Tag: World Cup 2023

New Zealand paceman Tim Southee’s participation in next month’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will be decided after his surgery for a fractured and dislocated thumb, New Zealand Cricket said Wednesday.

Southee faces an operation on Thursday and his World Cup fate will be decided early next week, but New Zealand coach Gary Stead is hopeful the bowler can recover in time.

“We’ve got our fingers crossed the surgery goes well for Tim,” Stead said.

Tim Southee, New Zealand’s Test captain, will have pins or screws inserted in his thumb, Stead said.

“Providing the procedure is a success, it will be a matter of ensuring Tim can tolerate the pain and manage the actual wound when returning to train and play,” Stead added.

The Black Caps coach hopes Southee plays in their World Cup opener against England in Ahmedabad on October 5.

Tim Southee suffered the injury last Saturday while dropping a catch off England’s Joe Root in the final one-day international of the four-match series.

The New Zealander immediately looked to be in pain and left the field to go for a scan, failing to return.

The 34-year-old has taken 214 wickets in 157 ODIs.

“Tim’s obviously a hugely experienced and important figure in our team. We want to give him every chance to be part of this World Cup campaign,” Stead added.

New Zealand are bidding to reach a third straight final at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

The last edition’s finalist New Zealand will travel to Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series, scheduled from September 21 to 26.

The Kiwis will be looking to win their first ODI series in Bangladesh in 15 years, having lost all seven matches to the hosts in the previous two series respectively in 2010 and 2013 but they will be without their key players including Tim Southee.

Bangladesh, who are yet to name their ICC Men’s World Cup squad, also rested key players including regular captain Shakib Al Hasan along with all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, and pace trio Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam.

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New Zealand and Bangladesh will both rest their captains and several other key players in their three-match ODI series starting Thursday ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

Instead of Kane Williamson, Lockie Ferguson will lead the Kiwis, who included only five members of their World Cup squad for the series at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Tim Southee — who is to have a thumb operation — and Tom Latham are the highest-profile other Kiwi absentees.

But pacer Trent Boult, all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, spinner Ish Sodhi, and batsman Will Young are included.

“This is a big series for us and a very challenging one,” Ferguson, who is on his maiden tour of Bangladesh, said Wednesday.

“From our point of view, it’s good build-up for a World Cup,” he added. “We know how strong Bangladesh are on their home conditions, so it’s a good challenge for us.”

The Kiwis will be looking to win their first ODI series in Bangladesh in 15 years, having lost all seven matches to the hosts in the previous two series respectively in 2010 and 2013.

Bangladesh spinners also tested New Zealand in a 3-2 win of a five-match series in 2021, but Ferguson said they were ready to face the challenge.

“But our batters have been preparing,” he said. “They’re used to spinning tracks, having played around the world.”

Bangladesh have yet to name their World Cup squad but rested regular captain Shakib Al Hasan along with all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, and pace trio Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam.

Stand-in Bangladesh captain Liton Das said the series would be a great opportunity for his teammates to stake a claim to the World Cup squad.

“The players who will play have been out of international cricket for a long time,” he said. “Everyone has a chance.”

Bangladesh have recalled senior campaigner Mahmudullah Riyad for the series, with the right-hander last playing an ODI in March against England.

Veteran opening batsman Tamim Iqbal also returned after his retirement U-turn and injury layoff that forced him to miss the recent Asia Cup.

Bangladesh failed to reach the Asia Cup final but defeated ultimate winners India in their last match to finish the tournament on a high.

The second and third ODIs will be held at the same ground on September 23 and 26.

The series will be the last for both teams before the World Cup starts in India on October 5.

Bangladesh squad: Liton Das (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Anamul Haque, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Zakir Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Khaled Ahmed.

New Zealand squad: Lockie Ferguson (capt), Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Chad Bowes, Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young.

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DUBAI: With the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 just around the corner, the International Cricket Council (ICC) dropped the first look of the official anthem on Tuesday.

According to the initial details shared by the ICC, the official anthem for this year’s Men’s World Cup, titled Dil Jashan Bole, will feature Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh and will be released tomorrow at 12:30 PM (PST).

The greatest cricketing Jashn is almost here, 12pm IST tomorrow! #CWC23 👀 pic.twitter.com/vqAURnVWlV

— ICC (@ICC) September 19, 2023

 

The anthem is composed by renowned Indian composer and musician Pritam Chakraborty.

In July this year, the ICC spiced up the hype for the upcoming Men’s World Cup by releasing a promo video for the mega event featuring superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

To hype the Men’s World Cup, the cricketing governing body produced a promotional video for their forthcoming extravaganza and called one of India’s most famous stars Khan to be the face of their advertising.

