'We're going to miss Murali terribly' - Sangakkara

India deprived Muttiah Muralitharan of the send-off he sought © Associated Press Enlarge

rued not being able to give the perfect send-off in what was his final international appearance for Sri Lanka and admitted the team would "miss him terribly." Sri Lanka were beaten by six wickets in the World Cup final by India in Mumbai and Murali, on one of his rare off days, went wicketless in eight overs and conceded 39 runs.

"It's one of those rare days when he hasn't really done the job for us, but it happens maybe once in a 100 games," Sangakkara said. "We're going to miss him terribly. Unfortunately we couldn't give him a great send-off but that's the way it goes. We were outplayed and we have to accept that."

Sri Lanka had done well after winning the toss, posting 274 thanks to a superlative century from Mahela Jayawardene. They were in command when Lasith Malinga dismissed India's openers, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, early in the chase. But the Indian middle order stepped up with Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni reviving the innings with match-winning half-centuries.

Murali was dealt with easily by Gambhir and Dhoni, who hit him repeatedly to the extra-cover boundary. Murali had come into this game with a groin injury, and while it was considered a risk to play him, the game was just too big to leave him out. Sangakkara, however, said fitness didn't affect Murali's performance.

"He's our best bowler, even if half-fit," Sangakkara said. "But he was fine, he was almost at full fitness when he played today. I don't think it was an issue."

Murali had ended his Test career on a high, picking up a wicket with his final delivery to win Sri Lanka a game against India last year. And while that perfect ending eluded him this World Cup, Sangakkara summed up what he meant for Sri lanka. "Murali is the icon of Sri Lanka," he said. "As a champion on the field and off the field. As a human being and a cricketer, I don't think there is anyone to match him."

'India planned final for a year'

size: A | A

Sachin Tendulkar was carried around his home ground on his team-mates' shoulders © Getty Images Enlarge

Harbhajan Singh wept into the India flag, Yuvraj Singh couldn't hold back tears either. Sachin Tendulkar, not used to having his feet off the ground, for a change felt comfortable on the shoulders of his team-mates as they took a lap of the Wankhede. He was being taken around a ground that had once booed him. All that didn't matter today. A life-long dream had been achieved in a sixth attempt; in front of his home crowd, at a ground where he played most of his domestic cricket. MS Dhoni, Yuvraj, Zaheer Khan and Gautam Gambhir followed with their arms around each other's shoulders. Virat Kohli, playing in his first World Cup and inconsolable when he had got out earlier, sang Chak de India to the crowd.

There was delight, there were tears of joy, there was contentment. There was relief after a campaign in which their every move was noticed, dissected and criticised or praised. It was a moment nobody could take away from the Indian team. They took their time as they celebrated. Slowly, savouring each moment. Months of tension, build-up, sleepless nights, inability to eat regularly, cramps, vomit, sweat, toil; all of it was over, and in their hands was the World Cup.

Gary Kirsten's contribution was not forgotten. After Tendulkar had been around the ground on the strong and reliable shoulders of Yusuf Pathan, the team chaired Kirsten too, who was coaching India for one last time. An equally loud applause followed. Quietly, Paddy Upton, the mental conditioning coach, and Eric Simons, the bowling coach, watched. They watched men become kids, they watched and heard, 33,000 people's gratitude.

"There have been some incredible moments in my involvement with sport, but this has got to be the highlight," Upton told ESPNcricinfo.

Upton spoke of the year the team had been through: the anticipation, the preparation, the hard work. "We set on this a year ago. Gary and myself and Eric Simons asked the question, 'Are we ready to win the World Cup?' And we felt we had the team to win it, the skill and the talent, but mentally we possibly weren't ready."

That was in Dambulla where, as Virender Sehwag mentioned, they started visualising the World Cup final. "We had planned a year ago what we needed to do in order to set ourselves up to win the World Cup," Upton said. "For a year we have been talking about when we play the final in Mumbai, and it was amazing yesterday [Friday] to reflect in the team meeting and say, 'Guys we have been talking about exactly this for a year, and we have been preparing for it and we know we are ready.' So while there were nerves, we went in with the confidence that we are better prepared than the opposition."

Some of the players had been struggling to sleep properly, but Upton believed - as it now seems - in something preordained. "Strangely I slept quite comfortably, because the job was done, we just needed to go and act out the script that was already written."

The nerves he felt towards the closing moments, despite himself being a mental conditioning coach, he said was a feeling like no other. "I get bloody nervous. Believe you me. It was magnificent."

The greatest moment of his greatest achievement in sport was watching the players weep. And looking after the mental side of players who perhaps are under the most pressure in world cricket, he has seen them in tears of anguish too. "The greatest moment today was getting together with the team in the middle of the pitch; and just seeing the looks on the guys' faces, and the tears running down their cheeks. Tears of joy and relief and ecstasy. It was a special moment."

Tournament's best at final hurdle

Who will hold it for real tomorrow? © AFP Enlarge

The Big Picture

The defending champions didn't make it, the mercurial outsiders stumbled, the strong contender choked, the Ashes winners ran out of gas, and after six weeks of high drama, we have come to this: the first all-Asian World-Cup final. And they deserve to be there: five of the top six run-getters, two out of top five wicket-takers, the fielder with the most catches and the wicketkeeper with the most dismissals will all be on show. The two teams have rallied around two of the best modern-day captains: MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara.

Sangakkara is a fiercely ambitious man. Arjuna Ranatunga was almost the freedom fighter, infusing self-respect and clearing the colonial hangover, Mahela Jayawardene was the astute captain who brought so much tactical nous and cricketing intelligence, and Sangakkara is trying to add ruthlessness. Ranatunga pushed the boys to become men, Jayawardene made the men self-aware, and Sangakkara is trying to turn them ruthless. The evolutionary journey has produced a World Cup triumph, a runners-up finish and now, a chance to win it for the second time.

Sangakkara's dream, however, has been hit a nightmarish blow with the injury to Angelo Mathews. Even Muttiah Muralitharan won't be 100% fit. Mathews' absence severely affects the balance of the team and adds huge pressure on an already brittle lower-middle order, where Chamara Silva and Thilan Samaraweera haven't exactly set the tournament alight. Silva, who dazzled in the 2007 edition, has proved combustible in this tournament. Samaraweera is there to manage a collapse, and he did that really well in the curtailed game against Australia. Neither has Mathews' talent to turn a 225 score into 275.

To state the obvious, Sri Lanka will now heavily depend on Tillakaratane Dilshan, the captain and Mahela Jayawardene if they are to put up or chase down a daunting target. They will now have to bat with the knowledge that the lower middle order might not withstand a top-order collapse. Dilshan, though, is in great form, Sangakkara has looked as gritty as ever and while Jayawardene is yet to really flow, he can be always be counted on to come good in pressure games. And Sri Lanka have a varied bowling attack to defend even relatively unsafe totals and the ability to restrict the opposition from piling up too much.

