2011 Cricket World Cup

Sadly I missed the live coverage of the dream tie between India and Australia, but managed to catch most of the highlights on TV.

The Australian’s looked to be in decent enough form throughout the majority of the game, but India always looked to be in control of the match, barring a few slapstick moments with the bat when two or three of them seemed intent on getting run out.

India’s win put an end to Australia’s incredible run in the World Cup competition which they have won on the last three occasions, they were also beaten finalists previous to that in 1996.

India now face one of  the nations who were originally going co-host the Cricket World Cup, Pakistan in what promises to be another thrilling game of one day cricket.

In today’s third quarter final tie South Africa collapsed dramatically from a comfortable 108 for 2 off 24 overs, to 172 all out.

Some inspired bowling from New Zealand oversaw the collapse with McCullum 24 for 3 and Oram 39 for 4, skittling the South African batsmen who could manage to add 64 runs between them during the final 20 overs.

New Zealand are the dark horses for me, they may not have the same ability in all levels as the remaining teams in the World Cup, but they have so far done everything they have set out to do in a business like manner.

They will now face the winners of the last quarter final to be played on Saturday between Sri Lanka and England.

2011 Cricket World Cup

Pakistan became the first of the host nations of the 2011 Cricket World Cup to reach the semi finals of the tournament following a very public trouncing of the West Indies in Mirpur today.

The West Indies had very little to offer with bat or ball in a dismal showing that saw them bowled out for just 112 runs in 43.3 overs. Chanderpaul was the only batsman to show any form of authority in the innings claiming 44 runs not out.

Shahid Afridi was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers taking 4 for 30, but he was one of three who claimed two wickets in an over as the West Indies innings collapsed around their ears.

The pace bowling attack of the West Indies held little fear for the Pakistan openers who picked them off to reach 50 runs in 47 balls, the body language of the field telling its own sorry story.

Akmal (47) and Hafeez (61) ensured the victory for Pakistan with less than half the allocated overs played, they will now face the victors of the match between India and Australia in the semi finals of the competition.

2011 ICC Cricket World Cup – Quarter Finals – Mirpur

Pakistan 113-0 (20.5 overs) bt West Indies 112 (43.3 overs) by 10 wickets

2011 Cricket World Cup

In terms of sheer excitement the 2011 Cricket World Cup in South Asia has delivered by the bucket load over the last couple of weeks of group stage matches, some of the most recent highlights being another heroic comeback from England against the West Indies, when their backs were firmly up against the wall and facing elimination from the group.

Following that breathtaking match, Pakistan defied all odds and ended Australia’s World Cup dominance with a stunning victory by 4 wickets to upset the holders and on Sunday India crushed the West Indies spirits with a fantastic 80 run win.

There will be more thrills and spills to come during the knock out stages of the tournament over the next fortnight as the best eight teams in the world do battle for the ultimate One Day International prize, with India and Australia providing the battle of the giants on Thursday March 24th from Ahmedabad, the winners of this match will certainly be the favourites to win the 2011 World Cup.

England will face a tough test in their quarter final clash against 1996 champions Sri Lanka who were runners up in Group A, with the chance of a semi final encounter with the winners from New Zealand v South Africa at stake.

The full 2011 World Cup Quarter Final fixtures:

Wednesday March 23rd – Pakistan v West Indies, Mirpur, 08:30

Thursday March 24th – Australia v India, Ahmedabad, 09:00

Friday March 25th - New Zealand v South Africa, Mirpur, 08:30

Saturday March 26th – Sri Lanka v England, Colombo RPS, 09:00

The semi final games are scheduled for Tuesday March 29th and Wednesday March 30th, with the final to take place in Mumbai on Saturday April 2nd.

2011 Cricket World Cup

Yesterday’s Group A match between New Zealand and Pakistan proved to be a cracking game for the New Zealanders, particularly Ross Taylor who celebrated his 27th birthday in sensational style with a stunning 131 not out that included seven sixes.

Riding his luck early in the game Taylor slowly built up his game, producing a majestic late show filled with boundaries and sixes that Pakistan would have died for later in the game.

There was no hiding place for the Pakistan fielders as New Zealand appeared to be blessed by the Gods with a wonderful innings with the bat that saw them score 92 runs of the final four overs, with Taylor smashing 62 0ff 16 balls and Jacob Oram adding 25 runs off just nine balls, finishing on 302-7.

Sensational stuff from the Black Caps and an innings that left the Pakistan team looking totally dejected long before the final ball. So obvious was the body language of the Pakistan team that you felt they might find it difficult to adjust to their own spell with the bat.

The Kiwi’s sensed it too, and set about the Pakistan openers with relish, claiming the first wicket Hafeez for 5 runs. The brilliant bowling continued to pin the Pakistan attack back and the home team were soon struggling at 23 for 4.

At one point it seemed improbable that Pakistan would muster 100 runs between them, let alone have any chance of winning the match. Akmal and Razzaq steadied the sinking ship for a brief period and Gul added a glimmer of hope as Pakistan edged closer to the 200 mark.

But in the 42nd over it was all over and New Zealand took the well deserved points and top spot in Group A.

New Zealand 302-7 (50 overs) bt Pakistan 192 (41.5 ovs) by 110 runs

World Cup – Group A – Pallekele

Pakistan was among the four original host countries participating in this event, but sadly they were forced to withdraw amid security fears.

