Cricket

Wesley Hall Gifts Book to Virat Kohli, Praises Indian CricketersAhead of India's Super 8 clash against Afghanistan in the ongoing T20 World Cup, legendary West Indian fast bowler Wesley Hall met with Indian batting star Virat Kohli and presented him with a copy of his book, "Answering to the Call."Hall, known for his blistering pace during his playing days, expressed his admiration for Kohli, calling him a "great player" and wishing him continued success with the Indian team. The book, published in November 2022, chronicles Hall's illustrious cricketing career and his journey to becoming one of the most feared pacers in the game's history.In addition to Kohli, Hall also gifted copies of his book to Indian head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma. "I gave three books today. I gave a book to the captain, another one to the coach, and Virat Kohli. All three of them are great players. It's good to see people getting rewarded. Sometimes, you are a good player, and you haven't made it. I think they have done very well for India," Hall told ANI.Hall, now 86 years old, revealed that he closely follows Kohli's statistics and expressed his hope that the Indian batter would reach the milestone of 100 international centuries. "I follow your stats, so I know you're on some 80 centuries. Get 100 centuries," Hall said to Kohli.India, who won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, will be eager to improve upon their performance in the previous edition, where they failed to reach the final. The team has been in impressive form in the group stage of the ongoing tournament and will look to maintain their unbeaten record as the competition intensifies.

Jasprit Bumrah Shines in England Legends' T20 World Cup 'Team of the Tournament'In a surprising turn of events, Jasprit Bumrah emerged as the sole Indian representative in a 'Team of the Tournament' selected by renowned English cricket commentators Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain. The team, compiled based on performances in the group stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup, notably excluded star Indian players Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Arshdeep Singh.Atherton and Hussain, now respected commentators, meticulously analyzed and justified their choices on Sky Sports Cricket. Despite Virat Kohli's status as the all-time leading run-scorer in T20 World Cup history, his meager five runs in the tournament thus far have left him on the outside looking in."We had Bumrah, obviously. He had to be in," Hussain remarked. Bumrah's exceptional performance in India's first three matches, including two Player of the Match awards against Ireland and Pakistan, earned him a well-deserved spot.The English duo also recognized the contributions of several unsung heroes of the tournament. Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Scotland's Brandon McMullen, and USA's Aaron Jones all made the cut.Gurbaz, fresh off his IPL 2024 triumph, has been a revelation, amassing 167 runs in four innings at a blistering strike rate of over 150. McMullen has been even more explosive, boasting a strike rate of 170.Australia's Marcus Stoinis was the lone all-rounder selected by Atherton and Hussain. Stoinis ranks third in the tournament's run-scoring charts with a remarkable strike rate of 190. His versatility extends to bowling, where he has claimed six wickets in four games at an economical rate of 5.77.The Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup commences on Wednesday, June 19, with hosts USA facing South Africa in Group II.

Pakistan's disappointing exit from the T20 World Cup has sparked a wave of criticism, with former captain Rashid Latif pointing the finger at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Latif believes that the constant changes in leadership and coaching staff have created an unstable environment within the team, leading to a lack of unity and poor performance.Latif highlighted that the team's attitude has changed since the previous World Cups, suggesting that the players are no longer as united as they once were. He attributed this to the lack of proper leadership and guidance from the PCB."The manner in which the dressing room feels and behaves is always the deciding factor," Latif said. "When there is a change in the higher authority/management, the coaching staff changes as well. It shouldn't be like that, the dressing room should remain stable."Latif's comments echo those of Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten, who recently stated that there is a lack of unity within the team. Kirsten described the situation as "unprecedented" and said that he had never seen anything like it in his coaching career.The PCB has been under fire for its handling of the team, with many critics calling for a complete overhaul of the organization. Latif believes that the PCB needs to take a more proactive approach in fostering a positive and supportive environment for the players."Education plays an important part that who is your chairman, who is he talking to," Latif said. "All the cricket boards, especially the Test playing nations have prepared well for the T20 World Cup, except Pakistan."Pakistan's early exit from the World Cup has raised serious questions about the future of the team. Latif believes that the PCB needs to address the underlying issues within the organization and create a stable environment for the players to thrive.

