World Cricket II

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX3y40N0efc&feature=channel_video_title

1997 England tour of New Zealand - test series review

[ajithfederer]

India need to prove its Test status in England: Botham

India achieved the numero uno Test status primarily by virtue of their triumphs at home but the forthcoming away series against England will be the real test for the visitors, said legendary cricketer Ian Botham.

“India are currently ranked No 1 in the world and they got there by playing some decent cricket, mainly at home. But when you consider that they have only beaten Bangladesh and New Zealand in their last six away trips, then you realise that they have got a bit to prove to people this summer,” Botham wrote in his column for Mirror newspaper.

The battle for Test supremacy begins this summer when world number one India face number three England in a four-match series starting July.

During the tour, India will play four Tests -- the first of which starts at Lord’s on July 21 -- five ODIs and a one-off Twenty20 match.

Botham also showed scant respect to ICC’s ranking system, and rated England as the best team in the longer version of the game at present.

“The England Test team is the best in world cricket and they will prove it beyond doubt this summer,

“Forget the rankings designed by men with computers who believe that logarithms can tell us who is playing the best cricket more accurately than we can see with our eyes,” the former English captain insisted.

“England are unbeaten in seven series with six of them ending in victory for Andrew Strauss’s side, and the pinnacle of these was the magnificent Ashes campaign last winter. That sealed it for me. Not just because it was the Ashes and winning them in Australia is notoriously difficult, but because they did it so comprehensively and in such style,” Botham said.

“It takes something special to win Down Under, but it takes a rare gem of a side to do it with three innings defeats and leave the Australians floundering around looking for someone to blame before turning on each other,” he reasoned.

He said what augurs well for England is the mixture of youth and experience of the present team.

“The real beauty of this England team is their age and their experience. They have nearly all played enough Test cricket to be considered old pros, yet most of them are still so young,” Botham wrote.

“Unlike the 2005 team that reached a peak and was then ravaged by retirements and injuries, this England side has plenty of cricket left in it. Only Strauss and Graeme Swann are over 30 and I can see the England skipper continuing to lead the side into the next Ashes series,” he added.

Botham said with two important series lined up this summer -- against Sri Lanka and India, England’s target should be “world supremacy“.

“Between now and then, the target is sustained world supremacy. Outside the great Australian and West Indies teams, no other side has dominated the game and England have the chance to put themselves in that position,” the former all-rounder added.

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/article2050562.ece?homepage=true

[ajithfederer]

Basil D'Oliveira Trophy (South Africa in England) 2008 South Africa 2-1 (4)
England in India Test Series 2008/09 India 1-0 (2)
The Wisden Trophy (England in West Indies) 2008/09 West Indies 1-0 (5)
The Wisden Trophy (West Indies in England) 2009 England 2-0 (2)
The Ashes (Australia in England) 2009 England 2-1 (5)
Basil D'Oliveira Trophy (England in South Africa) 2009/10 drawn 1-1 (4)
England in Bangladesh Test Series 2009/10 England 2-0 (2)
Bangladesh in England Test Series 2010 England 2-0 (2)
Pakistan in England Test Series 2010 England 3-1 (4)
The Ashes (England in Australia) 2010/11 England 3-1 (5)
Sri Lanka in England Test Series 2011

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/england/engine/records/team/series_results.html?class=1;id=1;type=team

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QmHIlpokfQ&feature=channel_video_title

2000/01 Pakistan vs England TEST SERIES REVIEW

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UXKzbCrips&feature=related

Ashes 2010/11 - Hugh Jackman vs Shane Warne

Woohoo :)

[Plum]

Botham is right. England are the best currently. With Indians including Test stalwarts focussing on easy IPL money, England are the deserving team for #1 test team. Cricketing Gods will reward one or more of Cook, Trott, Swann, Anderson, Tremlett, Bresnan, Onions, Broad, Bopara, Davies, Prior, Panesar, Rashid, Stokes, Hildreth, Woakes, Finn, Strauss, Pietersen, Bell, Shahzad and England potentials among English Cricketers and Saffer Cricketers who play or might play for England. They'll be rewarded with a series win or draw against India in England this year and a #1 ranking later this century.

Tendul, Dravid, Laxman and greedy IPL indians will be punished by Gods with humiliating - in spirit if not margin - losses against England and possibly windies.
See what happened to IPL greedy Sanga, Mahela and Dilshan?

[ajaybaskar]

Annan Afridi quits Int'l cricket (http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/story/517271.html)

[19thmay]

Annan Afridi quits Int'l cricket (http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/story/517271.html)

All funny things happening in PCB. I bet no one can predict their playing XI! Not sure what happened to Sohail Tanvir or Azhar Mahmood or Mr.Sania Mirza!

[ajithfederer]

It's Simmy anderson's turn now.

James Anderson eye whitewash against India and Sri Lanka

England pacer, James Anderson, has made his intentions clear that his team will be looking to get to the top of the Test rankings by beating Sri Lanka and India in the upcoming Test series at home.

The English team is scheduled to play three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, starting from May 26, 2011, followed by four Tests against India in July, later this year.

“To do it, the minimum requirement against Sri Lanka and India is to win, but if you want to move up the rankings you need to win convincingly. So, we will set out to win 3-0 and 4-0,” said Anderson.

The pace bowler added that the victories in the next couple of series will help them improve their rankings who are currently at the third place in the standings behind India and South Africa.

Citing the English team as capable of producing good results in the forthcoming matches, the fast bowler made it clear to the Indian team and the Lankan Tigers that the Poms will come hard at them and they should be ready for a tough clash.

Anderson further uttered that the first Test against Sri Lanka at Cardiff (beginning on Saturday, 26th May) will be a ‘massive one’ as it will set the tempo for the rest of the matches in the series.


“The first game in Cardiff this week will be massive. We don`t want to give Sri Lanka a sniff or let them settle into the series. We want to hit them hard from the moment we get on the field either with bat or ball,” said the pacer who has 212 Test wickets to his credit in 57 matches for England.

Meanwhile, Anderson aimed to deliver his one hundred percent every time he will be given a chance to represent his country in the next series.

http://cricketdaily.in/news/more-news/james-anderson-eye-whitewash-against-india-and-sri-lanka

[littlemaster1982]

Whitewash eh :evil: Anga vandhu pesikkarom :hammer:

[Plum]

Ennatha pEsuvInga. Unga IPL stars can they compete in test cricket? England own test cricket now

[VinodKumar's]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX3y40N0efc&feature=channel_video_title

1997 England tour of New Zealand - test series review

Vettori with long hairs :O Thanks for sharing this, Stan.

[ajithfederer]

Yep// Fall of 1997. Great times. In some angles he looks like a Tall chubby girl :lol:

[19thmay]

Whitewash eh :evil: Anga vandhu pesikkarom :hammer:

Yeah, I like that Anderson! We need people like you to motivate us. Hope all English mouths are loaded with jellybeans! :lol2:

[SoftSword]

Kirsten is the new coach of SA.

[VinodKumar's]

Kirsten is the new coach of SA.

Let's see how he handle the chokers.

[ajithfederer]

S. Africa want to challenge India in Test ranking
JOHANNESBURG (AFP), Sun, Jun 05 2011

South Africa Test captain Graeme Smith said on Sunday the priority this season is to challenge India for first position in the world rankings.

"I remain extremely positive about the Proteas as we set about challenging India for their number one Test ranking," he told a media conference at a Sandton hotel north of Johannesburg.

http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/41287/s-africa-want-to-challenge-india-in-test-ranking

[ajithfederer]

Plum, here you go. The stupid freakin rain affected Sennai 2004 BG Trophy Test match which would have extended Australia's barren run to 42 years till now. A great upload for 46 mins.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u8zvYwIqBk&feature=feedu

[ajithfederer]

^^^

For all his exploits against other sides of the world, Wane takes his first 5 wicket haul vs India in probably his 13th Test match(Including tours in both the countries). The record shows this one as his 28th test wicket haul, no thanks to Tendulkar, Laxman, Dravid and other batsmen. :)

Thank God he didn't play in the 2003-04 series in Australia where Dravid, Laxman and later Tendulkar were on a rampage.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/133800/133830.jpg

http://www.espncricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/133800/133831.jpg

http://www.espncricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/133800/133829.jpg



Let's see how he handle the chokers.

[SoftSword]

idhula enna prachinaina...
gary will be knowing all the strengths and weaknesses of all the individual players, team...
and would hav a fair amount of the kinda plan to play in each of the international grounds in india..

mmm... paatthukkalaam...

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBFeFF0M2Q8&feature=channel_video_title

1997/98 Australia vs South Africa TEST SERIES REVIEW

Naasthi batting by Waugh brothers. :thumbsup:

[ajithfederer]

Katich lashes out at Australian selectors. Read more here

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/518574.html

[ajithfederer]

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/6128.html?class=1;spanmin1=01+jan+2007;spanval1=sp an;template=results;type=batting;view=match

Simon katcih since Jan 2008

Jeezz, he averages 50 with 8 hundreds and 17 fifties in 61 innings. That's like a 50+ score every2.4 Innings. That's a freakin raw deal. :shock:

[littlemaster1982]

Greg Chappel at it again :lol:

[ajithfederer]

Anticipating Zaheer Khan v Andrew Strauss

England's captain has been struggling against left-arm pace, while India's premier strike bowler relishes bowling to left-handers. An intriguing battle is in prospect later this summer

S Rajesh

June 10, 2011

England's batsmen have piling on the runs over the last 18 months in Tests, but two key members of their top order have not been at their best during this period. Kevin Pietersen's loss of form and his problems with left-arm spin (and other kinds of bowling) were examined last week; this time, the focus is on England's captain and his battles against left-arm fast bowling.

In the Lord's Test against Sri Lanka, Strauss was dismissed lbw twice by Chanaka Welegedara, taking his overall Test dismissals against left-arm fast bowling to 22. Welegedara will obviously look to target him again in the third Test in Southampton, but looking further ahead, this apparent weakness will also excite Zaheer Khan. India will play four Tests in England later this summer, and Zaheer has been India's go-to man over the last couple of years, especially in overseas Tests.

Strauss, on the other hand, has had a fairly ordinary run lately, scoring only one century in his last 24 innings against all sides excluding Bangladesh, and averaging less than 30. In these 15 Tests, three England batsmen have averaged more than 60, and four more - including Pietersen and Paul Collingwood - have higher averages than Strauss. A strong performance in the third Test will go a long way towards silencing his critics and boosting his confidence.

Strauss has had a few problems against good left-arm fast bowling, but over the last 18 months these seem to have been exacerbated to such an extent that it is clearly his greatest weakness. In fact, his overall average during this period has fallen only because of his weakness against this type of attack: against all other bowling, he averages a highly acceptable 44.87, but against left-arm pace it drops to a dismal 12.40. Mohammad Amir has dismissed him four times during this period, while Welegedara, Wahab Riaz, Wayne Parnell and Doug Bollinger have all had some success against him. The only such bowler Strauss has handled comfortably during this period is Mitchell Johnson, against whom he has scored 65 runs for one dismissal.

Contrast this with his stats against left-arm pace before December 2009. In 67 Tests during that period, Strauss fell only 12 times to left-arm pace, and his average didn't suggest he had a particular weakness against them. Recently, though, the stats are completely different.


Andrew Strauss against various types of bowling in Tests Bowling type Before Dec '09 - Dismissals Average Since Dec '09 - Dismissals Average Overall - Dismissals Average
Left-arm pace 12 41.16 10 12.40 22 28.09
Right-arm spin 27 34.00 2 50.00 29 35.10
Right-arm pace 71 46.29 12 44.33 83 46.01
Left-arm spin 6 93.16 2 43.00 8 80.62


Among left-arm fast bowlers, Amir and Zaheer have been the biggest threats to Strauss. Amir nailed his man four times in four Tests, conceding fewer than 10 runs per wicket, while Zaheer's strike rate is also one dismissal per Test. Both bowlers have also kept Strauss on a tight leash: he has barely managed to score at two runs per over against them. Four bowlers have dismissed Strauss more than five times, but they've also played more often against him.

Strauss's best year against left-arm pace was 2009, when his average against them was a stunning 164. That, though, was largely thanks to Johnson's waywardness in the Ashes that season - in 175 balls, he leaked 116 runs to Strauss and dismissed him only once.

Andrew Strauss against left-arm seamers in Tests (Qual: 100 balls) Bowler Balls Runs Dismissals Average Run-rate
Mitchell Johnson 281 181 2 90.50 3.86
Chaminda Vaas 125 52 1 52.00 2.49
Irfan Pathan 187 90 2 45.00 2.88
Pedro Collins 118 56 2 28.00 2.84
Zaheer Khan 290 100 5 20.00 2.06
Mohammad Amir 114 39 4 9.75 2.05

[ajithfederer]

Anticipating Zaheer Khan v Andrew Strauss (Cont'd)

On the other hand, Zaheer has got better with time against left-hand batsmen. In the first six years of his international career, there was little to separate his stats against left- and right-handers. (The numbers below exclude Zaheer's first four Tests, since ESPNcricinfo's ball-by-ball data wasn't available then.)

When he first started playing Test cricket, Zaheer seldom swung the ball back into the right-hander (or away from the left-hander). Over time he has developed and mastered this skill, and his ability to move it both ways from a length around off stump has brought him rich rewards. Since 2007, his average against left-handers has dropped to less than 25, and he has continually improved from there, dismissing more left-hand batsmen than right-hand ones over the last three years. Since the beginning of 2010 he has taken 28 left-handers' wickets at a fantastic average of 14.46, which is less than half his average against right-handers. During this period he has dismissed Graeme Smith four times, and Imrul Kayes, Johnson, Tim McIntosh and Tamim Iqbal three times each.


Zaheer Khan v right- and left-handers in Tests Period Right - wkts Average Left - wkts Average
Since June 2001 147 31.54 116 27.96
June 2001 to Dec 2006 74 33.52 47 33.02
From Jan 2007 73 29.53 69 24.52
From Jan 2008 49 32.20 52 24.50
From Jan 2009 35 33.28 39 18.56
From Jan 2010 23 33.00 28 14.46


The table below shows Zaheer has had plenty of success against top-order left-hand batsmen, but what's even more interesting is the manner in which he has gradually improved his stats against these players. He has dismissed Matthew Hayden seven times, but three of those dismissals came in the last series they played each other in, in 2008-09 - Hayden's average against Zaheer in that series was 24.33.

Kumar Sangakkara averaged 59 in his first series against Zaheer, in 2001, but in the last two series - which have both been played in the last three years - he was dismissed five times by Zaheer, and averaged 20.60. Similarly, Graeme Smith averaged 57.50 in his first two series against Zaheer (115 runs, two dismissals), but in his last two series the average against Zaheer has dropped to 15.75 (63 runs, four dismissals).

