icc t20 world cup 2024

“It’s A Shame”: AB De Villiers On Racial Quota Chatter Around South Africa’s T20 World Cup Squad

Danijones5 months ago09 mins

AB De Villiers is not surprised that just days before South Africa renews its quest for an elusive World Cup, the talk back home is all about racial quota in the team. It’s a rinse-and-repeat sort of situation and de Villiers, who retired in 2018, is glad that he is a mere spectator to the situation now. “…it’s a shame going into a tournament to have the focus on that. I mean it’s nothing new, it’s just a shame,” lamented one of the greats of South African cricket. “Luckily this time around, I’ve had nothing to do with anything over there. I’m just a spectator,” the 40-year-old said in an interaction with PTI facilitated by ‘Jio Cinema’. The cause of outrage is the presence of just one black player in the squad for the T20 showpiece that will take place in the Americas from June 1. Considered the perennial bridesmaids, who tend to choke in crunch situations, South Africa somehow are always in the pre-tournament favourites bracket without actually living up to the tag. And having a deeply divisive topic take centre-stage just days before they begin their campaign is a far-from-ideal build-up for a country that has a troubled past when it comes to race relations. The Proteas will start off against the Netherlands in New York on June 8. Over the course of a season, six players of colour are required to be in the South Africa playing eleven including two from the black African community as per the policy introduced in 2016. With Kagiso Rabada being the only black African in the T20 World Cup squad, the national team is set to miss its target. Another black-African, Lungi Ngidi, is part of the travelling reserves. The other players of colour include Reeza Hendricks, Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi and Ottniel Baartman. “There are controversial moments back home as per usual with the South African squad just before a World Cup,” de Villiers said. “I think it’s a good team. It’s a shame about Lungi… (he) lost a bit of form, had a couple of injuries. Otherwise, he most probably would have been in the squad and there wouldn’t have been any controversial stuff back home,” he added. At the moment, Cricket South Africa doesn’t have a committee of selectors and the team is picked by head coaches Shukri Conrad (Tests) and Rob Walter (white-ball cricket). “Sometimes these things happen and it puts you under a bit of pressure as a selection panel and as a coach and a captain,” de Villiers said. “From what I remember is with the quota system, it’s an average team, an average number over the season and they don’t really look at every series, but as journalists sometimes enjoy steaming up things a bit,” he tried to put things in context. Following the selection of the squad earlier this month, former Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula and former CSA and ICC president Ray Mali questioned the composition of the side. “Only one African player selected in the Proteas Team for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 Team. Definitely a reserval (reversal) of the gains of transformation and doesn’t reflect fair representation of all South Africans in the national cricket tea,” Mbalula wrote on X. On SABC Sport, Mali said the game is heading backwards in the country. “I believe a lot has been achieved, but I believe we have gone backwards in terms of cricket – we have taken a step backwards instead of going forward,” said Mali. But de Villiers was a bit more empathetic towards those who made the choices and said he does not see anything sinister in the process. “Maybe they are short. Maybe they are well within their right to do whatever they were needed to do in this World Cup. “Keeping in mind there were a couple of injuries, a couple of out of form players. It’s never easy,” he said. On the upside, South Africa’s IPL stars have displayed ominous form in the preceding T20 league and that would surely give them confidence to go the distance in the World Cup too. Impact Player rule in IPL needs to be relooked ============================ Talking about the recently-concluded IPL, de Villiers said the Impact Player rule , which helped teams amass 250-plus totals as many as eight times this season, needs to be revised. “…what I really didn’t enjoy about the rule is actually subbing players who have already taken part in the game. That part of the rule doesn’t make sense. I feel it needs to be a fair swap. “If someone hasn’t taken part in the game, he needs to be swapped. If you feel that you are going to lack in the bowling or batting department, it’ll just make it a bit harder to strategise and it’ll be more of a risk to swap someone.” He also wants more than two fielders outside the ring in the powerplay. “I still feel T20 cricket needs to be a batters game, that’s why the fans come to the parks. They want to see the ball flying all over the park and into the night sky,” he said. “But I still you still want to see the bowlers outsmart batters sometimes…in the first six overs by maybe easing up on the restrictions. “Whether that’s four or five outside, I don’t know exactly but at least the bowler can plan,” he reasoned. Topics mentioned in this article

