Live Cricket

Give Sachin Tendulkar a break in Sydney test

2012-01-03T01:07:00.000-08:00

Predictably, the lead up to the Sydney Test centered around Sachin's much awaited hundredth international century (babies have arrived sooner). This time even the Aussie media went berserk, eulogising on how wonderful it would be for Tendulkar to reach the landmark in Sydney Cricket Ground's 100th Test.

What was most disappointing was to see former cricketers and experts give so much importance to the landmark. An otherwise level-headed Mark Nicholas, went to the extent of quizzing Dhoni at the toss, not on who made India's XI or their strategy for the game, but on how he would like it if Sachin scored his ton of tons in Sydney.

When Sachin walked in to the middle with India already reeling on 30 for 2, Ravi Shastri (not one to be outdone) spoke of how the master blaster would be nervous. Not because of the precarious position his side were in or due to the menacing bowling he was about to encounter, but because as Shastri claimed "he is approaching such a big milestone." Facepalm moment anyone?

With India's first innings wrapping for 191, India most definitely have more important things that merit their attention.

Brilliant Australia blow India away in Melbourne

2011-12-29T01:59:00.000-08:00

The most gripping day of the Melbourne Test ended in an anti-climax with Australia crushing India by 122 runs.

Australia had their backs to the wall at the start of Day 4, but their positive intent and perfect execution of bowling plans laid low their opponents. India were bizarrely defensive with the ball and showed no stomach for a fight with the bat chasing a stiff 292.

One of Australia’s finds of the season, James Pattinson, and Peter Siddle made the most of India’s trigger-happiness with the bat. They bowled in the right areas — Pattinson’s high pace in particular troubled every batsman — and India obliged them with outside edges.

This was the sort of wicket were the home team also made the same mistakes with the bat. But the key to winning this game was building partnerships. Australia had several; India, none.

India let momentum slip

In the morning session, Mike Hussey, Pattinson and Ben Hilfenhaus thrived with MS Dhoni’s conservative field settings that allowed them to pick easy singles and score the occasional boundary.

India, 230 runs behind at the start of the day, let the momentum drift. No team has chased more than 250 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground since 1961.

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir fell cheaply. The contest practically ended when Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli fell within a few overs of each other in the noon session. What came to hurt India bad was their conservative tactics against the Australia lower order.

Their last four wickets added 119 runs in the first innings and 92 in the second. In a low-scoring game such as this, 211 runs were a lot to give away to the tail-end. To Australia’s credit, they fought tooth and nail and the 60 runs they added this morning caused a seismic momentum shift.

Pattinson took seven wickets in the game, and batting at No. 10, was unbeaten in both innings in making 18 and 37. But this wouldn’t have been possible had Dhoni applied greater pressure on him his partners.

Former Australia captain and commentator Ian Chappell in particular was critical of Dhoni’s methods. Today, he described them as “... ridiculous... an absolute blue print on how to lose a Test match.” India proved him right.

India takes place against Australia - Test cricket

2011-12-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

Indifferent batting from India and an abject response by the Australian top order left the first Test tantalisingly poised after a helter skelter third day on which 15 wickets fell at the MCG.

The visitors and the hosts traded collapses on a track still offering a modicum of help to the bowlers, India slipping from 2 for 214 to 282 all out before Australia slumped to 4 for 27 thanks to Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma. It was a hole plugged only partially by the staunch efforts of Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, who was undefeated on 79 when the close arrived at 8 for 179, the lead standing at 230.

Rahul Dravid, bowled off second ball of the morning by the recalled and renewed Ben Hilfenhaus, completed his unhappy day by shelling the sort of slips catch he would expect to claim when Hussey advanced to R Ashwin on 69. Though Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon departed thereafter, it may yet prove a crucial drop.

Hussey and Ponting were both under enormous pressure for runs coming into this match, given their poor recent returns, but younger team-mates were grateful for their calming presence in a partnership of 115 after the tumult that marked the start of the second innings. Hussey's innings was particularly strong, counter-punching from the start to build some sort of lead.

India had earlier surrendered 8 for 68 to be halted 51 runs short of Australia's 333. Hilfenhaus followed up Dravid's defeat with the wickets of Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and the dogged nightwatchman Ishant Sharma, while Siddle neutralised the threat of VVS Laxman and rounded things off by disposing of Ashwin for a useful 31.

The continuing flood of wickets was attributable to smart, full bowling but also poor batting, with David Warner, Ed Cowan and Shaun Marsh all guilty of vast misjudgements. Michael Clarke was less culpable, out to a corking delivery from Ishant. Ponting's dismissal was followed by another flighty innings from keeper Brad Haddin, who must be under severe scrutiny for his spot despite claiming five catches.

Starting out with a 51-run advantage, Warner and Cowan were unable to get themselves going in the manner of the first innings. Warner looked uncomfortable, tugging at the ball rather than timing it, and it was no great surprise when he dragged Yadav onto the stumps with an angled bat. Cowan had left the ball with great skill on Boxing Day, but two balls after Warner he would die by the sheathed sword, padding up to a Yadav delivery that straightened and as such having scant cause to complain about the lbw verdict.

Sachin disappointment but India ahead

2011-12-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

The 50,000 odd fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, many of them Indians, were hoping on Tuesday that the Master Blaster will finally end the wait to get his 100th international ton.

Sachin Tendulkar was in sublime touch but the landmark was not to be as he fell to Peter Siddle for 73, three deliveries before stumps on the second day.

The wicket sent groans around the MCG but the Indians weren't complaining.

Tendulkar's century partnership with Rahul Dravid(68 not out) laid the platform for the visitors to seize the advantage on Day 3.

"It's going to eventually happen," team-mate R Ashwin said afterwards.

point in bothering about it. We're very happy to be in this position."

"Probably one wicket less would have been nice. Tendulkar played well but eventually he got a good ball," he said

But it was Sehwag who set the tone for India. The Nawab of Najafgarh produced an aggressive innings as the visitors started their response to Australia's 333 before he was removed just before the tea interval.

The opener raced to 67 from 83 balls - passing 8,000 Test runs in the process and surviving two lives - before James Pattinson knocked over his middle stump.

Australia's pent up frustration showed after Pattinson and Sehwag clashed briefly but the hosts will have much to worry as India look to turn the screws with a third good day on the trot.

Sixteen teams from World for ICC World T20 Qualifiers

2011-12-21T23:12:00.000-08:00

Sixteen teams from across the world, including United States and Uganda, will compete in March next year to claim the last two available spots for the ICC World Twenty20, to be held in Sri Lanka. The ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers will be held in the UAE from March 13 to 24.

The 12-day qualifying tournament will be played at five venues -- Dubai International Cricket Stadium and ICC Global Cricket Academy grounds number one and number two in Dubai, Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

The 16 teams have been divided into two groups with Afghanistan, Netherlands, Canada, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, Bermuda, Denmark and Nepal forming Group A. Ireland, Kenya, Scotland, Namibia, Uganda, Oman, Italy and the USA form Group B.

The tournament winner will join Australia and the West Indies in Group B of the ICC World Twenty20 in September 2012 while the losing finalist will complete Group A which also includes defending champion England and 2007 winner India.

"This final qualifier is the last step of a pathway that comprised 13 ICC regional tournaments during 2010 and 2011 and saw the involvement of over 90 ICC Associate and Affiliate members. The 72-match format has been designed to give the best sides every chance of making the final," ICC Global Development Manager Tim Anderson said.

According to the tournament format, the sides that top the two groups will feature in the 1st Qualifying Final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on March 22 with the winner sealing a place in the ICC World Twenty20, to be staged from September 18 to October 7.

Meanwhile, the sides that finish second and third in the two groups will play cross-over matches. The two winners of those matches will progress to the Preliminary Final to be played on March 23 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The 2nd Qualifying Final -- for the second spot in the ICC World Twenty20 -- will take place on March 24 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium between the loser of the 1st Qualifying Final and the winner of the Preliminary Final.

The winners of the two Qualifying Finals will play in the tournament final on March 24 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Sportsperson of the Year: Sachin Tendulkar from India

2011-12-16T07:15:00.000-08:00

Is there any surprise here? Sachin might well be the sportsperson of the decade, if not the last two decades and indeed, for a better part of this millennium for India. As compatriot and starry-eyed fellow player Virat Kohli put it, for the better part of 20 years, Sachin has carried the burden of a nation's expectation on his shoulders alone.

For having inspired a nation to put aside its religious, linguistic and other like divides aside every time he picks up the willow and takes centrestage on the cricket ground, Sachin Tendulkar, teen prodigy turned the player who defines the 'gentleman' part of the gentleman's game, is this year's sportsperson of the year, his elusive 100th ton aside.

Dravid bats for Test Championship and day-night Tests

2011-12-15T04:28:00.000-08:00

Rahul Dravid delivered an astounding speech at the the annual Sir Donald Bradman Oration for 2011 at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. The Indian batting star covered a range of topics and made a strong point about why cricket needs to find a way to accommodate all three formats.

The 2nd highest run-getter in Tests also spoke about the effect Sir Donald Bradman had on him, and in fact, every Indian cricket fan while also saying that "the Indian cricket team is in fact, India itself, in microcosm." "The Indian cricket team is in fact, India itself, in microcosm.

A sport that was played first by princes, then their subordinates, then the urban elite, is now a sport played by all of India," the former Indian captain said.

Dravid who became the first foreigner to deliver a speech at the event added the Indian cricket teams presents a view of the country itself with myriad languages and cultures. "In this last decade, the Indian team represents more than ever before, the country we come from - of people from vastly different cultures, who speak different languages, follow different religions, belong to all classes of society," he said. "I went around our dressing room to work out how many languages could be spoken in there and the number I have arrived at is: 15 including Shona and Akrikaans." He however said that, in spite of the variety he thoroughly enjoyed his stint as the national skipper: "Most foreign captains, I think, would baulk at the idea. But, when I led India, I enjoyed it, I marvelled at the range of difference and the ability of people from so many different backgrounds to share a dressing room, to accept, accommodate and respect that difference.

In a world growing more insular, that is a precious quality to acquire, because it stays for life and helps you understand people better, understand the significance of the other," he said. Dravid said that while it was tough to allocate an equal number of games to all formats, a 'middle path' should be found to reduce 'the merry-go-round that the players find themselves in' "Cricket must find a middle path," Dravid said. "It must scale down this mad merry-go-round that teams and players find themselves in: heading off for two-Test tours and seven-match ODI series with a few Twenty20s thrown in." The newly appointed Rajastan Royals skipper said it will be a challenge for the administration to draw crowds for Test cricket and that day-night Tests could be the answer. "Test cricket deserves to be protected, it is what the world's best know they will be judged by. Where I come from, nation versus nation is what got people interested in cricket in the first place. When I hear the news that a country is playing without some of its best players, I always wonder, what do their fans think? "People may not be able to turn up to watch Test cricket but everyone follows the scores.

We may not fill 65,000 capacity stadiums for Test matches, but we must actively fight to get as many as we can in, to create a Test match environment that the players and the fans feed off. Anything but the sight of Tests played on empty grounds," he added. "For that, we have got to play Test cricket that people can watch. I don't think day-night Tests or a Test championship should be dismissed. In March of last year I played a day-night first-class game in Abu Dhabi for the MCC - and my experience from that was that day-night Tests is an idea seriously worth exploring. There may be some challenges in places where there is dew but the visibility and durability of the pink cricket ball was not an issue," he said. The quintessential batsman also supported the idea of a Test Championship saying it would drive players and teams to be more competitive.

"Similarly, a Test championship, with every team and player driving themselves to be winners of a sought after title, seems like it would have a context to every game. Keeping Tests alive may mean different innovations in different countries - maybe taking it to smaller cities, playing it in grounds with smaller capacities like New Zealand has thought of doing, maybe reviving some old venues in the West Indies, like the old Recreation Ground in Antigua," the 38 year old said.

Zaheer khan back for Australian batsmen

2011-12-15T04:23:00.000-08:00

With a gruelling four-Test series against Australia ahead, India pace spearhead Zaheer Khan on Thursday said he is prepared for the challenge and determined to get in the "best state of mind". "I am all prepared for it. I am feeling confident, I have done every bit possible to get my fitness up and just looking forward to playing some matches now," said Zaheer. The left-arm pacer reiterated that he wanted to focus on his strengths rather than pondering over the conditions and the quality of batsman in the opposite camp. "Just want to focus on my strengths rather than worrying who am I going to bowl, what is going to happen, what kind of wickets I am going to bowl on. It's all about me thinking about my bowling and fitness and get in the best state of mind to perform well for team India," Zaheer said. "I have played few first class games back home which went well, I have enough bowling under my belt so just want to focus on my cricket now," he added. Zaheer stressed on the importance of hitting the right areas to keep the batsmen under check and said the practice games ahead of the all-important series will help the bowlers to explore the right length. "As a bowler its all about getting in the right areas, if you are hitting the right length, if you are able to get the ball moving, then you are going to trouble any batsman in the world," he said. "It is about increasing the percentage of getting the ball in the right areas which is going to cause trouble to the batsman. For bowlers it is important to try and work out which length to bowl on this track," Zaheer stressed. Zaheer also said it will be important for the batsman to get accustomed to the conditions. "For batters also it is important to get used to the conditions. I am sure from batting point of view also it is going to be an important match," he said. The 32-year-old, who skipped India's two-day warm-up match against CA Chairman today, heaped praise on the young Umesh Yadav for his three-wicket haul at the Manuka Oval. "Its good to see him bowl 140 plus which is really important and I am sure that wickets here are definitely going to suit his style of bowling because wickets are going to produce that extra bit of bounce," Zaheer said. "Its still early days for him, the more he plays the more he will learn. So its all about exposure at this level. I am sure with time to come he will learn more things as well," he added.

The Best chance to beat Australia Down Under: Dhoni

2011-12-13T01:45:00.000-08:00

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni reckons that the upcoming four-Test series is his team's "best chance" of upsetting Australia in their own backyard but will not take them lightly despite their recent slump. India and Australia will square off from December 26 in a highly-anticipated series in which the visitors seem to have a good chance given the struggle through transition that Michael Clarke's men are enduring. On a day the Indian players head Down Under, Australia were upstaged in a Test at home by New Zealand for the first time in 26 years. "Even last time we had a very good chance and we did perform well. It is not like that the opposition is not doing well (but) it will be the best chance for us," Dhoni told reporters in a pre-departure press conference here in Chennai. "We have to play to the kind of talent that we have got and not worry about such things. We need to work on our strengths and weaknesses. We are more concerned about where we need to work on and not worry about what kind of opposition we are playing," the skipper stated. India's two first-choice pacers, Praveen Kumar and Varun Aaron, were ousted due to injuries even before the tour started but Dhoni insisted that led by the experienced Zaheer Khan, bowling will click Down Under. "Our bowlers are talented. Of course, when you do not have your main bowlers you need a bit of time. Once the youngsters play more and more games, that is how they get experienced at the top level. I think talent wise we are there. We have a good exposure for the youngsters who are part of the side now touring Australia," he said. Dhoni took a break from cricket by opting out of the just-concluded ODI series against the West Indies at home and he said he is back a rejuvenated man. "I needed the break and I am happy that I got it. The team also did really well. I am looking forward to the Australian tour," he said. "We have enough time for some preparation also before the start of the first test match that we play. Looking good as of now. Hopefully we do not have too many injuries before the start of the Test series," he added. Asked which aspect of the game the Indian team needs to improve on, Dhoni said, "You want to improve in all three departments (bowling, batting and fielding) always. You have seen cricketers who have been part of international cricket for more than 10 years still believe in improving and they keep improving. It is a constant process and everyone is part of it." He stressed on how important the catches would be and hoped that Indian fielders, certainly not the best in circuit by his own admission, would latch on to catches that come their way in Australia. "We would like to improve in all the three departments. Catching will be very crucial. Last series that we played in India we did not have so many catching fielders. We need to have a bit more catching fielders. They say catches win matches, which is true. So that will be one of the areas where we have to work on. On big grounds, running between wickets and trying to keep the batsman on strike are also necessary. All these small things help you put pressure on the opposition," he explained. Despite the couple of injury setbacks before the tour, Dhoni hoped that players would remain fit through the gruelling tour, which also features a tri-nation ODI series in February-March. "If you see the injury list, it is quite blank as of now. More often than not, the 15 or 16 who are in the team will be ready for selection to play. That takes a bit of the pressure off and you need not worry about the playing eleven that much and most of players get their berths on merit. Apart from that, if you see, the batting lineup is quite the same. Bowling wise we have got Umesh Yadav who can bowl over 140 kmph. I think it looks like a good pack. We need to do well on the field rather than looking at it as to how we look on paper." he said. Tours to Australia almost always include a bit of controversy, the ugliest of which was perhaps the 2008 'monkeygate scandal'. The two protagonists of the drama, Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, are not part of the series this time and Dhoni hoped that there wouldn't be any face-offs of that kind. "We will try to keep the fireworks off. Someone like Virender Sehwag starts playing their game, then there will be fireworks on the field. Not on the verbal side but with the bat and if the bowlers are going the ball will do the talking. Hopefully, we will keep the controversy away," Dhoni said. Indian coach Duncan Fletcher, who was also present at the media interaction, said having around half a dozen players including Sachin Tendulkar early in Australia will work to India's advantage. "We have sent some of the players early to Australia. By putting up two warm-up games you hope that they adapt during that period of time. Probably it is not easy enough. Perhaps at the nets if they give us the same set of quality and from that they will be able to adapt enough. We will see when we go in to the first Test." he said. On Zaheer's fitness status, given his history of breaking down on long tours, Fletcher said, "From the reports that I get, Zaheer had come to Mumbai and bowled at the nets there and he looked impressive. I think it is very important that he looked to be in very good condition from what we saw in him even when he came to England. Secondly, he has got these two games. It will be preparation for him. We do not want to rush him too quickly. The one three day game there, will be important for him before the first Test." he added.

Sehwag's record-breaking 219

2011-12-09T04:02:00.000-08:00

Quite naturally, the only memory that will remain of the India vs West Indies 4th ODI is that of Virender Sehwag smashing his way into the record books with 219 bludgeoned runs, but along the way Sehwag also crossed the significant landmark of 8000 ODI runs. Sehwag is on the cusp of 8000 Test runs too and it's a safe bet that he will end his career with 10,000 runs in both forms of the game. Another facet that completely escaped notice during Sehwag's innings was that in terms of balls faced, the 149 that he lasted today was the longest Sehwag has ever batted in ODIs. His previous best was during the opening match of the 2011 World Cup where he batted for 140 balls while bludgeoning 175 runs against Bangladesh. Given that Sehwag had stated before the World Cup that he would aim to stay for the full 50 overs at the crease - and given the devastating results when he does stay for long - this is a welcome sign for the Indian team. It also means that if Sehwag continues to have innings where he aims to last the full quota of overs, he could have another mammoth score soon to join in the list of best ever scores in ODI cricket.

Dhoni's security heightened

2011-12-07T21:59:00.000-08:00

Ranchi, Dec 8 (IANS) Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's security has been beefed up in Jharkhand following intelligence inputs on threats to him from the Maoists and terrorists, a police official said here Wednesday.

Dhoni arrived in Ranchi, his home town, last week with his wife Sakshi.

'We are not taking any chances. There are inputs of threat to Dhoni from the Maoists and terrorist groups. Based on the input we are taking appropriate measures to beef up the security of Dhoni,' a Ranchi-based police official, who did not want to be named, told IANS.

'We have received directives from the police headquarters to beef up Dhoni's security. Commandos of Jharkhand Armed Police will be deployed in his security,' the official said.

Security personnel in plain clothes have already been deployed near Dhoni's house in Harmu housing colony. They will move along with Dhoni within the state.

West Indies beat India in 3rd ODI

2011-12-05T22:39:00.000-08:00

Ahmedabad, (Reuters): Rohit Sharma's sparkling 95 was in vain as West Indies beat India by 16 runs in the third One-Day International to stay afloat in the five-match series at Ahmedabad's Sardar Patel Stadium on Monday.

Having dropped Sharma on 33, West Indies skipper Darren Sammy redeemed himself with a direct throw in the 44th over as India, chasing 261 for a third successive win that would have sealed the series, folded for 244 in 46.5 overs.

Sharma's 100-ball knock, which included 10 hits to the fence and a six, was his third successive half-century in the series which his team lead 2-1.

Ravi Rampaul (4-57) derailed India's chase almost as soon as it began by removing the scoreless duo of captain Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir with his first two deliveries.

Sehwag edged to depart caught behind while Gambhir was trapped leg before, leaving India tottering on eight for two wickets.

Barring opener Parthiv Patel (39), none of the Indian top order batsmen could do justice to their reputation and it was Sharma's 91-run seventh-wicket stand with Ravichandran Ashwin (31) that took India near the target.

West Indies were put into bat and Marlon Samuels top-scored with a sedate 58 but it was the unbeaten 79-run stand between Sammy (41 not out) and Andrew Russell (40 not out) off 5.4 overs that helped West Indies to overcome a sluggish start and post 260 for five.

The visitors lost opener Lendl Simmons (1) in the third over and were also denied the service of another in-form player, Darren Bravo (26), when the batsman retired hurt with a hamstring problem.

Samuels tried to steady the innings but the run rate nosedived, prompting him to go after Umesh Yadav in the 19th over, hitting the bowler for a couple of fours and a six.

West Indies lost three cheap wickets to slump to 181 for five in the 45th over before Sammy paired up with Russell to provide the late surge to power them past 250.

Sammy hit Abhimanyu Mithun for two sixes and as many fours in the 49th over, while Russell struck two fours and a six off the final over sent down by Yadav.

West Indies milked 93 runs off the last seven overs and 43 off the last two. Indore hosts the fourth One-dayer on Thursday.

Tendulkar likely to play the last two ODIs against WI

2011-12-05T00:40:00.000-08:00

His 100th international century eagerly awaited across the nation, veteran Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar is likely to play the last two one-dayers against the West Indies.

Tendulkar, who failed to reach the milestone despite coming close at least twice during the Test series, might be selected for the last two matches of the ongoing ODI series when national selectors meet on Monday.

India leads the five-match rubber 2-0 with the third ODI scheduled here on Monday.

Tendulkar had been rested from the squad for the first three matches but sources say the 38-year-old wants to play the remaining two matches of the series scheduled on December 8 and 11 in Indore and Chennai respectively.

The Kris Srikkanth-led selection panel will meet on Monday to pick the squad for the remainder of the series besides picking injured pacer Praveen Kumar's replacement for the upcoming four Tests against Australia.

Tendulkar's last international century came on March 12 during a World Cup group league match against South Africa at Nagpur.

It has been more than eight months that the entire nation has been waiting with bated breath for the elusive century.

The last missed opportunity came in the third Test against Caribbeans when Tendulkar was dismissed six runs short of the milestone.

India look to seal series against Windies Today

2011-12-04T22:26:00.000-08:00

Ahmedabad, Dec 5 (IANS) India would look to seal the series against the West Indies when they they clash in the third One-dayer at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium in Motera here Monday.

For the visitors, it will be their last chance to keep the five-match series alive. The Carribbean team has given a good account of themselves in the two ODIs but inconsistency has brought their downfall.

After losing the second match, despite bouncing back in a stellar fashion, West Indies captain Darren Sammy's blank expression said it all. 'We just can't get over the line though. Sooner rather than later we can get that final push.'

'We'll keep our head up and come strongly at the Indians again,' Sammy said.

For that, West Indies will have to sort out their batting problem that has troubled them througout the Test and ODI series. Another inexplicable collpase at Visakhapatnam left them tottering at 5-163. Lendl Simmons and Ravi Rampaul bailed the team out with gritty knocks. Rampaul smashed an unbeaten 86, hitting the Indian bowlers all over the park.

India had a shaky start with stand-in captain Virender Sehwag, Parthiv Patel and Gautam Gambhir leaving early. But Virat Kohli and Rohit sharma played with maturity to see the team home. Kohli hit his eighth ODI century while Sharma again showed that he has learnt his lessons after being dropped.