The fourteen captain’s of the teams taking part in the tournament were paraded around the Bangabandu Stadium in Dhaka in rickshaws at the opening ceremony while performers demonstrated local cultures to the 21,000 strong crowd.

Further entertainment was provided by Indian singer Sonu Nigam, Bangladesh-based Runa Laila and Canadian Bryan Adams.

Cricket crazy South Asia will be itching for the competition to get underway, but was wait until Saturday when Bangladesh host the favourites India at the Mirpur Stadium.

The South Asia Cricket World Cup will feature eight matches in Bangladesh, twelve in Sri Lanka and twenty nine in India, including the final which will take place in Mumbai on April 2nd.

Addressing the crowd gathered for the opening ceremony ICC president Sharad Pawar said: “Our flagship event provides the stage on which players have the rare opportunity to create legend and to write their own chapter in the history of this great sport. The greatest cricketers in the world will grace this event and I am sure that their ability, whether with bat or ball, will provide excitement and enjoyment for all cricket lovers.”

The charges relate to the fourth Test match against England at Lords last year when the players were accused of ’spot fixing’ offences. A fourth man Mazar Majeed, known to be the agent of the three players has also been charged.

Simon Clements, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said the charges “relate to allegations that Mr Majeed accepted money from a third party to arrange for the players to bowl no-balls on 26 and 27 August 2010, during Pakistan’s fourth Test at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London”.

The players have been issued with a summons and asked to return to the UK voluntarily although an extradition order will be sought should they fail to comply.

Butt, the former captain of Pakistan and the two players Amir and Asif were suspended from the international team in September 2010 following allegations made by the News Of The World newspaper who claim that Amir and Asif deliberately bowled no-balls at pre arranged times in return for money from a bookmakers middle man.

The Pakistan Cricket Board released a statement saying the chairman has accepted the resignation of Saeed with immediate effect.

It has been a turbulent time for the Pakistan team who were beaten in Test, ODI and Twenty/20 by the England team, but it has been the off field accusations of match fixing and the like that have left a sour taste in the mouths of cricket lovers world wide.

Test skipper Salman Butt and pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer all came under scrutiny from Scotland Yard following a News of the World undercover investigation that alleged spot-fixing during the fourth npower Test at Lord’s. All three were provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council and returned early to Pakistan.

The scandal deepened further after the Sun newspaper claimed it had received details regarding scoring patterns of the third NatWest one-day international well before the start of play, with the ICC also launching an investigation into this.

In turn, PCB chief Ijaz Butt drew criticism – and the potential for legal action against him – when he publicly accused the England players of having taken bribes to lose the third ODI.

T20 World Cup 2010

England batsman Kevin Pietersen hit an unbeaten 70 off 52 balls to lead his team to a well deserved win over Pakistan in their first  Super Eight match in the 2010 T20 World Cup. England won the game by five wickets with three balls to spare, having chased Pakistan’s total of 147 for 9.

While the England batsmen looked in great shape throughout the innings, they will thank the buttery fingers of Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal who had an awful afternoon in the field, dropping three dead cert catches in the first five overs, allowing the England openers to build an impressive run rate.

Ajmal moved some way to making amends when his sixth over bowling led to the stumping of Lumb for 25 runs off 13 balls. Kieswetter was then caught by Akmal at the start of the ninth over, bringing Pietersen and Collingwood to the wicket.

The England pair enjoyed a partnership that saw Pietersen reach his fifty with a cracking six in the 16th over, only for Collingwood to be caught seconds later in the same over.

At 125 for 3 with four overs remaining England’s batsman looked in control, but then up stepped Ajmal once again in the 18th over, making amends for the earlier dropped catches, he bowled Morgan who had scored just five runs.

With Ajmal back bowling in a tense final over, England managed to squeeze the runs they needed to pass the Pakistan score with three balls remaining.

Final scores:

Pakistan 147 – 9  (20 overs)

England 148 – 4  (19.3 overs)

Jamshed is one of three students who allowed a fourth to write the answers for them in the exam to graduate to secondary school.

The police were called in when examiners found that the handwriting (and presumably the answers) on four exam papers were identical.

Jamshed, who has since been released on bail, made his debut for Pakistan in January 2008, making a quick 61 against Zimbabwe. He went on to hit half centuries against both India and Bangladesh, but has not featured since scoring a duck and one run in his two innings against Sri Lanka in August.

He was not among the Pakistan players who were awarded with a central contract from the Pakistan Cricket Board in March this year and the player has been criticised in his country at times for being ‘overweight’ and not in great physical shape.

Imran Khan

Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan underwent an emergency operation to remove an obstruction in his small intestine yesterday, Khan is said to be out of danger but remains in intensive care and is likely to stay in hospital for the next three days.

The former all rounder was admitted to Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital in Lahore after complaining of severe pains in the abdomen on Monday. The hospital is named after Khan’s mother and was established following a charity appeal launched by the ex-cricketer himself, after she died of cancer.

Khan led Pakistan to World Cup victory in 1992, before becoming involved in his country’s politics, he was a member of the national parliament for five years, resigning his position in 2007.

Despite no longer being a member of Parliament, Khan was placed under house arrest in the crackdown by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari of anti-government protests on 15 March 2009.