Latest news with #ICCKnockout
eNCA
3 hours ago
- Sport
- eNCA
Proteas seek end to trophy misery in WTC final against Australia
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa captain Temba Bavuma believes his team can put their shocking record in knockout games behind them when they face defending champions Australia in next week's World Test Championship final. The Proteas have won just one International Cricket Council trophy –- the ICC Knockout -- a forerunner of the Champions Trophy, back in 1998, alongside a list of agonising near-misses. By contrast, the top-ranked Australians, who beat India in the 2023 WTC final, have an enviable record at the sharp end of tournaments in the white-ball game. They have won the one-day World Cup a record six times, lifted the Champions Trophy twice and have also triumphed at the T20 World Cup. "It is different," Bavuma said ahead of the WTC final at Lord's starting on Wednesday. "Australia have had success. They know what they need to do." But the 35-year-old batsman is adamant South Africa will not be overawed when facing Pat Cummins' team. "For us it is about being confident in our ability," said Bavuma. "We haven't been handed this opportunity to play in the final, we have performed accordingly. We respect them (Australia) but it is still a 50-50 chance in our eyes." Heartache has been the recurring theme of South Africa's history at global events going back to the 1992 World Cup, when they returned to the international fold after two decades of exclusion as a result of the country's apartheid regime. South Africa reached the semi-finals only for a cruel rain rule, that left them needing 21 off one ball, to wreck their chances against England in Sydney. That set a pattern for the next three ODI World Cups. South Africa dominated their group stage in Pakistan in 1996 before falling to a Brian Lara-inspired West Indies in the quarter-finals. A farcical run-out with the scores tied in a 1999 semi-final against Australia meant they were eliminated on net run-rate. On home soil in 2003, rain and a miscalculation of the run-rate formula against Sri Lanka led to an embarrassing group-stage exit. Not until last year's T20 World Cup did South Africa reach a major final. Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada is the only current player who would be a contender for a place in a South Africa all-time team. But Bavuma has an impressive record of eight wins and a draw in the nine Tests in which he has captained. The skipper lauded coach Shukri Conrad for helping create a strong team spirit, saying: "We don't boast legendary names. For us to achieve what we have is a tribute to him." Conrad has spent time with Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus in a bid to sharpen his side's winning edge. Erasmus has guided South Africa to back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles, with the Springboks showing extraordinary mental strength in winning three successive knockout matches by a single point on the way to their 2023 triumph in Paris. "Obviously they are doing a lot of things right," said Conrad, who was clear about the key lesson he had learned from Erasmus. "Playing for the Springboks has got to be the biggest thing -- playing for the Proteas has got to be the biggest thing for our players," he explained. "That is what we have to hone in on."
France 24
2 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
South Africa seek end to trophy misery in WTC final against Australia
The Proteas have won just one International Cricket Council trophy –- the ICC Knockout -- a forerunner of the Champions Trophy, back in 1998, alongside a list of agonising near-misses. By contrast the top-ranked Australians, who beat India in the 2023 WTC final, have an enviable record at the sharp end of tournaments in the white-ball game. They have won the one-day World Cup a record six times, lifted the Champions Trophy twice and have also triumphed at the T20 World Cup. "It is different," Bavuma said ahead of the WTC final at Lord's starting on Wednesday. "Australia have had success. They know what they need to do." But the 35-year-old batsman is adamant South Africa will not be overawed when facing Pat Cummins' team. "For us it is about being confident in our ability," said Bavuma. "We haven't been handed this opportunity to play in the final, we have performed accordingly. We respect them (Australia) but it is still a 50-50 chance in our eyes." Heartache has been the recurring theme of South Africa's history at global events going back to the 1992 World Cup, when they returned to the international fold after two decades of exclusion as a result of the country's apartheid regime. South Africa reached the semi-finals only for a cruel rain rule, that left them needing 21 off one ball, to wreck their chances against England in Sydney. That set a pattern for the next three ODI World Cups. South Africa dominated their group stage in Pakistan in 1996 before falling to a Brian