England captain Eoin Morgan knows better than most the emotions Jofra Archer will experience when the fast bowler plays against his native West Indies for the first time.

Dublin-born batsman Morgan, who switched allegiance from Ireland to England a decade ago, is set to lead the tournament hosts against the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-not-only-ms-dhonis-icc-rejected-chris-gayles-request-also-225711">Caribbean</a> side in a World Cup group match in Southampton on Friday.

Barring a late injury, Morgan's team will include Barbados-born quick Archer, who only qualified for England earlier this year but whose ability to bowl at speeds of up to 95 mph now makes him a central figure as they chase a first 50-over World Cup title.

Archer, whose father is English, could have been playing for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/trevor-bayliss-will-have-to-live-with-the-sheldon-salute-says-jason-holder-226942">West Indies</a> had he not been overlooked for the Under-19 World Cup four years ago.

That fateful decision was to spark a chain of events that saw Archer joining Sussex and then begin the process of qualifying to play international cricket for England.

Now he will be up against plenty of familiar faces in fellow Bajans such as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-cricket-world-cup-2019-match-15-south-africa-vs-west-indies-225918">West Indies</a> captain Jason Holder and Shai Hope, as well as former youth team-mates Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer.

Morgan, recalling his own first experience of playing against Ireland for England, said Thursday&nbsp;"I think it is a moment where you reaffirm your decision. The difference is the feel.''

"When you play against guys that you've played with at age-group level, it feels like a club game against your mates you've known for a long time, compared to playing against strangers. That's a different feel. Being in that position myself it does feel different. He won't know how it feels until he plays the game. If I feel the need (to speak to him) I will, but I haven't yet," Morgan said.

'Handle it'

Meanwhile, Morgan backed the 24-year-old Archer, who has taken nine wickets in six one-day internationals at a healthy average of 27, to cope with the inevitable scrutiny that will come his way on Friday.

"I'm sure he will handle it like he's handled everything else in the tournament so far," said his skipper.

"Every challenge he has come up against so far he has come out the other side really well. So let's just see how it goes, we are not expecting anything majorly different. Jofra is extremely interesting because everything he has been confronted with, particularly out on the field, he has overcome,'' Morgan said.

"He's still learning, he's a very young, he has a lot of talent, and that is great for us. It's great that he's in an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-england-beat-bangladesh-by-106-runs-225564">England </a>shirt now," added Morgan.

England captain Eoin Morgan knows better than most the emotions Jofra Archer will experience when the fast bowler plays against his native West Indies for the first time.

England captain Eoin Morgan knows better than most the emotions Jofra Archer will experience when the fast bowler plays against his native West Indies for the first time. Dublin-born batsman Morgan, who switched allegiance from Ireland to England a decade ago, is set to lead the tournament hosts against the Caribbean side in a World Cup group match in Southampton on Friday. Barring a late injury, Morgan's team will include Barbados-born quick Archer, who only qualified for England earlier this year but whose ability to bowl at speeds of up to 95 mph now makes him a central figure as they chase a first 50-over World Cup title. Archer, whose father is English, could have been playing for the West Indies had he not been overlooked for the Under-19 World Cup four years ago. That fateful decision was to spark a chain of events that saw Archer joining Sussex and then begin the process of qualifying to play international cricket for England. Now he will be up against plenty of familiar faces in fellow Bajans such as West Indies captain Jason Holder and Shai Hope, as well as former youth team-mates Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer. Morgan, recalling his own first experience of playing against Ireland for England, said Thursday "I think it is a moment where you reaffirm your decision. The difference is the feel.'' "When you play against guys that you've played with at age-group level, it feels like a club game against your mates you've known for a long time, compared to playing against strangers. That's a different feel. Being in that position myself it does feel different. He won't know how it feels until he plays the game. If I feel the need (to speak to him) I will, but I haven't yet," Morgan said. 'Handle it' Meanwhile, Morgan backed the 24-year-old Archer, who has taken nine wickets in six one-day internationals at a healthy average of 27, to cope with the inevitable scrutiny that will come his way on Friday. "I'm sure he will handle it like he's handled everything else in the tournament so far," said his skipper. "Every challenge he has come up against so far he has come out the other side really well. So let's just see how it goes, we are not expecting anything majorly different. Jofra is extremely interesting because everything he has been confronted with, particularly out on the field, he has overcome,'' Morgan said. "He's still learning, he's a very young, he has a lot of talent, and that is great for us. It's great that he's in an England shirt now," added Morgan.

Eoin Morgan knows what Jofra Archer's feeling ahead of clash against native country West Indies

India and Pakistan are getting ready for the big clash on Sunday during the ongoing Cricket World Cup. Ahead of the match, <a href="http://cms.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-pakistan-must-bring-their-a-game-against-india-says-waqar-younis-226912">Pakistan </a>cricket board (PCB) chief Ehsan Mani said his team will not beg to play cricket with their neighbours.

Both the team have not played a bilateral series since 2013; they have mostly faced each other in multilateral events.

"We will not beg India or any other country to play cricket with us; we want resumption of bilateral cricket ties with India in a decent and dignified manner," <a href="http://cms.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-high-pressure-india-game-a-must-win-for-pakistan-says-imam-ul-haq-226750">Pakistan </a>daily Dawn quoted Mani as telling the media at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

He further revealed PCB's plans to resume international cricket in Pakistan and said that they will host Sri Lanka in September for two Test matches in what would be a part of the ICC Test Championship which will be spread over two years, concluding in 2021.

Mani further said that the cricket board is trying to persuade the foreign teams to visit Pakistan and in this regard he is utilising his experience of heading the International Cricket Council (ICC) and his personal relations with different cricket boards.

"We want to see our cricket arenas having international cricket activities on a regular basis, the way it used to be in the past and we are speeding up our efforts and contacts with cricket playing nations, as (now) things have improved a lot as far as the security situation is concerned," he said.

<a href="http://cms.wionews.com/sports/we-need-to-overcome-mistakes-to-beat-india-says-sarfaraz-after-australia-defeat-226683">India have an excellent record against Pakistan</a> in World Cups. Both the teams have met six times before in the prestigious quadrennial event and on all occasions, the Men in Blue have emerged victorious.

India and Pakistan are getting ready for the big clash on Sunday during the ongoing Cricket World Cup. Ahead of the match, Pakistan cricket board (PCB) chief Ehsan Mani said his team will not beg to play cricket with their neighbours.

India and Pakistan are getting ready for the big clash on Sunday during the ongoing Cricket World Cup. Ahead of the match, Pakistan cricket board (PCB) chief Ehsan Mani said his team will not beg to play cricket with their neighbours. Both the team have not played a bilateral series since 2013; they have mostly faced each other in multilateral events. "We will not beg India or any other country to play cricket with us; we want resumption of bilateral cricket ties with India in a decent and dignified manner," Pakistan daily Dawn quoted Mani as telling the media at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday. He further revealed PCB's plans to resume international cricket in Pakistan and said that they will host Sri Lanka in September for two Test matches in what would be a part of the ICC Test Championship which will be spread over two years, concluding in 2021. Mani further said that the cricket board is trying to persuade the foreign teams to visit Pakistan and in this regard he is utilising his experience of heading the International Cricket Council (ICC) and his personal relations with different cricket boards. "We want to see our cricket arenas having international cricket activities on a regular basis, the way it used to be in the past and we are speeding up our efforts and contacts with cricket playing nations, as (now) things have improved a lot as far as the security situation is concerned," he said. India have an excellent record against Pakistan in World Cups. Both the teams have met six times before in the prestigious quadrennial event and on all occasions, the Men in Blue have emerged victorious.

Will not beg India to play cricket with us, says Pakistan cricket board chief

Australia's knack for grinding out wins despite not playing at their best is helping them build momentum for a strong tilt at the World Cup title, former skipper Allan Border has said.

Defending champions <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-david-warner-stars-in-australias-41-run-win-over-pakistan-226669">Australia beat Pakistan</a> by 41 runs in Taunton on Wednesday to seal their third victory in four games at the tournament, with their only defeat coming against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-shikhar-dhawan-shines-as-india-beat-holders-australia-by-36-runs-225791">India </a>on Sunday.

A struggling middle order and a lack of support for the main pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins have emerged as Australia's main concerns in the early days of the World Cup, but the team are currently second in the overall standings.

"Australia aren't playing at their best but they are winning matches. That's the way I saw the win over Pakistan," Border wrote in a column for the International Cricket Council.

"In the early stages of the World Cup, you want to be right amongst the pacesetters after four rounds and Australia very much are. They are building nicely and all the teams will feel the total package is still in them. They'll talk about being relentless and consistent... and they can create momentum for some of the big teams they still have to play," Border said.

Border added that Australia should consider using <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-steve-smiths-reaction-when-virat-kohli-stopped-indian-fans-from-booing-him-225897">Steve Smith</a> to shore up their bowling attack and backed the 30-year-old to use his leg-spin to good effect.

"The fifth, and even the fourth, bowling option is looking like a slight concern for them," Border said. "I think they should look at Steve Smith having a bowl, I really do."

"Leg-spin takes wickets and whether it's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/zampa-hand-warmers-row-finch-defends-spinner-over-ball-tampering-allegation-225853">Adam Zampa</a> coming back in or Smith trying a bit of his spin, that should improve the attack dramatically," Border added.

Here's the&nbsp;complete fixture of Cricket World Cup 2019:

<img alt="ICC World Cup 2019" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aa536962-32f2-4838-8fec-9a38afd969a9" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/ICC%20World%20Cup%202019%20%281%29_28.jpg" />

Australia next play Sri Lanka at The Oval in London on Saturday.

Australia's knack for grinding out wins despite not playing at their best is helping them build momentum for a strong tilt at the World Cup title, former skipper Allan Border has said.

Australia's knack for grinding out wins despite not playing at their best is helping them build momentum for a strong tilt at the World Cup title, former skipper Allan Border has said. Defending champions Australia beat Pakistan by 41 runs in Taunton on Wednesday to seal their third victory in four games at the tournament, with their only defeat coming against India on Sunday. A struggling middle order and a lack of support for the main pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins have emerged as Australia's main concerns in the early days of the World Cup, but the team are currently second in the overall standings. "Australia aren't playing at their best but they are winning matches. That's the way I saw the win over Pakistan," Border wrote in a column for the International Cricket Council. "In the early stages of the World Cup, you want to be right amongst the pacesetters after four rounds and Australia very much are. They are building nicely and all the teams will feel the total package is still in them. They'll talk about being relentless and consistent... and they can create momentum for some of the big teams they still have to play," Border said. Border added that Australia should consider using Steve Smith to shore up their bowling attack and backed the 30-year-old to use his leg-spin to good effect. "The fifth, and even the fourth, bowling option is looking like a slight concern for them," Border said. "I think they should look at Steve Smith having a bowl, I really do." "Leg-spin takes wickets and whether it's Adam Zampa coming back in or Smith trying a bit of his spin, that should improve the attack dramatically," Border added. Here's the complete fixture of Cricket World Cup 2019: Australia next play Sri Lanka at The Oval in London on Saturday.

World Cup: Allan Border backs defending champs Australia to keep building momentum

Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq described the World Cup match against India on Sunday as a "huge-pressure game", which has also become a must-win one for his side following the loss to Australia here.

Despite some late defiance from captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and freewheeling number nine Wahab Riaz, Pakistan succumbed to a 41-run loss to Australia on Wednesday and are now in an increasingly precarious position in eighth place in the standings.

Asked if the defeat made the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/we-need-to-overcome-mistakes-to-beat-india-says-sarfaraz-after-australia-defeat-226683">high-pressure match against India</a> at Old Trafford a must-win affair, Imam admitted,&nbsp;"Yes, we've had one game rained off which was very important for us - every game now is very important for us, so yes you can say that.''

"Obviously, to be part of that kind of game, it's great. It's in Manchester, lots of Pakistani fans there - so I'm really excited about it. It's a huge pressure game, obviously. Pakistan and India, there's a lot of mysteries behind that but we want to just focus on our cricket strengths and how we can get better," Imam said

Imam also felt <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-david-warner-stars-in-australias-41-run-win-over-pakistan-226669">"hugely disappointed"</a> after getting out tamely just when he thought he was in a position to inspire his side to a famous win over defending champions Australia.

Pakistan's opener looked in fine form and had just reached his 50 in a dangerous-looking partnership with veteran Mohammad Hafeez.

At that stage his side was at 136/2, chasing what seemed a reachable target of 308. But he was dismissed for 53 off 75 balls in soft fashion by Pat Cummins.

From a ball which was short down the leg side, and would have been called a wide had he left it alone, Imam tried to pull but could only glove it to the Australian wicket-keeper Alex Carey.

It was a dismissal that transformed the match with three more wickets tumbling quickly and it left Imam so crestfallen that he hung his head and could barely drag himself back to the pavilion.

"Obviously, I'm playing well - and this team depends on me and Babar (Azam). When Babar got out (for 30), it was then my responsibility and I was going well but it was not a good ball that got me out, the same as I did against the West Indies.

"I knew I'd spent a hell of a lot of time on a tricky wicket so I knew it wouldn't be easy for any new batsman to come in. So it was a huge disappointment because it's a World Cup stage and if you get set, you really have to make it count if you want to stay in the tournament," he said. 
&nbsp;

Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq described the World Cup match against India on Sunday as a "huge-pressure game", which has also become a must-win one for his side following the loss to Australia here.

Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq described the World Cup match against India on Sunday as a "huge-pressure game", which has also become a must-win one for his side following the loss to Australia here. Despite some late defiance from captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and freewheeling number nine Wahab Riaz, Pakistan succumbed to a 41-run loss to Australia on Wednesday and are now in an increasingly precarious position in eighth place in the standings. Asked if the defeat made the high-pressure match against India at Old Trafford a must-win affair, Imam admitted, "Yes, we've had one game rained off which was very important for us - every game now is very important for us, so yes you can say that.'' "Obviously, to be part of that kind of game, it's great. It's in Manchester, lots of Pakistani fans there - so I'm really excited about it. It's a huge pressure game, obviously. Pakistan and India, there's a lot of mysteries behind that but we want to just focus on our cricket strengths and how we can get better," Imam said Imam also felt "hugely disappointed" after getting out tamely just when he thought he was in a position to inspire his side to a famous win over defending champions Australia. Pakistan's opener looked in fine form and had just reached his 50 in a dangerous-looking partnership with veteran Mohammad Hafeez. At that stage his side was at 136/2, chasing what seemed a reachable target of 308. But he was dismissed for 53 off 75 balls in soft fashion by Pat Cummins. From a ball which was short down the leg side, and would have been called a wide had he left it alone, Imam tried to pull but could only glove it to the Australian wicket-keeper Alex Carey. It was a dismissal that transformed the match with three more wickets tumbling quickly and it left Imam so crestfallen that he hung his head and could barely drag himself back to the pavilion. "Obviously, I'm playing well - and this team depends on me and Babar (Azam). When Babar got out (for 30), it was then my responsibility and I was going well but it was not a good ball that got me out, the same as I did against the West Indies. "I knew I'd spent a hell of a lot of time on a tricky wicket so I knew it wouldn't be easy for any new batsman to come in. So it was a huge disappointment because it's a World Cup stage and if you get set, you really have to make it count if you want to stay in the tournament," he said.

World Cup: High-pressure India game a must-win for Pakistan, says Imam-ul-Haq

Week 2 of World Cup marred by controversies, injuries and washouts

Pakistan must go back to their Champions Trophy triumph for inspiration and then look for early wickets in their World Cup encounter against arch-rivals India, suggests former captain Waqar Younis.

Bitter foes India and Pakistan lock horns in the tournament's one of the most anticipated matches at the Old Trafford on Sunday.

"It's simple - if Pakistan want to stay in the tournament, they have to bring an 'A-plus' performance and win that game," Waqar said in his column for the ICC.

"When <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-high-pressure-india-game-a-must-win-for-pakistan-says-imam-ul-haq-226750">Pakistan play India</a> it's always a huge game, but their meeting on Sunday is shaping up to be more crucial than ever," Waqar said.

While he did not read much into India's all-win record against Pakistan in the World Cup, the pace great urged his country to look up to the title triumph in the 2017 Champions Trophy, where they beat India in the final.&nbsp;

"Pakistan have got to take positives out of what they did to India in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy a couple of years ago. They must think positively going into this game. I hope they have got their best game in the locker for India, who showed against Australia that they are a very fine side," Waqar, one of the best fast bowlers of his time, said.&nbsp;

According to the former captain and coach, picking up early wickets could be key to Pakistan's chances.

"What I have seen in this World Cup so far is that if you don't pick up early wickets, you're in trouble. The new ball is so crucial and openers are being more careful in the first ten overs this year," said Waqar.

"They're <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/we-need-to-overcome-mistakes-to-beat-india-says-sarfaraz-after-australia-defeat-226683">not really going full throttle</a>, they are being a bit more watchful. Once you don't lose any wickets early on, it becomes easier because the ball doesn't swing and batting becomes easier," Waqar said.

Waqar believes Pakistan were done in by the new ball, in both batting bowling, against Australia on Wednesday.

"It was with the new ball, in both batting and bowling, that I felt Pakistan missed a trick in their entertaining defeat to Australia at Taunton. Early on, we were not really sharp enough and Sarfaraz Ahmed was not on his toes. Mohammad Amir didn't get any support from the other end,"&nbsp;Waqar said.

Returning his best ODI figures of 5/30, Amir staged a fine comeback to stop Australia's charge at 307.

"No-one really saw the comeback coming and for that, you have to take your hat off to Amir. Full marks to him for the way he bowled. Even with the new ball, I thought he bowled quite nicely. He could have picked up more than five wickets in the end. He was unfortunate with a couple of nicks early on," said Waqar.

"Pakistan pulled it back very nicely. They were sharp after 25 overs and started picking up wickets. They found the right lengths," he said.

His praise for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mohammad-amir-confessed-to-spot-fixing-after-shahid-afridi-slapped-him-abdul-razzaq-226584">Amir</a>, who was not initially included in Pakistan's World Cup squad, did not end there.

"Amir bowled superbly. He showed us all his cutters, variations and short-pitched deliveries. I think we all know Amir is mentally very, very strong. He showed once again that class is permanent? he is no doubt a match-winner," he added.

Regarding team combination, Waqar felt there could be changes for Sunday's game.

"It may be that Mickey Arthur looks at changing the team for Sunday. I spoke to Mickey in Taunton and he is thinking in terms of horses for courses, and I agree with him to an extent. The pitch there was good for pacers and he rightly went with four of them. The issue was not the nature of the plan, but the execution,"&nbsp;Waqar said.

Waqar was in favour of dropping spin-bowling all-rounder Shoaib Malik.&nbsp;

"Shadab is the key man in this side and I think they will look to bring him back against India. They might go for five bowlers, use four pacers and Shadab and drop someone like Shoaib Malik," he said.

"Going from a defeat to playing the old rivalry against India isn't going to be easy. India probably watched the Australia game very closely and know what needs to be done. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-cricket-world-cup-2019-match-17-australia-vs-pakistan-226457">Pakistan </a>need to lift themselves up and I hope they bring their best on Sunday," said&nbsp;Waqar.&nbsp;

Pakistan must go back to their Champions Trophy triumph for inspiration and then look for early wickets in their World Cup encounter against arch-rivals India, suggests former captain Waqar Younis.

Pakistan must go back to their Champions Trophy triumph for inspiration and then look for early wickets in their World Cup encounter against arch-rivals India, suggests former captain Waqar Younis. Bitter foes India and Pakistan lock horns in the tournament's one of the most anticipated matches at the Old Trafford on Sunday. "It's simple - if Pakistan want to stay in the tournament, they have to bring an 'A-plus' performance and win that game," Waqar said in his column for the ICC. "When Pakistan play India it's always a huge game, but their meeting on Sunday is shaping up to be more crucial than ever," Waqar said. While he did not read much into India's all-win record against Pakistan in the World Cup, the pace great urged his country to look up to the title triumph in the 2017 Champions Trophy, where they beat India in the final. "Pakistan have got to take positives out of what they did to India in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy a couple of years ago. They must think positively going into this game. I hope they have got their best game in the locker for India, who showed against Australia that they are a very fine side," Waqar, one of the best fast bowlers of his time, said. According to the former captain and coach, picking up early wickets could be key to Pakistan's chances. "What I have seen in this World Cup so far is that if you don't pick up early wickets, you're in trouble. The new ball is so crucial and openers are being more careful in the first ten overs this year," said Waqar. "They're not really going full throttle, they are being a bit more watchful. Once you don't lose any wickets early on, it becomes easier because the ball doesn't swing and batting becomes easier," Waqar said. Waqar believes Pakistan were done in by the new ball, in both batting bowling, against Australia on Wednesday. "It was with the new ball, in both batting and bowling, that I felt Pakistan missed a trick in their entertaining defeat to Australia at Taunton. Early on, we were not really sharp enough and Sarfaraz Ahmed was not on his toes. Mohammad Amir didn't get any support from the other end," Waqar said. Returning his best ODI figures of 5/30, Amir staged a fine comeback to stop Australia's charge at 307. "No-one really saw the comeback coming and for that, you have to take your hat off to Amir. Full marks to him for the way he bowled. Even with the new ball, I thought he bowled quite nicely. He could have picked up more than five wickets in the end. He was unfortunate with a couple of nicks early on," said Waqar. "Pakistan pulled it back very nicely. They were sharp after 25 overs and started picking up wickets. They found the right lengths," he said. His praise for Amir, who was not initially included in Pakistan's World Cup squad, did not end there. "Amir bowled superbly. He showed us all his cutters, variations and short-pitched deliveries. I think we all know Amir is mentally very, very strong. He showed once again that class is permanent? he is no doubt a match-winner," he added. Regarding team combination, Waqar felt there could be changes for Sunday's game. "It may be that Mickey Arthur looks at changing the team for Sunday. I spoke to Mickey in Taunton and he is thinking in terms of horses for courses, and I agree with him to an extent. The pitch there was good for pacers and he rightly went with four of them. The issue was not the nature of the plan, but the execution," Waqar said. Waqar was in favour of dropping spin-bowling all-rounder Shoaib Malik. "Shadab is the key man in this side and I think they will look to bring him back against India. They might go for five bowlers, use four pacers and Shadab and drop someone like Shoaib Malik," he said. "Going from a defeat to playing the old rivalry against India isn't going to be easy. India probably watched the Australia game very closely and know what needs to be done. Pakistan need to lift themselves up and I hope they bring their best on Sunday," said Waqar.

World Cup: Pakistan must bring their A game against India, says Waqar Younis

Emphasising on the importance of dot balls in limited overs cricket, Australia pacer Pat Cummins is delighted that the hard work he has put in to become accurate is starting to pay off.

Cummins is increasingly looking like the workhorse of this Australian team, plugging away with the wickets while others hog the headlines.

The 26-year-old looked in great rhythm against Pakistan, taking 3 for 33 to derail their chase.

The right-arm pacer has bowled the most number of dot balls in the ongoing World Cup and the two bowlers that follow him are also from Australia -- Mitchell Starc and Nathan Coulter-Nile.

"That's the big improvement in my game in the last couple of years, the ability to hold a length and make it difficult to get runs," Cummins said after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-cricket-world-cup-2019-match-17-australia-vs-pakistan-226457">Australia's 41-run win against Pakistan</a> on Wednesday.

"If you give away easy singles then 300 becomes quite an achievable score. Cutting out the singles is huge, it means if you give away a boundary it might not be that big over of ten or 11, it may just be a five or a six," Cummins added.

After they were set 308 for win, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-david-warner-stars-in-australias-41-run-win-over-pakistan-226669">Pakistan </a>scored steadily but Australia held their nerve and took wickets at regular intervals.

An eighth-wicket stand between Sarfaraz and Wahab Riaz, who scored 45 from just 39 balls, made it nervy for the defending champions until the last three wickets fell for just two runs - securing a third victory at the World Cup.

"It goes to show that everyone can bat these days. It was a bit closer than we would have liked, so it was good to get those couple of wickets and finish it off. We gave them a bit too much width and suddenly they were back in the game, it's a good lesson to learn," Cummins said.

Cummins and his strike partner Starc have 18 wickets between them in the tournament while the rest of the team have a combined 12.

Australia set a target of 307 on the back of a 146-run opening partnership between Warner (107) and Finch (82).

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/this-century-means-a-lot-as-a-batsman-david-warner-226679">Warner </a>scored his first-century post his one-year international ban for ball-tampering.

"We were so pumped for him, he was really open and honest after the Oval game. He was playing more timid than normal but we saw his mindset change from the start here,'' he said.

"I think if you look over the transition of his career, he's become more measured in his approach. His energy out in the middle is still an example, the way you see him sprinting hard for singles and bouncing down the wicket. He looks really sharp in this tournament," Cummins said.

Emphasising on the importance of dot balls in limited overs cricket, Australia pacer Pat Cummins is delighted that the hard work he has put in to become accurate is starting to pay off.

Emphasising on the importance of dot balls in limited overs cricket, Australia pacer Pat Cummins is delighted that the hard work he has put in to become accurate is starting to pay off. Cummins is increasingly looking like the workhorse of this Australian team, plugging away with the wickets while others hog the headlines. The 26-year-old looked in great rhythm against Pakistan, taking 3 for 33 to derail their chase. The right-arm pacer has bowled the most number of dot balls in the ongoing World Cup and the two bowlers that follow him are also from Australia -- Mitchell Starc and Nathan Coulter-Nile. "That's the big improvement in my game in the last couple of years, the ability to hold a length and make it difficult to get runs," Cummins said after Australia's 41-run win against Pakistan on Wednesday. "If you give away easy singles then 300 becomes quite an achievable score. Cutting out the singles is huge, it means if you give away a boundary it might not be that big over of ten or 11, it may just be a five or a six," Cummins added. After they were set 308 for win, Pakistan scored steadily but Australia held their nerve and took wickets at regular intervals. An eighth-wicket stand between Sarfaraz and Wahab Riaz, who scored 45 from just 39 balls, made it nervy for the defending champions until the last three wickets fell for just two runs - securing a third victory at the World Cup. "It goes to show that everyone can bat these days. It was a bit closer than we would have liked, so it was good to get those couple of wickets and finish it off. We gave them a bit too much width and suddenly they were back in the game, it's a good lesson to learn," Cummins said. Cummins and his strike partner Starc have 18 wickets between them in the tournament while the rest of the team have a combined 12. Australia set a target of 307 on the back of a 146-run opening partnership between Warner (107) and Finch (82). Warner scored his first-century post his one-year international ban for ball-tampering. "We were so pumped for him, he was really open and honest after the Oval game. He was playing more timid than normal but we saw his mindset change from the start here,'' he said. "I think if you look over the transition of his career, he's become more measured in his approach. His energy out in the middle is still an example, the way you see him sprinting hard for singles and bouncing down the wicket. He looks really sharp in this tournament," Cummins said.

