bereavement break
Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga will leave for home after Tuesday's match against Bangladesh here, following the death of his mother-in-law, but will return on time for the game against Australia on Friday. "Lasith Malinga will leave the team following Sri Lanka's World Cup game against Bangladesh, which will be played today, as his Mother-In-Law has passed away," Sri Lanka Cricket Board said on its official Twitter handle. "He is expected to join the team, before the team's next #CWC19 game, which will be played against Australia on 15th."
First step
The Indian-origin net bowler, who was hit on the head by a powerful drive from Australia batsman David Warner during a net session, has started walking for the first time since the incident. Jay Kishan Plaha has been in hospital after the accident at The Oval on Saturday and was monitored for delayed signs of concussion, but a CT scan cleared him of any major damage, 'Sky Sports' reporterd. "Finally got my first walk in — on the road to recovery. Glad to be recovering well so far. Thank you to everyone who has supported me, thank you for all the prays (sic) around the world, means a lot to me," Plaha was quoted by the report as saying.
within limits
Pakistan team manager Talat Ali has rubbished media reports his players have had to be told to celebrate with restraint during the much-anticipated World Cup clash against India on Sunday, saying they had no extravagant plans to begin with. "No such instructions have been issued to the players. The players met with Imran Khan at Bani Gala before flying to London. After that the Prime Minister has had no contact with the players," Ali, a former Test player, said. "We follow the guideline given to us by the Pakistan Cricket Board and for us the match against India is just like against any other team. Obviously it is a high-profile match but we just focus on cricket and don't have any politics in our mind," he asserted.
no change
The International Cricket Council have ignored pleas from World Cup stars to resolve the bail controversy that threatens to spoil the tournament. India captain Virat Kohli and Australia skipper Aaron Finch joined forces to condemn the "unfair" problem on Sunday. But despite calls for a change to the bails, tournament organisers have no plans to make a switch back to the traditional wooden style. "We wouldn't change anything mid-event as it would compromise the integrity of the event - the equipment is the same for all 10 teams across all 48 games," the International Cricket Council, , told Sky Sports in a statement on Tuesday. "The stumps have not changed in the last four years. They have been used in all ICC events since the 2015 World Cup and in a range of domestic events.
