Brendon McCullum laments New Zealand's confidence loss

Brendon McCullum admitted New Zealand have forgotten how to win after the team were hammered by India in their second warm-up match before theWorld Cup

New Zealand recently slumped to a 3-2 defeat in an ODI series at home to Pakistan, and before that were on an 11-game losing streak. They lost by 117 runs to India on February 16, with dreadful bowling in the last 10 overs and a poor run chase underpinning another sloppy defeat.

They open their campaign on Sunday against Kenya and are in dire need of a confidence booster. "We have to face up to the fact that under pressure we aren't performing well. We just aren't getting it done under pressure," McCullum told Radio Sport.

Asked if the team had forgotten how to win, McCullum, who was a sole bright spot during the warm-up game, top-scoring for his team with 58, replied: "That's probably a fair summation. Someone has to flick the switch, somewhere along the line we have to get ourselves across the finishing line and with a W [win] in the column. If we can do that it will start to breed the confidence that we need.

"Until such time that we do that, we are going to somehow have to borrow some confidence to stare down those situations and dream that we are capable of achieving success in those moments."

New Zealand have a reputation for punching above their weight in global tournaments and have reached the semi-final stage five times in the World Cup without ever progressing further. In 2007 they were defeated by Sri Lanka in the semis but to repeat even that performance McCullum insists they need to up their game.

"[The India loss] has definitely dented our confidence a little bit, there's no doubting that. But we can't have that mental blockage or mental baggage heading into this World Cup. We have to ditch that quickly."

The team conceded 114 in the final 10 overs against India and McCullum was less than impressed with the showing. "It's unacceptable. I guess the effort is there but we have to be better than that and that's the brutal truth. We need to turn it around very quickly."

Captain Daniel Vettori missed the match with a hamstring worry but McCullum is confident he will be back in action soon. "It was more precautionary. I saw him running around after the game tonight [Wednesday] and doing a bit of fielding. It looked like he was moving freely."

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India Seek Revenge Against Bangladesh in World Cup 2011 Opener

MIRPUR (Bangladesh): Title aspirants India will have revenge on their minds when they launch their 2011 cricket World Cup campaign against co-hosts Bangladesh in the tournament-opener on Saturday, fully aware that any slip-up could prove costly.

Minnows Bangladesh had ensured India's early exit in the first round of the 2007 edition at the Caribbeans and Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men will be eager to settle the score and kick start their campaign on a positive note at the Shere Bangla National stadium.

Tipped as one of the favourites, the current world number two side, boasts off an exceptionally balanced team, but such a pool of talented players will also pose a few selection questions for skipper Dhoni.

Dhoni though seems to have sorted out his problem of plenty in the batting department when he tipped Virat Kohli ahead of Suresh Raina after their second warm-up match against New Zealand.

"The number four slot is very important for us. Right now it is a slot war. It is the number four slot where Kohli needs to bat with Gautam Gambhir at number three," Dhoni said.

"Kohli is sort of a player who likes to spend little bit of time early and then go after the bowlers. Still, there is a bit of chance where Virat may get an edge over (Suresh) Raina seeing the current form he is in," he added.

Dhoni also hinted that he would stand by Yuvraj Singh as his ability to spin the ball away makes him an asset to the team even though currently he is a bit short of runs.

"We are playing with four bowlers. A part-time spinner is really important especially if it is a left-arm away going spinner. That's the one big advantage he (Yuvraj) has got over others," Dhoni said.

The explosive batting line-up will be marshalled by Sachin Tendulkar, who would be participating in his sixth World Cup this time around and the senior batsmen will look to give India a flying start with Virender Sehwag.

Gautam Gambhir will be next, while the middle-order also looks rock solid with Kohli, Dhoni, Yuvraj and Yusuf Pathan -- all capable of playing big-shots and also rotating the strike.

In their second and last warm-up game, India scored a mammoth 360 against New Zealand and it will give a lot of confidence to the batsmen, especially skipper Dhoni and Gambhir, who hit an unbeaten 108 and 89 respectively.

