India v England: ICC World Cup 2011, Graeme Swann and Ravi Bopara look to improve After scraping home to a narrow win against the Dutch in their opening World Cup match, the English team is looking forward to a better performance against India in their second group game set to take place at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore. The three time finalists were in early trouble after conceding a score of 292 against the minnows, they were under the pump of a classy century by Ryan ten Doeschate and only a professional batting performance led by skipper, Andrew Strauss, and finished by Ravi Bopara and Paul Collingwood took them through to a face saving win under the lights at Nagpur. Bopara thinks that the result against the Dutch was now out of the way and the team was looking forward to an improved show in what is set to be their toughest group match against co-hosts and firm favourites, India. The right handed batsmen of Indian origin is glad to start in the event and thinks that he should be making more of his opportunities as the tournament provides him a chance to cement his spot in the One Day International (ODI) team. Bopara is in competition with left arm spinning all rounder Michael Yardy, but thinks that his experience in Indian conditions through two seasons of the Indian Premier League is set to hold him in good stead. "I have got two opportunities so far, one in the warm-up game and then in the opening match. I haven't thought about that competition [with Yardy]. I know what the pitch is likely to do in the subcontinent. IPL has definitely made me a better player and more confident". On the other hand, the leading spinner in the English team Graeme Swann conceded that the fielding effort in the opening match left a lot to be desired, he blamed the situation on the soaring temperatures in Nagpur, which had an adverse affect on the players, who were coping with extreme cold in England on their way to the tournament. Swann himself dropped a sitter at the closing stages of the Dutch innings, he stated that he wanted to get off the park in a jiffy yet the 50 overs seemed like an eternity in those conditions. "We will need to raise our standards, particularly in the field because, let's face it, we were like a bunch of schoolboys", said Swann. “After 20 overs I looked up at the board desperate for it to be 45 overs gone, because I was absolutely cooked”. However, Swann was the pick of the bowlers, claiming two wickets and conceding a mere 35 runs. The rest of the English bowlers endured a pasting with the leader of the pack James Anderson going wicket-less for 72 runs off his quota of overs. Meanwhile, England would have to improve a great deal if they are to challenge the might of India in their own conditions, the Men in Blue have been in great form off late and signaled their title claims with a one sided win over Bangladesh. The real challenge for Strauss and his men would be to counter the blazing bats of the Indians, led by Virender Sehwag, who scored a breath taking 175 on the opening day of the tournament.

World Cup 2011: Smith happy with team's performance against WI New Delhi, February 25 (ANI): For a team that has traditionally been suspicious of playing spinners, South Africa on Thursday surprised by adopting a three-pronged spin attack in a Group B match which they won against West Indies at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in New Delhi. Speaking to media persons, Smith said everything worked in favour of his team in the match Bangalore, February 24 (ANI): England cricketer, Ravi Bopara during a press conference in Bangalore today said that his team is looking forward to the match against India on February 27. Talking about the preparations of the upcoming match, Bopara said that all would depend on the conditions that day. Bopara, a British Indian, said he watched lots of Indian and England cricket matches during his childhood

MUMBAI: The BCCI has reacted strongly to the letter from ICC's legal head David Becker to ICC president Sharad Pawar over problems regarding sale and distribution of World Cup 2011 tickets. The ICC is facing pressure and compensation threats from event sponsors. In the letter, also sent to BCCI chief Shashank Manohar and WC 2011 tournament director, Prof. Ratnakar Shetty, Becker has raised issues ranging from the failure of the online ticket agency Kyazoonga to non-couriering of tickets, which were booked months in advance, to the crashing of its website when the sale of tickets for the final (to be held at the Wankhede Stadium on April 2) was announced. Becker also suggested that the window ticket sales of 2000 tickets for the final should be cancelled for fear of physical injury to ticket-seekers -- as happened in Bangalore on Thursday. Instead, the ICC wants these tickets be given to them to be sold to "defined cricket fans who are associated with the event and have requested purchase". Reacting to the development, Shetty, also Mumbai Cricket Association treasurer and CAO of BCCI, said BCCI felt this was a case of overreaction. "We feel that it (letter) was totally uncalled for. The Wankhede Stadium was only officially approved as the venue for the final on Januray 27, 2011 and it takes some time for the ticketing process to be completed. You can't expect tickets to be made ready beforehand," said Shetty.

With World Cup fever all over the world, every team is putting its best foot forward and so does New Zealand.

However if we look at the recent past, New Zealand performance hasn't been vey impressive with losing 11 matches at a stretch. The team has lost ODI series against Bangladesh (0-4), India (0-5), Pakistan (1-3*) recently.

The team has brought many changes also. The team currently is under the captaincy of Daniel Vettori who, according to some sources, is likely to give up ODI captainship after the World Cup. Rest of the team is Martin Guptill, Jessie Ryder, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Scott Styris, James Franklin, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills and Tim Southee.

The team has opted for just one wicketkeeper without any back up; this puts huge responsibilities on Brendon McCullum shoulders.

The team's strength lies in its captain Vettori, who if in good form, can bring magic into the team. Ross Taylor can also be a match-winner for the team with his explosive batting. The similar strength lies in McCullum too. Various players of the team have all-rounder abilities which will be helpful.

However, the team seems to struggle when it comes to opening batsmen. Lack of consistency in batting can also pose big problem to the team.

Looking at the batting side, team's spin-attack will be a big plus. Fields of Indian subcontinent, where the ball will grip and turn towards the latter half of the tournament are mostly likely to help them. But the strength of its fast-bowlers on slow pitches might create an issue for Kiwis.

The team needs to keep a check on few aspects for a better performance. Black Caps, who are currently undergoing a bad phase, will be in problem if any of their top level performers gets injured.

Batsman Jesse Ryder, aggressive left-hander with toss of test double and will be appearing in his maiden World Cup. He is one to look out for. You never know, he can prove to be the match-winner for Kiwis.

