SA fined for slow over-rate
Melbourne: As if the embarrassing 130-run loss to India was not enough, South Africa were on Monday fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during their World Cup group match against Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men at the MCG here. ICC Match referee Jeff Crowe ruled that the South Africans were one over behind required rate after time allowances were taken into consideration in the Group B clash yesterday and docked captain AB de Villiers 20 percent of his match fee. The rest of his teammates were fined 10 percent.
Petition against Pakistan team
lahore: The lahore High Court today admitted a petition against the Pakistani cricket team over its “dismal performance” in the ongoing World Cup in which it was routed by India and West Indies. The petition also sought removal of both Pakistan Cricket Board chief Shahryar Ahmed Khan and chairman of its executive committee Najam Sethi for allegedly not selecting the team on merit. Advocate Rizwan Gul, who filed the petition in the lahore High Court, pleaded in his application that a “thorough investigation” be carried out into the team’s “dismal performance” in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup, 2015. Pakistan have made a dismal start to their Pool ‘B’ campaign at the World Cup. After a 76-run defeat to India in their opening match on February 15, the Pakistani cricket team was routed by West Indies with a humiliating margin of 150 runs.
Shafiul cleared to join squad
Melbourne: The International Cricket Council has approved Shafiul Islam as a replacement in Bangladesh’s World Cup squad for pace bowler Al-Amin Hossain, who was sent home after breaking a team curfew. Al-Amin did not play in the team’s opening 105-run win over Afghanistan, and Bangladesh’s second match against Australia was washed out in Brisbane on the weekend. The ICC issued a statement on Monday saying Shafiul, who has played 52 one-day internationals for Bangladesh, had been approved to join the 15-man squad as “an exceptional circumstance.” Bangladesh is due to play Sri lanka on Thursday.
Javed criticises ICC’s WC plans
Brisbane: UAE coach Aaqib Javed, a member of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup-winning team, has criticised the ICC’s plan to reduce the number of teams in next World Cup from 14 to 10, and questioned the downward spiral of full members like the West Indies and Bangladesh in recent years.
I am really surprised by the decision the ICC already made that the next World Cup would be 10 teams,” Javed was quoted as saying by ‘National’. The 42-year-old former Pakistan pacer added, “Which 10 teamsIJ If you look at the performances from some teams, their graph has been going down, like West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. I am not just talking about in this World Cup. Overall, what have they achieved in the past 10 yearsIJ Why can’t there be pressure on them to improve.