England has a good enough one-day side to win the World Cup in 2011, according to experienced batsman Kevin Pietersen.
The 30-year-old has seen England improve dramatically in the shorter form of the game in the last 12 months.
They were thumped 6-1 at home by Australia last summer, but since then they have made it to the Champions Trophy semi-finals, won the ICC World Twenty20 tournament and beaten both Australia and Bangladesh this summer.
England will head to the ICC World Cup in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka full of confidence, especially as they have exciting and powerful batsman such as Eoin Morgan and Craig Kieswetter who can both make match winning knocks.
Pietersen has admitted England could be at a disadvantage as they must beat "subcontinent teams on the subcontinent", which is going to be a massive challenge but the players are positive and that has led to the recent impressive results.
The international cricket odds suggest the side could struggle in unfamiliar conditions, and Pietersen is aware of this.
He said: "That's going to be our biggest worry, along with playing spin there, but with the mindset the guys have from winning a trophy away from England, we can take that across to India and I do think that we have a very good chance of winning it."
England have been drawn in Group B for the World Cup 2011 which means they face India, South Africa, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands.
However, before the competition gets underway there is the small matter of a tour of Australia. The Ashes cricket odds make England underdogs, but they will be looking to improve in the longer form of the game ahead of the clash.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Pietersen confident of England one-day glory
Thursday, July 01, 2010
England 'still not Ashes favourites'
England's recent dominance over Australia in the short forms of cricket does not make them favourites to successfully defend the Ashes this winter, according to one legend.
England beat Australia in the final of the World Twenty20 tournament and now they lead their old enemy 3-1 in their five-game one-day series. But Andrew Flintoff, who was part of two Ashes-winning sides, doesn't think the side should get carried away.
England are on the hunt for a comprehensive win over Ricky Ponting's side and this has led to real belief they could hold an advantage mentally over Australia by the time the Ashes series gets underway later in the year.
Flintoff told Press Association that England fans should keep their feet on the ground despite recent success as Australia's one day and Test sides are "very different". Indeed, the Ashes cricket odds still make Australia favourites.
Both sides face Test series' against Pakistan before they clash this winter, and the 32-year-old reckons the performances in these games will be more of an indicator for who goes into the series as favourites.
"With the two different forms of the game, we can take a bit of confidence from it, but I don't think it plays a major part," Flintoff said.
"The one thing over the next few months will be to see how Australia and England play against Pakistan - the two series are both in England, so let's see how the Test sides have progressed."
One England man brimming with confidence currently due to his success against Australia is spinner Graeme Swann.
He took four wickets in England's latest win at Old Trafford and he has claimed that Andrew Strauss's men could now be regarded as the "golden generation" of English cricket.
Meanwhile, Brazil and Spain continue to contest favouritism in the World Cup 2010 betting ahead of the first quarter final clashes.
The two sides are still on course to meet in the final after winning their groups.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
What Sport Will Get More Attention in England for Next Few Weeks? Cricket or Football?
England soccer team qualified for the World Cup 2010 Knockout Stages, which will draw a significant attention towards the game of football among English sports fan. This might well disrupt the interest for ongoing cricket series between Australia and England.
England, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, all cricket playing nations featured in this years soccer world cup. However only England got qualified for the knockout stages while host South Africa along with New Zealand and Australia failed to make it further beyond the first round itself.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Finn 'will be a Test star'
Steve Finn is a quality bowler who possesses all the attributes to trouble Australia during the winter Ashes series, according to one of his England colleagues.
Stuart Broad was recently given time off from playing to go on a period of "intensive strengthening", and now Finn, a newcomer to the Test arena, is also going to be sent on a similar period of work in the gym.
The duo bowled together in Test matches against Bangladesh earlier this year and could also take to the field when England play a series against Pakistan at the end of July.
England also play a series of Twenty20 and One-Day games against the same opposition throughout the summer and early autumn before they fly out to Australia in November to prepare for an Ashes winter. The Ashes cricket betting suggests England will struggle on tour, so the player will need to be fully fit.
Both Broad's and Finn's period of strengthening were designed to help ensure they will be in top shape to face Australia, and the former said you need to be in "really good physical shape" for Test cricket so it is a "good move" to send Finn to the camp.
"He is a talented bowler with all the attributes to be a great success in international cricket," Broad said.
"It is a great opportunity for him to go away and do that and then come back strongly against Pakistan in the Test match series."
While Finn has come in and taken Test cricket by storm, one man he could potentially face in the Ashes is looking to rekindle his form to ensure he does not miss out.
Peter Siddle is recovering from back stress fractures and is due to play in the Indian Champions Twenty20 League to try and impress the selectors and get into the Australia team.
Meanwhile, in other sports news, the World Cup betting odds no longer make Spain favourites for the tournament.
They were replaced by Brazil after the European Champion's lost to Switzerland in their opening game.
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Bresnan fears for Ashes
There is some concern that bowler Tim Bresnan could miss England's battles to retain the Ashes in Australia this winter.