Pakistan's disastrous T20 World Cup campaign has sparked outrage among fans and experts, with former batter Ahmed Shehzad calling for strict action against the underperforming players. Pakistan's failure to qualify for the Super 8 stage, after losses to India and the USA, has raised serious questions about the team's unity and fitness.Head coach Gary Kirsten's scathing assessment of the team, alleging a lack of unity and poor fitness levels, has further fueled the controversy. Sources close to the team have revealed Kirsten's dissatisfaction with the players' skill level, which he believes lags behind the rest of the world.Shehzad, who has been vocal in his criticism of the team, has echoed Kirsten's concerns. He has accused the team of being plagued by groupism and has demanded a crackdown from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). "It's time for accountability," Shehzad wrote on social media. "The players involved must be punished and an example should be set for the next generation of cricketers."Shehzad's call for action comes after he previously urged the PCB to remove senior players, including captain Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan. He believes these players have been given ample time to improve but have failed to deliver.The PCB has yet to respond to Shehzad's demands, but the pressure is mounting on the board to take decisive action. The team's poor performance has not only disappointed fans but has also raised concerns about the future of Pakistan cricket.

Suryakumar Yadav, the world's top-ranked T20 batter, has demonstrated his adaptability by adjusting his playing style to the challenging wickets encountered during the T20 World Cup. However, he anticipates the pitches in the Caribbean to be more conducive to his natural strokeplay.India's Super 8 journey commences on Thursday against Afghanistan. The team will also face Bangladesh and Australia in St Lucia, a venue that has already witnessed the highest total of the tournament. They will also play matches in Antigua.The "spicy" wickets in New York forced Suryakumar to exercise patience, particularly while playing shots behind the wicket. In India's match against USA, he guided the team to victory with an unbeaten 50 off 49 deliveries, a strike rate significantly lower than his impressive average of 168.06."If you have been number one for two years, you should be able to bat in different conditions and change the game as per the needs of the team. That displays good batsmanship and that is what I try," said Suryakumar during a media interaction."It's difficult to generate that force when there's no pace on the wicket and when someone has read your game nicely. So, at that time, you have to be very smart how you want to extend your innings. You have to change according to the situation, what team demands at that moment and talk to your partner who is inside, calm your nerves down and then take the innings ahead."Suryakumar is eager to showcase his versatile batting style once again in the West Indies, although he didn't face any significant challenges with the conditions in the United States."I was happy playing there as well (laughs). It's not that we weren't happy playing there, but we were playing for the first time, so yes, the conditions were different and little challenging as well. But we have played here (in West Indies), we know the conditions."The Kensington Oval pitch has a distinct brownish appearance, which the Indian team also observed during their previous tour of the Caribbean."The practice pitches, yeah, they were a little spicy in New York. It was fresh. They made the conditions after they got to know there is a World Cup there. Here they have been making pictures regularly and they are much better than (USA)," he said.The spinners have been doing well in the Caribbean conditions so far in the tournament but Suryakumar is not perturbed."That has always been my strong point (sweeps and reverse sweeps). I've tried to play the same way that I do in the practice sessions."In a strategic move, Virat Kohli has been paired with captain Rohit Sharma to open the batting, while Rishabh Pant has been elevated to the number three position. The question remains: if India suffers early wicket losses, will Suryakumar adapt his approach to the situation?"Nothing like that has happened. We try to play the format of the game. If there are early wickets you still have to put runs on the board and bat with that same intent. That is what we try and tell each other to take the positive route. The management has left it to the players to decide at that point of time," he added.

As the T20 World Cup 2024 shifts to the West Indies, the focus is expected to shift from fast bowlers to spinners. Recognizing this, Australian all-rounder Tim David has been honing his legspin skills to provide his team with an additional option.David, known for his explosive batting, has been practicing legspin for the past nine months. He believes it gives Australia more flexibility in match-ups. "It just gives you options as a match-up," David said. "I started bowling legspin in nets about nine months ago, and they came out really well."Australia's frontline spinners, Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa, have been mentoring David in his bowling development. "It's been really good to bowl with Ash, [and] bowl with Zamps when they're around in the nets, [and] rub ideas off them," David said.Australia's Super Eight group includes Bangladesh, India, and Afghanistan, all teams known for their spin prowess. Bangladesh's legspinner Rishad Hossain is a particular concern for Australia, as they have limited experience facing him. However, David is confident in his team's ability to handle the spin challenge."I suppose that's the nature of the World Cup, isn't it? You play every team once," David said. "We're going to take him on."David has been preparing for the spin challenge by batting against spinners in the nets. However, he believes it's crucial to avoid overthinking close to the game. "Day before a game or couple of days before game [though], it's not that big of a stress," he said. "You know you can't change too much in that last stage."Another factor David will consider during the game is the wind direction. "The wind's really important," David said. "You hit the ball into the wind, [and] it goes 50 metres shorter; you get one downwind, [and] you can't stop it."David's versatility and willingness to embrace new challenges make him a valuable asset to the Australian team. As the tournament progresses, his legspin skills could prove to be a game-changer for Australia.

