Classic ODI matches at CWC 2011 venues - Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium

Dhaka has been given the distinction of hosting the first match of the ICC Cricket World Cup as hosts Bangladesh take on India at the Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium on February 19.

Here, as part of a special series, we look back at five classic ODI matches to have taken place at the venue.

Hosts start with a Bang

Bangladesh enjoyed an emphatic victory over Zimbabwe in the first ODI played at the Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, in December 2006.

Mashrafe Mortaza (3-14) was the pick of the home bowlers as Zimbabwe could only muster 146 after being put into bat.

An unbeaten third-wicket partnership of 85 between Aftab Ahmed (58 not out) and Shakib Al Hasan (31 not out) then saw their team home with 17.2 overs to spare.

Pakistan win battle of the batsmen

Having beaten Pakistan by 140 runs in the group phase (also containing the hosts Bangladesh), India went into the 2008 Kitplay Cup final as strong favourites.

A second-wicket partnership of 205 between Salman Butt (129) and Younis Khan (108) allowed Pakistan to post an imposing target of 316 for their great rivals.

A succession of starts were made by the Indian batsmen but no major individual score was reached as they were bowled out for 290 with 10 balls to spare. Umar

Gul was the leading bowler for the victors with four wickets.

Shakib makes hay

ODI victories against major nations have been few and far between for Bangladesh, making their convincing five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in January 2009 all the more impressive.

Part of a tri-series tournament also involving Zimbabwe, Bangladesh ensured they would join their opponent in the final thanks to the power-hitting of Shakib Al Hasan.

Chasing 148 in a match reduced to 31-overs-per-side, the left-hander struck 92 off 69 balls as Bangladesh recovered from 11-3 to reach their target with 43 balls remaining.

Murali the unlikely batting hero

Sri Lanka got their revenge for defeat two days earlier when they claimed a two-wicket victory in one of the more astonishing ODIs of recent times.

There appeared little cause for alarm when Bangladesh could only reach 152, dismissed with two balls of their 50 overs left unused.

That all changed when Sri Lanka plummeted to 6-5 in reply. Even when the batting side made a recovery to 114-8 it seemed their rearguard action would come to nought.

That was to discount a remarkable innings from number 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, who slammed 33 not out from 16 balls to steer his team home with 11 balls left.

Morgan wins the day

Bangladesh came out on the wrong side of another tight finish when England edged to a two-wicket victory in March 2010.

A total of 260-6 from the home side was always likely to prove testing and so it transpired as spinners Abdur Razzak and Shakib Al Hasan both took advantage of favourable conditions to claim three wickets apiece.

Eoin Morgan stood resolute as wickets fell around him and the left-hander recorded an unbeaten century – his first for England but second overall, having already reached three figures for Ireland – to see the tourists to their target.

Classic ODI matches at CWC venues - Wankhede Stadium

The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai has been awarded the final of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup on April 2.

Here, in the first of a special series, we look back at five classic matches to have been held in the Mumbai venue.

Runs aplenty

India defeated Sri Lanka by just 10 runs in a high-scoring opening ODI at the Wankhede Stadium in January 1987.

A match reduced to 40-overs-per-side saw Sri Lanka respond to India’s 299-4 with 289-7, generating the highest runs-per-over quotient in international cricket at the time.

Mohammad Azharuddin's 94-ball 108 not out was the centerpiece of India's effort after they were put into bat.

Roshan Mahanama (98) and Asanka Gurusinha (52 off 34 balls) put Sri Lanka on course for a miraculous run-chase before they both fell in quick succession in the closing overs.

Gooch shows his class

Graham Gooch swept England to a memorable victory over hot favourites India in their 1987 World Cup semi-final meeting.

The opener made 115 as England amassed 254-6 after being put into bat.

Although England made regular inroads, the India reply was on track while fifth-wicket pair Mohammad Azharuddin (64) and Kapil Dev (30 off 22 balls) were at the crease. Spinner Eddie Hemmings then removed both as the hosts fell away to 219 all out. Neil Foster (3-47) was England's other key bowler in a victory to savour.