It has been confirmed the Yorkshire star will not play in the second and final Test against Bangladesh at Old Trafford – and Ryan Sidebottom has replaced him in the squad for that match.
Bresnan suffered a stress fracture in his foot during the first match of the series at Lord's, and his performance in the match was also criticised by England coach Andy Flower.
After the clash the coach claimed that Bresnan had picked up some bad habits playing the shorter forms of the game, and some of them "were not great" for Test match cricket, something which showed against Bangladesh.
However, Flower also had some words of encouragement for the Yorkshireman.
The coach said: "It is a real pity he has picked up this injury as I was looking forward to seeing him in Manchester and how quickly he could adapt back into being a Test bowler."
Meanwhile, England cricket legend Ian Botham has predicted that Steve Finn will be a key figure for Flower's side in Australia this winter. The Ashes cricket odds suggest England will struggle to retain the urn, but Botham thinks the Middlesex man can do a job.
He told the Mirror that he believes Finn has emerged as a Test match cricketer at "just the right time" but it could be interesting to see if Flower will pick both Finn and Stuart Broad in the Ashes matches.
Meanwhile, England remain third favourites in the World Cup 2010 betting, ahead of the big kick off.
The squad have now arrived in South Africa and are preparing to face USA in just over a week's time.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Flower to rest key England players
England international cricket coach Andy Flower may rest some of his key players as they face a hectic schedule over the rest of 2010.
The team are still celebrating after their impressive victory in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament, but they are due to play a Test series against Bangladesh in the coming weeks.
England are also scheduled to play Pakistan in a series of ODIs, Tests and Twenty20 matches before their Ashes winter.
Flower has seen England Test captain Andrew Strauss take a break and sit out the Twenty20 matches, but he will return for the Bangladesh Tests, while the likes of Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood and Graeme Swann have all played pretty much non-stop over the last 12 months.
England's cricket odds suggest they should make short work of Bangladesh, and it could be that some fresh faces are brought in for those games.
The coach claims it could be hard to fit "strength and conditioning" training into an already busy schedule, so he may consider rotating his squad and giving some players a bit of a rest.
"We have a very busy 12 months ahead of us and we are going to have to rest players at various times," said Flower.
"In certain situations it is possible that we will have to rest some players either for emotional reasons such as stress and sometimes it will be for strength and conditioning reasons."
Flower has also moved to stop England players getting too carried away about their Twenty20 triumph by warning that the national team is about all forms of cricket and there is still "huge scope for improvement" in some areas of their game.
Meanwhile, the England football team's World Cup 2010 betting odds makes them third favourites for this year's tournament.
They will be looking to emulate their cricket counterpart's trophy winning efforts when they travel to South Africa next month.
Friday, May 07, 2010
South Africa appoint former Test stars
South Africa have announced that former Test player Andrew Hudson is to take the role of convenor of selectors.
The 45-year-old will replace Gerald Majola who had been doing the job on a temporary basis, combining it as his role of chief executive with Cricket South Africa.
Hudson played 35 Tests for South Africa over a six-year period ending in 1998 and he will be joined on the selection panel by another former international star in Shafiek Abrahams, who has been added as a new member.
South Africa are currently bidding for glory in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament, and the cricket betting odds suggest they are in with a good chance of winning the tournament.
Hudson is likely to face the first task of his new reign when the Test squad to face the West Indies in June is named.
Speaking about the appointment, Hudson said: "I am looking forward to getting involved with the Proteas again. They have done well recently and I am confident that we also have the emerging talent to take our team forward."
It was recently announced that South Africa is to host the Champions League Twenty20 tournament during September.
Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi confirmed the staging of the competition and said that South Africa was an "ideal host" due to their recent staging of big cricket competitions.
Meanwhile, in football news, South Africa is preparing to host the World Cup.
However, sadly for the Bafana Bafana the World Cup 2010 odds makes them huge outsiders of the tournament.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Soccer World Cup 2010 Theme Song
The officla Soccer World Cup 2010 Theme Song is now released. I'm sure most of the cricket fans will welcome the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010 in South Africa as an event to celebrate. Here are the lyrics, MP3 Download link for the Soccer World Cup 2010 Official Theme Song.
The official theme song of FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa is sung by K’naan. The song is titled “Wavin Flag”. There is an English version as well as the Spanish version of the song. A link to download the MP3 of official theme song of FIFA World Cup 2010 will follow the lyrics of the official theme song.
The Lyrics
When i get older, they'll call me freedom
Just like a Waving Flag.
[Chorus]
When I get older, I will be stronger,
They'll call me freedom, just like a Waving Flag,
And then it goes back, and then it goes back,
And then it goes back
Born to a throne, stronger than Rome
but Violent prone, poor people zone,
But it's my home, all I have known,
Where I got grown, streets we would roam.
But out of the darkness, I came the farthest,
Among the hardest survival.