HAMBANTOTA: Pakistan’s skipper Shahid Khan Afridi bowled the best spell by a captain in any world cup match on Wednesday to sink Kenya at Hambantota as Pakistan registered their first win in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Shahid Afridi regains bowling form Shahid Afridi regains bowling form. Courtesy: Getty Images Kapil Dev of India previously held the record when he grabbed five wickets for 43 runs against Australia in the Prudential World Cup 1983, which India eventually won. Shahid Afridi, also called as Boom Boom Afridi, showed his skills with the ball, befooling not only Kenyan batsmen but also the onfield umpires especially Nigel Long to secure the best figures by any Pakistani bowler in the world cup. Former skipper Wasim Akram had made the record during 2003 world cup played in South Africa in a match at Kimberley against Namibia where he captured five wickets for just 28 runs. Wasim Akram had completed his 500 ODI career wickets in that very match. Skipper Afridi showed no respite for the hapless Kenyans as he grabbed five wickets for just 16 runs to dismantle cricket records. Talking to Rameez Raja at the prize distribution ceremony, Shahid Afridi insisted he is a bowling all-rounder rather than a batting all-rounder and his performance with the ball was good enough to support his claim. The Sports Encounter presents its valued viewers with a package of highlights which contains all the five wickets taken by Boom Boom Afridi. The package has been compiled by ESPN Star Sports.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXsDAFZ-EAc&feature=player_embedded

Fixtures

Date & Time	fixture
February 2011
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 2:30 PM		South Africa	vs		West Indies
7th ODI		ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 12:00 AM		Gambia	vs		Seychelles
Development Match		ICC AFRICA REGIONAL - TWENTY / 20 DIV 3 Venue: Accra
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 12:00 AM		Lesotho	vs		Cameroon
Development Match		ICC AFRICA REGIONAL - TWENTY / 20 DIV 3 Venue: Accra
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 12:00 AM		Morocco	vs		Mali
Development Match		ICC AFRICA REGIONAL - TWENTY / 20 DIV 3 Venue: Accra
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 9:30 AM		Australia	vs		New Zealand
8th ODI		ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Venue: VCA Stadium, Nagpur
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 2:00 PM		Bangladesh	vs		Ireland
9th ODI		ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Sat, Feb 26, 2011 12:00 AM		Rwanda	vs		Cameroon
Development Match		ICC AFRICA REGIONAL - TWENTY / 20 DIV 3 Venue: Accra
Sat, Feb 26, 2011 12:00 AM		Gambia	vs		Mali
Development Match		ICC AFRICA REGIONAL - TWENTY / 20 DIV 3 Venue: Accra
Sat, Feb 26, 2011 12:00 AM		Seychelles	vs		Morocco
Development Match		ICC AFRICA REGIONAL - TWENTY / 20 DIV 3 Venue: Accra

Ahead of their opening ICC Cricket World Cup match against West Indies in New Delhi, South Africa captain Graeme Smith and teammates took time out from training to interact with young people affected by HIV on Tuesday.

As part of the global Think Wise partnership between ICC, UNAIDS and UNICEF which is raising awareness and reducing stigma about HIV and AIDS throughout the cricket world, the youngsters spent an hour with Smith, Johan Botha, J.P.Duminy and Wayne Parnell on the field of the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.

After a fun-filled catching and throwing session, all of the participants gathered on the outfield to discuss issues relating to HIV and AIDS, including the role that cricket players can play in reducing stigma and discrimination around the disease.

"It was a wonderful experience for the young participants. The South African players showed excellent awareness of the issues relating to HIV and AIDS and displayed a passionate commitment to helping address these important issues," said UNICEF?s Geetanjali Masters who accompanied the young people.

The visit was part of a programme of activities taking place at the ICC Cricket World Cup that includes similar interactions with other teams and a communications campaign featuring a Public Service Announcement recorded by Virender Sehwag and Kumar Sangakkara, two of a group of Think Wise champions that also includes Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shakib Al Hasan.

Perennial chokers they might be but South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis feels there is nothing called favourites in a big event like the World Cup and the huge pressure of expectation will nullify India's home advantage in the ongoing tournament.

Kallis said in World Cup no side can afford to take its opponent lightly, and the team which handles pressure at crunch situations, will run away with the coveted trophy.

"I don't think any team starts as favorites at the moment. A lot of people are talking about India but we know how hard it is to play under pressure at home. That probably negates their home advantage," the 35-year-old all-rounder told reporters during their practice session at the Feroze Shah Kotla here on Tuesday.

"Ultimately it boils down to how you play in the group stage and once you reach the quarterfinals, semifinals, final, anything can happen. I think all the teams are evenly matched."

"The team which plays the best game under pressure will come out on top," he added.

Asked about the chokers tag associated with the Proteas in ICC tournaments, Kallis said, "A lot is being made in the media about the chokers tag. But we players don't even think about it."

"Everytime the team loses, people say the team has choked. But it is certainly not something which haunt us. We have a young team, 11 out of the 15 have never played in a World Cup.

"So it doesn't bother us. We are just worried about playing good cricket."

Kallis, who is the numero uno all-rounder in ODI cricket with 11,002 runs and 259 wickets, said he has completely recovered from his rib injury and will feature in the opening clash against the West Indies here on Thursday.

"So far, everything is going according to plan. I have been bowling for about a week. I am 100 per cent fit for the match."

"In fact, most of the guys are in good condition, raring to go. The good thing is that we have all the 15 to pick from," he said.

Although South Africa boast of a good record against West Indies in recent times, the right-hander said the match is evenly-balanced and the Proteas need to be on top of their game on Thursday.

"They are a dangerous side. They have got a few players who can change the game. We need to be on the top our game."

"You can't take any side lightly because one bad result against you can put pressure," Kallis said.

Kallis, however, was apprehensive about the under-fire Kotla wicket producing a high-scoring affair on Thursday.

"I haven't had a look at it as yet. I have seen it during the IPL and it wasn't too bad. Probably it's not gonna be 300-350 wicket," he said.

He also seemed excited with the fact that South Africa have packed their squad with three specialist spinners.

"We know that the wickets are going to help the spinners. It's nice to have three quality spinners in our side. I think it's an advantage."

"Certainly we haven't had a leg-spinner (Imran Tahir) in a very long time. So that brings something different. We have an off-spinner, we have a leg-spinner and the variety we've got to choose from is fantastic. I think we covered all our bases," Kallis insisted.

Kallis also dismissed suggestions that South Africa may be little rusty going into Thursday's match, saying their preparation so far went of well.

"It has been a fantastic two-and-a-half weeks for us. We have already had our preparation for the game; it's just the finishing touches we need to take care of.

"As far as preparation goes, we have been as well prepared as we have been in any other World Cup. The guys are in a lot more relaxed frame of mind, probably better prepared than any other World Cup," he said.

"The team has spent a lot of time together as well. Each guy knows his role in the team. That to me is a major positive. As a senior player, I am telling the youngsters to go out there and enjoy the World Cup," Kallis added.

New Zealand cricket captain Daniel Vettori believes a World Cup win over trans-Tasman rivals Australia will help lift national spirits left shattered by the deadly Christchurch earthquake.

The 15-man squad desperately scrambled for news on loved ones caught up in Tuesday's 6.3 magnitude quake which killed at least 65 people, with the team admitting to being left shocked and numbed by the tragedy.

"The greatest thing we can do is beat Australia to hopefully help bring a little relief for the people who are going such a rough time at home," said Vettori.

"It's been a tough day. Five or six of the team and the management crew are based in Christchurch, so it's been a rough time for them finding out that their families are safe."

"We all have family or friends in Christchurch, it's been tough. We are feeling it too and the Canterbury community is in our thoughts and prayers."

"It's hard to deal with out of context. Guys will be thinking about wives and children at home who are dealing with the aftermath. It might be a distraction, it will be a testing time."

New Zealand's players, who face defending champions Australia in Nagpur on Friday, regularly used Twitter throughout the day in search of information and to offer condolences.