The last time Zaheer toured England, in 2007, he dismissed Strauss four times in the Tests, at an average of 17.25 runs per dismissal. The left-hand opener in Sri Lanka's team is far more inexperienced, but perhaps Strauss could have a word with Tharanga Paranavitana, who has been technically sound and composed in the Tests so far in England. He has also tackled Zaheer better than most left-handers in recent times - in the series in India in 2009-10, Paranavitana faced 123 deliveries from Zaheer, scored 76 runs, and wasn't dismissed even once. Strauss' opening partner, Alastair Cook, has been in the form of his life recently, and hasn't done badly against Zaheer either, scoring 117 runs at more than four per over, though Zaheer has dismissed him three times.


Zaheer Khan v left-handers in Tests since June 2001 Batsman Balls Runs Dismissals Average Run-rate
Matthew Hayden 352 254 7 36.28 4.32
Tim McIntosh 183 52 6 8.67 1.70
Kumar Sangakkara 300 162 6 27.00 3.24
Graeme Smith 284 178 6 29.67 3.76
Chris Gayle 121 72 5 14.40 3.57
Andrew Strauss 290 100 5 20.00 2.06
Simon Katich 355 185 4 46.25 3.12
Alastair Cook 170 117 3 39.00 4.12

S Rajesh is stats editor of Cricinfo

Feeds: S Rajesh
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/518525.html

[ajithfederer]

Camaaan yaa ... carlton united tri-series returns to Australia after a gap of 3 years

:victory: :2thumbsup: :smokesmirk:

[satissh_r]

Camaaan yaa ... carlton united tri-series returns to Australia after a gap of 3 years

:victory: :2thumbsup: :smokesmirk:

Super :clap: What are the other 2 teams?

[VinodKumar's]

Camaaan yaa ... carlton united tri-series returns to Australia after a gap of 3 years

:victory: :2thumbsup: :smokesmirk:

wooo hoooo !!! Great news for cricket fans. :victory:

[ajithfederer]

India and sri-lanka.

Super :clap: What are the other 2 teams?

[ajithfederer]

Australian news
Tri-series returns to Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff

June 14, 2011
India's visit to Australia in 2011-12 has ushered in the return of the limited overs tri-series and the reinstatement of the Australia Day Test match at Adelaide Oval.

The summer from which Cricket Australia makes the lion's share of its total income, via the sale of television rights for India matches, features two Tests against New Zealand in December, and four against the Indian tourists, starting on Boxing Day at the MCG.

Sydney, Perth and Adelaide will round out the Test summer, before Sri Lanka arrive to be the third team in the revived triangular tournament.

Other notable fixture choices include the Sydney Olympic Stadium's elevation to international status for the first time, to host a Twenty20 international between Australia and India on February 1, while Bellerive Oval will welcome the New Zealand tourists for the second Test of the Trans-Tasman series.

The tri-series, which was last seen in Australia in 2007-08, has been redeployed as a way of providing the requisite number of matches for subcontinental television rights, and pits the world's top three limited overs sides - Australia, the World Cup champion India and the finalist Sri Lanka - against one another.

"ICC Cricket World Cup winner India is also the number one-ranked Test team in the world at the moment," said James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive. "Sri Lanka has also been in great form as we saw in the World Cup, while we know New Zealand is always a formidable opponent that thrives when playing Australia.

"With the commencement of the ICC World Test Championship we know that every Test win is vital and the Australian team will be keen to start the home season positively against New Zealand."

Australia's November series in South Africa and the late arrival of the Indian touring party means the international summer will stretch well into March, again leaving CA to battle with the onset of the football season and its various codes, for crowds and television ratings.

As has become customary, India will have only one tour warm-up match before the first Test, while New Zealand have not been granted any.

Test Series

December 1 - 5: Australia v New Zealand, Brisbane

December 9 - 13: Australia v New Zealand, Hobart

December 26 - 30: Australia v India, Melbourne

January 3 - 7: Australia v India, Sydney

January 13 - 17: Australia v India, Perth

January 24 - 28: Australia v India, Adelaide

Twenty20 Internationals

February 1: Australia v India, 1st Twenty20, Sydney

February 3: Australia v India, Melbourne

Limited Overs Series

February 5: Australia v India, Melbourne

February 8: India v Sri Lanka, Perth

February 10: Australia v Sri Lanka, Perth

February 12: Australia v India, Adelaide

February 14: India v Sri Lanka, Adelaide

February 17: Australia v Sri Lanka, Sydney

February 19: Australia v India, Brisbane

February 21: India v Sri Lanka, Brisbane

February 24: Australia v Sri Lanka, Hobart

February 26: Australia v India, Sydney

February 28: India v Sri Lanka, Hobartl

March 2: Australia v Sri Lanka, Melbourne

March 4: 1st Final, Brisbane

March 6: 2nd Final, Adelaide

March 8: 3rd Final, Adelaide

Tour matches

December 18 - 21, CA Chairman's XI v India, Manuka Oval

TBC, PM's XI v Sri Lanka, Manuka Oval

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.


http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/518929.html

[ajithfederer]

Dhinka chika Dhinka chika Dhinka chika Dhinka chika hey hey hey


India star joins siege of Aussie cricket selectors


* From: The Australian
* June 15, 2011 12:00AM

THE relentless siege of Australia's selectors following the axing of Simon Katich has continued, with India bowler Zaheer Khan labelling Greg Chappell's era as coach as the worst in his career.

The attack follows broadsides from Australia's Defence Minister, Stephen Smith, an outraged public and a host of former players -- not to forget the opening batsman himself, who said the side had been destabilised before the Ashes by the indecision and inconsistency of selectors.

Chappell, who is national talent manager and a selector, was renowned for upsetting senior players such as Khan, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar during his brief tenure on the subcontinent.

The Australian coach went to India with a focus on youth that alienated many.

In Australia, Chappell has pushed for the introduction of the Futures League, which has had its age restrictions eased in recent weeks because of criticisms that young players were not being exposed to enough senior players.


Australian Cricketers Association chief Paul Marsh said yesterday he thought there was an "artificial" push towards younger players that is undermining the strength of cricket in the country.

Khan, after being dropped under Chappell's reign, has returned to become one of the best bowlers in the world.

Asked by website Cricinfo whether the Australian coach had done any good during his time in India, the bowler had to pause for some time before answering. "He got some youngsters in the team. That was the only good thing, but nothing after that," he said. "A youngster coming in is always a good sign, but not at the cost of a cricketer who is doing his bit."

While Chappell argues that his emphasis on youth was to shake up the complacency among senior players, Khan, like many of the older members of the squad, found his era -- from 2005 to 2007 -- to be an unhappy one.

"In the last 10 years of my career, I think that has been the most disappointing phase," Khan said.

"It was tough for all of us and you must have heard this from many other seniors as well."

One of Katich's complaints with the selectors was the lack of communication and subsequent lack of confidence among squad members. Khan reflected those comments.

"It was as if you've been framed," Khan said. "It was like: 'We don't want you in the team. It's not about performance, it's about we don't like your attitude, or you're stopping the growth of cricket in the Indian team.'

"I felt it personally because I was dropped straight after the Sri Lanka tour, even though I had not performed badly.

"I was fortunate enough to go to South Africa to represent the Asia XI (in the Afro-Asia Cup). I got about nine wickets and I was recalled for the next series. In that phase, it was always a struggle. When you're fighting within the team, when you have a war to fight in your own camp, it is always difficult to win, and that's what was happening."

Khan said the period with Gary Kirsten coaching was "amazing".

"He has given everyone their space," Khan said.

"He's understood the Indian culture and how we do things. He's taken that step of coming closer to us rather than dictating. He was our friend, not a coach."

Katich said during his extraordinary press conference last week that Tendulkar -- who is three years older than the Australian -- was a hero to all senior batsmen. "He is an inspiration to all of us older guys because he was written off a couple of years ago, ironically by one of our selectors," Katich said. 8-)

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/india-star-joins-siege-of-aussie-cricket-selectors/story-e6frg7rx-1226075252090


Common Zaheerrr :standing naasthi: :smokesmirk:

[ajithfederer]

Cricket Australia prints money when the Indians visit.

Rupees reign as tri-series returns

* peter Lalor
* From: The Australian
* June 15, 2011 12:00AM

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/rupees-reign-as-tri-series-returns/story-e6frg7rx-1226075253507

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nTx-n80L_M&feature=channel_video_title

Unsporting cricket by the West Indies - Dean Jones bizarre run out

[ajithfederer]

Ponting and Dravid - Similarities - Great accumulation and fall from high numbers. Case in study : 2002 - 2011

Ponting and Dravid have been great ambassadors for batsmanship over the decade. Their rise to peak form and run accumulation over the years poses a striking similarity since the turn of the decade. A look at their numbers have been amazing.


Read the stats as below

Span Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 0 4s 6s


Ponting 01 jan 2002 - 1 feb 2007

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/7133.html?class=1;spanmax2=01+feb+2007;spanmin2=01 +jan+2002;spanval2=span;template=results;type=batt ing;view=match

2002-2007 58 100 14 6186 257 71.93 10053 61.53 24 21 2 714 39

Amassed 24 100's and 21 fifties with a lofty average of 71.93 :clap:. But for this period he would have dropped comfortably by the Aussie selectors now as they are looking for a Tendulkar like renaissance from this 36 yr old batsman. His career average was exactly 59.99 at the turn of 2007 and after the final ashes match it was 59.29. I don't think any batsman crossed/neared the average of 60 after playing a good number of Test matches (Tendulkar included) :clap:. His only weakness was against India. Till date not winning a test match as a captain in India still haunts him. And he never has won a Test series as a player.

Dravid (01 jan 2002- 01 feb 2007)

Much like Ponting after the 2001 Aus series turned out to be one of the greatest accumulators of Test runs in recent memory.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/28114.html?class=1;spanmax1=01+feb+2007;spanmin1=0 1+jan+2002;spanval1=span;template=results;type=bat ting;view=match

2002-2007 54 90 12 4917 270 63.03 11213 43.85 14 23 4 619 7

Less in number of 100's but almost equal in number of 50's. Though he averaged fewer digits he was easily the most consistent batsmen raking up double hundreds, instrumental in series wins in Pakistan and in West Indies and drawing series(es) in England and in Australia. :clap:

Ponting since 2007

Since the 2007 world cup the similarities between them is again strikingly similar. Both batsmen have struggled to emulate their stellar form from pre-2007 days. Their career average has dropped by nearly 5 points.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/7133.html?class=1;spanmin1=01+May+2007;spanval1=sp an;template=results;type=batting;view=match

2007-2010 42 76 3 2995 209 41.02 4937 60.66 6 20 6 347 15

Averages 41.02 in 42 matches with 6 hundreds and 20 fifties. Make no mistake this is a pretty decent record. Since Cardiff 2009 150, Ponting has struggled against bowlers around the world with a minor redemption in India with 3 70's in the 2010 Tour. He only managed to score 1 hundred in the last 20 matches; 209 against Pakistan which came off when he was dropped by Mohammed Amir when he was on zero. He really looked out of touch in the Ashes with 113 runs in 8 innings at an avg of 16.14.

Ponting's Career average dropped from 59.29 to 53.51


Dravid since 2007

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/28114.html?class=1;spanmin1=01+May+2007;spanval1=s pan;template=results;type=batting;view=match

2007-2011 43 77 7 2889 191 41.27 6738 42.87 8 13 2 378 5

Much like Ponting Dravid's average is 41.27 from 43 matches. Dravid's form has been in patches. He struggled in 2007 and in 2008. Had a pretty good 2009 doing well in the away series against NZ and in the home series against SL. Again had a pretty decent 2010 but for the away series against SL and SA. Left arm seamers started to sort out Dravid but I want to see Dravid again as Pazhaya panneerselvam. :smokesmirk:


Dravid's Career average dropped from 57.33 to 52.44

[ajithfederer]

I am not sure this news is true and I cannot verify the source but if it is indeed true the events are unfortunate on so many levels.....

Three cricketers to opt out of contracts

With cricket administration on the verge of a collapse and the lure of the IPL money taking precedence over country, three senior players are planning to opt out from their national contracts, LAKBIMANEWS reliably learns.
Handled by the same agent, the three key players, a bowler who retired from Test recently, and two top order batsmen will not renew their contracts on return to the island after the conclusion of the English tour.
This will give them an option to pick and choose matches as they wish, giving more headache to the selectors.


http://www.lakbimanews.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1881:three-cricketers-to-opt-out-of-contracts&catid=49:sports&Itemid=49

[Plum]

Would that be Lankans? idhukku Malinga, Mahela and Sanga-nu openA solli irukkalAm.Who else in the Lankan team(apart from Dilshan, who being captain presumably will renew the contract) can be confident of making a living outside the national team?

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSKN2We-n-o&feature=relmfu

1992/3 WSC Aus v Pak ( Hobart) Final Over - Mujtaba hits a last ball 6 off the final over to tie.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izjAkC31TX4&feature=relmfu


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBTyi2CySTk&feature=channel_video_title

Pakistan vs Australia 2010 - Aus 88 all out (HQ) PART (1/2) and (2/2)

[Death Note]

Two great innings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPn_lZty_y0&feature=related



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX_wHl4CHDs&feature=related

[ajithfederer]

India will play five-Test series on their tours to England in 2014 and 2018.

England will play 99 matches over the next eight years, Australia 92, and India 90. Sri Lanka and South Africa are at the next level, with 76 and 74 Tests scheduled. They are followed by West Indies and New Zealand, with 66 Tests each, and Pakistan with 65. Bangladesh and Zimbabwe bring up the rear with 42 and 41 matches. These are draft options, though, and the final numbers could be different.

There will also be two Ashes series in 2013 - one during the English summer and the other in Australia at the end of the year - in order to avoid a clash with the 2015 World Cup.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/520738.html

[sathya_1979]

2 ashes in 1 year? :banghead:

[ajithfederer]

Adra sakkai, look at the Int'l tours for the next 8-9 months. All the top 6 teams except Eng are blasting it out for the top test rankings. :smokesmirk:. Aus have a good chance to come back to the top three, they'v got like 11 matches.



International tours

England v India, Jul - Sep 2011 (4 Tests)

Sri Lanka v Australia, Aug - Sep 2011 (3 in Aus)

South Africa v Australia, Oct - Nov 2011 (2 in SA)

Australia v New Zealand, December 2011 ( 2 in Aus)

South Africa v Sri Lanka, Dec 2011 - Jan 2012 ( 3 in SA)

Australia v India, Dec 2011 - Mar 2012 :clap: (4 in Aus)

New Zealand v Zimbabwe, Jan - Feb 2012 (1 IN NZ)

New Zealand v South Africa, Feb - Mar 2012 (3 in NZ)

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/match/fixtures_futures.html

Wonder what the hell England are doing till next Feb/Mar w/o any test matches. Every other top side's calendar looks full.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/132800/132800.jpg

The ICC Cricket Committee is at Lord's for a two-day meeting, Lord's, May 10, 2011

Whic country does the lady in the middle represent?

