World Cricket II [Archive]

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ajithfederer

4th January 2010, 11:47 AM

hamid

4th January 2010, 01:36 PM

Contineed from here (http://www.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?p=2003864#2003864)

Pak 290/6. All the top 5 batsman got good starts but failed to convert it into 100's. Appadi ippadinnu tailenders suthi lead-ae oru 200+ kondu vandha seri.

AF, niinga aasapatta maathir 200+ lead vanthuduchu.. Hope Aus loses this match.. aana Pakistana namba mudiyaathe...

Plum

4th January 2010, 05:32 PM

I badly want to say a few words on Pricky's current form, and put a few things in perspective on Sachin vs Pricky. But given my great luck with criticism, I dont want to commit so early on print.
Lets see - if my theory comes out true at the end of the career of both these gentlemen, I'll probably choose to say it then.

19thmay

4th January 2010, 05:37 PM

[tscii:3fca9a449d]Pakistan lost the grip here, last 5 wickets for just 54 runs is a wretched performance. With absolutely zero pressure, the middle order collapsed pathetically. I don’t think that Aussies would repeat the first innings form, Lets see. Interesting test match ahead! [/tscii:3fca9a449d]

Plum

4th January 2010, 05:38 PM

19th May, I expect Aussies not to lose this match. Pak will have to struggle hard for a draw, let alone a win.

19thmay

4th January 2010, 05:48 PM

Plum, if the conditions are bit overcast tomorrow then it would be tough work for the Aussies to bounce back, lets see, but you are over optimistic :)

Plum

4th January 2010, 05:49 PM

Lets see. The results dont matter to me. Ponting evLO adikkarAn - adhAn mukkiyam :-)

sathya_1979

4th January 2010, 05:51 PM

Yes, let Aussies win 20 matches on the trot, be world no 1 etc. But, Pricky Ranting should not score well!

19thmay

4th January 2010, 05:54 PM

Lets see. The results dont matter to me. Ponting evLO adikkarAn - adhAn mukkiyam :-)

Ponting oothipaan! Engga kula dheivam ayyanar-ku kaasu vetti potruken.

sathya_1979

4th January 2010, 05:55 PM

Kaasu or Keda?

ajithfederer

4th January 2010, 09:22 PM

1. Pakistan(83 pts) are 6th on the Test ranking list. If oz's(116) lose to them then they will lose points for sure.

I just don't understand how this Ranking system works for eg:, like the Tennis rankings.

http://www.cricinfo.com/rankings/content/current/page/211271.html

2. Ada paravaala sollunga.

I badly want to say a few words on Pricky's current form, and put a few things in perspective on Sachin vs Pricky. But given my great luck with criticism, I dont want to commit so early on print.
Lets see - if my theory comes out true at the end of the career of both these gentlemen, I'll probably choose to say it then.

3. This wicket should still help Paki's bowling. BTW, I saw Australia's 1st innings. Superb bowling by Sami upfront backed up by asif :thumbsup:.

Contineed from here (http://www.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?p=2003864#2003864)

Pak 290/6. All the top 5 batsman got good starts but failed to convert it into 100's. Appadi ippadinnu tailenders suthi lead-ae oru 200+ kondu vandha seri.

AF, niinga aasapatta maathir 200+ lead vanthuduchu.. Hope Aus loses this match.. aana Pakistana namba mudiyaathe...

Movie Cop

4th January 2010, 10:02 PM

Considering where they were at tea, Pakistan should have kept more wickets intact. Nevertheless they are still sitting pretty with 200 odd runs lead. Considering Pakistan's mercurial batting lineup (even with the presence of prodigious Umar Akmal notwithstanding), they shouldn't fancy chasing anything more than 100 if they were to win this Test. :lol2:

sathya_1979

4th January 2010, 10:27 PM

First time in my life - Come on Pakis (Time to support the lesser evil)

Note: My 100th Post Yay!

ajithfederer

5th January 2010, 04:35 AM

96.5

Bollinger to Danish Kaneria, OUT, fuller from Bollinger and Kaneria lifts it high in the air in front of Point and Hussey from gully runs forward, judges and takes a good catch. Bollinger picks up four wickets.

Danish Kaneria c Hussey b Bollinger 4 (9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 44.44

Pakistan lead by 206 runs with 0 wickets remaining in the 1st innings

Movie Cop

5th January 2010, 05:34 AM

It's lot more easier for Aussies to bat today on bright/sunny conditions compared to day 1. Pakistan should try and restrict Aussies to 300-350. Give these Aussies slightest room for come back they know how to apply pressure even with a small target to defend against an ever flaky Pakistani batting line up.

Chak de Pakistan. 8-)

Sourav

5th January 2010, 06:57 AM

Movie Cop

5th January 2010, 07:31 AM

Movie Cop

5th January 2010, 07:39 AM

Lunch - Aussies 86/0. :evil:

sathya_1979

5th January 2010, 07:53 AM

105/0. As expected Pakis failed to wrest the initiative :-(

Oops 105/1 now. Very good catch by Kaneria to dismiss Hughes :-)

Come on, take down pricky please!

Movie Cop

5th January 2010, 07:58 AM

Good return catch. Tall man Kaneria has a much farther reach. As the saying goes, bowlers tend to catch well of their own bowling. Chak de Pakistan 8-)

Movie Cop

5th January 2010, 08:02 AM

By the by, when Paanting took guard to face his first delivery, Star TV folks put a note - "Paanting on King pair" :lol2:

sathya_1979

5th January 2010, 08:10 AM

Cha, Kaneria oru easy saans vuttaan :evil:

Movie Cop

5th January 2010, 08:23 AM

Yeah. That would have put the pressure right back on the Aussies. Bad miss, that is. Costly or not, only time would tell.

VinodKumar's

5th January 2010, 08:23 AM

Cricinfo Test team of the decade:
Matthew Hayden, Virender Sehwag, Ricky Ponting (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Adam Gilchrist, Shaun Pollock, Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Glenn McGrath.

12th man: Andrew Flintoff

Ron Reed's Test team of the decade:
Graeme Smith (captain), Virender Sehwag, Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Andrew Flintoff, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Makhaya Ntini, Glenn McGrath.

12th man: Jacqus Kallis.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/article249035.ece
Too tempted to resist and ignore this. My Test team of the decade would have been below:

Marvan Atapattu, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid (vice captain), Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Flintoff, Shane Warne (captain), Mohammed Asif, Muttiah Muralitharan, Glenn McGrath.

12th man: Jacques Kallis

Disclaimer: Akram/Donald/Walsh/Younis omitted assuming them to be 90's folks.

:clap: :clap: ellorum maranthutaanga ... btw he dint play after 2003 rite :roll:

Movie Cop

5th January 2010, 08:30 AM

sathya_1979

5th January 2010, 08:32 AM

Pricky outttttttttt for 11!!!!!!!!!

ajithfederer

5th January 2010, 08:38 AM

Watson in the 90's. Expect some action.

VinodKumar's

5th January 2010, 08:39 AM

Pricky outttttttttt for 11!!!!!!!!!

expecting kalyasi,19th may,bala 's dance :D

sathya_1979

5th January 2010, 08:42 AM

Pricky outttttttttt for 11!!!!!!!!!

expecting kalyasi,19th may,bala 's dance :D
Me already dancing :D

VinodKumar's

5th January 2010, 08:45 AM

Pricky outttttttttt for 11!!!!!!!!!

expecting kalyasi,19th may,bala 's dance :D
Me already dancing :D

:lol2:

Movie Cop

5th January 2010, 09:23 AM

Watson in the 90's. Expect some action.
:lol2:

19thmay

5th January 2010, 09:51 AM

Ricky :victory:

VinodKumar's

5th January 2010, 09:58 AM

Ricky :victory:

:lol:

ajithfederer

5th January 2010, 11:42 AM

oz's lead by 50 runs with 3 wickets remaining.

19thmay

5th January 2010, 12:24 PM

Australia - 77/8 :twisted:

Dinesh84

5th January 2010, 12:31 PM

Australia - 77/8 :twisted: :lol:

Plum

5th January 2010, 01:42 PM

Australia - 77/8 :twisted: :lol:
They need about another 30-40 runs max to win this match. Unless rain intervenes and pak escape with a draw. Who knows 77 might be enough to down Pakistan :lol:

ajithfederer

6th January 2010, 03:03 AM

Australia in 2009
Ashes anguish and one-day joys

The fall to No. 4, injuries to key bowlers, Ponting's return to mortality: Australia's 2009 was mostly filled with gloom

Peter English

January 4, 2010

Ricky Ponting is hit on the left elbow by Kemar Roach, Australia v West Indies, 3rd Test, Perth, 16 December 2009
Ricky Ponting: bruised and beaten in 2009 © Getty Images
Related Links
Players/Officials: Mitchell Johnson | Ricky Ponting
Teams: Australia

So this is how the rest of the world feels most of the time. For as long as under-25 Australian fans can remember, their team has been the best in the globe at the end of the year, but as the new decade began, Ricky Ponting's Test and Twenty20 outfits were in the also-ran category, having been overrun by countries with more A-list quality. Only in the one-day rankings do Australia lead, but there is not much kudos in that, as it is the format with the smallest pay cheques and the most doubts over its lifespan.

It wasn't all gloom in 2009, but it was the year when the empire was flattened so badly that when the Ashes were handed over at The Oval, Australia were rated No. 4. As if losing to England wasn't bad enough, the world champions were sitting in mid-table mediocrity, beaten by a side that had a half-fit Andrew Flintoff and was often missing Kevin Pietersen. Ponting's young team, the one that had wooed the selectors during a 2-1 win over the mighty South Africa at home, had flapped limply in England. Players, administrators and selectors looked at the series statistics and felt they were hard done by, believing it was the mistakes during the big moments that had let them down. It was a cringe-worthy post-mortem from an outfit that had forgotten how to win.

Ponting rightfully kept his job - it's too soon for Michael Clarke, Simon Katich or Marcus North to jostle for the post in the medium term - but was under extreme pressure after becoming the first man since Billy Murdoch to lose two series in England, and the first to do it back to back. Ponting is a fading force as an elite batsman - this was his third season in a row when he averaged less than 50 - but he remains an essential part of the reconstruction. That he still wants to lead a group of unsure, reasonably talented and enthusiastic players is fabulous for Australian cricket. He should have the role for as long as his body allows, although that won't be long if he repeats his awkward duck to West Indies' Kemar Roach, which left him with a bruised elbow in Perth and forced the first retired-hurt of his career.

As if pretending the Ashes had never happened, Australia returned to world-beating status in the one-day arena, taking care of Scotland before beating England 6-1, picking up the Champions Trophy in South Africa and then toppling India 4-2 away. It was an old-fashioned streak from Ponting's team and it inflated confidence, which was soon dented by the No. 8-ranked West Indies in the opening Test series of the summer. Australia won 2-0, but after the Brisbane Test, which they collected in three days, life was much tougher as the bowlers struggled to get the 20 wickets that had been a certainty for so long under Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

Ponting's young team had flapped limply in England. Players, administrators and selectors looked at the series statistics and felt they were hard done by, believing it was the mistakes during the big moments that had let them down. It was a cringe-worthy post-mortem from an outfit that had forgotten how to win

Mitchell Johnson was the nominal attack leader, but the ease at which the side operated depended on which Johnson turned up. In South Africa he had been immense, breaking Graeme Smith's bones, just as he had in the opening Test of the year in Sydney. When he scored a Test century as well there were comparisons with Ian Botham, but his bowling was soon being likened to drains in England. He feared he was going to be dropped as his form suffered, while his mother was telling papers back home about his family life. For Johnson, soon to be named the ICC Cricketer of the Year, England was a write-off (Peter Siddle was also hit-and-miss, while Ben Hilfenhaus was the most impressive). Johnson recovered to lead the global wicket list for 2009 with 63 at 27.42, a huge number for an inconsistent performer.

Hilfenhaus ended the year with a knee injury, which came during his Man-of-the-Match performance against West Indies at the Gabba. It was a horrible conclusion for the bowlers, with Brett Lee (elbow), Stuart Clark (back) and Nathan Bracken (knee) unavailable, while Siddle and Hauritz were also struggling under the weight of games. Ponting knew he needed more time to dismiss opposition sides and more patience with his new men, and his early declaration in the first innings against Pakistan at the MCG paid off when the win was secured early in the second session of the final day.

The batting was more solid against the minor teams towards the end of the year, but had failed at crucial times during the Ashes. Simon Katich led the run list with 1111 and Michael Clarke (1042, with three hundreds) was the most valuable performer, stepping up at important times, while Shane Watson surged once he replaced Phillip Hughes. After a comedy run of mishaps between 50 and 100, Watson finally got to three figures in Australia's final batting innings of the year, via a dropped catch and a single from the misfield. It was that sort of period for Australia, who did well in patches, folded spectacularly at others, and finished in the unfamiliar position of looking up at the best teams in the Test world.

New kid on the block
The partners of Katich were the freshest faces. First it was Phillip Hughes, who stunned and starred in South Africa, scoring twin centuries in his second Test. However, after a couple of Ashes games he was dropped due to his problems with the short ball and Flintoff. Watson came in for the Birmingham game and finished the year as the in-form batsman, scoring six fifties and a century in seven games.

Mitchell Johnson is happy to see the back of Sulieman Benn, Australia v West Indies, 3rd Test, Perth, 4th day, December 19, 2009
Mitchell Johnson: surprisingly the leading wicket-taker of the year despite a miserable Ashes © Getty Images

Fading star
Brett Lee started the year having ankle and foot surgery, recovering in time to be picked for England, where he suffered a side injury the week before the opening Test. That problem ruled him out of the first three Tests and he wasn't considered for the final two. After a strong campaign in the following limited-overs affairs, he was looking forward to a big home summer, but he sustained a sore elbow in India that led to more doubt and, eventually, more surgery. He may still have a role in green and gold, but his Test career is probably over after 76 matches and 310 wickets.

