Tag: ICC World Cup 2023

After receiving a warm welcome upon their arrival in India to participate in the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023, the food menu for the Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team has been unveiled.

According to the Indian news agencies, the Pakistan team’s food menu is comprised of lamb chops, mutton curry, Hyderabadi biryani, grilled fish, butter chicken, and vegetable pulao during their stay.

No beef dishes will be served to any of the 10 participating teams due to cultural reasons.

The side were taken to the hotel under tight security measures upon their arrival on Wednesday. The hotel staff along with guests clapped for the side. The team were presented with traditional scarfs.

The side have started training for the tournament. Before the tournament kicks off on October 5 in Ahmedabad, Babar Azam’s side will play two warmup matches against 2019 runners-up New Zealand and five-time champions Australia on September 29 (tomorrow) and October 3 respectively.

They begin their quest for the ICC World Cup 2023 title on October 6th when they take on the Netherlands at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

ICC World Cup 2023 will be contested from October 5 to November 14. Defending champions England will go head-to-head against 2019 runners-up New Zealand in the opening fixture.

It will be a repeat of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 final, which England won on boundary count rule.

Ten teams Pakistan, India, England, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the Netherlands, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh are taking part in the tournament.

They will face each other in the round-robin stage. The top four sides will qualify for the semi-finals.

The winners of those games will meet each other in the final. The matches will be staged in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamshala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Pune cities.

READ: ICC World Cup 2023: Babar Azam ‘overwhelmed’ with warm welcome in India

HYDERABAD: Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam was “overwhelmed” by the grand welcome he and his team received upon their arrival in India to partake in the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023.

Pakistan’s World Cup-bound squad landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday evening and was later commuted to the team hotel with tight security in place.

The visit marked the Pakistan team’s first since 2016 and the crowd turned up in large numbers to welcome them.

Despite being held back by the security personnel, cricket fans cheered and chanted the name of Pakistan team captain Babar Azam, who waved back at him to show his gratitude.

In response, Babar Azam posted an Instagram story to acknowledge the warm welcome.

“Overwhelmed with the love and support in Hyderabad,” wrote Babar.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi also offered his gratitude for the hospitality through his Instagram story, which stated, “Great welcome thus far!”

Rizwan was equally astounded by the supporters’ jubilant welcome when they arrived here for the ICC World Cup 2023.

“Amazing reception from the people here. Everything was super smooth. Looking forward to the next 1.5 months,” Rizwan wrote on X.

Amazing reception from the people here. Everything was super smooth. Looking forward to the next 1.5 months 😇

— Muhammad Rizwan (@iMRizwanPak) September 27, 2023

Babar-led Pakistan will start their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on October 6 in Hyderabad, the same venue at which they will play their warm-up fixtures against New Zealand and Australia.

Pakistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.

Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

Pakistan’s warm-up matches schedule:

• September 29 — vs New Zealand in Hyderabad
• October 3 — vs Australia in Hyderabad

Pakistan’s schedule for the ICC World Cup 2023:

• October 6 – vs Netherlands in Hyderabad
• October 10 – vs Sri Lanka in Hyderabad
• October 14 – vs India in Ahmedabad
• October 20 – vs Australia in Bengaluru
• October 23 – vs Afghanistan in Chennai
• October 27 – vs South Africa in Chennai
• October 31 – vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
• November 4 – vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match)
• November 11 – vs England in Kolkata

The day matches will start at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST) while all other matches will be day-night fixtures, starting at 01:30 pm (PST).

READ: Pakistan squad starts training in India ahead of ICC World Cup 2023

HYDERABAD: The Pakistan cricket team started their training ahead of their ICC World Cup 2023 campaign at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday.

This training session marked Pakistan’s first training session after stepping foot on Indian soil yesterday.

Pakistan will face New Zealand in their first ICC World Cup 2023 warm-up fixture at the same venue on Friday, which will be played behind closed doors due to security concerns.

Pakistan will then take on Australia on October 3rd in their second warm-up fixture before kicking off their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on October 6.

Pakistan team landed in India on Wednesday evening to participate in the ICC World Cup 2023, which will be played from October 5 to November 19.

Pakistan contingent, consisting of 18 players and 13-player support personnel commuted to the team hotel under tight security.

The Green Shirts departed from Lahore airport in the wee hours on Wednesday and after a brief layover in Dubai, reached here.

For the unversed, Pakistan cricket team players and officials received their Indian visas for the ICC World Cup 2023, after experiencing a lengthy delay.

This delay prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to record its protest by writing a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

According to the details, the PCB sent a stern letter to the cricket governing body raised concerns over the ongoing visa debacle and reminding the regulatory body about the Host-Member agreement.

Pakistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.

Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

Pakistan’s warm-up matches schedule:

• September 29 — vs New Zealand in Hyderabad
• October 3 — vs Australia in Hyderabad

Pakistan’s schedule for the ICC World Cup 2023:

• October 6 – vs Netherlands in Hyderabad
• October 10 – vs Sri Lanka in Hyderabad
• October 14 – vs India in Ahmedabad
• October 20 – vs Australia in Bengaluru
• October 23 – vs Afghanistan in Chennai
• October 27 – vs South Africa in Chennai
• October 31 – vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
• November 4 – vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match)
• November 11 – vs England in Kolkata

The day matches will start at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST) while all other matches will be day-night fixtures, starting at 01:30 pm (PST).

READ: Temba Bavuma to miss ICC World Cup 2023 warm-up matches

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan said teammate and ex-captain Tamim Iqbal’s “totally childish” behaviour prompted his exclusion from the ICC World Cup 2023 squad.

Tamim, 34, was left off the squad for the ICC World Cup 2023 starting in India next week, because of concerns over the back injury that has plagued him throughout the year.

He had just returned to the side for a home series against New Zealand after a two-month absence following his shock resignation in July, rescinded a day later after the personal intervention of Bangladesh’s prime minister.

Tamim said after the ICC World Cup 2023 squad was announced that he was fit enough to play but had refused a request by selectors to skip the opening match and bat down the order later.

“It is totally childish,” Shakib Al Hasan told local broadcaster T-Sports on Wednesday evening, hours after Tamim’s comments.

“A player should bat at any position for the team. Team first. It doesn’t make any difference if you have made 100 or 200 and the team loses. What can you do with personal achievement? You want to make a name for yourself?”

He added: “Unless you are thinking along those lines, you are not a team man. You are playing for individual records, success, fame and name. Not for the team.”

Over his career, Tamim Iqbal established himself as one of the country’s most dependable players and is the only Bangladeshi to score centuries across all three formats.

But he stunned his colleagues in July by announcing his immediate international retirement, at a tearful press conference in the middle of the home series he was captaining against Afghanistan.

Tamim had come under heavy criticism for deciding to play the first match despite admitting to being not 100 percent fit.

A day later he was summoned to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who pressed him to reverse his decision, and instead took a hiatus that saw him skip the Asia Cup.

He returned to the side last week for the opening two matches of the ODI series against New Zealand but was rested for the third.

Bengali newspapers reported that Shakib Al Hasan and coach Chandika Hathurusingha insisted that only fully fit players be named to the World Cup 2023 squad.

However, Shakib Al Hasan denied a role in Tamim’s exclusion but insisted he would not prefer a player in the team with any kind of uncertainty.

“If I know there’s uncertainty about him playing… or that I will only know on the morning of the game, it will be difficult for me to select the team. I don’t think we need such a player.”

“If you ask me personally, if I was the company CEO, I wouldn’t keep that employee.”

Bangladesh travelled to India on Wednesday for its two warm-up matches against Sri Lanka on Friday and against England next Monday.

The side will then move to Dharamshala for their tournament opener against Afghanistan on October 7.

Bangladesh Squad for ICC World Cup 2023: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (vc), Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzid Hasan, Tanzim Hasan, Mahmudullah

READ: Temba Bavuma to miss ICC World Cup 2023 warm-up matches

South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma is set to miss warm-up matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand at ICC World Cup 2023 because he is flying back home for family reasons.

Aiden Markram will fill in Bavuma’s shoes and will lead South Africa in the warm-up games with Afghanistan and New Zealand on September 29 and October 2, respectively. Both matches will be played at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

🟢#CWC23 TEAM UPDATE 🟡

🏏Proteas ODI Captain Temba Bavuma will travel back home due to family reasons

Bavuma misses 2️⃣ #CWC23 warm-up matches

🆚️Afghanistan 🇦🇫
🆚️New Zealand 🇳🇿

Markram will captain in his absence #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/iC3PwcSPrY

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) September 28, 2023

Temba Bavuma is set to join the team before South Africa’s first match at the ICC World Cup 2023 against Sri Lanka at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on October 7.

South Africa are also without experienced fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala, who were ruled out of the ICC World Cup 2023 after failing to clear a fitness test. They were replaced by all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo and pace bowler Lizaad Williams.

Both pace bowlers were named in South Africa’s initial 15-member squad for World Cup 2023 and also featured in the home ODI series victory against Australia.

However, both players failed to play their part in the series victory as Anrich Nortje played only one match and was ruled out after bowling five overs due to a back injury, while, Sisanda Magala managed to pick one wicket in four overs in the third ODI before being ruled out due to discomfort in his previously injured knee.

