Tag: T20 World Cup 2024

ANTIGUA: Allrounder Jason Holder has been ruled out of the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and has been replaced by left-arm pacer Obed McCoy, confirmed Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Sunday.

Holder, who led the West Indies in the ODI World Cup 2019, suffered an undisclosed injury during the County Championship, where he is part of Worcestershire.

“Jason is an experienced player in our set-up. His absence will undoubtedly be felt both on and off the field,” chief selector Desmond Haynes said. “We look forward to having a fully fit Jason with us again soon.

“While it is unfortunate to lose a player of Jason’s calibre, we are confident in the abilities of Obed McCoy.

“Obed has shown remarkable skill and promise in his performances, and this opportunity will allow him to further showcase his talent on the international stage. We believe he will bring a fresh and dynamic energy to the squad.”

McCoy featured in the recently concluded T20I series against South Africa, taking five wickets in three games.

Prior to that, he was the highest wicket-taker for West Indies A on the tour of Nepal, claiming eight wickets in five games at an average of 18.

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CWI also announced five reserve players for the mega-event, which they will co-host with the United States of America (USA) from June 1.

Kyle Mayers, Matthew Forde, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh and Andre Fletcher will be reserve players for West Indies.

“We are fortunate to have such depth and quality in our ranks,” head coach Daren Sammy said.

“Our reserve players are all A-class talents who have proven their abilities in various formats of the game, but certainly T20. Each one of them is fully capable of slotting into the team seamlessly should the situation arise.”

West Indies will start their campaign against Papua New Guinea (PNG) on June 2 before taking on Uganda, New Zealand and Afghanistan respectively in the group stage.

West Indies Squad for T20 World Cup 2024

Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph (vc), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope, Andre Russell, Romario Shepherd, Obed McCoy, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford

Traveling reserves: Kyle Mayers, Matthew Forde, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh, Andre Fletcher

READ: Ramiz Raja labels Saim Ayub ‘undercooked’ as opener

Former Pakistan captain and star all-rounder Shahid Afridi predicted his semi-finalists of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to run from June 1 to 29 in the United States of America (USA) and the West Indies.

In a video released by the International Cricket Council (ICC), Afridi picked Pakistan, Australia, India and New Zealand as the four teams he thinks would go on to the knockout stage.

“I feel Pakistan should play the final. I’ll go with Australia, India and in those conditions, I will go with New Zealand,” stated Afridi.

 

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The star all-rounder, on Friday, was named the ambassador of the T20 World Cup 2024.

Afridi joined the elusive list of ambassadors for the mega-event, including the fastest man on Earth Usain Bolt, West Indies’ legend Chris Gayle and Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh.

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The former all-rounder expressed his excitement about being the ambassador of the T20 World Cup and shared his best memories from the tournament, including lifting the coveted trophy in 2009.

“The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is an event that is very close to my heart,” said Afridi. “From being Player of the Tournament in the inaugural edition to lifting the trophy in 2009, some of my favourite career highlights have come from competing on this stage.

“T20 World Cups have gone from strength to strength in recent years, and I’m thrilled to be part of this edition, where we will see more teams, more matches and even more drama than ever before.

“I am particularly excited to witness the India v Pakistan fixture on 9 June. It is one of the great rivalries in sport and New York will be a fitting stage for this unmissable encounter between two great teams.”

Shahid Afridi featured in six T20 World Cups for Pakistan and was player of the tournament in the inaugural edition.

He also played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2009 triumph the highlights of which were his all-round exploits in the semi-final and the final. Afridi was adjudged the Player of the Match in both matches.

READ: USA’s Ali Khan sends warning after Bangladesh series win

HOUSTON: The United States of America (USA) pacer Ali Khan stated that his team will “eat whoever comes in their way” in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

The USA shocked the world when they beat a balanced Bangladesh side in the first two T20Is of the ongoing three-match series a few days before the commencement of this year’s mega event.

