Tag: ICC World Cup 2023

HARARE: Vikramjit Singh’s maiden century, paired up with Aryan Dutt’s 3/31 kept the Netherlands in contention to qualify for the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 with a statement 74-run victory over Oman in the CWC Qualifier on Monday.

Put into bat first, the Netherlands accumulated a massive total of 362/7 in a must-win CWC Qualifier match against Oman at the back of sensational knocks by Vikramjit Singh and Wesley Barresi.

The Dutch openers Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd laid a solid foundation for a massive total as they raised 117 runs for the first wicket.

Their calculated opening partnership lasted in the 22nd over when Ayaan Khan finally get rid of O’Dowd, who played a cautious 35-run knock from 64 deliveries.

Singh then joined forces with Barresi and added a further 80 runs to the Netherlands’ total before perishing in the 34th over briefly after amassing his maiden ODI century, which came in 102 deliveries.

He smashed 11 boundaries and two sixes on his way to a 109-ball 110 and remained the top-scorer for the Netherlands.

Following Singh’s departure, Barresi put on a brief partnership with skipper Scott Edwards (4) before receiving subtle support at the other end in the form of Bas de Leede.

The fourth-wicket partnership between Barresi and de Leede saw them adding 57 runs to the total before the latter fell after a quickfire cameo of 39 runs from just 19 deliveries.

Barresi then also accelerated and bolstered the Netherlands’ score in the last phase of the innings but had a heartbreaking end to his brilliant knock as he fell just three runs short of his second ODI century.

Click to watch CWC Qualifier Live on ARY ZAP

He scored 97 off just 65 balls, laced up with 10 boundaries and three sixes.

Saqib Zulfiqar’s quickfire 33 off 17 deliveries lifted the Netherlands to put on a massive total on the scoreboard.

Bilal Khan led the bowling attack for Oman with three wickets but was expensive while Mohammad Nadeem picked two wickets.

Set to chase a mammoth, Oman could only accumulate 246/6 in 44 overs before bad light forced an early closure of the action and thus, the Netherlands, registered a resounding 74-run victory in a must-win game.

Ayaan Khan waged a lone battle for Oman with a gutsy century and remained unbeaten when umpires called off the action due to bad light.

He scored 105 from 92 balls, hitting 11 boundaries and two sixes.

Shoaib Khan (46 off 61) was the other significant contributor for Oman while the rest failed to score freely against the Dutch bowling attack.

Aryan Dutt was the pick of the bowlers for the Netherlands with 3/31, followed by Ryan Khan, who bagged two.

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BULAWAYO: Maheesh Theekshana’s astonishing figures of 4/25, followed by Pathum Nissanka’s century muscled Sri Lanka to crush Zimbabwe by nine wickets and qualify for the ICC Men’s World Cup.

Put into bat first, Zimbabwe’s batting lineup faced a major challenge in the form of a spin-packed Sri Lankan bowling attack.

The host batters, however, failed against Sri Lankan bowlers and could only raise 165 before being bundled out in the 33rd over.

In-form batter Sean Williams waged a lone battle against Sri Lanka and scored a gutsy half-century.

He scored 56 off 57 deliveries, laced up with six boundaries and a six and top scored for Zimbabwe.

Another in-form batter Sikandar Raza was the second top-scorer in Zimbabwe’s dismal batting display with a 51-ball 31.

The rest of the Zimbabwe batters seemed clueless against dominant Sri Lankan bowlers and made meagre contributions.

Maheesh Theekshana led the bowling attack for Sri Lanka with 4/25, followed by Dilshan Madushanka’s 3/15 and Maheesha Pathirana’s 2/18.

In response, Sri Lanka comfortably completed the pursuit for the loss of just one wicket and 101 balls to spare, thanks to a magnificent century by Pathum Nissanka.

He struck 14 boundaries on his way to a 102-ball 101 and carried his bat all the way through.

His fellow opener Dimuth Karunaratne (30) and Kusal Mendis (25) made valuable contributions in the run chase and powered Sri Lanka into the World Cup.

For Zimbabwe, only Richard Ngarava could pick up a wicket.

HARARE: Two-time champions West Indies have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time ever following their shocking defeat against Scotland in the Cricket World Cup (CWC) Qualifier.

Put into bat first, the West Indian batting lineup faltered and could only pile a meagre total of 181 on the scoreboard before bundling out in the 44th over.

West Indies got off to a dismal start to their innings as the side lost wickets at an alarming rate right from the start and was soon reduced to 81/6 in the 21st over.

Veteran all-rounder Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd attempted to anchor their side’s batting charge by putting on a gutsy partnership for the seventh wicket.

Both Holder and Shepherd appeared to have settled down and were ticking the scoreboard relatively easier until both perished in the span of just three deliveries.

