India will be without the services of opening batsman Gautam Gambhir, who will be attending his sister's wedding, for the third Test against Sri Lanka in Mumbai. Gambhir has been in prime form in this series with centuries in each of the two Tests.
Gambhir's spot is likely to be taken by M Vijay, the Tamil Nadu opener. Vijay made his debut against Australia in Nagpur last year, when Gambhir was banned for a Test for an altercation with Shane Watson. The rest of the squad, which was initially picked for the first two Tests, has been retained with no additional replacements. The final Test of the series begins at the Brabourne Stadium on December 2.
India squad for third Test: MS Dhoni (capt),Virender Sehwag Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Sreesanth, , Amit Mishra, Yuvraj Singh, Ishant Sharma, M Vijay, S Badrinath.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Cyclone alert could affect Mumbai's cricket schedule
A cyclone forming over the Arabian Sea near Mumbai and continuous heavy rains in the city over the past 24 hours have threatened the seventh and final ODI between India and Australia, scheduled to be held there on Wednesday. Cyclone Phyan is expected to hit the coast later on Wednesday and, though Mumbai is not expected to be in its direct path, weather conditions in the city have already deteriorated.
The city municipal corporation has sent out a public SMS advising citizens to stay indoors and extended to 5 p.m. the cyclone warning it issued yesterday.
A PTI report said the DY Patil Stadium, the venue of Wednesday's game, was a pool of water. However, the teams are expected to reach the ground by 2 p.m. and the match has a cut-off time of 5 p.m. - if there's no play by then, it will be called off.
Two other top-level matches in the city have already been affected; the first day's play of Sri Lanka's tour game against the Board President's XI has been washed out and the Ranji game between Mumbai and Orissa is yet to see a ball being bowled into the second day.
India's match-eve practice session was also called off on Tuesday, though the Australians managed theirs in the morning.
The Indian Metereological Department issued an alert for the coastal regions of south Gujarat and north Maharashtra. Weather scientists have been tracking a deep depression formed in the south east and adjoining central Arabian Sea, which was last moving in the northwest direction and to hit south Gujarat.
"The system is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm and move in a northerly direction for some more time and then north-northeastwards and cross south Gujarat and north Maharashtra coast between Mahuva and Dahanu by early hours of November 12," the alert issued by the IMD said.
The city municipal corporation has sent out a public SMS advising citizens to stay indoors and extended to 5 p.m. the cyclone warning it issued yesterday.
A PTI report said the DY Patil Stadium, the venue of Wednesday's game, was a pool of water. However, the teams are expected to reach the ground by 2 p.m. and the match has a cut-off time of 5 p.m. - if there's no play by then, it will be called off.
Two other top-level matches in the city have already been affected; the first day's play of Sri Lanka's tour game against the Board President's XI has been washed out and the Ranji game between Mumbai and Orissa is yet to see a ball being bowled into the second day.
India's match-eve practice session was also called off on Tuesday, though the Australians managed theirs in the morning.
The Indian Metereological Department issued an alert for the coastal regions of south Gujarat and north Maharashtra. Weather scientists have been tracking a deep depression formed in the south east and adjoining central Arabian Sea, which was last moving in the northwest direction and to hit south Gujarat.
"The system is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm and move in a northerly direction for some more time and then north-northeastwards and cross south Gujarat and north Maharashtra coast between Mahuva and Dahanu by early hours of November 12," the alert issued by the IMD said.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
One Of My Best-Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar has rated his dazzling 141-ball 175 in the fifth one-dayer against Australia as "one of his best" innings. While orchestrating a stiff chase of 351, Tendulkar looked on course to break the record for the highest individual score in an ODI innings but was undone by a slower ball from debutant Clint McKay in the 48th over, after which India ended four runs short.
"It was one of my best innings, I was striking the ball very well and we were chasing 351 so there was constant pressure," Tendulkar said. "We maintained the run rate and brought the game close, but in the end it was very disappointing."
After sliding to 162 for 4, India were put back on track for what would have been the second highest target achieved in one-dayers by a 137-run stand between Tendulkar and Suresh Raina. India were favourites after 42 overs, needing only 52 runs with a Powerplay still in hand and Raina and Tendulkar in top gear. However, a combination of clever bowling and tigerish fielding from Australia, and some inept running from India handed the visitors a 3-2 series lead.
One bright spot for Tendulkar was that on 7, he became the first to reach the 17,000-run mark in one-dayers. When asked how he stayed motivated over the course of an international career which is days short of being two decades long, he said: "The passion - I care about playing for India. It's always been a dream and I'm absolutely honoured that I've been able to do that for the past 20 years."
Sourav Ganguly, with whom Tendulkar formed the most prolific opening partnership in one-dayers, lauded Tendulkar for reaching the milestone and hoped there was more to come. "It's really a remarkable achievement", Ganguly said. "I wish he scores another 2000 runs by 2011 World Cup. Sachin knows best how to accumulate runs. Once he gets going he becomes unstoppable."
"It was one of my best innings, I was striking the ball very well and we were chasing 351 so there was constant pressure," Tendulkar said. "We maintained the run rate and brought the game close, but in the end it was very disappointing."
After sliding to 162 for 4, India were put back on track for what would have been the second highest target achieved in one-dayers by a 137-run stand between Tendulkar and Suresh Raina. India were favourites after 42 overs, needing only 52 runs with a Powerplay still in hand and Raina and Tendulkar in top gear. However, a combination of clever bowling and tigerish fielding from Australia, and some inept running from India handed the visitors a 3-2 series lead.
One bright spot for Tendulkar was that on 7, he became the first to reach the 17,000-run mark in one-dayers. When asked how he stayed motivated over the course of an international career which is days short of being two decades long, he said: "The passion - I care about playing for India. It's always been a dream and I'm absolutely honoured that I've been able to do that for the past 20 years."
Sourav Ganguly, with whom Tendulkar formed the most prolific opening partnership in one-dayers, lauded Tendulkar for reaching the milestone and hoped there was more to come. "It's really a remarkable achievement", Ganguly said. "I wish he scores another 2000 runs by 2011 World Cup. Sachin knows best how to accumulate runs. Once he gets going he becomes unstoppable."
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Dhoni Suffers Injury During Net Practice
Indian captain MS Dhoni has injured himself while batting during a nets session in Vadodara, but is likely to feature in the first match of the seven-ODI series against Australia on Sunday. Dhoni was apparently hit on the back of his left knee off a Munaf Patel delivery, and having played one more ball, he limped off the practice area on Friday. An ice pack was promptly put on the affected area, but he didn't appear to be in too much pain.
"I should be alright tomorrow," Dhoni said. "But have to wait and see how it feels in the morning." There is no reserve wicketkeeper in the squad of 15 named for the series and Dinesh Karthik, who was the back-up during the Champions Trophy in South Africa, had not received any call from the BCCI until late on Friday night.
The news does not augur well for the Indian team, who have been hit a spate of injuries to players recently. While Virender Sehwag had suffered a shoulder injury, which kept him out of the the World Twenty20 and Champions Trophy as well as the subsequent tours of West Indies and Sri Lanka, Yuvraj Singh had injured the the little finger on his right hand during the Champions Trophy. Both players have recovered since, and have been picked for the Australia series. Also, Suresh Raina had suffered a hairline fracture to his thumb, and Zaheer Khan looks to have worked his way back to fitness after picking up a shoulder injury.
"I should be alright tomorrow," Dhoni said. "But have to wait and see how it feels in the morning." There is no reserve wicketkeeper in the squad of 15 named for the series and Dinesh Karthik, who was the back-up during the Champions Trophy in South Africa, had not received any call from the BCCI until late on Friday night.
The news does not augur well for the Indian team, who have been hit a spate of injuries to players recently. While Virender Sehwag had suffered a shoulder injury, which kept him out of the the World Twenty20 and Champions Trophy as well as the subsequent tours of West Indies and Sri Lanka, Yuvraj Singh had injured the the little finger on his right hand during the Champions Trophy. Both players have recovered since, and have been picked for the Australia series. Also, Suresh Raina had suffered a hairline fracture to his thumb, and Zaheer Khan looks to have worked his way back to fitness after picking up a shoulder injury.
New South Wales Win Champions League Twenty-20
Brett Lee starred with a stunning all-round performance as New South Wales beat Trinidad & Tobago to win the inaugural Champions League Twenty20, and with it a jackpot of US$ 2.5 million, in Hyderabad. The 41-run margin of victory, however, didn't mean it was a one-sided contest: T&T dominated initially, reducing NSW to 83 for 6, before Lee's fighting innings lifted his side to a competitive total. He then returned for a fiery spell with the new ball, jolting T&T's chase with two early wickets.
The match was won and lost in ten overs - the last five of the NSW innings and the first five of T&T's - and it was Lee who imposed himself on the game-breaking moments. The game had several subplots - the nervy collapse of both top orders, Ravi Rampaul's canny seam bowling, Steven Smith's sensible support act and the threat posed by Kieron Pollard - but the one that had the biggest impact was Lee's all-round contribution.
He walked in with NSW tottering and proceeded to slowly pull them out of the hole before shifting gears to propel them to a competitive score. It was almost the perfect counter punch. Lee's first priority was safety - he scored just 7 off 13 deliveries - but, knowing that meandering to a below-par total would be futile against an aggressive T&T team, he upped the ante with precise and powerful blows in the final overs.
Lee launched his assault in the 16th over against Lendl Simmons: the first delivery - a full toss - was swung over square-leg for six, the fourth was hit over long-on, and the last one carved to the cover boundary. From then on he repeatedly cleared the front leg and swung cleanly through the line. Navin Stewart disappeared over long-on and Sherwin Ganga was heaved over midwicket. Lee got support from Steven Smith, who did what was required: give the strike to Lee, try to pinch the occasional boundary, and ensure he didn't lose his wicket.
Lee was the last man out but wasn't done for the night. He returned to harass the T&T top order with pace, bounce and movement. He bowled the impetuous William Perkins with a full, fast and straight delivery and removed Lendl Simmons by taking a sharp return catch off a slower one. Stuart Clark, with his slower cutters, and Doug Bollinger, with his bounce from short of length, proceeded to strangle T&T's middle order and it was left to that man Pollard to try to do the improbable. And he nearly did.
Throughout this tournament, Pollard has batted like Lance Klusener did in the 1999 World Cup. No target seemed to be too much for him. Just like Klusener, he showed unbelievable composure: he started his innings calmly, dealing in singles, before he unleashed his own brand of razzmatazz. He pulled a free hit from Bollinger over midwicket, swung Nathan Hauritz over long-on and got the equation down to 47 from 31 balls when it happened. He went for another six off Hauritz but couldn't clear the boundary, and who else but Lee at long-on settled under the catch. With Pollard's exit, Trinidad's dream run came to a crushing halt, and they had to settle for second prize - US$ 1.3 million.
It ended with defeat, but the game had started splendidly for T&T. If NSW were to reach a huge total, their two hard-hitting openers had to contribute heavily but that didn't happen. T&T started with a spin-seam combination and Sherwin Ganga, the offspinner, bowled three overs in the Powerplay. David Warner opted to play a weak reverse sweep against him and nearly edged it back to the bowler. Warner did go on to thread a couple of boundaries on the off side but never looked in. Meanwhile the pressure told on his partner Phillip Hughes, who faced three balls in the first three overs, and fell, trying to slog-pull the impressive Ravi Rampaul.
While Sherwin Ganga was miserly, it was Rampaul who really shone with a fine display of canny seam bowling. He hit a full length, got the ball to cut both ways and built pressure. One moment captured his combative spirit perfectly: When Warner tried to impose himself with a crashing cover-drive, Rampaul fired in a sharp 140 kmph bouncer that flew past the startled batsman.
The chance for NSW to break free came in the fifth over bowled by Dwayne Bravo, who had leaked runs in the semi-final. Katich started off with a bottom-hand powered six over long-on but Warner fell in the same over, edging one to right of backward point where Dave Mohammed took a fine catch.
What followed was a nervy phase for NSW as one batsman after another fell to soft dismissals. Katich punched Bravo straight to mid-off, Moises Henriques swung a short delivery to fine-leg, Ben Rohrer pulled a long hop straight to deep midwicket, and Daniel Smith chopped a length delivery back on to his stumps. But Lee and Smith saved the day with some sensible batting before Lee returned with the ball to end T&T's dream.
The match was won and lost in ten overs - the last five of the NSW innings and the first five of T&T's - and it was Lee who imposed himself on the game-breaking moments. The game had several subplots - the nervy collapse of both top orders, Ravi Rampaul's canny seam bowling, Steven Smith's sensible support act and the threat posed by Kieron Pollard - but the one that had the biggest impact was Lee's all-round contribution.
He walked in with NSW tottering and proceeded to slowly pull them out of the hole before shifting gears to propel them to a competitive score. It was almost the perfect counter punch. Lee's first priority was safety - he scored just 7 off 13 deliveries - but, knowing that meandering to a below-par total would be futile against an aggressive T&T team, he upped the ante with precise and powerful blows in the final overs.
Lee launched his assault in the 16th over against Lendl Simmons: the first delivery - a full toss - was swung over square-leg for six, the fourth was hit over long-on, and the last one carved to the cover boundary. From then on he repeatedly cleared the front leg and swung cleanly through the line. Navin Stewart disappeared over long-on and Sherwin Ganga was heaved over midwicket. Lee got support from Steven Smith, who did what was required: give the strike to Lee, try to pinch the occasional boundary, and ensure he didn't lose his wicket.
Lee was the last man out but wasn't done for the night. He returned to harass the T&T top order with pace, bounce and movement. He bowled the impetuous William Perkins with a full, fast and straight delivery and removed Lendl Simmons by taking a sharp return catch off a slower one. Stuart Clark, with his slower cutters, and Doug Bollinger, with his bounce from short of length, proceeded to strangle T&T's middle order and it was left to that man Pollard to try to do the improbable. And he nearly did.
