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When birthday boy Sachin Tendulkar let his guard down

2011-04-24T07:57:00.003+05:00

Sachin Tendulkar is not known to throw big birthday parties. Instead, he likes to keep it low-key, preferring to spend time with family and friends. However, ever since the advent of the IPL, Tendulkar's birthday has become one of the most important events to watch out for during the Twenty20 gala.

But Tendulkar, the Good Samaritan that he is, chose to celebrate his 38th birthday three days in advance (on Thursday) in a special manner, by interacting with inmates of the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre, a place for the medically boarded out defence personnel, in Kirkee (Pune).

In a video conferencing session, Tendulkar, an honorary Group Captain of the Indian Air Force, was supposed to field questions from wheelchair-bound brave men. However, he started the session by asking the group, “From where do you generate such tremendous courage while on the border?”

Once the former servicemen were at ease, they opened up, asking Sachin everything about his life, including his passion for tennis, the World Cup triumph and his favourite holiday destination. Tendulkar candidly replied all their queries, making it a memorable affair for the 60-odd personnel at the event.

“I've been to Dehradun only twice, but the news channels keep on showing the same footage again and again, making me revisit the place all the time,” Tendulkar said jokingly. “But yes, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I enjoyed the long walks. In Mumbai, I can't go for a stroll, so I just loved it in Dehradun.” Asked about his fondness for racquet sport, Tendulkar said, “I was crazy for cricket and tennis during my childhood. Eventually, I chose cricket and I don't think it has turned out to be a bad decision.”

As he was about to sign off after cutting the cake, he promised to play TT and basketball with the servicemen. Now, can there be a better birthday resolution than that?

Sachin offers help to Para-archer
Pune: If you are an Indian para-athlete, it is difficult to raise money to participate in national and international events. As a result, Amol Boriwale, a para-archer who was in danger of missing out on competing in next month’s Asian para-archery Championship in Bangkok, was left with no option but to seek help from Tendulkar.

Boriwale, an armyman, has emerged as one of the best para-archers in the country.

However he was told that he will have to bear expenses of around Rs 1.5 lakh if he is to participate.

Boriwale appealed for help during the maestro’s video interaction with the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre inmates.

Tendulkar not only offered help but also asked him questions about his routine and training. “I am speaking on behalf of the Indian team. You just let us know how we can help you and we will be there for you.”

B'day spl:: Rare family photos of Sachin Tendulkar

2011-04-24T07:39:00.006+05:00

Sachin Tendulkar, the most famous cricketer was born on April 24, 1973 in Mumbai.Following are some Sachin Tendulkar Real Life photos along with his Family.

Virender Sehwag flattered to deceive

2010-04-23T11:53:00.005+05:00

The 3rd edition of the IPL has reached its fag end with the culmination of the group stage.

The qualification of the four teams -- Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore -- is also an indication of the fact that these teams played the 'pressure points' better than the four that failed to make it past the initial stage.

While teams like Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders have only themselves to blame, they had plenty of riches within their ranks for their vapid show, others like Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab neither had the firepower nor the form to help their cause.

These four teams, which failed to make it, paid the price for the lack of form of their key players, names which promised a lot, but delivered a little.

Virender Sehwag (Delhi Daredevils)

Matches: 14
Runs: 356
Highest: 75
Average: 25.42
S/R: 163.30
100s: 0
50s: 3

It is disappointing to see a name like his (Virender Sehwag) at the start of this list. He was indeed one of the biggest disappointments of the third edition.

The stats above are an apt indicator of how much the 30-year-old struggled to assert himself in the tournament.

His highest score in the tournament -- 75 off 34 balls vs Rajasthan Royals at Motera -- was also his lone match-winning effort in the tournament.

His two other 50-plus scores -- 74 vs Chennai Super Kings and 64 against Kolkata Knight Riders -- came in losing causes.

More importantly, the one factor that fans always expect from Sehwag's batting is flamboyance. That was found lacking in the last few weeks.

B'day Special: Rare family photos of Sachin Tendulkar

2010-04-23T07:15:00.001+05:00

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the most famous cricketer was born on April 24, 1973 in Mumbai.Following are some Sachin Tendulkar Real Life Pictures along with Family.

Kapil Dev asks ICC to take the cue from smart Modi

2010-03-12T09:00:00.003+05:00

Former Indian captain Kapil Dev sprang a surprise by sportingly appreciating Lalit Modi, the chairman and commissioner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) yesterday.

It was Modi, through the IPL that virtually caused Kapil's Indian Cricket League (ICL) to die a slow death in India. The legendary allrounder, who is here for the Laureus World Sports Award, said that the International Cricket Council (ICC) should learn from the success of IPL.

Success

"Modi has come out and promoted the game so beautifully and made it successful. The ICC should similarly put their time into it and try and market Test and One-day cricket in the right manner," said Kapil.

"He [Modi] is one who took the step and gone ahead before anybody could. He is a private businessman and he has done it beautifully than anyone could imagine. We never thought 15 years back that somebody can take cricket to this level. He has not only taken cricket to a different level but also the cricketers to a level that the players can be proud happy and say look we can make a better life out of this. So authorities should learn from Modi and his group," Kapil said.

Want my son to bat like Sachin: Brian Lara

2010-03-12T08:54:00.000+05:00

When you are talking of Sachin Tendulkar almost any parent whose son plays India's most popular game would say they would hope their son would bat like Sachin Tendulkar and guess what, an ace cricketer like Brian Lara hopes for the same if he had a son!!

"We've sat on many occasions. We've been on tour together, played on the same team on some occasion, against each other, been out in India with him, he's been out in the Caribbean with me. We speak a lot about cricket and about batting techniques. And I think we have a very quiet and discreet appreciation of each others talent. That is something well known around the world. And of course, we do feed on each other. In the past I have picked up many DVDs on Sachin and looked at the way Sachin bats and his composure. And if I had a son, I would definitely want to see him bat like Sachin", says the West Indian cricketer Brian Lara.

Congratulating batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar for becoming the first person to hit a double hundred in one day internationals, West Indies cricket great Brian Lara said on Thursday that he would be happy if the Indian went on to surpass his score of unbeaten 400 in Test cricket.

"The feat is an outstanding achievement. He is the first person to score a double hundred in ODIs. Sachin still has the strength, character, and physical fitness to achieve the feat," Lara told reporters.

"I'd be happy if Sachin breaks my record of 400 not out in Test cricket," said the stylish southpaw, who scored 400 not out against England in 2004 in Antigua.

Sachin has been playing cricket since the tender age of 16 years. Still he retains the same enthusiasm and energy, he added.

Lara said that Sachin's feat faced a threat from the current generation of cricketers.

"Records are meant to be broken and there are many young talented cricketers who are capable of breaking this record," he said.

Many cricketers like Ponting, Sehwag and Gayle are all capable of breaking the record, he said.

Commenting on Sachin's comparison with cricket legend Sir Don Bradman, Lara said such comparisons were unnecessary.

"Its an unnecessary comparison of players of different eras. One needs to appreciate a player's performance rather that comparing," he added.

Lara said that Sachin had the capability to do well in the 2011 ODI World Cup to be held in the Indian sub-continent.

Asked whether he would like to make a comeback through the IPL, Lara replied in the negative.

"I haven't played cricket in the last two-three years and I don't intend to play cricket now."

Sachin makes history, scores first ODI double ton

2010-02-25T08:51:00.002+05:00

Milestone man Sachin Tendulkar re-wrote the record books on Wednesday, hammering the first double century in the history of one-day cricket to add another feather to his well-adorned cap.

The capacity crowd at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium witnessed history on Wednesday as Tendulkar, statistically the greatest batsman the game has ever seen, pushed a Charl Langeveldt delivery through the off-side and ran a single to achieve a feat which no other cricketer has achieved.

One-Day International cricket, since its 1971 inception, had to wait nearly four decades to see a batsman score 200. The previous best mark was shared by Zimbabwean Charles Coventry (194 not out) and Pakistan's Saeed Anwar (194).

As the crowd erupted with unbridled joy, Tendulkar, tired but composed, took off his helmet, looked skyward, closed his eyes to offer a silent prayer.

His captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni came down from the striker's end to shake hands and hug him.

And as Tendulkar set on his way back to the pavilion after the completion of the Indian innings, a tumultuous celebration greeted him.

The crowd gave him a standing ovation as the entire stadium erupted in euphoria while his teammates were simply ecstatic as they clapped and hugged each other, basking in the glory of their senior teammates.

Tendulkar batted like a man with a mission today and the South African bowlers simply had no clue where to bowl.

Once he crossed the 150-mark, the crowd anticipated something special and Tendulkar did not let them down.

A six off Roelof van der Merwe took him past Kapil Dev's 175 not out and in the next over, he hit Jacques Kallis for a four to equal his previous best of 186 not out that had come against New Zealand in Hyderabad in 1999.

The crowd got restless as Tendulkar approached the 194-run mark and a couple off Wayne Parnell saw him eclipse it.

His teammates and spectators were on the edge of their seat with a double century round the corner but with Dhoni going berserk at the striker's end and facing most of the deliveries, it was an agonising wait for all.

Dhoni took singles off the final deliveries of the 47th-49th overs and Tendulkar finally took strike with four balls left in the innings.

The first ball he received from Langeveldt was steered past point and Tendulkar ran for a single to remain unbeaten after an unforgettable unbeaten 200 that came off just 147 balls with 25 fours and three sixes in it.

It was yet another milestone for the man, who has some 30,000 international runs under his belt, including 93 centuries (47 in Tests and 46 in ODIs).

Sachin Tendulkar Cricket Story

2010-02-25T08:40:00.013+05:00

Sachin now holds the record for having taken most one-day runs (17000+) and centuries (46).Highest Score - 200*. He belongs to the group of rare sportsmen and his records might never be broken. Sachin Tendulkar has also captained India for few years.

46 One-day international hundreds

47 Test hundreds

166 Test matches played

240 Sixes in all international cricket

442 One-day internationals

13,447 Test runs scored

17,598 one-day international runs

45.12 One-day international batting average

55.56 Test batting average

Rare and exclusive MS Dhoni family photos

2010-01-31T08:01:00.003+05:00

Sachin Tendulkar's New Shell House Photos

2010-01-31T07:36:00.002+05:00

Rare photos of Anjali and Tendulkar Marriage

2009-12-18T00:24:00.004+05:00

Sachin Tendulkar attends friend's wedding in Bhatkal

2009-12-18T00:14:00.003+05:00

B'day spl: Rare photos of Yuvraj Singh

2009-12-11T11:58:00.006+05:00

When Aamir, SRK recited poems for Sachin Tendulkar

2009-12-07T09:26:00.002+05:00

Mukesh Ambani's residence at Cuffe Parade was hopping with the who's who of the city last night. They were gathered there for a bash in honour of Sachin Tendulkar for completing 20 years of cricket.

The party had dances by Bollwood stars, actors like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan reciting poems for Sachin, cricketers and others guests praising the Little Master for his feat.

Rajeev Shukla, vice president of BCCI, said, "The party was arranged for Sachin for completing 20 years of cricket. It was a great function. Everyone's praises for Sachin, made him emotional."

Aamir Khan, who came to the party along with his wife Kiran, director Raju Hirani and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra, said, "I recited the lines 'Khudi ko kar buland itna ki har takhdir se pehle khuda bande se khud pooche, bata teri raza kya hai' for Sachin. The lines fit him very well."

Shah Rukh Khan recited a poem that his daughter wrote for Sachin.Rani Mukherjee, Priyanka Chopra, Shamita Shetty danced to Bollywood tunes choreographed by Ganesh Hegde.

The Ambanis had even organised a performance by international models. The shows were all performed on a a glass surface over the swimming pool.

Music director Anu Malik said, "It was a great party. The arrangements were superb and it was full of fun. It was nice of the Ambanis to host the party for Sachin."

Needless to say, the entire Indian cricket team was present at the party. They were also joined by former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shashtri and six players of the Sri Lankan team.

The party also included close friends of the Ambanis. The menu was simple veg food along with drinks.Sachin Tendulkar, who had come along with his family, was the last to leave the party at 2 am.

Dhoni climbs tree to avoid cake thrown by teamamtes!

2009-12-07T09:24:00.002+05:00

More than two and-a-half hours after Mahendra Singh Dhoni caught Muttiah Muralitharan off Harbhajan Singh to stamp India as the No 1 Test team in the world, a staffer at the Brabourne Stadium left India's dressing room with a tray full of unopened beer bottles.

The Indian team, it seemed, were content with the frantic celebrations which included eating a huge cake and sipping champagne after the historic victory at the hallowed Cricket Club of India turf. The huge cake was placed in the dressing room before skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni returned from the post-match media conference. Strangely, there were no volunteers when it came to cutting the cake to kick off the wild celebrations. It was then decided that Zaheer Khan, being the performer of the day, would do the honours.

As soon as Zaheer cut the cake, Dhoni made a backdoor exit to evade his teammates who were running to smear the cake over his face. And guess where the India captain decided to hide? On a tree in the CCI parking area!

As they waited for the skipper to come down, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Ishant Sharma were unstoppable when it came to playing Holi with the cake. Dravid came from behind and painted Yuvraj's face with the cream.

Once everyone was back to the dressing room, more champagne was uncorked and for the next 15 minutes, the dressing room was wild.

Sachin warned Yuvraj against calling him grandpa again

2009-12-07T09:13:00.006+05:00

At 36, Sachin Tendulkar may be the oldest member of the Indian cricket team but he clearly resents being called a grandfather by his teammates.

Recently when Tendulkar celebrated his 20 years in international cricket, Yuvraj Singh had jokingly said that the veteran batsman was called a 'grandfather' in the Indian dressing room now.

"We have started calling him grandfather," Yuvraj had quipped. Asked what he thought of the reference, Tendulkar said, "I warned him to think twice before calling me grandpa because I have many names to call him in front of the camera."

Tendulkar said even he has a few nicknames for Yuvraj but refused to specify what they might be.

"I have many names for him too, which I cannot reveal in front of the TV camera. I am not revealing them now as I am giving him a chance after my warning," he told 'News24' channel.

I didn't even know who Sachin was: Anjali

2009-11-14T21:01:00.001+05:00

For all the fame he achieved even before the start of his international career, Sachin Tendulkar's wife Anjali couldn't recognise him when they first met in 1990 and she says the batting maestro perhaps fell for her lack of cricket knowledge.

"I first met him at the Mumbai airport when he returned from his first tour of England in 1990, after scoring his maiden Test ton. In fact, when I first saw him at the airport, I didn't even know who he was. It was purely by accident!" Anjali, who married Tendulkar in 1995, said.

"I was there to pick up my mother and Sachin was arriving with the Indian team. That's where we saw each other for the first time... we had a courtship of five years and got married in 1995. We had got engaged a year before that in 1994 and that was in New Zealand," she said in a published interview.

Ignorant about cricket when she first started dating Tendulkar, Anjali said she read up everything about the game soon after but the man himself didn't like discussing the sport at home.

"I think what he liked about me was that I knew nothing about cricket when I first met him. But then, me being me, I read everything about the game. I came to know all the fielding positions but he doesn't like me discussing cricket at home. But at times when he is low or upset, I do talk to him about cricket. Again, it's not the game but things related to it that we discuss," she said.

On whether Tendulkar's fame had come in the way of getting the simple pleasures like a movie, Anjali recalled how the batting great had to come in disguise to watch a movie during their courtship.

"... We had gone to see the movie Roja. I was studying medicine then and a couple of my friends planned. Sachin did try telling me that it would be difficult but I insisted that he come along. To make sure nobody recognised him, we even got him a beard. He wore specs as well and we went in late. We watched the first half of the film, but during the interval, Sachin dropped his specs and people immediately recognised him. It was a bit of disaster and we were forced to leave halfway," she told a newspaper in an interview.

Anjali gave up her promising medical career to be Tendulkar's "biggest support" and after 14 years of marriage, she doesn't regret her decision one bit.

"Though I loved every moment of my studying days and my days at the government hospital, it then came to a stage when I realised that I could not be married to Sachin and also have a full-time career. It wasn't possible because he depends on me for almost everything. It was my decision. I thought I should be at home with him and make everything perfect for him," she recalled.

"In his childhood, brother Ajit did everything for Sachin, sacrificing his own interests. I thought I should do the same. Besides, mine would not have been a 9 to 5 job. I'm a paediatrician, so if there's a patient calling me or someone admitted at odd hours, I have to make myself available", she said.

"With Sachin not around and me with two kids at home, it wouldn't have been possible. I took a decision and I have never, ever regretted it," Anjali said.

Tendulkar completes 20 years of international cricket on Sunday and Anjali said she still can't stop herself from getting tensed when he comes out to bat, so much so that she doesn't even get up to take a phone call when he is at the crease.

"Actually, I have one particular spot in the house from where I can watch TV and also keep an eye on my Ganpati (Ganesha). I don't eat. I don't answer phones. I don't drink.

I don't even move. I don't reply to any sms until he's out," she said.

Nineteen years of knowing the cricketer India worships, Anjali said she has learnt to deal with the pulls and pressures that come with being his better half.

"For me, it's very easy because I've known Sachin for 19 years now. I understand him so well. So whether I am his girlfriend or his wife, it's the same thing, just an extension of that bond. I don't find it very difficult and I'm used to it.

"Maybe, it's also because I've not known any other person in my life except Sachin. Of course, there are many challenges and difficulties to being his wife but the whole family, including my children, has learnt to deal with it," she said.

But Anjali wishes that Tendulkar doesn't have to spend so much time away from his home and two young children.

Dhoni is all candour and humour

2009-10-29T10:16:00.001+06:00

Disarming candour and humour were the intrinsic features of M.S. Dhoni’s interaction with the media here on Wednesday night.

After scoring 124 to ambush the Aussies in the second ODI of the Hero Honda Cup seven-match series here, Dhoni, when asked about his ‘special’ innings, said: “It is not that I have scored many centuries so I will keep all of them in my memory.

“It was a good innings but it was a team effort and not just about me. When I went in the run-rate was good and even if scored at five an over we would have had a good base,” Dhoni said.

Dhoni said that even he would have opted to field first if he had won the toss. “Dew was a factor and with spinners in my attack even I would have fielded first. I am happy with the way all the bowlers performed.

“Harbhajan bowled two bad overs but after that he did get his lines right and he is slowly getting there. Ishant is bowling with rhythm and his pace has gone up,” Dhoni said.
Fine innings

Meanwhile Ricky Ponting said that the Indian batsmen were too good and that Dhoni played a fine innings. “We reasoned about the dew factor and the fact that we were missing a bowler like Brett Lee so we decided to back our batsmen and opted to chase.

“Didn’t work out the way I expected though,” Ponting said and admitted that he missed a bowler like Glenn McGrath to bowl in the death. “Today was an opportunity for your younger players to step up and perform. I am sure they will learn along the way,” Ponting said.

Meannwhile, wicket-keeper Tim Paine will fly back home after suffering a broken finger here on Wednesday. “Paine has broken a finger and he will fly out immediately. Because of the different time zones we are unable to get in touch with our selectors back home though we do have David Boon here with us.

“I am sure we will get a replacement in time for the Delhi match (October 31),” said Ponting.

Funeral Photos of Wasim Akram's wife Huma Wasim

2009-10-29T10:06:00.006+06:00

Images from the funeral of Wasim Akram's wife Huma Wasim.

The curious case of Irfan Pathan

2009-08-05T23:34:00.002+06:00

In the annals of Indian cricket, Irfan Pathan remains an enigma.On one hand is an Irfan, who happens to be a precarious swinger of the cricket ball. When the cherry is at its reddest, he can even take a hat-trick in the very first over of a Test match (v Pakistan at Karachi, 2006). When in rhythm, he is unplayable, unleashing yorkers at will, much to the peril of even the best in business like Adam Gilchrist and Steve Waugh (India’s tour to Australia 2003-04). So what if he was just a teenager making his debut against the world champions in their own backyard!

Chirpy, animated, enjoying every moment of his game, a team man to the core, relentless in pursuit of excellence.Then there is the other Irfan who happens to crop up every now and then. He doesn’t swing, has no pace and can be mistaken for a part-timer. Pakistan’s leg-spinner Shahid Afridi has clocked higher than him on speed gun, it is rumoured. He cuts a lonely figure in the cricket field. He looks lost, almost like a child on his first day in school!

The latest instance of the second Irfan turning up was during the recent Twenty20 World Cup in England.He played three games and looked largely listless. Giving more than 7 runs per over, he lacked penetration, picking just one wicket in the 7 overs he got to bowl amidst conditions largely conducive to swing bowling.

Consequently, as India made an unceremonious exit from the World Cup, he faces the axe again, as selectors decide in favour of Ashish Nehra for the forthcoming short trip to the Caribbean.That was not how it was when he was baptised into international cricket by fire...five years ago.Irfan’s career has been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride. As he notched up one impressive performance with the ball after another, word spread… about a curly haired teenager. Next up was India’s historic tour to Pakistan, where he drew rave reviews from none other than the original Sultan of Swing - Wasim Akram, as also from legendary Imran Khan.

His rise had just begun. Within a year, having established his bowling credentials, he impressed with his batting prowess as well. Soon he was being hailed with the ultimate of compliments - that of being the next Kapil Dev!

And then, in the summer of 2005, came the Greg Chappell era, which in retrospect, can also be termed as a turning point in his career.A vital cog to Chappell’s wheel of fortune from the onset, Irfan quickly became the blue eyed boy for the hard nosed Aussie. He began batting at number three as a part of Chappell’s attempt to infuse flexibility in the team.

While Irfan the batsman did post a few decent outings, Irfan the bowler suddenly began losing his zip. He lost his swing, then the speed…confidence, and soon his place in the side. With too many people telling him what to do, Irfan’s mind was filled with clutter. No longer the cheery boy next door enjoying a simple game of cricket, he seemed a man weighed down by the burden of expectations of an entire nation. Sent back home in middle of a tour from South Africa in December of 2006, and with a career at the crossroads at the age of just 22, Irfan’s cricketing arc seemed at it’s lowest ebb.

So, Irfan got down to the basics. He embraced the daily grind of domestic cricket to fight his way back into the team. Empty stadiums, sub-standard playing conditions, pedestrian opposition could not douse the fire in his belly.Like a man possessed, he practiced hard. Day in…day out.Soon…the results began to show. Among the many positive things that followed post the Greg Chappell era after the 2007 World Cup debacle, was re-emergence of Irfan Pathan as a bowler.Things began falling into place for him. With his swing back, Irfan laid claim to the new ball yet again.

