Cricket

T20 World Cup: Does India having four spinners feel like a luxury? | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago09 mins

Experts, fans and analysts point out that by selecting four spinners in India’s squad of 15 for the T20 World Cup, the selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, have picked one spinner too many. “Another fast bowler, perhaps” or “Rinku Singh, surely” were words that formed part of their analysis.It was clear that Rohit Sharma wanted four spinners, and his mind about who would feature in his bowling attack (two allrounders, also left-arm-spinners, in Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, and two wrist spinners in Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav) was made up before the IPL. ALSO SEE: T20 World Cup Schedule Morning starts, where dew would not play much of a role was one of the reasons cited. “I definitely wanted four spinners. We’ve played a lot of cricket there. We know what the conditions are like. With morning starts at 10-10.30am, there’s a little bit of technical aspect involved in this,” skipper Rohit had said in Mumbai when the team was picked.That technical aspect could be the fact that India are expected to qualify for the super-eights and all the games from that stage will be played in the West Indies and the general belief is that the pitches there will be spin-friendly. Former India manager and Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner Sunil Subramanian, also Indian legend R Ashwin’s coach, feels that way. “India may have picked one spin-bowling allrounder too many. Rinku Singh for Axar and Khaleel Ahmed for vice-captain Hardik would have balanced the side better. There is no way both wrist spinners will play, especially in Nassau County in New York. It is a mickey mouse ground with the straight boundary being 55 metres only. Also, it is a drop-in pitch. Against Pakistan, they may play with only one spinner and that could be Jadeja as they may want to pack the side with pacers who can execute yorkers,” he told TOI. Subramanian was part of the team between 2017 and 2019, where India played both Kuldeep and Chahal in most white-ball games, with success. Will we see that happening in the T20 World Cup?“The reason both the wrist spinners featured in the playing XI was because both Jadeja and Ashwin were not able to contain the flow of runs in the middle-overs and were not able to pick wickets,” Subramanian revealed. The ‘Kul-Cha’ combo, as it was called, was a run-away success. They played in 15 T20I games together, including four of the five matches in the West Indies in 2023 and India ended up victorious in 11 of them. In those 15 games, Kuldeep picked 29 wickets while Chahal picked 23. Will they go back to that formula? “Only if they are in a must-win situation. If Hardik is unable to bowl four overs and if one of the pacers gets hit, that may happen. But only in the West Indies leg of the tournament. The only other way to play both wrist spinners is by dropping Jaiswal and opening with Kohli and Rohit. They will not do that. They will err on the side of caution,” Subramanian stressed. India’s batting coach till the 2019 World Cup, who was with the team in the Kul-Cha era, and former India allrounder Sanjay Bangar, also does not see both Kuldeep and Chahal playing together.“It will be Jadeja and Kuldeep to start with. Two wrist spinners won’t feature in the same XI,” opined Bangar. Interestingly, he does not see India being light on pace bowling options either. “Even if we had picked an extra pacer, he might not have played. Bumrah, Siraj/Arshdeep and Hardik can go through the tournament unchanged,” he told TOI.Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop, a respected voice in commentary, who is armed with local knowledge of the conditions, felt India’s four-spinner theory could be a luxury while acknowledging spin will play a part in the tournament. His assessment can be supported by the fact that in all CPLT20 matches so far, featuring 692 innings, pacers have taken 2384 wickets at a strike rate of 131.31 and an economy of 8.38. Spinners have grabbed 1565 wickets at a better strike-rate of 111.60 and a lower economy of 6.85.“The pitches for the World Cup may be slightly different. So, I think it’s a luxury to have four spinners rather than it being a necessity,” he told official broadcasters Star Sports.Aaron Finch, the man who led Australia to the title in the UAE in 2021 feels India may have “backed themselves into a corner.” “I had Rinku in there and only two spinners. I had the extra quick because of the inconsistency that we have seen with everyone barring Jasprit Bumrah. And if they want to play three spinners, one of them must bowl in the powerplay. I don’t see any of those guys doing it consistently,” Finch analysed while speaking to Star Sports.Now let’s look at the spin-bowling options of other teams expected to feature in the super-eights.Sri Lanka have six, England and New Zealand have five, Bangladesh have four and West Indies, Australia, and South Africa three. Does India having four feel like a luxury? Time will tell.

