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Sri Lanka rout Pakistan as Murali hits 500 mark

LAHORE, Jan 24: Spinner Muttiah Muralitharan took his 500th wicket in one-day internationals as Sri Lanka thrashed Pakistan by 234 runs to win their series 2-1 today.Pakistan, replying to Sri Lanka’s 309 for five, were skittled out for just 75 in the third and final one-dayer with Muralitharan claiming two late wickets after pacemen Nuwan Kulasekara (three for 17) and Thilan Thushara (three for 33) had created havoc.It was Pakistan’s lowest total against the Sri Lankans, their biggest loss to the visiting side and the second largest defeat in a one-day match between two test-playing nations.Sri Lanka opener Tillakaratne Dilshan thumped an unbeaten 137 to guide the tourists to a commanding total at Gaddafi stadium.Muralitharan picked up the last wicket, that of Sohail Khan, to become only the second bowler to take 500 one-day wickets.He now needs another three to overhaul Pakistan’s Wasim Akram and become the highest wicket-taker in one-dayers. He is already the highest wicket-taker in tests with 769 victims.Pakistan never recovered from a disastrous start when Kulasekara and left-armer Thushara sliced through their top order to reduce them to 22 for six inside 10 overs.Umar Gul, the pick of Pakistan’s bowlers with three for 45, top scored with 27.“It is never easy coming back in a three-match series after a big defeat,” Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene told reporters. “But the players showed character and I think our batsmen weathered the most demanding conditions to give us a big total.” Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik said the Pakistan batting reflected his team’s lack of international cricket over the past year.“It was a very disappointing performance by us. Chasing 300 was never going to be easy but our batting show was not justified at all,” he said. (PTI)

India will grab numero uno position next year: Sehwag

India will grab numero uno position next year: Sehwag

New Delhi, Jan 24: After a fantastic 2008, swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag feels that India will become the number one team in world cricket next year.“I think in 2010 because if we win all the Test series in 2009, then we will be number one in 2010,” Sehwag said.The right-handed batsman further added that he wants to play his natural attacking game in all the three formats whether it is a T20, ODI or a Test cricket.“When I was growing up, I was playing a lot of 10-over, 15-over, 20-over games in Najafgarh. So I didn't want to waste a single ball and score runs on every ball because there are only 90 or 120 balls,” Sehwag told CNN-IBN.“It’s just my natural approach to batting and it doesn't matter if it’s a Test, one-day or Twenty20, I play the same way,” he added.Looking forward to the upcoming New Zealand tour, where India’s past track record was not very satisfying, the right-handed batsman said, “Last time the wickets were very damp and Tests finished in two days. This time we will get good batting pitches hopefully. I’m sure we will get good start to the team this year.” However, speaking about his opening partner and Delhi team mate Gautam Gambhir, Sehwag said, “I hardly knew Gautam before he made his debut in international cricket because we hardly played together in the domestic circuit or in company-level games.”“But I got to know from my friends that he is a very stylish and a talented opener. I backed him a lot in international cricket and in Ranji games, but he took a little extra time to perform in international cricket. But once he performed at the international level, he told everyone that I am here and I can rule. He did that and proved everyone wrong,” he said.Sehwag also stressed that a left-hand and right-hand combination at the top of the order is good for the team as the bowlers has to adjust quickly and have to bowl at right place every time.“Yes, the bowler has to change his line and length when I am batting and then when Gautam his batting. And both of us are very aggressive and are playing our shots; so it becomes very difficult for the bowlers to bowl in the right areas every time,” he added.The 31-year-old batsman also went on to add that despite performing well at the initial level of his career, coach and captains have not backed Gambhir, who in Sehwag’s opinion is the best left-handed batsman after the former skipper Sourav Ganguly.“When he first came into the team, he scored a hundred against Sri Lanka, a 90 against South Africa and a hundred against Bangladesh in Tests. But nobody was backing him. The only problem was that the captain and the coach were not backing him.”“I was convinced because I got to know about him from Aakash Chopra and Mithun Manhas that he is very talented and scores a hundred in every second innings. I backed him a lot but I was not the captain or the coach. I told them to stay with him but they refused and after he flopped in three-four innings, they dropped him.” (Agencies)

