World Cup Monitor
Indian villages ban cricket
Twenty-eight villages in the Indian state of Haryana have banned cricket following India’s World Cup exit
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Twenty-eight villages in the Indian state of Haryana have banned cricket following India’s World Cup exit. "We all have taken this decision and those who go against it will have to face social boycott,” said a spokesman for one of the villages. "We will stop playing it. We will play kabaddi, football, volleyball and wrestle instead."
Full postBangladesh take up effigy burning
Proof, were it needed, that Bangladesh had arrived at cricket’s top table came with news that students at Dhaka University burnt an effigy of Habibul Bashar, the national captain, following the defeats by New Zealand and Australia.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Proof, were it needed, that Bangladesh had arrived at cricket’s top table came with news that students at Dhaka University burnt an effigy of Habibul Bashar, the national captain, following the defeats by New Zealand and Australia.
Full postSri Lanka won’t have Moody blues if coach goes
Peter English
25-Feb-2013
Tom Moody will consider moving on from Sri Lanka after the World Cup – Western Australia and England are among the potential destinations – and Mahela Jayawardene is in no doubt about his coaching talent. Jayawardene understands Moody is highly sought after but insists the squad’s direction will not change if he leaves.
"We have to acknowledge he's been brilliant but Sri Lanka cricket, whether he stays or not, will not divert from where we are going,” Jayawardene told AFP. "If a new coach comes in he'll bring something new to the table and we'll just have to adapt to that. If Tom stays it will be brilliant as well and then we will try to push forward."
Full postWorld Cup chief braced for Windies exit
Jamie Alter
25-Feb-2013
World Cup organisers, already reeling from the shock exits of crowd-pullers India and Pakistan, are confident the 2007 tournament will survive the West Indies' expected elimination, AFP reports.
Chris Dehring, the World Cup chief executive, said the local committees in the Caribbean will have to be resolute if the hosts, who have lost all three of their Super Eights matches, fail to make the semi-finals.
Full postWaugh worried youth missing out in West Indies
West Indies have missed a terrific chance to get more children playing cricket during the World Cup, according to Steve Waugh
Peter English
25-Feb-2013
West Indies have missed a terrific chance to get more children playing cricket during the World Cup, according to Steve Waugh. Waugh said ticket prices were too high for many locals and organisers had failed to understand the importance of promoting the game.
“The Caribbean has missed a great opportunity to educate the young kids about cricket,” he told AFP. "If anything you'd think they'd let them in for nothing.
"They should have asked the common people what they should have been doing. Why overcharge when it's a great chance for the Caribbean to showcase what they've got and get kids back into cricket?" Denzil Douglas, the prime minister of St Kitts and Nevis, said during the group matches that tickets were not too expensive and locals had been given time to save.
Full postSlow over-rate costs West Indies
Following their heavy 113-run defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka, West Indies have been hit by a fine for a slow-over rate during the Super Eights match in Guyana
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
Following their heavy 113-run defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka, West Indies have been hit by a fine for a slow-over rate during the Super Eights match in Guyana. They were ruled to be two overs short of their target at the scheduled end of Sri Lanka’s innings.
The ICC code regarding slow over rates says each player gets fined five percent of their match fee for each over the side fails to bowls, with the captain being hit with double that amount. Therefore, it has cost Lara 20 percent and the other players 10 percent of their fees.
The start of the match was delayed by rain at Providence, but even when time allowances were taken into account West Indies were still behind. Their hopes of progressing to the semi-finals now rest on them securing three straight wins and relying on results from other side.
Full postFletcher happy with WAGs presence
Duncan Fletcher, the England coach, believes that the recent arrival of the team's wives and girlfriends can play a key role in raising England’s game during what will be a vital week for them in the World Cup.
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
Duncan Fletcher, the England coach, believes that the recent arrival of the team's wives and girlfriends can play a key role in raising England’s game during what will be a vital week for them in the World Cup.
Many former England players criticised the presence of the WAGs during England's 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia, and said their presence was a distraction. Fletcher, however, was gratified by their arrival in Antigua on Sunday.
"We've done it on previous tours and on some of the tours when they've [WAGs] arrived we've put in some very solid performances," Fletcher told AFP. "India was a good example a few years ago when we were losing 1-0 in the Test series and the wives arrived and we ended up drawing the series - they do help when they arrive."
England lost the two points that were carried over from the group stage to New Zealand and beat Ireland in their first Super Eights match. Their next matches are against Sri Lanka and Australia on Wednesday and Friday.
Full postWasim and Gilchrist dish out compliments
Wasim Akram might have lost his World Cup wicket record but he couldn’t be happier that it was Glenn McGrath who broke it
Peter English
25-Feb-2013
Wasim Akram might have lost his World Cup wicket record but he couldn’t be happier that it was Glenn McGrath who broke it. "I consider McGrath and Malcolm Marshall as two all-time greats and I think they were a cut above the rest,” Wasim told AFP.
“McGrath is the complete bowler, physically and mentally. He has the cunning for all batsmen and the way he executes his plans is great. You become his fan once you see him bowl and I have had the privilege of playing alongside this great man."
Continuing the trend of praising in-form players, Adam Gilchrist said he was just happy to be part of Australia’s outstanding opening partnership with Matthew Hayden, who has 395 runs from five matches. "Matty has been the standout performer," Gilchrist said. “He's in really intimidating form at the moment and to be part of that partnership is really pleasing.”
Full postPonting upset by slack groundstaff
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
Ricky Ponting has criticised the groundstaff at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, after the Super Eights match between Australia and Bangladesh was delayed by standing water on the outfield. After heavy overnight rain, the start of the match was pushed back by five hours and the match reduced to 22 overs per side, after the ground's only SuperSopper broke down.
"At the end of the day, we were lucky to get a game in today," said Ponting, whose team sealed a comprehensive ten-wicket win, their fifth in a row in the tournament. "We didn't see enough hands on deck out on the ground.
Full postEmpty seats baffle Ponting
Ricky Ponting is used to playing in front of some massive crowds but the low turnout at some matches in the Caribbean has left him nonplussed
Sriram Veera
25-Feb-2013
Ricky Ponting is used to playing in front of some massive crowds but the
low turnout at some matches in the Caribbean has left him nonplussed.
The first day of Australia's rain-interrupted match against West Indies
at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium attracted only 9000 fans, despite the
ground's capacity of 19,000.
Ponting believes if West Indies crash out during the Super Eights, the
spectator-count will diminish further. "I couldn't believe there wasn't
a full house for the West Indies-Australia game here the other day," he
told AFP. "I'm not sure what the reason was for that. But then,
if the West Indies do go out, there probably won't be much support
around the grounds at all which will be disappointing in a World Cup.
"Getting towards the latter stages there will be a lot of visitors
coming in from around the world but it would be nice if a lot of the
locals got out and supported the games as well. It would be great for
the Caribbean if the West Indies could make it through to the final
stages of the tournament."
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