Uganda’s jersey for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup witnesses last-minute change

Danijones5 months ago03 mins

Image Source : UGANDA CRICKET ASSOCIATION Uganda’s new jersey for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Uganda cricket has run into controversy even before their eagerly anticipated ICC Men’s T20 World Cup debut in the Caribbean and the USA owing to a last-minute change to their official jersey for the tournament to meet the guidelines of the International Cricket Council. What prompted the ICC to urge the Uganda Cricket Association into making a change to the jersey design? The Uganda Cricket Association organised a public competition earlier in the year to finalise the design of the senior men’s cricket team’s jersey for the marquee ICC tournament. After analysing several noteworthy submissions, the apex cricket body of Uganda selected Wanyama Mangeni Elijah’s design. Inspired by the national bird of Uganda – the Grey Crowned Crane, Elijah’s design was an amalgamation of feathered patterns on the sleeves and vibrant colours. As per Cricket.com.au, Elijah described his work as, “Where elegance meets strength, mirroring Uganda’s resilient spirit. The bold blend of vibrant colours symbolises unity, echoing the national pride. The jersey, with its feather-inspired patterns, pays homage to the majestic crested crane capturing the essence of grace and power.” Unfortunately, the ICC asked the Uganda Cricket Association to do away with the feathered patterns on the sleeves to make the sponsor logos more evident. The Uganda Cricket Association obliged and changed the design to meet the guidelines. Uganda’s revamped jersey While the feathered patterns are still there on the sleeves, they are barely visible from a distance. The forced change created an uproar on social media platforms with the people of Uganda expressing their displeasure. A glimpse of the original design “The ICC asked for a change in the design but we didn’t have enough time to make the required changes and had to compromise on the winning design. We lost just about 20 per cent of the original design, but the rest of the design is the same,” Uganda Cricket Association’s public relations officer Musali Denis was quoted as saying by Cricket.com.au.

Salt, bowlers star as England crush Pakistan in fourth T20I to take series 2-0

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

Pakistan were handed a crushing seven-wicket defeat by England in the fourth and final T20I of the series on Thursday, May 30 at Kennington Oval, London. As a result, the Jos Buttler-led side clinched the series by a margin of 2-0 to finish their T20 World Cup 2024 preparations on a high. After being put in to bat first, the visitors were bundled out for just 157 in 19.5 overs as all the English bowlers hared the wickets among them. In reply, the hosts made a mockery of Pakistan’s total chasing down the target in just 15.3 overs and sealed the series. The series brought an end to the preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup for both teams as they will straight away get on with their campaign in the mega event next month. Earlier in the day, after being asked to bat first, Pakistan got off to a good start by their famed opening duo of captain Babar Azam (36 off 22) and Mohammad Rizwan who added 59 runs for the first wicket off 35 balls. However, after their stand was broken by Jofra Archer, who dismissed Babar in the last over of the powerplay, Pakistan’s middle order crumbled against the spin trio of Adil Rashid (2/27), Moeen Ali (1/23, 2 overs) and Liam Livingstone (2/17, 3 overs). Usman Khan’s counter-attack in the middle overs Fakhar Zaman (9 off 9), Shadab Khan (0 off 1) and Azam Khan (0 off 5) returned to the pavilion cheaply leaving their side reeling at 86/5. Usman Khan tried his best to get Pakistan out of their ‘hell hole’ with a crucial innings of 38 (21) laced with three fours and two sixes. The 29-year-old holed out against Livingstone in the 15th over and two balls later Shaheen Afridi also lost his stumps against the off-spinner as Pakistan were left staring down the barrel on 126/7. Jos Buttler and Philip Salt’s electrifying start Iftikhar Ahmed (21 off 18), Naseem Shah (16 off 18) and Haris Rauf (8 off 7) occupied the crease for the last five overs to take their team’s total to 157. In the second innings, England captain Jos Buttler (39 off 21) and his opening partner Philip Salt (45 off 24) came out with a clear intent of chasing down the target quickly adding 82 runs for the wicket off just 38 balls. Following their dismissals, Will Jacks (20 off 18), Jonny Bairstow (28* off 16) and Harry Brook (17* off 14) guided England home in just 15.3 overs and sealed a seven-wicket win. Speedster Haris Rauf was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan who accounted for all three wickets to fall giving away 38 runs in 3.3 overs. Adil Rashid was awarded Player of the Match for registering figures 2/27 in four overs. Meanwhile, Pakistan will start their World Cup campaign against the USA on June 6 while England will take on Scotland on June 4. Published By: Rishabh Beniwal Published On: May 31, 2024