Throughout this tournament, Pollard has batted like Lance Klusener did in the 1999 World Cup. No target seemed to be too much for him. Just like Klusener, he showed unbelievable composure: he started his innings calmly, dealing in singles, before he unleashed his own brand of razzmatazz. He pulled a free hit from Bollinger over midwicket, swung Nathan Hauritz over long-on and got the equation down to 47 from 31 balls when it happened. He went for another six off Hauritz but couldn't clear the boundary, and who else but Lee at long-on settled under the catch. With Pollard's exit, Trinidad's dream run came to a crushing halt, and they had to settle for second prize - US$ 1.3 million.
It ended with defeat, but the game had started splendidly for T&T. If NSW were to reach a huge total, their two hard-hitting openers had to contribute heavily but that didn't happen. T&T started with a spin-seam combination and Sherwin Ganga, the offspinner, bowled three overs in the Powerplay. David Warner opted to play a weak reverse sweep against him and nearly edged it back to the bowler. Warner did go on to thread a couple of boundaries on the off side but never looked in. Meanwhile the pressure told on his partner Phillip Hughes, who faced three balls in the first three overs, and fell, trying to slog-pull the impressive Ravi Rampaul.
While Sherwin Ganga was miserly, it was Rampaul who really shone with a fine display of canny seam bowling. He hit a full length, got the ball to cut both ways and built pressure. One moment captured his combative spirit perfectly: When Warner tried to impose himself with a crashing cover-drive, Rampaul fired in a sharp 140 kmph bouncer that flew past the startled batsman.
The chance for NSW to break free came in the fifth over bowled by Dwayne Bravo, who had leaked runs in the semi-final. Katich started off with a bottom-hand powered six over long-on but Warner fell in the same over, edging one to right of backward point where Dave Mohammed took a fine catch.
What followed was a nervy phase for NSW as one batsman after another fell to soft dismissals. Katich punched Bravo straight to mid-off, Moises Henriques swung a short delivery to fine-leg, Ben Rohrer pulled a long hop straight to deep midwicket, and Daniel Smith chopped a length delivery back on to his stumps. But Lee and Smith saved the day with some sensible batting before Lee returned with the ball to end T&T's dream.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
McGrath to replace Vettori in Delhi squad for Champions League
Delhi Daredevils are set to include Glenn McGrath in their Champions League Twenty20 squad as a replacement for Daniel Vettori. The New Zealand captain had to pull out of the ICC Champions Trophy final against Australia on Monday with a hamstring injury he had aggravated during the semi-final clash against Pakistan. McGrath has already been alerted and is expected to arrive in Delhi on Wednesday pending the organisers' approval.
Delhi Daredevils' chief operating officer Amrit Mathur said two names, including McGrath's, had been sent to the tournament's technical committee. The second, Yogesh Nagar, was a replacement for England allrounder Paul Collingwood, who returned home after the Champions Trophy with a buttock strain. "We have sought the approval from the organisers to replace the injured players and have given the names of McGrath and Nagar, who were part of the original squad of 20," Mathur told Cricinfo.
Delhi have lost three overseas players in less than a week - South African batsman AB De Villers was the first to pull out due to a back injury, followed by Collingwood and now Vettori.
Collingwood's non-participation was confirmed through a press release from the ECB's medical team today. "The scan revealed a grade-two tear and Paul has been withdrawn from the forthcoming Champions League in India in which he was due to play for Delhi Daredevils," the release said.
McGrath's return could be interesting given his absence from competitive cricket since the semi-final of the inaugural IPL in May 2008. Though he was part of the Delhi squad in the second IPL in South Africa, the team management was wary of playing him because of fitness concerns. Peeved at being ignored, the former Australian fast bowler had even spoken about not returning for the third IPL season next year, a comment he claimed he never made.
Delhi Daredevils' chief operating officer Amrit Mathur said two names, including McGrath's, had been sent to the tournament's technical committee. The second, Yogesh Nagar, was a replacement for England allrounder Paul Collingwood, who returned home after the Champions Trophy with a buttock strain. "We have sought the approval from the organisers to replace the injured players and have given the names of McGrath and Nagar, who were part of the original squad of 20," Mathur told Cricinfo.
Delhi have lost three overseas players in less than a week - South African batsman AB De Villers was the first to pull out due to a back injury, followed by Collingwood and now Vettori.
Collingwood's non-participation was confirmed through a press release from the ECB's medical team today. "The scan revealed a grade-two tear and Paul has been withdrawn from the forthcoming Champions League in India in which he was due to play for Delhi Daredevils," the release said.
McGrath's return could be interesting given his absence from competitive cricket since the semi-final of the inaugural IPL in May 2008. Though he was part of the Delhi squad in the second IPL in South Africa, the team management was wary of playing him because of fitness concerns. Peeved at being ignored, the former Australian fast bowler had even spoken about not returning for the third IPL season next year, a comment he claimed he never made.
The youngsters won it for us - Ponting
Ricky Ponting has attributed Australia's Champions Trophy success to the efforts of youngsters in his team, especially their performance in an occasionally tense final.
"We have gone through some ups and downs in the last 18 months. A number of great players have left and we brought in a lot of young, fresh players. It was great to see some of them stand up and deliver," Ponting said after Australia's six-wicket win over New Zealand that gave them their second Champions Trophy title.
Australia's bowling performance in the final was led by Nathan Hauritz, who grabbed 3 for 37, including the well-set Martin Guptill for 40. Later, in their chase of 201, Australia were in trouble at 6 for 2 but Shane Watson and Cameron White added 128 to put them in control. "Two young guys at the crease at 6 for 2, it doesn't get any tougher and they did a great job," Ponting said.
Australia came in to the tournament as favourites along with South Africa, fresh from the success of a 6-1 ODI humiliation of England. They beat West Indies in a tough contest in Johannesburg, were dominant against India in a washed-out game and edged Pakistan in a two-wicket win in Centurion. They were comprehensive winners in the semi-final against England, Ponting and Shane Watson hammering centuries in a nine-wicket win.
"In the ODI series in England after the Ashes, we did well there to put ourselves in a position where we can give this tournament a little bit of a shake," Ponting said. "We've played some great cricket over the last couple of weeks here."
The Champions Trophy also brought personal success for Ponting, as he emerged the highest run-getter with 288 at 72 in four games. He was honoured with a golden bat for that feat, and followed it up with the Man-of-the-Series award, ahead of Watson, who finished the tournament with back-to-back centuries.
"We needed discipline today, and we knew that if I was around till the 40th over, we had a chance," Watson, who was Man of the Match, said after his innings of 105. "It was set up with Ricky's help in the semi-finals to get me through, and he missed out today, but it was time for another to step up.
"The wicket today was a little slower than the other night but Kyle Mills and Shane Bond bowled beautifully straight up until me and White had a good partnership."
"We have gone through some ups and downs in the last 18 months. A number of great players have left and we brought in a lot of young, fresh players. It was great to see some of them stand up and deliver," Ponting said after Australia's six-wicket win over New Zealand that gave them their second Champions Trophy title.
Australia's bowling performance in the final was led by Nathan Hauritz, who grabbed 3 for 37, including the well-set Martin Guptill for 40. Later, in their chase of 201, Australia were in trouble at 6 for 2 but Shane Watson and Cameron White added 128 to put them in control. "Two young guys at the crease at 6 for 2, it doesn't get any tougher and they did a great job," Ponting said.
Australia came in to the tournament as favourites along with South Africa, fresh from the success of a 6-1 ODI humiliation of England. They beat West Indies in a tough contest in Johannesburg, were dominant against India in a washed-out game and edged Pakistan in a two-wicket win in Centurion. They were comprehensive winners in the semi-final against England, Ponting and Shane Watson hammering centuries in a nine-wicket win.
"In the ODI series in England after the Ashes, we did well there to put ourselves in a position where we can give this tournament a little bit of a shake," Ponting said. "We've played some great cricket over the last couple of weeks here."
The Champions Trophy also brought personal success for Ponting, as he emerged the highest run-getter with 288 at 72 in four games. He was honoured with a golden bat for that feat, and followed it up with the Man-of-the-Series award, ahead of Watson, who finished the tournament with back-to-back centuries.
"We needed discipline today, and we knew that if I was around till the 40th over, we had a chance," Watson, who was Man of the Match, said after his innings of 105. "It was set up with Ricky's help in the semi-finals to get me through, and he missed out today, but it was time for another to step up.
"The wicket today was a little slower than the other night but Kyle Mills and Shane Bond bowled beautifully straight up until me and White had a good partnership."
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Arthur eyes Gibbs recall
Pressure sits like a razor-sharp knife on the edge of a table, waiting to be tipped over and chop off someone's toes, or be moved gently, so that its blunt side faces the danger end. The last time South Africa faced England in a major tournament was with the blade pointing straight at them. That was two years ago, at the 2007 World Cup and South Africa were desperate for a win to stay in the Super Eight stage of the competition.
On that occasion, South Africa managed to avert being stabbed in the foot and instead beat England by nine wickets. The situation is almost as dire this time, where defeat to England will mean yet another embarrassing exit from a major tournament on home soil. Mickey Arthur thinks the jagged edge is once again aimed South Africa's way, but backs his side to deal with it. "I think we started the tournament poorly and we've steadily got better," he told Cricinfo. "We were at about 75% against New Zealand, and if we can get to between 90 and 100%, I know we'll be fine."
Even though South Africa will go into the match with a victory of their own in the bank, it's difficult to judge which team has the greater impetus. The hosts lost to the same Sri Lankan side that England dispatched with disdain. England are also building winning momentum, something AB de Villiers believes is the key to winning a tournament. After beating Australia in the seventh match of an otherwise forgettable one-day series for England, they also triumphed over Sri Lanka. Arthur recognises that stringing victories together aids the team's self belief. "We know they are feeling confident because it was an important victory for them," Arthur said. "They played really well against Sri Lanka and must be on a bit of a high."
The match will be played in Centurion, on a wicket that have England have not seen yet, and which in all likelihood will not provide the same pace and bounce as the Wanderers track. Arthur expects England's bowlers may have to work a lot harder to get wickets this time. "Even though it's not the same pitch we played on against Sri Lanka, I still think it's going to be fairly dead." Despite that Arthur thinks England's fast bowlers will still have a role to play. "James Anderson is their best bowler and he is obviously their danger man so we'll have to watch out for him."
South Africa will stick to their two-pronged spin attack because Arthur believes in the value of variation, but there may still be a change in starting XI. Herschelle Gibbs is fit for selection, after recovering from a rib injury. Graeme Smith hinted that Hashim Amla could keep his place at the top of the order, saying "consistent selection will probably stand", but Arthur has indicated otherwise. "We need to sit down and think about where Herschelle is in his game. He trained well earlier today but I also want to wait to see if there are any ramifications of his injury. Our policy has usually been to go back to the incumbent when someone has been out injured. He was the incumbent so we may go back to that."
Arthur also said he thinks the English batting may be their strength going into the match. "What I liked about their batting was that they were not hugely aggressive against Sri Lanka. All the batsmen chipped in with something." He did, however, single out one batsman: "I liked the look of [Eoin] Morgan - there's definitely something there."
The South African team may not have the advantage of a fresh face like Morgan or a run of two consecutive victories but they can take some encouragement out of their progression in the tournament. The most important thing for Arthur is that the team continues to "play our own brand of cricket which is to play with high intensity and be ruthless at the basics." Even if that means driving a blade straight through the core of England's line-up and twisting it for good measure.
On that occasion, South Africa managed to avert being stabbed in the foot and instead beat England by nine wickets. The situation is almost as dire this time, where defeat to England will mean yet another embarrassing exit from a major tournament on home soil. Mickey Arthur thinks the jagged edge is once again aimed South Africa's way, but backs his side to deal with it. "I think we started the tournament poorly and we've steadily got better," he told Cricinfo. "We were at about 75% against New Zealand, and if we can get to between 90 and 100%, I know we'll be fine."
Even though South Africa will go into the match with a victory of their own in the bank, it's difficult to judge which team has the greater impetus. The hosts lost to the same Sri Lankan side that England dispatched with disdain. England are also building winning momentum, something AB de Villiers believes is the key to winning a tournament. After beating Australia in the seventh match of an otherwise forgettable one-day series for England, they also triumphed over Sri Lanka. Arthur recognises that stringing victories together aids the team's self belief. "We know they are feeling confident because it was an important victory for them," Arthur said. "They played really well against Sri Lanka and must be on a bit of a high."
The match will be played in Centurion, on a wicket that have England have not seen yet, and which in all likelihood will not provide the same pace and bounce as the Wanderers track. Arthur expects England's bowlers may have to work a lot harder to get wickets this time. "Even though it's not the same pitch we played on against Sri Lanka, I still think it's going to be fairly dead." Despite that Arthur thinks England's fast bowlers will still have a role to play. "James Anderson is their best bowler and he is obviously their danger man so we'll have to watch out for him."
South Africa will stick to their two-pronged spin attack because Arthur believes in the value of variation, but there may still be a change in starting XI. Herschelle Gibbs is fit for selection, after recovering from a rib injury. Graeme Smith hinted that Hashim Amla could keep his place at the top of the order, saying "consistent selection will probably stand", but Arthur has indicated otherwise. "We need to sit down and think about where Herschelle is in his game. He trained well earlier today but I also want to wait to see if there are any ramifications of his injury. Our policy has usually been to go back to the incumbent when someone has been out injured. He was the incumbent so we may go back to that."
Arthur also said he thinks the English batting may be their strength going into the match. "What I liked about their batting was that they were not hugely aggressive against Sri Lanka. All the batsmen chipped in with something." He did, however, single out one batsman: "I liked the look of [Eoin] Morgan - there's definitely something there."
The South African team may not have the advantage of a fresh face like Morgan or a run of two consecutive victories but they can take some encouragement out of their progression in the tournament. The most important thing for Arthur is that the team continues to "play our own brand of cricket which is to play with high intensity and be ruthless at the basics." Even if that means driving a blade straight through the core of England's line-up and twisting it for good measure.