High point
The tour to South Africa was the summer romance for Australia, whose young bowlers roughed up some of the best batsmen in the world on the way to a 2-1 victory. It was such an impressive performance that they forgot the innings loss in the third game. The instant revival didn't last, but this team will always have Johannesburg and Durban.

Low point
Two trips to London provided the troughs. At Lord's, Australia lost their first Test at cricket's home since 1934 and a month later at The Oval they handed over the urn for the second time in a row. Upset by Stuart Broad, and without Nathan Hauritz on a subcontinental surface, they were ground down by England and then drowned in a sea of celebratory bunting.

Peter English is the Australasia editor of Cricinfo
RSS Feeds: Peter English

A very good article summarizing Australia's recent form in Test's. It will be great if Pakistan can beat them today.

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/442020.html[tscii:8b47eeeb0c][/tscii:8b47eeeb0c]

ajithfederer

6th January 2010, 05:12 AM

Bakistan :fatigue:

littlemaster1982

6th January 2010, 05:19 AM

They shouldn't let this Hussey last long. He is worse than Steve Waugh in forging partnerships with tailenders :evil:

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 05:38 AM

// Master innum thoongalaya :shock:

littlemaster1982

6th January 2010, 05:40 AM

//Night shift. Got to leave in 20 mins.

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 05:42 AM

// Ok

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 05:51 AM

123 runs lead already which means Aussies have already got something to bowl at. Not a good sign for Fakistan with their mercurial batting lineup. :twisted:

If Aussies go on to win this Test, Kamran Akmal will feel guilty for the rest of his life for dropping Hussey not once but thrice (when he was on 27, 45 & 52) off the unlucky Kaneria :( . Regardless of the result, Hussey should already be grateful to Akmal. :lol2:

littlemaster1982

6th January 2010, 05:54 AM

I think Pakistan can chase anything around 220. Seems like there''s rain threat as well.

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 06:30 AM

Yes, anything upto 250 is gettable, pretty reasonably. But the problem is Pakistani batsmen shouldn't panic. Also, more than any other team in the world, the Aussies are the pastmasters when it comes to applying pressure once they make a come back into a game and sniff even slightest chance of victory. A wicket or two early, Aussies are very adept in tightening the screws. Pakistani batsmen need to be very careful and show some application while chasing.

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 06:36 AM

There you go! Even as I keep talking, Akmal drops yet another catch which is a regulation catch for any wicket keeper. For decades, Pakistan has produced great bowlers only to be backed up by poor fielders. :twisted: No wonder they invented reverse swing and relied upon themselves to clear the batsmen's defence. :sigh2:

littlemaster1982

6th January 2010, 08:03 AM

It's going to be a dramatic last day :P

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 08:07 AM

holy ______ siddle out aagitaan

Sourav

6th January 2010, 08:10 AM

176 target...

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 08:10 AM

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 08:16 AM

If Pakistani batsmen apply themselves and bat sensibly they can be home rather comfortably. If they either panic or do something silly then we are in for a nail baiter. :shaking:

littlemaster1982

6th January 2010, 08:19 AM

I expect Pakistan to win this match with minor hiccups.

sathya_1979

6th January 2010, 09:29 AM

I expect Pakistan to win this match with minor hiccups.
LM, it will for sure be major hiccups :lol:

Sourav

6th January 2010, 09:34 AM

pak 59/3...

19thmay

6th January 2010, 09:50 AM

Pakistan - 77/3 - Tea.

99 runs to win. Not sure how they are going to handle the final session, they should try to score as much they can. :?

19thmay

6th January 2010, 10:08 AM

Yousuf OUT! :lol: - 77/4

19thmay

6th January 2010, 10:13 AM

Misbah OUT - :rotfl2: - 77/5

Thirumaran

6th January 2010, 10:15 AM

Misbah OUT - :rotfl2: - 77/5

thaeva illaama Australia niraya score panniducho :lol2:

sathya_1979

6th January 2010, 10:16 AM

Main culprit is Kamran Akmal for dropping 220000 catches :twisted:

19thmay

6th January 2010, 10:16 AM

Therila Thiru, but namma payaluva maadhriye aaduranunganu nenaikum podhu sirppa varudhu. :lol:

Thirumaran

6th January 2010, 10:18 AM

Main culprit is Kamran Akmal for dropping 220000 catches :twisted:

Rich boy Kamran Akmal :victory:

Thirumaran

6th January 2010, 10:19 AM

Therila Thiru, but namma payaluva maadhriye aaduranunganu nenaikum podhu sirppa varudhu. :lol:

enna irunthaalum namma brothers illayaa :lol2:

19thmay

6th January 2010, 10:19 AM

Akmal & Akmal again - Last hope for the Pakistan.

80/5 - 96 more to win.

sathya_1979

6th January 2010, 10:34 AM

Oru vazhiyaa Pak 100 (101/5).

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 10:35 AM

Akmal & Akmal again - Last hope for the Pakistan.

80/5 - 96 more to win.
If not for several dropped catches from Karmam Akmal, Aussies would have been dismissed for under a lead of 75! Karmam better contributes something with the bat to help Pakistan win this Test. :twisted:

sathya_1979

6th January 2010, 10:44 AM

Akmal outuuu! Pak Gaali!

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 10:48 AM

Karmam is out fishing the ball! Goyala... Avane rendu series ukkara vekanum! :evil:

ajithfederer

6th January 2010, 10:59 AM

Nice to see an other 90's Indian Team :P.

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 10:59 AM

Pak jeyichirum pola :sigh2:

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 11:01 AM

Hauritz :angry2:

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 11:18 AM

In a way, this is a blessing in disguise. Even though the Fakistani batting, quite expectedly, is falling apart, it atleast helps us to witness the prodigious Umar Akmal's little gem of an innings, showing maturity in this tense, adverse moments of a Test match cricket. 8-)

19thmay

6th January 2010, 11:18 AM

Review....Review....

19thmay

6th January 2010, 11:19 AM

Saami Out!

Dinesh84

6th January 2010, 11:20 AM

Pak 133/7 (33.5 overs)

need 43

19thmay

6th January 2010, 11:24 AM

Umar & Umar now!

19thmay

6th January 2010, 11:25 AM

Umar Akmal OUT! Aussies take a bow :notworthy:

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 11:28 AM

anyone have streaming link

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 11:29 AM

Matter over! :cry2: Good fight from the 19 yr old though! :clap:

Ella cricket teams um Australia en Australia va irrukaan-nu lesson kathukungappa! :notworthy:

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 11:30 AM

still they have chance cop

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 11:32 AM

By the by, Man of the match Karman Akmal for steering Aussies towards victory from a situation of no hope! :lol2:

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 11:32 AM

still they have chance cop
Rubbing it in, uhh? :lol2:

littlemaster1982

6th January 2010, 11:33 AM

I expect Pakistan to win this match with minor hiccups.
LM, it will for sure be major hiccups :lol:

Enne ungal theerka tharisanam :lol: I over estimated Pakis :oops:

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 11:35 AM

still they have chance cop
Rubbing it in, uhh? :lol2:

:lol: tension ah irruku ... umar irukarapa thoonga polamnu irunthaen ippo match pakka aarambitchutaen

19thmay

6th January 2010, 11:36 AM

How many heroes today?
Mr.Cricket/Siddle/Kamran Akmal/Umar Akmal/ Hauritz/Johnson whoa! :notworthy:

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 11:37 AM

kaneria gaali

19thmay

6th January 2010, 11:38 AM

Duck specialist :lol2: - 1 to go!

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 11:41 AM

Four adichitaan GUL :shaking:

littlemaster1982

6th January 2010, 11:42 AM

Australia won the match :shock: Got to give it to these guys :notworthy: :notworthy:

19thmay

6th January 2010, 11:42 AM

Out aaitaan :lol:

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 11:42 AM

:happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance:

Dinesh84

6th January 2010, 11:42 AM

:happydance: :cheer: :happydance: :cheer: :happydance: :cheer: :happydance: :cheer: :happydance: :cheer:

Sourav

6th January 2010, 11:43 AM

:sigh2:

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 11:43 AM

still they have chance cop
Rubbing it in, uhh? :lol2:

:lol: tension ah irruku ... umar irukarapa thoonga polamnu irunthaen ippo match pakka aarambitchutaen
Wearing my superstitious hat, neega thaan Umar thambi-uhh dressing room-ku vazhi amuchu vecheenga pola irukku? :lol:

j/k, VK. :)

19thmay

6th January 2010, 11:44 AM

Whoever rates T20 as the best need to watch this classic! :D

4 amazing days, test cricket at its best! :notworthy:

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 11:44 AM

19thmay

6th January 2010, 11:45 AM

Congratulations Aussies! What a way to start the new year. :clap:

Ponting nimmadhi perumoochi viduvaar. :lol:

ajithfederer

6th January 2010, 11:45 AM

Australians :thumbsup:

Paki's have taken up the 90's Indian mandil. This is so unlike the pakistani team which we know that fights till the very end.

littlemaster1982

6th January 2010, 11:47 AM

This could be Kamran Akmal's last match I guess :lol2:

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 11:49 AM

I think otherwise pakistan wud be all out for 50 :lol: :lol:

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 11:49 AM

For the umpteenth number of time, Aussies prove it yet again that there is lot more to cricket than just talent. It's all in the mind and attitude. Way to go Aussies! :notworthy:

MADDY

6th January 2010, 11:50 AM

one of the heart breaking results, im atleast glad that we all supported pakis

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 11:53 AM

This could be Kamran Akmal's last match I guess :lol2:
Though unlikely, I wish they sack Karmam for next couple of Test series to stress the importance of fielding not just for him but also for the rest of the players. This Test defeat is one thing that is going to hurt and haunt the Pakistanis for a very long time.

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 11:55 AM

I think otherwise pakistan wud be all out for 50 :lol: :lol:
50 ellam kastapattu chase pannirupainge. My take, on day 2, was they shouldn't be chasing anything more than 100.

Dinesh84

6th January 2010, 11:55 AM

one of the heart breaking results, im atleast glad that we all supported pakis :notthatway:

Movie Cop

6th January 2010, 11:57 AM

one of the heart breaking results, im atleast glad that we all supported pakis
Not sure about others but at least I always have a soft corner for Pakistanis as far as cricket is concerned.

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 11:57 AM

one of the heart breaking results, im atleast glad that we all supported pakis :notthatway:

:exactly: namma dance innoru vaati podanum pola :happydance: :happydance: :happydance:

Dinesh84

6th January 2010, 12:00 PM

one of the heart breaking results, im atleast glad that we all supported pakis :notthatway:

:exactly: namma dance innoru vaati podanum pola :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :yes: hai haiyya.. hai haiyya.. :happydance: :happydance: :happydance:

Bala (Karthik)

6th January 2010, 12:01 PM

Australians :thumbsup:

Paki's have taken up the 90's Indian mandil. This is so unlike the pakistani team which we know that fights till the very end.
:rotfl2:

Fight till the end ellam namma kitta dhaan

Plum

6th January 2010, 12:02 PM

:-(

Idhuve indiavA irundhiundha umar gul-avadhu 50 adichu pak jeyikka vechuruppaan. Poor show by pakis. Just like hopw yuvraj etc collapsed 2 years ago when kumble was solid at other end. All ounder bhajji couldn't stand the heat for even 2 overs thus poving cleaely that he stays in the team by capitalising on easy circumstances. Same with yuvi. If we had viru in that match, maybe result would have been different. Instead we went with jaffer and yuvi based on form in india, which goes to show that depending on flat track bullies like yuvi will let you down in crucial moments thus costing you the chance for making history.

All said, if this match changes the trend of picking poor man's gilchrists - picking keeper for batting abilities - that will be a great service to cricket. Gilly was a one off - no point trying to keep inferior imitation gillys as keepers

VinodKumar's

6th January 2010, 12:04 PM

eppdiyavathu bajjiya ulla kondu vanthuraar plum ...

vazhaka bajjiyavathu pudikuma plum

Plum

6th January 2010, 12:09 PM

Australia - 77/8 :twisted: :lol:
They need about another 30-40 runs max to win this match. Unless rain intervenes and pak escape with a draw. Who knows 77 might be enough to down Pakistan :lol:

No more negative chatterjee bleddy :evil:

Thirumaran

6th January 2010, 12:27 PM

one of the heart breaking results, im atleast glad that we all supported pakis
Not sure about others but at least I always have a soft corner for Pakistanis as far as cricket is concerned.

nee manushan :thumbsup:

Movie Cop

7th January 2010, 02:05 AM

Pakistan in Australia 2009-10
Pakistan rush Sarfraz Ahmed to Australia
Cricinfo staff

January 6, 2010

http://www.cricinfo.com/ausvpak09/content/current/story/442834.html

Good move to put pressure on Karmam Akmal. :clap: However harsh, crazy and silly it may sound (in the middle of the tour) they should drop Akmal for the next couple of Test series to teach a lesson not just to him but also to the rest of Pakistani players on how much fielding is important in any form of cricket. Right from their Test debut since partition, fielding is one department where Pakistan has been consistently below par. :x

venkkiram

7th January 2010, 03:04 AM

இது போல ஒரு வாய்ப்பு பாகிஸ்தானுக்கு மறுபடியும் கிடைக்குமா என்பது சந்தேகமே.

