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Terrorist Attack in Delhi and India withdrawn their tour to go to Pakistan.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 Srilanka Withdrawn test and ODI series.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.

Mr.Cool made us Fool.

Mr.Cool made us Fool.

1. Decided to bowl after winning the toss.

2. Sent Jadeja up the order before Yuvraj.

3. Not given the ball to RP Sing as still one over is left for him and Econ is 4.33.

4. Missed Run out chance. (An easy picking ball)

5. He doesn’t hit the ball hard while batting.

I Guess he have to consult his astrologer when the luck will come again in his life.

However the controversial issue at the press conference, which went on for 26 minutes, was the elevation of Ravindra Jadeja. Playing his first game of the tournament, he walked in at No. 4 and finished with 25 off 35 balls. Dhoni explained that Yuvraj Singh, who had scored a brilliant 67 against the West Indies, was the natural choice but he didn't want Yuvraj to keep walking out to a pressure situation - yet that's exactly the situation he faced.

Not for the first time, Dhoni added that fielding was another key area where there was room for improvement after showing problems through the tournament. "Fielding is an area we need to work on. This was the best side with our best fielders. We can't complain but we can definitely improve."

"Cricket never tests your character when you are doing well, it always test you when you are not doing well both as an individual and as a team. It is a testing time for us. It is not the end of the road for us - we are going to the West Indies shortly and we can repair the damage." – Dhoni said…


Comment from an Angry regular visitor of my Blog!!

Every player will be having their ego once they show up their own performance. When they play as a country this all should be avoided and will play in ground for INDIA and their aim to win the game and not to shown their own grievances among the team players. The captain is fully responsible for his team unity. Here Dhoni fails and gets a score of 0.
He wanted to enjoy through parties, fishing in beaches, dancing in pubs, clubs, acting in ADS during the practice time and schedules.

Dhoni wanted to maintain his own records and strike rates. He is a sole selfish player and made his other team players too to perform in the same way. Suresh Raina's game was spoiled because of Dhoni.

I do not know why BCCI is not taken any action for his non cooperation among the team and without any reason he changes the batting order, but for to maintain his own name.

During the last world cup, Dravid was the captain and he took whole responsibility and resigned his captaincy. Will Dhoni do the same to show he is a gentleman?

Many new players are ready to show their performance. Why do BCCI wants to stick with unwanted ball boys/ golf players (Dhoni). He should be ranked by the same way and not as Cool.

Dhoni should be always below Sehway. BCCI should offer Sehwag for Indian Captain.

- Deodar

Sachin tendulkar's First Interview.

Sachin the Warrior

Little master Short by stature, Sachin Tendulkar is just 5'4" tall. Less than two times the height of a cricket bat, the top of the handle of his bat should have reached the top of his thigh! This is one of the key drivers for a successful batsman. Nature blessed him this way.

Sachin the magician
He played in 90 different pitches in the world. Obviously he had the trick to defend and attack any kind of bowlers at any point of time - be it in-swinger, out-swinger, reverse-swinger, fast or spin - both in Test Matches and in ODIs. Without such a technique in hand, perfect concentration, physical fitness and good mind set to handle pressures, it would not be possible for him to break and make records - 60+ in all.

For records’ sake
His records include highest run scorer in Test Matches and ODIs, most number of man of the match awards and man of the series awards, most centuries in Test and ODIs etc. The number of runs he scored till 11th Feb 2009 in Test, ODIs and First Class cricket are equal to a distance of 1450 Kms. We should remember that the length of the pitch between the wickets is just 22 yards!

Unusual records
Sachin Tendulkar was the first batsman to have been declared run out by a third umpire in 1992 against South Africa in South Africa. He holds the record for the most number of scores ranging in the nineties in the ODIs. Sachin has lost his wickets thrice on the score of 99, most by any batsmen in the ODIs!

