Not ready to dwell on the past, Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi says the moral-boosting win over Bangladesh will hold them in good stead when they clash with arch-rivals India in their crucial ICC World Twenty20 match at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.
Despite losing their first Asia Cup encounter against arch-rivals India, Pakistan's former T20 captain Misbah-ul-Haq feels Shahid Afridi's boys look in good shape for the crucial World T20 to be held in India in March. "Pakistan's bowlers made 83 look difficult against a strong batting team like India. It is something that will encourage them in the next games. They shouldn't lose hope because of the defeat against India," said Misbah in his blog for cricket.com.au. "After this bowling performance I think the pressure on our batsmen will be less. The batsmen need to understand that the pitches in the Asia Cup are different from the Pakistan Super League and even if they score 130 or 140 their bowlers can defend it," the skipper of Pakistan's Test side added. Misbah also hailed India's performance against Pakistan on Saturday and called them one of the favourites to lift the World T20 title.
Yuvraj Singh was the cynosure of all eyes when the ICC World T20 Trophy reached the capital as part of the tournament's host city tour.
India sealed a semi-final berth in the World Twenty20 after defeating Australia by six wickets in a do-or-die Group 2 match in Mohali.
West Indies batsman Chris Gayle smashed fifty from 12 balls for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League on Monday to match India's Yuvraj Singh's record for the fastest half-century in Twenty20 cricket.
International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive David Richardson has revealed that Champions Trophy could be scrapped to make way for the World T20 every two years.
Ahead of their much-anticipated visit, here is their itinerary and the activities that the royals will be busy pursuing during their trip.
'Ghost-like stands repel rather than attract audiences,' observes Ashis Ray.
The superb build-up run has made India the clear favourites for an unprecedented second World Twenty20 title but the in-form hosts will have to guard against complacency when they take on a spirited New Zealand in their campaign-opener in Nagpur on Tuesday.
Sri Lankan batting stalwart Mahela Jayawardene will retire from Twenty20 Internationals after the conclusion of the ongoing T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
India's leg spinner Poonam Yadav on how she stayed positive during her injury lay-off and return for the women's T20 World Cup.
'Captains are asked to sit, so just do it. I have done it in Faisalabad. I didn't play an ODI game for 15 months when I was probably the best performer in one-day cricket. It happens in life. The best in the world are at times shown the door'
Rediff.com gives you a pictorial rewind of all the excitement that unfolded in the sporting world in the week gone by...
A distraught Mahendra Singh Dhoni blamed the two no-balls bowled to Lendl Simmons by Ravichandran Ashwin and Hardik Pandya for India's shock defeat against the West Indies in the World T20 semi-final at the Wankhede stadium, in Mumbai, on Thursday night.
Rajneesh Gupta presents the interesting numbers from the match:
Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis believes that the World T20 Cup in India represents the last opportunity for captain Shahid Afridi to win a major title.
The second World Twenty20 semi-final is likely to hinge on who emerges on top in the battle between the big-hitting West Indian batsmen and India's wily spinners when the former champions clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Not too intimidated by the prospect of a Chris Gayle onslaught, Sri Lankan coach Graham Ford said his bowlers have the plans in place to neutralise the threat posed by the marauding West Indian batsman in Sunday's World Twenty20 clash.
'I do not like him one bit'
India claimed their record sixth Asia Cup final after clinical performance with the bat and beating Bangladesh by 8 wickets at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday.
Australia knocked Pakistan out of the ICC World Twenty20 with a convincing 21-run victory, setting up a virtual quarter-final against hosts India to be played in Mohali on Sunday.
West Indies is likely to send a second-string side to the World T20 as the top players failed to reach an agreement in their contract impasse with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).
Cleared by International Cricket Council of suspect bowling action West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine would be more dangerous and confident in the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir said, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was lavish in his praise for the brilliant Virat Kohli but had a word of caution for the other batsmen, who he thinks "need to step up" in the next two matches of the ICC World T20.
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.
With momentum on their side, Dhoni and Co need to justify the favorites' tag and go the distance.
Australian scribe Samuel Ferris, who was at the receiving end of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's sarcasm-laden jibe for asking about his future plans in international cricket, shared his experience of being invited on the dais by the India skipper.
Yet to get a game in the tournament, Rahane could find himself playing at his home ground in Mumbai if Yuvraj doesn't recover fully in time for the last-four game on March 31.
Lendl Simmons was a late replacement, but he led a charmed life to blast an unbeaten 82 and carry the West Indies to a thrilling seven-wicket victory over India in the second semi-final of the World Twenty20, the Wankhede Stadiumin Mumbai, on Thursday.
'It's going to be a great game, probably the game of the tournament.'
Waqar Younis has hit out at his batsmen for failing to accelerate.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has lambasted all those who troll Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma by linking her to Virat Kohli's on-field performance after every India match, terming them "frustros" with no love in their lives.
"There are players who are in form and there is @imVkohli who wins you games again and again! Hats off you beauty."
High on confidence after their emphatic victory over England, the West Indies will once again look for an explosive knock from Chris Gayle to inch closer to a semi-final berth when they take on defending champions Sri Lanka in a World Twenty20 Super 10 Group 1 match in Bengaluru on Sunday.
Lost in transition, defending champions Sri Lanka will look to come out of the rut and start well against a spirited Afghanistan in their World Twenty20 Super 10 opener at Eden Gardens on Thursday. The defending champions, who were also runners-up in 2009 and 2012, have managed to win only four of their 14 matches since they beat India to win the 2014 edition in Mirpur. They are in the middle of a transition phase after Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene's exit. The build-up to the tournament was also forgettable with series defeats in New Zealand and India followed by an early ouster in Asia Cup. To add to the misery, their 2014 WT20 winning skipper Lasith Malinga has stepped down as leader of the team, following concern over his slow recovery from a knee injury. Now Test and ODI skipper Angelo Mathews' task is cutout. Having joined the squad on Tuesday, Malinga is a doubtful starter for the match. His presence in the team would impact the team a lot.
They dampened the local spirits by knocking out India but a resurrected West Indies cricket team will bring its own brand of joie-de-vivre to the ICC World Twenty20 summit clash when they take on a transformed England in what promises to be a battle of power-hitting at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.
Counter-attacking is the game I play, that's why I bat at No 3, says Virat Kohli.
Proteas captain Faf du Plessis tells Harish Kotian/Rediff.com why they had to take the big call of dropping the experienced Steyn against minnows Afghanistan.
'To destroy an attack like that, the only person in my time that I would put him with is Sir Vivian, because Sir Vivian used to go out there and destroy attacks like that.'
Virat Kohli produced yet another masterclass as he smashed an unbeaten 47-ball 89 to guide India to a challenging 192 for two. against West Indies in the second semifinal of the ICC World Twenty20 in Mumbai on Thursday.
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