ICC World Cup 2011

[DexteR]

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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]

Collingwood arrives with England
England have been given an unexpected boost to their World Cup preparations with Paul Collingwood able to travel with the squad to Bangladesh after his wife gave birth earlier than expected. He and Graeme Swann, who has remained at home for the birth of his child, were given paternity leave during the warm-up period but Collingwood arrived in Dhaka on Sunday.

He is also improving steadily from the back injury that forced him to fly home a few days early from Australia after suffering a back spasm in Sydney and could be available for the warm-up matches against Canada and Pakistan. The general health of England's squad is improving although Tim Bresnan (calf) and Ajmal Shahzad (hamstring) are still nursing their injuries.

"Graeme Swann's not here yet. His wife is just about to give birth and he'll be attending that," Andrew Strauss, the England captain, confirmed on his arrival in Bangladesh. "[Collingwood's] wife has given birth to a lovely little daughter. He's here, and his back is getting a lot better. So he should be fully fit."

Collingwood lost his one-day place at the start of the one-day series against Australia following the lean Ashes series which prompted his Test retirement. When he returned he continued to struggle for runs but his bowling proved increasingly valuable and could play a key role at the World Cup. England will also be desperate for his batting to recover after the loss of Eoin Morgan after he was forced out due to a broken finger.

England's squad was ravaged by injury during the one-dayers in Australia with six players flying home before the end of the tour. Swann (knee) was among those as were Bresnan, Shahzad, Morgan and Chris Tremlett (side strain). Meanwhile, Stuart Broad has yet to return to action after his abdominal injury picked up during the Ashes but is confident of taking a full role during the warm-ups.

Tremlett has travelled with the team to Bangladesh in case any of the bowlers don't recover in time, although he can't take any part in the warm-up matches unless he becomes an official replacement. Ravi Bopara, the Es+++ allrounder, was named as Morgan's replacement but after three days back at home following the Australia Strauss said his squad is in decent shape.

"One or two of them may still not be quite right for the warm-up games - certainly Bresnan and possibly Shahzad as well. We're monitoring it on a day-by-day basis. But our injury situation is getting better every day. We haven't got any real long-term concerns with the players we have here - and that is generally a relief for us as a group."

England's first match of the group stage is against Netherlands on February 22.

[Sadaf Gondal]

1975 to 2011: How the World Cup has Progressed

[Sadaf Gondal]

South Africa face old rivals in warm up
There are only two survivors from that semi-final between South Africa and Australia at Edgbaston in 1999 in this World Cup. Only Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting have experienced the heartache and exhilaration that laid the foundation for an intense rivalry between the two countries in the 21st century. Most of the men in the present squads only had a small taste of the tough contest that plays out when these two teams meet, in the 2008-09 season. They'll be served another morsel in the warm-up match in Bangalore, and even though it's only for practice, the winners will take confidence out of beating their old foes.

South Africa have more painful memories and will be particularly gleeful if they walk away with a victory, although coach Corrie van Zyl warned against reading too much into the match. "It's important for us to win in terms of getting ready for the 24th, which is when the real thing starts," he said. South Africa have another ten days before their World Cup campaign gets underway against West Indies in Delhi and are being careful not to get distracted before then.

The outcome of tomorrow's match could be one such distraction, perhaps more so if South Africa win. Australia are by no means the invincible side they once were, and they don't have the same hold over South Africa that they once did, but the contest is still talked up. van Zyl is trying to get his team to think beyond that. "To think about those things in the past is unnecessary," he said. "This is a different side now."

The biggest change for South Africa is that they have a more varied bowling attack than ever before, headlined by three frontline and two part-time spinners. Collectively, they took six wickets in the warm-up game against Zimbabwe, and after seeing the amount of turn the Bangalore pitch offered, they must be drooling at the sight of it. Australia lost 9 for 58 against India on Sunday, and their batsmen have plenty to ponder over before facing South Africa's spinners, all of whom are likely to play.

"We want to give everyone an opportunity," van Zyl said, indicating South Africa may field all 15 players. It will be a helpful exercise for Dale Steyn, who got nothing out of the Chennai pitch and saw some Australian seamers succeed in Bangalore. Steyn bowled much slower than normal against Zimbabwe but there were no doubts over his fitness. "Dale brings a uniqueness to the bowling attack with his pace and swing and is obviously a very important player for us. We are looking to have a complete bowling attack and he is part of that."

There was a fear that one of the prongs of that attack, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, may be out of action for a while after spraining his knee against Zimbabwe but he was running during training with no problems. "He has done work with the physio and practiced under guidance and we hope he will be ready for tomorrow," van Zyl said.