Bangladesh needed 12 runs in the final over of the second T20I to keep the series alive but Ali Khan displayed nerves of steel and steered the hosts to a historic victory.

Speaking to the media after the victory, Ali stated that the team is hungry. He also termed the USA a balanced side, asserting it can make a difference at the T20 World Cup 2024.

“We are hungry, we’re just hungry. And we’re gonna try to eat whoever comes in our way. Especially, this is the time where we can make some changes and try to adjust what we can small little things,” Ali said after the match.

“But I think the team looks really balanced. All the guys are hungry, as I said, and we are really looking forward to the World Cup, and I’m sure USA will be there to do an upset.”

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He dismissed the notion that the USA’s victory against Bangladesh was a fluke by reiterating their back-to-back victories over the Asian side.

“It’s massive because as I said, we need to put USA out there on the world cricket map, and this is a pure example. It’s not just that we earned it,” said Ali.

“Sometimes you get a win against a big side, they say, Oh, it’s a fluke. But beating them twice, back-to-back, winning the series, it’s not a fluke and that means we have talent, we have skills, and we have the ability if we have given the opportunities.”

For the unversed, co-host USA are placed in Group A of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 alongside Pakistan, India, Canada and Ireland.

READ: Moeen Ali ready to lead England in Jos Buttler’s absence

BIRMINGHAM: Spin all-rounder Moeen Ali stated Friday that he is ready to lead England in the absence of white-ball captain Jos Buttler.

England’s white-ball captain Buttler and his wife Louise are expecting the birth of their third child soon. As a result, the wicketkeeper batter may miss a part of the ongoing four-match series against Pakistan or the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Meanwhile, England’s vice-captain Moeen Ali, who has led the side in 12 ODIs and T20Is, stated that nothing will change if he assumes the England captaincy role in Buttler’s absence.

“I feel I’ve captained enough for England,” Moeen said.

“I’ll be fine. Nothing will change too much, it’s just taking over from what he’s doing and then when he comes back, he takes over.

“Hopefully, the baby comes at the right time where he doesn’t miss too many games.

“For me, it’s just whatever will happen, will happen. It’s not really difficult, to be honest with you, because we speak often, me and Jos. We talk about other things, the team and all that. We’re on the same page anyway.”

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Moeen further expressed his disappointment with the first T20I against Pakistan being washed out but asserted that the upcoming three matches would be enough for the reigning champions to gear up for the title defence.

“It was obviously disappointing (on Wednesday) because Leeds is a great place to go and play.

“Playing cricket is always the best preparation. I know most of the guys have been playing. A few guys have been training but it’s not the same, so hopefully they’ll get some game time.

“These three games should be enough for the guys to get going and there’s a bit of time in the West Indies, a few training sessions. We’ll be fine. There’s no real excuses from our side.”

Notably, the four-match T20I series between Pakistan and England, scheduled to run from May 22 to 30, will serve as a final opportunity for both teams to gear up for the T20 World Cup 2024 as the previous edition’s finalists will skip the warm-up matches for this year’s mega event.

Pakistan squad:

Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Khan.

England squad:

Jos Buttler (c), Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Tom Hartley, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Reece Topley.

Pak vs Eng T20I series schedule:

2nd T20I: Sat, May 25th
3rd T20I: Tue, May 28th
4th T20I: Thu, May 30th

READ: Pakistan announce squad for T20 World Cup 2024

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday, announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to commence on June 1.

The much-awaited Pakistan squad was announced in a unique way as cricket fans, in a video released by the PCB, revealed the players’ names selected for the mega event.

The side was confirmed on Friday afternoon (UK time) following a two-hour selection committee meeting, which was attended by Abdul Razzaq, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Bilal Afzal, Gary Kirsten, Mohammad Yousuf and Wahab Riaz.

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Of the 15 players, Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Saim Ayub and Usman Khan have been picked for their maiden T20 World Cup, while Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim last appeared in the 2016 and 2021 tournaments, respectively. The other eight players participated in the 2022 event in Australia.

