Fast bowler Stuart Broad has fallen out of contention for a regular starting place in England's one-day international side but the test stalwart is "desperate" to represent his country at the 2019 World Cup on home soil. Broad, who climbed to the top of the test bowlers rankings earlier this year, was part of the England side that made an embarrassing group stage exit at the 2015 World Cup and has barely featured since.
World champion Matthew Glaetzer, favourite to win the men's sprint gold at the Commonwealth Games, crashed out of the preliminary rounds on Saturday after an 'embarrassing' tactical blunder against Malaysian rank outsider Muhammad Sahrom.
Livid with constant scrutiny of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's finishing skills, India captain Virat Kohli hit back at the critics for 'conveniently' singling out the former skipper while ignoring failure of other players, including himself.
The 21-year-old had to chase down James Guy and Jack McLoughlin to win the title, pulling ahead in the final 100 metres to edge out compatriot McLoughlin and the Englishman to touch in three minutes, 43.76.
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar feels that the 2015 cricket World Cup beginning on February 14 in Australia and New Zealand will be "most competitive" edition ever as many teams can win the title.
The 2019 edition in England & Wales might be only 15 games old but set a fascinating pattern right from the very first ball when South Africa opened up with the leg spin of Imran Tahir.
West Indies have said they are embracing their underdog status for the three-Test series against Australia, which starts in Hobart on Thursday, but the reality is they have very little choice in the matter.
With an eye on the Olympics, the India hockey team skipper Sardar Singh said that the upcoming tournaments like Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and Champions Trophy will serve as important preparatory events in the run-up to the Rio Games. Sardar said while the immediate aim is to win a gold in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh from April 6-16, the larger goal is to come up with a medal-winning show in the Champions Trophy, to be played in London from June 10-17.
India missed chances aplenty in their opening two games of the ongoing 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament and national captain Sardar Singh minced no words when he said that the team's forwardline will have to play more responsibly to give themselves any chance of reaching the final.
'This World Cup is likely to be much more a clash of plans than of talent,' says Devangshu Datta.
Joe Root does not admit to being a natural leader but England's new Test captain says the time spent as Alastair Cook's understudy has groomed him for the responsibility.
Images from Sunday, Day 4 of the second Test between India and South Africa, in Pune.
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.
The fifth and final ODI against Australia will be one last chance for Rishabh Pant, Vijay Shankar, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja to do something special and stake their claim for a place in the World Cup team
After defeating Mali 3-2 and New Zealand 4-2, the South American team, one of the favourites to lift the title, will be looking to dominate Turkey.
'The slow bowlers specifically are resorting to a more negative line of bowling, not because they want to but because they have to'
'If there were ever a PR exercise to fix the seemingly irreparable image of Australian cricket in the aftermath of the most notorious on-field scandal in recent memory, then this is it,' observes Dhruv Munjal.
The Indian cricket team is not losing sleep over the introduction of the Decision Review System (DRS) in the five-Test series against England commencing in Rajkot on Wednesday with captain Virat Kohli saying the referral process is not rocket science. "Well there is no rocket science on DRS. As a cricketer you understand, you have a fair idea of where the ball has hit the pad, whether it has pitched in line or hit in line. "Those are pretty basic things in cricket. You don't have to necessarily go through a course for DRS," said the home team captain on the eve of the series opener at the SCA stadium in Rajkot.
'Even as discord over US-India trade and commerce colours diplomatic relations, defence relations between the two countries remain on a firm footing,' points out Ajai Shukla.
Fascinating predictions for the years ahead. A revealing excerpt from Tim Wigmore and Freddie Wilde's Cricket 2.0: Inside The T20 Revolution.
Skipper Virat Kohli's magnificent 243 was overshadowed by unprecedented scenes of mask-wearing Sri Lankan players, who halted proceedings thrice, complaining of poor air quality, on Day 2 of the third Test, in New Delhi.
