Cricket war of the world

IPL submits revised schedule to Home Ministry

2009-03-05T05:31:00.000-08:00

In a desperate bid to save the Indian Premier League's second edition, its organizers have sent a revised schedule of the high-profile event to the Home Ministry, which will now decide whether security can be arranged for the Twenty20 tournament.

The tournament has come under a cloud of uncertainty in the wake of the deadly terror attack on sri lankan team in Lahore and general elections in India, which coincide with the league that starts April 10.

After a series of meetings, the IPL organisers have re-drawn the tournament's schedule, taking care that no matches are held on polling days in cities hosting the games.

"We have taken care to ensure that host cities are not allotted a match two days before and after the polling day. We have submitted the schedule to the Home Ministry. It is up to them now to advice us," a top IPL source said.
"We will have a meeting if they call us to seek certain clarifications or for any other matter," he added.

The organisers are not in favour of postponing the tournament as it may lead to massive financial losses for the franchise owners as well the tournament itself.

The Home Ministry has made it clear that providing security for the league during the time of the general elections will be difficult, due to shortage of paramilitary forces and the time it is likely to take to deploy them for election duty.

IPL bosses battled to save their multi-million-dollar tournament

2009-03-05T04:50:00.000-08:00

Indian Premier League bosses battled to save their multi-million-dollar tournament Wednesday after a government call for it to be postponed for security reasons.

In the wake of Tuesday's deadly assault on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan, questions are also being asked about whether the top world players signed up by the IPL will be prepared to play in South Asia.

The Mumbai siege in late November dealt a massive blow to India's security image, and fears over safety across the region will have been exacerbated by the gun and grenade attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore.

Home minister P. Chidambaram said Tuesday said he would be "stretched" to provide adequate security to the popular Twenty20 tournament, as it clashes with general elections in April and May.

"Since the election dates are unalterable, I have asked to find out if the dates of the IPL can be rescheduled," Chidambaram told reporters.

"I would be happy if the tournament starts when the bulk of the polls is over."The IPL is due to be played across 10 cities in India from April 10 to May 24. The parliamentary elections will be held in five phases between April 16 and May 13.

Chidambaram's comments came hours after the attack on the Sri Lankan team which injured seven players and an assistant coach and killed eight Pakistanis -- six of them policemen escorting their convoy to the stadium.

IPL officials insisted the tournament will not be postponed, citing a lack of alternative dates in an already crowded calendar, but agreed to adjustments so matches do not clash with voting in a particular city."There is no chance of postponing the IPL," tournament commissioner Lalit Modi told Indian media.

"We have taken into account government sensibilities, but I am sure even the Home Minister would not want the whole country to come to a standstill during the elections."Home ministry officials are expected to meet IPL bosses over the next few days to resolve the matter, although reports say the government is determined to see the 59-match tournament postponed.
There are also concerns on whether international players will be willing to set foot on the sub-continent following the Lahore attack.

The biggest draw this year would be the first IPL appearance for England stars Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, who were signed for a record 1.55 million dollars each per year.

The Mumbai attacks last November has already forced the postponement by a year of the IPL-backed Champions League, featuring the top Twenty20 teams from Australia, South Africa, England, Pakistan and India.

"If I were one of the England guys who signed up for the Indian Premier League, I would be concerned," former England coach Duncan Fletcher wrote in the Guardian newspaper.

"The attacks in Mumbai called into question even the safety of the best hotels. What cricketer is going to start thinking about runs and wickets when there are these more serious matters to consider?"Former England captain Mike Atherton, however, told The Times he hoped the IPL would go ahead.

"If cricket in India takes a blow, then it's almost the end of cricket as a truly international sport -- it becomes an enclave of a few countries here and there."It's vitally important it continues to be played on the sub-continent."

Although IPL officials insist that international players will turn up, one official from a top team conceded the tournament could not go ahead without the support of the government and its security agencies."No one wants to take a chance in these difficult times," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. "One mad person could ruin everything."

Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who was contracted with Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan's Kolkata Knightriders, has already pulled out of this year's IPL, citing commitments for his country.

Six Lankan cricket players injured in firing in Lahore

2009-03-03T05:49:00.000-08:00

Six Sri Lankan cricketers and their assistant coach were injured while their security guards were among eight people killed in the first ever terror strike in the history of the sport, forcing Colombo to immediately call off the tour.Wicket-keeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara and spinner Ajantha Mendis along with Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavitana, Suranga Lakmal and Thilina Thushara were injured in the attack at the busy Liberty Chowk traffic roundabout, located less than a kilometre from Gaddafi Stadium, at 9 am.

Assistant coach Paul Farbrace also sustained minor injuries in the brazen attack, carried out by a dozen masked terrorists armed with rifles, grenades and rocket-launchers.
The gunmen ambushed the luxury bus ferrying Sri Lankan cricket team to Gaddafi Stadium to resume play on the third day of the second and final test match with Pakistan.
Eight people, most of them police guards accompanying the team, were killed during the nearly 30-minute exchange of fire.

The Sri Lankan team was airlifted from Gaddafi Stadium to the Lahore airport by a Pakistan Air Force helicopter on their way back home to Colombo.
Injured players Samaraweera and Paranavitana, who received bullet injuries, were rushed to the military hospital. They are out of danger and stable, said Chamara Ranavira, a Sri Lankan High Commission spokesman said.

