Sourav Ganguly backs Tilak Varma to be India's No 4 if Shreyas Iyer unavailable
Former captain Kevin Pietersen is not expecting England to reach the semi-finals at the World Twenty20 in India. England have reached the final four at the Twenty20 showcase just once and that was back in 2010 when Pietersen helped them claim the trophy in the West Indies. Despite mixed results in Twenty20 internationals of late - England lost a recent series 2-0 to South Africa - a lot is expected of Eoin Morgan's men on the sub-continent as they attempt to make up for their embarrassing early exit at the World Cup in Australia in 2015 when they failed to make the knockout stages of the 50-over tournament after losing their decider against Bangladesh. But Pietersen is unsure whether England will be able to match their exploits from 2010 and has earmarked four other countries as the teams to beat in India. Speaking in a Q&A with the Telegraph newspaper, Pietersen declared India, the West Indies, South Africa and Australia as the top four teams at the World Twenty20. He also said that Morgan would have to fire if England were to go deep into the tournament. "I think England's game changer at the World Cup has to be Eoin Morgan," Pietersen said.
The 22-year-old is uncapped at test level, but made his international debut against South Africa in a Twenty20 at Taunton on June 23, where he took three wickets. He won his first and only ODI cap against the West Indies on September 29.
Fourth-ranked South Africa will aim to climb up to second position in the International Cricket Council One day International Team Rankings when they host world champions Australia in the five-match series from September 30.
South Africa retained the squad that beat New Zealand a couple of months back for the upcoming tour of England next month.
West Indies have drafted all rounder Darren Sammy into their squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in England next month.
South Africa need to put aside the fallout from their decision to overlook AB de Villiers and their injury issues when they face the West Indies in the Cricket World Cup on Monday, said key bowler Kagiso Rabada.
Quinton de Kock scored a rapid half-century as South Africa defeated Pakistan by seven wickets at Newlands to claim the five-match one-day series 3-2.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani is against the idea of someone from among the 'big three' nations of India, England and Australia becoming the next ICC chairperson, saying it would be "healthier" for the game to select someone from other boards.
IMAGES from English Premier League matches played on Sunday.
Across different sports, athletes continue to take the knee to show their solidarity with the 'Black Lives Matter' movement.
England have named uncapped Hampshire all-rounder Liam Dawson in their 15-man squad for the World Twenty20, to be staged in India next month, but there was no dramatic recall for Kevin Pietersen.
K L Rahul might be asked to keep wickets to bolster the batting.
England head coach Trevor Bayliss reckons his team cannot win the upcoming Ashes series unless their catching improves.
Coca-Cola will, apart from the coming World Cup in England and Wales, feature as the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage partner at all major ICC events -- men's and women's T20 World Cups in Australia in 2020, ICC Women's World Cup 2021 in New Zealand... Also, the World Cup 2023, to be hosted by India.
The England-India series has brought the bowler back into what has been turned into a batsman's game, says Aakar Patel.
Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium and the Eden Gardens in Kolkata --- both iconic venues -- have emerged as the frontrunners to host the two semifinals of the 2023 World Cup.
Captain Hashim Amla has said South Africa were suffering a crisis of confidence following a woeful 2015 which culminated with a 241-run defeat to England in the first Test.
Following a fruitful outing in the recently-concluded Women's T20 World Cup, Richa Ghosh gained massive points in the ICC T20I Rankings.
Heather Knight's majestic maiden T20I century helped England to a record-breaking 98-run victory over Thailand in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup match at Manuka Oval, in Canberra, on Wednesday. In the day's second match, played later, Pakistan claimed the scalp of the West Indies outplaying the 2016 winners in an eight-wicket victory.
India have endured series losses in South Africa and England over the last nine months but have still managed to remain the number one side in the longest format.
South Africa retained the iconic Reliance ICC Test Championship mace and with it won a cash award of $500,000 following its 2-0 series win over the West Indies in Cape Town on Tuesday.
Here are the statistical highlights from the third day's play of the fifth and final cricket Test between India and England in Chennai.
Wood, who has 11 one-day international caps but missed the winter tour of India, is joined by fellow paceman Liam Plunkett who is yet to play for Yorkshire this season because of a calf injury.
England captain Eoin Morgan refused to hit the panic button after defeat by Australia on Tuesday left his team's hopes of reaching the Cricket World Cup semi-finals in the balance. The pre-tournament favourites and hosts have now lost three group games and may need to beat India and New Zealand in their next two matches to make the last four.
Yashasvi Jaiswal presented a heady cocktail of patience and flair on debut but India's expected series win over West Indies will not serve as an accurate parameter.
South Africa progressed in the ICC ODI ranking due to their convincing 4-1 series win against England.
The duo progressed following their fine showing in India's victory over Pakistan in the women's T20 World Cup opener.
On the back of a three-wicket haul by debutant Kirstie Gordon, England kept Bangladesh to 76 runs for nine, a target that was revised to 64 in 16 overs as another flurry of St Lucian rain interrupted England's chase.
Curtly Ambrose, the West Indies pace legend and the team's bowling consultant, backed it to win the ICC World Twenty20 2016. The squad, he said, had numerous match-winners suited for the format. The West Indies is currently ranked No. 3 in the ICC rankings for T20s and won the ICC World T20 2012 in Sri Lanka. It is placed in Group 1 for the 2016 editionalong with Sri Lanka, England, South Africa and the top team from Group B. "Look at the team that we have, half of the team are in demand across the world for different T20 leagues," Ambrose was quoted as saying by the Antigua Observer. "So you may find one guy here, maybe two in this league and two in another league, but we have all at once so we have a great chance of winning this T20 tournament, just look at our squad." Ambrose, who picked up 630 international wickets, called on the West Indies' senior players to raise their games and guide the juniors. The West Indies will be without Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine but has enough experience and firepower in Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle and Darren Sammy.
India moved into second place in the ICC Test Championship table after beating South Africa in the four-Test series 3-0, in Delhi, on Monday.
ICC Rankings: India slips to 3rd spot, Australia remain world No 1 in ODIs
India will open their campaign in the T20 World Cup with a high-profile clash against Pakistan in Dubai on October 24, the International Cricket Council said on Tuesday.
One of cricket's greatest players passed into the ages on Monday. Rediff.com salutes the legend.
Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana was ruled out of India's opening Women's T20 World Cup game against Pakistan on Sunday.
When South Africa lost to India on Sunday, they cemented their reputation for 'choking' in ICC tournaments. Rajneesh Gupta tells us why South Africa's record for freezing in important ICC contests is, alas, well deserved.
England, set a massive target of 628 in their second innings, were 56 without loss at stumps on day three, a tidy start but still facing the daunting prospect of surviving two more days in Bridgetown.
Bangladesh's slender hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup they are co-hosting were crushed mercilessly by South Africa on Saturday with a 206-run Group B defeat.
Donald, 40, will aid the England team's fast bowling programme on a "short-term consultancy basis", a media release by the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Friday.
Mandhana moved out of the top 10 to 11th despite hitting 123 against West Indies on Saturday.
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