Facts you should know
He was the first overseas cricketer to play for Yorkshire CCC in 1993. Sachin Tedulkar has made the highest runs in ODIs in a given calendar year. He has scored over 1000 runs in a calendar year in ODI's 7 times. He is the only player to be in top 10 ICC ranking for 10 years. The India Poised campaign run by The Times of India had nominated him as the Face of New India next to the likes of Amartya Sen and Mahatma Gandhi among others.

Sachin, the captain
He is a great thinker of the game and a good strategist too. It was his great cricketing mind that saw him being appointed as the captain of the Indian side in 1996-97 making him the second youngest captain in the history of Indian cricket (the youngest being M.A.K. Pataudi who was appointed captain at the age of 21).

Sachin the warrior
He initially justified the faith put in him by leading India to series victories against Australia (Border - Gavaskar Trophy), South Africa (at home) and also lifted the Titan cup (Triangular tournament featuring India, Australia & South Africa). But after that, the performances dropped. Azharuddin was credited with saying, “He won't win! It's not in the small one's destiny”.

Sachin, the bowler
Initially Sachin Tendulkar aspired to become a fast bowler. He joined the MRF Pace Foundation to get training under Dennis Lillee, an Australian pace bowler. He could not impress Dennis with his bowling performance. Dennis advised him to concentrate on batting. This was the turning point and the cricket world got a legend.

Sachin, the brand
He is a cricketer and a brand all rolled into one. At any rate, he makes for a study in brand endorsement. His meteoric rise as a brand ambassador has been helped by the surfeit of cricket on television, the almost frenzied fan following for the game, and the man himself. Can you ever imagine Tiger Woods endorsing biscuits, or Michael Jordan selling tyres? Sachin does all this - and with aplomb.

King of endorsements
Sachin Tendulkar was an early pioneer in India on cricket business dealings when he signed a then record sports management deal with Worldtel in 1995, the value of the deal being Rupees 30 crore over 5 years. His next contract with WorldTel in 2001 was valued at 80 crores over 5 years. “You've got to create heroes and you've got to pay them," said Mark Mascarenhas back in 1996 after he made Sachin India's first multimillionaire sportsperson.

Richest cricketer
He is at present the highest earning cricketer in the world. While figures are not available for the various products that Sachin endorses, rough estimates reveal he charges about Rs 1.5 crore per endorsement. The curly-haired, chubby picture of Sachin domineering advertising hoardings and television sets brings him under the microscope. But nobody would mind as long as he also makes runs when India needs him the most - out there in the middle.

Ball tempering and Sachin? No way!
In the second Test of India's 2001 tour of South Africa, Tendulkar was given a suspended ban of one game in the light of alleged ball tampering. Television cameras picked up images that suggested Tendulkar may have been involved in cleaning the seam of the cricket ball.

Truth prevails
The match referee Mike Denness found Sachin Tendulkar guilty of ball tampering charges and handed him a one Test match ban. Back in India Sachin's supporters burnt an effigy of Mike Denness while the BJP wanted the national team to pull out of their South Africa tour if penalties imposed on Sachin stemmed from racial discrimination. After a thorough investigation, the ICC revoked the official status of the match and the ban on Tendulkar was lifted.

Ferrari farce
In commemorating Sachin Tendulkar's feat of equalling Don Bradman's 29 centuries in Test cricket, automotive giant Ferrari invited him to its paddock in Silverstone on the eve of the British Grand Prix (July 23, 2002) to receive a Ferrari 360 Modena from the legendary F1 racer Michael Schumacher.

IPL ‘09
Last year, an injured Sachin Tendulkar’s presence in the Mumbai IPL team was limited to the last few matches of the IPL cricket tournament. However, this time around he is in rollicking form - his recent batting exploits during India's tour to New Zealand make it clear that Sachin still has a lot of batting in him. And well his 59 in the inaugural match of IPL '09 has already proved that!

I think he is "all time great cricketer"...

MS Dhoni (Is he really MR.Cool)

I have told many times that he is acting on field and Off the field.

Have a look at this video.

