the real star

[asan]

Dhaka: Mohammad Kaif believes that his new batting position has given a fresh lease to his career and the wily youngster is happy to have justified the faith reposed on him by his captain.
The middle order batsman struggled to get the runs in the early stages of the recent World Cup but the team management's decision to promote him to the number four slot midway worked wonders for his confidence.

And Kaif is now keen to repay the trust shown by his captain Sourav Ganguly by scoring runs consistently.

The promotion has given him the opportunity to settle down and build the innings and his unbeaten 95 off 103 balls in the TVS Cup triangular series match against South Africa yesterday speaks volumes of his new-found confidence.

"I was waiting for such an innings for quite a while. It is a great feeling to have contributed to the team's cause and I hope to keep doing it more often," Kaif said.

Kaif knows that the number four position will provide him the chance of getting big knocks and also improve upon his statistical records which have not reflected his immense potential.

He has a one-day aggregate of 1017 runs in 50 matches (41 innings) at an average of 31.78.

The stylish batsman may have missed what could have been his second one-day century yesterday, but the team-man that he is, Kaif feels that the interest of the team is more important than achieving personal milestones.

"Not getting the century does not disturb me. I am quite happy to do the job for my country. You play for the team not for yourself," he said.

Kaif is part of the young brigade which has injected the much-needed enthusiasm in Indian cricket. Kaif, alongwith Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra are seen as the future 'backbone' of the team.

Apart from his batting skills, the 22-year-old Kaif's electrifying fielding and superb running between the wickets have made him a real asset in the shorter version of the game.

It is these departments in which the team has seen a remarkable improvement in recent times and the young breed of cricketers have been largely responsible for this.

Kaif and his friend Yuvraj are also considered to be the best runners between the wickets and the mix-up between the two during yesterday's match against South Africa did come as a surprise.

"I have a very good understanding with Yuvraj but it is one of those things that can happen in a game. This is only the second time that the two of us were involved in a run-out," Kaif said.

"At that stage I was a little worried because Yuvraj was playing well and he is in good form. We needed him at that time. But (Dinesh) Mongia played a great knock which helped us get a big total," Kaif said.

Like any professional cricketer, Kaif feels the players have to adjust to the conditions at various venues and play according to the requirement.

"The conditions here are hot and humid and it is definitely not easy for the bowlers, but then you have to adjust," Kaif said.

The right-hander is now seen as a regular in the one-day squad having put a few impressive knocks in his new batting position.

Kaif's elevation to the senior national team has come the hard way and it was his consistent show at the junior level which eventually forced the selectors to take note of him and draft him into the senior team.

It was his showing in the Under-19 world Cup that brought him into national reckoning. He did not exactly fail in his debut Test against a rampaging South African side and has gone from strength to strength from there on.

As skipper of the victorious Indian under-19 side in the World Cup in Sri Lanka in January 2000, Kaif also proved himself to be a skilful captain.

He came up through the ranks representing the under-19 team against Sri Lanka in 1999 and then playing with much success for the India A team on the tour of West Indies early in 2000.

[asan]

Kaif absence wrong - Azharuddin
By Ayanjit Sen
BBC in Delhi



Kaif is considered unlucky to lose out to Yuvraj Singh

India were wrong to leave Mohammad Kaif out of their squad for the first Test against Pakistan, according to former captain Mohammad Azharuddin.

Azharuddin, serving a life ban for match-fixing, feels the middle-order batsman deserves another chance.

"Kaif batted very well against Australia on a tough wicket," Azharuddin told BBC Sport.

"He's got a lot of talent and I am sure he cannot be held back. His omission is not good for his confidence."

Kaif scored two fifties in last year's home series loss to the Aussies, while Yuvraj Singh failed badly against the same opponents yet was given a squad berth for the Mohali Test starting on 8 March.

Shoaib Akhtar's absence is not going to make much of a difference

Mohammad Azharuddin

Azharuddin reckons VVS Laxman should bat at first drop despite struggling for form.

"Laxman has always played well when he has gone as number three," he said.

"Lower down the order, a lot of pressure is on him and if I were the captain, I would have played him at number three."

As well as spinners Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble, India have four pacemen to choose from after naming Ashish Nehra, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan in the 14-man squad.

"All the four pace bowlers deserve to get into the team," Azharuddin added.

Pakistan, minus injured paceman Shoaib Akhtar, are due to arrive in India on Monday ahead of their first warm-up match against the Indian Board President's XI starting on Thursday.

"Shoaib Akhtar's absence in the Pakistani side is not going to make much of a difference," Azharuddin opined.

"He may get a wicket or two but he has to be more consistent. Also, the Indian batting is very strong now."

Azharuddin maintains his innocence despite his central involvement in the match-fixing scandal of 2000 which saw Pakistani Salim Malik and the late Hansie Cronje of South Africa also receive life bans.

In 99 Tests for India from 1984 to 2000, Azharuddin scored 6,215 runs at an average of 45 with 22 centuries.

[ajithfederer]

kaif will be dropped from the indian team..........he slows the runrate...... :evil:

[asan]

kaif will be dropped from the indian team..........he slows the runrate...... :evil: A technically sound batsmen, Kaif is considered to be the ideal bat for India in the middle order in both versions of the game. He first came to prominence with his performances for India's Under-19s: he captained the side that won the Youth World Cup of 2000. An exceptional cover fielder with the ability to bowl offspin,so he can do that

[asan]

kaif will be dropped from the indian team..........he slows the runrate...... :evil:An elegant batsman who evokes memories of the young Azharuddin, Mohammad Kaif comes from the cricketing backwater of Uttar Pradesh. He first came to prominence with his performances for India's Under-19s: he captained the side, which also included Yuvraj Singh, Ajay Ratra and Reetinder Sodhi, that won the Youth World Cup of 2000. Kaif's assured strokeplay, and composure that belied his age, earned him a Test cap against South Africa when he was only 20. Though the selectors subsequently discarded him, stints at the Australian Cricket Academy and its Indian equivalent in Bangalore helped to iron out some of the kinks in his technique. Recalled to the one-day side during the 2001-2002 home season, he made an impact with some steady and purposeful batting. But it was during the 2002 NatWest series in England that he truly hit the high notes, culminating in a magnificent unbeaten 87 as India successfully chased 326 for victory in the final. A superb century followed - against Zimbabwe in the ICC Champions Trophy - but he struggled at times to kick on after that, having a fairly quiet World Cup. His first experience of the county circuit was also a mixed bag, some typically dynamic efforts interspersed by a string of low scores

[asan]

[tscii:d0400adf34]This Immensely gifted Uttar Pradesh lad was captain of India’s under 19 team, which won World Cup recently in Sri Lanka. Kaif's elevation to the Indian team has been widely welcomed. During the last couple of years he has impressed not only by his stylish strokeplay and steely temperament which has seen him perform well under pressure, but as leadership material.
[/tscii:d0400adf34]

[asan]

[tscii:d0ab0024ba]Nagpur: Many have doubted Mohammad Kaif’s ability as a Test cricketer. And after watching the excruciating struggle that saw him reach 20 from 106 balls against England, they could not be doubted.

The initial two hours on either side of the lunch break on Day Three of the first Test he was really struggling. At times, it seemed as if his bat did not have a middle. For however hard he hit the ball, it seem to just crawl to the fielder.

But the next 50 runs will surely make his critics think again. With India struggling at 190 for seven, Kaif’s 91 would have been glorified as a typical Test knock just a decade ago.

It wasn’t a perfect modern day innings where runs are scored at will once the batsman has got his eye in. Yesterday was not the time. And India would be glad that Kaif decided to take the approach that died a decade ago than follow in the footsteps of his contemporaries.

Kaif is well aware that he is filling up for the injured Yuvraj Singh and even captain Rahul Dravid has termed Suresh Raina as the one to watch out for in the future. Leave aside rescuing the team, he also had personal pressures to battle with. To top it all, Kaif was in terrible form in the last few months and played only one Test last year.

The initial struggle was expected and he took time before things started happening. The feet were moving and the ball hit the middle of the bat. He wasn’t scoring at a frantic pace. But on a day where only 186 runs were scored, every single was priceless.

The innings began to remind one of the knock he played against Australia in Chennai in 2004 when India were 233 for six. Kaif’s cautious 64 helped India take the lead.

But just when the innings was beginning to prove his ability as a Test cricketer, something unexpected happened.

Suddenly, Kaif became extra cautious in the post-tea session scoring just 30 runs off the 36 overs bowled before becoming the last man out.
It is believed that a well-set batsman must score freely and dominate the bowling.

Yesterday, Kaif showed in bits that he knows how to play Test cricket. And, in bits, also showed that he will have to prove that at least once more[/tscii:d0ab0024ba]

[asan]

Rajasthan Cricket Association XI have defeated England by five runs in the one-day practice game in Jaipur.

Put in to bat first, RCA XI lost their openers early on. But Mohammad Kaif's scintillating century and a quickfire 49 by Suresh Raina put the hosts in the driver's seat.

Kaif's 119 came off just 136 deliveries which included 11 hits to the fence and two sixes.

The visitors put up a fight but RCA XI kept picking up wickets at regular intervals, four of them run outs, two by Suresh Raina and two by RCA captain Ajay Jadeja.

Eventually, it was a tight finish as the English were bowled out with just one ball to spare.

[asan]

Mohammad Kaif's timely century and Suresh Raina's allround performance spurred Rajashtan Cricket Association XI to a thrilling five-run victory in the final over against England XI at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Ian Bell and Matt Prior kept England in the hunt for most of the match but a spate of run-outs and tight bowling by RCA XI's spinners derailed England's chase.


Chasing 261, Prior gave the initial push with a 69-run stand for the third wicket with Kevin Pietersen. The early loss of Vikram Solanki and Owais Shah didn't faze him as he collected runs by cutting and lofting over the infield. The opening bowlers were guilty of offering far too much room to Prior and bowling much too straight to Pietersen, who milked runs to the midwicket fence. But they found runs hard to come by against Piyush Chawla and Ramesh Powar and Prior holed out soon after Pietersen was run out.

Bell handled the responsibility of leading the chase marvellously and, with Paul Collingwood, used his feet to play the spinners very effectively. Skipping down the track both batsmen lofted over the infield to find the fence and suddenly all the pressure created was let off. Two calamitous run-outs, first Collingwood and then Ian Blackwell, reduced England XI to 216 for 6 but Bell carried on. Making use of a missed stumping early in his innings, Bell showed that, when necessary, he could adapt to the one-day format as well and his nudges and pushes were interspersed with attacking shots down the ground.

The asking-rate mounted as wickets fell at the other end and Bell perished while trying to clear deep midwicket . The match seemed lost then but Kabir Ali was reading another script. Needing 24 off 11 balls, he hoisted Chawala over long-on for six. With the equation reading 12 runs off three balls with one wicket remaining, Ali unleashed another massive hit over deep midwicket. However, it was to end there. He drove the next ball to cover and James Anderson set off at top speed from the non-striker's end. Kaif pounced on the opportunity and completed the fourth run-out of the innings to seal England's loss.

It was fitting that Kaif ended the match for it was he who set it up so perfectly for RCA XI's in the first innings. He paced his century perfectly - taking time to settle as Suresh Rania sparkled during his 49, picking off the ones and twos in the middle overs, and finishing unbeaten on 119 with a flurry of boundaries at the death. His innings began after both openers had fallen cheaply. Gautam Gambhir, almost certain to partner Virender Sehwag in the ODIs, floundered and fell tamely to a nick down leg side but another Indian hopeful shone. Rania, who was superb later with the ball and in the field, kept the momentum going with his characteristic punchy drives and whippy flicks while Kaif took time to get settled.

England's attack, missing Andrew Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard, showed their inexperience by bowling far too full and wide. Raina got cracking straightaway, steering Sajid Mahmood through cover point for four off the second ball he faced. He was especially severe on Anderson, bashing him for three fours in his fifth over as the innings began to pick up pace after a sluggish start. As Rania unleashed an array of crisp strokes, Kaif dug in. He was typically busy in the early part of his innings and his first signs of aggression were consecutive fours of Liam Plunkett.

England lost Mahmood to a stomach bug after he bowled just three overs but Collingwood and Blackwell filled the breach and stemmed the run-rate. Collingwood's offcutters snared Rania (49 off 46 balls) and Venugopal, who frittered a crucial opportunity to impress the selectors, and Blackwell induced a top-edge from Ajay Jadeja. Blackwell returned figures of 1 for 33 and staked his claim for a one-day spot.

At 166 for 5, RCA XI were in a dicey situation but Kaif took centrestage. He shifted gears and unleashed drives and pulls and when he couldn't find the boundary he played infuriating chip shots over the infield that fell in no man's land. His cheekiness rubbed off on Parthiv Patel who contributed 25. Kaif quickly made up the deficit between his runs and balls faced by playing in an aggressive vein, something which has been missing in his international knocks of late. He ended the innings with a flourish, clouting a four and a six off the final two balls to finish with 119 off 136 balls

[asan]

Immensely gifted, Mohammad Kaif's inclusion in the Indian team against South Africa was widely welcomed. During the last couple of years he has impressed not only with his stylish strokeplay and steely temperament which has seen him perform well under pressure, but also with his agile fielding. As skipper of the victorious Indian under-19 side in the World Cup in Sri Lanka in January 2000, Kaif also proved himself to be a skillful captain. He came up through the ranks representing the under-19 team against Sri Lanka in 1999 (earning handsome praise from the coach, K Srikkanth) and then playing with much success for the India A team on the tour of West Indies early in 2000.

