Watson suffers fresh injury setback
Hobart: Shane Watson has suffered a setback in his bid to regain fitness in time for Australia's Test series opener against India but he is still expected to recover in time for the big clash.
Despite suffering a calf strain, Shane Watson is expected to play in the Test series against India. © AFP
Watson, already sidelined from Australia's current series against New Zealand with a hamstring injury, is still on course to play in the first of four Tests against the Indians, Australia skipper Michael Clarke said on Thursday.
Despite suffering a calf strain, Shane Watson is expected to play in the Test series against India.
"Watto has got a light calf strain. It's put him a couple of days behind but we're confident he'll be right for the Boxing Day Test," Clarke said on the eve of Australia's second and final Test against the Black Caps in Hobart.
Clarke indicated that even if Watson's recovery prevented him from bowling in the Test starting on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, he would be chosen primarily as a batsman, if available.
"His batting is still a very big part of our team at the top of the order. He's been pretty consistent for us," Clarke said.
"But in the best-case scenario I would love him to be able to bowl as well because he's had a lot of success with the ball, especially particularly of late.
"Perfect world for us is both batting and bowling, but I think his batting is important to us."
Watson, 30, illustrated his worth as an extra seamer in the Australian attack when he captured five for 17 off 30 balls in the first innings of the Cape Town Test against South Africa last month.
Allrounder Watson has scored 2,135 runs and taken 56 wickets in 32 Tests.
Dilshan praises Smith role over salaries
Benoni: Sri Lanka skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan thanked South Africa counterpart Graeme Smith on Wednesday amid signs that most of the salaries owed to the touring team will be paid this week.
Tillakaratne Dilshan thanked Graeme Smith amid signs that most of the salaries owed to the touring team will be paid this week. © AFP
Heavily indebted Sri Lanka Cricket have been unable to pay national players since the country finished runners-up to fellow co-hosts India in the World Cup last April.
Sports minister Mahindanda Altuthgamage promised in Colombo on Tuesday that 65 percent of the outstanding salaries would be paid within three days and the rest by January.
"Thanks to Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers for assisting us by making statements to the International Cricket Council (ICC)," Dilshan said at a pre-tour media conference in this eastern Johannesburg suburb.
Sri Lanka play a three-day warm-up game against a South African Invitation XI at Willowmoore Park here from Friday before tackling the Proteas in a three-Test and five-ODI series.
Dilshan denied the outstanding salaries issue was behind recent 1-0 Test series losses to England, Australia and Pakistan, saying the results were not an accurate reflection of performances.
"We are here to play cricket - everyone in the team wants to play cricket and not worry about payments. If we use this warm-up match properly, it will help us before the first Test," he said.
"It will not be easy as South Africa have been playing good cricket for a few years and we cannot afford any mistakes. We must give 100 percent commitment with everyone putting their hands up."
Sri Lanka play Tests at Centurion (Dec 15-19), Durban (Dec 26-30) and Cape Town (Jan 3-7) before the one-day games between January 11 and 22 in Paarl, East London, Bloemfontein, Kimberley and Johannesburg.
Ashraful returns for Pakistan Tests
Dhaka: Bangladesh’s selectors have recalled former captain and middle-order batsman Mohammad Ashraful for a two-Test series against Pakistan starting in Chittagong on Friday.
Bangladesh’s selectors have recalled former captain and middle-order batsman Mohammad Ashraful for a two-Test series against Pakistan. © AFP
Ashraful, who has scored 2,418 runs in 56 Tests, had been axed for the two home Tests against the West Indies in October-November and was also kept out of the recent one-dayers against Pakistan.
Vice-captain Mohammad Mahmudullah, seamer Robiul Islam and batsman Mohammed Nazimuddin, who also did not feature in the West Indies Tests, were named in the 15-man squad, announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board on Wednesday.
Nazimuddin has played seven one-day internationals but is yet to make his Test debut, while Robiul has played two Tests.
The second and final Test will be held in Dhaka from December 17.
Bangladesh Test squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Mohammad Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal, Shahriar Nafees, Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan, Naeem Islam, Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Nazmul Hossain, Elias Sunny, Shahadat Hossain, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Robiul Islam, Mohammed Nazimuddin.
Govt could deregister CSA: Probe panel chief
Pretoria: The South African government could deregister Cricket South Africa and withhold funding if it refused to accept the findings of an inquiry into its financial affairs, the chief of the probe panel said on Wednesday.
The inquiry into the financial affairs of CSA, sparked by undeclared IPL 2 bonuses that chief executive Gerald Majola paid himself and other senior CSA officials, will continue in 2011. © AFP
"Hopefully the power of public opinion will be that Cricket South Africa (CSA) will take up our recommendations and implement them," said retired judge Chris Nicholson, the chairman of the inquiry into the financial affairs of CSA that instituted by sports minister Fikile Mbalula.
The inquiry into the financial affairs of CSA, sparked by undeclared IPL 2 bonuses that chief executive Gerald Majola paid himself and other senior CSA officials, will continue in 2011.
Nicholson said at the end of the third week of oral hearings that more oral hearings may be held in January.
Mbalula had requested the inquiry committee to deliver a final report by Christmas, but Nicholson said this was not possible.
"At the moment, in excess of 5,000 pages have been brought to our attention. All of that will need very careful scrutiny and analysis, so although the minister wanted us to report within a month, that unfortunately is not going to be possible," Nicholson said.
The final report is now expected to be ready only in February, when Mbalula plans to release it publicly, according to Nicholson.
The retired judge said he was keen to hear from other parties as well, including Dr Ali Bacher, the former general manager of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, which preceded CSA.
In his testimony to the inquiry on Tuesday, Majola accused Bacher of having set a precedent for future executive bonuses by pocketing South African Rand 5 million bonus for hosting the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, something that Bacher has denied.
Unchanged Australia team for second Test
Hobart: Captain Michael Clarke has resisted the temptation to play all-rounder Dan Christian in naming an unchanged Australian team for Friday's second Test against New Zealand in Hobart.
Daniel Christian has missed out on the starting line-up for the second Test against New Zealand. © AFP
Christian was added to the squad for injured paceman Ben Cutting following Australia's emphatic nine-wicket win over the Kiwis in Brisbane last weekend, but Clarke is staying with the same eleven for the Hobart Test.