He doesn't have temperament to answer for the questions asked by Press people. Seems he have not prepared for that questions.. LOL (He usually does it. He never accept that he has lost the toss)




You Guys are still believing that India's success is because of Dhoni. Obviously not.

Sehwag’s ‘blank shirt’

The number on the t-shirt worn by a cricketer in a one-day match has a lot of significance and sometimes players are identified based on these numbers. Sachin Tendulkar is an example who had been using the number Ten through out his career. Some players also consider specific number to be lucky and tend to have those numbers on their shirts when they get on to the field.

“Most of my family members and friends keep pestering me about the lucky numbers I have to wear to do well in a match. I do not believe in Astrology and wanted to drive home the point that success in a match depends on your own skills and not the number on my t-shirt. So I wore a shirt without a number”, said Sehwag.

AUSTRALIA - End of the Road

It started with a third-ball duck and ended in a leg-side wide. Those were the events that book ended Australia's lamentable three-day ICC World Twenty20 campaign, and symbolized the struggles encountered by Ricky Ponting's men in comprehensive defeats to West Indies and Sri Lanka.

Australia on Monday suffered the ignominy of becoming the third team after Scotland and Bangladesh to be dumped from the pool stages of the tournament, while the likes of the Netherlands and Ireland remain. Theirs was a campaign rocked by the expulsion of Andrew Symonds, blighted by undisciplined bowling (24 extras in 34.3 overs) and ultimately thwarted by the orthodoxy of batsmen in a format that rewards power and creativity.

In many ways, the result was not surprising. Ponting's side had lost three consecutive Twenty20 matches entering the tournament, and were cast into by far the most difficult group around. But this is Australia - a team bearing the same colors, if not cast, to that which vanquished all before it in the preceding decade - and the expectation shouldered by their world-beating forebears is now a burden for a new generation to carry.

Few outside its own borders will mourn Australia's early exit. Indeed, the image of jubilant Sri Lankans dancing and singing down Bridgford Road, which runs adjacent to Trent Bridge, was no doubt replicated in bars and living rooms the world over by fans suppressed by Australia's era of dominance. But even the hardest of hearts felt a twinge of sympathy for Ponting at the post-match press conference, where his utter despondency and frustration was eerily similar to the demeanor he sported the last time he fronted the cameras in Nottingham - following a series-deciding Ashes defeat four years ago.

"I'd like to be able to tell you I knew what was going on," he said. "That's five international Twenty20 games we've lost in a row. That's a bit of a worrying trend for our team and our group. I couldn't have been happier with what we've done leading into the tournament, everything was spot on. But when the big moments have come along we've just stumbled.

"The group we're in, with the West Indies and Sri Lanka, we knew that they were two very dangerous sides and if we made mistakes they'd make us pay. That's certainly the way it's turned out. I can't tell you how disappointed I am that we're not through to the next stage, for the reason that I can't really understand why. Everything was going along so nicely for us and now we find ourselves out of the tournament altogether. That's it."

In the aftermath of Australia's seven-wicket walloping at the hands of the West Indies on Saturday, Ponting stressed the importance of positive first overs. So when David Warner steered Angelo Mathews' third offering of the afternoon into the sure hands of Tillakaratne Dilshan at point - the low light of an over in which the Australians managed a solitary run - the captain's exasperation must have been palpable.

Ponting channeled some of that frustration towards Lasith Malinga, whom he glanced and pummeled for three consecutive boundaries in the fourth over. But the red mist would eventually prove his undoing. Charging a faster, flatter delivery from Ajantha Mendis, Ponting's anger turned to despair as the ball cannoned into his leg stump, taking with it much of the momentum he had built during his short, sharp innings of 25 from 15 deliveries.

Thereafter, the innings largely belonged to Mendis. Playing his first match against Australia in any form of the game, Sri Lanka's modern-day Johnny Gleeson completely befuddled Michael Clarke and the brothers Hussey en route to the sparkling figures of 3 for 20 from four overs.

