Police charge Rs 2.65 crore for World Cup security

The Mumbai police has charged the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Rs2.65 crore for security expenses incurred during the three ICC world cup matches at Wankhede stadium. This includes the final between India and Sri Lanka, the security for which accounts for over 70% of the total cost. Aletter, enumerating the bill, was prepared by the police on Wednesday, following a fortnight long estimation.
“It will be dispatched to the MCA on Thursday,” Rajkumar Vhatkar, deputy commissioner of police (DCP),   operations,  said on Wednesday.
Vhatkar said that the bill is exclusively for the bandobast (security) in and around the Wankhede stadium, at the hotel where the players and their contingent were staying and the passage routes of the player's convoys to the stadium.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Police-charge-Rs-2-65-crore-for-World-Cup-security/Article1-690541.aspx

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Cricket World Cup: Sri Lanka & NZ ready for semi-final

Cricket World Cup semi-final: New Zealand v Sri Lanka

• Venue: R. Premdasa Stadium, Colombo
• Date: Tuesday 29 March
• Start: 1000 BST
• Coverage: BBC TMS, 5 live sports extra (0945-1800 BST) and on this website

 

Sri Lanka beat NZ in an earlier group game

Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is an injury doubt for Tuesday's World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.

The 38-year-old, who will retire after the tournament, is struggling with a hamstring injury and knee problem.
"Murali and everyone around him is trying to get him as fit as soon as possible and fit enough to play," said captain Kumar Sangakkara.
New Zealand paceman Andy McKay has replaced injured Kyle Mills, although Daryl Tuffey is likely to start.
The Black Caps defeated South Africa by 49 runs to reach the semi-finals.

However, New Zealand have failed to get past the last four stage in their previous five attempts.
"It's our big chance in the semi-finals to go one better," said captain Daniel Vettori.
"I think the reputation we have is that we can beat any team on a given day."
Meanwhile, Vettori said he was shocked about the plans for the pitch for the match at the R. Premdasa Stadium.
"They revealed we'd be playing on the same wicket as the one England played on in the last match," added Vettori, who will be stepping down as one-day captain after the tournament.
"We thought it would have been mandatory to prepare a fresh wicket, but obviously not."
Meanwhile, if Sri Lanka's Muralitharan fails to recover in time then he may be replaced by fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara.

"Kulasekara has done exceptionally well against New Zealand every single time he has gone out there," added Sangakkara, whose side thrashed England by 10 wickets in the quarter-finals.
"He is a strong contender to play as well."
Kulasekara took 1-19 off his seven overs in 112-run win over New Zealand in the group match at Mumbai. That was a contest which also saw Muralitharan take 4-25.
Sri Lanka, who won the 1996 World Cup, have reached the semi-finals on three occasions.
In 2007, they defeated New Zealand by 81 runs before losing to Australia in the final.
Despite beating the Black Caps in the group encounter and at the last World Cup, Sangakkara said his team will be wary of the threat posed by the underdogs.
"New Zealand will be exceptionally tough," said the skipper.
"Dan's a great captain and has been around the scene for a long time. He understands these conditions.
"They will be a formidable side and we don't expect anything to come easy to us."
Teams Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath.
New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (capt), James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Jamie How, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Andy McKay, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Luke Woodcock, Daryl Tuffey.
Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS) and Aleem Dar (PAK)
TV umpire: Marais Erasmus (RSA)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)
Match starts: 0900GMT

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Mismatch unless NZ can raise game

Match Facts

March 29, Colombo
Start time 1430 hours (0900 GMT)

	Muttiah Muralitharan needed treatment during the quarter-final. Will he be fit enough to play the semi? © Getty Images

The Big Picture

In the months leading up to the World Cup, New Zealand had traipsed through the subcontinent, copping defeat after defeat: they failed to make the final of a tri-series in Sri Lanka, were hammered 5-0 in India, and between those two beatings they were humiliated in Bangladesh, where they lost 4-0. "We played like d****, really," Mark Greatbatch had fumed. They then lost a one-day series 3-2 at home to Pakistan. New Zealand were fortunate, it was said, to be pooled in Group A, from which qualification for the quarter-finals was straightforward. And after the hammerings they suffered against Australia and Sri Lanka, almost no one gave Daniel Vettori's working-class boys a chance in the first knockout against well-oiled, on-top-of-their-game South Africa.

Here they are, though, the only non-Asian team in the final four: a country with a population about a third of Mumbai's making the World Cup semi-finals for the sixth time, aiming to reach its maiden final. To get there, however, New Zealand will need to discover a higher gear than the one they used to upset South Africa. Their bowling will need to be as disciplined, their fielding as tenacious, their catching as game-changing, but their batsmen will have to do more. They laboured to 221 against South Africa. Sri Lanka possess cannier bowlers, experts at exploiting the home advantage, and their openers chased down England's 229, inside 40 overs. New Zealand have struggled against spin and they are unlikely to receive from Sri Lanka the generosity Pakistan showed in Pallekele. When New Zealand played their group match against Sri Lanka in Mumbai, they lost by 112 runs. That Wankhede pitch didn't turn that much either. Their batsmen will have to find a method to score more abundantly against a quality spin-heavy attack, and negotiate Lasith Malinga as well. The odds are heavily against them once again. Very few expect them to win. It is perhaps when New Zealand are most dangerous.

Sri Lanka will have prepared for the worst and hoped for the best. They would have prepared to face South Africa and hoped to play New Zealand instead. It is a semi-final, though, with no room for large errors, and having watched New Zealand intimidate and hustle South Africa out of the tournament, Sri Lanka will not expect anything less than all-out assault from their opponents. Mahela Jayawardene said as much.

On paper, Sri Lanka have this covered: a bowling attack with three specialist spinners and one part-timer (they bowled 35 overs against England), a fast bowler who is virtually unhittable when he bowls with the old ball, and an in-form top order. They, however, need to guard against two dangers. The openers, along with Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, must ensure that the untested middle order doesn't have too much to do, and their fielding needs significant improvement. Sri Lanka uncharacteristically dropped three catches during their quarter-final. Perhaps it was the pressure, and there will be plenty of that on Tuesday.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)

New Zealand WLWWW
Sri Lanka WWWWL

Watch out for...

New Zealand's fielding: Jacob Oram took a catch perhaps only he could have, and Martin Guptill ran out one of the fastest men in cricket, to swing the quarter-final against South Africa. New Zealand's fielders were incredible in that game, diving to cut off singles in the infield, chasing balls at furious pace, and performing tag-team saves on the boundary to allow two, where ordinarily there might have been three or four. They made their bowlers look better than they were. It's one discipline at which New Zealand will look to maximize their advantage over Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's top order: Tillakaratne Dilshan has 394 runs in this World Cup. His opening partner Upul Tharanga has 363. So does Kumar Sangakkara. They are among the top five run-scorers of the tournament and have done most of the batting for Sri Lanka. Mahela Jayawardene, who bats at No. 4, has 200 runs. No one else has even a 100. That's how little the middle-order batsmen have had to do, largely because of a lack of substantial opportunity but also because it is Sri Lanka's biggest weakness. New Zealand will go extremely hard at the top four, for exposing the middle order early is their best chance of making the final.

