ICC World Cup 2019: Jofra Archer among the three players picked in England’s final 15-man squad

Published on May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 in England/Jofra Archer/News/World Cup by Anirudh Singh

England have included fast bowler Jofra Archer in their squad for the upcoming World Cup in place of David Willey and also picked left-arm spinner Liam Dawson along with opener James Vince.

England’s chief selector Ed Smith confirmed the final 15-man squad on Tuesday in London.

Archer was picked in the squad for the ODI series against Pakistan where he showed his potential by claiming three wickets at an average of 36 and a strike-rate of 44.

However, Dawson’s inclusion raised eyebrows as he last played an ODI in October 2018 and was outside of the 15-man preliminary squad that was announced earlier.

Dawson, who bowls left-arm spin and can bat as well, comes in for Joe Denly, who couldn’t quite impress the selectors with the limited opportunities he got – he bowled just six overs across the two games he played in and scored 17 in the 21 balls he faced.

Dawson, meanwhile, picked 18 wickets and scored 274 runs in 9 games in the One-Day Cup as holders Hampshire topped the South Group, beat Lancashire in the semi-final to book a final date with Somerset – to be played on May 25.

On the batting front, the one forced change made in the squad is of Alex Hales, who was suspended from all squads following a failed drug test. Hales, who was initially part of the 15, was then replaced by James Vince in the Pakistan series.

Squad:

Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

ICC World Cup 2019: Ricky Ponting picks his title-favourites for the tournament

Published on May 21, 2019 in News/Ricky Ponting/World Cup by Anirudh Singh

Only a few days are left for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 to begin and all the 10 participating teams are busy giving the final touches to their preparations. The experts are busy predicting the semi-finalists and the probable title winners even though it is the most difficult tasks before the tournament starts.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has also given his verdict on the upcoming World Cup, picking his title-favourites. The two-time World Cup winning captain has put his weight behind hosts England.

Explaining the reason behind his pick, Ponting said England are currently in great form and the fact that the World Cup will be played in their own backyard, it will also act as an added advantage for Eoin Morgan-led side.

“Initially, it would be England for two reasons. England have started playing well in limited overs and the tournament will be played on home. Naturally, they will have some home advantage,” Ponting told Times of India.

The former Australia skipper, however, was quick to point that England will face tough competition from India and Australia. “But England will be challenged by India and Australia,” he said.

England will go into the World Cup as the No. 1 ranked ODI side. They thumped Pakistan 4-0 in the recently-concluded five-match ODI series with their batsmen putting up scores in excess of 340 in all the matches.

Hailing the format of the 2019 World Cup, Ponting said it will provide all teams an equal opportunity and sides like, South Africa, Pakistan and West Indies can spoil the party of the top-ranked teams. “This would be a very open World Cup. Although England are clear favourites, there are other strong teams who can cause upsets,” Ponting added.

England will take on South Africa in the first match of the tournament at the Oval on May 30.

Suresh Raina asks Suriya Sivakumar about his favourite CSK player, the Tamil actor gives a classy reply

Published on May 20, 2019 in Chennai Super Kings/News/Suresh Raina by Anirudh Singh

There has been a great camaraderie between cricketers and actors, and the bond has only grown since the start of Indian Premier League (IPL).

On Monday, the Tamil actor Suriya Sivakumar, who is gearing up for his upcoming film NGK, started live streaming on social media platform Twitter to interact with his fans and Indian cricketer Suresh Raina too made appearance on the video.

Suriya had asked his fans to ask him anything and Raina replied to the post with an interesting question.

The southpaw asked Suriya about his favourite cricketer from the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Which player is from chennai super kings is yours favourite and why ?? 😋

— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) May 20, 2019

Suriya was delighted to see someone like Raina taking time out of his busy schedule and ask him a question on his live stream.

“What are you saying (laughs). It’s unbelievable you know that you had time and you were able to do this. Very very sweet of you. My love to all at home and to the little princess too. Definitely, I don’t want to be partial, but I need to name, I think you will accept it too. Mr. Mahi, MS Dhoni because I met him first in the team and after that, I had the option to meet you in Chennai,” Suriya replied back.

“Very very sweet of you to come and say hello first. I still cherish the picture we clicked with each other. Lovely to be in touch and completely enjoyed the last season. Always a CSK fan,” he added.