But it was his showing in the under-19 World Cup that brought him into national reckoning. This was followed by two superb knocks of 90 and 93 in the Challenger Trophy Series - performances that saw him edge that much closer to the India cap. He did not exactly fail in his only Test against a rampaging South African side. A stint at the National Cricket Academy and a training trip to Australia played a major role in furthering the cricketing education of Kaif. A series of high scores in the domestic circuit followed and this saw him drafted into the Indian one-day side where his useful batting and athletic fielding have made him an indispensable member

[asan]

kaif will be dropped from the indian team..........he slows the runratThis is the time when Mohammad Kaif does not do much wrong, especially when he holds the bat and wears the Indian cap.

Talking to the media though is something he is reluctant about. Ever since Kaif, a vital member of the young new India club, scampered through for the winning runs with only three balls and two wickets to spare in the NatWest final at Lord's and completed one of the most astonishing run chases in the abridged version of the game, he has been holding the flag of hope for Indian supporters.

In their opening game of the ICC Champions Trophy, India were down on the mat having lost their top five wickets inside the first 15 overs to the rusty Zimbabweans.

Out walked Kaif, and with a calculated calm beyond his 21 years scored the highest individual score made by a number seven batsman to win the game for India.

His astute innings of 111 had 55 singles in Colombo's hot humid conditions.

"The coach (John Wright) taught me the importance of the single," he says.

"I come into bat at number seven when the field is spread out. There aren't many chances of hitting boundaries with only four men inside the circle. But there are a lot of gaps in the outfield that can be picked for singles. Boundaries and sixes come now and then but you have to keep taking the singles and rotating the strike," he explains.

"To bat at number seven is a different ball game. You have to keep getting the singles and finding the boundary from time to time as well. But I have things clear in my mind when I walk out to bat now."

Coach Wright believes there is no one to replace him at number seven even though he reckons that Kaif will be promoted up the order soon.

"My job is really to win games for India. Number seven is the position from where I have won games for India and if that is how my captain wants it that's the way it will be. As long as we win I don't care where I bat."

More than two years ago, Kaif lifted the Under-19 World Cup Trophy in Colombo at the Sinhalese Sports Center. Last year he was included in the Test squad against the Lankans but failed to grab the opportunity.

"After the tour of Sri Lanka last year when I was dropped from the team I was disappointed. But it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. I realised my mistakes and understood what I needed to improve on. I returned home and worked a lot in the nets on my shots. I learnt to cope with the short balls and worked hard at my cut shots and pull shots. But most importantly, I learnt to play the short-pitched stuff."

Today, Wright reckons Kaif scores off good deliveries all the time. Soon after the win at Lord's, Wright said the spirit of youth knows no fear -- a reason why the youngsters chased the huge English total.

Ask Kaif, who lived in a hostel in Kanpur since he was 12, about fear and he smiles.

"Fear? I don't know what it is. Fear can take you away from what you set out to do. It prevents you from taking risks. When I walked out to bat at Lord's the asking rate was seven runs an over. If there was fear I would have never played all the way through. I am mentally tough to deal with any situation. I walk out to bat in any situation with the same frame of mind -- to come back victorious.

"Fear is a bad thing. You should never have it in you."

There is no sting of arrogance in those words -- just the punch of self-belief, and shoulders that do not carry the previous baggage of failures.

"I think it is too early to compare me to Michael Bevan," he says when you draw a comparison.

"I have played just 20 one-day games and have got a chance to bat on just two, three occasions to fifties."

The pressure of expectation seems to be setting in when he warns, "I think it will be very difficult now to win every match off my own bat. I get lesser number of overs to bat. Sometimes when I have just five overs to bat I will have to play the big strokes without building my innings."

Ask him about time spent at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore and he quickly says the stint in Adelaide was more productive.

"I only spent two, three months in Bangalore at the cricket academy and then went to Adelaide to the Australian Cricket Academy. I learnt a lot in the 40 days I spent there. The coaches there taught me about pushing myself in pressure situations, disciplining daily training drills and playing the basic shots correctly. I think I came back a different player with a new approach and attitude."

Unlike many newcomers who celebrate their rise without giving due credit to the back-stage crew Kaif makes it a point to acknowledge Wright's contribution.

"Speaking to John is like gaining a year's experience in the game. He frees my batting up and that makes me very easy and confident when I walk out to bat. He only tells me one thing -- that I have to bat right till the end. He keeps putting that thought into my mind to stay right till the end."

"The senior guys help me out a lot too in the nets. If I play a shot they think is incorrect they will walk up to me in the nets and point it out. It makes learning a very enjoyable experience. To get tips from batsmen like Sachin (Tendulkar) and (Rahul) Dravid is an honour."

"I don't want to say anything before the game against England yet. But yes, I enjoy batting against them."

Kaif will have one last chance this year -- on Sunday, September 22 -- to hassle the Englishmen before the World Cup where the two teams square up again on February 26
e...... :evil:

[asan]

kaif will be dropped from the indian team..........he slows the runrate...... :evil:English skipper Nasser Hussain told a press conference after defeating Zimbabwe that the Indian batting keeps coming at you. If the genius of Tendulkar and the cool head of Dravid fail, India always has Mohammad Kaif at number seven to stay there -- right till the end.

[Thiru]

Kaif got out for a duck again... This is his 5th consecutive single figure score in ODIs and 3rd duck in those 5 matches.. If this continues and with youngsters like Raina knocking on the door, I doubt if kaif can retain his place in the team...

[asan]

Kaif got out for a duck again... This is his 5th consecutive single figure score in ODIs and 3rd duck in those 5 matches.. If this continues and with youngsters like Raina knocking on the door, I doubt if kaif can retain his place in the team...it was the same kaif who was the key booster in india winning the natwest series it was the same kaif who took 119 last week against england team when he played for RCA 12.ups and downs may come.but nothing is permanent in this world.but thiru did you notice one thing in dd channel srikanth discussed of kaif's dismissal.he said it's an unclear decission.the ball hitted little lower to his hip and was out of the stumps when they showed a 2D view

[Thiru]

Natwest happend years ago.. In cricket, the theme is 'what have you done to us recently'... Remember Sachin getting boo-ed last week in mumbai?? Scoring a century on a tour match is not at all important because that doesnt go against your stat s and it doesnt win you any series or trophies.. It gets you prepared for the Test matches and ODIs as well make the visiting players get used to conditions.. I didnt watch the match to say if it was a good decision or not, but the reports I read on diff websites didnt seem to mention anything about it being a close call..

There are lots of players waiting to prove and if sachin is healthy, chances of Raina being favoured ahead of Kaif is more...

[Sanguine Sridhar]

Kaif should not be dropped from the one day side for sure.He is one of the most active fielder, eventhough he is not good in his current form now in batting.Every batsman has their own time period of raise and fall.If people talk about Kaif why not Sehwag? Sehwag surprises once a while so is it fair to keep him in the side for his rare surprises(In the current series against England all of his dismissals because of the bouncers,not sure of the second one day! If a batsman couldn correct the mistake which he did it in past then why the hell he has to be in team?) or for his past histories.Now i prefer Kaif just because he is good in Fielding.. A great catch,run-outs of a good batsman,Saving good amount of runs are equal to a Half-Century, I am not very sure about sehwag in fielding though! :roll:

[asan]

Natwest happend years ago.. In cricket, the theme is 'what have you done to us recently'... Remember Sachin getting boo-ed last week in mumbai?? Scoring a century on a tour match is not at all important because that doesnt go against your stat s and it doesnt win you any series or trophies.. It gets you prepared for the Test matches and ODIs as well make the visiting players get used to conditions.. I didnt watch the match to say if it was a good decision or not, but the reports I read on diff websites didnt seem to mention anything about it being a close call..

There are lots of players waiting to prove and if sachin is healthy, chances of Raina being favoured ahead of Kaif is more...ok i accaept but what about kaif's119 against england last week when he played for rca 12 team with ajay jadeja as captain

[asan]

Kaif should not be dropped from the one day side for sure.He is one of the most active fielder, eventhough he is not good in his current form now in batting.Every batsman has their own time period of raise and fall.If people talk about Kaif why not Sehwag? Sehwag surprises once a while so is it fair to keep him in the side for his rare surprises(In the current series against England all of his dismissals because of the bouncers,not sure of the second one day! If a batsman couldn correct the mistake which he did it in past then why the hell he has to be in team?) or for his past histories.Now i prefer Kaif just because he is good in Fielding.. A great catch,run-outs of a good batsman,Saving good amount of runs are equal to a Half-Century, I am not very sure about sehwag in fielding though! :roll:you are apt to that point.what srikanth told about kaif was even if he scores a little bit lower than for the expectations he saves more than 30 runs which isa big contribution.dravid said the presence of kaif makes a big difference to the bowlers in the off side.again see in the third and second test of india vs england yuvaraj replaced kaif but he scored only a few and he dropped 5 catches.but talking about kaif he scored 91 runs

[Thiru]

Another duck to Kaif... Time and time again, kaif has failed to deliver when it is required the most.. 130/3 with 25 overs to go and a middle order batsman cannot contribute?? Hitting 119 for RCA team doesnt count on his statistics or record.. Hitting 30 against for India against England is what counts... and Kaif is not jonty rhodes to save 30 runs in a match.. He's a good fielder agreed but his fielding alone is not enough to earn him a place in the team.. He shuffles across a lot and has limited shots which makes him vulnerable against good bowling attacks... If his current form continues, he could be restricted to playing for RCA and president XI teams..

[asan]

Another duck to Kaif... Time and time again, kaif has failed to deliver when it is required the most.. 130/3 with 25 overs to go and a middle order batsman cannot contribute?? Hitting 119 for RCA team doesnt count on his statistics or record.. Hitting 30 against for India against England is what counts... and Kaif is not jonty rhodes to save 30 runs in a match.. He's a good fielder agreed but his fielding alone is not enough to earn him a place in the team.. He shuffles across a lot and has limited shots which makes him vulnerable against good bowling attacks... If his current form continues, he could be restricted to playing for RCA and president XI teams..ok i accept let us see in the oncoming matches

[Vivek]

Kaif , has not played any innings worth remembering after natwest. and natwest happened 4 years ago.

comparing kaif and sehwag is like comparing apples and oranges , ganguly and tendulkar. pretty bizarre. Sehwag is immensely talented than kaif. His mere presence taking strike could have a psychological effect on bowler.

if kaif is a great fielder he could be in as a 12th man. After raina who plays quicker than kaif and younger, a great fielder, so if i were to pick a team i wouldnt have kaif and would have raina. there are lot of cricketers waiting to show their talent and kaif got more than enough opportunities to match his colleagues.

I am pretty sure he is not in the league of his colleagues.

Azharudding was a match fixing snitch. taking example that his performance is pretty weird. he would have had it fixed ......

if you let kaif continue it is like grooming a rip van winkle like agarkar.

[Thiru]

Exactly.. comparing sehwag and kaif is like comparing apples and oranges.. one is a swashbuckling opener who likes to go over the top.. Problem with sehwag is that he gets to 30s and 40s and gets out carelessly.. He doesnt have a lean patch of consecutive single digit scores... If kaif was coming everytime in the 40th-45th over and getting out cheaply, its understandable..But coming in at no.4 or no.5 he gets atleast 25-30 overs everytime..He has ample time to get set and accelerate towards the end.. look at players like Yuvraj, youhana, styris, dilshan etc.... You dont need a big hundred everytime.. A timely 50-60 runs with a partnership of 100-150 is enough so not to expose the tail and will change the course of the match.. Looking at kaif, I feel saurav deserves a chance too...

[Vivek]

Once considered the future of Indian middle-order batting, at least in the one-dayers, the fortunes of Yuvraj and Mohammad Kaif couldn't have been more contrasting over the last few months. Yuvraj has been in the form of his life, averaging 93 in his last 13 ODIs; Kaif, on the other hand, has an aggregate of 93 from his last 11 innings.

COURTESY CRICINFO
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/indveng/content/current/story/243167.html

[ajithfederer]

Courtesy cricinfo:
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/indveng/content/current/story/243187.html

[asan]

"Both Kaif and Sehwag are very experienced. Both have the skills to succeed and would be given as many chances. But obviously it can't be an endless one," he said after India's comprehensive 49-run victory over England in the third ODI.

Chappell felt that Kaif's problem had more to do with the mind.

"I feel it's more of a mental thing. I have gone through this having scored seven successive ducks. I feel it's a mental problem. The focus is not as much there because of the anxiety to succeed. He also needs a little bit of luck," Chappell said.

Kaif has made runs galore in domestic cricket of late but his stint in India colours has seen him score 4 and two ducks in the three innings against England.

"He got a 100 against England three matches ago (in the Jaipur warm-up game prior to the limited over series). His fielding is excellent and he will be given as many opportunities as possible," the former Australian skipper said.

Chappell echoed similar views about Gautam Gambhir while admitting that the player needed to make his start count by making big scores.

