NEWSLETTER
Follow UsOne more week in the unstoppable world of cricket has passed in a jiffy, but boy, oh boy, what a week it was! If the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 was finally heating up last week, it has reached a boiling point now, and it’s not just because of India’s domination. Pakistan have reached the ‘Qudrat ka Nizam’ domain, and there’s a tripartite battle going on between Afghanistan, New Zealand and Pakistan for the fourth spot.
Meanwhile, air pollution has made a wild card entry in the World Cup on a parachute that no one saw coming because it was too hazy in Delhi. And, of course, a truckload of other things have happened as well.
So what are you waiting for? Pause those Instagram reels and no scrounging for news anywhere else because Cricket.com has got you covered with this zesty recap of everything that happened last week in the cricketing world.
The World Cup is reaching its boiling point
The eternal wait for the high of a close game ended last week. Since then, we haven't necessarily got any close games, but the fight for the top 4 spots is reaching a chaotic climax, with some teams making a comeback and others falling down the ladder. However, there’s only one team we have to start the World Cup digest with - INDIA!!
> India are just the worst hosts in ODI World Cup history! Aakash Sivasubramaniam wasn’t kidding when he titled an article on India like this. He was serious because which team bowls out its opposition for a score below 100 after scoring 357 and 326 themselves? Not fair! And then, which birthday boy gives himself a birthday gift by scoring his 49th century in ODIs and equalling the record of his hero? So rude of you, Virat! So rude.
Where is athithi devo bhava? Only uncouth, disgusting domination. NOT DONE!
> Afghanistan’s ascend has been the story to tell this World Cup. From winning just a single game in the last two World Cups combined, they have won four out of seven games and are major contenders for a semi-final berth. Their batters, especially Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah, have been great, and their spin quartet is looking straight out of Dante’s Inferno. This upcoming week might just be the most memorable one in Afghan cricket history if they manage to make it to the knockouts.
> Pakistan don’t like the second act of anything. That’s why, after winning two games initially, they lost four on the trot in the middle. They have now won two consecutive games again, largely due to Fakhar Zaman enunciating ‘power hitting is a power hitting yaar’.
They still need to win big in their last league against England and hope New Zealand either loses against Sri Lanka or the match gets abandoned, as rain is predicted in Bangalore on match day(November 9). Saqlain Mushtaq might just be saying ‘Qudrat ka Nizam’ (the system of nature) on a regular basis now.
> New Zealand love numerical patterns more than they love black. Hence, they have now lost four games on the trot after winning four out of four, and their knockout qualification isn’t entirely in their hands anymore. Even if they win against Sri Lanka, they’ll want Pakistan and Afghanistan to lose all their remaining games.
> England’s bad form continues in the World Cup as they lost against Australia as well and are comfortably placed at the bottom of the table. Their Champions Trophy qualifications are also in jeopardy now, with teams like the Netherlands being better placed than them on the points table.
> South Africa might have been miserably pulverised by India in the city of Joy, but they are the only second team in this World Cup point table with a Q (Qualified) against their name. Australia are also comfortably placed at the third spot with 10 points, and one more win will guarantee them a spot in the top 4.
> While writing this newsletter, there was a unique form of dismissal that happened in the ongoing Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh game at Delhi. Angelo Matthews was just given TIMED OUT, as he failed to get ready to face his first ball within 120 seconds of the last batter getting out. Apparently, there was some issue with the strap of his helmet, and by the time he asked for a new one, Bangladesh had appealed, and the Umpire gave it out. Talk about bizarre firsts! This was the first time in international cricket that a ‘timed out’ dismissal occurred.
Read our explainer on the dismissal - Why was Angelo Mathews "timed out"?
> As if the pandemonium insinuated on the field from Sri Lanka’s dismal performance in this World Cup wasn’t enough, the Sports Minister of the country, Roshan Ranasinghe, is looking to sack the entire board and replace it with an interim committee headed by ex-World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga. The Committee will be tasked with improving the state of Lankan cricket.
C̶r̶i̶c̶k̶e̶t̶ Injury World Cup update
> Hardik Pandya was rehabbing at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, but his ankle injury has now officially ruled him out for the remainder of the World Cup. Prasidh Krishna has been slotted in as his replacement. With Hardik, India’s plan of playing six bowlers is also unofficially ruled out from the remainder of the World Cup.
> The injury plague continues to spread pandemonium in the BlackCaps camp, as another pace bowler, Matt Henry, has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury. Kyle Jamieson has been called in as his replacement.
What else has been happening?