The Bellerive Oval wicket looked green with plenty of grass covering on the eve of the Test with Clarke anticipating tough work for the team that bats first on the opening day.
"The wicket has got a lot more grass on it than I've ever seen in Hobart, looks better today than yesterday, so I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like tomorrow morning," Clarke said on Thursday.
"I think day one is going to be quite tough for the batters, especially if it's overcast and then it will turn into a pretty good wicket.
"I still see Nathan Lyon playing a big part as our spinner, probably later in the game than day one."
Clarke said overhead conditions on the morning of the match would be a bigger factor than the pitch when deciding whether to bat or bowl.
"I will be more looking up than looking down," said Clarke, who has only won the toss once in his seven Tests as Australian captain.
Clarke said he had confidence in his four front-line bowlers to get the wickets to beat the Kiwis after newcomer James Pattinson's devastating five for 27 in New Zealand's second innings to set up an easy victory at the Gabba.
"There's probably a little concern that if your front-line bowlers don't do the job with the new ball it could be quite a long day, but I'm confident. I thought we bowled really well at the Gabba in both innings," he said.
"I'm confident I can get some overs out of Michael Hussey, myself and David Warner as part-timers, but I have to make sure I rotate the bowlers the right way and hope we bowl and field well with that new ball."
Clarke said the team bowling first will have to make good use of the new ball.
"There's going to be a bit of seam and swing through the whole game with that grass on it so if you bowl really well with the new ball you're going to have some impact," he said.
Australia: David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke (capt), Michael Hussey, Brad Haddin, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon. Dan Christian (12th man).
Cummins hopes to play Adelaide Test against India
Melbourne: A heel injury might have ruled him out for bulk of the home Test series against India, but teen pace sensation Pat Cummins is in no mood to give up hope yet and said he is expecting to be fit in time for the fourth and final match of the rubber at Adelaide Oval.
A heel injury has ruled the Aussie pacer out for bulk of the home Test series against India. © AFP
The 18-year-old fast bowler is expected to be sidelined until late January with a heel injury that he picked up during his seven-wicket haul on debut against South Africa in Johannesburg last month.
Although Cummins has set his eyes on the Twenty20 international against India on February 1 to mark his return to international cricket, he has not completely ruled out his availability for the final Test from January 24.
"Cricket Australia are working closely with Cricket NSW with all my rehab and we'll be working on it all summer. I'll definitely be watching and looking forward to getting back as soon as possible," he said.
"I'll just rest it up for the next couple of weeks, and early January I'll start building up the running again and bowling, so I'm right not too long after that."
"The one-day series and Twenty20 I'm still definitely looking at, and maybe even the back of the Tests. It's only a couple more weeks," Cummins was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.
"I've never injured the foot before. It's a one-off. The doc (doctor) says hopefully once it's healed, you're at no more risk of suffering the injury than anybody else. I'll be doing everything I can to be available for the last Tests."
Talking about his injury, Cummins said he felt something wrong with his heel on the opening day of his debut Test.
"Day one was when it first became an issue. It was bearable then but towards the end, it started to get worse and worse," he said.
"It was all in that last Test match, the damage. It was an accumulation of bowling a couple of days on a bruised heel and something that's unavoidable.
"The original scan a few weeks ago was all clear, so we were pretty confident that it wasn't there. But I found out (Tuesday) when it was still causing some pain and it wasn't great news. It's a stress fracture on the bone, but right on the minor side of the scale," the lanky pacer added.
Clarke versucht, zuerst in Hobart Test Schale
Hobart: Australian Captain Michael Clarke said on Thursday that he could be tempted, first Bowl, when he throw on a Bellerive wins Green top in the second test against New Zealand.
Clarke, just throw the once in his seven tests as captain has won, said, that overhead costs help conditions in the morning of the game it would decide whether you bat or bowl. © AFP
The bowler-friendly pitch threatens life for the team first make it difficult batting in Hobart and Clarke said he may be forced to go against his natural instincts and Bowl should the flip to go his way.
Australia lead the two-test series after a thumping nine wicket has named win at the Gabba in Brisbane on the weekend and Clarke of an unchanged eleven.
Clarke, just throw the once in his seven tests as captain has won, said, that overhead costs help conditions in the morning of the game it would decide whether you bat or bowl.
"I will wait and see tomorrow." I think that overhead conditions will play a role. For me it's more about look as below to see what the weather as "he said."
"If the wicket not much changes from what I see and it is still a bit sticky and overhead exists conditions, is a great opportunity that I will Bowl in first."
"But I've said a few times in the past and gone out there and batted."
"I think the two things that I really hard to find are bowling first if I the draw profits and not picking a spinner."
Clarke was a bowler-friendly Strip, surprised.
"I think, be one day will be very hard for the batters, especially if it is cloudy and then it is in a pretty good wicket,", he said, adding, that Lyon later still play an important role could the spinner Nathan in the game.
Clarke named an unchanged team and said that he had to get confidence in his four frontline bowlers to the gates.
The skipper said that good bowling with the new ball would be rewarded.
"It is with a bit seam and swing through the whole game, grass on it to be so when you go really well with the new ball bowling you will have some impact," he said.
Tendulkar might play last two ODIs against West Indies
Sources claim that the 38-year-old wants to play the two matches at Indore and Chennai. © AFP
According to sources, the 38-year-old wants to play the remaining two matches of the series scheduled on December 8 and 11 in Indore and Chennai respectively.
The Kris Srikkanth-led selection panel will meet on Monday to pick the squad for the remainder of the series besides choosing a replacement for the injured pacer Praveen Kumar for the upcoming Tests against Australia.
Tendulkar's last international century came on March 12 during a World Cup group league match against South Africa in Nagpur.
The last missed opportunity came in the third Test against the Caribbeans when Tendulkar was dismissed six runs short of the milestone.
India lead the five-match rubber 2-0 with the third ODI scheduled on Monday.
We lost but showed a lot of spirit: Gibson
Ahmedabad: West Indies might be 0-2 down in the five match one-day international (ODI) series against India but their head coach Ottis Gibson takes solace from the fact that his team has put up a brave fight against the world champions.