"You can't change players regularly. He's done a reasonably good job. Hopefully we have got what we need to have," he said while adding that the Delhi opener was dropped for Monday's game in order to fit in an extra bowler.

[great]

the REAL STAR is none other than SIDHU few samples:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:



A collection of famous quotes by Navjot Singh Sidhu
(made during his commentary of the cricket matches):





1. That ball went so high it could have got an
airhostess down with it.



2. There is light at the end of the tunnel for India,
but it's that of an incoming train which will run them
over.



3. Experience is like a comb that life gives you when
& gt; you are bald.



5. Sri Lankan score is running like an Indian
taximeter.



7. Wickets are like wives - you never know which way
they will turn!



8. He is like Indian three-wheeler, which will suck a
lot of petrol but cannot go beyond 30!



9. The Indians are going to beat the Kiwis! Let me
tell you, my friend, that the Kiwi is the only bird in
the whole world, which does not have wings!



10. As uncomfortable as a bum on a porcupine.



11. The ball whizzes past like a bumblebee and the
Indians are in the sea.



12. The Indians are finding the gaps like a pin in a
haystack.



13. The pitch is as dead as a dodo.



14. Deep Dasgupta is as confused as a child is in a
topless bar!



15. The way Indian wickets are falling reminds of the
cycle stand at Rajendra Talkies in Patiala..! One
falls and everything else falls!



16. Indian team without Sachin is like giving a Kiss
without a Squeeze.



17. You cannot make Omelets without breaking the eggs.




18. Deep Dasgupta is not a Wicket Keeper, he is a
goalkeeper. He must be given a free transfer to
Manchester United.



19. He will fight a rattlesnake and give it the first
two bites too.



20. One, who doesn't throw the dice, can never expect
to score a six.



22. Anybody can pilot a ship when the sea is calm.



23. Nobody travels on the road to success without a
puncture or two.



24. You got to choose between tightening your belt or
losing your pants.



25. The cat with gloves catches no mice.



26. Age has been perfect fire extinguisher for flaming
youth.



27. You may have a heart of gold, but so does! A
hard-boiled egg.



28. He is like a one-legged man in a bum kicking
competition.



29. The third umpires should be changed as often as
nappies and for the same reason.



30. The world is all about mind and matter, I don't
mind and U don't matter...



31. In London they drive on the left, in India we
drive on what is left!

Howzzzzaaattttttt!!!!!

[Vivek]

You left chicken on a china egg which Harsha bogle often made fun of him. Siddhu is like a student mugging up idioms and phrases before going to an essay competition.

Siddhu was an embarassment in commentry. But nevertheless I regard him one of the greatest batsmen India has produced.

He humiliated warne in chennai test before sachin added insult to injury.

[Vivek]

"Both Kaif and Sehwag are very experienced. Both have the skills to succeed and would be given as many chances. But obviously it can't be an endless one," he said after India's comprehensive 49-run victory over England in the third ODI.

Chappell felt that Kaif's problem had more to do with the mind.

"I feel it's more of a mental thing. I have gone through this having scored seven successive ducks. I feel it's a mental problem. The focus is not as much there because of the anxiety to succeed. He also needs a little bit of luck," Chappell said.

Kaif has made runs galore in domestic cricket of late but his stint in India colours has seen him score 4 and two ducks in the three innings against England.

"He got a 100 against England three matches ago (in the Jaipur warm-up game prior to the limited over series). His fielding is excellent and he will be given as many opportunities as possible," the former Australian skipper said.

Chappell echoed similar views about Gautam Gambhir while admitting that the player needed to make his start count by making big scores.

"You can't change players regularly. He's done a reasonably good job. Hopefully we have got what we need to have," he said while adding that the Delhi opener was dropped for Monday's game in order to fit in an extra bowler.

Once theodore rooseveldt , former President of united states said, Talk Polite but carry a stick. I am not sure chappelle talks polite here but he damn sure gota stick. If you doubt ask ganguly .

[Sanguine Sridhar]

I still have confidence that Kaif can bounce back :P ... No more comments guys..Lets wait for another match :roll:

[asan]

the REAL STAR is none other than SIDHU few samples:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:



A collection of famous quotes by Navjot Singh Sidhu
(made during his commentary of the cricket matches):





1. That ball went so high it could have got an
airhostess down with it.



2. There is light at the end of the tunnel for India,
but it's that of an incoming train which will run them
over.



3. Experience is like a comb that life gives you when
& gt; you are bald.



5. Sri Lankan score is running like an Indian
taximeter.



7. Wickets are like wives - you never know which way
they will turn!



8. He is like Indian three-wheeler, which will suck a
lot of petrol but cannot go beyond 30!



9. The Indians are going to beat the Kiwis! Let me
tell you, my friend, that the Kiwi is the only bird in
the whole world, which does not have wings!



10. As uncomfortable as a bum on a porcupine.



11. The ball whizzes past like a bumblebee and the
Indians are in the sea.



12. The Indians are finding the gaps like a pin in a
haystack.



13. The pitch is as dead as a dodo.



14. Deep Dasgupta is as confused as a child is in a
topless bar!



15. The way Indian wickets are falling reminds of the
cycle stand at Rajendra Talkies in Patiala..! One
falls and everything else falls!



16. Indian team without Sachin is like giving a Kiss
without a Squeeze.



17. You cannot make Omelets without breaking the eggs.




18. Deep Dasgupta is not a Wicket Keeper, he is a
goalkeeper. He must be given a free transfer to
Manchester United.



19. He will fight a rattlesnake and give it the first
two bites too.



20. One, who doesn't throw the dice, can never expect
to score a six.



22. Anybody can pilot a ship when the sea is calm.



23. Nobody travels on the road to success without a
puncture or two.



24. You got to choose between tightening your belt or
losing your pants.



25. The cat with gloves catches no mice.



26. Age has been perfect fire extinguisher for flaming
youth.



27. You may have a heart of gold, but so does! A
hard-boiled egg.



28. He is like a one-legged man in a bum kicking
competition.



29. The third umpires should be changed as often as
nappies and for the same reason.



30. The world is all about mind and matter, I don't
mind and U don't matter...



31. In London they drive on the left, in India we
drive on what is left!

Howzzzzaaattttttt!!!!!ungaluku vera vala polape kediathaa :evil: kaif has succeeded in the past and would do the same in future

[sgokulprathap]

I still have confidence that Kaif can bounce back :P ... No more comments guys..Lets wait for another match :roll:

Kaif is recovered from ducks. Today he scored 5. :evil:

[Thiru]

I still have confidence that Kaif can bounce back :P ... No more comments guys..Lets wait for another match :roll:

Kaif is recovered from ducks. Today he scored 5. :evil:

That's a major improvement... I'm sure given 20 more chances he will eventually score a 50 or more against a weak team...

[selvakumar]

I still have confidence that Kaif can bounce back :P ... No more comments guys..Lets wait for another match :roll:

Kaif is recovered from ducks. Today he scored 5. :evil:

That's a major improvement... I'm sure given 20 more chances he will eventually score a 50 or more against a weak team...


Thiru,
Are you sure that 20 chances are enough? :roll:

Pity Raina - This guy even after having proved himself is not at all getting a permanent place in the team.

[Thiru]

I'm sure that there will be a game against Bangladesh or zimbabwe in the 20 games.. :)

[Vivek]

Kaif increased his cumulative score to 98 from 14 matches. he is just two short of 100.

Sometimes I wonder if kaif is trying to hit a hundred by score 1 0 0 in three innings. He should be told math doesnt work like that

[selvakumar]

I'm sure that there will be a game against Bangladesh or zimbabwe in the 20 games.. :)

Sure :)

What I like more in Kaif is his AthLetic Nature.

But we must accept the hard reality that there are many young players who can equal him in this case.

Whatever be the position given (be it one down , 2 down , middle order etc), KAIF failed to impress.

If Chappel's goal of making a player to adjust to the position given should be realised, then KAIF will find hard times in the coming days.

[asan]

see today evening in dd channel in the 4 th umpire programe mohinder amarnath said kaif is unlucky.when he entered into batting it was a power play and there is a huge pressure on him to play boundaries and use the situation.the catch taken by anderson is unexpected,hard ,well done :thumbsup:

[selvakumar]

see today evening in dd channel in the 4 th umpire programe mohinder amarnath said kaif is unlucky.when he entered into batting it was a power play and there is a huge pressure on him to play boundaries and use the situation.the catch taken by anderson is unexpected,hard ,well done :thumbsup:


Asan,
He was about to score a DUCK today also. But due to the tender mercy of the INDIAN UMPIRE, the LBW appeal was turned down.

Otherwise, It would have been yet another remarkable show. :roll:

[Sanguine Sridhar]

We will wait for one more match :mrgreen:

[ajithfederer]

kaif is becoming useless these days,.......

raina is far far far better :D

[Nerd]

Sometimes I wonder if kaif is trying to hit a hundred by score 1 0 0 in three innings. He should be told math doesnt work like that

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[Vivek]

kaif is becoming useless these days,.......

raina is far far far better :D

In my opinion he has been a useless fellow for quite a long time. if i were selector, i would have removed him 1 yr after natwest final.

Ajit agarkar is another dhrabai that needs to be sent home.

We already got rid of one bengali ducker.

[Vivek]

I forgot to mention one thing to asan. All those who bat well in domestic need not shine in international . all those who win world cup at under 16 u-19 u 21 levels need not shine in international arena. One good example is Reetinder Sodhi.

[asan]

I forgot to mention one thing to asan. All those who bat well in domestic need not shine in international . all those who win world cup at under 16 u-19 u 21 levels need not shine in international arena. One good example is Reetinder Sodhi.take the example of present indian team raina,yuvraj,irfan all were in under 19 team when they won the world cup and see kaif scored 119 recently against england team the same team which is playing now. All those who bat well in domestic will shine in international.the indian team is set up on that basis only

[sgokulprathap]

We will wait for one more match :mrgreen:

U may hav to repeat this after every match. :?

[sgokulprathap]

I forgot to mention one thing to asan. All those who bat well in domestic need not shine in international . all those who win world cup at under 16 u-19 u 21 levels need not shine in international arena. One good example is Reetinder Sodhi.take the example of present indian team raina,yuvraj,irfan all were in under 19 team when they won the world cup and see kaif scored 119 recently against england team the same team which is playing now. All those who bat well in domestic will shine in international.the indian team is set up on that basis only

It need not be the case always. It works for some guys and may not work for some guys.

[sgokulprathap]

May b we can change this topic from real star to super star.
Super starthan oru run edutha nooru run edutha madhiri.
Wow indha logicla pona Kaif scored 500 (?) in last match.

[sgokulprathap]

kaif is becoming useless these days,.......

raina is far far far better :D
S. Raina and Yuvaraj r the real stars... :)

[asan]

kaif is becoming useless these days,.......

raina is far far far better :D
S. Raina and Yuvaraj r the real stars... :)yuvraj missed five catches in last innings against england.there were days when yuvraj played worst.i am not blaming yuvraj. today you praise yuvraj as star but tomorrow if he get a duck you say him zero and if kaif scores well you will be praising him. but i am not like that.see the technique behind each batsmen you will see their effort,hard work.the problem with kaif is not technical it's mental the anxiety to achieve.even in last match when he entered to bat nasser hussain former england captain compared him to jhonty rhodes.the road of success is very near.but the way is dark. if luck in the form of light comes he is sure to succeed.

[sgokulprathap]

kaif is becoming useless these days,.......

raina is far far far better :D
S. Raina and Yuvaraj r the real stars... :)the problem with kaif is not technical it's mental the anxiety to achieve.

Yeah. That's wat i'm also saying. There r no Indian players who r technically weak, including Saurav. But problem with these guyz is they r carrying away by their form. Once they started to get out early, they change their natural game and try to defend their wicket and not trying to score in natural way. Yuvraj was also in his bad days. But he never changed his style, which helped him to get back to form.
But Kaif after this much expereince, not realising his talents. I'm not against Kaif's technical ability. But his mental attitude could affect other players also. :?

[asan]

kaif is becoming useless these days,.......

raina is far far far better :D
S. Raina and Yuvaraj r the real stars... :)the problem with kaif is not technical it's mental the anxiety to achieve.

