Graeme Swann said a congested England fixture list was no reason for the side's stuttering World Cup campaign as they prepared for a make-or-break clash against the West Indies on Thursday.
England came into the event on the back of a gruelling Ashes tour - where they defeated Australia 3-1 but were then thrashed 6-1 in the one-dayers - and had just a three-day turnaround before heading out to the subcontinent.
"We do live in the middle of a ludicrous cricket schedule but it's no excuse," said England off-spinner Swann. "For a start half the other teams in the world follow a very similar schedule which I feel is equally as ludicrous but I'm certainly not going to turn around and say that's why we're not playing well and whinge and worry.
"A modicum of perspective says that we're in the most privileged position going. An earthquake and tsunami has just killed thousands of people in one part of the world (Japan) and in New Zealand. If I was to sit here and say 'oh my God these five-star hotels and all this travel', it's our job. It's our lot.
"If it's an issue then the only option is to retire from international cricket and go and play county cricket. It's very hard to do day in and day out but that's what we strive for because we have to. It would certainly be easier if we played 20 less games a year, those games that nobody cares about.
"It would probably make things a bit easier and keep the standard of world cricket higher but I'm not on the ICC (International Cricket Council) committee and it's my own personal view, not that of the team," Swann stressed.
Defeats by Ireland and Bangladesh have left England needing to beat the West Indies at the very least and then hope other results go their way if they are to reach the knockout stages.
"When we go one up in a Test series we tend to have a stinker before pulling out all the stops to play our best cricket," Swann explained. "It's been the same in one-day cricket and it's something we have to do now otherwise we're back home."
There is a widespread view within all sections of English cricket that, having won the Ashes, England have achieved their primary goal of the 2010/11 season and that the World Cup simply does not matter as much.
But Swann, recalling his hurt as a 10-year-old watching England being beaten by Pakistan in the 1992 final, was adamant the players cared about this event. "Anyone who points a finger at this team and says it just doesn't give a toss and wants to go home, I would take serious umbrage with."
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
England World Cup on line against Windies
England head into their final Group B match against the West Indies on Thursday knowing defeat will send them crashing out of the World Cup. Even victory may not be enough for Andrew Strauss's men to go through to the knockout stages, with England having to rely on other results going their way.
A see-saw tournament for England has seen them lose to Ireland and Bangladesh yet tie with India and beat a highly fancied South Africa side.
Significantly, that win over the Proteas came at Chennai's Chidambaram Stadium, where England held their nerve on a sharply turning pitch to win a low-scoring thriller by six runs.
Now they will look to off-spinner Graeme Swann to again put the squeeze on the batsmen in a match that is not quite as decisive for the West Indies, who return to the Chidambaram three days later for a group finale against India.
"It does give things a certain amount of clarity," said Swann, all but unplayable at times while taking one for 29 against South Africa. "If we win four games, we win the World Cup which is very simple. If we'd won our first four games it would have been a much nicer position to be in but there's no point in looking back. It all comes down to Thursday."
Swann, who in his first over in Test cricket took two wickets against India in Chennai in 2008, added: "I hope the wicket is similar to the South African one. If I could roll it up and take it around with me, I happily would."
However, he warned: "The West Indies have got Sulieman Benn, who is a fine spin bowler in my opinion." England's preparations suffered a setback Tuesday when skipper Strauss and fast bowler James Anderson both missed training due to illness.
But if the struggling Anderson were ruled out of Thursday's game, it could spare England the embarrassment of having to drop the Ashes-winning star. The West Indies have two big-hitting batsmen in opener Chris Gayle and the in-form Kieron Pollard who can change the momentum of a match in a short space of time.
Pollard hammered 94 off just 55 balls as the West Indies beat Ireland by 44 runs last time out and it was an innings the all-rounder hopes has rid him of the tag of being 'just' a Twenty20 cricketer.
"What's been said about me being a 20-over specialist, that's just history for me now," Pollard, 23, said.
"I had an opportunity to prove myself and there cannot be a bigger stage than the World Cup to do that. My innings showed what I can do. I will use this as a positive."
The good news for the West Indies is that either a win against England or India will see them into the quarter-finals and even two defeats may not be enough to end their World Cup.
