International
On a qualification charge, New Zealand eye Scotland win
Scotland have the potential to spring an odd surprise and the Kane Williamson-led New Zealand would be wary of that when they clash in an ICC T20 World Cup ‘Super 12’ game here later on Wednesday.
Though Scotland’s ‘Super 12’ campaign has faltered after the newcomers defeated Bangladesh in the Qualifiers, and they are currently languishing at the bottom of the table in Group 2, New Zealand opener Daryl Mitchell said the fact that a lot of their cricketers play county cricket has given them an “understanding of the nuances of T20 cricket”.
“Obviously, they (Scotland) have had a great qualifying tournament and it’s awesome to see them here in the group stages. They’re a very dangerous team — they’ve got a lot of guys who play county cricket, so they understand the nuances of T20 cricket and especially with the Blast over there, so they’re obviously going to be a challenge in the next one. The World Cup is a funny old game, especially in conditions that are here with the pitches that bring everyone close. So, we’re going to have to be ready to go from ball one,” said Mitchell about Scotland, who had topped the Qualifiers, winning all their games.
New Zealand’s World Cup fate will be decided in the next five days as they play three matches in quick succession as Group 2 races to a conclusion. The Black Caps produced a superb performance to beat India and keep their hopes of qualifying for the semifinals alive.
But now the focus shifts to the daytime match against Scotland, who go into the clash in Dubai searching for their maiden ‘Super 12’ win.
“It was a great team effort the other night against a very strong India side,” said New Zealand pace bowler Tim Southee. “We’re very pleased with how that went. But now our focus, obviously, shifts to Scotland and three games in five days, which are three day-games as well, which is a challenge in itself.
“So as good a win as it was the other night, we know we have to park it and move on and look forward to a day game against Scotland,” added Southee.
New Zealand know their future in the tournament is in their own hands, with three victories being enough to guarantee a semifinal spot. But it is Afghanistan, the last opponent for New Zealand in this three-game run, who currently lie second in Group 2 following their demolitions of both Namibia and Scotland.
And Southee, Williamson and company will be keen to pick up some big wins to reduce the gap in net run rate between themselves on +0.765 and Afghanistan on +3.097 in case it finishes level on points in five days’ time.
Scotland have had a week to recover from the disappointment of their loss to Namibia and now go into a busy run of their own, with India and Pakistan still to come in a week that could test Kyle Coetzer’s side to the very limit. “The last couple of days we’ve had some practice where the guys have realigned themselves, gotten themselves prepared for what we’re going to face over the next couple of days,” the Scotland skipper said.
“The emotions were all very high getting through to the Super 12s. It was something that we set as a target, and we believed that we could do, getting through to Super 12s. When you get through, then there’s even more eyes on you and the pressure sort of just… that bar raises just that little bit further.”
Scotland are hopeful that Coetzer will be fit to return at the top of the order for Scotland.
Probable Scotland XI: Kyle Coetzer (captain), George Munsey, Calum MacLeod, Richie Berrington, Matt Cross, Michael Greaves, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Josh Davey, Safyaan Sharif, Brad Wheal.
Probable New Zealand XI: Daryl Mitchell, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson (captain), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi.
International
Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan’s Cricket Stadiums Far From Ready, Tournament Could Be Moved To Dubai, Claims Report
Problems seem to be mounting for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as they face a race against time to handover a proper stadium to the International Cricket Council (ICC) before the Champions Trophy gets underway. According to The Times Of India report, the construction and upgradation work is still underway at the National Stadium in Karachi, Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore and the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
A source following the developments said,”It is a very disappointing picture. All three stadiums are far from ready and it’s not renovation or refurbishment, but proper construction which is underway. There is so much work left with seats, floodlights, facilities and even the outfield and playing surfaces,”
The report further states there is not much time left for the venues to be handed over and it’s not a surprise that there are discussions about moving the entire tournament to the UAE.
The PCB has to hand over the tournament venues to ICC by February 12, however, the stadium work which was scheduled to be finished by December 31, is yet to be completed.
A team of from the ICC will leave for Pakistan towards the end of the week to do a status check and informal contingency discussions are underway in Dubai corridors.
