Sehwag storms to fifth spot in ICC rankings

Virender Sehwag on Wednesday squalled into the top five of the ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen by virtue of his superlative double-century against Sri Lanka in the third Test in Mumbai.

Sehwag's 293, which turned out to be the cornerstone of his side's victory that ultimately gave India the number-one position in the ICC Test Championship table for the first time, has rocketed him 14 places to the fifth position which he shares with Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf.

Sehwag's Delhi teammate Gautam Gambhir leads the batting table with Sri Lanka duo of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara placed at second and third spot respectively.

It is the first time since October 2006 that Sehwag has returned to the top five.

From the Mumbai Test alone, the 31-year-old Delhi dasher has gained 91 points which makes him one of the six batsmen above the 800-point mark.

It has been an outstanding and memorable series for Sehwag who not only scored 491 runs in four innings but also gained 16 places in the batting table after starting the series on the 21st position.

Also moving in the right direction are the Indian pair of Rahul Dravid (16th) - up by two places - and VVS Laxman (19th), who improved his position by a rung.

Australia vice-captain Michael Clarke, who scored 71 and 61 not out against West Indies has also climbed one position to fourth spot but captain Ricky Ponting has dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since October 2002.

India maestro Sachin Tendulkar has also conceded two spots and now sits at 18th position after scoring 53 in the Mumbai Test.

India fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who took match figures of 6-142 in the Mumbai Test, has also gained a valuable place which has now put him inside the top 10 bowlers' chart.

The list is still headed by South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn with Australia's Mitchell Johnson second and Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka third.

Meanwhile, Australia needs to beat the West Indies in the third and final Test starting in Perth from 16 December if they want to end 2009 in third position.

The franchise recalled Sourav Ganguly as captain. (No way other than this)

Dav Whatmore has been confirmed as the new coach of Kolkata Knight Riders, filling in the vacancy left by the sacking of John Buchanan after IPL 2009. His appointment was part of a team management overhaul: the franchise also recalled Sourav Ganguly as captain, named Wasim Akram as their mentor, signed on Vijay Dahiya, the former India wicketkeeper and Delhi coach, to assist Whatmore, while retaining Andrew Leipus as physiotherapist and Adrian Le Roux as physical trainer.

Ganguly said in a press release issued by the team management today that he was keen to bring a turnaround in Kolkata's fortune after a nightmarish 2009 season, in which they finished last. "I am excited at the prospect of working with Dav and the entire team closely in addition to playing at our home ground once again," he said. Ganguly would be responsible for all cricket-related decisions for the next season.

Speaking to Cricinfo, Whatmore said his main objective as coach would be to ensure that his players gel as a unit and start thinking positively after two bad IPL seasons - in which Kolkata finished sixth and eighth - and, to that end, he would bank on Ganguly's wealth of knowledge and Akram's exceptional game-reading skills to turn the team around.

He also said he was confident his experience in the region - he coached the 1996 World Cup-winning Sri Lankan team and later, Bangladesh - would help him develop a "decent relationship" with Ganguly, who has had a controversial history with foreign coaches including Greg Chappell for the Indian team and Buchanan. "I have a fair idea and a fair understanding of the importance of Sourav in Kolkata and it's about getting the best out of him as it is with everyone else."

Significantly, Whatmore said he would not employ the multi-captaincy theory that was mooted by Buchanan and sparked a debate in world cricket before Ganguly was replaced by Brendon McCullum as team captain for the previous season.

Whatmore, however, declined to elaborate on what he felt had been going wrong with the team over the last two years - apart from poor batting, there were reports of a rift between players and the team management - but said he would bank on his experience with the National Cricket Academy, of which he was director for the last two years, to spot new talent and act as a bridge between them and the team's top international players.

Asked where Kolkata would reach in the next IPL starting in March, he said: "Sometimes, I think it's good to have a goal like that, but other times I feel you don't want to limit yourself too much either. But as you saw, in IPL-2, the two teams that finished last and second-last respectively in the first edition ended up being the finalists (Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore). So perhaps, hope is the right word to use now. But I would like to know that hope will become a different word as we go along. That can happen."

Kolkata zeroed in on Whatmore after meeting a number of candidates, including John Wright, Richard Pybus, Dermot Reeve, Duncan Fletcher, Lalchand Rajput, WV Raman and Ashok Malhotra. The team management had informally sounded out Whatmore in June and followed it up with an interview in August at the Mumbai residence of the actor Shah Rukh Khan, who co-owns the Kolkata franchise with businessman Jay Mehta.

Whatmore's presentation to the Kolkata management was titled 'Let's Turn It Around'. "I just want to be the one that helps them turn their fortunes around. It will be a genuine effort." Whatmore will begin his three-yearstint with the team by attending the IPL workshop in Bangkok next week.

