Junaid Khan out from cricket world cup 2015

Pakistan's 2015 cricket World Cup hopes were dealt a major blow Monday with frontline paceman Junaid Khan ruled out of the event after failing to pass a fitness test following a leg injury.
The 25-year-old left-armer, considered one of the country's most promising prospects in recent years, sustained a thigh injury in training last month that forced him out of the team's current tour of New Zealand.

"Junaid appeared in a fitness test and was not found fit enough to play the World Cup," a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman said.

His absence means Pakistan's attack will be led by the relatively inexperienced Mohammad Irfan, following the losses of veteran paceman Umar Gul to a knee injury and ace spinner Saeed Ajmal, who is serving a suspension for chucking.

All-rounder Mohammad Hafeez meanwhile faces a race against time to get his action cleared. He was suspended in November last year and will participate in a reassessment test on February 6.

 Junaid was included in the Pakistan 15-man squad last month but he will now likely be replaced with another seam bowler Bilawal Bhatti, a newcomer to international cricket.

Source: deccanherald.com

Ravi Shastri Says, 2015 Cricket World Cup will be an exciting contest

Previous India cricketer-turned observer Ravi Shastri feels the 2015 Cricket World Cup, to be mutually facilitated by Australia and New Zealand, will be an extremely open competition in view of the surfeit of constrained overs cricket, including T20 occasions like IPL.

"I think this is an exceptionally open World Cup. Australia have skiped back in a splendid manner. After the win in the Ashes arrangement, they won in South Africa. It may be Test cricket however that trust will skip into one day cricket too. So they will be an enormous risk to any resistance,"

Shastri said at a capacity associated with the uber cricket occasion and sorted out last nighttime by the Australian Trade Commission at the Cricket Club of India.

"This is going to be an uniformly matched World Cup on account of the volume of constrained overs cricket that is constantly played, the measure of T20 cricket that is, no doubt played. It has made batsmen more imaginative and intrepid. They have got another trap up their sleeves heading up constantly.

"That is the reason I feel this World Cup (booked from February 14-March 29, 2015) in Australia (and New Zealand) is going to be exceptionally energizing," said the previous India player, who won the Man of the Series grant in the Champion of Champions ODI competition held in Australia in 1985.

With respect to risks of holding the crown they won for the second time at home in 2011, Shastri felt that it relied on upon how rationally and physically fit the players would be in the wake of finishing a debilitating tour of Australia where they will play Tests and Odis against the hosts.

"Since the pitches will have a smidgen of skip, the grounds are huge, so you will need to think of new plans. You must be fit, solid. India will leave on a long tour of Australia (before the World Cup). It will be fascinating to perceive how fit the players will be, the way rationally new the players will be the point at which they choose to contend. Yet its going to be one heck of a World Cup," he said.

The previous player was of the sentiment that the IPL has increased the limits of backing for the Indian group.

ICC Champions Trophy in Nutshell

ICC Champions Trophy is the second major event that International Cricket Control (ICC) organizes, Off-course world cup is the. first one. This is a One Day International (ODI) cricket program, managed by ICC. ICC started this tournament in 1998 as the ICC Knock Out Tournament, held in Bangladesh. The name of tournament was changed in 2002 and from then it is known as ICC Champions Trophy.

This tournament was made to happen once in two year after it had inaugurated. Till 2006, the tournament was held in every 2 years of gap since it started in 1998. After this ICC Champions Trophy has been played in the time period of 3-4 years gap. As per latest ICC reports, this year ICC champions trophy 2013 is going to be the final of this ICC champions trophy tournament and it will be replaced by ICC World Test Championship.

West Indian batsman Chris Gayle is the leading run scorer with 695 runs in the tournament over all. Australia's Nathan Astle is highest individual run scorer of tournament with 145* runs in 151 balls. Leading wicket taker of the ICC Champions trophy is Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan with 24 wicket in 17 matches. Best bowling figures 6/14 goes to Sri Lanka's Farveez Maharoof in champions trophy.  

Lets see the history of ICC Champions trophy in nutshell :

ICC Knock Out Tournament 1998 (Bangladesh):-
Bangladesh was the host of first ICC 2nd main event after world cup. All matches were played in Dhaka, Bangladesh. South Africa won this tournament by defeating west indies in the finals. This is the only ICC tournament that ever won by South Africa.

ICC Knock Out Tournament 2000 (Kenya):-

New Zealand won this title after beating india in finals. the tournament was held Nariobi, Kenya. This was a knock out tournament.