SS Das to lead East Zone Duleep Trophy team

Sports reporter GUWAHATI, Jan 10 – Former Team India Test opener Sib Sundar Das of Orissa will lead the 16-member East Zone team in Duleep Trophy. Disclosing this in a press conference here today, the East Zone convenor and secretary of the Assam Cricket Association Bikash Baruah said, the team was unanimously picked up by the selection committee comprising of Raja Venkat (chairman), Sambaran Banerjee (Bengal), Chira Ranjan Paul (Tripura), Daniel Rout (Orissa), Jodh Singh (Jharkhand) and Nagesh Singh (Assam).Asked why Team India captain M S Dhoni was not selected for the team, Raja Venkat said, Dhoni was intimated about the selection committee meeting but he did not send any reply and anticipating his unwillingness for playing in the Duleep Trophy the selection panel did not prefer to consider his name. The representative from Dhoni’s home association Jharkhand, Jodh Sing said they have no information about the India skipper where he is at the moment.Three Assam players-Rashmi Ranjan Parida, Anand Katti and Krishna Das are in the squad while Sarupam Purukayastha is in the stand bye list. Nagesh Singh of Assam has been named manager of the team. East Zone will play West Zone at Mumbai from January 29. All the selected players have to report at Cuttack on January 24.The team: SS Das (capt), Niranjan Behra, Basant Mohanty, Haladhar Das (all Orissa), Wridhiman Saha (wk), Manoj Tiwary, Ashok Dinda, Ranadeb Bose, Dibyendu Chakraborty (all Bengal), RR Parida (v.c), Anand Katti, Krishna Das (all Assam), Sourav Tiwary (Jharkhand), Nishit Setty, Jayanta Debnath, Tushar Saha (all Tripura). Coach-Utpal Chatterjee, manager-Nagesh Singh. source: assam tribune

Lanka to finalise itinerary for Pak tour by Friday

KARACHI, Jan 6 (PTI): Sri Lanka Cricket will by Friday finalise the itinerary for its tour of Pakistan after the host country asked them to speed up their decision making, a senior official of the Pakistan Cricket Board said today. “We had conveyed to them we just want to play maximum international cricket and they should finalise the itinerary soon,” Altaf said.

“They have confirmed the tour but they say they would finalise the itinerary by Friday,” Saleem Altaf, Chief Operating Officer of PCB told PTI.

There are indications the Sri Lankans, who are keen to host India for a one-day series in January or February, might first tour Pakistan for a one-day series and then come in late February for a Test series.

But it is obvious that their delay in finalising the itinerary for their Pakistan series has something to do with their desire to play India as well.

Altaf said Pakistan was not concerned with what plans Sri Lanka had about playing against India in the coming weeks. He said there was no doubt over the tour taking place and said so far the Sri Lankans had also not talked about splitting the tour into two parts in writing. “But if they come up with a suggestion we will look into it because our main purpose is to organise some international cricket at home,” Altaf said.

Meanwhile, India is waiting for an answer from New Zealand to add an extra Test to their confirmed two-Test series in March.

Altaf said Pakistan was prepared to host Sri Lanka and then Australia in the coming months but insisted they were keen that Sri Lanka finalised the itinerary as soon as possible.

“We need to get all logistical details into place for the one-day and Test matches,” he added. Pakistan invited Lanka for a series after India had cancelled their scheduled Test tour to Pakistan from Jan 4 due to the strained relations between two countries after the Mumbai terror attacks.

SA 62 for 1, need 314 for 3–0 whitewash

SYDNEY, Jan 6 (PTI): Ricky Ponting’s bold declaration today injected drama into the third and final cricket Test which seems headed for a nail-biting finish with South Africa needing 314 runs on a tricky track to complete a rare 3-0 whitewash.

Set a daunting target of 376 runs, South Africa lost makeshift opener Morne Morkel for a second ball duck before reaching 62 for one at stumps on day four of the match.

Acting skipper Neil McKenzie (25) and in-form Hashim Amla (30) were in the middle with South Africa still needing another 314 runs for a memorable win that would also make them the number one Test side in the world.

With just one day left, South Africa may go for the target despite their captain Graeme Smith not being in a position to bat.

On the other hand, Australia will also fancy their chances of picking up the remaining wickets to prevent what could be their first whitewash at home.

Earlier, resuming on 33 for no loss, Australia declared their second essay at 257 for four wickets with Simon Katich (61), Ponting (53), Mike Hussey (45 not out) and Michael Clarke (41) scoring bulk of the runs.

Matthew Hayden, under tremendous pressure to justify his selection in the playing XI, squandered a good start and fell for 39.

Hayden dragged a Morkel delivery onto the stumps to depart after what turned out to be his highest score of the summer.