MS Dhoni is a quietly ambitious man. Sourav Ganguly was passionate, Rahul Dravid was process driven, Anil Kumble led from the front with his grit, while Dhoni has been an intuitive captain. He is level-headed, and shrewd enough to marry passion and process. He has soaked up the pressure of being India's captain, is smart enough to know the value of his own brand, and keeps his star-heavy team rolling smoothly with the aid of Gary Kirsten. India's previous two victories, against Australia and Pakistan, have ironed out many of the flaws seen earlier in the tournament. However, those two wins also raise the question of India being emotionally drained. Do they have fuel left in them to raise their game one final time?

The batsmen, who had perhaps tried too hard to compensate for the relatively weak bowling attack by trying to do too much in the end overs and collapsed in the batting Powerplay, seem more aware of identifying a viable target. Someone or other has taken charge during tricky chases. Yuvraj Singh showed tenacity in the chase against Australia, and Suresh Raina maturity in his shot selection against Pakistan.

The poor performance in the early part of the tournament seems to have freed up the bowlers. Expectations are lower and the pressure is off in some ways, allowing them to show better discipline and skill. Munaf Patel has greater control over his legcutters and Harbhajan Singh has slowed up the pace to give himself a better chance to take wickets.

In the last two years, Sri Lanka and India have won eight games apiece against each other. In the last year, the record stands 4-3 in Sri Lanka's favour. In their last five encounters in India, though, the record stands 3-1, with one no result, in the home side's favour. However, these two teams have played each other so often - tomorrow's final will be the 30th time since July 2008- that they should know everything there is to know about each other.

Ajmal still baffled by Tendulkar lbw reversal

A | A

Wahab Riaz: ""The wickets of [Virender] Sehwag and Yuvraj [Singh] were most memorable for me" © Getty Images Enlarge

Pakistan offspinner has said that he is still not sure how the Decision Review System (DRS) overturned on-field umpire Ian Gould's lbw ruling against Sachin Tendulkar during the World Cup semi-final against India . Gould ruled Tendulkar lbw off Ajmal in the 11th over, but the batsman reviewed the decision. Replays showed that the ball pitched in line but according to Hawk Eye the ball was missing leg stump and the decision was overturned.

"I don't know how the television replays showed my delivery turning towards the leg side because I had bowled an arm ball and it went straight," Ajmal told AFP on the team's arrival in Lahore. "I was 110% confident when the referral was made that the batsman was out." Tendulkar was on 23 at that point, and survived four dropped chances before he was dismissed after making a crucial 85 that earned him the Man of the Match award.

Ajmal picked up two wickets and said that he was happy with his bowling performance but disappointed that Pakistan lost the high-voltage clash to India by 29 runs. "All of us were very disappointed at losing the match because there was so much interest and hype attached to it. But in cricket one team has to lose and one has to win," he said.

The pick of the Pakistan bowlers in that game was left-arm seamer who picked up his first five-wicket haul in ODIs and had India in trouble at 205 for 6 before Suresh Raina's cameo. "The wickets of [Virender] Sehwag and Yuvraj [Singh] were most memorable for me as they are very dangerous players of pace and spin," Riaz said. Riaz had Sehwag lbw for 38 and accounted for Yuvraj Singh for a duck with a swinging, dipping full toss.

Pakistan were warmly welcomed by their fans when they arrived in Lahore and captain Shahid Afridi, who landed in Karachi, was mobbed by joyous fans on the way to his house. Opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez, who made a quick-fire 43, urged the Pakistan fans to have faith in the team. "This team has a lot of capability and will get better results in the future," he said.

Pakistan manager Intikhab Alam praised the team spirit and said the way the team had gelled together and played as a unit through the tournament was the most satisfying aspect of the campaign. "My main task was to unite the team and make it perform collectively and I think we achieved that to a great extent and that is satisfying for me."

Pakistan next travel to West Indies to play Twenty20, five one-dayers and two Tests. That tour begins on April 18.

NSW chase full-time Shield coach

size: A | A

If all goes according to plan New South Wales will prioritise Sheffield Shield and domestic limited overs cricket next summer by appointing a coach to oversee those two formats © Getty Images Enlarge

New South Wales will prioritise Sheffield Shield and domestic limited overs cricket next summer by appointing a coach to oversee those two formats, in a marked contrast to other states.

South Australia, Queensland and Victoria have all announced their state coaches will have to divide and dilute their time across all three formats in 2011-12, while Western Australia are expected to ask the same of former South African coach Mickey Arthur. In the case of the Redbacks (Darren Berry) and Bulls (Darren Lehmann), both coaches started purely as Twenty20 mentors, before having their roles expanded for the coming season. Bushrangers coach Greg Shipperd will helm the Melbourne Renegades, while his assistant Simon Helmot will preside over the Melbourne Stars.

However the Blues have indicated they believe the Shield and one-day competitions, vital as they are to the development of the next generation of Australian cricketers, demand a specialised mentor, who will also spend time at the national Under-19 tournament to identify emerging talent.

"That's why we believe it's not the way to go in terms of coaching (to have one coach across all three formats)," NSW chief executive David Gilbert told ESPNCricinfo.

"It has always been our priority to prepare players for international cricket and to field strong teams on the Shield and one-day competitions and it will continue to be."

Former NSW coach Trevor Bayliss, who went on to coach Sri Lanka and will conclude his tenure after the World Cup, is among the contenders for the role, but Gilbert is intent on casting his net as widely as possible in the search to replace outgoing coach Matthew Mott.

"This is probably the most open I can remember the race being to be the next NSW coach," he said.

"There's no doubt it is one of the most prestigious domestic coaching jobs in the world. I've had some inquiries from England and I'm really excited to see how it pans out. Matthew's been very successful in the role for NSW, but I think it is also time for some new ideas and a new direction."

Gilbert said Cricket NSW was yet to finalise the appointment of coaches for the state's two Twenty20 teams, as wrangling continues at executive and board levels over issues of private ownership and player recruitment.

The irony of the state coaching position, for which applications will close on April 8, is that the appointee's first task will be to take the Blues to this year's Champions League in India - the last time Australian state colours will be seen at Twenty20 level.

"That is a bit of an anomaly," said Gilbert, "but it can also serve as a really useful pre-season for the coach to run his eye over players both in training and playing in that tournament."

