, was sustain the aggression for as long as Sehwag did, and the asking-rate soared irreversibly out of reach.
With a withering back-foot drive, Sehwag had slammed the first ball of the tournament to the cover boundary, the opening move of his maiden century against Bangladesh silencing a boisterous Mirpur crowd. Shafiul Islam had given Sehwag too much width, and in his second over he strayed twice on to Sachin Tendulkar's pads with dire consequences. His day would not get better and he conceded 69 off seven.
India raced to 36 after four overs, forcing Shakib to turn to his premier spinner, Abdur Razzak, in the fifth. Razzak looped the ball into Sehwag from round the wicket, following the batsman and cramping him for room as he tried to hit inside out through the off side. Sehwag had scored 12 off his first six balls and 13 off his next 24.
Bangladesh were listless, though, as Sehwag regained his touch and never lost it again, but they also had some good fortune. A mix-up, during which both Tendulkar and Sehwag were ball-watching, left both batsmen at one end and the Mirpur crowd found its voice again.
Sehwag, however, continued piercing gaps and hit the tournament's first six, hoisting Razzak over wide long-on to reach fifty off 45 balls. With Gautam Gambhir, Sehwag added 83 to build on the opening stand of 69. While Sehwag used muscle, Gambhir played with precision - dabbing, pushing and chipping into gaps. His dismissal for a run-a-ball 39, bowled by a straight one from Mahmudullah, was against the run of play.
The exceptional feature of Kohli's innings was his driving. On a surface this slow, he reached the pitch of the ball, gathering momentum with a forward thrust of his body, and drove crisply through the off side with a whip of his wrists. He did it against pace and spin, scoring effortlessly at more than a run a ball. In the 33rd over, Kohli drove Naeem Islam twice to the cover boundary and pulled him behind square, placing the ball just wide of the fielders each time. India took their batting Powerplay after the mandatory ball change and scored 48 for 0 during the fielding restrictions.
At one stage Sehwag, who had Gambhir running for him because of an injury, had a shot at a double-century. He fell in the 48th over, though, almost making good his pledge to bat through the innings. Kohli continued to motor towards a hundred in his first World Cup match and got there off the penultimate ball of the innings, possibly having secured his spot for the rest of the tournament.
The pitch quickened in the evening, making shot-making easier, and the dew greased the outfield, making the ball harder to grip. But Bangladesh's bowlers had conceded too much ground for their batsmen to regain. They tried, though, and the initial assault on the Indian bowlers was fierce.
The highlight of that brief blitz was the attack on Sreesanth. Kayes edged, flicked, pulled and drove him for boundaries, and a wayward wide contributed to Bangladesh taking 24 runs off the fifth over. They were 51 for 0. Kayes then tried to force the slower pace of Munaf Patel, who replaced Sreesanth, through the off side and played on, ending the opening partnership at 56.
Zaheer Khan's control and the introduction of spin resulted in an increase in dot balls and a reduction in boundaries, and by the half-way stage the asking-rate was already 9.36. Tamim and Shakib completed aggressive half-centuries and the rest of the batsmen also struck the ball fluently during a heartening display. Victory, however, had already escaped them. Bangladesh will hope to reproduce this batting effort in a match in which their bowlers get their act together.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: George Binoy © ESPN EMEA Ltd.View the original article here
Canada coach slams ICC decision
Laxman, Steyn, Tendulkar win ESPNcricinfo awards The India-South Africa rivalry was the key contest of the year, one that the ESPNcricinfo Awards reflect Passionate Bangladesh provides perfect opening For a sport that has a bad history with opening ceremonies, nothing could have been more welcome than the sheer enthusiasm and passion with which Bangladesh had put together its show World Cup 2011: The opening ceremony Follow ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of the World Cup opening ceremony World Cup searches for certainty The World Cup's 10th edition has greater significance even before it begins: it is the one that will decide what course the 50-over game will take over the next few years The five favourites for the World Cup England, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia are looking good
Sunday, March 6, 2011
The mystery of the missing tickets
Bangladesh cricket fans queue for tickets when they went on sale in January © Getty Images