Kohli and Raina also cracked half-centuries against New Zealand and Dhoni would be hoping his boys continue the good work.

In the bowling department, Dhoni will have to pick his options carefully since India is going with a four-pronged attack.

Indian spinners Harbhajan Singh and surprise inclusion Piyush Chawla have taken five and six wickets in the last two warm-up games. Even R Ashwin and part-time spinner Yuvraj scalped two and three wickets respectively.

In contrast, the pacers have struggled with Ashish Nehra claiming two and Praveen Kumar's replacement S Sreesanth taking one wicket, while Munaf Patel remaining wicketless in the warm-up matches.

But with pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who didn't feature in the two warm-up ties because of a minor niggle, returning to action on Saturday, a much better performance can be expected from the seamers.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, have so far been content with an odd upset and have been generally looked upon as underachievers but the tigers would look to shrug off that tag when they lock horns with India at home.

Though they have just five victories from 20 World Cup matches to show, Bangladesh has the distinction of beating Pakistan on debut during the 1999 edition and ousting India and defeating South Africa four years ago.

Skippered by Shakib-Al-Hasan, Bangladesh have a few good batsmen in talented Mohammad Ashraful, the pint-sized dynamic opener Tamim Iqbal and wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim. Besides, captain Shakib-Al-Hasan, himself, ranks number one in the ICC's all-rounders list and knows how to wield the willow.

Bangladesh won their first warm-up match against Canada but lost to Pakistan in the second tie. However, their openers Tamim and Imrul Kayes have got runs under their belt in the two matches.

Though their pace attack will lack the fire-power of speedster Mashrafe Mortaza, 21-year-old pacer Rubel Hossain had claimed five wickets in the warm-up matches.

Besides, Bangladesh also have some good tweakers in left-arm slow bowlers Shakib and Abdur Razzaq, who can get handy support from many other part-timers.

Bangladesh can also take heart from the fact that they came into the tournament after having made a clean sweep against New Zealand, a full-fledged Test playing country and defeating Zimbabwe 3-1 at home, where they will play all their six league games.

Teams (from):

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, S Sreesanth, Piyush Chawla, R Ashwin, Ashish Nehra.

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (C), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Shahriar Nafees, Raqibul Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Naeem Islam, Mahmudullah, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Suhrawadi Shuvo.

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ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Opening Ceremony News

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Opening Ceremony

Fourteen captains rode around the arena in cycle-rickshaws and breathtaking laser shows simulated the experience of the 22-yard pitch as the cricket World Cup got off to a rousing start here Thursday evening, showcasing the diverse cultures of the three South Asian neighbours co-hosting the mega event.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared the tournament open by placing her hand on a palm scanner which triggered off a high-voltage fireworks display much to the joy of around 25,000 spectators at the packed Bangabandhu Stadium here.

"I declare the ICC World Cup open," said Hasina, hoping the mega event would help strengthen fraternal ties between the cricketing countries and said Bangladesh felt privileged to co-host the big event.

ICC president Sharad Pawar called it a "historic" day and said the tournament would be ever etched in the memory of the people.

The world's cricketing celebrities will now engage in a tussle for supremacy at 13 venues spread over the three nations which will stage 49 games involving the 14 participating nations with the grand finale April 2 in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.


The 135-minute opening ceremony, that began with the rendering of the Bangladesh national anthem "Amar Sonar Bangla" composed by nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, kept the spectators at the stadium and millions others watching it on television spellbound.



In a fine mix of technology and tradition, laser shows and cycle rickshaws took the centrestage, Canadian rocker Bryan Adams belted out his popular numbers including "Cuts like a knife", "Summer of 69" and "Eighteen till I die", while Indian singer Sonu Nigam rendered his self-composed English song "Rise for glory". Bangladesh-based Runa Laila and Sabina Yasmin also sang their age-old numbers to enthrall the crowd during the programme stitched together by over 3,500 artistes.


The cycle rickshaw, the common man's transport in Bangladesh, brought the mascot "Stumpy" into the stadium followed by the 14 captains.

The stadium got bathed in yellow light, as Australian captain Ricky Ponting was the first to arrive on a colourful and embellished rickshaw that was brightly illuminated in white light.