World Cup: Pat Cummins' silent workhorse in Australia's squad, while others hog limelight

Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed said his side's needs to raise their fielding standards ahead of a crucial World Cup match against arch-rivals India at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Pakistan once again produced some sloppy out-cricket in a 41-run group stage defeat by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-david-warner-stars-in-australias-41-run-win-over-pakistan-226669">champions Australia at Taunton</a> on Wednesday, dropping three catches amid other misfields.

"We need to improve because if we want to beat bigger teams like Australia and India then all three aspects of the game are crucial," said Sarfaraz.

"Definitely I think the fielding needs improvement - the fielding is not up to the mark," the wicket-keeper admitted. "We work together again, and work hard before the India match."

Pakistan have never beaten India in six World Cup matches dating back to 1992. Pakistan could have derailed Australia at the start, after Sarfaraz won the toss and opted to field first.

But first slip Asif Ali dropped Aaron Finch off paceman Wahab Riaz when the Australian skipper was on 26 with the total at 67.

Finch (82) and David Warner (107) took the opening stand to 146 before Mohammad Amir turned the match on its head with a career best 5-30 as Australia were bowled out for 307 in 49 overs.

Sarfaraz said Pakistan had made too many mistakes of their own in a match where they were dismissed for 266 in 45.4 overs.

They now have three points from four games, with two defeats, one win -- a surprise success over tournament hosts and favourites England -- and a no-result.

"We committed more mistakes than Australia," said Sarfaraz. "We won a good toss but didn't bowl well in the first 30 overs."&nbsp;

Sarfaraz added a rapid collapse that saw three wickets lost for 11 runs as Pakistan slumped to 147-5 had also proved costly.

"I think losing three wickets in the space of 15 balls was the turning point," he lamented.&nbsp;

"Babar (Azam, who made 30 including seven fours) was playing well and his was a soft dismissal."

Mohammad Hafeez also fell when well set, for 46, when he hit a Finch full toss straight to deep square leg.

"The ball which Mohammad Hafeez got out to was a loose one -- it should have gone over the fence," said Sarfaraz.

"We have to overcome our mistakes because India are also a very strong team. We will assess our performance and then we will plan."

Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed said his side's needs to raise their fielding standards ahead of a crucial World Cup match against arch-rivals India at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed said his side's needs to raise their fielding standards ahead of a crucial World Cup match against arch-rivals India at Old Trafford on Sunday. Pakistan once again produced some sloppy out-cricket in a 41-run group stage defeat by champions Australia at Taunton on Wednesday, dropping three catches amid other misfields. "We need to improve because if we want to beat bigger teams like Australia and India then all three aspects of the game are crucial," said Sarfaraz. "Definitely I think the fielding needs improvement - the fielding is not up to the mark," the wicket-keeper admitted. "We work together again, and work hard before the India match." Pakistan have never beaten India in six World Cup matches dating back to 1992. Pakistan could have derailed Australia at the start, after Sarfaraz won the toss and opted to field first. But first slip Asif Ali dropped Aaron Finch off paceman Wahab Riaz when the Australian skipper was on 26 with the total at 67. Finch (82) and David Warner (107) took the opening stand to 146 before Mohammad Amir turned the match on its head with a career best 5-30 as Australia were bowled out for 307 in 49 overs. Sarfaraz said Pakistan had made too many mistakes of their own in a match where they were dismissed for 266 in 45.4 overs. They now have three points from four games, with two defeats, one win -- a surprise success over tournament hosts and favourites England -- and a no-result. "We committed more mistakes than Australia," said Sarfaraz. "We won a good toss but didn't bowl well in the first 30 overs." Sarfaraz added a rapid collapse that saw three wickets lost for 11 runs as Pakistan slumped to 147-5 had also proved costly. "I think losing three wickets in the space of 15 balls was the turning point," he lamented. "Babar (Azam, who made 30 including seven fours) was playing well and his was a soft dismissal." Mohammad Hafeez also fell when well set, for 46, when he hit a Finch full toss straight to deep square leg. "The ball which Mohammad Hafeez got out to was a loose one -- it should have gone over the fence," said Sarfaraz. "We have to overcome our mistakes because India are also a very strong team. We will assess our performance and then we will plan."

We need to overcome mistakes to beat India, says Sarfaraz after Australia defeat

India head coach Ravi Shastri and support staff have been given a 45-day contract extension after the ongoing campaign at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.&nbsp;

Shastri and the support staff, including assistant coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/final-call-on-precious-shikhar-dhawan-only-after-10-12-days-sanjay-bangar-226591">Sanjay Bangar</a>, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar, will continue with their roles till the end of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-to-begin-icc-world-test-championship-against-west-indies-226732">India tour of West Indies</a>.&nbsp;

The series comprising three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Tests will take place from August 3 to September 3.&nbsp;

"Yes, they have got 45 days extension till the end of the West Indies tour because the process will complete after the World Cup. There is no time in between so it doesn't make sense to do things in a hurry," a BCCI official told ANI.&nbsp;

India have won their first two matches, defeating South Africa by six wickets and Australia by 36 runs, respectively.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rain-set-to-play-spoilsport-at-india-vs-new-zealand-world-cup-clash-226768">Virat Kohli-led team</a> will take on New Zealand at Trent Bridge today.&nbsp;

India head coach Ravi Shastri and support staff have been given a 45-day contract extension after the ongoing campaign at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. Shastri and the support staff, including assistant coach Sanjay Bangar, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar, will continue with their roles till the end of India tour of West Indies.

India head coach Ravi Shastri and support staff have been given a 45-day contract extension after the ongoing campaign at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. Shastri and the support staff, including assistant coach Sanjay Bangar, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar, will continue with their roles till the end of India tour of West Indies. The series comprising three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Tests will take place from August 3 to September 3. "Yes, they have got 45 days extension till the end of the West Indies tour because the process will complete after the World Cup. There is no time in between so it doesn't make sense to do things in a hurry," a BCCI official told ANI. India have won their first two matches, defeating South Africa by six wickets and Australia by 36 runs, respectively. Virat Kohli-led team will take on New Zealand at Trent Bridge today.

Ravi Shastri, Sanjay Bangar among other support staff granted 45-day contract extension

Virat Kohli-led India will take on New Zealand in the 18th match of Cricket World Cup 2019 but the weather forecast at the venue is not looking good as there are slim chances of getting a full a game today in Nottingham.

The match starts at 10:30 GMT and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-heavy-rain-forecast-ahead-of-india-vs-new-zealand-match-226204">light rain is expected to fall </a>from 10:00 am and to an end at about lunchtime, around 1:00 pm.&nbsp;

After about an hour of relief from the rain, it's set to pour down again from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm and subside only by 6:00 pm in the evening.

The Met Office in England had issued a 'yellow warning'&nbsp;for heavy rain at Trent Bridge in Nottingham for today and the maximum temperature will be around 13 degrees through the day, making it extremely cold for both the teams on the field.&nbsp;

"The unsettled weather continues this week with further heavy rain and thunderstorms expected to impact some parts of the UK," published The Met Office on their website.&nbsp;

A record three matches have already been either abandoned or called off in the weather-hit tournament and the forecast is for further washouts this week.&nbsp;

The absence of reserve days is being brought up by the players and the coaches, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday defended not scheduling reserve days for group matches at the rain-marred World Cup and blamed the disruptions on "extremely unseasonable weather".

The organisers have been criticised for not allotting reserve days in the group stage and outgoing ICC chief executive David Richardson said it was not a feasible idea.

"Factoring in a reserve day for every match ... would significantly increase the length of the tournament and practically would be extremely complex to deliver," he said in a statement.

If the game is washed-out both <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-injured-shikhar-dhawan-at-practice-session-ahead-of-new-zealand-contest-226574">India </a>and New Zealand will get one point each. 
 
New Zealand are at the top of the points table with six points from three games and India have four points from two games with two victories.

(All timings in GMT)

Virat Kohli-led India will take on New Zealand in the 18th match of Cricket World Cup 2019 but the weather forecast at the venue is not looking good as there are slim chances of getting a full a game today in Nottingham.

Virat Kohli-led India will take on New Zealand in the 18th match of Cricket World Cup 2019 but the weather forecast at the venue is not looking good as there are slim chances of getting a full a game today in Nottingham. The match starts at 10:30 GMT and light rain is expected to fall from 10:00 am and to an end at about lunchtime, around 1:00 pm. After about an hour of relief from the rain, it's set to pour down again from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm and subside only by 6:00 pm in the evening. The Met Office in England had issued a 'yellow warning' for heavy rain at Trent Bridge in Nottingham for today and the maximum temperature will be around 13 degrees through the day, making it extremely cold for both the teams on the field. "The unsettled weather continues this week with further heavy rain and thunderstorms expected to impact some parts of the UK," published The Met Office on their website. A record three matches have already been either abandoned or called off in the weather-hit tournament and the forecast is for further washouts this week. The absence of reserve days is being brought up by the players and the coaches, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday defended not scheduling reserve days for group matches at the rain-marred World Cup and blamed the disruptions on "extremely unseasonable weather". The organisers have been criticised for not allotting reserve days in the group stage and outgoing ICC chief executive David Richardson said it was not a feasible idea. "Factoring in a reserve day for every match ... would significantly increase the length of the tournament and practically would be extremely complex to deliver," he said in a statement. If the game is washed-out both India and New Zealand will get one point each. New Zealand are at the top of the points table with six points from three games and India have four points from two games with two victories. (All timings in GMT)

World Cup: Weather report of Nottingham for India vs New Zealand match

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday defended not scheduling reserve days for group matches at the rain-marred World Cup and blamed the disruptions on "extremely unseasonable weather".

A record three matches have already been either abandoned or called off in the weather-hit tournament and the forecast is for further washouts this week.

The organisers have been criticised for not allotting reserve days in the group stage and outgoing ICC chief executive David Richardson said it was not a feasible idea.

"Factoring in a reserve day for every match ... would significantly increase the length of the tournament and practically would be extremely complex to deliver," he said in a statement.

The knockout stage of the six-week tournament includes reserve days but it would post a massive logistical challenge at the group phase and inconvenience everyone, Richardson said.

"There is also no guarantee that the reserve day would be free from rain either," he said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sri-lanka-split-points-for-second-successive-time-after-match-washed-out-226325">Bangladesh </a>coach Steve Rhodes criticised the organisers after his team's match against Sri Lanka was abandoned on Tuesday without a ball bowled in Bristol.

"We put men on the moon, so why can't we have a reserve day, when actually this tournament is a long tournament?" Rhodes quipped.

"I know logistically, it would have been a big headache for the tournament organisers... but we have got quite a lot of time in between games, and if we have got to travel a day later, then so be it,"&nbsp;Rhodes said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-cricket-world-cup-2019-match-16-bangladesh-vs-sri-lanka-226226">Sri Lanka</a> captain Dimuth Karunaratne acknowledged the logistical challenge but still felt result days suited everyone.

"It's not easy, but if they can put on a reserve day, it would be good for everyone," said Karunaratne, whose team's previous match against Pakistan was also washed out.

Richardson, however, blamed the disruptions on an "extremely unseasonable weather".

"In the last couple of days we have experienced more than twice the average monthly rainfall for June which is usually the third driest month in the UK," he said.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday defended not scheduling reserve days for group matches at the rain-marred World Cup and blamed the disruptions on "extremely unseasonable weather".

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday defended not scheduling reserve days for group matches at the rain-marred World Cup and blamed the disruptions on "extremely unseasonable weather". A record three matches have already been either abandoned or called off in the weather-hit tournament and the forecast is for further washouts this week. The organisers have been criticised for not allotting reserve days in the group stage and outgoing ICC chief executive David Richardson said it was not a feasible idea. "Factoring in a reserve day for every match ... would significantly increase the length of the tournament and practically would be extremely complex to deliver," he said in a statement. The knockout stage of the six-week tournament includes reserve days but it would post a massive logistical challenge at the group phase and inconvenience everyone, Richardson said. "There is also no guarantee that the reserve day would be free from rain either," he said. Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes criticised the organisers after his team's match against Sri Lanka was abandoned on Tuesday without a ball bowled in Bristol. "We put men on the moon, so why can't we have a reserve day, when actually this tournament is a long tournament?" Rhodes quipped. "I know logistically, it would have been a big headache for the tournament organisers... but we have got quite a lot of time in between games, and if we have got to travel a day later, then so be it," Rhodes said. Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne acknowledged the logistical challenge but still felt result days suited everyone. "It's not easy, but if they can put on a reserve day, it would be good for everyone," said Karunaratne, whose team's previous match against Pakistan was also washed out. Richardson, however, blamed the disruptions on an "extremely unseasonable weather". "In the last couple of days we have experienced more than twice the average monthly rainfall for June which is usually the third driest month in the UK," he said.