Ryder out of Champions Trophy 2009
New Zealand's chances of making it to the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals were dealt a blow with the news that Jesse Ryder has been ruled out the rest of the tournament after pulling his left abductor muscle during the Group B match against Sri Lanka at the Wanderers.
In the fifth over of New Zealand's innings, Ryder went down on the ground after taking a single and had to take a runner. Ryder was on 5 then and went on to score 74 off 58 despite the injury. New Zealand will name a replacement for him if they manage to beat Sri Lanka and stay in the tournament. New Zealand lost their opening game against South Africa by five wickets and are currently on two points.
Ryder is the second New Zealand player in the tournament after Jacob Oram (hamstring) to be sidelined by injury.
In the fifth over of New Zealand's innings, Ryder went down on the ground after taking a single and had to take a runner. Ryder was on 5 then and went on to score 74 off 58 despite the injury. New Zealand will name a replacement for him if they manage to beat Sri Lanka and stay in the tournament. New Zealand lost their opening game against South Africa by five wickets and are currently on two points.
Ryder is the second New Zealand player in the tournament after Jacob Oram (hamstring) to be sidelined by injury.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Injured Younis not shirking tough games
Running away holds a significant place in Younis Khan's scheme of things. It is a recurrent theme in his conversation, shirking from challenge, responsibility and difficulty. He has spent his career and life mired in these matters, in making his way into and out of and then back in, in refusing the vice-captaincy in 2002, in refusing the captaincy in 2007 and finally in taking it.
There is a school of informed thought in Pakistan that believes when Younis turned down the captaincy after the last World Cup - effectively that he ran away, if you like - he did so because he wanted to take over when things had become even worse and some kind of savior was needed. It is self-indulgent, righteous and hubristic even, the belief that only you can resolve what is a mess and right all wrongs. Democrats will also tut-tut. But the stance is also to be admired, for, potentially, you set yourself up for big falls, bigger than even the rewards. And to go into it knowing that, it is something few men take on.
In a recent interview with Cricinfo, talking about taking up the captaincy this time Younis said, "I am going to go into this storm, go right to the edge and see how long I can stand there." To him that is the fun. It is a curious, contrary outlook to have and as he is a true Pathan, we can safely say he is no different from many of his kind. The balls here are untampered.
Precisely these things determine his place in the side tomorrow. A finger on his right - and bottom - hand is fractured and the doctors told him he needed four weeks rest. Yesterday morning, a full two days before the India game, barely a week after the injury, the PCB - presumably with Younis's consent, more likely on his directives - announced he will play against India. Bravado indeed.
Given the opponent, it is likely he would've turned up had he lost a limb but nothing is ever to be assumed in Pakistan cricket; few people have forgotten just who didn't turn up for the 1996 World Cup quarter-final against India. "I am playing tomorrow. I was told four weeks rest but I want to take my chance tomorrow, playing against India. Maybe if it wasn't India I would've skipped this match. It's very easy for me to run away, I have a fracture and I can leave it, not play against India and Australia. But these are big games. If you don't perform in a big tournament you have to face consequences and it is very easy for me to run away here."
He is a chancer, for he believes that having tried something and failed is much more preferable than not having tried it at all. Not playing tomorrow is worse than playing and failing. And playing and succeeding is the glory of all glories. It is a choice that might dictate the inclusion or otherwise of Mohammad Asif, for example, and it is in these delicate balances of choice and decision that Younis is found.
"I am looking at the big picture, who knows I may perform tomorrow and that performance will be remembered because I played with a broken finger. If I score a hundred and become Man of the Match and win the match - that is the big picture. Not playing is no advantage at all. This is manageable, maybe with an injection tomorrow, but I might play in pain tomorrow.
"We're all used to playing in pain, and the motivation has to be there to get up and play for the country. I am not 100%, it will hamper my fielding and if I get hit I will be in pain but the big picture is, why not come out and do something like Sachin did in 2003, something for my country which they will remember me for ages."
He is a fascinating study; a strikingly honest man, hyper, stubborn, proud, sometimes vindictive and much worldlier than many of his team-mates. Currently, he is one of the few really good men in Pakistan cricket's setup. If he and his team fail tomorrow, he will front up and explain why they did. If there is success, he will turn up much the same. But turn up he will.
There is a school of informed thought in Pakistan that believes when Younis turned down the captaincy after the last World Cup - effectively that he ran away, if you like - he did so because he wanted to take over when things had become even worse and some kind of savior was needed. It is self-indulgent, righteous and hubristic even, the belief that only you can resolve what is a mess and right all wrongs. Democrats will also tut-tut. But the stance is also to be admired, for, potentially, you set yourself up for big falls, bigger than even the rewards. And to go into it knowing that, it is something few men take on.
In a recent interview with Cricinfo, talking about taking up the captaincy this time Younis said, "I am going to go into this storm, go right to the edge and see how long I can stand there." To him that is the fun. It is a curious, contrary outlook to have and as he is a true Pathan, we can safely say he is no different from many of his kind. The balls here are untampered.
Precisely these things determine his place in the side tomorrow. A finger on his right - and bottom - hand is fractured and the doctors told him he needed four weeks rest. Yesterday morning, a full two days before the India game, barely a week after the injury, the PCB - presumably with Younis's consent, more likely on his directives - announced he will play against India. Bravado indeed.
Given the opponent, it is likely he would've turned up had he lost a limb but nothing is ever to be assumed in Pakistan cricket; few people have forgotten just who didn't turn up for the 1996 World Cup quarter-final against India. "I am playing tomorrow. I was told four weeks rest but I want to take my chance tomorrow, playing against India. Maybe if it wasn't India I would've skipped this match. It's very easy for me to run away, I have a fracture and I can leave it, not play against India and Australia. But these are big games. If you don't perform in a big tournament you have to face consequences and it is very easy for me to run away here."
He is a chancer, for he believes that having tried something and failed is much more preferable than not having tried it at all. Not playing tomorrow is worse than playing and failing. And playing and succeeding is the glory of all glories. It is a choice that might dictate the inclusion or otherwise of Mohammad Asif, for example, and it is in these delicate balances of choice and decision that Younis is found.
"I am looking at the big picture, who knows I may perform tomorrow and that performance will be remembered because I played with a broken finger. If I score a hundred and become Man of the Match and win the match - that is the big picture. Not playing is no advantage at all. This is manageable, maybe with an injection tomorrow, but I might play in pain tomorrow.
"We're all used to playing in pain, and the motivation has to be there to get up and play for the country. I am not 100%, it will hamper my fielding and if I get hit I will be in pain but the big picture is, why not come out and do something like Sachin did in 2003, something for my country which they will remember me for ages."
He is a fascinating study; a strikingly honest man, hyper, stubborn, proud, sometimes vindictive and much worldlier than many of his team-mates. Currently, he is one of the few really good men in Pakistan cricket's setup. If he and his team fail tomorrow, he will front up and explain why they did. If there is success, he will turn up much the same. But turn up he will.
Franklin called up to replace Oram
James Franklin, the New Zealand left-arm medium-fast bowler, has been called up as a replacement for the injured Jacob Oram at the ICC Champions Trophy. Franklin, who was playing for Gloucestershire against Kent in Bristol, will leave the match halfway to head to South Africa.
Oram pulled his hamstring during training and missed New Zealand's opening game of the tournament along with Ian Butler, who caught a stomach bug.
In seven Friends Provident Trophy matches for Gloucestershire this season, Franklin has taken 11 wickets at 21.90 and scored 224 runs at a strike-rate of 82.05. In the ongoing County Championship match, Franklin ended day two unbeaten on 104 after taking 5 for 30 to restrict Kent to 264.
New Zealand lost to South Africa by five wickets on Thursday.
Oram pulled his hamstring during training and missed New Zealand's opening game of the tournament along with Ian Butler, who caught a stomach bug.
In seven Friends Provident Trophy matches for Gloucestershire this season, Franklin has taken 11 wickets at 21.90 and scored 224 runs at a strike-rate of 82.05. In the ongoing County Championship match, Franklin ended day two unbeaten on 104 after taking 5 for 30 to restrict Kent to 264.
New Zealand lost to South Africa by five wickets on Thursday.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Out-of-form England face tough opener
Andrew Strauss is usually as affable as international captains come, but despite his upbeat sentiments, there was no disguising the exhausted despondency with which he addressed the media in Johannesburg on Wednesday, as England prepared to face the music in a one-day competition that has humiliation stamped all over it. True, they arrive in the country boasting a winning streak of one match, after denying Australia a 7-0 whitewash in the final ODI of the English summer on Sunday, but even in that irrelevant face-saver, they still shipped six wickets chasing 177.
And now, with respect to an Australian side that may be the reigning Champions Trophy champions but are still in an undeniable rebuilding phase, England prepare to face a team that really knows how to play one-day cricket. Sri Lanka simply hammered the much-fancied tournament hosts, South Africa, in the opening match on Tuesday. Tillakaratne Dilshan's majestic hundred put the match out of reach, as the wiles of Ajantha Mendis proved too canny to allow a 300-plus target to be pursued with any confidence - even for a team stacked with the sort of power-players that England can only dream of.
In the absence of Kevin Pietersen (who has scored two of England's three ODI hundreds since January 2008 - a tally that even Scotland has surpassed) and latterly Andrew Flintoff and even Luke Wright, England lack batsmen who can break the shackles, and raise the tempo. Strauss has been batting like a dream all summer, but even at his most imperious, he is still a man for whom an 80.00 strike-rate is a pacey tempo - hence his unfortunate habit during the Australia ODIs of getting out when well set, usually while attempting a reverse-sweep or similar, shots that his colleagues ought to have been producing while he continued to anchor the innings.
Strange results are possible in 50-over cricket - let's not forget, when England were last humiliated by Australia in a one-day campaign, in Australia in 2006-07, they somehow emerged with the CB Series trophy in their luggage, after Paul Collingwood stitched together back-to-back victories in the finals. But they've never yet won an ICC global event, and they've rarely looked less ready to break that habit. The rarefied atmosphere of the Highveld is no place for weary cricketers.
Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England - WLLLL
Sri Lanka - WLWWL
Team news
With so many key players injured, and too many of the current incumbents out of form, it's hard to know how England can hope to improve on their home form. Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah have been woefully short of confidence and one of that pair could well make way to enable England to field an extra seamer - which could well be their one trump card, having seen how dramatically South Africa's early-season wickets have zipped around so far. Whether Tim Bresnan ousts Graham Onions depends on how much England value his extra batting abilities.
England (possible): 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Joe Denly, 3 Owais Shah, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Matt Prior (wk), 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Stuart Broad, 8 Graeme Swann, 9 Tim Bresnan, 10 Ryan Sidebottom, 11 James Anderson.
Sri Lanka have very little to improve upon. Sanath Jayasuriya remains a concern at the top of the order, but he'll play on until he drops, while the tireless Muttiah Muralitharan never ceases to be a menace. Lasith Malinga's round-arm hostility will be a familiar but awkward challenge for Joe Denly, who will have gained a valuable sighter of his unorthodox action in the Kent nets.
Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilina Kandamby, 6 Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Muttiah Muralitharan, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Ajantha Mendis.
Watch out for...
An ICC event in South Africa was where James Anderson made his name way back in 2003, when he was the rising star of England's attack, not least during a monumental performance against Pakistan in Cape Town when, in the immortal words of Cricinfo's erstwhile scribe, Rob Smyth, he proved "so good under the lights, he ought to have been a moth". If he can replicate the hostility that he showed in patches during the Ashes, and exploit the moist conditions that tend to prevail when the evening dew kicks in, he can cause a flap once again. Assuming England's batsmen give him a total to defend, that is.
With 71 wickets in 34 ODIs since his debut in April 2008, Ajantha Mendis has been one of the bowling sensations of the past 18 months, but England as yet have been denied an opportunity to sample his unique bag of tricks. A three-wicket haul in the opening game against South Africa confirmed that his carrom ball is flicking out nicely, and it remains to be seen how England manage to counter his wiles. Traditionally they've not been too impressive when it comes to figuring out mystery spinners ...
Pitch and conditions
It's early in the season on the Highveld, so who knows what to expect? So far, there has been evidence of helpful bowling conditions, unsurprisingly, and there has been plenty of rain in the high-altitude air as well.
Stats and trivia
Jayasuriya has scored 28 ODI hundreds in 439 matches spanning 18 years. The 11 players who took the field for England in the seventh ODI at Chester-le-Street have a grand total of nine hundreds between them. Paul Collingwood, the most-capped player by a distance, has notched up 166 appearances.
Sri Lanka have won only one of four ODI'Sthey have played at the Wanderers, and that was to avoid a 6-0 whitewash in 2000-01. Their last visit, during the 2003 World Cup, culminated in a 183-run drubbing at the hands of the eventual runners-up, India
England have played three matches at the venue, all against South Africa, and at the third attempt they recorded their first win, by 26 runs in a rain-affected contest in 2005, notable for Kevin Pietersen's hostile homecoming.
And now, with respect to an Australian side that may be the reigning Champions Trophy champions but are still in an undeniable rebuilding phase, England prepare to face a team that really knows how to play one-day cricket. Sri Lanka simply hammered the much-fancied tournament hosts, South Africa, in the opening match on Tuesday. Tillakaratne Dilshan's majestic hundred put the match out of reach, as the wiles of Ajantha Mendis proved too canny to allow a 300-plus target to be pursued with any confidence - even for a team stacked with the sort of power-players that England can only dream of.
In the absence of Kevin Pietersen (who has scored two of England's three ODI hundreds since January 2008 - a tally that even Scotland has surpassed) and latterly Andrew Flintoff and even Luke Wright, England lack batsmen who can break the shackles, and raise the tempo. Strauss has been batting like a dream all summer, but even at his most imperious, he is still a man for whom an 80.00 strike-rate is a pacey tempo - hence his unfortunate habit during the Australia ODIs of getting out when well set, usually while attempting a reverse-sweep or similar, shots that his colleagues ought to have been producing while he continued to anchor the innings.