@ImRaina @msdhoni #Mahe pic.twitter.com/pIzzxF6m0Y

— Vinoth_Sfc 🗯 (@vinoth_sfc) May 20, 2019

WATCH: Jos Buttler does a MS Dhoni to run-out Sarfaraz Ahmed

Published on May 20, 2019 in England/Jos Buttler/News/Pakistan/Sarfaraz Ahmed/Video by Anirudh Singh

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed missed out on completing a hundred, thanks to England’s wicket-keeper Jos Buttler who in his unconventional style sent the former back to the hut on 97 in the fifth and final ODI at Headingley on Sunday.

In the 32nd over of Pakistan’s innings, Sarfraz tried to guide a Moeen Ali delivery towards the third man. Almost in a reflex action, Buttler stopped the ball by lifting his right leg, much like veteran keeper MS Dhoni can be seen during India matches and in the IPL.

Sarfraz started to run for a single and failed to get his bat back into the crease when he realised that the ball was in Buttler’s hands.

The English wicket-keeper was quick enough to pick up the ball and dislodge the bails off in a flash.

Sarfaraz’s dismissal hurt Pakistan’s chances to come anywhere near the mammoth total of 351 as they were bundled out for 297 in 46.5 overs.

Here’s the video:

What was that 👏 pic.twitter.com/a31qqZqkDH

— Sarah Taylor (@SarahTheCricket) May 20, 2019

WATCH: Adil Rashid pulls off a brilliant no-look run-out to dismiss Babar Azam

Published on May 20, 2019May 21, 2019 in Adil Rashid/Babar Azam/England/News/Pakistan/Video by Anirudh Singh

England’s Adil Rashid pulled off a brilliant run-out against Pakistan in the fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) at Headingley in Leeds.

The incident happened in the 27th over of Pakistan’s innings, when the tourists were chasing a mammoth target of 352 runs. Babar was batting on 80 off 83 balls with skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed at the other end. Sarfaraz pushed one on the leg side and was looking to take a quick single before deciding against it.

However, Babar, by then, had reached the middle of the pitch as wicket-keeper Jos Buttler quickly collected the ball and threw it towards the bowler. Before Babar could reach back, Rashid plucked the ball and executed a perfect no-look run out. The dismissal turned the game in England’s favour as Pakistan were looking on course towards the target with Babar in splendid touch.

Here’s the video:

Stop what you’re doing and watch this piece of skill!

Live clips:https://t.co/0VhYlHMdZw #EngvPak pic.twitter.com/KMmhe2ZZug

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 19, 2019

Pakistan were eventually bundled out for 297 runs and thus lost the match by 54 runs. The tourists also lost the five-match series by 4-0 as the first ODI was washed out due to rain. Prior to the ODI series, Pakistan suffered a defeat in the one-off T20I against England as well.

Kuldeep Yadav names the Indian cricketers who are best PUBG players

Published on May 20, 2019 in India/Kuldeep Yadav/MS Dhoni/News by Anirudh Singh

PUBG Mobile enjoys an incredible amount of success around the world. The game got millions hooked on to their mobile screens in their quest for the ‘Chicken Dinner’. Believe it or not, there is a long list of cricketers who also found themselves addicted to the massively popular online game.

Back in December 2018, PUBG Mobile registered over 200 million users. It also won the title of ‘the best game of the year’ on Google Play. PUBG Mobile continues to justify its popularity with engaging features introduced in the gameplay throughout different seasons. Thus, it should not be a surprise that several Indian cricketers also tried their hand at the survival game and got addicted to it.

We have seen the players playing PUBG on their smartphones and tablets before departing to Australia for the full-fledged series in November 2018.

As we wait for the departure announcement from Mumbai, some of them are playing a very popular multiplayer game. #TeamIndia

Any guesses? pic.twitter.com/Y1n8AdHxhn

— BCCI (@BCCI) October 30, 2018

While interacting with ESPNCricinfo, Indian spin bowler Kuldeep Yadav revealed the best PUBG players among the Indian cricketers. He named former skipper MS Dhoni, Manish Pandey, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Kedar Jadhav as the best players of the game in the Indian team.

