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.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Harris a first Test doubt for Australia
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
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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
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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
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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
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Ponting facing race against time for first Test
Australia captain Ricky Ponting is racing to be fit in time to upset the cricket odds and make the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan after being injured against the West Indies.
He damaged the tendon in his elbow after being struck by a delivery from West Indian bowler Kemar Roach, an injury which forced him to retire hurt.
Ponting has been working hard to ensure he will be ready for the Boxing Day Test, including spending time in a hyperbaric chamber, and has made sure not to put any extra strain on the damaged elbow.
He is scheduled to undergo some more treatment over the next few days as he identifies that Boxing Day is the 'big one' of the cricket calendar and he wants to take part in the first Test of the series against Pakistan.
"I haven't picked up a bat since the second innings the other day and I won't touch one again for the next couple of days to give it the best recovery I can," said the Australian captain.
Philip Hughes has been named in a 13-man squad for Australia for the first Test as cover for Ponting.
Peter Siddle is also in the squad alongside the same XI that won the third Test against the West Indies, while Ben Hilfenhaus is missing with knee problems.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Star hails 'Gooch effect' on England
Kevin Pietersen reckons Graham Gooch can help England to win their Test series against South Africa.
The former England captain was recently appointed batting coach for the international team and started helping out after the culmination of the one-day matches in preparation for the Test series.
The series starts in Centurion on December 16th and Pietersen claims the help of Gooch can inspire England's batsmen to pile on the runs against South Africa.
He added he was really looking forward to working with the coach in the coming weeks and thinks Gooch can "do wonders" for the England cricket team.
"The way he thinks is pretty similar to the way [England head coach] Andy Flower thinks, and the way I think - how simple batting is, but the hard work you have to put in and the mental side and the concentration," said the South Africa-born batsman. "It all makes sense."
Essex batting coach Gooch has refused to commit to working with England after the first test in South Africa.
He originally agreed to help out on a temporary basis but told BBC 5 Live that he believes a permanent appointment would not be possible at the current point in time.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Vaughan - England should have no problems in tests
England should have no problems winning their test series against South Africa, according to one former captain.
Michael Vaughan, who captained England in 51 tests over a five-year period, reckons South Africa’s attack should pose no threat to current skipper Andrew Strauss’ side, despite them being the top ranked test team in the world.
The former Yorkshire batsman told Sporting Life that England should not fear the bowling attack from South Africa, but highlighted fast bowler Dale Steyne as one man who could pose problems in the tests.
It seems a safe cricket bet that England can boast real attacking threats to the South Africa team in the form of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and Graham Onions if he is fit, stated Vaughan.
He added: “It'll be tough, it always is away from home, but I think we've got it in us to win the key moments because we're mentally pretty strong.”
Both teams will struggle to get 20 wickets, which could see the tour dominated by the batsmen and the series ending 1-0 to either side, he said.
The first test match kicks off in Centurion on December 16th and then the tour rolls on to Durban and Cape Town over Christmas and New Year before culminating in the fourth test at Port Elisabeth on January 14th.
It was confirmed by the International Cricket Council that a new umpire decision reviewing system will be implemented in the test games.
Under the new rules, each side is allowed a maximum of two unsuccessful challenges in any innings.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Australia could benefit from Lee's experience
Brett Lee can lead the Australian bowling attack for many years to come, starting in the forthcoming tests against the West Indies.
That is the opinion of veteran wicket-taker Glenn McGrath, who himself is pushing for a return to the international scene having revived his career over recent months.
Lee missed the Ashes tests against England through injury but returned to the fold in the one-day series and then showed he is approaching top form in Australia’s Champions League trophy campaign.
McGrath said the 33-year-old can add a lot to the Australian bowling attack and reckons it's a safe cricket bet that he should be in the starting team if he is match fit.
The experience and leadership he can offer to other bowlers can benefit the side, he added.
“Brett's an exceptional cricketer, exceptional sportsman, and he's got that desire to be out there and be successful,” said McGrath.
“I think he adds a lot to the team, apart from just his bowling.”
Australia are facing a hectic schedule over the next few months, with six tests against both the West Indies and Pakistan in the space of only eight weeks.
They are also scheduled to play one-day and Twenty20 matches in that period before embarking on a tour of New Zealand in 2010.
Australia’s campaign begins on November 26th with the first test against the West Indies in Brisbane.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Harmison excited about England's bowlers for South Africa tests
Steve Harmison has revealed that he is happy to allow the next generation of England bowlers to succeed on the international cricket scene.
The pace bowler has signed an extended four-year contract with Durham following his disappointment at being omitted from England's forthcoming tour of South Africa.
Harmison was quick to dismiss claims he was announcing his retirement from the international game, though expressed his belief that England are blessed with a number of good bowlers which can help him succeed.
“England are going through an exciting time with a group of young fast bowlers in South Africa. The pitches will be helpful for them and I really want them to do well,” said the 31-year-old.
The Durham paceman said he would love the opportunity to play for England in the future, but confessed to having doubts his body would be able to cope with the next Ashes tour in Australia beginning in 2010.
He warned the England squad that the forthcoming international tests with South Africa were going to be “tough” and reclaiming the Ashes in Australia would also be “hard”, but wished the players the best of luck in their quest to upset the international cricket odds in both series.
England follow their winter tests against South Africa with a spring tour of Bangladesh, with captain Andrew Strauss having indicated he may opt of the latter series to give his body a rest.