"Everyone's families are fine, but quite a numb and flat feeling in the squad," veteran player Scott Styris wrote. "Training was tough."

Opening batsman Martin Guptill said the squad's thoughts were with their compatriots.

"Thoughts go out to the people of Chch today. Terrible thing to have happened again," Guptill tweeted.

International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat said that an appropriate gesture of respect would be made when New Zealand face Australia.

"At times like this, sport can only offer its support and its deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones during such a tragedy," said Lorgat.

"It's a helpless feeling but I will be discussing with the organisers of the World Cup how we can most appropriately remember those who lost their lives or have been injured and affected when the Black Caps play their next match against Australia in Nagpur on Friday.

"We have already contacted New Zealand Cricket's chief executive Dr Justin Vaughan to express our concern for him, his staff and the people of Christchurch."

"On behalf of everyone at the ICC and the World Cup we send our heartfelt condolences."

Among the New Zealand World Cup squad, fast bowler Hamish Bennett plies his trade for the Canterbury team in the devastated area while coach John Wright was born in the region.

The news would have also rattled Netherlands captain Peter Borren who was born in Christchurch. The Dutch were playing England on Tuesday.

With two world class pacers and three spinners in their ranks, South Africa are spoilt for choice as far as bowling is concerned and skipper Graeme Smith seemed all ready to unleash the fury ahead of their opening World Cup fixture against West Indies here tomorrow.

"I think it's probably our best spin attack that we have ever had coming into the sub-continent. We have got a lot of options, we have got three frontline spinners and some batters who bowl spin," Smith said on the eve South Africa''s opening match.

In Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, the Proteas have a potent new ball pair, and in spin department, they have Johan Botha, Imran Tahir and Robin Peterson, all bowlers of different varieties.

"I think we have a lot more variety than we did in 2007, when I felt we had a lot of similar type of bowlers in the Caribbean. But we now have pace, bounce, left-armers. We have also got a few spin options. I think it will be more difficult to prepare against us, the variety is there," he added.

Talking about the quickies in his squad, Smith said there is always a place for genuine pace, irrespective of conditions. "There is always a place for genuine pace. I don't think anybody likes to face people who bowls at 155 kmph. If someone tells you they enjoy it, they are lying to you! I think having genuine pace in your team is always an asset in any World Cup. But you have got to get it right even at that pace," he said.

"We just hopefully judge the conditions well and pick the right teams to play against our opposition."

Smith refused to reveal anything about Imran Tahir, the only uncapped player in the 15-man squad. "That's for us to know, you need to wait till tomorrow."

Asked if the team would finally shed the chokers tag, Smith said that would depend on performance and a bit of luck. "I think we are running out of answers for it. It's up to us to perform well, simple as that. As an international sportsman, pressure is a part of daily life. Let's hope we can play well. We obviously need a little bit of luck to go through a tournament. We have made a few semifinals, it will be nice if we could go a couple of steps further."

"There's no doubt in my mind that we have got the players, who if the moment arises, I really believe in the guys we have got that they will take it."

While most of the Associate teams have been thrashed black and blue by the established ones, the Netherlands proved to be an exception, stretching England to the limit before going down. "On any given day, people can perform well. It takes one good performance, like from Ten Doeschate, to put you in the game," Smith said.

West Indies skipper Darren Sammy on Wednesday said his team would look to revive the pride and passion of the two-time former champions during their World Cup campaign which kicks off against South Africa from Thursday.

Sammy said his team received some useful tips from the former players of West Indies and they would look to implement them in their game and deliver with the "passion and fight of the 1980s".

"We received tips from a few former players. Clive Lloyd got in touch with me. Our manager (Richie Richardson) was also a part of the 1996 World Cup. So we would look to implement their advice in our game and deliver with the passion and fight of the 1980s to give something to our fans," Sammy told reporters ahead of their World Cup opener against South Africa.

Once the most dreaded team, West Indies have lost their aura and struggled to deliver as team. The 1975 and 1979 Champions have suffered a 5-0 whitewash at home against the South Africans, before losing 0-2 to Sri Lanka.

But Sammy said past records won't matter much in the World Cup and execution of plans and performance on that particular day will decide their fate.

"We have been in the sub-continent for more than a month and before that we played South Africa at home. We didn't do well recently but it is a prestigious tournament and we have a lot to play for," Sammy said.

"We have to play to our potential. Every game is a big match and cricket is played on a day and it doesn't matter if you are number one or number nine team. We have to go and execute our plans."

"We have self belief and we have to be consistent."

"Consistency is important in the World Cup to make it to the knock out stage. We have some potential match-winners in our side and we have to put them on the field and play 100 overs with confidence to get the best result," he added.

Sammy said some of his players have the experience of playing at the Feroze Shah Kotla ground during the IPL and Champions league and it would help on Thursday.

"Few of our guys played here during the IPL and Champions League and there inputs have been helpful. We have an idea about how the pitch will behave but we will have to wait and watch how it reacts tomorrow," he said.

Sammy said spin will play a crucial role in the matches here and exuded confidence that his team has two quality left-arm spinners.

"Spin has played an important part in the tournament so far. We have two quality left-arm spinner and also Chris (Gayle) bowls off-spin, so we have to consider all these options and choose the best team and perform," he said.

"The challenge would be to go out there and perform to the best of our ability. We are confident and we would look to take one game at a time. The objective is to reach the knock out stage and then focus on the game at hand," he added.

Sammy will have an unenviable task of leading an unheralded bunch of players to World Cup glory and the talented all-rounder said it is an honour to captain the side and join the legacy of the former greats.

"I didn't bring it (captaincy) on myself but it has been a massive honour to lead the side. West Indies has a greater legacy and to be part of that is an honourable job for me. Cricket is a uniting force for the Caribbean people. We would look to deliver with passion and fight of the 1980s to give something to our fans," he said.

Sammy said he handled the pressure of captaincy well and it didn't affect his game.

"I have been playing under pressure even before in my career and so the captaincy has not really changed my game. I have been handling pressure quite well. My idea is to just keep playing."

"I would be playing in the second half of the batting line up and would look to build long partnerships and also bowl economically. On the field, my job would be to inspire the players and also take important decisions when required," he said.

Sammy would be leading a side with four former captains,Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo, - and he said it would help him in decision making during the World Cup.

"It is a good thing to have so many senior players around. They bring in a lot of experience and it would help me. The young can look upto them," he said.

Graeme Swann wants to silence the passionate home crowd when England face World Cup co-hosts India in Bangalore on Sunday.

The Ashes-winning off-spinner returned to international action for the first time since the birth of his son with an impressive two for 35 during England's tournament-opening six-wicket win over the Netherlands on Tuesday.

But the 31-year-old's bowling was one of the few highlights in a lacklustre display in the field littered with dropped catches and wayward fast bowling on a good batting pitch.

