Dhaka: Bangladesh may have left their supporters heartbroken by crashing out of the cricket World Cup, but no one can doubt the team's improved performance over the years. And here lies an Australian connection.
A team which once went winless in 46 ODIs at a stretch and took 13 years to get their first limited overs victory over a Test playing nation, have now reached a position where their supporters expect them to put it across the strongest of opponents. And that they can do at times. India and South Africa found to their peril in the 2007 World Cup and England were at the receiving end in the current event.
Ahead of the World Cup, Bangladesh crushed New Zealand 4-0, humbled Zimbabwe 3-1 and gave England a fright before going down 1-2 in an away series.
The game's authorities in Bangladesh attribute much of the improvement in the team's standards to a systematic development programme that is in place....
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10:35 PM, Jan 04, 2008
Kolkata: Paul Stirling smashed an explosive century as Ireland posted an emphatic six-wicket victory over the Netherlands in their last World Cup match on Tuesday. The 20-year-old opener gave a superb exhibition of hitting, cracking two sixes and 14 fours in his 72-ball 101 as Ireland chased a stiff 307-run target with 14 balls to spare at Eden Gardens.Stirling also upstaged the Netherlands' Ryan ten Doeschate, who scored 106 for...
10:05 PM, Jan 03, 2008
