Cricket
Stokes to miss defending champion England's Cricket World Cup opener against New Zealand
New Zealand won the toss and sent England into bat Thursday in a 2019 final rematch to open Cricket World Cup.
Both teams were missing key protagonists from that epic finale four years ago.
England star Ben Stokes is skipping the 2023 opener because of a hip strain. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is sidelined owing to insufficient recovery from his knee injury.
Read: Asian Games Cricket: Bangladesh to start campaign taking on Malaysia Wednesday
England won its first World Cup title when it hosted the last tournament in 2019, awarded the trophy on a countback of boundaries after the final and the subsequent Super Over ended in ties against New Zealand.
Stokes, voted player of that final at Lord's, came out of ODI retirement in August in a bid to play at the World Cup but was always a doubtful starter after straining his left hip. Selectors opted to save him for later in the tournament.
Harry Brook is expected to bat at No. 4 in his absence.
Read: Total absence from warm-ups fuels concern over Shakib's fitness
Opener Dawid Malan boasts a stellar recent record against New Zealand, scoring two half-centuries and a century against the Black Caps in the recent ODI series victory at home in September.
But Joe Root’s current form remains a concern for England — he has scored only one half-century in his past nine ODI innings. But he has a distinguished World Cup record with an average of 54.54 and is expected to bat at No. 3.
England picked a balanced attack with Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali in the spin department, and Mark Wood leading the quicks.
Tom Latham is leading New Zealand in the absence of Williamson. Pace bowler Tim Southee, recovering from a thumb injury, was also unavailable for selection.
Read: Bangladesh fall to England in final warm-up before World Cup
New Zealand opted for both Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman in the middle order, with left-arm bowling all-rounder Rachin Ravindra also gaining selection.
The Black Caps have bolstered their batting by leaving out wrist spinner Ish Sodhi and pacer Lockie Ferguson, with allrounder James Neesham slotted to bat at No. 9.
The pitch at the 134,000-seater Narendra Modi Stadium is expected to be batting friendly. There could be some spin on offer through the day with little chance of dew later on. Pacer bowlers tend to find movement when the lights come on for the second innings.
Read: World Cup 2023: Bangladesh Team Departs for India
India fans will have to wait through four games before the host nation opens its campaign in a day-night match against five-time champion Australia at Chennai on Sunday.
ICC World Cup 2023 Live Streaming: How and Where to Watch all matches Online
The 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup will be the 13th edition of the Cricket World Cup, a quadrennial One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament contested by men's national teams and organized by ICC. The tournament will be hosted by India, beginning on 5 October and concluding on 19 November 2023. While tickets for most of the matches have been sold out, fans can watch the tournament of the year from anywhere in the world on TV as well as online. Here are the live streaming and telecast details of the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Live Streaming Online: Where and How to Watch from all countries
ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Broadcast And Live Streaming In India
Star Sports Network in India will telecast the ODI World Cup 2023 matches live. Cricket fans can tune into the following channels:
Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD , Star Sports 1 HINDI , Star Sports 1 HINDI HD , Star Sports 1 TELUGU , Star Sports 1 TELUGU HD , Star Sports 1 TAMIL , Star Sports 1 TAMIL HD , Star Sports 1, KANNADA
Read more: Rabbithole's World Cup package just Tk60 for Nagad customers
ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Live Streaming In Afghanistan: Ariana TV
ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Live Streaming In Sri Lanka: Maharaja TV
ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Live Streaming In Bangladesh: Gazi TV
ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Live Streaming In Australia: Fox Sports
ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Live Streaming In South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport
ICC World cup Live Streaming in New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ
ICC World cup Live Streaming in Pakistan: PTV, ARY
ICC World cup Live Streaming in Singapore: StarHub
UK ICC World cup Live Streaming in Sky Sports
ICC World cup Live Streaming in USA: ESPN+ Willow
ICC World cup Live Streaming in Canada: Willow TV
ICC World cup Live Streaming in Caribbean Islands: ESPN Caribbean
ICC World cup Live Streaming in Central & South America and Mexico: ESPN
ICC World cup Live Streaming in Hong Kong: PCCW
ICC World cup Live Streaming in Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan: Star Sports
ICC World cup Live Streaming in Malaysia: MEASAT
ICC World cup Live Streaming in Middle East and North Africa: Etisalat
Read more: ICC World Cup 2023 Tickets: How to Buy Online, Booking, Prices, Starting Dates and Timings
ODI World Cup 2023 Official Broadcasters
In England, Sky Sports will broadcast the ODI World Cup 2023 matches on linear and digital. In Afghanistan, all the matches will be telecast on Ariana TV, while in Bangladesh, the matches of the Tigers will be broadcast on Gazi TV.