Ottis Gibson took solace from the fact that his team has put up a brave fight against India. © AFP
"It's difficult to say I am satisfied when you are losing. But we have shown a lot of spirit and created opportunities to win. In the first game, making only 211 was disappointing. But the way the guys went out to defend 211 and got to the point where they could have won and the way they ended up losing was obviously difficult (to digest)," Gibson said.
He felt that things could have been different in the second game at Vishakapatnam had they not grassed the chance offered by Virender Sehwag in the second over of the match.
"The new ball was the key. We created some opportunity, got a couple of wickets but dropped Sehwag. If perhaps Rohit and Kohli had to come in and face the new ball a little bit earlier it could have been a different story," Gibson said.
He, however, acknowledged the splendid batting by the two young Indian batsmen, who notched up a 163-run partnership to engineer India's win.
"Having said that, those two played exceptionally well and took the game away from us. We lost but have not disgraced ourselves," said Gibson, adding the way Ravi Rampaul, who hammered an unbeaten 86 and Kemar Roach played "was obviously very heartening".
He said the batting failure was the main cause for his team's loss in the two games at Cuttack and Vizag.
"The batting failed due to lack of application and a bit of thought processes. We want people to take responsibility and assess the situation a little bit better. If we lose a few wickets early what is needed is for the next two batsmen to put together a partnership. We want to execute the plans like we saw Kohli and Rohit Sharma did in the last game," Gibson said.
He also went on to add that now the team was not depending on one or two players.
"Perhaps in the past we relied a lot on one or two people. Not anymore. In the Test series we had the likes of Kragg Brathwaite coming in and making runs and Kirk Edwards has done exceptionally well since he started his Test career.
Rampaul and Kemar Roach are showing self assurance."
Gibson believed that the team had in it to win close games in the remainder of the series.
"We learn all the time we are getting close to winning.
If we could win one of those close games, that will be a big thing for this young team. We created two good opportunities; we could have won, but didn't. There are still three games left in the series and there's no reason why all the games cannot end up in the last over. And there's no reason why we cannot win one or two of them."
He also backed skipper Darren Sammy who has flopped in the first two games with the bat.
"He's struggling a little bit in this format. I believe he will perform in the next game. He works very hard on his game and has a lot of belief in himself. He knew before he got the job what a difficult job it is.
"Captaining any international team is not easy. He's got everyone's support. He needs to get out and back his ability a bit more. He's a strong character. He's done well but he knows he's not performing as well as he should. He should be making more runs."
West Indies take on India in the third fixture at the Motera on Monday in a must win game.
Uday Kaul to continue as Punjab skipper
Mohali: Uday Kaul will lead Punjab in the remaining three Ranji Trophy matches as regular skipper Harbhajan Singh has been ruled out due to injury, a Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) spokesman said on Saturday.
Punjab are to play three league games against Rajasthan in Jaipur (December 6-9) against Karnataka in Bangalore (December 13-16) and against Mumbai in Mumbai (December 21-24).
Manager of Punjab team Vikram Rathore informed the selection committee, which met here on Saturday, about the shin injury to Harbhajan which has ruled him out for four weeks.
The selectors then decided to continue Uday Kaul as the captain for the remaining league matches, the PCA said.
Squad:
Uday Kaul (c/wk), Sarul Kanwar, Karan Goel, Andeep Singh, Mayank Sidana, Bipul Sharma, Manpreet Singh Gony, Barinder Singh, Amtioz Singh, Rajwinder Singh, Vishwas Bhalla, Sandeep Sharma, Gitnsh Khera, Ravi Inder Singh, Harmeet Singh Bansal and Rahul Singla.
Umesh Yadav aims to be India's McGrath
Ahmedabad: Inspired by Australian fast bowling legend Glenn McGrath, the newest addition to the Indian pace attack, Umesh Yadav, wants to be a line and length specialist.
"I like Glenn McGrath personally. In my life I will try that I get as close as possible to his bowling," Yadav said. © AFP
"I like Glenn McGrath personally. In my life I will try that I get as close as possible to his bowling," Yadav said ahead of India's third ODI against the West Indies at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium in Motera on Monday.
"McGrath is my hero and I am inspired by him and trying to bowl like him," said the Vidarbha bowler, who has struck a good combination with another up and coming bowler, Varun Aaron.
Yadav confessed that bowling alongside teammate Varun Aaron pushed him to do better.
"Bowling with Varun is good. We have our junior level connections. When he takes a wicket I have to tighten up my bowling at the other end and vice versa."
Yadav and Aaron were India's unlikely rescuers with the bat in the first ODI at Cuttack and guided the team home with a 12-run stand for the last wicket amidst mounting tension while chasing a modest 211.
Talking about that exciting one-wicket victory, Yadav said there was nothing much going through his head when he and Aaron were at the crease for the last wicket.
"We are tailenders and after the ninth wicket we thought what to do next. I was cool and wanted to play correct shots. Just single and double would be enough. Same was the case with Aaron," he said.
Yadav had been impressive in the preceding Test series against the Caribbean side too, and has taken that form into the limited-overs series with five wickets in two matches.
Yadav, who is set to leave for Australia with some senior members of the squad, including Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman a few days earlier than the rest of the squad for the eagerly awaited four-Test series, said the extra days would help him adjust to the wicket.
"Indian wickets are different from the Australian ones. If I get some extra days it will be better for me and I will get time to practice and get accustomed to the wicket. It is good that I am going early," he said.
The 24-year-old player said was not targeting any particular Australian batsman on the tour.
"The wicket of every player is important as it will benefit my team, be it (Ricky) Ponting or (Michael) Clarke."
Yadav also believes that Test cricket is the best format of the game as it examines a player's calibre to the fullest.
"In Test cricket one has to be consistent with the line and length and bowl in particular areas, whereas in ODIs, you have to pick quick wickets and at the same time restrict the opposition from scoring runs," the young pacer said.
Unpaid Lankan cricketers get support from South African players
Johannesburg: Unpaid by their Board for the past eight months, the Sri Lankan cricketers got the support of their South African counterparts, who feel it's a credit to Tillakaratne Dilshan's men that they have still carried on with national duty.