World Cup: ICC defends no-reserve-day decision, blames 'unseasonable weather'

Australian pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood admits he is barely watching the World Cup as his disappointment at not being selected continues to cause him pain.

The 27-year-old was overlooked after being out of action since January with a back injury, as selectors preferred him to focus on getting ready for the Ashes Test series in England, which begins in August.

Hazlewood is currently in camp at Brisbane with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pakistani-fans-love-cricket-they-wont-boo-steven-smith-captain-sarfaraz-ahmed-226376">Australia </a>A squads - along with the likes of Peter Handscomb, Travis Head and Marcus Harris -&nbsp;ahead of their departure for England on Friday for a seven-week tour.

Now fully fit, he said he had was trying to avoid the World Cup and direct his energies elsewhere.

"I'm trying to focus on what I'm doing up here," he told cricket.com.au Wednesday.&nbsp;

"I'll sit down at night and watch a couple of overs but I'm trying to steer clear of it a little bit. The more you watch something, the more you probably miss it. So I'm just trying to pretend it's not on, to a degree," Hazlewood said.

Instead, his focus is on the Ashes, and he warned that he would be fresh and raring to go against the English batsmen.

"I know I can do a great job when I'm physically pretty fresh and that's how I'm going to enter this Ashes, so I'm looking forward to it," he said.

Hazlewood is set to make his return in the one-day format for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-marcus-stoinis-ruled-out-of-australias-clash-against-sri-lanka-226259">Australia </a>A from June 20, before three red-ball fixtures starting on July 7.&nbsp;

Those matches culminate in an 'Australia v Australia A' four-day fixture in Hampshire, which will serve as a final selection trial for the Ashes squad.&nbsp;

"I've done as much as I can in the nets. It takes that time out in the middle now to get that extra couple of per cent up to one hundred," Hazlewood&nbsp;said.

Australian pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood admits he is barely watching the World Cup as his disappointment at not being selected continues to cause him pain. The 27-year-old was overlooked after being out of action since January with a back injury, as selectors preferred him to focus on getting ready for the Ashes Test series in England, which begins in August.

Australian pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood admits he is barely watching the World Cup as his disappointment at not being selected continues to cause him pain. The 27-year-old was overlooked after being out of action since January with a back injury, as selectors preferred him to focus on getting ready for the Ashes Test series in England, which begins in August. Hazlewood is currently in camp at Brisbane with the Australia A squads - along with the likes of Peter Handscomb, Travis Head and Marcus Harris - ahead of their departure for England on Friday for a seven-week tour. Now fully fit, he said he had was trying to avoid the World Cup and direct his energies elsewhere. "I'm trying to focus on what I'm doing up here," he told cricket.com.au Wednesday. "I'll sit down at night and watch a couple of overs but I'm trying to steer clear of it a little bit. The more you watch something, the more you probably miss it. So I'm just trying to pretend it's not on, to a degree," Hazlewood said. Instead, his focus is on the Ashes, and he warned that he would be fresh and raring to go against the English batsmen. "I know I can do a great job when I'm physically pretty fresh and that's how I'm going to enter this Ashes, so I'm looking forward to it," he said. Hazlewood is set to make his return in the one-day format for Australia A from June 20, before three red-ball fixtures starting on July 7. Those matches culminate in an 'Australia v Australia A' four-day fixture in Hampshire, which will serve as a final selection trial for the Ashes squad. "I've done as much as I can in the nets. It takes that time out in the middle now to get that extra couple of per cent up to one hundred," Hazlewood said.

ICC Cricket World Cup too painful to watch, says Australia's Josh Hazlewood

Sarfaraz Ahmed insists Pakistan fans won't boo shamed Australia star <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/booing-smith-not-acceptable-i-said-sorry-to-him-on-behalf-of-the-crowd-kohli-225807">Steven Smith during their World Cup </a>match in Taunton on Wednesday.

Pakistan fans are expected to make up a large chunk of the crowd in the west country and there are fears they might follow the example of the India supporters who jeered Smith at the Oval on Sunday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-steve-smiths-reaction-when-virat-kohli-stopped-indian-fans-from-booing-him-225897">Watch: Steve Smith's reaction when Virat Kohli stopped Indian fans from booing him</a>

But Pakistan captain Sarfaraz says his compatriots will not resort to such tactics. &nbsp;

"I don't think Pakistani people will do that," Sarfaraz told reporters on Tuesday.&nbsp;

"Pakistani people love cricket, they love to support and they love the players."

A large number of Indian fans chanted "cheater" at Smith, who back in action following a year-long ball for his role in the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australia during their tour of South Africa in 2018.

India captain Virat Kohli gestured in an effort to quiet the crowd and later apologised to Smith.

Meanwhile, Sarfaraz vowed Pakistan will put their 5-0 whitewash by Australia in March behind them.

"I think that thing is gone, it's past," said Sarfaraz of the series in which he and six other top players were rested by Pakistan.

"We're not thinking about that. Actually we are thinking about the&nbsp;game. So our morale is very high and we will do our best."

Sarfaraz refused to be drawn on whether Australia will be troubled by the absence of all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, who has been ruled out with a side strain.

Australia have summoned another all-rounder Mitchell Marsh as potential cover for Stoinis.

"I am not thinking about them, what they are thinking at the moment. I am thinking about my team, so we'll make good planning against them," Sarfaraz said.

Pakistan were left frustrated after their match against Sri Lanka was washed out at Bristol on Friday, leaving them to share a point.

Before that, Pakistan had brought their campaign back on track with a surprise 14-run win against tournament favourites England, after a poor defeat at the hands of the West Indies.&nbsp;

With bad weather forecast for Taunton on Wednesday, Sarfaraz said his team are ready for a shortened match.&nbsp;

"Firstly, we can't control the weather. It's same for both teams. But if the match is short, definitely the planning is a change one," he said.

Sarfaraz Ahmed insists Pakistan fans won't boo shamed Australia star Steven Smith during their World Cup match in Taunton on Wednesday. Pakistan fans are expected to make up a large chunk of the crowd in the west country and there are fears they might follow the example of the India supporters who jeered Smith at the Oval on Sunday.

Sarfaraz Ahmed insists Pakistan fans won't boo shamed Australia star Steven Smith during their World Cup match in Taunton on Wednesday. Pakistan fans are expected to make up a large chunk of the crowd in the west country and there are fears they might follow the example of the India supporters who jeered Smith at the Oval on Sunday. Watch: Steve Smith's reaction when Virat Kohli stopped Indian fans from booing him But Pakistan captain Sarfaraz says his compatriots will not resort to such tactics. "I don't think Pakistani people will do that," Sarfaraz told reporters on Tuesday. "Pakistani people love cricket, they love to support and they love the players." A large number of Indian fans chanted "cheater" at Smith, who back in action following a year-long ball for his role in the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australia during their tour of South Africa in 2018. India captain Virat Kohli gestured in an effort to quiet the crowd and later apologised to Smith. Meanwhile, Sarfaraz vowed Pakistan will put their 5-0 whitewash by Australia in March behind them. "I think that thing is gone, it's past," said Sarfaraz of the series in which he and six other top players were rested by Pakistan. "We're not thinking about that. Actually we are thinking about the game. So our morale is very high and we will do our best." Sarfaraz refused to be drawn on whether Australia will be troubled by the absence of all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, who has been ruled out with a side strain. Australia have summoned another all-rounder Mitchell Marsh as potential cover for Stoinis. "I am not thinking about them, what they are thinking at the moment. I am thinking about my team, so we'll make good planning against them," Sarfaraz said. Pakistan were left frustrated after their match against Sri Lanka was washed out at Bristol on Friday, leaving them to share a point. Before that, Pakistan had brought their campaign back on track with a surprise 14-run win against tournament favourites England, after a poor defeat at the hands of the West Indies. With bad weather forecast for Taunton on Wednesday, Sarfaraz said his team are ready for a shortened match. "Firstly, we can't control the weather. It's same for both teams. But if the match is short, definitely the planning is a change one," he said.

Pakistani fans love cricket, they won't boo Steven Smith: Captain Sarfaraz Ahmed

Mohammad Amir had confessed to spot-fixing only after then ODI skipper Shahid Afridi slapped the fast bowler while Salman Butt was involved in corruption much before Pakistan's ill-fated tour of England in 2010, claimed former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq.

Spilling the beans on the scandal which tarnished the image of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-cricket-world-cup-2019-match-17-australia-vs-pakistan-226457">Pakistan </a>cricket, Razzaq narrated the Amir incident while speaking to the GNN news channel.&nbsp;

"He (Afridi) told me to leave the room but after a while, I heard the sound of a slap and then Amir told the whole truth," Razzaq said.

The all-rounder also blamed the then PCB set-up for bringing a bad name to Pakistan cricket.

"I thought instead of going to the ICC to prove its efficiency, the PCB should have instead directly taken the three players to task despite their denials and sent them back home on some pretext. They should have banned them for a year or so. In the end, by not doing this, the PCB spoilt the image of Pakistan cricket worldwide," Razzaq said.

Razzaq, 39, also claimed that Butt was deliberately getting out and playing dot balls much before the scandal broke out in England.

"I shared my concerns with Afridi but he said it is just my waham (misconception) and nothing is wrong. But when I was batting with Salman Butt during a match of the World T20 in West Indies, I was convinced he was letting down the team."

Razzaq recalled he told Butt to take a single and give him the strike but he did not pay heed to his advice.&nbsp;

"I was surprised when he refused this strategy. When I realised what he was up to (something) I told him strictly to give me the strike. Yet every over he deliberately played two or three balls and then gave me strike. I got upset and felt the pressure and got out."

Butt, Amir and Mohammad Asif were the three players eventually banned for a minimum of five years in early 2011 by the ICC's anti-corruption tribunal after they were first suspended in September 2010.

All three have now returned to playing cricket after completing their five-year bans.

But only Amir has been considered and picked for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pakistani-fans-love-cricket-they-wont-boo-steven-smith-captain-sarfaraz-ahmed-226376">Pakistan </a>national team and is presently competing in the World Cup.

Mohammad Amir had confessed to spot-fixing only after then ODI skipper Shahid Afridi slapped the fast bowler while Salman Butt was involved in corruption much before Pakistan's ill-fated tour of England in 2010, claimed former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq.

Mohammad Amir had confessed to spot-fixing only after then ODI skipper Shahid Afridi slapped the fast bowler while Salman Butt was involved in corruption much before Pakistan's ill-fated tour of England in 2010, claimed former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq. Spilling the beans on the scandal which tarnished the image of Pakistan cricket, Razzaq narrated the Amir incident while speaking to the GNN news channel. "He (Afridi) told me to leave the room but after a while, I heard the sound of a slap and then Amir told the whole truth," Razzaq said. The all-rounder also blamed the then PCB set-up for bringing a bad name to Pakistan cricket. "I thought instead of going to the ICC to prove its efficiency, the PCB should have instead directly taken the three players to task despite their denials and sent them back home on some pretext. They should have banned them for a year or so. In the end, by not doing this, the PCB spoilt the image of Pakistan cricket worldwide," Razzaq said. Razzaq, 39, also claimed that Butt was deliberately getting out and playing dot balls much before the scandal broke out in England. "I shared my concerns with Afridi but he said it is just my waham (misconception) and nothing is wrong. But when I was batting with Salman Butt during a match of the World T20 in West Indies, I was convinced he was letting down the team." Razzaq recalled he told Butt to take a single and give him the strike but he did not pay heed to his advice. "I was surprised when he refused this strategy. When I realised what he was up to (something) I told him strictly to give me the strike. Yet every over he deliberately played two or three balls and then gave me strike. I got upset and felt the pressure and got out." Butt, Amir and Mohammad Asif were the three players eventually banned for a minimum of five years in early 2011 by the ICC's anti-corruption tribunal after they were first suspended in September 2010. All three have now returned to playing cricket after completing their five-year bans. But only Amir has been considered and picked for the Pakistan national team and is presently competing in the World Cup.

Mohammad Amir confessed to spot-fixing after Shahid Afridi slapped him: Abdul Razzaq

A final decision on Shikhar Dhawan's availability at the ongoing World Cup will be taken only after 10 to 12 days as he is too "precious" to be ruled out just yet, India's assistant coach Sanjay Bangar said Wednesday.

Dhawan will miss three to four games due to the hairline fracture on his left thumb and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rishabh-pant-to-be-flown-in-today-as-cover-for-injured-shikhar-dhawan-says-bcci-official-226423">Rishabh Pant</a> will join the team as cover in Manchester ahead of the clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday.

"As far as Shikhar is concerned, we are observing him and it will take some time, around 10 or 12 days to figure out where he stands," Bangar said on the eve of the game against New Zealand here.

"We will be in a better position to take a call then because we don't want to rule out a precious player like Shikhar, straight at the time of the injury," he added.

The assistant coach's statement means that Dhawan will be out of the games against New Zealand (Thursday), Pakistan (Manchester, June 16), Afghanistan (June 22, Southampton) and West Indies (June 27, Manchester).