Another high point for India was the bowling of the pacers. Youngsters Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar and Varun Aaron bowled with pace and swing, exploiting the conditions, and pinning down the West Indies batsmen.

Sehwag may not be scoring runs, but his captaincy has come as a whip of fresh air. Quite like his batting, he has been aggressive with his captaincy. He always had fielders in catching positions that put pressure on the West Indies batsmen. There were no easy runs on offer.

Teams:

India: Virender Sehwag (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Parthiv Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Abhimanyu Mithun, R.Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Rahul Sharma

West Indies: Lendl Simmons, Adrian Barath, Marlon Samuels, Darren Bravo, Danza Hyatt, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy (captain), Andre Russell, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Anthony Martin, Sunil Narine, Kieran Powell, Jason Mohammed.

Tendulkar and Dhoni rested for West indies Tour

2011-11-25T22:01:00.000-08:00

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, leading the side in the ongoing Test series against the tourists, has been rested for the entire series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement on Friday.

Hard-hitting opener Virender Sehwag will lead the team in Dhoni's absence.

Tendulkar, with 51 hundreds in Tests and 48 in one-day internationals, came close to scoring the 100th century before falling for 94 in the ongoing third and final Test in Mumbai on Friday.

All-rounder Yuvraj Singh was not named in the 15-man squad for the opening three matches as he was not fit. "Yuvraj was not considered for selection as he has informed that he is not fully fit," the BCCI said.

The opening one-day international starts in Cuttack on November 29.

India's one-day squad for first three matches:

Virender Sehwag (capt), Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Parthiv Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Rahul Sharma.

short of six to sachins 100th 100

2011-11-25T08:42:00.000-08:00

Mumbai, November 25, 2011 (AFP) - Sachin Tendulkar fell agonisingly short of an unprecedented 100th hundred while Ravichandran Ashwin hit a maiden century as the third Test between India and the West Indies headed for a draw on Friday.

Tendulkar scored a superb 94 and Ashwin a robust 103 in only his third Test before India were bowled out for 482 in their first innings in reply to the West Indies' 590 on the penultimate day.

The tourists were 81-2 in their second innings at stumps for an overall lead of 189 with eight wickets in hand, with teenager Kraigg Brathwaite (34 not out) and Darren Bravo (27 not out) at the crease.

Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who opened the attack, removed Adrian Barath (three) and Kirk Edwards (17).

India, needing 391 to avoid the follow-on, were struggling at 331-6 before Virat Kohli (52) and Ashwin added 97 valuable runs for the seventh wicket at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Ashwin also became the third Indian after Vinoo Mankad and Polly Umrigar to grab five wickets in an innings and score a century in the same Test. He hit two sixes and 15 fours in his 118-ball knock.

It was the first time in the history of Test cricket that 11 half-centuries or more were scored in the first innings of a match, with the West Indies making six and India five.

Tendulkar looked set to complete a century of centuries as he had been timing the ball remarkably well before he attempted to drive paceman Ravi Rampaul on the up and was caught by Darren Sammy at second slip.

While the West Indies celebrated the huge success, the "Little Master" walked back dejectedly and nearly 15,000 cheering spectators suddenly fell silent at the 32,000-capacity stadium.

With the spectators applauding each run from Tendulkar and chanting "Sa-chin, Sachin", the batting star started the day with an attacking stroke when he flicked Rampaul past square-leg for a four in the opening over.

Tendulkar, 67 overnight, continued to play attractive shots as he straight-drove Rampaul for a four and then uppercut paceman Fidel Edwards over the slips for a six to move into the nineties before the disaster struck. He smashed two sixes and eight fours in his 153-ball knock.

Skipper Sammy's words came true a day after he said his team hoped to break a "few Indian hearts" by trying to get local hero Tendulkar out early with a disciplined bowling performance. In fact, his team broke millions of hearts.

It was the 10th time in an illustrious 184-Test career that Tendulkar had fallen in the nineties.

Tendulkar, who scored his 99th international hundred against South Africa in a World Cup match in Nagpur in March, also came close to achieving the feat in the fourth Test in England in August before being dismissed for 91.

India, resuming 281-3, lost two more wickets in the morning as Venkatsai Laxman (32) was caught by Marlon Samuels at gully off Edwards off the first ball he faced and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (eight) was bowled by Sammy.

India lead 2-0 in the series after winning the opening Test in New Delhi by five wickets and the second match in Kolkata by an innings and 15 runs.

Sachin's 100th Century? Big Deal!

2011-11-24T09:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, it has been 10 matches (Tests and ODIs) since Sachin Tendulkar has scored a century, which would incidentally be his 100th international hundred. The expectations around the great man getting to the landmark are huge and every failure to get there - even if his innings was a good one - comes with its share of 'Sachin should retire now', 'I think, Petrol will reach 100 before Sachin does' and the ones used ad-nauseum, 'Sachin isn't a match winner' and 'He's selfish, he plays only for his records'. No one seemed to care about the potentially match winning innings he played during the first match of the ongoing tour against the West Indies. Everyone seemed to be waiting with bated breath for Sachin's hundred so much that they forgot how important his innings was in the context of the game.

For me, the 100th hundred remains just another milestone, not one that merits so much hype. Understandably, for a nation that is crazy about Sachin Tendulkar and statistics, the milestone is a dream come true - 100 is a magical number in cricket, one that every player yearns to reach, and it is only expected that a century of centuries be associated with so much hullabaloo. The achievement however fails to tell us anything new - Sachin still has the highest number of hundreds, runs and matches to his name. If there's one thing that it does, it will show the enormous amount of respect and inspiration Sachin commands around the world - but we didn't really need the hundredth hundred to tell us this, did we?

Getting to 30 tons was a milestone worth appreciating. He had just crossed Don Bradman's tally - the other half in the World's Greatest Batsman Ever debate. The 35th hundred too had a lot of significance, since Sachin had become the person with the most number of hundreds in Tests and that was a reason to rejoice. The 50th hundred? Well, we already knew how good Sachin Tendulkar was. 100 hundreds? About time, can we get on with the cricket please.

India's top priority right now in Tests will be to get back the No. 1 ranking and ensuring that the fans are made to forget the debacle at England (not with a worse one, mind you!). The majority seems to echo these thoughts, with a recent poll on Cricbuzz indicating that India winning was far more important than Sachin's ton. A significant 61% wanted an Indian win even if that meant Sachin failed.

Sachin's career has always been under scrutiny - by people who are waiting to pounce on every opportunity to show to the world that he's the best and by the others who are trying to prove someone else is. These have hardly affected the man, but for perhaps the first time he has shown that he is vulnerable to pressure from outside.

The hype around the 100th hundred unfortunately has been a deterrent to the Master Blaster. Having averaged a brilliant 78+ in Tests last year, Sachin's average has dropped to the forties since his last century, but that includes the disastrous tour to England where no one except Rahul 'The Wall' Dravid managed to hold his own. Sachin's average still does not merit the outrageous calls by many to drop him based on his poor performances or get someone younger in lieu of him. A famous personality on Twitter asked his followers how long it will be before Sachin is dropped for his disappointing show. Unfortunately, this clearly shows the obsession we have towards records and statistics - It's a hundred and no less that is expected from Sachin. A stellar batting effort to save the game or a gritty knock to help the team avoid follow on, etc, would hold absolutely no value in relation to a scratchy 100 on a belter of a track. If he fails, people will still reckon it is time for Sachin to hang his boots up because they are unable to wait for him to get to the elusive figure.

It's about time we stop obsessing over Sachin and his around-the-corner ton. The 100th ton proves nothing except what has already been said, written or discussed. There are more important things India have to set their sights on and if Sachin helps India get there with a ton, fantastic!

Tendulkar very closer to 100th ton, Dravid crosses 13,000-run mark

2011-11-24T08:57:00.000-08:00

Mumbai, Nov 24 (IANS) Rahul Dravid Thursday became the second player in the world to score 13,000 runs in Test cricket after Sachin Tendulkar, who himself was 33 short of his 100th international century, as India ended the third day of the third and last cricket Test at 281 for three in reply to the West Indies' first-innings score of 590.

Dravid missed his hundred by a mere 18 runs, though he crossed the thousand runs in the calendar year, and Tendulkar was still there batting on 67 and with him at stumps was V.V.S.Laxman on 32.

All the top-order Indian batsmen, barring Virender Shewag (37), got half-centuries, Dravid top-scoring with 82 (149 balls, 11x4) was involved in two good partnerships -- 71 for the second wicket with Gautam Gambhir and 86 runs for the third with Tendulkar.

Gautam Gambhir (55) and Sehwag gave India the customary rousing start, knocking up 67 runs at over five runs an over, after off-spinner Ravichandran Aswhin (5/156) picked up his second five-wicket haul as the West Indies innings came to a close within 15 minutes of the morning play.

Sehwag brought up the 50 of the innings, greeting Darren Sammy with a huge six over the covers.

Sammy, however, was rewarded for his accuracy in his third over when he pitched it just short of driving length and it nipped back enough to rattle Sehwag's stumps. This was the third time the Indian opener was dismissed by the West Indies captain in the series.

India were 74/1 at lunch break, and in the second session Gambhir and Dravid got going untroubled. Dravid reached the milestone of 13,000 runs with a classic drive for four off Sammy as he moved from 19 to 23.

Gambhir reached his half-century with a lofted shot over mid-wicket off Sammy and a ball later struck the medium-pacer to the on for a four.

The re-introduction of fast bowler Ravi Rampaul did the trick. Gambhir looked good for a big innings when he tried to hook a bouncer and was adjudged caught behind. The Delhi batsman was seen shaking his head as he walked off and the TV replays and snickometre were not conclusive.

In walked hometown hero Tendulkar to a rousing welcome from the crowd in the hope of his hundredth international century. Even he looked confident and secure, timing his shots to perfection till an intended late-cut off Devendra Bishoo was dropped by Carlton Baugh.

He was on 58 then, but there was no hint of such an aberration as he drove off Rampaul for four or upper-cut Fidel Edwards sailing 15 rows into the stand for a six.
Dravid was also in great touch, getting to his half-century off 99 deliveries, and was on his way to his 37th Test century. Unaccountably, he tried to cut off-spinner Marlon Samuels and missed. The ball took the bail off.
Earlier, the West Indies, resuming at 575/9, survived just 3.1 overs before their innings folded up, last man Bishoo being bowled by Ashwin, who finished with five for 156.

Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI Punjab Highlights IPL 2010 Cricket Highlights

2010-03-19T04:04:00.000-07:00

Match No 12: Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI Punjab
Date: – Sunday, 19th March, 2010, TIME: – 20:00 IST
Venue: – Barabati Stadium, Cuttack

Watch Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan Chargers Live Score IPL Cricket Highlights 2010 here. Deccan Chargers will be holding their ground against King XI Punjab on Friday, 19th March, on Barabati Stadium, Cuttack. Deccan Chargers will be looking forward to thrash King XI Punjab, as the win would improve their standings in the series.

Deccan Chargers captained under Gilchrist have shown better presentation in the last match against Chennai. It was good to see players like Symonds, and Gibbs back in form. As well as a pretty decent knock by the captain himself, helped the team to stand tall. Bowlers like Vaas and Ojha have really executed well in the matches.

King XI Punjab would be on the field on Friday with their confidence on the lower side. They haven’t won a match in the series till now. Though, the players Bopara, Manvinder Bisla, and Piyush Chawla showed some potential in their performances. The team is yet to show some achievement and this game will be another chance for them.

Delhi Daredevils vs Chennai Super Kings Highlights IPL 2010 Cricket Highlights

2010-03-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

Match No 11: Delhi Daredevils vs Chennai Super Kings
Date: – Sunday, 19th March, 2010, TIME: – 16:00 IST
Venue: – Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

Watch Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils Live Score IPL Cricket Highlights 2010 here. We will be a spectator of yet another exciting match on Friday, 19th March on Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, where Delhi Dare Devils will be standing against Chennai Super Kings.

In the previous match all the strategic planning has failed due to the injury of the captain Gautam Ghambhir. Dinesh Karthik as replaced the skipper. Though the Delhi Devils failed to stand their ground against Mumbai but they will be coming up with a different planning and strategy against Chennai.

On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings’s captain was also injured during the previous encounter with Kolkata. Suresh Raina will be replacing Dhoni for the mean time but the past matches shows that Dhoni himself has been playing captains knock so it is understandable that the team will feel his absence. Whereas, Players like Matthew Hayden and Raina haven’t been in good knock in the previous matches. These are the key players to the side and their performances are much important for the team to win.. DD vs CSK Live Score

Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals Highlights IPL 2010 Cricket Highlights

2010-03-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

Match No 10: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals
Date: – 18th March, 2010, TIME: – 20:00 IST
Venue: – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore – Karnataka

Watch Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Live Score IPL Cricket Highlights 2010 here. Royal Challengers Bangalore will play against Rajasthan Royals on Thursday, 18th March in M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore. There will be obviously high hopes for Royal Challengers as their previous performance was a rocking one.

The players like Kallis, Uthappa and Pandey adds some class to Royal Challengers Bangalore as suggested from the previous match. Their performance made the task of chasing 200 runs an ease. Moreover, players in the middle order like Kohli, Morgan and others can add up to make this team a better one.

Rajasthan Royals, after loosing 2 consecutive matches will have their confidence on the lower side. But they need to perform well as they hold their name as the Champions of very first IPL. It depends on their opening pair Asnodkar and Smith, to deliver their best to survive in the series. RR vs RCB Live Score: Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Rajasthan Royals Live Score, Highlights 2010 will be placed below.
Watch Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals live streaming Online IPL 2010 Score

Even Delhi Daredevils fans salute the mastery of Sachin Tendulkar

2010-03-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

The two counties sit cheek by jowl on the map of England while Mumbai and Delhi are 1000 kilometres apart, leading to a divergence in culture and mindset that can only be experienced, not explained. Let’s just say that Mumbai is Mumbai, and Delhi is Delhi and never have the twain met.

For more than six decades, players from the two cities have hissed and growled at each other behind the façade of fair play on the field; occasionally they dropped the façade to come to blows even though they played for the same India team! The venerated Wisden Almanack reveals that India lost the 1974 to England 0-3, but the root of that whitewash could be traced to Mumbai versus Delhi.

You might wonder why and how all this has relevance in the IPL which has players drawn from all over the world, as indeed local cross-over players. Like Delhi lad Shikhar Dhawan who plays for Mumbai Indians and Mumbai’s Avishkar Salvi who assists Delhi Daredevils. Of course there is no relevance, but why should that matter? In the hype around the IPL, anything that adds to the hoopla goes.

So much so that Kieron Pollard, the 22-year-old giant from Jamaica who set the cricket world abuzz by being sold to Mumbai Indians for an undisclosed sum in a secret tie-breaker after several franchises had been deadlocked over the maximum permissible pay-out of $750000, was sucked into the Mumbai-Delhi tug-o-war shortly after he landed. “Huh! What? Yes, big deal,” he said – or words to that effect – looking bewildered when asked how he felt about this celebrated rivalry.

Pollard was the cynosure of all eyes when he took the field, and by the end of the evening, his franchise owners, India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, may have been convinced that the money had been well spent even if he did not quite rattle the Qutb Minar with either bat or ball. There have been several high priced-duds in the IPL yet – Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, at upwards of 1.5 million USD per year among the more notable – but Pollard just might be able to even things out a bit because he comes with no prima donna baggage.

But to get back to the match, For the second time in succession, Mumbai topped 200, this time exceeding it by 18 runs to make Delhi’s task of running down the target seem like running up a 218-storey New York skyscraper in one breath. The breath, alas broke, when Tillekratne Dilshan was bowled by a swinging Yorker from his teammate `Slinga’ Malinga, and when Sehwag fell shortly after, Delhi were not just broken for breath, but had gone bust, losing by a whopping 98 runs.

Mumbai’s total was built around a masterly 63 from Sachin Tendulkar, with useful support from young tyros Saurabh Tiwary and Ambati Rayudu. If these names don’t ring a bell now, remember you read them here first when they become stars. Nobody, of course, was a patch on Tendulkar who didn’t hit a single six in the innings, yet had the best strike rate of all, showing that mere big hits is no substitute for genius.

Even Delhi’s partisan crowd went into raptures at this performance from the Little Master, who must remain the only cricketer from Mumbai to be accepted wholeheartedly in Delhi. In that sense, Tendulkar unites India like perhaps nobody before.

Since I am also from Mumbai, I would have liked to end this piece with a hurrah, except for one niggling worry. There have been four major casualties already in the IPL. Graeme Smith and Dmitri Mascarenhas have gone home because of injury, M S Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir could be out of commission for a week and more. And there are still six more weeks remaining in the tournament. The workload on cricketers and the frequency of injuries must alert administrators that itineraries need to be better planned.

The funny part, of course, is that within a fortnight of the IPL finishing the T20 World Championship starts in the West Indies. This was supposed to take place once every two years, but this will be the third edition since the first one in South Africa in September 2007.

Warne describes Yusuf’s whirlwind knock the best ever

2010-03-18T05:45:00.000-07:00

The third edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) came alight with a magnificent 37-ball century from Yusuf Pathan of Rajasthan Royals against the star-studded Mumbai Indians, featuring two of the most lethal fast bowlers of the world, at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, on March 13.

It went to the credit of Mumbai Indians, captained by Sachin Tendulkar, to have still managed to win the game despite the crack Yusuf had at their bowlers.

Yusuf’s superb knock was acknowledged by his skipper Shane Warne who described it as the best innings he's seen in his 21-year career.

"I have played cricket for 21 years and I have seen Sachin Tendulkar as the best batsman against whom I have played as he has murdered attacks and hit them all over the park. But today was the best innings I have ever seen," Warne, the greatest spin bowler of all-time, observed.

"From a situation of 37 for 3 in seven overs and chasing 213 and come so close thanks to a 37 ball-100. It's a special innings. We believe we can win from anywhere. We just have to sort out our batting in the first six overs. In the last two IPLs we have won more games than anyone and we have won more close finishes," the legendary Warne remarked.

Another genius, Tendulkar, who himself recently rewrote history by scoring the first-ever double century in One-day Internationals, also hailed Yusuf's knock as very special and said he was aware of his ability to spark such a turnaround.

"It was a special innings from him, but even the effort from Sathish to get him run out was special. Before he came in and played that knock, I thought we would win this match with ease, but that's the beauty of this great game. You can never take anything for granted. I knew Yusuf was in great form and if he connects the ball well, the target was achievable," the master complimented.

Yusuf was still disappointed for not having secured a win for his side but he was gladdened by the comeback staged from a precarious position.

"I made an error because of which we lost, else we would have won. We're sad right now but we are also very happy that we played good cricket apart from the extras we conceded. When such flat wickets get made, records get broken and runs get scored. We will learn a lot from this loss and there is not a lot to worry as this is a long tourney," he said.

Yusuf, with his lusty hitting, was chiefly responsible for bringing his team back into the game after they had looked dead and buried while chasing a formidable total of 213 in 20 overs. When they needed something around 150 from the final 10 overs the odds heavily favoured the fielding side.

By having blasted nine fours and eight sixes he turned the tide and his team held the upper hand when the target was down to 19 off 12 balls. But his run out in the closing stages proved decisive and Mumbai won the dramatic encounter by four runs.

Future stars ready to lock horns in New Zealand

2009-11-25T08:56:00.000-08:00

The ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2010 will be getting underway on the birthday of a man called Rahul Dravid. While the stars of the future from all over the globe will start their campaign on January 11 the Indian batting great will be lighting 37 candles on his cake to celebrate the day.

The start of the tournament on the birthday of Dravid, one of the greatest-ever batsmen, could be a source of inspiration for the Indian young guns entering the big event as the defending champions.

Defending champions India will open its campaign against qualifier Afghanistan at Bert Sutcliffe Oval, near Christchurch on the opening day of the competition with Pakistan facing the West Indies in Palmerston North and the 2008 runners-up South Africa taking on Ireland in Queenstown.

Besides the 10 full members, there are six Associates and Affiliates teams taking part, having won through their respective regional qualifying tournaments as well as the global qualifier, which was held in Canada in September.

Meanwhile the U-19 Cricket World Cup 2010, to be contested by as many as 16 teams, was officially launched in Dunedin, New Zealand, on November 23.
The ICC Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat, pointed to the competition’s track record as a launching pad for future stars.

“It’s been shown over and over that a number of players come through this event, and very shortly afterwards they are on the international arena in a meaningful way,” the ICC Chief Executive remarked.

Speaking at the launch function at University Oval, Dunedin, he recalled some of the current stars who have come up through the under-19 ranks, including New Zealand’s own Ross Taylor, who captained the national U-19 side at the 2002 event.

He also noted the swift rise of South Africa opener Hashim Amla, who went on to full honours after playing in the 2002 tournament in New Zealand, and fast bowler Wayne Parnell, who played in the 2008 tournament in Malaysia.

“Wayne Parnell had hardly finished playing at the Under-19 level when he was picked in the international side. This reflects the close migration from the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup tournament to the international stage,” Haroon Lorgat observed.

He emphasized the importance of the ICC U-19 CWC and described it as one of the flagship events of the global game.

“It’s an extremely important event for us at the ICC. We have pencilled this in as one of our major events going into the future. The ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup deserves to be put alongside the ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC World Twenty20, ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Women’s World Cup. This ICC U-19 CWC is the most important event that those under-19 players will play at this stage in their careers,” he stated.

He confirmed that the ICC was committed to growing the profile of the tournament, and was in negotiations to boost the level of television coverage for the event that will already see matches carried to a global broadcast audience of millions.

He expressed his total satisfaction with the preparations for the tournament, noting that New Zealand Cricket had an excellent track record of hosting major tournaments, including both the U-19 CWC (in 2002) and the ICC Women’s World Cup (1982 and 2000).

Countdown to mega event begins

2009-11-13T21:29:00.000-08:00

The World Cup remains the most prestigious of all the cricket tournaments and the International Cricket Council (ICC) regards it as its flagship event.

The first-ever Cricket World Cup was staged in England in 1975. It was described as an instant success and England went on to host the event in 1979 as well as in 1983. The other cricket playing nations then expressed the desire to organize it and the ICC has had to follow a rotation policy since then.

The World Cup came to the sub-continent in 1987-88 and it reached Down Under in 1991-92. It returned to the sub-continent in 1995-96 with England hosting it again in 1999. The action moved towards Africa in 2002-03 and the flame of cricket reached the Caribbean Islands for the first time in 2006-07.

Now the sub-continent will be the hosts once more in 2010-11 with the tournament to be held from February 17 to April 2. The countdown for the mega event has begun and the functionaries of the ICC and the Tournament Organizing Committee are ready to meet the challenge.

A ceremony was held in Mumbai on November 9 in which the fixtures of the 2011 World Cup were allowed well in advance.

Sharad Pawar, Vice President, ICC, and Chairman, Organizing Committee, very rightly pointed out that the match schedule announcement would allow all stakeholders to start planning their tours.

“The announcement of the match schedule for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is an exciting development as not only does it allow all our stakeholders to start planning their tours but it will also remind everyone that we are getting closer to the staging of the biggest event in world cricket, where the leading cricketers from all over the globe will battle it out for the top prize in the game,” he remarked.

“The sub-continent offers some great facilities for the cricketers, spectators, sponsors and media, and with some brand new stadia to be built and others to be upgraded, the match schedule will allow the venues to focus on the task at hand to plan and implement their preparations and ensure they are ready to welcome the world to this beautiful, historic and cricket-loving region in 2011,” Pawar noted.

The ICC Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat, believed that the announcement of dates was an important indicator of the excellent progress they were making towards staging their flagship event.

“The match schedule will allow the teams, commercial partners, spectators and media to commence with planning their tours. Preparation of venues and safety and security planning continues and I am confident that the host countries will showcase our great sport with its great spirit in the best possible light,” he observed.