TV footage showed gunmen with backpacks firing at the convoy as they fled from the scene, with several vehicles damaged and unexploded grenades lying around. None of the attackers were killed or captured, Lahore police chief Haji Habibur Rehman said.

"Most of us had small injuries while some suffered shrapnel wounds," Sangakkara said, adding, "All are fine now." "At the moment we are not thinking of anything else but going back home."
There were conflicting reports about captain Mahela Jayawardene being injured in the terror ambush.Sri lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has cut short his visit to Nepal, condemned the attack and rushed his Foreign Minister Rohita Bogollagama to Pakistan to assist in the team's safe return to Colombo.

Reports said reserve umpire Ahsan Raza, who was travelling in a separate car, was seriously injured and had been operated on in a local hospital. Hours after the ambush, authorities defused two car bombs before they could explode and recovered a cache of weapons in Lahore.

The Pakistani team was in its hotel at the time of the incident. Officials immediately took steps to prevent it from leaving the hotel.

Sri Lanka had agreed to play in Pakistan after India and Australia deferred their scheduled trips for security reasons. After playing three one-dayers in Pakistan, the Sri Lankan team had proceeded to India for five one-day matches and returned to Lahore for the two test matches.
"What has happened today in cricket can never happen in sports anywhere in the world. Obviously, my sympathies are with the Sri Lankan team," said former Pakistani captain Javed Miandad.

The Sri Lankan team called off its tour after the attack.

IPL 2009 Schedule

2009-03-03T01:48:00.000-08:00

Date	Match	Venue	Time (IST)
April 10	Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils	Jaipur	8pm
April 11	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Deccan Chargers	Kolkata	4pm
April 11	Chennai Super Kings vs Bangalore Royal Challengers	Chennai	8pm
April 12	Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab	Delhi	4pm
April 12	Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals	Mumbai	8pm
April 13	Deccan Chargers vs Chennai Super Kings	Hyderabad	8pm
April 14	Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Bangalore	8pm
April 15	Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians	Mohali	8pm
April 16	Deccan Chargers vs Delhi Daredevils	Hyderabad	4pm
April 16	Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals	Chennai	8pm
April 17	Mumbai Indians vs Bangalore Royal Challengers	Mumbai	8pm
April 18	Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan Chargers	Mohali	4pm
April 18	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils	Kolkata	8pm
April 19	Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Rajasthan Royals	Bangalore	4pm
April 19	Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings	Mumbai	8pm
April 20	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab	Kolkata	8pm
April 21	Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians	Delhi	8pm
April 22	Rajasthan Royals vs Deccan Chargers	Jaipur	8pm
April 23	Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Kings XI Punjab	Bangalore	8pm
April 24	Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Mumbai	8pm
April 25	Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab	Chennai	4pm
April 25	Delhi Daredevils vs Bangalore Royal Challengers	Delhi	8pm
April 26	Deccan Chargers vs Mumbai Indians	Vizag	4pm
April 26	Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Jaipur	8pm
April 27	Kings XI Punjab vs Bangalore Royal Challengers	Mohali	8pm
April 28	Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Daredevils	Mumbai	8pm
April 29	Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Chennai	4pm
April 29	Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals	Mohali	8pm
April 30	Deccan Chargers vs Bangalore Royal Challengers	Vizag	8pm
May 1	Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils	Chennai	8pm
May 2	Mumbai Indians vs Deccan Chargers	Mumbai	4pm
May 2	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals	Kolkata	8pm
May 3	Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Delhi Daredevils	Bangalore	4pm
May 3	Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings	Mohali	8pm
May 4	Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan Royals	Hyderabad	8pm
May 5	Delhi Daredevils vs Chennai Super Kings	Delhi	8pm
May 6	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians	Kolkata	4pm
May 6	Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab	Jaipur	8pm
May 7	Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Deccan Chargers	Bangalore	8pm
May 8	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings	Kolkata	8pm
May 9	Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils	Mohali	4pm
May 9	Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians	Jaipur	8pm
May 10	Deccan Chargers vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Hyderabad	8pm
May 11	Delhi Daredevils vs Rajasthan Royals	Delhi	8pm
May 12	Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab	Mumbai	4pm
May 12	Chennai Super Kings vs Deccan Chargers	Chennai	8pm
May 13	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Bangalore Royal Challengers	Kolkata	8pm
May 14	Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings	Jaipur	4pm
May 14	Delhi Daredevils vs Deccan Chargers	Delhi	8pm
May 15	Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Mumbai Indians	Bangalore	8pm
May 16	Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Delhi	4pm
May 16	Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI Punjab	Hyderabad	8pm
May 17	Rajasthan Royals vs Bangalore Royal Challengers	Jaipur	4pm
May 17	Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians	Chennai	8pm
May 18	Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Mohali	8pm
May 19	Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Chennai Super Kings	Bangalore	8pm
May 21	Semi-Final 1	Chennai	8pm
May 22	Semi-Final 2	Chennai	8pm
May 24	FINAL	Mumbai	8pm