Learn from these streets, it can be bleak,
Except no defeat, surrender retreat,
So we struggling, fighting to eat and
We wondering when we'll be free,
So we patiently wait, for that fateful day,
It's not far away, so for now we say
[Chorus]
So many wars, settling scores,
Bringing us promises, leaving us poor,
I heard them say, love is the way,
Love is the answer, that's what they say,
But look how they treat us, Make us believers,
We fight their battles, then they deceive us,
Try to control us, they couldn't hold us,
Cause we just move forward like Buffalo Soldiers.
But we struggling, fighting to eat,
And we wondering, when we'll be free
So we patiently wait, for that faithful day,
It's not far away, but for now we say,
[Chorus] 2x
(Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhh)
And everybody will be singing it
(Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhh)
And you and I will be singing it
(Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhh)
And we all will be singing it
(Ohhh Ohh Ohh Ohh)
[Chorus] 2x
When I get older, when I get older
I will be stronger, just like a Waving Flag,
Just like a Waving Flag, just like a Waving flag
Flag, flag, Just like a Waving Flag
Below is the link to Download the MP3 of Official FIFA World Cup 2010 Theme Song.
Click Here to Download MP3 of K’naan’s Waving Flag
If you are looking for the ring tone of Wavin' Flag, you can download it here.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
India dealt T20 blow
India's hopes of success in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament have been dealt a real blow as batsman Virender Sehwag has been ruled out of the competition.
Their vice-captain has been in top form in the Indian Premier League but a shoulder injury has ruled him out of the Caribbean tournament.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has confirmed that he needs to rest the injured joint for four weeks and will be replaced in the squad for the ICC World Twenty20 by Murali Vijay.
Gautam Gambhir will take over as vice-captain to Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India look to repeat their success in the 2007 competition.
They are have been drawn with South Africa and Afghanistan in Group C and play their first game against the later in St Lucia on May 1st.
India fans will be looking for Vijay to repeat the form he has shown in the IPL, where he scored 417 runs for the Chennai Super Kings, to help the side through to the Super Eights stage.
However, even without the talismanic Sehwag the cricket betting makes India favourites to win the World Twenty20.
The captain of Group C rivals South Africa, Graeme Smith, recently said that Afghanistan could be a surprise package who could cause problems for both his side and India.
He warned they have some "talented cricketers" who have nothing to lose in the Caribbean, something which will make them "dangerous" opponents.
Meanwhile, in football news, England remain third favourites in the World Cup online betting ahead of this year's tournament in South Africa.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Ponting backs bowler for Twenty20 success
Veteran Australian bowler Brett Lee has been backed to play a major role in helping Australia win the World Twenty20 tournament by his captain.
The 33-year-old pace bowler has retired from Test cricket due to a consistent elbow problem that required surgery at the back end of 2009, but has played a few games in the Indian Premier League to get some match practice.
Lee was surprisingly named in Australia's 15-man for the World Twenty20 which takes place in the West Indies in May, but his inclusion has received the backing of captain Ricky Ponting, as the pair have played a vast amount of cricket together over the years.
Ponting claims the veteran's bowling has "looked good" during what he has seen of the IPL and the presence of Lee around the camp will be "really good" for Australia and their prospects.
"He hasn't played a lot of cricket for a few months but it's great to see him back on the park now," said the captain.
"It's a good sign to have someone of that class and calibre in the team going into a big tournament."
Australia could be entering the World Twenty20 high on confidence after they beat New Zealand 2-0 in the recent Test series between the two nations, and indeed the cricket odds make them favourites for the tournament.
Meanwhile, in football news, many people have decided to make Argentina their World Cup 2010 tips after Lionel Messi put in a masterful performance in last night's Champions League clash between Barcelona and Arsenal.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
What Will be Sanath’s Result in Upcoming Election?
Sanath Jayasuriya is virtually out from the Mumbai Indians team for the IPL 2010 season, while he had been busy running around organizing his election campaign for the Sri Lanka General Election.
Meanwhile he is now confirmed as an opener for Sri Lanka’s next T-20 World Cup squad. In Sri Lanka, some people suggest this as a pure political move. However, the 40 years old master blaster does have some more fire power left to deliver goods for Sri Lanka Cricket.
But, people await fingers crossed what would be the results of Sri Lanka General Election 2010. Because, this results holds Sanath’s Cricketing career, as if he lose; he will not get anymore political backing up to get selected for the team.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Harris a first Test doubt for Australia
Australia might have to go into the first Test against New Zealand without their pace bowler Ryan Harris due to injury.
The match starts on Thursday in Wellington and is the first of a two match series before Australia head off to the ICC World Twenty20 tournament, a competition the cricket betting makes them joint thirds favourites for.
Harris had complained of feeling sore on the left hand side of his body and as a result is considered doubtful to face New Zealand, which means the selectors have called up Peter George as cover for the fast bowler.