The other captains then followed in an alphabetical order, with the flag of their nations fluttering from each vehicle. The biggest cheers were reserved for Bangladesh skipper Shakib-Al Hassan, whose rickshaw made up the rear of the caravan.

A brief audio-visual presentation recalled the golden moments of the preceding ICC World Cups, before a laser show depicted the kite, and gave a simulated cricketing experience. It made use of a nearby 24-storey edifice "Shilpa Bank Bhavan" as the World Cup trophy seemed to descend on the ground from the building.


Each of the co-hosts then gave a presentation on their rich and diverse culture. Indian artistes showcased various festivals including the Holi as the popular song Rang De Basanti played in the background. The performers also formed a diya.


The Sri Lankan artists created a sea in the center of the arena as the island nation was projected as the pearl of the Indian ocean.

The Bangladesh presentation depicted the war of liberation, as a taped video speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country's founding father, was played.


Bangladesh's language movement that saw the martyrdom of three students for the sake of their mothertongue was shown besides the tribal dances of Chakmas, Rakaines, Marmas, Shautals and Garos.

The Bengali New Year was also brought alive through song, dance and visual effects.


Compositions of Tagore and other celebrated Bengali composers made for a soothing experience as the audience listened in rapt attention, frequently joining in the chorus.



As the ceremony drew to a close, Indian composer trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy performed the official World Cup anthem "De ghuma ke" in three languages - Hindi, Sinhalese and Bengali.



The action now shifts to the cricket field. Come Saturday and co-hosts India and Bangladesh will clash here, a day before Sri Lanka take on lowly Canada in Colombo.


Read more at: http://english.samaylive.com/sports-news/cricket/world-cup-2011/676482594/icc-cricket-world-cup-2011-opening-ceremony.html?cp

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Akhtar, Akmal dope-tested ahead of ICC World Cup 2011

 Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal were amongst the first players to be taken for random dope testing ahead of the ICC World Cup 2011, according to a source.

35-year-old Akhtar and 29-year-old Akmal were tested after a practice session on Wednesday by the International Cricket Council's drug inspectors, the source said.

"It's normal to test players before and during a tournament," SAMAA TV quoted the source, as saying.
"Nothing fishy about it. Others will also be tested," he added.

Akhtar, who has been recalled for the World Cup after being out of action for a major part of the last three years due to a spate of injuries, had tested positive for a banned drug nandrolone in 2006.

Pakistan face England in a practice match in the Bangladeshi town of Fatullah on Friday, where the ageing Akhtar needs to perform to show his fitness level, before Pakistan's World Cup opener against Kenya on February 23. (ANI)

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India Won By 117 Runs Vs New Zealand 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Warm Up Match

MS Dhoni Strikes Once Again With Smashing Century 

India won by 117 runs, Indian skipper Dhoni and Suresh Raina hard hitting proved costly. India vs New Zealand (Ind vs NZ) ICC World Cup 2011 warm up match was kicked off at Chidambram stadium, Chepak, Chennai on 16th February.

Score and Highlights: India 360/5 (50.0 overs) MS Dhoni 108* and J Oram 2/64. New Zealand 243/10 (43.1 overs) Brendon McCullum 58 and Harbhajan Singh 2/17.

India won the toss and decided to bat first. Virender Sehwag and Sachin opened the Indian innings and given decent start but both were dismissed in short time. Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kholi added century run stand. Gambhir missed out an opportunity of scoring century. Suresh and MS Dhoni shifted the gears and started scoring quickly in final overs.  Indian Captain MS Dhoni century and Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kholi and Suresh Raina half centuries helped India to impose huge total of 360.

MS Dhoni (108)* is the top scorer from India. Gautam Gambhir (89), Virat Kholi (55), Suresh Raina (50), Virender Sehwag (23) and Sachin Tendulkar (17) are the rest of performers.

New Zealand bowling attack, no specialist spinner in playing eleven and spinners like Nathan McCullum inexperience was cashed in by Indian batsmen. New Zealand bowlers, Tim Southee and Jacob Oram shared two wickets each and Kyle Mills had one wicket against his name.