> Mitch Marsh has rejoined the Australian World Cup squad after returning home due to ‘personal reasons’, which turned out to be the sad demise of his grandfather Ross Marsh. The Australian team wore black armbands to express their condolences and support to their teammate and his family.
Meanwhile, Glenn Maxwell is also ready to return to the game against Afghanistan (November 7) after being concussed in a freak accident on a golf field.
> Nepal have been making serious strides in cricket this year. After putting an Indian team full of IPL stars under some pressure in the Asian Games in China, they confirmed their place in the 2024 World Cup by reaching the finals of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifiers. Oman were the second team in the finals and along with winning the tournament in a thrilling contest that involved a super-over at Kirtipur in a stadium bursting at its seams due to being over-packed with fans.
> In a shocking announcement, David Willey informed the cricketing world that he has called quits on his international cricket career and will focus on franchise league tournaments. Notably, his retirement was a direct consequence of his omission from the Central contracts recently offered by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The English all-rounder described that as “the final nail in the coffin” of his international career.
> In the parallel world of T20 leagues, the preparations are underway for the new season. The Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auctions are to be held in Dubai, UAE, in December. The WPL auction is expected to be held on December 9, and the IPL auction on December 19. The massive Coca-Cola arena will host the auctions of the biggest cricket league in the world.
The IPL trading window is also open, and in the first transfer of the upcoming season, Romario Shepherd has been traded from the Lucknow Supergiants to the Mumbai Indians for 50 lakhs.
Meanwhile, the second season of UAE’s T20 league, ILT20, will begin on January 19 next year and will have 34 games on its roster, with the final scheduled for February 17.
> There has been two skipper changes in international cricket last week. Paul Stirling has been made Ireland’s white-ball captain after he took up the role on an interim basis from Andy Balbirnie. Meanwhile, eastwards in Zimbabwe, Sikandar Raza has been named T20 Captain as his team looks to book their tickets for the T20 World Cup through the Africa Qualifiers starting soon. Coach Dave Houghton has also been retained to maintain continuity in the squad.
> In sad news for the cricket fraternity in Sri Lanka, Percy Abeysekera, fondly called ‘Uncle Percy’ by players and fans alike, passed away after a long illness. Many Lankan cricket stalwarts, including Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, expressed their condolence on his sad demise.
> In the ongoing Women’s Big Bash League, Sydney Thunder continued their dominance with another statement win against the Brisbane Heat, largely due to their openers Tahlia Wilson (83 off 54) and Chamari Athapaththu (58 off 31). The Sri Lankan stalwart Athapaththu, after a late inclusion in the league, also reached the top of the run-scoring charts with 304 runs.
> Sunil Narine has called time on his international cricket career via a post on his Instagram account. The 35-year-old will continue to feature in franchise tournaments, as he revealed in his statement.
Indian domestic season update
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
> Punjab and Baroda continued their stellar seasons to defeat Delhi and Assam, respectively, to reach the finals of India’s premier domestic Men’s T20 competition, which is being played at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali during the time of writing. Youngsters Riyan Parag (leading run scorer, 510 runs in 10 innings) and Abhishek Sharma (485 runs in 9 innings) have created a lot of buzz with their performances in the middle of a World Cup.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad’s Ravi Teja is the leading wicket-taker with 19 wickets in 7 innings, closely followed by Delhi’s leg-spinning sensation Suyash Sharma with 18 wickets.
Senior Women’s T20 Trophy
> The semi-finalists have been confirmed in the Women’s T20 domestic tournament, and the big news is that domestic giants of Women’s cricket, Railways, have failed to make the top four as they were defeated by Bengal in the quarter-finals by 4 wickets. The other three teams to make the semis are Mumbai, Uttarakhand, and Kerala.
Jemimah Rodrigues and Saika Ishaque lead the runs and wickets charts, respectively.
Controversy of the Week
As if the ongoing controversies in different Asian cricket boards weren’t enough, the air pollution levels in India’s national capital, New Delhi, have caused problems in the ongoing Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh game. Teams had to cancel their practice sessions, and when they practiced, they did in a cover of smog.
Notably, Sri Lanka had to bear the brunt of air pollution in Delhi during the Test match played there in 2017 as well.
The ICC has been closely monitoring the game, with doctors and other necessary precautions being taken.
Picture of the Week
The 'moon' between the stars
Check out these articles from our World Cup coverage
> World Cup 2023: Indian & South African players top the charts in most phases
> The eternal efficiency of Mohammad Nabi
> The shortcomings of every team in CWC23 barring the perfect India
> The flaw in New Zealand’s plan
Lastly, do watch this fancam video made by our team for Virat Kohli's birthday