Team news

Muttiah Muralitharan is striving to recover from two injuries. He hurt his knee during the group match against New Zealand on March 18 and strained his quadriceps in the quarter-final two days ago. If he is fit to play the semi-final, Sri Lanka will not think ahead to the final and rest him.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt & wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Lasith Malinga, 9 Muttiah Muralitharan / Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Ajantha Mendis

New Zealand are mulling over their spinners. To play three or not to play three, because Sri Lanka are far more skilled at playing the slow men than South Africa were. If they decide to go with only two then Luke Woodcock will miss out, and one of Daryl Tuffey and Andy McKay would come into the XI. Or perhaps James Franklin, though his inclusion ahead of a specialist bowler would significantly weaken the attack.

New Zealand (probable): 1 Brendom McCullum (wk), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Jesse Ryder, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Scott Styris, 6 Kane Williamson, 7 Nathan McCullum, 8 Jacob Oram, 9 Daniel Vettori, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Luke Woodcock / Daryl Tuffey / Andy McKay

Try picking the XIs for tomorrow's game by playing Team Selector.

Pitch and conditions

Vettori was surprised and upset that the surface being used for the semi-final is the same one on which Sri Lanka and England played the quarter-final on March 26. The pitch played slow during that game and it's likely to getter slower and harder to score on with repeated use. Chasing under lights used to be difficult at the Premadasa but Sri Lanka beat England without the loss of a wicket. The weather forecast is fair, with only chances of light rain.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand's batsmen played out 171 dot balls in the quarter-final against South Africa. They played out 120 dot balls in 35 overs during their group match against Sri Lanka.
• Sri Lanka have won their previous four World Cup games against New Zealand. The overall head-to-head record is 35-33 in New Zealand's favour but since 2000 it is 20-11 in Sri Lanka's favour. In Sri Lanka, since 2000, the head-to-head record is 6-1 against New Zealand.
• Ross Taylor has hit more sixes (14) in this World Cup than the entire Sri Lankan team (12).

Quotes

"We need to move on pretty quickly from the South Africa game. We are proud of our achievement but we have to concentrate on this game now."
Daniel Vettori is putting the quarter-final behind him and focusing on Sri Lanka.

"The expectations are always there, that's not something that we can control. What we really want to do is to make sure that when we go out, we stay in the moment and we concentrate on what we have to do and make sure our focus is 100%."
Kumar Sangakkara on how his team will approach the challenge.

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Wright says he likes New Zealand aggression

	John Wright admits that batting well will be key against Sri Lanka © Getty Images

John Wright, the New Zealand coach, has backed his side's aggressive approach during their quarter-final win against South Africa in Mirpur. An on-field spat saw New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori and Kyle Mills, along with South Africa's Francois du Plessis, fined by the match referee for breaching the ICC's code of conduct.

"I like the aggression of the team, particularly in the field," Wright said ahead of the semi-final against Sri Lanka in Colombo. "That's important. We've got to play with passion and they're showing that. The odd thing happens. But that's international sport."

Defending a modest 221, New Zealand put South Africa under tremendous pressure in Mirpur, by producing one of the best fielding displays of the tournament. The aggression boiled over in the 28th over of South Africa's chase, when there was an altercation between du Plessis and some of the New Zealand players following AB de Villiers' crucial run-out. Mills, who was not in the playing XI for New Zealand, along with Vettori and some other team-mates, became embroiled in a heated exchange with du Plessis and de Villiers, who had remained on the field to offer support to his team-mate.

Wright, however, made light of the incident. "It made reasonably interesting viewing for those out there," he said. "It happened and it was dealt with. The players on both sides knew there was a lot at stake, which is what you expect of any South Africa-New Zealand contest.

"I think the boys were committed, they wanted to win and made their presence felt. We're all pretty pleased right now. We did a lot of preparation for that game and achieved plenty of game-plan targets."

While praising the purposeful fielding and bowling efforts, Wright admitted that the batting had to lift ahead of the semi-final. "We were probably 20 runs short [against South Africa], but knew if we got 220-plus it was defendable," Wright said. "We are making up for it in the field and with the ball. We have to bat well [against Sri Lanka], that is the key for us."

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Muralitharan doubtful but Sangakkara upbeat

For the second match in succession, Sri Lanka are sweating over the fitness of Muttiah Muralitharan who is nursing a leg injury ahead of the semi-final against New Zealand tomorrow. "Murali and everyone around him is trying to get him as fit as possible and fit enough to play," Kumar Sangakkara said.

"It's no use thinking about the final and saving him for other games, this is the crunch game and if he can play tomorrow that'll be great for us, but if that doesn't work out, we've got enough cover to make sure that we are still a solid winning side."

"At the same time its two different injuries. He knocked his knee at Mumbai and he's just aggravated a quadricep muscle - a very slight strain - in the game before so it's not the same injury. We'll just have to monitor how he goes and hope he is fit enough to play."

Sangakkara said that with injuries, it was crucial to see that both the team and the player were comfortable with him taking part in the match, especially a big one like the semi-final. "If Murali is not fit it's something that we have to accept and get on with."

Having thrashed England by ten wickets in the quarter-finals, Sangakkara said that complacency is the last thing on Sri Lanka's radar. "There's no chance of that happening in anyone's mind. You understand the gravity of the situation, you understand the challenge that's going to come your way, you got to accept it and you got to enjoy it.

	Muttiah Muralitharan is in doubt for the semi-final with a leg injury © AFP

"The guys have done pretty well and tomorrow is not going to be any different. You can't play too much to the crowds, or too much to show off, it's a question of playing good solid cricket, concentrate on doing the best. We have set ourselves small goals to achieve, if we keep our heads and we perform as well as we can, we can turn it into a solid performance."

"The expectations are always there, that's not something that we can control, what we really want to do is to make sure that when we go out tomorrow, we are realistic. We stay in the moment and make sure we concentrate on what we have to do and make sure our focus is 100 per cent on tomorrow."

Sangakkara said the win over England was made to look easy because the openers - Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga - came up with a magnificent batting performance. "Those kinds of partnerships don't come very often and that kind of overshadowed the contest as such. But England is a side that we were very wary of and we expected nothing less than their strong performance. In the light of that tomorrow it's a new game for us. It's nothing to do with England, we are starting from square one and we want to make sure that we understand that."

Sangakkara said that his team was building up momentum towards the final and that they were improving by the day. "In a tournament like this, there's never a point when you think over where you are the best. It never happens in cricket. Also in big tournaments it's always a question of gradual and continuous improvement for us. There are lots of areas we have to make sure we cover, we've done pretty much in the two days leading upto tomorrow. The guys are much focussed they are pretty confident but at the same time they understand that it is the performance that counts and that's what we are trying to deliver tomorrow."