‘Best example of nepotism’: Pakistan’s Azam Khan brutally roasted after another flop show | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s keeper-batter Azam Khan was in the line of fire on Thursday after his side succumbed to a crushing seven-wicket defeat in the fourth and final T20I against England at the Oval. Azam, who scored a five-ball duck and then dropped a couple of sitters behind the stumps drew flak on social media as his torrid run with both bat and gloves continued.The 25-year-old has had a string of low scores recently and has been poor behind the stumps as well and after his dull outing in Pakistan’s final T20I game before the T20 World Cup, questions over his selection and spot in the side were raised on social media. With the defeat, Pakistan lost the T20 series 2-0 as the first and third games in Leeds and Cardiff were washed out. England, on the other hand, now will head into the defense of its T20 World Cup title on the back of a series win over Pakistan. In the final game, after restricting Pakistan to 157 all out, England powered to its target with 27 balls remaining largely thanks to Phil Salt’s 45 and captain Jos Buttler’s 39 in their opening stand of 82 off 38 balls. The T20 World Cup staged jointly in the United States and the Caribbean starts Saturday, with England’s opening match against Scotland in Barbados on Tuesday and Pakistan playing for the first time on June 6 against the US.

Babar Azam shatters Virat Kohli’s all-time T20I record against England in losing cause – India TV

Danijones5 months ago03 mins

Image Source : GETTY IMAGES Babar Azam. Pakistan captain Babar Azam shattered yet another record of Virat Kohli in a span of just 15 days during the fourth T20I against England at The Oval in London on May 30. Babar, 29, has become the leading run-scorer in T20I history against England after moving past India’s modern-day legend. Leading into the fourth T20I, Babar needed 16 runs to surpass Virat who has 639 runs against the Three Lions in the shortest format of the sport. Babar scored 36 off 22 balls with the help of five fours and a six and created a new all-time record as he now has 660 runs against the two-time T20 world champions. However, to Babar’s misery, Pakistan lost the fourth T20I and conceded the series 2-0 following a below-par performance on the field. Pakistan were unlucky with the coin flip and were put into bat by the England captain Jos Buttler. All of Pakistan’s top three batters (Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam and Usman Khan) got off to positive starts but failed to convert them into huge scores. Pakistan’s middle order collapsed in front of a well-oiled English bowling attack and the visitors only managed to put 157 on the board. Phil Salt and Buttler dashed the little hopes Pakistan had of defending the total as they aggregated 82 for the opening wicket in just 6.2 overs. Though Pakistan managed to remove both openers in quick succession, the ship had already sailed by then. England registered a thumping seven-wicket win with 27 balls to spare and finished the series with a strong 2-0 statement. Babar was disappointed after Pakistan failed to salvage their pride and urged the middle-order batters to “step up”. “After six overs we were doing very well, but then I got out, the middle-order needs to step up. England’s bowling is very good, so have to take any chance. Need to sort out those things for the World Cup. A few injuries but a lot of positives, our play is good in patches, but to win you need 100%,” Babar said during the post-match presentation.

‘Doesn’t matter how many superstars IND have’: Lara’s clear-cut message to Dravid on ending ICC trophy drought in T20WC

Danijones5 months ago05 mins

Rahul Dravid’s tenure as the head coach of the Indian team is all set to end in June after the 2024 T20 World Cup. And while the India legend gained success during his tenure with the U-19 side or the India A team, which had, in fact, made him the frontrunner to replace Ravi Shastri back in 2022, Dravid had failed to lead the senior national team to an ICC title glory yet. But come the T20 World Cup, that begins from June 1 onwards, he will get one last opportunity to end India’s long-standing trophy drought and end his tenure on a high. Brian Lara has a message for Rahul Dravid ahead of the T20 World Cup Ahead of the big tournament, former West Indies cricketer Brian Lara sent a clear-cut message to Dravid, suggesting him to devise a plan for the final stages of the tournament, a hurdle which India have failed to cross since 2013 across ICC tournaments. Speaking to Star Sports, the Windies legend reckoned that irrespective of the big names that India have in their squad, they need to focus on having a clear strategy about winning the World Cup. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! “Indian team, just looking from the outside, in previous Cups, be it T20 or 50-overs, I just feel they are lacking that final plan in terms of how they are going to go about. It doesn’t matter how many superstars you have; it matters how you are going to go about winning this World Cup, what plans you are going to have in place, and how you are going to structure your innings or attack. I hope Rahul Dravid can get his players together and can devise a plan for India to win T20 World Cup,” said Lara when asked about any concern regarding the Menin Blue ahead of of the ICC event. This will be the second T20 World Cup India will play during Dravid’s tenure as head coach. In 2022, the Rohit Sharma-led side had reached the semis before being beaten by eventual champions England in the semis. Overall, India have just one title in the history of this T20 tournament, having won in the inaugural year (2007) under the leadership of MS Dhoni. India have since made the semis twice and finished as runners-up once in the next seven editions. India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign on June 5 against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, followed by the mouth-watering clash against arch-rivals Pakistan at the same venue on June 9. Co-hosts USA and Canada are the other two members in Group A besides the aforementioned three. India, who last played an international game in the format back in January at home, will also play a warm-up game against Bangladesh on June 1 in New York.

