Latest news with #ODIWorldCup2023
India Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Shoaib Akhtar rips into Pakistan batters, calls for mega changes in culture
Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar has criticised the Pakistan team batters after their heavy defeat in the ODI series decider against West Indies. The loss marked Pakistan's first bilateral series defeat to the West Indies in 34 years, leaving fans and former players frustrated with the side's spiralling performance in world 295 to win the series, Pakistan collapsed like a pack of cards. Three of their top four batters fell for ducks, and the innings folded for just 92 runs. Jayden Seales, the young West Indies fast bowler claimed 6/18, the best-ever bowling figures against Pakistan in ODI history, surpassing Dale Steyn's 6/39 in a team that comprises the likes of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the performance was shambolic. Azam, once considered as the next big thing in Pakistan cricket hasn't scored an international hundred against a full-member team for nearly three years. Skipper Rizwan has contributed in bits and pieces but once again failed to score runs in a big match. 'We used to have expressive and explosive talent, and we played like that. We were never dependent on one individual, everyone chipped in. No one used to look for escape routes. The environment has changed, and in the last 10–15 years, everyone has started playing for themselves. Everyone is playing for their averages. The intent should be to win matches for your country,' Akhtar said on the Game On Hai CHANGE NEEDED: SHOAIB AKHTARPakistan have been heavily criticised for their outdated brand of cricket for a while now. Since reaching the semi-final and final of T20 World Cup 2021 and 2022, Pakistan cricket have been on a freefall. The team was knocked out of the group stages in the ODI World Cup 2023 and T20 World Cup 2024, owing to their defensive style of India in the 2024 World Cup, the side failed to chase down a paltry total of 120 runs.'We need to change the intent, the mindset, and create that atmosphere. You need to play according to modern cricket. How hard is that to understand?' Akhtar blasted the Pakistan in the T20I series, Pakistan were able to edge out West Indies 2-1, it still does not hide their vulnerability while playing outside home. They toured Bangladesh and lost 1-2 in July. In March-April 2025, they went down against New Zealand 0-3, vindicating the team's obvious vulnerability on foreign soils.'Halka sa seam hota hai toh musibat pad jaati hai (The ball moves a bit and they are in trouble). Rawalpindi pitch lekar nahi ghoom sakte (You can't carry Pindi pitches everywhere),' said upcoming matches will provide the side with a chance to respond to criticism and gain confidence ahead of the bigger challenge - the T20 World Cup in 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. A better and comparatively comprehensive show could ease some pressure on the players, at least for the time being.- EndsMust Watch
India Today
19-07-2025
- Sport
- India Today
The best of KL Rahul: Small tweaks that led to batter's renaissance in Test cricket
India opener KL Rahul has enjoyed his stay so far in England. Batting in the opener's spot, Rahul has scored 2 hundreds in the first 3 Test matches, amassing 375 runs at an average of 62.50. The batter has been able to give his Test career a breath of fresh air, which was left stuttering in the 2022 renaissance of his Test career has come as part of a larger picture of Rahul's rebirth in world cricket, following the horrendous aftermath of the ODI World Cup 2023 final loss against Australia. After the world tournament, Rahul was kicked out of his IPL side, and he lost his spot in the T20 team. The Karnataka player was also termed as a player who really could not fulfil his promise in any format of the nearly one year later, here we are. Rahul won the Champions Trophy with India in 2025 and has stamped his authority on the opener's spot in the Test team. Since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, Rahul has averaged 43.40 in the opener's spot, much better than his career average of 35 in Test cricket. The batter has amassed 651 runs from 8 matches, including 2 hundreds in one seems to be more elated than former India head coach Ravi Shastri, with Rahul realising his potential. Speaking on ICC Review, Shastri said that Rahul was batting at his very best and had finally realised his own talent.'I think there was not one person in the world who denied his potential and said that he [Rahul] was not talented. What annoyed people was, with that kind of talent, he was not delivering. And in this series, you're seeing the best of Rahul,' Shastri said in the RAHUL'S TWEAKED TECHNIQUESince his snub from the T20 World Cup 2024, Rahul has completely changed his batting approach. The batter showed initiative in the BGT 2024-25 itself, navigating the tall Australian fast bowling attack on spicy pitches. In the Champions Trophy 2025, Rahul played with calculated aggression, finishing off chases in changes in approach have not gone unnoticed by Shastri, who credited Rahul's reworked technique behind his rebirth in international cricket.'What I am seeing is a slight adjustment he's made with his front foot, in his stance and while defending,' Shastri said."It just opened up a bit, which allows his bat to come through cleanly. Even when he's hitting it towards mid-wicket, it's the full face of the blade. He doesn't need to close the face of the blade, and fall over and get into trouble like he used to in the past. He would get out leg before, would get out bowled, he would get across too far and then be out leg before as well," he added.'He is sound technically, he has been as good as anyone. Especially, it's not moved a lot in the series, but when it's moved, he has had the game to look after that movement,' concluded the former India will bank on Rahul to score a lot more runs in the final two matches of the series. As Shubman Gill's India look to overturn the 1-2 deficit in Manchester, Rahul's output might turn out to be one of the key play the 4th Test of the series at Old Trafford. The game starts on July 23.- EndsTune InMust Watch
India.com
26-06-2025
- Sport
- India.com
Inhone Hamara 19 November Kharab Kiya Tha: Rohit Sharma Reveals Dressing Room Conversation Against Australia In T20 World Cup
