Sports

Did India’s decision ‘blunder with pitch’ cost them World Cup title?

Published

8 months ago

Farwa

Concerns have been raised on the playing surface after India’s batting collapse led to the host side’s humiliating defeat against Australia in the final match of the World Cup 2023.

India, known as a batting powerhouse, failed to put up a respectable total and was limited to 240 runs in 50 overs. Batting second, the Kangaroos sailed through the 241-run target to secure their sixth ODI World Cup title.

Commenting on the final match, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting blamed India’s “blunder with the pitch” for the home team’s defeat against the Aussies.

“It was very, very sub-continental conditions today. A wicket preparation that has probably ended up backfiring on India to be totally fair,” Ponting said stressing that the host side failed to prepare the right pitch for the all-important match.

It is to be noted that despite suffering early blows, the Kangaroos sailed through the garget courtesy of Travis Head’s brilliant 137-run knock as the left-handed batter stood tall and anchored the innings for his side in the all-important match.

Head was greatly supported by a calm and composed Marnus Labuschagne as the right-hander started his innings slowly and played while rotating the strike, providing Head the room to find the moments and hit boundaries.

The two batters built a formidable 192-run partnership which guided Australia to yet another title triumph.

“What an amazing day! Just thrilled to be a part of it. It’s a lot better than seeing the World Cup on the couch at home (on his injury),” Head — who was awarded the “Man of the Match” award — said as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo.

“I was a little bit nervous but Marnus played exceptionally well and soaked all the pressure. I felt the way Mitch [Marsh] took the game on setting the tone and that was the energy we wanted,” he added.

Meanwhile, India’s star batter Kohli was named “Man of the Tournament” for scoring 765 runs throughout the mega-event.

Batting first, India didn’t get an ideal start as Mitchell Starc gave them a big blow in the fifth over by removing star opener Shubman Gill for just four runs. The right-handed batter was caught at mid-on by Adam Zampa.

But Sharma lost his wicket in the 10th over and the next batter, Shreyas Iyer, followed him in the next over just after scoring four runs.

However, KL Rahul and Kohli built a 67-run partnership and looked all set to score big. But the latter became Cummins’ victim just after completing his half-centuries as he misjudged a short ball.

Rahul continued to play but he didn’t have much support from the other hand as all the other Indian batters kept on losing wickets at intervals and the team was soon all-out on the last ball of the match.

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Changes to Pakistan’s Test team could be significant for the Bangladesh series.

Published

17 hours ago

Farwa

Major changes to Pakistan’s team are anticipated ahead of the forthcoming Test series against Bangladesh, sources in Lahore have revealed.

As the team gets ready for the series, meetings with the players are planned for next week.

It is predicted that the Test squad would undergo several changes. The team’s lineup is expected to be strengthened by the likely inclusion of Muhammad Huraira. Key players like Faheem Ashraf, Wasim Jr., Saim Ayub, and Nauman Ali, whose contributions are vital to the team’s success, struggle to get a spot on the squad.

Furthermore, according to sources, Imamul Haq or Sahibzada Farhan are anticipated to be added to the team, subject to additional assessment. Furthermore, following a fitness assessment, Amir Jamal and Hasan Ali’s futures will be determined.

The ultimate selection for the Test team will take place following Red Ball head coach Jason Gillespie’s return to Pakistan. The ultimate squad that will play Bangladesh in the forthcoming Test series will be greatly influenced by his assessments and thoughts.

Pakistan is scheduled to visit New Zealand in March and April of 2025, according to the country’s official cricket schedule, which was released earlier this month.

Throughout their visit, the Pakistan cricket team will play three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) in an exciting series.

The T20I series, which starts at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on March 16, will serve as the tour’s opening event.

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The PCB will send Wahab Riaz to the Maldives to attend the ICC’s coaching course.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is scheduled to conduct a two-day High-Performance workshop in Maldives on 29-30 July. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that Wahab Riaz, a retired Test cricketer, and Shahid Anwar, a former international cricketer and current head coach of the National Cricket Academy, will be taking part in the next workshop.

The workshop’s objective is to offer insights into the most up-to-date coaching approaches, as well as strategies for recognising and nurturing talent starting from its early stages.

In addition, Dr. Imran Abbas, the General Manager of Academies, will participate in a four-day training course for ICC Level-2 Tutors in Malé, starting on July 24.

The workshop is an integral component of ICC’s training and education initiative aimed at providing member countries with proficient Level 2 tutors who would subsequently instruct coaches.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) appointed Iqbal Sikander, a former cricketer from Pakistan, and Amin-ul-Islam, a former captain of the Bangladesh Test team, to lead the training.

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Following Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) dismissed Abdul Razzaq and Wahab Riaz from the selection committee on July 10.

Wahab was dismissed from his role as senior team manager, and Mansoor Rana was terminated from his post as team manager.

After being removed, Wahab utilised social media to release a message, expressing his appreciation for his time on the selection committee. He emphasised that he has many thoughts to share but prefers not to engage in finger-pointing or assigning blame.

“Wahab, in the caption of his social media post, expressed that he has a lot to say but does not wish to engage in the act of assigning blame,”

“My tenure as a member of the selection committee for PCB has concluded. I want to inform my fellow countrymen that I have dedicated myself to serving the game I am passionate about with unwavering commitment and honesty. I have exerted maximum effort to improve the state of cricket in Pakistan.”

“Being a part of the selection panel has been a great privilege.” Being part of the seven-member panel responsible for selecting the national team was a privilege. Each member’s vote held equal importance, and we made decisions collectively as a team. We also shared the responsibility of the selection process equally.

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Pakistan has advanced to the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 semifinals.

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

GreenshirtsWith a 10-wicket victory over the UAE, the Pakistani women’s cricket team advanced to the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 semifinal. Target: 104 runs in 14 overs were pursued by the Greenshirts.

When playing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Pakistani women’s team won the toss and chose to field.

Captain Nida Dar of the Pakistan women’s cricket team remarked, “The bowlers’ performance in the last match was excellent, and the win against Nepal boosted morale.”

Pakistan’s starting eleven remains unchanged.

Dambulla, a town in Sri Lanka, is the site of the match.