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
Saturday, March 5, 2011
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.
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