Strange results are possible in 50-over cricket - let's not forget, when England were last humiliated by Australia in a one-day campaign, in Australia in 2006-07, they somehow emerged with the CB Series trophy in their luggage, after Paul Collingwood stitched together back-to-back victories in the finals. But they've never yet won an ICC global event, and they've rarely looked less ready to break that habit. The rarefied atmosphere of the Highveld is no place for weary cricketers.
Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England - WLLLL
Sri Lanka - WLWWL
Team news
With so many key players injured, and too many of the current incumbents out of form, it's hard to know how England can hope to improve on their home form. Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah have been woefully short of confidence and one of that pair could well make way to enable England to field an extra seamer - which could well be their one trump card, having seen how dramatically South Africa's early-season wickets have zipped around so far. Whether Tim Bresnan ousts Graham Onions depends on how much England value his extra batting abilities.
England (possible): 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Joe Denly, 3 Owais Shah, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Matt Prior (wk), 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Stuart Broad, 8 Graeme Swann, 9 Tim Bresnan, 10 Ryan Sidebottom, 11 James Anderson.
Sri Lanka have very little to improve upon. Sanath Jayasuriya remains a concern at the top of the order, but he'll play on until he drops, while the tireless Muttiah Muralitharan never ceases to be a menace. Lasith Malinga's round-arm hostility will be a familiar but awkward challenge for Joe Denly, who will have gained a valuable sighter of his unorthodox action in the Kent nets.
Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilina Kandamby, 6 Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Muttiah Muralitharan, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Ajantha Mendis.
Watch out for...
An ICC event in South Africa was where James Anderson made his name way back in 2003, when he was the rising star of England's attack, not least during a monumental performance against Pakistan in Cape Town when, in the immortal words of Cricinfo's erstwhile scribe, Rob Smyth, he proved "so good under the lights, he ought to have been a moth". If he can replicate the hostility that he showed in patches during the Ashes, and exploit the moist conditions that tend to prevail when the evening dew kicks in, he can cause a flap once again. Assuming England's batsmen give him a total to defend, that is.
With 71 wickets in 34 ODIs since his debut in April 2008, Ajantha Mendis has been one of the bowling sensations of the past 18 months, but England as yet have been denied an opportunity to sample his unique bag of tricks. A three-wicket haul in the opening game against South Africa confirmed that his carrom ball is flicking out nicely, and it remains to be seen how England manage to counter his wiles. Traditionally they've not been too impressive when it comes to figuring out mystery spinners ...
Pitch and conditions
It's early in the season on the Highveld, so who knows what to expect? So far, there has been evidence of helpful bowling conditions, unsurprisingly, and there has been plenty of rain in the high-altitude air as well.
Stats and trivia
Jayasuriya has scored 28 ODI hundreds in 439 matches spanning 18 years. The 11 players who took the field for England in the seventh ODI at Chester-le-Street have a grand total of nine hundreds between them. Paul Collingwood, the most-capped player by a distance, has notched up 166 appearances.
Sri Lanka have won only one of four ODI'Sthey have played at the Wanderers, and that was to avoid a 6-0 whitewash in 2000-01. Their last visit, during the 2003 World Cup, culminated in a 183-run drubbing at the hands of the eventual runners-up, India
England have played three matches at the venue, all against South Africa, and at the third attempt they recorded their first win, by 26 runs in a rain-affected contest in 2005, notable for Kevin Pietersen's hostile homecoming.
How Yuvraj's injury could change India's plan?
India's Champions Trophy campaign suffered a major setback even before it started with Yuvraj Singh fracturing a finger during a practice session in Johannesburg. The injury will sideline him for six weeks, which puts him in doubt for the home ODI series against Australia. Virat Kohli will replace him in the Champions Trophy squad while Gautam Gambhir takes over as vice-captain.
Yuvraj's absence presents fascinating challenges to a batting line-up struggling to cope with Virender Sehwag's unavailability and the failures of Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina. Rahul Dravid was recalled as a result of those problems, and his role grows in stature with the current crisis.
There has been a pattern to India's innings since Sehwag's injury: Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir are solid at the top, MS Dhoni anchors the innings during the middle overs, while Yuvraj provides firepower to propel India to a strong total. That will now have to change.
Yuvraj's injury is likely to most affect Dhoni. Of late Dhoni has adopted a more sedate approach and has almost cut out his big shots. It could be said that even when Dhoni tried to play big shots during the final overs of ODIs, and in tournaments like the World Twenty20 and IPL, he could not pull them off consistently. However, with Yuvraj in the team, Dhoni could play the anchoring role, which he has done brilliantly. Time and again he promoted himself, especially when India made a good start, to steer the side through the middle overs, allowing Yuvraj to flex his muscles at the end.
That worked like a charm but it may change now. Dhoni could be forced to do what he has given up, turning the clock back and playing the aggressive shots that captured the imagination of his fans. It will be intriguing to see what route he takes: Will he bat at No 4 and leave the attacking roles to his younger team-mates, or will he take it up himself?
Dhoni's re-adjustment process could be helped by the presence of Dravid, whose much-discussed - and in some quarters much criticised - comeback couldn't have been timed better. Dravid can play the anchoring role, one that obviously suits him, and it might help him as well. He might have been under pressure earlier to increase the run-rate but now his role will be to bat through the innings. Dravid normally starts slowly but by the end of his innings his strike-rate is usually acceptable. Now, he can afford to start slowly without the added pressure.
Yuvraj's injury could also affect Tendulkar's role. With Dravid at No. 3 and Yuvraj to come, Tendulkar, as he showed recently in Sri Lanka, started to bat more fluently at the top. Because Dravid's strike-rate was likely to be low at the start of the innings, Tendulkar had to bat positively to seize the momentum. But now with Yuvraj missing, will he feel he has to bat through the innings? Will it hamper his fluency?
The good news is that Kohli, Yuvraj's replacement in the squad, is in fine form. He scored 398 runs at an average of 66.33, with two hundreds and two fifties, in the Emerging Players tournament in Australia and is a genuine talent in limited-overs cricket. Kohli was unfairly bracketed as a Twenty20 player; his skills are actually more suited to the 50-over format. He is not a power hitter in the conventional sense, he likes to take his time to settle down but possesses the shots to dictate terms later. Along with Dravid, he can be expected to take the lead during the middle-overs and allow Dhoni, Raina and Yusuf Pathan(or Abhishek Nayar) freedom during the final overs.
Ironically, even if India can compensate for Yuvraj's batting skills, they are likely to miss his left-arm spin. He has taken 12 wickets at 30.91 this year and Dhoni has increasingly used him in ODIs. He has allowed India to get away with just one regular spinner in Harbhajan Singh and his absence is likely to upset the balance of the team.
Yuvraj's absence presents fascinating challenges to a batting line-up struggling to cope with Virender Sehwag's unavailability and the failures of Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina. Rahul Dravid was recalled as a result of those problems, and his role grows in stature with the current crisis.
There has been a pattern to India's innings since Sehwag's injury: Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir are solid at the top, MS Dhoni anchors the innings during the middle overs, while Yuvraj provides firepower to propel India to a strong total. That will now have to change.
Yuvraj's injury is likely to most affect Dhoni. Of late Dhoni has adopted a more sedate approach and has almost cut out his big shots. It could be said that even when Dhoni tried to play big shots during the final overs of ODIs, and in tournaments like the World Twenty20 and IPL, he could not pull them off consistently. However, with Yuvraj in the team, Dhoni could play the anchoring role, which he has done brilliantly. Time and again he promoted himself, especially when India made a good start, to steer the side through the middle overs, allowing Yuvraj to flex his muscles at the end.
That worked like a charm but it may change now. Dhoni could be forced to do what he has given up, turning the clock back and playing the aggressive shots that captured the imagination of his fans. It will be intriguing to see what route he takes: Will he bat at No 4 and leave the attacking roles to his younger team-mates, or will he take it up himself?
Dhoni's re-adjustment process could be helped by the presence of Dravid, whose much-discussed - and in some quarters much criticised - comeback couldn't have been timed better. Dravid can play the anchoring role, one that obviously suits him, and it might help him as well. He might have been under pressure earlier to increase the run-rate but now his role will be to bat through the innings. Dravid normally starts slowly but by the end of his innings his strike-rate is usually acceptable. Now, he can afford to start slowly without the added pressure.
Yuvraj's injury could also affect Tendulkar's role. With Dravid at No. 3 and Yuvraj to come, Tendulkar, as he showed recently in Sri Lanka, started to bat more fluently at the top. Because Dravid's strike-rate was likely to be low at the start of the innings, Tendulkar had to bat positively to seize the momentum. But now with Yuvraj missing, will he feel he has to bat through the innings? Will it hamper his fluency?
The good news is that Kohli, Yuvraj's replacement in the squad, is in fine form. He scored 398 runs at an average of 66.33, with two hundreds and two fifties, in the Emerging Players tournament in Australia and is a genuine talent in limited-overs cricket. Kohli was unfairly bracketed as a Twenty20 player; his skills are actually more suited to the 50-over format. He is not a power hitter in the conventional sense, he likes to take his time to settle down but possesses the shots to dictate terms later. Along with Dravid, he can be expected to take the lead during the middle-overs and allow Dhoni, Raina and Yusuf Pathan(or Abhishek Nayar) freedom during the final overs.
Ironically, even if India can compensate for Yuvraj's batting skills, they are likely to miss his left-arm spin. He has taken 12 wickets at 30.91 this year and Dhoni has increasingly used him in ODIs. He has allowed India to get away with just one regular spinner in Harbhajan Singh and his absence is likely to upset the balance of the team.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sehwag steps down as Delhi Daredevils captain, Gambhir to replace
Star Indian opener Virender Sehwag on Monday stepped down from the captainship of the Indian premier league (IPL) team Delhi Dare Devils.
Another Indian opening batsman Gautam Gambhir will replace Sehwag.
Sehwag is sidelined for over four months from the Indian squad.
Gambhir said he would draw from his experience of leading the Delhi Ranji team while captaining the Daredevils.
Gambhir added that, he would seek Sehwag and other senior player’s advice as and when needed during his stint.
Sehwag who is suffering from shoulder injury missed the Twenty20 World Cup in England, the One-day series in the West Indies and the recently-concluded the tri-nation one day international Compaq Cup in Sri Lanka.
Another Indian opening batsman Gautam Gambhir will replace Sehwag.
Sehwag is sidelined for over four months from the Indian squad.
Gambhir said he would draw from his experience of leading the Delhi Ranji team while captaining the Daredevils.
Gambhir added that, he would seek Sehwag and other senior player’s advice as and when needed during his stint.
Sehwag who is suffering from shoulder injury missed the Twenty20 World Cup in England, the One-day series in the West Indies and the recently-concluded the tri-nation one day international Compaq Cup in Sri Lanka.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
India Wins Compaq Cup Final.(Tri-Series)
In today’s final of the Compaq Cup triangular one day series which is being held in Colombo, played out between India and Sri Lanka at the R. Premdasa Stadium, the Indian captain Mahendra Dhoni had won the toss and had elected to bat. The Indian team launched in to an early attack with the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar in a fiery form. Tendulkar raced the match to a great score, playing alongside Rahul Dravid, who got out at 39. The two put up a substantial opening score of 95 for the opening wicket before Dravid was sent packing from the field when Sanath Jayasuriya dismissed him.
Tendulkar made a score of 138 of 133 ball, the 44th one day international century for him. His enormous score and batting, plus the joint team effort of the team put up a big score of 319 for 5 for the host team to chase. His superb century also included 10 fours and 1 six. He was ably assisted by both M.S. Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, who put up half centuries each.
Tendulkar made a score of 138 of 133 ball, the 44th one day international century for him. His enormous score and batting, plus the joint team effort of the team put up a big score of 319 for 5 for the host team to chase. His superb century also included 10 fours and 1 six. He was ably assisted by both M.S. Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, who put up half centuries each.
The Sri Lankan side gave in 18 wides to further the cause of the Indian team. The Indian side made a change in the batting line up, having replaced Dinesh Karthik by Virat Kohli.
With an enormous score to chase, the host nation already seemed to be under a lot of pressure and it showed in their every move as they took to the pitch. Batting veterans like Jayasuriya and captain Sangkkara fell early on in the match without achieving to sum up a great total. After Saturday’s defeat, India looks like to be in a state to crush the powerful Lankans. According to just received updates, India has won the match by 46 runs, with the Lankans being all out at 273 in 46.4 overs. India wins the final of the tri-series.
With an enormous score to chase, the host nation already seemed to be under a lot of pressure and it showed in their every move as they took to the pitch. Batting veterans like Jayasuriya and captain Sangkkara fell early on in the match without achieving to sum up a great total. After Saturday’s defeat, India looks like to be in a state to crush the powerful Lankans. According to just received updates, India has won the match by 46 runs, with the Lankans being all out at 273 in 46.4 overs. India wins the final of the tri-series.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Flintoff mulls Twenty20 freelance role
Andrew Flintoff is giving serious consideration to becoming a freelancer cricketer according to his manager, Andrew Chandler, in a Sunday newspaper. Flintoff has already received a number of offers, but his recent knee surgery means he will be sidelined for at least six months. On Friday he was awarded an incremental contract by the ECB, but the option of lucrative Twenty20 deals will be very tempting.
Flintoff 's freelancing would have followed the route expected to be taken by Australian allrounder, Andrew Symonds, who is also eyeing several Twenty20 opportunities around the world after his national career stalled due to disciplinary issues.
"He'll play for Chennai [Super Kings in the IPL], he might play for an Australian team, a South African team, maybe one in the West Indies," Chandler told the Observer. "If he hadn't have been injured he would have probably played in December-January in Australia. And then at the end of January, early February in South Africa. I was already negotiating with them. We were negotiating with South Australia and the Durban team, the Nashua Dolphins. And there's been an offer from Northern Transvaal [Northerns] as well."