His cricketing brain, always sharp, was blessed with exceptional speed of information absorption and processing. He could quickly zero in on what needed to be done and use the element of surprise to overpower the opposition, observes Shreekant Sambrani.
Former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin feels trusting one's technique will be the key for wicketkeepers when they are put under pressure during the four-Test series beginning later this month.
'As a player, the biggest question you ask yourself is whether you are good enough to be on the same ground as Gavaskar, Dev, Border and company.'
Alastair Cook believes England were wrong to sack him as their one-day captain.
Australia will play their first Test series in Sri Lanka in more than five years, with a three-match series beginning on July 26 in Kandy. The Australians will embark on a two-month tour of the island nation from July 11, playing three Tests, five ODIs and two T20 Internationals. Steve Smith's side leapfrogged India in February to finish the latest 12-month period in first spot on the ICC Test Championship table, while Sri Lanka have dropped to seventh place after a disappointing year following the retirements of legendary batting duo Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena. Only three members of the Australian side that beat the Black Caps in their most recent Test series - Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle and Usman Khawaja - have experienced Test cricket in Sri Lanka.
England coach Peter Moores should be removed from his current position and put in charge of the "kids", according to former captain Michael Vaughan.
The India-Japan joint naval exercises are a strategic signal for China, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.
Australia are hopeful that captain Michael Clarke will be available for next month's first Test against India despite a recurrence of his hamstring injury, physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said on Thursday.
Former chief coach, Waqar Younis has urged the cricket authorities to drop Umar Akmal from the Pakistan team and blamed Shahid Afridi for the side's run of T20 defeats against England, New Zealand and in the Asia Cup and World T20.
Australia cruised to a seven-wicket consolation victory in the day-night third Test on Sunday after dismissing South Africa for 250 and knocking off the 127 runs for victory for the loss of three wickets before dinner on day four. - Scorecard: There was a minor scare when, with 63 runs still required, Dave Warner was run-out for 47 and Usman Khawaja dismissed for a duck inside one over but there was never any real doubt that Australia would avoid a first ever 3-0 sweep on home soil.
Rendered ineffective in the previous match, India's wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal will look to bounce back against 'well-prepared' England batsmen when the two teams clash in the series-deciding third Twenty20 International, in Bristol, on Sunday.
Alastair Cook and Michael Clarke both have particular reasons for wanting to win the upcoming Ashes series that begins with the first cricket Test in Cardiff starting on Wednesday.
Kapil Dev's running catch at the boundary, to dismiss Viv Richards, is widely remembered by fans and cricketers alike, but Martin Crowe's effort to pocket a lunging catch and dismiss Zimbawe's Dave Houghton in the 1987 Reliance World Cup will always be special, reckons Siva Sankar
Wicket-less in the first three Twenty20 Internationals of his career, Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa is happy to get the monkey off his back after snapping three wickets against Bangladesh in the ICC World Twenty20 match in Bengaluru on Monday.
'Of the 32 captains who have led India in Test cricket, only four have been pure bowlers -- Ghulam Ahmed, Venkatraghavan, Bishan Bedi and myself.' 'The captain must lead with only one idea in mind -- to win the game. The draw mentality is partly because captains lacked confidence and partly because they want to protect their record. If you don't think winning is the point of the game, there is little point in even entering the field.' 'As the Monekygate controversy raged, I received a message from Bishen Bedi, no stranger to controversies himself. "As a captain," he wrote, "take a decision you will be proud of when you look back on history".' Anil Kumble, cricketing legend, on the Art of Captaincy.
Australian cricketer Phil Hughes died in a Sydney hospital on Thursday, two days after being hit on the head during a domestic match on Tuesday.
Hardik Pandya staged a late assault to help Mumbai Indians pull off a thrilling four-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders for their first win in the Indian Premier League in Mumbai, on Sunday.
Captain Rohit Sharma led from the front with a sparkling 84 not out as an inspired Mumbai Indians cruised to a six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders to open their account in the ninth season of Indian Premier League in Kolkata, on Wednesday.
'IPL is huge; I like the money in it.'
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