News
Brook Criticizes England’s Cautious Approach in Loss to West Indies
England captain Harry Brook has stated that his team’s batsmen were overly cautious, which ultimately contributed to their 30-run loss to the West Indies in the T20 World Cup.
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England's campaign suffered a setback with a disappointing loss to the West Indies.
According to Captain Harry Brook, England's batting approach was overly cautious, which contributed to their 30-run defeat at the hands of the West Indies in the T20 World Cup.
England's chase of 197 got off to a decent start, reaching 74-1, but they lost momentum with six consecutive wickets falling to spin bowling in the middle overs, ultimately being dismissed for 166 in 19 overs.
Brook, who was caught and bowled by spinner Gudakesh Motie for 17, was one of three English batters to fall victim to Motie's spin.
Brook reflected on his dismissal, saying, "I would have preferred to be caught out on the boundary rather than in the manner it happened today."
Brook acknowledged that such ups and downs are an inherent part of T20 cricket.
When facing Motie, Brook attempted to play it safe, aiming to nudge the ball to the leg side and allow Sam Curran to take strike.
The West Indies' spinners proved to be England's downfall at the T20 World Cup.
In another closely contested match, South Africa edged out Afghanistan after two super overs.
Australia's victory has left Ireland on the verge of elimination from the World Cup.
Brook's post-match assessment echoed sentiments he has expressed before, highlighting the need for his team to be more aggressive with the bat.
Last year, after England were bowled out for 131 in an ODI against South Africa, Brook suggested that his team could have been more assertive in their batting approach.
Similarly, following an ODI loss to New Zealand before Christmas, Brook questioned whether his team could have adopted a more attacking mindset.
Against the West Indies, Tom Banton and Will Jacks also fell prey to Motie's spin, with Banton chipping a catch to extra cover and Jacks being bowled and lbw, respectively.
Brook noted that chasing a target of nearly 200 is always a challenging task and that the pitch did not behave as expected, failing to offer the anticipated assistance to the batters.
Brook admitted that he, along with his teammates, was guilty of being overly cautious in their approach.
The pitch at Wankhede Stadium offered more turn than any other venue in the tournament so far, largely due to the absence of dew, which can make it difficult for bowlers to grip the ball.
Despite having recently played spin well in a T20 series against Sri Lanka, England struggled to replicate that form in this match.
Brook attributed England's poor performance against spin to a bad day, rather than a lack of ability, saying, "I thought we played spin exceptionally well in Sri Lanka, but today was just an off day."
Brook conceded that his team was unable to cross the finish line, despite the West Indies bowling well.
The England captain also came to the defense of leading pace bowler Jofra Archer, who had a difficult outing, conceding 48 runs from his four overs.
Brook expressed confidence in Archer's abilities, saying, "Everybody is aware of Jofra's quality as a bowler."
Brook believes that Archer will bounce back from this performance, saying, "He'll definitely regain his form and execute better in the upcoming games, given his pace and talent."
England's next matches are against Scotland on Saturday and Italy on Monday, both of which will take place in Kolkata.
Entertainment And Arts
Spielberg Contributes $25,000 to Van Der Beek’s $2 Million Crowdfunding Campaign
The relatives of the deceased actor, known for his role in Dawson’s Creek, have expressed gratitude to those who contributed to the $2m fund.
A donation of $25,000 (£21,000) has been made by film director Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, to a GoFundMe campaign that has raised over $2m (£1.6m) for the family of late actor James Van Der Beek.

Van Der Beek, who passed away at the age of 48, is survived by his wife Kimberly and their six children, and the crowdfunding effort to support his family has now exceeded its initial target of $2m.
Other notable donors include Oscar-winning actress Zoe Saldana, who contributed $2,500 (£2,108), and director Jon M Chu, who gave $10,000 (£8,432) to the cause.
A statement from the organizers of the fundraiser, Friends of the Van Der Beek family, expressed gratitude to all contributors, stating that their support is deeply appreciated.
The statement highlighted the significance of the donations, saying that the kindness shown by contributors is beyond words.
It also noted that the outpouring of support has been a source of comfort during a difficult time, serving as a reminder of the power of love, community, and the enduring legacy of James Van Der Beek.
Van Der Beek was perhaps best known for his starring role in the popular US teen drama series Dawson's Creek, which aired from 1998 to 2003, although he remained associated with the show until 2023.