And then came…the most defining moment. A part of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s young brigade at the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, Irfan was among the show stoppers as India shocked the world the lift the World Cup! The icing on the cake was when he was adjudicated man of the match in the pulsating final against Pakistan.

His cricketing life had come full circle. He marked his return to the place where he had made his debut with a man-of-the-match performance at Perth that helped India crush the mighty Australians in what was their invincible fortress.Though inconsistent with the ball, Irfan has only taken positive strides with the bat.Another Kodak moment in his career was when he, along with his elder brother- Yusuf, eked out an astonishing victory from a hopeless position for India against Sri Lankans at Colombo.

But just when everything seemed to be getting back on the track, Irfan again faced omission following the Twenty20 World Cup disaster….and now would not be a part of the Champions Trophy extravaganza in South Africa.A veteran already, at the age of 25, one hopes Irfan does full justice to his immense potential. He may be the final jigsaw that could transform India into a winning combination at the 2011 World Cup.

Are Dhoni-Tendulkar above Phelps-Bolt?

2009-08-05T23:31:00.001+06:00

Opinions seem to be split in India too, as Sports Minister MS Gill and Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra have already come out in open favour of the code, to an extent that Bindra went on to remind cricketers of their ‘duty as an athlete’.

The ICC, which has vowed to make cricket free of doping, has become a WADA signatory, and has pledged to adhere to the guidelines set by them. But a public spat between ICC-BCCI on one side, and WADA on the other, has sent a wrong signal to the sporting world about cricketers’ commitment to a dope-free sport.

By openly rejecting the anti doping code, players like Tendulkar and Dhoni have only harmed their reputation. If Federer, Phelps, Bolt and Lewis Hamilton have no qualms in following the rules, then should there be an exception for the Indian stars?

Instead, we can think of a situation where Tendulkar is seen encouraging the younger lot to understand the importance of random testing, even if it amounts to some intrusion in their privacy, and then ask ICC & BCCI to engage in talks with WADA to make amendments in some rules for the benefit of players, who have signed it.

Secondly, refusing WADA’s guidelines will only delay cricket’s entry into the biggest sporting extravaganza, the Olympics, and hinder its expansion process.

Thirdly, the most amazing is the way things have been allowed to blow out of proportion by all the three concerned parties.

A closer look on WADA’s guidelines clearly mentions, and I quote, “The Athletes Whereabouts Guidelines in Article 2.4, 5.1.1, 10.3.3 are not mandatory in themselves and hence their always is an alternative way of discharging whereabouts responsibility and being available for the mandatory International Standard of Testing.”

Now, even if any player has any issue, he/she can approach the WADA authorities, or their respective boards can come with alternative plans.

The crisis has thrown an opportunity to living legends like Tendulkar, and even BCCI to an extent, to portray a higher stature, and move a step closer to dope-free cricket.

It would be refreshing to see the apex body of Indian cricket, BCCI, rising above petty confrontational politics and be a guiding light, rather than a bullish and pig-headed organisation.

A decade down the line, when history will judge cricketing icons like Sachin Tendulkar, we would like to see him as the man who bore the brunt and guided cricket into an era where suspicion and doubts were things of past, rather than someone who fell on the other side.

When Tendulkar evoked no appreciation

2009-07-09T07:20:00.003+06:00

Cricket is known often to have acted as the bridge that connected India-Pakistan in troubled times but there were instances when even the great Sachin Tendulkar's shots evoked no applause from the crowd across the border.

Former Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman and senior diplomat Shaharyar Khan says before the 1999 series it was winning that mattered and not the skill and art of cricket.

Post-1999 things changed and perhaps for the first time the attitude of fans and players of the two countries underwent a sea change.

"Something had changed in crowd attitudes. Only a few years earlier a Bangalore crowd had whistled and screamed invectives at Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail in an ICC Champions Trophy match and Pakistan boundaries were received in pin-drop silence," he wrote in the book 'Shadows across the playing field' co-authored by former United Nations under-secretary-general Shashi Tharoor.

"The same sullen attitude was true when Indian teams played in Pakistan. I recall being acutely embarrassed when Sachin Tendulkar's brilliant stroke play evoked no appreciation from the spectators," he said.

"But during the 1999 tour, a certain maturity from the crowds witnessing India-Pakistan contests was apparent," he said of the bilateral series held after a gap of 10 years "against the backdrop of acute tension".

"The teams interacted sportingly on field and even the crowd trouble after Tendulkar's run-out at Kolkata was not aimed against the Pakistani team but was essentially a show of frustration," Shaharyar added.

The former PCB boss, born in Bhopal, also recalled the threats Pakistan team received from protesters who were against the revival of cricketing ties between the two countries.

"The game was on, with the establishment against the marauding agitators who had even threatened to let loose poisonous snakes into the Pakistan dressing room!"

The 75-year-old ex-armyman said a new benchmark in public relations was achieved through friendly cricket series between the two countries.

"Perhaps one small incident encapsulated the entire syndrome of the friendship series. At Lahore, Inzamam(-ul Haq) was batting and played a ball to point where (Anil) Kumble fielded and flung the ball hard towards the 'keeper, except that the throw was a little off the mark and missed Inzamam's nose by a whisker. Inzamam turned angrily towards Kumble and heated words were exchanged between the two.

"The incident sent a chill down my spine... but at close, Inzamam and Kumble walked smiling arm-in-arm, the heated exchange forgiven and forgotten. This was the response of two mature and responsible cricketers (so as not to mar the goodwill achieved during the entire 2004 series)," he wrote.

Although post-Mumbai terror attacks there is no bilateral series proposed between India and Pakistan in the new Future Tours Programme, Shaharyar is hopeful that cricket will soon resume between the neighbours.

"It's often been a case of two steps forward and one (or two) steps back in the peace process. The Mumbai terrorist attack must be seen as part of the same syndrome.

"I am convinced that cricket will again provide the catalyst to bring about harmony, tolerance and good neighbourly relations between the two countries," he concluded.

Sourav Ganguly turns 37 today

2009-07-08T07:46:00.003+06:00

Sourav Ganguly turns 37 today. Sourav Ganguly, a household name in India, was born on 8th July,1973 in Calcutta( now known as Kolkata). He was second of the two sons born to Chandidas and Nirupa Ganguly. He has been blessed with a luxurious lifestyle right from his childhood being son of a printing baron of Asia with palatial house of more than 45 rooms all well decorated in affluence. Nicked named as “Maharaja” by his parents, he has been carrying the airs of his nick name which means a prince.

His elder brother Snehashish Ganguly is five years older to him and played first class cricket for their State of Bengal. Snehashish had a big influence on the little Maharaja. It is said that Sourav who is a natural right hander had to practice as a left hander just to use his left handed brother’s cricketing equipments. Sourav’s mother never wanted to risk him playing cricket. It is only brother Snehashish who laid the foundation of Sourav as a cricketer.

This gifted cricketer had the luxury of having a concrete pitch laid at their home in Behela. The two brothers started their cricketing journey with rigorous practice sessions at home. The elder was the mentor of the little kid. Sourav’s batting talent was first noticed in an under-15 match against Orissa where he scored a century. Probably that innings made him the St. Xavier’s School team captain. But the little kid had the arrogance to the dissatisfaction of his teammates.

A little arrogance could not stop this born leader to climb up the cricketing ladders. He entered the Ranji Trophy arena in the year 1990-91 and became a prolific run getter. As a matter of fact, he replaced his brother Snehashish in the Bengal Ranji Trophy team. As if the elder said carry on my brother and the destiny will take you where you belong. He got the first opportunity to play for India in an ODI at Brisbane against West Indies in 1992. He could not impress in that match and only scored 3 runs. His arrogance again came in to play. He was talked about more for his wrong attitude and disrespect as the little cricketer use to refuse carrying drinks on the field for his seniors. He managed only to get the sacking order perhaps more due to his inherent arrogance.

Thus he was asked to go back to the domestic cricket again. But his determination backed by his talent was enough to dumbfound his critics. He became hungrier for runs and scored heavily in the Ranji Trophy in 1993-94 and 1994-95. His scintillating innings of 171 runs in a Dulip Trophy match in 1995-96 brought him back in to the national squad. He was in again for the tour of England in 1996. He was not considered worthy for the first test match. This time Navjot Sidhu did him a favor. Sidhu’s returning back to India aftermath a spat with the then Indian Skipper Mahammed Azharuddin provided a golden opportunity to Sourav. And he embraced the opportunity in both hands. He scored a century on his debut test match at the Mecca of cricket called Lords. His hunger did not stop there. He scored back to back century at Trent Bridge in the next test match. Can anybody criticize such performances?

Sourav Ganguly’s ascendancy was unstoppable. He became part and parcel of the Indian team. His natural ability on the off side and his lifts coming out of the crease for a sixer became spectators delight. His style of play suited the most in the ODI format. Sourav did not take much time in proving his worth in the ODIs and scored a blistering 113 runs against Sri Lanka in 1997. He found an able partner on the opposite side of the wicket in Sachin Tendulkar thus formed the most destructive opening pair in ODIs the game has witnessed.

Sachin Tendulkar’s sudden announcement to relinquish the captaincy made Sourav to take over the reins in 2000. This happened just after the infamous match fixing scandal. This little arrogant but tough, intuitive and uncompromising leader was destined to take India in to the cricketing glory. His impartial and non-parochial leadership got the best out of each and every player in his team. Sourav is undoubtedly the most successful Indian captain winning 21 test matches out of which 7 have been overseas. He has a success rate of 42% much to the envy of others. He is an eloquent speaker and his match summary to the media has been to the point of precision.

But the little arrogance……yes…..the little arrogance has put him in to trouble time and again. The humble and simple demeanor of Sachin Tendulkar makes him the most lovable cricketer in the country. He only managed to pick up a row with Coach Greg Chappell in early 2006 for his arrogance. But he came back all guns blazing in the test series against South Africa later that year. What can be the reason for Dilip Vengsarkar & Co to drop him for the Irani Trophy when the same player has amassed 1000 runs last year at an average of 61.44? When everybody failed in the Sri Lanka, he failed too. The so called Fab Four all failed.

Off late, I see a democratic BCCI backed by an impartial Selection panel. Who knows Kris Srikkanth’s team of selectors have overruled Vengsarkar’s for a better cause of Indian cricket. Let’s hope this left handed rooky will come out with some fascinating stroke play against the awesome Aussies in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He has done this in the past on getting every shock treatment.

Dhoni’s six pack

2009-07-07T07:23:00.001+06:00

Mahendra Singh Dhoni may not have been aware that he had just led his team to a sixth consecutive ODI series win when rain washed out the final ODI against West Indies in St Lucia on Sunday and gave them the series 2-1.

This series win equalled a streak previously achieved when Rahul Dravid was captain of the ODI team. In 2006-07 the Indian team beat West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ireland, South Africa and Scotland.

However Dhoni did know that it was his team’s third win on the trot abroad. “I think we really have a very good side,” he said, beginning a rather simple explanation. When pressed, the skipper lavished credit on his bowlers for making this possible.

“It’s a pleasure to win series out of the country. The bowlers took the initiative, we have a very good bowling attack and the youngsters who came in and got a chance have proved himself.”

Traditionally batting has always been India’s strength. In the lead up to this series, with Zaheer Khan injured, the fast bowling department was under a bit of pressure, especially with Ishant Sharma struggling.

However, Ashish Nehra, making a comeback, picked up important wickets both at the top of the innings and at death. Ishant, used in different roles, raised his game as the series unfolded. “Throughout the series if you see we batted first because there was something on offer for the fast bowlers,” said Dhoni.

“Ishant was concentrating more on what he needs to do rather than looking at the batsman. Today he was bowling in the right areas and there was a bit help in the pitch for the fast bowlers,” Dhoni said of Ishant. “In earlier matches he was bowling one change but today he looked a totally different bowler with the new ball.”

The team can now look forward to a spell of rest with their next assignment being a tri-series in Sri Lanka, also featuring New Zealand, in September. The team will then play the Champions Trophy in South Africa following which several players will take part in the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India.

B'Day Spl: Exclusive interview with dhoni parents

2009-07-07T05:46:00.001+06:00

Jharkhand has very few celebrities. Now. Or ever. It is not surprising then that the day Mahendra Singh Dhoni returns to Ranchi, Jharkhand's capital, it goes dizzy with excitement.

The moment his plane lands he is chased from the airport by an army of television cameras and ardent fans. Everyone, old friends and new admirers, want to meet him. He is made the chief guest at any important function happening and often there will be requests from the chief minister to attend a certain event.

If he goes for a haircut chaos reigns. He once attempted a cut at one of the city's fashionable barber shops, Kaya and the crowds that gathered, especially from the Women's College opposite, imprisoned him in the shop for three hours. Finally the police resorted to a lathi charge to give him an exit route. Dhoni is still very much Ranchi-based.

A total Ranchi boy.
The only place he calls home is a little cottage, fronted by gorgeous and lovingly-attended dahlias, zinnias and roses, where his parents -- Pan and Devki Singh live in a colony in the town's Doranda suburb.

Dhoni was born here and this was where he was schooled and where he rose to fame playing fabulous strokes at the colony's stadium.

The cricketer pops home once in two months and if he is lucky he spends a day with his parents, his sister Jayanti Gupta, who is an English teacher and lives down the road and his favourite dogs, a Labrador named Zarah and an Alsation Sam.

Dhoni's parents are a modest, simple couple. Pan Singh still roams the colony on a bicycle and Dhoni's fame has changed their lifestyle very little. It just meant getting used to the voracious, insatiable media. Even their neighbours across the fence get their fair share of media attention.

Devki Singh plies you with cups of tea, biscuits, sweets and Chuda when you visit his home. The pride of the house is a giant television screen on which they track their son's games with pride and nervousness. A large picture of Dhoni graces one wall. And there's a cabinet of trophies belonging to Dhoni, and his elder brother Narendra, across the way.

Pan and Devki Singh spoke to Vaihayasi Pande Daniel at their home in Ranchi. Jayanti, talked about 'Mahi' in an interview over the phone some days later.

Where is your family originally from?

Pan Singh: We are from an area that has become part of Uttaranchal (Uttarakhand). My district is Almora. The name of my village? You will have to go into the dehaat for that. It is Talasaalam. It is about 15.5 miles from Almora. In those days it was reachable only on foot. Now it is a bus road and it is 40 km away from Almora. It is a mountainous and you have go all the way around by road.

I came to Ranchi in 1964. I was doing farming in Almora. But was hoping to get a service job. Actually from Almora I went to Lucknow and from there to Bokaro. The steel plant was being built in Bokaro and there was a promise of jobs. But I was late in reaching there (and there were no jobs). I do not have much education so I was simply looking for some kind of job. Hoping to get something.

But when I reached this township I got a job with Hindustan Steel Authority. I got a job as an unskilled worker. But by retirement my designation was work supervisor.

She (the mother) is from Nainital district. She came here in 1969.

But your son is from Ranchi?

Pan Singh: Yes. He went to our company school, DAV. He started playing on the school team. He was born in Ranchi on July 7, 1981 in a hospital right here.

Did he start playing cricket from very young?

Pan Singh: He played cricket from childhood. The stadium used to be opposite our house. He played on the grounds and from there for the school. No one in our family had an aptitude for cricket before him. Yes, this he inherited from Ranchi.

As soon as he got a little big -- 4 or 5 -- he had an interest in cricket. Apart from cricket in school he played other sports too. He played badminton for the school team. He was good. But did not represent the school. Actually it began with football. He was a goalkeeper.

On holidays when he was not busy they would set up matches amongst themselves for one or two hours. He was part of the colony team you know how kids form their own mohalla team form cricket teams. But I would say that he did not live on the cricket grounds

Devki Singh: But right from very small. He would go to the ground nearby and I would watch him from here home. Right from the morning.

Irfan Pathan to marry Shivangi Dev

2009-06-30T11:54:00.002+06:00

It's a decision that could break a million hearts. 'Baroda bomber' Irfan Pathan is set to marry long-time friend Shivangi Dev, daughter of an Indian diplomat in Australia. Pathan, who has known Shivangi for the past six years, told TOI that their parents had finally given their nod to the wedding.

"We know each other really well now," said a blushing Irfan, who first met his lady-love in Canberra in 2003. The younger Pathan, however, is sure of the venue. "It will take some time but certainly in Vadodara. It will be a traditional wedding," he said.

TOI had first reported about Irfan's relationship with Shivangi, in March last year. Irfan had first met her during a practice match. "She was very shy and didn't talk much during our first meeting. It took quite some time before we got comfortable with each other and got into a relationship," Irfan said.

So, who proposed first? "I was the one who proposed to her about three years ago. I was in Vadodara when I called her up and asked her if she would marry me," he said. She said yes.

Initially, there was some resistance from both families. "Now, our families have accepted our relationship," he added.

Shivangi, who has visited Irfan's home twice, works as a chartered accountant in Australia and also teaches dance to children. "She is a very good dance teacher and has a major fan following in her dance school," said Irfan who has visited her school.

We got it all wrong: Dhoni

2009-06-30T09:01:00.002+06:00

Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that his side literally took their eyes off the ball in the second One-day International against West Indies on Sunday at Sabina Park.

India allowed West Indies to draw level in their four-match ODI series with an eight-wicket victory, after Dhoni almost single-handedly led an Indian revival with 95 to help them set their rivals a respectable target of 189.

Dhoni struck six fours and two sixes from 130 balls, but the target was never going to be treacherous for West Indies, and the Indian captain felt his side took things for granted.

"We could have done a bit better," Dhoni said. "We could have given the respect to the balls that really needed or demanded that respect, and by the time we realised, we had already lost three wickets.

He added: "I think it was a good pitch, but the batsmen just went with their strokes and before we knew it we had three down. Once you are in that situation, you are just playing catch-up.

"R.P. [Singh] and I had a partnership, otherwise it would have been quite embarrassing."

India had only themselves to blame for their defeat, after they plunged to 82 for eight in the 22nd over after choosing to bat.

But Dhoni staged a rearguard action in the form of a 101-run, ninth-wicket stand with Singh before they both fell in the space of six balls as India were dismissed for 188 in 48.2 overs.

"I don't think there was that much in it for the bowlers, they bowled really well, they were swinging the ball well, and when it stopped swinging, they were able to get reverse swing," the India captain said.

"I think we made a mistake in our approach to batting rather than the decision of whether to bat or field."

He continued: "Later on, the pitch became better for batting. When you are batting first, initially you expect the pitch to do a bit, and after that you can capitalise if you get a good start."

At the same time, West Indies captain Chris Gayle praised Ravi Rampaul and Jerome Taylor for setting his side up for the victory.

"It's nice to square the series," he said.

"There were some good performances from the guys. Rampaul and Taylor set the game for us and from now we will look to go from strength to strength.

"There was moisture in the pitch early, and Taylor and Ravi utilised it well, and the catching was also good, so we just need to keep working on our game."

The series is now tied 1-1, after India won the high-scoring, opening match last Friday by 20 runs at the same venue.

The series concludes with a pair of ODIs - this coming Friday and Sunday - at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St. Lucia.

Remarkable young lady meets Dhoni and Gayle

2009-06-29T20:23:00.003+06:00

Kingston, Jamaica: Kordell Clarke, a special teenager from Jamaica who has lived a traumatic life and who has overcome more obstacles than most face in a lifetime, received a unique 18th birthday gift courtesy of Digicel. She was the company’s representative at the toss to officially commence the Second Digicel One Day International at Sabina Park.

West Indies captain, Chris Gayle, and India’s, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, were joined by the inspirational young lady who was lauded by Jamaican Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, for her outstanding academic triumphs and having defeated great odds during her yet brief life.

It was really great to meet Gayle and Dhoni and I’m really happy,” Kordell said afterwards as she soaked up the atmosphere of her first ever cricket match despite passing the world famous Sabina Park on a daily basis on her way to school.

She and her brother, Ramon Clarke, and a friend were also special guests in the Digicel Corporate Box for the duration of the game.

The captains, having heard of her many challenges in life – all of which she overcame with great determination and grace – told her how pleased they were to meet her and thanked her for coming to meet them.

Kordell, who celebrated her birthday on June 20 is a lower sixth form student at the Alpha Academy in Kingston where she secured 12 CXC subjects with seven distinctions and five grade twos.Hers has not been a life of smooth sailing or mere minor obstacles.

Kordell’s father died when she was 10 and she also lost a brother to cancer. Wracked by painful scoliosis which caused her body to be bent and her spine to form a painful S shape, Kordell faced the distinct possibility of being crippled for life.

With the help of Prime Minister Golding, her mother Pauline Livingston, corporate Jamaica and her friends, Kordell was able to successfully complete corrective surgery.

She now hopes to read for a degree in actuarial science at the University of West Indies. Digicel was honoured to select such a remarkable young lady as its ambassador for the day.

MS Dhoni a victim of erratic emotions

2009-06-25T20:31:00.006+06:00

As India start their outing in West Indies tomorrow, skipper M S Dhoni must be feeling the pressure that is associated with the job of the Indian cricket captain.

A dismal show in the T20 World Cup in England coupled with his off-the-field antic, Dhoni is certainly not the blue-eyed boy he was in the recent past. “Where have I gone wrong?” he must be wondering.

I wouldn’t like to go into where the swashbuckling batsman-stumper has gone wrong, since that is a debatable area. But, I have a question to ask all our experts and fans. Can we stop this temporary romance with our heroes?.

My younger brother, an avid Dhoni fan just the other day, came running to me saying, “He should be sacked. He is a disaster as a skipper.” An article in a newspaper pointed out that if Dhoni didn’t change, then his days at the helm could be numbered. Even if such a frustration coming from somebody (my brother), who is in no way a cricket expert is acceptable, how is it that some former players are somewhat indicating that the Jharkhand boy may not be the best bet as the captain. And after just one series? Surprisingly, all of them were talking quite highly of him just before the beginning of the World Cup.

But is this something new in Indian cricket or India for that matter? Be it Amitabh Bachchan or Shah Rukh Khan or Sunil Gavaskar or Sourav Ganguly or even Sachin Tendulkar, they all have been victims of this emotional fluctuation of critics and fans.

I, as a journalist do have a problem with the arrogance Dhoni showed in England. In my view, a bit of humility would have done him good, but at the same time, I would not write him off. Yes, his selection of players in some key matches in the World Cup was wrong. Even his strategies went haywire, but isn’t that natural? It happens to everybody. Interestingly, had Dhoni’s gambles worked, we would have been worshipping him now. But we tend to show lack of maturity.

In one sense, however, it is a blessing in disguise for Dhoni. This is the first time during his stint at the helm that he has realised how tough discharging the duties of the Indian skipper is. You are always under strict vigil. And perhaps, he would understand what his predecessors (whom he quite cleverly showed the exit door) had to go through. This should be a learning lesson for him.

