Cricket Analytix

Cricket is a prevalent sport across the globe. The competition is accessible in several countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Pakistan, India, and many others. Due to its immense popularity, there have been several stadiums constructed around the world to ensure cricket games can be hosted for teams and spectators alike. Some of them form part of sports history because they’ve hosted some of the best cricket matches ever played. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the oldest cricket stadiums in the world.

Lord’s Cricket Ground

Often referred to as Lord’s, the Lord’s cricket ground is undoubtedly the oldest on our list. It’s often called the Home of Cricket and was established by Thomas Lord who was a professional cricket player from England. He managed to construct several cricket grounds from 1787 until 1814. The very first cricket ground was known as the Lord’s Old Ground, and it was situated where the Dorset Square is today in London. His second cricket ground that was used until 1813 was abandoned to construct Regent’s Canal.

Trent Bridge Ground

The second oldest cricket ground in the world is the Trent Bridge Ground which is situated in West Bridgford, England. This cricket ground has been used to enjoy cricket since the early 1830s. During 1899, the very first test match between Australia and England took place on this famous cricket ground. Since then, it managed to host several cricket matches, Test matches, and One Day Internationals. It’s also the home ground for the prestigious Nottingham County Cricket Club and is considered the best place to enjoy watching a cricket match.

The Oval

This is probably one of the most famous cricket ground’s on earth and the third oldest cricket ground in the world. The stadium is located in London, England and is the home ground for the impressive Surrey County Cricket Club. The cricket ground was initially constructed back in 1845 and has managed to host the very first international cricket match again in 1880. Thanks to tradition, each year the final test of the English season is held here, and it plays host to other sporting events, such as rugby and football matches.

The Sydney Cricket Ground

The fourth oldest cricket ground in the world is the SCG, or Sydney Cricket Ground, which is situated in Australia. It was initially constructed in 1848 and is located in New South Wales. You can enjoy all types of cricket on this ground, including One Day Internationals, Twenty20, and Test matches. Apart from cricket, it also plays host to a decent selection of other sporting events, such as rugby, football, and others.

Melbourne Cricket Ground

The fifth oldest cricket ground is also situated in Australia and was initially constructed in 1854. It is also considered the largest cricket stadium in the world. It’s located in Melbourne, Victoria and played host to two cricket world cups along with the Summer Olympic games in 1956. The fifth oldest cricket ground is also situated in Australia and was initially constructed in 1854. It is also considered the largest cricket stadium in the world. It’s located in Melbourne, Victoria and played host to two cricket world cups along with the Summer Olympic games in 1956.

The famous headband has been on ever since he made his arrival in the United Kingdom for the start of the World Cup tour for Afghanistan. However, he only started smearing his cheeks at a later stage. After almost three years of being absent from the international cricket world, Hamid Hassan finally made his way back into the sport he loves during May 2019.

Hamid Hassan at the 2019 World Cup in England

He managed to do his warm-up bowling routine while wearing a wool beanie in an extremely cold Edinburgh over the weekend. A couple of days later he managed to suit up and participate in his first One Day International since July 2016 where he bowled off a considerably shortened run-up that what we are all used to from his golden days when he was regarded as the most feared bowler in the world. This was also a time when he was robbed by financial reward and glory due to a catastrophic accident that took everything away from him.

Even when he participated in the warm-up victory against Pakistan, he seemed nothing like the Hassan we all know and love. And when he managed to take a wicket, Hamid Hassan’s usual celebration was restricted entirely. However, the Stallone-inspired cheek streaks of green, red, and black across his face during a match against England provided a slight hint of the old Hamid Hassan. This indicated that he has one last rodeo up his sleeve before he retires from one-day cricket.

Hamid Hassan will inform everyone until his face turns blue that he will never retire officially. However, why was he selected after all this time? Hamid stated that he has done quite a bit for his country in the past and that he is someone that will never give up. When he is on the ground, he does everything he can for his country and team.

Hamid Hassan’s Career

Apart from Rashid Khan, there’s no one else that has managed to take wickets at a faster rate than Hamid Hassan. Since the start of the country’s ascent from the World Cricket League Division Five during 2008, Hamid Hassan was the country’s most consistent bowler in white-ball cricket. He was primarily a dominant force during 50-over matches where he claimed 58 wickets in only 29 games for the beginning of the 2008 Division Five right through to the maiden ODI less than a year later to cap the World Cup Qualifier in 2009 that took place in South Africa.