The mystery about India's missing World Cup tickets is solved: most of the tickets are still lying with the host associations who have spent the months in the run-up to the World Cup trying to perfect their balancing act due to their varied means of ticket distribution. Of eight Indian venues, the first few games have finally been put out for sale but elsewhere, there is a lack of order. Chennai, venue for the first of the Cup matches in India, New Zealand v Kenya on Sunday, began selling tickets early while Motera began selling tickets for Monday's Australia v Zimbabwe game on February 15. Officials in Delhi said tickets for the South Africa v West Indies game on Thursday would go up for sale "in a day or two." Mumbai's first match, Canada v New Zealand, will be held on March 13, with Mumbai Cricket Association's honorary secretary Lalchand Rajput saying that public sale of tickets would begin a week before the game. In Kolkata, the focus at the moment is on accepting the fact that the India v England match has actually been shifted out of the Eden Gardens. Ticket distribution is now focussed on handing out the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB)'s large share of their quota tickets amongst members and affiliate clubs, a practice which is also common in Mumbai. "There is no panic now," said an official in Kolkata, "because there aren't going to be fist-fights at the counter." And Punjab Cricket Association said tickets for matches in Mohali would go on sale from February 21, "including for the semi-final." Vindarbha Cricket Assocation officials said that the only match of significance that will be held in Nagpur is India v South Africa, and the ticket counters will open on March 5. "There is hardly any takers for the first match between England and Netherlands on February 22 except probably for the Barmy Army," a VCA official said. According to him the contest between Australia and New Zealand has found more attention. This lopsidedness in ticket sales had been caused, an ICC event organiser said, "because the World Cup has been treated like a bilateral series with the local associations controlling everything." He said there was "no single central leadership" or organisation in the World Cup ticketing. "It is why there are so many complaints about tickets not being distributed, not enough information given about when they are up for sale or where." The ICC's own quota for tickets per match is specific: it receives 1270 free tickets of which 1000 are given to sponsors, with the remaining 270 divided between the two teams (125 each) and match officials. The ICC said it could then also avail of an additional 250 hospitality seats but pay for its own catering and then had access to 2450 tickets that it could purchase for distribution amongst sponsors (2000) and member boards (450). The ICC's maximum quota per match equalls just under 4000 tickets. A certain percentage of tickets have also gone on sale online at the Kyazoonga website. The website had access to tickets that ranged from the minimum of five percent of ground capacity to 50 percent of ground capacity, as in Bangalore. The 'ground capacity' also includes all the quotas by the state associations and not just those up for public sale. Of these, tickets booked online for games in Delhi, Mohali and Mumbai have not yet been received by the website, which has therefore been unable to ship them out. A Kyazoonga spokesperson said they are now waiting for a green signal from the ICC to put the tickets for the knock out round for sale online. The demands for tickets, Kyazoonga says, has centred around India's three main matches - versus England, South Africa and the West Indies - and the knock-out matches. The rest of the ticket sales have been poor with Gujarat Cricket Association treasurer Dhiraj Jogani saying that only 2000-3000 tickets had been sold for its first two group matches - Australia v Zimbabwe and New Zealand v Zimbabwe. "We are optimistic that on match day morning, people will buy tickets at the gate and walk in because that's what usually happens in Motera," he said. For the first two games, he said there would be as many as 25,000 tickets sold in the cheaper denominations between Rs 100, Rs 150 and Rs 800. In complete contrast to the lack of order of India's World Cup ticketing, is the Bangladesh example. Tickets for every single game in Bangladesh, which were available online, are already sold out. Sharda Ugra is senior editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Sharda Ugra © ESPN EMEA Ltd.Saturday, March 5, 2011
Kamande wants Kenya to express themselves
Laxman, Steyn, Tendulkar win ESPNcricinfo awards The India-South Africa rivalry was the key contest of the year, one that the ESPNcricinfo Awards reflect Passionate Bangladesh provides perfect opening For a sport that has a bad history with opening ceremonies, nothing could have been more welcome than the sheer enthusiasm and passion with which Bangladesh had put together its show World Cup 2011: The opening ceremony Follow ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of the World Cup opening ceremony World Cup searches for certainty The World Cup's 10th edition has greater significance even before it begins: it is the one that will decide what course the 50-over game will take over the next few years The five favourites for the World Cup England, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia are looking good
Vettori calls for intensity ahead of 'must-win' game
Laxman, Steyn, Tendulkar win ESPNcricinfo awards The India-South Africa rivalry was the key contest of the year, one that the ESPNcricinfo Awards reflect Passionate Bangladesh provides perfect opening For a sport that has a bad history with opening ceremonies, nothing could have been more welcome than the sheer enthusiasm and passion with which Bangladesh had put together its show World Cup 2011: The opening ceremony Follow ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of the World Cup opening ceremony World Cup searches for certainty The World Cup's 10th edition has greater significance even before it begins: it is the one that will decide what course the 50-over game will take over the next few years The five favourites for the World Cup England, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia are looking good
