tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25964500173470932412024-03-09T14:12:51.406+05:30News HubCricket news, Fantasy Predictions and discussions.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger484125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-7323161445049719912019-08-29T13:49:00.001+05:302019-08-29T13:49:48.419+05:30Cecil Wright retires playing cricket at the age of 82<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; line-height: 30px; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAecZL6KP-jUfQ-3dVfbxc1YnQ33Kk1P6JBYhCKtpURusg6-ApF8EjGTJmhnjVJnpqeFXRlCU8DqXNtJw9FZ-rxT8JFL0AOdz_4gQJ3SqEydy7wc5SeADUkczMDLE_05lkUV6D4Dw2AI/s1600/cecil-wright-uppermill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="759" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAecZL6KP-jUfQ-3dVfbxc1YnQ33Kk1P6JBYhCKtpURusg6-ApF8EjGTJmhnjVJnpqeFXRlCU8DqXNtJw9FZ-rxT8JFL0AOdz_4gQJ3SqEydy7wc5SeADUkczMDLE_05lkUV6D4Dw2AI/s320/cecil-wright-uppermill.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">You heard it right the Jamaican fast bowler known as “Cec” is still playing First Class Cricket and has no plans to quit the game any sooner. Although he has lost a great deal of pace over the years, but is still hitting the right areas of the pitch and making the young batsman a run for their money. He has taken over 7,000 wicket in his career span of 57 years.The 82 year old made his first class debut for Jamaica against Barbados which boasted of legends Wes Hall and Garfield Sobers in 1959. His love for cricket is undying and is the reason why he is continuing it where players are retiring at an age of 34.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Wright is still pretty impressive, giving the batsman hard time to the pitch playing for his current club side Uppermill. He is still opening the bowling and leading the attack from the front. He picked up two wickets for eight in just nine overs which also included four maidens. He can still hit the right areas playing against Milnrow in Pennine Cricket League 2nd XI Championship last saturday. Wright has also represented Crompton in Central Lancashire League.</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In an interview with The Sun he said,”I still feel fit and my passion to play the game certainly has not dwindled with each passing year.I feel great and I feel that I can still compete and offer something with the ball – I can still get people out. I can still teach these young batmen a thing or two (laughing). He added,” Once a fast bowler, always a fast bowler – sure, I’ve lost a lot of pace, but hey, I can still make it tough for batsmen.They have to work hard for their runs against me, even if I am old enough to be the grandfather for a lot of them!”</span></div>
</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-19115828066473809222019-08-28T11:06:00.001+05:302019-08-28T11:06:40.287+05:30Providing Good Pitches will help making Test Cricket more interesting - Sachin Tendulkar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://infomount.blogspot.com/2011/03/wc-is-most-important-tournament-of-my.html" target="_blank">Tendulkar</a>, who is the highest run-scorer in Tests with 15921 runs from 200 Tests, emphasised the need to prepare "interesting tracks" to revive interest in the longest format.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRoOEZre1OgXnxAn2TznBDhvEMfbhSb1uKIz05_hlmQVhSAwMFxS20QRnTjViJzsxZv4AScE2EhFf9-cWZE0YVzBTgxcaKAQihbXW-LQE2HB63zIPBjhwrYRPtdzMXEpGdoVMzA3vaWI/s1600/sachin-tendulkar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRoOEZre1OgXnxAn2TznBDhvEMfbhSb1uKIz05_hlmQVhSAwMFxS20QRnTjViJzsxZv4AScE2EhFf9-cWZE0YVzBTgxcaKAQihbXW-LQE2HB63zIPBjhwrYRPtdzMXEpGdoVMzA3vaWI/s200/sachin-tendulkar.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"I think Test cricket is going to revive if we produce interesting tracks, but if the tracks are flat and dead then Test cricket is going to find its challenges. I know this World Test Championship has been announced but even to have this World Championship, you've got to make cricket interesting, just by having another championship, cricket is not going to get interesting.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Tendulkar also stressed on the art of leaving and defending the ball while heaping praise on Australia's Marnus Labuschagne. After his defiant 59 at Lord's coming in as Smith's concussion substitute, he made a well-crafted 74 and 80 at Headingley, pulling Australia out of trouble on all three occasions.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"I have been watching a little bit of Ashes and I thought someone like Marnus Labuschagne has left the ball brilliantly, which is something that you don't get to see in Test cricket. Normally you tend to glide those balls to third man and pick [up] a single. But the kind of surfaces they are playing on, if you steer the ball you go to the dressing room.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #48494a; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"You need to leave those balls or defend solidly. And the guys who have not been able to do that, they have been watching the game from the dressing room."</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-86318805196948708372019-08-28T10:57:00.000+05:302019-08-28T10:57:25.014+05:30Misbah-Ul-Haq might be next pakistan coach<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>Former captain Misbah-ul-Haq on Tuesday has emerged as the favourite to take over as Pakistan's cricket coach after Mickey Arthur was axed following a disappointing World Cup.</i></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCt1U1myIjXj0igRf5HPoh9258qViQxB9IMFDuUz1vqjcf7qdt5vKs-MqhWaazHQ64MmH09Fmqq5H44ayLdVN3njj00QFG47U00Dsrps38A4ErFUWTUoMdL-BWVCrd9a-0kPyXKag1V0I/s1600/1_16a08439ffe.2007347_2816615297_16a08439ffe_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCt1U1myIjXj0igRf5HPoh9258qViQxB9IMFDuUz1vqjcf7qdt5vKs-MqhWaazHQ64MmH09Fmqq5H44ayLdVN3njj00QFG47U00Dsrps38A4ErFUWTUoMdL-BWVCrd9a-0kPyXKag1V0I/s320/1_16a08439ffe.2007347_2816615297_16a08439ffe_large.jpg" width="320" /></a>Misbah, Pakistan's most successful Test captain, has stepped down from the Pakistan Cricket Board's executive committee to clear the way for his application. "I have resigned from the cricket committee and have applied for the post of Pakistan's head coach," said the former batsman, describing the position as a "dream". The four-member executive committee declined to renew Arthur's contract after Pakistan failed to reach the semi-final of the World Cup in England and Wales. The PCB did not reveal whether anyone else had applied for the post. However, Pakistani media said former Australian batsman Dean Jones and ex-West Indies paceman Courtney Walsh were among the applicants. Misbah said competition for the job would be tough. "It is interesting to see my name emerging in the media even before I had applied... I envisage there will be a few more very competent and highly qualified people applying for one of the most challenging jobs in the game," he added.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Misbah totalled 26 wins in 56 Tests as captain, with 19 losses and 11 draws. He retired in 2017. Pakistan are likely to announce their new head coach ahead of the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka starting in Karachi from September 27.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-73702970216236492802019-08-27T10:59:00.000+05:302019-08-27T10:59:21.820+05:30Jasprit Bumrah and late away movement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Jasprit Bumrah is all about breaking records. The run up towards the bowling crease, the flaying limbs and the open-chested thrust behind his delivery - how Bumrah makes everything work for himself consistently at the highest level is difficult even for the best experts. From a death overs specialist with the white ball to a lethal new-ball bowler in Test cricket, Bumrah's rapid evolution was there in Antigua against West Indies for everyone to see.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DzF8m-uIJwwy__lgg49a1QSkTHBkcV6OhyMnPcU0rMjz9z0Psf3Yu4dxjq85-BbgXgfaRD14cjK9gCtrLJL8y9QZ7WcrlaWqLyfdt4zlagQyVFnDxX5qWGBAiaoH3lkQjRfcAk2jfKk/s1600/jasprit-bumrah-swinging-it-t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="595" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DzF8m-uIJwwy__lgg49a1QSkTHBkcV6OhyMnPcU0rMjz9z0Psf3Yu4dxjq85-BbgXgfaRD14cjK9gCtrLJL8y9QZ7WcrlaWqLyfdt4zlagQyVFnDxX5qWGBAiaoH3lkQjRfcAk2jfKk/s320/jasprit-bumrah-swinging-it-t.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Bumrah is now the only Asian bowler to have five-wicket hauls in England, West Indies, Australia and South Africa. Bumrah's emergence has literally catalyzed the fast-bowling revolution in India. Since Virat Kohli took charge as full time Test captain in 2014 december, he laid emphasis on raw pace through Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and bhuvneshwar Kumar too pushed himself to bowl consistently over 135 kmph.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-31783582702798687802019-08-27T10:27:00.002+05:302019-08-27T10:31:23.084+05:30life beyond MS Dhoni <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i> Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has said that Team India will have to get used to the fact that Mahendra Singh Dhoni will not be around for too long.</i></b><br />
<br />
"He is at that stage of his career where he has to evaluate where he stands. He has to decide if he can win matches for India... if he can continue to contribute like Dhoni, not someone else. "Because with players like Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, till they play, there will be expectations that they will win matches. I think Dhoni has to make this decision. Only a player knows how much fuel is left in the tank and how much of his match-winning ability is intact," he said.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXVxxm2OUPaM5zDEHt6kDCukSs8cubVwFzIIIcdpTqrpduEz43B9eUqSHwCpaSr8fIE6_4DXf9Dza3rmIcaMQsnJwIBnzSlWKGPVRLcAPfN75-Apsoln4AQUtk3MiYo8a7ToUXymDgoo/s1600/sourav-ganguly-ms-dhoni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="700" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXVxxm2OUPaM5zDEHt6kDCukSs8cubVwFzIIIcdpTqrpduEz43B9eUqSHwCpaSr8fIE6_4DXf9Dza3rmIcaMQsnJwIBnzSlWKGPVRLcAPfN75-Apsoln4AQUtk3MiYo8a7ToUXymDgoo/s400/sourav-ganguly-ms-dhoni.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-58483296142470960332019-08-26T17:54:00.005+05:302019-08-27T10:31:53.814+05:30Legendary batting from Ben Stokes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>Ben Stokes Shines in England first 350+ target to keep Ashes series alive.</i></b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;">England have evened the Ashes series at 1-1</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;"> after </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">one of the most </span>tremendous<span style="font-family: inherit;"> matches in Test history</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;"> by an </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">unforgettable match-winning innings of 135 from Ben Stokes</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;">. England were bowled out for 67 in the first innings, achieved their highest-ever winning total by scoring 362 for nine thanks to a last-wicket partnership of 76 of which Leach made a single run. Australia </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">dropped glorious chances to retain the Ashes in the final moments of incredible drama</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;"> at Headingley before Stokes and his unlikely partner saw the hosts home.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;">Down there in the black, where people lose their careers, Stokes looked around and found, deep within himself, the resolve to lead his team right back up and out again.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWyo21VyJa8DMxXDJdpMMZ-vocSk3PzVBjtKKw82ed5MueRFjO0oaV80vydS4GqRrEYYi9T_Im2Bqh3gdQ19zVpQpGz17iKupC4ox5ydY3GDFQiiZxwiKFs8mrffM-tqQR0oJWihVLN4/s1600/Screenshot_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="1022" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWyo21VyJa8DMxXDJdpMMZ-vocSk3PzVBjtKKw82ed5MueRFjO0oaV80vydS4GqRrEYYi9T_Im2Bqh3gdQ19zVpQpGz17iKupC4ox5ydY3GDFQiiZxwiKFs8mrffM-tqQR0oJWihVLN4/s640/Screenshot_4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-21988632540256446012015-01-25T13:26:00.000+05:302015-01-25T13:26:05.706+05:30If Indian cricketers were animals....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