India Twenty-20 Record

2009-02-25T04:15:00.000-08:00

M S Dhoni With World Cup T-20

Indian Team with World Cup Twenty-20

India Celebrates as a Champion of Cricket

Vs	W	L	NR	Tie	Total

Pakistan	1	0	0	1	2
Sri Lanka	1	0	0	0	1
S Africa	2	0	0	0	2
England	1	0	0	0	1
N Zealand	0	2	0	0	2
Australia	2	1	0	0	3
Scotland	0	0	1	0	1

Total	7	3	1	1	12

India's Twenty20 Record

Stylish batsman V V S Laxman

2009-02-25T04:09:00.000-08:00

Stylish batsman V V S Laxman on Monday said defeating New Zealand in their own backyard would be a tough challenge for the Indian team but he was ready to play match-winning knocks for his side.

"We have a challenge in defeating New Zealand in New Zealand. If we play to our potential, then we will definitely win both Test as well as one-day series."said V V S Laxman.

"I would like to contribute to the team winning the Test series. I want to adapt to whichever situation. I will have to play match-winning knocks," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Hyderabad.

Laxman said Team India was high on confidence after their string of good shows.

"It is an important series for the Indian team. Last time we went there in 2002, we had no idea about the conditions. But Indian team has done well and won matches all over the world since 2002. We are now performing well overseas too. We are high on confidence ahead of the tour," he said.

Replying to a query, Laxman said the recent change of colour in team dress was "fashionable in style".

"It's a very good design and styling is also good. Cricket is a form of entertainment; if the clothing is good and fashionable it is good for the spectators to view also," V V S Laxman said.

Younis Khan slams triple century

2009-02-25T04:03:00.001-08:00

Younis Khan scored a triple century to help Pakistan post 574 for five at close on the fourth day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Karachi on Tuesday.

The hosts are now just 70 runs adrift of the visitors' first innings score.

The Pakistan captain, who was unbeaten on 243 at the tea-break, reached the milestone of 300 runs with a reverse sweep of Muthiah Muralitharan .

He finished the day unbeaten on 306. His innings was replete with 27 fours and four sixes.

It was the third instance of a Pakistani batsman scoring a triple century in Test cricket -- after former captains Hanif Mohammad and Inzamam-ul Haq -- and the 23rd in international cricket.

Sri Lanka, who amassed 644 for seven declared in their innings, were frustrated by a pitch getting flatter by the day.

Younis khan, 31 and playing in his 59th Test, also passed the 5,000 Test runs milestone in the last session, becoming the fastest of five Pakistanis to reach the mark by surpassing Javed Miandad's record of 65 matches.

The right-hander's effort matched that of his Sri Lankan counterpart, Mahela Jayawardene , who hit 240 in the tourists' innings.

Younis khan, leading Pakistan in a Test for the fifth time, had earlier on the second day registered his 16th Test hundred, his fourth against Sri Lanka in 11 Tests.

Rain denies India net practice in New Zealand

2009-02-23T21:07:00.000-08:00

Early morning showers on Monday denied India a much-needed net session but they utilized the time with a two-hour workout at New Zealand Cricket's high performance indoor facility at the Lincoln University campus in Christchurch.

The onus of the training was on fitness, both physical and mental.

While Robin Singh put one batch through the fielding drills, Paddy Upton had others engaged in shadow boxing, designed to make them mentally tougher for the ensuing Twenty20 and ODI series against the Black Caps.

The Pathan brothers, Yusuf and Irfan, whose blistering batting guided India to an exhilarating win against Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 match recently, showcased their skills in shadow boxing, striking Upton's shielded palm pretty cleanly.

Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan worked hard on their aerobic fitness at the adjacent Bert Sutcliffe grounds, where New Zealand A were hosting England A.

The left-arm pacer was itching to have a go as he watched proceedings from the stands after a 20-minute fitness drill.

Asked if the conditions were ideal for seam bowling, Indian Pacer Zaheer said, "The conditions are excellent. I am waiting to bowl in the series."

Steve Bucknor to retire from umpiring

2009-02-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

Steve Bucknor has announced that he will retire from umpiring at international level in March and the ICC has confirmed his decision.

The third Test between South Africa and Australia in Cape Town from March 19 to 23 will be his last Test while the two upcoming ODIs between West Indies and England in Barbados on March 27 and 29 will be his last one-day international assignments.

"I have notified the ICC that the South Africa versus Australia series will be my last Test series," Bucknor, 62, told the Jamaica Gleaner on Sunday. "The body is feeling quite good and I know I could go on for another two or three years. However, something inside me is telling me that it is time to go."

Bucknor was looking forward to help improve the standard of umpiring in the Caribbean after his retirement. "I hope I will be accorded the opportunity by the West Indies board to work with young umpires in the region because I still would like to continue making a contribution," he said.

The ICC has announced it will pay a special tribute to Bucknor after his final match.

"Steve's contribution to our great sport over two decades at the top level of umpiring has been immense," Haroon Lorgat, the chief executive, said. "To have remained as one of the game's top officials for that length of time has required Steve to be self-motivated, confident and well respected, and he has all those qualities in abundance, while at the same time remaining a very humble man.