In Pakistan, the World Cup 2023 matches will be broadcast on live television by PTV and ARY. In Sri Lanka, the World Cup fixtures will be shown by Maharaja TV. Sky Sports NZ in New Zealand will broadcast the matches, while Fox Sports will showcase the matches in Australia on both linear and Kayo.
ICC ODI World Cup 2023: Teams And Format
The 10 teams - India, England, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Netherlands will play against each other once in a single round-robin format.
Read more: Bangladesh's Fixtures for ICC World Cup 2023
ICC World Cup 2023 kicks off tomorrow
The long-awaited ICC World Cup 2023 is set to kick off tomorrow (October 5, 2023) with a highly anticipated clash between reigning champions, England, and runner-up, New Zealand, at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Ten teams from across the globe will compete in this year’s Cricket World Cup, with five teams from Asia. India, a passionate cricketing nation, is playing host to what is anticipated to be the most memorable World Cup in history.
Hundreds of millions of fans worldwide are expected to follow the World Cup through television broadcasts and streaming platforms, while hundreds of thousands more will witness the action live from the grounds in various states across India.
Tigers arrive in Dharamshala for their first World Cup encounter
Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, India is considered one of the top contenders for the title, along with defending champions England and the formidable New Zealand. Pakistan and Australia are also strong challengers on the road to the championship.
West Indies and Zimbabwe, two Test-playing nations, failed to make it to the World Cup.
Bangladesh boasts a formidable squad, led by Shakib Al Hasan, entering the tournament as the number one ODI all-rounder, for this edition of the Cricket World Cup.
Total absence from warm-ups fuels concern over Shakib's fitness
The Bangladesh squad is a blend of seasoned veterans and promising young talents. Alongside Shakib, Mushfiqur Rahim is set to participate in his fifth World Cup. Litton Das, Mustafizur Rahman, and Taskin Ahmed bring their wealth of World Cup experience to form a formidable force.
In the lead-up to the World Cup, Bangladesh suffered a home series loss to New Zealand, marking their first defeat to the Blackcaps on home soil in 15 years. The Tigers, however, secured a victory in their first official warm-up match against Sri Lanka before falling short in the second match against England.
Bangladesh will kick off their campaign against Afghanistan on October 7 in Dharamshala. Subsequently, they will face England at the same venue on October 10.
During the round-robin phase, Bangladesh is scheduled to play a total of nine matches in the World Cup. Following these matches, the top four teams with the highest points will progress to the semifinals. The winners of the semifinals will vie for the championship on November 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Bangladesh fall to England in final warm-up before World Cup
Some big matches:
While every match in the World Cup holds immense significance, certain matchups are expected to draw heightened attention from fans:
- England vs New Zealand on October 5 in Ahmedabad
- India vs Australia on October 8 in Chennai
- Pakistan vs Sri Lanka on October 10 in Hyderabad
- Australia vs South Africa on October 12 in Lucknow
- India vs Pakistan on October 14 in Ahmedabad
- India vs Bangladesh on October 19 in Pune
- Australia vs Pakistan on October 20 in Bengaluru
- India vs New Zealand on October 22 in Dharamsala
- South Africa vs Bangladesh on October 24 in Mumbai
- Australia vs New Zealand on October 28 in Dharamsala
- Bangladesh vs Pakistan on October 31 in Kolkata
- New Zealand vs Pakistan on November 4 in Bengaluru
- England vs Australia on November 4 in Ahmedabad
- Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka on November 6 in Delhi
- Bangladesh vs Australia on November 11 in Pune.
