World Cricket

only at the end of the last session Gayle\Ganga struggled that is due to reverse-swing started to work for pakistan bowlers,wondering what will happen if Gayle scores a duck?

Gayle's presence is more reqd. for one dayers . For tests WI need more of Chanderpaul , Sarwan .

Wonder Marlen Samuels is not clicking of late . Good player

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Nov 21 2:41:45 2006.

West Indies 301/3 so far!

Lara 94* of 67 balls
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Nov 21 3:10:10 2006.

Lara knocks 100* (77) 12 4's and 5 6's
From: Nakeeran on Tue Nov 21 3:42:08 2006.

Aged 37 and still going strong , thats Lara for U !

Wish WI and India face WC final with Sachin and Lara charged up !

A befitting finale to end both careers .

Will it happen ?

From: selvakumar on Tue Nov 21 4:25:23 2006.

Aged 37 and still going strong , thats Lara for U !

Wish WI and India face WC final with Sachin and Lara charged up !

A befitting finale to end both careers .

Will it happen ?

WI reaching WC Final is fine. But I don't think India will be able to surpass SUPER 8 even !

From: imsai on Tue Nov 21 4:45:13 2006.

Watch this over, 26 runs in one over.

Long-on and a long-off in place
83.1 Danish Kaneria to Lara, FOUR, flat on the stumps, Lara steps out and lofts it straight down the ground, one bounce into the fence
83.2 Danish Kaneria to Lara, no run
83.3 Danish Kaneria to Lara, SIX, short ball outside leg stump, Lara rocks back and pulls it away high and over mid-wicket fence
83.4 Danish Kaneria to Lara, SIX, One more and this is high- Lara charges down the track and lofts it away high over the long-on fence, this is a massive hit and Lara is on a high
83.5 Danish Kaneria to Lara, SIX, Hat-trick of sixes! length ball and Lara steps out yet again and this time straight over the sight-screen, this is even bigger than the previous one, Lara is on a roll and this is really a treat to watch
83.6 Danish Kaneria to Lara, FOUR, Boundary to end the over! full toss, Lara steps out and puts it away over the mid-wicket fielder
26 runs off the over and Lara has moved into the 90's off just 63 balls

100 runs in one session, rarely happens.

From: Nakeeran on Tue Nov 21 4:57:10 2006.

Aged 37 and still going strong , thats Lara for U !

Wish WI and India face WC final with Sachin and Lara charged up !

A befitting finale to end both careers .

Will it happen ?

WI reaching WC Final is fine. But I don't think India will be able to surpass SUPER 8 even ! Embarassed

Neengale ippadi sonna eppadi !? Nambikayai vidadheergal

Sachin always gave his best especially in the worldcup matches and lets hope that he repeats his consistency in March07 also .
Hope by that time, other juniors strike form and we pick up well in bowling dept.

I am damn sure Sachin himself must have set a personal target / agenda for himself which he may not reveal. That coveted world cup has been eluding him singe 1992 .

Last time , we had seniors like Sachin , Ganguly, Lakshman , Srinath, Dravid but this time only 2 are around . So we can expect more from Sachin for sure.

Not sure whether VVS will be given a chance.

See, WI pitches of late have become another Sub continent type pitches. The grounds are small .

Hopefully if the batting dept gets going , the bowlers can back up .

I expect India to reach semis atleast

From: Nakeeran on Tue Nov 21 4:59:56 2006.

imsai wrote:

Watch this over, 26 runs in one over.

Long-on and a long-off in place
83.1 Danish Kaneria to Lara, FOUR, flat on the stumps, Lara steps out and lofts it straight down the ground, one bounce into the fence
83.2 Danish Kaneria to Lara, no run
83.3 Danish Kaneria to Lara, SIX, short ball outside leg stump, Lara rocks back and pulls it away high and over mid-wicket fence
83.4 Danish Kaneria to Lara, SIX, One more and this is high- Lara charges down the track and lofts it away high over the long-on fence, this is a massive hit and Lara is on a high
83.5 Danish Kaneria to Lara, SIX, Hat-trick of sixes! length ball and Lara steps out yet again and this time straight over the sight-screen, this is even bigger than the previous one, Lara is on a roll and this is really a treat to watch
83.6 Danish Kaneria to Lara, FOUR, Boundary to end the over! full toss, Lara steps out and puts it away over the mid-wicket fielder
26 runs off the over and Lara has moved into the 90's off just 63 balls

100 runs in one session, rarely happens.

Hi Maaps !

Nice way to describe that over !

I am amazed by this man's energy levels at 37. Now a days its very demanding ( both onedayers and tests at frequent intervals )

The greatness of Lara is that irrespective of the team performing or not, he keeps on scoring runs that too at faster pace !

From: selvakumar on Tue Nov 21 5:56:17 2006.

Nakeeran,
We can talk about "Hope" and "IFs" as far as the team is concerned. As far the WC is concerned, the team will perform slightly better than their current form. But lack of experience, poor form, lack of good bowlers ll make us pay for it in WI !
From: ajithfederer on Tue Nov 21 17:42:08 2006.

http://www.espnstar.com/cricket/cricket_newsdetail_2375016.html

721 runs off 40 overs -- and it's true in India
From: Nerd on Tue Nov 21 17:48:03 2006.

looks like Lara was on top form. 100 of 77 balls, wish I could watch him in action
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Nov 21 21:55:36 2006.

West Indies - 509/5

Lara rocks!! - 196*(230) 21-4's and 7 - 6's!!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Nov 22 3:43:38 2006.

Lara knocks 216 (262) - 22 - 4's and 7 - 6's

WestIndies - 591 All out

Kaneria picked 5 wickets!

Pakistan 2nd Innings - 21/0
From: Raghu on Wed Nov 22 6:58:24 2006.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Lara knocks 216 (262) - 22 - 4's and 7 - 6's
From: Nakeeran on Wed Nov 22 9:19:14 2006.

Pak 213 for 2 . With the deficit is a meagre 20 runs + , this match is interestingly poised now.

Lara , outstanding knock 216 off 260 + balls is a terrific strike rate which has given some chance for WI as they have saved some time.

But if Inzy plays well , WI are in for trouble
From: imsai on Thu Nov 23 3:31:16 2006.

M Yousuv scored another hundred. I think it's his 6th or 7th this year. He's on his way to breaking 'most hundreds in a year' record.

He's been terrific since becoming a Muslim.
From: selvakumar on Thu Nov 23 3:51:32 2006.

imsai wrote:

He's been terrific since becoming a Muslim.
From: Nakeeran on Thu Nov 23 4:01:08 2006.

50 overs still remaining and with 5 wickets to go. 70 odd is the lead.

I think WI still have a chance .

Ims Maaps ! Enna logic idhu ! Thaanga mudiyale .

Madham maramaleye Danish Kaneria sakka podu poduraaru . Adhai patri enna solreenga !
From: imsai on Thu Nov 23 4:12:57 2006.

Nakeeran, nothing offensive. Since becoming a Muslim, he has a staggering average. There was no ridiculous intention in what I said. There was even an article on this subject in cricinfo.

You like Yousuv?
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Nov 23 4:26:08 2006.

Australia 1 ST Innings Day - 01

346/3 EOD!

Ponting 137*
Hussey 63*
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Nov 23 4:29:35 2006.

Pakistan II innings

333/5

Yousuf - 139*(238) 17 - 4's!

aama idhenna pitch-a illa thaar road-a ?

From: Nakeeran on Thu Nov 23 4:35:05 2006.

imsai wrote:

Nakeeran, nothing offensive. Since becoming a Muslim, he has a staggering average. There was no ridiculous intention in what I said. There was even an article on this subject in cricinfo.

You like Yousuv? Razz

Hi Juice

I like Yusuf on several aspects :

1. Class player ( man of crisis )
2. Silent performer
3. Coming from a very poor background ( I understand his Father was a cobbler ). He had come up a very hard way in life
4. Very consistent
5. Excellent behaviour on the field ( never gestures cheap or irritates others but plays his game in a very cool composed manner )

Now scoring more runs may be a coincidence . You know well , all great players reach their peak between 27 and 33 years. Yusuf is running through that phase now

From: Nakeeran on Thu Nov 23 6:34:51 2006.

Yusuf leads fight back & is at 189 no. With a lead of 220 + and just 14 overs to complete, this match well set up by aggressive knock fm Lara is gone wasted .

Another good oppportunity lost .
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Nov 23 6:47:25 2006.

1400+ runs scored in 5 days with an avg of 280+ runs per day!!

Yousuf out for 191(344) - 22-4's

461/7
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Nov 23 6:54:43 2006.

--- Match Draw---

Pakistan leads the series 1-0
From: Nakeeran on Thu Nov 23 7:00:09 2006.

Now Pakistan seems to be better organised on all depts when compared to India

Be it one day or tests, they have picked up with a younger team

Now only Inzy, Yousuf and Younis are senior guys . Rest are all new relatively.

And look at India
From: P_R on Thu Nov 23 14:39:06 2006.

Yousuf (Youhana) is unbelievable. He has got 7 centuries this year. That is a world record.
From: P_R on Mon Nov 27 19:57:19 2006.

Prabhu Ram wrote:

Yousuf (Youhana) is unbelievable. He has got 7 centuries this year. That is a world record.
Now it is 8 centuries and just 40 odd runs from breaking Richards' record for the highest number of runs in a calender year.
This is his run this year, not including the current match.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Nov 27 22:22:09 2006.

Pakistan Vs Westindies 3rd Test match

National Stadium, Karachi

Day - 01

Pakistan 257/7

Yousuf - 102
Farhat - 47

Collymore and Bravo picked 2 wickets each
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Nov 27 22:25:35 2006.

i saw yousuf's century.. when he scored 98+ he was keep on telling some manthras not sure! very patient but effective innings..this guy is unstopable!
From: Nerd on Tue Nov 28 17:12:24 2006.

Whats that guy yousuf made of
From: P_R on Thu Nov 30 15:17:09 2006.

Nerd wrote:

Whats that guy yousuf made of
Look at this. 9 centuries in 11 tests.
But Ricky Ponting has got a phenomenal average too this year (and 6 centuries in 7 test). Ponting has three more tests to go and it is unlikely that he will make 700 odd runs to be in the league of Yousof and Richards but there is a small chance that he may beat his own record for the highest by an Aussie (1554- which he set last year).
From: Aandavan on Thu Nov 30 15:56:46 2006.

yousuf and ponting are having a very positive attitude towards batting , which our ex-master batsman sachin lacks....
From: Nerd on Thu Nov 30 16:14:25 2006.

Aandavan wrote:

yousuf and ponting are having a very positive attitude towards batting , which our ex-master batsman sachin lacks....

He does not LACK. Our coach and a lame captain are not letting him play his natural game
From: P_R on Thu Nov 30 16:28:32 2006.

Nerd wrote:

He does not LACK. Our coach and a lame captain are not letting him play his natural game Evil or Very Mad Twisted Evil Evil or Very Mad
Nerd, he has not been his good old self for a long time now. I don't think we can just blame Dravid and Chappel for it.

I'd say post 2003 WC and elbow he has become very different (yes he had a few good knocks in the last 3 years but not exactly the way he used to destroy attacks once upon a time.
From: Nerd on Thu Nov 30 18:37:08 2006.

Yes. He is not in his elements now. My point was our coach and our captain ALWAYS follow negative tactics. They never ATTACK. Sachin always had a positive attitude and thats missing these days especially after chappell/dravid took over

From: Movie Cop on Thu Nov 30 20:48:04 2006.

Nerd wrote:

Yes. He is not in his elements now. My point was our coach and our captain ALWAYS follow negative tactics. They never ATTACK. Sachin always had a positive attitude and thats missing these days especially after chappell/dravid took over Sad

I don't think it is fair to blame Dravid/chappell for Tendulkar's failures... the point is Tendulkar has been woefully out-of-form ever since he came back from his injury... Tendulkar is a sort of "rhythm player"... Looks like after coming back from injury he is not in his own elements... I thjink the reason for India's recent ODI debacles are due to the failure of out top 3 batsmen in the batting order - Sehwag, Tendulkar & Dravid - all the 3 are woefully out of form... We are getting to bad statrts which makes us loose ODI matches... Once two out of these guys gets back to form we would be better off... I don't think there is anything negative about Dravid's captaincy as such... It's just that the players are not in good nick...

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Nov 30 23:42:53 2006.

From 29th Nov 2005 to 29th Nov 2006 Yousuf's score

29th Nov 2005 - Vs England (Lahore) - 223 & DNB

13th Jan 2006 - Vs India (Lahore) - 173 & DNB

21st Jan 2006 - Vs India ( Faisalabad) - 65 & 126

29th Jan 2006 - Vs India (Karachi) - 0 & 97

03rd Apr 2006 - Vs Srilanka (Kandy) - 17 & 14*

13th Jul 2006 - Vs England ( London) - 202 & 48

27th Jul 2006 - Vs England ( Manchester) - 38 & 15

04th Aug 2006 - Vs England (Leeds) - 192 & 8

17th Aug 2006 - Vs England (London) - 128 & DNB

11th Nov 2006 - Vs West Indies (Lahore) - 192 & DNB

19th Nov 2006 - Vs West Indies (Multan) - 56 & 191

27th Nov 2006 - Vs West Indies (Karachi) - 102 & 124

200's - 02
100's - 08
50's - 03

What a player!
From: P_R on Thu Nov 30 23:46:23 2006.

100's - 08

Out of that 3 190 plus scores
From: ajithfederer on Fri Dec 8 16:38:34 2006.

http://www.espnstar.com/cricket/cricket_newsdetail_3286123.html

Damien martyn announces retirement

From: Aandavan on Sat Dec 9 11:05:18 2006.

Nerd wrote:

Aandavan wrote:

yousuf and ponting are having a very positive attitude towards batting , which our ex-master batsman sachin lacks....

He does not LACK. Our coach and a lame captain are not letting him play his natural game Evil or Very Mad

no way... this guy is resting on his past glory.... he was capable of anything.. but, now he is just a lame goat...

From: selvakumar on Tue Dec 12 8:28:02 2006.

Mumbai given 2011 World Cup final

India's Board of Control has confirmed that the final of the 2011 World Cup will take place in Mumbai (Bombay).

It was originally thought the game would be played in Delhi, but the BCCI has opted for the Wankhede Stadium, which currently has a 45,000 capacity.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka will stage the semi-finals in 2011 and the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and the Premadasas Stadium in Colombo.

The fourth co-chosts, Bangladesh, will play host to the opening ceremony.

The decisions about venues were taken at a meeting of the joint hosts in Delhi on Monday.

"It was a collective decision," said BCCI president Sharad Pawar.

"Most of the decisions were taken unanimously. We have hosted the World Cup before and we are happy that Bangladesh is also there this time."

Among the delegates were Pawar, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf and the chief executives of Cricket Sri Lanka and the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Duleep Mendis and Mehboob Rehman.

In total, India will stage 22 matches during the tournament, with 15 in Pakistan 15, nine in Sri Lanka and six in Bangladesh.

It will be the first time the World Cup has been played in Asia since 1996, when Sri Lanka beat Australia in the final in Pakistan.

"All the member countries are acting like a family and every decision was taken amicably. The world will see the best World Cup ever," Ashraf commented.

Mehboob, meanwhile, said Bangladesh was "absolutely delighted" to have been chosen to stage the opening ceremony.

"We know everybody is behind us and we will make it a memorbale event," he added.
From: alwarpet_andavan on Wed Dec 13 5:56:56 2006.

Mumbai-a????????????
Final na adhu Eden Gardens-la dhaan nadakkanum

P.S: Mumbai Wankhede is full of Lord Labakdas-es and people (mainly girls) who have no idea of the game. Only 3000 tickets are sold to the general public (maybe even less for the WC)....
And in any case, Chepauk is far better than Wankhede....
From: mazhaichaaral on Wed Dec 13 6:06:56 2006.

if it is held in chepak the game would encounter people who respect game..India maanatha kaapathanumna chennaila match nadathanum!

bombay crowd [that too if india in final]

From: selvakumar on Wed Dec 13 7:55:04 2006.

mazhaichaaral wrote:

if it is held in chepak the game would encounter people who respect game..India maanatha kaapathanumna chennaila match nadathanum!

bombay crowd Rolling Eyes

[that too if india in final]

I would prefer EDEN GARDEN to Wankadae ! summa electrifying atmosphere irukkum !

mumbai - what else can you expect from Pawar? Do u guys think he will choose chennai or kolkatta?

From: Nerd on Wed Dec 13 16:16:15 2006.

I would even suggest mOhAli if not eden gardens. Excellent turf there . but the stadium is smaller than bombay and kolkata
From: alwarpet_andavan on Thu Dec 14 6:32:37 2006.

Yeah Mohali boasts of an excellent turf and world-class facilities. However, it lacks something which is present in Eden Gardens and Chepauk.. the charisma.. the old-world feel and a sense of cricketing history...

Of course, Eden Gardens crowd is no match for the Chepauk audience, especially the D stand

From: selvakumar on Thu Dec 14 6:44:57 2006.

Yeah Mohali boasts of an excellent turf and world-class facilities. However, it lacks something which is present in Eden Gardens and Chepauk.. the charisma.. the old-world feel and a sense of cricketing history...

Of course, Eden Gardens crowd is no match for the Chepauk audience, especially the D stand

IMO - For those who watch cricket matches in TV most of the time (like me)

Prefer EDEN GARDENS which present electrifying atmosphere ! Plus - namma pasangalum payanthukittaae aaaduvaanunga

From: mazhaichaaral on Thu Dec 14 6:49:43 2006.

IMO - For those who watch cricket matches in TV most of the time (like me) Razz

Prefer EDEN GARDENS which present electrifying atmosphere ! Plus - namma pasangalum payanthukittaae aaaduvaanunga Laughing

adha nenachathan.....water bottle...fire..india manatha yosikanum...chepakna nallapadiya mudiyum

From: alwarpet_andavan on Thu Dec 14 7:03:29 2006.

IMO - For those who watch cricket matches in TV most of the time (like me) Razz

Prefer EDEN GARDENS which present electrifying atmosphere ! Plus - namma pasangalum payanthukittaae aaaduvaanunga Laughing

The Chepauk crowd has always been more knowledgable, sportive and tolerant

From: selvakumar on Thu Dec 14 7:09:39 2006.

IMO - For those who watch cricket matches in TV most of the time (like me) Razz

Prefer EDEN GARDENS which present electrifying atmosphere ! Plus - namma pasangalum payanthukittaae aaaduvaanunga Laughing

The Chepauk crowd has always been more knowledgable, sportive and tolerant

As Always !

From: Aandavan on Thu Dec 14 12:46:47 2006.

en neenga eppovume D stand-aa??? naan niraya thadava B stand thaan... the atmosphere is just chanceless.. even for the challenger trophy match, it was just great...

From: alwarpet_andavan on Fri Dec 15 2:39:57 2006.

Aandavan wrote:

en neenga eppovume D stand-aa??? naan niraya thadava B stand thaan... the atmosphere is just chanceless.. even for the challenger trophy match, it was just great...

Mostly... but its not for sale.. you need to be a club member to get tickets in that stand.. If i don't get it through friends then 'black ' is the only option...

From: Aandavan on Fri Dec 15 4:20:53 2006.

en neenga eppovume D stand-aa??? naan niraya thadava B stand thaan... the atmosphere is just chanceless.. even for the challenger trophy match, it was just great...

Aandavan wrote:

Mostly... but its not for sale.. you need to be a club member to get tickets in that stand.. Banging Head

If i don't get it through friends then 'black ' is the only option...

no .......... i think ur referring to the now royal sundaram, and the old indian oil stand... tickets are available in counter easier than B or C stands... nowadays, C and D stands are not prefered b'cos, the giant screen is not visible from these stands....

From: alwarpet_andavan on Fri Dec 15 5:29:24 2006.

Aandavan wrote:

You are referring to D-Spl

That is, to the right of D... You will get a wide long-on/3rd man view (right-hander)

For D-stand, which is the old Kumbhat and then later Indian Oil stand, tickets are not for sale... Even for the last scheduled ODI match for India in Chepauk (against S.A?), i bought the ticket in black for a high amount but the match was abandoned...

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Jan 9 16:09:58 2007.

Australia crush England in Twenty20

Australia continued their dominance over England with a record-breaking 77-run victory in their one-off Twenty20 match on Tuesday.

Despite missing almost half the team that humiliated the visitors 5-0 in the Ashes Test series, Australia racked up a world-record total to leave the tourists winless in all forms of the game since arriving Down Under more than two months ago.

Australia's batsmen went on the rampage, piling up 221 for five to eclipse the previous international record of 214 for five they set against New Zealand in Auckland in 2005.

England replied with 144 for nine, narrowly avoiding the heaviest defeat in the short history of Twenty20 internationals.

The home team belted 15 fours and 14 sixes, Adam Gilchrist (48) and Ricky Ponting (47) sharing a 69-run partnership for the second wicket off 29 balls while Cameron White (40 not out) and Andrew Symonds (39 not out) added an unbroken 66 in less than six overs.

Gilchrist, who scored a hundred off 57 balls in the Test series, bludgeoned two fours and five sixes including three maximums in a row off James Anderson.

COSTLY ANDERSON

The England paceman went for 64 runs in his four overs.

Ponting smacked three fours and two sixes while opener Matthew Hayden made a brisk 20 and the versatile Mike Hussey chipped in with 18.

Spinner Monty Panesar was the best of the England bowlers, dismissing Gilchrist and Hussey in a four-over spell that cost 40 runs.

England's hopes of winning were over almost as soon as they began their reply, Irish opener Ed Joyce dismissed for one and Andrew Flintoff for a duck three days after he lost the captaincy to Michael Vaughan.

Vaughan erased major concerns about his fitness with 27 off 21 balls but England's comparatively slow scoring left them well behind the run-rate.

Paul Nixon struck the only six of the innings in the last over while James Dalrymple top-scored with 32 off 27.

Australia and England will be joined by New Zealand in a month-long one-day triangular series starting in Melbourne on Friday.

Source :http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2007/jan/09aus1.htm
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Jan 9 16:26:00 2007.

Vaughan comment on Gilchrist knock - "I am crying and enjoying his shots"
From: Raghu on Thu Jan 11 12:18:41 2007.

world Cricket means ONLY indian cricket
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Jan 11 14:43:28 2007.

Raghu wrote:

world Cricket means ONLY indian cricket

Who said?
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Jan 11 14:46:09 2007.

Pakistan Vs South Africa - Second Test ; Port Elizeabeth

Day : 01

South Africa : 124 All Out

Boucher : 35

Akhtar : 4\36

Pakistan :135\6

Youinis : 45
Kamran : 33

Ntini : 4\18
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Jan 13 9:22:30 2007.

Pakistan Vs South Africa - First Test ; Centurion

Day : 02 & 03

Pakistan 1st Innings : 313 All Out

Ntini : 5\83

South Africa 1st Innings : 417 All Out

Prince :138

Gibbs : 94

Asif : 5\89

Pakistan 2nd Innings : 103\2

Younis: 32* ; Farhat : 41*

Kallis : 2\18
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Jan 13 9:35:24 2007.

Commonwealth Bank Cup

Date : 12th Jan

01st Match : Melbourne

Australia Vs England

Result : Australia won by 8 Wickets

Man Of the Match : Adam Gilchrist

England : 242\8

Pieterson :82(91 ; 4*4 ; 6*3)

Flintoff : 47(38; 4*5)

Bracken : 3\46

Australia : 243/2

Ponting : 82*(96 ; 4*8)

Gilchrist : 60(31 ; 4*7; 6*1)

Clarke : 54*(74; 4*3)

Panesar : 1\46 ; Darlymple : 1\38

Indha Poonaikku yaar manikatradhu
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Jan 13 9:39:00 2007.

England debut wicket keeper Nixon P.A age is 36 and he made lot of mistakes
From: P_R on Sat Jan 13 14:09:02 2007.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

England debut wicket keeper Nixon P.A age is 36 and he made lot of mistakes
I don't understand Duncan Fletcher's problem with Chris Read. The guy can't bat for nuts agreed, but he is a way better keeper than the other folks. Fletcher seems to be willinhg to compromise keeping for someone who can slog a bit. Jumbled priorities.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 14 9:38:25 2007.

Commonwealth Bank Cup

Date : 14th Jan

02nd Match : Hobart

Australia Vs Newzealand

Result : Australia won by 105 Runs

Man Of the Match : Andrew Symonds

Australia: 289\8

Symonds :69(70 ; 4*6)

Gilchrist : 61(58; 4*8 ; 6*2)

Bond : 4\61

Newzealnd : 184 All Out

Taylor : 84(82 ; 4*10; 6*3)

Fulton : 37(44 ; 4*1; 6*1)

Johnson : 2\27 ; Clark : 2\40 ; Symonds : 2\41
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 14 9:42:13 2007.

Earlier Taylor was simply dominating aussies bowling attack.Excellent placement and very brave shots! Then one very very handsome, special fielding & runout of Mcmillan by Michael Clark was the turning point of the match.Anybody saw that dismissal?
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 14 14:19:32 2007.

Pakistan Vs South Africa - First Test ; Centurion

Day : 05

South Africa 2nd Innings : 199\3

Kallis : 60*

Amla : 64*

Southafrica won by 7 Wickets
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Jan 16 11:19:28 2007.

Commonwealth Bank Cup

Date : 16th Jan

03rd Match : Hobart

England Vs Newzealand

Result : England won by 105 Runs

Man Of the Match : Andrew Flintoff

Newzealnds: 205\9

Astle :45(63 ; 4*6; 6*1)

Fulton : 27(58; 4*8 ; 6*2)

Anderson : 4\61

England : 206\7

Flintoff : 72*(75 ; 4*7)

Bell : 45(72 ; 4*2)

Franklin : 2\34 ; Patel : 2\34
From: thimuru on Thu Jan 18 7:05:10 2007.

dhadha and sachin to open the batting again in the west indies series it seems
From: selvakumar on Thu Jan 18 7:08:27 2007.

thimuru wrote:

dhadha and sachin to open the batting again in the west indies series it seems
From: P_R on Thu Jan 18 15:52:43 2007.

thimuru wrote:

dhadha and sachin to open the batting again in the west indies series it seems
The all time best pair. Over 5000 runs with 16 stands of 100 +, let's hope they bring back the magic.

From: thimuru on Thu Jan 18 22:40:02 2007.

dhadha and sachin to open the batting again in the west indies series it seems

thimuru wrote:

The all time best pair. Over 5000 runs with 16 stands of 100 +, let's hope they bring back the magic.

yeah

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 19 13:23:02 2007.

Commonwealth Bank Cup

Date : 19th Jan

04th Match : Brisbane

England Vs Australia

Result : Australia won by 4 Wickets

Man Of the Match : Michael Hussey

England: 155 All Out

Loye :36(36 ; 4*5; 6*1)

Darlymple : 31(51; 4*2)

Mcgrath : 3\24 ; Bracken: 3\24

Australia : 156\6

Hussey : 46*(73 ; 4*5; 6*1)

Clarkel : 36(62 ; 4*3)

Lewis: 4\36
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 19 13:26:53 2007.

Pakistan Vs South Africa - Second Test ; Port Elizeabeth

Day : 01

South Africa : 124 All Out

Boucher : 35

Akhtar : 4\36

Pakistan :135\6

Youinis : 45
Kamran : 33

Ntini : 4\18
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 19 13:27:56 2007.

England top scorer of the match Loye, MB aged 34 made his debut today!!!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Jan 20 15:02:30 2007.

Pakistan Vs South Africa - Second Test ; Port Elizeabeth

Day : 02

Pakistan :265 All Out

Inzamam : 92
Younis : 45

Ntini : 6\59

South Africa II Innings : 115\3

Kallis : 50*
Prince :21*

Asif : 2\32
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 21 12:07:36 2007.

Pakistan Vs South Africa - Second Test ; Port Elizeabeth

Day : 04

Pakistan II Innings : 191\5

Younis Khan : 67*
Kamran Akmal : 57*

Pollock : 2\47

Pakistan won by 5 wickets
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 21 12:16:51 2007.

Commonwealth Bank Cup

Date : 21st Jan

05th Match : Sydney

Newzealand Vs Australia

Result : Australia won by 2 Wickets

Man Of the Match : Michael Clarke

Newzealand: 218 All Out

Mcmillan :89(87 ; 4*7; 6*3)

Taylor : 26(43; 4*5)

Mcgrath : 3\24 ; Clark: 4\54

Australia : 224\8

Hussey : 65*(73 ; 4*6; 6*1)

Clarke : 75(111 ; 4*6 ; 6*1)

Mason: 2\46 ; Gillespie : 2\34 ; Vettori : 2\41
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Jan 22 15:12:31 2007.

Pakistan Vs South Africa - Second Test ; Port Elizeabeth

Day : 04

Pakistan II Innings : 191\5

Younis Khan : 67*
Kamran Akmal : 57*

Pollock : 2\47

Pakistan won by 5 wickets
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Jan 23 14:03:22 2007.

Commonwealth Bank Cup

Date : 23rd Jan

06th Match : Adelaide

Newzealand Vs England

Result : Newzealand won by 90 runs

Man Of the Match : Jacob Oram

Newzealand: 210 All Out

Oram :86(89 ; 4*6; 6*2)

Mccullum : 30(56)

Flintoff : 4\21

England: 120 All Out

Joyce : 47(70; 4*5)

Vettori : 4\24
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 26 10:27:29 2007.

Commonwealth Bank Cup

Date : 26th Jan

Venue : Adelaide

Australia Vs England

Result : Australia won by 9 wickets

Man Of the Match : Johnson MG

England: 110 All Out

Bell :35(34 ; 4*2; 6*1)

Strauss : 17(32; 4*2)

Johnson : 4\45

Australia: 111\1

Ponting : 51*(61; 4*6)

Hayden : 30*(68; 4*2)
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 28 10:37:29 2007.

Commonwealth Bank Cup

Date : 28th Jan

Venue : Perth

Australia Vs Newzealnd

Result : Australia won by 8 runs

Man Of the Match : Ricky Ponting

Australia: 343\5

Hayden :117(111 ; 4*15)

Ponting : 111(122; 4*8; 6*1)

Newzealnd: 335\5

Oram : 101*(72; 4*6; 6*6)

Vincent : 66(82; 4*8; 6*1)

Clarke :2\48
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 28 10:41:40 2007.

What an entertainment!! Excellent run chase by Oram and Mccullum eventhough they ran short of the target!

I would say it is the mistake of Fleming, he used the second powerplay during 35 to 40th over when two set batsman on fire. 60 runs was scored in that 5 overs.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 28 10:45:21 2007.

Pakistan Vs Southafrica; 3rd test match

Southafrica won by 5 wickets and won the series 2-1

Man of the match :Jacques Kallis

Man of the series :Jacques Kallis
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Jan 30 9:06:30 2007.

Commonwealth Bank Cup

Date : 30th Jan

06th Match : Perth

Newzealand Vs England

Result : Newzealand won by 58 runs

Man Of the Match : Lou Vincent

Newzealand: 318\7

Vincent :76(111 ; 4*7)

Taylor : 71(81; 4*7; 6*1)

Plunkett : 3\54

England: 260\8

Joyce : 66(82; 4*7)
Nixon : 49(47; 4*2; 6*2)

Vettori : 2\40
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Jan 30 9:06:31 2007.

Commonwealth Bank Cup

Date : 30th Jan

06th Match : Perth

Newzealand Vs England

Result : Newzealand won by 58 runs

Man Of the Match : Lou Vincent

Newzealand: 318\7

Vincent :76(111 ; 4*7)

Taylor : 71(81; 4*7; 6*1)

Plunkett : 3\54

England: 260\8

Joyce : 66(82; 4*7)
Nixon : 49(47; 4*2; 6*2)

Vettori : 2\40
From: Saamy on Wed Jan 31 10:23:21 2007.

sridhar mattumey post pannuraaru..
From: ajithfederer on Wed Jan 31 11:37:27 2007.

Unnai yaaru panna venamnu sonna

Saamy wrote:

sridhar mattumey post pannuraaru..
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Jan 31 13:54:29 2007.

Saamy wrote:

sridhar mattumey post pannuraaru..
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Jan 31 15:24:28 2007.

NZ's Vincent slams Aussie egos

New Zealand opening batsman Lou Vincent has branded Australia's one-day cricket side a bunch of egomaniacs who think they are bigger than the game.

Vincent went on the offensive after being sledged relentlessly when he had to temerity to smash Australia's bowlers all over the park and score 66 last Sunday as New Zealand narrowly failed to chase down their opponent's total.

Vincent contrasted the Australians' behaviour to Swiss tennis great Roger Federer, who won his 10th Grand Slam at the Australian Open last Sunday in Melbourne.

"I watched Federer the other day and thought 'what a true champion'," Vincent told New Zealand radio. "He's the sort of guy you want to watch because he plays the game very well and he's humble about it.

"You watch Australia and just their egos, you know what I mean?

"Sure, you're talented, you've got great players and you win most of the time, but as blokes they've got no time for you. So to take them on and stick it to them a bit is my motivation."

Vincent said the Australian sledging was relentless and it was a pleasure to "just to keep them quiet for a while" during his innings on Sunday.

"It's never-ending," he said. "They're very close-knit. They hunt like a pack of dogs. There's not just one guy going at you, there's a little bit here, a little bit there.

"I mean, I love that part of the game. I think it's brilliant but as soon as they start calling you all sorts of stuff it gets a bit tiring.

"I personally think that they think they're bigger than the game. It's all about standing up to them."

Vincent said he would not be intimidated by the Australians, who have crushed England's touring side in all their Test and one-day meetings in recent months and now appear set to meet New Zealand in the finals of the triangular one-day series.

"If you're intimidated by Australia, you're beaten. You've got to stand up to them," he said.

"You might not be their friends, but at the end of the day I don't care if I'm not friends with those guys. They're the enemy."
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 2 13:18:56 2007.

Commonwealth Bank Cup

Date : 02nd Feb

Venue : Sydney

Australia Vs England

Result : England won by 92 runs

Man Of the Match : Joyce, EC

England: 292\7

Joyce :107(142 ; 4*10)

Bell : 51(60; 4*4)

Mcgrath : 2\51

Australia: 200\9

Hayden : 51(62; 4*7; 6*1)

Symonds : 39*(35; 4*4;6*1 )

Plunkett : 3\24
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 2 13:20:29 2007.

Ponting slams 'yapping' Vincent

Australian captain Ricky Ponting hit back at Lou Vincent's sledging claims and accused the New Zealand opener of "yapping" in the field.

In his weekly newspaper column, Ponting backed Australia's "ultra-competitive" approach and denied claims they had gone too far.

"I think that's just part of the game at the highest level," Ponting wrote in The Australian newspaper.

"There was nothing over the top that went on the other night, and what he is saying merely highlights how tough our two sides go at it out in the middle.

"I want the guys in my team to be ultra-competitive.

"That's what it is to play cricket for Australia, and I'm sure New Zealand are exactly the same."

Vincent this week accused the Australians of arrogance and said they "hunt like a pack of dogs" when trying to unsettle batsmen through criticism.

But Ponting said Vincent was also a vocal player who was "always yapping" on the field.

"Lou is a player who is always yapping up a bit and chirping when he is out on the field, trying to get an advantage for his team," he wrote.

Separately, Ponting said pre-World Cup competition for places had resulted in Australia's sizzling form with six wins out of six in the tri-series.

Matthew Hayden, Mitchell Johnson, Cameron White, Brad Hodge, Ben Hilfenhaus and Brad Hogg have already been given the chance to press their claims, with pace bowler Shaun Tait making his debut on Friday.

"I don't think there are too many places in our squad at all that are guaranteed for the World Cup," he said in Sydney on Thursday.

"We've still got possibly eight games to play (before the World Cup) and lots of things can happen in that period of time.

"I think the competition that we've got around the team at the moment is fantastic."

Australia has been able to showcase its depth during the tri-series, particularly in the fast-bowling ranks where Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Johnson, Hilfenhaus and now Tait have all been rotated.

Ponting was certain Australia were well-placed to win its third successive World Cup.

"By the time the World Cup squad is announced I'm sure that we're going to have a very good balance of youth and experience, and a very good balance, right through the team, flexibility-wise," he said.

"I couldn't be any happier with where we are at the moment."

Ponting is to undergo a late fitness test for Friday's match against England after suffering a hip injury in training.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Feb 4 13:10:33 2007.

Commonwealth series

Australia Beat Newzealand by 5 Wickets

Man of the match : Ponting - 104

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

South Africa Pakistan One day series

Southafrica beat Pakistan by 164 runs

Southafrica - 392\6

Boucher : 78(38; 4*9; 6*4)

Kallis : 88(85; 4*2; 6*4)

Pakistan : 228 all out

Man of the match : Kallis
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Feb 6 10:13:09 2007.

Commonwealth Bank series

England beat Newzeland by 14 runs and will meet Australia in finals

Man of the match : Paul Collingwood(106 runs, 2 wickets)
From: Nakeeran on Tue Feb 6 11:09:57 2007.

Newzeland comparatively played better cricket than England but somehow , they won the crucial matches & are through to the finals.

I wish Aussies lose some matches atleast now.

Let someone show that the aussies too are not invincible.
From: P_R on Tue Feb 6 16:23:04 2007.

Nakeeran wrote:

I wish Aussies lose some matches atleast now.

Let someone show that the aussies too are not invincible.
Let them win now. WC la paathukkalaam

idhaye dhAn pOna dhadavaiyum sonnEN
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Feb 8 5:34:57 2007.

South Africa Vs Pakistan - 2nd One day international

Pakistan won by 141 runs

Pakistan - 351\4

Afridi - 77*(35, 4*5, 6*6) Vara vara....

Southafrica - 210 All Out
From: Nakeeran on Fri Feb 9 7:29:25 2007.

SENSATIONAL

First of the best of the 3 finals

WON BY ENGLAND

Aus 252
England 253 for 6

Collingwood 120 Not out
From: Nakeeran on Fri Feb 9 7:30:06 2007.

SENSATIONAL

First of the best of the 3 finals

WON BY ENGLAND

Aus 252
England 253 for 6

Collingwood 120 Not out
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Feb 11 15:23:49 2007.

Commonwealth Bank Cup

England beat Australia by 34 Runs

Man of the match :Paul Collingwood(70 Runs and 2 Wickets)

Man of the series : Ricky Ponting!

England vachaan paaru aapu!!
From: sankara1970 on Wed Feb 14 4:29:35 2007.

Cricket la enna vena nadakum

Ithu oru example
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 16 3:22:40 2007.

Chappell-Hadlee Trophy

Australia : 148 All Out

Newzealand : 149\0

Man of the match : Shane Bond 5\23

Newzealand won by 10 Wickets

Australia-ku marana adi
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Feb 18 12:18:39 2007.

Chappell-Hadlee Trophy

Australia-ku adutha aapu

Man of the match : Taylor (117)

Australia :336\4

Newzealand :337\5

Newzealand won by 5 wickets
From: sankara1970 on Mon Feb 19 6:03:28 2007.

Australia lost its number one position to SA

NZL beat them twice

This should give other teams the confidence to play aginst them with ease

Nothing is impossible in cricket!
From: sankara1970 on Tue Feb 20 3:06:05 2007.

Hayden strikes form

scores 181 not out in 166 balls-10 sixes

against NZL.

Good to hear! But he was playing with injury to both his legs

That is the status of today's players-almost half of the team strength is playing with injuries.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Feb 20 5:10:20 2007.

Chappell-Hadlee Trophy

Newzeland won by 1 wicket and won the series 3-0. Clean sweep!!

Australia - 346\5 (Hayden - 181*)

Newzealand - 350\9 (49.3 Overs,Mcmillan 117, Mccullum 86*)

Once Newzealand was 116\5

Australia ... Ada ennatha solvenunga!
From: sankara1970 on Tue Feb 20 6:46:21 2007.

Ennalamo nadakuthu cricketla

Australia kku ithu thevai than

Ana NZL kku enna achu

Ethenum ookka mathirai chapitangala?

Therinja namma alungalukku sollalam
From: raaja_rasigan on Tue Feb 20 9:30:10 2007.

sankara1970 wrote:

Ennalamo nadakuthu cricketla

Australia kku ithu thevai than

Ana NZL kku enna achu

Ethenum ookka mathirai chapitangala?

Therinja namma alungalukku sollalam

namma aalunga adha saapidavum soambarithanan paduvaangale
From: sankara1970 on Wed Feb 21 8:30:16 2007.

We have new astrologer

Arjuna Ranatunga, under whom Sri Lanka won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1996, predicts India will win the tournament this year

India are peaking at the right time - Ranatunga

Kindly post your astro queries to arjuna@ranatunga.futures.vsnl
From: Nakeeran on Thu Feb 22 7:02:11 2007.

Some Indian selector must have paid Ranatunga
From: Raghu on Thu Feb 22 7:45:37 2007.

Nakeeran wrote:

Some Indian selector must have paid Ranatunga

Ithu Konjam Over , irunthaalum,
From: Nakeeran on Thu Feb 22 7:50:15 2007.

Raghuji

IMO, Srilanka is better placed when compared to India ( Muthaiyar and Vaas to be back ).

Wonder how Ranatunga ippadi oru Ranamaana statement release panraaru !

Thats why some paisa paisa must have been transferred

Vartaaaaa
From: thimuru on Thu Feb 22 7:55:41 2007.

nakeera...when did vaas and murali threatened us...?

we had handled them easily
From: Nakeeran on Thu Feb 22 8:00:36 2007.

Thimiruuuuuuuuuuu

Pl go through the statistics of Indo-SL matches in Srilanka . Murali has dominated heavily

The previous one day series in India saw Murali commanding respect from India's top order.

And I never said that both threatened us !
What I am emphasizing is that SL are better placed upon arrival of Murali & Vaas as their bowling dept gets strengthened.

Vataaaaa
From: thimuru on Thu Feb 22 8:02:10 2007.

what abt munaf,zaheer,agarkar in good form?

kumble can play a great role in west indies!
From: Nakeeran on Thu Feb 22 8:06:08 2007.

Thimiru

It so happened that Sangakara & Jayasurya ( master blaster ) , Mahela didnt come good in all matches .
Else, it would have been mayhem & scores above 300. It would have been life difficult for India then.
Lucky series, India had .

Now they will be in full flow in WI . Wait and watch MASTER BLASTER Sanath Jayasurya blast everyone

From: thimuru on Thu Feb 22 8:28:56 2007.

Thimiru

It so happened that Sangakara & Jayasurya ( master blaster ) , Mahela didnt come good in all matches .
Else, it would have been mayhem & scores above 300. It would have been life difficult for India then.
Lucky series, India had .

Now they will be in full flow in WI . Wait and watch MASTER BLASTER Sanath Jayasurya blast everyone

haha....every team has great players

From: Raghu on Thu Feb 22 9:48:15 2007.

Raghuji

IMO, Srilanka is better placed when compared to India ( Muthaiyar and Vaas to be back ).

Wonder how Ranatunga ippadi oru Ranamaana statement release panraaru !

Thats why some paisa paisa must have been transferred

Vartaaaaa

indeed!, and better placed than Pak/NZ/WI and Eng!

From: Raghu on Thu Feb 22 10:04:04 2007.

Thimiru

It so happened that Sangakara & Jayasurya ( [b]master blaster ) , Mahela didnt come good in all matches .
Else, it would have been mayhem & scores above 300. It would have been life difficult for India then.
Lucky series, India had .[/b]

Exactlt, I was VERY dissapointed with these three, esp Kumar, but any way...... lets wait 4 the lakalaklaklakal lankans

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu May 17 22:29:47 2007.

England vs West Indies, 1st Test Match

Day:01 Stumps

England 200\3

Cook : 102*

Powell : 2\52
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon May 21 22:32:04 2007.

Rain ruins final day of Test

Rain and bad light ruined the final day of the first test between England and West Indies at Lord's on Monday with the players taking the field for only 79 minutes.

West Indies, set 401 to win, were 89 without loss when the teams departed for the second and final time in the afternoon session.

Steady drizzle ended the morning's play after 34 minutes and bad light brought a premature close after 45 minutes in the afternoon. Play was finally called off at 5.50 p.m.

Chris Gayle was unbeaten on 47 and his opening partner Daren Ganga, who brought up his 2,000th test run by slashing a Steve Harmison no-ball over the slips for four, had scored 31.

The teams meet again at Headingley in Leeds on Friday in the second of the four-test series.

West Indies, resuming at seven for no wicket, made a confident start with Gayle striking four boundaries.

The disappointing Harmison, who conceded 117 runs in the first innings for the sole wicket of number 10 Jerome Taylor, was removed from the attack, and acting captain Andrew Strauss called up Monty Panesar.

The left-arm spinner, who returned his best test figures of six for 129 in West Indies' first innings, paced out his run but did not bowl a ball as light drizzle began to fall and the players left the field.

They returned in the afternoon, giving the chance for Ganga to play two elegant cover-drives to the boundary off Panesar, before the light deteriorated.

West Indies, who went into the test after only one rain-shortened practice match, will be the happier of the two teams.

Their pace bowlers failed to make an impact and their fielding was slipshod but they showed plenty of fighting spirit in their first innings, reaching 437 after they had been reduced to 187 for five.

A draw gives the tourists breathing space before Headingley and ensures there will be no repetition of the 4-0 whitewash four years ago.

England captain Michael Vaughan, who fractured a finger, is likely to return for the Headingley test in place of Owais Shah, who made six and four as a replacement for injured all rounder Andrew Flintoff.

Flintoff, who failed a fitness test on his left ankle before the Lord's match, played as a batsman for Lancashire at the weekend and will be reassessed before the second test.

Opening bowler Matthew Hoggard played no further part in the match after leaving the field with a thigh injury on Saturday and is unlikely to play in Leeds.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue May 22 22:51:13 2007.

Pakistan won the series 2-1 against Srilanka at Abu Dhabi
From: Nakeeran on Mon May 28 12:36:33 2007.

Raghuji

Emphatic win for England !

Kevin Pietersen, the superstar of cricket scores double century !!

King Pietersen !
From: Movie Cop on Tue Jun 12 14:00:37 2007.

http://content-www.cricinfo.com/woolmer/content/current/story/297737.html

Police confirm Woolmer died 'of natural causes'!
3 months of investigation with lot of developments and this is what the investigators had to conclude? Really something fishy about this whole episode Still can't believe how some one can have such a sudden but natural death
From: Movie Cop on Fri Jun 15 21:18:06 2007.

Ian Terence Botham Knighted!
http://content-www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/60096.html
I'm so glad that one of my favourite circketers and an all-time great has been Knighted! Congrats to Sir Ian Botham
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Jun 28 15:52:06 2007.

20-20 West Indies Vs England

WI won by 15 runs

WI - 208/8 - 20 Overs

Eng - 193/7 - 20 Overs
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Oct 11 12:08:05 2007.

seri ulaga cricket-ayum gavanipom

England 3-1 series lead against Srilanka

South Africa 357 & 305/4d
Pakistan 206 & 108/1 (31.0 ov)
Pakistan require another 349 runs with 9 wickets remaining - 5th day

Looks like all sub-continent players forgot how to play @ Home
From: Billgates on Tue Nov 6 3:31:40 2007.

http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2007/nov/06murali.htm

size=24]"[We want] to play decent cricket and not [approach it] like the Indians[/size],"

Sri Lanka [Images] would not emulate India's ultra-aggressive tactics against Australia during their upcoming two-Test series Down Under, spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan said.

The off-spinner and opening bowler Chaminda Vaas [Images] said the tourists would focus on playing smart, positive cricket in the true spirit of the game during the series starting on Thursday.
Muralitharan, who needs nine wickets to become the most successful Test bowler upstaging Shane Warne's [Images] world record of 708 wickets, said in Brisbane that Sri Lanka had no designs on following the Indian example of 'fighting fire with fire' during the recent ODI series in India, which the Aussies won 4-2.

"[We want] to play decent cricket and not [approach it] like the Indians," Muralitharan said at Queensland Cricket's annual Test match luncheon, Australian newspaper The Age reported on Tuesday.
"We'd like to play our game," he said, adding: "The challenge is not to think about the end results."
Recognised as the team which played the game in the best spirit at the ICC's [Images] annual awards in September, Sri Lanka have a fine on-field reputation.
Vaas said they would ensure their reputation is retained but would not take a backward step against the hosts.
"We are not Indians. We are not going to play like the Indians did," he said.
"But when it comes to cricket you have to play aggressive five-day cricket," he said.
"We are here to play good cricket and play smart cricket, and we received the spirit of the game award so we want to play good cricket and prove we can do something," he added.
Sri Lanka have registered only one series victory over Australia in 25 years and have never won a Test match in that country.
Muralitharan is not thinking about the prospect of breaking Warne's record and says he is more concerned about proving himself in Australia.
The 35-year-old averages 32.47 for his 67 wickets against Australia in 15 Tests, well down from his career mark of 21.33, but his record in Australia is much worse with eight wickets in three Tests at 63.
He has also been no-balled on two separate visits for 'bowling with an illegal action', suffered verbal crowd abuse and been pelted with fruit as well as heard Prime Minister John Howard brand him a chucker.
"I had a bad tour in 1995 and I want to forget that. That's when it all started,' he said.
"I want to prove myself this time and show before I retire I can do something," he said.
Meanwhile, Australian opener Matthew Hayden [Images] suggested it would be another tough tour for the spinner as none of his teammates harboured any Murali "ghosts."
"We have played him in his conditions and in our conditions, we've seen him across pretty much all parts of the world and I think we've handled him very well," Hayden said.
"Our job is to keep him out of play and I think we've definitely got the skills to do that," the left-hander added.
From: Billgates on Tue Nov 6 3:32:10 2007.

http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2007/nov/06murali.htm

size=24]"[We want] to play decent cricket and not [approach it] like the Indians[/size],"

Sri Lanka [Images] would not emulate India's ultra-aggressive tactics against Australia during their upcoming two-Test series Down Under, spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan said.

The off-spinner and opening bowler Chaminda Vaas [Images] said the tourists would focus on playing smart, positive cricket in the true spirit of the game during the series starting on Thursday.
Muralitharan, who needs nine wickets to become the most successful Test bowler upstaging Shane Warne's [Images] world record of 708 wickets, said in Brisbane that Sri Lanka had no designs on following the Indian example of 'fighting fire with fire' during the recent ODI series in India, which the Aussies won 4-2.

"[We want] to play decent cricket and not [approach it] like the Indians," Muralitharan said at Queensland Cricket's annual Test match luncheon, Australian newspaper The Age reported on Tuesday.
"We'd like to play our game," he said, adding: "The challenge is not to think about the end results."
Recognised as the team which played the game in the best spirit at the ICC's [Images] annual awards in September, Sri Lanka have a fine on-field reputation.
Vaas said they would ensure their reputation is retained but would not take a backward step against the hosts.
"We are not Indians. We are not going to play like the Indians did," he said.
"But when it comes to cricket you have to play aggressive five-day cricket," he said.
"We are here to play good cricket and play smart cricket, and we received the spirit of the game award so we want to play good cricket and prove we can do something," he added.
Sri Lanka have registered only one series victory over Australia in 25 years and have never won a Test match in that country.
Muralitharan is not thinking about the prospect of breaking Warne's record and says he is more concerned about proving himself in Australia.
The 35-year-old averages 32.47 for his 67 wickets against Australia in 15 Tests, well down from his career mark of 21.33, but his record in Australia is much worse with eight wickets in three Tests at 63.
He has also been no-balled on two separate visits for 'bowling with an illegal action', suffered verbal crowd abuse and been pelted with fruit as well as heard Prime Minister John Howard brand him a chucker.
"I had a bad tour in 1995 and I want to forget that. That's when it all started,' he said.
"I want to prove myself this time and show before I retire I can do something," he said.
Meanwhile, Australian opener Matthew Hayden [Images] suggested it would be another tough tour for the spinner as none of his teammates harboured any Murali "ghosts."
"We have played him in his conditions and in our conditions, we've seen him across pretty much all parts of the world and I think we've handled him very well," Hayden said.
"Our job is to keep him out of play and I think we've definitely got the skills to do that," the left-hander added.
From: ajithfederer on Mon Nov 12 17:21:58 2007.

ICL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Cricket_League
From: ajithfederer on Wed Nov 14 14:33:30 2007.

Former Australian Coach Buchanan calls for franchisee systems in cricket

I personally think this is a very good idea, just like the NFL in America.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/319712.html

John Buchanan believes the ICC should consider turning world cricket into a franchise-based system where players could choose which country to represent, in an effort to make the game more competitive. Buchanan spent eight years as Australia's coach, finishing after the World Cup in April, and he thinks Australia's dominance is hurting international cricket.

"This equality debate keeps bubbling to the surface and means that there is a serious issue there," Buchanan told the Age. "I think it mightn't be a bad thing if the ICC looked at some rule relaxations, which might allow a more even distribution of players around the world.

"Most young cricketers in Australia grow up wanting to play for Australia, but I'm sure there would be quite a few who, when they get to about 25 or 26 and realise they probably won't get a chance to wear the baggy green, would still be happy to play international cricket anywhere. The problem at the moment is that there is a long qualification period and, by the time that's up, the player and the other country probably lose interest."

Buchanan said the ICC's current rules were too strict, with players needing to spend at least 183 days a year for four consecutive years in their new country before qualifying to play a Test. However, he believes turning Test nations into franchises could lead to a greater flow of players between countries, and a more competitive international scene.

"Countries should look to recruit young players from Australia, and places like India, to increase their depths of talent," Buchanan said in the Herald Sun. "Those players would enhance the domestic competition and, hopefully, go on to play Test cricket for the country they move to. We don't want cricket to become like a horse race when the favourite wins all the time. No-one will want to watch."

Barry Richards, the former South Africa batsman, agreed that there was a serious problem with Australia's dominance - Ricky Ponting's team won their 13th consecutive Test when they beat Sri Lanka at the Gabba on Monday and Australia have not lost a World Cup match since 1999. "Australia plays international cricket, the rest just play cricket," Richards said.

"I have lost interest in it because I know the result before they start playing. Until you get strength against strength, nothing is going to happen. In England, they have 18 counties and they call it first-class cricket and it's absolutely useless."

Buchanan's replacement as Australia's coach, Tim Nielsen, told the Age the franchise plan was not the answer and other nations needed to keep striving to catch Australia. "We've got to keep trying to raise the bar," he said, "because, as always, we are the ones being chased and people are looking to what we are doing and trying to replicate it."
From: Kalyasi on Thu Nov 15 1:19:19 2007.

'He can't keep his mouth shut'

Muralitharan slams 'miserable' Warne

Cricinfo
November 15, 2007

Muttiah Muralitharan has lashed out at Shane Warne, calling him a "miserable man" and declaring he would not speak to Warne at the unveiling of the new trophy that bears their names. Muralitharan was angered by Warne's suggestion that the ICC should have Muralitharan's bowling action analysed during a Test match, despite the fact he has repeatedly passed laboratory tests.

"I am very disappointed with what he said," Muralitharan told the Sydney Morning Herald. "He can't keep his mouth shut because he wants to keep making these comments. He must be a miserable man in his life. But that is his opinion and there is nothing I can do about it."

Warne is the world's leading Test wicket-taker with 708 victims but Muralitharan needs only seven more to overtake him and that could happen in the second Test, which starts in Hobart on Friday. The rift comes at an awkward time after the two champions were honoured with the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy, which will be held by the winner of the Australia-Sri Lanka Test series and will be unveiled by the pair on Thursday.

"Maybe he just doesn't want me to pass his record," Muralitharan said. "Why else would he keep saying these things? I will shake his hand [at the ceremony] and go straight off the field instead of trying to be friendly."

Warne wrote in his News Ltd column on Tuesday that checking Muralitharan's action during a match would offer "peace of mind" to everybody in world cricket and "surely Murali would want that". The comments came after a newspaper article on the weekend in which Warne's mentor, Terry Jenner, floated the idea of in-match testing for Muralitharan.

"Terry Jenner played cricket a long time ago and cricket is very different now," Muralitharan said. "So it doesn't matter what he says. But Jenner and Warne are still always commenting, commenting, commenting. It makes them feel important."

Muralitharan told the paper he and Warne were not on good terms before these latest problems, as he believed Warne considered Muralitharan had collected too many cheap Test wickets against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Although 163 of Muralitharan's Test victims have been Zimbabwe or Bangladesh players, he also has an outstanding record against England and South Africa and says he can only play whoever Sri Lanka is scheduled to face.

Muralitharan said he had no comment about the decision to use his name alongside Warne's on the new trophy. "That was the decision between the boards of Sri Lanka and Australia," he said. "I cannot say anything else."
From: ajithfederer on Sat Nov 17 11:35:43 2007.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ausveng/content/current/story/273697.html

100 sixes for gilchrist
From: raaja_rasigan on Tue Nov 20 0:19:44 2007.

Aussies win the 2nd test & the series against sri lanka..... but sangakkara played well for his 192...... no support for him at the other end.... just like laxman in australia
From: Movie Cop on Tue Nov 20 2:07:45 2007.

Dear-O-Dear!
What a magnificent knock from Sangakarra? Since the elegant "VVS symphony" of the '99 Sydney Test this was the finest and dominating knock played ever played by a visiting batsman in Australia. If not for an incorrect decision from Rudi Koertzen -the match would have kept everyone guessing on it's result!

A great knock from Sangakarra coming to a tragic end! A dominating, whirlwind knock that will be remembered for almost taming the Aussies in their own backyard!
From: ajithfederer on Tue Nov 20 13:37:12 2007.

I think its worth reading this one

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/talk/content/multimedia/320985.html?view=transcript
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Nov 20 22:30:34 2007.

af,

you can share any sports related news here

http://mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?t=9638&start=30

From: Billgates on Tue Nov 20 23:53:20 2007.

Dear-O-Dear!
What a magnificent knock from Sangakarra? Since the elegant "VVS symphony" of the '99 Sydney Test this was the finest and dominating knock played ever played by a visiting batsman in Australia. If not for an incorrect decision from Rudi Koertzen Twisted Evil

-the match would have kept everyone guessing on it's result!

A great knock from Sangakarra coming to a tragic end! A dominating, whirlwind knock that will be remembered for almost taming the Aussies in their own backyard! Clap

MC

You are absolutely right. What a pity that SL lost this match. They were the real deserving winners, the way they fought in second innings ! Amazing play by Sangakara. The Indians should take a clue from his approach now when they meet Australia next month.
One thing, the current aussie bowling sans Mcgrath and Warne doesnt look that great team that was before and I could see holes getting developed. Its up to Indians to exploit totally
Attapattu was solid as ever !

Kumar Sangakarra, you are my hero dear dear

From: sriranga on Wed Nov 21 0:17:15 2007.

Billgates wrote:

aussie declared both the innings 5 & 2 wickets, don't they deserve the victory?

From: Billgates on Wed Nov 21 0:26:42 2007.

Ranga

You have a point but chasing a mamoth 500 and almost reaching the target is a commendable effort. Extrordinary effort no ?

Also see the trend. Any home team bats very well under home conditions. Australia simply did that.
From: ajithfederer on Wed Nov 21 0:30:12 2007.

i just posted world cricket news

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

af,

you can share any sports related news here

http://mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?t=9638&start=30

From: Nerd on Wed Nov 21 1:01:16 2007.

i just posted world cricket news Rolling Eyes

af,

you can share any sports related news here

http://mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?t=9638&start=30

adhu onnum illa, andha thread-la yaarum post-E panna mattEnguRAngaLaam

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Nov 21 1:24:28 2007.

total damage
From: ajithfederer on Thu Nov 29 14:56:24 2007.

ICL started

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/icl/content/current/story/322817.html
From: raaja_rasigan on Sat Dec 1 3:18:39 2007.

poor windies not able to beat even a zimbabwean team even though chanderpaul scored nearly a run a ball 128
From: Kalyasi on Wed Dec 5 0:23:58 2007.

Kirsten signs deal to coach India

Neil Manthorp

December 4, 2007

Gary Kirsten, the new India coach, will join the team in their Australia tour for the third and fourth Tests � Getty Images

Gary Kirsten has signed a two-year deal to coach the Indian national team. He will start work on March 1, 2008, almost a year after his predecessor, Greg Chappell, resigned from the post.

Kirsten signed the contract after clarifying a few last-minute details pertaining to his young family and also to the feelings of senior players in the team who had been anonymously quoted as saying that the appointment of a coach was "unnecessary."

Sharad Pawar, the Indian board president, told Kirsten on Tuesday afternoon that all the senior players were looking forward to having him on board and agreed with Kirsten's suggestion that he meets up with the team before they depart for Australia.

"I will go back to India soon to meet up with the squad before they fly to Australia on December 17 and then I will join them again in a transition phase for the third and fourth Tests against Australia in the New Year," Kirsten said.

"It is a huge honour and I'm looking forward to the challenge with as much enthusiasm as any challenge I've ever faced. I'm not naive - I know how big the job is and I know it won't be easy, but it's also something I really want to do, and do well," Kirsten said.

When Kirsten takes over full-time, his first assignment will be a three-Test series against South Africa. "That's exciting. I really don't think it will feel strange or odd. I will be doing everything I can to help India win. But Australia comes first and everybody's energy must be focussed on producing success on what is the hardest tour in cricket," Kirsten said.
From: ajithfederer on Tue Dec 11 17:19:13 2007.

http://www.espnstar.com/cricket/newsdetails.cmd?id=7017869

International Olympic Committee recognises cricket
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Dec 11 23:05:53 2007.

Jayawardene flays England

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtvcricket/cricketstory.aspx?id=SPOEN20070035615&site=ndtv
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Dec 11 23:06:39 2007.

Australia thrash New Zealand in Twenty20

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtvcricket/cricketstory.aspx?id=SPOEN20070035618
From: Raghu on Wed Dec 12 8:14:15 2007.

Sridhar,

Mahela should have got his Nth double century, he throw it away in a hurry

any way world's no 1 batsmen Sanga will cane the English on the 3rd test
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Dec 12 22:13:18 2007.

England openers stand firm as Lanka eye win

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtvcricket/cricketstory.aspx?id=SPOEN20070035709&site=ndtv
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Dec 13 22:21:19 2007.

England deny SL win in second Test

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtvcricket/cricketstory.aspx?id=SPOEN20070035803&site=ndtv
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Dec 14 21:44:54 2007.

Australia beat New Zealand by 7 wickets

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtvcricket/cricketstory.aspx?id=SPOEN20070035925&site=ndtv
From: Nerd on Mon Dec 17 21:34:09 2007.

3 stunning yorkers from Steyn (SA Vs WI T-20)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZy2c1gcso
Watch out for the last one
From: kb on Wed Dec 19 17:15:31 2007.

Nerd wrote:

3 stunning yorkers from Steyn (SA Vs WI T-20)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZy2c1gcso
Watch out for the last one

aaaga.. ippadi ellam namba oorla irrukiravanga en poda maatekaraanga..

evlo naal practice panraanga.. oru ball yorker potrukaangala.. atleast attempted yorker
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Dec 20 1:27:48 2007.

Ponting hits ton to distress Kiwis

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtvcricket/cricketstory.aspx?id=SPOEN20070036417&site=ndtv
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Dec 20 4:43:58 2007.

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtvcricket/cricketstory.aspx?id=SPOEN20070036438&site=ndtv

Australia reclaims Chappell-Hadlee Trophy
From: Raghu on Thu Dec 20 8:29:16 2007.

ENG 81 all out

Mahela 213
From: Ramakrishna on Thu Dec 20 8:46:35 2007.

Has Jayasurya retired from intl. cricket?
From: Kalyasi on Thu Dec 20 9:10:16 2007.

Ramakrishna wrote:

Has Jayasurya retired from intl. cricket?

He has retired from Test Cricket .. He said he is going to continue playing ODIs
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Dec 22 0:14:15 2007.

Cook, rain keep England afloat

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtvcricket/cricketstory.aspx?id=SPOEN20070036567&site=ndtv
From: Kalyasi on Wed Dec 26 7:48:05 2007.

WI 145/2 after 35 Overs... Vs SA Ist Test
WIndies have wasted a terrific start provided by their captain Gayle who scored 66(49) and kept the runrate @ 6 RPO... M Samuels and RS Morton are very slow with strike rates of 40 each.... They have brought down the runrate to 4 RPO...
From: Kalyasi on Wed Dec 26 7:56:53 2007.

How leads New Zealand to easy win

The Bulletin by Kanishkaa Balachandran

December 26, 2007

New Zealand 203 for 4 (How 88, McCullum 40, Shakib 3-56) beat Bangladesh 201 (Ashraful 70, Tamim 50, Gillespie, 3-27, Oram 3-36) by 6 wickets

A patient 88 by opener Jamie How helped New Zealand ease to a comfortable six-wicket win against Bangladesh at Eden Park to take a 1-0 lead in the series. After an express 97-run partnership between Mohammad Ashraful and Tamim Iqbal, it was all one-way traffic as the Bangladesh middle order came a cropper, and the target of 202 was barely enough to turn it into a contest.

The Bangladesh seamers could do no more than restrict the openers from blitzing away, but weren't able to prise out any early wickets. Both How and Brendon McCullum paced their innings well and ensured New Zealand were ahead of the required rate, with rain around the corner. How's innings wasn't studded with flashy boundaries but he kept rotating the strike. Shahadat Hossain, searching for swing, tested How with yorker length deliveries which he managed to dig out. Normally strong on the on side, How wasn't always in control of his favourite pull stroke as a few swishes met with thin air. When he did connect though, it was a treat to watch, especially when he swivelled and bludgeoned Shahadat Hossain over square leg.

McCullum meanwhile showed more intent by standing outside his crease to the seamers. Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak was brought on in the 11th over to plug the runs but McCullum had plans for him as well, using his feet to fetch two sixes. McCullum looked set for a fifty but fell on 40, chipping the ball tamely back to Farhad Reza.

How brought up his his fifth ODI half-century with a firm push off Reza to beat the diving mid-on. The solid opening stand of 90 put New Zealand well on track, and gave No. 3 Peter Fulton, returning from injury, time to play a steady hand. Fulton found the gentle pace of Reza to his liking, collecting two fours in successive overs. Bangladesh lacked spark in the field, exemplified by a misfield for four at long leg, despite two fielders converging on the ball.

A major factor which worked against them was the ineffectiveness of their spinners. Known for sending down miserly spells in helpful conditions, this just wasn't their day. With no turn on offer, Shakib and Razzak merely floated the ball and got it to land on a fullish length and were easily picked off for singles by the batsmen. Though Shakib grabbed three wickets - How, Fulton and Ross Taylor - it was a little too late. How was unfortunate to fall short of his maiden ton, trying to go over deep extra-cover. Scott Styris enjoyed a good hit on the park to take New Zealand home.

While the result was predictable, the Boxing Day crowd had their share of entertainment during the Ashraful-Tamim stand earlier. After Aftab Ahmed's infuriatingly brief knock, Ashraful immediately took on Kyle Mills with an expansive loft over cover which just fell short of the rope. He then bullied Mark Gillespie with a chip over midwicket, followed by an exquisite pull over square leg and a cheeky scoop over short fine-leg, as if stepping out for a Twenty20 match. After 14 runs were conceded off the 14th over, Daniel Vettori delayed the third Powerplay to counter the onslaught.

That made little difference as the run-rate continued to mount. Both Ashraful and Tamim punished anything outside off with controlled late cuts, chips over the on side and smashing cover drives. Tamim fell over while attempting a slog sweep over Vettori but the timing was enough to carry it over the boundary. Having survived a drop by Martin at deep midwicket, Tamim rubbed it in further by belting Jacob Oram for six over long-on. Ashraful helped himself to a fifty, off just 38 balls and Tamim followed suit soon after.

As has been the bane for Bangladesh for so long, the purple patch was rather short-lived. Tamim perished off an ugly swish outside off which lobbed to Gillespie at deep backward-point and Ashraful became Oram's second victim after pulling straight to deep square-leg. After perfecting the same stroke on a few occasions early on, the elevation was missing this time. His reaction, after getting out for 70, was so volatile that he could have sentenced himself to solitary confinement.

The wicket burst continued after Gillespie and Oram combined to pick up three more and Bangladesh, placed comfortably at 150 for 3, lost their last seven wickets for the addition of 51.
From: Kalyasi on Fri Dec 28 6:19:59 2007.

Day 2 South Africa 175 for 7 trail West Indies 408 (Chanderpaul 104, Samuels 94, Gayle 66, Nel 3-85, Ntini 3-100) by 233 runs

Enna SA indha kevalama velayadaraanga?
From: Kalyasi on Fri Dec 28 6:22:25 2007.

Fulton and Mills star in series-clinching win

The Bulletin by Kanishkaa Balachandran

December 28, 2007

New Zealand 335 for 5 (Fulton 83, How 74, Oram 55) beat Bangladesh 181 for 6 (Aftab 54, Mills 4-40) by 102 runs by D/L method

The second one-dayer in Napier turned out to be hopelessly one-sided as New Zealand's batsmen made best use of a placid surface to help register a 102-run win to take the series 2-0.

Jamie How, Peter Fulton and Jacob Oram scored half-centuries to power New Zealand to 335 for 5 and Bangladesh's chase hit a dead end as soon as Kyle Mills struck with three quick wickets in the early stages. Bangladesh were already out of the match when rain stopped play after 43 overs.

Captain Daniel Vettori took the opportunity to give his batsmen a shot at notching up some runs and confidence and they obliged. How took the aggressive route with a 77-ball 74 at the top while Fulton's innings was more workmanlike, running the singles and keeping the fielders on their toes in the middle overs. Oram then clubbed four sixes in his 31-ball 55 and led his side's late charge towards a total that proved way out of reach for the opposition.

Fulton and the middle order thrived on another productive opening stand between How and Brendon McCullum, who added 82 at more than a run a ball with a mixture of flamboyant strokeplay and electrifying running. McCullum stood a foot outside the crease to pick the ball on the full. While he regularly charged down the track and shuffled across the stumps, How preferred to stay put at the crease and respect the coaching manual, still ensuring that the poor deliveries were rightfully dispatched.

Bangladesh, however, were at the receiving end of a poor decision when a genuine outside edge off How's blade convinced everybody except the umpire Peter Parker. To add further insult to injury, How bludgeoned the next ball through the covers and hung around to add another half-century stand, this time with Fulton. He brought up his fifty with an off drive off Farhad Reza, but his pursuit of the elusive three-figure mark ended when he was trapped in front of the stumps by Abdur Razzak.

Fulton, who came in during the third Powerplay, made good use of the restrictions by fetching four boundaries. With the slower bowlers operating from both ends, Fulton and Scott Styris settled down by rotating the strike. Fulton was constantly on the lookout for singles and his efficient half-century was characterised by firm punches past cover, flicks to midwicket and cheeky paddle sweeps. The fact that there were no boundaries between the 26th and the 38th overs almost went unnoticed because the scoreboard kept ticking away.

Styris fell seven short of his fifty after succumbing to a slower ball from Reza, scooping to short third-man. Ross Taylor too enjoyed a good hit in the middle, clubbing Razzak for consecutive boundaries over midwicket before getting down on his knees and slogging Mortaza high over long-on. Towards the end, not a single bowler was spared and the one to suffer the most was Razzak, who conceded 75 off his ten overs, a rare bad day for a bowler known for economical spells.

Reza was at the mercy of Oram's blade as he conceded two huge sixes in his ninth over, the first over midwicket and the second over long-on. Oram found time to deposit two more over the same region, as if teeing off like a golfer.

Bangladesh's only noteworthy passage of play with the bat came at the start as Tamim Iqbal and Junaid Siddique added 63 at just over five an over. A boundary past the covers got the chase off to an emphatic start and the pair showed good application in getting behind the line and driving on the up past the infield on the off side. Tamim was the more dominant partner, picking Mark Gillespie for a six over backward square-leg and following it up with a trademark flat-batted biff past the bowler after advancing down the track.

With very little in the pitch to assist the bowlers, only a momentary lapse in concentration could have yielded a wicket and Siddique succumbed, falling to a miscued pull. Mills, who came back well after the early pasting, plucked out Tamim in the same over, inducing an edge outside the off stump. Ashraful fell in controversial circumstances, standing his ground after Ross Taylor claimed a low catch at cover but the umpires upheld the appeal.

Following his dismissal, Aftab Ahmed and Tushar Imran went on the defensive, struggling to find the boundaries as New Zealand tightened the noose. Aftab, obviously bogged down by the situation, waited for the third Powerplay in the 35th over to free his arms but it was a little too late. A flurry of boundaries, including a cheeky scoop over fine-leg for six, hastened his progress to a half-century.

Mills returned to dismiss Shakib Al Hasan, caught hooking to fine leg, and finished with commendable figures of 4 for 40. Aftab continued to assert himself but didn't last too long after his fifty, holing out to a diving Oram at deep square-leg. The rain only cut short the inevitable.
From: Nerd on Sat Dec 29 12:15:43 2007.

West Indies
Winning SA in SA where nobody expected you to win is no mean achievement
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 29 15:13:11 2007.

Windies
From: ajithfederer on Wed Feb 13 15:40:13 2008.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakvaus/content/current/story/336298.html

Australia unlikely to tour Pakistan

Australia in Pakistan 2007-08

Australia unlikely to tour Pakistan

Osman Samiuddin

February 12, 2008

Heavy security enveloped the South African team on their visit to Pakistan in September and October last year � AFP

Australia's tour to Pakistan, scheduled for March and April, is looking increasingly doubtful following last week's meeting between the chairmen of both boards in Dubai. Following that discussion, Creagh O'Connor, Cricket Australia's chairman, sent a letter to the Pakistan board expressing reservations about the security situation inside Pakistan.

"We received a letter yesterday from CA following our meeting and, though they reiterated their commitment to supporting Pakistan cricket, they said security briefings they have received in Australia are advising them against touring," Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, told Cricinfo.

A Cricket Australia security delegation is due to visit the country in the aftermath of the general elections due to be on February 18. But a report in the Urdu daily Jang said Cricket Australia was unsure whether sending experts would serve any purpose now, indicating perhaps that a decision not to tour had already been made.

"They have asked us whether we still want a security delegation sent here and if so when," Ashraf said. "In response to this, we have told CA that we still firmly believe that the environment for cricket and cricketers is still safe here. We have also said that the security team should visit Pakistan from February 25, exactly one week after the elections."

Ashraf is also concerned that Australia's decision could set a precedent. "It would be very damaging to Pakistan cricket and it is not just Pakistan-specific, because no country in the world is safe from terrorist acts," he told the Sydney Morning Herald. "If we start letting this dictate our sports events, then I am afraid the whole world of cricket could be turned upside down and it could have serious repercussions financially and [for] the very existence of the Future Tours Program."

He also didn't rule out the possibility of Pakistan boycotting their tour to Australia in 2009. "This is a premature question, but we will keep all our options open. We are still very hopeful that Cricket Australia will make the right decision."

Australian players have expressed concerns about touring Pakistan for what would be their first visit in a decade, following a year of increasing violence and instability through the country. Despite this South Africa and Zimbabwe have both completed tours in recent months without any glitches.

But privately, board officials now concede that the trip is becoming an unlikely prospect and the PCB has already insured the series against cancellation. "Certainly public utterances coming from Australia seem quite indicative of them not wanting to tour Pakistan so it wouldn't be a surprise if they pulled out," one official told Cricinfo.

The official also said that alternative options and opponents in case Australia do pull out are being examined. "Nothing has materialised so far, but after the next meeting things will become clearer. We are trying to get other options here, but our priority is to get Australia here."

Pakistan will, however, continue to press for the visit to go ahead. Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB's chief operating officer, is scheduled to meet James Sutherland, Cricket Australia's chief executive, in Kuala Lumpur and discuss security arrangements further. "We stress that incidents could happen anywhere in the world," Ashraf said. "They happen in Sri Lanka, they happened in Glasgow last year when we were there for an ODI and bombs went off in England in 2005 when Australia were there. We have to make decisions not just on perceptions, but ground realities.

"We are making every effort to ensure the tour goes ahead. It would be a big loss to Pakistan cricket if they didn't tour."

Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of Cricinfo

� Cricinfo
From: ajithfederer on Wed Feb 13 15:41:45 2008.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ipl/content/current/story/336347.html

sooberabbu !!!!
From: Nerd on Thu Feb 14 23:26:48 2008.

SCJ Broad 8 overs 13 runs 2 wickets.. EKNZI Bring Yuvi
From: ajithfederer on Sat Feb 16 16:12:34 2008.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ipl/content/current/story/337396.html

IPL chief says it will enforce two-year freeze on retired players

'ICC's Test schedule most important' - Modi

Ajay S Shankar

February 15, 2008

Lalit Modi: "We will all continue to fulfill our commitments to the Future Tours Programme ...[which is] the most important for all countries and most definitely for the BCCI" � AFP

The ICC's Future Tours Program (FTP) remains paramount for the Indian Premier League, Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman and commissioner, has told Cricinfo. Modi also reiterated the IPL would strictly follow the two-year freeze on players post their retirement, to prevent a rush of active cricketers towards the financially lucrative Twenty20 league.

"The IPL is here to stay and I am sure it is in everyone's interest that it carves its own place. That does not mean we will play less bilateral cricket. We will all continue to fulfill our commitments to the Future Tours Programme ...[which is] the most important for all countries and most definitely for the BCCI," Modi said. He also made the point that, in most countries, the season ends by March.

There is also a concern that the IPL's economy is on a completely different scale to traditional cricket economies, an imbalance that could harm the game. Modi indicated that the IPL was aimed at protecting cricket's primary position on the subcontinent. "As far as scale is concerned India already has the largest market or appetite for cricket. The IPL will further ensure there is little erosion of support for cricket. Other sports like football have been slowly trying to make inroads, through the English Premier League. We think the IPL will help put a stop to that." EKSI

He also downplayed fears, most recently expressed by Australia captain Ricky Ponting, that the IPL would lure experienced cricketers into an early retirement by saying the onus would be on the player's home board. "Even two years after his retirement, the player still needs an NOC [No Objection Certificate] from his home board. Only then will we take him. Our objective is to have players who currently or in the future are playing for their country. So we will always work with other boards to ensure that we are all on the same page."

And with just five days to go for the players' auction in Mumbai, Modi addressed fears expressed by some of the eight franchises by saying they would be kept in the loop at every stage of the IPL's decision-making process. "We need to work with them [franchises]. It's with their success that we will achieve ours. It's not us against them or them against us. We are all on the same side. We will ensure we work with our partners and that's what my job is."

Ajay Shankar is deputy editor of Cricinfo in Bangalore

� Cricinfo
From: raaja_rasigan on Wed Feb 20 3:13:37 2008.

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/nzveng/engine/current/match/300440.html

Amazing game ... high voltage chase by Newzealand ends in a TIE
From: Movie Cop on Wed Feb 20 18:46:45 2008.

raaja_rasigan wrote:

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/nzveng/engine/current/match/300440.html

Amazing game ... high voltage chase by Newzealand ends in a TIE
Oh man! I didn't see the match but what a match it would have been? This is how a "real ODI cricket" should be, I say
Collingwood 54* off 30 balls (w/ 6 sixes)
Hove 139 off 116 balls
ODI cricket at it's brilliant best!

From: Kalyasi on Thu Feb 21 0:11:56 2008.

Quote:

Last 10 Overs commentary of the super game..

From: raaja_rasigan on Fri Feb 29 6:49:05 2008.

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/bdeshvrsa/content/current/story/340259.html

Smith & Mckenzie (SA) against Bangladesh
From: Ramakrishna on Sun Mar 9 4:05:56 2008.

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/bdeshvrsa/engine/match/323946.html
From: ajithfederer on Mon Mar 10 2:05:01 2008.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/341740.html

Rotation comes round again

Having more or less separate teams for Tests and ODIs is working well for India - but not for too many other teams, oddly enough

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

March 10, 2008

Dhoni and Tendulkar are the only two players in India's top seven who play in both Test and ODI teams � AFP

Australia have lost another CB Series final and their captain is talking of player exhaustion. Somewhere, Steve Waugh is chuckling. About eight years ago, when player workload was not quite the hot topic it is today, Waugh copped flak for his "rotation policy" under which those who were part of Australia's Test side didn't play all ODIs. The middle order comprised specialists such as Andrew Symonds, Ian Harvey and Shane Lee.

Just when it seemed like yet another of Waugh's revolutionary ideas, South Africa and New Zealand arrived for a tri-series in early 2002. The more Australia rotated players, the more they lost to New Zealand. For the first time in six years, Australia didn't make the final. It marked the end of Waugh's ODI career, and since then, Australia under Ricky Ponting have preferred to be more circumspect about rotation as well. Apart from Nathan Bracken and James Hopes, the nine other Australians who played in the second CB Series final this year were part of the Test team as well. Brad Haddin, a pure ODI player till now, is set for a dual role in the wake of Adam Gilchrist's retirement.

The trend is probably related to Test cricket's heightened pace, which allows one-day batsmen to thrive at the Test level. Pitches have veered towards batsmen, run-rates have soared, and even those with susceptible techniques have found a way to dominate Test attacks.

Australia aren't alone. Daniel Vettori now captains New Zealand in both forms and the core of his side doesn't change much between the two. South Africa drafted in a few specialists for the one-dayers against Bangladesh, but come the big games, Graeme Smith still has to depend on AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini and himself to do well in both forms.

Mahela Jayawardene and Shoaib Malik face similar predicaments, Chris Gayle doesn't have too many options rotation-wise, and Bangladesh's core remains the same for both formats. Michael Vaughan and Paul Collingwood split the captaincy in England, but there again the core doesn't change: Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell and Collingwood are integral members, while Alastair Cook and Ryan Sidebottom have cemented their spots as well. In fact, in the recent Hamilton Test, Sidebottom outdid England's Test specialists, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard and Monty Panesar.

It's a curious situation. With Twenty20 spreading its wings, the time is ripe for rotation. Bits-and-pieces players have a chance to create a niche for themselves, while the more gritty, stodgy variety can concentrate on Tests. While there's a place for Michael Vandort and Ashwell Prince, there's also opportunity for Dimitri Mascarenhas and Dwayne Smith.

It's even more mystifying considering how serious a factor burnout is today. Since the start of 2007, Michael Clarke, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden (all regulars in Australia's Test line-up) have played 124 ODIs between them. In fact, seven of the top ten players who've played the most ODIs in this period have been integral members of their sides' Test teams as well.

India buck the trend
Which brings us to India. The three-month-long tour of Australia has taken its toll - four of their players could miss the Tests against South Africa - but the bench is currently in rude health. Not only do they have separate captains but, either by accident or design, each side has a totally different nucleus.

In the top seven, only Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni play both forms. The meat of the Test batting line-up includes Wasim Jaffer, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, and Rahul Dravid (apart from Tendulkar). Anil Kumble, the captain and spearhead, gets a good rest between Test series too.

With Twenty20 spreading its wings, the time is ripe for rotation. Bits-and-pieces players have a chance to create a niche for themselves, while the more gritty, stodgy variety can concentrate on Tests

India's CB Series win might have marked the end of three one-day careers (Dravid, Ganguly and Laxman) but it could also have extended their Test ambitions by a good year. The fact that Virender Sehwag isn't a permanent part of the ODI squad, or Yuvraj of the Test side, could be a blessing in disguise, allowing them more time to recoup.