"In the meantime I know that Steve, being the understated man that he is, will want to focus on the job at hand, that of getting things right on the field, something he has done as well as any other umpire in the history of the game."

Bucknor, who began his international umpiring career in 1989, has officiated in a record 126 Tests. He has also stood in 179 ODIs, including five consecutive World Cup finals since 1992 - the most by any umpire. Bucknor has been on the ICC's elite panel since 2002.

Sri Lanka - Pakistan Test : Lanka 120-2 at lunch

2009-02-21T05:07:00.000-08:00

Kumar Sangakkara and Malinda Warnapura hit half-centuries to help Sri Lanka reach 120-2 by lunch on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan here on Saturday.

Sangakkara was unbeaten at the break on 51 with skipper Mahela Jayawardene on five not out after Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat on a flat pitch.

Warnapura earlier steadied the innings with a brisk 48-ball 59 to help his team recover from the early loss of debutant opener Tharanga Paranavitana, who was dismissed for a first-ball duck.

Pakistan's frontline paceman Umar Gul struck with the fourth ball of the innings when he forced left-hander Paranavitana to edge into the slip where Misbah-ul-Haq took a smart catch.

Warnapura and Sangakkara added 90 for the second wicket before first-change Yasir Arafat provided the breakthrough. Warnapura, who hit nine boundaries, edged Arafat to Haq who held a low catch in the slip.

The 32,000-seater National Stadium stadium wore a deserted look as policemen outnumbered the spectators in the first session of the Test -- the first in 14 months that Pakistan has participated in.

Pakistan's last Test was against India at Bangalore in December 2007 and the team has not played a home Test since facing South Africa in October that year with security concerns keeping foreign teams away from Pakistan in 2008.

In March last year, Australia refused to tour the troubled country, citing a high security risk for their players.

India cancelled its team's tour to Pakistan in the wake of terrorist attacks on Mumbai, which New Dehli blamed on militants based in Pakistan.

Pakistan left out rookie paceman Mohammad Talha from the squad of 12, giving Test caps to 22-year-old opener Khurram Manzoor and 24-year-old fast bowler Sohail Khan.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka

M. Warnapura c Haq b Arafat 59

T. Paranavitana c Haq b Gul 0

K. Sangakkara not out 51

M. Jayawardene not out 5

Extras nb4, w1 5

Total for two wkts 120

Fall of wkts :: 1-3, 2-93

Bowling :: Gul 6-0-33-0 (1w), Sohail 6-1-36-0, Arafat 8-0-24-1 (1nb), Malik 5-0-22-0 (2nb), Kaneria 1-0-5-0 (1nb)

Overs 26

Partners and Sponsors with IPL

2009-02-21T04:54:00.000-08:00

Lalit Modi told reporter "I want to make it fully clear that all our sponsors and partners are still on board. They have all paid as per the schedule. In fact, a lot of other sponsors have approached us and are willing to pay more than our existing ones".

Modi's hastily convened media conference was held a day after Kunal Dasgupta, chief executive of Sony Corporation, host broadcaster of the IPL, quit the organization.

Modi, who is also a vice-president in the Indian cricket board, said that Dasgupta's resignation wouldn’t have any impact on the IPL starting Apr 10.

Lalit Modi also said "It's an internal matter of Sony Corporation. He (Dasgupta) is a personal friend of mine. He was deeply involved in developing the IPL concept. But the organization, whether it's Sony or IPL, is bigger than any individual. There's no question of Sony pulling out".

He said "We are jointly working with the management team at Sony to address this and we are confident that we will be able to amicably resolve the operational issues to the satisfaction of all the concerned parties".

Modi also rubbished speculation that title sponsor DLF paid just 50 per cent of the agreed Rs.2 billion for a period of five years.

"I want to make it fully clear that all our sponsors and partners remain resolute and steadfast in their commitment to the DLF Indian Premier League. They are all very much still on board and not a single partner has pulled out. They have all paid as per the schedule. In fact, we have received a lot of offers from potential sponsors at multiple prices willing to pay much more for our properties," he said.

What makes Tendulkar uncomfortable?

2009-02-20T06:03:00.000-08:00

He doesn't receive letters written in blood any more, but Sachin Tendulkar says that he does not feel comfortable when a fan touches his feet and tells him he is God.

Tendulkar, whose achievements with the bat have won him fans worldwide, says the adulation never ceases to surprise him.

"I used to receive letters written in blood...but not any more. It feels strange when a fan comes and touches your feet and says you are God. I don't feel comfortable with it, but it is the way they feel about you...that happened again just a couple of weeks ago actually," he says.

In a light-hearted interview published in celebrity magazine 'OK!', Tendulkar spoke about his love for Ferrari cars, his post-retirement plans and how he handles criticism.

Tendulkar said retirement thoughts were far away from his mind at the moment but he may start a business when he stops playing competitive cricket.

"That's a big question. I don't know...I will definitely be involved with the game. When I retire, that is when the doors to other opportunities will open. As of now, other than just promoting various products, I haven't opened the door to anything else. Maybe I'll start a business," he said.

"I don't know when that would be yet, but that will be the time I will focus my energy in different directions. Right now it's only focussed in one direction -- that is cricket," Tendulkar said.