“Chakkay Kyun Kha Rae Aap?”: Female Fan’s Bizarre Remark On Pakistan Star’s Form Is Viral

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan’s form has been a point of concern for the team heading into the T20 World Cup in the Americas. In his last two T20I outings, Shadab has leaked 109 runs at an economy rate of over 12, while also remaining wicketless. Before their opening game of the tournament against USA on June 6, Pakistan only have one official game left to play as the first and third T20Is of their four-match series against England were washed out. On Tuesday, Shadab had an awkward interaction with a female fan in Cardiff. In a viral video, the fan questioned Shadab regarding his recent form. In the video, the female fan urged Shadab that he needs to take wickets and stop leaking runs. “Aap chakkay kyun kha rahe hain? Form mein wapis aayein. Wicketein leni hai aapne (Why are you conceding sixes? Get your form back. You need to pick wickets),” a female fan can be seen asking Shadab in a viral video. “ap chakay kyun kha rahe hain form mein wapis ayein wicktein leni hain ap ne” so real pic.twitter.com/5DmS5kfXx3 — noor (@pctobssessed) May 28, 2024 Meanwhile, Pakistan’s World Cup preparations were again dented by bad weather as the third international in Cardiff on Tuesday was abandoned without a ball being bowled. The woeful scenes in the Welsh capital followed another complete washout in the first of this four-match T20 series at Headingley. England remain 1-0 up with one to play at The Oval on Thursday after a 23-run win in at Edgbaston but this latest abandonment came just a week before they begin their T20 World Cup title defence against Scotland in Barbados on June 4. Rain in Cardiff on Tuesday started to fall steadily an hour before the scheduled 11:30 PM (IST) start, with a capacity 15,600 crowd expected at Sophia Gardens. But the bad weather delayed the toss, with the pitch and square at Sophia Gardens remaining fully covered. And minutes after a 1:10 AM (IST) inspection, the umpires abandoned the match due to a saturated outfield and persistent rain. The teams will now travel to London for Thursday’s finale at The Oval in the hope of one last chance for competitive action ahead of the T20 World Cup. Pakistan, the 2009 T20 World Cup winners, start this year’s tournament against co-hosts the United States in Dallas on June 6. (With AFP Inputs) Topics mentioned in this article

ICC Breaks Silence Over Terror Threat To India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup Game

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

Ahead of the high-octane India versus Pakistan clash in the ICC T20 World Cup on June 9, security cover will be raised at New York’s Eisenhower Park stadium following reports of threats to the match, reported ESPNCricinfo. As per a statement by the governor’s office, the situation is being monitored and according to their intel “there is no credible public safety threat at this time.” Eisenhower Park Stadium, located 25 miles east of Manhattan, is the host of eight ICC T20 WC matches from June 3 to 12, including the battle between two Asian arch-rivals. The governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, said that she is working with the law enforcement authorities to make sure these games go on smoothly. “I have also directed the New York State Police to engage in elevated security measures, including an increased law enforcement presence, advanced surveillance, and thorough screening processes,” she said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo. “Public safety is my top priority and we are committed to ensuring the Cricket World Cup is a safe, enjoyable experience,” she added. ESPNCricinfo has learnt that no corroborative evidence has been found by authorities to back the reported threat. But the International Cricket Council (ICC) has said that security will be “robust” throughout the tournament across all venues. An ICC spokesperson said, “The safety and security of everyone at the event is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place. We work closely with authorities in our host countries and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event.” India will be playing four games in the US, including their campaign opener against Ireland (June 5), the match against Pakistan (June 9), against the USA (June 12) and the final group stage game against Canada (in Florida on June 15). The Men in Blue have arrived in New York since Tuesday and have been training, though star India batter Virat Kohli is yet to reach as he has been given a break following a brilliant Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), securing the Orange Cap for most runs with 741 runs in 15 games. Earlier this month, the ICC and Cricket West Indies, the co-hosts of the World Cup along with the US, reassured that every measure possible is being taken to ensure the safety of the fans and the players. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