Sri Lanka were second-placed in Group A in the league stage which was considered relatively easier compared to Group B but Sangakkara didn't think that was the case. "It's hard to say that we got lots of breaks in the group stages and very few breaks this time. That's not something that we can control, the schedule was set long before and we are happy that we have got here. Ours is to go one step further tomorrow."

Sri Lanka used three specialist spinners plus the occasional spin of Dilshan against England, but Sangakkara did not indicate what their plans were against New Zealand. "We thought that was the best combination to play against England. It was a very good track and it stayed true throughout. At the same time we have to consider other options as well. We have fast bowlers, especially Nuwan Kulasekara, who has done exceptionally well against New Zealand. So we got to make sure we play the right combination."

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Vettori considering three-spinner attack

Daniel Vettori would make a bad bridesmaid. He wouldn't fit the role of the person dressed up to walk down the aisle behind someone more important. He is the important one.

At the best of times, Vettori is abrupt - probably not intentionally, but because it's part of his character. He is a no-nonsense kind of guy who gives a straight answer to most questions. Whether he expected to be sitting in a press conference as the only non-subcontinental team captain at the World Cup semi-finals, he won't say, but he seems rightly annoyed with being asked if his team is excited to have got this far.

"It's the semi-final of the World Cup, everyone is ecstatic," he said dryly. Of course they are. New Zealand have proven themselves to be one of the top four teams in the tournament. They beat the odds. After a group stage which saw them record victory over only one major team, Pakistan, and get thumped by two others, Sri Lanka and Australia, they came into the quarter-finals as one of the weaker sides. Very few people expected them to raise their game enough to beat South Africa and even when talking about that victory, very few people say that it was New Zealand who won the game. Most say it was South Africa who lost it.

Vettori doesn't really want to talk about that anymore, because he has more important things on his mind. "We need to move on pretty quickly from the South Africa game. We're proud of our achievement, but we need to concentrate on the semi-final." Most people paid him very little attention when he made that point, probably because most don't expect New Zealand to get past the semi-finals. That's partly because they are playing a very strong Sri Lanka side and partly because this will be their sixth World Cup semi-final, without having ever made the final.

	'We're proud of our achievement [beating South Africa], but we need to concentrate on the semi-final' - Daniel Vettori © Associated Press Enlarge

"Everyone wants to talk about our record [of always going out at the semi-final stage], but this is an amazing achievement for a small country," Vettori said, which hinted that he was satisfied enough with having come this far. He recovered quickly though. "We have our expectations, it's irrelevant what people say. We reached the Champions Trophy final in 2009, there we went one step further." New Zealand were horribly outplayed in that match, losing to Australia by six wickets. But, it was an important exercise for them, because they played in a final of an ICC tournament - for the first time since the 2000 Champions Trophy, which they won, beating India - and experienced the pressures of a do-or-die encounter of a different kind.

Vettori knows consistency is the key. "When we've won well, we've followed it up with a poor performance," he said referring to the group stage. "We've got to make sure we have another big performance in the bag because Sri Lanka will be very strong in home conditions."

Sri Lanka have looked the side to beat and on a pitch where they asserted their authority over England, they will be tough to handle. Vettori is toying with the idea of picking three spinners for the match. "The fact that it's a used wicket may allow us to do that, but Sri Lanka have grown up playing spin."

Getting their combination right for the semi-final will not be the trickiest thing for New Zealand, it will be making sure that that combination works well on the day. Vettori said that they were fortunate to have "one or two batsmen and a bowler or two who could stand up" in the knockouts. "It was Jesse Ryder and Jacob Oram who did it against South Africa. That made the difference and it may have to be someone else who does it now."

Vettori himself, playing in either his penultimate or final match as captain, may be the man to shoulder the responsibility. He knows it's his last chance, as he is firm in his decision to step down as captain. "I've made the decision. You need fresh ideas and people get sick of you." To leave office as the blushing bride probably doesn't quite fit his image either, but Vettori would chose to be the bride over the bridesmaid any day.

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent

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Tight security as ministers flock to Mohali

	Sachin Tendulkar was watched over by several police officers as he left the PCA Stadium © AFP

Inside the Mohali stadium there is an eerie silence. Pakistan arrived in the morning for their nets, India followed in the afternoon, then Pakistan returned later in the evening for fielding practice. Sitting inside the ground it just seemed another normal day. But that feeling blew away in the Mohali dust as soon as one stepped towards the entrance of the stadium, the epicentre of the ground.

There were officials and personnel from several arms of the Indian security machinery. The army, the National Security Guard (NSG), the Special Protection Group (SPG), which guards the country's prime minister, the state police; they all milled around like worker ants, doing decoys and last-minute checks.

Outside the ground, hundreds of fans had been clambering along the ticket windows since early in the morning, despite the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) announcing earlier last week that all tickets for the public were sold out. Turns out, a television station had announced that a batch of tickets would be sold at the stadium. The fans turned up in the morning and stood, squatted and loitered around in hope for the entire day. No one moved from behind the ticket window. One of the policemen, just off his shift, told ESPNcricinfo that he was going to change into civvies and join the queue of the hopeful.

Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab's deputy chief minister, described the semi-finals as a "major" event, and said the entire world would be watching India "fighting" Pakistan. "The level of excitement created [for this match], I think it would [even] be less in the final," Badal said. He assured that police had made all arrangements to ensure there would be proper movement and proper parking available on Wednesday.

With Pakistan prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani accepting his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh's invite to attend the match, the security was expected to reach asphyxiating proportions. To avoid any chaos and undue distress, Badal suggested that the fans turn up at least three hours in advance. He also indicated that, in addition to the two prime ministers, a bevy of state chief ministers and governors, along with minsters in the federal government, are marching towards Chandigarh for the match. Also attending would be the chairman of the Pakistan senate and the governor of Punjab province in Pakistan.

The police outside the PCA Stadium have already had to deal with one potentially troublesome situation. On Monday, a group of workers from the pharmaceutical industry, who were protesting against a lack of jobs, walked towards the stadium, perhaps in hope of attracting attention from the media, who they knew would be swarming around the ground. The police sent them away, but a stone was hurled at a policeman, leading to a skirmish in which a few protestors were injured. The situation was brought under control in less than an hour.

Reports of Pakistani fans storming through the Wagah border, and wandering around Chandigarh in search for tickets, were unfounded. What remained as unclear was the total number of people crossing the border to witness the semi-finals. "The number is not clear at this moment because the visas have to be given; by tomorrow evening we will know," Badal said.

Pakistani fans who cannot make it to Mohali will still be able to enjoy the match in a stadium atmosphere. As per the directive of Pakistan's government, the PCB will be setting up digital screens under flood lights at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, where fans can come watch the game, for free.

IS Bindra, the PCA head, said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had originally asked for only 50 tickets, but once Pakistan made it to the semis, they asked for four times that number. Bindra said the PCB was eventually granted 200 complimentary tickets. It is understood that the PCB would distribute the tickets to its own partners and not the public. So the list would include board officials, governing board members, and various personnel working for the president and the prime minister's offices. There is likely to be some corporate presence, too.

