In Case You Missed It: T20 World Cup semi-final race heats up, Dewald Brevis breaks a record
Our best content from the week gone by
ESPNcricinfo staff
05-Nov-2022
Go to the top of the class: New Zealand are the only team close to clinching a semi-final spot • Associated Press
With just a few days to go to the semi-finals, the four slots remain in contention after upsets and washouts made for an unpredictable T20 World Cup. India lost a thriller against South Africa and won an equally tense and rain-interrupted one against Bangladesh. England need to win against Sri Lanka and with a large enough margin to progress, while New Zealand are holding on to a precarious position at the top of the table. Here's all the news and stories from the World Cup and beyond this week.
Should Pakistan break up the Babar-Rizwan opening pair?
After two defeats and a washout in the Super 12s, Pakistan still need either India or South Africa to stumble against Zimbabwe and Netherlands respectively to make the semi-final. They won their last two games but the openers haven't always fired. Sidharth Monga asks if it's time to break up the dream team of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who score a lot of runs together, but not necessarily quickly, and may be too similar to make sense as a combination in top-level T20. What does Pakistan's ideal T20 team look like? Hassan Cheema finds the 2007 and 2009 sides were ahead of the curve but haven't followed the blueprint since.
After two defeats and a washout in the Super 12s, Pakistan still need either India or South Africa to stumble against Zimbabwe and Netherlands respectively to make the semi-final. They won their last two games but the openers haven't always fired. Sidharth Monga asks if it's time to break up the dream team of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who score a lot of runs together, but not necessarily quickly, and may be too similar to make sense as a combination in top-level T20. What does Pakistan's ideal T20 team look like? Hassan Cheema finds the 2007 and 2009 sides were ahead of the curve but haven't followed the blueprint since.
T20 World Cup stats round-up: Openers struggle in fast-bowling paradise
S Rajesh take stock of the tournament so far and finds that conditions have been challenging for batters in Australia, but the fielders haven't always supported the bowlers.
S Rajesh take stock of the tournament so far and finds that conditions have been challenging for batters in Australia, but the fielders haven't always supported the bowlers.
Kohli becomes the highest run-scorer in men's T20 World Cups
He went past Mahela Jayawardene's record of 1016 runs in the tournament's history - here's a look at his numbers over the years. Do you remember his best T20 World Cup performances? Have a crack at our quiz.
He went past Mahela Jayawardene's record of 1016 runs in the tournament's history - here's a look at his numbers over the years. Do you remember his best T20 World Cup performances? Have a crack at our quiz.
Faf du Plessis: 'I opened up myself completely. I'm saying I'm weak, or I did things wrong and I learned from that'
The former South Africa captain spoke tp Firdose Moonda about why he chose to get into the uncomfortable parts of his career in his newly released autobiography,
The former South Africa captain spoke tp Firdose Moonda about why he chose to get into the uncomfortable parts of his career in his newly released autobiography,
Chris Lynn: 'If you score runs, you get to pick and choose when you play. That's my motivation to do well'
After 11 years with Brisbane Heat, and a solid debut in the T20 Blast for Northants, the batter is looking forward to a "great new adventure" with Adelaide Strikers.
After 11 years with Brisbane Heat, and a solid debut in the T20 Blast for Northants, the batter is looking forward to a "great new adventure" with Adelaide Strikers.
Who has played the most Test matches without ever playing one at home?
And who has bowled the first over most often in Tests? All your burning cricket questions answered by Steven Lynch in this week's Ask Steven.
And who has bowled the first over most often in Tests? All your burning cricket questions answered by Steven Lynch in this week's Ask Steven.
It must have Bean love, but it's war now
In the Briefing this month, Andrew Fidel Fernando is hot on the trail of the fraudulent comic who unwittingly set in motion a rivalry that may change cricket forever.
In the Briefing this month, Andrew Fidel Fernando is hot on the trail of the fraudulent comic who unwittingly set in motion a rivalry that may change cricket forever.
Would Dewald Brevis rather bat with Sachin Tendulkar or AB de Villiers?
The South Africa batter, who last week became the youngest of his countrymen to score a century in men's T20s, gets put on the spot and made to pick between rusks and braai, bum pats and high-fives, gloves and shoes, and more.
The South Africa batter, who last week became the youngest of his countrymen to score a century in men's T20s, gets put on the spot and made to pick between rusks and braai, bum pats and high-fives, gloves and shoes, and more.
Summers with Greenidge and Marshall
A small Lancashire club went all starry-eyed and slack-jawed when a couple of West Indian invincibles turned out for them for two seasons in the 1990s. Scott Oliver throws back.
A small Lancashire club went all starry-eyed and slack-jawed when a couple of West Indian invincibles turned out for them for two seasons in the 1990s. Scott Oliver throws back.
Which of David Miller's team-mates had a cooking blog?
And which of his colleagues bowled to MS Dhoni in the nets when he was 16? How much does Miller know about his team-mates? We find out.
And which of his colleagues bowled to MS Dhoni in the nets when he was 16? How much does Miller know about his team-mates? We find out.