Top Stories: Things that made news in the cricket world today

ICC World Cup 2019: Wasim Akram names the favourites to lift the title

• It’s still early days for the World Cup fever to build up but experts are already queuing up to reveal the name of their favourite team to win the title in the 12th edition of the tournament which will be held in England and Wales between May 30 and July 14.
• After the former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock backed India along with England as his favourites to win the trophy this year, Wasim Akram has followed suit.
• (Read more about the story)

Ravichandran Ashwin to lead Tamil Nadu in Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament

• Ace India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, though had his stints with injury on two major overseas tours over the last six months, has been appointed as the captain of Tamil Nadu in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament.
• The tournament will kick off in Surat on February 21. India opener Murali Vijay, who is going through a lean phase of late, was not included in the squad that was announced on Thursday.
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‘Wake up, NZ Cricket’ poster hogs the limelight at the Eden Park

• The ongoing T20I series between New Zealand and India has already been a witness to a couple of encounters in Wellington and Auckland respectively.
• The series is currently level with one match remaining to be played at the Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday, February 10.
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Sarfaraz Ahmed isn’t out of form in his core job: Mickey Arthur

• The experienced Sarfaraz Ahmed has done an excellent job as the captain of the Pakistan national team.
• However, his form with the bat in hand has dipped to a significant extent especially after the 2017 Champions Trophy, which the Men in Green won, beating India in the final.
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Rishabh Pant should be India’s number four for the World Cup: Mohammad Azharuddin

• With the World Cup less than four months away, a lot of talk has been going on pertaining to selection. The next few matches that India plays will be crucial in determining the squad.
• The Men in Blue are scheduled to play five One Day Internationals at home against Australia following the conclusion of the New Zealand tour.
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Stuart Law tips Shimron Hetmyer to achieve greatness

• Shimron Hetmyer was the captain of the Windies team which won the U19 World Cup in 2016.
• The left-handed batsman had caught the attention of the cricket world with his performances in the mega event.
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PSL 2019: Multan Sultans sign Johnson Charles to replace Nicholas Pooran

• Multan Sultans have roped in a like-for-like replacement for Nicholas Pooran by adding Johnson Charles for the forthcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
• The franchise took the decision after Pooran was called up to the Windies squad for their upcoming ODI series against England at home.
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Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur shares story about bonding Babar Azam has with his family

• Pakistan batsman Babar Azam is often considered among the top batsmen that rule the cricketing world in current times.
• The 24-year-old put up significant performances in all the three formats for his country in the recent tour of South Africa even though Pakistan lost in all of them.
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Mohammad Asif disappointed with not getting Pakistan call-up

• Mohammad Asif was one of the Pakistan cricketers, who was suspended in the infamous spot-fixing scandal during the Lord’s Test in England, along with Mohammad Amir and Salman Butt, the then captain.
• However, the 36-year-old speedster from Sheikhupura, Punjab recently made his comeback on the cricket pitch and has put up some strong performances.
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Windies vs England: Jos Buttler deeply saddened by head coach Trevor Bayliss’ words

• Prior to their three-match Test series against the Jason Holder-led Windies, England were well and truly the favourites.
• However, the red-ball fixtures threw a surprise as the visitors, captained by Joe Root, have already lost the series 2-0 with one match remaining to be played from Thursday, February 9 at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia.
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BCCI set to conduct women’s T20 exhibition games during IPL 2019

• Looking to build on the success of last year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is once again set to conduct T20 exhibition matches for women.
• Just like the previous year, this year’s game will involve the top Indian and overseas players.
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ICC World Cup 2019: Australia rope in Ricky Ponting as assistant coach for the tournament

• This will be the first time in ages that Australia will not go into a Cricket World Cup as one of the favourites.
• The defending champions have five world titles in all but they are ranked sixth in the ICC’s table at the moment.
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Northamptonshire sign Jason Holder for the upcoming County season

• Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, on Thursday, announced the signing of Windies skipper Jason Holder for part of this year’s County Championship and One-Day Cup campaigns, subject to Cricket West Indies NOC approval.
• Holder will land in England before the start of the season and will be available to play the games against Middlesex and Glamorgan.
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South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Hosts announce the 14-man squad for the Test series

• South Africa have had a pretty wonderful summer so far. They defeated Pakistan 3-0 in the three-match Test series and then defeated the visitors 4-1 in the ODI series and 2-1 in the three-match T20I series.
• Their next target will be Sri Lanka, who will be visiting for the two-Test series.
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