2023 ODI World Cup | Sportzwiki

2023 ODI World Cup

Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma (Image Credit: Twitter)
//

Rohit Sharma’s Quest Is To Win The 2023 World Cup

Published on

Rohit Sharma’s three double-hundreds in One-day cricket make him one of the most prominent limited-overs batsmen ever. Five IPL titles for Mumbai Indians make him one of T20’s finest captains. The limited-overs cricket alone has given him more than he could have ever wished for.

The white-ball sorcerer now understands, more than anything else, that red-ball Test magic alone instils cricketing glory.  He knows that despite being the highest scorer at the 50-over 2019 World Cup with 648 runs and five centuries, the Indian team will be remembered for losing to New Zealand in the semifinals.

Rohit Sharma and Mumbai Indians created history as they won the IPL title for the fifth time, with Rohit winning it for the sixth time. , BCCI/IPL Twitter handle
Rohit Sharma and Mumbai Indians created history as they won the IPL title for the fifth time, with Rohit winning it for the sixth time. , BCCI/IPL Twitter handle

Rohit Sharma’s Quest To Win 2023 World Cup Driving Him

A World Cup win, a Test match hundred, earning an opposition’s respect are the few things that count. Rohit Sharma will want to make the most between the present and October 2023 – when India hosts the 50-over World Cup. It’ll be 12 years to the 2011 ODI World Cup which was won by India where the lost opportunity of not making it to the squad pains him no end.

The opener has been working on a blueprint for quite a while now and there’s a larger plan to ensure India comes ahead of everything else over the next 24 months. Rohit Sharma rested in the first game between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday but it wasn’t a last-minute call because of any niggle.

He will time and again keep taking these short breaks when required and it’s part of that larger plan. Rohit Sharma though will play MI’s second game versus the Knight Riders on Thursday because it’s the tournament’s business end and he should make it count.

Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Instagram
Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Instagram

Kieron Pollard captained the Mumbai Indians side in the absence of their regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who was given additional time off after returning from the England tour where he was on duty with the Indian team in their Test series against England. The duo of Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya missed out on the match against CSK which was played in Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

Rohit Sharma Will Play Next Game Against KKR Confirms Coach Mahela Jayawardene

Mahela Jayawardene, Mumbai Indians head coach, after suffering a 20-run defeat against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, said regular skipper Rohit Sharma will be available for the next game, which will be against Kolkata Knight Riders, who beat RCB in the 2nd game in the IPL 2021 UAE leg.

Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene (Photo| Mumbai Indians website)
Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene (Photo| Mumbai Indians website)

Rohit Sharma, the MI regular skipper will be on the top of his confidence after his recent success against England in the Test series, where he smacked his first overseas century. In the 1st leg, Rohit Sharma was the team’s highest run-getter with 250 runs in 7 innings averaging 35.71.

He had scored 5480 runs in 207 IPL matches averaging 31.49 with 1 ton and 40 fifties. Rohit Sharma led the Mumbai Indians to a successful campaign in the 2020 season, which was their second consecutive title.

You might be interested in

Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe. Image Credits: Twitter

Zimbabwe Will Play 5 T20Is And 3 ODIs Against Ireland And Then 3 T20Is Against Scotland

Published on

Zimbabwe will clash against Ireland in a five-match T20I series and a three-match ODI series which will be followed by three T20Is against Scotland.

Their tour of Ireland will commence on 27 August starting off with the T20I series. The first two matches will take place at Clontarf on 27 and 29 August. The next three matches will take place at Bready on 1,2 and 4 September. The three ODIs will be hosted by Stormont on 8, 12, and 13 September, which will be a part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League.

Zimbabwe Tour of Ireland: Zimbabwe to play 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is against Ireland in Aug-Sept
Zimbabwe Tour of Ireland: Zimbabwe to play 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is against Ireland in Aug-Sept

Zimbabwe Will Play Against Ireland In 5 Match T20Is And 3 Match ODIs

Zimbabwe will then travel to Edinburgh to take on Scotland for the three-match T20I series. The matches are scheduled to take place on 15, 17, and 19 September.

The country’s women’s team will also play hosts to Thailand in a three-match T20I and a four-match ODI series. The T20 matches will take place in Harare on August 27, 29, and 30 which will be followed by the ODI matches.

