ICC World Cup 2011

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Welcome to the SD Cricket World Cup 2011 Central. Here we are going to discuss everything related to the Cricket World Cup 2011 which is to be played in India - Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from February 12 to April 2, 2011 (Warm-up Matches start Feb 12th, 2011 and Group Matches start Feb 19th, 2011.)

I would like to bring all the news and happenings related to the ICC World Cup. You are also encouraged to share news, your knowledge and insight as we move along.

This Video below will help you know more about the schedule, venues and more about the ICC World Cup.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BSmMNN0BaQ"]ICC World Cup 2011[/ame]

[Sadaf Gondal]

Canada eye World Cup quarters
DHAKA: Canada captain Ashish Bagai said on Thursday his team was aiming for an upset win to boost their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup quarter-finals.
“We discussed our expectations and goals as a team,” the India-born Bagai told reporters in the Bangladeshi capital.
“We talked about getting into the second round. Wins against Zimbabwe and Kenya and an upset against any of the other four teams is our goal.
“We’re prepared. We have just come from a training camp in Dubai and we’re looking forward to two warm-up games before meeting Sri Lanka in our first match.”
Canada open their campaign at Hambantota in Sri Lanka on February 20.
Bagai said the first game against Sri Lanka was crucial.
“It’s a new venue, even they (Sri Lanka) won’t know what to expect, so it’s going to be tough,” he said. “If we can get through a couple of their bowlers we have a good chance.”
The Canadian captain said his side had a decent bowling attack with Henry Osinde and Khurram Chohan leading the pack.
The North American cricket minnows first played at the World Cup in 1979 and their only win in the showpiece event has been against Bangladesh in 2003.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Underdogs WI look to ignite passion
COLOMBO: They may not be the hottest property at the World Cup, but the West Indies on Thursday said they were desperate to win this time and restore pride in the Caribbean.
On home turf four years ago, the former champions made it to the Super Eights round before losing five out of six matches, prompting the then skipper Brian Lara to announce his international retirement.
“We want to get the record straight this time,” attacking opener Chris Gayle said ahead of their first warm-up match against Kenya on Saturday.
“There are a lot of expectations from people back home. We want to go all out for them. This is my third World Cup. I’m treating it like my final Cup.
“The West Indies have a legacy of winning and I want to give my best to win matches for us,” said Gayle who is closing in on 8,000 ODI runs.
The West Indies won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979 but have since struggled to keep pace with the best in the game.
Since 2007, they have been dogged by in-fighting, selection rows and wrangling between players and the board.
Gayle, 31, was stripped of his captaincy last year after he refused a central contract and the inexperienced Darren Sammy was promoted to lead.
They have also slipped to number nine in one-day rankings behind Bangladesh and have not beaten a Test side in an ODI since June, 2009.
“We go in as the underdogs,” Gayle said. “But we want to be the team that upsets biggies and the one that gets through to the quarter-finals.”
Sammy also sought to put on a brave face despite a shaky build-up to the showpiece tournament that saw them lose 2-0 to Sri Lanka in a short one-day series recently.
“Yes, we have had some difficult times these past few months, but its behind us. The seniors and the juniors in the team are united to win games in this tournament,” the captain said.
West Indies open their World Cup campaign with a game against South Africa on February 24 in New Delhi, followed by matches against Netherlands, Bangladesh, Ireland, England and India.
Sammy was disappointed with the heavy rains in Sri Lanka which have robbed the team of much-needed match practice.
“We are a bit fresher than other teams I suppose, having spent more time indoors than on the field,” he said.
“This is my first World Cup and like many other young people in my team I am excited to have the chance to restore our cricket legacy,” he said

