Wellington: Watching the 1992 World Cup got New Zealand's Grant Elliott suspended from school, but it also set him on the path to a career as a professional cricketer. Elliott was a wide-eyed 12-year-old South African school boy watching on television the last time the World Cup was held in New Zealand and Australia.

He had been given permission by his mother to take the day off school to watch his country of birth make their return from international sporting isolation. Unfortunately, his school had not been told. "I got suspended from school and from cricket that week for it. But the tournament left quite an impression on me. It was then that I decided I wanted to be a professional cricketer."

Thrown out

Canberra: A man was caught courtsiding during the match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh, at the Manuka Oval, on Wednesday night, reported the Sydney Morning Herald. On Wednesday, the man - understood to be an Australian national - was thrown out of the ground after he was caught and issued with a ban notice by the ICC, since he breached the terms and conditions of entry. "The person was using his communication device to transmit match information which is clearly a breach of ICC policy," an ICC spokesman was quoted as saying.

Virat's game

New Delhi: Virat Kohli's popularity is not just limited to the cricket field. It has gone much beyond that. A mobile game developer will distribute and market games around Kohli for next three years.

"Millions of people spend hours playing games on their smartphones. When the idea was put forth, I naturally felt it's a great idea; another innovative way for me to connect with my fans and thank them for their continued support," said Kohli.

For Marcia

Brisbane: Australia could unleash pace quartet Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins on Bangladesh in Brisbane on Saturday, but wicketkeeper Brad Haddin admits they are at the mercy of Tropical Cyclone Marcia. The Gabba ground is bracing itself for the cyclone to make its forecast way down the Queensland coast, with the anticipated ensuing deluge of rain already putting the match in peril.