He managed to terrorise countries like Tanzania, the Cayman Islands, and Japan along the way from Division 5 to Division 1, swinging the ball both ways between 145 and 150 kph. Most of the players he played against would have been thrilled if they could deliver the ball at 130kph consistently. Hamid Hassan has one more opportunity to rock the world during the 2019 Cricket World Cup, so make sure to watch his performance before he disappears forever.

Faf du Plessis strongly believes that the South African cricket team can reach the semi-finals of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, even though Dale Steyn, considered the talisman paceman of the group, was ruled out of the cricket tournament.
South Africa confirmed on Tuesday that Dale Steyn, the veteran seam bowler, has suffered a brand-new shoulder injury since he arrived in the United Kingdom which forced the Proteas to replace him with none other than Beuran Hendricks.

South Africa vs India

South Africa is set to clash with India on Wednesday in Southampton with Lungi Ngidi and Dale Steyn missing from the match, while Anrich Nortje was also ruled out of the tournament. The South African cricket team have already lost against both Bangladesh and England since arriving in the United Kingdom and have never lost three opening games in a row. However, this time around they are facing a huge mountain to ensure they can reach the final four if India defeats them on Wednesday. Thankfully, Faf Du Plessis, as the South African cricket captain, remains confident that they can make it through to the semi-finals.

Du Plessis explained that the match between South Africa and India is not an exact make or break situation, stating that the target is six victories and the Proteas still have seven games in hand. The captain also said that it would be fantastic if the achievements can start rolling in against India as there are no easy games in the Cricket World Cup this time around.

South Africa’s Situation

South Africa need to upgrade their skills to achieve success in the World Cup against India, even though India is currently ranked as the second-best team in the world. South Africa has struggled to deliver on the skills that will allow them to be in a good position going forward. South Africa hopes that it will improve with every game they play in the World Cup, especially against a team like India. Dr Mohammed Moosajee, the medical chief for South Africa, confirmed that the injury suffered by Dale Steyn is a new shoulder injury and that he will not be able to play against India this week. Hendricks will only arrive on matchday against India which means he also won’t be able to participate in the match.

The entire South African cricket team are hoping that the injury suffered by Steyn is not the end of his career. His teammates are staying strong for him and hope that the two years of pain and suffering comes to an end and will allow him to play again shortly. The fact that Dale Steyn is not in the team means that the captain is required to draw up a brand-new strategy plan to face the remaining cricket teams in the World Cup. This is not an easy task, but he believes it’s possible to make the necessary changes before it’s too late.

There is a Cricket World Cup at stake in 2019. However, if South Africa is under any additional pressure, it will not be from inside the team. As his squad prepares to make their way to England where they won’t be considered the favourites to win this tournament for once, Faf du Plessis won’t be demanding anything extravagant from his team this time around.

Instead, he believes that sticking to what worked for them in the past and focusing on enjoying the tournament after a summer where they managed to win 11 games from 13 ODI’s and defeating Australia 2-1 away, will offer an exact formula for success.

South Africa’s Chances in the 2019 Cricket World Cup

In previous cricket world cups, South Africa wanted to deliver superhuman performances. They were under the impression that they had to provide something extraordinary and had to, which was not the outcome in the previous two World Cup tournaments. South Africa is not known for playing the best cricket when it comes to the World Cup tournaments because they place too much pressure on themselves, which isn’t necessary.

Seven team members of the squad that are making their way to England this year formed part of the World Cup team in 2015 when New Zealand defeated the side with four wickets in hand during the semi-finals. Dale Steyn, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Hashim Amla, and Faf du Plessis were also part of the team during the 2011 World Cup when they were second best during another nail-biting contest with New Zealand.

Faf du Plessis as Captain

Faf du Plessis is regarded as a thinking captain but can also be considered a feeling captain at the same time. Instead of shying away from the pressures that are coupled with competition on an international level, he urges his team to look at things positively. He also hasn’t been afraid of discussing this with the media in terms of the mental aspect.

He recently informed reporters that the South African cricket team started preparing over two years ago to get their mental preparation in order. This is one area that du Plessis believes the team can improve on when compared to previous World Cup encounters. He is someone that has been to several World Cup tournaments and is well aware of the pressures that come with it. This is one reason why he believes that the South African cricket team of 2019 should play more freely and enjoy themselves as opposed to feeling too much pressure and failing horribly.

Faf du Plessis’s new approach will also get noticed when it comes to selecting the South African squad during the tournament. He believes that the team should be picked according to their performance and experience. The squad decision is going to be made during the two warm-up matches based on form.