But, what about us? Will we continue with our erratic attitude towards those who make us proud? We will for sure. In about ten days’ time, if India humble West Indies, Dhoni will win back the confidence of the very people who are after his head now. They say form is temporary, class is permanent, but we tend to differ and make a statement.

If it’s time for Dhoni to change, so is it for fans and critics. Let’s mature please.

Sachin Tendulkar parallel for Advani the skipper

2009-06-25T12:17:00.002+06:00

A sense of disquiet has crept into the BJP ever since L.K. Advani signalled at the national executive that he had no intention to quit active politics in the near future and might stay put to play a longer innings, preferably as the skipper and not as a night watchman or a tail-ender.

The signal has come despite a feeling among most of those who matter in the BJP and the RSS that he is no longer a vote-catcher or a crowd mobiliser.

The irony of a simile borrowed from cricket — Advani is as obsessive about the sport as he is about films — was not lost on the more perceptive executive members. In his concluding remarks, he repeatedly alluded to his party’s defeat (he insisted the drop of 22 seats between 2004 and 2009 was a “setback” and not a “rout”) and said: “When we lost, the people were disappointed exactly the way they get disappointed whenever Sachin Tendulkar gets out in 90s.”

One of the members elaborated on the comparison and said that unlike Tendulkar, who withdrew when he realised he was a far better batsman than captain, Advani was “unwilling to believe his best years are behind him and that it’s time he lets the party move on under a new captain”. Tendulkar was happy being a member of the Indian team, the source pointed out, without “disturbing” its spirit and structure and simultaneously playing to the best of his ability.

The verdict in the BJP is that Advani would not do a Tendulkar. “Initially, everyone in the BJP, including the chief ministers, believed it was a matter of time before the Advani era was over. Now it seems increasingly clear he wants a role for himself, as a player and not a mentor,” an insider said.

At the fag end of his speech, when Advani announced he would tour the country in the coming months, most of the listeners prepared themselves to watch another “yatra” unroll. A source close to Advani, however, claimed it would not be a chariot ride but “meetings to pep up the morale of our workers”.

A prelude to yet another tenure as the BJP president when the incumbent, Rajnath Singh, demits office in September this year? In his first briefing after the two-day session, spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy was asked why Advani had arrogated to himself the role of revving up the party when a president was in place. He was mum.

Advani rejected the suggestion. When journalists in Coorg, where he is now holidaying, asked whether he would take over as party president, Advani said: “No chance.”

The doubts over Advani’s role arose because when he was made the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha — the most coveted role for an out-of-power leader — the “understanding” between the BJP and the RSS was it was a holding operation.

By the end of 2009, the BJP will have a new president. This appointment is expected to trigger a number of changes at the top, underpinned by the strategy that it was time to usher in the “younger generation” and prepare the party to take on a Rahul Gandhi-spearheaded Congress in 2014. Advani is 82 and if he is to lead the next election, he will be 87.

Yet in his address on June 21, Advani tactically avoided a mention of the second generation of leaders in the BJP as he deplored the party’s “train compartment” mentality “which makes those in leadership positions ignore promising, talented and committed cadres who are ‘standing outside’ and waiting for the door to open.... We must identify, train, groom and empower third, fourth and fifth generation leaders....”

“How can the second rung move up if those at the top of the queue are not moving?” an insider asked.

Sources said the initial assessment was if, for instance, Sushma Swaraj (57), who was appointed the deputy leader of the parliamentary party and effectively functioned as Advani’s number two in the Lok Sabha, was elevated as the leader of the Opposition, the message would be the generational change the BJP had been talking of since 2004 was a reality. A part of the strategy was put in place after Arun Jaitley (also 57) was made the leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

Both these appointments were jointly decided by the BJP and the RSS. At 59, the new RSS chief, Mohanrao Bhagwat is considered “young” by the organisation’s geriatric standards. “The Sangh works through signals and insinuations. It hoped the BJP would get the message about a generational transition with Mohanraoji’s anointment,” an RSS source said.

The sources said the RSS was also convinced that “public perceptions” about a leader were as important as other criteria such as acceptability within the party and organisational skills. A BJP functionary of Sangh provenance, who used to have reservations about Jaitley and Sushma, conceded: “On the perception scale, they score higher over their peers. Jaitley has a positive image, he is articulate and has worked as a general secretary in most states. So he cannot be faulted for being out of touch with the organisation. Sushma is an asset, she has charisma and after Vajpayee and Advani, she is our best orator.”

This is why the oblique attacks against Jaitley by Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie were criticised by veterans like Sunderlal Patwa at the executive. “These persons are outsiders to the Sangh. Yet, each one of them got the best of the NDA government. That’s why their remarks were dismissed with the contempt they deserved. Jaitley has come in through the ABVP (the Sangh’s student wing),” a source said.

But with Advani digging in his heels, all eyes are on the RSS to see if it can implement the second part of its blueprint for change. “The Sangh has not revealed its hand right now because there are pulls and pressures within,” a source said.

One section wants the Sangh to keep off the BJP and chart a “modernisation” course for itself before delivering homilies to the party. The other believes that it should continue being pro-active.

Indians appeared reluctant to play us: Afridi

2009-06-24T23:44:00.001+06:00

The Indian team under Mahendra Singh Dhoni was reluctant to play against Pakistan in the Twenty20 World Cup and it showed in their attitude, alleged flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi.

Even though the arch-rivals did not meet in the main tournament, they featured in a sold-out warm up match and Afridi alleged Dhoni and his men did not look keen to play Pakistan even though they claimed so.

"I was a bit disappointed. It didn't appear to me by the attitude of the Indian players that they want to play against us," Afridi told 'Geo TV' after his arriving home on Wednesday morning.

"On the face, they said they would like to see cricket between the two countries but I think in their hearts they thought otherwise. Their attitude and behaviour while playing against us showed this," Afridi said.

Pakistan and India have froze bilateral cricket ties since the Mumbai terror attacks last November with the Indians cancelling a scheduled Test tour earlier this year.
Afridi said he still believed that cricket could heal relations between the two nations and bring people together.

"I always say use sports to foster good relations and remove misunderstandings," said Afridi who starred in the tournament both with the bat and ball. He said Pakistan had proved critics wrong by winning the World Cup when everyone had tipped India and South Africa as favourites.

"I think our performance is a lesson for other teams. We are world champions and I hope teams will now come to Pakistan."

Younis Khan retires from T20 cricket

2009-06-22T08:34:00.002+06:00

After leading Pakistan to World Twenty20 title Sunday, Younis Khan dropped a bombshell when he announced his retirement from the shortest version of the game.

"I am already 34 and probably too old for this kind of cricket," said the senior batsman who was Pakistan's most prolific run-getter in the tournament.

"Today I have decided to retire from Twenty20 cricket," said the Pakistan captain, adding that he would like to focus on Test and ODI cricket.

Younis had said before the tournament that he might quit Twenty20 cricket.He said Pakistan have a number of emerging youngsters like pacer Mohammad Aamer and all-rounder Fawad Alam, who can take the game forward in the country.

"We have a number of talented cricketers who can really excel in this version of the game," said Younis.Younis said leading Pakistan to the world title was the proudest moment in his international career. "I've always dreamt of winning the World Cup," he said.

ICC World Twenty20 2009 Final Exclusive Photos

2009-06-22T08:19:00.007+06:00

Dhoni's honeymoon period is over: Steve Waugh

2009-06-19T17:43:00.000+06:00

Legendary Australian captain Steve Waugh rates Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a fantastic leader but feels the Indian skipper's "honeymoon period" is over and he is in dire need of a break.

"It seems Dhoni's honeymoon period is over. He should take some days' break now," Waugh said today.

Dhoni, who led India to unprecedented glory in a short span of around two years, failed to impress in the Twenty20 World Cup in England as the team was ousted after failing to win a single Super Eight match.

Asked who was a better captain -- Sourav Ganguly or Dhoni, Waugh though tried to evade the question but ended up saying "Dhoni is a fantastic captain".

Waugh, however, felt much should not be read in the early exit of two top teams like India and Australia in the T20 World Cup.

"Twenty20 has got many more surprises due. You've got to be sharp and alert on that day. Anyone can lose in this format," he said at a press conference to launch the India chapter of the Steve Waugh Foundation Global.

Waugh, regarded as one of the most successful captains in cricket history, admitted that Australia's aura of invincibility was over but felt it was a good sign for the game.

MS Dhoni under fire from students on environmental issue

2009-06-15T23:03:00.002+06:00

Under fire for his team's debacle in the Twenty20 World Cup, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been criticised by students of a West Sikkim school for endorsing potato chips which uses non bio-degradable wrappers.

Students of the Government Secondary School at Yuksom in West Sikkim have written to Dhoni with a wrapper stapled to it to draw his attention how the product was adversely affecting the ecology of the state.

While participating in a cleanliness drive from Yuksom to Dzongri last month, the students had come across wrappers of the potato chips comprising 47 per cent of the non bio-degradable waste in the state.

"Please come and see for yourself. Should not we aspire to keep our pristine environment unpolluted?" the students wrote seeking his cooperation in their endeavour to keep the environment clean.

The students also appealed to Dhoni to consider making some arrangement to collect the wrappers for disposal.

They, however, expressed their adulation of the cricketer and urged him to visit their school with the national team to play a cricket match with them.

"We will take you on a guided tour of the rich biodiversity of Yuksom region," the students said.

SachinTendulkar: Rare Family picture album

2009-06-11T08:41:00.005+06:00

Yuvraj Singh fall in the buddy zone: Jennifer Kotwal

2009-06-10T00:10:00.002+06:00

While the rumour mills have been working overtime speculating about cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s supposed interest in actress Jennifer Kotwal, a popular magazine confirmed that the two met up and spent some good times at a sports bar recently.

The report claimed that Yuvi met up with JK and designer Narendra Kumar before he left for the T20 World Cup in England.

So, what’s cooking, Jenny? “Nothing. I don’t know why people still dwell on such matters. If you’re looking for goss, there’s zilch; we’re not seeing each other. Yes, Yuvraj does fall in the buddy zone, but that’s about it,” says Jennifer.

Didn’t she live it up that evening with Yuvraj? “There was no party or anything. I’m a huge football fan and was watching a match with my gal pals. I did see Yuvi around and we exchanged pleasantries; that’s about it,” she says.

Yuvraj Singh to bat for Sporting Equals

2009-06-09T08:44:00.002+06:00

Yuvraj Singh, who is playing in the ICC World Twenty 20, has become an ambassador for Sporting Equals, the organisation which promotes the uptake of sport and physical activity across diverse communities.

Speaking at the Master Cricket tournament in London, the sports star said he "jumped" at the chance to become an ambassador for Sporting Equals.

"I want to particularly encourage more sporting activity among Asian communities, who are underrepresented at all levels, and I shall share that message with everyone who follows cricket," said Singh.

"I love this sport and am fortunate to play it full time. It’s a game which simply requires a bat and ball and enthusiasm and can be played practically anywhere by anyone, from a park to a beach and anywhere in between.

"If, during my time as an ambassador, I can encourage those who follow the game to play as well, I will consider my time well spent. Who knows, I may even be responsible for starting the career of a future cricket captain!"

Sporting Equals is the established national partner of Sport England, with a remit of promoting ethnic diversity across sport and physical activity.

Its chief executive, Arun Kang, believes that involvement in sport extends beyond taking to the field.

He said: "Our primary objective is to encourage people from the black and minority ethnic communities to engage in sport and physical activity," explains Arun. "This could range from participating to volunteering; currently only three per cent of sports club coaches come from BME backgrounds.

"A love of sport often begins in childhood, but many people cease sport and physical activity when they leave school, maybe because ambitions and work get in the way. Also, many people confuse physical activity with competitive team sports. It does not have to be that way, of course, as sport isn’t solely about winning medals or trophies. It can be about getting together with your friends for a game of badminton or netball and physical activity could be simply walking or cycling to work.

"I am delighted to welcome Yuvraj as an ambassador for us, because he is a talented cricketer, looked up to by countless fans, many of whom want to try and emulate his achievements. Not everyone can be a gifted sportsperson, but there are countless careers linked to sport beyond playing, including club accountants, lawyers, doctors, physiotherapists, administrators and sports journalists, commentators, pundits and event organisers and planners.

"I hope that Yuvraj’s role with us will prompt people from all backgrounds and communities to play their part in sport and physical activity, either on the field or behind the scenes."

Beware of the angry Indians

2009-06-09T08:42:00.000+06:00

Mahendra Singh Dhoni seems to be steadily slipping in to the role of the angry young man of the Indian team.

The Indian captain did not take kindly to suggestions of a rift between Virender Sehwag and himself, going to great lengths to display the unity within the team at a press conference here last week, bringing out the whole squad and the support staff.

Since then, the Indian players have been keeping to themselves, hardly leaving their hotel and staying as far away from the waiting media as possible.

In their first nets session since the win over Bangladesh, the team, once again, decided not to hold a press conference after practice, which is usually the norm. A good number of players, including Sehwag, were missing from the optional session on Monday. Sehwag’s Delhi mate Gautam Gambhir, offie Harbhajan Singh and star of the moment, Rohit Sharma, also gave it a miss.

If there indeed is some tension within the team, it was impossible to tell. The players were happy, playing the usual game of players v support staff football, and then moving on to a rather long session at the nets.

Zaheer Khan looked to be well on his way to full fitness, bowling for a long time at the batsmen. There has been nothing wrong with the Indian batting so far, and if the way the big guns were middling it on Monday was any indication, Ireland’s bowlers could in be for a pounding on Wednesday.

The ongoing cold war, however, has had its fallouts.

The team, for the most part of the day, are camped inside their hotel, with just a few of them hanging around the lobby or the restaurants.

This is a far cry from the week leading up to the tournament. High Street Kensington in London was bustling with Indian cricketers, shopping, eating out or just taking in the sights and sounds of the city. All that has changed.

The team, and skipper MS Dhoni in particular, was miffed with the stories of a schism in the team.

They came in to this tournament as champions, the first time in five years India are defending an ICC title, and had to make sure the focus stayed on what happened on the field, rather than off it. That was not quite how it panned out and Dhoni knew he had to make a strong statement.

The Dhoni-Sehwag 'cold war' heats up again

2009-06-05T11:42:00.003+06:00

The team management clams up and the players have fingers on their lips. But reports about simmering tensions between Indian captain MS Dhoni and vice-captain Virender Sehwag are fast threatening to undermine India’s defence of the ICC World Twenty20, which begins on Friday.

Rumour mills are abuzz that the two had an ugly faceoff during a team meeting, though it could not be independently confirmed if it was over the status of Sehwag’s shoulder injury. Though neither protagonist is willing to come on record, Dhoni’s responses after India’s nine-wicket win in their second warm-up game against arch-rivals Pakistan were a giveaway. "I don’t want to make any comment about it," Dhoni said on his deputy’s fitness. "Maybe you should ask the physio to issue a press release."

Dhoni’s response to questions on Virender Sehwag’s shoulder injury at the media conference on Wednesday added to the rumours that all is not well in Camp India. After Rohit Sharma’s match-winning 80 against Pakistan, and the Mumbai batsman’s second impressive innings as an opener (he had scored 36 against New Zealand in the first warm-up match), Dhoni addressed a packed and hungry media gathering.

There were a barrage of questions about Rohit continuing as an opener and the status of Sehwag’s batting position. Every question on Sehwag and his fitness or availability was treated with disdain."It is always good to have a problem of plenty and it gives us options for the opening slot," Dhoni said.

Sehwag had recently made statements about him not being an opening batsman and Rohit’s performance certainly does make the captain’s job a bit easier if Sehwag, on his return, is still reluctant to open. So what happens when Sehwag returns?

"It’s tough for me to comment on that. All I can say is I’m glad to have talented players who are performing in my side," Dhoni stressed. Will the cold war mean that Sehwag has lost his place in the playing XI for good in this tourney? Wil he be a certainty in the team when he returns? "I said before, I don’t know when he will get fit. And whether he is a certainty once he gets fit, I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see how the team is shaping up," Dhoni said. So how long will it take for Sehwag to get fit?

"It’s a bit of a gamble with injuries. Maybe he will get fit for the game against Bangladesh (June 6) or against Ireland (June 10). I’m not really sure about it," he said, advertising his disinterest.

Interestingly, Indian captains and vice-captains have always had a testy relationship, be it Kapil-Gavaskar, Azhar-Sachin or Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.

Adam Gilchrist puts money on Suresh, Rohit

2009-06-05T08:33:00.002+06:00

Adam Gilchrist and Yuvraj Singh head an all-star cast on the first edition of the International Cricket Council Cricket World audio show which is online at the ICC’s official website from Thursday.

Gilchrist tipped Indians Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma as two of the players set to shine in the World T20. Gilchrist said: “They will be two India players of the highest quality for years to come.”

Yuvraj said he is “pretty confident” of repeating their success. “The Twenty20 format is very unpredictable and you never know what’s going to happen but the team we have is very solid and we’re confident to defend it (title),” he said.

PTI adds from Bangalore: Former India Test captain Anil Kumble Thursday offered his best wishes to the Indian team on the eve of the World Twenty20 which begins in England Friday.

“I wish the Indian team all the best for the T20 World Cup. I hope the all the players do well in England,” he said at a book launch function here.

To a query on out-of-form Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan, who suffered a shoulder injury in the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kumble said: “This is no cause for worry.”

Indian cricketers are proven entertainers in England

2009-06-04T23:18:00.002+06:00

Spectators in England can expect the same kind of entertainment India have provided through the years

India may not be the all-conquering side which steam-rolled opposition teams with the same regularity as Clive Lloyd's West Indians in the 1970s and 1980s or like Steve Waugh's Australians later on.

But ever since Kapil Dev lifted the World Cup in 1983 till the last tour to England in 2007, India have provided much cheer to their fans, dishing out some powerful performances in England. The 1983 triumph was followed by a 2-0 Test series win in 1986.

In 1990, though India lost the Test series, they claimed the one-day contest. The Test series was spiced with some splendid individual performances Mohammed Azharuddin's Lord's Test hundred which experts waxed eloquent on just like they did for Graham Gooch's monumental 333-run effort. It was also the summer when England got a first glimpse of Sachin Tendulkar, who scored the first of his 42 Test hundreds in the second Test at Manchester.

While the English savoured the class of Tendulkar and Azharuddin, there were two hundreds from Ravi Shastri.

There's a story about a well-known commentator writing in his dispatches about how Shastri was efficient, but lacked the reputation of a big-hundred player. So when the Mumbai opener scored 187 at the Oval, he went up to this broadcaster and asked whether he was finally satisfied and convinced about his ability after that biggie.

It's a knock Shastri is proud of and never fails to stress that the broadcaster was humble enough to admit that he had been proved wrong.

India won the two-match Texaco Trophy one-day series, thanks to some glorious batting from Sanjay Manjrekar and skipper Azharuddin. Veteran Dilip Vengsarkar and Tendulkar came to the party in the second game as India surpassed England's score of 281 with five wickets to spare.

Summer of 1996
England were quite a force when Mohd Azharuddin's men landed in England, 1996. As usual, India lost the first Test of the series at Edgbaston only to draw the next two at Lord's and Trent Bridge where Sourav Ganguly began his great career with two Test hundreds.

England walked away with glory at Edgbaston but the man who got all the batting plaudits was Tendulkar for his 122 out of a second innings total of 219. The lost cause hundred impressed Richie Benaud in the commentary box. "You won't see a better innings than that this year and next year either," he said. And it was only early June. Tendulkar lofted spinner Min Patel for a six to go from 96 to 100.

Sourav Ganguly joins big league of pundits

2009-06-04T12:17:00.001+06:00

Sourav Ganguly (in photo) who is set to start a new post-retirement innings behind the microphone after he was today signed by ESPN STAR Sports as an expert analyst for the ICC World Twenty20, commencing in England on Saturday, said that though India had lost their first warm-up game to New Zealand, the defending champions still had a fair chance to win the World Cup again.

“Don't be worried for a warm-up game. To me India are the favourites, but to be honest and frank, nobody is favourite in a T20 game,” said he. Talking about India’s second practice-match against their traditional rivals Pakistan on Wednesday, the ex-India skipper said the cricketing battle between the two neighbouring nations was the biggest thing about cricket, and according to him even Ashes does not come closer to this age-old rivalry. Ganguly who has a three-year deal with the Indian Premier League team Kolkata Knight Riders, said he would like to play the one-day format of Ranji Trophy to keep himself fit for the shorter version of the game.

Appreciating Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a fabulous captain, who has been producing good results for India, Ganguly said it was much easier for Dhoni to handle such a pressure at the early stage of life. Ganguly now will be a part of an ESPN STAR Sports commentary panel inclusive of Ian Chappell, Ian Bishop, Wasim Akram, Sanjay Manjrekar and Nasser Hussain. Ganguly who will get going from the competition's semi-final stage, said he was "excited" about his new role, which entails interacting with his one-time team-mates.

Talking about his career as a cricket analyst said he had been a great fan of commentators like Richie Benaud, Sunil Gavaskar and Jack Bannister. Mr R C Venkateish, managing director of ESPN Software India, said Ganguly's match-reading acumen made him fit for the job.

Tendulkar to double educational charity

2009-06-03T21:40:00.004+06:00

Having taken inspiration from his late father on social responsibilities, Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday said he will sponsor the education of 200 children, who are part of a Non-Governmental Organisation.

The batting maestro, who is already looking after welfare of 200 children from the same NGO Apnalaya, said he always looked up to his father in trying to understand his social responsibilities.

"There is no better source of inspiration for me than my father. Growing up as a child, I saw my father, a professor, pay for the education of our 'paperwala', who could not afford it. This is in a family where every penny mattered," the master batsman said at a press conference here.

"Whoever turned up at our house, be it the watchman or the postman, would not be allowed to leave without having a cup of tea, which my father served," he said, adding "These incidents taught me all about caring for others. I have learnt from my father and I'm proud of it".

"I'm trying to double my givings and contributing in whatever way I can. I will pay for the education of 200 children as a part of the 'Joy of Giving Week' campaign," he said in support of the programme conceptualised by another NGO, GiveIndia, to promote charity.

Shilpi Sharma and Harbhajan Singh are SMS buddies

2009-06-03T01:24:00.004+06:00

Shilpi Sharma, whose only claim to stardom is a flop film called Jo Bole So Nihaal has a hot body, and is quite in demand amongst the glitterati. Anyway, Shilpi’s latest claim is that she and Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh are reportedly SMS buddies. Shilpi is peeved with the link-up. “Not only that.

