India, the hosts, along with South Africa are a sure bet to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2023 One Day International (ODI) Cricket World Cup.
1. It’s All Over Now Baby Blue. England Smashed by India
England is in free fall and don’t the Aussies love it? Even Australian Captain Pat Cummins struggled to hold back a laugh when asked if he was sad to see England’s poor form this World Cup.Skittled by Sri Lanka by eight wickets and then India by 100 runs and losing to Afghanistan, New Zealand, and South Africa, they’ll be heading home with plenty of thinking to do.
Things like, should Joss Buttler be holding down three jobs (captain, wicketkeeper, and batsman)? Sure he’s a multi-tasker but he’s not a woman.
2. David Warner to Go Out With a Bang
David Warner has said he will exit one day cricket after the World Cup and he is going out with a bang.After scoring 81 runs against New Zealand he celebrated the milestone of passing Virat Kohli in the list of leading run scorers in the history of ODI World Cups.
He currently has the second-highest number of runs in the World Cup with 413 and the second-highest score with 163.
Warner previously told Fox Sports in June 2023, “I just can’t wait to finish and then they'll have to find someone else’s name to use as clickbait.”
3. They Don’t Make Cricket Captains Like They Used To.
Could you imagine Allan Border who batted through an innings of 123 with a chipped bat and broken finger asking for counselling for his players if The Voice referendum didn’t go the way of the government?Captain Pat Cummins didn’t ask, but was offered. I can only guess what Border might have said ...
4. The Spirit of Cricket
“It’s just not cricket,” is a saying often referring to the spirit of cricket.But what is this regularly reappearing ghoul that commentators summon?
In the preamble to cricketing laws, it’s described as respect.
“Respect is central to the Spirit of Cricket. Respect your captain, teammates, opponents, and the authority of the umpires. Play hard and play fair. Accept the umpire’s decision. Create a positive atmosphere by your own conduct, and encourage others to do likewise.”
The English have lit the spirit of cricket debate again after England’s Adil Rashid was out of his crease when Sri Lankan, Mendis took an optimistic pelt at the stumps and removed the bails.
5. Harbhajan Singh is Not a Fan of Umpire’s Calls
When Pakistan bowler, Haris Rauf smashed a ball into the pads of South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi, the umpire’s finger stayed firmly out of the air.The ball looked plumb but after Pakistan’s skipper, Babar Azaum decided to go upstairs, the DRS showed the ball to be clipping leg stump but not enough of the ball to give it out.
6. The 2025 Champions Trophy Sans England
On Saturday, Nov. 4, Australia might be putting the final nail in England’s coffin.A win to the Aussies will virtually clinch them a semi-final berth and could mean old rivals, England may miss qualifying for the second biggest one-day international prize, the 2025 Champions Trophy.
The trophy rather than being based on the rolling ICC ODI rankings will be based on the final standings from this World Cup. The current world champions (and inventors of the game) may finish this World Cup at the bottom of the table.
The semi-finals are set for Nov. 15 and 16 2023.