[littlemaster1982]

She is Clare Connor - Women's representative (http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/the-icc/about_the_organisation/icc_committees.php).

[ajithfederer]

ICC Annual conference

* DRS Made mandatory in all Test's and ODI's. Hot spot made mandatory and the ball-tracking(Hawk eye) technology has been removed from the ICC's original compulsory list of DRS technologies.
* It is clean and action replays with stump microphone's are allowed and not snicko for DRS.
* No runners allowed
* New balls from both ends in ODI's.
* Bowlers are allowed to run out non-strikers if they are backing up too far.
* Associates allowed for 2015 WC, Ireland have a good chance now :clap:


http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/site/297120.html

[ajithfederer]

England confirm winter tour schedule
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England's winter touring schedule has been confirmed with England playing five ODIs and a Twenty20 in India, a Test, one-day and Twenty20 series against Pakistan in the UAE and a two-Test series in Sri Lanka.

There had been some confusion over the schedule when Giles Clarke announced on Test Match Special during the Rose Bowl Test against Sri Lanka earlier this month that England would play their Pakistan Test fixtures in Sri Lanka, rather than the UAE. However, that was quickly retracted by John Carr, the ECB's director of cricket operations.

Though the itinerary for the UAE-leg of the winter's travels has not been confirmed it will consist of three Tests, four ODIs and three Twenty20s. The Sri Lanka tour is limited to just two Tests with the promise of a limited-overs tour in November-December 2014.

"We are very pleased to have agreed an itinerary with BCCI for the forthcoming one-day series which includes matches in India's major cities and will suit the needs of both the England team and our travelling supporters," ECB chief executive David Collier said. "With India due to play a NatWest Series here in September, there is bound to be intense interest in the return contest in India this October and we look forward to what should be a fascinating series of one-day encounters between the two teams.

"The remainder of the winter programme will see England travel to the UAE early in the New Year to play Pakistan in all three formats of the game, followed by a short break in the UK before the team takes on Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series."

England in India

October 4 - England arrive in Hyderabad
October 8 - 50-over warm-up match, Gymkhana, Hyderabad
October 11 - 50-over warm-up match, Gymkhana, Hyderabad
October 14 - 1st ODI (D/N), Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
October 17 - 2nd ODI (D/N), Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
October 20 - 3rd ODI (D/N), Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
October 23 - 4th ODI (D/N), Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
October 26 - 5th ODI (D/N), Eden Gardens, Kolkata
October 29 - lone Twenty20 international (D/N), Eden Gardens, Kolkata

England v Pakistan, UAE

The ECB and PCB have agreed that the tour will comprise three Test matches, four ODIs and three T20s to be played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. A detailed itinerary will be announced in due course.

England in Sri Lanka

The programme of warm-up matches leading into the Test series will be confirmed in due course but the two Test matches are scheduled as follows:

March 26-30 - 1st Test, Galle
April 3-7 - 2nd Test, Colombo (venue tbc)

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/...ry/521228.html



Wonder what the hell England are doing till next Feb/Mar w/o any test matches. Every other top side's calendar looks full.

[ajithfederer]

Looks like the new FTP has been announced. :clap:

http://static.icc-cricket.yahoo.net/ugc/documents/DOC_7011139474B40DF41C1ACCA394364623_1309335170164 _66.pdf


ENGLAND'S FUTURE SERIES

•2012 (h): WI (3 Tests, 3 ODIs, 1 T20), Aus (5 ODIs), SA (3 Tests, 5 ODIs, 3 T20s)

•2012/3 (a): World T20 (SL), Ind (4 Tests, 7 ODIs, 1 T20), NZ (3 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20)

•2013 (h): NZ (2 Tests, 5 ODIs), Aus (5 Tests, 5 ODIs, 2 T20s), Test Play-off

•2013/4 (a): Aus (5 Tests, 5 ODIs, 3 T20s), WI (5 ODIs, 1 T20), World T20 (Ban)

•2014 (h): SL (2 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20), Ind (5 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20)

•2014/5 (a): SL (5 ODIs, 2 T20s), Aus (5 triangular ODIs), World Cup (hosted by Aus/NZ)

•2015 (h): NZ (2 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20), Aus (5 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20)

•2015/6 (a): Pkn (3 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20), SA (4 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1/2 T20s), World T20 (Ind)

•2016 (h): SL (3 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20), Pkn (4 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20)

•2016/7 (a): Ban (2 Tests, 3 ODIs), Ind (4 Tests, 7 ODIs, 1 T20)

•2017 (h): WI (3 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20), SA (4 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20), Test Play-off

•2017/8 (a): Aus (5 Tests, 5 ODIs, 3 T20s, NZ (2 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20)

•2018 (h): Pkn (2 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20), Ind (5 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20)

•2018/9 (a): SL (3 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20), WI (3 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20)

•2019 (h): World Cup (host), Aus (5 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20I)

•2019/20 (a): SA (4 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20I), NZ (2 Tests, 3 ODIs, 1 T20I)

[VinodKumar's]

adutha varusam Srilanka kooda 4 tests ah :banghead:

[ajithfederer]

3 Tests. The idea of FTP is make every test playing nation play a test series against every other nation once within 4 years before every ODI WC. At-least that's my idea of it.

Looks like by FTP we play Windies again for 3 tests in Oct/Nov which is seriously a waste of time. Hopefully that can serve as practice for Aus Tour. Next year we host England and Pak for Tests/ODI's. The interesting thing is Eng will play Pak in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for 3 tests.

[ajithfederer]

I would like to scrap the next SL away tour and host BG Trophy which is scheduled for Feb/Mar 2013. Last coffin in the nail should be ours.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glKPgF7eUko&feature=player_embedded

An hour long clip of Ind-WEST Indies final at 1983 lords.

[sathya_1979]

Happy Birthday Bhajji :clap:

[raghavendran]

following is a C.Gayle interview..must read..how hurt he is

[raghavendran]

The Chris Gayle statement


I, Christopher Henry Gayle, am making this statement so that all my friends, fans and followers who continue to wonder why I am not being picked for the West Indies team despite being fit, available and in form will know the truth considering the many rumours and statements that have been made as it relates to this issue. Until now, I have kept my silence, but I believe that the time has come for you to all know what I plan to do about this extremely frustrating and humiliating situation.

Ever since I was a little boy growing up in Rollington Town, and living in the shadow of Sabina Park I had two dreams. The first was to play for Jamaica and the second to play for the West Indies. Fortunately, and thanks to the Almighty, I have been able to achieve both of them. I have been Captain of both Jamaica and of the West Indies, and have worn both uniforms with pride and served with distinction.

I find it really painful now to hear that I did not give my best or that I lost my commitment to the cause of West Indies Cricket. This is not true. I have always given my all. I have always played with my heart and soul. I am not a boastful person. I normally don't speak until I have to. I try not to show in my face what is in my heart but now my heart is heavy. I have played with injuries. I have played with pain. But nothing in my life has been more painful and more injurious to my spirit than what has been done to me in the past few months. Nothing.

I want to take you back to September 2009 when Ernest Hilaire who was not yet the CEO of the West Indies Cricket Board cast doubts on my being retained as the West Indies Captain despite my performance in that role. I thought that what I was seeing was a statement made in error. I did not know at the time that what I was seeing was the writing on the wall and what was being written about me was not pleasant or true.

Ernest Hilaire acted quickly. At a meeting of the WICB held in October 2009, as soon as he took up office, the Board questioned the recommendation of the selectors that I should be Captain of the team to tour Australia. Eight members voted for me and five members of the Board voted against me. Clive Lloyd, who had praised me highly before was one of them who did not want me as Captain. He never said anything to me about why he was no longer on my side. Joel Garner who was the Manager of the West Indies team and who worked with me closely on the Stanford game which we won voted against my being Captain of the West Indies. Conde Riley from Barbados voted against me. Most surprising is the man who said publicly that he always supported me as Captain. Professor Sir Hilary Beckles voted against me so when he says that he pushed for me to be Captain you have to decide whether to believe Beckles or the Minutes of the Meeting. Gregory Shillingford of the Leeward Islands voted against me. The Board decided to appoint a Committee to meet with me and it should be no surprise that among the members of that Committee were Messrs. Lloyd, Garner and Beckles. Looking back, I now realise that I have been put in a no-win situation since 2009.

I found out how bad things were when the WICB held a meeting in St Lucia in July last year. I saw the Minutes of the Meeting later. In reporting on why he thought that the West Indies had not done well in the T20 World Cup, the Coach, Otis Gibson, said "the Captain was not a natural leader" and that "Senior players and some others lack a passion for the game." He also said that "there was no evidence of leadership qualities among the senior players" and that the "Captain is not a student of the game and lacks tactical awareness on the field."

The sad and horrible thing is that Gibson never said anything to me about how he felt about me before or after his report. He is a man who sought my advice when things were not going well. Before he became the West Indies Coach he used to call me often. I could never imagine that he would deliberately try to destroy my character, reputation and livelihood or question my commitment to West Indies cricket. I would not have believed, until I saw it in black and white, that he would devalue my leadership and try to destroy me without giving me a chance to respond. The WICB should have invited me to that meeting to face my accuser and, as Captain, to give my views about why we did not do well. What also hurts me is that there are three members of the Jamaica Cricket Association who are on the WICB and none of them told their colleagues on the Board, "Wait. We believe that Chris should be allowed to defend himself" or even "We need to hear from the Captain." None of them.

Coach Gibson recommended to the Board that they should "select the team on character" which means that by leaving me out the WICB, including the Jamaican Directors, feels that I have no character.

In October I was sacked as Captain and still have no idea why. I did not protest since the Captaincy is not a right. It is a duty. I went on the Sri Lanka tour having recommitted myself to West Indies Cricket and giving the new Captain the assurance that I would support him. I played the best test innings of my life in the first test and contributed 333 runs out of a team total of 580 in that match. Nobody questioned my commitment then.

It was after the World Cup when the Board was looking for people to blame for the poor performance of the team that they picked on me and the other senior players. This time it was not the Captaincy that was the issue but the senior players. Gibson said we lacked the hunger and the desire to succeed. Would I be where I am today as a cricketer if I lacked the desire and hunger to succeed? It was the easy way out. There are people who will constantly refuse to look deeply into themselves and question their own actions and motives while there are others to blame. I was an easy target and my 333 was forgotten, and all my years of blood, sweat and toil for the West Indies cause was abruptly cast aside.

I played with an injury during the World Cup and returned to Jamaica to get myself in shape for the Home Series against Pakistan. A camp was set up and nobody contacted me. I was ignored. The squad was picked for the first two ODIs. I was again ignored and saw in the newspapers that I was omitted. I read the comments of the WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire who said that we, the senior players, thought we were bigger than the team and all we wanted was money. I then got an offer to play in India and went when the WICB made is publicly clear in its release to the media that Sarwan, Chanderpaul and Gayle was not considered for selection. I did not turn my back on the West Indies because the West Indies had already turned its back on me. I was not in the squad and it was clear that there was no intention to pick me. I was being punished for the failure of an entire team and also of the administration.

What I did in India for the Bangalore Royal Challengers is history. The management and fans of the team treated me with respect and showered me with love and support. I did respond to the accusation made by the WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire that implied that I lacked commitment to West Indies Cricket. I reminded him that I had to pay my own medical bills, which I hoped to be reimbursed at some stage. The feeling by some people is that I started the whole thing. I did not. What I have shown you is that there is a pattern in the attempt to paint me into a corner and destroy my career and reputation. There was a pattern to marginalising me. Yes, there was a pattern and what came next was the proof.

The proof came in a speech made by a Director of the WICB, Hilary Beckles, who had opposed my captaincy in 2009 despite his claims that he supported me. Beckles compared me to a "Don" and my captaincy as "Donmanship". He likened me, Chris Gayle, to the notorious criminal and alleged drug dealer Christopher "Dudus" Coke. Beckles says his second home is Jamaica so he knows the implications of what he said but in an effort to avoid the consequences, he says he was talking in a private capacity and not as a Director of the WICB. The other Directors, especially the three from Jamaica who are on the WICB, did not say anything or do anything to clear my name or to get answers from the WICB. They could have requested an emergency meeting of the WICB to ask why I was omitted and targeted but they did not. They left me hanging out on a branch and were, at the same time, helping to cut that branch.

I want to tell you that I am not going to hide and say that this statement is in any other capacity. I am Christopher Henry Gayle and I stand by what I say. I am a professional cricketer and the former Captain of Jamaica and the West Indies. This is my capacity. This is my job. This is my livelihood and this is my life.

I was not surprised when the WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire sent me a letter on June 2, 2011 in which they accused me of a number of incidents including "making myself unavailable for the home series against Pakistan, my interview on KLAS radio in Jamaica and several "tweets‟ which have suggested a general disenchantment on your part with West Indies cricket and the West Indies Cricket Board." He said that the Board wanted to make my considerable talent available to the West Indies and international cricket.

[raghavendran]

contd

I took the Board seriously and went to the meeting which was held in Jamaica a few weeks ago. The meeting ended without any commitment with regard to my future selection for the West Indies team again. I thought that was the purpose of the meeting and was foolish enough to believe that it would end with a decision about when I would be back on the team. Instead I have read about an incident between the President of WIPA Dinanath Ramnarine and the WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire that makes me question whether I was at the same meeting. Ramnarine was not the only person to lose his cool in that room and I can understand if someone falsely accuses you of attempting to siphon funds into some account that you will be understandably upset. The accusations made by the WICB are not true. I can say without fear of contradiction, and what I am saying has been supported by other people who were present at that meeting, that there was no picking up of any chair and Ramnarine never threatened Ernest Hilaire. It is unfortunate that Ramnarine is being accused of not representing my best interest at that meeting, a view I strongly disagree with. It was also reported that in some quarters that Ramnarine was responsible for the breakdown of the meeting, a view I strongly disagree with also since the meeting went on for more than one hour after certain accusations were made by the CEO WICB Ernest Hilaire at the meeting. But that was not why we were there and what we went there for was never accomplished. When I saw the misleading reports coming out I realised that I was being used to cast blame on someone else and the meeting had other motives than my reinstatement. In other words it was a diversion of the real issue and the outcome of the meeting was clearly predetermined.

I was again put on hold. My career was put on hold. My future was put on hold. My life was put on hold. Ernest Hilaire said he could not do anything until he had spoken to the Board, the selection committee, the management and, although he didn't say it out loud, the media.

I believe now it was deliberately staged to give the impression that the Board wanted me back and that the intention was always to string me along and to fool the people of the West Indies.