Flintoff is heading to Dubai for a three-month spell to aid his rehabilitation from a right knee surgery after was operated on a day after helping England regain the Ashes, his farewell Test series. He has targeted a return to full fitness before England's one-day leg on their tour of Bangladesh next February.
The ECB awarded an incremental contract to Flintoff as they hope will be key part of England's limited-over sides when fit and has stated he wants to play until the 2015 World Cup. But England coach Andy Flower had said his players could take part in only three weeks of the 45-day IPL next year if they toured Bangladesh. That means Flintoff, the joint highest-paid player in the IPL along with Kevin Pietersen, could stand to lose about half of his US$1.55m fee by going to Bangladesh.
Chandler said there was no clause in Flintoff's central contract preventing the allrounder from playing all IPL matches. "I'm not saying he's not going to play for England because he probably will do," Chandler said. "But he's definitely going to play for different teams during the year. The England contract does not state anything about not being able to play IPL or anything like that."
When the contract list was announced, Flower had warned that players' workload needs to be managed and that participation in lucrative leagues like the IPL will continue to be an issue over the next few years. The amount of time England players were available for the 2009 IPL season had been a major sticking point between the ECB and the Indian board earlier this year before a compromise was reached.
Flintoff 's freelancing would have followed the route expected to be taken by Australian allrounder, Andrew Symonds, who is also eyeing several Twenty20 opportunities around the world after his national career stalled due to disciplinary issues.
"He'll play for Chennai [Super Kings in the IPL], he might play for an Australian team, a South African team, maybe one in the West Indies," Chandler told the Observer. "If he hadn't have been injured he would have probably played in December-January in Australia. And then at the end of January, early February in South Africa. I was already negotiating with them. We were negotiating with South Australia and the Durban team, the Nashua Dolphins. And there's been an offer from Northern Transvaal [Northerns] as well."
Flintoff is heading to Dubai for a three-month spell to aid his rehabilitation from a right knee surgery after was operated on a day after helping England regain the Ashes, his farewell Test series. He has targeted a return to full fitness before England's one-day leg on their tour of Bangladesh next February.
The ECB awarded an incremental contract to Flintoff as they hope will be key part of England's limited-over sides when fit and has stated he wants to play until the 2015 World Cup. But England coach Andy Flower had said his players could take part in only three weeks of the 45-day IPL next year if they toured Bangladesh. That means Flintoff, the joint highest-paid player in the IPL along with Kevin Pietersen, could stand to lose about half of his US$1.55m fee by going to Bangladesh.
Chandler said there was no clause in Flintoff's central contract preventing the allrounder from playing all IPL matches. "I'm not saying he's not going to play for England because he probably will do," Chandler said. "But he's definitely going to play for different teams during the year. The England contract does not state anything about not being able to play IPL or anything like that."
When the contract list was announced, Flower had warned that players' workload needs to be managed and that participation in lucrative leagues like the IPL will continue to be an issue over the next few years. The amount of time England players were available for the 2009 IPL season had been a major sticking point between the ECB and the Indian board earlier this year before a compromise was reached.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Nehra shapes up for big role
As one-sided contests go, India will find it difficult to outdo this effort against New Zealand. Admittedly, New Zealand's batting order put up a meek display for the second game running on a decent batting track, but India never eased the pressure for an over. This was further affirmation of a trait this one-day team has prided itself on over the last two years: the ability to not let the foot off the opposition's throat. This is where New Zealand struggled against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, providing them an escape route, but not so with India.
The combined hunger and character displayed in the field was inspiring for a side lacking three key players, and a significant sign for one that has a lot of one-day cricket lined up. One of the key figures today was Ashish Nehra, whose bowling performance was further indication that he has rediscovered his form after a long time out of the side. The last time Nehra bowled at the R Premadasa Stadium he took 6 for 59, but India lost the match, and with it the tri-series. His efforts today set up a win, and he was once again impressive with the new ball.
One match into a short tournament which is India's last chance before the Champions Trophy, the management will have been thoroughly impressed by Nehra's performance. Despite featuring prominently in India's 2-1 series win against West Indies where he grabbed three-wicket hauls in their victories in Kingston and St Lucia, Nehra was under pressure. He had spoken of his ambition to lead the attack in Zaheer Khan's absence. The manner in which he nipped out New Zealand's openers and stymied runs at the death suggested he will have a big role to play in South Africa, where he has done well.
Nehra was spot on from the first over. Jesse Ryder is a batsman who, though extremely still as the bowler runs in and relies on pure speed, doesn't move his feet much. Having seen Nehra pitch full and bring his first ball in to Brendon McCullum, and then have the first ball to bowled to him land full and do nothing, Ryder paid the price for not moving his feet as he attempted to clip across the line. The ball curved back in and beat the shot. To McCullum, Nehra pitched the wicket-taking ball on a length, on middle and leg. McCullum didn't get into a good position to counter the angle and the ball rapped him on the pads. He was a dead duck.
"We all know the reputation the Premadasa wicket has, of being slow and so on," said Nehra matter-of-factly, "so the key was to bowl line and length." His first spell, with figures of 6-0-19-2, was highlighted by his accuracy and ability to keep the right-handers tied down. He fed them a clever mixture of good-length deliveries and, while he didn't get a lot of swing back in, he was more than enough for this line-up. Traditionally, left-handed fast bowlers provide less width to the batsmen with their angle of release. A right-handed batsman will take plenty of risk if he attempts to crack a left-arm bowler through the off side, because the ball could angle away from him, straighten, or go across and still hit off stump. Nehra kept every batsman he bowled to guessing the angle, and there were plenty of occasions where he beat the bat with lovely curve. It wasn't fearsome left-handed bowling, but it was a lesson in the art of seam bowling; Nehra repeatedly angled the ball from over the stumps and kept it just outside off.
A short ball that Martin Guptill pulled for four was an aberration in an otherwise faultless spell. New Zealand's batsmen were able to score from only 11 of his 36 deliveries during the first spell, as he landed the ball on a good length with almost unerring accuracy.
When he returned late in the innings Nehra gave nothing away and shut out New Zealand in the 47th over. He used his head, varying his pace and, most importantly, bowling with accuracy. His last 16 deliveries cost him six runs and brought him a third wicket; his overall efforts bagged him the Man-of-the-Match award too. If he can touch up on the ball that dips in to the right-hander, he could be a more potent force in time to come.
Nehra's opening partner, RP Singh, also played his part with a sturdy first spell and another at the death. Moving the ball gently away, RP took out two wickets, including Ross Taylor, the prize scalp in a weak line-up.
Nehra, whose return to the team owed largely to his success in the IPL, has had his presence here overshadowed by Rahul Dravid. Today, without much fuss, he reminded all of his worth. His return has not been easy. Nehra had to undergo plenty of rehabilitation and had put in the hard yards in domestic cricket and then in the IPL to earn a call-up. "It's down to a lot of hard work," he said. "I had to really go through a lot to recuperate and reach where I am today. There was about 18 months when I didn't even touch a cricket ball. I'm really pleased with today's achievement, but more important is that we won."
Lasting a complete tour has been a problem for Nehra and he's had double the number of injuries as his batting average. He has returned looking better than the man who was once just a passenger in the Indian side. "Because of injuries, I had been struggling for the last few years", Nehra said. "But now I am back on track, since the last six-seven months. I've really worked hard and it's paying off for me now."
Two moments stand out in Nehra's career: the World Cup match in Durban when he hacked through England with 6 for 23 and a terrific final over in Karachi in 2004 when Pakistan threatened to chase 350. On both instances, inevitably, he had just recovered from injury. Over a month ago, in the West Indies, Nehra offered a fair indication of his fitness and mindset on return to the side; today, he further reconfirmed it with a match-winning bowling display.
The combined hunger and character displayed in the field was inspiring for a side lacking three key players, and a significant sign for one that has a lot of one-day cricket lined up. One of the key figures today was Ashish Nehra, whose bowling performance was further indication that he has rediscovered his form after a long time out of the side. The last time Nehra bowled at the R Premadasa Stadium he took 6 for 59, but India lost the match, and with it the tri-series. His efforts today set up a win, and he was once again impressive with the new ball.
One match into a short tournament which is India's last chance before the Champions Trophy, the management will have been thoroughly impressed by Nehra's performance. Despite featuring prominently in India's 2-1 series win against West Indies where he grabbed three-wicket hauls in their victories in Kingston and St Lucia, Nehra was under pressure. He had spoken of his ambition to lead the attack in Zaheer Khan's absence. The manner in which he nipped out New Zealand's openers and stymied runs at the death suggested he will have a big role to play in South Africa, where he has done well.
Nehra was spot on from the first over. Jesse Ryder is a batsman who, though extremely still as the bowler runs in and relies on pure speed, doesn't move his feet much. Having seen Nehra pitch full and bring his first ball in to Brendon McCullum, and then have the first ball to bowled to him land full and do nothing, Ryder paid the price for not moving his feet as he attempted to clip across the line. The ball curved back in and beat the shot. To McCullum, Nehra pitched the wicket-taking ball on a length, on middle and leg. McCullum didn't get into a good position to counter the angle and the ball rapped him on the pads. He was a dead duck.
"We all know the reputation the Premadasa wicket has, of being slow and so on," said Nehra matter-of-factly, "so the key was to bowl line and length." His first spell, with figures of 6-0-19-2, was highlighted by his accuracy and ability to keep the right-handers tied down. He fed them a clever mixture of good-length deliveries and, while he didn't get a lot of swing back in, he was more than enough for this line-up. Traditionally, left-handed fast bowlers provide less width to the batsmen with their angle of release. A right-handed batsman will take plenty of risk if he attempts to crack a left-arm bowler through the off side, because the ball could angle away from him, straighten, or go across and still hit off stump. Nehra kept every batsman he bowled to guessing the angle, and there were plenty of occasions where he beat the bat with lovely curve. It wasn't fearsome left-handed bowling, but it was a lesson in the art of seam bowling; Nehra repeatedly angled the ball from over the stumps and kept it just outside off.
A short ball that Martin Guptill pulled for four was an aberration in an otherwise faultless spell. New Zealand's batsmen were able to score from only 11 of his 36 deliveries during the first spell, as he landed the ball on a good length with almost unerring accuracy.
When he returned late in the innings Nehra gave nothing away and shut out New Zealand in the 47th over. He used his head, varying his pace and, most importantly, bowling with accuracy. His last 16 deliveries cost him six runs and brought him a third wicket; his overall efforts bagged him the Man-of-the-Match award too. If he can touch up on the ball that dips in to the right-hander, he could be a more potent force in time to come.
Nehra's opening partner, RP Singh, also played his part with a sturdy first spell and another at the death. Moving the ball gently away, RP took out two wickets, including Ross Taylor, the prize scalp in a weak line-up.
Nehra, whose return to the team owed largely to his success in the IPL, has had his presence here overshadowed by Rahul Dravid. Today, without much fuss, he reminded all of his worth. His return has not been easy. Nehra had to undergo plenty of rehabilitation and had put in the hard yards in domestic cricket and then in the IPL to earn a call-up. "It's down to a lot of hard work," he said. "I had to really go through a lot to recuperate and reach where I am today. There was about 18 months when I didn't even touch a cricket ball. I'm really pleased with today's achievement, but more important is that we won."
Lasting a complete tour has been a problem for Nehra and he's had double the number of injuries as his batting average. He has returned looking better than the man who was once just a passenger in the Indian side. "Because of injuries, I had been struggling for the last few years", Nehra said. "But now I am back on track, since the last six-seven months. I've really worked hard and it's paying off for me now."
Two moments stand out in Nehra's career: the World Cup match in Durban when he hacked through England with 6 for 23 and a terrific final over in Karachi in 2004 when Pakistan threatened to chase 350. On both instances, inevitably, he had just recovered from injury. Over a month ago, in the West Indies, Nehra offered a fair indication of his fitness and mindset on return to the side; today, he further reconfirmed it with a match-winning bowling display.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Anderson and Collingwood handed rest
Paul Collingwood and James Anderson will be given their first breaks in more than six months of international cricket this week, when they are rested for the next three and two matches respectively of England's ongoing one-day series against Australia.
Collingwood and Anderson have appeared in every single England fixture across three formats since early February, and will finally get a chance to recharge their batteries after being told they can sit out of Saturday's fourth ODI match at Lord's.
Collingwood, who is currently seeking to be released from his Delhi Daredevils contract for next month's Champions League in India, will also miss the double-header in Nottingham next week, before returning on his home ground at Chester-le-Street for the final ODI on September 20. Anderson will return for the second Trent Bridge match.
"It is difficult, but that's just the way the schedule is at the minute," Anderson told Cricinfo last week, when asked about the players' current workload. "Wherever we go in the world, each series is pretty much back-to-back and we don't get much rest in between.
"Ideally we'd have wanted a few more days after the Ashes to let things settle down and let people's bodies recover, but it just wasn't to be. It's just something we have to try and get used to."
Although England are 3-0 down in the seven-match series and need a victory on Saturday to have any chance of winning the series, it was decided that the strain of such a heavy schedule in the aftermath of the Ashes triumph has taken its toll on the duo, especially with the Champions Trophy in South Africa looming large on the horizon.
England fly to South Africa on September 21, the day after the Durham ODI, and return to the country on November 1 for a four-Test and five-ODI series finishing on January 18.
Collingwood and Anderson have appeared in every single England fixture across three formats since early February, and will finally get a chance to recharge their batteries after being told they can sit out of Saturday's fourth ODI match at Lord's.
Collingwood, who is currently seeking to be released from his Delhi Daredevils contract for next month's Champions League in India, will also miss the double-header in Nottingham next week, before returning on his home ground at Chester-le-Street for the final ODI on September 20. Anderson will return for the second Trent Bridge match.
"It is difficult, but that's just the way the schedule is at the minute," Anderson told Cricinfo last week, when asked about the players' current workload. "Wherever we go in the world, each series is pretty much back-to-back and we don't get much rest in between.
"Ideally we'd have wanted a few more days after the Ashes to let things settle down and let people's bodies recover, but it just wasn't to be. It's just something we have to try and get used to."