India launched their campaign with an 87-run victory away to fellow co-hosts Bangladesh in Dhaka and are strongly fancied to add a second title to their 1983 World Cup trophy in front of their adoring fans.

"The fact it's against India in India is going to make it a huge game," said Swann after England saw off the Dutch with eight balls to spare.

"We had a very poor time of things in the one-day series here a couple of years ago, so that's certainly something we want to turn around because there is nothing better than silencing an Indian crowd."

"You don't want them to be screaming all day because its ear-shattering. Come Bangalore it will be a huge game and one we will need to raise our standards for, particularly in the field because, let's face it, we were like a bunch of schoolboys (against the Netherlands)."

The worst moment was when Dutch all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate, who went on to make a century, skied Swann on 47 only for James Anderson at long-on and Kevin Pietersen at long-off to leave the chance to each other as the ball fell safely between them.

"They both got the glare," Swann said. "When it goes 80 yards in the air and two of your best fielders stand and watch it land between them, it's never great as a bowler but I can't really complain because I dropped that high swirler near the end. Everything evens itself out."

Swann was England's lone spinner in a match where the frontline quicks, especially Anderson, whose 10 wicketless overs cost 72 runs, proved expensive.

England do have another slow bowler in left-armer Michael Yardy who, like Swann, performed well in the team that won the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean last year.

Swann though warned it was a mistake to think Indian pitches offered excessive help to spinners.

"I think it is hit or miss in India with spin. People always say that spin plays a massive part and wickets turn square over here. They don't and there was a little bit of spin (against the Netherlands) but it wasn't huge."

Swann, who had been struggling with a knee injury, was pleased by the way he bowled upon returning to international cricket "I'm delighted because I've let the team down a couple of times before after a bit of a break and promised I wouldn't do it this time, so I'm glad I lived up to my word."

Swann joined up late with the squad following the birth of his son, Wilfred, and he admitted: "Within two days of the little fellow coming into the world I'm saying a teary goodbye. That's our lot as international cricketers."

"On the plus side, I get to come here to play in a World Cup so in 18 years' time when he is giving me grief for not being there for the first six weeks I'll be able to say but I had to go and beat Holland."

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi spun a web around Kenya to help register a comprehensive 205 run win on Wednesday in its opening Group A match in Hambantota.

Batting first, Pakistan posted 317 for 7 in its 50 overs. And in its reply, Kenya was shot out for 112 in 33.1 overs.

Pakistan lost early wickets, but Kamran Akmal (55: 5x4) and Younus Khan (50: 67b, 2x4) added 98 runs for the third wicket to revive the innings.

Later Umar Akmal (71: 52b, 8x4, 1x6) and Misbah-ul-Haq (65: 69b, 1x4, 2x6) added 118 runs for the fifth wicket to propel Pakistan to a challenging total. Thomas Odoyo with a spell of 3-41 was the best bowler on view for Kenya.

In its reply, Kenya lost wickets at regular intervals as Afridi's spell of 5-16 destroyed the line-up. Only Collins Obuya (47) offered any resistance.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been reprimanded for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during his team's ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 match against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad.

Ponting accepted the Level 1 charge and the proposed sanction from Roshan Mahanama of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees after an incident was brought to the ICC's attention through the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Gujarat Cricket Association. He was found to have breached clause 2.1.2 of the code which relates to "abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match". The charge was brought by the chairman of the Event Technical Committee David Richardson on behalf of the ICC Chief Executive, in accordance with the regulations. The incident occurred shortly after Ponting was run out in the match when he caused some damage to a television set in the team dressingroom. The damage occurred when he threw down a piece of equipment which bounced off his kit bag and hit the corner of the television. "Ricky knows that his action was in breach of the code, involving a brief moment of frustration. That said, it was clear that the damage he caused was purely accidental and without malice, he apologized shortly after the incident at the ground and immediately agreed to pay for the damage," said Mr Mahanama. As Ponting accepted the offence and the proposed sanction, there was no need to convene a formal hearing. Level 1 offences carry penalties ranging from an official reprimand to 50 per cent of a player's match fee.

Watch ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Opening Ceremony Live Stream Online in HD quality TV

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Opening Ceremony Live Telecast

Watch ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Opening Ceremony Live Stream ,watch ICC World Cup 2011 Opening Ceremony online here. World Cup 2011 is set to take off with Opening Ceremony in Dhaka on Feb 17.
Cricket World Cup 2011 is drawing close and a grand opening ceremony has been waiting to usher the action packed days thereafter.
Bangladesh capital Dhaka takes pride to host the world cup opening ceremony on Thursday, February 17, 2010 and the co-hosts promise that it will be one-of-the-kind ceremony to welcome the teams and action that come with the teams.
In fact the big event comes to Bangladesh after almost 15years. The capital of Bangladesh has been geared up for the biggest cricketing event and the cricket fans are already catching up with the frenzy and cricket fever.
The opening ceremony will be at Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka and the event promises to stop the world for 2 hours with spectacular song, dance besides eye catching laser shows.
Rock star Bryan Adams singing trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy will be the top performers at the opening ceremony which kind of reflects association of entertainment with the gentleman’s game. Watch ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Opening 

The rich and varied culture of the Indian sub-continent, mixed with a mesmerising fireworks and laser show, was exhibited in all its glory at the World Cup opening ceremony here on Thursday evening. World Cup opens with a spectacular show And world renowned musicians Bryan Adams, Sonu Nigam, Runa Laila, and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy regaled the packed Bangabandhu National Stadium as Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina declared the 10th edition of the tournament open. The ceremony, which lasted about two-and-a-half hours, comprised songs sung by local artistes, with captains of all 14 competing teams making their grand entry into the arena in illuminated rickshaws in alphabetical order of the countries' names. If the rickshaws were innovatively decorated, it were the numbers sung in four different languages - English, Hindi, Bengali, and Sinhalese - that drew maximum cheers from the crowd. While De ghumake, the official World Cup song sung by Shankar- Ehsaan-Loy of India, drew loud applause, legendary Bangladeshi singer Runa Laila's all-time hit Dama dam mast kalandar was not far behind. There was a dash of colour as mostly Bangladeshi dances were performed by children and youngsters on the vast white circular carpet laid out in the field on which Bangladesh played their first ever Test match in 2000, against India. It was not mandatory for all 14 competing teams to be present at the ceremony, but the five teams - India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, England, and Ireland - that will play their matches in Bangladesh in the next few days were present in full strength. The programme began with local songs before Sheikh Hasina arrived and soon Bangladesh's national anthem was sung. After an audio-video clip, highlighting some of the memorable moments from previous World Cup tournaments, played on the giant screens, young local singers Mila, Kona, Elita, Balam, Hridoy Khan, Arnob, Ibrar and Topu took over. Then all the captains, accompanied by a young boy or a girl sitting with them in the rickshaws - the most popular and the cheapest mode of transport in Bangladesh - made their entry. As one of the co-hosts, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan came in last, but he expectedly received the biggest cheer. Speeches by Bangladesh Cricket Board president Mostafa Kamal and sports minister Ahad Ali Sarkar, International Cricket Council (ICC) president Sharad Pawar, and Sheikh Hasina followed. Pawar termed Thursday as a historic day. "Today is a historic day when the people of Bangladesh join India and Sri Lanka together to host the ICC cricket World Cup, and make this tournament the most memorable yet," he said. "Tonight we welcome the captains of the world's top 14 teams to the opening ceremony of the 10th ICC cricket World Cup. One of these captains before us tonight will stand in the magnificent Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2 and receive the World Cup trophy. On behalf of the ICC, I wish you all the best of luck." Sheikh Hasina wholeheartedly welcomed all the guests. "It is my great pleasure to be present at this colourful opening ceremony of the ICC cricket World Cup 2011... We feel greatly privileged to co-host the cricket extravaganza in our beautiful country. I welcome the ICC officials, guests and spectators in this majestic ceremony," she said. "I would like to extend my thanks to the ICC for selecting Bangladesh to host the opening ceremony and eight matches. My thanks go to the organisers and patrons for their immense labour to hold the ICC cricket World Cup successfully. I congratulate my cricket-loving countrymen for their great enthusiasm and cooperation to make this event a grand success," she said. "Good luck to the players and I hope that fraternity among the nations will further be strengthened through this World Cup." The prime minister declared the World Cup open by placing her hand on a palm-scanner after her speech. This was followed by an aerial and audio-visual cricket act on a nearby building, and cultural programmes. Expectedly, the Bangladesh cultural programme got more time than co-hosts India and Sri Lanka. Another innovative bit was when a person aimed a bow towards the sky and released the arrow, it turned into sparkling fireworks.