Read more: ICC World Cup 2023 Tickets: How to Buy Online, Booking, Prices, Starting Dates and Timings
Asian Games Cricket: Bangladesh to start campaign taking on Malaysia Wednesday
Former gold medalists of the Asian Games, the Bangladesh Men's Cricket team, will start their campaign in the 19th Asian Games, taking on Malaysia in the fourth quarterfinal on Wednesday.
The match will start at 12:00 pm Bangladesh time at the Zhejiang University of Technology Cricket Ground in Hangzhou.
Also read: Asia Games Cricket: Bangladesh women win bronze beating Pakistan by 5 wickets
Sri Lanka will play Afghanistan in the third quarterfinal, also on Wednesday morning.
If Bangladesh is able to win against Malaysia, then they will play the semifinal on October 6 at 7:00 am against India, who made a semifinal berth, eliminating Nepal by 23 runs in the first quarter final on Tuesday morning.
Pakistan also reached the semifinals, beating Hong Kong by 68 runs in the second quarterfinal on Tuesday.
Also read: Asian Games Cricket: Tigresses to face India in semifinal tomorrow
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Cricket team, which reached Hangzhou three days earlier, made their practices there regularly and held a hard practice session on Tuesday at the practice wicket near the main stadium.
Bangladesh Cricket Team: Mohammad Parvez Hossain Emon, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Mohammed Saif Hassan (Captain), Zakir Hasan, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Rakibul Hasan, Mohammad Mrittunjoy Chowdhury Nipun, Sumon Khan, Jaker Ali Anik, Nahid Rana, Ripon Mondol, Hasan Murad, Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Rishad Hossain
Two-time Asian Games silver medalists Bangladesh women's cricket team clinched the country's first and only medal, a bronze, in the ongoing 19th Asian Games Cricket, beating Pakistan by five wickets in a third place deciding play-off match on September 25.
Also read: Asian Games: Bangladesh women's cricket team eliminated from title race losing to India by 8 wkts
Earlier, the Bangladesh women's team reached the semifinals as they were declared winners against Hong Kong in a rain-marred quarterfinal as their ICC ranking is higher than Hong Kong.
But in the semifinals, Bangladesh lost to their giant neighbour India by eight wickets to join the bronze medal battle with Pakistan.
Tigers arrive in Dharamshala for their first World Cup encounter
The Bangladesh cricket team has touched down in Dharamshala, the designated venue for their first ICC World Cup against Afghanistan match, scheduled for October 7th.
Bangladesh participated in two official warm-up matches in Guwahati, facing Sri Lanka and England, respectively.
The Tigers secured a convincing victory in the first warm-up against Sri Lanka, but faced defeat at the hands of England in the second match.
Read: Total absence from warm-ups fuels concern over Shakib's fitness
Bangladesh's captain, Shakib Al Hasan, was absent from both warm-up encounters, raising questions about his fitness.
However, Najmul Hossain Shanto, the team's vice-captain, reassured that Shakib is in prime condition and will be participating in the opening match against Afghanistan.
According to sources within the team, Shakib sustained a minor injury during a football session in practice. Nevertheless, it remains uncertain if he has made a full recovery, though, Najmul assured his participation in the Afghanistan clash.
Read: Bangladesh fall to England in final warm-up before World Cup
Bangladesh's second match will also be held in Dharamshala against England on October 10th.
Following these initial fixtures in Dharamshala, Bangladesh is set to journey to Chennai for their third World Cup clash against New Zealand on October 13th.
Read more: Bangladesh register comfortable win over Sri Lanka in World Cup warmup
Total absence from warm-ups fuels concern over Shakib's fitness
Bangladesh's captain Shakib Al Hasan missed both the official warm-up matches preceding the ICC World Cup, casting a shadow of doubt over his physical condition.
