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Ahead of Sri Lanka's ODI World Cup match against New Zealand at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday, the Lions' assistant coach Naveed Nawaz said that the game against the Kiwis is crucial in terms of the upcoming Champions Trophy qualification. Speaking at the pre-match press conference Nawaz said that everyone's very positive and trying to keep their heads up and play the best game against New Zealand.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson lauded young "special talent" Rachin Ravindra and called him one of the players of the tournament ahead of their crucial World Cup clash against Sri Lanka at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The 23-year-old emerged as a new star for the Kiwis and has made most of the opportunities that have fallen in his path in the ongoing World Cup. The left-handed batter has amassed 523 runs and scored three tons with an average of 74.71 and is the third-highest run scorer in the ongoing World Cup.
All-rounder Shadab Khan looked set for a comeback after recovering from a concussion, while skipper Babar Azam was focused on finally making a mark in the tournament as Pakistan on Wednesday had a full-fledged net session ahead of their must-win World Cup match against England in Kolkata. Following two days' of unwinding in Kolkata, the Pakistani players had a three-hour long practice session in the afternoon focusing on all the three departments of the game. Shadab started rolling his arm for the first time after their match against South Africa in which he was ruled out due to concussion.
Having made an early exit from the World Cup, Sri Lanka's assistant coach Naveed Nawaz admitted on Wednesday that the team has a lot of gaps to fill before emerging as a serious contender in global tournaments. Sri Lanka will face New Zealand in their final league match in Bengaluru on Thursday, and Nawaz said they were looking for improvement in all areas of the game. “We had to qualify for this World Cup. We were not in the top eight teams. We have gaps in skills to fill, and it's a massive subject,” said Nawaz during his pre-match press meet.
Ishan Kishan slumped to the field with a painful grunt as Jasprit Bumrah's slightly short of length delivery thudded onto his stomach. It took him a few minutes to recover and resume the training in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Shubman Gill was at his best, while clobbering pacers Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna into the stands. But the Indian opener had to restrain himself once Bumrah tested his skills with an assortment of slower balls and in the channel outside the off-stump.
The ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 is nearing it business end. While three teams - India, South Africa and Australia - have already entered the semi-finals, the fight for the fourth spot is between three teams - New Zealand, Pakistan and Afghanistan. All the three teams are on eight points from as many matches. New Zealand (NRR +0.398) are ahead on the basis of net run-rate followed by Pakistan (NRR +0.036) and Afghanistan (-0.338). New Zealand's last match is against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru on Thursday, Pakistan last group stage game is against England in Kolkata on Saturday and Afghanistan's last match is against South Africa in Ahmedabad on Friday. (World Cup points table)
In reference to Shakib Al Hasan's appeal for a timed-out dismissal against Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews during their ICC World Cup 2023 match in Delhi on Monday, Bangladesh fast-bowling coach Allan Donald stated that he doesn't "like that sort of thing". To Mathews' dismay, the appeal was upheld. Shakib later claimed that he took certain actions "to make sure my team wins," but Mathews referred to this as "absolutely disgraceful."
Australia's physiotherapist Nick Jones' advise got a "dead man" stand on his feet and the result was an epic World Cup knock that will be talked about for a long time to come. Suffering multiple body cramps, Glenn Maxwell was done and wanted to retire during the World Cup match against Afghanistan on Tuesday night. His skipper Pat Cummins was not complaining either. But Jones knew that the "best bet" for Maxwell was to just stand, minimise his running and keep going for his shots.