Consistency, control and execution are more important: Walsh

Getting some extra bounce -- that's what Bangladesh pacers were seemingly after during their previous Test tour of the West Indies in 2022.

During that series, the likes of Shoriful Islam and Khaled Ahmed, who got his maiden Test fifer in the first match, followed that routine of trying to make the ball get higher up to the bat.

As another tour of the Caribbean beckons, there have been a few key reshuffling in the current squad for the two-Test series – which is part of the World Test Championship.

Length would be key, along with getting that extra zip off the seam as the Tigers aim to attack with more venom and pace prowess, starting with the first Test in Antigua from November 22. The second Test will be held at Jamaica's Sabina Park from November 30.

This time, there is no Khaled or Ebadot Hossain for the upcoming West Indies Tests. Shoriful, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, and Nahid Rana, the new bolt of energy in Bangladesh's pace battery, are the four quicks picked for this series.

Incidentally, the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua which hosted the first game of the previous series will be the one to welcome the Tigers this time around as well.

The venue offers help to batters only when they are able to weather the pacers' early threat -- a prospect that must excite someone like Nahid who usually hits the 150-kph markr and looked deadly in the final of the Tigers' three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in the UAE earlier this month.

In order to find momentum in the series, Bangladesh quicks need to make their presence felt from the first Test.

The fact that Bangladesh pacers have been able to make their presence felt in away conditions recently -- the pace trio of Taskin, Hasan, and Rana picked up all 10 wickets in the second innings of the second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in August-September -- would only make the Tigers hopeful about the upcoming series.

"I think there could be an ominous attack that can shake the Windies up, especially due to the pace Rana can bowl at. It's a great thing that every one of the bowlers is competing hard," a national team player said during a casual chat regarding pacers' performance in away conditions.

Bangladesh pacers, however, were not able to produce the desired results in their recent away tour to India and in the home Tests against South Africa. The last series against the Proteas saw pacers take a back seat as spin was favoured in home conditions.

"Pace bowling has improved but to get to [Jaspit] Bumrah or Stewart Broad's level, more hard work is needed.

"Pakistan were a big side and we beat them at their home. We just need a bit of consistency. There were big players like Babar Azam in that team, a world-class player. Obviously, we did well which is why we won," the cricketer mentioned.

Aside from looking for consistency, the current crop of pacers can also take inspiration from Khaled Ahmed's fifer in the last Windies Tests in order to seize the Caribbean calypso beat this time around.

Kemar Roach and Co had taken all 10 Bangladesh wickets in the first innings of that first innings in Antigua last time and it shows just how crucial the pacers would be in the upcoming series.

While South Africa insist they will not be burdened by scarring from their chequered record in World Cup knockout matches, Australia are counting on having experienced World Cup winners giving them a boost when the two old rivals face off in a much-anticipated semifinal in Kolkata on Thursday.

The Proteas have made four semifinal appearances in the showpiece - in 1992, 1999, 2007 and 2015 -- but have fallen to defeat every time, twice losing to Australia.

In 1999, they lost to Australia after a dramatic tie at Edgbaston which saw their rivals go through due to a better group stage finish.

Kolkata's Eden Gardens, however, could be the stage for redemption for South Africa who made the semifinals by winning seven of their nine league matches.

The Proteas have won their last four meetings with Australia, including a 134-run thrashing in the league stage in Lucknow four weeks ago.

"A lot of people believe that this could be the year that we see ourselves in the final," South Africa skipper Bavuma, who remains doubtful to play the semifinal due his hamstring injury, told reporters.

"We'd like nothing better than that."

Despite South Africa always carrying the 'chokers' tag with them and also their sombre past against Australia in the tournament, Bavuma urged that the mindset of his team remains confident ahead of the knockout contest.

"From a skill point of view, from a physical point of view, the guys are quite confident [than others]," said Bavuma.

"I think we'll take a lot of confidence with our performances up until this point."

Meanwhile, Australia skipper Pat Cummins said his players will draw on experience from previous title wins for today's game.

