England have never won the World Cup, despite hosting four tournaments, including the first three editions, while it is nearly 25 years since they last appeared in a final.
They certainly will not be among the favorites in Australia and New Zealand, where they will have to conquer longstanding problems of a lack of penetration with the ball and an inability to up the run-rate in the final stages of an innings if they are to beat the world’s top one-day sides repeatedly.
However, England’s decision to ditch Test captain Alastair Cook, who had scored just one fifty in his last 22 one-day innings, from the World Cup squad on the eve of the team’s departure for Australia, and replace him as skipper with Eoin Morgan, appears to be working out.
Photo: Reuters
Ian Bell, who made a superb 141 in a three-wicket defeat by Australia in Hobart last week, and Moeen Ali have formed a sound opening partnership in Cook’s absence.
Meanwhile, the new captain neatly evaded a verbal bouncer from Kevin Pietersen when the axed England batsman — playing in Australia’s domestic Big Bash Twenty20 tournament — said Morgan would “love to have me in the England team.”
However, if Pietersen’s comments about England have a certain predictable quality, recent revelations that Morgan had been the subject of a blackmail attempt by the current partner of his former girlfriend were bizarre.
Quite what it did for Morgan’s peace of mind is another matter, with the former Ireland batsman insisting it had no bearing on his duck in Hobart.
On the field, it appears England are content to keep the big-hitting Alex Hales in reserve for the time being.
With Bell and Ali putting on 113 for the first wicket in 18 overs in Hobart, before Joe Root helped Bell add 121 in 19 for the third wicket, the top order looks in reasonable shape.
However, the final 10 overs yielded only 59 runs and it was in this instance that Pietersen’s absence left some England fans thinking of what might have been.
England’s attack lacks extreme speed or sharp spin, although fast bowler Steven Finn showed signs of a return to form with five wickets in the recent tri-series win over world champions India.
However, that England were unable to defend a total of over 300 against Australia in Hobart was a concern, especially as senior pacemen James Anderson and Stuart Broad, both returning from injury, had a combined return of none for 117 in 19 overs.
Manchester United on Tuesday confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the UEFA Champions League. “Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honor,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United. The former midfielder previously had an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021. Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday sparked defending champions Oklahoma City to victory, while Anthony Edwards led Minnesota’s last-minute fightback to beat San Antonio. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points while adding eight assists and five rebounds in the Thunder’s 124-112 home victory over Miami, improving the NBA’s best record to 33-7 after outscoring the Heat 70-53 in the second half. “We locked in defensively. We were finally able to get some stops,” Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins said. “We were able to get out in transition a little bit, get going offensively and find the flow.” Jalen Williams scored 18 points, while
Mohamed Salah’s Egypt knocked reigning champions Ivory Coast out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a 3-2 win in the quarter-finals on Saturday, while Victor Osimhen starred as Nigeria beat Algeria 2-0 to set up a clash with hosts Morocco. In Agadir, Morocco, a thrilling last-eight tie saw Omar Marmoush and Ramy Rabia net in the first half for the Pharaohs before an own goal by Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh brought the Ivorians back into it. Salah then got Egypt’s third early in the second half and they held on after Guela Doue again reduced the deficit. Egypt is to face Senegal
Brandon Miller scored 18 points, LaMelo Ball had 17 and the Charlotte Hornets built a 47-point lead in the first half of a 150-95 rout against the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. It was the second-biggest win in franchise history for the Hornets and their largest on the road. The Hornets bounced back from a pair of frustrating losses in a big way, having fallen to Toronto by one point and Indiana by two in their last two games. Charlotte pounded the NBA champion Thunder by 27 in Oklahoma City before those defeats, previously the Hornets’ most lopsided victory of the season. Tre
RSS