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Tag: Asia cup

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Outdated batting approach, sting-less pace attack: Factors that punctured Pakistan’s World Cup hopes | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: An outdated batting approach, dismal performance of the spinners, lack of back-up options and selection blunders have led to another early World Cup exit for the forever unpredictable Pakistan unit.Heading into the Asia Cup that preceded the World Cup in India, Pakistan was the top-ranked ODI side but like it is the case often, the rankings don't paint the whole picture.By the end of Asia Cup, Pakistan were left with major concerns but the management chose to back the same set of players for the World Cup and ended up with an underwhelming campaign.Pakistan's last semifinal appearance in the ODI World Cup came way back in 2011 when India beat them on their way to glory.We look back at the shortcomings of the Babar Azam-led side, which squandered a golden opportunity to make a...
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Asia Cup decimation by India could be behind Sri Lanka’s huge World Cup loss to Rohit’s side: Coach Nawaz

Sri Lanka's decimation by India in the Asia Cup final in September could potentially have dented the confidence of the players, which led to another crushing defeat in their World Cup match against Rohit Sharma's side here on Thursday, conceded their batting coach Naveed Nawaz.Sri Lanka could only make 50 runs in the Asia Cup final in Colombo and India overhauled the target in just the seventh over, inflicting a crushing 10-wicket defeat on the hosts.In the World Cup match here on Thursday, India thrashed the Islanders by 302 runs after notching 357/8 and then bundling out Kusal Mendis's side for 55 runs, Sri Lanka's lowest-ever total in the tournament."I thought we (had) flushed (the Asia Cup loss out of our minds) and ended it. We talked about it with those guys as a playgroup, we com...
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Under-fire PCB chief Zaka Ashraf likely to get extension | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Under scrutiny, PCB chief Zaka Ashraf is reportedly set to receive an extension from the caretaker government headed by Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar.Reliable sources have indicated that PM Kakar conducted a meeting with former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi on Thursday. During this meeting, the Prime Minister purportedly requested the all-rounder to collaborate with the PCB under Zaka Ashraf's leadership.“The caretaker PM wanted Shahid to contribute to Pakistan cricket and work with the existing set-up but the all-rounder conveyed his reservations about working with the current managing committee,” one source told PTI.The current managing committee was initially granted four months to conduct elections for a new board of governors and a new chairman. This period is set ...
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World Cup not a stage to focus on individual milestones: Iyer

Shreyas Iyer in action during ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Match 33 between India and Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 2. | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI Individual milestones don't take precedence in a stage like the World Cup, said Shreyas Iyer, hoping to get a hundred for India in the coming matches after smashing a 56-ball 82 against Sri Lanka here. India's huge total of 357 for 8 against Sri Lanka did not feature a single century as three of the key batters— Shubman Gill (92), Virat Kohli (88) and Iyer (82)— missed their milestones of getting hundreds. India’s brilliant approach with the bat after being asked to bat first was overshadowed by a sensational bowling show by Mohammed Shami (5-1-18-5), Mohammed Siraj (7-2-16-3) and Jasprit Bumrah (5-1-8-1) during thei...
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‘A treat to watch…’: Wasim Akram praises Shubman Gill’s batting – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Shubman Gill has been regarded as one of the young, promising talents in Indian cricket for his stylish stroke play across the formats. His impressive batting skills gained praise from all quarters and the rising India star now has a new admirer in Pakistan legend Wasim Akram.Speaking highly of his remarkable determination and unwavering commitment, Akram praised Gill for making a successful recovery from dengue. He said that Gill is not only physically fit but also a mentally resilient player."He has got a proper technique. He is a good Test player, good T20 player and we have seen his recent ODI form in Asia Cup and World Cup. He is a complete player and a treat to watch. He controls the game. He is young but he doesn't show when he goes to bat," Akram said during the discu...
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ODI World Cup: India vs Bangladesh head-to-head record | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The 2023 ODI World Cup match between India and Bangladesh on Thursday is poised to be a showdown between the overwhelming favourites, India, and their spirited neighbours. While India's current form in the tournament suggests an easy win, the recent head-to-head encounters tell a different tale.Bangladesh have proved to be a thorn in India's side, securing victories in three of their last four meetings.These wins include two triumphs in a bilateral series hosted in Bangladesh and another in the recently concludedAsia Cup in Sri Lanka. This record implies that India will face a formidable challenge at the MCA Stadium in Pune.While India have historically enjoyed a 3-1 record against Bangladesh in the ODI World Cups, with their sole loss dating back to the 2007 edition in the C...
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‘One thing is common, we have no clue when…’: Misbah-ul-Haq on Pakistan’s meek surrender | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Pakistan's seven-wicket debacle against India in the World Cup match on Sunday drew criticism from all quarters with former players lashing out at the team for their meek surrender.Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq raised the issue of Pakistan batters' problem against spin bowling and how they allow opposition spinners to bowl according to their field.Watch: Virat Kohli gifts Pakistan captain Babar Azam a signed jersey"It's simple. When you talk about Pakistan's problems, if you look back at the Asia Cup and the 2019 World Cup, one thing is common, we have no clue when we play on slow pitches. We get stuck against spin," Misbah told A-Sports."Even we don't take on fast bowlers, we don't take on against bowling [attack], we wait, and it leads to unsurmountable pressure, wh...
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‘If needed, we are ready to make changes’: Rohit Sharma on team combination for Pakistan clash | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: India deployed a three-pronged spin attack, successfully dismissing Australia for 199 in Chennai. Captain Rohit Sharma has not ruled out the possibility of repeating this combination by considering the inclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin for the high-stakes ODI World Cup showdown against Pakistan on Saturday."Depending on what kind of conditions we face, if there is a change or two we need to make, we will be ready with that and the guys have been informed well in advance about these kind of changes," he said."I don't think it's going to be any issues for the players. If the requirement is there for us to play three spinners, we will play three spinners."India boast an unblemished 7-0 record against Pakistan in the 50-overs World Cup but Rohit warned against underestimating thei...
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ICC awards Shubman Gill as ‘Player of the Month’ for September | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced Indian batsman Shubman Gill as the ICC Men's Player of the Month for September 2023 on Friday.Gill emerged victorious over fast bowler Mohammed Siraj and England's opener Dawid Malan after amassing 480 ODI runs in September, boasting an impressive average of 80.During the Asia Cup, Gill's outstanding performance included 302 runs at an average of 75.5, and he notably remained unbeaten on 27* when India achieved a resounding 10-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the final.In the ODI series against Australia on home turf, Gill continued to shine, accumulating 178 runs in just two innings. He scored a century against Australia (104) in the second ODI, following up on his previous century against Bangladesh (121) during the Asia Cup...
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ODI World Cup 2023 Ind vs Pak: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s last match against Pakistan in an ICC event? | India News – Times of India