Fleming bowls India over

Australia fought back strongly to claim a 16-run victory against India during the group stage of the 1996 World Cup.

Damien Fleming (5-36) was the bowling hero as India's challenge floundered after Sachin Tendulkar (90 off 84 balls) fell with exactly 100 needed.

Australia's innings promised more when Mark Waugh (126) and Mark Taylor (59) put on 103. No other batsman scored more than 21, however, as the Aussies were all out off the final ball of their 50 overs.

Sanath puts on fireworks display

Sanath Jayasuriya broke the record for Sri Lanka's highest individual ODI score as India were blown away in the Pepsi Independence Cup meeting of May 1997.

The left-hander managed 151 not out despite his side needing only 226 for victory, sending his team to victory by five wickets with 55 balls to spare.

India's innings contained three half-centuries but also three single-figure scores for the top four.

Jayasuriya's score has since been eclipsed several times by Sri Lankan batsmen, including three times by the opener himself.

Kartik's glory

India claimed a consolation victory in their seven-match ODI series with Australia in October 2007 thanks to an outstanding all-round display from Murali Kartik.

The slow left-armer produced the remarkable figures of 10-3-27-6 to dismiss Australia for 193 well inside the batting team's full allocation of 50 overs.

Australia fought back strongly and seemed likely to claim their fifth victory of the series when they had India at 143-8 in the reply.

India's ninth-wicket pair of Zaheer Khan (31 not out) and Kartik (21 not out) were able to go steadily, with plenty of overs in hand, and eventually saw their side to a two-wicket triumph with 24 balls to spare.

PAK Players In Match Fixing

Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed has confirmed that Scotland Yard police officials had questioned him and several players in connection with match fixing allegations during the Lord's Test.

Yawar said from London on Saturday that police officials were in the team hotel and recording statements from captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir and Kamran Akmal. Geo Super channel

"They have also spoken to me and I have tried to answer their queries. We will cooperate all the way with them in these investigations," Yawar said. 

Earlier on Saturday, Police said they had arrested a 35-year- old man for offering bribes to some Pakistani players for spot fixing during the Test match.

On the pitch, England was closing in on a big victory in the fourth test at the close of the third day after Pakistan were bowled out for 74, made to follow-on and reached 41-4 in their second innings. The hosts lead by 331.

Yawar said police had told him they had arrested one man in connection with the allegations but he denied reports that officers had confiscated mobile phones and laptops or that they had found money stashed in players' rooms. 

"That is not correct, but we are also in touch with our high commission in London and cooperating with the police." According to reports, Pakistan's high commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan had spoken to Scotland Yard detectives. Geo News channel

ENG VS PAK 4th Test:Trott and Broad set new record

England's Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad set a new best for the highest eighth-wicket partnership on day three of the fourth Test against Pakistan at Lord's.

The duo moved their stand from 244 overnight to 332 before Broad was finally dismissed by Saeed Ajmal for 169.

James Anderson (six) became Ajmal's second wicket and Trott's long vigil was ended at 184 when he was caught behind by Kamran Akmal off Wahab Riaz.

Despite the loss of the last three wickets for just 10 runs, England will have been delighted to finish up with 446 after being 47-5 and 102-7.

Mohammad Amir's good work of day two – when he took six wickets – was largely undone thanks to the collaboration of Trott and Broad, who dominated an England innings where the third highest score was 22.

Broad - whose innings was the second highest ever made by a number nine in Test cricket - continued his good work by striking two early blows in Pakistan's reply to leave the visitors firmly on the backfoot.

IND VS SRI TRI SERIES FINALS :INDIAS POOR BATING FORM CONTINUES TO HAUNT THEM

Continued failure of Indian batting and their indisciplined bowling handed Sri Lanka a one-sided 74-run victory in the triangular series final in Dambulla on Saturday. Indian captain MS Dhoni was the last man dismissed in a 300-run chase after team's batting crumbled under pressure put by the Sri Lankans.

Earlier, Virender Sehwag got run out after brisk 28, while Dinesh Karthik's poor form continued as the Tamil Nadu batsman nicked a leg-side delivery, which seemed to have brushed his thigh pad, to wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara. 