A see-saw tournament for England has seen them lose to Ireland and Bangladesh yet tie with India and beat a highly fancied South Africa side.
Significantly, that win over the Proteas came at Chennai's Chidambaram Stadium, where England held their nerve on a sharply turning pitch to win a low-scoring thriller by six runs.
Now they will look to off-spinner Graeme Swann to again put the squeeze on the batsmen in a match that is not quite as decisive for the West Indies, who return to the Chidambaram three days later for a group finale against India.
"It does give things a certain amount of clarity," said Swann, all but unplayable at times while taking one for 29 against South Africa. "If we win four games, we win the World Cup which is very simple. If we'd won our first four games it would have been a much nicer position to be in but there's no point in looking back. It all comes down to Thursday."
Swann, who in his first over in Test cricket took two wickets against India in Chennai in 2008, added: "I hope the wicket is similar to the South African one. If I could roll it up and take it around with me, I happily would."
However, he warned: "The West Indies have got Sulieman Benn, who is a fine spin bowler in my opinion." England's preparations suffered a setback Tuesday when skipper Strauss and fast bowler James Anderson both missed training due to illness.
But if the struggling Anderson were ruled out of Thursday's game, it could spare England the embarrassment of having to drop the Ashes-winning star. The West Indies have two big-hitting batsmen in opener Chris Gayle and the in-form Kieron Pollard who can change the momentum of a match in a short space of time.
Pollard hammered 94 off just 55 balls as the West Indies beat Ireland by 44 runs last time out and it was an innings the all-rounder hopes has rid him of the tag of being 'just' a Twenty20 cricketer.
"What's been said about me being a 20-over specialist, that's just history for me now," Pollard, 23, said.
"I had an opportunity to prove myself and there cannot be a bigger stage than the World Cup to do that. My innings showed what I can do. I will use this as a positive."
The good news for the West Indies is that either a win against England or India will see them into the quarter-finals and even two defeats may not be enough to end their World Cup.
Zaheer remains India's pace enforcer
With 12 wickets so far, Zaheer Khan is the leading fast bowler at the World Cup and India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's go-to man when the going gets tough for the hosts.
At the World Cup, where there have been constant question marks over the staying power of India's attack, Dhoni has turned to the burly left-armer whose mastery of the ball is matched by the ferocity of his character. The 32-year-old, however, prefers to keep a low profile. "I'm enjoying the space I am in," he said.
"There's a lot more responsibility and I have no issues going to sleep with this pressure. I'm ready for the next day. I have to lead by example, which I find challenging." The bowler's calm disposition was on show during the tied game against England in Bangalore.
Zaheer was taken for 40 runs in his first five overs by rampaging England batsmen but he did not lose heart. Bowling in his second spell, an inspired Zaheer cleaned up Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell off successive deliveries to bring India back into the game. His 12 wickets from five games put him ahead of fast bowling rivals Dale Steyn of South Africa, who has 10, and fiery Australian Shaun Tait on eight.
Zaheer's control, nagging line and length and ability to reverse swing the old ball have often led to comparisons with legendary Pakistan left-armer Wasim Akram.
Zaheer may not be as skilled as Akram but he has definitely carried India's pace attack, grabbing 264 wickets from 187 one-day internationals at an average of just over 29.
That Zaheer is indispensable was evident in the three-wicket defeat against South Africa. The Baroda seamer gave away just four runs in what turned out to be penultimate over of the match before Zaheer's pace partner Ashish Nehra conceded 16 to let the game slip from India's hands. Dhoni summed up Zaheer's effectiveness.
"It's not that whenever Zaheer plays, he gets wickets," said Dhoni. "But with his amount of experience, he always has a back-up plan ready in case the first strategy doesn't work."
Zaheer's journey to the top has not been without its share of ups and downs. A shoulder surgery in 2009 threatened to cut short his career but he fought back to emerge as a stronger and more competitive bowler.
At the World Cup, where there have been constant question marks over the staying power of India's attack, Dhoni has turned to the burly left-armer whose mastery of the ball is matched by the ferocity of his character. The 32-year-old, however, prefers to keep a low profile. "I'm enjoying the space I am in," he said.