Yeah. That's wat i'm also saying. There r no Indian players who r technically weak, including Saurav. But problem with these guyz is they r carrying away by their form. Once they started to get out early, they change their natural game and try to defend their wicket and not trying to score in natural way. Yuvraj was also in his bad days. But he never changed his style, which helped him to get back to form.
But Kaif after this much expereince, not realising his talents. I'm not against Kaif's technical ability. But his mental attitude could affect other players also. :?sourav's thing is different he will not attend the net practices he dosen't maintain his fitness due to which he can't run faster the same is the case of vvs laxman but kaif could can get 4 runs by runnuing between wickets recall the world cup match against paksistan when kaif made a stroke and the ball reaches the boundary line and stops and they get 4 runs by running unlike other players he used to rotate the strike

[Vivek]

I forgot to mention one thing to asan. All those who bat well in domestic need not shine in international . all those who win world cup at under 16 u-19 u 21 levels need not shine in international arena. One good example is Reetinder Sodhi.take the example of present indian team raina,yuvraj,irfan all were in under 19 team when they won the world cup and see kaif scored 119 recently against england team the same team which is playing now. All those who bat well in domestic will shine in international.the indian team is set up on that basis only

you are wrong. raina is 19 only now and kaif is 25 something. he couldnt have played in that world cup win when kaif was 19. see all domestic players need not play well in international. do you know atul bedade ? he used to hit sixes non chalantly in domestic. but did not shine in international. In my opinion kaif is not as talented as yuvraj or raina, which many would agree. we have been getting flow of people in the class of swashbucklers like tendulkar, it didnt stop with him, we got sehwag and yuvraj, then we got dhoni and now raina.

if you see zaheer khan, he played well in domestic, but when it comes to international he just cant keep it up.

playing domestically is different than international. an ODI is taken seriously than a practice match. in practice match people try to warm up their bowling or batting skills. sometimes you see teams playing extended even though they scored lot of runs more than the host XI just to get warmed up. nobody gives a damn what you do in a warm up. it barely affects anyones psyche.

well my question is , if kaif was a great player why did he slump from a 119 to 0 0 0 and 5 ?

[Vivek]

We will wait for one more match :mrgreen:

U may hav to repeat this after every match. :?

lol true only if the australian is kind enough.

[Vivek]

kaif is becoming useless these days,.......

raina is far far far better :D
S. Raina and Yuvaraj r the real stars... :)yuvraj missed five catches in last innings against england.there were days when yuvraj played worst.i am not blaming yuvraj. today you praise yuvraj as star but tomorrow if he get a duck you say him zero and if kaif scores well you will be praising him. but i am not like that.see the technique behind each batsmen you will see their effort,hard work.the problem with kaif is not technical it's mental the anxiety to achieve.even in last match when he entered to bat nasser hussain former england captain compared him to jhonty rhodes.the road of success is very near.but the way is dark. if luck in the form of light comes he is sure to succeed.

asan,
yuvraj has won india many matches , he consistently hits ffities, seventies and hundreds. doing it at 5th down is noteworthy. you know compare with glittering dashing batsmanship around kaif,
sehwag, dhoni, raina, yuvraj, even pathan. so you dont see the star shining there. he is like a black hole in a sun. that is one reason .

Dravid also started as a slow player but he made sure he got runs. he constantly worked hard on making himself a prolific scorer. now that is what i call as hard working. even if you work hard and no fruition there is something wrong with you.

it is like you have your house in south direction and you are walking north. though you may work hard for days and months you are not going to reach your home. coz you are in wrong direction.

yuvraj may miss catches but he hit valuable runs, bowled miserly overs and got wickets not this match alone but two matches before too. in the low scoring thriller he combined lethally with harbajan. so he is an allrounder. yuvraj was fielding captain in 2003 world cup to monitor fielding in the team practice. he is not a bad fielder. fielding can be improved quite easily. you miss this catch, you can take the next one. but batting isnt like that. you only live once.

what mental anxiety you are talking about ? is kaif having mental anxiety for all this time since after natwest ???? that is too darn bizarre logic by any means.

[Vivek]

kaif is becoming useless these days,.......

raina is far far far better :D
S. Raina and Yuvaraj r the real stars... :)the problem with kaif is not technical it's mental the anxiety to achieve.

Yeah. That's wat i'm also saying. There r no Indian players who r technically weak, including Saurav. But problem with these guyz is they r carrying away by their form. Once they started to get out early, they change their natural game and try to defend their wicket and not trying to score in natural way. Yuvraj was also in his bad days. But he never changed his style, which helped him to get back to form.
But Kaif after this much expereince, not realising his talents. I'm not against Kaif's technical ability. But his mental attitude could affect other players also. :?sourav's thing is different he will not attend the net practices he dosen't maintain his fitness due to which he can't run faster the same is the case of vvs laxman but kaif could can get 4 runs by runnuing between wickets recall the world cup match against paksistan when kaif made a stroke and the ball reaches the boundary line and stops and they get 4 runs by running unlike other players he used to rotate the strike

Now asan please dont kid yourself. you cant compare laxman with sourav or kaif. he is a collosus. his technique is far far better than sourav or kaif. only dravid or tendulkar can match him. but india wanted to play 5 bowlers and laxman has not been in any great form to the best of his ability. so he was opted out. but he was not known for indiscipline.

[Thiru]

Neither yuvraj nor kaif are technically sound.. When you talk about technique, its Dravid, laxman and Sachin who come to your mind.. Yuvraj, Kaif and Ganguly all are good timers of the ball.. They get into a good position and play their shots when the ball is in the slot... Yuvraj is a perfect one-day player who uses the 'V' against spinners.. Kaif's problem is with his technique.. He shuffles a lot and doesnt get into the position quick enough and that always leads to dismissals... I would let kaif play some domestic matches, play him in the india A team or something like that so that he can get the confidence and the stroke back.. I wouldnt keep him in the india team and then bench him because that's not going to help him in any way..

[asan]

what you guys are telling is totally wrong refer
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14176396
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/india/content/story/243617.html

[Sanguine Sridhar]

How many conclusions and arguements for a formless talented player??

[sgokulprathap]

Ok Asan. It seems u still have faith in Kaif to come good. But how much time it wud take for him come back to form. We still have 3 matches left in this tour.
Tell frankly how many runs he will take totally in those three matches.

[Vivek]

How many conclusions and arguements for a formless talented player??

Talent is crude way of describing. I think he is a domestic talent at this point and since the natwest win. he doesnt know how to pull his weight if you think he is world class. i would try him in the test. definitely not one day.

[Sanguine Sridhar]

Vivek,
Kindly check this link

http://www.howstat.com.au/cricket/Statistics/Players/PlayerOverview_ODI.asp?PlayerID=2213

And tell me whether he is fit for international cricket or domestic.

Check this also

http://www.howstat.com.au/cricket/Statistics/Players/PlayerProgressBat_ODI.asp?PlayerID=2213


Dont you think your comment is bit harsh?

[Vivek]

Vivek,
Kindly check this link

http://www.howstat.com.au/cricket/Statistics/Players/PlayerOverview_ODI.asp?PlayerID=2213

And tell me whether he is fit for international cricket or domestic.

Check this also

http://www.howstat.com.au/cricket/Statistics/Players/PlayerProgressBat_ODI.asp?PlayerID=2213


Dont you think your comment is bit harsh?

Second link is hilarious. he has shone against zimbabwe mostly. it also shows he is not consistent.

It is not rude at all. I have been advocating against kaif for quite a long. only things have been really opening up on him. Indian selectors are little slow. If trevor Hohns was the selector, kaif would have seen the axe quite long back. he is not in the league as i said before. he would make zimbabwe or bangladesh team.

[sanju]

i feel so now. when i saw kaif bats, i think batting is such a difficult thing. he has to struggle for each run. he is not at all a free flaw player. selectors must understand the fact that capable youngsters are waiting outside.

if trevor hones was indian selector, not only kaif but also 3/4 th of the indian team will be axed. i hate trevor , because he axed the best oneday batsman in the world of cricket.

[Vivek]

i feel so now. when i saw kaif bats, i think batting is such a difficult thing. he has to struggle for each run. he is not at all a free flaw player. selectors must understand the fact that capable youngsters are waiting outside.

if trevor hones was indian selector, not only kaif but also 3/4 th of the indian team will be axed. i hate trevor , because he axed the best oneday batsman in the world of cricket.

I agree trevor gave a raw deal to mark waugh and steve. But recently he brought back jason, kasprowicz, damien martyn, micheal clark. but steve waugh was batting way too long though he was still a good cricketer.

Now Powar would become a permanent entity atleast in onedays. kumble is showing no signs of diminishing.

[Thiru]

Domestic performance does not automatically get converted into international talent.. Few examples I can say is Raman lamba, WV raman, Amol muzumdar, Vikram Rathore and Sharath... These were guys who consistently scored in the domestic arena.. When given an opportunity, the flunked badly in the international scene... not that these guys were really bad but they never got that many opportunities in the international circuit.. I'm not dizzing kaif completely because he has won a few games for india and has been our best fielder in recent years.. but that alone doesnt warrant a place anymore.. His technique was found wanting in a few occasions and he doesnt seem to learn from his past mistakes... Thats why a stint with India A team would make him fight for a place in the team.. The selectors and the team management should drop players to prove a point as Indian players always get complacement...

[asan]

i feel so now. when i saw kaif bats, i think batting is such a difficult thing. he has to struggle for each run. he is not at all a free flaw player. selectors must understand the fact that capable youngsters are waiting outside.

if trevor hones was indian selector, not only kaif but also 3/4 th of the indian team will be axed. i hate trevor , because he axed the best oneday batsman in the world of cricket.

I agree trevor gave a raw deal to mark waugh and steve. But recently he brought back jason, kasprowicz, damien martyn, micheal clark. but steve waugh was batting way too long though he was still a good cricketer.

Now Powar would become a permanent entity atleast in onedays. kumble is showing no signs of diminishing.that is due to the defeat against south africa.now they are trying to bring back warne also

[asan]

Domestic performance does not automatically get converted into international talent.. Few examples I can say is Raman lamba, WV raman, Amol muzumdar, Vikram Rathore and Sharath... These were guys who consistently scored in the domestic arena.. When given an opportunity, the flunked badly in the international scene... not that these guys were really bad but they never got that many opportunities in the international circuit.. I'm not dizzing kaif completely because he has won a few games for india and has been our best fielder in recent years.. but that alone doesnt warrant a place anymore.. His technique was found wanting in a few occasions and he doesnt seem to learn from his past mistakes... Thats why a stint with India A team would make him fight for a place in the team.. The selectors and the team management should drop players to prove a point as Indian players always get complacement...let us see kaif's performance in the oncoming odi's he has been included for the two match series against pakistan in abudabi.even if kaif is fired out of the team he will surely return back

[asan]

shewag in hindu dated 9.4.2006
Sehwag also defended Mohammad Kaif, "He has done well in the past, he has won matches for the country. You can't drop someone because he has failed in three or four matches when he has done well for the team on so many occasions. It is important to keep the winning combination intact, and you can't ignore the fact that Kaif is also a brilliant fielder. No player can perform in every match, not even Sachin Tendulkar, who is the best batsman in the world. Kaif is going through a difficult time, which happens to every cricketer. He is working hard on his game with the coach, he is too good a player not to start scoring runs quickly."

[Thiru]

shewag in hindu dated 9.4.2006
Sehwag also defended Mohammad Kaif, "He has done well in the past, he has won matches for the country. You can't drop someone because he has failed in three or four matches when he has done well for the team on so many occasions. It is important to keep the winning combination intact, and you can't ignore the fact that Kaif is also a brilliant fielder. No player can perform in every match, not even Sachin Tendulkar, who is the best batsman in the world. Kaif is going through a difficult time, which happens to every cricketer. He is working hard on his game with the coach, he is too good a player not to start scoring runs quickly."

This coming from a player who himself has had a bad patch and has been questioned by many whether he deserves a place in the team.. .:)

[Vivek]

even if kaif hits a few runs, he will take a holiday for few matches. his consistency is revealed in one of the links above.
He is written off by me. there are many waiting to take the position.

[asan]

shewag in hindu dated 9.4.2006
Sehwag also defended Mohammad Kaif, "He has done well in the past, he has won matches for the country. You can't drop someone because he has failed in three or four matches when he has done well for the team on so many occasions. It is important to keep the winning combination intact, and you can't ignore the fact that Kaif is also a brilliant fielder. No player can perform in every match, not even Sachin Tendulkar, who is the best batsman in the world. Kaif is going through a difficult time, which happens to every cricketer. He is working hard on his game with the coach, he is too good a player not to start scoring runs quickly."

This coming from a player who himself has had a bad patch and has been questioned by many whether he deserves a place in the team.. .:)let's see in the future

[asan]

even if kaif hits a few runs, he will take a holiday for few matches. his consistency is revealed in one of the links above.
He is written off by me. there are many waiting to take the position.if you talk about consistency then nobody in the indian team is consistent

[sanju]

i think the australian manner of selection will not be suitable with indian team. there are players waiting for a chance. but how many of them will be able to prove themselves in the international level?

trevor hornes axed michael bevan, perhaps the greatest ever one day player, but now they have michael hussey . hussey holds an average above 70 in both forms of the game.

[asan]

kaif facing mental problems refer here
http://www.cricketnext.com/engind06/Rep2006/rep261.htm

[asan]

the condition in sports hostel
http://www.ibnlive.com/article.php?id=7808&section_id=5

[Thiru]

even if kaif hits a few runs, he will take a holiday for few matches. his consistency is revealed in one of the links above.
He is written off by me. there are many waiting to take the position.if you talk about consistency then nobody in the indian team is consistent

please back up what you say.. There are two pillars of consistency in indian cricket.. Dravid and Sachin.... Sachin hasnt had a bad patch in his long illustrious career until this february... Kaif has not even played 1/3rd the amount of games that these two guys have played and you are saying no one is consistent???

Here's what kapil says on kaif and sehwag... UP coach can back his player how much ever he wants...

http://in.rediff.com/cricket/2006/apr/11kapil.htm

[Vivek]

even if kaif hits a few runs, he will take a holiday for few matches. his consistency is revealed in one of the links above.
He is written off by me. there are many waiting to take the position.if you talk about consistency then nobody in the indian team is consistent


asan dont throw punches in the air. give reasons for what you say please.