Alex Kountouris, physiotherapist for Australia, said Harris felt the injury after the fourth one-day match against New Zealand, a series which ultimately the home team won 3-2.
"Since then he has improved significantly and has bowled at low intensity for the last two training days," the medical expert said.
"However, due to the inclement weather he was unable to bowl outdoors as planned today (Wednesday) and therefore it is not clear if he will be available for the first Test match."
Harris has signed to be the overseas player for Yorkshire for the 2010 season but the county has admitted the bowlers impressive displays for Australia means he may play more for his country than expected over the duration of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Australia's footballers are gearing up for this year's World Cup.
However, despite an impressive qualifying campaign the Socceroos are unlikely to prove a good World Cup bet this time around.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Indian Premier League 2010 Schedule, Fixtures and Teams
DLF Indian Premier League 2010 Schedule and Fixtures: The 2010 Indian Premier League season (IPL 3) the third season of the Indian Premier League will start on March 12 and end on April 25, 2010.
IPL has been a revolution to the cricketing world. The eight teams in the IPL have fought like warriors fight in a war. At the end, one emerged victorious. In 2008, it was Rajasthan Royals, whereas this year it was Deccan Chargers. Irrespective of the winner, these 8 teams promised a great show of cricket. The teams were Chennai Super Kings, Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The franchises of these 8 teams were sold at a whooping price of $723.59 million
IPL 2010 Schedule and Venue
***********************************
IPL Mumbai – Mumbai Indians
Batsmen
Jean-Paul Duminy
Mohammed Ashraful
Shikhar Dhawan
Sachin Tendulkar(Captain)
Saurabh Tiwary
Ajinkya Rahane
Jaydev Shah
All Rounders
Sanath Jayasuriya
Ryan McLaren
Dwayne Bravo
Graham Napier
Kyle Mills
Abhishek Nayar
Wicket Keepers
Luke Ronchi
Pinal Shah
Yogesh Takawale
Bowlers
Dilhara Fernando
Harbhajan Singh
Dhaval Kulkarni
Rohan Raje
Zaheer Khan
Lasith Malinga
Chetanya Nanda
Rahil Sheikh
Coaches
Head Coach: Lalchand Rajput
Assistant Head Coach: Sameer Dighe
Bowling Coach: Subroto Banerjee
Physiotherapist: Dr. Nitin Patel
***********************************
IPL Bangalore – Royal Challengers
Batsmen
Rahul Dravid
Robin Uthappa
Ross Taylor
Kevin Pietersen
Jesse Ryder
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Wasim Jaffer
Jagadeesh Arunkumar
Bharat Chipli
K.P. Appanna
Gaurav Dhiman
Wicket Keepers
Mark Boucher
Shreevats Goswami
Devraj Patil
All Rounders
Jacques Kallis
Virat Kohli
Praveen Kumar
Cameron White
Sunil Joshi
Balachandra Akhil
Bowlers
Pankaj Singh
Dale Steyn
Anil Kumble
Nathan Bracken
Ranganath Vinay Kumar
Abdur Razzak
N.S.C. Aiyappa
Dillon du Preez
Coaches
Head Coach: Ray Jennings
Assistant Head Coach: Vijay Bharadwaj
Bowling Coach: Venkatesh Prasad
Physiotherapist: TBA
IPL Delhi – Daredevils
Batsmen
Owais Shah
David Warner
Gautam Gambhir
Manoj Tiwary
All Rounders
Andrew McDonald
Daniel Vettori
Tillakaratne Dilshan
Paul Collingwood
Farveez Maharoof
Rajat Bhatia
Virender Sehwag(Captain)
Mithun Manhas
AB de Villiers
Wicket Keepers
Dinesh Karthik
Bowlers
Glenn McGrath
Dirk Nannes
Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh
Ashish Nehra
Amit Mishra
Pradeep Sangwan
Coaches
Head Coach: Greg Shipperd
Assistant Head Coach: David Saker
Bowling Consultant: Dennis Lillee
Physiotherapist: Justin Steer
IPL Hyderabad – Deccan Chargers
Batsmen
Chamara Silva
Herschelle Gibbs
V.V.S.Laxman
Arjun Yadav
Venugopal Rao
Rohit Sharma
D.B.Ravi Teja
T.Suman
Abhinav Kumar
All Rounders
Dwayne Smith
Scott Styris
Andrew Symonds
Ryan Harris
Wicket Keepers
Adam Gilchrist
Halhadar Das
M.S.Bisla
Bowlers
R. P. Singh
Fidel Edwards
Chaminda Vaas
Nuwan Zoysa
D.Kalyankrishna
Pragyan Ojha
M Sarveesh Kumar
H.S.Bansal
Jaskarandeep Singh
P. Vijay Kumar
Support Staff
Head Coach: Darren Lehmann
Assistant Coaches: Kanwaljit Singh
Assistant Coaches: Mike Young
Physiotherapist: Dr Sean Slattery
Strength and Conditioning Coach: Steve Smith
IPL Jaipur – Rajasthan Royals
Batsmen
Robert Quiney
Graeme Smith
Mohammad Kaif
Niraj Patel
Swapnil Asnodkar
Taruwar Kohli
Raiphi Vincent Gomez
Wicket Keepers
Naman Ojha
Mahesh Rawat
All Rounders
Lee Carseldine
Dimitri Mascarenhas
Shane Watson
Tyron Henderson
Yusuf Pathan
Ravindra Jadeja
Bowlers