"There's a lot more responsibility and I have no issues going to sleep with this pressure. I'm ready for the next day. I have to lead by example, which I find challenging." The bowler's calm disposition was on show during the tied game against England in Bangalore.
Zaheer was taken for 40 runs in his first five overs by rampaging England batsmen but he did not lose heart. Bowling in his second spell, an inspired Zaheer cleaned up Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell off successive deliveries to bring India back into the game. His 12 wickets from five games put him ahead of fast bowling rivals Dale Steyn of South Africa, who has 10, and fiery Australian Shaun Tait on eight.
Zaheer's control, nagging line and length and ability to reverse swing the old ball have often led to comparisons with legendary Pakistan left-armer Wasim Akram.
Zaheer may not be as skilled as Akram but he has definitely carried India's pace attack, grabbing 264 wickets from 187 one-day internationals at an average of just over 29.
That Zaheer is indispensable was evident in the three-wicket defeat against South Africa. The Baroda seamer gave away just four runs in what turned out to be penultimate over of the match before Zaheer's pace partner Ashish Nehra conceded 16 to let the game slip from India's hands. Dhoni summed up Zaheer's effectiveness.
"It's not that whenever Zaheer plays, he gets wickets," said Dhoni. "But with his amount of experience, he always has a back-up plan ready in case the first strategy doesn't work."
Zaheer's journey to the top has not been without its share of ups and downs. A shoulder surgery in 2009 threatened to cut short his career but he fought back to emerge as a stronger and more competitive bowler.
Pakistan's Waqar wants Aussie scalp
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis said a win over defending champions Australia in their final group match would give his team enormous confidence heading into their World Cup quarter-final.
The 1992 champions eased into the last eight with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe on Monday and play their last match against Australia, who are on an unbeaten 33-match streak in the World Cup, on Saturday. Waqar said victory over Ricky Ponting's men in Colombo would serve a dual purpose.
"They are such a big team, world champs, and haven't lost for ages," said Waqar of Australia, whose last World Cup defeat came at the hands of Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup.
He said topping Group A would mean playing the number four team in Group B "whose morale would be down, but for me the bigger thing is the momentum."
Pakistan, with eight points from five matches, are second in Group A, behind New Zealand on net run-rate. Sri Lanka and Australia have also reached the quarter-finals.
Pakistan restricted Zimbabwe to 151-7 before rain curtailed Zimbabwe's innings. Set a revised target of 162 in 38 overs, Pakistan won on the back of an undefeated 78 by Asad Shafiq. Waqar said Pakistan must carry on winning.
"If you beat Australia, you leave a mark, you can look at the next matches and teams will think twice about playing against you," said Waqar, whose country has reached the second round for the first time since 1999.
"It is pleasing, but the kind of team we had it was expected we would get to the quarters. To say that we have achieved a lot here because we didn't qualify the last two times would be wrong," said Waqar, captain of the team in 2003.
Pakistan also exited in the first round of the 2007 World Cup held in the West Indies. Waqar said the knockout stage would be a big challenge. "The real game starts now, the game of nerves, the pressure game. Our next game is the most important game, because from there when you jump into the quarters we need to get some momentum."
Waqar said his plan would be simple against Australia. "The strategy will be very similar - try to play 50 overs first, pile up a big total first, that's the key. And then, when you look at bowling sides around the world, I think we have a fairly good bowling side," said Waqar.
Waqar said Pakistan's successful run chase against Zimbabwe - their first in a World Cup match since beating New Zealand in the 1999 semi-final, was an achievement. "I didn't know that we had never chased in the Word Cup since 1999. It is an achievement without a doubt. We played a lot more sensibly. Shafiq made a bit of a difference. He is very compact and a cricketer for the future," said Waqar of the 25-year-old.
The 1992 champions eased into the last eight with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe on Monday and play their last match against Australia, who are on an unbeaten 33-match streak in the World Cup, on Saturday. Waqar said victory over Ricky Ponting's men in Colombo would serve a dual purpose.
"They are such a big team, world champs, and haven't lost for ages," said Waqar of Australia, whose last World Cup defeat came at the hands of Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup.
He said topping Group A would mean playing the number four team in Group B "whose morale would be down, but for me the bigger thing is the momentum."