There is a bit of overlap in the pace-bowling department but India are currently well placed to rotate even there. At full strength India's one-day options read: Zaheer Khan, Sreesanth, RP Singh, Ishant Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Praveen Kumar. All except Praveen have shown they can step it up in Tests. The two Singhs, VRV and Pankaj, wait in the wings, while Pradeep Sangwan, the Under-19 World Cup-winning left-armer, and Sudeep Tyagi, a tall medium-pacer from Uttar Pradesh, have had impressive debut seasons. Amid such riches is L Balaji set to return.

India even have wicketkeeping bench-strength, unlike in the past. Dhoni, who has been on the road since May last year, will no doubt need a break at some point and Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel are stand-in options for him.

India now have about 25 players to choose from, a rare luxury. The team's schedule continues to be a hectic one - the Test series against South Africa is followed by the IPL, a tri-series in Bangladesh, the Asia Cup, and a tour of Sri Lanka. That both the Test and ODI sides have achieved some impressive successes lately should only prompt a more serious push towards a formalised rotation policy.

With the kind of money the IPL is dishing out, one could soon reach a dangerous situation where players are tempted to choose franchise over country. India, in particular, need to beware of such a situation, considering the gruelling schedules the players have to put up with. Since January last year, Dhoni has gone 11 Tests, 47 ODIs and a World Twenty20 Championship without a break. Few cricketers will have passed through so many airports without picking up a serious injury; now that he's still standing, it's time for a rest.

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan is an assistant editor at Cricinfo

� Cricinfo
From: Movie Cop on Tue Mar 11 15:24:26 2008.

What'z up with England? Losing to NZL sans Bond! don't know the nature of the surface but can't they even bat out a day that too agianst NZL attack?

Not long ago Harmisson used to be a pain in the opposition team's butt with his sharp, incisive, "hit the deck" kind of bowling! Thanks to Jaysuriya who pummeled and tore him apart during the 2006 summer ODI series in England which forced him to retire from ODI's Since then he has slowly but surely turning out to be a pain in England's butt! I see bowlers who go past their prime due to age and fitness factors but it would be unfortunate if Harmisson fades away even before hitting his prime!
From: Movie Cop on Tue Mar 18 16:12:14 2008.

Darell Hair reinstated into the ICC elite panel!

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/343055.html

EK-ICC-I
From: ajithfederer on Sat Mar 22 11:58:11 2008.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/343495.html

Trescothick calls it a day
From: ajithfederer on Wed Mar 26 13:30:15 2008.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/007200803261504.htm

Gavaskar to meet ICC representatives

New Delhi (PTI): The BCCI on Wednesday said Sunil Gavaskar would meet International Cricket Council representatives to discuss some of his recent columns but asserted that the former India captain has not yet been asked to resign from the elite ICC Cricket Committee.

During India's acrimonious tour of Australia, Gavaskar had been scathing in his criticism of the world champions' on-field behaviour and the handling of Sydney racism row by ICC match referee Mike Procter.

His outbursts clearly did not go down well with some quarters and according to 'The Times', last week's ICC executive committee meeting in Dubai took a unanimous decision to oust the batting great from the Cricket Committee, which he has been heading since 2000.

BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, however, dismissed the claim and said, "Media speculation about removal of Sunil Gavaskar as Chairman of the Cricket Committee of the ICC based on a report in a London paper is incorrect. ICC has confirmed to the Indian board that there has been no decision to remove Sunil Gavaskar."

He, however, admitted Gavaskar would explain his columns to ICC representatives.

"ICC representatives may discuss with Sunil about some of his media articles and report back to the Executive Board in its next meeting," Shah said in a statement.
From: ajithfederer on Thu Mar 27 15:23:17 2008.

International Committee of Compromise

International Committee of Compromise

The ICC has always been about expediency and the latest meeting of its executive in Dubai did nothing to prove otherwise

March 27, 2008

Malcolm Speed with Ray Mali at the Dubai meeting. Was it a media leak that forced the ICC's hand when it came to announcing Imtiaz Patel as Speed's successor? � Getty Images

Once again, a meeting of cricket's decision-makers has yielded a series of half measures. Frankly, it would have been unreasonable to expect otherwise. The spirit of cricket has been much discussed recently; the ICC's board can rarely be accused of lacking the spirit of accommodation. There is a good case in fact for adding a C to the ICC - for compromise.

Several of these were struck in Dubai in the previous week. IS Bindra, one of the principal satraps of the Indian board, wasn't appointed the chief executive of the ICC, so a new post, principal advisor, was created specially for him. It was decided that the World Cup will feature fewer Associates, but will yet have more matches involving them than the previous edition did. "Serious irregularities" were found in the accounts of Zimbabwe Cricket - yet not apparently serious enough to warrant punitive action. Darrell Hair, the controversial umpire who is a stickler for the rules, was reinstated, yet it was clear he will not be standing in matches involving Pakistan - and possibly also Sri Lanka.

There were suggestions that a section of the ICC didn't want Bindra as the CEO, and indeed a letter was sent to the members pointing out that he was over the specified age. Yet cricket would perhaps be better served with an Indian in the chief executive's post because it is time power and responsibility sat together. For years the Indian board, the Indian fans and the Indian media have railed against the ICC as if the BCCI wasn't a part of it. Everyone knows who sets the agenda for world cricket these days; some accountability must now form part of the package.

As it has transpired, the process of appointing a new CEO could turn embarrassing if Imtiaz Patel, the consensus candidate, turns the job down. It was odd, if not outright irregular, for the ICC to announce Patel's name without securing his consent. ICC officials bristle at suggestions that they jumped the gun, but it can legitimately be asked why the process wasn't completed before a name was announced. Was it a media leak that forced their hand?

It is understandable why Patel, by all accounts a seasoned professional, should have second thoughts about the job. In many ways, it is a job that carries accountability without power; it carries a high profile and a handsome salary, but not the authority to take decisions that matters. Which is why much criticism that is directed at the ICC is often ill-conceived and misdirected: the ICC administration is just not equipped to take clear and strong decisions on the big issues.

However much it tries to project a corporate image, the ICC is not, and can never be, a corporate entity. Most corporate bodies are driven by a common goal. The ICC, on the other hand, bears resemblance to the United Nations. It is a confluence of contrasting self-interests; it is deeply political; it is divided along geographical and cultural lines; and its members regard each other with suspicion. Is such a body equipped to serve the best interests of the game? The answer can only be another question: what's the alternative?

But given that compromise is often the best-case scenario in the ICC boardroom, it is inevitable for cricket to often be caught in a muddle. And nothing illustrates this better than the proposed format for the 2011 World Cup.

Even Malcolm Speed, the out-going chief executive, agreed that the tournament went on for too long in 2007. In principle, the format would have been a success if all had gone to plan. It accommodated two more teams than the 2003 edition, yet had three fewer matches. There were only 24 games in the league stage as opposed to 42 in 2003, and 24 in the Super Eights, the business end of the tournament.

Of course, things didn't go to plan. Bangladesh and Ireland knocked India and Pakistan, the big draws, out in the first round, but their subsequent meekness doomed the second half of the tournament, which seemed to drag on forever.

For years the Indian board, the Indian fans and the Indian media have railed against the ICC as if the BCCI wasn�t a part of it. Everyone knows who sets the agenda for world cricket these days; some accountability must now form part of the package

It was obvious that to maintain spectator interest, and more crucially, to protect the commercial interests of the World Cup, the major teams - India in particular - had to stay in the contest longer. The solution, arrived at after much wrangling, ensures the presence of all the teams through the bulk of tournament. But it also means that of the 42 league matches 22 will feature the Associates, and a further eight will feature either Bangladesh or Zimbabwe. The length of the tournament will be curtailed by having more than one match per day, but potentially, there will be far fewer quality matches.

A more sensible approach, put forward by a member board but not accepted, would have been to restrict the main event to 12 teams, divided into two groups of six, playing 30 matches in a round-robin format, followed by quarter-finals, semi finals and a final. Eight top teams would qualify for the tournament directly, while the other four would have been required to play in a qualifying tournament involving two bottom-ranked Full Member teams and the top six Associates. This was, however, strongly resisted by the Associates and some members. Inevitably a compromise was reached. And expectedly, it was neither here nor there.

A stronger governing body would also have taken a decisive stand on the financial irregularities in Zimbabwe cricket, which on the evidence of the team's recent performance ought to lose its Full Member status, thereby automatically meaning it will get a much smaller share of the ICC's revenues than it does presently. But such a such decision is not politically expedient and Zimbabwe will continue to enjoy the privileges of a Test-playing nation even though they have not played a Test since September 2005. Would it have been different if the chief executive had his way? Perhaps.

There will be a change of guard at the ICC in June. But little is likely to change. The ICC is a body weighed down by its own structure. It has a mandate to govern world cricket without the authority needed to do so successfully. And its irrelevance grows by the day as its most powerful constituent pursues its own agenda.

Sambit Bal is the editor of Cricinfo
From: ajithfederer on Tue Apr 1 12:19:10 2008.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/story/344698.html

Shoaib banned for 5 years
From: Movie Cop on Tue Apr 1 18:02:14 2008.

In a country like Pakistan, the term "ban" is a joke! I will not be surprised if we see Shoaib again, hustling and bustling into the bowling crease within the next few months.

From: crajkumar_be on Tue Apr 1 23:03:51 2008.

In a country like Pakistan, the term "ban" is a joke! LOL

I will not be surprised if we see Shoaib again, hustling and bustling into the bowling crease within the next few months.

From: CEDYBLUE on Wed Apr 9 1:55:34 2008.

In a country like Pakistan, the term "ban" is a joke! LOL

I will not be surprised if we see Shoaib again, hustling and bustling into the bowling crease within the next few months.

From: ajithfederer on Thu Apr 10 18:20:57 2008.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wivsl/engine/current/match/319134.html

Folks this has been a sensational match. Chanderpaul proved just what a difference an ice cool head does in these situations. Those who threw their wickets away today can take a lesson or two from him.

While the rest catch their breath let's recap this thriller. Sri Lanka fought back bravely after being reduced to 49 for 5, thanks to a stand of 159 between the Chamaras - Silva and Kapugedera. The target of 236 was always going to be competitive and West Indies did well to start off before they ran into Ajantha Mendis. Mendis mixed it up cleverly and plucked out three wicket. Bravo and Chanderpaul eased the nerves after Sri Lanka delayed the 3rd Powerplay and after another jolt, it was over to Chanderpaul to steer them through.

That full toss was very similar to the one Chetan Sharma dished out to Javed Miandad in Sharjah in 1986. Brendan Taylor of Zimbabwe carted Mashrafe Mortaza in 2006, the most recent instance.

The Man of the Match is a surprise - it's not Chanderpaul, Kapugedera or Silva. It's Bravo for his 4 for 32 and crucial 36. Larry Gomes was the adjudicator.

This thriller will take time to sink in for all of you. I'll leave you here. Saturday;s game at the same venue is sold out. I thoroughly enjoyed bringing this game to you. On behalf of Raju, our scorer, this is Kanishkaa signing off.
49.6 Vaas to Chanderpaul, SIX, This is the stuff of dreams! Off all times Vaas has to bowl a full toss! Chanderpaul waits for the gift, clubs that across the line and the ball just goes sailing over Jayawardene at deep midwicket. He waits and waits for the ball to clear the rope, a rather long and agonising one, he breaks out in celebration and the entire troupe from the dressing room rush onto the field and crowd around him
can he seal it with a six!
49.5 Vaas to Chanderpaul, FOUR, well well! Vaas over pitches outside off, the field is close and he creams that past mid-off

10 from 2, a six and a four would do it, Vaas pulls back at the time of delivery
From: Nerd on Thu Apr 10 20:02:13 2008.

sooberabbu.. Last two balls FOUR and a SIX.. Highlights anybody...
From: Kalyasi on Thu Apr 10 23:26:35 2008.

Nerd wrote:

sooberabbu.. Last two balls FOUR and a SIX.. Highlights anybody...

Must see.. unbelievable stuff from Chanderpaul....
From: Raghu on Fri Apr 11 5:30:40 2008.

SL loosing WI is pathetic!!!,

Kumar & Mahela must improve their batting b4 the next match
From: Ramakrishna on Fri Apr 11 5:36:43 2008.

Westindies ChanChanpaul IMO they shud have won yesterday's game more easily
From: villan007 on Fri Apr 11 5:47:00 2008.

chanderpaul six adichara
From: Raghu on Fri Apr 11 6:02:12 2008.

villan007 wrote:

chanderpaul six adichara

enalaiyum namba mudiyala aana adhicutaru
From: crajkumar_be on Fri Apr 11 6:06:58 2008.

Sivanaraine Saundarapaal
From: CEDYBLUE on Fri Apr 11 6:49:22 2008.

great knock by chanderpaul.....a great match and a fitting end!
From: Ramakrishna on Fri Apr 11 11:39:23 2008.

crajkumar_be wrote:

Sivanaraine Saundarapaal

ShivaNaraayana Chanderbalan
From: Movie Cop on Fri Apr 11 12:17:21 2008.

Raghu wrote:

SL loosing WI is pathetic!!!,

Kumar & Mahela must improve their batting b4 the next match

Raghuji - Rombe naalaikku appuram sports section le re-entry aayirukeenga pola irrukku? Welcome back mate
From: Movie Cop on Fri Apr 11 12:19:40 2008.

CEDYBLUE wrote:

great knock by chanderpaul.....a great match and a fitting end!

Andha Javed Miandad -ehh mooku mela verale vepaaru pole irruku... Good job, Chandru I'm really happy for WI cricket! Hope they win the ODI series!

From: Kalyasi on Fri Apr 11 13:38:27 2008.

great knock by chanderpaul.....a great match and a fitting end!

CEDYBLUE wrote:

Andha Javed Miandad -ehh mooku mela verale vepaaru pole irruku... Good job, Chandru Clap

I'm really happy for WI cricket! Very Happy

Hope they win the ODI series! Cool

Yes WI cricket is almost dead.. Something like this might interest their fans.... Long Live WI cricket!!!

From: Ramakrishna on Fri Apr 11 13:51:51 2008.

great knock by chanderpaul.....a great match and a fitting end!

CEDYBLUE wrote:

Andha Javed Miandad -ehh mooku mela verale vepaaru pole irruku... Good job, Chandru Clap

I'm really happy for WI cricket! Very Happy

Hope they win the ODI series! Cool

Yes WI cricket is almost dead.. Something like this might interest their fans.... Long Live WI cricket!!!

They even won a test match

From: Nerd on Sat Apr 12 12:48:18 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL0vRUqxJfQ - Goosebumps
From: wrap07 on Sun Apr 13 0:07:19 2008.

Chanderpaul has always been a dependable player for WI. As others said, it is great to see WI winning.

Everybody enjoys their natural game. Chanderpaul hitting 14 of two balls is great
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Apr 13 2:06:35 2008.

and yes! Chandrapaul did it again, along with Samuels, WI won the second one day against Srilanka [D/L Method]
From: villan007 on Sun Apr 13 8:51:35 2008.

SL
From: Ramakrishna on Sun Apr 13 9:29:58 2008.

villan007 wrote:

SL
From: villan007 on Sun Apr 13 9:33:03 2008.

vaangappa kelambi India ku namma IPL vilayadalam
From: raaja_rasigan on Fri May 23 3:12:49 2008.

Ponting has scored yet another Test match century & this one is against West Indies. Sachin's record is under severe threat & he may overtake in this series itself
From: CEDYBLUE on Fri May 23 3:40:44 2008.

raaja_rasigan wrote:

Ponting has scored yet another Test match century & this one is against West Indies. Sachin's record is under severe threat & he may overtake in this series itself

every liklihood considering the 'strength' of windies bowling...but what i think is after the first test....Punter would go back to his bad ways and struggle to score runs
From: wrap07 on Fri May 23 6:29:26 2008.

Ponting is no doubt playing good cricket for quite some time(leaving alone the onedays) . For all his records/scores, he fades in to oblivion when he is compared to Sachin. Sachin, in spite of his mind boggling achievements, has carried himself impeccably on and off the filed. That can never be said of punter.
From: wrap07 on Sun May 25 7:20:58 2008.

chanderpaul has scored a crucial century against the Aussies. He has been an invalubale player for the windies over the years.
From: CEDYBLUE on Mon May 26 1:12:09 2008.

Symonds sets up exciting finale

Andrew Symonds was the pick of the Australian batsman

West Indies were set a target of 287 on the final day of the first Test after reducing Australia to 167 all out.

Only all-rounder Andrew Symonds offered any resistance scoring 79 before being caught by Denesh Ramdin off the bowling of Dwayne Bravo.

Bravo was the pick of the West Indian bowlers also taking the wickets of Brad Hodge (27) and Brad Haddin (23).

The Windies were 46-1 at stumps after Brent Parchment was caught by Brad Haddin off Stuart Clarke's bowling.

Resuming on an overnight total of 17-4, Ricky Ponting's team suffered an early setback when they lost nightwatchman Mitchell Johnson with only one run added to their second-innings total.

Daren Powell made the breakthrough to add to the scalps of Ponting and Mike Hussey on day three.

Johnson, on four, got an edge on the delivery outside off stump and Denesh Ramdin took a simple catch behind the stumps.

That brought Symonds to the crease at 18-5 and he looked in determined mood following his fine 70 not out in the first innings.

Hodge posted a dogged 27 from 54 balls before he fell to Bravo, an outside edge again doing the damage as Ramdin took another catch - this time after a stunning dive to his right.

Australia reached 93-6 to establish an overall lead of 212 by lunch, and Symonds continued his impressive knock in the second session to further extend that advantage.

Haddin became Bravo's second victim when he found Runako Morton at short cover and Brett Lee contributed nine before being snapped up by Ramdin after getting an outside edge to Fidel Edwards.

Symonds went in the following over, brilliantly held by Darren Sammy at mid-on despite a collision with team-mate Morton off the bowling of Bravo.

Bravo then finished things off when he had Stuart MacGill caught at point by Morton for nought.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/other_international/australia/7419708.stm
From: CEDYBLUE on Mon May 26 1:14:36 2008.

the Aussies hold a slight advantage!!! Chanderpaul, Sarwan d Bravo hold the key....would love to see the Windies go one up here!
From: CEDYBLUE on Mon May 26 1:47:16 2008.

this ones close too

Panesar haul gives England hope!
Second Test, Old Trafford (day close, close)
England 202 & 76-1 v New Zealand 381 & 114
Monty Panesar produced his best Test bowling figures of 6-37 as England fought back on an intriguing third day against New Zealand at Old Trafford.

They appeared to have no hope at all after losing their last six wickets for 50 to concede a first innings lead of 179, as Daniel Vettori claimed 5-66.

But Panesar struck twice in an over and reached 100 victims in his 28th Test as the Kiwis stumbled to 114 in reply.

Facing a target of 294, England lost Alastair Cook but were 76-1 at stumps.

For England to have a scent of victory seemed inconceivable for the first half of the third day, again played out in a biting north-easterly wind.

Even when Aaron Redmond drove to gully in the 10th over of the Kiwi second innings there was still a subdued air in the crowd, such was the dominance of New Zealand's position.

No doubt aware of the pressure to deliver given Vettori's success, Panesar was introduced in the 10th over and struck with his 12th delivery when Jamie How was lbw to one which straightened sufficiently.

Although he did achieve some sharp turn, accuracy proved to be his chief weapon.

Having had numerous appeals rejected during the series, Panesar ousted the dangerous Brendon McCullum and first innings centurion Ross Taylor.

Vettori produced some bounce more often associated with fast bowlers

With Daniel Flynn unable to bat and Jacob Oram suffering from a sore neck, Vettori promoted himself to number six but top-edged a sweep shot to deep square-leg and for the first time in the match New Zealand had lost their way.

Panesar recorded his best Test figures when Mills also top-edged a sweep, and in doing so reached the 100-wicket milestone one match quicker than Vettori.

Although Oram eventually came out, he was soon caught off Ryan Sidebottom, who wrapped up the innings when Iain O'Brien thumped a catch to mid-off.

New Zealand's collapse mirrored that of England in the pre-lunch session.

Kevin Pietersen had an early reprieve when he got an inside edge into his pad and the ball looped to the keeper, but there was virtually no appeal.

It did not prove significant, however, with Pietersen adding just a single before he succumbed almost inevitably prodding forward speculatively to Vettori.

The ball turned perfectly to take the edge and flew through to slip.

O'Brien jagged some deliveries in sharply, and he soon had Ian Bell caught at first slip, Ross Taylor juggling with the catch but holding on.

A hopelessly out of sorts Paul Collingwood trudged back to the pavilion in the next over after having little notion of how to play Vettori, who was often finding dramatic bounce in addition to turn.

The procession continued, Tim Ambrose gave Taylor a third slip catch and Panesar was brilliantly caught by McCullum diving at full stretch low to his left.

After the patient 60 from Andrew Strauss, the only England first innings batsman to emerge with any credit was Stuart Broad, who was positive in defence and quick to seize on run-scoring opportunities.

When Panesar was out, two were still needed to avoid the follow-on but Broad hit some shots through the covers reminiscent of his father on the 1986-7 Ashes tour, before he was last out caught at deep cover.

England's batting was put into context somewhat by New Zealand's effort, and whatever technical frailties may be highlighted, an absorbing finale is in prospect.

New Zealand were hopeful of a more substantial breakthrough in the final 27 overs of play after the stranglehold their bowlers enjoyed during the morning session.

But whether reeling from the shock of being dismissed for their second lowest total at Old Trafford, or anxious about throwing away a winning position, the New Zealand attack was not so effective second time around.

The opening combination of Chris Martin and Kyle Mills was a curious one, given the problems fellow seamer O'Brien had caused earlier in ther day.

And Cook and Andrew Strauss played in an assured manner until Cook was caught at short leg off Vettori for 28.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/7419406.stm
From: CEDYBLUE on Mon May 26 1:50:36 2008.

Monty has jus completed one hundred wickets in test matches and i am glad this sardar is doing well!
From: wrap07 on Tue May 27 10:13:52 2008.

windies losing the test after bowlers gave them some chance. chanderpaul's knock in vain. except him, the batting looks really brittle.
From: wrap07 on Sat May 31 7:52:51 2008.

Ponting joins the 10000 runs club being the 7th overall and 3rd australian to do that. he is second fastest next to genius lara.
From: ajithfederer on Sat May 31 14:38:15 2008.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/india/content/story/353135.html

Kapil to be invited for ceremony in New Delhi

BCCI function to mark silver jubilee of World Cup win

Cricinfo staff

May 31, 2008

Kapil Dev and his team will be honoured 25 years since that momentous day in June � Getty Images

The BCCI will hold a felicitation function in New Delhi to mark the silver jubilee of India's triumph in the 1983 World Cup. Kapil Dev - the captain of the victorious side - who is now chairman of the unofficial Indian Cricket League's (ICL) executive board, will also be invited, board president Sharad Pawar told PTI.

"The felicitation function for the members of the 1983 World Cup winning team will be held at Taj Palace in New Delhi on June 22," Pawar said. "Yes, Kapil Dev will be invited to attend it as he was the captain." On June 25, 1983, India had pulled off an improbable win over two-time defending champions West Indies at Lord's.

Earlier, PR Man Singh, the manager of India's 1983 World Cup-winning squad, had criticised the BCCI for not organising a function to honour the players. He called its reluctance to felicitate players who have joined the ICL a 'clash of egos'. Besides Kapil, three other players - Balwinder Sandhu, Sandeep Patil and Madan Lal - have joined the ICL.

The players of the 1983 team will also be invited for private celebrations conducted by the Professional Management Group, a firm run by Sunil Gavaskar, who was also a member of the squad. Kapil, however, had told an Indian newspaper that the board wouldn't be welcome for the extensive celebrations. All squad members will be involved in four six-a-side matches across India in June, before a dinner function in Dubai on June 19 followed by the big party at the Long Room at Lord's on the 25th.

� Cricinfo
From: wrap07 on Mon Jun 2 3:10:48 2008.

Atlast, good sense has dawned on BCCI(may be for the moment) and they have decided to honour Kapils' Devils. Even if the BCCI had deliberately kept mum on this issue, they cannnot take away the greatness of the 1983 team which will be evergreen in the memory of all cricket lovers. 1983 World Cup Triumph is the best victory achieved by unassuming and fiercly competitive players led by a legend Kapil Dev, who led by example and was one of the main reasons for our triumph. Kapil has been an source of inspirataion for many and his commitment to the game is something the current lot can learn a lot. Kapil is one of rare breed of cricketers who believed and still beleive that game comes above anything else and he has done everything for Indian cricket. He is a class act.
From: wrap07 on Sat Jun 21 12:29:54 2008.

Lot of programmes going on commemorating our Great and Historic World Cup Triumph of 1983. Kapil , as always, being humble about everything he has done during the cup triumph. The few clips shown convery quite well the spirit and attitude of the side.
From: Kalyasi on Sun Jun 22 23:27:49 2008.

Mcgrath's Wife Jane Mcgrath Passes away...
From: ajithfederer on Sun Jun 22 23:49:27 2008.

Yeah i heard the news. Feel very sorry for Mcgrath

Rest in Peace
From: Nerd on Sun Jun 22 23:55:27 2008.

Kalyasi wrote:

Mcgrath's Wife Jane Mcgrath Passes away...

RIP. I always read about their philanthropic activities to fight against cancer. A very noble act indeed. I always thought McGrath is a snob
From: Kalyasi on Mon Jun 23 0:42:52 2008.

Jane McGrath dies aged 42

Cricinfo staff

June 22, 2008

Jane McGrath, the wife of former Australia cricketer Glenn McGrath, has died after complications resulting from surgery. McGrath, 42, battled breast, hip and brain cancer and became well-known for setting up with her husband the McGrath Foundation, which aimed in part to increase nursing care for breast cancer sufferers.

"It is with deep sadness that the family and friends of Jane McGrath, beloved wife of former Australian cricketer Glenn and loving mother of James and Holly, must announce she passed away at her home this morning," a statement issued by the McGrath Foundation said. "With Glenn and their two children by her side, Jane's wonderful life ended peacefully after a sudden decline in her health over the past week."

Ricky Ponting, speaking on behalf of the Australian team currently on tour in the West Indies, expressed his deepest sympathy. "Jane was a wonderful person who fought and maintained grace and dignity during her long-term illness," he said. "She was an exceptionally friendly and lovely person who displayed great courage and stoicism during her illness. She was a tremendous mother to James and Holly and shared a very special and deep relationship with Glenn in the time they had together.

"All of us are thinking about Glenn and their children at this very sad time. We all wish to convey that our best wishes go with him and to know our heartfelt sympathies are with the family at this time. Jane will be very fondly remembered by all of us."

Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, paid tribute to McGrath while offering his condolences to the family. "Jane's courageous struggle touched all Australians," he said. "Jane was an inspiration whose legacy will continue to benefit so many others."

James Sutherland, the CEO of Cricket Australia, also paid tribute. "Jane was well-known, loved and admired throughout Australian cricket and was one of the most respected and admired members of the Australian cricket team family group during Glenn McGrath's playing days," Sutherland said.

"All of us who met her were charmed by her dignity and good humour as she tackled her battle with her illness for more than ten years. We also greatly respected the work she and Glenn did through their foundation, work which brought and will continue to bring tangible comfort to so many others."
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Jun 23 0:53:24 2008.

RIP
From: littlemaster1982 on Mon Jun 23 2:13:01 2008.

Rest in Peace
From: wrap07 on Mon Jun 23 5:31:25 2008.

sad. felt bad for Glen. May God give him stregth to bear this loss.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Jun 25 0:29:27 2008.

West Indies v Australia, 1st ODI, St Vincent

Marsh sets up 84-run win for Australia

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/wivaus/content/current/story/356048.html
From: wrap07 on Wed Jun 25 7:21:02 2008.

yes. Marsh is continuing the form of T20. quite a player.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Jul 3 0:27:39 2008.

New Zealand post record one-day win

http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2008/jul/02nz.htm
From: wrap07 on Tue Jul 8 8:06:47 2008.

Aussies won the series vs WI 5-0. An onesided affair. IPL specialists marsh, watson have almost cemented their places in the one day team. Compared to the earlier dominnace of West Indies in cricket, the current trend is really painful. They have come a full circle.

From: P_R on Tue Jul 8 10:05:06 2008.

wrap07 wrote:

Aussies won the series vs WI 5-0. An onesided affair. IPL specialists marsh, watson have almost cemented their places in the one day team. Compared to the earlier dominnace of West Indies in cricket, the current trend is really painful. They have come a full circle.

Oh they came a full circle ages back. They have just managed to stay there. No signs of a revival...only intermittent false starts.
Just no bowlers or batsmen who seem capable of dominating a match.

From: wrap07 on Tue Jul 8 10:27:25 2008.

yes. WI cricket in tatters for a long time now. It is really sad. It will be really great if they are back to their winning ways which looks very bleak as of now. The irony is for a nation which produced best of fast bowlers including famous holding,roberts,garner, croft and marshall to name a few, they are struggling to find quickies.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Jul 9 23:58:04 2008.

England v South Africa, 1st Test, Lord's

Let battle commence

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/360512.html
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Jul 10 0:00:35 2008.

Australia name preliminary Champions Trophy squad

Shaun Tait being recalled

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/iccct/content/current/story/360540.html
From: Kalyasi on Thu Jul 10 0:59:23 2008.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Australia name preliminary Champions Trophy squad

Shaun Tait being recalled

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/iccct/content/current/story/360540.html

Remind him that RP Singh is still out there in the Indian Squad
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jul 11 16:46:46 2008.

England score 593. Unlukcy bell out at 199.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/engine/current/match/296909.html
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Jul 14 0:50:15 2008.

One of the best innings by Smith! And good going Mckenzie. One more day, Southafrica will draw this test match. They are playing from Day:03 post-tea session.

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/360937.html

Smith - 107 (340m 207b 11x4 0x6)

Mckenzie 102*(323)

Come on Southafricans!
From: ajithfederer on Mon Jul 14 1:05:44 2008.

Wow thats great. I thought SA were starring towards an innings defeat. Well played smith and mckenzie

This is the real beauty of test cricket which ODI's and Tonty tonties don't offer
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Jul 14 8:43:11 2008.

312/1 @ Lunch

Mckenzie 131*(428) Completed so far 4.5 sessions and almost 8.5 hours amazing!

Now they are trailing just by 33 runs.

paavam England
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Jul 14 12:02:48 2008.

393/3

match drawn.

Excellent match! Brilliant second innings this is superb!
From: wrap07 on Tue Jul 15 0:51:12 2008.

ajithfederer wrote:

This is the real beauty of test cricket which ODI's and Tonty tonties don't offer

Well said feddy.

Fantastic fightback by southafricans led from the front by skipper smith. England would have assumed victory after followon with panesar. Tremendous second innings by SA.

Test match special and nothing beats this. Happy for SA
From: P_R on Tue Jul 15 3:33:24 2008.

Lovely match ! Could only catch in bits and pieces...what a comeback.

Let us say this loud and clear for those who don't understand Test cricket: "Draw IS a result".
From: wrap07 on Tue Jul 15 4:28:26 2008.

Prabhu Ram wrote:

Let us say this loud and clear for those who don't understand Test cricket: "Draw IS a result".

brilliantly said
From: ajithfederer on Wed Jul 16 12:03:18 2008.

Prabhu Ram wrote:

Let us say this loud and clear for those who don't understand Test cricket: "Draw IS a result".
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jul 18 0:55:00 2008.

England v South Africa, 2nd Test, Headingley

Flintoff returns to boost England

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/361519.html
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jul 18 12:25:59 2008.

203 all out

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

England v South Africa, 2nd Test, Headingley

Flintoff returns to boost England

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/361519.html
From: ajithfederer on Sat Jul 19 12:46:41 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64mzGcv2pFg

No Leg Umpire In Cricket Match But Match Was On
From: wrap07 on Sun Jul 20 12:05:21 2008.

SA strong score of 522 in Ist innings agst 203 of poms. Prince and Devilliers superb centuries. It was amazing to see the free hitting devilliers being patient(almost struggling to be) in choosing balls to hit and play a typical test innings. Big lead for SA

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Jul 21 10:14:52 2008.

203 all out LOL

England v South Africa, 2nd Test, Headingley

Flintoff returns to boost England

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/361519.html

Yeah, England trail by 161 runs with just 4 wickets remaining. I dont think that they can manage like Southafricans

Anderson played well for his 35. He came as a nightwatchman yesterday got hurted by back to back bouncers bowled by Steyn, one in the wrist and another in the right cheek, still then he played for sometime.

From: P_R on Mon Jul 21 10:38:32 2008.

"I think he was meant to go to Alton Towers with the kids today."
A rather bemused Michael Vaughan when asked what he knew about surprise call-up Darren Pattinson ahead of the second Test

(Alton Towers is a theme park)
From: ajithfederer on Mon Jul 21 13:08:18 2008.

England escaped follow-on and SA won by 10 wkts
From: mgb on Tue Jul 22 1:23:46 2008.

ajithfederer wrote:

England escaped follow-on and SA won by 10 wkts

you mean they escaped an innings defeat
From: ajithfederer on Tue Jul 22 15:12:24 2008.

Yes of course. England just lead by 8 runs in second innings and they escaped an harrowing innings defeat.

mgb wrote:

ajithfederer wrote:

England escaped follow-on and SA won by 10 wkts

you mean they escaped an innings defeat
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Jul 30 0:10:05 2008.

England v South Africa, 3rd npower Test, Edgbaston

Fourth time lucky for South Africa?

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/362912.html
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Jul 30 23:53:52 2008.

South Africa take control as England fold

South Africa 38 for 1 (McKenzie 12*, Harris 10*) trail England 231 (Cook 76, Bell 50, Kallis 3-31, Nel 3-47) by 193 runs

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/362962.html
From: wrap07 on Sat Aug 2 2:00:38 2008.

test evenly poised. eng lead by 214 runs with 4 wkts in hand. IF SA completes the formalites early today, it will be a nice finish.
From: wrap07 on Sun Aug 3 7:18:39 2008.

SA won the match in dramatic and in style. What a great knock from Grame smith. carried his bat through the innings and single handedly ensured this memorable win for SA.
His handling of panesar was quite interesting. Great win

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Aug 3 10:45:07 2008.

wrap07 wrote:

SA won the match in dramatic and in style. What a great knock from Grame smith. carried his bat through the innings and single handedly ensured this memorable win for SA.
His handling of panesar was quite interesting. Great win Clap

Yeah, I saw the match yesterday. It was a great knock by the Southafrican skipper, very interesting test match

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Aug 4 0:02:24 2008.

Vaughan steps down as captain

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/363527.html

Collingwood ends one-day captaincy

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/363534.html

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Aug 4 23:54:12 2008.

Pietersen confirmed as England captain

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/363623.html

Quote:

Ravi Bopara has been brought in to take Vaughan's spot as batsman for the fourth Test at The Oval, a dead rubber which begins on Thursday. Vaughan has chosen to take a break from cricket and with South Africa already having sealed the series, it will be a good opportunity for Bopara - who has three Tests to his name - to try to shine

Test squad Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Ravi Bopara, Kevin Pietersen (capt), Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Tim Ambrose (wk), Andrew Flintoff, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar.

One-day squad Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Kevin Pietersen (capt), Owais Shah, Ian Bell, Samit Patel, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior (wk), Andrew Flintoff, Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom, Chris Tremlett, Luke Wright.

From: Kalyasi on Tue Aug 5 2:58:30 2008.

Good for England that Pieterson has been named captain... Lets see how he performs with the added burden of captaining the side!!
From: Movie Cop on Wed Aug 6 19:27:45 2008.

Movie on Cronje's life complete!
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/southafrica/content/current/story/363848.html

The role of Hansie Cronje will be played by South African actor Francois Rautenbach! Hope Francois Rautenbach has acted par excellence (a la "Aandavar" Kamal Haasan )

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Aug 6 23:47:14 2008.

England v South Africa, 4th npower Test, The Oval

Dead rubber, new dawn

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/363872.html

Harmison and Broad recalled

I like this guy, he is a good bowler with some great pace Cool

Quote:

Steve Harmison had for some time been drawing tongue-in-cheek comparisons to the great Curtly Ambrose, when suddenly, in Jamaica in March 2004, he loped in to produce a spell of irresistible fast bowling that Ambrose himself could hardly have bettered. West Indies were blown away for 47, and Harmison's figures of 7 for 12 were the best in Tests at Sabina Park

From: ajithfederer on Thu Aug 7 12:17:37 2008.

SA bundled for 194 !!!
From: Kalyasi on Thu Aug 7 12:26:03 2008.

ajithfederer wrote:

SA bundled for 194 !!!

Lucky Pieterson... Ivarum Dhoni maadri macha kaararo?

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Aug 7 23:59:08 2008.

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/363964.html

England 49/1 @ stumps!

Quote:

Smith survived a close shout for lbw against him but he couldn't resist hooking a well-directed bouncer straight to Anderson at fine-leg. It was the breakthrough England desperately needed and, the very next ball, Harmison cleaned up Amla with a 93mph yorker to rip out his middle stump. Harmison rarely dipped below 87mph throughout the day, and his line was immaculate to both left and right-hander.

I saw the second part of Day 1, you should see the way Amla got out, awesome yorker by Harmison Cool

middle stump dishoom!
This England - South Africa series is really interesting.

From: CEDYBLUE on Fri Aug 8 1:33:14 2008.

What a start to the KP era!

and yes Harmy was devastating yesterday esp that delivery to Amla.....yorker at 93 miles an hour....!!!
From: CEDYBLUE on Sat Aug 9 4:35:40 2008.

Captain caypey batted beautifully yesterday but got about jus about the wrong time triggering a now popular 'english' collapse....nevertheless what a start for KP
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Aug 9 5:43:30 2008.

CEDYBLUE wrote:

Captain caypey batted beautifully yesterday but got about jus about the wrong time triggering a now popular 'english' collapse....nevertheless what a start for KP

Harmison scored a brilliant 49* in the end! Good chance for the England to bounce back, they have already taken the wicket of Smith yesterday.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Aug 11 0:15:30 2008.

England require another 197 runs with 10 wickets remaining

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/engine/current/match/296912.html

But wait this is Day:05, this match should be interesting!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Aug 12 0:06:00 2008.

England v South Africa, 4th npower Test, The Oval, 5th day

England secure consolation victory

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/364690.html

From: mgb on Tue Aug 12 1:22:04 2008.

England v South Africa, 4th npower Test, The Oval, 5th day

England secure consolation victory

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/364690.html

Isn't that significant for KP

congrats to KP for starting off on a winning note

From: Movie Cop on Fri Aug 22 19:51:13 2008.

Hair quits to focus on coaching
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/365890.html

Great news for cricket that he quits umpiring! But I feel paavam for NSW umpires association!
From: sivank on Sat Aug 23 9:14:58 2008.

WI canada voda one day match vilayaadi jeyichu irukku. Ofcourse, periya vishayam illa. But canada 254 adichu irukke, adhuvum oru batsman Rizwan cheema 89 runs adichu irukkaare (10 4s and 6 6s). Idhai eppadi paakaradhu, canada nallaa aadichu nna illa WI mosamaa aadinaangalaa naa. ore canpeesan
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Oct 9 6:42:57 2008.

Bangladesh beats New Zealand by 7 wickets.
From: Sourav on Tue Oct 14 21:42:13 2008.

http://epaper.dinamalar.com/DM/DINAMALAR/2008/10/15/Article//015/15_10_2008_015_002.jpg

FOUR-NATIONS TOURNEY FINAL REPORT
Lanka take home T20 Cup

Toronto: Veteran Sanath Jayasuriya, with his trademark big-hitting, and newboy Ajantha Mendis, delving into his bag of bewildering spin tricks, led Sri Lanka to a fivewicket victory over Pakistan in the Canada Twenty20 final here on Monday.
Chasing 133 to win, Sri Lanka registered their first win over Pakistan in the newstyle, wham-bang format with six balls to spare. He may be pushing 40 years old but Jayasuriya (40 runs) showed little sign of ageing as he and fellow opener Mahela Udawatte (25) put on 66 in 6.6 overs.
They took advantage off a wayward Pakistan attack with Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul being hit to all parts of the ground in front of 9,000 fans at King City.
Jayasuriya was particularly harsh on Akhtar, flicking the recalled quick for four in his first over and then pulling him for consecutive sixes over midwicket.
Desperate Pakistan, who had won the group match between the two sides by three wickets on Saturday, turned to spin and Shahid Afridi dismissed Udawatte while Shoaib Malik accounted for Jayasuriya.
But despite losing skipper Mahela Jayawardene for just five, Kaushalya Weeraratne (12) and Chamara Kapugedera (17 not out) saw Sri Lanka home.
Earlier Mendis, 16 years Jayasuriya�s junior, took 3-23 for a tournament total of 11 wickets as he put the brakes on the Pakistan middle order.
From: Nerd on Fri Oct 17 0:55:55 2008.

Bangladesh 20 overs 17/1
From: directhit on Fri Oct 17 1:36:01 2008.

34 overs - 32/1
From: wrap07 on Fri Oct 17 2:30:22 2008.

38/2 off 37 OVERS . class batting
From: sivank on Fri Oct 17 8:51:33 2008.

mushfiqar rahim and mahreb batted sensibly to bring a decant score of 184/4 at the end of first days play.

aada theriyaadha bangu s a sollradhaa, illa wicket edukka theriyaadha nesiss a sollradhaa, aadhimoolame
From: Sourav on Fri Oct 17 22:10:53 2008.

which channel telecasting B'desh series...
From: ajithfederer on Thu Oct 23 1:47:03 2008.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/007200810231122.htm

Sport
Richie Benaud's baggy green up for sale

Sydney (IANS): Former Australian cricket captain Richie Benaud's coveted baggy green cap will be auctioned in Melbourne on Nov 5 and is expected to fetch up to A$ 25,000 (US$16,640).

Benaud, a Test cricket all-rounder, has become a highly regarded commentator since his retirement from international cricket in 1964.

"He is arguably the most influential person in world cricket, not only as an inspirational player and leader but through his work as a commentator for the Nine Network and the BBC," auctioneer Charles Leski said.

The baggy green of Benaud, who captained Australia in 28 Tests and in 1963 became the first player to complete the Test double of 200 wickets and 2,000 runs, is expected to sell for between A$20,000 and A$25,000.

Mark Waugh and Geoff Marsh's baggy greens will also be auctioned on the day.

Last month, Sir Donald Bradman's first Test cricket bat went under the hammer, fetching a record price of A$145,000 and, much to the relief of many in Australia, it was snapped by an Australian bidder.

With wide interest in the auction from overseas, including India, it was feared the bat, signed by the entire 1928-29 Australian and English teams, could end up overseas.

In June, former Australian cricket Captain Allan Border's baggy green cap fetched A29,000. The baggy green, signed by the great cricketer, was said to be his first cap to go on sale in public.
From: mgb on Fri Oct 24 10:01:09 2008.

Lawson sacked as Pakistan coach

Geoff Lawson has been given the marching orders by the new-look Pakistan board.

Geoff Lawson has been removed as Pakistan coach, just days after it was announced that he would see out the rest of his contract, ending in August 2009. The announcement came shortly after a meeting he had with PCB chief Ijaz Butt - responsible for the recent public flip-flops on the coach's future - at which Lawson was told a decision would be conveyed to him by Saturday, following discussions within the board.

�Geoff Lawson has been relieved of his duties as coach of Pakistan,� Raza Rashid, PCB spokesman, said. �He will be paid three months� salary as agreed in his contract in case of termination.� The contract of David Dwyer, the trainer Lawson brought with him, has not been ended though it is understood that he is reluctant to stay without Lawson.

Surprisingly, Lawson is believed to have heard of the decision after it became public. In fact, as news emerged, Lawson was on his way to train with some Pakistan players. �I have heard nothing yet from them,� Lawson told Cricinfo at the time. Later, he confirmed receiving a letter from the board informing him of the decision.

A PCB official denied this, claiming Lawson �had been informed by the board" when the decision was made public. Earlier in the afternoon Lawson had met Butt for the first time since the former Test player took over as chairman. It is believed Lawson�s performances as a coach weren�t discussed at the meeting.

it brings to an end an uncertain experiment, which began in July 2007 when Lawson beat the much-fancied Dav Whatmore to succeed Bob Woolmer as Pakistan�s coach. At the time it was widely thought a number of players in the national side had preferred Lawson, possibly because they were wary of Whatmore�s tougher attitude.

The start was promising, as Pakistan reached the final of the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa in September last year. But from then on problems emerged. A new, unsettled team under Shoaib Malik, an inexperienced captain, lost vital series against South Africa at home and India away. Pakistan�s frontline fast bowlers, expected to prosper under a former fast bowler, were plagued by injuries, and the losses only added to the pressure on the new pair of Lawson and Malik.

It didn�t help that 2008, Lawson�s first full year in charge, was a disturbingly barren one for Pakistan. Australia pulled out of a full tour, the Champions Trophy was postponed and Pakistan was left to feed off minnows from Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. The opportunity to mould a team never arose, so that by the time Pakistan lost in the final of a Twenty20 tournament in Toronto, the push to remove Lawson, with a new administration in place, was higher than ever before.

Matters weren�t helped by the increasingly tetchy relationship with the local media, where rarely an opportunity went by from either side to have a dig at the other, as well as the previous selection committee, with whom Lawson had several run-ins. Ultimately he was only in charge for 15 months and five Tests.

Though it is early still, replacement names have been predictably bandied about, with Javed Miandad once again apparently in contention. Miandad, along with Aamir Sohail, have met board officials in recent days, though Miandad is reported to be in the running for a position in the governing board.

Intikhab Alam is also in the running, at least in the short term. "Inti might go along with the team to the Abu Dhabi series in the capacity of coach," a board official said. "Nothing is certain yet but a number of options are being looked at, including looking at the whole question of whether we need a coach as such."
From: ajithfederer on Fri Nov 7 11:56:16 2008.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=814bbc3f-179a-44a4-8462-26b2648f3f30&MatchID1=4467&TeamID1=2&TeamID2=4&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1110&PrimaryID=4467&Headline=1%2C000+litchis+as+

A diehard fan who gifts Tendulkar 1,000 litchis every year

He sends 1,000 litchis to Sachin Tendulkar every year in appreciation for the match tickets that the batting maestro gives him. He once threatened self-immolation if he was not given lifelong guarantee of tickets to watch all India matches.

Meet Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, the cricket-crazy fan who has the Indian flag painted on his body. With his entire torso, face and his head painted in the colours of the national flag with the words 'Sachin Tendulkar' boldly written over, the 26-year-old from Bihar could be seen cheering for the Indian team by tirelessly waving a huge Indian tricolour at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

"I have dedicated my entire life to cricket, and there is no looking back at my decision," Chaudhary, who is also a regular at all matches in India, told IANS in Dhaka.

"Sachin has promised me that he would provide me with the tickets of all international matches played in the country, and he is living up to his words. He is like a God to me," said Chaudhary.

As a gesture of gratitude, Chaudhary travels down to Tendulkar's Mumbai home to present him with litchis every summer.

"I have been presenting him 1,000 litchis every year since 2004. By the time I return to India after this Test match, the litchis would be ripe and I will take another 1,000 for him soon," he said excitedly.

"I have also presented litchis to Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly. And I have promised Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh that I would also send them the litchis this year," said Chaudhary, who has travelled from his native Muzaffarpur district to Bangladesh on his bicycle for the current series.

While Tendulkar has assured him of tickets in the matches he plays, Chaudhary is worried of the time after Tendulkar retires.

"Last year Sachin did not play a match and I missed that because only he gives me the tickets. After that I met the cricket board president Pawar thrice in Delhi and requested him to guarantee me one match ticket for my entire life. I don't want any money," he said.

Chaudhary met Pawar thrice in six days in April last year, but he failed to eke out a guarantee from him.

"After he ignored me twice, I took an appointment in the name of another person. I covered my painted body with a 'chadar' (sheet) and removed it in front of him," he said of his meeting.

"I told him clearly that if he does not guarantee me one ticket for every international match in India, I will immolate myself in protest. He persuaded me not to do so, but did not give me any guarantee either."

Chaudhary is a bachelor and said he has decided to remain single entire life.

"I don't want to ruin a girl's life by marrying her because I am always travelling to watch matches. It's because even after Sachin retires, I will continue to follow and encourage the Indian team," he said.

Chaudhary used to work in a milk company in Muzaffarpur and later passed an examination to become a teacher. But after the cricket bug bit him, he quit the job. "I now survive on public support," he said unashamedly, without elaborating on his source of income.
From: Sourav on Wed Nov 12 1:26:52 2008.

WI Vs Pak 1st ODI...Today 4.30 PM IST. Ten Sports.
Akthar Returns....
Gayle Vs Akthar...
From: hamid on Thu Nov 13 12:00:27 2008.

Sourav,

Akthar

Did u watch the match. i did see the final 15 overs and it was a good thriller.. Akmal so stupid to send someone( forgot his name) ahead of Akmal,

Poor Gayle. I feel sorry for him..wonderful 49th over.. but all in vain

From: Sourav on Thu Nov 13 21:50:33 2008.

Did u watch the match. i did see the final 15 overs and it was a good thriller.. Akmal Clap

Sourav,

Akthar Laughing

so stupid to send someone( forgot his name) ahead of Akmal,

Poor Gayle. I feel sorry for him..wonderful 49th over.. but all in vain Sad

S...i watched it....

Gayle superb batting & bowling....
Fawad Alam came b4 akaml...

nalla thadavunan...
Akmal vanthavudane i guessed he wil get it.nu...

He was bowled in a no ball from gayle...
Hope akthar wil play today...

From: ajithfederer on Tue Nov 18 11:53:04 2008.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20081118/934/tsp-dhoni-s-boys-won-t20-wc-by-luck-pont.html

Ponting-um edho vaay veesirukaapla
From: ajithfederer on Tue Nov 18 14:19:00 2008.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/content/image/378760.html

My most favorite umpire, along the ranks of David Sheperd
From: Sourav on Tue Nov 18 21:02:58 2008.

�Ricky most overtly aggressive player�

Melbourne: In a statement that has the potential to trigger a bitter row, New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori has labelled his Australian counterpart Ricky Ponting as the most �overtly aggressive� player in world cricket and who is always �spoiling for a fight�.
Vettori says he was not surprised when the Australians got embroiled in the �monkeygate� scandal against India as Ponting is always �spoiling for a fight� on the field.
�If a team was going to play the game hard and stand up to everything the Aussies hurled at them, there was going to be trouble,� Vettori wrote in his new book, Turning Point, extracts of which came out in the Melbourne Herald Sun.
�I don�t think many of us were surprised about the so-called �Monkeygate� affair. There are always a few individuals in every team who overstate their position or overplay their importance.
�Ponting led his team very aggressively and probably hasn�t often had to face an opposition team that�s been just as aggressive in response,� he added.
Vettori said Ponting foul-mouths the opposition so often that it always ends up creating bad blood on the field.
�Add to the mix Matthew Hayden and Symonds - who are always at you on the field - and you�ve probably got the three most overtly aggressive players in world cricket.
�They like to get under the skin of their opponents, whereas the other guys in the Aussie team just get on with the game,� he pointed out.
Vettori recalled how Ponting blew a minor incident during his team�s previous tour Down Under into a major controversy by giving provocative statements to the local media.
�There was another incident with Ponting after we said a few things to Brad Haddin when we believed he was running on the wicket,� Vettori said.
�There were a few heated words exchanged and when I later went to the press conference an Australian reporter asked me whether something had happened in the middle and I remember saying, �Not really. It�s just guys running on the wicket but that happens in every single game of cricket�.
�That seemed fine but Ponting, as was the case with his treatment of the Indians, seemed to be spoiling for a fight and the next day we had to read a blow-by-blow account in the papers of his version,� he recalled.Agencies
�Won�t break ice with Border, Chappell�
Melbourne: Deeply hurt by the criticism from Allan Border and Ian Chappell in the Nagpur Test over-rate controversy, Ricky Ponting says he is in no mood to break the ice with them. �I haven�t spoken to either of those two gentlemen and probably won�t for a while I wouldn�t have thought,� Ponting said.
Allan Border strongly denied Ponting�s claims. �I don�t know where he is getting his information from,� he said. �We never really talked about it being a personal decision, we were just in commentary and we disagreed with the tactics that were being employed. It was as plain and simple as that.�

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOICH/2008/11/19&PageLabel=21&EntityId=Ar02101&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T
From: Sourav on Wed Nov 19 21:33:06 2008.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOICH%2F2008%2F11%2F20&ViewMode=GIF&GZ=T&PageLabel=18&EntityId=Ar01804&AppName=1
From: Sourav on Wed Nov 19 21:33:24 2008.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOICH/2008/11/20&PageLabel=18&EntityId=Ar01800&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T
From: ajithfederer on Thu Nov 20 2:18:31 2008.

Aussies in tatters @ brisbane

182/8 against Kiwis.
From: ajithfederer on Thu Nov 20 3:07:17 2008.

Ryder to Clarke, OUT, through the gate! Michael Clarke falls two short of a deserving century, Ryder gets one to skid through off a good length, the ball lands on the line of the offfstump and comes back in, Clarke leaves plenty of daylight between bat and pad and crashes on to the off and middle stumps, the pff stump is pushed back and that signals the end of Australia's innings at 214.
From: wrap07 on Thu Nov 20 3:29:32 2008.

Aussies all out for 214.
From: Sourav on Thu Nov 20 3:33:22 2008.

wrap07 wrote:

Aussies all out for 214.

Aus kenya kitta thokkanum...athan en aasai...
From: wrap07 on Thu Nov 20 3:36:25 2008.

exactly. aadiya attamenna....
From: Sourav on Thu Nov 20 3:42:12 2008.

wrap07 wrote:

exactly. aadiya attamenna....

ippo intha match-la thottha kooda athukku yethavthu nollai reason solluvanuga... bladdyy naansannsss...
Vadivel solra maathiri "konja nanja pechada pesuna!"...'yala avanugala thenara thenara adikkanum...
From: mgb on Thu Nov 20 7:41:33 2008.

Today, In the 1st One day match between SL and Zim.. the entire bunch of no.6 to no.11 batman have all scored ducks.. should be record of sorts
From: hamid on Thu Nov 20 7:44:52 2008.

mgb wrote:

Today, In the 1st One day match between SL and Zim.. the entire bunch of no.6 to no.11 batman have all scored ducks.. should be record of sorts

Intresting.. after your comment I checked the scorecard... maybe a record i think..

E Chigumbura lbw b Muralitharan 0 1 0 0 0.00
T Maruma c Kapugedera b Muralitharan 0 4 0 0 0.00
P Utseya lbw b Mendis 0 1 0 0 0.00
RW Price st Sangakkara b Mendis 0 4 0 0 0.00
T Mupariwa c Tharanga b Muralitharan 0 4 0 0 0.00
CB Mpofu b Mendis 0 3 0 0 0.00

FOW : 4-124 (Matsikenyeri, 27.1 ov), 5-124 (Chigumbura, 27.2 ov), 6-124 (Maruma, 27.6 ov), 7-125 (Utseya, 28.2 ov), 8-125 (Price, 28.6 ov), 9-126 (Mupariwa, 29.5 ov), 10-127 (Mpofu, 30.6 ov)

within 3 runs they lost 7 wickets..

M&M - Bowling figures:
BAW Mendis 6 0 26 3 4.33
M Muralitharan 4 1 14 4 3.50
From: hamid on Thu Nov 20 7:47:20 2008.

sourav wrote:

wrap07 wrote:

Aussies all out for 214.

Aus kenya kitta thokkanum...athan en aasai...

over paeechu.. bilady guys..

I want NZ to win this match.. we have to see what Ian chappel say.. he said after India series that it is good for AUS that NZ series is starting at home imm.. AUS will cakewalk and win 2-0 comfortably and it will erase the shame from Indian Series loss..
From: sgokulprathap on Thu Nov 20 7:51:43 2008.

Aussie is gud team.
yevlo adichaalum thaangaraanga.
If NZ win dis match, Ponting may say, NZ players romba nEram tea kudichaanga. tatsy we lost.
From: sgokulprathap on Thu Nov 20 7:56:17 2008.

mgb wrote:

Today, In the 1st One day match between SL and Zim.. the entire bunch of no.6 to no.11 batman have all scored ducks.. should be record of sorts
From: Sourav on Thu Nov 20 8:15:37 2008.

mgb wrote:

Today, In the 1st One day match between SL and Zim.. the entire bunch of no.6 to no.11 batman have all scored ducks.. should be record of sorts
antha team batting coach agarkar-a?

From: hamid on Thu Nov 20 8:19:57 2008.

Today, In the 1st One day match between SL and Zim.. the entire bunch of no.6 to no.11 batman have all scored ducks.. should be record of sorts

mgb wrote:

antha team batting coach agarkar-a? LOL

agarkar mela een ivvalo gaandu?

From: Sourav on Thu Nov 20 8:20:45 2008.

Today, In the 1st One day match between SL and Zim.. the entire bunch of no.6 to no.11 batman have all scored ducks.. should be record of sorts

mgb wrote:

antha team batting coach agarkar-a? LOL

agarkar mela een ivvalo gaandu?

Avaru thane ducku specialistu..... athula record ellam vera vacchirukkaru....

From: hamid on Thu Nov 20 8:22:31 2008.

From Fox Sports :

1138: A beautiful delivery from Southee passes over the off-stump. A good first over for the youngster, Australia has often been the team to break the spirits and careers or many rookie New Zealanders, it will stand Southee in good stead if he can establish himself against the world's best. :lol:innum ethana naalaikku?
From: directhit on Thu Nov 20 8:24:38 2008.

sgokulprathap wrote:

Aussie is gud team.
yevlo adichaalum thaangaraanga.
From: ajithfederer on Thu Nov 20 22:49:16 2008.

NZ 108/5 ...
From: villan007 on Fri Nov 21 0:02:54 2008.

stan, NZ batting epdi
From: ajithfederer on Fri Nov 21 1:27:22 2008.

Yov Wills-u, Naan onnum NZ supporter illaippa

Aus now 40/3 . Enna idhu seriousness-ae illama irukku
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Nov 21 1:50:59 2008.

ajithfederer wrote:

Yov Wills-u, Naan onnum NZ supporter illaippa

Aus now 40/3 . Enna idhu seriousness-ae illama irukku

I think NZ batting was pathetic. Today morning I saw the match for few hours. They played some ruthless shots and got out. One day match maadhri adunaanunga. No one was interested in building partnership, horrible to watch. In test cricket there is a huge difference between Sachin/Laxman/Dravid/Kallis and other one day, 20-20 specialist.
From: villan007 on Fri Nov 21 2:01:56 2008.

ajithfederer wrote:

Enna idhu seriousness-ae illama irukku

aama aama... edho Kenya-Zimbabwe match maari iruku
From: Sourav on Fri Nov 21 2:04:28 2008.

villan007 wrote:

ajithfederer wrote:

Enna idhu seriousness-ae illama irukku

aama aama... edho Kenya-Zimbabwe match maari iruku

Test matchkum cheerleaders potta nalla irukkum....ovvoru run-kum ezhinthu aadanum...
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Nov 21 8:39:21 2008.

Katich the key as wickets tumble

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/ausvnz2008/content/current/story/379034.html
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Nov 21 8:41:52 2008.

South Africa v Bangladesh, 1st Test, Bloemfontein, 3rd day

Storm halts South Africa progress

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/rsavbdesh/content/current/story/379069.html
From: Sourav on Fri Nov 21 22:27:28 2008.

Punter salutes �lean rookie�
Oz Skipper Still In Awe Of Ishant�s Perth Spell

Melbourne: Australia captain Ricky Ponting feels his team could have won the crucial third Test at Perth but for that awesome spell by India pacer Ishant Sharma during the hosts second innings and said he was lucky to be part of a great sporting duel.
�I will always reckon that if I could have got through just one more over in our second innings, then we might still have won,� Ponting wrote in his �Captain�s Diary 2008�.
�Tall, lean, ultra-impressive rookie Ishant Sharma, playing just his fourth Test and still eight-and-a-half months short of his 20th birthday, had bowled an awesome spell to me: seven overs when he was fast, aggressive and relentless, where I never felt as if I was truly �in�,� he said.
Ponting lamented that Australia, who had never lost a Test to a team from the sub-continent at the difficult WACA track, went down to India by 72 runs in January this year. �But even with his heroics, we were 2-117 seeking 413, I was 45 not out, Mike Hussey was 26 not out and I sensed Sharma was about to be taken off. However, ...Kumble gave his teenage quick one more over.
�First ball, I pushed forward at a delivery that fizzed through and edged a straightforward catch to Dravid at first slip. From then on, whenever we seemed we might be a chance to reach our imposing target, we faltered,� he added.
Ponting, however, said he cherished his duel with the Delhi speedster as it was a great cricketing moment which put the bitterness of Sydney Test behind.
�Though that personal battle with Ishant Sharma ended badly, it still remains a positive memory for me because it reminded me of what it is that makes Test cricket such a fantastic experience. All the off-field angst and argy-bargy of the previous 12 days was forgotten, and this contest between bat and ball took precedence,� Ponting said.
The Tasmanian right-handed batsman confessed he needed to utilise all his skill and sharpness to counter the gangling 6�4� bowler with an unusual bowling style. PTI

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOICH/2008/11/22&PageLabel=18&EntityId=Ar01802&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Nov 22 2:34:01 2008.

New Zealand require another 230 runs with 6 wickets remaining.

NZ batsman Ryder or How was using MRF Genius bat. Can't believe.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Nov 22 6:49:30 2008.

Zimbabwe all out for 67 in 30 overs Not sure why they accept tours like this? Mendis picked 4 as usual.

Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI, Harare

Hapless Zimbabwe collapse again

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/zimvsl2008-09/content/current/story/379207.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

South Africa v Bangladesh, 1st Test, Bloemfontein, 4th day
Steyn five-for leads crushing SA win
South Africa won by an innings and 129 runs

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/rsavbdesh/content/current/story/379212.html
From: Nerd on Sat Nov 22 14:18:30 2008.

maams, ellA thread-ayum thoosi thattneenga pOla
From: ajithfederer on Sat Nov 22 14:20:14 2008.

The same Manufacturer which Tendulkar uses? Adhula enna aacharyam?.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

New Zealand require another 230 runs with 6 wickets remaining.

NZ batsman Ryder or How was using MRF Genius bat. Can't believe.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Nov 22 14:20:57 2008.

Nerd wrote:

maams, ellA thread-ayum thoosi thattneenga pOla

Idha note pannineengala?

Quote:

NZ batsman Ryder or How was using MRF Genius bat. Can't believe

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Nov 22 14:22:22 2008.

The same Manufacturer which Tendulkar uses? Huh?!

Adhula enna aacharyam?.

New Zealand require another 230 runs with 6 wickets remaining.

NZ batsman Ryder or How was using MRF Genius bat. Can't believe.

MRF - Genius branded bat is used by Sachin and was used by S.Waugh and Lara, vera yaarum kedayaadhu. So..

From: ajithfederer on Sat Nov 22 14:23:36 2008.

okok.

Maams nalaikku D/N match dhaane??. 2.30 Indian time?? Huh?!

The same Manufacturer which Tendulkar uses? Huh?!

Adhula enna aacharyam?.

New Zealand require another 230 runs with 6 wickets remaining.

NZ batsman Ryder or How was using MRF Genius bat. Can't believe.

MRF - Genius branded bat is used by Sachin and was used by S.Waugh and Lara, vera yaarum kedayaadhu. So..

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Nov 22 14:25:40 2008.

Yeah 2.30 Pm. Bangalore-la mazha-nu nenaikiren.

Kosuru Info : Chennai-layum nalla mazha!
From: Kalyasi on Sat Nov 22 21:20:33 2008.

Aus won the 1st test against Newzeland...... Chai NZL had a gr8 opp, but they wasted it!!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Nov 22 22:40:51 2008.

Kalyasi wrote:

Aus won the 1st test against Newzeland...... Chai NZL had a gr8 opp, but they wasted it!!

Newzealand performance reminds me Vadivel's the greatest Winner comedy "Avan ivana vida rOmba kevalama irupaan"
From: wrap07 on Sun Nov 23 5:06:26 2008.

yes. it was a good opportunity. NZ batting looks weak compared to their bowling.
From: ajaybaskar on Thu Nov 27 8:31:54 2008.

Bangladesh 250
South Africa 161/5 (51.2 ov)
South Africa trail by 89 runs with 5 wickets
From: Sourav on Mon Dec 1 21:27:32 2008.

Australia crush Kiwis
Lee, Johnson Wreak Havoc As NZ Crash To Innings Defeat

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOICH%2F2008%2F12%2F02&ViewMode=GIF&GZ=T&PageLabel=17&EntityId=Ar01701&AppName=1
From: HonestRaj on Mon Dec 1 22:49:53 2008.

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/ausvnz2008/content/current/story/380359.html

WORST NO. 11 IN TEST CRICKET - CHRIS MARTIN OF NZ
From: steveaustin on Tue Dec 2 1:49:03 2008.

ICC ODI Championship - India close in on second spot

India's 5-0 victory in the home one-dayers against England last month has helped them close in on second spot in the ICC ODI Championship. South Africa have lost their four-point lead over India but retain second place by a fraction of a point.

One more win in the series would have helped Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team leapfrog South Africa but they were denied the opportunity by the postponement of the final two ODIs.

Meanwhile, England's crushing defeat cost them five points and their sixth place is under pressure from Sri Lanka, who have been lifted by their clean sweep of Zimbabwe to within a point of England.

Zimbabwe pushed Sri Lanka close in each of the final three ODIs, but their inability to complete even one victory means they lost further ground to Ireland in 10th place and are only two points ahead of Kenya.

At the other end of the table, Australia maintained their grip on top spot with a comfortable 12-point lead over South Africa.

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/380351.html
From: Sourav on Tue Dec 2 1:58:32 2008.

HonestRaj wrote:

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/ausvnz2008/content/current/story/380359.html

WORST NO. 11 IN TEST CRICKET - CHRIS MARTIN OF NZ

HR, post the content...

From: sgokulprathap on Tue Dec 2 7:14:27 2008.

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/ausvnz2008/content/current/story/380359.html

WORST NO. 11 IN TEST CRICKET - CHRIS MARTIN OF NZ

HonestRaj wrote:

HR, post the content... Razz

The perfect No. 11

There are No.11s who have been known for their incompetence with the bat, but Chris Martin's lack of skill is legendary. In the second Test rout against Australia in Adelaide, Martin lasted eight balls in two innings, and was bowled without getting off the mark on both occasions. It was his sixth instance of bagging a pair in only 45 Tests, which is already a record, two clear of the second-highest.

There are more dubious batting records that Martin can claim ownership to: in 45 Tests, he has only scored 76 runs - that's 1.69 runs per match, almost half the number of wickets he takes per match (3.24). His average of 2.17 is the lowest among batsmen who have played at least 20 Tests.

Martin also easily takes the title of worst No.11 batsman: in the 61innings he has batted at that position, his average is 2.30 (which is marginally higher than his overall average since he hasn't scored a single run in the four innings he has batted higher), more than a run lower than the second-placed Maninder Singh of India.

Worst No. 11s in Tests (Qual: at least 25 innings at No. 11)
Batsman Innings Runs Average Ducks
Chris Martin 61 76 2.30 23
Maninder Singh 30 64 3.36 9
Dilip Doshi 36 117 4.33 14
Neil Adcock 35 100 4.34 8
BS Chandrasekhar 75 164 4.43 19
Fidel Edwards 33 91 4.55 9
Bruce Reid 28 73 4.86 5
Jim Higgs 27 64 4.92 4
Alf Valentine 46 128 4.92 11
Lance Gibbs 71 183 4.94 10
Phil Tufnell 44 107 5.35 11
Devon Malcolm 49 172 5.37 14
Venkatesh Prasad 26 72 5.53 6
Paul Adams 30 123 5.85 6
Henry Olonga 26 104 6.11 8

Of the 65 innings Martin has played, he has remained unbeaten 30 times, which means he has been dismissed on 35 occasions, 25 of which were before he got off the mark. As a factor of dismissed innings, Martin's percentage of getting out without scoring is a whopping 71.43, which again gives him the top spot, more than ten percentage points clear of Pakistan's Danish Kaneria.

Highest duck factor as a % of completed innings (Qual: at least 15 ducks)
Player Completed innings Ducks Duck %
Chris Martin 35 25 71.43
Danish Kaneria 38 23 60.53
BS Chandresekhar 41 23 56.10
Danny Morrison 45 24 53.33
Phil Tufnell 30 15 50.00
Devon Malcolm 39 16 41.03
Glenn McGrath 87 35 40.23
Merv Dillon 65 26 40.00
Fidel Edwards 41 16 39.02
Courtney Walsh 124 43 34.68

Martin is still 18 ducks short of equalling Courtney Walsh's world record, but the rate at which he's going, you'd expect him to get there pretty quickly. At an average of 1.8 Tests per duck, which is his current rate, Martin will equal Walsh's record in his 80th Test, 52 fewer than the number Walsh needed to amass his 43 zeroes. Clearly, if the baton passes to Martin, he will - given his current batting prowess - be the rightful owner of that record.

From: ajithfederer on Sun Dec 7 16:17:43 2008.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/380966.html
Former bowler slams Cricket Australia

'Test cricket is in trouble' - Gillespie

Cricinfo staff

December 6, 2008

Jason Gillespie flies into bowl for the Ahmedabad Rockets in the ICL � ICL

The former Australia fast bowler, Jason Gillespie, has issued a stinging attack on Cricket Australia for its treatment of him and accused the board of ingratiating itself with the BCCI.

Gillespie's association with the unsanctioned ICL effectively led to his banishment from first-class cricket. And although he is in the autumn of his career, he nevertheless feels his international career has consequently been unfairly curtailed by CA's position on the status of ICL players.

"For guys like myself and [fellow ICL players] Jimmy Maher and Michael Kasprowicz, our time playing international cricket has gone by, but some of us would like to still represent our states," Gillespie told Adelaide's Sunday Mail. "It's quite sad. The ICL isn't wanting to take guys out of state cricket and Test cricket. In our contracts it clearly states that if you are asked by your state or country to play that form of cricket, ICL will not stand in your way."

"The problem is the BCCI have come out and said they're upset and won't allow it. He [Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman] said the IPL would not affect the future tours programme, but clearly it has."

Unlike the IPL, the ICL is not officially recognised by the ICC. Subsequently, certain boards banished players from representing their domestic teams, and the boards' apparent kowtowing to the BCCI marks a worrying time for Test cricket, Gillespie felt.

"I can see a time where countries will be bypassing Test cricket altogether," he said. "With more Twenty20 Leagues, it will go the way where representing your country will take a back seat. For Australian and English players it will always be the pinnacle, but I'm not sure it's the pinnacle for any other countries.

"All other countries don't see Test cricket as the be-all and end-all any more. Test cricket is in trouble, there's no doubt about that."

Now 33, Gillespie is turning his attention to coaching, but even that may be restricted by CA. "I was talking to Troy Cooley [Australian head bowling coach] before and he's keen to get me into the Centre of Excellence but I'm hoping these ridiculous rules of Cricket Australia don't extend to coaching because I think that would be quite sad."

� Cricinfo[/tscii][/tscii]
From: Sourav on Sat Dec 13 23:00:58 2008.

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=K65_spUU05s
just now watched it from villan's orkut profle....
Intha kodumai ellam nadanthurukka?
From: Kalyasi on Sat Dec 13 23:30:08 2008.

sourav wrote:

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=K65_spUU05s
just now watched it from villan's orkut profle....
Intha kodumai ellam nadanthurukka?

ithu theriyatha ungalukku? antha pantha pottavar yaar nu theriyuma, poda sonnavar yaar nu theriyuma?

ellam therinjukonga

# 15 were required from the final over. Hadlee hit the first ball for 4, was lbw to the second. Smith took twos off ball 3 and 4, and was bowled by the 5th. McKechnie came to the wicket with 7 required, and Greg Chappell instructed his brother Trevor to bowl the final ball underarm, rolling along the ground.....

antha naayellam inniku india va pathi thappa pesuthu!
From: Kalyasi on Sat Dec 13 23:34:35 2008.

sourav ithayum paarunga

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=g_riN0Gvnu0
From: Sourav on Sun Dec 14 0:56:15 2008.

Kalyasi wrote:

sourav ithayum paarunga

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=g_riN0Gvnu0

video...
Ithey pola Australian team patthi ennana video irukko athellam post pannungo...
From: salaam_chennai on Thu Dec 18 5:24:41 2008.

Krejza - 3 consecutive centuries.

His 2 centuries against India is followed by another one against S.A
JJ Krejza (ob) 24.0 2 100 1 4.16
From: ajithfederer on Thu Dec 18 13:41:10 2008.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/engine/current/match/351681.html

After an almost good start SA fumbles to 243/8 in Perth.

remember this year India won a test match in perth

Mitchell Johnson - 7 wickets.
From: ajithfederer on Thu Dec 18 14:13:29 2008.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakvind/content/current/story/382793.html

India in Pakistan 2008-09

India call off Pakistan tour on government advice

Cricinfo staff

December 18, 2008

The Indian board has called off next year's tour of Pakistan, following a directive from the government that it was not feasible "in the prevailing circumstances". The series was in doubt following deterioration of relations between the two countries, a fallout of the Mumbai attacks which India alleges had links to elements in Pakistan.

The only option now to stage the series is to agree on a neutral venue, though a senior BCCI official told Cricinfo it was too early to take that call.

"We had asked the government to clear the tour and Pranab Mukherjee, the foreign minister, informed me today that they are not clearing the tour," Rajiv Shukla, the BCCI vice-president, said. "The BCCI had made it clear much earlier that they would go strictly by what the Indian government has to say, and now it's obvious that the tour is off. How can we go against our government's advice?"

Shukla said it was too early to say whether the tour would go ahead at a neutral venue. Officials from the Abu Dhabi Cricket Council have already offered to host the series at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, where the England team trained before reaching India for the current two-Test series.

The government directive does not come as a surprise, with public opinion in India, as well as that of former cricketers, administrators and politicians, largely against the tour. A series of newspaper reports after the Mumbai attacks quoted government sources as saying the tour would be called off and, last week, India's sports minister, M S Gill, said he was not in favour of the team travelling to Pakistan.

However, if the two countries don't arrive at an agreement to proceed with the series at a neutral venue, the BCCI will have to convince the ICC of its reasons not to tour, or pay a hefty fine.

In any case, Pakistan's chances of hosting the postponed ICC Champions Trophy next year have been hit hard as its status as the host depended on a security review that was to be conducted during India's visit. India were scheduled to tour Pakistan from January 4-February 20 for three Tests, five ODIs and one Twenty20 international.

� Cricinfo

Subsequently every country should stop touring Pakistan .
From: sgokulprathap on Sat Dec 20 6:59:18 2008.

SA 222/3
South Africa require another 192 runs with 7 wickets and more than a day remaining.
From: sgokulprathap on Sat Dec 20 7:00:53 2008.

62.2 Krejza to Kallis, FOUR, full toss outside off stump and Kallis moves forward and drives powerfully through cover for four, what's going on? Kallis has exploded, he's decided to hurt Siddle and Krejza for the short-ball treatment given to him by Lee and Johnson
62.1 Krejza to Kallis, FOUR, Kallis is on fire at the end of the day! Krejza gives him a long hop and Kallis rocks back to pull the ball towards the wide long-on boundary, South Africa now need less than 200

61.6 Siddle to Kallis, 3 runs, a low full toss on leg stump and Kallis flicks the ball towards deep square leg where Hussey runs to his left and fields, the batsmen run an overthrow as well
61.5 Siddle to Kallis, FOUR, short again and Kallis once again unfurls the pull and smashes the ball to the square leg boundary
61.4 Siddle to Kallis, SIX, that's short down leg side and Kallis smacks it, he swivels and pulls the ball so hard that it flies over the deep square leg boundary
From: sgokulprathap on Sat Dec 20 7:09:38 2008.

1st Test: Australia v South Africa at Perth, Dec 17-21, 2008
Stumps - Day4

Australia 375 & 319

South Africa 281 & 227/3 (64.0 ov)

South Africa require another 187 runs with 7 wickets remaining
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 20 23:57:16 2008.

SA on verge of history

Chasing 414, SA are at 302/3

Kallis 57

Ab de villiers 54
From: directhit on Sun Dec 21 0:07:25 2008.

ajithfederer wrote:

SA on verge of history
oru wicket pochu ippo
From: thamizhvaanan on Sun Dec 21 0:52:13 2008.

South Africa require another 92 runs with 6 wickets remaining
From: Kalyasi on Sun Dec 21 1:05:52 2008.

thamizhvaanan wrote:

South Africa require another 92 runs with 6 wickets remaining

very much possible!! Ozs a oda udanum!! Ponting must be sacked from captaincy.... That shld make him underperform and he must be dropped..... This will put an end to his dream of overtaking thalaivar Sachin.....

Kanava da kaanreenga kanavu.... apdiye odi poiru naaye!!
From: directhit on Sun Dec 21 1:07:22 2008.

Is SA winning gonna affect India goin to #2 spot
From: Kalyasi on Sun Dec 21 1:09:46 2008.

directhit wrote:

Is SA winning gonna affect India goin to #2 spot

yes it wud ... but I dont care... coz eventually it helps us to get to no.1 spot when we beat SA!!
From: directhit on Sun Dec 21 1:11:50 2008.

Aussies romba pesinaapla b4 this series also - indha series also if they lose punter sure sack
From: Kalyasi on Sun Dec 21 1:28:18 2008.

directhit wrote:

Aussies romba pesinaapla b4 this series also - indha series also if they lose punter sure sack

summa thokka koodathu atleast a 2-0 or 3-0 margin wud be the final nail in the coffin for punter!!

enna pechu pesunaaple... Ian Saapal la ellam serupaala adicha maadri irukattum!!
From: ajithfederer on Sun Dec 21 2:17:04 2008.

< 50 for SA
From: directhit on Sun Dec 21 2:20:12 2008.

Quote:

Smith's sitting on the balcony and has no emotion on his face.
There is emotion on Ponting's face and it isn't pretty!
From: littlemaster1982 on Sun Dec 21 2:21:38 2008.

directhit wrote:

Quote:

Smith's sitting on the balcony and has no emotion on his face.
There is emotion on Ponting's face and it isn't pretty!

I was about to post this
From: ajaybaskar on Sun Dec 21 2:49:28 2008.

16 to win for SA. Australia's dominance in cricket is being shattered...
From: directhit on Sun Dec 21 2:58:13 2008.
From: ajaybaskar on Sun Dec 21 2:58:50 2008.

SA wins.....
From: ajithfederer on Sun Dec 21 2:59:03 2008.

SA win chasing 414. A week before India chased 387. Good signs for Test cricket. Tests are here to stay .
From: littlemaster1982 on Sun Dec 21 3:06:12 2008.

South Africa This trend of chasing any total is infact started by them What a win
From: villan007 on Sun Dec 21 3:26:55 2008.

directhit wrote:

Is SA winning gonna affect India goin to #2 spot

namma 2nd place varalainaalum paravala.. indha OZ payapullainga 1st place la iruka koodathu
From: viraajan on Sun Dec 21 4:10:18 2008.

villan007 wrote:

directhit wrote:

Is SA winning gonna affect India goin to #2 spot

namma 2nd place varalainaalum paravala.. indha OZ payapullainga 1st place la iruka koodathu

SA -
Great win indeed!!!
Smith -
Villiers -
From: sgokulprathap on Sun Dec 21 5:25:52 2008.

villan007 wrote:

directhit wrote:

Is SA winning gonna affect India goin to #2 spot

namma 2nd place varalainaalum paravala.. indha OZ payapullainga 1st place la iruka koodathu
SA shud bring down Aus to 2nd place.

From: ajaybaskar on Sun Dec 21 5:40:04 2008.

villan007 wrote:

SA shud bring down Aus to 2nd place.

Is SA winning gonna affect India goin to #2 spot Question

namma 2nd place varalainaalum paravala.. indha OZ payapullainga 1st place la iruka koodathu Evil or Very Mad

Not 2nd...but to 3rd....

From: Sourav on Sun Dec 21 7:08:47 2008.

Australia lost....

Innum irukkura 2 matches-layum thothutta parama thirubthi...
From: Kalyasi on Sun Dec 21 7:08:52 2008.

Vaazhga SA!!

What a Win!!
From: crajkumar_be on Sun Dec 21 7:20:54 2008.

SA -
OZ -

WACA -
From: littlemaster1982 on Mon Dec 22 0:22:21 2008.

Kankollaa Kaatchi

From: sgokulprathap on Mon Dec 22 0:28:57 2008.

ajaybaskar wrote:

villan007 wrote:

SA shud bring down Aus to 2nd place.

Is SA winning gonna affect India goin to #2 spot Question

namma 2nd place varalainaalum paravala.. indha OZ payapullainga 1st place la iruka koodathu Evil or Very Mad

Not 2nd...but to 3rd.... Very Happy

tat v wil take care of.

If Ind & SA continues to impress, Aus wud naturaly come down to 3rd.

From: hamid on Mon Dec 22 0:49:58 2008.

v.happy that SA won the match.. i watched almost the whole fourth inningschase and so happy Smith was excellent.. and de villers followed it.. almost everybody played their part perfectly ..

Hope Australia come down in rankings below SA and IND..

aanaanum avanunga vaaya muudavee maataanunga
From: hamid on Mon Dec 22 0:55:36 2008.

Gayle pinni pedaleduthukittu irukkan NZ-WI matchla.. the lead is 200 now with 4 wkts remianign.. .. hope this target is not chased
From: sgokulprathap on Mon Dec 22 1:02:37 2008.

hamid wrote:

Gayle pinni pedaleduthukittu irukkan NZ-WI matchla.. the lead is 200 now with 4 wkts remianign.. .. hope this target is not chased
match between 7th & 8th ranked teams. when Aus, SA and Ind fighting fr 1st three places, WI & NZ fighting fr 7th place.

From: hamid on Mon Dec 22 1:17:36 2008.

Gayle pinni pedaleduthukittu irukkan NZ-WI matchla.. the lead is 200 now with 4 wkts remianign.. .. hope this target is not chased Smile

match between 7th & 8th ranked teams. when Aus, SA and Ind fighting fr 1st three places, WI & NZ fighting fr 7th place. Wink

yeah.. but somehow i liked WI from my childhood.. want them to do well

From: directhit on Mon Dec 22 1:47:29 2008.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

Kankollaa Kaatchi

hamid wrote:

yeah.. but somehow i liked WI from my childhood.. want them to do well
my fav team too - esp Thalaivar irundhavaraikkum
From: hamid on Mon Dec 22 2:26:00 2008.

WACA chief executive Graeme Wood has stopped just short of calling Ricky Ponting a sore loser after the Australian skipper complained about the state of the WACA deck.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24833870-23212,00.html

From: hamid on Mon Dec 22 2:36:03 2008.

Arrogant Australians feeling the pressure

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24831837-23212,00.html

Quote:

Becoming a human tea pot when young bowlers such as Peter Siddle or Jason Krejza are under pressure just creates more pressure in a side where insecurity is already spreading like a juicy rumour.

he was quoted as best captain etc etc.. Laughing

Australia seem to be the team who cracks under pressure the most.. they havent been pressurised was the reason for their dominance. and India is the one who did that consistently in the recent past Thumbs Up!