இவனுங்க பெரும்பாலான நேரங்களில் இப்படித்தான். பந்தை Goal Post வரைக்கும் தள்ளிட்டு போவானுங்க. ஆன Goal மட்டும் போட மாட்டாய்ங்க!

Plum போலவே நானும் கணித்தேன். ஆனால் ஒருவேளை அப்படி ஏதாவது ஏடாகூடமா நடந்துவிட்டால் என்ன ஆவது என நினைத்து எழுதாமல் இருந்து விட்டேன். கடவுளால் கூட காப்பாற்ற முடியாது போலிருக்கிறது.

VinodKumar's

7th January 2010, 05:41 AM

Mohamaed Yosuf nethu thaan first time ah captain ah pathaen field la ....

avan Captain ah iruka varaikum team urupadathungo :happydance: :happydance:

Plum

7th January 2010, 05:46 AM

I'd bring in a keeper but drop misbah not kamraaan.

vanchi

7th January 2010, 10:33 PM

Aussies :clap:
bak :lol2:

Movie Cop

8th January 2010, 01:56 AM

Sourav

8th January 2010, 04:38 PM

waiting for the result... :P

Who will be the player of the decade?
We asked over 30 players (current and former), commentators, cricket writers and other insiders to pick their top three cricketers of the 2000s. Each No. 1 vote fetches a player three points; No. 2, two; No. 3, one. The results will be announced early in 2010. Meanwhile, a look at some of the contenders.
http://www.cricinfo.com/decadereview2009/content/story/440770.html

The Jury

* Jonathan Agnew, BBC cricket correspondent; Mushtaq Ahmed, former Pakistan legspinner; Sambit Bal, Cricinfo editor; Scyld Berry, editor, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack; Rahul Bhattacharya, writer; Harsha Bhogle, writer and TV presenter; Geoff Boycott, former England opener; Alex Brown, deputy editor, Cricinfo; John Buchanan, former Australia coach; Ian Chappell, former Australia captain; Tony Cozier, writer and commentator; Martin Crowe, former New Zealand captain; Peter English, Australasia editor, Cricinfo; Graham Gooch, former England captain; Tony Greig, former England captain, and commentator; Gideon Haigh, writer; Rob Houwing, chief writer for Sport24.co.za; Athar Ali Khan, former Bangladesh opener; Rashid Latif , former Pakistan wicketkeeper; Geoff Lawson, former Australia fast bowler; David Lloyd, former England coach; Ranjan Madugalle, ICC match referee; Pradeep Magazine , writer; Sanjay Manjrekar, writer and former India batsman; Neil Manthorp, broadcaster and writer; Ayaz Memon, writer; Suresh Menon, writer; Andrew Miller, UK editor, Cricinfo; Tom Moody, former Australia fast bowler, former Sri Lanka coach; Dileep Premachandran, associate editor, Cricinfo; Ramiz Raja, former Pakistan batsman; Mark Richardson, former New Zealand opener; Peter Roebuck, writer; Christian Ryan, former editor of Wisden Australia; Osman Samiuddin, Pakistan editor, Cricinfo; John Stern, editor of the Wisden Cricketer; Javagal Srinath, former India fast bowler; Daniel Vettori, New Zealand captain

Plum

8th January 2010, 04:54 PM

Looks like there are some divided thoughts within the Pakistani setup on whether or not to go after Akmal. IMO, they should get him. :twisted:

http://www.cricinfo.com/ausvpak09/content/current/story/442872.html

That is fine but I think he is a better bet as a pure batsman than Faisal Iqbal or Misbah. We should not lose sight of that - Pak need him as a batsman and if they can rid themselves of the notion that he can keep, he should compete with the Iqbals and Misbahs for a spot as a batsman.
I am not convinced that even Shoaib Malik is a better batsman than Kamran.

Movie Cop

8th January 2010, 11:49 PM

Movie Cop

9th January 2010, 12:18 AM

Interesting summary from Harsha Googly on the latest turn of events this last week.

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/442977.html

Indeed, this series would have been the perfect experiment for a one-day game played over two innings of 25 overs each. Both sides would have bowled in dry conditions and then both would have had to bear the brunt of the dew. And since, ideally, an innings must resume from the score at the break, the wet ball would probably have been used against lesser batsmen, thereby further minimising the effect of the dew.
In particular, a point to ponder about his thoughts above on the dismal Bangladesh tri-series currently underway which I can watch if only someone is ready to pay me US$100 per hour! :lol:

sathya_1979

9th January 2010, 03:35 PM

From Orkut:
Hansie Cronje (Former South African Player) went to upper world after death....

As he stood in front of Yamraj , he saw a huge wall of clocks behind. He asked, "What are all those clocks?"

Yamraj answered, "Those are Lie Clocks. Everyone on Earth has a Lie Clock.

Every time you lie, the hands on your clock will move."

"Oh," said Hansie, "Who's clock is that?"

"That's Gautam Buddha's. The hands have never moved indicating that he never told a lie."

"And whose clock is that?"

"That's Abraham Lincoln's clock. The hands have only moved twice, telling us that Abraham only told 2 lies in his entire life."

Hansie asked, "Where's Ricky's (Ricky Ponting) clock?"

Yamraj replied, "Ricky's clock is in my office, I'm using it as a ceiling fan"

sathya_1979

9th January 2010, 03:41 PM

One more - Sema song :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayCXFmv0NJ8

MADDY

9th January 2010, 04:58 PM

One more - Sema song :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayCXFmv0NJ8

:rotfl:

paavam paa ponting,,,,its not his mistake that people compare him with GOD of batting :D

VinodKumar's

9th January 2010, 10:31 PM

ajithfederer

10th January 2010, 02:39 AM

My Top Ten Moments of the Decade

10. SA chasing 434 (2006)

It is always a guilty pleasure to see Australia lose. What an initial assault by Ponting and matched to every run by Gibbs. SA for once didn't choke this time.

9. Ashes 2009:

England take sweet revenge after 2006 ashes loss. New found stars in Stuart broad, swann and onions. Strauss is forming a formidable unit in test's for England. Australia you better watch out for ashes 2010.

8. Dravid and Lax at it again but this time in Adelaide: (2003)

From 85-3 they reprise another Kolkatta 2001. Poor OZ's. Agarkar made a very useful contribution this time in the second innings.

7. India winning at Perth, 2008:

The Sydney gate had just happened. OZ's along with 2 other umpires have taken the second test away. This doesn't deny the fact that the tail couldn't bat longer. With a Stoicky tendulkar who made 71 and a defiant dravid who made 93 Indians post 330. The man of the match Irfan and RP singh do the bowling honors along with Laxman at second innings to seal a win at perth. This is the first win after the mighty windies did it in the 80's it seems.

6. CB Series Finals: (2008)

Two finals. Two very characterestically different innings backed up by some good bowling and fielding efforts. One man can rarely win the game so many times. A good and positive start to Dhoni and to the future of his team.

5. Tendulkar 175 in Hyderabad against Australia (2009)

Fantastic fantastic Innings. Only master possible. As usual a neat foul work done at the end.

4. India winning Border Gavaskar Trophy 2-0 in 2008.

Gambhir is a superstar in Indian cricket now. Ishanth Sharma has a well deserved MOS. The mantle is passed from Kumble to Dhoni. Australia are thoroughly outplayed.

3. Sachin Tendulkar vs Pakistan at Centurion, World cup 2003.

Facing a challenging target against the best seam bowlers in foreign conditions Tendulkar leads the chase to an almost brilliant 100 and a win for India. This is the second best tournament played by Sachin the first being Sharjah 1998.

2. Ashes 2005: The single best Test series ever :notworthy: . It should be even in one of the all time top test series-es ever contested. The series started with a statement by Mcgrath at Lord's followed by England's resurgence later in the second test. Ricky Ponting's 156 at Edgbaston(??) is one of the best Innings by any Test Team's Captain. He really held the innings together. This series had absolutely every drama that you could associate with Test cricket.

1. Lax and Wall bully Aus at Kolkatta : A simple embodiment of classy strokeplay by Laxman and fort knox worth solid defense by dravid. This is single handed-ly the main catalyst for India's wins both in home and abroad. Following on and then defeating steve waugh's men is no joke.

Honorable mentions: SA defeating Australia 2-1, India winning t20 at 2007, A test/odi series win in Pakistan in 2004, A Test/ODI Series win in NZL in 2009, Shewag smashing 195 in Melbourne and 309 in Multan, The IPL Invention and India winning a test series in England and so on. The list will be added/updated soon based on other memories.

VinodKumar's

10th January 2010, 02:43 AM

Good one AF :clap: :clap:

littlemaster1982

10th January 2010, 02:46 AM

You covered almost every important moment AF :clap:

ajithfederer

10th January 2010, 02:57 AM

Thanks Vinod and LM :). I will try to post a Test/ODI XI for this decade soon.

I don't think I covered almost everything. This was a tremendous decade if you are an OZ Fan. Two world cups and with some very convincing test streaks. This decade was more or less their's imo.

VinodKumar's

10th January 2010, 03:03 AM

AF why dont you open a thread to decide the best odi team and test team of the decade ...

work out aaguma :roll:

ajithfederer

10th January 2010, 03:09 AM

If we open a new thread I am not sure about the responses. Even the series threads don't run much in this section :oops:. I think we can use this thread as it is world cricket and it can be covered under the team of the decade discussions. Neenga enna nenaikuringa?.

VinodKumar's

10th January 2010, 03:19 AM

8-)

i had an idea to open this thread but already TFS la oru decade tread sothapitaen so i backed out :wink:

as u said response irukumanu therla ... neenga ungalutha ingayae post pannunga :D

Movie Cop

12th January 2010, 07:15 AM

ajithfederer

12th January 2010, 08:43 AM

Thanks MC :)

ajithfederer

12th January 2010, 08:45 AM

Performances of the decade I

Ricky rampages, Shoaib sizzles

One of the greatest Tests of the decade, four World Cup performances, a seven-for, and a blazing double feature in the first part of our performances of the decade

Dileep Premachandran
January 11, 2010

Adam Gilchrist congratulates VVS Laxman on his epic innings, India v Australia, 2nd Test, Kolkata, 4th day, March 14, 2001
Laxman: saved his best for Australia © AFP

Related Links
Decade review : Gilly and Baz go bonkers
Players/Officials: Andy Bichel | Chris Cairns | Rahul Dravid | Andrew Flintoff | Adam Gilchrist | Harbhajan Singh | Steve Harmison | Matthew Hayden | Inzamam-ul-Haq | VVS Laxman | Kevin Pietersen | Ricky Ponting | Shahid Afridi | Shoaib Akhtar | Andrew Symonds | Sachin Tendulkar

Teams: Australia | Bangladesh | England | India | New Zealand | Pakistan

Chris Cairns 102* v India
ICC KnockOut final, Nairobi, 2000
Despite a troublesome knee, Cairns had bowled the only maidens of the Indian innings and been his side's most economical bowler. When he came out to bat, New Zealand were abreast of the run-rate but losing wickets too quickly. When Roger Twose and Craig McMillan departed soon after, it was down to two old hands, Cairns and Chris Harris. They added 122 in steady rather than spectacular fashion before Harris was out with 11 still needed from nine balls. But Cairns kept his cool to bring up both his century and victory in the final over, finishing on 102 from 113 balls. A straight six off Sachin Tendulkar, and one into the car park off Anil Kumble, offered glimpses of his big-hitting potential, but by and large, this was an exercise in responsibility, one that secured a first-ever trophy on the world stage for his country.

VVS Laxman, 281 v Australia
second Test, Kolkata, 2001
This was the innings that halted a juggernaut that had won 16 Tests on the trot. Having scored a cultured 59 in a shambles of a first innings, Laxman was sent in at No. 3 as India followed on 274 in arrears. By the time he departed 631 minutes later, the match and series had been utterly transformed. He struck 44 boundaries along the way, none better than the inside-out drives through cover he hit off Shane Warne as he aimed at the leg-stump rough. The 376-run partnership with Rahul Dravid included 335 runs on the fourth day, when Australia's mighty attack was rendered utterly ineffective. It set the stage for a momentous victory, and was perhaps the first step on a journey that saw India take the No. 1 ranking in Tests at the end of the decade.

Harbhajan Singh, 7 for 133 and 8 for 84 v Australia
third Test, Chennai, 2001
He had gone for plenty on the opening day, when Matthew Hayden and Australia imposed their will on the deciding Test. It all changed with a moment's madness from Steve Waugh, who handled a ball that was spinning back toward the stumps. Ricky Ponting was stumped soon after, and from that point Harbhajan took 6 for 26 to wrap up the innings. Then, after Sachin Tendulkar and friends had managed to build a handy lead, he methodically set about the Australian batsmen again, taking the last six wickets to fall on his way to figures of 8 for 84. Not content with the 15-wicket haul, he then came out and struck the winning runs, squeezing a Glenn McGrath delivery past point.

Adam Gilchrist, 204* v South Africa
first Test, Johannesburg, 2002
When Steve Waugh was dismissed with the scoreboard showing 293 for 5, South Africa would have sensed an opportunity. Instead, their bowlers were subjected to the most horrifying indignities as Gilchrist and Damien Martyn pillaged 317 runs in just 62.1 overs. The afternoon session on the second day saw 190 being scored as Gilchrist started hitting fours and sixes for fun. One nearly hit an advertising hoarding offering a bar of gold to anyone that struck it. It was more than 100 yards away, but Gilchrist still went for it - and missed by about the width of the crease. No matter. He finished on 204 from just 213 balls. South Africa's challenge was over almost before it had begun.

