Yuvraj stars as India finish second

Oh West Indies, they have done it again. For the second match in a row they had a chase all wrapped up but some desperate inspiration from Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh and some mindless cricket from the batsmen who followed Devon Smith ensured that West Indies remained without a win over a Test side other than Bangladesh since June 2009. With Smith playing as well as he has ever played, West Indies almost mocked India for the first 27 overs, getting up to 146 for 2 without a care in the world. Then came a maiden by Harbhajan and a wicked Zaheer slower ball to remove Smith, and West Indies lost the last eight wickets for 34.

That collapse outdid India's own - 7 for 50 - that had threatened to undo Yuvraj Singh's century on a track whose bounce West Indies and Ravi Rampaul exploited, but not to the fullest. Rampaul, the hero of West Indies' last win against a major side, took his first five-for in ODIs on his World Cup debut to hurt the start, the middle and the end of the Indian innings. However, West Indies' insistence on opening the bowling with Sulieman Benn despite the helpful track, and the obvious plan of trying to bounce India out meant they couldn't capitalise on a first over that claimed Sachin Tendulkar. Then there was Yuvraj, with his maiden World Cup century, fighting dehydration, vomiting on the field, and then coming back to take two wickets.

The game might have ended in a whimper, but it began explosively. As they successfully did in the last two World Twenty20s, West Indies came out with bouncers for India. Inside the first 11 overs, two deliveries bounced over the keeper's head for byes, two batsmen got out to deliveries dug in short, one was dropped off another short delivery, but Benn went for 21 off his three overs to ease the pressure. To make matters worse Darren Sammy dropped Yuvraj twice, chances not easy but not impossible, at 9 and 13.

Working with Yuvraj was Virat Kohli, for whom it was almost a homecoming to bat at No. 3 in the absence of the injured Virender Sehwag. In familiar environs of not having to score at a strike-rate of 150, Kohli did just what was required on a tough pitch after a tough start, scoring 59 off 76, letting Yuvraj take the majority of the strike in a 122-run partnership, after the two had come together at 51 for 2.

Even after Yuvraj was reprieved twice, the bouncers still kept coming, the odd ball still misbehaved - especially for the left-hand batsman. He got dehydrated and threw up but nothing seemed to be able to stop the Yuvraj specials in between, shots that kept the scoring rate up in the middle overs. Kohli was smart too: he had played 21 deliveries when Yuvraj came to join him, but so good was the strike manipulation that Yuvraj had played 12 more deliveries than him by the time their partnership ended.

During the partnership, Yuvraj pulled over midwicket, cover-drove for fours along the ground, swept the legspin of Devendra Bishoo, and on-drove Sammy over long-on for a majestic six. It was one of those days when Yuvraj was feeling it, one of those days when he plays one level above the game around him. His mates, though, managed to engineer another collapse from 218 for 3 in the 42nd over.

Buoyed by that good finish with the ball, West Indies came out positive. As Rampaul stood up in the absence of the unwell Kemar Roach, so Smith did in place of the injured Chris Gayle. He cut furiously - almost every bowler got a taste of his trademark shot - he picked singles straight to infielders, doubles straight to those in the deep. However, R Ashwin, who got his World Cup debut at long last, was difficult to hit with the new ball. He used his carrom ball to remove the potentially explosive Kirk Edwards.

Still Smith and Darren Bravo first, and Smith and Ramnaresh Sarwan thereafter kept knocking off the runs calmly. The running between the wickets, and then the odd boundary to break a string of dots, remained a feature. The panic and rush that characterised their effort against England was conspicuous in its absence. With Smith scoring at will, and West Indies needing just 123 in the last 23 overs, only West Indies stood in the way of West Indies.

Turned out they needed a bit of help from India to kickstart the collapse. It came through a maiden from Harbhajan, who came back remarkably after an uninspiring spell of four overs for 23 with the new ball. Harbhajan and Munaf Patel put together a spell of 19 balls for just eight runs before Zaheer was called upon to provide the exclamation mark.

And how he did, with his new knuckle slower ball, where the middle finger doesn't hold the ball tightly, thus taking the pace off without giving any indication to those who are watching from the front. With that slower ball, he removed Smith's off stump after a virtually faultless innings. After that, the procession began. Kieron Pollard holed out to long-on at the first sight of pressure, Sammy was sold down the river by Sarwan, Devon Thomas and Andre Russell fell to the wiles of Yuvraj, and it was all over.

The way West Indies and India collapsed, conspiracy theorists will waste no time in suggesting that both teams wanted to avoid Australia in the quarter-final. As it turned out, West Indies finished fourth in Group B, thus getting Group A leaders Pakistan in Dhaka. And India renew hostilities with Australia in Ahmedabad.

Zimbabwe's World Cup ends with big win

Zimbabwe's spinners completed the job started by their batsmen, sharing seven wickets as Kenya crumbled for 147 in pursuit of 308. This match was the last in the tournament for both teams, and with little but pride to play for, Kenya captain Jimmy Kamande had urged his team to give Steve Tikolo, playing his final game for his country, a fitting send off. It was not to be, however, as half-centuries from Tatenda Taibu, Vusi Sibanda and Craig Ervine carried Zimbabwe past 300 and Kenya's chase never got off the ground.

Chris Mpofu, the solitary specialist seamer in Zimbabwe's side, started Kenya's troubles by removing opener David Obuya in the first over, and three overs later Collins Obuya's run-out brought Tikolo to the crease for the final time in internationals. He got going with a couple of firm flicks to the deep-midwicket boundary but then played back to Price and was struck in line with leg stump to be sent on his way. In a touching sign of respect to the retiring Tikolo, the Zimbabweans rushed in to shake his hand and he left the field, clearly emotional, to a standing ovation from both teams and the smattering of spectators around the ground.

Alex Obanda, who appeared to have adjusted to the conditions and had progressed easily into the 20s, lost partner Tanmay Mishra to a top-edged sweep and soon followed him back to the pavilion as an arm ball from Price struck pad before bat as he stretched forward to defend. It was spin that did for Thomas Odoyo too, Greg Lamb ripping one past his defences as he played back in defence, and a successful review by Zimbabwe secued the dismissal.

Kenya were in the dire position of 73 for 6 when Odoyo was removed, and slipped even further when Rakep Patel slog-swept straight to Regis Chakabva at deep midwicket for the seventh wicket. Their rapid slide was briefly halted by Nehemiah Odhiambo, who swung his way merrily to an unbeaten 44, but it was only a matter of time before the tail capitulated completely.

Zimbabwe's innings had been built around two fluent partnerships. Sibanda and Taibu added 110 for the third wicket to help their team recover from a shaky start and lay a solid platform before Ervine and Chigumbura put on a rollicking 105 to boost the score out of Kenya's reach.

The batsmen initially struggled to impose themselves - after Chigumbura's decision to bat -on a cracked, dry surface that got slower and lower as the afternoon wore on. Odhiambo, who impressed with his pace and bounce against Australia in Bangalore, was brought on in the ninth over and with his sixth delivery achieved the breakthrough, a length delivery on a perfect line kissing the edge of Chakabva's bat on the way through to wicketkeeper David Obuya. Taylor followed soon after, playing too early as the ball stopped on the wicket to spoon an easy catch to mid-on as Zimbabwe slipped to 36 for 2.

Taibu and Sibanda were generally cautious as they set about constructing a partnership after the early wickets, but while the batting surface was not conducive to stroke-making the outfield remained very fast and both batsmen were quick to seize on the bad ball. While Sibanda was more orthodox in his shots, Taibu was characteristically innovative, twice reverse-sweeping offspinner James Ngoche to the boundary.

