Pakistan’s bowling has been below-par in the ICC World Cup 2023. Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, who were bowling well before the tournament, lost their sheen in the global tournament in India.

In his conversation with Sanjay Bangar, Shaheen admitted that Naseem Shah’s absence from World Cup impacted his bowling.

“I spoke to Shaheen Afridi about the impact Naseem Shah’s injury had on Pakistan’s bowling. He told me that they have missed him a lot and his bowling has taken a lot of him because Naseem suffered an unfortunate injury,” Sanjay Bangar said during the ongoing match between Pakistan and England at yr the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Pakistan are out of the semi-final and they are playing for their pride in the last game of the campaign.

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Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan showered praise on Afghanistan as their impressive World Cup 2023 journey concluded, labeling them the second-best Asian team in the tournament. Despite falling short of the semifinals, Afghanistan’s performance garnered praise, with Pathan commending their top-quality cricket.

Led by skipper Hasmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan’s campaign stood out as a fairytale, marked by victories against cricket powerhouses Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and England. Notably, they had only secured two World Cup wins before this remarkable tournament.

In their final group match against South Africa, Afghanistan displayed resilience, posting 244 runs with Azmatullah Omarzai’s impressive unbeaten 97. Despite their efforts, South Africa secured victory by five wickets.

Pathan, a vocal supporter of Afghanistan, expressed his admiration for their cricketing prowess throughout the tournament. He declared Afghanistan as the second-best Asian team, trailing only behind India.

In a tweet, he applauded their performance and expressed hope for the team to continue creating magic on the field.

“Top quality cricket by Afghanistan this World Cup. Second best Asian team for sure. Hopefully from here on this team will create magic on the field. Good luck going forward @ACBofficials @rashidkhan_19,” he wrote on X. 

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In the 43rd match of ICC World Cup 2023, Bangladesh, batting first, put 306 runs on the board against Australia, their highest total in ICC World Cup 2023. Towid Hridoy was the star with the bat and scored 74 (79), which featured five fours and two sixes.

Adam Zampa was the pick of the bowler and took two wickets. Zampa now has 22 wickets in this World Cup, which is the most for an Australian spinner in a single World Cup edition. The five-time winners now need to chase 309 runs in fifty overs.

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The controversial dismissal of Angelo Mathews during the 2023 World Cup match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh has stirred up a storm in the cricketing world. Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan appealed, leading to the timed-out dismissal of the former Sri Lanka captain, Angelo Mathews. Mathews failed to face the next delivery after the dismissal of Sadeera Samarawickrama.

Mathews expressed his discontent, labeling Shakib’s act as “disgraceful” and criticizing the fourth umpire.

The MCC, guardians of the Laws of Cricket, have given their verdict on the dismissal and have responded to”video evidence.”

According to ICC, the incoming batter must be ready to face the ball within two minutes of the previous batter’s dismissal or retirement. In their statement released five days after the match, MCC emphasized the crucial aspect of Law 40.1.1. The law states that merely being on the field or the crease is insufficient to avoid this form of dismissal. The batter needs to get ready to face the bowler within the given time.

In Mathews’ case, the umpires determined that he wasn’t ready to face the delivery within the allowed time. The veteran had signaled his dugout for a spare helmet without informing the on-field officials. Shakib, alerted by a teammate about the Timed Out dismissal, appealed.

MCC clarified that if the umpires had been informed about a significant and justifiable equipment-related delay within the two-minute allowance, they could have considered it a new type of delay. However, they stated that both umpires determined the delay happened after the two minutes had passed, and Time had not been called before the appeal.

Mathews, disputing that he took more than two minutes, shared a “video evidence” on social media, stating he had “5 more seconds.” MCC, in their verdict, countered this by providing insights into Mathews’ arrival at the crease, including the time taken and the moment of his helmet malfunction.

“Mathews took more than 90 seconds to reach the 30-yard circle. He seemed to realize he was running out of time and jogged the final few yards to the wicket. His helmet malfunction occurred 1 minute and 54 seconds after the previous wicket fell. At this point, he hadn’t started taking guard and wasn’t ready to receive the ball. When the helmet broke, it seemed Mathews didn’t talk to the umpires. A player would typically talk to umpires when needing new equipment. Instead, he signaled to the dressing room for a replacement. There was no other action for the umpires to take within the Laws of Cricket,” the statement explained.

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Former England captain Michael Vaughan is in love with Mumbai, the financial capital of India. He is currently in the Asian country for the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023.

Michael has watched a couple of games at the Wankhede Stadium and even visited Pune for England’s game against the Netherlands.

He liked the journey from Mumbai to Pune and Pune to Mumbai. In his most recent post on X, he opened up on his love for Mumbai.