Bangar also informed that Pant is being summoned so that he can train with the team and be match-ready in case <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-shikhar-dhawan-ruled-out-for-three-weeks-due-to-injury-226202">Dhawan </a>is ruled out of the tournament.

"Since Dhawan's assessment will take 10-12 days, till that point of time, we wanted to make sure if and when the replacement is required and I am saying if and when, then it is always good to have a replacement player coming in and practising with the team as a stand-by," Bangar said.

A final decision on Shikhar Dhawan's availability at the ongoing World Cup will be taken only after 10 to 12 days as he is too "precious" to be ruled out just yet, India's assistant coach Sanjay Bangar said Wednesday.

A final decision on Shikhar Dhawan's availability at the ongoing World Cup will be taken only after 10 to 12 days as he is too "precious" to be ruled out just yet, India's assistant coach Sanjay Bangar said Wednesday. Dhawan will miss three to four games due to the hairline fracture on his left thumb and Rishabh Pant will join the team as cover in Manchester ahead of the clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday. "As far as Shikhar is concerned, we are observing him and it will take some time, around 10 or 12 days to figure out where he stands," Bangar said on the eve of the game against New Zealand here. "We will be in a better position to take a call then because we don't want to rule out a precious player like Shikhar, straight at the time of the injury," he added. The assistant coach's statement means that Dhawan will be out of the games against New Zealand (Thursday), Pakistan (Manchester, June 16), Afghanistan (June 22, Southampton) and West Indies (June 27, Manchester). Bangar also informed that Pant is being summoned so that he can train with the team and be match-ready in case Dhawan is ruled out of the tournament. "Since Dhawan's assessment will take 10-12 days, till that point of time, we wanted to make sure if and when the replacement is required and I am saying if and when, then it is always good to have a replacement player coming in and practising with the team as a stand-by," Bangar said.

Final call on 'precious' Shikhar Dhawan only after 10-12 days: Sanjay Bangar

Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan&nbsp;will miss the next three to four games with a hand injury, assistant coach Sanjay Bangar confirmed ahead of team's upcoming match against New Zealand.&nbsp;

Dhawan, however,&nbsp;was spotted at the nets during India's practice session. The left-hand batsman&nbsp;was seen strolling around the ground, talking to India's bowling coach Bharat Arun and leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-amid-injury-scare-cricketer-shikhar-dhawan-tweets-couplet-226451">Dhawan </a>sustained the injury during his match-winning hundred against Australia on Sunday when Nathan Coulter-Nile's rising delivery hit on his hand.&nbsp;

Bangar also confirmed that back-up opener KL Rahul, who was picked to play at number four, will partner Rohit Sharma at the top of the order starting with Thursday's match against New Zealand.&nbsp;

"In 10-12 days we'll be taking a call on the status of Shikhar," Bangar told reporters after the team's light practice at Trent Bridge.

"If and when a replacement is required, it's always good to have the replacement player already in and practising regularly as a standby."

Watch: Shikhar Dhawan at India's practice session

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Shikhar Dhawan at India's practice session at Trent Bridge, Nottingham ahead of their <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICCCricketWorldCup2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ICCCricketWorldCup2019</a> match against New Zealand, tomorrow. He had suffered a fracture on his thumb in India's match against Australia on 9 June &amp; has been ruled out for at least a week. <a href="https://t.co/4PjV3dvH6j">pic.twitter.com/4PjV3dvH6j</a>
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"...Dhawan is presently under the observation of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-bcci-releases-official-statement-on-shikhar-dhawans-thumb-injury-226345">BCCI medical team</a>. The team management has decided that Dhawan will continue to be in England and his progress will be monitored," the Indian team said in a statement.&nbsp;

"Dhawan sustained an injury on the back of his left hand in the region between the index finger and thumb...," the statement added.&nbsp;

Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan will miss the next three to four games with a hand injury, assistant coach Sanjay Bangar confirmed ahead of team's upcoming match against New Zealand.

Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan will miss the next three to four games with a hand injury, assistant coach Sanjay Bangar confirmed ahead of team's upcoming match against New Zealand. Dhawan, however, was spotted at the nets during India's practice session. The left-hand batsman was seen strolling around the ground, talking to India's bowling coach Bharat Arun and leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Dhawan sustained the injury during his match-winning hundred against Australia on Sunday when Nathan Coulter-Nile's rising delivery hit on his hand. Bangar also confirmed that back-up opener KL Rahul, who was picked to play at number four, will partner Rohit Sharma at the top of the order starting with Thursday's match against New Zealand. "In 10-12 days we'll be taking a call on the status of Shikhar," Bangar told reporters after the team's light practice at Trent Bridge. "If and when a replacement is required, it's always good to have the replacement player already in and practising regularly as a standby." Watch: Shikhar Dhawan at India's practice session #WATCH Shikhar Dhawan at India's practice session at Trent Bridge, Nottingham ahead of their #ICCCricketWorldCup2019 match against New Zealand, tomorrow. He had suffered a fracture on his thumb in India's match against Australia on 9 June & has been ruled out for at least a week. pic.twitter.com/4PjV3dvH6j — ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2019 × "...Dhawan is presently under the observation of the BCCI medical team. The team management has decided that Dhawan will continue to be in England and his progress will be monitored," the Indian team said in a statement. "Dhawan sustained an injury on the back of his left hand in the region between the index finger and thumb...," the statement added.

Watch: Injured Shikhar Dhawan during India's practice session ahead of New Zealand clash

Bangladesh are optimistic that all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will recover from a thigh injury in time for Monday's World Cup match against West Indies in Taunton, their coach Steve Rhodes has said.

Shakib strained a muscle in his left thigh while batting against England in Cardiff last week, but fought past the pain to make 121 runs as <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/bangladesh-beat-south-africa-by-21-runs-in-cricket-world-cup-223723&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjG577x7-PiAhVSdCsKHfW5CnMQFjABegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1M7oN8PBRXc0RcchqzCFn8">Bangladesh </a>lost by 106 runs.

The 32-year old, who has scored 260 runs at the tournament so far, was a doubt for Tuesday's match against Sri Lanka, which was subsequently abandoned, and Rhodes is confident the extra week's rest will do him good.

"He picked up a little injury in that game against <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-england-beat-bangladesh-by-106-runs-225564&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi0voed8OPiAhWm6nMBHRgsCMIQFjABegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1rW7O7mqR00t7d5XLFwwLT">England </a>and he fought on and battled on and played extremely well with an injury," Rhodes told reporters on Tuesday.

"We're very, very optimistic that with the treatment he will get this week he can recover well and play in that next game against West Indies," Rhodes said.

Here's the&nbsp;complete fixture of Cricket World Cup 2019:

<img alt="ICC World Cup 2019 " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="48988c74-a410-4a79-8332-21cca61c3673" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/ICC%20World%20Cup%202019%20%281%29_27.jpg" />

Bangladesh will face West Indies on June 17 at Cardiff.

Bangladesh are optimistic that all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will recover from a thigh injury in time for Monday's World Cup match against West Indies in Taunton, their coach Steve Rhodes has said.

Bangladesh are optimistic that all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will recover from a thigh injury in time for Monday's World Cup match against West Indies in Taunton, their coach Steve Rhodes has said. Shakib strained a muscle in his left thigh while batting against England in Cardiff last week, but fought past the pain to make 121 runs as Bangladesh lost by 106 runs. The 32-year old, who has scored 260 runs at the tournament so far, was a doubt for Tuesday's match against Sri Lanka, which was subsequently abandoned, and Rhodes is confident the extra week's rest will do him good. "He picked up a little injury in that game against England and he fought on and battled on and played extremely well with an injury," Rhodes told reporters on Tuesday. "We're very, very optimistic that with the treatment he will get this week he can recover well and play in that next game against West Indies," Rhodes said. Here's the complete fixture of Cricket World Cup 2019: Bangladesh will face West Indies on June 17 at Cardiff.

World Cup: Bangladesh confident injured Shakib Al Hasan will play against West Indies

Players to watch out for in India vs New Zealand clash at World Cup

Salman Khan is happy with the worldwide reaction&nbsp;to his recently released film 'Bharat'. He added another feather in his hat as the Indian cricket team members who are currently in London for the World Cup tournament posed for a picture after watching his film.&nbsp;

The actor then returned the favour by writing&nbsp;that the whole country is proud of them and is backing them during the world cup.&nbsp;

The picture was posted from cricketer Kedar Jadhav’s profile. Seen in the picture are Shikhar Dhawan, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, MS Dhoni and others from the team. He captioned the image, "Bharat Ki Team, Bharat movie ke baad."

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BHARAT KI TEAM ❤️ BHARAT MOVIE KE BAAD 🎬 <a href="https://twitter.com/hardikpandya7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hardikpandya7</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/klrahul11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@klrahul11</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SDhawan25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SDhawan25</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/atulreellife?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@atulreellife</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BeingSalmanKhan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BeingSalmanKhan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aliabbaszafar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@aliabbaszafar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nikhilnamit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nikhilnamit</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Bharat_TheFilm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bharat_TheFilm</a> <a href="https://t.co/zv4jgtSkhK">pic.twitter.com/zv4jgtSkhK</a>
— IamKedar (@JadhavKedar) <a href="https://twitter.com/JadhavKedar/status/1138616771164942336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Salman then replied to this and wrote, "Thank you Bharat team for liking Bharat... shukriya bhaiyon for watching #Bharat in England...best wishes for the upcoming matches... pura #Bharat apke sath hai..."

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Thank you Bharat team for liking Bharat... shukriya bhaiyon for watching <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bharat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bharat</a> in England...best wishes for the upcoming matches... pura <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bharat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bharat</a> apke sath hai... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BharatJeetega?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BharatJeetega</a> <a href="https://t.co/jusDppfvOc">https://t.co/jusDppfvOc</a>
— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) <a href="https://twitter.com/BeingSalmanKhan/status/1138668748829675521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Salman’s ‘Bharat’ has been <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/salman-khans-bharat-enters-rs-100-crore-club-within-four-days-of-its-release-225806">doing good business at the box office</a> as it has already collected Rs 150 crores in 5 days and continues to mint money. It has crossed Rs 160 crore at the box office and Rs 250 crore worldwide.&nbsp;

‘Bharat’ is an adaptation of the Korean film ‘An Ode To My Father’. The film also features Jackie Shroff, Tabu, Disha Patani, Katrina Kaif and Sunil Grover in pivotal roles. It released this Eid on June 5.&nbsp;

Salman Khan is happy with the worldwide reaction to his recently released film 'Bharat'. He added another feather in his hat as the Indian cricket team members who are currently in London for the World Cup tournament posed for a picture after watching his film.

Salman Khan is happy with the worldwide reaction to his recently released film 'Bharat'. He added another feather in his hat as the Indian cricket team members who are currently in London for the World Cup tournament posed for a picture after watching his film. The actor then returned the favour by writing that the whole country is proud of them and is backing them during the world cup. The picture was posted from cricketer Kedar Jadhav’s profile. Seen in the picture are Shikhar Dhawan, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, MS Dhoni and others from the team. He captioned the image, "Bharat Ki Team, Bharat movie ke baad." BHARAT KI TEAM ❤️ BHARAT MOVIE KE BAAD 🎬 @hardikpandya7 @msdhoni @klrahul11 @SDhawan25 @atulreellife @BeingSalmanKhan @aliabbaszafar @nikhilnamit @Bharat_TheFilm pic.twitter.com/zv4jgtSkhK — IamKedar (@JadhavKedar) June 12, 2019 × Salman then replied to this and wrote, "Thank you Bharat team for liking Bharat... shukriya bhaiyon for watching #Bharat in England...best wishes for the upcoming matches... pura #Bharat apke sath hai..." Thank you Bharat team for liking Bharat... shukriya bhaiyon for watching #Bharat in England...best wishes for the upcoming matches... pura #Bharat apke sath hai... #BharatJeetega https://t.co/jusDppfvOc — Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) June 12, 2019 × Salman’s ‘Bharat’ has been doing good business at the box office as it has already collected Rs 150 crores in 5 days and continues to mint money. It has crossed Rs 160 crore at the box office and Rs 250 crore worldwide. ‘Bharat’ is an adaptation of the Korean film ‘An Ode To My Father’. The film also features Jackie Shroff, Tabu, Disha Patani, Katrina Kaif and Sunil Grover in pivotal roles. It released this Eid on June 5.

Salman Khan wishes Indian cricket team for World Cup as they share photo post watching 'Bharat'

Days after South Africa coach Ottis Gibson and selection panel convenor Linda Zondi put forward their views on AB de Villiers'&nbsp;desire to feature in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, skipper Faf du Plessis also opined over the issue saying his offer came in too late to consider.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/no-regrets-south-africa-on-turning-down-ab-de-villiers-approach-224972&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwimpuqq2ODiAhVI7HMBHT0eDTMQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3owe_imi9UdxPRrcqwp0-7">Du Plessis</a> revealed that he shared a phone call with De Villiers during this edition of Indian Premier League (IPL).

"It was just a conversation, a phone call the night before the team got announced. It was just a 'this is what I'm feeling'&nbsp;[phone call]. I said to him, 'I think it is too late but I will check in with the coach and the selectors the next morning.'&nbsp;When I spoke to the coach and the selectors, they all agreed that it was way, way too late to change the team on 99.99," ICC quoted Du Plessis as saying.