Shoaib Akhtar, 3 for 51 and 5 for 21 v Australia
first Test, Colombo, 2002
After a luckless opening day, Shoaib had made his mark on the second, taking three wickets with turbocharged reverse swing as Australia lost their last five batsmen for just 10 runs. But it was on the third afternoon that he really came into his own. The stiflingly hot and humid conditions were hardly ideal for bowling fast in, and Australia had progressed steadily to 74 for 1, and a lead of 262, when he summoned up a spell for the ages. Ricky Ponting and Mark Waugh were bowled and Steve Waugh trapped leg-before in one frightening over, before Shoaib returned in the next to blow away Adam Gilchrist's stumps with a round-the-wicket yorker. When Shane Warne went leg-before, Shoaib had made it five wickets in 15 balls. Australia slid to 127 all out, and were left to rely on the excellence of their bowlers to save face.

Matthew Hayden, 119 v Pakistan
second Test, Sharjah, 2002
This is destined to be remembered as the match in which one man out-batted a team. Pakistan's batsmen produced two abject innings of 59 and 53 that lasted a total of 289 minutes. Hayden's vigil lasted more than seven hours. Though he was dropped twice, he was the only player to come to grips with the inhuman conditions - the mercury soared past 50 degrees Celsius. He may have reached his century with a six off Danish Kaneria, but this wasn't the belligerent Hayden who terrified bowlers for nearly a decade. It was like an oven out on the field, but it was Pakistan that ended up well and truly roasted.

World Cup, 2003 - Australia v England at Port Elizabeth, 2nd March 2003
Andy Bichel: a one-man band against England in the 2003 World Cup © Reuters

Andrew Symonds, 143* v Pakistan
World Cup, Johannesburg, 2003
Having left Steve Waugh out of the World Cup squad, Australia's preparations for their opening game were hit by the absence of Michael Bevan and Shane Warne's absence courtesy slimming tablets. When Symonds, ostensibly the man who kept Waugh out of the 30, came to bat, they were reeling at 86 for 4. He added 60 with Ricky Ponting, and then eased to a half-century from 60 balls before unveiling his full repertoire of bludgeoned strokes. Shahid Afridi was taken for four fours in an over as he cruised to a 92-ball maiden hundred, and Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis were both smashed for sixes. Symonds finished on 143 from just 125 balls. So much for missing Tugga.

Sachin Tendulkar, 98 v Pakistan
World Cup, Centurion, 2003
Even by India-Pakistan standards, this was the most eagerly awaited match in years. And when Saeed Anwar's century took Pakistan to a competitive total, it seemed as though India's charmed World Cup run against Pakistan might finally be over. Tendulkar, though, had other ideas. Long after the game, he would say that he hadn't slept for nearly a fortnight preceding it and Shoaib Akhtar's opening over saw Tendulkar make the most emphatic of statements: 18 runs came off it, including a six cut over third man and a gorgeous straight push down the ground. Reprieved on 32, he went on to 98 from just 75 balls before Shoaib returned to deny him a century. By then the asking rate was down to four, and Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh saw India home with time to spare.

Andy Bichel, 7 for 20 and 34* v England
World Cup, Port Elizabeth, 2003
When Ricky Ponting brought him on to bowl, England had 66 on the board from just nine overs. In less than an hour on a sluggish pitch that assisted seamers, Bichel had precipitated an English slide to 87 for 5. He returned later to mop up the tail and finish with 7 for 20. But Australia's batsmen found the going just as tough, and when Bichel came out at No. 10, victory was still 70 runs away. But with Michael Bevan playing the sort of innings he was famed for, they crept ever closer. James Anderson was given the penultimate over, with 14 still needed, and Bichel responded with a six and a four that sealed it with two balls to spare. His contribution was 34 from just 36 balls. Few Man-of-the-Match awards have been as easy to adjudicate. Nine days later, he and Bevan performed an encore against New Zealand.

Ricky Ponting, 140* v India
World Cup final, Johannesburg, 2003
The early damage had been done by the openers, with 105 on the board in 14 overs by the time Ponting arrived at the crease, and initially, he was content to let Damien Martyn seize the initiative, taking 74 balls for his half-century. Thereafter, India's bowling was pillaged. Harbhajan Singh's figures were ruined by two mighty heaves over midwicket, and Ashish Nehra then watched bemused as a one-handed cleave also cleared the rope. There were eight sixes in all as Australia piled on 109 in the final 10 overs. After taking just 29 balls for his second 50, Ponting then creamed 40 off the last 18 balls that he faced. India were down and very much out.

Graeme Smith, 259 v England
second Test, Lord's, 2003
The series had started with Smith being called Wotzisname by his counterpart. After his 277 in the draw at Edgbaston, no one was in any danger of forgetting who he was, but Smith reminded them anyway with another innings of stolid accumulation and power. Dropped by Nasser Hussain on 8, Smith shared century stands with Herschelle Gibbs and Boeta Dippenaar, and 257 for the second wicket with Gary Kirsten. In his 574 minutes at the crease, Smith passed 600 runs for the series and also Sir Donald Bradman's 254, the highest score ever made by a visiting batsman at Lord's. Whether it was biffing the ball through midwicket or bludgeoning it through the covers, it seemed as though he would go on and on. England lost by an innings.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, 138* v Bangladesh
third Test, Multan, 2003
Inzamam had gone into the series under a cloud, after a dismal showing at the World Cup. When Pakistan conceded a lead of 106 on a lightly grassed pitch that had something for the seamers, Test cricket's new boys had the whiff of success in their nostrils. But Inzamam, stolid and implacable, added 41 with Shabbir Ahmed and then 52 with Umar Gul as the fielders started to lose their nerve and make mistakes. Four runs when still needed when Gul departed, but after Yasir Ali, the 17-year-old debutant had survived four balls, Inzamam clipped one through the leg side to trigger a small pitch invasion from delirious home supporters. He had batted over five hours for his 138, on a wicket where only one other batsman went past 50.

Rahul Dravid, 233 and 72* v Australia
second Test, Adelaide, 2003
Less than three years after the Eden Gardens, the Indian batting's Simon and Garfunkel were at it again, adding 303 after they had slumped to 85 for 4. Dravid batted nearly 10 hours in the first innings to get India within range after Australia had stormed to 400 for 5 on the opening day. But he wasn't finished. Faced with a tricky fourth-innings chase on a pitch known to deteriorate suddenly, he had his moment of fortune when an edge off Brad Williams was grassed behind the stumps. He finished with an unbeaten 72 as India clinched their first win on Australian soil in nearly 23 years. By then he had spent 835 minutes at the crease over four days, for 305 runs. The ANZAC diggers would have approved.

Steve Harmison, 7 for 12 v West Indies
first Test, Sabina Park, 2004
At stumps on the third day, few could have predicted what would happen next. West Indies were 20 behind, but with all 10 second-innings wickets standing. The fun started in the fifth over the next morning. Chris Gayle slashed one hard into the slip cordon, and Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul failed to bother the scorers. With Matthew Hoggard nailing Brian Lara from the other end, West Indies slid to a humiliating 47 all out. Harmison's spell wasn't even his quickest of the tour, but he pitched the ball up and the pitch and the batsmen did the rest. The 75 balls he bowled cost him just 12 runs. After the seven wickets, the ghosts of Trinidad and 46 all out, courtesy Curtly Ambrose, were at least partially laid to rest.
Harmison celebrates England's first wicket
Steve Harmison: pitched the ball up and let the pitch and the batsmen do the rest © Getty Images

Matthew Hoggard, 5 for 144 and 7 for 61 v South Africa
fourth Test, Wanderers, 2005
Hoggard had toiled with his usual diligence for five first-innings wickets, but South Africa still finished eight runs ahead. After a monumental 180 from Marcus Trescothick, the hosts needed 325 for victory. More realistically, they needed to bat out two sessions for the draw. Soon, it was 18 for 3, with Jacques Kallis edging the first ball he faced to slip. With plenty of cloud cover, he was soon shaping the ball both ways and benefiting from the uneven bounce on a fifth-day pitch. Gibbs flailed away for 98 and Graeme Smith ignored medical advice to come out and compile a bloody-minded 67, but when Dale Steyn edged Hoggard behind just before the clock struck six, England had their first win at the Wanderers in nearly half a century. Another few minutes, and bad light would have stopped play. Hoggard's contribution? A mere 7 for 61.

Shahid Afridi, 102 v India
fifth ODI, Kanpur, 2005
The target was 250 and after two quiet overs Afridi got to work, clipping L Balaji off the pads for a six and a four. Six more down to long-off, followed by the unkindest of cuts for four. Enter Anil Kumble. Full toss slugged for six, and then a fetch from outside off stump that cleared the rope at midwicket. Kumble goes round the wicket. Over mid-off for four. Twinkle toes and a heave for six. A half-century from 20 balls, and a final tally of 102 from 46. In the 15th over, Pakistan's score was 131. They won with nearly eight overs to spare.

Dileep Premachandran is an associate editor at Cricinfo

http://www.cricinfo.com/decadereview2009/content/story/443333.html
[tscii:3cdd26f4c5][/tscii:3cdd26f4c5]

Movie Cop

12th January 2010, 10:48 PM

Intikhab says Sarfraz will play
Osman Samiuddin in Hobart
January 12, 2010

http://www.cricinfo.com/ausvpak09/content/current/story/443664.html

Kood decision. Court is adjourned-nu solli escapist route edupaingalonu bayandein. Looks like they have already decided to pass the judgement to Kamran however short term it is. 8-)
At Test cricket level, whoever you might be, you just can't drop catches one too many within the same day/session. Do so at your own peril should be the message. Hope this temporary axing will help Kamran rehabilitate as a wicket keeper. 8-)

ajithfederer

13th January 2010, 09:03 PM

http://www.cricinfo.com/ausvpak09/content/current/story/443748.html

Akmal dropped!!

Plum

13th January 2010, 09:43 PM

I wouldn't be surprised if pakistan collapse in batting in the 3rd test and end up wishing they had akmal the batsman. He deserves a place over misbah as batsman

ajithfederer

14th January 2010, 05:57 AM

8.4

Mohammad Asif to Ponting, 1 run, dropped, short ball, hooked high out to the deep, straight down the throat of Aamer at long leg who puts down a sitter

:fatigue:

Movie Cop

14th January 2010, 06:26 AM

Looks like Pakistan is not learning. :huh: To be realistic enough to them, they really got to go back to the basics, as a team, as far as fielding is concerned. :sigh2:
Tactical blunders not withstanding, Mohd Yousuf seems to be too nice/soft a human to be a captain. If looks can kill, Imran Khan would have stared the fielder to death.

Imran Khan himself was a sloppy fielder, is besides the point. :oops:

Kalyasi

14th January 2010, 07:12 AM

3 wickets down... Aus 80/3 @ lunch even after Ponting being put down a couple of times..

Plum

14th January 2010, 08:52 AM

How many catches will pak drop? They have now given a century to ponting. His resurrectiobwill start from this test. Will not be long before marquessees, baums, cricinfos start taunting that he is better than sachin.

Kalyasi

14th January 2010, 09:44 AM

Hayyayo Ponting Century adichuruvaan pola irukke....

innum 16 runs thaan theva...

Bagisthaan down down... seekarom Ponting a out aaakara Baagisthan bowlerukku Marina Beach il silai vaikka padum!!

Dinesh84

14th January 2010, 09:51 AM

6.6
Mohammad Asif to Katich, OUT, lbw appeal, good length delivery strikes Katich on the knee-roll, there's a prolonged shout for lbw, Asoka de Silva gives it some thought before turning it down with a shake of his head. The Pakistanis, after conferring amongst themselves, then call for a referral which shows the ball is hitting middle and leg, sending Katich on his way.

:evil: To Asoka de Silva : "unna intha velaiki thappa eduthurukanga.."

P_R

14th January 2010, 10:02 AM

Blum, ungaL mElaana gavanaththiRku

http://www.cricinfo.com/decadereview2009/content/current/story/443957.html

Plum

14th January 2010, 10:09 AM

Feeyaar, good link
Ian Chappell said
"His ability to survive difficult periods and counter attack"

:rotfl3:
Durby-ai paarthAlE p**ing in his pants, was rtp? When faced with durby's offspin, which has been comfy for every other team, rtp failed miserably. Contrast with sachin, who scored that 241 when out of form. Rtp has always been about maximising good form, luck and favourable conditions. Only chappell and cricinfo will say such funny stuff ;rotfl:

Movie Cop

14th January 2010, 10:20 AM

If Ricky Faanting would have played Test cricket during the 70's and 80's (in the era of Gavaskar/Richards), I would bet he would have finished his Test career with an average of somewhere around the early 40's (at best). But then besides Faanting that would have applied to majority of the modern day leading run scoring batsmen.

But unfortunately my statement is just hypothetical hence we have to listen to the likes of Ian Saepal and Tony Kireg. :(

Kalyasi

14th January 2010, 10:23 AM

Saniyan Senjury adichuruchu... 39th a??
:banghead:

Movie Cop

14th January 2010, 12:47 PM

Day 1: Aussies - 302/3 (Faanting 137* and his Clerk is 111*)
Fakistan bracing themselves for third consecutive "white wash" down under :shaking:

Plum

14th January 2010, 01:19 PM

Pak :hammer:

Andha seppal brother remba pesuvaane ippo...
Ore matchula ponting's average is estored :-(

Aalavanthan

14th January 2010, 04:22 PM

watched the highlights this morning.. Captain again has to be blamed here.. Lunch varaikum it was all pace attack and Aussies lost wickets at regular interval.

Post lunch.. thaanai thalaivar Dinesh kannayiraa vandhaar.. and Pak went wicketless for the whole of the session and thereafter..