The remarkable 2-minute long video, centred on the tournament’s ethos and tagline — ‘All it takes is one day’, is narrated by Shah Rukh Khan.

“The difference between making history and being history: one day. Jerseys will be worn, and chests will swell with pride, on that one day. Passion will triumph logic, and memories will be etched, on that one day. Fears will be conquered, and odds will be braved, on that one day. From the highs of joy, to the lows of anguish, it will all be embraced, on that one day,” narrates Khan.

“Rivalries will be redefined on the pitch, and respect reimagined in the stands. The power of belief will emerge from the hearts of a billion. Songs will be sung, dances will be danced, and eyes will widen in wonder, on that one day. And when that day comes, and when that day finally comes, glory will be immortalized,” continued Khan.

“This is the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, for everything ever dreamt for, pushed for, lived for, it takes one day,” concludes the movie star in the video.

A total of 10 teams will participate in the ICC Men’s World Cup – 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: Pak-New Zealand World Cup warm-up fixture to be played behind closed doors

The warm-up fixture of the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 between Pakistan and New Zealand will be played without spectators, Indian media reported Tuesday.

According to the Indian media, the Hyderabad city police expressed concerns regarding their inability to provide adequate security for the match, scheduled for September 29, which consequently led to the decision to hold the warm-up fixture without the spectators.

Notably, the Ganesh Visarjan and Milad-un-Nabi festivals, which are expected to draw sizable crowds and necessitate a significant police presence, coincide with the date of the warm-up game between Pakistan and New Zealand.

“The processions will go on late into the night and the local police would not be able to provide adequate security for a match of this scale,” a BCCI official said. “There will continue to be full security for both the teams during their stay and transit to the stadium.”

Consequently, the tickets for spectators will be refunded by the Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI), in coordination with the hosting association and ticketing partners.

Last month, the highly-anticipated India-Pakistan fixture at this year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup was rescheduled to October 14, while details of eight other matches had also been changed.

The high-octane clash India-Pakistan World Cup fixture was originally slated to take place on October 15 but the date coincided with the beginning of the Navratri, a festival celebrated with mass participation across Gujarat.

Consequently, the law-enforcement agencies advised the Board of Control for Cricket in India to make a tweak.

As a result, England’s fixture against Afghanistan in Delhi will be moved from Saturday, 14 October and will now be played 24 hours later on Sunday, 15 October.

Pakistan’s contest against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad has moved from Thursday, 12 October to now being played on Tuesday, 10 October and Australia’s big match against South Africa in Lucknow moved back 24 hours and will now be played on Thursday, 12 October instead of Friday, 13 October.

Similarly, New Zealand’s game against Bangladesh originally scheduled as a day match for 14 October in Chennai has been moved back and will now be held on Friday, 13 October and be played as a day-night contest.

From the initial phase of the tournament, a minor change to the fixture refers to the timing of England’s match-up against Bangladesh in Dharamsala, with the clash becoming a day match and a 10:30AM (local time) start after it was originally scheduled as a day-night fixture.

Towards the end of the league stage, there are three changes with the double-header encounters of Sunday, 12 November being moved a day earlier to Saturday, 11 November – Australia vs Bangladesh in Pune (10:30AM) and England vs Pakistan in Kolkata (02:00PM).

Meanwhile, India’s last league game against the Netherlands has now been shifted from 11 to 12 November, a day-night clash to be played in Bengaluru.

The World Cup commences on Thursday, 5 October when 2019 finalists England and New Zealand clash at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with the event culminating in the final at the same venue on Sunday, 19 November.

READ: Pakistan women’s team kicks off training for Asian Games 2023

Former captain Misbah-ul-Haq backed the Pakistan team ahead of the upcoming ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 following their early exit from the Asia Cup 2023.

Misbah-ul-Haq, while talking to the media during the trophy unveiling ceremony of the Over 40s Cricket Global Cup in Karachi defended Pakistan captain Babar Azam despite a 228-run loss against arch-rivals India.

“The captain is not the only one responsible for a 228-run defeat, the whole team is responsible,” Misbah said. “The team’s confidence has definitely been damaged, however, the Pakistan team has always bounced back from difficult situations.”

He further showed his faith in the current Pakistan team going into the World Cup 2023 in India.

“Mistakes have been made in the Asia Cup, we have to improve our performance. These players have performed well in the past, and I am hopeful that they will do better in the World Cup,” he added.

“Our spin bowlers have failed to perform at their best, however, the selection committee can tell about any upcoming changes in the team for the World Cup,” said Misbah-ul-Haq.

He also stated the fact that Indian conditions are different from Sri Lanka, and will support Pakistani batters.

“The World Cup is a different event and the conditions will be tough, however, India’s conditions will support Pakistani batters,” he added.