Unpaid by their Board for the past eight months, the Sri Lankan cricketers got the support of their South African counterparts, who feel it's a credit to Tillakaratne Dilshan's men that they have still carried on with national duty. © AFP
In a statement issued by the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA), Proteas Test captain Graeme Smith said the situation is "far from ideal".
The players have not been by a cash-strapped Sri Lanka Cricket, which is awaiting $4.3 million payments from the ICC for co-hosting this year's World Cup, and the South Africans hoped that the matter would be resolved soon.
"We want to show our support for Tillakaratne Dilshan and our fellow professional cricketers from Sri Lanka on this issue," Smith said.
"It is far from ideal that the Sri Lankan team is about to start a tough Test series and ODI series in South Africa without having been paid any of their remuneration for the last eight months," he added.
Proteas ODI captain AB de Villiers said non-payment of players' dues is not right given how professionally the sport is managed now.
"In this age of professionalism in cricket this kind of thing should not be happening," de Villiers said.
"It's a credit to the players that they've kept playing for their country since March despite all of this. We hope it gets sorted out soon."
The Sri Lankan Cricketers' Association (SLCA) has sought the Federation of International Cricketers' Association's help on the matter.
South Africa are set to host Sri Lanka for three Tests and five ODIs and SACA's chief-executive Tony Irish hoped that the matter would be resolved before the Dilshan and Co start their tour game against South Africa A on December 9.
"It's difficult to understand how a board which has just co-hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup can find itself in such a desperate financial situation that it can't pay its national team of fully contracted professionals for months on end," Irish was quoted as saying by a website.
"We know that the players association in Sri Lanka is doing what it can to sort this out for the players and we hope for some positive progress before the first match of the tour starts against," he added.
'Yuvraj will be back in three weeks'
New Delhi: Middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh, who skipped the ongoing West Indies series due to a non-malignant lung tumour, would be fit to play competitive cricket in three weeks' time, his mother said on Monday.
Yuvraj Singh, skipped the ongoing West Indies series due to a non-malignant lung tumour. © AFP
"The world will see a new Yuvraj on and off the field when he returns to cricket in 2-3 weeks. Yuvraj's way of looking at life has changed. He has realised what he should do and what he should not. He was always a fighter but has become stronger and more brave. He has learnt so much in this time," Yuvraj's mother Shabnam Singh said.
Revealing the pain Yuvraj has been going through in the last six months due to a golf ball-sized tumour that was detected in his chest, Shabnam said, "Only he knows what he has gone through, how he has suffered. He knew it could have been so dangerous but he never shared his pain. It will take time to heal. There is no option but to face it."
Shabnam said her son had wanted to keep his illness a secret but had to reveal later as people would charge him for not being serious if he skipped the ongoing West Indies series without giving a reason, his mother said.
"Yuvraj is angry with me because he did not want anyone to pity him. He wants to be known as a player who played for his country. Then I said it is better that the world knows what he is going through or they will again say he is not serious (by deciding not to play this series)," Shabnam said.
"If they see him with a fan or someone else, they will say he has an affair. They will say he is enjoying himself so I said the world should know what he is going through and he is unwell. I asked my Guruji and he said it's OK to tell the world. Yuvi said everyone will ask him questions but I said if you don't play and not disclose the reason there will be more questions," she told a news channel.
Whatmore is frontrunner for Pakistan coach's job: PCB official
Karachi: A Pakistan Cricket Board official has confirmed that Australian Dav Whatmore, who currently in India's National Cricket Academy, is the front-runner to take over as head coach of the national team.
A Pakistan Cricket Board official has confirmed that Australian Dav Whatmore, who currently in India's National Cricket Academy, is the front-runner to take over as head coach of the national team.
© Getty Images
"Yes, we have held talks with Whatmore along with other potential candidates for the coaching positions advertised by us in the Pakistan team," the senior official, who declined to be named, said.
The PCB has said that it is looking to appoint a head coach and specialist batting, bowling and fielding coaches for the national team.
The board, since September, has been in the process of inviting applications from interested candidates and has shortlisted some of them for the prime positions in the team.
The hunt for the new coaches began after former Test captain Waqar Younis stepped down after the Zimbabwe tour in September due to personal and health reasons. When he resigned, Waqar had 14 months left in his contract with the PCB.
The official said initial talks had been held with Whatmore to assess his point of view and the committee appointed by the board and headed by Intikhab Alam was still in the process of preparing a list of final candidates for the board to approve.
Whatmore, a former Australian Test player, gained recognition as the coach of the Sri Lankan team that won the 1996 World Cup.
He later coached Bangladesh with no notable success and is presently working in India in the National Cricket Academy.
Whatmore was among the three candidates shortlisted in 2008 by the PCB for the position of head coach when Nasim Ashraf was chairman but later the board preferred to appoint former Australian pacer Geoff Lawson after reports emerged that some players were not comfortable with having Whatmore.
The source said the board would be taking into confidence captain Misbah-ul-Haq and other senior players before making a final appointment of the coaches.
Besides Whatmore, the source said former South African player Jonty Rhodes, Australian Julian Fountain and Englishman D Dunlop were also in the run.
"The PCB is facing a catch-22 situation with the team doing well and on a winning momentum under Misbah and interim coach Mohsin Khan. It has yet to decide when to bring in the new coaching staff," another source said.
England Beat India in Twenty20; Stay no.1
AppId is over the quota
England may have had a torrid ODI series in India. However, they will go home a happy lot after comfortably winning the one off Twenty20 match at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata and may even make a pit stop at the Buddh International Circuit in Noida, New Delhi like some of the Indian cricketers are expected to.
The Twenty20 match at Eden Gardens turned out to an insipid affair for the scanty few fans that turned up for the Twenty20 match. The Indian cricket barely got going batting first, and managed only 120 after young fast bowler, Steven Finn, gave the cricket spectators a taste of what to expect in the future. Finn took two of the top Indian wickets, including that of Suresh Raina who topscored the innings with thirty-nine runs.