Next man in Ponting almost had a golden pair against his name but the Australian skipper proved lucky and the first ball he faced, from Morkel, took an inside edge and missed the leg-stump by a whisker. Ponting had fallen to the pacer for a first ball duck in the first innings.

The Australia skipper also survived a leg before appeal before successive fours off Makhaya Ntini eased the pressure and he went almost at run-a-ball rate.

He clipped Paul Harris to long on and ran three to complete his fifty but departed soon, dragging a Morkel delivery onto his stumps.

Katich, at the other end, played his natural patient game and completed his fifty as well without fuss before Dale Steyn trapped him in front of the wicket.

Dropped by Jacques Kallis in the slip, Michael Clarke scored at a brisk rate before falling to Paul Harris and Ponting too decided to call unbeaten batsman Mike Hussey back to the pavilion.

Hussey’s unbeaten 45 included three hits to the fence apart from a soaring six off Ntini.

With Smith ruled out of action, McKenzie walked out with Morne Morkel to open South Africa’s second innings, a ploy probably prompted by the handy 40 runs Morkel had scored in the first innings batting at number eight.

Opening the innings proved a different ball game altogether and Doug Bolling claimed his maiden Test wicket when Morkel perished at mid-on with a second ball duck against his name.

Things could have been worse for South Africa but Brad Haddin could not collect an edge offered by Amla, then at five, off Peter Siddle.

Amla and McKenzie, however, didn’t flounder anymore and were unseparated after putting on 60 runs so far.

ACA tourney put off

Sport reporter GUWAHATI, Jan 3 – The semifinal and final matches of the Plate Division senior Inter District Cricket Championship, organized by the ACA were put off.The matches were scheduled to be played at the Nehru Stadium here from January 8 onwards. But due to some unavoidable reasons it has to be postponed, said ACA secretary Bikash Baruah.However, the preliminary phase of the championship was already completed and four teams-Karbi Anglong, Bilasipara, Margherita and Biswanath Chariali have qualified for the knock out stage. When Karbi Anglong was scheduled to take on Bilasipara from January 8 to 11 in the first semifinal, Margherita was to lock horns against Biswanath from January 13 to 16. The final was slated for January 18 to 21.On the other hand the Elite Division league matches will be played at Maligaon, Dibrugarh, Silchar and Nagaon from January 7 onwards. One team each from four centers will qualify for the knock out semifinals. As per the BCCI guidelines, the ACA for the first time has introduced the Elite and Plate Divisions this year. source: assam tribune

Gony replaces Sreesanth in Indian squad for tri-series

Gony replaces Sreesanth in Indian squad for tri-series

7 Jun, 2008 1220hrs IST, PTI

DELHI: Punjab seamer Manpreet Gony on Saturday was included in the Indian squad for the tri-series in Bangladesh after paceman S Sreesanth was ruled out due to a side strain, sustained in an Indian Premier League match. "Due to non availability of Sreesanth, it was decided by the selection committee to send Manpreet Gony for Bangladesh tri-series," Niranjan Shah, BCCI Secretary, said in a media release. "Sreesanth was assessed by Dr. Kinja at Bangalore on Friday. He has got a left-sided external oblique strain. He would require about 2 weeks for recovering from the current situation and getting back to his normal bowling routine," the press release added. The Punjab bowler thus becomes the third player who has been rewarded for his good performance in the recently concluded inaugural Indian Premier League. Gony, who has played just five-first class matches, had claimed 17 wickets in 16 matches for the IPL runners-up Chennai Super Kings at an average of 26.05. Baroda all rounder Yousuf Pathan and Hyderabad spinner Pragyan Ojha were earlier given ODI calls for the tri-series. The Kerala pacer would now undergo a two-week rehabilitation programme and will be available for the Asia Cup, to be held in Pakistan. "He will be available for Asia Cup 2008 to be played at Pakistan. Mr. Sreesanth rehabilitation will be organised at NCA in Bangalore," the BCCI press release said.

IPL cheerleaders get a cover-up

NAVI MUMBAI: Cricket fans at the IPL match in Nerul were in for a double treat. Not only were there cheergirls, but also cheerboys to encourage the spectators at the Dr D Y Patil Sports Stadium on Sunday. But restraint was shown in dress as well as dance.