T20 World Cup: In Team India’s first practice session, Hardik bowls for almost an hour; Rohit, Suryakumar focus on getting used conditions | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: Team India got their T20 World Cup preparations underway with their first training session in New York on Thursday that lasted three hours.Having landed in the US on May 27, the team had a couple of off days to overcome the jet lag and get used to the weather and conditions. After a light training session session a day before, the Indian team on Thursday hit the nets and meant serious business as skipper Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav were seen batting against likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. In focus Hardik too had gruelling training session with both bat and ball. The all-rounder was first seen bowling in the nets for almost an hour and then went hard after the bowlers while batting. The 30-year-old also had a long chat with batting coach Vikram Rathour during the net session. In unusual scenes, tailenders Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singht were seen focussing on their batting skills while all the all-rounder Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel and Hardik trained with both bat and ball. Yuzvendra Chahal, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Avesh Khan and Rinku Singh, who arrived late in New York featured only in light training drills. The focus of the training session revolved around getting used to the pitch conditions that had considerable bounce in it.India play their first warm-up game against Bangladesh on Saturday.

England head into T20 World Cup title defense with 2-0 series win over Pakistan | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: Defending champions England blew away Pakistan by seven wickets at The Oval on Thursday in their final match before commencing their defense of the T20 World Cup title.Pakistan were restricted to a modest 157, largely due to the efforts of leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who claimed 2 for 27, earning him the player-of-the-match award.England’s chase got off to a blistering start with Phil Salt (45) and captain Jos Buttler (39) putting on a rapid 82-run opening partnership in just seven overs.The match concluded with Harry Brook hitting a six off paceman Haris Rauf, who was the standout bowler for Pakistan with figures of 3 for 38. England reached their target with more than three overs to spare.The victory secured a 2-0 win for England in the four-match T20 series after the games at Headingley and Cardiff were washed out.“We have worked hard in training and there is a good feeling around the squad,” Buttler told Sky Sports.“Guys are all stepping up and performing.”Buttler was leading England after his wife gave birth to the couple’s third child following his dashing 84 in the hosts’ 23-run win in the second T20 at Edgbaston.Earlier, Pakistan had made a promising start, reaching 59 for no loss after losing the toss in overcast conditions at The Oval.However, they experienced a collapse, slumping to 86 for 5. The slide began when captain Babar Azam was caught at slip for a well-made 36 off fast bowler Jofra Archer, while fellow England quick Mark Wood claimed two wickets with well-directed bouncers.“It would have been nice to get two more games in to expose a few guys to different situations,” Buttler added.“But we have really good experience in the group and a lot of guys have been playing in the IPL (Indian Premier League), so we are not short of cricket.”England will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Scotland in Barbados on June 4 while 2009 champions Pakistan will face co-hosts the United States in Dallas two days later.

Pakistan targets right T20 combination against understrength New Zealand | Cricket