Oram leads New Zealand to stunning upset

Oh South Africa, what have you done? Earlier this month Graeme Smith tweeted an article titled 'Time to ban the 'C' word'. Hold on to that thought Smith, for clearly that time hasn't come yet. South Africa were cruising at 108 for 2 in the 25th over when Jacques Kallis fell and they crash-landed spectacularly to be shot out for 172. The self-destructive streak, demonically masochistic in nature, will perhaps need shrinks to decode it. Once they realised their opponents were cracking under pressure, New Zealand went for the kill with close-in fielders and disciplined bowling, led by Jacob Oram who took four wickets and a great catch.

Even when Kallis fell - to a blinder of a catch from Jacob Oram, rushing to his left at deep midwicket - there wasn't much to suggest that this could turn into another contender for all-time greatest choke in World Cup history. The pitch was slow but there was no sharp turn; the bowlers were disciplined but there was no sensational game-breaking spell; none of the three spinners got much purchase from the wicket; and the total was below par; but for some reason South Africa were feeling extremely claustrophobic.

Their nerves were best represented by the dismissal of JP Duminy, who played an awful shot to open the choke gates. Nathan McCullum slowed up the pace on a delivery that landed on a length, outside off, and Duminy went so hard into an ugly cut that he ended up dragging the ball on to his stumps. With Duminy's fall, South Africa were in a spot of bother at 121 for 4, in the 28th over, and the first signs of something special loomed over Mirpur.

There was more heartbreak for South Africa fans in the next over. Faf du Plessis hit straight to midwicket and ran like a headless chicken. AB de Villiers should perhaps have refused that call but he responded, only to find himself well short of the crease. It was at this moment that New Zealand really sensed that this could be their night.

The moment was so ripe that even Daniel Vettori, not known for sledging, gave some lip to du Plessis and Kyle Mills, who had carried drinks on to the field at the fall of de Villiers, got into the act. A visibly agitated du Plessis shoved Mills, the departing de Villiers returned to support his partner, and eventually the umpires had to get involved. New Zealand's players swooped in to the crime scene and it was a classic Youtube moment. You could almost feel the pressure-cooker situation out there.

New Zealand crowded the bat with close-in men, ready to sledge and eager to pile on the pressure, and Johan Botha cracked in the 33rd over. It was a lovely legcutter from Oram and Botha played down the wrong line to lose his off stump. Oram, who was the man who started it all with that Kallis catch, wasn't done yet. In the 35th over, he lured Robin Peterson into edging an attempted cut to the keeper and South Africa were swaying away like drunken men at 132 for 7. South Africa's nerves were frayed further when Dale Steyn square drove Nathan McCullum in the air to backward point, where who else but Oram accepted the offering.

If Oram was the man in the forefront of New Zealand's resurgence, du Plessis was the man seeking redemption for making that wrong call that led to the run out of de Villiers. In his brief international career, he has already shown a tenacity to remain relatively calm under pressure. And he wasn't ready to throw in the towel. He was on 14 when Steyn fell, and he took ownership of the chase. He rushed down the track to slam Tim Southee to the straight boundary in the 40th over, on drove Vettori to collect another four in the 41st, and even lifted Oram for a thrilling six over long-off in the 43rd over.

It was in the same over that the game turned for one last time, and it was also an over that captured the entire madness of the evening. du Plessis had crashed the first delivery of the over back at Oram who couldn't hold on to a very difficult chance, and once the six was hit, one had to ask the question: was the night turning for Oram? Was it swinging towards du Plessis? But du Plessis sliced the fifth ball straight to extra cover and South Africa had well and truly sunk into oblivion.

The end was a far cry from the way South Africa started the day. They attacked with spin and seam, shuffled their bowlers regularly like a pack of cards, and hustled on the field to keep a tight leash on New Zealand. Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor were at the forefront of a revival from the depths of 16 for 2; carefully, almost mindful of a potential lower-order collapse on this pitch, Ryder and Taylor battled through. The odd boundary signalled growing comfort, but they never broke away decisively. A nervy equilibrium had been reached by the end of the 30th over with New Zealand reaching 112 for 2 and the game was waiting to be seized. However, both Ryder and Taylor departed in quick succession but Kane Williamson made a vital 38 to push New Zealand to 221.

It shouldn't have been enough, it didn't feel like enough, but it proved enough. It was a crazy crazy night in Mirpur. Ironically, Allan Donald, the man who was involved in the other famous South African choke, was in the other camp tonight.

Ponting was overburdened - Buchanan

x

, has said Ricky Ponting has been let down by people in leadership roles in Australian cricket, leaving him overburdened. Ponting's role as captain is to lead the team by example, he said, not preoccupy himself with off-field matters.

"We saw that last night," Buchanan told AAP, referring to against India. "He was able to direct his energies towards one game. All thinking about developing the side and building a culture, selections here and selections there, were irrelevant. That is what he is capable of doing when his attention is rightly directed.

"Ricky still has an incredible amount to offer Australian cricket, but he has to be in the right frame of mind to do that," Buchanan said. "For the last 18 months or so that hasn't been the case because he has, in a sense, tried to take on too much responsibility for the whole team."

Ponting was at the receiving end of much criticism in the lead-up to the game against India, one of the reasons being his lack of form. He led Australia to two straight World Cup wins but was also captain during his team's Ashes defeats in 2005, 2009 and early this year in Australia. Amid calls for his resignation as captain after the World Cup and, in some quarters, retirement, Ponting struck form with a determined century in the quarter-final, but it proved inadequate as Australia were knocked out of the competition. Buchanan said Ponting's time at the helm was made difficult by some people around him.

"I'm disappointed with people around him, who have allowed him to do that [be overburdened]. That has contributed to making life very difficult for him in the [leadership] role." Buchanan refrained from naming the people he believed to be behind Ponting's problems, but said it is 'people in other formal leadership roles in and around the team'.

"I think there is a range of other people who relied on him to do more of the other work - building a team, building a culture, looking at selection - which are things that he has felt very personally involved with. But those things have been much bigger than he anticipated I think and he should not have been allowed to burden himself with it."

WICB directors to review Draft Strategic Plan

| Text size: A | A

The board of directors of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will meet on Friday and Saturday in Antigua to review the Draft Strategic Plan for 2011-2016 which was prepared by the WICB management. The plan will be evaluated by WICB president Julian Hunte, vice-president Whycliffe Cameron and the board directors. Other key issues that will be discussed include the draft Schedule of Cricket for 2011-2012 and the Event Memorandum of Understanding between the WICB and Territorial Boards.

The Umpires Pathway document along with a programme for improving the existing skills of ground and pitch curators across the region, the WICB Anti-Doping and Anti-Corruption codes and the Communications and Public Relations Policy are all likely to come up for discussion and approval. The Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket and Digicel Grassroots Cricket programmes targeting youth development will be presented.