ICC Champions Trophy 2002 (Sri Lanka):-

Sri lanka was host of first named ICC champions trophy be replacing ICC knock out tournament. India and Sri Lanka are the combine winners of 1st ICC Champions trophy 2002. Both the days reserved for final were washed out by the rain though there were 110 overs bowled on both days.

ICC Champions Trophy 2004 (England):-

This tournament was won by West Indies after defeating home side England by 2 wickets. This trophy was also played among 12 teams like it did in previous edition of ICC champions trophy 2002. 15 matches were played here in England at different three venues.

 ICC Champions Trophy 2006 (India):-

 Australia won this trophy by defeating title holders west indies. There were 4 venues reserved for the ICC champions trophy 2006 in india. There were 8 teams in the tournament, top 8 test playing nations. 

ICC Champions Trophy 2009 (South Africa):-

For security reasons ICC didn't organized champions trophy tournament in 2008 in Pakistan and shift the tournament to South Africa. Postponed ICC champions trophy held in 2009 in South Africa. Defending champions Australians defend this title again by beating New Zealand team in the final of tournament.

ICC Champions Trophy 2013 (England):-

It is starting from 6th of june 2013. ICC champions trophy 2013 is held in England. England is the only country to host this tournament two times and this is final time when this champions trophy will be played among 8 countries. The tournament is over with a fabulous win for indian team. In final match team India beat home side by 5 runs in a close match.

This match is reduced to 20-20 over game due to rain. India batted first and made 129/7 in 20 overs. England couldn't reach to the target and victory for indian team.

West Indians desperate to win Champions trophy 2013

Underdog West indian team is desperate to win the ICC Champions trophy 2013 this year. West indies team is always treated as underdogs in the big tournaments after the 90's. Dwayne Bravo, the west indian team captain has already declared that his team is not favorite for this year Champions trophy 2013. He said this thing because west indies team is not performing so well for a long time period and team lost 8 ODI in their last 13 odi matches.


Former west indian captain Ramnaresh sarwan believes that west indies will repeat the success of 2004 and win the champions trophy 2013 cup.

West indies team for champions trophy 2013 looks so strong in sights of Chris Gayle, Dwayne bravo, Sunil Narine, Dwayne smith. All these players are in fabulous form, we have already seen their performances in IPL 6 edition. Bravo also believes that narine and gayle are the key players for the team in tournament.

Read full interview of bravo

Great matches of ICC Champions Trophy 2013

The great matches of ICC Champions trophy 2013 are India VS Pakistan and England VS Australia. Both these cricket matches are the vital games of tournament and every cricket fan is waiting for these matches to be played. England to play Australia on 8th June 2013 whereas Indian team against Pakistan on 15th of June 2013. These are the cricket battles between two countries.

England team will face the Australian team in the captaincy of Alastair Cook. Australian captain Michael Clarke will definitely try to beat England team in this game before the Ashes get start this year. He already mentions in the press conference that it is the chance for us to be prepared for ashes but we are focusing much on ICC champions trophy 2013.

India VS Pakistan is always a big game. Its more than cricket, its about match of pride and honor. This match is on 15th june 2013. Indian team has got the great record against Pakistan in ICC tournaments and this time also indian team will try to maintain their good record against them. MS Dhoni will lead indian team throughout the champions trophy 2013 unless injury occurs. Misbah-Ul-Haq will try his best to make pakistan be the winning side against indian team this time.

Pakistan's bowler saeed ajmal has already said that it will the fantastic match between two teams and we are prepared much for the game against india. Similarly for England-Australia match Clarke has given his interview and claims that his team perform well. 

ICC Champions Trophy 2013

International cricket council (ICC) organizes champions trophy 2013 this year in England, starting from 6th of june 2013. Inaugurating ceremony match will start 10.30 local time at Sophia Garden in Cardiff. First ICC Champions Trophy 2013 match is between India and South Africa. This is group 'B' match.

There will be 8 teams participating in champions trophy 2013. These 8 teams are divided into two groups named as Group 'A' and group 'B'. Group A consists of England, Australia, New Zealand and Sri lanka. Whereas group B includes India, Pakistan, South Africa and West Indies. The ICC champions trophy 2013 schedule is prepared in such a way that two big games of world cricket will come across to the group stage matches. India and Pakistan, Australia and England matches will be more than cricket. These are the matches of clash of titans.

There will be 15 matches played between 8 teams. Top two teams after group matches from each group will face each other in semi-finals. Winner of one group meets with the runners up of the other group in semi-finals. Semi-final winners will face each other in final to win ICC champions trophy 2013.