Pakistan, with eight points from five matches, are second in Group A, behind New Zealand on net run-rate. Sri Lanka and Australia have also reached the quarter-finals.
Pakistan restricted Zimbabwe to 151-7 before rain curtailed Zimbabwe's innings. Set a revised target of 162 in 38 overs, Pakistan won on the back of an undefeated 78 by Asad Shafiq. Waqar said Pakistan must carry on winning.
"If you beat Australia, you leave a mark, you can look at the next matches and teams will think twice about playing against you," said Waqar, whose country has reached the second round for the first time since 1999.
"It is pleasing, but the kind of team we had it was expected we would get to the quarters. To say that we have achieved a lot here because we didn't qualify the last two times would be wrong," said Waqar, captain of the team in 2003.
Pakistan also exited in the first round of the 2007 World Cup held in the West Indies. Waqar said the knockout stage would be a big challenge. "The real game starts now, the game of nerves, the pressure game. Our next game is the most important game, because from there when you jump into the quarters we need to get some momentum."
Waqar said his plan would be simple against Australia. "The strategy will be very similar - try to play 50 overs first, pile up a big total first, that's the key. And then, when you look at bowling sides around the world, I think we have a fairly good bowling side," said Waqar.
Waqar said Pakistan's successful run chase against Zimbabwe - their first in a World Cup match since beating New Zealand in the 1999 semi-final, was an achievement. "I didn't know that we had never chased in the Word Cup since 1999. It is an achievement without a doubt. We played a lot more sensibly. Shafiq made a bit of a difference. He is very compact and a cricketer for the future," said Waqar of the 25-year-old.
Last chance for Australia to experiment
Australia head into their penultimate group match against Canada on Wednesday knowing it is likely to be the last time in this World Cup they can tinker with their line-up. The reigning champions eased into the quarter-finals with an unconvincing 60-run win against Kenya at Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting's decision to bat first and Kenya's spirited effort in making 264 for six in reply to the champions' 324-6 ensured the match went the full 100 overs. The game was Australia's first complete match in more than a fortnight following their no-result washout against co-hosts Sri Lanka.
But several frontline batsmen, including Ponting himself, did not spend as much time in the middle as they would have liked, while all of Australia's spinners went wicketless.
With tougher challenges ahead, Australia may decide to rest one of their pace trio of Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and the injury-prone Shaun Tait for the Canada match, with back-up seamer John Hastings champing at the bit.
Australia, bidding for a fourth straight World Cup title and fifth in all, may be the only unbeaten side in this tournament but they have yet to be tested ahead of their final Group A match against Pakistan in Colombo on Saturday.
The result of that match could have a major bearing on Australia's quarter-final opponents, with the titleholders' net run-rate - something damaged by Kenya's defiance with the bat - a potential factor. Australia may also alter their batting order against Canada to give the likes of Cameron White, out for just two against Kenya, another chance.
One thing Ponting will want to see on Wednesday is an improved display by his slow bowlers after leg-spinner Steven Smith, off-break bowler Jason Krejza and left-armer Michael Clarke's combined 19 wicketless overs against Kenya cost 93 runs.
"Through those middle overs in this tournament when the ball gets old, and the wicket starts to spin, we are going to need our spinners to strike for us, and that didn't happen against Kenya," Ponting said.
However, Australia did receive a big boost in seeing Michael Hussey mark his first appearance of the tournament with a typically composed fifty. It had seemed the veteran left-hander would miss the World Cup because of hamstring trouble but he was summoned to the subcontinent as a replacement for injured fast bowler Doug Bollinger.
"It looked like he hadn't missed a beat," Ponting said of Hussey, selected instead of younger brother David Hussey. "It's a great sign for us." Canada, who beat Kenya by five wickets for their only win of the tournament so far, should be heartened by their rival associate nation's performance against Ponting's men.
However, they suffered a 97-run thrashing by New Zealand on Sunday with the Black Caps piling up huge total of 358 for six. "We didn't bowl in the right areas and the fielding was probably the worst we had in a long time," said Canada captain Ashish Bagai.