The WICB will also host its Annual General Meeting on Sunday at the same venue.

Hafeez, Akmal ease opening conundrum

| Text size: A | A

With their century stand in Pakistan's win over West Indies in the World Cup quarter-final, Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal have provided their team with the much needed stability at the top of the order © Getty Images Enlarge

The one piece in the jigsaw Pakistan have been unable to fit during the World Cup has been, to no great surprise, the opening partnership. For five matches in the group stages, with commendable patience, they stuck with Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez despite the pair putting on a highest of 28.

Eventually they chose to drop Shehzad for the game against Australia; Hafeez's skills as an offspinner enough to retain him. The change meant a reuniting of one of Pakistan's more successful ODI opening pairs in recent years, of Hafeez and Kamran Akmal. Almost immediately there was a return; the pair putting on an unbroken 113 against the West Indies in the quarter-final in Dhaka in the ten-wicket win.

That was their second century stand in the ten ODIs in which they have opened together, to go with four fifty starts and a healthy average overall of 62.55. Though they had opened twice before, in 2006-07, it was last summer in the ODI series against England that they had an extended and successful run, putting together stands of 62, 122, 8, 62 and 63 in the series.

But since then, in the continuing fall-out of the spot-fixing scandal, the pairing has been disrupted again, allowing Shahzaib Hasan, Imran Farhat and Shehzad to open with Hafeez. "There was a problem in opening; the performance that was expected wasn't happening, like we had in England with Kamran," Hafeez told ESPNcricinfo. "In Abu Dhabi I had different guys like Shahzaib, Imran Farhat opening with me; in New Zealand Shehzad was there. So it was difficult to adjust to everyone."

But Hafeez has always felt most comfortable with Akmal, with whom the contrast in intent works well. "I have opened before with Kamran and obviously, when you play together, you understand each other's game," Hafeez said.

"When Kamran plays with me, I have great confidence because I know he attacks the bowlers. He plays beautiful shots and the opposition gets under pressure. I actually find batting easier because I know he is attacking the bowlers at the other end. That gives me confidence in playing my own shots."

The domestic and international careers of both have overlapped to a large extent and they know each other well off the field as well, spending time together in Lahore. Kamran's younger brothers Adnan and Umar also play with Hafeez for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) on the domestic circuit in Pakistan.

"Hafeez has been doing so well since the England series with ball and bat," Akmal told ESPNcricinfo. "He brings so much confidence to the team. I love batting with him because we have a good understanding. We communicate with each other all the time at the wicket, talking about the wicket, the bowler, what we need to keep doing. If one of us is struggling a little, the other is always there to help him out. I had that understanding with Salman Butt as well."

Contrasting campaigners prepare to do or die

Fifteen years ago this month, England and Sri Lanka met at the same quarter-final stage of the 1996 World Cup, only for an epoch-changing contest to pan out in front of an astounded crowd . With his remarkable 82 from 44 balls, Sanath Jayasuriya not only ignited Sri Lanka's charge towards their maiden global title, he signalled the end of England as a force in one-day cricket, as they failed to reach the last four of the World Cup for the first time in the tournament's history.

Since that match, the fortunes and expectations associated with the two teams have been flipped on their head. Sri Lanka went on to crush Australia in the 1996 final in Lahore, and have since contested a semi-final in 2003 and another final four years later in Barbados. England, on the other hand, have found a range of ignominious means to bomb out at the earliest opportunity - a trait they came perilously close to emulating this time around as well, following their embarrassments at the hands of Ireland and Bangladesh.

But regardless of their numerous scares along the way, England are back in the knockouts for the first time in four World Cups, and given the excitement they have served up in the past month, their Colombo encounter once again has the makings of a humdinger. It is doubtless being greedy to expect their seventh consecutive contest to go down to the wire, but the one and only constant in England's skittish campaign has been their ability to raise their game against more fancied opposition. And make no mistake, Sri Lanka on home soil present a formidable challenge - arguably the toughest assignment that any of the quarter-finalists could have landed.

Four years ago in the Caribbean, the Sri Lankans were by some distance the best of the rest - the only team worthy of facing Ricky Ponting's invincible Australians in the final. That they failed to bring home the spoils was no disgrace whatsoever, but while Ponting and his colleagues have since been vanquished at long last, Sri Lanka are arguably a stronger outfit than ever before. Eight of the 11 men who played in that final remain in their squad today, but crucially, sentiment has played next to no part in that fact. Two legends in Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas have been put out to pasture, leaving the stage clear for the likes of Ajantha Mendis and Angelo Mathews to bid for their own indelible mark on the tournament's history.

To judge by the narrative of their campaign to date, England will relish their underdog status - for it is a peculiar fact that of the eight quarter-finalists, they are the only side to boast an unbeaten record in matches against their fellow qualifiers. They salvaged a tie against India before out-muscling South Africa and West Indies in a pair of Chennai thrillers, and their never-say-die spirit will doubtless prove invaluable at some stage of a high-octane encounter.

But can sheer tenacity prevail against a team so brimful with talented campaigners? Sri Lanka's top-order triumvirate of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara is second only to India in terms of scorecard menace, while the breadth and variety of their attack is hard to rival - Lasith Malinga's slingers and Muttiah Muralitharan's enduring class epitomise the two extremes of a line-up that has men for all seasons and conditions. "It's going to be a significant challenge for us," remarked Andrew Strauss, never a man to cares to overstate the case.

At least England have had a chance to put down some roots in the course of an itinerant campaign. They've had nine days of down-time since their decisive victory in Chennai, and the past week has been spent in the pleasant environs of Colombo, where they will remain in the event of progressing to the semi-final. Nevertheless, the sad news of Michael Yardy's early departure to the UK once again speaks of a squad that is clinging on at the end of a draining winter, rather than clicking through its gears as the grandest prize draws closer. How many more "last big efforts" have they got in them?

It was on England's tour of Sri Lanka in 2007-08 that first showcased the skills and mindset that have since propelled him to the upper echelons of the international game. It was his first England tour since his ill-fated debut in South Africa seven years earlier, and with seven wickets at 22.28 in his four games, his determination to grasp his second chance was tangible. That refusal to surrender has driven England's sketchy challenge throughout this World Cup, even in Chittagong when a dew-sodden ball drove him to distraction. He was immense in both Chennai victories, and his touch of class will be invaluable against such potent opposition.

After 492 international appearances, 1343 wickets and almost 63,000 deliveries in a 19-year career, is now a maximum of three matches and 180 balls from bidding farewell to the global stage. And in the event of an England win on Saturday, it will all end precisely where it began against Australia in August 1992, at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Murali, however, will not care a jot for such elegant symmetry - even as he approaches his 40th year, he remains as fiercely competitive and enthusiastic as ever. And, as his four-wicket haul against New Zealand last week demonstrated, his wiles cannot be trifled with, least of all by an England team whose collective performance against spin has been leaden-footed in the tournament to date.