“This is an extremely talented and balanced side that has a mixture of youth and experience. These players have been playing together for some time and look well prepared and settled for next month’s event,” stated PCB.

“Haris Rauf is fully fit and bowling well in the nets. It would have been nice if he had gotten an outing at Headingley, but we remain confident that he will continue to maintain an upward trajectory in the upcoming matches, as he will have an important role to play along with other strike bowlers in the T20 World Cup,” the statement added.

Pakistan, who lifted the title in the 2009 edition will start their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against the United States of America (USA) on June 6 before taking on arch-rivals India on June 9.

Pakistan Squad for T20 World Cup 2024: Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.

READ: Fakhar Zaman gives update on Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup 2024

BIRMINGHAM: Left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman gave a major update regarding the Pakistan squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to commence on June 1.

Fakhar addressed the press conference here on Friday, in a build-up to the upcoming second T20I of the four-match series between Pakistan and England.

The left-handed batter was asked to share an update regarding the announcement of the Pakistan squad as the deadline to announce the lineup for the mega event nears.

“Look, this is the job of the cricket board but I know that I am in the team,” shared Fakhar.

“Actually, everyone knows who is going and who is not going [to the World Cup] but I think they are checking a few injuries. But I know myself that I am in,” he added.

Fakhar also opened up on his batting spot in the ongoing series against England and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

“I have been playing at number four like since two years so now I am very used to it and I really enjoy my batting at number four, especially in T20Is and yes I will play at number four in the World Cup as well,” said Fakhar.

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The left-handed batter welcomed Archer’s return to the international circuit but shared that he is more excited to compete against a full-strength side to prepare for the World Cup.

“We played many times against Jofra. He’s a very good bowler. We are more excited that we are playing a full-strength team of England,” stated Fakhar.

“So, that’s a very good thing for us. Like, if a player like Jofra is in a team, of course, it will help England but it will [also] help us to play against a world-class bowler,” he added.

READ: Pakistan squad holds practice session for second England T20I

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday, unveiled a star-studded commentary panel for the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to commence on June 1.

The World Cup commentary panel comprises renowned voices cricket voices including Ravi Shastri, Nasser Hussain, Ian Smith, Harsha Bhogle and Ian Bishop.

Pakistan’s former captains Ramiz Raja, Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram will also be lending their expert analysis during the upcoming tournament.

Former ODI World Cup winners Ricky Ponting, Sunil Gavaskar, Matthew Hayden, Eoin Morgan, and Tom Moody will also be part of the commentary panel for the mega-event.

Meanwhile, men’s and women’s T20 World Cup champions such as Dinesh Karthik, Ebony Rainford-Brent, Samuel Badree, Carlos Brathwaite, Steve Smith, Aaron Finch and Lisa Sthalekar will also lend their voices to the event which they have won in the past.

American commentator James O’Brien, better known as Jomboy, will make his World Cup debut during the T20 World Cup 2024.

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“ICC will continue to deliver an unmatched viewing experience during the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, bringing together some of the biggest names in cricket and broadcasting for the extravaganza from the nine locations across the USA and West Indies,” ICC stated in a press release.

“ICC will provide extensive coverage of the tournament across the 28 days of action with a pre-match show, an innings interval programme and a post-match wrap-up.

“Building on the success of the vertical feed at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, ICC TV will introduce an AI-supported vertical feed for the T20 World Cup.”

The other big names in the commentary panel include Dale Steyn, Graeme Smith, Michael Atherton, Simon Doull, Shaun Pollock and Katey Martin alongside renowned cricketing names in broadcasting including Mpumelelo Mbangwa, Natalie Germanos, Danny Morrison, Alison Mitchell, Alan Wilkins, Brian Murgatroyd, Mike Haysman, Ian Ward, Athar Ali Khan, Russel Arnold, Niall O’Brien, Kass Naidoo and former West Indies skipper Daren Ganga.

READ: Shahid Afridi named as ICC T20 World Cup 2024 ambassador

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) named former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi as ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 ambassador on Friday.