The cheerleaders for the Mumbai Indians appeared in shiny blue lycra suits that covered their entire bodies under matching silvery skirts. What surprised the fans was the presence of male cheerleaders. "Wow, they have girls and boys too," said one of the fans as they cheered on their favourites, the Mumbai Indians, who were playing the Team Hyderabad.

Following the recent statements of the Navi Mumbai police, that they would strictly monitor cheerleaders on closed circuit television to check if they were doing anything "vulgar", there were restrained dance steps performed at the stadium.

The cheerleaders mostly did aerobics on the ground to be on the safe side of the law. Navi Mumbai police commissioner Ramrao Wagh was himself present at the stadium to watch the match. Approximately 30 minutes before the match started, the cheerleaders were brought into the stadium in a minibus under tight security.

Wagh said that he found the cheerleaders to be "well behaved". The cheerleading troupe danced to Hindi film tunes. However, the controversy surrounding the cheerleaders was soon forgotten by the fans as the players made their way out to play.

A cricket official told TOI: "Everything is going smoothly and we are happy the security and other arrangements are perfect. The crowd’s reaction showed that the people are not here to just oogle at the cheerleaders but to watch the match and enjoy it."

Source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Business/India_Business/File_IPL_cheerleaders_get_a_cover-up/articleshow/2988891.cms

Kapil's 175 best ODI innings ever: Gavaskar

June 03, 2008 22:24 IST
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar on Tuesday described Kapil Dev's unbeaten 175-run knock against Zimbabwe during India's successful 1983 World Cup campaign as the "best one-day innings" ever.

Gavaskar recalled that it was a match that India had to win to enter the semi-final.
"When you had lost half of your side with less than 20 runs on the board, obviously it was not looking good. But this gentleman (Kapil Dev) went out and played his innings...best innings I had seen in limited overs international.

"That 175 has to be in my view the greatest knock in the World Cup," Gavaskar said while speaking at a media meet, arranged by the UB Group.

The UB Group would host a gala dinner for the 1983 World Cup winning team in London on June 25 to mark the 25th anniversary of the historic triumph.

Kapil Dev said captaining the 1983 side was not difficult as everybody was playing well at the time.
He said even after he took that famous catch of Vivian Richards off Madan Lal, the final match was still open as Clive Lloyd was still at the crease.

"Lloyd was the most dangerous player", Kapil Dev said. But Gavaskar insisted it was that catch indeed which took India to the last-four stage of the elite event.

"Kapil's 175 got us into semi-final...that catch (Richards) got us the final."
Members of the 1983 World Cup team, Roger Binny and Syed Kirmani, also shared their experience.

BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said the Board would hold a special event in Delhi on June 22 to felicitate the players of the 1983 team.
UB Group officials said the the entire 1983 World Cup winning team would be touring the Lord's on June 25.

Kapil Dev and Gavaskar also presented a special cricket bat signed by World Cup winning team. The bat would be encrusted with diamonds and auctioned by the UB Group in association with auction house e-bay.

The proceeds of the auction would go to the members of the 1983 team, officials said.

Triumph of the underdog

June 2, 2008
Despite its share of controversies and the heady mix of glamour and cricket, the Indian Premier League's first edition would be best remembered for the triumph of the underdog wherein a retired spin legend inspired the cheapest franchisee of the event to an unexpected title win.

Shane Warne, considered by many as the best captain never to lead Australia, led a pack of unheralded players to a Rs 4.8 crore prize cheque, thus rounding off 44 days of a soap opera that had everything -- from drama to emotion -- for prime-time viewers.



An idea that many said was born out of the BCCI's need to counter the rebel Indian Cricket League, IPL was a success story even before a ball was bowled when sponsors and TV channels queued up to get a stake in what was to become one of the richest domestic leagues in any sport.
And when it actually took off, Lalit Modi's brain child only grew bigger with fans readily lapping up the idea of city-based rivalries even if that meant cheering the dismissal of perhaps their most revered icon Sachin Tendulkar.

The cricket dished out was equally exciting and the foreign recruits along with some exciting new Indian faces enthralled the packed stadias of the eight cities where the franchises were based. Source: http://specials.rediff.com/cricket/2008/jun/02sld2.htm

IPL not behind Hayden breakdown: CA

MELBOURNE: Underfire for allowing its key players in the Indian Premier League after an injured Matthew Hayden was forced to return from the tour of the West Indies, Cricket Australia on Friday refused to admit the Twenty20 show was a reason for flaring up of the opener's achilles tendon.

