Hosts not the only one under pressure in the last quarter-final
England will have to watch out for Muttiah Muralitharan, the highest wicket-taker in ODIs.
COLOMBO:
Kumar Sangakkara refuses to believe Sri Lanka will be the only side under pressure before a packed home crowd in their quarter-final today, saying England will also feel the intensity.
The 1996 winners go into the last of four quarter-finals with huge expectations, but Sangakkara was confident his players were capable of handling the situation.
“What you lose is a semi-final berth so wherever you play that incentive is going to be there and all sides feel that pressure equally,” said Sangakkara.
Sri Lanka lost to Pakistan and had their game against Australia washed out on their way to the last eight stages. And Sangakkara felt his players were ready to give their best against England who have endured a roller-coaster tournament, losing to Ireland and Bangladesh but beating South Africa and the West Indies. They also tied their first match against India.
The winners of today’s match will meet New Zealand in the first semi-final in Colombo on Tuesday.
All eyes on Murali
Sangakkara hopes fit-again spinner Muttiah Muralitharan rises to the challenge of a World Cup quarter-final. The off-spinner, who sustained a hamstring injury during the group match win over New Zealand, is fully fit.
“Murali is fine, he is 100 per cent which is great for us,” said Sangakkara of the highest one-day wicket taker, with 530 victims. “He’s a guy who rises to occasion and does really well in big games.”
Players are focused: Strauss
Andrew Strauss shrugged off Michael Yardy’s World Cup withdrawal, saying his players were all focused. All-rounder Yardy left for home on Thursday after suffering depression, leaving injury-hit England with more problems.
“It’s not difficult to focus our minds on this game of cricket,” said Strauss. “It’s a must-win game. If we lose, we are on the plane home.”
England, who have not qualified for the semi-finals since their runners-up finish to Pakistan in 1992, have called up leg-break bowler Adil Rashid from the England Lions’ tour of the Caribbean. But he will not be able to make it in time for today’s match. Rashid is the fourth replacement in the England squad since Stuart Broad, Kevin Pietersen and Ajmal Shahzad were forced out.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 26th, 2011.
Kumar Sangakkara refuses to believe Sri Lanka will be the only side under pressure before a packed home crowd in their quarter-final today, saying England will also feel the intensity.
The 1996 winners go into the last of four quarter-finals with huge expectations, but Sangakkara was confident his players were capable of handling the situation.
“What you lose is a semi-final berth so wherever you play that incentive is going to be there and all sides feel that pressure equally,” said Sangakkara.
Sri Lanka lost to Pakistan and had their game against Australia washed out on their way to the last eight stages. And Sangakkara felt his players were ready to give their best against England who have endured a roller-coaster tournament, losing to Ireland and Bangladesh but beating South Africa and the West Indies. They also tied their first match against India.
The winners of today’s match will meet New Zealand in the first semi-final in Colombo on Tuesday.
All eyes on Murali
Sangakkara hopes fit-again spinner Muttiah Muralitharan rises to the challenge of a World Cup quarter-final. The off-spinner, who sustained a hamstring injury during the group match win over New Zealand, is fully fit.
“Murali is fine, he is 100 per cent which is great for us,” said Sangakkara of the highest one-day wicket taker, with 530 victims. “He’s a guy who rises to occasion and does really well in big games.”
Players are focused: Strauss
Andrew Strauss shrugged off Michael Yardy’s World Cup withdrawal, saying his players were all focused. All-rounder Yardy left for home on Thursday after suffering depression, leaving injury-hit England with more problems.
“It’s not difficult to focus our minds on this game of cricket,” said Strauss. “It’s a must-win game. If we lose, we are on the plane home.”
England, who have not qualified for the semi-finals since their runners-up finish to Pakistan in 1992, have called up leg-break bowler Adil Rashid from the England Lions’ tour of the Caribbean. But he will not be able to make it in time for today’s match. Rashid is the fourth replacement in the England squad since Stuart Broad, Kevin Pietersen and Ajmal Shahzad were forced out.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 26th, 2011.