Prior to the first warm-up encounter against Sri Lanka, sources within Bangladesh's team management revealed that Shakib incurred a minor injury during a football session in practice.
It was anticipated that the allrounder would play some part in the second warm-up against England, yet this expectation failed to materialize.
Also read: Bangladesh fall to England in final warm-up before World Cup
However it is true that Bangladesh are coming into the tournament on the back of quite a lot of cricket, so the star allrounder is not exactly in need of time out in the middle. He is also very experienced in Indian conditions, with his years of playing IPL cricket complementing his tours with the national side.
In the first warm-up against Sri Lanka on Friday, Mehidy Hasan Miraz led the Bangladesh team on the field, and today against England, Najmul Hossain Shanto played the role of captain.
Also read: Bangladesh register comfortable win over Sri Lanka in World Cup warmup
When queried about Shakib ahead of the warm-up against England today, Najmul, named vice-captain of the World Cup squad when it was announced last week, affirmed his captain's optimal fitness, and assured that he (Shakib) would be on the field for the first fixture against Afghanistan - now five days away.
Bangladesh fall to England in final warm-up before World Cup
In the conclusive warm-up match ahead of the impending ICC World Cup set to kick off in India this week, Bangladesh faced a defeat at the hands of England, losing by four wickets.
The rain-affected contest was restricted to 37 overs. Bangladesh took the batting stance first, amassing a total of 188 for the loss of nine wickets in their allotted 37 overs.
Also read: Bangladesh vs England ODI Series 2023 Preview: Schedule, Fixtures, Team
Mehidy Hasan Miraz emerged as the highest run scorer for Bangladesh, notching up an impressive 74 runs. He had previously secured a half-century in the match against Sri Lanka. Tanzid Hasan Tamim followed closely with 45 runs.
Also read: BAN vs ENG ODI Series 2023: Top Players to Watch
Reece Topley led the bowling charge for England, claiming three wickets, while David Willey and Adil Rashid secured two wickets each.
Also read: BAN vs ENG Series 2023: Bangladesh T20 Squad Analysis
In response, Moeen Ali's 50, coupled with Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler's contributions of 34 and 30 runs, respectively, propelled England to a four-wicket victory in just 24.1 overs.
On the Bangladesh side, Mustafizur Rahman stood out with two crucial wickets, while Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, and Nasum Ahmed each secured one wicket.
Bangladesh register comfortable win over Sri Lanka in World Cup warmup
Bangladesh warmed up for their World Cup campaign with an impressive win in their match against Asian rivals Sri Lanka in Guwahati, India.
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first, posting a challenging total of 263 all out in 49.1 overs. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera provided a strong start with a partnership of over 100 runs in 14.4 overs for the first wicket.
However, the Bangladeshi bowlers remained patient, awaiting the right opportunity to dismantle Sri Lanka's batting lineup.
Read: ‘I certainly didn’t resign from BCB, and my action had no relation to the ongoing situation of my brother Tamim’: Nafees Iqbal
Pathum Nissanka contributed 68 runs, while Dhananjaya de Silva also notched a fifty.
Mahedi Hasan stood out for Bangladesh, taking three wickets for 36 runs in 9 overs.
In response, Litton Das and Tanzid Hasan Tamim forged a formidable opening stand of 130 runs, providing Bangladesh with the necessary foundation to chase the target of 264. Litton's half-century and Tanzid's 84 were welcomed by Bangladeshi fans.
Read: Inexplicable request to give up opening forced Tamim to withdraw
Mehidy Hasan Miraz also reached a fifty, while Mushfiqur Rahim finished unbeaten at 35.
Bangladesh achieved the target in 42 overs.
Next, the Tigers will face England on October 2 in their final warm-up match at the same venue.
Bangladesh's World Cup journey commences with a match against Afghanistan in Dharamshala on October 7.