From: Vivasaayi on Tue Dec 23 9:19:15 2008.

will indian team sit idle for months as they have cancelled the pakistan tour...or accomodate a test series with other countries.

i guess only bangladesh is free for play now

From: P_R on Tue Dec 23 10:00:03 2008.

will indian team sit idle for months as they have cancelled the pakistan tour...or accomodate a test series with other countries.

i guess only bangladesh is free for play now

Will some stars be part of the Ranji action....
QF stage now.Dravid may play.

From: Vivasaayi on Tue Dec 23 12:08:17 2008.

will indian team sit idle for months as they have cancelled the pakistan tour...or accomodate a test series with other countries.

i guess only bangladesh is free for play now

Will some stars be part of the Ranji action....
QF stage now.Dravid may play.

dravid must definitely be advised to play ranji to gain his touch inspite of the hundred...esp with new zealand tour ahead.

but Indian tour being the most lucrative tour for any country...will the asset be not used for months...bcci got to do something...especially with indian team on a roll...we must continue to play test cricket with this combination regularly to attain number one spot..

ponting just 2 thousand behind sachin...sachin should play as many tests to make it as unbeatable record...adhan indha akkarai

From: ajithfederer on Tue Dec 23 12:12:15 2008.

Vicky,

Chances are very few and i think players will opt for a rest or Ranji matches.
From: Vivasaayi on Tue Dec 23 12:14:56 2008.

ajithfederer wrote:

Vicky,

Chances are very few and i think players will opt for a rest or Ranji matches.

hmmm...

papom..bcci edhavadhu pannalam
From: Sourav on Tue Dec 23 21:42:49 2008.

directhit wrote:

littlemaster1982 wrote:

Kankollaa Kaatchi
From: ajithfederer on Thu Dec 25 20:16:06 2008.

Second match underway

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/engine/current/match/351682.html
From: Kalyasi on Fri Dec 26 0:02:16 2008.

Saniyan Scores another Century....... Chai!!
From: Sourav on Fri Dec 26 0:06:54 2008.

Kalyan....yaaru.
From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Dec 26 0:12:51 2008.

(Po)Ricky Ponting.
From: Sourav on Fri Dec 26 0:14:52 2008.

Oh...ippo ivan etthanai century....
thalaivar evlo century...
From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Dec 26 0:16:39 2008.

36 or 37. Thalaivar 41.
From: Vivasaayi on Fri Dec 26 0:25:49 2008.

ponting out
From: Kalyasi on Fri Dec 26 0:28:44 2008.

Vivasaayi wrote:

ponting out

atha 2 run ku munnadiye senju tholanchu iruntha santhosa pattu irukaalam.... ippo he is on 37.......
From: Sourav on Fri Dec 26 0:30:58 2008.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

36 or 37. Thalaivar 41.
k...Intha series lose aachuna captain, then team lerunthu thookkiduvaanga...
Appuram avanae retire aagiduvaan...
From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Dec 26 0:31:23 2008.

Kalyasi wrote:

Vivasaayi wrote:

ponting out

atha 2 run ku munnadiye senju tholanchu iruntha santhosa pattu irukaalam.... ippo he is on 37.......

He was dropped at 24 McKenzie
From: Kalyasi on Fri Dec 26 0:31:34 2008.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

36 or 37. Thalaivar 41.

master, sourav...nethu meet epdi irunthuchu? sorry i cudn't make it....

semma jet lag... vera eppayavathu meet pannuvom!!

From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Dec 26 0:33:25 2008.

master, sourav...nethu meet epdi irunthuchu? sorry i cudn't make it....

semma jet lag... vera eppayavathu meet pannuvom!!

36 or 37. Thalaivar 41.

Meet was fun

Meet thread check pannunga

From: Kalyasi on Fri Dec 26 0:35:14 2008.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

36 or 37. Thalaivar 41.

master, sourav...nethu meet epdi irunthuchu? sorry i cudn't make it....

semma jet lag... vera eppayavathu meet pannuvom!!

From: Kalyasi on Fri Dec 26 0:36:32 2008.

master, sourav...nethu meet epdi irunthuchu? sorry i cudn't make it....

semma jet lag... vera eppayavathu meet pannuvom!!

36 or 37. Thalaivar 41.

Meet was fun Thumbs Up!

Meet thread check pannunga Smile

chai missing yet another meet

bengaluru la naama pongal illati new year ku meet pannuvom!

From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Dec 26 0:43:29 2008.

OK
From: Sourav on Sat Dec 27 0:36:43 2008.

A new method in T20 cricket called 'super over' used in NZ vs WI match...
From: Sourav on Sat Dec 27 0:39:05 2008.

[tscii]WHAT IS A SUPER OVER?

The West Indies vs New Zealand T20 International on Friday was the first instance of a tied game being decided on the basis of a Super �Eliminator� Over. The decision to replace the earlier Bowl-out rule - which came into use twice in T20 Internationals - was taken at the ICC annual conference in July earlier this year.
Right after India�s win over Pakistan in the ICC World T20 in Durban in 2007, TOI had mentioned in its Sept 16 edition how the idea of a bowl-out was �over-simplistic and didn�t really test cricketing skills�.
In spite of the rule�s popularity, it seems the ICC, too, was in agreement. The �Super Over� concept seems a definite improvement, as Friday�s game showed.
Under the new rules for the tie-breaker, each team will nominate three batsmen and one bowler for the one-off �Eliminator� over.
Each side bats one over, with the innings being declared closed if it loses two wickets. If the teams still finish tied on runs scored in that one over, the side with the higher number of sixes in its full innings and in the one-over eliminator will be declared the winner. If the teams are still tied, the one with the higher number of fours in both innings will win.
The new �Eliminator� rule will also be applicable for tied matches in the ICC World T20 and even the ODI Champions Trophy. It was also applicable in the Asia Cup in Pakistan but didn�t come into play as no games were tied. [/tscii]
From: P_R on Sat Dec 27 0:43:03 2008.

mudhalla naam iruvar namakku iruvar-nu sonnAnga
.....
appuram ward-kku oruvar-nu solvAnga
From: Sourav on Sat Dec 27 0:43:06 2008.

Which channel telecasting WI vs NZ series in India...????
From: Sourav on Sat Dec 27 1:12:12 2008.

http://epaper.dinamalar.com/DM/MADHURAI/2008/12/26/Article//103/26_12_2008_103_001.jpg

PR, Is there any separate thread for Indian team/players?
From: littlemaster1982 on Sat Dec 27 2:10:32 2008.

What a year it has been!

Harsha Bhogle
Friday 26th December 2008

The year began with a family feud that threatened to tear apart our tiny community. It ended with two events of utter warmth, of romance and brotherhood.

In between, a child attained adulthood and some elders saw it as a threat, a mystery spinner enriched the sport and sadly the spectre of violence engulfed cricket. And yes, just to remind people of the treasure we possess, Sachin Tendulkar began and ended the year with a century! We were not short of action!

The events at the Sydney Cricket Ground were immensely forgettable. Teams raged against each other, supporters seemed to take up arms and allegations of racism were in the air. It seemed, on the surface at least, that it was a cricketing issue, umpires might have got it wrong and the definition of the spirit of the game grew increasingly far-fetched, but it soon grew into a much bigger problem. The match referee was a fine cricketer but not very well versed with the law and it needed an excellent piece of judgement from a New Zealand judge to resolve matters.

India threatened to pull-out, a stupid story of a plane being on stand-by did the rounds and none of us really knew what to expect next. It was a grievous wound for it struck at the heart of the only real link between two countries. Hopefully Australia will sell uranium and India will provide fine software engineers, but until that happens regularly, cricket will continue to be the only real bond between our nations. Sydney must never happen again; a blot on the game associated with one of its most beautiful cities. We are too small for a schism.

But the game is such a beautiful healer. Just over three months later Andrew Symonds, at the centre of the whole affair, was being welcomed with Hyderabadi biryani, Mathew Hayden and Michael Hussey were being cheered in Chennai and Shane Warne could have won an election in Jaipur! The IPL was the marketing and cricketing event of the year; both are important for one cannot survive without the other. Clearly T20 will be the new missionary of the game, spreading it to lands where traditional Test cricket, or even one-day internationals, cannot enter. It needs to be looked upon as an opportunity, but the ICC responded by looking upon it as a threat to Test cricket. It is inexplicable. We step on our own toes sometimes.

The last fortnight of the year was proof of the fact that in our effort to protect Test cricket, we underestimate its potency. We look upon every new trend like a commercial liner would a boat in Somalia - we assume there are pirates everywhere. I watch a children's talent show on TV every week and am stunned by how nine and twelve year olds sing classical based songs and old melodies. Surely they should have known only remixes or computer generated sounds! So too with Test cricket which grew, and became stronger, in 2008. It will hold its own in the new world unless we obsess over it. But if we shut our windows and keep the fresh air out, we will grow weak.

Virender Sehwag is an example of how one form of the game needn't cannibalise another. Seemingly made for T20, he led one of the finest run-chases in the history of Test cricket. And Sachin Tendulkar provided the game one of its warmest, most beautiful moments by scoring a fine hundred and then putting the innings, and indeed cricket, in perspective by speaking eloquently of the atmosphere in which it was played. It was a series that may not, need not, have been played but England showed a largeness of heart that cricket must never forget. What a lovely change from England teams of my growing up years that moaned, complained and spoke condescendingly about the people that were hosting them. In one gesture, England made more friends than they could have imagined.

And a week later the second highest run chase was achieved. At the end a wonderfully gifted white man had produced a fine century and a shy, inexperienced black man had played with great maturity. As AB de Villiers and JP Duminy embraced, the power and magnificence of sport blossomed again. Don't forget the new South Africa is only fifteen years old and it isn't yet fifty years since Martin Luther King's rousing cry at the Lincoln Memorial for equality of black and white.

It was as beautiful an end to the year as we could have hoped for.
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 27 14:03:50 2008.

Advantage Australia !! - SA 198/7 at stumps.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/engine/current/match/351682.html
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 27 21:47:52 2008.

SA neutralise the advantage

304/8 @ Lunch
From: Sourav on Sat Dec 27 21:51:57 2008.

2nd Twenty20 International: New Zealand v West Indies at Hamilton - Dec 28, 2008
Match scheduled to begin at 17:00 local time (04:00 GMT)
From: littlemaster1982 on Sat Dec 27 23:11:02 2008.

Steyn 50 Australia
From: directhit on Sat Dec 27 23:11:54 2008.

unbeaten 9th wkt partnership of 97 runs
From: littlemaster1982 on Sat Dec 27 23:15:15 2008.

104
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 27 23:16:24 2008.

100 run partnership for the 9th wicket.
From: Sourav on Sat Dec 27 23:23:50 2008.
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 27 23:38:42 2008.

Lee 13 overs 68/0.
From: directhit on Sat Dec 27 23:40:32 2008.

they might even take a lead
Punter
From: directhit on Sat Dec 27 23:44:18 2008.

Duminy century in his second test match
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 27 23:44:26 2008.

Duminy

Memorable test innings under pressure.
From: littlemaster1982 on Sat Dec 27 23:46:19 2008.

What an innings!!!! Duminy
From: directhit on Sun Dec 28 0:07:06 2008.

lead
From: ajithfederer on Sun Dec 28 0:09:19 2008.

Ponting
From: thamizhvaanan on Sun Dec 28 0:12:47 2008.

Australia has been involved in some terrific test cricket offlate, not because they played good cricket, but because they have been snatching defeat from the jaws of victory

Now, who is the choker
From: P_R on Sun Dec 28 0:12:59 2008.

When Murali is playing Bangladesh might as well throw in the towel

88 wickets in 10 matches. 11 5-wicket hauls.

Must be the best record by any bowler against any opposition. Or was there anyone in the Eng-Aus only days ?
From: ajithfederer on Sun Dec 28 0:39:12 2008.

"This amazing display reminds me of what happened last year at the SCG test, where India got over 500, Sachin Tendulkar batted wonderfully with the tail to guide India to a huge total, Duminy has done a similar display to what Sachin did," says Justin.

150 Partnership for the 9th wicket
From: ajithfederer on Sun Dec 28 1:22:55 2008.

Steyn out. Thought they would beat the 9th partnership record of 195 runs.
From: littlemaster1982 on Sun Dec 28 1:23:28 2008.

Steyn out Oru century pottirundha nalla irundhirukkum.

Anyway, well played
From: thamizhvaanan on Sun Dec 28 2:11:22 2008.

Duminy out.. SA all out for 459
From: littlemaster1982 on Sun Dec 28 2:17:15 2008.

Terrific innings. Duminy
From: Sourav on Sun Dec 28 2:21:42 2008.
From: ajithfederer on Sun Dec 28 23:13:44 2008.

Aus 145/5, Lead by 80.

Ponting 70*, Fighting knock
From: Sourav on Sun Dec 28 23:39:02 2008.

ajithfederer wrote:

Aus 145/5, Lead by 80.

Ponting 70*, Fighting knock

Hayden-ku ooooooo than pola...
SA have a bright chance to win this match...
From: P_R on Sun Dec 28 23:45:37 2008.

sourav wrote:

Hayden-ku ooooooo than pola...
From: Sourav on Sun Dec 28 23:47:23 2008.

If SA win this series 3-0 wil they come to No-1 in ranking? India?
From: ajithfederer on Sun Dec 28 23:51:28 2008.

Well, well, well. Another Australian falls to a loose shot when tempted on the drive. Ntini is ecstatic and so are his team-mates. Now the tail is open and Ponting stands tall on a burning deck. Lee does indeed come out, though he's been hampered by an injury to the left foot. A stress fracture I believe. Lee has been ruled out for a month but here he is, bravely attempting to bat.

"Ron, do you seriously believe South Africa would have beaten this team if it still had Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist and Langer? Don't forget the lifting effect Langer would have on Hayden as well. The others may have lifted their games but the retirements are clearly the main thing here," says Fergus.
From: sgokulprathap on Mon Dec 29 0:15:58 2008.

sourav wrote:

If SA win this series 3-0 wil they come to No-1 in ranking? India?

Sure. SA will come to No. 1 if they win 3-0.
In any case India will cometo No.3.
even a draw and a lose from 2nd and 3rd test will help SA for 2nd place.
for India to remain at No. 2, SA have to lose both 2nd and 3rd test, which is not likely to happen.
I want SA to win 3-0 and throw away Aus from top spot.
From: Sourav on Mon Dec 29 0:24:28 2008.

sgokulprathap wrote:

I want SA to win 3-0 and throw away Aus from top spot.

India 3rd place ponaalum paravalla...Aus 1st-la irukka koodathu...
From: steveaustin on Mon Dec 29 1:04:08 2008.

sourav wrote:

India 3rd place ponaalum paravalla...Aus 1st-la irukka koodathu...

adhu ellAm sari. Ana pOra pOkkilE Ponting first place vandhuduvAr pOla theriyudhu....

Already 96. Nearing his 38th hundred.....

yArAvadhu avane out panni tholaingappA.....
From: Vivasaayi on Mon Dec 29 1:24:57 2008.

ethana sachin fanspa venduneenga?
From: ajithfederer on Mon Dec 29 1:26:45 2008.

End of what was a terrific hundred at the MCG. Smith took that firmly struck shot and erupted in celebration. He had come into position for that loose drive and it worked to a plan. Morkel succeeds and the MCG stands to applaud Ponting as he walks off. Had he scored his century, it would have been the fourth time he got two in one Test, and third against South Africa. It was a fine innings to watch. Here's Nathan Hauritz.
71.3 Morkel to Ponting, OUT, oh would you believe it? He's gone for 99! Morkel hits a tempting length, up goes Ponting's back foot as he pushes at the ball, and Smith at short cover snaps it up
RT Ponting c Smith b Morkel 99 (169b 7x4 0x6) SR: 58.57

Ponting - well played , bravo
From: ajithfederer on Mon Dec 29 1:27:09 2008.

Serioussaaa

Vivasaayi wrote:

ethana sachin fanspa venduneenga?
From: sgokulprathap on Mon Dec 29 1:33:47 2008.

Ponting
From: steveaustin on Mon Dec 29 1:34:34 2008.

Morkel and Smith

Anyway Ponting
From: Sourav on Mon Dec 29 1:36:28 2008.
From: Sourav on Mon Dec 29 1:38:09 2008.

101+99 - Double century....
From: steveaustin on Mon Dec 29 1:39:47 2008.

sourav wrote:

101+99 - Double century....

101 + 99 - Double century = Zero

Since it seems SA is going to win this match comfortably. So whatever he scored will give zero % result to Australia.
From: sgokulprathap on Mon Dec 29 1:42:03 2008.

How crucial has this man been for South Africa? Over 9000 runs and now 250 wickets. The only man to achieve that. A modern-day great, Kallis.

From: thamizhvaanan on Mon Dec 29 2:02:29 2008.

adhu ellAm sari. Ana pOra pOkkilE Ponting first place vandhuduvAr pOla theriyudhu.... Wink

India 3rd place ponaalum paravalla...Aus 1st-la irukka koodathu... No Teeth

Already 96. Nearing his 38th hundred..... Shaking With Fear

yArAvadhu avane out panni tholaingappA.....

let him score as many as he want... Let our thalaivar get even more than that.. thats the spirit

Whats the age difference between the two? 2 years?

Ponting certainly has challenging days ahead of him since all these days best bowlers in circulation were sitting in his dressing room while he batted. It is not the case any longer. I wish more bowlers of the calibre of Walsh, Ambrose, Donald, Pollock, Akram, Waqar, McGrath and Warne surface. It will be really interesting then.

From: thamizhvaanan on Mon Dec 29 2:25:39 2008.

Australia are bowled out for 247, leaving South Africa 183 to take the series. What a day its been - Steyn takes his tenth wicket in the match to make himself a solid candidate for Man of the Match. Steyn now has ten wickets and a fifty in this Test, joining a fairly elite list of players. Prior to his achievement only 21 players had done this, and just one - Daniel Vettori - since 2000.
From: ajithfederer on Mon Dec 29 2:30:13 2008.

Dale Steyn, 29 matches - 150 Test wickets
From: thamizhvaanan on Mon Dec 29 2:41:22 2008.

ajithfederer wrote:

Dale Steyn, 29 matches - 150 Test wickets
From: ajithfederer on Mon Dec 29 3:02:23 2008.

SA need 153 to win tomorrow. Should be easy for the Proteas unless some miracle happens for OZ's.

all
From: Sourav on Mon Dec 29 3:51:41 2008.

* 2nd Innings

* SA 30/0 in 6 Overs

* Current Run rate:5.00

* To win: SA needs 153 run(s)
From: HonestRaj on Mon Dec 29 4:25:02 2008.

SA

Ponting out in 99
From: Sourav on Mon Dec 29 4:28:06 2008.

HonestRaj wrote:

Ponting out in 99
aagura maathiri Nadikkatha...
Pillaiyar koil la thengai udaikkkuren-nu vendiruppa...
From: HonestRaj on Mon Dec 29 4:40:55 2008.

sourav wrote:

HonestRaj wrote:

Ponting out in 99
aagura maathiri Nadikkatha...
Pillaiyar koil la thengai udaikkkuren-nu vendiruppa...

is for his back-to-back 100's (99-la our aagama irundhirundha)
From: P_R on Mon Dec 29 5:18:35 2008.

The count is 41 versus 37, right ?

From: crajkumar_be on Mon Dec 29 5:27:25 2008.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/12/29/stories/2008122955841600.htm

Quote:

Six Indians in Guardian�s World Test XI

London: Six Indians cricketers � including Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni � figure in The Guardian newspaper�s �World Test XI of the Year� which interestingly does not include a single Australian.

Former England all-rounder Vic Marks prepared the list which came out in Sunday�s edition of the daily where Marks is a writer.

Apart from Tendulkar and Dhoni, the other Indians in Marks� team were opener Virender Sehwag, pace partners Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma with Harbhajan Singh as the only spinner.

�This is brilliant; we do not really know which is the best team in the world. For a decade, it has been Australia and there has been nothing to argue about.

�Now there are three contenders as India and South Africa challenge Australia�s supremacy,� said Marks.

�Pick the best XI from these four sides (apologies to Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand for being so exclusive) and it is possible, without too much mischief, not to select a single Australian. This may be an indication of the way things are going,� he added.

Marks picked South African captain Graeme Smith as the skipper of his World XI and the other opener alongside Sehwag.

�He (Smith) is the best ugly batsman in the world,� quipped the former Somerset player.

�Seeking romance and adventure, the choice has to be Virender Sehwag. But, even if pragmatism rules the day, the alternative is another Indian, Gautam Gambhir, who � while not especially pleasing on the eye � is fiercely combative and oozing runs in 2008,� he said.

Ponting misses out
Marks said he gave Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey�s names a thought for the middle-order but ultimately decided to select England captain Kevin Pietersen, Tendulkar and South African AB de Villiers on the basis of their current form.

�Of course, there is a case for Ricky Ponting at three if we take into account his entire career. But he has failed too often recently and is no longer playing his cricket with a smile,� he explained.

�So the middle order comprises Pietersen, Tendulkar and de Villiers. All three have hit brilliant centuries during the past fortnight, so they are in form.

�It was odd that, after 156 Tests, there were still some Indians who questioned whether Tendulkar was capable of playing the �match-winning� innings. �In Chennai, he willed himself to the hundred and the victory that a wounded country demanded. In some ways, it was a humble innings as Tendulkar declined to play extravagant strokes in case they jeopardised his goal,� Marks said.

The all-rounder�s place went to Andrew Flintoff despite his recent lean patch.

�Andrew Flintoff may seem an Anglo-centric selection, but watching him bowl on the energy-sapping pitches of India clinched his place, even though we have to question his ability to score enough runs for our number six.�

For the wicket-keeper it was a toss-up between Dhoni and his South African counterpart Mark Boucher but Dhoni got Marks� vote for his energy.

�Dhoni made his name as a long-haired flayer of all types of bowling, who quickly became a folk hero in India. Now he has a sober haircut and, as captain, is the ultimate pragmatist, prepared to revert to all-out defence if necessary. Already, his record in charge is mighty impressive: played five, won four, drawn one,� he said.

�Harbhajan Singh gets the spinning slot in a weak field. In the real World XI, Sri Lanka provides the spin. A year ago, Monty Panesar might have been considered � now he is fretting about his England place.�

Indian pace-attack
The pace attack is all-Indian with Zaheer and Ishant and Marks said the duo is simply unmatched right now.

�The first-choice pacemen are India�s two opening bowlers. Zaheer Khan�s mastery of swinging the old ball, especially from around the wicket, cannot be matched by anyone in world cricket,� he pointed out.

�So there are six Indians, three South Africans and two Englishmen, which may not accurately reflect the status quo, but does suggest where the momentum lies. �Whatever the ICC table says, there is an argument that India are already the best team, especially in their own conditions.�

Vic Marks� select XI: Graeme Smith (capt.), Virender Sehwag, Kevin Pietersen, Sachin Tendulkar, A.B. de Villiers, Andrew Flintoff, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Dale Steyn. � PTI

From: MADDY on Mon Dec 29 5:40:45 2008.

Vic Marks� select XI: Graeme Smith (capt.), Virender Sehwag, Kevin Pietersen, Sachin Tendulkar, A.B. de Villiers, Andrew Flintoff, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Dale Steyn. � PTI

Vic Marks uruva bommai-ya kondu vaangada, appadiye petrol, thee petti attachments-la

how can he put smith ahead of Dhoni as captain...........

From: P_R on Mon Dec 29 5:42:15 2008.

reNdu bommai-ya order paNNunga.
Naanum eRikkaNum. kAraNam vEra

Vic Marks uruva bommai-ya kondu vaangada, appadiye petrol, thee petti attachments-la Evil or Very Mad

how can he put smith ahead of Dhoni as captain........... Laughing

From: thamizhvaanan on Mon Dec 29 5:45:48 2008.

lemme guess.. for leaving out Viru or Laxman? I will burn for bringing in Bhajji

Vic Marks uruva bommai-ya kondu vaangada, appadiye petrol, thee petti attachments-la Evil or Very Mad

how can he put smith ahead of Dhoni as captain........... Laughing

reNdu bommai-ya order paNNunga.
Naanum eRikkaNum. kAraNam vEra Smile

From: MADDY on Mon Dec 29 5:46:42 2008.

.......

i think sydney herald have put dhoni as captain in their world test side

Vic Marks uruva bommai-ya kondu vaangada, appadiye petrol, thee petti attachments-la Evil or Very Mad

how can he put smith ahead of Dhoni as captain........... Laughing

reNdu bommai-ya order paNNunga.
Naanum eRikkaNum. kAraNam vEra Smile

adhu ennavo

From: thamizhvaanan on Mon Dec 29 5:51:41 2008.

Dhoni definitely, eventhough sometimes he makes a wrong decision, in the few tests he captained, he makes the opposition captain look silly and clueless in comparison. Very alert to the proceedings on the field and off the field, very calculated in his words.
From: directhit on Mon Dec 29 5:53:01 2008.

MADDY wrote:

i think sydney herald have put dhoni as captain in their world test side
From: thamizhvaanan on Mon Dec 29 5:57:14 2008.

MADDY wrote:

Prabhu Ram wrote:

reNdu bommai-ya order paNNunga.
Naanum eRikkaNum. kAraNam vEra

adhu ennavo .......

May be for having Dhoni as WK in the first place
From: MADDY on Mon Dec 29 6:05:57 2008.

thamizhvaanan wrote:

May be for having Dhoni as WK in the first place

unna evanavadhu avalavu mariyadhai-ya thittuvaana...... i dont think he meant dhoni

ok, kai romba arikkudhu, list pottu romba naal aachu .....my world XI based on 2008 performance

1. Greame Smith
2. Gautam Gambhir
3. Kevin Pietersen
4. J. Duminy
5. Jakkhas Kallis
6. Andrew Flintoff
7. MS.Dhoni
8. Zaheer
9. Ishant
10. Steyn
11. Mendis

From: P_R on Mon Dec 29 6:10:15 2008.

From: Sourav on Mon Dec 29 6:27:14 2008.

reNdu bommai-ya order paNNunga.
Naanum eRikkaNum. kAraNam vEra Smile

adhu ennavo Rolling Eyes

.......

May be for having Dhoni as WK in the first place LOL

I feel he is just trying to make a point by excluding Aussies.

Ponting is the third highest run getter this year, including 4 centuries and 5 fifties.Michael Clarke has also been a consistently good perfomer.

Granted Dale Steyn is the best bowler this year. But what about Mitchell Johnson ...leave alone Brett Lee.

I think by 2008 - he meant the last few matches that stay in my memory.

Viv,
Dhoni for keeper is not a bad pick
<pause...for MADDY fainting>
Between Boucher and Dhoni, it is only a matter of preference.

From: MADDY on Mon Dec 29 6:14:32 2008.

Prabhu Ram wrote:

I feel he is just trying to make a point by excluding Aussies.

did aussies win any major series this year?? i think his choice meant that

if u look at my list, i did a extempore list with players who are in my memory now, trust me none of the aussies even crossed my mind

Prabhu Ram wrote:

Viv,
Dhoni for keeper is not a bad pick
<pause...for MADDY fainting>
Between Boucher and Dhoni, it is only a matter of preference.

i think Dhoni is a better keeper than Boucher as of now, this is just bcos i have seen Boucher dropping/missing, but i havent seen Dhoni dropping/missing isnt it?
From: P_R on Mon Dec 29 6:26:20 2008.

MADDY, I think everyone is reading too much into this Aus decline.

And regarding your list, I think it is also very influenced by recent things. Kallis 9000 and 250 happened today. So ? Vettori has done better with bat and ball this year.

Yes I would pick Dhoni too.I said Boucher is the only possible competition to Dhoni in the fray now. So his pick is not surprising.

From: thamizhvaanan on Tue Dec 30 0:44:22 2008.

Vic Marks uruva bommai-ya kondu vaangada, appadiye petrol, thee petti attachments-la Evil or Very Mad

how can he put smith ahead of Dhoni as captain........... Laughing

Gambhir illaya?

From: littlemaster1982 on Mon Dec 29 13:10:08 2008.

Vivasaayi wrote:

ethana sachin fanspa venduneenga?

I was actually cursing him and it worked out
From: ajithfederer on Mon Dec 29 20:25:44 2008.

Smith 50
From: Sourav on Mon Dec 29 22:04:48 2008.

[tscii]Punter hints Hayden, Symmo may be axed

Melbourne: Fishing mates Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds face the boot, as captain Ricky Ponting conceded Australia were under pressure to make one of its biggest selection culls in a long time with series defeat to South Africa staring on the face.
Ponting would not guarantee out-of-form Hayden�s future beyond the MCG but the axe may fall to more players including Symonds if the home side loses the second Test and the series against South Africa.
�If we lose (the second Test at the MCG) we might be thinking about (changes) a little bit more,� said Ponting who could be the first captain to lose a home series since 1992-93 if South Africa notch up 153 on the fifth and final day. �Changes tend to be made more when you�re losing games. The selectors, I am sure, will have had their thinking caps on over the past couple of days of this game already,� he added when asked about possible changes in the team for the third Test starting in Sydney on January 3.
Hayden scored 23 in Australia�s second innings to take his season�s tally to a depressing 79 runs at 11.29 average. �We�re all feeling for him a bit at the moment. He�s going through a pretty rough trot, which all of us as batsmen have probably been through at some stage in our careers. We�ll help him along the way as much as we can and expect him to be upbeat and giving us as much as he can in the field tomorrow.
�We�ll leave that up to the selectors to decide (whether he plays in Sydney). We haven�t spoken about any selections for next week just yet,� Ponting was quoted as saying by The Herald Sun.
According to the newspaper, those close to Hayden have indicated he could be forced to announce his retirement as he is almost certain to be dropped.
The decision of selection panel to play an injured Symonds has also backfired. The controversial all-rounder�s inability to bowl his medium-pacers and constricted movement in the field have haunted Australia throughout the match. PTI

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOICH%2F2008%2F12%2F30&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T&PageLabel=18&EntityId=Ar01802&AppName=1

//Un Nallaneram nee run adichutta...illana unnaye thookitturuppanga....appuram ipdidallam nee interview kodukka mudiyathu...
//[/tscii]
From: P_R on Mon Dec 29 22:17:09 2008.

sourav wrote:

[//Un Nallaneram nee run adichutta...illana unnaye thookitturuppanga....appuram ipdidallam nee interview kodukka mudiyathu... //

enna solreenga ?

The only series where he was below par was the NZ series.
He has made over 1000 runs this year with 4 centuries. 2 against India !
From: Sourav on Mon Dec 29 22:21:04 2008.

Oh... k...
captain ship-lerunthu?
They r going to lose Home-Series after 16 years...

//
DADA kooda 2007-la over 1000 runs adicharu both in tests and ODI-s but, thookkittanga...
//
From: ajithfederer on Mon Dec 29 22:28:24 2008.

hehe

Arasiyalla sorry BCCI-la (Enna peria vithyasam ) idhellam saadharanamappa

sourav wrote:

DADA kooda 2007-la over 1000 runs adicharu both in tests and ODI-s but, thookkittanga...
//
From: Sourav on Mon Dec 29 22:33:24 2008.

Cricketers with Wives and Girlfriends

http://in.reuters.com/news/pictures/cslideshow?sj=20081121131410.js&sn=Cricketers%20with%20Wives%20and%20Girlfriends&sl=17
From: ajithfederer on Mon Dec 29 22:33:46 2008.

150 up

Sattu buttunu matchae mudingappa .
From: Sourav on Mon Dec 29 22:36:35 2008.

MOM - Steyn or Ponting?
From: directhit on Mon Dec 29 23:27:11 2008.

By the way, this is the tenth successful run-chase of more than 175 this year. South Africa have accounted for exactly 50% of those
From: Sourav on Mon Dec 29 23:30:35 2008.

Man of the match: Dale Steyn
From: sgokulprathap on Tue Dec 30 0:42:50 2008.

From Cricinfo:
And thus South Africa clinch a historic series victory over Australia, their first ever in the country. These really are stirring scenes to take in. The South Africans embrace and their emotions are palpable. After years of failure, they have beaten Australia. Smith is down in the middle, uprooting the stumps and waving to the crowd. How proud he must feel right this moment.

The smattering of a crowd cheers, the South African fans wave their flags. Look at Kallis and Boucher, who have been playing for over ten years and haven't had a chance to experience this moment. Steyn, Harris, Duminy and the younger lot walk around the boundary to shake hands with the fans. This is South Africa's 11th win this year, while Australia have won two of their last eight.

This is South Africa's tenth unbeaten series on the trot. Full marks to them. Smith has been central to South Africa's success this year with some aggressive captaincy and 1652 runs. South Africa can claim top ranking from Ricky Ponting's side if the tourists sweep the series 3-0 with victory in Sydney.

On the flip side, Ponting becomes the first Australian captain in 16 years to preside over a series defeat on home soil.Australia have not lost a home series since going down 2-1 to West Indies in 1992-93.

How often have we seen Australia suffer demoralising back-to-back defeats? The end of an era? Australia have been hit by injuries and slumps and the injury epidemic - Andrew Symonds has a knee problem and Shane Watson will be out for up to six months with back stress fractures - will ensure there are significant changes for Sydney. Australia only took 25 wickets in four innings and had very little chance to put pressure on the batsmen despite bowling on a wearing fifth day pitch.

Time for some feedback emails. "I actually have tears in my eyes! Well done to the SA lads!" says an emotional Piers. "May the ghosts of '99 rest in peace," says Egok. "Fantastic job guys. Siting infromt of my PC 4 in the morning with tears in my eyes! Well done SA!" says a proud Louis. "Well done South Africa! You played excellent despite all the excuses from the Aussies. Congratulations Champs," says Gerhard. "A lump in my throat as i watch this. Our guys have just made us proud. Our new rainbow nation with players of colour like Amla, Duminy doing well. I love it," says Nadeem. "Congratulations to South Africa! This has been the best cricket I have watched in Aus for a long time. I think they are the best in the world. They won because they are a great team who played very well," says Glenn, an Australian.

By the way, this is the tenth successful run-chase of more than 175 this year. South Africa have accounted for exactly 50% of those.

Time to head down to the post-match presentation. Mark Taylor has Ponting by his side: "We deserved to be in this position and full marks to South Africa. They won very comfortably, a well deserved series win. Things were looking good for us at one stage, but their tail played exceptionally well and Lee went down through injury. We weren't able to convert our opportunities. Lets see what the selectors come up with for next week."

And here's the man of the moment, Smith: "I've been smiling since the winning runs. Its incredible. Its been a team effort and when its come to key moment in this Test we've stepped up. JP was incredible and the self belief in the team is flowing. Its an honour to come here and beat a quality unit. We're going to celebrate and enjoy our New Years and not many of us are thinking about Sydney. After all the hard work this years its incredible to be standing here."

So many stellar performances this Test - Smith's two half-centuries, Duminy's sublime maiden hundred in just his second game, Ponting's fine double of 101 and 99 with the bat for Australia, but its Steyn who is Man of the Match for figures of 10 for 154 and his first half-century in that partnership with Duminy which ultimately proved decisive.

"Its happened so quickly. The team has done fantastically and been led by a fantastic captain. I hope I could make more runs like that but Duminy was exceptional."

Quote:

Team of the Year
India. On and off the field they are now indubitably bossing world cricket, despite what the Australians and South Africans might think. Their 2-0 Test series victory over Australia officially ended their opponents' era of relentless domination. And then England suffered. Talent oozes from their every pore. Retiring legends are being replaced with astonishing ease. There is depth in every department, and in Mahendra Singh Dhoni they possess not just a wonderful leader but a wonderfully impressive man too.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/stevejames/3964942/From-Stanford-circus-to-invincible-India----a-review-of-the-year-in-cricket.html

From: sgokulprathap on Tue Dec 30 0:44:54 2008.
From: thamizhvaanan on Tue Dec 30 0:45:50 2008.

Aussies in a world XI? Not for me

The official Test rankings still have Australia perched at the top and they can only be toppled in their current series with South Africa if they lose 3-0. But, as we embark on what should be the most riveting of cricketing years, the statistical contortions that decide the International Cricket Council's Test table are not entirely trustworthy.

This is brilliant; we do not really know which is the best team in the world. For a decade, it has been Australia and there has been nothing to argue about. Now there are three contenders as India and South Africa challenge Australia's supremacy. England are on the next tier down, but they play Australia and South Africa over the next 12 months, so have a chance to rejoin the big boys.

Pick the best XI from these four sides (apologies to Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand for being so exclusive) and it is possible, without too much mischief, not to select a single Australian. This may be an indication of the way things are going.

At the top of the order, Graeme Smith has long since overtaken Matthew Hayden as the best bulldozing left-hander of this generation. He now scores centuries when it really matters - against England at Edgbaston last summer and against Australia in Perth last week. He is the best "ugly" batsman in the world.

His partner would be Indian. Seeking romance and adventure, the choice has to be Virender Sehwag. But, even if pragmatism rules the day, the alternative is another Indian, Gautam Gambhir, who - while not especially pleasing on the eye - is fiercely combative and oozing runs in 2008. The arrival of Gambhir is a vital part of the puzzle for India because the team has craved an established opening pair for such a long time.

Of course, there is a case for Ricky Ponting at three if we take into account his entire career. But he has failed too often recently and is no longer playing his cricket with a smile. I will also commit the heresy of leaving out Jacques Kallis because of a recent trough. Maybe Mike Hussey should get a game, even though his Test average has now plummeted to 61, but Mr Cricket will not mind soaking up the atmosphere and carrying the drinks.

So the middle order comprises Kevin Pietersen, Sachin Tendulkar and AB de Villiers. All three have hit brilliant centuries during the past fortnight, so they are in form. Pietersen's was the most spectacular, but the knocks of Tendulkar and De Villiers were more significant.

It was odd that, after 156 Tests, there were still some Indians who questioned whether Tendulkar was capable of playing the "match-winning" innings. In Chennai, he willed himself to the hundred and the victory that a wounded country demanded. In some ways, it was a humble innings as Tendulkar declined to play extravagant strokes in case they jeopardised his goal.

In Perth, De Villiers' nerveless century has helped to rid South Africa of that dreaded "chokers" tag. The pitch was flat, but, had South Africa blown it as they chipped away at their target, their tour would now be in tatters. In any big run-chase, there comes a moment when the pressure shifts. The comforting mindset of "there's nothing to lose" is replaced by "we ought to get these now". De Villiers coped with that shift superbly.

Andrew Flintoff may seem an Anglo-centric selection, but watching him bowl on the energy-sapping pitches of India clinched his place, even though we have to question his ability to score enough runs for our number six.

This could be the year of Flintoff's renaissance, when the performance matches the profile again - now that he is 31, there are not too many performances left. In India, the most encouraging aspect of his game was his fitness: no reported ankle problems and more flexibility, as highlighted by his superb run-out of VVS Laxman in Mohali. If he plays regularly, he will score runs again.

There are three good candidates to stand behind the stumps and none of them is English. Brad Haddin is gaining confidence and scoring more runs, Mark Boucher remains a terrier, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the man. He could captain the team, but we will let Smith do it from alongside him at first slip. Between them they will not miss many tricks.

Dhoni made his name as a long-haired flayer of all types of bowling, who quickly became a folk hero in India. It seemed as though he knew only one way to play, a notion encouraged by a horrible slog against Shaun Udal in Mumbai three years ago, when India were supposed to be trying to save the game. Now he has a sober haircut and, as captain, is the ultimate pragmatist, prepared to revert to all-out defence if necessary. Already, his record in charge is mighty impressive: played five, won four, drawn one.

The spinner won't be Australian - and there can be no accusations of bias this time. Sophisticated academies and zealous attention to detail have not been able to produce a spinner of note to take Shane Warne's place. Sometimes a dose of realism is in order. While in Mohali, I watched Jason Krejza bowl Hashim Amla with a fine off-break. Within seconds, the commentary team heralded the new Jim Laker/Ashley Mallett. By the end of the match, he was another pie-chucker and subsequently dropped from the team.

Harbhajan Singh gets the spinning slot in a weak field. In the real World XI, Sri Lanka provides the spin. A year ago, Monty Panesar might have been considered - now he is fretting about his England place.

The first-choice pacemen are India's two opening bowlers. Zaheer Khan's mastery of swinging the old ball, especially from around the wicket, cannot be matched by anyone in world cricket. Ishant Sharma, provided he can overcome a rash of no-balling, has huge potential. Dale Steyn's haul of wickets in the year - he took 64 (excluding the current Test in Melbourne), more than anyone else - wins him selection. Mitchell Johnson is a strong contender after taking 11 wickets in Perth, but I've got this far without an Aussie...

So there are six Indians, three South Africans and two Englishmen, which may not accurately reflect the status quo, but does suggest where the momentum lies. Whatever the ICC table says, there is an argument that India are already the best team, especially in their own conditions. It will be critical for them that the shrewdest pairing around, Dhoni and coach Gary Kirsten, handle the transition of their middle order. If South Africa prevail in Melbourne this week, they can credibly vie with India for that top spot.

Both would be ahead of Australia, of course. But England can't pretend to threaten the Aussies until they have given them a damn good hiding in the 2009 Ashes series, which may lack the quality of 2005, but which could, on current form, be equally closely fought, a topic we may have to return to once or twice before the first Test takes place in Cardiff next July.
Vic Marks' select XI

Smith
Sehwag
Pietersen
Tendulkar
De Villiers
Flintoff
Dhoni
Harbhajan Singh
Zaheer Khan
Sharma
Steyn
From: Thirumaran on Tue Dec 30 1:04:54 2008.

SA Aus

From: crajkumar_be on Tue Dec 30 2:32:51 2008.

May be for having Dhoni as WK in the first place LOL

unna evanavadhu avalavu mariyadhai-ya thittuvaana...... Laughing

i dont think he meant dhoni Razz

ok, kai romba arikkudhu, list pottu romba naal aachu LOL

.....my world XI based on 2008 performance Razz

1. Greame Smith
2. Gautam Gambhir
3. Kevin Pietersen
4. J. Duminy Bow

5. Jakkhas Kallis
6. Andrew Flintoff
7. MS.Dhoni
8. Zaheer
9. Ishant
10. Steyn
11. Mendis

Puriyidhu, jenanayagam, etc etc.. oru mudivodathaan irukkeenga pola

From: sgokulprathap on Tue Dec 30 3:37:17 2008.

Stats highlights from South Africa's historic eight-wicket win, which gave them their first series win in Australia.

At the age of 27, Graeme Smith already holds the record for most number of runs scored in successful run-chases � AFP

South Africa's nine-wicket win ended Australia's 16-year unbeaten run in home series. The last time they'd been beaten was by West Indies in 1992-93, which was also the last time they'd lost successive games at home.
For South Africa, it was their first win in Melbourne in five attempts since their readmission to Test cricket, and their third in 14 Tests in Australia during this period. They end the year with a 11-2 win-loss record, easily the best among all teams.

South Africa's 11 wins in 2008 is also a record by any team in a single year, and a feat that has only been achieved twice previously - by West Indies in 1984, and by England in 2004. Australia's best is ten, which they've achieved three times - in 2002, 2004 and 2006.

South Africa haven't lost a Test series in more than two years, during which time they've won nine series and drawn one: their last defeat was to the Sri Lankans in a two-Test series in July 2006.

The chase of 183 made it ten successful run-chases of 175 or more in 2008, with South Africa contributing exactly 50% of those. They finished the year almost exactly like they started it: in their first game of 2008, they chased down 185 against West Indies in Cape Town, losing three wickets. Graeme Smith had led that run-chase too, scoring 85 and sparking off a fourth-innings sequence which is quite incredible: in six innings this year he has scored 85, 62, 3*, 154*, 108 and 75. His matchwinning 75 in Melbourne lifted his aggregate in fourth-innings victories to 919, which is the most by any batsman. Matthew Hayden is next with 913, while Ricky Ponting has 835.

Smith's knock also lifted his aggregate for the year to 1656 from 15 Tests at an average of 72. Only two batsmen have scored more in a calendar year - Mohammad Yousuf accumulated 1788 in 2006, while Viv Richards made 1710 in 1976.

With so many South African batsmen in superb form this year - four scored more than 1000 - it's hardly surprising that they dominate the partnership stats too. Smith and Neil McKenzie put together the most number of partnership runs - 1552 - followed by Smith and Hashim Amla (1090). In fact four of the top eight pairs of the year are South Africans.
From: MADDY on Tue Dec 30 5:29:10 2008.

crajkumar_be wrote:

Puriyidhu, jenanayagam, etc etc.. oru mudivodathaan irukkeenga pola

saary, teknik fault......sachin should have been there - apologies
From: HonestRaj on Tue Dec 30 6:00:59 2008.

SA

Smith he has a very good record in 4th innings.. great.

On the other side, SL bangladesh paavam
From: ajithfederer on Tue Dec 30 23:15:24 2008.

2008:
Graeme smith alavaa oru 1652 run mattum dhan adichirukaaru.

Dale steyn verum 74 wicket dhan eduthurukaaru.

Poruppu illadha payapullaiga
From: steveaustin on Wed Dec 31 0:53:46 2008.

BAN Vs SL

BAN - 342/6 (Runrate: 3.40 )
179 runs to win 4 wkts remaining. Good fightback by the minnows Bangladesh. Shakibul, Rahim fighting.... Monster Mortaza still to come.... For the third successive week in cricket, can they pull off another miracle????

Ashraful - When he gets his touch he is absolutely Delightful, Wonderful. His hook and pull which, many of the cricketers failed to use nowadays, are my favourites. One of the most destructive batsmen in the world.
From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 31 1:18:42 2008.

Thanks for the info steve austin.

521 runs to chase down
From: steveaustin on Wed Dec 31 1:23:20 2008.

Welcome Feddy.

BAN Vs SL

BAN - 370/6 - (Runrate: 3.39)
Needs another 151 runs to pull of a miracle.....

Bangladesh still fighting - BANG BANG
From: littlemaster1982 on Wed Dec 31 1:25:28 2008.

This is getting better and better Whatever the result, Bangladesh should be appluaded
From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 31 1:28:14 2008.

Yes. Winning or losing doesn't matter in sports. Its the way you approach it

littlemaster1982 wrote:

This is getting better and better Whatever the result, Bangladesh should be appluaded
From: directhit on Wed Dec 31 1:32:37 2008.

From: thamizhvaanan on Wed Dec 31 1:33:33 2008.

Yes. Winning or losing doesn't matter in sports. Its the way you approach it Not Worthy

Shakib and Rahim are the last two known batters I think. Eventhough it is unlikely that they get there, they should atleast reach landmarks such as 400 and 450. That would be really great! Especially considering the recent low scoring games in Bangladesh.

This is getting better and better Thumbs Up!

Whatever the result, Bangladesh should be appluaded Not Worthy

From: P_R on Wed Dec 31 1:33:35 2008.

What's happening here !

Shakib and the keeper Mushfiqur Rahim are batting.
After this Mashrafe Mortaza also bats decently.
If they keep their cool past tea, it will be a very last session.

From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 31 1:37:25 2008.

Point there tamizh.

Very vaguely remember reading an article in which former ICC CEO facing pressure for acknowleding Bangladesh Test Status. A win here would bring an heal to such remarks.

Yes. Winning or losing doesn't matter in sports. Its the way you approach it Not Worthy

From: directhit on Wed Dec 31 1:45:45 2008.

This is getting better and better Thumbs Up!

Whatever the result, Bangladesh should be appluaded Not Worthy

From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 31 1:38:07 2008.

Saying that it is 373/6 at lunch. 148 more needed.
From: thamizhvaanan on Wed Dec 31 1:38:52 2008.

Has any team scored above 450 in 4th innings. That would be a reasonable expectation from Bangladesh, I hope. If they get there without losing any wickets, ofcourse they can eyeball the victory
From: thamizhvaanan on Wed Dec 31 1:41:20 2008.

Quote:

Very vaguely remember reading an article in which former ICC CEO facing pressure for acknowleding Bangladesh Test Status. A win here would bring an heal to such remarks.

And imagine them having Highest successful run chase against their name in their kitty

Wait wait... are we counting legpiece before the egg hatches! Paapom

What's happening here !

Shakib and the keeper Mushfiqur Rahim are batting.
After this Mashrafe Mortaza also bats decently.
If they keep their cool past tea, it will be a very last session.

neenga dhaane Murali aadina BL match ezhudhi kuduthuttu pogalaamnu ellam avangala verupethineenga

From: Vivasaayi on Wed Dec 31 1:47:47 2008.

any tv telecst this match?
From: P_R on Wed Dec 31 1:48:23 2008.

appo en reverse psychology work aagudhu !

From: P_R on Wed Dec 31 1:52:50 2008.

Has any team scored above 450 in 4th innings. That would be a reasonable expectation from Bangladesh, I hope. If they get there without losing any wickets, ofcourse they can eyeball the victory Wink

The highest is 415 I think.
WI did it against Australia
Scores were level in the first innings, both teams hit in the second innings.

WI had lost the series, this was the last match and the prevented a whitewash in a memorable manner.

From: thamizhvaanan on Wed Dec 31 1:53:58 2008.

Prabhu Ram wrote:

appo en reverse psychology work aagudhu !

vitta MOM award ketpeenga pola irukku

correct'a predict panna theriyumo theriyadho, aana namakku nallaa samalika theriyum

From: thamizhvaanan on Wed Dec 31 1:55:00 2008.

Has any team scored above 450 in 4th innings. That would be a reasonable expectation from Bangladesh, I hope. If they get there without losing any wickets, ofcourse they can eyeball the victory Wink

That was the highest score in a winning match right? I was wondering whether someone had bettered it in a failed chase!

From: directhit on Wed Dec 31 1:57:17 2008.

PR - WI scored 418
TV - NZ has got 451 in a lost course http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;innings_number=4;orderby=team_score;qualmin1=300;qualval1=team_score;result=2;template=results;type=team;view=innings
From: P_R on Wed Dec 31 1:59:35 2008.

Oh like that-A ?

I think there is.

The match between NZ-Eng where Astle scored the fastest double century. Both Thorpe and Astle hit double centuries in the 2nd innings.
NZ lost the match after making 500 in the 4th innings I think.

From: thamizhvaanan on Wed Dec 31 1:59:55 2008.

PR - WI scored 418
TV - NZ has got 451 in a lost course http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;innings_number=4;orderby=team_score;qualmin1=300;qualval1=team_score;result=2;template=results;type=team;view=innings

Yaah... isnt that the match where Astle scored the fastes double?

From: P_R on Wed Dec 31 2:01:14 2008.

http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;innings_number=4;orderby=team_score;qualmin1=300;qualval1=team_score;result=2;template=results;type=team;view=innings

adhE adhE !

Astle played like a madman

From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 31 2:09:20 2008.

Guess that was the innings astle held the record for the fastest 200 in a test until gilchrist(??) broke.

adhE adhE !

Astle played like a madman

From: steveaustin on Wed Dec 31 2:15:53 2008.

ajithfederer wrote:

Guess that was the innings astle held the record for the fastest 200 in a test until gilchrist(??) broke.

Astle's record is yet to be broken. As of now, IMO, the record is in danger because of Sehwag....
From: Vivasaayi on Wed Dec 31 2:16:27 2008.

hatrick six of caddick.

astle pattaya kelapunan
From: steveaustin on Wed Dec 31 2:18:13 2008.

I think Astle played around only 150 balls to get his double hundred. Particularly his 100 to 200 took just around 40 or 45 balls, I think. What a knock!!!!!!

From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 31 2:21:18 2008.

Yes. http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/284135.html

steveaustin wrote:

ajithfederer wrote:

Guess that was the innings astle held the record for the fastest 200 in a test until gilchrist(??) broke.

Astle's record is yet to be broken. As of now, IMO, the record is in danger because of Sehwag.... Smile

From: Vivasaayi on Wed Dec 31 2:21:24 2008.

watching match online - batsman looks comfortable
From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 31 2:22:04 2008.

http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/210170.html

NJ Astle's second hundred in his 222 v England at Christchurch in 2001/02 took 39 balls.

steveaustin wrote:

I think Astle played around only 150 balls to get his double hundred. Particularly his 100 to 200 took just around 40 or 45 balls, I think. What a knock!!!!!!
From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 31 2:22:31 2008.

link(s) please.

Vivasaayi wrote:

watching match online - batsman looks comfortable
From: Vivasaayi on Wed Dec 31 2:23:15 2008.

pm-ed u

From: thamizhvaanan on Wed Dec 31 2:26:37 2008.

http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/210170.html

NJ Astle's second hundred in his 222 v England at Christchurch in 2001/02 took 39 balls. Shocked

I think Astle played around only 150 balls to get his double hundred. Particularly his 100 to 200 took just around 40 or 45 balls, I think. What a knock!!!!!! Shocked

I have seen some of the shots in a highlights. Particularly those sixes btwn 100 and 200, they were wild swings across the line.

Do NZ's always fancy themselves while chasing? No wonder Vettori quipped that he has a lot of gamblers in his team

From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 31 2:29:23 2008.

Thanks Vicky. BTW Avatar is funny and cool.
From: Vivasaayi on Wed Dec 31 2:32:11 2008.

ajithfederer wrote:

Thanks Vicky. BTW Avatar is .

i loved the bear so much..dont remember any other movie that i have loved this much in the recent times...

From: littlemaster1982 on Wed Dec 31 2:34:02 2008.

adhE adhE !

Astle played like a madman

I have seen some of the shots in a highlights. Particularly those sixes btwn 100 and 200, they were wild swings across the line.

I watched the highlights after the test ended. Out of 11 sixes he hit only one was a mishit (behind the keepers' head). Others were clean strikes. One of the best innings I've seen

From: thamizhvaanan on Wed Dec 31 2:34:18 2008.

Shakib approaching a century and Rahim is approaching half century!!!

Anyway, a splendid century by Ashraful as well
From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 31 2:35:50 2008.

The most enjoyable film of 2008.

Vivasaayi wrote:

ajithfederer wrote:

Thanks Vicky. BTW Avatar is .

i loved the bear so much..dont remember any other movie that i have loved this much in the recent times...

From: Vivasaayi on Wed Dec 31 2:37:41 2008.

yeah

The most enjoyable film of 2008. Thumbs Up!

i loved the bear so much..dont remember any other movie that i have loved this much in the recent times...

Thanks Vicky. BTW Avatar is Cool

From: Vivasaayi on Wed Dec 31 2:42:34 2008.

400 up with a four
From: directhit on Wed Dec 31 2:43:37 2008.

wow - i want em to cross 451 the least and winning it wud be super cool
From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 31 2:44:53 2008.

oh sh!@ he played on
From: directhit on Wed Dec 31 2:45:11 2008.
From: Vivasaayi on Wed Dec 31 2:45:33 2008.

oooo

From: thamizhvaanan on Wed Dec 31 2:47:03 2008.

Shakib out!

Ivanga konjam confidence vandha odaney shots aada arambichuduvaanga! The previous boundary he scored, apparently he was shuffling across the crease!

Quote:

Prasad to Shakib Al Hasan, FOUR, Shakib's making it look all too easy here, he shuffles across to a good length ball and pulls past the vacant square leg region, he knows the field at the back of his palm as he bisects the gap on the on side

From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 31 2:56:29 2008.

Mortaza is gone too.
From: P_R on Wed Dec 31 3:00:24 2008.

ajithfederer wrote:

Mortaza is gone too.

oooo-ooo

romba nallA aaduneenga thambi

From: steveaustin on Wed Dec 31 4:11:22 2008.

Quote:

Brave Bangladesh fall 107 short Embarassed

My heart goes out for Bangladesh. The way they chased was exemplary and worth travelling miles to watch. Each one of their top order batsmen did their job and still found themselves short. Commendable performance by Sri Lanka too, as they kept their nerve under pressure and pulled off the win. Am sure people would remember it for years to come

Shakib Al Hasan is the man of the match

From: Sourav on Wed Dec 31 6:44:25 2008.

Prabhu Ram wrote:

ajithfederer wrote:

Mortaza is gone too.

romba nallA aaduneenga thambi
From: Raghu on Wed Dec 31 9:34:59 2008.

i never expected this from the bengal tigers, well played

i was expecting an innings defeat to bang
From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 31 11:52:46 2008.

are you a Indian cricket fan?
Watching the Australia-South Africa series has been an education in how much India have lost in recent years as a cricketing nation.

We may have the better players, more stadiums, infinitely more money and the loudest voice in world cricket but in one are we have regressed. Indian fans have, in recent years, become an embarrassment. It was wonderful to see the Melbourne crowd (around 42,000, which would be large in most stadiums, but filled less than half of MCG) responding to cricket's latest star Jean Paul Duminy.

As the left hander approached his century, the crowds began to rev up, and when he got to the mark, they exploded, cheering with delight and letting the player know how much they appreciated his batting in a crisis. It was heart warming, it was old fashioned, it elevated the game itself. And this, from Australians, otherwise notorious for their 'toughness' and refusal to concede an inch.

To be tough is not to be boorish or foolishly jingoistic. Australians rose as one man at every stadium whenever Sachin Tendulkar went out to bat in the last series. They knew they were watching him for the last time, and it was a way of saying thank you for the many years of fighting batsmanship. Compare that with the reception another contemporary great, Javed Miandad, received in Bangalore during the 1996 World Cup. He was booed all the way to wicket.

Today, a visiting cricketer has little chance of being roundly applauded in many of our stadiums. Centuries are received in stunned silence - as if by scoring a hundred, a Ponting or a Hayden has somehow upset the natural order of things. A boundary by a visitor almost passes unnoticed by a crowd which cheers every time an Ishant Sharma plays the forward defensive stroke.

When did this turnaround take place? It wasn't always thus. There was a time when India did not necessarily have the best cricket team in the world, but they had the biggest crowds at the venues. And it was a fair crowd - appreciative of good performances on the field regardless of the team it came from. The Gavaskars and the Vishwanaths were heroes, but so were the visitors like Tony Greig and Derek Randall and Graham McKenzie and Viv Richards and Clive Lloyd. In the first-ever Test match hosted by Bangalore, Lloyd made a brutal 163 and he was cheered every run of the way; Alvin Kallicharan made a classy 124, and he too was cheered as much for his skill on a turning track as for his subtlety and touch.
Now we expect Tendulkar to score a century every time he goes out to bat. This modern great has been jeered at in his own hometown, Mumbai. The Indian captain has been booed in Kolkata. Indian spectators expect too much from their players, and are not shy of expressing their disappointment when things go wrong. Nor do they find it necessary to cheer a visiting player when he performs. This is embarrassing.
Over the years, Indian players have been feted abroad: Gavaskar in the West Indies, Chandrasekhar in Australia, Kapil Dev in England, Tendulkar everywhere - yet few players from abroad have enjoyed similar status in India. Crowds pray that Ricky Ponting does not make another century and get closer to Tendulkar - everything is seen in terms of statistics.
Duminy will remember his maiden century as much for what it meant to the team as for the way it was received by rival fans. India's fandom can be summed up in the reaction to Mahendra Singh Dhoni. When India bowed out of the World Cup in 2007, the walls of his house under construction were pulled down and stones were pelted. Now his fans want to build a temple where he is the presiding deity. Enough said.

http://www.dreamcricket.com/dreamcricket/news.hspl?nid=10793&ntid=3
From: littlemaster1982 on Wed Dec 31 12:10:17 2008.

Hard hitting article. Especially the last two lines

From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 31 12:25:51 2008.

Nathan Astle 222

littlemaster1982 wrote:

Prabhu Ram wrote:

directhit wrote:

adhE adhE !

Astle played like a madman

thamizhvaanan wrote:

I have seen some of the shots in a highlights. Particularly those sixes btwn 100 and 200, they were wild swings across the line.

I watched the highlights after the test ended. Out of 11 sixes he hit only one was a mishit (behind the keepers' head). Others were clean strikes. One of the best innings I've seen Not Worthy

From: thamizhvaanan on Wed Dec 31 13:20:37 2008.

From: P_R on Wed Dec 31 14:41:03 2008.

Seems like that is still only the second best score on 4th innings. Highest one is England's 654 for five against South Africa at Durban in 1938-39.

http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1930S/1938-39/ENG_IN_RSA/ENG_RSA_T5_03-14MAR1939.html

They played for bloody 9 days Shocked

From: thamizhvaanan on Wed Dec 31 13:22:47 2008.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

Hard hitting article. Especially the last two lines

eventhough I agree with much of the article, I wouldn't accept that australian crowd are angels. They are quite notorious for booing at unpopular players(murali). Ofcourse nothing can beat our educated crowd's projectile assaults
From: Sourav on Wed Dec 31 13:59:45 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBAMDCv5c9A&NR=1
From: Sourav on Wed Dec 31 14:14:53 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGwpch06PGs&feature=related epdilllam out panrangeppa...

Oh yeah..those were the days of unending tests. Everything was played to finish.

One of the matches - I am not sure if this was the one - ended because the visitors' ship was leaving the next day

From: Sourav on Wed Dec 31 22:33:06 2008.

2009 schedule:
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=TOICH/2009/01/01/23/Img/Ar0230001.png

From: thamizhvaanan on Thu Jan 1 4:52:32 2009.

Oh yeah..those were the days of unending tests. Everything was played to finish.

One of the matches - I am not sure if this was the one - ended because the visitors' ship was leaving the next day Laughing

Yes PR, this is the one! And they bowled 218 8 ball overs in the 4th innings alone

Seems like India has quite a good presence in highest 4th innings scores. This particular match against England in 1979 comes as a complete revelation for me!

India was chasing 438 runs in pursuit of victory and in the end we fell just 9 runs short! We speak of how Sehwag exhibhited belief in chasing 382 runs but imagine how much self-belief went into this chase, especially considering the time period! And at the end of 4th day, they weren't at a strong 130 for 1 but rather a humble 70/0 at stumps. Just read this story from wisden archives

Quote:

Fourth Cornhill Test, The Oval
England v India 1979
Terry Cooper

Toss: England. Test debuts: England - D.L.Bairstow, A.R.Butcher.

The match was drawn after the most gripping closing overs in a home Test since the draw at Lord's against West Indies in 1963, a match it closely resembled as all four results were possible with three balls left. Gavaskar's inspiring and technically flawless 221 earned him the Man of the Match award and brought that rarity in recent Tests in England - a final day charged with interest. Botham played the major part in preventing an Indian victory and confirmed his status as Man of the Series. As the team fought each other to a standstill, there were mainly Englishmen in the crowd who would not have displayed their customary dejection at a Test defeat.

Gavaskar's innings was the highest by an Indian against England, overtaking the unbeaten 203 by the younger Nawab of Pataudi at Delhi in 1963-64, and his stand of 213 with Chauhan surpassed the previous-best opening partnership for his country against England - 203 by Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Merchant at Manchester in 1936. India's 429 for eight - they were set 438 in 500 minutes - was the fourth-highest score in the fourth innings of a Test. To reach their target they would have needed to set a new mark for a side batting fourth and winning, but this generation of Indian batsmen have some notable performances in that department and the job did not frighten them.

England gave first caps to Butcher and Bairstow, omitting Randall and Taylor, while Willey returned after a gap of three years for Miller. Yajurvindra Singh replaced the injured Amarnath for India.

The game, played in virtually unbroken sunshine, began prosaically as Butcher and Boycott dug in without attempting to dominate. Butcher's disappointing innings ended in the over before lunch and Kapil Dev, as at Leeds, extended the breakthrough by taking two quick wickets. He slanted one into Boycott, and three balls later made one straighten at Gower, who he had also claimed lbw for a duck at Headingley. Willey and Gooch repaired the damage, Willey playing the strokes of the day by hooking and cover-driving with immense power. Botham achieved the three runs he needed to reach the landmark of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in his 21st Test, beating the 23 Tests required by Vinoo Mankad for this double. But Gooch's first Test century still eluded him; he fell in the first over of the second day.

Botham, as bowler and fielder, sent India sliding into trouble, taking two wickets and holding two catches, and India had subsided to 137 for five when bad light halted the game 40 minutes early. Botham's second catch was remarkable. Bairstow could only parry the ball when Vengsarkar edged Willis. The ball struck Brearley on the boot, flew upwards, and as Bairstow came across to retrieve it, Botham grabbed it one-handed at second slip. Viswanath had played exquisitely for almost three hours.

England were batting again by lunch on Saturday. The regular fall of wickets, caused by much batting below Test class from both sides, had driven the match along swifter than the normal sedate progress of a Test, and this was, of course, an important factor in allowing the marvellous finish.

Butcher was unable to improve significantly on his first innings form. Gooch drove one vast six, but when Gower failed again, Willey and Boycott decided on rather pedestrian consolidation over the last 75 minutes. Later events proved their caution justified. Boycott toiled with the handicap of back trouble on the Monday in the last three hours of his seven-hour effort, Botham was run out, neglecting to ascertain Boycott's intentions as he charged up the pitch, and so England were indebted to a crisp knock from Bairstow as they moved to their declaration.

At 76 for no wicket on the fifth morning, India wanted roughly a run a minute. Their rate was never brisk - 48 in the first hour, 45 in the second, and 44 in the third. Hendrick, allowing only 11 runs in six overs, did most to peg India's progress and, in mid-afternoon, Willey conceded only two runs in eight grudging overs. However, Hendrick disappeared for good with shoulder trouble after his spell, and Brearley's capacity for restriction was limited.

England were despairing of wickets when, after five and a quarter hours, Chauhan edged Willis. The despair soon returned as Vengsarkar joined Gavaskar in an accelerating stand which produced 153 at better than a run a minute. Gavaskar masterminded the show, doing all the thinking and playing most of the shots. Tea came at 304 for one and, after a mere six overs between the interval and five o'clock - England ruthlessly slowed down the game - the last 20 overs began at 328 for one with 110 wanted, and India favourites.

At 365 Botham uncharacteristically dropped Vengsarkar on the boundary - an error for which he swiftly compensated by transforming the match with three wickets, a catch and a run-out in the remaining 12 overs. He collected a simple catch off Vengsarkar at 366 and Willey swept aside the promoted Kapil Dev. Yashpal Sharma and Gavaskar rattled the score along to 389, when Botham returned with eight overs left. It was a gamble by Brearley, for Botham had looked innocuous during the day. But he struck with the key wicket, Gavaskar drilling a catch to mid-on shortly after England had taken a drinks break - a rare move, tactically based, with the end so near. Gavaskar's memorable innings lasted eight hours nine minutes, and he hit twenty-one fours, most of them coming from firm clips past mid-wicket and his unexpectedly powerful cover-drive. However, his cool control of the developing crisis was missed by India as much as his runs.

Viswanath unerringly found one of the widely spaced fielders, as had Vengsarkar and Gavaskar. Then Botham firmly ended India's hopes by having Yajurvindra Singh and Yashpal Sharma lbw in successive overs and, in between, making a slick stop to run out Venkataraghavan. Botham's final four overs brought him an absolutely crucuial three for 17. A target of 15 from the last over was too much, and the climax came with fielders encircling the bat.

From: Vivasaayi on Thu Jan 1 5:50:51 2009.

sourav wrote:

2009 schedule:
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=TOICH/2009/01/01/23/Img/Ar0230001.png

looking at dhonis shot in this page

"indhiyavulaye...yen woldulaye..ipdi oru shot velaya mudiyumna adhu anja singam dhoninala mattum than mudiyum"

From: mgb on Thu Jan 1 11:23:04 2009.

TV.. that was an epic innings by Sunny and you havent heard it before

I think Venkatraghavan was the captain. He preferred Bharat Reddy as WK and we lost this match just by the quantum of byes conceded by Bharat reddy

Venkat heard his removal from captaincy by the selectors through a radio news, when he was waiting for his flght to chennai from mumbai

From: thamizhvaanan on Thu Jan 1 12:01:42 2009.

mgb wrote:

TV.. that was an epic innings by Sunny and you havent heard it before

avara yaaru naan porakradhuku munnadiye apdi aada sonnadhu

Seriously, I 've heard of the succesful chase in Windies a lot of times but don't remember anything such as this being discussed.

From: sivank on Thu Jan 1 15:35:33 2009.

mgb wrote:

TV.. that was an epic innings by Sunny and you havent heard it before Mad

I think Venkatraghavan was the captain. He preferred Bharat Reddy as WK and we lost this match just by the quantum of byes conceded by Bharat reddy Evil or Very Mad

Venkat heard his removal from captaincy by the selectors through a radio news, when he was waiting for his flght to chennai from mumbai Sad

We were hearing this match through Radio. All felt that Venkat made a mistake of not sending Vishwanath on his customary 2 down. Kapildev was sent and he tried to hit the first ball itself out of the ground and was caught. To our utter horror Yashpal came instead of Vishy. Inbetween Botham came and got Sunny out for 221. The 11 runs Bharat Reddy conceded as byes were the runs we needed to win.

Kirmani made lot of mistakes during the WI tour and the bowler who suffered most was Venkat. As venkat became the captain for the 1979 world cup and England tour, he omitted Kirmani and took Bharat Reddy
who took 11 dismissals in 5 innings wich was a record then. Normally a good batsman, he couldn�t do much with bat. Those were only 4 Tests Bharat Reddy ever played for India

From: P_R on Fri Jan 2 16:04:35 2009.

Jayawardene - 100 tests

I nice write-up by colleague and admirer Kumar Sangakkara.
I have noticed that Kumar Sangakkara always speaks very highly of Jeyawardene. I thoroughly enjoy Sangakkara's batting though.

After de Silva and Jayasuriya, Sangakkara is easily the most impressive Lankan batsman for me. The fluidity, the mix of attack and defense, array of shots are all extremely enjoyable. I would actually put Jayawardene a notch below - but next only to - Sangakkara.
From: ajithfederer on Sat Jan 3 1:45:50 2009.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/engine/current/match/351683.html

Aus 189/5 @ session 3

Ponting golden duck
From: P_R on Sat Jan 3 2:03:03 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

Ponting golden duck

aahaa eNNa oru uyarndha uLLAm
From: ajithfederer on Sat Jan 3 2:08:37 2009.

Naaay andha naay ....kulaikudhu paar (ala Refer my avatar)

Prabhu Ram wrote:

ajithfederer wrote:

Ponting golden duck

aahaa eNNa oru uyarndha uLLAm
From: ajithfederer on Sat Jan 3 3:07:40 2009.

Even stevens @ end of day 1

267/6
From: Sourav on Sat Jan 3 9:57:58 2009.

SL vs Ban and NZ vs WI....no channel is telecasting these series in india.....
No matches for India toooo....
Boring...
From: ajithfederer on Sat Jan 3 15:55:24 2009.

5 Fours by Abdul Razzaq vs McGrath in one over
From: ajithfederer on Sat Jan 3 16:08:40 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re0DzDzCp2o&feature=related

Vintage Test cricket. Allan Donald steaming in to Steve Waugh
From: ajithfederer on Sat Jan 3 16:31:21 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrcZCDttTIk&feature=related

Misbah ul haq

I love the name of this video
From: ajithfederer on Sat Jan 3 17:20:42 2009.

Pioneers of Cricket Waqar Younis PART 2

Pioneers of Cricket Waqar Younis PART 1

Waqar talks on his career at depth. Must watch
From: ajithfederer on Sat Jan 3 17:29:35 2009.

Now onto Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram Pioneers of Cricket 1

Wasim Akram Pioneers of Cricket 2of2

Must must watch
From: steveaustin on Sun Jan 4 2:00:28 2009.

Australia - 445 allout...

This Australian team still shows that they can fight particularly the tail.
M. Clarke - 138
M. Johnson - 64 (Seems best current No.10 batsman in the world)

Solid positive reply from SA - 76/0
G.Smith - 30 (retired hurt)
From: steveaustin on Sun Jan 4 2:02:48 2009.

SL Vs BAN

SL - 384 allout
Just 8 runs added to their overnight score....

BAN - 51/3 at lunch

Bangladesh hope rests on Ashraful who is currently batting on 13.
From: steveaustin on Sun Jan 4 5:45:04 2009.

AUS vs SA

Australia 445
South Africa 125/1 (39.0 ov)

I have not seen Kallis ever played so agressively, in Tests, which is a good sign for SA. Partnership worth 49 runs. Of which, Kallis scored 36 runs.

JH Kallis - 36*
HM Amla - 30*
From: steveaustin on Sun Jan 4 5:54:35 2009.

SL Vs BAN

Sri Lanka 384
Bangladesh 185/9 (73.2 ov)

Bangladesh averted the follow-on. For BAN, Ashraful topscored with 45 runs. Mortaza who is looking to overtake Ashraful, playing sensibly and looking too good with 41 runs.

For SL, Vaas did the early damage. And then Mendis magic did the trick. Veteran Master Murali pulled a rabbit out of his hat by dismissing well settled Ashraful, who lost his wicket to an ill-timed reverse sweep.

Mendis - 4/56
From: ajithfederer on Tue Jan 6 13:45:13 2009.

http://usa.cricinfo.com/db/INTERACTIVE/FEATURES/CIAWARDS08/awards2008.html

Interested hubbers can vote for cricinfo awards at the above link. Major Indian nominees are sachin shewag, harbhajan and yuvraj singh.
From: ajithfederer on Tue Jan 6 13:52:01 2009.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/engine/current/match/351683.html

Australia 445 & 257/4d
South Africa 327 & 62/1 (26.0 ov)

South Africa require another 314 runs with 9 wickets remaining

I don't see a draw on the final day unless rain interferes. A clear victory for cricket in this test series.
to both SA and Australia for one great series. I would be happy if either Australia/SA win this match
From: ajithfederer on Tue Jan 6 22:09:32 2009.

You just dropped the World cup mate
From: Thirumaran on Wed Jan 7 0:21:48 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

I would be happy if either Australia/SA win
this match

BTW Aussies will be winning the game. only 2 wickets left

Injury of Smith while the match was on and dropped catches from SA in the first innings cost the match for them

Any way well done SA

From: ajithfederer on Wed Jan 7 0:33:58 2009.

hehhehe..
TM anne avanga paavam. Kadandha 3 maasama neraya match thothutaainga idhu onnavadhu jeikkatum No Teeth

Thirumaran wrote:

BTW Aussies will be winning the game. only 2 wickets left Sad

I would be happy if either Australia/SA win
this match Mr. Green

Injury of Smith while the match was on and dropped catches from SA in the first innings cost the match for them Mad

Any way well done SA Clap

From: Thirumaran on Wed Jan 7 0:49:46 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

TM anne avanga paavam. Kadandha 3 maasama neraya match thothutaainga idhu onnavadhu jeikkatum

thirunthura jenmangalaa irunthaa vidalaam.. innaikku kooda they were involved in abusing the batsman SA win panni irunthaa first place poi irukku
From: ajithfederer on Wed Jan 7 0:55:00 2009.

What happened

I heard that Ponting did a sydney 2008 to get kallis wicket.
From: Thirumaran on Wed Jan 7 0:59:20 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

What happened

I heard that Ponting did a sydney 2008 to get kallis wicket.

I did not see much. Only in parts. When Ab.De hit a four as usual the bowler was uttering some harsh words to Ab de Dont know the bowler name
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 1:59:49 2009.

gud last wicket (practicaly) partnership goin on fr SA.
Current partnership - 45 runs, 15.5 overs, RR: 2.84 (Ntini 16, Steyn 17)
Min overs remaining - 10.0
:nailbiting:
From: Thirumaran on Wed Jan 7 2:06:13 2009.

only 8 overs to go Anyway Good batting
From: Thirumaran on Wed Jan 7 2:06:48 2009.

solli mudikala. out aayitaapla
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:07:42 2009.
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:08:04 2009.

Smith comes in
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:10:38 2009.

What a moment ...Smith walks out to fight for his team ...broken hand and all ..the SCG rises to applaud.
From: Thirumaran on Wed Jan 7 2:10:59 2009.

sgokulprathap wrote:

Smith comes in
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:11:12 2009.

Bollinger to Ntini, no run, Hayden's dropped an absolute sitter!, Ntini opened the face of the bat and edged a delivery which angled across him straight to first slip, Hayden got two hands to it towards his right and messed it up
From: ajithfederer on Wed Jan 7 2:12:20 2009.

What a moment ...Smith walks out to fight for his team ...broken hand and all ..the SCG rises to applaud

From: P_R on Wed Jan 7 2:15:01 2009.

Quote:

Bollinger to Ntini, no run, Hayden's dropped an absolute sitter!, Ntini opened the face of the bat and edged a delivery which angled across him straight to first slip, Hayden got two hands to it towards his right and messed it up, Ponting turns away!

Saniyan double cot pOttu pakkaththula paduththirukkAnE dA !

From: Thirumaran on Wed Jan 7 2:16:25 2009.

In the previous over too Ntini was dropped

Quote:

Saniyan double cot pOttu pakkaththula paduththirukkAnE dA ! Laughing

From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:16:42 2009.

Min overs remaining 6.0
From: directhit on Wed Jan 7 2:16:54 2009.
From: Thirumaran on Wed Jan 7 2:21:09 2009.

only 5 overs
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:26:13 2009.

4 overs...
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:28:27 2009.

meanwhile NZ beat WI in 3rd ODI by 7 wickets.
Series 1-1
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:29:18 2009.

This is now the longest Ntini has ever batted in a Test against Australia, and the most balls he's ever faced versus them.
From: directhit on Wed Jan 7 2:30:49 2009.

3 overs
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:32:33 2009.

Smith and Ntini share words. Ntini nods his head, Smith chews his gum. Five balls to go.
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:33:55 2009.

113.5 Hauritz to Ntini, FOUR, brave stroke! Ntini gets down and heaves with the spin over mid-on
113.4 Hauritz to Ntini, FOUR, with no mid-on in place, Ntini uses his feet and hammers it straight
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:34:10 2009.

2 overs...
From: directhit on Wed Jan 7 2:36:14 2009.

Aus Win to both teams
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:36:24 2009.

Aus won.
From: hamid on Wed Jan 7 2:36:29 2009.

Smith is out.. brave effort...Smith & SA
From: ajithfederer on Wed Jan 7 2:36:41 2009.

SCG last year and now this year
From: Thirumaran on Wed Jan 7 2:38:31 2009.
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:40:17 2009.

SA unfortunate with dismissals of Kallis & Boucher.

35.3 McDonald to Kallis, OUT, oh well held, McDonald .. or not? Pitches it up down the stumps, Kallis goes back and starts to turn it to the on side, but the ball takes a leading edge and balloons back up in the air towards the bowler, who flings himself to his right in his follow through and looks like he's taken a stunner ... his team-mates converge but Kallis asks for confirmation, and McDonald admits he's not sure. To the naked eye it looked like he took it, Ponting sticks up a finger even before the umpires are consulted, and after numerous analysis Kallis is adjudged out. Thats a very, very tough call. One angle indicates he took it, the straight view says something else. I'm not convinced he took it.

JH Kallis c & b McDonald 4 (25m 13b 0x4 0x6) SR: 30.76

76.5 Siddle to Boucher, OUT, thats a poor decision from Asoka de Silva, the ball is delivered from wide of the crease, a quick full toss that Boucher cannot pick as he shuffles across towards off stump, it strikes him very high on the pad and would have missed leg stump by some distance

MV Boucher lbw b Siddle 4 (26m 25b 0x4 0x6) SR: 16.00
From: directhit on Wed Jan 7 2:41:49 2009.

sgokulprathap wrote:

To the naked eye it looked like he took it, Ponting sticks up a finger even before the umpires are consulted, and after numerous analysis Kallis is adjudged out.
he did that again

From: ajithfederer on Wed Jan 7 2:43:34 2009.

Yes and that was what i was referring in the prev page.

To the naked eye it looked like he took it, Ponting sticks up a finger even before the umpires are consulted, and after numerous analysis Kallis is adjudged out.

he did that again Mad

From: ajithfederer on Wed Jan 7 2:44:10 2009.

Dig //
TM,

a good avatar
dig ends//

From: directhit on Wed Jan 7 2:45:00 2009.

Yes and that was what i was referring in the prev page.

To the naked eye it looked like he took it, Ponting sticks up a finger even before the umpires are consulted, and after numerous analysis Kallis is adjudged out.

he did that again Mad

ha ha i thought he took a grassed catch

they did a lot of stuff at sydney, so didnt know which one

From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:51:39 2009.

sgokulprathap wrote:

35.3 McDonald to Kallis, OUT, his team-mates converge but Kallis asks for confirmation, and McDonald admits he's not sure.
no problem, 4th umpire Ponting is sure.

From: ajithfederer on Wed Jan 7 2:52:16 2009.

35.3 McDonald to Kallis, OUT, his team-mates converge but Kallis asks for confirmation, and McDonald admits he's not sure.

no problem, 4th umpire Ponting is sure. Laughing

From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:52:25 2009.

After the 3 Mobile CEO gets done thanking the teams, captains, fans, viewers, umpires and pledges his company's sponsorship to Australia till 2013, he announces the Man of the Match. And its Peter Siddle, who took eight wickets in the match. Siddle: "Its been tough work. I'm very pleased with how I'm going. I thought there was always a chance, its funny how Test cricket works out. Its my first Test series and I need to look to the future and I cant wait for the next few matches."

Now the Man of the Series, which is Smith for his 326 runs. "Things got close and I got nervous," he says. "Once AB got out and the tail was in I decided I would go in but then the guys held out pretty well. It was great to see."
From: hamid on Wed Jan 7 2:52:29 2009.

Now the Man of the Series, which is Smith for his 326 runs. "Things got close and I got nervous," he says. "Once AB got out and the tail was in I decided I would go in but then the guys held out pretty well. It was great to see."
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:53:21 2009.

Smith

From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 2:57:31 2009.

35.3 McDonald to Kallis, OUT, his team-mates converge but Kallis asks for confirmation, and McDonald admits he's not sure.

no problem, 4th umpire Ponting is sure. Laughing

In future, Ponting wud rise the finger evn b4 the ball is bowled to win a consolation match against Ban / Zim.

From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 3:00:10 2009.

Test Rankings:
1) Aus - 126
2) SA - 121
3) Ind - 118
4) SL - 109
5) Eng - 103
6) Pak - 100
7) WI - 81
8) NZ - 81
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 3:02:35 2009.

Ind is next playin NZ in NZ.
Its important fr Ind to win NZ series.
If India lose or draw the NZ series, India's ranking wud substantially come down as NZ is ranked very low.
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 3:04:50 2009.

Ponting steps up to the stage: "I'm proud with the way we've played all series. We were in some good positions but couldn't hold on. Congrats to Mickey and Graeme, their side was behind the eight-ball on a few occasions but came back well and thats the sign of a great side. Here, the weather held off and we were able to win."
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Jan 7 3:05:33 2009.

Smith comes back to accept the series trophy. The SCG cheers. "I think 2008 was an extremely successful year for us and this series was played in great spirit. Thanks to CA, the fans, and Ricky and his team. I'm really chuffed to be on the winning side for once."
From: HonestRaj on Wed Jan 7 8:28:56 2009.

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/385569.html

Australia-West Indies XI: Gordon Greenidge, Matthew Hayden, Vivian Richards, Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara, Adam Gilchrist (wkt), Shane Warne (capt), Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Joel Garner, Glenn McGrath.

Rest of Time XI: Sunil Gavaskar, Len Hutton, George Headley, Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Garry Sobers, Keith Miller (capt), Alan Knott (wkt), Dennis Lillee, SF Barnes, Muttiah Muralitharan.
From: HonestRaj on Wed Jan 7 8:34:50 2009.