[Vivek]

even if kaif hits a few runs, he will take a holiday for few matches. his consistency is revealed in one of the links above.
He is written off by me. there are many waiting to take the position.if you talk about consistency then nobody in the indian team is consistent

please back up what you say.. There are two pillars of consistency in indian cricket.. Dravid and Sachin.... Sachin hasnt had a bad patch in his long illustrious career until this february... Kaif has not even played 1/3rd the amount of games that these two guys have played and you are saying no one is consistent???

Here's what kapil says on kaif and sehwag... UP coach can back his player how much ever he wants...

http://in.rediff.com/cricket/2006/apr/11kapil.htm

there is a difference between sehwags form and kaif's. Kaif is able to even crawl let alone walk. But sehwag can run but not long enough like a Kenyan long distance runner.

[Vivek]

kaif facing mental problems refer here
http://www.cricketnext.com/engind06/Rep2006/rep261.htm

if people have mental problem , they need to be treated immediately. kaif should not be a hurdle in the career of more talented individuals.

[Thiru]

I'm not advocating dropping of Sehwag and Kaif once for all from the team.. All i'm saying is that they should be made to fight for that position rather than giving them chance after chance in the international team.... A player is bound to hit a 50 or 100 when given 15 chances or so, which could be because of pitch conditions, poor bowling or even dropped chances.. If sehwag or Kaif hit atleast one 50 in the next 3 games or so, all will be forgotten and they get a new chance for another 10 matches... That has always been the mentality of indian cricket since the 70s.. one big score is enough to erase everything...

Didnt we go through this with Ganguly recently?? He was arguing about his history of scoring 15000 runs in both forms of cricket when he was struggling for form.... This holds good for each and everyone.. Sachin is one person who gets a different treatment because this is the first time his form has ever come under question in his 17 years of cricket.. .

[Vivek]

At this point and from past performances, I dont see Kaif lurking on too long. If Mahendra dhoni was not a keeper, kaif would have found the gate long back.

[Thiru]

[tscii:f9c1b416ea]Mohammad Kaif's travails

8, 5*, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0, 5

Sriram Veera

April 11, 2006



Mohammad Kaif: under the kosh © Getty Images
It's easy to like Mohammad Kaif. He looks every inch the team man and there is air of selflessness about him. A livewire on the field, he infects his team-mates with enthusiasm and energy; and a hustler with the bat, he is forever looking to pinch a single, running hard for his partner's runs and not overly concerned with giving his wicket away for the team. But goodwill can only do so much: Kaif is now confronted with a situation where the next two matches may decide his immediate future.

In the last 15 ODIs he has averaged 13.60 with four ducks in his last six innings and has managed to get out different ways: bowled, lbw and caught on either sides of the wicket. But if you have been looking closely there is one common factor; on most occasions, his demise has been a result of indecisive, or non-existent, footwork.

Although he possesses an attractive off-drive, there has always been a certain crudeness to Kaif's batting. Fidgety, awkward-looking and with an almost bow-legged stance, he has a strange way of offering a dead bat - the blade is pushed straight, with no curves, as the bottom-hand drives the movement, all arms and no wrists. Of late, the feet, the hyperactive pair which tread the arena restlessly while fielding, are caught neither here nor there, neither forward nor back and the bat protrudes in an ungainly firm fatal push. But it's with this very technique that he has survived for so long: producing a defiant Test knock against Australia in Chennai, then a stirring fightback at Lord's. And on numerous occasions he has stitched together some valuable runs that have meant the difference between victory and defeat.

So what's the problem then? Greg Chappell provides a clue: "It's probably more mental. He is only a boy. I went through a similar run in my career when I had seven ducks in fairly close proximity in the one-dayers some years ago. What I found at the end of it was that it was a mental problem. In the end I realised that the focus was not quite right. When you have a couple of failures, you get anxious and anxiety does not help you play well.

The emergence of Suresh Raina has put an extra burden on Kaif. In Tests, he comes in for a deposed batsman, trying to impress in an effort to break into the established line up and although there is pressure, it's not the same as playing for your own place. In ODIs the situation is different: each failure makes his position in side more perilous, creating more anxiety and doubt.

"He [Kaif] is not watching the ball onto the bat. He is playing tentatively and more worried about failing than scoring runs," believes Vasu Paranjpe, a prominent Mumbai-based coach. Paranjpe also feels that being shunted up and down the order might have played a role. In his last 15 matches, he has played six times at No. 5, three times at No. 7, twice at No. 4 and once at No. 3 and No 6. And he has not played at the same position for more than three games in succession. His best average, overall in his career, comes while batting at the No. 3 (average of 67 in seven matches).
He is playing tentatively and more worried about failing than scoring runs

But Paranjpe asserts "... it's all in the mind, nothing else". After all, Kaif just got a hundred against England in the warm-up game in Jaipur. "He is an experienced player and a player that we want with us, says Chappell. "He got everything that we need. He blends with the team well with his style of cricket. His fielding is excellent as we know."

Even though his obvious strengths in the field and his place in the broader picture has a longer run than what would have granted to some others, Kaif can not take his place in the team for granted for much longer.

For inspiration, there is no better man to turn to than Chappell. There is an instructive story of how Chappell just thought his way into form, a triumph of mind over matter. "Years after I finished playing Test cricket I was invited to play in a match," he recalls. "Not having played or practised for a while I felt the best thing for me would be to play myself in. Believe me, I could not get the ball off the square and I got out. A few months later I played in another game. This time I simply decided to play as I used to when I was good form. This time, the ball found the middle of the bat, the timing was good and everything seemed to fall into place."

Easier said than done, of course. As Chappell himself once wrote, "Confidence is an emotion, and the beauty about emotions is that they can be manufactured. Most technical problems come from not thinking well. When you are thinking well, you move well. When you are not thinking well, your movements are disjointed".

In the next two ODI matches, in the absence of Rahul Dravid, Kaif might be sent up the order. It won't be a bad idea, in short-term view, if it would help him regain his form but the bigger question remains. Whether India needs an in-form Kaif at No. 3 or down the order? Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh will fill in the vital No. 3 and No. 4 positions and hence, Kaif will have to score in the lower order. He will have to swat the cobwebs between his ears, because that is where the problem may ultimately lie. [/tscii:f9c1b416ea]

[asan]

even if kaif hits a few runs, he will take a holiday for few matches. his consistency is revealed in one of the links above.
He is written off by me. there are many waiting to take the position.if you talk about consistency then nobody in the indian team is consistent

please back up what you say.. There are two pillars of consistency in indian cricket.. Dravid and Sachin.... Sachin hasnt had a bad patch in his long illustrious career until this february... Kaif has not even played 1/3rd the amount of games that these two guys have played and you are saying no one is consistent???

Here's what kapil says on kaif and sehwag... UP coach can back his player how much ever he wants...

http://in.rediff.com/cricket/2006/apr/11kapil.htmsee once dravid also strruggled in out of form situations in azar's team.tendulkar is consiistent but see hi performance in the last one year with his past performances.i have already read what kapil said "Cricketers whose performance is not satisfactory should be advised to leave the team and asked to play in domestic matches and when they improve their performance be taken back in the Indian team," but see the last domestic match played by kaif 119 vs rca and as a captain in ranji trophy final he scored 110 and he also won that match.he was the first captain to win ranji trophy to U.P

[Thiru]

even if kaif hits a few runs, he will take a holiday for few matches. his consistency is revealed in one of the links above.
He is written off by me. there are many waiting to take the position.if you talk about consistency then nobody in the indian team is consistent

please back up what you say.. There are two pillars of consistency in indian cricket.. Dravid and Sachin.... Sachin hasnt had a bad patch in his long illustrious career until this february... Kaif has not even played 1/3rd the amount of games that these two guys have played and you are saying no one is consistent???

Here's what kapil says on kaif and sehwag... UP coach can back his player how much ever he wants...

http://in.rediff.com/cricket/2006/apr/11kapil.htmsee once dravid also strruggled in out of form situations in azar's team.tendulkar is consiistent but see hi performance in the last one year with his past performances.i have already read what kapil said "Cricketers whose performance is not satisfactory should be advised to leave the team and asked to play in domestic matches and when they improve their performance be taken back in the Indian team," but see the last domestic match played by kaif 119 vs rca and as a captain in ranji trophy final he scored 110 and he also won that match.he was the first captain to win ranji trophy to U.P

There is really no point arguing with you because all you point out is the 119 he scored agaisnt an england team in a tour match... One or two domestic knocks is not enough to get you back into form.. You have to prove it over a period of time... If you think sachin has to be dropped, then god bless you.. I wouldnt want to argue anymore.. I would abide by Nov's signature..

[asan]

even if kaif hits a few runs, he will take a holiday for few matches. his consistency is revealed in one of the links above.
He is written off by me. there are many waiting to take the position.if you talk about consistency then nobody in the indian team is consistent

please back up what you say.. There are two pillars of consistency in indian cricket.. Dravid and Sachin.... Sachin hasnt had a bad patch in his long illustrious career until this february... Kaif has not even played 1/3rd the amount of games that these two guys have played and you are saying no one is consistent???

Here's what kapil says on kaif and sehwag... UP coach can back his player how much ever he wants...

http://in.rediff.com/cricket/2006/apr/11kapil.htmsee once dravid also strruggled in out of form situations in azar's team.tendulkar is consiistent but see hi performance in the last one year with his past performances.i have already read what kapil said "Cricketers whose performance is not satisfactory should be advised to leave the team and asked to play in domestic matches and when they improve their performance be taken back in the Indian team," but see the last domestic match played by kaif 119 vs rca and as a captain in ranji trophy final he scored 110 and he also won that match.he was the first captain to win ranji trophy to U.P

There is really no point arguing with you because all you point out is the 119 he scored agaisnt an england team in a tour match... One or two domestic knocks is not enough to get you back into form.. You have to prove it over a period of time... If you think sachin has to be dropped, then god bless you.. I wouldnt want to argue anymore.. I would abide by Nov's signature..oh!....i didn't tell you to drop sachien.i accept your point .but kaif need some more chance that's what i say.he needs some luck and break

[sgokulprathap]

[tscii:7b2b662431]Mohammad Kaif's travails

8, 5*, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0, 5

[/tscii:7b2b662431]

Kaif is really improving day by day.
See he has scored 15 gr8 runs today. :evil:
Infact it is better than Sewag, Yuvraj and Raina's score today.

So if u include this 15 runs to ur list, the cumulative score comes to 37 runs in 9 matches.
If he scores 13 runs (ofcourse he wil not) in the last match against England, he can make half century in 10 matches. I think it wil b a distinct record for Kaif. :thumbsup:

[Thiru]

kaif could be dropped for next ODI..

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/indveng/content/current/story/244148.html

I dont agree with this decision 100% because the series is won and this is the only way you can bring someone into form... What if a new player like uthappa comes in and doesnt perform?? Who would be picked for the Windies tour?? uthappa or kaif?? I would say give him just 2 more chances and if there is no improvement, take someone else.. Its going to be tough for a new player to go into West indies and perform..

[Sanguine Sridhar]

kaif could be dropped for next ODI..

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/indveng/content/current/story/244148.html

I dont agree with this decision 100% because the series is won and this is the only way you can bring someone into form... What if a new player like uthappa comes in and doesnt perform?? Who would be picked for the Windies tour?? uthappa or kaif?? I would say give him just 2 more chances and if there is no improvement, take someone else.. Its going to be tough for a new player to go into West indies and perform..

Cool i said the same thing couple of pages back! This lad needs some time..Finger crossed that he fires in the next match else he should be fired :(

[Vivek]

no " sometime " . just two matches will do. he doesnt deserve a place.

[Thiru]

asan, enna pechey kaanom??

[ajithfederer]

nakkallugala naa :rotfl:

asan, enna pechey kaanom??

[asan]

he is facing criticism from sunil gavaskar and otherseniors.you can't say anything about him now.my opinion is what shewag advised to kaif.he should take a break

[selvakumar]

he is facing criticism from sunil gavaskar and otherseniors.you can't say anything about him now.my opinion is what shewag advised to kaif.he should take a break


Permanently or temporarily :roll:

[asan]

breaknu ketaduku meaning purinchu message post panningala ella puriama annupuningala

[asan]

breaknu ketaduku meaning purinchu message post panningala ella puriama annupuningala

[asan]

kaif and shewag may prove themselves in the pakistan match

[selvakumar]

I think with the likes of Raina and others playing well,

KAIF might not have a place in the Indian team or atleast in the playing 11.

[asan]

let us see

[sgokulprathap]

With Venugopal Rao doin a good job with bat, I dont think Kaif wil get a chance in 2nd ODI also.

[Vivek]

With Venugopal Rao doin a good job with bat, I dont think Kaif wil get a chance in 2nd ODI also.

venugopal rao is a much better player than Kaif.

[sgokulprathap]

With Venugopal Rao doin a good job with bat, I dont think Kaif wil get a chance in 2nd ODI also.

venugopal rao is a much better player than Kaif.