"You start from scratch every time you play," Cummins, however, dismissed being complacent due to Australia's boastful World Cup record.

"I think what helps us is we've got a lot of guys that have been in this situation before that have won the one-day World Cup, T20 World Cup, various other tournaments in big moments. So, I think that really helps. You can draw on that in the middle of the contest."

At this World Cup, Australia began with two losses including a defeat to India in their opener but have been on a roll since and Cummins takes inspiration from the winning streak.

"You can either build it up as the most important game of your life, or you can business as usual, really," Cummins said.

"You draw back on those past wins but you also just draw back on the last few weeks and know that us at our best is good enough."

Australia have witnessed some brilliant individual performances including an unbeaten 201 from Maxwell in their dramatic win over Afghanistan and a match-winning 177 not out from Mitchell Marsh against Bangladesh.

"As a team you grow an extra leg because you feel like you can win a match from anywhere and having someone like 'Maxi' in your team....he's a superstar, he's a freak, he can win a game from anywhere. Pretty glad he's in our team."

Rain is threatening the contest with downpours forecast in the eastern city on Thursday and during Friday's reserve day.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said his side's experience of playing in front of partisan crowds would serve them well when they face hosts India in a blockbuster World Cup semi-final.

A capacity crowd of over 33,000 is expected at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium -- the home ground of India captain Rohit Sharma -- for Wednesday's clash

New Zealand, losing finalists at the last two World Cups but yet to lift the trophy, knocked India out at the semi-final stage in a rain-affected two-day clash in Manchester four years ago.

Bad weather, however, is unlikely to be an issue in Mumbai and while India had plenty of support at Old Trafford, star batsman Williamson knows that will be as nothing compared to the passionate backing they'll have on Wednesday.

When a reporter told Williamson during a pre-match press conference on Tuesday that the capacity of the Wankhede is 33,108 and "33 of them will be in blue (India's colour)," he jokingly replied: "There'll be more than that."

Williamson, who knows India well from playing in the lucrative Indian Premier League, added: "We're expecting a fairly blue crowd that will be supporting their team.

"We remember over the years, a number of different crowds that we've had that haven't always been your own fans.

"We have got a small country that doesn't always fill out the stadiums but you still appreciate the atmosphere it brings.

"Not many people get that opportunity, cricket in India, playing against India in a World Cup semi-final, is special and something to appreciate and look forward to."

Williamson is particularly glad to be involved after fearing he might not make it to the World Cup before a freak injury threatened to cut short his participation.

After spending nearly seven months out with a serious knee injury, he missed New Zealand's opening wins over champions England and the Netherlands.

He marked his comeback with 78 not out during an eight-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Chennai only to suffer a broken left thumb following a wayward throw while running between the wickets.

The 33-year-old then missed several more games before returning with 95 against Pakistan in Bengaluru.

'Frustrating' 

"An interesting journey for sure," said Williamson.

"From sort of it not being a chance (of playing at the World Cup) to getting close and it becoming a reality and something to target...Then to get back and then break my thumb. It was quite frustrating and testing."

But a 10-team round-robin event gave Williamson hope he could still feature later on in the tournament.

"I still felt it hadn't ruled me out, so I was grateful for that and it's nice to be sitting here."

India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in a hard-fought pool match in Dharamsala last month but Williamson played down the impact of that fixture and the 2019 semi-final ahead of Wednesday's clash.

"They (India) are a side that's been playing extremely well, but we also know come finals time, everything sort of starts again."

Williamson was more forthcoming about New Zealand rising star Rachin Ravindra, with the 23-year-old left-handed opener having already scored three hundreds at his debut World Cup.

"He's burst onto the scene and in a big way," said Williamson.

"It's not just the volume of runs that he's achieved so far, but how he's been scoring them and how it's been geared towards trying to move the team forward."

South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma on Wednesday warned they are not up against a "Mickey Mouse team" in their World Cup semi-final against Australia amid feverish expectation of reaching their first championship match.

The Proteas won seven of their nine league matches to finish second in the 10-team table to book a final-four clash in Kolkata on Thursday.