England in crisis - Pietersen and Moores resign

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/385633.html
From: sgokulprathap on Thu Jan 8 0:12:56 2009.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 9 13:51:38 2009.

HonestRaj wrote:

England in crisis - Pietersen and Moores resign

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/385633.html

Strauss is the new captain.
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 9 14:01:28 2009.

I checked the future fixtures for Australian and Indian teams in cricinfo. Australians have NZ coming in for 2 Test matches and they travel to South Africa for 3 Test matches(Most expected Tour) and then to good Old Ashes in July/August for 5 Test Matches.

India have just 2 test matches in NZ and i heard that BCCI is probing for a 3rd test supported by NZ Captain Daniel Vettori. Not very sure about the so said Srilankan tour and the west indian tour itenary doesnt have any test matches.

Australia and South Africa have a good chance to compete intensely for the Test Number one spot and India I feel will be left behind with very less number of test matches. Ponting has a good chance to close in the the run quest gap with Thalaivar. Ponting is at 10750 from 128 tests and sir is at 12429 from 156.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 9 14:04:39 2009.

maams, Feb-la SL India-ku varAnga! Not sure about the exact fixtures.
Yeah! Ponting ozhiga!
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 9 14:09:06 2009.

Maams,

. Ponting's quest may spur Sachin to much more crucial knocks.
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 9 14:10:47 2009.

One thing i like with Cricket Australia is every year they have a Boxing Day Test(Dec 26th) match no matter what to entertain the christmas holiday audiences . Their plan everything so ahead perfectly.

Same cannot be said with BCCI. Diwali kku kooda andha madhiri edhuvum senja madhiri enaku nyabagam illa
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 9 14:14:19 2009.

Tell you what, I saw a 20-20 match last week between Australia Vs All Stars [Players from Australia, but not in the Australia XI]. Hayden asked couple of kids to field and was guiding them when the match was going on. Nice to see
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 9 14:16:39 2009.

Hayden was left out of the tonty-20 squad though. There are intense rumors that he may be dropped from the test squad also .

From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Jan 9 14:32:56 2009.

One thing i like with Cricket Australia is every year they have a Boxing Day Test(Dec 26th) match no matter what to entertain the christmas holiday audiences Clap

. Their plan everything so ahead perfectly.

Same cannot be said with BCCI. Diwali kku kooda andha madhiri edhuvum senja madhiri enaku nyabagam illa LOL

We used to have matches on Diwali or the next day. I remember three such matches.

Ind vs NZ in 1994. Nov 3 is the date I guess. Sachin scored 62.

Ind vs NZ in 1999. Nov 8. Sachin scored 186*

Ind vs Pak in 2007. Nov 8. Sachin scored 99

From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 9 14:42:22 2009.

LM, Distinctly remember the last two matches.

I could also remember the first one was a tri-series along with West Indies. Perhaps the very last tour(??) that Brian Lara ever made it to the Indian soil other than the 1996 world cup. Did Windies and Lara came for any tour post 2000 to India, i mean??. Thalaivar was in severe punishment mode in the 1994 tour. NZ bowlers especially Dion Nash were hammered Laughing

.

There was a test match where Cameron Cuffy and Walsh hitted every Indian batsman. Manoj Prabakar had a broken nose ROTFL

One thing i like with Cricket Australia is every year they have a Boxing Day Test(Dec 26th) match no matter what to entertain the christmas holiday audiences Clap

. Their plan everything so ahead perfectly.

Same cannot be said with BCCI. Diwali kku kooda andha madhiri edhuvum senja madhiri enaku nyabagam illa LOL

From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Jan 9 14:48:29 2009.

I remember the first match too. That was probably the last time Thalaivar played wearing a cap Razz

Azhar crossed 5000 runs in that match and the spectators started chasing him Laughing

He ran the whole ground.

The test match you were mentioning is the third test which we lost badly.

And Lara and WI visited India in 2007. Ganguly's comeback series. Lara scored a 50 in Chennai match where Sachin and Dravid scored 60 each. Lara's only decent innings in Indian soil Razz

.

There was a test match where Cameron Cuffy and Walsh hitted every Indian batsman. Manoj Prabakar had a broken nose ROTFL

One thing i like with Cricket Australia is every year they have a Boxing Day Test(Dec 26th) match no matter what to entertain the christmas holiday audiences Clap

. Their plan everything so ahead perfectly.

Same cannot be said with BCCI. Diwali kku kooda andha madhiri edhuvum senja madhiri enaku nyabagam illa LOL

From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Jan 9 14:54:32 2009.

Just got to see this in Statsguru. Thalaivar had knocked the wind out of NZ and WI in the month of November 1994.

62 v New Zealand Delhi 3-Nov-94
66 v West Indies Kolkata 5-Nov-94
54 v West Indies Visakhapatnam 7-Nov-94
88 v West Indies Cuttack 9-Nov-94
105 v West Indies Jaipur 11-Nov-94

See the match dates
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 9 14:57:32 2009.

LM, lets move the discussion to Thalaivar thread

http://mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?p=1651623#1651623
From: Sourav on Fri Jan 9 21:43:43 2009.

Tomorrow, 11-01-09.
Aus Vs SA T20.
2.00 Pm IST.
Star Cricket.

Hayden-i thookittanga...

From: Sourav on Fri Jan 9 22:29:25 2009.

Quote:

Selectors drag feet over Hayden

Melbourne: Matthew Hayden�s Test future looked more bleak after Australian selectors refused to guarantee him a place for the tour to South Africa and the next Ashes series.
Hayden was axed from the One-day and T20 sides after he failed to convince the selectors of his utility in the side in the just-concluded series against South Africa.
Hayden flew home to Brisbane with wife Kellie and three children for some soul-searching that would determine whether he attempts to make tours of South Africa and England. There was a distinct change in the tone of selection chairman Andrew Hilditch, who, after the opener�s unconvincing scores of 31 and 39 in Sydney, has retreated from the previous statements that he wanted the 37-year-old at the top of the order for the two important tours.
�I have made it very clear that our advance plans were for Matthew Hayden to go through to the end of the Ashes. That would be our ideal outcome. We have got to sit down as a selection panel and make a decision whether that is still the way we want to go,� Hilditch was quoted as saying in The Age.
Hayden said he intends to represent Queensland in the next Sheffield Shield game against Western Australia from Jan 30, but may choose to walk away on his own terms.
�The flame does burn within and I guess that may be the hardest part to reckon with,� Hayden said.
�It is as simple as playing out the summer, being committed to that, and taking the time and the energy to just get back on the horse or make a decision not to. I think it is in my court. I will take that time because I respect this team and if I don�t feel I am contributing to that culture, not just in runs but in terms of being a senior player and a bit of a custodian to the old school of our great game, then I will be knocking on the selectors� doors.�
The touring party for South Africa will be chosen after the next round of Shield games. IANS

From: ajithfederer on Sat Jan 10 16:45:09 2009.

For a change
From: thamizhvaanan on Sun Jan 11 0:56:23 2009.

Botha is SA's one day captain? South african's surely have surprising choices for captaincy.

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/content/current/story/386055.html

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 11 1:39:10 2009.

South african's surely have surprising choices for captaincy.

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/content/current/story/386055.html

Botha is SA's one day captain? Shocked

kokka makkA!

From: P_R on Sun Jan 11 2:01:07 2009.

He was already stand-in captain for a few matches, right ?
In that useless matches where they bullied Kenya

Kallis, Boucher ellAm romba vayasAyoruchchu.

Hashim Amla or Ab de Villiers are more promising players.

From: thamizhvaanan on Sun Jan 11 2:11:38 2009.

He was already stand-in captain for a few matches, right ?
In that useless matches where they bullied Kenya

Kallis, Boucher ellAm romba vayasAyoruchchu.

Hashim Amla or Ab de Villiers are more promising players.

Yes! but still surprising to see someone who's place itself is not sure in the side.

Even when Smith was handed the captaincy, I was surprised similarly. He was very young and unproven then.

From: steveaustin on Sun Jan 11 9:20:03 2009.

Debutant Warner destroys South Africa

Australia 9 for 182 (Warner 89, Steyn 3-38) beat South Africa 130 (Duminy 78, D Hussey 3-25) by 52 runs

Quote:

Warner, 22, had already created history by simply playing the match; he was the first man to debut for Australia in any format without first-class experience since 1877. It's a fair bet he might get a game for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield after this performance.

Quote:

Warner raced to his half-century from 19 deliveries and it was the second-fastest in Twenty20 internationals, behind the brutal 12-ball effort of Yuvraj Singh when he put Stuart Broad away for six sixes in an over. The previous quickest for Australia was a comparatively unhurried 25-ball display from Andrew Symonds two years ago.

Quote:

South Africa's bowlers simply didn't know where to bowl to Warner. It was a sight that must have pleased the IPL Delhi Daredevils, who signed Warner last month on the strength of a couple of blitzes at state level.

From: littlemaster1982 on Sun Jan 11 9:30:10 2009.

I watched this guy's batting. Anything short of length was mercilessly whacked by him. SA's pedestrian bowling helped him a lot too.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 11 10:14:45 2009.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

I watched this guy's batting. Anything short of length was mercilessly whacked by him. SA's pedestrian bowling helped him a lot too.

Kallis was the opener!
From: steveaustin on Sun Jan 11 10:22:19 2009.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

I watched this guy's batting. Anything short of length was mercilessly whacked by him. SA's pedestrian bowling helped him a lot too.

LM,
Is he good technically?. From your post, it seems he is playing the way as Gilchrist played short of length deliveries. Is he good at drive, cut or flicks? Since he is only 22, he and Shane Marsh might have a chance to become good openers for Australia. Else Australia will go West Indies way which is not good for international cricket.

From: littlemaster1982 on Sun Jan 11 18:44:49 2009.

I watched this guy's batting. Anything short of length was mercilessly whacked by him. SA's pedestrian bowling helped him a lot too.

LM,
Is he good technically?. From your post, it seems he is playing the way as Gilchrist played short of length deliveries. Is he good at drive, cut or flicks? Since he is only 22, he and Shane Marsh might have a chance to become good openers for Australia. Else Australia will go West Indies way which is not good for international cricket.

I wouldn't say he is technically good. He pulls the short-pitched deliveries just like Gilchrist, but I didn't see him playing other shots that well. Some of the fours were streaky and he was trying to hit all the deliveries towards legside.

SA skipper brought Steyn late into the attack, by then he was well settled. SA bowling was way off the mark today and he made the most of it.

We have to wait and see how he copes up against quality bowling.

From: directhit on Sun Jan 11 21:52:45 2009.

steveaustin wrote:

It was a sight that must have pleased the IPL Delhi Daredevils, who signed Warner last month on the strength of a couple of blitzes at state level.
Delhi Sehwag/Gambhir and now this guy
From: ajithfederer on Mon Jan 12 11:10:48 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wsTcONIJ6w&feature=rec-HM-fresh+div

A bowling exhibition from one of our greatest bowlers in one of the best test series ever played.
From: ajithfederer on Mon Jan 12 11:20:12 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5G4pqb4nns&NR=1

Vintage West Indian Fast bowling - Raging Bull Ambrose 7/1 against Australia @ Australia.
From: Sourav on Mon Jan 12 22:25:49 2009.

Ajantha Mendis became the fastest bowler to complete 50 wickets in One-day Internationals

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOICH%2F2009%2F01%2F13&ViewMode=GIF&GZ=T&PageLabel=16&EntityId=Ar01604&AppName=1

funny to see agarkar's name there with mendis, lilliee, warne...
From: ajithfederer on Mon Jan 12 23:04:45 2009.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/386217.html

Opener walks away

Hayden announces his retirement

Cricinfo staff

January 13, 2009

Matthew Hayden has called an end to his cricket career � Getty Images

Matthew Hayden, Australia's most successful opening batsman, has ended a dire home Test campaign by deciding to step down from the team before he was pushed. Hayden, who was dropped from the limited-overs squads last Thursday, had initially hoped to quit after the Ashes, but confirmed his retirement at the Gabba on Tuesday morning.

Asked if he ideally wanted to go on until after the Ashes he said: "If it was, I believe I would be going on that tour. This is the point where I want to step off."

He will be given a public farewell at tonight's Twenty20 international at the Gabba, where he will appear at the innings break. Hayden said his retirement was from all representative cricket, effective immediately. He reached his decision on Saturday and said he had no concerns about what was to come in the next stage of his life.

"There's absolutely zero fear," Hayden said. "I've got zero regrets. I've tried to, rightly or wrongly, extract every ounce of whatever ability that I've been given and turn it into performance.

"At one stage on Saturday I was picking a crazy bush of wild tomatoes and talking with [his daughter] Grace. I think I've had enough, I want to be here. She said: 'Daddy, one more Christmas.' [I said]: 'This is time'."

Hayden, 37, had a difficult summer and managed only 149 runs at 16.55 from five Tests while hearing pleas for a significantly younger player to replace him. He was hindered by a heel injury in the off-season and never regained his spark, which was a shame considering his major contribution to the game in Australia over the past decade.

The first of Hayden's 103 Tests came in South Africa in 1993-94, when he replaced the injured Mark Taylor, but it was not until 2000 that he was finally able to secure a regular spot in the national side. He went to India and scored an Australia-record 549 runs in three matches and his place was not in danger until the 2005 Ashes tour. Ending that series with a century at The Oval, he produced four hundreds in consecutive games for the second time in his career.

No Australian opener has scored more Test runs than Hayden's 8625 - at an average of 50.73 - and his 30 hundreds place him behind Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh on the local list. The final time he reached three figures was against India in Adelaide 12 months ago. In the one-day arena there were 161 matches, 6133 runs, 10 hundreds and two World Cups.

Calls for Hayden to step down grew louder through the Australian summer and by the time he reached Sydney he was under immense pressure to make a decision on his future. He was given a standing ovation when he walked off the SCG, having made an unconvincing 39 in the second innings, but gave no hint on which way he would go.

With Hayden's departure, Australia need to decide on a new partner for Simon Katich for the upcoming Test tour of South Africa and then the Ashes. Contenders will include Phil Jaques, who will play grade cricket this weekend after recovering from back surgery, and there has also been support for Victoria's Chris Rogers and Phillip Hughes, a 20-year-old left-hander from New South Wales.

As Hayden made his announcement he was watched by the Australian Twenty20 squad, which lost him from its ranks last week, the former Queensland captain Jimmy Maher, Cricket Australia's general manager of cricket Michael Brown and the rugby union international David Croft. His wife Kellie stood at the back of the room, coming forward to collect her son Thomas after he went to sit with his Dad.

"I'm really excited, it's going to be great," Kellie said. "It's sad, it's been a great journey. I'm glad he's made the decision."

� Cricinfo
From: sgokulprathap on Tue Jan 13 7:40:03 2009.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Jan 13 7:51:22 2009.

Good bye Hayden!! Fantastic opener! wow....!
From: Sourav on Tue Jan 13 8:05:01 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Good bye Hayden!! Fantastic opener! wow....!
irukkura varaikum evlo thittanumo avlo thitta vendiyathu...pogum bothu wow....voov...nu peela vida vendiyathu...
GM: ennangada dei....
Welcome back to sports sec SS!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Jan 13 8:08:09 2009.

You see....adhu vandhu....adhula paaru.....
From: crajkumar_be on Tue Jan 13 8:12:31 2009.
From: directhit on Tue Jan 13 8:14:31 2009.

crajkumar_be wrote:

chennai kku aaduvaaru
From: crajkumar_be on Tue Jan 13 8:15:04 2009.

directhit wrote:

crajkumar_be wrote:

chennai kku aaduvaaru

Oh yeah! Adhu
From: ajithfederer on Tue Jan 13 10:12:38 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFJOdUvES_U&feature=related

Ambrose's Slower ball to healy
From: Vivasaayi on Tue Jan 13 10:36:52 2009.

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=F7UOy5thUig&feature=related

ambrose 7 for 1.

pace and bounce apdingradhu idhuthan!
From: ajithfederer on Tue Jan 13 13:39:26 2009.

Munna pinna adhuvum idhae page-la enna post pannirukaangannu paakuradhe illaya

Vivasaayi wrote:

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=F7UOy5thUig&feature=related

ambrose 7 for 1.

pace and bounce apdingradhu idhuthan!

From: littlemaster1982 on Tue Jan 13 13:44:39 2009.

Guess he got it from the related videos of "Ambrose's slower ball to Healy" Razz

Munna pinna adhuvum idhae page-la enna post pannirukaangannu paakuradhe illaya Twisted Evil

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=F7UOy5thUig&feature=related

ambrose 7 for 1.

pace and bounce apdingradhu idhuthan!

From: ajithfederer on Tue Jan 13 13:46:44 2009.

Yeah

Guess he got it from the related videos of "Ambrose's slower ball to Healy" Razz

Munna pinna adhuvum idhae page-la enna post pannirukaangannu paakuradhe illaya Twisted Evil

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=F7UOy5thUig&feature=related

ambrose 7 for 1.

pace and bounce apdingradhu idhuthan!

From: ajithfederer on Tue Jan 13 13:52:05 2009.

It is indeed sad. Even for the last year 2007 he was the top run scorer in ODI's. Second was Thalaivar. Life comes at you fast. Sachin eppo retire aavarngradhai vida eppidi retire aavarnu nenaichale

crajkumar_be wrote:
From: ajithfederer on Tue Jan 13 14:14:57 2009.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/other_international/australia/7826745.stm

Langer on Hayden

Justin Langer

By Justin Langer
Former Australia Test batsman

When Matthew Hayden rang me at 6.30 this morning I knew his few days of soul searching over whether he could continue his awesome, single-minded commitment to the Australian cricket team were over.

Justin Langer (left) and Matthew Hayden
The thing I miss most about playing Test cricket is walking out to bat with my best mate to open the innings for our country

Within a few seconds of his phone call the question had been answered with the simple words: "It's time to retire, little buddy."

Statistically, he is the greatest opening batsman Australia has produced and he has achieved everything possible in the game.

Individually and collectively, he has enjoyed a wonderful career as a batting run machine and an integral member of one of the most successful cricket teams in the history of the game.

Having opened the batting with my big mate for seven years, I have many wonderful memories tattooed on my brain.

In my last innings for Australia, there were seven runs needed at the Sydney Cricket Ground to ensure the Ashes would be won 5-0. As luck would have it, we were batting together at this point of finality when Matt walked down to me for a word of advice.

"What do you want me to do here, little fella?" he asked

"To tell you the truth, I am getting a bit emotional buddy so how about you hit a six so we can walk off together," I replied.

With that he simply smiled, winked and said: "Leave it to me."

With Sajid Mahmood delivering the second last ball of the 2007 series, Matty walked down the pitch and hit it about 20 rows back into the SCG crowd and next ball he guided a half volley through the covers to give me a fairytale finish to my career.

Throughout our partnership, I had 100% faith and trust in my partner and in that last innings together he again confirmed this faith with a selfless show of deliverance.

Such was his confidence and capacity as a player, he had the ability to intimidate his opponents with sheer presence at the crease and his belief in himself was simply unbreakable.

606: DEBATE
The very sight of Hayden walking over to bat with the bat wielded like a sledgehammer, was an intimidating one

CROUCHING-TIGER
A couple of years ago while touring South Africa he scored a brilliant century in Durban. When we returned to the hotel he rushed upstairs, grabbed his surfboard and ran down to the waves.

About an hour later he knocked on the door of my hotel room, still dripping wet, and revealed that this had been one of the best days of his life.

"All we need now mate is a big feed and a good sleep and life just couldn't get any better than this," he said.

In a sense, this memory sums up my great friend and champion cricketer. While he was fiercely competitive and played with steely focus and commitment, he is also a free spirit who loves to surf and fish and cook.

He also loves his family and mates as much as anyone I know and his loyalty and commitment to these areas of his life is as dedicated as anything he has ever done on the cricket field.

The thing I miss most about playing Test cricket is walking out to bat with my best mate to open the innings for our country. Not many can boast that they go to work with their best mate every day of the week, but I did and for this I feel privileged.

Champions can be defined by their endurance or longevity in the game as well as their ability to face adversity and fight through the hard times.

Matthew Hayden has achieved all these things and he will be missed not only by the cricket-loving public, but more by his team-mates, because he was admired and respected by every one of them.

From Perth,

JL

PS. I could write a book of memories and tributes to Matthew Hayden, but of course there is nowhere near enough room on this page for that.

From: Vivasaayi on Tue Jan 13 14:24:31 2009.

Munna pinna adhuvum idhae page-la enna post pannirukaangannu paakuradhe illaya

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=F7UOy5thUig&feature=related

ambrose 7 for 1.

pace and bounce apdingradhu idhuthan!

adhu therinja naan yen inga vandhu kutha vaikiren

ethana thadava post panaalum video onuthana

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Jan 14 1:14:28 2009.

Phil Jaques would be happy now. Katich/Jaques would be a decent combo.
From: ajithfederer on Wed Jan 14 16:28:10 2009.

http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hayden_greater_than_Sachin_ICC/articleshow/3980062.cms
From: littlemaster1982 on Wed Jan 14 16:52:58 2009.

Don't know on what basis this list is made. Highly ridiculous anyway
From: ajithfederer on Wed Jan 14 17:27:51 2009.

LM, that is why I didn't even post the contents .
And it is all the more hilarious to recollect the quote from Hayden

"I've seen GOD. He bats at Number 4 for India". .

From: littlemaster1982 on Wed Jan 14 17:34:02 2009.

.
And it is all the more hilarious to recollect the quote from Hayden

"I've seen GOD. He bats at Number 4 for India". Razz

LM, that is why I didn't even post the contents Smile

The only worthy statement he has made all his life

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Jan 15 0:20:02 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hayden_greater_than_Sachin_ICC/articleshow/3980062.cms

kEna thanama irukku?! and what is this vs India, vs Zimbabwe, vs England by the way?
From: Vivasaayi on Thu Jan 15 0:56:35 2009.

this may be a rating based on the highest points one earned in their career...and this TOI let paper could have twisted fact and posted it as a rank of all time greats
From: HonestRaj on Thu Jan 15 9:39:50 2009.

http://content-www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/378755.html?CMP=OTC-GCN

Bangladesh won SL by 5 wkts
From: villan007 on Thu Jan 15 9:59:25 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Phil Jaques would be happy now. Katich/Jaques would be a decent combo.

Shaun Marsh?

From: P_R on Thu Jan 15 23:50:54 2009.

indha kodumaiyai enga pOyi solradhu

Quote:

What if the teams are tied at the end of the eliminator?
In case of a second tie, the total number of sixes hit - in the main match and in the eliminator - becomes the tiebreaker. If the teams are still tied, the team that has hit the most boundaries - fours and sixes - in the eliminator is declared the winner.

cricket appidingra pErai maaththi, dubbing padam maadhiri "murattu kuththu" 'nnu vachchiralAm

From: ajithfederer on Thu Jan 15 23:52:23 2009.

Bowl out was simple and much better.

indha kodumaiyai enga pOyi solradhu

Quote:

cricket appidingra pErai maaththi, dubbing padam maadhiri "murattu kuththu" 'nnu vachchiralAm

From: P_R on Thu Jan 15 23:57:39 2009.

adhu bowler-ai nambi irukkulla
audience wants to see sixes and fours. So let's change the rules.
Let us make it more exciting. Audience edhirpAkkuradhu ellAm seyvAnga pOla. ESPN-kku child lock pOda vENdiya nilamai varum.
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 16 0:14:33 2009.

PR, extremely true. The TV and audience have started to dictate terms in cricket now. Switching to live cricket, Shaun Marsh has opened for Australia and they are 70/1

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/engine/current/match/351684.html
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 0:20:26 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hayden_greater_than_Sachin_ICC/articleshow/3980062.cms

Now Indian media is blowing this issue. Saw some debates in Neo Sports, Times Now and NDTV 24*7. My first question, is this a debatable subject first of all? Every one is talking as if Sachin was fired from Indian team. I did not see such media hypes when he was questioned for ball tampering.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 0:22:08 2009.

villan007 wrote:

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Phil Jaques would be happy now. Katich/Jaques would be a decent combo.

Shaun Marsh?

I read in some articles that Jaqu might be selected.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 0:30:18 2009.

HonestRaj wrote:

http://content-www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/378755.html?CMP=OTC-GCN

Bangladesh won SL by 5 wkts

inga yArO SL-va best team-nu nominate panninAnga pOla?
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 16 0:31:43 2009.

http://www.iccreliancerankings.com/playerdisplay/test/batting/?id=1905&graph=ranking

ICC ranking Stats thru the years
Year sachin Ricky Lara Hayden dravid (rank-points) (all at 15 jan of each year)
90 (51-337)
91 (39-432)
92 (26-518)
93 (22-541)
94 (6-693)
95 (1-776)(--) (3-758)(--)(--)
96 (6-743)(--) (1-898)(--)(--)
97 (3-754)(--) (2-773)(--)(--)
98 (4-782) (--) (7-731)(--)(6-739)
99 (2-865) (--) (5-765) (--) (1-875)
00 (2-872) (4-815)(1-892)(--)(14-676)
01 (1-877) (6-759) (8-737) (--) (7-756)
02 (2-881) (21-661) (1-903)(3-843) (12-740)
03 (3-840) (10-781) (7-792) (1-879) (9-787)
04 (7-781) (2-889) (1-911) (4-879) (3-883)
05 (7-778) (3-877) (4-842) (10-767) (1-881)
06 (11-740) (1-922) (3-874) (4-858) (4-858)
07 (21-642) (1-936) (--) (6-828) (7-816)
08 (14-702) (3-901) (--) (6-858) (16-693)
09 (16-683) (7-810) (--) (18-675) (29-603)

I have provided the statistics and u can clearly see that sachin had been in the top7 for 11 yrs...
i guess some sachin fans can do more analysis and comparison based on above stats

These rankings depend a lot on the kind of other subjective things.. like the opposition you played during that time.. injuries.. pitches you played on and so on.. but do give some perspective of form and performance of players

Some stats based on these numbers -

No. of times batsman has been in top 20
Sachin - 15, Lara - 13, Ricky - 9, Hayden - 8, Dravid - 11

No. of times batsman has been in top 10
Sachin - 12, Lara - 12, Ricky - 9, Hayden - 7, Dravid - 8

No. of times batsman has been in top 5
Sachin - 8, Lara - 9, Ricky - 6, Hayden - 4, Dravid - 4

No. of times batsman has been in top 3
Sachin - 7, Lara - 7, Ricky - 5, Hayden - 2, Dravid - 3

Most importantly % no. of years when they were in top 10 (starting from 94- when most started playing)
Sachin - 75%, Lara - 85%, Ricky - 57%, Hayden - 40%, Dravid - 57%
(Lara's avg is calculated from 1994 - 06, sachin's average in this same period is also 85% during these years - Sachin has played more than 5 years more than Lara),

Also,these are the average rankings of people when they were not in top 20 -
Sachin - 32, Lara - 50, Ricky - 41, Hayden - above 90, Dravid - above 60

Conclusion - These stats clearly shows that Sachin and Lara are wayyyyyyy ahead of everybody else. Lara is the only one in Sachin's league.. And sachin edges ahead of Lara in most of the factors.. only slightly though.

And Hayden's record is stupid compared to the rest. Wonder what ICC was trying to prove.

http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=23803&tid=5291481197111886686&start=1
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 4:29:17 2009.

Australia Vs South Africa - 1st ODI

Australia - 271/8 - Marsh - 79 ; D.Hussey - 52

SA - 64/2 - 14 Overs.

Why no Gibbs?

Tait is back!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 5:32:46 2009.

130 required of 120 balls, 7 wickets in hand.

Dumini 39* ; Mckenzie 22*.

This match is interestingly poised!
From: Thirumaran on Fri Jan 16 5:38:07 2009.

117 required of 106 balls

sri, Gibbs irukaaru thaanae

HH Gibbs b Hilfenhaus 22 28 3 0 78.57
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 16 5:39:31 2009.

Bangladesh 152 (49.4 ov)
Sri Lanka 94/6 (36.2 ov)
Sri Lanka require another 59 runs with 4 wickets and 13.4 overs remaining
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 16 5:41:39 2009.

Fall of wickets:
1-0 (Jayasuriya, 0.1 ov),
2-4 (Tharanga, 5.1 ov),
3-4 (Jayawardene, 5.3 ov),
4-5 (Kapugedera, 6.2 ov),
5-6 (Thushara, 7.6 ov),
6-51 (Mubarak, 22.2 ov)

SL lost 1st 5 wkts fr 6 runs.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 5:43:55 2009.

Thirumaran wrote:

117 required of 106 balls

sri, Gibbs irukaaru thaanae

HH Gibbs b Hilfenhaus 22 28 3 0 78.57

adhula pArunga, verum 22 run thAnE eduthrukAru, adhunAla thAn Why no Gibbs? seri seri vidunga vidunga!!
From: Thirumaran on Fri Jan 16 5:46:18 2009.

Duminy 50
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 5:47:53 2009.

sgokulprathap wrote:

Bangladesh 152 (49.4 ov)
Sri Lanka 94/6 (36.2 ov)
Sri Lanka require another 59 runs with 4 wickets and 13.4 overs remaining

Wow! Interesting, really. Gokul, please update the scores.
From: Thirumaran on Fri Jan 16 5:55:24 2009.

Bangladesh innings (50 overs maximum) R B 4s 6s SR
Tamim Iqbal c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 18 42 4 0 42.85
Junaid Siddique c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 1 5 0 0 20.00
Mushfiqur Rahim b Kulasekara 4 8 1 0 50.00
Mohammad Ashraful c Sangakkara b Maharoof 13 25 2 0 52.00
Shakib Al Hasan c Sangakkara b Thushara 9 16 2 0 56.25
Raqibul Hasan not out 43 107 1 0 40.18
Mahmudullah b Muralitharan 26 36 2 1 72.22
Naeem Islam c Mubarak b Mendis 21 50 2 0 42.00
Mashrafe Mortaza c Kapugedera b Mendis 0 2 0 0 0.00
Nazmul Hossain lbw b Muralitharan 0 2 0 0 0.00
Rubel Hossain c Kapugedera b Mendis 0 6 0 0 0.00
Extras (b 4, lb 2, w 10, nb 1) 17

Total (all out; 49.4 overs) 152 (3.06 runs per over)

Sri Lanka innings (target: 153 runs from 50 overs) R B 4s 6s SR
WU Tharanga c Mushfiqur Rahim b Nazmul Hossain 2 16 0 0 12.50
ST Jayasuriya run out (Shakib Al Hasan) 0 0 0 0 -
KC Sangakkara not out 50 118 5 0 42.37
DPMD Jayawardene c Mushfiqur Rahim b Nazmul Hossain 0 2 0 0 0.00
CK Kapugedera c Junaid Siddique b Mashrafe Mortaza 1 3 0 0 33.33
T Thushara b Nazmul Hossain 1 9 0 0 11.11
J Mubarak run out (Mohammad Ashraful) 16 33 2 0 48.48
MF Maharoof not out 27 59 0 2 45.76
Extras (lb 2, w 1) 3

Total (6 wickets; 39.6 overs) 100 (2.50 runs per over)

To bat KMDN Kulasekara, BAW Mendis, M Muralitharan

From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 16 5:55:33 2009.

Sri Lanka require another 59 runs with 4 wickets and 13.4 overs remaining

Bangladesh 152 (49.4 ov)
Sri Lanka 94/6 (36.2 ov) Shocked

Wow! Interesting, really. Gokul, please update the scores.

Sangakkara steadied the ship.
SL - 100/6 (40 ov) need another 53 runs from 60 balls.
Sangakkara - 50 (118)*
Maharoof - 27 (59)*

From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 16 5:58:07 2009.

Thirumaran wrote:

Duminy 50
Reached 50 without a boundary.
From: Thirumaran on Fri Jan 16 6:07:00 2009.

sgokulprathap wrote:

Thirumaran wrote:

Duminy 50
Reached 50 without a boundary.

so far 66 runs without a boundry
From: Thirumaran on Fri Jan 16 6:08:30 2009.

http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;filter=advanced;orderby=batted_score;qualmax1=0;qualmax2=0;qualmin1=0;qualmin2=0;qualval1=fours;qualval2=sixes;template=results;type=batting;view=innings

List of most runs in ODI without a boundary or six

cricinfo is chanceless
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 6:14:49 2009.

Thirumaran wrote:

sgokulprathap wrote:

Thirumaran wrote:

Duminy 50
Reached 50 without a boundary.

so far 66 runs without a boundry

70 without a boundary with a S/R of 76.92
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 6:19:25 2009.

yAru kaNNu patuchO, mavarAsan out aaitAn!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 6:23:45 2009.

Boucher out!

57 Req of 51 / 5 Wickets in hand.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 6:31:07 2009.

Jaar out..

219/6 now Mr.Captain
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 6:38:27 2009.

Mcki out! pOngada vennaigala!
From: Thirumaran on Fri Jan 16 6:55:20 2009.

25 off 18 balls Many times SA VS Aus ends a thriller Lucky audience
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 6:57:06 2009.

16 req of 15 / 3 wickets in hand! Wow

J.Morkel 26(12)*
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 6:58:38 2009.

7 Req of 12 balls come on SA!
From: crajkumar_be on Fri Jan 16 6:58:57 2009.

OZ-a S.A-va?

Thamizhan Albie Morkel kamaan
From: Thirumaran on Fri Jan 16 6:59:48 2009.

Thamizhanaa
From: directhit on Fri Jan 16 6:59:58 2009.

crajkumar_be wrote:

OZ-a S.A-va?

Thamizhan Albie Morkel kamaan

SA
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 7:01:46 2009.

A.Morkel-a? J.Morkel-nu pOtruku? idha thavira M.Morkel-nu oruthan irukAn. Morkels-a petha maharAsan yAru?
From: directhit on Fri Jan 16 7:04:03 2009.

sridhar - JA Morkel, namma CSK veeran Albie dhaan
idha thavira M Morkel irukkan - pethadhum Morkel dhaan
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 7:06:22 2009.

2 Req of last over. SA is going to win this!

Aus

Thanks DH!
From: Thirumaran on Fri Jan 16 7:06:49 2009.

1 run in 5 balls
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 16 7:08:17 2009.

SA won.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 7:09:15 2009.

Gokul,

ilangai match ennAchu?
From: Thirumaran on Fri Jan 16 7:20:51 2009.

Bangladesh 152 (49.4 ov)
Sri Lanka 153/8 (48.1 ov)
Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 16 7:23:47 2009.

Bangladesh 152 (49.4 ov)
Sri Lanka 153/8 (48.1 ov)
Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets (with 11 balls remaining)

Maharoof - 38 (76)*
Muralidharan - 33 (16)*

Fall of wickets
1-0 (Jayasuriya, 0.1 ov),
2-4 (Tharanga, 5.1 ov),
3-4 (Jayawardene, 5.3 ov),
4-5 (Kapugedera, 6.2 ov),
5-6 (Thushara, 7.6 ov),
6-51 (Mubarak, 22.2 ov),
7-114 (Sangakkara, 43.1 ov),
8-114 (Kulasekara, 43.3 ov)
From: directhit on Fri Jan 16 7:29:35 2009.

Thirumaran wrote:

Bangladesh 152 (49.4 ov)
Sri Lanka 153/8 (48.1 ov)
Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets
office la un block pannitaangala
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 16 12:54:55 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loYyJllsj68

Mike holding to Vaayadi Geoff boycott, 1981
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 16 13:10:14 2009.

Thirumaran wrote:

Bangladesh 152 (49.4 ov)
Sri Lanka 153/8 (48.1 ov)
Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets

Bungalow missed an easy opportunity!
From: crajkumar_be on Fri Jan 16 16:02:51 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Bungalow missed an easy opportunity!
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 16 16:05:54 2009.

crajkumar_be wrote:

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Bungalow missed an easy opportunity!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 18 1:26:55 2009.

Australia Vs South Africa 2nd ODI

Australia - 249/9 - Marsh 78, Ponting - 64

Australia managed to score just 1 boundary in the last 10 overs [which includes a powerplay]. Excellent bowling by SA.

SA - 151/3 Kallis 72, AB D'Villiers - 38*, Duminy - 2*

99 Req of 87 balls.
From: ajithfederer on Sun Jan 18 1:41:56 2009.

Sridhar a thought: Please provide the cricinfo link whenever updating live scores. It will be useful for future references too.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/engine/current/match/351685.html
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 18 1:52:35 2009.

Done af.

SA req 78 of 54 / 6 Wickets in hand.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 18 2:10:28 2009.

56 of 32.. wow, looks to be another nagamkadikum close!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 18 2:18:28 2009.

47 of 22 kastham thAn!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 18 2:20:29 2009.

Duminy out, come on Morkel!!
From: littlemaster1982 on Sun Jan 18 2:26:04 2009.

33 off 15
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 18 2:26:55 2009.

26 of 12
From: Thirumaran on Sun Jan 18 2:31:27 2009.

18 runs in 7 balls
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 18 2:31:29 2009.

17 Runs Req last over
From: Thirumaran on Sun Jan 18 2:32:11 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

17 Runs Req last over
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 18 2:32:53 2009.

15 in 5
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 18 2:33:09 2009.

15 in 4
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 18 2:33:49 2009.

9 in 3
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 18 2:34:22 2009.

8 in 2
From: Thirumaran on Sun Jan 18 2:34:52 2009.
From: ajithfederer on Sun Jan 18 2:35:00 2009.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 18 2:36:32 2009.

7 Req of last ball
From: ajithfederer on Sun Jan 18 2:36:33 2009.

wide/no ball please
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 18 2:37:56 2009.

SA thOthu pOchu!
From: Thirumaran on Sun Jan 18 2:38:40 2009.

what a match
From: littlemaster1982 on Sun Jan 18 2:39:10 2009.

Braken made all the difference. 38 runs in 10 overs
From: ajithfederer on Sun Jan 18 2:39:56 2009.

Adhu avaroda velai . Actually he is very underrated

littlemaster1982 wrote:

Braken made all the difference. 38 runs in 10 overs
From: littlemaster1982 on Sun Jan 18 2:48:15 2009.

Of course yes. But why he is always over looked when it comes to Test matches
From: steveaustin on Sun Jan 18 3:21:23 2009.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

Braken made all the difference. 38 runs in 10 overs

Yes. Indeed Bracken's spell broken SA.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jan 18 10:53:05 2009.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

Of course yes. But why he is always over looked when it comes to Test matches

He is not effective. His test average is 42.08 and Strike rate is 92.5.
I read somewhere that he is practicing spin. He is trying to get back into XI as a spinner, pAvam!
From: sgokulprathap on Mon Jan 19 5:13:35 2009.

Ban vs Zim

Ban - 124/10 (48.1 ov)
Zim - 72/7 (30.5 ov)

Zimbabwe require another 53 runs with 3 wickets and 19.1 overs remaining.
From: steveaustin on Mon Jan 19 5:53:28 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

I read somewhere that he is practicing spin. He is trying to get back into XI as a spinner, pAvam!
From: Sourav on Mon Jan 19 22:12:41 2009.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/awards2008/content/story/384304.html
From: Sourav on Mon Jan 19 22:53:31 2009.

1st ODI Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Karachi - Jan 20, 2009
Match scheduled to begin at 12:00 local time (07:00 GMT).
Live on Ten Sports.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Jan 21 0:22:35 2009.

sourav wrote:

1st ODI Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Karachi - Jan 20, 2009
Match scheduled to begin at 12:00 local time (07:00 GMT).
Live on Ten Sports.

Butt century leads Pakistan to big win

http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2009/jan/20butt-century-leads-pakistan-to-big-win.htm

Mendis 7-0-41-0

From: P_R on Wed Jan 21 0:23:36 2009.

1st ODI Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Karachi - Jan 20, 2009
Match scheduled to begin at 12:00 local time (07:00 GMT).
Live on Ten Sports.

Butt century leads Pakistan to big win

http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2009/jan/20butt-century-leads-pakistan-to-big-win.htm

Mendis 7-0-41-0 Confused

Was going to post about that.

yArAvadhu match pAtheengaLA ?
enna aachu ?

From: Sourav on Wed Jan 21 0:28:31 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Mendis 7-0-41-0
From: Sourav on Wed Jan 21 2:07:25 2009.

யார் "நம்பர்-1'
கடந்த பத்து ஆண்டுகளுக்கு மேலாக டெஸ்ட் மற்றும் ஒருநாள் கிரிக்கெட்டில் ஆதிக்கம் செலுத்தி வந்த ஆஸ்திரேலியாவின் "அரசாட்சி' விரைவில் முடிவுக்கு வரஇருக்கிறது. இதற்கு இந்தியா தான் முதலில் விதை விதைத்தது. இப்போது அதை தென் ஆப்ரிக்காவும் சேர்ந்து அறுவடை செய்யத்துவங்கி இருக்கிறது. விளைவு?... மகுடம் யாருக்கு என்பதில் பலத்த போட்டி காணப்படுகிறது. இருப்பினும் இந்த ரேசில் இந்தியாதான் முதலிடத்தில் இருக்கிறது என்பது மறுக்க முடியாத <உண்மை. புரியவில்லை ஆஸ்திரேலிய அணியினர் அடுத்தடுத்து தோல்வியை சந்தித்து வருகிறார்கள். ஆனால் இன்னும் அவர்கள் தான் "நம்பர்-1' என ரேங்கிங் சொல்கிறது. தற்போதைய நிலைமையை பார்த்தால் மிகவும் பரிதாபமாக உள்ளது.

வீழ்ச்சிக்கு காரணம்: வார்ன், மெக்ராத்துடன் சேர்ந்து காஸ்பரோவிச், கில்லஸ்பி, மெக்கில், லாங்கர், ஹைடன் போன்ற திறமையான வீரர்கள் போன பிறகு, ஆஸ்திரேலியா தற்போது வீரர்களை சோதனை செய்து பார்த்துக்கொண்டு உள்ளது. ஒரே இரவில் வார்னும், மெக் ராத்தும் <உருவாகிவிட முடியாது. அதற்கு சிலகாலம் பிடிக்கும். இதுகுறித்து பாண்டிங் கூறுகையில்,"" நாங்கள் தற்போது சோதனையில் இருக்கிறோம். ஆனால் கடும் போட்டியை தரும் அணியாகத்தான் இன்னும் இருக்கிறது,'' என்றார்.

பவுலிங் சோகம்: சுழற்பந்தில் இப்போது ஆஸ்திரேலிய அணி சோதனைக்கட்டத்தில் இருந்தாலும், அது மிகவும் மோசமான நிலையில் தான் இருக்கிறது. இந்த பிரிவில் ஆஸ்திரேலிய அணியின் ஆதிக்கம் கிட்டத்தட்ட இறந்தே விட்டது எனலாம். ஸ்பின்னர்களை மாற்றி, மாற்றி சோதித்தாலும் தோல்விதான் கிடைக்கிறது.

இந்திய எழுச்சி: அதேநேரத்தில் இந்தியா பல்வேறு நாடுகளுக்கு எதிராக தொடரை வென்று வருகிறது. இந்திய அணி கடந்த ஆண்டு உள்ளூரில் நூறு சத வெற்றியும், வெளிநாடுகளில் 58 சதவீத வெற்றியும் பெற்றுள்ளது. ஆஸ்திரேலிய முத்தரப்பு தொடரை வெல்வது எவ்வளவு கடினம் என்பதை பார்க்கவேண்டும். ஆனால் அதை இந்தியா சாதித்தது.

போட்டியில் தென் ஆப்ரிக்கா: தென் ஆப்ரிக்க அணி வெளிநாடுகளி<லும் அதிக வெற்றிகளை குவித்து வருவதை கவனத்தில் கொள்ளவேண்டும். சமீபத்திய ஆஸ்திரேலிய டெஸ்ட் தொடரை 2-1 என வென்று, கடந்த 10 தொடர்களில் தோல்வியே சந்திக்காமல் உலா வருகிறது. இது தொடரும் பட்சத்தில் ஆஸ்திரேலியாவின் தென் ஆப்ரிக்க பயனத்தின்போது "டாப்-1' அணி முடிவாகிவிடும்.

வேகத்தின் விசுவரூபம்: இந்திய அணியும் வெளிநாடுகளில் கடும் போட்டியை கொடுத்து வந்துள்ளது. ஆஸ்திரேலிய டெஸ்ட் தொடரில் சரியான பதிலடியை வெளிப்படுத்தியது. அணியின் வேகப்பந்து வீச்சு வெளிநாடுகளில் நல்ல முன்னேற்றம் கண்டுள்ளது. இந்தியாவின் ஜாகிர் கான், இஷாந்த் சர்மா, அசத்தல் பார்மை தொடருகின்றனர்.

முதலிடம் கிடைக்குமா?: முதலிடத்தை பெறுவது என்பது வெளிநாடுகளில் தொடர்ந்து நாம் பெறும் வெற்றியை பொறுத்துதான் இருக்கிறது. நல்ல திறமையான போட்டியாளர்களை நாம் பெற்று இருக்கிறோம். ஆனால் அதை தொடர்ந்து <உறுதியாக வெளிப்படுத்த வேண்டும். அப்படி செய்துவிட்டால் தென் ஆப்ரிக்காவை நாம் முந்திவிடலாம்.

நமது பலம்: ஆஸ்திரேலியா மற்றும் தென் ஆப்ரிக்காவின் சுழற்பந்து என்ற கவசங்களில் தற்போது ஓட்டை விழ ஆரம்பித்துள்ளது. ஆனால் நமது ஹர்பஜன் சிங்<, அமித் மிஸ்ரா கலக்குகிறார்கள். புதிய பந்தில் அசத்தும் தென் ஆப்ரிக்கா வேகங்கள் புதிய முறைகளில் செயல்படுவதில்லை. ஆனால் இந்தியாவின் ஜாகிர் கான், இஷாந்த் சர்மா புதிய, பழைய பந்துகளிலும் அசத்துவார்கள். "ரிவர்ஸ் ஸ்விங்' செய்வதிலு<ம் வல்லவர்கள். பேட்டிங்கிலும் இளம் வீரர்கள் எழுச்சி நடை போடுகிறார்கள்.

நியூசி.,ல் முடிவு: இந்நிலையில் மார்ச் மாதம் நியூசிலாந்து செல்லும் இந்தியா கூடுதலாக ஒரு டெஸ்ட் விளையாடும் எண்ணத்தில் உள்ளது. இதில் தொடரை இந்தியா வென்றால் முதலிடத்தை கைப்பற்றலாம். ஒரு தனியார் "டி.வி' நிறுவனம் நடத்திய யார் "நம்பர்-1' கருத்துக்கணிப்பில் இந்திய அணிக்கு முதலிடம் கிடைத்துள்ளது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.
From: hamid on Wed Jan 21 2:31:14 2009.

SS/PR,

any ideas foro googly like games for Ind-SL series?
From: Sourav on Wed Jan 21 2:34:14 2009.

hamid wrote:

SS/PR,

any ideas foro googly like games for Ind-SL series?

aduthu ipl-la than-nu sollirukkanga...

sl series only 5 ODIs...
nz series la neraya matches irukku....
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Jan 21 7:15:10 2009.

Sri Lanka in Pakistan ODI Series - 2nd ODI
Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Srilanka - 290/8 - 50 Overs.

Dilshan - 76 ; Kandamby - 59 | Gul 4/58.

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/pakvsl/engine/current/match/385750.html
From: Raghu on Wed Jan 21 7:20:25 2009.

Dlishan

Thalaivar for hitting his wicket, else Sl would have scored around 320

Mahela he is indeed a cat abroad and tiger in his backyard
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Jan 21 7:47:54 2009.

Pakistan is struggling

18/3

Kulasekara Mudiyanselage Dinesh Nuwan Kulasekara <aazhwar??> - 2 wickets

Magina Thilan Thushara Mirando - 1 wicket.
From: Raghu on Wed Jan 21 10:17:03 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Pakistan is struggling

18/3

Kulasekara Mudiyanselage Dinesh Nuwan Kulasekara <aazhwar??> - 2 wickets

Magina Thilan Thushara Mirando - 1 wicket.

adengapa ivangalodo per-a Guiness books of record-la podalam for having the longest name in the world

any way Lanka thrashes Pakistan
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Jan 21 10:51:01 2009.

Pakistan 161 all out

Mendis 6.5-1-29-3

adhAne pAthen!
From: Raghu on Wed Jan 21 11:20:51 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Pakistan 161 all out

Mendis 6.5-1-29-3

adhAne pAthen!

Sridhar

it was Murali and Dilshan who did the vital blows in this match not Mendis
From: ajithfederer on Thu Jan 22 15:02:46 2009.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ipl2009/content/current/story/387469.html

Nesst yearlerndhu no Int'l cricket wenn IYE-PEE-ELL
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 23 0:57:18 2009.

Australia Vs South Africa, 3rd ODI

Australia 138/1 - 21.2 Overs

Warner - 69 (60) [aalu Sachin height-u thAn, aana polakurAn]

Marsh - 39* | Ponting 16*

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/engine/current/match/351686.html
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 23 1:46:20 2009.

SA is back on track

191/5 [34 Overs] - Botha is bowling extremely well 6 0 21 3

Australian middle order is looking scrawny, bring back Symmo!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 23 2:51:58 2009.

Australia 269 all out. Last 4 overs, 4 wickets. They have just scored ~120 runs in the last 30 overs.
From: Thirumaran on Fri Jan 23 4:27:44 2009.

kallis completes 10000 runs in ODI
From: Thirumaran on Fri Jan 23 4:37:39 2009.

Gibbs 57 and SA crosses 100 in 15th over
From: P_R on Fri Jan 23 5:17:23 2009.

Thirumaran wrote:

kallis completes 10000 runs in ODI

Most boring cricketer

Anyway
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 23 5:56:42 2009.

94 required of 104 balls / 5 wickets in hand

Boucher 6* | McKenzie 9*

Another close contest...
From: Sourav on Fri Jan 23 5:59:28 2009.

Prabhu Ram wrote:

Thirumaran wrote:

kallis completes 10000 runs in ODI

Most boring cricketer

for me too....
From: Sourav on Fri Jan 23 6:01:11 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

94 required of 104 balls / 5 wickets in hand

Boucher 6* | McKenzie 9*

Another close contest...
A Morkel irukkan...
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 23 6:04:29 2009.

sourav wrote:

Prabhu Ram wrote:

Thirumaran wrote:

kallis completes 10000 runs in ODI

Most boring cricketer

for me too....

I like Kallis, he is one of my favorite!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 23 6:06:15 2009.

Its Bracken again - 5 1 10 1
From: Sourav on Fri Jan 23 6:10:46 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

I like Kallis, he is one of my favorite!
kallis, dravid...enna ellam mattai podura players ellam un favs...
i dont like both these...
namma eppavumae athiradi than... hehe...

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 23 6:19:59 2009.

I like Kallis, he is one of my favorite!

kallis, dravid...enna ellam mattai podura players ellam un favs... Neutral

i dont like both these... Neutral

namma eppavumae athiradi than... Razz

hehe...

Its not 'mattai pOdura'

they are sensible players.

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 23 6:44:25 2009.

42 in 47 balls - 4 wickets in hand!
From: omega on Fri Jan 23 7:14:38 2009.

Great win by SA.............Albie Morkel what a player
From: Sourav on Fri Jan 23 9:55:35 2009.

omega wrote:

Great win by SA.............Albie Morkel what a player

naanga than appovaee sonnomulla...

sourav wrote:

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

94 required of 104 balls / 5 wickets in hand

Boucher 6* | McKenzie 9*

Another close contest...
A Morkel irukkan...
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 23 11:10:05 2009.

omega wrote:

Great win by SA.............Albie Morkel what a player
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 23 14:33:07 2009.

Naangadhan solrom illa

He finishes with 9-2-29-1
http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/engine/current/match/351686.html

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Its Bracken again - 5 1 10 1
From: ajithfederer on Sat Jan 24 13:53:20 2009.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/cricketNews/idUKLO54603420090124

Cricket-Muralitharan plans to quit after 2011 World Cup

LAHORE, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's record-breaking spinner Muttiah Muralitharan plans to play through the 2011 World Cup before he finally retires.

Muralitharan, 36, captured his 500th one-day international wicket on Saturday in the third and final limited overs match against Pakistan. He is the only bowler to take 500 wickets in both test and one-day cricket.

"If I have an ambition it is to play until the next World Cup. After that I will call it quits," he told reporters.

Already the highest wicket taker in tests with 769 victims from 125 matches, Muralitharan needs another three wickets to surpass Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram's record of 502 in one-day matches.

"These milestones are not that important for me. Winning as a team is far more important. If these milestones come along the way I am happy," Muralitharan said. "I am happy I got this milestone today but the team wining the match in such a big way is more reason to celebrate."

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said Muralitharan was still going strong.

"I think the other bowlers doing well is helping him and he is enjoying himself more and delivering for the team like he has always done," Jayawardene said. (Editing by John Mehaffey)
From: littlemaster1982 on Sat Jan 24 18:16:08 2009.

Sri Lanka crushes Pakistan in 3rd ODI

SL 309/5 (50 overs)
Pak 75 all out (22.5 overs)
From: Sourav on Sat Jan 24 22:09:30 2009.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

Sri Lanka crushes Pakistan in 3rd ODI

SL 309/5 (50 overs)
Pak 75 all out (22.5 overs)

pak was 22/6 50-kulla mudichiruvaanugannu paathen...
afridi's wicket was

SL next nammaloda series....athulayum ipdi aada poranuga....
From: ajithfederer on Sun Jan 25 23:28:39 2009.

South Africa tour of Australia, 2008/09

Australia v South Africa, CB Series, 4th ODI, Adelaide

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/engine/current/match/351687.html

AUS 13/1 - 2.1 Overs

DA Warner c M Morkel b Ntini 1 (7b 0x4 0x6) SR: 14.28
From: ajithfederer on Sun Jan 25 23:31:31 2009.

Steyn to Marsh, OUT
SE Marsh c M Morkel b Steyn 13 (9b 3x4 0x6) SR: 144.44
From: Sourav on Mon Jan 26 0:29:38 2009.

Aus going along well with good r.r
Australia 96/2 (15.5 ov)
From: ajithfederer on Mon Jan 26 11:15:16 2009.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/engine/match/351687.html

Result South Africa won by 8 wickets (with 71 balls remaining)

Series win for SA
From: Sourav on Mon Jan 26 11:35:42 2009.

Looks like Aus bowling attack is becoming too weak day by day.
Even both Gibbs and Kallis wickets were by unnecessary shots (down the track)... not by good balls....
From: littlemaster1982 on Mon Jan 26 12:50:35 2009.

South Africa

From: Sourav on Mon Jan 26 21:46:03 2009.

Quote:

தொடரும் சோகம்: உலக சாம்பியன் ஆஸ்திரேலிய அணியை பொறுத்த வரை, மோசமான பார்ம் காரணமாக சமீபகாலமாக தோல்வியில் துவண்டு வருகிறது. சொந்த மண்ணில் தென் ஆப்ரிக்காவுக்கு எதிராக டெஸ்ட் தொடரை 1-2 கணக்கில் கோட்டை விட்ட ஆஸ்திரேலிய அணி, தற்போது ஒரு நாள் தொடரிலும் 1-3 கணக்கில் தோல்வியை தழுவியுள்ளது.

I wish this form wil continue for Nz series and so on...

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Jan 27 2:43:07 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/engine/match/351687.html

Result South Africa won by 8 wickets (with 71 balls remaining)

Series win for SA

Observing South Africans, I am always surprised, whether its Pollock or Smith or Botha captaincy they are always performing. Absolutely zero egoism. They deserve to be in number one spot at least for their attitude.

Australia � So sad!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 30 1:24:01 2009.

South Africa - 58/1 [13.4 Overs]

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/engine/current/match/351688.html
From: P_R on Fri Jan 30 1:37:57 2009.

Check the first page of the thread for live scores
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 30 1:39:48 2009.

PR

The links are given for particular match/series home pages. Will be great for future references.
From: P_R on Fri Jan 30 1:44:15 2009.

Ok will keep in mind.
Office-la block paNNirukkAnunga.
Naan EdhAvadhu senjA kooda ennAla pAkka mudiyAdhu.
enna central goverment, enna state goverment.

pasanga EdhAvadhu pudhu tunnel kaNdu pidichchiruppAnunga. adhula score pAkka vENdiyadhu dhaan. yaaru kitta...

adhuvaraikkum, appoppo score post paNNirunga makkaLE.
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 30 1:47:41 2009.

Dooty naa ungalai pola needhiyodavum nermayodavum irukkanum

From: Sourav on Fri Jan 30 1:49:52 2009.

Check the first page of the thread for live scores

Quote:

You have tried to access a web page which is in violation of your internet usage policy.

URL: content-eap.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/scores/desktop.html
Category: Sports

From: Sourav on Fri Jan 30 1:53:31 2009.

http://www.cricreporter.com/LiveCricket/

This site is useful...It may not blocked in many companies...
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 2:53:54 2009.

SA - 176/3 (37ov)

Amla - 85 (108)*

Last wkt:
AB de Villiers c Warner b Hopes 60 (85m 71b 4x4 0x6) SR: 84.50
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 2:55:02 2009.

Amla's 85 is now the highest score of the series. No centuries have been made yet.
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 3:13:10 2009.

SA - 197/4 (41 ov)

Last wkt:
HM Amla c Haddin b Hopes 97 (156m 117b 6x4 1x6) SR: 82.90
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 3:14:21 2009.

Johnson has now bowled 27 overs for 174 runs and one wicket in the series at 6.44 runs per over.
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 3:17:52 2009.

South Africa have now opted for their batting Powerplay (43rd over). Johnson comes back. Albie to face.
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 3:24:13 2009.

SA - 212/5 (43 ov)

JA Morkel b Johnson 14 (12m 12b 2x4 0x6) SR: 116.66
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 4:03:59 2009.

SA - 288/6 (50 ov)

Duminy - 60(42)*
Amla - 97(117)
AB de Villiers - 60(71)

Hopes - 44/3 (9 ov)
Hilfenhaus - 43/2 (10 ov)
Johnson - 68/1 (10 ov)
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 4:05:18 2009.

So then, South Africa have piled up 6 for 288. A fantastic effort. There were two handy innings from Amla and de Villiers, and then this gem from Duminy, who has extended his love affair with Australia into the last game of this tour. South Africa chose to bat and they will be pleased with this effort. Australia's bowlers struggled at the death, served up some full tosses and wide deliveries, and Duminy and Botha cashed in. South Africa scored 92 in the last ten overs.
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 4:05:55 2009.

Australia need to get 289 to keep their No. 1 position in ODI cricket.
From: Sourav on Fri Jan 30 4:07:28 2009.

Kamala 97-la out-a...so sad...
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 30 4:07:40 2009.

sgokulprathap wrote:

Australia need to get 289 to keep their No. 1 position in ODI cricket.

Nice, they have a reason to play this match.
From: Sourav on Fri Jan 30 4:10:49 2009.

288-kulla all out aaganum... :pray:
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 30 5:20:44 2009.

Aus 35/2 [7.3 Overs]
From: P_R on Fri Jan 30 5:24:40 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Aus 35/2 [7.3 Overs]

oooooo
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 30 5:25:31 2009.

35/3 actually!!
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 5:26:21 2009.

35/3 (8.4 ov)
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 5:33:10 2009.

Debutant Tsotsobe kooda kalakuraapla.
Tsostsobe - 24/2 (5 ov)
M.Morkel - 16/1 (5 ov)

Aus - 44/3 (10 ov)
Australia require another 245 runs with 7 wickets and 40.0 overs remaining at 6.12 RPO.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 30 5:40:35 2009.

Tsostsobe - 'T' silent-a?
From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Jan 30 5:44:38 2009.

Warner out
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 30 7:07:36 2009.

145/5 34 Overs

144 required of 96 balls.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 30 7:26:32 2009.

128 req 74 balls \ 5 Wickets..
From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Jan 30 7:31:53 2009.

Hussey out. It's almost over for Aus
From: mgb on Fri Jan 30 7:41:35 2009.

australia thokkaradhula evlo perukku aanandham
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 30 7:46:26 2009.

88 in 51 balls - 4 wickets

LM, Hopes yedhavadhu hope kodukuraraanu paapom.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 30 7:56:58 2009.

Hopes gaali, ippo no hope!

SA is going to be number one team!
From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Jan 30 8:00:10 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

88 in 51 balls - 4 wickets

LM, Hopes yedhavadhu hope kodukuraraanu paapom.

Haddin irukkaan. Irundhaalum kashtamdhan
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 8:08:08 2009.

61 in 30 balls - 3 wkts
From: Sourav on Fri Jan 30 8:12:18 2009.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 30 8:14:06 2009.

Botha's excellent series with the ball. Adhu eppadine therila, captain padhavi vandhona paruppu maadhri irrundha pasangellam poruppoda aadi match-a jeikiraanunga!!

Eppadiyo jeicha seri thaan!!
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 8:14:45 2009.

46.2 Tsotsobe to Johnson, OUT, clever bowling, fires in a yorker on leg stump, Johnson closes the face early and the ball pops back to Tsotsobe, who collects it and then feigns a throw back to Johnson, suddenly from backward point Gibbs appeals and gets Tsotsobe interested, it is referred, and yes indeed Johnson scooped a clean catch back to the bowler
MG Johnson c & b Tsotsobe 5 (18m 9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 55.55
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 30 8:15:17 2009.

Tsotsobe picked 4! Magic debut
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 8:15:21 2009.

52 in 22 balls - 2 wkts
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jan 30 8:22:50 2009.

45 in 13 balls - 1 wicket

Matter over!!
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 8:24:28 2009.

47.5 Parnell to Haddin, OUT, maiden wicket for Parnell, pitches in on a length and Haddin chips the ball up in the air, Tsotsobe runs after it from short fine leg and holds on near the ropes at fine leg
BJ Haddin c Tsotsobe b Parnell 63 (92m 50b 5x4 1x6) SR: 126.00
From: omega on Fri Jan 30 8:26:25 2009.

So SA will be No. 1 team (ODI)...... Great season for them.
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 8:29:54 2009.

48.6 M Morkel to Bracken, OUT, all over and we have a new number one in one-day international cricket! Bracken pulls a high full toss out to the substitute Steyn at wide long-on and South Africa win 4-1!
NW Bracken c sub (DW Steyn) b M Morkel 4 (8b 0x4 0x6) SR: 50.00
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 8:30:39 2009.
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 8:32:26 2009.

For India, even if Ind bt SL 4-1, there won't be any change in rating points fr India. If Ind has to get some points, it has to bt SL 5-0.
yedhuku Ind-SL series?
At the current form, Ind-SA series can be the best. any Ind-SA series plannd in 2009?
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 8:34:14 2009.

The South Africans clamber on to the field and celebrate. They have rounded off an epic tour with victory in the final ODI. Australia have been displaced from the top spot. South Africa batted well to post 288 and then reduced Australia to 4 for 53, from which they never really recovered. Hussey and Haddin tried to keep them in the hunt with half-centuries, but the home side always faced a massive salvage operation.
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 8:35:20 2009.

Lonwabo Tsotsobe (indha pEra tamil newspaperla yeppadi pOda pOraangalO) snapped up his ODI wicket in his first over and came back to finish with four on debut. Botha was, as he has been all series, hard to score off because he fired them in quick and flat.
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 8:37:31 2009.

The Man of the Match is Hashim Amla for his 97. He jogs up to the podium and chats to Mark Taylor. He is disappointed to miss a century but enjoyed the chance to contribute to victory.
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 8:40:05 2009.

The Man of the Series is Albie Morkel for his 105 runs at 52.50, three wickets and two catches. His thigh and hip are a bit sore, he says, but like Amla he's just glad to have been a part of this winning unit.
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 8:42:07 2009.

Ricky Ponting says a few words. "Its been a disappointing way to round off this series. We were competitive in the first two games but were under par in the last two games. We've made a lot of mistakes but I can't put the finger on one reason we lost. Its been a learning curve for a lot of our newer guys. We have to give South Africa all the credit. They have had the better of us on most occasions."
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Jan 30 8:44:12 2009.

Botha: "The guys placed nicely and everyone contributed. The young players came in and were counted. Things went my way and I'm happy about how it all went. I don't know what will happen next, but Smith will come back."
From: sivank on Fri Jan 30 9:26:03 2009.

I wish all the best for Adrian Barath for a great century againt England. Just 18 years old and what a good game he played. Hopefully he can play for the WI team as opener
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jan 30 11:25:21 2009.

South Africa, even without Graeme Smith

4-1 is a great result
From: Sourav on Fri Jan 30 22:31:03 2009.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOICH%2F2009%2F01%2F31&ViewMode=GIF&GZ=T&PageLabel=17&EntityId=Ar01700&AppName=1

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Feb 1 0:29:17 2009.

Australia v New Zealand, 1st ODI, Perth

Australia bat as Tait returns

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/ausvnz2008/engine/current/match/351689.html

Quote:

Australian Team

SE Marsh, DA Warner, RT Ponting, MJ Clarke, MEK Hussey, DJ Hussey, wicketkeeperBJ Haddin, JR Hopes, MG Johnson, NW Bracken, SW Tait

New Zealand Team
BB McCullum, MJ Guptill, PG Fulton, LRPL Taylor, GD Elliott, NT Broom, KD Mills, DL Vettori, JS Patel, TG Southee, IE O'Brien

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Feb 1 2:30:07 2009.

Australia - 97/5, 30 overs
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Feb 1 3:02:23 2009.

126/6 38 Overs - EKRPI
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Feb 1 3:37:37 2009.

marana aapu for Aus

154/9 45 Overs
From: sgokulprathap on Sun Feb 1 4:57:23 2009.

Aus - 181 (48.4 ov)

NZ - 3/1 (2 ov)
From: sgokulprathap on Sun Feb 1 5:01:53 2009.

0.2 Tait to McCullum, OUT, McCullum's gone lbw this time, stunning start from Tait, that was 145.7 kmh, McCullum went on the backfoot to defend, hits his pads in front, umpire didn't spot a huge inside edge

BB McCullum lbw b Tait 0 (2m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
From: sgokulprathap on Sun Feb 1 5:04:04 2009.

ippallam ball legla pattalE lbw kuduthudarAnga.
inside edge, height, angle yellAm mukkiyam illa pOla.
From: sgokulprathap on Sun Feb 1 5:49:24 2009.

NZ-27/3
From: ajaybaskar on Sun Feb 1 8:03:35 2009.

NZ cruising...
From: viraajan on Sun Feb 1 8:47:20 2009.

Australia-ku adutha adi....

Good job Newzea!!!!!!!!
From: Vivasaayi on Sun Feb 1 8:47:44 2009.

Wonderful game of cricket.

Haddin played the spoil sport - how can he claim that wicket :surprised:
From: sgokulprathap on Sun Feb 1 9:03:28 2009.

NZ won by 2 wkts.
From: sgokulprathap on Sun Feb 1 9:08:31 2009.

What a superb low-scoring thriller at the WACA. New Zealand pip Australia by two wickets off the last ball. They'll be mighty thrilled with the effort but it should have never got this close.

Kyle Mills is the Player of the Match for taking four wickets and then scoring 26 runs just when the chase got really tense.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Feb 1 10:36:15 2009.

Well played NZ's! Their new jersey looks nice.

Australia-ku yaaro sooniyam vachutaanga!
From: steveaustin on Sun Feb 1 10:38:09 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Australia-ku yaaro sooniyam vachutaanga!

Yaarum illa. Ponting dhaan.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Feb 1 10:45:52 2009.

steveaustin wrote:

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Australia-ku yaaro sooniyam vachutaanga!

Yaarum illa. Ponting dhaan.

indha pasanga, pacha colour sokka maathuna nerathula irrundhu time seri illa....

like Vijay says in Ghilli "Vaasthu seri illa veeta maathanum!"
From: steveaustin on Sun Feb 1 10:50:13 2009.

Adhu mattum illa. AvanOda nAravAikkum, avanOda thimirukkum kidaitha parisu dhAn idhu. Evvalavu nAl dhAn umpire ivara kEttu out koduppAru???
From: wrap07 on Sun Feb 1 12:05:01 2009.

Congrats South Africa for having become No 1 team in ODIs.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Feb 2 0:35:51 2009.

//
wrap, LTNS? How are you?
//
From: wrap07 on Mon Feb 2 0:45:58 2009.

// thanks sridhar . I am fine & how are you. //
From: sgokulprathap on Mon Feb 2 2:32:02 2009.

Ponting gets a break

Ricky Ponting is feeling the heat.

Australia's four successive one-day defeats seem to have had their repurcussions and captain is the first one to face the music.

Ponting won't feature in the second one-dayer against New Zealand on Friday and might as well be dropped for the rest of the series.

The Australian selectors have decided to rest the captain for at least the said period.

Australia has had losses to endure Test series losses against India and South Africa in recent times and the 4-1 one-day series thrashing at the hands of the latter cost them their no.1 status.

Ponting, 33, has had the burden of carrying the side through the torrid period, and is one of only two players sans a braek during the same.

A tired looking Ponting fell victim to an error of judgment in the first one-dayer against the Kiwis at Perth and got run out for only five.

Michael Clarke, who was resting an injured thumb before the Perth match, will take over the captain's role in Ponting's absence.

"We are discussing Ricky having a break at the moment," chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said on Sunday.

"The reality is if he doesn't have a break now, he won't get one until the end of the South African tour, so I think a break is quite likely.

The Aussie captain has featured in all the four Tests against India, two against New Zealand, three against South Africa, two international Twenty20 matches and six one-day matches in the four-month period since October last year.
From: ajaybaskar on Mon Feb 2 3:52:47 2009.

Oz Cheating... Shame..Shame..

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=iBv4gq72p4M
From: crajkumar_be on Mon Feb 2 6:31:10 2009.

ajaybaskar wrote:

Oz Cheating... Shame..Shame..

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=iBv4gq72p4M

nalla vela NZ jeichuttaanga
From: Sourav on Mon Feb 2 6:38:51 2009.

ajaybaskar wrote:

Oz Cheating... Shame..Shame..

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=iBv4gq72p4M

Aus cheating-ne puthusa oru thread start pannalam pola...anthalavukku vitha vithama yeikkuraangappa...
From: directhit on Mon Feb 2 22:24:11 2009.

Reluctant Ponting follows rest orders

Ricky Ponting has bowed to long-term interests by taking a mid-series break despite wanting to stay on and lead his team through its current slump. Australia's selectors have rested Ponting for the next two fixtures with New Zealand even though his side is behind after losing the first match of the Chappell-Hadlee Series in Perth on Sunday.

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/ausvnz2008/content/current/story/388834.html
From: ajaybaskar on Tue Feb 3 2:57:19 2009.

Idhuvae NZla yaarachum pannirundhanganna Oz media Kizhichiruppaanga... Oz downfallku avangaloda mediavum oru reason
From: Sourav on Tue Feb 3 3:35:30 2009.

run-out-na kooda paravalla....but, bowled...
From: ajithfederer on Wed Feb 4 12:25:34 2009.

England tour of West Indies, 2008/09

Feb 4 - Feb 8 / 2009
The Wisden Trophy 1st Test - West Indies v England
Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica

England won the toss and elected to bat first

England 53/2 (17.0 ov)

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/current/match/352661.html

From: thamizhvaanan on Wed Feb 4 14:09:39 2009.

Oz Cheating... Shame..Shame..

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=iBv4gq72p4M

ajaybaskar wrote:

Aus cheating-ne puthusa oru thread start pannalam pola...anthalavukku vitha vithama yeikkuraangappa... LOL

Quote:

He said he was unaware at the time that his hands were ahead of the wickets. "After looking at the replay, my hands were in front of the stumps," he said. "But the ball, I'm 100% positive, hit the bails first and then came up into my gloves." Under the Laws, a no-ball should be called if the wicketkeeper does not stay behind the stumps until the ball touches the batsman, passes the stumps, or a run is attempted.

Adhu eppdi, ball bails hit pannitu apdiye thavazhndhu poi stumps ku munnadi irukra Haddin gloves la poi utkandukicha?

From: Sourav on Wed Feb 4 21:41:52 2009.

England vs West Indies : 1st test : 4-8 February 2009 : Full Scorecard

England (Elected to bat) = 236 for 5 wickets in 88 overs.
Andrew Strauss c Ramdin b Taylor 7 15 balls, 1x4
Alaister Cook c Sarwan b Powell 4 20 balls
Ian Bell c Smith b Gayle 28 72 balls, 3x4
Kevin Pietersen c Ramdin b Benn 97 172 balls, 12x4, 1x6
Paul Collingwood lbw b Benn 16 61 balls
Andrew Flintoff not out 43* 138 balls
Matt Prior not out 27* 57 balls, 1x4
Stuart Broad
Ryan Sidebottom
Steve Harmisson
Monty Panesar

Jerome Taylor = 13-2-56-1 (3nb) Fidel Edwards = 10-1-43-0 (3nb)
Derren Powell = 14-503101 (1nb) Sulieman Benn = 33-10-64-2
Chris Gayle = 18-5-35-1 Extras = 14 (bye=5, lbye=2, nb=7)

West Indies team = Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan,
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Xavier Marshall, Brendan Nash, Danesh Ramdin
Jerome Taylor, Sulieman Benn, Derren Powell & Fidel Edwards
From: Sourav on Thu Feb 5 0:31:13 2009.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Cricket_incidents

From: P_R on Thu Feb 5 0:34:42 2009.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Cricket_incidents

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wisdencricketer/content/story/266972.html

Hilarious writing

Quote:

Leslie Hylton
Leslie Hylton, who played half-a-dozen Tests for West Indies immediately before the war, holds a unique if grisly place in cricket history as the only Test cricketer to be executed. Hylton was hanged in Jamaica on May 17, 1955 after being found guilty of murdering his wife the previous year after she had confessed to adultery. Hylton told the court that he was attempting to shoot himself but had missed, an argument rather undermined when it emerged he had fired seven bullets into his wife, meaning he had to pause to reload his gun. Wisden, steadfastly skirting round anything remotely sordid even as late as the 1950s, managed to produce an obituary without mentioning the small detail that he had been executed for murder.

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Feb 5 0:54:36 2009.

Australia in South Africa 2008-09

Hughes, McGain and North get call-ups

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/content/current/story/389083.html

Quote:

Hughes will likely be joined by fellow debutant, McGain, in Australia's starting XI for the first Test in Johannesburg. At 36, McGain would become Australia's oldest Test debutant since Bob Holland in 1984, and although he is likely to take the role as the No. 1 slow man, Hilditch said that was no certainty.

pazhaya players ellarayum dhoosi thatraanga, adhukunu 36 vayasula debut panra dhellam konjam over-a therila! Rolling Eyes

Quote:

Australia Test squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Phillip Hughes, Simon Katich, Michael Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger, Bryce McGain, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nathan Hauritz, Marcus North.

From: Sourav on Thu Feb 5 0:59:28 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

pazhaya players ellarayum dhoosi thatraanga, adhukunu 36 vayasula debut panra dhellam konjam over-a therila!

36 vayasula debut....
Retire aagura vayasula debut-a? //sangoothura vayasula sangeethaaa...

From: ajithfederer on Thu Feb 5 14:09:36 2009.

Thier bench strength comes into question here. Lets see.

Australia in South Africa 2008-09

Hughes, McGain and North get call-ups

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/content/current/story/389083.html

Quote:

pazhaya players ellarayum dhoosi thatraanga, adhukunu 36 vayasula debut panra dhellam konjam over-a therila! Rolling Eyes

Quote:

From: ajithfederer on Thu Feb 5 14:10:45 2009.

I've read somewhere that Michael Hussey is going to hang up his boots after this years Ashes. Is it true?.
From: P_R on Thu Feb 5 14:22:40 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

I've read somewhere that Michael Hussey is going to hang up his boots after this years Ashes. Is it true?.
Matter over
From: ajithfederer on Thu Feb 5 14:31:09 2009.

Prabu

I myself am not sure.I am not able to find news links also. So don't believe me yet. If my memory serves me right I did read so somewhere. .
From: P_R on Thu Feb 5 14:38:48 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

Prabu

I myself am not sure.I am not able to find news links also. So don't believe me yet. If my memory serves me right I did read so somewhere. .
I doubt it. The fellow made his debut only in 2005. He is only 33, he has plenty of cricket to play.

But is he retires now then things will be terrible. Apart from Ponting he is the only solid batsman in the team. Michael Clarke can never be the central batting talent of the side.

So Hussey pOyittA "ooo-ooo"
From: ajithfederer on Thu Feb 5 14:53:10 2009.

PR, Agree.

I am still unable to find any link. So i have to take back my statement. .
From: ajithfederer on Thu Feb 5 14:56:53 2009.

PR, On a side note:
Ind/NZ serieskku wait panna mudiala. 3 tests aame

Case in point(s) are : Thalaivan doesn't have a century there and BCCI men should have a good test.
From: ajithfederer on Thu Feb 5 19:32:36 2009.

Stumps - Day 2

West Indies 160/1 (54.0 ov)

West Indies trail by 158 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
From: littlemaster1982 on Thu Feb 5 23:19:13 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

Case in point(s) are : Thalaivan doesn't have a century there and BCCI men should have a good test.

113 in Wellington (98-99 series)
From: ajithfederer on Fri Feb 6 0:18:29 2009.

http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/player/35320.html?class=2;home_or_away=2;opposition=5;template=results;type=batting;view=match

Got confused with ODI Century in New Zealand. Sachin doesnt have ODI Century in NZ . Thanks for the correction LM
From: Sourav on Fri Feb 6 0:21:25 2009.

Aus 51/2(14.3)
Clarke* 29(47), DJ Hussey 7(9)
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Feb 6 3:52:54 2009.

Aus - 225/5 (50 ov)
NZ - 23/1 (5 ov)
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 6 4:55:25 2009.

NZ requires 151 in 30 overs, 8 wickets in hand.

Come on black caps!!

Make this series 2-0
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 6 5:35:15 2009.

107 in 117 balls, 7 wickets in hand.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 6 6:05:14 2009.

65 in 72 balls, 7 wickets!
From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Feb 6 6:14:51 2009.

Kadaisi varaikkum izhuppanunga pola irukku
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 6 6:23:23 2009.

Yeah 50 in 51 balls, Taylor out! 6 wickets
From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Feb 6 6:27:35 2009.

Powerplay vera This is getting interesting
From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Feb 6 6:33:23 2009.

Two fours in this over
From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Feb 6 6:53:58 2009.

New Zealand won by 6 wickets

Aus
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 6 6:54:26 2009.

Yay! NZ won, its 2-0

Vaazhkai oru vattam Australia!
From: Sourav on Fri Feb 6 6:57:39 2009.

Aus lost...... :dance: :background_museek:
//Saavungada...
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 6 7:00:49 2009.

Quote:

Australia have slid to their fifth consecutive defeat, that too at home
From: viraajan on Fri Feb 6 7:01:15 2009.

sourav wrote:

Aus lost...... :dance: :background_museek:
//Saavungada...

டொன் ட டொன் ட டொன் ட டைன்...டொன் ட டைன்... டொடடைன்...

யார் அடிதாரோ..யார் அடிதாரோ...
From: viraajan on Fri Feb 6 7:01:46 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Quote:

Australia have slid to their fifth consecutive defeat, that too at home
From: Sourav on Fri Feb 6 7:03:17 2009.

DH iruntha :kutti_karanam: adichi kondadi irupparu....
From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Feb 6 7:07:11 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Yay! NZ won, its 2-0

Vaazhkai oru vattam Australia!

SS
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Feb 6 7:45:14 2009.
From: omega on Fri Feb 6 8:05:43 2009.

NZ
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Feb 6 10:23:36 2009.

India has moved to 2nd place in ICC ODI ranking.

http://icc-cricket.yahoo.com/rankings/rankings.html

More importantly Australia has slipped to 3rd place.
When does this last happened?

If Ind lose 5th match, NZ has to win Aussie series 4-1 for Ind to maintain 2nd position.
From: ajithfederer on Fri Feb 6 14:10:40 2009.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090206/news/news1.html

Sir Vivian speaks his mind (Pt II)

BE: Who would you consider among the top batsmen from your era to the present?

VR: These would include: Sunil Gavaskar, Javed Miandad, Sachin Tendulkar, Brain Lara, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

From: Kalyasi on Sat Feb 7 6:09:31 2009.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090206/news/news1.html

Sir Vivian speaks his mind (Pt II)

BE: Who would you consider among the top batsmen from your era to the present?

VR: These would include: Sunil Gavaskar, Javed Miandad, Sachin Tendulkar, Brain Lara, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Magenthira Sing Dhoni ya vittutaapla?

From: littlemaster1982 on Sat Feb 7 21:46:13 2009.

England vs West Indies - 1st Test.

West Indies beat England by innings and 23 runs

West Indies 392
England 318 & 51
From: Kalyasi on Sat Feb 7 21:58:44 2009.

Saavadi... What a Welcome to Strauss as a captain!!
From: P_R on Sun Feb 8 6:06:07 2009.
From: littlemaster1982 on Sun Feb 8 6:19:08 2009.

NZ vs Aus 3rd ODI is too good

NZ needs 85 off 65 balls with 3 wickets in hand.

Eliott 96* and McCullum 14*.
From: HonestRaj on Sun Feb 8 6:54:21 2009.

Thought of posting about Eng - WI match.. pazhaya west Indies nyabagam..... but will they maintian this
From: Sourav on Sun Feb 8 9:23:55 2009.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

England vs West Indies - 1st Test.

West Indies beat England by innings and 23 runs

West Indies 392
England 318 & 51
semma bowling...konja neram paarthen.

From: ajithfederer on Sun Feb 8 13:17:07 2009.

Naansenss madhiri pesatheenga LOL

Magenthira Sing Dhoni ya vittutaapla?

From: Ramakrishna on Sun Feb 8 13:18:21 2009.

Naansenss madhiri pesatheenga LOL

Magenthira Sing Dhoni ya vittutaapla?

From: ajithfederer on Sun Feb 8 13:37:24 2009.

ODI Rankings
India back to third place and Aus back to second place.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Feb 8 22:14:29 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

ODI Rankings
India back to third place and Aus back to second place.

Naanum school padikkum podhu first rank, second rank vaangunadhe kedayaadhu [L.K.G-la kooda ] ! Rank-la ennapa thrill irruku?
From: Sourav on Mon Feb 9 0:18:55 2009.

India tour of Nz - Sony MAX
So, no more commentary of Arunlal and Sivaramakrishnan for next few months... shapppppaaaa....

Aus tour of SA - Ten Sports.
From: sgokulprathap on Mon Feb 9 0:24:11 2009.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

England vs West Indies - 1st Test.

West Indies beat England by innings and 23 runs

West Indies 392
England 318 & 51
adhula paarunga 8th wicket partnership mattum 24 runs.
Chennai star Flintoff scored 24 runs.
Bangalore payyan KP just got a single.
Strauss (9 runs) just got better of extras (6 runs).
Rest all scored less than extras.

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Feb 9 2:30:53 2009.

semma bowling...konja neram paarthen.

England vs West Indies - 1st Test.

West Indies beat England by innings and 23 runs

West Indies 392
England 318 & 51 Laughing

Saw the highlights. Impressive bowling by Taylor. Sulliman Benn was ok!