I thought if Yousuf had continued with his pace attack post lunch, we would have seen a different Ponting/Australia.

The first session belonged to Pak and the rest to Australia thats why we have 303/3 on board instead of 380/3 ..

Yousuf ku oru :hammer:

Aalavanthan

14th January 2010, 04:24 PM

Seppal-a vidunga plum.. Indha Taylor vaaya mudhalla taylor-a vecchi thaikkanum.. ennamaa pesaraan.. Japanla jackie chan kooptaaga, Americala Michael Jackson kooptaaga ..

and Ponting is nearing Tendulkar's record of most centuries :oops:

Sachinnn... two more hundreds against BAN is much needed

RGowtham

14th January 2010, 05:02 PM

ajithfederer

14th January 2010, 08:58 PM

பாகிஸ்தான் - அருமை அபாரம் அட்டகாசம். பாண்டிங் மேக் 250 ரன்ஸ் ப்ளீஸ்.

Vivasaayi

14th January 2010, 08:59 PM

பாகிஸ்தான் - அருமை அபாரம் அட்டகாசம்

:lol:

Vivasaayi

14th January 2010, 08:59 PM

South African tour la test match undha?

Dinesh84

14th January 2010, 09:05 PM

thaanai thalaivar Dinesh kannayiraa vandhaar.. :evil:

ajithfederer

14th January 2010, 09:06 PM

ஆமாம் உண்டு

இரண்டு டெஸ்ட் மேட்ச் மற்றும் மூன்று ஒடிஐ மேட்ச்.

South African tour la test match undha?

Vivasaayi

14th January 2010, 09:13 PM

Great!

ஆமாம் உண்டு

இரண்டு டெஸ்ட் மேட்ச் மற்றும் மூன்று ஒடிஐ மேட்ச்.

South African tour la test match undha?

ajithfederer

14th January 2010, 10:46 PM

Pakistan have dropped 14 catches in this series. There are still a maximum of four days left and many batsmen to give lives to so the number could rise. In New Zealand before this affair they dropped, conservatively, 10 catches, in three matches which means that by the time this Test comes to an end, they will have missed on average four per match over the course of their Australasian adventure.

So far the 14 fluffed chances in Australia have cost them over 550 runs; what cost there has been in morale, mood and momentum nobody can put a number on. All catches are crucial but some more than others. Of all the batsmen in the world, the one not to drop when on 0, in uncertain form and at an advanced age, is Ricky Ponting. Pakistan were fully on top when Ponting pulled again, this time straight to Mohammad Aamer, only for him to drop one of the simplest offerings likely to come his way. It changed the day.

http://www.cricinfo.com/ausvpak09/content/current/story/443996.html

Movie Cop

15th January 2010, 12:22 AM

Seppal-a vidunga plum.. Indha Taylor vaaya mudhalla taylor-a vecchi thaikkanum.. ennamaa pesaraan.. Japanla jackie chan kooptaaga, Americala Michael Jackson kooptaaga ..
:lol:

Channel 9 crew oda future-uhh nenachu paarkave remba kastama irrukku. :( Richie Benaud is too old that he might quite commentary anytime. Remba thudipaana Tailor thambi maadhiri youngters kitta mike-uhh koduthu, poruppa oppadaichu, channel 9 padum paadu... :shaking:

Bala (Karthik)

15th January 2010, 12:29 AM

Channel 9 commentary over the subcontinent team (incl overseas splsts) any day

Kalyasi

15th January 2010, 04:11 AM

Channel 9 commentary over the subcontinent team (incl overseas splsts) any day

Future remba mosam nga... Taylor laam Ranjit Fernando maadri irukaan... poga poga remba mosama thaan irukum nu nenaikaren...

Aalavanthan

15th January 2010, 05:55 AM

This year's Richie Benaud's farewell year .. I think it has already been announced.. So we have all the aasthaana Aussie Jaalra (obviously/naturally/fundamentally) team

Mark Taylor (Ponting ching chanked him, and now vice versa)
Bill "dear O dear" Lawry (havent seen him in this series yet)
Ian Healy
Tony Greig (somewhat non-aussie jaalra)
Michael Slater (the newcomer compared to others)
Mark Nicholas

Aalavanthan

15th January 2010, 05:56 AM

330/3

Watching the match right now.. As ponting reached 150 Mark Nicholas reckons Ponting is hungry to surpass his highest of 257 on his home soil..

Aalavanthan

15th January 2010, 05:58 AM

Panicstan in the making already :oops:

Movie Cop

15th January 2010, 06:36 AM

330/3

Watching the match right now.. As ponting reached 150 Mark Nicholas reckons Ponting is hungry to surpass his highest of 257 on his home soil..
Faanting was a failure in last 3 tests. Adhu ellaathaiyum balance seiya, home ground-la triple century not out adikaporaapla! :shaking: Avaroda clerk-um double century adika poraapla.

Kalyasi

15th January 2010, 08:20 AM

Faanting 204*.... ithukaagave inniku naa unna viratham irukka poren.... I yaam hugely disappointed..

ajithfederer

15th January 2010, 08:47 AM

Ponting out :cry:

Plum

15th January 2010, 10:25 AM

Kalyasi, idhukellaam bayandhA? Ninga todandhu prickanukku soonyam veiyunga.

Plum

15th January 2010, 10:26 AM

Hopefully there will be an innings defeat to avoid a ponting big score. In second innings

Plum

16th January 2010, 12:14 AM

http://www.cricinfo.com/rsaveng09/content/current/story/444322.html

Third Umpire mEla complaint kudukkalAmA? namma Sydneyla paNNi irukalAmE
Enna irundhAlum system-ai thangalukku saadhagama payan paduthavadhil England and Australiavai minja mudiyaadhu
(this applies whether injustice was done to them or not - they'll make it sound like they are right! indha technique-yum kathukittu BCCI arAjagam paNNanum. appO dhAn arAjagam pandradhkku oru artham irkkum :lol: )

tamizharasan

16th January 2010, 03:03 AM

Ponting Player of the decade.

http://www.cricinfo.com/decadereview2009/content/story/443957.html

Plum

16th January 2010, 11:10 AM

Bleddy Pak. If they have to lose, why can't they lose by an innings?
Why give another 100+ score to Ponting, or atleast 50+, or atleast 10+?
It's not as if he's going to get out for less than 10 today, is it?
Pak - nInga aus tour pOgalainu yaarru azhudhA?

Kalyasi

16th January 2010, 01:53 PM

ajithfederer

16th January 2010, 10:01 PM

Watched the highlights just for Ponting's drop catch by aamer. He had to move no where the ball was coming directly to him. I mean not even an inch. The commentary was by Tony Greig, slater and Mark Nicholas (??). The ploy worked very well as asif's short pitch ball got ponting in an awkward position as he tried to hook and it went to straight to him. I mean It can't be any more easy and he drops a gulabjamun. Ponting was Zero then. The Look on Asif's face was priceless.

Tony Greig: That is just unbelievable.
Slater : That is rubbish
Mark Nicholas: It's the story of this tour, right there.

http://cricket-online.tv/pakistan-vs-australia-3rd-test-day-1-highlights-hobart/

Watch from 8:35.

Plum

16th January 2010, 10:36 PM

ivan romba pEsarAnkA! (http://www.cricinfo.com/bdeshvind2010/content/current/story/444422.html)

innum konja nALla nejamAvE virumandi-la Jail interview-la varrA maadhiri blunt-A kodukka pOrAn :lol:

Kalyasi

17th January 2010, 07:55 AM

Happada Ponting 89 ku out...

Plum

17th January 2010, 12:15 PM

Kalyasi, enna habbAdA
Before this match, Ponting's Season Average theriyumA?
216 runs/8 Innings, Avg =27.00
After the match
514 runs/10 Innings, Avg = 51.40 :-(
Bleddy Paks, orE matchla aNNanOda average-ai thUkkittainga.
(Yeah. I am keeping that close a watch on Ponting :lol:)

Movie Cop

17th January 2010, 01:23 PM

I was about to post this regarding the average boost stuff but you came up with finer details. Goyala! Last match-la Faanting season average-uhh recover panitaaru! :sigh2:
Teknickally, thambiku seaming wicket, turning wicket ellam baetting panna varaadhu :lol2:
Thambi oda strength pull shots thaan... Indhe Aussie summer-le, thambikku adhuleyum oru weakness irukkunu kandu pidhuchitaainge :lol2:

Kalyasi

17th January 2010, 04:01 PM

naa happada sonnathu innoru century ya thaduthathukku!! Ore Tensanappa avan out aagarathukulla!!

Plum

18th January 2010, 02:14 AM

Oh england whipped? Great result for world cricket.
South Africa really didn't play well in the first 3 tests. In that sense an underwhelming series. Hope viru's team loses to bnagladesh similarly. Would that make it a good series to watch? Msd vandhu second testla save paNNarunna the script will be perfect.

Aalavanthan

18th January 2010, 05:34 PM

Cook to captain in Bangladesh Tests (http://www.cricinfo.com/bdeshveng2010/content/current/story/444883.html)

Cook-aa :frightened:

ajithfederer

23rd January 2010, 02:39 AM

Sachin steady, Punter falters

Ricky Ponting seems to be losing out to Sachin Tendulkar in their battle to become the greatest Test batsman of the modern era!
The older and more experienced of modern cricket’s batting giants has, over the past 18 months, increased his cushion even as his Australian rival has had a torrid time.

While Tendulkar has been steady, Ponting’s form was in tailspin
before he resurrected it with the double hundred at Hobart last week.

Tendulkar replied with his unbeaten 105 against Bangladesh on Monday — his 44th in Tests.

Tendulkar, now, has five more centuries than Ponting.
Overall, Tendulkar has now scored 44 tons in 266 innings, while Ponting has 39 in 240. That translates to a century every 6.05 innings for Tendulkar, while Ponting reaches the three-figure mark after 6.15 innings.

Hardly anything separates them then!

However, over the past year-and-a-half and in the last 25 Tests, it has been a different story. The Indian maestro has gained at the expense of Ponting’s lack of form.

Tendulkar has hit five centuries in 24 innings over the past one-and-a-half years, but Ponting has managed just four in 41. That means Tendulkar scored a century every 4.80 innings while Ponting has reached three-figures after every 10.25 innings.

Tendulkar also is way ahead if one glances at their figures over the last 25 Tests. Tendulkar hit seven centuries in 44 innings (6.82 innings per hundred), while Ponting has just four in 45 (11.25 innings per hundred).

Ponting has felt the strain of becoming the first Australian skipper to lose two Ashes series in England. He also has had to nurture a squad which is in a transitional phase.

Ponting went without scoring a century in nine Test matches and 16 innings before he made his double hundred last week.
Before his 209 on Thursday, Ponting had last made a century (150) against England at Cardiff on July 8.

After decimating England with a masterful century in the Champions Trophy semifinal in October, Ricky Ponting, who entered the 12,000-run club in ODIs was asked what he thought of Sachin Tendulkar’s records.

“He has set benchmarks for guys like me to chase him and get as close as we can. If I had to last 20 years, I would probably be batting in a wheelchair,” Ponting said jokingly. It could well be a stark reality.

However, the good news for Ponting is that if it is presumed that both of them play 200 Tests each and continue to score centuries at their career rate (Tendulkar 6.05/Ponting 6.15) then Ponting will end up with 58 just pipping Tendulkar who will have 56.

http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_sachin-steady-punter-falters_1336440

P.S: I can never forget Aamer dropping a sitter to help ponting salvage his scoring. [tscii:da48fa1966][/tscii:da48fa1966]

littlemaster1982

23rd January 2010, 03:12 AM

P.S: I can never forget Aamer dropping a sitter to help ponting salvage his scoring.

I'm still unable to digest it :evil:

ajithfederer

23rd January 2010, 03:24 AM

Even now I watched that drop catch. :sigh2:.

P.S: I can never forget Aamer dropping a sitter to help ponting salvage his scoring.

I'm still unable to digest it :evil:

littlemaster1982

23rd January 2010, 03:42 AM

Try watching the highlights of Aus vs Pak ODI. Seems like Aamer made Ponting jump around as if his tail was in fire :lol:

ajithfederer

23rd January 2010, 04:00 AM

Oh ok will try to watch it lm.

Kalyasi

23rd January 2010, 10:05 AM

U-19 WC... Ind Vs Pak QF (23 over game)

India were put in by Pak

India Made 114/9

Pak in reply are 11/2 in 4 overs...

Namma team sinna pasanga arputhama panthu podaraanga pa...

Kalyasi

23rd January 2010, 10:16 AM

Pak 16/3 in 6.2 overs...

Plum

23rd January 2010, 10:32 AM

P.S: I can never forget Aamer dropping a sitter to help ponting salvage his scoring.

I'm still unable to digest it :evil:
idhu enna mudhal muraiyA? How many poor fielding efforts by opposition for Ponting, as compared to super-human(Bacher, Rhodes etc) for Tendulkar. Not to mention the Bucknors and Harpers giving shoulder before wicket etc whereas Ponting lbw in Australia is almost unthinkable.

Kalyasi

23rd January 2010, 11:14 AM

Pak U-19 require 25 runs from 3 overs with 5 wickets in hand...

Kalyasi

23rd January 2010, 11:17 AM

18 required from 14 balls with 4 wickets in hand...

Kalyasi

23rd January 2010, 11:19 AM

16 of 12

Kalyasi

23rd January 2010, 11:21 AM

14 of 11

Kalyasi

23rd January 2010, 11:21 AM

10 of 10

Kalyasi

23rd January 2010, 11:23 AM

10 of 9 and a wicket... 3 wickets remain...