Friday, March 4, 2011
Nathan McCullum likely to miss first game
Laxman, Steyn, Tendulkar win ESPNcricinfo awards The India-South Africa rivalry was the key contest of the year, one that the ESPNcricinfo Awards reflect Passionate Bangladesh provides perfect opening For a sport that has a bad history with opening ceremonies, nothing could have been more welcome than the sheer enthusiasm and passion with which Bangladesh had put together its show World Cup 2011: The opening ceremony Follow ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of the World Cup opening ceremony World Cup searches for certainty The World Cup's 10th edition has greater significance even before it begins: it is the one that will decide what course the 50-over game will take over the next few years The five favourites for the World Cup England, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia are looking good
Wankhede yet to be okayed by fire officials
Laxman, Steyn, Tendulkar win ESPNcricinfo awards The India-South Africa rivalry was the key contest of the year, one that the ESPNcricinfo Awards reflect Passionate Bangladesh provides perfect opening For a sport that has a bad history with opening ceremonies, nothing could have been more welcome than the sheer enthusiasm and passion with which Bangladesh had put together its show World Cup 2011: The opening ceremony Follow ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of the World Cup opening ceremony World Cup searches for certainty The World Cup's 10th edition has greater significance even before it begins: it is the one that will decide what course the 50-over game will take over the next few years The five favourites for the World Cup England, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia are looking good
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Pressure-free Canada ready to impress
Ashish Bagai's memory isn't as clear as it should be perhaps, though given what happened when Canada last met Sri Lanka at a World Cup, he is not to be blamed. That game, in Paarl, South Africa in 2003, was over in just over half a Twenty20 game: Canada's 36 all out remains the lowest World Cup total. A day ahead of - for want of a more appropriate word - their rematch at Hambantota, he's not too keen to remember the game. "I don't have such good memories of that. The one before that is still in my mind, but I think I have forgotten the Sri Lanka game," Canada's captain said. The one before was a loss to Kenya, so it is the one before that he remembers: the Austin Codrington-inspired 60-run win over Bangladesh. "There are only two guys from that World Cup here, myself and John Davison and we don't talk about that game too much." Canada have made some strides since then. There are central contracts in place. They also have a clutch of Under-19 players in the side, homegrown products and a "brand" of cricket they are keen to show off. It is bracing talk. "We've got some very exciting youngsters coming through the Canadian program for the first time. It's important to show our brand of cricket and home-grown cricketers, as opposed to the past where lots of guys from India and Pakistan came in after playing in their domestic leagues and 'A' teams. We want to show what Canada has produced for the first time." Prime among them is Nitish Kumar, all of 16 and with much hype around him. No wonder his listed nickname is Tendulkar. From Bagai's words, the hype may not be unjustified. "He's my favourite batsman to watch in the world. I've never seen a talent like that and a lot of coaches in world cricket say that about him. He's so young but very exciting." An eye will be kept on others, like the left-arm spinner Parth Desai or Ruvindu Gunasekera, the left-handed top-order batsman who's done well domestically in Sri Lanka, the land of his birth. Something, over the course of six matches, will surely come from Rizwan Cheema and the godfather-grandfather John Davison. A little insider knowledge is also available. Canada's head and assistant coaches are Pubudu Dassanayake and Chandika Haturusingha, both former Sri Lankan internationals. The latter only joined recently, but together, says Bagai, the pair has been crucial. "Pubudu has been crucial for us, especially in grooming youngsters to play at this level. Hatu is an excellent man when it comes to technical ability. Both of them together form a good group for us and both have very good knowledge of subcontinent conditions. Most of our players are from subcontinent roots so they can relate to them really well." Talent, inside information, spirit and all these things will take you only so far when you step out on to the field against co-hosts and favourites in a World Cup. There is no reason to suspect Bagai - an impressive man - doesn't know that. But freedom from fear and pressure are great, mood-changing stimulants. There is no pressure on Canada, none whatsoever and Bagai knows that too. "In the warm-up game against England, there were nerves for the younger guys because we've got five Under-19s players in the side," he said. "We got that out of the way. Now, tomorrow is about no pressure, nobody expects us to win and we want to spin that positively and use it to our advantage. Play freely, see young guys play their natural game and some responsibility from the older guys." Simple really, when put like that. Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of ESPNcricinfo Feeds: Osman Samiuddin © ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Feeds: Osman Samiuddin © ESPN EMEA Ltd.Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Richardson leads South Australia to victory
