India likely to play on fresh pitches
South Africa crushed England by seven wickets in their final group match to storm into the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy.
The Proteas will now face the Group A runners-up in the semifinals, with India and New Zealand set to battle for Group A placings in Dubai on Sunday.
England previously faced Afghanistan at the 50-overs Cricket World Cup in 2023, as well as at the Twenty20 World Cup in 2022.
Jasprit Bumrah, who is down with swelling in his back, is expected to make a full recovery by the first week of March.
'What Shami does is hit the seam and move the ball off the deck. It is dangerous as batsmen will not be able to guess easily which way the ball is going to move.'
Captain Temba Bavuma hailed what he termed South Africa's brave decision to bat first in their comprehensive 107-run Champions Trophy win over Afghanistan on Friday
They weren't up for a windfall even after the trophy but life was certain to get a lot better as some sponsors and state governments stepped up to lift them financially.
The BCCI decided against playing practice games as India is already participating in a three-match ODI series against England.
India opener Rohit Sharma bettered Pakistan's Shahid Afridi's record for maximum sixes (352) by a batter in the history of One-Day Internationals in the first ODI against South Africa, in Ranchi, on Sunday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has restricted the entry and movement of the mainstream and digital media at its stadiums in Karachi and Lahore, which are under construction ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy.
The series is part of a twin tour by Australia to Pakistan for a three-match T20 series from January 30 to February 5 to prepare for the T20 World Cup, and they are then scheduled to return for the ODIs, scheduled for March 13 to 19.
Young Pakistan opener Saim Ayub has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy after sustaining an ankle injury in South Africa in January.
England skipper Jos Buttler said his side was "outplayed" by India throughout the three-match series.
With four consecutive victories, India have consolidated their position on the top of the points table.
The national selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar, in all likelihood, will select identical squads for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand and the marquee ICC T20 World Cup, a BCCI source said on Friday.
Seamers Ben Sears, Nathan Smith and Will O'Rourke will play their first global tournament at the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates next month after being named in the New Zealand squad on Sunday.
He also expressed satisfaction with the talent coming through in the Pakistan Shaheens squad and from domestic cricket, and claimed that 3-4 players were ready to step into international cricket.
Rachin Ravindra lost sight of the ball in the floodlights when attempting a catch and was hit in the forehead during a warm-up match for the Champions Trophy against Pakistan in Lahore.
India won't give into the temptation of tinkering with the Playing XI, feels opening batter KL Rahul.
A sore right knee forced Virat Kohli out of the first ODI against England in Nagpur on Thursday but the extent of the problem was not immediately clear.
Former India all-rounder Suresh Raina feels middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav will be sorely missed in the upcoming Champions Trophy, as he could have provided the 'X-factor' in Dubai, where Rohit Sharma's side will play all its matches.
'The stakes are too high and it would have been a complete embarrassment had Bumrah broken down in a match.'
Under-fire India head coach Gautam Gambhir says it is up to the Board of Control for Cricket in India to decide his future after the Test series whitewash against South Africa, but he reminded everyone of the success the team has achieved during his tenure at the helm.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill's indifferent form is a massive concern but the national selection committee is unlikely to make any shocking changes when it picks the 15-member squad for next year's T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Saturday.
The ICC Board will now begin the process to identify Allardice's successor.
Australia captain Pat Cummins is all but ruled out of the Champions Trophy while fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood is also a doubt for the tournament.
The International Cricket Council's (ICC) plans for a high-profile event in Lahore next week to unveil the 2025 Champions Trophy schedule have been derailed.
India began their Champions Trophy campaign with a six-wicket victory against Bangladesh after opener Shubman Gill anchored their nervy chase with a classy hundred.
The ICC is scheduled to convene a meeting of its executive board on Tuesday to find a solution for the vexed issue.
New Zealand booked their place in the final of the Champions Trophy against India after a 50-run victory over South Africa.
Shakib Al Hasan admitted that physical fatigue forced him to intentionally resort to chucking during an English County game for Surrey, which subsequently led to his suspension from bowling.
Concerns mount as Pakistan Cricket Board struggles to get renovated venues in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi ready by the January 31 deadline.
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India's pace talisman Jasprit Bumrah's absence will certainly hurt India, but the team's quality batting and spin bowling make them title contenders alongside South Africa and Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.
Although India are playing a strong brand of 50-overs' cricket of late, they have some selection riddles to solve before they face Bangladesh in their opening match of the Champions Trophy.
The opening ceremony of the Champions Trophy will be held either on February 16 or 17 and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is confident that India captain Rohit Sharma will be in attendance at the event.
Former New Zealand fast-bowling great Tim Southee is confident that the Black Caps' inexperienced bowling attack will do a wonderful job at the upcoming Champions Trophy after watching them perform impressively in the recently-concluded tri-series in Pakistan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced ticket prices for the upcoming Champions Trophy, with the lowest priced ticket starting at PKR 1000 for the General Enclosure for all matches in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.
Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, the former England captains and respected pundits, will also be providing their expert analysis alongside former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop.
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