“People always ask me why I love #Mumbai so much .. this is why .. the passion for life & more so cricket is so infectious .. the people all seem so happy & content .. Serious players on show btw .. #India Happy Diwali everyone x,” he wrote.

India and New Zealand will play the first semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium on November 15.

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Virender Sehwag has come under fire for his critical posts on Pakistan team’s performance in the ICC World Cup 2023. He took to social media to slam the Men in Green.

Sports journalists and fans from the neighbouring country accused the former opener of spreading hate as against the visiting squad.

They told Sehwag to remember the kind of treatment he was given when he toured Pakistan with the Indian team and the number of gifts he got.

Sehwag didn’t take the critcism lightly and once again roasted the trolls.

Pakistan have lost 4 games and almost out of the semi-final race.

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In the ongoing ODI World Cup, former Pakistan captains Wasim Akram and Shoaib Malik expressed their belief that Afghanistan has displayed superior cricket compared to Pakistan. Shoaib Malik, acknowledging Afghanistan’s impressive performance, stated that Afghanistan played better cricket than Pakistan.

“Afghanistan played better cricket. I believe that considering this World Cup alone, Afghanistan has played better cricket than us, “Shoaib Malik said A sports.

Wasim Akram concurs with Malik’s assessment, noting that the Afghan team appeared stronger. Akram suggests that the Pakistani players may have been fatigued due to continuous cricket.

“Afghans looked stronger. Maybe, our boys looked fatigued because they were playing cricket continuously. Afghanistan cricketers looked better than Pakistan, there is no doubt,” he said.

Looking ahead, Pakistan is set to play their last league match against England at Eden Gardens. To qualify for the semi-finals, the scenario for Babar Azam and his team is challenging.

If Pakistan bats first and scores 300, they must bowl England out for 13. Alternatively, if Pakistan bowls first and dismisses England for 50, they need to chase the target in around 2.3 overs. The upcoming match holds significant implications for Pakistan’s journey in the Cricket World Cup.

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After facing several setbacks in the 2023 World Cup, Babar Azam is reportedly going to step down as Pakistan’s white-ball captain. The team’s early exit from the Asia Cup final and their current struggle in the World Cup have raised questions about Babar’s leadership.

Facing criticism regarding his captaincy, Babar Azam defended himself ahead of a crucial match against England in Kolkata. He expressed frustration with pundits and suggested they share their opinions directly with him instead of discussing them on live television.

Pakistan’s World Cup journey has been disappointing, with four defeats in the opening half, including a surprising loss to Afghanistan. Despite wins against Bangladesh and New Zealand, their chances of making the semis with one game remaining appear highly unlikely.

Reports also surfaced about a possible rift in the dressing room, with the team allegedly divided, led by Shaheen Afridi. Babar Azam, however, maintained his focus on the game and urged critics to communicate with him privately.

While publicly defending his captaincy, a report from Geo Super indicates that Babar is likely to resign from leadership roles in ODIs and T20Is after the World Cup. He has sought guidance from former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja, engaging in a lengthy discussion with him before the England game.

Babar Azam may step down as Pakistan’s Test captain because other captains have struggled in Australia. Pakistan will tour Australia for three Tests in December. Babar will decide whether to step down after returning to Pakistan.

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Netherlands will play their last ICC World Cup 2023 match against India in Bengaluru. Scott Edwards, Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd heaped massive praise on Virat Kohli before the contest.

“Virat Kohli is a big wicket and we will have to get him out early. He performs well while chasing totals and has been doing it for years,” Scott Edwards told Star Sports.

“The King Virat Kohli is arguably the greatest of all time. He is someone cricketers look upto,” Max O’Dowd said.

“Who doesn’t love Virat Kohli? Everyone loves Virat Kohli. He is a poetry in motion,” Vikramjit Singh said.

Kohli has scored over 500 runs, with the help of 2 hundreds and 4 fifties. He recently equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s world record of most ODI centuries. He is one ton away from going past the Master Blaster.

India are undefeated in the tournament, with eight wins from as many games.

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Former Pakistan players Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik picked their two finalists in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023. India, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand are through to the knock-outs.

Pakistan need a miracle against England to surpass New Zealand’s net run-rate However, it is almost impossible and this is what Pakistani greats think.

None of them took their team’s name. Misbah and Shoaib was asked to name their finalists on ASports.

“India and Australia will clash in the final,” Shoaib Malik said.

“India and South Africa will be my two finalists,” Misbah said.

Misbah further lauded the Men in Blue.

“All four teams are strong and can beat each other on their day. However, I think India are a much better side than the remaining three. Their balance is better,” he said.

India will take on New Zealand in the first semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium on November 15. In the second knock-out, South Africa will try their luck against Australia at the Eden Gardens on November 16.

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