Mendis' strength lay in his aerial mastery, more so than his lateral movement off the pitch, as evidenced by his bowling of Ponting and trapping of Shane Watson (22 off 21) and Michael Hussey (one off five) leg-before. The orthodoxy of Hussey and Clarke (11 off 15) proved no match for the unique trajectories and bustling pace of Mendis, and created a hole from which the Australians would always struggle to emerge.

Mendis' union with Muralitharan was largely responsible for Australia's torpid tally of 40 for 4 between the fifth and 14th overs, and created a pressurized atmosphere which Malinga and Isuru Udana would later capitalize on. Both quicks used deft changes of pace to deny the Australian batsmen any sense of rhythm, and if not for Mitchell Johnson's rearguard 28 not out off 13 balls - in which he took 19 of the 21 runs to come from Muralitharan's final over - Ponting's men may have been in for another Windies-style humiliation.

As it was, the Australians were restricted to a total of 159 for 9 - ten runs shy of the total the West Indians devoured on Saturday - and victory never seemed likely; particularly after Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara pounded 11 boundaries in Sri Lanka's first 50 runs of the innings.

The ten players chosen in Australia's Twenty20 and Ashes squads will now be subjected to the galling experience of remaining in England while the World Twenty20 plays out around them. Their immediate plans involve an extended stay in Leicester, and an attempt to ensure the bitter disappointment of their three-day World Twenty20 campaign doesn't metastasise into a problem that corrupts their Ashes campaign.

"Next week I don't think there'll be too much freshening up," Ponting said. "I reckon we might get flogged a bit by the coach next week. We need to talk about it and we need to address some of the issues and some of the areas where we've been so deficient in the last couple of games. We need to talk about that tonight and get that done because some of the guys will be out of here soon.

"When the specialist Twenty20 players do leave then we do have a real focus on just cricket. There will be nothing else to think about, nothing else to talk about. That will be my job, to make sure we get over this loss pretty quickly and start focusing on the red balls and the white clothing for the next few months."

Preity invested in IPL despite astrologer's warning

Exuberant, chirpy, happy-go-lucky Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, who has now turned into a businesswoman, says she invested in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in spite of warnings from an astrologer friend.

"In spite of the warning from my astrologer friend, I went for the deal as I had a gut feeling that it is the future. I told my friend that if it doesn't work for me then I would become the 50th wife of the Sultan of Brunei," Preity, who co-owns the IPL Mohali team, said.

The star of hits like "Salaam Namastey" and "Kal Ho Naa Ho", Preity said it was only in a developing country like India that one could think of buying a sports team. "The scenario is going to change after 10 years. One can never dream of buying a team like Manchester United or Arsenal today in a country like England."

Preity bought Kings XI Punjab in partnership with her boyfriend Ness Wadia and Karan Paul of Apeejay Surrendra Group and Mohit Burman of Dabur. They paid $76 million for the franchise. Although Preity's team failed to reach the final, she is not complaining. She said: "My team performed well and I am happy with all the team members and will continue my support for the team."

As far as book balancing was concerned, she said this had not been a profitable year but was optimistic they would do better next time. How long will her association with the team last? "I am there for life. I am not there just for the sake of it. First people took me as a brand ambassador and then as a face value, but I wanted to make people take me seriously in the game and I did my best to prove myself. I think I was successful (in this). I do things which I believe in and am passionate about, be it the IPL or films. I give my heart and soul to them," Preity said. Now that IPL is over, Preity is concentrating on her films and the "Unforgettable" world tour with the Bachchans starting July 18. She will be touring the US, Britain and Canada with Amitabh Bachchan, his son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya. Riteish Deshmukh and music directors Vishal-Shekhar are also a part of the tour.

"I am very excited to go with them as Abhishek and Ash are my great friends. Besides, the participation of guest stars like Akshay Kumar, who is joining us in Canada, Madhuri (Dixit) in the US and Shilpa Shetty in London, will add to the excitement. This is the first time when we will be joined by performers from different parts. The audiences will be huge and we are expecting an overwhelming response."