Former India coach John Wright has praised successor Gary Kirsten (L) for taking the world's top Test team to a new level.[© AFP/File]

Former India coach John Wright has praised successor Gary Kirsten for taking the world's top Test team to a new level.

New Zealander Wright handed over responsibility for cricket's most-demanding job to former South African star Kirsten in 2005 after five years in the job.

Kirsten now has the pressure of guiding India to the World Cup title on home ground with the 2011 tournament getting underway on Saturday.

"I think Gary Kirsten and his team have done exactly the same as when I was coach," said Wright, whose New Zealand side were facing India in a warm-up match here later on Wednesday.

"When you take over a team, you like to make progress, they have taken it to another level."

Wright paid tribute to the spine of the India team, insisting that the senior players deserve any plaudits which come their way.

"It's satisfaction on seeing players playing to their potential. Like Zaheer (Khan) who has improved a lot and (Virender) Sehwag," said Wright.

"I think that Sourav (Ganguly) and all the senior players - Rahul (Dravid), (VVS) Laxman, Sachin (Tendulkar) - drove that process. They did the great job because they wanted their team to change and improve.

"I probably got the opportunity because of that desire from those players. It was a pleasure working with them. That's been a factor of the side for a long time."

Wright added that one of his fondest memories was seeing Laxman hit his famous 281 to help beat Australia at Kolkata in 2001 after India had followed-on.

"I still think very affectionately of Laxman. You think at that time: It could have gone other way. I remember Kolkata," he recalled.

"You look back on that and you think well you had a bit of team talk about the batting order. You get fortunate that something like that happens.

"I still think very affectionately about VVS when I look back. It's great to be back here in India."

England batsman Matt Prior plays a shot during their warm-up match aganist Canada ahead of the the 2011 Cricket World Cup at Fatullah Khan Saheb Osmani Stadium. A disciplined performance by Canada's seamers restricted England to 243 all out despite fine half-centuries by Prior and Jonathan Trott in a World Cup warm-up game.[© AFP]

A disciplined performance by Canada's seamers restricted England to 243 all out despite fine half-centuries by Matt Prior and Jonathan Trott in a World Cup warm-up game on Wednesday.

Khurram Chohan and Harvir Baidwan shared six wickets to dent England's progress after skipper Andrew Strauss won the toss and elected to bat at the Fatullah stadium in Dhaka.

Chohan, a Pakistani import in the eclectic Canadian side, removed Strauss (one) and Kevin Pietersen before accounting for Ian Bell (eight) to return figures of 3-34 off nine overs.

Pietersen, a surprise promotion to the opener's slot, inside edged on to his leg-stump after making 24 off 28 balls, including three fours and a six.

Trott arrested the slide with a cautious 81-ball 57 and found an able partner in Prior, who hit four fours and a six in his innings to lend respectability to England's total.

Prior added 54 with Trott, who mistimed a sweep against off-spinner John Davison, and then 51 with Stuart Broad after his Sussex team-mates Mike Yardy and Luke Wright both fell cheaply to Henry Osinde.

Prior was eventually bowled by Harvir Baidwan, who finished with 3-50.

England will play their second warm-up against Pakistan on Friday before taking on the Netherlands in the World Cup in Nagpur on February 22.

England batsman Matt Prior plays a shot during their warm-up match aganist Canada ahead of the the 2011 Cricket World Cup at Fatullah Khan Saheb Osmani Stadium. A disciplined performance by Canada's seamers restricted England to 243 all out despite fine half-centuries by Prior and Jonathan Trott in a World Cup warm-up game.[© AFP]

A disciplined performance by Canada's seamers restricted England to 243 all out despite fine half-centuries by Matt Prior and Jonathan Trott in a World Cup warm-up game on Wednesday.

Khurram Chohan and Harvir Baidwan shared six wickets to dent England's progress after skipper Andrew Strauss won the toss and elected to bat at the Fatullah stadium in Dhaka.

Chohan, a Pakistani import in the eclectic Canadian side, removed Strauss (one) and Kevin Pietersen before accounting for Ian Bell (eight) to return figures of 3-34 off nine overs.

Pietersen, a surprise promotion to the opener's slot, inside edged on to his leg-stump after making 24 off 28 balls, including three fours and a six.

Trott arrested the slide with a cautious 81-ball 57 and found an able partner in Prior, who hit four fours and a six in his innings to lend respectability to England's total.

Prior added 54 with Trott, who mistimed a sweep against off-spinner John Davison, and then 51 with Stuart Broad after his Sussex team-mates Mike Yardy and Luke Wright both fell cheaply to Henry Osinde.

Prior was eventually bowled by Harvir Baidwan, who finished with 3-50.

England will play their second warm-up against Pakistan on Friday before taking on the Netherlands in the World Cup in Nagpur on February 22.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is to impose a blanket ban on all Twitter posts by team officials during matches in a bid to be seen to be doing all it can to crack down on corruption.

Long-serving Australia manager Steve Bernard has been 'tweeting' since August last year.

ICC chiefs insist they have no issues with anything Bernard has posted in the past.

But, given players are banned from having access to mobile phones during matches, they thought it prudent following the recent spot-fixing scandal involving Pakistan, to avoid a situation where team officials left themselves open to corruption claims, however baseless, as a result of a Twitter post.