.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Underdogs WI look to ignite passion
COLOMBO: They may not be the hottest property at the World Cup, but the West Indies on Thursday said they were desperate to win this time and restore pride in the Caribbean.
On home turf four years ago, the former champions made it to the Super Eights round before losing five out of six matches, prompting the then skipper Brian Lara to announce his international retirement.
“We want to get the record straight this time,” attacking opener Chris Gayle said ahead of their first warm-up match against Kenya on Saturday.
“There are a lot of expectations from people back home. We want to go all out for them. This is my third World Cup. I’m treating it like my final Cup.
“The West Indies have a legacy of winning and I want to give my best to win matches for us,” said Gayle who is closing in on 8,000 ODI runs.
The West Indies won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979 but have since struggled to keep pace with the best in the game.
Since 2007, they have been dogged by in-fighting, selection rows and wrangling between players and the board.
Gayle, 31, was stripped of his captaincy last year after he refused a central contract and the inexperienced Darren Sammy was promoted to lead.
They have also slipped to number nine in one-day rankings behind Bangladesh and have not beaten a Test side in an ODI since June, 2009.
“We go in as the underdogs,” Gayle said. “But we want to be the team that upsets biggies and the one that gets through to the quarter-finals.”
Sammy also sought to put on a brave face despite a shaky build-up to the showpiece tournament that saw them lose 2-0 to Sri Lanka in a short one-day series recently.
“Yes, we have had some difficult times these past few months, but its behind us. The seniors and the juniors in the team are united to win games in this tournament,” the captain said.
West Indies open their World Cup campaign with a game against South Africa on February 24 in New Delhi, followed by matches against Netherlands, Bangladesh, Ireland, England and India.
Sammy was disappointed with the heavy rains in Sri Lanka which have robbed the team of much-needed match practice.
“We are a bit fresher than other teams I suppose, having spent more time indoors than on the field,” he said.
“This is my first World Cup and like many other young people in my team I am excited to have the chance to restore our cricket legacy,” he said

.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Batting long is Sehwag's aim
As if Virender Sehwag's batting strike-rate of 102 over a decade in one-day cricket wasn't enough to frighten bowlers, he has now set his sights on batting long during the World Cup. During his astonishing double-century against Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan in the Galle Test in 2008, Sehwag carried his bat but he is yet to bat out the full quota of overs in one-dayers, something he hopes to achieve.
"I think I never played 50 overs in one-day cricket, maximum I faced is 42-44 overs," a relaxed Sehwag said in Bangalore. "This time I'll try to bat 50 overs if I can. I have been trying for 10 years, I'm still trying." Emulating Sachin Tendulkar, who made the first and only double-century so far in the format when he played out 50 overs against South Africa last year, wasn't a target for Sehwag though. "Sachin has played 50 overs many times, not just once, but he could make 200 only once because it is not easy to make 200 in a one-dayer."
Nearly a third of Sehwag's innings have been single-digit efforts, a proportion he aims to reduce with a more measured approach early in the innings. "I have Yuvraj [Singh], MS Dhoni, [Suresh] Raina, [Virat] Kohli and Yusuf [Pathan] in the middle order, so I can go after the bowling straight from the first ball, but nowadays I'm a giving a little bit of respect for first 4-5 overs," he said. "Then I can take on the bowlers to make sure I give a good start so even if I get out the middle order can take their time and then go after the bowling."
This will be the first World Cup since Twenty20 become a big-money phenomenon, and Sehwag says the rise of cricket's newest format will mean teams batting first will have to set bigger targets to feel safe. "If you get a good batting track, 320 or 300 will be a par score in the World Cup," he said. "IPL changed a lot of batsmen's mindsets, because batsmen now think we can chase 10 run an over anytime. Before teams thought you have lost the game if they needed to chase 10 an over, but now with the power-hitters in the team, they will chase it and that will be very exciting to see in the World Cup"
Injuries and the team management's decision to rest him from some recent series has meant Sehwag goes into the World Cup not having played a one-dayer in more than five months. He missed the recent series against South Africa due to a shoulder problem, and though he is satisfied with his recovery, he is yet to start bowling. "I'm taking regular treatment, so hopefully it will be fine when the match comes," he said. "I don't want to bowl in the nets and get injured again, so when I feel my shoulder is better I can start bowling."
Shoulder trouble ruled Sehwag out of the past three global ICC tournaments - the Champions Trophy in 2009, and the previous two World Twenty20s - and India have had early exits in each of those, despite entering as title contenders. This World Cup, too, India are one of the front-runners. What lessons has the team learnt from past failures? "The only thing we learnt is that we are not favourites."

[Sadaf Gondal]

Zimbabwe hopeful of turning form around
CHENNAI: Zimbabwe coach Alan Butcher believes his team is coming into form at the right time ahead of the World Cup.
Zimbabwe has been struggling for results recently, and lost a one-day series in Bangladesh in December.
But Butcher said on Thursday that his team was ready to rediscover its form as it sets its sights on a quarterfinal place.
“We have to play to our plans and give our best in the tournament,” he said. “We need to execute our plans well.
“We need to have self-belief to perform well in the World Cup.”
Captain Elton Chigumbura said the team had benefited from a productive training camp in Dubai, where it beat Netherlands and Ireland in warmup matches, as well as the input of West Indies great Brian Lara, who has been used as a batting consultant.
Chigumbura said Lara had helped the team and “hopefully we will be able to put it into practice.”
The main concerns over Zimbabwe’s squad is the absence of a quick bowler, and its lack of experience on Indian pitches.
But Butcher said the recent tour of Bangladesh, which provides similar surfaces to India, would stand his team in good stead, while he expected his selected medium-pacers to make up for the lack of a pace bowler in prevailing conditions.
The Zimbabwe team led by Chigumbura arrived in Chennai on Wednesday where they play a practice match against South Africa on February 12.
Zimbabwe’s first match in the World Cup is against three-time defending champions Australia at Ahmedabad on February 21.
“If we can play our best cricket, then we can expect to do well in the tournament,” Chigumbura said.