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had faced Pakistan for the first time in their careers during an ICC event. Saturday's game could be their last against the same opponent in an ICC eventAHMEDABAD: Snipers wielding automatic guns give you that cold, deathly stare as you pass by a famous five-star hotel in Ahmedabad by the river front. It's where the Pakistan team are residing for their highly anticipated World Cup clash against India on Saturday.It's a team that two of India's and the world's greatest modern white-ball players, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli first played against in a senior men's global event, in South Africa. Rohit in the 2007 T20 World Cup and Kohli in the 2009 Champions Trophy.Read the full article on TOI+!(function(f, b, e, v, n, t, s) { function loadFBEvents(isFBCampa...
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‘Should play with each other’: Inzamam-Ul-Haq advocates for India-Pakistan cricket matches | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan cricket captain, Inzamam-Ul-Haq, voiced his opinion on Wednesday, calling for India and Pakistan to engage in bilateral cricket matches. Inzamam expressed his sentiments while visiting Amritsar and took the opportunity to commend the Pakistan cricket team for their outstanding victory against Sri Lanka in a high-scoring World Cup match on Tuesday.Inzamam, known for his illustrious cricketing career and insights, particularly lauded the performance of Abdullah Shafique and Mohammed Rizwan, who played pivotal roles in Pakistan's historic win. During an interview with ANI, he stated, "Pakistan team is playing well, and credit should go to the team, especially Abdullah Shafique and Rizwan; they played well. If the team continues this performance, the result will b...
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It was painful, wasn’t able to understand why people were criticising my performance, says KL Rahul | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: India's wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul has openly admitted that the ongoing criticism he faced was both hurtful and perplexing, particularly when his performance didn't warrant such scrutiny.Following a months-long absence due to a thigh injury incurred during the IPL in May, Rahul made his comeback during the Asia Cup last month. Impressively, he emerged as the team's third-highest run-scorer in the tournament, dispelling doubts about his form and fitness."There was a lot of criticism, people were commenting on my performance in every match and situation.I wasn't able to understand why it was happening, because my performance wasn't that bad. So, that was very painful." Rahul told 'Star Sports'.Despite missing the first two games of the Asia Cup due to a minor injury concern,...
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ODI World Cup: Who’ll press power button in the middle for Team India? | Cricket News – Times of India