Although England are 3-0 down in the seven-match series and need a victory on Saturday to have any chance of winning the series, it was decided that the strain of such a heavy schedule in the aftermath of the Ashes triumph has taken its toll on the duo, especially with the Champions Trophy in South Africa looming large on the horizon.
England fly to South Africa on September 21, the day after the Durham ODI, and return to the country on November 1 for a four-Test and five-ODI series finishing on January 18.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Bangladesh agree to day-night Test in England
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has agreed to the ECB's request to appear in the first-ever day-night Test during the team's tour of England in May-June next year. However, the ICC has not yet cleared the idea and its approval will be subject to suitable equipment being developed for the purpose.
The idea was first proposed by the MCC during its World Cricket Committee meeting at Lord's in July as a way of making the game's longest and oldest format more appealing. The other proposals included the use of pink balls and a World Test Championship.
The ICC has made it clear that though the concept of day-night Tests was discussed by its cricket committee, no decision has been taken yet. "The ICC cricket committee had last year agreed in principle that the notion of day-night Tests should be investigated," an ICC spokesperson said. "For now, we are happy for members to try this at the domestic level first and if it proves successful, the cricket committee would consider recommending this on a trial basis at the Test level."
Apparently, there are a number of key issues related to the concept that are still being discussed: the colour of players clothing, whether the suggested pink balls retains its colour or needs to be changed frequently due to discolouration or wear and tear, to what extent would batting, bowling and fielding conditions vary and so on.
An MCC spokesman confirmed to Cricinfo that the World Cricket Committee would meet with the ICC in November. The future of Test cricket is on the agenda, and within that floodlit Tests will be discussed. "We are very keen to help in any way we can," the spokesman said, "and have been continuing with our trials of coloured balls to see if it will work on television."
The MCC could have a dual role in this process: as well as being fully behind floodlit Tests. Lord's could be the ground to host the match. One of the Bangladesh Tests is currently allocated to Headingley; the other is part of the bidding process, with Lord's in the running to hosting it. "We would like to host it and we have our brand new floodlights," said the spokesman.
The future of Test cricket has been the subject of debate within the ICC over the last year with the concept of a Test championship initially gaining ground. But the idea was opposed by the India and England cricket boards who did not find merit in sharing their substantial TV revenue that would have gone to a common pool.
India and England have subsequently backed the idea of day-night Test cricket as a way of taking the format forward amidst the rise of Twenty20 cricket. However, the ICC, which is finalising its Future Tours Programme post-2012, is yet to arrive at a decision on the matter. The ICC's executive board meets next in October, when the issue is likely to be discussed again.
The idea was first proposed by the MCC during its World Cricket Committee meeting at Lord's in July as a way of making the game's longest and oldest format more appealing. The other proposals included the use of pink balls and a World Test Championship.
The ICC has made it clear that though the concept of day-night Tests was discussed by its cricket committee, no decision has been taken yet. "The ICC cricket committee had last year agreed in principle that the notion of day-night Tests should be investigated," an ICC spokesperson said. "For now, we are happy for members to try this at the domestic level first and if it proves successful, the cricket committee would consider recommending this on a trial basis at the Test level."
Apparently, there are a number of key issues related to the concept that are still being discussed: the colour of players clothing, whether the suggested pink balls retains its colour or needs to be changed frequently due to discolouration or wear and tear, to what extent would batting, bowling and fielding conditions vary and so on.
An MCC spokesman confirmed to Cricinfo that the World Cricket Committee would meet with the ICC in November. The future of Test cricket is on the agenda, and within that floodlit Tests will be discussed. "We are very keen to help in any way we can," the spokesman said, "and have been continuing with our trials of coloured balls to see if it will work on television."
The MCC could have a dual role in this process: as well as being fully behind floodlit Tests. Lord's could be the ground to host the match. One of the Bangladesh Tests is currently allocated to Headingley; the other is part of the bidding process, with Lord's in the running to hosting it. "We would like to host it and we have our brand new floodlights," said the spokesman.
The future of Test cricket has been the subject of debate within the ICC over the last year with the concept of a Test championship initially gaining ground. But the idea was opposed by the India and England cricket boards who did not find merit in sharing their substantial TV revenue that would have gone to a common pool.
India and England have subsequently backed the idea of day-night Test cricket as a way of taking the format forward amidst the rise of Twenty20 cricket. However, the ICC, which is finalising its Future Tours Programme post-2012, is yet to arrive at a decision on the matter. The ICC's executive board meets next in October, when the issue is likely to be discussed again.
Kohli to replace injured Gambhir in Compaq Cup 2009(Tri-Series)
Gautam Gambhir has picked up a groin injury and will miss the Compaq Cup in Sri Lanka after being advised 10 days' rest. He is returning home and will be replaced by Virat Kohli.
MS Dhoni, India's captain, said Gambhir picked up the injury during the recent BCCI Corporate Trophy. "From what I know he picked the injury during the Corporate tourney and aggravated it during a batting session," Dhoni said in Colombo. Gambhir is expected to report at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore for assessment and rehabilitation.
Kohli, currently at the NCA, is likely to join the squad on Friday. He has just recovered from a minor shoulder injury and participated in the Corporate Trophy.
Gambhir's injury means India, who play their first game on Friday, will be without two of their three established openers in Sri Lanka: Virender Sehwag is already out with a shoulder injury and will miss the Champions Trophy too. Gambhir's replacement notwithstanding, Dinesh Karthik, who opened in the ODIs in the West Indies in the absence of Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, is in the squad and likely to make the starting XI.
India will desperately want Gambhir back in time for the Champions Trophy, where they play their first match on September 26, against Pakistan in Centurion. They would ideally want at least a week's acclimatisation in South Africa, which means there will be a degree of risk involved should India take Gambhir to the Champions Trophy. It will be a tricky decision because one such choice recently went wrong. Sehwag, who was injured but hoping to recover in time when the squad for World Twenty20 was announced, was along to England but is yet to recover from his shoulder injury.
MS Dhoni, India's captain, said Gambhir picked up the injury during the recent BCCI Corporate Trophy. "From what I know he picked the injury during the Corporate tourney and aggravated it during a batting session," Dhoni said in Colombo. Gambhir is expected to report at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore for assessment and rehabilitation.
Kohli, currently at the NCA, is likely to join the squad on Friday. He has just recovered from a minor shoulder injury and participated in the Corporate Trophy.
Gambhir's injury means India, who play their first game on Friday, will be without two of their three established openers in Sri Lanka: Virender Sehwag is already out with a shoulder injury and will miss the Champions Trophy too. Gambhir's replacement notwithstanding, Dinesh Karthik, who opened in the ODIs in the West Indies in the absence of Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, is in the squad and likely to make the starting XI.
India will desperately want Gambhir back in time for the Champions Trophy, where they play their first match on September 26, against Pakistan in Centurion. They would ideally want at least a week's acclimatisation in South Africa, which means there will be a degree of risk involved should India take Gambhir to the Champions Trophy. It will be a tricky decision because one such choice recently went wrong. Sehwag, who was injured but hoping to recover in time when the squad for World Twenty20 was announced, was along to England but is yet to recover from his shoulder injury.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Compaq Cup 2009 Teams And Fixtures
1st Match : Sri Lanka vs New Zealand (D/N)Date : 08 Sep 2009 Ground : R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
2nd Match : India vs New Zealand (D/N)Date : 11 Sep 2009 Time : 09:00 GMT (14:30 IST) Ground : R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
3rd Match : India vs Sri LankaDate : 12 Sep 2009 Time : 09:00 GMT (14:30 IST)Ground : R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Final Match : Date : 14 Sep 2009Time : 09:00 GMT (14:30 IST)Ground : R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Compaq Cup 2009 Team Fixtures
Indian Squad:
Abhishek Nayar
Amit Mishra
Ashish Nehra
Dinesh Karthik (wk)
Gautam Gambhir
Harbhajan Singh
Ishant Sharma
MS Dhoni (c)(wk)
Praveen Kumar
Rahul Dravid
RP Singh
Sachin Tendulkar
Suresh Raina
Yusuf Pathan
Yuvraj Singh.
Sri Lanka Squad:
Ajantha Mendis
Angelo Mathews
Chamara Kapugedera
Gihan Rupasinghe
Isuru Udana
K Sangakkara (C)(wk)
Kaushal Lokuarachchi
Lasith Malinga
M Jayawardene
Mahela Udawatte
Muttiah Muralitharan
Nuwan Kulasekara
Sanath Jayasuriya
Thilan Thushara
Tillakaratne Dilshan.
New Zealand Squad:
B McCullum (wk)
Brendon Diamanti
Daniel Vettori (c)
Gareth Hopkins (wk)
Grant Elliott
Ian Butler
Jacob Oram
Jeetan Patel
Jesse Ryder
Kyle Mills
Martin Guptill
Nathan McCullum
Neil Broom
Ross Taylor
Shane Bond.
2nd Match : India vs New Zealand (D/N)Date : 11 Sep 2009 Time : 09:00 GMT (14:30 IST) Ground : R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
3rd Match : India vs Sri LankaDate : 12 Sep 2009 Time : 09:00 GMT (14:30 IST)Ground : R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Final Match : Date : 14 Sep 2009Time : 09:00 GMT (14:30 IST)Ground : R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Compaq Cup 2009 Team Fixtures
Indian Squad:
Abhishek Nayar
Amit Mishra
Ashish Nehra
Dinesh Karthik (wk)
Gautam Gambhir
Harbhajan Singh
Ishant Sharma
MS Dhoni (c)(wk)
Praveen Kumar
Rahul Dravid
RP Singh
Sachin Tendulkar
Suresh Raina
Yusuf Pathan
Yuvraj Singh.
Sri Lanka Squad:
Ajantha Mendis
Angelo Mathews
Chamara Kapugedera
Gihan Rupasinghe
Isuru Udana
K Sangakkara (C)(wk)
Kaushal Lokuarachchi
Lasith Malinga
M Jayawardene
Mahela Udawatte
Muttiah Muralitharan
Nuwan Kulasekara
Sanath Jayasuriya
Thilan Thushara
Tillakaratne Dilshan.
New Zealand Squad:
B McCullum (wk)
Brendon Diamanti
Daniel Vettori (c)
Gareth Hopkins (wk)
Grant Elliott
Ian Butler
Jacob Oram
Jeetan Patel
Jesse Ryder
Kyle Mills
Martin Guptill
Nathan McCullum
Neil Broom
Ross Taylor
Shane Bond.
Compaq Cup 2009(Tri-Series)
Hewlett-Packard, the leading PC brand in India, has reiterated its association and commitment to the spirit of sports with the announcement of the ‘Compaq Cup 2009.’ The prestigious Compaq Cup 2009 will be presented to the winner of the One-day International tri-series between India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, which commences on the 8th of September 2009, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The tournament will see a total of four one-dayers being played amongst the three competing teams between September 8 -14, 2009, broadcasted live on Ten Sports.
HP, India’s leading PC brand is also the first global IT company to associate itself as a Title Sponsor for an International Cricket tri-series tournament. High voltage drama is expected to unfold on the field when India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand take on each other and battle it out to conquer the Compaq Cup 2009. Through this endeavour, HP plans to capture the attention of millions across the globe who will glued to their screens for this nail-biting Tri-series and provide them with high class entertainment.
Mr. Shubhodip Pal, Head of Consumer Marketing, Personal Systems Group, Hewlett Packard India said, “ As cricket fever grips our nation, we at HP are extremely enthusiastic about our association with cricket as we progress to connect more strongly with our customers across different segments. I am sure the Compaq Cup is going to be a thrilling journey for viewers across the world and HP through the Compaq Cup will be able to set new heights in superior experience, enhanced value, viewership and excitement. I take this opportunity to wish all the teams and the players the very best of luck for the Compaq Cup ahead.”
Speaking about the series, Rukin Kizilbash, General Manager, Taj Television India, said “We are extremely pleased to partner with the leading PC brand in India Hewlett-Packard, to broadcast each ball of this world class cricket tournament, live on Ten Sports. The Compaq Cup has three of the top one day sides in the world competing and our viewers are guaranteed some nail biting cricket action this September.”
HP has been associating itself with sports for a very long time now. Be it the biggest sporting tournaments like the Australian Open 2007 – 08 - 09, English Premier League 2007 – 08 – 09, Wimbledon 2007 – 08 – 09, French Open 2008 – 09, IPL Season 2008 or Formula One 2007 – 08 – 09, HP has had On-Air sponsorship across a range of sporting events.
The tournament will see a total of four one-dayers being played amongst the three competing teams between September 8 -14, 2009, broadcasted live on Ten Sports.
HP, India’s leading PC brand is also the first global IT company to associate itself as a Title Sponsor for an International Cricket tri-series tournament. High voltage drama is expected to unfold on the field when India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand take on each other and battle it out to conquer the Compaq Cup 2009. Through this endeavour, HP plans to capture the attention of millions across the globe who will glued to their screens for this nail-biting Tri-series and provide them with high class entertainment.
Mr. Shubhodip Pal, Head of Consumer Marketing, Personal Systems Group, Hewlett Packard India said, “ As cricket fever grips our nation, we at HP are extremely enthusiastic about our association with cricket as we progress to connect more strongly with our customers across different segments. I am sure the Compaq Cup is going to be a thrilling journey for viewers across the world and HP through the Compaq Cup will be able to set new heights in superior experience, enhanced value, viewership and excitement. I take this opportunity to wish all the teams and the players the very best of luck for the Compaq Cup ahead.”
Speaking about the series, Rukin Kizilbash, General Manager, Taj Television India, said “We are extremely pleased to partner with the leading PC brand in India Hewlett-Packard, to broadcast each ball of this world class cricket tournament, live on Ten Sports. The Compaq Cup has three of the top one day sides in the world competing and our viewers are guaranteed some nail biting cricket action this September.”
