Former star India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh hailed batting talisman Virat Kohli as the "best batter of this generation" across all formats and outlined what makes the 35-year-old unique.
West Indies will again rely on a hardened bunch of Twenty20 specialists as they bid to retain their World Cup title, but are set for a stern test from India, out to secure a first global trophy under Virat Kohli, and an England team bidding to become champions in two formats.
South Africa fast bowler Anrich Nortje has been named in their Twenty20 International squad for the five-match series against India next month, the first time he will have played for the side since the 2024 T20 World Cup final.
Quinton de Kock's back-to-back centuries in India fuelled belief that South Africa can be World Cup contenders.
All-rounders Andre Russell and Fabien Allen, who last featured in the format during the World Cup last year, and Sunil Narine, who last played for West Indies in 2019, are absent from the squad.
English legend Ian Botham lashed out at the cricket administrators for shoving more and more Twenty20 down the fans' throat and said the slam-bang format, which is 'bastardising the game', has no place in international cricket.
England's inconsistent death bowling once again hurt their chances in the side's defeat to New Zealand in Wednesday's Twenty20 World Cup semi-final, according to former captain Nasser Hussain.
Bangladesh cricketer reports fixing approach at Women's T20 World Cup
Ricky Ponting will captain the side and fast bowler Brett Lee, who missed the World Cup through injury, returns in place of the retired Glenn McGrath.
West Indies (2012, 2016) have won the title twice, while India (2007), Pakistan (2009), England (2010) and Sri Lanka (2014) are the other teams to have won it once.
In 2019, Hales was withdrawn from the preliminary squad for the 50-overs World Cup after the Guardian newspaper reported he was serving a three-week ban for recreational drug use.
With the top two from the group set to advance, India and Bangladesh each have four points, with Dravid's side having the edge on net run rate.
South Africa's shock exit at last year's Twenty20 World Cup following a loss to the Netherlands with much the same group of players still weighs heavy on captain Temba Bavuma.
The 35-year-old left-armer retires with 79 wickets from 65 T20Is, second on the all-time list for Australia, behind spinner Adam Zampa.
Australia got their tactics and team selection all wrong in Thursday's World Cup defeat by South Africa, said former skipper Michael Clarke.
Aiden Markram said South Africa are taking nothing for granted despite beating India on Sunday to put themselves in the driving seat for qualification for the Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Thursday that all qualifying events for the 2021 Twenty20 World Cup and 50-overs version in 2023 that were scheduled to be held before June 30 have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The flu-like virus has infected more than 470,800 people around the world and killed over 21,200 so far, since appearing in China at the end of last year.
An unprecedented auction in Mumbai last year transformed the face of cricket between the first two Twenty20 World Cups. The IPL was a direct result of India's success with a team of tyros in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa two years ago.
The Indian blind cricket team successfully defended its Twenty20 World Cup title after outclassing arch-rivals Pakistan in the final by nine wickets.
The International Cricket Council on Tuesday introduced the women's edition of the Twenty20 World Cup alongside its men's version. It will be held in England next year. Eight nations, including India, will participate in it. The other contenders are Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies, who all will also compete in next year's ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in Australia, an ICC statement said.
Jos Buttler will captain the team for the Caribbean tour, with Gus Atkinson, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone featuring in the ODI group from the showpiece event.
It was a stunning turnaround for an Australia team which had lost five T20 series on the trot heading into the World Cup.
India have emerged winner in all five matches against Pakistan in T20 World Cups, starting from the inaugural World T20 in 2007.
A minor hip injury kept Ben Stokes out of the World Cup opening match which England lost by nine wickets against New Zealand.
England will be eyeing their second T20 World Cup after a long wait of 12 years.
Cricket minnows Italy are on the cusp of sealing their first appearance at the Twenty20 World Cup after stunning Scotland in the European qualifying tournament on Wednesday.
England's hopes of reaching the semi-finals would suffer a heavy blow if the Brisbane weather refuses to play ball.
Singapore-born all-rounder Tim David has been named in Australia's Twenty20 World Cup squad, while leg spinner Mitchell Swepson was omitted, Cricket Australia said on Thursday.
England captain Eoin Morgan hopes to lead the team at the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup in Australia, the 35-year-old said after his side bowed out of this year's edition in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
The former Pakistan captain said the Twenty20 World Cup has sparked interest the the format.
The ICC also confirmed the women's 50-over World Cup that was scheduled to be held in New Zealand in February-March next year has been postponed to 2022.
Bowler Tim Southee said New Zealand will not underestimate Pakistan in the Twenty20 World Cup semi-final match on Wednesday.
Many fans had Pakistani flags waving from the windows of their cars.
Mohammed Hafeez was recalled to the Twenty20 squad for the home series against Bangladesh in January and has also been picked for Pakistan's tour of England in August-September.
Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal ruled himself out of contention for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup, saying Wednesday other players were more deserving of a place in the squad.
'I'm sure we'll come out of that with a bunch of information and ... we'll be well-prepped and well-versed by the time we get together. I'm sure we'll be full of confidence and back ourselves to beat any team.'
Former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga has savaged Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi, blaming him personally for India's disappointing World Twenty20 campaign earlier this year.
This year's Twenty20 World Cup, which was scheduled to begin in Australia on October 18, has been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sport's governing International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Monday.
Planning for this year's men's Twenty20 World Cup and next year's women's 50-over World Cup is going ahead even though cricket remains suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, the International Cricket Council said on Thursday. The ICC hosted a Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) meeting with the CEOs of the 12 full members and three associate representatives to discuss the challenges boards will face in the coming months in their respective countries.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has recruited a psychologist to help strengthen the team's mental resolve at next month's Twenty20 World Cup in England.
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