From: Movie Cop on Mon Feb 9 2:50:56 2009.

semma bowling...konja neram paarthen.

England vs West Indies - 1st Test.

West Indies beat England by innings and 23 runs

West Indies 392
England 318 & 51 Laughing

Saw the highlights. Impressive bowling by Taylor. Sulliman Benn was ok!

Until end of day 3 - it was almost "evens stevens" with probably Windies holding a slight adv with slender lead. But on day 4, it would be one of the all time worst batting collpases for England!

From: Vivasaayi on Mon Feb 9 5:15:16 2009.

"Now you know why the people who stump up their cash to follow England abroad every winter are known as the Barmy Army... You've got to be barmy, or at least mildly bonkers, to fly round the world watching this lot."
Martin Johnson in the Times on how the loss in Jamaica reflects on England's travelling fans
From: Sourav on Mon Feb 9 23:33:56 2009.

NZ 11/0(4.2) | RR: 2.54
McCullum 8(8), Guptill* 3(18)

From: Sourav on Mon Feb 9 23:39:47 2009.

PR,
pls try to add this live scorecard too...//cricinfo blocked here... Embarassed

Quote:

http://cafe.ibibo.com/swf/cricket.swf

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Feb 10 0:49:12 2009.

NZ 86/3 23 Overs
From: Sourav on Tue Feb 10 0:50:01 2009.

2 quick wickets...
Mccullum made 33 without a boundary...

NZ 86/3(23) | RR: 3.73
Taylor* 1(3)
Last 2 overs : 1 . . W 1 . | . 1 . 1 . W
From: Sourav on Tue Feb 10 3:17:33 2009.

NZ 244/8(50) | RR: 4.88

Target: 245.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Feb 10 6:25:48 2009.

Australia is going to win this 47 req in 47 balls, 7 wickets in hand.

Btw,

I saw the review system was used for the Eng Vs WI 1st test match. ICC has legally approved it?
From: sgokulprathap on Tue Feb 10 7:34:20 2009.

Aus won by 6 wkts.
NZ.
From: ajithfederer on Thu Feb 12 12:51:38 2009.

http://cricketmasterblasters.blogspot.com/

Some good cricket videos.
From: Sourav on Thu Feb 12 20:55:57 2009.

Aus Vs NZ Decider @ 8.45 IST.
From: Sourav on Fri Feb 13 2:03:23 2009.

sourav wrote:

Aus Vs NZ Decider @ 8.45 IST.

Match nadakkutha illaya? Somebody update the score pls...
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 13 2:15:53 2009.

4.10 pm QLD: The umpire Rod Tucker has said play must begin before 6.47pm to provide enough for a 20-over match to be played. The field will take about an hour to prepare, but it is unlikely the rain will stay away for long enough.

Tucker and Steve Bucknor inspected the ground during a break in the rain two-and-a-quarter hours after the scheduled start. Some players from both teams came out from the dressing rooms, but the relief seemed only temporary.
From: Kalyasi on Fri Feb 13 4:53:58 2009.

NZL Win toss and put Aussies into Bat

Aus 20/2 in 4.1 ovrs...

Ponting soli mundinchu
From: Kalyasi on Fri Feb 13 4:55:19 2009.

btw its a 22 over contest!!
From: Kalyasi on Fri Feb 13 5:00:41 2009.

30/3 in 6 overs
From: Kalyasi on Fri Feb 13 6:39:10 2009.

NZL 38/1 in 3 overs chasing 156 in 20 overs
From: steveaustin on Fri Feb 13 6:40:02 2009.

Australia 168/4 (22/22 ov)

New Zealand 39/1 (3.1/20 ov)

Fulton

2.6 Hilfenhaus to Fulton, 1 run, full on middle and leg, flicked away to deep square leg

2.5 Hilfenhaus to Fulton, SIX, another one into the stands, Fulton is dealing in sixes here, full on middle and leg, he stays his ground and lofts that cleanly over long-on for another big one

2.5 Hilfenhaus to Fulton, 1 wide, full toss down the leg side, Fulton misses an opportunity there, given a wide

2.4 Hilfenhaus to Fulton, SIX, that's disappeared, just marginally short on the off stump, Fulton pikced the length really early to pull it away into the stands over deep midwicket

2.3 Hilfenhaus to Fulton, no run, well bowled, good length on middle and off, defended back to the bowler

2.2 Hilfenhaus to Guptill, 3 runs, in front of square this time, too straight by Hilfenhaus, driven through midwicket for three runs

2.1 Hilfenhaus to Guptill, FOUR, beautifully played, Hilfenhaus strays on the pads, Guptill gets on the back foot and flicks it away wide of fine leg for a boundary
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 13 6:43:23 2009.

India-voda 20-20 match-ku practise-a?
From: Kalyasi on Fri Feb 13 6:44:03 2009.

45/2 in 4 overs.... Fulton gone...
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 13 8:02:30 2009.

Match - No result.

NZ was leading why D/L method was not used?
From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Feb 13 8:10:10 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Match - No result.

NZ was leading why D/L method was not used?

AFAIK, Both teams have to bat a minimum of 20 overs for D/L method to be used.

Newzealand
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 13 8:16:39 2009.

Enna koduma idhu match-E 20 overs thaane, that means no D/L method in 20-20?
From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Feb 13 8:26:11 2009.

This is not exactly a 20-20, right
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 13 8:37:31 2009.

Appadiyum vachukalam, ippadiyum vachukalam-nE
From: ajithfederer on Fri Feb 13 10:49:08 2009.

Enna kolappam idhu
From: ajithfederer on Fri Feb 13 10:57:33 2009.

West Indies v England, 2nd Test, Antigua, 1st day

England 7/0 (1.4 ov)

West Indies won the toss and elected to field first

Stumps - Day 1

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/current/match/352662.html
From: sgokulprathap on Sat Feb 14 1:11:54 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Enna koduma idhu match-E 20 overs thaane, that means no D/L method in 20-20?
In ODI, each team has to bat atleast 20 overs to apply D/L.
If it is a T20I, each teams has to bat atleast 7 overs to apply D/L.

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Feb 14 3:21:15 2009.

Enna koduma idhu match-E 20 overs thaane, that means no D/L method in 20-20?

In ODI, each team has to bat atleast 20 overs to apply D/L.
If it is a T20I, each teams has to bat atleast 7 overs to apply D/L.

Oh ok, thanks!

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Feb 14 10:17:26 2009.

West Indies v England, 2nd Test, Antigua, 1st day

England 7/0 (1.4 ov)

West Indies won the toss and elected to field first

Stumps - Day 1

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/current/match/352662.html

avvalo thaan match mudichitaanunga ...

The fallout of the abandoned Antigua Test

'Ashamed' Holding slams lack of responsibility

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/content/current/story/390739.html

From: ajaybaskar on Sat Feb 14 11:08:23 2009.

I remember one India Vs SL match canclled for a similar reason
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Feb 14 13:01:21 2009.

ajaybaskar wrote:

I remember one India Vs SL match canclled for a similar reason

Yeah I think it was in 98 or 99. They canceled the match due to dreadfully made pitch. Later for crowd sake they played an exhibition match. Srilanka won that.
From: ajithfederer on Sun Feb 15 14:59:26 2009.

West Indies v England, 3rd Test, Antigua, 1st day

West Indies won the toss and elected to field first

England 184/1 (57.1 ov)

AN Cook 52

Strauss 105*

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/match/390680.html
From: Sourav on Mon Feb 16 3:16:11 2009.

Aus Vs. Nz T20...1 run lose for Nz.
Adam voges's match winning catch is one of the best catch in cricket history. :wow:
From: littlemaster1982 on Mon Feb 16 3:17:17 2009.

sourav wrote:

Aus Vs. Nz T20...1 run lose for Nz.
Adam voges's match winning catch is one of the best catch in cricket history. :wow:

That catch turned the match in Aus' favour

From: Sourav on Mon Feb 16 3:34:30 2009.

Adam voges's match winning catch is one of the best catch in cricket history. :wow: Bow

Aus Vs. Nz T20...1 run lose for Nz. Embarassed

That catch turned the match in Aus' favour Hammer

ya...

Mccullum irunthiruntha easy-a adichiruppan....

But, wat a catch!

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videoshow/4132669.cms

From: Kalyasi on Mon Feb 16 3:47:23 2009.

I remember one India Vs SL match canclled for a similar reason

ajaybaskar wrote:

Yeah I think it was in 98 or 99. They canceled the match due to dreadfully made pitch. Later for crowd sake they played an exhibition match. Srilanka won that.

Yeah it was in Indore!!

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Feb 16 3:48:53 2009.

sourav wrote:

Aus Vs. Nz T20...1 run lose for Nz.
Adam voges's match winning catch is one of the best catch in cricket history. :wow:

Actually 12 runs were needed of last two balls and 8 of 1. It is not a close match. NZ jeikiradhukku aaduna maadhriye illa.

From: Sourav on Mon Feb 16 3:58:44 2009.

Adam voges's match winning catch is one of the best catch in cricket history. :wow: Bow

Aus Vs. Nz T20...1 run lose for Nz. Embarassed

Actually 12 runs were needed of last two balls and 8 of 1. It is not a close match. NZ jeikiradhukku aaduna maadhriye illa.

Match Paarthen... Nathan Mccullum yetho different shots try pannan....onnum set aagala... That unbelievable catch was the turning point....

From: ajithfederer on Mon Feb 16 12:30:26 2009.

IInd day:
Eng 391/4 @ lunch. A result for sure if i am not wrong.
From: Sourav on Mon Feb 16 22:36:32 2009.

ஒருநாள் போட்டிகளில் அதிக முறை டக்-அவுட்டாகி ஏமாற்றியவர்கள் வரிசை:
வீரர் போட்டி டக்-அவுட்
ஜெயசூர்யா (இலங்கை) 432 33
அக்ரம் (பாக்.,) 356 28
முரளிதரன் (இலங்கை) 329 25
வாஸ் (இலங்கை) 322 25
கலுவிதரனா (இலங்கை) 189 24
அப்ரிதி (பாக்.,) 271 23
ஜெயவர்தனா 299 23
(இலங்கை)
கிப்ஸ் (தெ.ஆ.,) 239 22
வெட்டோரி (நியூசி.,) 231 21
போலக் (தெ.ஆ.,) 303 20
இன்சமாம் (பாக்.,) 378 20
சச்சின் (இந்தியா) 422 20

TESTS:
வீரர் போட்டி டக்-அவுட்
வால்ஷ் (வெ.இ.,) 132 43
மெக்ராத் (ஆஸி.,) 124 35
வார்னே (ஆஸி.,) 145 34
முரளிதரன் (இலங்கை) 125 33
தில்லான் (வெ.இ.,) 38 26
அம்புரோஸ் (வெ.இ.,) 98 26

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Feb 17 8:49:31 2009.

Zimbabwe tour threatens 'security and safety' warns NZ PM

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/newzealand/content/current/story/391133.html

Quote:

Speaking on local television, Key said he was prepared to consider ordering the players not to go. At the time of New Zealand's previous tour in 2005, the then prime minister Helen Clark made clear her government's displeasure at the team visiting Zimbabwe but stopped short of actually stepping in to stop them.

"If we send our cricket team to Zimbabwe, we threaten their personal security and safety," Key said. "We threaten the risk that they might get cholera and we're sending then to a regime we don't support."

From: Sourav on Tue Feb 17 21:02:59 2009.

Eng 566/9(dec) | WI 285/10 | Eng 31/1
Cook* 4(12), Anderson 4(13)
Match state is Stumps, End of Day 3.
From: ajithfederer on Wed Feb 18 14:16:27 2009.

3rd Test - Day 4

England 566/9d & 221/8d
West Indies 285 & 20/0 (7.2 ov)

West Indies require another 483 runs with 10 wickets remaining
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/match/390680.html
From: Sourav on Wed Feb 18 20:55:24 2009.

3rd Test - Day 4
Eng 566/9(dec) | WI 285/10 | Eng 221/8(dec) | WI 143/3
Sarwan* 47(87), Chanderpaul 18(41)
WI need 360 runs to win (Match State is Stumps)

Remmmbaa kashtam....series draw....1-1.
From: ajithfederer on Thu Feb 19 14:37:14 2009.

Wow what do we have here.

West Indies 285 & 257/4 (85.2 ov). West Indies require another 246 runs with 6 wickets remaining. A minimum of 47 overs remaining.

RR Sarwan b Broad 106 (195b 12x4 0x6) SR: 54.35

Camaan Windies.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/current/match/390680.html
From: ajithfederer on Thu Feb 19 14:51:28 2009.

sander paul gone
From: ajithfederer on Thu Feb 19 15:08:51 2009.

West Indies require another 230 runs with 5 wickets remaining

40 overs remaining. Camaan Windies hang in there
From: ajithfederer on Thu Feb 19 18:05:02 2009.

West Indies cling on. Match is a draw. For the glory of cricket I am happy that my words were proved wrong.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/current/match/390680.html
From: ajithfederer on Thu Feb 19 18:20:46 2009.

Nethu oru 45 overs, Innaikku oru 83 overs appadi irundhum ingilandhu 10wicket edukka mudiyalainaa neenga aaniyae pudunga vendam

From: Movie Cop on Thu Feb 19 18:48:55 2009.

West Indies cling on. Match is a draw. For the glory of cricket I am happy that my words were proved wrong.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/current/match/390680.html

to Windies!

Wow! What a Test match this was! This is what Test cricket is all about. One of the finest Test matches ever played in recent times!

Great escape it is!

From: Movie Cop on Thu Feb 19 18:52:22 2009.

Kudos to the lower order - Ramdin, Benn & Powell. Looks like they have showed absolute resolve (which has been lacking in Windies players of late) to defy England! They wouldn't have had to sweat this hard if the Sarwan/Sandhira Balan partnership would have lasted a little longer! Nevertheless, I'm glad for Windies cricket that they were able to hold a draw and maintain the lead!

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 20 0:22:55 2009.

Kudos to the lower order - Ramdin, Benn & Powell. Looks like they have showed absolute resolve (which has been lacking in Windies players of late) to defy England! They wouldn't have had to sweat this hard if the Sarwan/Sandhira Balan partnership would have lasted a little longer! Nevertheless, I'm glad for Windies cricket that they were able to hold a draw and maintain the lead! Cool

What a game. As you said the lower order should be credited for their temperament. I was watching the match till lunch, thought it would be an exhilarating finish. I think England was batting so long in the second innings also their decision to bat instead of enforcing the follow-on put them in jeopardy. Now what Strauss is going to do?

From: P_R on Fri Feb 20 0:33:41 2009.

Sridhar awesome avtar
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 20 1:15:27 2009.

Prabhu Ram wrote:

Sridhar awesome avtar

Thanks Prabhu!

From: Kalyasi on Fri Feb 20 2:09:53 2009.

It was a golden opportunity to square the series... Now England have to start it all from the scratch.......

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Feb 22 5:37:21 2009.

Srilanka 614/4 - Ist innings

Jayawardane - 240 and Samaraweera 231*

Pakistan -
From: steveaustin on Sun Feb 22 6:20:32 2009.

Pakistan - Dumeelu Dumeelu dooman doomangoyaa....
From: steveaustin on Sun Feb 22 7:28:12 2009.

Pakistan 31/0 (9.4 ov)

Sri Lanka 644/7d (Jayawardene - 240, Samaraweera - 231)
Jayawardene's fifth double century. All five in Asia. First double century outside Srilanka.

Jayawardene's batting average : 53.58
eppO adichArnE theriyalE.

437 runs partnership for 4th wicket. Is it a new world record for 4th wicket partnership???

Has Jayawardene created any new world record for his involvement in the partnerships of 400 more than once??
From: ajithfederer on Sun Feb 22 13:53:30 2009.

[tscii]Cape Town Test to be his last

Steve Bucknor to retire from umpiring

Cricinfo staff

February 22, 2009

Steve Bucknor was the first and so far the only umpire to have stood in over 100 Tests � Getty Images

Steve Bucknor, the West Indian umpire, has decided to retire from umpiring at the international level in March. The third Test between South Africa and Australia in Cape Town from March 19 to 23 will be his last Test while the two upcoming ODIs between West Indies and England in Barbados on March 27 and 29 will be his last one-day international assignments.

"I have notified the ICC that the South Africa versus Australia series will be my last Test series," Bucknor, 62, told the Jamaica Gleaner. "The third Test match in Cape Town will be my last Test match.

"The body is feeling quite good and I know I could go on for another two or three years. However, something inside me is telling me that it is time to go."

Bucknor was looking forward to help improve the standard of umpiring in the Caribbean after his retirement. "I hope I will be accorded the opportunity by the West Indies board to work with young umpires in the region because I still would like to continue making a contribution," he said.

Bucknor, who began his international umpiring career in 1989, has officiated in a record 126 Tests. He has also stood in 179 ODIs, including five consecutive World Cup finals since 1992 - the most by any umpire. Bucknor has been on the ICC's elite panel since 2002.

� Cricinfo

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/westindies/content/current/story/391837.html

From: ajithfederer on Sun Feb 22 14:21:37 2009.

Bucknor was looking forward to help improve the standard of umpiring in the Caribbean after his retirement.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/westindies/content/current/story/391837.html

From: sgokulprathap on Mon Feb 23 3:31:55 2009.

Bucknor was looking forward to help improve the standard of umpiring in the Caribbean after his retirement.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/westindies/content/current/story/391837.html

So, the blind man is finally retiring.

From: Sourav on Mon Feb 23 3:34:10 2009.

Bucknor was looking forward to help improve the standard of umpiring in the Caribbean after his retirement.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/westindies/content/current/story/391837.html

Avar kitta ennaa periya kaamedy-na romba neram yochichu thappa out kodupparu...

From: sgokulprathap on Mon Feb 23 3:40:09 2009.

Bucknor was looking forward to help improve the standard of umpiring in the Caribbean after his retirement.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/westindies/content/current/story/391837.html

Avar kitta ennaa periya kaamedy-na romba neram yochichu thappa out kodupparu... Laughing

like Vadivel comedy 'Varum aana varaadhu', 'Out illa, aana outtu'.

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Feb 23 5:52:58 2009.

Bucknor was looking forward to help improve the standard of umpiring in the Caribbean after his retirement.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/westindies/content/current/story/391837.html

Avar kitta ennaa periya kaamedy-na romba neram yochichu thappa out kodupparu... Laughing

From: Sourav on Mon Feb 23 22:16:59 2009.

Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Day 3
SL 644/7(dec) | Pak 296/3
Younis Khan 149, Misbah Ul-Haq* 20
Pak needs 149 runs to avoid follow on (Match State is Stumps)
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Feb 24 0:41:53 2009.

Enna oru mokkayana match!
From: Sourav on Tue Feb 24 3:55:31 2009.

SL 644/7(dec) | Pak 367/4
Younis Khan 182, Iqbal* 5
Pak needs 78 runs to avoid follow on

Y.khan is nearing his double century...
It wil be the 3rd double century in this match...
From: viraajan on Tue Feb 24 7:13:30 2009.

Yonis 300
From: steveaustin on Tue Feb 24 12:11:34 2009.

Will Younis break Lara's record????
From: Sourav on Tue Feb 24 14:16:23 2009.

steveaustin wrote:

Will Younis break Lara's record????
chance irukku...
Mendis & Murali.... pappu vegalaya??
From: ajithfederer on Tue Feb 24 14:34:23 2009.

An utter shame equalling the Madras farce last year.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Enna oru mokkayana match!
From: steveaustin on Wed Feb 25 1:50:51 2009.

Finally Younis Khan ended with 313.

Another one missed out another chance to break the world record innings of 400* held by one of the all time greats Brian Charles Lara.

From: vasanth2006 on Wed Feb 25 15:45:46 2009.

Bucknor was looking forward to help improve the standard of umpiring in the Caribbean after his retirement.

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/westindies/content/current/story/391837.html

Avar kitta ennaa periya kaamedy-na romba neram yochichu thappa out kodupparu... Laughing

In recent times only(may be after 2000), he gives like that.....in the past i think he is good ....

From: steveaustin on Thu Feb 26 11:05:11 2009.

West Indies v England, 4th Test, Barbados, 1st day

England won the toss and elected to bat first

England 48/0 (13.0 ov)

AJ Strauss (lhb) 33
*AN Cook (lhb) 15
From: Sourav on Thu Feb 26 12:16:28 2009.

steveaustin wrote:

West Indies v England, 4th Test, Barbados, 1st day

England won the toss and elected to bat first

England 48/0 (13.0 ov)

AJ Strauss (lhb) 33
*AN Cook (lhb) 15

Watched for some time..,.few drop catches....

@ Benn's hairstyle...
From: ajithfederer on Thu Feb 26 21:53:19 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK1UExJ2rl0&feature=rec-r2

I would like to have two of those

2 cricket balls
From: steveaustin on Fri Feb 27 10:36:26 2009.

West Indies v England, 4th Test, Barbados, 2nd day

England comfortably placed at the moment.

England 331/4 (96.3 ov)

Pieterson falls for 41 to Fidel Edwards.

Collingwood batting on 23
Ravi Bhopara who replaced Flintoff is batting on 4.
From: ajithfederer on Fri Feb 27 16:19:34 2009.

Mal Loye sweeps Brett Lee for Six

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdX7JjAhizk&feature=channel_page
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Feb 27 22:18:52 2009.

England 600/4 declared.

Strauss 142, Bopara 104.

W.I 85/1
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Feb 27 23:56:04 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

England 600/4 declared.

Strauss 142, Bopara 104.

W.I 85/1
its 600/6.
From: Movie Cop on Sat Feb 28 17:56:11 2009.

After an exciting, edge-of-the-seat thriller in Antigua, this Test in Bridgetown is also promising to go all the way to the wire! Yet another superb innings from Sarwan holding the WI batting together!

3/5 lbw's were sent for referrals? Damn the referral system!

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Feb 28 18:10:48 2009.

After an exciting, edge-of-the-seat thriller in Antigua, this Test in Bridgetown is also promising to go all the way to the wire! Cool

Yet another superb innings from Sarwan holding the WI batting together! Clap

I think they can�t lose from here. Sarwan is playing a great innings. Hope he scores those 16 and completes the formality tomorrow. WI would still maintain the series lead.

There were too many asked today at Johannesburg and the referral umpire was sticking with the decision taken by the main umpire. Some of the decisions were very close and can be given out but all were rejeeted. The TV umpire is Mr. Asad Rauf.

3/5 lbw's were sent for referrals? Shocked

Damn the referral system! Evil or Very Mad

From: steveaustin on Sat Feb 28 22:46:04 2009.

West Indies v England, 4th Test, Barbados, 3rd day

West Indies 398/5 (109.0 ov)

Ramnaresh Sarwan unbeaten on 184.
Atlast it seems that Sarwan is playing nearly to his potential. He is very impressive particulary in this series. His drives on the up reminds me the great Isaac Viv Richards. I think this is his third hundred of this series. This WI team is really pulling out some tricks from their bags and surprising England.

England in India and WI so far
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Mar 1 12:06:10 2009.

WI - 483/5 @ Day 04 Lunch!

Sarwan - 229*

So this match is going to be yet another draw. WI leads the series 1-0!
From: ajithfederer on Sun Mar 1 13:44:26 2009.

Sarwan 252*

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/current/match/352663.html
From: ajithfederer on Sun Mar 1 14:48:46 2009.

Sarwan out for 291 - Well played

From: ajithfederer on Sun Mar 1 14:54:13 2009.

Refferals arambichutaangala?? Shocked

After an exciting, edge-of-the-seat thriller in Antigua, this Test in Bridgetown is also promising to go all the way to the wire! Cool

Yet another superb innings from Sarwan holding the WI batting together! Clap

3/5 lbw's were sent for referrals? Shocked

Damn the referral system! Evil or Very Mad

From: Sourav on Sun Mar 1 21:02:17 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

Refferals arambichutaangala??

ya...Aus Vs SA match-la kooda irukku.,
From: ajithfederer on Sun Mar 1 21:09:30 2009.

Thanks sourav. Any idea of when does the SA- Aus match starts wrt Indian timings?.
From: Sourav on Sun Mar 1 21:18:19 2009.

2 PM IST.
From: littlemaster1982 on Mon Mar 2 0:31:46 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

Sarwan out for 291 - Well played
From: ajithfederer on Mon Mar 2 0:32:59 2009.

Nandri hai sourav ji.

sourav wrote:

2 PM IST.
From: Sourav on Mon Mar 2 0:36:04 2009.

Pakistan match ellam yaarum matthikkirathey illlaya? Score kooda poda mattreeenga.

SL 317/4 (Stumps, Day 1)

Batting Dismissal R B 4s 6s SR
BSM Warnapura c Misbah-ul-Haq b Umar Gul 8 14 1 0 57.14
NT Paranavitana c Shoaib Malik b Umar Gul 21 31 4 0 67.74
KC Sangakkara c Kamran Akmal b Yasir Arafat 104 210 8 0 49.52
DPMD Jayawardene c Kamran Akmal b Umar Gul 30 61 5 0 49.18
TT Samaraweera not out 133 205 19 0 64.88
TM Dilshan not out 3 11 0 0 27.27
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Mar 2 2:14:15 2009.

I think for the first time all the major 8 teams are busy playing!

Aus- SA
Pak - SL
Ind - NL
WI - Eng
From: Sourav on Mon Mar 2 2:20:01 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

I think for the first time all the major 8 teams are busy playing!

Aus- SA
Pak - SL
Ind - NL
WI - Eng
Ten sports-la ella match-yum 2 session mattum pottu next match poyiduranuga...
Oru channel vacchirukkiravan ellam yethukkuda 3 series at a time-la rights edukkureeenga....
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Mar 2 2:22:50 2009.

Yeah

Morning to Afternoon - Pak, SL

Afternoon to Night - Aus, NL

Night to Earlymorning - WI, Eng!

Innum Ind-NL rights kedachrundha Earlymorning-Morning-a cover pannirupaanunga
From: steveaustin on Mon Mar 2 8:36:01 2009.

Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Lahore, 2nd day

Sri Lanka 606
Pakistan 110/1 (23.4 ov)

Srilanka posted 606. One more centurion in the Srilankan innings. Tilakratne Dilshan scored an aggressive 145 of just 170 deliveries with 21 hits to the fence.

Pakistan almost matched Srilanka till the run out dismissal of Salman Butt for 48. 22 years old Manzoor scored belligerent unbeaten 59.

Is it a cricket pitch or a hard court? In this test match, both teams are scoring over 4 runs per over.
From: steveaustin on Mon Mar 2 9:20:01 2009.

Testing time for Test Cricket

World Test Cricket in dire straits is my personal perception. Everywhere runs are scored in terms of hundreds(In fact 150s), double hundreds and triple hundreds for individual cricketers in just one test match itself. Recently too many double and triple hundreds were scored and every one had a very easy chance to break Brian Lara's record. Most of the times Batsmen are getting out to a poor ball or to their poor shot selection and not because of the bowling skills. It was so near yet so far. So far, why everyone missed the opportunity to break Lara's record even though the pitches are behaved just like hard courts. In my personal observation, it is just the mental toughness and concentration and not about the placid pitches.

Wickets, Wickets and Wickets are here and there (15 or 20 wickets for the whole test match). Wait! What ICC is doing here? I don't know. It is the right time that ICC has to step in and take necessary action to change the nature of pitches. Test Cricket is surely going to lost its charm if this trend continues. It is becoming more and more one dimensional. Bat's domination over the ball is too much which I personally could not digest in test cricket. There is no fascinating contest between bat and ball. In a ODI or T20 it is a different story. If cricket has to remain as a fascinating game, then pitches should be made as a sportive ones. Most of the modern day bowlers are too pathetic and lacked even basic skills like bowling an outswinger or an inswinger. Spinners are frightened to give the ball more air. I am witnessing these type of cricket nowadays. What a tragedy it is!!!

At present, IMO, world cricket need fast bowlers like Akhtars, Wasims, Waqars, Ambroses, Donalds, Mcgraths and artistry spinners like Warnes, Muralis, Mushtaqs in these types of wickets. At the same time, I had some doubts about these very high quality cricketers too in placid pitches at present.

In Today's cricket, I have not seen even a single spinner except Muralitharan has a courage to give the ball more air even in test matches to try to beat the batsman which is really a worrying factor. The art of spin is slowly dying. No bowlers are bowling yorkers regularly like Waqar or a Wasim in today's cricket. Our pathetic commentators are yelling some of the fulltosses as yorkers.

Thank God! Atleast Australia and SA are involved in a intriguing battle where a decent contest between bat and ball is going on while I was posting this one.

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Mar 2 10:36:51 2009.

Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Lahore, 2nd day

Sri Lanka 606
Pakistan 110/1 (23.4 ov)

Srilanka posted 606. One more centurion in the Srilankan innings. Tilakratne Dilshan scored an aggressive 145 of just 170 deliveries with 21 hits to the fence.

Pakistan almost matched Srilanka till the run out dismissal of Salman Butt for 48. 22 years old Manzoor scored belligerent unbeaten 59.

Is it a cricket pitch or a hard court? In this test match, both teams are scoring over 4 runs per over. Rolling Eyes

I think the first match created some controversies regarding the quality of the pitch. Curator idhukku munnadi NH road podura velaya paathuttu irrundhaar pola!

From: steveaustin on Mon Mar 2 10:47:54 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Curator idhukku munnadi NH road podura velaya paathuttu irrundhaar pola!

Sridhar
Nice one.
From: steveaustin on Mon Mar 2 11:35:15 2009.

West Indies v England, 4th Test, Barbados, 5th day

England 600/6d & 86/0 (21.5 ov)
West Indies 749/9d

86 for no loss in 5th day of a test match. Runrate nearly 4 runs per over. Testing pitch and match for the bowlers. Barbados - Bowler's nightmare
From: ajithfederer on Mon Mar 2 12:32:54 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Curator idhukku munnadi NH road podura velaya paathuttu irrundhaar pola!
From: ajithfederer on Mon Mar 2 12:59:21 2009.

Imran Khan Biography 1-5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm-1HDsiRLM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Swjm5HDy7Y&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cKm3MvxG98&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT6wsm0a8QQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnY5USQmRG0&feature=related

From: ajithfederer on Mon Mar 2 14:27:59 2009.

Steve, Again Pinreenga!! Clap

. Please write more.

Bottomline: TV Audiences need more runs and more entertainment. They don't want competitive cricket. They want 6's and 4's. That generates into cricketing bodies adjusting pitches to cater them. At the end of the day it is nothing personal and strictly business. For me 90's was the era of competitive cricket. I haven't seen the 80's but i am very sure that they were better than this decade.

Testing time for Test Cricket

World Test Cricket in dire straits is my personal perception. Everywhere runs are scored in terms of hundreds(In fact 150s), double hundreds and triple hundreds for individual cricketers in just one test match itself. Recently too many double and triple hundreds were scored and every one had a very easy chance to break Brian Lara's record. Most of the times Batsmen are getting out to a poor ball or to their poor shot selection and not because of the bowling skills. It was so near yet so far. So far, why everyone missed the opportunity to break Lara's record even though the pitches are behaved just like hard courts. In my personal observation, it is just the mental toughness and concentration and not about the placid pitches.

Wickets, Wickets and Wickets are here and there (15 or 20 wickets for the whole test match). Wait! What ICC is doing here? I don't know. It is the right time that ICC has to step in and take necessary action to change the nature of pitches. Test Cricket is surely going to lost its charm if this trend continues. It is becoming more and more one dimensional. Bat's domination over the ball is too much which I personally could not digest in test cricket. There is no fascinating contest between bat and ball. In a ODI or T20 it is a different story. If cricket has to remain as a fascinating game, then pitches should be made as a sportive ones. Most of the modern day bowlers are too pathetic and lacked even basic skills like bowling an outswinger or an inswinger. Spinners are frightened to give the ball more air. I am witnessing these type of cricket nowadays. What a tragedy it is!!!

At present, IMO, world cricket need fast bowlers like Akhtars, Wasims, Waqars, Ambroses, Donalds, Mcgraths and artistry spinners like Warnes, Muralis, Mushtaqs in these types of wickets. At the same time, I had some doubts about these very high quality cricketers too in placid pitches at present.

In Today's cricket, I have not seen even a single spinner except Muralitharan has a courage to give the ball more air even in test matches to try to beat the batsman which is really a worrying factor. The art of spin is slowly dying. No bowlers are bowling yorkers regularly like Waqar or a Wasim in today's cricket. Our pathetic commentators are yelling some of the fulltosses as yorkers.

Thank God! Atleast Australia and SA are involved in a intriguing battle where a decent contest between bat and ball is going on while I was posting this one.

From: ajithfederer on Mon Mar 2 15:21:31 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/user/BCCI

BCCI haes ae obiciyal yeeteeb saanal
From: Sourav on Tue Mar 3 0:30:28 2009.

Sri Lankan cricket players injured in Pak firing

Zeenews Bureau

Lahore, March 03: In a shocking incident, pointing to the precipitous situation in Pakistan, the Sri Lankan cricket team which is in Lahore to play the second Test was attacked upon by a gang of gunmen early on Tuesday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that two Sri Lankan players have been injured and have been taken to the hospital. The Sri Lankan cricket board has cancelled the tour with immediate effect while the encounter with the unidentified gunmen is still going on.

As per initial reports the attack happened outside the Gaddafi stadium when the team was moving from the Liberty chowk to the Polo Ground road on their way to the Gaddafi Stadium.

Then all of a sudden two grenades were lobbed on the convoy, followed by indiscriminate firing. Three policemen have lost their lives while two others are reportedly injured.
From: Sourav on Tue Mar 3 0:31:49 2009.

Its really shocking and sad...
From: directhit on Tue Mar 3 0:32:02 2009.

in cricbuzz

even players have been reported injured and two of them are reported to be seriously injured.

mendis and sangakarra are among those injured
From: steveaustin on Tue Mar 3 11:09:55 2009.

Pakistan faces loss of cricket tours

Lahore Test scrapped after attack
From: steveaustin on Tue Mar 3 11:28:10 2009.

Pakistan should play at neutral venues - ICC chief

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat says that cricket has been left "stunned" by the terror attacks on the Sri Lanka team, but stands by the security arrangements for their tour of Pakistan.
From: ajithfederer on Wed Mar 4 20:35:55 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzdGcOwFaJ4

West Indies vs Australia / tri series / 1995-96

New Years Day 1996, we all know the finish of this one now don't we.

TEAMS

AUSTRALIA: (1) Mark TAYLOR (C), (2) Michael SLATER, (6) Mark WAUGH, (14) Ricky PONTING, (10) Stuart LAW, (12) Michael BEVAN, (20) Shane LEE, (7) Ian HEALY, (4) Paul REIFFEL, (23) Shane WARNE, (11) Glenn McGRATH

WEST INDIES: (10) Stuart WILLIAMS, (12) Sherwin CAMPBELL, (8) Phil SIMMONS, (11) Shivnarine CHANDERPAUL, (4) Carl HOOPER, (9) Jimmy ADAMS, (6) Roger HARPER, (15) Otis GIBSON, (14) Courtney BROWNE, (3) Curtly AMBROSE, (2) Courtney WALSH
From: ajithfederer on Thu Mar 5 15:14:23 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjyH7-8u21o

WEST INDIES vs AUSTRALIA, 1995 1st TEST, BRIDGETOWN BARBADOS
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Mar 6 11:00:16 2009.

West Indies Vs England - 5th test

England - 34/1.

England needs to beat WI to level the series!
From: steveaustin on Fri Mar 6 11:52:25 2009.

West Indies v England, 5th Test, Trinidad, 1st day

England 69/1 (24.0 ov)

OA Shah (rhb) 16
Strauss (lhb) 40

Cook was the batsmen dismissed earlier for 12 by Powel. England needs to win this test match to draw the series and retain the trophy. I never expect this WI team to win a test match and to my surprise they did it in style and their last pair saved WI in another test match which went to nail biting finish.
From: ajithfederer on Fri Mar 6 15:47:53 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/current/match/352664.html

West Indies v England, 5th Test, Trinidad, 1st day

England 200/2
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Mar 7 6:04:55 2009.

England just scored 258 runs in 90 overs!

Ivvanugalukku jeikanum-nu nenapps-ey illa pola!
From: ajithfederer on Sat Mar 7 13:48:18 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5LD1AZqRuo&NR=1

The final over from Game 4 of the 1986/1987 WSC between England and Australia from the SCG. This is Bruce Reid's worst nightmare.

ALLAN LAMB BASHES BRUCE REID
From: Movie Cop on Sat Mar 7 20:54:56 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

England just scored 258 runs in 90 overs!
Ivvanugalukku jeikanum-nu nenapps-ey illa pola!

More than England, I'm disappointed with WI attitude. Look at them they have picked just 3 bowlers and are playing with 7 batsmen.
Just because they have 1-0 lead, so much negative in their approach (very unlike the traditional Windies we have known for years)!
From: steveaustin on Sun Mar 8 0:09:48 2009.

5th Test: West Indies v England at Port of Spain, Mar 6-10, 2009

England 546/6d
West Indies 92/1 (19.0 ov)

CH Gayle (lhb) 49
DBL Powell (rhb) 0

England declared their innings after scoring 546 for the loss of 6 wickets. WI off to a flying start mainly due to their skipper Gayle who was batting on 49 of 64 deliveries with 6 fours and 2 sixes. Earlier England's batsmen Paul Collingwood and their Wicket-Keeper Mathew Prior struck centuries after their skipper Strauss' century on the first day. Prior remained not out on 131 and Collingwood scored 161.
From: ajithfederer on Sun Mar 8 17:19:30 2009.

http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=23803&tid=5309513200863604104

INTERESTING FACTS--MUST MUST READ

hi frnds...this is a lengthy one, but quiet interesting, so i request you to PLEASE read till the end keeping patience..hope you will like it..

2 Quotes�
**********
1. �the champion of an era would have adapted himself to be a champion in any era�- Don Bradman

2. �even wen we got out bradman we didn�t go around hugging..we just rested while the next bloke came along�- Harold larwood

PREDICTIONS THAT WERE SPOT ON
*************************************
1. Javed Aich, a Bangladeshi magician wrote on a piece of paper before 1996 WC final was played � SL wud win by 6 or 7 wkts if they fielded first..Desilva wud b the man of the match, and jaysurya wud fail..� .. the paper was sealed in envelope and put into iron box, and opened later after match..exactly that happened

2. �Wasim will become the best left arm bowler since alan davidson�- Imran Khan

3. Balwinder Sandhu and Everton Weekes predicted that then rank outsiders, India wud win the Prudential WC in 1983..In one of the biggest cricketing upsets India just did that..

4. David Frith,former editor of Wisden wrote, �I hv been waiting for the moment wen with 6 runs needed of the final ball, and lot of money at stake, bowler informs the umpire of a change of action, and rolls the ball along ground..�..20 months later, Trevor chappell, under the captaincy of brother Greg did that vs NZ in 1980-81

PREDICTIONS WAY OFF THE MARK
**************************************
1. The british press hailed Graeme Hick as �Next Bradman�� But Its our own Sachin..

2. �Our aim is to win 6-0�-Aus captain Graham yallop, before 1978 ashes..his team lost 1-5..ridiculous!!!

3. �Pakistan will smash India to the pulp�- Captain Sunil Gavaskar didn�t mind being proved wrong on this occasion..his side beat pak 2-0 in 1980
5 Mar (3 days ago)

REMARKABLE COINCIDENCES
*********************************
1. Born within a mile and 18 months of each other,the 3 W�s followed each other into West Indian batting order..they were also the best batsmen of their time- weekes, worrell and Walcott
2. In the first ever test in 1877, Aus beat Eng by 45 runs..in the centenary test 100 yrs later,the result was exactly the same

COMMON MISNOMERS
***********************
1. the first world cup cricket tournament was played in England but not in 1975..it was played in 1973, won by england..it was inaugural Women�s world cup

2. The �SG� on SG bats used by sunil gavaskar didn�t stand for his name..its after the manufacturer Sanspareils Greenlands.

CRICKETERS AND THIEVES
****************************

1. (MOST INTERESTING ONE,MUST READ)
Umpire Dickie Bird,lost his familiar golf cap, during the intrusion by spectators before last ball of WC final,1975..Few days later, while on bus in London, Dickie saw it on the head of West Indian bus conductor..On asking where did he get it, the conductor replied �Havent u heard of test umpire Dickie bird..he is my friend..he gave it to me.�

2. Steve Waugh chased a burglar out of his room late one night in kingston in jamaica in 1995..he hardly slep after that..the next morning he put on 231,with brother mark, and went on to score a double century..

FREAK SCOREBOOK ENTRIES
******************************
1. Khalid aziz -c Brearley b Hobbs
Khalid aziz -c Brearley b Hobbs
( MCC vs North Zone,Pakistan,1967..there were 2 Khalid Aziz in later side..

2. Jaideep�Retired (Rajasthan vs Vidarbha,1986-87..batsman mistook umpire�s signal for �over� as �out� and did not return..

UNUSUAL DISMISSALS
*************************
1. H.E.Roberts of Sussex,once bowled a delivery, that hit a bird,and deflected to the stumps..batsman was given out..

2. Martin Donnelly bowled by R.Young,at lords.. the ball hit Donnelly on his foot,lobbed over the stumps,spun back, to hit stumps from behind

contd..

UNUSUAL REASONS FOR BREAK IN PLAY
******************************************
1. During a league match in Bangalore,1966, play was abandoned temporarily as the fielders,batsmen and umpires walked off to get a close look of amitabh bacchan at the boundary..

2. an earthquake held up play for 5 mins during ODI betn India and WI,Trinidad,1983

3. second day of golden jubilee test between India and england at mumbai,1980 was declared rest day as it coincided with a solar eclipse..

contd..some quickfacts

QUICKFACTS AND TITBITS
********************************

1. Shivnarine chanderpaul uprooted the stumps and was running off with them after NZ was bowled out in the 2nd inngs of Barbados test,1996..to his great embarrassment he was told to return the stumps, as WI still required 29 runs to win the match..

2. Charlie griffith cried after hitting nari contractor on the head in match between Barbados and India,1962..griffith prayed and stayed at the hospital, while nari battled for his life..

3. the scorebook entry �Lillee caught willey bowled dilley� was recorded in the v match between England and Australia at perth, 1979-80..

4. general Zia ul haq�s first physical instructor in the army was denis Compton..

Courtesy:- centre fresh cricket booklet

From: crajkumar_be on Mon Mar 9 7:08:20 2009.

Quote:

1. Shivnarine chanderpaul uprooted the stumps and was running off with them after NZ was bowled out in the 2nd inngs of Barbados test,1996..to his great embarrassment he was told to return the stumps, as WI still required 29 runs to win the match..

From: ajithfederer on Mon Mar 9 13:35:38 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/394478.html

Concerns from India and England

Hopes for Test world championship fade

Alex Brown

March 9, 2009

The proposed world championship of Test cricket is in danger of being scrapped, with India and England expressing serious reservations about the Cricket Australia-backed concept. The championship format had been viewed by some as a viable alternative to the Future Tours Program - which expires in 2012 - with a points system, finals series and, ultimately, trophy presentation to add context and structure to the five-day game.

But concerns over television revenue have placed the concept in jeopardy. The timing and logistical complexities of scheduling nine sets of home-and-away Test series into four-year cycles prompted fears from India and England that lucrative bi-lateral arrangements could be compromised. The issues were raised at the recent chief executives' committee meeting in Johannesburg, which concluded with respective boards being asked to give further thought to how Test cricket might be formatted after 2012.

"It is not final, but there have been some reservations," said IS Bindra, the ICC's principal advisor, who has been vocal supporter of the championship format. "Those two boards (India and England) agreed that there needed to be some refinements and modifications made. They are the financial powerhouses of the game and they obviously have huge television rights deals at stake."

The world championship of Test cricket was originally proposed by Rohan Sajdeh of the Boston Consulting Group and strongly advocated by CA. A BCG consultant worked out of CA's Melbourne headquarters for much of 2008 developing the concept for submission to the ICC, but questions over the protection of "icon" Test series and the Indian Premier League within the model prompted consternation among many of the game's powerbrokers.

CA chief executive James Sutherland, a leading advocate for the championship format, predicted the post-2012 Test landscape would closely resemble the current FTP, with boards afforded the flexibility of scheduling bi-lateral series within a six- to seven-year cycle.

"There is a bit of focus on the FTP post-2012, and my feel at the moment is that there's not a big appetite for the Test championship model," Sutherland told Cricinfo. "Whether that changes in the future I don't know, but as of right now it seems that there is more focus on FTP enhancement after 2012 than a whole new model.

"If you look closely at the FTP as it stands you see that some teams play each other on four-year cycles and others on two-year cycles. From what I'm hearing, we'll something not terribly different to that. We did put a bit of thought into (the championship format) ... and the ICC management were quite keen on the concept. But it hasn't been looked upon as being the right mix or the right way to progress."

Sutherland, meanwhile, hinted strongly that Australia would only play their scheduled 2010 Test series against Pakistan at a neutral venue. Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said this week he expected cricket would return to Pakistan by the end of 2009, but Sutherland insisted CA was comfortable with the notion of a neutral venue, most likely to be England.

"They know we are interested in the idea of playing at a neutral venue but it is up to the PCB to talk to the potential host nations," Sutherland said. "I know there have been some talks between the ECB and the PCB, but I'm not sure how far they've gone, or whether they've discussed dates and venues."

An Australian delegation of Michael Brown, Steve Bernard and Paul Marsh were among those to complete a safety inspection tour of Dubai and Abu Dhabi ahead of Australia's one-day series against Pakistan in April. They will now head to England to inspect facilities ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 and the Ashes.

Alex Brown is deputy editor of Cricinfo

� Cricinfo

From: Movie Cop on Mon Mar 9 15:04:27 2009.

Siva Narayana Sandhira Balan

Quote:

Btw, Sandhira Balan is still batting on 133 at Tea on day 4 of the Port-of-Spain featherbed! I really pity the Trinidadian crowd for having to endure a Balan's century!

From: ajithfederer on Mon Mar 9 15:44:49 2009.

25+ Hundreds have been scored in 8 test matches since feb 1st 2009.

.
From: Movie Cop on Mon Mar 9 16:26:18 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

25+ Hundreds have been scored in 8 test matches since feb 1st 2009.

.

The curators who prepared the wickets for the WI-Eng series as well as SL-Pak series should be banned, I say!
From: Sourav on Mon Mar 9 21:38:48 2009.

India waald cuppu vaangumaa? Women's cricket world cup...

From: directhit on Mon Mar 9 21:43:54 2009.

FREAK SCOREBOOK ENTRIES
******************************
2. Jaideep�Retired (Rajasthan vs Vidarbha,1986-87..batsman mistook umpire�s signal for �over� as �out� and did not return..

UNUSUAL REASONS FOR BREAK IN PLAY
******************************************
1. During a league match in Bangalore,1966, play was abandoned temporarily as the fielders,batsmen and umpires walked off to get a close look of amitabh bacchan at the boundary..

AB oda first padame 1969 la nu wiki solludhu - evano AB fan adichu vittrukaan

From: Sourav on Mon Mar 9 21:46:22 2009.

FREAK SCOREBOOK ENTRIES
******************************
2. Jaideep�Retired (Rajasthan vs Vidarbha,1986-87..batsman mistook umpire�s signal for �over� as �out� and did not return..

hayyyyoo..

Quote:

Umpire Dickie Bird,lost his familiar golf cap, during the intrusion by spectators before last ball of WC final,1975..Few days later, while on bus in London, Dickie saw it on the head of West Indian bus conductor..On asking where did he get it, the conductor replied �Havent u heard of test umpire Dickie bird..he is my friend..he gave it to me.�

Quote:

From: steveaustin on Tue Mar 10 0:19:38 2009.

England 546/6d & 80/3 (15.0 ov)

*KP Pietersen (rhb) 34
PD Collingwood (rhb) 1

West Indies 544

S. Chanderpaul 147*
B. Nash 109
From: Kalyasi on Tue Mar 10 0:50:20 2009.

Pakistan not alone, India also unsafe to tour: Crowe

Former New Zealand cricketer Martin Crowe on Monday said India has joined Pakistan as an unsafe country to tour due to terror strikes on its major cities like Mumbai and Delhi last year.

"The time has come for the cricketing world to accept that touring Pakistan is an absolute no go zone ever again. While sad for their talented top cricketers, Pakistan is completely unsafe and contemplation of playing there again has got to stop. But they are not alone.

"In May last year, just 24 hours before I flew with the IPL Royal Challengers to Jaipur for a nothing Twenty20 match, eight bombs went off three-minutes apart killing over 100 civilians and tourists as it ripped through the crowded Pink Palace," Crowe wrote in a local daily.

"We were forced to play the match a day later in front of an empty stadium and 3000 soldiers. It was a joke to be told to play and an affront to the families of those killed," he said.

"That's why you can't just isolate Pakistan. Lives have been taken on a regular basis from terror attacks in India over the last year in major cities like Mumbai in November, Bangalore in July and Delhi in September. These were significant and show it's happening almost monthly," Crowe said.

"Having toured all around India with the IPL, the worst and scariest aspect is that when you leave your hotel you have no further control on anything. Once you start travelling by road you are at the mercy of every little tuk tuk, every intersection and every traffic jam," Crowe added.

The former Kiwi captain admitted that terror attacks were possible anywhere in the world but said probability was much higher in the sub-continent.

"Maybe, though, someone, even the most famous of all, Sachin Tendulkar, might get severely hurt or disabled from a flying piece of shrapnel or glass.

"Yes, it could happen in London, or Paris, or Madrid, as it did in the most alarming manner of all in New York. But the reality is that the odds and the feeling of those odds shortening are against you in the sub-continent," he said.

Crowe vowed never to return to Pakistan in the wake of the terror attack on Sri Lankan players in Lahore, saying he could no longer trust "anyone" in the strife-torn country.

"Bottom line is that never again will anyone trust anyone or anything in that environment. There is no longer a thing called a "guarantee". That's now hogwash," he said.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Mar 10 1:38:36 2009.

steveaustin wrote:

England 546/6d & 80/3 (15.0 ov)

*KP Pietersen (rhb) 34
PD Collingwood (rhb) 1

West Indies 544

S. Chanderpaul 147*
B. Nash 109

This is such a boring series. Everytime, the team batting first scores 500+ in the first innings and the team batting second also scores the same total, EOD Day 04! And so it would be a draw!

Btw, Is B.Nash is the first white WI'an in the team?
From: steveaustin on Tue Mar 10 10:57:00 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Btw, Is B.Nash is the first white WI'an in the team?

It is being said that Nash is the first white player in West Indies team since reserve Wicket Keeper Lyon Randall in the late 1970s (somewhere between 1977 to 1979 - an Indian tour).

But I think Lyon Randall never played any tests or ODIs.

From: steveaustin on Tue Mar 10 11:23:02 2009.

This is such a boring series. Everytime, the team batting first scores 500+ in the first innings and the team batting second also scores the same total, EOD Day 04! And so it would be a draw! Sad

I agree with you. This series is extremely boring. But a series victory here would give Windies to a chance to regain their lost glory to some extent which is good for Windies cricket as well as International cricket. IMO, there won't be a great sight in cricket than flair and fair play of Calypso kings. I have thoroughly enjoyed their cricket more than the cricket of our team. At any point of time no team never had a consistent pace attack (fearsome four) or outstanding destructive batsmen at the same time than the Carribean team of 70s and 80s.

However, we cannot take away any credit from Windies batsmen after having made(chasing) huge scores under pressure. Particularly, Sarwan is their mainstay in this series. Where he and other windies players were when their lone gladiator Brian Lara was played many lone ranger act innings. If these players played so well when Lara was there in their team, they would not have lost so many matches or series. Windies would not have lost their glory for a long period of time.

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Mar 11 5:16:59 2009.

Looks like a thrilling draw!

W.I finished - 114/8 chasing 240.

http://content.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/current/match/352664.html
From: ajithfederer on Wed Mar 11 9:27:00 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/394846.html

Champions Trophy 2009

South Africa set to host Champions Trophy

Cricinfo staff

March 11, 2009

The ICC's Chief Executives Committee (CEC) has recommended that South Africa be named host of the Champions Trophy this year, instead of Sri Lanka. The recommendation was made after Sri Lanka failed to provide a guarantee that there would be no rains during the tournament slated to be held from October 24-November 5.

"The CEC agreed the need to do everything possible to ensure the Champions Trophy is a successful event," said ICC chief Haroon Lorgat. "On that basis it was felt that it would be too great a risk to stage the tournament in Colombo at a time of year when there was a distinct possibility of rain."

"This was especially relevant given the length of this year's ICC Champions Trophy has been reduced to 12 days, part of our desire to make it a short, sharp event, as on that basis there would be no room for reserve days.

"South Africa was a successful and excellent host of the ICC World Twenty20 at much the same time of year two years ago and the weather pattern in the area around Johannesburg in September and October is stable and ideal for cricket. The meeting therefore agreed it would be prudent to look to hold the tournament in South Africa, subject to agreement over financial arrangements."

A final decision on the matter will be taken by the ICC board via a teleconference on Monday.

Full report to follow...

� Cricinfo

From: ajithfederer on Wed Mar 11 11:50:41 2009.

32 Hundreds in 2 and a half months in tests

Movie Cop wrote:

ajithfederer wrote:

25+ Hundreds have been scored in 8 test matches since feb 1st 2009.

Razz

The curators who prepared the wickets for the WI-Eng series as well as SL-Pak series should be banned, I say! Evil or Very Mad

From: ajithfederer on Thu Mar 12 10:47:24 2009.

Regulars | Rewind to >>

1968

Sobers' six of the best

When Garry Sobers entered the record books as the first man to hit every ball in an over for maximum

Martin Williamson

September 22, 2007

A collage of destruction � BBC

Garry Sobers made a significant mark on cricket history, not least as the man who first achieved the perfect six - six sixes in an over.

The 1968 season was nearing its conclusion when Nottinghamshire, captained by Sobers, travelled to St Helen's in Swansea to meet Glamorgan. The home side were a distant second to Yorkshire in the Championship, with Nottinghamshire back in fifth. But a victory for the visitors would lift them into fourth and win Sobers a bet and a case of champagne.

Nottinghamshire won the toss and batted, making reasonable progress on the Saturday. At 308 for 5, Sobers decided that quick runs were needed for a declaration that would allow his bowlers a crack at the Glamorgan top order before the close.

Runs came quickly, and then Sobers really opened up. The victim was Malcolm Nash, a 23-year-old left-arm seamer who was experimenting with spin bowling.

"The captain asked me if I fancied having a go at bowling some slow-left armers," Nash told The Guardian recently. "Sobers came along and quickly ended my slow-bowling career. It was a pretty short experiment."

Tony Lewis, Glamorgan's captain, remembers things slightly differently. "Nash believed if he tried the [Derek] Underwood style, he could top the averages," he said. Nash already had four of the five wickets to fall with his seamers.

Sobers decided on all-out attack. "I wasn't bothered if I was out or not," he said, "all I was interested in was quick runs and a declaration." Everything was in his favour. Nash wasn't turning the ball much and the pitch was over on the Gorse Lane side, presenting a short leg boundary for the left-handed Sobers.

The first two balls of the over were brutally heaved over midwicket, the first out of the ground, the second into the well-populated stands.

Nash responded by pushing the third delivery wider to the off but Sobers simply hit it straighter over long-on, hammering the ball with such force that he lifted his right leg off the ground as he connected, despite almost no foot movement.

Lewis ambled over and spoke to Nash. "If you want to go back to the usual stuff and whack it in the blockhole, that's fine with me," he told him. "I can handle it," Nash replied. "Leave him to me."

The fourth delivery was straighter; Sobers pulled the ball over backward square leg and it cannoned off the concrete terracing and back towards the square-leg umpire. "It was only then that I contemplated going for the six sixes," Sobers said. The crowd, however, were ahead of him and had started chanting "Six, six, six."

The fifth delivery was again straight and pitched up, and once more Sobers smashed it back over Nash from the crease. This time, though, he didn't middle it and Roger Davis, back-pedalling at long-off, jumped backwards as he took the catch and landed over the rope. There then followed a minute or so of confusion. Sobers started heading back to the pavilion, believing he had been caught. Davis shrugged and indicated he was unsure if the catch had been clean. Tony Cordle, the fielder nearest to Davis said it was a six. The crowd were yelling for Sobers to continue. The two umpires slowly converged, consulted, and then Eddie Phillipson turned and, to roars of approval, signalled another six.

Lewis then sent all his fielders to the boundary, the majority of them on the leg side. Sobers guessed that Nash would bowl a quicker one, and he guessed right. Not only was it quicker, it was also short, and Sobers, who by his own admission was seeing it like a football, rocked back and cracked the ball high over midwicket, out of the ground and trundling away down King Edward Road. It was returned the next day by a schoolboy and now sits in the Trent Bridge museum.

In those days it was not uncommon for regional BBC stations to cover local matches and BBC Wales was at Swansea. Wilf Wooller, the patriarch of Glamorgan cricket and the man who had led them to their first Championship in 1948, was on air. At the start of the over his producer told him to hand back to the studio. Wooller, who did not suffer fools gladly, refused. "He was so emotional that he got completely lost during the over," Lewis said. "It took days of editing to fix it for posterity."

In the Glamorgan dressing room Nash told team-mates not to worry and that he would "make a fortune out of it ... they'll make a movie". "What will they call it," one colleague replied. "Gone With The Wind?"

Sobers immediately declared and left the field to a rapturous reception. In the Glamorgan dressing room Nash told team-mates not to worry and that he would "make a fortune out of it ... they'll make a movie". "What will they call it," one colleague replied. "Gone With The Wind?"

"I could have bowled wide to try to stop him from scoring," Nash said later, "but that wasn't what I was all about. A couple of those shots would have got him out on any normal-sized ground. Are you going to sit around crying all day, or get on with what you do?

"On reflection, it wasn't that bad an over. I bowled one really bad ball, the last."

One bad ball or not, he will, harshly, be recalled for that one over and not for his 991 first-class wickets. "People will remember what they chose to remember," Nash shrugged. "'I don't reflect on it ever as a bad thing. That moment is, of course, all to do with Garry Sobers, and not much to do with me."

There are no hard feelings between the two players. "Since our retirements we've played a lot of golf together," Nash said. "We probably meet up about annually. We get on very well."

On August 29, 1977, Frank Hayes took 34 off an over. The bowler was again Nash and the ground was again St Helen's. Hayes' second strike went for four amid the flurry of sixes. "I never worry about the amount of stick I get," said Nash, "but the strange thing is it's happened to me at different ends of the same ground."

At the time the most runs off an over of six balls was 32 by Clive Inman for Leicestershire against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 1965, and also by Cyril Smart for Glamorgan against Hampshire at Cardiff in 1932. Nottinghamshire's Ted Alletson had hit 34 off one over during his amazing onslaught against Sussex at Hove in 1911 but that contained two no-balls.

Bibliography
My Autobiography by Garry Sobers (Headline, 2002)
Taking Fresh Guard by Tony Lewis (Headline, 2003)
The Guardian
Playfair Cricket Monthly

Is there an incident from the past you would like to know more about? Email us with your comments and suggestions.

Martin Williamson is executive editor of Cricinfo

� Cricinfo

http://content.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/311844.html

Cricinfo
From: ajithfederer on Thu Mar 12 11:15:56 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MHJanson

FEI here,
This channel owner has some very good collection of cricket videos of Australian Cricket.
From: Sourav on Thu Mar 12 21:54:30 2009.

Indian women's team make in to the super six...
Better parfaamans than our dravid's WC team...
From: ajithfederer on Fri Mar 13 11:20:58 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/395014.html

Australian news

Ponting fears for future of Tests

Cricinfo staff

March 12, 2009

The message from Ricky Ponting to the next generation of Australian cricketers is clear: "Play 150 Tests and represent their country for a long time." � AFP

The Australia captain Ricky Ponting has warned of a "really dangerous" future for Test cricket. "I gave the Bradman Oration last year and I stated that what I want for the next generation of Australians is to do what I've done: play 150 Tests and represent their country for a long time," Ponting told the Wisden Cricketer. "But something in the back of my head says that their focus could switch from that to being attracted by the glitz and glamour of Twenty20 and the money that might be around."

A survey conducted by the Australian Cricketers' Association found that the majority of centrally-contracted players were not convinced that representing Australia will be the pinnacle of their sport in a decade. The results appeared to confirm Ponting's statements.

Though Ponting had already decided not to turn out for Kolkata Knight Riders in the forthcoming IPL season due to his Australian commitments, many of his team-mates are expected to take part, even as doubts persist over player security and the tournament schedule. Ponting was also alarmed about the lack of concern shown by the top execuitives of world cricket, who he believed did not understand the impact of player workloads.

"Administrators just don't see burn-out," he said. "Players are the only ones who know when they can get themselves up to 100%. As an international sportsman you don't want to be playing when you're not at your absolute best.

"In the last few months quite a few of our players have been on the edge of not being able to get themselves up to 100% all the time. Someone like Mike Hussey would have played as much as anybody around, I reckon." Australia had 17 Tests, 18 ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals in 2008, and the count already stands at three Tests, 10 ODIs and three Twenty20 internationals in a little over three months in 2009.

Once finished with the three Tests and five ODIs on the tour of South Africa, Australia are scheduled to play five ODIs and a Twenty20 against Pakistan in the UAE in April and May. They then head to England to defend the Ashes, where they will also have seven one-dayers. They arrive in India in October for a seven-match ODI series before ending the year with Test series at home against Pakistan and West Indies.

� Cricinfo[/tscii]
From: sgokulprathap on Sat Mar 14 3:56:40 2009.

sourav wrote:

Indian women's team make in to the super six...
Better parfaamans than our dravid's WC team...

And they beat Aussies in super six.
http://iccwomensworldcup.yahoo.net/matchesandscores/auin1403.html

India 234/5 (50.0)
Australia 218/7 (50.0)

From: Sourav on Sat Mar 14 3:58:44 2009.

Indian women's team make in to the super six...
Better parfaamans than our dravid's WC team... LOL

And they beat Aussies in super six. RedJump

http://iccwomensworldcup.yahoo.net/matchesandscores/auin1403.html

India 234/5 (50.0)
Australia 218/7 (50.0)

wowww...

From: Sourav on Sun Mar 15 20:51:47 2009.

England in West Indies 2008/09

West Indies vs England

15th March 2009 (20-over match) at 18:00:00 GMT

West Indies won the toss and elected to field

West Indies won by 6 wickets

MoM: RR Sarwan

http://www.cricket360.com/scores/63.html
From: Sourav on Tue Mar 17 0:13:24 2009.

Sachin, Sehwag move up in ICC ODI rankings

Dubai Sachin Tendulkar moved up a rung to 11th while dashing opener Virender Sehwag also broke into the top-20 in the latest ICC ODI Rankings in which India held on to the third position in the team chart.

Sehwag rose a rung to 20th in the list released on Monday but Yuvraj Singh dropped a spot to seventh.

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has gained one place to be sixth in the list but his teammate Michael Hussey dropped one place to fourth with Shivnarine Chanderpaul benefiting from his misfortune.

India continued being at the third spot behind table-toppers Australia and South Africa.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has a chance to move up two places to fifth in the table if it beats Pakistan in all three ODIs coming up in Karachi and Lahore.

Mahela Jayawardena's team currently lies in seventh position following a tour of mixed results in Bangladesh.

In a tri-series which also involved Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka lost one match to the home side but later exacted revenge in what was a thrilling final.

Now Sri Lanka is in Karachi for the first ODI on January 20 knowing that a 3-0 result in the series will ensure it leap-frogs both Shoaib Malik's men and sixth-placed England.

However, the reverse result would relegate Sri Lanka from its current tally of 105 ratings points to 102 which would still be significantly ahead of eighth-placed West Indies, which has 91 points to its name at present.

Victory for Pakistan in the series will ensure it keeps the pressure on India and a 3-0 win will put the team within one point of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Sachin-Sehwag-move-up-in-ICC-ODI-rankings/412569/

From: sgokulprathap on Tue Mar 17 0:47:53 2009.

Indian women's team make in to the super six...
Better parfaamans than our dravid's WC team... LOL

And they beat Aussies in super six. RedJump

http://iccwomensworldcup.yahoo.net/matchesandscores/auin1403.html

India 234/5 (50.0)
Australia 218/7 (50.0)

wowww...

And a crucial match between Indian Womens and N.Zealand womens is going on.
Winner of this match would most probably go to Finals.
As of now, NZ is likely to win this match.
India - 207 (49.4 ov)
NZ - 126/3 (31 ov) need 82 runs from 19 overs with 7 wkts in hand.
http://content.cricinfo.com/wwc2009/engine/current/match/357974.html

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Mar 17 0:57:54 2009.

Yaaro low scoring game paakanum-nu kettaangale, indha world cup paaklaame?!
Come on guys, modern cricket is still alive!
From: sgokulprathap on Tue Mar 17 1:05:58 2009.

New Zealand Women require another 61 runs with 6 wickets and 12.4 overs remaining.

New Zealand Women RR 3.93
Required RR 4.81

Gud contest between bat and ball.
From: Sourav on Tue Mar 17 1:08:08 2009.

sgokulprathap wrote:

New Zealand Women require another 64 runs with 7 wickets and 13.0 overs remaining.

New Zealand Women RR 3.89
Required RR 4.92

Gud contest between bat and ball.
balls neraya irukku... i meant remaining no. of balls...
From: sgokulprathap on Tue Mar 17 1:18:50 2009.

Y Sridhar olinju velayaadareenga?
From: sgokulprathap on Tue Mar 17 1:20:09 2009.

17 runs in the over.

39.6 Roy to Mason, FOUR, sweeps nicely behind square leg to the fence.
39.5 Roy to Mason, SIX, dropped, sweeps in the air behind square leg and Priyanka drops it and ball lands on the ropes.
39.4 Roy to Mason, 2 runs, hits it high in the air and lands safely in between the fielders.
39.3 Roy to Bates, 1 run, driven down the ground to long on.
39.2 Roy to Mason, 3 runs, driven in the air over extra cover to the deep.
39.1 Roy to Bates, 1 run, full toss driven to long off.
From: Sourav on Tue Mar 17 1:22:50 2009.

yaarupa athu inga oru post del pannathu?
From: directhit on Tue Mar 17 1:30:53 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Yaaro low scoring game paakanum-nu kettaangale, indha world cup paaklaame?!
Come on guys, modern cricket is still alive!
From: Sourav on Tue Mar 17 1:46:36 2009.

Last ODI low scoring game thane? Athai yaarum paakkalaya?
From: sgokulprathap on Tue Mar 17 1:48:41 2009.

N.Zealand Women beat Indian Women by 5 wickets.
From: directhit on Tue Mar 17 1:53:55 2009.

-edited-
From: Sourav on Tue Mar 17 1:54:13 2009.

sgokulprathap wrote:

N.Zealand Women beat Indian Women by 5 wickets.
Innum 2 matches irukka s.six-la?
Win against Aussies, Lose against Nz....
From: sgokulprathap on Tue Mar 17 2:08:00 2009.

sourav wrote:

sgokulprathap wrote:

N.Zealand Women beat Indian Women by 5 wickets.
Innum 2 matches irukka s.six-la?
Win against Aussies, Lose against Nz....

Won against Australia and Pakistan, Lost to England and N.Zealand
All teams has played 4 matches and the standing after 4 matches is as follows.
Eng - 8 points
NZ - 6 points
Ind - 4 points
Aus - 4 points
Pak - 2 points
WI - 0 points

Matches remaining:
Aus vs. Eng (Eng wud win)
Ind vs. W.Indies (Ind wud win)
N.Zealand vs. Pak (NZL wud win)

There is no semis. Top 2 teams wud qualify for Finals. (Eng & NZL)

3rd and 4th placed teams wud play for 3rd place playoff. (Ind & Aus)
5th and 6th placed teams wud play for 5th place playoff. (WI & Pak)
From: Sourav on Tue Mar 17 2:25:57 2009.

thanks.
So, Eng Vs. Nzs in the final.
From: ajithfederer on Wed Mar 18 11:29:52 2009.

Lee is a born battler - but from here on, he's fighting a lost cause

March 17, 2009

Fighting to get his spot back ... Brett Lee.

BRETT LEE will be hard pressed to regain his place in the Australian Test team. Indeed it is no longer his place. No matter that he has been a formidable fast bowler - 289 Test wickets at 29.59 before this frustrating season began - he is also 32 years old and has not bowled a ball at full pelt for several months, arguably for an entire year.

Not only has he fallen back, another generation has risen - so the desperation to restore Australia's only experienced pace bowler has diminished. No one wishes Lee any harm. Witnesses report that he is working tirelessly in his local gym, pounding away on the weights in his willing way, but the clock is ticking on Ashes selection and on his career. Midnight beckons.

Lee has always been the most physical of bowlers. Everything in his game is linked to supreme fitness. Whereas others can reduce their pace and rely on cut and control, he flows to the crease like a thoroughbred down the straight, a perfect specimen in full flight. His delivery is a product of his athleticism; his pace is generated by his run-up and flexibility.

Whereas others can beat batsmen with bounce, he must scythe through them with unadulterated speed supported by swing. His trajectory and height do not permit the sort of climb that rattles rib cages and thumps into gloves. He does not scare batsmen, he is just too fast for them.

Accordingly, Lee has less room for manoeuvre than peers with similar track records. Plan B does not work. His ability to bowl long spells at high pace and to return for second and third stints and immediately attain that same pace set him apart; allowed him to reach a higher standard and to last longer than was predicted in has early days.

When the end comes, though, it can be sudden and decisive. Jason Gillespie was a case in point. Before the Ashes series in 2005, he was regarded as a top-class pace bowler undergoing a slight and slow decline. Like Michael Kasprowicz, he had shortened his run-up by way of prolonging his career and directing his energies and, for a time, the tactic worked. In the end it told the tale.

Gillespie went to England in 2005 and hardly troubled the batsmen in the entire series. Through the air he had lost next to nothing, but the sting had gone off the pitch. Every ageing bowler knows the feeling. The wrench, the hurl, the effort are the same at the bowler's end, but nothing much happens 22 yards away. The ball refuses to spin or bounce, or else does so whilst imitating a rice pudding.

Gillespie never made it back. He continued to bowl skilfully for South Australia and for his ICL franchise, and even in county cricket. But the spark had gone; the indefinable something that put him among the best of his time. And it does not come back.

Nor does it apply only to bowlers. Matthew Hayden was still a champion in 2007-08. Then he suffered an injury, missed six months' cricket and never recovered his form. Probably he cannot quite figure it out. Most likely, his brain and body were sending messages he did not want to hear. The cage had been opened and, this time, the bird had flown.

Although his position has been complicated by personal and health issues, Lee may well be undergoing the same final eclipse. Ricky Ponting did not want to take him to India owing to his emotional frailties. Simply, a concerned captain did not think he was ready to commit body and soul to a demanding Test tour.

The selectors felt that Lee was their only seasoned seamer and therefore took the punt. He arrived looking skinny and his lack of strength and stamina showed in his bowling. He tried his hardest, but his heart had been hurt. Although he was not alone, he brought too many problems with him into the rooms and on to the field. Hereabouts, Australia played their cricket under a cloud.

Lee hoped to recapture fluidity and speed at home but it was not to be. A penetrating performance against New Zealand suggested his rhythm was returning, but it did not last. Wickets continued to elude him. His delivery had lost its spite. He had become part of the slow decline of the 2008 team.

Australia started to look around for younger players capable of taking the side forwards To make matters worse, Lee's body let him down again, sending him back to his refuge in the gym in search of the glowing health and vitality that alone could restore full throttle.

Now Lee is trying with might and main to secure a place in the Ashes touring party. It is something he needs in his life, to retain the ready smile. However, recent results confirm he can no longer command a place in the starting XI. It's not easy for a 32-year-old pace bowler to break back into a Test team.

Nor will Lee be able to prove his worth in domestic matches. Injury has removed that opportunity. As if the odds were not already stacked against him, Lee failed with the ball on his last Ashes trip in 2005, taking 20 wickets at 41.10 in the five Tests. Indeed he has never succeeded in England. Presumably the pitches are not firm enough for his purposes.

All the more reason to suspect that a fine, spirited, popular cricketer has played his last Test match. If so, it'd be a rotten way to go but - as Mr Kelly drily observed long ago - such is life. Lee can still hurl them down for his Punjab IPL team, can compete for a place in his State side if he chooses and might press for a place in his country's ODI side.

Test cricket is another matter. It is hard to see him playing any part in the 2009 Ashes and he will be 33 in November, a combination that does not bode well for a wholehearted cricketer deserving of a batter fate. Lee has crossed a fine, unseen line and, as a rule, there is no going back.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/cricket/lee-is-a-born-battler--but-from-here-on-hes-fighting-a-lostcause/2009/03/16/1237054737919.html
From: ajithfederer on Wed Mar 18 11:35:53 2009.

Brett Lee was fantastic during the Down under tour of India in 07-08. Enna kodumai idhu !!.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Mar 20 13:46:32 2009.

England Vs WI - 1st ODI

Eng - 270/7 - 50 Overs
From: littlemaster1982 on Fri Mar 20 20:18:20 2009.

WI lost by 1 run (DL Method) due to coach's miscalculation

Match Report

From: Sourav on Fri Mar 20 23:20:13 2009.

Quote:

39.1 Harmison to Chanderpaul, FOUR, poor, wide ball but a top shot - back-cutting for four. Brilliant

39.2 Harmison to Chanderpaul, SIX, that is stunning! Absolutely brilliant from Chanderpaul. Down on one knee - almost both knees - he scooped underneath it and sent it sailing over fine leg for six. Special shot, that!

39.3 Harmison to Chanderpaul, FOUR, the crowd are alive now! Four more! An orthodox and powerfully struck four over extra cover. This is how you play a batting Powerplay!

Can Harmison respond? He's going around the wicket now
39.4 Harmison to Chanderpaul, FOUR, shot! Four more to Chanderpaul, walking into another aerial extra-cover driven boundary

39.5 Harmison to Chanderpaul, FOUR, another! This is breathless cricket from Chanderpaul, standing tall and slapping it straight back past Harmison. My word - he absolutely drilled that
This is quite outstanding - unmissable cricket from Chanderpaul

39.6 Harmison to Chanderpaul, FOUR, short, wide and Chanderpaul steps to leg and slaps it over extra cover for another four! That's how to play the Powerplay. Audacious, wonderful cricket

Wakey wakey, England. This match has suddenly slipped

From: sgokulprathap on Sat Mar 21 2:49:47 2009.

Women's Worldcup update:

3rd place playoff:
India vs Australia

Australia - 142 (44.4 ov)
India - 104/7 (36/46 ov)

India Women require another 39 runs with 3 wickets and 60 balls remaining.

Real contest between bat and ball.

Match State: Delay - due to rain
From: sgokulprathap on Sat Mar 21 3:00:26 2009.

Australia Women 142 (44.4 ov)
India Women 145/7 (43.5/46 ov)
India Women won by 3 wickets and take 3rd place in Women's Worldcup.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Mar 21 5:39:30 2009.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

WI lost by 1 run (DL Method) due to coach's miscalculation

Match Report

I saw the highlights. Is it a purposeful decision or a mistake? If its a mistake then a great blunder!
From: Sourav on Sat Mar 21 5:57:26 2009.

SS, wats that in ur pic?
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Mar 21 6:46:58 2009.

sourav wrote:

SS, wats that in ur pic?

http://bskeshav.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/03/sledging-incidents-in-cricket.htm
From: Sourav on Sat Mar 21 7:55:14 2009.

k...
Mail-la padichiruken.

From: littlemaster1982 on Sat Mar 21 9:45:06 2009.

The coach referred to the wrong column and thought WI is ahead as per DL method. Isn't it the captain's job

WI lost by 1 run (DL Method) due to coach's miscalculation Embarassed

Match Report

I saw the highlights. Is it a purposeful decision or a mistake? If its a mistake then a great blunder! Embarassed

From: ajithfederer on Sat Mar 21 11:29:54 2009.

- Wrong thread - edited post
From: littlemaster1982 on Sun Mar 22 15:18:00 2009.

England vs West Indies 2nd ODI.

Eng 75/2 in 16 overs chasing 265.
From: ajithfederer on Sun Mar 22 15:20:36 2009.

Yup. Follow the scorecard here.

http://content.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/current/match/352666.html
From: Sourav on Sun Mar 22 21:27:55 2009.

Women's cricket world cup: England won the cup 4 the 3rd time!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Mon Mar 23 1:00:16 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

Yup. Follow the scorecard here.

http://content.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/current/match/352666.html

West Indies won by 21 runs
From: ajithfederer on Mon Mar 23 13:02:58 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/wwc2009/content/image/396467.html

Very attractive
From: ajithfederer on Mon Mar 23 13:04:44 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/wwc2009/content/image/396321.html
From: ajithfederer on Mon Mar 23 13:06:02 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/rsavaus2009/content/image/396430.html

Ponting holds the series trophy!!
From: Sourav on Mon Mar 23 21:38:48 2009.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOICH%2F2009%2F03%2F24&ViewMode=GIF&GZ=T&PageLabel=16&EntityId=Ar01600&AppName=1
From: sgokulprathap on Tue Mar 24 7:47:53 2009.

India miss second Test rank by a whisker

Press Trust Of India

Mar 23, 2009

Dubai: India missed out on second spot in the annual ICC Test Championship and a prize purse of USD 75,000 after they were pipped by South Africa by just a point following the Proteas' win over Australia in the third Test in Cape Town.

South Africa, who would have secured top spot had they clinched the series against Australia, lost 1-2 and barely managed to hold on to their second spot.

India, who beat New Zealand in the first Test in Hamilton by 10 wickets, will end the year in third spot on 118 points behind South Africa (119) and Australia (128) on the April 1 cut-off date.

In the ICC ODI rankings as well Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team will end the year at third spot, a mere two points behind second-placed Australia (124). South Africa will be on top with 125 points on the same cut-off date.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting will receive the ICC Test Championship mace and USD 175,000 on behalf of Cricket Australia from ICC General Manager (Cricket) David Richardson in Johannesburg on Wednesday for ending the year on top of table.

He will also pick up a cheque for USD 75,000 for his team coming second in the ODI Championship.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith will accept the ODI Championship shield and a cheque for USD 175,000 on behalf of Cricket South Africa. He will also accept a cheque of USD 75,000 for his country ending the year second in the Test Championship.

ICC Test Championship: 1. Australia (128); 2. South Africa (119); 3. India (118); 4. Sri Lanka (108); 5. Pakistan (100); 6. England (98); 7. West Indies (89); 8. New Zealand (81); 9. Bangladesh (0).

ICC ODI Championship: 1. South Africa (125); 2. Australia (124); 3. India (122); 4. New Zealand (112); 5. Pakistan (111); 6. England (107); 7. Sri Lanka (105); 8. West Indies (92); 9. Bangladesh (46); 10. Zimbabwe (23); 11. Ireland (19).
From: ajithfederer on Tue Mar 24 12:19:48 2009.

http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=89ab90ab-7f9d-49ed-bb92-5b168988c902

Any tax experts here could clarify please!. I have no understanding on this matter.
From: ajithfederer on Wed Mar 25 10:45:51 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/southafrica/content/current/story/396749.html

South Africa news

Nel retires from international cricket

Cricinfo staff

March 25, 2009

Andre Nel never gave anything less than his all � AFP

The South Africa fast bowler, Andre Nel, has announced his retirement from international cricket. Nel, 31, played his final Test match against England at The Oval last August and finishes with 123 wickets at 31.86.

Nel, who said he was retiring with "a heavy heart," said: "Playing for my country for the last eight years was a dream come true for me. I would like to thank my captain, Graeme Smith, and my coaches, Mickey Arthur and Vinnie Barnes, and all my team mates for their support and guidance.

"I have many happy memories and wish the Proteas the best for the future. I would also like to thank Cricket South Africa and Gerald Majola for the support I have been given," he said. "To the fans who have supported me, you have made playing at the highest level something very special for me. I am sorry I did not have the chance to say farewell from the field.

"Last, but not least, a special thanks to my two biggest mentors, Ray Jennings and Shaun Pollock. Without your advice and influence I would not have made it as far as I did."

Nel, a rambunctious and wholehearted cricketer, was often in hot water with the officials when his passion sometimes spilled over into dissent. He took five wickets in an innings on three occasions, the best of which came in 2005 when his 6 for 32 blew West Indies away for just 166.

Almost exactly 12 months ago, he was rumoured to be quitting international cricket over the controversial transformation policy - the quota selection which has divided opinion in South African sport. Nel was said to be "devastated" at being left out of South Africa's squad to tour India in 2008, though he later featured for them on their successful trip of England and seized his chance with typical gusto.

"He has been a good servant to South African cricket and I wish him all the best," said Gerald Majola, Cricket South Africa's chief executive while the coach, Mickey Arthur, termed him "a very passionate player who always gave 110 percent for his country".

Nel has enjoyed stints with Essex and will now join Surrey for the 2009 season.

� Cricinfo
From: ajithfederer on Wed Mar 25 11:10:07 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/396567.html

Regulars | The List >>

The longest streaks without a thrashing

Largest gaps between innings defeats and victories for a team
Travis Basevi and George Binoy

March 25, 2009

Eden Gardens, March 1998. Australia were beaten by an innings and 219 runs. One hundred and twenty-seven Tests passed before they suffered a loss of comparable magnitude again, and when it came, against South Africa in Cape Town recently, it was a day more than 11 years since Kolkata. No team has played more matches in a row without an innings defeat.

During this period Australia won 88 Tests, lost 21 and drew 20, under Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting. The closest they came to going down by an innings was when West Indies had to chase a target of 3 at Sabina Park in 1999. Australia's last innings loss prior to the Kolkata defeat had come 58 Tests and five years earlier, against West Indies at the WACA in 1993. And the one prior to that was against Pakistan in Karachi in 1988. Therefore Australia have suffered only four innings defeats in their last 231 Tests, spanning 20 years.

Three other countries have played more than 100 consecutive Tests without being beaten by an innings. England were thrashed by an innings and 154 runs in the first Ashes Test in 1954 after which they played 108 Tests without an innings defeat. The run ended in 1966 when they lost the fourth Ashes Test by an innings and nine runs.

West Indies went 16 years without being beaten by an innings between 1968 and 1984. The defeats on either side of this period came against Australia. The first loss - by an innings and 30 runs - was at the MCG in 1968 and the next - by an innings and 55 runs - came at the SCG in 1984. Between those matches West Indies lost 22, won 41 and drew 54 of their 117 Tests.

India is the third country to go over 100 Tests without an innings defeat, during a period that began a few months after their World Cup triumph. India lost to West Indies in Kolkata in December 1983 by an innings and 46 runs and then played 112 Tests without a similar margin of defeat. In 2000, however, India came up against Australia at the MCG. Justin Langer scored a double-century, Glenn McGrath took 10 wickets and India were routed by an innings and 141 runs.