A channel put the blame on Harbhajan for the team’s performance because of his off-screen romantic activities that included me,” said Shilpi. The whole issue started when Shilpi told a newspaper that Harbhajan had invited her to South Africa to watch the matches.

Though it’s a fact that he had invited me to watch the IPL matches, it was through SMSes. Can you believe, we have never met personally. We only have each other’s cell numbers. Harbhajan is a great player and one of the best performers.

He has never compromised on his game because of his alleged private affairs and his record proves that,” said Shilpi defending the cricketer. She added that she and Harbhajan have never been romantically involved.

All’s not cool with Dhoni’s men

2009-06-02T22:39:00.004+06:00

Watching the Indians succumbing to New Zealand in their warm-up match prior to the beginning of the ICC World Twenty20 was frustrating. Is this the team that will embark on a mission to defend the title? It might sound a bit stretched as of now since we are judging a team on the basis of just one match. But, at times it gives warning signals we need to watch out for.

Just to make you clear in the very first place, this piece is supposed to be a curtain raiser for the tournament slated to begin on June 5. Being an Indian, I would obviously do a preview of the tournament from India’s point of view. So, are MS Dhoni’s men ready to defend the title?

A relaxed and cool Dhoni at the press meet in Mumbai before the team’s departure for England was an assuring sign that his men were not feeling any pressure. But honestly speaking, at times being under no pressure leads to a casual approach that can do you in. What was alarmingly striking in the India vs New Zealand match was the body language of the Indian players, be it in the middle or on the field. Except, Rohit Sharma (who seems to have started from where he ended in the Indian Premier League), Suresh Raina and to some extent, Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant Sharma, none of our boys exhibited the energy that he is synonymous with.

And add to it, the injuries to Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan and the indisposition of Yuvraj Singh (he was down with food poisoning) --- three mainstays of the team. Though, the team management has scoffed at the mysteries around their fitness, but to have three unfit players just before the start of a tournament of such magnitude isn’t good news for the Indian team and its fans. Captain cool though upset, doesn’t want to read too much into the defeat. “I am quite disappointed with the defeat but we have back-up plans and so I’m not really worried,” he said after the match. But Dhoni himself knows that a win would have done his team’s confidence a world of good.

Interestingly, experts including Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Wasim Akram and some others have hailed Dhoni’s men as the favourites to win the coveted cup. There have been complaints of fatigue from some quarters with the hectic calendar, and if you go by the body language of the players in the first match, that was very much visible. Though, it might be a bit of an exaggeration, conceding so many runs in the last two overs of the Kiwi innings, was a clear-cut example of tiredness on the parts of Irfan Pathan and R P Singh, two of the most successful bowlers in the second edition of the IPL.

The task will be uphill for India. Yes, we are in an easy group (Bangladesh and Ireland are our opponents) and reaching the next stage wouldn’t be a problem hopefully (if not the 2007 World Cup fiasco in West Indies is repeated when India lost to Bangladesh), but the real challenge will be to face the mighty rivals from then onwards. If we look at the strong contenders, all of them are well equipped. Australia has the likes of Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds, Michael Clarke, David Hussey, Shane Watson and Brett Lee who can turn things around anytime.

South Africa boasts names like Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis (they are in splendid form), Yusuf Abdullah, T20 specialists like AB De Villers and Jean-Paul Duminy who are dangerous to say the least. The hungry Pakistanis short of international cricket are a rejuvenated lot with the likes of Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Huq, Shoaib Malik, Umar Gul and others. Though they were humbled by the South Africans in their warm-up match, Akram has high hopes from his countrymen and has constantly been harping on the fact that the runners-up of the 2007 edition, cannot be written off.

England will be missing the services of Andrew Flintoff, but with Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen, Ravi Bopara and Dimitri Mascarenhas, it will be a force to reckon with under home conditions. As for the rest like Sri Lanka, West Indies and New Zealand, they are full of T20 masters who can change the fate of a match at the drop of a hat. Well, all the above-mentioned teams won’t be at the stage after the group matches are over, as some of them are in the same group, but, it certainly won’t be a cakewalk for India.

But why are we being so critical of our team? Isn’t our team strong enough? Of course, it is. On paper and even beyond that, it certainly is the best and I don’t sound biased. Look at our team: Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj, Zaheer, Ishant, Harbhajan Singh, Rohit Sharma, Raina, Sehwag and others. What else do we need? But there are problems aplenty and certainly tiredness is one of the major factors which have led to the injuries to Sehwag and Zaheer. And the poor form of Gambhir who was hugely successful in the first T20 World Cup is good enough to worry Dhoni more.

The presence of Zaheer is indispensable as Ishant and he have been the spearheads of the Indian bowling attack over the last one year or so. Harbhajan isn’t in good form either as the IPL proved and he has to strike back. In the batting department, it is important for Gambhir-Sehwag to fire as that would make the middle-order’s job easier, but it is imperative for Yuvraj to be consistent. His erratic form at times puts too much of pressure on others.

It will be also interesting to note what combination Dhoni and Indian coach Gary Kirsten go for. After Yuvraj and Sehwag are back, they have to work on the batting line-up and the axe could fall on Yusuf Pathan, with Rohit and Raina in such great form. And to close in on the right combination will also be one of the challenges before the team management.

The rest of the teams have lesser problems and the spirit exemplified by the Kiwis against India is a proof of that. Also, most of them haven’t played the amount of cricket that our boys have. So, we need to watch out for opponents fresher and raring to go. There could however be a line of argument in favour of the Indian team. Some may say that it is too early to make any definitive assessment. It was perhaps a part of strategy not to expose all the cards before the tournament begins. An assessment may be made after all the warm-up matches are over. But that can only be a speculation.

If you are a fan of Indian cricket, you must be cursing yourself for wasting your time behind reading this article that has only negative things to say about our team. Well, to counter it, this is an endeavour to make you face reality. And the reality is: we are not in the best shape now. Having said this, yours truly will be the happiest person, if he is proved wrong when Dhoni lifts the cup on June 21 at Lord’s.

And that will be the perfect reply to this slam job, if at all it is one.

IPL-I better than the second: Tendulkar

2009-06-02T22:33:00.003+06:00

Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday described the maiden edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) as better than the second in terms of public enthusiasm and said given a choice he would always want the event to be staged in India.

"The first year of the IPL was definitely better. I felt when you play in India it's a different ballgame. Each time the reception you get is terrific," Tendulkar told reporters in Kolkata on Tuesday.

The master blaster, however, gave due credit to the organisers of the recently concluded second edition in South Africa.

"South Africa was also very good. I don't want to take any credit out of them. They got only three and a half weeks to put things together."

"But If you give me a choice it has to be India," he added.

The BCCI-run IPL was shifted to South Africa this year after the central and state governments asked the board to consider changing the dates as they clashed with the April-May general elections.

Yuvraj's BMW dreams en route to England

2009-05-30T08:51:00.001+06:00

As members of the Indian team rallied around their families before their departure for England for the World T20, Yuvraj Singh turned his attention towards other things.

Before leaving for England, Yuvraj had his eyes fixed on a shining red BMW.

Yuvraj was almost child-like around the car, checking the interiors out and talking to the owner, completely ignoring the cameras that clicked away merrily.
Yuvraj owns a BMW himself, but clearly that hasn't satiated his appetite.

Perhaps if he takes India to victory in England, the owner will be only too happy to part with the flashy German roadster.

Love calling for Yuvi-Kim?

2009-05-27T22:09:00.003+06:00

The stylish hunk of the Indian Cricket Team, Yuvraj Singh and a few movies worth, Kim Sharma were quite the couple before things went sour between the two. Yuvi's mom did not want an actress 'bahu' and thus refused to accept the relationshop. The two parted ways and followed separate paths.

While Kim unsuccessfully tried to build a career in Bollywood, Yuvraj was linked with many a Bollywood actresses including Deepika Padukone and his IPL team 'Kings XI Punjab' owner, Preity Zinta. After going through a full circle, news has it that Yuvraj has finally realized that Kim is the woman of his dreams and has been trying to get together with the lass.

Yuvi has been constantly texting Kim while the latter has been giving him the cold shoulder. But as it is said, true love surpasses all the tests of time and Kim has finally given in to all of Yuvi's coaxing and has accepted his offer to visit him in South Africa where Yuvi was held for IPL.

Now, isn't this sweet. We hope the couple get through their differences and wish them all the best for the future.

Complaint against Dhoni, Harbhajan withdrawn

2009-05-25T11:48:00.002+06:00

Global Human Rights Protection Council -- has decided against putting India cricketers Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh in the dock for allegedly showing disrespect to the country and

Padma award ceremony by remaining absent from it. GHRPC president Arvind Thakur had stated in his criminal complaint to a local court that the cricketers were youth icons and should have acted more responsibly. The complaint had mentioned that intentionally ignoring national events like the Padma awards ceremony amounted to lowering the prestige of President of India, Constitution, sports lovers and artists.

Thakur said on Sunday that the decision to withdraw the complaint had followed sports ministry’s announcement that it would take action against the cricketers.

Dhoni is very romantic person: Lakshmi Rai

2009-05-18T11:40:00.000+06:00

Lakshmi Rai started young. She started modelling at the age of 13. "My parents were a little apprehensive and said okay, thinking I would only be walking the ramp. Being an actress was way beyond their imagination." But an actress she turned out to be, as she won the Miss Karnataka crown twice and there were a spate of Kannada and Tamil film offers. I was very young and didn't know where I was going. I met some really unscrupulous people too and experienced a lot of rubbish. But thankfully, my parents were with me all the time," she says.

Those things are in the past now. After having made a bit mark in the South, Lakshmi is all set to enter Bollywood. However, she has just backed out of Himesh Reshammiya's Hey Gujju. "I had agreed to do the film, but after watching Karz (Reshammiya's earlier film), I decided I cannot be a part of such films. I requested them to let me go," she says.

But what has worked in her favour is being linked to the captain of the Indian cricket team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "I know Dhoni since last year. He, along with the Indian team, came for my birthday party and we got along very well. Dhoni and Suresh Raina stayed on till five in the morning. We have been in touch since then and I can safely call him my best friend. For a long time even though we were meeting, people didn't write about us. But after 26/11, security was stepped up...Once Dhoni had come out to have coffee with me. I think the security leaked the story that we were together. Since then, there has been no stopping the stories about us," she says, with a laugh. "Dhoni is a gem of a person. No airs, no attitude, very humble and down to earth."Dhoni is very romantic person.

Lakshmi let's in on a secret: "Dhoni says he wants to get married within a year or two..." And would she accept it if he proposed? "Someone else had asked me this question too and I replied, Why not?" she says, with a giggle. "But Dhoni is the kind of guy any girl would want to marry, he is very affectionate andbalanced."

The Curious Case of Sachin Tendulkar

2009-05-05T12:24:00.001+06:00

All the Indian fans will probably want to tear me apart for even asking this question. After all, cricket is a religion there, and Sachin Tendulkar is the all-powerful Almighty.

But I was always that kid in class who used to ask annoying questions of the teacher, which sadly, often went unanswered. That being said, I am not a cricket expert, and I am not here with mighty ambitions of bamboozling anyone. I love the sport of cricket, and I simply have a question regarding the legend.

Yesterday, the 15-member Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup was announced. The name of Sachin Tendulkar wasn't featured, because the legend himself said no.

The reason: T20 format warrants young blood, and they deserve all the opportunities they can get. It's time for the experienced names to gracefully allow younger players to take over.

Sachin Tendulkar leads Idea Caller League

2009-05-05T12:23:00.002+06:00

The cricket maestro Sachin Tendukar forged another milestone in his personal caliber as he received most calls on Idea mobile. The scheme, mooted by the Idea was to reach the mass by linking the Indian cricketer over the mobile. The man who has to his credit, as many as runs in the cricket world, is setting another record in this scheme. The captain of the Mumbai Indians team in the ongoing IPL matches could become the receiver of almost half the number of calls made to the Idea. The promotional campaign was initiated on April 20 by which any member from the 25 member squad of the Mumbai Indians can be dialed for a personal talk. As of date, 7.5 lakh callers have made their presence to the scheme and out of these, Sachin received almost half of them, coinciding with his birthday.

Harbhajan and the pace star Zaheer followed Sachin. The virtual response, by way of recorded voice of the chosen cricketer, is on the air round the clock available to any place of contact. Idea feels the response to the scheme is tremendous akin to its “What An Idea, Sirji”. Idea is sure that the fans would feel much elated to speak to the cricketers and there is an assurance that the calls made to the players are being forwarded to them. It is to be noted that the best calls made to the players of MI will get a return call from the cricketer in the next phase

Brand Dhoni may take a dip

2009-04-18T12:00:00.001+06:00

India's cricket team skipper M S Dhoni and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh's no-show at the national awards ceremony on April 14 may cast a slight blur on their brand, at least in the short term. Advertisers and media managers feel that ‘Brand Dhoni' may be affected as he skipped the Padma awards function, the most prestigious national awards ceremony.

Santosh Desai CEO Future Brands says, "Dhoni's absence, considering he is India's cricket team captain, is potentially more damaging than Harbhajan's. Also, it might be the starting of a story which could affect his image if he slips on something in future".

"Cricketers like Dhoni are huge national icons, either on or off the field and hence carry a big responsibility with their celebrity status endorsing big brands. It could impact (them) from a personality perspective. Companies which are riding on him are not going to like it too much", an executive with a company, which has signed up Dhoni, said.

Dhoni is a hot property as far as advertisers are concerned, with 31 brands riding on him including softdrink major Pepsi, Aircel, Dabur Honey, Exide, TVS Motors and Brylcreem hair gel. Though advertisers do not disclose contract amounts, but market experts estimate that Dhoni may well be earning between Rs 1-2 crore per contract annually. Harbhajan endorses two brands according to AdEx India.

Both Dhoni and Singh have kicked up a row by staying away from the awards ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. Many feel that it was a big disrespect to the highest honour which is bestowed on any Indian, and the cricketers should have taken time out of "signing endorsement deals" to attend the function.

However, there are some who feel that the event will have no impact on the cricketers' brand (value).Says Prasoon Joshi, executive chairman McCann Worldgroup India and regional executive creative director Asia Pacific, "Cricketers are the most vulnerable, and advertising is an easy target. I don't think it will have an impact on their brands. We are living in a dynamic world constantly seeking gratification. After a while, people will forget it".

A cricketer's `brand' goes up if he scores well on the field, and is judged more in terms of his performance on the field, feel companies."People will only remember this incident for a short while. The image of the brand that they endorse does not get affected. What may affect them more is their performance on the field", Samir Gangahar executive director of advertising company, Leo Burnett says.

Interestingly over recent times, Brand Dhoni is getting bigger than it used to be, but master blaster Sachin Tendulkar is "still an icon and commands mass connectivity", advertisers say. Sachin, who endorses 13 brands, was recently roped by Jaypee Cement as their brand ambassador.

Criminal case filed against Dhoni, Harbhajan

2009-04-17T00:04:00.001+06:00

A criminal case has been filed in Bihar's Muzzaffarpur court against Indian cricket team skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Dhoni and Bhajji were to be honoured with the Padma Shree by President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Senior advocate Sudhir Kumar Ojha filed the case in the court of the CJM Ramdarash seeking to book the cricketers under sections 499 (defamation), 500 (punishment for defamation), 503 (criminal intimidation) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace).

Ojha alleged that the two cricketers insulted fans and dishonoured the prestigious award by staying away from the function.

The petition is likely to come up for hearing on Friday, he said.Harbhajan had made clear on Wednesday that he stayed away from the function due to some family commitments.

Indians dominate Wisden's Dream Test XI

2009-04-09T00:27:00.002+05:00

Wisden, the highly respected cricket publication, today named Virender Sehwag as the Leading Cricketer in the World for 2008 and Mahendra Singh Dhoni captain of its first ever Dream Test XI which has five Indians in the ranks. India's rich vein of form found ample reflection in Wisden's first ever Dream XI which include Sehwag, Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan.

India has the largest representation in the Test squad, followed by Australia (Ricky Ponting and Mitchell Johnson) and South Africa (Graeme Smith and Dale Steyn) who have two each. Flamboyant batsman Kevin Pietersen is the lone English player in the XI, while the West Indies is represented by run-machine Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Smith is Dhoni's deputy in the side. The three selectors who picked the squad were former India captain Ravi Shastri, retired West Indian pacer Ian Bishop and former New Zealand stumper Ian Smith. The criteria for selection are simple: the best eleven to play a Test match, no matter the opposition, guided by performances in 2008, and taking into consideration the amount of Test cricket they played in the year, the quality of their opponents, and that indefinable blend of class and form," Wisden said.

Tendulkar was greater than even Don Bradman: Hadlee

2009-04-03T12:28:00.002+05:00

Sachin Tendulkar may not boast a Bradmanesque average but his ability to adjust to all formats of the game makes him the greatest batsman ever, legendary New Zealand all-rounder Richard Hadlee said here on Friday. Hadlee, who was inducted into the International Cricket Council's Hall of Fame, was in absolute awe of the Indian run-machine and said he had no doubt that he was the greatest batsman ever to grace the game.

"I played against Sachin on his tour here in 1990 when he got that 80 or 90-odd at the McLean Park in Napier. You could see then as a youngster he was a player of immense ability and talent.
"We didn't see at that time and you cannot visualise 20 years down the track what the player is likely to do in the context of the history of the game. He clearly he has been phenomenal," said the 57-year-old, arguably one of the finest all-rounders of all time.

Justifying his high regard for the Indian, Hadlee said, "When you score as many runs as he has in Test and one-day cricket and score as many centuries and half centuries as he has done, it makes him arguably the greatest player ever in the history of the game. Statistics speak volumes of his contribution to Indian and world cricket. He is a phenomenal player."

Asked if it meant Tendulkar was greater than even Don Bradman, Hadlee said, "Well, Sir Donald Bradman has been regarded as the greatest player ever. He played just Test cricket. He hasn't played any other forms of the game. Clearly that is understandable.""But to see Sachin and other players actually adjust to different forms of the game and different conditions all around the world, even though the average is fractionally more than half of the Don's is in itself incredible. You got to respect it and write those performances," he explained.

Hadlee also felt comparisons should drive a player.

"At the end of the day it doesn't matter who are compared with. It is what you actually do yourself. I don't think anyone can dispute the contributions that Sachin and (Rahul) Dravid have made. The contributions of these players have made to Indian cricket are outstanding."

England to abandon India tour

2008-11-27T11:38:00.002+05:00

England have decided to abandon their current cricket tour of India and return home following the deadly Mumbai attacks, an official source told AFP Thursday.

"They are packing their bags, they are going home," the source said from Cuttack, where England played the fifth match of the seven-game one-day series on Wednesday night.

England will not play the last two games of the series in Guwahati and New Delhi, he said.

The Press Trust of India (PTI) also reported that Kevin Pietersen's men had decided to fly home.

An official announcement was expected to be made shortly.

At least 100 people have been killed in coordinated attacks by Islamist militants in India's commercial capital of Mumbai.

It was, however, not clear if England would return for the two-Test series scheduled to start in Ahmedabad on December 11.

The second Test is due to be played in Mumbai from December 19.

England Cricket Board faces player rebellion over IPL

2008-11-27T10:43:00.002+05:00

The IPL bosses are possibly watching with amusement from the sidelines as England's players continue to put pressure on their board. Clearly, the players don't want to miss a chance of pocketing the big dollars on offer and are finding cricketing logic to make their case.

England's cricketers have had a torrid time in India for most of the tour so far but that hasn't dampened their enthusiasm for the country. Most of them want to return to India in April to play in the IPL and the league's bosses are keen on their presence.

"They have said that, we have said that. Now, it is for the ECB to decide," said Sundar Raman, CEO of the Indian Premier League.Not surprisingly the pressure on the ECB is being generated by those men who are likely to be worth megabucks if they become available.Kevin Pietersen is one, who has spoken openly of his desire to play the league and Andrew Flintoff has now given voice to that call, saying, "India's players played in the IPL and have brought that into the 50-over game. It's something I'd be keen to have a go at it on the Indian pitches, with the Indian players and international cricketers. It's possibly now an important development in a player's life."

There is also talk that England's players will hold off signing their central contracts if the ECB doesn't relent. Although, their public stand remains diplomatic."I think somewhere down the line, we want guys to play the IPL because Indian cricket has benefited hugely by being in and around all the great players and I think the English players being in that system could also get benefited by being around the great Indian, Australian, South African players," said former England skipper Michael Vaughan.

IPL bosses want England's players to be available for a substantial part of the seven-week long tournament. For that to happen, either England's domestic season will have to be pushed back or the players will have to rebel against their own board.

Mumbai attacks: Middlesex delay India cricket arrival

2008-11-27T10:36:00.001+05:00

Middlesex captain Shaun Udal has said the English county would not be travelling to Mumbai as planned following the terror attacks in the Indian city.

The team were due to fly to Mumbai on Thursday for the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League but former England off-spinner Udal told Sky Sports: "All we know is our flight has been cancelled in the morning."

Udal added he understood the tournament, involving the domestic Twenty20 finalists from England, Australia, South Africa and the Indian Premier League (IPL), would continue but with the Mumbai matches moved to Bangalore.

Middlesex were due to play on the opening day of the competition a week Wednesday at Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium.

"It's horrific beyond belief," said Udal whose side were due to stay at the Taj Mahal Palace, one of two luxury hotels attacked Wednesday.

"We were due to fly out from Heathrow at 10 o'clock (1000 GMT) and we had a call tonight to say that those plans were now cancelled, and the plan is to move the Mumbai leg to Bangalore."

With Maharashtra state chief secretary Johnny Joseph saying 78 people had been killed and estimates of the number of injured ranging from 200 to 350, Udal said he was thankful Middlesex were not in Mumbai on Wednesday.

"What has made it particularly disturbing is the fact that we were going to stay at the Taj Palace Hotel 24 hours later," the 39-year-old former Hampshire bowler added.

"That's really brought it to heart.

"If we had gone out 24 hours earlier then that would have been the Middlesex team. It could have been us. That's what could have happened."

Udal, looking ahead, said Middlesex wanted to play in the lucrative tournament but that they would first seek advice regarding their own safety.

"If we are told it is safe to go then we will go. We want to play, but there are more serious issues to consider," he explained. "We have to consider all the options. I'm sure Middlesex will be in conversations with the (British) Foreign Office throughout the (Wednesday) night.

"If we are told everything is safe then we will go out there and entertain the Indian people and the people watching on TV. I hope we'll make the right decisions - and they will be made as soon as possible."

Both the future of the Champions League, due to run from December 3 to 10 with matches scheduled in Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai, and England's ongoing tour of India will now be called into question.