Shane Warne (captain)
Shane Harwood
Morne Morkel
Shaun Tait
Mohammad Kamran Khan
Munaf Patel
Siddharth Trivedi
Coaches
Head Coach: Shane Warne
Assistant Head Coach: Harish Joshi
High Performance Coach: Jeremy Snape
Physiotherapist: John Gloster
Performance Analyst: Mohsin Sheikh
Director Of Coaching: Darren Berry
IPL Kolkata – Knight Riders
Batsmen
Brad Hodge
Aakash Chopra
Debabrata Das
Cheteshwar Pujara
Wicket Keepers
Brendon McCullum
Wriddhiman Saha
Bowlers
Ashok Dinda
Murali Kartik
Ishant Sharma
Ajantha Mendis
Mohnish Parmar
All Rounders
David Hussey
Moises Henriques
Chris Gayle
Mashrafe Mortaza
Angelo Mathews
Sourav Ganguly(C)
Laxmi Ratan Shukla
Ajit Agarkar
Iqbal Abdullah
Sachin Rana
Coaches
Head Coach: John Buchanan
Assistant Head Coach: Matthew Mott
Physiotherapist: Andrew Leipus
Physical Trainer: Adrian Le Roux
Physical Trainer: Michael Buchanan
IPL Mohali – Kings XI Punjab
Batsmen
Shaun Marsh
Mahela Jayawardene
Simon Katich
Luke Pomersbach
Sunny Sohal
Karan Goel
Tanmay Srivastava
Sahil Kukreja
Yash Gandhi
All Rounders
Ravi Bopara
James Hopes
Yuvraj Singh(Captain)
Wilkin Mota
Ramesh Powar
Irfan Pathan
Ryan Ninan
Piyush Chawla
Wicker Keepers
Kumar Sangakkara
Uday Kaul
Brett Lee
Jerome Taylor
Burt Cockley
***********************************
Visit, Cricket Schedule . Blogspot.com
Thursday, March 04, 2010
New Pakistan coach identifies areas for improvement
The new head coach of Pakistan wants to make the team a more attacking outfit to get them out of the doldrums.
Waqar Younis was appointed earlier this week and has immediately identified areas in which the players need to improve on their recent poor results against Australia.
They were unable to win either a Test or one day international match during the tour and Younis will be looking for strides to be made ahead of the World Twenty20 competition in April - a tournament they won last time - before the side embarks on a tour of England.
Younis told the BBC Asian Network he wanted to remove divisions within the Pakistan dressing room and create "unity" among the ranks.
"My first target is to get the guys to play a little more aggressively," said the coach.
"It's a young side and the England tour is going to be a real tough one. It's a challenge and I'm really ready to take it."
The appointment of Younis as head coach follows hot on the heels of the announcement that Mohsin Khan would be the new chief selector of the Pakistan national team.
Former selector Iqbal Qasim quit the role after the tour of Australia and Khan's first job will be choosing the squad for the World Twenty20.
The cricket betting makes Pakistan 6/1 shots to defend their title, so they could struggle in the competition.
Meanwhile, in football news, Spain have secured their position as favourites in the World Cup betting markets with a convincing win over France.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
International career could be over for Australian paceman
Australia could be forced to do without pace bowler Brett Lee permanently with the veteran struggling to overcome a long-standing elbow problem.
The cricketer had surgery on the joint at the end of 2009 after injury meant he missed the entire summer period for Australia.
Lee has not played a Test for Australia since 2008 but has continued to be a key man in their one-day squad, however he has said now that his time playing for his country could be over as he is struggling to recover from the surgery.
The pace bowler has been a key part of Australia's attack, taking 310 wickets in 76 Test appearances, but injuries have hampered his career and this latest problem could be the final straw.
Lee told the Herald Sun that "anything is possible" but there is a high likelihood his international career for Australia could now be over.
"I may never bowl another ball and if that's the case, I'm so satisfied with my career and my longevity. I'm not saying it's definitely over," he said.
"I will see how the arm pulls up because I can't achieve any aspirations in cricket unless my body is functional."
Australia are managing to succeed without Lee in their one-day team at the moment and they recently defeated West Indies in the fourth ODI to secure victory in a five-match series.
The highlight of the latest win was the 324-7 recorded by Australia, the highest one-day score ever achieved at the Gabba.
Australia are set to face the West Indies again on Friday and the cricket odds suggest the home side should win the final game of the series.
