World Cup Monitor

Twenty-eight villages in the Indian state of Haryana have banned cricket following India’s World Cup exit

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."

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Bangladesh 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

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Sri 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."

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World 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.

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Waugh 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.

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Slow 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.

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Fletcher 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

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.

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Wasim 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."