According to Bindra, the PCA is the only cricket association which has allotted 14,000 out of the total capacity of 27,000 tickets to the general public. He said those tickets went on sale on March 21 and were exhausted the next morning. "6000 have been given to the ICC. 1800 have been given to the PCA members. 1800 have been disbursed to the various state associations of the BCCI," Bindra said. "The least number of VVIP tickets have been issued in Mohali compared to other venues."

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Umar Gul focussed on India top order

Umar Gul is the man who operates in the shadows of his more colourful companions of the Pakistani bowling pack. Behind his captain Shahid Afridi among Pakistan's leading wicket-takers at this World Cup - 14 wickets to Afridi's 21 - Gul has emerged as the searing inquisitor with the new ball en route to Pakistan's arrival into the semi-final.

It will all come to a head in Mohali on Wednesday when Gul opens the bowling against the strongest batting contingent of the event. It is his first spell that could dictate how the rest of his team's overs go, but Gul has identified what he needs to do. "The first three wickets in the top-order are very crucial for us. They are depending on the top three. I am looking for these three batsmen." Now these are words tailor-made for screaming headlines, ("Gul targets top three", "Gul wants to rip through India top order") but Gul delivered them as if he were saying something routine. Like telling the physio about his ankles or ordering room service.

Were Gul to run into India's top three in their hotel corridor between now and Wednesday afternoon, there would be handshakes, smiles and pleasant chit-chat. It is a fact that most of the fans on both sides find hard to to digest, particularly two days before the World Cup semi-final that once again sets up one of the most over-heated rivalries in sport.

Gul said that given the strength of the Indian batting, the World Cup had taken his bowling to the rhythm it needed at the right time. "Our bowling is very good. Afridi is the leading wicket-taker. I am happy with my performance and form. We have a bit of an advantage with our bowling but I am happy with the way the batsmen played in the quarter-final." He said that the ideal combination for Wednesday would be the Pakistani bowlers being on top of their game on a friendly wicket, and the batting giving the start like it had against the West Indies.

The advantages of working with coach Waqar Younis and assistant coach Aaqib Javed, both fast bowlers of skill and nous, had found strong echoes at the World Cup, according to Gul. "I've only fully understood in this World Cup how much help I have got from them." On the tour to New Zealand, Waqar had informed Gul that he would be bowling with the new ball in the World Cup. "For the last one-and-a-half-years, I wasn't able to deliver with the new ball because of which I lost my form." In the last two-three months, however, working with both Waqar and Aaqib, had brought it all back, rhythm, confidence and success. "It's been like I was bowling in the past, I've got my new-ball skills back, which is good for the team."

One of the biggest dilemmas facing Pakistan is whether to play Shoaib Akhtar in what could be one of his last matches. Shoaib was dropped following Pakistan's defeat to New Zealand but Gul dismissed the talk that he had been omitted because of issues within the team about Shoaib's conduct. "He was rested after the New Zealand match so that he can focus on his fitness. The way he has been practicing for three days, I hope he will do well."

Shoaib's partnership with medium-pacer Abdul Razzaq and also the spin option of Mohammed Hafeez at the start has worked well enough, but Gul welcomed the idea of sharing the new ball with Shoaib. Asked whether he personally would like to partner Shoaib against India, Gul said, "Of course. He is our most experienced bowler and he has done very well in the past, especially against India. A little bit of pressure will be lifted off me too if he plays because in the last couple of matches, when Shoaib wasn't there, all the pressure was on me."

Gul was asked whether he agreed with what MS Dhoni had said about the match actually being bigger than a final. He said, "See, I don't think Dhoni was talking for himself, he was speaking about the expectations of the Indian people. As a player, no one would say this (a semi-final) is bigger than the final, but every cricketer feels the pressure of their people. We also feel the same pressure - our people also feel that we must beat India in each match. You can say that, if we were speaking not for ourselves, but for Pakistan's people, then yeah, it's a final and we will try to win.

"A semi-final can't be bigger than a final but it's a big match, a high-pressure match." Whether it is a knockout game or a league game, "any match against India is a big match always," Gul said, and then, for the first time in the press conference, he smiled.

The match was "crucial" for the teams but then Gul moved beyond the cricket. "It brings both countries closer, it's very good not only for the players but also for both countries." The prime ministers of both nations seem to agree with the fast bowler. "People from both countries want us to play each other often. Both fans enjoy the cricket because the more we play each other, it's better. I hope it will be a good match and both countries play well."

He also understood what the consequences would be for the losing semi-finalists. "Always, whether you are the Indian or the Pakistani team, there is pressure. The supporters of both teams absolutely cannot bear a defeat. But we've done well in the World Cup, we've won six of our seven games. The kind of support we have got from Pakistan, we are very happy. Whether we win or lose is not in our hands, inshallah we will try and play good cricket."

The team had not heard of Pakistan interior minister Rehman Malik's comments about how they would be monitored closely following the spot-fixing controversy. "I am not aware of this until now ... We don't focus on the media; we are focussing only on our cricket. The kind of pressure we have had over the last several months and the way we have handled it, this (the Malik statement) is no pressure at all."

Before he walked off to be with his mates and in the shadows again Gul faced a question about whether he sought stardom of the kind enjoyed by Afridi and Shoaib. He could have given the safe answer but chose not to. He spoke like a young man doing the hard yards in a punishing profession. "It is only natural, every player hopes he will get the kind of fame that Sachin (Tendulkar) or Afridi has. It doesn't work that way though. Players like that are idols, so Afridi and Shoaib, whether they perform or don't perform, are idols for the people of Pakistan. They will always remain that way. Sometimes in the heart, yes I do wish that I have the same kind of fans that Afridi and Shoaib have, the same fan following."

Then the fast bowler in him returned and he said, "But even then, I am satisfied with the following I have but I am never satisfied with my performance. If I do well in one game I want to perform better in the next ... I always want to try to perform better than the previous time."

No better time to perform than in a World Cup semi-final.

Which is why in the evening, like Gul had earlier promised, the Pakistanis turned out for a fielding session under lights, spending an hour. It was meant to assess the dew factor in Mohali and to give their skills one final polish. Pakistan are not practicising tomorrow and this session under lights would be their last hour on the field before they walk out into the sun on Wednesday afternoon.