Asked when was the last time he received some constructive criticism, the batting maestro said, "criticism is hardly ever constructive. I try and stay away from newspapers when I am playing. You get to read so many things that are not constructive, but somehow the guy who is writing it all seems to think that it's constructive."

Tendulkar said his celebrity status has helped him wriggle out of situations that would be difficult to handle for a commoner.

"There's one time that I remember clearly...we were in Australia playing some exhibition games -- it was around 1994. I was out with two other players and when we got back to the hotel, the rest of the team had already left for the airport. They had packed my bags and gone and there were no mobiles or anything. We had no way of reaching them," he recalled.

"We were to fly from Sydney to Melbourne -- we had no tickets, no passports, nothing. I got to the counter at the airport and explained the situation. The guy at the counter recognised me and he gave us three boarding passes from Sydney to Melbourne...without passports, without tickets. I felt that I was truly special," he said.

Asked when was the last time he spent an entire day without watching any sport, the 35-year-old batsman replied, "On December 31 last year. I spent time with my family in Mussoorie about 7,000 feet above sea level looking at the snow-capped mountains. It was freezing and we went for a long walk. I was a fantastic feeling. That was the day when I didn't watch sports at all."

On the one moment he felt proud of, Tendulkar said, "I was truly proud of our performance during the Chennai Test. We won against England on the last day."

Asked about the most recent prank he had played on a teammate, Tendulkar said, "I am always doing that...a while ago, we had gone to a restaurant and we actually fooled Yuvraj Singh .

"We put wasabi on a toast and told him it was a delicious spread that he must try. He almost ate it. We stopped him at the last minute." When was the last time he did something which he wished he hadn't?

"Probably the last innings I batted in Mohali. I felt that I shouldn't have played that shot. I got out on it. (Smiles) That's what I feel every time I get out," he quipped.

Laxmipathy Balaji returns to Team India

2009-02-19T05:14:00.000-08:00

L Balaji(Laxmipathy Balaji) does not know when to give up. It would have been easy to dismiss him as a one-dimensional bowler after his forgettable debut. He erased the memories of being caned for 44 runs off his first four overs, and of two fruitless home Tests against New Zealand, when he emerged one of India's leading fast bowlers in their historic tour of Pakistan in 2003-04. He was particularly lethal in a couple of sessions in the third Test in Rawalpindi, where he consistently swung the ball away, and snapped up a then career-best 4 for 63. In addition, his uninhibited batting and a megawatt smile endeared him to crowds in a manner even he found difficult to fathom.

That comeback fades in comparison to the one he made in 2008-09. A stress fracture ruled him out of cricket in 2005, and threatened to end his career. For three years he could hardly play any cricket. He had to undergo a back surgery before which he was not sure he would be able to bowl again. "If I were to go back," WV Raman, the Tamil Nadu coach who supported him throughout the hiatus said, "to what all happened when he was told he would have to go for a surgery, it would take me two days to rattle on." With a remodelled action and the same unwavering spirit, he started the long road back through the first season of the IPL in 2008. His 11 wickets for Chennai Super Kings included a hat-trick. A successful Ranji season followed, and his 36 wickets at 17.50 took Tamil Nadu through to the semi-final. Eventually the national recall came, when Munaf Patel sustained a groin injury during the five-ODI series in Sri Lanka in January 2009. He then made it back to the Test squad for the tour of New Zealand.

Before the injury struck he bowled with a whippy, quick-arm action and had the ability to bowl quicker deliveries, yorkers or bouncers without a perceptible change in action. His open-chested action, combined with a tendency to bowl wide from the crease, lulled batsmen into believing that the ball would come in with the arm. As a result of this, when the ball swung away, or even straightened, he could be difficult to tackle. Not much of that has changed in his remodelled action. The perceptible change is in the way he starts his run-up, where he sort of tiptoes for the first few steps - almost as if unsure of the ground he is going to run on, before easing in.

BCCI AWARD 2009

2009-02-19T05:09:00.000-08:00

Dashing opener Virendra Sehwag receives the polly umrigar award from board of control for india in india president shashsnk monohar at annual award nite in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Sehwag said he wanted to emulate his idol Sachin Tendulkar and win the BCCI’S cricketer of the year award.

Gundappa Vishwanath,ex-india skipper and one-time-middle-order mainstay,received the C K Nayadu Lifetime Achievement Award from Manohar.

Indian Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni also received special award from BCCI.

Indian Terminator(Harbhajan Singh) is also awarded from BCCI for taking 300 Wickets.

Team India sheds light blue for dark

2009-02-19T05:01:00.000-08:00

Even though it has conquered everything that came its way of late, on Wednesday it seemed team India's blues got a bit deeper off the field.

Actually we are not talking about on-field woes, but the colour of the team's new kit for limited-overs cricket which has got a shade darker.

Team India has traditionally sported light blue jerseys since the last two decades, but its kit sponsors, Nike, have come up with a different colour this time for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.

It is no longer sky blue, but a darker shade, something you would associate with the Sri Lankan team.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had the jersey's first trial along team-mates Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Pragyan Ojha and Rohit Sharma in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Nike also made a presentation of how the Team India jersey has evolved over the years. Former players Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Venkatesh Prasad, Vinod Kambli and Robin Singh donned the old blue jerseys of their playing days.