Kenya wasted both their reviews to contested lbw decisions in an effort to break the stand, but both Sibanda and Taibu barely offered a chance to the bowlers in the course of their partnership and Sibanda, in particular, soon began to take the attack to the bowlers. He reached a 54-ball half-century in the 28th over with an elegant loft over long-on but could have been run out immediately afterwards due a late decision from Taibu to turn a quick single down.

There had been several occasions of uncertainty in the running during the partnership, and one over later atrocious running finally cost Sibanda his wicket. Taibu was the man at fault, initially setting off before opting against the run, and with both batsmen at one end Sibanda didn't even bother to attempt to make it back to safety.

Zimbabwe's momentum barely dipped despite the wicket, however, and two overs later Taibu brought up his own fifty - and passed 3,000 runs in one-day internationals - with a scything cut to backward point. He paid the price for one cheeky reverse-sweep too many, trapped leg before for 53, but his dismissal brought Ervine and Chigumbura together for the decisive stand of the innings.

Once both had settled, they began to ping the boundary with ease and Ervine rushed to his fifty from just 46 balls in the midst of a batting Powerplay that yielded 50 runs and the wicket of Chigumbura - caught at long-on for a rapid 38. With 300 in sight, Ervine chopped a drive onto his own stumps but Lamb and Utseya continued the charge in fine style.

Zimbabwe wanted more from their World Cup campaign, but their resounding wins over Canada and Kenya will at least lend credence to their claim that they're too good to be lumped with the Associates as they look forward to a return to Test cricket. The end of Kenya's trip to India also marks something of a new beginning for them, and without Tikolo in their middle order it is now up to a clutch of promising youngsters to rebuild for what is, hopefully, a brighter future.

Battle for second place in Group B

The Big Picture
No wonder India play so much cricket without seeming to overly mind it. When MS Dhoni walks out for the toss for this game, it will have been more than a week since they last played in the World Cup. The off days for the Indian team, however, have been days of plenty of buzz and activity for the Indian cricketing public and media. Dhoni has suddenly gone from being Midas to moron for getting Ashish Nehra to bowl the final over; Yusuf Pathan is no longer a good choice to bat in batting Powerplay; heated meetings between selectors, board secretary and captain have been reported and denied ; the moon's proximity to the earth has had its say; the next coach has become a topic of discussion; UDRS blunders and Sachin Tendulkar's impending 100th hundred have been overshadowed; everything that can be debated, even those that cannot be, have been debated.
If you have been watching news channels in India, or reading news publications, doom is not too far. Which is why the players have been asked to stay far away. Which is why it is a good thing that they are back on the field where they can sort out their team combination for the knockouts, and there are issues bothering them. Piyush Chawla's inclusion in the XV, always a bit inexplicable, has so far been exposed as a mistake, a gamble gone wrong, which reduces India's options if they feel that either of Munaf Patel or Nehra is out of form.

And Virat Kohli - this will sound harsh on a young man in the form of his life - has hurt the team balance a bit, forcing Suresh Raina out, who is more suited at the slog end and is a pretty canny part-time offspinner. For this game, though, India might not have to make a choice, for Virender Sehwag is down with an allergic reaction to a painkiller injection.

India's opponents are now assured of a place in the knockouts, but the game is just as big for them. Bangladesh are the only Test team West Indies have beaten in an ODI since June 28, 2009, which hurts them bad. Also painful will be how they didn't trust themselves to play normal cricket and finish a middling chase against England after the explosive start by Chris Gayle. They will dearly love to end that unflattering streak, and in the process finish at No. 2 in Group B, thus avoiding the best two sides from Group A in the quarter-final.

If it provides some comfort, the previous major team West Indies beat was India, in Jamaica, through aggressive bowling. They will rate their chances because they are up against a side that is under pressure, no matter how much it avoids the media and the public. A side that will have done really well if it plays uninhibited, free-flowing cricket. West Indies might think the iron is hot.

Chennai is certainly hot, and its spinner-friendly track and reverse-friendly square have provided the two matches of the tournament so far. The World Cup will want to bid it a fitting farewell before it moves to the flatter, more predictable surfaces.

Form guide
(completed matches, most recent first)
India LWWTW
West Indies LWWWL

Watch out for...
Chris Gayle has to be hurting. In a chase of 244, he left his side at 58 for 1 in the seventh over, but the rest still managed to fall 18 short. Will he go back to reining himself in and playing through the innings? Will he decide to make Sunday his day and his day alone, and go swinging?

Sides have decided the best way to beat India, at least when they are on the field, is to play Harbhajan Singh out and not give him wickets. Hence an economy-rate of 4.41, but only five wickets. At times it works for India, producing more wicket-taking opportunities for the other bowlers that the batsmen feel compelled to attack. In this World Cup, it has worked for the batsmen. Chennai, though, will be Harbhajan's best chance of taking wickets: a turning pitch, and a fair sprinkling of left-hand batsmen.

Team news

R Ashwin, through all indicators, seems to the be the man India want the world to see as little of as possible before the big matches. Is a match that determines whether they face New Zealand or Sri Lanka in the quarter-final big enough?

Sehwag is a big doubt. "Viru has got an allergic reaction in his right knee, so we will take that call either in the evening or on the morning of the game," Dhoni said.

India (probable): 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (capt. & wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 & 11 two out of Ashish Nehra, R Ashwin and Munaf Patel

Leaving Shivnarine Chanderpaul was a brave move on paper, but it did backfire on West Indies when they missed one batsman who would take the responsibility and anchor the chase on a difficult track. Do they bring him back? If they do, that will mean dropping either one of the specialist batsmen or one out of Andre Russell and Devendra Bishoo, both of whom had a superb game against England. Right now, Ramnaresh Sarwan seems to be the most disposable member of the XI that lost to England.

West Indies (probable) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Devon Smith, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Ramnaresh Sarwan/Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Darren Sammy (capt.), 7 Devon Thomas (wk), 8 Andre Russell, 9 Sulieman Benn, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Devendra Bishoo.

Pitch and conditions
Expect another baked turner with a hard square that should facilitate reverse-swing. For those looking for respite from the Chennai heat, the following is not good news. Chance of precipitation on Sunday: 0%.

Stats and trivia
Legspinner Bishoo took three wickets on his debut in Chennai. Twenty three years ago, a legspinner in a similar mould, took 16 wickets on his Test debut, again in Chennai. West Indies then were at the receiving end of Narendra Hirwani.
Everybody knows Sachin Tendulkar is one short of reaching 100 international hundreds, but he is also just 47 short of 18,000 ODI runs.
The World Cup head-to-head between the teams is tied at three and three.
Quotes
"It is a big learning curve and hopefully we won't repeat the same mistakes that have happened so far. We are human beings, we are always supposed to commit mistakes. Hopefully the interval between two will be long."
Vintage MS Dhoni

Pakistan end Australia's run to finish top

Pakistan were the last team to overcome Australia at a World Cup and it was they who brought Ricky Ponting's 34-match unbeaten run to an end with a four-wicket victory in Colombo to secure top spot in Group A. An impressive display in the field laid the foundations as the reigning champions were bundled out for 176 on a difficult surface, their lowest total in a World Cup since 1992, and despite a mighty effort from Brett Lee Pakistan were guided home by Umar Akmal and Abdul Razzaq.

Despite not having either team's progression at stake, the final group positions determine quarter-final opposition while momentum is also a factor. Both teams were hyped for the contest, and it came to an early head when Umar and Brad Haddin almost came to blows in the field. Australia were desperate not to relinquish a proud record dating back to May 23, 1999.