We haven’t really seen Team India players all play PUBG together, but maybe that will happen during the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales.

ICC World Cup 2019: Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Asif Ali included in Pakistan’s final 15-man squad

Published on May 20, 2019 in Asif Ali/Mohammad Amir/News/Wahab Riaz by Anirudh Singh

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced their final 15-man squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, with the experienced pace duo of Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz included in place of Junaid Khan and Faheem Ashraf, while batsman Asif Ali replaced Abid Ali, who was a part of the preliminary squad.

Amir and Wahab have been called up after Pakistan’s seam attack struggled against England during the recently concluded one day international series, conceding scores in excess of 340 on four occasions in a row.

Amir, who has recently recovered from chickenpox, had been on standby after missing out on the initial 15-man party.

Riaz will join the squad on May 22, while Amir returned to gym work on Saturday, and will soon be ready to rejoin his teammates in full training after his illness.

Chairman of the Pakistan selection committee, Inzamam-ul-Haq, said: “Junaid and Faheem had been originally preferred over a few other bowlers based on their recent performances and the investment we had made on them since 2017.”

“They had the opportunity to cement their Word Cup spots, but they were well below-par in the series against England even though they were up against the difficult challenge of bowling on placid and batsmen-friendly wickets.”

“After it became obvious that the bat is likely to dominate the ball in the World Cup, we revisited our strategy and reverted to the pace of Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz. Furthermore, Amir and Wahab give the fast bowling attack more experience to back and support the relatively inexperienced but immensely talent Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Hasnain,” he added.

Pakistan’s final 15-man squad:

Sarfraz Ahmed (c, wk), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Hasnain.

Cricketing fraternity pour heartfelt condolences to Asif Ali’s two-year-old daughter Noor Fatima

Published on May 20, 2019 in Asif Ali/News/Pakistan/Twitter Reactions by Anirudh Singh

Pakistan batsman Asif Ali’s two-year-old daughter Noor Fatima, who was fighting stage four cancer, died at a hospital in the United States. Asif Ali is expected to leave the tour of England following the death of his daughter.

Earlier on Sunday, the 27-year-old Ali scored a 17-ball 22 during Pakistan’s 54-run defeat against England in the fifth and final ODI at Headingley in Leeds. With this win, England also clinched the series 4-0 after the opening match was washed out due to rain.

Ali featured in every game of the series, scoring two fifties with a career best of 52 in the third ODI at The Rose Bowl in Bristol.

Fraternity comes in support of Asif and his family

The cricketing fraternity was soon behind Asif Ali after the news broke out. While he is now expected to be with his family and is known to have left England as well, Twitterverse has shown support to the cricketer in these tough times.

The likes of Dean Jones, Michael Clarke, Misbah Ul Haq, Mohammad Hafeez and many current and former cricketers have expressed their condolences for Asif Ali and his family via Twitter.

On behalf of my family and the @IsbUnited players and families… we send our condolences and love to @AasifAli2018 and his family on the passing of his beautiful daughter. #staystrongAsif 😪

— Dean Jones (@ProfDeano) May 20, 2019

Absolutely devastating mate. Thoughts and prayers with @AasifAli2018 and family https://t.co/PkdTdQrjb9

— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) May 20, 2019

Really sad to know about the daughter of @AasifAli2018 .My prayers are with you and your family https://t.co/97d6P9fw6W fought bravely in such tough circumstances and tried your best to save her but Allah knows better. May Allah help u in this toughest moment of sorrow.

— Misbah Ul Haq (@captainmisbahpk) May 20, 2019

May almighty ALLAH bless @AasifAli2018 daughter JANNAH 🤲🏼 Aameen , Stay strong إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) May 19, 2019

Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family @AasifAli2018 😢😢😢🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

— Ashwell Prince (@ashyp_5) May 20, 2019

Extremely heart broken with the news of @AasifAli2018 daughter passing away my heart and duas goes out to the family may Allah pak grant them all with sabar. :(:(:

— Mohammad Amir (@iamamirofficial) May 19, 2019

Such a sad news!!
Thoughts & Prayers for @AasifAli2018 & his family..
May Allah SWT give his family courage & strength to go through this unimaginable time of grief!🙁

— Syeda Nain Abidi (@SyedaNain18) May 20, 2019

Inna lillah hi wa inna eliehi rajioon very sad to hear about the death of @AasifAli2018 daughter may Allah bless her with jannah Ameen.