India Hold Top Spot In ICC Rankings Heading Into T20 World Cup 2024

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

Inaugural T20 World Cup winners India held the top spot in the men’s T20I team rankings ahead of the upcoming edition of the tournament, which the West Indies and USA are co-hosting from June 1-29. India have 264 rating points. Two-time champions West Indies have moved up to fourth position, their players showing some great form ahead of the T20 showpiece. The winners of the 2012 and 2016 editions of the tournament are ahead of New Zealand and South Africa after their 3-0 win over South Africa, who were pushed down to seventh position in the list led by India. 2021 champions Australia are second with 257 points, defending champions England third with 254 points and the West Indies two points behind them on 252. New Zealand are on 250 while Pakistan and South Africa are both on 244 points with Pakistan slightly ahead on decimal points. The West Indies players too have reaped the benefits of their superb performances in the home series not long before their tournament opener against Papua New Guinea in Guyana on June 2. Opening batter Brandon King is up five places to eighth position after topping the series aggregate with 159 runs and Johnson Charles, who hammered 69 off 26 balls to be named Player of the Match in the third T20I, is up 17 places to 20th. Kyle Mayers is another batter to move up, gaining 12 places to reach 31st position with an aggregate of 102 runs while left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie has advanced a whopping 84 places to 27th after finishing with eight wickets in the series. In the latest weekly update that also considers performances in the last two matches of the Bangladesh-USA series and the ongoing series between England and Pakistan, England captain Jos Buttler has inched up to seventh position, Jonny Bairstow is up eight places to 36th while Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman has advanced from 57th to 51st. In the bowling rankings, Shaheen Afridi is up three places to 11th while Imad Wasim is another Pakistan player to gain, up 14 places to 38th. For the USA, Steven Taylor has made big gains, progressing 28 places to 109 in the batting rankings while for Bangladesh, Rishad Hussain has moved up 38 places to 52nd in the bowling rankings. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

Twenty20 World Cup countdown: South Africa has the firepower to pass the Group D test