After their batting subsided with 20 balls unused, Australia's only chance was to bowl Pakistan out, but in the event it required Lee himself to do most of the damage. He removed both openers in a fiery new-ball burst before returning to claim Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq with consecutive deliveries in 23rd over, leaving Pakistan wobbling on 98 for 4.
However, support for Lee was too late in coming which didn't leave enough runs for Australia to play with. Mitchell Johnson had Asad Shafiq taken at slip off the glove for a composed 46 and Shahid Afridi brainlessly carved to long-on against Jason Krejza. Surprisingly, Lee wasn't immediately recalled with 34 runs still needed and by the time he came back the target was down to 10. Umar played one of his most composed innings yet, and Razzaq finished the chase with consecutive boundaries.
Lee could easily have removed Kamran Akmal in the first over of Pakistan's reply, while in his second over he squared up Mohammad Hafeez and made good ground to take the return catch. With attacking fields set by Ricky Ponting, further boundaries were notched up by Kamran and Shafiq, who had to battle some pain after twisting his ankle, but Lee kept his side in the match singlehandedly.

After being carved over the covers he thundered a rapid delivery into Kamran's pads and this time he was given out by Marais Erasmus with the review unable to save him. However, Ponting knew he had to save some of Lee for later and his spell ended after five overs which released the pressure on Pakistan.

Shafiq, who showed his composure against Zimbabwe in his first World Cup outing, played another mature hand knowing that the required rate was always in hand. Both he and Younis had a few nervous moments - with the pair edging through a vacant slip cordon - but together they took the requirement below 100. Eventually, though, Younis flashed once too often outside off and gave a simple catch to Brad Haddin, and from the very next ball, the match was back in the balance when Misbah, the other half of Pakistan's experienced middle order, hung his bat out at a Lee outswinger.

Umar wasn't going to fiddle his way towards the target and drilled his fifth ball through the covers, but to his immense credit he throttled back to play a very mature hand. He picked the right moments to attack, including a six off Krejza, and didn't panic after Lee's rapid inroads. It helped that he had the experience of Razzaq at the end to see them across the line.

Australia have been saying how they wanted a test after easing through most of the group stage but the batting wasn't up to it on a difficult surface that offered spin and a touch of uneven bounce. Two batsmen desperate for a substantial innings, Ponting (19) and Cameron White (8), both struggled leaving the lower order exposed to an attack that had all the bases covered on a surface offering spin and reverse swing.

Pakistan had an early scare when Gul pulled up at the start of his second over with a knee problem and needed attention from the physio. Whatever treatment was provided worked wonders because he produced a lovely nip-backer to beat Shane Watson's ambitious drive. Ponting has been scratchy during the tournament and was again unconvincing with his first boundary came from a fortunate top-edge after he was comprehensively beaten by a Wahab Riaz bouncer.

Not for the first time spin brought his downfall when he tried to cut Hafeez, who produced a superb 10-over spell for 26, and got a thick edge that Kamran did well to take in the webbing of his right glove. However, it was originally given not out and the DRS was needed to overturn the decision in Pakistan's favour. Meanwhile, as the players waited for the TV umpire, there was an altercation between Haddin and the Pakistanis.

Haddin has been consistent during the tournament without reaching the three-figure score the top order needs and he couldn't convert here when he pushed at a delivery from Wahab Riaz. Misbah missed an opportunity to run out Michael Clarke but made no mistake when his next chance came around when his throw to Kamran found White short after a laboured stay.

In Clarke and Michael Hussey, Australia had two of their in-form players together but even they found scoring tough as Afridi mixed up his bowling options. Razzaq was held back until the 35th over and made an immediate impression when Clarke missed an ugly heave against a well-disguised off-cutter which trimmed the off bail.

Hussey couldn't perform a rescue-act, either, when he chipped a simple catch to midwicket and the innings was coming off the rails as Razzaq produced a nippy delivery to find Johnson's outside edge. It left the tail to cope with Gul and Afridi which proved too much, but Australia weren't many short of a matchwinning total. The quarters and semi-final will be fascinating viewing if the pitches are anything like this surface.

Co-hosts spar in curtain raiser

Match Facts
February 19, Mirpur
Start time 14:30 local time (08:30 GMT)

Big Picture
Events unfolding in Port of Spain four years ago culminated in euphoria on one side of the Bengal border, and gloom on the other. With every dance down the wicket from Tamim Iqbal, little-fancied Bangladesh landed another blow in a series of blows that would eventually eliminate India, wearied by the weight of expectation and a discordant dressing room, from the first round of the World Cup. Four years later the teams meet again, but in a tournament protected from the domino effect of a shock like the one in Trinidad. The stakes this time are different as well, for it is not just India, overwhelming favourites again, who carry a tremendous weight of expectation.

As Shakib Al Hasan entered the opening ceremony in a decorated cycle rickshaw, soaking in the goodwill from tens of thousands inside the Bangabandhu Stadium and the crowds surrounding it, his demeanour revealed pride and a sense of the grandeur of the occasion, and none of the reluctance he's had in captaining Bangladesh in series past. There would also have been a feeling of responsibility, of a magnitude no Bangladesh captain has ever faced before.

For the first time, Bangladesh are expected to go beyond the first round of a World Cup. For the first time, and largely because of a significant home advantage, their passage will not be considered an upset. For the first time, they are hosting a World Cup and can see all around them a stirring passion saturating the country. Bangladesh too will be relieved that the format allows a little room for error, while striving to avoid it against one of the tournament heavyweights.

Justifiably or not, India have begun several World Cups wearing the favourites tag, but never has that label been more authentic than now. Their bowling attack might blow hot and cold, but even on their most frigid days India possess a batting line-up capable of overhauling anything. And they play all their matches on the familiar pitches of home, apart from the opener against Bangladesh, which is at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur. The Indians won't say that revenge for 2007 is on their minds but there is no chance they will go into the contest with an iota of complacency.

Form guide
(Most recent first)
Bangladesh: WWWLW
India: LLWWL

Pitch and conditions
The pitch used for the practice game between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Mirpur had turn for the spinners. Not much is known about the surface for Saturday but it is expected to aid the slow bowlers. Dew has traditionally had an impact on day-night fixtures in Dhaka but it is supposedly not as big a concern in February. However, this is what Waqar Younis, Pakistan's coach, said after the warm-up game: "There was a little bit [of dew], maybe in the last 15 overs. It can be trouble later on in the tournament, so good luck to whoever is playing here."

Watch out for…
India's batsmen: Sehwag, Tendulkar, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni and Yusuf. The weakest link on paper in that line-up, Virat Kohli, is also India's most in-form batsman. And Suresh Raina, who was a rabbit in South Africa but is a force on the subcontinent, is an option too. Each one is capable of producing a match-winning innings. This Indian side is calibrated for scoring a 300-plus total, and chasing one down.

Spin, and dew: In their last ODI at home before the World Cup, against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh played four spinners: specialists Abdur Razzak and Suhrawadi Shuvo, allrounder Shakib, and part-time offspinner Naeem Islam. On slow tracks that turn, with batsmen needing to create the pace, they can control the pace of the game. India have played just one specialist, Harbhajan Singh, in recent games and relied on a phalanx of able part-timers - Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina. Given the prominent role of spin, the dew in Mirpur, if it is heavy, could have a considerable role in the day-night contest. A slippery ball and a slick outfield will be a disadvantage for the team defending a target under floodlights.

A fever-pitch atmosphere: The build-up to the World Cup has visibly been more intense in Bangladesh than in either India or Sri Lanka. The excitement reached a crescendo in the hours before the opening ceremony and it is poised to spill over when the opening game gets underway. India rarely play in front of a crowd in which they have virtually no support. That is likely to happen tomorrow. If Shakib's men are looking for a little more inspiration, they will hear it reverberate around the Shere Bangla.