England went 5-0 down in a seven-match one-day series after losing by six wickets in Cuttack on Wednesday.

They were due to return to Mumbai, where their tour began three weeks ago, on December 16 ahead of the second and final Test starting three days later.

England had been scheduled to stay at the Taj Mahal Palace.

Team spokesman Andrew Walpole said they would consult the Foreign Office before deciding whether to proceed with the rest of the tour.

"We will be guided by the Foreign Office and will await developments," Walpole said. "We need to get a clearer idea of what the situation is before we react further."

Ponting Thrashed by Legend Gavaskar

2008-11-26T11:11:00.001+05:00

Andrew Symonds cleared by Cricket Australia

2008-11-26T10:41:00.002+05:00

Andrew Symonds has been spared the axe by Cricket Australia after an investigation found him to be the innocent victim in an altercation at a Brisbane pub on Sunday night.

Symonds last night met Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland and Australian captain Ricky Ponting at a meeting to discuss his involvement in a fracas at the notorious Brisbane nightspot, the Normanby Hotel.

The allrounder is believed to have reiterated previous comments that he did not instigated the bust-up, and took all measures to extricate himself from the situation.

Sutherland is believed to have accepted his version of events and will opt not to terminate Symonds's contract despite the player being on a last warning following a series of off-field indiscretions.

Symonds and Sutherland will address a press conference at the Adelaide Oval at 12.30pm (AEDT) at which will they explain the circumstances behind the incident.

It is unclear at this stage whether Symonds will face other, less drastic, sanctions following the incident.

BCCI warns selectors on media leaks

2008-11-25T10:28:00.003+05:00

Indian cricket board has warned the selectors against passing on information regarding selection matters to the media, a day after skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni`s threat to resign, during one of the meetings, was leaked.

"The selectors have been pulled up and categorically told to ensure that selection matters and whatever transpires in the meeting is not leaked out to the media," a top BCCI source said.

"The top brass of the BCCI have viewed this matter very seriously and want that such things should not happen again," the source added.

In a dramatic turn of events on Saturday, reports came out that Dhoni had threatened to resign as captain after he failed to ensure that bowler RP Singh was retained in the side playing the current ODI series against England.

Livid he was with the reports but Dhoni did little to dampen the speculation about the resignation threat when he said that "something or the other leaks out".

Dhoni apparently wanted RP Singh, who gave away 49 runs without taking a wicket in the second One-dayer after which he was dropped, but the selectors opted for Irfan Pathan. "I don`t know from where the reports came from. What happens inside while the selectors and the captains are there, if it comes comes out, it is disgusting, it`s disrespecting. Things like these should not happen," Dhoni said.

"We will have debates inside and things like this should not come out. I think if they are supposed to come out, it`s better we have a live television out there ...nobody should know apart from the eight guys who are sitting down," he fumed.

Andrew Flintoff warns of being left behind if denied IPL

2008-11-25T10:16:00.002+05:00

Andrew Flintoff has responded to a demoralising series defeat against India by warning that England will be left behind in one-day cricket if players do not get the opportunity to test their skills in the Indian Premier League.

As England, 4-0 down with three games to play, prepare for another stern examination in Cuttack tomorrow, Flintoff has joined his England team-mate and closest buddy, Steve Harmison, in stressing the benefits that the IPL Twenty20 competition have brought to the world's leading one-day players. The message could not be clearer, both for the ECB chief executive, David Collier, who will continue negotiations with IPL representatives during the Champions League in India next week, and for the England coach, Peter Moores, whose recommendations about how much England players should be released will bear most weight.

"We've come against a strong, strong side," Flintoff said. "They have outplayed us in every department. They look very well drilled. I think that by playing a shorter form of the game they have developed new skills with bat and ball and we've been found wanting. They have definitely taken their game forward.

"They scored 380-odd in the first game - and with proper batting as well. It was a tremendous display of hitting and they are obviously very confident. You look at the way their guys hit the ball and the rate they score, especially in the middle overs where they knock it around and still find boundaries. Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma have developed skills like slower balls and yorkers and I'm sure playing the shorter form has developed those skills.

"A few of the England players are keen to go to the IPL. One thing that has been mentioned is financial reward but I think you look at players' development as well. With the Twenty20 World Cup coming and a lot more one-day cricket it would be good if the lads had a chance to play in it."

Harmison had pressed home the same point. "The danger for England is that, if our players are not involved in the IPL, we could get left far behind," he said. "Batsmen are no longer content to look for 260-275 as par scores. They are now looking for a minimum of 290-300 every time."

The issue for England is the May Test programme. The identity of the tourists remains a mystery but the ECB has no intention of abandoning May Test cricket to the advance of IPL. Next year Flintoff and Co will get a fortnight at the IPL at best and they may argue that there is not a huge amount that can be learned in that time.

I was never scared of Tendulkar says Shane Warne

2008-11-24T10:38:00.002+05:00

More than 10 years after saying that Sachin Tendulkar gave him nightmares, Australian spin legend Shane Warne now claims that he was never scared of the Indian batting maestro and his 1998 remarks were "no gospel".

Warne was at the receiving end of Tendulkar's batting fury when Australia toured India in early 1998 and the retired Australian had made the widely-reported comments that he saw the Mumbaikar in his nightmares after the beating he got on the field.

In his recently published book 'Shane Warne's Century', Warne had named Tendulkar the number one batsman he has played against ahead of West Indian Brian Lara.

"He never frightened me. I think I might have said 'I'm going to have a few nightmares tonight' once and some journalists took it as gospel, but I was never frightened of anyone. And that's not me being big-headed, I was just confident of my ability.

"Players like (Brian) Lara and Tendulkar were always a challenge, because they were the best in the business and if you want to compete at that level you've got to step up to the mark. Of course some days they're going to smash you out of the park and you congratulate them afterwards, but you're going to get them next time," he told 'Sunday Observer'.

Warne, who was named by Observer Sports Monthly as the Sportsman of 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award, however, suggested that Tendulkar was better than Lara in terms of entertainment value, number of matches he won for his team.

Ask what criteria did he use for including or excluding players in his book, Warne said, "I went on the principle that when I'm watching a sport I want to be entertained. So my number one criteria was entertainment, two was what impact did they have on me as a player, three was the impact they had on the team -- could they win a match off their own bat -- and then there was their skill and their spirit.

"I didn't look at their statistics too much. That wasn't a guide, because stats can be accurate but misleading. A match-winner can actually have quite a modest average overall. And some players are just better to watch. That's why I put Mark Waugh above Steve Waugh in the book, because if they were both playing in separate grounds in town on the same day, I know who I'd pay money to watch play."

The maverick spinner, who led Rajasthan Royals to the Indian Premier League crown, said he now expects more salary from the franchise as it has become richer.

"The first year was amazing. I'm really looking forward to going back and defending our title. No one can ever take that away from us that we won the inaugural IPL. Off the last ball! What an achievement. It was a fairytale. Especially for all the younger players.

"I reckon I deserve a lot more now that we won it. The franchise has tripled, maybe quadrupled in price. They've got me cheap!"

Talking about coping with Indian food during IPL, Warne, notoriously conservative with his diet, said, "The wonderful people of Jaipur now make an amazing margherita pizza. I've spoken to the chefs and they've got it down pat. So I'm a lucky man. It's making me hungry thinking about it."

On any advice he would offer to just-retired Anil Kumble, Warne said, "I spoke to him the other day, actually. He's a very smart man, engineer by trade, and I'm sure, considering everything he's achieved, there'll be plenty of doors open to him in India and internationally. I sense he's weighing up his options. He's a wonderful human being."

His 1993 'ball of the century' to dismiss Mike Gatting still ranks his best delivery.

"Oh, for sure. Mike Gatting's in '93 is still probably the best. Umpire Dickie Bird's was almost as funny. He couldn't believe what he'd seen either. 'That was owt, yer've gat ta gore.'"

And what is it going to take to get him to play for Australia again?

"No chance, mate. My scriptwriter keeps telling me to do it. He says it could be the final chapter. But I said: 'Mate, you haven't got any pens left. There are no more scripts. Let's just let it be.'"

England need IPL says Steve Harmison

2008-11-24T10:27:00.003+05:00

Steve Harmison has said England's players must take part in the Indian Premier League or risk trailing behind the rest of the world in all forms of the one-day game.

England stand on the brink of a 50-over series defeat in India after three straight losses and have been roundly outplayed so far on the subcontinent.

Seamer Harmison (pictured left, with international team-mate Andrew Flintoff) has revealed the admiration of the England players for the skills displayed by their opponents, and believes they benefited massively from participation in this year's inaugural IPL, the lucrative Twenty20 tournament.

England's centrally-contracted stars were barred from the first edition of the IPL, but Harmison believes they must be allowed to cash in this time around or risk being left behind by their counterparts.

"Watching how the Indian players have gone about their skills in the current one-day series it is clear to me that playing in the IPL has helped them improve in vital areas and had a huge benefit on their team," he told the Mail on Sunday.

"And the danger for England is that if our players are not involved in the IPL in future we could get left far behind in certain areas."

He added: "The Indians have performed with Twenty20 intensity over the full 50 overs and it has been very impressive to watch.

"And I don't think it is any coincidence that, as a group of players, we have been lacking in some of those skills and disciplines."

Matthew Hayden still has the passion to play says Ponting

2008-11-24T10:23:00.002+05:00

Matthew Hayden's willingness to let his coffee go cold while he hit the indoor nets in Brisbane last week convinced his captain the great opening batsman is not yet ready to retire. Indeed, Ricky Ponting has implored the 37-year-old to hang on until the Ashes.

Before the first Test, Hayden could not guarantee he would play on to avenge the 2005 defeat in England. Two failures against New Zealand later, and on the eve of his 100th Test starting in Adelaide on Friday, speculation is mounting about his willingness to carry on beyond the summer.

However, Hayden's teammates have not sensed he is contemplating an end to his career, but his 100th game will go a long way towards determining for how long Australia can count on his strength at the top of the order.

Importantly, Ponting remains adamant that Hayden is the best opening batsman in the country.

The captain and coffee-runner arrived at the Gabba the morning after Hayden's golden duck heightened intrigue about the Queenslander's future, but couldn't find him to deliver the brew.

"Matty makes me bring the coffee to the ground every day from the hotel," Ponting said after Australia found its way out of some early trouble to beat the Black Caps by 149 runs inside four days.

"I brought a coffee down and put it on his seat and I didn't think he was at the ground. I walked out onto the ground during the warm-up and he was in the indoor nets, and he had been there for nearly an hour.

"That to me says the hunger for Haydos is still there. He has always been one who works extremely hard on his game if he feels that something is not quite right, so that was a positive sign. I think skills-wise and hunger-wise, Matthew Hayden is definitely our best opener and will be until he wants to finish."

Having farewelled Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Justin Langer, Damien Martyn and Adam Gilchrist in the past two years, Ponting's reluctance to lose Hayden from a team in the throes of regeneration is understandable.

The victory over New Zealand, ranked seventh in the world, did not erase doubts about the side that was comprehensively humbled in India and in the coming months will face sterner tests against South Africa (home and away) and England.

Nor is there a long list of ready opening replacements. Chris Rogers is second among the season's Sheffield Shield runscorers with 474 runs at 67 for his adopted state of Victoria, but has fallen from favour since making his debut in Perth last January. Phil Jaques is recovering from back surgery and Shaun Marsh - the reserve opener in India - averages 35 this summer.

The Adelaide Oval is a happy place for Hayden; he averages 58.93 there and plundered 103 against India in his previous match in Adelaide. He said before this series that his longevity would hinge on his passion, which remained strong after a difficult tour of India.

Though his feet are not moving as crisply as they once did, Ponting has witnessed no major flaws in Hayden's technique to suggest his skills are on the wane. "I know Matty's game as well as anybody because I have played so long with him . . . I haven't seen anything to say he is not as good as he has ever been," Ponting said. "It was only a couple of Test matches ago that he made a terrific 80-odd in Delhi.

"He has his 100th Test this week which will be a great thrill and I am sure he will be very proud of that when he takes the field in Adelaide. I wouldn't be surprised with the work he has done here this week and the wicket in Adelaide if you see him make a really big score."

Andrew Symonds' selection sends the wrong message

2008-11-23T10:42:00.003+05:00

Andrew Symonds' selection for the Gabba Test was outrageous and one of the more bizarre Australian selections I can ever remember. We are raised in this country on the belief that to represent Australia in any sport is the highest honour possible and to achieve this status requires an enormous amount of hard work and sacrifice. In the Australian cricket team it seems if you can hit some big balls, bowl some part-time medium pace or roll out some offies and field brilliantly you are an automatic selection. You also have the right to come and go as you please. The message sent to the first-class players around the country busting their gut for that honour must have felt like a dagger in the heart.

Surely, when you lose your position in the team for not one, not two, but several off-field indiscretions, then you must earn the right to be allowed back through the door. In a staggering selection, Symonds simply waltzed back in as if the all-rounder's position batting at No. 6 was his whenever he was ready. His performances for Queensland this summer were bordering on embarrassing and showed he was not ready.

Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch's comments about Symonds' selection were equally embarrassing. He said that his performances for his state were irrelevant. The selectors felt he was a big-time performer and, therefore, his inept numbers for Queensland did not matter. Well, blow me down. No wonder current selector Jamie Cox never got a look in at Test level, perhaps now he can work out why his good performances over 15 years of toil never amounted to anything, he never liked fishing much anyway.

This is Andrew Symonds we are talking about, not Sir Garfield Sobers. Symonds is one of the greatest one-day players ever to play for Australia, but is still establishing himself as a top-quality Test player. His batting over the past two years has been much improved, but needed to be. His first 11 Test matches yielded just over 300 runs at the paltry average of 18. Let's not forget this is only his 23rd Test - he's not a 100-Test superstar with a superb record.

He turned his career around with a majestic 156 in the Boxing Day Test two years ago and his batting seemed to have finally assumed a new sense of responsibility. Last summer he smote 162 not out in Sydney in the infamous Test against the Indians, but was given not out on 30 when he left splinters in the ball when caught behind. That innings inflated his average into the 40s and all of a sudden people felt he was the master and the answer to all problems. In fact, if he had been given out in Sydney on 30, his average today would be in the low 30s and his automatic selection perhaps not so certain. A pair of 20s this Test was more than we could have hoped for from Symonds given his lead in. He slammed a few boundaries as he always will, he is super talented and, on his day, will destroy military medium offerings. His two dismissals, however, were vintage Symonds - irresponsible. The get-out-of-jail-free card is "but that's how he plays".

Players of the Symonds ilk like to use that card in turbulent times. It seems to cleanse their soul and allow them the freedom to re-offend soon after. England's Andrew Flintoff and Pakistan's Shahid Afridi are similar; they are entertaining to watch but, at times, fail to temper their aggressive style when the team often needs more substance. These types of players are the icing on the cake in great teams, but rarely the glue to pull struggling outfits together. They can turn a game in your favour, but rarely carry you over the line.

Irrespective of the result in Brisbane, the Symonds selection smacked of desperation from a selection panel under intense scrutiny. These are changing times in Australian cricket and we are under fire from all angles. Is it time to totally rebuild, time to move a few more tiring superstars on and really freshen up the outfit? It may be painful in the short term, but long term it may be the best direction to take.

Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey are safe for the moment, but other big names may be gone by the end of the summer.

The selectors have now created a difficult situation between the two all-rounders. When the team walks out in Adelaide next week, only one will be in the XI, which begs the question, which one deserves it most? Jason Krezja was left out at the Gabba after taking 12 wickets on debut; he will play in Adelaide, meaning Shane Watson, who did himself no favours in Brisbane with the bat, is the likely to make way. This is wrong. He deserves his place after the hard yards he put in during the Indian series. He is a much better bowler than Symonds and although yet to show it consistently at Test level, he is also a much better Test batsman than the free-spirited Symonds.

India was a tough assignment, but "let's move forward" was the cry from the dressing rooms.

The Kiwis were supposed to be cannon fodder, we can only imagine the South Africans licking their lips in anticipation of the upcoming series.

The team has lost its spark and must regain it quickly. The experienced players are dragging the chain and the full force of the loss of some icons in Australia, namely Gilchrist, McGrath, Warne and Langer, is now having a tidal-wave effect.

The old look tired, the new look tentative and the selection of Symonds has left those waiting in the wings very confused.

Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey are safe for the moment, but other big names may be gone by the end of the summer.

India was a tough assignment, but "let's move forward" was the cry from the dressing rooms.

The Kiwis were supposed to be cannon fodder, we can only imagine the South Africans licking their lips in anticipation of the upcoming series.

The old look tired, the new look tentative and the selection of Symonds has left those waiting in the wings very confused.

Hot pants are out for Indian cricket’s dancing girls

2008-11-23T10:34:00.002+05:00

Watching his national cricket side wallop a hapless England is enough to set the pulse of the average Indian male racing.

So perhaps it’s just as well that the Indian XI’s first troupe of cheerleaders plan to eschew the skimpy outfits favoured by their Western peers for modest saris.

Determined to inject a little razzmatazz into the one-day international at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Wednesday, the hosts, the Orissa Cricket Association (OCA), have made the unprecedented decision to hire dancing girls to support the national team.

However, mindful of the outcry earlier this year, when some sides flirted with scantily clothed, American-style cheerleaders, the OCA insists that its recruits will each be clad in eight metres of woven silk.

Ashirbad Behera, the OCA secretary, who is organising the cheerleaders, said: “This is the first time a one-day international will feature cheering girls. But I will not have them dressing up in short skirts, as it would be against our culture and traditions. ”

Cheerleaders were unknown in Indian cricket until April this year, when the Royal Challengers Bangalore enlisted Washington Redskins cheerleaders, complete with hot pants and bikini tops.

They whipped up support for the team in the newly formed Indian Premier League. However, India’s establishment made no secret of its distaste.

Ramchandra Guha, one of the country’s leading historians, complained: “Why we always have to borrow the worst of the Western world is beyond me.”

He said the introduction of US-style cheerleaders risked “stoking the base, voyeuristic and sexual insecurities of the Indian male.

Shane Watson dumped for Adelaide Test

2008-11-23T10:29:00.003+05:00

Underperforming all-rounder Shane Watson has been omitted from Australia's 12-man squad named to play the second Test against New Zealand in Adelaide.

Watson, who edged spinner Jason Krejza for the final spot in the first Test, took just two wickets in Australia's 149-run win at the Gabba and scored 1 and 5 with the bat.

Australian selectors have recalled Peter Siddle for the Adelaide Test beginning next Friday after the paceman was cut from the 13-man squad for the series opener.

Krejza carried the drinks at the Gabba but is likely to get the nod on an Adelaide pitch expected to yield turn as the match progresses, with Siddle the likely 12th man.

In eight Tests for Australia, Watson averages less than 20 with the bat and has taken just 14 wickets at a touch over 35.

In a statement released by Cricket Australia, chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said Watson would be released to play for Queensland in the domestic competition.

"It is obviously disappointing for Shane Watson to be omitted from the Test 12 after playing well for us during the four-Test period in India and this week at the Gabba," he said.

"We have been very pleased with Shane's development, but for the Adelaide Test our intention is to play a specialist spinner rather than the make-up used successfully in the first Test.

"Having made that decision we thought it was important that Shane took the opportunity to play for Queensland to ensure he had played as much cricket as possible leading in to the remainder of what is very important Australian summer."

Australia

Ricky Ponting (c), Michael Clarke (vc), Stuart Clark, Brad Haddin, Matthew Hayden, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Jason Krejza, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Andrew Symonds.

Shame Movements of Sourav Ganguly

2008-11-22T11:16:00.001+05:00

Veteran Matthew Hayden struggles for form

2008-11-22T11:12:00.002+05:00

The focus isn't so much on Matthew Hayden's impending 100th Test, as whether he will get to 101. Hayden has spent considerable time mulling over his options over the past year, and while he insists the fire within still burns, the fiercely proud Australian opener gave no time frame as to when it might extinguish.

A first-ball dismissal yesterday — his third duck in five Tests — will have done little for Hayden's confidence, and the veteran appears to have a major decision to make at the conclusion of the Adelaide Test, his 100th.

"Longevity is fine if you've felt like you've contributed," Hayden said this week. "To my way of thinking, if I summarise my first seven Tests, I didn't feel like I contributed at all during that period, as opposed to seven through to now, where you feel you've contributed but you've been a part of an era. Like all personal milestones, none of them make any difference if you're not in a winning culture. To my way of thinking, thankfully we've been through this era, a culture, that's demanded a lot from ourselves."

He makes no attempt to disguise how much he misses the teammates who have retired in recent seasons, most notably Justin Langer, with whom he shared a prolific and historic opening partnership. For now, Hayden — who turned 37 last month — is happy to serve as a generational bridge, moulding and adapting to the requirements of this team. Should his struggles with the bat continue through the Adelaide Test, he might well be moved to reassess his position.

"I miss those characters in the dressing room," he said. "They're great old warriors. There's no question that when those guys leave, there's a part of you — and the culture — that's not dead, but goes with them. It's an exciting opportunity right now to be involved in a culture that has lost some of the bright superstars of the game, and we've now got some emerging hardcore players, who have done their time, like I felt like I had done, and it's great to see how much they want it.

" 'Punter' (Ricky Ponting) and I have a huge responsibility, definitely. We also have to back off and let other cultures within the team flourish. I guess it's just experience that tells you when you need to do something, or need to back away. I'm enjoying it all.

"I remember sitting on a sandhill with (wife) Kel, and we were talking about the future of my career, and India was always a bright light for me, because it was always going to be a hard tour. The whole concept of a core group of players moving through a space which was very welcome, but by the same token a country that was dying to beat us. I think through those times you see opportunities open up for the guys who really want it."

Should he draw the curtain on his storied career this season, the list of replacements is more limited than some might imagine. A season-ending injury to Phil Jaques and the fall from favour of Chris Rogers leaves Shaun Marsh as the obvious candidate, although his first-class average of 35.35 hardly inspires. Selectors could feasibly look to convert Brad Hodge, or roll the dice on NSW rookie Phil Hughes, but both options are not without risk.

Most assumed Hayden would continue his career through next year's Ashes series, providing himself an opportunity to avenge the series defeat of 2005. But when asked whether England remained on his radar, he was coy.

"I would love to think I could play through England, and past next summer," he said. "But things don't always go how you want them to."

One potential motivating factor for Hayden to continue his career is his fledgling partnership with Simon Katich. Although he admits to having little in common with the NSW captain, Hayden said Katich's determination and drive had been a constant inspiration throughout the testing Border-Gavaskar series.

