2023 World Cup diary: Warner wants to see umpire’s stats; Rohit, the off-spinner, turns up in the nets

The 2023 ODI World Cup has witnessed some interesting action both on and off the field. The first 15 matches have already seen a couple of upsets and some interesting results.

A spirited Afghanistan got the better of defending champions England by 69 runs in Delhi on Sunday. On Tuesday, the Netherlands stunned South Africa by 38 runs in a rain-reduced contest of 43 overs per side in Dharamsala.

Yes, the Proteas had lost to the Dutch in the 2022 T20 World Cup as well, which saw them being eliminated from the competition. However, not many would have bet on the Netherlands pulling it off once more, and that too in the 50-over version. But the Dutch did and how - kudos to them.

The Netherlands getting the better of South Africa is of course the biggest story of the World Cup for now. However, there have been a few other intriguing developments that have been taking place as well.

Here’s a compilation.

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David Warner seeks accountability over umpiring

Australian opener David Warner (Pic: AP)

Making a rather bold suggestion, Australian opener David Warner stated that he would want to see umpire’s stats being displayed on screen just like it is done for players.

Warner’s suggestion came after he was unhappy with his lbw dismissal to Dilshan Madushanka in the 2023 World Cup match against Sri Lanka.

"I think in terms of what I'd like to see, this probably won't get across but players' stats go up on the board as you walk out to bat. When they announce the umpires and they come up on the screen. I'd love to see their stats come up on the board as well. Because we see that in National Rugby League (NRL). I know this is a world game but NRL shows those stats. I think the NFL shows those stats. I think it's a great thing for the spectators to see that as well," Warner was quoted as saying in media reports.

According to the veteran batter, it’s something that can be explored and also used as an indicator.

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Rohit Sharma bowls off-spin during practice

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma has been brilliant with the bat in the ongoing World Cup. After beginning his campaign with a duck against Australia, he hammered a 131 against Afghanistan and followed it up with another aggressive 86-run knock against Pakistan.

Ahead of the match against Bangladesh, though, Rohit was seen bowling some off-spinners in the nets. Is it an indication that we might see him rolling his arm over against Bangladesh? Only time will tell. For the record, he has 11 international wickets to his name, eight of them coming in ODIs.

Amazingly, he has a hat-trick in the IPL, which he claimed while representing Deccan Chargers (DC) against Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2009.

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Irfan Pathan curious about the Netherlands’ “chitthi” story

Dutch players check a piece of paper.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan was among the many from the cricketing fraternity who took to social media to congratulate the Netherlands following their historic win over South Africa in Dharamsala on Tuesday.

During the match, a couple of Dutch players were seen glued to a piece of paper. Pathan was curious to know the secret behind it.

“Netherlands many many congratulations on your historic win. You were discipline thru out the game. Specially in bowling. Wo chitthi mein kya hai??? 👏 #NEDvSA,” Pathan wrote on X.

Meanwhile, as South Africa hurtled to another embarrassing defeat in a World Cup clash, an image of skipper Temba Bavuma sitting in the dressing room in a shocked state, with a white towel wrapped around his body, went viral on social media. No secrets needed to be told here.

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Ahmedabad crowd controversy continues as PCB lodges protest

A view of fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (Pic: AP)

There seems to be no end to the Ahmedabad crowd controversy pertaining to the India-Pakistan 2023 World Cup match at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

In the latest development, the PCB has filed a complaint with the ICC over crowd behavior towards its players during the game.

A post on PCB's X handle read:

“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged another formal protest with the ICC over delays in visas for Pakistani journalists and the absence of a visa policy for Pakistan fans for the ongoing World Cup 2023."

“The PCB has also filed a complaint regarding inappropriate conduct targeted at the Pakistan squad during the India vs Pakistan match held on 14 October 2023,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, some members of the Pakistan cricket team have been struck by a viral infection. According to reports, Abdullah Shafique was in quarantine in his room with flu and fever, while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, and Zaman Khan were also affected.

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Ben Stokes set to return against South Africa?

England all-rounder Ben Stokes during practice. (Pic: AP)

England’s dynamic all-rounder Ben Stokes might make a comeback to the playing XI for the match against South Africa in Mumbai on Saturday. Stokes has missed the team’s first three World Cup clashes.

England head coach Matthew Mott told the media on Tuesday:

"We've obviously been relatively conservative with him, but the medical staff were always confident that South Africa was a game we could target. I haven't had a report on him in the last 24 hours, but before that, he was on target.

In Stokes’ absence, England went down to New Zealand by nine wickets and to Afghanistan by 69 runs.