Most consecutive Tests without an innings loss Team Mat
Start Match Opposition Scorecard End Match Opposition
Scorecard

Australia 127
Mar 18, 1998 v India Test 1409 Mar 19, 2009 v South Africa
Test 1916

West Indies 117 Dec 26, 1968
v Australia Test 643 Dec 30, 1984 v Australia Test 1006

India 112 Dec 10, 1983 v West Indies
Test 971 Jan 2, 2000 v Australia Test 1481

England 108 Nov 26, 1954 v Australia Test 391
Jan 28, 1966 v Australia Test 600

West Indies
76 Dec 30, 1984 v Australia Test 1006 Apr 29, 1995
v Australia Test 1297

India 72
Aug 29, 2001 v Sri Lanka Test 1559 Apr 3, 2008 v South Africa
Test 1871

New Zealand 70 Aug 10, 1978
v England Test 829 Oct 10, 1990 v Pakistan Test 1151

Australia 60 Jul 26, 1956 v England
Test 428 Jan 7, 1966 v England Test 599

Pakistan 59 Nov 7, 1986 v West Indies Test 1056
Jan 31, 1995 v Zimbabwe Test 1285

England
58 Dec 31, 1920 v Australia Test 136 Aug 16, 1930
v Australia Test 198

England 58
Aug 4, 1966 v West Indies Test 608 Aug 23, 1973 v West Indies
Test 727

Australia 58 Jan 30, 1993
v West Indies Test 1212 Mar 18, 1998 v India Test 1409

Australia 53 Aug 20, 1938 v England
Test 266 Jul 12, 1956 v England Test 427

England 51 Jul 10, 1975 v Australia Test 760
Feb 13, 1981 v West Indies Test 896

South Africa
50 Dec 4, 1964 v England Test 571 Feb 28, 1997
v Australia Test 1356

South Africa 48
Feb 22, 2002 v Australia Test 1590 Jul 27, 2006 v Sri Lanka
Test 1810

England 44 initial match
Feb 1, 1895 v Australia Test 45

Pakistan 43 Jun 15, 1978 v England Test 826
Nov 11, 1983 v Australia Test 966

Australia
42 Sep 15, 1988 v Pakistan Test 1104 Jan 30, 1993
v West Indies Test 1212

West Indies 41
Aug 12, 1933 v England Test 229 Jun 11, 1955 v Australia
Test 408

West Indies 37 Mar 26, 1958
v Pakistan Test 453 Aug 18, 1966 v England Test 609

At present, South Africa have played the most consecutive matches without suffering an innings defeat. They were last beaten by an innings in July 2006 in Colombo, when Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara had a world-record partnership of 624, and have played 31 Tests since. Two days before South Africa's defeat, Pakistan were also beaten by an innings for the last time, by England at Old Trafford. However, they have played only 15 Tests since.

Most consecutive Tests without an innings loss (present streaks)
Team Mat Last Match Opposition Scorecard

South Africa 31 Jul 27, 2006
v Sri Lanka Test 1810

Pakistan 15 Jul 27, 2006
v England Test 1811

Sri Lanka 13
Nov 8, 2007 v Australia Test 1845

West Indies
12 Jan 10, 2008 v South Africa Test 1860

India 9 Jul 23, 2008 v Sri Lanka Test 1882

England 4 Feb 4, 2009 v West Indies
Test 1906

New Zealand 3 Nov 28, 2008
v Australia Test 1896

Bangladesh 2 Nov 26, 2008
v South Africa Test 1895

ICC World XI 1
none

Zimbabwe 1
Sep 13, 2005 v India Test 1765

The table below contains the longest streaks without an innings win, and only two countries have played more than 100 consecutive matches without one. New Zealand played their first Test against England in 1930, but it was only 26 years and 45 Tests later that they scored their first victory - against West Indies in Auckland. Their first innings victory took much longer. It came only in 1976, when Richard Hadlee wrecked India with 11 for 58 in Wellington, 46 years and 118 matches after their maiden Test.

India are the other team to have played more than 100 Tests without an innings win. They beat New Zealand by an innings and 109 runs in Madras in 1956 and had to wait 106 Tests and 22 years before their next one, against Australia at the SCGin 1978.

Most consecutive Tests without an innings win Team Mat Start Match
Opposition Scorecard End Match Opposition Scorecard

New Zealand 118 initial match
Feb 13, 1976 v India Test 772

India 106 Jan 6, 1956 v New Zealand Test 420
Jan 7, 1978 v Australia Test 814

New Zealand
79 Nov 8, 1985 v Australia Test 1029 Mar 7, 1997
v Sri Lanka Test 1358

England 66
Jul 12, 1979 v India Test 851 Aug 15, 1985 v Australia
Test 1021

Sri Lanka 66 initial match
Sep 11, 1996 v Zimbabwe Test 1333

India 63 Nov 3, 1979 v Australia Test 860
Dec 27, 1986 v Sri Lanka Test 1063

England
60 Jan 20, 1939 v South Africa Test 269 Jul 17, 1952
v India Test 353

Bangladesh 59
initial match present

South Africa 57 Mar 30, 1906 v England Test 92
Feb 27, 1932 v New Zealand Test 217

Australia
57 Jul 10, 1975 v England Test 760 Jan 2, 1981
v India Test 893

South Africa 54
Sep 6, 1993 v Sri Lanka Test 1233 Oct 29, 1999 v Zimbabwe
Test 1466

England 52 Jun 22, 1967
v India Test 619 Jul 5, 1973 v New Zealand Test 724

Pakistan 49 Feb 7, 1973 v New Zealand
Test 712 Dec 11, 1981 v Australia Test 913

England 46 Dec 26, 1986 v Australia Test 1062
Jan 18, 1992 v New Zealand Test 1183

Australia
41 initial match Feb 1, 1895
v England Test 45

South Africa 41
Feb 27, 1932 v New Zealand Test 217 Mar 6, 1953 v New Zealand
Test 368

Australia 40 Jan 14, 1898
v England Test 55 Dec 9, 1910 v South Africa Test 111

Australia 39 Jan 13, 1960 v India
Test 486 Jan 28, 1966 v England Test 600

West Indies 39 Jun 4, 2004 v Bangladesh Test 1703
Feb 4, 2009 v England Test 1906

Zimbabwe
37 Jan 31, 1995 v Pakistan Test 1285 Apr 19, 2001
v Bangladesh Test 1543

Bangladesh are yet to beat a team by an innings in Tests and their 59 matches is the longest current streak without an innings victory. Their solitary Test win, against Zimbabwe in 2005, was by 226 runs. Among the major Test nations, India has gone the longest without an innings win. They've played 23 Tests since beating Bangladesh by an innings and 239 runs in Mirpur in May 2007.

Most consecutive Tests without an innings win (present streaks)
Team Mat Last Match Opposition Scorecard

Bangladesh 59 none

Zimbabwe 34 Apr 19, 2001
v Bangladesh Test 1543

India 23
May 25, 2007 v Bangladesh Test 1833

Pakistan
22 Nov 29, 2005 v England Test 1774

New Zealand 13 Jan 12, 2008 v Bangladesh Test 1861

England 11 Jun 5, 2008 v New Zealand
Test 1878

Sri Lanka 6 Jul 23, 2008
v India Test 1882

Australia 6 Nov 28, 2008
v New Zealand Test 1896

West Indies 4
Feb 4, 2009 v England Test 1906

ICC World XI
1 none

If there's a particular List that you would like to see, email us with your comments and suggestions.

George Binoy is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo

� Cricinfo

Cricinfo It is really an Information paradise.

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Mar 26 2:10:05 2009.

[tscii]http://content.cricinfo.com/southafrica/content/current/story/396749.html
South Africa news
Nel retires from international cricket
Cricinfo staff
March 25, 2009
Andre Nel never gave anything less than his all � AFP

Such an aggressive bowler, I am surprised that he was not used properly by SA'n board.

From: ajithfederer on Fri Mar 27 12:20:12 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/current/match/352667.html

3rd Odi

17 overs - England 51 for 5
From: Vivasaayi on Fri Mar 27 12:49:05 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

http://content.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/engine/current/match/352667.html

3rd Odi

17 overs - England 51 for 5

australia 78/5
From: ajithfederer on Fri Mar 27 13:08:07 2009.

Vickyyy

England 71/8.
From: ajithfederer on Fri Mar 27 13:14:35 2009.

http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/team/lowest_innings_totals.html?class=2;id=1;type=team

England lowest ODI Total till date is 86.
From: Sourav on Fri Mar 27 21:01:01 2009.

Gayle....marana adi pola...
From: steveaustin on Sun Mar 29 10:26:13 2009.

England in West Indies ODI Series - 4th ODI
Played at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados, on 29 March 2009

West Indies 65/0 (11.0 ov)

CH Gayle 39* (30b 3x4 4x6)
LMP Simmons 26* (36b 3x4 1x6)

Gayle force continues in Barbados too

Gayle force which is now shifted to Barbados from Bridgetown, continues to rain sixes in Barbados too. So far, Gayle force rained thunderbolt sixes 4 times. As of now, Gayle force just blew away England.

3.2 Broad to Gayle,SIX, that's disappeared, Gayle's opened up, poor ball though, long hop on the off stump and he picks the length early, rocking back and pulling it away over the deep-midwicket boundary

5.1 Flintoff to Gayle, SIX, typical of Gayle, greets him with a six, a meaty length ball outside off and that's got to go, hits across the line but connects it superbly, sails into the crowd for his second six, the West Indies are away

9.1 Flintoff to Gayle, SIX, slashes hard at a wide one from Flintoff, gets a thick outside edge and it flies away over third man, no chance for Harmison there, who wasn't at the edge as he should have been, but it would have cleared him anyway

10.1 Harmison to Gayle, SIX, not a bad ball really, bowled on a good length on middle but Gayle is in prime form and he dispatches it over the long-on boundary, reached forward gave it some beating
From: ajithfederer on Thu Apr 2 15:14:12 2009.

Allrounder's rehabilitation

Symonds about to get glimpse into future

Peter English

April 2, 2009

Australia may be calling Andrew Symonds � Getty Images

Andrew Symonds could gain his first indication of whether he remains in Australia's plans on Friday as he waits to learn whether he has been forgiven for his season of indiscretions. The preliminary squad for the World Twenty20 in England in June has to be announced by Monday, but Symonds had not received an official clearance from Cricket Australia on Thursday afternoon.

If Symonds makes the 30-man list it will increase his chances of being included in the limited-overs trip to play Pakistan in the UAE later this month. Symonds, 33, would usually be a certainty for these engagements, but he was suspended from the South Africa tours following a series of incidents and ordered into an extensive rehabilitation.

James Sutherland, Cricket Australia's chief executive, said at the time of the ban Symonds would have to undergo a formal review of his progress to win back his international status. Symonds, who has been having regular counselling sessions, finished the Australian summer in Queensland's Sheffield Shield team and struggled for form with the bat.

His troubles started when he was sent home from Darwin last August for going fishing and on the final night of his Test return in November he was involved in a dispute at a Brisbane pub. He avoided punishment and stayed with the Australian side until limping through the second Test against South Africa in Melbourne.

Surgery on a knee problem kept him out for a month and his list of misdemeanours grew when he called Brendon McCullum "a lump of s***" during a radio interview. In March his counsellor Deidre Anderson praised Symonds' improving behaviour when he departed a Brisbane bar after being asked to leave along with some Queensland team-mates. At the Bulls' awards dinner last week there were concerns from former team-mates that Symonds would be lost to the game if the focus on his actions continued.

In eight first-class games for Queensland in 2008-09 he scored 197 runs with a top of 52 and also struggled during the one-day competition, averaging 24.50 in six matches. His bowling was useful towards the end of the season, but if Australia want him it will be for his batting.

Peter English is the Australasia editor of Cricinfo

� Cricinfo

http://content.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/397733.html
From: steveaustin on Fri Apr 3 23:48:38 2009.

Flintoff hat-trick seals the series

England 172 for 5 (Pietersen 48) beat West Indies 146 (Flintoff 5-19) by 26 runs

Andrew Flintoff returned the stunning figures of 5 for 19 in five overs, and capped his efforts with the first hat-trick of his international career, as England ended a dismal winter on an improbable high with their first-ever ODI series win in the Caribbean. In a game reduced by rain to 29 overs a side, Flintoff's efforts followed on from a run-a-ball 48 from Kevin Pietersen, as England came from behind to claim an unexpected 3-2 series win.

http://content.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/content/current/story/398140.html
From: ajithfederer on Sat Apr 4 12:43:59 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/wt202009/content/story/397964.html

Symonds given green light for Australia return
From: ajithfederer on Tue Apr 7 12:14:19 2009.

http://blogs.cricinfo.com/itfigures/archives/2009/04/four_or_more_test_batsmen_in_o.php#more

Shows why the oz's were an dominant force in the last decade.
From: ajithfederer on Fri Apr 17 11:44:26 2009.

The inevitable has happened, another big blow to Pakistan.
http://content.cricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/400154.html

2011 World Cup

World Cup matches moved out of Pakistan

Cricinfo staff

April 17, 2009

Pakistan has been stripped of hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup because of the "uncertain security situation" in the country, the ICC said, according to Reuters.

"It is a regrettable decision (but) our number one priority is to create certainty and...deliver a safe, secure and successful event," ICC president David Morgan said in a statement.

"However, our number one priority was and is to deliver a safe, secure and successful event and the uncertainty created by events within Pakistan created a huge question mark over our ability to do just that."

The ICC added that Pakistan was unlikely to resume hosting any cricket at all until 2011. It also said the World Cup secretariat would be moved out of Pakistan to a location to be decided by the organising committee.

Ijaz Butt, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, expressed regret. "It's a disappointing decision but it can't be helped. Nobody wants to play in Pakistan following the attacks in Lahore," Butt said. He was referring to the attack on Sri Lanka's touring cricketers in Lahore on March 3, in which eight Pakistanis were killed and seven Sri Lankan players injured.

Pakistan were due to co-host the event with India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka but the deteriorating security situation has posed a serious problem for the PCB. The news came during the first day of the ICC board meeting in Dubai.

Pakistan's status as a host of international matches has been uncertain for some time - the Champions Trophy was shifted out last year and, in January, India became the latest country to cancel a tour when they pulled out of a bilateral series. However, the Lahore attack seemed to have sealed their fate on hosting the World Cup.

The attack itself also came up for discussion at the meeting, with match referee Chris Broad, who was on duty for the Test, and Sri Lanka's Mahela Jaywardane (via telephone) giving their version of what happened.

It was decided that Lord Condon, chairman of the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, would lead a task team - including ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat and directors Jack Clarke and Shashank Manohar - would conduct a review of security arrangements for all international cricket.

The review, Lorgat said, would include an assessment of whether current security protocols employed by ICC Members were adequate and, if not, how they could be improved. It would also, if necessary, approach other sports to see if there was scope for information-sharing in the way security is conducted across major events around the world.

� Cricinfo

From: Movie Cop on Sat Apr 18 0:35:02 2009.

[tscii]The inevitable has happened, another big blow to Pakistan.
http://content.cricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/400154.html

2011 World Cup

World Cup matches moved out of Pakistan

For once, ICC has made a bold and sane decision without yeilding to any pressures, though the decision itself was an easy one!

World #1 Joker Zaheer Abbas wrote:

It's time that Pakistan cricket breaks its silence over what's been happening against it in recent times. The ICC took away the Champions Trophy and now it has deprived us of the World Cup. What else should happen before we break our silence? I would ask the PCB to make it clear to the ICC that we will boycott the World Cup if it is held in Asia. If Pakistan is unsafe for the event then there is no justification to have the World Cup in other parts of the subcontinent which are also within the range of terrorists. It's a great loss for Pakistan cricket and for that I would blame the ICC and India which has pulled out its support when we needed it the most.

Zaheer Abbas-ukku mandayila edhavathu adi paturukka?

It's time that he and other Fakistani lunatics like Rameez Raja needs to get into their dumb heads that Fakistan is unfit to host any international sporting event at least for the nest couple of yrs!

From: ajithfederer on Sat Apr 18 13:16:05 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/icl2008/content/current/story/400327.html

Indian Cricket League

ICL's bid for recognition rejected

Cricinfo staff

April 18, 2009

Cricket's governing body has rejected an application by the ICL, saying it did not meet its criteria � ICL

The ICC has rejected the Indian Cricket League's application for official recognition and has said the status of the league's players will be decided by individual member boards.

The decision was taken by the ICC at its board meeting in Dubai on Saturday. The application had been filed last year by the ICL, which is owned by India's largest media group, Zee Telefilms, and is not recognised by the Indian board or the ICC.

A statement from the ICC said it had examined the application against existing criteria for approving such requests, including whether the home board's approval had been secured.

"The board gave the matter careful consideration but, looking at the criteria set out in the regulations, felt the application for approval could not be granted," the ICC's chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, said.

Asked about the legal implications of the decision, Lorgat said: "If it becomes a legal action we will take it as it comes and will not make any comments on that."

"It's absolutely unfair and extremely disappointing," Kiran More, an ICL board member, told Cricinfo. "We will now definitely take the legal route for resolution of this issue. We could have done that earlier but were hoping for a fair decision from the ICC." The ICL, he said, was planning to approach courts in the UK, where stringent trade laws prevail.

On the issue of players returning to official cricket from the ICL, the board said the fabric of the game needed to be protected and a clear message sent out that players could not swap between official and unofficial cricket at will.

However, it was confirmed that the nature and scope of any sanction would ultimately be a matter for each individual member to determine, based on local conditions.

"It's a very unfortunate decision from a player's point of view," Deep Dasgupta, the former India wicketkeeeper who plays for the ICL's Royal Bengal Tigers, told Cricinfo. "To us, the official approach has always seemed a bit monopolistic. Over the last year, we used to wait eagerly for every such ICC meeting, hoping for a positive solution. But every time, it has been very disappointing. At the end of the day, we just want to play cricket, period."

The decision comes three days after the ICL announced that the third edition of its domestic tournament would be held in October. There was no mention, however, of the ICL World Series, in which national XIs are pitted against each other, a competition that had the ICC worried last year because it had the potential to develop into an alternate World Cup.

The ICC's stand essentially reiterates its position of last year, when it left the matter of sanctions against players to the individual boards, most of whom chose to ban them from all forms of official cricket. However, there were some exceptions like New Zealand, which has allowed some of their ICL players to play in domestic cricket.

Pakistan had initially imposed a complete ban on its ICL players but was then directed, by a court order, to let them play in the domestic circuit this year. The Pakistan Cricket Board then mooted the idea of allowing ICL players who are ready to cut all ties with the league to return to international cricket after a 'cooling period' of 6-12 months.

England, on the other hand, had a number of ICL players in the county circuit last year but they have since been eased out. The Indian and Australian boards have adopted the most stringent stand against the unofficial league, banning its players from all official contact.

� Cricinfo
From: salem.saravanan on Sun Apr 19 5:41:19 2009.

this is one of the worst decision by ICC
From: Sourav on Mon Apr 20 22:58:00 2009.

Aus Vs. Pak 5-ODI series starts tmrw.
From: ajithfederer on Tue Apr 21 13:41:59 2009.

When Obama met Lara

April 21, 2009

It was a meeting of the titans.

And those who witnessed it were fortunate as it is unlikely to happen again.

West Indies [Images] legend Brian Lara [Images] was seen giving Barack Obama [Images] a free batting lesson at the newly re-named Obama Terrace, Hilton Trinidad, St Ann's, on Sunday.

The world record holder also presented the United States President an autographed cricket bat, which read: "To the President of the United States, Barack Obama, in appreciation of your visit to T&T �Best Wishes" .

Obama was in Trinidad for the Fifth Summit of the Americas and happened to meet Lara and share a few laughs besides posing for the shutterbugs.

Obama seemed keen to know more about cricket and the West Indies legend showed him the proper batting stance and gave a few tips regarding the forward defensive stroke as well as the classic cover drive.

Later, Lara revealed it was on the invitation of the White House that he met with Obama and that it was a great honour.

The latter on his part described Lara as the Michael Jordan of cricket.

"I always wanted to meet the Michael Jordan of cricket," is how president Obama apparently greeted Lara.

The batting great was also impressed with Obama's personality.

Photograph courtesy: White House

http://cricket.rediff.com/report/2009/apr/21/first-look-when-obama-met-lara.htm

PR, Could you please enable the foto there!!

From: crajkumar_be on Tue Apr 21 14:12:45 2009.

It's time that he and other Fakistani lunatics like Rameez Raja needs to get into their dumb heads that Fakistan is unfit to host any international sporting event at least for the nest couple of yrs! LOL

Religious-a, official-a follow panreenga ('F'akistan)

From: sgokulprathap on Wed Apr 22 8:39:37 2009.

Australia vs Pakistan
1st ODI
Australia won the toss and elected to bat.

Aus - 100/3 (20 ov)
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Apr 22 8:49:56 2009.

Aus - 112/7 (26 ov)

Fall of wickets
1-41 (Marsh, 8.6 ov), 2-95 (Haddin, 18.4 ov), 3-100 (Clarke, 19.6 ov), 4-107 (Symonds, 22.1 ov), 5-108 (Watson, 22.6 ov), 6-109 (Fergusson, 24.4 ov), 7-110 (Hauritz, 25.2 ov)

Haddin - 40(52)
Watson - 40(47)

Afridi - 29/4 (7 ov)
Ajmal - 14/2 (6 ov)
From: sgokulprathap on Wed Apr 22 9:00:50 2009.

Aus lost wicket no 2 -7 for 15 runs in 34 balls.
From: steveaustin on Wed Apr 22 9:36:53 2009.

Afridi's six has Australia in disarray

Australia 140/9 (35.0 ov)
Shahid Afridi - 10 overs 38 runs 6 wickets
From: ThalaNass on Wed Apr 22 9:44:51 2009.

steveaustin wrote:

Afridi's six has Australia in disarray

Australia 140/9 (35.0 ov)
Shahid Afridi - 10 overs 38 runs 6 wickets
From: steveaustin on Wed Apr 22 9:47:24 2009.

Afridi's special

It seems that whenever Afridi bowls or bats, he gets a six.
From: dinesh13284 on Wed Apr 22 12:52:17 2009.

Pakistan 101/4 (30 overs)
From: dinesh13284 on Wed Apr 22 13:13:34 2009.

Pakistan 138/5 (34.4 overs)
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Apr 24 0:52:37 2009.

Australia - 168/10 (38.5 ov)
Pakistan - 171/6 (44.1 ov)

Pakistan won by 4 wickets.

MOM: Afridi
Bowling - 38/6 (10 ov)
Batting - 24 (16b)
From: sgokulprathap on Fri Apr 24 8:33:20 2009.

2nd ODI

Pak won the toss and chose to bat first.

Pak - 71/3 (20 ov)
From: steveaustin on Fri Apr 24 10:19:56 2009.

Pakistan 202/7 (45.0 ov)

Fast bowling warrior Shoaib Akhtar playing on 24 off just 12 balls with 4 fours and a six.
From: ajithfederer on Sun Apr 26 2:20:44 2009.

Dravid in line for Khel Ratna
Anand Vasu, 24 April 2009
RAHUL DRAVID could become the third Indian cricketer to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the highest honour conferred by the government for achievement in sport.

Sachin Tendulkar was the first recipient (1997-98) while the selection of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2007-08) raised several eyebrows as he had been give the award ahead of many others, like Dravid, who had achieved a lot more. The Board of Control for Cricket in India recently decided to put forward Dravid's name for the award and drew up the necessary paperwork, which is currently with Dravid, a source revealed.

Dravid, who is playing the IPL in South Africa, had to attest that the details supplied were accurate, sign the papers and return them to the BCCI, which would then take the process forward.

Cricketers and govt awards have been in the news for the wrong reasons after Harbhajan Singh and Dhoni failed to be present at Rashtrapati Bhavan to receive the Padma awards. Sports Minister M.S. Gill was critical of the cricketers.

But interestingly, the Minister has only recently publicly stated that he was a fan of the former India captain. "Why don't they (Harbhajan and Dhoni) copy Sachin or Dravid or Kumble who are my heroes? They are gentlemen in cricket ," Gill told a tv channel recently.

http://cricket.yahoo.com/cricket/news/article?id=item/2.0/-/cricket.hindustantimes.com/1011ba37c72672dfc9b59c4348941/
From: P_R on Sun Apr 26 4:15:17 2009.

maRupadi cricket-A ? 4-5 athlete theekkuLippAnga

I thought Khel Ratna is not a lifetime achievement award but for performances in a given year. Atleast that was what was said when they gave it to Dhoni last year.
And 2008 was pretty ordinary for Dravid in Tests and of course he hasn't played any ODI since the 2007 home series against Australia.

Sounds like a Golden Handshake
From: sgokulprathap on Tue Apr 28 9:08:15 2009.

India to host 2011 World Cup final

April 28, 2009

India will host the final and one semi-final of the 2011 World Cup while Sri Lanka will stage the other semi-final, the tournament's organising committee decided in Mumbai on Tuesday. India will host 29 of the 49 matches across eight venues, Sri Lanka will host 12 in three venues while Bangladesh will stage eight at two grounds as well as the opening ceremony on February 18, 2011.

The 14 matches originally scheduled to take place in Pakistan have been redistributed with eight going to India, four to Sri Lanka and two to Bangladesh. The quarter-finals will be shared among the three neighbours, with Bangladesh hosting two.

The committee also decided to shift the tournament secretariat from Lahore to Mumbai. BCCI's chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty was appointed the event's managing director in place of Pakistani banker Salman Butt. The organising committee, headed by ICC vice-president Sharad Pawar, will include an operations and planning group comprising the Bangladesh Cricket Board senior vice-president Mahbubul Anam, Indian board secretary N Srinivasan, Sri Lanka's Duleep Mendis and Shetty. Haroon Lorgat, the ICC's chief executive, said IS Bindra, the special adviser to the ICC, would be a key person in the management of the World Cup.

He swept aside questions on whether Pakistan would boycott the World Cup in protest at being denied hosting rights, saying "we will cross the bridge when we come to it." The ICC had to decide on the redistribution of Pakistan's 14 matches after it removed the country from the list of hosts because the "uncertain political situation" would have made it difficult to "deliver a safe, secure and successful event" in Pakistan.

Lorgat said the security concerns of the various ICC members and the players would be addressed with the formation of a special committee headed by Shashank Manohar, the BCCI chief, to oversee security details. "The security arrangements are very important and a special committee... would put together security plans for the successful conduct of the World Cup in 2011," he said.

"We are confident of organising a very successful World Cup," Lorgat said.

The subcontinent last hosted a World Cup in 1996, when India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka shared the games. The final was in Lahore, where Sri Lanka beat favourites Australia in a famous win.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Tue Apr 28 9:54:03 2009.

steveaustin wrote:

Pakistan 202/7 (45.0 ov)

Fast bowling warrior Shoaib Akhtar playing on 24 off just 12 balls with 4 fours and a six.

Ennappa indha series yaarum follow pannalaya?

Good contest between bat and ball! -

Appadi solliturundhavanga kooda IPL paaka aarambichitaangaba!
From: Sourav on Wed Apr 29 10:41:31 2009.

Eng Vs. WI Schedule:
Wed 6 - Sun 10
11:00 local, 10:00 GMT 1st Test - England v West Indies
Lord's, London
Thu 14 - Mon 18
11:00 local, 10:00 GMT 2nd Test - England v West Indies
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
Thu 21
10:45 local, 09:45 GMT 1st ODI - England v West Indies
Headingley, Leeds
Sun 24
10:45 local, 09:45 GMT 2nd ODI - England v West Indies
County Ground, Bristol
Tue 26
10:45 local, 09:45 GMT 3rd ODI - England v West Indies
Edgbaston, Birmingham
From: Movie Cop on Fri May 1 16:09:37 2009.

Looks like Aussies have sealed the deal with Fakistan.

http://content.cricinfo.com/pakvaus2009/engine/current/match/392619.html
From: hamid on Fri May 1 16:19:21 2009.

Movie Cop wrote:

Looks like Aussies have sealed the deal with Fakistan.

http://content.cricinfo.com/pakvaus2009/engine/current/match/392619.html

athellam oru team.. athu kuuda jeyichu rankingla munnadi vanthuduvaanga.
naamalum australia kiuuda oru series pottu rankingls munnadi varanum
From: sgokulprathap on Sat May 2 6:22:35 2009.

Yousuf claims he has resigned from ICL

May 2, 2009

Mohammad Yousuf has claimed that he has "resigned" from the ICL after he decided last month that his priority was to play for Pakistan. The move potentially paves the way for Yousuf's comeback to the national side, as the PCB recently announced it was willing to talk to players who leave the ICL before the end of May and consider their cases for an international return on an individual basis.

"I spoke to Younis [Khan] about a month and a half ago and I resigned from the ICL after that," Yousuf told Cricinfo. "We both talked about how the country comes first and playing for them is the priority so I decided. I am available whenever the country needs me."

Reports had been swirling around Pakistan since the end of March that Yousuf and a group of other players were considering quitting the ICL after the March-April edition of the league was suspended. ICL players including Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq sought out Younis last month to try and find a way back into the national set-up, after fearing that the ICL - or at least their future participation in it after the deterioration in Indo-Pak ties - might present a tenuous prospect.

It is believed that Younis made no recommendations or promises, only telling the players that the priority should be to play for Pakistan, whatever that involves. "Younis was of the view that as they hadn't come to him before they signed up for the ICL, he doesn't understand why they came to him when they wanted to leave it," a source present at the meetings told Cricinfo. "He also pointed out that he cannot guarantee selection as that is a decision in which other parties, and not just the captain, are also involved." After some consideration and communication with Pir Aftab Shah Jilani, Pakistan's sports minister, Yousuf resigned from the league, though no official public statement had been made, either by any of the players, or the ICL, until now.

There appears, however, to be some confusion over the exact nature of Yousuf's actions. Though Yousuf said his contract with the league was now "finished" the ICL maintains that he is still on contract, though he has been released to play for Pakistan. "Yousuf's ICL contract has not been terminated," Roland Landers, the ICL spokesperson, told Cricinfo. "We have given him a temporary release so that he can play for his country."

Though Yousuf appears to want to do exactly that, it is unclear what the PCB will do now. Yousuf claimed the board was aware of his decision, but officials couldn't confirm it. "If such a communication has been sent, it would've been to the chairman and much of the board has been busy with organising this series [against Australia] based in Dubai. At the moment we cannot say whether Yousuf has sent any such message," one official told Cricinfo. "Our statement is there now, so we will act according to that."

Yousuf's case is particularly convoluted, for he has left the ICL before, after he first joined the league in protest at being overlooked for Pakistan's squad for the 2007 World Twenty20. He was persuaded - with the dangling of an IPL offer - to quit soon after by the PCB, then under Nasim Ashraf's administration. The ICL took him to court for reneging on his contract and he was unable to play in the inaugural IPL season in 2008 because of legal complications.

He played for Pakistan through much of last year before abruptly deciding, in November, to move back to the ICL. The move caught Pakistan's administration off-guard, as he had been picked for the ODI squad for a series in Abu Dhabi against West Indies. This time, he said, he left because of differences with then-captain Shoaib Malik.

"I had a problem with the captain at that time so I left. I had issues with the previous board administration as well," Yousuf said. "But now I have no problems at all with Younis, or this board. The country comes first."

Though 34, if Yousuf is to come back, he could hardly do so at a more opportune time. Pakistan's batting has been engaged in a dire struggle against Australia in the UAE. In four matches so far, they have crossed 200 only once and only one batsman, Salman Butt, has scored a fifty. Most visibly, the absence of a 269-ODI veteran averaging over 40 was felt during the third ODI, when Pakistan collapsed from 95-0 to 171 all out, chasing 199. Since the 2007 World Cup and the retirement of Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf has comfortably been Pakistan's leading batsman, averaging over 60 in 30 ODIs, but he played his last match in July last year.
From: hamid on Sun May 3 14:26:54 2009.

hmm..Aussie team ivvalo kevalama poyiducha??? they have lost the last ODI against Fakistan..
From: ajithfederer on Tue May 5 14:31:09 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/402290.html

Regulars | Ask Steven >>

Dishing out ducks, and a dearth of right-handers

Bowlers responsible for the most zeroes, the lowest ODI totals never scored, and centuries in 50th Tests

Steven Lynch

May 5, 2009

McGrath and Warne walk off one final time, after having inflicted between them 206 Test ducks � Getty Images

Which bowlers have dished out the most ducks in Tests and one-day internationals? asked Jackson Harding from New Zealand
The leader in Tests at the moment is Australia's Glenn McGrath, who inflicted 104 ducks on unsuspecting batsmen. His long-term partner-in-crime Shane Warne managed 102, but coming up fast is Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, who has so far dismissed 101 batsmen for zero. In one-day internationals the clear leader is Pakistan's Wasim Akram, who sent back 110 batsmen for ducks. He's well ahead of the next man, Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka (76).

There are a lot of left-handed openers around at the moment. When was the last time a Test team opened with two right-handers? asked Glenn Rogers from Australia
You're right that most countries have one - if not two - left-hand opening batsmen at the moment, which is very unusual. There have been 15 Tests played so far in 2009, and the only time anyone opened with two right-hand batsmen was after an injury: when Graeme Smith broke his hand in the second Test against Australia in Durban, South Africa opened their second innings with the right-hand batsmen Neil McKenzie and Hashim Amla. There were eight more Tests before that at the end of 2008 since a country went into a Test with two right-hand batsmen at the top of the order: against Australia in Adelaide at the end of November New Zealand's openers were Aaron Redmond and Jamie How.

Did Dennis Lillee ever play in Jamaica? asked Lorre Snikwad from the United States
The great fast bowler Dennis Lillee played only two first-class matches in Jamaica, both on Australia's 1972-73 tour of the West Indies. In the tourists' warm-up match against Jamaica he took 1 for 55 and 0 for 30, then in the first Test at Sabina Park he failed to take a wicket, finishing with unimpressive figures of 0 for 112 and 0 for 20. He had an excuse, though: he was battling a back injury, and did not appear in any more Tests on the tour (indeed, he did not play another Test for nearly two years, and never played another one in the Caribbean). Lillee also played in Jamaica in February 1979, during a tour by Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket Australian side. He appeared in two one-day matches against the WSC West Indians, taking 1 for 13 (the wicket of Clive Lloyd) and 2 for 16 (Lawrence Rowe and Viv Richards), then took 4 for 68 (Richards, Lloyd, Richard Austin and Deryck Murray) and 4 for 100 (Austin, Lloyd, Roy Fredericks and Desmond Haynes) in the first "SuperTest"- so I think it's fair to say he enjoyed his second visit more than his first.

You have previously answered a question about the lowest individual score never made. But what is the lowest team total that has not yet been made in one-day internationals (starting at 100 to eliminate low scores - I realise no team has ever made 0!)? asked Mohammad Karim from Lahore
The lowest total that has not yet been made in a one-day international (starting from 100) is 342, followed by 345 and 352. The Test record (again ignoring all numbers below 100) is 525, followed by 557 and 587.

Can you tell me how many players have scored a century in their 50th Test match? asked Gopal from India
There have now been 27 players who scored a century in their 50th Test match - three of them this year, in Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka, South Africa's AB de Villiers, and Kevin Pietersen of England. The highest score by anyone in their 50th Test is 317, by Chris Gayle for West Indies against South Africa at St John's in 2004-05. Four others made double-centuries: Javed Miandad (280 not out for Pakistan v India in Hyderabad in 1982-83), Ken Barrington (256 for England v Australia at Old Trafford in 1964), Sunil Gavaskar (221 for India v England at The Oval in 1979), and Bill Lawry (205 for Australia v West Indies in Melbourne in 1968-69).

Following on from last week's question about people who collected no runs, no wickets and no catches in their only Test, is there anyone who managed just one of each? asked John Bernard from Dorset
Rather to my surprise, there is! George Thornton, a Yorkshire-born doctor, played one Test for South Africa against Australia in Johannesburg in 1902-03. Very neatly, he scored one not out in his only innings, took one wicket (the future Australian captain Warwick Armstrong, caught behind), and held one catch. With regard to the original question, my thanks go to Patrick Kidd of the Times, who pointed out in his online blog that there is one man who appeared in two Tests without managing a run, a wicket or a catch - the Indian fast bowler TA Sekhar, who played twice against Pakistan in 1983-84 without overly troubling the scorers.

Steven Lynch is the editor of the Cricinfo Guide to International Cricket (reviewed here). If you want to ask Steven a question, use our feedback form. The most interesting questions will be answered here each week

� Cricinfo

From: ajithfederer on Tue May 5 14:32:46 2009.

Idhellam oru eleksan. Both teams are doing bad offlate. Actually I am more interested in Ashes and will open a thread pretty soon.

Pakistan 202/7 (45.0 ov)

Fast bowling warrior Shoaib Akhtar playing on 24 off just 12 balls with 4 fours and a six. Clap

Ennappa indha series yaarum follow pannalaya?

Good contest between bat and ball! LOL

-

Appadi solliturundhavanga kooda IPL paaka aarambichitaangaba! Laughing

From: HonestRaj on Wed May 6 13:07:04 2009.

Eng vs WI

First test:

http://content.cricinfo.com/engvwi2009/engine/current/match/380712.html

Kevin Peterson out for a Golden Duck ------- is he still thinking of playing with RCB
From: ajithfederer on Fri May 8 0:52:54 2009.

England 377
West Indies 152 & 39/2 (13.0 ov)
West Indies trail by 186 runs with 8 wickets remaining

From: hamid on Fri May 8 3:38:12 2009.

HonestRaj wrote:

Eng vs WI

First test:

http://content.cricinfo.com/engvwi2009/engine/current/match/380712.html

Kevin Peterson out for a Golden Duck ------- is he still thinking of playing with RCB LOL

Mallaya itha paartha tension aakiduvaaru

From: Sourav on Fri May 8 3:40:26 2009.

Eng vs WI

First test:

http://content.cricinfo.com/engvwi2009/engine/current/match/380712.html

Kevin Peterson out for a Golden Duck ------- is he still thinking of playing with RCB LOL

HonestRaj wrote:

Mallaya itha paartha tension aakiduvaaru Smile

KP-a 7.5c koduthu edutha mallaiyava avan K-P aakkittu poyittan...

From: hamid on Fri May 8 3:42:32 2009.
From: ajithfederer on Sat May 9 15:40:06 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/story/403690.html

PCB comedy pannudhu. When civilians are fleeing the state they want Worlcup to be hosted there.
From: Movie Cop on Mon May 11 18:27:41 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

http://content.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/story/403690.html

PCB comedy pannudhu. When civilians are fleeing the state they want Worlcup to be hosted there.

Ijaz "Stinky" Butt oda kaamedy-kku oru "O podu"!
Fakistan only fossible...
From: sgokulprathap on Thu May 14 5:37:05 2009.

India forced Asia split on 2011 World Cup - Mani

May 14, 2009

Ehsan Mani, former ICC president, believes Pakistan was manoeuvred out of its hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup by a split within the Asian bloc, led by India, and an inert ICC approach to examine viable solutions. Pakistan, said Mani, was thus left with no choice but to begin legal proceedings against the decision.

Mani, who served as president from 2003-06, is acting as an advisor to the PCB in the dispute and is widely thought to be man who prompted the move to initiate legal action. He has told the PCB, however, to keep "back-channel communications" with the ICC open throughout the dispute.

"I'm afraid so and I'm very sorry to say it," Mani told Cricinfo, when asked whether India had manipulated the situation to its advantage in order to squeeze Pakistan out of the tournament. "This was a time when India should have come forward, shown leadership and said 'It's all four of us as hosts, or none of us.'

"Asia got worried they would lose the 2011 World Cup altogether and decided to dump Pakistan. It is the first time in my 20 years association that I have seen Asia split this way. It speaks volumes of the PCB's PR perhaps," Mani said.

Mani also took aim at the ICC, saying it had not shown enough initiative in searching for a solution to Pakistan's plight. "The ICC should have looked at the security situation as a whole, they should have at least met with Pakistan beforehand. When I was president, there was a lot of pressure to suspend Zimbabwe. I refused, until I had met them personally. I did and eventually they asked to be suspended themselves.

"There was no pre-meeting dialogue with the PCB here and ICC should have taken the lead in that. Pakistan is a problem, so let's talk to them. I said to the ICC you should have thought of alternative solutions. They said the PCB had not put any such proposal forward but the ICC should have been examining these things.

"Many things were wrong. The ICC should have done an assessment of all four countries and gotten governments involved. Also, if Pakistan gets the Champions Trophy hosting fee even if that event was taken away, why does the same logic not apply for the World Cup?"

Acknowledging that the relationship between the ICC and the PCB are "not good," Mani said Pakistan was left with no other option. "They were between a rock and a hard place. They were marginalised, losing the hosting money - what was their choice? Roll over quietly, or make some noise? Pakistan feel they were misled at the meeting and had no idea this was going to happen. One should have been upfront about it."

Mani has advocated swapping the World Cups of 2011 and 2015, so that the next tournament is switched to Australia and New Zealand and the 2015 edition comes to the subcontinent. He asked the ICC about the swapping option and was told that "Australia and New Zealand were happy to host the 2011 World Cup but also wanted to keep the 2015 tournament."

But Mani urged the PCB to keep the doors of communication open with the ICC. "Ties between the two are not great. What I've advised them is to keep the legal process on but along with a high-level diplomatic process. Keep that channel open. I told the PCB that professional advice was needed but keep talking to them. I tried to speak to the ICC but couldn't get through to them. They kept saying 'you don't know all the facts' which I found disappointing."
From: wrap07 on Thu May 14 13:15:37 2009.

http://content.cricinfo.com/engvwi2009/content/current/story/404217.html

Richards and Sobers defend primacy of Test cricket
Alex Brown
May 13, 2009
Viv Richards believes Gayle's comments, if correct, are a 'total betrayal of the game that raised him' � Getty Images

Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Vivian Richards have defended the primacy of Test cricket in the wake of the withering critique launched by Chris Gayle. Richards said Gayle's comments regarding the death of Test cricket were tantamount to a "total betrayal of the game that raised him" and hoped they were not reflective of the West Indian captain's true feelings.

In an interview with The Guardian on Wednesday, Gayle suggested he would not be saddened if Test cricket were to perish at the hands of the Twenty20 format. The West Indian skipper softened his stance slightly in a pre-Test press conference at Chester-le-Street, suggesting his comments were made in reference to his own Test career, which he said was nearing an end.

Richards, though, was not convinced Gayle's statements were truly indicative of his feelings towards Test cricket "based on what he has said before." Still, the former West Indian captain was critical of his latter-day counterpart's statements on the eve of the second Test against England.

"I think individuals should be a little careful with some of the things they say," Richards told Cricinfo. "I believe Chris still loves Test match cricket, and maybe he wouldn't have made these comments if he had been thinking clearly. I honestly feel that this is not what he genuinely believes, and if it is, it is a total betrayal of the game that raised him.

"Everyone has their opinion and Chris has expressed his. I believe that Test cricket is the pinnacle. He must remember that he made the West Indies team not because he was a good Twenty20 player, but because of his ability as a Test cricketer. He seems to have forgotten that the one-day games came out of Test cricket, and it was Test cricket which brought him to the world's attention."

Sobers, perhaps the greatest allrounder the game has known, said he could not relate to the cash-versus-country considerations faced by many of cricket's modern elite, but hoped Test cricket would remain the game's most revered format in the years to come.

"As far as I am concerned, Test cricket is number one," Sobers told Cricinfo. "I have not been in this position. If I was in that situation, I would try to combine both forms of the game of cricket. And if I could not do that, then I would feel that Test cricket would remain the top priority. It would not be an easy decision to make. But I was never in a position like Chris Gayle where I had to choose between something like the IPL and international cricket. I suppose he will make the decision he feels is best for him."

Richards, meanwhile, reiterated the concerns of Clive Lloyd, the former West Indian captain and current chairman of the ICC's cricket committee, regarding Gayle's decision to extend his stint in the IPL and arrive in England just two days before the Lord's Test.

"Chris coming over two days before the Test was obviously his choice, but I was a little bit worried by it," he said. "You need more preparation time than that. That is a long flight and you need time to acclimatise and prepare. It's pretty tough to go all that way and expect to be OK to play straight away."

From: Movie Cop on Thu May 14 16:08:25 2009.

India forced Asia split on 2011 World Cup - Mani

May 14, 2009

Ehsan Mani, former ICC president, believes Pakistan was manoeuvred out of its hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup by a split within the Asian bloc, led by India, and an inert ICC approach to examine viable solutions. Pakistan, said Mani, was thus left with no choice but to begin legal proceedings against the decision.

Mani, who served as president from 2003-06, is acting as an advisor to the PCB in the dispute and is widely thought to be man who prompted the move to initiate legal action. He has told the PCB, however, to keep "back-channel communications" with the ICC open throughout the dispute.

"I'm afraid so and I'm very sorry to say it," Mani told Cricinfo, when asked whether India had manipulated the situation to its advantage in order to squeeze Pakistan out of the tournament. "This was a time when India should have come forward, shown leadership and said 'It's all four of us as hosts, or none of us.'
"Asia got worried they would lose the 2011 World Cup altogether and decided to dump Pakistan. It is the first time in my 20 years association that I have seen Asia split this way. It speaks volumes of the PCB's PR perhaps," Mani said.

Yet another kaamedy time from yet another Fakistani clown!

The allegations from Ehsan Sani, bolded above, ends my day on a comic note!

From: ajithfederer on Mon May 18 12:17:55 2009.

Windies suffers another Innings defeat

England 569/6d
West Indies 310 & 176 (44.0 ov)
England won by an innings and 83 runs

http://content.cricinfo.com/engvwi2009/engine/current/match/380713.html
From: Sourav on Thu May 21 10:20:28 2009.

Eng Vs. WI 1st ODI
Match abandoned without a ball bowled.
From: GP on Fri Jun 5 3:06:38 2009.

List of players and officials offered amnesty by the BCCI

June 2, 2009

Listed below are the players who've severed ties with the ICL, and have been offered amnesty by the BCCI. Their names are listed under the states they represent. Further down is the list of officials and support staff

Tamilnadu: Hemang Badani, V Devendran, G Vignesh, Syed Mohammed, R Jesuraj, S Sriram, R Sathish, K Martin Sanjeev, T Kumaran, S Vasanth Saravanan, J Hariesh, D Tamilkumaran, C Hemant Kumar

Jharkhand: Rajiv Kumar

Baroda: Kiran Powar, Rakesh Patel

Bengal: Shiv Sagar Singh, Abhiskek Jhunjhunwala, Subhomoy Das, Sayed Akhlakh Ahamad, Rohan Gavaskar, Subhjit Paul, Deep Dasgupta

Mumbai: Robin Morris, Nikhil Mandale

Railways: Shreyas Khanolkar, Tejinder Pal Singh, P Vivek, J P Yadav, Baburao Yadav, Avinash Yadav

Maharashtra: Suyesh Burkul, Dheeraj Jadhav, Raviraj Patil, Pushkaraj Joshi, Anupam Sanklecha, Ranjeet Khirid

Delhi: Abhinav Bali, Kunal Lal

Jammu and Kashmir: Abid Nabi, Dhruv Mahajan

Madhya Pradesh: T Sudhindra, Mohnish Mishra, Abbas Ali, Sachin Dholpure, Shridhar Iyer, Abhishek Tamrakar, Bhima Rao

Assam: Syed Zakaria Zuffri, Parviz Aziz, Abu Nechim Ahmed, Sujay Tarafder, Pritam Das

Punjab: Dinesh Mongia, Reetinder Sodhi, Karanveer Singh, Harpreet Singh, Sumit Kalia, Love Ablish, Rajesh Sharma, Sarabjeet Singh, Ishan Malhotra, Bipul Sharma, Amit Uniyal

Karnataka: Stuart Binny

Hyderabad: Abdul Azeem Khan, Alfred Absolom, Ibrahim Khaleel, Indra Shekar Reddy, P S Niranjan, Anirudh Singh, Shashank Nag, Ambati Rayudu

Andhra Pradesh: Syed Shahbuddin

Haryana: Gaurav Gupta

Uttar Pradesh: Avinash Yadav, Shalabh Srivastava, Ali Murtaza, Ali Hamid Zaidi

Coaches and Mentors: Sandeep Patil, E A S Prasanna, Madan Lal, Rajesh Kamath, Karsan Ghavri, Pranab Roy, Ashok Malhotra, Rajesh Chauhan, Balwinder Sandhu, Bharath Reddy, Ajit Wadekar

Others Kiran Padhiyar (Video Analyst), K Martin Sanjeev, A T Rajamani Prabhu, Dr Dinesh Vaghela (Umpire), Atul Wassan, A Burrows (Umpire), Suhas Pawar (Trainer), Rajesh Mundhva (Umpire), Chezhian (Umpire), V Satish (Umpire) and S Shyam Sundar
From: Sourav on Wed Jun 24 4:09:06 2009.

Bangladesh sack Ashraful, Mortaza new captain!
From: Vivasaayi on Sun Jul 5 5:03:20 2009.

A very interesting article.

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/410441.html
From: ajithfederer on Thu Jul 9 18:17:43 2009.

Bangladesh tour of West Indies, 1st Test: West Indies v Bangladesh at Kingstown, Jul 9-13, 2009

Jordan: "Those who are complaining that the WI players are in the wrong in the matter of boycotting are being hugely unreasonable. They must keep in mind that while yes this is a sport, it is their job and for the most part the players do not have a fallback. they have dedicated their lives to representing the west Indies. They must also ask themselves if they truly believe that players in England or Australia are playing without contracts. When Sir Frank Worrell boycotted the series against England in !947 to get increased wages he did not have this reception. In fact he was praised. The WI players of today aren't even asking for higher wages, they are asking to be paid for playing over the last few months. Furthermore, what example is this sending to the youths who have the idea of playing for the West Indies in their head? This is a turn off. Cricket on the whole has been losing interest even more for WI cricket which has been lacking success and consistency over the past few years. The only way to to revive WI cricket is through development and the actions of the WICB are a hindrance rather than assistance."

Bangladesh 42/0 (18.5 ov)

West Indies

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat.

http://www.cricinfo.com/wivbdesh2009/engine/current/match/401071.html
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jul 10 10:10:18 2009.

af,

You should see the attendance for this match! Mothama players-a, umpires-a sEthu 50 per thaan irrupaanga!
From: Movie Cop on Fri Jul 10 14:38:43 2009.

July 10 2009 - "Little Master" Sunil Gavaskar turns 60 today. The great Indian batsman who was a role model for many Indian batsmen was interviewed by cricinfo.

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/413489.html

Many more happy returns of the day, sir.

Couple of interesting notes from the master:

You first played Tests for India 40 years ago. Is there anything you would do differently now?
There are a couple things I would obviously want to do if given another chance. Like our World Cup match [1975], where I got 36 not out. I would throw my wicket away now - which I wasn't brought up to do. Earlier on, the mindset was different. I think today I might feel a little more flexible as far as throwing-a-wicket-type situation is concerned.

Even in the Melbourne incident, where I was provoked into asking Chetan [Chauhan] to leave the field, let me clarify that this decision was not taken at first but when I was making my way back to the pavilion and was almost 10 yards down when I was abused by the Australians. That's when I came back and took Chetan away. I wouldn't come back to do this today, because as a captain, whatever the provocation, I should have kept my cool. Yes, these are the two things I would have definitely changed.

You have never pushed your son Rohan, but do you have any sense of disappointment that he could not go the distance with the India cap?
Look, I wanted him to be a good human being. For me that was the most important thing. Being a cricketer or a doctor, engineer, journalist was his choice. I just wanted him to be content with what he was. All the feedback that I get from all those who have interacted with him is nothing but positive, which pleases me no end. As far as his cricket is concerned, I keep teasing him all the time that his father used up all the luck and that's why he didn't have much left for him.
From: Movie Cop on Fri Jul 10 14:44:53 2009.

Couple of other tributes to the legend.

http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/413511.html
http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/413441.html
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jul 12 1:12:06 2009.

Pakistan Vs Srilanka, 2nd Test Match - Colombo

Day:01

Pakistan - 19/4

Kulasekara aazhwar picks 3!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jul 12 5:54:25 2009.

Pakistan - 90 All out.

Srilanka - 61/1 - Ist Innings.
From: Plum on Sun Jul 12 6:56:29 2009.

Gavaskar didnt push Rohan? He did his best - jalra thattufied to Sourav to get him a Bengal Ranji stint; Got him into India A tours. Until his son's career was in possible realms, he kept jalra thattufying to all BCCI bigwigs. Yaaru kitta kadhai vudaraaru nama sunil-u?
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Jul 12 10:38:49 2009.

Srilanka - 164/3 - Stumps

Sri Lanka lead by 74 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
From: Vivasaayi on Tue Jul 14 5:50:28 2009.

"ennadi raakamma" song was playing loud in the stands during the match
From: Kalyasi on Tue Jul 14 6:34:58 2009.

Pak 294/2 @ one stage, apparom 320 all out karumam karumam

Now SRL 100/1 and require 70 runs to win this test match!!
From: Dinesh84 on Tue Jul 14 13:40:42 2009.

Pakistan 90 & 320

Sri Lanka 240 & 171/3 (31.5 ov)

Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets

MOM : Shared by Nuwan Kulasekara and Fawad Alam.
From: Vivasaayi on Wed Jul 15 0:10:12 2009.

http://www.cricinfo.com/india/content/match/fixtures.html?team_country=6;future=1

do we have any test match at all in this year?
From: littlemaster1982 on Wed Jul 15 0:52:54 2009.

Kalyasi wrote:

Pak 294/2 @ one stage, apparom 320 all out karumam karumam

They lost 9 wickets in the space of 35 runs and 18 overs
From: hamid on Wed Jul 15 1:16:31 2009.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

Kalyasi wrote:

Pak 294/2 @ one stage, apparom 320 all out karumam karumam

They lost 9 wickets in the space of 35 runs and 18 overs

antha rangekku vilayaadaraangala.. v.good..

Bangladesh wins over WI ithu nallarukke.. It seems a nice idea to promote cricket in countries like Bangladesh etc...

Is it the first test win for Bangla over a reputed test playing nation?
From: MADDY on Thu Jul 16 1:15:04 2009.

Flintoff retires from Test cricket
From: Dinesh84 on Thu Jul 16 5:05:03 2009.

Flintoff to retire from Test cricket

Andrew Flintoff has announced that he will retire from Test cricket at the end of this Ashes summer, although he still intends to make himself available for Twenty20 and ODI cricket, and is expected to be fit for tomorrow's second Test against Australia.

Flintoff, who has missed 25 of England's last 48 Tests through a variety of injuries, suffered another fitness scare on the eve of the Lord's Test, when he reported soreness and swelling in the same right knee that required surgery back in April, after he tore his meniscus while playing in the IPL.

"It's not something I have just thought of overnight, it's something that's been on my mind for a while regarding this series," said Flintoff. "With the knee flaring up again and getting the injections on Monday, now is a time I felt comfortable with doing it. There's been a lot of speculation over my future for the past few weeks, so I wanted to get it out there, and concentrate on playing cricket.

"I've had four ankle operations and knee surgery, so my body is telling me things, and I'm actually starting to listen. I can't just play games here and there while waiting to be fit. For my own sanity, and for my family's, I've got to draw a line under it. I've been going through two years of rehab in the past four, which is not ideal."

Prior to England's practice session on Wednesday morning, Flintoff gave the team talk in a sombre atmosphere, and afterwards Paul Collingwood immediately came up and shook him by the hand. "Freddie simply said that these four Tests would be his last in Test cricket," a team insider told Cricinfo. Andrew Strauss, the England captain, said the team were saddened, though not surprised, about Flintoff's decision to stand down from Test cricket.

"As players we've had a feeling this would come sooner rather than later," Strauss said. "We feel sad he's had to make this decision at his age, but we're sure it will motivate him even more for this series."

The knee injury that has threatened his participation at Lord's followed a spirited performance in the first Test at Cardiff, in which Flintoff bowled 35 overs but was once again under-rewarded with figures of 1 for 128. Strauss was optimistic on Wednesday that Flintoff will come through a fitness test and make himself available for selection, and he was seen skipping during England's warm-up in the indoor nets, before padding up for batting practice, then sending down a few pacey overs on the outdoor nets.

"The indications are that he's going to be fine," Strauss said. "He had a good bowl today, we just need to see how he reacts to what he did today before we can be 100% sure. At this stage we are hopeful but we can't be sure.

"When you go in with three seamers, you've got to expect all three to bowl a lot of overs. Fred understands that, but this week in all likelihood there will be four seamers and maybe [they] won't have quite as big a workload. We'd never play any bowler in a Test match who we didn't think could contribute as fully as anyone else."

Though he acknowledged that Flintoff's overall statistics do not bear greatness, Strauss lauded Flintoff's effect on the modern game.

"He's had a dramatic impact in English cricket over the past few years, in the style with which he's batted, and for a long period he's been one of the bowlers in world cricket that batters least like facing, although the figures maybe don't show that," Strauss said. "And also as a personality, he's done a huge amount for cricket in the way he's played with a smile on his face. Test cricket will miss him, there's no doubt about that. I'm sure he'll go out in a style that befits his quality, with a bang, with big performances, and with some stories to tell at the end."

Regardless of his immense stature in the England dressing-room, the statistics of Flintoff's recent form and impact on the Test side are not flattering. Since the 2005 Ashes, he has averaged 28.25 with the bat and 34.68 with the ball in 23 Tests (both figures down on his overall Test record of 31.69 and 32.51), and he has not managed a century or five wickets in an innings in any series since then.

Moreover, he has been unable to impose himself on matches in the same way that he did in his 2005 pomp. Although some leeway has to be made for the quality of the opponents he has faced - Flintoff has often been recuperating during low-key series in preparation for the marquee events - the statistics paint a sorry tale. In the 25 matches that Flintoff has missed since 2005, England have won 12, drawn 10 and lost on only three occasions. In the 23 matches in which he has been present, those numbers are almost exactly reversed - won 3, drawn 7, lost 13.

"Being part of an Ashes-winning team was very special, and so was beating everyone in the world for a period of time, and playing a major part in that," said Flintoff. "I'd have liked my career to kick on after that, but being a professional rehabber for two years makes it pretty difficult to do that. It would have been nice if it had carried on a bit longer, but I've no regrets. I'm happy."

Flintoff received a cortisone injection on Monday, and is sure to play through the pain if he has to. "For the next four Test matches I'll do everything I need to do to get on a cricket field and I'm desperate to make my mark," he said. "I want to finish playing for England on a high and if you look at the fixtures going forward, the way my body is suggests I won't be able to get through that."

http://www.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/414514.html
From: P_R on Thu Jul 16 6:30:50 2009.

He has been kinda so so for a while.

So this may be the right time to retire.
From: Plum on Thu Jul 16 6:35:35 2009.

Whats funny for me is his hope that he can make it as a limited-overs only player. Ivan sumaara veLayAdi irukkaradhe Test matches-la dhaane?
From: P_R on Thu Jul 16 6:44:15 2009.

No I remember several instances in ODIs when his lower order hitting saved England. He was an ordinary bowler anyway IMHO.

What happened to Matthew Hoggard ?
From: Plum on Thu Jul 16 7:12:44 2009.

Hoggard was deemed surplus to requirements after an ordinary NZ tour.
(On an unrelated note, post Ashes 2005, after the open bus tour, hoggard is rumoured to have, in a sozzled condition, teased Tony Blair . Dont remember the exact words, they were very funny
From: hamid on Thu Jul 16 7:59:45 2009.

Eng 125/0 I wish they win against Australia..
From: Plum on Thu Jul 16 8:05:06 2009.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article6115846.ece

PR, here's Hoggard on his exclusion- at the least, sounds an interesting character
From: ajithfederer on Sun Jul 19 14:56:30 2009.

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/407730.html

I've watched this particular series in which England whitewashed Australia for a three match ODI series. This dude Ben Hollioake was touted to be the next big thing. He was such an aggressive hitter but sadly he passed away by a car accident in 2002.

.

From: P_R on Mon Jul 20 4:25:33 2009.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article6115846.ece

PR, here's Hoggard on his exclusion- at the least, sounds an interesting character

What a guy !!

Quote:

�I don�t like football,� he says. �It�s played by a big set of girls that cheat and have got no respect for the person in charge. How many of them fall over when they haven�t been kicked, trying to get a free kick by cheating? Because they get paid a lot of money they think they can do whatever they like. I would absolutely love Fifa to go round to every referee and say if the players swear at you or your linesman then send them off because you see little kids doing exactly the same.�

I found another one written byt Hoggard himself.

Quote:

When it came to the first Test in Hamilton, I bowled like a wet lettuce. My figures from the first innings there pretty much tell the story: 26-2-111-1. I should thank Jacob Oram for giving me one wicket by edging a wayward drive to gully. That dismissal was certainly more his doing than mine.

Quote:

When I first became England's nightwatchman, against New Zealand in 2004, the person who was most perturbed about my new job was Sarah's grandma, Dorothy. The first time she heard on television that I was doing the job, she rang Sarah to check she'd be all right because I wasn't going to be home for the evening.

From: crajkumar_be on Mon Jul 20 7:21:34 2009.

Adhu seri!
Cricket e oru magaa elitist sport a arambicha onnu. And W.G Grace bowled aittu "It's very windy today, isn't it?" nu sollitu bails a rearrange pannittu vilayaadna sport dhaane (andha kaalathiliye)

Quote:

Ippo cricket la nadakkaadha bonga, akramama...

From: P_R on Mon Jul 20 7:39:49 2009.

Enna ippo ellAm. Sachin, Dravid, Kumble ellAm eppo viLayAdinaanga ? I want to continue to make noise about this.

Grace thAthA bails-ai thiruppi vachchadhula irundha style-kkum McGrath- Sarwan baed words exchange-kkum vithyAsam irukkulla.
Gavaskar in his recent interview mentioned about how certian behaviour which will not be tolerated off-field has gradually now become 'acceptable' off field. idhula those-who-give-it-back paththi perumai vEra. kastham :slaps forehead:

Coming back, that is exactly why I never liked football. In a schoolhouse match once I was roped in for a lack of players. I rested content as a backie chatting up with the goalie as all the others were in the other half ambitiously trying to score. The ball managed to fly into our half and a school-player forward was approaching our goal dangerously.

I managed to trip him and he fell flat on his face and was the sudden hero a la Hollywood sport movie weakling who contributes unexpectedly. Naturally I gloated on the primal victory for a bit, but promptly excused myself from the next match. Somehow couldn't reconcile playing a sport where such perversity could attract adulation. Plus the tiresomeness of having to run all the time.

Quote:

Ippo cricket la nadakkaadha bonga, akramama... Twisted Evil

From: Plum on Mon Jul 20 9:04:54 2009.

Quote:

...every referee and say if the players swear at you or your linesman then send them off because you see little kids doing exactly the same.�

idhellam apply paNNinA, Yuvraj, Ponting matrum palar field-leye irukka mudiyaadhu!
From: ajithfederer on Mon Jul 20 18:15:53 2009.

Bangla clinches test series against Windies.

From: ajithfederer on Mon Jul 20 18:21:59 2009.

A blanket cover accusation on all matches is what I could see here or if not correct me. Football is great for its limited rules, less time and a passion which covers almost the entire globe. Cricket-la enna ellarum uthamanugala??

From: VinodKumar's on Mon Jul 27 13:57:36 2009.

Quote:

Ippo cricket la nadakkaadha bonga, akramama... Twisted Evil

From: crajkumar_be on Mon Jul 20 21:06:23 2009.

Football is the greatest because of the simplicity (in principle, that strategy and tactics are complex is a different issue), passion and directness. Hence the universal appeal.

PR,
Grace thatha kaalam: Extremely elitist "sport". Bongu English/Victorian style la adichaanga. It later morphed into finding loop-holes (bodyline, Trevor Chappel uruttals), ball tampering, negative tactics, etc etc.. ippo potrappadum sledging attitude and "aggressive" manappaanmai (Ravi Shastri commentary la sila thadava sollirukkaar if you dont want aggression or that "attitude" better start wearing choodiyaan etc etc)
Street/Marina beach cricket lerndhu international matches varaikkum bongu irundhukitte dhaan irukku. Style ellam marradhellam a matter of detail. Adhellam karanama sonna seri varaadhu ngaradhu en karuthu.

Football la diving specialists-um undu, vizhundha opponent a kai thookki vidradhum, post-match jersey exchange, opponent ku adi patta play a nirutha ball a kottukku veliya adikkaradhu (and resultant throw-in a avinga thiruppi inguttu adikkaradhu) remba sagajam. Cricket la batsman ku hamstring injury na bowlers venumte front foot ku izhuppainga (ok, not a very valid comparison between this and a gifted throw-in with a man down in football but nirai kuraigal nu vandha ippadi sollitte pogalaam). Heated exchanges, referee a madhikkama thitradhellam a direct result of the intensity and heat in the game, something which IMO cannot be matched in cricket because of the nature of the game.

P.S: OK, if you referring to the very physical nature of the game itself, then yeah, you can't literally tackle/assault or foul the opponent in cricket and andha vidhathula onnum panna mudiyadhu, from that parameter it is "dirty"
From: P_R on Tue Jul 21 2:05:21 2009.

crajkumar_be wrote:

opponent ku adi patta play a nirutha ball a kottukku veliya adikkaradhu (and resultant throw-in a avinga thiruppi inguttu adikkaradhu) remba sagajam.
Oho ! I am quite surprised.adhu sari, paarthaa dhaanE theriyum.

I was just trying to be elitist.

Ahn po po....panjAyathu mudinchu.
From: Plum on Tue Jul 21 2:37:00 2009.

crajkumar_be wrote:

The greatest artist of and from the Indian cinema industry - Ilaiyaraaja

neenga oru mudivukku vandhutteenga pola?
From: Dinesh84 on Tue Jul 21 10:06:03 2009.

ella sports layum karungaaligal irukathaan seiyuranga.. footballayum match fixing irukku.. cricket layum match fixing irukku..

athanala entha sports ayum elite pirivula kondu vara mudiyathungrathu en karuthu..
From: ajithfederer on Tue Jul 21 10:49:37 2009.

The XI

Australia's finest

Three legends from the 2000s feature in the jury's XI, which has a mostly even spread across the decades of Australian cricket

Peter English

July 20, 2009

Comments: 90 | Text size: A | AAfter six categories and two months of decisions, Cricinfo's selectors release their verdicts and reveal their all-time Australian XI. Don Bradman, Shane Warne and Dennis Lillee were universally picked by the 10 judges, while Greg Chappell and Keith Miller received nine votes, one more than Victor Trumper and Adam Gilchrist in their respective categories.

To balance the experts' outfit, we also include the readers' XI and there are a few disagreements. None of the openers are the same, with the masses pushing for Matthew Hayden and Bill Ponsford at the top instead of Trumper and Arthur Morris. The online judges also call for Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting in the middle order instead of Greg Chappell and Allan Border. However, there was agreement over the other seven spots in the side.

In the readers' poll, Hayden got more than twice the number of votes Ponsford did, and more than Taylor, Morris and Trumper combined. Bradman received almost 80% more support than Ponting in the middle order; Miller picked up nearly 65% to sweep past Richie Benaud for the allrounder's spot; and Gilchrist took eight votes for every one for Ian Healy.

Only 60 votes separated McGrath and Lillee, and each fast man polled more than all the others put together. Warne got nearly twice as much support as Bill O'Reilly, but the legspinners won spots in both XIs.

Either team would fancy their chances against any of the other all-time outfits, which will be decided over the rest of the year.

1 Victor Trumper
Trumper was the prototype of an expressive Australian batsmanship based on boldness, instinct and natural talent. By his modesty and courtesy, in an age that valued such qualities, he also made a hero to rally round. Gideon Haigh

2 Arthur Morris
Arthur Morris was well organised and serene at the crease, and from those twin centuries he made on NSW debut when aged 18 through his prolific Test match seasons and tours, he was the epitome of self-assuredness and unflappability. Don Bradman's instant support for him never wavered, and Morris' crowning moment was probably when he topped the figures on that memorable 1948 tour of England. David Frith

3 Don Bradman
Bradman's selection is axiomatic, and of course, has to refer to his stats because he dominated cricket in a way for which there is no comparison in any other sport, with the possible exception of Walter Lindrum in billiards and snooker. His cricket allowed him to become part of the fabric of Australian life - symbolised by the ABC's PO Box number of 9994 - in a way unmatched by any other individual. Warwick Franks

4 Greg Chappell
The remarkable Ricky Ponting has clouded the issue, but Greg Chappell remains the supreme Australian batsman since the retirement of Neil Harvey in the 60s. Chappell was a cricketing aristocrat, tall and commanding. But whatever his stature at the crease it was his performances at the wicket that raised him to immortality. In 1979 he hit SuperTest centuries in Trinidad and Guyana and 431 runs in four internationals at 61.57 against one of the greatest fast bowling attacks ever assembled in Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin Croft, Joel Garner and Wayne Daniel. No batsman in half a century could equal or eclipse this achievement. Phil Wilkins

5 Allan Border
He's never ever received the appropriate recognition, not only for what he achieved in Australian cricket, but for Australian cricket. It's 25 years in December since he was appointed captain and the sustained success of Australia over the past two decades or so is the direct result of his bravery, commitment and leadership. Mike Coward

6 Keith Miller
This country's finest and most flamboyant allrounder, Miller is just one of three Australians, with Shane Warne and Richie Benaud, to have scored more than 2000 runs and taken over 100 wickets. He batted mostly at No. 5, where he averaged 41.98 and scored five of his seven centuries. Malcolm Conn

7 Adam Gilchrist
How often in history has the most feared batsmen in a line-up come in at No. 7? Adam Gilchrist did. In a time when cricket was in danger of being routinised and industrialised, he played a hearty, heady, seemingly carefree brand that mocked convention, never looking other than excited to be out there. Gideon Haigh

8 Shane Warne
The boy with the bullet-train flipper grew up and became master of bluster, capable of derailing the best-set batsmen with balls spinning a mile or a millimetre. You'd pick both Warnes if you could. Christian Ryan

9 Bill O'Reilly
His fast legspin and hell-or-high-water attitude would make him the perfect companion for Shane Warne, whose coming he predicted but narrowly missed. However, the main reason for choosing Tiger is the thought of bumping into him in the afterlife. Peter Roebuck

10 Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee is the most excitingly hostile Australian fast bowler I've seen. His combination of pace, swing and intimidation was always threatening, and the crowd's rapture for him played out with the chant of "Lilleee, Lilleee". From wild, rawboned days as a genuinely fast bowler through back injuries to a more controlled, scheming and theatrical cricketer, Lillee was a consistent wicket taker, and much-feared opponent. Jim Maxwell

11 Glenn McGrath
McGrath is an automatic selection not only for his 563 Test wickets at 21.64, his inescapable line and length and his steepling bounce, but for his aura. It was fun to see him target the opposition's best batsman, get into his head, then follow a simple plan for success until the batsman succumbed. He also did a superb impression of a teapot when things weren't going well. Chloe Saltau

12th man Ricky Ponting!!!!!!!!

Cricinfo readers' XI
We invited readers to vote on the nominees in each segment. Here's who they picked.
Matthew Hayden, Bill Ponsford, Don Bradman, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Keith Miller, Shane Warne, Bill O'Reilly, Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath

Peter English is the Australasia editor of Cricinfo

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/414510.html
From: ajithfederer on Tue Jul 21 10:50:18 2009.

12 th man is Ponting!!! . What a line-up .
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Jul 24 13:56:27 2009.

Sangu played a wonderful innings today and saved the test match!
From: crajkumar_be on Fri Jul 24 16:50:34 2009.

Thamizhan "Madras Mount" Mathew Hayden is going to start an academy in his name in Chennai to nurture talent - cricket and education. Fleming and Dravidan might also join. He says he has always been inspired by Steve Manoharan Waugh and he wants to emulate him and he was trying to do in Chennai what Steve did in Kolkata

Read this in todays TOIlet.
From: ajithfederer on Fri Jul 24 16:51:30 2009.

Thamizhan aa??

Appo naanga ellam enna saiva sithandha madathibadhiyaa .
From: ajithfederer on Mon Jul 27 12:37:34 2009.

To Madras fans here

Chennai applauds Pakistan

It was heartbreak for India, but the crowd at the Chidambaram Stadium saw it differently

Sambit Bal

July 26, 2009

Chennai, 31 January 1999

Every once in a while, there are moments in sport that transcend the action on the field and yet help establish the very essence of sport by carrying it beyond the confines of nationalism, and indeed victory and defeat. By all standards the first Test of the 1998-99 series between India and Pakistan was going to be remembered as a classic even without the final touch.

It see-sawed for four days: bowled out for 238 on the first day, Pakistan struck back, restricting India to 254. Then Shahid Afridi threatened to take the match beyond India's pale with a violent 141 before Venkatesh Prasad engineered the most sensational of collapses, which sunk Pakistan from 275 for 4 to 286 all out. But at 82 for 5 before lunch on the fourth day, it all seemed over for India - barring Sachin Tendulkar, of course. With stubborn support from Nayan Mongia, Tendulkar chipped away at the target, initially nudging and pushing, and then with a flurry of dazzling strokes.

Mongia lost his head, and his wicket, when India were 53 short, but it was the dismissal of a visibly tired Tendulkar, struggling with a back injury, that swung the match for Pakistan. They claimed the last four wickets for four runs and won by 12 runs.

The series had begun under a cloud of uncertainty, with Indian fundamentalists threatening to disrupt Pakistan's first tour to India in 12 years. Diplomatic relations between the two countries had been prickly at best, and all it needed was a small incident for the tour to be called off. But just as the security forces were getting in to position to tackle any unpleasantness that may have arisen, the crowd in Chennai, stunned at first by the turn of events, rose to their feet and began to clap.

It wasn't delirious or frenzied, but measured and sustained. The Pakistan team immediately took their cue and ran a victory lap around the ground. For anyone with any experience of India-Pakistan cricket, this was a deeply moving, even seminal, moment. Five years later the echoes were still being heard - in the National Stadium in Karachi.

To Madras fans here

Chennai applauds Pakistan

It was heartbreak for India, but the crowd at the Chidambaram Stadium saw it differently

Sambit Bal

July 26, 2009

Chennai, 31 January 1999

Every once in a while, there are moments in sport that transcend the action on the field and yet help establish the very essence of sport by carrying it beyond the confines of nationalism, and indeed victory and defeat. By all standards the first Test of the 1998-99 series between India and Pakistan was going to be remembered as a classic even without the final touch.

It see-sawed for four days: bowled out for 238 on the first day, Pakistan struck back, restricting India to 254. Then Shahid Afridi threatened to take the match beyond India's pale with a violent 141 before Venkatesh Prasad engineered the most sensational of collapses, which sunk Pakistan from 275 for 4 to 286 all out. But at 82 for 5 before lunch on the fourth day, it all seemed over for India - barring Sachin Tendulkar, of course. With stubborn support from Nayan Mongia, Tendulkar chipped away at the target, initially nudging and pushing, and then with a flurry of dazzling strokes.

Mongia lost his head, and his wicket, when India were 53 short, but it was the dismissal of a visibly tired Tendulkar, struggling with a back injury, that swung the match for Pakistan. They claimed the last four wickets for four runs and won by 12 runs.

The series had begun under a cloud of uncertainty, with Indian fundamentalists threatening to disrupt Pakistan's first tour to India in 12 years. Diplomatic relations between the two countries had been prickly at best, and all it needed was a small incident for the tour to be called off. But just as the security forces were getting in to position to tackle any unpleasantness that may have arisen, the crowd in Chennai, stunned at first by the turn of events, rose to their feet and began to clap.

It wasn't delirious or frenzied, but measured and sustained. The Pakistan team immediately took their cue and ran a victory lap around the ground. For anyone with any experience of India-Pakistan cricket, this was a deeply moving, even seminal, moment. Five years later the echoes were still being heard - in the National Stadium in Karachi.

because of this test match i still remember that day and what i did on that day ...

From: ajithfederer on Tue Jul 28 13:01:25 2009.

http://www.cricfield.com/English/Top-News/Related-Article/1511,0.htm#

ODI cricket should be scrapped: Shane Warne
He ruled the world of cricket with his spin magic. Australia�s legendary spin bowler Shane Warne doesn�t feel the need of one-day cricket anymore. He says that Tests and T20 offers you enough challenges to face. So, we should scrap the ODIs.

Melbourne: Australian spin legend Shane Warne feels one-day cricket should be scrapped as there is enough challenge in Tests and Twenty20 internationals.

In a recent �Spin Summit� in Brisbane, Warne said there should be just two forms of the game � Tests and Twenty20.

�The 50-overs one-day internationals should be scrapped,� Warne was quoted as saying.

�We�d then have the ultimate challenge of Test cricket and all out attacking 20/20, as the limited overs format. Also the Australian players would have more time available to play state and club cricket,� he added.

Ayyaggooo - You too warne.

Hope this news is false.
From: Plum on Tue Jul 28 13:06:35 2009.

AF, why not? What purpose does ODIs server?
Apart from other things, doing away with ODIs will eliminate that one form where Dhoni is at his best
From: ajithfederer on Tue Jul 28 13:09:57 2009.

You too Plum????

Naan enna ippo ODI 101 class edukkanum polirukkae!!!
From: ajithfederer on Wed Jul 29 15:54:52 2009.

Ball-tampering in cricket

ICC should let bowlers 'prepare' the ball - Donald

Nagraj Gollapudi

July 24, 2009

Comments: 52 | Text size: A | A
Allan Donald wants bowlers to be allowed to work on the ball without using anything artificial � Getty Images

Related LinksNews : Tampering with ball won't help much - Akram
In Focus: Ball-tampering
Players/Officials: Allan Donald
Teams: South Africa

Allan Donald, the former South African fast bowler, has said bowlers must be allowed to "prepare" the ball - ball-tampering, in other words - to redress the balance between bat and ball and protect the "dying breed" from increasingly lifeless pitches.

Speaking to Cricinfo on Friday, Donald was asked if he would recommend legalising ball tampering. He said: "The ICC would shoot me for saying it but, with the wickets that we play on and the dying breed fast bowlers are becoming on these flatter wickets, I would say we do need some sort of defence mechanism, something to fall back on to say 'Right, we can do this. We can now prepare this ball to go'."

Donald, currently the Warwickshire coach, knows, though, that his plea is likely to fall on deaf ears. "That [legalising ball-tampering] quite simply would never happen," he said.

Ball tampering was a raging issue in the 1990s, a period that coincided with Donald's rise as leader of the South African bowling attack. He agreed that bowlers had altered the condition of the ball in various ways to get prodigious reverse swing. "There is no doubt guys tampered with the ball," he said of the fast bowlers of his time. He recalled one incident in the mid-1990s when he saw a former fast bowler pick a little chunk of leather live on the television during a Test match against England. "The guy was just chipping away with his nails and I couldn't believe how he could get away with it," Donald said. "The commentator, a famous former player, said "Steady on", but he [bowler] denied it later. Let's not kid ourselves, there is no question it still goes on."

To get reverse swing, one must rough one side of the ball while polishing the other. "One [popular] way to do it is to get the ball into the dirt," Donald said, a method easily practised on rough subcontinent surfaces where the ball, especially the white one, soon gets scuffed up. "Even the red ball, in places like India, we found, did not take too long to reverse."

England also used reverse swing to win back the Ashes at home in 2005. "Yes, I remember [Andrew] Flintoff and [Simon] Jones do it beautifully to swing it both ways especially in Old Trafford by chucking the ball into the foothold."

Donald isn't the first fast bowler to make this case; in the mid-1990s, Sir Richard Hadlee had also asked for ball-tampering to be legalised. "As long as the bowlers or fielders use whatever means they have on their persons, I don't see anything wrong with it. I'm talking about the use of a finger nail to scratch the ball, not bottle tops or those sorts of things," Hadlee wrote in a newspaper column at the time.

Donald agreed the best method, if the ICC relented, was to rip the ball without artificial help. "I wouldn't bite it," he said with a chuckle. "One way is if the ball gets scuffed on one side,and there is a tiny little chunk that is missing, you pick it up and just keep that side dry and keep working on it, while shining the other side very heavily without putting any moisture. The whole team needs to keep track of this and should know the ball is reversing and they need to shine one side. The bowler, because he is bowling, should keep his wet hands on this side while keeping the other side dry. That's all you need."
Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at Cricinfo

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http://www.cricinfo.com/southafrica/content/current/story/416286.html
From: ajithfederer on Thu Jul 30 16:37:58 2009.

http://www.cricinfo.com/srilanka/content/current/story/417016.html

Murali sets Test retirement date

Sri Lankan offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan has said he will be retiring from Test cricket next year. The highest wicket-taker in Tests, who has played 127 matches and bagged 770 wickets at 22.18, on Thursday announced that he would retire from the longest format after the home series against West Indies in November 2010.

From: Balaspike on Fri Jul 31 14:19:26 2009.

http://www.cricinfo.com/srilanka/content/current/story/417016.html

Murali sets Test retirement date

Sri Lankan offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan has said he will be retiring from Test cricket next year. The highest wicket-taker in Tests, who has played 127 matches and bagged 770 wickets at 22.18, on Thursday announced that he would retire from the longest format after the home series against West Indies in November 2010.

and ODI by 2011 world cup. but he will play 20-20 for few more years

From: ajithfederer on Sat Aug 1 13:45:54 2009.

Richie Benaud - The wise old king

If we don't remember him as an elite legspinner, a thinking captain or one of cricket's true professionals, it's because of the phenomenal work he has done as a commentator, writer and observer

Gideon Haigh

August 1, 2009

Comments: 9 | Text size: A | A
If Arlott was the voice of cricket, Benaud was the face � Getty Images

Related LinksPlayers/Officials: Richie Benaud | Kerry Packer
Teams: Australia

"Did you ever play cricket for Australia, Mr Benaud?" In his On Reflection, Richie Benaud recalls being asked this humbling question by a "fair-haired, angelic little lad of about 12", one of a group of six autograph seekers who accosted him at the SCG "one December evening in 1982".

"Now what do you do?" Benaud writes. "Cry or laugh? I did neither but merely said yes, I had played up to 1963, which was going to be well before he was born. 'Oh,' he said. 'That's great. I thought you were just a television commentator on cricket.'" Autograph in hand, the boy "scampered away with a 'thank you' thrown over his shoulder".

It is a familiar anecdotal scenario: past player confronted by dwindling renown. But the Benaud version is very Benaudesque. There is the amused self-mockery, the precise observation, the authenticating detail: he offers a date, the number of boys and a description of the appearance of his interlocutor, whose age is cautiously approximated.

In his story Benaud indulges the boy's solecism, realising that it arises not merely from youthful innocence but from the fact that "he had never seen me in cricket gear, and knew me only as the man who did the cricket on Channel 9". Then he segues into several pages of discussion of the changed nature of the cricket audience, ending with a self-disclosing identification. "Some would say such a question of that kind showed lack of respect or knowledge. Not a bit of it� what it did was show an inquiring mind and I'm all in favour of inquiring minds among our young sportsmen. Perhaps that is because I had an inquiring mind when I came into first-class cricket but was not necessarily allowed to exercise it in the same way as young players are now."

I like this passage; droll, reasoned and thoughtful, it tells us much about cricket's most admired and pervasive post-war personality. It is the voice, as Greg Manning phrased it in Wisden Australia, of commentary's "wise old king". It betrays, too, the difficulty in assessing him: in some respects Benaud's abiding ubiquity in England and Australia inhibits appreciation of the totality of his achievements.