I made it clear that I was still willing to meet with the Board to resolve the issues. On June 22, I wrote to WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire who had sent me an email the day before saying that I would also like to resolve the issue, and while I am willing to meet I would like to ask what it is you would like me to do? I told him that I have not received any guidance, other than what has appeared in the media, as to what it is that needs to be done for me to be included in the West Indies team. I said that I am putting in writing the willingness to meet with you as soon as possible. I also said that time has been wasted and it would seem that the delays will ensure I am unable to play for the entire home series. I pointed out to him that a meeting was not requested until the India series had almost begun, and the meeting was then delayed until after the Test Team for the 1st match was chosen and it has taken over a week for this meeting request to be sent.

The WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire wrote me back on June 24th complaining about my antagonistic approach and the tone of my email. He said that the issue is more than my radio interview but is about a history of misunderstanding, miscommunication and mishandling of issues, on both sides. It cannot be easily swept under the carpet with the hope that it goes away. He said that I would have to meet with the team management and after that with the selectors and after that with the cricket operations department and only then he would meet with me before he could send a report to the Board. He said he would not be available to meet with me until August. This means that I will definitely not be playing against India and that I will be cooling my heels until after August- more than two months away and even then my matter would go to the Board if the WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire believes we have a final and agreed position.

I was glad that the Board admitted its own guilt in the situation and despite the fact that there seemed to be no end to this, I then met in yet another meeting with the Coach and the Team Manager on June 24th 2011 in Jamaica. I tried my best to compromise with the two representatives of the Board. Still, despite this meeting and the fact that both sides agreed that significant progress had been made, I am still on hold. My career is at a standstill. My hopes of representing my country at home in the West Indies have been destroyed. My contribution has been devalued and the fans of the West Indies who believe I can make a difference have had their hopes dashed. After the conclusion of this second meeting, my suspicions were confirmed and it was now beyond doubt that there was never any real intention of resolving any issues concerning me at the first meeting. The WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire's letter of June 24th 2011 also confirmed this as well.

I have now reached the stage where I have to say that enough is enough. I understand that the WICB and the Jamaica Board met and my matter was discussed but nobody has told me anything and I can only assume without any positive feedback there has been no resolution. I played cricket for Jamaica and served the Board well. I would have thought that from the beginning of this whole attempt to discredit me that the Board would have done or said something on my behalf. I don't want them to cover up for me but at least to ensure that I received natural justice and was able to respond to my accusers. They have all been silent. The three members on the WICB Board have not asked for an emergency meeting, as they have the right and power to do, so that we can get everything cleared up. Instead they leave me out here to dangle in the wind.

There is a disciplinary process in West Indies Cricket. Yet the Board is allowed to be the complainant as well as policeman, judge, jury and executioner in my case. When I tried to respond to the accusations made against me, I am deemed to be out of place and trying to destroy West Indies cricket.

I am now coming close to the end of my shelf-life as a cricketer. While other professionals can plan on a career from the time they graduate from University to when they retire in their sixties, most cricketers have an average of eight years - between 24 and 32 - to earn enough money for the rest of our lives. Some are lucky to be coaches or commentators. I have no such option at this stage and must concentrate on providing for my family now and in the future.

On this basis, and not hearing from the West Indies Cricket Board with any clear pathway forward, I have come to the bitter realisation that I am not wanted by the Board and all that has gone before in terms of reconciliation is a sham and a mockery. I see it as a scam to fool the people of the West Indies and the world into believing that they were serious about my returning to West Indies cricket.

My eyes are open, my heart is clean, my conscience is clear and the voice of reason is loud in my ears telling me that I should close this chapter in my life. I am not going to be the WICB's whipping boy. They have said they will root me out and they have succeeded in doing so by using the sort of underhanded tactics while attempting to ascribe blame to other people for what is clear is a well planned set of action.

We as West Indies players are admired throughout the world for our honesty and sportsmanship. Yet the custodians of West Indies cricket, the people who are responsible for the development of our heritage sport, have not dealt with us honestly.

It is against this background that I have now decided not to wait on the WICB any longer but while I still have the time and the skills to explore the opportunities available to me elsewhere. I do it reluctantly but have no choice. I have people to take care of and cannot sit for months waiting on WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire and the Board.


As for the Jamaica Cricket Association they have let me down badly even though I did meet with the new President of the JCA, Mr. Wright and Mr. Hinds but nothing has been done.

Despite all that has happened I am still hopeful that good sense will prevail and I would once again represent my country and my region in near the future. I wish to make it abundantly clear that I have not yet retired from any form of the game and remain available for selection for both Jamaica and West Indies. However, this is entirely out of my hands.

I want to say to my colleagues on the team, that I have opened the batting for the West Indies against some of the fiercest fast bowlers in the world bowling at almost 100 miles per hour. I have stood up to them as I am standing up for what I believe is right. I want to tell them that if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.

I appeal to the Heads of Government of CARICOM to do something about this situation. West Indies Cricket is different from the West Indies Cricket Board. West Indies Cricket and West Indies Cricketers need help. Since you are the people who represent the fans and all the other stakeholders, it is time for you to act.

[raghavendran]

contd
Finally, I want to thank you all for your support and look forward to your continuing that support in future as I follow the path that the Almighty has mapped out for me. I place my trust in God and believe that if your heart is pure and you have faith in Him, you will always triumph against oppression and adversity. When one path is closed, there is another path opened for the righteous and pure in spirit. I now set out on that path with confidence, safe in the assurance that I will succeed.

[raghavendran]

very painful interview...feel bad for a great cricketer

[ajithfederer]

Kumar Sangakkara has delivered the 11th MCC Cowdrey Lecture at Lord's.

http://mcc.sportslinemedia.co.uk/cowdrey-lecture.html

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feEv-8i2uCo&feature=feedu

Warnie :lol:

[Plum]

The Sangakarra Speech - worth linking in more than one thread (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/srilanka/8618261/Kumar-Sangakkaras-2011-MCC-Spirit-of-Cricket-Cowdrey-Lecture-in-full.html)

[SoftSword]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONXZJ_8xSac&feature=related

[SoftSword]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uvdpv326A4&NR=1

oorae onnu koodittaanga!!

[ajithfederer]

Ishant Sharma
'I was trying to copy Zaheer's action'

Having lost his way after a sparkling start, Ishant Sharma has returned stronger, wiser and more effective. He credits his senior partner, among others, for his comeback

Interview by Sriram Veera

July 7, 2011


Ishant Sharma is only 22 but has already seen many ups and downs in his career. He became the fifth-youngest bowler ever to reach the landmark of 100 Test wickets. He talks to ESPNcricinfo about the turbulent phase when his bowling deserted him and he ended up being dropped from the India team. He talks about the mistake he made, the depression he went into, and how he bounced back.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/126400/126471.jpg
Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma celebrate India's series-levelling win, South Africa v India, 2nd Test, Durban, 4th day, December 29, 2010

"I am lucky to be bowling with Zaheer. He is so aware of his own body. I didn't know about my bowling and my body at the start of my career. Now I know when to train, when to relax, and how much bowling I must do" © Associated Press

You seemed to have got your rhythm back in the West Indies?
Rhythm is back. The important thing is, now I am enjoying my bowling. I visualise every ball and what I need to do. I focus on my strengths. I believe in my strengths more now - the pace and bounce. The last one and a half years have been up and down. I struggled a lot. I would just like to continue this form.

Were there times when you wondered about what was going wrong at the start of your run-up?
I was trying to copy Zaheer Khan's action. No doubt he is a great bowler, but I guess I shouldn't have tried to copy his action. We are entirely different in styles. Zaheer told me that I am too much into the technical side of things and that I shouldn't be. Now I just stick to my basics and my strengths. When I started, I was just looking to enjoy and bowl fast. Slowly the expectations grew, my responsibility in the team grew, and I didn't know how to handle that pressure.

When and why were you copying Zaheer?
When South Africa came to play in India, I started to copy him. I wanted to be a swing bowler. I was forgetting my natural strength of bounce and hitting the deck. When I bowl with my natural style, the ball automatically starts to inswing. That was my strong point, and I should have just stuck to that. That was my greatest mistake.

I wanted to swing it from a fuller length and in trying to do that I was copying his action. I thought I can copy his action release, just to get my length fuller. The way I ran, the action, the whole thing got affected.

Did you tell him you were trying to copy his action?
I didn't. I didn't want his bowling to get upset, or for him to feel bad that this was why my bowling was going wrong. I just realised that it's all right to learn things from others but you shouldn't be copying actions.

I had become too technical, instead of being tactical. When you are in the Under-17 stage, if you are concentrating on your technical stuff, it is fine. Your body and muscles accept the changes in action. But when you try to change it later, it gets difficult.

So you lost your rhythm?
Yeah. The ball doesn't land where you want to it to. You forget your positives and your mind starts focusing on the negative. You go into a shell. Everything is going against you. That feeling is really bad. I didn't know why these things were happening, why what I was trying to do was not happening. I didn't realise it then, especially as I was swinging the ball at the start of my career. Even in the second IPL, in South Africa, I felt I was bowling well. Then the bad patch started through World Twenty20 and the New Zealand tour. Things were going bad. I was putting too much pressure on myself.

Did you start to do that in the nets too?
In the nets I used to be relaxed, and I enjoyed it, so I bowled well. In cricket as long as you are relaxed and enjoying yourself and your game, you will do well. In the middle, I had forgotten that. I wasn't focused on the process but more worried about the results. As I had more experience, I became aware of my body and bowling, and things started to improve. That I learnt in the last IPL.

How bad was that phase of struggle? Did you stop laughing and enjoying life?
Yes, I did. During that time, even, say, if I am talking to you, I would be constantly thinking inside about cricket. How should I get that batsman out? What I should do, how I should bowl. I wasn't enjoying it. There was too much pressure. I was almost obsessed with cricket. Too much thinking about a thing isn't good.

I wasn't able to sleep well when I was dropped. I used to worry about what was going to happen to me. Suddenly from a top bowler of Indian cricket you are not anywhere. That time I was depressed. But seeing these good times I feel bhagwan ke ghar mey dher hai andher nahi [God will eventually reward you for your effort]. I now know how to react even when things are not going well.

How did you come out of that phase?
I met a man, Ramesh sir, during the IPL. He told me how to think positive, do meditation, visualisations, how to focus on your own strengths. He doesn't know cricket, but the mental power he taught me really helped. And with the help of friends and family, I recovered.

Then I spoke to Zaheer in the IPL. He talked to me about the importance of training. That has really helped me. I never went to the gym a lot earlier. I went to National Cricket Academy, where they made a training schedule for me: what muscles I should develop and which ones I load more in my bowling style. That systematic training helped and I am still sticking to it.

When did you sense the turnaround during the IPL?
After two or three games I became confident. What I was trying to do was coming through. I started to enjoy my life around cricket. That's important to me. On the field give 100% and then switch off. I wasn't doing that before.

Ramesh sir made me change that. He made me meditate and visualise my bowling. He told me "Vahi socho jo aapko karna hai. Na socho jo nahi karna hai [Just think about what you want to do, not what you don't want to]". That was an important point.

How was the emotional support at home?
There was a time I was really depressed that I wasn't in the team. I used to sit alone and think cricket. About this and that. My mother and my sister backed me. They really believed in me and made me believe in myself, that I can do it again. When you have that kind of support, you feel you can do anything. They said it is just matter of time. It happens to every sportsman. They told me to accept the reality of my life and work hard, and that I would be back.

Did you learn about the drawbacks of being famous?
Absolutely. When you are doing well people ask for your autographs. Otherwise no one asks about you. That made me mentally stronger. I have now learnt to balance. I know how to handle success and failure.



"Sometimes even I don't know which ball is going to straighten, so how can the batsmen know? I try to swing with the new ball. I usually know when it's going to straighten or swing out when I try to do that, but on many occasions even I don't know"



Did any of your team-mates help you then?
I would like to thank Gautam [Gambhir] bhaiya. He had great belief in me. When I was down I used to speak to him, and he would tell me that I would make a comeback and do really well. A senior player like him was supporting me and telling me I should not lose hope in myself. When you are bowling well, everyone praises you. It matters what people are saying when you aren't doing well. I am really grateful to Gautam bhaiya.

You went back to play Ranji Trophy. What was that like?
I was happy to play cricket. I just wanted to play. I wasn't used to sitting out and handing drinks. That irritates me. With Ranji Trophy I was playing cricket, and that was always helpful.

The wrist release at one point had become skewed. Your wrists used to be behind the seam initially, but later you seemed to be pushing the ball sideways.
When you play too much cricket, bad habits creep in. You don't realise it. There is no one to tell you what's happening. The body gets tired, and you suddenly don't know what's happening. Now I know more about my bowling - how to train and recover. My wrist position gets bad when I get really tired. Training is very important for me. I have to put in more effort in my bowling than say Munaf, Praveen or Zaheer. I have to run in hard from a long run-up, and my style demands more effort. So I need to put in more training.

Venkatesh Prasad has praised you as the most hard-working fast bowler he has worked with.
The amount I enjoyed my bowling with Venky sir, I doubt anyone else did. It was a great learning experience. After a point, we stopped being teacher and student and became friends. I could go up to him and discuss anything, from bowling to my life.

You have a great incoming delivery. These days you seem to be getting the odd ball to straighten as well. How much control do you have now?
My stock ball is the inswinger. The odd balls straighten on their own. Sometimes even I don't know which ball is going to straighten, so how can the batsmen know? I try to swing with the new ball. Of course I usually know when it's going to straighten or swing out, but many times I don't know. It hits the seam and it can straighten. The ones under my control I know.

Many have noted a stutter in your follow-through.
It has been there since I started playing. I never worried about it. It all depends on how firm and still you are in your run-up and release. The follow-through follows from that.

[ajithfederer]

Int'view cont'd from above

What's your routine on match days?
I try to wake up happy and just stay away from cricket. On the field you are thinking so much about cricket, so off the field I try to get on my phone, chat with my team-mates, enjoy. Even if my day hasn't gone well, just enjoy the good times in it.

Tell us about your relationship with Zaheer.
I am lucky to be bowling with Zaheer. He is so aware of his own body, bowling, and has so much knowledge. I didn't know about my bowling and my body at the start of my career. Now I know when to train, when to relax, and how much bowling I must do. Zaheer advises me a lot. He even sets fields - where to bowl, how to bowl. It was a great help. He is always positive. He never talks negative. He always wanted to dismiss the batsmen irrespective of whether he is set or not. He won't think, "Okay, let me give this guy a single and target the other." He used to say, "We must do the difficult thing." So to share the ball with someone like him is great, and good things are going to rub off on to you.

