WORLD CUP 2011

               An investigation is to be launched into the Bangladeshi cricket team's failures at the cricket World Cup, the government has announced.
The team managed to beat England but was trounced by the West Indies and also lost to South Africa and India in their first round matches.
Bangladesh are one of the co-hosts of the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Eight matches were staged there.
The other hosts, India and Sri Lanka, did qualify for the knock-out phase.
The Bangladeshi team came in for strong criticism after they were bundled out for just 58 runs by the West Indies. Later, South Africa bowled them out for just 78.
On a more positive note, in addition to their famous win over England they also recorded victories against the Netherlands and Republic of Ireland.
It meant they narrowly missed out on a spot in the quarter-finals.
                   
                  We are trying to find the causes behind these humiliating defeats. We shall take necessary measures to overcome these weaknesses," Bangladesh state minister for sports, Ahad Ali Sarkar, said.
"We will certainly investigate into the reasons behind the debacle. We also want to see the Bangladesh Cricket Board to be more transparent and accountable," Mr Sarkar said.
The defeat by West Indies also sparked angry reactions among fans who stoned a bus carrying the West Indies team.
Officials said the fans thought the Bangladeshi team was on the bus instead.
"It will be good if they find any fault," Mohammad Ashraful, one of the senior players in the Bangladeshi cricket team, told the BBC. But he refused to comment further.
Meanwhile Bangladeshi Cricket Board officials said there was no need for any inquiry as success and failures are part of any sport.
"There is no need for any inquiry. The Cricket board will discuss with the players and try to find out reasons for the shortcomings and we will address those issues," Mr Manzur Ahmed, the chief executive officer of the Bangladesh Cricket Board told the BBC Bengali service.
"If the government formally approaches us with any questions then we will respond to them," he said.



                       A quarter-final defeat by subsequent Cup-winner India last month meant Australia failed to follow up its three successive victories in the tournament since 1999.
But it did not stop it staying clear of Test ranking table-topper India - by 128 points to 120 - on the April 1 cut-off date for the yearly award.
Both Australia, by beating Bangladesh in a three-match series, and India - after its Cup final win over Sri Lanka in Mumbai - have since improved their points tallies, but not their overall positions.
Meanwhile Australia's Shane Watson is now the premier one-day international all-rounder, overtaking Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan into number one position after taking three wickets and scoring 294 runs against Bangladesh.
                
                    Watson's scores of 37, 185 not out and 72 in the series have also helped the 29-year-old Queenslander vault nine places to a career-best fourth position in the batsman's stakes.
He is now the highest-ranked Australian batsman with Mike Hussey staying in sixth place, captain Michael Clarke rising two places to 11th spot and former captain Ricky Ponting moving one place up to 16th position.
In the ODI bowling rankings, Mitchell Johnson's seven wickets in the Bangladesh series lifted him seven places to sixth position.
Brett Lee is the other Australian bowler who has improved his ranking, returning to the top 20 in 20th position after a jump of three places.
India finished 11 points clear of South Africa at the top of the .'s Test table.
England, a further two points adrift in third, has prospects of eroding India's lead significantly if it fares well on home soil against it and ,
The inaugural Test championship is expected to take place between the top teams in 2013, with England the most likely venue.
Both India and Australia have won $175,000 as first prize for finishing top of the respective Test and ODI rankings.