In fact, Benaud would rank among Test cricket's elite legspinners and captains if he had never uttered or written a word about the game. His apprenticeship was lengthy - thanks partly to the prolongation of Ian Johnson's career by his tenure as Australian captain - and Benaud's first 27 Tests encompassed only 73 wickets at 28.90 and 868 runs at 28.66.

Usually bareheaded, and with shirt open as wide as propriety permitted, he was a colourful, communicative antidote to an austere, tight-lipped era. Jack Fingleton likened Benaud to Jean Borotra, the "Bounding Basque of Biarritz"

Then, as Johnnie Moyes put it, came seniority and skipperhood: "Often in life and in cricket we see the man who has true substance in him burst forth into stardom when his walk-on part is changed for one demanding personality and a degree of leadership. I believe that this is what happened to Benaud." In his next 23 Tests, Benaud attained the peak of proficiency - 131 wickets at 22.66 and 830 runs at 28.62, until a shoulder injury in May 1961 impaired his effectiveness.

Australia did not lose a series under Benaud's leadership, although he was defined by his deportment as much as his deeds. Usually bareheaded, and with shirt open as wide as propriety permitted, he was a colourful, communicative antidote to an austere, tight-lipped era. Jack Fingleton likened Benaud to Jean Borotra, the "Bounding Basque of Biarritz" over whom tennis audiences had swooned in the 1920s. Wisden settled for describing him as "the most popular captain of any overseas team to come to Great Britain".

One of Benaud's legacies is the demonstrative celebration of wickets and catches, which was a conspicuous aspect of his teams' communal spirit and is today de rigeur. Another is a string of astute, astringent books, including Way of Cricket (1960) and A Tale of Two Tests (1962), which are among the best books written by a cricketer during his career. "In public relations to benefit the game," Ray Robinson decided, "Benaud was so far ahead of his predecessors that race-glasses would have been needed to see who was at the head of the others."

Benaud's reputation as a gambling captain has probably been overstated. On the contrary he was tirelessly fastidious in his planning, endlessly solicitous of his players and inclusive in his decision-making. Benaud receives less credit than he deserves for intuiting that "11 heads are better than one" where captaincy is concerned; what is commonplace now was not so in his time. In some respects his management model paralleled the "human relations school" in organisational psychology, inspired by Douglas McGregor's The Human Side of Enterprise (1960). Certainly Benaud's theory that "cricketers are intelligent people and must be treated as such", and his belief in "an elastic but realistic sense of self-discipline" could be transliterations of McGregor to a sporting context.

Ian Meckiff defined Benaud as "a professional in an amateur era", a succinct formulation that may partly explain the ease with which he has assimilated the professional present. For if a quality distinguishes his commentary, it is that he calls the game he is watching, not one he once watched or played in. When Simon Katich was awarded his baggy green at Headingley in 2001, it was Benaud whom Steve Waugh invited to undertake the duty.

The forgotten legspinner � PA Photos

Benaud's progressive attitude to the game's commercialisation - sponsorship, TV, the one-day game - may also spring partly from his upbringing. In On Reflection he tells how his father, Lou, a gifted legspinner, had his cricket ambitions curtailed when he was posted to the country as a schoolteacher for 12 years. Benaud describes two vows his father took: "If� there were any sons in his family he would make sure they had a chance [to make a cricket career] and there would be no more schoolteachers in the Benaud family."

At an early stage of his first-class career, too, Benaud lost his job with an accounting firm that "couldn't afford to pay the six pounds a week which would have been my due". He criticised the poor rewards for the cricketers of his time, claiming they were "not substantial enough" and that "some players� made nothing out of tours". He contended as far back as 1960 that "cricket is now a business".

Those views obtained active expression when he aligned with World Series Cricket - it "ran alongside my ideas about Australian cricketers currently being paid far too little and having virtually no input into the game in Australia". Benaud's contribution to Kerry Packer's venture, both as consultant and commentator, was inestimable: to the organisation he brought cricket knowhow, to the product he applied a patina of respectability. Changes were wrought in cricket over two years that would have taken decades under the game's existing institutions, and Benaud was essentially their frontman.

In lending Packer his reputation Benaud ended up serving his own. John Arlott has been garlanded as the voice of cricket; Benaud is indisputably the face of it, in both hemispheres, over generations. If one was to be critical it may be that Benaud has been too much the apologist for modern cricket, too much the Dr Pangloss. It is, after all, difficult to act as an impartial critic of the entertainment package one is involved in selling.

Professionalism, meanwhile, has not been an unmixed blessing: what is match-fixing but professional sport in extremis, the cricketer selling his services to the highest bidder in the sporting free market? Yet Benaud is one of very few certifiably unique individuals in cricket history. From time to time one hears mooted "the next Benaud"; one also knows that this cannot be.
Gideon Haigh is a cricket historian and writer. Some articles in the Movers and Shapers series, including this one, were first published in Wisden Asia Cricket magazine in 2002

Feeds: Gideon Haigh

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/417141.html
From: ajithfederer on Mon Aug 10 15:53:36 2009.

Suttham

Zaheer is not available for champions trophy, it seems.
From: Dinesh84 on Thu Aug 13 0:38:27 2009.

Pakistan 172 - 5 (20 overs)
Srilanka 120 All out (18.1 overs)

Pakistan won by 52 runs
From: ajithfederer on Thu Aug 13 16:12:23 2009.

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/419169.html

Ian Chappell

'Talking on the field doesn't make you tough'

One of cricket's most outspoken players and most acclaimed captains talks frankly about Bradman, Vic Richardson, and starting and going at the right time

Interview by Simon Lister

August 13, 2009

Does the Australian public's deification of the Don leave you irritated?
Well, I understand it, because they didn't have to deal with him. But whatever I've said about Bradman since he died, I made very sure that I had said the same things when he was alive, because to have done otherwise would be pretty gutless.

What opened the door for me was a statement from Bradman in the early 1980s. He replied to a question about his career with, "I managed to do it all without getting my hair permed or getting divorced". Now I took that to be a direct shot at me. I had a couple of perms during World Series Cricket, for the simple reason that when I asked the bloody hairdresser what the perm involved, he said: "Well, you won't have to comb your hair anymore," and I thought, "That'll do me!" The perm part from Bradman didn't bother me, but the divorce bit did, because I wasn't the only Australian cricketer to get divorced, and I wasn't even the only Australian captain to have got divorced. Richie [Benaud] was divorced, you know. I thought, "Bugger you, mate. It's personal now." And from then on, if I was asked a direct question about Bradman, I would say exactly what I had experienced.
From: Sourav on Sun Aug 16 6:59:49 2009.

Zim batsman Coventry scored 194* against Bang.
A new ODI record!
From: MADDY on Sun Aug 16 7:22:30 2009.

Sourav wrote:

Zim batsman Coventry scored 194* against Bang.
A new ODI record!

no, he just equalled saeed anwar's record against India - how many years, how many players have come close to it - this guy had the best oppurtunity

aandava idhukku theerve illaya
From: Dinesh84 on Sun Aug 16 11:00:24 2009.

http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/216972.html
From: P_R on Sun Aug 16 11:07:09 2009.

Good he didn't break it.
If the record had come in a Bangla-Zim match it would have been irrelevant.

Though Saeed Anwar didn't deserve that particular record, it is better a batsman like him (enna oru square driver !) is remembered than Coventry.
From: P_R on Sun Aug 16 11:12:33 2009.

Dinesh84 wrote:

http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/216972.html

You may want to check out Jayasuriya's 189 match. Future generations will rightly infer that the pitch was changed for the second innings.

From: MADDY on Sun Aug 16 14:03:03 2009.

If the record had come in a Bangla-Zim match it would have been irrelevant.

Though Saeed Anwar didn't deserve that particular record, it is better a batsman like him (enna oru square driver !) is remembered than Coventry.

enakku andha record against India-nnu* irukku - adhu maaranum........Indian teamkku nalladhu nadakkudhuna edhuvume thappu illa......

*i meant India because this match v pakistan was played much before BCCI won the case in courts

From: ajithfederer on Sun Aug 16 14:08:13 2009.

I never want 194 anwar record to be broken. Heck, even if it is broken it speaks a lot about our 90's bowling.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Aug 22 5:21:13 2009.

Sri Lanka 452 & 259/4d

New Zealand 299 & 210 (71.5 ov)

Sri Lanka won by 202 runs
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Aug 26 4:21:57 2009.

Srilanka - 107/2

Jaya 12* | Sangu 45*
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Aug 26 4:35:02 2009.

120/3

Sangu out! Wicket no:300 for Vettori
From: P_R on Wed Aug 26 4:45:30 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

120/3

Sangu out! Wicket no:300 for Vettori

300 !
While I grudgingly grant him his talends I will do my best to make sure future generations don't think of him as a great.

Best left arm spinner... I like Jayasuriya more.

From: Plum on Wed Aug 26 6:53:41 2009.

120/3

Sangu out! Wicket no:300 for Vettori

300 !
While I grudgingly grant him his talends I will do my best to make sure future generations don't think of him as a great.

Best left arm spinner... Sigh2

I like Jayasuriya more.

Jaya was a good left-arm spinner turned great ODI batsman, part time spinner and good test batsman.
Vettori is a good left-arm spinner turned decent Test batsman, ordinary spinner and ordinary limited overs batsman.

If he was in any other country, he would have been kicked out long ago. I feel for Murali Kartik - maybe he should have tried to settle in New Zealand.

From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Aug 27 5:59:54 2009.

Srilanka - 416

S'weera - 143 | Jaya - 92.

Patel - 4/78

NZ - 64/3

Taylor - 6* | Ryder - 0*

Magina Thilan Thushara Mirando - 2/32
Kariyawasam Tirana Gamage Dammika Prasad - 1/22

Now Herath Mudiyanselage Rangana Keerthi Bandara Herath is bowling
From: P_R on Thu Aug 27 6:03:09 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Herath Mudiyanselage Rangana Keerthi Bandara Herath
aarambicha idathulayE vandhu nippAttirrAn...very good.

But nowhere near the alltime great.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Aug 27 6:07:04 2009.

Prabhu Ram wrote:

aarambicha idathulayE vandhu nippAttirrAn...very good.

Prabhu Ram wrote:

But nowhere near the alltime great.

Mansoor Ali Khan pada title-a vida perusa irrukum pola.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Aug 27 7:58:34 2009.

NZ - 159/5 - Stumps

Taylor 70* | Mcculum 5*
From: crajkumar_be on Thu Aug 27 8:34:41 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

I never want 194 anwar record to be broken. Heck, even if it is broken it speaks a lot about our 90's bowling.

Andha match la namma bowling la remba nerathukku almost oru ball kooda keeper kitta pogala (well-left/beaten)
From: ajithfederer on Thu Aug 27 9:10:08 2009.

Bala

Match scorecard - http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/66113.html

As a part time bowler Thalaivar has bowled 9 overs for 61 taking 2 wickets(Highest wicket taker among our bowlers)!!!!. Speaks volumes doesn't it?? .
From: P_R on Thu Aug 27 9:24:56 2009.

Ganguly - and pther captains after him- underused Sachin's bowling. Among the part-timers Sehwag and Yuvraj clicking at some frequency may have had something to do with it.
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Aug 28 1:31:01 2009.

NZ - 194/7

22 runs to avoid follow-on
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Fri Aug 28 8:00:54 2009.

New Zealand - 234

Srilanka - 157/2

Sangu - 64* | Jaya 23*

Sri Lanka lead by 339 runs with 8 wickets remaining
From: ajaybaskar on Fri Aug 28 10:23:42 2009.

http://www.cricinfo.com/slvnz2009/content/image/422540.html?object=403379;page=1

Jesse Ryderku ivlo mass ah???
From: Plum on Fri Aug 28 20:33:02 2009.

Jesse Ryder is a huge mass of a body, isnt he?
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Aug 29 5:46:53 2009.

Day :04

Srilanka - 311/5 Decl

NZ - 78/2 - Tea

New Zealand require another 416 runs with 8 wickets remaining
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sat Aug 29 13:34:27 2009.

NZ - 182/6 - Stumps!

Clean sweep ahead!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Aug 30 3:48:06 2009.

Vettori is showing his talent here...

NZ - 305/7 - They need to defend another two sessions. So saying, weather might favor black caps!
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Sun Aug 30 6:19:58 2009.

NZ - 397 All out. Well played.

IE O'Brien was walking when he was much needed!
NZ sportsmanship

Sri Lanka won by 96 runs.

Vettori - 140
From: ajithfederer on Sun Aug 30 15:46:06 2009.

Indian news

Gambhir honoured with Arjuna Award

Cricinfo staff

August 29, 2009

Text size: A | A
Gautam Gambhir became the 41st cricketer to be conferred the Arjuna Award � Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Gautam Gambhir
Teams: India

Gautam Gambhir's prolific run of form since the start of 2008 has earned him a national honour from the President of India, Pratibha Patil. Gambhir on Saturday became the 41st cricketer to be felicitated with the Arjuna Award, instituted in 1961 by the Indian government to recognise outstanding achievement in national sport.

Since the start of last year, Gambhir has averaged 75.19 in Tests with five centuries - he has scored six in all since his debut in November 2004 - and seven fifties. Two of those hundreds came against Australia in the home series towards the end of 2008, which India won 2-0. He followed that up with two centuries in India's 1-0 Test series win in New Zealand and played a critical role in drawing the second Test in Napier after India followed on. In 41 ODIs during the same time span, Gambhir averaged 44.31, scoring four centuries and nine fifties.

Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag are among the other cricketers to have received this honour. Gambhir is the first cricketer to receive this award in three years; Anjum Chopra, the Indian batsman, who represents the women's team was the last recipient of this honour.

http://www.cricinfo.com/india/content/story/422652.html
From: ajithfederer on Sun Aug 30 15:48:21 2009.

ICC news

India shot down Test championship - WICB chief

Ajay S Shankar

August 28, 2009

Comments: 73 | Text size: A | A
Julian Hunte also claimed that some ICC full members remain suspicious of the motives of private promoters in the game � Getty Images

Related Links
News : Hopes for Test world championship fade

Teams: Australia | England | India | South Africa | West Indies
Sites: Cricinfo ICC Site

Julian Hunte, the West Indies board president, has said that the Indian cricket board shot down a proposal mooted by the ICC to organise Test cricket around the four-year Test championship cycle.

Hunte's revelation - the first official disclosure by an ICC board member following reports that the Test championship plan had faded - came in his report at the annual general meeting of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) this month.

"Initially, the ICC attempted to change the structure of the FTP beginning from 2012 in which international cricket would have more content and would play more as a Super League with a 4-year structure resulting in a World Cricket Championship [but this] failed when the BCCI rejected that proposal," Hunte said. "This meant a return to the old practice of full members agreeing to a schedule of tours, which in effect places the power in the hands of the four biggest commercially valued members."

Hunte does not mention who those four are, but it is common knowledge that the boards of India, England, Australia and South Africa enjoy a dominating presence in the ICC boardroom. India earns a bulk of its revenue from TV rights and hence is not keen on a championship model that would lead to the setting up of a common broadcast cash pot. It has, consequently, successfully pushed for the existing model, where members arrive at bilateral agreements with the danger of those at the bottom of the table being marginalised.

The post-2012 FTP is currently being finalised by the ICC, and Hunte said that the WICB "will seek to ensure that it is not disadvantaged" in the new schedule.

Hunte also claimed, in a section of the report that deals with IPL, that some ICC full members remain suspicious of the motives of private promoters in the game, and concluded by saying that world cricket is at the crossroads and much depends on decisions that will be taken by the ICC.

Hunte's report deals extensively with the WICB's dispute with its players that forced West Indies to name a second-string squad for the series against Bangladesh and the forthcoming Champions Trophy. But those comments are on expected and previously stated lines and Hunte blames the players for choosing not to represent the team and showing the "highest form of disregard and disdain for West Indies cricket". What is surprising, though, is that the document, which is essentially a report on West Indies cricket, contains significant comments on the FTP and IPL.

He lists a set of concerns related to the rise of Twenty20 cricket while also admitting that players have "embraced" the BCCI's IPL with its auctions and high-profile owners.

"The emergence of private promoters in cricket has been much debated and some Full Member countries retain their inherent suspicion of the real objectives of such promoters. The ICC has drawn the line in relation to other leagues such the as ICL, which are not recognised by their home boards. Conversely, decision-making at the ICC affecting the IPL is often seemingly under the influence of some Full Members. The WICB remains convinced that Full Members should in some way benefit financially from the IPL and expect to see a general tightening up with respect to the issuance of Non-Objection Certificates. With many challenges to be faced and overcome, the future of world cricket is now at the crossroads and much depends on the decisions which will have to be taken by ICC in the near future."

Hunte's concerns about the IPL are not surprising given that one of the roadblocks in the dispute between the West Indies board and players is the question of participation in the IPL. Many of the West Indies players, including Chris Gayle, had wanted to be part of this year's IPL but were forced to fly to England midway to take part in a Test series that they claimed was arranged without obtaining prior consent from their association.

The IPL - which comes under the BCCI - has since clarified that players who have retired and even those not on central contracts with their national boards need to get a two-year NOC from their boards to be eligible for the IPL. The Champions League Twenty20, of which the BCCI is a founding partner, has also invited Trinidad and Tobago, the West Indies' domestic toppers in the format, to participate in the tournament starting October 8 with total prize money of $6 million and a guaranteed fee of $500,000, apart from an unspecified payment for the respective national boards.
Ajay Shankar is a deputy editor at Cricinfo

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http://www.cricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/story/422574.html

sooperappu.
From: Raghu on Mon Aug 31 6:11:52 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

Now Herath Mudiyanselage Rangana Keerthi Bandara Herath is bowling

adengappa, Peyar-na ipadi irukanum
From: ajithfederer on Mon Aug 31 11:56:46 2009.

Talking Cricket

Allan Donald

'I wanted to be the bloke who took a five-for'

Aspiring to get 300 wickets is all very well, but White Lightning set himself short-term targets. His secret? Wanting to pummel the opposition into the ground

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi

August 31, 2009

"When you are bowling well you must understand why it is happening" � Getty Images

It is a difficult art, isn't it, fast bowling - because you have to bowl on tame pitches, against armoured batsmen, and reined in by the strict laws. What makes the fast bowler charge in ball after ball?
I call fast bowlers the props. They are the guys who do the donkey work, who take the hits, who put their body on the line. At the end the body probably hurts more than it has ever hurt before, but it is amazingly satisfactory because you win games. As simple as that.

If you are in that category of 90mph, there is no doubt you earn the respect of people around the world. You can sense it: every time you are on the field you get the ball thrown at you. You are a leader, and your captain doesn't have to nudge you on the shoulder to say, "Listen, come and have a do here quickly because I need you."

What are the things you need to be a fast bowler?
You need to be an athlete. Look at Flintoff - he is not an athlete. He is a big man who bowls extremely quick, but his body has suffered, and that's why he is not cut for the longer game, which is a great shame. As an athlete you need to have elasticity, which means you need muscles that stretch well. You need to be a guy who loves wanting to stretch all the time.

If you have the potential to bowl at 85-plus mph the skills required are: you need to be able to move the ball in the air and you need to have a stock ball - which for me was always the ball coming in to the right-hander. Then you need to be brave and have a streak in you that nobody else has.

Who were the fast bowlers you watched and wanted to be as a youngster?
The guy I watched a lot was Sir Richard Hadlee: just his absolute nous and tactical ability to out-think batsmen, to set them up, was to me fascinating. He was a class bowler who would make deliberate changes in the field, understood he needed to move the ball in the air on flat pitches to buy wickets, and understood how to make use of the angles on the crease.

When I started playing, the best fast bowler was Wasim Akram. He was the complete, most skillful fast bowler I ever saw and played against. On the flattest wicket in the world he swung it massively upfront. He was very clever, he was quick, and when the ball was old he was able to reverse it from both sides of the pitch. You just didn't know which way it was swinging. To execute that you needed unbelievable skills. You can talk about it, you can show it on the big screen, but "how the hell does he do it?" was a question on the lips always.

"Look at Flintoff - he is not an athlete. He is a big man who bowls extremely quick, but his body has suffered, and that's why he is not cut for the longer game, which is a great shame. As an athlete you need to have elasticity"

Did you ever ask Akram how he did it?
He simply said he had to work unbelievably hard. He would bowl a lot in the nets, deliberately rough up the ball - a skill learned from the great Imran Khan. He told me about how he experimented at the crease to understand the importance of angles. He would use both sides of the wicket simply so he didn't become predictable. Obviously he was hiding the ball a lot in his bowling stride, so you couldn't say which way it was going to swing. That is how it is: if you don't practise a skill you are not going to become very good at it.

Is there a particular grip for a swing bowler?
The rule is, for conventional swing with the new ball, if you are a right-arm fast bowler the seam will be slightly tilted towards first slip. Personally, I tend to think it is not necessarily that way - if you've got a magnificent wrist you can still have fingers upright over the seam and swing the ball by slightly adjusting your wrist. The same goes for the inswinger. Recently, speaking to some of the Warwickshire youngsters, Flintoff said an interesting thing. He told them the reason he bowls well to the left-handers is because he moves his thumb from the outside of the seam to just underneath, which gets the ball to swing conventionally with the new ball quite late

Malcolm Marshall once spoke of being surprised that few people could send down fast inswingers and that fewer could promptly change direction without losing accuracy.
Here I would like to talk about Twenty20 cricket. Twenty20 batting skills have taken the game to a completely new level. Bowling skills have gone to pieces because batsmen are not scared. The basic reason, to answer Marshall's query, is, a lot of guys are set in their ways. They just believe that one stock delivery will get them anywhere. And it is not true.

So, yes, Marshall was absolutely right: you need to be able to move the ball in the air subtly, even if you have a natural variation. Even at the end of his career he still was absolutely brilliant. I first played against him in 1988. He swung it this way, swung it that way; he just mesmerised us. I watched his every single ball: he bowled me two outswingers and then an inswinger, and then he broke my toe, and another inswinger which knocked the middle pole out. If he was here to witness the bowling at county level he would be astonished because there is not enough good skill out there now. I'm a bowling coach now and I see it.

"Always bat with something in mind, don't just bat," Dennis Lillee tells young batsmen. What is your advice to upcoming bowlers?
I would tell them to always come to the nets with a plan. Always know what you want to achieve in the nets. Coming to the nets sometimes becomes very monotonous - you just go and bowl for the sake of bowling. And when you are in good form sometimes you go there and waste your time - you practise bad habits. If you are going to be bowling for 40 minutes and if your role is to bowl to the top four batsmen then you must have a plan in mind. Work on a certain skill; don't abuse the time you have. The net area is the most important area of your upbringing as a cricketer and helps in taking you forward as a cricketer. So use that time wisely.

Johannesburg 1999: Atherton, done for a duck � PA Photos

Back in 1990, Lillee was still playing for Northants and I had the opportunity to watch him one day at the nets. He actually asked me stick my pads on. He didn't bowl at a great pace, but just worked on little subtle variations - swinging it out wide off the crease and such things. He was practising on hitting a good length, bowling with a new ball. He would always simulate his opening spell against his top batsmen. His opening spell was the key for him: how aggressive he could be in the length and how aggressive he could be with his short-pitch bowling.

It just makes sense. You don't plan to bowl to Sachin Tendulkar two days before, you plan a week before.

What about setting targets?
Absolutely. I had very much short-term targets. If I was bowling on that day I just wanted to be the bloke walking in who walked out with a five-for. I didn't look at, say, 300 wickets as my aim. I always said today is the important day; tomorrow, I'll deal with it when it comes.

I was driven by good leadership, got good advice from great people along the way. Guys like Alan Jones, the former Wallabies coach, who pushed a note under my door the night before our first game in the 1992 World Cup. It read, "It is not how good you are, it is how good you want to be. Just figure this out."

How does one motivate oneself on unresponsive pitches?
You just want to be driven to beat your opponent so badly that you never ever walk away thinking he is on top of you. That was the thing that got me driven.

No batsman genuinely likes fast bowling, as he is scared of it. Is that true?
That is why batsmen respect you. Against Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram we knew we had to play well. Waqar at his pomp was probably quicker through the air and was scary. Shoaib Akhtar could instill such fear in the batsman, too. In Durban [1997-98] he bowled an amazing spell of 5 for 43 in 12 overs on the trot. He bowled at the speed of light. I saw guys come back to the change room and throw the bat and say, "That was quick." He put the fear in you. Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh were the same - gave nothing away, were relentless in their lengths, and we just couldn't know where the next scoring shot was coming from. So you definitely know when you are all over the batsman.

My biggest battle now with some of the young fast bowlers is, they sometimes don't realise when they have someone so, so locked up and it's just a matter of balls before you knock this bloke over. And the guys [bowlers] back off. Maybe they don't know it or they have run out of gas. That is when you need to put the foot down and go for the kill.

"Always know what you want to achieve in the nets. Coming to the nets sometimes becomes very monotonous - you just go and bowl for the sake of bowling. And when you are in good form sometimes you go there and waste your time"

Rhythm is important - especially in a bowler's run-up. Is there any particular way one can build it?
Rhythm is the most important thing because if you are in too fast or in too slow, you don't get in a solid position in your take-off. It affects your balance, affects your timing, it affects your snap [jump]. So you need to find a rhythm that suits you, that gets you off the ground in a very good hand-time position. If all those things click together that is effortless pace. But the day you start grinding you know that you have to go back and find that rhythm.

Andy Roberts learned bowling fast by bowling with shaved tennis balls on the beaches in Antigua. Do you teach youngsters anything similar now?
We do some drills with beach cricket balls, where one side is all hairy while the other is completely shaved, and we practise reverse swing. It gives you an idea about how much you actually can swing the ball. It over-exaggerates the swing, yes, but it is important to show our guys that, as they do not understand the actual execution of the skill.

Reverse swing is all about angles on the crease. You watch the very best - and again I use Akram's example. He would come from wide, come from close, come from wide round the crease and create horrible angles. The batsman facing him was aghast to see the ball come at him from his wide left arm and then suddenly swing away. So where he started and where he finished were completely different. And the release is more difficult to execute than anything else. You almost have to turn your body sideways to become a bit slingy. You have to almost drag the ball to make it go wide outside off stump and then bring it back in to hit middle and leg.

Aaqib Javed described reverse swing as an art, and you make it sound that way too.
It is an amazing art. Look, to get the ball to reverse you firstly need pace through the air. You can't have a 75-80mph guy doing it, because if you get it half a foot wrong then you are going to go and fetch it. Pakistan started the art years and years ago and they are the masters at it. For me it has always been fascinating. I was in control of it, but I was not very good at it. Reverse swing is about making the batsman stand still and for you not to become predictable, especially in one-day cricket. I feel across the world all bowlers are one-dimensional - they swing the ball in to the right-handers. That's all they do. It's got to go the other way.

What about keeping yourself fresh? Would you rather bowl short spells?
I always thought a five, maybe touching six, overs opening spell is ideal. Later, depending on the state of the pitch, you could bowl four-over spells where the captain allows you to set your own fields and gives you licence to experiment in certain areas.

Was there a game when fast bowling seemed absolutely natural for you?
Against India 1996, the Durban Test, where I picked up nine wickets, was the quickest I ever bowled without even trying. That period, 1996-97, was my best phase. It was swinging, and it was the best body posture and release position I ever got.

"You just want to be driven to beat your opponent so badly that you never ever walk way thinking he is on top of you" � PA Sport

Bowling is all about feel and you must understand why it is happening. One of the greatest things Bob Woolmer ever taught me was that when you are bowling well you must understand why it is happening. And when it happened in that game I knew why.

What was your ideal field setting?
Mainly three slips. Occasionally a fourth. I hated a conventional gully. I'd rather have a fifth slip, because a nick off a dead bat always goes through that vacant fifth slip. Then a short leg, mid-on, mid-off and point. Sometimes if you are on song, take the mid-on out and stick him either around the corner at 45 or at square leg.

Did you always allow the captain to set the field?
No. I was lucky that Hansie [Cronje] always gave me free rein. Sometimes you might have to make deliberate changes, the times when things are dragging on a bit, to force the batsman to take a step back. You have to be pro-active. I believe the captain can't do that for you. He can't think what you are thinking. A lot of it is actually fake play, but it keeps the batsman guessing.

Who is a more difficult batsman to bowl against: a mentally strong, resourceful batsman like Mike Atherton or an unpredictable one like Virender Sehwag?
There were four people: [Brian] Lara and [Sachin] Tendulkar, and then you have Atherton and Steve Waugh. You got out-and-out talent and flair on one side and then the mentally hardened boys on the other. The latter for me were so much harder. I would rank Waugh above Atherton, but both of them could wear you down. Lara would fight fire with fire and you felt you had a chance always. Tendulkar on song was unbelievable with his hand-eye coordination.

Against Atherton and Waugh, the first 20 balls you had to make them play all the time. They were very similar: deep in the crease, didn't get any stride in, played from the crease, and they didn't particularly want you to bowl at them. You had to bowl straighter and fuller to them and always make them play.

I never forget bowling to Steve Waugh at the MCG, where I bowled a slower ball first up. He went back, almost ducked, and went through the shot, which just fell short of mid-off. He said "Jeez, that was different". He's not going to expect the first ball first up, because we had set the field for a short-pitched ball, and he almost fell into the trap. The next few he might clip you for four, but you know they do not like you bowling at them.

How does one bounce back when low on confidence?
In the 1999-2000 home series against England I went into the Tests seriously low on form. I was sure it was going to be a very long battle. Bob Woolmer gave me a good tip. He said, "Whatever you do, go very wide off the crease, because if you are going too straight you are going to lose it down leg side." Hansie, as a captain would, said, "I've got a feeling this is going to be your day". Obviously, I didn't believe him. But when I bowled Atherton [in Johannesburg] I saw it swing a mile. It was probably one of the best balls I ever bowled.

That game taught me a hell of a lesson: when it is not going well you have to find something that works. There is no turning back, there is no hiding. You must find something that contributes to the team even if you take one wicket. That day Bob's tip worked as a weapon for me. In the second innings my confidence was so high I started to swing the ball the other way. I ended up taking 11 wickets. I bowled as fast I'd bowled against England, and it was just confidence. I ended up the leading wicket-taker in the series - amazing considering how low I was on confidence coming into the series.

Every time I see that picture of me bowling Atherton in the first innings it signifies the amount of effort I had put in mentally. It just shows this thing between your ears is so strong. If you believe in it and you trust what you have, you can do wonders.

"When it is not going well you have to find something that works. There is no turning back, there is no hiding. You must find something that contributes to the team even if you take one wicket"

Were you were also involved emotionally?
There is no doubt emotions played a massive role against England. Sometimes when the ball is thrown at you, you think, "Oh, no. I'm not really trusting myself." [But] you must put on something fake when it is not going well, because otherwise it's a giveaway to the guy [batsman] at the other end, who suspects already that you are not going to be really competing.

Do you think there were times when you overstepped the mark in that regard?
I sometimes realised I had to overstep the mark to create an environment that put the batsman on his guard.

One of the worst instances came against India in Durban in an ODI final [1996-97]. Dravid and Tendulkar were pushing us all over the park. They were winning the game and they were winning it very fast. I said to Hansie, "Whatever happens now, this ball, you've got to back me up on this. I'm going to do something I've never done before". The ball before that, Dravid had hit me over my head for a six. I bowled him a bouncer, a very good one, and I actually thought he had nicked it as he swung his bat. I went off with it [sledging]. Even Sachin walked down the pitch and said what I was saying was rubbish. I asked him to go back, and it wasn't pleasant. It got even worse when Mohammad Azharuddin got to the crease, and he was upset at the verbal abuse going on, and the umpire stepped in and said it was enough. But the end result was that we won the game from a losing position. Maybe it was my outburst that was needed and I tried to explain to Dravid, who didn't speak to me for a long time. Local people accused me of racist abuse, which was ridiculous. When your captain throws you the ball and you know that this moment is the one where you have to turn the game, you have to do it.

Another example is Nottingham in 1998, against Atherton. I asked for the ball. I had to bowl because the Test match was slipping away. I had just finished a spell and was offered another four overs, I guess. I came back and all of a sudden it all kicked off. I said a few words, but this bloke [Atherton] just never said a word. He looked me straight in the eye. He knew I had to turn around and walk away. You want a reaction from the batsman and when you get that you know this guy is nervous and on the edge and they know the guy bowling is a threat right now. Mentally it creates a buzz. That is when you need your team-mates to back you up. It is 11 versus two. Those are two instances that fired me up even if it didn't work in our favour at Trent Bridge.

What is your advice to a youngster in a situation like that?
The best advice to someone if you are in a battle is to slow things down, because the worst thing you can do in an angry state is, you become loose. The ball is going to go all over the place. But you can be aggressive in your areas, in your lengths, and give him nothing. That makes it worse for the batsman. If you can do that for five overs, you are not that far away from opening up one end. So take your time, gather your thoughts and think where you want to go. Also, the crowd is going to be hostile and on your back, but you can ignore them and you will in such a moment. But let me tell you that the most drained I was was after the eight-over spell I bowled in Nottingham. Atherton came to me with beers afterwards and we actually laughed about what had happened.
Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at Cricinfo

Feeds: Nagraj Gollapudi

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/421926.html
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Wed Sep 2 0:15:54 2009.

First T20 between Srilanka and Newzealand starts today - 19:00 IST.
From: Sourav on Wed Sep 2 21:20:08 2009.

ICC Awards 2009

THE NOMINEES ARE...

Cricketer of the Year:
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI), Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind), Gautam Gambhir (Ind), Shaqib-al-Hasan (Bangla), Mitchell Johnson (Aus), Graham Onions (Eng), T Samaraweera (SL), Kumar Sangakkara (SL), Harbhajan Singh (Ind), Graeme Smith (SA), Andrew Strauss (Eng), Daniel Vettori (NZ), AB De Villiers (SA).

For Test Player of The Year Award:
Stuart Broad (Eng), Michael Clarke (Aus), MS Dhoni (Ind), Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL), Gautam Gambhir (Ind), Shaqib-al-Hasan (Bangla), Mitchell Johnson (Aus), VVS Laxman (Ind), Jesse Ryder (NZ), T Samaraweera (SL), Ramnaresh Sarwan (WI), Peter Siddle (Aus), Harbhajan Singh (Ind), Graeme Smith (SA), Dale Steyn (SA), Andrew Strauss (Eng), Graeme Swann (Eng), Daniel Vettori (NZ), AB De Villers (SA).

ODI Player of the Year:
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI), MS Dhoni (Ind), Andrew Flintoff (Eng), Chris Gayle (WI), Umar Gul (Pak), Martin Guptill (NZ), Michael Hussey (Aus), Nuwan Kulasekara (SL), Ajanta Mendis (SL), Muthiah Muralitharan (SL), Yuvraj Singh (Ind), Virender Sehwag (Ind), Thilan Thushara (SL).

Emerging Player of the Year:
Martin Guptill (NZ), Ben Hilfenhaus (Aus), Phil Hughes (Aus), Amit Mishra (Ind), Graham Onions (Eng), Kemmar Roche (WI), Jesse Ryder (NZ), Peter Siddle (Aus).

T20 Performance of the Year:
Shahid Afridi (Pak), Saeed Ajmal (Pak), Dwayne Bravo (WI), Alex Cusack (Ire), Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL), Chris Gayle (WI), Umar Gul (Pak), David Hussey (Aus), Abdul Razzak (Pak), Sanath Jayasuriya (SL), Zaheer Khan (Ind), Ajantha Mendis (SL), Wayne Parnell (SA), David Warner (Aus).

Woman Cricketer of the Year:
Suzie Bates (NZ), Holly Colvin (Eng), Charlotte Edwards (Eng), Laura Marsh (Eng), Sana Mir (Pak), Shelley Nitschk (Aus), Mithali Raj (Ind), Karen Rolton (Aus), Priyanka Roy (Ind), Lisa Sthalekar (Aus), Claire Taylor (WI), Sarah Taylor (Eng), Stephanie Taylor (WI), Haidee Tiffin (NZ), Amy Watkins (NZ).

Umpire of the Year Award:
Billy Bowden (NZ), Aleem Dar (Pak), Steve Davis (Aus), Ian Gould (Zimbabwe), Tony Hills (WI), Daryl Harper (Aus), Asad Rauf (Pak), Simon Taufel (Aus).

(The nominations were picked by a five-man ICC panel chaired by former West Indies captain and current chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee Clive Lloyd.)

Indian Captain Nominated For Three Categories Of ICC Awards; Eight Indians Make The List

last cricketing year, India�s captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sri Lanka�s Tillakaratne Dilshan saw their super efforts being reflected big time with the two making it to the lists of three different categories for the International Cricket Council �s (ICC) annual awards, the nominations for which were announced on Wednesday.
The LG ICC Awards 2009 ceremony, now in its sixth year, will be held in Johannesburg on October 1. The nominations for various categories were announced by India�s opening batsman Virender Sehwag, former India captain Ravi Shastri and ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat.
Dhoni, who was ODI Player of the Year in 2008, has been nominated for Cricketer of the Year, Test Player of the Year and One-Day International Player of the Year awards.
The honours come following Dhoni�s successful run which saw him produce 544 runs from eight Tests matches and 967 runs from 24 ODIs.
�The LG ICC Awards are an opportunity for the ICC and FICA (Federation of International Cricketers Association) to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable performances of the world�s top players,�� said ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat while announcing the nominations.
The other Indians to get nominated are, prolific southpaw opener Gautam Gambhir and mercurial off-spinner Harbhajan Singh (both for cricketer of the year and Test player of the year awards). Stylish batsman VVS Laxman has been shortlisted for Test player of the year award while the dynamic duo of Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh have been nominated for the One-Day International player of the year award. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra,who had such a good debut season last year, has been named for the Emerging Player Of The Year award. Left-arm-seamer Zaheer Khan�s four-wicket haul against Ireland in the ICC World T20 sees him in the list of the T20 performers of the year award. Among women, India�s Mithali Raj and Priyanka Roy made the list.
Not surprisingly, Australia�s fivetime award winning umpire Simon Taufel has been once again been nominated for the Umpire of the Year award along with New Zeland�s Billy Bowden and Pakistan�s Aleem Dar.
The awards are based on performances between the period August 13, 2008 to August 24, 2009. The ICC�s awards are presented in association with the FICA. The previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007) and Dubai (2008).

Dhoni has been nominated for Cricketer of the Year 2008, Test Player of the Year and for Best ODI Player of the Year awards
MS DHONI
TESTS
M-8; RUNS-544; HS-92; AVG-54.40; 100-0; 50S-7 ODIS
M-24,RUNS-967; HS-95; AVG-60.43; 100-0; 50S-9

dhoni

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOICH/2009/09/03&PageLabel=16&EntityId=Ar01600&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T
From: Sanguine Sridhar on Thu Sep 3 4:30:38 2009.

Sanguine Sridhar wrote:

First T20 between Srilanka and Newzealand starts today - 19:00 IST.

Black caps won the match by 3 runs!
From: Plum on Thu Sep 3 7:06:40 2009.

Grahama Onions nominee for Cricketer of the year? He isnt even a sureshot as nominee for the second reserve paceman for England in SA tour later this year...eera vengaayam!
For my money, I want Shakib-al-hasan recognised. I guess Vettori/Strauss will walk away with it, though.

Why is Durjan singh a nominee in so many categories? :befuddled:
From: Plum on Thu Sep 3 7:13:09 2009.

Looking at the nominees for TC of the Y, last year must have been pretty bad for test cricket.
Vettori, VaikkolgaL, Durjan, Agalam, Savarikaaran(Rider), even latchumaNan. Poor bunch of nominees.
From: Plum on Thu Sep 3 7:13:09 2009.

Looking at the nominees for TC of the Y, last year must have been pretty bad for test cricket.
Vettori, VaikkolgaL, Durjan, Agalam, Savarikaaran(Rider), even latchumaNan. Poor bunch of nominees.
From: crajkumar_be on Thu Sep 3 8:17:18 2009.

Stats paakka somberithanama irukku as usual. Garbajan enna senjaar, to warrant a nomination?
From: Plum on Thu Sep 3 8:51:52 2009.

evanumE oNNiyum perusA kizhikkala.
Strauss had those two centuries in Chennai, and with the Ashes win, will easily walk away with the prize - and that itself will be a comment on the standard of test cricket last year. A faltering Australia, and a capitalizing Eng and SA, both of whom still managed to be pathetic mostly. Remember that SA won the Aus series thanks to a couple of miracles(Chasing 414, and a near 200 run partnership with Steyn ). India vs Australia was probably the best series in the last 1 year, and that doesnt say much for the standards either. That reminds me, Laxman scored a non-descript 200 there right, and thats the reason for him to be a nominee?
Dilshan also in the test nominees list :flabbergasted:
From: P_R on Thu Sep 3 11:46:15 2009.

Plum wrote:

For my money, I want Shakib-al-hasan recognised.

Plum wrote:

Dilshan also in the test nominees list :

He had a good year. Didn't he ?

MOS in their umpteenth trouncing of Bangladesh...back to back centuries IIRC.
He got a century when we went there (that is also counted right ?)
He got a century when they went to pakistan or when they came to SL before NZ showed up. Now against NZ also.

Samaraweera too did well

Here's the batting list.

All England and Lanka..naama dhaan tonty tonty viLayaadittu irundhOmE
From: ajithfederer on Thu Sep 3 11:47:11 2009.

Prabhu Ram wrote:

All England and Lanka..naama dhaan tonty tonty viLayaadittu irundhOmE
From: ajithfederer on Fri Sep 4 1:48:44 2009.

The decade of the batsmen

With several top bowlers retiring, the 2000s has truly been the decade in which batsmen have made merry

S Rajesh

September 4, 2009

In his From the Editor blog post last week, Sambit Bal raised the issue of batting averages being devalued in the 21st century. The example was that of Thilan Samaraweera, who averages 51.87 after 54 Tests, but the point was a more generic one: after the exits of Walsh and Ambrose, Wasim and Waqar, Donald and Pollock, McGrath and Gillespie, life has become much easier for batsmen around the world. Some of those bowlers played well into the 2000s, but with pitches easing up and other weaker teams coming into the fray, this decade has generally been an excellent one for batting. Once upon a time, an average of 50 used to be the benchmark of batting excellence; now, it seems, that's no longer true.

The tables below examine the batting averages of the specialists (Nos. 1 to 7 in the line-up) by decade, starting from the 1930s. It's clear from the numbers that the current decade has been a prolific one for batting, with an average of 38.22 runs per wicket. Only in the 1940s were the averages higher. The 1990s, on the other hand, was among the worst decades for batting - the average of 35.34 was the second-worst in the last eight decades.

In the 2000s there has been a century scored every 12.25 innings by a top-order batsman (892 hundreds in 10,927 innings), a rate that has been bettered, again, only in the 1940s. In the 1990s only 537 hundreds were scored in 8264 innings, a 25% drop on the conversion-rate in the current decade.

Batting averages of the top seven batsmen by decade Decade Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s Inngs per 100
1930s 89 71,474 37.38 158/ 324 13.12
1940s 45 39,444 41.13 103/ 178 10.20
1950s 164 118,135 32.42 229/ 551 17.09
1960s 186 153,494 36.36 290/ 802 15.74
1970s 198 163,518 36.72 357/ 805 13.50
1980s 266 201,672 35.86 434/ 965 14.15
1990s 347 268,662 35.34 537/ 1376 15.39
2000s 452 385,326 38.22 892/ 1801 12.25

Do the numbers change significantly if Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are removed from the mix? It turns out that the average runs per wicket increases marginally - from 38.22 to 38.95 - if they are. This suggests that the poor scores by the batsmen of these teams generally more than compensates for the high scores of the opposition (and it also matters that the opposition often play one innings in a match while these teams play two).

However, the average increases to 40.35 when considering batsmen from only the top eight teams, against all opposition (including Bangladesh and Zimbabwe). That's obviously due to the number of runs batsmen helped themselves to against the weak attacks of these two teams.

Top seven batsmen in the 2000s Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s Inngs per 100
Top eight teams against each other 354 312,265 38.95 735/ 1474 11.82
Top eight teams against all opposition 444 351,668 40.35 859/ 1631 11.06

And now for a quiz question: what's common to the following batsmen - Andy Flower, Mohammad Yousuf, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mahela Jayawardene, Brian Lara, Hashan Tillakaratne, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Graham Thorpe, Steve Waugh, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Matthew Hayden, Sachin Tendulkar, Michael Hussey, Thilan Samaraweera, Graeme Smith, Younis Khan and Virender Sehwag? Answer: they're all batsmen who've played at least 30 innings in this decade and have a Test average of more than 50 during this period.

Count the names and you'll realise there are 21 - more than there are on the ICC's longlist for their 2009 awards. In all, 114 batsmen have batted more than 30 innings in the top seven during this decade, which means more than 18% of all specialist batsmen have averaged more than 50 during this period. It's an incredibly high number (do they all merit the "great" tag being thrust upon them?), especially when compared to the decade immediately before: in the 1990s only five out of 94 batsmen achieved this feat. If you want to test yourself, you could take a moment, try and guess those five names, and then click here to check how many you got right. I'll bet you didn't get all five.

Decade-wise stats for batsmen in top seven (Qual: 30 innings in top 7 in the decade) Decade Tot. no. of batsmen Average >= 50 Percentage
2000s 114 21 18.42
1990s 94 5 5.32
1980s 69 5 7.25
1970s 55 6 10.91
1960s 51 7 13.73
1950s 44 5 11.36

And a quick check on what those numbers for this decade look like if Zimbabwe and Bangladesh are excluded from the list. The change, it turns out, is minimal: with the same cut-off, 19 out of 105 batsmen have averaged more than 50 during this decade, a percentage of 18.10.

Fifty-plus averages since 2000 (Qual: 30 innings in the top seven) Opposition Tot. no.of batsmen Average >=50 Percentage
All opposition 114 21 18.42
Excl. B'desh and Zim 105 19 18.10

And before looking at the batsmen who've cashed in in the 2000s, here's a quick glance at the highly rated ones who fell short of the magical 50-mark in the 1990s. Among the big names who didn't make the cut are Dravid, Ponting, Allan Border, Inzamam and Kallis. Some of them were in the initial stages of the career - Ponting, Dravid and Kallis had all played less than 45 Tests at the time - and blossomed into consistent run-machines only in this decade. Inzamam had played 58 Tests, but his time would come later. Dravid fell just two runs short of averaging 50, while his middle-order mate Sourav Ganguly missed out by a whisker too, averaging 49.63.

Dravid does average more than 50 in the 2000s, but only when you take into account his averages against Bangladesh (70.16 in five Tests) and Zimbabwe (102.12 in eight). Exclude those games and his average in this decade drops to 49.90. Given all his achievements, especially in match-winning causes overseas, it would be a harsh call not to include him among the greats, though - only 13 more runs against the top eight teams would have lifted his average from 49.90 to 50.

Dravid is one of five batsmen whose average in this decade drops to below 50 when excluding games against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Samaraweera is another - he averages 46.98 against the other teams, and so too are Tendulkar and Steve Waugh. Tendulkar has averaged 46.73 against the top eight teams, but an average of 139 in five Tests against Bangladesh and 101.87 in six against Zimbabwe pushes his overall average for the decade up to 52.91. Similarly, Waugh's average of 47.64 against the top eight converts into an overall decade average of 53.30, thanks to his record against Bangladesh (256 runs without being dismissed) and Zimbabwe (average of 69.50 in two Tests).

On the other hand, there are three batsmen - Justin Langer, VVS Laxman and Michael Clarke - whose averages go up from sub-50 to 50-plus when excluding performances against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Langer averaged 36 against Bangladesh and 12 against Zimbabwe, while the corresponding numbers for Laxman are 20.50 and 40, while Clarke has averaged 25.50 in two Tests against Bangladesh (he hasn't played Zimbabwe yet).

Kevin Pietersen is one of the few top names who misses out on a 50-plus average for the decade so far - he averages 49.96, three runs short of the 50 mark.

Top batsmen in the 2000s (Qual: at least 30 innings in the top seven) Batsman Runs (all teams) Average 100s/ 50s Runs (top 8 teams) Average 100s/ 50s
Andy Flower 2206 63.02 6/ 11 1968 61.50 5/ 10
Mohammad Yousuf 6126 60.05 23/ 20 5401 55.68 20/ 17
Ricky Ponting 9253 59.31 32/ 38 8634 58.33 30/ 34
Jacques Kallis 8428 58.93 26/ 41 7611 55.55 23/ 38
Kumar Sangakkara 7283 55.59 20/ 32 5871 51.95 16/ 26
Inzamam-ul-Haq 4978 54.70 17/ 22 4455 53.03 14/ 22
Mahela Jayawardene 7814 54.64 24/ 30 6650 52.77 19/ 27
Brian Lara 6366 54.41 21/ 19 5971 53.79 19/ 18
Hashan Tillakaratne 1573 54.24 5/ 4 1404 56.16 5/ 3
Gautam Gambhir 2271 54.07 6/ 10 1953 51.39 5/ 9
Rahul Dravid 8125 53.45 20/ 41 6887 49.90 16/ 35
Graham Thorpe 3145 53.30 10/ 15 2901 51.80 10/ 12
Steve Waugh 2825 53.30 11/ 9 2430 47.64 9/ 7
Shivnarine Chanderpaul 6342 53.29 19/ 34 5936 55.47 18/ 33
Matthew Hayden 8364 52.93 29/ 29 7507 50.38 26/ 26
Sachin Tendulkar 6932 52.91 20/ 30 5561 46.73 14/ 28
Michael Hussey 3317 52.65 10/ 16 3075 51.25 9/ 16
Thilan Samaraweera 3673 51.01 10/ 19 2819 46.98 8/ 12
Graeme Smith 6272 50.17 18/ 24 5367 47.07 14/ 23
Younis Khan 5260 50.09 16/ 21 5007 51.09 15/ 20
Virender Sehwag 5757 50.06 15/ 18 5558 50.52 15/ 17
Justin Langer 5994 48.73 18/ 21 5864 50.55 18/ 20
VVS Laxman 6115 49.71 14/ 34 5794 50.82 13/ 34
Michael Clarke 3645 49.93 12/ 15 3550 51.44 12/ 15

S Rajesh is stats editor of Cricinfo
RSS Feeds: S Rajesh

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/423412.html

From: Plum on Fri Sep 4 3:45:26 2009.

Dilshan also in the test nominees list :

He had a good year. Didn't he ?

MOS in their umpteenth trouncing of Bangladesh...back to back centuries IIRC.
He got a century when we went there (that is also counted right ?)
He got a century when they went to pakistan or when they came to SL before NZ showed up. Now against NZ also.

Well, your post says it all. IdhellAm oru achievement-A? Even Warnapura did well against India.

Quote:

Samaraweera too did well

- well known bully, pathetic record against big nations, and out of sub continent

Quote:

Here's the All England and Lanka..naama dhaan tonty tonty viLayaadittu irundhOmE Mad

enna koduma saar. Quantity over quality. Sehwag's 201 alone is enough to qualify him above all other nominees. And that is not a compilment to anyone including Sehwag.
I say, bring on Shakib-al-hasan, atleast no one can accuse him of bullying lesser nations

From: Plum on Fri Sep 4 3:47:21 2009.

Quote:

The tables below examine the batting averages of the specialists (Nos. 1 to 7 in the line-up) by decade, starting from the 1930s. It's clear from the numbers that the current decade has been a prolific one for batting, with an average of 38.22 runs per wicket. Only in the 1940s were the averages higher. The 1990s, on the other hand, was among the worst decades for batting - the average of 35.34 was the second-worst in the last eight decades

No more proof than this for Lara and Sachin's superioirty over Ponting. Infact, I'd say that qualifies even Inzamam over Ponting!

From: ajithfederer on Fri Sep 4 11:02:01 2009.

All the missing statistic links have been added in the previous post.

ajithfederer wrote:

The decade of the batsmen

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/423412.html

From: ajithfederer on Fri Sep 4 11:06:40 2009.

Tendulkar 1st and lara 4th in the list.

Count the names and you'll realise there are 21 - more than there are on the ICC's longlist for their 2009 awards. In all, 114 batsmen have batted more than 30 innings in the top seven during this decade, which means more than 18% of all specialist batsmen have averaged more than 50 during this period. It's an incredibly high number (do they all merit the "great" tag being thrust upon them?), especially when compared to the decade immediately before: in the 1990s only five out of 94 batsmen achieved this feat. If you want to test yourself, you could take a moment, try and guess those five names, and then click here to check how many you got right. I'll bet you didn't get all five.

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/423412.html

No more proof than this for Lara and Sachin's superioirty over Ponting. Infact, I'd say that qualifies even Inzamam over Ponting!

Quote:

From: ajithfederer on Fri Sep 4 11:41:30 2009.

Exccellennt article by cricinfo .
From: P_R on Sat Sep 5 0:06:10 2009.

S.Rajesh is a gem

My guess list for the 90s was: Sachin, Lara, Dravid, S.Waugh and de Silva

John Wright avvaLo periya thillAlangadiyA
A small purple patch I see

Inzamam ellAm summAnu enakku theriyum
From: P_R on Sat Sep 5 0:07:58 2009.

The comments miss the point

Quote:

These are just numbers on a paper and one can draw any conclusions from it.

Quote:

Batsmen are fully aware that they can inflate their figures by exploiting the minnows and conditions, no matter their failures against top-notch bowling.

padichittu dhaan ezhudhuraaingaLA

Stopped reading after this...
From: ajithfederer on Mon Sep 7 22:40:01 2009.

August 17, 2009

Posted by Ananth Narayanan at 3:13 PM in Batting

Comparing Test batsmen with their peers

Don Bradman's average was 3.27 times that of his peers � Getty Images
I have done a lot of cricket analysis work over the past 20+ years. I love doing all this work. However once a while a new idea comes across which I consider as a watershed moment in my analytic efforts. The idea of comparing a player with peer players (the base idea of which was provided by Abdulla) is one such spark. I am very excited about this since it is one of the truest measures of a players' capabilities. This is a follow-up article to the one on Test bowlers.

The idea is to compare a player's performances with his peers. The comparison with one's own team is a limited step and is quite useful. However the real comparison is with all the peer players since it takes perfect care of the vexed question of a player playing in a very strong team. I had done this in a limited way for ODI Strike Rates. Now I have extended this to Test Players in a much more extended manner as explained below.

1. For each player, create a match subset of their career limits, in other words from their first to last Tests. For Tendulkar it is 1127(1989) to 1918(2009), a subset of 792 Tests, the longest span for any player.

2. Sum the three main data elements, Innings, Not Outs, and Runs Scored for all the players for these matches. The Batting Average is used for comparison since this is the most accepted of all measures.

3. Subtract the player's own career figures from the total for the match subset and post these figures as a database segment. Even though the players' own numbers are quite low compared to the match subsets (Tendulkar 12773 out of 749558 runs) and the impact of this subtraction is minimal, it is done to get an exact peer segment.

4. For batsmen, first the base table is created. This table compares the batsman's bating average with the composite average of all batsmen during his playing span. This covers all batsmen since separate comparisons are done for specialized batting positions such as Opening, Middle order and Late order.

I have not done a separation by period. This is a pure peer comparison, cutting across all divisions.

First let us look at the basic Batsman table.

1. Batsman Peer comparisons - Basic table

>= 2000 Test runs

No.Batsman Cty Runs Avge From- To (Mat) <------Peer-----> Ratio
Inns Runs Avge

1.Bradman D.G Aus 6996 99.94 1928-1948(128) 3722 113802 30.58 3.27
2.EdeC Weekes Win 4455 58.62 1948-1958(161) 4829 138734 28.73 2.04
3.Sutcliffe H Eng 4555 60.73 1924-1935( 91) 2600 78032 30.01 2.02
4.Pollock R.G Saf 2256 60.97 1963-1970(126) 3900 118766 30.45 2.00
5.Walcott C.L Win 3798 56.69 1948-1960(199) 5982 169812 28.39 2.00
6.Barrington K.F Eng 6806 58.67 1955-1968(234) 7072 207904 29.40 2.00
7.Headley G.A Win 2190 60.83 1930-1954(194) 5745 177352 30.87 1.97
8.Hobbs J.B Eng 5410 56.95 1908-1930(102) 3069 88958 28.99 1.96
9.Sobers G.St.A Win 8032 57.78 1954-1974(353) 10721 317459 29.61 1.95
10.Hammond W.R Eng 7249 58.46 1927-1947(117) 3344 101007 30.21 1.94
11.Hutton L Eng 6971 56.67 1937-1955(143) 4149 123572 29.78 1.90
12.Ponting R.T Aus 11267 56.05 1995-2009(612) 18664 577309 30.93 1.81
13.Chappell G.S Aus 7110 53.86 1970-1984(300) 8979 270067 30.08 1.79
14.Tendulkar S.R Ind 12773 54.59 1989-2009(792) 24004 736785 30.69 1.78
15.Kallis J.H Saf 10277 54.66 1995-2009(599) 18270 564569 30.90 1.77
16.Javed Miandad Pak 8832 52.57 1976-1993(460) 13470 401608 29.81 1.76
17.Mohammad Yousuf Pak 7023 54.87 1998-2009(522) 16015 500382 31.24 1.76
18.Flower A Zim 4794 51.55 1992-2002(431) 13040 384939 29.52 1.75
19.Lara B.C Win 11953 52.89 1990-2006(661) 20051 607578 30.30 1.75
20.Sangakkara K.C Slk 7095 55.43 2000-2009(421) 12848 411708 32.04 1.73

Even though the batsman peer span is shown in years, the actual computations are done for the exact match of debut onwards. The years make more sense while reading the table. The "inns" value shown on these tables is after subtracting the Not outs.

No surprise at the first placed batsmen. It would have been a shock if it had been anyone else. What is surprising is the ratio of Bradman. An amazing 3.27. Weekes is the first among 9 equals who have ratios from 1.94 to 2.04. These 10 batsmen are among the best ever, all 10 having played their game before 1970.

The batsman with the highest ratio among the contemporary players is Ponting, with a ratio of 1.81, followed by Tendulkar with 1.78 and the unheralded Kallis with 1.77. This, despite the commonly percieved notions of weaker teams, and hence cheaper runs. Note the high placement of Andy Flower.

It should be noted that the peer averages are comparable across ages, at either side of 30. Mohommad Yousuf's peer average is the highest at 31.24. His span is 1998-2009. As also Kallis'. The lowest Peer average numbers are for the early 1950s.

To view the complete list, please click here.

Now we come to the comparison tables for specialized batting positions. These are determined by isolating the runs scored by batsmen in these specialized positions only and then comparing with runs scored in these positions by other batsmen. Opening is determined by the positions 1-2, Middle order by positions 3-7 and Late order by positions 8-11. The only question mark could be with no.7. However when you realize that top-quality batsmen such as Gilchrist, Healy, Knott, Marsh, Imran, Kapil, Botham, S Pollock, Flintoff, Boucher et al have scored over 25,000 Test runs amongst them at no.7 position, it has to belong to the Middle order classification.

First let us look at the Opening position. This time I have also shown the Batting Position Average value. This is the average of the batting position the batsman has batted in, with the opening positions being considered as no.2. Thus a value of 2.00 means that the batsman has batted in the opening positions only.

2. Batsman Peer comparisons - Opening batsmen

>= 2500 opening runs

No.Batsman Cty BPos Inns Runs Avge <------Peer------> Ratio
Avge Out Inns Runs Avge

1.Sutcliffe H Eng 2.05 74 4522 61.11 507 18443 36.38 1.68
2.Hobbs J.B Eng 2.15 91 5130 56.37 591 21419 36.24 1.56
3.Hutton L Eng 2.18 119 6721 56.48 846 30900 36.52 1.55
4.Simpson R.B Aus 3.27 66 3664 55.52 2578 94513 36.66 1.51
5.Amiss D.L Eng 2.50 61 3276 53.70 1318 49067 37.23 1.44
6.Hayden M.L Aus 2.00 170 8626 50.74 4339 153809 35.45 1.43
7.Gavaskar S.M Ind 2.21 191 9607 50.30 2439 86489 35.46 1.42
8.Saeed Anwar Pak 2.11 84 3957 47.11 2677 90241 33.71 1.40
9.Smith G.C Saf 2.21 118 6108 51.76 2115 78959 37.33 1.39
10.Sehwag V Ind 2.36 105 5378 51.22 2360 88396 37.46 1.37
11.Langer J.L Aus 2.42 106 5112 48.23 4127 146726 35.55 1.36
12.Gibbs H.H Saf 2.64 111 5242 47.23 3483 124196 35.66 1.32
13.Boycott G Eng 2.02 168 8091 48.16 2277 82894 36.40 1.32
14.Lawry W.M Aus 2.00 111 5234 47.15 1086 39476 36.35 1.30
15.Slater M.J Aus 2.00 124 5312 42.84 2154 71763 33.32 1.29
16.Greenidge C.G Win 2.03 166 7488 45.11 2684 94699 35.28 1.28
17.Boon D.C Aus 2.85 58 2614 45.07 2131 75453 35.41 1.27
18.Hunte C.C Win 2.00 72 3245 45.07 1082 38410 35.50 1.27
19.Stewart A.J Eng 3.91 75 3348 44.64 3464 122407 35.34 1.26
20.Vaughan M.P Eng 2.86 68 3093 45.49 2803 101414 36.18 1.26

The three great English openers lead the table. Then Simpson and another top quality English opener, Amiss, although Amiss' contemporary openers posted a high average. Hayden and Gavaskar clock in next despite the somewhat lower peer averages. It is also an indicator that more often than not Gavaskar waged a lone battle. The next three positions are held by openers from the current and immediately precding era.

Alec Stewart is one of the very few batsmen who has scored enough runs in both opening and middle order positions to qualify for both lists. His opening average is considerably better and he is in the 19th position. Readers should not forget that the runs in the table are the runs scored in the opening positions only.

To view the complete list, please click here.

3. Batsman Peer comparisons - Middle order batsmen

>= 4000 middle order runs

No.Batsman Cty BPos Inns Runs Avge <------Peer------> Ratio
Avge Out Inns Runs Avge

1.Bradman D.G Aus 3.65 70 6996 99.94 1841 64844 35.22 2.84
2.EdeC Weekes Win 4.16 75 4399 58.65 2388 79001 33.08 1.77
3.Sobers G.St.A Win 5.09 128 7658 59.83 5363 185285 34.55 1.73
4.Barrington K.F Eng 4.07 113 6604 58.44 3512 122194 34.79 1.68
5.Hammond W.R Eng 3.70 120 6934 57.78 1628 57387 35.25 1.64
6.Chappell G.S Aus 4.04 132 7110 53.86 4450 156700 35.21 1.53
7.Compton D.C.S Eng 4.34 114 5805 50.92 2569 86396 33.63 1.51
8.Ponting R.T Aus 3.85 201 11267 56.05 9177 344014 37.49 1.50
9.Javed Miandad Pak 4.24 167 8789 52.63 6639 234403 35.31 1.49
10.Tendulkar S.R Ind 4.28 233 12758 54.76 11806 437913 37.09 1.48
11.May P.B.H Eng 3.66 96 4525 47.14 2593 83403 32.16 1.47
12.Kallis J.H Saf 3.80 188 10277 54.66 8981 336648 37.48 1.46
13.Sangakkara K.C Slk 3.09 121 6845 56.57 6328 246703 38.99 1.45
14.Harvey R.N Aus 3.65 126 6147 48.79 3651 122850 33.65 1.45
15.Lara B.C Win 3.78 223 11828 53.04 9833 359979 36.61 1.45
16.Dravid R Ind 3.27 191 10334 54.10 8859 332724 37.56 1.44
17.Mohammad Yousuf Pak 4.71 128 7023 54.87 7884 300580 38.13 1.44
18.Waugh S.R Aus 5.42 211 10910 51.71 9473 341102 36.01 1.44
19.Flower A Zim 5.03 93 4786 51.46 6408 230728 36.01 1.43
20.Border A.R Aus 4.70 220 11116 50.53 5914 209290 35.39 1.43

The middle order table shows no surprises. Again Mohammad Yousuf's peer batsmen batting average is quite high, only exceeded by Sangakkara's peer average. The early 50s show the lowest middle order batsman averages.

To view the complete list, please click here.

4. Batsman Peer comparisons - Late order batsmen

( >=500 late order runs and BPos avge >8.0)

No.Batsman Cty BPos Inns Runs Avge <------Peer------> Ratio
Avge Out Inns Runs Avge

1.Johnson M.G Aus 9.03 22 762 34.64 695 11199 16.11 2.15
2.Strang P.A Zim 8.17 25 737 29.48 2546 36143 14.20 2.08
3.Vettori D.L Nzl 8.34 98 2959 30.19 4851 73245 15.10 2.00
4.Symcox P.L Saf 8.44 23 668 29.04 1781 25879 14.53 2.00
5.Broad S.C.J Eng 8.03 20 628 31.40 635 10389 16.36 1.92
6.Reiffel P.R Aus 8.40 34 936 27.53 1855 26951 14.53 1.89
7.Blignaut A.M Zim 8.31 30 835 27.83 1944 29804 15.33 1.82
8.More K.S Ind 8.33 44 1180 26.82 1458 22140 15.19 1.77
9.Smith I.D.S Nzl 8.34 60 1667 27.78 2418 38154 15.78 1.76
10.Boje N Saf 8.10 42 1125 26.79 2843 43787 15.40 1.74
11.O'Keeffe K.J Aus 8.06 23 606 26.35 1076 16462 15.30 1.72
12.Nash D.J Nzl 8.82 30 729 24.30 3147 44928 14.28 1.70
13.Vaas WPUJC Slk 8.09 109 2783 25.53 5557 83365 15.00 1.70
14.Chandana U.D.U Slk 8.29 21 519 24.71 2567 38534 15.01 1.65
15.Verity H Eng 8.52 28 620 22.14 506 7101 14.03 1.58
16.Ghavri K.D Ind 8.53 41 900 21.95 1281 18099 14.13 1.55
17.Wasim Akram Pak 8.14 97 2160 22.27 4784 70503 14.74 1.51
18.Madan Lal S Ind 8.18 30 669 22.30 2577 38789 15.05 1.48
19.Wardle J.H Eng 8.10 26 568 21.85 1197 18002 15.04 1.45
20.Allen D.A Eng 8.63 34 805 23.68 973 16025 16.47 1.44

This is a very interesting table. The additional qualification of Batting position average ensures that only genuine late order batsmen are compared. Mitchell Johnson has recently started batting at no.8. Hence his entry into this table. Soon he will go out of the table as he builds more innings at no.8 and possibly no.7.

Johnson is on top with a ratio of 2.15. The others are good quality late order batsmen. Anyone who has a ratio of greater than 1.4 should be classified as a top quality late order batsman.

To view the complete list, please please click here.

If readers want different cut-offs for the tables, they are welcome to suggest the same.

Since the tables cover, with almost no exception, all the top batsmen of the world with variable career spans, I have given below the extreme peer average values in various classifications. The base table shows maximum spread, 10.7% on either side of 28.65, since it includes all batsmen, batting at 1-11. The Opening batsmen table has a spread of 7.4% on either side of 33.78. The Middle order table has a spread of 9.3% on either side of 32.69.

Base table (All batsmen)
Low: 24.58 1890-1912 S.E.Gregory
High: 32.71 2005-1009 Mike Hussey

Opening batsmen
Low: 33.24 1950s C.C.Mcdonald
High: 38.47 1970s Fredericks

Middle order batsmen
Low: 32.16 1951-1961 Peter May
High: 39.34 2005-2009 Kevin Pietersen

Late order batsmen
Low: 14.03 1930s Verity
High: 16.47 1960s D Allen

http://blogs.cricinfo.com/itfigures/archives/2009/08/following_up_on_the_test_batsm.php
From: ajithfederer on Mon Sep 7 22:41:12 2009.

� Comparing Test batsmen with their peers | | Comparing the two halves of players' careers �

August 26, 2009

Posted by Ananth Narayanan at 6:03 AM in Batting

Following up on the Test batsmen peer analysis
The readers wanted some fine tuning to be done to the Test batsmen peer analysis. I have done these and have come out with the following tables. These have been presented with very few comments leaving the readers to draw their own conclusions. These tables have been created based on suggestions by Deon, Arjun and Rohan.

1.Batsman Peer comparisons - Basic table - Only against own team batsmen

>= 2000 Test runs. (Batpos no. 1 to 7)

SNo.Batsman Cty Runs Avge From- To <------Peer-----> Ratio
Inns Runs Avge

1.Bradman D.G Aus 6996 99.94 1928-1948 392 16166 41.24 2.42
2.Headley G.A Win 2190 60.83 1930-1954 197 5324 27.03 2.25
3.Flower A Zim 4794 51.55 1992-2002 548 15584 28.44 1.81
4.Taylor H.W Saf 2936 40.78 1912-1932 372 9104 24.47 1.67
5.Sutcliffe B Nzl 2727 40.10 1947-1965 366 8903 24.33 1.65
6.Nourse A.D Saf 2960 53.82 1935-1951 295 9811 33.26 1.62
7.Lara B.C Win 11953 52.89 1990-2006 1081 35420 32.77 1.61
8.Hazare V.S Ind 2192 47.65 1946-1953 250 7381 29.52 1.61
9.Hobbs J.B Eng 5410 56.95 1908-1930 467 16940 36.27 1.57
10.Turner G.M Nzl 2991 44.64 1969-1983 343 9855 28.73 1.55
11.McGlew D.J Saf 2440 42.07 1951-1962 300 8257 27.52 1.53
12.Hanif Mohammad Pak 3915 43.99 1952-1969 469 13841 29.51 1.49
13.Hutton L Eng 6971 56.67 1937-1955 609 23306 38.27 1.48
14.Mitchell B Saf 3471 48.89 1929-1949 355 11813 33.28 1.47
15.Habibul Bashar Bng 3026 30.88 2000-2008 481 10136 21.07 1.47
16.Barrington K.F Eng 6806 58.67 1955-1968 625 25062 40.10 1.46
17.Hammond W.R Eng 7249 58.46 1927-1947 642 25747 40.10 1.46
18.Gavaskar S.M Ind 10122 51.12 1971-1987 964 33940 35.21 1.45
19.EdeC Weekes Win 4455 58.62 1948-1958 388 15668 40.38 1.45
20.Crowe M.D Nzl 5444 45.37 1982-1995 629 19821 31.51 1.44

Readers can note that the players in stronger teams lose out. Bradman's ratio comes down and is even comparable to Headley's. Flower, an outstanding batsman in a weaker team, moves all the way upto third place. Bert Sutcliffe of New Zealand leapfrogs over many other players to the fifth position. It is no surprise that Ponting and Tendulkar are even out of the top-20.

To view the complete list, please click here.

2.Batsman Peer comparisons - Basic table

>= 2000 Test runs. (Batpos no. 1 to 6 & no. 7 avge gt 30.00)

SNo.Batsman Cty Runs Avge From- To (Mat) <------Peer-----> Ratio
Inns Runs Avge

1.Bradman D.G Aus 6996 99.94 1928-1948(128) 2439 93717 38.42 2.60
2.EdeC Weekes Win 4455 58.62 1948-1958(161) 3153 112350 35.63 1.65
3.Sutcliffe H Eng 4555 60.73 1924-1935( 91) 1682 62698 37.28 1.63
4.Pollock R.G Saf 2256 60.97 1963-1970(126) 2612 98346 37.65 1.62
5.Barrington K.F Eng 6806 58.67 1955-1968(234) 4685 170077 36.30 1.62
6.Walcott C.L Win 3798 56.69 1948-1960(199) 3911 137954 35.27 1.61
7.Hobbs J.B Eng 5410 56.95 1908-1930(102) 1965 70137 35.69 1.60
8.Sobers G.St.A Win 8032 57.78 1954-1974(353) 7100 258499 36.41 1.59
9.Headley G.A Win 2190 60.83 1930-1954(194) 3789 146760 38.73 1.57
10.Hammond W.R Eng 7249 58.46 1927-1947(117) 2169 82513 38.04 1.54
11.Hutton L Eng 6971 56.67 1937-1955(143) 2705 100796 37.26 1.52
12.Chappell G.S Aus 7110 53.86 1970-1984(300) 5949 219541 36.90 1.46
13.Ponting R.T Aus 11341 55.87 1995-2009(615) 12369 474630 38.37 1.46
14.Javed Miandad Pak 8832 52.57 1976-1993(460) 8975 327935 36.54 1.44
15.Tendulkar S.R Ind 12773 54.59 1989-2009(792) 15813 602604 38.11 1.43
16.Kallis J.H Saf 10277 54.66 1995-2009(599) 12027 461711 38.39 1.42
17.Mohammad Yousuf Pak 7023 54.87 1998-2009(522) 10590 411465 38.85 1.41
18.Lara B.C Win 11953 52.89 1990-2006(661) 13132 494758 37.68 1.40
19.Flower A Zim 4794 51.55 1992-2002(431) 8500 313208 36.85 1.40
20.Worrell F.M.M Win 3860 49.49 1948-1963(252) 5004 178259 35.62 1.39

This is a variant of the basic table. The comparisons are only against the top six batsmen and the seventh, if he has a Batting average greater than 30.

To view the complete list, please click here.

3.Batsman Peer comparisons - Middle order batsmen

Batsman Peer comparisons - Middle order batsmen

>= 4000 Middle order runs

No.Batsman Cty BPos Inns Runs Avge <------Peer------> Ratio
Avge Out Inns Runs Avge

1.Bradman D.G Aus 3.65 70 6996 99.94 1584 60056 37.91 2.64
2.EdeC Weekes Win 4.16 75 4399 58.65 2050 72238 35.24 1.66
3.Sobers G.St.A Win 5.09 128 7658 59.83 4672 170899 36.58 1.64
4.Barrington K.F Eng 4.07 113 6604 58.44 3074 113584 36.95 1.58
5.Hammond W.R Eng 3.70 120 6934 57.78 1393 52840 37.93 1.52
6.Chappell G.S Aus 4.04 132 7110 53.86 3911 143805 36.77 1.46
7.Javed Miandad Pak 4.24 167 8789 52.63 5893 218066 37.00 1.42
8.Ponting R.T Aus 3.84 203 11341 55.87 8118 320424 39.47 1.42
9.Compton D.C.S Eng 4.34 114 5805 50.92 2195 79104 36.04 1.41
10.Tendulkar S.R Ind 4.28 233 12758 54.76 10370 404928 39.05 1.40
11.Kallis J.H Saf 3.80 188 10277 54.66 7889 311872 39.53 1.38
12.Lara B.C Win 3.78 223 11828 53.04 8593 331446 38.57 1.38
13.May P.B.H Eng 3.66 96 4525 47.14 2223 76254 34.30 1.37
14.Sangakkara K.C Slk 3.09 123 6899 56.09 5594 229171 40.97 1.37
15.Dravid R Ind 3.27 191 10334 54.10 7788 308540 39.62 1.37
16.Waugh S.R Aus 5.42 211 10910 51.71 8293 314060 37.87 1.37
17.Mohammad Yousuf Pak 4.71 128 7023 54.87 6963 279859 40.19 1.37
18.Border A.R Aus 4.70 220 11116 50.53 5257 195282 37.15 1.36
19.Flower A Zim 5.03 93 4786 51.46 5568 211502 37.99 1.35
20.Harvey R.N Aus 3.65 126 6147 48.79 3131 112807 36.03 1.35

This is again a variant of the basic table. The comparisons are only against the top six batsmen and the seventh, if he has a Batting average greater than 30. Note that these peer average figures are now slightly higher since the P.A.Patels and Ramdins have been left out.

To view the complete list, please click here.

4.Batsman Peer comparisons - Basic table

Between 1000 and 2000 Test runs.

SNo.Batsman Cty Runs Avge From- To (Mat) <------Peer----->Ratio
Inns Runs Avge

1.Shrewsbury A Eng 1277 35.47 1882-1893( 37) 819 17249 21.06 1.68
2.Paynter E Eng 1540 59.23 1931-1939( 63) 1338 48476 36.23 1.63
3.Barnes S.G Aus 1072 63.06 1938-1948( 38) 782 31858 40.74 1.55
4.Kambli V.G Ind 1084 54.20 1993-1995(100) 2153 76700 35.62 1.52
5.Davis C.A Win 1301 54.21 1968-1973( 79) 1775 64075 36.10 1.50
6.Mead C.P Eng 1185 49.38 1911-1928( 61) 1276 42819 33.56 1.47
7.Ryder J Aus 1394 51.63 1920-1929( 46) 965 35621 36.91 1.40
8.Grace W.G Eng 1098 32.29 1880-1899( 57) 1314 31139 23.70 1.36
9.Faulkner G.A Saf 1754 40.79 1906-1924( 67) 1506 46487 30.87 1.32
10.Bland K.C Saf 1669 49.09 1961-1966( 97) 2132 79264 37.18 1.32
11.Jardine D.R Eng 1296 48.00 1928-1934( 60) 1260 46007 36.51 1.31
12.Reid J.F Nzl 1296 46.29 1979-1986(193) 4080 145746 35.72 1.30
13.Rae A.F Win 1016 46.18 1948-1953( 64) 1387 50295 36.26 1.27
14.Goodwin M.W Zim 1414 42.85 1998-2000(105) 2313 77858 33.66 1.27
15.Hayward T.W Eng 1999 34.47 1896-1909( 56) 1279 34904 27.29 1.26
16.Duff R.A Aus 1317 35.59 1902-1905( 22) 486 13753 28.30 1.26
17.Pullar G Eng 1974 43.87 1959-1963( 63) 1378 49027 35.58 1.23
18.MacLaren A.C Eng 1931 33.88 1894-1909( 64) 1478 40936 27.70 1.22
19.Brown W.A Aus 1592 46.82 1934-1948( 68) 1446 55587 38.44 1.22
20.Houghton D.L Zim 1465 43.09 1992-1997(183) 3981 141210 35.47 1.21

This table shows the batsmen who have scored between 1000 and 2000 runs. Thus many late order batsmen are included.

To view the complete list, please click here.

5.Maximum Peer ratio reached by a batsman

Only batsmen who have played in over 50 Tests considered
Only after 50 Tests are crossed

Figures shown are at the beginning of concerned Test

SNo.Cty Batsman Test Test BatAvg Peer Ratio
No Avge

1.Aus Bradman D.G 303 52 101.39 30.65 3.31
2.Eng Hobbs J.B 176 51 61.27 27.17 2.25
3.Win Sobers G.St.A 642 66 63.77 29.12 2.19
4.Eng Hammond W.R 257 60 61.61 29.23 2.11
5.Eng Sutcliffe H 234 50 62.27 30.12 2.07
6.Eng Barrington K.F 629 76 60.66 29.39 2.06
7.Pak Javed Miandad 966 56 58.56 28.88 2.03
8.Eng Hutton L 387 71 61.71 30.70 2.01
9.Win Richards I.V.A 956 52 58.78 29.20 2.01
10.Ind Tendulkar S.R 1591 91 58.87 29.42 2.00
11.Aus Hayden M.L 1688 52 58.98 29.99 1.97
12.Aus Ponting R.T 1821 108 59.96 30.54 1.96
13.Ind Dravid R 1743 89 58.45 30.25 1.93
14.Zim Flower A 1581 57 56.60 29.26 1.93
15.Aus Gilchrist A.C 1678 50 58.24 30.52 1.91
16.Ind Gavaskar S.M 871 62 57.27 30.15 1.90
17.Saf Kallis J.H 1856 112 58.20 30.62 1.90
18.Aus Harvey R.N 447 50 54.32 28.57 1.90
19.Aus Chappell G.S 913 70 55.58 29.65 1.87
20.Eng May P.B.H 476 59 49.76 27.09 1.84

Bradman reached his maximum ratio at the beginning of his last Test. Only the top-10 have crossed 2.00. Note the quality of the top-10.

To view the complete list, please click here.

6.Minimum Peer ratio reached by a batsman

Only batsmen who have played in over 50 Tests considered
Only after 50 Tests are crossed

Figures shown are at the beginning of concerned Test

SNo.Cty Batsman Test Test BatAvg Peer Ratio
No Avge

1.Saf Pollock S.M 1528 50 27.15 28.84 0.94
2.Bng Habibul Bashar 1864 50 31.38 32.21 0.97
3.Ind Kapil Dev N 1032 72 29.75 30.33 0.98
4.Pak Imran Khan 973 50 29.88 30.20 0.99
5.Eng Knott A.P.E 734 53 30.84 30.91 1.00
6.Eng Flintoff A 1922 76 31.69 31.55 1.00
7.Win Hooper C.L 1303 52 30.64 30.20 1.01
8.Pak Rameez Raja 1313 53 30.93 30.30 1.02
9.Nzl Burgess M.G 891 50 30.88 30.07 1.03
10.Eng Lamb A.J 1099 53 32.31 31.15 1.04
11.Aus Wood G.M 1110 58 31.39 29.80 1.05
12.Win Dujon P.J.L 1175 81 32.51 31.01 1.05
13.Saf Waite J.H.B 578 50 30.75 28.99 1.06
14.Eng Smith M.J.K 700 50 32.08 30.33 1.06
15.Nzl Cairns C.L 1689 58 32.13 30.17 1.06
16.Nzl Wright J.G 1068 50 32.13 29.96 1.07
17.Nzl Congdon B.E 769 51 33.07 31.00 1.07
18.Eng Rhodes W 193 58 29.94 27.72 1.08
19.Eng Butcher M.A 1636 50 31.94 29.56 1.08
20.Ind Shastri R.J 1150 72 33.88 30.95 1.09

Only four batsmen have ever been at a peer ratio value of below 1.00. The only top flight batsmen in the top-10 minimum peer ratio list are Hooper, Rameez, Burgess and Lamb.

To view the complete list, please click here.

7.Comparison between maximum and minimum peer ratios reached

Only batsmen who have played in over 50 Tests considered
Only after 50 Tests are crossed
Max-Min is the ratio of Maximum to Minmum
Spread is the spread on either side of the mean
Figures shown are at the beginning of concerned Test

SNo Cty Batsman BatAvg Peer Ratio BatAvg Peer Ratio Max Spread
Avge Max Avge Min -Min

1.Aus Waugh S.R 51.87 29.37 1.77 35.76 30.16 1.19 1.49 19.6%
2.Saf Kallis J.H 58.20 30.62 1.90 41.00 28.84 1.42 1.34 14.5%
3.Aus Ponting R.T 59.96 30.54 1.96 43.71 29.33 1.49 1.32 13.6%
4.Slk de Silva P.A 43.89 29.65 1.48 34.06 30.16 1.13 1.31 13.4%
5.Pak Imran Khan 38.23 30.41 1.26 29.88 30.20 0.99 1.27 12.0%
6.Win Hooper C.L 37.67 29.73 1.27 30.64 30.20 1.01 1.26 11.4%
7.Aus Gilchrist A.C 58.24 30.52 1.91 47.89 31.39 1.52 1.26 11.4%
8.Saf Pollock S.M 34.90 29.91 1.17 27.15 28.84 0.94 1.24 10.9%
9.Pak Inzamam-ul-Haq 51.79 30.36 1.71 40.71 29.41 1.38 1.24 10.7%
10.Ind Vengsarkar D.B 46.21 29.61 1.56 37.41 29.61 1.26 1.24 10.6%
11.Slk Sangakkara K.C 57.00 31.80 1.79 46.31 31.84 1.45 1.23 10.5%
12.Pak Saleem Malik 46.97 30.64 1.53 37.86 30.65 1.24 1.23 10.5%
13.Eng Gooch G.A 44.75 30.00 1.49 36.53 30.14 1.21 1.23 10.4%
14.Aus Boon D.C 46.83 30.33 1.54 39.07 30.71 1.27 1.21 9.6%
15.Pak Mohammad Yousuf 56.65 30.77 1.84 46.66 30.64 1.52 1.21 9.5%
16.Win Dujon P.J.L 38.91 30.70 1.27 32.51 31.01 1.05 1.21 9.5%
17.Win Chanderpaul S 49.71 30.66 1.62 39.17 29.31 1.34 1.21 9.5%
18.Saf Gibbs H.H 49.46 30.14 1.64 42.05 30.81 1.36 1.21 9.3%
19.Ind Tendulkar S.R 58.87 29.42 2.00 49.26 29.69 1.66 1.20 9.3%
20.Win Richards I.V.A 58.78 29.20 2.01 49.93 29.96 1.67 1.20 9.2%

This is a very revealing maximum / minimum comparison list. A high value in the last two columns indicates extreme average values. A value of over 10% indicates clearly that there is a wide gap between segments of career. The last column is a spread on either side of the mean between maximum and minimum. Steve Waugh has a spread of nearly 20%. Kallis and Ponting are also very high in the list. Lara is somewhere in the middle with a spread of 5% and is amongst the lowest amongst batsmen who have played a high number of Tests. Too much should not be read at the low values of Sutcliffe and Bradman since both of them have played just over 50 Tests.