Tim Bresnan and Finn hit their marks and the Indian line up was left reeling until Raina and Indian captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, briefly tried to make a go of things.The Indian innings ended on the last ball of their innings with the run out of Dhoni for twenty-one.
Set a relatively low total by Twenty20 standards, India never really had a hope while England sealed the deal with Kevin Pietersen returning successfully despite a fractured thumb to score a half century after only thirty-nine balls to steer England to the brink of victory which was not difficult thereafter as England stayed at the no.1 Twenty20 ranking with the win by six wickets.
Formula One Overtakes Cricket As No.1 Sports Passion in India. Likely?
Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One boss, believes Formula One is here to stay in India, a compliment echoed by fans in the country as well as some of the Indian celebrities including the Indian cricketers who were bowled over by the spectacle. At the end of the Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit in Noida, there was a collective relief that Formula One had come to India had come only once to India as opposed to cricket that is played around the year these days.
There is undoubtedly a grand following for Formula One amongst Indians and the fact that the racing was brought to India made it more of a celebration of adrenaline that is not easy to get over as the weekend proved in plenty. However, that it can actually match the crazed following that cricket enjoys in India seems a task even the multi million dollar speed thrill would have earn over time. And that would not be easy with just the one race in India although it would have done a lot towards making more people aware of the sport and perhaps see more viewership from India for more international F1 races, although only two remain in the 2011 season.
While cricket cannot match steps with Formula One racing's worldwide following, it would certainly have a tough task sustaining interest in a sport that will see only one race a year.
Had India Won Test Series in India, Perhaps Test Championship Would have Been On
Former England captain, Michael Vaughan has already tasted plenty of backlash after his Twitter comment that perhaps Vaseline on the bat had something to do with V.V.S. Laxman beating the Hot Spot technology during India's tour of England for the Test series. The protests not only came from the Indian cricket contingent but also, from Hot Spot and Vaseline.
Now while he is taking on the ICC for its decision to defer the Test championship, he has also not ruled out the possibility that had the Test results in England been favourable in India's favour, the shape of Test championship could have been much different. The implications are rather obvious given that India has become the new Mecca of cricket and the money that flows into the game has been phenomenal, particularly when one looks at the model of the IPL. While the ICC has made no bones about the fact that the broadcast concerns of making the same kind of financial rate of interest that would successfully replace the ICC Champions Trophy could not be arrived at feasibly to push forth the agenda of a Test championship, the sponsorship revenue would also depend on those nations that can actually help generate that revenue.
India's financial clout when it comes to cricket is too loud to be ignored, which is perhaps Vaughan is of the opinion that a better case could have been made for the Test championship had India managed to sustained their Test success of the past three years to actually make a case for creating a legitimate championship that will make Test cricket and bilateral series more sensible in pointing in the direction of a championship culminating every four years. That now appears a distant dream as far as the original planned date of 2013 is concerned.
Kevin Pietersen Hears from ICC After On Field Argument with Umpire during T20 v India
Kevin Pietersen played a terrific knock to ensure that England did not return home disappointed from India, but not before catching the ire of the umpires and subsequently the ICC as well.
England all rounder, Kevin Pietersen, batted in the one off Twenty20 match between India and England despite battling a broken finger. In doing so, he scored the only half century of the match en route to taking England to victory, a welcome result after the 5-0 ODI drubbing at the hands of India.
However, Kevin Pietersen's uncanny ability to get into controversies was not spared on this brief tour either. First it was Graeme Swann's book in which he criticized KP's captaincy that brought the attention back to KP. And in the Twenty20 match, Kevin Pietersen managed to incur the wrath of the umpires who did not like the fact that Pietersen was carrying on and on about his dismissal.
England’s Kevin Pietersen has been officially reprimanded for a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct during his side’s six-wicket victory over India in the only Twenty20 International (T20I) of the series in Kolkata on Saturday. Pietersen was found to have breached Article 2.1.3 of the code which relates to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during an international match”. Pietersen himself pleaded guilty and was let off with an official reprimand to add a touch of sour to an otherwise more celebratory finish to the England cricket season.
Batsmen need to hit form, says Misbah
"It is a matter of concern as we have failed to still come to terms with the different pitch conditions in Bangladesh," said Misbah.
Misbah said the way the Pakistan batting collapsed in the Twenty20 match and the first one-day international against Bangladesh, it is proving to be a cause of concern and the batsmen need to iron out their weaknesses if they are to go the distance.
"It is a matter of concern as we have failed to still come to terms with the different pitch conditions in Bangladesh," said Misbah.
"We are winning matches and doing well as a unit but the batting needs to show muscle and not be brittle. Because this might cost us heavily in the coming matches in Bangladesh or other upcoming series.
"We are winning because our bowlers are doing really well but if our batsmen also contribute properly we could win by more comfortable margins," Misbah told Geo News.
The Pakistan batting has struggled in the two matches against Bangladesh on sluggish and slow tracks, reigniting the debate about the consistency of batsmen.
Misbah, who now leads Pakistan in all three formats of the game, said the team is not worried or thinking about the upcoming series against England in the UAE.
"We are presently only focussing on our series in Bangladesh and taking it match by match," he said.
'Zaheer still needs to do lot of bowling to get fit'
New Delhi: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly feels that India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan needs to bowl a lot in order to be fully fit for the first Test against Australia starting on the Boxing Day.
"I feel Zaheer is still not hundred percent fit and we can't afford to have a 50 percent fit Zaheer Khan in Australia. For India, Zaheer still needs to play a lot more matches and for that he needs to be fully fit. One Ranji Trophy game is not enough," Ganguly said. © AFP
"I feel Zaheer is still not hundred percent fit and we can't afford to have a 50 percent fit Zaheer Khan in Australia. For India, Zaheer still needs to play a lot more matches and for that he needs to be fully fit. One Ranji Trophy game is not enough," Ganguly said at launch of Wisden India in association with Fidelis World.
"Still there are 24 days left and I believe he will play another Ranji game as well as two practice matches in Australia. The BCCI has planned his schedule well unlike 10 years back when I had to appear for a fitness test only 10 days prior to an important tour," Ganguly added.