Their 77-run partnership ended with Safyaan Sharif taking a blinder off Mark Watt’s bowling to remove Shepherd, who scored 36 off 43 deliveries, hitting five boundaries.

Following a much-needed breakthrough, Chris Greaves put Scotland in complete command when he trapped Jason Holder in his legs on the first delivery of the 38th over, forcing West Indies to slip to 158/8.

Click to watch CWC Qualifier Live on ARY ZAP

Holder top-scored for the West Indies with a cautious 45 from 79 balls with the help of three boundaries and a six.

Chris Sole and Greaves then concluded a dominant display of bowling from Scotland by claiming the remaining two wickets – Kevin Sinclair (10) and Alzarri Joseph (6) respectively.

Brandon McMullen led the bowling attack for Scotland with 3/32, followed by two each from Sole, Watt and Greaves.

In response, Scotland comfortably chased down the total for the loss of just three wickets and 39 balls to spare, thanks to brilliant half-centuries by Matthew Cross and Brandon McMullen.

Scotland had the worst possible start to the pursuit as they lost their opener, Christopher McBride, on the very first delivery of the innings.

Wicketkeeper batter Matthew Cross and Brandon McMullen, however, soon anchored the run chase and raised 125 runs for the second wicket until Shepherd removed the latter in the 30th over.

McMullen scored 69 off 106 deliveries, smashing six boundaries and a six.

Cross, on the other hand, stood his ground firm and carried his bat all the way through to drive Scotland to a famous victory.

He played a match-winning 74-run knock from 107 deliveries and hit seven boundaries.

For West Indies, Akeal Hosein, Shepherd and Holder could pick up a wicket.

READ: PCB to send security team to assess World Cup arrangements in India 

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to send a security team to India to assess the arrangements ahead of the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the anticipated schedule of the Men’s World Cup 2023 last week, creating a buzz around the highly anticipated Pakistan vs India clash.

The arch-rivals are set to face each other on October 15 at the renowned Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which happens to be the largest cricket stadium in the world.

However, unlike the other nine participating teams, Pakistan will only play matches at five venues across the country, while the remaining teams will compete across the ten venues selected for the tournament.

In a recent development, it has been reported that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to send a security team to India to assess the arrangements ahead of the World Cup.

The Pakistani government intends to approve Babar Azam and his team’s participation only after the security team has visited all the venues and submitted a report to the board.

The security team from PCB is scheduled to visit all five venues including Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata.

It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan had initially expressed reservations about playing matches at specific venues and they had raised this concern with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

This delay in announcing the schedule was attributed to the discussions and negotiations regarding venue preferences. However, the schedule was finally revealed on June 27 with key BCCI and ICC office-bearers in attendance along with legends Virender Sehwag and Muttiah Muralitharan.

The former PCB chief Najam Sethi had previously highlighted the board’s request to the ICC regarding Pakistan vs India match being held at the Narendra Modi Stadium. However, the request was denied, and the schedule allocated the same venue for this much-anticipated match.

It is worth noting that after months of deliberation, the PCB agreed to forego hosting the Asia Cup, which was originally intended to include matches against India. The Pakistani board has expressed mixed feelings about the tournament being played in a hybrid model.

READ: Three Pakistan players to participate in CPL 2023

LONDON: The International Cricket Council (ICC) expressed confidence that the Pakistan cricket team will travel to India for playing the upcoming World Cup after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) subjected its participation to government clearance, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

In a statement to an Indian news agency, an ICC spokesperson pointed out that Pakistan has a signed participation agreement to compete and the world governing body “100 percent expects them to be there”.

“All members have to abide by the rules and the laws of their country and we respect that. But we’re confident Pakistan will be in India for the men’s ODI World Cup,” an ICC spokesperson said.

However, a PCB official said, the country’s participation in the World Cup and playing in Ahmedabad on October 15 or in Mumbai “if we qualify for semi-finals will all be dependent on government clearance.”

The PCB official said the government has not yet issued any NOC to the PCB to travel to India and since it was a sensitive issue, the Board can only move forward after getting clear directives from its government.

“We have already informed the ICC that our participation in the tournament or any issues over venues is linked to firstly the PCB getting clearance from the government to travel to India,” the official said.

It is worth mentioning here that the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the anticipated schedule of the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 on Tuesday.

As per the ICC-released schedule, a total of 10 teams will participate in the mega event – featuring 45 matches – and compete for the prestigious silverware across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19.

Like the previous edition, the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 will also be played in a round-robin format – each team playing nine matches with the rest of the opponents.

The top four teams by the end of the group stage will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled to be held in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16.

Whereas, the final of the tournament will take place on November 19 at the grand Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Notably, all three knockout matches of the ICC Men’s World Cup will have a reserve day.