To view the complete list, please click here.

Jeff's follow-up analysis (with Jeff's commentary)

Following on from my comment about weighting the peer averages by the innings played against each team by each player, I've done this now for the top 20 players in the original list (using Statsguru which took me quite a long time !)

I thought the readers would be interested in the results. There were no great differences doing this, but a couple of players ratios moved a fair bit.

Headley was the main beneficiary, moving up from number 7 to number 2 - he played a fair bigger proportion of his innings against strong England teams than his peers did and so his average is more impressive than it first appears. Lara also moves up, as do a couple of others. Tendulkar moves up a place.

Ponting suffers through this because (as said earlier) he didn't have to face his own team and Hammond also falls a bit because he played a lot of times against a weak South Africa.

Flower is perhaps the most surprising casualty - you might expect him to rise as he didn't have the chance to score against Zimbabwe like his peers did. However, it seems that he only played only one match against Australia in his entire career, and this has cost him.

Jeff's analysis summary

New Prev Diff Ananth Jeff

1. 1. <> Bradman D.G Aus 3.27 3.32
2. 7. +5 Headley G.A Win 1.97 2.10
3. 2. -1 EdeC Weekes Win 2.04 2.07
4. 5. +1 Walcott C.L Win 2.00 2.05
5. 4. -1 Pollock R.G Saf 2.00 1.99
6. 3. -3 Sutcliffe H Eng 2.02 1.98
7. 9. -2 Sobers G.St.A Win 1.95 1.97
8. 6. -2 Barrington K.F Eng 2.00 1.97
9. 8. -1 Hobbs J.B Eng 1.96 1.95
10. 11. +1 Hutton L Eng 1.90 1.92
11. 10. -1 Hammond W.R Eng 1.94 1.88
12. 13. +1 Chappell G.S Aus 1.79 1.81
13. 14. +1 Tendulkar S.R Ind 1.78 1.80
14. 19. +5 Lara B.C Win 1.75 1.80
15. 12. -3 Ponting R.T Aus 1.81 1.79
16. 15. -1 Kallis J.H Saf 1.77 1.76
17. 17. <> MohammadYousuf Pak 1.76 1.74
18. 16. -2 Javed Miandad Pak 1.76 1.71
19. 18. -1 Flower A Zim 1.75 1.69
20. 20. <> Sangakkara K.C Slk 1.73 1.63

Many thanks to Jeff. I am very happy to see someone who does not have access to database and supporting programs like me doing this, so to say, by long hand. May his tribe flourish.

Arjun Hemnani has asked for a Maximum/Minimum table based on the top-6/7 batsmen only. I have completed that work and have uploaded the tables to my site. It can be downloaded by clicking on the following links.

http://www.thirdslip.com/misc/peermax1.txt

http://www.thirdslip.com/misc/peermin1.txt

http://blogs.cricinfo.com/itfigures/archives/2009/08/following_up_on_the_test_batsm.php
From: ajithfederer on Mon Sep 14 11:20:25 2009.

V.V.S Laxman - 167 vs Australia ' 99 - Sydney
From: hamid on Wed Sep 16 6:40:10 2009.

world's first freelance cricketer

Andrew Flintoff has confirmed that he has rejected the offer of a one-day contract with the England & Wales Cricket Board, and will instead become the world's first freelance cricketer in a bid to maximize his considerable earning potential in the final years of his career.

http://www.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/424813.html

From: Sourav on Thu Sep 17 21:45:13 2009.

Quote:

Gambhir Indian cricketer of the year
Vinay Nayudu I TNN

Mumbai: Sport, just as life has its own way of bestowing rewards. India cricketer Gautam Gambhir reflected on the ways of life on Thursday when he won the Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year Award for 2008.
The Delhiite, who scored a thousand runs in Tests and OIIs in the calendar year of 2008 recalled how life was like when things weren�t as rosy. �There was a tough phase when I was struggling with the bat and I faced a lot of criticism. But once I started scoring, I got my confidence back and things changed. The double hundred against Australia (At Ferozshah Kotla, Delhi) gave me a huge boost confidence,� he said while speaking at the awards ceremony.
About what he looks upto next, the southpaw opening bat said, �To go back and keep scoring runs. Try and make the most of it. There are lots of things to achieve.�
Gambhir, who�s bat will now reflect a new label once used by master batsman Sachin Tendulkar, also credited the former India batsman for shaping his career. �I haven�t spoken about this but a lot of credit goes to Sachin for what I am today. He has helped me redefine my career. He�s also my favourite player in the team,� said Gambhir.

Award winners:

Indian Cricketer of the Year: Gautam Gambhir,
Indian Test Player of the Year: Virender Sehwag;
Indian Bowler of the Year: Harbhajan Singh;
Indian Batsman of the Year: Gautam Gambhir;
Lifetime Achievement Award: Gundappa Viswanath;
Special awards: Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid.

From: ajaybaskar on Thu Sep 17 22:06:32 2009.

http://www.cricinfo.com/southafrica/content/current/story/425439.html
From: Sourav on Sat Oct 3 0:33:07 2009.

ICC 2009 AWARDEES

Cricketer of The Year: Mitchell Johnson

Test Player of the year: Gautam Gambhir

ODI player of the year: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

ODI Team of the Year:
Virender Sehwag (Ind), Chris Gayle (WI), Kevin Pietersen (Eng), Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL), Yuvraj Singh (Ind), Martin Guptill (NZ), MS Dhoni (Ind, captain, WK), Andrew Flintoff (Eng), Nuwan Kulasekara (SL), Ajantha Mendis (SL), Umar Gul (Pak).

World Test Team of the Year:
Gautam Gambhir (Ind), Andrew Strauss (Eng), AB de Villiers (SA), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind), Thilan Samaraweera (SL), Michael Clarke (Aus), MS Dhoni (Ind, captain, WK), Shakib Al Hasan (Ban), Mitchell Johnson (Aus), Stuart Broad (Eng), Dale Steyn (SA)

Umpire of the year: Aleem Dar

Twenty20 Performance of the year: Tillakaratne Dilshan

Associate Player of the year: William Porterfield

Spirit of Cricket Award: New Zealand

Emerging Player of the Year 2009: Peter Siddle

Women�s Cricketer of The Year: Claire Taylor
From: Sourav on Wed Oct 7 21:37:04 2009.

CRICKET WORLD CUP GROUPINGS
India, England & SA in same group

Johannesburg: India have been placed in Group B � along with England and South Africa � for the 2011 World Cup, the ICC announced on Wednesday.

Group A:
Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya

Group B:
India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands
From: VinodKumar's on Wed Oct 7 23:02:48 2009.

Sourav link konjam potingana nalla irrukum ... illa antha link la mothamae ivalo thaana
From: Sourav on Thu Oct 8 0:02:32 2009.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/India-placed-with-South-Africa-England-in-2011-World-Cup/articleshow/5098143.cms
From: 19thmay on Thu Oct 8 0:12:33 2009.

For a change we are with Proteas, England and WI's
So there is no India - Pakistan match in the league stage.

With Australia, Pakistan, Srilanka and NZ in the same Group A, it looks more competitive than B.
From: Sourav on Thu Oct 8 0:21:49 2009.

s...last times 4 groups...2 teams from each grp 4 the super 8.... ippo 2 grps than...athuvum namakku konjam easy maathiri irukku...
b.desh kitta thottha kooda super-8 poyiralaam this time...
From: littlemaster1982 on Thu Oct 8 0:23:45 2009.

Super 8-kku badhila quarter finals maadhiri vaikkalam. Sattuputtunnu velai mudiyum
From: Sourav on Thu Oct 8 0:26:22 2009.

enakku therla, super-8 or quater finals-a-nu...summa oru guess than.
india-la nadakkuthu...etthanai match vacchalum paapaanga, nalla kalla kattalaam... so, super-8 than irukkum...
From: P_R on Thu Oct 8 0:43:42 2009.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

Super 8-kku badhila quarter finals maadhiri vaikkalam. Sattuputtunnu velai mudiyum

The first two ICC Mini World Cups (which morphed into Champions Trophy were interesting precisely because they were knockout tournaments. keduthuttAinga.
From: 19thmay on Thu Oct 8 4:27:56 2009.

I don't know what BCCI will do after this Aus-India series.

Till End of 2008, Australia, Pakistan, WI, NZ, Eng and SA are busy with their respective series.

I guess we would be playing against Srilanka before EOY.
From: P_R on Thu Oct 8 5:54:41 2009.

Shakib Al Hasan
Wisden Cricketer of the Year

From: 19thmay on Fri Oct 9 22:40:33 2009.

I don't know what BCCI will do after this Aus-India series.

Till End of 2008, Australia, Pakistan, WI, NZ, Eng and SA are busy with their respective series.

I guess we would be playing against Srilanka before EOY. Sigh2

Mumbai to host Sri Lanka Test

http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/10/stories/2009101055601900.htm

Quote:

Sri Lanka is to play two Test matches against India in Mumbai and Ahmedabad in November, a year after England pulled out of playing in the two western cities following the terror attacks in Mumbai.

Kanpur will also host a Test against Sri Lanka, the Board of Control for Cricket in Indiasaid, adding that details of the tour would be finalised later.

Five one-day games will be played in Cuttack, Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata and New Delhi, while Mohali and Nagpur will each host a Twenty20 match.

From: Plum on Sat Oct 10 0:42:19 2009.

P_R wrote:

Shakib Al Hasan
Wisden Cricketer of the Year

Well deserved.icc awarde vabdhirukkanum. Oru seriesla shine aana johsnon cosmeticsku kuduthuttanga. Surprisingly, wisden chose him.was expecting strauss or some random county bully

From: 19thmay on Tue Oct 13 4:31:59 2009.

Oram retires from Test cricket

http://www.cricinfo.com/newzealand/content/current/story/429343.html

Quote:

"The last few years have shown that my body cannot handle the strains and stresses that come with being an allrounder, playing all three formats for up to ten months a year," Oram said. "For the sake of longevity I have had to make a decision that will decrease my workload, so I can concentrate all my efforts on the shorter forms of the game.

"The decision to choose limited-overs cricket over Test cricket has a lot to do with playing opportunities. The Black Caps play a lot more limited-overs cricket than Tests, and there's also the opportunity to continue playing in world events such as the World Cup, World T20 and Champions Trophy, as well as the IPL."

From: Bala (Karthik) on Tue Oct 13 4:42:02 2009.

Thappu pannittiye Oram

From: 19thmay on Tue Oct 13 8:27:31 2009.

Younis offers to quit as captain

http://www.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/story/429407.html

Quote:

Pakistan cricket's perennially fragile peace and progress was shattered once again with Younis Khan handing in his resignation from the captaincy following days of increasing rumour and speculation surrounding Pakistan's exit from the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa. The Pakistan board, however, has yet to take a decision on the matter, leaving it effectively in limbo

But the PCB refused to confirm whether they had accepted the resignation, or to clarify what the current situation was. "Younis did offer to resign during the National Assembly meeting," Ijaz Butt told Cricinfo. "The match-fixing allegations and Pakistan's loss was being discussed and this was stated by Younis. It was said in a public forum so we have to think this over and I have to discuss it with him separately. I have to discuss it further and will not comment any further now."

From: Plum on Tue Oct 13 9:15:06 2009.

Bala (Karthik) wrote:

Thappu pannittiye Oram

Enga, avan test cricket veLayAdi remba naaLachu. Official-A retire aayittAn avLO dhaan.

Or, are you talking about how this means that he'll turn up more for CSK, and thereby screw them?
From: Bala (Karthik) on Tue Oct 13 9:21:26 2009.

Plum wrote:

Or, are you talking about how this means that he'll turn up more for CSK, and thereby screw them?

Of course! I can visualize him practising like all those revenge flicks where the hero *trains* for revenge.

From: HonestRaj on Wed Oct 14 12:22:33 2009.

Bala (Karthik) wrote:

Or, are you talking about how this means that he'll turn up more for CSK, and thereby screw them? Laughing

Of course! I can visualize him practising like all those revenge flicks where the hero *trains* for revenge.

From: VinodKumar's on Fri Oct 23 0:16:25 2009.

nice article on celebrations

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/430649.html
From: littlemaster1982 on Wed Oct 28 11:00:59 2009.

Former Test umpire David Shepherd dies

David Shepherd, the former England umpire, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 68.

Shepherd was a renowned international umpire and officiated in 172 ODIs, including three consecutive World Cup finals, and 92 Tests between 1983 and 2005. His good-humoured approach to officiating and quirky superstitions - most notably his 'jig' when scores reached 111 or a multiple thereof - made him a favourite with players and spectators the world over.

Shepherd was appointed a first-class umpire in 1981, and made his international debut at the 1983 World Cup. He would go onto become one of the game's most decorated and beloved officials. Only Steve Bucknor and Rudi Koertzen have stood in more Tests.

His last Test match was between West Indies and Pakistan in Kingston in June 2005 - after which Brian Lara presented him with a bat inscribed with a message thanking him for "the service, the memories and the professionalism" - and his final county appearance came at his former home ground of Bristol. Shepherd had represented Gloucestershire as a batsman over a 14-year career, which included 282 first-class matches and 12 centuries.

Upon his retirement from umpiring, Shepherd returned to Devon and remained involved with his local club. He married Jenny, his long-time partner, in 2008.

In confirming his passing on Wednesday, a statement on the Gloucestershire website spoke of Shepherd's "cheerful west country approach." "He was respected by all with whom he came in contact, especially the international players whom he encountered in so many Test Matches," the statement continued. "He always brought a smile to all our faces. For him cricket was a lovely game, a simple game and a game to be enjoyed. He himself brought so much enjoyment to so many of us."

One of the first personal tributes to come in was from his long-time colleague, Dickie Bird. "I feel very saddened this has happened," Bird told Sky Sports. "He was a fine umpire, we spent many happy hours together. He was a great man and a tremendous man to umpire with. He was a good bloke, he'll be sadly missed."

ICC President David Morgan called him a true gentleman of the game, a match official of the very highest quality with an immense positive influence on the sport.

The current international umpires issued a statement saying many were indebted to him. "Every time we see Nelson on the scoreboard, we will be thinking of Shep's little jig and saying a quiet 'thank you' for having him as one of us. As Shep would always say to every umpire he worked with on the way out to the middle, we now say to him: 'Good luck mate, and may your God go with you.'"
From: Dinesh84 on Wed Oct 28 22:58:15 2009.

RIP
From: Sourav on Thu Oct 29 11:38:14 2009.

http://www.cricinfo.com/indvsl2009/content/story/432116.html
From: VinodKumar's on Thu Oct 29 14:45:21 2009.

Sourav wrote:

http://www.cricinfo.com/indvsl2009/content/story/432116.html
From: Plum on Fri Oct 30 12:00:48 2009.

http://www.cricinfo.com/talk/content/multimedia/430876.html

purakkaNippu says Kallis, Ponting are the best of 2000's.
From: ajithfederer on Wed Nov 4 0:48:28 2009.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/westindies/6375762/Usain-Bolt-goes-head-to-head-with-Chris-Gayle-in-charity-cricket-match.html

Usain Bolt goes head-to-head with Chris Gayle in charity cricket match
Triple Olympic and world champion sprinter Usain Bolt returned to his first love, cricket, and showed that he certainly knows how to handle both bat and ball when he lined up against West Indies captain Chris Gayle.

By Telegraph staff
Published: 3:04PM BST 19 Oct 2009

In a charity match, just down the coast from his home town of Trelawny, Bolt bowled West Indies opener Gayle after earlier delighting a packed crowd by smashing his Jamaican compatriot for a straight six.

Gayle, the host of a mini tournament to raise funds for school sports equipment and who was shown the way to the pavilion after his dismissal by a beaming Bolt, was full of praise for the 100 and 200 metre world record holder.

British 100-metre runner Simeon Williamson ready for Usain Bolt challenge"It has been tremendous for the fans to see him out here playing cricket, it has been a great day and we hope to have him back again next year," said Gayle.

Bolt, taking a long run up and bowling at a respectable pace, had given Gayle a traditional West Indian welcome with his first ball - a rising bouncer that brought the crowd to their feet.

"I told Chris to watch out I was going to give him one but he didn't really believe it," Bolt said after the game.

Gayle's team included former West Indian pace bowlers Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose and the latter said he was impressed by Bolt's action.

"I liked his first delivery to Chris Gayle, short and very surprising - he's an athlete and he loves cricket and football and obviously he can't fit it all in but he looks good.

"He's good with the bat too - after his six I asked him 'where did that come from?' and he said 'it's all coming back now'. He's a decent cricketer," said Ambrose.

The Kaiser Sports Ground, a works field down a side road by a bauxite plant, was packed with fans enjoying a holiday weekend; plenty of jerk chicken and beer and the chance to see Bolt play what is traditionally the Caribbean's top sport.

Bolt, who batted with his brother Sadeeki, made 13 with the bat - including his superbly struck six off Gayle's off-spin - but looked more rusty batting than when running in to bowl.

"I was pretty good as a kid and my cricket coach said I should concentrate on bowling because I was pretty quick running in," Bolt said.

"I also used to open the batting for the school team but I haven't batted for a long time," he said. "The six was a brilliant feeling though. I shouldn't have got out so early but that six was a brilliant shot."
From: 19thmay on Wed Nov 4 4:21:46 2009.

Pakistan v New Zealand ODI Series - 1st ODI

New Zealand v Pakistan

Pakistan won by 138 runs

http://www.cricinfo.com/pakvnz2009/engine/current/match/426720.html

From: Plum on Thu Nov 5 5:06:10 2009.

Bangaldesh Bowling Card wrote:

Nazmul Hossain 10 2 27 0 2.70
Abdur Razzak 10 0 56 3 5.60 (3w)
Shakib Al Hasan 10 1 29 3 2.90
Enamul Haque jnr 10 0 41 0 4.10 Mahmudullah 9 0 52 3 5.77 (4w)
Naeem Islam 1 0 15 0 15.00

3 left-arm slow orthodox, and 2 right arm off-break bowlers. romba over-A irukku?

From: ajithfederer on Mon Nov 9 10:54:29 2009.

ICC World Cup 2011

India, Bangladesh face off in 2011 World Cup opener

Cricinfo staff

November 9, 2009

Text size: A | A India and Bangladesh, two of the co-hosts, will contest the opening game of the 2011 World Cup in Mirpur on February 19. The fixtures were announced at an ICC event in Mumbai on Monday.

The first game in Sri Lanka will feature the hosts taking on Canada in Hambantota, a new venue, on February 20. Pakistan, who lost their share of World Cup matches due to the security situation in the country, are playing all six of their group matches in Sri Lanka, which is hosting a total of 12 games.

The tournament in India, which is hosting 29 matches in all, will kick off with New Zealand playing Kenya in Chennai on February 20. India's first home game is against England in Kolkata on February 27 and they will also play their four remaining group games at home. Defending champions Australia begin their campaign against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad on February 21.

The quarter-finals will be played in Dhaka on March 23 and 25, in Colombo on March 24 and in Ahmedabad on March 26 while the two semi-finals will be played in Colombo and Mohali on March 29 and 30. The renovated Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will host the final on April 2.

"This announcement is an important indicator of the excellent progress we are making towards our flagship event which brings together teams from all our Members in nation-versus-nation action," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in Mumbai. "Preparation of venues and safety and security planning continues and I am confident that the host countries will showcase our great sport with its great spirit in the best possible light."

A total of 13 venues will be used over the 43-day tournament, which is a week shorter than the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. The ten Full Member countries and four Associates have been divided into two groups of seven each, with the top four from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals. Group A includes Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya. Group B comprises India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands.

http://www.cricinfo.com/wc2011/content/current/story/433528.html
From: ajithfederer on Mon Nov 9 10:55:21 2009.

Looks like sennai has 3 games.
From: P_R on Mon Nov 9 13:06:17 2009.

QF in Agamadabath-A ??

With the stadium rebuilt they should have it here in Chennai. Remember the Aus-NZ game in '96.
From: ajithfederer on Mon Nov 9 13:10:46 2009.

ICC wc 2011 fixtures

Date and Time Match Weather

Sat Feb 19 1st match - India v Bangladesh
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur N/A

Sun Feb 20 3rd match - Sri Lanka v Canada (Hambantota)
Venue TBC N/A

Sun Feb 20 2nd match - Kenya v New Zealand
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai N/A

Mon Feb 21 4th match - Australia v Zimbabwe
Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad N/A

Tue Feb 22 5th match - England v Netherlands
Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur N/A

Wed Feb 23 6th match - Kenya v Pakistan (Hambantota)
Venue TBC N/A

Thu Feb 24 7th match - South Africa v West Indies
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi N/A

Fri Feb 25 9th match - Bangladesh v Ireland
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur N/A

Fri Feb 25 8th match - Australia v New Zealand
Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur N/A

Sat Feb 26 10th match - Pakistan v Sri Lanka (Colombo)
Venue TBC N/A

Sun Feb 27 11th match - India v England
Eden Gardens, Kolkata N/A

Mon Feb 28 12th match - Netherlands v West Indies
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi N/A

Mon Feb 28 13th match - Canada v Zimbabwe
Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur N/A

Tue Mar 1 14th match - Kenya v Sri Lanka (Colombo)
Venue TBC N/A

Wed Mar 2 15th match - England v Ireland
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore N/A

Thu Mar 3 17th match - Canada v Pakistan (Colombo)
Venue TBC N/A

Thu Mar 3 16th match - Netherlands v South Africa
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh N/A

Fri Mar 4 19th match - Bangladesh v West Indies
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur N/A

Fri Mar 4 18th match - New Zealand v Zimbabwe
Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad N/A

Sat Mar 5 20th match - Australia v Sri Lanka (Colombo)
Venue TBC N/A

Sun Mar 6 21st match - India v Ireland
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore N/A

Sun Mar 6 22nd match - England v South Africa
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai N/A

Mon Mar 7 23rd match - Canada v Kenya
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi N/A

Tue Mar 8 24th match - New Zealand v Pakistan (Pallekele)
Venue TBC N/A

Wed Mar 9 25th match - India v Netherlands
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi N/A

Thu Mar 10 26th match - Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe (Pallekele)
Venue TBC N/A

Fri Mar 11 28th match - Bangladesh v England
Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong N/A

Fri Mar 11 27th match - Ireland v West Indies
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh N/A

Sat Mar 12 29th match - India v South Africa
Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur N/A

Sun Mar 13 30th match - Canada v New Zealand
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai N/A

Sun Mar 13 31st match - Australia v Kenya
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore N/A

Mon Mar 14 33rd match - Bangladesh v Netherlands
Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong N/A

Mon Mar 14 32nd match - Pakistan v Zimbabwe (Pallekele)
Venue TBC N/A

Tue Mar 15 34th match - Ireland v South Africa
Eden Gardens, Kolkata N/A

Wed Mar 16 35th match - Australia v Canada
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore N/A

Thu Mar 17 36th match - England v West Indies
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai N/A

Fri Mar 18 37th match - New Zealand v Sri Lanka
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai N/A

Fri Mar 18 38th match - Ireland v Netherlands
Eden Gardens, Kolkata N/A

Sat Mar 19 40th match - Bangladesh v South Africa
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur N/A

Sat Mar 19 39th match - Australia v Pakistan (Colombo)
Venue TBC N/A

Sun Mar 20 41st match - Kenya v Zimbabwe
Eden Gardens, Kolkata N/A

Sun Mar 20 42nd match - India v West Indies
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai N/A

Wed Mar 23 Quarter Final - TBC v TBC
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur N/A

Thu Mar 24 Quarter Final - TBC v TBC (Colombo)
Venue TBC N/A

Fri Mar 25 Quarter Final - TBC v TBC
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur N/A

Sat Mar 26 Quarter Final - TBC v TBC
Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad N/A

Tue Mar 29 Semi Final - TBC v TBC (Colombo)
Venue TBC N/A

Wed Mar 30 Semi Final - TBC v TBC
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh N/A

Sat Apr 2 Final - TBC v TBC
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
From: VinodKumar's on Mon Nov 9 19:10:18 2009.

New Zealand win despite Aamer heroics

http://www.cricinfo.com/pakvnz2009/content/current/story/433521.html

Vettori
From: Sourav on Mon Nov 9 22:11:43 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

ICC wc 2011 fixtures

Date and Time Match Weather

Sat Feb 19 1st match - India v Bangladesh
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur N/A

First match-e namakku thana...
intha thadavaiyachum B'desh-i beat pannuvangala....
From: 19thmay on Tue Nov 10 0:21:01 2009.

VinodKumar's wrote:

New Zealand win despite Aamer heroics

http://www.cricinfo.com/pakvnz2009/content/current/story/433521.html

Vettori

Yes I watched this match. Black caps is the team which I love the most. Though the current batting strength is pathetic, their past was truly astounding.

Way to go Kiwis!

From: VinodKumar's on Wed Nov 11 11:11:18 2009.

Yes I watched this match. Black caps is the team which I love the most. Though the current batting strength is pathetic, their past was truly astounding. Cool

New Zealand win despite Aamer heroics

http://www.cricinfo.com/pakvnz2009/content/current/story/433521.html

Vettori Not Worthy

Way to go Kiwis! Not Worthy

Yes ... they really miss Astle,Mcmillan,Styris in the top order .. otherwise ella team tough competition kudupaanga ...

From: VinodKumar's on Wed Nov 11 11:11:33 2009.

Who is the decade's best cricketer?
via The Guardian World News by Andy Bull on 11/10/09

I've become fascinated to the point of obsession by a question of such incomprehensible triviality and unimportance. Please help

I blame Boycott. It is his fault. His fault that I can't sleep. There is a worm wriggling around inside my mind. It squirms when my head sinks into the pillow, and I lose all track of time chasing it around, until I find myself wide-awake in the small hours, staring at the curtain. This thought-worm has started to come out in the day time too. When I'm sat at my desk, staring at the screen. Or standing on the bus, shuddering in a traffic jam.

I have become fascinated to the point of obsession by a question of such incomprehensible triviality, such unequivocal unimportance, that I would be ashamed to admit my preoccupation with it to any normal person. On these pages though I feel I am in good company. Safe among a community of fellow cricket tragics. People who won't judge me for thinking these things.

As I said, it is all Boycott's fault. His, and Angus Wagstaff's. A fortnight ago or so I was listening to Boycott's podcast on Cricinfo - a sentence which, while I think of it, is as clear indication as any that I need to get out more. Wagstaff had emailed in with a question. "With the end of the decade approaching," this man Wagstaff wondered, "who do you think is the best cricketer of the decade?"

And there's the rub.

Wagstaff's poser was the rarest of things, a question which had Boycott sitting on the fence. He had drawn up a shortlist: Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Jacques Kallis, Muttiah Muralitharan and Mohammad Yousuf. But in the end he was unable to give a single answer, and plumped for a split-decision between Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis.

The player of the decade is not something you can judge by statistics alone. It need not be dictated by a player's personal success in terms of runs made or wickets taken. It is not necessarily related to how many matches, or series, a player won for his team. There are other issues to be considered: could they captain? Could they catch? Did they change the way the game is played? Did they change the way the it was perceived? It could hinge on character as well as achievement. The style in which they played, the entertainment they provided, the dignity and grace with which they handled themselves. Possibly they deserve the title on the strength of one epoch-defining performance alone.

More than any of those, maybe the title has to be tied to something altogether less tangible. Who best captured the spirit of the age? And what was that spirit anyway?

It's the sheer number of criteria that make the question so hard to answer. So now it is over to you, dear readers. There are only two qualifications - deeds done before 2000 don't count. The likes of Lara and Tendulkar then, can be judged only on what they have done since the turn of the century. And the question spans all forms of the game, limited and unlimited overs. How much weight you give to each of ODI, T20 and Test cricket will depend on personal preference, but these 10 years will be certainly remembered as the era when Twenty20 began to flourish and that has to be taken into account.

Ponting's case is easy to make. He has won more matches since the decade began than anybody else, 252 out of the 359 he has played in, and more runs - 2,270 - than anyone else too. If he were inclined to, no doubt Ponting could master Twenty20 cricket too. He clobbered 98* from 55 balls in the very first T20 international after all. And if he has steadily lost interest in it ever since, to the point where he has now quit the team, well maybe that only makes him a more appealing candidate to the traditionalists. But then he has lost successive Ashes tours as captain. And for me Ponting's batting is never as magical as Lara's was, or as awesome as Tendulkar's is. Did Ponting's captaincy define this era in the same way that Mark Taylor's did the 1990s?

Last Thursday you would have found any number of people willing to put forward Tendulkar's name and leave it there. That was the day he made 175 out of 347 against Australia, his 41st century of the decade (compared to Ponting's 55). Tendulkar is as famous in this era as WG Grace was in his, and, as Rob Smyth was eager to point out when I dragged him into this mess, has had to endure publicly reinventing his approach to the game as he has got older.

Kallis is less loved than either of those two, but is arguably a more gifted cricketer than either. He is the only man to average over 50 in all forms across the entire decade, a mind-boggling achievement before you even take into account the 400 wickets he has taken in that time too. But then there are plenty of cricket fans who can't stand the man. Still, no other all-rounder comes close. Except, that is, for Adam Gilchrist, the one man who could rightly claim to have redefined an aspect of the game.

How much of Shane Warne's best work was done in these last 10 years? Does the credit he gets for leading the Rajasthan Royals to the inaugural IPL title outweigh the embarrassment he suffered when he was given a drug ban for taking diuretics? Murali has taken more wickets since 2000 than Warne and Anil Kumble combined. For some folk though, Boycott among them, his bowling action automatically renders him ineligible, a criticism I find absurd.

Mohammad Yousuf broke Viv Rchards' record for most Test runs scored in a calendar year. Shiv Chanderpaul has batted like Atlas, shouldering a burden seemingly too big for any man to bear. In those 10 years Rahul Dravid has been at the crease batting for over 664 hours, which is almost 95 straight days of Test cricket. Nobody has been more entertaining then Virender Sehwag, more enthralling than Andrew Flintoff, or more redoubtable than Graeme Smith.

For the wealth of batsmen, there is scarcely a single fast-bowler among the bunch. Glenn McGrath bent the course of two entire World Cups to his will by taking 47 wickets and helping Australia stay unbeaten in both. On wickets taken alone, the No1 is Makhaya Ntini, a man who deserves more recognition than he gets. Ntini? Is this a symptom of just how confused my thinking has become?

It is 4am. The sky is lightening outside. The worm has grown longer, and coiled itself all around me. It's consuming me from the inside out. I need to go to sleep.
From: VinodKumar's on Wed Nov 11 11:12:18 2009.

Tamill cinema forum la orae decade thread ah irruku inga onnu start pannuvoma

From: VinodKumar's on Wed Nov 11 11:14:37 2009.

Who is the decade's best cricketer?
via The Guardian World News by Andy Bull on 11/10/09

I've become fascinated to the point of obsession by a question of such incomprehensible triviality and unimportance. Please help

I blame Boycott. It is his fault. His fault that I can't sleep. There is a worm wriggling around inside my mind. It squirms when my head sinks into the pillow, and I lose all track of time chasing it around, until I find myself wide-awake in the small hours, staring at the curtain. This thought-worm has started to come out in the day time too. When I'm sat at my desk, staring at the screen. Or standing on the bus, shuddering in a traffic jam.

I have become fascinated to the point of obsession by a question of such incomprehensible triviality, such unequivocal unimportance, that I would be ashamed to admit my preoccupation with it to any normal person. On these pages though I feel I am in good company. Safe among a community of fellow cricket tragics. People who won't judge me for thinking these things.

As I said, it is all Boycott's fault. His, and Angus Wagstaff's. A fortnight ago or so I was listening to Boycott's podcast on Cricinfo - a sentence which, while I think of it, is as clear indication as any that I need to get out more. Wagstaff had emailed in with a question. "With the end of the decade approaching," this man Wagstaff wondered, "who do you think is the best cricketer of the decade?"

And there's the rub.

Wagstaff's poser was the rarest of things, a question which had Boycott sitting on the fence. He had drawn up a shortlist: Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Jacques Kallis, Muttiah Muralitharan and Mohammad Yousuf. But in the end he was unable to give a single answer, and plumped for a split-decision between Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis.

The player of the decade is not something you can judge by statistics alone. It need not be dictated by a player's personal success in terms of runs made or wickets taken. It is not necessarily related to how many matches, or series, a player won for his team. There are other issues to be considered: could they captain? Could they catch? Did they change the way the game is played? Did they change the way the it was perceived? It could hinge on character as well as achievement. The style in which they played, the entertainment they provided, the dignity and grace with which they handled themselves. Possibly they deserve the title on the strength of one epoch-defining performance alone.

More than any of those, maybe the title has to be tied to something altogether less tangible. Who best captured the spirit of the age? And what was that spirit anyway?

It's the sheer number of criteria that make the question so hard to answer. So now it is over to you, dear readers. There are only two qualifications - deeds done before 2000 don't count. The likes of Lara and Tendulkar then, can be judged only on what they have done since the turn of the century. And the question spans all forms of the game, limited and unlimited overs. How much weight you give to each of ODI, T20 and Test cricket will depend on personal preference, but these 10 years will be certainly remembered as the era when Twenty20 began to flourish and that has to be taken into account.

Ponting's case is easy to make. He has won more matches since the decade began than anybody else, 252 out of the 359 he has played in, and more runs - 2,270 - than anyone else too. If he were inclined to, no doubt Ponting could master Twenty20 cricket too. He clobbered 98* from 55 balls in the very first T20 international after all. And if he has steadily lost interest in it ever since, to the point where he has now quit the team, well maybe that only makes him a more appealing candidate to the traditionalists. But then he has lost successive Ashes tours as captain. And for me Ponting's batting is never as magical as Lara's was, or as awesome as Tendulkar's is. Did Ponting's captaincy define this era in the same way that Mark Taylor's did the 1990s?

Last Thursday you would have found any number of people willing to put forward Tendulkar's name and leave it there. That was the day he made 175 out of 347 against Australia, his 41st century of the decade (compared to Ponting's 55). Tendulkar is as famous in this era as WG Grace was in his, and, as Rob Smyth was eager to point out when I dragged him into this mess, has had to endure publicly reinventing his approach to the game as he has got older.

Kallis is less loved than either of those two, but is arguably a more gifted cricketer than either. He is the only man to average over 50 in all forms across the entire decade, a mind-boggling achievement before you even take into account the 400 wickets he has taken in that time too. But then there are plenty of cricket fans who can't stand the man. Still, no other all-rounder comes close. Except, that is, for Adam Gilchrist, the one man who could rightly claim to have redefined an aspect of the game.

How much of Shane Warne's best work was done in these last 10 years? Does the credit he gets for leading the Rajasthan Royals to the inaugural IPL title outweigh the embarrassment he suffered when he was given a drug ban for taking diuretics? Murali has taken more wickets since 2000 than Warne and Anil Kumble combined. For some folk though, Boycott among them, his bowling action automatically renders him ineligible, a criticism I find absurd.

Mohammad Yousuf broke Viv Rchards' record for most Test runs scored in a calendar year. Shiv Chanderpaul has batted like Atlas, shouldering a burden seemingly too big for any man to bear. In those 10 years Rahul Dravid has been at the crease batting for over 664 hours, which is almost 95 straight days of Test cricket. Nobody has been more entertaining then Virender Sehwag, more enthralling than Andrew Flintoff, or more redoubtable than Graeme Smith.

For the wealth of batsmen, there is scarcely a single fast-bowler among the bunch. Glenn McGrath bent the course of two entire World Cups to his will by taking 47 wickets and helping Australia stay unbeaten in both. On wickets taken alone, the No1 is Makhaya Ntini, a man who deserves more recognition than he gets. Ntini? Is this a symptom of just how confused my thinking has become?

It is 4am. The sky is lightening outside. The worm has grown longer, and coiled itself all around me. It's consuming me from the inside out. I need to go to sleep.

u can also vote here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/poll/2009/nov/10/best-cricketer-decade-spin-poll

From: Sourav on Wed Nov 11 11:18:52 2009.

VinodKumar's wrote:

u can also vote here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/poll/2009/nov/10/best-cricketer-decade-spin-poll

sachin leading with 31% votes!

1% Virender Sehwag
17.8% Ricky Ponting
31.2% Sachin Tendulkar
2.1% Shivnarine Chanderpaul
6.3% Rahul Dravid
7.1% Jacques Kallis
12.7% Adam Gilchrist
3.3% Glenn McGrath
10.7% Shane Warne
5.3% Muttiah Muralitharan
1% Graeme Smith
1.5% Andrew Flintoff

Poll closes in 5 days
From: Plum on Wed Nov 11 11:41:54 2009.

internet voting-nAlE, nammALungaLa adichikka mudiyadhu
From: Sourav on Wed Nov 11 22:13:21 2009.

ICC ODI Rankings:

Country Rank Ratings
Australia 1 130
South Africa 2 122
India 3 122
New Zealand 4 112
Pakistan 5 108
From: Sourav on Thu Nov 12 9:54:57 2009.

Thu Nov 12
20:00 local | 16:00 GMT
21:30 IST 1st T20I - Pakistan v New Zealand
Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium

Fri Nov 13
20:00 local | 16:00 GMT
21:30 IST 2nd T20I - Pakistan v New Zealand
Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium

//

Fri Nov 13
18:00 local | 16:00 GMT
21:30 IST 1st T20I - South Africa v England
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Sun Nov 15
14:30 local | 12:30 GMT
18:00 IST 2nd T20I - South Africa v England
SuperSport Park, Centurion
From: ajithfederer on Tue Nov 17 13:56:51 2009.

The dead-rubber dominators

Batsmen have boosted their career records by scoring heavily in matches inconsequential to the series

Travis Basevi and George Binoy

October 17, 2007

Text size: A | A

Brian Lara celebrates his 400 in the fourth Test in Antigua in 2004. England had won the series 3-0 � AFP

The dead rubber at the end of a Test series usually has little at stake apart from pride and individual scores to settle. This week we look at batsmen who have boosted their career records by scoring heavily in such matches, and those who haven't been able to perform as impressively in relatively inconsequential matches. If you're wondering why the tables are full of Australians and Englishmen, it's because other teams rarely take part in five-Test series and therefore have played fewer dead rubbers.

Australian middle-order batsman Dean Jones' Test average drops to below 40 if you exclude dead Tests. He averaged 87.54 and scored four centuries in eight of them while averaging 39.82 in live games. In fact, four of his top six Tests scores - 216 against West Indies, 184 versus England, 150 against India, and 122 against England - came in the final Tests after the series had been decided.

Both of Brian Lara's record-breaking innings - 375 and 400 against England in Antigua - came in Tests after West Indies had clinched the series in 1994 and England took it 3-0 in 2004. If you exclude the 18 dead games during Lara's career, his average drops from over 50 to 48.89. Another Trinidadian, Dwayne Bravo, also has a significantly higher batting average in five dead Tests - 384 runs at an average of 54.85 - compared to his 30.24 in live matches. Incidentally, Bravo hasn't been part of a Test win yet. West Indies have lost 16 and drawn seven of the 23 games he's played to date.

Biggest drop in batting average when excluding dead Tests (qualification: 20 career innings) Player Span Tests
Career avg Dead Tests Runs Avg 100
Avg w/o dead Tests Diff

VG Kambli (India)
1993-1994 17 54.20 2 281
140.50 1 44.61 -9.588

CP Mead (Eng) 1914-1921 17 49.37 4
378 94.50 2 40.35 -9.024

JT Murray (Eng) 1962-1967 21 22.00
4 207 69.00 1 14.95
-7.049

DM Jones (Aus) 1987-1992 52 46.55
8 963 87.54 4 39.82
-6.730

JM Gregory (Aus) 1921-1925 24 36.96
6 436 54.50 0 30.86
-6.098

TJE Andrews (Aus) 1921-1925 16 26.90
4 244 40.66 0 21.75
-5.159

JW Zulch (SA) 1910-1914 16 32.83
3 293 58.60 1 27.68
-5.153

MH Denness (Eng) 1974-1975 28 39.69
3 353 88.25 2 34.57
-5.111

WG Grace (Eng) 1886-1892 22 32.29
2 228 114.00 1 27.18
-5.106

AR Morris (Aus) 1947-1955 46 46.48
7 840 76.36 4 41.43
-5.056

Basit Ali (Pak) 1993-1995 19 26.81
4 286 47.66 1 22.00
-4.812

G Gunn (Eng) 1908-1912 15 40.00
2 235 78.33 1 35.40
-4.599

Wazir Mohammad (Pak) 1958-1959 20 27.62
2 200 66.66 1 23.11
-4.505

DJ Bravo (WI) 2004-2007 23 34.24
5 384 54.85 1 30.00
-4.243

Rev.DS Sheppard (Eng) 1951-1963 22 37.80
7 432 48.00 1 33.63
-4.170

JL Langer (Aus) 1999-2007 105 45.27
19 1816 67.25 8 41.11
-4.151

PM Toohey (Aus) 1978-1979 15 31.89
2 227 56.75 1 27.75
-4.142

RT Simpson (Eng) 1951-1951 27 33.35
2 261 87.00 1 29.23
-4.126

BC Lara (WI) 1993-2006 131 52.88
18 2369 78.96 6 48.89
-3.991

JN Crawford (Eng) 1906-1908 12 22.33
3 157 39.25 0 18.35
-3.980

Click here for the bowlers' tables.

Justin Langer, the former Australian opener, scored eight hundreds in 19 dead Tests and averaged 67.25, compared to his career figure of 45.27. His long-term opening partner Matthew Hayden, however, averages much lower in dead rubbers - 40.18 with only four hundreds in 20 Tests, compared to his career average of 53.

Alastair Cook, the England opening batsman, has begun to follow in Hayden's footsteps when it comes to dead Tests. Cook has scored 1460 runs at an average of 50 in 17 live Tests while his record in Tests played after the series has been decided is far inferior - 198 runs at an average of 24.75.

Kevin Pietersen is another who thrives when the stakes are high but has performed below par in dead Tests. All of his ten Test centuries have come in matches with the series still up for grabs. He averages just over 57 in live games while in four dead rubbers - against Pakistan, versus Australia in Melbourne and Sydney, and against West Indies - he has scored only 216 runs at an average of 27.

Biggest rise in batting average when dead Tests are excluded (qualification: 20 career innings) Player
Span Tests Career avg Dead Tests Runs
Ave 100 Avg w/o dead Tests Diff

HL Collins (Aus) 1921-1925 19 45.06
6 239 23.90 0 55.65
10.583

AF Kippax (Aus) 1925-1932 22 36.12
7 249 22.63 0 42.86
6.742

PF Warner (Eng) 1904-1906 15 23.92
3 21 3.50 0 30.05
6.126

DR Jardine (Eng) 1929-1933 22 48.00
3 160 26.66 0 54.09
6.095

DS Atkinson (WI) 1952-1956 22 31.79
3 58 9.66 0 37.56
5.772

AN Cook (Eng) 2006-2007 21 44.81
4 198 24.75 0 50.34
5.534

Rashid Latif (Pak) 1993-2003 37 28.77
6 87 8.70 0 34.05
5.281

J Ryder (Aus) 1921-1929 20 51.62
6 372 41.33 0 56.77
5.148

SJ McCabe (Aus) 1931-1936 39 48.21
6 147 18.37 0 53.08
4.871

ED Weekes (WI) 1952-1958 48 58.61
5 209 23.22 0 63.37
4.754

WH Ponsford (Aus) 1925-1932 29 48.22
5 216 27.00 0 52.94
4.717

BK Kunderan (India) 1962-1967 18 32.70
3 46 9.20 0 37.40
4.700

D Ganga (WI) 1999-2007 45 26.19
9 137 8.56 0 30.74
4.549

AJ Watkins (Eng) 1948-1948 15 40.50
1 2 1.00 0 44.88
4.388

KP Pietersen (Eng) 2006-2007 30 52.69
4 216 27.00 0 57.06
4.372

MJ Clarke (Aus) 2004-2007 27 42.00
4 75 15.00 0 46.35
4.354

VS Ransford (Aus) 1908-1912 20 37.84
3 76 15.20 0 42.03
4.193

MLC Foster (WI) 1973-1978 14 30.52
2 61 15.25 0 34.60
4.073

G Gambhir (India) 2004-2004 13 36.00
1 4 2.00 0 40.00
4.000

SM Nurse (WI) 1962-1967 29 47.60
4 153 21.85 0 51.52
3.917

Click here for the bowlers' tables.

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/315649.html
From: 19thmay on Thu Nov 26 0:03:11 2009.

Pakistan - 160/5 - Tea

NZ - 429

Akmal brothers 75* is helping Pakistan's scorecard. Bond was firing 90 minutes back!

From: 19thmay on Thu Nov 26 0:24:19 2009.

Quote:

Bond to Kamran Akmal, no run, appeal for a leg before by Bond, hit him high on the pads down the leg side, Doctrove shook his head, Vettori consults and decides not to ask for a review, that was missing the stumps

Review system still there is it?

Why it is not implemented in the Ind-SL series? Who can decide this?

From: Dinesh84 on Thu Nov 26 3:16:58 2009.

Pak 307/8 Day 3 Stumps..

U Akmal - 129
K Akmal - 82
From: Plum on Thu Nov 26 3:25:07 2009.

19th May, the two boards can agree to have or not have the review system for a particular series. This may soon change, and it may become compulsory to have the review system.
From: Aalavanthan on Thu Nov 26 8:08:34 2009.

But I thought the ICC made an announcement to make the review system official after the 2009 Ashes..

Ennaiyaa nadakudhu
From: Plum on Thu Nov 26 8:56:03 2009.

Apparently, there are some benefits in getting out for 99
From: Aalavanthan on Thu Nov 26 9:37:33 2009.

Plum wrote:

Apparently, there are some benefits in getting out for 99

Just for records.. Idhula 99 not out na innum benefits jaasthiya irundhirukum

Idhellam oru pozhappu.. ennaiya sonnaen

From: 19thmay on Fri Nov 27 0:05:23 2009.

Thanks Flum Smile

Quote:

Umar Gul to Fulton, OUT, there was an inside edge and Fulton walks almost the full distance back to the pavilion and thinks of challenging it, too late I'm afraid, this is weird. Gul pitches it on middle and off and the ball skids through and hits him low on the pads, Doctrove raises the finger, Hot Spot showed a thin inside edge and Fulton always seemed in two minds as to what to do. Pakistan are lucky to get this wicket. Why didn't he go upstairs?

Inside edge aanadhu avanuke theriyala, pinna umpire-ku mattum eppadi theriyum? LOL

This is not a bad decision at all!

From: 19thmay on Fri Nov 27 0:31:05 2009.

NZ - 123/7 | New Zealand lead by 220 runs with 3 wickets remaining.

This match is more interesting.

Naalaiku alarm vachu ezhumbanum.
From: 19thmay on Fri Nov 27 23:45:47 2009.

Pakistan - 165/5

Pakistan require another 86 runs with 5 wickets remaining.

Great match!

Akmal & Akmal again.
From: 19thmay on Sat Nov 28 3:27:55 2009.

This is one of the best match I have seen in the recent times.
I thought that Pakistan is almost going to make it. Wow.

Umar Akmal
From: ajithfederer on Sat Nov 28 14:30:14 2009.

Pakistan in New Zealand Test Series - 1st Test

New Zealand v Pakistan

New Zealand won by 32 runs

Close of play
24 Nov day 1 - New Zealand 1st innings 276/6 (BB McCullum 25*, DL Vettori 40*, 90 ov)
25 Nov day 2 - New Zealand 1st innings 404/8 (SE Bond 8*, IE O'Brien 2*, 126 ov)
26 Nov day 3 - Pakistan 1st innings 307/8 (Mohammad Aamer 12*, Mohammad Asif 0*, 90 ov)
27 Nov day 4 - New Zealand 2nd innings 147/8 (GD Elliott 20*, IE O'Brien 4*, 61.5 ov)
28 Nov day 5 - Pakistan 2nd innings 218 (76 ov) - end of match

Both the sides .
From: Sourav on Sun Nov 29 9:39:15 2009.

that guy umar akmal is an amazing talent...just 19 yrs old...playing well in all forms of the game...seems he is the future of pak cricket...

From: 19thmay on Mon Nov 30 0:30:24 2009.

There's nothing quite like Test cricket

Dunedin produced the best cricket match of the year, and there has been reaffirmation that the highest form still has its takers

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/437429.html

Quote:

But to abandon Test cricket will not only be short-sighted but suicidal. Twenty20 is only a fling; the attraction to it could be as fleeting as the format itself. Casual fans could soon find better ways of entertaining themselves. If all you are looking for is a good time, there will inevitably be better ways to spend three hours. Twenty20 competes with everything: a movie, an evening spent at the bar, even sex. The connection with Test cricket goes much deeper, and is thus likely to endure much longer

From: 19thmay on Tue Dec 1 0:05:48 2009.

Great blow! Sad

Injured Bond out of Test series

http://www.cricinfo.com/nzvpak2009/content/current/story/437549.html

Quote:

Bond suffered minor abdominal discomfort following the 32-run victory and scans on Tuesday revealed a one-centimetre tear in an abdominal muscle. The New Zealand team manager Dave Currie said Bond would be rested from the second and third Tests as a precaution.

From: salaam_chennai on Tue Dec 1 0:16:06 2009.

Sourav wrote:

that guy umar akmal is an amazing talent...just 19 yrs old...playing well in all forms of the game...seems he is the future of pak cricket...

The same thing was said when Imran Nazir started his career. lets see how Umar Akmal fares.
From: steveaustin on Tue Dec 1 6:20:55 2009.

Talentwise Imran Nazir is still good. He is still able to play breathtaking shots. But it is his temperament which lets him down often. Most of the Pakistan players possess enough talent but it is their attitude and temperament which lead them to their downfall.
From: 19thmay on Thu Dec 3 1:05:13 2009.

Pakistan - 131/4

Umar Akmal scored impressive 46(48) and got out.
From: Dinesh84 on Thu Dec 3 1:05:43 2009.

Pakistan vs NewZealand
Pak 131/5 (49.5 ov) 1st innings..
From: Dinesh84 on Thu Dec 3 1:48:50 2009.

Pak 161/6 (58.0 ov)

Baed light
From: 19thmay on Fri Dec 4 0:11:47 2009.

Pakistan - 264

Nz - 83/4

Another tight match I guess.
From: 19thmay on Fri Dec 4 0:34:21 2009.

NZ - 95/7

New Zealand trail by 169 runs with 3 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
From: Kalyasi on Fri Dec 4 1:39:50 2009.

NZL 99 All out and Pak are 24/0 in their second innings!!
From: Kalyasi on Fri Dec 4 2:16:02 2009.

Butt Falls and Pak are 49/1 leading by 214 runs....
From: 19thmay on Sat Dec 5 0:45:55 2009.

Pakistan - 239 - All out.

Superb bowling attack by the black caps, they picked last 7 wickets for 42 runs.

Chasing 405 - Kiwis - 27/1, with 2.5 days left.Another interesting match.
From: vanchi on Sat Dec 5 11:48:07 2009.

yes. fine bowling

From: 19thmay on Sat Dec 5 23:40:58 2009.

Quote:

A comprehensive 141-run win for Pakistan, who have levelled this series. Their catching may have been horrendous, but the bowling was top notch with both Asif, who now has 17 wickets in this series, and Aamer making frequent inroads through a line-up that simply failed to measure up to their accuracy and testing lengths. New Zealand's top order will look forward to playing in what has traditionally been a favourable batting wicket in Napier, but their technique is what has let them down in this series and are in need of a major repair work ahead of the next Test. Pakistan have now won their third consecutive game at the Basin Reserve, which, hosting its 50th Test, serves up a disappointment for the hosts.

Presentation time.

Vettori: "Certain aspects of our play have been very disappointing, we lost the Test because we were bowled out for 99 in the first innings. Every one comes under scrutiny apart from Ross Taylor. We're happy with our bowling, we have been for a long time, hopefully they get a decent rest. Napier is known to be a bowler's graveyard, so hope the batting comes good there. An excellent wicket here in Wellington."

Yousuf: "I thank mighty Allah and my team. The bowlers bowled very well, and Kamran Akmal batted well in the first innings. The way Umar Akmal plays sometimes, I find it difficult to stop him. A very good Test wicket, this. We missed catches, we'll try hard in the practice sessions. We are very happy after this win, it's come after a long time."

Asif is the Man of the Match: "I just enjoy my bowling. When we were batting, there was some seam movement. It was a sporting pitch, and if you pitch it in the right areas, it works well for you. We have a few days rest, and we hope to win in Napier."

From: ajithfederer on Wed Dec 9 11:32:06 2009.

ICC Future Tours Programme
No home-and-away for new FTP

Alex Brown

December 9, 2009

David Morgan on the second day of the ICC Board meeting, Johannesburg, October 7, 2009

Morgan was hopeful the relaxation of the home-and-away requirement would appease player unions, who have been outspoken in their criticism of the demands currently placed on elite cricketers � Getty Images

Related Links
News : ICC open to regular Test 'final'
News : FICA rejects post-2012 draft
Players/Officials: Tim May | David Morgan
Sites: Cricinfo ICC Site

New details of the proposed post-2012 Future Tours Programme have emerged, with David Morgan, the ICC president, stating the home-and-away component of the current model could be scrapped. All teams at present must play each other twice in Test and one-day series over a six-year cycle, but Morgan said the new FTP could reduce the mandatory requirement to one series.

Such a move would allow national boards greater flexibility in arranging bilateral "icon" series, and could lead to an over all reduction in scheduling depending on their manoeuvrings. Morgan was hopeful the relaxation of the home-and-away requirement would appease player unions, who have been outspoken in their criticism of the demands currently placed on elite cricketers.

"The process is similar but the results will be different," Morgan told Cricinfo of the draft FTP. "I can't elaborate, but at the moment it's a requirement that in any six-year cycle each full member has to play the other home and away in a minimum of two Tests and three one-day internationals. I believe there will be a relaxation of that. Perhaps not in the number of games, but there's the possibility of instead having to play everybody home and away in a fixed cycle, you may either play them away or home.

"The FTP essentially is a basket of bilateral agreements between the ten full members with some consideration given to the more proficient associate countries like Ireland and the Netherlands. That set of bilateral arrangements is continuing. I firmly believe that it is very important to consult with the players. Where FICA [Federation of International Cricketers' Associations] is recognised, which is in the majority of countries, we are very happy to liaise and discuss things with Tim May and his team. I find them a responsible body."

FICA last month called on the ICC to scrap the FTP in its current format and enlist the services of independent consultants to devise a new scheduling system. In a letter addressed to the chief executives of cricket's ten full-voting countries, which has been obtained by Cricinfo, May, the union's chief executive, proposed an annual Test and one-day championship he believed would add context and attract renewed interest in the game.

The notion of a Test championship model has been supported by a number of cricketing bodies, Cricket Australia and the Marylebone Cricket Club among them. FICA's proposal would see the top eight nations split into two four-team conferences, with semi-finals and finals to be played every three years. The fourth and final year of the proposed cycle would be referred to as an "icon year", and include the World Cup as well as high-profile bilateral series such as India-Pakistan and the Ashes.

"We believe that the model of bi lateral ad hoc series that have been cricket's structure for the past century (and again from 2012-2020) is fast becoming an outdated model, and will be unable to cater for the changing cricket landscape," May wrote. "It is unusual for FICA to request the ICC and its member boards to review a decision of the ICC board, however, we are of the firm opinion that there are serious flaws in the proposed 2012-2020 FTP that will severely threaten the primacy of international cricket in future years."

The likelihood of such a model being adopted appears remote, however, with chief executives gravitating toward an FTP similar to that currently in operation, with the exception of the home-and-away requirement. Following a two-day board meeting in Johannesburg in October, the ICC issued a release stating an in principle agreement had been reached on the draft FTP.

Alex Brown is deputy editor of Cricinfo
RSS Feeds: Alex Brown

http://www.cricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/438690.html
From: VinodKumar's on Wed Dec 9 18:20:45 2009.

Carl Hooper

http://www.cricinfo.com/page2/content/story/435127.html
From: Movie Cop on Wed Dec 9 22:38:59 2009.

VinodKumar's wrote:

Carl Hooper

http://www.cricinfo.com/page2/content/story/435127.html

Pretty elegant batsman, a treat to watch. Sweet timer of the ball and more importantly very adept in finding gaps and placement of his strokes. Had his own share of limitations but when in full flow he is a sheer delight.

From: VinodKumar's on Thu Dec 10 11:12:30 2009.

Carl Hooper

http://www.cricinfo.com/page2/content/story/435127.html Cheer

Pretty elegant batsman, a treat to watch. Sweet timer of the ball and more importantly very adept in finding gaps and placement of his strokes. Had his own share of limitations but when in full flow he is a sheer delight. Cool

he was one of my fav player in 90's ... gud player

From: ajithfederer on Thu Dec 10 22:23:50 2009.

Pak vs NZ 3rd Test

Pakistan 115/6 (35.3 ov)

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat

Day 1 - Session 2

Imran Farhat at 63*.

http://www.cricinfo.com/nzvpak2009/engine/current/match/423780.html
From: hamid on Fri Dec 11 8:12:47 2009.

India ask South Africa to play two Tests

.....They [India] have requested we play two Tests and three ODIs and we are still considering it," Majola said. "We still have to consult with the South African Cricketers' Association, the team management, our playing regulations and fixtures committees, as well as the board. It would extend the tour by another week, but we would like to accommodate them and I don't foresee a problem with it." ...

http://www.cricinfo.com/southafrica/content/current/story/438958.html
From: Sourav on Fri Dec 11 8:27:33 2009.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/teams

this australian news site has pages even for Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, but not for india.
From: steveaustin on Fri Dec 11 10:22:48 2009.

VinodKumar's wrote:

Carl Hooper

http://www.cricinfo.com/page2/content/story/435127.html

One of the classic players from the caribbean but never played to his true potential. One of the 3D players capable of most elegant batting, banana off-spin but very effective and wonderful fielder in the WI team. He is famous for his lofted flick of the wrist six between the mid-wicket and long-on from outside the off-stump. As far as I am concerned, no one has played this shot except Hooper in the history of cricket.
From: 19thmay on Sat Dec 12 5:29:24 2009.

Pak - 223

NZ - 346/6 - Vettori - 100* - Stumps Day :02
From: littlemaster1982 on Sat Dec 12 5:36:40 2009.

Vettori What a player
From: MADDY on Sat Dec 12 7:55:13 2009.

and Mcullum-Vettori partnership scored fluently at 5RPO when they were facing first innings deficit
From: Dinesh84 on Sat Dec 12 14:14:07 2009.

Sourav wrote:

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/teams

this australian news site has pages even for Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, but not for india.

yes.. they are always against Indians Peter Roebuck nu oruthan overa peter viduvan..
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 12 22:49:08 2009.

Pakistan 223 & 36/0 (9.6 ov)

New Zealand 471

Pakistan trail by 212 runs with 10 wickets remaining
From: ajithfederer on Sun Dec 13 21:04:29 2009.

Pakistan fighting at 192/2 .
From: 19thmay on Mon Dec 14 4:31:41 2009.

ajithfederer wrote:

Pakistan fighting at 192/2 .

347/4 - Stumps Day:04.

Draw thaan.
From: 19thmay on Tue Dec 15 0:13:57 2009.

Day 05:

NZ requires 154 runs from 28 overs with 10 wickets in hand.. whoa!
From: 19thmay on Tue Dec 15 0:32:42 2009.

NZ needs just 118 runs from 24 Overs.
From: Dinesh84 on Tue Dec 15 0:32:45 2009.

NZ 89/0 (18.5 overs)

need 119 from 9.1 overs..

Draw thaan..
From: 19thmay on Tue Dec 15 0:33:46 2009.

Enna Draw thaan? Watling polandhutrukaan. Last 4 overs 39 runs.
From: Dinesh84 on Tue Dec 15 0:34:45 2009.

19thmay wrote:

Enna Draw thaan? Watling polandhutrukaan. Last 4 overs 39 runs.

enna thaan polanthaalum velaikAgathu maame..
From: VinodKumar's on Tue Dec 15 0:35:29 2009.

It's pelting down now. Rain halts play
From: 19thmay on Tue Dec 15 0:37:30 2009.

Dinesh84 wrote:

19thmay wrote:

Enna Draw thaan? Watling polandhutrukaan. Last 4 overs 39 runs.

enna thaan polanthaalum velaikAgathu maame..

How do you say that just 9 overs left for the day? Cricbuzz says 24 remaining?

Anyway its raining.
From: Dinesh84 on Tue Dec 15 0:38:29 2009.

VinodKumar's wrote:

It's pelting down now. Rain halts play

athuku yaen alzharenga?

From: Dinesh84 on Tue Dec 15 0:41:15 2009.

Dinesh84 wrote:

Enna Draw thaan? Watling polandhutrukaan. Last 4 overs 39 runs.

enna thaan polanthaalum velaikAgathu maame.. Cool

How do you say that just 9 overs left for the day? Cricbuzz says 24 remaining? Confused2

Anyway its raining. oops2

kanakku thaapaidichu..

Jest missu..

From: VinodKumar's on Tue Dec 15 0:48:18 2009.

Dinesh84 wrote:

VinodKumar's wrote:

It's pelting down now. Rain halts play

athuku yaen alzharenga?

newzeland jeyikanumnu oru aasai thaan
From: Dinesh84 on Tue Dec 15 2:05:16 2009.

Match Drawn
From: MADDY on Tue Dec 15 2:40:27 2009.

sema luck indha paki pasangalakku
From: Sourav on Tue Dec 15 9:11:30 2009.

http://cricketnext.in.com/news/who-said-what-crickets-funniest-in-2009/45787-34.html
From: Kalyasi on Tue Dec 15 10:27:55 2009.

Pakistan team racially abused in New Zealand

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was on Tuesday planning to lodge a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) claiming the national team was racially abused on the final day of the third and final Test against New Zealand in Napier.

PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said he is yet to receive any complaint from the team management regarding the ugly incident that marred what was an interesting final Test at McLean Park.

"I will only contact the ICC regarding the issue after getting a formal complaint from the team management," Butt told Geo Super.

A brother of New Zealand MP Chris Tremain and his 17 friends chanted slogans of 'Pakistani terrorists' from a corporate box at the McLean Park, New Zealand media reports said.

A sign saying "no racist comments please" was displayed on the park's scoreboard about 5 pm.

However, Pakistan manager Abdul Raqeeb said that he and his players didn't hear any racist remarks.

According to New Zealand media reports, a corporate box hired by a brother of National MP Chris Tremain was refused alcohol after racial abuse was hurled at Pakistani cricketers.

Mark Tremain, 38, younger brother of the Napier MP and son of rugby legend Kel Tremain, hired the family company Tremain Real Estate's corporate box for themselves Saturday, the second day of the Pakistan-New Zealand Test.

Spectator Bill Stacey, of Clive, said he was embarrassed by the group's "drunken stupidity" and the racist comments, which included shouts of "Pakistani terrorists".

Chris Tremain, who is a director and shareholder in Tremain Real Estate, said: "Clearly what happened is unacceptable."

NZ Cricket public affairs manager Stephen Hill said staff took action as soon as they heard of racist insults. "Our security staff were on the ball and they took steps to resolve the situation, and got them to modify their comments."

"Racist abuse was more common in other countries. It arises from time to time, but it's not common here. We have messages to put on the board sometimes, or the speaker system. We want the sport to be free of abuse," he said.

Pakistan is scheduled to leave for Australia Wednesday for a full series after ending its three-match Test series at 1-1.
From: ajithfederer on Thu Dec 17 16:06:02 2009.

http://blogs.cricinfo.com/shotselection/

LM or PR, Can you please upload the photos in this article. Some great pictures they are.
From: VinodKumar's on Tue Dec 22 0:20:14 2009.

Will he get chance in future ?

http://www.cricinfo.com/page2/content/story/440547.html
From: Sourav on Tue Dec 22 3:55:26 2009.

http://cricket.rediff.com/report/2009/dec/22/ricky-ponting-to-talk-to-team.htm
appo mattum thirunthiruvanugala enna.
From: Sourav on Tue Dec 22 23:55:22 2009.

Shane Bond retires from Tests
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Shane-Bond-retires-from-Tests/articleshow/5368201.cms
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 26 0:22:08 2009.

Australia 177/0 (59.0 ov)

Pakistan

Australia won the toss and elected to bat

Tea - Day 1

Simon Katich (lhb) 77
Shane Watson (rhb) 90
From: kid-glove on Sat Dec 26 0:46:58 2009.

Watch Oz-Pak game live streaming HQ (SS1 commentary). (especially if you can't get hold of remote at home )
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 26 0:51:50 2009.

Thnks for the link k_g. Great clarity.

It's always great to see a boxing day test
From: kid-glove on Sat Dec 26 0:58:42 2009.

Yes, great clarity. Should be great for US and abroad hubbers with their massive BW.

Need around 768 kps-1 MBps for continual transmission. Thanks to Airtel for giving 1Mbps UL @ 1.7k per month.

From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 26 1:04:48 2009.

. 1700 rupees per month???

kid-glove wrote:

Yes, great clarity. Should be great for US and abroad hubbers with their massive BW.

Need around 768 kps-1 MBps for continual transmission. Thanks to Airtel for giving 1Mbps UL @ 1.7k per month. Smile

From: Plum on Sat Dec 26 1:05:47 2009.

AhA! West indies kitta cash in paNNuvannu paarthaen Ponting. Indha pakistani idiots kitta flop aavannu paathaen. Bleddy unpredictable pakis - kalyasi, seekkiram vandhu mandhiringa.
<Exit to left of stage and lament>
Mhmm kalyasi vara maataaar. Ponting century urudhi.50 adikkaradhukku munnaadi out aaga mattaan. Windies kitta vuttadhai indha series-la pudichuruvaan polirukkke
From: littlemaster1982 on Sat Dec 26 1:06:22 2009.

AF,

Broadband is very expensive here

From: kid-glove on Sat Dec 26 1:09:03 2009.

. 1700 rupees per month???

kid-glove wrote:

Yes. Worst part being the fact we(or at least I) think of 1700 to be quite okay. (Cost of living index has gone so high that you assimilate such figures these days. In my father's day or few years back, one would be damned about these figures )

From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 26 1:12:18 2009.

1700 rupees is freakkin high, IMO. I have no idea about the service there. Any other big service providers there and what are their rates?.

Cost of living index is high but at the same time has the quality grown up?
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 26 1:13:17 2009.

What are the rates in bangalore lm?. Vaangara sambalathai ivanugalukku koduthutu summa irukka vendiadhu dhan pola.

littlemaster1982 wrote:

AF,

Broadband is very expensive here

From: kid-glove on Sat Dec 26 1:15:40 2009.

1700 rupees is freakkin high, IMO. I have no idea about the service there. Any other big service providers there and what are their rates?.

Cost of living index is high but at the same time has the quality grown up?

No...

From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 26 1:24:10 2009.

Ponting playing fluently.

From: littlemaster1982 on Sat Dec 26 2:02:00 2009.

Same

I'm paying 900 Rs for 256 KBps Crying or Very sad

There are some new service providers with reduced tariffs. Haven't checked them out.

What are the rates in bangalore lm?. Vaangara sambalathai ivanugalukku koduthutu summa irukka vendiadhu dhan pola.

From: VinodKumar's on Mon Dec 28 21:53:21 2009.

AF,

Broadband is very expensive here Sad

From: Sourav on Sat Dec 26 2:04:40 2009.

same 256kbps, 600rs here. reliance.
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 26 2:19:20 2009.

Ngokka makka enna aniyaayam idhu.

Good news for plum: Ponting gone when he looked dangerously good.
From: littlemaster1982 on Sat Dec 26 2:23:51 2009.

What's his score?
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 26 2:24:51 2009.

Last Bat RT Ponting c Misbah-ul-Haq b Mohammad Asif 57 (60b 7x4 0x6) SR: 95.00

His batting was very good.
From: littlemaster1982 on Sat Dec 26 2:26:36 2009.

Yeah, near run a ball. Innum 5 innings irukke
From: pulavar on Sat Dec 26 2:48:39 2009.

There is something wrong with aussies

SR Watson run out (Salman Butt/Imran Farhat) 93
SM Katich c Salman Butt b Mohammad Asif 98

Cursed????
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 26 3:00:09 2009.

Sanath Jayasuriya

'Winning for Sri Lanka is what I enjoy the most'

Twenty years into an extraordinary international career, Sanath Jayasuriya looks back at his humble beginnings and the people who made his rise possible

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi

December 26, 2009

Sanath Jayasuriya bats at the nets, Colombo, January 30, 2009
"I don't have the best technique as an opener, but I have worked really hard for 11-12 years" � AFP
Related Links
Features : Sanath Jayasuriya - the entertainer
Players/Officials: Sanath Jayasuriya | Arjuna Ranatunga
Teams: Sri Lanka

You made your international debut in the same ODI as Mark Taylor and Taylor retired 10 years ago. How have you kept going?
I retired from Test cricket recently to play the ODIs a little bit longer. I have always enjoyed my cricket. I'm still enjoying it and I've worked hard on it. And I still want to perform. The sad thing is, I don't know whether the Sri Lankan cricket board is even aware that I'm completing 20 years today!

Where do you get your hunger to perform?
That has come naturally. I know how hard it was for me to come into the Sri Lankan side. I was just a normal person, coming from a poor background. We did not have anything. I know how hard that life was. So once I started to play for the country, I understood I had to work harder and play longer. I never had anything to play with when I started cricket in school. I never thought I would play for Sri Lanka. I had never heard about any cricketer who had come from a village like mine, Matara.

My mother was very strict when I was starting seriously with cricket because we couldn't afford anything. My father was the only breadwinner then - he worked as a health supervisor in the town's urban council. So it was a very tough life for me and my elder brother Chandana. But our school principal, GL Galappathi, was very supportive and he encouraged and pushed me to play cricket and even convinced my parents to allow me to chase my dreams.

I started at Under-11 and moved up the ladder. Luckily I was selected for the Under-19 World Cup in Australia and that's when I was noticed.

Exactly how difficult was it?
I had to travel to Colombo and back, which took at least four hours by bus one way. I would get back only at midnight. But that is where I cultivated that hunger to play hard, to perform, to stay fit. I cannot relax even now. Since I was coming from outside the Colombo circle, the only way to break through into the Sri Lanka set-up was to be an outstanding performer.

When I was going to the Under-19 World Cup all the boys at the school collected funds and gave it to me as pocket money. I can never forget that gesture.

My mother, Breeda, was the main pillar of the household. She pushed all the men in the family and instilled in us the belief that if we worked hard, we could achieve anything. That helped me a lot.

When I came back from the Under-19 World Cup my school - and later Under-11 - coach Lionel Wagasinghe helped me get a small job at the company he was working in. It was a company manufacturing corrugated cartons and I worked there for two years.

In the early part of your career which do you think was the innings that announced your arrival?
It came during the Sri Lanka B tour of Pakistan in 1989, where I started off with a century followed by consecutive double-hundreds in the second half of the series.

Who were the people that influenced your life and career?
One of the two people I can never forget was Mr Dafter, who was a neighbour in Matara. From 1989 to 1997 he allowed me to stay in a spare room in his house. He and his wife were like my foster parents.

The other was his friend Lalit Wanagasinghe. Those guys always pushed me and believed I would one day play for Sri Lanka. Coming from a small town to a big city like Colombo, one could easily lose one's way, but these two took good care of me and always gave me good advice. They would come and watch me play, and discuss cricket at the house later in the night. For the last 20 years, both of them have always picked me up from the house and escorted me to the Sri Lankan cricket board office each time I've gone there before every tour.

I learned a lot from Roshan Mahanama. He was a very neat guy whose house was always in order. That helped me a lot when I started my international cricket. I guess it taught me a thing or two about discipline.

"By the time we finished the 1995-96 tour of Australia, we were a real strong unit. We supported each other, we wanted everybody to do well. And then we won the World Cup. After that we started getting more opportunities to play international cricket"

Then there were the Ranatunga brothers, Arjuna and Sanjeeva. They took good care of me by offering me a place to stay in their house before I moved in with Mr Dafter. The Ranatunga family always took good care of outstation players and many have been thankful for their generosity.

Do you remember the moment when you got your first call-up into the Sri Lankan team?
I was in the house with Mr Dafter. The selectors were picking the squad for the 1989-90 series in Australia. I knew they were meeting at eight in the morning, and I was restless. Finally, at one in the afternoon, Mr KM Nelson, then the secretary of the board, called to say I had been picked. I could not believe it. Since it was going to be a long tour, the general thought was two wicketkeepers would be picked, but they had decided to go with one specialist, with Hashan [Tillkaratne] as the makeshift keeper in case there was need, opening up a slot for me.

You were a lower-order batsmen when you came into the team. But then you started opening in the mid-90s. How did that come about?
The decision was taken by the team management: our coach Dav Whatmore, Arjuna, Aravinda de Silva, and Duleep Mendis, the team's manager.

The idea was to play the first 15 overs as the last 15. Till then I was batting at No. 6 or 7, where I couldn't do much, especially as I went in to bat around the 40-45 overs mark. I felt I was being wasted. So Arjuna said that I should open as Roshan [Mahanama] was injured during the first three ODIs of the 1994 home series against Pakistan. It was a successful move. I got three fifties in a row in those three matches.

A year later I started opening with Kalu [Romesh Kaluwitharana] in Australia. He, too, had by then got promoted and both of us gelled instantly.

How big a role did Kaluwitharana play in your success as an opener?
He played a big role. When he got going he made things easier for me at the other end. He could hit the ball very hard, played all the shots. He was really talented and made batting look easy. He was as confident as me. I remember he failed for 20 innings once, but Arjuna gave him the chance, knowing he was a match-winner.

That Australia series in 1995-96 proved to be a turning point for you.
Yes. I got runs as an opener and also started to open in Tests. I also scored my first Test hundred [in Adelaide]. I was really happy to get a century against such a good bowling attack, which included Shane Warne. It was scored under pressure against one of the best Test teams in the world. When you do that you get a nice feeling in your system.

That tour also changed Sri Lankan cricket, didn't it?
It was a turning point. There was that whole chucking controversy about Murali, which we fought through the tour; but at the same time we did well. By the time we had finished that tour we were a real strong unit - and this was on the eve of the 1996 World Cup. We supported each other, we wanted everybody to do well. And then we won the World Cup. After that we started getting more opportunities to play international cricket. I remember we played something like 11 Test matches that year [1997] and I scored more than 1000 runs. It was a unique moment in our cricketing history.

All that Arjuna said was: We'll have to do well, we'll have to work hard, whatever happens. He backed Murali wholeheartedly, to the brink. He even risked suspension at one point. When we saw that, it gave us confidence. And we never looked back.

Sanath Jayasuriya refuels after a hard day's work at the nets, Dambulla, July 29, 2009
"I am going through a lean patch right now. If Arjuna was the captain he would have given me confidence" � AFP

Did you need to change your technique to play as an opener?
I don't have the best technique as an opener, but I have worked really hard for 11-12 years. In those years the regular openers, like Marvan [Atapattu], were technically correct. But I understood clearly that I was an attacking batsman, so my role was different even as an opener.

It must have been helpful to have the support of Arjuna and Whatmore?
Sri Lanka became a professional unit only after Dav Whatmore came. Alex Kontouris, the physio, was another man who brought in a big and immediate change, because he put in place a system for training and physical fitness.

Dav would pay individual attention, talk to the player and give him confidence. Naturally we fell into the professional way of thinking steadily. He always encouraged us to play our own game. "If you see the first ball for four, just hit it. Don't worry about anything, we'll back you."

Arjuna would tell me not to worry even if I got out on the first ball, or be afraid of getting dropped. That is the most important thing for a captain to do, to encourage a player. If he doesn't give the player the confidence, he will be in two minds.

To cite an example: I am going through a lean patch right now. If Arjuna was the captain he would have given me confidence. He understood I am an attacking player and so there is always a chance of failing. If the player doesn't find support, he will find it difficult to perform. It is important for the management to give the player that confidence.

Give us an example of a time when you were failing and Arjuna backed you.
On the 1998 tour of England I was miserable and was consistently failing. But even before the final Test, at The Oval, Arjuna still had faith in me. I scored a double-hundred, which was a match-winning performance. He knew I could perform on the big occasion.

You are 40 now. What keeps you going?
I don't want to prove anything. The only thing that I want to prove is: if I can win a match for Sri Lanka, that is what I enjoy the most. Every time I play a match I want to give my 110%. I might get dropped tomorrow, I might not play the next tournament, but I will work hard, train hard, and I'll show them with the bat and ball. There is no point talking, no point criticising anyone.

Tomorrow, in part two of the interview, Jayasuriya talks about the 1996 World Cup, Murali, captains, coaches, rivals and more

Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at Cricinfo
RSS Feeds: Nagraj Gollapudi

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/441226.html
From: MADDY on Sat Dec 26 3:50:56 2009.

pulavar wrote:

There is something wrong with aussies

SR Watson run out (Salman Butt/Imran Farhat) 93
SM Katich c Salman Butt b Mohammad Asif 98

Cursed????

good wishes of all people
From: Plum on Sat Dec 26 8:20:27 2009.

57-la out aayittaan. Good. But 57 keeps his average above 55:-(
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 26 13:59:09 2009.

South Africa v England, 2nd Test, Durban, 1st day

Bad light halts England surge

South Africa 175/5 (61.0 ov)

England

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat

http://www.cricinfo.com/rsaveng09/engine/current/match/387571.html
From: ajithfederer on Sat Dec 26 23:06:00 2009.

Ponting declares at 5 for 454
From: steveaustin on Sun Dec 27 1:29:03 2009.

Australia 454/5d
Pakistan 53/1 (28.4 ov)

Again no hundreds from Australia. It's surprising to see that not even a single batsman made a hundred once again. It is good to see a tailender like Hauritz becomes bigger and bigger with his bat with each and every match. Luckily he was not given allrounder tag yet. But it's not a surpise to see in a country like Australia where usually they accept a good player only as a player after their continuous good performances. There may not be a great example than Steve Waugh.
From: pulavar on Sun Dec 27 2:25:44 2009.

Source : Cricinfo

Play suspended because of dangerous pitch
The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga
December 27, 2009

23.3 oversSri Lanka 83 for 5 (Jayasuriya 31, Zaheer 2-31) v India

It was surprising it took them 23.3 overs to call off play. On a Kotla pitch where the bounce varied from shin to shoulder in as short a spell as consecutive deliveries, Sri Lanka had reason to be thankful for they got away with just two hits on the body that needed attention. At around 11.20am, one length delivery from debutant Sudeep Tyagi reared up from a length to almost clear MS Dhoni behind the stumps, and the players had had enough by then.

What a shame !!!!!
From: ajithfederer on Mon Dec 28 21:24:20 2009.

Watson on 97 and batting. OZ's on 185/6.

Australia lead by 381 runs with 4 wickets remaining
From: ajithfederer on Mon Dec 28 21:32:00 2009.

Wonderful bowling and sensibly played by Watson, he will go to lunch unbeaten on 98.

59.6

Saeed Ajmal to Watson, no run, moves back and pushes to the onside.

59.5

Saeed Ajmal to Watson, no run, moves back and turns it to midwicket.

59.4

Saeed Ajmal to Watson, no run, moves back to the straighter one bit wide outside the off stump and defended.

59.3

Saeed Ajmal to Watson, no run, moves back to the doosra and defends to the off side.

59.2

Saeed Ajmal to Watson, no run, well watched and turned away to the onside.

59.1

Saeed Ajmal to Watson, no run, defended watchfully to the onside.

So now we have Watson, who will be on strike and he is on 98. This will be the last over before lunch and here comes Ajmal. Can he get to his century? His parents are watching on.
From: VinodKumar's on Mon Dec 28 21:45:05 2009.

mazha yethu vara maari irruka
From: Sourav on Mon Dec 28 21:49:05 2009.

Antha WI tour of Aus Thread-i "Cricket Australia"-nu maatthi angaye continue pannalamae for all aus. matches...
inga ellorum india-ku appuram athigama pakkaurathu aus. matches than....

Antha WI tour of Aus Thread-i "Cricket Australia"-nu maatthi angaye continue pannalamae for all aus. matches... Idea

inga ellorum india-ku appuram athigama pakkaurathu aus. matches than.... Razz

:pularikuthu:

From: Sourav on Mon Dec 28 21:56:20 2009.

Antha WI tour of Aus Thread-i "Cricket Australia"-nu maatthi angaye continue pannalamae for all aus. matches... Idea

inga ellorum india-ku appuram athigama pakkaurathu aus. matches than.... Razz

:pularikuthu: Razz

pullula uzhunthu poranda arikka than seyyum...

From: VinodKumar's on Mon Dec 28 21:58:58 2009.

Antha WI tour of Aus Thread-i "Cricket Australia"-nu maatthi angaye continue pannalamae for all aus. matches... Idea

inga ellorum india-ku appuram athigama pakkaurathu aus. matches than.... Razz

:pularikuthu: Razz

pullula uzhunthu poranda arikka than seyyum... Rolling Eyes

:no dig take diversion:

From: VinodKumar's on Mon Dec 28 22:29:19 2009.

Quote:

Mohammad Aamer to Watson, 1 run, dropped on 99, fuller delivery and Watson drives in the air to backward point and the fielder, Rauf drops it and Watson has his century, well played, raises his bat to the crowd. Everybody rises to clap.Maiden century for Watson.

arivu ketta mundam drop pannitan ... Interesting ah poikitu irunthuchu watsonoda century

From: Sourav on Mon Dec 28 22:43:54 2009.

yaarathu rauf? rauf-nu umpire than oruthar irukkaru... new comer?
From: Kalyasi on Mon Dec 28 22:53:23 2009.

Sourav wrote:

yaarathu rauf? rauf-nu umpire than oruthar irukkaru... new comer?

Abdur Rauf.... Puthusu thaan

From: 19thmay on Tue Dec 29 1:24:12 2009.