The troubles plaguing the Australian Test team will have little bearing on their one-day side's performance in the three-match series against New Zealand starting on Sunday, according to Black Caps coach Mike Hesson. Steve Smith's Test side have been pilloried by fans and their own media after they lost their latest series 2-1 at home to South Africa. That defeat came on the back of a 5-0 one-day series loss in South Africa and a 3-0 Test series defeat in Sri Lanka, leading to plenty of questions being asked about administrators, management and the players.
Describing New Zealand as a force to reckon with on home turf, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his team will not be taking the Black Caps lightly in the upcoming ODI series, starting January 19.
Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has used the Marylebone Cricket Club Spirit of Cricket lecture to criticise the sport's governing body for its handling of match-fixing evidence. Speaking at an annual function at Lord's on Monday, McCullum said he felt let down that his report of alleged match-fixing approaches from former New Zealand teammate Chris Cairns were leaked. Cairns was acquitted of match fixing-linked perjury charges following a two-month trial in London at last year, at which McCullum gave evidence. The 34-year-old said the leaking of his initial testimony had a huge personal effect on him and his family because of the intense media scrutiny and fears his experience will put off others who may want to provide evidence to authorities. "No witness should ever have to go through such a scenario again," he said. "The leak has never been explained to me. To my knowledge no one has been held accountable and, in those circumstances, it is difficult to have confidence in the ICC. "It goes without saying that, if players do not have confidence in the organisation, they will be reluctant to report approaches and the game is worse off."
Cricket teams have previously abandoned tours amid outbreaks of violence.
India ended an utterly forgettable tour of New Zealand by drawing the second and final Test at the Basin Reserve (Wellington) on Tuesday. Captain Brendon McCullum became the first New Zealand batsman to hit a triple century, a knock that helped stage an incredible turnaround that ensured his team a memorable series win.
India pulled off a brilliant all-round performance to trounce New Zealand by 178 runs in the second Test and clinch the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead, a win that propelled the team to the top of the ICC rankings, dethroning arch-rivals Pakistan.
Inexperience cost England, feels Morgan
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and senior batsman Ross Taylor will skip next month's limited overs series in Sri Lanka to prepare for December's home tests against West Indies, the country's cricket board said on Saturday.
Former Australian speedster Mitchell Johnson has criticised Virat Kohli's comments, when he had announced that the hosts are "favourites in our (Indian players) own minds" to win the tournament ahead of their defeat to the Black Caps. With the hopes of a billion expectant fans already weighing on India, Johnson, a key member of last year's ODI World Cup-winning team for Australia, suggested Kohli's 'over-confident' comments will only heap extra pressure on the home-nation. "From our experience playing in the one-day World Cup at home last year, we just wanted to enjoy every moment and saviour the experience but we still tried to take the focus off ourselves, rather than adding to it," he said. "Going into a big tournament like that, there's pressure on every team. Putting even more pressure on your side is just setting yourself up for disaster.
Former captain Sunil Gavaskar feels India got a taste of their own medicine in Tuesday's World Twenty20 loss to New Zealand and should be prepared to handle quality spin if they want to dish out rank turners for their opponents.
Australia coach Darren Lehmann has claimed that his side has got some plans for Brendon McCullum.
Gavin Larsen says if he could rein in the batsmen of 1990s era even with his military medium pace it was because of his skipper Martin Crowe's tremendous leadership style and his faith in the bowlers.
England found cricketing bliss by dint of divine intervention and Ben Stokes's brilliance, cracking a code that proved indecipherable for 44 years as history sliced through teary-eyed New Zealand's grasp in a final that will be remembered for ages.
Bureaucratic insensitivity gave way to compassion with the state administration, police and passersby joining forces to help the stream of Indians fleeing Delhi.
Presenting some of the good, bad and ugly looks this week.
After a comfortable outing in the tournament-opener against Bangladesh, title favourites England are set to face a much stiffer test against New Zealand in a crucial ICC Champions Trophy Group A fixture in Cardiff, on Tuesday.
While the triple century against India and an away series win over West Indies were the highlights of his career, Brendon McCullum said it was the camaraderie of the dressing room that would linger longest in his memory.
Jasprit Bumrah backed debutant fellow-India pacer Mohammed Siraj to learn from his mistakes and come good after he received a hammering from New Zealand's batsmen in the second Twenty20 International, in Rajkot, on Saturday.
India dislodged arch-rivals Pakistan to claim the top spot in the ICC Test rankings following their series-clinching comprehensive 178-run win over New Zealand in the second cricket Test in Kolkata on Monday.
India's opening batsmen have come under fire for poor starts in their last two home series against New Zealand and England but captain Virat Kohli says now is the time to give them support, not show them the door.
India wants to host a day-night Test against Australia early next year, according to a report, as the world's richest cricket board continues its backing of the concept which seems to be taking root in the subcontinent.
New Zealand coach Mike Hesson on Tuesday revealed that there were discussions on a proposed pink ball day-night Test match against India but didn't specify as to why it didn't work out.
There would be no respite for the Indian batsmen from the New Zealand pacers as the Basin Reserve pitch, under cover for the last few days, would be a green, seamers' paradise, curator Brett Sipthorpe on Tuesday.
India's marauding cricket team will be aiming to reclaim the No 1 spot in ICC rankings when it takes on an unsettled New Zealand in the second Test starting, in Kolkata, on Friday.
Australia spinner Nathan Lyon has some reservations about meddling with the traditions of the longest form of cricket but cannot wait to get a pink ball in his hands in the world's first day-night Test against New Zealand next week.
Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar criticised India for their 'over-confident approach' during their shock defeat against New Zealand in the World T20 opener at Nagpur on Tuesday. The Men in Blue had been expected to edge out the Kiwis, who were without their retired skipper Brendon McCullum, as India began their campaign as warm favourites to win the tournament for a second time. But the start-studded Indian batting line-up was undone by NZ's spin trio - Nathan McCullum, Ish Sodhi and man-of-the-match Mitchell Santner - to be bundled out for just 79, their fifth loss from five completed T20 internationals against the Black Caps. Gavaskar said India's batsmen had to take the blame for the loss. Chasing just 127 to win, only three Indian batsmen managed to get into double figures, including three of their top four batsmen dismissed inside the first three overs. "You've got to show a little bit of respect to the opposition," Gavaskar said during commentary. "If the (target) was 160, then I understand that the first ball you face from a bowler, you look to score a few runs because you cannot really afford a dot ball.
New Zealand and South Africa played their hearts out in the first semi-final of the ICC World Cup at the Eden Park in Auckland on Tuesday, but it was the Black Caps who emerged triumphant by four wickets.
The 2016 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Player Draft was held in Barbados on Thursday, with the six franchises flexed their financial muscles to rope in their desired cricketers.
It will be the biggest day in the history of Trans-Tasman cricketing rivalry when four-time champions Australia will be pitted against a highly committed bunch from New Zealand in the final of the ICC World Cup at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The much-awaited World Cup clash between co-hosts Australia and New Zealand will be about more than just the race for quarter-final places with the cricket boards of both countries confirming that the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy will be at stake.
Hardik Pandya stole the limelight on his ODI debut with the new ball in hand, on Sunday and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni backs the all-rounder to be one of his premier fast bowlers for next year's Champions Trophy in England.
New Zealand fans were offered a letter of consent from Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum to get them off work.
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