Apart from this she will be busy with Harr Pal, Heroes, a cameo in the Salman-Kareena Kapoor starrer Main Aur Mrs Khanna and Deepa Mehta's Punjabi film Heaven On Earth.

Dhoni, Yuvraj to appear in a reality show

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Indian ODI captain, and Yuvraj Singh, Indian vice captain, will make use of their time off from the game to appear on the reality show 'Chak De Bachche' which is a singing and dance contest for kids.

The show pits children from small towns against those from metros and the cricketing stars will be the chief guests, a release from the channel said.

Each will be supporting one team with Dhoni cheering on the Desi Dhurandhars while Yuvraj will throw his weight behind the Metro Rockers.

The show, is being hosted by Bhojpuri actor-singer Manoj Tiwari and actress Roshni Chopra. Sitting on the panel of judges are the likes of choreographer Ganesh Achariya, actress Raveena Tandon and music composer duo of Salim-Sulaiman.

The show will see the judges also strutting their stuff to add another dimension to the finale. The show is scheduled to be telecast August 2 at 9 p.m. on 9X channel.

Andrew Symonds and his controversies

Controversy has stalked Andrew Symonds throughout his career and it was hardly a surprise that the temperamental all-rounder was sent back home from Australia's ICC World Twenty20 squad in England due to his alcohol-related problems.

Symonds' trouble with the bottle surfaced in June 2005 when he turned up drunk for an ODI against Bangladesh in Cardiff.

Cricket Australia subsequently slapped a two-match ban on the all-rounder.

Next year in March, Symonds was involved in a nightclub brawl with a rugby player during Australia's tour of South Africa. Fortunately, Michael Clarke intervened and steered him away to avoid further embarrassment.

Symonds was at the eye of the storm of the 2008 'monkeygate' episode, along with volatile Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Symonds accused Harbhajan of calling him a "monkey" and the episode threatened to polarise cricket world with India threatening to pull out of the tour.

Harbhajan was absolved of the charge but Symonds was a bitter man, sulking that he didn't get enough support from his own board.

In August 2008, Symonds was in the headlines for wrong reasons again for the well-documented "gone-fishing" episode.

The bitterness of the "monkeygate" episode fresh in his mind, Symonds skipped a compulsory team meeting and instead, went fishing in Darwin before the ODI against Bangladesh.

Cricket Australia (CA) put him under rehabilitation, questioning his integrity and Symonds admitted he had been on a drinking binge prior to the incident.

In November, Symonds got involved in a brawl at a Brisbane hotel even though he insisted he was provoked.

In January 2009, Symonds landed in fresh controversy when he called Brendon McCullum a "lump of s...t" during a radio interview.

Symonds subsequently had to apologise and CA fined him 4000 Australian dollar.

Even though CA did everything to help in his rehab, Symonds' temperament and alcohol-related problem once again got the better of him forcing CA chief executive James Sutherland to describe it today as "the final straw".

England Vs Netherlands - 1st Match, Group B

England Squad :

PD Collingwood*, JM Anderson, RS Bopara, SCJ Broad, JS Foster†, RWT Key, AD Mascarenhas, EJG Morgan, GR Napier, KP Pietersen, AU Rashid, OA Shah, RJ Sidebottom, GP Swann, LJ Wright

Players to watch out :

PD Collingwood - No one can predict him when he start fires the ball. But he has done it many times in the past.

KP Pietersen - Default comment for him. (All the cricket fans like to watch his batting)

RS Bopara - The MAN in form for England.

LJ Wright - 2007 Twenty20 World Cup Highest run getter for England (346 Runs).



Netherlands Squad :

J Smits, PW Borren, Mudassar Bukhari, TN de Grooth, TJG Gruijters, MMA Jonkman, AN Kervezee, DP Nannes, DJ Reekers, E Schiferli, PM Seelaar, ES Szwarczynski, RN ten Doeschate, DLS van Bunge, B Zuiderent

Players to watch out :

DP Nannes - Hope its not a big gap to forget him. An Australian who replaced McGrath.