</h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans', helvetica, arial;">The cricketing world is a highly competitive environment. The Indian cricket team has one of the most hectic schedules among their comparables. Apart from playing international cricket, several players also ply their trade in the IPL and Champions League. One can only imagine the intense schedule of these players. But just like in the wild, these talented athletes have no time to dwell on the past. Each day is a new day and they earn their bread based on their current performances and not the past.</span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">The cricketing world is a highly competitive environment. The Indiancricket team has one of the most hectic schedules among their comparables. Apart from playing international <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_emNu5BfHHwnJfaPLjshsIRdbe6bmttpaaqgrIZMtng73mdPDgZUw-JluaUoDA2d3MpWdNY4Be_f3wagkQlXXO58XJSB0x1zOe5mvtuzDhtppBn4pW6uvKE3mNE-3oJI_rrwyM_lPcAk/s1600/ohammed-Shami-of-India-celebrates-dismissing-Jason-Roy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_emNu5BfHHwnJfaPLjshsIRdbe6bmttpaaqgrIZMtng73mdPDgZUw-JluaUoDA2d3MpWdNY4Be_f3wagkQlXXO58XJSB0x1zOe5mvtuzDhtppBn4pW6uvKE3mNE-3oJI_rrwyM_lPcAk/s1600/ohammed-Shami-of-India-celebrates-dismissing-Jason-Roy1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
cricket, several players also ply their trade in the IPL and Champions League. One can only imagine the intense schedule of these players. But just like in the wild, these talented athletes have no time to dwell on the past. Each day is a new day and they earn their bread based on their current performances and not the past.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Come to think of it, animals and cricketers both face cut-throat competition in the quest to survive. To pay honor to some talented cricketers and some equally riveting creatures, here is a list of Indian cricketers and their animal equivalents</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Mahendra Singh Dhoni:</span> The Lion may be the king of the wild jungle. But the Indian captain is no lesser than a Lion on the field. His ability to stay unwavering and calm during crunch moments is what separates Dhoni from the rest. His bottom hand is as fierce as a Lions bite. This is where his brute power comes in. No bowler would want to be at the other end, when he unleashes his trademark helicopter shot. He’s thirty-three and still going strong. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Virat Kohli</span> and the fox have some similar traits. The clever canine is known to leap into three feet of snow just for a small sized fish meal. Similarly Virat never leaves a stone unturned when he is on the field. The wily young cricketer approaches each ball as if it’s his last. Swift reflexes and a killer sense for victory have helped them both attain prominence in their respective fields. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Legendary fielder Jonty Rhodes once labeled Ajinkya Rahane as one of India’s finest fielders. Agile and slick on the field, Rahane has all the qualities of a squirrel. Both have immaculate techniques that put them above the rest of their peers. Rahane is extremely quick on the field and has consistently put in exemplary performances for both club and country. His reflex action would have impressed even the most nimble squirrels out there. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Rohit Sharma</span> is one of the most gracious and stylish batsman on the field. But his runs can have a stinging effect on the opposition. Just ask the Sri Lankans against whom he scored that memorable 264. He reminds us of the Sting Ray. Both of them may not be star celebrities in team. In fact most of the time they go unnoticed. And that’s due to their uncanny ability to seamlessly blend into the action. All they need is one window of opportunity to strike. And when they do strike, the world takes note. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Also known as a cougar and catamount, the first thing you will notice about a Puma is its athletic body. The puma has muscles ripping out from all parts of its body. If there is one cricketer in the Indian team who has a chiseled and muscular body, it’s <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shikhar Dhawan</span>. Known for his hard hitting stroke-play, this left handed batsman from Delhi is inspired by the puma and takes his time to set himself before unleashing a wide array of scintillating shots.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Stuart Binny</span>: One of the surprise picks for the upcoming World Cup, Stuart Binny is a versatile cricketer who is equally good with both bat and ball. His hybrid talents can be compared to those of a Liger. For those who aren’t aware, a liger is a hybrid between a lion and tiger and yes they do actually exist. For a long time, the Indian cricket team has been on the lookout for a versatile all-rounder. So much so that fans had actually given up hope that our team could churn out a quality all-rounder. In Stuart Binny, they might have finally found their versatile liger. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Glass frogs are a work of art. Many people reading this might be unaware of this amphibian. We highly recommend you read about them. Just like the mysterious glass frog, not much is known about India’s new spinster on the block- <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Axar Patel</span>. Already 10 matches into his one day career, viewers across the world will have the opportunity to watch this young and intelligent left-arm bowler in action at the upcoming world cup. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Known for being the fastest snake in the whole of Africa, the black mamba can inject highly toxic doses of venom on its prey which can cause instant death. It’s been a long time coming but in <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Umesh Yadav</span>, we finally have a bowler who can consistently bowl at 140 km/hr. His fastest ball yet was a fireball against Sri Lanka back in 2012. He managed to clock a speed of 152.5 km/hr. He doesn’t strike regularly, but when he does, he strikes with deadly accuracy. Both the black mamba and Umesh Yadav have a low hit rate but we can expect Yadav to improve his strike rate of 68.75 come this February. </span></h4>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-71101105293521046212015-01-25T13:23:00.001+05:302015-01-25T13:23:21.525+05:30Amir set for return to cricket<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b>Banned Pakistani bowler Mohammed Amir, could be playing competitive cricket as soon as next month, if the ICC approves his reintegration following the introduction of a revised anti-corruption code. The ICC interviewed Mohammed Amir on Friday about his banned years, in order to find if there was any difference in the player.</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpXx5hGDdIvRKGy3TDvR1F_lNWLErKGXcPwd7OfG-mk4t9R6CgAwkGx4o6NSVOplAIdls-O5qovBf5HxzBMEVrOrQ01fwskmkvdRplr2V33WljJH9Kk32Ju3tgB9fuLGLVyEfdk-UNLw/s1600/ohammed-Shami-of-India-celebrates-dismissing-Jason-Roy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpXx5hGDdIvRKGy3TDvR1F_lNWLErKGXcPwd7OfG-mk4t9R6CgAwkGx4o6NSVOplAIdls-O5qovBf5HxzBMEVrOrQ01fwskmkvdRplr2V33WljJH9Kk32Ju3tgB9fuLGLVyEfdk-UNLw/s1600/ohammed-Shami-of-India-celebrates-dismissing-Jason-Roy1.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
In November, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had written to the ICC to review the conditions of Amir’s spot fixing ban and grant immediate relief to the player so that he could return to domestic cricket before September 2015, that is when his five-year ban ends. According to the new anti-corruption code, banned players could be allowed to return to domestic cricket before the end of their penalty if they meet certain criteria.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
With the domestic season in Pakistan set to finish soon and start again in October, Amir’s only chance to play in competitive cricket can be a possible stint in the Super Eight T20 Cup in Pakistan after the World Cup.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Spokesman from the PCB has said, “It is most likely that Amir will get an (immediate) reprieve to play domestic cricket.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The hopes of his return to competitive return cricket has encouraged his representatives to look for possible contracts in English County Season which begins in April.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The reintegration of Amir to competitive cricket would depend on few factors though. One of it would be based on a conclusion of positive behaviour since the spot-fixing scandal. In the last four years, Amir has completed an Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) education program with PCB, showed a high degree of remorse, and disclosed relevant information to the PCB as well as the anti-corruption units.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
22 year old Mohammed Amir had been handed a 5 year ban along with teammates Mohammed Asif and Salman Butt for indulging in Spot Fixing. Both Mohammed Amir and Mohammed Asif had bowled deliberate no-balls in Lord’s Test in 2010.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Of the three players who were accused, Mohammed Amir was the one who had drawn the most sympathy and considered to have naively entered a way of crime under pressure from seniors without having fully realized the consequences of his act.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The young bowler already holds the record of being the youngest player to 50 test wickets.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-38508145229331671022015-01-25T13:20:00.001+05:302015-01-25T13:20:51.140+05:30India’s bowling is an area of concern, feels Kirti Azad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Titillium Web', sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
