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WEST INDIES will take on co-hosts Bangladesh in the 19th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Friday afternoon, March 4. This group 'B' match is very important for both the countries for their quarter finals dreams in the ongoing Cricket World Cup 2011.
 
In group 'B' except Netherlands, all teams have won at least one match each in the ICC World Cup 2011. Last night in Bangalore, Ireland defeated neighbours and the three-time finalists England by three wickets. Irish batsman Kevin O'Brien scored fastest World Cup century off just 50 balls.
 
In the inaugural match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on February 19, Bangladesh lost to India by 87 runs. In the next match against Ireland at the same venue, the host team won by 27 runs.
 
West Indies, who won Cricket World Cup last time in 1979 in England, lost their first match in the tenth edition of the Cricket World Cup against strong South Africa by seven wickets. In the next match the Caribbean team beat Netherlands by a huge margin of 215 runs.
 
Bangladesh, who will play in front of their home crowds, is playing a good cricket from last few months. Their opener Tamim Iqbal, captain Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Ashraful are their key players, whereas West Indies opener Chris Gayle, all-rounder Kieron Pollard can change the direction of the match at any moment with their big shots. In the last match young pacer Kemar Roach departed six Dutch batsmen to the pavilion.
 
Toss will play a crucial role in the very important match of group 'B' between Bangladesh and West Indies. The team who will bat second have to face dew factor. Captains viz. Shakib Al Hasan or Darren Sammy, who will win the toss are likely to opt to bat first.
 
West Indies and Bangladesh had played 16 times with other, where the Caribbean team won 11 times and Bangladeshi team three times. In the World Cup, West Indies have a clean record against Bangladesh. Out of the three World Cup matches between them, West Indies has won twice.
 
Here is the West Indies and Bangladesh squads for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011:
 
West Indies: Darren Sammy (Capt), Chris Gayle, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Devon Smith, Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller, Andre Rusell, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kirk Edwards, Devon Thomas (wk).
 
Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Zunaed Siddique, Shahriar Nafees, Roqibul Hassan, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Naeem Islam, Mahmudullah, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Md Sohrawordi.

ZIMBABWEAN CAPTAIN Chigumbura picked batsman Regis Chakabva and all-rounder Tinashe Panyangara in the playing XI in place of injured batsman Sean Williams and seamer Chris Mpofu, whereas Kiwis captain Daniel Vettori preferred Kyle Mills over Jamie How in the very important game of Cricket World Cup 2011.

New Zealand won their first match in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 by 10 wickets against Kenya, whereas they lost their next match against defending champion Australia by seven wickets. Zimbabwe team started their ICC World Cup 2011 campaign with a lost against Australia by 91 runs. In the next match they won by a huge margin of 175 runs against Canada.

New Zealand and Zimbabwe had not played with each other since August 31, 2005. However, both the teams had played 28 matches with each other, where Kiwis won 19 times and Zimbabwean won nine times. Two matches were ended without result.

Here is the playing XI of New Zealand and Zimbabwe in the 18th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011:

New Zealand : Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum (wk), Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, James Franklin, Scott Styris, Nathan McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills, Hamish Bennett.

Zimbabwe : Brendan Taylor (wk), Charles Coventry, Tatenda Taibu, Craig Ervine, Elton Chigumbura (capt), Regis Chakabva, Greg Lamb, Proper Utseya, Graeme Cremer, Ray Price, Tinashe Panyangara.

IN THE 16th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 between South Africa and Netherlands at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali, Netherlands captain Peter Borren won the toss and asked the South Africans to bat first. PCA Stadium at Mohali is hosting the first match of the World Cup 2011.

South Africa is playing their second match in the World Cup 2011. It had won the first match against West Indies by seven wickets at Delhi's Ferozeshah Kotla, whereas Netherlands have lost both their opening matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 against England and West Indies.
 
The Proteas captain Graeme Smith made one change in the playing XI from the last match against West Indies. He preferred Morne van Wyk over spinner Johan Botha. The Dutch captain made no changes in his playing XI from the last match against West Indies, that they lost by 215 runs on Monday in Delhi.

Both group 'B' teams of the Cricket World Cup 2011, South Africa and Netherlands have played two World Cup matches with each other in the past. South Africans registered victory by a margin of 160-run in 1996 and 221 runs in 2007 World Cup respectively.

Here is the playing XI of South Africa and Netherlands for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011:

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Morne van Wyk, Robin Peterson, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir.

Netherlands: Alexei Kervezee, Wesley Barresi (wk), Tom Cooper, Ryan ten Doeschate, Bas Zuiderent, Tom de Grooth, Peter Borren (capt), Mudassar Bukhari, Pieter Seelaar, Bernard Loots, Berend Westdijk.

The tournament's highest wicket-taker Shahid Afridi scripted a great escape to pull back Pakistan from ignominy with a five-wicket haul, as the team beat Canada in a surprisingly close match here.

Refusing to be intimidated by the opponent's reputation and forgetting its current indifferent showing in this edition of the ICC World Cup, the Canadians set out to rewrite history at the R. Premadasa grounds. They nearly did.

Afridi, who broke the best partnership of the Canadian innings (60 runs) between Surkari and Hansra, and removed the dangerous Rizwan Cheema, made sure that Canada's well-begun innings stayed a half-done job.

Under the Premadasa lights, Afridi could do no wrong — he even gave the team its first direct hit at the stumps in this World Cup and sent back a lower order batsman (Balaji Rao).

Good display

In the last two matches, Canada made 122 and 123. The team which took the field on this day had no recollection of those scores; some kind of collective amnesia had gripped the team. Its members fielded like a top team, bowled well with some help from the pitch, and batted for most part with their heads down.