“The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 will be the ICC’s next 50-over tournament after the highly successful ICC Champions Trophy 2009 in South Africa. And with plenty of high-quality matches played since that event concluded last month, I’m convinced that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in the sub-continent will further cement the status of ODIs and once again illustrate one of cricket’s greatest strengths – that with Tests and Twenty20 Internationals alongside ODIs, we have three viable, vibrant and successful formats of the game at international level,” the ICC chief added.

“The sub-continent has hosted high-quality events in the past, including two ICC Cricket World Cups in 1987 and 1996, and we are committed to stage another world-class event in 2011, one which will be memorable and enjoyable for all,” Tournament Director, Prof Ratnakar Shetty, said.

“However, the announcement of the match schedule will mean that the venues hosting the matches will have to meet their timelines to ensure everything is ready for what we believe will be a superb spectacle and a great advertisement for the sport which has a huge following in the sub-continent,” he pointed out.

AUSTRALIA won by 3 runs in 5th ODI leading 3-2

2009-11-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

Amazing finish to an amazing match! Australia held their nerves towards the end in a tight situation and they hence win by just 3 runs. They now lead the 7-match series 3-2 with couple of games to play. India were chasing a mammoth 351 in their 50 overs but they still got closer with Tendulkar smashing a scintillating 175 off just 141 balls.

The home side were off to flying start with Sehwag (38) again playing a cameo upfront. The middle order failed miserably but Raina (59) got together with the Little Master and build on a stunning stand that almost took their side through. Jadeja (23) played a crucial role as well but again poor running between cost him his wicket. Once again, towards the end, the last wicket was almost there before a risky second got Kumar run out which sealed the victory for Australia.

The wicket was absolutely great as there were 697 runs scored on it. But still, debutant McKay and Watson bowled beautifully picking up three wickets each which counted a lot in the end. Hang on for the presentation news..

Sachin Tendulkar is awarded the Man of the Match for his outstanding innings of 175 that took India and the match that closer. He seemed pretty disappointed that he couldn't win the match even after scoring that many runs.

Batsman should fire in 5th ODI

2009-11-04T09:49:00.001-08:00

With the seven-match series tantalisingly poised 2-2, India will have to overcome its batting shortcomings when they go into the crucial fifth cricket one-dayer against a spirited but depleted Australia here on Thursday.

The Indians, seeking to dethrone Australia from the number one spot in world rankings, will be strengthened by the expected rerun of Gautam Gambhir, who had to skip last match due to a neck injury.

Although the left-hander Gambhir`s presence will lend solidity to the top order, the worrying factor for the hosts has been the lack of good starts in the series so far.

Clearly the onus is on the Indian batsmen to deliver the goods on a track which according to the curator has plenty of runs to offer but will also aid the bowlers.

Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar have put on stands of 25, 21, 37 and 40, and the home team would be hoping this can be extended to something closer to the hundred mark which would be the ideal platform for Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni and Raina to launch a blitz later on.

Tendulkar is on the verge of reaching another milestone in his glittering career as he his just seven runs short of touching the 17,000 run-mark and the champion batsman would take inspiration from the moment to score big.

"We failed as a batting unit. We should have batted the full 50 overs but that was not possible because we kept losing wickets at regular intervals," India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had said after the defeat in the previous match.

While the Indians have their task cut out for the flood-lit encounter the Aussies have been grappling with a spate of injury problems ever since the series began.

The latest to join the casualty list is Peter Siddle, who has returned home because of a side-strain. They have already lost the services of pace spearhead Brett lee, stumper Tim Paine, and all-rounder James Hopes.

Dhoni`s men did a remarkable turnaround after narrowly losing the first ODI at Vadodara but a shoddy batting display in the fourth match saw the hosts handing back the advantage to Ricky Ponting`s outfit.

Another batting failure could spell disaster in tomorrow`s match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium at Uppal as the team that wins the clash is sure to hold a huge advantage in the final outcome of the rubber, with the last two ties scheduled at Guwahati (day) and Mumbai (day/night).

Henriques picks up injury, not to play in Hyderabad
Moises injury a new headache for Oz: Nielsen
Ponting creates confusion over Siddle`s injury
Henriques returns, Australia induct McDonald and Cockley
Oz struggling to field eleven players at Hyderabad

Gambhir`s presence in the line-up has become a crucial one as he brings in the virtue of patiently working the ball into the gaps and rotating the strike to the other stroke-makers in the team.

The Delhi left-hander can change gear as per the needs of the situation and has been the calming influence in the top- order while skipper Dhoni has taken over this job in the latter part of the innings.

What the Indians would be hoping for is explosive opener Sehwag`s longer stay at the crease as he has rocketed off with a flurry of boundaries but continues to lose way in the 30s and 40s.

If he and Tendulkar, can give a better start than what they had done thus far, the others can cash in on the inexperienced and injury-hit Australian bowling attack.

India`s bowling has been a mixed bag with Ishant Sharma, in particular, blowing hot and cold.

The pick has been left-arm paceman Ashish Nehra whose display in the beginning as well as the end of the Australian innings has been outstanding.

Praveen Kumar has been steady while off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has also shown improved form after an indifferent start to the series.

The visiting team`s pace attack has lost a bit of bite after losing very impressive Siddle and they would hope Mitchell Johnson, who has been inconsistent, to put up an improved show.

Doug Bollinger has impressed in the absence of his seniors colleagues and off-spinner Nathan Hauritz has also done well though he lacks support in the middle overs.

In batting too, the Australians have depended on skipper Ponting and his deputy Michael Hussey to a large extent while Shane Watson`s all round display at Mohali must have gladdened them.

Left-handed Hussey, in particular, has become the thorn in the India`s flesh as he has smashed three half-centuries in four matches to frustrate the hosts.

The Teams (From):

Australia: Ricky Ponting (C), Michael Hussey (VC), Doug Bollinger, Nathan Hauritz, Jon Holland, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Cameron White, Clint McKay and Moses Henriques.

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra, Sudeep Tyagi, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja.

Hours of play: 14:30 to 1800 IST and 18:40 to close of play.

Opening the door for American Cricket

2009-11-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor today suggested that cricket series between the arch-rivals India and Pakistan could be organised in a neutral venue like the USA.

Pointing out that the USA has many cricket enthusiasts, Tharoor, who had his education in that country, today hoped that an Indo-Pak cricket series would well be appreciated by the public there.

"We have a large patriotic population of both Indians and Pakistani in the USA and a handful of cricket enthusiasts as well. That`s a very, very good way to organise cricket in third countries when terror strikes have stopped cricket between the two countries," Tharoor said.

"It will be terrific to see a baseball stadium in the USA crowded for a cricket match, though the stadium will be small by cricket standards," he added.

"There is a lot at stake in Indo-Pak rivalry as there is some historical baggage (of Partition). There is a greater degree of detachment among spectators which makes Indo-Pak cricket so exciting," said Tharoor, who has co-authored a book `Shadows Across the Playing Field` with former Pakistan Cricket Board chief Shaharyar Khan.

Recalling the resumption of Indo-Pak cricket in 2004 that was termed as a friendship tour, Tharoor said, "For the first time so many cricket visas were given. The atmosphere was so good among fans."

"In earlier days, a total of about 200 used to be quite competitive. Now the standard has gone up. Test cricket is considered as the highest degree," Tharoor said.

"If there is any record in this ongoing seven-match India-Australia series, it will not linger much in your memory, but an achievement in Test cricket has an embedding quality which would be remembered for 40-50 years," Tharoor said.

Tharoor was speaking at the launching ceremony of his book in the city.

Dhoni and Yuvraj played excellent to give India 2-1 lead

2009-10-31T23:51:00.000-07:00

An implausible 148-run partnership between Yuvraj Singh and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni sailed India through the turbulent 3rd ODI, beating Australia by 6-wickets and, thus, taking a 2-1 lead in the 7-match Hero Honda Cup series on Saturday.

Interestingly, this is also the 100th ODI between the two teams, and the first day-night match ever of the stadium.

After Australia posted a competitive 229/5 largely built around Michael Hussey’s unbeaten 81, Yuvraj (78) and Dhoni (71 not out) played their innings brilliantly to guide the team home with 10 balls to spare in a relatively low-scoring contest.

Both the batsmen started cautiously on a difficult Feroz Shah Kotla strip before unleashing a barrage of strokes in a record fourth wicket partnership, which took the game away from the hapless visitors.

The capacity crowd at the Kotla burst into celebrations as Suresh Raina hit Mitchell Johnson to the boundary to bring about the winning runs, leaving the world champions in a daze.

Yuvraj and Dhoni stitched a record 148-run partnership against Australia in India, eclipsing the previous best of 119 between Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir in the last game in Nagpur.

The dashing left hander perished after putting India within sniffing distance of victory, but Dhoni ensured that there were no further hiccups.

Both the teams will now travel to Mohali for the fourth game to be played on Monday.

Indian openers milked 12 runs off the first over with Sachin Tendulkar hitting Mitchell Johnson for two boundaries – one past cover and the other clipped to the square leg boundary.

Playing in front of his home crowd, Virender Sehwag (11), however, looked strangely subdued. Even when he middled the ball, he did not find gaps and to make it worse, the hard-hitting opener was hit on his foot by a Peter Siddle yorker in the eighth over which had him in pains, needing the physio’s attention.

When play resumed, Sehwag slashed Johnson for his only four but three balls later, he had his middle stump uprooted by a Johnson express that simply crashed through his defence.

Hit on his neck while fielding that prompted him to leave field, Gambhir walked out to hearty applause but he too found boundaries were not easy to come by as the Australians maintained stiffling line and length and did not hesitate to throw themselves around to cut short boundaries.

It took India 13.2 overs to reach 50 and a batting collapse was just round the corner with Johnson again in the thick of things as it was a rude shock for the hosts who slumped from the comfort of 37 for no loss to 53 for three inside 16 overs.

Tendulkar, who was content running hard between wicket in absence of easy boundaries, could not beat Johnson’s direct throw from mid-off and perished in his quest for a risky single.

It was a sad end to his 47-ball knock of 32 and Tendulkar didn’t even wait for the third umpire’s verdict before starting the long walk back.

Two runs later, Nathan Hauritz’s second delivery turned sharply to beat Gambhir’s (6) defence and clipped off-stump to silence the entire stadium.

The team in dire strait, captain Dhoni joined Yuvraj in the middle with a herculean task ahead of them and both showed willingness to toil for every run as boundaries dried up.

Both Yuvraj and Dhoni played cautiously as they went about the job of rebuilding the innings and were quite content to keep the scoreboard moving with gentle pushes and nudges.

Yuvraj picked up young Moises Henriques for special treatment by clobbering him for a six and a delectable boundary in the same over. In the very next over, he spanked Adam Voges for a six and a four off consecutive deliveries to notch up his 42nd ODI half century.

Earlier, electing to bat, Australia were well served by Hussey who gauged the conditions well to crack an unbeaten 81 while Ponting produced a fighting 59 to steer the visitors to a competitive 229 for five.

While Shane Watson (41) also chipped in with an useful contribution, none of the other batsmen could hang around for long on a pitch which was not conducive for strokeplay.

Ponting, opening the innings for only the second time in his career, and Shane Watson provided a solid start to the innings with both the batsmen playing cautiously on the slow track.

Watson, however, began on an aggressive note by square cutting paceman Praveen Kumar to the point boundary in the last ball of the opening over of the day.

Both Ponting and Watson curbed their natural strokeplay and took their time to adjust to the low bounce of the pitch which had produced a number of low-scoring matches during the recent Champions League.

The two Aussie openers were showing signs of accelerating the pace of scoring when part-timer Yuvraj provided the breakthrough to the home team.

Watson was smartly stumped by Dhoni as he stretched forward to counter the spin which brought an end to the 72-run opening partnership. His knock of 41 was studded with five boundaries.

The experienced Hussey then joined his captain in the middle and the two seasoned players went about consolidating the position for the team with a risk-free approach.

Ponting, who looked quite comfortable at the middle, soon notched up his 72nd ODI half-century but could not survive long after that as he fell prey to Jadeja.

Ponting was trapped in front of the wicket by a Jadeja delivery which kept a trifle low and umpire Sanjay Hazare had no hesitation in ruling him out.

The hosts struck in the very next over when another part-timer Raina evicted Cameron White with Dhoni taking the catch after fumbling for a long time. White was, however, distinctly unlucky as the television replays showed that the ball had hit his pads before going to Dhoni.

From a comfortable 128 for one, the visitors suddenly slumped to 129 for three, bringing some life back into the game.

Voges joined the action after White’s brief stay at the wicket and took the score to 172 before becoming Harbhajan Singh’s first victim with Praveen latching on to a brilliant catch.

However, some lusty hittings by Hussey in the fag end of the innings took the visitors to a decent total.

Dhoni stars in a fabulous win in 2nd ODI

2009-10-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

It was all about Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on October 28. He played the innings of his lifetime that enabled India to erect their highest-ever ODI total against Australia. Then he led from the front in the field until he himself whipped the bails off to run out the last man to signal the end of the match.

The skipper was the star of India’s most comprehensive win over Australia for quite some time. The Indians needed something as awesome as this one to stamp their authority over the Aussies whom they have been giving tough time for a number of years now.

The Indian cricket fans would remember the day for a long time as they watched the Aussies being floored decisively by a determined outfit who outplayed their fancied rivals in the two key departments of the game, batting and bowling.

It doesn’t really how many qualified coaches do they hire and how many youngsters do they blood, the standard of Indian fielding remained as dismal as it has mostly been over the years. Their batting and bowling has improved in leaps and bounds but fielding is an area that remains a cause of concern for them all along.

The Indians are fortunate to have been blessed by so many outstanding batsmen and bowlers at the moment. No other team possibly can be expected to win a game if they field as poorly as they do.

What a pity that they could still not raise their spirits in the field when in the driving seat. The Australians were always going to struggle while chasing a target of 355 against a potent bowling attack.

The Indians would have won the match by a much bigger margin if their fielding was upto the mark. The manner in which Praveen Kumar misfielded more than once was shameful of an international cricketer. He made a mess of a catch in the deep that should have been nothing more than a regulation catch near the fence. Instead he gifted a six to Shaun Marsh much to the dismay of left-arm spinner Ravindu Jadeja who was bowling exceptionally well.

The catching technique of Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh in the outfield also left a lot to be desired. Even the schoolboys in Australia and South Africa are expected to take the catches that they dropped.

The Indians should be indebted to their captain for not having lost his cool even with those dreaded lapses in the field by the celebrated members of his team. He made near perfect bowling changes to ensure that the match was never opened.

Earlier in the day Dhoni entertained the crowd with one of the greatest ODI innings. Coming in to bat at number five he initially consolidated the innings with Gautam Gambhir and then cut loose in the company of Suresh Raina. He scored 124 off 107 balls to power India to their highest-ever total against Australia.

India have ability to beat Australia

2009-10-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

Harbhajan Singh says India have what it takes to beat Australia in the ongoing one-day series and promised to be his aggressive self while playing against the World Champions.

"I believe if we play to our potential we will win 5-2. It is very important for me to do well. I am most happy when the situation demands that I perform well for my country," Harbhajan told an Australian daily.

The off-spinner is struggling to get back his touch as a bowler but was impressive with the willow as he blasted a 31-ball 49 in the first match to steer India close to win though the hosts lost by four runs in the end.

"It would have been nice to win the game with the bat but, obviously, when you come so close from nowhere it is quite satisfying. Next time I will make sure that we win."

A win in the series would ensure India number one spot in world rankings.

The turbanator insisted that taking the bull by horn is the only way to tackle the Australian team.

"It is always fun to play Australia. There is something about it that seems to make me lift to a higher level. I am a confident person and it helps me when I play against the best team in the world.”

"It brings the best out of me. They like to dominate and intimidate but I just give it back, just believe in yourself," he said.

Nagpur stadium READY for 2nd ODI

2009-10-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

Nagpur: Stadium in Nagpur has been decked up to host second match of the seven-one-day international cricket series between India and Australia.

The Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) in the city will be hosting the first day and night match, the second of the seven-one-day match series on October 28.

The stadium officials said the security of the cricketers and the spectators is very important and so they have taken all measures to ensure that.

“All the areas which were earlier not covered with the close circuit television (CCTV) surveillance like parking, inside stadium, peripheral gates, all have been covered with the CCTV surveillance. This has been added this year. Apart from this, the security remains very tight, every spectator will be under cover,” said Sudhir Dabir, coordinator, Vidarbha Cricket Association.

The stadium, which has the capacity for 44,000 spectators, has sold most of the tickets.

The enthusiasm among the cricket lovers has not taken a beating despite the defeat of the home team in the first match.

The fans said they hope their side not only to win the second match but also the whole series.

“Obviously Sachin Tendulkar is there. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and some of the new players are also in good form. So, we hope that the India not only wins the second match but the whole series,” said Jayant Mangrulkar, a resident.

Australia beat India by four runs in a thrilling first match of the one-day international on Sunday in Vadodara.

The other matches will be played in New Delhi (Oct. 31), Mohali (Nov. 2), Hyderabad (Nov. 5), Guwahati (Nov. 8) and Mumbai (Nov. 11).

Batting becomes crucial in ODIs

2009-10-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

After playing a nail-biting series-opener, rival captains Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ricky Ponting acknowledge that batting power-plays have become crucial as it can influence the result of a one-day match.

India lost the first ODI of the seven-match series by a narrow four-run margin against Australia here yesterday and both the captains said that performance during the power-plays can have a bearing on the match.

Chasing 293 to win, India were quite comfortable at 167 for three at one stage but the script changed when skipper Dhoni opted for batting-power play and ended up losing four wickets in that period.

“We lost wickets during power-plays, too many in fact. That was the turning point. If you don`t have enough wickets in hand you cannot cash in on the power-play,” Dhoni said.

He also defended his decision to take power-play a little early -- between 35 and 39 overs -- saying that conditions demanded that move.

He reckoned that in sub-continent conditions the batting power-play can be best utilized against a hard ball, so when ball got changed he opted for it.

“In the sub-continent you want the ball to be hard as once the bowlers work on the ball they get reverse swing going and once it happens it`s difficult to force the pace.”

“The momentum happens when the ball is hard and new. At the end of the day you don`t want the difference between balls (remaining) and runs (to be scored) to be around 30 or 35,” he reasoned.

Australian skipper Ponting admitted that his team take power-plays seriously and do adequate planning.

“We got to get it right as it can cost you a game as you saw it today (Sunday). We have been guilty of it in the last few games that we have played.”

“When we take our Power Play, we have generally lost a wicket in the first over. We lost one (Cameron White) to the second ball of our PP today. India lost one first ball.”

“If you lose wickets in a Power Play, it slows you down and makes it almost irrelevant,” Ponting said.

Ponting also wondered why batsmen do not play orthodox shots during power-plays but just throw their bat at each and everything.

“Once the field comes in, you think you have to hit a six every ball. If you still play normal cricket shots, like you do in Test matches, you can still hit the ball through the field and it travels pretty quickly,” he said.

India & Australia Battle for supremacy

2009-10-24T22:04:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started watching cricket, I always considered Pakistan as the only arch rival India had. But the scenario has changed to a big extent in recent years and now the one side I want to see India facing is Australia.

This change can be attributed to various reasons, like the poor form and lackluster performance by the Pakistan side (the last time they toured India, a journalist called their side consisting of carbon copies of originals), and to a big extent the controversies India-Australia series have witnessed in the recent times; well who can forget the famous “Monkey-gate row”.

It is not that India-Australia matches were as dead as a dodo earlier; I still remember the 1996 World Cup match in Wankhede Stadium where Sachin Tendulkar was stumped by Ian Healy on 90 off the bowling of Mark Waugh. It may have looked like just another dismissal of the Master Blaster but for me it was a dramatic scene from a Shakespearean play where Julius Caesar was stabbed in the back by Brutus. What it (Sachin’s wicket) meant for Australia was clear once they started celebrating his wicket and indeed they won the match which was otherwise slipping out of their grip.

Two more instances that cut across my mind, came in the Titan Cup (a triangular series featuring India, Australia and South Africa) in 1996 where India had two close encounters with Aussies. India cruising to a close victory in the final over, bowled by captain Sachin Tendulkar, and Australia losing the match by just five runs.

But it was in the earlier match of the series where all the drama happened; Azharuddin given out leg before when he was not and Bangalore crowd going berserk and disrupting the match and then it was Jadeja running himself out after colliding with the bowler and Australia deciding not to call him back. India’s all hopes almost crashed when Sachin fell to a Steve Waugh delivery.

Call it mere coincidence or an appropriate end when India cruised to victory, courtesy a ninth wicket partnership between Kumble and Srinath with their moms cheering them from the stands and it was a Dussehara (I am not comparing Aussies to demons).

Since then I have not seen any controversy-free India-Australia series. Another important thing is the level of cricket between the two teams which has only gone up.

Though cricket is full of anecdotes and I am not short of them, in a flashback of the incidents that happened between these two teams in last one decade, I can just recall Shane Warne bowling in the rough to Sachin Tendulkar and Ian Healy chanting “bowling Shane” relentlessly, later Sachin thrashing Warne with his paddle sweeps and jumping out of his crease to loft him over his head to long on and hitting against the spin over midwicket boundary.

And who can forget Sachin’s two back-to-back centuries against Australia in Sharjah in April 1998. Though his 143 in a league may not have won India the match but ensured them a berth in the final of the triangular series, it is still considered one of his best innings in the ODI format. And his 134 in the final coincided with his birthday. The memories of his lofted sixes off Kasprowicz, Tom Moody and Shane Warne are still fresh in the minds of all cricket lovers.

While many would be thinking that it is an article more about Sachin, let me tell you, for a long time India-Australia series meant Sachin versus Australia. It is for everyone to see how Sachin’s best performances have come against Australia.

India’s tour to Australia in 1999-00 may have been a disastrous one with India’s challenge proving to be a damp squib, as they lost the series 3-0. The series also had its share of controversies with Sachin being given leg before wicket after being hit on the shoulder while ducking a McGrath delivery and later Tendulkar being awarded the Man of the Series award.

I can just recall the failure of the Indian batting line up and Sachin batting to avoid follow-on and India’s southpaw Sourav Ganguly getting out to part time bowler Greg Blewett. The only shining moment for India came in the Sydney Test when VVS Laxman scored 167 in a losing cause. But very few people knew that he would become a nemesis for Australians in times to come.

After Mark Taylor failed to conquer on Indian soil, it was the turn of his successor Steve Waugh, who came here in 2001 and called it his final frontier. The highlight of the series was but of course VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid’s partnership in the second Test at Eden Gardens. VVS Laxman’s 281 is till date considered the best inning by an Indian player. But the series also saw the emergence of Harbhajan Singh claiming 32 wickets in three Tests, prompting Aussies to name him ‘Turbanator’.

Again the series saw Aussies hurling verbal abuses at Indians. In the first Test, it was Michael Slater abusing Rahul Dravid after latter refused to leave the pitch. Later it was McGrath who used his verbal volleys on Sachin as he continued to drive him in the off side. Then in the Kolkata Test when Laxman and Dravid batted all day long, the Aussies started calling them ‘Mr Leavers’.

While in its last two tours to India, Australia won in 2004-05 against a depleted Indian side, though the series could have ended in a draw had it not rained on the final day of Chennai Test, while in their last outing Australia lost 2-0.

It was India’s tour to Australia in 2007-08 that raised the rivalry to a new level. The Harbhajan-Symonds verbal spat and again some controversial decisions were unforgettable instances of the series. Being called ‘racist’ by none other than Aussies proved to be bit too much for the nation. The emotions across the nation reached such a level that calls were made to leave the tour mid way and series being declared null and void.

However, cricket enthusiasts went overboard and started burning effigies of Aussie players and umpires which was uncalled for.

The Test series was completed and India surprised everyone by winning the one-day series, courtesy Sachin Tendulkar. India had left out Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid from the ODI squad and later, even Sehwag was dropped from the series.

It has been more than a decade since I have been following the India-Australia encounters closely. While many things have changed, one thing that has remained unaffected is Sachin Tendulkar.