New Zealand chasing huge total of 361 runs to win, they got a good start they were scoring five runs per over which was insufficient. The top three batsmen have scored some runs along with Brendon McCullum scoring half century and no other batsman had a real intent of winning the match. Positive sign for kiwis is that their top order scoring runs and middle inexperience is evident.

New Zealand scorecard: Martin Guptill (38), Brendon McCullum (58), Jesse Ryder (32), Ross Taylor (5), James Franklin (0), Scott Styris (20), Jamie How (15), Jacob Oram (12), Nathan McCullum (29)*, L Woodcock (9) and Kyle Mills (2).

Indian bowling attack, fast bowlers were not able to pick the wickets until spinners were introduced. Suresh Raina is the first wicket taker with his athletic fielding, spinners picked up seven wickets in the tally of ten. Ashish Nehra cleaned by the tail by dislodging last two wickets.

Indian bowlers, Ashish Nehra, Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh have taken two wickets each and R Ashwin has settled with one wicket each.

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ICC Cricket World Cup 2011: Group A Preview

The Group stage of this the 2011 edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup provides, as opposed to the format of the previous one, a more spacious berth for consistency. It also seems a much better way of going about eliminating teams. Last time round, the ‘Super 8’ format with four groups, each with four teams, had 2 teams advancing to the next stage. This meant that the one dark-horse in the group had the chance to use a heaven-sent day to cause a single upset that would propel them into the next stage – which ended up happening too – with the premature ousting of both Pakistan and India, two major crowd-pulling teams. Therefore have the organizers realized, this time round, that as much as it is important to lend a hand to minnows to use the big stage to state their cause for existence, there is a greater risk to the integrity of a genuinely competitive tourney.

At a glance, severed from current form and team structure, the teams in Group A are quite easy to call. You’d say Australia any day mate, if you’d been living under a rock, getting your cricketing news via shoddily-fashioned wooden TV antennae. Recent developments have displaced Australia so that it would be unwise for them to labour under any misguided notions of unquestionable superiority. For their companion teams, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya, they are no longer the team to fear above all. And thank the Holy Spirit of W.G. Grace for that.

Ranking the 7 teams is an exercise highly prone to backfiring – especially given the aura of the big tournament, which could weigh down upon otherwise solid performers. But we humans live on air, water and speculation, so here goes:

1. The third-ranked Sri Lanka merits a higher seeding leading into this tournament. For one, they are armed with familiar conditions as well as victorious memories of the 1996 World Cup. And having wrapped up the West Indies at home, and Australia in their own hunting ground, they will be the form favourites. If Arjuna Ranatunga is to be taken seriously (despite his obviously partisan outlook), the Lankans are the firm favourites, along with India, to lift the jug, and for now, to advance to the quarter-finals, as no worse than team A2. 

2. Australia’s ratings, which had been dampened in the recent past, will have stormed upwards this month, propelled by the 6-1 victory over visitors England. A re-invented Shane Watson, with his combustible batting and incisive bowling, holds the key for them. Injury-stricken, and time having robbed them of their bigwigs, Australia will have to invoke their source to replicate their triple feat once more. But surging into the quarter-finals should not be a matter of much concern if they consider the group matches as a seamless continuation of the series gone by.

3. Pakistan, sundered, as is its wont, by controversy, will look to regain stability before its first match against Kenya, who can be a potentially harmful minnow if encountered without having your wits about you. Coming off a 3-2 series win over New Zealand will help them repose faith in their current side, robbed of the services of the Lords Three. Captain Shahid Afridi will be prevailed upon to provide sharp blasts along with Abdul Razzaq, both of whom can swing matches on their own steam. Consistency from the level-headed Umar Akmal, stalwarts Younus Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq will have to mitigate Pakistan’s tendency to display excellence on a day, and abject mediocrity on another. 