— Azhar Ali (@AzharAli_) May 19, 2019

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ My heartfelt condolences are with @AasifAli2018 on loss of his beloved daughter May Allah Grant her highest place in Jannah & give strength to family to bear the loss Ameen

— Kamran Akmal (@KamiAkmal23) May 19, 2019

إنّا لِلّه واِنَّااِلیْهِ راجِعُوٌنٌ
.@AasifAli2018 daughter has passed away 😭 she was fighting against stage 4 cancer. Last few months have been very tough for the whole family.
May ALLAH give him and the rest of the family patience and strength to bear such a Huge loss. #RIP

— Saeed Ajmal (@REALsaeedajmal) May 19, 2019

Absolutely heartbroken to hear the news of the passing away of your little angel @AasifAli2018 May Allah grant you and your family lot of strength to bear this loss. She will be your source to jannah. It’s so so heard for a parent to go through such a trauma.

— Umar Gul (@mdk_gul) May 19, 2019

Left with no words after learning about @AasifAli2018 little daughter.
Really heart breaking news it is💔
I am praying that your faith will help you through this very difficult time. I pray that you will find the strength to get you through your grief and sadness.Ameen

— Ahmad Shahzad 🇵🇰 (@iamAhmadshahzad) May 19, 2019

انا لله وانا اليه راجعون
Allah @AasifAli2018 bhai ki beti ko jaanat naseeb farmaye aur un ki family ko sabr de. Asif bhai jesa saabir insaan maine nahi dekha. Asif bhai is mushkil waqt mai hum sub aap ke saath hein.

— Shadab Khan (@76Shadabkhan) May 19, 2019

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.
"We belong to Allah and to Allah we shall return."
Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of your daughter @AasifAli2018, it’s the most difficult thing a parent can face. May Allah bless her soul and give you all sabr. Ameen

— Wahab Riaz (@WahabViki) May 19, 2019

Twitter Reactions: Chris Woakes picks up a 5-fer as England clean sweep Pakistan to win the series 4-0

Published on May 20, 2019 in Chris Woakes/England/News/Pakistan/Twitter Reactions by Anirudh Singh

England have sent a warning signal to their rivals in the upcoming World Cup by completing a 4-0 sweep of Pakistan in a five-match ODI series. Eoin Morgan & Co. thrashed Sarfaraz Ahmed-led Pakistan by 54 runs in the fifth ODI at Headingley in Leeds on Sunday.

During the course of another dominant win, England also set up a new record by becoming the first team to score four 340-plus totals on the trot in ODIs. Pakistan had the opportunity to equal the record during their chase of 352 but England all-rounder Chris Woakes had other ideas.

Woakes picked up a brilliant five-fer (10-2-54-5) on a batting friendly track and guided his side to bowl out the tourists for 297 in 46.5 overs.

Well, England managed to box out Pakistan with their batting unit throughout the series. The English batsmen had chased down 340-plus totals in the 3rd and 4th ODIs earlier this week with relative ease after the hosts defended a 374-run target in the second ODI on May 11.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to England’s dominance:

For figures of 10-2-54-5, Chris Woakes is the Player of the Match 👏 👏 pic.twitter.com/8H1yOyMfCp

— ICC (@ICC) May 19, 2019

Four-plus wkt hauls in ODIs for England – on most occasions
13 – James Anderson in 194 games
12 – Darren Gough in 158 games
12 – Chris Woakes in 88 games 😱#EngvPak

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) May 19, 2019

🏅 @chriswoakes making the Bear very proud today with 🖐 for the third time in ODIs

🐻#YouBears #MTBP pic.twitter.com/S2iOqc4618

— Warwickshire CCC 🏏 (@WarwickshireCCC) May 19, 2019

Chris Woakes' first two overs ball-by-ball:

00W00000W00W#ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/80SMkxHvGB

— William Hill (@WilliamHill) May 19, 2019

2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ 👏 👏

200 List A wickets for @chriswoakes

The 🧙‍♂️ is at it again!#ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/OzafyKH7Tc

— PCA (@PCA) May 19, 2019

England win by 54 runs.