It was in 1994 when the Little Master scored his maiden ODI century against the same opposition in Sri Lanka. Life has come to a full circle for Indian cricketing icon, remaining unaffected by age. The mainstay of Indian batting is till a class apart and is still winning matches single handedly.

Aussies who are out to avenge their defeat on the home turf from Indians in the CB series last year are also wary of the fact that the one player who stands between them and a series win is again going to be the Indian Batting Maestro.

But the two areas where Aussies were always two steps ahead of Indians were their fielding and fast bowling. On the other hand, Indians always relied upon their spin attack and strong batting line-up, which always faltered on fast and bouncy pitches. Indian team was high on skill and low on fitness and for Aussies it was more or less the other way around.

The new Indian youth brigade is a few notches up when it comes to fielding and overall fitness, but when it comes to skills they are novices to say the least. Getting filthy money from IPL, Champions League and TV commercials, the young guns don’t seem to bother even after losing their place in the side. Even mediocre players with poor commitment and poor skills make it to the national side. With conditions favouring the hosts, it is expected to be a close fought series and India’s complacency can prove to be their bane. If only Sachin can rub off his qualities on his teammates as well…

Players are injured but fit for first ODI

2009-10-24T01:07:00.001-07:00

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Saturday that despite being hit by injuries, Team India is prepared for its campaign against Australia that starts on Sunday.

Briefing the media after the news of Gautam Gambhir’s injury starting doing the rounds, Dhoni said that many players in the team are indeed facing trouble with their fitness, but also assured that the issues are not that serious.

“We (Team India) are hit by injuries, but most players will be fit for tomorrow,” said Dhoni ahead of the first ODI against Australia that will be played on Sunday.

Four crucial players in the Indian team are currently hit by injuries.

While Gambhir injured himself in the head during net practice in Vadodara on Saturday, captain Dhoni injured his knee while practicing on Friday.

Reports also claimed that Virender Sehwag was too hit on the chest accidentally while practicing on Friday, due to which, he also missed the session on Saturday. Dhoni, however, attended the session.

Apart from these, all-rounder Yuvraj Singh’s injury too is a major setback for the team.

Dhoni said that though it is still unclear if Yuvraj will be able to play the first ODI, he is sure to participate in the second match.

The sacking of fielding coach Robin Singh and bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad has also left the team stranded. However the captain courageous said that the team must not mourn the loss of specialized coaches and have to prepare themselves with the provisions they currently have.

Not disclosing the possible Playing XI for the first ODI, Dhoni said that the team will play 5 bowlers in the match.

Misbah disappointed at his omission from all formats

2009-10-24T01:02:00.000-07:00

By the look of things Misbah-ul-Haq has been jolted with his omission from the Pakistan squads for the upcoming series of One-day Internationals, Twenty20 Internationals and Test matches against New Zealand.

The Pakistan squads were announced on October 22 and it appears as if Misbah was simply unaware of the line of thinking of the members of the national selection committee. His ‘informers’ were probably caught napping. Otherwise he might not have reacted so sharply when he came to know about his exclusion.

If Misbah had any idea of the selectors ruling him out from every squad he might have been tempted to use political channels to stay in the team.

There’s also a possibility that the decision to drop him was somehow kept a secret or the selection committee received the go-ahead signal from the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) at the eleventh hour.

Whatever the reasons of his sacking, whether right or right, the selectors have certainly been embarrassed because on the same day Misbah scored an unbeaten 153 for Sui Northern Gas Company Limited (SNGCL) against Lahore Shalimar at the LCCA Ground in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy to dispel thoughts of loss of form.

I don’t think it’s going to be the end of the road for Misbah in international cricket as some of the commentators have passed the pressure. In fact I won’t be surprised if he regains his spot in the team even during the upcoming series against New Zealand.

The ball is in the court of Misbah and if plays his cards sensibly, besides scoring heavily and consistently in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the selectors might be prompted to recall him for the Test series later this year. If he could not be sent as replacement to New Zealand, he will be a strong contender for the series against Australia that follows soon afterwards.

There is plenty of cricket ahead for Pakistan in the next 12 months and Misbah can’t be written off so soon. He has the potential to stage a comeback. With Pakistan now playing even their ‘home’ matches abroad there’s greater chance of a vacancy being created in the batting department.

Misbah did have a poor run in all the three formats last year, after being so successful the year before, but he still has a lot to offer and there’s every chance for him returning to the national team sooner than later.

Misbah is a mentally tough character. He has shown his worth against strong teams after making a dramatic comeback in the international arena during the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007. He very nearly earned the crown for Pakistan almost single-handedly.

He then consolidated his position in the Test team by playing some fabulous knocks on Pakistan’s last tour to India in 2007-08. He became a permanent member of the team but with the return of Mohammad Yousuf and the advent of newcomers like Umar Akmal and his own form declining, the selectors now have given him a break.

Misbah would be hoping that this indeed is just a break and he could return with a bang in not too distant future.

Confident Australia not to underestimate India

2009-10-23T01:23:00.000-07:00

For a change there’s no war of words on the eve of an important series. It was becoming a tradition to say something that provoked the opposition and then a debate ensued on irrelevant matters.

Thankfully Ricky Ponting didn’t fire any shots in the air and his carefully worded media briefing in Mumbai on October 21 reflected the maturity expected of a captain who must be feeling at the top of the world after sterling performances with a youthful squad at his disposal.

The Australians, having thrashed England 6-1 in the ODI series before retaining the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa earlier this month, take on India on their turf in a series of seven One-day Internationals starting on October 25.

Australia, with their recent triumphs, have regained their number one status in the ODI rankings with India not very far behind at second position. So the series is actually a battle between the top two teams of the world at the moment.

Ponting, unlike the past, talked very positively upon his arrival in India and the message was loud and clear that his team was there to play cricket and avoid unnecessary controversies. It was a pleasant surprise to watch the Australian captain acknowledging the strength of their opponents instead of highlighting their weaknesses.

Ponting is obviously very keen for his Australian one-day side to continue their spectacular form into the Indian series.

"We have been playing very good one-day cricket for the last few months, beginning from the England tour, and we want to continue with that. We could not have done better than what we did in the last few one-day games. But we have a fresh set of challenges here," the Australian skipper remarked.

"India has a very good and strong one-day team and we are not underestimating them. We are the number one and number two teams in the world which points to an entertaining and good contest over the next few weeks. We just need to keep improving and be at our best right through the series," Ponting added.

He did not mince words in stating that he will have to shoulder additional responsibility in the absence of his deputy Michael Clarke due to a back injury. Also missing the ODI series are wicket-keeper Brad Haddin, batsman Callum Ferguson and left-arm quickie Nathan Bracken.

"The challenge will be how our middle-order batsmen cope with playing spin bowling over the next few weeks. Mike Hussey has played a lot of cricket here. Shane Watson and Tim Paine play spin well. I am confident the team will do a very good job," Ponting, in terrific form of late, hoped.

"I have played some of my best one-day cricket over the last few months. A lot of responsibility is on my shoulders as the number three batsman in the team," he conceded.

"We have always enjoyed playing in India and our rivalry over the last few years has been growing which is good for the world game," Ponting pointed out.

Indian outfits made scapegoats

2009-10-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

It’s really unfortunately on part of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to have been a party to the exercise of minting money at the cost of their own players.

One could understand the eagerness of the BCCI in getting a major event staged on their soil after the shifting of the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to South Africa at the eleventh hour due to security concerns following the blasts in Mumbai late last year.

By the look of things the BCCI appeared determined to host the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 contest by hook or crook. They are believed to have pioneered the idea of holding a tournament among the national champions in the shortest version of the game in different parts of the world.

There was nothing wrong with the idea. But did the cricket world need to invent yet another tournament at a time when the international calendar is already packed with far too many events? Wasn’t excessive amount of cricket already going on in nearly every part of the world?

The leaders of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the movers and shakers in the BCCI must have thought otherwise when floating another international event in the middle of a crowded schedule.

Probably they don’t realize that the game of cricket is getting flooded with events and the players are the worst sufferers. The quality of the game would indeed decline if the cricketers are kept engaged in the field day in and day out. The administrators of the game need to draw a line somewhere.

The role of the BCCI has often been criticized for compromising on the interests of the game for the sake of commercialism. I think they have done greater damage to the cause of their own cricketers by holding the Champions League that could easily have been avoided.

The lackluster performance of the three Indian participating outfits, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils suggested a certain amount of doubt in the minds of the cricket followers of the globe.

People having an insight of the game had a feeling the Indian teams were ‘pushed’ by certain quarters not to go beyond a defined line. In other words they were advised if not ordered to just play the tournament without making a serious attempt to win it.

It could not be mere coincidence that neither of the Indian teams could make it to the semifinals. All the three sides were pretty strong, packed with match-winners. Their below-par performance must have disappointed the crowds.

There’s also a feeling that the BCCI might have gone overboard in their pursuit for being generous hosts. They might have even given an assurance to the foreign Boards that their teams will not only be looked after well in India but they would also be obliged with inconceivable results.

It would look quite odd to have non-presence of a home team in the semifinal line-up. It may not be a cause of concern for the officials of the BCCI but the cricket crazy nation of one billion inhabitants would of course miss their stars in the knockout games.

Younis Khan stays as captain

2009-10-20T04:27:00.000-07:00

Uncertainty and unpredictability go hand in hand with Pakistan cricket. Nothing could be taken for granted in this part of the world. A captain can still be removed from office even after having performed beyond expectations and people can still get away with it after having taken the laws in their hands.

There were indications that the head of Younis Khan was to be put on the chopping block after Pakistan returned from South Africa, having made it to the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy against all odds.

The conspirators became proactive and the impression was being given that Younis had become a spent force and he needed to be replaced by someone as enterprising as Shahid Khan Afridi.

Even a few of the members of the Governing Body of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) were openly lobbying for Shahid and they were not afraid to publicly criticize Younis for his performance or the lack of it in the just concluded Champions Trophy.

With the PCB members seeking his blood, Younis must have been under enormous pressure when he confronted the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Sports in Islamabad.

In fact he had arrived there ready in all respects. He had done his homework in the interim period. He appeared mentally prepared to face the criticism from the Standing Committee after the provocative statements prior to the hearing.

He might have been pleasantly surprised to be cleared of any wrongdoing after all that drama that surrounded the hearing but he still decided to submit his resignation to the PCB Chairman, Ijaz Butt, who was also present on the occasion.

It could have been a pre-planned move because this allowed Younis to hog the limelight once more and silence the guns that were being targeted at him. All of a sudden he became so innocent and the PCB Chairman acted according to the plot.

Soon afterwards Younis had a one-to-one meeting with the PCB Chairman in which he is reported to have demanded more authority and a long-term tenure in lieu of taking back his resignation.

The PCB bosses don’t have an option right now. They can’t be expected to pass on the Test captaincy to Shahid Afridi who might struggle to make the playing eleven all the time. Some quarters have pleaded for the reinstatement of Shoaib Malik but that would have been too early at this stage.

With so much of cricket to be played by Pakistan during the next 12 months there hardly is any need for the change of guard in any case. Sacking Younis only because Pakistan lost to New Zealand in the semifinals of the ICC Championships would have been ridiculous.

All seems well now with Younis having taken back his resignation. He is ready to lead the national team once more with the PCB lending him the much needed support. He has been confirmed as the Pakistan captain till the 2011 World Cup, subject to fitness.

"I am very happy right now. The faith that the chairman and the board has placed in me again, it's good to know. The support that I have received from the board and the country through this time has been fantastic," the Pakistan skipper acknowledged.

Champions League T20 - Highlights 2009

2009-10-13T03:33:00.000-07:00

Caribbean champions Trinidad and Tobago made a dream start to the Champions League Twenty20 yesterday when they used a clinical all-round performance to crush Somerset by 44 runs.

Electing to bat first, T&T gathered a sturdy 150 for nine off their 20 overs and then bowled out the English county for 106 in the Group A fixture at Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The result vaulted T&T to the top of the group on net run-rate over Somerset, who had upset Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Deccan Chargers on Saturday.

Set 151 to win, Somerset were under pressure throughout after dipping to 28 for three after six overs.

The effervescent international all-rounder Dwayne Bravo claimed back-to-back wickets, dislodging Marcus Trescothick (3) and Craig Kieswetter (4) and spinner Sherwin Ganga sent back captain Justin Langer (15).

South African Zander de Bruyn stroked an unbeaten 43 but he and Langer were the only batsmen avoiding the ignominy of single digit scores against a rampant T&T bowling attack.

Bravo led the way with four for 23 off four overs in a clinical T&T bowling performance.

Man of the match Sherwin Ganga picked up two for 16 off three overs with his off spin and left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed bagged two for 18 off four overs.

Earlier, T&T got a rousing start from their free-scoring opening batsman Lendl Simmons and William Perkins.

The cricket's Champions league - CLT20 2009 has kicked off with a boom. Some smashing cricket has been observed throughout the series. With T20 matches in action, sixes, fours and wickets are so common which make every moment of the game exciting. If you missed some matches, you can watch free video highlights online.

Watch Champions League T20 Highlights video:

On www.live-criket.blogspot.com: The official website broadcasts the free video highlights of each and every match. You can watch the highlights video

Sehwag means business

2009-10-12T04:30:00.000-07:00

The incomparable Virender Sehwag has shown once more that his batting talents are second to none. He has had a layoff from international cricket for reasons beyond his injury but his critics should know that he has lost none of his skills that make him the most feared batsman in the world. He has probably become wiser now as far as shot selection is concerned.

Sehwag was close to his best while playing for Delhi Daredevils against Wayamba at his home ground, Feroz Shah Kotla, in the Champions League Twenty20 Tournament 2009 on October 11.

Delhi desperately needed to overpower Wayamba in order to stay afloat in the competition after having lost their opening game to Victoria a couple of nights ago. The pitch wasn’t conducive to free flowing strokes yet Sehwag was the man they looked forward to in the crunch game.

Gautum Gambhir won the toss for the second game running and he had to make sure that the advantage was capitalized unlike the previous match when Delhi couldn’t even post one hundred while batting first.

The state of the pitch was very much in the minds of the batsmen and it was truly reflected when the flamboyant Sri Lankan opener, Tillakaratne Dilshan, played out the first over without troubling the scorers. It was a rare sight watching a maiden over being bowled and that too inside the powerplay session. Chanaka Welegedara deserved the credit for having kept Dilshan quiet.

Sehwag, who opened the innings with Dilshan, didn’t take long to open his shoulders and once he was underway the pitch looked full of runs rather incredibly. That’s the magic of Sehwag. He can remain untroubled on the most difficult of strips for two reasons. He has complete faith in his eyesight and secondly the bowlers also don’t have the heart to attack him with the same intensity and purpose as they do with other batsmen.

Dilshan kept struggling in his 16-ball 10 while Gambhir was also short of confidence on pitch whose bounce could not be trusted. But Sehwag kept hitting boundaries and the run-rate didn’t dip.

The enigmatic Dinesh Karthik did his job of feeding Sehwag with the strike and their partnership took the match away from Jehan Mubarak’s side. The ease with which Sehwag caressed the ball to the various corners of the ground was a treat to watch.

A century for Sehwag was there for the taking but as it has happened many times in the past the entertainment for the crowd was cut short against the run of play. Karthik pushed one towards the point region and took off for the quick single. Sehwag responded but he was beaten by the flat throw from Mahela Jayawardene.

Sehwag was run out after scoring 62 off 42 balls with the help of a six and 10 fours. The score was already 112 when he departed in the 15th over. Karthik made up with three consecutive sixes off Ajantha Mendis and the Delhi total reached 170 in the allotted 20 overs.

Glenn McGrath, the Australian fast bowling great, appeared to have derived the inspiration from his teammate Sehwag as was right on the money while returning to the bowling crease after 18 months. Delhi were never in danger of losing the game after the blitz from Sehwag and they lived upto the billing by winning it by 50 runs.

Younis Khan’s head could be on chopping block for wrong reasons

2009-10-11T02:10:00.000-07:00

Intrigues and mismanagement have been part and parcel of Pakistan cricket for a number of years. In the absence of seasoned and committed administrators the affairs of the controlling body of the game have mostly remained in the hands of people with vested interests.

It’s not uncommon in Pakistan cricket to go unpunished after committing blunders and misdeeds. There are also examples of the cricketers having made scaegoats and penalized for the faults of others. The captaincy of the national team has never been a bed of roses and more often than not there have been uncalled for controversies.

I fail to comprehend how Pakistan’s performance in the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2009 in South Africa could be considered a debacle or even below par.

The defeat against New Zealand in the semifinals has been blown out of proportions and an impression is being passed by certain quarters that there was some foul play in it.

I don’t know how those learned members of the Governing Body of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), who are now crticial of the performance of Younis Khan in particular, had taken for granted that Pakistan would be returning home with the trophy in their baggage when the team was actually not even expected to enter the semifinals.

Australia and India were rated among the favourites for the title but these teams were placed in Pakistan’s group. It was nothing short of a miracle that Pakistan forced their way into the knockout stage of the competition against the heaviest of odds.

Pakistan never had an impressive record on the soil of South Africa where the ball seamed and bounced much more to their liking. Yet Pakistan defied all odds to cruise into the semifinals. Beyond that it was always going to be a bonus.

Similarly neither New Zealand nor England were expected to progress beyond the first round in the presence of the likes of South Africa and Sri Lanka in their group. England succumbed to Australia in the semifinals and the New Zealand crashed in the final against the same opponents. There was no hue and cry in any part of the world because that’s how life goes.

When England and New Zealand can feel relaxed after having performed beyond expectations why has Pakistan been denied this luxury? I think the movers and shakers of the game in the country should rise above petty interests and they should rather mobilize their energies in doing things that could lead to the resumption of international cricket in Pakistan.

This is not the right time to displace Younis Khan. Why should he be removed from captaincy when the team has actually come up with much better performance than anticipated. All his moves should not be taken negatively.

He is after all a human being and cricket is a team sport. He can’t be the only reason of the defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the semifinals. He should be given time to recover from injury.

Poor fielding is the reason to loss in CL opener says Kumble

2009-10-09T04:52:00.000-07:00

Bangalore: Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Anil Kumble held his team’s poor fielding responsible for the five-wicket defeat against Cape Cobras in the opening Champions League Twenty20 Group C match here.

A disappointed Kumble also heaped praise on J P Duminy, whose brilliant unbeaten 52-ball 99 saw the South African team through in the first match of the USD six million tournament.

“When you have 180 on scoreboard, it’s always disappointing to lose. JP Duminy batted really brilliantly. We dropped number of catches that might be one of the reason, but there are other things to be looked after,” Kumble said after the match on Thursday.

“The ball was coming lot quicker on the pitch. We thought that the pitch may play slower and it will spin later, but Duminy put up a great fight,” he added.

Asked why he did not hand over the ball to experienced all-rounder Jacques Kallis in the crucial last over with Cobras needing nine to win, the leg-spinner said, “I thought slower ball will work and that’s why I gave the task to Vinay (Kumar), but it didn’t work.”

Meanwhile, his counterpart Andrew Puttick insisted that inspite of a shaky start, he was confident of chasing down the target.

“We were confident of chasing the target. We should have restricted them much earlier. We had a bad start, but Duminy was superb with the bat. If you get one batsman to play throughout the innings, then you can chase any target,” he said.

Duminy, who was adjudged the Man-of-the-match, revealed that looking at the big target he decided to go for all-out attack as it was the only way the Protea side could have won the match.

“Target of 180 was always big and we had to chase it fast and I had only that thing in my mind,” Duminy said.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCH SCHEDULE

2009-10-08T01:58:00.000-07:00

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SCHEDULE:

THE 12 PARTICIPATING TEAMS HAVE BEEN DIVIDED INTO GROUPS OF THREE EACH

The Groups and the schedule:

Group A – Deccan Chargers, Trinidad & Tobago and Somerset
Group B – Eagles, New South Wales and Sussex
Group C – Royal Challengers Bangalore, Cape Cobras and Otago
Group D – Delhi Daredevils, Wayamba and Victoria

Date	Time (GMT)	Match Details	Venue
Oct 8, 2009	10:30	Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Cape Cobras , 1st T20 Match	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Oct 9, 2009	10:30	Eagles vs New South Wales , 2nd T20 Match	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Oct 9, 2009	14:30	Deccan Chargers vs Victoria , 3rd T20 Match	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Oct 10, 2009	10:30	Cape Cobras vs Otago , 4th T20 Match	Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Oct 10, 2009	14:30	Deccan Chargers vs Cape Cobras , 5th T20 Match	Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Oct 11, 2009	10:30	New South Wales vs Sussex , 6th T20 Match	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Oct 11, 2009	14:30	Delhi Daredevils vs Wayamba , 7th T20 Match	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Oct 12, 2009	10:30	Somerset vs Trinidad and Tobago , 8th T20 Match	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Oct 12, 2009	14:30	Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Otago , 9th T20 Match	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Oct 13, 2009	10:30	Victoria vs Wayamba , 10th T20 Match	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Oct 13, 2009	14:30	Eagles vs Sussex , 11th T20 Match	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Oct 14, 2009	14:30	Deccan Chargers vs Trinidad and Tobago , 12th T20 Match	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Oct 15, 2009	14:30	TBC vs TBC , 13th T20 Match	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Oct 16, 2009	10:30	TBC vs TBC , 14th T20 Match	Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Oct 16, 2009	14:30	TBC vs TBC , 15th T20 Match	Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Oct 17, 2009	10:30	TBC vs TBC , 16th T20 Match	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Oct 17, 2009	14:30	TBC vs TBC , 17th T20 Match	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Oct 18, 2009	10:30	TBC vs TBC , 18th T20 Match	Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Oct 18, 2009	14:30	TBC vs TBC , 19th T20 Match	Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Oct 19, 2009	14:30	TBC vs TBC , 20th T20 Match	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Oct 21, 2009	14:30	TBC vs TBC , 1st Semi Final T20 Match	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Oct 22, 2009	14:30	TBC vs TBC , 2nd Semi Final T20 Match	Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Oct 23, 2009	14:30	TBC vs TBC , Final T20 Match	Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad

Australia’s young guns do the business

2009-10-07T03:45:00.000-07:00

In the end it was in the fitness of things that the best team having entered the knockout stage of the competition went on claim the trophy. Yes the Australians were the worthy winners of the title after having proved themselves the strongest of all participating outfits. Ricky Ponting deserved to be crowned again after yet another spectacular performance.

This title win should rank higher and feel sweeeter for the Aussies who managed to do it with a relatively young and inexperienced outfit. They were a much more formidable side when they had clinched the Champions Trophy in India for the first time in 2006 and there was hardly any element of surprise in Ponting having run away with the glittering cup.

Things were different in 2009 when Ponting returned to defend the title. Although they had demolished England 6-1 in the ODI series on the eve of the Champions Trophy they were expected to face tougher challenges with South Africa and India rated as the firm favourites due to a combination of factors.

Obviously nobody was foolish enough to write the Australians off but there certainly were not many people giving them as much of a chance as they had in the past when Ponting used to have the services of master blasters like Adam Gilchrist and Mathew Hayden and champion bowlers like Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

It was an opportunity for the Australian youngsters to come good on the international stage and they rose to the occasion under the able leadership of Ponting whose purple patch with the bat made the difference.

It’s nice of Ponting to have recognized the outstanding performance of the youngsters in helping Australia retain the Champions Trophy with hints of conviction.

"We have gone through some ups and downs in the last 18 months. A number of great players have left and we brought in a lot of young, fresh players. It was great to see some of them stand up and deliver," Ponting was quoted as saying after Australia completed a six-wicket win over New Zealand in the final in Centurion on October 5.

The Australian youngsters did not show signs of nerves and were not overawed by the occasion when New Zealand tried to make a comeback in the game. Fast bowler Peter Siddle and off-spinner Nathan Hauritz bowled exceptionally well at a stage when the New Zealanders were attempting to cut loose.