Defending CA's decision to permit its cricketers to play in the IPL, its spokesman Peter Young said the risks of releasing players to the IPL were the same as the once-traditional pilgrimage to England every winter.

"Matthew has had achilles tendinitis for quite a long while and people are used to him packing it with ice," Young said.

"If he had stayed home cooling his heels, the medicos say there is still a chance that he could still have had exactly the same outcome," he was quoted as saying by the 'Herald Sun' .

Hayden complained of the injury at the team's pre-tour camp in Brisbane earlier this month, but it's understood the problem is more the result of wear and tear than a sudden setback, reports the Herald Sun. But his serious achilles tendon - a long-time issue - flared while playing in the IPL, the report says.

"Clearly, the four matches he played for Chennai, scoring 189 runs at 63 off 131 balls, were enough to do some damage and effectively stop the champion opening batsman from fulfilling his contractual.

Source: http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/IPL_not_behind_Hayden_breakdown_CA/articleshow/3086488.cms

Watson, Warne on the brink of IPL glory

A match-winning performance from Shane Watson has propelled the Rajasthan Royals into the final of the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament.

Watson plundered 52 from just 29 deliveries before wreaking havoc with the ball, taking a parsimonious 3 for 10 to thrash Glenn McGrath's Delhi Daredevils by 105 runs in Mumbai.
The Shane Warne-skippered Royals were sent in to bat after losing the toss, and raced a to monstrous 9 for 192 from their allotted 20 overs.

South African captain Graeme Smith (25) and Swapnil Asnodkar (39) laid the platform atop the Royals' order, before Watson and Yusuf Pathan (45 from 21) took to the Daredevils with reckless abandon.

McGrath was expensive, going for 38 runs without return from his four-over spell.
Delhi offered little in response in a one-sided semi-final, skittled for just 87 runs with 3.5 overs to spare.

Watson starred with the ball alongside Warne (2 for 21) and Munaf Patel (3 for 17), with Tillakaratne Dilshan's 33 from 22 posting the Daredevils' highest individual score.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/31/2261252.htm?section=sport

ICL - Taking Cricket to a Higher League

The goal of Indian Cricket League (ICL) is to promote and foster the best of the talent in the country. ICL will work to create a highly competitive domestic environment, giving the talented an equal opportunity and ensure that cricket provides superior entertainment, value and service against its sporting peers. And in the process creating a fun and friendly atmosphere for our player and fans.

Indian Cricket League 2008 season
The inaugural season for the Indian Cricket League will begin in October 2008 with 6 teams. The first tournament will be organized on a double round-robin basis in which each team will be playing the opposite team on home and away basis. The top four teams will reach the semi-finals and the final be played between the top teams. There will be a total of 20 matches for the entire season.

Pak batsman Md Yousuf sad at missing out on both ICL, IPL

ANI Thursday, May 22, 2008 4:08:47 PM

Pakistan's star batsman Mohammad Yousuf has once again expressed his disappointment at missing out on an opportunity to play in both the Indian cricket leagues - ICL and IPL, and urged the PCB last evening to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

Last year Yousuf had signed up for the ICL, but on PCB's insistence he reneged on the contract, with the IPL being one of the incentives.The ICL insisted that as Yousuf had signed a contract he should not be allowed to play in any other league including the IPL. The matter went to a court of arbitration in Mumbai, which passed an interim order earlier this month barring Yousuf from playing in the IPL. Yousuf, who is slated to fly to London to play for Lancashire, last evening reminded PCB Chief Nasim Ashraf of his promise to resolve the matter so that he could play in IPL."It's very sad missing out on the IPL. I left the ICL on the insistence of the chairman and I did that for the country. I ended up playing for neither.

This matter should be resolved because the chairman promised me he would do it and it should be done quickly," the Daily Times quoted Yousuf as saying while speaking to reporters.The PCB is planning to file an appeal against the interim order in the Mumbai High Court.

"We have appointed a senior Mumbai advocate, Iqbal Chagla, to represent us in this case in the Mumbai High Court," a PCB spokesman said, and added: "In the next few days we will discuss the issue amongst ourselves and then direct our representative in Mumbai to file the appeal."

Source: http://in.sports.yahoo.com/cricket/ipl/news/news_20080522_461.html

Much of the IPL auctions was surprising

Adam Gilchrist Saturday, February 23, 2008

A place in the finals of the Commonwealth Bank Series is now assured, and perhaps it's time for our batsmen to come good just ahead of the finals. All three teams are woefully lacking in batting form, and it's just been flashes of brilliance from a couple of batsmen, coupled with some really good bowling that sees us in such a comfortable position. I would be lying if I said that there was no interest in the auction to the IPL that took place on Wednesday.