Sharda Ugra is senior editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Pakistan should recall Shoaib Akhtar - Umar Gul

Shoaib went for 28 runs in one over in the Group A game against New Zealand Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul said Shoaib Akhtar should be recalled for the World Cup semi-final against India. Paceman Shoaib was dropped after going for 70 runs in the loss to New Zealand and did not feature in the wins over Zimbabwe, Australia and West Indies. "Shoaib Akhtar is an experienced bowler who has performed well against India," said Gul. "If he plays [on Wednesday] it will take some pressure off me." Shoaib, 35, announced last week that he would retire after the World Cup. Although Pakistan have been victorious since Shoaib was left out, his replacement Wahab Riaz has struggled to make an impact on the tournament. Gul's call for Shoaib's return follows a similar plea from former captain Imran Khan, who said Shoaib's pace and aggression could trouble India's star-studded batting order. Shoaib has taken 41 wickets in 28 one-day matches against India at an average of 26.78 and is three wickets short of the 250 mark overall. In announcing his retirement on 17 March, he said he hoped his final game for Pakistan would be the World Cup final on 2 April. To reach that match, Pakistan will have to beat their arch-rivals in Mohali. It will be Pakistan's first cricket match in India since before the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, in which 166 people died - an atrocity which has been blamed on Pakistan-based extremists. Gul, who has 14 wickets at an average of 14.50 at the tournament, said: "In both countries people want to see the teams play each other. "Relations will be better if the teams play each other more often. Fans can't stand defeat but we have won six of seven matches so far and hope to play our best cricket against India." Highlights - Pakistan power past West Indies

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Australia's Shaun Tait retires from one-day cricket

Tait's bowling has been clocked at just under 100 mph Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait has retired from one-day cricket to focus on the Twenty20 form of the game. The 28-year-old, part of the Australia side knocked out of the World Cup by India last week, is quitting domestic and international 50-over cricket. He will focus on Twenty20 matches for Australia, South Australian Redbacks, Surrey and the Rajasthan Royals. He said: "This is not a decision I have taken lightly but I believe it is one that will help me prolong my career." Tait, a fast strike bowler, helped Australia win their third straight World Cup in 2007 and took 11 wickets in seven matches at this year's tournament. "In reality, playing all year round for Australia and South Australia is not allowing my body to stand up as I would like and I do not want to be forced into retirement through career-ending injuries," he added. "Twenty20 cricket allows me to manage my body to a level where I feel I can continue to contribute to the game for some time yet. "My goal was to hopefully help Australia retain the ICC Cricket World Cup. However, with our involvement now finished I feel it is the perfect time to move on in a new direction." Tait made his Test debut in the 2005 Ashes series but found the rigours of the five-day game too much as a slingy, shoulder-heavy, action put great strain on his body. In January 2008, he took an indefinite break from the game, citing physical and emotional exhaustion, before returning later the same year to focus his efforts on Twenty20s and one-dayers. In 35 one-day internationals, he has taken 62 wickets at an average of 23.5, while in 19 Twenty20 games for his country, he has 28 victims at 17.7. Cricket Australia general manager Michael Brown said: "Shaun has been an important contributor to Australia's short form cricket over the last few years. "Bowling at the speeds he generates places an unusual strain on his body and Cricket Australia respects the decision he makes today." India too strong despite Ponting ton

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Cricket World Cup: India win sets up Australia showdown

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Group B, Chennai:
India 268 (49.1 overs) beat West Indies 188 (43 overs) by 80 runs
Match scorecard

India triumph as W Indies crumble

By Peter Scrivener

India set up a World Cup quarter-final against holders Australia with a 80-run victory over West Indies, who will face Pakistan in the knockout stages.

West Indies paceman Ravi Rampaul took 5-51 on his World Cup debut including the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar for two.

Yuvraj Singh, who was dropped twice, hit 113 and shared a third wicket stand of 122 with Virat Kohli (59) before India collapsed from 218-3 to 268.

Devon Smith hit 81 but West Indies lost eight wickets for 34 to finish on 188.

The game was effectively a dead rubber with India having already guaranteed their safe passage into the knockout stages, while West Indies knew that unless they were beaten heavily, they too would also qualify.

The real story was whether Tendulkar would score his 49th one-day century to add to the 51 Test tons he has amassed and thus reach the magical figure of 100 international centuries.

He received a standing ovation while taking guard from 40,000 expectant fans in Chennai and when the 37-year-old tucked his first ball off his legs for two, he was afforded a reception normally reserved for a centurion.

However, the deafening cheers turned to deafening silence three balls later when he feathered a seaming Rampaul delivery to Devon Thomas behind the stumps.

Umpire Steve Davis did not give Tendulkar out but the opener had sportingly turned away and begun to walk back to the dressing room at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Tendulkar walked to gift Rampaul his first World Cup wicket

The excitement soon returned to the stands though as Gautam Gambhir swatted four boundaries in his 22 but he chased one ball too many and thick-edged a wide Rampaul delivery straight down the throat of Andre Russell at third man to leave India 51-2.

The home side would have been in deeper trouble had new batsman Yuvraj not been dropped soon after by Darren Sammy at backward point when on nine.

The Windies captain then failed to hold a rising catch off his own bowling in the next over. His lapses proved costly, as Yuvraj smashed Sammy back over his head for six to bring up the Indian 100, before plundering two boundaries off the previously effective leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo to record his fourth half-century of the tournament.

Kohli was an able foil for Yuvraj's more aggressive approach and the pair kept the scoreboard ticking over before the former had a wild swipe at a straight one from Rampaul and was bowled for 59, although the Indians were well set at 173-3.

A clearly fatigued Yuvraj continued to push on and reached his first World Cup century with a single but his celebration was somewhat muted in comparison to the jubilation among the crowd.

Their joy was short-lived though as Mahendra Singh Dhoni (22) was beaten by a beautifully flighted delivery from Bishoo, who deserved a wicket in his final over, and Thomas whipped off the bails.

The stumping of Dhoni sparked another India collapse, not quite as severe as the 9-29 they suffered against South Africa, but the loss of seven wickets for 50 runs in eight overs will be of concern to the joint hosts of the World Cup.

We really have to tighten up and tighten up very quickly West Indies skipper Darren Sammy

Yuvraj's innings was finally ended on 113 when he tamely chipped a return catch to Kieron Pollard while Rampaul removed Yusuf Pathan and Zaheer Khan with full straight deliveries to complete his five-wicket haul either side of Pollard injuring his finger while taking an excellent diving catch to dismiss Harbhajan Singh.

The West Indies reply got off to a bizarre start when umpire Simon Taufel elected to not refer a run-out decision involving Kirk Edwards.

Television replays showed Edwards was several inches short of his ground when Pathan's throw dislodged the bails but a well-placed Taufel gave a not-out call and by not going to the third umpire he handed the opener an unlikely reprieve.

The debutant immediately took advantage of his good fortune, launching Harbhajan down the ground for six but his eventful stay at the crease was ended in the next over, trapped leg before by Ravichandran Ashwin for 17.

Darren Bravo holed out at long-on, hitting a short Raina delivery straight to Harbhajan at deep mid-on to depart for 22, but Devon Smith steadied the innings, reaching his 50 and taking West Indies past 100 against some distinctly unthreatening bowling.

Smith's dismissal sparked a staggering collapse of 8-34

Left-arm seamer Zaheer bowled just two of the first 30 overs but he made an immediate impact on his return, bowling Smith for 81 to awaken the diminishing crowd and spark an amazing capitulation.

"The game really changed once Zaheer gave us the breakthrough, until then Devon was batting really well," said Indian skipper Dhoni.