Ireland and Zimbabwe were to play three ODIs and five T20Is in August | AFP
Ireland and Zimbabwe were to play three ODIs and five T20Is in August | AFP

Soon after the completion of the series against Thailand, the women’s team will then leave for Botswana to participate in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier scheduled for September 7-20.

Earlier this year, Ireland’s white-ball tour of the African country was postponed amid the Covid-19 reshuffle. ZC had then clarified in a statement that the postponement had been due to a squeeze on the schedule, rather than due to any concerns around Covid-19.

Zimbabwe Will Push For Qualification For The 2023 ODI World Cup In The Rescheduled ODIs Against Ireland

The team has not qualified for the upcoming T20 World Cup, but the (re)scheduled ODIs against Ireland will be a chance for them to drag themselves off the bottom of the World Cup Superleague points table and push for qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Action In A Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh Match , Zimbabwe Cricket Twitter
Action In A Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh Match, Zimbabwe Cricket Twitter
In their most recent ODI series, Zimbabwe was swept 3-0 by Bangladesh at home. As for Ireland, they are placed seventh on the Super League table, although they have had the benefit of playing 12 matches; unlike the African county which has played only six.

 

You might be interested in

Angelo Mathews-FILE
Angelo Mathews-FILE
/

Angelo Mathews Pulls Out Of India Series Citing Personal Reasons

Published on

Angelo Mathews pulled out of the upcoming limited-overs series against India citing personal reasons as Sri Lanka Cricket announced that 29 of the 30 players short-listed for the assignment have signed their contracts.

The 34-year-old Angelo Mathews was not a part of the squad that toured England recently and last played the Test series against Bangladesh in April-May. The India series comprising three ODIs and as many T20s begins on July 13.

Angelo Mathews last played for Sri Lanka in a Test match against Bangladesh in May.
Angelo Mathews last played for Sri Lanka in a Test match against Bangladesh in May. (Reuters Photo)

Angelo Matthews Requested Sri Lankan Cricket To Relieve Him From National Duties Owing To Personal Reasons

Angelo Mathews has played 90 Tests, 218 ODIs, and 78 T20Is amassing above 10,000 international runs in 3 formats combined. His average of 44.86 in Tests and 41.67 in ODIs is also enviable. He has also picked about 180 wickets with his right-arm medium pace.

“Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce that 29 players, out of the 30 members nominated by the Cricket Selectors to be considered for the White-Ball Series against India, have signed the Tour Contract,” said the SLC in a statement.

“Angelo Mathews, who was included in the respective 30-member squad, requested Sri Lanka Cricket to relieve him from National Duties, owing to personal reasons, until further notice.”

Angelo Mathews
Angelo Mathews [Image-Getty]
Angelo Mathews began his international career with ambitions of becoming a genuine all-rounder, but has since given primacy to his batting abilities, and effectively plays as a specialist Test batsman. Often coming to the crease at No. 6, Angelo Mathews provides solidity to the lower-middle order, which had been a weakness for Sri Lanka prior to his arrival.

Angelo Mathews And Dimuth Karunaratne Were Excluded From The Contracts According To Sources As The Former Is Considering Retirement

Sources, however, told that Angelo Mathews, the seniormost among the current crop of players, and Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne were excluded from the contracts that were offered on Wednesday morning. An unhappy Angelo Mathews has reportedly written to the SLC administration stating that he is considering retirement. He is expected to make a formal announcement of his intentions in a few days.

“What the SLC did on Wednesday was to offer contracts on the basis of each tour”, a source said: “There will be no annual contracts as the immediate need was to sign players for the series against India,” he said.

The source said that all players who had previously refused to sign contracts did sign them on Wednesday after they were given a July 8 deadline. Under the SLC’s performance-based pay plan, 24 of the leading players had been offered contracts under four categories.

In the categories released, only six players were in category A and their annual pay ranged between USD 70,000 to 100,000. Reports said all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva and wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella were offered the highest pay grade of USD 100,000 each.

Dimuth Karunaratne AFP
Dimuth Karunaratne AFP

Players felt the plan lacked transparency and the proposed pay would be much lower than the approved scales of the Federation of International Cricket Association (FICA). The players had flown to England for the limited-overs tour without signing national contracts. Sri Lanka lost all their matches in England barring a rained-out game.