South Africa has been on a dismal run in the premier tournament as they have lost their first three matches.

However, in their fourth match against West Indies on Monday, they got one point as the match got abandoned due to rain and consequently, both the teams were awarded one point each.

Du Plessis was also asked whether all these recent incidents regarding <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/ab-de-villiers-offered-to-come-out-of-retirement-for-world-cup-224906&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwimpuqq2ODiAhVI7HMBHT0eDTMQFjABegQIDBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3z-QXTqMMA4xpmwWM8Fsae">De Villiers</a> impacted his team negatively or had a galvanizing effect, the 34-year old replied,&nbsp;"I think a little bit of both. We do feel like the news came in and like went through the team. It didn't have a huge impact."

Du Plessis admitted that his friendship with De Villiers has not changed amid all this.

"AB and I are still friends. This incident has not changed that. This is a small thing for a friendship that goes so way back," he said.

South Africa will now face Afghanistan at Sophia Gardens on June 15.

Days after South Africa coach Ottis Gibson and selection panel convenor Linda Zondi put forward their views on AB de Villiers' desire to feature in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, skipper Faf du Plessis also opined over the issue saying his offer came in too late to consider.

Days after South Africa coach Ottis Gibson and selection panel convenor Linda Zondi put forward their views on AB de Villiers' desire to feature in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, skipper Faf du Plessis also opined over the issue saying his offer came in too late to consider. Du Plessis revealed that he shared a phone call with De Villiers during this edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). "It was just a conversation, a phone call the night before the team got announced. It was just a 'this is what I'm feeling' [phone call]. I said to him, 'I think it is too late but I will check in with the coach and the selectors the next morning.' When I spoke to the coach and the selectors, they all agreed that it was way, way too late to change the team on 99.99," ICC quoted Du Plessis as saying. South Africa has been on a dismal run in the premier tournament as they have lost their first three matches. However, in their fourth match against West Indies on Monday, they got one point as the match got abandoned due to rain and consequently, both the teams were awarded one point each. Du Plessis was also asked whether all these recent incidents regarding De Villiers impacted his team negatively or had a galvanizing effect, the 34-year old replied, "I think a little bit of both. We do feel like the news came in and like went through the team. It didn't have a huge impact." Du Plessis admitted that his friendship with De Villiers has not changed amid all this. "AB and I are still friends. This incident has not changed that. This is a small thing for a friendship that goes so way back," he said. South Africa will now face Afghanistan at Sophia Gardens on June 15.

World Cup: AB de Villiers' offer was too late to change team, says South Africa captain Faf du Plessis

Players to watch out for in Australia vs Pakistan clash at World Cup

Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of Australia's clash against Pakistan on Wednesday due to a side strain.

Defending champions Australia, who were aiming to bounce back after losing their third match to India, will have to rely on Glenn Maxwell as their only all-rounder in the squad.

Although <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-ricky-ponting-says-marcus-stoinis-is-best-outfielder-in-australia-squad-225437&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjqucO_p-HiAhVdknAKHeSbDeoQFjAAegQIBhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2wW0wy-78tEaY1SPiAUaMD">Stoinis</a> has not been ruled out the tournament, Mitchell Marsh, who was supposed to tour England with the Australia A team, has been flown in early as cover.&nbsp;

Stoinis will be re-examined before Australia's match against Sri Lanka on Saturday to determine if he will be out of the tournament permanently.

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BREAKING: Australia's Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of tomorrow's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC19</a> game against Pakistan with a side strain. Mitchell Marsh has flown over to the UK as cover, though Stoinis remains part of the squad for now. <a href="https://t.co/c475unsJ3F">pic.twitter.com/c475unsJ3F</a>
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketworldcup/status/1138398702404550656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The official statement published on tournament's Twitter account read, "Australia's Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of tomorrow's #CWC19 game against Pakistan with a side strain."

"Mitchell Marsh has flown over to the UK as cover, though Stoinis remains part of the squad for now," the statement added.&nbsp;

Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of Australia's clash against Pakistan on Wednesday due to a side strain. Defending champions Australia, who were aiming to bounce back after losing their third match to India, will have to rely on Glenn Maxwell as their only all-rounder in the squad.

Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of Australia's clash against Pakistan on Wednesday due to a side strain. Defending champions Australia, who were aiming to bounce back after losing their third match to India, will have to rely on Glenn Maxwell as their only all-rounder in the squad. Although Stoinis has not been ruled out the tournament, Mitchell Marsh, who was supposed to tour England with the Australia A team, has been flown in early as cover. Stoinis will be re-examined before Australia's match against Sri Lanka on Saturday to determine if he will be out of the tournament permanently. BREAKING: Australia's Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of tomorrow's #CWC19 game against Pakistan with a side strain. Mitchell Marsh has flown over to the UK as cover, though Stoinis remains part of the squad for now. pic.twitter.com/c475unsJ3F — Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) June 11, 2019 × The official statement published on tournament's Twitter account read, "Australia's Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of tomorrow's #CWC19 game against Pakistan with a side strain." "Mitchell Marsh has flown over to the UK as cover, though Stoinis remains part of the squad for now," the statement added.

World Cup: Marcus Stoinis ruled out of Australia's clash against Sri Lanka

After Australia faced their first defeat in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, team's assistant coach Ricky Ponting admitted that it was their batting which was not up to the mark.

"Our batting was just a little bit off again. We seemed to find the field a lot in the first 10 overs," Cricket.com.au quoted Ponting as saying.

Chasing a mammoth<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-shikhar-dhawan-shines-as-india-beat-holders-australia-by-36-runs-225791"> target of 353 runs set by India</a>, Australia skipper Aaron Finch, who opened the inning with David Warner, got run out in the 14th over after scoring 36 runs.

Ponting feels that Finch's run out happened at a really crucial time as the team had just started to get momentum.

"The run out happened at a really crucial time (the 14th over). The momentum had just started to turn there, Finchy had started to find the boundary a bit more frequently," he said.

India opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan hammered a ton while the skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-had-a-point-to-prove-against-australia-says-virat-kohli-225792">Virat Kohli</a> also added 82 runs on the board to help their side post a big target for Australia.

Ponting stated that they also needed a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-shikhar-dhawan-ruled-out-for-three-weeks-due-to-injury-226202">Dhawan</a>-like inning in their top-order and that would have had put them in the game.

"We just needed someone at the top to go on and make a big hundred like Dhawan did and we would have been right in the game," Ponting said.

Despite all this, Ponting still has full faith in both the openers as he said,&nbsp;"Finch and Warner are probably as good as openers in the world. Finchy has turned things around really well in the last five or six months, Davey coming back has made runs. By his own admission today, (Warner) probably wasn't at his absolute best. He hit the field too often early on and wasn't able to rotate as he would have liked."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-steve-smiths-reaction-when-virat-kohli-stopped-indian-fans-from-booing-him-225897">Steve Smith</a> came out to bat before Usman Khawaja and Ponting backed this decision by saying that they wanted a right-hand, left-hand combination during India's perilous spin attack.

"We wanted to have (favourable) left-hand, right-hand (match-ups) with those spinners and we thought Steven plays spin as well as anybody, so that was the only reason. It happens quite a lot in the modern game where you see that right-hand, left-hand combination, especially if they've got a lot of spin," he said.

After Australia faced their first defeat in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, team's assistant coach Ricky Ponting admitted that it was their batting which was not up to the mark.

After Australia faced their first defeat in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, team's assistant coach Ricky Ponting admitted that it was their batting which was not up to the mark. "Our batting was just a little bit off again. We seemed to find the field a lot in the first 10 overs," Cricket.com.au quoted Ponting as saying. Chasing a mammoth target of 353 runs set by India, Australia skipper Aaron Finch, who opened the inning with David Warner, got run out in the 14th over after scoring 36 runs. Ponting feels that Finch's run out happened at a really crucial time as the team had just started to get momentum. "The run out happened at a really crucial time (the 14th over). The momentum had just started to turn there, Finchy had started to find the boundary a bit more frequently," he said. India opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan hammered a ton while the skipper Virat Kohli also added 82 runs on the board to help their side post a big target for Australia. Ponting stated that they also needed a Dhawan-like inning in their top-order and that would have had put them in the game. "We just needed someone at the top to go on and make a big hundred like Dhawan did and we would have been right in the game," Ponting said. Despite all this, Ponting still has full faith in both the openers as he said, "Finch and Warner are probably as good as openers in the world. Finchy has turned things around really well in the last five or six months, Davey coming back has made runs. By his own admission today, (Warner) probably wasn't at his absolute best. He hit the field too often early on and wasn't able to rotate as he would have liked." Steve Smith came out to bat before Usman Khawaja and Ponting backed this decision by saying that they wanted a right-hand, left-hand combination during India's perilous spin attack. "We wanted to have (favourable) left-hand, right-hand (match-ups) with those spinners and we thought Steven plays spin as well as anybody, so that was the only reason. It happens quite a lot in the modern game where you see that right-hand, left-hand combination, especially if they've got a lot of spin," he said.

World Cup: 'Our batting was little bit off', says Ricky Ponting after Australia's defeat against India

Steve Waugh, former Australia captain compared India's Hardik Pandya with 1999 World Cup's man of the tournament, South African Lance Klusener.

Pandya played a crucial role in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-cricket-world-cup-2019-match-14-india-vs-australia-225643">India's 36-run victory over Australia</a>.

Sent to bat at number four, Pandya hit 48 runs off 27 balls, helping India post a total of 352 for 5.

"...It's the innings of Hardik Pandya that will send shivers down opposition spines. This guy might just be the equivalent of Lance Klusener in the 1999 World Cup. He has the ability to begin his innings like most finish, with clean hitting that no opposing captain can protect," Waugh wrote in his column for the ICC's official website.

The damaging stroke play by Pandya, who hit four fours and three sixes, reminded Waugh of Klusener's fireworks in the 1999 World Cup.&nbsp;

Klusener was player of the tournament 20 years ago in England for his destructive lower-order hitting that netted 281 runs at a strike rate of 122.17, a phenomenal tally in the pre-T20 days of 1999.

"When they (India) get off to solid opening partnership, as they did against Australia, they then have the luxury of seeing Virat Kohli orchestrate the remainder of the innings," Waugh wrote.

Praising veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni who hit a 14-ball 27, Waugh said, "The cunning and sheer brilliance of MS Dhoni rarely fails to deliver and again he timed his assault on Australia to post a 350 plus target. ''

Steve Waugh also lauded Indian skipper Virat Kohli for "calming down" the crowd which booed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-steve-smiths-reaction-when-virat-kohli-stopped-indian-fans-from-booing-him-225897">Steve Smith</a> in their World Cup clash in London, calling the gesture a "class act".

Waugh, one of the toughest and most successful captains of all time, said he was impressed by Kohli's action of asking the crowd to not boo Smith, who is continuing to cope the fans' ire after returning from a one-year ban for ball-tampering.

"Leadership reveals itself in many forms but I thought <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/booing-smith-not-acceptable-i-said-sorry-to-him-on-behalf-of-the-crowd-kohli-225807">Virat Kohli's gesture</a> in calming down the rough reception given to Steve Smith from the Indian spectators was a class act that calmed a volatile situation," Waugh, who led Australia to World Cup title in 1999, wrote for the ICC.

During the clash with India, which Australia lost by 36 runs, the Indian fans booed Smith and chanted "cheater, cheater" when the defending champions were fielding.&nbsp;

Kohli urged them to calm down and instead cheer his batting.

Waugh said India's 36-run victory in the high-pressure World Cup clash will provide them with enormous confidence as they move forward in this tournament.

Steve Waugh, former Australia captain compared India's Hardik Pandya with 1999 World Cup's man of the tournament, South African Lance Klusener. Pandya played a crucial role in India's 36-run victory over Australia.

Steve Waugh, former Australia captain compared India's Hardik Pandya with 1999 World Cup's man of the tournament, South African Lance Klusener. Pandya played a crucial role in India's 36-run victory over Australia. Sent to bat at number four, Pandya hit 48 runs off 27 balls, helping India post a total of 352 for 5. "...It's the innings of Hardik Pandya that will send shivers down opposition spines. This guy might just be the equivalent of Lance Klusener in the 1999 World Cup. He has the ability to begin his innings like most finish, with clean hitting that no opposing captain can protect," Waugh wrote in his column for the ICC's official website. The damaging stroke play by Pandya, who hit four fours and three sixes, reminded Waugh of Klusener's fireworks in the 1999 World Cup. Klusener was player of the tournament 20 years ago in England for his destructive lower-order hitting that netted 281 runs at a strike rate of 122.17, a phenomenal tally in the pre-T20 days of 1999. "When they (India) get off to solid opening partnership, as they did against Australia, they then have the luxury of seeing Virat Kohli orchestrate the remainder of the innings," Waugh wrote. Praising veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni who hit a 14-ball 27, Waugh said, "The cunning and sheer brilliance of MS Dhoni rarely fails to deliver and again he timed his assault on Australia to post a 350 plus target. '' Steve Waugh also lauded Indian skipper Virat Kohli for "calming down" the crowd which booed Steve Smith in their World Cup clash in London, calling the gesture a "class act". Waugh, one of the toughest and most successful captains of all time, said he was impressed by Kohli's action of asking the crowd to not boo Smith, who is continuing to cope the fans' ire after returning from a one-year ban for ball-tampering. "Leadership reveals itself in many forms but I thought Virat Kohli's gesture in calming down the rough reception given to Steve Smith from the Indian spectators was a class act that calmed a volatile situation," Waugh, who led Australia to World Cup title in 1999, wrote for the ICC. During the clash with India, which Australia lost by 36 runs, the Indian fans booed Smith and chanted "cheater, cheater" when the defending champions were fielding. Kohli urged them to calm down and instead cheer his batting. Waugh said India's 36-run victory in the high-pressure World Cup clash will provide them with enormous confidence as they move forward in this tournament.