Canada's veteran off-break bowler John Davison will have been heartened by seeing Kenya captain and off-spinner Jimmy Kamande take two wickets against Australia on a Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch offering plenty of turn.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting's decision to bat first and Kenya's spirited effort in making 264 for six in reply to the champions' 324-6 ensured the match went the full 100 overs. The game was Australia's first complete match in more than a fortnight following their no-result washout against co-hosts Sri Lanka.
But several frontline batsmen, including Ponting himself, did not spend as much time in the middle as they would have liked, while all of Australia's spinners went wicketless.
With tougher challenges ahead, Australia may decide to rest one of their pace trio of Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and the injury-prone Shaun Tait for the Canada match, with back-up seamer John Hastings champing at the bit.
Australia, bidding for a fourth straight World Cup title and fifth in all, may be the only unbeaten side in this tournament but they have yet to be tested ahead of their final Group A match against Pakistan in Colombo on Saturday.
The result of that match could have a major bearing on Australia's quarter-final opponents, with the titleholders' net run-rate - something damaged by Kenya's defiance with the bat - a potential factor. Australia may also alter their batting order against Canada to give the likes of Cameron White, out for just two against Kenya, another chance.
One thing Ponting will want to see on Wednesday is an improved display by his slow bowlers after leg-spinner Steven Smith, off-break bowler Jason Krejza and left-armer Michael Clarke's combined 19 wicketless overs against Kenya cost 93 runs.
"Through those middle overs in this tournament when the ball gets old, and the wicket starts to spin, we are going to need our spinners to strike for us, and that didn't happen against Kenya," Ponting said.
However, Australia did receive a big boost in seeing Michael Hussey mark his first appearance of the tournament with a typically composed fifty. It had seemed the veteran left-hander would miss the World Cup because of hamstring trouble but he was summoned to the subcontinent as a replacement for injured fast bowler Doug Bollinger.
"It looked like he hadn't missed a beat," Ponting said of Hussey, selected instead of younger brother David Hussey. "It's a great sign for us." Canada, who beat Kenya by five wickets for their only win of the tournament so far, should be heartened by their rival associate nation's performance against Ponting's men.
However, they suffered a 97-run thrashing by New Zealand on Sunday with the Black Caps piling up huge total of 358 for six. "We didn't bowl in the right areas and the fielding was probably the worst we had in a long time," said Canada captain Ashish Bagai.
Canada's veteran off-break bowler John Davison will have been heartened by seeing Kenya captain and off-spinner Jimmy Kamande take two wickets against Australia on a Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch offering plenty of turn.
Team comes first for unrewarded Shafiul
It's not often that a match-winning performance on the cricket field gets overlooked when adjudicators decide man of the match awards. But it has happened three times to Bangladesh seamer Shafiul Islam in this World Cup, each time the award going to batsmen who are as surprised as team-mates and fans alike by the choice.
The 21-year-old had put on spirited displays with bat and ball to keep Bangladesh's dream alive of playing in the knock-out rounds of a tournament they are co-hosting for the first time. After Bangladesh were restricted to 205 by Ireland on a good surface in Dhaka, Shafiul produced a burst of 4-21 that helped bowl out the rivals for 178.
Opener Tamim Iqbal, who won the award for making 44 and taking a crucial catch, admitted then that Shafiul deserved the honour more than him. Against England, Bangladesh plunged to 169-8 chasing a modest target of 226, when Shafiul and Mohammad Mahmudullah turned the game on its head by adding 58 unbeaten runs for the ninth wicket.
Tailender Shafiul came out swinging to make 24 not out, including the only six of the day in seasoned off-spinner Graeme Swann's final over which cost 16 runs. But the man of the match award went to Imrul Kayes for scoring 60 at the top of the order.
"Shafiul should have got it," said Kayes, who won his second award on Monday against the Netherlands for 73 not out as Bangladesh chased down 160 for the loss of four wickets. Dutch captain Peter Borren credited Bangladesh's success to Shafiul, who conceded just seven runs in his first six overs to restrict the rivals to 28-0 by the ninth over.
"Shafiul bowled very well today," Borren said. "He was consistent and did not bowl bad balls. We were looking at opportunities of scoring in the initial powerplays when the ball was hard, but to be honest Shafiul did not allow us to do that. He went without a wicket, but probably deserved many."