Whatmore, 55, played seven Tests for Australia and brings to the IPL an impressive record. Apart from the 1996 World Cup title for Sri Lanka, he guided Bangladesh to two historic wins in the 2007 World Cup against India and South Africa, and also coached Lancashire to title wins in the NatWest and Sunday League in 1998. Last year, he was coach of the India Under-19 team that won the junior World Cup in Malaysia.

Courtesy: Cricinfo

7th ODI. Is it Dead Rubber or Fight for honour?

India don't really have a choice, India have to go all out for the win! Australia on the other hand will probably make changes to the side (Again! anyone know that last time Australia played an unchanged 11 in an ODI? lol), Holland, McDonald and Cockley to get games, probably replacing Johnson, Watson and either Hauritz or McKay (depending on if they wanna play 2 spinners or not)

Its a dead rubber because its result wont change the outcome of the series. Australia will probably try a few new players. India should also try a few new players like Tyagi and others.

But when you are playing for your country every match has some meaning. Of course some matches are more important some are less important but there is no such thing as a meaningless game, trying new players itself is very important for any team.

Master Blaster Sachin : GOD of Cricket

Blistering innings from Sachin proved that still he is the GOD of Cricket. No Substitute for him.

There is a Banner at SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground) says:

"Commit all your crimes when Sachin is batting. They will go unnoticed for even the Lord is busy watching him."



Once again, he said via his batting that we can continue to do the crime when he is on the middle! :-)

Hats Off Little Master! You have been fantastic throughout your career!

Thank you sachin for making us proud! You have made the whole Nation proud. Don't ever think of retirement because we know that you are still young.

Congratulations Sachin for your 17000 runs. Wish you to cross 20000 runs. You are not only genius but you are a legend where no one can reach.

India playing against Week Australians??

Till now 4 Australian players have been sent star player Bret Lee. Johnson not in form, his bowling seems to be cake walk for the Indians.

Now India playing with their full strength. Even then series is at level.

Tomorrow is going to be a game that will a test for the Australians. Ponting needs to ponder. Henriques would be out from 5th ODI.

Will the Australians prove that they are still on top? Or they going to give way for the Indians to be at the TOP.

Will see..

Champions League

All the three Indian teams came out from the champions League.. In this tournament onething making me to laugh is Tournament is going in India.

So are we not capable to play against the other County team.. Even we have a best opening pairs like Sehwag and Gambir..


Shame.. Better luck next time..

Boom Boom Afridi - One of my Favourite

First time he is gonna lead his team today!

Just when did Shahid Afridi grow up? It's tempting to narrow the answer down to a few days in mid-June, when Pakistan's Super Eight campaign at the ICC World Twenty20 reached the edge of the precipice. After defeat against Sri Lanka, the situation was simple enough. The next loss would be their last, the signal for the players to pack their bags and head home for the summer.

Afridi's lack of form with the bat was symptomatic of the team's woes. In the warm-up game against India, watched by a full house at The Oval, Afridi walked out with Pakistan in big trouble at 45 for 3. A bit of circumspection would have helped but as soon as you saw the ball in Irfan Pathan's hand you could almost sense what would transpire next. The two men have a history, to put it mildly, and when Irfan bowled one full and a touch wide, Afridi reacted with a wild flail. Had the bat connected cleanly, the ball would have cleared the rope by a distance but instead it flew off the edge to MS Dhoni's right behind the stumps. The latest installment of the Pathan v Pathan clash of egos had gone the way of the younger one from Vadodara.

Afridi's dismal run with the bat continued right through to the Sri Lanka game in the Super Eights, and when he chipped in with perky cameos against New Zealand and Ireland it was convenient to disregard them given that neither team really gave Pakistan a game. South Africa were up next, in the semi-final at Trent Bridge, and on the walk to the ground it was noticeable just how many wore Pakistan jerseys with his name on it. Perform or perish, Afridi has thrilled fans' hearts like few others.

Even then, there was more than a mild buzz of surprise when he walked out after just eight balls, at No. 3. Wayne Parnell and Dale Steyn had come into the game with rave reviews, and many regarded it as an unnecessarily foolhardy risk. And so we waited, for the impetuous hoick or the wild heave that would lead to sage nods and raised eyebrows. This was Afridi after all.

The wait was a long one. Afridi batted 46 minutes and faced 34 balls for his 51 before JP Duminy's part-time spin did for South Africa what Afridi had so often done for Pakistan. Someone who hadn't watched the game would have been entitled to ask: So, how many sixes did he whack? The answer was none. There were eight fours, but not one swipe out of the ground. This was controlled aggression, calculated menace, the sort of innings Inzamam-ul-Haq might have played.

Now, three months on, Afridi leads the side, with Younis Khan nursing a hairline fracture on the little finger of his right hand. How had he changed, he was asked, from the teenager who spanked a 37-ball century to this senior-statesman version entrusted with shepherding a young and exciting side? "I have a beard now," he said with a laugh. "I also have a wife and children. Responsibility has matured me. I still enjoy cricket but I try and avoid the reckless strokeplay now.