India's ODI Skipper Rohit Sharma revealed how badly India wanted to knock out Australia in the T20 World Cup 2024 as everyone in the dressing room was seeking a revenge for the loss that Australia gave to the side and the countrymen on 19 November 2023 winning ODI World Cup 2023 at India from the jaws of Sharma led team. Notably, India who were undefeated in the tournament lost the final game by 6 wickets. Travis Head's brilliant century gave India no chance to defend the meagre total they posted and it proved to be a scar that none Indian cricket fan would be able to move on with. The Revenge India gave a befitting repy to the kangaroos knocking them out of the T20 World Cup 2024 race defeating them in their final Super 8 match. The game was a do or die fixture for the Aussies to make it to top four as they previously suffered an upset losing against Afghanistan and loss against India would close all their doors. Rohit Sharma played his life's best T20 knock starring flurry of fours and gigantic sixes attacking the trio of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins. He scored a magnificent 92 and the innings proved to be a game changer. Australia were knocked out of the tournament. "We had to give them a return gift. Captain @ImRo45 relives the emotions, the mindset, & the fire that fueled #TeamIndia's iconic win over #Australia in the #T20WorldCup2024, just months after the heartbreak of the #2023ODIWorldCup Final. Watch the full video … — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 26, 2025 Rohit while talking to Star Sports/Jio Hotsar on their special show "Champions Wali Feeling Phir Se" reliving the T20 World Cup 2024 spoke how they discussed the scenarios in dressing room eying revenge. "Australia had ruined our and the whole country's November 19 in the ODI WC Final, so we should also give them a gift. These kinds of things were talked about in the dressing room. We had it in our minds that if we win this match, Australia will be out of this T20 World Cup," said Rohit in the interview with Star Sports. India Eventually defeated England in the Semi-Final and then the Proteas in the Final ending their 11 year ICC Trophy drought. India won their first ICC Trophy under Rohit and then later also won the Champions Trophy 2025.
India Gazette
07-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Moody backs Australia to defend WTC mace, but issues SA's
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): Former cricketer Tom Moody has backed Australia to pip South Africa in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which is slated to kick off on Wednesday at Lord's, but cautioned his former side to be wary of Marco Jansen, who will be a 'genuine threat.' Australia is on the cusp of scripting another milestone. If the Baggy Greens trounce the Proteas, they will become the first team to defend the WTC mace successfully. The Pat Cummins-led side has exuded its winning pedigree with famous triumphs in the WTC 2023 final at The Oval and the ODI World Cup 2023 in India. Moody expects Australia to embrace the challenge and prosper in the high-stakes fixture. 'The Australians have built that reputation through consistent success in major tournaments. When it comes to ICC events, Australia somehow elevates their game to another level as a team. They genuinely embrace the challenges of tournament cricket and thrive under the pressure of these high-stakes matches,' Moody said on Star Sports. 'It's also about confidence. Historically, many of their players have won multiple ICC tournaments, and they've grown up watching previous generations achieve the same success. That winning mentality is ingrained in them,' he added. While Moody sees Australia as on-paper favourites, he identified South Africa's two quicks who can make the defending champions toil hard for runs. Apart from Kagiso Rabada, who has delivered repeatedly, Moody sees the lanky quick Jansen to pose a genuine threat to Australia. 'You can never discount Rabada and especially Jansen. At nearly seven feet tall, Marco Jansen brings height, bounce, and new-ball swing - he'll be a genuine threat. And Rabada? We know his Test pedigree - he's delivered repeatedly,' he said. Despite being aware of the menace South Africa can pose, Moody still backed Australia, considering the experience of its pace express mainstays, captain Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. 'That said, I'd still back Australia here - not out of bias, but experience. With Hazlewood, Cummins, and Starc - three battle-hardened pacers who've played multiple Ashes in England - they know Lord's intimately. And let's not forget Nathan Lyon's perfect supporting role,' he added. (ANI)
Mint
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Moody backs Australia to defend WTC mace, but issues SAs 'genuine threat' warning
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): Former cricketer Tom Moody has backed Australia to pip South Africa in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which is slated to kick off on Wednesday at Lord's, but cautioned his former side to be wary of Marco Jansen, who will be a "genuine threat." Australia is on the cusp of scripting another milestone. If the Baggy Greens trounce the Proteas, they will become the first team to defend the WTC mace successfully. The Pat Cummins-led side has exuded its winning pedigree with famous triumphs in the WTC 2023 final at The Oval and the ODI World Cup 2023 in India. Moody expects Australia to embrace the challenge and prosper in the high-stakes fixture. "The Australians have built that reputation through consistent success in major tournaments. When it comes to ICC events, Australia somehow elevates their game to another level as a team. They genuinely embrace the challenges of tournament cricket and thrive under the pressure of these high-stakes matches," Moody said on Star Sports. "It's also about confidence. Historically, many of their players have won multiple ICC tournaments, and they've grown up watching previous generations achieve the same success. That winning mentality is ingrained in them," he added. While Moody sees Australia as on-paper favourites, he identified South Africa's two quicks who can make the defending champions toil hard for runs. Apart from Kagiso Rabada, who has delivered repeatedly, Moody sees the lanky quick Jansen to pose a genuine threat to Australia. "You can never discount Rabada and especially Jansen. At nearly seven feet tall, Marco Jansen brings height, bounce, and new-ball swing - he'll be a genuine threat. And Rabada? We know his Test pedigree - he's delivered repeatedly," he said. Despite being aware of the menace South Africa can pose, Moody still backed Australia, considering the experience of its pace express mainstays, captain Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. "That said, I'd still back Australia here - not out of bias, but experience. With Hazlewood, Cummins, and Starc - three battle-hardened pacers who've played multiple Ashes in England - they know Lord's intimately. And let's not forget Nathan Lyon's perfect supporting role," he added. (ANI)