The unassuming Shafiul, the son of a grocery shop owner in Bogra town, played down the rebuff from adjudicators. "It's okay, I don't mind it at all," he said. "The important thing is that the team wins. The man of the match is just a tag." For Shafiul, wearing the green Tigers jersey is the ultimate honour. "When I as growing up, I would wear fake Bangladesh shirts while playing in my neighbourhood. I never expected I will wear the real one some day."
Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan saluted Shafiul, calling him a vital cog in the team's prospects. "He is one of the most selfless players I have seen," Shakib said. "He is willing to do anything for the team. Of course, he deserved some man of the match awards. "But I am sure he will get some on the way. The tournament is not over yet for us."
Bangladesh are level with the West Indies and South Africa on six points, one behind Group B leaders India and a point ahead of England, with four teams qualifying for the knockout round. A West Indies win over England in Chennai on Thursday would mean Bangladesh will be through to the last eight even before their final league match against South Africa in Dhaka on Saturday.
The 21-year-old had put on spirited displays with bat and ball to keep Bangladesh's dream alive of playing in the knock-out rounds of a tournament they are co-hosting for the first time. After Bangladesh were restricted to 205 by Ireland on a good surface in Dhaka, Shafiul produced a burst of 4-21 that helped bowl out the rivals for 178.
Opener Tamim Iqbal, who won the award for making 44 and taking a crucial catch, admitted then that Shafiul deserved the honour more than him. Against England, Bangladesh plunged to 169-8 chasing a modest target of 226, when Shafiul and Mohammad Mahmudullah turned the game on its head by adding 58 unbeaten runs for the ninth wicket.
Tailender Shafiul came out swinging to make 24 not out, including the only six of the day in seasoned off-spinner Graeme Swann's final over which cost 16 runs. But the man of the match award went to Imrul Kayes for scoring 60 at the top of the order.
"Shafiul should have got it," said Kayes, who won his second award on Monday against the Netherlands for 73 not out as Bangladesh chased down 160 for the loss of four wickets. Dutch captain Peter Borren credited Bangladesh's success to Shafiul, who conceded just seven runs in his first six overs to restrict the rivals to 28-0 by the ninth over.
"Shafiul bowled very well today," Borren said. "He was consistent and did not bowl bad balls. We were looking at opportunities of scoring in the initial powerplays when the ball was hard, but to be honest Shafiul did not allow us to do that. He went without a wicket, but probably deserved many."
The unassuming Shafiul, the son of a grocery shop owner in Bogra town, played down the rebuff from adjudicators. "It's okay, I don't mind it at all," he said. "The important thing is that the team wins. The man of the match is just a tag." For Shafiul, wearing the green Tigers jersey is the ultimate honour. "When I as growing up, I would wear fake Bangladesh shirts while playing in my neighbourhood. I never expected I will wear the real one some day."
Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan saluted Shafiul, calling him a vital cog in the team's prospects. "He is one of the most selfless players I have seen," Shakib said. "He is willing to do anything for the team. Of course, he deserved some man of the match awards. "But I am sure he will get some on the way. The tournament is not over yet for us."
Bangladesh are level with the West Indies and South Africa on six points, one behind Group B leaders India and a point ahead of England, with four teams qualifying for the knockout round. A West Indies win over England in Chennai on Thursday would mean Bangladesh will be through to the last eight even before their final league match against South Africa in Dhaka on Saturday.
Black Caps riding high on confidence: McCullum
New Zealand are brimming with new-found confidence after three wins on the trot took them into the quarter-finals of the World Cup, says opener Brendon McCullum.
New Zealand hammered Canada by 97 runs at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday to become the second team from Group A to sail into the last eight.
"We are slowly starting to play how we want to play and we move into the next game knowing that we have played well over the last couple of games," McCullum said.
"The confidence is starting to seep into the team. That is something we desperately need.
"We are proud of what New Zealand teams have been able to achieve in past World Cups, they consistently gave themselves the opportunity."
The Black Caps made it to the semi-finals twice in the last three World Cups in 1999 and 2007 despite starting as underdogs.