<b>Former <a href="http://www.cricketcountry.com/teams/india" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0096d4; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">India </a>cricketer and member of the victorious World Cup team of 1983, <a href="http://www.cricketcountry.com/players/kirti-azad" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0096d4; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Kirti Azad</a> Saturday said with the present bowling line-up reigning champions India will suffer badly at the upcoming<a href="http://www.cricketcountry.com/tag/icc-world-cup-2015" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0096d4; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ICC World Cup 2015</a> starting Feb 14.</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkZIqE8slM-0m0B88VOon1BUrrsWMJRnu4rv3xj6-Ii2Ri7pwWxO9-zUTnvmBdt8Hg6hQwerVHivTYXifNlyu2C7SR87MpqmDjBIvP5pVslKO7l42mZM2IBY_LrvjN7nhi0i4l2bBSlY/s1600/ohammed-Shami-of-India-celebrates-dismissing-Jason-Roy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkZIqE8slM-0m0B88VOon1BUrrsWMJRnu4rv3xj6-Ii2Ri7pwWxO9-zUTnvmBdt8Hg6hQwerVHivTYXifNlyu2C7SR87MpqmDjBIvP5pVslKO7l42mZM2IBY_LrvjN7nhi0i4l2bBSlY/s1600/ohammed-Shami-of-India-celebrates-dismissing-Jason-Roy1.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Titillium Web', sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
“With the kind of bowling line-up we have, we have to suffer,” Azad told the media and audience present at the Kolkata literary meet where he and other panellists discussed the victory at the ’83 World Cup.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Titillium Web', sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
The 56-year-old, who fondly remembered getting English batsman <a href="http://www.cricketcountry.com/players/ian-botham" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0096d4; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Ian Botham</a> out in the semi-final in 1983, also added that cricket is a strange game where anything could happen in an instant, thus refraining from predicting India’s chances at the Cup.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Titillium Web', sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
“It is a funny game, you never know, the bowling will have to come to the forefront and deliver, if it does not then India can be knocked out before the semi-final or even before that,” he added.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-7373068619995980942013-07-14T20:17:00.000+05:302013-07-14T20:17:30.180+05:30Sourav Ganguly hails MS Dhoni as one of the greatest Indian ODI players<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: MuseoSlab500Regular; font-size: 16px;"><i>"I have earlier seen many one day players and also played with many cricketers. But as a package of batting, wicket keeping and captaincy, he (Dhoni) has been outstanding for India," Ganguly said.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: MuseoSlab500Regular; font-size: 16px;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: MuseoSlab500Regular, helvetica, arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
After former India cricket captain Dilip Vengsarkar called Mahendra Singh Dhoni the best one-day match finisher ever, ex-star Sourav Ganguly Saturday rated the Jharkhand dasher as one of the </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVS8Nib-9R5O_4Az3jnZoBwktte45EmVg1jZgbVfdqm9-_yEhkfCWptoErguq14t5C1tQCPxGl1aIgJuCGl7KiCrWhBrgzlj8QFdRmsNQxfc3JyaJ6EKqXPrcEdId-2Wg63NwB7uUdTGg/s1600/CPS.NVF52.081008114224.photo02.photo.default-512x348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVS8Nib-9R5O_4Az3jnZoBwktte45EmVg1jZgbVfdqm9-_yEhkfCWptoErguq14t5C1tQCPxGl1aIgJuCGl7KiCrWhBrgzlj8QFdRmsNQxfc3JyaJ6EKqXPrcEdId-2Wg63NwB7uUdTGg/s320/CPS.NVF52.081008114224.photo02.photo.default-512x348.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
greatest Indian ODI players.<br />
<div style="font-family: MuseoSlab500Regular, helvetica, arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Praising Dhoni for leading his team to an amazing victory in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka Thursday, Ganguly said: "I have seen the entire match. It is really wonderful to see the kind of ice cool nerve as well as temperament he showed in the final."</div>
<div style="font-family: MuseoSlab500Regular, helvetica, arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Speaking at a programme of Bengali news channel ABP Ananda, he hailed the "cool" skipper's skill, ability as well as temperament.</div>
<div style="font-family: MuseoSlab500Regular, helvetica, arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
"As a superb one-day player, Dhoni possesses tremendous match finishing ability. I think in ODI, Dhoni is one of the greatest players of all times for India," he observed.</div>
<div style="font-family: MuseoSlab500Regular, helvetica, arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
Dhoni smashed 16 runs in the last over to help India win the Tri-Nation series at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad. His innings was reminiscent of the one he played in Mumbai where he struck an unbeaten 91 against Sri Lanka in the World Cup 2011 final.</div>
<div style="font-family: MuseoSlab500Regular, helvetica, arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">
"I have earlier seen many one day players and also played with many cricketers. But as a package of batting, wicket keeping and captaincy, he (Dhoni) has been outstanding for India," Ganguly said.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-4786077715474523972013-07-14T18:48:00.002+05:302013-07-14T18:48:38.878+05:30New faces brighten Indian cricket<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="body" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3a39; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none; text-align: justify;">
<i>The India under-19 team’s victory in the Top End series in Darwin (Australia) must gladden the hearts of the junior national selection committee members and the cricketing fraternity in general.</i></div>
<div class="body" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3a39; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none; text-align: justify;">
Right from the warm-up game against Papua New Guinea, Vijay Zol’s team trounced Australia and New Zealand twice in the league and dominated the tournament.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1F2fhSxkcT_aaBbf3sc632wi16L_N9jR5eO5qBDO8yFty5JvIJ3SqAw4ipEqrkrjuh69SfmtyvObwYeUQHw9krCJe5oQ4vfcoDlf1jh_-gtOI4udSFFIg_rQSCDaDS65lDk_Z_z4NwU/s1600/12zol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1F2fhSxkcT_aaBbf3sc632wi16L_N9jR5eO5qBDO8yFty5JvIJ3SqAw4ipEqrkrjuh69SfmtyvObwYeUQHw9krCJe5oQ4vfcoDlf1jh_-gtOI4udSFFIg_rQSCDaDS65lDk_Z_z4NwU/s320/12zol.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vijay Zol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="body" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3a39; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none; text-align: justify;">
The convincing win in the final on Friday was a reflection of the quality of the team selected by Chandrakant Pandit and his committee.</div>
<div class="body" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3a39; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none; text-align: justify;">
With only Zol and Mumbai’s Akhil Herwadkar making the cut from the team that won the ICC Under-19 World Cup last year at Townsville (Australia), Pandit would have been anxious to know the outcome of the series. This was the first preparatory tour lined up by the BCCI leading to the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Dubai in February 2014.</div>
<div class="body" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3a39; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none; text-align: justify;">
The India Under-19 team will play a Test and one-day series in Sri Lanka soon and a quadrangular one-day series at home in which the other teams would be Australia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.</div>
<div class="body" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3a39; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none; text-align: justify;">
Sources close to the planning of the Indian team said that the selection committee has picked the team taking into account the players’ ability to excel in conditions in Australia, India, Sri Lanka and Dubai and also the potential of the players to make the India ‘A’ and India senior teams.</div>
<h3 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373535; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-transform: uppercase;">
GOOD START</h3>
<div class="body" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3a39; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none; text-align: justify;">
While Sandeep Patil’s committee has had the satisfaction of making bold decisions for the home series against Australia, the ICC Champions Trophy and the tri-series in the West Indies, Pandit’s committee has made a good start with Zol leading by example.</div>
<div class="body" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3a39; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none; text-align: justify;">
Earlier this week, Pandit’s committee picked two teams — the India under-23 team for the Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Cup and the India under-19 teams for four-day and one-day games in Sri Lanka.</div>
<div class="body" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3a39; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none; text-align: justify;">
Patil and Pandit’s committee have selected players from Jammu & Kashmir; off- spinner Parveez Rasool in the Indian team for the one-day series in Zimbabwe and opening batsman Shubham Khajuria in the under-19 team for the Sri Lanka tour.</div>
<div class="body" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3a39; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none; text-align: justify;">
Pandit’s committee has also recognised the performances of wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Vishwanadh (under-19) and seamer Sandeep Warrier for the ACC Emerging Teams Cup to be played in Singapore.</div>
<div class="body" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3a39; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none; text-align: justify;">
There are some familiar faces in the under-23 team, but the committee has given opportunities to Mumbai’s Kaustubh Pawar, Maharashtra’s Ankit Bawane, Guajarat’s Manpreet Juneja, Smit Patel, Jasprit Bumrah and Akshar Patel, Himachal Pradesh’s Prashant Chopra and Haryana’s Harshal Patel.</div>
<h3 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373535; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-transform: uppercase;">
BIGGEST BREAK</h3>
<div class="body" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3a39; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none; text-align: justify;">