Team news
There was a fitness concern over Shafiul Islam, who bowled only five overs in the warm-up against Pakistan, but he is expected to be fit. Raqibul Hasan could make the XI ahead of Mohammad Ashraful and Bangladesh could also play two spinning allrounders in Mahmudullah and Naeem Islam.

Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Raqibul Hasan 6 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Naeem Islam 9 Abdur Razzak, 10 Shafiul Islam, 11 Rubel Hossain.

After sitting out of both of India's warm-up matches with a groin niggle, Zaheer Khan bowled during India's net session and will lead the attack on Saturday. The major decision India will have to make is whether to play Kohli or Raina. Kohli has been in excellent form, but an extra left-hander, Raina, could be useful in combating Bangladesh's left-arm spinners. Dhoni, however, had indicated a few days ago that Kohli could edge Raina out.

India (probable): 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli/Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ashish Nehra, 11 Munaf Patel.


Stats and trivia
Mirpur is easily Bangladesh's most successful ODI venue - they've won 18 matches here, which is three times the number they've won at their next-best venue. They've won 64 games in all, which means 28% of their ODI wins have come in Mirpur.
The last 12 day-night matches in Mirpur have all been won by the team batting second. Overall, in 16 day-night ODIs, the team batting first has won only three times.
India have won seven and lost three ODIs in Mirpur, but they've beaten Bangladesh in all five matches here. Three of those were day-night games, and in all of them India chased.
Most of India's top order has done well in Mirpur, with Gambhir, Dhoni, Kohli and Raina all averaging more than 50, and scoring at least one century here. For Bangladesh, Shakib and Tamim have scored two hundreds each in ODIs at this venue.
Quotes
"The guys have played enough cricket to cope with the pressure. We are not looking too far ahead. We will take it one game at a time and concentrate on the job at hand. I don't think it can get better than this. Playing a strong side like India has its advantages. We want to prove ourselves against the best."
Shakib Al Hasan on the eve of the beginning of Bangladesh's World Cup campaign.

"Being a co-host will always bring a lot of expectations. But we do not get bogged down by expectations. The important thing is to do the process right. We always look to put more emphasis on the process, rather than on winning, and this is what has made us a successful team."
MS Dhoni attempts to cocoon his team from the hype around India's chances at the World Cup.

Beautiful Bangladesh - School of life

World Cup searches for certainty

Once every four years, cricket meets to do some ironing. Over creases and conflicts, differences and discords and it tries to set out its most perfectly coordinated wardrobe for its disparate, argumentative global audience. For a sport where a day's play can last 24 hours - the toss held in Napier and the last ball bowled in Kingston - the World Cup actually shrinks planet cricket and tries to flatten it out. Once every four years, the Cup brings the sport's styles, philosophies, ambitions and dreams onto a smaller, relatively even field which becomes the centre of its universe.

Over the next six weeks, that field is South Asia: the game's biggest, noisiest, yet wealthiest neighbourhood. It is the most unpredictable of places but remains cricket's most vibrant and diverse. Since the last World Cup held here fifteen years ago, India has joined the game's elite and grown into a financial behemoth, Sri Lanka has made two World Cup finals and Bangladesh is inching towards the steps India took in the short game in the 1980s and Sri Lanka a decade later. The past, really, is another country.

It was the 50-over game that gave two of the host nations their street-cred and the chance to strut alongside the game's traditional western powers. Today as the very existence of the 50-over format is being questioned by pundits and ignored by spectators in some parts of the world, the World Cup returns to its most loyal constituency.

Unlike 1983 or 1996, the Cup's 10th edition has greater significance even before it begins: it is the one that will decide what course the 50-over game will take over the next few years. It will be the first World Cup to be played after the juggernaut called Twenty20 began to move and everything that happens in the 2011 event will have consequences impacting the game's immediate future. The ICC now calls this World Cup, "The Cup that Counts", and not because it is being played in the vicinity of Mr Moneybags. That tagline is a reminder of the World Cup's very primacy and is directed at both the game's audience and its advertisers, who are as distracted by the dazzle of Twenty20 as the players.

The ICC's 49-match, 43-day, 13-venue event is intended to be the brightest advertisement of the ODI format ,which from the 1980s, has kept cricket solvent and expanding.

What 2011 is being primed to do is to erase from memory the gloom and goof-ups of 2007, and through a long, endlessly drawn-out schedule, stoke merriment, interest and just the right kind of upsets. In South Asia, the World Cup has its best chance because here, unlike anywhere else in the world, cricket is behemoth. This is where an ODI featuring any of the three home teams will fill stadiums and switch TVs on in millions of homes. Cricket is the source of the hosts' national confidence and in 2011, nowhere more than in Bangladesh. Dhaka traffic was brought to a standstill to let the Canadian team bus through from airport to hotel as if it were carrying heads of state. Colombo's civic authorities have banned people around Premadasa Stadium from untidy habits like hanging out their clothes to dry or 'engaging in street games like hop scotch or cricket matches'. In India, the giant billboards showing cricketers snarling wearing body paint or selling real-estate, cover all commercial air space and Bollywood reports that the number of films set to be released in during the period has dropped from its average of three a week to merely one solitary braveheart.

This could be the time and place where the much-abused one-day international format, instead of undergoing its last gasp, finds its second wind. It will need to do so because already there is talk about trimming the size of the field in 2015 down to ten, which Graeme Swann described as, "taking the world out of the World Cup." In Australia, they are trying to turn a 100-over contest into "quarters" at the domestic level. Twenty20 leagues are being set up in all corners of the cricket world and the first international cricketers have turned down national contracts to join a new guild of travelling freelancers.

In the first stirrings of skirmish between country and club, cricket will need its world and this World Cup to stand to its full height. In must prove that cricket needs to treasure both its Test match cathedrals as well as its rock concert arenas. Three formats of the game can only co-exist if conflicting national loyalties find common ground. After the 2011 World Cup, the ICC will set in motion a four-year ODI league structure based on its current rankings to dissolve the ODI's general meaningless spin around random TV-centric, fizzy-drink and mobile-phone Cups and give the format 'context'. It is why this Cup actually counts.

Already there is grumbling about its duration - compared to 2007, there are two fewer teams in the competition and yet only two less group games. For over a month, matches will pop up around three countries and 13 venues before suddenly moving to a knockout that will last all of 10 breathless days. There is however far less little objection voiced about the format that leans heavily towards the game's heavyweights. The admission of the same by tournament director Ratnakar Shetty was met with a gulp of acceptance as is the general vagueness around the venues, sequence and order of the quarter-finals.

The 2011 World Cup's attempt to "control the controllables" and thus prevent India v Pakistan turning into Ireland v Bangladesh is so all-encompassing, that it gives rise to an uncontrollable temptation to summon the Norse gods of mischief.

If the event has plenty of close contests that reflect the impact of the Twenty20 format on the 50-over game, the World Cup will help sustain faith in one-dayers. There are expected to be higher totals, more sixes and the full range of 21st century improvisational shot-making. Twenty20 cricket has given batsmen, what Harbhajan Singh calls a greater "liberty and confidence" to take risks. The ripple effect of this laissez faire batting mindset in a World Cup semi-final will be far removed from what happens in a domestic micro-mini bash, so the Cup's most successful hitter could well be its clearest thinker.

During the Cup, the more accomplished of the free-strikers, like Chris Gayle could find another mega-gear; there are predictions of the first World Cup innings of 200-plus and the rejigged role of the conventional 'pinch-hitter'. From being the slogger in the first 15, he must now be the man who can give his team's innings its 'kick' in the home straight of the last five or ten overs. Bring on the tactical gymnastics that are Powerplay calculations and the technological mire that is the UDRS. The 2011 World Cup promises to be peppered with both idiocy and incident.