South Africa’s updated World Cup squad

Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.

READ: Netherlands eye semi-final place at ICC World Cup 2023

Netherlands coach Ryan Cook believes his team can upset the odds and make it all the way to the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals, fully deserving their seat at cricket’s top table.

Inspired by star all-rounder Bas de Leede, the Netherlands secured their place in the ICC World Cup 2023 in India with some eye-catching results.

The most notable was beating West Indies in a super over after equalling a huge total of 374 at the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe in June.

Cook also told AFP that his team are not going to the World Cup just to make up the numbers.

“We hold high hopes going into this World Cup that we can put in a couple of really big performances and those can result in wins. We’ll be putting everything that we can in to get to those five or six wins to take us into the semi-finals,” he said.

The Netherlands will open their World Cup campaign against Pakistan on October 6 and recently spent eight days at a “spin camp” in India to prepare for the conditions and the bowling they are likely to face.

They have a well-earned reputation as giant killers at international tournaments, edging out South Africa at the T20 World Cup last November.

Max O’Dowd, the team’s top ODI scorer this year, said the Netherlands have shown they can compete with the big guns and chase down big scores when needed.

“I mean if we go there just trying to get involved and enjoy a World Cup, then what’s the point? We’re going there to try and win every game and hopefully we can do that,” O’Dowd told AFP.

Both Cook and O’Dowd said the Netherlands had benefitted from recent fixtures against the top teams but were hungry for more.

It hasn’t always gone to plan. England came to Amsterdam and smashed the record for the highest total in a 50-over game, scoring 498, powered by Jos Buttler’s 162 off just 70 balls in June last year.

“If we can be that team that plays on that main stage more often, we can make strides at the main table for sure,” said Cook.

The Netherlands has good infrastructure, and good facilities and can host teams and supporters well, insisted the coach, urging more major nations to tour the country.

“Playing the best teams in the world is something that I think we’ve deserved through the cricket we’ve played, and we just want teams to come here,” added O’Dowd.

The New Zealand-born O’Dowd admitted that Dutch cricket was “unique”, especially at club level.

“One week you could be playing against Punjab on a mat and then three days later you’re playing an international,” he said.

“I think that’s the unique thing about Dutch cricket and I think it actually makes us who we are, makes us play the cricket we play and it forces us to get in uncomfortable situations and it makes you develop fast.”

The Netherlands have not qualified for the World Cup since 2011 and O’Dowd says they are under no illusions as to the challenge they face.

“Obviously it’s going to be very tough. Some of the best teams in the world are there but we’re one of those best teams ourselves,” he said.

READ: Babar Azam retains top ODI ranking despite Shubman Gill’s threat

HYDERABAD: Pakistan men’s cricket team landed in India on Wednesday evening to participate in the ICC World Cup 2023, which will be played from October 5 to November 19.

Upon their arrival here, the Pakistan contingent, consisting of 18 players and 13-player support personnel, will be commuted to the team hotel under tight security.

The Green Shirts departed from Lahore airport in the wee hours on Wednesday and after a brief layover in Dubai, reached here, where they will take on New Zealand in their first ICC World Cup 2023 warm-up fixture on Friday, which will be played behind closed doors due to security concerns.

Pakistan will then take on Australia on October 3rd in their second warm-up fixture before kicking off their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on October 6.

For the unversed, Pakistan cricket team players and officials received their Indian visas for the ICC World Cup 2023, after experiencing a lengthy delay.

This delay prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to record its protest by writing a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

According to the details, the PCB sent a stern letter to the cricket governing body and raised concerns over the ongoing visa debacle and reminded the regulatory body about the Host-Member agreement.

Pakistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.

Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

Pakistan’s warm-up matches schedule:

• September 29 — vs New Zealand in Hyderabad
• October 3 — vs Australia in Hyderabad

Pakistan’s schedule for the ICC World Cup 2023:

• October 6 – vs Netherlands in Hyderabad
• October 10 – vs Sri Lanka in Hyderabad
• October 14 – vs India in Ahmedabad
• October 20 – vs Australia in Bengaluru
• October 23 – vs Afghanistan in Chennai
• October 27 – vs South Africa in Chennai
• October 31 – vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
• November 4 – vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match)
• November 11 – vs England in Kolkata

The day matches will start at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST) while all other matches will be day-night fixtures, starting at 01:30 pm (PST).

READ: Babar Azam asks nation for prayers ahead of ICC World Cup 2023

KABUL: Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq announced to retire from ODI cricket after the conclusion of the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023, scheduled to commence on October 5.