The biggest break though has come for Kerala’s Sanju Vishwanadh. He is the vice-captain of the under-19 team. Uttar Pradesh’s left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav has taken time to impress, but Abey Kuruvilla, former chairman of the BCCI junior selection committee, said: “He’s a bright future. He bowls the googly and chinaman. He is also a handy bat. He has been with Mumbai Indians for two seasons.”</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-27316860204381712432013-07-14T18:41:00.000+05:302013-07-14T18:41:49.286+05:30ICC denies Aamir permitted to play domestic cricket<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>LAHORE: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has categorically denied that suspended fast bowler Mohammad Aamir has been allowed to play domestic cricket by the game’s world governing body.</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking to Dawn from Dubai, a spokesman of the ICC confirmed that the ICC Board had already constituted a four-man committee during the ICC annual conference week last month, on the request of the Pakistan Cricket Board interim committee chairman Najam Sethi, but clarified that any decision regarding Aamir’s five-year ban would only be made by the ICC Board.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZjSu60kiTK97HofDwRQ33r2sj1_9n34VzaVNprJtpj0zeVR3S6zPJeuXVa6I4SPjqDOlmgBafupLoJeQbii2tMqj92MqBVrA3Hw_t42H0VrJ0lXyIq8DSYxmmyO9RWU-NVq9nsZbPY0/s1600/Mohammad-Aamer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZjSu60kiTK97HofDwRQ33r2sj1_9n34VzaVNprJtpj0zeVR3S6zPJeuXVa6I4SPjqDOlmgBafupLoJeQbii2tMqj92MqBVrA3Hw_t42H0VrJ0lXyIq8DSYxmmyO9RWU-NVq9nsZbPY0/s1600/Mohammad-Aamer.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Any decision to give any sort of relaxation to Mohammad Aamir will only be made by the ICC Board. The four-man committee comprising Giles Clarke, Wally Edwards, Imran Khawaja and Keith Oliver will present its recommendations to the ICC Board, which will review these before making its decision. Until such time, Aamir will remain suspended from all cricket activities,” the spokesman said.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Any reports that the ICC has allowed Aamir to play domestic cricket or club cricket or use PCB facilities are incorrect,” the spokesman added.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Aamir, along with his then skipper Salman Butt and another pacer Mohammad Asif, was banned for five years by an independent anti-corruption tribunal of Michael Beloff in 2011 after he was found guilty of spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test in August 2010.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">While Salman and Asif appealed against the bans, Aamir admitted his guilt, attended rehabilitation programmes and also cooperated with the ICC with its investigations. On Aamir’s attitude, the PCB wants his five-year ban should be ended in three years.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">During last month’s ICC conference, Sethi had pleaded Aamir’s case and had requested the ICC Board to reduce his penalty. Upon Sethi’s request, a committee was constituted to look into the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, as well as Aamir’s case and make recommendations.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">While the next ICC Board meeting is scheduled in October, it is not necessary that a decision on Aamir will be made in that meeting.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“It will be premature to comment when the recommendations will be presented and when the ICC Board will make its decisions,” the ICC spokesman remarked.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">On Salman Butt, the ICC spokesman said the former Pakistan captain was yet to contact the ICC.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“We have seen media reports in which he has accepted his involvement in spot-fixing and has apologised, but till this date, he has not contacted the ICC or its ACSU.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Salman has to come out clean, share information and help the ACSU in its investigations,” he concluded.</span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-15955879775595699832013-07-14T18:38:00.001+05:302013-07-14T18:38:57.413+05:30At times, you need to play boring cricket - MSD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="row" style="font-family: MuseoSlab500Regular, helvetica, arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
<div class="report-meta col" style="-webkit-background-clip: padding-box !important; background-clip: padding-box !important; border: 0px dotted blue; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font-size: 0.9rem; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px 3.328125px; width: 667.6875px;">
<div style="font-size: 0.9rem;">
<div style="clear: right; font-family: MuseoSlab500Regular; font-size: 1rem; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<i>The skipper admitted that since it was the final, he took the risk of playing despite not having fully recovered from his hamstring injury.</i></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="row" style="font-family: MuseoSlab500Regular, helvetica, arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
<div class="report-body col" style="-webkit-background-clip: padding-box !important; background-clip: padding-box !important; border: 0px dotted blue; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font-size: 0.9rem; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px 3.328125px; width: 499.09375px;">
<div id="story" style="font-size: 0.9rem;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After guiding the team to an exciting tri-nation ODI series triumph, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni made it clear that he is ready to play "boring cricket" while chasing low scores if it ensures a victory for his team.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"At times in these low scoring matches, you need to play boring cricket. It doesn't matter whether you win in the 48th or 49th over," Dhoni said at the post-match media conference having got his team past the finishing line with two balls to spare.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP-IJvWBgucQmJWATi7os725F7S293PFh4U7YyANy4UFAJDT7UnMa6SDnWaR8EMBlg6TxyKI0-MjJqnKo5hzuPHZZ2B_M_I4pkoWFbqNM89xj7WDnqcFRrf2cnO-B2-mniBvE8yXvEBg/s1600/600873_335672489868658_298931689_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP-IJvWBgucQmJWATi7os725F7S293PFh4U7YyANy4UFAJDT7UnMa6SDnWaR8EMBlg6TxyKI0-MjJqnKo5hzuPHZZ2B_M_I4pkoWFbqNM89xj7WDnqcFRrf2cnO-B2-mniBvE8yXvEBg/s320/600873_335672489868658_298931689_n.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The skipper admitted that since it was the final, he took the risk of playing despite not having fully recovered from his hamstring injury.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Sometimes you don't really wait to be 100 hundred percent fit. The problem with hammy (hamstring) injury is that there is a chance of re-occurence. Since it was the final and we have two months off after this, I thought about taking the risk," he said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Questioned on how he played despite restricted movements, he answered, "I just tried to avoid the pressure on my right hamstring and trying to deviate that pressure." He was all praise for young Virat Kohli's leadership skills.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Virat did a tremendous job with a young side. Now he will be leading the team to Zimbabwe where it will be a good exposure for the new set of bowlers who are not as experienced as the current crop. If they do well, our bench strength will only increase," the skipper pointed out.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The witty side of the skipper came to the fore when asked about him scolding Ishant Sharma for misjuding a single and risking getting run-out in the process.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"The problem with tall fast bowlers is that there is a lot of distance between the brain and the receptors," Dhoni answered in a tongue-in-cheek manner.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On a serious note he added, "I was avoiding singles in the 49th over because if I had to play the last couple of deliveries and I happned to miss it, it would have increased pressure on Ishant. He is not very good at rotating strike and also with him I could have at the best run a single."</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-79643387946473325112012-10-13T23:16:00.000+05:302012-10-13T23:16:35.100+05:30Deccan Chargers terminated from IPL<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="news-body" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding: 0px;">
<b>The Deccan Chargers franchise is one formal step away from losing its IPL status with its owners failing to produce, within the Friday evening deadline, the Rs 100-crore ($19 million) bank guarantee the Bombay High Court had set as the condition for the team's survival in the league. The failure to produce the bank guarantee meant that the court's status quo on the franchise's termination was automatically lifted, which leaves the BCCI free to invite bidders for a new franchise.</b></div>
<div class="news-body" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding: 0px;">
There are, however, two lifelines for the Chargers; one is if the court-appointed arbitrator, CK Thakkar, rules that the BCCI's grounds of termination were improper. It is believed that Chargers' counsel have already approached Thakkar. The other alternative is to challenge the High Court order in the Supreme Court.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrcHhBUswP-C4o_SSyCv09SzxMvhWLt9UsLD6xCSLQcYdlSFVmFW31myNoEf5P7tJgV9afJaZyZHwWL8yA_gLBA-AgwAHpZgZQDuJGyW-mas2f-Xs8ETnO5YE9EbAr1vdRVDoUe8jecw/s1600/ARV_11_DECCAN_CHARGER_3959f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrcHhBUswP-C4o_SSyCv09SzxMvhWLt9UsLD6xCSLQcYdlSFVmFW31myNoEf5P7tJgV9afJaZyZHwWL8yA_gLBA-AgwAHpZgZQDuJGyW-mas2f-Xs8ETnO5YE9EbAr1vdRVDoUe8jecw/s320/ARV_11_DECCAN_CHARGER_3959f.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="news-body" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="news-body" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding: 0px;">
For the moment, though, Friday's events bring the curtains down on Chargers' roller coaster existence in the IPL, which they won in 2009 after finishing last the previous season. Their subsequent performances were patchy - they finished fourth, seventh and eighth in the last three seasons. The last few months have been overshadowed by the owners' financial problems, which had led to the attempted sale of the franchise and finally its dissolution.</div>
<div class="news-body" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding: 0px;">
It is understood that DCHL sought a three-day extension of the Friday 5 pm deadline to furnish the guarantee but the court turned it down. DCHL's lawyers are also believed to have told the court that it was trying to "negotiate" selling the franchise to a private bidder.</div>
<div class="news-body" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding: 0px;">
