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    Pool A: Dark Horse New Zealand Dominates

    Written by: Mirza Salam Ahmed
    Posted on: March 05, 2015 |

    Brendon McCullum collects the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, New Zealand v Australia

    With four wins from four games under their belt, New Zealand have already qualified for the quarterfinal stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Having climbed to the top of Pool A, the Kiwis are brimming with confidence over their stellar performance in the Cup. However, the fight for the final four positions is still on.

    New Zealand (4 games; 8 points)

    The Black Caps kicked off their campaign with a massive 98-run win over Sri Lanka, followed by a shaky but conclusive three-wicket win over Scotland. New Zealand then whipped England to pick an eight-wicket win, before a nail-biting one-wicket triumph over neighbours Australia.

    Leading from the front is the Kiwis’ captain Brendon McCullum. The skipper has been amassing runs on the board with an astounding strike-rate of 188. With three fifties, including the World Cup’s fastest fifty against England and a 21-ball fifty against Australia, McCullum has made a total of 207 runs. His sidekick with the bat has been Kane Williamson. On the bowling end, Tim Southee and Trent Boult have been wreaking havoc.

    Matches left in Pool A: Afghanistan and Bangladesh

    Prediction: Semi-final

    Sri Lanka (4 games; 6 points)

    Cricket World cup 2015 Prediction - Pool A: New Zealand Dominates

    Kumar Sangakkara slammed his fastest ODI century against England

    Sri Lanka have the potential to perform well in big tournaments, but versatility is what they lack. With the spotlight turning towards teams like India, New Zealand and South Africa, few have noticed the strength Sri Lanka have shown with the bat.

    Their only defeat in the tournament has been against New Zealand, which didn’t take out the wind from their sails. After beating Afghanistan, Sri Lanka picked up big wins over Bangladesh and England. Their form with the bat has been incredible. Captain Kumar Sangakkara is leading the charge, with 268 runs from a mere 134 balls. He is joined in by Lahiru Thirimanne, Tilakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene. Lasith Malinga and Suranga Lakmal have been the top bowlers.

    Matches left in Pool A: Australia and Scotland

    Prediction: Quarterfinals

    Australia (4 games; 5 points)

    Cricket World cup 2015 Prediction - Pool A: New Zealand Dominates

    Australia posted a World Cup record total of 417 as they beat Afghanistan by 275 runs

    The hosts kicked off the tournament with a dominating 111-run victory over England, but since their match with Bangladesh was abandoned due to rain, they waited two weeks to play against New Zealand, a match that went down to the wire before the Aussies lost by just 1 wicket.

    None of their batsmen have been steady performers, but eyes have been on Aaron Finch, David Warner and Glen Maxwell. With the ball, Mitchel Johnson and Mitchel Starc have been on fire; the team’s latest 275-run win over Afghanistan is proof of that.

    Matches left in Pool A: Sri Lanka and Scotland

    Prediction: Semi-final

    Bangladesh (3 games; 3 points)

    Bangladesh need to pick a win over Scotland to keep their hopes of entering the quarterfinals alive. Their only win has been against Afghanistan, which was recorded with an impressive 105-run margin. The match against Australia was abandoned, and they were hammered down by Sri Lanka.

    Sabbir Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim are the men to watch out for in their camp. The match against England will be their do-or-die.

    Matches left: Scotland, England and New Zealand

    Prediction: Elimination

    England (4 games; 2 points)

    England have found it difficult to settle in the World Cup. They lost by 111 runs to Australia, before an eight-wicket defeat to New Zealand. They finally picked up a win over Scotland, but were gunned down by Sri Lanka once again. Joe Root and Moeen Ali have been the stars in the batting line-up in a team that has lost its bowling punch.

    England have a new team that is finding its rhythm. Although they are expected to make it to the quarterfinals, their poor form is unlikely to take them any further.

    Matches left: Bangladesh and Afghanistan

    Prediction: Quarterfinals

    Afghanistan (4 games; 2 points)

    Afghanistan’s maiden journey in the World Cup has already won them a lot of support. Their loss to Bangladesh was followed by another defeat, but a well-fought game, against Sri Lanka. Their only win in the tournament came against Scotland, followed by a record-breaking 275-run loss to Australia, the biggest defeat in World Cup history.

    Mohammad Nabi and Samiullah Shenwari have been the stars for Afghanistan. The team may not qualify for the quarterfinals, but they have nonetheless left an impact and shown potential to score upsets.

    Matches left: New Zealand and England

    Prediciton: Elimination

    Scotland (3 games; 0 points)

    Scotland have been valiant, swinging down till the last moment, but they are yet to pick a win in the World Cup. They surprised everyone by taking New Zealand apart in the first game, although losing consequently. They lost poorly to rivals England, but quickly returned to almost defeat Afghanistan.

    With nine wickets, Josh Davey has been in brilliant form, while Kyle Coetzer has been doing well with the bat. The Scots are on the path to elimination, but they do have the potential to bring the World Cup its first upset.

    Matches left: Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Australia

    Prediction: Elimination


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

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    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021