It may be noted that eleven English cricketers have already been knighted for their services to cricket. Most recently, Sir Alastair Cook was knighted for his performance in both ODI and Test format.
The team was selected by former international players and commentators Ian Bishop, Ian Smith and Isa Guha, along with cricket writer Lawrence Booth, while ICC General Manager Cricket, Geoff Allardice, was the fifth member and convener of the committee.
Before the semi-final clash, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had written to the BCCI that airspace over Old Trafford, in Manchester will remain shut during the semifinal clash. ECB had assured BCCI that the Old Trafford stadium will be a no-fly zone for the match.
In the league match between Australia and England, the former won by 64 runs. England have never won the World Cup. While Australia claimed the title five times (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015).
This is completely unacceptable. We have written to the ICC, raising our concerns about what happened in Headingley. If this kind of incident is repeated in the semi-finals, it will be really unfortunate. Safety and security of our players is paramount
Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan tried to carry the momentum set by the openers but the Kiwis did not allow the English batsmen to open their arms. Boult returned and sent Buttler back to the pavilion for 11, bringing Ben Stokes to the crease. However, Mitchell Santner did not allow Stokes to settle in and dismissed him for 11, leaving England at 248/5.
After opting to bat first, England racked up 337 runs on the scoreboard which they defended easily to secure a 31-run victory over India. Rohit Sharma scored a brilliant century, his third in the edition of the premier tournament. However, Sharma's 102 and Kohli's 66 was not enough for the Indian side to chase the target.
Virat Kohli-led India will enter the match with an unbeaten streak as they have won four matches out of five fixtures with one getting washed out. While the West Indies have hardly lived up to their expectations, having won just one match out of six fixtures so far.
Blackcaps have displayed an all-around performance in batting, bowling, and fielding. Ross Taylor and skipper Kane Williamson are scoring impressive runs in the top-order. Lockie Ferguson and Trent Boult have been the breakthrough players making the team one of the most balanced ones.
Starc entered the Lord's Cricket Ground with 15 wickets under his belt. The 29-year-old scalped three England wickets - Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes and Adil Rashid - to take his tally to 19 wickets in the tournament so far.