The emphasis is on getting every member of the squad as prepared as possible and not on the overall outcome. With that in mind, the middle order is a concern because it did not have much time at the crease on Saturday. Although van Zyl would like to see the likes of JP Duminy, Colin Ingram and Johan Botha batting, he doesn't want it to come "because the top order did a bad job." Ideally he would like them to "get an opportunity at a later stage in the innings."

The only other player whose preparation is under scrutiny is Jacques Kallis. He batted with sublime confidence on Saturday but did not bowl and is unlikely to do so on Tuesday. van Zyl hoped the step-by-step reintroduction will pay off and Kallis will peak during the tournament. "When he has had periods of rest, he always comes back so strongly, so we hope that will happen again. It's important that he is ready for the business end."

That end of the tournament is not for another five weeks, and even though many will see Tuesday's match as a possible semi-final or final, it will be crucial for South Africa to remember that it isn't and concentrate on their method, not the result. A victory over Australia later in the tournament will be much sweeter

.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Waqar wants World Cup jinx broken
COLOMBO: As a player, Waqar Younis had nothing but bad memories of the World Cup. Now as a coach, he has the challenge of turning around Pakistan's talented yet unpredictable team.

"Well, it's true that the World Cup hasn't been too kind to me, but that is motivation and challenge enough to fight on and take another chance as coach of a talented team which can win the tournament," Waqar said.

Waqar, now 39, was regarded as one of the most potent fast bowlers in his prime, producing wicket-taking deliveries on any surface, the most notable being his toe-crushing yorker.

Together with compatriot Wasim Akram, one of the best left-arm pacemen ever to have played cricket, Waqar formed a destructive new-ball pairing, fondly remembered as "two Ws", wrecking the best of batting line-ups on their day.

Waqar was considered Pakistan's main weapon in the 1992 World Cup in Australia, but a week before the event started he had to return home in tears without playing a match due to injury.

"It was a nightmare to return with an injury," remembers Waqar.

"Yes, it does hurt sometimes that I wasn't part of it but I still remember going to Lahore airport to receive the winning team when they returned.

"It will always stay with me, the moment they arrived and I always cherish that great triumph of Pakistan.

"I had watched the World Cup at home in Lahore. Every single game was fun to watch and as we got into the later stages of the tournament it got very thrilling and that was the time when I missed it the most."

But soon after Pakistan's win in the World Cup, Waqar recovered from injury and along with Wasim wreaked havoc in England, leading Pakistan to a 2-1 win in a Test series marred by allegations of ball-tampering.

By 1996, Waqar had matured into a world class bowler, but his World Cup jinx continued.

Pakistan, again title favourites in the event jointly hosted by them, India and Sri Lanka, crashed out in the quarter-finals.

Up against their arch-rivals India in front of a vociferous Bangalore crowd, Waqar ran into free-stroking Indian batsman Ajay Jadeja who clobbered him for 22 runs in one of the death overs.

Pakistan lost by 39 runs.

"That was one of those days when I couldn't control the aggression, but we could still have won the game had the batsmen capitalised on a good start," recalled Waqar.

By 1999, he and Wasim developed some serious differences. Wasim preferred express paceman Shoaib Akhtar over Waqar, who managed to play just one match in the event held in England -- that too in an embarrassing defeat to minnows Bangladesh.

"Again, it was another forgetable event," said Waqar.

"I could play only one match, against Bangladesh, and we lost that match," said Waqar of the defeat, which was investigated for allegations of fixing.

In 2001, the roll of the dice fell in Waqar's favour as he was appointed captain after his career was revived through notable performances ahead of the 2003 World Cup held in South Africa.

But things didn't change as Pakistan crashed out in the first round after defeats against Australia, India and England.

"It was unfortunate that we couldn't manage to win any of these World Cups because we had the best teams from 1996-2003," said Waqar, who retired in 2004 after claiming 373 Test and 416 one-day wickets.

During the 2007 World Cup, where Pakistan again crashed out in the first round, Waqar was busy changing his base from Lahore to Sydney and took over as coach in 2010.

This time around, Waqar is very confident the World Cup jinx will be broken.

"In 1992, nobody thought that Pakistan would win the World Cup. This time the event is in our part of the world and we stand a very good chance.

"I would love to deliver the best I can as a coach this time and have ever-lasting memories of the event." (AFP)

[Sadaf Gondal]

Bangladesh kills mosquitoes ahead of World Cup
DHAKA: Bangladesh has launched an all-out war on mosquitoes in and around cricket stadiums to ensure a bite-free World Cup for spectators and players, an official said Monday.

The Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has deployed spray teams to wipe out mosquitoes at the city's two stadiums, which will host the opening ceremony and six World Cup matches, health chief Brigadier General Nasir Uddin said.