Cricket in uncharted territory as T20 World Cup starts in Texas

Danijones5 months ago07 mins

Cricket ventures into uncharted territory on Saturday as the first ever major tournament to be staged in the United States gets under way in Texas with the opening game of the T20 World Cup. Cricket in uncharted territory as T20 World Cup starts in Texas A month-long festival of the fastest and most explosive form of the sport which is being shared between venues in Texas, Florida, New York and the Caribbean begins with the US taking on Canada at the Grand Prairie Stadium on the outskirts of Dallas on Saturday. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! It marks the opening skirmish of the first ever major International Cricket Council event to be held in part in the United States. While the bulk of the tournament will be played out in the Caribbean, 16 group stage games in the 20-team tournament will be played on American soil, including the highlight of the group stage a clash between India and Pakistan due to be played in Long Island, New York. The rest of the tournament will be held in the West Indies, including the Super Eight stage, the semi-finals and the final, which will be played at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. While cricket is widely played at a recreational level in the United States, with strong presences in all three of the states that have been chosen for games, organisers are realistic about the chances of “converting” mainstream American sports fans. Instead, they expect that the large immigrant communities from cricket-loving backgrounds, including thousands of India fans in particular, will pack the stadiums. “I think, number one, we want to celebrate those that are already fanatical lovers of cricket. They deserve to see the best players in the world come into their backyard and have that chance,” T20 World Cup USA, Inc. chief executive Brett Jones told AFP. “Number two, I think it’s about spiking curiosity in the game,” he said. The ICC also sees the tournament as a launch pad towards the sport’s return to the Olympics for Los Angeles 2028, when the T20 format will be used. Major League Cricket, a T20 tournament, was launched last year and also stands to benefit from any growth in interest in the big-hitting, spectacular shortest form. But it is not only the American market that the ICC is focused upon the expansion of the tournament has opened up opportunities for newer cricket nations to compete on the big stage. In recent years, the sport has been able to expand outside of its traditional strongholds with Ireland and Afghanistan earning places in the 12-strong elite with full Test status. But the ICC see the T20 format as the perfect vehicle for growing the game and this year’s edition will feature three T20 World Cup debutants in the USA, Canada and Uganda. Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Oman are among the other nations who are relatively new to the big stage and who will be looking to make their mark and grab some attention with an upset win. With the teams drawn in four groups of five teams, with just the top two advancing, none of the smaller nations are expected to progress beyond the group stage and there is a danger the pool stage could mainly be a ‘weeding out’ process. India, winners of the first edition in 2007, are the favourites, with their line-up packed with players from the annual Indian Premier League. Australia, winners of the ODI World Cup last year along with the World Test Championship, opted to leave out their veteran batsman Steve Smith but big-hitting David Warner and pacemen Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins provide plenty of experience. Other possible contenders include defending champions England, who will be without the star of their 2022 triumph Ben Stokes, who is managing his fitness after a knee operation. England warmed up for the tournament with a seven-wicket rout of Pakistan in London on Thursday. Co-hosts West Indies won the tournament in 2012 and 2016 and are hoping that they can benefit from familiarity with the surfaces in the region. South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan will all fancy their chances of making an impact in a tournament which always produces surprises. sev/rcw/dj This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

Dube, Gaikwad and other Indian stars teach “nuts and bolts” of cricket to US diplomats

Danijones5 months ago05 mins

New Delhi [India], : As India continues to gear up for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, some of the Indian star players, including Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and others, gave insights about cricket to US diplomats based in Mumbai. Dube, Gaikwad and other Indian stars teach “nuts and bolts” of cricket to US diplomats The marquee event will kick off on June 1, with the co-hosts, the USA, taking on Canada in the opening match. As the World Cup fever runs high, top India stars Mohammed Siraj, Gaikwad, his wife Utkarsha Pawar, Dube and Jitesh Sharma taught the “nuts and bolts” of cricket to the American diplomats. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! “As they head to the United States for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, Indian cricketers Mohammed Siraj, Utkarsha Pawar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and Jitesh Sharma teamed up to teach our American diplomats the nuts and bolts of cricket. Did our diplomats live up to the challenge,” US Consulate General Mumbai captioned a post on Instagram. Siraj offered tips on bowling, while Gaikwad and Dube helped the diplomats learn the art of batting. At the end of the video, the Indian players and US diplomats wished India the “best of luck” for the upcoming tournament. Last Sunday, the first batch of Indian players, including skipper Rohit Sharma, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and number-one-ranked T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav, left for the United States. At the Mumbai airport, besides skipper Rohit, Bumrah and Suryakumar, head coach Rahul Dravid, batting coach Vikram Rathour, batter Shubman Gill, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Dube, pacers Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel were also captured. India will start their T20 World Cup campaign on June 5 against Ireland at the newly constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Meanwhile, the most-awaited blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan will take place on June 9. They will later play tournament co-hosts USA and Canada to wrap up their Group A matches. In the tournament, India will be aiming to end their ICC trophy drought, having last won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. Since then, India has reached the 50-over World Cup final in 2023, the semifinals in 2015 and 2019, the title clash of the ICC World Test Championship in 2021 and 2023, T20 World Cup final in 2014 and the semifinals in 2016 and 2022, but has failed to secure a big ICC trophy. India will be aiming to win their first T20 WC title ever since they won the inaugural edition of the tournament back in 2007 in South Africa. In the last edition held in Australia in 2022, India lost to England by 10 wickets in the semifinals. India squad: Rohit Sharma , Hardik Pandya , Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant , Sanju Samson , Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. SirajReserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.