Afghanistan and Rashid Khan have played most of their games against lesser lights and they were duly made to pay in the World Cup against the No 1-ranked sideThere are many ways to feel alone on a cricket field. In the hell of a falling-apart dressing room, on the long walk out, or the long walk back. And then there is the personal torment of being Rashid Khan at Old Trafford on Tuesday.Rashid, whose smiling face is currently stopping and starting as it travels around Manchester on the side of various buses, is one of the best one-day bowlers in the world, and last year he became the youngest ever No 1 in the ICC rankings. His on-the-spot googlies and...
Hamid Hassan generates plenty of pace but David Warner is in no hurry for dominant AustraliansOf course they booed David Warner when he came out to bat, and he will have to get used to that. And in the quiet moments one could catch occasional catcalls on the wind too, cries of “Oi! Warner...”Up on the balcony of one of the flats at the Ashley Down Road End there were a couple who had come dressed, you guess, as sheets of sandpaper. Only from a distance one might have confused their homemade outfits for a couple of chips, or perhaps a pair of Weetabix. Had Warner eaten his that morning? He did not bat like it. This was his first...
Victory for England, fireworks from Chris Gayle and a Sri Lankan meltdown: our pundits set out their forecasts for a month and a half of ODIsVic Marks Australia. England may have the batsmen but Australia, if they’re fit and firing, have the bowlers in Starc and Cummins, plus a highly motivated Warner and Smith. Two other reasons: they have won five out of 11 World Cups. I’m usually wrong. Related: Boos, hairbands and Cricket World Cup predictions – The Spin podcast Related: West Indies' Jason Holder: ‘Hopefully we can bring the people of the region closer’ Related: The Spin | A brief history of the Cricket World Cup Related: Gareth Batty’s guide to the Cricket World Cup grounds Related: The...