The strict selection policy of SLC has seen experienced players making way for youngsters. This decision was taken considering the 2023 World Cup.

In the wake of this new policy, Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chamdimal have been sidelined. Thisara Perera announced an early retirement from international cricket and perhaps the same has also induced Angelo Mathews who is also thinking over his retirement plans.

The national squad, which has suffered a number of defeats on the pitch and discipline problems out of competition, has been at loggerheads with Sri Lanka Cricket since May over the new contracts. Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews have been left out of the squad to play India in three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 games against India starting July 13 in Colombo.

You might be interested in

Cricket Ireland
Cricket Ireland
/

Cricket Ireland Announces Limited-Overs Squad For South Africa Series

Published on

Cricket Ireland on Wednesday announced the limited-overs squad for next month’s home fixtures against South Africa. Ireland and South Africa will lock horns in three ODIs and three T20Is, beginning July 11.

The three-match ODI series forms part of the ICC World Cup Super League and will be played at Malahide. The T20I series will be split between Malahide and Stormont. The three ODIs will be played on July 11, 13, and 16, while the T20I series will be played with the 1st match on July 19, then July 22, and the last match on July 24.

Ireland Cricket Team
Ireland Cricket Team (Image Credit: Getty)

Cricket Ireland Recalled All Rounder Curtis Campher For The ODI Series

Cricket Ireland recalled all-rounder Curtis Campher for the ODI series against South Africa after getting fit from his ankle surgery. Also getting their maiden T20I call-ups are middle-order batter William McClintock, Ben White, and keeper Neil Rock for the T20I series that follows.

Curtis Campher replaces Kevin O’Brien in the Ireland ODI side after the veteran all-rounder announced his retirement from the 50-over format, but he’ll feature in the T20I series.

Curtis Campher (Photo- Twitter)
Curtis Campher (Photo- Twitter)

Andrew White, Chair of National Men’s Selectors, in an official release, said: “The World Cup Super League series against South Africa represents our first such fixtures on home soil, and while a tough challenge awaits, we are confident the squad we have selected provides Graham Ford and Andrew Balbirnie with plenty of options. The sustained improvement of George Dockrell’s batting has provided us solidity and experience in the middle order, while it has been great to see our bowling strike force performing well in recent IP50 matches and at the two recent T20 Festivals.”

Cricket Ireland will welcome back Curtis Campher into their squad for next month’s World Cup Super League series against South Africa following the ankle surgery he suffered. Cricket Ireland has handed a maiden international call-up to middle-order batsman William McClintock for the T20I series that follows.
Cricket Ireland has opted to stick with the majority of the squad that slipped to a 2-1 series defeat in the Netherlands last month, a result which has further damaged their prospects to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, but the return of Curtis Campher following an injury sustained while playing for Ireland Wolves earlier in the summer gives them an added advantage.
21-year-old left-arm spinner Graham Kennedy was preferred to the legspinner Ben White in the only other change from the group that toured the Netherlands. Gareth Delany, the leg-spinning allrounder, remains injured.

Cricket Ireland Retains William Porterfield In The Squad Despite Poor Outing Against Netherlands

William Porterfield, the senior top-order batter, is also retained in the squad despite managing only five runs in two innings in the Netherlands.

“With the recent ODI retirement of Kevin O’Brien, the value of having the experience of William Porterfield in the set-up is as crucial as ever, and his recent form at inter-provincial level has demonstrated that he is still hungry to succeed,” he added.

William Porterfield (Photo-AFP)
William Porterfield (Photo-AFP)

William Porterfield’s T20I and Test average are poor by standards but his  ODI average is slightly better at 30.34. In November 2019, an era in Ireland came to an end when William Porterfield announced that he was stepping aside from the roles of ODI and Test captaincy too after leading them in over 253 International games.