Fast bowler Zaheer Khan echoed Dhoni's views, saying the new jersey will be beneficial when playing in hot conditions.

"In cold conditions you can manage by adding on a few clothes, but in hot conditions it is the toughest to deal with it. So this dry-fit material helps to keep you cool," he said..

Test Squad:India's Tour for New Zealand

2009-02-18T23:19:00.000-08:00

T20 Squad:India's Tour for New Zealand

2009-02-18T23:12:00.001-08:00

ODI Squad:India's Tour for New Zealand

2009-02-18T23:07:00.000-08:00

Swann has West Indies in a tailspin

2009-02-18T22:47:00.000-08:00

England were in full control of the third Test after career-best bowling from Graeme Swann carried them to a 281-run first innings lead over West Indies on Tuesday.

England - who trail the hosts 1-0 - were 31 for one in their second innings when stumps were drawn on the third day at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

This followed Swann taking 5-57 from 24 overs, as West Indies were dismissed for 285, replying to England's first innings total of 566 for nine declared.

Ramnaresh Sarwan hit the top score of 94 for West Indies, and there were supporting knocks of 38 from Devon Smith, 27 from Ryan Hinds, and 22 from Daren Powell.

England decided not to enforce the follow-on, and suffered an early loss, when their captain Andrew Strauss was caught at second slip for 14 off the fiery Fidel Edwards.

The visitors chose to send James Anderson in as night-watchman and he was fortunate to have survived. On four, he edged Edwards to third slip, where Hinds muffed a simple chance.

Earlier, England toiled on the hard, easy-paced ARG pitch and took all their chances after West Indies continued from their overnight total of 55 for one.

Before lunch, it was Swann's off-spin bowling, rather than the fast bowlers that provided England with two wickets, as West Indies reached 132 for three at the interval.

West Indies lost the wickets of Smith and Powell in the second hour before lunch.

The ARG pitch, as expected, played a few tricks, but England's bowlers were not accurate enough, and the West Indies' overnight pair of Smith and night-watchman Powell studiously navigated the first hour.

But Swann provided the breakthrough, when Smith tried an ugly-looking slog at a flighted delivery and was bowled by the second ball after the drinks break.

Strauss continued to rotate his bowlers, particularly the fast bowlers from the southern end of the ground in an effort to make use of a ridge in the middle of the pitch which made batting difficult.

But Swann was allowed to wheel away from the northern end and got his second scalp, when Powell was caught at slip playing defensively forward in the last 15 minutes before the interval.

The West Indies fast bowler had shown enormous restraint in a little over two hours spent at the crease before Swann outfoxed him.

After lunch, England claimed two wickets - one of them Shivnarine Chanderpaul - to tighten their grip on the Test at tea.

Andrew Flintoff removed Hinds and Stuart Broad got Chanderpaul for one in the space of nine balls, as West Indies reached 221 for five at the break.

Flintoff made the breakthrough for England, after Hinds had added 70 for the fourth wicket with Sarwan, when the left-hander edged a leg-cutter and was caught behind.

Next over, England got a bonus wicket, when Broad had Chanderpaul also caught behind driving loosely at a delivery outside the off-stump.

After tea, England met resistance from Sarwan and Brendan Nash. They added 50 for the sixth wicket before Swann returned to snare two wickets from consecutive balls.

Swann had Sarwan caught at mid-wicket playing an ugly cross-batted slog, and next ball, Denesh Ramdin was caught and bowled when he gently pushed back a full toss to the off-spinner to leave West Indies 251 for seven.

England continued to mount the pressure and eventually snared the last three West Indies wickets for seven runs in the space of 13 balls.

Flintoff gave Swann steady support with three for 47 from 14.2 overs.

England trail 0-1 in the series which now comprises five Tests, following an innings and 23-run defeat in the opening Test at Kingston inside four days.

The other two Tests in the series take place at Kensington Oval in Barbados from February 26 to March 2, and Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad from March 6 to 10.

Cricket World Cup 2011 hosted by Asia

2009-02-18T06:27:00.000-08:00

Haroon Lorgat chief of International Cricket Council on Tuesday night insisted that the 2011 World Cup, to be jointly hosted by India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, would not be shifted out of Pakistan.

All the four host nations, he said, have only been asked to have an alternate venue in hand.

"There is no truth in the World Cup moving as far as we are concerned. We are planning for the four countries to host it.

"What we are planning to do, as we do for all our events, is to do a security assessment and then take a view at that time," Lorgat told a media conference to announce a three-year partnership between the ICC and Yahoo India during which he and former India captain Rahul Dravid unveiled the 2011 World Cup trophy.

He also added that a final decision would be taken in a year's time.

"The World Cup is two years away. It will be speculative to state what the security situation would be in a few years time (in Pakistan)."

Earlier in the day, Lorgat had been quoted, as saying organisers of the 2011 World Cup should consider shifting venues to another city, even to another country, if situation so demands.

However, he however, felt there is still enough time in hand and there is no need to press the panic button.

"I think it's still a long way off to World Cup. It is certainly a consideration to keep note of but it's way too early to be already concerned at this particular stage," he added.