In the next over, Harbhajan tempted new batsman Pollard with a floated delivery and the all-rounder dispatched the ball straight into the hands of Pathan on the long-on boundary.

Dhoni atoned for his own dismissal by stumping opposite number Thomas (2) off the bowling of Yuvraj and when Sammy was run out for two by Suresh Raina having backed up too far, West Indies had slumped from the relatively comfortable position of 154-2, to 162-6.

That became 165-7 when Andre Russell guided a wide Yuvraj delivery straight to Pathan at gully without scoring and when Ramnaresh Sarwan, who had been helplessly watching the mayhem from the other end, was caught for 39 in the deep by Ashwin off Zaheer, who ended up with 3-26, their resistance was effectively ended.

"We lost eight wickets for 30 odd runs so that is a concern but we are in the knockout stage right now so we really have to tighten up and tighten up very quickly," admitted Sammy.

"We are coming to face Pakistan and we have to bring our A game."

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Cricket World Cup: Zimbabwe thrash hapless Kenyans

World Cup Group A, Kolkata:
Zimbabwe 308-6 (50 overs) beat Kenya 147 (36 overs) by 161 runs Scorecard

Elton Chigumbura and Ervine shared a 105-run stand in Zimbabwe's innings

Zimbabwe recorded their second win of the World Cup with a 161-run victory over Kenya in a dead rubber match.

Tatenda Taibu (53) and Vusi Sibanda (61) rescued the Zimbabwe innings from 36-2 with a third-wicket stand of 110.

Craig Ervine then struck nine fours and a six during his fluent 54-ball knock of 66 to top score in Zimbabwe's 308-6.

Steve Tikolo was out for 10 in his last international game as Kenya slumped to 44-5 and despite Nehemiah Odhiambo's unbeaten 44, they were all out for 147.

Tikolo, 39, who made his debut at the 1996 World Cup in India and was named captain for his 133th appearance in the absence of the injured Jimmy Kamande, said: "I'm very disappointed as this was our last game of the tournament and we wanted to put in a good performance.

"I represented my country with a lot of pride. There have been ups and downs but I've enjoyed every moment."

Kenya's bowlers restricted Zimbabwe to just 55-2 off the first 15 overs but Taibu and Sibanda led the revival, the latter reaching 50 with a six off Tikolo before he was run out with both batsmen at the same end of the pitch.

Ervine kept the momentum going though, adding 105 for the fifth wicket with skipper Elton Chigumbura (38).

Greg Lamb and Prosper Utseya finished the innings in style, adding 32 runs off the last two overs to take the total past 300.

In reply, Kenya's top order failed again as brothers David and Collins Obuya were dismissed inside four overs and when Tikolo was trapped leg before, the score was 27-3.

Zimbabwe spinners Ray Price, Utseya, Lamb and Graeme Cremer collected seven scalps between them as wickets regularly fell.

Odhiambo showed some lower order resistance with a run-a-ball 44 but he was left six short of his second one-day international half century when James Ngoche was caught by Chris Mpofu.

Zimbabwe's Chigumbura said: "The guys played well all round, especially with the bat, which is something that we've asked for the whole tournament.

"You can't ask more from the bowling department, the guys have been consistent."

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Sunday's Cricket World Cup gossip

Coach Andy Flower is looking for England to raise their game

England coach Andy Flower says the team are "turned on" by the challenge awaiting them in the knockout phase of the tournament but must be more consistent. He warned: "There is probably an element so far that we have got out of jail a bit."
Full story: Sunday Express

Flower, meanwhile, is ready to leave out James Tredwell for England's next game despite the Kent off-spinner taking four wickets in the win over West Indies - his first appearance in the tournament. "If we are in a situation where we play one spinner, then it will be Swann in the team, ahead of Tredwell", he said.
Full story: Sunday People

Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has no regrets about not walking when he edged to the keeper during their defeat by Pakistan. "I knew I hit it but as always I wait for the umpire to give me out. That's the way I've always played the game," he said. Ponting was eventually given out by the TV umpire but only after an angry exchange between team-mate Brad Haddin and the Pakistan players.
Full story: Fox Sports

New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori expects to return to action in their quarter-final against South Africa. Vettori sat out he last two games despite a knee problem. He said: "I have to be a bit brave on it, and realise I am not going to do any more damage. I just have to deal with a little bit of the pain."
Full story: Dominion Post

Pakistan paceman Shaoib Akhtar, who will retire after the World Cup, has admitted Adam Gilchrist and Brian Lara are the only batsmen who have "scared the hell" out of him during his career. "Gilchrist would simply take me on. Lara was class apart... I would be so attracted to his persona that I wouldn't know where to bowl - his body-language was just too cool." Full story: Times of India

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Cricket World Cup: Pakistan end Australia unbeaten run

World Cup Group A, Colombo:
Pakistan 178-6 (41 ovs) bt Australia 176 (46.4 ovs) by four wkts
Match scorecard

Pakistan end Australia's unbeaten run

By Harry Reekie

Pakistan ended Australia's 34-match unbeaten run at World Cups with a tense four-wicket victory in Colombo to secure top spot in Group A.

Ricky Ponting's side looked out of sorts after choosing to bat, crumbling to 176 all out with Umar Gul (3-30) and Abdul Razzaq (2-8) impressing.

Brett Lee took 4-28 in reply to test Pakistan's nerve but Umar Akmal saw them home with an unbeaten 48.

The defeat was Australia's first at a World Cup since 1999.

Pakistan were the victors that day at Headingley too and it was fitting that Abdul Razzaq, the only man in their team to play in both games, should hit the winning boundary.

Not always the most consistent of sides, Shahid Afridi's men were fully focused on this occasion, especially so after an incident during the Australian innings when several players were involved in a heated exchange with Australia's Brad Haddin.

And while Pakistan appear to be coming good at the right time once again, Cup holders Australia will see this defeat as a much-needed wake-up call.

"I thought our batting effort was very ordinary," said Ponting.

"We gave ourselves a sniff with the ball but we couldn't get there. It was a a lot better wicket than 177, that's for sure.

"Wicket conditions were fine and it's one where we should have got a lot more runs. We've been here before in the tournament as well so there's no excuse from our part."

Australia had not faced a serious challenge in previous games and the result will surely stiffen their resolve ahead of the knockout phase of the competition, where a clash with India looks likely if the co-hosts beat West Indies on Sunday.

Their batting display against Pakistan was an oddly subdued effort and Shane Watson had already been bowled for nine by the impressive Gul before skipper Ricky Ponting was dismissed in controversial circumstances.

Pakistan claimed a catch when he appeared to edge Mohammad Hafeez into the gloves of Kamran Akmal but umpire Marais Erasmus turned down the appeal.

Haddin appeared to push Younus during a heated exchange in Colombo

Captain Afridi immediately used a referral which duly revealed a huge nick but an unseemly row had already broken out in the middle and Haddin appeared to push Younus Khan before Ponting walked off.

With wickets falling, Australia needed Haddin to make a major contribution but he was unable to resist the temptation to throw the bat at a Wahab Riaz delivery and was caught behind for 42.