Although Van Der Beek and Spielberg never collaborated on a project, the late actor's character in Dawson's Creek was a fan of Spielberg's work, with posters of films like ET and Schindler's List featured in his bedroom.
At a Dawson's Creek cast reunion event last year, Spielberg paid tribute to Van Der Beek by sending a video message.
In the message, Spielberg said, "Dawson, you made it," and jokingly added that he hoped to one day have a room like Dawson's, filled with memorabilia from his films.
Van Der Beek passed away on Wednesday after a battle with bowel cancer.

He had been dealing with the diagnosis since August 2023 and publicly disclosed his condition in November 2024.
The GoFundMe campaign was launched to help the family with medical expenses, which had depleted their funds.
The statement from the organizers concluded by saying that the family is currently taking time to grieve and be together, and thanked everyone for their compassionate and generous support in honoring James Van Der Beek's life.
News
Zimbabwe Shocks Australia with Muzarabani’s Exceptional Performance
Zimbabwe secured a stunning 23-run victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup, with Blessing Muzarabani playing a key role by taking 4-17.
In the current T20 world rankings, Zimbabwe occupies the 12th position.
The Men's T20 World Cup is underway in Group B at Colombo.
Zimbabwe's innings concluded at 169-2 after 20 overs, with Bennett scoring an unbeaten 64 off 56 deliveries, while Green claimed 1-6.
Australia's reply ended at 146 after 19.3 overs, as Renshaw top-scored with 65 off 44 balls, and Muzarabani took 4-17.
The match resulted in a 23-run victory for Zimbabwe.
A standout performance from Blessing Muzarabani, who took 4-17, helped Zimbabwe secure a thrilling 23-run win over Australia in the T20 World Cup.
After being set a target of 170, Australia found themselves in trouble at 29-4, but a 77-run partnership between Matthew Renshaw and Glenn Maxwell for the fifth wicket gave them hope.
With 34 runs needed from the last two overs, Renshaw's dismissal for 65, caught off Muzarabani with eight balls remaining, essentially sealed the game's outcome.
The result has left Group B finely balanced after two matches each, with Australia trailing Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka by two points, ahead of their meeting with Sri Lanka on Monday.
Initially, Zimbabwe's approach to batting first at the R. Premadasa Stadium appeared overly cautious.
Brian Bennett's innings of 64 not out from 56 balls, including seven fours, was played at a strike rate of 114.28, as he anchored the Zimbabwean batting.
In contrast, Tadiwanashe Marumani and Ryan Burl adopted a more aggressive approach, scoring 35 off 21 and 30 balls, respectively.
A late surge from Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza, who scored 25 off 13 balls, including the team's only six on the final ball, provided a boost to their total.
Australia's target seemed achievable, given their total of 182-6 in their previous win against Ireland.
However, the Australian batting line-up was severely dented by the loss of key wickets, including Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Cameron Green, and Tim David, courtesy of Muzarabani and Brad Evans.
A partnership between Renshaw and Maxwell offered some respite, but when Maxwell fell for 31, dragged on to Burl, the pressure mounted on Australia.
Muzarabani's return to bowl the penultimate over proved decisive, as he removed Renshaw, and Zimbabwe subsequently wrapped up the win.
There are calls for the ICC to review the rules regarding 12th men.
For more information, including notifications and social media updates, visit BBC Sport.
A blogger who participates in the FPL is also competing in the T20 World Cup.
News
FA Cup Finalists Outside the Big Six Since 2008
As the FA Cup resumes this weekend, assess your understanding of past finalists that have competed from beyond the Premier League’s top six clubs.
This weekend, the FA Cup resumes with 32 teams remaining in contention for the historic trophy, which has been awarded for 155 years and will be presented to the winner in May.
Historically, the Premier League's top six clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham – have dominated the FA Cup, claiming 32 titles out of the last 37.
However, in recent years, teams outside of this elite group have experienced some notable victories in the competition.
Since 2008, 10 teams from outside the traditional 'big six' have advanced to the FA Cup final – can you identify all of them?
For more quizzes, visit our Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes sections, where you can also subscribe to receive the latest quizzes directly on your device.
We have a quiz question tailored to each Premier League team – test your knowledge and see how you score.
Can you recall every team that has won the Women's Champions League?
Which players have made the most appearances in the Premier League – can you name them all?
Explore our Sports Quizzes page for a wide range of challenging and engaging quizzes.
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