It's much earlier to say that. But seems he has some better temperament and quality to handle pressure situations.

[Thiru]

kaif gets one more chance..

Indian squad for the windies tour...
Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, Rahul Dravid (capt), Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Venugopal Rao, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Ramesh Powar, Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Sreesanth, Rudra Pratap Singh, Munaf Patel.

[sgokulprathap]

What if Kaif cant perform against WI (they r as bad as Bangladesh now)? :evil:

[selvakumar]

kaif gets one more chance..

Indian squad for the windies tour...
Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, Rahul Dravid (capt), Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Venugopal Rao, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Ramesh Powar, Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Sreesanth, Rudra Pratap Singh, Munaf Patel.


I am not sure why chappel is still relying on him.. He did well in some of the matches.

But he is not so flexible when it comes to batting. He lacks style and proper foot work.

This guy must be used as a SUBSTITUE FIELDER RATHER THAN COUNTED AS A BATSMAN.

[nilavupriyan]

yuvi or kaif is not the problem!

yuvi has cemented his place!

raina or kaif is the problem...raina is doing well too...

they both play good cricket...raina is little bit aggressive

[Vivek]

yuvi or kaif is not the problem!

yuvi has cemented his place!

raina or kaif is the problem...raina is doing well too...

they both play good cricket...raina is little bit aggressive

what do you mean by problem ? raina playign well is called a problem ? In my opinion raina is an equally sharp fielder as kaif. raina can bowl. he certainly has an advantage.

[Vivek]

With Venugopal Rao doin a good job with bat, I dont think Kaif wil get a chance in 2nd ODI also.

venugopal rao is a much better player than Kaif.

It's much earlier to say that. But seems he has some better temperament and quality to handle pressure situations.

I am telling this by watching his game in challenger and srilanka series. he has confidence and is a good stroke maker. I thought he would be competing with Raina. Vidyut is another batsman who I think will do if given a chance.

[sgokulprathap]

With Venugopal Rao doin a good job with bat, I dont think Kaif wil get a chance in 2nd ODI also.

venugopal rao is a much better player than Kaif.

It's much earlier to say that. But seems he has some better temperament and quality to handle pressure situations.

I am telling this by watching his game in challenger and srilanka series. he has confidence and is a good stroke maker. I thought he would be competing with Raina. Vidyut is another batsman who I think will do if given a chance.

Yes there r lot of batsmen in our country to prove their skills given a chance.
I think after WI series, Raina or Rao may cement their place in the team.
But I dono wat wud happen to Uthappa. He played a wonderful knock in his very first game itself. But he's competing for opening slot, which is meant for Sewag and Sachin.

[Vivek]

uthappa played great in one challenger match but fell through in the second. but having not watched him playing , I think it would be hard for me to judge. to be optimistic I would rate him better than kaif. but he is young only 19 or 20 and need to learn a lot about focus.

[asan]

kaif gets one more chance..

Indian squad for the windies tour...
Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, Rahul Dravid (capt), Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Venugopal Rao, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Ramesh Powar, Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Sreesanth, Rudra Pratap Singh, Munaf Patel.


I am not sure why chappel is still relying on him.. He did well in some of the matches.

But he is not so flexible when it comes to batting. He lacks style and proper foot work.

This guy must be used as a SUBSTITUE FIELDER RATHER THAN COUNTED AS A BATSMAN.the w.indies tour will put a full stop to all your questions

[sgokulprathap]

Asan Idhayethan England tourlayum sonneenga.
After every match u told let us wait for one more match. But wat happenned :?:

[asan]

Asan Idhayethan England tourlayum sonneenga.
After every match u told let us wait for one more match. But wat happenned :?:that is his bad luck

[topstar]

he sholud beat a hundred or so

[sgokulprathap]

:lol:

[asan]

:lol:ethu onnum serikura vishayam ella

[Sanguine Sridhar]

With Venugopal Rao doin a good job with bat, I dont think Kaif wil get a chance in 2nd ODI also.

venugopal rao is a much better player than Kaif.
Venugopal is better than Kaif :lol2: .. Justify!? Say if Kaif hits 5 Centuries in a row and Venu scors 5 Ducks in a row what would be your arguement sir?

[asan]

With Venugopal Rao doin a good job with bat, I dont think Kaif wil get a chance in 2nd ODI also.

venugopal rao is a much better player than Kaif.
Venugopal is better than Kaif :lol2: .. Justify!? Say if Kaif hits 5 Centuries in a row and Venu scors 5 Ducks in a row what would be your arguement sir?venugopala rao can never be equal to kaif his potential is different

[sgokulprathap]

With Venugopal Rao doin a good job with bat, I dont think Kaif wil get a chance in 2nd ODI also.

venugopal rao is a much better player than Kaif.
Venugopal is better than Kaif :lol2: .. Justify!? Say if Kaif hits 5 Centuries in a row and Venu scors 5 Ducks in a row what would be your arguement sir?
Kaif hitting 5 centuries in a row.
:lol: :lol:
Idha Jokes threadla potta ellarum siripangalla.
5 ducks in a row. That's only possible with Kaif.

[Sanguine Sridhar]

Why you laugh Gokul!! Kaif is capable to hit or not thats a different story but comparing him with Venugopal Rao is irritating!! You want to argue that Kaif is a nut, you can but even for that there is a limit!

[sgokulprathap]

I agree even Venu may get out of form (but definitely not 5 ducks in a row). But wat I'm saying is in current form Venu is looking gud. Luk he played well in Eurasia cup too.
Y I'm criticising Kaif is, he's playing 4 a long in international cricket. So with this experience, he shud b able to regain form quickly.
U may say his problem is he's mentally not prepared. But let me remind u that was the reason for Ganguly's drop.

[Sanguine Sridhar]

Gokul,
Almost all the player in the world has suffered from this syndrome!Even Sachin,Lara,Ponting has faced this kind of hiccup! Its the maturity and temper through which a player can bounce back to his normal form..Kindly understand this~

[sgokulprathap]

Atlast Kaif makes a gud score.

India beat WI in first ODI for their 17th consecutive successful chase.

WI-251/6(45) - Gayle-128(131).
Ind-254/5(44.5) - Dravid-105(102), Kaif-66(91)*.

Man of the Match-Dravid.

[ansa400]

India just managed to win. They got benefited by some poor fielding from WI, had some lucky boudaries etc.... Not a comprehensive win. The crucial wicket was of Lara's. He would've taken the score to around 280 for sure. The WI dint look to accelerate 2wards the end.

[sgokulprathap]

cricnfo.com news:

May 19, 2006

'You'll see a different Kaif from now on'

A couple of days before the first one-day international, as the Indian team went through their paces at different parts of Kingston's Chedwin Park, Mohammad Kaif and Ian Frazer were involved in an animated session on the concrete pitch at a remote corner of the ground.

With the help of balls of different colours, shapes and material, Frazer delivered some fast short-pitched stuff on the jagged surface. Kaif decided to battle the pace and uneven bounce with a slightly open, two-eyed stance. Frazer would have none of it: "Go back to your original stance," he hollered. And everytime Kaif veered even slightly to open out, Frazer kept urging him to change it. "Focus on the ball, don't panic," Frazer continued. "When you wait for the ball to come to you, you have more time than you think. Watch the ball carefully, but don't glare at it."

Frazer later understood why Kaif was changing his stance. "It's just one of those things batsmen try to do from time to time," Frazer told Cricinfo. "I told him that it wasn't the stance that was preventing him from scoring runs. It was the same original stance that helped him score so many runs, there is no reason why he shouldn't be scoring again without resorting to a new stance."

In the practice game at Montego Bay, Kaif appeared far less fidgety than he had in recent months. He stood side-on and stuck a few gorgeous drives en route to a confident 49. In the first one-dayer at Kingston, he followed a similar approach, and though he rode his luck, surviving two dropped chances, the new-found confidence, for the first half of the innings at least, was there for all to see. "Only when you're not batting well do you start analysing your technique," said Kaif a day after the game. "You don't think so much about your technique, bat-swing and head position when you're in form. All you're doing is watching the ball, everything else falls in place. When you're not doing well is when all these things come into your mind. I changed a bit, it helped."

Kaif was glad he could get back his groove and looked to cash in for the rest of the series: "I'm happy I've got a good start in the first two games I've played. I wanted to stay till the end yesterday, and did just that. It's good I didn't panic. As long as I'm in the West Indies, I hope to carry on. You'll see a different Kaif from now on."

[Sanguine Sridhar]

3rd fifty by Kaif in 4 matches!!

Guys who made fun of Kaif should have some courtesy to appreciate this person's performance.

When the team is struggling to score some runs..this guy stands tall among ruins!!

Good show Kaif!!

[asan]

even if kaif hits a few runs, he will take a holiday for few matches. his consistency is revealed in one of the links above.
He is written off by me. there are many waiting to take the position.if you talk about consistency then nobody in the indian team is consistent

please back up what you say.. There are two pillars of consistency in indian cricket.. Dravid and Sachin.... Sachin hasnt had a bad patch in his long illustrious career until this february... Kaif has not even played 1/3rd the amount of games that these two guys have played and you are saying no one is consistent???

Here's what kapil says on kaif and sehwag... UP coach can back his player how much ever he wants...

http://in.rediff.com/cricket/2006/apr/11kapil.htmsee once dravid also strruggled in out of form situations in azar's team.tendulkar is consiistent but see hi performance in the last one year with his past performances.i have already read what kapil said "Cricketers whose performance is not satisfactory should be advised to leave the team and asked to play in domestic matches and when they improve their performance be taken back in the Indian team," but see the last domestic match played by kaif 119 vs rca and as a captain in ranji trophy final he scored 110 and he also won that match.he was the first captain to win ranji trophy to U.P

There is really no point arguing with you because all you point out is the 119 he scored agaisnt an england team in a tour match... One or two domestic knocks is not enough to get you back into form.. You have to prove it over a period of time... If you think sachin has to be dropped, then god bless you.. I wouldnt want to argue anymore.. I would abide by Nov's signature..oh!....i didn't tell you to drop sachien.i accept your point .but kaif need some more chance that's what i say.he needs some luck and breakthiru it's time for you to abide to nov's signature

[asan]

what do you say about the 148 runs

[asan]

those guys who spoke ill of kaif why r u silent now

[manuel]

I think kaif is capable of becoming the next captain and he should be groomed for that position instead of virendra sehwag ... what say....???

[Ramakrishna]

first of all, Kaif is not even guaranteed a place in the Indian team as a player

[manuel]

first of all, Kaif is not even guaranteed a place in the Indian team as a player

Yeah thats because of his form before the windies tour .... but what i am saying is - groom him as a captain as was done by the south african cricket management did with Graeme Smith was he a great player when he took over as the captain ? or was he a permanent member of the team? ... when there were so many great players already in the team like Jacques Kallis, Mak Boucher

We in India have this menatlity of looking only at the star players especially star batsmen as a captain. Leadership qualities need not necessarily be found in only star players.

[asan]

first of all, Kaif is not even guaranteed a place in the Indian team as a playerif you say kaif is not guaranteed then all the 15 members in the squad except rahul are not guaranteed

[asan]

first of all, Kaif is not even guaranteed a place in the Indian team as a playerif you say kaif is not guaranteed then all the 15 members in the squad except rahul are not guaranteed

[asan]

first of all, Kaif is not even guaranteed a place in the Indian team as a playerif you say kaif is not guaranteed then all the 15 members in the squad except rahul are not guaranteed

[asan]

first of all, Kaif is not even guaranteed a place in the Indian team as a playerif you say kaif is not guaranteed then all the 15 members in the squad except rahul are not guaranteed

[asan]

first of all, Kaif is not even guaranteed a place in the Indian team as a playerif you say kaif is not guaranteed then all the 15 members in the squad except rahul are not guaranteed

[nilavupriyan]

first of all, Kaif is not even guaranteed a place in the Indian team as a playerif you say kaif is not guaranteed then all the 15 members in the squad except rahul are not guaranteed

sachin,shewag,yuvaraj,dhoni all are guarenteed!

raina plays great game!..kaif needs to bat exceedingly well to get a place

[asan]

first of all, Kaif is not even guaranteed a place in the Indian team as a playerif you say kaif is not guaranteed then all the 15 members in the squad except rahul are not guaranteed

sachin,shewag,yuvaraj,dhoni all are guarenteed!

raina plays great game!..kaif needs to bat exceedingly well to get a placedo you know that kaif is in the team continously for 5 years

[asan]

first of all, Kaif is not even guaranteed a place in the Indian team as a playerif you say kaif is not guaranteed then all the 15 members in the squad except rahul are not guaranteed

sachin,shewag,yuvaraj,dhoni all are guarenteed!

raina plays great game!..kaif needs to bat exceedingly well to get a placedo you know that kaif is in the team continously for 5 years

[asan]

first of all, Kaif is not even guaranteed a place in the Indian team as a playerif you say kaif is not guaranteed then all the 15 members in the squad except rahul are not guaranteed

sachin,shewag,yuvaraj,dhoni all are guarenteed!

raina plays great game!..kaif needs to bat exceedingly well to get a placedo you know that kaif is in the team continously for 5 years

[asan]

first of all, Kaif is not even guaranteed a place in the Indian team as a playerif you say kaif is not guaranteed then all the 15 members in the squad except rahul are not guaranteed

sachin,shewag,yuvaraj,dhoni all are guarenteed!

raina plays great game!..kaif needs to bat exceedingly well to get a placedo you know that kaif is in the team continously for 5 years

[asan]

first of all, Kaif is not even guaranteed a place in the Indian team as a playerif you say kaif is not guaranteed then all the 15 members in the squad except rahul are not guaranteed

sachin,shewag,yuvaraj,dhoni all are guarenteed!

raina plays great game!..kaif needs to bat exceedingly well to get a placedo you know that kaif is in the team continously for 5 years

[asan]

first of all, Kaif is not even guaranteed a place in the Indian team as a playerif you say kaif is not guaranteed then all the 15 members in the squad except rahul are not guaranteed

sachin,shewag,yuvaraj,dhoni all are guarenteed!

raina plays great game!..kaif needs to bat exceedingly well to get a placedo you know that kaif is in the team continously for 5 years

[nilavupriyan]

kaif should be in form..thats most important!

ganguly was there continuosly for more than 10 years..avarukke aapu :lol:

kaif is a good player..but raina is also good and most importantly in form

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:fdd258229a]
kaif should be in form..thats most important!

ganguly was there continuosly for more than 10 years..avarukke aapu :lol:

kaif is a good player..but raina is also good and most importantly in form

Nandri ketta ulagamda saami idhu.