From beginning to end, a trace of panic managed to linger over the way the BBL and its cricket clubs handled the dead and brief flirtation of AB de Villiers during the tournament. Considered the most game-changing addition when it comes to Australian cricket, the Big Bash League deserved better than to host a competition that didn’t have any winners.

AD de Villiers Losses Interest in BBL

Whether it was the broadcasters from Fox and Seven News/Sports Corp, the clubs, or even Cricket Australia, the eagerness to finally secure AB de Villiers after he decided to decline participation in the tournament in the previous season looked motivated by belief and worried about the strength the cricket tournament already had.

The management team of De Villiers and the cricket star himself, having received offers by more than half the cricket clubs, stated on Friday that he is no longer interested in participating in the tournament, offering no specific reason other than complaining about the repeated media leaks regarding his interest along with the terms by which it could be secured.

When you look at the length of the cricket tournament, the BBL salary cap constraints, there’s enormous proximity of Australian news on white-ball players that will be away for an ODI tour in India during January. It essentially deprived the cricket tournament of loads of talent which made AB de Villiers a must or bust situation, leaving plenty of unanswered questions in the air.

Money Was Always a Problem

For one, the money that needed to be gathered by the broadcasters, the Cricket Australia marketing funds, and successful cricket clubs. All involved with discussions to sign de Villiers made a huge mockery of the salary payments that are usually available to the players that participate in the tournament, while they raised the issue of whether AD de Villiers would be in the cricket tournament as a billboard or cricketer.

A $350,000 figure for a handful of cricket games made the headline of a 5-year contract worth $1 million inked by Chris Lynn look puny. There was loads of pressure from the global market and elsewhere that forced the broadcasters, clubs, and CA to look over and above the norm. However, there were loads of voices that questioned the integrity of the deal and how successful it would genuinely be to pay one player that much money in broad daylight.

Imagine if you will see a salary cap league like the AFL where broadcasters were initially approached to provide additional money for players to ensure they arrive at a specific club. This was mainly a display of how the BBL spent way too much money to get one elite player to increase the popularity of a cricket tournament that never needed to be expanded in the first place. All the uncertainty and scrambling by the BBL made them look less like a cricket addition and more like a struggling league.

With the surprising return of David Warner and Steven Smith, loads of attention has been given to the batting order of Australia ahead of the Cricket World Cup in England and Wales this year, while the spinning role has also been discussed in great detail. However, how are the quick bowlers doing at the moment in preparation of the World Cup?

Pat Cummings

After receiving the Allan Border Medallist for a player of the year, including tours to UAE and India, Cummings decided to have some downtime before the Brisbane camp. His form has not been dampened after taking a few weeks off. He managed to strike twice during the opening over against New Zealand and finished off with 3 for 36. He can be a star when it comes to the upcoming World Cup.

Mitchell Starc

Starc hasn’t played a match since the Sri Lanka Test where he, unfortunately, suffered a severe injury to his pectoral muscle. He bowled quite well in Brisbane, but it’s unlikely that he will participate in the next three matches. Perhaps the managers will allow him to play at least one game before he makes his way to England. In the last 15 months, he only played in 3 OD I’s due to his injuries. However, adding him to the mix for a quick bowler in the World Cup will be the right choice.

Nathan Coulter-Nile

It’s been an exciting couple of months for this quick bowler. Nathan managed to take ten wickets in only five games against Pakistan and India after he was overlooked entirely for the India series, allowing him to make several comments regarding the lack of communication. During the opening match where Australia faced New Zealand, Nathan showed his worth with three wickets for 34. He is someone that could bring a positive change to the squad if he makes his way to England.

Jason Behrendorff

After enduring loads of accidental injuries, Jason received his opportunity on the big stage where he enjoyed his first ODI match against India in a recent home season. He will likely become an understudy for Mitchell Starc during the World Cup. However, once he is warmed up and ready to go, he can be a dangerous left-arm quick bowler. He managed to collect 3 for 34 on Monday and was the only one of the frontline for Australia to make his way to the IPL where he enjoyed five matches.

Josh Hazlewood

Josh is still busy with recovery after his stress fracture. This, unfortunately, ended his season following the India test series, and he has ruled him out for the upcoming World Cup team. He managed to make his return to the next recently but is still not bowling for the A tours. His best chance to make an appearance in the World Cup is if Australia requires a replacement after the group stages are done and dusted.

