This will be the first time India will be playing worldwide matches in the USA.
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According to the itinerary the day and night Test will be organized with a Kookaburra pink ball after the West Indies cricket board agreed to the experiment.
India subsequently dropped their multi-million dollar compensation claim against the WICB after the tour was cut short amid a players’ pay dispute.
The United States will get a rare taste of world-class cricket this weekend when Florida will play host to two Twenty20 internationals between the West Indies and India. The West Indies Test will give them their first taste of playing an worldwide match with the new pink balls used in the day-night Test a year ago. India had to win the Test to retain their top spot but due to rain on 4 days in a row, the match ended in a draw.
“A team cricket which we have one a year…we should have two three a year. I told them August 14 was approaching and if we could win this match on the country’s Independence Day it would be a huge gift for the people of Pakistan, who are so emotionally attached to cricket”. And they should pick the best players to play for West indies. “This has proved that we deserve cricket on our home grounds”. We always had the team to beat in T20 cricket so from that point of view we’ve got a lot better and all the guys are loving playing it.
Past year the International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended the USA Cricket Association and took control of the right to sanction which events could take place in the U.S. That led to a three-match Cricket All-Stars tour last November, featuring legends of the game led by Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne. “Even if you look at India’s T20 record over the past six months, it has been pretty impressive, and that is something we would like to take forward in these games as well”, Kumble said. “Just basically to clarify why they wanted me, what they expected of me, and coming into the role knowing my job”.
Misbah was delighted to become the first Pakistan captain to inspire his side to the top of the Test rankings, when he said: “There is no greater feeling than to achieve the number-one ranking in the most traditional and purest format of the sport”.
Pakistan have had a brilliant run in the Test format over the past couple of years, with their No 1 ranking being built on a run of unbeaten Test series.
Pakistan featured as top Test side for two months from August till September in 1988.
“We needed improvement here in the lower order”.
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The Barbadian all-rounder said support from Sammy and other senior members of the West Indies team is allowing him to make a smooth transition at the helm of the side. So we can put up good totals.