Danijones5 months ago08 mins

In The Hindu’s countdown to the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup which commences in the West Indies and USA on June 2, we take a look at the teams in Group D. South Africa: A second-string South African side was swept 0-3 in the T20I series against West Indies a few days ago. The arrival of powerful reinforcements — Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Tristan Stubbs, to name a few — gives the T20 World Cup squad far greater depth. Quinton de Kock, who has retired from ODI and Test cricket, is a familiar face at the top of the order. The poor form of de Kock and lead pacer Anrich Nortje, however, is cause for concern. Tristan Stubbs. | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar Key player: Tristan Stubbs: With a strike rate of 190.90 and an average of 54 for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, Stubbs excelled as a specialist finisher. The squad: Aiden Markram (Capt.), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Tristan Stubbs. Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka has won all three of its T20I series held this year, albeit against weaker teams (Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe). The team is led by experienced all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who missed the IPL due to an injury. In Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, the Lankans have two quality spinners primed to exploit slow pitches in the West Indies. Sri Lanka will hope that death-over bowling specialist Matheesha Pathirana recovers quickly from a hamstring strain. Kusal Mendis. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar Key player: Kusal Mendis: The 29-year-old opener will be entrusted with giving SL a flying start. His role is especially crucial given that the batting line-up lacks big hitters. The squad: Wanindu Hasaranga (Capt.), Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, and Dilshan Madushanka. Bangladesh: The Tigers had a major slip in the build up to the T20 World Cup, losing 1-2 to World No. 19 United States of America in a T20I series last week. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and coach Chandika Hathurusinghe rely on the same set of players to come good in this mega event. The unit’s lack of power-hitters is out of sync with modern T20 best practices. A warm-up match against India on June 1 serves as the last chance to get the house in order. Mustafizur Rahman | Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini Key player: Mustafizur Rahman: A career-best six for 10 against USA proved that the left-arm seamer remains a valuable T20 asset. Mustafizur’s ability to deliver yorkers is particularly useful in the death overs. The squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Capt.), Taskin Ahmed, Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmud Ullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanvir Islam, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Netherlands: Known to consistently punch above its weight, Netherlands earned its spot in this tournament by virtue of finishing in the top-eight of the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. That campaign included a 13-run win over South Africa in the Super 12 phase, which effectively knocked the Proteas out of the competition. Netherlands will miss the services of former SA international Roelof van der Merwe and batter Colin Ackermann, both of whom have chosen English county commitments over National duty. Netherlands batsman Max O’Dowd | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam Key player: Max O’Dowd: The Auckland-born opener is the standout batter. In the recent Tri-Nation T20I series involving Ireland, Netherlands, and Scotland, O’Dowd finished as the highest run-scorer. The squad: Scott Edwards (Capt.), 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, Viv Kingma, and Wesley Barresi. Nepal: Nepal qualified for the 2024 T20 WC by entering the final of the ICC’s Asia region qualifiers in November last year. Nepal had previously appeared in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. Apart from the recent five-match T20 leg against West Indies A, Nepal has not got the chance to test its mettle against quality oppositions. Nepal captain Rohit Paudel | Photo Credit: AFP Key player: Rohit Paudel: Facing a West Indies A attack which included Obed McCoy, Oshane Thomas, and Roston Chase, captain Paudel showed his class with scores of 112, 71 n.o. and 82. The squad: Rohit Paudel (Capt.), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, K.C. Karan, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, G.C. Pratis, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, and Kamal Singh Airee.

Injured Taskin Ahmed Receives Surprise Call-Up To Bangladesh T20 World Cup Squad

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

Despite nursing a side strain, pacer Taskin Ahmed was on Tuesday included in Bangladesh’s squad for the T20 World Cup to be held in the Americas next month. Ahmed, who has also been named the vice-captain, picked up the injury ahead of the fifth T20I against Zimbabwe last week. But before that the 29-year-old had a great outing in the series, bagging eight wickets in four games at an impressive economy rate of 4.56. The Tigers will be led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, as all the familiar and experienced players have been included in the squad of 15. Opener Litton Das too has been named in the squad despite his poor recent form. Star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is the senior-most player in the squad, having featured in every event since its inception in 2007. Bangladesh will start their campaign against Sri Lanka on June 7 in Dallas, Texas. They have been clubbed in Group D, which also has South Africa, Netherlands and Nepal. It will be their ninth straight appearance in the tournament, qualifying this time based on the T20I Team Rankings criteria set by the International Cricket Council. Bangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Taskin Ahmed (vc), Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Tanvir Islam, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan. Travelling reserves: Hasan Mahmud, Afif Hossain. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

BCCI Breaks Silence After Trinidad PM Reveals Terror Threat To T20 World Cup, Report Says It’s From ISIS