We were all curious about who went for how much, and while it's a strange feeling to be representing a new team in a few month's time, I am reasonably happy about how things worked out for me. We had all dispersed for a couple of days after Sunday's game, so it was only on Thursday that the team got together. When we re-assembled there was a lot of leg-pulling of the players who went for higher bids, with Andrew Symonds being everybody's target. There were some surprisingly low bids as well, with Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden going for surprising low prices.

I cannot understand how two top quality attacking batsmen like them did not attract higher bids. I am not sure it had anything to do with availability of the Australians for the entire duration, because Symonds and Lee have god high bids. In fact, I was not at all surprised at the price for Symonds because he is the perfect prototype for a Twenty20 cricketer. He bats explosively, is a handy bowler and an astonishing fielder to boot. What's more, in the light of recent controversies, the old showbiz saying that no publicity is bad publicity seems apt for him.

The roof-shattering bid for Mahendra Singh Dhoni as well as the impressive numbers attracted by Ishant Sharma and Lee suggest that the auction was not only about cricket, but also about commerce. I will be playing alongside Symonds, RP Singh, Chaminda Vaas and Rohit Sharma for Hyderabad. I have not been there as often as I have been to Mumbai or Bangalore, but when we went there last year I remember having some mean biriyani there. The IPL concept excites me because it gives me an opportunity to play with some of my great opponents as well as some exciting new talent, all at the same time. I would have retired from the game by then, but those who are in the game will perhaps get a better insight into the culture, attitude and outlook of other players.

We saw in the Test series how relationships can sour between teams, but hopefully, with the IPL throwing together players from all teams, there will be fewer misunderstandings within the cricket community. It is a new concept, and one that the next generation of cricketers have to deal with careful. It's too early to know whether the IPL will live up to the hype, but as someone who has just given up the game, it provides me with an ideal opportunity to keep in touch with the game for at least a few weeks of the year.

Source: http://in.sports.yahoo.com/cricket/ipl/columns/columns_20080223_2.html

Teams have to think on their feet

Kris Srikkanth Saturday, May 10, 2008

Teams have to think on their feetThe IPL schedule leaves no time for thought. Teams have to rework strategies quickly as otherwise their approach will become so well known that opponents will be better prepared with counter-strategies. Chennai Super Kings were forced to rethink their tactics after three successive losses and they came up with a winning formula in New Delhi in a thriller. It is pretty obvious that a flying start is a necessity in the format. But teams hitting from both ends have found themselves in a hole because they have lost too many wickets in too short a space. S. Vidyut, who has shaped a fantastic limited-overs career for himself, was the fire starter while Fleming played the foil superbly against the Daredevils. Vidyut gave Chennai the confidence that the chase was on after Gautam Gambhir had given the Daredevils a better than average total. Full credit to Dhoni for taking some hard decisions in what was a crunch match for Chennai by winning which they have returned to the top of the table. The skipper was not afraid to put people on the bench. The tactic of chasing also worked because you can expect a Kotla pitch to play the same way in the entire duration of a match. Two or three hitters in the top five or six are sufficient. If they are kept apart in the order, they seem to exert more pressure as Albie Morkel took over Vidyut's role when Dhoni himself was struggling to get the ball away. One great over of Morkel's hitting was enough to close the gap after which Dhoni played smart cricket by ensuring his side would have batsmen left to fight to the end. Morkel's assault put so much pressure on Sehwag that he seemed to stop thinking and so messed up his end overs strategy. He had to virtually toss a coin to decide whether he would bowl the last over or ask Shoaib Malik to handle it. Actually, neither of them should have been bowling that over which should have gone to a seamer. Saturday's clash between the Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings XI becomes crucial for both teams. The winners can expect to get away from the bunch towards a semi-final slot. The key to Chennai's strategy would be to take on Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan without losing too many wickets in looking for a flying start. Not to charge at both bowlers would be the best way to go about it. The key to Chennai staying at the top is the team does not push the panic button. This confidence seems to flow from the skipper who is never hassled. With the race for the semi-finals hotting up now after the halfway mark, the table leaders will know that their being at the top will put pressure on the others. Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings XI have the early mover advantage.