At the moment though, most World Cup discussions centre around the event's Indian epicentre and the team's standing as the tournament's heavily-publicised, frequently-tailed and loudly-proclaimed favourites. That supremacy is determined by India's growing ability to create a foothold in the most slippery of games, the general public buoyancy around the team's success and ICC rankings, and the sheer dominant force and decibel levels of its home crowds.

Yet, never mind what the bookies say, there are others behind them with as good a chance and fewer expectations or, as MS Dhoni calls it, 'responsibilities' in the course of the six weeks of cricket. Since the last Champions Trophy, of all the leading teams in the event, India (who have played 43 ODIs, more than any other nation in this period) have 24 wins and 18 losses, are fourth in terms of win-loss ratio. Australia have had the best win-loss ratio with 26 wins and 11 losses, followed by South Africa's18 wins and eight losses and Sri Lanka's 18 wins and nine losses. This does not take into account the Pakistan team who can write the most dramatic stories in the game, five-time semi-finalists New Zealand, and West Indies, who want, as their manager Richie Richardson says, "to prove to the world that we can play cricket". (Fifteen years ago, it would have been thought that Richardson was being ironic.) All of these teams have had a grim 18 months - Pakistan lost its right to stage 14 games at home following Lahore - while in Bangladesh, there is a general sense of optimism that the moment to take their great leap forward has arrived.

The balance of whether this will be a batsman's World Cup or a display of global spinning skills is now up in the air with many theories and possibilities following the warm-up games. Australia will put their weight behind their quickest bowlers, Sri Lanka pack their side with part-time spinners to back Muttiah Muralitharan, and even South Africa have come armed with slow bowling options and a pace attack that is not half bad. India have are looking to pack in the part-timers as its quick bowling strength now rests on one fragile strike bowler and a fellow who can be both trouble-shooter and trouble-maker.

It is how all this will hold together in the last ten days of the World Cup, during the knockouts that is being chewed over. Shyam Balasubramanian, Singapore-based technocrat-fan, recently wrote in with an argument that in definitive games needing "higher-risk strategies", teams must have two "go-to bowlers" during the restriction overs and "three manic-hitters" who can produce 120 in 80 balls three matches in a row. According to him, the only two countries that have them - Australia and Pakistan. Enough to start off squabbling and howling 24 hours before a ball has been bowled.

Imran Khan, speaking the other night on Indian television had a theory of his own: no matter what was happening within teams, every World Cup set its rhythm in motion (which has little to do with theme songs or opening ceremonies). "A World Cup gathers its own momentum", Khan said, and teams had to go with it. Those who adapted as often as they needed to were the most successful.

The 2011 World Cup may have been engineered for certainty, but finds itself in an environment full of variables. Be warned, the gods of mischief must be chuckling.

Sreesanth replaces injured Praveen

Praveen Kumar, the India fast bowler, has been ruled out of the World Cup due to an injured elbow and will be replaced by Sreesanth. The decision comes a day after Praveen underwent a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore to gauge whether he had recovered from the injury sustained before the start of the one-day series in South Africa last month.

Praveen, 24 had been sent back immediately from South Africa as a precautionary measure to recuperate at the NCA. The recovery did not go as planned, however, and he consulted Dr Andrew Wallace, a London-based surgeon who has treated many Indian players including Sachin Tendulkar. Praveen has been a regular with the Indian one-day side for the past couple of years and was set to be a certain starter in the World Cup, but his injury healed too slowly to allow him to participate in the global tournament.

Sreesanth has established himself in the Test side but has been on the fringes of the one-day outfit. He has played only 51 one-dayers in more than five years since his debut in 2005, and has a bloated career economy rate of 6.01. But he proved effective in the two ODIs he's played over the past 12 months, bagging seven wickets for 77 runs.

The other fast bowlers in the Indian squad are Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Munaf Patel.

Morgan to miss World Cup with fractured finger

Eoin Morgan, England's star one-day batsman, has been ruled out of the World Cup due to a broken middle finger on his left hand, and Ravi Bopara has been brought into the squad in his place. England's coach Andy Flower announced the news at a press conference at Heathrow Airport on England's return from Australia, and confirmed that Morgan would undergo surgery that would keep him out of the entire tournament.

"His [Morgan's] finger needs to be operated on, so that's a serious loss to us," Flower said. "He's been a very influential limited-overs performer for us since he joined the England team. Ravi Bopara, who is a very exciting young cricketer in his own right, is going to be joining us and is flying back from the West Indies where he is playing with the England Lions. He'll be arriving in the country tomorrow and joining us on the flight to Dhaka."

The news of Morgan's unavailability comes as a serious blow to England as he has been one of their most valuable players in ODIs over the past two years, something his captain Andrew Strauss recognised. "For the last 12 to 18 months, he's been the stand-out batsman for us in one-day cricket," Strauss told the press at Heathrow. "We all see the World Cup as a forum for showcasing your skills, so he's bitterly disappointed to be missing out. But that's the nature of the beast: you are going to get injuries. Unfortunately, his has come along at a bad time, but thankfully he's a young bloke and is going to get opportunities in the future. For the time being we will have to make do without him, but it's something we are prepared for and I'm sure we'll be able to do."

Flower tried putting a positive spin on events, mentioning how Bopara's bowling might be an asset. "No-one is irreplaceable and Ravi is a very talented and exciting player, and brings a bit of medium-pace bowling to help the captain in those middle overs," Flower said. "We are confident that the 15 guys who we have will gel together and perform powerfully."

Bopara was not a part of the England ODI squad for the series in Australia, and played only four ODIs in 2010, with a best of 45 not out from 16 balls against Bangladesh at Edgbaston. He did score two half-centuries in India the last time England toured the country in 2008, and has played in subcontinent conditions during the IPL, in which he played for Kings XI Punjab.

"[Bopara] hasn't had a chance to play for us recently; he has been playing a lot of cricket around the world and he is desperate to get back in the ranks," said Strauss. "This is his opportunity and we like what he can bring to the game, his ability to clear the ropes in the middle overs is going to be important to us, and he is going to be a worthy addition to the squad."

Morgan sustained the fracture to the middle finger of his left hand during the fourth ODI in Adelaide, but carried on playing for a further two matches in the mistaken belief that it was merely bruised. "He didn't think it was serious at all, but it got worse the more he played and practised," said Flower. "The pain grew worse, and therefore the medical team got onto it and found that it was worse than the bruise originally suggested."

He met with a specialist on Monday, immediately after his arrival back in the UK, and it is understood that the fracture extends up to the knuckle, a problem which increases the risk of dislocation. Morgan was told that surgery was the only viable option, which would keep him on the sidelines for at least six weeks.

England are currently sweating on the fitness of five more members of their 15-man World Cup squad. Paul Collingwood received an injection on Monday, having suffered a back spasm during the penultimate ODI in Sydney. Tim Bresnan is stepping up his training having succumbed to a calf strain, while Ajmal Shahzad's hamstring injury is still causing concern.

Stuart Broad is believed to be on track having torn a stomach muscle back in December, while Graeme Swann is set to test his injured knee in the nets on Tuesday, having missed the latter stages of the Australia tour. "I'm not fully fit but I'm getting there," he told BBC Radio 5 live. "I haven't had a bowl yet. I'm a little bit nervous about it but I should be fine."

Sohail Tanvir out of the World Cup

Sohail Tanvir, the left-arm seamer, has been ruled out of Pakistan's World Cup campaign after failing to complete a full rehabilitation from surgery for a knee problem that has dogged him for two years. He will be replaced by the promising young left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan.