What is the Current stadium of Champions Trophy venues?
Lahore and Karachi are the two centres where heavy construction work is underway and their multi-storied enclosures, which will have dressing rooms and hospitality boxes, are yet to enter the finishing stages. In addition to the new enclosures, there is fencing work, placement of floodlights and seats which is far from the finish line.
The source added, “The weather is not ideal for construction and finishing work to happen at a rapid pace. At Gadaffi, even the plaster work isn’t completed yet. And most of the time is taken by finishing work because we are talking about dressing rooms etc. They just can’t be random rooms/enclosures for an ICC event. ICC has a checklist which needs to be met. National Stadium has decided to not completely finish the new enclosure because there is no time,”
International
AFC Asian Cup 2027 to take place in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar from Jan 7 to Feb 5
Kuala Lumpur, Jan 7: The AFC Asian Cup 2027 will take place from January 7 to February 5 across three cities – Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar – in Saudi Arabia, the AFC announced on Tuesday.
A total of five stadiums in Riyadh will host the tournament’s matches; the King Fahd Sports City Stadium, the King Saud University Stadium, Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium, Kingdom Arena and the Al Shabab Stadium.
Two stadiums have been confirmed for Jeddah – King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium – with a new state-of-the-art venue to be built in Al Khobar, completing the world-class infrastructure set to provide the backdrop for Asia’s top 24 national teams.
Saudi Arabia was announced as the host nation for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in 2023. This will be the first time Suadi Arabia will host the tournament.
“Confirming the dates and selecting the stadiums for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ is a strategic milestone in our journey to host the tournament. This announcement goes beyond simply identifying locations and schedules; it reflects the ongoing high-level collaboration between us and the AFC as we work towards delivering an exceptional tournament that fulfills the aspirations of the entire Asian continent,” Saudi Arabian Football Federation chief Yasser Al Misehal.
Eighteen teams have already sealed their places at the AFC Asian Cup 2027. The remaining berths will be decided via the Qualifiers Final Round, which is scheduled to commence from March 2025 and features six groups of four teams – confirmed at last month’s draw – with the winners of each group making up the final cast.
India, aiming for its fifth appearance at the AFC Asian Cup, has been placed in Group C alongside Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh. The team will look to replicate or surpass its 2019 performance, where it showcased significant progress on the continental stage.
International
Bumrah, Head nominated for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year
Dubai, Dec 30: India’s premium fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is nominated for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Men’s Cricketer of the Year. Alongside Indian ace, who is also nominated for the Test Cricketer of the year, Australia’s Travis Head and the English batting duo of Joe Root and Harry Brook also made the list for the prestigious honour.
Bumrah nabbed 15 wickets from eight outings, including a couple in the final against South Africa, as India went unbeaten at the 2024 T20 World Cup.
India’s spearhead also had a memorable year in the longest format by picking 71 wickets in 13 Tests, the most scalps taken by a bowler this year.
In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, Bumrah is leading the wicket-takers charts with 30 wickets at an average of 12.83. He also completed 200 Test wickets and became the first bowler to achieve the feat with an average less than 20.
Indian bowling attack’s nemesis Head also made the list after shining across all formats for his country. After playing a vital role in the 2023 ICC World Cup final, Head continued his form as he was the third highest scorer in the 2024 T20 World Cup with 255 runs in seven innings, with his highest score being 76 against India. The left-hander is also the leading run scorer during the ongoing BGT helping Australia get in a good position to solidify their spot in the 2025 WTC final.
Root, England’s premier batter, made 1556 runs from 17 Tests at an average of 55.57, his second-best annual run tally in Tests after amassing 1708 runs in 2021. It was also the fifth instance of Root scoring over 1000 Test runs in a calendar year.
With six Test hundreds to go alongside five fifties, Root’s impressive run saw him become the joint-fifth highest century maker in Tests (36) alongside Rahul Dravid. In addition to his batting exploits, Root impressed by picking a four-wicket haul in the Test series against India.
His teammate Brook scored 1100 runs in 12 Tests at an average of 55, comprising three fifties and four hundred-plus scores, including a maiden triple century coming in Pakistan, and became England’s breakthrough batter in the format.
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