Their build-up to this edition was far from encouraging as they suffered series defeats at the hands of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
Before Sunday, they had defeated Kenya, Zimbabwe and Pakistan but lost against holders Australia.
The manner of their triumph against Canada has now put them in good stead ahead of their last league outing against a strong Sri Lanka side on Friday.
"It was a key victory (against Canada)," said wicketkeeper-batsman McCullum who posted his first World Cup century to set up his team's emphatic win.
"We were able to play to roles we were trying to play to and execute the kind of skills we were hoping to achieve."
"Anytime you win, anytime you perform well, anytime that you get some confidence out of the game, that certainly helps."
"When we came here we had gone through a pretty tough time back home (a 3-2 defeat to Pakistan). But none of that mattered once we arrived here."
"It was a matter of making sure this team was able to go out and play its best cricket, each of us understood our roles."
McCullum said new coach John Wright had been a huge influence behind the scenes.
"Wright has been instrumental. He has been able to offer that experience and confidence to each player. We have seen this New Zealand team operate with a clear role which you can't say about some New Zealand teams in the past."
"The biggest turnaround is that we are going in with more confidence."
New Zealand hammered Canada by 97 runs at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday to become the second team from Group A to sail into the last eight.
"We are slowly starting to play how we want to play and we move into the next game knowing that we have played well over the last couple of games," McCullum said.
"The confidence is starting to seep into the team. That is something we desperately need.
"We are proud of what New Zealand teams have been able to achieve in past World Cups, they consistently gave themselves the opportunity."
The Black Caps made it to the semi-finals twice in the last three World Cups in 1999 and 2007 despite starting as underdogs.
Their build-up to this edition was far from encouraging as they suffered series defeats at the hands of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
Before Sunday, they had defeated Kenya, Zimbabwe and Pakistan but lost against holders Australia.
The manner of their triumph against Canada has now put them in good stead ahead of their last league outing against a strong Sri Lanka side on Friday.
"It was a key victory (against Canada)," said wicketkeeper-batsman McCullum who posted his first World Cup century to set up his team's emphatic win.
"We were able to play to roles we were trying to play to and execute the kind of skills we were hoping to achieve."
"Anytime you win, anytime you perform well, anytime that you get some confidence out of the game, that certainly helps."
"When we came here we had gone through a pretty tough time back home (a 3-2 defeat to Pakistan). But none of that mattered once we arrived here."
"It was a matter of making sure this team was able to go out and play its best cricket, each of us understood our roles."
McCullum said new coach John Wright had been a huge influence behind the scenes.
"Wright has been instrumental. He has been able to offer that experience and confidence to each player. We have seen this New Zealand team operate with a clear role which you can't say about some New Zealand teams in the past."
"The biggest turnaround is that we are going in with more confidence."
Bangladesh turn left to outclass Dutch
Bangladesh packed their side with left-handers to whip lethargic Netherlands by six wickets on Monday and stay in contention for the World Cup quarter-finals.
The Dutch were shot out for 160 in 46.2 overs after electing to take first strike on the slow wicket, a target Bangladesh surpassed in the 42nd over with left-handed Imrul Kayes making 73 not out.
Bangladesh's three left-arm spinners shared five of the six wickets to fall to bowlers with Abdur Razzak leading the way with 3-29 in 10 steady overs.
Skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Suhrawadi Shuvo, who was brought in to replace off-spinner Naeem Islam, claimed one wicket apiece.
Kayes put on 92 for the second-wicket with Junaid Siddique (35) after opening partner Tamim Iqbal was bowled by Mudassar Bukhari off the fourth ball of the innings without scoring.
Shahriar Nafees, one of the five left-handers at the top of the batting order who replaced right-handed Raqibul Hasan, made 37 in a third-wicket stand of 59 with Kayes.
Kayes, who followed his 60 against England with another half-century, was named man of the match for the second time in a row.
Bangladesh joined the West Indies and South Africa on six points, one behind Group B leaders India and a point ahead of England.
A West Indies win over England in Chennai on Thursday will enable Bangladesh ease into the last eight even before their final league match against South Africa in Dhaka on Saturday.
But an unlikely Irish win over the Proteas in Kolkata on Tuesday will once again throw open the quarter-final race from the pool.
