Tag: ICC World Cup 2023

Glenn Maxwell is still feeling the effects of his stunning ICC World Cup 2023 double-century against Afghanistan and could now miss Australia’s final group match against Bangladesh in Pune on Saturday.

Australia will also look at calling up fast bowler Sean Abbott in a bid to rest one of their frontline pace trio, given captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have featured in all eight matches so far in the tournament.

The Bangladesh game is a ‘dead’ fixture for Australia, given they have already qualified for the semi-finals of the ICC World Cup 2023 after Maxwell’s astounding innings ensured they defeated Afghanistan by three wickets, having collapsed to 91-7 chasing 292, in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Five-time champions Australia are now set to play South Africa in a Kolkata semi-final on Thursday, having won six games in a row after starting the tournament with two defeats.

“He’s definitely been in full recovery mode the last few days,” Australia assistant coach Daniel Vettori said of Glenn Maxwell.

“We all saw the effects of the innings and in particular the heat, so I think today (Friday) is a big day,” the former New Zealand captain added.

“Obviously, we’ve had a couple of days off, so there’s been no training. He’s not here today but we’ll just see how he feels as the day continues.”

Glenn Maxwell, while completing his 147th run, suffered severe cramps in both legs and then underwent a back spasm as he collapsed to the turf at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.

Yet despite being barely able to move in his crease, Glenn Maxwell still went on to make 201 not out from 128 balls.

The 35-year-old all-rounder struck 21 fours and secured both victory and his double century with a tenth six.

Australia are set to leave a decision on whether to play Maxwell against Bangladesh until shortly before the game, with star batsman Steve Smith set to be recalled following a bout of vertigo.

If Glenn Maxwell is omitted and Smith included, that would spare Australia’s selectors from deciding if they had to drop either batsman Marnus Labuschagne or all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.

Meanwhile, Vettori said the 31-year-old Abbott had a chance of a World Cup debut.

“To try to get those three fast bowlers (Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood) through nine games and in a short period of time, we always presumed that would be a tough challenge,” said Vettori.

“So Sean was always in the picture as a potential replacement for one of them…It’s just weighing up how everyone’s come through these last few days.”

Although little rests on the outcome of Saturday’s match, Vettori added Australia were still keen to leapfrog South Africa into second place in the standings.

“I think the home dressing room at (Kolkata’s) Eden Gardens is better than the away one, so we want second place so we can get in that dressing room,” he said.

READ: Rachin Ravindra named ICC Men’s Player of the Month for October 2023

Bangladesh’s fast-bowling coach Allan Donald is set to leave his post following the ICC World Cup 2023, officials and media said on Friday, days after his public criticism following the “timed-out” row involving skipper Shakib Al Hasan.

Bangladesh will wrap up a disappointing ICC World Cup 2023 campaign in India against Australia in Pune on Saturday.

“I’m done and going home,” Bangladesh’s Daily Star newspaper quoted the South African Donald as saying in Pune.

The 57-year-old’s relationship with the Bangladesh Cricket Board has soured after he criticised Shakib for his central role in the “timed-out” controversy involving Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews on Monday.

Mathews had exceeded the two minutes allowed for a batsman to take strike as he attempted to secure the strapping on his helmet in their fiery ICC World Cup 2023 clash in New Delhi.

Shakib refused to withdraw his appeal and Mathews became the first player in the 146-year history of international cricket to be given ‘timed out’.

“I think it really overshadowed a clinical performance by Bangladesh. I’m sort of a bit still shocked about it to be honest. It’s just my values that I have as a person and as a cricketer,” Donald told the CricBlog website.

Bangladesh’s cricket authorities were reportedly unhappy with Donald’s public criticism and sought a written explanation from him.

BCB chief executive Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said the former bowling great had not requested to renew his contract.

“His contract is expiring in any case after the World Cup,” Chowdhury said. “There has not been any progress about a renewal.”

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha refused to be drawn into commenting on Donald’s remarks, saying he had not discussed them with him.

But he did praise the former South Africa fast bowler’s impact on the squad’s paceman.

“He has done a wonderful job since he has been here and contributed to the success of our fast-bowling unit,” Hathurusingha told reporters in Pune on Friday.

“He’s brought a lot of experience and a lot of personality into the team, he’s been a wonderful coaching addition…he will be missed,” the former Sri Lanka batsman added.

Donald joined as Bangladesh’s fast-bowling coach in March 2022.

He worked as a bowling coach for South Africa for four years until the 2015 World Cup and has also helped New Zealand, Australia, England and Sri Lanka as a coach or consultant in the past.

READ: Saim Ayub’s 179 powers Karachi Whites to beat Rawalpindi in Pakistan Cup

AHMEDABAD: Afghanistan have won the toss and elected to field first against South Africa in the 42nd ICC World Cup 2023 match at Narendra Modi Stadium.

Afghanistan

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk) Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

South Africa

Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD:

Overall ODIs: Matches 1, South Africa 1, Afghanistan 0

ODI World Cup: Matches 1, South Africa 1, Afghanistan 0

Watch: Williamson, Boult engage in funny banter with Angelo Mathews

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson opted to bowl first and his bowlers justified the decision reducing Sri Lanka to 70-5 inside the first ten overs.

Sri Lanka’s opening batter Kusal Perera was the only batter who posed a threat to New Zealand’s brilliant bowling, scoring a majority of the team’s total.

He scored a blistering 51 run-knock from 28 balls, with the help of nine boundaries and two sixes.

Sri Lanka further slipped to 105-7, bringing Maheesh Theekshana to the ground with New Zealand eyeing to wrap things up quickly.

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

Theekshana stood on the other end, as he lost two partners before Dilshan Madushanka joined him and together they knitted a cautious 43-run partnership for the last wicket from 87 balls.