Ganguly should have been persisted with up to the world cup for the one dayers atleast & then he himself would have retired.

Why this biased ( favourable ) treatment towards Sachin & prejudice towards Sourav who IMO matches with Sachin on all aspects as regards One dayers. Both are peers & how come Sachin is being considered while Sourav is ignored ?

I don’t know when this Sachin mania will end !

Shame on this Indian cricket selectors for having played dirty politics once again on Sourav.
[/tscii:fdd258229a]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:5f20eae07e]
kaif should be in form..thats most important!

ganguly was there continuosly for more than 10 years..avarukke aapu :lol:

kaif is a good player..but raina is also good and most importantly in form

Nandri ketta ulagamda saami idhu.

Ganguly should have been persisted with up to the world cup for the one dayers atleast & then he himself would have retired.

Why this biased ( favourable ) treatment towards Sachin & prejudice towards Sourav who IMO matches with Sachin on all aspects as regards One dayers. Both are peers & how come Sachin is being considered while Sourav is ignored ?

I don’t know when this Sachin mania will end !

Shame on this Indian cricket selectors for having played dirty politics once again on Sourav.
[/tscii:5f20eae07e]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:0512a9694b]
kaif should be in form..thats most important!

ganguly was there continuosly for more than 10 years..avarukke aapu :lol:

kaif is a good player..but raina is also good and most importantly in form

Nandri ketta ulagamda saami idhu.

Ganguly should have been persisted with up to the world cup for the one dayers atleast & then he himself would have retired.

Why this biased ( favourable ) treatment towards Sachin & prejudice towards Sourav who IMO matches with Sachin on all aspects as regards One dayers. Both are peers & how come Sachin is being considered while Sourav is ignored ?

I don’t know when this Sachin mania will end !

Shame on this Indian cricket selectors for having played dirty politics once again on Sourav.
[/tscii:0512a9694b]

[nilavupriyan]

sachin is sachin nakeera!

[asan]

kaif should be in form..thats most important!

ganguly was there continuosly for more than 10 years..avarukke aapu :lol:

kaif is a good player..but raina is also good and most importantly in formwhat did you see in the wi tour the man who toped in average(51.55)and do you know what was raina's

[topstar]

[tscii:3c2dd79a7d]Kaif slams out
Played under: Sports Cricket Mohammad Kaif— Indian Players
For Young Muslims across India, Mohammad Kaif is more than just a sporting icon. He is a symbol of achievement and outspokenness.

Now, while some politicians use the Mumbai blasts to score political points and polarise the country even more, Kaif has spoken out against those who carried out the blasts thinking it would get Mumbai and the country down.

“We have shown that we are united. These kinds of incidents will not be able to stop the country’s progress,” said Kaif on Saturday.

It is not the first time that Mohammad Kaif has taken a position on national issues. The Allahabad-born paceman who’s in terrific form, is known to speak his mind on issues beyond cricket.

On the blasts, his strong position follows Tendulkar’s, who has joined hands with other Mumbai celebrities to record a message against this kind of violence.

“It is very tragic as lots of people have lost their life. But the way people are fighting back. It seems they have come out of the shock – they were back on the trains the next day. It shows that we are not giving up – everyone is there supporting each other,” he said.

Kaif’s straight talking will not help politicians who would like to use the Mumbai blasts to typecast the Muslim community.

“We have shown those who are behind the blasts that India is going forward everyday and every month – no one can stop it. (Those who are behind the blasts) won’t be able to achieve their aim,” Kaif declared.

And though the all rounder isn’t mentioning any political party or politician directly, it’s quite clear he’s as upset with them as he is with those behind the blasts.
[/tscii:3c2dd79a7d]

[topstar]

[tscii:8dfe427c95]Kaif looking forward to tour
Played under: Sports Cricket Mohammad Kaif— Indian Players
India batsman Mohammad Kaif is confident about his side’s prospects ahead of the forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka.

India face the hosts and South Africa in a one-day international tri-series, and Kaif believes they will go into the series in a good frame of mind.

“We’ve got a training camp coming up in a few days’ time,'’ he told News TV.

“Hopefully we can go there and regroup as a team, as a squad. We’ll train hard, see how we go from there and make some plans for the tour.'’

Kaif believes that the Indians have the measure of the islanders after their recent contests.

“We have done well against Sri Lanka when they toured here last year,'’ said the 25-year-old.

“They must be keeping the same in their mind. They are a good side obviously when they play at home, but we have been there before and we have played well recently so we have got the confidence.”
[/tscii:8dfe427c95]

[asan]

:clap:

[topstar]

kaif seems to have gained more confidence in himself :clap: let us all wiish him that he would succeed in the tri series

[topstar]

kaif seems to have gained more confidence in himself :clap: let us all wiish him that he would succeed in the tri series

[asan]

kaif suffering from slight fever and blocked nose but dravid has confirmed that he would be in team's part of things

[asan]

[tscii:98aaf375db]Kaif keen to continue the good show Bangalore: His first exposure to limelight and the resultant scrutiny happened at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, here, in March 2000. Mohammad Kaif, then a nervous 19-year-old debutant, scored 12 and 23 in a lost cause as South Africa defeated India by an innings and 71 runs to clinch the two Test series 2-0. Kaif's runs may have been meagre but they were doughty efforts against a pace attack that was led by Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock. It was also a match in which Mohammad Azharuddin scored a breezy 102 — his last Test innings.

Kaif then embarked on a roller-coaster ride that left him dumped from the Test squad. He then found a second wind as a one-day specialist and to complete the circle, Kaif again pressed his claims for a permanent Test slot with an unbeaten 148 against the West Indies in the second Test at St. Lucia this summer.

Starting afresh


"I started afresh when I went to the West Indies. May be confidence wise I was a little low as I didn't have many big innings behind me but I was sure that if I followed the routine and enjoyed being out there I would do well. I played a practise match, got a 49, understood the conditions and built on that confidence," Kaif said.

Kaif has so far played 13 Tests intermittently that yielded 624 runs and 119 one-dayers with 2673 runs. Kaif believes that he has turned a corner with his maiden Test century at St. Lucia and is hopeful of better performances in the coming months. And finally Kaif the batsman seems to be getting his due over Kaif the athletic fielder.

No qualms


However he has no qualms in the excess attention bestowed on his prowl from point to covers. "I am proud of the effort I put in the field and I think the best fielding side will win the World Cup. It feels good when you talk about Kaif being a good fielder, talk about Yuvraj being a good fielder. Now I can say that it took a while but with the kind of form I am in with the bat, especially after the West Indies tour, I have got something to build upon in the future. I scored my first Test century there at St. Lucia and now I got to keep scoring runs," Kaif said.

The Uttar Pradesh captain also added a touch of perspective and philosophy when he discussed his early days when he was dropped from the Test squad. "Obviously it was a good thing to be dropped early in my career. It helped me work on my weaknesses and come back as a better player.''

``I think at some stage in everybody's career you need some kind of experience like this to get some time off. In those days, I played Sri Lanka when I was quite young and I was facing Murali, I couldn't click. Coming back I realised what needs to be done to succeed at the highest level," Kaif said.

Kaif displayed a calm demeanour when queried on his on-and-off presence in the playing eleven in Tests.

"It (being dropped) can affect but depends on how smart you are to handle such situations. It is important to hang in there, keep working hard and be positive. But yes it is tough when you don't get matches in a row.

On and off, getting dropped is tough. It is not the same as when you are scoring runs and keep getting matches and you are in the flow.If you ask any player it is not easy sitting out of the team."
[/tscii:98aaf375db]

[asan]

http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/10/stories/2006091012631600.htm
Mohammed Kaif's 70 (63b, 8x4, 2x6) was a busy effort from a cricketer who makes the most of his ability. But the day's most explosive innings was, not surprisingly, produced by M.S. Dhoni (88 not out, 56b, 10x4, 4x6). Dhoni's ability to pick the length in a jiffy, his bat speed, and his power were in evidence as he toyed with the bowling with strokes of innovation and enterprise.

[asan]

kaif is being denied a place ln the indian tram than other who deserves by scoring single digit runs

[asan]

for heaven sake don't call sachin as a cricket god one more time.the past matches depicts a lesson aggressive batting has no meaning. you can do that only in flat pitches.only defensive batting,a tension free batting holds good everywhere.but everybody is carried away by the aggressive mode.now the masks of great players you assume to be dhoni ,yuvraj(3 ducks) has been teared off........

[nilavupriyan]

for heaven sake don't call sachin as a cricket god one more time.the past matches depicts a lesson aggressive batting has no meaning. you can do that only in flat pitches.only defensive batting,a tension free batting holds good everywhere.but everybody is carried away by the aggressive mode.now the masks of great players you assume to be dhoni ,yuvraj(3 ducks) has been teared off........

bret leeye apdi koopidum bodhu ungalukku yen eriyudhu?

[asan]

for heaven sake don't call sachin as a cricket god one more time.the past matches depicts a lesson aggressive batting has no meaning. you can do that only in flat pitches.only defensive batting,a tension free batting holds good everywhere.but everybody is carried away by the aggressive mode.now the masks of great players you assume to be dhoni ,yuvraj(3 ducks) has been teared off........

bret leeye apdi koopidum bodhu ungalukku yen eriyudhu?
avruku antha takuthi eruku.past is always past.past is always past talk about the present.if you refer sachin performances with the past then you may also call ganguly as a cricket god

[nilavupriyan]

for heaven sake don't call sachin as a cricket god one more time.the past matches depicts a lesson aggressive batting has no meaning. you can do that only in flat pitches.only defensive batting,a tension free batting holds good everywhere.but everybody is carried away by the aggressive mode.now the masks of great players you assume to be dhoni ,yuvraj(3 ducks) has been teared off........

bret leeye apdi koopidum bodhu ungalukku yen eriyudhu?
avruku antha takuthi eruku.past is always past.past is always past talk about the present.if you refer sachin performances with the past then you may also call ganguly as a cricket god

recenta nadandha dlf cupla idhu varaikum sachinthan leading run scorer...theriyuma?

[sgokulprathap]

kaif is being denied a place ln the indian tram than other who deserves by scoring single digit runs :rotfl: ippa kaif um adhE level la than score panni irukkar. TeamOda othu pOrar pOla.

[asan]

for heaven sake don't call sachin as a cricket god one more time.the past matches depicts a lesson aggressive batting has no meaning. you can do that only in flat pitches.only defensive batting,a tension free batting holds good everywhere.but everybody is carried away by the aggressive mode.now the masks of great players you assume to be dhoni ,yuvraj(3 ducks) has been teared off........

bret leeye apdi koopidum bodhu ungalukku yen eriyudhu?
avruku antha takuthi eruku.past is always past.past is always past talk about the present.if you refer sachin performances with the past then you may also call ganguly as a cricket god

recenta nadandha dlf cupla idhu varaikum sachinthan leading run scorer...theriyuma?enga australia juda adika sollunga neenga sonnatha accept panran.australia kuda parithabama outaki vetri nada potu velila vanthare :roll:

[asan]

kaif is being denied a place ln the indian tram than other who deserves by scoring single digit runs :rotfl: ippa kaif um adhE level la than score panni irukkar. TeamOda othu pOrar pOla.whether do you know the difference between zero and 21 :?

[nilavupriyan]

why bring the name of the legend to this "small boy" thread...wanna make other guys to visit this threaD?

[asan]

why bring the name of the legend to this "small boy" thread...wanna make other guys to visit this threaD?his enthusiasm ,sportmanship and being a dedicated sportsman,energetic.i feel he can break through the barriers and prove himself different from others

[asan]

India Greens: Md. Kaif (capt.), Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, Hemang Badani, Suresh Raina, Tanmay Srivastava, Piyush Chawla, Parthiv Patel, Sourashish Lahiri, Ashish Nehra, L. Balaji, Praveen Kumar, R.S. Sodhi. Coach: Robin Singh.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/27/stories/2006092706932000.htm

[sgokulprathap]

his enthusiasm ,sportmanship and being a dedicated sportsman,energetic.i feel he can break through the barriers and prove himself different from others[/font] So u agree he's not different from others as of now.