Laxman, Steyn, Tendulkar win ESPNcricinfo awards The India-South Africa rivalry was the key contest of the year, one that the ESPNcricinfo Awards reflect Passionate Bangladesh provides perfect opening For a sport that has a bad history with opening ceremonies, nothing could have been more welcome than the sheer enthusiasm and passion with which Bangladesh had put together its show World Cup 2011: The opening ceremony Follow ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of the World Cup opening ceremony World Cup searches for certainty The World Cup's 10th edition has greater significance even before it begins: it is the one that will decide what course the 50-over game will take over the next few years The five favourites for the World Cup England, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia are looking good
A lot to prove for both teams
Match FactsFebruary 20, Chennai
Start time 09:30 local time (04:00 GMT)
Big PictureBoth New Zealand and Kenya have been through difficult patches in the recent past and will open their World Cup campaigns with plenty to prove. Kenya come across as the whipping boys of the group, along with Canada, but a demoralised New Zealand are ripe for the picking. New Zealand have come off a humiliating loss to India in their warm-up game and three consecutive bilateral ODI series defeats at the hands of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, so the need to show some intent is pressing. New Zealand have gone from being one of the sides that was always there and thereabouts to the forgotten men of international competitions but given the format of this World Cup, they have almost no excuse to not make it to the quarter-finals. The World Cup is Daniel Vettori's last international series as captain; he would like to leave a lasting impression and he has the personnel to help him do that. The middle order is New Zealand's marshmallow and if they can firm up that section, they should be able to pull off a decent all-round performance. They will be the team the minnows are targetting in this group and in order to restore self belief they could do with a solid win under their belts. For Kenya, a win over any side will do and beating a full member will be punching above their weight. A close defeat to the Netherlands in their second warm-up illustrated what they are capable of with both bat and ball. The top five batsmen are all capable of getting big scores with Seren Waters leading the line-up. Their string of medium pacers have been economical and effective and if they can capitalise on the mentorship they've been receiving from people like the Kirsten brothers and Jonty Rhodes, they may have a rabbit or two to pull out of the hat. Form guide(Most recent first) New Zealand: WLLLW Kenya: WLWLL Pitch and conditionsThe Chennai pitch worried South Africa captain Graeme Smith despite his team cantering to an eight-wicket win in a warm-up game against Zimbabwe last week. There doesn't appear to be too much life in it, for either the seamers or the spinners and the batsmen are the ones who could benefit the most. It is likely to be a hot day in Chennai, but the heat should be tempered somewhat by some cloud cover. Watch out for…One of the most exciting young batsmen to come out of Kenya in a while, Alex Obanda is a strokeplayer, who will probably open the innings. His shots are as flamboyant as his frosted hairstyle, and Kenya will look to him as the ideal foil for more circumspect opening partner, Waters, to attack the new ball and score boundaries with the field up. Injuries and dwindling confidence have taken some of the spark out of Jacob Oram's gameplay in recent times, but there is no doubting his taleny and if New Zealand are going to get out of their slump and be serious contenders in this tournament, they need a fit and firing Oram in the lower middle order. He was didn't have much impact in New Zealand's warm-ups, scoring 17 runs in two innings and picking up two expensive wickets, and a return to form is well overdue. Team newsOffspinner Nathan McCullum spent Thursday and Friday night in hospital after being admitted with high fever. He participated in a light training session on Saturday but remains a doubtful starter. Luke Woodcock may play in his place but that would keep a batsman out of the side. Should New Zealand opt for the extra batsmen, like Jamie How, they may find themselves a bowler short. New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendan McCullum, 3 Jessie Ryder, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 James Franklin, 6 Scott Stryis, 7 Jacob Oram, 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Luke Woodcock, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Tim Southee Kenya have had a fairly settled unit in recent times, and without any injuries to worry them, the playing XI practically picks itself. With both the spinning Ngoche brothers likely to play on what should be a helpful surface, the one question may be who to pick between Tanmay Mishra and Rakep Patel, as both have impressed in the middle order. 1 Seren Waters, 2 Alex Obanda, 3 Collins Obuya, 4 Tanmay Mishra/Rakep Patel, 5 Steve Tikolo, 6 Maurice Ouma (wk), 7 Jimmy Kamande (capt), 8 Thomas Odoyo, 9 James Ngoche, 10 Shem Ngoche, 11 Nehemiah Odhiambo Try picking the XIs for tomorrow's game by playing Team Selector.