The international cricket betting also indicates Australia should regain the Ashes when England visit next winter.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
It's Official. Sanath Jayasuriya Will Enter Politics
In a media briefing held a short while ago, minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene confirmed that Sanath Jayasuriya will contest the upcoming Sri Lanka parliamentary election 2010 from Matara district.
This confirms our earlier reports that Sanath will possibly contest the election.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Sanath Jayasuriya to Contest Sri Lanka Parliamentary Election
Sri Lanka's #1 online newspaper Daily Mirror today reported that Sanath Jayasuriya is officially invited by ruling UPFA (United People's Freedom Alliance) to contest their nomination list for Matara District, in the upcoming Sri Lanka General Election 2010.
Sanath Jayasuriya, who's home town is Matara is a prominent social figure in the small down south urban community. It is said that what Sanath Jayasuriya means for people of Matara is somewhat simmilar to what Sachin Tendulkar is for Mumbai, and what Brian Lara is for Trinidad. There are occassions on which people of Matara switching off their TV's onece Sanath Jayasuriya get out early in cricket matches.
If Sanath contest the nomination from Matara district, that will boost the strengths for UPFA in that district, who have recorded 4th highest majority votes in the recently concluded presidential election.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sri Lankan Cricketers to Contest Parliamentary Elections?
Cricketers entering politics is not a new thing in South Asia. Arjuna Ranatunga and Imran Khan, two world cup winning captains from the region are the best examples. With the Sri Lanka General Election 2010 is scheduled for 8th April 2010, there are speculations that some of the prominent cricketers will enter politics scene this time around too.
During the presidential election held in January, prominent Sri Lankan cricketers like Sanath Jayasuriya and Muththaia Muralitharan appeared in TV commercials supporting president Mahinda Rajapakshe. Sanath Jayasuriya went on stage in several election rallies in the south of the country, where his home town is located. There were speculations those days that Sanath Jayasuriya will contest the upcoming Parliamentary Election in Sri Lanka. But those were all unconfirmed rumors. Pramodaya Wickramasinghe, who was a fast bowler in his time will most probably contest for the http://general-election-2010.yahaluwo.com/ from the Matara District.
With about two weeks to go for nominations, let's keep our fingers crossed!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Stand-in England captain given backed by coach
Alistair Cook has been given the full backing of head coach Andy Flower as he prepares to take on his role as stand-in England captain.
It was revealed this week that Andrew Strauss is to take a break from international cricket, which means Cook will lead the England Test side on the forthcoming tours of the UAE and Bangladesh.
The 25-year-old will have some pressure taken off him as Paul Collingwood has been named as the captain for the Twenty20 games against Pakistan before the England side fly to Bangladesh for a tour which involves three one-day games and two Tests.
Flower has admitted that Cook may lack some of the experience needed to captain a national Test side, but added he was a "tough young man" who can handle himself impeccably.
"He's done a superb job with the bat in his hand - and you can see some of the qualities like resilience, toughness, determination and also his love of the game," said Flowers.
"He will use those qualities in his captaincy. In my judgment, he is a natural leader."
While Bangladesh are no longer the whipping boys they once were, cricket betting markets still make England strong favourites for the Test series despite the absence of Strauss.
Flower has also confirmed that he is confident that Kevin Pietersen will regain his form with the bat on the tour of Bangladesh.
He told the BBC he expects the batsman to regain confidence and improve technically as he continues his comeback from surgery.
Pietersen, along with most of England's batman, had a patchy tour of South Africa and in two of the four Tests it took a gutsy performance from tail-ender Graeme Onions to defy the cricket odds and secure a draw.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
India call on Tyagi for Bangladesh Tests
India have sprung something of a surprise by calling up uncapped seam bowler Sudeep Tyagi for the forthcoming Test series against Bangladesh.
The 22-year-old has impressed many with his performances in the Indian Premier League for the Chennai Super King and he made his one-day international debt against Sri Lanka last month, in a match that was abandoned so his selection is far from a cricket gamble.
He could be in line for his first Test cap after being named by India in their sixteen-man squad for the two-Test series that commences in Chittagong on January 17th, with the second game taking place in Dhaka a week later.
The inclusion of Tyagi means India now have four seamers in their bowling attack along with three spinners. Their batting options have been supplemented by a recall for wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik at the expense of Subramaniam Badrinath, who has been dropped by selectors.
India are currently ranked the number one side in Test cricket after their recent series victory over Sri Lanka and will also be boosted by the return of the world's leading run scorer Sachin Tendulkar.
He has returned to the side, according to the Indian Cricket Board, after opting not to play in the tri-series tournament in Dhaka. Given this strength, cricket betting experts will not be forecasting an upset in the series against Bangladesh.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Tri-nation series in Bangladesh begins...
Tri-nation series in Bangladesh
Bangladesh , Sri Lanka and India Tri-Nation series will begin on 4th January ,Monday in 2010. We are going to publish the match schedule as follow.