Do you remember any wicket in particular that came about after a plan with Zaheer?
During Australia's tour - when I was Man of the Series - I took Brad Haddin's wicket. I bowled a series of bouncers and then slipped in a slower one. It was in Bangalore. That's what we had planned: let's bowl bouncers at him, and then slip in a slower one, as he doesn't pick it up sometimes.

Are you confident enough of setting your own fields and planning dismissals in his absence, like here in the West Indies?
I now know my bowling, and have control over my body. So I am confident. I have done my homework. I have learnt to set my fields. I know what I want to do. I visualise at the end of the day. Go back on the good things and what I can add.

Visualisation is about feeling good about yourself and landing the ball where you want it to land it. Before I bowl a ball I visualise that I have bowled the ball where I want it to land. By doing that your heart has already gone there. If your heart has gone, the brain follows. So I visualise the end result as if I have already done it, and then I bowl. I learnt this from Ramesh sir.

I tug at my sleeve at the start of each ball. It has become a habit. I do it because I feel something's sticking onto my skin there.

A lot of people believed that playing ODIs was spoiling your bowling in Tests.
I didn't think so. My strong point is Test cricket. I bowl for long, pick up wickets, and I am aggressive. These are the things that help you in ODIs as well.

People say I shouldn't be playing in the IPL. I take everything as a challenge. I set goals for myself and see if can achieve them or not. I want to be a regular member of the Indian squad and play all three formats of the game.

How did you handle the money coming in?
It depends on the individual. I saw early success and then failure. I must thank my family. I never thought more of myself just because I was an Indian player. My father is always down to earth. He never complains. When I was doing well, he used to thank God. When I wasn't doing well, he would say it's all thanks to God and it is a learning experience.

You seem to have started concentrating on your batting.
I need to thank Gary Kirsten. He used to tell me that I can bat. When he came for the first time, in Australia, he saw me and said I can bat as well. I never took batting seriously. I never thought one day I can help India win a Test. I need to be really thankful to Gary for that. As a bowler, you know how much you struggle to take a wicket. So when I struggle so much to get a wicket, why should I give my wicket easily? Scoring runs is not the issue for me. I just concentrate on sticking around.

How has Eric Simons been for you guys?
He doesn't try to change the things I am comfortable with. He adds to it. When you gel well with a team, your relationship with players and coaches should be good in order for the team to be good. That relationship you develop over a period of time. Now my relationship with Eric Simons is how it was with Venky. He has a good bonding with the fast bowlers. Players listen to what he says. Like Venky, he allows our natural ways to be and then tries to add on.

I never used to bowl round the stumps to left-hand batsmen. I have learnt to go round now. Eric has helped me in that regard. I used to bowl a little too wide to left-handers, but that has changed now.

Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel take a breather, Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, June 2, 2011
http://www.espncricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/133600/133683.jpg

"To relax, the best thing is to spend time with Munna bhai. He has a great sense of humour" © Associated Press


What has been your most satisfying dismissal since returning?
Every single wicket is satisfying when you are making a comeback. You learn that just because you had one bad spell it's not the end of world. You can always come back and pick up three wickets, and then at the end of the day you have bowled well. It's not like batsmen; we bowlers can always come back. There is more clarity with regards to my bowling.

What about reverse swing?
I love bowling reverse swing. Touch wood, I have control over it, but I don't think in cricket anyone is a master. I have better control over lengths but it all depends on how good you feel and in what rhythm you are. You can bowl seven overs on the trot when you are in rhythm; if you are not, it's a struggle to bowl even five. Some days you just wake up happy and everything and everyone around you feels good. There is this happy atmosphere around you. You go to the ground and feel you can do whatever you want. I think all fast bowlers know it.

How has it been bowling alongside the likes of Munaf, Praveen and Sreesanth?
Munaf and Praveen are really helpful. It's not that Sreesanth is not helpful, but it's all about bonding and gelling. Our thinking is the same. We hang out, enjoy, laugh, and we share that thinking on the field as well. When I am bowling, and Munna bhai is getting the drinks, he will tell me what I should be doing. It's great for team spirit.

Define enjoyment for you on tours.
Sitting in the hotel, enjoying each other's company. We don't get time to go on holidays together. We sit in the room, talk and laugh, or sit in the bus and laugh. It makes a great difference. You are able to switch off. Now I think about cricket when I have to. I relax at other times. I speak to mummy or to my friends. To relax, the best thing is to spend time with Munna bhai. He has a great sense of humour.

What's your career goal?
It's to play 100 Test matches for India and take as many wickets as possible. To play 100 Tests it will take 10 years. I hope my body lasts that long.
:clap:

Sriram Veera is a staff writer at ESPNcricinfo
RSS Feeds: Sriram Veera

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/522154.html

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQB90K73pqM&feature=feedf

This is freakin hilarious. This is the first time i am seeing this video. Mark Richardson cramps himself and provides laughter for everybody in the arena.

:rotfl:

[satissh_r]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQB90K73pqM&feature=feedf

This is freakin hilarious. This is the first time i am seeing this video. Mark Richardson cramps himself and provides laughter for everybody in the arena.

:rotfl:

AF, remember watching this match, he was trying to get a runner and we were refusing it. He started some playacting, this could well be one :p

[raajarasigan]

To select Greatest test team of all time to celebrate 2000th test.

http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/events_and_awards/greatest_test_team/index.php

with the given options, my greatest test XI

Greenidge
Sehwag
Lara
Richards
Tendulkar
Sobers (All Rounder)
Gilchrist
Ambrose
Holding
McGrath
Warne

[Plum]

RR, ellAmE avasara adi ranga-va select paNNi irukkInga. 2 wicket vizhundhA consolidate paNNa oru Gavaskar, oru Dravid oru Boycott select paNnikunga

[raghavendran]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONXZJ_8xSac&feature=related

perumaya irukku...B.C.LARA my idol :bow::bow:

[raajarasigan]

raghav, yeeteeb flocked here.. who is there in the above picture? Abinav Mukund ??

[raghavendran]

RR
Its the MCC meet where Sangakkara,Holding,M.Nicholes and Strauss are praising abt Lara..and Sanga talks about an incident where Dravid said to him that Lara is his favourite and not Sachin..wonderful video

[VinodKumar's]

Raghav , your avatar is :thumbsup:

[raghavendran]

thanks Vinod :D

[raajarasigan]

RR
Its the MCC meet where Sangakkara,Holding,M.Nicholes and Strauss are praising abt Lara..and Sanga talks about an incident where Dravid said to him that Lara is his favourite and not Sachin..wonderful videooh.. thats interesting ... :D ootukku poi paakkaren indha vdeo'va...

[ajithfederer]

DRS out of Sri Lanka-Australia series

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-australia-2011/content/current/story/523353.html

Sri lankan board couldn't afford the cost(5k$ a day) and said they are not gonna use it for the Australian series. BCCI was right as it said some boards couldn't afford that much money.

[ajithfederer]

‘I’m not English, I just work here.’ - Kevin Pietersen

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2015512/Kevin-Pietersen-claims-adds-concerns-Englands-South-Africans.html

[raagadevan]

"Harbhajan slaps notice on Vijay Mallya's UB Spirits over Dhoni commercial"

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Harbhajan-slaps-notice-on-Vijay-Mallyas-UB-Spirits-over-Dhoni-commercial/articleshow/9268878.cms

[raghavendran]

sachin,kapil,sunny and sehwag included in all time test squad

[ajithfederer]

No sobers and No Viv richards :lol:. BCCI and Indian domination must be stopped with immediate effect cry the rest of the world.

[19thmay]

No sobers and No Viv richards :lol:. BCCI and Indian domination must be stopped with immediate effect cry the rest of the world.

We are the second largest populated country and first in cricket. This is based on online voting, what do you expect?

[Plum]

ICC announcing all time polls ONLINE is pretty pointless. And it is a measure of the average Indian cricket following mind that Kapil pipped Sobers but Dravid didnt pip out Bradman.

The formula is Sachin by default, Dashers and Sunnys next, Bradman(because most people including Sachin says he is the greatest), bowlers we dont care because we dont have any to offer in all time great stakes.

THe one man who should be lauded for making it to this team on an online poll is GIlly - how the hell did he pip Dhoni?

[raajarasigan]

THe one man who should be lauded for making it to this team on an online poll is GIlly - how the hell did he pip Dhoni?IIRC, Dhoni nomination'leye illa Plum..

Richards illadha best ever team :twisted: pongada dei..

Lara, Richards, Sachin - indha middle order than best ever - cricket'ndra game irukkura varaikkum...

[Dinesh84]

ICC could use 'timeless' Test for World Championship final

London: Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, has suggested that the final of the inaugural World Test Championship, which will be held in England in 2013, could be a 'timeless' Test.
Lorgat said that a prestigious event like the first-ever Test Championship final deserved a clear winner. It is why the 'timeless' Test - a match that only ends when one team wins outright - is one of the options being considered by the ICC's think-tank led by general manager and former South African wicketkeeper Dave Richardson.

The latest ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) comprises a Test league running over four years with the top four teams at the end of each period qualifying for a play-off event. The first play-off is scheduled for 2013, the same year England are due to host the Ashes, and Lord's is the favoured venue for the final. The biggest hurdle the organisers face is a Test that is drawn over a conventional five days of play.

Lorgat said that finding an eventual solution to a draw was still a "work in progress". At a press conference at Lord's Lorgat said: "We've still got to decide how we determine a winner in case of a draw or if the draw will be the end result. I would favour a winner because you want somebody to be a Test champion.

"That is what Dave Richardson and the committee is currently on working on because it is not a good idea to end up with a drawn Test match," Lorgat said. "You have got to determine a winner - whether it is on the first-innings basis, or the runs [scored] in the game - they will come up with a viable formula to determine a winner in case of a drawn Test match. The final may well be a 'timeless' Test. We don't know that yet but we are looking into the mechanics of that. Although looking at the statistics today most of the games have ended in results."

Lorgat said the discussions aimed at settling the issue are ongoing and that he is personally eager that an option is found "before the end of the year".

The 2011 Lord's Test may have been sold out for the first four days but the sparse crowds witnessed during the twin Test series in the Caribbean involving Pakistan and India have brought back the question of overall viability of Test cricket in most parts of the world.

Lorgat was stubborn in his defence of the game and said that the format is not an issue of concern but the general lack of context in Test cricket is. "Bilateral series will have a lot more meaning if you are aspiring or playing towards something at the end. It is what the Test Championship aims to be."

In the past, Lorgat said, ODIs were always promoted in a much more meaningful way than Test cricket and it was one reason the value of one-day cricket had increased in comparison to Tests. "I'm confident that as we produce context in a Championship for Test cricket and we get better contests, as we have seen in the last few series, you will get back the interest and then see what the World Test Championships can do for us. People back winners when they see challenging matches."

According to Lorgat, top cricketing nations have displayed an aggressive brand of Test cricket because, he believes, of their aspiration to be at the top tier of the ICC's rankings. "Already we can see the amount of interest there is on the rankings table. If we look at the moment, between South Africa, England, Sri Lanka, Australia and India, one of those teams would fall out of the top-four."

The ICC also announced the fans' Greatest Test team of all-time, based on 250,000 votes cast on the ICC website, to mark the cricket's 2000th Test which will be played between England and India on July 21. The team included four Indians and some notable absentees like Garfield Sobers and Malcolm Marshall.

People's Dream XI: Virender Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar, Donald Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Kapil Dev, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Curtly Ambrose, Glenn McGrath.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/523745.html

[satissh_r]

Anyone watching SL vs Aus T20? Dilshan destroyed Watson, Hastings and Johnson in the last few overs. He got to his 50 in the 16th over and then got his 100 in the 20th over :clap: Aussies just had no clue on where to bowl to him, lets see how they fare when they bat.

[littlemaster1982]

Aus lost the match by 35 runs.

[ajithfederer]

7.1


BAW Mendis to Warner, OUT, My word. We need a new scoring entry for this. Caught Jayawardene b Mendis simply won't do! Sit down and hear this out. Warner slog-sweeps this, Mathews takes the catch at the edge of midwicket boundary, but just as he is about to run over the fence with his momentum, he throws the ball back in - both his feet in the air. The closest fielder is 30 metres from him, but he has lobbed it back that far! Australia can't believe it. The replays aren't lying. Top presence of mind from Mathews and Mahela. Relayed Mathews c Jayawardene b Mendis!


DA Warner c Jayawardene b BAW Mendis 16 (18b 2x4 0x6) SR: 88.88

[PARAMASHIVAN]

Mendis 5 wickets for 8 runs :shock: :shock: :evil: :evil:

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Mendis spin bowlingae aadatheriyatha payalga kitta velaya kaamichirukaan....

[Sourav]

Zimbabwe triumphant on Test return
http://www.espncricinfo.com/zimbabwe-v-bangladesh-2011/engine/match/522245.html

[ajithfederer]

Aus won the first ODI in the 5 -match series. Shane watson is in a rampage scoring 69 off 51 balls with 5 4's and 6 6's.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-australia-2011/engine/current/match/516206.html

[Plum]

Australiavukku nalla kaalam poRakkudhu (http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/528309.html)

Hilditch AND Chappell sacked.
With England on the rise, and Aussies bound to be on the rise after this favourable event, this means Cricket will become more and more oriented towards Eng and Aus. This means, financially also, they'll become stronger and independent soon as India starts losing interest in Cricket, which becomes a loser's game for India again.

Looks like India's reign in ICC will end before it even properly starts. And I'll get to see my prediction of the Veto being re-introduced in the ICC soon enough. Hopefully, all the ICC-apologists will be here to discuss when that happens

[ajaybaskar]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72rjPNnE4RA

[P_R]

Sourav on Greg Chappel :lol2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgL6qRTZkyI

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx1HHNfTTLM&feature=channel_video_title

Malinga's hatrick from yesterday.

[ajaybaskar]

Although I am not very convinced about his action, I shud admit that his yorkers are absolute treat to watch!!

[Plum]

Sourav :)

Greg Chappell should be awarded a Knighthood really. He was responsible for destroying two competitors for the England Cricket team - India and Australia. India did come back but he did kill Irfan Pathan's career so he deserves some credit for lack of bowling options for India.

[raajarasigan]

MELBOURNE: Former Australian umpire Darrell Hair, who triggered a storm by accusing Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan of chucking 16 years ago, says Indian tweaker Harbhajan Singh is also among the bowlers with "highly suspicious action".

In his book 'The Best Interests Of The Game', the excerpts of which were published in the 'Daily Telegraph', the controversial Hair said despite suspect action, it was unlikely that any action would ever be taken against erring bowlers.

"I noted that Harbhajan Singh, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Hafeez, Johan Botha and Abdur Razzaq all bowl with a highly suspicious action that may or may not fall within the 15 degrees of tolerance," he wrote.

"But the chances of their being reported are slim. As to the chances of their being actually called during a match, absolutely zero."

Harbhajan's action has been under the scanner in the past with former Indian spinner Bishan Singh Bedi being among those who have raised question marks about its legality.

