Race for ODI top spot heats up for Cricket World Cup

Australia will be keen to edge a point clear of India at the top of the ODI team rankings when they clash with England in the opening match at the SCG on Friday.

It will be a dress rehearsal for the eagerly anticipated Cricket World Cup 2015 opening match, which will see the same sides play each other in exactly 30 days' time in Melbourne.

Following its 5-0 home series victory over Sri Lanka in November, reigning champion India will be bidding to gain further momentum and become only the third side in World Cup history to successfully defend its title after West Indies in 1975 and 1979 and Australia, who won the coveted prize three times in succession between 1999 and 2007.

Meanwhile, South Africa is bidding to lift the 50-over title for the first time after reaching the semi-finals when Australia and New Zealand last hosted the World Cup back in 1992.

The Proteas will welcome West Indies to Durban on Friday in the first of a five-match ODI series, which will feature two of the world's top three batsmen in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen.

Source: Cricket News Today and Cricket Live Score

Federer, Sharapova gun for more Australian Open glory

Evergreen Swiss great Federer, 33, brought up a jaw-dropping 1,000th victory on Sunday by beating Canadian Milos Raonic to win the Brisbane International, laying down the Australian Open gauntlet to arch-rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

The world number two is now aiming for a 1,007th win, which would give him the title at Melbourne Park.

"Yeah, I do believe that," Federer said when asked if he could claim a fifth Australian Open and his 18th Grand Slam.

"Then again, it's just talk. At the end of the day, I've got to do the running, I've got to do the clutch play when it matters the most."

In contrast to his flying start to 2015, world number one Djokovic's preparations were cut short by giant Croatian Ivo Karlovic in the Qatar Open quarter-finals.

Source: Cricket News Today and Cricket Live Score

Race for ODI top spot heats up for Cricket World Cup

Australia will be keen to edge a point clear of India at the top of the ODI team rankings when they clash with England in the opening match at the SCG on Friday.

It will be a dress rehearsal for the eagerly anticipated Cricket World Cup 2015 opening match, which will see the same sides play each other in exactly 30 days' time in Melbourne.

Following its 5-0 home series victory over Sri Lanka in November, reigning champion India will be bidding to gain further momentum and become only the third side in World Cup history to successfully defend its title after West Indies in 1975 and 1979 and Australia, who won the coveted prize three times in succession between 1999 and 2007.

Meanwhile, South Africa is bidding to lift the 50-over title for the first time after reaching the semi-finals when Australia and New Zealand last hosted the World Cup back in 1992.

The Proteas will welcome West Indies to Durban on Friday in the first of a five-match ODI series, which will feature two of the world's top three batsmen in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen.

Source: Cricket News Today and Cricket Live Score

Kohli must have say in new coach selection: Dean Jones

Incumbent India coach Duncan Fletcher's contract with the BCCI expires after the World Cup that will conclude on March 29 and a couple of names are already doing the rounds as who could be the possible replacements.

Team director Ravi Shastri had hinted that he will be willing to take a permanent role with the team post the World Cup. Mike Hussey's name was also mooted as a rumour, but the cricketer has ruled himself out of the running for the time being.

"Virat Kohli is the Test skipper now and he will be the ODI and T20 captain in the time to come. So he must have someone he is comfortable with and together they must work for the betterment of Indian cricket," said Jones.

"They need to come out of the mess their Test team is in, and a new aggressive captain with a new coach should help achieve that. And they have a lot of time on their hands, to pick a proper coach after the World Cup and the IPL. There is a good 3-4 months to settle down on some good choices."

Source: Cricket News Today and Cricket Live Score