Pakistan, who entered the Asia Cup 2023 as a top-ranked ODI side, however, failed to live up to the label of being the favourites as they crashed out of the tournament after finishing fourth in the Super 4s stage.

Pakistan will kick off their World Cup 2023 campaign against the Netherlands on October 6 at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.

READ: Pakistan reclaim top rank in ODIs after South Africa crush Australia

Sri Lanka’s crushing 10-wicket loss to India in the recently concluded ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023 final should help the team learn lessons for the ODI World Cup, coach Chris Silverwood said Sunday.

The home team were bowled out for just 50 in 15.2 overs with Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj ripping through the Sri Lankan batting with his 6-21 in Colombo.

Sri Lanka were playing their 11th Asia Cup final but the 116-minute humiliation left the fans disappointed and coach Silverwood said he hoped it would be a blessing in disguise.

“Sometimes a bit of a kick up the rear end is not the worst thing going into a World Cup,” Silverwood told reporters.

“Maybe this is just a wake-up call, that for us to compete against teams like India, Australia, and New Zealand  – those types of guys – we have to be on top of our game.

He said, “Maybe there’s something we can use out of this that can motivate us heading into that World Cup.”

Sri Lanka, who have made the ODI World Cup starting October 5 in India after playing the qualifiers, went in as underdogs in the Asia Cup 2023.

But what unfolded in the Asia Cup final was unexpected as Dasun Shanaka’s Sri Lanka fell like a pack of cards after they elected to bat first.

“Clearly it was a bad day in the office. Clearly, we came up against a very high-class bowling unit,” said Silverwood.

“It was a shame to finish the way we did. It’s one of those things we can’t dwell on too much because we’ve got a big tournament coming up. There are lessons to learn and questions to be asked in the dressing room.”

Sri Lanka overcame an inconsistent showing at the start of the Asia Cup and sneaked into the Super Fours with a dramatic win over Afghanistan.

Fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana and left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage stood out for Sri Lanka with 21 wickets between them and Silverwood counted them as positives from the tournament.

“We played some very good cricket to get to the final. We had to fight very hard. For me it was an achievement,” said Silverwood.

“But if we take today out of the equation, we’ve seen two youngsters put their hands up, in Dunith Wellalage, and Matheesha Pathirana. We’ve seen two of them really put up their hands on the world stage.”

He added, “Sadeera (Samarawickrama) played some good knocks. (Kusal) Mendis has come back into form. But clearly consistency is something we need to bring into the game.”

Notably, Sri Lanka’s 50-run total is now the lowest total in the Asia Cup history, breaking the previous record held by Bangladesh, who were dismissed for 87 runs against Pakistan in 2000.

Furthermore, Sri Lanka’s 50-run total is the lowest in men’s ODI history in a tournament final. It is also the third time this year that Sri Lanka have been bowled out for less than a hundred in ODIs.

Sri Lanka will start their World Cup campaign against South Africa in Delhi on October 7.

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LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Sunday, confirmed their 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 in India, marking the return of Harry Brook.

Brook, who was initially left out of England’s provisional squad for the World Cup, as a result of Ben Stokes’ return, managed to make a cut in the defending champions’ final contingent.

Notably, Jason Roy missed the four-match ODI series against New Zealand due to back spasms and consequently paved the way for Brook’s return.

Opening batter Dawid Malan also secured his berth for the World Cup after scoring the most runs (277) in the series against New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Ben Stokes also solidified his position in the team after his brilliant comeback to ODI cricket in the recently concluded series. He broke the record for the highest score by an England men’s player in ODIs, as he scored 182 off 124 balls in the third ODI against New Zealand.

Our @CricketWorldCup 1⃣5⃣ 😍

Are we excited yet?! 😆#CWC23 | #EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/u5FOly7rAk

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 17, 2023

Leg spinner Adil Rashid also made it to the World Cup 2023 squad after being declared fit. He featured in only one game in the New Zealand series in which he experienced cramps and subsequently did not play the remaining matches of the series.

England Men’s National Selector, Luke Wright, said: “We have selected a squad we are confident can go to India and win the World Cup.

“We are blessed with an incredibly strong group of white-ball players which was underlined by the performances in the series win against a very good New Zealand team.

“The strength of the group has meant that we have had to make some tough decisions on world-class players with Jason Roy missing out and Harry Brook coming into the squad.”

Notably, teams can still make changes to their squads until September 28 without requiring ICC’s approval.

After the cut-off date, any changes to the squad will be subject to the approval of the ICC.

Defending champions England South Africa will kick off their World Cup 2023 campaign against runners-up of World Cup 2019 New Zealand in the opening game of the tournament on October 5 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

England’s squad for the World Cup 2023

Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.

READ: India crush Sri Lanka to win Asia Cup 2023