It is not yet clear what will happen to the playing and support staff. Chargers were led last season by Kumar Sangakkara and coached by the former Australia batsman Darren Lehmann. The other notable overseas players include Dale Steyn, Cameron White and JP Duminy.</div>
<div class="news-body" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding: 0px;">
The development will, however, come as a shot in the arm for the BCCI, which is keen on a new franchise. At its marketing sub-committee meeting on September 13, a day after the Chargers' expulsion, the board had decided on a short-list of nine cities - not including Hyderabad - for the new franchise. But those plans had to be put on hold once DCHL went to court.</div>
<div class="news-body" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding: 0px;">
The BCCI had terminated Chargers' IPL contract on September 14 after what it called a "sudden change of stance by the franchise" regarding its commitments and the board's belief that any further extension of time to the franchise owners would "seriously prejudice the interests of the players."</div>
<div class="news-body" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 12px; padding: 0px;">
The matter then went to court where on October 1, while delivering his final judgement in the case, Justice S J Kathawala had asked DCHL to comply with various undertakings in order for the franchise to return to the IPL fold. The conditions included clearing the player dues and other liabilities for the fifth season of the IPL, and also the bank guarantee, only from a nationalised bank.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-44777771600784718192011-12-27T11:50:00.000+05:302011-12-27T11:50:18.169+05:30Sehwag's fifty puts India on top<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;">Virender Sehwag </span><span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;">played some scintillating shots en route his half-century as India </span><span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"> reached 99 for two at tea, in reply to Australia's </span><span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;">first innings 333, on second day of the first Test in Melbourne </span><span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;">, on Tuesday.</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">The dashing opener smashed a quickfire 67 before he was bowled off James Pattinson while trying to execute a cover drive without reaching to the line of the ball at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;"><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- <strong>Scorecard</strong></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAblOd7P7_EhBqQAxFp408ZBfwfHLGsUEcPsNKQtIEIxy0KYoCGPRkd-fWqlrRxBCZq5NjG5RD4O0UJhgJP9fjVYRaKlhJww_Svg1esb4CN5jzPOVyckU0XjZVjYiySfqko4mP5KYz-w/s1600/27viru.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAblOd7P7_EhBqQAxFp408ZBfwfHLGsUEcPsNKQtIEIxy0KYoCGPRkd-fWqlrRxBCZq5NjG5RD4O0UJhgJP9fjVYRaKlhJww_Svg1esb4CN5jzPOVyckU0XjZVjYiySfqko4mP5KYz-w/s1600/27viru.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sehwag Quick Fifty lead India's innings</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Indian vice-captain would rue the fact that he could not get a big score despite being dropped twice, on 54 and 58.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On the first occasion, it was David Warner at long on, who failed to latch onto a big hit off Nathan Lyon's bowling and then it was Brad Haddin who needlessly dived to his right when the first slip would have easily collected the catch.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At the tea break Rahul Dravid was unbeaten on 25 while Sachin Tendulkar was on two in pursuit of his 100th international century.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sehwag batted for 127 minutes and faced 83 balls, hitting seven fours in the process.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pattinson, the young tearaway quick, was earlier rattled by Sehwag's antics and the two were involved in a verbal duel after the Indian opener pushed the fast bowler for a single. Umpire Marais Erasmus had to step in and calm the two players.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Left-handed opener Gautam Gambhir(3) was the other batsman out as he edged a Ben Hilfenhaus delivery that kicked up and moved away, to Brad Haddin behind the stumps.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sehwag, typically, played and missed quite often in the initial phase of his knock but also carted some bold strokes which played on to the nerves of the Australians.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sehwag's booming shots were not seen straightaway but he hit Patterson for a four through the covers in the fifth over to start the counter attack.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The right-hander then carved first-change Peter Siddle over slips which almost went to six at the third man region. He then followed it up with two consecutive fours off the fast bowler -- one smashed through the covers and the second one deliberately steered through the slip cordon.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sehwag took a fancy of off-spinner Nathan Lyon, introduced early in the innings, and twice flayed him down the ground for boundaries. The first such shot brought up his half-century off 59 balls with five fours.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Delhi opener, who completed 8,000 runs in Test cricket during his innings, then dragged a drive off Lyon which almost carried to David Warner at long-on. In the very next over, he edged Pattinson but wicketkeeper Haddin couldn't hold on to the chance on to his right.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Just before the tea break, Pattinson again roared up in appeal for a catch to forward short leg but it was clear the ball had gone off the thigh of Sehwag.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dravid went about his business quietly at the other end. He began with a classy thrust off his pads to midwicket fence off Pattinson but the second one came after a while when he edged one off Peter Siddle between the slips.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Tendulkar walked in to a standing ovation from the goodish MCG crowd but nearly disappointed them when he played the part-time medium-pace of Mike Hussey uppishly and almost into the hands of short mid-wicket fielder.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Australian pace bowlers bowled in very good area in the half an hour before tea and beat Dravid on a number of occasions.</span></div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-10669818693498619602011-12-27T11:42:00.000+05:302011-12-27T11:42:24.464+05:30India's last cricket frontier<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">India are beginning a grinding four-Test cricket series against Australia in Melbourne. Sports writer Suresh Menon here covers the prospects for the Indian team, which has never won a Test series in Australia.</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhzdGEviJM5agYKCNy-muoyUKIhprkfI_Lt3oztM_rEXBi1WZmqBW0JMFhyphenhyphenEqY6A_NhdAHXGekFCtG-qHssZh6lWhEflQXmU9znuy04ZaiL5ZEZQnRFZgTAQYwHzk2VmYLrFofP1AUss/s1600/zaheer-khan-getty_630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhzdGEviJM5agYKCNy-muoyUKIhprkfI_Lt3oztM_rEXBi1WZmqBW0JMFhyphenhyphenEqY6A_NhdAHXGekFCtG-qHssZh6lWhEflQXmU9znuy04ZaiL5ZEZQnRFZgTAQYwHzk2VmYLrFofP1AUss/s320/zaheer-khan-getty_630.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zaheer With his New Look</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Not since 1977-78, when a full Indian team was expected to thrash an Australian outfit weakened by the Kerry Packer defections, has there been so much hope in the Indian camp as there is now.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Back then India lost the first two Tests narrowly and won the next two with thumping margins before losing the decider.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"We should have won 5-0," said ace spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, who claimed 28 wickets, 12 in the Melbourne Test with figures of six for 52 in each innings.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was a rag-tag Australian outfit, led by Bobby Simpson, who had been recalled a decade after retiring from the game.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">History clearly is not in India's favour.</span></div><span class="cross-head" style="background-color: white; color: #505050; display: block; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Inspired or deflated?</span></span><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">India might have the superior batting, but this series hinges on which team is more capable of taking 20 wickets to win a Test.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Zaheer Khan apart - and no-one knows what his level of fitness is or whether he will even last the series - this is the most inexperienced bowling attack India has fielded in at least six decades.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If that spurs the likes of Ravichander Ashwin or Umesh Yadav, talented bowlers but in alien conditions, it will be a series to savour.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-rendering: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Australia's bowling attack is also certainly weakened, with new star Pat Cummins unfit.<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Adding to India's confidence is Australia's recent loss to New Zealand in the Hobart Test, which revealed their own lack of experience and extended the career of Ricky Ponting.</span></div></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The question is: will the loss in Hobart make Australia a more dangerous side or will it drag the team further down the corridor of uncertainty they have been inhabiting in recent weeks and months?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sport is strange that way.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A loss can either inspire or deflate a team. Champion teams tend to be motivated by defeat, but Australia haven't been champions for some time now, and it will be interesting to see how they react.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A week before this Boxing Day Test, Ponting turned 37. Both Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are a couple of years older, but the Indians continue to be the pillars of the batting.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The last time India travelled, they were knocked over by England in every match; India struggled once Zaheer Khan pulled out with injury in the first Test, and discovered that nothing succeeds like failure.</span></div><span class="cross-head" style="background-color: white; color: #505050; display: block; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lambs abroad</span></span><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thanks to the recent victories against England and the West Indies at home (the former admittedly in a one-day series), the smile is back on the face of the Indian tiger.