World Cup: Waugh compares Hardik Pandya with Lance Klusener after blistering innings against Australia

Heavy rain threatens to play spoilsport when <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-cricket-world-cup-2019-match-14-india-vs-australia-225643">India</a> face New Zealand in their next World Cup game at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

However, as per weather forecast, the rain is likely to subside by lunchtime on Thursday which means at least a curtailed game remains a possibility.

There have&nbsp;been <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-world-cup-2019-sri-lanka-bangladesh-hope-for-a-game-as-bristol-rain-threatens-washout-226177">persistent showers across the United Kingdom</a> for the past two days and the local Met department has issued a warning for the residents.

"A Yellow Warning for rain is in force in the Nottingham area for most of this week," local website 'Nottinghampost' reported.

The Met office's warning on its website covered a large area of England, including Birmingham, Peterborough and Newcastle.

"There is a chance that heavy prolonged rain could lead to localised flooding and disruption to transport," it said.

As per local Met Office weather forecast for Nottingham, the heavy rain will continue till 7 pm on Wednesday.

"That lighter rain is expected to finally come to an end at about lunchtime on Thursday. The maximum temperatures will be around 13 degree Celsius and minimum overnight temperatures will be around 10 or 11 degree Celsius," the website reported.&nbsp;

Heavy rain threatens to play spoilsport when India face New Zealand in their next World Cup game at Trent Bridge on Thursday. However, as per weather forecast, the rain is likely to subside by lunchtime on Thursday which means at least a curtailed game remains a possibility.

Heavy rain threatens to play spoilsport when India face New Zealand in their next World Cup game at Trent Bridge on Thursday. However, as per weather forecast, the rain is likely to subside by lunchtime on Thursday which means at least a curtailed game remains a possibility. There have been persistent showers across the United Kingdom for the past two days and the local Met department has issued a warning for the residents. "A Yellow Warning for rain is in force in the Nottingham area for most of this week," local website 'Nottinghampost' reported. The Met office's warning on its website covered a large area of England, including Birmingham, Peterborough and Newcastle. "There is a chance that heavy prolonged rain could lead to localised flooding and disruption to transport," it said. As per local Met Office weather forecast for Nottingham, the heavy rain will continue till 7 pm on Wednesday. "That lighter rain is expected to finally come to an end at about lunchtime on Thursday. The maximum temperatures will be around 13 degree Celsius and minimum overnight temperatures will be around 10 or 11 degree Celsius," the website reported.

World Cup: Heavy rain forecast ahead of India vs New Zealand match

Yuvraj Singh announced retirement from international cricket on June 10 but India's star&nbsp;opener Rohit Sharma said that middle-order batsman deserved a better send-off.&nbsp;

"I have decided to move on. Cricket has given me everything and that's why I am standing here," he said after being reduced to tears by a video of the highlights of his career.&nbsp;

Rohit praised&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/its-time-to-say-goodbye-yuvraj-singh-announces-retirement-from-international-cricket-225902&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwid39m27uDiAhVh7nMBHfBgCNcQFjAAegQIAxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ehlg-RffipHQqURIS8lB_">Yuvraj Singh's</a> roller-coaster career and wrote, "You don't know what you got till its gone. Love you brotherman. You deserved a better send-off."

Yuvraj played 40 Tests, 304 ODIs and 58 T20Is for India.&nbsp;

He put together 1900 runs in the longest format, and 8701 in the one-dayers, the format in which he enjoyed the most success.&nbsp;

His one-day runs tally places him 22nd in the overall list, and seventh among Indians.

He is among the Indian greats who did not get a farewell game after contemporaries Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Gautam Gambhir.

After he announced his retirement in Mumbai on Monday, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-fraternity-reacts-as-yuvraj-singh-hangs-up-his-boots-225964&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwid39m27uDiAhVh7nMBHfBgCNcQFjABegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1IiAYfaujGxklk83Zi85Ph">Yuvraj </a>revealed that he was promised a farewell game by the BCCI provided he failed the 'Yo-Yo' fitness test.

However, he passed it and the swansong never happened.

"Mujhe bola gaya tha agar aapse 'Yo-Yo' test pass nahi hota toh aap retirement match khel sakate ho (I was told that if you are not able to pass the 'Yo-Yo' test, I would get a farewell game)," the 37-year-old said at an emotional press conference to announce his decision to quit international cricket to pursue a freelance T20 career internationally.

"I did not tell anyone in BCCI that I have to play the last match. Agar main accha tha, potential tha toh main ground pe se chale jaata. (If I was good enough, I would have retired from the ground). Aur mujhe is tarha ki cricket khelna pasand nahi hai, ki mujhe ek match chahiye (I don't like to ask for a game, I have never played the game with that mindset)," he said.&nbsp;

"Toh maine us time bola ki mujhe retirement match nahi chahiye, 'Yo-Yo' test pass nahi hoga toh main chup chhap ghar chale jayunga? 'Yo-Yo' test pass kiya and then rest is not my call," <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/photos/yuvraj-singh-a-journey-of-ups-and-downs-226051&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwid39m27uDiAhVh7nMBHfBgCNcQFjADegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0A19ZugUhOUryCTmGfOqf2">Yuvraj&nbsp;</a>said.

&nbsp;The 37-year-old, who announced his retirement here after almost 17 years of international cricket, last played for India in June 2017.

Yuvraj Singh announced retirement from international cricket on June 10 but India's star opener Rohit Sharma said that middle-order batsman deserved a better send-off.

Yuvraj Singh announced retirement from international cricket on June 10 but India's star opener Rohit Sharma said that middle-order batsman deserved a better send-off. "I have decided to move on. Cricket has given me everything and that's why I am standing here," he said after being reduced to tears by a video of the highlights of his career. Rohit praised Yuvraj Singh's roller-coaster career and wrote, "You don't know what you got till its gone. Love you brotherman. You deserved a better send-off." Yuvraj played 40 Tests, 304 ODIs and 58 T20Is for India. He put together 1900 runs in the longest format, and 8701 in the one-dayers, the format in which he enjoyed the most success. His one-day runs tally places him 22nd in the overall list, and seventh among Indians. He is among the Indian greats who did not get a farewell game after contemporaries Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Gautam Gambhir. After he announced his retirement in Mumbai on Monday, Yuvraj revealed that he was promised a farewell game by the BCCI provided he failed the 'Yo-Yo' fitness test. However, he passed it and the swansong never happened. "Mujhe bola gaya tha agar aapse 'Yo-Yo' test pass nahi hota toh aap retirement match khel sakate ho (I was told that if you are not able to pass the 'Yo-Yo' test, I would get a farewell game)," the 37-year-old said at an emotional press conference to announce his decision to quit international cricket to pursue a freelance T20 career internationally. "I did not tell anyone in BCCI that I have to play the last match. Agar main accha tha, potential tha toh main ground pe se chale jaata. (If I was good enough, I would have retired from the ground). Aur mujhe is tarha ki cricket khelna pasand nahi hai, ki mujhe ek match chahiye (I don't like to ask for a game, I have never played the game with that mindset)," he said. "Toh maine us time bola ki mujhe retirement match nahi chahiye, 'Yo-Yo' test pass nahi hoga toh main chup chhap ghar chale jayunga? 'Yo-Yo' test pass kiya and then rest is not my call," Yuvraj said. The 37-year-old, who announced his retirement here after almost 17 years of international cricket, last played for India in June 2017.

Yuvraj Singh deserved a better farewell, says India vice-captain Rohit Sharma

Australian captain Aaron Finch had to defuse a potential controversy after Australia spinner Adam Zampa faced allegations of ball- tampering after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-shikhar-dhawan-shines-as-india-beat-holders-australia-by-36-runs-225791">India beat Australia by 36 runs</a> at the Oval in London.

Zampa was pictured during the India match putting his hand into his pocket and then rubbing the ball several times.

The incident came just a year after Australia stars Warner and Steve Smith, as well as team-mate Cameron Bancroft were banned for their roles in a ball-tampering scheme during a Test in South Africa.

On this occasion, Finch insisted Zampa was using hand-warmers he had put in his pocket, as he apparently does for every match.

"I haven't seen the photos, so I can't comment on them. I know for a fact he has hand warmers in his pocket. He has them in every single game he plays," Finch said.

Adam Zampa was reprimanded earlier by the International Cricket Council(ICC) for using an "audible obscenity" in Australia's battling 15-run World Cup win over the West Indies.

Leg-spinner Zampa admitted to the level-one offence and one demerit point has been added to his disciplinary record. Leg-spinner Zampa admitted to the level-one offence and one demerit point has been added to his disciplinary record.&nbsp;

When a player reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points and a player is banned.

Meanwhile, India captain<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/booing-smith-not-acceptable-i-said-sorry-to-him-on-behalf-of-the-crowd-kohli-225807"> Virat Kohli insisted </a>it was "not acceptable" for his side's fans to boo Steve Smith during the team's World Cup victory over Australia in London on Sunday.

Both Smith and fellow Australia batsman David Warner have been on the receiving end of jeers from opposition fans at the World Cup following their return to the international arena after serving year-long bans for their respective roles during a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. &nbsp;

Australian captain Aaron Finch had to defuse a potential controversy after Australia spinner Adam Zampa faced allegations of ball- tampering after India beat Australia by 36 runs at the Oval in London.

Australian captain Aaron Finch had to defuse a potential controversy after Australia spinner Adam Zampa faced allegations of ball- tampering after India beat Australia by 36 runs at the Oval in London. Zampa was pictured during the India match putting his hand into his pocket and then rubbing the ball several times. The incident came just a year after Australia stars Warner and Steve Smith, as well as team-mate Cameron Bancroft were banned for their roles in a ball-tampering scheme during a Test in South Africa. On this occasion, Finch insisted Zampa was using hand-warmers he had put in his pocket, as he apparently does for every match. "I haven't seen the photos, so I can't comment on them. I know for a fact he has hand warmers in his pocket. He has them in every single game he plays," Finch said. Adam Zampa was reprimanded earlier by the International Cricket Council(ICC) for using an "audible obscenity" in Australia's battling 15-run World Cup win over the West Indies. Leg-spinner Zampa admitted to the level-one offence and one demerit point has been added to his disciplinary record. Leg-spinner Zampa admitted to the level-one offence and one demerit point has been added to his disciplinary record. When a player reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points and a player is banned. Meanwhile, India captain Virat Kohli insisted it was "not acceptable" for his side's fans to boo Steve Smith during the team's World Cup victory over Australia in London on Sunday. Both Smith and fellow Australia batsman David Warner have been on the receiving end of jeers from opposition fans at the World Cup following their return to the international arena after serving year-long bans for their respective roles during a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

Zampa hand warmers row: Finch defends spinner over ball tampering allegation

India captain Virat Kohli insisted it was "not acceptable" for his side's fans to boo Steve Smith during the team's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-shikhar-dhawan-shines-as-india-beat-holders-australia-by-36-runs-225791">World Cup victory over Australia in London</a> on Sunday.

Both Smith and fellow Australia batsman David Warner have been on the receiving end of jeers from opposition fans at the World Cup following their return to the international arena after serving year-long bans for their respective roles during a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. &nbsp;

After India completed a 36-run win over the reigning champions, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-had-a-point-to-prove-against-australia-says-virat-kohli-225792">Kohli told reporters </a>he had apologised to Smith for the chants of "cheater" directed from the stands towards the former Australia captain.

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With India fans giving Steve Smith a tough time fielding in the deep, <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> suggested they applaud the Australian instead. 
 
Absolute class 👏 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpiritOfCricket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpiritOfCricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ViratKohli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ViratKohli</a> <a href="https://t.co/mmkLoedxjr">pic.twitter.com/mmkLoedxjr</a>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1137777943667707907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Kohli in fact had tried to stop the taunts on the field by urging India supporters -- who dominated a capacity crowd at the Oval -- to clap, rather than boo Smith when the Australian was fielding on the boundary.&nbsp;

"Look I think what's happened has happened, long back. The guy is trying to play well for his side. It's not good to see someone down like that to be honest," Kohli said.

"We've had a few issues in the past, a few arguments on the field, but you don't want to see a guy feeling that every time he goes out to play."

Kohli had once stopped short of calling Smith a cheat after a Test match in Bangalore in 2017 when the then skipper looked up towards the dressing room for help during an umpire review -- something not permitted under the rules -- and called it a "brain fade".

The star batsman then insisted he would never be friends with the Australians again after winning a Test series marked by bad blood between the two teams but a different side to the Indian run machine, who made 82 in his side's total of 352 for five, was on show at the Oval.

