South Africa paceman Dale Steyn rates co-hosts New Zealand as a "dark horse" to win next year's cricket World Cup, while one-day rivals Australia are "annoying."
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.
New Zealand fast bowler Chris Martin, the third highest wicket taker for the country in Tests, has retired from all forms of cricket at the age of 38.
Eight teams have formed some of the best combinations from a pool of 64 top cricketers in the players' draft for T10League -- the limited ten-over format cricket -- that will be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Brendon McCullum's inspirational captaincy has lifted New Zealand and the flamboyant batsman should continue leading the side in all three formats at least until next year's World Twenty20, former captain Stephen Fleming said.
New Zealand, considered perennial dark horses, know how to punch above their weight.
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.
Tom Latham and Colin de Grandhomme guided New Zealand to a series-sweeping nine-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the second Test in Christchurch on Monday after the visitors suffered another second-innings collapse on the fourth day.
Kane Williamson hit a brilliant 123 as New Zealand staved off Pakistan's spirited challenge to eke out a series-levelling seven-run victory in the fourth one-day international in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored the winning runs as Heroes XI beat Rest of the World XI by four wickets in the inaugural T20 fundraiser 'Cricket for Heroes' at the Kia Oval, in London, on Friday.
Yuvraj Singh is hopeful that he can make a 'meaningful contribution' in India's Champions Trophy title defence during the June 1-18 marquee event in England.
Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach Daniel Vettori claimed his team is pretty well equipped to handle Kings XI Punjab batsman Chris Gayle's explosive batting because they are aware of his strengths.
Check out the statistical highlights from the Kolkata ODI.
Sachin's Blasters suffered their third successive defeat against Warne's Warriors, going down by four wickets in a last-over thriller, to lose the Cricket All-Stars T20 Series 0-3 at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Brendon McCullum gave the cricket World Cup an explosive opening, scoring a blazing 65, as New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 98 runs on Saturday.
New Zealand named an unchanged squad that beat West Indies 2-0 in December for the two-match Test series against India starting February 6.
As Team India's tour of New Zealand commences with the first one-dayer in Napier on Sunday, Rajneesh Gupta presents a statistical dossier on contests between the two teams.
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar praised New Zealand for playing "outstanding" cricket throughout the World Cup, saying the Kiwis thoroughly deserved to be in the final after edging past South Africa in a battle of nerves at Auckland. It was ironic that the Johannesburg-born Elliott, 36, played a stellar knock to push his country of birth out of the World Cup race.
Greatbatch backs New Zealand to win title.
Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor got some valuable time at the wicket as New Zealand did what they needed to looking ahead to the World Cup quarter-finals with a six-wicket victory over Afghanistan at McLean Park on Sunday.
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli is expecting an intensely-fought IPL final against Sunrisers Hyderabad since he and rival skipper David Warner are fierce competitors on the field.
The 2015 World Cup so far has been treat for batsmen and spectators alike. Big scores have become synonymous with this edition of the mega event. So, while some shots sailed over the boundary line, others were opportunities, disguised as catches for fielders. Fielders had to lunge, go full stretch and focus to pocket those catches. Rediff.com presents you a chance to treat your eyes to those beautiful catches that made for plain, super cricket moments.
'I felt Test cricket is just beyond my reach.' 'And slowly, slowly, I started doing well.' 'In the second Test against Pakistan, I scored a fifty and when we went to Sialkot I played a series-saving innings, which was a game changer for me.' 'At that stage that was the most important innings of my life.'
After hammering the Kiwis 3-0 in the Tests, the focus now shifts to white-ball cricket . New Zealand will be bolstered by the presence of star allrounder Corey Anderson as captain Kane Williamson looks to avenge the defeat in Tests. Also, MS Dhoni's men will need to win the ODI series by a 4-1 margin to claim third place on the ICC ODI Championship.
Australia's most successful wicketkeeper-batsman of all-time, Adam Gilchrist, is the latest name to be added to the growing list of stars taking part in the MCC versus Rest of the World match at Lord's on July 5. Gilchrist will be reunited with former teammate Shane Warne in the Rest of the World line-up, which the spin legend will captain.
Chennai Super Kings went on expected lines as they retained their top five players including captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo for the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League.
As the clock ticks down on Brendon McCullum's international career, the New Zealand captain will achieve one more milestone on Friday in the first Test against Australia at the Basin Reserve.
Rookie all-rounder Mitchell Santner and veteran Grant Elliott have been rewarded for their recent strong performances by being included in New Zealand's list of centrally contracted players on Wednesday.
Uncapped leg spinner Ish Sodhi and all rounder Corey Anderson have been promoted from the New Zealand 'A' team to the full Test squad for a two Test series in Bangladesh in October.
Virat Kohli, who has scored three centuries in the ongoing ninth edition of the Indian Premier League, feels he now has more belief in his ability to hit sixes.
Australia all-rounder Shane Watson is savouring his second chance at the World Cup after his omission from the side left him convinced he had played his last match at the tournament.
Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma, who steered the defending champions to their first win of the season with a 52-ball 94, credited West Indian Evin Lewis for allowing him to settle down on the crease in the Indian Premier League clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
New Zealand had produced 'almost the perfect performance' to destroy England in a World Cup match that lasted less than 50 overs on Friday.
New Zealand will face England with an unchanged side in their second World Cup match.
Overall, India enjoy a wonderful against the Kiwis in Tests, having won 18 matches out of 52, but have clinched victory in only five games out of 21 in New Zealand.
Indian Premier League's youngest player Sarfaraz Khan, who hit a blistering 21-ball unbeaten 45 against Rajasthan Royals in his side Royal Challenger Bangalore's, has set his sight on representing the country in the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh next year.
The game features two of the world's leading batsmen captaining their sides in Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson, as well as a pair of strike bowlers at the top of their game in Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult.
Ashwin moves into top-10, Dhawan in career-high 32nd spot in the latest ICC Test rankings
Australia spinner Steve O'Keefe is aware that taming the Indians would be a 'big job' but exuded confidence that his team is capable of doing 'some damage' during their four-Test series.
'You have got to allow yourself the opportunity to stop and smell the roses. Today is about enjoying that. Tomorrow we will turn our attention to the final' 'You have got a group of guys that did everything for each other'
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