Team news

After a difficult tournament, Yardy was never likely to feature in this showdown, though his departure has been an understandable disruption to England's preparations, with Adil Rashid - his nominated replacement - still finding his way to Sri Lanka from the Caribbean. Tim Bresnan's troublesome calf has flared up once again, though he came through a fitness test without any visible concerns and has been passed fit for selection. Jade Dernbach, the surprise replacement for Ajmal Shahzad, has been preparing all week as if he is going to play, although James Anderson's big-match experience ought to earn him a recall following a fortnight out of the firing line. The identity of Strauss's opening partner has been confirmed within the squad, with Ian Bell believed to be the chosen man.

England (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ravi Bopara, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Luke Wright, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Tredwell, 11 James Anderson.

Fewer dilemmas for Sri Lanka to consider, especially now that Murali has been declared "100% fit" by his captain Kumar Sangakkara after struggling through the New Zealand victory with a hamstring strain. Sangakkara also acknowledged the potential weakness of Sri Lanka's untested middle order, but backed Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, angelo Mathews and Chamara Kapugedera as "the best players we have to do that job". One of the Chamaras - Silva and Kapu - seems set to miss out.

Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt & wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Chamara Kapugedera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Ajantha Mendis.

Try picking the XIs for tomorrow's game by playing Team Selector.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch is flat, as they generally tend to be at the Premadasa, although the threat of thunderstorms adds an extra factor to the team's preparations. Afternoon showers on the eve of the game caused the entire outfield to be covered in tarpaulins, which may just sweat a bit more moisture to the surface for the seamers

Strauss confident England can adjust

For the most part of this tournament, England have not been able to play to a plan, what with injuries, upsets and an illness forcing them to look think on their feet. They have failed twice, but have succeeded just enough number of times to have earned the right of to play Sri Lanka in the final quarter-final. On the eve of that match, Andrew Strauss spoke of the importance of not going in with too many set plans and the inspiration his side can draw from having survived despite potential disasters.

"We have shown a lot of resolve," Strauss said. "We have shown that we are able to stick together in close encounters, but you never know what this game is going to throw at you, and you have to be quick enough to adapt to whatever comes your way. Now is the time to play good, smart, intelligent cricket and ask questions of the opposition."

Strauss said that the way the rest of the squad has managed without the injured players has been heartening. "We have had to deal with that right from the end of the Ashes," he said. "We have had a lot of injuries, lot of people coming and going, and I think that tests out your resolve as a group, also the core of the side to be able to welcome other people in and make them feel part of the side and just as important member as the guy that has departed.

"That's something we are good at. But no one wants injuries. Not what you are looking for, it makes life harder for you, but you have got to manage the situation as the cards unfold. So far we have managed to deal with it reasonably well, hopefully we can do that in the rest of the World Cup."

	England could be with their third opening combination of the tournament if Ian Bell partners Andrew Strauss © Getty Images Enlarge

England are waiting on Tim Bresnan's fitness, have decided on an opener but are not going to reveal him until toss, and have an important choice to make around James Anderson, who has lost form in the subcontinent. "He [Anderson] has freshened up to a certain extent," Strauss said. "He didn't play in the last game. He has had nine or 10 days away from cricket, and he certainly bowled very well to me in the nets the other day. Wasn't my best batting display of all time. He is definitely an option for this game. He has got a lot of experience, we know what a quality bowler he is, and to a certain extent it is more likely to swing here with the humidity than some of the other places in India."

Among other things, that they managed to win in the absence of their first-choice quick motivates Strauss. "We haven't always been able to rely on Plan A, so we have had to chop and change things a little bit," he said. "Ravi [Bopara] bowled quite a few overs in the last game when he hadn't really bowled much in the World Cup beforehand. James Tredwell came in. It gives me a lot of belief that you don't just have to look at the same two-three players to deliver for you."

Strauss was not a member of the side that won the ODI series 3-2 in Sri Lanka in 2007. He said that should not be a big handicap. "I have asked the guys who were involved how they went about with things," he said. "It's quite an interesting stuff they have come back with. The wickets here have been relaid since 2007, so it's hard to glean too much information about what happened there. Different lights too. I think in this circumstance you don't want to go into the game with too many predetermined plans. You have got to adapt well to whatever you encounter."

Staying true to their form in their first six games of the tournament, Strauss promised a close game. "It's been great that our games have been close, for the spectators. Hasn't been quite so great for us. We would have liked to win a lot easier than we have done.

"We take a lot of confidence from the fact that we have beaten the major sides and that holds us in good stead for this game. We don't know what drama is about to unfold. The likelihood is, as we saw the India-Australia game yesterday, it's going to be a tight game, and it's going to fluctuate on a couple of key performances. We have got to make sure that we are the guys who put up those performances."

Strauss was aware of Yardy's depression

| Text size: A | A

Michael Yardy flew home ahead of England's knockout match with Sri Lanka © AFP Enlarge

Andrew Strauss has said he knew was struggling with depression before Yardy took the decision to withdraw from the World Cup and fly home.

Yardy became the fifth member of England's original squad to head home early and his departure inevitably drew comparison to Strauss's old opening partner Marcus Trescothick, who retired from international cricket five years ago after suffering stress-related illnesses. Since then England have had structures put in place to help players but they couldn't prevent Yardy from needing to leave the tournament early.

"It's a horrible thing for him to have to go through," Strauss said. "It's something he has been managing for a while and there have been systems in place to help him manage it but over the last week or so, it's got too much for him and he has had to go home."

Geoff Boycott sparked controversy shortly after the news of Yardy's departure surfaced when he suggested the depression had come from disappointing results on the field. "He must have been reading my comments about his bowling - it must have upset him," Boycott told BBC Radio Five Live. "Obviously it was too much for him at this level. If any blame is attached it's partly to the selectors because I'm sorry, he's not good enough at this level."

Strauss waved aside Boycott's remarks and said the squad were 'disappointed' when they heard them. "I think they showed a fundamental misunderstanding of the issue. I don't think your cricketing ability or what you have achieved has anything to do with it whatsoever.

"There are significant pressures, and as you get older a lot of us have kids and what not, which makes touring harder. It's important to draw attention to the fact that it's different having a hard time being away from home and actually suffering from depression. They are two very different things."

The schedule confronting England players has been a major talking point of their erratic campaign. Following their shock defeats to Ireland and Bangladesh in the group stages many suggested the team looked fatigued. Strauss, however, emphasised throughout that tiredness could not be blamed and said Yardy's condition was separate from the general demands of touring.