For Sri Lanka, Tillakaratne Dilshan struck a blistering century as the hosts exploited a sloppy bowling display by the Indians to amass an imposing 299 for eight.

Dilshan notched up his eighth ODI century to provide the impetus to the Lankan innings who capitalised on some wayward bowling by the Indians to rattle up a decent score at the Rangiri International stadium.

Captain Kumar Sangakkara (71) and Mahela Jayawardene (39) were the other notable scorers for the hosts who have left India with a stiff asking rate of nearly six runs per over to record their second successive series triumph on Lankan soil in three months.

Electing to bat, it was not a fiery start for the hosts as both the Lankan openers took some time to settle down and opened up gradually to pile up the misery on the visitors. After the first few overs, the Indian bowlers seemed to lose their rhythm and bowled a lot of loose deliveries.

The home crowd had a lot to cheer when Tillakaratne Dilshan hit two cracking fours off Praveen Kumar and Mahela Jayawardene produced a lofted drive off Ashish Nehra in the first few overs.

There was a minor altercation between Dilshan and Munaf Patel, who collided with the batsman in the seventh over, but normalcy was restored after umpire Asad Rauf and Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni intervened and pacified the two players.

Dilshan was more agressive of the two openers, who raised the best opening partnership of the series so far by putting on 121 for the first wicket. Ishant Sharma provided the breakthrough for the visitors by evicting the experienced Mahela Jayawardene (39) with Dinesh Karthik latchinng on to a well-judged catch.

Jayawardene reached forward and tried to wrist a length delivery across the line but only succeeded in spooning a catch to Karthik at the sweeper cover. But his dimssal came only after he had achieved a personal milestone of completing 9000 runs in ODIs, becoming only the third Sri Lankan to achieve the feat after Sanath Jayasuriya (13,428 runs) and Aravinda de Silva (9824 runs).

Part-timer Yuvraj Singh then struck for his team by dismissing Upul Tharanga (6) who edged the ball to captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stump.

After the two quick wickets, Dilshan and captain Kumar Sangakkara re-build the innings by playing cautiously. The duo kept the scoreboard ticking by gentle nudges and pushes before unleashing some exquisite shots on both sides of the wicket.

The two batsmen piled up the runs with ease and with the Indian pacers struggling to check the run flow, the Indians badly missed the services of a specialist fifth bowler. Dilshan, who slowed down in the 90's, took two runs off Ishant to notch up his eighth ODI century and his first on Sri Lankan soil. It was his third ton against India.

Dilshan, however, could not survive for long after completing his century with Ishant Sharma taking a good catch on the boundary line off Praveen Kumar. Munaf Patel then removed Sangakkara with Rohit Sharma taking the catch while Nehra accounted for Chamara Kapugedera (12) to slow down the scoring rate just a bit.

But a series of no-ball, wides and some lusty hitting by the late order batsmen in the slog overs ensured that Sri Lanka had a healthy total.

IND VS NZ 6th ODI:Blistering performance by shewag and bowlers storms India into finals

India relied on Virender Sehwag's swashbuckling century and an inspired show of swing bowling to spank New Zealand by 105 runs and cruise into the final of the cricket tri-series here on Wednesday.

While the flamboyant Sehwag (110) notched up his 13th ODI century to steer India to a competitive 223 after four early jolts, the pace bowlers than came up with fine exhibition of swing and control to skittle out the Kiwis for 118 in 30.1 overs.

Tailender Kyle Mills provided some late entertainment with a rollicking 52 but none of the other New Zealand batsman could provide much resistance as the Indians exploited the bowling-friendly conditions to the hilt to set up a summit showdown with Sri Lanka on Saturday.

The Indians, who desperately needed to win the floodlit contest to stay afloat, owed their victory to the brilliance of Sehwag who gave them enough runs on the board to push for a win on a tricky pitch at the Rangiri international stadium.

Chasing 224 for win, The Kiwis found the going tough under lights as the Indian speedsters extracted a lot of swing to virtually rip through the top-order.