Hair, who was asked to step down after a 78-Test umpiring career from 1992 to 2008, routinely hit the headlines for various controversies during his tenure, the biggest of them being the Muralitharan episode.

"Muralitharan was reported by match referee Chris Broad during Australia's tour of Sri Lanka in 2004 for illegal straightening of the arm at the elbow during his bowling action," Hair wrote.






Hair also hits out at ICC for sidelining him

"Tests on 1 April 2004 at the University of Western Australia revealed that he straightened his arm by an average of 14 degrees, which was 9 degrees in excess of the tolerance level for spin bowlers mandated by the ICC at the time. On 5 February 2005 the ICC's Chief Executive Committee approved proposals aimed at ending the 'malaise' over illegal bowling actions.

"Under the new proposals, the tolerance limit for straightening of the arm for all bowlers was to be set at 15 degrees, which studies had shown is the point at which the naked eye can make out excessive straightening," he recalled.

"Amazingly, this was one degree more than the average of Muralitharan's arm straightening!"

Hair was asked to leave the ICC panel of umpires after Pakistan criticised him for awarding a Test to England against in 2006.

Come on Plum,.. Hair vs Bhajji.. yaarukku suffort ? :lol:

[Plum]

Frett Lee epdiyAm?

adhu epdi oru colourAvE pArthu mayi...I mean mudi...accuse paNdrApla?

RR, Bhajji vs Hair - tough choice. reNdu pErukkum suffort paNNa vENdiyadhu dhAn...

[ajithfederer]

The Best of...
Over 60 years seen some good players and I am often asked on here to compare. Both as a player and here is a list I wrote up for another forum. You may find it interesting I hope

Batsmen
1. Don Bradman
2. Garry Sobers
3. Sachin Tendulkar
4. Greg Chappell
5. Vivian Richards

Fast Bowlers
1. Dennis Lillee
2. Malcolm Marshall
3. Keith Miller
4. Imran Khan
5. Fred Trueman

Spinners
1. Shane Warne
2. Richie Benaud
3. Bishen Bedi
4. Tony Locke
5. Lance Gibbs

Keepers
1. Don Tallon
2. Wally Grout
3. John Maclean
4. Engineer
5. Bob Taylor

Fastest Bowlers
1. Jeff Thompson
2. Malcolm Marshall
3. Michael Holding
4. Bob Willis
5. Shoab Ahktar

Graceful Batsmen
1. Peter May
2. Greg Chappell
3. David Gower
4. Arthur Morris
5. Nahwab of Pataudi(junior)

Best Slippers
1. Colin Cowdrey
2. Greg Chappell
3. Mark Taylor
4. Neil Harvey
5. Seymour Nurse

Number Threes
1. Don Bradman
2. Neil Harvey
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Greg Chappell
5. David Boon

Openers
1. Greenidge/Haynes
2. Hayden/Langer
3. Lawry/Redpath

Fielders
1. Norm O'Neill
2. Colin Bland
3. Derek Randall
4. Andrew Symonds
5. Mark Waugh
Opening Bowlers
1. Lillee/Thompson
2. Griffith/Hall
3. Trueman/Statham
4. Lindwall/Miller

Outstanding Outfielders
1. Seymour Nurse
2. Rohan Kanhai
3. John Dyson Hard not to include Solomon/Rammadin from WI
4. Paul Sheehan
5. Jacque Kallis

All Rounders
1. Garfield Sobers
2. Imran Kahn
3. Ian Botham Hard not include Miller/Davidson from Aus
4. Kapil Dev
5. Jayasurya

So read and weep guys/gals.These are players I have actually seen or played with
__________________
Keep Your Feet on The Ground,Keep Reaching for The Stars!


http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/cricket-chat/52910-best.html

[littlemaster1982]

Sila per-laam kelvipattadhey illa. But a good list :thumbsup:

[ajaybaskar]

Dedicated to Plum (http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/529427.html)

[ajaybaskar]

No Jonty in fielders list?

[ajithfederer]

It's a personal opinion of a guy who has watched cricket for the last 70 years. Got this from an other forum. Click the link in that post to know more.

No Jonty in fielders list?

[satissh_r]

NO Rahul Dravid in No 3 is annoying, he has the most number of catches yet he does not feature in the slip fielders list.

[ajithfederer]

Jesus christ that is another man's opinion. Would you guys learn to respect it.

[ajaybaskar]

Jesus christ that is another man's opinion. Would you guys learn to respect it.

No Kallis in all rounders list? :yessir:

[ajithfederer]

Nalla velai ninga no dhoni in wicket keepers listnnu kekkama irundhingale? :)

[ajaybaskar]

Naan list poatta kandippa avarukku idam kuduppen.. :-)

[satissh_r]

Jesus christ that is another man's opinion. Would you guys learn to respect it.

Saw your previous post only now, fair enough if it his personal opinion but then again I have an opinion on his opinion :p

[littlemaster1982]

Dedicated to Plum (http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/529427.html)

Nowadays I'm finding it hard to hate Ponting :lol:

[ajaybaskar]

Nalla paya sir avan.. :-) Konjam settai pannuvan.. Avlothaan..

[ajithfederer]

Yes and I have to respect that. :). Appadi pannama noy noyyi nu kelvi ketta nallava irukkum?. :lol:

Naan list poatta kandippa avarukku idam kuduppen.. :-)

[ajithfederer]

Since English is No 1 now, I have to change my 20 year old Ashes tradition and support Underdogs Australia from now on.

Nowadays I'm finding it hard to hate Ponting :lol:

[raajarasigan]

Lara kooda illaya... kashtam.. India thavira veru yaaru No.1 irundhalum avainga thottha sandhosha paduvom.. இயற்கையின் நியதி..

[Plum]

Nowadays I'm finding it hard to hate Ponting :lol:

Well, with England taking over the annoying anglo-saxon mantle, I am thawing towards Ricky boy, too. And these things can only help.

Ricky, nee nanbaenda!

[Plum]

Ajay/AF, that guy, interestingly, hasnt given a Wicketkeepers' list in the first place.

namma pOdalAmA listtu?

Ian Healy (one of the best that I have *seen* )
Alan Knott(pala engliskaarangaLukku ivar dhAn beshttu)
Les Ames(sila engliskaarangaLukku ivar dhAn)
Adam G (ivar illAma indha list pOda mudiyAdhu)
N Mongia(Feeyar favourite)
Matt Prior(according to ingliskaarans, the best currently, and on the tip of pushing Adam G from his mantle)

[littlemaster1982]

Prior beating AG :shock: No way!!!

[ajaybaskar]

Healy should be the best.. (at least from the days I started following cricket)

[Plum]

Try telling that to Englishmen flush from their success against India...

[Plum]

My comment was for LM's shock

[satissh_r]

Healy should be the best.. (at least from the days I started following cricket)

If you consider the wicketkeeping part alone then may be he is the best. If you consider the overall contribution to the team, I don't think anyone could get near Gilly

[Plum]

innum oru varushaththukuLLa indha prachnai theerndhudum. Prior will be the indisputable all-time best with in a year

[Plum]

England 38/2 against Ireland.

If Ireland win today, it will be a huge boost in their quest for test status.
If they win test status, one more guaranteed vote in ICC for the anglo-saxon axis.

Brilliant move by England to field a depleted team for this match.

That Veto for England in ICC is coming closer and closer - I hope it happens soon so that ICC apologists here hide their face .

[Plum]

Boyd Rankin is playing for Ireland today. He played for England A last week.

Is there anyone else who finds this free movement between England and Ireland disgusting? How many of you agree that if such movement had been between India and some other country, English media and ICC apologists will be crying foul or satirising it?

[ajithfederer]

You Mean England Lions as in England A?

His cricinfo profile shows he did recently play for Lions but not shows Eng A.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/24599.html

Boyd Rankin is playing for Ireland today. He played for England A last week.

Is there anyone else who finds this free movement between England and Ireland disgusting? How many of you agree that if such movement had been between India and some other country, English media and ICC apologists will be crying foul or satirising it?

[Plum]

Ofcourse yes. Lions-nu sonnA ellorukkum puriyaadhenu A-nu sonnen. Other countries callit A team. England calls it Lions.

This is because, till recently, their teams were timid Lambs(and one of them actually had a Lamb). Since international teams cannot be nomenclatured, they did it to their A team. Perulayaavadhu Lion irukkattumennu.

Maybe that numerology or something has worked out and their senior team is actually playing with ferocity these days.

[ajaybaskar]

Boyd Rankin is playing for Ireland today. He played for England A last week.

Is there anyone else who finds this free movement between England and Ireland disgusting? How many of you agree that if such movement had been between India and some other country, English media and ICC apologists will be crying foul or satirising it?

Super idea.. We can use the services of Wahab Riaz, Shakib Al Hasan..

[P_R]

Ponting looking good. Aus looking shaky.
Kamaan!

[P_R]

Scotland, Ireland, Wales - ellAm oNNu dhaan saar.

neenga vENumnA nEpaalathulErndhO, poodaanlErndhO aaL eduthu viLayAdikkunga.

[Plum]

Eh? Scotland is a separate Cricketing team. Ireland is. And is a separate nation.Northern Ireland is part of UK.
Anyway, You call yourself England Cricket team.

Ofcourse, you ruled the world so players from Papua New Guinea to Australia will be eligible for you.
What is to note is that if the situations had been reverse with India having that advantage, somehow English media and Cricket-associated people would have made a vice of it; and influenced ICC to clamp down on it.

sAbam kudukkavA? nAn enna kudukkaRadhu. England is slowly gaining power on and off the field. innum konha varusham dhAn. Veto thriumba varudhA illaiyA pArunga

[Plum]

BTW, Mandela thennappirikavai Enlandukku vithuttArA?

[raajarasigan]

West Indies team kooda than multiple island players vachirukku.. avanga enna Jamica, Trinidad & tobaco nnu thaniyava peru vachirukkainga..evlo dejenta WI'nnu ella theevu kaarangalukku credit koduthirukkaainga..

England team should be renamed similar to WI.. appuram naanga aarum kelvi ketka maattom

[Plum]

Enna pEru vepPAnga? Commonwealth? United Nations? Rainbow Nation?

[Plum]

More choices
League o Nations
Axis of Evil

[SoftSword]

england - ireland, wales, scotland'kum sutthamaa aagaadhu...
most of the ppl in wales/ireland will support the opponent team which plays england.. cos they feel england is dominating them..
scotland oralavu paravaala...

[Plum]

Adhellaam friendly fire Softie. Irelandkulla protestant-catholic sandai bayangaramaa irundhadhu. England is viewed as pro-protestant. But now that is settled.

This is not like india-pak.
Great Britain sends one team to Olympics. Just that historically they have separate teams in football, cricket, rugby etc.
Scotland stopped fighting for independence centuries ago I guess.

Many of Britain's finest poets and authors are Welsh(GB Shaw) or Scottish. Or even Irish.

Auld lang Syne, kind of their vande mataram is Scottish.

There is no denying they are closely knit as a group of nations/sub-nations. Much more so than India-Nepal-Bhutan.

But they have been historically separate teams. And either they should put up one British team(which will still not have Irish players) or not steal the Irish and Scottish players.

I don't resent Saffer-born but grew up in English system like Strauss, Prior etc.
But Trott, KP et al are a stretch
Morgan and Joyce even more so. It is a shame that not only can they move from one team to another permanently but also keep alternating per whim and fancy.
Joyce, for instance, played for Ireland, then England, and then went back to Ireland.
That's way too much flexibility. Certainly, Britain will whine if the boot were on the other foot.

[P_R]

Certainly, Britain will whine if the boot were on the other foot. Any instance of it happening earlier? Genyoon question.

[wizzy]

kudos to SL curators for preparing a true subcontinental track which supports the home team. When was the last time India played on similar track against a visiting team?
Have the ICC ever sent a pitch inspection team to OZ/Eng/SA for preparing a pitch with more bounce? Time to go back to Azhar days when India played 3 spinners :-)
The moment these team encounter a dust-bowl these teams cry foul and ICC will unleash Atkinson. I hope cricket doesn't go field Hockey way when they switched to artificial turf which completely disadvantaged the teams from Asia.

[Plum]

Exact precedence vENumA? The above quoted double standards on pitches is an example that corroborates their attitude and behaviour.

[P_R]

Turning square on day one saar. Match paatheengaLA?
Super star yaarunnu kEttA paattula color colorA vedikkumE, adhu maadhiri pandhu bounce aagura idam ovvoNNulayin vedichu sedharudhu.

sari, idhaiyum rasippOm.

[wizzy]

^ I did..a part timer like Dilshan was turning it on day 1..Ponting's dismissal wouldn't happened on day 1 in Chennai/Bangalore where the batsman can hit through the line.
..After lunch Lakmal/welegedhra were bowling cutters with the keeper standing infront of the stumps.
Tony was mourning about it. If SL had Murali OZ wouldn't have reached 200 with their current batting lineup in this pitch.

[wizzy]

PR chennai lion Mussey agrees with me on the pitch :lol2:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-australia-2011/content/current/story/530595.html

"It is certainly the driest first day pitch I've played on in Test match cricket," Hussey said. "Their quicks got wickets as well. They obviously got four of the wickets, got a bit of reverse swing, so we've got to use that to our advantage tomorrow hopefully. It certainly took a lot of turn on the first day but I thought in general, the guys played the spin pretty well.

"It was quite a difficult pitch to start on really. It was really slow so it was hard to find your timing initially. I guess my message was just to try and play as straight as possible and just try to hang in there for as long as you can because it does get easier the longer you go.

"Having said that, it's sort of an apprehensive feeling as well because there might be one ball that explodes and takes the glove or takes your edge and you're gone anyway. I think the message [to the other batsmen] is to try to play their game, be positive and just try to take time to get used to the pace of the pitch because it was a little difficult to time the ball early."

[Plum]

First day headingleyla seam AnA Atkinson pOvARA anga?
New Zealand 2 day testukku inquiry paNNAngaLA?
How can you even claim that double standards don't exist?

What annoys me is ipdi dominateun paNNittu BCCI dominancenu En polambaRInga?

[P_R]

Ridiculous turn on Day one by any standards.
Anyway avunga vayalu, avunga varappu. nadaththattum.

[wizzy]

We have morons like http://twitter.com/#!/SANJAYMANJREKAR/status/51587733898010624 who seem to think playing on bouncy track is the golden standard in cricket and deems curators patriotic when they prepare a track which suits the home team..Until we have self-loathing idiots as cricket commentators/experts you can't blame ICC when they look to standardize pitches in subcontinent.

[P_R]

How can you even claim that double standards don't exist? ? naan enna sonnEn. In fact genuine question-nu solli kEkkumbOdhu sandhEgappattA eppadi?