"There's been good and bad, wins and losses, smiles and cries, more the latter for me. It's a struggle, similar to what life is like. I'm enjoying it and I will as long as I play. It's an honour to be playing for Pakistan. To captain the team is a dream come true."

He remained quietly confident too that the Twenty20 heroics could be translated to the 50-over arena. "We all know our strengths," he said. "Not only are we strong in batting, but bowling as well. It's a balanced team. But I never take any team lightly any time, especially when it's the first match of the tournament. We're 11 playing against 11. We're equal in that sense. We can't think that we will win easily."

The self-belief and motivation that he spoke of will be most tested on Saturday, when they renew acquaintance with India. "I enjoy playing India the most," he said, another smile flashing across his face. Having tormented India in both Tests and one-dayers [Chennai 1999 and Kanpur 2005 readily come to mind], he certainly won't hold back no matter how high the stakes. "They've just been lucky to win in the ICC events," he said. "Winning and losing is part of the game. All I ask from the team is for everyone to give their 100%. I'll be content even if we lose. If you lose after fighting, even the followers don't mind that."

By then, Mohammad Asif will also be available for selection after serving a one-year ban. "It's good for Pakistan, his comeback," Intikhab Alam, the coach, said. "The type of bowler he is, it'll be a challenge for him. He's a matchwinner and has that kind of ability. We're all looking forward to having him back."

Regardless of whether Asif plays against West Indies, most eyes will be on the man the supporters would happily follow as though he was the Pied Piper of Hamelin. From enfant terrible to experienced hand and now leader of the pack, it's been quite a journey, with huge crests and equally scary troughs. "I hope to come up to expectations," he said. "I already captained in Sri Lanka [in the Twenty20], with success and I've been backed by the players. It's a really important match and I'll try and instill the winning mentality into the players."

Those who adore him call him Boom Boom. The explosions seem a little more calculated these days, and there's a look in the eye which suggests that he may not go bust as casually as he once did. That 51 in the Twenty20 semi was followed by an equally responsible half-century in the final. Having taken his own sweet time to mature, Afridi seems to be loving this adult lark.

Do you know this?? - Trivia

Marvan Atapattu of Sri Lanka, who later went on to captain the side, scored 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0 in his first six Test innings.

Former Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed is the youngest player to take a ODI hat-trick. He achieved the feat against India at the age of 19 in 1991.

Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting who played their last Test in February 1995, played 197 Tests between them and scored over 13,000 runs.

Of the 17 ODI hundreds scored by legendary WI opener Desmond Haynes, 11 were unbeaten and 16 came in winning causes.

Richie Benaud, who retired in 1964, holds the proud record of having never captained Australia to a series defeat.

India and England had an impromptu rest day on day two of the Madras Test in 1952, following the death of King George VI.

Don Bradman played his last innings in Australia against India and retired hurt for 57 after he tore a muscle under his left ribs.

Albert Trott is the only man in the history of the game to have cleared the pavilion at Lord's. He hit Monty Noble out of the ground.

In the third Test at Kingsmead in 1957, Hugh Tayfield bowled 137 balls without conceding a run during England's first innings vs South Africa.

In 1980, Sunil Gavaskar (166) and Kapil Dev (84 and match figures of 11 for 136) gave India their first series victory over Pakistan in 27 years.

Australia's Joe Darling hit the ball out of the Adelaide Oval to reach his century in the first Test against England in 1898.

If Kapil Dev had not been dropped for one Test against England in 1984-85, his Test career would have consisted of 132 consecutive matches.

England captain Mike Denness dropped himself for the fourth Test of the Ashes series in 1975 after making just 65 runs in the last six innings.

England captain Mike Denness dropped himself for the fourth Test of the Ashes series in 1975 after making just 65 runs in the last six innings.

In 1979, Gavaskar scored 182 in the 2nd innings of the 3rd Test against WI to become the only batsman to hit a century in each innings of a Test three times.

England cricketer Jack Hobbs, who scored 83 in his first Test knock, went on to become the first batsman to score 5000 Test runs.

VVS Laxman hit 44 boundaries in his knock of 281 against Australia in the Kolkata Test at the Eden Gardens in 2001.

Only one Indian test cricketer - Rusi Surti - played Sheffield Shield cricket in Australia. He played for Queensland.

B Chandrashekhar is the only cricketer to have scored fewer runs in his test career than the number of wickets he took - 242 wickets and 177 runs.

M.L. Jaisimha and Ravi Shastri have both batted on all five days of a Test Match.

The only bowler to have got the great Aussie Sir Donald Bradman out hit wicket was India's Lala Amarnath.

Southpaw Vinod Kambli, who scored two consecutive double hundreds in Test cricket, hit the first Ranji Trophy ball he faced for a six.

Indian spinner Maninder Singh was the last man to be dismissed in the famous tied Test against Australia in Chennai in 1986.