"Obviously if you are in a hotel room for five or six months one end, you're going to have days when you feel down," Strauss said. "I think that's very different from suffering from depression. International cricket is challenging in terms of how you are temperamentally equipped with spending long periods away from home. That's something we all go through. Depression is something completely different."

Despite the setback Strauss was confident Yardy's departure wouldn't distract the side ahead of their knockout match against Sri Lanka. "It's not difficult to focus our minds on this game of cricket. It's a must-win game of cricket. If we lose we are on the plane home. If we win we are in the World Cup semi-final. I think as players you get quite used to switching on and off when the situation demands it."

South Africa had a long tail - Vettori

| Text size: A | A

Five months on from arguably their lowest moment on the field, New Zealand returned to the Shere Bangla Stadium and pulled off what must rank as one of their finest triumphs anywhere. Before the game, had shrugged off the significance of this venue and their to Bangladesh last year, maintaining that a World Cup quarter-final against South Africa was a different ball game altogether.

A shock 49-run triumph saw New Zealand into their sixth World Cup semi-final, an "amazing achievement" Vettori said for a small cricket-playing nation. "You have to move on from those things [the 4-0 loss], otherwise you will talk about them forever. South Africa, quarter-final, completely different opposition; we had experience of the ground, which suited us well and we have a team that, when it is playing well, suits those conditions, and that is what happened today."

With South Africa cruising at 108 for 2 chasing 222, New Zealand looked out of the game for three-quarters of it. But South Africa's long tail, starting with Johan Botha at No 7, and a pitch not as easy for batting as it may have first looked, meant Vettori believed through the chase there was a chance.

	Daniel Vettori said it was an amazing achievement for a small country like New Zealand to have made six World cup semi-finals © AFP Enlarge

The surface, and the occasion, he said, made 220-odd appear closer to 250. "We were desperate to get into that middle to lower order; that was our whole game plan, do whatever we can to get down there. It was always about getting past AB de Villiers. Their top four has proven themselves over a long, long time. They've got fantastic records, and I thought if we could break through that, particularly getting down to No. 6 and Botha at No. 7 meant they had a longish tail. The whole talk while we were out there and before the game was just to take wickets."

New Zealand will now travel to Colombo early on Saturday, where they will take on the winner of the quarter-final between Sri Lanka and England. They haven't yet gotten past the last four in five previous attempts, though. But, Vettori preferred to look at just getting there as the bigger feat.

"You can look at it as an amazing achievement for a country so small. That's a better way to look at it for a country of 4 million people, and we've made so many semi-finals. People will put a negative slant on it but I think it's a wonderful achievement for a country so small.

"It's a very happy dressing room, not only because we won a quarter-final, but because the performance we put in was very satisfying."

ShareThis

America's first ever National Youth Cricket Day

| A

The upstart US Youth Cricket Association is designating March 24, 2011, as America's first ever National Youth Cricket Day. USYCA President Jamie Harrison is hoping that the date will spur more awareness for cricket at the grassroots level.

"We're having a photo contest where we're giving away a cricket set to the school or teacher who submits the photo that best exemplifies the ideals of US Youth Cricket's Schools Program," Harrison said. "We're just encouraging our affiliates and our volunteers to just make an extra effort to do something for National Youth Cricket Day.

"We understand this is the first National Youth Cricket Day ever so people aren't used to planning an event to coincide with it, but we have to begin somewhere. Sometimes it's good just to have a place to start and this year is the place to start."

The ICC recently honored the USYCA with an ICC Americas Development Program award for the 'Best Junior Participation Initiative' for its Schools Program. It's an impressive achievement for an organization that has been in existence for less than a year. The USYCA has been responsible for donating hundreds of start-up cricket kits to physical education teachers for use in schools across America.

"The USA Cricket Association applauds the role the USYCA is playing in focusing on the grassroots enthusiasm of youth cricket through the designation of 'National Youth Cricket Day,'" USACA Secretary John Aaron said via email. "As a largely volunteer organization, USA Cricket is appreciative of the enormous potential for the growth of cricket at the youth levels, and through the efforts of such organizations as the USYCA."

New Zealand-Bangladesh Tests postponed to 2012

A

New Zealand have, in consultation with the Bangladesh Cricket Board, postponed their two-Test tour of Bangladesh scheduled for May-June this year to 2012, citing extremely hot and humid weather.

The Test series had initially been planned for late 2010 and was meant to be part of a tour also comprising three ODIs. But, in preparation for the World Cup, the teams agreed to play five ODIs (which New Zealand lost 0-4) and push the Tests to May-June this year. Now, those Tests have again been rescheduled.

"We welcome the decision and believe it is a sensible outcome," Justin Vaughan, the CEO of New Zealand Cricket, said after the BCB had accept the request for postponement. "Bangladesh is extremely hot and humid in May and June with cricket rarely played during that time of year.

"The option to postpone until 2012, where the cricket calendar is less cluttered, also gives our top players the option to freshen up after a long and intensive period of cricket."

Seamers seal win for Wellington

a day's play was lost in Auckland's match against Wellington . That didn't stop the match ending with a result, however and with bowlers running rampant in the damp weather Wellington sealed a 125-run win on the fourth day as Auckland were bowled out for 144 in pursuit of 270.

Weather breaks meant there was a very slow start to the game, Wellington's first-innings total of 258 taking more than two days to compile, with half-centuries from opener Stephen Murdoch and captain Grant Elliott propping up the innings and Chris Martin taking 5 for 47 - his 22nd five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. On a remarkable third day, which saw 17 wickets fall for 290 runs, Auckland stumbled to 8 for 151 declared and then shot Wellington out for just 162, Martin helping himself to another four wickets and left-arm spinner Bruce Martin taking 5 for 57.

Auckland were set an unlikely 270 to win the game on the fourth day, but mere survival proved too challenging as seamers Mark Gillespie, Andy McKay and Ili Tugaga ripped through the top order to reduce the opposition to 7 for 81. Bradley Cachopa's 33 briefly held them back, while Michael Bates reached an unbeaten 32 to no avail as Gillespie returned to wrap up the tail and the win for Wellington.

The contest between Central Districts and Northern Districts was marred by rain, with the second, third and fourth days washed out . There was some play on the first, just 8.2 overs where Northern Districts managed 21 for the loss of a wicket. The teams didn't take any points from the game. Central Districts retained their place at the top of the table with 28 points, while Northern Districts were second with 26.

Persistent bad weather through four days meant that only 151 overs of play were possible in the game between Canterbury and Otago as the match ended in a draw.

In a rain-affected first day where play began at 4.30pm local time, Canterbury seized the early impetus when they reduced Otago to 44 for 4. Otago ended the first day on 69 for 4 and their first innings spanned the better part of the next four days as no play was possible on the second day and only 39-odd overs on the third day.