The Black Caps had opened up the game even while defending a modest total of 200 when they got the prized scalp of Ponting to reduce Australia to 6 for two. It was the 128-run third wicket partnership between Shane Watson and Cameron White that allowed Australia to regain control. "Two young guys at the crease at 6 for 2, it doesn't get any tougher and they did a great job," Ponting acknowledged.

"In the ODI series in England after the Ashes, we did well there to put ourselves in a position where we can give this tournament a little bit of a shake. We've played some great cricket over the last couple of weeks here," the victorious captain noted.

Ponting led from the front and his own batting form was instrumental in motivating his youthful side. His aggregate of 288 was the highest in the tournament earning him a golden. He was also declared Man-of-the-Series award, ahead of Watson, who scored unbeaten centuries in semifinal and final.

TV Channels broadcasting 2009 Champions League T20, CLT20 - Live

2009-10-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

Airtel Champions League T20, the battle of champion teams from different countries is set to begin. ESPNStar has the global media rights for the Champions League T20 for 10 years. Different TV Channels are set to broadcast it live in different countries all over the world.

Here are the TV Channels with broadcasting rights in different parts:

Star Cricket (live) – India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal

Star Sports (live) – India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal

ONE HD (live) – Australia

British Eurosport (live) – United Kingdom

Directv (live) – USA

CBN, ATN Cricket Plus - Canada

Ponting says he is chasing benchmarks set by Tendulkar

2009-10-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

Only the third batsman to amass 12,000 runs in one-day cricket, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting says he is chasing the benchmarks set by veteran Indian Sachin Tendulkar.

Ponting, after scoring a match-winning unbeaten 111-run knock against England last night to take Australia to their second successive Champions Trophy final, paid tribute to Tendulkar, who is completing 20 years in international cricket this November.

"The number of innings of his I have been able to sit back and watch, I think he is an amazing player. Look at his stats and records and it`s quite incredible for someone to have stayed in the game for 20 years," Ponting said.

"He has set benchmarks for guys like me to chase him and get as close as we can. If I had to last 20 years, I would probably be batting in a wheelchair," he quipped.

Ponting is the first Australian and the third overall, after Tendulkar and Sri Lanka`s Sanath Jayasuriya, to score 12,000 runs in one-dayers.

Tendulkar and Ponting, in fact, are the two biggest achievers in batting in contemporary cricket.

Tendulkar has played 159 Tests and scored 12773 runs with 42 centuries and 53 half centuries at an average of 54.58 runs. In one dayers, he has turned out in 430 matches and scored 16903 runs with 44 hundreds and 91 fifties, averaging 44.48.

Ponting, on the other hand has played 136 Tests and scored 11345 runs with 38 centuries and 48 half centuries, averaging 55.88. In one dayers, he has turned out in 323 matches, scored 12043 runs and hit 28 centuries and 70 fifties, averaging 43.32.

Both Tendulkar and Ponting no longer play Twenty20 internationals for their countries.

"It is a nice achievement but I had no idea before the game how many runs I had scored. I hit runs for my country and when my career is over I can reflect on the successes," Ponting said.

After yesterday`s win, Ponting lauded the younger members of his team for contributing to side`s unbeaten run in the ongoing event.

"We have made it to the finals with relatively young guys. Michael Clarke is missing and so is Nathan Bracken. We are peaking at the right time for the finals," Ponting, shared a 252-run stand with Shane Watson (136) last night, said.

For the last five years, Australia has won everything the ICC has put on stake except for the Twenty20 World Cup. Ponting said he takes pride in the side`s performance.

"The key I think is the mix we bring of youth and experience. When senior guys take responsibility, it allows younger guys to learn and find feet at international level," he said.

"We are playing at a level which would win us the big games. We look to play best cricket when it matters," Ponting added.

Ponting`s own form has won him all-around admiration and the right hander credited it to the brief break he took after the Ashes debacle this summer.

ICC World ODI Team of the Year 2009 announced

2009-10-02T02:23:00.000-07:00

Dhoni named as captain for second year running

The ICC today announced its ODI Team of the Year, as chosen by a specially appointed selection panel chaired by West Indian batting legend Clive Lloyd.

The announcement was made at the LG ICC Awards celebration at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg. Presented in association with FICA, the ICC Awards recognise the best international players of the past 12 months.

The ICC World ODI Team of the Year is (in batting order):

Virender Sehwag (Ind)

Chris Gayle (WI)

Kevin Pietersen (Eng)

Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL)

Yuvraj Singh (Ind)

Martin Guptill (NZ)

MS Dhoni (Ind, captain, WK)

Andrew Flintoff (Eng)

Nuwan Kulasekara (SL)

Ajantha Mendis (SL)

Umar Gul (Pak)

12th man: Thilan Thushara (SL)

Six countries are represented in the 12-man line-up and just one player - Mahendra Singh Dhoni of India - also appeared in the World ODI Team of the Year in 2008. Dhoni is named as captain of the team for the second year running.

Chairman of the LG ICC Awards selection panel, Clive Lloyd said: "It was a very difficult task in selecting this year's ODI team but looking at the line-up I feel it has great balance and depth. It would be a formidable team."

Lloyd was joined on the panel by former India captain Anil Kumble, former Pakistan all-rounder Mudassar Nazar, former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming and ex-England wicketkeeper Bob Taylor. Statistics were available as a guide but were not necessarily the overwhelming factor in the choices made.

The ICC ODI Team of the Year was one of two teams selected by the ICC selection panel along with the Test line-up. There were also eight individual prizes given at this year's LG ICC Awards.

The Selection Panel

The LG ICC Awards selection panel was charged with two main tasks: providing a long-list of nominations to the 25 members of the voting academy to cast their votes in the individual player award categories and, using their experience, knowledge and appreciation of the game, select the ICC World Test and ODI teams.

ICC Awards 2009 Announced

2009-10-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan - who sports a beard that has been fashioned with the utmost of precision - fetches the Twenty20 International Performance of the Year award. His 96 not out off 57 balls against the West Indies in the semi-final of the World Twenty20 at The Oval on 19 June was truly sublime.

Holland's Ryan ten Doeschate won this one last year and this time around Canada's Rizwan Cheema, ten Doeschate, Ireland's William Porterfield and the Netherland's Edgar Schiferli are up for the gong. The Irishman bags it and, amidst a heavy accent that most of the audience are left to strain their ears at.

Siddle beat off Hilfenaus, Ryder and Onions to the Emerging Player of the Year award.Siddle is subjected to a gaggle of photographers, who jostle for position and insist: 'Peter, Peter, hold your trophy up high!'

ICC head honcho Haroon Lorgat announces that New Zealand have won the Spirit of Cricket award. Nominees Australia, England and Sri Lanka have lost out. Captain Vettori accepts the accolade and is characteristically humble in his acceptance speech.

Glory for Pakistan and agony for India

2009-10-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

India ’s fate in the ICC Champions Trophy hinged more on the result of the Australia-Pakistan game at the Super Sport Park in Centurion than their own against the West Indies at the Wanderers in Johannesburg .

Both the matches were taking place on the same day (September 30) and it was to India’s advantage that their encounter was a day-nighter, meaning it started a few hours later than the other one being played entirely in sunlight.

Pakistan had already qualified for the semifinals with the blessings of the Nature as the washed out tie between Australia and India allowed them this luxury even before taking the field for the final league outing.

Australia and India were the two contenders for the single semifinal slot that remained vacant. India were to get a lifeline only if Pakistan managed to defeat Australia . In other words India ’s fate was lying in Pakistan ’s hands.

Pakistan had all cards in their pocket entering the game against Australia and their peace of mind was reflected in body language. Younis Khan and his boys were absolutely relaxed while playing pressure-free cricket.

Australia had everything to play for but Pakistan were not supposed to be pushed about it. The manner in which Pakistan batted had made it clear that they were more interested in going through the motions rather than making efforts to do anything sensational. The idea of conserving energy for the upcoming knockout games might also have been in their mind.

Pakistan , who are known for making the most of the death overs even with tail-enders make hay, scored only one run in the penultimate over of the innings with specialist batsmen at the crease. The batting powerplay overs were hardly utilized.

Australia were cruising towards a cakewalk victory when suddenly the match opened up with the departure of Michael Hussey. There was tension in their camp and the wickets kept on tumbling as soon as the Pakistan bowlers applied pressure.

The pace trio of Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan bowled exceptionally well in their final spells and the Australians were absolutely clueless. It was happening at the same time when India were in the process of wrapping up the West Indian innings.

Obviously the Indians must have become interested but their excitement was short lived because the Australians somehow got the winning run on the final ball of their innings. That meant the end of the road for India as far as the tournament was concerned.

Had Australia succumbed to defeat, the Indian would have been in a rush to chase their target of 130 against the West Indies . Since that didn’t happen they had full 50 overs at their disposal to register a consolation win, their first in the competition.

The Indian captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who himself got a wicket against the West Indies, very right pointed out that it was the defeat to Pakistan that crippled their chances of qualifying for the semifinals. The road had to be bumpy afterwards and so it turned out.

Is the stage being set for Pakistan or Australia to claim Champions Trophy?

2009-09-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

After watching the farcical results during the past few days everybody is left wondering if the stage is being set for Pakistan to run away with the Champions Trophy.

It’s quite extraordinary that South Africa and Sri Lanka, the two strongest outfits in Group B, have crashed and the semifinal sports have been secured by England and New Zealand, neither of them stood any chance of doing it at the start of the tournament.

The qualification of England and New Zealand into the semifinals, at the expense of hosts South Africa and Sri Lanka, means a soft target for Pakistan in the knockout stage of the competition having lost its charm considerably due to the unexpected results.

England had given a very good account of themselves in their first couple of games, against the fancied duo of Sri Lanka and South Africa, but their pathetic performance against New Zealand in their last league game suggested them of being incapable and unsuited for the big contests.

Pakistan are on a roll here. The washout game between Australia and India let them proceed to the semifinals without worrying for the outcome of their final league fixture. Such kind of luxury is hardly ever available in a tournament as keenly contested as the Champions Trophy where the teams are generally evenly matched.

Now Pakistan can afford to experiment and do whatever they desire in their last league outing against Australia. They should be in a very relaxed frame of mind and it might not be easy for Ricky Ponting and his men to call the shots despite looking stronger on paper.

Pakistan’s chances of winning the trophy have further been boosted by the ouster of South Africa and Sri Lanka. There’s likelihood of another potentially champion team, India, following suit.

With the trio of South Africa, India and Sri Lanka out of their way, Pakistan have every reason to feel more comfortable as far as their future in this particular tournament is concerned.

Neither England nor New Zealand appear to be having the depth or the character to come to terms with a Pakistan side playing as freely as now. New Zealand, in particular, has had horrible record against Pakistan over the years and they should consider themselves dead and buried if they are pitted against them in the semifinals or the final.

England might present a stronger challenge to Pakistan because, unlike New Zealand, they don’t have anything like mental block. The New Zealanders have passed the impressed of being scared of the ‘word’ Pakistan because they have come up with below-par performance against them more often than not.

It could help Pakistan’s cause immensely if they are defeated by Australia in their last league encounter because this would enable them to book a date with New Zealand in the semifinals. In other words Pakistan’s place in the final will be guaranteed the moment they finish runners-up in Group A, behind Australia.

Washout hurts India, takes Pakistan into semifinals

2009-09-29T03:03:00.000-07:00

Just the other day one of the most respected names in the banking circles, in a one-to-one chat, shared his gut feeling that Pakistan might win the ongoing Champions Trophy in South Africa.

When enquired about the reason of this thought coming to his mind he very candidly pointed out that the way things were falling in place for them there’s a great possibility of the trophy coming their way.

That discussion had taken place earlier in the day in Karachi on September 28, quite a few hours before the start of the Australia-India tie at the Super Sport Park in Centurion.

Little did I know, at least, that Pakistan would be progressing to the semifinals of the event without worrying for the outcome of their last league fixture against Australia! How could have anyone predicted a washout game when none of the previous matches had been affected by rain.

It was a do-or-die situation for India and the composition of their team suggested that they were not taking any chances. They had packed their side with five specialist bowlers, having dropped the struggling Yousuf Pathan.

The spin bowling department was reinforced with the induction of ‘leggie’ Amit Mishra who was right on the money from the first ball he bowled. He could have been even more lethal if a catch was not dropped off his bowling in the slips quite early in his spell. Harbhajan Singh was retained on past reputation because he deserved to be axed or rested after his below-par performance against Pakistan which cost India the game.

The tale of horror continued for the Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni because his fastest bowler, Ishant Sharma, looked completely out of sorts in the crunch game. Just as you can’t set a field for bad bowling obviously you can’t be prepared for your premier speedster to lose his way so dramatically.

Dhoni must have been a concerned man as nearly every Australian batsman was occupying the crease and doing the business fearlessly. India could have pulled it back in the final overs but still they would have been chasing something close to 300 if not more, had the rains not disrupted the game.

On the other hand if the rains had stopped after a couple of hours, India could have been set a target on DL method in which the asking rate would have been higher but the number of overs would have been considerably reduced.

I can never recall the rains having come to India’s rescue and as it had happened in the past on numerous occasions the match could not resume much to the dismay of their supporters.

The only beneficiary of the washout game between Australia and India was Pakistan who acquired complete peace of mind by going into the semifinals. The situation could have been tense for Pakistan if India defeated Australia in which case they would have been required to perform well in their last league outing against Australia.

India are not out of the tournament yet theoretically but the chances of them moving ahead in the prevailing circumstances are remote.

India take Australia in a must-win game

2009-09-28T02:37:00.000-07:00

India brace up for a colossal challenge as they take on defending champions Australia in their second Group A match of the Champions Trophy.

The 54-run loss to Pakistan on Saturday night has not just exposed the frailties of India's bowling and batting but has also put them in danger of crashing out of the event in case they lose today.

The injury-hit team is up against an opponent which came into the event after mauling England 6-1 in an ODI series.

But the world champions looked a bit rusty, surviving quite a few nervous moments against a rag-tag West Indies in their opening 50-run win Saturday.

That, however, can hardly be of any comfort for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men.

Ripped apart by Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik, the Indian bowling is in for a overhaul and serious consideration is being given to the idea of going in with two frontline spinners.

Despite the mauling against Pakistan, Harbhajan Singh is expected to retain his spot but leg-spinner Amit Mishra might just get a look-in in the must-win clash against Australia.

Indian seam bowlers were a liability at the Centurion with the trio of Ashish Nehra, Ishant Sharma and RP Singh conceding 153 runs from their 27 overs. .

By the evidence so far, good spinners are a must on the slowish track at Centurion. Sri Lankan Ajantha Mendis did a star turn against South Africa in the tour opener and Saeed Ajmal was similarly impressive last night.

"Dhoni`s boys face a masdsive challenge when they take on Australia in Group A match of ICC Champions Trophy.

India missing Yuvraj, Sehwag

2009-09-27T02:46:00.000-07:00

India’s 54-run defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Pakistan at the Super Sport Park in Centurion on September 26 brought to the fore the big hole in their team caused by the injuries to Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh.

Sehwag and Yuvraj are not only the master blasters who blow away the opposition in the blink of an eye but they bring in the balance that enriches the side to the extent of being unbeatable.

Both Sehwag and Yuvraj are two wonderfully gifted all-rounder cricketers whose mere presence in the park makes a world of difference. Without them India are not the team that could be expected to do wonders or even live to their big reputation now.

Under the circumstances it seems highly unlikely that India would be able to lift their game and make it to the semifinals of the Champions Trophy. Their fate, in the present scenario, might not be much different to the one in the ICC Twenty20 in England earlier this year.

India, on paper, are still a better side than Australia and the West Indies, whom they have to combat in the remaining two league matches. It remains to be seen how Mahendra Singh Dhoni meets the challenge.

Life is already getting tough for Dhoni. Often found as cool as a cucumber he was certainly in a spot of bother not only in the field but also off it. He must have realized, although he might not admit it, that a game against Pakistan takes its toll and there are moments when you run short of ideas.

It was not Dhoni’s cup of tea to have remarked: "At times I felt I was three bowlers short. There were times I didn't know whom to go to or what fields to set. Wherever I put a fielder, the ball went elsewhere." It was not his usual answer to a simple query if he missed a fifth bowler.

Dhoni must be wondering how things went horribly wrong when he had the match in control by picking up three wickets inside the first 15 overs. How can he be blamed for pressing the part-timers into service at a stage when Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf were not prepared to take on the bowlers?

It was the failure of the premier spinner, Harbhajan Singh, to have severely hurt the plans. The vastly experienced off-spinner didn’t oblige his skipper with a wicket or two and in fact compounded problems by spraying the ball in various directions.

Shoaib and Yousuf played risk-free cricket with complete peace of mind. They knew that they were actually stealing the game by piling up the runs. Their double century fourth wicket stand ensured a mammoth total for Pakistan.

When India batted, chasing 303 in 50 overs, they kept the contest alive by maintaining healthy run-rate from the outset. Strangely though, some suicidal instincts saw them lose wickets against the run of play. They were bowled out inside 45 overs. In fact 31 deliveries were still to be bowled when their last wicket fell.

Although 54 runs separated the two sides in the end, the contest was much closer and India were guilty of giving it away after being in the driving seat which was of course not an unusual sight in their games against Pakistan in particular.

South Africa get a much needed lifeline

2009-09-25T03:58:00.000-07:00

Much to the relief of the organizers and the thousands of their die-hard supporters, the South African team has got a lifeline in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2009 by overpowering New Zealand by five wickets in their clash at the Super Sport Park in Centurion on September 24.

There were moments during the game when one felt that South Africa would be falling apart once more as they had done in the previous ICC tournaments at home. One was getting reminded of the match between the same two opponents in the 2003 World Cup when a combination of factors had helped New Zealand stun the hosts.

New Zealand once more needed to bring about an upset to prevail over South Africa because there was hardly any comparison between the two teams. The South Africans stood head and shoulders above the Black Caps in every department of the game but they had to prove it in the park to stay in the reckoning after the humiliating loss at the hands of Sri Lanka the other night.

As somebody quite rightly pointed out, both South Africa as well as New Zealand have had the tendency of being engaged in shocking results. South Africa have usually been at the receiving end while New Zealand have generally been the beneficiaries in the tales of unexpected.

No matter how superior the South Africans were on paper, they must have been under immense pressure when they took the field in Centurion. They had to prevent the New Zealanders from posting a kind of total that would have kept the contest open.

The brilliant bowling by Wayne Parnell and Roelof van der Merwe allowed the hosts in accomplishing their task of limiting the Black Caps who were threatening to put runs on the board. Dale Steyn also chipped in with useful wickets much to the delight of skipper Graeme Smith who was obviously not in a mood to give anything away in a do-or-die game for his team.

New Zealand lacked quality batsmen who could go the distance in a 50-over game. Their inexperienced batters may be getting away with it in the Twenty20 games but it was a different ball game lasting full 50 overs, an area where they were found wanting once more.

There were times when New Zealand looked in a position to amass a total in the region of 250 after Ross Taylor had done the hard work. But not unexpectedly their last seven wickets tumbled for 51 runs and they were bowled out for 214. Parnell was their wrecker-in-chief with a five-wicket haul.

The target of 215 was unlikely to test the South Africans even though New Zealand had some quality as well as variety in their bowling. It could have been an interesting battle, had the target been over 250.

Daniel Vettori, as he always does, refused to give up and the fall of wickets at regular intervals allowed him to keep his boys motivated. Jacques Kallis batted imperiously before edging Shane Bond while Hashim Amla played the anchor role admirably.

The innings of the day, however, was played by AB de Villiers whose glorious unbeaten half century helped the hosts in reaching the target quite comfortably in the end.

‘Makeshift’ West Indies show more fighting grit than predecessors

2009-09-23T23:39:00.000-07:00

In the final count it didn’t really matter which West Indian team was taking on Pakistan in the first Group B match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on September 23.

I don’t think the outcome would have been much different even if Chris Gayle and company were there in place of the ‘depleted’ West Indian side that took the field. We have seen on numerous occasions in the recent past when the West Indies had squandered the opportunity of beating Pakistan after being in the driving seat for the better part of the match.

The individual brilliance of Gayles, Sarwans, Chanderpauls and Bravos could turn the tide against any other opposition with Pakistan being the sole exception. In fact even the great West Indian sides of the 1970s as well as the 1980s had encountered untold problems while coming to terms with Pakistan.

The inexperienced West Indian side showed more fighting grit than their predecessors and they might have even won the game on some other day with the same kind of performance, had the rub of the green gone their way.

The West Indians did a wonderful job by posting a total of 133 after the top-order had self-destructed while facing some accurate and hostile bowling on a track where the ball was bouncing much more than on any ground in the Caribbean these days.

The resilience and self-belief of the lower-order was exemplary. The manner in which the likes of Nikita Miller, Darren Sammy and Tino Best applied themselves should have been an object lesson to not only their colleagues in the dressing room but also to their more illustrious contemporaries watching the action from the comfort of their homes in the various islands of the Caribbean.

Pakistan were always expected to struggle even while chasing the target of 134 in 50 because their batsmen are more comfortable compiling runs on easy-paced tracks offering little or no assistance to the fast bowlers.

It was going to be a different ball game at the Wanderers and Gavin Tonge’s superb spell with the new ball showed once more how vulnerable was Pakistan’s batting in difficult conditions. It was anybody’s game when Pakistan’s top half was back in the hut with 76 runs on the board and as many as 58 still needed.

Pakistan are also known for producing new heroes in every other game. Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi, least expected to come off in the pressure-cooker situation, did the job by adding 58 for the sixth wicket. In the context of the game it looked quite extraordinary but they somehow put the runs on the board and there was no close finish as was being anticipated.

One thing that looked the most perplexing was the decision of the West Indian captain, Floyd Reifer, to bat after winning the toss. Not sure what exactly was in his mind or that of his team management but he allowed Pakistan a lifeline by not exposing their batsmen to the tougher conditions earlier in the day.

Champions Trophy will revive ODIs: Smith, Sangakkara

2009-09-22T01:47:00.000-07:00

Centurion: Champions Trophy will play a crucial role in determining if ODI cricket sustains itself in the days to come, so feel Kumar Sangakkara and Graeme Smith, the two captains who will play the opening encounter of the tournament.

Both, Sangakkara and Smith, feel that the tournament will surely revive the glory of ODI cricket, which, in the past few months, has been through a lot of criticism for being too lengthy and having too many weak teams on the scene.

The debate whether one-dayers would survive even till the 2011 World Cup had taken a toll over the credibility of the format, especially in the wake of T20 getting immense popularity in such a short a period of time.

However, both the skippers seem positive about ODIs sustaining the pressure, all thanks to the Champions Trophy.

“The ICC put a lot of effort into this tournament,” Smith said. “Ultimately it will be the cricket, how it is played, that will define whether this is a success or not. The good point is that it is short, to the point and can capture the imagination of fans around the world.”

“That’s the challenge ODIs have, with all the talk about moving domestic formats to 40 overs and all. This is a crucial period for the ODI game and how this competition is a success on the field is more important than anything else,” he added.

The Champions Trophy is the first 50-over major tournament in over two years and the ICC believes that it would be a huge success, given the fact that it is short with just eight teams participating in 15 matches at two venues.

“It’s an important step,” said Sangakkara. “In the 2007 World Cup the cricket was great, but lots of people thought it was way too long, had too many teams and days between games.”

“The true test of ODI is in big tournaments like this, the appeal to fans and players and how much money TV networks make from it. South Africa is a wonderful place to play and I think it will be a good tournament,” he added.

Sangakkara further said that the need of the hour is to create just the right king of balance between all the three forms of the game, something which ICC should work upon immediately while planning its Future Tour Programs (FTP).

“Everything should exist in harmony and balance,” he said. “We’ve got to find a solution, players, administrators and the public, where attention and import should be given to each format. Cricket started with Tests so we’ve got to maintain and protect its primacy but also ensure that the cash flows in and the fans have something to look at and enjoy.”

Pakistan’s wake-up call for favourites

2009-09-20T04:09:00.000-07:00

Just the other day I had pointed out that Pakistan can never ever be written off irrespective of their weakness or the strength of their rivals on paper. They have been the most unpredictable side all along in every team sport, generally having shown disrespect to conventional thinking.