Praveen Kumar struck the first blow for the Indians by dismissing opener Martin Guptill for a first ball duck, trapping him leg before with a gem of a delivery. Ashish Nehra then removed the other opener Bradley-John Watling with a big inswinger. Watling plays it onto the stumps as he looked to steer clear of the delivery.

The Kiwis suffered a big jolt when their captain Ross Taylor was dismissed by Kumar, who really looked impressive as he troubled all the batsmen with swing. Taylor fell prey to a lovely outswinger as he hung his bat out and edged the ball to Dhoni behind the stumps, leaving New Zealand tottering at 14 for three.


Kumar added another wicket to his kitty soon when he bowled Scot Styris while Ishant Sharma evicted Kane Williamson to compound the misery for the Kiwis. Reduced to a precarious 42 for six by the 17th over, it was only a matter of time before the innings folded up, though Mills hit some lusty shots in the fag end to reduce the margin of defeat.

Earlier, barring Sehwag, none of the other Indian batsmen could really get going though captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (38) played a good supporting role. Tim Southee (4/49) was the pick of the Kiwis bowlers though he was a trifle expensive. Spinner Nathan McCullum (3/35) and Kyle Mills (2/42) were the other wicket-taking bowlers.

The Indian innings began on a disastrous note with Dinesh Karthik, who has been in woeful form right through the series, returning to the pavilion in the very first over off Kyle Mills. It was a horrendous shot from the Indian opener as he poked at a length delivery outside the off stump, edging it to wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins behind the stump. He paid the price for fishing out even without getting his eye in.

Virat Kohli, who replaced Rohit Sharma in the team, joined the action after Karthik's dismissal but could not survive long, being at the receiving end of a dubious decision. Kohli (8) looked stunned when Sri Lankan umpire Ashoka de Silva gave him out when he edged an outgoing delivery off Tim Southee to wicketkeeper Hopkins. Television replays picked up some noise and the snickometer showed there was a slight nick.

Despite the early losses, Sehwag showed his customary flamboyance as he unleashed a flurry of strokes and scored the runs at a brisk pace. Sehwag was particularly severe on Mills as he clobbered him for two consecutive boundaries and then hammered Southee for a couple of boundaries.

During the course of the innings, Sehwag became the seventh batsmen in ODIs to hit 1000 boundaries. The record of hitting the most number of boundaries in ODIs is held by Sachin Tendulkar who has 1927 boundaries.

The Indians suffered a big jolt when Yuvraj Singh (6) also perished in the 12th over to a poor shot with Andy McKay being the wicket-taker. Yuvraj attempted a pull shot but his balance was all awry and he only managed to top edge the ball for the wicketkeeper to latch on to a superb catch.

The ball climbed just below chest high and Yuvraj tried to pull it from well outside off stump which accounted for his wicket. It was then Suresh Raina's turn to return to the pavilion and the Indians found themselves in the doldrums at a precarious 66 for four by the 13th over.


Raina, who has always been vulnerable to shirt pitched deliveries, paid the price for a faulty pull to a ball that was not too short. Raina was quick to get on to the back foot but pulled it to short midwicket fielder Kane Williamson who dived to his right to take a good catch.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sehwag tried to steady the innings by playing cautiously and punishing only the loose deliveries. Both gradually accelerated the pace of scoring after getting a feel of the conditions and the measure of the rather spongy track at the Rangiri International stadium.

Sehwag took a single off spinner Williamson to complete his 13th ODI century which came off just 87 balls. Spinner Nathan McCullum brought an end to the 107-run fifth wicket partnership by evicting the dangerous Sehwag soon after he completed his century, much to the relief of his teammates.

Sehwag holed out at deep midwicket as a tried to pick McCullum's flighted delivery from outside off and swung it straight to the fielder. His knock of 110 came off just 93 ball and was laced with 16 boundaries and a six. 

Ravindra Jadeja (17) fell immediately after Dhoni's departure and Ashish Nehra did not survive long either, hastening the end of the Indian innings.

Van Zyl believes IPL experience will help overseas players at World Cup

South Africa coach Corrie Van Zyl believes the advent of the Indian Premier League means that India’s home advantage at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 may not be as strong as it once wa
Although Sri Lanka is the only host nation ever to win the tournament, when it won the ICC Cricket World Cup 1996, many believe that India’s huge home support will give it an advantage in 2011 over rival nations.