"As recent events have shown, the ICC has a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and anything that can negate that possibility is something we are definitely interested in," ICC spokesman James Fitzgerald told AFP on Tuesday.

"This is just a precaution, it's not something we are overly concerned about. But we do feel a team manager's phone should be used for operational purposes only during matches.

"This applies to all teams and this decision has not been taken in response to anything the Australia team manager has said or done previously."

Players and officials will though still be allowed to post Twitter messages when their sides are not playing matches.

I think Younis and Umar have a lot to contribute in this World Cup: Waqar[© AFP]

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis today said experienced batsman Younis Khan and talented youngster Umar Akmal need to fire, if his side has to do well in the World Cup, starting on Saturday.

Expressing disappointment at the failure of the two in the warm-up match against Bangladesh on Tuesday, Younis said he expected more from both the players.

"I think Younis and Umar have a lot to contribute in this World Cup if we are to do well and they need to really work hard to find their form and touch. We can't afford to not have them firing in this World Cup," Waqar said.

Pakistan beat Bangladesh in the warm up match with Ahmed Shehzad and Misbah-ul-Haq scoring centuries while the rest of the batting did not contribute much.

"It was amazing the way Ahmed Shehzad and Misbah-ul-Haq played under pressure particularly for Misbah to come in at number five and score a-run-a ball century," Waqar said.

The former Test pacer said other batsmen also need to show responsibility.

He pointed out that in a major event like World Cup, he would prefer to see all of his batsmen contributing small totals rather then having to depend on one or two players to do the bulk of the scoring.

"We have a lot of expectations from Younis in this World Cup as he is our most experienced batsman and he needs to find his touch soon," he said.

Younis is playing his third World Cup while Umar is appearing in his first.

Many of the Pakistan squad members are making their maiden World Cup appearances including Muhammad Hafeez, Shehzad, Misbah, Umar, Asad Shafiq, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Umar Gul and Junaid Khan.

Cricket's governing body (ICC) is unhappy that banned batsman Salman Butt has been hired as a TV pundit for the World Cup and is checking whether the Pakistani has breached the terms of his punishment.

"We are not satisfied with this appointment and we have written to (ICC) tribunal chairman Michael Beloff QC to enquire whether this could be viewed as a breach against the terms of his suspended sentence," ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.

Butt was banned for at least five years by an ICC anti-corruption tribunal earlier this month after being found guilty of spot-fixing elements of a test against England last year.

The former opener is also facing criminal charges of accepting bribes and fraud by the London Metropolitan Police and will appear in a London court on March 17.

The ICC statement added: "The Board, having a zero tolerance attitude towards corruption, expressed disappointment at the decision by a minor Pakistan television channel, which has no relationship with the ICC, to employ the suspended Mr Salman Butt as a studio pundit during the World Cup."

Butt was also sacked by his employer, for whom he played domestic cricket, and had his central contract terminated by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

The former skipper, who will be working for Pakisan's Channel 5, has denied any wrongdoing.

The ICC is trying to reduce the possibility of any corruption taking place during their showpiece event and have banned players and officials using social networking sites such as Twitter on World Cup match days.

© Reuters

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has admitted worries over mercurial Shoaib Akhtar's poor form ahead of the World Cup that has left the team's pace attack without a spearhead.

"Shoaib is not in touch at the moment," the fast bowling great said, when asked why Akhtar had not bowled in Tuesday's warm-up match against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka.

Waqar hoped Akhtar will prove his mettle against England on Friday, Pakistan's last practice match before their first World Cup game against Kenya in Sri Lanka on February 23.

"If he gets it right against England in the next game, he is obviously our number one choice," said Waqar. "At the moment, we have a slight problem with the new ball, but there is still some time to go."

Waqar said he and the team's bowling coach Aaqib Javed was paying special attention to the 35-year-old Akhtar to get him match-fit.

"We played Shoaib in New Zealand where he improved in patches," said Waqar. "It is important he gets into full throttle before we get him into the side.

"We are trying to work with him. Aaqib Javed and myself, we are working with him, trying to get his rhythm right before the tournament starts."

Pakistan manager Intikhab Alam also expressed doubts over Akhtar's fitness.

"Shoaib is not 100 percent fit, but even half-fit he can lift Pakistan to glory," the Press Trust of India quoted Alam as saying.

"He needs to be utilised carefully to get the best out of him. A lot could depend on the weather, heat and humidity."

Akhtar, who last played a Test match in 2007 before being sidelined with a string of injuries, has claimed 244 one-day wickets in 160 matches at an average of 24.78.

With Akhtar out of action, Pakistan handed the new ball to seamers Abdul Razzaq and Umar Gul in the match against Bangladesh which Pakistan won by 89 runs after they had amassed 285-9.

Ahmed Shehzad and Misbah-ul Haq hit centuries, while Razzaq claimed three wickets to restrict Bangladesh for 196 in 41.4 overs.

Waqar said he was very impressed by the batting prowess of the 19-year-old Shehzad, who has played in nine one-day internationals since his debut in 2009.

"He has been playing really well, from the back end of the recent New Zealand tour," the coach said. "He scored a hundred in his last game as well. He is in superb touch.

"For a youngster to come in to such a big scene and playing such a good knock with such responsibility, it is amazing to see that. Hopefully he is going to carry on delivering."

Morkel and Tsotsobe on the charge in latest player rankings

South Africa fast bowlers Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, and England batsman Jonathan Trott have achieved career-best rankings in the Reliance ICC ODI Player Rankings which were released on Monday.

Morkel, who took 12 wickets in South Africa's 3-2 series win over India, has vaulted 10 places to second position in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers while Tsotsobe has been rewarded for finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the series, with 13 wickets, with a rise of 38 positions which puts in 10th spot.

With Dale Steyn also climbing nine places after claiming eight wickets in the series to occupy eighth position, South Africa now has three bowlers inside the top 10.

Also heading in the right direction are Lasith Malinga in 13th (up by 10th places), Kyle Mills in 14th (up by two places), Ajantha Mendis in 15th (up by two places), Mitchell Johnson in 17th (up by four places), Harbhajan Singh in 20th (up by two places), Zaheer Khan in 23rd (up by four places), Brett Lee in 27th (up by 10 places), Umar Gul in 32nd (up by two places), Munaf Patel in 33rd (up by six place), Shaun Tait in 37th (up by five places) and Tim Southee in 40th (up by 13 places).

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, England's Jonathan Trott is the biggest mover.

The 29-year-old Warwickshire batsman finished as the most successful batsman in the seven-match series between Australia and England with 375 runs. As a result, he has been rewarded with a jump of 23 places which has given him a career-best to date ranking of 19th.

Others inside the top 20 and heading in the right direction are India's Virat Kohli in third (up by two places), Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara in seventh (up by six places), Australia's Michael Clarke in 12th (up by two places), Shane Watson of Australia in 13th (up by eight places) and South Africa's JP Duminy in 18th position (up by eight places).