The series is clinched 4 nil.

5 wickets for @chriswoakes

Next stop the World Cup! #BBCCricket #ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/I4CGmRIxpF

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) May 19, 2019

Brilliant @chriswoakes 🙌 https://t.co/yLEYrZWeKO

— England's Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) May 19, 2019

Three explosive knocks at the top of the order earn Jason Roy the Player of the Series award 👏 👏 pic.twitter.com/N3dZehwqv6

— ICC (@ICC) May 19, 2019

Jason Roy won the 4th ODI for England!#ENGvPAK #4thODI pic.twitter.com/Y8UpuVssbK

— The Cricket Times (@CricketTimesHQ) May 19, 2019

ICC World Cup 2019: Brendon McCullum reveals MS Dhoni’s role in Virat Kohli-led Team India

Published on May 20, 2019May 20, 2019 in Brendon McCullum/MS Dhoni/News/Virat Kohli by Anirudh Singh

Backing MS Dhoni to be one of the luminaries of Virat Kohli-led Team India at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and Wales, former New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum said that the former Indian skipper still understands of the game well and his ability to read pressure scenarios sets him apart.

“He is invaluable to the Indian team, he has a blueprint in his mind along with an approach to the game. He always puts the opposition under pressure when he arrives at the crease and reads the game perfectly. His fitness has been great, and he has been striking the ball beautifully in the recent past,” McCullum said while speaking to Star Sports.

Dhoni’s form has been brilliant in the recent past, and he was instrumental for captain Kohli & Co. when they were Down Under and thanks to his series of match-winning performances against Australia; Dhoni’s selection for the 15-man India squad again became irrefutable for the selectors.

MSD successfully transferred his form on the international circuit to domestic in the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Not only he-led Chennai Super Kings to another IPL final, but the CSK captain also amassed 416 runs in 15 matches and befittingly finished his side’s top run-getter with an outstanding average of 83.20, and hence, the statement made by McCullum makes all the sense.

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen also spoke about Dhoni’s calmness when out in the middle.

“His calmness gives him the ability to judge what’s in front of him, it doesn’t matter what situation it is, he is just one of those guys who you know would hold onto the ball when thrown at him,” Pietersen said.

ICC World Cup 2019: South Africa – Squad, fixtures, match timing, date and venue

Published on May 20, 2019May 20, 2019 in Faf du Plessis/News/South Africa/World Cup by Anirudh Singh

Faf du Plessis-led South Africa will lock horns with England in the 2019 World Cup opener on May 30. Dale Steyn, who recently made a comeback into regular action for the Proteas after resolving long-standing injury issues, is part of the 15-man squad.

Anrich Nortje, who was initially the part of the team, has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury and all-rounder Chris Morris has come in as his replacement.

South Africa will walk onto the upcoming World Cup with a tough tag of being ‘chokers’ at the biggest of stages. The Proteas have been knocked out from the semi-finals four times in cricket’s biggest extravaganza in 1992, 1996, 2007 and 2015.

However, this time, skipper Du Plessis has warned the World Cup-bound players to not try and attempt ‘Superman’ things at the quadrennial event. He recently gave his side examples of previous World Cups, where players had tried to do outrageous things to win the coveted trophy but eventually failed.

Complete squad:

Faf du Plessis (c), JP Duminy, David Miller, Dale Steyn, Andile Phehlukwayo, Imran Tahir, Hashim Amla, Kagiso Rabada, Dwaine Pretorius, Quinton de Kock, Chris Morris, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Rassie vd Dussen, Tabraiz Shamsi.

South Africa’s Schedule and Fixtures at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019:

Match 1: South Africa vs England

Date: May 30, 2019 (Thursday), 3 pm IST, 11:30 pm SAST

Venue: The Oval, London

Match 2: South Africa vs Bangladesh

Date: June 2, 2019 (Sunday), 3 pm IST, 11:30 pm SAST

Venue: The Oval, London

Match 3: South Africa vs India

Date: June 5, 2019 (Wednesday), 3 pm IST, 11:30 pm SAST

Venue: Hampshire Bowl, Southampton

Match 4: South Africa vs West Indies

Date: June 10, 2019 (Monday), 3 pm IST, 11:30 pm SAST

Venue: Hampshire Bowl, Southampton

Match 5: South Africa vs Afghanistan

Date: June 15, 21019 (Saturday), 6 pm IST, 2:30 pm SAST

Venue: Cardiff Wales Stadium, Cardiff

Match 6: South Africa vs New Zealand

Date: June 19, 2019 (Wednesday), 3 pm IST, 11:30 pm SAST

Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham

Match 7: South Africa vs Pakistan

Date: June 23, 2019 (Sunday), 3 pm IST, 11:30 pm SAST

Venue: Lord’s, London

Match 8: South Africa vs Sri Lanka

Date: June 28, 2019 (Friday), 3 pm IST, 11:30 pm SAST

Venue: The Riverside Durham, Chester-le-Street

Match 9: South Africa vs Australia

Date: July 6, 2019 (Saturday), 6 pm IST, 2:30 pm SAST

Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester

ICC World Cup 2019: KL Rahul makes a big revelation about Virat Kohli’s captaincy

Published on May 19, 2019May 19, 2019 in KL Rahul/News/Virat Kohli/World Cup by Anirudh Singh

After recording another fruitful campaign with Kings XI Punjab in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL), KL Rahul looks to continue his purple patch with Virat Kohli-led India in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup.

With the exclusion of Ambati Rayudu from India’s World Cup squad, reserve opener KL Rahul can be the answer to the number 4 conundrum India is dealing with over the past few years.

While his records speak for himself, Rahul will be keen on silencing his doubters as the stylish batsman prepares for his maiden World Cup appearance in England and Wales.

With international cricket’s biggest spectacle on sight, Rahul will be complimenting captain Kohli in the batting order, who has been the backbone of India’s line-up with the bat.

Kohli also carries great hopes as he leads the Men in Blue to his first-ever World Cup as skipper.

During a recent interview with India TV, Rahul spoke about the Indian skipper, stating that he’s “one of the best” in the world, adding that he serves as an inspiration.

“It’s needless to say that he is currently one of the best batsman in the world,” Rahul said.

“Since playing international cricket, he has continued his form and every time he steps on to the field he tries to deliver even a better performance and all of us learn from him.”

“The passion that he puts up every performance inspires us. He backs the youngsters who are dedicated and fearless, It’s one of big reasons by India has been consistent.”

The 27-year-old further added that Kohli has played a major role in forming team India’s aggressive identity.

“The Indian team is known for aggression simply because of our captain and he wants us to show the same,” he said.

India will play their first game of the 2019 World Cup against South Africa in Southampton on June 5.

“I’ll come back if MS Dhoni is still around,” says AB de Villiers on playing World Cup 2023

Published on May 19, 2019 in AB de Villiers/MS Dhoni/News by Anirudh Singh

There may not be any chances of former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers playing in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and but there is a possibility of him featuring in the following World Cup in 2023, provided former India captain MS Dhoni too plays in that marquee event to be hosted by India.

De Villiers, who had announced his retirement from international cricket last year, was asked by Gaurav Kapoor on his show ‘Breakfast with champions’ about the chances of him playing in the next World Cup.

The Proteas legend came up with an interesting reply: “How old will I be (in 2023)? 39! I’ll come back if MS (Dhoni) is still around (laughs). If I’m still good enough, who knows eh?”

Well, there is no doubt on AB’s fitness but imagining him coming out of retirement just to play the World Cup four years later when he could have easily done the same in the upcoming edition is farfetched.

Perhaps, that’s why de Villiers mentioned Dhoni’s name. There are very little chances of the 37-year-old Dhoni playing the next ODI World Cup, though it will be played in India.

On the show, De Villiers also revealed the reason behind announcing his international retirement an year before the 2019 World Cup. He said criticism back home for picking and choosing matches was one of the main reasons behind his decision.

“I was keen to play the World Cup (2019) but I retired, so it was a very sensitive situation. For the last 3 years of my career, I was labelled as a guy who was picking and choosing when I was playing and when not”.

“So I got quite a lot of criticism from back home which also played a role in me retiring. And it was difficult for me to then go: ‘Hey, but I’ll still play the World Cup’. You know, it’s the picking and choosing thing again. And it’s quite arrogant to do something like that. But as they say, you can’t have your bread buttered on both sides,” said AB.