Ravichandran Ashwin may have had a dream start to his Test career but he maintained bowling in Australia conditions will be an altogether different challenge for the Tamil Nadu tweaker.
"Ashwin is a gifted cricketer. But bowling in India with SG Test balls against an inconsistent West Indies batting line-up is completely different from bowling with Kookaburra balls. Also the quality of batsmanship will certainly be higher," Ganguly assessed.
Asked about Praveen Kumar's ideal replacement, Ganguly didn't commit any names.
"We should have a good young pacer whoever it is. As far as Irfan is concerned, I have heard that he is bowling well but my question would be whether he is good enough to get into the team on his bowling alone."
Ganguly seemed delighted that Ashish Nehra is playing the longer version although the seamer himself is reluctant about playing day's cricket.
"It's nice to see Ashish playing day's cricket. Also he is getting wickets which is a good sign. I don't think that not being in central contracts is an issue. He is only 32 and still can play for India for sometime."
For someone who has always felt that skill has nothing to do with age, it was no wonder that he found former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns' jibe at Ricky Ponting being an "elephant in the dressing room" as a "ridiculous" statement.
"He (Cairns) said that yesterday and today I guess Ponting batting close to 70 (67 batting). I have always said this and I maintain, please don't judge a Ponting, Tendulkar or a Dravid by their age."
On a different note, Ganguly who is also the chairman of the BCCI technical committee feels that something needs to be done regarding the structure of Ranji Trophy format.
"I know there are times when the second innings becomes immaterial unlike our match today against Haryana. But certainly we need to look at possibilities whether we can make it a five-day affair," he said.
He has seen a presentation on VJD method the rain rule used for domestic matches and he replied with a smile, "I found it complicated just like the D/L method during my playing days."
PTI
Collingwood eyes England comeback
AppId is over the quota
London: Former England one-day captain Paul Collingwood is hoping stints at domestic level in Australia and India can help him force his way back into his country's limited overs set-up.
Paul Collingwood is hoping stints at domestic level in Australia and India can help him force his way back into his country's limited overs set-up. © AFP
Collingwood, now 35, retired from Tests after the triumphant Ashes series last winter and has not played for his country since the World Cup in March.
However, he believes he can still play a role for England both in one day internationals and in the Twenty20 format.
England's selectors have brought in a handful of promising younger players in recent months as they look to the future, but Collingwood aims to make his case with spells in the Big Bash - Australia's domestic Twenty20 tournament - with Perth Scorchers, followed by the Indian Premier League, where he represents Delhi Daredevils.
"I still have the ambition to play one-day and T20 for my country," Collingwood said.
"If I have a really good six months you never know what can happen. I'll be out in Australia for six or seven weeks playing against some of the world's best cricketers then playing in the IPL."
"This is an exciting opportunity for me. Although I'm 35 it is a fresh challenge."
"I'm looking forward to playing in the Big Bash, it's a big stage and that is where you want to be."
AFP
Kevin Pietersen's Eden Gardens Dream Comes True Despite Broken Finger
Cricketers in India usually grow up dreaming of playing at Lord's one day. And a few Indian cricketers may indeed made their Lord's appearance something to cherish. However, Kevin Pietersen had a unique dream that he was happy to accomplish even if the stadium has undergone a revamp and that there were not too many fans to soak the experience with.
Kevin Pietersen has faced his share of troubles, on and off the cricket field. However, he says he aspired to play on one hallowed ground - the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the historic venue when South Africa returned from isolation following the period of apartheid. Perhaps that had something to do with why Pietersen was desperate to play at Eden Gardens despite a broken finger. After all, Pietersen defected to play for England after claiming that the quota system in the South African cricket administration was affecting the selection.
Irrespective of the origin of his passion to play at Eden Gardens, KP almost missed his chance after he fractured his finger during the fourth ODI between India and England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Pietersen, as it turned out, played the Twenty20 match and top scored with a match winning half century that gave England their lone win on the mini tour of India. Before the revamp, the Eden Gardens was supposed to be an experience of playing on a beautiful turf in front of a 100,000 strong fans.
England missed the opportunity to play at the Eden Gardens after the stadium ran into trouble with the ICC over renovation deadline which meant that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 match between India and England was shifted to Bengaluru to the disappointment of Eden Gardens fans.
It should be noted that the last time Pietersen toured India, he was the England captain but lost his job shortly thereafter. But this time would not be a case of missed chances.Pietersen has faced a tough time since, and perhaps it would be also not wrong to assume that his playing here was fortuitous in more ways than one. Pietersen claims he had to beg the England coach, Andy Flower, before getting the opportunity to play despite the sore finger.
That Kevin Pietersen not only relieved his childhood dream of playing at Eden Gardens but also, made it a memorable outing for England would have been icing on the cake.
Rampaul, Roach script a record breaking recovery act
Visakhapatnam: Ravi Rampaul struck a brilliant 86 and together with Kemar Roach registered world record 99-run partnership for the last wicket to power the West Indies to a challenging 269 for nine against India in the second ODI in the southeastern Indian state Andhra Pradesh on Friday.
Rampaul was at his destructive best as he hit half a dozen sixes and as many boundaries during his 66-ball blitzkrieg 86. © AFP
Down and out at 170 for nine, Rampaul, who returned to the team after resting the first ODI, joined hands with Roach (24 not out) to script a recovery act that no one would have imagined after opener Lendl Simmons was out in the 36th over.
Rampaul was at his destructive best as he hit half a dozen sixes and as many boundaries during his 66-ball blitzkrieg.
Roach gave him perfect support by keeping the other end intact and hit three fours in his 36-ball knock.
Sent into bat, it was opener Lendl Simmons who stood tall at the top of the order with a gritty 78 off 102 balls (8x4, 1x6) to lend stability to the visitors' innings.
Contrary to the final score, West Indies never looked in a position to cross the 200-run mark as they lost wickets at regular intervals from the start to find themselves in a spot of bother at 170 for nine before Rampaul and Roach lifted the visitors.
Since his arrival, Rampaul completely dominated the Indian attack and did not spare even a single home team bowler during his unconquered innings.
Earlier, Umesh Yadav and R Vinay Kumar ripped through the West Indies top-order to see the visitors reeling at 63 for five in the 17th over.