Kalyasi

23rd January 2010, 11:25 AM

6 of 8...

Kalyasi

23rd January 2010, 11:27 AM

5 of 7

Kalyasi

23rd January 2010, 11:27 AM

4 of 6

Kalyasi

23rd January 2010, 11:32 AM

2 of 4... one more wicket down..

Kalyasi

23rd January 2010, 11:34 AM

Pak Win...

Dinesh84

23rd January 2010, 11:51 AM

:( neraya neraya catches vittutanga.. Sandeep and Unadkat really bowled well at the begining..

Defending sambians knocked out :|

19thmay

23rd January 2010, 03:42 PM

Saurabh Netravalkar bowled extremely well. Great line, superb spell. We can expect him soon in the Indian team. :yes:

Though Sandeep bowled well, all his 27 balls are inswingers,variety-ey kaatala, paakuradhuku vera Munaf maadhriye irrukaan.

Though Pakistan won this game, to me Indians played more sensibly, couple of bad overs, we lost the track.

ajithfederer

24th January 2010, 07:11 PM

In the past five years, in fact, Sri Lanka and India have been involved in over 50 contests - nine Tests, 39 ODIs and three Twenty20s.

:shock: :fatigue:

Another Ind - srl series (http://www.cricinfo.com/srilanka/content/current/story/445567.html)

19thmay

25th January 2010, 11:47 AM

Pakistan U-19 into the finals. WI U-19 missed a good chance from 35/3 they could have easily won this match. :x

ajithfederer

28th January 2010, 11:44 PM

[tscii:bbf3242df5]Ill-conceived underestimations
Virender Sehwag's disparaging remarks about Bangladesh came back to haunt him. A look at this and other instances of statements that went horribly wrong

Sahil Dutta and Liam Brickhill

January 28, 2010

Comments: 7 | Text size: A | A
Virender Sehwag's remarks about Bangladesh will have won him no fans in that country © Associated Press

Related LinksPlayers/Officials: Aamer Sohail | David Gower | Tony Greig | Nasser Hussain | Brian Lara | David Lloyd | Glenn McGrath | Ricky Ponting | Virender Sehwag | Graeme Smith | Graeme Swann | Michael Vaughan

Virender Sehwag - Ordinary side
Virender Sehwag's confidence is unwavering, and he was in typical gung-ho mood in the press conference that preceded the first Test of India's tour to Bangladesh. He declared that his hosts "can surprise other teams in one-dayers but not in Test cricket. They are an ordinary side in Tests." Sehwag's Australian-like pre-match vitriol came back to bite him almost immediately. At the close of day one in Chittagong, India were floundering on 213 for 8, and every pundit in the country was lining up to have a pop. Sehwag had the last laugh though, as India fought back to win the Test.

Tony Greig - Grovel
Perhaps the most infamous case of a pre-series gaffe, Tony Greig's decision to tell BBC's Sportsnight exactly what he thought of the touring West Indians on the eve of their series in England soon backfired spectacularly and publicly. "I'm not really sure they're as good as everyone thinks," Greig said. "These guys, if they get on top they are magnificent cricketers. But if they're down, they grovel, and I intend, with the help of Closey [Brian Close] and a few others, to make them grovel." With West Indies firmly in control after the first four Tests, his comments had galvanised not only the opposition but also the tens of thousands of West Indians in London who flooded The Oval during the fifth Test like a crowd at an execution. As West Indies forced the point home in the heat of the final afternoon, Greig slowly walked towards the open stands on the Harleyford Road side of the ground and sunk to his knees, grovelling to the crowd. "I realise that I made a mistake in using that word at the start of the series and they haven't let me forget it," he told the press that night.

Nasser Hussain - There for the taking
Following a disastrous Ashes campaign in Australia and a premature exit from the World Cup, Nasser Hussain started the 2003 English season under scrutiny. He was soon branded 'selfish' by some quarters of the media after publicly declaring his ambition to play 100 Tests and lead England a record-breaking number of times. This pressure was ramped up by Hussain's successor as one-day captain, Michael Vaughan, steering England to an impressive victory in the one-day triangular tournament that preceded the Test series against South Africa. Then, in an interview before the opening Test, Hussain reckoned South Africa were "there for the taking" and derisively referred to opposite number as "Wottisname". Come the game at Edgbaston, Graeme Smith found a way to remind him, 277 times, as his crushing double-hundred brought the end to Hussain's reign.

Aamer Sohail - Go fetch!
An India v Pakistan contest in the knockout stages of a international tournament was never going to be quiet. The showpiece fixture of the 1996 Wold Cup at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore had crescendoed into a feverish atmosphere. Pakistan's openers, Aamer Sohail and Saeed Anwar, had ambushed the momentum generated by Ajay Jadeja's late-innings charge, by thumping 84 in ten overs of sizzling strokeplay. Having slashed a boundary to bring up his fifty, Sohail charged up to the bowler Venkatesh Prasad and pointed to the fence where the ball had flown, telling him to 'go fetch!' The next ball Prasad uprooted his off stump, the crowd exploded and Pakistan soon collapsed. With the match there for the taking, Sohail's hot-head had got the better of him and cost his team a place in the World Cup semi-final.

Graeme Swann - Pink Ferraris
"If I get £300,000 after tax then I'd buy a bright pink Ferrari with it," quipped Graeme Swann. But with the worldwide recession in the headlines, captain Kevin Pietersen cautioned: "I respect everything that's happening in the world at the moment. I've got friends who are struggling, people who have lost their jobs and stuff, and there's no way I want anyone to carry on like a clown." Yet his statesman-like call for sensitivity was a waste of breath as England turned up for the 'Stanford Twenty20 for $20m' dreaming of riches before leaving with nothing. The batsmen were in generous mood, playing like millionaires and giving their wickets away with carefree abandon. England met a disciplined, talented and hugely motivated Stanford Superstars XI and were duly thumped by ten wickets. Chris Gayle is rarely one to reveal much emotion but after the match he admitted: "I've been really, really stressed out [and that the win] is better than anything in the world."

David Gower - When a gloat is not a gloat
David Gower's languid elegance with the bat and eloquence with his words often came back to haunt him. On occasions, such as his leg-side waft on the stroke of lunch of the 1991 Adelaide Ashes Test, he was fully to blame. Yet there were times when he wasn't. After leading England to an Ashes triumph in 1985, he responded to a journalist's question about the forthcoming tour of the West Indies, the undisputed heavyweights of the world game. Gower, with tongue firmly in cheek, declared "I'm sure they'll be quaking in their boots". Predictably England were mauled 5-0 for their second successive 'blackwash' series, and Gower was roundly lampooned for the remark.

Michael Vaughan - Massive Pads
You would have thought England captains would have learnt better than to sledge Graeme Smith. But tucked away safely in the commentary box during England's tour of South Africa in 2009-10, Michael Vaughan couldn't resist a little pop at the South African leader who'd seen the back of Vaughan one year before. He reckoned England had "nothing to fear from the South Africans" and that captain Graeme Smith had "massive pads" - ie, he was ripe for a lbw dismissal. Smith didn't respond directly but finished the series the highest scorer on either side, with 427 runs at 61.00. In his seven dismissals in the series he was out lbw just once.

Tony Greig was the only one left grovelling after the Test © The Sun

Glenn McGrath - Five-nil
Glenn McGrath was never one to stand down from a pre-series verbal jousting match, and his prediction before the 2005 Ashes series of a 5-0 whitewash for Australia surprised very few. McGrath even went so far as to claim he would return to Australia by boat if England managed to somehow win their first Ashes series in 18 years. After his match-winning performance in the first Test at Lord's, things seemed to be going just the way he had predicted. But his ankle injury before the second Test at Edgbaston, and subsequent elbow trouble, reduced McGrath's potency and, despite Shane Warne's superhuman efforts, England took the edge in a thrilling series to prevail 2-1. However, this did not dissuade him from making a similar 5-0 prediction for the next Ashes series, in Australia in 2006-07 which, in the event, turned out to be true.

David Lloyd - We flippin' murdered 'em
England were the only country to vote against Zimbabwe's bid to gain full Test status and this perceived slight, as well as the colonial history between the two countries, meant that the Zimbabweans needed little to motivate themselves on England's first senior tour of the country. After a see-sawing first four days in the first Test at Bulawayo, England were set 205 to win in 37 overs on the final afternoon. Desperate bowling tactics by the Zimbabweans set up an extremely tight finish and, with Nick Knight run out attempting to scamper through for the winning runs, for the first time ever a drawn Test had finished with the scores level. David Lloyd, England's coach, was incensed by Zimbabwe's tactics and made his feelings known at the end of the match, famously claiming "we flippin' murdered 'em". It was not long before the remark came back to haunt him as, backed up by baying crowds, Zimbabwe demolished England in the one-day series which followed. "People have made comparisons between my 'murdered 'em' comment and Tony Greig's 'grovel'," Lloyd later admitted. "Sometimes you say things you regret and you just have to live with the consequences."

Ricky Ponting - Ankle-biters' revenge
The regularity with which the major cricketing nations bash the minnows into submission belies the fact that these games do, once in a while, serve up a surprise result with slip-ups on the big stage of an international tournament being all the more embarrassing. Such was the case in Australia's first game of the World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007. Appearing distinctly under-cooked, Australia scrapped their way to 138 for 9 against Zimbabwe's medium-pacers. Amid scenes of jubilation from his team-mates, Brendan Taylor's perfectly-paced unbeaten 60 saw Zimbabwe home in the final over while the Australians seemed scarcely able to believe what had befallen them. But there was a feeling that Australia had this coming as their attitude towards Twenty20 had verged on the indifferent from the format's very inception, and at the end Ricky Ponting tellingly said "we've got to start respecting the game a bit more". He admitted he was embarrassed by the result adding that there "would be many Australians back home feeling the same way".

Brian Lara - West Indies World Cup disarray
Sometimes, actions speak louder than words. Brian Lara's conduct at the crease during West Indies' World Cup game against Kenya in Pune gave a good idea both of the legendary batsman's attitude towards Kenya's bowlers and the extent to which the once great West Indian team had disintegrated. After bundling Kenya out for 166, West Indies lost two early wickets but were still in a strong position. Sensible batting was all that was needed to complete the expected win, but Lara proceeded to throw his bat around as if he were in the nets, swishing at everything and almost being run out before he had faced ten balls. He gave his 11th, an innocuous looking delivery from Rajab Ali, the same treatment but succeeded only in edging it through to 'keeper Tariq Iqbal. Short, stout and bespectacled, Iqbal was not a natural behind the stumps but he managed to cling, somehow, onto the chance offered by Lara. The Kenyans, delirious with excitement, ran through the rest of the West Indian batting order to complete one of the biggest upsets in cricket history.
Sahil Dutta and Liam Brickhill are assistant editors of Cricinfo

Feeds: Sahil Dutta

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/446008.html[/tscii:bbf3242df5]

vanchi

30th January 2010, 09:31 PM

u19 world cup

aussie defeat pak :clap:

Sourav

1st February 2010, 03:24 PM

Hussey topples Dhoni from ODI batsman top spot

Dubai, Feb 1 (PTI) Australian middle-order batsman Michael Hussey dethroned Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni from the top spot in the ICC ODI batsmen chart updated today.

Hussey, whose 46-ball 40 was instrumental in Australia's win in the fifth ODI against Pakistan yesterday in Perth, has 825 rating points, three more than Dhoni who also had a good show in the recent tri-series in Bangladesh.

Sachin Tendulkar (at seventh), who skipped the Bangladesh tri-series, and Virender Sehwag (at ninth) are the other Indian batsmen in the top 10 with 723 and 702 points respectively.

Yuvraj Singh (12th), Gautam Gambhir (19th) and Suresh Raina (20th) make it to the top 20. Bangladesh tri-series top-scorer Virat Kohli is at 21st.

Among the bowlers, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is the only Indian in the top 10 at sixth. Pacer Zaheer Khan is the next highest ranked Indian at 21st.

//
Dhoni... 1 yr-ku mela no-1-la irunthanlla? great...[tscii:d7a0d5520b][/tscii:d7a0d5520b]

Movie Cop

4th February 2010, 07:23 AM

Interview Link (both video & transcript) with Hyderabadi stylist - VVS! 8-)
Being in the twilight of his career, hope the graceful batsman scores a big one against the visiting South Africans. That would be a real treat for the eyes, I say. 8-)

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/446525.html

VinodKumar's

4th February 2010, 09:39 AM

Dinesh84

5th February 2010, 11:49 AM

Bangladesh tour of New Zealand, 1st ODI at Napier

New Zealand 336/9 (50 overs) Oram 83 (40 balls)

Bangladesh 82/1 (13.4 overs)

Plum

9th February 2010, 06:38 PM

[url=http://www.cricinfo.com/2010iccwt20/engine/current/match/439495.html]Pakistan thEigiradhu, Afghanistan vaLargiradu[/quote]
Afghan beat Ireland,which is probably a comment on the level of Cricket just below top level. But credit to the Afghanis for reaching this level so quickly

Aalavanthan

10th February 2010, 08:56 PM

Afghanistan secure second win (http://www.cricinfo.com/2010iccwt20/content/current/story/447735.html)

Plum FYI They beat the ODI playing nation Scott this time

Aalavanthan

19th February 2010, 09:07 PM

England v Pakistan.. 1st T20 in Dubai today..

Pakistan batting first scored 129 runs.. and our own Mr. Aamir Sohail is complaining about how bad they played and giving us LKG lecture on what has happened..