A sell-out crowd of 18,000 at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium, taking advantage of the public holiday declared for the match in the port city, watched the home side demolish the Dutch.
Ryan ten Doeschate top-scored for the Netherlands with an unbeaten 53, but none of the other batsmen managed 30, six failed to reach double figures and four ran themselves out.
Bangladesh, buoyed by their stunning two-wicket win over England on Friday, did not bowl a single wide or no-ball in a disciplined display on the field.
Openers Wesley Barrisi and Eric Szwaraczynski plodded to 28 runs in nine overs, following a tidy opening spell by seamer Shafiul Islam, who conceded just seven runs in his first six overs.
Tom Cooper (29) and Szwaraczynski carried the score to 66-2 by the 23rd over when both batsmen were run out in the space of 13 runs to set the Dutch back again.
Szwaraczynski, who made 28, was unfortunate to be dismissed at the non-striker's end when Shakib deflected a straight drive from Cooper onto the stumps.
Wicket-keeper Musfiqur Rahim, who had dropped Cooper on six, made amends when he lunged for a wide throw from the deep and threw the ball at the stumps before the batsman had regained his crease.
Shuvo had Alexei Kervezee stumped by Rahim for 18, before Razzak dismissed Tom de Grooth and Atse Buurman in three deliveries to reduce the Netherlands to 127-7 in the 38th over.
Skipper Peter Borren and Adeel Raja also ran themselves out, leaving ten Doeschate stranded at the other end.
The Dutch were shot out for 160 in 46.2 overs after electing to take first strike on the slow wicket, a target Bangladesh surpassed in the 42nd over with left-handed Imrul Kayes making 73 not out.
Bangladesh's three left-arm spinners shared five of the six wickets to fall to bowlers with Abdur Razzak leading the way with 3-29 in 10 steady overs.
Skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Suhrawadi Shuvo, who was brought in to replace off-spinner Naeem Islam, claimed one wicket apiece.
Kayes put on 92 for the second-wicket with Junaid Siddique (35) after opening partner Tamim Iqbal was bowled by Mudassar Bukhari off the fourth ball of the innings without scoring.
Shahriar Nafees, one of the five left-handers at the top of the batting order who replaced right-handed Raqibul Hasan, made 37 in a third-wicket stand of 59 with Kayes.
Kayes, who followed his 60 against England with another half-century, was named man of the match for the second time in a row.
Bangladesh joined the West Indies and South Africa on six points, one behind Group B leaders India and a point ahead of England.
A West Indies win over England in Chennai on Thursday will enable Bangladesh ease into the last eight even before their final league match against South Africa in Dhaka on Saturday.
But an unlikely Irish win over the Proteas in Kolkata on Tuesday will once again throw open the quarter-final race from the pool.
A sell-out crowd of 18,000 at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium, taking advantage of the public holiday declared for the match in the port city, watched the home side demolish the Dutch.
Ryan ten Doeschate top-scored for the Netherlands with an unbeaten 53, but none of the other batsmen managed 30, six failed to reach double figures and four ran themselves out.
Bangladesh, buoyed by their stunning two-wicket win over England on Friday, did not bowl a single wide or no-ball in a disciplined display on the field.
Openers Wesley Barrisi and Eric Szwaraczynski plodded to 28 runs in nine overs, following a tidy opening spell by seamer Shafiul Islam, who conceded just seven runs in his first six overs.
Tom Cooper (29) and Szwaraczynski carried the score to 66-2 by the 23rd over when both batsmen were run out in the space of 13 runs to set the Dutch back again.
Szwaraczynski, who made 28, was unfortunate to be dismissed at the non-striker's end when Shakib deflected a straight drive from Cooper onto the stumps.
Wicket-keeper Musfiqur Rahim, who had dropped Cooper on six, made amends when he lunged for a wide throw from the deep and threw the ball at the stumps before the batsman had regained his crease.
Shuvo had Alexei Kervezee stumped by Rahim for 18, before Razzak dismissed Tom de Grooth and Atse Buurman in three deliveries to reduce the Netherlands to 127-7 in the 38th over.
Skipper Peter Borren and Adeel Raja also ran themselves out, leaving ten Doeschate stranded at the other end.
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