Bangladesh fast bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib has been fined 15% of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct after an altercation with Nepal captain Rohit Paudel during the teams' meeting in Kingstown on June 16.The incident occurred just after the end of the third over of Nepal's innings, when Tanzim, after bowling a delivery, "walked towards Nepal batter Rohit Paudel in an aggressive manner and made inappropriate physical contact," according to an ICC release.There were a few words exchanged between the two players followed by plenty of hand gesturing, with the on-field umpire Sam Nogajski having to separate the two. The umpires were then also seen having a word with Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto after the incident.Tanzim was found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to "inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator) during an International Match".In addition, one demerit point was added to Tanzim's disciplinary record. This was his first offence in a 24-month period. When a player reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points and the player is banned. Two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first for the player.There was no need for a formal hearing as the 21-year-old Tanzim accepted the sanction which was proposed by match referee Richie Richardson. The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Nogajski, along with third umpire Jayaraman Madanagopal and fourth umpire Kumar Dharmasena.Meanwhile, Paudel had downplayed the incident after the game. "There's nothing between us. Just he came and he told me to hit. And I said, go and bowl. Nothing else," he said.Tanzim, with his spell of 4 for 7, broke Nepal's back in the game where they were chasing 106, but fell short by 21 runs. It was the lowest total any team had defended successfully at the T20 World Cup. Tanzim is currently the joint second-highest wicket-taker in this World Cup, with nine wickets in four games, while going at an economy of only 4.80 runs an over. Having progressed to the Super Eight at the World Cup, Bangladesh next play Australia on June 21.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two of India's most prolific batters, are on the cusp of a significant milestone as the T20 World Cup enters the 'Super 8s' stage. Both players are just 104 runs away from surpassing Pakistan captain Babar Azam as the leading run-scorer in T20 internationals.Kohli, who has played 120 T20Is, has amassed 4042 runs in 112 innings. Sharma, on the other hand, has scored the same number of runs in 146 innings across 154 matches.India will resume their campaign with their opening 'Super 8s' game against Afghanistan in Barbados on Thursday. This will be their first match in the Caribbean after playing three group-stage matches in New York.The 'Men in Blue' qualified for the 'Super 8s' as Group A toppers, defeating Ireland, Pakistan, and USA. They will face Afghanistan on June 20, Bangladesh on June 22, and Australia on June 24 in the 'Super 8s'.Kohli and Sharma's pursuit of the T20I run-scoring record adds an extra layer of intrigue to India's quest for their second T20 World Cup title. The team last lifted an ICC trophy in 2013 when MS Dhoni's side won the Champions Trophy.India came close to ending their ICC trophy drought last year, reaching the final of both the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup. However, they fell short on both occasions.With Kohli and Sharma in prime form, India will be hoping to break their 11-year wait for another ICC trophy. The 'Super 8s' stage provides them with a perfect opportunity to showcase their skills and make a statement on the global stage.

West Indies and England Clash in T20 World Cup Super Eight ShowdownAs the T20 World Cup Super Eight stage commences, two formidable contenders, West Indies and England, will face off in a highly anticipated clash at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia. Both teams are vying for an unprecedented third T20 World Cup title, and this encounter could prove pivotal in determining their readiness for the crown.West Indies enter the contest in scintillating form, boasting an eight-match unbeaten streak. Their recent victories over Afghanistan and Uganda have showcased their depth and firepower, with match-winners emerging from all corners of the batting lineup. From Andre Russell's blistering 71 against Australia to Nicholas Pooran's ballistic 98 against Afghanistan, the West Indies have demonstrated an unwavering belief in their abilities.England, on the other hand, have endured a rollercoaster ride in the tournament. After narrowly avoiding a humiliating first-round exit, they have regained some momentum with four consecutive wins. However, their middle-order has shown signs of vulnerability, particularly in their timid display against Australia.The key players to watch in this clash are Phil Salt for England and Gudakesh Motie for West Indies. Salt's aggressive approach at the top of the order has been crucial for England, while Motie's left-arm spin has proven to be a potent weapon against right-handed batting lineups like England's.West Indies will be keen to capitalize on their familiarity with the St Lucia pitch, having played a match on it earlier in the tournament. England, meanwhile, will need to find a way to contain the West Indies' explosive batting lineup and exploit any weaknesses in their bowling attack.The match promises to be a high-scoring affair, with the pitch expected to favor the batsmen. The atmosphere is likely to be electric, with St Lucian fans expected to rally behind their team after England's vocal support in their previous T20I series.