Bas Zuiderent - He first came to prominence in the 1996 World Cup by scoring 54 against England as an 18 year old.


Have fun!!

Lord's welcomes new world order

Twenty20, once the cheeky, brash upstart of world cricket, firmly joins the establishment from Friday when Lord's stages the opening match of the 2009 World Championship.

The shortest form of the game has endured a brief, dramatic and sometimes controversial life ever since it was launched as a radical plan to resuscitate English county cricket in 2003.

"The game in England had been associated with the middle-class and the middle-aged. White males," said Stuart Robertson, who was the England and Wales Cricket Board's marketing manager at the time and credited with being the brains behind the new format.

"But we discovered that there was a vast potential audience of women and children. And younger men too, aged between 16-34."

Twenty20 has been accused of ignoring tradition and destroying technique, but unlike many aspects of the modern game, it plays to full houses with the kind of dizzying razzmatazz and lucrative TV deals which would have seemed impossible when the first international was staged in February 2005.

That was in Auckland where Australia and New Zealand opted to dress in 1980s gear and sported fake moustaches and beards.

Australia won the game, but few took it seriously.

Two years later, people stopped laughing as South Africa hosted the first World Twenty20 which India, the financial powerhouse of the sport, clinched after beating bitter rivals Pakistan in the final.

The format has made millionaires of some players, mostly through the Indian Premier League (IPL) which only two weeks ago completed its second tournament.

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has dismissed talk that the growth of such tournaments was leading to an overkill of Twenty20 cricket.

"We've just finished a study in South Africa that showed 70 percent of the people who watched the IPL this year had never watched any form of cricket before," said Modi.

Despite the giant shadow cast by the IPL, the event does have its detractors.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who sat out the 2009 IPL but will lead his team at the World Twenty20, expressed his concerns over the money on offer in the IPL as well as the rebel Indian Cricket League.

"Unless a balance is achieved, I could see some countries' teams declining in the way Zimbabwe's sides have struggled over the past few years," said Ponting recently.

The World Twenty20 is being played at three of England's most famous grounds - Lord's, The Oval and Trent Bridge with the final to be staged at Lord's on June 21.

India, whose administrators were originally hostile to Twenty20 because they feared its commercial impact upon the 50-over game, welcome back nine members of their 2007 title-winning squad.

Left-armer Rudra Pratap Singh, who took 12 wickets in South Africa, will be supported this time around by Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma.

Pakistan, starved of international cricket at home after a terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March made the country a 'no-go zone', will fancy their chances of going one better this time around.

However, their confidence took a battering on Wednesday when they slumped to a demoralising nine-wicket defeat to India in a warm-up game at The Oval.

Australia have dominated all forms of cricket during the last decade except Twenty20 and Ponting is determined to improve both his and the team's record.

"The past couple of games I've played have been very poor," he said. "In the two games in South Africa I made one in each. It's not great form going into a World Cup."

Sri Lanka and New Zealand have repeatedly punched above their weight in international tournaments and could do so again. In fact, Sri Lanka boast the world record score in the format, 260-6 against Kenya in 2007.

South Africa, who won both of their two previous Twenty20s against Australia, are desperate to add a one-day title to set alongside their achievements in winning Test series in both England and Australia during the past 12 months.

Bangladesh and Ireland, who have both enjoyed shock wins on the global stage in the past, will dream of further upsets.

DADA begins TV stint with T20 World Cup

India's most successful captain Sourav Ganguly is set to herald the start of a new innings behind the microphone post-retirement after he was signed by ESPN STAR Sports as an expert analyst for the ICC World Twenty20, commencing in England on Saturday.

Ganguly will be part of an ESPN STAR Sports commentary panel including the likes of Ian Chappell, Ian Bishop, Wasim Akram, Sanjay Manjrekar, Harsha Bhogle and Nasser Hussain.