"He (Smith) is coming back, he's playing hard and just getting on with it. There were a lot of Indian fans here and I just didn't want them to set a bad example," said Kohli.

"He didn't do anything to be booed, he was just playing cricket. If I was in a position where something had happened to me, where I had apologised, accepted it and then came back I wouldn't like it either.

"I just told him 'sorry on behalf of the crowd'. In my opinion I didn't think that was acceptable," he added.

Smith and Warner have both been in the runs since their returning and they each hit a fifty, albeit not as quickly as they would have liked, as Australia were dismissed for 316 to lose their first game of the tournament following two wins.

India's success was built on Shikhar Dhawan's 117 and his 127-run opening partnership with Rohit Sharma.

It was the duo's 16th century partnership in one-day internationals as they saw off the new-ball threat of Australian's Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.

Kohli rated the left-hand/right-hand combination of Dhawan and Sharma as "world-class" and sad the two batsmen were difficult to contain when in full flow.

"They both have a big-match temperament and we are lucky to have two such solid openers in our team who when they play well provide a lot of confidence to the dressing room," the captain said.

India captain Virat Kohli insisted it was "not acceptable" for his side's fans to boo Steve Smith during the team's World Cup victory over Australia in London on Sunday.

India captain Virat Kohli insisted it was "not acceptable" for his side's fans to boo Steve Smith during the team's World Cup victory over Australia in London on Sunday. Both Smith and fellow Australia batsman David Warner have been on the receiving end of jeers from opposition fans at the World Cup following their return to the international arena after serving year-long bans for their respective roles during a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. After India completed a 36-run win over the reigning champions, Kohli told reporters he had apologised to Smith for the chants of "cheater" directed from the stands towards the former Australia captain. With India fans giving Steve Smith a tough time fielding in the deep, @imVkohli suggested they applaud the Australian instead. Absolute class 👏 #SpiritOfCricket #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/mmkLoedxjr — ICC (@ICC) June 9, 2019 × Kohli in fact had tried to stop the taunts on the field by urging India supporters -- who dominated a capacity crowd at the Oval -- to clap, rather than boo Smith when the Australian was fielding on the boundary. "Look I think what's happened has happened, long back. The guy is trying to play well for his side. It's not good to see someone down like that to be honest," Kohli said. "We've had a few issues in the past, a few arguments on the field, but you don't want to see a guy feeling that every time he goes out to play." Kohli had once stopped short of calling Smith a cheat after a Test match in Bangalore in 2017 when the then skipper looked up towards the dressing room for help during an umpire review -- something not permitted under the rules -- and called it a "brain fade". The star batsman then insisted he would never be friends with the Australians again after winning a Test series marked by bad blood between the two teams but a different side to the Indian run machine, who made 82 in his side's total of 352 for five, was on show at the Oval. "He (Smith) is coming back, he's playing hard and just getting on with it. There were a lot of Indian fans here and I just didn't want them to set a bad example," said Kohli. "He didn't do anything to be booed, he was just playing cricket. If I was in a position where something had happened to me, where I had apologised, accepted it and then came back I wouldn't like it either. "I just told him 'sorry on behalf of the crowd'. In my opinion I didn't think that was acceptable," he added. Smith and Warner have both been in the runs since their returning and they each hit a fifty, albeit not as quickly as they would have liked, as Australia were dismissed for 316 to lose their first game of the tournament following two wins. India's success was built on Shikhar Dhawan's 117 and his 127-run opening partnership with Rohit Sharma. It was the duo's 16th century partnership in one-day internationals as they saw off the new-ball threat of Australian's Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Kohli rated the left-hand/right-hand combination of Dhawan and Sharma as "world-class" and sad the two batsmen were difficult to contain when in full flow. "They both have a big-match temperament and we are lucky to have two such solid openers in our team who when they play well provide a lot of confidence to the dressing room," the captain said.

Booing Smith not acceptable, I said sorry to him on behalf of the crowd: Kohli

'Fugitive economic offender' Vijay Mallya, who is facing extradition proceedings in UK, was seen attending India`s World Cup cricket match against Australia at the Kennington Oval in London on Sunday, reported news agency ANI.

Evading questions regarding his&nbsp;extradition to India, Mallya reportedly told ANI, "I am here to watch the game," and added that "preparations are underway for the next hearing scheduled in July."

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> London: Vijay Mallya arrives at The Oval cricket ground to watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndvsAus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndvsAus</a> match; says, "I am here to watch the game." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldCup2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldCup2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/RSEoJwsUr9">pic.twitter.com/RSEoJwsUr9</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1137672195201572864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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UK's&nbsp;Westminster Court had last year ordered his extradition to India after he failed to convince authorities there.&nbsp;

On April 8, A UK court has denied permission to appeal against his extradition order to India to face trial for alleged fraud and money laundering amounting to Rs 9,000 crore.

The 63-year-old beleaguered liquor baron had approached the court against the February 5 order signed by the UK Home Secretary approving his&nbsp;extradition.

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London: Vijay Mallya arrives at The Oval cricket ground to watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndvsAus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndvsAus</a> match; says, "I am here to watch the game." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldCup2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldCup2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/3eCK1wQHDq">pic.twitter.com/3eCK1wQHDq</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1137661778752692229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The rejection of Mallya`s appeal is seen as a positive development for authorities in India who have been pushing for the extradition of the businessman who faces charges of loan frauds, money laundering and other economic offences.

The liquor&nbsp;baron has repeatedly argued that he has the assets to pay off his "debts but the government won't allow the use of these assets to clear the debts."

He had fought extradition on the grounds that Indian jails weren’t safe and that he was being made a scapegoat for India’s banks being stuck with massive bad loans given to companies.

(With inputs from ANI)

'Fugitive economic offender' Vijay Mallya, who is facing extradition proceedings in UK, was seen attending India`s World Cup cricket match against Australia at the Kennington Oval in London on Sunday, reported news agency ANI.

'Fugitive economic offender' Vijay Mallya, who is facing extradition proceedings in UK, was seen attending India`s World Cup cricket match against Australia at the Kennington Oval in London on Sunday, reported news agency ANI. Evading questions regarding his extradition to India, Mallya reportedly told ANI, "I am here to watch the game," and added that "preparations are underway for the next hearing scheduled in July." #WATCH London: Vijay Mallya arrives at The Oval cricket ground to watch #IndvsAus match; says, "I am here to watch the game." #WorldCup2019 pic.twitter.com/RSEoJwsUr9 — ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2019 × UK's Westminster Court had last year ordered his extradition to India after he failed to convince authorities there. On April 8, A UK court has denied permission to appeal against his extradition order to India to face trial for alleged fraud and money laundering amounting to Rs 9,000 crore. The 63-year-old beleaguered liquor baron had approached the court against the February 5 order signed by the UK Home Secretary approving his extradition. London: Vijay Mallya arrives at The Oval cricket ground to watch #IndvsAus match; says, "I am here to watch the game." #WorldCup2019 pic.twitter.com/3eCK1wQHDq — ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2019 × The rejection of Mallya`s appeal is seen as a positive development for authorities in India who have been pushing for the extradition of the businessman who faces charges of loan frauds, money laundering and other economic offences. The liquor baron has repeatedly argued that he has the assets to pay off his "debts but the government won't allow the use of these assets to clear the debts." He had fought extradition on the grounds that Indian jails weren’t safe and that he was being made a scapegoat for India’s banks being stuck with massive bad loans given to companies. (With inputs from ANI)

'I am here to watch the game', says Vijay Mallya spotted at Oval for INDvAUS World Cup encounter

England are all set to take on Bangladesh for their third match in the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dhoni-gloves-row-icc-sticks-to-its-stand-denies-permission-to-wear-gloves-with-dagger-insignia-225323">ICC </a>Men's Cricket World Cup and skipper Eoin Morgan is in no way under-estimating the Bangladesh side saying that they have 'huge amount of potential'.

"Bangladesh are a side with a huge amount of potential. It is going to be a difficult game because they're a good side. I think <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-sub-continent-sides-have-tndency-to-get-under-englands-skin-says-liam-plunkett-225226">people under-estimate them</a>," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Morgan as saying.

England registered a massive 104-run victory in the opening match of the World Cup against South Africa but faced a 14-run defeat against Pakistan.

Moreover, in 2015 edition of the World Cup, their upcoming opponents Bangladesh had ousted them from the 2015 edition of the World Cup.

Although admitting that their clash against Bangladesh will be a 'difficult'&nbsp;one, Morgan said that for the last couple of days they had some time off from the game.

"The last couple of days for us has been a case of getting away from the game. I watch a lot of horse racing and speak to friends and family. No, there have been no extra fielding drills. Absolutely not. Fielding for us has been an extremely strong point. We proved that in the first game. We had a bad day in the field at Trent Bridge. That can happen. I wouldn't say we were more anxious than normal," he said.

Morgan also stated that they are going to stick to their game despite facing defeats.

"Before the tournament started we talked about losing games and how we would. Everything goes back to focusing on our strengths and how to get the best out of ourselves. There's no panic. We're very realistic about performances whether we win or lose. If it doesn't go our way next game or the game after, there's no panic. It's all about sticking to the process," Morgan said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-chris-woakes-backs-england-to-bounce-back-from-pakistan-defeat-224431">England </a>will face Bangladesh at the Sophia Gardens today.

England are all set to take on Bangladesh for their third match in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup and skipper Eoin Morgan is in no way under-estimating the Bangladesh side saying that they have 'huge amount of potential'.

England are all set to take on Bangladesh for their third match in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup and skipper Eoin Morgan is in no way under-estimating the Bangladesh side saying that they have 'huge amount of potential'. "Bangladesh are a side with a huge amount of potential. It is going to be a difficult game because they're a good side. I think people under-estimate them," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Morgan as saying. England registered a massive 104-run victory in the opening match of the World Cup against South Africa but faced a 14-run defeat against Pakistan. Moreover, in 2015 edition of the World Cup, their upcoming opponents Bangladesh had ousted them from the 2015 edition of the World Cup. Although admitting that their clash against Bangladesh will be a 'difficult' one, Morgan said that for the last couple of days they had some time off from the game. "The last couple of days for us has been a case of getting away from the game. I watch a lot of horse racing and speak to friends and family. No, there have been no extra fielding drills. Absolutely not. Fielding for us has been an extremely strong point. We proved that in the first game. We had a bad day in the field at Trent Bridge. That can happen. I wouldn't say we were more anxious than normal," he said. Morgan also stated that they are going to stick to their game despite facing defeats. "Before the tournament started we talked about losing games and how we would. Everything goes back to focusing on our strengths and how to get the best out of ourselves. There's no panic. We're very realistic about performances whether we win or lose. If it doesn't go our way next game or the game after, there's no panic. It's all about sticking to the process," Morgan said. England will face Bangladesh at the Sophia Gardens today.

World Cup: England captain Eoin Morgan feels clash against Bangladesh will be a 'difficult one'

Pakistan's World Cup match against Sri Lanka was called off on Friday without a ball being bowled after persistent rain in Bristol.

Both teams take a point each from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-world-cup-2019-bristol-rain-threatens-to-dampen-upbeat-pakistan-and-sri-lanka-fixture-225075">wash-out</a> and have three from their opening three matches.

"As a team, we really wanted to play this match especially after gaining momentum with the win against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-chris-woakes-backs-england-to-bounce-back-from-pakistan-defeat-224431">England</a>," Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed said.

"It is unfortunate that we were not able to play,"&nbsp;Sarfaraz said.

Pakistan lost their opening game to West Indies but recovered with a stunning victory over top-ranked England.

"We have great team spirit and our confidence is on a high after beating England. We would want to carry the momentum into the remaining games. We won’t relax in our remaining six matches," Sarfaraz added.

Here's the&nbsp;complete fixture of Cricket World Cup 2019:

<img alt="ICC World Cup 2019" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9d8435bf-75de-4574-9dd0-4f3e067d2461" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/ICC%20World%20Cup%202019%20%281%29_26.jpg" />

Sri Lanka next face <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/christchurch-attacks-gelled-bangladesh-ahead-of-the-world-cup-says-coach-rhodes-224445">Bangladesh </a>at the same venue on Tuesday, while Pakistan take on Australia at Taunton a day later.

Pakistan's World Cup match against Sri Lanka was called off on Friday without a ball being bowled after persistent rain in Bristol. Both teams take a point each from the wash-out and have three from their opening three matches.

Pakistan's World Cup match against Sri Lanka was called off on Friday without a ball being bowled after persistent rain in Bristol. Both teams take a point each from the wash-out and have three from their opening three matches. "As a team, we really wanted to play this match especially after gaining momentum with the win against England," Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed said. "It is unfortunate that we were not able to play," Sarfaraz said. Pakistan lost their opening game to West Indies but recovered with a stunning victory over top-ranked England. "We have great team spirit and our confidence is on a high after beating England. We would want to carry the momentum into the remaining games. We won’t relax in our remaining six matches," Sarfaraz added. Here's the complete fixture of Cricket World Cup 2019: Sri Lanka next face Bangladesh at the same venue on Tuesday, while Pakistan take on Australia at Taunton a day later.

World Cup: Pakistan, Sri Lanka share points after Bristol washout

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