Afridi joined the elusive list of ambassadors for the mega-event, including the fastest man on Earth Usain Bolt, West Indies’ legend Chris Gayle and Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh.

The former all-rounder expressed his excitement about being the ambassador of the T20 World Cup and shared his best memories from the tournament, including lifting the coveted trophy in 2009.

“The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is an event that is very close to my heart,” said Afridi. “From being Player of the Tournament in the inaugural edition to lifting the trophy in 2009, some of my favourite career highlights have come from competing on this stage.

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“T20 World Cups have gone from strength to strength in recent years, and I’m thrilled to be part of this edition, where we will see more teams, more matches and even more drama than ever before.

“I am particularly excited to witness the India v Pakistan fixture on 9 June. It is one of the great rivalries in sport and New York will be a fitting stage for this unmissable encounter between two great teams.”

Shahid Afridi featured in six T20 World Cups for Pakistan and was player of the tournament in the inaugural edition. He was also the man of the match in the final of 2009 edition, leading Pakistan to victory over Sri Lanka.

The ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is scheduled to be jointly hosted by the United States of America (USA) and the West Indies from 1 June to 29 June.

READ: Shakib Al Hasan terms USA series loss a ‘wake-up call’ for Bangladesh

AMSTELVEEN: The Netherlands have made two changes to their squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, due to the injuries to Fred Klaassen and Daniel Doram.

The injured duo was replaced by Saqib Zulfiqar and Kyle Klein, who was initially named as a travelling reserve. Meanwhile, Klein’s brother will now travel with the Dutch squad as a reserve player.

Left-arm pacer Klaasen was ruled out owing to recurring symptoms from a previously sustained stress fracture in his lower back, meanwhile, left-arm spinner Doran is out with a broken hand.

Leg spinner Zulfiqar has played the last of his six T20Is in 2019, however, he is an active member of the Netherlands’ ODI team. He has played 15 ODIs and was also part of the World Cup 2023 squad.

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Kyle Klein, a right-arm fast bowler, made his international debut earlier this year, representing the Dutch side in four games.

The Netherlands are currently playing a tri-series involving Scotland and Ireland.

In the T20 World Cup, they are placed in Group D with South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. They will kick off their T20 World Cup campaign against Nepal on June 4 against Nepal at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.

Netherlands’ updated squad for T20 World Cup

Scott Edwards (c, wk), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Kyle Klein, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Saqib Zulfiqar, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim Pringle, Vikramjit Singh, Vivian Kingma, Wesley Barresi.

READ: Ricky Ponting reveals reason for rejecting India’s head coach role

Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim on Wednesday, asserted that he has no individual goals for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and instead focused on leading the team to glory.

Imad, in an interview with a local news channel, opened up about his role in the national men’s team during the four-match T20I series against England, stating that he is willing to contribute both with the bat and the ball as he is not after individual milestones.

“If you talk about bowling, then I’m preparing with the new as well as the old ball because we have many bowlers who excel with the new ball so I may be needed in middle-overs so I can’t and won’t say that I will only bowl with the new ball because I returned to this team to do whatever I’m asked,” Imad said.

“About batting, except opening and top-three, play me at whatever position I will be comfortable. The most important thing is that whatever I perform, should benefit the team as I’ve no individual target for the World Cup. Whether it’s a big or small performance, it should lead Pakistan to victory.”

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Imad Wasim further emphasized the importance of having clarity about the players’ roles in the team before reiterating the importance of every match leading into the T20 World Cup 2024.

“Yes [the performance against England] will matter. Every match is important, we played New Zealand and drew the series when we should have won it. But we learned from that series and we have been given a plan,” stated Imad.

“You will see from the England series that the same 12-13 players playing the matches. And when that team will play together, roles of different players will clarify and each player will know his role so leading into the T20 World Cup, we will be in a positive frame of mind knowing this is my job and I have to do this.”

READ: Pakistan-England first T20I called off due to rain