Ganguly, who will start his stint with the channel from the semi-final stage, said he was excited about his new role, which also comprises interacting with his former teammates.

"I look forward to interviewing my erstwhile teammates. I am very excited about my new role as the ICC World Twenty20 is the biggest event for an analyst like me and I look forward to the semi-finals and the final where I will be commencing my stint with ESS," he said.

R C Venkateish, Managing Director, ESPN Software India Pvt. Ltd. Said Ganguly's uncanny ability to read match situations made him fit for the job.

"Sourav is recognised by the cricket fraternity globally as one of the shrewdest captains in the history of the game combined with his extraordinary leadership skills his uncanny ability to read match situations gave the national team a defining edge during his tenure.

"His analysis and his understanding of the modern day game will now lend a new dimension to the overall experience in the commentary box," he added.

STAR Cricket, the 24 hours cricket channel from the ESPN STAR Sports stable, will telecast live all the 27 matches of the tournament.

Fake IPL Player and Another IPL player

If you find who is Fake IPL Player and Another IPL player.. Then what will be your first reaction against them??

Post your answer in comment section.

My Answer is..

For FIP - I will ask him to teach English for me. (I dont think there is anything other than that with him.)

For AIP - I will ask him to predict the exact year when i clear my pending arrear. (If he say that then i wont read for the exam. hehe)

Cheers!!

T20 Warm up Match..

Is Dhoni really utilizing the warm up matches?

3 things i noticed.

1. If Dhoni comes one down.. 70% of the matches we have lost while chasing(Ex: IPL).

2. He gave rest to Yuvraj. I do not think he is in form and he has to practice well, but He was rested against NZ.

3. He has not properly used our part time spinners.. like Jadeja and Yusuf as they have done well in the IPL.

Will see how things will come up for India.

T20 World Cup Squad

Men's World Cup Squads

Australia
Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke, Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Andrew Symonds, David Warner, Shane Watson

Bangladesh
Mohammad Ashraful (captain), Abdur Razzak, Junaid Siddique, Mahmudullah, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mithun Ali, Mushfiqur Rahim, Naeem Islam, Raqibul Hasan, Rubel Hossain, Shahadat Hossain, Shamsur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Syed Rasel, Tamim Iqbal

England
Paul Collingwood (captain), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, James Foster, Robert Key, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Eoin Morgan, Graham Napier, Kevin Pietersen, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright, Adil Rashid

India
MS Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Pragyan Ojha, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, RP Singh, Yuvraj Singh

Ireland
William Porterfield (captain), Andre Botha, Jeremy Bray, Peter Connell, Alex Cusack, Trent Johnston, Kyle McCallan, John Mooney, Kevin O'Brien, Niall O'Brien, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Regan West, Andrew White, Gary Wilson

Netherlands
Jeroen Smits (captain), Peter Borren, Mudassar Bukhari, Tom de Grooth, Maurits Jonkman, Alexei Kervezee, Dirk Nannes, Ruud Nijman, Darron Reekers, Edgar Schiferli, Pieter Seelaar, Eric Szwarczynski, Ryan ten Doeschate, Daan van Bunge, Bas Zuiderent

New Zealand
Daniel Vettori (captain), Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Brendon Diamanti, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Peter McGlashan, Kyle Mills, Iain O'Brien, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor

Pakistan
Younis Khan (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Fawad Alam, Kamran Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal, Salman Butt, Shahid Afridi, Shahzaib Hasan, Sohail Tanvir, Shoaib Malik, Umar Gul, Yasir Arafat

Scotland
Gavin Hamilton (captain), Richie Berrington, John Blain, Kyle Coetzer, Gordon Drummond, Majid Haq, Neil McCallum, Dewald Nel, Navdeep Poonia, Glenn Rogers, Colin Smith, Jan Stander, Ryan Watson, Fraser Watts, Craig Wright

South Africa
Graeme Smith (captain), Johan Botha, Yusuf Abdulla, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Jean-Paul Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Roelof van der Merwe