HP has been associating itself with sports for a very long time now. Be it the biggest sporting tournaments like the Australian Open 2007 – 08 - 09, English Premier League 2007 – 08 – 09, Wimbledon 2007 – 08 – 09, French Open 2008 – 09, IPL Season 2008 or Formula One 2007 – 08 – 09, HP has had On-Air sponsorship across a range of sporting events.
Ricky Ponting Out Of Australian T-20 Squad
Melbourne: Australian skipper Ricky Ponting will get a short break after the Ashes as the selectors have decided to rest him from the two Twenty20 games and the start of the eight-match one-day series against England.
"Ricky Ponting is having his workload managed and will return home to Australia after the fifth Test at The Oval and will miss the ODI against Scotland, the two Twenty20s and the start of the of the ODI series against England," Cricket Australia's Selection panel chief Andrew Hilditch said in a statement.
After the fifth and final Test at The Oval from August 20, Australia will play a one-dayer against Scotland on August 28 followed by a couple of Twenty20 matches against England.
"Ricky Ponting is having his workload managed and will return home to Australia after the fifth Test at The Oval and will miss the ODI against Scotland, the two Twenty20s and the start of the of the ODI series against England," Cricket Australia's Selection panel chief Andrew Hilditch said in a statement.
After the fifth and final Test at The Oval from August 20, Australia will play a one-dayer against Scotland on August 28 followed by a couple of Twenty20 matches against England.
Champions League 2009 Squads Final
Teams have now confirmed their final 15-man squads for the Champions League Twenty20. The squads are:
Trinidad & Tobago:Daren Ganga (capt), Sherwin Ganga, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Lendl Simmons, Dave Mohammed, Kieron Pollard, William Perkins, Samuel Badree, Rayad Emrit, Navin Stewart, Sunil Narine, Adrian Barath.
Victoria:Cameron White (capt), Brad Hodge, Peter Siddle, David Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Jon Holland, Clint McKay, Rob Quiney, Matthew Wade, Aiden Blizzard, Aaron Finch, Shane Harwood, John Hastings, Damien Wright, Bryce McGain.
Delhi Daredevils:Virender Sehwag (capt), AB de Villiers, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Gautam Gambhir, Dirk Nannes, Dinesh Karthik, Daniel Vettori, Ashish Nehra, Amit Mishra, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, Pradeep Sangwan, Aavishkar Salvi, Rajat Bhatia, Mithun Manhas.
New South Wales:Simon Katich (capt), Phillip Hughes, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Moises Henriques, Nathan Hauritz, Doug Bollinger, Aaron Bird, Stephen O'Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Steve Smith, Daniel Smith, Dominic Thornely, David Warner.
Otago:Craig Cumming (capt), Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Aaron Redmond, Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Greg Todd, Hamish Rutherford, Derek deBoorder, Nick Baird, Warren McSkimming, Neil Wagner, Matt Harvie, James McMillan.
Capetown Cobras:Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy, Justin Ontong, Charl Langeveldt, Claude Henderson, Monde Zondeki, Vernon Philander, Henry Davids, Ryan Canning, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Derek Brand, Francois Plaatjies.
Wayamba:Jehan Mubarak (capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath, Farveez Maharoof, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Jeevantha Kulathunga, Mahela Udawatte, Thisara Perera, Sameera Soysa, Shalika Karunanayake, Isuru Udana, Ishara Amerasinghe, Chanaka Welegedara, Michael Vandort.
Sussex:Michael Yardy (capt), Dwayne Smith, Luke Wright, James Kirtley, Piyush Chawla, Ed Joyce, Joe Gatting, Robin Martin-Jenkins, William Beer, Andrew Hodd, Christopher Nash, Ben Brown, Rory Hamilton-Brown, Yasir Arafat, Chad Keegan.
Diamond Eagles:Boeta Dippenaar (capt), Dillon du Preez, Morne van Wyk, Mthandeki Tshabalala, Adrian McLaren, Ryan McLaren, Victor Mpitsang, Ryan Bailey, Jandre Coetzee, Cornelis de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Reeza Hendricks, Alan Kruger, Rilee Rossouw, Shadley van Schalkwyk.
Somerset:Justin Langer (capt), Marcus Trescothick, Zander de Bruyn, Omari Banks, James Hildreth, Craig Kieswetter, Pete Trego, Arul Suppiah, Alfonso Thomas, Max Waller, Charl Willoughby, Wes Durston, Mark Turner, Jos Buttler, Ben Phillips.
Royal Challengers Bangalore:Anil Kumble (capt), Rahul Dravid, Robin Uthappa, Jacques Kallis, Ross Taylor, Dale Steyn, Manish Pandey, Praveen Kumar, Jesse Ryder, Roelof van der Merwe, Mark Boucher, Vinay Kumar, Virat Kohli, Akhil Balachandra, Rajesh Bishoni.
Deccan Chargers:Adam Gilchrist (capt), VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma, Andrew Symonds, Fidel Edwards, Scott Styris, Chaminda Vaas, RP Singh, Ryan Harris, Pragyan Ojha, Y Venugopal Rao, T Suman, Azhar Bilakhia, Harmeet Singh, SM Shoaib.
Trinidad & Tobago:Daren Ganga (capt), Sherwin Ganga, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Lendl Simmons, Dave Mohammed, Kieron Pollard, William Perkins, Samuel Badree, Rayad Emrit, Navin Stewart, Sunil Narine, Adrian Barath.
Victoria:Cameron White (capt), Brad Hodge, Peter Siddle, David Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Jon Holland, Clint McKay, Rob Quiney, Matthew Wade, Aiden Blizzard, Aaron Finch, Shane Harwood, John Hastings, Damien Wright, Bryce McGain.
Delhi Daredevils:Virender Sehwag (capt), AB de Villiers, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Gautam Gambhir, Dirk Nannes, Dinesh Karthik, Daniel Vettori, Ashish Nehra, Amit Mishra, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, Pradeep Sangwan, Aavishkar Salvi, Rajat Bhatia, Mithun Manhas.
New South Wales:Simon Katich (capt), Phillip Hughes, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Moises Henriques, Nathan Hauritz, Doug Bollinger, Aaron Bird, Stephen O'Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Steve Smith, Daniel Smith, Dominic Thornely, David Warner.
Otago:Craig Cumming (capt), Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Aaron Redmond, Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Greg Todd, Hamish Rutherford, Derek deBoorder, Nick Baird, Warren McSkimming, Neil Wagner, Matt Harvie, James McMillan.
Capetown Cobras:Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy, Justin Ontong, Charl Langeveldt, Claude Henderson, Monde Zondeki, Vernon Philander, Henry Davids, Ryan Canning, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Derek Brand, Francois Plaatjies.
Wayamba:Jehan Mubarak (capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath, Farveez Maharoof, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Jeevantha Kulathunga, Mahela Udawatte, Thisara Perera, Sameera Soysa, Shalika Karunanayake, Isuru Udana, Ishara Amerasinghe, Chanaka Welegedara, Michael Vandort.
Sussex:Michael Yardy (capt), Dwayne Smith, Luke Wright, James Kirtley, Piyush Chawla, Ed Joyce, Joe Gatting, Robin Martin-Jenkins, William Beer, Andrew Hodd, Christopher Nash, Ben Brown, Rory Hamilton-Brown, Yasir Arafat, Chad Keegan.
Diamond Eagles:Boeta Dippenaar (capt), Dillon du Preez, Morne van Wyk, Mthandeki Tshabalala, Adrian McLaren, Ryan McLaren, Victor Mpitsang, Ryan Bailey, Jandre Coetzee, Cornelis de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Reeza Hendricks, Alan Kruger, Rilee Rossouw, Shadley van Schalkwyk.
Somerset:Justin Langer (capt), Marcus Trescothick, Zander de Bruyn, Omari Banks, James Hildreth, Craig Kieswetter, Pete Trego, Arul Suppiah, Alfonso Thomas, Max Waller, Charl Willoughby, Wes Durston, Mark Turner, Jos Buttler, Ben Phillips.
Royal Challengers Bangalore:Anil Kumble (capt), Rahul Dravid, Robin Uthappa, Jacques Kallis, Ross Taylor, Dale Steyn, Manish Pandey, Praveen Kumar, Jesse Ryder, Roelof van der Merwe, Mark Boucher, Vinay Kumar, Virat Kohli, Akhil Balachandra, Rajesh Bishoni.
Deccan Chargers:Adam Gilchrist (capt), VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma, Andrew Symonds, Fidel Edwards, Scott Styris, Chaminda Vaas, RP Singh, Ryan Harris, Pragyan Ojha, Y Venugopal Rao, T Suman, Azhar Bilakhia, Harmeet Singh, SM Shoaib.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Charles Coventry Equals Record Of Saeed Anwar
Zimbabwean batsmen Charles Coventry has been chosen as this week’s Cricket World Player of the Week after his record breaking feats against Bangladesh.
In the fourth ODI between the two sides, Coventry hit an unbeaten 194 to record a national record for an individual innings and also equals the all time highest score in One Day Internationals that Saeed Anwar set in 1997. The previous best for Zimbabwe was an impressive 172 by Craig Wishart against a not so impressive Namibia side back in 2003, but Coventry’s innings surpassed that mark easily, and if it weren’t for a flurry of wickets late on in the innings, he probably would have recorded the first double century in ODI history.
The mammoth innings was in vain however, as Tamim Iqbal struck a big century to guide Bangladesh to the win and in the process they claimed the series win, taking an unassailable 3-1 lead into the final match.
The 26 year old Coventry had never previously scored a one day international century having played in 14 other matches. Before his record breaking knock, he had averaged just 23.15 with two half centuries to his name, but now after his maiden ton, he has bumped that up to an impressive 38.07.
Charles Coventry was the clear choice for the award this week as only Tamim Iqbal’s 154 to beat Zimbabwe in the same match came close to taking the honours away from Coventry.
In the fourth ODI between the two sides, Coventry hit an unbeaten 194 to record a national record for an individual innings and also equals the all time highest score in One Day Internationals that Saeed Anwar set in 1997. The previous best for Zimbabwe was an impressive 172 by Craig Wishart against a not so impressive Namibia side back in 2003, but Coventry’s innings surpassed that mark easily, and if it weren’t for a flurry of wickets late on in the innings, he probably would have recorded the first double century in ODI history.
The mammoth innings was in vain however, as Tamim Iqbal struck a big century to guide Bangladesh to the win and in the process they claimed the series win, taking an unassailable 3-1 lead into the final match.
The 26 year old Coventry had never previously scored a one day international century having played in 14 other matches. Before his record breaking knock, he had averaged just 23.15 with two half centuries to his name, but now after his maiden ton, he has bumped that up to an impressive 38.07.
Charles Coventry was the clear choice for the award this week as only Tamim Iqbal’s 154 to beat Zimbabwe in the same match came close to taking the honours away from Coventry.
Friday, August 14, 2009
BCCI Triples Ranji Trophy's Prize Money
The BCCI's working committee approved a raft of decisions on Thursday that, when implemented, could improve significantly the state of domestic cricket. The most notable decisions are a massive hike in prize money for the Ranji Trophy and the approval of an umpire's academy.
Winners of the Ranji Trophy will now get Rs 2 crore (previously Rs 60 lakhs), the runners-up Rs 1 crore (previously Rs 30 lakhs) and the semi-finalists Rs 50 lakhs. To put things in context, the winners in 2005 received all of Rs 7 lakh. This amount also places the Ranji Trophy above the board's corporate tournament, scheduled to be held in the coming season, whose winners will get Rs 1 crore.
While no details were available on the decision to set up an umpires' academy, it could, if properly implemented, go some way in improve the standard of umpiring in domestic cricket.
The other decisions taken at the meeting are:
Former ICL players who have been granted amnesty, are eligible to play the IPL in the next season (2010), with a cap on the payment being a maximum of Rs 20 lakhs.
Umpires Amiesh Saheba and Shavir Tarapore have been nominated to the ICC international panel.
The Indian board will also give Rs 25 crores over the next two years to the All-India Football Federation for the development of football in the country.
Specialised coaching centres dealing with batting in Mumbai, with fast bowling in Mohali, and with spinners and wicketkeepers in Chennai will be started in September 2009. Specialist coaches will be appointed on an annual retainership at each of the centres.
Umpires in domestic matches (excluding IPL) will be paid Rs 7500 per match day, while umpire coaches and match referees will be paid Rs 10,000 per day.
The team and support staff that won the Emerging Players tournament in Australia will be paid a bonus of Rs 1 lakh each.
The National Cricket Academy's coaching manual was released by BCCI president Shashank Manohar.
Winners of the Ranji Trophy will now get Rs 2 crore (previously Rs 60 lakhs), the runners-up Rs 1 crore (previously Rs 30 lakhs) and the semi-finalists Rs 50 lakhs. To put things in context, the winners in 2005 received all of Rs 7 lakh. This amount also places the Ranji Trophy above the board's corporate tournament, scheduled to be held in the coming season, whose winners will get Rs 1 crore.
While no details were available on the decision to set up an umpires' academy, it could, if properly implemented, go some way in improve the standard of umpiring in domestic cricket.
The other decisions taken at the meeting are:
Former ICL players who have been granted amnesty, are eligible to play the IPL in the next season (2010), with a cap on the payment being a maximum of Rs 20 lakhs.
Umpires Amiesh Saheba and Shavir Tarapore have been nominated to the ICC international panel.
The Indian board will also give Rs 25 crores over the next two years to the All-India Football Federation for the development of football in the country.
Specialised coaching centres dealing with batting in Mumbai, with fast bowling in Mohali, and with spinners and wicketkeepers in Chennai will be started in September 2009. Specialist coaches will be appointed on an annual retainership at each of the centres.
Umpires in domestic matches (excluding IPL) will be paid Rs 7500 per match day, while umpire coaches and match referees will be paid Rs 10,000 per day.
The team and support staff that won the Emerging Players tournament in Australia will be paid a bonus of Rs 1 lakh each.