"It has been interesting," Hayden said. "Obviously, Justin and I had a special partnership, and I will always treasure that. At the same time, I have really enjoyed my time batting with Simon. We are completely different characters, and that's a good thing, because it means you always have to work on your combination.

"Like me, he has had his ups and downs, but he has shown just how badly he wants to succeed, and he has deserved his chance. In India, it was him powering me, more than the other way around. My confidence was a bit low from time to time, and just seeing him go about his business, his drive, really spurred me on."

Irfan Pathan, Shoaib Akhtar deal verbal blows

2008-11-20T11:04:00.000+05:00

Rahul Dravid Famous Interview

2008-11-20T10:57:00.000+05:00

Virender Sehwag funny run-out

2008-11-20T10:30:00.001+05:00

Dhoni can thank his lucky stars

2008-11-19T10:28:00.002+05:00

While in New Delhi today Wasim Akram said Mahendra Singh Dhoni has changed the face of Indian cricket, here, Pakistani batsman Younis Khan feels something different.

The success of Dhoni as Indian cricket captain is a combination of some skill and loads of good fortune, felt Khan, who said it would be interesting to see how he fared once his luck ran out.

Younis, who returned with the Pakistan team from Abu Dhabi last night, said Dhoni has been very lucky as captain so far. “But I would like to see how he fares and handles the pressure when the luck runs out. That will be his real test,” he said. He stated that Dhoni had been very lucky so far in that everything he has done has turned out right. “But in cricket one also has to be prepared to face hard situations when luck does not seem to smile on a player at all,” he added.

Dhoni's Midas touch to work for income tax dept too. He is all set to become the top individual income tax payer in Jharkhand, leaving behind bigwigs of the corporate world.
He will file his tax returns later but the IT department expects over Rs six crore taxable returns from him to become the state's top individual tax payer for the second consecutive year.

‘T20 specialist’
Blissfully unaware of the series bashing that awaited him in India, Australian captain Ricky Ponting considered Dhoni and his men better-suited for Twenty20 cricket rather than Tests after their World Cup triumph in South Africa.

Third in ODIs
Resounding success against England in the first two one-dayers has propelled India to the third spot, while run-machine Yuvraj Singh's (in photo) consecutive centuries, has catapulted him among the top-10 in the latest ICC ODI rankings issued today in Dubai.
India routed England in first match by 158 runs and won the second match by 54 runs to move two places up the rung in the team rankings. Yuvraj, who scored unbeaten 138 in the first match and 118 in the second, gained 11 places to attain his career-best ranking of sixth place among batsmen.

With two defeats, England have slumped to the sixth spot. Having lost three ratings points, they now sit just behind New Zealand by a fraction of a point.
Bolstered by their 3-0 series win against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi, Pakistan has moved up two places to fourth, while Australia is still the table toppers, some 12 ratings points clear of South Africa, who are just four points ahead of India.

Modi's assurance
Lalit Modi has assured England that their first Test against India will not be moved to accommodate the Champions League final. The first Test starts in Ahmedabad on the morning of 11 December, just hours after the day-night final in Chennai. India had proposed starting the first Test a day later than planned, but this has now been ruled out by Modi.
"No such thing will happen," he told BBC Sport. "We looked at rationalising the schedule but it's not possible." Dhoni is the only player from either side involved in the inaugural Champions League. His team, Chennai Super Kings, are so desperate for him to be allowed to play should they reach the final that they asked Modi to push for the first Test to be played a day later than scheduled.

Andrew Symonds gets nod as top all-rounder

2008-11-19T10:24:00.002+05:00

Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch has nominated Andrew Symonds as Australia's senior all-rounder, heightening the Queenslander's chances of a return for the first Test against New Zealand, beginning at the Gabba tomorrow.

Since his recall to the Test squad, Symonds has attempted to mend the fences damaged over a turbulent 12-month period. The all-rounder sought out vice-captain Michael Clarke at a cocktail party this week in a bid to rebuild the friendship strained in Darwin, and has impressed captain Ricky Ponting with his reinvigorated work ethic.

The decision as to which combination of Symonds, Shane Watson and Jason Krejza will fill the final two places will likely be made on the morning of the Test, but Hilditch's vote of confidence in Symonds suggests a recall is not far away.

"Roy's (Symonds) still the more senior all-rounder in the squad, and he's well suited to batting in the top six," Hilditch said. "He has cemented his position over the past two years.

"We have put a lot of time into Shane Watson over the years, through good times and difficult ones, and as far as the future is concerned we see him having a big impact on Australian cricket. 'Watto's' bowling was extremely good in India, but he needs to cement that No. 6 spot. Whether they play in the same side or not isn't clear yet, but for us the simple formula is to pick our best six batters and our best four bowlers."

Hilditch reiterated his preference to playing Krejza at the Gabba, despite heavy rain continuing to buffet Brisbane. But he conceded the weather was complicating selection matters, with the 13th man, Peter Siddle, ordered to remain in Brisbane yesterday despite being initially earmarked to return to state duties with Victoria.

"We're just keeping all our options open," he said. "We're still very much of the view that in normal circumstances you play a specialist spinner. It's not unusual yet. If it's a green seaming wicket it is not as essential to have a spin bowler, but there is rarely a time a spinner doesn't come into a match at some stage."

Symonds' proposed re-entry again dominated yesterday. The middle-order mainstays had developed a close bond in recent years, however Clarke's role in Symonds' expulsion strained the relationship.

In a recent television interview, Symonds conceded the "relationship is still alive, but to be perfectly honest it is not what it was". Clarke, though, said the pair had sorted their differences.

"(The friendship) has probably been exactly how it was before he left, which has been great I think for both of us," he said.

"It's always good to see 'Symmo' back around. We had a bit of a cocktail party last night which was great, we spent a bit of time together having a bit of a chat. It is really good having him back and I think our relationship is going well.

"I knew when I was given the opportunity to become vice-captain … that I might have to be part of decisions like that. At the time I was captain up in Darwin and I had to face the media and give the guys the news. It certainly wasn't a personal decision. It didn't affect my feelings about Symmo as a mate, it was just what we thought was in the best interests of the team and for Andrew.

"It seems like he's in a great place at the moment. He's very happy to be back in the side and I can guarantee you the rest of the players are happy to have him back."

England accept power of spin and call in Swann to turn the tide

2008-11-19T10:16:00.002+05:00

England will accept the inevitability of India tomorrow and choose a specialist spin bowler for the first time as they seek to recover from 2-0 down in the seven-match one-day international series. And if the selection of Graeme Swann, the Nottinghamshire off-spinner and one-day specialist, does not reverse two heavy defeats, then expect serious consideration of a call-up for Monty Panesar by the time England reach Bangalore.

The belated realisation that England cannot prosper in India without a specialist spin bowler begs the question about what is actually taught on the History GCSE syllabus. And if history makes no impact, then you might wish to consider current affairs instead: in the last Test played in Kanpur, against South Africa in April, India prepared the pitch to favour spin, then saw their spinners take 14 wickets in the match. Harbhajan Singh even took the new ball in the second innings.

Panesar, who flies out to India this week with the England Performance Squad, purportedly to prepare for the Test series, is England's finest spinner for a generation yet has been overlooked for the one-day squad in the belief that he should be regarded as a Test specialist. The irony is that he has been sounded out to play Twenty20 in the Indian Premier League.

The usual reluctance remains to draft in Panesar and admit that the initial squad was misconceived but, if England with Swann do not show dramatic signs of improvement at Green Park, then Monty will be on hand in Bangalore. As England bat deep anyway, with the increasingly impressive Stuart Broad as low as No9, it begs the question why Swann's extra batting ability compared with Panesar's mastery of the No1 spot matters anyway.

England refused to confirm the possibility of a call-up for Panesar yesterday. India - in an opinion voiced by Yuvraj Singh and privately shared by his teammates - are perplexed by his absence. Plans to prepare Panesar for the Test series with one-to-one coaching sessions with a new spin-bowling coach, Mushtaq Ahmed, have foundered because Mushtaq has yet to gain a work permit, so the logic is taking hold that he might as well join the England one-day party anyway.

England's other concern surrounds their opening batsman. Matt Prior's selection at the top of the order has so far failed to provide the dynamism expected. Ian Bell's one-day reputation is diminishing; Kent's Joe Denly should have been selected but Alastair Cook is here as back-up opener instead. India's opening batsmen have set the bar so high that Cook's orthodoxy seems increasingly outdated in the one-day game. There is even talk of experimenting with Luke Wright.

England have potentially the best 7-8-9 in the world in Samit Patel, Ravi Bopara and Stuart Broad, yet in Indore - admittedly facing a highly improbable target - they came in to bat with the match already lost. Coaches talk endlessly these days about the need for players who can finish a game. But it is not a finisher that England need; it is a starter.

As England's thoughts turned to spin, coincidentally they all but abandoned hope of their left-arm seam bowler Ryan Sidebottom featuring in Kanpur when he was sent for a scan on his lower back following the team's arrival. England's itinerary - long on travel every third day - is more exhausting than most realise and Sidebottom's body, it seems, cannot cope. He has been dogged by persistent injuries and it is no surprise to learn that his back is playing up again. His brief England career has been a tribute both to his own persistence and skill and to the values of county cricket but there is a sense that England are not being altogether straightforward about his ailments.

England have rejected a request from the Indian board to delay the start of the Ahmedabad Test by a day because the final of the inaugural Champions League - which might involve the India captain, Mahdendra Singh Dhoni - ends the previous evening. The ECB, aware that hundreds of England supporters had already made travel arrangements, resisted the change and Sean Morris, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers Association, praised the ECB's efforts to "preserve the sanctity of Test cricket".

Slow alternatives

James Tredwell Kent, Age 26

This off-spinning all-rounder who is also a fine slip fielder, has fallen from favour this year but was a member of the performance squad in 2007 and was brought into the full England squad in New Zealand last winter

Adil Rashid Yorkshire, 20

The most successful England-qualified spinner last summer with 65 first-class wickets. He can bat too. But this leg-spinner is only 20 and is thought not to be ready yet

Gareth Batty Worcestershire, 31

Test ave 66.63. ODI ave 73.50

Played in seven Tests and seven ODIs but perhaps England discarded this combative all-rounder too soon.

Kevin Pietersen sees England improvement

2008-11-18T10:28:00.002+05:00

Kevin Pietersen has insisted England did not make a mistake in picking an unchanged team after slumping to another heavy defeat in the second one-day international against India.

Three days after being hammered by 158 runs in Rajkot, England today suffered a 54 runs defeat with Yuvraj Singh claiming back-to-back centuries and a haul of four for 28 with his part-time left-arm spin against the tourists' unchanged line-up.

But Pietersen insisted that keeping faith with the same line-up was the right decision despite watching his side get dismissed for 238, including losing their last seven wickets for 55 runs, in reply to India's commanding total of 292 for nine.

"I didn't want to change the side, I wanted to give the guys the confidence to know that they could turn things around," explained England captain Pietersen.

"You could say conditions favoured them and if we'd bowled second then it might have been different, but the team we went in with, we thought could win this fixture and be more competitive and we were today."

Despite another healthy margin of defeat, Pietersen believes England's display at Nehru Stadium was a sign of progress having had India reeling on 29 for three until Yuvraj hit a superb 118 off 122 balls.

"We've made a marked improvements from the first game, when we were totally outplayed and were out of it from 30 overs onwards," he stressed.

"We certainly got a good start here today, but we probably weren't aggressive and didn't carry that through and we probably thought it would just happen for us, which is a mistake of ours.

"The bowlers tried their hearts out and the batters definitely gave us a good run but we needed someone to get a big score like Yuvraj did."

Asked how he intended to deal with the problem presented by Yuvraj before Thursday's match in Kanpur, Pietersen joked: "I'm going to take Yuvraj out at the hotel tonight and make sure he doesn't come to Kanpur."

India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan, who hammered a quickfire 50 off only 29 balls to help India add 82 in the last 10 overs, admitted even their own bowlers struggle against Yuvraj at practice.

"We find it difficult bowling to him in the nets so we're just the same as England, but we're not going to give them any tips on it," he said.

Kiwi points finger at Ponting

2008-11-18T10:23:00.002+05:00

New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori has sparked a tense Trans-Tasman showdown by naming Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden as cricket's most aggressive nigglers.

And Vettori ruffled more feathers when he claimed his opposite number Ponting was often "spoiling for a fight".

He also insisted he was not surprised last summer's series between Australia and India had descended into a bitter slanging match.

"If a team was going to play the game hard and stand up to everything the Aussies hurled at them, there was going to be trouble," Vettori writes in his new book, Turning Point.

"I don't think many of us were surprised about the so-called 'Monkeygate' affair.

"There are always a few individuals in every team who overstate their position or overplay their importance.

"Ponting led his team very aggressively and probably hasn't often had to face an opposition team that's been just as aggressive in response.

"Add to the mix Matthew Hayden and Symonds - who are always at you on the field - and you've probably got the three most overtly aggressive players in world cricket.

"They like to get under the skin of their opponents, whereas the other guys in the Aussie team just get on with the game."

Vettori's comments are significant because most cricket observers expect a depleted New Zealand side will be like lambs to the slaughter against an Australian team baying for blood.

For the past decade, Australia has had a reputation for being "captain killers" with its ploy of making touring skippers the target of some verbal fireworks.

But Vettori, who has taken over from 10-year captain Stephen Fleming, has turned the tables and clearly wants to fight fire with fire, starting with the first Test at the Gabba on Thursday.

He has singled out Ponting, who returned from India last week with his captaincy under siege, for special attention.

Vettori remembers the bitter controversy that erupted the last time New Zealand was here, with Kiwi coach John Bracewell questioning Shaun Tait's action.

Trans-Tasman relations plummeted and Vettori wrote that Ponting often went looking for a verbal fight.

"There was another incident with Ponting after we said a few things to Brad Haddin when we believed he was running on the wicket," Vettori said.

"There were a few heated words exchanged and when I later went to the press conference an Australian reporter asked me whether something had happened in the middle and I remember saying, 'Not really. It's just guys running on the wicket but that happens in every single game of cricket'.

"That seemed fine but Ponting, as was the case with his treatment of the Indians, seemed to be spoiling for a fight and the next day we had to read a blow-by-blow account in the papers of his version.

"Personally, I've always been a person who thinks that disputes, altercations and even just conversations should stay on the field and that you should never let them go too far."

Steve Bucknor has travel difficulties

2008-11-18T10:17:00.002+05:00

Controversial umpire Steve Bucknor's surprise return to Australia has been cancelled because of what the International Cricket Council (ICC) describes as "travel difficulties".

South Africa's Rudi Koertzen will take Bucknor's place in Thursday's first Test between Australia and New Zealand in Brisbane and the second Test in Adelaide.

Jamaica's Bucknor was dropped by the ICC for the third Test between Australia and India in Perth in January this year after his poor performance in the tense second Test in Sydney.

Indian officials were furious after their spin bowler Harbhajan Singh was handed a three-Test ban for racially abusing Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds. Harbhajan's ban was later changed to a fine for a downgraded charge of using abusive and insulting language.

With Bucknor facing criticism for some poor decisions during the Sydney Test, India started making noises about quitting their Australian tour and going home.

The ICC denied at the time that their decision to remove the out-of-form Bucknor from the Perth Test was due to pressure from Indian officials.

In a surprise move last week, the ICC had announced the 62-year-old Bucknor would partner fellow West Indian Billy Doctrove in Australia's series against the Kiwis.

But the ICC said in a statement on Tuesday: "Due to travel difficulties, Steve Bucknor ... will not be officiating in the two-match series between Australia and New Zealand due to begin on 20 November.

"He will be replaced by Rudi Koertzen ... for both Tests."

Pakistan records 3-0 series win over Windies

2008-11-17T10:28:00.002+05:00

Rao Iftikhar returned career-best bowling figures while Younus Khan struck a brilliant hundred to guide Pakistan to a 31-run win over the West Indies in the third and final one-day international on Sunday.

Iftikhar took 4-59 to foil a fighting 122 by Chris Gayle as the West Indies, chasing 274 to win, were bowled out for 242 in 46.3 overs to give Pakistan a 3-0 win at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Pakistan won the first match by four wickets and the second by 24 runs.

Gayle fought a lone battle in the lost cause, hitting his second century in the series, but other than him only Ramnaresh Sarwan (62) put up any resistance as Pakistani bowlers led by Iftikhar exploited the conditions well.

The 27-year-old Iftikhar broke the Gayle-Sarwan second-wicket stand of 151 to revive Pakistan's chances, trapping Sarwan in the 33rd over and then dismissing Shivnarine Chanderpaul (3) and Xavier Marshall (0) in his next.

Gayle, who hit 113 in the first match, was lucky to reach his 18th one-day hundred after television replays showed he edged one from Iftikhar to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal on 99 but was ruled not out.

Gayle finally fell in the 44th over, caught behind off Umer Gul to end any hopes of an unlikely win. He hit six sixes and five boundaries during his 137-ball knock. Gul finished with 3-31.

Earlier Pakistan was helped to 6-273 in their 50 overs by a brilliant 101 by Younus Khan and an unbeaten 79 by Misbahul Haq who together added 103 for the third wicket.

Younus hit five boundaries and a six, and also added 85 for the second wicket with opener Khurrum Manzoor (30) after Pakistan won the toss and batted. Younus and Manzoor steadied the innings after Pakistan lost Salman Butt for nought.

Younus reached his sixth one-day hundred with a sharp single off Daren Powell but two balls later he attempted a reverse sweep off spinner Nikita Miller and was bowled.

Captain Shoaib Malik made 13 and Shahid Afridi managed just six.

Haq continued his good work, hitting three boundaries and a six and added an invaluable 40 for the sixth wicket with Akmal who was bowled off the final delivery for 21.

Pakistan kept an unchanged side, meaning paceman Shoaib Akhtar missed all three matches due to calf muscle injury.

England in deadlock over deal to release players for IPL

2008-11-17T10:23:00.002+05:00

Talks held in Bombay were described as constructive, though that does not mean very much in a place where as much falls down as is built.

Meanwhile, England coach Peter Moores must try to get his players to focus on the second one-day international against India here, never easy when players with unsigned central contracts are watching developments about IPL more closely than Harbhajan Singh's doosra.

There must be money, egos and reputations at stake for the ECB not to have sorted this out by now (meetings are scheduled over the next few weeks). Having provided the team with four coaches, a national performance centre, a sports psychologist, a masseur, a trainer, a doctor and two security officers to prepare for this tour, they seem prepared to allow ongoing uncertainty over the IPL to undermine it all.

It isn't just a boardroom duel between the ECB and Board of Control for Cricket in India. The Players Union, the PCA, negotiate central contracts on behalf of players and want their say, too. Sean Morris, the PCA chief executive says that most of the England team have been in talks with IPL franchises, a claim not upheld by Paul Collingwood.

"I haven't had an approach," Collingwood said. "I would like to play in the IPL if there is a window and it doesn't get in the way of playing for England.

"The main thing for me, my love, is wearing the Three Lions and putting on the England shirt. Obviously the benefits of playing in the IPL are huge financially and if there is a window available, of course players will want to play in it."

One of England's leading one-day cricketers, Collingwood professed surprise that central contracts hadn't been signed. Last year's weren't signed until January, but the sticking point there was image rights, not Twenty20 cricket in India.

"We haven't signed our contracts yet and to be honest I don't know why we haven't signed them," Collingwood said. "It's an issue between the PCA and the ECB. Last year we didn't sign our contracts until January so you can read into that what you like. I don't think there are any issues with IPL, it's just been delayed."

Money, not cricket, is the real driver here. The IPL is scheduled for six weeks starting around April 10. That clashes with the first tranche of Tests and one-day matches played in England, scheduled to be against Sri Lanka, but under pressure because leading players from there and West Indies, the alternative opponents, are involved in IPL.

Cancellation of those early internationals, while perhaps prudent from a player point of view, is not really feasible financially, the ECB's lucrative TV deal with Sky having been struck with them in mind.

Then there is the English Twenty20 league.To get maximum value from TV rights, the ECB need Indian players so it can be sold to Indian TV. But Lalit Modi, deputy commissioner of the BCCI and IPL's creator, will only release them if there is a quid pro quo with English players in IPL, though not for the brief window the ECB are proposing.

Modi wants them to be available for most of the six weeks and to sign for two years, something the ECB cannot possibly commit to. Clearly, something has to give and with both clout and money already guaranteed by the IPL, it doesn't look like being Modi and the BCCI.

India’s cricket team on a high

2008-11-17T10:17:00.002+05:00

Team India’s dominance of Australia in the just-completed four-Test series will long be remembered not just for the convincing win but also for several other reasons.

CRICKET, the only sport that excites this country of more than a billion people, is on a roll. Team India is now on course to dethrone Australia as the undisputed champions of the cricketing world.

Their convincing 2-0 win in the just-concluded four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy over the Aussies further consolidated their claim to be world-beaters.

The T-20 champions, who had also done well in One Day Internationals (ODI) have now emerged as a perfect amalgam of talented youth and fighting-fit seniors. Small wonder, then, that the entire nation is feting them as the all-conquering heroes.

Ricky Ponting’s men had gone into the series as favourites, even though the Aussies were in the process of regrouping after the retirement of a number of players.

Their record was on their side. They topped the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings. Were the proud owners of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since 2001 and had never lost a series against any country without at least winning a Test since 1999.

And here they barely managed to draw two Tests while they were humiliated in the other two. Their pace attack lacked penetration while the lone spinner came into play only in the last Test at Nagpur. Ponting also made a hash of captaincy.

Slow over rate in the last Test caused him to introduce part-time bowlers while regular attack bowlers gnashed their teeth, a vital factor that allowed India to walk away with a win in a match that the previous day appeared going the Australian way.

From the Indian perspective, the series was notable for several other reasons too. Sachin Tendulkar climbed yet another peak in his long career, becoming the lone batsman in world cricket to have scored 12,000 runs in Test cricket. The Little Master also notched 40 centuries in his Test career, another world record.

Again, it was during the series that ace spinner Harbhajan Singh became the third Indian to have taken 300 Test wickets. And it was during the series that the former captain and long-time Indian opener, Saurav Ganguly, reached the 7,000-mark.

But the series also marked the retirement from international cricket of Ganguly. India’s most successful captain, Ganguly took over amidst the match-fixing scandal in 2000. Under his leadership, Team India recovered much of its lost prestige.

Mixing aggression with tact, he stood up to the challenge of the so-called “invincibles” as Steve Waugh’s Australians had come to be called back in the 2000-01 series.