ODI squad: Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Graham Kennedy, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Graeme McCarter, Barry McCarthy, William Porterfield, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

T20I squad: Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, William McClintock, Kevin O’Brien, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

World Cup Super League ODI series

  • 11 July: Ireland v South Africa, 1st ODI (Malahide)
  • 13 July: Ireland v South Africa, 2nd ODI (Malahide)
  • 16 July: Ireland v South Africa, 3rd ODI (Malahide)

T20I series

  • 19 July: Ireland v South Africa, 1st T20I (Malahide)
  • 22 July: Ireland v South Africa, 2nd T20I (Stormont)
  • 24 July: Ireland v South Africa, 3rd T20I (Stormont)

You might be interested in

Dinesh Karthik in action against Bangladesh at the Nidahas Trophy final in Colombo – AFP
Dinesh Karthik in action against Bangladesh at the Nidahas Trophy final in Colombo – AFP
/

Dinesh Karthik Is Still Hopeful Of A Recall To The Indian Team

Published on

Dinesh Karthik is still hopeful of a recall to the Indian team, revealing that his ultimate goal is to help India win at least one of the next two World Cups. He wasn’t selected in the 20 member squad recently announced for the Sri Lanka tour of 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is.

The 2019 World Cup semi-final between India and finalists New Zealand presented a scenario that Dinesh Karthik would have played over numerous times in his head. In chase of 240, India was rocked early at 5/3 and instead of veteran keeper MS Dhoni, the management decided to send Dinesh Karthik up the order. But despite the opportunity, the wicketkeeper could not do much and was dismissed cheaply.

Dinesh Karthik file image. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)
Dinesh Karthik file image. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)

Dinesh Karthik’s Ambition Is To Be Part Of The Next Two World Cups And Try To Help India Win At Least One

Since then, Dinesh Karthik has not been selected for India in any format. However, a veteran of 94 ODIs and 32 T20Is, Dinesh Karthik, who made his India debut way back in 2004, is hopeful of a recall, revealing that his ultimate goal is to help India win at least one of the two upcoming World Cups.

“You keep evolving. You are not the same person you were at 21 or 22. You look at things differently – the way you play the sport changes, the way the sport is played changes. It is just beautiful to have been part of the journey,” Dinesh Karthik told ESPNCricinfo.

Dinesh Karthik Photo: © Reuters (Main Image)
Dinesh Karthik Photo: © Reuters (Main Image)

“Right now, my ambition is to be part of the next two World Cups and try and help India win at least one, if not both. That’s the ultimate goal for me and I am doing everything I possibly can to be part of that team.”

Whether Dinesh Karthik’s stars align remains to be seen. With the T20 World Cup scheduled later this year, to be followed by the 50-over World Cup on 2023, time is running out for the 36-year-old keeper.

Dinesh Karthik: Not Every Time One Can Score Runs Especially When One Bats At The Back End And Is Expected To Play The High-Risk Shots Right At The Outset

The Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman has been struggling to score runs recently, which does not work in the best of his interests. In the 2020 and 2021 editions of the IPL combined, Dinesh Karthik has scored 292 runs from 21 matches as the batsman explained the reason behind his slightly rough patch in the tournament.

“See, at Nos. 6 and 7, to be consistent would mean being consistent with strike rates. What’s most important is the impact your innings create. You can’t look at the scores per se because the amount of balls you face is very few.

“If you take the scores you will see they will be around 18, 22 not out, one game will be 4, one game will be 8, and then you make a 14 not out from four balls,” Dinesh Karthik said.

Former KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik (Photo | PTI)
Former KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik (Photo | PTI)

“So, if your team is doing well, that means you are playing fewer balls a lot of the time because the bulk of the batting is done by the top order. Then you create an impact as much as possible at the back end with as many balls as you get.

“Not every time that you walk in you are going to score runs, especially when you bat at the back end where you are expected to play the high-risk shots right at the outset.”

Dinesh Karthik is one of India’s most talented wicket-keeper batsmen and has also represented the country in 26 Tests between 2004 and 2018. Dinesh Karthik, who gave up Kolkata Knight Rider’s captaincy during the last season of the IPL mid-season, has been serving as Eoin Morgan’s deputy since.

However, 2019 World Cup winner England’s Eoin Morgan’s captaincy hasn’t been fruitful for the Kolkata franchise as they have won just 5 out of 14 games they have played under his leadership.

You might be interested in

India Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP
India Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP
/

If ODI World Cup Takes Place Tomorrow, India Will Be Favourites: Deep Dasgupta

Published on

Deep Dasgupta, former India wicket-keeper believes that such is the strength of the Indian team that if the World Cup was to place tomorrow, the Indian cricket team would still remain one of the favourites to win it although the ICC event is still two years away.