Vice-captain Alistair Cook has expressed his desire to fill Strauss’ role in Bangladesh, stating it would give him an arena to develop and showcase his skills as a leader in international cricket matches.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Real test starts now for England
Where on earth have England’s ICC Champions Trophy displays come from???? The big test though for Andrew Strauss’ rejuvenated side is on the horizon.
Pretty much every cricket pundit and fan would have expected England to have crashed out of the group stages, with many predicting that they would not win a single game after their recent struggles.
A 6-1 series defeat to Australia left plenty of questions as to where the ECB selectors were heading, as far as team selection is concerned. But it appears the message has finally got through to the undoubtedly talented squad.
Strauss made it clear before the ICC event in South Africa that many of the squad were drinking in the last-chance saloon of international one-day cricket, amongst them Owais Shah.
The Middlesex man has responded in fine fashion and now looks a world-class one-day player, after looking like a club cricketer during the Australia series.
The captain described the 323-8 scored against the hosts, the second highest total in Champions trophy history, as England’s best-ever batting display.
The cynics though would say that the only reason England have beaten Sri Lanka and South Africa, is that the pressure has been off the players with nobody expecting them to win those matches.
If that has been the case, it will be interesting to see how they perform in the semi-final after the expectation level and cricket betting odds have been cranked up several notches.
But even if England are to crash out in the last four, they will have surpassed many people’s expectations and the squad have shown that, even without Kevin Pietersen, they can still compete with the best in the world.
Friday, September 25, 2009
ICC’s last-ditch Test bid
The International Cricket Council’s idea to have a world Test championship appears to be the last chance to save international Test cricket, but the plan is set to face some dissenting voices.
The sport’s governing body has been considering a format which will see a series of matches over four years culminating in semi-finals and a final, in the hope that the crowds will be drawn back to the five-day game.
Although several nations are likely to support the idea, the problem facing the ICC is that some cricket boards want to organise their own tours and set firm itineraries well in advance.
The ECB has already expressed some concern even though they like the idea of a Test championship, preferring a different format with either a single Test play-off or a short series to decide the world’s top team.
England officials are worried that a four-year event could devalue series’ such as the Ashes, which always brings full houses in the UK or Australia, and has the best opportunities to place a cricket bet; it could also bring shortened series to accommodate matches against lesser Test nations.
ECB chief executive David Collier said: “The original proposal from ICC, for a two-year cycle with two years of an uncertain fixture programme in regard to the Test Championship, would be detrimental to Test cricket and the ECB's prime consideration is to ensure that Test cricket is at the pinnacle of the world game.”
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat has claimed that the only two nations unhappy are England and India, but the problem for the ICC is that they are the two nations that bring the most money into the sport.
The other problem attached to the long-term tournament would be how to fit it into the calendar, especially with the number of lucrative Twenty20 tournaments popping up around the world.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
No way Owais
As England continue their desperate search for a one-day formula that works, Owais Shah looks set to be a major casualty of the team’s 50-over frustration.
With England looking to salvage the ODI series against Australia, the selectors and Andrew Strauss also have one eye on the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.
A cull should, and will happen after some below-par performances in recent times, highlighted by the opening two matches in the Australia series – on both occasions England have been in the driving seat and both times they shot themselves in the foot.
Speaking after the 39-run defeat at Lord’s, skipper Strauss admitted: “We can't let chances like this slip through our fingers.”
“We keep talking about the batsmen making a score. We haven't done that in two games, we are aware of it and need to get better.”
Shah is likely to be one of the unfortunate batsmen to lose their position, having endured a torrid time at international level, especially with his running between the wickets.
The 30-year-old got himself run out in the second ODI at Lord’s after a shocking mix-up and that is not an isolated incident – Shah has been run out nine times playing for England, including three occasions at Test level.
The Middlesex man averages 31.00 in 57 innings and has scored just one century in his ODI career – a knock of 107 which came against India two years ago.
In Shah’s defence, a number of batsmen have tried their luck to fill the void left by Kevin Pietersen, but replacing the top one-day player appears a near impossible job.
England can only hope that KP is given the all-clear for the tournament in South Africa, with his presence making them a totally different prospect and increasing their odds of winning the ICC Champions Trophy.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Black Caps could cause an upset
Many people will be backing the regular one-day favourites for success at the ICC Champions Trophy next month, but New Zealand look capable of causing a surprise and maybe even lifting the trophy.
South Africa, on home turf, will no doubt be expected by the punters to go far in the tournament, while the likes of Australia, India and Sri Lanka are always there or thereabouts.
But with expectation comes immense pressure and the Kiwis have shown in patches that in the limited-overs form of the game, they can live with the best teams in the world.
The New Zealand squad selected for September’s ODI event looks strong, although the selectors will have their fingers crossed over injuries, which have cost them dear in the past.
The Black Caps were looking good at this year’s World Twenty20 tournament, but with key players like Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram either missing or not 100% fit, their bid faded.
Skipper Vettori though will be quietly confident looking at the 14 other players he has at his disposal, both in the bowling and batting options.
The enigmatic Jesse Ryder will provide a hard-hitting start at the top of the order, with the world-class duo of Brendan McCullum and Ross Taylor also likely to provide crucial runs.
The bowling line-up has also been strengthened with the return of paceman Shane Bond, who is back in the international fray following his spell in the ICL. Bond, is on his day arguably the best one-day bowler in the world, will be given solid back up from the likes of Kyle Mills and Jacob Oram, as well as the consistent spin of the skipper.
New Zealand have been drawn in Group B with South Africa, Sri Lanka and England and get their campaign underway with a clash against the hosts at Centurion on September 24.