De Villiers, however, still continues to play in foreign T20 leagues. He is a part of team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL.

India veteran Yuvraj Singh mulls retirement to ply his trade in foreign T20 leagues

Published on May 19, 2019 in India/News/Yuvraj Singh by Anirudh Singh

Yuvraj Singh is mulling international and first-class retirement after another underwhelming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. He played for the title-winning Mumbai Indians (MI) and played just four matches for them, only to be benched for the rest of the tournament.

The veteran India cricketer is eyeing to ply his trade in the foreign T20 leagues and is seeking a permission from the BCCI for the same.

With age also not on his side and not even the fitness, Yuvraj might have played his last international match and if BCCI gives him the permission to play other T20 leagues, the fans might not see him even in the IPL. He has been getting offers from Globat T20 Canada and Euro T20 Slam in Ireland and Holland as well and wants more clarity from the board over the same.

“Yuvraj is thinking of calling it quits from international and first-class cricket. He would like to speak to the BCCI and get more clarity on plying his trade in tournaments like GT20 (Canada), Euro T20 Slam in Ireland and Holland as he has offers,” a BCCI source privy to the development, was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Recently, Irfan Pathan had put his name in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) draft but he was told to withdraw his name by the board as the left-hander is still an active first-class cricketer. In Yuvraj’s case, it will be interesting to see what kind of a decision BCCI takes.

“Irfan was told to withdraw his name from the draft. As far as Yuvraj is concerned, we need to check the rules. Even if he retires from first-class cricket, he will still be an active T20 player registered under BCCI. The rule needs to be checked,” the BCCI functionary said.

Meanwhile, the leagues like one in Canada and the new venture in Dublin and Amstelveen can gain a lot of mileage if Yuvraj features in the league.

Cricket experts also believe if Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag can be a part of a T10 venture in Dubai then Yuvraj should also not face any problem of playing in foreign leagues if he retires.

However, the BCCI official said, “The T10 might have been approved by the ICC but it’s still not an acknowledged format. But yes, going forward, as and when the players association takes shape, the case for retired players may come up for consideration.”

He agreed that in principle, retired international players should be allowed to take part in Big Bash League, CPL or Natwest T20 Blast, if they get offers.

ICC World Cup 2019: India – Squad, fixtures, match timing, date and venue

Published on May 19, 2019May 19, 2019 in India/News/Virat Kohli by Anirudh Singh

Virat Kohli-led India will play their first ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 match against South Africa on June 5 and will compete with their arch-rivals Pakistan on June 16.

The 15-man Indian squad is a combination of seven batsman, three all-rounders, and five bowlers. The batting unit will be spearheaded by captain Kohli and he will get a fine support by Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav.

In the bowling unit, the team has opted for three seamers instead of four. Therefore, it makes the role of Hardik Pandya and Vijay Shankar more crucial as one out of the two will have to step in as the fourth seamer.

Dinesh Karthik has been included in the squad as a backup wicketkeeper for Dhoni.

Complete squad:

Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami.

India’s Schedule and Fixtures at the 2019 World Cup:

Match 1: India vs South Africa

Date: June 5, 2019 (Wednesday), 3 pm IST

Venue: Hampshire Bowl, Southampton

Match 2: India vs Australia

Date: June 9, 2019 (Sunday), 3 pm IST

Venue: The Oval, London

Match 3: India vs New Zealand

Date: June 13, 2019 (Thursday), 3 pm IST

Venue: Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Match 4: India vs Pakistan

Date: June 16, 2019 (Sunday), 3 pm IST

Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester

Match 5: India vs Afghanistan

Date: June 22, 2019 (Saturday), 3 pm IST

Venue: Hampshire Bowl, Southampton

Match 6: India vs West Indies

Date: June 27, 2019 (Thursday), 3 pm IST

Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester

Match 7: India vs England

Date: June 30, 2019 (Sunday), 3 pm IST

Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham

Match 8: India vs Bangladesh

Date: July 2, 2019 (Tuesday), 3 pm IST

Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham

Match 9: India vs Sri Lanka

Date: July 6, 2019 (Saturday), 3 pm IST

Venue: Headingley, Leeds

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