Pakistan’s performance in the warm-up games leading to the ICC World Twenty20 in England earlier this year never really suggested that they would go on to collect the trophy a fortnight later.

Now Pakistan have got off to a flying start in South Africa, having trounced Sri Lanka in the warm-up tie at the Willowmoore Park in Benoni on September 18. They whacked their opponents by a staggering margin of 108 runs in the day-nighter.

Not many people would have expected Pakistan going on the rampage against a strong Sri Lankan outfit. But again it was a case of history repeating itself. Sri Lanka, more often than not, have come up with their worst performances while playing against Pakistan.

Makeshift opener Kamran Akmal came good hitting 82 off 78 balls with his brother Umar also had fun with the Sri Lankan bowlers while blasting 67 off 51 balls. Shahid Afridi came down the order but caused enough damage to take the Pakistan total past 300.

Sri Lanka certainly had the batting resources to challenge the big score but they were laid low by a man called Rana Naved-ul-Hasan took five wickets. All the big guns of their batting flopped like their champion bowlers.

Be at home or even at a neutral venue the Sri Lankans have crashed in similar fashion against Pakistan. Not only that but Sri Lanka have also helped Pakistan’s cause immensely on numerous occasions by blasting other teams heavily in the same group.

Well Pakistan and Sri Lanka have not been grouped together this time round. Pakistan’s massive win over Sri Lanka in the warm-up game, however, could serve warning bells to Australia and India, two of the three pre-tournament favourites, who have been drawn in their group.

In the event of Pakistan making it to the last four either Australia or India will have to miss out. The West Indies, with their depleted outfit, could not be expected to spring surprises a la Pakistan.

Talking about the West Indies they had to face the music at the hands of South Africa in their warm-up encounter. There was absolutely no element of surprise in watching the home batsmen dominate the inexperienced bowlers. South Africa posted a total of 388 for four with skipper Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and J P Duminy having enthralled the audience.

The only cause of concern for the hosts was an abdominal strain to Herschelle Gibbs when he took evasive action to avoid a straight drive from Smith. Gibbs had to retire hurt and he will be needed to have a scan to determine the extent of the injury.

I don’t think New Zealand’s defeat at the hands of the Warriors in Pretoria can be classified as a shocker. The Black Caps possess an inexperienced batting that’s unlikely to score heavily. They have a potent bowling attack but in one-day cricket you need to put runs on the board too.

South Africa, India start as favourites

2009-09-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

The ICC Champions Trophy 2009 is round the corner. There have been plenty of One-day Internationals (ODIs) leading to the second most prestigious event in the sport after the World Cup that’s held after every four years.

With so much action on the eve of the tournament it’s not at all a tall order to assess which teams are more likely to lay their hands on the trophy. If the recent form in ODIs is the sole criterion then Australia and India appear to be the firm favourites for the crown.

But if all the factors are taken into account then South Africa have to be regarded as the front runners. The top ranked ODI side in world cricket as of today, they will obviously gain huge advantage of playing at home.

The Champions Trophy 2009 is being played under a new format and only the top eight teams of the world are contesting it. They have been divided equally in two groups. Defending champions Australia are drawn with India, Pakistan and the West Indies in Group A while the hosts South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and England constitute Group B.

The weakened West Indian team is unlikely to come good in the challenging environment of South Africa where the ball would seam and bounce. Unless their authorities work out some formula to reinforce their squad with the seasoned campaigners at the eleventh hour, the West Indies could be the punching bag with every rival fancying their chances of improving their run-rate.

Even if the West Indies were playing to their full strength they would have been least expected to qualify for the semifinals from the group of death. They would have struggled even against Pakistan.

Talking of Pakistan they can never be written off even if they are being represented by second or third strings. They would remain a threat to any fancied team. They are not ranked all that highly at the moment but they can screw anyone on their day. They have every chance of causing an upset or two and displace Australia or India from the semifinal line-up.

The contest is much more open in Group B where South Africa are the standout team but there’s very little to choose between the trio of Sri Lanka, England and New Zealand. None of these three outfits is expected to bag the trophy.

In the prevailing scenario the Champions Trophy 2009 is more likely to be a three-horse race between South Africa, Australia and India. One of these three teams should win the tournament if the miracles don’t happen.

Besides the rankings and ratings these are the three teams who have the firepower and depth to dominate others. South Africa and India, in my opinion, possess stronger ODI outfits compared to Australia, who have proved simply too much for the struggling England side. The Australians have been experimenting continuously after losing their legendary cricketers and it remains to be seen if they will be able to cope with the pressures.

Team India left to SA for Champions Trophy

2009-09-17T22:57:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Team India today departed for South Africa to play the ICC Champions Trophy that starts from September 22.

The team left by the Dubai-bound flight from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport, Mumbai, and from Dubai, they will be taking a connecting flight to Johannesburg.

The ‘Men in Blue’ returned from Sri Lanka on September 15 after lifting the Compaq Cup in the tri-series that also included New Zealand.

The victory has made them the favourites for the Champions Trophy, which will see the participation of eight teams; India, Australia, England, West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa.

The team will play a warm-up match against New Zealand on September 20. Placed in Group A along with Australia, Pakistan and the West Indies, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men will open their league engagements on September 26 against Pakistan.

Gautam Gambhir, who was forced to quit the tri-series mid-way due to a groin strain, has been given a clean chit for the Champions Trophy, which will indeed prove to be a big boost for the team.

India will miss the services of opener Virender Sehwag due to his shoulder injury.

The Squad: MS Dhoni (c/wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Rahul Dravid, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra, Abhishek Nayar, Ashish Nehra, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Ishant Sharma, RP Singh.

Coach: Gary Kirsten

Sohail Tanvir, Ahmed Shahzad banned for bringing game to disrepute

2009-09-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

What a pity that the quartet of Sohail Tanvir, Ahmed Shahzad, Javed Qadir and Nadeem Shaikh had to be banned indefinitely from playing in the cricket tournaments at the Karachi Gymkhana for having brought the game to disrepute.

The technical committee of the 24th PPL Trophy Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2009, headed by Iqbal Umar, found them guilty of having violated the code of conduct while playing the quarter-final tie for A O Clinic Cricket Club against Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) on September 13.

“The umpires, Riazuddin and Junaid Ghafoor, had complained in writing to the technical committee that Sohail Tanvir, Ahmed Shahzad, Javed Qadir and Nadeem Shaikh were engaged in verbal abuse, suspected ball tampering and defying decisions. The technical committee, in view of the umpiring report, has banned all the four cricketers from future tournaments at Karachi Gymkhana,” a statement issued by the organizing committee read.

It’s very sad indeed that Sohail Tanvir and Ahmed Shahzad, who have played international cricket for the country in the recent past and they are still in contention for a place in the national squad, displayed so much immaturity while appearing in a local tournament of Karachi.

Sohail Tanvir and Ahmed Shahzad, who had come from Lahore, didn’t make any friends by behaving so rudely and unprofessionally in the cricket field. They showed disrespect to two international umpires, contending their decisions like schoolboys.

I am not if they were aware of the fact that the Karachi Gymkhana happens to be one of oldest institutions of the country and its members have been known for going by the book.

Sohail Tanvir and Ahmed Shahzad, in particular, were being blamed for the chaos with the others like Nadeem Shaikh and Javed Qadeer getting the cue from them. It was very unfortunate that the incidents of indiscipline took place in the presence of Dr Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, whose A O Clinic Cricket Club has played in all the 24 editions of the tournament so far.

Dr Shah, who is also a member of the Governing Body of the Pakistan Cricket Baird (PCB), besides being the President of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), should take a note of the ugly behaviour of players of his own team.

The technical committee of the Karachi Gymkhana obviously can impose a ban on the cricketers found guilty in their own tournaments. Now the ball is in the court of the PCB to conduct an enquiry and take appropriate action to prevent such incidents in future.

Dr Shah, who was present at the ground for the better part of the ill-tempered match, can set an example by having those cricketers punished who challenged the authority of the umpires and tried to influence them.

Both Sohail Tanvir and Ahmed Shahzad are young cricketers. They are expected to make a comeback in the national squad in not too distant future. But they need to be more stable mentally and they must learn to accept the decisions of the umpires.

Dravid does make the difference

2009-09-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

Although it was Sachin Tendulkar who stole the limelight by scoring heaps of runs the contribution of Rahul Dravid in India annexing the recently concluded Compaq Cup in Sri Lanka was no less insignificant.

Already short of both the world-class openers, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, India desperately needed depth and resilience in their batting to dominate their rivals. The young guns had been found wanting when exposed to challenging conditions and the selectors had made the right move of going back to the basics.

While Tendulkar’s presence ensured unmatched class on top of the order, the comeback of Dravid provided the much needed strength and character to an otherwise enterprising batting line-up.

When you have the master blasters like Yuvraj Singh, Manhedra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Yousuf Pathan to follow there is greater need for a solid platform to let them fire to their heart’s content.

This is exactly what happened in Colombo recently. Dravid didn’t score many in the outing against New Zealand but he spent a lot of time at crease to blunt the Black Caps attack. Dhoni and Raina did the rest with their characteristic positive stroke-play. It could have been a different story to relate if India lost early wickets even though the target wasn’t all that big.

India had already cruised into the final, having become the top ranked ODI side in the world in the process, when they came out to take on hosts Sri Lanka in their league match. Set a daunting task, the Indians were in the game until Dravid was at the crease. With his departure the Indian hopes were dashed.

With the makeshift opener Dinesh Karthik having looked out of sorts in the league matches, Dhoni made the bold move of sending Dravid in as the opening partner with Tendulkar. It turned out to be a master stroke as both the seasoned campaigners provided a perfect start that eventually won them the game as well as the trophy.

Dravid is a team man to the core and he is one man who is always more than willing to meet the challenge. He could not have desired a better comeback gift than the Compaq Trophy that was gleefully collected by skipper Dhoni.
Talking of Dhoni let us give him the credit for having laid the red carpet for Dravid, who was returning to the ODI side after quite sometime.

“Dravid is the most stable and technically sound. He is a kind of batsman who would look to take his innings till the end. He will support the middle-order and help the flashy players play their game.” Dhoni was quoted as saying before going to toss in the opening game.

"Dravid is the ideal No. 3, especially in such conditions and during the evening when the ball swings and seams, so definitely he we will bat at that position," Dhoni complimented.

Dravid has made the captain proud once more. India would need him at his best in the upcoming Champions Trophy in South Africa where his ability to come good in conditions difficult for batting could again lay the platform for the stroke-makers to make hay in the death overs.

India regroup, survive anxious moments to claim trophy

2009-09-15T05:21:00.000-07:00

India, more than any country, have had to earn their win. It’s very uncommon to watch them register a triumph without hiccups. Irrespective of their own strength and the weakness of their opponents they have had to struggle many times against the run of play.

Who would have expected Sri Lanka to frighten India in the final of the Compaq Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on September 14 after the latter had posted a massive total of 319?

No matter how big target they are defending and how difficult the conditions for batting are, the Indians can never be expected to take things for granted. The unlikeliest of events take place against them. They very nearly got rolled over by an inexperienced Sri Lankan middle-order.

Sri Lanka did hold the psychological advantage entering the final, after having blown away India in the league meeting less than 48 hours ago, but there was only team that looked like to dominate once the target of 320 was set under floodlights.

The Sri Lankans not only embarrassed the Indians but at times forced them on to the defensive. All credit to Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team for battling all odds to finally conjure up a win that should have been theirs without so much of drama.

Isn’t it quite extraordinary that the Sri Lankan batsmen, who have remained generally inconsistent against other teams, get pumped up while taking on the Indians? Probably they fancy their chances of getting away with it while confronting India.

No matter how strong, balanced and potent the Indians may me they look vulnerable when least expected. With a little bit of more luck they could have also lost the final despite being so well placed for most of the time.

Sachin Tendulkar played one of his greatest innings in international career. Harbhajan Singh delivered one of the finest spells under pressure. Yet India were not assured of a victory until the last Sri Lankan wicket fell.

India did the basics right and were rewarded for their endurance. The move to elevate Rahul Dravid as opener instead of the out of form Dinesh Karthik paid dividends. It was such a wonderful sight watching Dravid and Tendulkar bat together. They laid the strong foundation that was so vital for posting an imposing total.

Dhoni took the responsibility of milking the bowling in the company of Tendulkar and the run rate was not allowed to dip. The Indians could have eyed a total in the region of 350 after being so well placed at the end of 30 overs.

Dhoni, however, was not prepared to take the risk of giving it away after the great start. He didn’t open up until the batting powerplay was taken when the ball was changed. Unfortunately he was snapped before he could blast the bowlers. Yuvraj Singh took his time while Tendulkar also remained cautious even after his hundred. They exploded far too late and the Indians were happy to get to 319 in the end.

The Indians might have thought that anything in the excess of 300 was safe, given the history of the ground. But what they had ignored that the majority of the miracles come about at their expense. They barely survived another one that night.

Tendulkar raises the bar with 44th Hundred

2009-09-14T03:48:00.000-07:00

Colombo: Cometh the hour, cometh Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. On a glorious sunny after noon at Colombo when entire world questioned India’s one night stand at the top, Tendulkar scripted a fairytale century to give men in blue a foundation from where they looked like creating history in emerald islands after a drought of eleven years.

India managed to score 180/1 at the end of 32nd over, a foundation which puts India in great position to lift the tri-series in Lanka.

India strolled past the 150 runs mark in the 27th over as they tightened their grip firmly on the final.

MS Dhoni, who came in at the fall of Rahul Dravid’s wicket continued the good work along with Sachin Tendulkar as India pulverized the Sri Lankan bowlers.

Sanath Jayasuriya provided Sri Lanka with the all important breakthrough as he removed Rahul Dravid after India got off to a brilliant start.

Dravid was caught by Dilshan at short extra cover as he tried to hit a slow paced delivery from the veteran Sri Lankan. Dravid made 39 including 2 fours and a six.

Helped by Sachin Tendulkar’s brilliant half-ton, India took control of the Compaq Cup final being played here on Monday. The Tendulkar-Dravid opening duo ensured that the visitors kept the scoreboard ticking with some brilliant display of aggressive and sensible batting.

Tendulkar’s 92nd ODI fifty came in just 47 balls and included 6 sparkling shots past the boundary ropes.

The experienced pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid took the Indians off to a good start after the visitors elected to bat first in the final of the tri-series.

Both Tendulkar and Dravid were looking solid as they took India past the 50 run mark in just the 7 over.

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first in the final of the Compaq Cup 2009 here on Monday.

The Indians have brought in Virat Kohli in place of Dinesh Karthik while Sri Lanka are playing the same eleven that thrashed the Indians on Saturday.

The Indians will be opening with Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.

Teams:

Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara(w/c), Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Kapugedera, Thilina Kandamby, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga

India: Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni(w/c), Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ashish Nehra, Ishant Sharma.

Toss will be crucial in finals: Dhoni

2009-09-13T06:04:00.000-07:00

Colombo: After slumping to a humiliating defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said toss will play a vital role in Monday`s final of the tri-nation series against the hosts here.

India lost to Sri Lanka by 139 runs last night in their second match of the tournament, thereby ending their brief stay at the number one position in the ICC ODI rankings.

But Dhoni said it was just an off-day for the team in the office and feels whoever comes out lucky with the toss of coin at the R Premadasa wicket tomorrow will have an edge in the title clash.

"In venues like this, toss plays a crucial role. If you win the toss then 60 per cent of the game is in your favour," Dhoni said.

The Indian skipper said his side`s bowling department needs to pull up its socks and avoid giving away a good start to the Sri Lankans, a mistake which proved costly for them yesterday.

"If you are bowling first, then the bowlers must ensure that the opposition don`t get off to a big start.”

"I think we are not bowling in the right areas. We are either too short or too full. Hopefully yesterday`s match would be a learning experience for us," Dhoni said.

India on top of the tree

2009-09-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

The manner in which India played against New Zealand in their opening match of the tri series for the Compaq Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on September 11 there was hardly any element of doubt in them being the number one ODI team of the world at the moment.

I do agree with the Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni that the rankings and ratings are bound to improve when you are on the winning spree. He deserves the credit for having extracted something close to their best from his teammates during the past couple of seasons and India have finally moved on top of the tree as far as the ICC rankings for the One-day Internationals are concerned.

The emphatic victory over New Zealand under floodlights in conditions that were not typical of what one finds in the sub-continent was a near-perfect start for Dhoni and his boys after two months layoff from international cricket.

It would have only been perfect if India had cruised to victory without hiccups while chasing a modest target of 156. They did romp home quite leisurely in the end after being guilty of opening up in the game by losing three wickets in quick succession.

New Zealand must have fancied their chances of claiming an unlikely victory when the trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh was sent back in the dressing room within flash of an eye. Mind you they are three of the top batsmen in the game and it’s not often that they follow each other so quickly.

India certainly were in a spot of bother when their fourth wicket fell with more than 70 still needed for victory. Daniel Vettori was living up to the reputation of India-killer and the match had become wide open against the run of play.

Dhoni, as he has done frequently, kept his cool and curbed his attacking natural instincts to construct his innings. Suresh Raina, demoted in the batting order following his failures earlier this year, survived a few anxious moments before opening up.

Dhoni and Raina were happy to see Vettori off. It’s incredible that the Indian batsmen are supposed to be the most proficient in tackling the spinners but time and again they also prove to be the most vulnerable against slow bowling.

Dhoni did concede in the post match presentation ceremony that things could have been more difficult if New Zealand had another quality spinner in their ranks.

Vettori probably didn’t know exactly how much the Indians could suffer at the hands of the spinners, irrespective of their class and guile. He would have been better off accommodating another spinner in place of one of the fast bowlers.

Talking of the fast bowlers, the Indian trio of Ashish Nehra, Ishant Sharma and Rudra Pratap Singh was right on money and there were no escape routes for the Black Caps. The pressure was sustained by the spin duo of Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh who sent New Zealand crashing to 155 all out.

The target of 156 was unlikely to test the supremely confident Indian batters. Sachin Tendulkar’s stroke-play delighted the spectators while Rahul Dravid got the opportunity of spending some time in the middle.

ICC considering Tendulkar’s 4-innings ODI formula

2009-09-11T09:50:00.001-07:00

In a bid to salvage the fate of one-dayers in face of rapidly increasing popularity of Twenty20 cricket, the ICC is considering Sachin Tendulkar’s suggestion of splitting of one-day matches into two innings of 25 overs each.

The Indian batting maestro had made the suggestion last week on the sidelines of a public function as he felt that contests were becoming too predictable because results of “close to 75% of matches” could be predicted after the toss.

ICC’s cricket manager Dave Richardson confirmed that the suggestion was being considered very seriously by the Apex cricketing body.

“I quite like that idea, I believe South Africa may trial something along those lines,” Richardson said. “This might work in day-night cricket where one team has to bat in day and the other at night. It provides something different and reduces the effects on the team who loses the toss and has to bat first on a damp wicket, for example.”

The concept was apparently discussed during the ICC’s cricket committee annual meeting at Lord’s in May and Richardson believed that it could breathe life into the 50-over format.

Though two innings of 25 overs could lead to new strategies and even reduce the influence of winning the toss in favourable conditions, Richardson was eager to prevent results becoming predictable. His concern was that splitting the innings could take away scoring opportunities from the batsmen.

“I don’t necessarily like the idea of playing two matches of 25 overs each with the openers batting again,” he said. “The charm of one-day cricket is seeing someone batting at four and scoring a good hundred. If you bat in the middle order of a Twenty20 or a new 25-over innings, you’re not to get much of an opportunity to hit three figures, one downside of the Twenty20 game.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board had recently agreed to scrap the domestic Friends Provident Trophy, the only 50-over domestic cricket tournament, in favour of an expanded Twenty20 competition along with a 40-over format. Cricket South Africa are also likely to join the bandwagon as it considers changes to its 45-over competition.

However, Richardson said the experiment would have to be successful at the domestic level before changes could be made to the international game. “The bottomline is if we can come up with a product that is better than the existing one, then everyone would like to look at it,” he said. “If it has been trialled successfully at domestic level, it may give the trial to give it the go-ahead at international level.”

The ICC’s cricket committee is set to meet again in 2010 when the results of the experiment will be discussed.

Adil Rashid’s shocking exclusion costing England dearly

2009-09-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

Adil Rashid must be wondering what else he had to do in order to retain a place in the playing eleven. He had turned out to be England’s best player in the first One-day International against Australia at The Oval but he was dropped in the very next game and was not selected in the third tie either.

Adil was the pick of the England bowlers in the opening game, having conceded only 37 runs in 10 overs as Australia piled up a score of 260. In fact he was the only home bowler to have completed his quota of overs.

Then going in at number eight, he clobbered an unbeaten 31 off 23 deliveries to take England within a stroke to victory. It was the kind of all-round performance that must have done his confidence a world of good.

He was chiefly responsible for having taken England so close to victory after the top-order batsmen had failed to do the job. He was the man who brought the home side back in the reckoning when they had looked dead and buried.

The England skipper, Andrew Strauss, had reposed great confidence in the 21-year-old Adil and the young leg-spinner rose to the occasion against an Australian side looking to settle scores after conceding the Ashes.

It remained unclear however what prompted a change of mind on part of the England team management, particularly Strauss. How could have they even thought of dropping Adil from the line-up for the very next game remains a mystery.

Two wrongs don’t make one right. If they had erred by not playing Adil in the second game, which they lost by a bigger margin than the first one, they should have recalled him for the third game which they didn’t. There was further humiliation in store for the home side now facing the prospect of losing the seven-match series in the very next game.

In fact people have already started talking in terms of a possible whitewash in the ODI series. It would be a shame for England if they lose it so heavily against an Australian side that’s not the best in the business either.

"We haven't played well enough, clearly, but I don't think it's for lack of trying. We have had three poor batting performances, and the first two were very winnable at the halfway mark, but as a batting unit we just haven't fired. We have got to be honest with ourselves and have a look at it, in terms of how we can improve. In one-day cricket, you can't go into your shell and grind it out, you've got to play with enough confidence to put a competitive score on the board, but at the same time make good decisions," the England captain said after losing the third game.

Strauss admitted that his inability to finish off things was creating problems for his side. "When you're batting well, you have to make hay but I haven't done that, and that's frustrating. Every time you pull on an England shirt you've got a chance to go on and achieve something, and I am as culpable as anyone," he conceded.

England, handicapped by the absence of Kevin Pietersen, need Strauss to fire if they have to stage a comeback in the series. Strauss also has to ensure that England do have sufficient attacking bowlers in their line-up and Adil Rashid is someone he cannot afford to ignore anymore.

IPL forces New Zealand to shorten Australian series?

2009-09-09T03:52:00.000-07:00

It’s becoming increasingly clear now that the Indian Premier League (IPL) has attained the highest priority for the administrators of the game world over. Every cricket board seems to have made a point of late not to schedule many international games at a time when the IPL is planned to be held.

Although New Zealand Cricket have given another excuse but there’s little doubt in anyone’s mind that it’s the IPL that actually prompted them to shorten Australia’s tour to their country in the coming season.

Australia's tour to New Zealand in 2009-10 features two Twenty20 Internationals in late February to be followed by a five-match ODI series for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy and two Tests.

Originally three Tests were scheduled to be held during the tour but the itinerary released by the New Zealand authorities the other one mentioned only two Tests to be held in Wellington and Hamilton starting on March 19 and 27 respectively.

It was quite a shocker because it will be the first time in 20 years that New Zealand would be hosting Australia for a series of less than three Tests. It would keep the top guns of Australia and New Zealand players engaged until March 31 and they would then be free for the IPL.

The IPL 3 will be getting underway in India on March 12 and will continue till April 25. The decision to scrap the third and final Test between New Zealand and Australia would allow the players of both teams around 10 more days in the IPL.

"Playing Test cricket in New Zealand after the cessation of daylight saving and deep into the second week of April is not realistic. Therefore our only option has been to limit the series to two Tests," Justin Vaughan, the Chief Executive of New Zealand Cricket, explained.