India's first-choice middle order of KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja has been delivering sub-standard strike-rates. The inability to accelerate has led to poor ODI returns since the 2019 World Cup. Can the experienced trio deliver the killer punch in the coming weeks?India's ODI cricket has not been their strongest suit for a while now, in fact since the last 50-over World Cup in 2019. For the first three years, the team managements under coach Ravi Shastri and then Rahul Dravid treated the format as just a means of getting some game time. The two back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022 had to take precedence.In pursuit of quick fixes in the blink-and-miss format, Indian cricket sort of turned a blind eye to a missing link that has persisted in their ODI cricket even be...
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2023 ODI World Cup countdown: From Shubman Gill to Kuldeep Yadav – Watch out for these Indian game-changers | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: India target a third World Cup when cricket's global showpiece gets underway on Thursday. The epic tournament features 10 nations playing 48 matches over 46 days at 10 different venues. The opening match on Thursday between champions England and New Zealand as well as the final on November 19 are being staged at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. India will face Pakistan at the mega-venue on October 14.Kuldeep Yadav - Chinaman bowlerHaving displayed exceptional form in recent ODI outings, Kuldeep Yadav is being touted as one of India's potential game-changers in the highly anticipated 2023 ODI World Cup.Kuldeep's reputation as a spinner with a touch of mystery precedes him, celebrated for his chinaman spin bowling and the ability to craft intricate webs of deception on the cr...
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Five players not available for 3rd ODI, confirms skipper Rohit as India set to make wholesale changes | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: India captain Rohit Sharma on Tuesday revealed that the squad for the third ODI against Australia is dealing with various challenges and five players will be unavailable for the dead rubber in Rajkot. The Indian squad has been hit by viral sickness and some have made the decision to return home.Leading the 3-match series 2-0, India have been left with just 13 players to select from for the final ODI. While Shubman Gill has been rested, Axar Patel continues his recovery at the NCA for the left quadricep injury he sustained during the Asia Cup.Fast bowler Mohammed Shami and all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who featured in the first two ODIs along with the other all-rounder Hardik Pandya have opted to return to their respective homes.“We have got a lot of players who are sick and not...
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Babar Azam addresses alleged spat with Shaheen Afridi: ‘We love each other as much as we do our family’

Before flying to India ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has opened up on an alleged verbal altercation with Shaheen Shah Afridi. It was after Pakistan’s defeat to Sri Lanka earlier this month, forcing their exit from the Asia Cup, that rumours of tensions between Babar and the left arm pacer had surfaced on the social media. Clearing out the same in Pakistan’s last press conference before leaving for the World Cup, Babar said, “Respect is given to everyone. You see, whenever the match is close and we lose, it’s just a regular meeting, but sometimes it’s portrayed as if we had a fight. It shouldn’t be like that. Respect should remain constant for everyone. We love each other as much as we do our family.”Most Read 1 Watch this Space: Chandray...
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‘Is Virat Kohli batting more freely now?’: Here’s what senior India spinner has to say | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: India's run-machine Virat Kohli is back to his best ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup, which begins next month. Virat, who for years carried the dual responsibilities of captaincy and batting, has undergone significant changes in his batting approach recently. He's become more daring, taking calculated risks and his hunger for big runs is also back.One unforgettable moment in this post-captaincy phase was his iconic innings against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup, where he played a stunning unbeaten knock of 82* off 53 balls, one of the finest performances of his career.Virat's love affair with Pakistan continued in the recentAsia Cup too as he notched up his 47th ODI century against the Green Shirts, leaving him just three hundreds shy of breaking legendary Sachin Tendulkar's rec...
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‘What Rohit Sharma did in the 2019 World Cup; Shubman Gill could do the same for India this year’: Suresh Raina

2011 World Cup winner Suresh Raina heaped praises on Shubman Gill and predicted that the youngster would replicate Rohit Sharma’s unreal 2019 World Cup campaign with the bat in England where the current Indian skipper ended up as the top run scorer (648 runs) with five tons. “What Rohit Sharma did in the 2019 World Cup; Gill could do the same for India this year. He’ll get 50 overs to bat, so it’s a takeoff point for his batting. I think he’s a born leader and he shows that in his game,” Raina said on JioCinema show ‘Home of the Blues: India Heroes’. “The form he’s playing in with his hand speed – it’s extremely strong. Spinners don’t know where to bowl to him and if fast bowlers don’t swing the ball, he can play those really well with a straight or a flick. His mindset will not stop h...
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‘Our team not as bad as…’: Javed Miandad, Misbah ul Haq back Babar Azam | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Pakistan legends Javed Miandad and Misbah ul Haq on Tuesday came to the defense of Babar Azam, emphasizing that it's unfair to lay the entire blame on the captain for the below-par performance in the recently concluded Asia Cup. Miandad and Misbah also adviced the authorities to refrain from overreacting after the Asia Cup disappointment. Addressing the media in Karachi, both urged against singling out Babar for criticism."Why blame Babar Azam only when the rest of the team didn't perform as well in the Asia Cup matches against India and Sri Lanka," Miandad said.Both the stalwarts, who have played World Cups in India, also advised the players to not let the thought of playing the mega-event in India affect them psychologically."Look our team is not as bad as it played in the ...
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Bangladesh pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib apologises for misogynist remarks – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Bangladesh pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib on Tuesday apologised for his past social media posts that criticized working women. The 20-year-old however rejected the label of being a misogynist, pointing out that his own mother is a woman, the country's cricket board said. Tanzim gained attention recently for his impressive performance in the Asia Cup match against India, where he took the wicket of India captain Rohit Sharma with only his fourth international delivery and contributed to Bangladesh's victory. However, his newfound fame was overshadowed by the revelation of his offensive social media posts, drawing criticism from women's rights advocates and feminists."He said he was sorry," Bangladesh Cricket Board cricket operations chief Jalal Yunus told reporters in Dhaka.He added...