However, van Zyl thinks that the experience the world’s top players have gained in terms of getting use to the playing conditions and dealing with the intensity of India crowds, means this advantage has been negated.

"India has traditionally been a difficult place to tour but more recently teams have learnt to win in Indian and sub-continent conditions.

"India in particular, where most of our preliminary matches will be played, is a wonderful place to play cricket as the people love the game and the support is phenomenal. Teams have learnt to embrace the atmosphere rather than be wary of it and we are looking forward to playing in these packed stadiums,"he said.

"This is also the first major ICC event in the subcontinent since the IPL was launched. Players from around the world have now played a lot of limited overs cricket in India. This may reduce India’s home ground advantage. Delhi, for example, is like a second home to AB de Villiers.”

South Africa will prepare for the tournament with ODI series against Zimbabwe, Pakistan and India and van Zyl wants his side to carry the winning form from these matches into the event.

"The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is high on every cricket playing nation's agenda and the next six months will be dedicated greatly in preparing for this showcase event.

"We will prepare and use the upcoming series that we have to play on the ICC calendar as preparation but at the same time not lose the focus on taking each series as a campaign on its own,"he said.

South Africa will begin its campaign against the West Indies, in one of the most high profile matches in the opening week of the tournament, and speaking six months ahead of its first match on 24 February van Zyl said it was vital that his team get off to a winning start.

"The first game in any competition of this nature is very important to gain momentum and relieve some of the pressure to qualify for the quarter finals.

"Playing the West Indies in Delhi means that we have to do our home work regarding the ground and its history and how this will affect our play against the West Indies. We obviously need to see how Delhi suits them and how we need to use our strengths to have the advantage in these conditions,"he said.

LG People's Choice Award

The International Cricket Council today announced the short-list of five cricketers for the LG People's Choice Award category at the LG ICC Awards that will take place in Bengaluru, India on 6 October.The short-list includes Mike Hussey of Australia, Mahela Jayawardena of Sri Lanka, England captain Andrew Strauss, Sachin Tendulkar of India and AB de Villiers of South Africa. 
This award, which has been included for the first time, will be chosen by cricket fans around the world who now have a chance to vote for their favourite player until 10 September on www.lgpeopleschoice.com.

The cricketers have been selected on the basis of some really innovative parameters, in sync with the values that embody brand LG, by a five-man ICC selection panel. This panel was chaired by former West Indies captain and current chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee Clive Lloyd and includes former international players Angus Fraser of England, Matthew Hayden of Australia, Ravi Shastri of India and Zimbabwe's Duncan Fletcher.

These include innovation, dynamism, strength in decision-making, performing well under pressure and executing a plan to distinction. The winner of this award should demonstrate an ability to engage spectators and should also embody the game's unique spirit, both on and off the field.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: "Our great sport owes a lot to its dedicated and passionate cricket fans around the world for their non-stop support and commitment. This LG People's Choice Award is a perfect tribute to those avid and dedicated fans.

"I urge all cricket lovers, irrespective of where they are living, to take active part in this online opportunity and make your vote count for your favourite cricketer."

The LG ICC Awards ceremony is now in its seventh year and this year it will be held in Bengaluru, India. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007 and 2009) and Dubai (2008).

Chappell Full Time Selector For Aussies

Australian batting great Greg Chappell has been appointed the country's first full-time selector, Cricket Australia said on Monday.Chappell, 62, will leave his current position as head coach of the national centre of excellence to take up the official role of national talent manager.Andrew Hilditch will continue to chair the national selection panel and Chappell will join as one of its four members.

"I am really excited by the challenge of this new role. From a talent management point of view, this will be an exciting period for Australian cricket," Chappell said.

"I have enjoyed the centre of excellence head coach role as I was able to work with a talented group of coaches and support staff to assist and develop the next generation of Australian cricketers. The new role dovetails beautifully for me as they will be the immediate future of Australian cricket."