A PCB medical panel, after looking into a management report, said that though "the recovery from a knee operation was good, during the [New Zealand] tour it was observed that quick movements and pickup with weight particularly on the operated knee is hindering his mobility and requires him to take a few extra steps to balance himself before throwing. The medical team and team management have opined that Sohail Tanvir still requires time to attain 100% fitness before he can compete at international level."

Tanvir returned to international cricket on Pakistan's recent tour to New Zealand, where he played in five of the six ODIs. Though he bowled some good spells at the death, he looked generally rusty, picking up just 4 wickets and going for over seven runs an over. Pakistan won the series 3-2.

His batting, however, seemed to have improved, as evidenced by an audacious, unbeaten 14 off 6 balls to seal the fifth ODI. Until this series, he hadn't played for Pakistan in an ODI since May 2009 and at one stage, the knee problems threatened to end his career.

His misfortune, however, is to the benefit of Khan, who has been close to a national call-up for nearly a year now. The 21-year-old emerged at about the same time as Mohammad Amir, playing alongside him at U-19 level for Pakistan. He has been a consistent wicket-taker at domestic level, in all forms of the game, and given that he plays most of his cricket for one of the traditionally weaker regions, Abbottabad (in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province), it is an impressive record.

Former Test spinner and selector Iqbal Qasim, who first picked him for junior level, believes he has immense potential and was impressed initially by his pace as well as stamina. Some observers, at that early stage, felt Khan might make it to the national side before Amir, though he hasn't, they say, developed as swiftly. But he has been playing for the Pakistan A side regularly now, and is familiar at least with where Pakistan will play their first game of the World Cup: last September he took nine wickets in a 'Test' against Sri Lanka A in Hambantota, where Pakistan will take on Kenya on January 23.

Afridi named World Cup captain - report

Shahid Afridi has reportedly been named captain of Pakistan's World Cup squad, according to Associated Press. The decision ends weeks of uncertainty over who will lead the side in the global tournament starting later this month.

Pakistan were the only side of the 14 participating teams that hadn't named their captain when the World Cup squads were announced in January, fuelling debate over whether Misbah-ul-Haq, the Test captain, could take over from limited-overs leader Afridi.

Afridi has been Pakistan's ODI captain over the last year but just before the New Zealand tour began, a number of key players and team management officials raised concerns with the board over his captaincy. The development placed the board in a quandary, between players and the captain, ultimately compelling them to delay the announcement of a leader.

Earlier this week, the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt had travelled to New Zealand, where the team has just completed their first one-day series win in more than two years, to hold discussions with Afridi, senior players and management officials over who should lead the side.

Pakistan play the final match of their six-ODI series against New Zealand on Saturday in Auckland.

Sehwag 'fully fit' for World Cup

Virender Sehwag, India's vice-captain for the World Cup, has said that he is "fully fit" for the tournament that begins on February 19. Sehwag missed India's five-match one-day series following the Tests in South Africa to attend to a shoulder injury, but says his recovery is well on track.

"I was feeling some pain in my shoulder," Sehwag told Indian news channel CNN-IBN. "So [I thought it was] better to quit the South Africa one-dayers. I didn't want to get injured in South Africa tour and miss the World Cup. So I came back and went to Germany to see a couple of doctors. I got a couple of injections and now I'm fine.

"I am going to the National Cricket Academy [in Bangalore] and will spend a couple of days there, to check everything - if I can bowl and throw also but if I can't, then I'll let them know. But yes, at the moment I'm fully fit."

Sehwag is wary of the opening game against Bangladesh, who had derailed India's 2007 World Cup campaign with a shock win. "Because we're playing the opening game against them in Bangladesh, Bangladeshi people are expecting them to beat us again. But this time we have to prepare well … You can say it is a revenge game for us and we won't take the game lightly. We will give our best shot and we will come hard on Bangladesh."

Sehwag was confident of India's chances against the other major teams in Group B - South Africa, England and West Indies. "When we played against England last time, we won 5-0 and against South Africa we did well in South Africa and we have done well; when Sachin Tendulkar got the double hundred [in Gwalior], we won the series. West Indies have good players like Pollard and Gayle, if they click then maybe it's difficult for us but India also have very good players."

Bangalore to host India-England game

The ICC has confirmed the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore as the venue for the India-England World Cup game that was originally supposed to be held in Kolkata. There was no change in the date of the match - it will be held on February 27.

"This decision now clarifies and gives us certainty over the fixture," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said. "We can now work with our various partners and stakeholders to make sure that the match - along with the rest of the tournament - is all it should be."

In a letter to the BCCI, the ICC also outlined the pending work that had to be done to get Eden Gardens ready for the World Cup. Kolkata was originally allotted three other matches for the tournament, the first of which is on March 15. The ICC said an inspection team will visit Eden Gardens on February 7 to see the progress made before deciding on the fate on those three matches.

The BCCI had nominated Bangalore as its preferred venue for the India-England match after the ICC had ruled out Kolkata last week.

The India-England fixture will now be the most high profile World Cup game for Bangalore, which hosts four other group games. Only one of those feature the home team, while all of them pit a minnow against a strong side.

Cricket World Cup 2011 Teams, Groups, Players, Schedule

The 2011 edition of the World Cup will be played in the Indian sub-continent from February 19. There are 14 teams involved in the competition and they are distributed into two groups of seven each with the round-robin in each group deciding which four going ahead into the quarter-finals.
Full Schedule Squads with Players Profile

There will be 49 matches in the tournament and one can see all the World Cup 2011 games live on ESPN and Star Cricket. However, if you are one those who are inclined to watch the games from the stadium, live, then the sports tickets for such events can be easily purchased from the various websites online.
What makes the tournament a tad putting off is the fact that the league games are meant to only decide on the ranks – there are only nine of them who are really vying for the eight quarter-final spots.
India will be one of the favourites going into the tournament, with the likes of Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia being equally hopeful of winning it. England will be the dark horse.
The final will be played on April 1.

GROUP A Teams:
Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Canada
GROUP B Teams:
India, South Africa, England and the West Indies. Netherlands, Ireland and Bangladesh

Mashrafe Mortaza not in World Cup squad

Mashrafe Mortaza, the Bangladesh allrounder, has not been included in the 15-man squad for the World Cup. Mortaza had injured his right knee while playing club cricket in Dhaka in December and was striving to recover in time for the tournament. He had begun bowling off a short run-up during net sessions in the last few days but the selectors decided against including him in the campaign. Shakib Al Hasan was named captain of the squad and Tamim Iqbal will be his deputy.

"There is little chance that Mortaza will be fit before the World Cup," chief selector Rafiqul Alam told AFP, adding that coach Jamie Siddons supported this assessment. "Mortaza, however, has the chance to be included in the team later if he fully recovers and an opportunity arises."

Mortaza's absence is a blow to Bangladesh but they have enjoyed a string of positive results under Shakib recently, including beating New Zealand 4-0 in October 2010 and Zimbabwe 3-1 in their most recent outing in December.

The doubt over Mortaza's selection was the only major question ahead of the announcement. And though his exclusion effectively means that Mortaza won't be part of the World Cup, Siddons was optimistic. "He [Mortaza] is on track with his rehab. He was supposed to bowl today, bowl off a full run-up at the end of the month in eight to ten days," Siddons had told Daily Star the day before the squad was announced.

"We definitely want him to be fit. If the selectors don't pick him, and if he's fit by the first match, we can use him as a replacement in the World Cup. There are a few good reasons for him to bowl. I expect him to be fit by the start of the World Cup. I want him in the team, I want a fit Mashrafe."

The Bangladesh physiotherapist, Michael Henry, had said Mortaza had "responded well and there were no negative repercussions after his bowling stint."