"Mosquitoes have been breeding alarmingly in recent months so we have taken special measures to kill mosquitoes in the stadiums and for three kilometres (two miles) around them," he told a news agency.

"Our special teams headed by DCC officers have been spraying extensively in every open space, drain, pond and sewer to make sure no mosquito can breed. We want to ensure a mosquito-free World Cup for spectators."

He said areas near hotels used by teams and supporters would also be sprayed.

Malaria is usually restricted to rural areas of Bangladesh, but dengue fever is common in towns.

The country is a co-host of the World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka.

After the opening ceremony in Dhaka on February 17, the action begins with a Bangladesh v India clash in the city on February 19.

The World Cup is the biggest event that Bangladesh has hosted since its independence in 1971.

Authorities have already evicted hawkers and beggars, forced worn-out buses off the roads and banned laundry from being hung out near stadiums to improve Dhaka's image.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Bangladesh kills mosquitoes ahead of World Cup
DHAKA: Bangladesh has launched an all-out war on mosquitoes in and around cricket stadiums to ensure a bite-free World Cup for spectators and players, an official said Monday.

The Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has deployed spray teams to wipe out mosquitoes at the city's two stadiums, which will host the opening ceremony and six World Cup matches, health chief Brigadier General Nasir Uddin said.

"Mosquitoes have been breeding alarmingly in recent months so we have taken special measures to kill mosquitoes in the stadiums and for three kilometres (two miles) around them," he told a news agency.

"Our special teams headed by DCC officers have been spraying extensively in every open space, drain, pond and sewer to make sure no mosquito can breed. We want to ensure a mosquito-free World Cup for spectators."

He said areas near hotels used by teams and supporters would also be sprayed.

Malaria is usually restricted to rural areas of Bangladesh, but dengue fever is common in towns.

The country is a co-host of the World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka.

After the opening ceremony in Dhaka on February 17, the action begins with a Bangladesh v India clash in the city on February 19.

The World Cup is the biggest event that Bangladesh has hosted since its independence in 1971.

Authorities have already evicted hawkers and beggars, forced worn-out buses off the roads and banned laundry from being hung out near stadiums to improve Dhaka's image.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Pakistan may prove to be surprise package: Wasim
KARACHI: Downplaying the critics who believe that Pakistan lack in firepower to dazzle at the World Cup, former skipper Wasim Akram believes that if the Shahid Afridi-led side reaches the semifinals, there would be no stopping them.
“Although India, Australia and South Africa are favourites, I also consider Pakistan amongst the top contenders,” Wasim said on Sunday.
“I am very excited and I feel that for around five years Pakistan has not been in as good shape as it is now.
“I feel they would enthrall everyone at the World Cup.
“I think the team is a combination of the best possible lot. Afridi is doing well as a captain and the body language of the players is also very positive. These are the reasons that I feel that they have the potential to claim the title.”
And even though many critics consider England as possible contenders for the title, the legendary pacer feels the other way.
“I don’t see enough potential in England to claim World Cup title,” he said.
Wasim further said that the format of the World Cup is a good one. “It is a good format as every team would play six matches and each team has a chance to recover. From what happened in the 2007 edition, this time around teams like Pakistan and India would get a fair chance to bounce back if they fail to perform in one match.”
He advised the team to stay united and perform and if they manage to win the World Cup then they would always cherish the taste of World Cup victory.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Smith blasts Chennai wicket
CHENNAI: South African skipper Graeme Smith has criticised the wicket prepared for their World Cup warm-up game against Zimbabwe and called for better tracks during the tournament.
The pitch caused worries to Smith in spite of his team cantering to an eight-wicket win in the day-night game at the Chidambaram Stadium in here on Saturday.
“I don’t think it was a great wicket,” Smith said afterwards. “It probably suited them (spinners). The wicket probably helped them a little bit being, I think, maybe a bit under-prepared.”
South Africa’s frontline spinners Imran Tahir (3-35), Robin Petersen (2-21) and Johan Botha (1-18) benefited as Zimbabwe were bowled out for a paltry 152.
Smith called for better tracks once the actual action started in the tournament. South Africa are set to play England in Chennai on March 6.
“The wicket was pretty slow and dead,” he said. “I hope the wickets are better prepared for the World Cup proper as coming to those games the wickets will get a lot more attention.”
Smith’s worries may stem from an earlier experience in India during a crucial Test at Kanpur where his side were bowled out for 121 in their second innings, handing India a series-levelling victory.
South Africa open their World Cup campaign with a game against West Indies on February 24 at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in New Delhi.

[DexteR]

Pakistan ka pehla warm up match kal hai... Pakistani time k mutabiq shayad 2 bajay

[Sadaf Gondal]

2 bajay afternnon ye morning
or canada ka kiya ho gaya