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But tigers at home, lambs abroad - the story of Indian cricket for many years, has come back to haunt them.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Nevertheless, the leading players know this is their last chance to be part of a series win in Australia.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For the past decade and a half this has been one of the leading India teams of all time.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Even when the team was anointed No 1 in the world, there was a nagging incompleteness: India had never won a series in Australia.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There was the series win in Pakistan, victories in England and the West Indies, and the World Cup.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A few things have to fall into place, though, to cross the Australia frontier.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">India haven't fully got over their first-Test blues on tour; they tend to lose the inaugural encounter and then find it impossible to get back into the series.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They should have won the last two series in Australia, but managed only a draw under Sourav Ganguly and despite winning a Test under Anil Kumble, lost the series.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Much will also depend on how the rival skippers, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Michael Clarke, handle their resources.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Clarke has the story of Bobby Simpson to inspire him; Dhoni has the chance to correct a historical anomaly when the better team lost some three and a half decades ago.</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-44643939410647339572011-09-29T13:49:00.000+05:302011-09-29T13:49:15.016+05:30Emotions Reloaded: Bravo's Cameo - Bravado<a href="http://emotionsreloaded2anoop.blogspot.com/2011/09/bravos-cameo-bravado.html?spref=bl">Emotions Reloaded: Bravo's Cameo - Bravado</a>: Just when CSK seemed to have lost their complete plot in the match against Cape Cobras, there came the savior, Dwayn Bravo. Man, he m...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-62130179027279623612011-07-10T17:25:00.000+05:302011-07-10T17:25:33.296+05:30Speed thrills<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOHBZT9k9kVSZH6eoD60VgTC5ZpBUW1jnFq9qFbVSXlzvaZUSnwP4VEwgGRPtECSgUNQKVO0wSdEHytYkOJSszHjwzyD3Cm6ztN-OfDCxA16I9rOdKgAC4zkx7Rq7gYJXwe_iqSp_i7U/s1600/Simmons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOHBZT9k9kVSZH6eoD60VgTC5ZpBUW1jnFq9qFbVSXlzvaZUSnwP4VEwgGRPtECSgUNQKVO0wSdEHytYkOJSszHjwzyD3Cm6ztN-OfDCxA16I9rOdKgAC4zkx7Rq7gYJXwe_iqSp_i7U/s200/Simmons.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Plagued by injuries throughout his tumultuous six-year international career, Kerala pace ace S Sreesanth is coming through another frustrating period. Not only did he miss the tour of West Indies, where he was expected to spearhead the attack in Zaheer Khan’s absence, he’s also seen his replacement, Praveen Kumar, step up to the plate and stake a claim for a regular spot. Ishant Sharma is also bowling with renewed vigour.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Eager to get back in the groove for the England tour, Sreesanth is banking on the thing that works for him – raw pace — injuries be damned.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Making a comeback after his latest injury (tennis elbow) the 28-year-old is in no mood to sacrifice pace even with the physical demands of the modern game in mind.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I don’t want to be a bowler who gets injured and then comes back and bowls at 120kmph. I want to bowl fast. Even in 2007, I had a back injury and people asked, ‘why don’t you start playing because you can bowl?’ But, I don’t want to just bowl. I want to bowl fast,” Sreesanth tells the <strong>HT</strong> in an interview. Excerpts:<br />
<strong><br />
What’s the status on your injury?</strong><br />
I had a tennis elbow, and a bruise on my bone. For the last year and a half I’ve been on and off feeling pain while bowling. I am training hard and following a proper routine. I am fine now.<br />
<strong><br />
What will be the challenge in England?</strong><br />
England are a very good side, they have done well everywhere. The conditions will be helpful, but not getting carried away by the bounce and the swing, like I did on my last tour in 2007, will be the key. It took me two Tests to understand how to bowl in England, and the experience of playing a season for Warwickshire will be to my advantage.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">One thing about England is that the conditions are helpful but if you don’t hit the right areas you won’t get wickets. If you can swing the ball with pace, nothing like it. I learnt that from Allan Donald and Ashley Giles, who were my coaches at Warwickshire.<br />
<br />
<strong>Many feel the contest will decide the top Test team in the world?</strong><br />
We don’t need to discuss that. We’re the top-ranked team, and we have proved it for the last year and a half.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Experts feel you are more suited for Test cricket? Is it because it gives you a chance to bounce back unlike a limited overs game?</strong><br />
It is an honour when a great player says that I am a good Test bowler. But honestly, as a cricketer, I want to play all forms of the game. I want to give my best shot, some days I don’t do well, which is a part of the game. All I can control is to give my best when I get an opportunity. There’s nothing like a one-day or a Test bowler, I just want to play for India and do well in all forms of the game. I have four-five years of very good cricket left in me, I am 28, and 28 to 32 are the best years for a fast bowler, you are more experienced and more fit.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>You are known to enjoy the party circuit. How are you preparing for the England series? Have you cut down on partying?</strong><br />
I had my share of celebrations for a couple of weeks (after the World Cup win), but that is history now. I am training hard. I don’t want to be a bowler who gets injured and then comes back and bowls at 120kmph. I want to bowl fast. Even in 2007, I had a back injury and people asked, ‘why don’t you start playing because you can bowl?’</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">But, I don’t want to just bowl. I want to bowl fast. A lot of people question, why he is not playing? But I had this pain and whenever I bowled fast, it was getting worse. I don’t want to cheat myself. I want to bowl fast and get back in to the team. <br />
<strong><br />
Do you think partying affects your performance?</strong><br />
It’s a personal choice. If you know what you are doing and when to do it, then it’s fine. Sab ke liye ek time hota hai. It’s about setting your priorities right, knowing your values… I celebrate when it is the right time. I am not into partying much now. I am not a 19-year-old anymore. I love going out; I used to love partying, even now I go to these get-togethers.<br />
<br />
It is more about relaxing your mind and body and taking the mind off cricket. I love to go and watch movies, or may be a small get-together at home with light music and some fun. Partying now is only restricted to when it is the birthday of a very close buddy or a special occasion. I don’t think it will affect your game as long as you don’t overdo it. Anything over is bad… There is a thin line between foolishness and bravery and if you know that line, you will be fine.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>You are a two-time world champion, how do you compare the 2007 World T20 triumph with the 2011 ODI World Cup experience?</strong><br />
2011 was a completely different experience from 2007, when I took the last catch in the final. In the 2011 tournament, I hardly did anything. Fortunately, I got to play the most important game — the final.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is great to be part of World Cup history but that doesn’t stop me. I want to set standards now; I want to take responsibility.<br />
<br />
I want to be like Zaheer bhai; follow his footsteps, listen and learn from him, and one day become the main strike bowler of India and win matches. There are 14 Tests coming up, I will miss the three against the West Indies but will still get 11. I want to go to the next level. I have been in and out of the team for six years, and it is high time I consolidated my position and became a match winner.<br />
<br />
<strong>How did you take it when you were dropped from the IPL team?</strong><br />
I took it in the right spirit. I knew the West Indies and England tours were coming and I motivated and trained myself to be fit for the series. Nobody wants to miss a game, but honestly it gave me time to set goals about what I want to achieve and where I want to be in one year’s time. Someone like Muraltharan, who has 800 Test wickets, was also dropped for some matches, that’s how the format is.<br />
<br />
<strong>…because you were a current India player who was not finding a place among the seven local players in the Kochi team?</strong><br />
Honestly, I didn’t understand (being dropped for the IPL games) but I was only a player, not the captain or the vice-captain. I was not involved in the team management’s decisions. <br />
<strong> <br />
The DRS has triggered a strong debate, are you for or against it?</strong><br />
It is the Board’s decision, and we respect that. We are under contract.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-53296659491398678582011-07-10T17:21:00.000+05:302011-07-10T17:21:37.657+05:30BCCI has anti-Pakistan agenda: Former ICC chief Ehsan Mani<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Former ICC chief Ehsan Mani <em>says </em>that the Indian board is blocking Pakistan. </span></i></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Governance, for instance.</strong><br />
This is for the simple reason that the ICC had three or four processes of electing its presidents. I’m glad that the proposed change, mooted in Hong Kong, has been deferred. The change was going to be very open-ended and do away with the rotation system. Having agreed to the rotations and to suddenly change, it smells to me of an agenda. The way John Howard was rejected was not good for the publicity of the ICC. The new system of electing the president would throw us back to the old days when only one country (England) was having its candidate elected as ICC president. The best man should head the ICC. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The rotation system may not necessarily give you the best man.</strong><br />
Yes and no. There are very good men in every country. Even Bangladesh and Zimbabwe can throw up good candidates. The question is, are they going to be nominated. The one good way is to have a certain number of independent directors who are not influenced by any country.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>You have been critical of ICC’s approach towards Pakistan. What could it have done?</strong><br />