India played its first one-day international match against England at Headingley in 1974, under the captaincy of Ajit Wadekar.

We gonna see Dada in action again!!

Close to a year after retiring from international cricket, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has said he may play for Bengal in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. The 37-year-old pointed out that he was open to the idea of playing "a few of the four-day Ranji Trophy matches" if the Bengal selectors were keen on including him in the team.

"At the moment I haven't spoken to anybody, but I'll definitely be speaking to the selectors, and if I'm required, then I won't mind playing a few matches," Ganguly told the Telegraph, the Kolkata-based daily. "The 2009-10 season is again a very crucial one for Bengal and we're in a tough group. So, if I'm required, I'll be there."

It was reported earlier that Ganguly would be playing for Bengal only in the Vijay Hazare Trophy to gain some match practice before turning out for Kolkata Knight Riders in the third edition of the IPL in March-April next year. However, he said he was keen on playing the home games during the Ranji season and the knock-out matches later, if Bengal qualified.

"I cannot sit out 11 months in a year and hope to fire in the IPL," Ganguly told the Times of India. "It may be Twenty20 cricket, but let's not forget that it's a top-class international tournament and the standard of cricket is very high. I need to get into the groove before IPL 3 starts in March 2010."

Ganguly played 113 Tests and 311 ODIs and scored 7212 and 11363 runs respectively at an average of 40-plus. He also featured in 242 first-class matches, and is 67 short of reaching 15000 runs.

With Bengal taking on heavyweights like Uttar Pradesh, Saurashtra, Karnakata, Maharashtra, Baroda and Delhi in Group B of the Ranji Trophy Super League this season, Ganguly's experience is expected to bolster Bengal's fragile middle order. Bengal are also set to welcome back ICL players like Deep Dasgupta, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala and Rohan Gavaskar.

Bengal captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla and selector Devang Gandhi were both delighted with Ganguly's decision. "Dadi making a comeback is big news. It will be great for Bengal and a huge plus for Bengal cricket. It will be of great advantage if he turns out this season," Shukla told the Telegraph.

"With the world of experience Sourav's presence brings to the team, it will definitely help Bengal cricket," Gandhi said.

However, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) said it was not yet aware of the development. "He hasn't told us anything," said CAB joint-secretary Biswarup Dey. "It won't be fair to make a comment based on media statements."

Fresh Controversy for Harbajan

Harbhajan Singh today found himself in a fresh controversy after jabbing at a photographer at the Bangalore International Airport before leaving for the tri-series in Sri Lanka.

The feisty off-spinner, who very often finds himself in the news for all the wrong reasons, jabbed at a cameraman after the camera had hit him on the head while he was taking his luggage out from a car before entering the airport.

Harbhajan gave an angry stare at the cameraman even as a security personnel tried to push back the hordes of lensmen who had virtually mobbed the cricketer.

The 29-year-old Punjab spinner has a rather dubious disciplinary record, having been penalised for various offences during his career.

Harbhajan was accused of racially abusing Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds in Sydney and the 2007 'monkey-gate' incident snowballed into a major crisis, threatening to tear apart the cricketing world.

In the same year, Harbhajan was banned for the remaining Indian Premier League matches after the infamous 'slap-gate', which saw him slapping his India teammate S Sreesanth in Mohali.

After the 'slap-gate' incident, Harbhajan had promised to mend his way and keep a check on his temper.

'I DON'T WANT TO BE CAPTAIN' - Sehwag

Dashing opener Virender Sehwag said he doesn't want to be the captain of the Indian cricket team and suggested that a new face should be given the responsibility of vice-captaincy so that he can be groomed to take the reins after skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

"I don't want to be a captain, I have already told selectors about it. I have said that a new player should be made vice-captain and be groomed to be a captain," Sehwag said.

"I want that I should continue to score runs and keep winning matches for the team," he added.

The Delhi-batsman said he would regain his fitness completely before the Champions League which starts from October 10.

Sehwag, who has played under many skippers in his career, considers former skipper Saurav Ganguly as the best ever captains for Team India.

"Sourav Ganguly has been the best ever captain India ever had," he said.

"Saurav took over as captain of the India cricket team when it was going through a very bad patch. Indian team was struggling to put come out of the match fixing scandal. He had a responsibility to put together a new team and he did a splendid job," Sehwag told News24 channel.

Ponting retires from T20 Internationals

Australia captain Ricky Ponting quit Twenty20 Internationals on Monday, hoping the decision would prolong his career in other formats of the game.

Ponting said he would no more feature in Twenty20 Internationals but would complete his contracts with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.

"After much thought and careful consideration I have advised Cricket Australia of my decision to retire from international Twenty20 cricket," Ponting said.

"I have also spoken to (chief selector) Andrew Hilditch, (coach) Tim Nielsen and (vice captain) Michael Clarke and I feel this decision provides me the opportunity to prolong my Australian Test and one-day career, an opportunity I am extremely determined about," he said.