Isn’t it a strange argument because New Zealand had played host to a Test match against India during the month of April only this year. In fact a Test match was added to tour upon the request of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), who denied more action for their team following the cancellation of the tour of Pakistan.

Well the New Zealand Cricket need to find some other reason to justify their decision to cut short the Test series against Australia.

Obviously the New Zealand Cricket is not the only board in the world that has made a move to accommodate the IPL. They could not have done this without the blessings of the more powerful Cricket Australia. Both the boards must have been in agreement to have two Tests instead of the planned three.

Anyways there is plenty of cricketing activities to be held in New Zealand in the coming season as they would now be hosting Pakistan instead of touring the country. Pakistan would now be playing their three ‘home’ Tests against New Zealand in New Zealand. Between the tours of Pakistan and Australia, New Zealand would also be playing host to Bangladesh.

Australia double lead without ever looking convincing

2009-09-08T04:03:00.000-07:00

What a pity that Australia have been allowed to run into a 2-0 lead in the seven-match series of One-day Internationals by England, who appear the more balanced as well as versatile side in comparison to their traditional rivals.

The present Australian outfit is a mere shadow of the great one-day sides they used to field until the recent past. There are more bits and pieces cricketers in their eleven now than the specialists.

England have themselves to blame for having squandered the opportunity in both the games. They had the Australians on the mat for quite sometime but their own batting fared pathetically and the advantage was surrendered.

In both the matches the Aussies barely managed par score, batting first. With the hosts having packed their side with one-day all-rounders, they were the ones who appeared the favourites to seal the fate of the match at the start of their chase on both the occasions. Surprisingly, however, they lost their way in both the games and even the depth in their batting could not cover for the follies of their top batters.

The Australians also had their share of problems in the batting department but they somehow made up by the late flourish in both the encounters. Callum Ferguson was chiefly responsible for keeping them afloat after the unconvincing performance of their established batsmen.

Australia faced the danger of being bowled out for a low total, even after Ferguson’s half-century in the second match at Lord’s. They had barely crossed 200 when their eighth wicket fell and England had all cards in their pocket with James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom bowling splendidly in the death overs.

It was Mitchell Johnson, of all people, who rescued Australia with a flurry of big hits that yielded runs at brisk pace and all of a sudden England had to chase down a target of 250 instead of 210 or 215.

Left-handed Johnson's late assault actually revived Australia. He swung his bat at everything to score an unbeaten 43 off 23 balls. He was helped by some ordinary fielding as well, adding 41 off the last four overs and a bit with Nathan Hauritz. England’s wicketkeeper Matt Prior was guilty of letting go two boundaries that should have been stopped.

England, however, regained control with a solid opening partnership between skipper Andrew Strauss and the enigmatic Ravi Bopara. The Australians, at that stage, were running out of options as a cakewalk victory for the hosts looked more likely than anything else.

But England collapsed in the unlikeliest of circumstances. They were on top of the game when the self-destruction began. Michael Clarke must have heaved a sigh of relief watching the England batsman commit the kind of mistakes that would have embarrassed even the schoolboys.

Paul Collingwood fought a lone battle in the end but he was let down by his partners at the other end. The asking rate was very much manageable and the powerplay overs were at their disposal. But England didn’t have wickets to cash in and they eventually lost the match by 39 runs.

Pakistan players are involved in match fixing

2009-09-06T03:16:00.000-07:00

In another sensational claim, former Pakistan batsman Qasim Umar has accused two senior cricketers of the national team of being involved in match fixing and using drugs.

Umar, who has now turned to religion for solace, told a newspaper today that he would disclose the names of the players at an appropriate time.

"Right now I don`t want to take any names because both these players are influential persons and they can have me killed. I fear for my life," Umar claimed.

"I am silent now for some reasons but when the time comes I will unmask their faces," he said.

Incidentally, Umar was banned for life in the late 80s for accusing former captain Imran Khan and some other players of smuggling drugs in their kit bags to England.

"I know one of these players has been involved in fixing matches while the other has used drugs," Umar added.

Umar had recently, on a television show, alleged that former West Indian great Sir Vivian Richards used recreational drugs on regular basis for relaxation and stamina enhancement.

"I appeal to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to call me and hear me out because I know that when I speak the truth and reveal the names what will happen to me," he said.

"In the past also my career was destroyed because I dared to speak the truth. The Pakistan Cricket Board just to appease Imran destroyed my career and banned me without hearing my story," he added.

Umar had also appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to help him get his job with a bank, which had sacked him after the PCB imposed life ban on him.

"I feel cricketers who do things that are against the nation should be brought to justice and when the time comes I will play my role in this," he said.

Dhoni is world's top earning cricketer

2009-09-06T02:30:00.000-07:00

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has topped the list of world`s 10 top earning cricketers compiled by Forbes, which also features four other players from the sub-continent, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.

Raking in USD 10 million, Dhoni is at the top of the chart followed by Tendulkar at the second spot with earnings worth USD 8 million in the list of `The World`s Top-Earning Cricketers`.

While Singh and Dravid are at the third and fourth spot, respectively, Ganguly and Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting share the sixth place. "Paycheck figures include club and national team salaries and commercial endorsement income over the last 12 months," Forbes said.

According to the magazine, Singh earned USD 5.5 million while Dravid and Ganguly raked in USD 5 million and USD 3.5 million, respectively. Ponting also earned USD 3.5 million. "With its deep-pocketed owners and global appeal, nine of the 10 highest-paid cricket players call the Indian Premier League (IPL) home, the publication added.

At the fifth spot is England`s Andrew Flintoff with earnings of USD 4 million followed by Australia`s Brett Lee and English cricketer Kevin Pietersen, both at eighth place, and Australian Michael Clarke is ranked tenth.

While Lee and Pietersen raked in USD 3 million each, Clarke earned USD 2.5 million. "Take Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who plays for the Chennai Super Kings and tops our list as cricket`s first USD 10 million-a-year man (that`s USD 5,426 for each run scored).

"His USD 8 million in endorsements, from the likes of Reebok, General Electric and Pepsi, is 45 per cent more than any other player. Among all Indian athletes and entertainers, Dhoni`s 17 corporate sponsors is second to only Bollywood star and co- owner of the Knight Riders, Shah Rukh Khan," Forbes said.

About Tendulkar, the magazine said the holder of numerous offensive records, is considered among the greatest batsman in cricket history. "... he`s one of five IPL players who have been bestowed `icon` status, meaning he automatically receives a paycheck 15 per cent larger than his highest paid teammate.

"Tendulkar`s USD 1.1 million salary from the Mumbai Indians helped push his total earnings to USD 8 million over the last 12 months," it added.

Rahul Dravid raising fund for poor

2009-09-05T06:43:00.000-07:00

Cricketer Rahul Dravid graced a weeklong fund raising campaign called `Joy of Giving Week` for the poor and downtrodden in Bangalore.

The scheme has been conceptualised by `Give India` an organization, which works with voluntary groups all over the country.

The stars and celebrities from all walks of life including Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, former badminton player Prakash Padukone and corporate bigwigs have extended support to the cause.

"It is a great concept to get so many people together. It is not necessarily just about celebrities and the well known figures. It is really about each one of us, every one of us, in our own small way contributing during that week and just getting a movement together which is something that can grow into something really big in the years to come," said Dravid.

The weeklong scheme would include giving clothes to the needy, helping orphanages, providing school bags, health aid and educational support to the downtrodden.

Sehwag will miss team India due to injury

2009-09-05T05:59:00.000-07:00

Chennai: Cricketer Gautam Gambhir on Friday said that swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag, who is sidelined due to injury, will be desperately missed by the team during the tour of Sri Lanka as well as the Champions Trophy.

"Any team will miss Sehwag (Virender Sehwag) because he was in such a form, that would have been a great advantage for any team," Gambhir said.

Gambhir said this on the sidelines of ceremony held in Chennai, where he was appointed the brand ambassador of MRF.

India has announced the squad for the Sri Lanka tri-series followed by the Champions Trophy, in which they have recalled Rahul Dravid and left out Sehwag due to his shoulder surgery.

Gambhir further sad that international cricket was all about handling pressure, and you have to continuously deliver for the team.

"When you are playing international cricket it`s all about the pressure. You should know how to handle it and you should be able take that responsibility, which is very important and the responsibility only comes when the team starts expecting that you can deliver," he said.

The series in Sri Lanka, which also involves New Zealand, will be held from September 8 to 14.

Return of Shane Bond propels New Zealand

2009-09-05T05:54:00.000-07:00

Three wickets for 18 runs off four overs. These are the figures that would surely make every bowler proud in any form of the game. The analysis will be considered even better if it’s achieved in a limited overs contest. These would obviously be recognized as exceptional figures in the shortest version of the sport.

In that context the bowling performance of New Zealand’s spearhead Shane Bond, making a return to international cricket, was better than the best as he powered his team to a magnificent 22-run win over Sri Lanka in the second Twenty20 International at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on September 4.

Although Jesse Ryder ran away with the Man of the Match award, for his half century as well as outstanding fielding, it was the superlative spell of fast bowling from Bond that sealed the fate of the game as well as the series.

New Zealand, having sneaked a narrow victory in the previous game, had done well to reach a total of 171 but the target could never have been considered out of reach of the Sri Lankans on a pitch where slower bowlers were more likely to do the business.

With Bond back to take the new ball the bowling attack of New Zealand gained more potency and purpose. It’s always a huge advantage to have a quality fast bowler attack with the shining ball rather than having an ordinary mortal spraying in different directions with the intent on containment.

There is no better way of controlling the rate of scoring than take wickets. That is exactly what New Zealand are more likely to do when they have someone like Bond having the ball in his hand.

I think it was Bond more than anyone else who made the difference. He dismissed the dangerous Tillekaratne Dilshan in the very first over to open the floodgates. Kyle Mills, who shared the new ball with him, was also lifted and he responded with two quick wickets to deny the hosts the kind of flying start they needed to be ahead to chase down a target of 172.

Mahela Jaywardene and Kumar Sangakkara revived Sri Lanka with an enterprising fourth wicket partnership but the New Zealanders knew they always had a chance when they broke through.

Daniel Vettori looked a more confident leader, after the nightmarish two-Test series in which his team was blanked. He deserved the credit for having kept the motivated after the debacle and his inspirational captaincy was instrumental in bringing about the turnaround.

New Zealand, who lost the Test series 0-2, have won the Twenty20 series 2-0. They have lifted their game considerably and their rejuvenated outfit would be a threat to both Sri Lanka as well as India in the upcoming series of One-day Internationals.

New Zealand, who looked pedestrian in the Test matches due to the lack of firepower in their bowling attack, have come to life of late. Bond has helped their cause immensely, providing Vettori a much-needed attacking option.

I have doubled the challenge thrown at me by Kapil: Tendulkar

2009-09-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Sachin Tendulkar on Friday said he has more than lived up to the challenge thrown at him by legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev in 1989 by continuing to play international cricket for two decades.

"It was a dream to play for India. On my first tour to Pakistan, Kapil said if you play for 10 years in international cricket you would have achieved something. I took it as a challenge and have nearly doubled it," Tendulkar said after launching Adidas cricket gear, including custom-made bats.

"It`s a great feeling (to be in international cricket for two decades)," he added.

Tendulkar made his Test debut in Karachi on November 15, 1989 under the captaincy of Krishnamachari Srikkanth, the current chief selector. The last man to be in international cricket this long was former England opener and ex-captain Graham Gooch who played between 1975 and 1995.

The batting stalwart and former India skipper, however, denied having said in a recent interview to Wisden Cricketer magazine that he wanted to score 15,000 runs before retiring.

"A lot of things are attributed to me that I had never said. I never said I wanted to score 15,000 runs (in Tests) before I retire," Tendulkar said.

"Sunil Gavaskar told me I have to get to 15,000 runs. He said he would be angry with me and would come and catch me if I didn`t. I admire him so much and to score that many would be a terrific achievement, but that is not the only aim," he has been quoted as saying by a magazine.

The magazine also quoted Tendulkar as having said that "to win the World Cup in 2011" is his another ambition.

He also conceded he would not know what to do when he quits the game.

"It`s hard to imagine life without cricket," said Tendulkar, currently top run-getter in both Tests (12,773 runs with 42 hundreds in 159 matches) and ODIs (16,684 runs with 43 tons in 425 matches).

The champion batsman, gearing up for a new international season with the triangular series in Sri Lanka later this month, said when he chose a bat he always looked out for its shape, balance, pick-up and weight.

"The bat speaks to me. For me the curve is quite important but the most important is the bat stroke. I look for the right shape, balance, pick-up and weight. Otherwise I`m not comfortable," said Tendulkar.

The 36-year-old batting maestro said he preferred heavier bats and has not changed this aspect right through his career even when he battled through injuries.

"There was a lot of talk and advice to me about using lighter bats (when he suffered the tennis elbow injury some years ago). I talked to specialists and they said the heavier the bats the less the impact (on the elbow). As long as the bat is to my liking, I`m comfortable," he said.

Tendulkar, who is to give his invaluable inputs to the 80-year-old multinational sports gear firm, said he wanted to associate himself with a firm that had all cricket equipment under one umbrella.

Dhoni, Gambhir, Harbhajan in running to match Dravid's feat

2009-09-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Former captain Rahul Dravid is the lone Indian player to have thus far won the ICC Cricketer of the Year award and three of his compatriots are in the running to emulate him this year.

Dravid`s splendid display with the bat fetched him the Cricketer and Test Player of the Year honours in 2004 – the inaugural year of the International Cricket Council`s annual awards.

None from India was able to match the middle order stalwart`s feat between 2005 and 2008.

This year captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, opener Gautam Gambhir and off spinner Harbhajan Singh have been named in the long list of nominees for various awards.

Dhoni, Gambhir and Harbhajan are also in the running to get the Test Player of the Year award along with wristy batsman V V S Laxman, besides 15 others.

Dhoni has also been named in the list of nominees for the ODI Player of the Year award along with compatriots Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag.

Leg spinner Amit Mishra has got the chance to become the Emerging Player of the Year four years after out-of-favour left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan won it.

Australian Simon Taufel is in the running to make it six-in-a-row as the top umpire of the year at the awards ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa, on October 1.

The following are the past award winners:

Cricketer of the Year: Rahul Dravid (Ind) - 2004; Jaques Kallis (SA) and Andrew Flintoff (Eng) -2005; Ricky Ponting (Aus) - 2006; Ponting - 2007; Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) - 2008.

Test Player of the Year: Dravid - 2004; Kallis - 2005; Ponting - 2006; Mohd Yusuf (Pak) - 2007; Dale Steyn (SA) - 2008.

ODI Player of the Year: Flintoff - 2004; Kevin Pietersen (Eng) - 2005; Michael Hussey (Aus) - 2006; Mathew Hayden (Aus) - 2007; M S Dhoni (Ind) - 2008.

Emerging Player of the Year: Irfan Pathan (Ind) - 2004; Pietersen - 2005; Ian Bell (Eng) - 2006; Shaun Tait (Aus) - 2007; Ajantha Mendis (SL) - 2008.

T20 Player of the Year: Yuvraj Singh - 2008. Woman Cricketer of the Year: Karen Rolton (Aus) - 2006; Jhulan Goswami (Ind) - 2007; Charlotte Edwards (Eng) - 2008.

Umpire of the Year: Simon Taufel (Aus) - 2004 to 2008.

IPL season 3 matches will push our bid for ODIs, says HPCA

2009-09-03T04:58:00.000-07:00

Dharamshala: Situated in the middle of green, sky-touching Himalayan ranges with state-of-art facilities in place, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium would host the Indian Premier League matches next year with high hope of staging its debutant one-day international soon.

The stadium has almost everything what it takes to be a world class venue and the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association feels next year`s IPL matches will only strengthen their bid for ICC recognition to host one-dayers.

"We have hosted practice matches with international teams in the past but our ultimate dream is to see the stadium being granted one-day international recognition by the ICC," HPCA President Anurag Thakur.

The serene HPCA stadium was scheduled to host four IPL matches last season but lost out on the opportunity after the Twenty20 league was relocated to South Africa as it clashed with the dates of general election.

However, the association`s dream will finally materialize when it will host two matches of IPL-III between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings next year.

"Last year we missed out on the opportunity to host IPL matches. But this time (in 2010) we will host two IPL matches and we hope it will pave the way towards hosting ODI matches in the stadium in near future," Thakur said.

ICC match referee, Zimbabwean Allan Hurst paid a visit to the stadium two years back and expressed his satisfaction over the playing conditions.

However, there were some concerns on his part but those has been taken care of to make the stadium a quality venue, which is currently hosting the inaugural edition of Sahara BCCI Corporate Trophy.

"ICC match referee inspected the stadium in 2007 and seemed satisfied with the playing facilities in place. But during his visit he had raised a few concerns like scarcity of good hotels here, quality of the approach road to the stadium, wi-fi internet connections and rooms for the match officials.

"We have taken his suggestions seriously and have already upgraded the wifi connection in the stadium, renovated the umpires` room and widened the roads to the stadium," Thakur said.

"Even five hotels have come up in Dharmashala and in the adjacent Mcloedganj. We have compiled a report on these upgradations and have already submitted it to the BCCI. We are now expecting ICC to inspect the stadium again and told the BCCI that we are ready for the inspection whenever ICC wants," Thakur said.

The stadium is all set to get a indoor practice facility soon, the association said.

"Construction work for an indoor practice centre is going on in full swing and we are expecting it to be operational by January next year. The entire project will cost around Rs eight crore," said Thakur, who is also an MP from Hamairpur and son of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.

Opening ceremony of the 2011 Cricket World Cup will be held on February 17 in Bangladesh

2009-09-02T04:14:00.001-07:00

The opening ceremony of 2011 WC on Feb 17 in B'desh and the first match would take place on February 19 in the same country, the ICC announced Wednesday.

The ICC had earlier said both the opening ceremony and the opening game would be held on February 19 in Bangladesh.

But the full match schedule with venues would be announced on November 9, it was decided by the Central Organising Committee (COC) of the mega event that met here today to continue preparations for the tournament.

The venues where the matches would be held in the three host nations – India, Bangladesh and Sri Laka - would be inspected in October/November, the COC decided.

Tournament director Ratnakar Shetty said the meeting was a productive one and the organisers were operating at a brisk pace to make it a great success.

"This was another productive meeting and we have continued to make real progress. We are operating at full steam ahead for what should be a great event in 2011 and there is a great spirit of cooperation among the hosts and the ICC," he said.

The COC also approved the operational plan and event budget.

Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh, has been nominated for the prestigious ICC Cricketer of the Year award

2009-09-02T04:09:00.000-07:00

Dubai: Indian cricketers finally seem to be reaping fruits of their hard work over the past 12 months, which, in turn, translated into some fantastic results for Team India.

Though there have been many catalysts to India’s stupendous recent performances, none has been more significant than captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

And deservedly, Dhoni, along with his team mates Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh, has been nominated for the prestigious ICC Cricketer of the Year award.

The above mentioned trio, along with the evergreen VVS Laxman, also features amongst those, nominated for ICC Test Player of the Year award.

Not surprisingly, Dhoni has been nominated for ICC ODI Player of the Year award as well. He gets company from dashing duo Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag in this segment.

In the 2008-09 season, Dhoni led India to Test victories over Australia (home), England (home) and New Zealand (away), besides registering bilateral ODI series triumphs over Sri Lanka twice (both away), England (home), New Zealand (away) and recently West Indies (away).

During the 9 Tests he played in this period, Dhoni contributed 918 runs to the Indian cause at an average of 54.40, while the in 15 ODIs (excluding the West Indies series) he played, his 592 runs came at an astonishing average of 65.77!

His most potent weapon during his conquests, especially the Tests, was Gautam Gambhir.

The Delhi southpaw, currently ranked second in the ICC Test rankings, amassed a whopping 2612 runs from just 8 Tests last season at a ‘Bradmanisque’ average of 84.60, striking as many as 5 hundreds.

His one-day form was more mortal but staggering nonetheless. He scored 606 runs at an average of around 45 from the 15 one-dayers he played, scoring a solitary 100.

Following Anil Kumble’s retirement, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was faced with the mountainous task of stepping into the former’s shoes. And, as statistics reveal, Harbhajan has lived up to the challenge quite efficiently.

With 39 wickets from 8 Test matches, at an average of 27.05, Harbhajan has played a perfect foil to team India’s pace attack.

Most noticeable aspect of Harbhajan though has been the rapid strides he has taken to improve his batting prowess.

He has scored 3 crucial half-centuries and averages a healthy 32 in the 2008-09 season.

He added 12 wickets to his kitty from the 10 ODIs he played last season.

Laxman, whose contributions to Indian cricket have been restricted just to Tests lately, scored 1531 runs from 9 Tests, at an average of 61.75. His 2 centuries include a double hundred against his bunnies- The Australians.

Yuvraj undoubtedly has been India’s most powerful performer in the shorter versions of the game, setting victories for India single-handedly.

In the 15 one-dayers he played, he scored 643 runs at an average of 59.08 and a mind-boggling strike-rate of 110. He also scored 3 centuries.

During the same period, Sehwag played 14 one-dayers, butchering 782 runs at a strike-rate of 127! He averaged 60, scoring 2 centuries.

Courtesy these efforts, India have moved up the second rank in ODIs and the third rank in Tests.

Dhoni has already been the ODI Player of the Year in 2008 besides being named in the ODI Team of the Year.

Zaheer Khan was nominated for Twenty20 Performer of the Year award while Amit Mishra will be vying for the honour in the Emerging Player of the year category as Indians led the overall nominations for the award.

Mithali Raj and Priyanka Roy were nominated for the Women`s Cricketer of the year award.

The ICC Awards nominations were announced by dashing Indian opener Virender Sehwag and former captain Ravi Shastri in the presence of International Cricket Council Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.

The awards will be presented on October 1 in Johannesburg, South Africa during the Champions Trophy.

The nominations were based on performances from August 13, 2008 to August 24, 2009 and were selected by a five-member selection panel, headed by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd,

The panel also included former India Test captain Anil Kumble, Mudassar Nazar of Pakistan, Bob Taylor of England and New Zealand`s Stephen Fleming.

The awards include eight individual prizes and also features the selection of the Test and ODI Teams of the Year.

There will also be an award to the side that has adhered most to the Spirit of Cricket.

Besides Dhoni, Tillakaratne Dilshan has also been nominated in three different categories, while 18 players make appearance in two distinct categories in the sixth edition of the awards.

The individual player awards will be selected by an academy of 25 highly credentialed cricket personalities from around the world.

The academy includes a host of former players and respected members of the media, representatives of the Emirates Elite Panels of ICC Umpires and ICC Match Referees.

Virender Sehwag prefers to play Tests to Twenty20s

2009-09-02T04:07:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: The public might be enchanted with the Twenty20 format but swashbuckling Indian opener Virender Sehwag prefers to play Tests and ODIs more than the shortest form of the game that has taken the cricket world by storm.

"Personally I would like to play more Tests and ODIs than T20 games which I know have become extremely popular.”

I would like to play at least eight to 10 Tests in a year," Sehwag said at the media conference here to announce the list of nominees for this year``s LG-ICC annual awards. Sehwag batted for all three formats even as some past cricketers, including spin legend Shane Warne, have written the epitaph of the 50-over game.

The England and Wales Cricket Board already scrapped the one-dayers from its domestic schedule. "The 20-20 game is big and in future may be everything but I would like to play more Tests and ODIs.”

The message I would like to give to the ICC is to introduce a World Championship of Tests. "Every cricketer would like to play Tests against every other country and perform well.”

West Indies seen 'next Tendulkar'

2009-09-02T04:02:00.000-07:00

Road Town: If former player Keith Arthurton is to be believed, West Indies has unearthed the next Sachin Tendulkar in a seven-year-old hailing from Hannah Estate in Tortola.