Canterbury looked to force a first-innings result on the fourth day as an all-round show from their bowlers helped them bowl Otago out for 199 with captain Craig Cumming the only batsmen to offer some resistance with a defiant unbeaten century. Propped by an unbeaten half-century from Dean Brownlie and handy forties from Rob Nicol and Peter Fulton, Canterbury posted 200 for 5 in their first innings before play ended to help them secure two points.

Zimbabwe set for busy home सासों

Zimbabwe set for busy home season

| A

Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja have both been included in a strong provisional Australia A squad to tour Zimbabwe this year © Getty Images Enlarge

Zimbabwe Cricket have confirmed that Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand will be touring the country in the course of a busy schedule in 2011 that includes both one-day internationals and Test matches, as well as a triangular series including South Africa and an Australian A side.

"The Zimbabwe Cricket team is scheduled to have a busy schedule in 2011-2012 season commencing in August," ZC managing director Ozias Bvute told News Day in Zimbabwe. "Tours have been confirmed with Bangladesh, Pakistan, New Zealand and a triangular series against South Africa and Australian 'A' sides."

Bvute admitted frustration at Zimbabwe's performance at the World Cup, where the team thrashed Canada and Kenya but struggled to be competitive against the top sides. He suggested that more matches against strong teams was the key to Zimbabwe's development.

"There is a lot of disappointment after our inability to progress to the quarter-finals at the World Cup, however, given the schedule of matches lined up over the next four years we feel this should adequately prepare our team for the next World Cup."

Zimbabwe's home season begins with Bangladesh's visit between July 1 and July 22. The two teams have been regular opponents in recent years, having played 18 ODIs against each other since January 2009, with Bangladesh winning 13 of those games. Zimbabwe will play a one-off Test match and four ODIs against them before Australia A arrive for a one-day tri-series also involving Zimbabwe and South Africa, and two four-day matches against the host. Match details are yet to be confirmed at this stage, but the tour will run from late June to late July.

Pakistan then visit for another Test match, three ODIs and two Twenty20 matches from July 26 to August 19. New Zealand, who sent an A side to Zimbabwe for an unofficial Test series against Zimbabwe A last year, have not yet finalised dates for their tour.

Understandably, the squads for visiting international sides are yet to be named, but Cricket Australia's National Selection Panel has announced a provisional 24-man squad which will be trimmed in May.

"We have given the provisional squad advanced notice for this tour to allow them sufficient time to prepare for the series pending selection in the final squad," said National Talent Manager Greg Chappell. "The Australia A program in recent years has played a big role in readying athletes for the rigors of international cricket, with players such as Tim Paine, Callum Ferguson, Cameron White and Mitchell Starc all coming into the Australian set-up at varying times over the last couple of years and having an impact.

"This group is a cross section of the best young players in the country. Some of them have already had a taste of international cricket and show signs of being among those that will be the backbone of our teams in the future, while the others have shown enough in domestic cricket to suggest that they are the type of cricketer that we will need to be able to challenge India, South Africa, England and Sri Lanka for supremacy in the next few years.

"With the new World Test Championship and the new ODI ranking periods beginning straight after the ICC Cricket World Cup and with tours to Sri Lanka and South Africa later this year and New Zealand and India touring Australia next summer, it will be a great opportunity for these young players to show their skills and put their name forward to be part of this challenging period for Australian cricket," added Chappell.

The last time an Australian representative team visited Zimbabwe was in 2008, when a Centre of Excellence Scholarship team toured Africa.

Provisional Australia A squad: George Bailey, Michael Beer, Luke Butterworth, Trent Copeland, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Patrick Cummins, James Faulkner, Callum Ferguson, Aaron Finch, Peter George, Jon Holland, Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Nicolas Maddinson, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Stephen O'Keefe, Tim Paine, James Pattinson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

South Africa bank on successful strategy

South Africa will approach their quarter-final match against New Zealand in much the same way as each of their group games - by playing to plans and laying a platform rather than attempting anything overly flashy. Some call it calculation, others cautiousness, but for South Africa it's a tactic that's worked on pitches that have made this World Cup a far more even contest between bat and ball.

The Mirpur pitch has yielded one high-scoring game, in the tournament opener, and another, isolated meaty total from South Africa last week but all the other five scores have been low. It's a surface that has been slow and required patience, and South Africa have reason to approach it with care. "It's not a free-flowing wicket here, you need to set your base and work hard," Graeme Smith said at his pre-match press conference in Mirpur.

In their six group stage matches, South Africa have had practice in building an innings from the ground, with cautious starts that allow for explosive endings. They went at less than five runs an over in the first four games: on a tricky Delhi surface against West Indies, on the most seamer-friendly pitch they've come across in India in Mohali against Netherlands, on a crumbling Chennai pitch against England and even on a batsmen's paradise against India in Nagpur. They crept over the five-an-over mark at Eden Gardens against Ireland and in Mirpur against Bangladesh, but not by much.

Four out of those six times, the team has gone on to score more than 250, indicating that the acceleration in the run rate comes later on. It's a move away from the style of one-day cricket that was seen a few years ago, when teams would look to reach 75 runs or more inside the first 15 overs. It may be the result of the additional Powerplay that can be taken later on, but even that's proved to be a double-edged sword for batsmen, who can lose their wicket in a moment of rashness. On pitches where there is something for the bowlers, it's created a delightful tension that can run through an innings and one that can only be broken if there is a solid base laid first on which the fireworks can shoot off from.

	West Indies' capitulation to spin against Pakistan could prompt South Africa to retain a spin-strong attack © Getty Images Enlarge

Smith expects the pitch on which the quarter-final will be played to be similar to the surfaces they have found throughout the sub-continent, perhaps with a little more life. "It looks very green, probably because we are not used to seeing grass here so it might be more even paced than the wickets we have played on previously," Smith said. That doesn't mean it's going to be a strip the seamers can make merry on. "I expect it to turn a bit, because it's still very dry."

It will present a challenge for the batsmen and the bowlers, who will have to exploit conditions to their advantage. After watching Pakistan's demolition job of West Indies last night, South Africa may be prompted to go in with all three frontline spinners. The convenor of selectors, Andrew Hudson, only arrived this morning, and Smith could not reveal whether that is their line of thinking just yet. Going down that route will probably mean going in with only six, specialist batsmen which suggests that Morne van Wyk will have to be benched and AB de Villiers would have to keep, a decision that can only be taken later on.

