Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur on Friday described the tight security facing his team at the World Cup in India as "stifling", leaving players feeling as if they are "back in Covid times".

Afghanistan swept past the Netherlands by seven wickets on Friday to boost their chances of reaching the World Cup semi-finals.

“I have not been given the authority to make decisions,” Mahmud told the Bangladeshi media in Delhi today

“We are going through a  tough period. I would ask you all to support the team as much as possible in these difficult times,” Tamim said.

Afghanistan restricted error-plagued Netherlands to 179 all out on Friday as they chased a victory which would keep them in the hunt for a World Cup semi-final place.

England's Ben Stokes on Friday conceded that "nothing's worked" in a disastrous World Cup campaign.

Liton Das has reunited with the Bangladesh side in Delhi today, Bangladesh Cricket Board's media and communications manager Rabeed Imam confirmed. The batter had returned to Bangladesh due to a family emergency on Wednesday.

Netherlands have won the toss and elected to bat against Afghanistan in a pivotal game to both sides’ semi-finals hopes at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow today.

Australia captain Pat Cummins has backed the increase in 15-member limit on squad sizes with Australia facing the prospect of picking from a squad of 13 players against England on Saturday due to absence of Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh.

Matt Henry has been ruled out of the World Cup in India with a torn right hamstring and replaced in the squad by fellow New Zealand paceman Kyle Jamieson.

Root said England should be top of the table with the quality in their squad.

After six defeats in seven games, Bangladesh have become a non-factor in the ongoing ODI World Cup. The Tigers have two matches left in the competition, both of which have turned into dead rubbers. The Bangladesh team, weighed down by consecutive defeats, have already surrendered to reality and have further reverted into their shells.

Quinton de Kock's fourth century of the Cricket World Cup guided table-topping South Africa to an emphatic 190-run win over New Zealand on Wednesday, but his influence on the side stretches well beyond runs in the middle.

Not many would have predicted that Afghanistan, who held the record of just a solitary win in World Cups prior to this edition, and the Netherlands, the only associate nation in the tournament, would be vying for a semifinal berth this deep into the mega event.

India seamer Mohammed Shami insisted "it's not rocket science" as he became his country's most successful World Cup bowler on Thursday in the 302-run demolition of Sri Lanka.

The biggest facet, and also a noticeable one, of this World Cup has been top-order carnage that has not only allowed teams to put on huge scores batting first but also made it more important than ever for top-order batters to assert their dominance in their approach of chasing down the big targets thrown at them.

Some fiery fast bowling from India’s Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj lit up their World Cup encounter with Sri Lanka and helped the unbeaten hosts secure a thumping 302-run victory yesterday, becoming the first side to book a semi-final spot.

Sri Lanka's decision to field in sweltering conditions in Mumbai during their World Cup match on Thursday surprised many and India batsman Shreyas Iyer felt that the hosts got lucky.

India hammered Sri Lanka by 302 runs in Mumbai on Thursday as the unbeaten tournament hosts reached the World Cup semi-finals with a crushing victory.

Sri Lanka collapsed to three for four in their World Cup match against India in Mumbai on Thursday as the unbeaten hosts closed in on a win that would secure a semi-final place.