But Simmons repaired the innings with a fine 56-run sixth wicket stand with big-hitting Kieron Pollard (35 off 30 balls), who struck three fours and two huge sixes.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (1/74) was the most expensive Indian bowler, who conceded six of the nine sixes West Indies batsmen struck on Friday.
Looking for that elusive win on Indian soil since they landed a month back, it was a near perfect platform for the West Indies to post an imposing total on a belter of track on offer at the Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
But the visitor's top-order once again put up a spineless display, crumbling against the pace and bounce of Yadav (3/38) and Vinay Kumar (2/43).
It was opener Lendl Simmons who stood tall at the top of the order with a gritty 78 off 102 balls (8x4, 1x6) to lend stability to the visitors' innings. © AFP
Yadav tested the West Indies top-order now and then with his nagging line and length and his efforts soon bore fruit when he dismissed Adrian Barath (0) in the final delivery of his first over.
Yadav then accounted for Marlon Samuels, who gave a sharp catch to Suresh Raina at third slip in the seventh over to finish off a fine first spell.
Vinay Kumar then joined the party and marked his return into second spell with a double wicket maiden when he had the prized scalp of Darren Bravo (13) and Danza Hyatt (0) in a span of three balls.
Bravo was looking good with two boundaries and along with Simmons seemed in a mood to unsettle the rhythm of Indian bowlers. But inexperience led to his downfall when the stylish left-hander gave an easy lofted catch to Ashwin at mid-on.
A ball later, West Indies' problems compunded as Hyatt nicked one to Patel before Yadav picked up his third victim in the form of wicketkeeper Dinesh Ramdin to reduce the visitors to 63 for five in 16.1 overs.
The top-half back in the dressing room, big-hitting Pollard gave West Indies a ray of hope with some lusty hits, including a boundary off Yadav from the first delivery he faced.
Pollard looked at his ruthless best when he cleared the long-off and long-on boundaries for back-to-back sixes of Ashwin, but the off-spinner got his revenge back in the very next ball trapping the right-hander lbw, in what appeared to be a dubious decision by Indian umpire S Ravi.
Simmons, on the other hand, stood tall amid the ruins holding one end up till the ninth wicket before his innings was cut short by a brilliant Jadeja, whose perfect throw from the fine-leg boundary caught the batsman short of the crease.
But then came Rampaul, who played an innings of his life full of exuberance and authority, and single-handedly took the West Indies past the 250-mark, which at one stage looked impossible.
Clarke earns home fans' support after ton
Michael Clarke chuckled at the thought of the standing ovation he received from the home crowd after his century put Australia in a powerful position against New Zealand in the first Test.
© AFP
Almost a year ago he was booed by local fans in a one-day international win against England as he came out to bat at the same Brisbane ground.
But this time the Australian skipper was given a rapturous send-off as he left the field following his charmed knock of 139.
"It's always nice that your home fans support you. That's nice, yeah," Clarke laughed after Saturday's third day stumps.
"It's probably a little bit of an expectation. You would hope that you get support.
"For me, it's about scoring runs and helping this team win games of cricket. Hopefully, I can continue to earn the public's respect."
Although Clarke casts a genial and polite image, he polarises opinion among the country's cricket followers, with some people disapproving of his perceived glamorous lifestyle.
On the day Clarke took over as Test captain from Ricky Ponting last January, a newspaper poll showed only eight percent of respondents favoured the appointment.
The Kiwis made it easier for Clarke on his way to his 17th Test century.
Wicketkeeper Reece Young and Jesse Ryder spilled catches, both off the luckless paceman Doug Bracewell.
And Clarke was also bowled off an inside edge late Friday only to get a reprieve when Bracewell was found to have overstepped for a no-ball.
He made the Black Caps pay dearly in a 108-run sixth wicket stand with Brad Haddin for Australia to take control of the match.
Clarke was out on the fourth ball after tea, caught at deep backward square by Tim Southee off Chris Martin, ending his 368-minute stay which included 19 fours and a six.
It was Clarke's fourth Test hundred against the Kiwis and second in his last five Test innings.
"Little bit of luck, which obviously goes a long way. Most importantly, a really good day from us from the team," he said.
"Once I got that life on 20-odd, it was important for me to go on and make a big score for the team.
"It's been nice to make a few runs. I've needed them after the summer I had last year (against England), so since taking over the captaincy I've got a couple of hundreds, which is nice."
Want to make best use of my good form: Virat
He is now dubbed as a match-winner in the shorter version and Virat Kohli intends to make hay till the sun shines. © AFP
"I know you can't continue in good form for ever. Therefore I want this good form to be extended as much as possible because when never know when you hit a bad patch," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony while receiving his man of the match award.
"It's the worst thing that a batsman has to go though. Suddenly, there will be a five-match series and a few low scores would make things difficult for you," he said.
He has now scored two centuries at this particular ground but Kohli feels that both innings can't be compared.
"You can't compare my century against Australia with effort. Against Australia, the wicket was slow and scoring wasn't really difficult. But today, it wasn't a wicket where you could just go out there and play your shots. You needed time to adjust before starting to play your shots," Kohli explained.
Asked about his 163-run partnership with Rohit Sharma, Kohli said, "It's always been a great experience to bat with Rohit. Batting together, we are constantly learning about how to put partnerships."
Skipper Sehwag praised both Virat and Rohit stating that both batted like "matured men."
Asked about his bowlers' failure to get the last wicket, Sehwag was effusive in his praise for Ravi Rampaul.
"I tried various bowling changes but it was simply Ravi Rampaul's day and we could do nothing about it. Vinay and Umesh bowled well at the beginning but Ashwin was unfortunately off-colour today. When I realised that nothing could be done, I told myself that let's concentrate on batting."
Rival skipper Darren Sammy expressed his disappointment at not being able to deliver the knock-out punch.
"We tried to punch the Indians but they punched us harder. Ravi played well and it was great to see Kemar bowl like this. The smile is back on his face but somehow we are not being able to give the final push."
World Cup review - Part 1 - Australia, Bangladesh, England, India & Ireland
28 years ago, I was rudely woken up by relatives screaming "We have won the World Cup". It is quite likely that Saturday's final between India & Sri Lanka also ended around the same time as that game in 1983. I was well awake this time around!