Batsmen outside the top 20 and making big strides include Martin Guptill in 39th (up by 12 places), Misbah-ul-Haq in 44th (up by eight places) and Yusuf Pathan in 47th (up 34 places).

South Africa's Hashim Amla leads team-mate AB de Villiers by a distance in the batting table.

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders, the only change in the top is the entry of England's Paul Collingwood in fifth position. The list is headed by Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan.

In the Reliance ICC ODI Championship, Bangladesh has moved ahead of the West Indies in eighth place, thanks to Sri Lanka's 2-0 win over Darren Sammy's side in the three-match series which finished in Colombo on Sunday.

Both Bangladesh and the West Indies are locked on 66 ratings points but Bangladesh is placed higher after the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

Meanwhile, Australia's 6-1 series win over England has earned it three ratings points and it now sits pretty on 131 with its closest rivals being India and Sri Lanka who are on 119 ratings points each. South Africa is a further one point behind in fourth position.

The ICC today announced that it was encouraged by the progress made towards completing the necessary construction work at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The three-person ICC inspection team, which visited the ground on Monday, still believes that the outstanding work can be completed in time to host the three ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 matches, scheduled for Eden Gardens on 15, 18 and 20 March.

Following the inspection, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “We are pleased with the progress made since January 25 and if that pace of work is maintained, we believe that the stadium will be ready for the games scheduled in March."

After earning a surprise call to the World Cup squad, rookie Pakistan pacer Junaid Khan cannot stop thinking about bowling to Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar and getting him out. The 21-year old left-arm pacer was drafted into the squad after fitness issues ruled talented Sohail Tanvir out of the tournament.

"Just getting a chance to play in the World Cup is a dream come true for me. But if we get to play against India in the World Cup it would be a blast to bowl at Tendulkar and get him out. It is an ambition for me," Junaid said.

Junaid, who has represented the national team at the under-19 and A levels, said he has always admired Tendulkar for his batting exploits.

"For any young bowler I think Tendulkar's wicket is a big prize," he told Geo Super channel.

The youngster said he had recently toured Sri Lanka with the Pakistan A team and was familiar with the conditions which will help him if gets to play some matches there.

"I am very fit having played lot of domestic cricket this season and the confidence is high so getting a chance to play in the World Cup is a big bonus for me," he said. Junaid, who has taken 167 wickets in 35 first class games for Abbotabad, said he was thankful to the cricket board and national selectors for posing confidence in him.

"God has been kind to me and I know this is a big opportunity. I don't know if I will get a chance to play but I will do my best to impress the team management that I should be given a chance and I will not let them down."

The southpaw is one of the finest fast bowling prospects in Pakistan and has impressed everyone with his pace and fire. He joins left arm pacers, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz in the Pakistan bowling line up for the World Cup."

Pakistan lost two of their top pace bowlers, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammed Asif, to bans from the International Cricket Council anti-corruption tribunal.

No extra pressure of playing in India: Afridi

Pakistan ODI captain Shahid Afridi said his team is all prepared to play on the Indian soil if it qualifies for the knock-out stage in the World Cup and there would not be any extra pressure on the players.

"We are used to the pressures of playing in India and if we have to play our knockout matches in India we are prepared for it," Afridi said in a press conference on Thursday.

The allrounder also felt that if Pakistan and India ended up playing each other in the World Cup it would be great for the sport and for Indo-Pak relations. "A World Cup final against India in Mumbai would be an ideal finish to the World Cup because I have always believed that cricketing ties between the two countries have always helped in bringing the two nations closer to each other," said Afridi.

He also added that the players were now thinking about going to India and playing for the first time since the Mumbai terror attacks. "A lot has happened since then but in the past also we have gone to India and played in tense conditions and we can handle it. But these things will come later. Right now our focus is on keeping the momentum going for the mega-event."

Although Afridi said there were no clear favorites in this World Cup, but admitted that India and Sri Lanka are the potential threats to Pakistan's chances of winning the Cup.

Meanwhile, he said there was no extra pressure on him because of Pakistan Cricket Board's decision in delaying naming the captain for the World Cup.

"I don't think about these things and even in New Zealand the coach just told me to concentrate on cricket. That is what I did. But obviously it is a big honour for me to lead my country in a major event like the World Cup.

Pakistan's coach Waqar Younis said Shahid Afridi had done a great job as captain in the last one year but unfortunately in Pakistan until a captain won a trophy he was under scrutiny.

"But I would request everyone to just let this issue be dead and back the team for the World Cup because right now we don't need any controversies but the prayers and well wishes of the people and media," said Afridi.

SA look to asses fitness in warm-up tie against Zimbabwe

SA look to asses fitness in warm-up tie against Zimbabwe South Africa captain Graeme Smith is looking to warm-up games to formalise the playing XI One of the title favourites, South Africa start their World Cup sojourn with a warm-up match against Zimbabwe here on Saturday, a match which is expected to help both teams assess their fitness and acclimatise to the conditions ahead of the big one. High on confidence after their ODI series win over India last month, South Africa will look to gain vital match practice in the day-night encounter at the refurbished M A Chidambaram Stadium here. The Graeme Smith-led Proteas, after a hard-fought Test and ODI series against India at home, have had two days of nets since their arrival here on Wednesday. Smith had already indicated that the team's sole aim this time around, is to bag the coveted trophy that has not only eluded them so far but also earned them the tag of chokers. Having lost three semifinals and a quarterfinal despite being the title contenders in their past five World Cup appearances, South Africans would like to make it a memorable event for the 30-year-old Smith, on his last ODI assignment as the skipper. South Africa are in Group B with Bangladesh, England, India, West Indies, Ireland and the Netherlands. They are slated to play another warm-up tie against Australia on February 15, nine days before opening their World Cup campaign against the West Indies on February 24. Despite leading a team bulk of which consists of World Cup first-timers, Smith sounded confident and said his wards are best prepared. A major worry, of course, will be the fitness of veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis, who is recovering from a rib injury he suffered during the series against India. Smith has indicated that Kallis would not bowl tomorrow. Besides Smith and Kallis, AB de Villiers and Robin Petersen are the other two survivors from the last edition of the tournament in the West Indies. Realising the importance of slow bowlers on sub-continental wickets, South Africa have plenty of options in their spin attack, described by Smith as the most varied. Pakistan-born uncapped leg-spinner Imran Tahir is tipped to be the secret weapon for the Proteas who also have two other frontline spinners Johan Botha and Peterson besides part-timers. The pace attack would be spearheaded by Dale Steyn. Morne van Wyk, with his experience, would bring more strength to the batting line-up that boasts of the likes of the in-form Hashim Amla, who has consistently done well against India, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy. On the other hand, Zimbabwe, currently in a rebuilding phase, have nothing to lose and would look to cause an upset or two, like they did against Australia in a warm-up tie during the T-20 World Cup in April last year. Chasing Zimbabwe's 173 for seven, Australians fell short by one run. Coached by former England batsman Alan Butcher, Zimbabwe have won just eight of 46 matches in seven appearances. The team's last notable performance in the tournament was in 1999 when it beat India and South Africa to storm into the Super Six stage. Skippered by all-rounder Elton Chigumbura, Zimbabwe are hoping their tour of Bangladesh last December and inputs from West Indian legend and consultant Brain Lara would stand them in good stead during the tournament. The team has three seamers, as many specialist slow bowlers, and it would rely on them to make for the lack of firepower in fast bowling.

