World Cup Cocktail

In a media talk at Adelaide on Wednesday, Pakistan batting coach Grant Flower said he felt the best was yet to come from the Pakistani batsmen.

"They are yet to fire and I would like to think their best is still to come and if not then we wouldn't go too much further into the tournament," Flower said.

Flower has been with the Pakistan team since last year and batting remains a major concern for the team.

"I expect the top order to show some more spine because that is what the guys are paid for. They are aware that they can bat a lot better than they have. But the signs were there against UAE and they played some positive cricket against a good South African attack."

Scotsman axed for racist tweet

Scotland all-rounder Majid Haq has been thrown out of the World Cup for posting a racial tweet after being dropped from Wednesday's match against Sri Lanka in Hobart and is travelling home from the tournament, the Scottish board confirmed.

Haq, Scotland's leading ODI bowler with 60 wickets and three half-centuries to his name, had played in his team's four previous matches taking just three wickets and making a top-score of 31 against Afghanistan.

"Always tougher when you're in the minority!! #colour #race" tweeted 32-year-old Haq, who is of Pakistani descent.

The post was later deleted.

Williamson hit by bug

Bowlers struggle to do it, but a gastro bug has managed to rip through Kane Williamson, forcing him to miss training at Seddon Park today.

Williamson, along with Daniel Vettori and Grant Elliott suffered illness after the victory over Afghanistan in Napier. Vettori and Elliott had recovered enough to train.

Williamson is not understood to be in danger of missing New Zealand's final pool match against Bangladesh on Friday.

Botham's mood spoilt by England

Cricketing great Sir Ian Botham had a blunt message for the humiliated England team today.

"They're in a good position now: BA (British Airways) - home."

Botham is a guest at the New Zealand Open golf tournament this week and when asked if the Cricket World Cup had been a tough watch, he replied: "Is there something going on? I must have missed it and so did the England team.

"They were awful, to be quite frank. You get what you deserve in sport and if they want to keep playing in the 1980s style in 50-over cricket, good luck to them. The penny might have dropped - it doesn't work."

'Starc is the most feared'

As far as George Bailey is concerned, right now Australia's Mitchell Starc is more feared than any other bolwer.

Only Josh Davey (14), the New Zealand pair of Trent Boult and Tim Southee have taken more wickets (13 each) and they've both played one match more than Starc.

Meanwhile Morkel has 11 wickets for the tournament and Steyn has a mere eight.

"I would say he's more feared," Bailey said, when asked if Starc was now in the same bracket as Steyn and Morkel.

"He's got some really specific skills at the death that very few guys in the world are able to produce. That would be weighing on teams' minds," he added.

– Compiled