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..
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
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.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
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."
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
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.
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