[Sadaf Gondal]

WAGS add sparkle to World Cup showpiece
NEW DELHI: Action in the World Cup will not be limited to the field with the wives and girlfriends of players all set to add sparkle to the showpiece event.
Cricket WAGS may not have as high a profile as their glitzier football counterparts, but the game boasts its fair share of beauty.
Kacey Barnfield, girlfriend of England pace ace Stuart Broad, is a star in her own right.
Besides featuring in the hit TV sitcom Inbetweeners, the brunette is set to feature in the upcoming horror flick Lake Placid 3. She will also be seen in the latest instalment of sci-fi movie franchise Resident Evil.
Barnfield is sure to be one of the top contenders for the ICC, or the International Cricket Cutie, trophy this time around.
The award was bagged by South African skipper Graeme Smith’s then girlfriend — supermodel Minki van der Westhuizen — in a poll by Stick Cricket website during the last World Cup in 2007.
In cricket-mad India, Sakshi, wife of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has been basking in stardom ever since their lavish wedding at a hill-side resort last year.
The demure hotel management student has also cooked for the entire team during her stay in Sri Lanka and doled out blankets to the poor as thanksgiving after a century by Dhoni.
Liberty X singer Jessica Taylor cheers star hubby Kevin Pietersen.
Taylor has put her singing career on hold to be able to accompany Pietersen on tours and look after their son Dylan who was born in May last year.
Pietersen was lonely after England coach Andy Flower forced a ban on WAGS till the first two Ashes Tests in Australia late last year.
“Will I be counting down the days? Definitely,” said the flamboyant South African-born batsman.
“In the last couple of days Dylan has just started to try to sit up. Those are the kind of things you miss, like when he starts crawling, and that’s never nice.”
Captain Andrew Strauss was more diplomatic when asked about Flower’s diktat.
“We, as a group, are not anti-family at all,” he said. “They provide some normality in what is a very abnormal situation.
“I would never argue that the families are a distraction but, leaving no stone unturned, if one player is kept up the night before the first Test by a jet-lagged kid, that is not giving ourselves the best chance.”
The presence of wives on tours has always been a hotly-debated topic.
High stakes and increasing competitiveness have made it imperative for cricketers to give utmost attention to the team — and families can be a distraction.
But forced separation on account of cricket being played almost round the year now has also led to break-ups.
Australian fast bowler Brett Lee had his share of controversy over his break-up with the stunning Liz Kemp.
Kemp spoke of how she had endured months of loneliness as Lee took on more and more overseas sponsorship deals on top of his international career.
South Africa will allow wives and girlfriends to join the team midway through the marathon tournament.
Coach Corrie van Zyl said: “We have a window period during the tournament for the players to see their partners, and Cricket SA has been very understanding that it’s nice to have the support of the country, but also of our loved ones.”

[Sadaf Gondal]

India can cope with pressure, says Dhoni
BANGALORE, India: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Thursday his team is well-equipped to handle the pressure of playing in a World Cup in front of home crowds.
India, champions in 1983, disappointed millions of their fans four years ago when they were knocked out in the first round, following a shock defeat against Bangladesh in their opening match.
This time the hosts have raised fans’ expectations after doing well both at home and abroad with Dhoni and coach former South Africa batsman Gary Kirsten at the helm.
“Pressure is an added responsibility. Whenever you play for India, there is always pressure,” said Dhoni, whose team is one of the favourites for the title.
“But the good thing is we have a very experienced team. Most of the guys have been there for five-seven years and know how to handle pressure. We have some talented youngsters who can change the course of any game.”
The Indian skipper said the responsibility of leading the side was not a burden.
“I have been doing for some years. There is a lot of hype and expectation around the World Cup,” said the wicketkeeper-batsman.
“Every series we have played so far, there is always a lot of expectations. Expectations will always be there, but we need to consider it just as a big tournament.”
The big hitting batsman said planning would be the key to success in the World Cup.
“It is very important to have right strategy, always be ready with Plan B or Plan C and at the same time not take any added pressure,” he said.
He conceded the team would miss “street-smart” paceman Praveen Kumar, who was ruled out of the event on Tuesday after failing to recover from an elbow injury.
“But you can’t really control injuries. A few players are still suffering from slight niggles, which is always there but nothing is serious. Hopefully, nothing major happens to any player.”
Key batsmen Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir missed recent one-dayers in South Africa, but were expected to be fit for India’s opening match against Bangladesh in Dhaka on February 19.

