Kevin Pietersen scored a fine unbeaten 73 to guide England to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Pakistan in their opening Super Eight game in the Twenty20 World Cup on Thursday.
Determined to clinch the only trophy missing from their cupboard, formidable Australia face potential giant-killers Bangladesh in their second and final Group A match for a place in the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup in Barbados on Wednesday.
Reserve batsman Fakhar Zaman, who has been out with a knee injury, will also travel to Brisbane with Afridi.
The Australia captain is likely to play in the upcoming seven-match ODI series against India despite suffering a hamstring strain.
Ponting also cleared the air on veteran pacer Ishant Sharma and David Warner's fitness status, confirming that the former is fit for selection on Tuesday.
Pakistan rode on a sparkling half-century from opener Kamran Akmal to beat Ireland by 39 runs and romp into the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 at the Oval on Monday. In winning their must-win last Super Eights match, Pakistan also avenged the humiliating loss to Ireland in the 2007 ODI World Cup in the Caribbeans, and joined South Africa in the last four stage of the tournament.
After the defeat to the West Indies, India's captain M S Dhoni is looking to draw inspiration from the last T20 World Cup in South Africa, where they were in a similar situation but went on to win every game thereafter en route to the title.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL 2024 campaign is just one-match old, but it has already exposed their biggest chink. It's fragility in bowling, and they need better returns from bowlers against a confident Punjab Kings at an unforgiving M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, on Monday.
England captain Paul Collingwood has repeatedly highlighted that his team had things to improve even as they marched through the Twenty20 World Cup winning all their games in the Super Eight stage.
Barred from playing cricket in their own country, constantly embroiled in rows and disciplinary problems, troubled Pakistan have somehow managed to reach the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup.
England's new-found consistency will be pitted against Sri Lanka's characteristic flair when the two teams clash in the first semi-final of the Twenty20 World Cup in Gros Islet, St Lucia on Thursday.
Suraj Randiv rocked the Australian middle-order before Cameron White (85) scored a masterly half-century to lift his side to a competitive 168 for five against Sri Lanka in their Super Eights T20 World Cup match in Bridgetown, Barbados on Sunday.
Their title defence virtually over, a beleaguered Pakistan will be out to salvage some pride, while South Africa will hope to put their Twenty20 World Cup campaign back on track in the Group E Super Eight stage match at the Beausejour Stadium at Gros Islet on Monday.
A possible exit of Team India from the first round of the ICC World Cup has the tourism industry worried. Many fans and corporates
From a maths perspective, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans can still reach the IPL playoffs, but they need to ward off inner gremlins on Saturday to notch a mandatory win to keep that dream flickering.
Virat Kohli was named as the ICC men's player of the month for October following following a series of star performances as India charged their way to the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma says "it wasn't ideal" to get a directive on taking the knee hours before the start of their T20 World Cup match against the West Indies and promised to be there for Quinton de Kock, who chose to withdraw from the game instead of following the order.
Bangladesh sacked Mohammad Ashraful as national cricket captain on Tuesday and replaced him with Mashrafe Mortaza for tours of the West Indies and Zimbabwe.
Mohinder Amarnath feels irrational scheduling of the Indian Premier League was a major factor in India's debacle in the Twenty20 World Cup and also questioned the purpose of India's short tour to the West Indies.
What is left to do after India's early exit is to analyse the performance of each and every player and find out what was their contribution to the team's cause.
Former India pacer and ICC Match Referee Javagal Srinath on Monday blamed Mahendra Singh Dhoni's run-in with the media as reason behind the Twenty20 World Cup holders early exit from the tournament.
Otago batsman Aaron Redmond was placed on standby by New Zealand at the Twenty20 World Cup in England on Wednesday as cover for Jesse Ryder.
Check out what readers have to say on the BCCI retaining M S Dhoni as captain of the Indian cricket team.
Arrested on charges of sexual assault on a woman during the T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka was denied bail after the hearing at a local court in Sydney on Monday.
England captain Paul Collingwood said his team, who eased into the Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals on Monday, were reaping the benefits of a year of hard work behind the scenes.
Australia and England, cricket's traditional rivals in the oldest form of the game, are excelling at the newest and look favourites to reach the final of the Twenty20 World Cup.
Abdur Rehman and Mohammad Sami took two wickets apiece as defending champions Pakistan did extremely well to restrict New Zealand to a modest 133 for seven in their must-win Super Eights game in the Twenty20 World Cup in Barbados on Saturday.
Mahela Jayawardene hammered an unbeaten 98 off 56 balls and added 166 runs with Kumar Sangakkara (68) to guide Sri Lanka to a comprehensive 57-run victory over West Indies in their Group F Super Eight match in the Twenty20 World Cup in Bridgetown on Friday.
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis is a frustrated man after watching the pathetic fielding display by his team during the six-wicket loss to England in their first Super Eight match of Twenty20 World Cup in Bridgetown, Barbados.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith was docked 20 per cent of his match fee, while his team-mates were fined 10 per cent for maintaining a slow over-rate during their win over New Zealand during their Super Eight match in their Twenty20 World Cup in Barbados.
Albie Morkel smashed 40 from 18 balls to help South Africa beat New Zealand by 13 runs in their opening Super Eight game at the Twenty20 World Cup on Thursday.
South Africa defeated New Zealand by 13 runs in a Group E Super Eight stage match of the Twenty20 cricket World Cup .
India are faced with a selection dilemma on whether to strengthen their pace attack or rely on part time spinners when they brace up for the crucial Super Eights match against Australia in the Twenty20 World Cup in Bridgetown.
India vice-captain Gautam Gambhir made himself available for the team's first Super Eight stage match in the Twenty20 World Cup on Friday, saying he is eager to contribute with the bat.
Scott Styris and Nathan McCullum took three wickets each as New Zealand beat Zimbabwe by seven runs under Duckworth/Lewis method in a farcical rain-marred Group B match to qualify for Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup in Providence on Tuesday.
It will be David vs Goliath when title favourites South Africa take on spirited new entrants Afghanistan in their second and final Group C match for a Super Eight berth in the Twenty20 World Cup in Bridgetown, Barbados on Wednesday.
Hosts West Indies moved into the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup after a rain delay helped them clinch victory over England in Group D on Monday.
After scoring a match-winning 60-ball 101, Suresh Raina on Sunday credited his growth as a reliable batsman to a disciplined regime and inspiring atmosphere in the dressing room.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday warned his team-mates against taking unheralded Afghanistan lightly in their Twenty20 World Cup opening match to be played in St Lucia on Saturday, saying any slip-up against them can put his side out of contention for super eights.
Indian cricket board president Sourav Ganguly expects next year's Indian Premier League (IPL) to be played in the country after the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to stage the second half of this year's tournament in the United Arab Emirates.
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