Tag: T20 world cup

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed full confidence in the Pakistan team and said they will beat India on October 24 to start the T20 World Cup campaign on a winning note. 

PM Khan, 1992 World Cup-winning captain, said the Pakistan team has talented cricketers who have the potential to beat India tomorrow.

“Pakistan team has talent and they will beat India tomorrow. I hope our players will perform and win against India,” PM Khan spoke to close people before leaving for an official tour to Saudia Arabia.

Remember, Pakistan has never won against Indian in T20 World Cup. The two arch-rivals will meet tomorrow in a high-octane contest.

READ: Babar Azam names 12 probables against India

ABU DHABI: South African bowlers tried hard but Australia chased 119 in last over with five wickets in hand to win opening match of T20 World Cup here at Sheikh Zayed International Stadium on Saturday. 

Set to chase 119, Australia lost their captain Aaron Finch who walked off without scoring. It was not too late when two other batters, David Warner (14) and Mitchel Marsh (11), went back to the hut, leaving Australia suffering at 38-3.

Steven Smith carried the innings from there and stayed at the crease to support his team in the run-chase. He scored 35 runs off 34 balls before Aiden Markram’s spectacular catch at the ropes forced him to leave the field. His inning included three boundaries.

Marcus Stoinis (24*) and Matthew Wade (15*) added valuable 38 runs to take Australia over the victory line.

Anrich Nortje bagged two wickets for South Africa whereas Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi shared a wicket each.

Earlier, Australia grabbed South Africa at 118-9 in 20 overs.

Asked to bat first, South Africa were bamboozled by Australian bowlers as they kept losing wickets after regular intervals. Skipper Temba Bavuma started off aggressively with back-to-back boundaries but Glenn Maxwell bowled him to provide early breakthrough to Australia.

Markram looked in good touch but wickets tumbling at the other hand put pressure on him. He played steadily but managed to score just 40 runs off 36 balls laced with three boundaries and a six.

Rabada, in the end, played a handy knock of 20 runs with the help of a boundary and six.

For Australia, Mitchel Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa bagged two wickets each while Maxwell and Pat Cummins took a scalp each.

TOSS

Australian captain Aaron Finch has won the toss and decided to field first against South Africa in T20 World Cup’s opener here at Sheikh Zayed International Stadium on Saturday.

Squads

AUSTRALIA: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade †, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock †, Temba Bavuma (c), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi

DUBAI: The wait is about to end, Group 1’s teams are all set to kick off the much-awaited Super 12s stage of the T20 World Cup 2021. 

Hosted by India in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the T20 World Cup will see 12 teams fighting for the glittering trophy.

Australia will take on South Africa in the first contest of the Super 12s today at 3 pm (PST). The match will be followed by two-time world champion West Indies locking horns with reigning 50-overs world champion England.

In front of 70% crowd in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the teams will be looking forward to starting their mega event’s campaign on a high note.

Who you are routing for?

DUBAI: Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam announced 12 probables for their high-anticipated contest against India on October 24 in T20 World Cup here at Dubai International Stadium. 

Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Haider Ali, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi will be available for selection in the high-octane clash.

The two arch-rivals will be starting their mega event’s campaign by playing each other on Sunday. They last played each other in ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

READ: ICC to take action against political banners during PAKvsIND: sources

SHARJAH: Sri Lanka registered a massive eight-wicket win over Netherlands in the last Qualifying Round match of the T20 World Cup played here at Sharjah on Friday.

Batting first, Netherlands have set a 45-run target for Sri Lanka in the final round-one match of the Twenty20 World Cup.

In reply, Sri Lanka lost two wickets before Kusal Perera, on 33, and Avishka Fernando, on two, steered the team home in 7.1 overs.

With this win, Sri Lanka moved into the Super 12 stage with three wins and top of their group. Sri Lanka joins England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies and Bangladesh in Group 1 of the Super 12s.

Netherlands’ innings

Asked to bat first, the Netherlands had a horrible start with Sir Lankan bowlers Lahiru Kumara and Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva removing the top six batters for just 37 runs.

Leg spinner Wanindu Hasranga and seamer Lahiru Kumara picked three wickets each as Netherlands all out for 44 runs in just 10 overs.

By the end of the fifth over, the Netherlands had half their side back in the hut.

Kumara returned to clean up the tail and claim T20 best figures of 3-7 with his pace bowling.

The Dutch were bowled out for 39 in a T20 World Cup match against Sri Lanka in 2014.

Earlier, Sri Lanka have decided to field first after winning the toss against the Netherlands in last Qualifying Round match of the T20 World Cup.