Jan 4th Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Mirpur (d/n)
Jan 5th India v Sri Lanka, Mirpur (d/n)
Jan 7th Bangladesh v India, Mirpur (d/n)
Jan 8th Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Mirpur (d/n)
Jan 10th India v Sri Lanka, Mirpur (d/n)
Jan 11th Bangladesh v India, Mirpur (d/n)
Jan 13th Final, Mirpur (d/n)
All games will be played in Mirpur and will be day night affairs.
Murali speaks out...
Murali speaks out
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
2009 has not been a good year for the game’s greatest spin bowler Muthiah Muralitharan who at age of 37 is feeling the strain of being his country’s main spearhead for the past 18 years. In a frank interview with The Nation, Muralitharan talks about Sri Lanka’s 2011 World Cup chances, why Sri Lanka, once a feared team in one-day cricket is struggling to regain that status, about the politics that is affecting the game, and about his future.
Q: Our ODI performances since the 2007 World Cup have not been very encouraging why?
MM: This is a transitional period. After 2003 World Cup we had senior and capable players who stayed till the 2007 World Cup. Now the transitional period has come. I am not young, neither is Sanath (Jaysuriya). Vaasy (Chaminda Vaas) is gone. Three major players are virtually out of the side. I didn’t have a great 2009 because I had so many injuries. I played 16 ODI matches and took 22 wickets at 4.7 an over which is according to international standards a very good effort. But in Test cricket I played only 8 and got 26 wickets at an average of 45. My career average is 22 and it has dropped because I played on so many flat tracks. It’s not a great effort from me, my performances have gone down. That is one factor. Secondly, Sanath is not the same batsman he was. He is not upto the mark and not scoring as he should be. Vaas has climbed down a bit. From 2003-2007 these three players’ contribution to the team was a major one. With Mahela (Jayawardene) and Sanga (Kumar Sangakkara) there were five key players in the side. Now somebody has to fill in our shoes and it takes time. You have to wait patiently you cannot fill in quickly. The main thing is we are not patient enough.
Q: Do you think we have players to replace the ‘big three’ for the 2011 World Cup?
MM: In 2006 when we went to India under Marvan’s captaincy we got thrashed 2-0 in the Tests and 6-1 in the ODIs. We went to Australia and New Zealand and we didn’t do well. We started performing well in the VB series and in 2007 we built a strong team. The same thing can happen again if everyone is patient. If you try to do drastic changes to the team it won’t happen. The selectors have to be patient and the media has to support the team. We are playing the World Cup at home. The last time we played at home we won. All encouragement should be given to the players within this one year and we will be able to find the right combination for the World Cup. We have plenty of matches and you have to give the players the confidence.
We are in the process of team building looking towards the World Cup. Our objective is to win but at the same time the selectors have decided to try out a few youngsters to see whether they can cope up with international pressure. You’ve got to have the blend right - youngsters and experienced players. We have found a few so we have to continue and support the captain and the selectors and encourage them. Definitely we’ll have positive results.
Q: What’s happened to our fielding, why has it dropped down so drastically in the last few years?
MM: In the 2007 World Cup team we had good fielders like Upul Tharanga, Sanath, Mahela, Sanga as wicket-keeper, Chamara Silva and Russel Arnold. In the bowling department me, Vaasy and (Lasith) Malinga were safe fielders. We had a good fielding unit. Now if you take the team it is the other way around. Thilan (Samaraweera) and (Thilina) Kandamby are not very athletic. They are safe fielders but not brilliant and they are very good batsmen. Because of their fielding you can’t keep them out. Likewise, a few bowlers are not good athletes. That’s what’s happened to our fielding. They train and do everything but speed is something you cannot get. You have to be born with it. So we have to manage with what we have and somehow try to be a safe fielding side. We need to score runs and get wickets and try to win matches. We are not going to be the brilliant fielding side by 2011. If someone is saying we will be, they are not being honest to themselves. Today you cannot find a brilliant fielder who is also a batsman or a bowler. It will take generations of time to find one.
Q: Your thoughts on Kumar Sangakkara as captain, is he doing a good job?
MM: Unreasonable criticism has been made of his captaincy. Fair criticism is accepted. When Mahela captained against India and Pakistan and we lost and he was not scoring runs, the media put too much pressure on him. He was a wonderful captain for the two years he led the country. At the end of the day what happened? He said thank you and quit the captaincy. Luckily we had Sangakkara who can be a very good captain. Now the same criticism has started against him saying his decisions are not good. That’s very unfair. No sooner he took over he brought the team to the final of the T20 World Cup with a young side, won the one-day series in Pakistan, the Idea Cup final, won the Test series against Pakistan and New Zealand and we lost to India. It is too early for anyone to start criticising about his captaincy. He is a capable person but now he is being put under pressure. Once you put a lot of pressure on someone however strong he maybe, he will start thinking why should I take all this criticism when I can be in the team as a player. If Sanga goes who is going to captain? At the end of the day it’s the players who make the captain if they don’t perform the captain alone can’t win a match. I have played for about 20 years and I know.