The Sydney Sixers are shaping up to be the likely destinations for AB de Villiers in the Big Bash League. This forms part of the package deal that was presented to AB de Villiers from Cricket Australia, along with its broadcasters, that could be worth a jaw-dropping AUD350,000 for a spell at the back end of the tournament during the summer.

The Cricket Australia Deal

Cricket Australia and broadcasters have recently confirmed to the clubs within the Big Bash League that they will offer financial assistance to successfully secure AB de Villiers signature before a brand-new season where the ODI men’s team will be absent for most of January in Australia. Cricket Australia’s contribution is set to be around $50,000 where they will receive marketing services in return.

The Sydney Sixers appear to be the frontrunners to receive AD de Villiers as a player for reasons over and above the broadcasting, marketing, and playing deal that can formulate for the South African cricket player and his management team.
Big Bash League Clubs

Most of the cricket clubs that form part of the Big Bash League have shown interest in signing the phenomenal cricket player from South Africa. The Adelaide Strikers would have claimed de Villiers if he was available for the entire season. The proposal from the Sydney Thunder’s was strengthened thanks to the salary cap afford to him by Shane Watson who is going to limit himself to shorter T20 international matches instead of a more demanding and extended Big Bash League schedule.

However, the Sydney Sixers have plenty of advantages that cannot be matched anywhere else. Not only will AB de Villiers have a former teammate and friend at Sydney Sixers, thanks to Morne Morkel. He is spending 6 months of the year in Sydney due to his family, but he will also be able to participate in home matches at the SCG, the stadium where he managed to score a remarkable 162 runs from only 66 balls while playing for South Africa who faced West Indies during the World Cup in 2015.

High profile signings that come equipped with financial assistance from Cricket Australia and broadcasters, including Fox Sports, have long been part of the Big Bash League history. This includes Kevin Pietersen and Shane Warne with Melbourne Stars. The recent news that the ODI team of Australia would be pressed to provide a pre-existing commitment to participate in a tour to India in January 2020 has assisted the push to secure AB de Villiers for at least a portion of the upcoming competition.

Apart from AB de Villiers joining the Sydney Sixers, other cricket stars will also join in on the action in the next few weeks. This will include Fawad Ahmed that will eventually form part of the Perth Scorchers, while Nathan Coulter-Nile, who is a paceman in West Australia, will likely join the ranks of Melbourne Stars for their 2019/20 season.

The World Cup squad for India will be announced on 15 April 2019 in Mumbai. The announcement will likely see Virat Kohli attend the meeting as the captain for India. He will also be leading the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their game against Mumbai Indians on the same night.

The Selection of the Indian Cricket Team

Even though the ICC provided a deadline to announce World Cup squads up until 23 April 2019, it’s understood that the selectors of India want their players to receive additional time to adequately prepare themselves for the upcoming tournament that the team last won during 2011 while playing at home.

The chairman of the selection committee in India, MSK Prasad, pointed out in early February that the panel managed to shortlist around 20 players where 15 final players would be selected. “There might be an instance where the final spot will be given at the last minute. However, we are quite clear when it comes to the rest of the team,” Prasad stated in an interview to reporters.

Prasad also made it very clear that the selection panel won’t consider IPLK form to fill the vacant spots, “since we already made our minds up”. “We will only observe a player’s performance if we believe that they should be selected for the squad. We already have a list of 20 phenomenal players and will follow the form of each player to make our decision,” Prasad stated recently.

Kohli also reiterated the statement before the home ODI series where they faced Australia in March, stating that both the selectors and team management need to be clear regarding the team they wish to take to the cricket World Cup. “I highly doubt anything will change going forward, regardless of the IPL performances from each player. Should a handful of players not enjoy a good IPL season, it won’t eliminate them from being chosen for the cricket World Cup. This will not affect at the end.”

The last ODI tournament for India was the Australian series before the start of the World Cup, and they, unfortunately, lost 3-2 even though they won the first two games. After the tournament, Kohli insisted that India wasn’t panicking. “As a team, we are quite sorted,” Kohli stated.

The main question about the team selection is primary around the 4th batsmen for the Indian side as well as the place for the second all-rounded following Hardik Pandya. There’s no denying that Vijay Shankar was in excellent form during the New Zealand series which has raised the bar for him taking the spot as opposed to Ravindra Jadeja who hasn’t performed too well since the Asia Cup.

The other talking point is based on the fast-bowling attackers. As it stands, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah are certainties. Pandya might play the role of seamer part-time, but then India sits with a 4th specialist seamer.