I think I have conceded in more than one occasion in our discussion over the last few months that Eng-Aus players' disciplinary excess should be pulled up too. aRikkai yEdhAvadhu vidaNumA?


What annoys me is ipdi dominateun paNNittu BCCI dominancenu En polambaRInga? BCCI gold-nga, diamond-nga. Influence 'ngradhai adhu kaNNAla kooda paathadhilleenga.

[P_R]

btw Randiv is getting more and more impressive.
Angle, drift ellAm payyan siRappA seyyurAn. I am beginning to like him more and more.

[Plum]

Bcci gold-nu yaaru sonnadhu. Other boards don't get enough debitnu dhaane sonnen? Idhu nejamaave ungalukku puriyalannu maindain panna poringalaa?

[P_R]

Flau, I am following the issues you are pointing about other boards. Many of the issues don't rankle me that deeply - like bringing in people from everywhere (country itself is like that only), Flower asking for Bell decision to be reversed etc. I don't see pitch standardization as an 'evil' imposed by Eng/Aus. I think it is to a certain extent necessary. btw I am not denying that this may have something to do with my own strong bias in favour of watching matches with the kind of conditions we get to see in Aus-Eng (broad sweep) rather than big-score belters, first day dust bowls etc. But I don't think the local flavours should (or would) be significantly altered, that'd take the fun out of touring.

Yes Eng/Aus players ought to be pulled up lot more than they are being done now for on-field indiscipline. I have been observing what you are talking about, since you spoke about it last year. Till then I had largely dismissed it as paranoia. en aRivukkaNNai thirandhadhaRku nanRi. But I still maintain support Hair wrt to the Oval incident. I feel what was done to Daryl Harper was outrageous. I do find the influence of BCCI excessive, in absolute and in relative terms.


And lastly my support or lack of it, for any team has nothing whatsoever to do with politics. If I support Aus in this encounter with SL, it is because Aus is the underdog and I don't like most of the SL team members - as simple as that.

I guess this whole 'invocation of politics' at every turn was spurred by my note that Ranatunga politicized calling Murali as racist. I want to clarify, if at all it was not already abundantly clear, that that is a mere sidenote to my opinion of the Murali chucking issue. My opinion about Murali's action remains - and my opinion why the whole establishment bent (pardon the expression) remains.

[ajithfederer]

Pitch standardization is as stupid and ridiculous as Tennis courts made slower everywhere. Mundhanethu annan omega us open courts slowaa irukkunu oru gundai thooki pottar. I seriously hope the news is false or else I may have to stop watching Tennis once Roger retires.

[ajithfederer]

Ayyago sangakaaran out.

[Plum]

Pitch standardization is as stupid and ridiculous as Tennis courts made slower everywhere. Mundhanethu annan omega us open courts slowaa irukkunu oru gundai thooki pottar. I seriously hope the news is false or else I may have to stop watching Tennis once Roger retires.


Hockey-la pitch standardization paNNAnga. Hockey was once a popular game in the world, and extremely popular in India. So popular infact that it was chosen as our National Sport. I am sure the German-Australian-English powers that be that were behind this standardization are kicking themselves now - a raedily available, existing potential 1 billion plus market was lost. Cricket is reaping the benefits.

Cricketlayum paNNunga standardisation. Seamers and Fast Bowlers dhAn help peRaNum. maththavangallAm children of lesser God. And ella pitchum Birmingham mAdhiri irukkaNum. adhu dhAn cricket. paNNunga - appuRam evLO nAL Cricket is a well-funded sportA irukkunnu pArthuduvOm.
Cricket moththamA innum 10 varushaththula azhinjA kooda nAn varuththa pada mAttEn - Hockey mAdhiri AgaNum. appO dhAn ECB and ACB-ku sariyAna dhandanai.

[wizzy]

PR, Why do you want to standardize the pitches to a certain extent? isn't the whole point of test cricket is to test each capabilities of a batsman/bowler?
when was the last time India played 3 spinners? I would enjoy Swann bowling with 4 close-in fielders in Chennai in the same way Zaheer bowling at the Oval with 4 slips.
A batsman technique is in direct correlation with the nature of the wickets he gets to play..last thing we need is wristy players like VVS to become obsolete. With advent of t-20/fear of injuries we don't see the side-on fast bowlers anymore and we have an army of chest-on hit the deck bowlers. ICC can do away with pitches and start playing on matting wickets if you need standardization.

[Plum]

Me also AustraliayA ippO. Ponting is not captain, and I am ok with him scoring runs now that he has turned into a graceful, post-captaincy, drinks carrier, humble feller.
England-ai adakka kUdiya orE aNI Australia enbadhAl avangaLukku full support uNdu

[P_R]

Ok I am understanding this wrong then.

I don't think pitch standardization is about making every pitch in the world the same type. Is it? It is not even about making the every type of pitch equally represented in each playing country. It is about making all types of pitches 'available' in every country to the extent possible. This is so the players get the kind of exposure.

So I don't understand the hockey parallel one bit. Either that or I am understanding the whole thing wrong.

[P_R]

England-ai ellAm Australia adakka mudiyAdhu.
pazhaya panneerselvamA varattum-nu support paNrEn. engaLukku orE bore adikkudhu :P

[ajithfederer]

You once wrote or somebody else here posted a link on how hockey turfs were standardized by the western powers. Please point to that link.

[wizzy]

It works both ways..I would like to see Kohli/Pujara/ learning their trade on a spicy Perth/Durban in the same way Kwaja/Morgon getting to play on a square turner in Chennai.

[ajithfederer]

100/8............

Watson 3 lbws

[P_R]

Lions - Lyon

[wizzy]

Lyon 5 wickets on debut :lol2: perils of playing on a good wicket.

[P_R]

தன் வினை தன்னைச் சுடும் :lol:

[wizzy]

punting on Mitchell to come good in the second dig..even Twtson is bowling around 140ks. Indian fast bowlers :-(

[Plum]

Pitch standardization - the only hint we get of ICC opinion is when they send inspectors after a test ends up one sided in a particular way.
All these instances have been spin-friendly pitches. So much so that an Ahmedabad pitch in which sourav played "assaultA" but thennappiraka collapsed was questioned.
But new zealandla

[wizzy]

Twtson first ball duck..Sehwagology has screwed Dilshan/Twtson in this test.

[P_R]

Flau, google tells me that in Ahmedabad India got thulped. (http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/332912.html)
The contentious match was in Cawnpore (http://www.espncricinfo.com/indvrsa/engine/current/match/332913.html)

Actually indha pitch (http://www.espncricinfo.com/indvrsa/engine/current/match/332911.html)-kku enquiry vaikkaNum.

New Zealand match, adhi edhi?

[P_R]

Phil Hughes - when I last saw him - should have been banned from cricket for aesthetic reasons. adhenna kaalai thooki midwicketla vachchu viLayaadura pazhakkam!
Does he still play the same way?

[wizzy]

^ cooka vide vae :-) Chappeli wanted Warner to replace him for tests

[P_R]

Occasionally unconventional, awkward all different category saar.
Frequently ugly - Morgan
Perpetually cringe inducing - Hughes

Left hand batsman-nA oru elegance vENdaamA?...... ennai maadhiri

[wizzy]

Chanders enna category?

[P_R]

Haha. Mildly awkward, that's all :-)
Yeah he does that walking in thing, Morgan has his shuffle and all. It's not that, it is the final way it ends up looking. I am not able to articulate it.

Hughes oru maadhiri papparappA-nu viLayAduvAn.

Right foot moved away to hoist it on the offside- anywhere from longoff to third man :x

[Puliyan_Biryani]

oho Cook elegant, aesuthetically pleasing batsmen-nu theerpu vazhangittaangala?

BTB Paanding literally throwing his bat/wicket away :rotfl2:.

[Plum]

Sadagoppan Ramesh?
Latest English media comparison:
Stuart Broad = Sir Garfield S
Ohohhhoohho

[Plum]

Frabhu Rau - 2002-03 Nz tour. Theerppu enna vazhanginaanga theriyumA? Tendulkar, Dravid over-rated. Can't play in first day seam friendly pitch. Fleming is a better batsman than both.

India-la mattum diabolic pitch, araajagam against test cricket etc.

Cawnpore, Ahmedabad - prachnai ellaam onnu dhaan. There were noises even afer eden gardens this year.

Mumbai 2004 diablic pitchA? Tendulkar and Laxman nallA veLayAdinAngaLe? Adhu skill illaiyA?
Adhellaam flukeO? Adhellaam parkaradhukku kevalamA irukkO?Cook bullying Praveen, Santh, Mishy etc paarkaradhukku kuLumaiyA irukko?

[wizzy]

Hughes got worked out by Freddie during the 2009 Ashes..Have you seen him handling short stuff? would make Raina look like Lara :-) .I have developed a immunity after watching Grame Smith who looks ugly even when he plays horizontal shots.
Looking at the amount of spin Dilshan is managing to get biscuit mudhalali would have caused havoc on this pitch.

[Puliyan_Biryani]

"Eye of the beholder"-nu PR edhaavadhu solluvaaru irundhaalum, Ramesu lazy off-drive looks better than all the push-shoves of Cook put together.

[P_R]

Sadagoppan Ramesh?
There was nothing ugly about his game. :sigh2:
sari vidunga.


Latest English media comparison:
Stuart Broad = Sir Garfield S
Ohohhhoohho idhu vEra topic.

[SoftSword]

irundhaalum enga emerging erimalai, nadippu thalapadhi ramesh'a romba kalaaikkureenga...
leg sidela 8 peru nikka vechaalum assaulta four adippaar enga aalu...

[Plum]

I didn't say anything about sadagopar's game. Enna irundhaalum thamizhan.
Australiala tour game centurykkappuram oru chance (over Chopra) kuduthirundhaa, sehwagai outshine paNNi iruppAn thambi. Avan keragam...

[Plum]

Adhu vERa topic ofcourse.
Paiyyan OraLavukku settle aayittAn dhAn - record dance ellAm paNNuvAn dhAn pOlirukku. But Sobers comparison ippOve...

[P_R]

Flau, I'll admit one thing upfront: I have less problems with a match shortened by seaming conditions, pacy greentop etc. compared to a match shortened because it is a minefield turner on day one. And I prefer both to a mottai pitch of pointlessness - think records pugazh SSC.

Idhukku mEla padikkaradhum, padikkaadhadhum unga ishtam.


Frabhu Rau - 2002-03 Nz tour. Theerppu enna vazhanginaanga theriyumA? Tendulkar, Dravid over-rated. Can't play in first day seam friendly pitch. Fleming is a better batsman than both.
Fleming paththi theriyAdhu :lol2: But for me, it was a test for Sehwag - completely changed my opinion of the guy.

Now why did I wait till NZ. He had made a century on debut in SA? Inherent feeling that seaming conditions is the deal-num sollalaam. Inherent hatred for suththu parties becoming successful-num sollalaam.


There were noises even afer eden gardens this year. The match vs. SA?? I don't recall anything unusual - like a spin induced collapse on a crumbling pitch

Mumbai 2004 diablic pitchA? Tendulkar and Laxman nallA veLayAdinAngaLe? Adhu skill illaiyA? Michael Clarke aththini wicket edukkuraan. andha pitch-ai pOyi defend paNNikkittu.


Cook bullying Praveen, Santh, Mishy etc paarkaradhukku kuLumaiyA irukko?
As in against my annoyance with Chennai 2007 vs. SA with Sevagan 300?
Chennai was a dabbA draw with nothing happening. How is that comparable with conditions where a result was produced- admittedly against a substandard bowling attack who had no means to make use of the conditions amply available.

[P_R]

Tendulkar and Laxman nallA veLayAdinAngaLe? Adhu skill illaiyA? adhellAn illainnu sollavE illaiyE. It is to their credit that they managed to play as long as they did on such a pitch. adhukkaaga...adhukkaaga!

[wizzy]

Hasini has given a certificate of auth. that Sadagoppar is next only to Hasar in comic timing
ethu avuruku theriyuma?:-)

[Plum]

I didnt even see Sehwag's 319. My favourite is 201* carrying his bat in Galle.
It is a pity he went undercooked to England. The man's capable of anything on his day. Even on a seaming pitch doing wonders, you never know, he might score a hundred before Lunch. His game is agnostic to pitch, bowlers, situation etc. And it is not really fluke.
When he is crap, though, he is ultra crap.

But tie me up like Ramesh Kanna of Jodi - and I'd prefer that 319 to Cook's 294.

You shouldnt reduce the game to a series of mechanical actions very well reproduced and an oiled machine well capable of endurance and perfect rendering of mechanical actions.

[Plum]

adhellAn illainnu sollavE illaiyE. It is to their credit that they managed to play as long as they did on such a pitch. adhukkaaga...adhukkaaga!

indha sogathai ellAm pArkAma appan ticket vAngaNungaRIngaLA?
indha pitchlAm ban paNNinA idhelLAm pArkka kediakkAdhE?

[Plum]

Clarke taking wickets. Repeatedly, we have proven that we'll give wickets in buckets to just about anyone.
Klusener never had it better than his debut in Calcutta against us. Not that he is bad but he wasnt that good.
Krezja just played one test after taking 12 on debut against us. I'd stick my tongue out and say Clarke's wasnt any worse a performance
cheap shot alert - En indha serieslEyE Broadku 6 wkt hauls, under 15 average ellAm kodukkalyA?

Dont judge a bowler or pitch by an Indian batting collapse.

[wizzy]

terrible shot.

[P_R]

His game is agnostic to pitch, bowlers, situation etc. And it is not really fluke. Of course. adhila edhuvum sandhEgamE illai.

I'd prefer that 319 to Cook's 294 I'd prefer any innings of Sehwag's to Cook's. idhellAm oru comparisonA? Naan ennamO Cook has got the most beautiful game in modern times sonna maadhiriyin, aduththa Sachin avan dhaan-nu sonna maadhiriyin.

If he keeps scoring at the pace at which he is going - without running out of gas - he is going to have a tonne of runs under his belt - appidinnu sonnEn. Thassaal.
Someone called his game ugly. I said I didn't find it so and there were in fact many pleasing shots he played. Thassaal.

[P_R]

Dont judge a bowler or pitch by an Indian batting collapse.
Fine then.
Which is why it will be indistinguishable when India claims to be done in by the pitch? :lol2:

Jokes apart, what are other occasions where you think India was done in by a substandard pitch
Or are you conceptually against a crumbling pitch being called substandard in the first place? (adhenna 'standard'? evan solradhu? indha standard imposition-ai edhirppOm etc.)

[wizzy]

PR, on pitches what option due the curators in subcontinent have? prepare a sporting wicket like we get at Mohali or the one at Nagpur dished out by Mumbai mafia to settle scores with Dalmia?