In a tribute to Ganguly, The Times of India, India’s largest-selling English daily, wrote editorially, “... Under Ganguly, the Indian team shook off the image of being tigers at home and pushovers overseas. “

Under the sub-heading ‘Test Cricket will never be as dramatic as it was with Saurav Ganguly’, The Indian Express, another influential English daily, commented that “... more than Ganguly’s cricket, it was his drama that divided his audiences into camps. Master of the off-side, maverick strategist, groomer of lost young cricketers, Ganguly also possessed an instinct and a flair for drama.”

The famous Ganguly moment etched in the memory of every cricket fan is when after a surprise win over England at the Lord’s in the tri-series in 2002 he took off his shirt and waved bare-chested to the fans below in a gesture of defiance.

Fans thought this was a fitting reply to the English who had done the same earlier after winning a tough match in Mumbai, but the purists panned Ganguly for “unbecoming behaviour”. In subsequent interviews Ganguly has regretted that chest-baring incident, though for diehard fans it announced the arrival of a new and confident Team India.

Easily the most well-known Bengali, Ganguly, popularly known as Prince of Kolkata or Dada, was given a hero’s welcome upon his arrival in his hometown from Nagpur.

Local media is feverishly speculating his next move. At 36, he is unlikely to settle for a quiet life, away from the public eye. He will continue to play domestic cricket and there is some talk of his opening a cricket academy to train young talent.

Even politics is not ruled out, there being some talk of his being fielded against the state’s foremost opposition leader, Mamta Banerjee, of the Trinamool Congress.

Another Indian captain bid farewell to his international career during the just-concluded series against India. Thirty-eight-year-old Anil Kumble, the third-highest wicket-keeper in world cricket with 619 scalps, announced his retirement during the course of the drawn Delhi Test after he was hurt and required 11 stitches on the wounded left hand.

A quintessential gentleman-cricketer, who allowed his bowling to do the talking – though he is a rare spinner to have scored a Test century against England – Kumble was honest enough to admit that his “body was no longer what it was” and it was better for him to retire than to cling on and be asked to call it a day.

With Ganguly and Kumble retired, focus would now shift to ace batsman Rahul Dravid. Nicknamed “The Wall” for his stolid batting, the former Indian captain has not been among the runs lately, failing miserably in the last series as well.

Given a number of youngsters waiting for a break, Dravid cannot count on his super batting averages to retain his place in the team. He will have to show results to retain his place in the side.

If another senior, Sachin Tendulkar, is guaranteed his place in the team, it is because he invariably manages to come good just when whispers begin about his utility. After his back-to-back centuries against Australia in the recent series, the 36-year-old might have firmed up his place in Team India for the 2010 World Cup.

Matthew Hayden is a sore loser?

2008-11-16T11:12:00.002+05:00

Pace legend Wasim Akram has called Matthew Hayden and Team Australia "sore losers" for terming India a "third-world country" and said the Aussies always get personal when they lose.

"The thing about the Aussies is that they are sore losers. They get personal when they get beaten. It is all a matter of sour grapes and after going home, they’ve started calling India a third-world country.

"India is a superpower now; it is a hundred years ahead of Australia, which is no more than a village, as compared to India. You don’t blame sightscreens for poor overrates. Even Allan Border was critical of Australian tactics on the pitch," Akram told Mobile ESPN from Karachi.

Hayden, who had a below par run in the recently concluded four-Test series, Thursday termed India a "third-world country" where people around the sightscreen led to delays resulting in slow over rates.

The BCCI has also reacted strongly to his comment saying it was "completely uncalled for".

"If slow-over rate is your habit, why blame India for that and call India third world? We are a very prestigious nation and it was not a nice comment by him," BCCI Finance Committee Chairman Rajiv Shukla said.

Kevin Pietersen has to avoid a culture of defeatism

2008-11-16T11:05:00.002+05:00

England players' minds may be elsewhere amid exotic charms of India but pace attack lacking spice must stand tall with new ball. By Angus Fraser in Indore.

Peter Moores made an interesting observation after England's dreadful performance against a Mumbai Second XI during the week. The England coach said he hoped the display would make his squad realise that the events they were about to take part in, seven one-dayers and two Tests in India, were "real".

Moores explained what he meant by the comment yesterday, in the wake of England's humbling 158-run defeat by India in the first one-dayer: in net practice it does not matter if they play a bad shot or bowl a poor ball, but in a match situation, as Kevin Pietersen's side found out in Rajkot, it does.

However, with England's form being as it is, namely poor, it would have been easy to think that Moores was suggesting his players were not 100 per cent focused on the job they are here to perform, but in a surreal space.

India, with its chaotic and contrasting landscape, can create that sort of mindset, especially for someone visiting the country for the first time. On tour England's players do live in a sort of vacuum, staying in opulent hotels where their every whim is catered for. The only time they see the widespread poverty that exists is when they travel from their hotel to the cricket ground, and that journey is in a coach that races through seething streets surrounded by an armed guard.

Their hand luggage as they go from city to city suggests a lack of adventure. Guitars, laptops, PSP players and a dartboard are to be found, accessories that suggest most will leave the country on 24 December having had little or no contact with the real India.

In their defence, the situation is not helped by the security blanket that smothers them. If a player leaves the team hotel he is expected to take a security guard with him, and were he to be recognised while out and about, he would receive endless hassle from overexcited cricket followers. But trying to come to terms with the country they are in and to understand its culture would have a positive effect on the team's performance on the field.

The predicament is exacerbated by what took place in Antigua a fortnight ago. The England management may not be prepared to accept it, but the controversy and confusion surrounding England's quest to win $20 million does seem to have affected the team.

One-day cricket is all about momentum. England had it at the end of the summer when they were thrashing South Africa, then ranked second best in the world, 4-0. Time away can cause the commodity to be diluted, and England's players had a six-week break between the final game against South Africa and travelling to Antigua.

But it is more likely that focus was lost in the preparation for the match against Stanford's Super Stars. Few sportsmen have the chance to earn $1m for a night's work, but the constant questioning the England players faced about money and the integrity of the game they were about to play must have led them to wonder if they really wanted to win it. To go into a match where so much is at stake with such an attitude would be a unique experience, and England could still be trying to come to terms with these emotions.

The management are concerned about the mindset of the team, and the fact that they are yet to sign their central contracts cannot be helping. Why else would Pietersen and Moores continually talk about their players being able to switch their minds on for the big matches when they come around? Whether sportsman can switch form on and off is debatable. They must also have pride in their performance, never wanting to let themselves down no matter what the game is. They need to rise to the occasion here tomorrow. Should England lose the second one-dayer in similar style, it is hard to see them coming back into the series.

If they are to challenge India, they must take wickets with the new ball. If they don't, they will keep conceding 300-plus runs. In Rajkot the attack lacked variety, and the only player who can provide them with that is Ryan Sidebottom. But England are reluctant to play the left-arm seamer until he has fully recovered from a calf strain.

"Ryan is nearly there but we want to be careful," said Moores. "We're a little bit wary because he's had a long time out of competitive cricket, and the last time we brought him back, in the Stanford practice game, he tweaked something. No matter how much you bowl in practice, it is different in a match when the adrenalin starts to flow. We have waited a long timenow and we want to make sure he isabsolutely fit before we let him go."

England will consider recalling Graeme Swann, but the ground here is small and the selectors are aware of how aggressive India are against slow bowling. So they are likely to name an unchanged side, but Moores wants his fast bowlers to be more aggressive, especially against Yuvraj Singh, who can be unsettled by the short ball.

Yuvraj, who scored a brilliant, unbeaten 138 with a sore back on Friday, is India's only doubt, but the hosts could be strengthened by the return of their star fast bowler, Ishant Sharma.

Andrew Symonds' bash hints at comeback

2008-11-15T10:40:00.002+05:00

"They'velet me loose, haven't they." And they let him lose, too.

In his comeback match last night, produced a batting display at first tradesman-like and then trademark.Andrew Symonds

It wasn't enough to defeat a composite side of retirees and fringe stars but it was certainly enough to show a return to the longer forms of the game might not be far off, possibly even next week, as the Australians face New Zealand in the first Test at the Gabba.

Symonds hit 45 off 35 balls, including two sixes and one four, as the Australians fell 64 runs short of the All Stars' entertaining and enterprising 4-203.

The Queenslander, dumped from the Australian squad after missing a team meeting in favour of a fishing trip, top-scored for them before he skied one to Simon Katich off Dan Marsh.

Victorian Brad Hodge was the best of the All Stars; however, Tasmanian Michael Dighton stole the show early, even from his opening partner Adam Gilchrist.

The former Australian keeper was celebrating his 37th birthday, but it was Dighton who put the bash in the birthday with some wonderful clean hitting as the All Stars batted first.

Dighton helped the All Stars to 0-51 from the first three overs, taking apart his state teammate Brett Geeves, who was belted out of the attack, conceding 37 runs in his first two overs (he finished with 0-63 from four). Dighton spanked four sixes and a four off him.

Shaun Tait's return to the Australian line-up, after a far longer break than Symonds' hiatus, almost went unnoticed.

But he bowled with pace, so much so that the ball almost went unnoticed for Gilchrist.

"I couldn't see it," he said.

He certainly didn't see the delivery a few overs later, which yorked him and scattered his off stump. Dighton fell in the same over, run out tightly while taking a quick single a little lightly by Xavier Doherty, but not before an entertaining 34 off 13 balls.

The All Stars lost 4-16, but Hodge steadied the innings with cleanhitting in an unbeaten 65 from 45 balls.

Justin Langer proved more than just steady support with 52 not out (43 balls), the two little men combining for a partnership of 120.

The Australians were never really in it.

Matthew Hayden was out early after skying one off Steve Magoffin for four, caught well by Ryan Harris.

And when Brendan Drew hung onto Shaun Marsh's pull shot, juggling it and rolling and finally rising with the ball in between his legs, they were 2-17.

Remarkably, it wasn't the best catch of the night — that honour went to Dighton, whose one-hander to dismiss Cameron White was superb.

Symonds emerged at the start of the fifth over, after Shane Watson was run out by Harris. One big and burly all-rounder out and another in; whether we see the same next week, Watson making way for Symonds, remains to be seen.

"It's good to be back out here," Symonds said.

Back after his own break, in the shortened form of the game, Symonds took short steps towards a full return to the Australian set-up, but important ones.

Can Ricky Ponting turn it around?

2008-11-15T10:34:00.003+05:00

New Zealand will enter next week's first cricket Test in Brisbane as Kiwis, but also sacrificial lambs.

The world's seventh-ranked nation will almost certainly be beaten by an Australian team and captain stung by criticism and seeking redemption after defeat to India.

That was the case three years ago, when Australia's response to losing the Ashes to England was to crush every opponent they faced for the next two years.

But during the period which Australia won 16 successive Tests, from October 2005 to January 2008, Ricky Ponting had Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist to call on, and there was daylight between his side and the rest.

Now he enters a pivotal stage of his career, with an ever-changing team entering a new era, with the challengers close.

Outpouring of criticism

Ponting will enter the Gabba Test motivated to prove his critics wrong, and if the opportunity arises, to go for the jugular.

It was that inability last weekend in Nagpur which prompted a remarkable outpouring of condemnation towards the Australian skipper.

Ponting's decision to use part-time bowlers to speed up a tardy over-rate during the final Test, instead of using his front-liners

when his side had the ascendancy, has been described as one of the most bewildering in the sport's history in this country.

Speeding up play meant he avoided suspension, but in a match Australia had to win to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, it also let India off the hook.

His critics have not been so forgiving.

Ian Chappell labelled day four the most bizarre he had seen in cricket and Allan Border was incredulous as he watched events unfold from the commentary box.

Steve Waugh said his successor would regret the move, while Shane Warne said Ponting had got it wrong by not going with his attacking instinct.

Even Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland sought an explanation, but was satisified with the skipper's reasoning.

Ten months earlier, Ponting found himself under fire because his side was thought to pursue a win-at-all-costs attitude.

Victory at the SCG in a Test featuring disputed catches, racial abuse claims, over-zealous appealing and questionable umpiring decisions was followed by an accusation from India that Australia did not play in the right spirit.

The fall-out provided the most testing time of Ponting's leadership.

Citing the two matches, he might consider himself in no-man's land, but the events of Nagpur proved that namby-pamby cricket does not wash in a country that likes winning.

Buchanan responds

Former Australian coach John Buchanan, who oversaw the national side when Ponting assumed the Test captaincy in 2004, said the criticism was unjustified, and underlined the immaturity of reaction that accompanies a defeat.

(Australia's series defeat in India was just their third this millennium, and Ponting's winning strike-rate makes him one of Test

cricket's most successful leaders.)

"It does neither Ricky, the team, cricket any good to have people criticise as vehemently and as ignorantly as they have

done," said Buchanan, who said Ponting's contentious decision was part of a the greater issue of poor over-rates.

"... It's symptomatic of an immaturity in Australian society.

"We love our sporting heroes and place them on a pedestal. But we expect so much of them, when they don't deliver ... it's perceived that Ricky Ponting's made a poor decision.

"That's a sad state of Australian society.

"There's nothing wrong with critiquing, but the criticism that's been levelled is different. It's based on little information, no

research, and I'd expect more from people who supposedly are experts in the game."

Buchanan expected Ponting to be stung by the criticism, but to use it as fresh incentive.

"He's been called selfish, been called a poor leader and there's been silly things where papers are running internet polls on whether he should be retained as captain," he said.

"He's going to feel that definitely, but he'll spend some time at home with his wife and new baby and try to distance himself from cricket.

"Then when he returns, he'll be very clear on what's required and what needs to be done.

"I know he will be driven by some of these criticisms that would have really hurt and stung him."

2005 Ashes rehash

During the 2005 Ashes, Ponting was pilloried, particularly in contrast to the Midas-like Michael Vaughan.

In the second Test at Edgbaston, he infamously sent England in after losing McGrath to injury. England scored 407 on day one and won the match by two runs.

In the third and fourth Tests, he was condemned for letting the game drift at key moments and setting defensive fields.

Back then, Chappell, Rod Marsh and Dennis Lillee were vocal in opposition, and former England skipper Mike Brearley - one of the greats - said Warne would have been more inspiring and creative in charge.

His detractors argue his captaincy-by-consensus - long chats with bowlers, pow-wows with senior teammates - exudes a lack of conviction, but his supporters argue that epitomises modern leadership practice.

With tough series against South Africa (home and away) and another Ashes tour in the next year, Australia will learn exactly

where Ponting stands as a leader, especially as his side has been described as one in decline.

Ponting has responded once, and Buchanan expects him to rise again.

"He's a person who's always learning," he said.

"He sits and learns and he listens and that's how he gains information.

"He's still doing that and he's one that I definitely want to be around for a little bit longer yet as captain of Australia."

Test cricket's most successful captains (minimum 25 matches in charge).

Steve Waugh (AUST) 1999-2004, 57 matches, 41 wins, 9 losses, 7 draws, winning percentage 71.92, losing percentage 15.78

Ricky Ponting (AUST) 2004-08, 48 matches, 33 wins, 6 losses, 9 draws, winning percentage 68.75, losing percentage 12.50

Mike Brearley (ENG) 1977-81, 31 matches, 18 wins, 4 losses, 9 draws, winning percentage 58.06, losing percentage 12.90

Bill Woodfull (AUST) 1930-34, 25 matches, 14 wins, 7 losses, 4 draws, winning percentage 56, losing percentage 28

Viv Richards (WI) 1980-91, 50 matches, 27 wins, 8 losses, 15 draws, winning percentage 54, losing percentage 16

Shaun Pollock (RSA) 2000-03, 26 matches, 14 wins, 5 losses, 7 draws, winning percentage, losing percentage 19.23

England left reeling by Yuvraj Singh onslaught

2008-11-15T10:32:00.001+05:00

Kevin Pietersen had insisted that his team and their supporters should not fret about England's recent displays against the Stanford Superstars in Antigua and a Mumbai second XI here in India, even though England were bowled out for 99 and 98 respectively.

According to him, these were temporary blips, performances that would not be repeated once the serious cricket started and his players switched on their big-match temperament. Well, the serious stuff started here yesterday morning and it made little difference to the quality of England's performance. To say that England were totally outplayed by India in the first of seven one-dayers would be a grave understatement: Pietersen's side were pulverised, conceding a whopping 387, more than any of the previous 498 teams selected to play one-day cricket for England.

In reply to India's huge score, a total dominated by an often brutal, occasionally beautiful but always brilliant unbeaten 138 from Yuvraj Singh, England were dismissed for 229. The 158-run defeat was the fourth-heaviest England have suffered.

The manner in which the match unfolded was in stark contrast to when Pietersen captained England against South Africa at the end of the summer. Then he could do no wrong. Every decision he made came off whether it be selectorial or tactical.

Yesterday, no matter how hard he tried, nothing went right for him. Pietersen's logic was right when he won the toss but the ball swung for one over. In August the ball went to wherever he moved a fielder; yesterday it went where he had moved him from. On the couple of occasions he tried to be cute it backfired too. Bringing Paul Collingwood on immediately after the drinks break was not a ridiculous move, but the over conceded 19 runs and India were away again.

In the long run Pietersen should benefit from the experience. If his honeymoon as captain did not end in Antigua a fortnight ago it has now, but the adventure will have given him a better idea of what the job truly entails. "It was difficult and it is always hard to take a loss," Pietersen admitted. "I hate losing but when Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag play like that you are always going to be behind the game. There are improvements we can make. I am not excited by the fact we were 40 for 4 on that pitch.

"I am a little concerned that we have lost the momentum we had at the end of the summer, but I know you are not going to win every game as captain. It is how you bounce back that counts. We are 1-0 down but there are six more games and we will have to show mental strength to come back and hit India hard at Indore on Monday."

Whether his bowlers will have recovered from their public flogging by then is another matter. With the exception of Andrew Flintoff, whose initial eight overs cost only 34 runs, England's attack was laboured. On an unresponsive pitch with short boundaries Samit Patel was always going to struggle but James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Stephen Harmison all looked short of match practice.

Flintoff showed that Indian batsmen can be contained if the bowling is accurate and aggressive but Harmison, who bowls in a similar manner to his best mate, does not possess the same control. Anderson and Broad pitched the ball up looking for swing, but when it did not deviate off the straight they had nowhere to go.

A sure sign of not being primed was the inability to bowl yorkers. England's bowlers tried to hit the length but most ended up being full tosses or length balls, which Yuvraj dispatched with ease. Even Flintoff disappeared, conceding 33 in his final two overs. In all the final 10 overs cost 124 runs.

Poorly as England bowled, huge credit must be given to Yuvraj because his was a very special performance. The enigmatic left-hander struck the ball beautifully, smiting 16 boundaries and six sixes in his 78-ball innings. That Yuvraj is not considered good enough for India's Test side highlights the quality of cricketer the country now possesses.

Much will be made of Yuvraj's back injury and his use of a runner for the majority of his innings. The ailment did not appear to affect his strokeplay and there were many quizzical looks as he lithely sent the ball flying to and over the boundary. Some will feel it was a calculated decision so that he remained fresh. It is hard to believe. A runner normally causes huge mix-ups that often result in a run-out, and Yuvraj would not have wanted to be dismissed through no fault of his own.

He will grab the headlines but it was the excellent opening partnership of 127 between Gambhir and Sehwag that allowed him the freedom to play as he did. Suresh Raina highlighted his potential too before Mahendra Singh Dhoni added the finishing touches with Yuvraj.

England's reply got off to an awful start with Matt Prior and Owais Shah falling in the opening five overs; Ian Bell and Flintoff soon followed. Pietersen passed 50 but a record defeat loomed when he was run out. Lusty, carefree batting from the lower order helped England avoid total humiliation but that could follow in the coming week if Pietersen's troops continue not to "switch their heads on".

India's run glut: Rajkot landmarks

*Yuvraj Singh's first hundred runs came up in 64 balls – the ninth-fastest ODI century and the fastest against England.

*India's 387 for 5 is their highest ODI score at home and their second-highest anywhere. The highest was against Bermuda in the 2007 World Cup.

*India's total beats Pakistan's 353 in Karachi in 2005 as the highest ODI total conceded by England.

*It was England's second-heaviest ODI defeat in terms of runs.

Brett Lee no certainty in Test reshuffle

2008-11-13T10:38:00.002+05:00

With team confidence teetering after a 2-0 loss to India and a pivotal series against the second-ranked South Africans looming, Australia's selectors will today reveal their blueprint for Australia's bowling future when naming a 13-man squad for the first Test against New Zealand.

Shane Watson, Andrew Symonds and Jason Krejza are expected to be named in the expanded squad for the Test that begins next Thursday, however one is likely to be sidelined. And fitness concerns surrounding pace duo of Brett Lee and Stuart Clark could prompt selectors to call in fast bowling cover, possibly in the form of Tasmanian Ben Hilfenhaus, on a Gabba wicket expected to favour the quicks.

The logjam created by the availability of Watson, Symonds and Krejza is particularly troublesome. With the underperforming Cameron White likely to make way, and Clark in line for a recall, selectors must decide whether to persist with the traditional choice of an all-rounder and a spinner, or the more experimental configuration of two all-rounders.

Watson trailed only Mitchell Johnson for most wickets by an Australian paceman in the recent Border-Gavaskar series, while Krejza's 12-wicket haul on debut will have left an impression on selectors desperate to find a long-term spinning option.

Symonds has completed his rehabilitation program following his expulsion from the team, and is seeking to return to reclaim the mantle of the world's leading all-rounder.

Australian opener Matthew Hayden yesterday called for Symonds' immediate recall to the Test side, however Watson remained uncertain which way the selectors would lean.

"It's going to be a difficult one for whoever misses out, but I am going to try not to worry about it too much," Watson said.

"I loved the experience of India, and really felt my bowling came a long way, but it is up to the selectors and what they want.

"There's absolutely no reason why there couldn't be room for both me and Roy. We play together in the one-day side and for Queensland, but there is obviously going to be a lot of competition for just a few spots."

Murmurs within the Australian camp yesterday suggested selectors were considering demoting Lee to state cricket in a bid to rediscover form and fitness, however the prospect of a hard, grassy Gabba pitch could work in his favour. He took a disappointing eight wickets for the India series.

Lee's chances of selection could be boosted by a fitness cloud over Clark, who will travel to Melbourne to consult a specialist on his injured elbow but remains confident he will be fit to play, if selected. Clark was dropped for the fourth Test in Nagpur to accommodate an extra spinner.

"It's probably not 100% … We'll see what the surgeon says, but I think I'll be right to go," Clark said.

Though Victorian Peter Siddle was preferred as right-arm pace support in India, it is believed the selectors are considering calling Hilfenhaus into the squad. Hilfenhaus has taken an impressive 15 wickets at 14.13 for Tasmania this season.