Lara-inspired West Indies in the quarter-finals. A farcical run-out with the scores tied in a 1999 semi-final against Australia meant they were eliminated on net run-rate. On home soil in 2003, rain and a miscalculation of the run-rate formula against Sri Lanka led to an embarrassing group-stage exit. Not until last year's T20 World Cup did South Africa reach a major final. Finally, a trophy was in sight as a rampant Heinrich Klaasen took South Africa to within 30 runs of victory with 30 balls and six wickets remaining. But Klaasen was dismissed, Jasprit Bumrah bowled superbly and David Miller fell to a sensational boundary catch in the last over as South Africa fell short yet again. Springbok lessons Test cricket, however, is one format in which South Africa have ruled the world. They topped the rankings under Graeme Smith's leadership in 2009 and held the ICC Test Mace –- before the World Test Championship was introduced –- from 2013 until 2015. Bavuma is the only survivor from an era when South Africa could boast world-class players including Smith, Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander. Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada is the only current player who would be a contender for a place in a South Africa all-time team. But Bavuma has an impressive record of eight wins and a draw in the nine Tests in which he has captained. The skipper lauded coach Shukri Conrad for helping create a strong team spirit, saying: "We don't boast legendary names. For us to achieve what we have is a tribute to him." Conrad has spent time with Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus in a bid to sharpen his side's winning edge. Erasmus has guided South Africa to back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles, with the Springboks showing extraordinary mental strength in winning three successive knockout matches by a single point on the way to their 2023 triumph in Paris. "Obviously they are doing a lot of things right," said Conrad, who was clear about the key lesson he had learned from Erasmus. "Playing for the Springboks has got to be the biggest thing -- playing for the Proteas has got to be the biggest thing for our players," he explained. "That is what we have to hone in on."
Gulf Today
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Gulf Today
India down New Zealand in final to lift third Champions Trophy title
Rohit Sharma led the chase with a cracking fifty after spin quartet bowled brilliantly as India defeated New Zealand in the final by four wickets to lift the third Champions Trophy title in Dubai on Sunday. After restricting New Zealand to a par total of 251/7, India chased down the target with six balls to spare. With the victory, India settled a 25-year-old score with New Zealand. A low-profile New Zealand, who had just two senior players Chirs Cairns and Stephen Fleming in their ranks, had defeated a star-studded India 25 years ago in the final to win the ICC Knockout, which later was rebranded as Champions Trophy before being removed from the cricket itinerary for eight long years in 2017, making a return in Dubai in 2025. Fast forward to 2025, Rohit gave India a blistering start as he added 105 runs for the first wicket with Shubman Gill. Rohit was at his brutal best and got off with six. He set the tone for a successful chase with a blitzkrieg knock of 83-ball 76 and made it easy for the other batsmen. Santner broke the partnership to bring New Zealand back into the match by dismissing Gill. After the departure of Gill, a charged-up New Zealand bowlers started attacking. India lost three wickets within 17 runs to be reduced to 122/3 from 105/0. Bracewell trapped Kohli and Rohit was caught by Latham off Rachin. The onus of taking India through came on Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel. They added 62 runs for the fourth wicket to take the match deep before Shreyas became the second victim of Santner. Patel, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with useful contributions as Indian reached the target with ease. New Zealand used seven bowlers, three pacers and four spinners -- Santner, Ravindra, Michael Bracewell and Glenn Philips. Their spinners also did pretty well as they gave away 152 runs in their 35 overs combined and took five wickets with Bracewell and Santner picking up two wickets each for 28 and 36 runs respectively. Earlier, the Indian spinners wreaked havoc with a disciplined and precise bowling. India's spin attack, which boasts of four very lethal slow bowlers, reminds of India's famous spin quartet of Bishen Singh Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, Srinivas Venkatraghavan and Erapalli Prasanna. Spinners led India's fight back after New Zealand got off to a fiery start. India's strategy of playing with the four spinners yielded the results once again. Indian pacers were struggling to contain the flow of runs, leave alone taking a wicket. The New Zealand openers Will Young and Rachin put on a blitzkrieg 