Chappell said he expects to take up the new role within the next month.


CA general manager Michael Brown said his organisation undertook a detailed review of its cricket structure more than four years ago and Chappell's appointment was the final step in that process.


"Greg will work closely with the state cricket talent development managers and with the national selectors in a system that now gives us a tightly integrated, national talent identification and management system across all Australian cricket," Brown said.


Chappell was the coach of the India national team for two years until he resigned in April 2007.Chappell played 87 Tests for Australia, 48 as captain, and also played in 74 one-day internationals.

IND VS SRI 5th ODI:Indians Consistency a big question for WC 2011

Thisara Perera knocks over Ishant Sharma and India are all out for 103 in the fifth match of the tri-series competition at Dambulla. Sri Lanka reach the victory target in 15.1 overs to inflict India's worst defeat in terms of balls to spare.


Not flattering for the number two ranked team in the world considering that they also went through the ignominy of being trounced by 200 runs in the first match of the tournament against New Zealand after being shot out for 88.Two comprehensive thrashings sandwiched by a solitary win against the hosts by six wickets is anything but the ideal blue print for Team India with just about six months to go for the 2011 cricket World Cup. The Indians are in the process of experimenting with their playing eleven and there are still a few unanswered questions.


Having said that, none of the three teams have come to terms with the pitch at the Rangiri Dambulla international stadium.


New Zealand were bowled out for 192 in the second match of the competition and Sri Lanka just about got home on that occasion. In the third match the Lankans were bundled out for 170 which the Indians had no problems in chasing down.


Consistency has not really been the pattern for either of the sides and it is not beyond India to turn the tables when they take on the Black Caps in a couple of days time.


One also has to keep in mind that Dambulla is not hosting any of the matches of the World Cup. It is with good reason that such a decision has been taken and just a peek into the past provides the answer.


The inaugural one day international at Dambulla took place during the 2000-01 series when England toured the emerald isle. Batting first, the visitors were bowled out for 143 and the hosts reached the target in the 41st over for the loss of five wickets.


An ODI tournament involving Pakistan, New Zealand and the home team Sri Lanka was organized in early 2003. The Kiwis beat Pakistan in the final to lift the Cup as the hosts missed out on the party. It's worth pointing out that teams found it difficult to reach the 200 mark throughtout the competition.


Run feasts are not regular occurances at Dambulla and one seldom sees high scoring matches at this venue. The bat being dominated by the ball is not the norm in modern one day cricket, so Dambulla is not ideal as far as the future of one day internationals is concerned. Therefore, the Indian team's performance so far in the tri-series competition should not be delved into too much.

Tendulkar looks ahead to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 on this week's ICC Cricket World Radio Show

USA and Argentina captains talk about their preparations for the Pepsi ICC WCL Div. 4 in Bologna which begins on 14 August

Podcast available for free download and editorial use from www.icc-cricket.com

On this week's ICC Cricket World audio show India batsman Sachin Tendulkar looks ahead to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 which will be staged in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka from 19 February to 2 April.

"We've been performing well as a side and I think it's important that the India team carry its momentum into the tournament next year. I think our pre-tournament preparation will be key and at the same time pre-tournament recovery is also important so that we're raring to go once the event has started.

"I think it's difficult to say which team will do well in the tournament next year as it's about who performs well on that given day. Whoever does well will carry the confidence with them through the tournament once they've won a few matches. It (World Cup) makes it a totally different ball game," says the 37-year-old who has played in five ICC Cricket World Cups.

The show can be used in whole or part by radio stations that want cricket content, while the public can also download it straight from the ICC website at http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/media_interactive_zone/podcast.php.

Joining Tendulkar on this week's show are the captains of Argentina and USA who are busy preparing for the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division (WCL Div. 4) which gets under way on 14 August in Bologna, Italy.

"I think we've got a good team that has a wealth of young talent as well as experience," says USA captain Steve Massiah.

"I'm confident we'll do well. We have a good knowledge of the sides taking part and a good record against a few of them. We're looking forward to the event that's for sure," says the 31-year-old.

Meanwhile, Argentina's captain Esteban MacDermott says it has been challenging for his side to prepare for the event.