Remember, Sri Lanka have already qualified for the mega event from Group A. The other three qualifiers are Namibia, Bangladesh and Scotland. T20 World Cup’s Super 12s event is scheduled to start tomorrow.

Playing XI:

Netherlands: Max O’Dowd, Stephan Myburgh, Ben Cooper, Colin Ackerman, Bas de Leede, Scott Edwards, Roelof van der Merwe, Pieter Seelar (captain), Fred Klaassen, Paul van Meekeren, Brandon Glover.

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka(captain), Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara.

DUBAI: International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned political banners inside the stadium during the highly-anticipated Pakistan vs India contest of the T20 World Cup, scheduled on October 24. 

According to the sources, fans will not be allowed to carry political banners in the stadium on Sunday. “ICC will take action against those who will bring political banners inside the stadium. The fans carrying political banners will be sent out of the ground,” the sources said.

“Fans hide political banners inside undergarments so ICC is planning to deploy strict checking points,” the sources added.

READ: Scotland cement place in Pakistan’s group after easy win over Oman

SHARJAH: Gerhard Erasmus remained not out for 53 as Namibia beat Ireland by eight wickets to book their maiden ticket to T20 World Cup. 

Set to chase 126 in 20 overs, Namibia’s batter stood firm and calm during the run-chase. Despite losing a quick wicket of opener Craig Williams, Namibia’s middle-order kept things going for their team.

Erasmus stood out exceptionally well and scored 53 runs off 49 balls laced with three boundaries and a six. David Wiese supported him strongly and scored 28 off 14 balls including two sixes and a boundary. They both spent quality time at the crease and added match-winning 53 runs.

Earlier, Ireland fell apart despite a good opening start as Namibia restricted them to 125-8 in their last Qualifying Round match of T20 World Cup.

Ireland’s openers Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien provided a solid start to their team with 62-runs stand. But, their wickets put Ireland in deep trouble as they started losing wickets after regular intervals.

Stirling’s power-packed knock including five boundaries and a six helped him score 38 off 24 balls whereas O’Brien made 25 with the help of two boundaries. Skipper Andy Balbirnie contributed 21 runs but no other batter even entered double figures.

Jan Frylinck bagged three wickets followed by Wiese with two scalps and JJ Smit and Bernard Scholtz with a wicket each.

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s chairman Ramiz Raja directed national team players to stay away from social media before their T20 World Cup’s contest against arch-rivals India.

Ramiz talked to the players via an online link to motivate them for their high-octane game against India, scheduled on October 24 in Dubai.

“Be calm and play fearless cricket in the ground. Don’t think about the result, just go and put whatever you have,” the PCB chairman told players.

“Avoid social media for a while. Stay away from analysis regarding the match on media and social media. Just focus on the game and keep yourself calm,” the chairman directed.

It must be noted here that Pakistan and India are meeting each other after almost two years. They last played against each other in ICC Cricket World Cup.

READ: ‘Fakhar can play crucial role for Pakistan against India’ Misbah

Pakistan’s former Test pacer Wasim Akram believes that West Indies is the most aggressive team in white-ball cricket.

Speaking on a local Indian channel, Akram said West Indies bat aggressively regardless of the situation and this is something that helps them a lot in white-ball cricket.

“I believe teams should learn from West Indies as far as aggressiveness is concerned. They bat aggressively even after losing a couple of wickets, this attitude often brings them out of pressure. I know they lose games but their fear-less cricket is something other teams should learn to be successful in the white-ball format,” he said.

Furthermore, Akram is looking forward to exciting contests in T20 World Cup’s Super 12, starting tomorrow.

“It is going to be an entertaining tournament and I am really looking forward to it. It’s not going to be easy for any team as top teams reached this stage,” he maintained.

READ: ‘Fakhar can play crucial role for Pakistan against India’ Misbah

KARACHI: Pakistan’s former captain and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq believes that left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman will be an important asset for the national team against India in their first game in T20 World Cup. 

Speaking in A-Sports’ show The Pavilion, Misbah said Fakhar’s exclusion from Pakistan’s initial squad for the mega event was out of his mind.

“I didn’t understand why Fakhar was excluded from the initial squad despite his good recent form. He performed in South Africa and was in good touch,” he said.

“His inclusion made Pakistan’s squad strong as he can bat at the top-order and he proved it in warm-up matches. He is an X-Factor for Pakistan in T20 World Cup, especially in the match against India as he has a good record against them including that Champions Trophy final’s hundred,” he maintained.

READ: Van der Dussen’s century leads SA to six-wicket win over Pakistan