Amla : A veteran's tale

Hashim Mohammad Amla (born 31 March 1983) is a South African cricketer who plays for South Africa in all three forms of the game . He also holds the milestones for being the fastest ever to 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 and 7000 ODI runs. He also became the fastest cricketer to reach 10 ODI centuries. He has scored ODI centuries against all Test playing nations and is only the fourth batsman in history to do so. On 19 January 2018, Amla broke Virat Kohli's record for being the fastest batsman to achieve 27 centuries in ODI. Amla has reached the milestone in 167 innings, surpassing Kohli’s 169.A veteran of two World Cups, though, was included in the squad and the stylish right-hander is eager to prove that he still has what it takes to cut it at the highest level.

"Things happen that you don't anticipate and I did not anticipate how things have gone recently. But I am a firm believer that when something happens, there is some good in it. I have had time away and now I am really looking back to wearing the green and gold again," Amla said to ICC.

"I am hungrier than ever before, there is no doubt about that. I have been blessed to have this shirt for a while but the time off has made me want to come back stronger," he added.

Amla has been in excellent form in the past three years. He has scored 1391 runs in 34 ODIs, averaging 44.27, with a strike rate of 88.78. His best score in this span has been 154 vs Sri Lanka.This is his third World Cup, occasion where he's done fairly well, with 639 runs in 15 games, average of 42.60, strike rate being 91.41 and highest score being 159 vs Ireland in 2015.

"It is the best first game we could have asked for. We have played England recently and had some success against them, I have done well against them too. This year, you don''t see the same big names and that is why the focus is not on us but that has some good in it," he said.

"There has not been much chat about us winning in comparison to the past but I don''t think that played a part in how we performed. At the end of the day, we always gave our best and played to win. The fact that there has not been a lot of chat at this World Cup means there is less expectation but in the team we think we can do well," he added.

Though they lose the opening game against the host England by a very big margin, Amla believes that they will bounce back in the upcoming matches of the World Cup 2019.

A shameful innings for Australia ended in 88.

Pakistan plays a magnificent innings against Australia in the 2nd Test. Earlier, Australian captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat first. Pakistan in return has scored 148 for the loss of 3 wickets before rain stopped the game. Umar Amin (1 not out) and Umar Akmal (8 not out) are on the crease.Pakistan has lost the wicket of Imran Farhat (43), Salman Butt (45) and Azhar Ali (30). But his side crumbled before the Pakistani bowling in a rain drenched pitch.Pakistan only managed to reach 88 with T Paine scoring the highest score of 17.M Aamer, M Asif took 3 wickets each.

Murali got 5 haul for the 67th time.

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World's top spinner Muttiah Muralidharan has decided to retire from Test cricket after the first Test, against India in the following month.

In a career spanning 18 years, the 38-year-old has taken 792 wickets in 132 Tests and 515 wickets in 337 ODIs.(67 5 wicket haul and 22 10 wicket haul.)

Although he will no longer play Test cricket after the first match of the three-Test series against India, Murali has kept open the option of playing the 2011 World Cup, to be co-hosted by Sri Lanka along with India and Bangladesh.

About a year ago, Murali had announced he would retire after the home series against the West Indies later this year, but in last November he said he could advance the Test retirement.

Murali said that he was 37 years old and he can’t bowl as much as those days because he get tired after 15-16 overs. But he said that he will try and play a little bit of one-day cricket… that’s only 10 overs to bowl.

Kieswetter, a new perfect wicket keeper for England.

England coach Andy Flower still believes Craig Kieswetter can be England's answer to Adam Gilchrist despite his recent run of low scores in one-day internationals.

Australia great Gilchrist, who retired from international cricket two years ago, was both a dashing opener in the one-day format, capable of big scores as well as a sound gloveman, and increased the pressure on his fellow keepers to match his runs in the Test arena too.

Many countries have tried and failed to find an equivalent to Gilchrist but England think they may be onto something with the South Africa born Kieswetter.

The 22-year-old, who plays for Somerset, struck a hundred in only his third one-day international and made his name globally with a man-of-the-match winning 63 in England's World Twenty20 final win against Australia in Barbados in May.

Puma accessories are running like hot cake.

A nice light willow with which you can play a better innings.Endorsed by Craig Keiswetter(England) ,Brendon McCullum(Newzealand) ,Adam Gilchrist (Australia) Shane Watson (Australia), Mal Loye (Lancashire), Nick Compton (Middlesex), Phil Mustard (England), Geraint Jones (Kent).

Hashim Amla played marvelous in India.

On February 7, 2010, at the first Test match against India at Nagpur, Amla scored an undefeated 253, his personal best and the highest score by a South African at number 3, as well as the highest by a South African against India, winning the Man of the Match award and helping South Africa to an innings victory. During the following Test in Kolkata, Amla scored centuries in both innings, including an unbeaten 127 in the final innings as India bowled out South Africa to level the series, remaining the only South African not to be dismissed. He subsequently won the Man of the Match award for the second consecutive match as well as the Man of the Series award for his performances throughout the two-match Test series, in which he scored 494 runs, having only been dismissed once and retaining an average of 494, the second highest batting average ever in a Test series, after Wally Hammond.

Tamim, a great advantage for Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi opener Tamim Iqbal is in a good form since from the first month of the year against England. So, it's a plus point for the Bangladesh team to do well in the upcoming World Cup 2011.