Sanga took over at a crucial time when Mahela stepped down. He’s had a good three months but he has his ups and downs in his captaincy which is usual. He’s had a tough Indian tour. He also must have the confidence on the players who play under him. At the moment he is trying out different players to get the right combination and juggling around with them. Until he gets it right we’ll start losing matches. At the end of the day if we can get 2-3 players set for the World Cup then we have a good chance. Until then you have to be patient with him and give him the confidence rather than put his confidence down.
Q: Have you enjoyed your role as vice-captain to Sangakkara?
MM: I took the job because at the time there wasn’t anybody to do it. Nobody was certain of a place so I agreed to take it. If somebody is there to take over the vice-captaincy I am glad to hand it over to him. I just want to be a player, support the team and win. Even before the 2011 World Cup if there is someone better than me I don’t mind giving my place to him. I enjoy cricket as a player, vice-captaincy is not something that I’ve really given serious thought to. I concentrate more on my game.
Q: Your views on ODI cricket is it going forwards or backwards?
MM: ODI cricket has changed a lot because of the power play. Our bowlers have not adjusted to it properly. They have to work out how to contain especially in the power play. Because the wickets are so good in India the bowlers suffered a little bit than in any other part of the world. Teams keep the batting power play till the end to maximise a lot and sometimes it backfires. It is left to the two batsmen in the middle to decide when to take the power play. They are in the best position to know how the situation of the game is.
Q: What chances have Sri Lanka of winning World Cup 2011?
MM: We have a very good chance. We have to get into the quarter-finals which we can. After that it is a knockout. The best way of qualifying is not to clash with India then all the quarters and semis will be played in Sri Lanka. The only thing is the officials have to prepare wickets a little bit drier and suitable for spin and batting then we have a good chance. Our spin attack is good so we can win.
We don’t know who is going to play in the World Cup. There are opportunities for a player like Chamara Silva who is a brilliant fielder but he has to get runs. We have to wait and see and pick the right combination at the right time. We should not panic. At the last World Cup India panicked and they kept on changing their team. They couldn’t even qualify for the next stage. We shouldn’t do the same thing.
Q: What has happened to Ajantha Mendis he is no longer the potent force in world cricket?
MM: You can’t judge a bowler in one or two years you have to give him a span of 4-5 years and allow him to mature. Nobody picked Ajantha at the beginning and he bamboozled everyone. He came into the limelight very early. When I came on the scene no one knew me. It was only after 200 Test wickets and six years of international cricket that people started talking about me. During my time there wasn’t so much exposure to the media that way I was not pushed into the limelight too early I was able to learn quietly. For Ajantha the learning curve is going to be difficult because the pressure on him is also high. He has done so much in so little time that expectations are very high. When that happens it is too much pressure to take and it is very difficult to perform. That’s what’s happened to him. Whenever he comes to bowl they expect him to take wickets. It is affecting him. We have to handle him very carefully. You have to treat him as a normal bowler where he takes wickets on and off and on his day he takes big wickets, then he will come good. Technically you can’t teach him because he bowls in so many different ways. He can get advice from many people but at the end of the day he has to realise what went wrong and how to improve to get better. He is not a bad bowler but he has dropped his form. He is only 24 or 25 and he will come good if we persist with him and handle him carefully.
Q: Your future plans?
MM: My plan is to play in the two Tests against West Indies and take 800 wickets. Even if I don’t achieve it, it doesn’t matter because I have already made up my mind. One-day cricket I want to play till the 2011 World Cup but I must see how things go. How important I am going to be for the team I don’t want to be selfish and want to play. If they think I can still deliver I will play otherwise I am happy to quit because I have plenty of offers to play from counties and from Chennai. I must see how my body can take it. My body cannot afford Test cricket anymore because I have bowled thousands of overs and I can feel it. I just can’t force myself to play. T20 is four overs and I am not playing for my country, one-day cricket you bowl only 10 overs so I can manage.
Q: How do you want to be remembered?
MM: I think I’ve had the greatest career of any cricketer. Maybe Don Bradman would have had a better one. I have both bowling records in Test and ODIs only Sachin Tendulkar can compare with that in batting. I have taken 67 times five-for and 46 times four-for which means out of 130 Tests I have failed only in a handful maybe 3-5 percent. In one-day cricket I have taken 500 wickets in 320 matches, average 22 and an economy rate of 3.9. I never thought of records it was built in my system - school cricket, club cricket and international cricket. God had given me that gift. The only thing in my character if I have to say something whether it is right or wrong I will say it to the face. I don’t say things behind. Ninety percent of people like me for that and the balance 10 percent don’t. If I realise I was wrong I will say sorry to him. I don’t have any enemies. I want to be remembered as a good person who played very hard and brought a lot of success to the country. I have achieved more than any other cricketer and I like to retire gracefully and enjoy life with my family.
Extracted from
www.nation.lk