"As I said after the fifth Test in London, I am hoping to continue playing Test cricket for as long as possible and retiring from the Twenty20 format gives me the best chance of doing this.

"I will now have set periods of rest throughout the Australian summer and while touring which I feel will be very beneficial," said Ponting, who returned home after losing the Ashes to England.

Earlier this year, Pakistan captain Younus Khan had also quit Twenty20 Internationals after guiding his team to the World Cup glory.

"While I will no longer be available for Australian Twenty20 cricket, I look forward to playing with Tasmania's KFC Big Bash team where possible and to fulfilling my contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League," Ponting said.

Ponting has played 17 Twenty20 Internationals, scoring 401 runs at an average of 28.64 and with a healthy strike rate of 132.78.

The 34-year-old Australian, regarded one of the best batsmen of his era, has amassed more than 11,000 runs both in Test and ODIs.

Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said Ponting's absence would leave a void in the Twenty20 squad but the board supported the player.

"We are very supportive of the decision Ricky has made and understanding of the reasons behind it. Needless to say he will be a huge loss to the Twenty20 side but it does present opportunities for the other players and leaders within Australian cricket to gain further experience," Sutherland

said.

"While we have not seen much of Ricky in Australia's Twenty20 matches in recent times, his innings in the first ever Twenty20 International against New Zealand at Auckland was probably the best innings I have ever seen in the Twenty20 form of the game," the CA official said.

A formal decision regarding Ponting's replacement as captain of the Twenty20 side will be made later in the year, the board said.

Dhoni world's top earning cricketer: Forbes

New York: 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.

Dravid adds value to the team: Tendulkar

Senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar feels Rahul Dravid's inclusion after close to two years has added "value" to the ODI team and his experience would come in handy during the tri-series in Sri Lanka and the subsequent Champions Trophy in South Africa.



"It should help the team. He brings in a lot of experience on the table and also a lot of skill. I think his will be good value addition to the team," Tendulkar said.

Tendulkar said the team is fitter and hungrier after wrapping up a four-day training camp in Bangalore to prepare for the tri-series in Sri Lanka, where New Zealand is the third team.

"The camp has ended on a positive note and the team looks pretty solid and hungry. Sri Lanka is one place which is not very free scoring," he said.

"It will be a challenge for some of the stroke players in our team. As boundaries can be difficult to come by, there will be a lot of running between the wickets involved," he added.

Tendulkar said all the three participating teams were evenly matched and it is difficult to say which one of them would eventually win the short series.

"We are an extremely good fielding unit and we turned around games with our fielding. It is a misconception to assume that New Zealand and Sri Lanka have an edge over us.

"We run well between the wickets, our run out conversion is good, our catching ability is amongst the best, our bowlers are much more disciplined as they don't bowl wides and no balls. I think we are three evenly matched teams," Tendulkar told espnstar.com.

Asked whether the Indians had decoded mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, who has tormented them in the past, Tendulkar said, "These are the contests created by the media. Ajantha Mendis, Muthiah Muralitharan or Chaminda Vaas are all good bowlers and we as a team respect them. At the same time we have a plan for each one of them."

"On the last trip batsmen like Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir handled Mendis and Murali really well. I think we can build on that. These youngsters bring a fresh approach and mindset which then rubs off on others which helps the team produce good results," he added.

Sorry for the break!!!

Its very hectic life.. Not even getting time to manage my blog! Well Its time for us to pick a world best cricket team... Post your comments..

1) Sachin Tendulkar

“Hes called the little "MASTER" He’s a real master man.”

2) Don Bradman

“the best man! RUN MAKING MACHINE”

3) Vivian Richards

“A man on fire! Absolute genius”

4) Gary Sobers

“Dont forget, he’s the first man to hit 6 6s in 1 over.”

5) Shane Warne

“Genius of a bowler”

6) Liam Hutton

“Best All Rounder”

7) Mutthiah Muralitharan

“Superb Bowler”

8) Sunil Gavaskar

“C’mon. Dont place him here. He has broken Bradman’s record”

9) Jhonty Rhodes

“The no 1 fielder. No 30 Batsmen. No 1 cricketer HE ROCKS OO!