"It's winter here in Argentina which has made it quite hard to practice but at the same time we're used to playing in heat so I feel we'll cope in the temperatures that we're likely to expect in Bologna.

"We're looking forward to the tournament and I feel I have a well-rounded team playing in this event," says MacDermott.

Apart from the above interviews, the show has the usual round up of cricketing news and an update of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test and ODI cricket.

The weekly ICC Cricket World audio show runs for 15 minutes and has been put together by the ICC's global broadcast partner ESPN STAR Sports.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 mascot introduced as 'Stumpy'

Marking 200 days to go before the first ball is bowled in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, the event mascot's name was unveiled in a simple but impressive ceremony at P. Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo on Monday ahead of the third Test between Sri Lanka and India.

The mascot, an elephant, has been named 'Stumpy' after an online selection process that drew proposals from thousands of cricket fans around the world. The lucky winner will receive a cricket bat signed by the all-star quartet of India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena, all of whom attended the launch to express their excitement about the flagship event.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: "This is another milestone in the build-up to our flagship event and it's great to see the game's best players like Mahendra, Kumar, Sachin and Mahela looking forward to the ICC Cricket World Cup with such enthusiasm.

"As the excitement builds over the coming 200 days, we will see Stumpy throughout the cricket world, promoting the event and generating enthusiasm. I'm grateful to the thousands of cricket fans who showed their passion for our Great Sport and took part in the naming competition. I encourage all fans to start making plans to attend a spectacular event."

With matches to be hosted in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is expecting the World Cup on home soil to be a career highlight.

He said: "It can't get any bigger than the ICC Cricket World Cup in which the best of the best enter with just one objective - to take home the Cup that counts.

"It's not only my dream to be a Cricket World Cup winner but it's the wish of every member of team India to put his hand on the Cricket World Cup trophy. We'll work as hard as possible to turn our dreams into reality.

"This trophy has been eluding us for the past 27 years and I think we have a very good chance at home to break the drought."

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said winning the Cricket World Cup was his childhood dream.

"The Cricket World Cup is the apex of all the cricketing competitions. It is the one that all teams and players want to win. I was very fortunate to watch Sri Lanka win the tournament in 1996 and it has been my ambition to win the Cricket World Cup ever since I started playing cricket," he said.

"The World Cup means everything to us. It is the one point of the cricketing calendar everyone looks forward to and wants to win it. We just have to make sure that we understand how privileged we are to be in that position and carry the hopes and aspirations of so many people."

India's iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar can't wait for the action to begin. He said: "The Cricket World Cup is the ultimate limited overs competition for a cricketer as it happens only once in four years. The entire cricketing fraternity eagerly waits for this event and when it starts, everyone gets deeply involved.

"It's a completely different feeling to be part of a Cricket World Cup where the atmosphere and the buzz is very special and to be staged in the sub-continent for the first time in 15 years is a magnificent feeling."

ICC CWC 2011 Tournament Director Prof Shetty was in Colombo for the launch. He said that, 200 days out from the opening match, plans in all three host countries were on track: "The preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 are on course and I'm happy with the progress we have been making.

"Obviously, the readiness of the stadia is one of the key factors. The construction work is going ahead at a brisk pace which makes me confident that all the stadia will be ready by the end of this year."

Stumpy was represented by a real life elephant at the launch in Colombo.

INDIA VS SRILANKA 3rd Test 2010:INDIA HAVE A UPPER HAND OVER SRILANKA

Just how much the ever-bustling Virender Sehwag will influence the outcome of this third Test is likely to unfold on day four at Saravanamuttu Oval.

By his own admission, he has no fondness for the boring game. The sort of game that Sri Lanka's captain Kumar Sangakkara has tried to force on India in this Test, knowing his 1-0 lead, it can end in a 1-1 shared series.

Sangakkara admitted as much on the second afternoon of the Test when he tried to have Chanaka Welegedara bowl a useless line wide of the off-stump and left the Delhi batsman stranded on 97 overnight. Sehwag duly collected his 21st Test century on the third morning and would have been looking for more fun off the Sri Lanka bowling.