Look, I never criticised ICC for the current situation in Pakistan. The climate is still not conducive for international cricket. I criticised them for the way Pakistan was removed as a host of the World Cup. Pakistan made a reasonable demand of letting them host their matches in neutral venues. Sharad Pawar and David Morgan agreed to that but the next day at the steering committee meeting, India persuaded Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to reject Pakistan’s request. They were unceremoniously removed as hosts. That was sad. Pakistan always stood by India at the ICC.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>What do you mean when you said BCCI is trying to exclude Pakistan from every game? </strong><br />
Yes. The proof is very much in front of us. The BCCI has been very active in that. They did not allow Pakistan players in the IPL. You can see that no Pakistani team is involved in the Champions League. The cricket boards in India and Pakistan have always remained independent of military and political tensions between the countries.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Why do you think it has happened?</strong><br />
You should ask those who are running BCCI today. In my time, there were people like Madhavrao Scindia, AC Muthiah, Rajsingh Dungarpur, IS Bindra and Jagmohan Dalmiya who never let politics come into the game. The current people, who are running the BCCI, have let politics into cricket.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>But how can the BCCI ignore the government’s advice?</strong><br />
The Indian government is on record saying that it has not given instruction to the BCCI to exclude Pakistani players from the IPL. If you see the FTP, only four countries are playing among themselves.And you look at the number of times India played Australia in the last seven or eight years.At the same time, there is no clear cut schedule between India and Pakistan in the new FTP. It is because the ICC is weak. In my time, every country played with every other country in a four-year cycle. That rule has been corrupted.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>But don’t you think India-Australia and India-England series make for great economics?</strong><br />
I can assure you that India-Pakistan series will far exceed the value of any of these series. This argument of economic viability can hold good from an Australian or English point of view but not from an Indian point of view. The right way forward is to put cricket ahead of politics and financial power. Time is a great healer and things will change soon.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>What is the way forward for Pakistan cricket?</strong><br />
It is a sad state of affairs in Pakistan. The controversies, from spot fixing to lack of unity, are because of the mismanagement of the PCB.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><strong style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The ICC has said the boards will have to de-link from the government. Is it possible in Pakistan?</strong></span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Government interference has harmed Pakistan cricket but this whole thing is not targeted at Pakistan at all. This is motivated by the BCCI because of India’s sports ministry’s proposed legislation for accountability from the national bodies.The BCCI does not want that and that is the real reason. I welcome this legislation. The BCCI can no longer be able to come to the ICC and say that the government does not want an India-Pakistan series</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-49977742585761081322011-07-10T17:14:00.000+05:302011-07-10T17:14:08.946+05:30Edwards wants to be an important part of West Indies cricket<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE75r4AOXe7oksMTecBBpW_YN62JydQpu45MQ2zIATcGujRlscNBXbjd6Z3N52_fDc4QnidHv6dfRcA5sBPBlcAMBU9AQsUazNfCOKwrhXpBgQDIwqrsWElaPppBtQJKa7HzDBfPmrAPo/s1600/Kirk-Edwards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE75r4AOXe7oksMTecBBpW_YN62JydQpu45MQ2zIATcGujRlscNBXbjd6Z3N52_fDc4QnidHv6dfRcA5sBPBlcAMBU9AQsUazNfCOKwrhXpBgQDIwqrsWElaPppBtQJKa7HzDBfPmrAPo/s200/Kirk-Edwards.jpg" width="149" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Kirk Edwards, who scored a century on Test debut against India in the Third Test, said his goal is to become an important part of West Indies cricket. The tall right-hander made an assured 110 in more than four hours at the crease and became the first man to make a century at Test cricket's newest v</span>enue. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span></span><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"It is a special feeling to get a Test century on debut for the West Indies but I would have liked to carry on and make a bigger score for the team. Test cricket is about fighting and I see myself as a fighter."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"We have a lot of strong characters in the team and we will continue the fight out this match."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">He also became the 13th West Indian to make a century on debut. His knock pushed the home side to 224/6 in the second innings - an overall lead of 82 with a day left in the match.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">During his innings Edwards had the ideal partner in Shivnarine Chanderpaul (73 not out) in a stand of 161.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Edwards,26, played some brilliant shots and also showed great determination. He was cheered by the vocal and colourful crowd of over 7,000 fans - including his father Glendon, who made the trip from Barbados.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"We need the support of the people. I had a great reception from the crowd here in Dominica. I was really impressed and happy with the support that we received here."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Speaking about his temperament, Edwards said he never shies away from a challenge. "I'm always prepared mentally. I visualise what I want and I go after it. I want to be a pillar in West Indies cricket so all these things drive me to achieve my goals."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"There will be obstacles but I always aim for my goals. The youngsters (in the team) need the support, we won't come on the stage and get success overnight.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Edwards spoke of the players he admired and those who inspired him as a boy growing up.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"As a young guy growing up and watching cricket I used to like to watch Viv Richards. I used to love to see Viv Richards on the highlights package (on television)."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"It was a proud moment for me to go to the Kensington Oval - at the old Oval - and see Brian Lara and Carl Hooper play. I used to think to myself that one day I would like to be out there playing as well so for me playing for the West Indies is a dream come true," Edwards added.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-45195267759342456802011-07-10T17:12:00.000+05:302011-07-10T17:12:13.622+05:30I am a huge Sachin Tendulkar fan, says Daniel Radcliffe<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uF5pmIvDStxjAwjftZV4YwKj8cxmIo8De4haAm-t5VmNntmOkBAG7rG1PZ8_O6tNR71iKqag4uCh5LJMrSvnmm1NBsp93qbl4Q7aAcOEt2RsNpQT6_K_rQ4Mx8i_bPg-q6BIhtCg2kw/s1600/daniel-radcliff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uF5pmIvDStxjAwjftZV4YwKj8cxmIo8De4haAm-t5VmNntmOkBAG7rG1PZ8_O6tNR71iKqag4uCh5LJMrSvnmm1NBsp93qbl4Q7aAcOEt2RsNpQT6_K_rQ4Mx8i_bPg-q6BIhtCg2kw/s200/daniel-radcliff.jpg" width="140" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="advenueINTEXT" name="advenueINTEXT"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Harry Potter fans can more than just watch their favourite hero's final battle against Lord Voldemort. They can take heart in the fact that Daniel Radcliffe, known for most of his 22 years of life as Harry Potter, is an unabashed Indophile and plans to visit India soon. <br />
<br />
For one, he is a big fan of cricket and Sachin Tendulkar and not necessarily in that order. Daniel cherishes an autograph of the Master Blaster. "My friends and I were thrilled to meet Sachin and get his autograph. I am a huge fan, he is truly a legend." <br />
<br />
"I wanted to visit India during the Cricket World Cup but got so caught up with my Broadway musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, that it left me with no time. But cricket or no cricket, I am certainly planning a trip to India soon," he told TOI. <br />
<br />
The British actor knows a lot about India. He said, "I have heard and read a lot about India, especially Midnight's Children, and would like to know more about the country. Indians are huge cricket fans, just like me." <br />
<br />
As the Harry Potter film series draws to a close, the actor wants to take home two pairs of glasses that his onscreen persona sports as a reminder of the memorable time he spent on the sets. "I will also take home friendship which will last me a lifetime." <br />
<br />
Daniel has been portraying the boy wizard for nearly a decade. "I do not want to break my Harry Potter image, but have been trying other characters and hope the audience will like them the way they did Harry Potter." The actor is confident that his Harry Potter image will not come in the way of his future films. "I don't think of it, but one has to move on. My next film, The Woman in Black, will release in 2012." <br />
<br />
The British actor knows about Shah Rukh Khan starrer Chak De. "I have watched a couple of Bollywood films and found them every entertaining." <br />
<br />
Though Emma Watson, known for her portrayal of know-it-all Hermione Granger, is paired alongside Daniel in the film, he looks at her as his sister. "We have been working together for over a decade and are very good friends. In the beginning, we felt a little awkward <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=infomount-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0006GYLOE&fc1=060606&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=F99A04&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>doing the romantic scenes but both of us are professionals and we gave our shots." <br />
<br />