Bangladesh will play the tournament opener against India in Dhaka on February 19 after which they play their remaining group games at home.

Squad

: Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Shahriar Nafees, Raqibul Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim, Naeem Islam, Mahmudullah, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Suhrawadi Shuvo.

Kenya a mix of the old and the new

Kenya have announced their 15-man squad for next month's World Cup and it is a combination of youth and experience under newly-appointed captain Jimmy Kamande. The announcement was more of a rubber-stamping exercise than a surprise, given it is the same group who are currently preparing for the tournament with matches in India.

Steve Tikolo, the 41-year-old allrounder who led his country to the semi-finals in 2003, will be taking part in his fifth World Cup as will 32-year-old Thomas Odoyo. At the other end of the spectrum, nine of the squad will be making their World Cup debuts.

The warm-up matches in India suggest Kenya will struggle to make any impression in the main competition. Although their batsmen have been scoring well, their bowlers have been ineffective and all five matches against Baroda and Gujarat have been lost.

Their preparations will be slight disrupted as Seren Waters, the 20-year-old opening batsman, who has scored the only hundred on the India trip, has to return to his studies for a week at the insistence of Durham University.

Kenya squad

Jimmy Kamande (capt), Seren Waters, Alex Obanda, David Obuya, Collins Obuya, Steve Tikolo, Tamnay Mishra, Rakep Patel, Maurice Ouma, Thomas Odoyo, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Elijah Otieno, Peter Ongondo, Shem Ngoche, James Ngoche.

Tanvir Ahmed, Mohammad Yousuf left out of World Cup

Pakistan's selectors have displayed an unusual consistency in their ODI squad, retaining all players bar one involved in the New Zealand ODIs for their World Cup campaign. Fast bowler Tanvir Ahmed, who is part of the 16-man ODI squad in New Zealand, is the unlucky one, missing out.

In opting for continuity, the selectors have not picked the veteran Mohammad Yousuf, indicating that his career is all but over. And as had been widely expected, they have remarkably not named a captain or deputy so far, leaving open the possibility that Shahid Afridi, who has been the limited overs leader, may be replaced.

The 15-man squad is generally low on surprise, and given that Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and Shoaib Malik, four key players, are not cleared for selection, almost picked itself. It is a fairly fresh one also; eight of the players have no previous World Cup experience.

The batting spots are shared by a mix of the old and new, with Asad Shafiq and Umar Akmal the ones to keep an eye on, around Younis Khan. The presence of Misbah-ul-Haq will raise some eyebrows. He has only played two ODIs in 2010 and was dropped midway through Pakistan's last ODI series against South Africa.

The bowling has considerable variety, with Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz expected to share the bulk of pace duties. Sohail Tanvir has a chance to resurrect his career after two injury-struck years. Much might depend on the spinners, with Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman providing contrasting support to the threat of Afridi.

Yousuf made the 30-man preliminary World Cup squad but hasn't played a one-dayer since he was recalled for the series-decider against South Africa last November in Dubai and made only 3. Though he has played 281 ODIs for Pakistan, he scored only one half-century in 10 matches last year and his World Cup experiences have generally been poor: he has only two half-centuries in 13 career World Cup matches.

The situation with the captaincy has built up steadily over the last few weeks. There has been increasing speculation that Afridi may be removed, the board not pleased with his regular public statements, including criticisms of his own side. He was retained as ODI captain for the New Zealand ODIs but his personal performance in the last ten ODIs doesn't help his case. He averages 20.9 with the bat and 48.7 with the ball. The move to name Misbah as vice-captain for the New Zealand ODIs is seen as a means of putting pressure on Afridi.

But before leaving for New Zealand, Afridi said he was not worried about the position. "I am not worried about the captaincy, it never worries me," Afridi told reporters. "I have never run after the captaincy in my entire career. It is something for the cricket board to decide. If they feel I am the right man they will appoint me and if they don't they will make someone else captain.

"I am a senior professional and I know what I have to do. I have to lead the team to win the series and perform well as player. I know our winning the series will be very important because if we win in New Zealand it will give us a boost for the World Cup."

Squad

: Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal (wk), Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Ahmed Shehzad

Ireland pick Ed Joyce for World Cup

Ed Joyce, the former England batsman who also plays for Sussex, has been picked in the 15-man Ireland squad for the 2011 World Cup. Ireland, led by batsman William Porterfield, have also selected allrounder Alex Cusack and seamer Boyd Rankin, players who didn't feature in their last ODI assignment, a lost series against Zimbabwe in September. Rankin, who was Ireland's leading wicket-taker in the 2007 World Cup, has recovered from a stress fracture in his foot that has kept him out of the team since July 2010.

Joyce, who last played an ODI in 2007, was cleared by the ICC in November 2010 to represent Ireland, the country of his birth, and

he subsequently joined the team in a pre-World Cup preparation camp in India. Joyce has played 17 ODIs for England, averaging 27.70, though he's been a prolific run-getter on the List A and first-class circuit.

Ireland surprised one and all in the 2007 World Cup, knocking Pakistan out of the league stage, qualifying for the Super Eights and beating Bangladesh. Nine Irish players who featured in that tournament are part of the 2011 World Cup squad.

"I like the balance of the squad. As with most Irish teams of the past few years, there are quite a few allrounders, and that gives us plenty of options in all departments," Ireland coach Phil Simmons was quoted as saying in a release. "What is different this time, from 2007, is that 13 of the 15 earn their living from cricket - that's practically a full-time squad.

"We were also able to spend a month in India acclimatising, and that will stand us in good stead."

Porterfield added: "There has been a lot of hard work put in over the past few weeks and months and being in India in November for the training has really helped the lads in getting to where they want to be."

Ireland travel to Dubai for a training camp on January 28, and play warm-up games against New Zealand and Zimbabwe in the lead-up to the World Cup.

Ireland squad: William Porterfield (capt), Andre Botha, Alex Cusack, Niall O'Brien (wk), Kevin O'Brien, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, John Mooney, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Albert van der Merwe, Gary Wilson (wk), Andrew White, Ed Joyce.

Lee and Tait win World Cup berths

Australia will risk both Brett Lee and Shaun Tait at the World Cup after they were chosen in the 15-man squad for the trophy defence beginning in India next month. Peter Siddle and Xavier Doherty were not included while John Hastings, the Victoria allrounder, was named along with the injured duo of Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey.

Hussey picked up a serious hamstring tear in Sunday's ODI win over England, while Ponting is recovering from surgery to his little finger. The pair will not appear in the remainder of the one-day series, with the other 13 members of the World Cup squad selected to finish the seven-match campaign.

Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, did admit some doubt over Hussey getting to the World Cup. "It is a severe injury and we will make a decision closer to departure date," he said.

Hussey and Ponting do have plenty of time to recover before the tournament reaches the knockout stages, with the quarter finals beginning on March 23. Australia's opening match of the campaign is against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad on February 21.

While Australia are now mid-table in Tests, they remain the No.1 side in the 50-over game and are aiming for their fourth consecutive World Cup win. Seven players who were part of the unbeaten 2007 success in the West Indies will attempt to achieve more glory.

Lee and Tait are returning from long-term elbow injuries but the selectors have kept faith in their speed, bodies and shock value. Lee, 34, captured two wickets on Sunday in his first ODI since October 2009 as he reached 150kph, while Tait missed the game with a back injury. Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger are the other quicks in the unit, with Hastings and Shane Watson enlisted to provide support.

"Hastings has been selected as he adds variety to our bowling options," Hilditch said. "We feel his bowling is well suited to subcontinent conditions and his all-round skills with bat and ball add to the flexibility of the squad."