10) William Grace

“The best cricketer of the the 19th century”

PONTING TALKING ABOUT SPIRIT - A JOKE

Ricky Ponting's rant about England's alleged lack of respect for the spirit of the game rings hollow because Australia is the team which violates it most, said Ashes winning coach Duncan Fletcher. Writing in The Guardian, the Zimbabwe-born Fletcher, who guided England to the 2005 Ashes victory, said Ponting's homily on spirit of the game was a manifestation of his frustration after Australia failed to separate the last English pair in the first Ashes Test and settled for a draw. "England will be delighted they left Cardiff with a draw and no doubt amused that they head for Lord's with a lecture about the spirit of the game from Ricky Ponting, of all people, still ringing in their ears," Fletcher wrote. "If any side in the world doesn't play within the spirit of the game it's Ponting's Australians, yet here he is sitting in judgement on England because he's frustrated that his bowlers failed to complete the job," he said. James Anderson and Monty Panesar batted out the last 40 minutes, during which England twice sent in physio Stev McCaig and 12th man Bilal Shafayat in an obvious attempt to waste time, much to Ponting's exasperation. Fletcher said he did not condone what England did even if it's not really illegal. "But let's not get carried away. What England did ate up maybe an over at most. If the batsmen had wasted the same amount of time talking between overs, no one would have batted an eyelid. Instead we're left with the ridiculous situation of being told off by an Australian captain for transgressing cricket's spirit, a notion he seems to only vaguely understand himself," Fletcher said. Fletcher counter-attacked, saying Ponting set even a worse example for the "schoolboys watching at home." "...Can the Australians really argue that England's tactics are worse than the way Ponting places pressure on the umpires and makes them look bad in front of a huge crowd and TV audience? And we haven't even mentioned Australia's sledging. "The way he objected after Aleem Dar rightly turned down a catch at silly point off Paul Collingwood was typical. Back in 2005 Ponting and his team were over-aggressive towards the umpires on a regular basis, and he was at it again here," Fletcher said. "Ponting has to be careful. Someone needs to sit down and ask him what he understands by the spirit of the game. The way he plays is definitely not in the spirit. And if the Australians would have you think that they'd have done things differently on Sunday evening, then pigs might soon be spotted in the skies above St John's Wood," he quipped.

The Ashes

The term 'Ashes' was first used after England lost to Australia - for the first time on home soil - at The Oval on 29th August 1882. A day later, the Sporting Times carried a mock obituary to English cricket which concluded that: "The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia". The concept caught the imagination of the sporting public. A few weeks later, an English team, captained by the Hon Ivo Bligh [later Lord Darnley], set off to tour Australia, with Bligh vowing to return with "the ashes"; his Australian counterpart, WL Murdoch, similarly vowed to defend them.



As well as playing three scheduled matches against the Australian national side, Bligh and the amateur players in his team participated in many social matches. It was after one such match, at the Rupertswood Estate outside Melbourne on Christmas Eve 1882, that Bligh was given the small terracotta urn as a symbol of the ashes that he had travelled to Australia to regain. On the same occasion, he met his future wife - Florence Morphy - who was the companion to Lady Janet Clark, mistress of Rupertswood, and governess to the Clark children.In February 1884, Bligh married Florence. Shortly afterwards, they returned to England, taking the urn - which Bligh always regarded as a personal gift - with them. It stayed on the mantelpiece at the Bligh family home - Cobham Hall, near Rochester in Kent - until Bligh died, 43 years later. At his request, Florence bequeathed the urn to MCC. Today, over 75 years on, the tiny, delicate and irreplaceable artefact resides in the MCC Museum at Lord's. Each year, it is seen by tens of thousands of visitors, from all parts of the world.

In the 1990s, recognising the two teams' desire to compete for an actual trophy, MCC commissioned - after discussions with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia - an urn-shaped Waterford Crystal trophy (see right).
This was first presented to Mark Taylor after his Australian side emerged triumphant in the 1998-99 Test series against England. Since then, the trophy has been presented to the winning captain at the end of each Test series between Australia and England. Most recently, it was presented to Ricky Ponting after his Australian side's 5-0 victory over England in the 2006-07 Ashes series.
From October 2006 to January 2007, the urn formed the centrepiece of the MCC Travelex Ashes Exhibition, which visited seven museums in six Australian states and attracted over 105,000 visitors

Happy B'day Dada

Birthdays don't mean a great deal for Sourav Ganguly, but this one (his 37th) could well turn out to be memorable. For, it is today that he makes an entry into cricket administration as part of the Indian cricket board's technical committee headed by Sunil Gavaskar, who celebrates a landmark 60th birthday on Friday.

This is Ganguly's first birthday after retiring from international cricket. He has still not put a full stop on his first-class career though and could play the East Zone one-dayers for Bengal.

"I'm looking forward to be wished by Gavaskar. He is aware it's my birthday, especially because it is two days before his," said Ganguly at his residence here yesterday.

The former India captain said he was thrilled to be part of the technical committee, which decides on key cricketing issues for Indian cricket. "It's an honour and I will do anything which helps in the development of Indian cricket," he said.

Ganguly's will be an influential voice on cricketing matters. The committee will not only benefit from his playing experience but also someone who knows what modern cricket is all about. "I will speak my mind if I am asked for an opinion," he said.

The birthday celebrations will be on hold till he returns to Kolkata in the evening.

Cricket Puzzle

2 batsman(Batsman A and Batsman B) are on 94 Runs...

2 balls remaining in the last over...

7 runs to win...

Last Wicket...