With the 2023 World Cup scheduled to take place on Indian soil, the Men in Blue will undoubtedly start as favourites to lift the coveted prize.

Deep Dasgupta
Deep Dasgupta. (Photo Source: Instagram)

Deep Dasgupta: India Is In Very Good Position As Far As ODIs Are Concerned

With India recently celebrating 10 years of their 2011 Cricket World Cup win, the sights are already set on the year 2023, when the World Cup returns to India after 12 years.

“I think India are in a very good position as far as ODIs are concerned, they will be in the top 3. Also, the heartening thing is the way the youngsters delivered. They are pushing people who are incumbent.

“For example, Shikhar, someone like Padikkal, Shaw scoring those runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy. You already have Mayank (Agarwal), KL (Rahul). There is healthy competition there. It augurs well for Indian cricket,” Deep Dasgupta told India Today.

Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni (Photo:AFP)
Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni (Photo: AFP)

“Also, the World Cup is going to happen in 2023 November, even if the World Cup is going to happen tomorrow, India is still one of the favourites to win it. In 2023, things will only get better.”

India remained unbeaten in the 2015 World Cup under MS Dhoni before losing to Australia in the semi-final by 95 runs. Four years later, under the leadership of Virat Kohli, India topped the group table of the 2019 World Cup but was eliminated following an 18-run defeat to New Zealand in the semi-final.

Devdutt Padikkal aggregated 737 runs (avg 147.40), finishing only behind the 827 runs Prithvi Shaw scored in Mumbai’s win in Vijay Hazare Trophy and are waiting in the wings but were ignored for selection in England ODIs.

Deep Dasgupta: India Should Play The Way They Know To Play

India is coming off a three-ODI series against England, which turned out to be a run-fest, with five out of six innings producing 300-plus totals. Due to England’s fearless approach in batting, many believe India should follow the same pattern, but Dasgupta reckons India is doing just fine following their own methods.

“I think India should play the way India knows to play. There is this tendency just because England plays in a certain manner, going hard at the top because they also have the resources. But we don’t necessarily have to follow that,” Deep Dasgupta said.

Prasidh Krishna and Krunal Pandya | BCCI/Getty
Prasidh Krishna and Krunal Pandya | BCCI/Getty

“The players we have, like Shikhar, Rohit and Virat, their strike rate would be around 80 but by the time they play 30-40 balls, their strike would be 120. So it is not necessary, do you have to follow,” Deep Dasgupta said.

Prasidh Krishna, Suryakumar Yadav, and Krunal Pandya were the new faces in the India ODI squad for the series against England.

Suryakumar Yadav made his debut in the recently concluded T20I series against England which India won 3-2 after beating the visitors by eight runs in the fifth T20I. The right-handed swashbuckling batsman played three games and hit 57 and 32 in the fourth and final game respectively. In the second T20I, the debutant did not get a chance to bat.

Prasidh Krishna picked up four wickets conceding 54 runs in the first ODI-his maiden outing in international cricket against England, playing a crucial role in India’s 66-run victory in Pune. He returned with figures of 2/58 in the 2nd ODI which came in a lost cause. Krunal Pandya struck a fifty which was the fastest on ODI debut while Suryakumar Yadav didn’t get a game despite his heroics in the T20I series.

Krunal Pandya averaged 95 in the ODI series amassing 95 runs in 3 matches while Prasidh Krishna took 6 scalps averaging 29.

You might be interested in

top 5 cricketers, aaron finch, odi, finch, australia national cricket team,
/

Pumped Up Aaron Finch Raring To Go For 2023 World Cup After An Extended Coronavirus Break

Published on

Aaron Finch, who is the current Australian limited-overs white-ball cricket captain said that the enforced break due to the COVID-19 pandemic gave him the time to prepare by mentally and reassess his career as he prepares to extend his career at least till the 2023 50-over World Cup.

Finch has played in only five Tests but has featured in 126 ODIs and 61 T20Is where his averages read as — 41.03 and 38.25 respectively. Besides, he is having 16 tons and two tons in respective formats. His scores of 172 against Zimbabwe in 2018 and 156 against England in 2013 are two of the three highest individual scores ever recorded in T20Is.

Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch. Photo Credit: Getty Images.

Aaron Finch Intends To End Career With Qualifying For 2023 World Cup Final

Finch is targeting to end his career on a high note by performing well both individually and team-wise enabling them to reach the finals when the 2023 World Cup happens in India.

“My end date at this stage is the World Cup final of the 2023 World Cup in India. That’s my goal and I’m sticking to it. 

“That’s what I had my mind set on a fair while (ago), but I think this period has just confirmed it. That’ll see me through to 36 (years old), obviously with form and everything permitting, and injuries,” Finch was quoted as saying by SEN radio network.

The 33-year-old right-handed opening batsman Finch stated that the five-month-long forced break has rejuvenated him and now his desired goal is to lead Australia to three major ICC events – T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022 followed by the ODI World Cup in 2023. He has so far captained Australia in 34 T20Is and 35 ODIs winning most of the matches.

Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch. Credit: Getty Images

“Having this break, as difficult as it’s been for so many people, for athletes and especially ones that are travelling nonstop and playing for 10 or 11 months of the year, it’s been that mental freshen up that people probably needed but haven’t had the opportunity to do.

“If I thought I was going to be pushing it to get to that date, this break has confirmed that I’ll be ready to go right through to that period,” he said.

Australia is set to resume cricket after six months when they tour England next month for three T20Is and three ODIs, starting September 4 at Southampton.

Aaron Finch Missed Cricket In 5 Months Of Lockdown

He realized that he missed cricket due to the covid-19 lockdowns due to prevent the spreading of coronavirus which resulted in the cancellation of many matches and tournaments in a period ranging from March to July 2020.

“The first month or so that we were in lockdown, I didn’t miss playing at all,” he said.

“So originally, that was alarm bells for me; (I thought) does this mean I’m coming to the end, do I retire? And it was like that 32nd day (of no training) ticked over and I was like, ‘right, I’m itching to get back into it’.

Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch

“I’m just excited to start playing again. It’s been a long five months and I think for everyone having not had this kind of extended break for some time, I think the novelty of that wore off after the first three months and everyone’s been itching to get back into it since then,” he added.

New Zealand toured Australia and was scheduled to play three ODIs when the coronavirus happened in March and although the first ODI happened which Australia won, the second and third matches were cancelled.

Australian tour of New Zealand, Australian tour of Scotland and Zimbabwe tour of Australia were postponed and will be possibly held when everything returns to normal.

West Indies tour of England was the first series after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and the T20I World Cup which was to be held in Australia was also postponed and will be held in 2021 in all possibility.

The following three years — 2021, 2022 and 2023 will see three World Cups in each year as ICC is in a tight corner to maintain scheduling of tours within the stipulated period.

You might be interested in

Jason Gillespie, Ishant Sharma, Wellington, New Zealand vs India 2020
Ishant Sharma. Credits: BCCI Twitter
/

Ishant Sharma Expresses His Desire Of Being In A World Cup Winning Squad

Published on

Indian speedster, Ishant Sharma is planning a return to the ODI team and wants to be part of a world cup winning team. Ishant Sharma is one of the most capped test fast bowler in the Indian team, however, he has only played 80 ODIs. The pacer still is eying a return to the format and hopes to get a place in the World Cup team and hopefully winning it too. Ishant Sharma last played an ODI back in January 2016. He has a decent record in the 50 over format bagging 115 wickets at an average of 30.98.

Team India last played an ODI in their away tour of New Zealand wherein they were absolutely thrashed by the hosts. India had registered a thumping victory in the T20I series and had clean swept the Kiwis. However, the BlackCaps bounced back and clean-swept Indian in the ODI and Test series.

Indian Cricket Team
Indian Cricket Team. Image Credits: Twitter

Ishant Sharma Opens Up On His Desire Of Being In A World Cup Winning Squad

Now, one of India’s most improved pacers in the recent years, Ishant Sharma, has expressed his willingness to represent the India National Cricket Team in an ODI World Cup.

“Obviously, I would love to play in a World Cup,” he said in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, “Actually, I want to be part of a World Cup-winning team, as it will be a different feeling altogether. We are playing the World Test Championship, which is equivalent to a World Cup in Test cricket, but you realise that not a lot of people follow it, while an ODI World Cup is widely followed,” Ishant Sharma added.