Naveen, 24, who made his ODI debut in 2016 and represented Afghanistan in seven matches, made the announcement on his Instagram account.

“It has been an absolute honour to represent my country would like to announce my retirement from ODI format at end of this World Cup and will continue to wear this blue jersey in t20 cricket for my country,” wrote Naveen-ul-Haq.

“It hasn’t been an easy decision to make but to prolong my playing career had to take this tough decision would like to thank [Afghanistan Cricket Board] and all my fans for their support and unwavering love,” he added.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Naveen ul haq Murid (@naveen_ul_haq)

For the unversed, Naveen-ul-Haq last represented Afghanistan in an ODI game back in 2021 and was initially left out of their squad for the ICC World Cup 2023.

In January last year, the right-arm pacer said that he was taking a break from the 50-over format and was consequently not picked in the Afghanistan since then.

He was then named in the Afghanistan squad for the ICC World Cup 2023, to form a part of their pace attack along with Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman and allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai.

It is pertinent to mention that Naveen-ul-Haq picked up 14 wickets in his brief ODI career at 25.42 with the best bowling figures of 4/42 which came against Ireland in 2021.

Afghanistan will kick off their ICC World Cup 2023 campaign against Bangladesh on October 7 after their warm-up fixtures against South Africa on September 29 and Sri Lanka on October 3.

Afghanistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023: Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Riaz Hassan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil,Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Abdul Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-Ul-Haq

DUBAI: Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam retained his position at the top of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s ODI Batting Rankings, while Indian batter Shubman Gill further closed the gap.

Babar Azam will enter the ICC World Cup 2023 as the number-one ODI batter after Shubman Gill rested for India’s final clash of their ODI series against Australia.

However, both the batters will battle for the top spot throughout the World Cup as Gill (847) is just 10 rating points behind Azam (857), while third-ranked Rassie van der Dussen is way behind with 743 points.

Shubman Gill continued his brilliant form in the first two matches of the ODI series against Australia, amassing a total of 178 runs for the series during the opening two contests. Prior to that, he topped the runs chart in the Asia Cup 2023 with 302 runs in six matches at 75.50.

Meanwhile, Indian fast bowler Mohammad Siraj maintains a narrow lead at the top of the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings with 680 rating points over Australian Josh Hazlewood (669), followed by Afghanistan’s spin bowling duo Mujeeb Ur Rahman (657) and Rashid Khan (655).

Mohammad Siraj rocketed to the summit of bowler’s rankings after he wreaked havoc on Sri Lanka in the final of the Asia Cup with figures of 6-21. He was the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 10 wickets, behind Matheesha Pathirana’s tally of 11 wickets.

India’s Mohammed Shami has improved his position by nine spots and is now ranked joint 25th with Jofra Archer. Similarly, Australian seamer Sean Abbott has moved up by 14 places and is now joint 45th in the rankings.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman jumped five spots and is currently at 23rd after bagging five wickets in the ODI series against New Zealand.

READ: Ishan Kishan aims to win ICC World Cup 2023

LAHORE: Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam has asked the nation for their prayers as the squad heads to India to participate in the ICC World Cup 2023.

Babar Azam wrote in his post on X (formerly known as Twitter): “As we head for the World Cup, we seek prayers of all the Pakistan cricket team fans and well-wishers. I am certain that you will continue to extend your support and love, which you have always done. Pakistan Zindabad.”

The Babar Azam-led Pakistan contingent departed from Lahore airport with a layover in Dubai before reaching their final destination at Hyderabad, India tonight, where they will take on New Zealand on September 29 in their first warm-up fixture of the ICC World Cup 2023.

Pakistan cricket team players and officials received their Indian visas for the ICC World Cup 2023, after experiencing a lengthy delay.

This delay prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to record its protest by writing a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Babar-led Pakistan will start their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on October 6 in Hyderabad, the same venue at which they will play their warm-up fixtures against New Zealand and Australia.

Pakistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.

Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

Pakistan’s warm-up matches schedule:

• September 29 — vs New Zealand in Hyderabad
• October 3 — vs Australia in Hyderabad

Pakistan’s schedule for the ICC World Cup 2023:

• October 6 – vs Netherlands in Hyderabad
• October 10 – vs Sri Lanka in Hyderabad
• October 14 – vs India in Ahmedabad
• October 20 – vs Australia in Bengaluru
• October 23 – vs Afghanistan in Chennai
• October 27 – vs South Africa in Chennai
• October 31 – vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
• November 4 – vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match)
• November 11 – vs England in Kolkata

The day matches will start at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST) while all other matches will be day-night fixtures, starting at 01:30 pm (PST).

READ: Pakistan squad departs for India for ICC World Cup 2023