The National Cricket Academy's coaching manual was released by BCCI president Shashank Manohar.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
ICC Champions Trophy 2009 Description
Holders Australia begin the defence of its ICC Champions Trophy crown against the West Indies in a repeat of the 2006 final.
That match will take place as a day game at The Wanderers, Johannesburg, on Saturday, September 26, and is part of a blockbuster day of action as, later on, India and Pakistan will go head-to-head in a day-night encounter at Centurion Park.
The teams in this year's Champions Trophy will be battling it out for a record prize pool of US $4 million.
The figure is an-almost four-fold increase in the prize-money on the 2004 and 2006 editions of the tournament, which saw a total of US $1.15 million on offer on each of those occasions.
The funds are at stake during a re-modelled short, sharp event of 15 matches in only 14 days in September and October, taking place at two venues -- Centurion Park and The Wanderers.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Sehwag Hoping to Play ICC Champions Trophy 2009
Virendra Sehwag ,the India batsman who is undergoing rehabilitation after a shoulder injury, has targeted next month's Champions Trophy for a return. Sehwag missed the World Twenty20 in June due to the injury, sustained during the semi-final of the IPL.
He was operated on June 11, and was expected to be ruled out for 12 to 16 weeks. "I am hoping to play in the ICC Champions Trophy," he said. "My rehabilitation is going well. But I can't bat or throw yet."
Sehwag was at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore as part of his rehabilitation last month, and will report back on August 15 to get an assessment on how his recovery is progressing.
India have had a great run in one-dayers over the past year, winning five bilateral series in a row, but injuries threaten their chances at the Champions Trophy. Their pace spearhead, Zaheer Khan, has already been ruled out of the tournament, and Sehwag's availability is still uncertain.
He was operated on June 11, and was expected to be ruled out for 12 to 16 weeks. "I am hoping to play in the ICC Champions Trophy," he said. "My rehabilitation is going well. But I can't bat or throw yet."
Sehwag was at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore as part of his rehabilitation last month, and will report back on August 15 to get an assessment on how his recovery is progressing.
India have had a great run in one-dayers over the past year, winning five bilateral series in a row, but injuries threaten their chances at the Champions Trophy. Their pace spearhead, Zaheer Khan, has already been ruled out of the tournament, and Sehwag's availability is still uncertain.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Sehwag Ruled Out Of ICC T20 World Cup
Virendra Sehwag has been ruled out of the ICC World Twenty20 in England after failing to recover from a shoulder injury he sustained during the IPL in South Africa last month.
He will return to India after consulting specialists in England and will be replaced by Dinesh Karthik, who was in good touch during the IPL. Karthik, who last played a Twenty20 for India in January 2008, also doubles up as a reserve wicketkeeper, something the squad was lacking.
Sehwag said he picked up the injury during the IPL semi-final against the Deccan Chargers and he would show it to a specialist in London. "There is little I can do," Sehwag said.
A BCCI media release ended days of speculation over Sehwag's fitness - the opener has been a peripheral figure during Indian practice sessions. He wasn't present for India's optional training session on Monday at Lady Bay and didn't bat on the tour until Tuesday morning, often watching his team-mates go about their routines from the sidelines. The uncertainty over his injury led to reports of a rift between him and the captain MS Dhoni, which prompted the team to make a dramatic public show of unity and emphasise their team spirit through a statement read out by Dhoni.
Things weren't much clearer today, either, at the pre-match press conference - in fact the drama descended into farce. Dhoni refused to clarify the ambiguous situation, saying "anything related to fitness there will be a press release from the BCCI". Following repeated inquiries and flared tempers among the media, team manager Chamundeshwar Nath intervened to try and defuse the situation. However, he too stopped short of saying that Sehwag would indeed be returning home.
"If Sehwag has got pain in the hand, he might not bat," Nath said. "Today he tried and he was in some discomfort. Tomorrow, we will take a final decision on him. If he is not fit enough we will inform BCCI and they will issue a press release. How much pain Sehwag is having, Dhoni cannot answer when he is batting in the nets."
Minutes after that, the BCCI had issued a release ruling out Sehwag.
Under normal circumstances, the loss of Sehwag, a proven match-winner in any form of the game, would be a massive blow to India's strategy. While India's campaign will be weaker, they will benefit from Rohit Sharma, who has made the transition from middle-order batsmen to opener successfully in the three games in England so far. Rohit scored 31 and 80 in the warm-ups against New Zealand and Pakistan, and made 36 in India's first group match against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge.
Not having the bowler-destroying skills of Sehwag to call upon if needed, however, is a blow, as is the loss of his part-time offspin in a tournament that has seen the slower bowlers play a significant role. Sehwag sustained the grade one tear to his shoulder during the IPL and the coach Gary Kirsten said that he had been kept in the squad in the hope that he would not miss the entire tournament. "If a player of the caliber of Sehwag can be available for any part of the tournament, we want to keep him there." That however hasn't come to pass and India will have to hope that Rohit's good form at the top continues even against tougher opposition and more potent new-ball attacks.
That the injury to Sehwag was such a closely-guarded secret was perplexing. An injury is after all merely an injury and a more transparent dissemination of information from the team management would go a long way in diffusing the ambiguity and speculation that often surrounds the Indian team. Perhaps they could follow Ireland's example - moments before Dhoni addressed the media, William Porterfield had spoken at length about the injury to Niall O'Brien.
He will return to India after consulting specialists in England and will be replaced by Dinesh Karthik, who was in good touch during the IPL. Karthik, who last played a Twenty20 for India in January 2008, also doubles up as a reserve wicketkeeper, something the squad was lacking.
Sehwag said he picked up the injury during the IPL semi-final against the Deccan Chargers and he would show it to a specialist in London. "There is little I can do," Sehwag said.
A BCCI media release ended days of speculation over Sehwag's fitness - the opener has been a peripheral figure during Indian practice sessions. He wasn't present for India's optional training session on Monday at Lady Bay and didn't bat on the tour until Tuesday morning, often watching his team-mates go about their routines from the sidelines. The uncertainty over his injury led to reports of a rift between him and the captain MS Dhoni, which prompted the team to make a dramatic public show of unity and emphasise their team spirit through a statement read out by Dhoni.
Things weren't much clearer today, either, at the pre-match press conference - in fact the drama descended into farce. Dhoni refused to clarify the ambiguous situation, saying "anything related to fitness there will be a press release from the BCCI". Following repeated inquiries and flared tempers among the media, team manager Chamundeshwar Nath intervened to try and defuse the situation. However, he too stopped short of saying that Sehwag would indeed be returning home.
"If Sehwag has got pain in the hand, he might not bat," Nath said. "Today he tried and he was in some discomfort. Tomorrow, we will take a final decision on him. If he is not fit enough we will inform BCCI and they will issue a press release. How much pain Sehwag is having, Dhoni cannot answer when he is batting in the nets."
Minutes after that, the BCCI had issued a release ruling out Sehwag.
Under normal circumstances, the loss of Sehwag, a proven match-winner in any form of the game, would be a massive blow to India's strategy. While India's campaign will be weaker, they will benefit from Rohit Sharma, who has made the transition from middle-order batsmen to opener successfully in the three games in England so far. Rohit scored 31 and 80 in the warm-ups against New Zealand and Pakistan, and made 36 in India's first group match against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge.
Not having the bowler-destroying skills of Sehwag to call upon if needed, however, is a blow, as is the loss of his part-time offspin in a tournament that has seen the slower bowlers play a significant role. Sehwag sustained the grade one tear to his shoulder during the IPL and the coach Gary Kirsten said that he had been kept in the squad in the hope that he would not miss the entire tournament. "If a player of the caliber of Sehwag can be available for any part of the tournament, we want to keep him there." That however hasn't come to pass and India will have to hope that Rohit's good form at the top continues even against tougher opposition and more potent new-ball attacks.
That the injury to Sehwag was such a closely-guarded secret was perplexing. An injury is after all merely an injury and a more transparent dissemination of information from the team management would go a long way in diffusing the ambiguity and speculation that often surrounds the Indian team. Perhaps they could follow Ireland's example - moments before Dhoni addressed the media, William Porterfield had spoken at length about the injury to Niall O'Brien.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
About Virendra Sehwag
Virender Sehwag {India}
Full name=Virender Sehwag
Born=October 20, 1978, Delhi
Current age=30 years 274 days
Major teams=India, Asia XI, Delhi, Delhi Daredevils, ICC World XI, India Blue, Leicestershire, Rajasthan Cricket Association President's XI
Batting style=Right-hand bat
Virender Sehwag is a primal talent whose rough edges make him all the more appealing. By the time he had scored his first centuries in one-day cricket (off 70 balls, against New Zealand) and Test cricket (on debut, against South Africa, from 68 for 4), he was already eliciting comparisons with his idol Sachin Tendulkar. It is half true. Like Tendulkar, he is short and square with curly hair, plays the straight drive, backfoot punch and whip off the hips identically, but leaves Tendulkar in the shade when it comes to audacity.
Asked to open the innings in Tests on the tour of England in 2002, Sehwag proved an instant hit, cracking an 80 and a 100 in the first two matches. Regularly thereafter, he kept conjuring pivotal innings at the top of the order, none as significant as India's first 300 (which he bought up, characteristically, with a six), at Multan against Pakistan in early 2004.
Sehwag bowls effective, loopy offspin, and is a reliable catcher in the slips. He also once almost split the cricket world: when he was banned for a match by the ICC referee Mike Denness on grounds of excessive appealing, the Indian board wasn't prepared to listen, and even played an unofficial Test with South Africa to prove a point. When a compromise was finally reached, Sehwag was back to his merry ways.
Though he continued to dominate in the Test arena, Sehwag's one-day form dipped alarmingly - after January 2004, he went through a period of 60 matches where he averaged under 29. Despite his fitness levels dropping and his one-day spot being under threat - he was dropped from the side for the home series against West Indies in early 2007 - Sehwag continued to sparkle in Tests, as shown by his magnificent 254 at Lahore. In June, he came excruciatingly close to scoring a century before lunch in the first day against West Indies in St Lucia, a feat never accomplished before by an Indian batsman.
After a string of poor scores, Sehwag was dropped from India's Test squad to Bangladesh in 2007, and was not considered for either the Test or ODI sides to England. He was a surprise pick for the Test team to tour Australia after not being named in the initial list of probables.
Sehwag had to wait for two matches before he made a strong comeback in the Perth Test, where he gave the innings' momentum with knocks of 29 and 43, and took two wickets with his offspin in Australia's second innings, to help India claim one of their greatest wins. He followed it up with scores of 63 and an imperious 151 - his first century in the team's second innings - to help India draw the Test in Adelaide. Then, in the first Test against South Africa in Chennai, he made an even more emphatic statement, rattling off the quickest triple-century in Test cricket, off just 278 balls. He eventually made 319 - the highest score by an Indian - and in the process became only the third batsman, after Don Bradman and Brian Lara, to pass 300 twice in Tests. In his next Test series against Sri Lanka in 2008, Sehwag thrived while the Indian middle-order struggled against the mystery spin of Ajantha Mendis. His double-hundred and half-century were instrumental in India winning the Galle Test.
Full name=Virender Sehwag
Born=October 20, 1978, Delhi
Current age=30 years 274 days
Major teams=India, Asia XI, Delhi, Delhi Daredevils, ICC World XI, India Blue, Leicestershire, Rajasthan Cricket Association President's XI
Batting style=Right-hand bat
Virender Sehwag is a primal talent whose rough edges make him all the more appealing. By the time he had scored his first centuries in one-day cricket (off 70 balls, against New Zealand) and Test cricket (on debut, against South Africa, from 68 for 4), he was already eliciting comparisons with his idol Sachin Tendulkar. It is half true. Like Tendulkar, he is short and square with curly hair, plays the straight drive, backfoot punch and whip off the hips identically, but leaves Tendulkar in the shade when it comes to audacity.
Asked to open the innings in Tests on the tour of England in 2002, Sehwag proved an instant hit, cracking an 80 and a 100 in the first two matches. Regularly thereafter, he kept conjuring pivotal innings at the top of the order, none as significant as India's first 300 (which he bought up, characteristically, with a six), at Multan against Pakistan in early 2004.
Sehwag bowls effective, loopy offspin, and is a reliable catcher in the slips. He also once almost split the cricket world: when he was banned for a match by the ICC referee Mike Denness on grounds of excessive appealing, the Indian board wasn't prepared to listen, and even played an unofficial Test with South Africa to prove a point. When a compromise was finally reached, Sehwag was back to his merry ways.
Though he continued to dominate in the Test arena, Sehwag's one-day form dipped alarmingly - after January 2004, he went through a period of 60 matches where he averaged under 29. Despite his fitness levels dropping and his one-day spot being under threat - he was dropped from the side for the home series against West Indies in early 2007 - Sehwag continued to sparkle in Tests, as shown by his magnificent 254 at Lahore. In June, he came excruciatingly close to scoring a century before lunch in the first day against West Indies in St Lucia, a feat never accomplished before by an Indian batsman.
After a string of poor scores, Sehwag was dropped from India's Test squad to Bangladesh in 2007, and was not considered for either the Test or ODI sides to England. He was a surprise pick for the Test team to tour Australia after not being named in the initial list of probables.
Sehwag had to wait for two matches before he made a strong comeback in the Perth Test, where he gave the innings' momentum with knocks of 29 and 43, and took two wickets with his offspin in Australia's second innings, to help India claim one of their greatest wins. He followed it up with scores of 63 and an imperious 151 - his first century in the team's second innings - to help India draw the Test in Adelaide. Then, in the first Test against South Africa in Chennai, he made an even more emphatic statement, rattling off the quickest triple-century in Test cricket, off just 278 balls. He eventually made 319 - the highest score by an Indian - and in the process became only the third batsman, after Don Bradman and Brian Lara, to pass 300 twice in Tests. In his next Test series against Sri Lanka in 2008, Sehwag thrived while the Indian middle-order struggled against the mystery spin of Ajantha Mendis. His double-hundred and half-century were instrumental in India winning the Galle Test.
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