Nathan Hauritz is the sole recognised spinner but Steven Smith and David Hussey will also be relied on to deliver regular overs. "Nathan is our preferred spin option and his one-day record in India is excellent," Hilditch said. Hauritz has played seven 50-over games in the country, taking four wickets at 70.75. Hilditch's panel did not pick Hauritz during the entire Ashes campaign but now he expects the offspinner to "be an important part of our bid for this fourth World Cup".

David Hussey's mix of hard-hitting batting and part-time offspin have earned him a trip, despite him playing his first one-day game in more than a year on Sunday. "We feel he will play a crucial role for us in sub-continental conditions," Hilditch said. Tim Paine is the back-up wicketkeeper and will also be a standby batsman.

Australia squad

Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Cameron White, Tim Paine (wk), Steven Smith, John Hastings, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait, Doug Bollinger.

No Rohit Sharma in World Cup squad

The exclusion of middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma was the surprise in India's 15-man World Cup squad announced in Chennai. The other bone of contention had been the second specialist spinner's slot, and the selectors have picked both offspinner R Ashwin and legspinner Piyush Chawla, ahead of left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha. Most of the other names in the squad were along expected lines.

India's major concern ahead of the team selection was the injuries to four first-choice players - Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and quick bowler Praveen Kumar - but the selectors picked all four, confident that they will be fit in time for the tournament which starts on February 19.

India's bowling attack for the World Cup will be significantly different from their standard Test attack, with only Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh being named. The fast bowling pair of Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma, and Ojha are all excluded while Munaf Patel, who helped India to a series-levelling victory over South Africa on Saturday, has found a place as the fourth seamer.

The selectors have gone in for a well-stocked slow bowling department, expecting traditional subcontinent tracks for the World Cup. Besides Harbhajan, there are two specialists in Ashwin and Chawla, an allrounder in Yusuf Pathan besides the part-time offerings of Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Virender Sehwag.

Chawla was also something of a surprise pick, though he is part of the one-day squad currently touring South Africa. He hasn't played any one-dayers for India since the Asia Cup in July 2008, and none of his 21 ODIs have been at home.

The squad also has only seven specialist batsmen, including MS Dhoni, which might be a worry in case of injuries. India haven't played their full-strength one-day side since the New Zealand tour in early 2009. There is no reserve keeper in the squad either, but that shouldn't be a concern as they can have one travel with them in case he is needed at short notice.

Kris Srikkanth, chairman of the national selection committee, was confident India could end their 28-year wait for a one-day World Cup. "This particular Indian team is doing brilliantly for the past couple of years in both Test and ODI cricket. They are playing consistently not only in India but outside," he told reporters after the team was announced. "We are confident this team will do well and win the World Cup for us in front of the home crowd."

He also defended the large spin contingent in the squad. "Don't forget that you are playing in India. The spinners probably play a very major role on the turning wickets. I am confident that the kind of balance we have, the kind of batting line-up we have, this team led by Dhoni will do the job for us."

Squad: MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Piyush Chawla, R Ashwin

ICC World Cup 2011: Zimbabwe 15 men squad for WC 2011

Harare: All-rounder Sean Ervine has been recalled to the Zimbabwe squad for ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 after a gap of six years. Ervine last played for Zimbabwe in an international game in 2004.
In the interim Ervine has played domestic cricket in Australia for Western Australia. He currently plays for Hampshire in the English county cricket. Ervine joins younger brother Craig in the final 15-man squad named on Wednesday by the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) selection panel.
Batsman Vusimuzi Sibanda has been named one of the five non-travelling reserves.
WC 2011 Zimbabwe Squad: Elton Chigumbura (captain), Regis Chakabva, Charles Coventry, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Sean Ervine, Gregory Lamb, Shingirai Masakadza, Christopher Mpofu, Raymond Price, Edward Rainsford, Tatenda Taibu, Brendan Taylor, Prosper Utseya, Sean Williams.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011: WC theme song is for masses: composers

Dubai: With little more than a month to go for the ICC Cricket World Cup, the official song -- De Ghumaa Ke -- is already making a big impact in the sub-continent and the composers of the number Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy said they created it keeping in mind every section of the society.
As popular and critically acclaimed music directors of Bollywood, the trio has created an upbeat song, with versions in Hindi, Bangla and Sinhalese that will feature widely in the build-up to and during the tournament to be hosted jointly by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka from February 19 to April 2.

"We thought about what one should expect of an anthem, and we wanted to compose a song that appealed to every cross-section of society.
"The title De Ghumaa Ke (literally meaning 'Hit it Hard') is a term you use whether you're watching your own local team or Sachin Tendulkar hit a six. That's the whole idea, a fun song that will catch on and we hope it gets the crowds chanting and dancing in the stands throughout the ICC Cricket World Cup," the composers said in an ICC statement.

ICC World Cup 2011 Sri Lanka 15 Men Squad: Jayasuriya, Vaas not in WC squad

Colombo: Sri Lanka's selectors have been unable to find a place for veterans Sanath Jayasuriya or Chaminda Vaas in the 2011 World Cup squad.
Announced late on Friday afternoon, the side is a predictable one led by Kumar Sangakkara minus Suraj Randiv, who at one stage was looked on as the leading spinner in the squad. Now he has been replaced by Ajantha Mendis with Muttiah Muralitharan in the fifteen names approved by the local Minister of Sport.
As Sri Lanka will play the bulk of their games on the island, with the one exception that against New Zealand in Mumbai, it was expected the squad would contain a group of spinners. There have been media speculation over the possible selection of Jayasuriya and Vaas, veterans of the 1996 side that won the event in Lahore.
One recent columnist accused the SLC interim committee of botching the Jayasuriya retirement story.
The main weakness in the squad is who will bat at six and seven, two areas where the team has shown a weakness in recent ODIs.
Sri Lanka 15 Men Squad:
Kumar Sangakkara ( Captain ), Mahela Jayawardena ( Vice captain), Upul Tharanga, TM Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedara, Angelo Mathews, Tissara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekera, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath

Bangladesh World Cup 2011 team gets new sponsors

Dhaka: The Beximco Group has replaced Grameenphone as the official sponsors of Bangladesh's cricket team for the forthcoming World Cup.
Grameenphone, a joint venture between Norway-based Telenor and Grameen Bank's sister concern Grameen Telecom Corporation, is out because of a conflict of interest with the International Cricket Council (ICC) sponsor Reliance Communications, an Indian mobile operator.

In keeping with the ICC rules, no team is allowed to take a sponsor in any of their events that is conflicting with its commercial partners.
Beximco, a private trading group Tuesday struck a deal worth 35 million taka (about $490,000) with the Bangladesh Cricket Board to sponsor the national cricket team.
Beximco replaced Grameenphone, the largest telecom operator in Bangladesh, as the official sponsor of the 'tigers', the New Age reported.
Bangladesh's national cricketers are fondly called tigers. Royal Bengal tiger is the country's national animal.

Bangladesh reduce preliminary WC squad to 23

Bangladesh have reduced their preliminary 30-man squad for the World Cup to 23. Nazimuddin, Shamsur Rahman, Sahagir Hossain, Mithun Ali, Nasir Hossain, Shuvogoto Chowdhury and Enamul Haque Jr are the players who have been left out. The remaining 23 players will be of a preparatory camp that begins on January 9 at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Mirpur.

All 14 teams participating in the tournament have to announce their final fifteen before January 19.

Preliminary Squad: Shakib Al Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Ashraful, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Roqibul Hassan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Nazmul Hossain, Naeem Islam, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Abdur Razzak, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Shahriar Nafees, Jahirul Islam, Syed Rasel, Shahadat Hossain, Mahbubul Alam, Dolar Mahmud, Shabbir Rahman, Alok Kapali