Danijones6 months ago6 months ago06 mins

The T20 World Cup in the Americas has received a terror threat, Trinidad’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has revealed even as the ICC asserted that a “comprehensive and robust security plan” is in place to “mitigate any risks” to the showpiece beginning June 1. The tournament — featuring 20 teams, including India — is scattered across nine venues, six of them in the West Indies. As of now, the threat, according to media reports, is specific to the West Indies, which aside from some preliminary matches, will be hosting the entire Super 8 stage along with the semifinals and the final on June 29. “Unfortunately, the threat of terrorism in its many and varied expressions is an ever-present danger in the world of the 21st century,” Rowley was quoted as saying by ‘Trinidad Daily Express’ here. Rowley did not name any organisation but reports here stated that the Islamic State made the threat through its propaganda channel. The ICC responded to the development with a statement assuring preparedness. “Safety and security of everyone at the event is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place,” a spokesperson of the global body said in a statement issued to PTI. “We work closely with authorities in our host countries and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event.” Rowley said “extra effort in national security preparations and response readiness” will be put in to neutralise the danger. “Given the fact that bad actors can choose to misbehave in any way possible, it makes it virtually impossible to completely seal off all opportunities,” he said. “However, in order to ameliorate these dangers, we at the local and regional levels have remained alert to many threats and singularly or together have our intelligence and other security agencies working to protect the population in countries and at venues throughout the tournament,” he added. The World Cup matches in the West Indies will be held in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago. The US leg will feature games in Florida, New York and Texas. New York will host the marquee India-Pakistan clash on June 9. Cricket West Indies said everything is being done to ensure foolproof security at the mega-event. “We work closely with authorities in the host countries and cities, and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event,” CWI CEO Jonny Graves told ‘Cricbuzz’. “We want to assure all stakeholders that safety and security of everyone at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place,” he added. BCCI’s response Talking about the development, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla told ANI: “As far as threat is concerned, the responsibility of security lies with the security agencies of the country that is hosting the game. Every precaution will be taken. We will take whatever steps are necessary for the safety of the players and spectators. We will talk to the agencies responsible for carrying out the World Cup. We will go according to the decision taken by the central government. We will be in touch with WI and USA Govts. All precautions will be taken. We wil be in touch with the ICC to take all necessary measures.” #WATCH On the issue of terror threat to T20 World Cup 2024, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla says, “As far as threat is concerned, the responsibility of security lies with the security agencies of the country that is hosting the game. Every precaution will be taken. We will take… pic.twitter.com/M9iFDc3x7E — ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2024

Barbecues, Crane, Night Club: Uganda’s T20 World Cup Team Reveal Hailed As “Most Innovative”. Watch

Danijones6 months ago6 months ago04 mins

The T20 World Cup squads for various teams are out. The 2024 T20 World Cup will be played in West Indies and USA from June 2 while the final will be played on June 29. This time a record 20 teams are playing in the marquee event. The teams have been divided in four groups of five teams each. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Eights. Out of them four teams will qualify for the semi-finals. Recently Indian team announced its squad for the event. However, one team announcement went viral and that was of New Zealand’s. Two kids introduced the teams. But it seems social media has found a new favourite in Uganda’s team announcement. In the Ugandan announcement, a man can be seen going to different places like market, nightclub, gym when he is handed a card with the player’s name. Uganda booked their spot in the competition with a nine-wicket victory over Rwanda in November, 2023 and what followed was a spirited celebration from the team members and staff. Uganda announced their T20 World Cup squad in style. – The innovation from New Zealand and now Uganda have been excellent.https://t.co/tHPDHkL2fE — Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 6, 2024 UGANDA T20I WORLD CUP SQUAD 2024….!!!! – The best innovative way to announce the team award goes to Uganda. https://t.co/QrZFWc7NRI — Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 6, 2024 Uganda Team Squad for T20 World Cup 2024. Innovative way to announce thier squad after NZ.#T20WorldCup2024 #ugandacricket https://t.co/coTVWO0TVn — Venky_K (@VenkyK_Offic) May 6, 2024 Uganda off-spinner Frank Nsubuga is set to become the oldest cricketer to play in the upcoming T20 World Cup at the age of 43. On Monday, the Uganda Cricket Association announced a 15-member squad for the marquee event set to be held in the Americas from June 2, the nation’s first-ever appearance in the main round of the competition. Brian Masaba will lead the side, while Riazat Ali Shah has been named his deputy. In the Africa Qualifiers, Uganda finished second in the Regional Final, behind Namibia, to seal their berth. They will get their campaign underway versus Afghanistan on June 3 in Guyana, having been clubbed in Group C, which also includes New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and hosts West Indies. Uganda squad: Brian Masaba (c), Riazat Ali Shah (vc), Kenneth Waiswa, Dinesh Nakrani, Frank Nsubuga, Ronak Patel, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Bilal Hassun, Fred Achelam, Robinson Obuya, Simon Ssesazi, Henry Ssenyondo, Alpesh Ramjani and Juma Miyaji. Reserve players:Ronald Lutaaya and Innocent Mwebaze.