So finally what does he have to say to all his fans. "I hope you've been satisfied with the films and I'm sorry we haven't been able to keep everything in. I think Harry Potter fans have a literary curiosity and imagination that is not necessarily associated with fans of all other big franchises, both past and present," said the actor. "Take that curiosity out into the world, do extraordinary things."</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-36405608941754552842011-07-10T17:08:00.000+05:302011-07-10T17:08:15.705+05:30Tendulkar eyes landmark 100th Test century during series with England<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sachin Tendulkar will be reunited with his India team-mates this week, aiming to achieve his 100th international hundred against England in the first of their four-Test series at Lord's, starting on Thursday week. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">But even if he does so on a ground where his highest previous Test score is 37, do not expect the 38-year-old to mark this milestone any differently from the way he has celebrated any other in his 22-year career. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAs0RnhB8f1E3UQ2tqPchQNKJOIRafM1_JFL2KXqD-g-lvxNoTMde_m4c1YjWRXmeQLLyz8bKmEd7R_kcEAh6cm1Q0XMFDgYbrKnIQnkwF336JnbGuSGRRj_KkUH10Rdni6oSMpMMsPs/s1600/sachin-tendulkar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAs0RnhB8f1E3UQ2tqPchQNKJOIRafM1_JFL2KXqD-g-lvxNoTMde_m4c1YjWRXmeQLLyz8bKmEd7R_kcEAh6cm1Q0XMFDgYbrKnIQnkwF336JnbGuSGRRj_KkUH10Rdni6oSMpMMsPs/s1600/sachin-tendulkar.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">'I am still learning about the game,' said Tendulkar, who has been rested while India have moved triumphantly through a tour of the West Indies.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">'</span><span style="font-size: small;">You have to keep your mind open. I figure something out about my batting all the time. Those small adjustments with your footwork or bat-swing improve your game. I love doing that.' </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Little Master's passion for the game remains so strong that even if he brings this plot-line to its Bollywood conclusion, do not expect the credits to roll just yet. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">'Life without cricket is unthinkable,' he added. 'I still love cricket as much as ever. It is my job, but it is also my passion. I dreamed of playing for my country when I was young (he made his debut at 16) and it is still my dream, it is still fun for me.' <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=infomount-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0143028545&fc1=060606&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=F99A04&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-77508104210999691562011-07-10T17:03:00.000+05:302011-07-10T17:03:48.054+05:30Mukund disappointed to miss out on a century<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9K8nYSgEXX313m-lgl64LobK7xaIdAOqwPB3UiNWR5zCMGWhVcLw9TBStktsg-hO5JtSADzs-vd9n8rIXn9DL_mxklN9_HAU2AyvWfsTnBIIfo_DA8n0MAcKrMZ11c56wv4cG3dZT9ys/s1600/abhinav-mukund.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9K8nYSgEXX313m-lgl64LobK7xaIdAOqwPB3UiNWR5zCMGWhVcLw9TBStktsg-hO5JtSADzs-vd9n8rIXn9DL_mxklN9_HAU2AyvWfsTnBIIfo_DA8n0MAcKrMZ11c56wv4cG3dZT9ys/s200/abhinav-mukund.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Young opener Abhinav Mukund was crestfallen to miss out on an opportunity to score a century after his patient 62 laid the foundation of India's first innings during the third day of the final cricket Test between India and the West Indies at Windsor Park on Friday.<br />
<br />
"I am really disappointed. After doing all the hard work when the ball was swinging in the morning, I tried to stick on and then got out to a ball, I must not have got out to many a times," said an earnest Mukund whose 62 laid the foundation of India's strong reply to West Indies total of 204 all out.<br />
<br />
Mukund tried to flick a delivery from spinner Devendra Bishoo which rose from a length and took the edge of his bat to go into the hands of forward short leg fielder.<br />
<br />
"The first two tracks had a lot of bounce. This one, frankly, looked like an Indian wicket to me," he said.<br />
<br />
"But still planting your feet and playing out forward took a lot of effort. But then I started trusting the wicket and could go forward a lot more than in Barbados."<br />
<br />
A feature of Mukund's batting on Friday was his backfoot play and the way he handled short-pitched bowling.<br />
<br />
"I have played a lot on matting wicket while I was growing up. My dad always told me that a lot of deliveries in international cricket are short so I practiced and can play short-bowling much better."<br />
<br />
While Mukund has has moved up the ladder, his friend and fellow opener Murali Vijay is having a wretched series and once again got dismissed for one. <br />
<br />
"It's disappointing that he's been struggling a little bit. We are good friends off the field and knowing him, he doesn't allow much to affect him. It's amazing how cricketers can go through ups and downs," Mukund said.<br />
<br />
Mukund also felt for VVS Laxman who hit his third straight half-century against the West Indies but failed to convert anyone of them into a hundred.<br />
<br />
"He was very disappointed. He has now hit three half centuries in a row. I haven't seen that kind of dismissal and a lot of us even thought if it was legal," he said.<br />
<br />
Laxman was dismissed when he let a leg-spin from Shivnarine Chanderpaul go into the gloves of wicketkeeper Calrton Baugh.<br />
<br />
He then lifted his leg mindlessly and Baugh, sensing an opportunity, removed the bails that very instant.<br />
<br />
India didn't bat with extra freedom in the final session even though the West Indies were running ragged in the field with injuries and sapping heat.<br />
<br />
"It might have looked so from the outside since the part-timers were bowling but a lot of those deliveries were outside the off-stump. There were not many run-scoring opportunities," Mukund said.<br />
<br />
The 21-year-old feels, weather permitting, India should go on to win the third and final Test over the next two days.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-63481750613402734182011-06-15T13:32:00.000+05:302011-06-15T13:32:57.173+05:30Bowling will determine our Test future, says Dravid<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Four years ago, <strong>Rahul Dravid</strong> created history as he led India to twin Test series triumphs, against the West Indies and England respectively.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">While the 1-0 victory against West Indies came after a long wait of 35 years, India's victory against England also came after a long wait of 21 years.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMpdmq6cLSUa7KXouDodJphIpkNZrUzzWrqcqtUortUD6BMsS93kaOOdNqIveLQOeL69kjL9jHjDvDCx05CXW-CYz3d01QKBSvpwwR7iNnUMP7ELl8uhLvfk2WFrWal2V18J3V5LCVDg/s1600/rahul-dravid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMpdmq6cLSUa7KXouDodJphIpkNZrUzzWrqcqtUortUD6BMsS93kaOOdNqIveLQOeL69kjL9jHjDvDCx05CXW-CYz3d01QKBSvpwwR7iNnUMP7ELl8uhLvfk2WFrWal2V18J3V5LCVDg/s200/rahul-dravid.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">But this time, the Indian team is embarking on both the tours as the world's number one team, while Dravid, no longer the captain, will be looking to make major contributions with the bat.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">It has been 15 years since Dravid made his Test debut, with a solid innings of 95 at Lord's and he is hoping to get a hundred this time and etch his name on the Honours Boards at the famed cricket stadium, also known as the Home of Cricket.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dravid, 38, has been an integral part of the Indian Test batting line-up, regarded one of the best in contemporary cricket. He is the third highest scorer in Test cricket with more than 12,000 runs to his credit and has held the most number of catches (200), but the veteran is not satisfied yet and wants to keep going and improving everyday.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Indian batting legend discusses India's rise to number one in Tests and why he believes bowling will hold the key to India's Test future in an in-depth interview with Senior Associate Editor <strong>Harish Kotian</strong>.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>You must be having happy memories of West Indies, having led India to a Test series victory, for the first time in 35 years in 2006?</b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Obviously, I have some very fond memories of the last tour. We played some very good cricket right through the tour and then to win in the end was really good. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also, West Indies is a lovely place to play cricket and the people there are fantastic. There is a great vibe around the ground so it is a lovely place to tour and a lovely place to play cricket.</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2596450017347093241.post-1380128172826532832011-06-15T13:28:00.001+05:302011-06-15T13:33:27.645+05:30Tremlett slams BCCI for UDRS refusal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEo5P7TYKvO4xF7sbHVi3wAkVRih4s8Z63vgUmTkerKRwD743Cky3Nb3e_qNvaVrEDIzn9sLYA6qNswYf4QVyWbHmeTnRpdOTxpspYXK28fy5vv2ocm78gVhYTPRUTmhXXN54O1t4ZcbI/s1600/chris-tremlett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEo5P7TYKvO4xF7sbHVi3wAkVRih4s8Z63vgUmTkerKRwD743Cky3Nb3e_qNvaVrEDIzn9sLYA6qNswYf4QVyWbHmeTnRpdOTxpspYXK28fy5vv2ocm78gVhYTPRUTmhXXN54O1t4ZcbI/s200/chris-tremlett.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">England pacer Chris Tremlett on Tuesday slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for its continuous refusal of using the controversial Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS).</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">India will tour England next month to play four Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twent20 match. And just like the ongoing series against the West Indies, there will be no UDRS.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The UDRS is a system where teams are allowed two correct referrals per innings to the TV umpire and ICC has been promoting it constantly for the improvement of the game.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, opposition from BCCI and many senior players including Indian skipper MS Dhoni goes against the wishes of the ICC.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tremlett admitted that he is baffled by India's refusal to accept the review system.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I am a fan of the system. If the technology is there it should be used," said Tremlett.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">He added: "Who knows why India is against it. There have been a few decisions that have been rightly overturned and as a bowler you want those decisions given out. It's a fair way of doing things. I'm fully in agreement with it."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">BCCI has always opposed the system saying they are not satisfied with its accuracy.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"The hot spot has shown that it works. In Australia we had a few decisions correctly overturned,'' countered Tremlett.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"It is very accurate. Sometimes there is a lot of noise around a Test match and an umpire might not hear a fine nick so it's an important thing to have."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Hawkeye is fair too so it'll be a shame. It has been a successful thing over the last six months."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The last and the only time, Indian team used UDRS was way back in 2008 on Sri Lanka tour.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The system proved to be a disadvantage for the visitors as 11 decisions went against them compared to one against Sri Lanka.</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0