69 runs for the first wicket in 10 overs. They gave a strong start to help New Zealand post a big total. New Zealand looked set to finish around somewhere near 320. But Indian spinners were yet to be introduced. The moment India launched the spin assault, they regained the ground, pushing New Zealand on the back foot. Before the final, Indian spinners produced a total of 21 dismissals in just four matches. It was mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who triggered the collapse. After that New Zealand could never recover and kept on losing wickets at regular intervals as Indian spinners ripped through the middle-order. He trapped Young in front of the wickets to break the partnership. After that Kuldeep Yadav spun the web to send back Rachin and Kane Williamson in quick succession to make it 75/3 from 57/0. Both Rachin and Williamson smashed a century each in their previous game against South Africa as they piled up 350 plus runs. Their dismissal brought respite to the Indian camp. Indian spinners tightened the noose and choked the flow of the runs completely. New Zealand started struggling for runs. They played 10 overs without hitting a single boundary. Tom Latham lost his patience and missed a full straight delivery from Ravindra Jadeja in an attempt to play a sweep shot and was caught plumb in front of the wickets as New Zealand lost fourth wicket for 108 in 23.2. In 13.2 overs after powerplay, India conceded just 39 for 3. Bracewell hit a quick-fire 40-ball 53 to propel New Zealand to 251/7. Shami got rid of him for his only scalp. Four Indian spinners conceded a total of 144 runs in 38 overs combined and accounted for five dismissals. While Shami and Hardik Pandya bowled just 12 overs combined and gave away 104 runs together. Shami picked one wicket only. India was sloppy in the field as they dropped quite a few catches. So far, India have dropped 10 catches out of the 26 chances they got. Their conversion rate is alarming low. Shami leads the tally with three drops to be closely followed by captain Rohit, who has two to his name. Rachin was dropped by Shreyas Iyer and Mohammad Shami before Daryll Mitchell was put down by Rohit Sharma off Axar when batting on 38. Gill followed the suit and gave a reprieve to Phillips who was on 28 then. But none of the batsmen could capitalise on the chances except Mithcell, who went on to score a fighting 63, adding 25 runs to his score after getting reprieve.
Associated Press
21-02-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
South Africa wins the toss, elects to bat against Afghanistan in cricket's Champions Trophy
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — South Africa won the toss and elected to bat against Afghanistan in its opening Group B game of the Champions Trophy on Friday. Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi dismissed political calls to boycott Afghanistan's cricket games in the Champions Trophy after politicians in England and South Africa urged their cricket authorities to forfeit the group games against Afghanistan because of the Taliban's ban on women's sport and erosion of women's rights. South Africa suffered a blow when wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen was ruled out of the opening game due to left elbow soft tissue injury. South Africa included just one spinner, Keshav Maharaj, and went with four pace bowlers — Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder — in the hopes that a hard wicket which has some grass will suit pace bowlers. Shahidi said he would have batted too had he won the toss, but is banking on his spinners Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Noor Ahmad to contain South Africa. Afghanistan came into the tournament after winning four of its five bilateral ODI series since the 2023 World Cup, which included 2-1 victory against South Africa at Sharjah last year. Afghanistan has done well in the white-ball format in recent years, narrowly missing out on the semifinals at 2023 World Cup in India before qualifying for the T20 World Cup semifinals last year. South Africa, which won the first edition of Champions Trophy in 1998 when it was known as ICC Knockout, is at its full strength. It has lost the last six successive ODIs largely due to giving chances to its potential Champions Trophy contenders. Pakistan is hosting its first major ICC tournament in 29 years since it co-hosted the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka. New Zealand and India won their opening group A games against Pakistan and Bangladesh respectively. ___ Lineups: South Africa: Ryan Rickelton, Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (captain), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi. Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi. ___
Al Jazeera
16-02-2025
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Teams, schedule, venues, tickets, how to stream
