World T20 2021 | Skipper Balbirnie confident of Irish batting ahead of virtual qualifier against Namibia

Ireland was throttled by the Sri Lankan quicks so much so that they were dismissed for a meagre 100, chasing a target of 171. Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara under the lights were too hot to handle for the Irish batters in skidding conditions in the night at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

The top scorer of that game, Irish skipper Andrew Balbirnie believes that although the batters struggled in the last match, they would be at their best against Namibia.

"We don't get wickets like this and we don't get pace like that too often like that at home. But the more we go up the levels - and if we go well on Friday, looking ahead to next week - it's only going to get quicker. They were quite skiddy, the bowlers. They bowled good short balls. But that's what you expect at the international level and you've got to find ways to cope,” Balbirnie, who scored 41 off 39 out of Ireland’s 100, said in the post-match press conference.

Asked whether they will be able to cope up when they face such bowling once again, as Namibians pacers are skiddy too, Balbirnie said, "Look, we're perfectly capable of playing that kind of bowling. I'm not saying we're not. We played some of the quickest bowlers in the summer back home - against South Africa - and we did pretty well. It's slightly different out here. It's skiddier than what we're used to. Particularly under lights, it skids on.”

“We don't want to get too ahead of ourselves. We've got a big game on Friday,” he further stated underscoring the importance of the game, which would decide which team along with Sri Lanka goes through from Group A to Super 12. Namibia were high on confidence after having notched up their first-ever World Cup win.

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World T20 2021 | Kane Williamson's elbow injury flared up a bit, high chance of missing some games

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is not a certain starter for all the Super 12 games as his recurrent elbow injury has “flared up a little bit”. Williamson took the field in the warm-up game against England but he did not come out to bat and the coach Gary Stead termed the move as a precautionary measure. He went on to add that “there’s always that chance” of him missing some games in the world cup and it could be a huge disadvantage for the Blackcaps in the tournament as he is their best batsman on the slower lower surfaces to be used. It is more than likely that he will be available to lead the side in the first game against Pakistan but the lack of breaks between the next few matches means that he will have to sit out of a few games. “We're still pretty hopeful and confident that if we get the rest right, initially here now, and get that balance right then he should be right to play. Kane is a prodigious hitter of and balls, he loves to prepare that way as well, and in some ways that's probably the worst thing he can do, is over-hit at times. So it's really getting that balance right, between feeling ready and feeling prepared to go, and making sure we don't aggravate anything,” Stead said. New Zealand have lost both their warm-up games before the main draw of the tournament but the mood in the camp is very upbeat about their chances. They will open their campaign against Pakistan on October 26 in Sharjah.

WWBL 2021 | Georgia Wareham ruled out after suffering devastating thigh injury

It has come as a great shock not only for the Melbourne Renegades Women but Australian Women as spinner Georgia Wareham suffered a devastating injury, rupturing her ACL, the tissue connecting thigh bone and shin bone. The injury occurred while she was fielding against Adelaide Strikers Women in the recent WBBL game on Wednesday. The injury has now put serious doubt for Wareham’s next year's Ashes and ODI World Cup participation. "She had an ACL rupture on the same knee at the age of 14 whilst playing AFL which was reconstructed using a synthetic (LARS) ligament," Australian team doctor Pip Inge was quoted as saying. "Whilst in the field yesterday she had an instability episode of the left knee resulting in a rupture of the graft. As a result, she will be unavailable for the remainder of the WBBL season. Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria medical staff are working in consultation with Georgia on the longer-term management plan,” he added. Wareham has appeared in 23 ODIs, one Test and 35 T20Is for the Southern Stars and is a key member of the Australian team. In this WBBL, Wareham picked had picked three wickets in two innings and scored 18 runs.

World T20 2021 | Jason Roy underlines impact of Stokes, Archer's absence

England opener Jason Roy has called the absence of Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer—key architects of England’s triumph in the last ICC ODI World Cup in 2019 a matter of “shame”. He lamented that their absence would leave England without two of their best match-winners but expressed hope on their return to full fitness and well being. "I wouldn't say it's a problem -- it's a shame. It's definitely a shame, not having those two here but you know they're on the same path of getting fit and healthy again," Roy said during a virtual interaction. However, he did not downplay England’s chance in the ongoing world cup and said that the players who are in the squad are more than capable of putting strong performances to lift the side. "You look at our depth of the squad now, the players we have, and it's still extremely impressive. The boys showed that they have done well in the warm up game, and they've been training extremely hard, so I don't think it's a worry at all. We've got players that will definitely 100 per cent step up, rise to the occasion. They have more than enough skill. I can tell you that from training, There's more than enough skill that can take us all the way,” Roy added. England will start their campaign against West Indies on October 23.

Covering all bases, Steve Smith rates India a 'terrific' side with 'serious' match-winners

India decimated Australia in their second warm-up game before the main phase of the T20 World Cup and Australia’s experienced batsman Steve Smith was full of praise for the men in blue. He rated the Indian side very highly and said that they back a punch having all the bases covered in the squad. Also, he pointed out that their players are familiar with the conditions in the UAE and Oman having played almost two seasons of the Indian Premier League at the same venues where the world cup will be played. “They’re a terrific side, they’ve got all bases covered and some serious match-winners in there,” Smith said of India. They’ve obviously been playing in these conditions during the last couple of months with the IPL so they’ll be used to that.” Smith was the top-scorer from the Australian side while rebuilding the innings after they struggled at the top with David Warner, captain Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh leaving a lot to be done by the middle order. He led Australia’s revival by forging partnerships with Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis and now feels “good and ready to go” in the tournament. He is counting on the time spent in the nets during the IPL 2021 as one of the factors that helped him get used to the conditions before the world cup. “It was nice to spend a bit of time in the middle again. It’s never easy when you’re three down. You have to rebuild for a period there and I thought we did that pretty well. The partnerships with Stoin and Maxi were obviously important,” Smith said. “I feel good and ready to go now. I haven’t obviously played too many games with the IPL but I’ve spent a lot of time in the nets and getting used to the conditions, which has been nice.” Australia will start their campaign with the clash against South Africa in the first game of the Super 12 round of the tournament.