On this week's ICC Cricket World Radio Show, India's Gautam Gambhir says he will be looking to India's ICC Cricket World Cup 1983 victory when it comes to inspiration and motivation ahead of this year's ICC Cricket World Cup which begins in just nine days time with the first match between India and Bangladesh in Mirpur.
"I definitely look to the 1983 World Cup win for inspiration as we want to get the World Cup back. We were pretty close to winning in 2003 and hopefully we can turn it around and win this time in India.
"There's a lot of pressure on us but hopefully if we can continue to perform as we have done over the last year-and-a-half in both Test and 50-over format, we can be in the right frame of mind to win the 50-over World Cup," says Gambhir.

The show can be used in whole or part by radio stations that want cricket content, while the public can also download it straight from the ICC website at http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/media_interactive_zone/podcast.php.

Also on this week's show, Ireland's head coach and former West Indies international cricketer, Phil Simmons, who says his side is ready to cause another upset at the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011.

"You can expect Ireland to play as hard as they have done previously, the side will play as hard as we can in this tournament. We've had the opportunity to play a lot of matches since the last World Cup, against the likes of England and Australia and so we have picked up things and learnt from these things which are extremely positive coming into this World Cup," says Simmons.

Finally, Australia's Cameron White reflects on his ICC Cricket World Cup hero, "My World Cup hero is Shane Warne. In the 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final against South Africa, Australia got a reasonable score and South Africa came on to bat and Warne just took them apart. I think it was Herschelle Gibbs that just didn't see the ball turning in and Warne had South Africa four down with not many runs on the board."

Apart from these exclusive interviews, the show has the usual round up of cricketing news plus an update of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test and ODI cricket.

The 15-minute ICC Cricket World audio show has been put together by the ICC's global broadcast partner, ESPN STAR Sports.

 India and South Africa are standout teams: Ponting

Ricky Ponting is back to lead Australia Australia captain Ricky Ponting does not believe that there are any favourites to win the World Cup, but indicated that India and South Africa would be the teams to watch out for in the quadrennial extravaganza starting February 19. "Who is the favourite right now, I am not really bothered because a number of teams have the ability to win the cup. In this sort of tournament there are a number of teams who can win. India and South Africa probably are the standout teams. They are the powerhouses of international cricket. " Pakistan and New Zealand are never too far away in ICC events. Sri Lanka, in these conditions, are as good an ODI side in the game around," Ponting said. The Australian captain also felt that results in the lead-up to the World Cup don't count for much. "I don't really care where we start the tournament. It's irrelevant. I think going into the last World Cup there was negativity around us. We lost the Commonwealth Bank series and lost to New Zealand. So there were a few doubts around our team but we went there and won the World Cup. I don't think it really matters too much what's happening in the lead-up." But he is pleased with the team's 6-1 thrashing of England in the recently-concluded seven-match ODI series. "We are pretty confident coming into the World Cup just beating a pretty good English side 6-1. We are really in good shape and confident... momentum is around our team. "I don't care. Who the favourite is. I don't know whether there is such a thing around in tournament like this. Ponting hoped that his team would peak towards the latter stages of the tournament. "It would be hard to maintain your intensity throughout the tournament because of its length and gap between some of the games. You can't take anything for granted. We will make sure that we progress nice and steady and make sure that we play our best cricket towards the latter part of the tournament," he said. It is an accepted belief by now that Sachin Tendulkar, playing in his sixth and probably last World Cup, would give it his all to win the trophy, but Ponting hoped the script would turn differently. "There is no bigger stage than a World Cup for all of us to stand up and perform well. Sachin wants to have a good tournament and I am sure Sachin wants to win the World Cup but hopefully, it's not." The schedule has come in for criticism but the long gaps between matches, Ponting felt, will give the injured players, which his team has in plenty at the moment, enough time to recover and attain 100 per cent match fitness. "Normally, most ODI tournaments you play you get a break of two or three days in between games but here we have got seven or eight days between some of our games. We at the moment are carrying a few guys who are stiff and sore and are working their way into full fitness. So it's a good thing for us to have time between games," Ponting said. "We have known that for a while. We are all very aware of that and that's international sport these days, unfortunately. It's all about managing workloads and managing players," he said. Ponting said the absence of Michael Hussey will be felt. "Mike Hussey is a big loss to our set up. His experience and knowledge of the game in a tournament like this are almost second to none. But it has given an opportunity to his brother David. "We had a couple of big setbacks in the last couple of weeks. Mike and Nathan Hauritz being ruled out from our World Cup squad. Shaun Marsh was the likely replacement of Hussey but he has been ruled out as well. "But Jason Krejza and Callum Ferguson coming into the squad in the last momentum is not negative for us. Krejza has done well in India in Test cricket. He is a guy who can be a real match-winning bowler for us." Australia have an enviable record in the World Cup winning it a record four times, including once in the sub-continent in 1987 and Ponting, under whom they won it twice, is aware of the benchmark. "I never thought what it means if we win the World Cup. If we got to the final, I might sit back and think what it means for me and for us to win another World Cup. But we can't afford to look that far away. My main focus is to train hard and play well. "There is no doubt that the Australian cricket team has a pretty good record in the World Cup and bigger events but as I said we are thinking about it right now. We have a really good squad and we will be doing everything to the best of our ability." "Our ODI record in these parts of the world is pretty good," Ponting said. Asked about the mantra to success in the sub-continent, Ponting said, "For batsmen, it is important to make use of the new ball. It's important for the bowlers to execute their plans well in these conditions, use variations and variety. I think slower bowlers will play big part in the middle overs of the tournament." Much to Australia's relief, Ponting is recovering from his finger injury. "My finger is doing pretty well. I am looking forward to play in the two practice games against India and South Africa. "We have the opportunity to field all the 15 players in these games." Ponting seemed satisfied with the attack he has at his disposal and is banking a lot on them, especially Brett Lee. "I have been really impressed with Brett's comeback. His return to international cricket is very good and satisfying. With the likes of (Mitchell) Johnson, (Doug) Bollinger, (James) Hastings, Brett, (Shaun) Tait around, we have got a really good pace battery. There is no doubt that we are a bit lucky to have plenty of fast bowlers in the squad." As far as Tait is concerned Ponting said, "I just want to let him go, bowl fast and take wickets. We have great flexibility and balance as far as our pace battery is concerned. We have lots of options in our bowling department."