Dhoni asked for character certificate to get gun licence

2008-11-13T10:30:00.001+05:00

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been asked by the Ranchi District Arms Magistrate to produce a character certificate for getting a licence to keep a 9mm pistol.

The Magistrate recently wrote to Dhoni that he should furnish a 'Swachchhata Praman Patra' (character certificate) if he wished to procure the weapon in view of the increasing criminal activities in Jharkhand, police said on Wednesday.

The certificate could be obtained from SP (Special Branch), SP (Vigilance) and SP (CID), said the letter, in the first official communication after the cricketer applied for the weapon in September.

Annoyed over the requirement of 'character certificate' from their hero, a group of Dhoni fans on Wednesday demonstrated at the Elbert Ekka Chowk.

Dhoni enjoys 'Z' category security and has a non-prohibited gun licence.

England Team Suffers From Bad Grammar

2008-11-13T10:27:00.003+05:00

The England cricket team is, or 'are', facing enormous problems ahead of the One-Day Series against India, as, for the second time in 10 days, it was, or 'they were', depending on your grammar, skittled-out for less than, or 'fewer than', 100 runs in Mumbai.

Chasing the Mumbai President's XI's rather modest total of 222 for 7, England collapsed to 98 all out, in what was supposed to be the final warm-up match ahead of the seven-match series.

Just last week, in the Stanford Allstar Superseries in Antigua, they were humbled-out for a marginally better 99, and it now seems they are experiencing the 'Nervous Nineties', a condition that usually applies to a batsman when he starts to get within a whiff of his century.

The tension being felt by the team may have something to do with the question over whether they/it should be referred to as a single or a plural noun.

Many commentators write about the England team in a singular way:

"The England team is facing defeat."

Others talk about them in the plural sense:

"The England team are facing defeat."

It's this confusion which is thought to be causing the unrest and lack of concentration amongst the team, and Kevin Pietersen (without an 'o' for goodness sake!) needs to put the grammatical anomaly right quickly, if they are to challenge the Indians in the upcoming, or up-coming, Test Series. (is that right with capitals?)

Symonds or Watson may miss out, Ponting hints

2008-11-13T10:20:00.003+05:00

Australian captain Ricky Ponting says selectors face a tough job in picking the side for next week's first Test against New Zealand in Brisbane after Jason Krejza's magnificent debut in India.

There is speculation Australia will name a 13-man squad today including all-rounders Shane Watson and Andrew Symonds.

But speaking on Channel Nine, Ponting hinted that one of them will probably miss out if spinner Jason Krejza retains his spot in the side.

"There's a decision to be made there on if we think we need a spinner in Brisbane," he said.

"Obviously Krejza doing so well in the last Test in India, probably deserves to be given another chance, but we'll wait and see which way the selectors lean."

Ponting says the final XI will depend on the Gabba pitch.

"So we'll see which way the selectors go, we'll see what we are confronted with up there as far as wickets go," he said.

"The couple of first class wickets up there have been quite conducive to seam bowling so we'll see what we get when we get up there."

But Ponting says Watson did nothing wrong in the recent Indian series.

"He certainly has done himself no harm Shane Watson to get through the series as well was a terrific effort from him and we look forward for him being a good cricketer for us for years to come," he said.

The Gabba pitch usually produces a batting paradise but can offer a bit of help for the faster bowlers.

Ponting has defended the form of strike bowler Brett Lee, who took only eight wickets in the series and was hampered by a stomach bug in the final Test in Nagpur.

Ponting says Lee should be right for the opening encounter against the Kiwis.

"He lost five or six kilograms throughout that last Test match," he said.

"I know he's been to the hospital for blood tests... Hopefully with a week before the Test match he can back fit and healthy again."

Pakistan beats West Indies by four wickets

2008-11-13T00:18:00.004+05:00

Bang in the middle of the desert and on a cool and breezy day, West Indian captain Chris Gayle threatened to blow the opposition away but Pakistan produced a late fightback to restrict them to 294 for 9 in 50 overs in the first one-day international of the Fortune Cup three-match series at the Zayed International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

West Indian captain Gayle had no hesitation to take first strike on a wicket which was a perfect batting strip, but also had something in it for the bowlers who used their mind a bit.

After a cautious start against the Pakistan new ball bowlers Sohail Tanvir and Abdul Rauf, the West Indian skipper cut loose and threatened to take the game away from Pakistan.

From a modest beginning of just 11 runs from the first five overs, Jamaican Gayle went into overdrive, taking medium pacer Abdul Rauf to the cleaners, especially in the eighth over the innings.

In the eighth over, Rauf bowled short of a length and the skipper slammed it to midwicket boundary for his third boundary and the team’s third as well.

In the same over, Gayle smashed Rauf for a straight boundary and off the next ball, glanced it to the third man fence to finish up the over. Gayle, who was on 15 at the end of the seventh over, moved to 32 off just 21 balls with Rauf having conceded 17 runs in that over. West Indies had raced to 41 for no loss, thanks to that blitz. Rauf’s five-over spell read 5-0-55-0. Prior to that eventful over, his spell had read 4-0-33-0.

Umar Gul, who came on as first change and replaced a battered Rauf at the South Stand End, too wasn’t spared. Gayle whacked Gul for a huge six over midwicket and followed it up with an identical shot which had the same result. Gul’s first over cost 13 runs for Pakistan, which also included a no-ball.

The 29-year-old Gayle brought up his half century with a two off Gul. His knock of 50 came off 36 balls and was peppered with seven boundaries and three mighty sixes. He had 22 dot balls in that half-century.

While Gayle went on a rampage, fellow opener Sewnarine Chattergoon played the second fiddle to perfection. He just milked the singles and twos. His first boundary came after West Indies had crossed 50, and were 59 for no loss. His first boundary came off Sohail Tanvir.

Southpaw Chattergoon too tried to match up his mate but wasn’t as fluent as his captain. He tried to hoick Gul at one time over midwicket but didn’t time it well. The skier landed in no man’s land.

Off the next over, he scooped it off his pads for a boundary as West Indies raced to 93 for no loss in the first 15 overs. Gayle had made 58 off 45 balls with eight boundaries and three sixes while Chattergoon had moved to 29 off 47 balls with four boundaries.

West Indies opted for the third Power Play after the 15 overs. The batting side are allowed to opt for one Power Play. With the innings slipping out of his hands, Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik brought himself on to stem the run flow. Replacing Gul, who too was smashed around the park, Malik’s off-breaks gave away just three runs off his first over. Malik introduced spin at both ends, bringing on Shahid Afridi, who replaced Rauf, for his leg breaks. Gayle’s eyes lit up and he smacked Afridi’s third ball for a six over midwicket.

Pakistan finally achieved the breakthrough when Chattergoon didn’t get on top of the ball and skied Malik only to be caught at long on by Khurram Manzoor. His knock of 33 came off 55 balls with four boundaries. The first wicket partnership was worth 125 runs. West Indies were cruising along at a run rate of 6.41 then.

West Indies were still chugging along nicely at 151 for the loss of one wicket and then 168 for one when Gayle brought up his century off just 89 balls with 10 boundaries and five lip-smacking sixes. Gayle earned a reprieve just after his century, when on 109, but Gul failed to hold onto a lollipop after Gayle had hit it back to him.

But that didn’t prove costly as three balls later, Gayle was caught by Afridi off Gul to end a smashing innings of 113 from the West Indian captain.

His knock was studded with 11 boundaries and five sixes and came off 106 balls. He had a strike rate of 106.60. it was his 17th ODI century and the second one on the trot.

The second wicket partnership between him and his deputy Ramnaresh Sarwan was worth 73 runs, with Sarwan doing the bulk of the scoring with 43, and Gayle 28.

West Indies had moved to 198 for 2 by the 35th over and Sarwan reached his half century by cutting Gul, who bowled short and outside off, between cover and point for a boundary. Afridi removed Sarwan with wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal lapping it up after Sarwan had nicked down the leg side.

The run flow slowed down a bit as Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Xavier Marshall worked their way around to take West Indies to 255 for 4 by the 44th over. Marshall tried to smash Gul but missed and was castled.

Their partnership was worth 42 runs. Lower down, wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh and Australian-born Brendan Nash pushed West Indies to 294 for 9. Sohail Tanvir was on a hat-trick in the final over, removing Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell but Nikita Miller denied him that.

Sohail Tanvir finished up with three wickets while Umer Gul too had three wickets.

Shane Bond yearns for a NZ return

2008-11-12T10:48:00.003+05:00

He has not retired, still yearns to play for the Black Caps, and has had more success against Australia than any other Kiwi pace bowler in the last two decades, but Shane Bond continues to be snubbed by his board for joining the rebel Twenty20 Indian Cricket League.

As the Kiwis prepare for a daunting two-Test series against Australia, fielding an inexperienced team that recently struggled against Bangladesh, Bond said he could see no reason why the New Zealand Cricket Board should not have picked him.

"I am available. I haven't retired. I would love to be playing for New Zealand, especially against Australia — you love to test yourself against the best," Bond said.

He described his disappointment over the treatment he received, which resulted in the premature end to his international career earlier this year after the Board of Control for Cricket in India — which devised the rival Indian Premier League — pressured the International Cricket Council to ban all internationals who joined the ICL, also based in India.

"I was disappointed. I had to get a release from the (NZ) board to join the ICL, then they did an about-face. That is what is most grating — I never even got an apology," Bond said.

"After I had signed I was told I had to tear up the contract. I said 'I've signed so I'm honouring it.' They tried to quote ICC regulations. They told me I would not be getting selected any more. That is not the way I wanted to finish with New Zealand."

In 17 Tests, Bond took 79 wickets at the excellent average of 22.39, while in one-day internationals he was phenomenal, particularly against Australia. In 11 one-day internationals against Australia Bond captured 34 scalps at the stunning average of 13.88, with the best figures of 6-23 in the 2003 World Cup. His overall tally was 125 wickets from 67 ODIs at 19.32.

Bond was still ranked in the top four limited-overs and top 10 Test bowlers in the world until last week — more than one year since he last represented his country — and surely would have been one of the first picked for the tour had the ICC not caved to India's demands.

The New Zealand board realised it would attract India's wrath should it select Bond and has refrained from entering a battle that would damage its relationship.

Nine Kiwi players have joined the ICL, which offers contracts worth far more than they could hope to earn playing for the Black Caps. Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori preferred to distance talk of Bond's availability. "I think most guys went into that situation with eyes wide open. Whilst we would love to have him, the team's probably moved on from that. It's been a long time now," Vettori said.

Few could begrudge Bond, a father-of-three with a long list of injuries, securing himself financially via the ICL contract with the Delhi Giants, although many describe him as a traitor.

Bond said: "That's what is most surprising, some people call it disloyal and say that you're choosing money over your country. I have always seen cricket as a job, and you only have a certain amount of time to earn what you can.

"I don't see what's wrong with securing your future and still being able to play for your country. At the end of the day, cricket has been bloody good to me."

Yuvraj blast didn't affect me: Stuart Broad

2008-11-12T10:45:00.002+05:00

Success, they say, has many fathers while failure is an orphan. Stuart Broad's story could have been somewhat similar. The whole world went gaga over Yuvraj Singh after the southpaw smacked the young English bowler for six sixes in an over in Durban during the World T20 last year in South Africa. Any other rookie at the international level could have just lost the plot and never recovered.

To his credit, Broad buried that Durban evening somewhere in his mind and has only looked ahead. Chris Broad's son now says he has learnt from his mistakes. "It didn't really affect me a great deal. It's become a batsman's game and the boundaries are shorter. Everyone wants to see fours and sixes and I can't change the past. I chose to learn from it," Broad said.

He is extremely satisfied with the fact that he's already played 37 ODIs and his hunger is ever-increasing. "I know I can only improve. I have developed myself as a bowler and I am concerned about my batting too."

Countymate and former England ‘keeper Paul Nixon has been a big encouragement for Broad. "Paul told me not to throw it away. He always emphasized on playing on till the last moment. I have always made it a point to play it hard and not give up," said Broad, who combined with Ravi Bopara with the bat to hand England a hard-fought three-wicket win against India last year.

So, how does Broad reckon he'll perform on the flat Indian wickets? "That is a concern but Freddie (Andrew Flintoff), Harmison (Steve) and Anderson (James) have played in India before and I have learnt from them that the key to success in India is patience. We have to bowl as a unit," Broad said.

Flintoff keeps telling him to hit the top of offstump every ball and Broad tries just that.

When asked what's the biggest challenge for him would be, Broad shot back saying "the heat."

"I bowled for just 40 minutes in the nets today and I was sweating like crazy." His father comes across as a strict disciplinarian in his capacity as ICC match referee but Stuart feels his father "never came down heavily on him." "He is just a phone call away. He's been a supportive father."

So was he strict when he was a kid? "No, never. I was not a mischievous child at all," the youngster joked.

I would do it all again: Ponting

2008-11-12T10:36:00.004+05:00

Ricky Ponting arrived in Australia last night claiming he had no regrets over the controversial fourth Test.

He vowed he would remain a ruthless captain determined to play aggressive, positive cricket.

The Australia skipper denied he had resorted to "negative tactics" in order to restore the over rate during a critical period of the fourth day of the Test match in Nagpur, but said he was not aware how far behind he was until the side emerged from the tea break.

Ponting has come under heavy fire from critics for being more concerned about saving himself from suspension for the slow over rate than winning back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

But asked if he had reconsidered his tactics on the flight home, Ponting said he still believed he had no other option than the one taken and that he had warned the side on many occasions that just such a situation might arise.

"Over rates have been an issue for our team for a long time and I've made it pretty clear to everybody that at some stage somewhere I've always felt it's going to come back to bite us," Ponting said. "With this actual incident it snuck up on me without me knowing much about it. An hour before the tea break we were only six overs down.

"Six overs down in a Test match is manageable, understanding that at some stage later in that afternoon we were going to have to bowl spin for a long period of time.

"The fast bowlers bowling the way they were going into the tea break meant that when I went back on to the field after tea the umpires alerted me to the fact that I was nine overs down and that obviously becomes a big problem then. It snuck up on me without me being aware of it."

Ponting asked the umpires to keep him updated every 15 minutes after the tea break about the over rate. He said he and the team had learned a lesson from the incident.

Ponting also denied that Australia had lost its crown as the best team in the world, despite losing the series to a rising Indian side.

"Becoming the number one team in the world doesn't happen overnight," he said. "We built up a reputation and a style of play and had a number of series wins around the world that have given us that mantle.

"I think it would be a bit harsh or rich after one series loss to be not considered the number one side in the world."

The captain admitted he was "flabbergasted" that Indian crowds had shunned the games and joked that maybe it was because of the 8:1 fields used by the home side at times during the fourth Test.

Ponting said that he was not sure if it was the advent of Twenty20, new stadiums built too far from towns, ticket prices or just the heat that kept crowds away, but claimed that captains have to be aware of playing attractive cricket.

Ponting vowed that Australia would continue to be a positive and aggressive side and he would not change his approach to leadership.

"I will continue to be a ruthless captain and a ruthless player and I would expect that my team-mates would be in the same boat," he said.

"And if they are not now, after having lost a Test series in India 2-0 then we'll have to look around for some other guys, but I am confident that we can hit the ground running in Brisbane (against New Zealand) and play some of the best Test cricket that we've seen for a while."

Before the Australians flew in last night, several of Ponting's former team-mates came out in defence of him.

Justin Langer and Adam Gilchrist supported their former captain, claiming he would never put himself before his country.

Even New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori gave Ponting a ringing character endorsement on the eve of the Kiwis' two-Test series against Australia.

"Ricky's heart, life and soul is in the captaincy of the Australian cricket team," Gilchrist said.

The wicketkeeper-batsman said others would also be involved in the decision to rush the overs at the critical point in the match.

"There's a coach (Tim Nielsen) and a vice-captain (Michael Clarke), Matty Hayden is an integral part of that team, and they would have all sat and discussed it," Gilchrist said.

"Ultimately it all comes down to Ricky."

However, Gilchrist would not say if he thought that it was an error not to use the front-line attack after tea in the rush to make up overs.

Langer, who has just arrived back from the Hong Kong Sixes tournament, passionately defended his former skipper. "Ricky Ponting is one of the most selfless people and captains I have ever played with," Langer said.

Series win against Oz takes India to second spot in Test rankings

2008-11-11T10:23:00.002+05:00

India moved up to the second spot in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Test Championship after their emphatic 2-0 win over Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Indian won back the trophy after four years, winning the fourth and last Test in Nagpur by 172 runs Monday and gained seven rating points to draw level with South Africa on 116. But South Africa slipped to third position by fraction of a rating point.

Australia still lead the table with 129 points. But this is the first time since a rain-affected tour to Sri Lanka in 1999 that Australia have lost a series without winning a single match and as a result of the 2-0 defeat, Ricky Ponting's men have lost nine ratings points to fall below 130 for the first time since April 2006.

It is also the first time since 2001 that Australia has played an entire series without winning a match.

With India looking forward to two more Tests against England beginning Dec 10, and the six Tests coming up between Australia and South Africa over the coming months, there will be plenty of opportunities for sides to make their moves in the championship table.

The list:

1. Australia 129 rating points

2. India 116

3. South Africa 116

4. Sri Lanka 108

5. England 104

6. Pakistan 100

7. New Zealand 82

8. West Indies 81

9. Bangladesh 1

India in safe hands says Sourav Ganguly

2008-11-11T10:13:00.002+05:00

Batsman Sourav Ganguly ended his illustrious international career on a contented note, saying he saw a bright future for Indian cricket.

The 36-year-old former captain, who had already announced he would quit after the Australia series, will always be known for transforming India into a formidable unit at home as well as away, backing youngsters and defying odds.

"[New captain MS Dhoni] has done very well so far," said Ganguly, once described by team-mate Rahul Dravid as "God of the off-side" for his fluent and flawless driving.

"His wins in the Twenty20 World Championships in South Africa (2007), in Australia (early this year) and beating Australia here show he has got the ability to take Indian cricket forward.

"Captaincy is a spark. It's not just preparations. You must have the spark on the field and I think he has that.

"He has got that extra bit of luck which you require in captaincy."

Ganguly was the most successful Indian captain with 21 wins in 49 Tests.

He scored 7,212 runs in 113 Tests and 11,363 runs in 311 one-day internationals in a career spanning more than a decade.

When asked whether he would be remembered for his captaincy or batting or making comebacks, Ganguly said: "All three. It will be very difficult to separate one from the other.

"It's been satisfying to get a century in my first Test (against England at Lord's in 1996) and building a team which has helped take Indian cricket forward."

Ganguly was named captain in 2000 when Indian cricket was passing through a testing time following a match-fixing scandal.

It was a tribute to his mental toughness that he helped restore the game's credibility in the country.

His best as captain came when former New Zealand opener John Wright was appointed as the first foreign coach of the team in 2000.

The duo steadily helped India shed the image of "lions at home and lambs abroad".

They were the key in halting a record 16-Test winning streak of Steve Waugh's Australians at home in 2001.

Two years later, the Ganguly-led India stormed into the World Cup final in South Africa for the first time in two decades before losing to Australia.

"It's not just me since I have always believed a captain is as good as his team. It's about the raising of Indian cricket's image in the world," said Ganguly, who scored 16 Test centuries and 22 one-day hundreds.

"In the phase from 2000 to 2005 and even now, Indian cricket's image has gone up. We were seen as a soft touring side. It has changed considerably. I think we are a formidable side at home and away.

"It has been a fantastic journey. I am happy with the way things have gone. If anybody had told me I would go through all this, I wouldn't have believed.

"But God has been kind to me and I have been able to finish off with a win."

India won the four-Test series against Australia 2-0 with a 172-run victory in Nagpur.

Controversies chased Ganguly from his first one-day international in 1992 to his last Test, but without overshadowing his excellent on-field performances.

He was removed as captain in 2005 following a spat with coach Greg Chappell, but continued to serve as a batsman under different captains.

"I have had questions asked right through my career. I am happy that I have overcome all of them and am here today because of my ability and toughness," Ganguly said.

"Let's keep the controversy away. The Greg Chappell issue is over. Let's not bring that again. Let's respect him. Let's respect whatever has happened.

"My best series will always be against Australia in 2001 (home) and 2003-04 (away).

"We have won at other places as well, in Pakistan, the West Indies and England, but these two series will be my best."

Steve Waugh joins list of Ponting critics

2008-11-11T10:07:00.001+05:00

Steve Waugh, the man who Ricky Ponting succeeded as Australia's Test captain, has said Ponting made a mistake by using part-time bowlers instead of his main strikers on the fourth day in Nagpur. Ponting has been widely criticised for the choices he made after tea on Saturday, when a quick string of wickets could have given Australia a realistic chance of victory.

But Ponting was concerned about Australia's dismal over rate and rather than handing the ball to his fast men, he went for the part-time slow offerings of Michael Clarke, Cameron White and Michael Hussey, with the frontline spinner Jason Krejza at the other end. India built a sizeable lead and went on to win the match and the series.

"I am sure Ricky would regret the decision," Waugh told the Herald Sun. "Winning the Test match is what mattered. You have just spent six weeks in the subcontinent. You just don't take your foot off the gas."

After the match Ponting was fined because Australia were behind on their overs but they had hustled enough for him to avoid a possible suspension for the first Test against New Zealand next week. But Waugh had some sympathy for Ponting and said everyone involved in Test cricket needed to keep the game moving quickly.

"There are far too many stoppages," he said. "I remember when I played it was considered a badge of honour not to have a drink in a session [apart from the scheduled drinks break]. And no one died from dehydration. These days there are far too many drinks breaks. It's ridiculous. But it is just not the captain's fault. It is up to coaches, referees and umpires to keep the show moving."

James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia, has voiced his concerns about slow over rates and he will take the matter up with the ICC. But for now, Ponting is the man under fire after Australia handed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy back to India.

Australia's former captain Allan Border was commentating on television during Saturday's post-tea session and, despite usually being very restrained in his commentary, he could not hide his frustration at Ponting's decisions. Another ex-captain, Ian Chappell, also queried Ponting's tactics but said he remained the best man to lead Australia.

Ponting was publicly backed by his coach Tim Nielsen, who said after play on the fourth day that he felt Australia had still pushed for a win. Stuart MacGill, the retired legspinner, wished Australia had "gone for the jugular" but he said Nielsen's comments proved Ponting was not entirely to blame.

"It's not the captain's fault and this was clearly a decision at the weekend made by four or five people," MacGill said. "That became obvious when the coach backed his captain and there were a number of people who would have made the decision."