It is his galloping runrate and an ability to scare captains into adopting defensive tactics that inspires the rest of his teammates. While he refused to fall into the trap set by Sangakkara on the second day, his one mistake on the third morning in trying to drive over mid-off ended with a catch greeted with uproarious glee by the locals. The irony was his effort to pick up two wickets at the close as Sri Lanka was edged by 11 runs on the first innings, with India scoring 436 in reply to 425.


It was interesting tactics by Sangakkara. Here he was 200 runs ahead - with Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar both departing before the first drinks break - and bowling to defensive fields, applying bowling tactics to try and slow the run rate as he knows too well how his bowling attack is under pressure. It is typical of a captain who knows that apart from one bowler, Lasith Malinga, he has no one really to win matches.


And this is where the jingoistic claim for Sri Lanka to mount a challenge for No. 1 Test ranking is as flawed as their restructured bowling. And Ajantha Mendis, gifted two wickets in the drawn fiasco at SSC last week to earn four, gave away 109 for his two wickets this time. This is the man that was suggested to be the new Muttiah Muralitharan.


As Tendulkar explained in the second Test, the Mendis factor no longer existed in current Sri Lanka conditions, certainly not with India's marauding batsmen prepared to take him on.


He has wilted as such and his six wickets at 46.83 explain just how much he has been tamed.


All we have to look at here is how the lower Indian order pulled together an intriguing rearguard that on the last tour didn’t exist, as Muralitharan and Mendis taunted and terrified all but Sehwag.


Stepping into the breach is the former Karnataka discus thrower Abhimanyu Mithun. Instead of aspiring to win a gold medal in this event at the Commonwealth Games, he is turning into the all-rounder that Gary Kirsten is hoping will help India’s cause in next year’s World Cup.


Sure his five wickets so far have been costly at an average of 72.40, but he has been useful and is developing as promising talent on tour.


“What we need is an all-rounder who should be able to make a positive contribution to the team. Irfan was the person whom we had earmarked but probably he lacked this on the bowling side,” Kirsten said in Galle 18 days ago.


So, up steps Mithun, stitching together a lower-order performance to remember. First it was with the captain MS Dhoni and then Amit Mishra, to add 93 for the seventh and eighth wickets.


When Suresh Raina departed for 62, with the total on 321, hopes of India even going past Sri Lanka’s 425 looked remote. But as Mithun showed in Galle with some rearguard defiance in the follow-on innings, he was not going to surrender his wicket. This despite a barrage of short stuff from Lasith Malinga who earned three for 119 and in the process ended with a career tally of 100 wickets in his 30th Test.


Mithun took a few knocks as well, as Malinga tried to knock over the lower order but failed, and slapped the ball into the gap for one of his five boundaries.


Now approaching 21, the lanky Bangalore new-ball bowler and surprise choice as Ishant Sharma’s partner to open India’s attack on this additional Test tour of the emerald isle has also put more runs on the board than state teammate Rahul Dravid. 'The Wall' has 88 runs from four innings with a top-score of 44 and again not a happy tour record of the island.


Along comes the rookie Mithun whose top score of 46 here at the P. Sara Oval on Thursday helped India grab a narrow first innings lead in the third Test, as he pushed his tour total of runs to 120 and an average of 30.00. Sure, his wicket-taking strike rate hasn’t been what you would call Dev’s pace – five at an average of 72.40 – but he has been useful and he is developing as a player on tour.


Ray Jennings, coach of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, liked what he saw in the youngster and no doubt, apart from Mithun’s Ranji record and 47 wickets last season, passed on the message to Gary Kirsten that there was an all-rounder in the making.


As for Malinga, talking through an interpreter, he argued how bowling a bit short at Indian batsmen was the best tactic to employ and why he bowled it more often.


He also expressed satisfaction at joining bowlers such as Chaminda Vaas and Muralitharan in taking 100 wickets to join a select band of Sri Lanka bowlers.


“I have been subjected to injuries in the last one and a half years and that prevented me from taking more Test wickets,” he commented. “Now I am back in the game and to collect a hundred Test wickets is a big encouragement.”