The Canadian 100 runs came in 201 balls, but no one was complaining. It needed a mere 85 from the remaining. But six wickets fell for 24 runs and the fairy tale came to an end.

On Wednesday Canada captain had stated that his team would win if it played well and if Pakistan played badly. Pakistan, the most unpredictable team in the tournament, nearly did it again.

Lack of application

Earlier, because of horrible lack of application and a generally indifferent performance from the top order, Pakistan set Canada a target of 185.

At 67 for four, Canada fancied its chances.

The Canadian bowlers kept a tidy line, inviting a few unorthodox strokes from the patient Pakistanis.

Pakistan had crawled to 150 for five in 35 overs. The team folded up at 184.

Canada captain, Ashish Bagai, like most sub-continent players, believes in ‘luck,' and providence. Well, it nearly was with the generous Pakistanis gifting him and Chennai boy, Balaji Rao, almost anything they asked for. Rao, who got two wickets, will celebrate his birthday in style on Friday.

The sky was overcast from the start and the ball was coming in a shade slower than the last time at the R. Premadasa. Strokemaking was a little difficult; it did not help that no one in Pakistani line-up wanted to stay long enough to put the team's total out of reach for Canada.

Shehzad fails again

Ahmed Shehzad, who has been given more chances to perform than he deserves, got off shakily yet again. He heaved Khurram Chohan, and the ball took the edge and ballooned towards third man. The catch was taken but it turned out to be a no-ball.

Even as Shehzad pushed his luck at one end, it was the consistent opener Hafeez who went first, missing the line of a Henri Osinde delivery that pitched on the off stump and moved in.

Trapped in front, he asked for a review and was unsuccessful. Shehzad disappointed again. He tried hitting over the in-field and, this time, offered a low catch to mid-on.

The loss of Hafeez meant that Pakistan progressed to a meagre 20 in 5 overs; its slowest in three matches. In 10 overs, a cautious Pakistan made 44 for two, and 50 runs came in 12 overs.

Soon after this, Younus Khan went, trapped in front of middle stump. Younis asked for a review of the decision.

Umpire Daryl Harper raised his index finger a second time inside a minute after the UDRS concurred with the umpire. Kamran Akmal then cut Cheema straight to the hands of backward point.

Steady partnership

The second Akmal, Umar, in the company of Misbah-ul-Haq built a partnership slowly and steadily, despite some uncertain running between the wickets. Umar was frustrated time and again by Misbah's slow-motion running between the wickets in their 73-run stand.

Canada got a chance to send Misbah back when Pakistan was on 76 but the bowler, Baidwan, missed picking up a ball at a very short mid-on position with Misbah nowhere in the picture.

Then on 77, a leaping Hansra, at forward of square leg, could not reach a mistimed Misbah pull. It was tantalisingly close to the outstretched palms of the fielder. Misbah stayed and Pakistan meandered to 79 for four off 20 overs.

The first six of the innings came after Balaji Rao's variety of leg-spin was introduced. Umar Akmal hoisted him over the mid-wicket fence, easing the pressure on Pakistan a bit. Afridi came in and went in quick time as he guided a low, wide full toss to the hands of backward point.

Batting power play

The bankruptcy of ideas in the Pakistan team touched a new low after the inexplicable delay in availing of the batting power play.

The Pakistani team has traditionally resorted to taking the power play in the final ten overs and this time too, even as wickets kept falling at one end, there was no move to take it earlier.

It took the power play with the score reading 181 for nine, at over number 42. And the innings promptly folded up.

Scoreboard

Pakistan: M. Hafeez lbw b Osinde 11 (12b, 2x4), A. Shehzad c Gordon b Baidwan 12 (23b, 2x4), K. Akmal c Kumar b Cheema 16 (38b, 2x4), Younis lbw b Baidwan 6 (30b, 1x4), Misbah c Bagai b Balaji Rao 37 (68b, 1x4), U. Akmal lbw b Balaji Rao 48 (68b, 4x4, 1x6), S. Afridi c Kumar b Cheema 20 (17b, 2x4), A. Razzaq lbw b Hansra 8 (8b, 1x4), U. Gul (not out) 2 (4b), W. Riaz c Balaji Rao b Hansra 0 (3b), S. Ajmal b Baidwan 0 (5b); Extras (b-4, lb-3, w-16, nb-1): 24; Total (in 43 overs): 184.

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-42, 3-55, 4-67, 5-140, 6-165, 7-181, 8-181, 9-181.

Canada bowling: Chohan 3.3-0-10-0, Osinde 7-1-25-1, Gordon 0.3-0-1-0, Baidwan 8-1-35-3, Cheema 8-0-33-2, Balaji Rao 10-0-50-2, Hansra 6-1-23-2.

Canada: R. Gunasekera lbw Gul 8 (16b), Nitish Kumar b Razzaq 2 (13b), Z. Surkari lbw Ajmal 27 (67b, 2x4), A. Bagai lbw b Afridi 16 (35 b, 2x4), J. Hansra b Afridi 43 (75, 4x4, 1x6), R. Cheema b Afridi 4 (8b, 1x4), T. Gordon c Riaz b Afridi 9 (12b, 1x4), H. Baidwan b Afridi 0 (1b), K. Chohan (not out) 5 (20b), Balaji Rao (run out) 1 (7b), H. Osinde b Riaz 0 (3b); Extras: (w-19, lb-4) 23; Total (in 42.5 overs) 138.

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-16, 3-44, 4-104, 5-111, 6-114, 7-114, 8-130, 9-134.

Pakistan bowling: Razzaq 7-2-16-1, Gul 7-1-20-1, Afridi 10-0-23-5, Riaz 5.5-0-23-1, Ajmal 8-0-31-1, Hafeez 5-0-21-0.