129, is what Pakistan had scored, their second lowest score in T20 as far as Pakistan is concerned, their batting was made hard by some good bowling from England - epadi thaan full stop illaama Thiru Aamir pesugiraaro

Aalavanthan

19th February 2010, 09:41 PM

Pak fights back ENG 18/3

P_R

20th February 2010, 03:15 PM

Andy Zaltzman (http://www.cricinfo.com/talk/content/multimedia/449157.html?view=transcript&mul_genre=32) :lol:

if Amit Mishra had bowled Amla a ravenous man-eating crocodile, he would have covered his off stump and gently knocked the slavering reptile safely into the leg-side before staring his stoical stare back at the bowler, as if to say, "Is that all you've got? Go on, try a boa constrictor next, or a tank of piranhas, I am in form."

Until then, may cricket guide you well, listeners. And I'll play you out with some more lies about cricketers.

Moustache-wielding Australian ex-captain Allan Border won't leave his house in the morning until he has correctly guessed the outcome of five consecutive coin tosses. During a run of bad luck, he spent the whole of 1998 stuck in his front porch, calling heads.
On nights out, New Zealand stalwart Kenny Rutherford sometimes pretends he is in fact nuclear-physics whizz Ernest Rutherford, and goes round bars offering to split atoms for cash.

ajithfederer

22nd February 2010, 11:01 PM

Brett Lee
Lee set to quit Tests to prolong career
Cricinfo staff

February 22, 2010

Be the first to comment | New! Login via | Text size: A | A
Brett Lee could be about to follow the example of Andrew Flintoff, and retire from Test cricket © Getty Images

Related Links
Players/Officials: Brett Lee
Teams: Australia

Brett Lee could be set to follow in the footsteps of Andrew Flintoff, Jacob Oram and a number of other high-profile cricketers by retiring from Test cricket in a bid to prolong his one-day and Twenty20 career.

According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, Lee is expected to confirm his decision at a press conference on Friday. At the age of 33, he currently lies fourth on the list of Australia's all-time Test wicket-takers, with 310 victims in 76 Tests dating back to his debut in 1999.

However, he has not played a Test since suffering a stress fracture of the foot during Australia's home series defeat against South Africa at Melbourne in December 2008. He was forced to sit out of the subsequent 2-1 victory in South Africa, before a side strain ruled him out of the entire Ashes campaign. An elbow injury then sidelined him for Australia's 2009-10 home series wins against West Indies and Pakistan.

In between whiles, however, he has featured prominently in Australia's one-day campaigns, including a 6-1 post-Ashes trouncing of England and a successful defence of their Champions Trophy title in South Africa. He was also Man of the Match as New South Wales beat Trinidad & Tobago to claim the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 title in Hyderabad.

According to the SMH, Lee's decision to retire from Tests was influenced by a discussion with Flintoff, leading to speculation that he too could seek to pursue a freelance career to maximise his earnings in the final years of his career.

On announcing his own Test retirement back in August, Flintoff stated that his ambition was to become the best one-day and Twenty20 player in the world. His manager Chubby Chandler added that he would have received lucrative offers from at least four Twenty20 teams across the world this year, had he not been recuperating from knee surgery.

Like Flintoff, Lee has a wide global appeal, with Bollywood connections adding to his marketability in India, and Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, recently stated on Twitter that Lee had committed to his 2010 contract with King's XI Punjab.

http://www.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/449615.html

[tscii:fc6fbb6e25][/tscii:fc6fbb6e25]

sathya_1979

22nd February 2010, 11:24 PM

[tscii:bdc7c121ea]Brilliant Article in Cricinfo on Commentators:
Where did opinion go?
All too few men stand between us and the mind-numbing drivel that commentators and players spew these days

Sriram Dayanand

February 22, 2010

As 2009 drew to a close, an atypical cricket-related comment emanating from unusual quarters startled and delighted us, and provided a much-needed giggle. A phlegmatic observation by Phil Stoyanoff, the curator of the McLean Park cricket ground in Napier, illustrated a quality cricket has lost in recent times. Questioned about his insistence that the pitch he had prepared for the deciding Test against Pakistan would produce a result, he said, "Yes, because both sides have such bad batsmen. That's my honest opinion - they're useless."

Even before the drum roll had subsided, the damage controllers had been flown in. The PR manager for the New Zealand cricket board practically implored anyone he spotted to "use [Stoyanoff's] comments in context and with restraint". While the well-oiled spin machine had been concentrating on monitoring and orchestrating Daniel Vettori's utterances in front of the press corps, an errant microphone stuck under the nose of an unsuspecting member of the supporting cast had breached the façade.

"Opinions are like a**holes. Everybody has one." So observed a glint-eyed Dirty Harry. Those were the seventies and Harry's wisdom would have been out of place in cricket in the new millennium. The 2000s were cricket's first global television decade. A decade when every cricket utterance reached us bleached, filtered, sanitised, and sans any semblance of opinion. Insight and introspection gave way to inanities of such mind-numbingly repetitive nature that players and commentators blurred into each other - like they had all been sent to finishing school, drilled by Professor Henry Higgins. "Your lips move, but I can't hear what you are saying" sang we, the comfortably numb, as yet another captain released a stream of nothingness into a microphone far away.

Cricket matches of all ilk sprouted year-round and worldwide, like weeds in a time-lapse National Geographic video. As blanket television coverage of events was beamed out incessantly, we had to endure the ubiquitous ritual of the post-match ceremony, the epilogue to every encounter, providing the perfect embodiment of the vacuous nature of the spoken word in cricket over the last decade. Breathless presenters, who appeared to have watched an entirely different match than the one beamed out to us, orchestrated these affairs from logo-laden platforms bearing rows of dignitaries, a la police-identification line-ups. Captains and men of the match dished out homilies, platitudes and pockets of wind.

Dhoni? Ponting? Smith? Strauss? Did it matter? No, for "we were 30 runs short on the day" anyway. Thirty runs short? You were just one run short, but let us not mention the atrocious bowling by your frontliners.

"I just wanted to play every ball on its merit"? Not quite. You spent the first 10 overs fanning your off stump.

"We needed our bowlers to take early wickets". Oh yeah? No shit, Sherlock.

As Ravi Shastri breathed hard like Darth Vader in pregnant pauses mid-question, and as Ramiz Raja entangled himself irretrievably in the web of grammar, players retaliated with, "The team cause was more important for me."

The prized place in the pantheon of inane verbiage that the decade begat has to go to "the right areas", which brooks no competition as the poster child of the malaise afflicting cricket interviews and press conferences. And in the latter half of the decade it came with the perfect accompanying visual - one of a doleful Monty Panesar.

As blanket television coverage of events was beamed out incessantly, we had to endure the ubiquitous ritual of the post-match ceremony, the epilogue to every encounter, providing the perfect embodiment of the vacuous nature of the spoken word in cricket

Making a much-ballyhooed delayed entrance in the third Ashes Test match of the 5-0 whitewash England were handed out in 2006-07, Monty immediately nailed Justin Langer, bowled by a drifting and dipping beauty. When asked later on the sidelines by Mark Taylor about that perfect delivery, Monty, looking like he was about to burst into tears, mumbled, "I just tried to get the ball into the right areas." It evoked images of coaches scheming and plotting with their bowlers, hovering over low-lit tables, moving pins around the "areas" of a pitch map, like General Patton in his bunker pondering the Normandy landing.

Live commentary, a well-established source for opinion and analysis, was scrubbed clean too. Erstwhile opinionated voices were now contracted by ratings- and revenue-obsessed cricket boards, and matches were accompanied by the voices of cheerleaders. Too wary of saying anything substantial, they concentrated on honing their clichés and giggling away with their co-hosts. Even the once edgy and opinionated-by-nature Sunil Gavaskar had begun to sound like a chirpy choirboy as the decade ended.

The scalpel was wielded now and then, but all too rarely. Like when Geoffrey Boycott spluttered, "In my day we didn't indulge in any of that nancy-boy stuff" as the ritual of batsmen coyly touching gloves mid-pitch unfolded between overs.

Ian Healy, Tony Greig, L Sivaramakrishnan, Arun Lal, Michael Slater, Ranjit Fernando, Ian Bishop, Danny Morrison, Kepler Wessels, Robin Jackman, Waqar Younis, Aamer Sohail blended seamlessly into the commercials and background noise of the crowd. Exceptions in the form of the thoughtfulness of Mike Atherton, the loquacious openness of Harsha Bhogle, or the schoolboyish enthusiasm masking a keen insight of a Mark Taylor did exist, but by and large white noise was what we got.

However, nestled amid "right areas", "tracer bullet", "if you are going to flash, flash hard", "not enough dot balls", "it's all happening out here today", "looks like a good pitch for batting" and "the boys gave it their best", there is hope. Flowers can and will burst through the weeds occasionally. Mr Stoyanoff aside, as the new decade dawns on us, the hopes and expectations of the cricketing world were gamely and boldly being borne by two individuals at least: Virender Sehwag and Graeme Swann.

Sehwag single-handedly has done enough to warrant being appointed spokesperson for every match India plays. Picture this: as the winning captain of the Delhi Daredevils in an inconsequential game in the second IPL (his team had already qualified for the semi-finals), Sehwag was asked by a hyperventilating Ravi Shastri how his team motivated itself for the match.

"There is always an incentive to play hard. The team management has promised $50,000 for each win. So there is an incentive," said a poker-faced Viru.

His views on an upcoming tour of New Zealand and the kind of pitches he expected: "If they give us bouncy and seaming tracks, they will struggle against our attack, because their batsmen are not technically sound."

He has also demonstrated that he is equally proficient with foot-in-mouth as he is with tongue-in-cheek, as when he branded the Bangladesh bowling attack "ordinary" the day before India went down like ninepins in Chittagong this year. But get past his arsenal of clichés - the "of course", the "obviously", and the "see the ball, hit the ball" - and Sehwag never fails to elicit a chuckle or raise an eyebrow with a straight-faced gem.

Swann packs some serious insights into his seemingly cheeky and flippant remarks every time he spots a microphone.

"I want my MBE now," he retorted after England clinched the 2009 Ashes, those five words speaking volumes about the aftermath of the previous edition in England.

Asked about his immediate feelings on taking the wicket that sealed the series, he responded with, "I am not really sure. I think I was too busy sliding around midwicket on my knees, looking like a cheap Italian footballer".

Man of the Match at the tense draw in Centurion in December: "We [England] are single-handedly saving Test cricket right now."

Bless them. And may they win many a Man of the Match award in the coming year, thereby redeeming their anodyne brethren and providing solace to our numbed ears.

"In a world full of audio and visual marvels, may words matter to you and be full of magic," wrote English journalist Godfrey Smith. Alas, amid the sensory overload of those marvels, words have ended up victims, trampled in the stampede. Players and commentators, prodded and pressured for soundbites relentlessly, have eschewed wit, humour, incisiveness and openness for mumbling. Exceptions arrive like a bolt from the blue now and again, the element of surprise having more to do with rarity than relevance. Anil Kumble's impeccable impersonation of Bill Woodfull after the ugliness of the Test match in Sydney early in 2008 stood out - not only for its nod to an epochal event but for the power of the words, and for Kumble's intent to express an opinion. Reminding us that in this world of audio and visual marvels, words can be magical too.

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/449322.html[/tscii:bdc7c121ea]

Movie Cop

23rd February 2010, 03:24 AM

Hearing something from "King" Richards after quite sometime now 8-)

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/449498.html

ajithfederer

27th February 2010, 12:59 AM

Dickie Bird

'Nobody in the world objected to Dickie Bird'

The former English umpire on his relationship with lbws, the best players he saw, the use of technology and more

February 26, 2010

Dickie Bird on the final day of his last County Championship match, Yorkshire v Warwickshire, Headingley, September 12, 1998
"I always told myself if I was physically fit I would be mentally fit. I tried to make myself concentrate every ball, every hour for seven hours" © PA Photos
Related Links
Players/Officials: Dickie Bird | Dennis Lillee | Barry Richards | Frank Tyson
Teams: England

Mr Bird, I am a big fan of you and miss you a lot. What was the reason for your vendetta against lbws? I remember Mike Atherton being shell-shocked when you gave one against him in your final Test. asked Keshav Athreya from India
He wasn't shell-shocked at all. He said he was out and the replay showed he was out. It was the first over of the match, and England were playing India at Lord's. I had no doubt in my mind about it being plumb and he agreed. Lbws are a matter of opinion.

Who would you rate as the best batsman you have seen? asked Matt from New Zealand
Sunil Gavaskar, Barry Richards, Viv Richards, Martin Crowe, Greg Chappell, to name a few, were all great. If I had to pick one, Barry Richards was the best. But the allrounder, in any era, would be Garfield Sobers - we will never see his like again. He was three cricketers rolled into one.

The admiration was mutual. In his books and articles he always said I was the best umpire, and that was a tremendous compliment, coming from the greatest player ever.

How do you concentrate throughout the day? asked Karthick Santhanam from the USA
Honestly, I never had any problem with any professional cricketer throughout my career. As for concentration, I always maintained my fitness. I always told myself, if I was physically fit I would be mentally fit. I tried to make myself concentrate every ball, every hour for seven hours. I kept telling myself, "Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate".

When the West Indian bowlers were at their peak, in the 70s and 80s, did they sledge or abuse the batsmen, or was it only plain banter? Also, how did you tackle them bowling at the bodies of tailenders? asked Dhiren Shah from India
It was only plain banter. I umpired for different generations: in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and I did one in the 2000s when I came out of retirement to do a match between the Rest of the World against the World XI. So that is a long time, nearly 25 years as Test umpire.

If the situation got out of hand I would go up to the bowler, to the captain, and the game used to carry on normally. If there was even a little bit intimidating bowling I would nip it in the bud. I would never allow any bowler to bowl at a tailender, since he cannot defend himself.