Both batsman make 100 & win the match..... How?

Post your answers in comments section... All the Best!

.......................................................................................

Here is the Answer!!!

First ball, Batsman A on strike (94), 7 to win - batsmen hits the ball and takes three runs. However, on one of the runs, one of the batsmen accidentally fails to make his ground, so the umpire calls a short run and that run is disallowed. While the ball is still in play the fielder throws it to the wicket-keeper but overthrows it, and the ball goes to the boundary and so an additional four runs are awarded. Thus, six runs (3 runs - 1 short run + 4 overthrows = 6 Runs) are awarded to Batsman A for his century, Batsman B would now be on strike.

Second ball, Batsman B on strike (94), 1 to win -- the ball is struck over the boundary for six. Batsman B scores his century and his team wins the match.

This scenario also solves the raised issue.. two centuries and the match winning..

Hats Off to one of my Colleague(Mr.Yugendran) who guessed almost correct!

Will India bounce back??

India's Emerging Player

India's Emerging Player.... Mr.Cools.. Cool Pics....

To my Colleague!!

Many Sorry to Cricket Fans!! This is the time for me to wish my Colleague. Tomorrow is his Marraige.

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.


Happy Married life VENKAT!!!

Pakistan got what they DESERVED this year.. But am not..(No HIKE lol)

Its time for celebration in Pakistan... After 1 year of Horrible cricket period, This is the time for Pakistanis to Have some fun with their friends!!

ICL Issues

Terrorist Attack in Delhi and India withdrawn their tour to go to Pakistan.

Attack against Srilankans in Pakistan. Srilanka Withdrawn test and ODI series.

Aus-Pak match held at common venue. (Bangladesh) Mini World Cup postponed.

World Cup Venue Issues. Etc., Etc., But now ICC T20 World cup is in Pakistan.

Younis Kahn has stepped down from the T20 captain ship and retired also..

All the captains resign after their loss.. Seems he is different... Hats Off to him!! So..

Will ICC recognize Pakistan ???

God and Terrorist Knows!!

No Rest... England to West Indies...

Is really Indian fans worried for T20 WC exit?

I have seen that many fans are blaming Dhoni for his recent form.. and also the rift(may be romour) between Sehwag.

So all are telling that Dhoni deserved this loss.

What is your opinion?

Will India bounce back in West Indies?? (Without Sachin and Sehwag)

Will Dinesh Karthick get a chance to play? (he is in Good nick)

Will Dhoni find his form? (May be his luck)

Will Rohit Sharma Shine as an opener? (Not in Practice match)

Will Gambhir shows his guts? (Not with his regular opener)

Post your comments...

Perfect Allrounder Gave Pakistan to play another T20 WC Final

Shahid Afridi's inspired all-round display saw Pakistan knock out favourites South Africa by seven runs and book a place in the final of the World Twenty20 cricket at Trent Bridge here Thursday.

Afridi slammed 51 off 34 balls to take Pakistan to 149 for four and then made the Proteas bleed with his bowling, taking the wickets of Herschelle Gibbs and Ab de Villiers, at a miserly 16 runs from four overs.

Jacques Kallis (64) and Jean Paul Duminy (44 not out) tried to revive the South African innings, but the Pakistani bowlers stuck to the task, restricting them to 142 for five.

Fast bowler Umar Gul, who was brought on as late as in the 13th over predictably got the ball to reverse and came up with his customary block-hole deliveries. Seventeen-year-old Mohammad Aamer, too, did not buckle under pressure while bowling the last over when 23 runs were needed.

Last year's runner-up Pakistan entered the tournament with not much international matches to back them in last one year. They were far from convincing in the initial stage of the tournament, but as in the past, the talented Pakistanis showed big-match temperament to topple the South African cart.

Graeme Smith's team did everything right in the tournament to deserve a place in the final with an all-win record and was the team to beat, and their only loss in the tournament saw them out of it. Though captain Smith denied it was a case of choking again, there were signs of panic in the closing overs.

The Proteas had lost matches they were favoured to win in the past World Cups more than once.

Deciding to bat, Pakistan made a flying start as Kamran Akmal (23) showed his aggressive streak, punishing Dale Steyn with a flurry of strokes in the first over.

Shahzaib Hasan got out in the next over of Wayne Parnell with Van der Merwe holding on to a brilliant diving catch at mid-on.

There was no stopping the diminutive Akmal, who hit four fours and a straight six off Steyn. The fast bowler, after being smashed overhead, dismissed Akmal, who mistimed a pull looking for another big shot.

Afridi and Shoab Malik (34) carried on in the same vein to add 67 runs in 58 balls. However, South Africa came back strongly in the last five overs with some tight bowling backed by attacking fielding.

Guess Who is he...????

Guess Who is he...????

Post your answer on comment section!!!

Answer :

Sunil.. Yes you are Right!!

Socrates Quote

Yesterday i received a SMS..