[Sadaf Gondal]

World Cup warm-ups shifted from Pallekele
COLOMBO: Heavy monsoon rains have forced the International Cricket Council to move World Cup warm-up matches from Sri Lanka's Pallekele stadium, tournament organisers said Thursday.

Sri Lanka has been hit by monsoon downpours since December hampering preparation of the pitches at the newly-built Pallekele venue in the island's central district.

Pallekele was to host practice matches between Sri Lanka and the Netherlands on Saturday and Kenya against the Netherlands on Tuesday.

But the matches have now been shifted to the Sinhalese Sports Club ground in Colombo.

"The matches will be day games and while Hambantota had also been considered as an alternate venue for those games, heavy rain in that southern Sri Lankan region also ruled out that option," said a statement by the organisers.

Earlier, tournament director Ratnakar Shetty said: "The ground staff at Pallekele have had to contend with an extremely high volume of rainfall over a number of weeks, far in excess of what is normal for this time of year.

"This has proved to be a significant handicap in their efforts to produce pitches for the forthcoming warm-up matches," he said.

Shetty said the decision to move the warm-up matches would give ground staff time to prepare "excellent pitches" for the tournament.

The decision to shift the games will not affect World Cup matches, the ICC said.

Pallekele will be the venue for three World Cup matches, the first between New Zealand and Pakistan is scheduled for March 8.

The showpiece event, being co-hosted by Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh, starts on February 19.

Heavy monsoon floods across Sri Lanka's central, northern and eastern regions have claimed at least 21 lives and affected over 1.2 million people.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Junaid vows to justify Cup selection

KARACHI: Uncapped player Junaid Khan, who replaced pacer Sohail Tanvir for the World Cup, vowed that he would give his best in the quadrennial event to prove that Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to pick him was correct.
“The PCB has put faith in me and that has boosted my morale. I will put my level best to prove that my inclusion in the World Cup squad is 100% correct,” Junaid Khan told PPI.
He said that he has been enjoying great form and has performed well in Sri Lanka and West Indies and also in the domestic circuit.
“I’m in good form and am hopeful that I would replicate this form in the World Cup as well. I have been performing well in the domestic circuit and had also performed well in Sri Lanka and West Indies, so I believe I would also do well in the World Cup,” added the left-arm bowler.
He further said that it is like a dream come true as he would make his international debut directly in the World Cup.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Imran says 'dew factor' to play key role in World Cup
KARACHI: Pakistan’s World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan has predicted the “dew factor” will play a critical role in the outcome of matches at the World Cup.
“Apart from the related strengths and weaknesses of the participating teams I think the dew factor in day and night matches will decide results,” Imran told a local television channel.
“I think any team batting second will have a huge advantage as the ball keeps on getting wet, the outfield is wet and bowlers find it hard to grip the ball,” said Imran.
The cricketer-turned politician pointed out that in March and April in day and night matches pitches tended to be flatter because of the warm weather.
“And in these months I know by experience that the dew factor also becomes very important in the sub-continent,” he said. ”In 1996, Sri Lanka won the final at Lahore because they chose to chase and ended up getting the advantage of heavy dew making life very difficult for the Australian bowlers.”
The organisers have scheduled 36 of the 49 matches in the World Cup as day-night fixtures in the three host countries, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The quarter-finals, semis and final are all day-night fixtures.
India favourites
Earlier, Imran also picked India as favourites to win the title.
“On current form, their team combination and the fact they are playing at home, I would say India start off as favourites,”
Imran, who led Pakistan to the 1992 World Cup title, said. The former all-rounder, who played in five World Cups, believes the only factor that could undermine India’s team is the expectation and pressure of playing at home.
“Otherwise India has a very strong side and their batsmen should be devastating on Indian pitches,” he said.
Imran sees India’s Virender Sehwag and Yusuf Pathan as two players who could make a big impact at the tournament.
“They are the most powerful and clean hitters in the sport today. Plus they have wisely included a leg-spinner, Piyush Chawla, to partner Harbhajan Singh in the World Cup.”
“I have always believed that leg-spinners are essential in ODIs as they are attacking options and take wickets.”