[asan]

his enthusiasm ,sportmanship and being a dedicated sportsman,energetic.i feel he can break through the barriers and prove himself different from others[/font] So u agree he's not different from others as of now.yes

[sgokulprathap]

Kaif back to form. :thumbsup:
Leading India Green from front, facing 7 balls he scored a duck against India blues. :2thumbsup:
S.Raina too accompanied him well by scoring a duck on his part. :clap:

[asan]

nakkala

[topstar]

his enthusiasm ,sportmanship and being a dedicated sportsman,energetic.i feel he can break through the barriers and prove himself different from others[/font] So u agree he's not different from others as of now.yeshttp://www.hindu.com/2006/10/31/stories/2006103105101900.htm
Chandigarh: Dilip Vengsarkar made a bold statement here on Monday. It should not only cause concern to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), but also send a strong message to the first class players in the country that they will not get the India cap with just a few impressive performances.

After presiding over his first meeting as chairman of the national selection committee, Vengsarkar said, "To be honest, India doesn't have exceptional talent now. There are good first class players, but they are not up to international class.''

On Monday the selection committee chose opener Wasim Jaffer, leg-spinner Anil Kumble, wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Kaarthick and left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan for the first part of the tour to South Africa during which India will play five one-day internationals.

Coach Greg Chappell and captain Rahul Dravid were also present at the meeting.
totally there is going to be a major change in the indian team shortly due to bad performance by indian team in the recent past.kaif has to strive hard to meet the expectations of he selectors

[asan]

http://www.cricketnext.com/news/fixed-batting-slots-can-help-india/21815-13.html
Aamir Sohail who has the distinction of being the skipper of the only team from Asia to have beaten South Africa in their own den has said that India must have fixed batting slots if they are to taste success on the bouncy South African pitches


Sohail led the Pakistani side that beat South Africa by 29 runs in Kingsmead, Durban, on arguably the bounciest of all South African pitches in 1998, and more importantly he did it with a rank inexperienced team.


Sohail, understandably, is proud of the achievement and his advice to Team India is simple - the batsmen must be told of their roles, but for that to happen, their batting slots too now must be fixed - something, the Indians still appear averse to doing.


"Indians, I feel, should have their roles defined in the present series. For instance, I can't understand what Mohammad Kaif is doing so low in the order. He doesn't have the flamboyance and the strokes to lash out in the final overs."



"The likes of Suresh Raina should be tried up the order, it doesn't matter if he fails for a few innings. But if you back his talent then you should give him a fair leeway," Sohail said

[asan]

they say kaif is gone.but for me it's me it's a way to reconstruct his carrer.do the same thing that zaheer did.but i am sure he is not too many steps far away from success

[asan]

kaif"s team is having an upper hand in the ranji trophy and he has regained his form scored 91 against haryana and 88

[asan]

http://www.cricketnext.com/news/master-selector--prasannas-final-15/23073-13.html

[asan]

http://www.cricketnext.com/news/master-selector--prasannas-final-15/23073-13.html

[asan]

http://www.cricketnext.com/news/master-selector--prasannas-final-15/23073-13.html

[asan]

http://www.cricketnext.com/news/master-selector--prasannas-final-15/23073-13.html

[asan]

http://www.cricketnext.com/news/master-selector--prasannas-final-15/23073-13.html

[asan]

http://www.cricketnext.com/news/master-selector--prasannas-final-15/23073-13.html

[asan]

http://www.cricketnext.com/news/master-selector--prasannas-final-15/23073-13.html

[asan]

http://www.cricketnext.com/news/master-selector--prasannas-final-15/23073-13.htmlJust forget the past.i know that india would slip thi way.poooooooor fielding.nice quote from pawar"We can only show the horse ther is water,you can't make it to drink it". Take Kaif back into the team.at present he has the highest average91.23. in ranji one dayers than any other player has against rajasthan he scored 150 runs two third of the totaal runs

[smith]

Immediate solutions :

1. Sack sachin, sewag & kumble.

2. Appoint a young captain.

3. Form seperate teams for test & 1 day.

[c4ramesh]

Immediate solutions :

1. Sack sachin, sewag & kumble.

2. Appoint a young captain.

3. Form seperate teams for test & 1 day.

No need to Sack Kumble he is set to retire from ODI's after world cup.

[asan]

Immediate solutions :

1. Sack sachin, sewag & kumble.

2. Appoint a young captain.

3. Form seperate teams for test & 1 day.

No need to Sack Kumble he is set to retire from ODI's after world cup.
according to me first sack M.SDhoni.00 in two crucial matches.A good batsmen need not be aggressive but should play under pressure.kaif was the one who topped in the batting average in the carribean last year.the only match that india won was because of kaif.even in the second ODI in that series we lost the match because of yuvraj and dhoni

[asan]

http://www.sportnetwork.net/boards/read/s119.php?f=118&i=588035&t=588035&sid=119

[asan]

http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=124298&catID=5&category=Sports&rtFlg=rtFlg

[asan]

Kaif back into action

[asan]

Kaif is back with dravid stumbling with 39 runs in Ranji,with the spot of ganguly and kumble out it would be kaif and yuvraj the inseperables who would fill the void space created.So far in ranji kaif is the one who has so far contributed consistently and against Aus A He made a mighty 94 when all others surrendered.It is a great misfortune for him to be missed for the Australia series ganguly being granted a O.c ticket to Indian team

[Sourav]

GM: Avanavan maasathukku 3 triple century pottuttu q-la nikkuran....ithula 94-ku rekkamandesan-a? Unselecteddd....nexttt... :lol:

[asan]

GM: Avanavan maasathukku 3 triple century pottuttu q-la nikkuran....ithula 94-ku rekkamandesan-a? Unselecteddd....nexttt... :lol:L.K.G pasanga kuda velayanda 300 enna 1000 kuda adipanga................ :rotfl: nan sonathu Ind A Vs Aus A antha matchla 30 kuda yarum thandala

[Sanguine Sridhar]

Seriously asan you have a different taste! :notworthy:

Kaif, Prashanth very unique! :)

I am not sarcastic.

But, ungga signature ungaluke konjam over-a illa? :?

[villan007]

I am not sarcastic.


ipdi sonna avaru nambiduvaara :rotfl:

[Sanguine Sridhar]

I am not sarcastic.


ipdi sonna avaru nambiduvaara :rotfl:

:notthatway: :P

[Sourav]

GM: Avanavan maasathukku 3 triple century pottuttu q-la nikkuran....ithula 94-ku rekkamandesan-a? Unselecteddd....nexttt... :lol:L.K.G pasanga kuda velayanda 300 enna 1000 kuda adipanga................ :rotfl: nan sonathu Ind A Vs Aus A antha matchla 30 kuda yarum thandala
:) Bro,
ranji team ellam LKG pasanga team-nu solreengala...ok...
300 venaam...atleast 200-vathu unga kaif adichirukkara LKG pasanga kitta? HS - 160 (104 matches)
Pujara - HS - 302* (32 matches)

CHETESHWAR PUJARA
The Saurashtra batsman has turned into somewhat of a run machine this year, having rustled up three triple-hundreds within a span of a month. Two of them came in the Col CK Nayudu Trophy for his state Under-22 team (308 against Mumbai and 386 against Maharashtra), and the last one (302 not out) came against Orissa in Ranji Trophy. Was highest run-getter of the 2007-08 Ranji season, with 807 runs from eight matches.
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOICH%2F2008%2F11%2F16&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T&PageLabel=18&EntityId=Ar01800&AppName=1


Unga aalu 104 match-la oru thadava kooda 200-i thodalaye...athuvum LKG pasanga kittta....

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/india/content/player/29990.html
http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/india/content/player/32540.html

Neengale mudivu pannikonga yaar team-la varanum-nu.... :P :wave:

[ajithfederer]

:rotfl:




I am not sarcastic.


ipdi sonna avaru nambiduvaara :rotfl:

:notthatway: :P

[asan]

GM: Avanavan maasathukku 3 triple century pottuttu q-la nikkuran....ithula 94-ku rekkamandesan-a? Unselecteddd....nexttt... :lol:L.K.G pasanga kuda velayanda 300 enna 1000 kuda adipanga................ :rotfl: nan sonathu Ind A Vs Aus A antha matchla 30 kuda yarum thandala
:) Bro,
ranji team ellam LKG pasanga team-nu solreengala...ok...
300 venaam...atleast 200-vathu unga kaif adichirukkara LKG pasanga kitta? HS - 160 (104 matches)
Pujara - HS - 302* (32 matches)

CHETESHWAR PUJARA
The Saurashtra batsman has turned into somewhat of a run machine this year, having rustled up three triple-hundreds within a span of a month. Two of them came in the Col CK Nayudu Trophy for his state Under-22 team (308 against Mumbai and 386 against Maharashtra), and the last one (302 not out) came against Orissa in Ranji Trophy. Was highest run-getter of the 2007-08 Ranji season, with 807 runs from eight matches.
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOICH%2F2008%2F11%2F16&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T&PageLabel=18&EntityId=Ar01800&AppName=1


Unga aalu 104 match-la oru thadava kooda 200-i thodalaye...athuvum LKG pasanga kittta....

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/india/content/player/29990.html
http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/india/content/player/32540.html

Neengale mudivu pannikonga yaar team-la varanum-nu.... :P :wave:Hm sourava rest of indiala kuda sekama kaifa sethangala apavae theriala yara sekanum yara sekakudathunu.see the very same cheteshwar pujara how much he scored against Aus A? Why did nt yu mention that?. Maharashtra,mumbai,orissa ellamlotha team ( at present) no remarkable pace bowlerslet see in ranji quater finals nala kannan yaru nola kannan yarunu therinjudum

[asan]

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/ranjisuperleague2008/content/current/story/382112.html
Kaif 103 not out 2 days of play left unbeaten 242-run stand with srivatsava for 349 minutes

[Vivasaayi]

asan

what do u think is the reason for kaifs omission(as u feel so)

whom would u remove from indian team to make way for kaif - this is the most important question.

[asan]

asan

what do u think is the reason for kaifs omission(as u feel so)

whom would u remove from indian team to make way for kaif - this is the most important question.
see first of all u have to remember one thing whoever performs well there is a place for him and well india is democratic and anybody who performs well than the playing eleven has to be gn a chance.Kaif is deserving and is not demanding. :o evrey body knows and all the india media comments him as the indian team close outsider.you r putiing me this question i ll put you 2 qs

1) last year for the test against SA kaif replaced Sachin because of injury but in the next sri lankan series he was mercilesly droped to pave way for D karthik and Rohit Sharma :banghead: without being gn an opportunity.State ur reason why those 2 were overlooked over kaif did they perform well in the domestic circuit?

2) well Kaif has been included in Rest of India because of his performance against Aus A but not selected for series against Aus and were did Badrinath came from?( he can never match up with kaif's domestic history and did nt even crossed double digit against Aus A) and off course M.Vijay
It's all regional ploitics (those 2 persons r from tamilnadu) no doubt srikanth is behind this ugly,shameful thing because he too belongs to the same.
See to ur surprise even KD karthik, l balaji will be selected for Indian team

[Vivasaayi]

asan,

Cricket is not kabadi to pick the players just with their amount of runs.They are picked based on their specialisation.

1.If an opening batsman is needed,the best opener is picked - not the person who has scored more runs.
Thats the reason for Mr.vijay to enter as gautham gambir was removed from a test match. :banghead:

2.KD Karthik was picked for dhoni as a replacement when dhoni asked for a rest as a specialist wicket keeper.can kaif keep wickets? :lol:



3.Then badrinath is nowhere near kaif.
The first class average of badrinath is 55 while kaifs average isjust 41.

[asan]

asan,

u r funny first of all!Cricket is not kabadi to pick the players just with their amount of runs.They are picked based on their specialisation.

1.If an opening batsman is needed,the best opener is picked - not the person who has scored more runs.
Thats the reason for Mr.vijay to enter as gautham gambir was removed from a test match. :banghead:

2.KD Karthik was picked for dhoni as a replacement when dhoni asked for a rest as a specialist wicket keeper.can kaif keep wickets? :lol:

put some logic into ur argument please

3.The most funniest of all is ur argument that badrinath is nowhere near kaif.
The first class average of badrinath is 55 while kaifs average isjust 41.

we are not fools here - to buy ur arguments!
see then what for is parthiv patel selected in that match and the second thing is that how can u go by averages put some sense into your own arguments.are then india media fools and urself a great aristocrat.Stupid thinking :roll:

[HonestRaj]

// dig

asan... I like ur signature "topstar out of picture" (a sensible one, IMO)

// end

[Vivasaayi]

-edited-

just now i realised what this post would actually mean in another way really.

:oops:

[asan]

[quote="Vivasaayi"]

[asan]

// dig

asan... I like ur signature "topstar out of picture" (a sensible one, IMO)

// end
unmaya othukrathuthana nalla pillaiku alagu

[P_R]

Vivasaayi/asan please don't get personal.
Please edit your posts.