Pakistan needs to win all its matches and expect Australia to falter in at least two of their remaining four games.
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings in Kolkata on Friday.
South Africa's premier left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj is confident that slow bowlers will play a vital role on flat decks expected to be on offer during the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in the Americas in June.
Disillusioned with the 'politics' in South African cricket administration, Brian McMillan decided to stay away from the game.
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel scalped four wickets without conceding a single run as India 'A' clinched the unofficial Test series against South Africa 'A' 1-0 after an imposing innings and 81 runs victory in the second and final match in Wayanad, Kerala, on Friday.
A century from stand-in skipper Faf du Plessis lifted South Africa to a huge 142-run win over Australia and a 2-0 lead in the five-match One-day International series at The Wanderers on Sunday.
After a dream ODI debut last month, teenaged paceman Mustafizur Rahman announced his Test arrival by claiming three wickets in four balls as Bangladesh bowled out South Africa for 248 on the opening day of the first Test in Chittagong on Tuesday.
'It turned out to be a special day. I have never thought about taking five wickets. I just wanted the team to win which is more important.'
South Africa have rested batter Temba Bavuma for their home white-ball series against India this month after a poor Cricket World Cup, but he will captain the team in the two-Test series which starts on Dec. 26.
Suryakumar Yadav slammed a century while Kuldeep Yadav claimed five wickets as India crushed South Africa by 106 runs to level the three-match T20I series 1-1.
The Proteas finished second in Group 1, behind defending champions Australia who won all their four matches.
To combat defending champions India in Sunday's World cup match, the South African team management has brought in Gary Kirsten, Mike Hussey and Allan Donald.
Kagiso Rabada's hunger for success and an impeccable technique to release the ball easily makes him a modern-day South Africa legend, reckons former fast bowling great Allan Donald.
We need to use Powerplay more effectively: Suryakumar Yadav
South Africa's pace duo Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala have been ruled out of the World Cup because of injuries, Cricket South Africa confirmed on Thursday.
Quinton de Kock smashed 174 off 140 balls, his third century in five innings, to power South Africa to a 149-run victory against Bangladesh.
'In our situation, I cannot see any player getting less money this season, but going forward I can see a situation where players might have to receive less.'
'We didn't bat well in both innings, that's why we stand here.'
South Africa have an aching relationship with World Cup semi-finals, dating back to 1992. AB de Villiers had a close encounter with heartbreak in 2015. Now, he is hopeful that the current team will finally absolve his country of all the past pain.
India's next match is against South Africa and Rohit said his team is ready for the in-form Proteas.
The selectors also retained former captain and wicketkeeper, Sarfaraz Ahmed in the squad as a standby to vice-captain, Mohammad Rizwan.
The Netherlands caused the World Cup's second major upset in three days, as it shocked an in-form South Africa by 38 runs.
South African paceman Dale Steyn played down his rift with Australia captain Michael Clarke on Tuesday, saying their supposed feud had been "a bit silly".
'I think if we had rattled one or two more in the morning, we threw everything at them today morning and with all due respect, they batted incredibly well. Maybe at a stage, 350 was on our mind, that we were possibly looking at. But then it just seemed to get a bit slower and it was definitely not reversing as much as it was yesterday'
Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar rejected criticism of the pitches in the ongoing Test series against South Africa, and said the blame rather lies with the Proteas batsmen, who lack 'application, technique and temperament'.
Du Plessis also put on a record seventh wicket stand against Sri Lanka of 133 with Keshav Maharaj (73), who went to his highest Test score before he was the last batsman out.
David Bedingham said it is a dream to score a hundred in front of friends and family as he owes them a lot.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were part of India's Test team till earlier this year, but were left out of the tour to South Africa, the selectors pinning hopes on youngsters Shubman Gill and Yashawi Jaiswal to produce the goods in challenging conditions.
In the current scenario, form in the IPL will carry a lot of weight for selection in the Indian team bound for USA and Caribbean.
The batters could be in for some challenging times with the Supersport Park track expected to aid the fast bowlers as rain threat looms large over the opening Test between India and South Africa, curator Bryan Bloy said on Saturday.
South Africa continued their rampaging form in World Cup 2023 as they thrashed Bangladesh by 149 runs to jump to second place.
Dhoni returns to the Indian dressing room after three months and for him the series will be start of the preparation for next year's World Twenty20, that will be hosted by India.
India might have begun their World Cup campaign with a morale-boosting win over Pakistan but Jonty Rhodes feels that South Africa are a better all-round side and tipped them to win their high-profile clash against the defending champions in Melbourne on Sunday.
India's 2-0 series sweep over Bangladesh in Mirpur on Sunday consolidated their position at the No 2 spot behind leaders Australia in the ICC World Test Championship standings.
With nothing to lose on the eve of his final international outing, Dean Elgar didn't hold back while expressing his disgust about Cricket South Africa sending a third-string squad to New Zealand under an uncapped captain just because the series is coinciding with the cash-rich SA20.
The statement further said that a decision on wicketkeeper batter Quinton de Kock's availability for the remaining two matches will be made in due course by CSA's medical team.
Former Cricket South Africa president Dr Ali Bacher is not pleased that India, Australia and England are "marginalising" other boards to enjoy complete hegemony.
'We always knew we would be under pressure if the conditions went around a bit.'
It's encouraging when you do well out of your comfort zone: Suryakumar on SA series