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Former Pakistan captain and legendary pacer Wasim Akram expressed his hope for a good show from the national cricket team in the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup in India.

Legendary pacer Wasim Akram lauded the national team’s abilities in the limited-over format and also praised Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam, terming him a modern great.

“We have a good side…a very good one-day side and are led by one of the modern-day greats in Babar Azam,” Wasim told the ICC.

“As long as they are fit and as long as they play according to the plan, they will have a chance of doing well in that World Cup because it is played in our type of conditions in India on the sub-continent.

“I think he can [get better] as he is the best player we have.

“The whole country follows him, everything he does. He gets people into the stadium and it doesn’t matter whether it is T20, one-dayers or Test cricket and, in my opinion, he has the most beautiful cover drive in the world.”

It is worth mentioning here that the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the anticipated schedule of the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 earlier today.

As per the ICC-released schedule, a total of 10 teams will participate in the mega event – featuring 45 matches – and compete for the prestigious silverware across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19.

Like the previous edition, the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 will also be played in a round-robin format – each team playing nine matches with the rest of the opponents.

The top four teams by the end of the group stage will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled to be held in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16.

Whereas, the final of the tournament will take place on November 19 at the grand Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Notably, all three knockout matches of the ICC Men’s World Cup will have a reserve day.

READ: Pakistan vs India set for October 15 as ICC announces World Cup schedule

The fixtures list for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India has been released along with the 10 venues for the mega event that will span across 46 days, later this year.

The event will kick off on October 5 with a repeat of the 2019 Final as England take on New Zealand in Ahmedabad.

A total of 10 teams will participate in the event, the first eight having already qualified through the Cricket World Cup Super League. The final two spots will be determined at the end of the CWC Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which concludes on July 9.

Each team plays the other nine in a round-robin format with the top four qualifying for the knockout stage and semi-finals.

Pakistan vs India

The much-awaited Pakistan vs India encounter will take place in Ahmedabad on Sunday, October 15 and will be the eighth meeting between the two sides at a men’s World Cup.

India and Pakistan have faced each other seven times previously – in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2015 and 2019. The last time these teams met in the 50-over World Cup was in 2019 at Old Trafford.

Knockout Stages

The first semi-final will be held on Wednesday, November 15 in Mumbai and the second semi-final will be held the following day in Kolkata. Both semi-finals will have a reserve day.

The Final will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19 with November 20 slated as the reserve day.

Tournament Venues

There will be a total of 10 venues – Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Dharamsala, Delhi, Chennai, Lucknow, Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kolkata.

Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram in addition to Hyderabad will host the warm-up matches from 29 September to 3 October.

Pakistan’s schedule for ICC World Cup 2023:

October 12 – vs Qualifier in Hyderabad

October 15 – 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 5 – vs New Zealand Bengaluru

November 12 – vs England in Kolkata

READ: Netherlands prevail after Super Over to dent West Indies WC hopes 

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour 2023 has been launched on a stratospheric scale, giving fans around the world a unique opportunity to interact with the coveted trophy, ahead of the marquee event in India.

The Trophy Tour will begin on June 27 in India, travel around the globe and then return to the host nation on September 4.

The prestigious silverware will reach Pakistan on August 31 for a five-day tour and will depart on July 4 to Sri Lanka.

The Tour was launched in spectacular fashion, with the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Trophy being launched into the stratosphere, 120,000 feet above the earth, before making a stunning landing at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad.

This was achieved after the trophy was attached to a bespoke stratospheric balloon, and some stunning shots were captured of the trophy sitting on the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere from 4k cameras.

The 2023 edition of the Trophy Tour will be the biggest by far, giving the fans a chance to connect with the coveted piece of silverware in various countries and cities around the globe.

Starting on June 27, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Trophy will travel to 18 countries around the world, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, USA, Nigeria, Uganda, France, Italy, the United States of America and the host country India.

The first full-scale Trophy Tour since 2019, the 2023 edition will provide cricket fans around the globe with a chance to recreate the celebratory and carnival atmosphere witnessed during the marquee event.

Through innovative activations and events in different countries, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 Trophy Tour will provide a chance to one million fans to have their own personal interactions with the coveted piece of silverware.

On the launch of the Trophy Tour, ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said, “The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour is an important milestone in the countdown to what will be the biggest ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup ever. This Tour will see the iconic silverware meet heads of states, launch community initiatives and support cricket development programmes in addition to visiting some of the most iconic landmarks around the globe.

“Cricket has more than a billion fans and we want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to get up close to this famous trophy that has been held aloft by some of the greatest legends of our sport.”

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah added, “Cricket unites India like no other sport and excitement is building across the country as we prepare to host the 10 best teams in the world over six weeks of heart-stopping cricket.