I can't recall exactly when I started following cricket with a lot of interest, but I definitely recall watching games from the 1985 World Championship of Cricket in Australia keenly. I did watch at least 1 day's play of the India v Pakistan test at Chepauk in 1987 and definitely remember Azhar taking a blinder of a catch. I can't recollect if it was off a spinner (Maninder) or off a medium pacer (Raju Kulkarni), most likely the latter since I didn't bunk school, and the last day of the test was on a Sunday. The 1987 tied test at Chepauk enthralled me. A few months earlier, I had read an account of the final over of the Brisbane tied test. Around the same time that the India v Australia game was coming to an end, with India in a winning position (50-odd runs to get with 5 wickets in hand), I was at my music class, and wondered aloud if a tie was possible. Needless to say, I got thrashed when umpire Vikram Raju's finger went up.
Back to the present though. The final was an excellent exhibition of classy batting by Jayawardene, who I still believe to be over-rated in comparison to Sangakkara, nice partnerships (Sangakkara-Dilshan, Mahela-Samaraweera & Mahela-Kulasekara, Gambhir-Virat & Gambhir-Dhoni) and a fair amount of power-hitting at the end.
Now that the tournament has ended though, teams & individuals need to introspect into whether they have achieved what they set out to.
Australia needs to take a serious look at their approach to grooming spin bowlers. Under Ricky Ponting's captaincy (possibly because of his limitations when it came to playing spin bowling in tests), the only time he used "spin" with some degree of seriousness was when he was washing his clothes. They've never identified any sort of backup options for Shane Warne other than Stuart "watch-me-bowl-a-half-tracker" MacGill. They need to find at least 1 more young batsman to play alongside Watson, Clarke & Ponting. It is rare for Aussie ex-captains to play on for too long after they've quit as captain. While Ponting may play on until the 2013 & 2014 Ashes, it is quite likely that he'd have quit ODI cricket by then.
Bangladesh need to have a rethink about their domestic cricket structure, and ensure that the top 25-30 players get a lot more exposure to cricket against first-class teams from countries that are better than them. It's quite obviouso that the talent is there, but they're not progressing beyond an odd upset every World Cup and getting thrashed by the rest of the stronger sides. Given their proximity to India & the vote that they bring to India's table at the ICC, I can't understand why they don't engage in some quid pro quo for test & ODI tours to India, and for IPL sides to pick their players.
England performed extremely well against the stronger sides, but lost it against the weaker ones (and barely survived against West Indies). This seems to indicate that it isn't a skill problem, but an inability to understand how to play limited overs cricket. Constantly complaining about the schedule doesn't get them anywhere. The Ashes-World Cup schedule was known well in advance, and they had the better part of 3-4 years since the 2007 World Cup to have a squad of 20-odd quality players to pick from. They have the bowling. Anderson, Broad, Ajmal Shahzad, Tremlett & Swann are a pretty handy lineup. But the batting is far too unidimensional with Strauss, Trott, Bell and Collingwood providing at least 2 too many 'bat 30+ overs' batsmen & only Pietersen, Bopara and Morgan providing the flair.
India won despite a bowling attack that was under threat of being smacked around every game, and a fielding unit (barring 2 or 3 players) which was ever willing to help opponents convert 1s into 2s, 2s into 3s, routine saves into 4s, etc. There's absolutely no doubt that they were the best side of the tournament, and they defeated all the top sides barring South Africa (England, perhaps conveniently, don't count). Yet, players like Virat Kohli & Sreesanth need to think about their game, and what they want to achieve. It is bizarre that Kohli, at 22, is unable to adapt his game to a situation where he goes in at #6 with a couple of overs left to go. He has to realize that he may not go in at #4 with 30 overs to go every time! Similarly, Sreesanth needs to realize that this was his 'last chance saloon'. He only had 2 opportunities to prove that he can be an effective #2 or #3 bowler in ODIs, and he fluffed up both times. If his strength is around generating late outswing, why did he pitch it so short on a very flat batting track in the final? Ashwin has most likely become the 2nd choice spinner, and I'd expect that he gets a lot more games over the span of the next 6-10 months to show that he can do a good job.
Ireland had at least 2 opportunities other than the game against England (v Bangladesh & v West Indies) to show that they should be given many more opportunities to compete against good sides, and also that a World Cup was better off with them than without them. Labels: 2011, 2011 world cup, australia, bangladesh, england, india, ireland, replica, world cup
Sachin Tendulkar’s Chequered Flag Experience Gets a Thumbs Up
Michael Schumacher, Sachin Tendulkar
The Buddh International Circuit saw F1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone, personally invite Indian batting’s colossus genius, Sachin Tendulkar, for the inaugural event and Tendulkar had the honour of waving the chequered flag as Red Bull’s double champion racing driver, Sebastien Vettel, was the first to cross the finish line for a record eleventh time in the year to match Michael Schumacher.
Tendulkar has been missing in action on the cricket field and was not seen during the England team’s visit to India for the ODI series with a toe injury. However, he turned up at the Noida venue with his wife, Anjali Tendulkar, and daughter Sara Tendulkar for the prestigious event in a major international motorsport event for India.
Sachin Tendulkar also observed a minute of silence along with the F1 drivers by way of condolence for the tragic deaths of Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncelli who lost their lives in two separate motorsport accident at the Indy car racing and Moto GP respectively, once again highlighting the perils of high speed racing.
This though is not Tendulkar’s first brush with Formula One, having met Michael Schumacher, then racing with Ferrari, during the British Grand Prix in 2002 when the latter also presented him with his Ferrari which Tendulkar recently sold for a Nissan GTR car.
Tendulkar was one of the high profile celebrities present at the venue along with Bollywood actors as well as fellow cricketers such as Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh. Tendulkar is said to be have been ecstatic about the prospect of being the one ot wave the chequered flag at the end and tweeted about it as much. Although Tendulkar is perhaps not all that well known across the Formula One world as he is amongst the cricket friendly nation, that he was possibly the highest ranked celebrity outside of the drivers themselves could not be argued.