Ishant Sharma, Banning of Saliva
Ishant Sharma. Image Credit: Getty Images.

31 year old, Sharma has had magnificent last two years of test cricket which has improved his average. He has 297 wickets in 97 games at an average of 32.39. Ishant is just shy of 3 wickets to the 300 wicket club. Ishant is never bothered by the stats as long as he has good communication with the captain, said the pacer.

Ishant Sharma Reveals The Kind Of Support He Has Received From MS Dhoni

Ishant, in his interview, has also talked about former Indian skipper MS Dhoni’s influence on his game and how much support has Dhoni bestowed upon him over the years.

“MS Dhoni has always backed me,” Sharma said. “Even after my first 50-60 Tests, he never said we’ll look for someone to replace you. To tell you the truth, even after playing 97 Tests, I still don’t understand things like average and strike rate! I’ve never bothered about these things,” Ishant Sharma added.

Ishant Sharma, MS Dhoni
Ishant Sharma, MS Dhoni. Image Credits: Twitter

“If I’m not able to understand them, why should I rely on them? It’s just a number after all. If I am bowling in India and the captain tells me to bowl in a way that I concede only 40 runs in 20 overs and that the spinners will take care of picking up wickets, that’s what is important to me. It doesn’t matter to me that my bowling average is around 37. My communication will be with my captain and that’s why Dhoni backed me,” he further added.

Ishant will be playing in the upcoming Indian Premier League for Delhi Capitals. The tournament is being played in UAE from September 19 to November 10.

 

You might be interested in

Ross Taylor, 2023 World Cup, New Zealand
Ross Taylor (Image Credit: Google)
/

2023 World Cup is a Long Way Away: Ross Taylor

Published on

Ross Taylor is one of the finest batsmen New Zealand has ever produced. The experienced campaigner has been playing a fearless brand of cricket for over 14 years. He is one of the very few Kiwi cricketers who has been consistent across formats. Taylor made his ODI debut against West Indies on March 1, 2006, and there was no looking back since then.

He established himself as one of the best batsmen in the world. Recently, the 35-year-old Ross Taylor was named the Player of the Series against India for aggregating 194 runs in the three innings (73*, 109*, 12) and was dismissed just once which pretty much sums up his sheer dominance even at this age.

Ross Taylor
Ross Taylor. Credits: Twitter

Meanwhile, Taylor hasn’t ruled out the possibility of playing the 2023 ODI World Cup tournament while also adding that his form, fitness and motivation level at the end of next year will decide whether he remains in contention to play the major tournament.

“I haven’t ruled it (2023 World Cup) out but I still think it’s a long way away. First and foremost I want to get to next year – the Twenty20 World Cup and then the home summer – and then I’ll have a good idea on how I’m placed at the end of next summer. Whether there is still a drive, whether I’m good enough, whether I’m fit enough, and whether I deserve my spot in the side. If I can tick all those, then definitely 2023 is an option,” the senior player Ross Taylor was quoted as saying by ‘stuff.co.nz’.

Ross Taylor, New Zealand
Ross Taylor (Image Credit: ICC Twitter)

The flamboyant batsman also added that despite his profound interest to continue the sport, he won’t put himself under too much pressure.

“You always want to do well and first and foremost the game is more important. At the same time, you can put extra pressure on yourself. You’ve just got to go out and enjoy it and take it as another game. Hopefully, I can contribute in any way I can,” he said.

Ross Taylor credits his late mentor Martin Crowe for motivating him:

Martin Crowe
Martin Crowe, Photo Credit: Getty Images.

Another record awaits Ross Taylor as the latter will become the first cricketer in the world to complete 100 games across three international formats when he walks out for the first Test match against India which is scheduled be played at Basin Reserve on February 21.

In the process, he will be joining Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum in the New Zealand Test 100-club. Taylor also credited his mentor the late Martin Crowe for motivating him through and through.

“He (Crowe) saw something in me that I never did. I was pretty happy to play one Test; to play 100 Tests is pretty special. There’s still a game to play and contribute to, but at the same time you’ve got to acknowledge the achievement and the fact a lot of people helped you out along the way,” he added.

Read More: Didn’t Think I Will Play Another Test After First Series Against South Africa: Ross Taylor

You might be interested in