A group of donkeys led by a Lion(Gayle, Collingwood) can defeat a group of lions led by a Donkey(Dhoni) - Socrates!!!

One of my friend's brother asked me to publish this SMS in my blog...

Rare Photos of Saurav Ganguly

Some rare photos of "dada" from his past and present days

Sourav at the age of 5.

If not cricket, he would probably have been a football player. A self confessed fan of the great game.

Sourav with wife Dona Ganguly. In his early schooldays, he used to write her essays.

Sourav and Dona at their home.

The first families of cricket Sourav and Sachin along with children.

Tour Photos from England. A group photo of his first tour.

And this one along with Sachin and Vinod Kambli from the same tour

'I consider myself a bowler first'

The Pakistan all rounder answers readers' queries about his preferred batting position, playing against India, his biggest six, and more

1. Who is the most difficult bowler you ever faced?

When it comes to the new ball, it was Glenn McGrath, while with the spinners it is Muttiah Muralitharan. McGrath was obviously due to his accuracy, whereas Murali is a very difficult opponent, especially on subcontinent pitches, where he gets a lot of turn. So you have to keep a close watch on the ball. I've hit him for quite a few sixes, but it is never easy.

2. Usually most Pakistani allrounders start as bowling allrounders and gradually become batting allrounders (e.g. Shoaib Malik). But you started as a rapid-fire batsman and now you've developed into one of the best middle-overs spin bowlers. How did this change come about? Do you rate yourself as a specialist batsman or a specialist bowler

I actually started as a spinner, but when I cracked the world record for the fastest ODI century, in October 1996, people started to expect more from me as a batsman. But my position in the batting order was never consistent and I couldn't cope with the constant shuffling up and down. So three years ago I decided I should focus on my bowling once again, and I have done well now. I rate myself as a bowler first and then a batsman.

3. Which position do you like to bat in the most? Opener, No. 3, or middle and lower-middle order?

In the subcontinent I prefer to open, and outside, be No. 6. That is because it is easy to hit the new ball early on, as it loses its shine just after a few overs in the subcontinent. That is not the case overseas, where it becomes difficult for my style of power hitting.

4. About a couple of years back you were quoted as saying that you were tired of Test cricket and wanted to retire. What are your thoughts now?

At that point I was frustrated. In fact, I was doing better in Tests than in ODIs, and still they did not play me. They said batting in both forms is completely different, so I said, 'What's the point in going on when they are not playing me, not thinking of me as a Test player.' I was fed up. However, some of my well-wishers inside and the outside the team asked me to rethink, so I decided to go back on my decision. Test cricket is always the priority for any cricketer. Also, Test cricket is now fast-paced: there are more results in Tests and games end in four days too. There are some swift run-makers like Virender Sehwag and Sanath Jayasuriya, who bat with their natural style and perform well. I think of myself as the same.

5. How do you feel on the eve of a match against India? And who are your favourite Indian cricketers?

I enjoy the games against India the most because there is a lot of pressure and lots of expectations. And if you perform, you become a hero instantly. My top three innings against India are, my all-round performance in the Bangalore Test of 2005, 109 in Canada in 1998, and the century in Kanpur in the must-win game in the ODI series in 2005.

Sachin Tendulkar has always been a favourite and I have enjoyed his batting.

I'm not sure about the best compliment I've received from an Indian cricketer but there was this instance when a frustrated Anil Kumble, after I had hit him for a few fours, said: 'You are not bothered about your respect or mine'"

6. Which was your biggest six ever? And who was the bowler?

Against Brett Lee, at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Without moving my feet, I hit him over mid-off. This was immediately after he had taken two quick wickets, so he was in good rhythm.

7. I remember you bouncing Brian Lara in a one-day international once. Who bowled you the quickest bouncer of your career?

one across my head in the 1999-00 ODI series. I did see it, but it flew above my head without giving me any chance.

8. Initially when you started, your technique was simple and successful - to hit as straight as possible. Now you like to hit straight balls over long-on, which tends to cost you your wicket. Also, your grip on the bat handle seems to be very loose. Any reason for these changes?

I have never changed my grip. I actually don't think about all such things.

9. Who are the top five most destructive batsmen in cricket history, according to you?

As opening batsmen, it would be Sanath Jayasuriya, Virender Sehwag, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Chris Gayle (in no particular order).

10. You have played under so many Pakistani captains. Whose leadership qualities have inspired you and the rest of the team the most?

Wasim bhai [Akram] and Inzi [Inzamam-ul-Haq] - both were captains, who were caring and understood how to motivate his players. A good captain is someone who will continue backing his player, especially when the player is going through a lean patch.

11. Which is the best century you have scored - in ODIs and Tests combined?

In Tests, 141 against India in a tough situation in the 1998-99 Chennai Test. In ODIs, against New Zealand in Sharjah in 2002, where Pakistan were once again in a spot and it was a good challenge to take them home.