Arthurton conducted a three-day coaching clinic this weekend on the islands of Tortola and Virgin Gorda and he had no doubt whatsoever that he has seen the next Tendulkar in Aidan Gorege.

"While he was batting, I heard someone in the crowd shout out that he looked like Sachin Tendulkar and I thought the same thing because of the way he bats, his stance and his attitude," said Arthurton, who represented West Indies in 33 Tests and 105 ODI between 1988 and 1999.

"You don`t really see that in kids who are that young but he has something special in him and the local coaches should work with him so that he can develop his cricket skills," Arthurton said of Aidan, who is originally from Dominica.

Youngest participant of the camp, Aidan looks older than his age and has a stance which is almost a replica of Tendulkar`s, according to a newspaper report.

Talking about the kid`s technique, Arthurton said, "His stance is very good and he moved his feet at the right times and with ease. I certainly would like to work with him in future as I think he has the potential to develop into a very good player," Arthurton said.

Star players Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dinesh Ramdin also turned up in the camp to share their experience with the kids.

A 20-over match at the H Lavity Stoutt Community College marked the end of the camp.

Social community sites hits India’s top cricketers

2009-09-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

They may have trained hard to counter the short-pitched deliveries in their preparatory camp but it’s a cyber bouncer that has left India’s top cricketers a worried lot.

As the star players gear up for a gruelling season ahead, they are faced with a bizarre problem -- cyber impersonation on micro-blogging site ‘Twitter’.

The increasing popularity of the site in India has brought with it a problem which has the potential to create confusion and mislead unsuspecting cricket buffs.

What is worse, the players, who have millions of fans in a cricket-crazy nation, can do little about it.

Most of the celebrated Indian players have accounts on ‘Twitter’ but almost all of them are fake. They have already drawn a huge list of dedicated followers and it keeps growing every passing day.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has four ‘accounts’ on the networking site with one of them having attracted 2291 followers till Sunday.

In the profile page, it shows Dhoni with the Indian cap and the bio says “I am the captain of the national cricket team”.

Dhoni’s agents and family members have made it clear that the Indian captain does not have an account on Twitter, seeking to dissociate themselves from the handiwork of a prankster who operates the page.

“Dhoni does not have an account on Twitter. Many people have called us and we want to clarify this point” his elder brother Narendra Singh Dhoni told reporters.

Some of the tweets from the impersonated Dhoni account, which ranges from the problems in DDCA to Vinod Kambli’s reality show, have already created some controversy.

For example, a tweet on August 26 said “I wanted to give my regards to Vinod Kambli. Had he played to his potential, he had the chance to be as great as Sachin and Lara”.

But apparently, it led to some misunderstanding among his followers. Hence another tweet within hours on the same day said “Please don’t misunderstand comments about Sachin and Kambli. Sachin is the greatest batsman to ever play the game of cricket!!”

The cyber impersonation on Twitter is not restricted to Dhoni. Champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar has as many as seven accounts with one of them, which has his photo, having over 4594 followers.

Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh and Gautam Gambhir are among the top cricketers who have to deal with this Twitter menace.

With many celebrities worldwide joining the Twitter bandwagon, the social networking site is aware of such problems and has introduced a ‘verified account’ badge to lend genuineness to the account and prevent identity confusion.

“To prevent identity confusion, Twitter is experimenting (beta testing) with a ‘Verified Account’ feature. We’re working to establish authenticity with people who deal with impersonation or identity confusion on a regular basis,” a Twitter communication said.

“With this feature, you can easily see which accounts we know are ‘real’ and authentic. That means we’ve been in contact with the person or entity the account is representing and verified that it is approved (This does not mean we have verified who, exactly, is writing the tweets).”

“This also does not mean that accounts without the ‘Verified Account’ badge are fake. The vast majority of accounts on the system are not impersonators, and we don’t have the ability to check 100 per cent of them. For now, we’ve only verified a handful of accounts to help with cases of mistaken identity or impersonation” it said.

Twitter has strict guidelines to prevent impersonation but it will find it difficult to keep track of such practices unless specific complaints are made.

The site’s Impersonation Policy says: “Pretending to be another person or business as entertainment or in order to deceive is impersonation.”

“Non-parody impersonation is a violation of the Terms of Service, specifically article 4 which states: You must not abuse, harass, threaten, impersonate or intimidate other Twitter users.”

The standard for defining parody is, “would a reasonable person be aware that it’s a joke.” An account may be guilty of impersonation if it confuses or misleads others – accounts with the clear intent to confuse or mislead will be permanently suspended.

Parody impersonation accounts are allowed to exist. The profile information on a parody account must make it obvious that the profile is fake, or it is subject to removal from Twitter.

Fortunately, it is still early days for web impersonation in India and therefore the damage has been limited among ‘tweeple’, a term said to have been coined by Bollywood director Karan Johar to describe people on Twitter.

But many avid Dhoni fans are gradually realising that they have been fooled by a prankster. “All these days I was thinking I was following my hero Dhoni. But now I know its not him. I am disappointed,” said Chetna Rai, a Dhoni fan in Ghaziabad.

One day cricket may die by 2011 World Cup

2009-09-01T05:55:00.000-07:00

Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas fears the 2011 World Cup might be the last 50-overs event before the ODI format dies a premature death.

The traditionalist in Abbas is alarmed by the overwhelming success of Twenty20 and the way Indian and English cricket boards are promoting the slam-bang format.

If such thing continues, one day cricket would die in two year`s time, warned Abbas.

"If powerful boards like India, Australia and South Africa push for more Twenty20 cricket, I fear it might be the end of one-day internationals in the next two years time," Zaheer said.

Former players like Shane Warne are demanding ICC to do away with the one day format, while the England and Wales Cricket Board has already dropped the 50-overs format from its 2010 domestic calendar.

"I remain a traditionalist at heart and I don`t like what I see. I fear for the future of one-day internationals. The 2011 World Cup might well be the last time we see 50 over matches being played anywhere," he added.

Hailed as the `Asian Bradman` for his stylish batting and appetite for big scores during his playing days, Abbas said the growing popularity of Twenty20 cricket would eventually sound the death knell of traditional cricket.

"The way money is coming into Twenty20 cricket and the way countries like India and England are pushing and promoting it...if these boards want, they have enough clout in the ICC to change the format of the ODIs completely and reduce the number of overs in matches," he said.

Abbas said while Twenty20 cricket was essential for cricket, it must not be given preference over Tests or one-day matches.

"The real test of a player still comes in Tests or 50 over matches. Twenty20 is pure entertainment and you cannot have entertainment and fun all the time," Zaheer said.

Former captain Javed Miandad also felt the same way and said the authorities need to control the amount of Twenty20 matches held every year.

"Look the technical perfections are already suffering and the more we reduce the number of overs the more it is less cricket," Miandad, now a senior official in the Pakistan Cricket Board and the team`s batting consultant, said.

Harbhajan Singh breaks Traffic rule in his new Hummer

2009-09-01T05:39:00.000-07:00

Chandigarh: Tweaker Harbhajan Singh got on the wrong side of the law on Tuesday for driving around town in his latest possession, Hummer, as he was fined by the police for using the vehicle without a valid number plate.

He is said to have been fined Rs 3000 for the offence, and HS Doon, the ACP of traffic in Chandigarh, told Zeenews that it was a step that would also promote better traffic sense among the common people as it sends out a message that no one is above the law.

After skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh became the latest Indian cricketer to buy the Hummer and the feisty off-spinner says the American SUV is the dream car he has always wanted to possess.

Harbhajan imported the car from England, which costs about Rs 70 lakh in India. After paying the duty, the cost of the vehicle has come to Rs one crore.

While Dhoni`s Hummer is of silver colour, Harbhajan has opted for a "Black Beauty".

Having bought his dream car, Harbhajan is also looking forward to shifting to a new home.

The house is under construction in the New Baradari area of the city. The plot was given by the state government for his outstanding performance in the 2001 home series against Australia.

However, he has no plans to sell off the ancestral home where he was brought up.

"It has memories of my late father Sardev Singh," he said.

IPL gives South Africa board turnover of over USD 11.4 m

2009-08-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

The staging of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa early this year helped the Cricket board there record a turnover of more than USD 11.4 million for the 2008/2009 season.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) had initially budgeted for a loss of nearly USD 10 million, the board's Treasurer Hentie van Wyk said at its annual meeting in Johannesburg.

Van Wyk said the CSA made an operating profit of nearly USD one million as a result of stronger negotiations, bigger broadcast deals, increased sponsorships and the board's successful hosting of international tournaments.

He said the CSA now has a healthy cash reserve of USD 21 million and had enjoyed "one of its most successful season during 2008/2009".

The favourable variance to budget was mainly due to interest received on increased cash balances, fee income related to the Champions League, IPL-related income, increased sponsorship and international broadcast revenue, he said.

"In many aspects, our positive financial results reflect the benefits to cricket of improved structures, expertise and management at all levels," Van Wyk said.

Wisden Editor believe Jayasuriya is the greatest 50-over cricketer

2009-08-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

Legendary New Zealand cricket writer Don Cameron and Scyld Berry, Editor of Wisden, believe that Sanath Jayasuriya should be regarded as the greatest one-day player of all time.

Cameron, who was the New Zealand Herald Cricket Correspondent between 1960 and 1998, believes that Sanath Jayasuriya, who will be part of Sri Lanka’s squad at the ICC Champions Trophy 2009, is deserving of this title, as cricket fans across the world discuss who they believe to be the world’s leading one-day cricketer.

"I have chosen Jayasuriya because he has led Sri Lankan cricket for close on half his 40 years, and whether blasting centuries or fiddling batsmen out with his subtle left-arm slows, plays cricket with a smile on his face, and magic in his fingers," said Cameron.

"And when he and Romesh Kaluwitharana played their explosive opening innings as Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1995-96 he brought new life to a one-day game that was strangling itself in theory. From a personal point of view he is a cricket-writer`s dream."

Meanwhile, Berry agrees that it was the method in which Jayasuriya played the game which makes him deserving of this crown.

"In the past, batting was defensive and bowling was attacking. Now, as a generalisation, it is the other way round. And nobody has done more to bring about this change than Sri Lanka`s Sanath Jayasuriya, to my mind the greatest of 50-over cricketers," said Berry.

"I can still remember how shocked England were by their World Cup quarter-final of 1996 in Faisalabad. In their philosophy they had never dreamed of an opening batsman who hit every ball from the start, admittedly on a flat wicket, without playing himself in.”

"Romesh Kaluwitharana made crash-ball 20s and 30s. His partner, Jayasuriya, scored fast and big: over 12,000 ODI runs in his career, and the second most centuries after Sachin Tendulkar, and all scored at almost a run a ball seizing the initiative for his country.”

"If this is not enough to seal the deal, Jayasuriya has been - until Ajantha Mendis came along - Sri Lanka`s second best spinner after Muttiah Muralidaran, and taken more than 300 ODI wickets. A brilliant left handed all rounder, his powerful hitting made all formats of cricket more exciting for us all."

Salman Khan may or may not buy IPL team

2009-08-29T02:43:00.000-07:00

There are contradicting reports whether the Bollywood icon, Salman Khan, is going to own a team in the future editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) or his recent meeting with the IPL Commissioner, Lalit Modi, was nothing more than a courtesy call.

It was reported the other day that Salman Khan had shown interest in buying a franchise in the IPL but brother Sohail Khan denied the news.

"It's not true. Salman is not buying any IPL team. Yesterday when he was shooting for Dus Ka Dum I called up bhai and asked him whether it was true and he denied it," brother Sohail was quoted as saying.

The speculation grew from the moment Salman had a meeting with Modi at a suburban Mumbai hotel and it was Modi who broke the news of Salman’s interest in owning a cricket team which he was going to introduce in 2011.

"He has been interested in buying a team for quite some time. Today, we had a brief meeting and I explained how to go about with the task. I can assure you that Salman is not the only star who is thinking of buying a team. I have had around 28 queries and the list will surely go up," Modi announced.

But the sources close to Salman indicated that it was just an informal meeting and the Bollywood star did not meet Modi with an aim to own a team, he just asked him what's happening with the IPL and some other details.

If Salman in indeed interested and does make a successful bid, Salman will join an impressive list of Bollywood stars who own IPL teams. Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla have a shareholding in Kolkata Knight Riders while Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty have invested in King’s XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals respectively.
The IPL, launched to cash in on the popularity of Twenty20 cricket following India’s conquest in the inaugural World Cup of the shortest version of the game, brought in huge sums of money.

The multi-million dollar Twenty20 series featured almost all top international players and it became an instant hit with the entertainment element and the overwhelming official support from the movers and shakers of the game.

Lalit Modi is the man behind the show and he remains eager to lure the celebrities to explore how they could join the bandwagon. Obviously the stars of Bollywood prove more than useful tool in selling cricket as well. The greater number of stars that the tournament attracts certainly helps in further boosting the profile of IPL.

It remains to be seen if Salman Khan, with his preoccupations, does decide to have a go at the IPL. Apart from Salman, Ajay Devgan and Sanjay Dutt are also reportedly interested in owning IPL teams.

"He (Salman) is aware of the price of a franchise, which will be between US $200 to US $300 million. He has been keen for some time now, so he was curious about the process of auctions and the money involved,” Modi claimed in a television interview.
The request for proposal and tender for the two new teams will be floated by December and the auction will take place in January 2010. This is done to give the new owners enough time to set up a team and participate in the auction for IPL 4 for the new players.

Pakistan and Australia would clash each other in two Twenty20 internationals

2009-08-28T04:11:00.000-07:00

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that Pakistan will host Australia for a Test and T20 series between July 5 to July 25 next year.

The itinerary released by the ECB has a packed summer session, with England beginning the season with a two match Test series against Bangladesh followed by a three match one-day international series.

The itinerary for 2010 international matches in England:

Pakistan and Australia would face each other in two Twenty20 internationals and two Test matches in England in 2010.

England v Bangladesh: May 27-June 17

England v Australia: five one-day internationals, June 22-July 3

Pakistan v Australia: two Twenty20 internationals, two Tests, July 5-25

England v Pakistan: four Tests, July 29-August 30, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals, September 5-21.

Ponting may lose one day cricket captaincy

2009-08-28T04:07:00.000-07:00

Ricky Ponting has become the first Australian captain since Billy Murdoch to have surrendered the Ashes in England two times. It was a closely fought series in 2005 and the hosts were in possession of a very strong and balanced outfit led by the inspirational Michael Vaughan.

Ponting had a younger outfit at his disposal when he returned to defend the Ashes, after having snatched it most emphatically at home in the interim period, in the summer of 2009. England too had a relatively inexperienced side with Andrew Strauss having taken over the reigns of captaincy only last winter.

Many experts rated Australia as the favourites to win the Ashes battle despite the fact that Ponting’s boys had not been all that inconsistent during the past one year. They were finding it difficult to regain supremacy in the absence of the stalwarts like Shane Warne, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath.

The Australians did possess a formidable bench-strength but their management probably overestimated the youngsters on the basis of their performance in the domestic competitions or in the limited opportunities at the international level.

Obviously Ponting would also have been a pat of the strategy to get the old guard replaced with new blood. But there is a thin line between confidence and over-confidence. The Australians were ruling the world because they had been blessed with an outstanding team and the captain didn’t have much role to play in motivating or guiding the tried and trusted campaigners.

I maintain that it was a blunder on part of the Australians to have let go all their champion characters so quickly. There was still a lot of cricket left in them when the impression was being created that they were over the hill.

Australia, I reckon, would have been a much stronger proposition if people like Warne, Hayden and Gilchrist were still around. Their outstanding performance in the Indian Premier League was a clear reflection of them being in fine shape.

Ponting should share the blame for fast-tracking the exit of the veterans. Being the captain he should have batted for them even if the management had the plans to replace them.

Now it’s Ponting’s turn to face the music. There are many people who desire his head to be put on the chopping block. Although the Board has come out in his support, besides some of his teammates, the feeling has frown that his days in office are numbered.

Ponting has said that he’s is open to the idea of handing deputy Michael Clarke the leadership responsibilities for the Twenty20 and one-day teams, and preserving himself for Test cricket. He has no other options either. He must have realized that the countdown has begun and it’s the beginning of the end for him.

Ponting himself got the one-day leadership in 2002 while Steve Waugh was doing the business in Test cricket. They shared the captaincy until Waugh quit the game 2004. Since then Ponting was the first-choice captain of Australia's Test, ODI and Twenty20 sides.

Now Clarke is most likely to be handed over the reigns for ODI and T20I with Ponting to lead the team in Tests only.

No need of 50-over ODIs

2009-08-27T01:58:00.000-07:00

Twenty20 has rendered one-day cricket irrelevant and the 50-over format should be done away with, according to spin great Shane Warne.

"I`ll say it again, one-day cricket should go. It has evolved into Twenty20," said the Australian legend, asserting the game would be better off with just two formats.

"Cricket only needs two forms of the game. Something needs to be done about scheduling: it`s been going on for too long," Warne wrote in his column.

The leg-spinner, who led Rajasthan Royals to a fairytale triumph in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League, remains a staunch supporter of the Twenty20 format and believes one-dayers simply has no business in the international calendar.

Warne was equally critical of Australia`s post-Ashes schedule which pits them against the same English side for a seven-match ODI series.

"Unfortunately, Australia now plays a series of ridiculous limited-overs matches against England, and then more one-dayers in South Africa and India, before the next Test in Brisbane in November.

"It is a joke that any international team has to play seven ODIs after a five-Test series against the same team," Warne said.

"There are only nine Tests between now and the next Ashes series in Australia at the end of next year, but a ludicrous number of one-day cricket in the same period," he added.

Dwelling on Ashes, Warne said it hurt him to see the side lose the urn.

"It hurts. It hurts a bloody lot losing the Ashes. I really felt for Ricky Ponting and the Australian team after seeing Andrew Strauss lift the little urn at The Oval. It took me back to Michael Vaughan doing the same in 2005, and how it felt to lose the Ashes for the first time in my career. I understand how all the Australian players must have felt," Warne said.

"The vultures are circling and looking for answers, but to me it`s pointless and destructive to sling criticism about why we lost the Ashes. It is more constructive for those in charge to work out how to move forward.”

"Many members of this team were playing in their first Ashes series, but there comes a time when the transition period is over. How long is that period?" he asked.

Bollywood Actor Salman Khan interested to join the IPL band wagon

2009-08-27T01:55:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: After the news of two more teams being added to the extravagant Indian Premier League in 2011 started doing the rounds, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan took maximum interest in the report.

The actor has showed interest in purchasing an IPL franchise for the 2011 edition and he also met the League’s Chairman Lalit Modi on Wednesday to discuss the feasibility of the prospect.

The report was confirmed by Modi when he said that Salman had approached to discuss all the pros and cons of buying an IPL team. Modi also confirmed that the actor would be buying one of the new teams and was not interested in any of the existing ones.

“We were having a discussion for last few months but this is our first official meeting,” Modi said.

Modi said although it was too early to say anything but he felt the actor was a “serious buyer”.

“He was interested to know what it takes to own a team, what’s the process, when it will be initiated and what’s the timeline for it. I think he is a serious buyer,” Modi said.

IPL is set to introduce two new teams in the 2011 season and the franchise may “cost over USD 200-300 million.

Asked if he was interested in any particular existing team or a new team, Modi said “it’s for a new team”.

It has been learnt that Salman eyes to buy either Nagpur or Kochi team.

A lot of Bollywood actors are a part of the cash-rich T20 League with Shah Rukh Khan owning the Kolkata Knight Riders, Preity Zinta with partner Ness Wadia owning the Kings XI Punjab, and Shilpa Shetty, with beau Raj Kundra, owning the Rajasthan Royals.

Modi also dropped hints that more celebrity names might come up with the process going into the later stages as it was a hot venture at the moment.

“We have large number of people interested in it with over 20 celebrities asking to become franchisees, although I don’t want to name them,” he said.

Modi also admitted that having a film star added to the glitter of the event.

“It does add to the spark (of the event),” he said.

Asked whether other Bollywood stars like Ajay Devgan and Sanjay Dutt were also keen to bid for IPL teams, Modi said these were just speculation.

“Honestly speaking, none of them have approached us. These are just speculation. It is too early to say who are the people who will bid for the teams”, he said.

Modi said the IPL organising committee will inform all the prospective buyers once it begins the bidding process.

Salman-SRK rivalry has been doing the rounds currently after the latter was detained in an airport in the US for security check. Salman’s comments went against King Khan when he said that he (Salman) has always been checked and frisked while traveling in America and SRK’s issue should not be given much importance.

I will quit one-day cricket by 2015 World Cup win

2009-08-26T05:07:00.000-07:00

Victory in the Ashes series in his swansong Test was a perfect way to bid adieu to Test cricket and now Andrew Flintoff longs to end his one-day career on a similar high: by winning the 2015 World Cup.

Flintoff, who underwent a knee surgery last night, said he is keen to return to cricket field.

"Obviously there are no guarantees but, having spoken to the surgeon, I`m confident I`ll be able to get back on the field. However long the rehab takes I`m prepared to do it to give myself the best chance of playing international cricket again.”

"I want to play at the World Cup in 2011 and the one after that too. I`ve finished my Test career with an Ashes victory and I want to finish my one-day career with a World Cup win in 2015. That would be perfect," Flintoff was quoted as saying.

The burly all rounder also revealed how emotions overpowered him after playing the final Test of his career at The Oval on Sunday.

"I admit I was tearful. And then I saw one of the Sky Sports cameras hovering and thought `Nobody`s seeing my crying`, so I nipped into the toilets, gave myself a minute, got myself together and got on with the job of celebrating."

Flintoff signs off on a highs

2009-08-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

Andrew Flintoff’s Test career has come to an end rather prematurely. The versatile England all-rounder was having serious fitness over the past few years and he probably made the right decision to quit the longer version of the game.

He was a potentially great cricketer but somehow could not do justice to his talents. He couldn’t produce the kind of consistency which the champion all-rounders like Tony Greig and Ian Botham had done for the country before him.

Yet Flintoff was a colossus for the team and his presence in the field was certainly a source of encouragement and inspiration for his teammates. He was one of those tough characters who awed the opponents.

Andrew Strauss and his team could not have wished a better sendoff for the big all-rounder than the massive win over Australia in the fifth and final Test at The Oval that allowed England to regain the Ashes.

Ideally Flintoff would have loved contributing more substantially in his farewell Test but he would obviously be delighted with the end result. It was a comprehensive victory over the Aussies and more importantly it enabled England to lay their hands on the Ashes that has not stayed for long with them during the last couple of decades.

Flintoff, however, had a hand in bringing about the victory on the penultimate day of the decisive game. With Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey on song, the Australians were cruising in the afternoon session and there were hints of the contest getting tighter than was being anticipated at the start of the innings.

It was Flintoff’s brilliant direct hit that found Ponting short of his crease and ended the threatening partnership. The run out of the Australian skipper opened the floodgates and England cashed in to seal the fate of the game.

It was a magnificent piece of fielding that not only brought to an end the dangerous partnership but also boosted the morale of the side whose shoulders were beginning to drop during the onslaught.

Flintoff was a tough guy on the field but he knew the importance of human qualities. "I would rather be regarded as a decent bloke rather than any sort of cricketer I might have been. That is far more important to me. Whatever you do on the cricket field is one thing, but being able to face yourself in the mirror every day and say 'You're not a bad egg', that is far more important. Cricket is one thing, but I want some friends afterwards,” he observed rather modestly.

"I don't think I ever achieved greatness and I don't profess to. I was asked, 'have you been a great cricketer', and the obvious answer is no. That's the Bothams, the Sobers, the Imran Khans, the Tendulkars, the Ricky Pontings, who achieved greatness over a long period of time by playing Test after Test after Test,” he added.

"I have had an Ashes victory twice, I have had a Test career where I have played 79 Test matches, and hopefully I will go on playing one-day internationals, so from a professional point of view I am happy. For the bulk of my career I have played through pain and with injury, so to be out on the field was an achievement in some ways. But is that greatness? No," Flintoff conceded.