4. New Zealand is a team whom it usually is inadvisable to judge on current form. What they thrive on is a consistency borne of determination, and a blissful blindness to their ebbing fortunes. Their collective open mind makes them a contender in every match no matter the past. Having said that, the team’s current run of defeats – including the miserable Bangladesh tour – will hamper its chances, with one of the minnows becoming empowered to exploit their fallibility, even if New Zealand stands its own ground. Martin Guptill has slowly, but surely, ensconced himself at the top of the order and will be looked to to provide sturdy starts that can be converted into launching pads for the explosive likes of Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum and others down the order. Daniel Vettori, one of the most able captains of the era, holds the team’s bowling reins; his immaculate variations tend to force oppositions to make heavy weather of reasonable targets. He will rely on Tim Southee and Kyle Mills, who evince the likelihood of being successful in the subcontinent, to fill Shane Bond’s boots. 

5. Zimbabwe usually hold the underdog status in every group stage match. Not quite full-fledged, not quite as small a fry as Canada or Kenya, they are the most liable to cause a stir and challenge the other four teams. A team which utilizes momentum to its benefit, they will rue Australia being their first fixture, to unsettle whom for a second time, after the T20 World Cup, may be a tall ask. Nonetheless, they can score some valuable points against the other two minnows, Canada and Kenya. Its batsmen can play the big innings against potent attacks, Brendan Taylor’s recent 145 against the Proteas being an instance, and Charles Coventry also having displayed the ability to score big. Still, it may be futile, given the more just format which allows four teams to advance, to expect Zimbabwe to cause more than the one upset.

6. Jimmy Kamande commandeers a Kenyan side infused with youthful talent off late. Having secured a victory in their first warm-up game against the Netherlands, if they use the momentum to overcome West Indies on Saturday, their self-confidence may pose a threat to the other two teams of its bracket as well as perhaps an unsettled Pakistan or New Zealand. Steve Tikolo – whose presence in the side, after he had led a player strike earlier this year, was announced by the run-a-ball century he made in the first warm-up game – will be a key player to watch out for in a largely uncapped side.

7. Canada’s matches being so scheduled that it will face the group’s two strongest teams on either end of their itinerary, will allow neither any early momentum nor a strong finish. This could be a shame, with the team having ample players of subcontinent origin not being abetted by a fortunate schedule. 

Each team will have 6 goes at securing wins. Three wins – allowing for one upset against one of the three minnows, and even two losses against one of the other three – should be enough to push through to the next round. Disclaimer being: “Anything can happen”, Sri Lanka is likely to romp into the second stage. B4 (fourth place in Group B) beware!

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S SREESANTH Eager To Take Chance In ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

India paceman Shantha Sreesanth has vowed to do justice to the surprise opportunity handed to him for this month's cricket World Cup.

The Kerala bowler was called up to the 15-man squad yesterday after fellow medium-pacer Praveen Kumar's elbow injury - sustained during India's recent one-day international series in South Africa - failed to heal in time.

Sreesanth, who made his one-day debut in 2005 against Sri Lanka, was overlooked for the 2007 World Cup as well as the upcoming one, but Kumar's injury woes have at last paved the way for the mercurial paceman to showcase his talents in cricket's flagship event.

Mainly seen as a Test specialist, his 51 one-day matches have yielded 75 wickets, but 46 of those have come on home soil at a strike rate of just over 25, making him a key component in India's quest to land a World Cup triumph in the sub-continent.

And while Sreesanth already has a winner's medal on the world stage - the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup - he is keen to add 50-over glory to his resume.

The right-arm bowler told CNN-IBN news channel: "It's a great challenge. I am lucky to be part of one World Cup.
"I'm looking forward to it and I will do justice to what I've been offered here."

He added: "Since the county stint (with Warwickshire), I've been working a lot. Everybody's been helping me. The coach, the senior players and even newcomers.

"It's been a learning experience and I'm really excited to play in the World Cup."
He will join Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Munaf Patel in India's pace ranks, and he believes they have the strike power needed to lift the trophy.

He added: "Zaheer, Nehra and Munaf have played a World Cup so we have enough experience.
"With them and me, I am looking forward to the tournament because we have experience and talent as well so I am sure we will do a good job."

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