What is your opinion on the UDRS? Does it not undermine the authority of the on-field umpire? asked Ananth Swaminathan from India
It does undermine the umpire. We made our own decisions, but now the umpire makes only about two to three decisions. I wouldn't walk out if I were to umpire today. It has become a lot easier for umpires.

Sometimes a team says it doesn't want to play under the supervision of a certain umpire. What do you think the umpire should do in such a situation? asked Shahzad from Pakistan
It is up to the ICC to decide. No country has a say in the matter, but they used to do in my day. Though nobody in the world objected to Dickie Bird.

Are you surprised that football has still not adopted video technology? asked Ashwin Raghu from India
I admire Sepp Blatter, the FIFA president, for not adopting technology in football. Football is only 90 minutes, but in cricket you can't keep holding the game up for referral decisions. People pay a lot of money to watch Tests, so you have to keep it flowing.

Do you agree it is important for cricket to do its utmost to retain its heritage: whites, red ball, five-day games, cable-knit sweaters etc? asked James Totty from the UK
I am a traditionalist. But the game has changed so much and the crowds enjoy the coloured gear, the razzmatazz, all the music, so we have got to go along with that now.

Who was the fastest bowler you watched during your career? And what do you think the future holds for English cricket? asked Siddhant Pradhan from India
The fastest bowler ever is Frank Tyson. The best fast bowler has to be Dennis Lillee - the greatest fast bowler.

As for English cricket, there are some fine young players who are coming through and the future looks very good indeed.

You were known for not giving lbws until you were 100% sure. How do you think the new referral system would have affected your lbw calls? asked Karthikeyan from India
There are so many things that need to be taken into consideration while making an lbw decision. So you cannot go by Hawk-Eye, because it cannot tell the state of the pitch, how much the ball bounced, how much it seamed, how much it swung in the air. Everybody will tell you Hawk-Eye is not perfect. The only man who can give lbws is the on-field umpire.

"You cannot go by Hawk-Eye because it cannot tell the state of the pitch, how much the ball bounced, how much it seamed, how much it swung in the air. Everybody will tell you Hawk-Eye is not perfect. The only man who can give lbws is the on-field umpire"

Who do you think is the best umpire currently in world cricket, and why? asked Varun from Australia
It is difficult to say who is the best umpire in the world now, because all the decisions are made by electronic aids. All the authority has been by taken away from the umpire.

What has been your funniest moment on a cricket field? asked Harish from India
Once, Allan Lamb brought a walkie-talkie along in his pocket. He asked me if I could keep it. I wouldn't have it because it was in the middle of a Test. But he gave it to me and it buzzed - it was Ian Botham calling me.

Which batsman was most sporting when it came to accepting your decisions, and which one least? asked Jitesh Sinha from the USA
Throughout my career I never had a batsman dispute my decision.

Dickie Bird, a retired umpire now, is busy with the Dickie Bird Foundation, which works with underprivileged children across England to help them with all sports. It is run by five trustees who give out grants to give youngsters a start in life.

http://www.cricinfo.com/page2/content/story/449972.html
[tscii:bab0c19048][/tscii:bab0c19048]

19thmay

1st March 2010, 09:44 AM

Zimbabwe tour of WI's

Only T20I, Port of Spain, Trinidad

Zimbabwe won by 26 runs

Zim - 105 All out.

WI - 79/7 - 20 Overs.

P.S : No Gayle in this match.

Schedule

1st ODI: West Indies v Zimbabwe at Providence
Mar 4 (09:30 local, 13:30 GMT)

2nd ODI: West Indies v Zimbabwe at Providence
Mar 6 (09:30 local, 13:30 GMT)

3rd ODI: West Indies v Zimbabwe at Kingstown
Mar 10 (09:30 local, 13:30 GMT)

4th ODI: West Indies v Zimbabwe at Kingstown
Mar 12 (09:30 local, 13:30 GMT)

5th ODI: West Indies v Zimbabwe at Kingstown
Mar 14 (09:30 local, 13:30 GMT)

Should be a good opportunity for Zimbabwe to bounce back. :)

19thmay

1st March 2010, 09:46 AM

Another interesting series:

2nd ODI: Bangladesh v England at Dhaka
Mar 2 (14:00 local, 08:00 GMT)

3rd ODI: Bangladesh v England at Chittagong
Mar 5 (09:00 local, 03:00 GMT)

Bangladesh A v England XI at Chittagong
Mar 7-9 (09:30 local, 03:30 GMT)

1st Test: Bangladesh v England at Chittagong
Mar 12-16 (09:30 local, 03:30 GMT)

2nd Test: Bangladesh v England at Dhaka
Mar 20-24 (09:30 local, 03:30 GMT)

ajithfederer

2nd March 2010, 11:06 PM

Bangladesh 260/6 (50 ov)

England 261/8 (48.5 ov)

England won by 2 wickets (with 7 balls remaining)

Match details
Toss England, who chose to field
Series England led the 3-match series 2-0
ODI debuts Suhrawadi Shuvo (Bangladesh); JC Tredwell (England)
Player of the match EJG Morgan (England)

http://www.cricinfo.com/bdeshveng2010/engine/current/match/426421.html

P_R

3rd March 2010, 03:30 PM

http://www.ptinews.com/news/544964_Murali-to-bid-adieu-to-Test-cricket-later-this-year

Murali to retire from tests

என்னதான் எனக்கு கருத்து வேறுபாடு இருந்தாலும் (ஆமா இவர் பெரிய Richie Benaud !) I must say he deserves most of his applause. No other bowler has dictated terms to the opposition so many times as far as I have seen.

Plum

3rd March 2010, 03:35 PM

1000 wicket edutha apoorva sigAmaNi aayittu retire aavaarnu pArthEn. Virumandi en kanavula maNNai aLLi pOttuttAn!

P_R

3rd March 2010, 03:42 PM

With most of the 90s stars gone, cricket post 2011 WC its going to be impossible to watch cricket post 2011.

Movie Cop

4th March 2010, 06:29 AM

Vara vara kiricut-la youth flayers oda kOvAlty "tonty tonty" kalAchArathal seerazhindhu vittadhOnu yossika thonudhu... :(

Aalavanthan

5th March 2010, 04:07 PM

England 284/5 (50 ov)
Bangladesh 239/9 (50.0 ov)

Match details
Toss Bangladesh, who chose to field
Series England won the 3-match series 3-0
ODI debut A Shahzad (England)
Player of the match C Kieswetter

Done and dusted... England whitewashes (not being racist) Bangladesh.. 2 tests to goo..

Plum

5th March 2010, 04:14 PM

Well, England is the only team to not have lost to Bangladesh in ODIs.
One of those weird things that makes Cricket the fascinating enigma that is.

19thmay

5th March 2010, 05:14 PM

And Zimbabwe won by 2 runs in the first ODI against WI.

Aalavanthan

5th March 2010, 08:55 PM

my siggy.. I love this guy :

VinodKumar's

5th March 2010, 09:07 PM

my siggy.. I love this guy :

I too.

ajaybaskar

10th March 2010, 01:29 PM

Rana, Malik get one-year bans, Younis and Yousuf axed from international cricket

http://www.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/451392.html

The PCB has struck against its players with a venom unseen in recent memory, carrying out the deepest cull of a senior cricket team in many years, banning and fining seven of its top players after the side's disastrous, winless tour of Australia. The board effectively banned Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf from playing for Pakistan in any format, while handing out one-year bans to Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan. Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers were fined Rs2-3 million for various misdemeanours and put on six-month probations.

Action had been expected once details of the inquiry committee's report recommendations were leaked in the press on Monday and Ijaz Butt, chairman PCB, had followed it up by saying "more than significant action" would be taken against players. While the punishments for Malik, Rana, Afridi and the Akmal brothers were expected, the action against Yousuf and Younis has caught most people off-guard.

"Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, keeping in view their infighting which resulted in bringing down the whole team, their attitude has a trickledown effect which is a bad influence for the whole team, should not be part of national team in any format," said a board statement.

The PCB has stopped short of calling the punishment a life ban. "They will not be part of any Pakistan team in any format from here on," Taffazul Rizvi, the board's legal advisor told Cricinfo. "A life ban means they cannot play domestic cricket or any other similar cricket, but we are not stopping them from that. They can play domestic cricket or county cricket here and abroad."

Kamran and Umar Akmal were fined Rs 3 and 2 million respectively [$35,000 and $24,000] presumably for their part in the run-up to the final Test in Hobart, when Kamran repeatedly and publicly insisted he would be picked despite a PCB release stating the opposite, and Umar allegedly feigned an injury and threatened to not play.

Afridi was fined Rs 3 million and put on six months' probation for his ball-biting incident while captaining the side in the last ODI in Perth, for which he has already been punished by the ICC. The PCB release called it a "shameful act" that "has brought the game and country into disrepute".

The six-man committee completed its report last week and sent it to Ijaz Butt. The chairman held a meeting with the selection committee on Monday in which he briefed them on the contents of the inquiry committee's report. He warned the selectors - now headed by Mohsin Khan - that he had "shocking news" for them and proceeded to inform them of the details of the report.

More news to follow...

Plum

10th March 2010, 01:40 PM

kizhinjudhu!

ajaybaskar

10th March 2010, 01:46 PM

Yaen Pakistan cricketla mattum adikkadi ipdi nadakkudhu? Oruthan ball saapidaran, oruthan drugs use panraan. Oru disciplineae illai!!!

P_R

10th March 2010, 01:47 PM

suththam :lol:

19thmay

10th March 2010, 01:51 PM

Well done PCB :clap: very bold decision! :thumbsup:

19thmay

10th March 2010, 02:00 PM

Yaen Pakistan cricketla mattum adikkadi ipdi nadakkudhu? Oruthan ball saapidaran, oruthan drugs use panraan. Oru disciplineae illai!!!

Kilo enna vela? Uchakattama Bob Woolmer-a kola pannitanunga, andha case-y ennachhunu theriyala? I dont mind if they are out of international cricket for some time.

Plum

10th March 2010, 02:01 PM

19th, andha ODI team thread-ai give up paNNitIngaLA?
Suppose konjam interest irundhA nAn help pandrEn. We'll try to get the position by position poll idea through!

19thmay

10th March 2010, 02:06 PM

Plum neraya peru romba biggu pannikiraangalE! :lol:

Plum

10th March 2010, 02:15 PM

Plum neraya peru romba biggu pannikiraangalE! :lol:

ada poll-nu oNNu vechA vote pOdadhavan inge yAru. edhirppu vara dhAn seyyum. Go ahead and have a poll for each position. Vote thAnA vandhu kuviyum. Let's revive the Second Opener thread. Kamman Sanguine!

Dinesh84

10th March 2010, 02:44 PM

[tscii:374f5faabe]Kapil Dev inducted into ICC Hall of Fame (http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/cricketnews/Kapil-in-ICC-Hall-of-Fame/Article1-517190.aspx)

Mumbai: India may have produced many a cricketing legend but only three have made it to the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Hall of Fame. Odd but true. On Tuesday, Kapil Dev became the latest member of the elite club which boats of 59 other gems including compatriots BS Bedi and Sunil Gavaskar.

However, Kapil isn’t someone who gets into all those intricacies. On a day when he felt “honoured and happy”, India's only World Cup-winning captain was just counting his blessings.

“Don’t worry. Many more players from India will make it to the Hall of Fame. Sachin (Tendulkar), Rahul (Dravid) and Virender (Sehwag) will all make it. They are still playing,” he told.

While the ICC has recognised him for his cricketing prowess, Kapil still can’t find favour with the Board of Control for Cricket in India. “They (ICC) gave me the award, I accepted it. It’s simple. I have no differences. I never keep grudges. If someone has differences with me, then good luck to them.”[/tscii:374f5faabe]

19thmay

10th March 2010, 03:13 PM

Kalyasi

10th March 2010, 03:19 PM

Pakistan Cricket a ottu mothama ban pannunga pa...

Plum

10th March 2010, 03:25 PM

ada poll-nu oNNu vechA vote pOdadhavan inge yAru. edhirppu vara dhAn seyyum. Go ahead and have a poll for each position. Vote thAnA vandhu kuviyum. Let's revive the Second Opener thread. Kamman Sanguine!

:mei-silirppu: but but lets hear from others too!

I know Sourav will support(as long as we add Gangs and Viru as options :-) )

Vinod-ai Rahul Dravid photo kAtti support vaangiralAm :-)

Ponting uruva bommai koLuthi Kalyasi-ai vaLaichidalAm.

aNNan Bala Karthik-ai naan personal influence vechu support vaangidarEn.

ninga rendu mooNu pErai 'correct' paNNinA, title card pOtturalAm. kammaanyA!

Bala (Karthik)

10th March 2010, 03:32 PM

Ippo naan enna seyyanum? Daily pesikkalaama, illa vaara vaaram pesikkalaama?

Seriously, whats this about? Pamaranukku puriyara madhiri curt a sollunga pappom

Plum

10th March 2010, 03:34 PM

Ippo naan enna seyyanum? Daily pesikkalaama, illa vaara vaaram pesikkalaama?

Seriously, whats this about? Pamaranukku puriyara madhiri curt a sollunga pappom
ada oNNumillai - best ODI team-nu thambi Sanguine thread open paNNApla. adhula ovvoru positionkum(ofcourse except the first opener, which is reserved for God) oru poll-nu motham 10 poll nadathi thErvu seyyalAmnu plan.

nAnga thread open pandrom one by one - ella poll-layum nInga kalandhu kondu sirappikkaNum avLO dhAn.