Kenya will look to Alex Obanda to provide an explosive start at the top of the order © Getty Images
Stats and triviaFirdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent and Liam Brickhill is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Start time 09:30 local time (04:00 GMT)
Big PictureBoth New Zealand and Kenya have been through difficult patches in the recent past and will open their World Cup campaigns with plenty to prove. Kenya come across as the whipping boys of the group, along with Canada, but a demoralised New Zealand are ripe for the picking. New Zealand have come off a humiliating loss to India in their warm-up game and three consecutive bilateral ODI series defeats at the hands of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, so the need to show some intent is pressing. New Zealand have gone from being one of the sides that was always there and thereabouts to the forgotten men of international competitions but given the format of this World Cup, they have almost no excuse to not make it to the quarter-finals. The World Cup is Daniel Vettori's last international series as captain; he would like to leave a lasting impression and he has the personnel to help him do that. The middle order is New Zealand's marshmallow and if they can firm up that section, they should be able to pull off a decent all-round performance. They will be the team the minnows are targetting in this group and in order to restore self belief they could do with a solid win under their belts. For Kenya, a win over any side will do and beating a full member will be punching above their weight. A close defeat to the Netherlands in their second warm-up illustrated what they are capable of with both bat and ball. The top five batsmen are all capable of getting big scores with Seren Waters leading the line-up. Their string of medium pacers have been economical and effective and if they can capitalise on the mentorship they've been receiving from people like the Kirsten brothers and Jonty Rhodes, they may have a rabbit or two to pull out of the hat. Form guide(Most recent first) New Zealand: WLLLW Kenya: WLWLL Pitch and conditionsThe Chennai pitch worried South Africa captain Graeme Smith despite his team cantering to an eight-wicket win in a warm-up game against Zimbabwe last week. There doesn't appear to be too much life in it, for either the seamers or the spinners and the batsmen are the ones who could benefit the most. It is likely to be a hot day in Chennai, but the heat should be tempered somewhat by some cloud cover. Watch out for…One of the most exciting young batsmen to come out of Kenya in a while, Alex Obanda is a strokeplayer, who will probably open the innings. His shots are as flamboyant as his frosted hairstyle, and Kenya will look to him as the ideal foil for more circumspect opening partner, Waters, to attack the new ball and score boundaries with the field up. Injuries and dwindling confidence have taken some of the spark out of Jacob Oram's gameplay in recent times, but there is no doubting his taleny and if New Zealand are going to get out of their slump and be serious contenders in this tournament, they need a fit and firing Oram in the lower middle order. He was didn't have much impact in New Zealand's warm-ups, scoring 17 runs in two innings and picking up two expensive wickets, and a return to form is well overdue. Team newsOffspinner Nathan McCullum spent Thursday and Friday night in hospital after being admitted with high fever. He participated in a light training session on Saturday but remains a doubtful starter. Luke Woodcock may play in his place but that would keep a batsman out of the side. Should New Zealand opt for the extra batsmen, like Jamie How, they may find themselves a bowler short. New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendan McCullum, 3 Jessie Ryder, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 James Franklin, 6 Scott Stryis, 7 Jacob Oram, 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Luke Woodcock, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Tim Southee Kenya have had a fairly settled unit in recent times, and without any injuries to worry them, the playing XI practically picks itself. With both the spinning Ngoche brothers likely to play on what should be a helpful surface, the one question may be who to pick between Tanmay Mishra and Rakep Patel, as both have impressed in the middle order. 1 Seren Waters, 2 Alex Obanda, 3 Collins Obuya, 4 Tanmay Mishra/Rakep Patel, 5 Steve Tikolo, 6 Maurice Ouma (wk), 7 Jimmy Kamande (capt), 8 Thomas Odoyo, 9 James Ngoche, 10 Shem Ngoche, 11 Nehemiah Odhiambo Try picking the XIs for tomorrow's game by playing Team Selector.
Kenya will look to Alex Obanda to provide an explosive start at the top of the order © Getty Images
Stats and triviaFirdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent and Liam Brickhill is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Friday, February 18, 2011
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