‘I certainly didn’t resign from BCB, and my action had no relation to the ongoing situation of my brother Tamim’: Nafees Iqbal
Nafees Iqbal, former Bangladesh opener and current member of the Bangladesh team management, provided an explanation for his departure from the national team during an international match.
During the recent home series against New Zealand, Nafees served as the operational manager for the national team. On September 26, he arrived at the stadium to fulfill the same role in the third ODI. However, at some point after the match commenced, he left the stadium, sparking rumors of his resignation from the national team.
Read:Sudden removal of Nafis Iqbal from team role fuels buzz over brother Tamim's place in WC squad
Nafees, who played 11 Tests and 16 ODIs for Bangladesh, addressed the situation in a late-night statement on Wednesday.
"I am also human and carry emotions like everyone else," he wrote in a social media post, attributing his decision to leave the team to the emotional impact of learning that he would not be a part of the Bangladesh contingent in the World Cup earlier that morning.
Read: Inexplicable request to give up opening forced Tamim to withdraw
"I certainly did not resign from the BCB, and my action had no relation to the ongoing situation of my younger brother Tamim Iqbal," he further clarified. "The World Cup team was announced 6-7 hours after my departure from the ground."
Nafees emphasized that he followed all necessary protocols when leaving the field. He said he informed the head coach first and then followed the protocol he needed to follow to leave the stadium.
Read: World Cup 2023: Bangladesh Team Departs for India
The Bangladesh team is currently in Guwahati, India, where they will compete in two official warm-up matches ahead of the main World Cup event, set to commence on October 5. Bangladesh's first match is against Afghanistan on October 7 in Dharamshala.
Inexplicable request to give up opening forced Tamim to withdraw
The storm over Bangladesh's squad selection for the ICC World Cup looks set to boil over, as the country's most accomplished batsman, Tamim Iqbal, revealed that he asked to be excluded after it was suggested he give up his position at the top of the order in the opening match against Afghanistan.
He, however, didn't disclose who was that ‘prominent figure’ who requested him to bat in the lower-order.
Prior to Tamim's decisive stance, former Bangladesh captain Masrafe Bin Mortaza contended that it was not accurate to say that Tamim was left out; rather, he chose to step aside.
Read: World Cup 2023: Bangladesh Team Departs for India
In a video posted on his social media this afternoon, Tamim addressed recent developments regarding his World Cup participation and his fitness, emphasizing the need for his fans and the public to know the truth.
Following the announcement of the World Cup squad, Bangladesh's chief selector, Minhajul Abedin, stated that Tamim was excluded due to concerns about his fitness, mentioning that an old injury resurfaced, preventing him from playing the last ODI against New Zealand.
While acknowledging some discomfort, Tamim clarified, "I'm not injured yet. As I've returned to cricket after a gap of four to five months, it's normal to have some pain."
Read: Tamim opted to stay out of Bangladesh's World Cup squad: Mashrafe
Tamim disclosed that the physio had assessed his fitness before the last match of the New Zealand series and confirmed that while he experienced pain, he was available for selection. However, opting for rest would ensure better rehabilitation before Bangladesh's first World Cup match. Consequently, Tamim made the decision not to play the final match against New Zealand.
Challenging anyone to dispute the physio's report in a public forum, Tamim asserted, "The physio report didn't state that I would be unable to play."
Tamim recounted receiving a call from an "influential figure" at BCB who advised him not to play the first match of the World Cup.
Read: Tamim's World Cup exclusion due to injury: Chief Selector
"I told him we are still 12-13 days away from the first match, and I would be better by then," Tamim explained. "Then he asked me to bat lower in the order if I wanted to play the first match. I couldn't accept it well. I got angry and reacted accordingly."
At this juncture, as Tamim clarified, he opted not to be part of the World Cup squad.
"I informed him that if they wanted me to bat lower despite my 17-year history as an opener, they should exclude me from the World Cup squad," Tamim elucidated, revealing his rationale for skipping the tournament.