Cameron White was run out for eight, courtesy of a fine throw from square leg from Misbah-ul-Haq, before Michael Clarke missed an attempted pull and was bowled by Razzaq for 34.

Mike Hussey (12) chipped left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman to wide mid-on and as Australia's decline continued, another fine delivery from Razzaq jagged away and caught Mitchell Johnson's edge to dismiss him for a duck.

Resilience down the order is rarely absent where Australia are concerned but even a brisk 25 from Steve Smith could not prevent their lowest World Cup total since 1992.

"We made some good plans against them and the boys stuck to those plans very well," said Afridi.

"I think the way Umar Gul bowled was great. He's worked very hard with Waqar Younis (coach) and the results are there in front of you."

Early wickets always put the shivers through a dressing room though and when Lee took a sprawling return catch to dismiss Mohammad Hafeez for five, Australia were back in the match.

Paceman Lee then trapped Kamran Akmal lbw for 23 but a stand of 53 between Younus and Asad Shafiq put Pakistan back on course for their target.

Lee had not finished, however, and and removed Younus (23) and Misbah with successive balls in his second spell - both from fine edges through to the keeper.

Shafiq (46) and Umar Akmal steadied the ship again before the former nicked Johnson behind and a reckless heave from Afridi, who had made only two, again made things uneasy for Pakistan at 142-6.

But Umar (44 not out) and Razzaq (20 not out) held their nerve to secure a morale-boosting victory with nine overs to spare.

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Cricket World Cup: SA victory puts England through

South Africa too strong for Bangladesh

Bangladesh suffered a 206-run defeat by South Africa, a result which put India and England into the World Cup quarter-finals, after a woeful batting display.

Graeme Smith's side posted a commanding 284-8 after opting to bat first, with Jacques Kallis top scoring on 69.

The home side, needing to win in Mirpur to progress, then crumbled to 78 all out in reply as spinner Robin Peterson finished with fine figures of 4-12.

The defeat all but ends the co-hosts' participation in the tournament.

Shakib Al Hasan's side now need an enormous and hugely unlikely victory margin by India against West Indies on Sunday to steal the Windies' place in the knock-out stages on net run rate, but in all likelihood, their participation is over.

England's dramatic victory against the Windies on Thursday had transformed this match into a must-win game for Bangladesh, with thoughts of their own miserable score of 58 against the Caribbean side fresh in the memory.

Meanwhile, South Africa, already assured of qualification, had the luxury of resting opening bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel but still had no trouble at any stage at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Ultimately it was a truly dreadful batting performance that cost Bangladesh but Shakib's side were always going to be up against it after letting the game get away from them with the ball.

Openers Smith and Hashim Amla enjoyed their best partnership of the tournament as the Proteas reached 97 off 20 overs and although Mahmudullah had the skipper stumped for 45 before Abdur Razzak bowled Amla for 51, Kallis was able to drop anchor and guide his side towards a competitive score.

JP Duminy fell for 17 after a loose shot, but Kallis and Francois du Plessis consolidated further, with the latter adding 52 at a run a ball before chipping Rubel Hossain to mid-off.

Bangladesh's miserable total was their lowest score against South Africa

A sharp return catch from Shakib eventually brought the end of Kallis, but a late flurry from the lower order ensured the Tigers would need to show considerable resolve to secure the victory they desperately needed.

Hopes rested with Tamim Iqbal once again, but the star opener's poor run of form continued when he was caught behind for five.

Imrul Kayes shouldered arms to Tsotsobe and was bowled for four, while Junaid Siddique was trapped lbw by Johan Botha for two.

Further single-figure scores from Shahriar Nafees (5) and Mushfiqur Rahim (3) and Mahmudullah's sloppy run out left the hosts on 58-6.

Captain Shakib dug in to make 30 but when he edged behind off the impressive Peterson, all hope was lost and the Tigers were doomed to end the World Cup with their lowest one-day international total against South Africa.

Afterwards, Shakib was contrite about his team's performance, saying: "The expectations were high among our people because we had played so well over the past 12 months, but we let them down.

"We have not played good cricket at the World Cup and I feel very sorry for our fans. They deserved much more than we gave them.

"There is no other reason for our failure than bad batting. We should probably have given away 20 runs less, but the match was over once we lost four wickets quickly. You can't find excuses once you are bowled out for 78.

He added: "This was a pressure match for us. We knew we had to win. The team just could not take the pressure."

Smith, meanwhile, was pleased with how his under-strength bowling attack performed, saying: ""Lopsy (Lonwabo) has been terrific for us and Robbie (Peterson) has been playing really well for a while.

"He is coming into his own now. The bowling unit is bowling really well."

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Now or never for Bangladesh

Match Facts

March 19, Mirpur
Start time 09.30 am (03.30 GMT)

The Big Picture

The back-door is shut now. Had West Indies won their game last night, Bangladesh would have made it through to the quarter-finals. As it turned out, the game between West Indies and England twisted and turned, went inside-out, upside-down, before England bit another bullet and stayed alive in the tournament. Surely about a 1000 miles north, the Bangladesh players watched in hope and later in agony in their team hotel in Dhaka. Thanks to that result, Bangladesh are now a point behind England, and a long way behind every contender in terms of net run-rate. There is an upside too: Bangladesh no longer need to watch helplessly, hoping for some other team to do what is desirable for them.

It's relatively simple now: beat South Africa and go through, no who-does-what elsewhere in the group. However, just the thought and the equation are simple, not actually beating South Africa, whose pace attack - even on the slow and low pitch at Mirpur - will provide the hosts with their biggest test. South Africa have also been on a bit of a roll, their tight win against India cancelling out the close defeat to England. They will want to finish at the top of the table, and hence face the fourth-placed team in Group A. Given how this World Cup has gone, it might not be the most desirable thing to do, for it could mean they might have to face Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.

There is no reason why Bangladesh shouldn't back themselves, though. They have beaten South Africa in a World Cup before, they have the advantage of home conditions, they have had back-to-back wins, but they also know this is not going to be easy. It's been a funny World Cup so far: Bangladesh, bowled out for 58 by West Indies, were supporting West Indies yesterday; England, great rivals of South Africa, will be supporting South Africa tomorrow, as will be West Indies.

Graeme Smith certainly doesn't want to miss a poke at England. "I think English fans are getting used to supporting South Africans these days," he said on the eve of this game.

What happens if…

South Africa win: Bangladesh are knocked out, and India, England and West Indies go through

Bangladesh win: Bangladesh go through, leaving West Indies a must-win game against India

The game is tied or no-result: England go through thanks to a superior net run-rate, and Bangladesh are left hoping West Indies lose their game on Sunday

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh WWLWL
South Africa WWLWW

Pitch and conditions

The Bangladesh part of the World Cup returns to Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur, where Bangladesh will like a turning surface, but it is not quite possible to create a rank turner in Mirpur. The best they can manage is the low and slow pitch that they rolled out for Ireland. There is no rain forecast, and there shouldn't be too much of early-morning freshness for this day game, because the sun is already about three-and-a-half hours old by the 9.30 am start in Bangladesh.