“As we countdown to the World Cup, the Trophy Tour is a fantastic chance for fans to be part of the event wherever they are. The Tour will travel extensively across India and seek to inspire communities to share the excitement of cricket’s greatest spectacle, while providing an opportunity to showcase iconic venues, cities and landmarks throughout the country.”

Complete schedule of the Trophy Tour: 

27 June – 14 July: India

15 – 16 July: New Zealand

17 – 18 July: Australia

19 – 21 July: Papua New Guinea

22 – 24 July: India

25 – 27 July: USA

28 – 30 July: West Indies

31 July – 4 August: Pakistan

5 – 6 August: Sri Lanka

7 – 9 August: Bangladesh

10 – 11 August: Kuwait

12 – 13 August: Bahrain

14 – 15 August: India

16 – 18 August: Italy

19 – 20 August: France

21 – 24 August: England

25 – 26 August: Malaysia

27 – 28 August: Uganda

29 – 30 August: Nigeria

31 August – 3 September: South Africa

From 4 September: India

READ: Zimbabwe register record victory in CWC Qualifier at USA’s disposal

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on Monday, provided an update on his recovery from the knee injury ahead of the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 in India, expressing his hope to be back in time.

Williamson ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee while fielding for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League match earlier this month and underwent surgery.

Following the gruelling injury, Kane Williamson was seen walking on crutches after returning to New Zealand.

However, the Kiwi captain is now on the road to recovery and is desperately hoping to make his way back to the national side at the earliest.

“Very much just trying to keep it week-to-week at the moment,” Williamson said.

“I haven’t had such a long-term injury before but talking to other people that have, the journey is a bit of a long one so if you look too far ahead, it probably can become a little bit daunting.”

Typically, the injury takes around six-month rehabilitation and Kane Williamson acknowledged that he is not forcing it ahead of time and claimed to be taking it on a week-to-week basis.

“Whereas, one week at a time, ticking off those small markers, those little wins that are nice to experience. But also knowing that the journey won’t be completely smooth and you have a few setbacks along the way that you have to navigate,” Williamson added.

Kane Williamson, who led New Zealand to the inaugural World Test Championship victory and has 6554 ODI runs, at an average of 47.83, under his belt, said he is keen to get back in the nets.

“Probably more for sanity and changing things up… just nice to mix up all the gym work and the physio work and rehab specific stuff to spend a bit of time with some of the other guys that are training,” he said. “Super keen to get back in the nets, for sure.”

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Pakistan’s right-arm pacer Hasan Ali expressed his hope of making a cut to the national squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 in India.

Hasan Ali, in an interview with a local news outlet, shared that he does not feel to be a part of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) white-ball plans but expressed his hope in securing a spot in Pakistan’s squad for the World Cup by giving exceptional performances.

“I’m playing for Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast tournament. I’m trying hard to do well, to become the best bowler for my team and make sure that my performance contributes towards my team’s victories,” said Hasan Ali.

“And if national selectors and Pakistan’s team management feel that they are happy with my performance they might consider me for the World Cup,” he added.

The right-arm pacer acknowledged that it is the dream of every player to represent their country in a World Cup before asserting that he knows how to win trophies as he has valuable experience playing in the ICC tournaments.

“It is a dream of every cricketer to represent their country in the World Cup and win trophies for the country. And I know how to win trophies as I’ve a good deal of experience of playing in ICC tournaments,” Hasan asserted.

Hasan Ali’s brilliant campaign in the ongoing County Championship bolstered him to retain himself in the Test squad for the two-match series against Sri Lanka, scheduled to take place from July 16 to 28.

The right-arm pacer took 22 wickets in four matches and is currently the 11th leading wicket-taker of the competition. He also scored two half-centuries in his brief five-match stint.

“I’m really looking forward to it as I want to play for Pakistan. I have been trying to do well in county matches and gain my rhythm. Whether it’s domestic cricket in Pakistan, any T20 league or the county championship my job is to perform,” he said.

“So far, I’m very happy with my performance in the county championship. I’m a professional cricketer and setup here is very professional too. I’ve a very good understanding with coaches and management and they are also satisfied with my performance.

“Before arriving here, I had a very detailed discussion with the Warwickshire CCC’s management on how to manage my workload and so far, they have done it exceptionally well,” Hasan Ali concluded.

It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan will start their World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 campaign with an away series against Sri Lanka, which is likely to commence on July 16.

As per the ICC-released WTC schedule, Pakistan will play 14 matches against numerous teams over the course of a two-year period.

The Green Shirts will play six series – three home and three away – during their WTC campaign.

Pakistan will take on England, West Indies and Bangladesh in their own backyard while they will face some serious challenges in the away series against reigning champions Australia and South Africa.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi and Shan Masood.

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