Watch: India’s T20 World Cup 2024 Jersey Is Here, Gets Unveiled In Style

Danijones6 months ago6 months ago03 mins

The official jersey of the Indian cricket team for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 is here and the launch video featured a stylish entry at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. Sportswear brand Adidas took to social media to provide a sneak peek into the official jersey and the video featured Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma along with his teammates – Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja. There were rumours about a possible leak in connection to the jersey design but the fans on social media were thrilled by the launch and most of them expressed their anticipation for the tournament. INDIA’S T20 WORLD CUP JERSEY LAUNCH IN DHARAMSHALA. 🇮🇳 – Rohit, Jadeja, Kuldeep featured in the launch video. pic.twitter.com/XZ4PeAz9Qq — Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 6, 2024 KL Rahul, Rinku Singh and Shubman Gill were the major omissions in India’s squad for the World Cup while veteran spinner Yuzvendra Chahal made a sensational comeback in the national team While Gill and Rinku did find a spot in the reserves, KL Rahul was completely snubbed as the selectors decided to go with two wicket-keeping options who can bat in the middle-order – Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson. Shivam Dube was a surprise inclusion in the squad after the all-rounder impressed both fans and experts with his explosive batting for Chennai Super Kings. There were some questions over Hardik Pandya’s spot after a disappointing IPL 2024 campaign but the selectors decided to show their trust in him by handing him the vice-captaincy for the competition. India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2024: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah. Reserves:Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan

“There’s Terror Threat To T20 World Cup”: Trinidad And Tobago PM Reveals; ICC Reacts

Danijones6 months ago05 mins

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has said it is working closely with Men’s T20 World Cup host countries – the West Indies and the USA – to ensure appropriate plans are in place amidst a terror threat to the showpiece event. The men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place in the West Indies and the USA from June 1-29. Reports emerged from various sections in the Caribbean media that the World Cup hosting islands in the region received terror threats from an organisation in North Pakistan. “ICC is working closely with the host countries to ensure appropriate plans are in place. We immediately spoke to the authorities as the reports emerged, and the Cricket West Indies has assured everyone that a comprehensive security plan is in place to address any risk,” an ICC official told IANS when asked about the terror threat to the Men’s T20 World Cup. Dr Keith Rowley, the Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, said to Daily Express that the security agencies are working to combat terror threats to the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. “Unfortunately, the threat of terrorism in its many and varied expressions is an ever-present danger in the world of the 21st century. It is against this backdrop that all nations, like our region, when hosting large or vulnerable gatherings, make an extra effort in national security preparations and response readiness to take seriously, all threats, expressed or implied. “Given the fact that bad actors can choose to misbehave in any way possible it makes it virtually impossible to completely seal off all opportunities. However, in order to ameliorate these dangers, we at the local and regional levels have remained alert to many threats and singularly or together have our intelligence and other security agencies working to protect the population in countries and at venues throughout the tournament,” said Rowley. In the Caribbean, Kensington Oval in Barbados, Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad, Providence Stadium in Guyana, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia and Arnos Vale Stadium, St Vincent will be the hosts for matches of T20 World Cup. In the USA, Eisenhower Park in New York; Broward County in Lauderhill, Florida and Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas, will be the venues. 20 teams will be divided into four groups of five each for the first round. Top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super eight stage. In Super Eight, teams will be split into two groups of four each. Teams seeded first and second in their groups in the first round will retain that seeding in the Super Eight, provided they qualify. A1, B2, C1 and D2 finishers will be in one group, while A2, B1, C2 and D1 will be slotted in the other group. Top two sides from two groups of the Super eight will advance for the semi-finals. The semi-finals will be held in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago on June 26 and 27 respectively. The final will be held in Barbados on June 29. Reserve days are in place for both semi-finals and the final. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article