The Surfer

Michael Atherton in the Times writes that while it would be tempting to write off England's chances after a three-hour horror show in which they conceded - to an associate nation - more runs than on any occasion in the World Cup bar the 300 made

England endure shaky start to World Cup

C Raja Mohan, writing in the Indian Express , says Bangladesh’s zeal in co-hosting the World Cup signals the maturing of a nation and a new reality in which Bangladesh is ready to take off on the global stage.

Bangladesh ready to make its presence felt

Swati Bhan, writing for the Deccan Herald , says boys from Munaf Patel’s village in Gujarat, who hail from families which find it near impossible to afford a pair of spikes, are inspired by Patel’s success and a passion for the game to pursue

Chasing the cricket dream, à la Munaf Patel

Andrew Alderson, writing for the New Zealand Herald , says the more experienced – in terms of World Cup appearances – New Zealand should fancy their chances against Australia in Nagpur on February 25, and success there could fuel knock-out round

If New Zealand’s bad, Australia’s not much better

Shefalee Vasudev, writing for the Indian Express , says Imran Khan is as fit as can be at 59 with a high intensity workout routine, one that women in the vicinity can’t take their eyes off.

Working out, Imran Khan style

Mike Atherton, writing for The Times , says the World Cup brings with it an expression of Bangladesh’s national pride and unbridled enthusiasm for the game.

ODI overkill? Tell that to Bangladesh

S Dinakar, writing in the Hindu , ponders over some of the strategies vis-a-vis the bowling that India might adopt in their next game against England.

Bowling worries for India

Ruchir Joshi in the Telegraph writes that while it would too much to suggest that India's World Cup win transformed our society for ever, it’s only accurate to say that the win was a building block on which rest several different cross-beams of

A nifty Indian dance move

Peter Badel in the Sunday Telegraph writes that Ricky Poting won't tell you he's gone eight years without a single World Cup defeat as captain

Ponting's not ready to walk away yet

New Zealand's poor performance in the field over the last year may not have led to sweeping changes in the side, or so it seems

Support staff pay for New Zealand's slide

Former England cricketer Angus Fraser sympathises with the current World Cup squad, who have had to go straight from a long tour of Australia into the tournament, but says the lead-up is not nearly as bad as the one he was part of in 1999

From the desert to the English rain

25-Feb-2013•Dustin Silgardo

Unpredictability may keep things interesting

Though the 2011 World Cup may have a bloated look with its two-month long schedule, the fact that anyone could win it may keep spectators gripped, says Stephen Brenkley in the Independent

25-Feb-2013•Dustin Silgardo

An arm for a raw feed

In the latest issue of Tehelka , Devangshu Datta has a rant about the flood of commercials one is forced to watch during cricket matches.

25-Feb-2013•Dustin Silgardo

'The Indian team inspires hope'

Sourav Ganguly in the Open magazine writes that the balance in the Indian team is good, with the batting looking strong and the bowling available in full strength

Twenty20 aside, cricket does not readily lend itself to continuous viewing

Will you 'watch' the World Cup?

25-Feb-2013•Tariq Engineer

Is India the true home of cricket?

Indian fans need to embrace the World Cup in its totality, writes Boria Majumdar in the Times of India

The festive reception for the World Cup opening ceremony in Dhaka was a sign of how deeply entrenched cricket has become in the country's collective consciousness, says an editorial in the Daily Star .

A sure sense of achievement for Bangladesh

Ian Bell speaks to Brian Viner about England's preparation for the World Cup, the 1-6 thrashing at the hands of Australia, his own development as a batsman and the role he will be expected to play in his team's middle order

'Spin is going to be crucial'