The International Cricket Council's (ICC) Champions Trophy returns after an eight-year hiatus, with Pakistan hosting the tournament from February 19 to March 9. The tournament will be the ICC's only men's limited-overs competition in 2025, with eight teams vying to lift the trophy and adorn the winners' white blazers. Here's Al Jazeera's ultimate guide to the tournament: What's the Champions Trophy and why is it so important for Pakistan? The championship, originally named the ICC Knockout, was conceived as an elite tournament among cricket's Test-playing nations and devised to fill the four-year gap between the ICC's 50-over World Cup and help expand the game globally. The inaugural edition was held in Bangladesh in 1998 and won by South Africa. With the introduction of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ICC World Test Championship in 2019, the Champions Trophy was discontinued after the 2017 edition, which was hosted by England and won by Pakistan. As the tournament makes its comeback for the ninth edition, the holders are hosting Pakistan's biggest international sport event in 29 years. The South Asian nation last hosted an ICC event in 1996, and the March 2009 gun attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team's bus in Lahore caused the cancelation or disruption of professional cricket tours in Pakistan for years to come. For Pakistan, hosting a successful international tournament can help change the country's perceptions, cricket experts told Al Jazeera. Which teams are participating in the Champions Trophy 2025 and what's the format? Hosts Pakistan and the top seven ODI teams from the 2023 Cricket World Cup group qualified for the Champions Trophy. The tournament has been divided into a simple group-stage and knockout-stage format. The 2025 edition sees high-flying limited-overs side Afghanistan make their tournament debut. Following their round-robin fixtures, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals. Group A: Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, New Zealand Group B: Australia, South Africa, Afghanistan, England When is the opening match and when is the Champions Trophy final? Pakistan will host New Zealand in the tournament opener at Karachi's National Stadium on Thursday, February 19. The final is scheduled for March 9, with the venue subject to India's qualification for the match. Group stage matches will be held from February 19 to March 2 and the semifinals will be played on March 4 and 5. Why aren't India playing their matches in Pakistan? Up until a few weeks before the opening fixture, the tournament's schedule hinged on India's refusal – ostensibly based on their government's directions – to travel to Pakistan and the host nation's reluctance to move their neighbour's matches to a neutral venue. The months-long standoff was resolved when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) begrudgingly accepted a tit-for-tat hybrid model for the tournament, wherein India would play its Champions Trophy matches at a neutral venue and Pakistan would do the same for any upcoming ICC events hosted by India. The ICC and the PCB then agreed to move India's three group matches and one semifinal to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The final is set to be hosted at Pakistan's cricket headquarters in Lahore but could move to Dubai should India qualify for it. Where will the Champions Trophy matches be played? Pakistan selected Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi as its three host cities for the tournament. Dubai was added to the list as a neutral venue in December 2024. National Stadium, Karachi: One of the oldest and most famous cricket grounds in Pakistan, the National Stadium has hosted hundreds of iconic Tests and limited-overs matches since its opening in 1955. The 30,000-capacity venue in Pakistan's largest and most populous city has undergone major refurbishment for the Champions Trophy and will host the tournament's opening match. Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: The headquarters of the PCB and Pakistan's National Cricket Academy, Gaddafi Stadium is steeped in history and has hosted the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1996, when Sri Lanka lifted the trophy in front of a rapturous crowd. Located in the city known as the beating heart of Pakistan, the 34,000-capacity venue will host three group matches, the second semifinal and the final – subject to India's qualification. Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium: Despite its relatively smaller size and capacity of 18,000, the Pindi Stadium is famous for always being packed to the rafters for most international fixtures – whether Test matches or limited-overs games. The venue's location in the Pakistani capital Islamabad's twin city makes it easily accessible for fans. It will host three group matches, including Pakistan's fixture against Bangladesh on February 27. Dubai International Cricket Stadium, UAE: In the 16 years since its inauguration, the venue has established itself as Pakistan and the ICC's go-to 'neutral' venue for international tournaments. With its modern 'ring of fire' lighting and compact design, the venue is set to become a cauldron when India play their three group games, including the all-important match against Pakistan. Dubai will also host the first semifinal on March 4 and the final on March 9, should India qualify. When and where is the India vs Pakistan group match? While the marquee fixture was originally scheduled for Lahore on March 2, the match was moved to Sunday, February 23, in Dubai following an impasse and eventual agreement between both nations. Due to the suspension of bilateral tours between the South Asian rivals, the teams play each other only during the ICC tournaments, making this match the only India vs Pakistan men's fixture in 2025. Temperatures will run high on and off the field as fans from both nations and around the world are expected to pack the venue, and players will look to seize the opportunity to gain bragging rights in one of the most eagerly-awaited sports fixtures of the year. The first ball will be bowled at 09:00 GMT, but Al Jazeera's live build-up to the match will begin at 04:00 GMT. Which teams are favourites to win the Champions Trophy? Al Jazeera's top picks for the title are: Pakistan: The defending champions are favourites not only as hosts but also based on their recent run of good form in the ODI format. Mohammad Rizwan's side would like nothing less than to win an ICC title at home – a feat they haven't achieved in two previous attempts. India: The ICC's top-ranked ODI team enter the Champions Trophy on the back of a 3-0 drubbing of England and with the T20 world title in the bag. The tournament may well serve as the farewell to ODI cricket for some of India's biggest icons, including captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli. New Zealand: The unassuming Blackcaps have snuck their way to the top quarter of ICC's ODI rankings following a tri-nation series win in Pakistan and will look to win their second Champions Trophy title since 2000. Who are the top players to watch? The top five players picked by Al Jazeera are: Babar Azam (Pakistan) Shubman Gill (India) Jos Buttler (England) Glenn Maxwell (Australia) Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan) Which top players will miss the tournament? Australia's World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins and India's world-leading pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah are the biggest names missing from their respective teams' rosters. Here's Al Jazeera's guide to the full squads. What's the prize money for the Champions Trophy? The ICC has dramatically increased the total prize for the tournament to $6.9m, a 53 percent increase from the last edition. Here's a breakdown of the total: Champions: $2.24m Runners-up: $1.12m Losing semifinalists: $560,000 Fifth and sixth position: $350,000 Seventh and eighth position: $140,000 Who are the past winners? Among this edition's participants, both Australia and India have won the tournament twice, while Bangladesh and England are yet to win the title. 1998: South Africa 2000: New Zealand 2002: India and Sri Lanka (joint winners) 2004: West Indies 2006: Australia 2009: Australia 2013: India 2017: Pakistan Are there any special rules, playing conditions or reserve days for the Champions Trophy? The game's standard rules and regulations for an ODI match apply to all fixtures. Should a match end in a tie, the winner will be determined through a super over – an additional over per side that serves as an eliminator based on the team winning the one-over contest. The points system will see the winning team bag two points, while a no result will see both sides walk away with one point apiece. The semifinal spots will be allocated to the top two teams from each group based on their points. Should there be a tie on points, the team with the most wins will qualify and if that results in a tie, the team with the higher net run rate will make the cut. Both the semifinals and the final have been allocated reserve days. How can fans buy tickets for the Champions Trophy? Tickets for the tournament have been released on a phase-by-phase basis by the ICC on its official online ticket platform and vendors across Pakistan. Tickets for the final will be made available for purchase after the conclusion of the first semifinal in Dubai, as the venue will be confirmed based on India's fate in the tournament. How to follow and stream the Champions Trophy matches? The tournament will be streamed by a number of official TV, digital and radio broadcasters across various regions. Al Jazeera Sport will provide live pre-match build-up, as well as text and photo commentary stream for the pick of the group-stage matches and all three knockout games. What is cricket and how is it played? It's a simple game of bat and ball, involving 11 players in each team but the rules can get a little complicated. Al Jazeera breaks it down for you here.