If de Villiers can't keep and if the choice becomes two out of the three spinners, matters get more puzzling. Legspinner Imran Tahir is certain to play a role, because of his wicket-taking ability that complements the strikeforce of seamers. "Imran has been an asset. He is the most attacking of the spinners," Smith said. There should also be place for left-arm spinner Robin Peterson, who took a career-best 4 for 12 against Bangladesh and is the team's highest wicket-taker. "It's been a process for Robbie. He has been around the team for a long time and in the last six to eight months people have been showing confidence in him and that has helped his self-belief," Smith said.

While Johan Botha didn't get any special words from Smith at today's press conference, his ability to control the game in the middle overs has already earned him high praise. Botha does exactly what Smith was referring to in a batting sense, about working hard and building a base, in the bowling sense. Because of his primary ability as a container, Botha works on drying up runs and in the process is usually on the receiving end of wickets, particularly in the crucial middle phase of an innings.

Smith recognised that having someone who can perform that role is what has made the South African attack more dynamic. "We've been able to pick up wickets outside of the fist 10-15 overs in the middle period. It's a mindset thing, the spinners believe they can take wickets and as the captain, I have to believe in them."

It could boil down to another selection dilemma for South Africa, one they will be only too happy to have. In keeping with the watchful nature of their approach, they will pick the starting XI on who best will contest with the opposition on the day. Smith said that New Zealand have "a top four with power hitters who take the game to you," which could imply the need for a container in the Botha mould. Smith also said the New Zealand bowlers have done a good job of "taking the pace off the ball," which means that the middle order, which is most likely to face those bowlers, will be expected to give another solid account of itself

Transformed South Africa aim for semis

Imran Tahir has been a revelation for South Africa in this tournament © AFP Enlarge

The Big Picture

Like the ghost of World Cups past, New Zealand have visited South Africa's campaigns in every tournament since 1992. Each time they have been clear underdogs against a team with a fabled dedication to clinical professionalism, but more often than not they reminded the South African scrooges of the frailty of a rigid formula. The timbre of those reminders has rung with increasing insistence, and when their paths crossed in 2003 and 2007, New Zealand were clear winners.

The lesson has been learned, and this time South Africa's progress has been notable for its break from the formulaic approaches of the past. In Imran Tahir they've found the final component in a team of near-perfect balance, and have shown a refreshing willingness to adapt as opposition or conditions demand. They have two of the best fast bowlers in the world, but both Robin Peterson and Johan Botha have opened the bowling at different stages.

But while South Africa's approach may have changed, there is a familiar look to their results from the group stages. West Indies, Netherlands and Bangladesh were dispatched with consummate ease. The loss to England may have raised old fears about the 'C' word, but that defeat never threatened South Africa's march to the second round and they immediately shrugged off the 'chokers' tag (a phrase that seems to be focussed on more obsessively in the media than it is by anyone in South Africa's camp) with a thrilling, last-over win against India.

How could New Zealand, who floundered against Australia and Sri Lanka and made the quarter-finals thanks mainly to a meltdown that only Pakistan could have delivered, possibly hope to derail the mighty South Africans? Outgunned with both bat and ball, and struggling with injuries, they will have to resort to the sort of scrapping, street-wise cricket for which their previous World Cup campaigns have been renowned. A transformed South Africa are determined to correct the mistakes of the past, but the return of Daniel Vettori will inspire New Zealand and this match could well be won by whichever team is better able to maintain temperament and composure.

Form guide

(

Watch out for...

may not be South Africa's in the tournament so far - that title belongs, surprisingly, to Robin Peterson - but his inclusion is symbolic of South Africa's new approach to limited-overs cricket. He's also their first attacking wrist spinner in a cricketing generation, and should find conditions in Mirpur to his liking. If New Zealand's top order can survive the early onslaught from Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, Graeme Smith will turn to Tahir, confident in his ability to pick up cheap wickets with a variety of legspinners, sliders and wrong 'uns.

New Zealand have a couple of limited-overs stars in their ranks, such as Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder, but their strength as a team is their potential to gel and become more than the sum of their parts. Their captain, Daniel Vettori, is the vital ingredient in that formula. Whether with bat, ball or in the field, Vettori seems to inspire by his very presence and as a seasoned cricketer he won't be intimidated by South Africa. There have been hints that Vettori could give up ODIs after this tournament, giving him an added incentive to go out on a high.

Team news

South Africa gave away nothing in terms of likely selections or injury troubles in the lead-up to the game, and there's been no word on whether or not AB de Villiers has recovered from injury. Given the importance of the match, it's likely he will play even if not fully fit, and perhaps not be asked to keep wicket. That means wicketkeeper Morne van Wyk will keep his place in the XI, possibly at Faf du Plessis's expense. With Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel slotting back in in place of Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell, South Africa will probably fill the remaining slots with their three spinners.

South Africa (probable): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Morne van Wyk (wk), 7 Johan Botha, 8 Robin Peterson, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir

Brendon McCullum has apparently recovered from a painful knee, and Vettori is also set to return. New Zealand have been affected by several injuries in this tournament, with Kyle Mills suffering a quad strain and Hamish Bennett's tournament ended by an injury to his ankle and Achilles tendon. Daryl Tuffey has been called up as cover, but if Mills is fit he'll be the first choice to partner Tim Southee with the new ball.

New Zealand (probable): 1 Brendon McCullum (wk), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Jesse Ryder, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Kane Williamson, 6 Scott Styris, 7 Jacob Oram, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Daniel Vettori (capt), 10 Tim Southee, 11 Kyle Mills.

Bresnan undergoes scan on calf

Tim Bresnan has been a key part of England's attack © Getty Images Enlarge

has had a scan on his calf after experiencing discomfort as England prepare for their World Cup quarter-final against Sri Lanka in Colombo, but is expected to be available for the match on Saturday.

He underwent the MRI on Wednesday after a similar problem forced him out of the one-day series against Australia after the Ashes. At the time there were concerns he would miss the World Cup, but he regained fitness in time for the trip and played all six of England's group matches, taking nine wickets at 29.88 including a career-best 5 for 48 in the tie against India.

He has been the one ever-present quick during England's campaign, with form and fitness forcing a number of changes throughout the group stage. Stuart Broad was ruled out with a side strain following the South Africa match and Ajmal Shahzad flew home with a hamstring injury after the defeat against Bangladesh.

James Anderson, England's most experienced fast bowler, was dropped for the crunch clash against West Indies, in Chennai, after some wayward performances but could come back into the mix against Sri Lanka.

Chris Tremlett, who replaced Broad, played against West Indies but his five overs cost 47 while another option is Jade Dernbach, the uncapped Surrey quick who replaced Shahzad. The latest player to be added to the squad is Adil Rashid, the Yorkshire legspinner, who was called up on Thursday after Michael Yardy . He won't arrive in Sri Lanka until Saturday morning though.