Watch out for...

Bangladesh's best batsman, Tamim Iqbal, hasn't had a great World Cup, and he knows how much rests on him. He will want to set that record straight, and make sure this is not his last chance in the tournament.

Graeme Smith has had his share of problems at the top of the order, but playing Bangladesh in Bangladesh provides him with a fairly good challenge before the knockouts.

Team news

Bangladesh won't make too many changes to their winning combination, except that offspinner Naeem Islam is likely to replace left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo, on account of a few left-hand batsmen in the South African line-up.

Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Shahriar Nafees, 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Suhrawadi Shuvo / Naeem Islam, 9 Abdur Razzak, 10 Shafiul Islam, 11 Rubel Hossain.

South Africa are back to full fitness, and Imran Tahir may come back in place of either Johan Botha or Robin Peterson. If AB de Villiers comes back, he might not keep, which might mean that Colin Ingram, despite his 46 against Ireland, might have to sit out.

South Africa (probable): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Faf du Plessis, 7 Morne van Wyk (wk), 8 Johan Botha / Imran Tahir, 9 Robin Peterson, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Morne Morkel

Stats

• No Bangladesh batsman has scored a World Cup century.

• The only time Bangladesh have beaten South Africa in international cricket was in Providence in the previous World Cup.

• AB de Villiers, with 318 runs from four innings, is the only middle-order batsman in the top-six run-getters of the tournament so far.

Quotes

"We are on the right track and moving forward to our target as we already have won three matches out of five as per our expectation. Everything is okay with the team, but still we believe that we are yet to play our best cricket in the tournament."
Tamim Iqbal calls for his team to play the best they can

"They need to win the game. We expect a very passionate crowd. They will also be the team under pressure so we hope to be able to force them into doing things they wouldn't want to do."
Graeme Smith knows who will be more desperate come Saturday

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Spinners strike back after SA begin strongly

25 overs South Africa 117 for 2 (Amla 51, Smith 45) v Bangladesh
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Graeme Smith made 45, his highest score of the tournament © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links Matches: Bangladesh v South Africa at Dhaka Series/Tournaments: ICC Cricket World Cup Teams: Bangladesh | South Africa

The contrasting approaches of Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith worked perfectly for South Africa as the duo batted their way to a 98-run opening stand that seemed to deflate Bangladeshi hopes in what is a must-win game for them if they are to make the knockouts. But the openers were tied down by the spinners after the first drinks break, and fell after becoming increasingly impatient as the singles dried up. That brought the Mirpur crowd roaring back to life and gave Bangladesh a window of opportunity to prevent South Africa from running away with the game, particularly with the visitors opting to play only six specialist batsmen.

Mahmudullah capitalised on Smith's blind charge by having him stumped in the 21st over. A couple of overs later, Amla went against the run of play, inside-edging an Abdur Razzak delivery onto the stumps, a dismissal that indicated that the surface was getting slower as the ball got older.

Before those strikes, Shakib Al Hasan's hopes of making early inroads had been dashed by Amla and Smith who welcomed the Bangladeshi seamers with a flurry of boundaries, and then batted without taking much risk against spin which was predictably introduced early, in the fifth over.

It was fascinating to see how the openers went about tackling the spinners in their different styles. While Amla allowed the ball to come to him, and played it as late as possible off the back foot, Smith was very eager to push forward and use his feet frequently in an attempt to meet the ball early.

Amla carried on in the nonchalantly that has made him the world's most prolific one-day batsman of late. Anything marginally short was quickly dispatched, as he showed against Mahmudullah in the 13th over. Twice Mahmudullah got the ball to turn in sharply from just short of a length, and Amla rocked back to punch against the spin into the tiny gap at cover. Amla had looked equally at ease in the five overs of medium-pace at the start, staying beside the line and repeatedly piercing the off-side infield.

Smith was uncertain to start with, as has been the nature of most of his innings recently. But Bangladesh helped him settle the nerves with a couple of freebies on leg stump that he happily put away past short fine leg. He was also the beneficiary of a referral, after having been given out leg-before to Razzak in the 10th over, only for it to be overturned after replays showed that he was struck outside the line of off stump.

Though the introduction of spin dried up the boundaries, the singles kept coming all too easily, and all around the ground. Shakib brought himself on as the sixth bowler into the attack in the 16th over, but it was only after the drinks break that the openers lost their cool, and their wickets.

Jacques Kallis began in pleasingly positive fashion, and will be key along with JP Duminy if South Africa's three spinners are to come in to play later. Spin will be crucial for South Africa, especially after they decided to rest strike bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel.

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In cricket-mad Dhaka, even the dancers’ practice is sold out on ICC Cricket World cup opening cermony

In the space of a few furious minutes, a few thousand hands work their way through the narrow opening of the booth, bundles of taka notes clutched between fingers. As the hands are pulled out, their owners unclench their fists, broad smiles on their faces. An 8-inch piece ofpaper emerges, the word ‘Rehearsal’ on it in bold blue letters.

World Cup fever is yet to hit India fully, but here in Bangladesh, a day before the tournament opening ceremony, it’s a raging epidemic. How else do you explain the selling-out of dancers and singers practising?

Those who got into Dhaka’s Bangabandhu Stadium — venue of tomorrow’s opening ceremony — today must think of themselves as the luckiest citizens of thiscricket-mad country. Thecricket World Cup, they are saying here with absolutely no hint of hyperbole, is the biggest event since the nation was born in 1971.

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Dhaka ready for glitzy World Cup opening ceremony

Dhaka: The ICC CricketWorld Cup is set to be ushered in with a grand opening ceremony here on Thursday as the game's showpiece event returns to the sub-continent after 15 years, shrugging off the controversy of Eden Gardens being stripped off a marquee match, involving co-hosts India.

The Bangladeshi capital, which has spruced up itself for the biggest event in their cricketing history, will take centrestage of the cricketing world with a two-hour spectacle of song, dance and laser shows at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

Internationally-acclaimed rock star Bryan Adams, Indian singing trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Sonu Nigam will be among the performers to set the stage for the tournament, reflecting the increasing role the entertainment aspect has started to be associated with the game.

Two days later, Bangladesh and co-hosts India clash in the inaugural game at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium at Mirpur, on Dhaka's outskirts to herald the beginning of 43 days of action spread across 13 venues in three countries.

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South Africa Match Schedule in ICC World Cup Cricket 2011

South Africa Cricket team is a most consistence performer of the ICC WorldCricket 2011. They will try their best for winning the ICC World Cup 2011. South Africa cricket team has to play 6 matches in 2011Cricket World Cup in thefirst round. South AfricaCricket team 1st match will start against West Indiescricket team in New Delhi, Feroz Shah Kotla, played on 24 February 2011. South Africa Cricket team play the 7th match of Cricket World Cup 2011. South Africa Cricket team schedule 2011 World Cup is given below for our visitor..

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