Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza accepted England were a far better side than the one his team knocked out of the 2015 World Cup but insisted the Tigers had improved too ahead of their Champions Trophy opener. Tournament hosts England and Bangladesh launch the Champions Trophy, a ‘mini World Cup’ featuring cricket’s leading eight one-day international … Read more
Bangladesh suffered a dispiriting warm-up for their Champions Trophy opener against England as they crashed to a 240-run defeat against India on Tuesday. With the start of the Champions Trophy just two days away, this was a poorly-timed flop from Bangladesh, whose bowlers were swatted away by holders India as they piled up 324 for … Read more
India on Monday ruled out any cricket series against Pakistan until “cross-border terrorism” stops. The Indian and Pakistani cricket boards are scheduled to meet in Dubai on Monday to discuss a possible bilateral series. And the two countries play each other at the Champions Trophy in England on June 4. But they have not played … Read more
Australia are relishing the prospect of uniting their “big four” pace attack for the first time at the Champions Trophy — and sending a message to England ahead of the Ashes. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson are all fit and poised to bowl together given conducive conditions at the tournament in … Read more
South Africa´s quest for a major international cricket trophy has become enough of an obsession for star batsman and one-day international captain AB de Villiers to put his Test career on hold. When he announced in January that he was cutting back on Test cricket, De Villiers, 33, said the main goal for the rest … Read more
New captain Sarfraz Ahmed will face his stiffest test yet when he leads unfancied Pakistan in the Champion’s Trophy — starting with a highly-charged clash against India. After qualifying by the skin of their teeth, Pakistan will need to overcome serious batting deficiencies to be competitive following their struggles in the one-day format in recent … Read more
With a fiery new bowler named Fizz leading the young guns and all-rounder Mushfiqur Rahim the old guard, Bangladesh are aiming to leave their mark on the Champions Trophy where they are appearing for only the second time. Bangladesh edged ahead of West Indies in the world rankings to get their place at the 50-over … Read more
Sri Lanka have turned to old warhorse Lasith Malinga to put fight into their Champions Trophy campaign and reverse their decline in the one-day game. The islanders have missed Malinga — one of the world’s great fast bowlers — through injury and their performances have suffered. Sri Lanka won a series against Zimbabwe and West … Read more
Virat Kohli says India will go out “to enjoy” their cricket as they aim to defend their Champions Trophy crown against the backdrop of a row over money with the international board. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) backed out of a threat to boycott the 50-over tournament in a revenue-sharing dispute … Read more
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed believes his side will “have nothing to lose” when the Champions Trophy one-day international tournament in England and Wales gets underway next week. Despite completing series wins in all formats during their recent tour of the West Indies, Pakistan have not been spoken of as one of the favourites to win … Read more
South Africa hope to live up to their reputation as the world’s top-ranked one-day international side at Southampton on Saturday after blowing away “cobwebs” in their series-opening defeat by England. Victory put England 1-0 up with two to play and was a shot in the arm for Eoin Morgan’s men ahead of next week’s start … Read more
Critics called the new Sachin Tendulkar biopic “hagiographic” but fans of the Indian cricket legend loved the work that hit screens amid nationwide fanfare on Friday. “Sachin: A Billion Dreams”, directed by Emmy-nominated British filmmaker James Erskine, brought out throngs of fans from the first day. It has real footage of the right-handed batsman who … Read more
Moeen Ali insisted no one in the England camp was getting carried away after they underlined their Champions Trophy credentials with a comprehensive 72-run one-day international win over South Africa at Headingley. Wednesday’s success saw England go 1-0 up in a three-match series against South Africa, top of the International Cricket Council’s ODI rankings. The … Read more
India captain Virat Kohli admitted Thursday that he needs to prove his superstar status to English crowds at the Champions Trophy after his powers deserted him on his last visit to the country. Kohli has a staggering average of over 90 in one-day cricket in the last 12 months and is fourth on the list … Read more
India’s cricket board Thursday invited applications for a new head coach, as Anil Kumble’s contract draws rapidly to a close. The former Test captain was appointed coach in June 2016 for a year but will automatically be considered for a renewed term. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given other interested … Read more
The Indian cricket board has sent a security officer to England amid concerns over team safety in the Champions Trophy following the Manchester bomb attack. Acting president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) CK Khanna confirmed to AFP that Neeraj Kumar, security incharge and consultant of its anti-corruption unit, left for … Read more
Bangladesh still have two more warm-up matches before their Champions Trophy opener but captain Mashrafe Mortaza admits their five-wicket victory over New Zealand sends them to England with confidence high. “The warm-up games will be important, wickets will be different from here but we will learn something from the games against Pakistan and India, so … Read more
Indian skipper Virat Kohli said Wednesday his side would be ruthless in defending their Champions Trophy title next month, describing the competition as tougher even than the World Cup. India won the last Champions Trophy in 2013 and head into June’s tournament in England and Wales as favourites after a hugely successful home season with … Read more
Indian skipper Virat Kohli said Wednesday his side would be ruthless in defending their Champions Trophy title next month, describing the competition as tougher even than the World Cup. India won the last Champions Trophy in 2013 and head into June’s tournament in England and Wales as favourites after a hugely successful home season with … Read more
New Zealand captain Tom Latham is still looking for improvement when the Blackcaps aim for a clean sweep of victories in the final match of the one-day international Tri-Series against Bangladesh in Clontarf on Wednesday. An emphatic 190-run success against hosts Ireland at Malahide on Sunday ensured the Blackcaps will win the trophy but for … Read more