Theekshana played his career-best knock in ODI cricket, scoring an unbeaten 38 runs from 91 balls with the help of three boundaries, while his partner Madushanka scored 19, his highest individual in any form of cricket.

Rachin Ravindra finally ended the frustrating partnership, as Madushanka got caught behind, thus ending the Sri Lankan innings at 171.

Trent Boult topped the wickets chart for New Zealand, while Ravindra, Lockie Ferguson and Mitchell Santner picked two wickets each.

BENGALURU: New Zealand have won the toss and elected to field first against Sri Lanka in the 41st ICC World Cup 2023 match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Sri Lanka

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (c)(wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

New Zealand

Devon Conway, Kane Williamson (c), Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tom Latham (wk), Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD:

Overall ODIs: Matches 101, New Zealand 51, Sri Lanka 41, NR 8, Tied 1

ODI World Cup: Matches 11, New Zealand 5, Sri Lanka 6

READ: Australian captain Meg Lanning retires from international cricket

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson insisted his team will “focus on cricket” when they face a potentially make-or-break clash with Sri Lanka, shrugging off fears that rain may return to wash away their ICC World Cup 2023 dreams.

Williamson’s team lost a rain-hit match at the same Bengaluru venue last weekend against Pakistan despite posting a mammoth 401.

Pakistan won by 21 runs via the DLS method after scoring 200-1 in 25.3 overs, edging ahead on the required run rate when the game was halted due to the weather.

The defeat was a fourth successive loss for the Kiwis in the ICC World Cup 2023 who had won their opening four games.

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

New Zealand, runners-up in the last two editions of the World Cup, are fourth in the table and need a win on Thursday to push their bid to secure a semi-final spot.

A washout could open the door for either Pakistan or Afghanistan to leapfrog them and grab the remaining last-four place.

“There’s lots of things that we can’t control and the weather is one of those,” Williamson told reporters on the eve of the game against 1996 champions Sri Lanka.

“You mentioned that there might be some of it, there may be a thought in the back of your mind, but at the end of the day, our focus will be on the cricket that we want to play and trying to put all our focus and energy into that.”

Afghanistan and Pakistan have the same number of points as New Zealand while India, South Africa and Australia have already sealed semi-final places.

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Williamson returned in the previous match after recovering from a broken thumb to make a valiant 95 in a 180-run stand with Rachin Ravindra, who hit 108.

Lockie Ferguson, who has claimed eight wickets in five matches, missed the previous two games with an Achilles injury has now recovered to be available for selection.

Kane Williamson said Ferguson “balances out our attack nicely” but did not reveal the team for the all-important match.

Fast bowler Matt Henry was ruled out of the rest of the ICC World Cup 2023 last week with a torn hamstring and Kyle Jamieson has taken his place in the squad.

Ravindra has stood out with 523 runs including three centuries to boost his team’s run-making ability despite recent losses.

Ravindra, a Wellington-born Kiwi of Indian-origin, played a key role in the team’s opening four victories and Williamson lauded the run-machine for his “amazing talent”.

“We sort of knew the talent was there, but to come out and repeat and be one of the players of the tournament so far, not only with the bat, but he’s also making really valuable contributions with the ball,” said Williamson.

“Very special player and great that he’s on our side.”

READ: Stokes’ hundred lifts England to 339 against Netherlands

DUBAI: Indian opening batter Shubman Gill has replaced Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam, ending his more than two-year reign at the top of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s ODI Batting Rankings.

Shubman Gill became the fourth Indian player to become the No. 1 ODI batter after Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, on the back of his solid performance in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023.

Meanwhile, Babar Azam has scored 282 runs from eight outings in the mega event and lost six rating points, hence slipping to the second position for the first time after occupying the top spot for more than two years.

Shubman Gill has accumulated a total of 219 runs from six innings at the tournament including a 92 against Sri Lanka.

Overall, Indian players gained substantial rewards in the latest ICC Men’s ODI Rankings, owing to India’s undefeated run in the ICC World Cup 2023.

India’s star batter Virat Kohli jumped three places to reach the fourth spot, with a difference of a mere one rating point from South African Quinton de Kock, who is ranked third.

Kohli is currently the second-highest run-getter in the ICC World Cup 2023 with 543 runs from eight innings, only behind De Kock, who has scored 550 runs in as many innings with four centuries.

India’s Shreyas Iyer also made a big leap of 17 places to reach 18th position after amassing 293 runs from eight innings, while Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman jumped three spots to 11th and Afghanistan’s opener Ibrahim Zadran reached 12th after jumping six spots.

Shubman Gill’s opening partner and India’s captain Rohit Sharma is placed at the sixth spot with 739 rating points.

On the other hand, the Indian bowlers also earned a place in the top ten of the ICC ODI Bowling Rankings, after wreaking havoc throughout the ICC World Cup 2023.

Pace bowler Mohammed Siraj regained his top spot in the ICC ODI Bowling Rankings after jumping two spots, whereas fellow pacer Mohammed Shami climbed seven spots to tenth, after picking 16 wickets in four games in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav and Jaspirt Bumrah gained three places to reach the fourth and eighth positions respectively.

Pakistan’s pace bowler, Shaheen Afridi, who became the number one ODI bowler last week, lost his place and slipped four places down to fifth position, equalling Australia’s Josh Hazlewood with 658 rating points.

Australia’s Adam Zampa, who is currently the second leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 20 wickets jumped six places to reach third position, whereas, the leading wicket-taker Sri Lanka’s Dilshan Madushanka climbed 31 places to 45th.

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan continues to lead the ICC ODI All-Rounder Rankings, however, Australia’s Glenn Maxwell gained two spots to sixth after his match-winning double-hundred against Afghanistan yesterday

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