Two defeats in two days for Australia has dragged to a halt any momentum they had heading into the World Cup, which starts in just six days’ time for them, but if Monday’s defeat to India was a blip, Tuesday’s loss to South Africa was just a mauling. Read full story plus a round-up of the rest of today’s World Cup warm-up matches here.
Seamer Tim Bresnan is set to make a quicker than expected recovery from the calf injury he sustained in Australia, but England are still struggling to find 11 fit players for their first World Cup warm-up game against Canada. Read full story here.
Australia legend Steve Waugh has rubbished the decline of one-day cricket’s popularity and believes it will see a resurgence thanks to the upcoming World Cup. Read full story plus other news here.
The Indian World Cup venues that had supposedly fallen short of requirements to host matches in the forthcoming tournament have been given the all-clear by ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat. Read full story here.
Paul Collingwood has flown to Bangladesh to join up with the England squad earlier than expected after his wife gave birth to a baby girl yesterday. Read full story plus other World Cup build-up here.
Having ensured that any weight of expectation had been lifted, by the simple expedient of being thrashed 6-1 by Australia, England are preparing for an assault on their second global trophy inside 12 months.
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England’s torturous build-up to the World Cup has already brought its share of problems for the team management in terms of injuries.
Now, with the squad about to leave for the tournament which is being held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, came a report from the Daily Mail that one of their big names was ready to quit the scene. To read full story.
Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has raised questions over venue choices for the upcoming World Cup, as the new Pallekele Stadium in Kandy is forced to cancel warm-up matches because of monsoon rain. Read the news round-up here.
Salman Butt, one of the three Pakistani cricketers banned for spot-fixing last week, had been investigated by the ICC months prior to the incidents for which he has so far been charged, it has emerged. Read full story here.
Chris Tremlett has re-joined the England squad as a reserve player for the imminent World Cup tournament in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Read full story plus other news here.