[Plum]

I have been watching Cricket since the 80s Gavaskar kAlathulErundhu(well, only, technically. The first match I actually watched was Sunny's famous final innings - 96 against Pak in Bangalore. What an innings on a minefield! adhellAm your pitch standardisers ilLAma paNNiduvAngaLOnnu oru bayam).
81 All out. 136 by a rather modest batsman in Chennai against Pak and then 255 all out Sydney Collapse. Bangalore against Pak, Mumbai against England. 6/9 for Clarke. Klusener. Hooper(bowling)
1991 tour to Australia- when we'd go from 51/2 to 133/6 to 291/7 to 299 all out thanks to a Azhar or Sachin masterclass. ipdi pala
I WILL NEVER attribute an Indian Batting collapse to the pitch. Many times, not even the bowlers.
NZ 2002 - fair enough. You made a pitch where even Sachin couldnt bat well. Fair game. But adhu nalladhu Mumbai sotthainu repeatedA all influential people and media establish paNNuvadhu, namma lazy media adhaiyE reproduce paNNuvadhu idhellAm dhAn en grouse.

I really wish I were in media.

[P_R]

adhellAm your pitch standardisers :-) avan enna enakku maamanA machchaanA?

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2B2pcGKBB8&feature=feedu

NATHAN LYON 5/34 ON DEBUT! 1st TEST vs SRI LANKA 2011 GALLE

[ajithfederer]

Australia 273 & 207/9 (56.5 ov)

Australia lead by 375 runs with 1 wicket remaining

[P_R]

379

Paranavitana gaali :-)

[P_R]

Sanganum, DPMD-yum yEdhAvadhu senjA dhaan

[19thmay]

Nathan Lyon picks 5.

http://i53.tinypic.com/vqm9nd.jpg

Lanka 0/1 chasing 379

[ajaybaskar]

Ivaru Greg Chappeloda reco'vame?

[wizzy]

Nathan Lyon picks 5.

http://i53.tinypic.com/vqm9nd.jpg

Lanka 0/1 chasing 379

Amazing that he has played only 4 first class matches before this test. Is this the first time OZ debuted a complete noob in tests?

[P_R]

wizzy, during the Ashes, Michael Beer-nu oruththanai eduththAinga.
I think David Boon recommendationnu ninaikkarEn :D

[19thmay]

SL - 111/5 - Jaya/ Mathews doing some tinkering work

[wizzy]

wizzy, during the Ashes, Michael Beer-nu oruththanai eduththAinga.
I think David Boon recommendationnu ninaikkarEn :D
ye I remember that piece..ungalaku offspin varuma :lol:

[wizzy]

Hughes dismissal which has raised the same q's about hawkeye's ball prediction when the ball is pitched full. it does look like turning into the pads at full speed..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lRVmscx4K0&feature=player_detailpage#t=576s

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-australia-2011/content/current/story/530864.html

Does any one remember Strauss dismissal by Warne in 2005 where the ball was shown missing the stumps by Hawkeye but it had actually clipped the bails in real time :-)

[Plum]

Beer warnie reco

[ajithfederer]

Sri Lanka 105 & 187/5 (78.0 ov)

J dene 90

Matthwes 66

Sri Lanka require another 192 runs with 5 wickets remaining

Lunch - Day 4

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-australia-2011/engine/current/match/516212.html

[ajaybaskar]

Jeyawardene falls after a brilliant 100.

[wizzy]

ICC came in a bit late I had expected Atkinson to inspect the pitches by now.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-australia-2011/content/current/story/531060.html

What do you expect when you tour subcontinent? bounce and seam? . I don't remember the subcontinental sides questioning the pitches when they get bundled out for less than 100..it has always been the inability of the subcontinental batsman in playing bounce/swing. Has ICC ever raised a q regarding the overseas pitches which has subcontinental sides at the disadvantage?

How can Chris Broad continue to referee international games when his son still plays? He can always ask his pals to go easy on his son which always seem to be the case with Stuart Broad and match referees .

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj9qJagmruQ&feature=feedu

Look at this for a bad decision.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aO3BLDDIFA&feature=feedu

Sanga's innings of 192 and a ridiculous not out of him by rudy koertzen.

[19thmay]

SL - 96/5

payapullainga...nammala maadhriye vilayaduraanunga...

[wizzy]

Lankan lions struggling at home..what has this world come to?

[ajithfederer]

Rob: "Ricky Ponting's wife has given birth to another daughter Matisse Ellie."

Thinking of which of all the guys i follow only Tendulkar has a boy. Hmm.

[19thmay]

Day 1 stumps:
Sri Lanka - 174 All out
Australia - 60/0

[ajithfederer]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjlkh7_cricket-shane-warne-wickets-2005-ashes-x264-desimanzil-com_sport

Sooperappu. An excellent collection from the greatest test series of all time. Shane Warne's 40 wickets from Ashes 2005. Come back ya warnie. Take the Poms for a ride once again please :mrgreen:

[raajarasigan]

Ambrose gets place in Hall of Fame :redjump: :notworthy:

Curtly Ambrose was recognised as one of the giants of the game when he was inducted into the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Hall of Fame yesterday.

The sport's world governing body made the formal induction of the West Indies fast bowling legend into the 63-member Hall of Fame, along with Australians Alan Davidson and women's player Belinda Clark during the ICC Awards.

"It is a privilege and an honour to be inducted in the Hall of Fame," said the 47-year-old Ambrose. "In the history of cricket, there have been many great cricketers and to be part of that elite group I'm very happy and am very humbled."

Ambrose added: "I never thought that this day would come. This only tells me that all the hard work I put in throughout my career did not go unnoticed. I see this also as a just reward for all the joy and happiness that I may have brought to cricket and cricketers alike."

Ambrose, standing at 6 feet, 6 inches tall, captured 405 Test wickets at 20.99 in 98 Tests.

Two of his most noticeable performances came against England and Australia–he took six for 24 to help hustle England out for 46 in Trinidad in 1994, while he took a series-clinching seven for 25, including nine maiden overs, against Australia at the WACA in the previous season.

Ambrose also featured in 176 ODIs, claiming 225 wickets at an average of 24.12.

[KV]

Like its often said, they don't make 'em like him anymore. :notworthy:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tDjIPJYwvMI/R-JcMvZQgbI/AAAAAAAABZk/-fv6PW0b5Ds/Curtly.jpg

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v0JSSORlXo&feature=player_embedded

Anybody saw this match?. Was j'dene given out?

[Death Note]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v0JSSORlXo&feature=player_embedded

Anybody saw this match?. Was j'dene given out?
Yh Mahela walked. Listen at 25 seconds Watson said to him to walk. Bit hypocritical to me as Watson is the least likely cricketer to walk in that situation.

[ajithfederer]

Australia 22/2 (8.1 ov)

Hughes and watson out. Ponting back.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-australia-2011/engine/current/match/516214.html

[KV]

Australia 124/4
Marsh batting 52, Fonting out 48 (plummarE :thumbsup:)

[ajithfederer]

Aassies moonuthi 16 All/o.

Hussey 118 out.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-13jR0tsWio&feature=feedlik

Kumble few Test Wicket Compilation and Farewell at Last Test Match

[ajithfederer]

On account of our all time successful tour to Ingilaandhu, :lol: looks like nobody is following Lanka vs australia/. Well, Lankans look well settled at 166/2.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-australia-2011/engine/current/match/516214.html

http://live2.cricbuzz.com/live/scorecard/10707/Sri-Lanka-vs-Australia-3rd-Test

[Death Note]

Angelo Mathews has a 38 batting average in Tests. Pretty good for a number 7 :shock:

[ajithfederer]

Philip hughes hits 122 N/O.

Aus are at 209/3 leading by 52 runs at Stumps Day 4.

[wizzy]

Philip hughes hits 122 N/O.

Aus are at 209/3 leading by 52 runs at Stumps Day 4.
Hughes will be the next Captain Cook :thumbsup:
got to see the highlights..his coverdrives have to be seen to be believed

[venkkiram]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZTo9dlmju8&feature=share

முரளி முரளிதான். Extraordinary.

[ajithfederer]

ICC had offered Aamer to confess and get two years ban: Source PTI


AP File photo: The source said that Aamer had indeed submitted a written statement with the Southwark court in London admitting that he made a mistake and deliberately bowled no-balls for financial gain during the fourth test against England at Lords.

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00788/THSHK_BRITAIN_PAKIS_788092e.jpg

The ICC had offered Pakistan teenaged pacer Muhammad Aamer a bargain under which if he had confessed to his involvement in spot-fixing he would have escaped with a maximum ban of two years.

A well-informed source in the Pakistan cricket Board told PTI today that the offer came across the table even before the anti-corruption tribunal of the ICC held its hearings earlier this year.

“I can confirm the offer came from the ICC at a one to one meeting with Aamer in which his lawyer, Shahid Karim and the Chairman of the board, Ijaz Butt were also present,” the source said.

He said the ICC offer was clear that if Aamer admitted his mistake and guilt to being part of the spot-fixing racket during Pakistan team’s tour to England last year he would have got off with a ban ranging from one to two years.

“Aamer at that time didn’t accept this offer and is now regretting it,” the source added.

The ICC anti-corruption tribunal in February banned Aamer, Salman Butt and Muhammad Asif for five years for their involvement in spot fixing and the trio are now also facing criminal charges under the gambling and anti-corruption acts of the Crown Prosecutor’s office in a London court.

The source said that Aamer had indeed submitted a written statement with the Southwark court in London admitting that he made a mistake and deliberately bowled no-balls for financial gain during the fourth test against England at Lords.

“Yes he has made a written admittance of his involvement and it appears he has done this to avoid a prison term in the criminal case,” the source said.

But the source was clear that the decision by Aamer to confess has come late.

“If he had admitted his guilt and involvement to the ICC he would have escaped a short ban and would have been available to play for Pakistan maximum by 2013,” the source said.

The source said the ICC made the offer keeping in mind Aamer’s age of 18 and had some sympathy for him because of this factor.

“Even his lawyer had advised Aamer that it would be difficult to fight the case but he didn’t listen. Even though the onus is on the prosecutors to prove a crime has taken place.

“In the case of these three the problem now is that Mazhar Majeed has also confessed to being involved in illegal acts during the Lords test,” the source noted.

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/article2473739.ece

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdKNMyy15uM&feature=related

Strauss vs shane warne - Warnie gets strauss 6 times in a row during 2005 ashes. Includes the ridiculous 2 and a half feet turner and a similar bowled dismissal.

[ajithfederer]

West Indies 113/5 (20/20 ov)

England 1/0 (0.3/20 ov)


http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-west-indies-2011/engine/current/match/525817.html

[ajithfederer]

2.4


Santokie to Hales, OUT, gone! Lovely delivery, does Hales with a slower ball, he played too early and across the line. It takes out off stump. West Indies take their first wicket of the series. Hales didn't look so comfortable tonight





AD Hales b Santokie 2 (9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 22.22

[ajithfederer]

3.2


Mathurin to Kieswetter, OUT





C Kieswetter b Mathurin 10 (9b 2x4 0x6) SR: 111.11

[ajithfederer]

5.4


Mathurin to Bopara, OUT





RS Bopara b Mathurin 3 (9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 33.33

Camaaaannnn windiess...

24/3 ....

[ajithfederer]

6.6


Bishoo to Stokes, FOUR




6.5


Bishoo to Stokes, no run




6.4


Bishoo to Stokes, FOUR, now he brings out the reverse sweep and places it past short third man...that's confidence




6.3


Bishoo to Stokes, SIX, that relieves some of the pressure, takes this from well outside off stump with good footwork and launches it over long on

[ajithfederer]

6.6


Bishoo to Stokes, FOUR




6.5


Bishoo to Stokes, no run




6.4


Bishoo to Stokes, FOUR, now he brings out the reverse sweep and places it past short third man...that's confidence




6.3


Bishoo to Stokes, SIX, that relieves some of the pressure, takes this from well outside off stump with good footwork and launches it over long on

[ajithfederer]

Hell yeah!!!!


7.3


Mathurin to Bairstow, OUT





JM Bairstow b Mathurin 4 (5b 0x4 0x6) SR: 80.00


44/4

[ajithfederer]

8.6


Bishoo to Stokes, 1 run, worked along the ground through midwicket so he keeps the strike




8.5


Bishoo to Patel, 1 run, gets away with one he drops short, Patel pulls it hard but straight to deep midwicket




8.4


Bishoo to Patel, no run, comes forward and defends with bat and pad together




8.3


Bishoo to Patel, no run, lovely stuff, beats Patel with one that turns sharply




8.2


Bishoo to Patel, no run, punched off the back foot to cover




8.1


Bishoo to Patel, no run, hint of turn from a full length and played square on the off side

[ajithfederer]

9.4


Sammy to Patel, OUT





SR Patel run out 2 (8b 0x4 0x6) SR: 25.00



England 52/5 (9.4/20 ov)

[ajithfederer]

10.4


Bishoo to Stokes, OUT





BA Stokes lbw b Bishoo 31 (23b 3x4 1x6) SR: 134.78

Wooohooo!!!

[ajithfederer]

Vaazgha west Indies. Valarga East Indies.

11.6

Russell to Bresnan, OUT



TT Bresnan c Mathurin b Russell 2 (4b 0x4 0x6) SR: 50.00

England 60/7 (12.0/20 ov)

[ajithfederer]

"Windies lookng like theyre going to do something India couldnt do in 10 attempts (4 Test, 5 ODIs and 1 20/20): Beat England." You may well be right, Garreth.

[ajithfederer]

England 77/7 (14.0/20 ov) - How often do we see this scoreline/

[ajithfederer]

Out, out

14.5

Smith to Borthwick, OUT

JC Buttler run out 13 (11b 1x4 0x6) SR: 118.18

England 84/8 (15.0/20 ov)

[ajithfederer]

15.6


Sammy to Swann, OUT





SG Borthwick run out 14 (16b 2x4 0x6) SR: 87.50

[ajithfederer]

16.4


Bishoo to Dernbach, 1 run, OUT, a sliding delivery goes on with the arm as Dernbach steps back to clip to leg





JW Dernbach run out 3 (4b 0x4 0x6) SR: 75.00

Eng 88 all out.

[littlemaster1982]

England thotthadhai ninaichu sandhosha padaradha, illai nammalala mudiyadhadhai WI panniduche-nu varuttha padaradha :|

[Plum]

No Agalam, Mani, Murugan etc. Idhu second string England side. Hence...
IdhE kaNdi avanga irundhirundhA, Windies kadhai kandhal dhaan. T20 World Championsgaanum.world cup varattum kAtrOm :evil:
P.s: I yAm England fan. Test Cricketai vAzha vekka vandha mahatmakkaL avainga dhaan enbadhAl.

[wizzy]

Eng traveled all the way to Caribbean for just 2 t20s? ethu enna WICB benefit seriesa?