Sri Lanka
Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Indika de Saram, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Nuwan Kulasekara, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Jehan Mubarak, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chamara Silva, Thilan Thushara, Isuru Udana

West Indies
Chris Gayle (captain), Denesh Ramdin, Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Xavier Marshall, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor

Women's World Cup Squads

Australia
Karen Rolton (captain), Lisa Sthalekar, Alex Blackwell, Shelley Nitschke, Ellyse Perry, Jodie Fields, Lauren Ebsary, Elyse Villani, Jessica Cameron, Erin Osborne, Leah Poulton, Sarah Andrews, Rene Farrell, Kirsten Pike

England
Charlotte Edwards (captain), Holly Colvin, Katherine Brunt, Jenny Gunn, Isa Guha, Sarah Taylor, Claire Taylor, Laura Marsh, Nicky Shaw, Caroline Atkins, Ebony-Jewel Rainford-Brent, Lydia Greenway, Beth Morgan

India
Jhulan Goswami (captain), Rumeli Dhar, Mithali Raj, Amita Sharma, Anjum Chopra, Babita Mandlik, Priyanka Roy, Anagha Deshpande, Reema Malhotra, Poonam Raut, Diana David, Latika Kumari, Harmanpreet Kaur, Sulakshana Naik, Gouher Sultana

New Zealand
Aimee Watkins (captain), Nicola Browne, Suzie Bates, Sarah Tsukigawa, Sophie Devine, Sara McGlashan, Rachel Priest, Lucy Doolan, Katey Martin, Amy Satterthwaite, Sian Ruck, Saskia Bullen, Kate Pulford, Victoria Lind

Pakistan
Sana Mir (captain), Asmavia Iqbal, Marina Iqbal, Sajjida Shah, Armaan Khan, Javeria Khan, Qanita Jalil, Almas Akram, Bismah Maroof, Nazia Sadiq, Nain Abidi, Batool Fatima, Naila Nazir, Urooj Mumtaz

South Africa
Sunette Loubser (captain), Ashlyn Kilowan, Alicia Smith, Cri-zelda Brits, Charlize van der Westhuizen, Susan Benade, Mignon du Preez, Dinesha Devnarain, Marizanne Kapp, Dane van Niekerk, Trisha Chetty, Shabnin Ismail, Yolandi van der Westhuizen, Shandre Fritz

Sri Lanka
Chamari Polgampola (captain), Hiruka Fernando, Chamari Atapattu, Dilani Manodara, Sadamali Kumuduni, Inoka Galagedara, Deepika Rasangika, Chamika Bandara, Rose Fernando, Udeshika Prabodhani, Eshani Kaushalya, Sumudu Fernando, Sanduni Abeywickrama, Sripali Weerakkody

West Indies
Merissa Aguilleira (captain), Shanel Daley, Pamela Lavine, Danielle Small, Kirbyina Alexander, Stacy-Ann King, Shakera Selman, Juliana Nero, Cordel Jack, Anisa Mohammed, Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, Debbie-Ann Lewis, Charlene Taitt

From Cricket to Tennis... Another IPL player

From Cricket to Tennis...

It was flabbergasted when Nadal lost his match against Robin Soderling. But it was already predicted by Another IPL player.

A man can Predict once.. Twice.. Thrice.. 10 Times in a row?? Is it possible??

Have a look at this post..

http://anotheriplpalyer.blogspot.com/2009/05/next-month-will-be-next-phase.html

"And let see and I already told you that this time our beloved player Ra Na cannot cross Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel "

I saw this posting before the match Rafael Nadal lost to Robin Soderling.

Rafael is a Clay King.. No one expected him to loose against Robin Soderling.

Another IPL Player is not well versed in English(Like me), But he is trying to give his posts very interesting.

Is he a PROPHET or AN ASTROLOGER?? or he is ruinning all the entertainment, thrill and suspense...

He is getting popular day by day.

Is he reveal himself one day ??

Wait and See..