Lorgat said, if all goes well, of the 15 World Cup venues, eight would be in India, four in Pakistan, two in Sri Lanka and one in Bangladesh.

Rajasthan NGO accuses Lalit Modi of cheating

2009-02-18T06:19:00.000-08:00

The FIR has been lodged by the state convener of Nagrik Morcha Pandit Suresh Mishra at the Jyoti Nagar police station in Jaipur under Sections 420 (cheating) and 467 (forgery of valuable security or will) IPC, Police Station incharge Lakhan Singh said. "The FIR has been lodged in connection with a cheque Modi had given to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for the welfare of Jaipur bomb blast victims," Lakhan Singh said.

"We shall look into the matter and examine the facts," he said. Mishra, in his complaint, alleged that during the first edition of the IPL, Modi had announced that Rs six crore would be deposited in the Chief Minister's relief fund for victims of the blasts that rocked the pink city on May 13 last year.

"After the match between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians on May 17 at SMS stadium Jaipur, Lalit Modi had presented a cheque of Rs six crore to then CM Vasundhara Raje but in reality the entire amount was never deposited," he alleged.

He also claimed this was a ploy to let the match go on since the Morcha had demanded that it be either cancelled or be held for charity.

"Obviously it was a ploy to hold the match because we had demanded that either the match be cancelled or should be declared as a charity match for the blast victims. Months later some cheques were deposited through various companies which were sponsors of IPL. But this amount was found to be only of around Rs four crore. What happened to rest of the amount?" he asked.

"We demand a probe for this missing Rs two crore. The act of raising money by fooling the public is a crime and we demand that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot orders a judicial inquiry into the matter," Mishra said.

Modi, who is also the President of the Rajasthan Cricket Association, is already facing charges for allegedly acquiring a piece of land in Nagaur district through unfair means.

Police has questioned him in this regard. He is also embroiled in a power struggle in the RCA against secretary Subhash Joshi and few district associations, which have put up a united front against him.

Rajasthan NGO accuses Lalit Modi of cheating

2009-02-16T06:08:00.000-08:00

Indian Premier League’s chief Lalit Modi in more trouble, a case of cheating was on Sunday lodged against him for alleged failure to deposit money he publicly promised for the Jaipur blast victims in the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

The FIR has been lodged by the state convener of Nagrik Morcha Pandit Suresh Mishra at the Jyoti Nagar police station in Jaipur under Sections 420 (cheating) and 467 (forgery of valuable security or will) IPC, Police Station incharge Lakhan Singh said.

"The FIR has been lodged in connection with a cheque Modi had given to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for the welfare of Jaipur bomb blast victims," Lakhan Singh said. "We shall look into the matter and examine the facts," he said. Mishra, in his complaint, alleged that during the first edition of the IPL, Modi had announced that Rs six crore would be deposited in the Chief Minister's relief fund for victims of the blasts that rocked the pink city on May 13 last year.

"After the match between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians on May 17 at SMS stadium Jaipur, Lalit Modi had presented a cheque of Rs six crore to then CM Vasundhara Raje but in reality the entire amount was never deposited," he alleged.

He also claimed this was a ploy to let the match go on since the Morcha had demanded that it be either cancelled or be held for charity. "Obviously it was a ploy to hold the match because we had demanded that either the match be cancelled or should be declared as a charity match for the blast victims. Months later some cheques were deposited through various companies which were sponsors of IPL. But this amount was found to be only of around Rs four crore. What happened to rest of the amount?" he asked.

"We demand a probe for this missing Rs two crore. The act of raising money by fooling the public is a crime and we demand that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot orders a judicial inquiry into the matter," Mishra said. Modi, who is also the President of the Rajasthan Cricket Association, is already facing charges for allegedly acquiring a piece of land in Nagaur district through unfair means. Police has questioned him in this regard. He is also embroiled in a power struggle in the RCA against secretary Subhash Joshi and few district associations, which have put up a united front against him.

Nathan Bracken inspired Australia

2009-02-16T05:24:00.000-08:00

Nathan Bracken inspired Australia - and weary Twenty20 bowlers the world over - with a sequence of 10 consecutive dot balls from which New Zealand never fully recovered. A late Brendon McCullum onslaught positioned the visitors for a charge at Australia's modest 7 for 150, but Bracken bookended the innings with a canny final over that left the tourists stranded a run short.

Bracken became just the second Australian bowler to register a maiden in Twenty20 internationals with his first over to Peter Fulton, then proceeded to tie down the lively McCullum for a further four deliveries before conceding a run. He was later summoned by his captain Brad Haddin to close out the New Zealand innings, and he did not disappoint.

The tourists might have lost by a run, but only did so when Nathan McCullum blasted a four and a six from Bracken's final two deliveries when the match was all but gone. Prior to those two balls, Bracken had conceded no worse than a single. He finished with figures of 0 for 16; enough to earn the Man-of-the-Match honours.

New Zealand's run-chase began disastrously, when Martin Guptill - just two days removed from a breathtaking half-century at the Gabba - fell to Peter Siddle (2 for 24) in the first over of the innings. Siddle struck again with the wicket of Fulton in his next over and, combined with precise spells from Bracken and David Hussey, served to restrict the tourists to a steady run-rate through the early-to-middle overs.