That run included a 134-rout of the Australians at Lucknow four weeks ago.

Five-time champions Australia are coming off seven straight wins at the tournament.

"A lot of people believe that this could be the year that we see ourselves in the final," Bavuma, who remains doubtful to play the semi-final due his hamstring injury, told reporters.

"We'd like nothing better than that. But we also respect the game of cricket. We're not coming up against a Mickey Mouse team. Australia have a lot of experience and confidence in knockout games like this, so we've got to respect that."

The most shocking World Cup exit for South Africa was their 1999 semi-final loss to Australia after the match in Birmingham ended in a tie and their rivals went through due to a better group finish.

Australia also easily came out on top in a 2007 semi-final clash between the teams in the Caribbean.

Bavuma said the mindset of his team remains confident ahead of the knockout contest.

"From a skill point of view, from a physical point of view, the guys are quite confident," said Bavuma.

"There's a sense of calmness within the team and obviously the normal level of anxiety that you would expect of going into the game tomorrow."

He added: "But I think we'll take a lot of confidence with our performances up until this point."

Springboks inspiration 

Bavuma said he will look to play two frontline spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.

"Obviously, Keshav and Shamsi. We have Aiden (Markram) as well, who also gives us an option there. Then I think it's just finalising in terms of the three seamers, who that may be," he said.

Maharaj, a left-arm orthodox bowler, has claimed 14 wickets in nine matches while left-arm wrist-spinner Shamsi has seven off just three games.

Bavuma also praised wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock for leading the batting charge with his 591 runs, second only to India's Virat Kohli.

"Quinton's been magnificent for us," said Bavuma.

"At one point he was the leading World Cup scorer as well. Knowing Quinton, I don't think he's really paying much attention to all of that. I think his focus is on contributing as best as he can for the team."

De Kock, 30, will quit one-day international cricket when this tournament is over.

Bavuma said South Africa's cricketers are taking inspiration from the Springboks' second straight Rugby World Cup title last month in their quest for global glory in India.

"I think to a large degree we look at them in awe, the Springboks and how they've gone about their back-to-back wins within the World Cup," said Bavuma.

"Obviously, the way they won it this year with the knockout games being quite close and again how that resilience, how that do-or-die attitude came through.

"That's what we've been speaking about as a team that when the crunch moment comes, when the pressure moments come, we come together as a team and we find a way to get over the line."

The umpire who awarded England six runs from a freak overthrow in the last over of the World Cup final has admitted he made an "error" and should have given one run fewer, a report said Sunday.

A throw to the stumps deflected off the bat of a diving Ben Stokes as he tried to complete a second run and raced to the boundary, with Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena awarding six. Three balls later the scores at 50 overs were tied as England reached 241 all out replying to New Zealand's 241-8. It took the nail-biting final to a Super Over which again was tied but England lifted the trophy by virtue of having scored more boundaries. 

Critics, including former leading umpire Simon Taufel, said England should have been awarded five runs, not six, as the batsmen had not crossed for the second run at the moment the ball was thrown.

Former Sri Lankan Test player Dharmasena told the Sunday Times he did not have the benefit of television replays which showed the batsmen had not crossed.

"I agree that there was an error of judgement when I see it on TV replays now," Dharmasena, who was umpiring the final with South Africa's Marais Erasmus, told the local Sunday Times. "But we did not have the luxury of TV replays at the ground and I do not regret the decision I made."

Dharmasena said he signalled six after consulting the other match officials. "So, I did consult the leg umpire (Erasmus) through the communication system which is heard by all other umpires and the match referee," he told the newspaper.

"While they cannot check TV replays, they all confirmed that the batsmen have completed the second run. This is when I made my decision."

Taufel had told Fox Sports Australia the umpires made a "clear mistake" as the batsmen had not crossed for their second run.

But the Australian also defended the match umpires, who he said had to make a complicated judgement, and said it would be "unfair" to say the decision altered the outcome of the tournament as it was impossible to now what would have happened in the final balls had five been awarded.