Category: Sports

DANIEL TOWN, Jamaica, March 12, 2007 (AFP) – The 2007 Cricket World Cup, the first to be held in the Caribbean, was opened here on Sunday in a three-hour, two-million dollar opening ceremony. Sir Garfield Sobers, arguably the greatest player the game has ever known, declared the 16-team, 49-day, 51-match tournament open. “On behalf of […]

SYDNEY, March 12, 2007 (AFP) – Australian captain Ricky Ponting accused Sunil Gavaskar of being “high and mighty” after the Indian legend branded the world champions an unpopular team, reports said here Monday.“They might want to start to look at the way they play their own cricket rather than looking at us.” Ahead of Australia’s […]

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, March 10, 2007 (AFP) – Thirty-two years after the first World Cup was decided over a modest five playing days, the 2007 edition will open on Sunday and will go on and on until April 28. The 16-team World Cup in the Caribbean will last 48 days with 51 matches broadcast live to […]

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, March 11, 2007 (AFP) – When Dwayne Leverock bowls to Sachin Tendulkar in the World Cup, it will be more than just a contest between a spinner carrying extra flab and a batsman having extra strokes.It will be moment to relish for the Bermudian left-arm spinner if he dismisses the Indian […]

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, March 9, 2007 (AFP) – Upul Tharanga hit a majestic century but couldn’t stop Sri Lanka from slipping to an 18-run defeat against New Zealand in their final World Cup warm-up on Friday. Chasing a victory target of 286, Tharanga hit 10 fours and two sixes in his 106 off 112 balls. New […]

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, March 10, 2007 (AFP) – World Cup records ahead of the 2007 tournament which opens in the West Indies on March 11: Team records Highest Total: 398-5 – Sri Lanka v Kenya, Kandy, 1996 Lowest Total: 36 – Canada v Sri Lanka, Paarl, 2003 Highest match aggregate: 652 – Sri Lanka v Kenya, […]

DANIEL TOWN, Jamaica, March 9, 2007 (AFP) – Kenya captain Steve Tikolo and Netherlands’ skipper Luuk van Troost hailed praised their sides after a compelling World Cup warm-up match which saw the Africans squeeze home by nine runs. Both men felt they had gained some measure of respect for the ICC Associate nations attending the […]

NEW DELHI, March 9, 2007 (AFP) – The expensive silverware to be awarded to the winner of cricket’s World Cup in the Caribbean has been damaged while on display in India, organisers said on Friday.The trophy will be presented to the winner of the World Cup final in Bridgetown, Barbados on April 28. A gold […]

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, March 8, 2007 (AFP) – He’s 37-years-old, is the only surviving member of the 1996 World Cup-winning squad, and still opens the batting as well as turning over his slow left-armers. Sanath Jayasauriya has been at the front-line for 17 years amassing 11,538 runs, 23 centuries and picking up 285 wickets in his […]

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, March 6, 2007 (AFP) – Bangladesh pulled off a major shock on Tuesday when they defeated New Zealand by two wickets here in a World Cup warm-up. Pace bowler Mashrafe Mortaza proved to be the hero with bat and ball. After taking 4-44 to limit the Black Caps to 224 all out, he […]

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, March 7, 2007 (AFP) – He’s a trained lawyer, so Kumar Sangakkara should know when it’s good to talk. But put him, as well as the cream of the world’s wicket-keepers and close-catching fielders out on the pitch, the mind games begin. Like it or not, sledging in cricket has become an art […]

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, March 7, 2007 (AFP) – AFP sports presents some of the best examples of cricket sledges: – Rod Marsh and Ian Botham: When Botham took guard in an Ashes match, Marsh welcomed him with: “So how’s your wife and my kids?” – Daryll Cullinan and Shane Warne: As Cullinan was on his way […]