The match appeared headed for an insipid finale until the the New Zealanders roared back into the contest by taking 20 from James Hopes' final over - McCullum proving the chief destroyer. But a suffocating closing spell from Bracken and a bizarre catch to Adam Voges ensured the result fell the way of the hosts.

Tendulkar : New Zealand tour will be tough

2009-02-13T05:25:00.000-08:00

Having been informed of an interaction with Sachin Tendulkar well in advance ensures one thing: you are prepared with a set of questions.

The Master Blaster doesn't speak often, and when he does, it is not as much as you may expect. So every opportunity you get, you try to make the most of it.

But then comes a by-now-frequent roadblock -- he is going to be late. All preparations go for a toss; the only thing you look for then is the means to kill time; you have no other option than wait.

The wait is long and boring, but when the legend arrives you somehow regain the energy. And, thankfully, it is one of those days when he is willing to speak. Thus, it is vital that the opportunity be grabbed.

The first question was topical. How does Tendulkar look forward to the upcoming tour of New Zealand ?

"It is going to be a challenge for sure," he replies, almost with immediate effect, as if he was anticipating the question.

The elaboration follows.

"Not only playing New Zealand, but also playing them in New Zealand, because of the conditions.

"It is tough out there."

Coming from someone who has toured New Zealand on no less than six occasions in his illustrious 20-year career, this statement came in as a surprise.

But the caution was justified.

"In places like Wellington, when a bowler bowls at say 130-135 kph the ball comes faster from one end because of the breeze coming in from that direction. Similarly, from the other side the ball comes at a slower pace, as there is no wind.

"That in turn changes the batsman's plan."

With most of squad members touring New Zealand for the first time, does he see this as an impediment to India's prospects?

"I don't think it will be a negative factor.”

"We have both experience and youth, and the balance is good. It will be a learning experience for all the players who are touring for the first time."

What corroborated Tendulkar's confidence was the recent performances of the Indian team.

"We have been playing good cricket of late and we need to continue doing that," he asserted.

Tendulkar's last tour wasn't exactly successful. But his form wasn't entirely to be blamed for that.

"Aap galat aadmi se poochh rahein hai [you are asking the wrong person]. The ICC doesn't allow us to talk about it at all."

On being prodded further, he admitted: "It is definitely difficult for any player and I am disappointed; but such things happen."

Talk then veered towards Twenty20 , the game's most recent version that is palpably gaining popularity with every passing day. So it does rankle a bit to find Tendulkar out of the Indian team's scheme of things.

"It was a conscious decision not to play Twent20 anymore," he reasoned. "I took the decision after the England tour of 2007. At that time it was my body that prompted me to take that decision.

"Now the team is doing well and I don't want to disturb the composition."

But then how does he explain his captaining Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League?

"As far as Mumbai Indians is concerned, I have been there since the beginning. So there's certain continuity in that regard," justified Tendulkar.

"I have been out of the Indian T20 team for more than one-and-a-half year now and would like it that way."

With no scope for further questions on that subject, the next followed.

The ICC is trying out the referral system in various bilateral series before finally implementing it. Tendulkar was part of the Indian squad that toured Sri Lanka last year when the system was tried out the first time.

So what's his opinion on it?

"I didn't particularly like the system, as there is an element of uncertainty.

"The hawk-eye is definitely not convincing enough."

Dhaval Kulkarni Gets Call

2009-02-13T05:10:00.000-08:00

Mumbai medium pacer Dhawal Kulkarni is the new face to be included in the test team for New Zealand tour. Lakshmipathy Balaji and Dinesh Kartik were recalled to the Indian Test squad.

Kartik was named in all the three teams as second wicketkeeper. Harbhajan Singh and pacer Munaf Patel, who were sidelined with injuries, expectedly returned to all the three teams.

Opener Murali Vijay was retained in the Test squad, which, however, has no place for left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who figures in the ODI and Twenty20 squads.

Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman were picked only for the Test series, while Sachin Tendulkar will play the Test and ODIs, having opted out of Twenty20 internationals.

Considering the seaming conditions in New Zealand, the selectors opted for just two specialist spinners in Harbhajan and Amit Mishra for the Tests while picking a five-pronged pace attack. The Indian pace attack is based on Zaheer Khan with Ishant Sharma, Munaf, Balaji and Kulkarni.

The Indian team will leave for New Zealand on February 19 and start the tour with a Twenty20 match at Christchurch on February 25. The other Twenty20 game will be played in Wellington on February 27. The ODI series starts March 3, while the Test series gets underway from March 18.

Test squad:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wicketkeeper), Virender Sehwag , Gautam Gambhir , Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V V S Laxman, Yuvraj Singh , Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Amit Mishra, Dinesh Kaarthick, L Balaji , Dhawal Kulkarni, Murali Vijay.

ODI Squad:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wicketkeeper), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Dinesh Kaarthick, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan , Pragyan Ojha, Rohit Sharma , Praveen Kumar, Irfan Pathan .

Twenty20 squad:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wicketkeeper), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Dinesh Kaarthick, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Pragyan Ojha, Rohit Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Irfan Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja.