Cricket Blog - From a Ganguly Fanatic

Sourav Ganguly is Castrol Asian Cricketer of the Year 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:00:00 +0000

Sourav Ganguly capped a memorable comeback by becoming the first recipient of the Castrol Asian Cricketer of the Year Award at a function held in Karachi today.

Ganguly has had a series of successful innings since his return to the Indian cricket team during the South African tour of 2006-07. The Prince of Kolkata put together some outstanding batting performances during 2007 - his best innings being the 239 against Pakistan at Bangalore in December 2007. For his outstanding batting performance during the year, Sourav also received the overall Castrol Asian Batsman of the Year Award. The overall Castrol Asian Bowler of the Year Award was won by Muthiah Muralitharan who also entered the record book in 2007, becoming the highest wicket taker in test matches. The Castrol Asian Wicket Keeper / Fielder of the Year awards was won by Kamran Akmal.
The Castrol Asian Awards are based on the Castrol Performance Index - a comprehensive points system which takes into consideration batting, bowling and fielding performances of each player against all teams in all international matches, in all three formats - Test, ODIs and T20, during a calendar year.

The inaugural Castrol Asian Cricket Awards ceremony was hosted by former Pakistani cricketer Rameez Raja and was attended by cricketers from several Asian countries participating in the ongoing Asia Cup. The awards were given away by legendary Asian cricketers like Wasim Akram, Sanath Jayasurya, Wasim Bari, Asif Iqbal and Zahir Abbas.

Besides the overall category, the Castrol Awards were also given away for the Castrol Asian Batsmen and Bowler in Test Cricket - Kumar Sangakkara and Muthiah Muralitharan; Castrol Asian Batsman and Bowler in ODIs - Sachin Tendulkar and P Maharoof and Castrol Asian Batsman and Bowler in T20 - Gautam Gambhir and Umar Gul. A special award was also given away to Yuvraj Singh for his World Record of six sixes in an over in T20.

Dale Steyn sweeps major South African cricket awards

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:57:00 +0000

Fiery fast bowler Dale Steyn, who had a great international cricket season, has swept all the major South Africa cricket awards.

Steyn was nominated for four awards and he bagged them all. He was named the South Africa Cricketer of the Year, Test Player of the Year, South Africa Players' Player of the Year and the SuperSport Fans' Cricketer of the Year.

Steyn had an outstanding season, claiming 78 wickets at a splendid average of 16.24 in 12 Tests with two ten-wicket hauls. He claimed 15 wickets in the three Tests on the tour to India.

Steyn had claimed 42 wickets in 11 Tests in four seasons prior to this one as he missed quite a few Tests with a side strain. Makhaya Ntini, who had been the spearhead of South African attack in recent years, was second with 30 wickets.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith is the country's One-Day Cricketer of the Year.

All-rounder Albie Morkel, who was a star performer in the Indian Premier League for the Chennai Super Kings, has been honoured with the International Pro20 Cricketer of the Year award.

South Africa's women's cricket captain Cri-Zelda Brits is the Women's Player of the Year.

Dhoni confident of winning Champions Trophy

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:56:00 +0000

India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is confident that his team will carry on the good form to win the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in September.

"The Indian team did very well in limited-overs cricket in 2007-08. Winning the one-day series in Australia was a monumental achievement. Not only did we beat the World Cup winners, but also Sri Lanka, which was runner-up in the Caribbean.

"We would like to continue in the same vein and take the Champions Trophy home with us to India," Dhoni said in a statement.

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik also said that his team, after lifting the Kitply Cup tri-series, is ready to give its best to win the tournament on home turf. Incidentally Pakistan defeated India to win the tri-series in Bangladesh.

"It is my dream to captain my country to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy on home soil and my team will be doing everything we can to convert this dream into reality," he said.

"I am sure that there will be a fantastic atmosphere for all the games and that the people of Pakistan will make it a happy and memorable event," he added.

Malik also said that defeating India last week showed that they are in a good form.

"I think this could be one of the most closely contested tournaments for a long time," he said.

Doubts over Pakistan hosting Champions Trophy

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:55:00 +0000

Serious doubts over Pakistan hosting the Champions Trophy cricket are being expressed as several players from Australia, England and New Zealand reportedly refusing to tour the strife-torn country for fear of security.

International Cricket Council (ICC) added to the confusion when its acting chief executive Dave Rcihardson refused to say whether Pakistan is the "final" venue for the biennial event. All he would say was that the governing body of world cricket was monitoring the situation day to day. He was talking to reporters after the launch of the Champions Trophy in Lahore Wednesday.

Even if Cricket Australia decides to overrule the players' objection and insist on fielding a side, the team would be decimated by player-boycott, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) has already expressed concern about the safety of players at the Champions Trophy, particularly as the tournament coincides with the holy month of Ramadan in September and is due to begin on the seventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks on America.

Worldwide various players' bodies, including New Zealand, Australia and England, have joined the FICA chorus. Cricketers from the three countries are understood to have expressed grave reservations about playing in the tournament, the report said.

Richardson, when asked to confirm Pakistan as final hosts, said: "under the circumstances the world over, no venue can be said as final one and the ICC is in the process of monitoring the situation on day-to-day basis."

Several leading Australian cricketers have told teammates they would stand down from the tournament rather than tour a nation they deem to be volatile and unsafe.

"It is going to come down to the individual's decision," said one member of the team.

"We have talked about it, and there are some guys who will go if security advice says it's OK. But there are others who have said they won't go, regardless. At this stage, we are waiting to hear more," Sydney Morning Herald quoted the player as saying.

Richardson, who is in Pakistan, said they were happy with the arrangements in Pakistan.

"So far we are satisfied with the efforts Pakistan are making and it has our full backing," he said.

"The security situation anywhere is not good at the moment. It can change any time. At the moment the ICC is quite comfortable with the decision that Pakistan has the ability to hold it and we are proceeding with the arrangements," Richardson, also a former South African cricketer was quoted as saying in The Dawn.

"Security is ICC first priority, not for Pakistan only but for all other venues too. We are in the process and are hoping that Pakistan will hold the tournament," he stated.

Cricket Australia (CA) is aware of its players' concerns and is expected to discuss a confidential ICC security report on Pakistan at an ICC executive meeting in Dubai next month.

Sri Lanka has been identified as an alternative venue for the Champions Trophy if the security situation deteriorates. South Africa is now being touted as an alternative venue as Sri Lanka too is not a safe heaven.

England's Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) became the latest to voice strong concerns about playing in Pakistan.

PCA chief executive Sean Morris agreed with the assessment of his FICA counterpart Tim May that "absolutely nothing" had changed in Pakistan since Australia abandoned their Test and one-day series scheduled for March and April.

"I personally support Tim's position," Morris told The Australian yesterday.

Asked about ICC's reaction in case any of the member countries refused to participate in the Champions Trophy on security grounds, Richardson said at the moment all the participating countries had signed for the participation and the ICC was making every effort to ensure their safety in Pakistan.

Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Asif freed, to leave Dubai Thursday night

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:53:00 +0000

Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Asif, held here since June 1 for allegedly possessing drugs when on his way home from Mumbai after playing in the Indian Premier League, will be freed and leave Dubai late Thursday night.

"The authorities here have taken a decision to release Asif and he will be leaving Dubai later today," an official in the Pakistan embassy in Abu Dhabi told IANS Thursday evening.

"The process of releasing him from the detention centre is on," he said.

The cricketer was lodged in the Dubai International Airport in the period of detention.

Reports in the local media quoted Dubai public prosecutor Mohammad Al Nuaimi as saying that the cricketer would be discharged and deported.

Al Nuaimi told the Gulf News that Asif "has been discharged and will be deported from his Dubai detention centre within the next 48 hours".

No charge was filed against the cricketer in the 19 days he was held here.

Meanwhile, The National newspaper quoted Al Nuaimi as saying that the public prosecution had not decided to file charges due to "lack of importance to the case".

"The case is now with the Dubai police who will start deportation procedures," he said.

The 25-year-old fast bowler was detained by customs authorities at the Dubai International Airport June 1 for allegedly possessing drugs.

He was on his way back to Lahore via Dubai from Mumbai where he had played the Indian Premier League (IPL) semifinal for Delhi Daredevils against eventual tournament winners Rajasthan Royals May 30.

Dubai airport customs authorities handed him over to the drugs unit of Dubai Police June 3 and sent his blood and urine samples as well as the drugs found on him for laboratory tests.

The results of the tests were received June 5 and Asif recorded his statement at the office of the chief prosecutor the same day.

Quoting unnamed sources, media reports here had said that the blood and urine samples of the cricketer tested negative and the substance found on Asif was opium.

"We got the lab results on the substance found in Asif's possession ... and we identified it as being 0.24 gm of opium," chief prosecutor Mohammed Ali Rustom was quoted as saying.

"When arrested, the suspect said he took the substance to give him energy and said he left this small amount in his wallet by accident," he added.

Dubai's chief prosecutor completed his hearing of the cricketer's case June 8 and then referred it to the attorney general.

Rustom said blood tests did not show Asif had taken any illegal drugs and denied his arrest was the result of a possible tip-off.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier backed the player, saying he was innocent till formally charged by the UAE authorities.

It also hired the services of a local legal firm, Angel & Afridi, to aid the cricketer.

Tri-series: India favourites against Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:36:00 +0000

India will go into the final of the cricket tri-series against Pakistan Saturday as overwhelming favourites but they cannot afford to take their rivals lightly. The past is replete with instances of Pakistan fiercely fighting back under pressure.

An India-Pakistan title clash is a mouth watering contest for cricket fans in the subcontinent and India's success in Australia and their complete domination of the current series here makes them look invincible even before a ball is bowled in the final.

India ended Pakistan's 12-match winning streak, handing them 140-run defeat in the league match earlier in the week.

India was superior in all the departments and Pakistan hardly ever looked like a team battling it out in the middle.

Everything seems to be going right for the Indians in the series. Their top-order has fired magnificently. In fact, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are in ominous touch and seem to have taken the responsibility of finishing matches on their own.

Runs have also come from Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma in the middle order. The bowling has been incisive with Praveen Kumar proving that his performance in the semifinal and final in Australia was not a fluke. He has swung the ball and troubled the top-order batsmen. R.P. Singh is also among wickets, while Piyush Chawla has given nothing away.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had everything going for him so far, but a strategist like him knows that performance on the day counts in cricket. Dhoni and his team will have to guard against complacency.

"I am really happy with the team's performance. We won both the matches convincingly. We got good starts both in batting and bowling. I hope the team puts in the same kind of performance in the final," said Dhoni.

"We will carry the confidence shown so far into the final. But it will be a new game and we will have to start from the scratch. We have to repeat all the good work that we did in the last two matches," he said.

Pakistan, on the other hand, has plenty to think about before the match.

Their batting has been shoddy and fielding awful. The body language hardly gave the impression of a fighting side and skipper Shaoib Malik has failed to inspire the team.

The bowling looked good in patches and Umar Gul certainly has the ability to rock any side on his day.

Pakistan Cricket board Chairman Nasim Ashraf has dashed off a letter to the team management, raising awkward questions, after their embarrassing loss against India. It remains to be seen how the team reacts to it and raises its performance Saturday.

Squads (From):

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, R.P. Singh, Piyush Chawla, Pragyan Ojha and MS Gony.

Pakistan: Shoaib Malik (C), Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Yonus Khan, Muhammad Yousaf, Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Umer Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Nasir Jamshed, Sohail Khan, Rao Iftikar, Bazid Khan and Naumanullah.

Dominating India crush Pakistan by 140 runs

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:14:00 +0000

Indian cricketers made the best use of their Twenty20 experience to halt Pakistan’s 12-match winning run by beating them by 140 runs in the second match of the Kitply Cup tri-series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium here Tuesday.

The explosive opening pair of Virender Sehwag (89) and Gautam Gambhir (62) gave an electric start with their century run stand. Yuvraj Singh (55) added to the agony of the undisciplined Pakistani bowlers to help India pile up a mammoth 330 for the loss of eight wickets from 50 overs.

It was a tough ask for the Pakistanis as they kept on losing wickets. Captain Shoaib Malik came back to form and fought a lonely battle with his 53 off 67 ball but couldn’t save his team from getting bundled out for 190 in 35.4 overs.

It was an impressive performance by an inexperienced Indian bowling attack with Praveen Kumar and Piyush Chawla picking up four wickets each.

Indian new ball bowlers made the best use of the moist conditions and Praveen tormented the batsmen with his late swing. The Meerut boy was on a hat trick after he removed opener Salman Butt (9) and Younis Khan in successive deliveries in the third over. But new batsmen Mohammed Yusuf (11) negotiated a late swing to deny the bowler the feat.

Yusuf, however, didn’t last long and in the fifth over missed another Praveen’s late swinger, which rapped his pad and the umpire didn’t hesitate to lift his finger.

With Yusuf’s exit it was all over for Pakistan and it was just a matter of time for the Indian bowlers to stamp their domination on the batsmen.

Opener Kamran Akmal (38) tried to resurrect the innings with Misbah-ul-Haq (24). The duo punished Praveen for 17 runs in the ninth over to raise some hopes of a fight back. But Praveen again struck in the 13th over to remove Akmal, who tried to swing his bat but mistimed it to give an easy catch to debutant Yusuf Pathan at mid-on.

The Pakistani captain along with Shahid Afridi (23) made a last effort to rescue the team but failed to negotiate the sharp turns of young leggie Chawla.

Earlier in the day, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni elected to bat on a cloudy day. The Pakistani bowlers failed to utilise the moist conditions and bowled wayward coupled with some sloppy fielding.

Sehwag and Gambhir pounced on the opportunity and tore apart the bowlers to stitch a 155-run partnership. Even left-arm-pacer Sohail Tanvir, who was the highest wicket-taker in the IPL, failed to do the trick and conceded 54 runs from 5.4 overs but picked up the crucial wicket of Dhoni (24).

Gambhir started the big hitting with a four in the third ball of the day off Gul and was lucky to get a reprieve in the fifth ball when Younis Khan dropped him in the second slip.

Sehwag also quickly caught up with his state mate and took Gul to task. Two consecutive fours off Gul in the fifth over made it clear that it was going to be a bad day in office for the Pakistani bowlers.

Malik decided to replace Gul with another left-armer Wahab Riaz but the result was same as Gambhir cut the newcomer for a four through the point.

In his second over Riaz was again punished this time by Sehwag, who turned it to leg for another four. The bowler kept on and in his last ball tried to seduce Gambhir, who again went after a wayward delivery and was twice lucky to be dropped by Younis again.

India’s fifty came up as early as the seventh over and with two easy catches going down luck was nowhere near the Pakistani bowlers. Both Gambhir and Sehwag faced some problems in adjusting to the late swings but found the odd edges racing towards the boundary.

Sehwag made the best use of the life he got when he was on 43 after Akmal failed to hold on to his thick edge off Ifitkar Anjum. Sehwag started to walk back but when he reached the boundary rope he was asked to come back as TV replay showed that the catch was grounded.

Riaz dismissed both openers in a space of a couple of overs but went on to have a torrid time. He gave away 86 runs from his 9.2 overs and was not allowed to complete his last over as he let slip two beamers. It was the most expensive spell by a Pakistani against India, conceding one more than what Ata-ur-Rahman did in Sharjah back in 1996.

Rains held up the game for 10-15 minutes during India’s innings but the Indian batsmen were bang on target and crossed the 300-mark easily.

After IPL, Indians get ready for serious cricket in Kitply Cup

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:14:00 +0000

It's monsoon time here and the rain is bound to interfere with the tri-nation cricket series as it did Sunday when the game between Pakistan and Bangladesh was reduced to 40 over a side. There could be a cloud cover over the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium at Mirpur Tuesday ,too, when India play Pakistan.

The Indians should feel the Indian Premier League (IPL) hang-over the most compared to the other two teams and it is to be seen how quickly they could switch their focus to a relatively serious brand of cricket.

The IPL has thrown up many young cricketers and the national selectors were quick to seize the opportunity to pick some of them for the series here. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had a major say in the selection and he has yet again plumped for young men and fresh legs as he had done for the ODI series against the Australians in the winter.

The selection of players like pacer Manpreet Gony and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha is a clear indication that the captain and the selectors are looking ahead and are in no mood to recall any senior whatever be his past record.

In the absence of off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who is serving a five-match ban for slapping Santhakumaran Sreesanth during an IPL match at Mohali, Dhoni may opt for two spinners on the spinning track at Mirpur after seeing Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi gain prodigious turn. It will be a toss up between Piyush Chawla and Ojha with Yusuf Pathan joining his brother Irfan in the eleven as all-rounders.

Dhoni may go in for six batsmen and five bowlers. Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma filling the three middle-order batting slots with Dhoni following them at No. 6. In the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, who pulled out due to a groin injury, senior bastmen Sehwag, Yuvraj and Dhoni should shoulder the burden of getting big runs.

Pakistan should have no selection worries after their easy victory over Bangladesh. They would like Sohail Tanvir, the top wicket-taker in the IPL playing for champions Rajasthan Royals, to be at his best against India. He was expensive in the first game, though another IPL bowler Umar Gul and new pace bowler Wahab Riaz had a good game Sunday night.

Afridi, who had a disastrous IPL for the Deccan Chargers, said that the lean patch with bat was bothering him and that he would have to spend more time at the crease to come good. He, however, has a good record against the Indians on the subcontinental pitches.

Hard work is the mantra of Chanderpaul

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:53:00 +0000

Unconventional to the core, Shivnarine Chanderpaul's value to the West Indies team is immeasurable and never felt more than during the ongoing series against Australia where he has successfully defanged a hostile pace attack.

Chanderpaul is far from the mould of the traditionally flamboyant West Indian batsman, but he has never been one for the conventional.

You only have to look at his stance, the way he hammers a bail into the ground to mark guard and the baseball-type tape he wears under his eyes to know he is cut from a different cloth.

The quietly spoken left-hander has frustrated the Australians in this series. The tourists could not dismiss him in the second Test, with his marathon unbeaten knocks of 107 and 77 following his fabulous 118 in the first Test.

Just as important has been the 727 balls he has faced to tire out the Australian bowlers under the hot Caribbean sun.

Chanderpaul is so dedicated to his work-out that he has shipped a bowling machine to his home in Orlando, Florida, so that he can work on his game during his time off.

The 33-year-old often bats for three hours against the machine and then has net bowlers hurl deliveries at him for another hour.

"A session of Test cricket lasts two hours - sometimes two and a half hours - so you have to prepare yourself to do this or go longer," Chanderpaul was quoted as saying in Herald Sun.

"So when I enter the nets, I do not really clock the time. I just go into the nets and bat for as long as I can.

"You never know what will happen in the middle and what the bowlers will bowl to you, so you have to prepare yourself and get your mind adjusted to being able to bat for long hours."

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting admitted his bowlers had so far had no answers to the batsman.

"We need to do a little bit more homework on him and how we're even going to look like getting him out," Ponting said.

"With his technique, across the crease and not far back and not far forward, these type of conditions have really suited him. He's been ultra-effective."

To his team, Chanderpaul is just as important as Viv Richards and Clive Lloyd were to Windies sides from another era.

Indian origin Australian to head Cricket NSW

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 05:56:00 +0000

In a remarkable achievement, an Indian origin Australian has become the chairman of arguably the strongest state cricket association - Cricket New South Wales (NSW).

G.K Harinath, who prefers to be called "Harry", is not a greenhorn and has been involved in cricket administration at the Club level in Sydney for nearly three decades, the Indian Link paper here reported.

It all began in 1970 when he completed his MBBS from Osmania University, Hyderabad. One of six highly qualified siblings, medicine seems to be in their blood. Though an elder brother did play first class cricket for Hyderabad, Harry confesses to being a mere "social" cricketer.

Harry came into cricket administration quite fortuitously. A common friend asked him to look after a visiting Indian businessman, F.C. Sondhi - a household name in sports good manufacturing in India. Sondhi took him to dinner with Fred Bennett who was then Chairman of the Australian Cricket Board.

Bennett asked him to come to Balmain Cricket Club to help the cricketers with medical issues on the weekends.

He was on the Executive Committee of the Club in 1979 and was introduced to the New South Wales Cricket Association (NSWCA) in 1981. Within a few years, he was a club delegate to the Sydney Cricket Association. When Bennett died in 1995, Harry became the President of Balmain Cricket Club and also a delegate to the NSWCA.

The parabolic rise in ranks continued when, in 2001, he was elected Director of the NSW Cricket Association (now known as Cricket NSW) and Cricket Australia (CA) in 2004.

Harry thinks he has been able to help improve the relationship between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI).

"It is important to listen to people, seek input and improve", Harry told Indian Link.

Asked why there weren't many notable cricketers of sub-continental origin yet, he says: "Within our communities, sport takes a back seat to studying and often there is a lack of commitment to sport."

When asked if Australia would soon see a cricketer of sub-continental background in the Test team, Harry says: "Yes, it is not far away. Maybe a couple of years."

He gives the example of Usman Khwaja who, he says, is a brilliant student and a pilot, and who made a very successful first class debut for NSW this season.

Under-19 cricket stars to train in Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 05:53:00 +0000

Virat Kohli, Pradeep Sangwan and Tanmay Srivastava, who were part of India's Under-19 World Cup winning squad this year, have been awarded the Border-Gavaskar scholarships for 2008.

They will undergo six weeks training at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, Australia.

Mumbai seamer Dhaval Kulkarni, who did well for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, has been also named for the training stint.

Dhaval's trip is being sponsored by the Mumbai Cricket Association, under their recently-instituted Dilip Sardesai scholarship.

The quartet will leave for Brisbane Saturday.

Injuries rule out Tendulkar and Zaheer

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Fri, 30 May 2008 03:50:00 +0000

India's batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan have been ruled out of the forthcoming tri-series in Bangladesh next month due to injuries.

The national selectors meet here Friday to pick up the team for the Bangladesh tri-series (June 8-14) and also for the Asia Cup in Pakistan from June 24-July 6.

Tendulkar, who is yet to fully recover from a groin injury that kept him away from seven Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, will also miss the subsequent Asia Cup besides the Bangladesh tri-series also involving Pakistan.

"Tendulkar is not available for the tri-series as well as the Asia Cup on the advice of Mumbai Indians' physiotherapist Nitin Patel. He has not recovered sufficiently from the groin injury," Niranjan Shah, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, told reporters here Thursday.

Zaheer, however, will miss only the tri-series in Bangaldesh to recover for the Asia Cup and the subsequent Test series in Sri Lanka.

The left-arm seamer has been suffering from an ankle injury that forced him to return home from Australia after the first Test last season. He was also not available for the home series against Pakistan and South Africa in the winter.

Zaheer, however, was back in action in the Indian Premier League (IPL), playing for the Bangalore Royal Challengers. He ran in vigorously to generate good pace. He claimed 13 wickets in 11 matches before pulling out of the last three games, against Chennai Super Kings, Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians.

But he apparently feels he is not yet ready to return to international cricket and wants to rest his sore ankle so that he can be fully fit for the Asia Cup in Pakistan from June 24 and then the long tour of Sri Lanka.

The BCCI has also asked the physiotherapists of all the eight IPL teams to submit their fitness reports, based on which the teams will be selected.

"We have asked all the physios of all the eight IPL franchises to submit their reports on the Indian players . Then only we will take a decision on the teams for the both the series," Shah said.

He also denied reports that the Dilip Vengsarkar-headed selection committee has been instructed pick a young team for the series in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Shah said the BCCI will also finalise its physiotherapist Friday during the selection committee meeting, but said they would not appoint a permanent physio immediately.

"We want to assess the new candidate before giving him a long-term contract," Shah said.

The national team has been without a permanent physio since John Gloster resigned after the Australia series in March this year.

Ticket prices slashed for IPL semis, final

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Fri, 30 May 2008 03:49:00 +0000

The franchise owners of the Mumbai Indians, who have the rights for the ticket sales for semi-finals and the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to be played here, have drastically slashed the ticket prices.

A spokesman for the franchise management said here Thursday that seeing the huge demand for tickets within the country and overseas, the organisers had decided to cut down the ticket prices as a goodwill gesture so that they are affordable to the fans.

The revised prices for the semi-finals, to be played at the Wankhede stadium Friday and Saturday: Tickets for the Vithal Divecha Stand have been priced Rs.400 as against the original Rs.6,000, while it will be Rs.1,000 instead of Rs.5,000 for the Sunil Gavaskar upper stand.

For the Vijay Merchant upper stand, the price has been slashed to Rs.1,000 from Rs.10,000 and those wanting to buy tickets for the Sachin Tendulkar stand they will be paying only Rs.500 for a Rs.2,000 ticket. And the tickets for the North Stand will also be Rs.500 and not Rs.2,000 as originally priced.

For Sunday's final at the D.Y. Patil Stadium, tickets for the Bay/Stands C, F, K, N lower tiers will be Rs.500, Rs.1,000 for tier 3 and Rs.500 for tier 4.

Tickets for Bay/Stands D, E, L, M will be of Rs.500 for lower tiers 1 and 2, Rs.1,000 for tier 3 and Rs.250 for tier 4.

For Bay/Stands B, G, H, I, J, O the tickets prices are Rs.1,000 for lower tiers 1 and 2, Rs.2,000 for tier 3 and Rs.1,000 for tier 4.

For Bay/Stands A and P, the tickets have been priced at Rs.2,000 for tiers 1, 2 and 4.

All other ticket prices remain as printed on the tickets.

Cashing in on craze, IPL ticket prices hiked

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Thu, 29 May 2008 07:48:00 +0000

The Mumbai Indians team may have been knocked out of the Indian Premier League (IPL), but the franchisee Reliance Industries are all set to cash in on the craze for cricket's latest incarnation by hiking ticket prices up to 20 times for some stands.

Prices have been hiked from two to 20 times - depending on the stand - for the semi-finals at Wankhede Stadium and the final at the newly-built D.Y. Patil Stadium.

A seat in the air conditioned box will cost as much as Rs.25,000 at the Wankhede for the semis, and it will go up to Rs.35,000 for the final at D.Y. Patil Stadium.

The steepest hike has been in the Vijay Merchant Stand Upper deck at the Wankhede where a ticket, which was going for Rs.500 till the last match, has now been priced at Rs.10,000, a 20-fold hike.

The Merchant Lower stands have seen the lowest hike from Rs.500 to Rs.1,000. The only stand left untouched has been the East Stand Lower tier, where a seat still costs Rs.250.

The Garware Clubhouse tickets have gone up from Rs.6,000 to Rs.12,000, while AC box seats have gone up from Rs.12,000 to Rs.25,000. A Divecha stand ticket price has gone up from Rs.3,000 to Rs.6,000, the Gavaskar stand from Rs.1,000 to Rs.5,000 and the North Stand from Rs.500 to Rs.2,000.

At the D.Y. Patil Stadium, which will host the final, the price of an AC box seat has gone up from Rs.12,000 to Rs.35,000 and the first tier seats are now Rs.3,000 as against the old price of Rs.1,000. The second tier seats have gone up from Rs.2,000 to Rs.4,000 and the third tier from Rs.3,000 to Rs.8,000.

Mumbai Indians got the right to host the semis and the final and also have the marketing rights for the last stages because they were the highest bidders in the team auction.

This has also led to a problem with Mumbai Cricket Association, which is entitled to 20 percent of the tickets. While the IPL and the franchisee have given that for the semi-finals, they have given just 2,000 tickets for the final.

While the public at large may not buy the tickets at these exorbitant prices, what Mumbai are banking on is the demand from the other franchisees, whose teams have reached the semi-finals.

It is learnt that each of the four semi-finalists - Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI and Chennai Super Kings - have themselves picked up many of the high-priced tickets.

"We need tickets in various stands and boxes, and the quotas allotted to us are too small. So we are forced to buy even if they are at such a high cost," said one of the franchisee officials, who admitted to having picked up over 2,000 tickets, many of them in the high-priced zone.

"What is even more ironic is that almost all other stadia which are hosting matches offer a better view at a cheaper price," he added.

Indo-Asian News Service

Rajasthan Royals finish at top of IPL tally

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Thu, 29 May 2008 06:01:00 +0000

Despite losing to Kings XI Punjab here Wednesday, Rajasthan Royals finished at the top of the points table as the league stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) concluded.

Punjab finished at number two position with 20 points.

The standings below have been tabulated under matches played, won, lost, tied/abandoned points and net run rate:

Teams M W L T/A Pts NetRR

Rajasthan Royals 14 11 3 0 22 +0.845
Kings XI Punjab 14 10 4 0 20 +0.509
Chennai Super Kings 14 8 6 0 16 -0.192
Delhi Daredevils 14 7 6 1 15 +0.342
Mumbai Indians 14 7 7 0 14 +0.570
Kolkata Knight Riders 14 6 7 1 13 -0.147
Royal Challengers 14 4 10 0 8 -1.160
Deccan Chargers 14 2 12 0 4 -0.467.

Buchanan vows to make Knight Riders the best franchise

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Tue, 27 May 2008 10:43:00 +0000

It may be all over for Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), but their Australian coach John Buchanan has vowed to make them the "best team" in the coming seasons.

At the launch of his book "If Better is Possible", Buchanan made it clear that every team should have its history and Knight Riders will create its own and also set benchmarks.

"I want to develop the team as the best franchise team. We are also looking for the right people and talent. There is the Bollywood aura but then we don't have history. We are the ones to initiate and set benchmarks," he said.

The Knight Riders made a brilliant start in the IPL but lost way after the departure of key players Brendan McCullum and Ricky Ponting. Buchanan, however, feels that it was Knight Riders' failure to perform well in the first six overs that was the main cause of their downfall.

Asked, how is he going to motivate his team following their string of defeats, Buchanan said: "Motivation should come from within. As a coach I work on providing them with an environment to help them achieve their desires, the desire to try and improve. If I can change it fine, or else it would be time to go."

There are hardly any critics who can point a finger at Buchanan's chequered career with the world champion Australian team. But he is a self critic.

"If am not able to talk and get it (performance) from my players, which I indeed could not do at the IPL, I should be under review."

Buchanan also said that he has no energy left to take up coaching a national side any more. "I don't have energy level to match it and I won't have much impact on the team," he said.

Reacting to Shane Warne's comment that national sides don't need a coach, Buchanan said: "Yes, of course, it is needed. It is a huge task even if some people boast and have you believe the otherwise. Preparations are individualised. Take Matthew Hayden. If he had his way he would just turn up on the day of the match, ready to play. Ready tactically, mentally, technically. You would find him spot on. But then there are other players as well who are different. A coach is the buffer to support and protect the players."

Asked what was the biggest challenge he faced during his tenure with the Australian team, Buchanan said: "The problem for most successful teams face is that they tend to undermine their opponents. The same happened with us during the 2005 Ashes. So my challenge was to see that our strengths were not our weaknesses."

On his current challenge of working with Knight Riders' captain Sourav Ganguly, the Australian said: "To be 100 percent honest, we should not talk a lot of things. He (Sourav) is an achiever, he has done incredible things. He is going to adjust to any form of the game. An icon of Bengal. We worked together very well in such a short time. We have to work the best for the team. Exciting times for Knight Riders, Indian cricket and world cricket."

On Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, he said: "There is a lot of reputation and a lot of history which goes with him. He is lazy sometimes like not being punctual but he is benefitial for the team."

Buchanan concluded by saying that Twenty20 is the future of cricket and IPL proved it.

"It is in front of us. People who watch have an opinion and there is a huge interest. I think the administrators are the key people. They have to balance the two forms of the game. Twenty20 is something that can be watched in New York too. It is certainly beneficial for cricket," he said.

Dada evokes the 9 emotions

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Tue, 27 May 2008 10:29:00 +0000

If love, anger, bravery, mirth, compassion, aversion, amazement, fright and calm are the ‘nava rasas’ or the nine emotions that as per ancient Indian theory of aesthetics a quality work of art must evoke, then no modern cricketer comes close to Sourav Ganguly.
Nobody can make fans and foes alike run through the gamut of emotions as the former Indian captain. Even in the Sunday night game, he first aroused laughter and loathing among KKR fans as he ran back to drop a catch in the outfield that strictly belonged to teammate Aakash Chopra. It was typical of Ganguly to shout at the hapless fellow fielder when the mistake was his own.
And then as his solo endeavour to sign off on a winning note looked futile with wickets falling at the other end, the KKR captain turned into an object of pity. In fact, at one point, his apparent refusal to move into fourth gear prompted commentators like Arun Lal to wonder why he was delaying the onslaught for whatever it was worth.
The unthinkable happened thereafter. Despite all the shocks that Ganguly has let loose on his unsuspecting fans since his fairytale international comeback in December 2006 — beginning from a half-century on a savage Johannesburg pitch to a double century against Pakistan in Bangalore to a matchwinning but already forgotten 87 against South Africa just six weeks ago in Kanpur — few were prepared for the way he batted, smashing an unbeaten 86 off 53 balls, admittedly with Umar Gul in stellar support.

But as the crowd swiveled from amazement to euphoria at Eden Gardens on Sunday, Ganguly remained the quintessence of cool. Facing up to Irfan Pathan and in need of 15 runs off six balls to clinch an unlikely win for the Kolkata Knight Riders, both his face and demeanour were a picture of Buddhist calm. The former India captain looked at peace with himself and with the world.
And that was surprising even to his most ardent fans. In everything he had showcased on the field and off it, Ganguly was never known to be a man of calm. Intense, abrasive, passionate, fidgety, yes. But calm and peace? No. And yet there he was displaying the one emotion — tranquillity — that no one thought he possessed. No wonder, Pathan came out second best.
Perhaps therein also lies the key to the former India captain’s enduring all-India popularity. His ability to engage and his gift to surprise. Ganguly’s cricket persona is like a good Alfred Hitchcock film; you never know what lies at the end. When he was exiled from international cricket in 2006, Ganguly’s quest wasn’t just about regaining his place; it was also about winning back respect. Perhaps it was the sheer audacity of his endeavour that his private battle for redemption touched a nationwide collective chord.
Which is why when he smashed 91 against Team Hyderabad — besides taking two wickets and two catches in probably the most comprehensive all-round IPL performance in a game, the entire crowd clapped, making a mockery of the home and away league format.
Which is why he could work the crowd to such frenzied levels against Team Bangalore at home. 3-0-7-1 with the wicket of Rahul Dravid speaks a lot about Ganguly the bowler. But it doesn’t capture an iota of the great human theatre that the KKR captain stirred up that day.
For many old guards like Ganguly, cricket’s shortest version was meant to be a process of de-mythologisation. It was meant to expose those too old, too unfit and too over the hill. Too bad they never realised the elegant southpaw is too unputdownable. TOI

Chepuk 1952: India’s First Ever Test Win

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:17:00 +0000

When the England under Nigel Howard arrived in India for a five test series, there was a hope all round that India would now achieve the elusive Test victory. In the absence of stars like Bedser from the England team, the hope wasn’t misplaced. However it all seemed lost when India went into the last test match at Chepuk in Madras down 0-1, having lost second Test at Kanpur. The Indians thus had much more than pride at Stake in Madras (Now Chennai). Finally, at 1500 hrs on Feb 10, 1952, when C.D. Gopinath caught Statham, history was made.

Hazare had led India to their first ever Test win. The chief architects of the victory were the “famous five” – Vinoo Mankad, Ghulam Ahmed, Pankaj Roy, Polly Umrigar and, Probir Sen.

England: 266 (Robertson 77, Spooner 66)
Mankad: 8/55

India: 457 (Umrigar 130*, Roy 111)

England: 183 (Robertson 56, Watkins 48)
Ahmed: 4/77, Mankad: 4/53

Rain dashes Knight Riders' hopes; Daredevils' chances brighten

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Fri, 23 May 2008 03:31:00 +0000

Unseasonal rain played spoilsport for Kolkata Knight Riders, dashing their hopes of a semifinal berth in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after their match against Delhi Daredevils was washed out without a ball being bowled at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium here Thursday.

Delhi Daredevils and Knight Riders, after splitting two points, were at 13 and 11 points respectively in the IPL standings. Both teams desperately nedded to win this match to keep their hopes alive for a semi-final berth.

Daredevils and Knight Riders, occupying fourth and sixth positions in the points table respectively, have just a match to go.

Delhi Daredevils still have a chance of qualifying to reach the knock-out stage with their only match against Mumbai Indians to be played here Saturday.

Daredevils will face competition from Mumbai Indians, dropped to fifth position (12) after Thursdays' abandoned tie, for the fourth semi-final spot. But Mumbai Indians are at advantage as they have three three matches still left in the league.

Mumbai Indians will face Daredevils, Rajasthan Royals and Bangalore Royal Challengers next.

Daredevils have to beat Mumbai Indians by a huge margin to collect 15 points while they have to pray that the Mumbai team loses to Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers.

Even if Mumbai Indians beat Royal Challengers in their last match they will have 14 points - one short of Daredevils. In that case, Daredevils will be the fourth team after Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings to complete the semi-final line-up.

Inclement weather for the past couple of days had cast a cloud over this match and it proved a dampner Thursday.

When rain stopped after 9 p.m., Knight Riders captain Sourav Ganguly and his Daredevils counterpart Virender Sehwag along with umpires Steve Davis and A.V. Jayprakash came out to inspect the ground condition.

The ground was transformed into pools of water at several spots and despite the ground staff working throughout the day to ensure play, wet outfield forced the calling off the match.

Match Referee Clive Lloyd said though there were two super soppers pressed into service to flush the water but only one was in good condition.

This is the first IPL match to be abandoned due to rain.

Money taking toll on Cricket

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Thu, 22 May 2008 04:08:00 +0000

My worst fears are turning into reality as I read the following news item on Cricbuzz, I could not resist myself from writing this post. As the New Zealand Cricket Board has been allegedly offer $ 1 mn for letting power hitting wicketkeeper & batsman Brendon McCullum for playing in the possible appearance of Kolkata Knight Riders in semifinals. Money has starting affecting cricket.

New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum may be lured away from his national team and back to the IPL in the middle of his ongoing Test series against England. McCullum, who played for the Kolkata Knight Riders in India, could make another appearance for his franchise if the Shah Rukh Khan owned team reaches the semifinals.

McCullum could fly down to India to play the semifinals as the match is scheduled in between the second and third Tests being played in England.

Reports suggest that New Zealand cricket has been offered one million US dollars to release him to play in the semifinals.

It is learned that New Zealand CEO Justin Vaughan will take the final call regarding the matter.

The whole issue has not been reviewed as the Kolkata team haven't made the Top 4 yet.

McCullum thrilled the crowds in his brief stay in the subcontinent, hitting a brutal century against the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the high-profile opening match of the IPL.

Despite win, Yuvraj not happy with bowlers' performance

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Thu, 22 May 2008 03:43:00 +0000

Despite his team's one-run victory that helped his team secure a place in the semi-finals of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kings XI Punjab captain Yuvraj Singh was unhappy with his bowling attack that allowed Mumbai Indians to come so close to pipping them in the last over.

Obviously referring to Vikram Raj Vir Singh's nervy display in the last over, Yuvaraj said: "We should not have allowed them to come so close in the last over."

"There was every chance the batsmen would go after me, being a spinner rather than Vikram Raj Vir Singh, a pace bowler, who is that much more difficult to hit."

Yuvraj admitted that luck was on his team's side Wednesday, and said the dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar, when it happened, swung the pendulum of momentum in his team's favour.

Yuvraj was full of praise for young leg spinner Piyush Chawla, "who has always delivered when the team needs him."

He was also disappointed with the Mumbai crowd's booing of Sreesanth and reiterated his view made clear during the prize giving ceremony.

"Sreesanth is an India player and the crowds need to support him. This type of booing is not good against India players," he said.

Royal Challengers stun Super Kings with 14-run victory

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Thu, 22 May 2008 03:43:00 +0000

Bangalore Royal Challengers, placed at the bottom of the Indian Premier League (IPL) points tally, pulled off a stunning 14-run win against hot favourites Chennai Super Kings here Wednesday night.

Royal Challengers, who won the toss and decided to bat first, could score only a paltry 126 for eight in 20 overs. In reply, Super Kings wasted a good start and threw away their wickets to end up at 112 for eight.

It was the fifth defeat for Super Kings and could well dash their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals as they need to win their remaining two matches, against Rajasthan Royals and the Deccan Chargers.

Super Kings started well but collapsed quite dramatically as Man of the Match Anil Kumble took three for 14 and fast bowler Dale Steyn came up with a superb second spell to provide Challengers their third win in 12 matches.

Parthiv Patel (24) and Stephen Fleming (45) batted sensibly to provide a solid foundation to the chase with a 60-run partnership off 54 balls and Super Kings looked well on the way to an easy victory.

Patel was fortunate to get away with a top-edged hook off Jacques Kallis with Anil Kumble and skipper Rahul Dravid going for the catch and dropping it. However, he did not survive for long, offering a return catch to Kumble.

By then, Super Kings were more than half-way to the target, but Challengers came up with a last-ditch effort that saw veteran Kumble coming into his own with a three-wicket haul, besides taking a catch in the deep to dismiss skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Soon, Super Kings's run rate fell to a crawl.

Later, Steyn, bowling his second spell after going for 25 in his opening two overs, removed Albie Morkel (1) and Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan (0) who was brilliantly caught by veteran Kallis, in the space of three deliveries to provide a fresh twist to the contest.

At 93 for six at the end of 16 overs, the Super Kings were skating on thin ice and they continued to hurtle towards disaster as Manpreet Gony (4) fell to Praveen Kumar attempting another big hit before Lakshmipathy Balaji was run out in the 19th over to reduce the hosts to 110 for eight with their hopes resting on Suresh Raina, who had come in at No.4.

Going into the final over, Super Kings needed 16 runs, a task that proved beyond their reach.

Earlier, Royal Challengers, out of contention for a semi-final berth, put forth yet another insipid performance with the bat as their innings progressed at the snail's pace with Super Kings bowlers giving little away.

Only late in the innings did the run-rate pick up as Dravid (47, 39b, 5x4) and Praveen (21, 11b, 1x6, 2x4) played some attacking shots to save the blushes.

Gony was pick of the Super Kings bowlers with a spell of 4-1-11-2 as he dismissed both openers, Kallis (5) and Sreevats Goswami (10) in his second and fourth overs.

The Challengers batting line-up never really recovered from the disastrous start and worse was to follow as Virat Kohli fell for 10, lofting Muttiah Muralitharan to deep mid-wicket where Morkel took a brilliant, tumbling catch.

In the process, the South African all-rounder injured himself and left the field. He returned soon after to pick up two important wickets, those of Mark Boucher and Dravid, followed by a double strike in the final over to remove Praveen and Vinay Kumar off consecutive deliveries for a haul of 4 for 32.

Overall, the Super Kings bowlers showed a lot of discipline, conceding just one wide and although Balaji and Morkel went for a few runs as Challengers sought to step up the pace, the hosts never lost control over the proceedings.

Despite loss, Super Kings well placed in IPL tally

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Thu, 22 May 2008 03:40:00 +0000

Despite their shocking 14-run loss to Bangalore Royal Challengers, Chennai Super Kings remain well placed at the third spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) standings.

Royal Challengers after their surprise win finally moved out of the bottom spot and are now placed seventh in this eight-team league.

The standings below have been tabulated under matches played, won, lost, tied, points and net run rate:

Teams M W L T Pts NetRR

Rajasthan Royals 11 9 2 0 18 +0.950
Kings XI Punjab 11 8 3 0 16 +0.436
Chennai Super Kings 12 7 5 0 14 -0.209
Mumbai Indians 11 6 5 0 12 +0.663
Delhi Daredevils 12 6 6 0 12 +0.350
Kolkata Knight Riders 12 5 7 0 10 -0.167
Bangalore Royal Challengers 12 3 9 0 6 -1.317
Deccan Chargers 11 2 9 0 4 -0.463

Gambhir becomes first IPL batsman to amass 500 runs

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Tue, 20 May 2008 10:24:00 +0000

Gautam Gambhir, with his 39 in Delhi Daredevils' five-wicket win over Bangalore Royal Challengers Monday night, became the first player in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to score more than 500 runs.

Gambhir has scored 504 at an average of 45.81 in 12 matches. Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag is second in the list with 385 runs at an average of 38.50. Shikhar Dhawan became the third batsman from Delhi Daredevils to amass 300 runs or more in the competition.

Gautam knock of 39 off 31 balls included six fours, and thus he became the first batsman to aggregate 302 runs in boundaries (65 fours and 7 sixes) in the IPL, eclipsing Sanath Jayasuriya's aggregate of 288 through boundaries - 42 fours and 20 sixes. Sehwag also has equalled Sanath Jayasuriya's feat of 20 sixes in the competition.

Royal Challengers' 19-year-old debutant Shreevats Goswami, who scored 52 off 42 balls, became the youngest batsman to post a fifty in the IPL. The previous record was held by Rohit Sharma, who had registered a fifty at 20 years 358 days - 66 off 36 balls against Delhi at Hyderabad, April 22.

The following are the other statistical highlights of the day:

Bangalore Royal Challengers became the second team after Deccan Chargers to lose 9 games in the IPL.

Bangalore Royal Challengers have now lost five games in succession between May 5 and May 10 - the first team to achieve the dubious distinction.

Bangalore Royal Challengers is the only team not to have recorded a stand of even 40 for the first wicket in the IPL.

Delhi is the only team in the IPL with only one opening pair throughout the competition. In 12 innings, the Gambhir-Sehwag pair has aggregated 499 at an average of 41.58 with one century stand and three fifty-plus.

Jacques Kallis has averaged 18.11 in 9 games, making only 163 runs, including one fifty.

Chipli has averaged 6.66 in 3 games, making 20 runs.

Misbah-ul-Haq (47 not out off 25 balls) posted his highest in the IPL. His average in the competition has improved slightly - 19.75 after 5 matches (79 runs).

Sangwan (3-0-51-0) became the first bowler in the IPL to concede 50 runs in only three overs.

Glenn McGrath, with 12 wickets at 23.33 runs apiece is the leading wicket-taker for Delhi Daredevils. He is followed by Maharoof (11) and Mahesh (10).

Anil Kumble (2/18) produced his best bowling performance in the IPL.

Dinesh Karthik has averaged 15.80 - 79 runs in 11 matches.

Zaheer Khan has failed to claim a single wicket in his last three games.

Australia fails to do research on West Indian cricketers

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav Shukla) — Tue, 20 May 2008 10:21:00 +0000

Australia admits that its normally scrupulous research on opponents has hit a snag going into this week's first Test against the West Indies.

According to a report in the Herald Sun Tuesday, Australia has failed to contact the one man who could have helped unearth some inside intelligence on the Windies: Queenslander turned Jamaican batsman Brendan Nash.

Australia has not played the West Indies since 2005 and has been unable to dig up video footage of some of the locals' new players such as spin twins Amit Jaggernauth and Sulieman Benn.

Coach Tim Nielsen considered seeking information from Nash, who moved to the Caribbean last year to restart his first-class career.

Nash, whose father Paul was an Olympic swimmer for Jamaica, had a strong domestic season and would have been close to making the West Indies Test squad.

But he is playing league cricket in England and could not be contacted.

Nielsen admitted he would have liked more information on some of the Windies players, but said it was not a major problem.

"We don't know a lot about some of their newer players. Hopefully we can adapt to what goes on in the course of the game," Nielsen said.

"We are very aware they have been playing some very good cricket."

Australia lost its tour match against a Jamaican XI in Telawny when rain intervened late on the final day with the tourists needing just 31 to win.

But the Aussies were satisfied with their hitout, with Stuart MacGill taking 3-50 and 4-79, and Simon Katich showing his worth as a backup spinner with 2-51 and 4-15.

Captain Ricky Ponting hit an unbeaten 20 in the second innings and looked to be finally hitting some decent form when the rain came.

Katich also had a good match with the bat (97 and 37 not out) and will take the absent Michael Clarke's spot for the first Test.

The only worry was the bowlers sending down plenty of no-balls, including 13 in the second innings.

Indo-Asian News Service