Source: http://in.sports.yahoo.com/cricket/ipl/columns/columns_20080510_2.html

Warne may consider Ashes return: report

May 20, 2008 10:13 IST

Former world leading Test wicket taker Shane Warne has hinted at a possible return to international cricket for next year's Ashes tour of England.

The Australian leg spinner, who retired from the international arena at the end of the 5-0 Ashes victory over England in early 2007 and has since retired from first class cricket, is playing in a domestic Twenty20 competition in India.

The 38-year-old, however, said he would return for the Ashes next year, if he is needed.

"If Australia really needed me and there was no one else around, and Ricky [Ponting] thought I could do the job, you would weigh up the options," Warne was quoted as saying in Tuesday's Herald Sun newspaper.

"If Stuey [Stuart] MacGill fell over and broke his leg, and there were no other spinners around, and Ricky came out and said, 'Mate, can you please help us out for this one-off tour? We need you', that is something I would weigh up.".

Warne, who said he had grown tired of travelling and retired to spend more time with his children, said he felt he could still perform at the top level though did concede a return would be a "fairytale".

"If I wanted to keep playing I don't think there would be an issue with me being the number one spinner and performing," he said.

End of an era for Australia as Warne goes
"I would still love to be playing international cricket, and miss it because I devoted 20 years to first-class cricket. It is a big part of my life.

"If you could just turn up and play Test cricket, that would be cool. I would definitely consider that."

Australia captain Ponting, who is in Jamaica preparing for the first Test against West Indies [Images], however, said he had not heard from Warne about a possible return to Test cricket.

"He has never mentioned that to me about coming back for the Ashes and I don't think that will happen," Ponting was reported as saying in The Australian newspaper.

"We all knew when he retired it wasn't anything to do with his bowling, we knew he could keep bowling well for a number of years if he wanted to."

Ponting also backed MacGill to be the main spin option for the Ashes tour.

"If his body stays right, there is no doubt that he is the best wicket-taking spinner in Australia," Ponting added.

"So, if he keeps himself fit and has the desire and passion to keep playing cricket then I'm pretty sure he would be good enough to get the Ashes job done."
Source: http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2008/may/20warne.htm

Australia dump annual tri-series

Tuesday, 20 May , 2008, 12:05

Australia's triangular one-day cricket series, which has been played since the 1979-80 season, has been scrapped in favour of two five-match series against the visiting New Zealand and South African sides.

The decision, which had been expected, was confirmed when Cricket Australia (CA) announced its domestic international programme on Tuesday.

CA chief executive James Sutherland said he expected the two five-match series to generate immense public interest, even if the fourth and fifth matches were dead rubbers.

"There is huge demand for the Australian public to watch the Australian team play, no matter where they play," Sutherland told reporters.

"That level of anticipation no matter where the series is alive or not is there, (especially) when you consider the (Australian) team only comes once or twice to each capital city.

"The anticipation for each match will be there and I'm sure that ticket sales will reflect that. Hopefully those series will be well fought and go to the wire, but we can't control that."

The triangular series, which had witnessed a drop off in interest particularly with matches not involving Australia, was first played between West Indies, Australia and England during the 1979-80 season.

Australia had generally dominated the competition, though it had lost the finals of the last two series to England and India.

Ricky Ponting's team will open the season with two Tests against New Zealand in Brisbane and Adelaide before Daniel Vettori's side return home for their own programme.

New Zealand will return for five one-day internationals in early February, after Australia have completed a three-Test, five one-day international programme against South Africa.

The schedule also includes three Twenty20 internationals, two against South Africa and one against New Zealand.

"There is no disputing the popularity and the level of public interest in Twenty20 is very high," Sutherland added.

"I think we have got it just about right for Twenty20.

"Our position has always been with Twenty20 cricket is that we see great opportunity at the domestic level...and we anticipate that will grow, so we don't want to overdo Twenty20 cricket on the international scene."

Source: http://sify.com/sports/fullstory.php?id=14677540

Cricket is no longer a sport

Partab Ramchand

Source: http://sify.com/sports/fullstory.php?id=14677593

That cricket is no longer a sport but an industry in India is well known for some time now. But even after accepting this, it must be said that events associated with the Indian Premier League have taken the game into a new realm, a corporate world. One has only to go through what Vijay Mallya, the high-profile liquor baron and owner of the Bangalore Royal Challengers has said recently to fully grasp the fact that the IPL is well and truly entrenched as a business venture. In Tests and ODIs, if a player fails he is dropped by the selectors. In the IPL, as we have seen when a team fails, key personnel can be sacked and even the captain and coach may be pulled up and uncomfortable questions asked of them by the franchise owners.

In a way, given the background – the astronomical amounts of money invested, the much-publicised auctions, the high-profile tournament, the unprecedented worldwide TV audience and revenues and the consequent high expectations – it was always on the cards that the failure of the Royal Challengers would trigger off some sort of controversy and an unpleasant situation. And big boss Mallya, never one to mince words, has made it clear that he is disappointed with his team's non-performance.

First, he showed CEO Charu Sharma the door and then took on the captain Rahul Dravid in matters of team selection. The high-profile industrialist publicly questioned the team's composition and performance and this led to much debate. But the majority view was that the team owners had every right to ask questions after ploughing in so much money. The franchisee cost for the Royal Challengers is 111.6 million dollars, just below the highest paid out in the case of the Mumbai Indians and a little higher than the franchisee cost for Deccan Chargers, another team that has been a major disappointment despite the big names involved.

In interviews, Mallya made it clear that he had other players in mind but backed the judgement of Sharma and Dravid. "In fact in the second auction, when Dravid was absent, I wanted my set of players but Charu was very tentative and I was held back. It was I who brought in Misbah-ul-Haq. People have to understand IPL has a corporate side to it. It's not all cricket in the traditional sense. I just want to tell Rahul Dravid to do the best he can with this team and produce results. Dravid doesn't enjoy being at the bottom of the league and neither do I."
Mallya also said that he regretted not being involved in the squad's selection during the auction. "My biggest mistake was to abstain from the selection of the team. Though I watch a lot of cricket whenever possible, I am no cricket expert at the end of the day," Mallya said. "I had a separate list of players that I wanted. But since Dravid is such an iconic player I trusted his judgment and then Charu also backed him. After seeing the final list, my friends told me it looked like a Test team. But I backed both of them thinking that they advised me properly. Unfortunately in cricket, unlike in any other sport, the captain is the boss."

Not expectedly, senior players have come out in defence of the beleaguered Dravid but even they admitted that the owners had a right to ask questions given their huge investments. Indian Test captain Anil Kumble, while saying that he did understand that the IPL is different and there is a corporate look and feel to the entire concept ``at the end of the day it is a cricket match and one that a cricketer does not want to lose.'' No one denies that but when the showing is as shoddy as the Bangalore's team has been, questions will be asked. Even VVS Laxman, the captain of the Deccan Chargers, while coming out in support of Dravid, expressed the view that the IPL's team owners had every right to ask questions, given the investments involved. "The owners can ask why things are not happening. But I can only speak for my team and say that our owners have been very supportive. It was very important for us that even during the tough periods, they came, spoke to us and encouraged us."

Two important lessons can be learnt from the failures of the two teams. One is that big names and iconic stars do not guarantee success. Even in Twenty20, the traditional values of cricket – leadership, team work, dedication and determination – are important. And, of course, the other important point is that as far as the IPL is concerned there is a distinct corporate angle to it what with the huge amount of money invested. And like in the competitive corporate world you have to produce results or you may have to face the music or even be shown the door. Cricket is no longer a sport, it is a business and that point has just been driven home by the failures of two high-profile teams and the reactions to their disastrous campaigns.

Cricketer Praveen Kumar involved in a brawl

CNN-IBN

Meerut: Cricketer Praveen Kumar was involved in a brawl on Wednesday in his hometown Meerut and allegedly thrashed a doctor of Subharti Medical College.

The doctor went to the police station to file a complaint against Praveen but as the matter involved the cricketer, so the police officials called the two parties involved and sorted out the matter.
The incident took place on May 14 when Praveen along with his friends went to buy a firearm for himself after getting the arms license.

But when he was coming out of the shop, which is situated PL Sharma Road, the car of Dr Shantanu reportedly splashed through slush, dirtying the cricketer's clothes.
This angered Praveen and his friend and they got into a scuffle with the doctor. After that Praveen and his friends followed Dr Shantanu to Modern Glass House where the doctor had gone for shopping and bashed him up.

The owner of Modern Glass House, Ashok Kumar, alleged that Praveen and his friends damaged the shop too and broke some glasses.

The matter was sorted out after Superintendent of Police Rakesh Jolly and Senior Superintendent of Police RK Bhardwaj spoke to Dr Shantanu and Praveen.
"Praveen and his friends beat me up and injured me. I did not file a complain as he is an upcoming cricket star," Dr Shantanu said.