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India Could Lose World Cup

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Delhi is in danger of losing the right to host any matches in the 2011 cricket World Cup, scheduled for February-March next year.

Why? Because the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) has not followed the rehabilitation plan set in place for the Ferozeshah Kotla pitch by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

In his latest inspection, Andy Atkinson, the ICC pitch consultant responsible for certifying World Cup venues, has given the Kotla a 'red' rating — the worst of four possible colour categories. A copy of the report, circulated among top ICC officials, is with HT.

Ferozeshah Kotla narrowly escaped a total ICC ban after the last One Day International held there -- against Sri Lanka in December 2009 –had to be called off because the pitch proved positively dangerous, the rising ball injuring several batsmen.

The ICC thereafter suggested several measures to improve the pitch, none of which have been taken seriously.

For one, the DDCA pushed back the start of the renovation work from April 19, as advised by the ICC, by almost a month to May 16. There were many other transgressions.

In his report Atkinson leaves no doubt as to the consequences of the DDCA's actions.

"The delay in the start of work was completely avoidable and the loss of a complete month could have significant implications for the completion of the scheduled work to the accepted standards and the reinstatement of the venue for International cricket and for use during the World Cup 2011," he wrote.

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posted @ 10:57 AM, ,

Clean Sweep By England

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England, set 213 to win, after off-spinner and man-of-the-match Graeme Swann took four wickets for 37 runs in 10 overs, were cruising at 185 for three. But they lost six wickets for 18 runs as they slumped to 203 for nine. One of the men out was England captain Andrew Strauss, who made his best ODI score against Australia of 87.

But Tim Bresnan (14 not out) held his nerve and, with four needed off the last over, edged James Hopes to the boundary as England, who finished on 214 for nine, won with five balls to spare. Strauss was caught behind off Ryan Harris before left-arm quick Doug Bollinger (three for 20 in 10 overs) and fast bowler Shaun Tait, playing his first ODI since February last year, ran through the tail.

England’s victory ended world champions Australia’s run of seven straight one-day series and tournament wins following their 3-2 loss in South Africa last year. It also meant Ashes holders England, who beat the Aussies in last month’s World Twenty20 final in Barbados, had completed a ‘treble’ of victories in all three international formats against Australia.

“It was pretty horrendous,” Strauss told reporters. “We looked like we were cruising when Morgs (Eoin Morgan) and I were going well.

posted @ 12:03 PM, ,

Sri Lanks Cricket

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Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee with D. Somachandra de Silva as President and Nishantha Ranatunga as Secretary and the new members will be celebrating their first anniversary, and can be proud of what they have achieved.

When the new Interim Committee took over the reins of administering the game, they did so with determination and with the will to do things for the game and all that it stands for.

Looking back on the 12 months that have passed they can pat themselves on a job well executed and performed.

In taking strike on unfamiliar territory, they had the blessings of the sports loving President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

This gave them the strength and the courage to step out and put the game on a fast pitch.

“Gamata Cricket” is the credo of President Rajapaksa and the IC is working hard to take the game to the villages where there is untapped potential.

It is said that those who dare win.

The IC piloted by former leg spinning all rounder and national captain D. Somachandra de Silva and another all rounder cricketer Nishantha Ranatunga dared and stepped out like all top batsmen with commitment and dedication to get on top and score for the game.

It is said that stones are thrown on trees that bear fruit. Likewise the IC attracted their fair share of critics.

But what was admirable in the IC was that they continue to ignore the critics and do a job that they had been installed for.

Very soon the 2011 World Cup will be at our door step and the IC has left no stone unturned to see that every thing will be tops when the umpires call play here. Hambantota and Pallekelle will have two stadiums to international standard. Kettarama is being refurbished.

When these stadiums are complete, they will look a picture and will have the necessary facilities to conduct any international tournament even a high profile one like the Indian Premier League.

Once the Pallekelle stadium is completed the Hill Capital can boast of having a stadium to international standard.

Kandy has over the years given great cricketers to the game and the present Captain Kumar Sangakkara and vice captain Muttiah Muralitheran hail from there.

Here are the achievements of the Interim Committee in brief-

* The number of contracted players have been increased to 75 from 25.This has spurred the younger cricketers to knock on the door for national representation.

* Ten new practice pitches have been constructed at Kettarama.

* The proposed high performance centre will greatly assist cricketers and will provide accommodation for outstation cricketers. It will consist of eight indoor practice wickets and a swimming pool.

* At an international event held at the Taj Samudra, fifty Sri Lankans who had done their bit for the development of cricket in the country were felicitated.

* For the first time in international cricket Sri Lanka was ranked number two in the Test rankings and was in line to create history if they beat India.

* Had they beaten India they would have been the best team in the Test scene.

* Thanks to the unstinted efforts of the chairman and members of the Interim Committee there will be a surfeit of cricket with inbound tours by Pakistan and New Zealand and India for a triangular. Sri Lanka toured India and played three Tests and a series of one-dayers.

* Sri Lanka toured Bangladesh for a triangular followed by the World T20 in the Caribbean and the ground breaking tour of the US where two Twenty20 games were played with New Zealand.

* The future cricketing calendar for the country looks wonderful and cricket lovers are in for good times.

* New Zealand, India and Sri Lanka will soon play a triangular. In November the country will host the West Indians for a Test series and a one day bash.

* Sri Lanka will tour Australia in October followed by the all-important World Cup in 2011.

* It is great that the ICC has asked Sri Lanka Cricket to conduct the next Twenty20 World Cup in 2012.

* This is because there are plenty of international stadiums available and the ICC is happy that the game and the administration is in safe hands and is on the right track.

* So the Interim Committee can sit back and pat themselves on a job perfectly executed. X

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posted @ 10:59 AM, ,

Pawar Set to Take Over ICC Power

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Sharad Pawar will take over as the new International Cricket Council (ICC) President during the Chief Executives' Committee meeting and annual conference, commencing today in Singapore.

Pawar, a veteran politician and also the Union Minister of Agriculture, was the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) before and then took over as the vice-president of ICC with the aim of becoming its president before the 2011 World Cup — to be hosted in the sub-continent. He will take over the reins from England's David Morgan, who will complete his two-year term as the president of the ICC this week.

The meeting and conference is scheduled to be held at the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore. Incidentally, the executive board will also discuss the nomination of former Australian Prime Minister John Howard from Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket as the next vice-president.

If Howard's nomination is cleared, then as per the ICC's rotational policy for the president's post, he can become the next president by 2012.

Mazhar Khan, the Administrator of the Emirates Cricket Board, representing UAE, will attend the annual conference in which Pawar will take charge as the seventh president of the ICC on July 1. Khan is also scheduled to attend the Asian Cricket Council annual general body meeting.

The ICC Associate and affiliate members will also nominate their ICC executive board director representatives, who will serve a two-year term. During the Chief Executives' Committee meeting discussions will be held on the Future Tour Programme from 2012 to 2020.

Plans are also on for staging an ICC event covering the Test format as well as One-day International league as proposed by the ICC Cricket Committee.

The board meeting will also take decision on the implementation of the Umpires Decision Review System (UDRS) in Test matches as well as in all the 2011 ICC World Cup matches. The Committee will also decide on the eligibility rule and the stand out period required for a player moving from an Associate member to a full member team.

The executive board will also discuss an application from Seychelles to become an affiliate member. If granted, Seychelles will become ICC's 105th member. X

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posted @ 10:57 AM, ,

Format of the Tournament

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There are 14 teams who will be participating in the tournament including 10 test playing nations and 4 associate member countries. The test playing teams have automatically qualified for the tournament, while the 4 associate members have come through the qualifying tournament held in South Africa earlier this year. The four associate members are: Ireland, Canada, Netherlands and Kenya.

The format of ICC World Cup 2011 is not same to that of the previous world cup that took place in West Indies in 2007. All of the 14 teams are divided into two groups of 7 teams each. In the group stage, each team will play against all other group members once in a round robin league system.

Group A: Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya
Group B: India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands.

In 2007 world cup, there was a ‘Super Eight’ phase involving 8 teams who qualified through group stage, and four best teams from ‘Super Eight’ progressed to the semi final. However, there is no super eight phase in 2011 world cup. In stead, top four teams from each group in terms of points achieved will qualify for the quarter final. There are four quarter finals scheduled to take place on 23 March, 24 March, 25 March and 26 March. That means knock out stage starts just after the group stage. Four winners of the four quarter finals will get into the semi final of the tournament. The winners of the semi finals will meet each other in the tournament final at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on 2 April 2009.

The probable reason behind the format change is perhaps to ensure that each of the participating teams play at least 6 games even if they fail to qualify for the quarter final. Last year, two test playing nations: India and Pakistan- failed to reach the ‘Super Eight’ round and had to go back home, having played only 2 matches. The early exit of the two cricket powerhouses caused huge loss for the TV channels, sponsors as well as for those who bought time slots for TV commercials beforehand to promote their products. That is why, ICC has now ensured that each of the teams will play at least 6 games in the 2011 tournament.

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posted @ 11:14 AM, ,

Asia Cup to World Cup

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M.S Dhoni said “Asia cup will be a great preparation opportunity for India’s 2011 cricket world cup campaign” at the outset of Asia Cup 2010. Seems as if the Indian brigade have taken it rather seriously as they made the most of this opportunity & given nation a faint hope of 2011 Cricket World Cup. The manner in which they crushed Srilanka to reclaim their lost authority in last league game was relieving to say the least.

Having pulled off easy victory over Bangladesh & a cliffhanger with Pakistan, Indian team displayed great show with bat & bowl to such an extent that even the lankan tigers failed to make any mark. The Indian team made all the right moves & srilankans who until now were looking dangerous surrendered meekly in final of Asia Cup 2010. Having lent an embarrassing defeat to the Indians just two days ago, Srilankans seem to got complacent & lost the plot very badly in the final.

India posting 268/6 in 50 overs challenged Srilanka to conquer it under the flood-lights. Srilanka in reply was never allowed to even a decent start as M.S Dhoni filled the inner ring with strategic field placements. Even singles were dried as the young Indian put an impressive & one of their best fielding effort in recent times. The bowlers kept bowling a tight line & took the advantage of strong breeze sweeping through the ground. Srilankan chase tottered as wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals & no substantial partnerships building whatsoever in their innings. Nuwan Kulasekara & Chamara Kapugedera gave a tiny shimmering hope to the srilankan camp during batting powerplay but Ravindra Jadega eventually struck gold by getting Kulasekera stumped by M.S Dhoni. Eventually Srilanka were bowled out in the 45th over as India went to win by 81 runs.

Smiles spread across the Indian camps as they won deservedly the Asia Cup 2010 in 15 years. With Sachin Tendulkar, Virendar Sehwag & Yuvraj Singh set to return to the Indian camp, the 2011 cricket world cup seems a possible dream for team India now. They do have a few chinks in their armor but with still time to go they would be looking to plug them up & give the nation a more bigger occasion to celebrate in the coming year. #

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posted @ 11:42 AM, ,

Longest Tennis Match Ever!

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And just like that, it was over as quickly as it started. OK, that's a lie. The "greatest match ever," as Frenchman Nicolas Mahut called it, broke every possible record a tennis match could hold, but the Wimbledon marathon finally ended on a John Isner backhand that flew tauntingly past Mahut, ending the 11-hour, 5-minute match in the American's favor at — deep breath — 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (9-7), 7-6 (7-3), 70-68.

The records have been beaten into the ground over the last day, but maybe the most telling part of the match was that when it ended, awards were presented to both players and chair umpire Mo Layani by English tennis legends Tim Henman and Ann Jones. The award ceremony was unusual but deserving for both players as they battled game and game again, holding serve for so long that many wondered if this match would ever end.

As the realization of what happened hit him, Isner summed up everyone's thoughts in a televised post-match interview. "It stinks someone had to lose," he said, "but to share this day with [Mahut] was an absolute honor." Isner added, to a smattering of laughs from the assembled on Court 18, that he hopes to meet Mahut in the future, and hopefully that match won't go 70-68.

Thursday started like Wednesday ended, with both players holding serve after serve, hammering ace after ace. Isner broke Mahut after he held serve in the 137th game of the fifth set, hitting the famed grass with his hands raised as his winner flew past the Frenchman.

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posted @ 11:29 AM, ,

The Squads

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India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Pragyan Ojha, Ashok Dinda, Ravichandran Ashwin, Saurabh Tiwary.

Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (capt), Salman Butt (vice-capt), Imran Farhat, Shahzaib Hasan, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Umar Amin, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir, Shoaib Akhtar, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Muttiah Muralitharan (vice-capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Farveez Maharoof, Chamara Kapugedara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Chanaka Welegedara, Lasith Malinga, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Thilina Kandamby.

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Jahurul Islam, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Mashrafe Mortaza, Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Syed Rasel, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Suhrawadi Shuvo.

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posted @ 4:19 PM, ,

India, Sri Lanka Before Asia Cup Final

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Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara warned that his team would “hit the ground running” against India in Thursday’s Asia Cup final at Dambulla.

“A final is a final,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“Winning an Asia Cup especially at home would be a special thing.

“It’s going to really inspire us and we are going to hit the ground running and really try and win it.”

India’s captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, meanwhile, insisted his team was not under any added pressure despite being beaten by the hosts by seven wickets in their final pool match.

“As a cricketer you see it as just another game,” he said.

“There is no point thinking it as a final. We are playing against Sri Lanka, that’s it.”

Dhoni demanded more consistency from his bowlers.

“I think they have done decently for us in patches,” he said.

“It will be really good to win a few games where you put 240 or 260 on the board and win.

“You can’t all the time expect your batsmen to score 280 or more and make you win the game.

“It will be good if we can do that. But then again our strength has been batting. We are a side that relies more on our batting than our bowling.”

Sri Lanka, who had never batted under lights in their previous two matches against Pakistan and Bangladesh, invited India to bat first earlier this week.

“It was another step towards challenging ourselves to get a bit better and a bit tougher,” said Sangakkara, whose team are aiming for a hat-trick of Asia Cup wins after winning in 2006 and 2008.

Teams
India (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Kartik, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, Ashok Dinda, Pragyan Ojha.

Sri Lanka (from): Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralidaran, Farveez Maharoof, Thilina Kandamby, Chanaka Welagedera, Rangana Herath, Suraj Randiv. —AP

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posted @ 4:16 PM, ,

A Warning Bell For Pakistan

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Former Pakistan cricket greats said Sunday Pakistan's failure to reach the final of the Asia Cup was "a warning bell" for problems that needed urgent attention before next year's World Cup. "Pakistan did play well in both the matches but the fact is that we are still number three, behind Sri Lanka and India, which is a warning bell for next year's World Cup," former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas told AFP.

The four-nation Asia Cup, being played in the Sri Lankan resort of Dambullah, is seen as a build-up for next year's World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Arch-rival India beat Pakistan by three wickets on Saturday, qualifying for the June 24 final against Sri Lanka and leaving runners-up Pakistan and Bangladesh to contest a league match on Monday.

Abbas said the results showed that Pakistan was performing poorly. "Against India our batting did well, but bowling and fielding were not up to the mark," said Abbas. Pakistan also failed to reach the final of the 2008 Asia Cup, when the tournament was held in their own country. Abbas said there were "too many coaches" in the Pakistan camp, which he found "hard to understand," referring to head coach Waqar Younis, assistant coach Aqib Javed and batting-fielding coach Ijaz Ahmed.

"Too many coaches are spoiling the broth," Abbas said. Former chief selector Iqbal Qasim, who resigned in February after Pakistan's winless tour of Australia, said Pakistan had to confront its problems before next year's World Cup.

"Fielding is our main problem, which again failed us on Saturday," said Qasim, a former left-arm spinner. "We also need to know when to utilise our batting powerplay, which is being spoiled every time." Qasim said fast-rising batsman Umar Akmal and paceman Mohammad Amir needed guidance to turn their huge talent into better performances.

"Umar is creating panic when he comes on to bat," which led to run-outs for his batting partners which he survived, Qasim said. "It's a big problem which needs to sorted out." Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi will lead the team on the tour of England starting next week. Pakistan will play two Twenty20 and two Tests against Australia and four Tests, two Twenty20 and five one-day matches against England.

posted @ 1:30 PM, ,

ICC works to ease visa problems for World Cup

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The International Cricket Council on Friday said it was working to ease visa complications for overseas fans wishing to travel to the 2011 World Cup on the Indian sub-continent.

Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh who are co-hosting the flagship event have promised to speed-up and simplify the visa issuing process, ICC vice president Sharad Pawar told reporters in Colombo.

“With a valid ticket, the visa process for the matches will be made easier,” Pawar said after a meeting of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 central organising committee in Colombo.

The 14-nation showpiece event, held every four years, opens on February 19, 2011 with India taking on Bangladesh at the Mirpur stadium near Dhaka.

While Sri Lanka allows visa on arrival for foreign tourists for up to 30 days, tourists travelling to India need to apply in advance for a single-entry visa.

The ICC said the organising committee was working with the Indian government to allow multiple entry visas for all supporters with valid match tickets, except those from Pakistan.

Pakistan, the fourth Test-playing nation in South Asia, were removed as co-hosts due to security concerns in the volatile country.

The 43-day tournament will be played across 13 venues in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and ends with the final on April 2 at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium, which is under renovation.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said preparations were in full swing in all three countries to renovate and build new stadiums.

Tickets will go on sale in June and will be priced at between 50 US cents and around 50 dollars, officials said.

“Ticket prices will be kept as affordable as possible to allow younger fans to fill the stadium,” Lorgat said.

The other teams in the fray will be England, South Africa, the West Indies, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Canada, the Netherlands and Kenya.—AFP

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posted @ 2:06 PM, ,

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011-Schedule of World Cup-Teams participating in World Cup

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The ICC World Cup 2011 will be the 10th World Cup.The World Cup is hosted by three South Asian Cricket Playing countries i.e India,Sri Lanka & Bangladesh.

There are total 14th team which are participating in this World Cup 2011.The Location of World Cup is in India,Sri Lanka & Bangladesh.

The matches will be start from February 2011 and will last up to march 2011.There are total of 49 matches in the World Cup.

Venues of matches

India :- New Delhi,Mohali,Ahmedabad,Kolkata,Nagpur,Mumbai,Chennai

Sri Lanka :-Kandy,Colombo,Hambantota

Bangladesh :- Dhaka,Chittagong

The ICC World Cup winning team would be taking a prize money of US $4 million, with the ICC deciding to double the total allocation for the coveted tournament to US$ 10 million. The decision was taken at the ICC Board meeting which was held in Dubai on April 20, 2010.

Teams participating in World Cup

* Australia
* Bangladesh
* England
* India
* New Zealand
* Pakistan
* South Africa
* Sri Lanka
* West Indies
* Zimbabwe
* Ireland
* Canada
* Netherlands
* Kenya



Schedule of ICC World Cup 2011

Date, Teams, Match, Venue

19 Feb 11

India vs Bangladesh

Match 1

Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

19 Feb 11

India vs Bangladesh

Match 1

Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

20 Feb 11

Kenya vs New Zealand

Match 2

MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai (Madras)

20 Feb 11


Kenya vs New Zealand


Match 2

MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai (Madras)

20 Feb 11

Sri Lanka vs Canada


Match 3


Hambantota Stadium, Hambantota

20 Feb 11


Sri Lanka vs Canada


Match 3


Hambantota Stadium, Hambantota

21 Feb 11


Australia vs Zimbabwe


Match 4


Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera – Ahmedabad

21 Feb 11


Australia vs Zimbabwe


Match 4


Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera – Ahmedabad

22 Feb 11


England vs Netherlands

Match 5

Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur

22 Feb 11


England vs Netherlands


Match 5


Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur

23 Feb 11


Kenya vs Pakistan

Match 6


Hambantota Stadium, Hambantota

23 Feb 11


Kenya vs Pakistan


Match 6


Hambantota Stadium, Hambantota

24 Feb 11


South Africa vs West Indies


Match 7


Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi


24 Feb 11


South Africa vs West Indies


Match 7


Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

25 Feb 11


Bangladesh vs Ireland


Match 9


Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

25 Feb 11


Bangladesh vs Ireland

Match 9


Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

25 Feb 11


Australia vs New Zealand

Match 8


Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur

25 Feb 11


Australia vs New Zealand


Match 8


Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur

26 Feb 11

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka


Match 10

R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo

26 Feb 11


Pakistan vs Sri Lanka


Match 10

R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo

27 Feb 11


India vs England


Match 11


Eden Gardens, Kolkata (Calcutta)

27 Feb 11

India vs England


Match 11


Eden Gardens, Kolkata (Calcutta)

28 Feb 11


Netherlands vs West Indies

Match 12


Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

28 Feb 11


Canada vs Zimbabwe


Match 13


Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur

28 Feb 11

Netherlands vs West Indies


Match 12

Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

28 Feb 11
Canada vs Zimbabwe

Match 13


Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur

01 Mar 11

Kenya vs Sri Lanka


Match 14

R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo

01 Mar 11


Kenya vs Sri Lanka

Match 14


R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo

02 Mar 11


England vs Ireland


Match 15


M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore – Karnataka

02 Mar 11

England vs Ireland

Match 15

M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore – Karnataka

03 Mar 11


Netherlands vs South Africa


Match 16


Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali – Chandigarh

03 Mar 11


Canada vs Pakistan


Match 17


R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo

03 Mar 11


Netherlands vs South Africa


Match 16


Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali – Chandigarh

03 Mar 11


Canada vs Pakistan


Match 17


R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo

04 Mar 11


New Zealand vs Zimbabwe


Match 18


Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera – Ahmedabad

04 Mar 11


Bangladesh vs West Indies


Match 19


Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

04 Mar 11


New Zealand vs Zimbabwe


Match 18


Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera – Ahmedabad

04 Mar 11


Bangladesh vs West Indies


Match 19


Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

05 Mar 11


Australia vs Sri Lanka


Match 20


R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo

05 Mar 11


Australia vs Sri Lanka


Match 20


R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo

06 Mar 11


India vs Ireland


Match 21


M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore – Karnataka

06 Mar 11


England vs South Africa


Match 22


MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai (Madras)

06 Mar 11


India vs Ireland


Match 21


M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore – Karnataka

06 Mar 11


England vs South Africa


Match 22


MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai (Madras)

07 Mar 11


Canada vs Kenya


Match 23


Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

07 Mar 11


Canada vs Kenya


Match 23


Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

08 Mar 11


New Zealand vs Pakistan


Match 24


Pallekele Stadium, Kandy

08 Mar 11


New Zealand vs Pakistan


Match 24


Pallekele Stadium, Kandy

09 Mar 11


India vs Netherlands


Match 25


Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

09 Mar 11


India vs Netherlands


Match 25


Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

10 Mar 11


Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe


Match 26


Pallekele Stadium, Kandy

10 Mar 11


Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe


Match 26


Pallekele Stadium, Kandy

11 Mar 11


Bangladesh vs England


Match 28


Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong

11 Mar 11


Bangladesh vs England


Match 28


Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong

11 Mar 11


Ireland vs West Indies


Match 27


Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali – Chandigarh

11 Mar 11


Ireland vs West Indies


Match 27


Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali – Chandigarh

12 Mar 11


India vs South Africa


Match 29


Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur

12 Mar 11


India vs South Africa


Match 29


Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur

13 Mar 11


Canada vs New Zealand


Match 30


Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (Bombay)

13 Mar 11


Australia vs Kenya


Match 31


M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore – Karnataka

13 Mar 11


Canada vs New Zealand


Match 30


Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (Bombay)

13 Mar 11


Australia vs Kenya


Match 31


M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore – Karnataka

14 Mar 11


Bangladesh vs Netherlands


Match 33


Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong

14 Mar 11


Pakistan vs Zimbabwe


Match 32


Pallekele Stadium, Kandy

14 Mar 11


Bangladesh vs Netherlands


Match 33


Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong

14 Mar 11


Pakistan vs Zimbabwe


Match 32


Pallekele Stadium, Kandy

15 Mar 11


Ireland vs South Africa


Match 34


Eden Gardens, Kolkata (Calcutta)

15 Mar 11


Ireland vs South Africa


Match 34


Eden Gardens, Kolkata (Calcutta)

16 Mar 11


Australia vs Canada


Match 35


M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore – Karnataka

16 Mar 11


Australia vs Canada


Match 35


M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore – Karnataka

17 Mar 11


England vs West Indies


Match 36


MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai (Madras)

17 Mar 11


England vs West Indies


Match 36


MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai (Madras)

18 Mar 11


New Zealand vs Sri Lanka


Match 37


Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (Bombay)

18 Mar 11


Ireland vs Netherlands


Match 38


Eden Gardens, Kolkata (Calcutta)

18 Mar 11


New Zealand vs Sri Lanka


Match 37


Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (Bombay)

18 Mar 11


Ireland vs Netherlands


Match 38


Eden Gardens, Kolkata (Calcutta)

19 Mar 11


Australia vs Pakistan


Match 39


R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo

19 Mar 11


Bangladesh vs South Africa


Match 40


Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

19 Mar 11


Australia vs Pakistan


Match 39


R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo

19 Mar 11


Bangladesh vs South Africa


Match 40


Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

20 Mar 11


Kenya vs Zimbabwe


Match 41


Eden Gardens, Kolkata (Calcutta)

20 Mar 11


Kenya vs Zimbabwe


Match 41


Eden Gardens, Kolkata (Calcutta)

20 Mar 11


India vs West Indies


Match 42


MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai (Madras)

20 Mar 11


India vs West Indies


Match 42


MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai (Madras)

23 Mar 11


T.B.C. vs T.B.C.


1st Quarter Final


Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

23 Mar 11


T.B.C. vs T.B.C.


1st Quarter Final


Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

24 Mar 11


T.B.C. vs T.B.C.


2nd Quarter Final


R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo

24 Mar 11


T.B.C. vs T.B.C.


2nd Quarter Final


R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo

25 Mar 11


T.B.C. vs T.B.C.


3rd Quarter Final


Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

25 Mar 11


T.B.C. vs T.B.C.


3rd Quarter Final


Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

26 Mar 11


T.B.C. vs T.B.C.


4th Quarter Final


Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera – Ahmedabad

26 Mar 11


T.B.C. vs T.B.C.


4th Quarter Final


Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera – Ahmedabad

29 Mar 11


T.B.C. vs T.B.C.


1st Semi Final


R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo

29 Mar 11


T.B.C. vs T.B.C.


1st Semi Final


R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Colombo

30 Mar 11


T.B.C. vs T.B.C.


2nd Semi Final


Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali – Chandigarh

30 Mar 11


T.B.C. vs T.B.C.


2nd Semi Final


Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali – Chandigarh

02 Apr 11


T.B.C. vs T.B.C.


Final


Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (Bombay)

02 Apr 11


T.B.C. vs T.B.C.


Final


Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (Bombay)

posted @ 11:22 AM, ,

Pakistan's Asia Cup flop 'a warning bell'

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Former Pakistan cricket greats said Sunday Pakistan’s failure to reach the final of the Asia Cup was “a warning bell” for problems that needed urgent attention before next year’s World Cup.

“Pakistan did play well in both the matches but the fact is that we are still number three, behind Sri Lanka and India, which is a warning bell for next year’s World Cup,” former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas told AFP.

The four-nation Asia Cup, being played in the Sri Lankan resort of Dambulla, is seen as a build-up for next year’s World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Arch-rival India beat Pakistan by three wickets on Saturday, qualifying for the June 24 final against Sri Lanka and leaving runners-up Pakistan and Bangladesh to contest a league match on Monday.

Abbas said the results showed that Pakistan was performing poorly.

“Against India our batting did well, but bowling and fielding were not up to the mark,” said Abbas.

Pakistan also failed to reach the final of the 2008 Asia Cup, when the tournament was held in their own country.

Abbas said there were “too many coaches” in the Pakistan camp, which he found “hard to understand,” referring to head coach Waqar Younis, assistant coach Aqib Javed and batting-fielding coach Ijaz Ahmed.

“Too many coaches are spoiling the broth,” Abbas said.

Former chief selector Iqbal Qasim, who resigned in February after Pakistan’s winless tour of Australia, said Pakistan had to confront its problems before next year’s World Cup.

“Fielding is our main problem, which again failed us on Saturday,” said Qasim, a former left-arm spinner.

“We also need to know when to utilise our batting powerplay, which is being spoiled every time.”

Qasim said fast-rising batsman Umar Akmal and paceman Mohammad Amir needed guidance to turn their huge talent into better performances.

“Umar is creating panic when he comes on to bat, which led to run-outs for his batting partners which he survived,” Qasim said.

“It’s a big problem which needs to sorted out.”

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi will lead the team on the tour of England starting next week.

Pakistan will play two Twenty20 and two Tests against Australia and four Tests, two Twenty20 and five one-day matches against England.

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posted @ 10:56 AM, ,

Pakistan Out of Asia Cup

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Sri Lanka: Harbhajan Singh smashed the penultimate ball from Mohammad Aamer for a six as India knocked Pakistan out of the Asia Cup with a three-wicket win on Saturday.

Harbhajan’s last-gasp shot over the midwicket fence helped India past Pakistan’s 267 with one ball to spare in a heart-stopping finish at the Rangiri stadium in Dambulla.

India scored 52 runs in the last five overs after the sixth wicket had fallen at 219, with Suresh Raina making 34 off 27 balls and Harbhajan an unbeaten 15 off 11.

The exciting victory lifted both India and hosts Sri Lanka into the June 24 final with two wins each and rendered the last two league matches inconsequential.

Pakistan and Bangladesh, who have yet to win a game, play each other on Monday, while India and Sri Lanka clash on Tuesday in a dress rehearsal for the final.

Barely 2,000 Sri Lankan fans were on hand to watch a rare clash between the arch-rivals, only their second one-day encounter in the past two years.

Opener Gautam Gambhir hit 83 off 97 balls and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni chipped in with 57 during a third-wicket stand of 97 which lifted India to 180-2 in the 36th over.

But Gambhir’s dismissal at that stage, bowled by Saeed Ajmal, triggered a middle-order collapse which saw four wickets fall for the addition of 39 runs.

Dhoni was bowled by Shoaib Malik and Rohit Sharma was trapped leg-before by Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, before Ajmal removed Ravindra Jadeja to make it 219-6 in the 46th over.

Raina and Harbhajan then stepped in to lead a brilliant recovery and crush a valiant Pakistan side’s hopes of staying alive in the tournament.

For Pakistan, opener Salman Butt top-scored with 74 and Kamran Akmal hit 51 off 41 balls after Afridi won the toss and elected to bat in the day-night international.

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posted @ 10:52 AM, ,

Split ODI Format To Survive

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The debate over the future of the ODI amidst an overdose of T20 cricket is something which will continue until an appropriate solution to the problem is found. Some might argue that things are just the same and the current format is absolutely fine while on the other, people think that a new format should be proposed. (Read: T20 Debacle: The changing Face Of Indian Cricket) Cricket Australia (CA) seems to be one of those latter sections of the cricketing society who has given it a though and has come up with a brand new proposal to change the format of the game which, according to them would make the game more interesting and catch more eyeballs. Reactions to this proposal have been mixed and an official statement by the ICC has been issued which states that it can only be looked at and discussed about. And even if it is liked by the entire cricketing world, it can only be implemented after the 2015 World Cup.

The CA proposed a reduced version from the currently existing 50 over ODI format. It has come up with a proposal to shorten it to 40 overs per side and that too split it into two innings of 20 overs each which meant that it would be a treat for the spectators to watch their favourite players come on the field and bat/bowl “twice” in the game which would make it look better and would keep the viewers glued to the game. Now, this format looks to be a pretty good at one glance but there are a lot of practical issues to be dealt with. We all have to agree that cricket today is not just the game, it is more a commercialised business and a product coming out of this business is the game. Such has been the situation for the past decade or so with the induction of money which seems to have taken over the game to a great extent. The loyalty factor is something that is slightly going down these days. The point I am trying to make here is that it’s more about the money which is luring the players rather than the quality of the game.

Talking about the proposal made by CA, it can be said that it has been a good attempt by them. Probably, it might work out in the domestic circuits but has to be debated over in its implementation at the international level. Honestly speaking, this format is almost like a T20 game being played twice. As simple as that! Don't you think? As such there have been talks about the overdose of T20 cricket which is murdering the other formats of the game. This would rather act as a catalyst to that and speed up the process of murdering it.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has clearly stated that as per its contract with the broadcaster for the 2015 World Cup, it cannot change the format otherwise it would be a breach of contract in case of the ICC. To add to it, the channel won’t want to lose out on the number of advertisements as the total number of overs lost due to this format and would have even huge drawbacks in terms of revenue for the channel. As I said earlier, cricket is no more a game; it is a product of a commercial process. Implementing it would also deal with time issues as some feel that it would be more time consuming as well.

Another proposal made by Sachin Tendulkar was to split the current format into an innings of 25 overs each. This format seems almost the same like the one by CA except for the fact that the number of overs will not be lost and a full 100 overs will be bowled in the match. But again, there will be an issue as to why would we have a T20 game then? If it has to be shortened it is becoming more of a T20 oriented format rather than a suitable solution to the problem.

Proposals would keep coming and most of them seem to confront the shortest version of the game. It has to be decided whether to implement this, the T20 format, which has gained so much popularity in the world due to which non-cricketing nations seem to be interested in it as well might have to be scrapped to make way for the shorter version of the game to survive. That would be a huge blow for the ICC and the entire cricketing world! To conclude everything in a nutshell, a genuine, feasible replacement is required for the format but not at the cost of T20. The question now arises is that; “What do we replace the ODI format with?” #

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posted @ 5:31 PM, ,

India v Pakistan 2010 Asia Cup

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India v Pakistan 2010 Asia Cup Match Updates, Schedules, Teams Squad, Stats, Pitch And Condition Saturday, June 19, 2010

Pakistan are known to be dangerously volatile when put in a do-or-die situation, as is the situation now after they lost their first match to Sri Lanka. Shahid Afridi has already shown the sign of return to form after a 75 ball 109 runs knock against Sri Lanka. With batsmen like Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal and Shoiab Malik in their rank they can expect to beat India of everything go as per their plan.

India on the other hand needs to short out their bowling which was punished badly by the Bangladesh openers in their first game. Their batsman Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also needs to put some runs on the board to put less pressure on M.S.Dhoni in the middle order.
With both teams raring to go on each other after nine months it would be an intense battle in the middle.

After long nine months wait the much awaited game of the Asia Cup 2010 finally arrived. It will be intense battle when arch-rivals India and Pakistan take on each other in the fourth game of Asia Cup 2001 at Rangiri Dambulla international stadium.

Pakistan must win this game to stay in the contention for the Asia Cup final after having lost their first game against Sri Lanka despite of superb batting display by their captain Shahid Afridi.

Pakistan after loosing their first game needs to short out their batting department specifically the out-of-depth youngsters at the top. With the return of Shoaib Akhtar their bowling department looks sharp and in shape which will test the top and middle order Indian batsmen.

Last time when these two team mates, Pakistan came out as winner in the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa. Where Shoiab Mallik scored a brilliant century for his team and Pakistan needs such type of performance again from someone to beat India in such a high pressure battle.
Watch out for

Virendra Sehwag: He has just scored 11 runs in his first outing after returning from shoulder injury but he has earn the confidence needed for international games by picking up four crucial wickets. So in any department he will be the key man for India.

Shahid Afridi: His century was in vane, when his team lost the game by rare margin of 16 runs. However his record against India is outstanding and he will try to repeat one of his past performances to keep his team hopes alive in 2010 Asia Cup.
Pitch & Condition

At Rangiri Dambulla international stadium, as we have seen in last three games batting under light is not as easy as it is during the day time. So toss will once again play a crucial part in the fate of the game against India and Pakistan. Team winning the toss would like to bat first and put somewhere around 260 runs on the board.
Teams

India is likely to go into the game with Same XI as Pakistan unless there is some injury concern for any players.

Likely Playing XI for both Teams (Match is Schedule to begin at 14:30 PM India Time)
India Squad: Virender Sehwag, Gautham Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (Captain/WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.
Pakistan Squad: Salman Butt, Shahzaib Hasan, Umar Amin, Shahid Afridi (Captain), Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal(WK), Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer.
Stats

India and Pakistan have played eight times in the Asia cup with India managing to win three while loosing four to Pakistan.

Shoaib Malik and Salman Butt has phenomenal record against India with both batsmen scored their most of the centuries against arch-rivals India.

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posted @ 5:29 PM, ,

ICC alert to match-fixing threat

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The spectre of match-fixing is once again hanging uneasily over cricket and the ICC will be alert to anything untoward during the World Twenty20 in the West Indies, but remain confident they have robust processes in place to keep the game clean.

Rumours abound in India in the wake of the controversial finish to the IPL - all, currently, unproven - while English domestic cricket was recently rocked when it was revealed that two Essex players wereunder investigation for spot fixing during a Pro40 match last year. Such allegations have raised concerns that the integrity of the game is at stake in the most serious way since the Hanise Cronje scandal in 2000.

With the eyes of the cricket world now trained on the Caribbean it is imperative that the tournament is free from controversy and the game's global governing body continues to put full faith in its Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) which was set-up in the wake of events 10 years ago and which the IPL has refused to use.

"The risk posed by corruption in cricket remains real and even though the ACSU has been hugely successful in combating those who want to harm our great sport, it doesn't mean we can be complacent," an ICC spokesman told Cricinfo. "Everyone involved in cricket must be vigilant and ensure that potential corruptors continue to be marginalized and pushed away from the game.

"The unit continues to be at the forefront of fighting corruption in cricket and also educating the players on the risks and responsibilities. As other sports bodies realise the importance of anti-corruption, the ICC's ACSU is often where they look for advice in how to do that."

Since the ACSU's inception in 2000 it has been led by Paul Condon, the former commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. But the ICC is now on the hunt of a new leading man with Condon set to retire in June after a decade of service. However, the ICC has said suggestions that Ravi Sawani, the chief investigator of the ACSU, has also handed in his resignation are wide of the mark.

"I am glad to say there is no truth in the rumour that Ravi Sawani is leaving," the spokesman said. "He is committed to remaining in the job until after the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 at least and that is good news for the game.

"Ravi is a vastly experienced investigator and has been an excellent addition to the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit since he took over two years ago."

Evidence that no one can be complacent about the international game now being clear of potential match-fixing came at the previous World Twenty20 in England last June when two Australian players were approached at the team hotel in London. The management immediately reported the incident to the ICC, but bookmakers are becoming ever more clever about how they aim to tap the market while the ease of access to matches, through satellite TV and the internet, makes it a vulnerable time. #

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posted @ 1:38 PM, ,

What Cricket's bloated World Cup could learn from football's balanced one

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Dileep Premachandran

As Cristiano Ronaldo was running into Orange Ivorian walls in Port Elizabeth, there was a terrific one-day international being played in Dambulla. Shahid Afridi's blazing 76-ball 109 nearly took Pakistan home, but it was Lasith Malinga's slingy accuracy (career-best figures of five for 34) that provided the last word as the hosts squeezed home by 16 runs. A significant number might have watched in Pakistan, but in India and Bangladesh, millions who would otherwise be on the cricket had eyes only for the World Cup.

Thanks to the scheduling, the Asia Cup, which should be cricket's answer to football's European Championship or the Copa América, has become the Who Cares Cup. With the final to be played on 24 June, when the jostling for last-16 places in South Africa will be intense, the continental showpiece is doomed to be another TV dud.

The tournament, first held in Sharjah in 1984, has gone from being played every two years to once in four years, and is now back to a two-year cycle. Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates took part in 2004 and 2008, allowing batsmen and bowlers alike to improve their statistics, but this year it is back to being a four-team event. Of those sides, Bangladesh have won twice in 26 Asia Cup matches.

The real value of the competition was illustrated when Sachin Tendulkar asked for time off to spend with his family. You can just imagine Fernando Torres or Wayne Rooney doing that at Euro 2012. Yet can you find fault with the greatest of one-day batsmen for wanting to stay away?

Meaningless one-day tournaments are piled on top of each other like shacks in a shanty town. A fortnight ago India's second-string were dumped out of the Micromax Cup by mighty Zimbabwe and a Sri Lanka B side led by Tillakaratne Dilshan. Again, TV ratings were poor, evidence, if any was needed, of viewer fatigue. There are endless debates about how one-day cricket can be revived from its sick bed. Few suggestions attack the primary tumour, the surfeit of meaningless games.

It is a malaise that has affected the Cricket World Cup as well. Brian Glanville regularly quotes a German journalist who once said of Sepp Blatter that he had 50 ideas a day, 51 of them bad. The Fawlty Towers types who run the bat-and-ball game should be grateful that Glanville does not write about their sport. Whatever rotten ideas Blatter has had, he still presides over the greatest show on earth, and its popularity skyrockets every four years.

Even in America, the England-USA match, kicking off in the afternoon rather than in prime time, was watched by 17 million, more than the viewership for the first four games of the NBA finals. It was also more than twice the number who watched the Stanley Cup decider.

In India and Bangladesh, the number watching the final stages will comfortably exceed 100 million. Already, Bangladeshi factories have been asked to work fewer hours so that there are fewer power outages at night, when the pictures are beamed in from South Africa.

The World Cup has a format that works perfectly. The lesser lights get 270 minutes, plus injury time, in the sun. After that, it is nail-biting time with a straight knockout. Excellence in the group stages means nothing as Denmark (1986), Nigeria (1998) and Spain (2006) discovered. Sometimes it is the slow starters (Italy in 1982 and 2006) who win the big prize. And all the drama is packed into 30 days, ensuring fewer divorces and fights over the remote control.

Contrast that with cricket's four-yearly epic. When it started, the World Cup spanned only 15 days. By 1987, when it was first played in the subcontinent, it lasted a month. In 1992, the best World Cup of all featured 39 games spread over 33 days. The International Cricket Council, though, were determined to fix that which wasn't broken. By 2007, when an interminable event sucked the life out of Caribbean crowds, there were 51 games across six weeks. With India and Pakistan going home early, the Eights turned out to be anything but Super, with only Sri Lanka showing signs of stopping the inevitable Australian procession.

You would think anyone who had witnessed such a shambles would learn from it. But no, the 2011 World Cup will be just as long, and potentially even more boring. Having revived the pulse by bringing back the quarter-finals, the ICC promptly gave the patient a lethal injection with a group stage that will test the patience of even cricket tragics. Ireland, Canada, Kenya and the Netherlands are all guaranteed six games, and four from each seven-team group will make it to the last eight. In other words, every precaution has been taken to ensure that India aren't runaway brides again.

Four groups of four would have given two more teams (maybe the promising Afghans) much-needed exposure, while significantly increasing the excitement factor. Instead, you have a situation where a team could lose three or even four group games, qualify for the quarters on net run-rate and then fluke a win over the best team in the competition. The blueprint was drawn during the subcontinent's last World Cup when West Indies (2-3 in the group, including a forfeit against Sri Lanka) beat South Africa (a perfect 5-0), though there was nothing fortunate about Brian Lara's brilliant century or the Proteas' boneheaded decision to rest Allan Donald.

Hopefully, those that have done their best to kill off the one-day game will be keeping an eye on happenings in South Africa, and learning how to stage a world-class event. Don't count on it, though. These days, the Indian board is the band-master and everyone else marches in step. They're no fans of Leopold Kohr and the concept that small is beautiful. With the next Indian Premier League season being 94 games long, we can only hope that they do not import enough vuvuzelas to leave us all uncomfortably numb.

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posted @ 1:36 PM, ,

Top Ten Sporting Events

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Once every four years, the world watches as the biggest non-Olympic sports tournament takes place. For the first time in the history of the World Cup, an African nation will host. South Africa, and more specifically 10 venues from Cape Town to Johannesburg, will play host as 32 nations fight for the prize.

Italy will be the defending champion, after defeating France in 2006, but they aren’t the front-runner this time around. France barely survived qualifications on a controversial handball while Italy is behind favorites Spain, Brazil and England, according to the odds makers and media.

Read about top ten sporting events here.

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posted @ 12:15 PM, ,

Bangladesh Vs Sri Lanka

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Tillakaratne Dilshan starred with bat and ball as Sri Lanka trounced Bangladesh by 126 runs on Friday to virtually book their place in the Asia Cup final.

Dilshan smashed 71 off 51 balls and claimed three wickets as the defending champions piled up a commanding 312-4 in their 50 overs and then shot out Bangladesh for 186.

It was Sri Lanka's second win in a row after the 16-run defeat of Pakistan in their opening match and helped them step closer to becoming the first team to take a berth in the June 24 final.

Bangladesh, who had lost to India on Wednesday, are virtually out of contention in the four-nation tournament.

Sri Lanka put on a dazzling batting performance to record the highest total ever at the Rangiri international stadium in Dambulla.

Dilshan and Upul Tharanga set the ball rolling with an opening stand of 111 by the 16th over after Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat in the day-night match.

Tharanga (54) and Sangakkara (52) hit half-centuries to build on Dilshan's aggressive knock which included 11 boundaries and a six.

Mahela Jayawardene chipped in with 43 during a third-wicket stand of 69 with Sangakkara.

Angelo Mathews (42 not out) and Chamara Kapugedera (37 not out) hammered 73 runs in the last 10 overs to set Bangladesh a tough target of six runs an over under lights.

Bangladesh found the task beyond their reach despite a typically aggressive 51 off 53 balls by left-handed opener Tamim Iqbal.

Tamim put on 57 for the second wicket with Junaid Siddique (38) after opening partner Imrul Kayes was caught in the slips off Nuwan Kulasekera for three.

Bangladesh, who were 77-1 at one stage, lost five wickets for 66 runs as Dilshan and Muttiah Muralitharan sliced through the middle order.

Dilshan, bowling off-spin, sealed Bangladesh's fate in the space of nine deliveries when he had Tamim stumped by Sangakkara and then trapped Mohammad Ashraful leg-before.

Dilshan also removed Mushfiqur Rahim, while Muralitharan dismissed Junaid Siddique and skipper Shakib Al Hasan at the other end.

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posted @ 10:52 AM, ,

Proposals Invited for World Cup Opening Ceremony

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The International Cricket Council on Wednesday invited proposals from qualified companies for the event management of the 2011 World Cup opening ceremony which will be staged at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka on 17th February.

"The successful company or companies will be granted the responsibilities to organise and manage the delivery of the opening ceremony of what is the third biggest sporting event in the world," the ICC said in a statement.

"This will include the development of the creative content and production of the ceremony showcasing the sporting achievements, culture and people of the host nations as well as implementing all production and stage management and management of the accredited media attending the opening ceremony," it added.

A proven track record in opening ceremony production and event management is essential along with sufficient resources and experience, the ICC said.

The deadline for submission of proposals is 15th July, it added. (SS-16/06)

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posted @ 12:24 PM, ,

Fiery Finn excites heady expectations

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Overcast May days with rain in the air and helpful green-tinged pitches are not the best conditions to judge the potential of embryonic England pace bowlers.

If the opposition are Bangladesh, who have recorded only three wins in their 68 Tests, a true assessment becomes even more difficult.

Such considerations, though, bore little weight with the spectators hurrying through the showers to watch Steven Finn go through his paces in the recent two-test series.

The gangling, 21-year-old Middlesex fast man provided full value with nine for 187 at Lord’s and six for 81 at Old Trafford. But, with an Ashes defence in Australia looming later in the year, it was the style rather than the statistics which raised heady expectations.

One of the tallest players to represent England at 2.01 metres, Finn runs in with an athletic, relaxed approach allowing him to get close to 145 kph without strain.

His delivery stride brings him side-on with a high left arm and the only obvious flaw in a supple, bio-mechanically sound action has been a disconcerting tendency to sprawl on to the pitch after releasing the ball.

The consequent accuracy, life and lift have prompted comparisons with Glenn McGrath, who runs Dennis Lillee close as the best of the Australian pacemen, and the elongated West Indian Curtly Ambrose.

Mindful of Finn’s youth and the appalling injury toll suffered by fast bowlers by all test nations in recent years, the England management have been quick to dampen expectations.

Finn will miss the forthcoming five-match one-day series against Australia to undergo a strength-and-conditioning programme and coach Andy Flower said he did not want to make premature comparisons with McGrath, whose test haul of 563 wickets is the highest by any fast bowler.

“Comparing him to other fast bowlers, to me, is not useful,” Flower said. “He has a lovely action...he has very good control for a 21-year-old fast bowler.

“It is a great start for him but he also realises that he has scope for learning and progress.”

Finn’s maturity and ability to learn were evident during a promising debut in the away series against Bangladesh in March on pitches specifically designed to nullify the England fast bowlers and assist the home team’s spinners.

He has already represented Middlesex for five years after becoming the youngest debutant since Fred Titmus, who went on to represent the county in four decades. His mentor is the former Middlesex and England fast-medium bowler Angus Fraser, a past master of unrelenting accuracy, and his hero is McGrath.

“I certainly can put on more pace and it’s something I’m looking to do but I’m not going to force it,” Finn told reporters at Lord’s.

“You have to be clever and learn when to try and bowl quick. McGrath is someone I’ve always idolised, the metronomic control of line and length is something all fast bowlers strive to achieve.

“Everyone wants to combine pace with that control which McGrath had. In the early part of his career he had that pace and in the later part he needed to learn how to be smarter with the ball; the way he adapted throughout his career is something I really respect.”

Wickets at Lord’s in May are no reason for excessive celebration.

Ed Giddins took five for 15 in an innings against Zimbabwe 10 years ago but played only two more tests. Sajid Mahmood has failed to fulfil the promise he demonstrated with reverse swing at high speed against Sri Lanka in 2006.

Last year Graham Onions drew comparisons with McGrath, and a host of execrable puns from the headline writers, with five wickets in an innings against West Indies. He is currently sidelined by injury.

The records of tall, young England fast bowlers poised to make their Ashes debuts before hostile crowds in Australia’s unforgiving climate are discouraging.

David Larter, who was as tall as Finn, made two tours in the 1960s without playing a test. Alan Ward, who excited equally high hopes, returned home early after injury on the 1970-1 tour.

On the plus side Bob Willis, who replaced Ward on that tour, performed with credit in a winning team and went on to join Frank Tyson, Fred Trueman, and John Snow as one of the four great post World War Two England fast bowlers.

England captain Andrew Strauss, mindful of the importance fast bowling has played in England’s rare successes in Australia, recognises what an asset Finn could be while echoing Flower’s caution.

“There’s a lot of water under the bridge before then,” he said. “But he’s obviously got some great attributes, his height and a pretty clean action.

“Early in your career it’s fantastic to get wickets and show you belong at this level.” —Reuters

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posted @ 10:48 AM, ,

Asian Cup Schedules and Squads

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Teams and schedule for the four-nation Asia Cup limited-overs tournament starting in Dambulla on June 15.

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Pragyan Ojha, Ashok Dinda, Ravichandran Ashwin, Saurabh Tiwary.

Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (capt), Salman Butt (vice-capt), Imran Farhat, Shahzaib Hasan, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Umar Amin, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir, Shoaib Akhtar, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Muttiah Muralitharan (vice-capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Farveez Maharoof, Chamara Kapugedara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Chanaka Welegedara, Lasith Malinga, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Thilina Kandamby.

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Jahurul Islam, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Mashrafe Mortaza, Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Syed Rasel, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Suhrawadi Shuvo.


Schedule

June 15: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan

June 16: India vs Bangladesh

June 18: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh

June 19: Pakistan vs India

June 21: Pakistan vs Bangladesh

June 22: India vs Sri Lanka

June 24: Final

June 25: Reserve day

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posted @ 10:55 AM, ,

The Ball Girl

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A ball girl holds tennis balls during qualifying for Wimbledon 2010 Tennis at Roehampton on June 15, 2010 in London, England.

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posted @ 9:26 AM, ,

Asia Cup launching ground for cricket World Cup 2011

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By Krishan Francis

This month's Asia Cup will provide the region's cricket nations with an ideal preparation ahead of the World Cup to be played on the subcontinent in just eight months' time.

Host Sri Lanka joins India, Pakistan and Bangladesh at the central town of Dambulla for the region's top limited-overs tournament starting Tuesday.

India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will co-host the cricket World Cup from February 2011. Pakistan was originally to have also been a co-host, but was dropped due to security concerns.

"For us, any tournament we play in is important," Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara told reporters Monday ahead of his team's opening match against Pakistan.

"This is important for building confidence and a stepping stone for the World Cup as well."

All four teams will play six preliminary round-robin games ahead of the June 24 final.

India is recovering from its early exit from the Twenty20 world championship in the West Indies and its team comprising mostly of second-string players failed to reach the final of a recent tri-nation series featuring Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

"We are always under pressure," Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said referring to high expectations from home fans. But he added that with the return of senior players, India's fortunes could be turned around.

"It's good to have the senior players back. They've got a decent time off cricket and at the same time they've got time to work on their fitness."

Sri Lanka, a winner of four Asia Cups including the previous two editions in 2004 and 2008, has dropped veteran batsman Sanath Jayasuriya and spin bowler Ajantha Mendis, whose efforts were instrumental in winning in 2008, due to poor form.

Sangakkara said their absence provided other players with a chance to prove themselves.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and all-rounder Farveez Maharoof have been recalled after long layoffs.

India batting great Sachin Tendulkar has opted out of the tournament to stay with his family, while batsmen Yuvraj Singh and Yousuf Pathan have been dropped.

Saurabh Tiwary, a 20-year-old uncapped batsman, has been called into the side on the back of an impressive performance in the Indian Premier League. India has four Asia Cup titles, but has not won the tournament for 15 years.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi's biggest challenge will be team unity after infighting in recent months resulted in suspensions for some senior players, including former captains Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik.

The suspensions on Younis and Malik have been lifted while Yousuf is still under an indefinite ban.

Malik has been included in the side for the Asia Cup while pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar also returns after a year's layoff.

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posted @ 12:08 PM, ,

Cricket Giants

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Asia’s Test-playing nations begin their preparations for next year’s World Cup when they contest the region’s top one-day prize from Tuesday.

Away from the global spotlight on the football World Cup in South Africa, the four-nation Asia Cup will be played in Sri Lanka over the next 10 days.

India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, who co-host the cricket World Cup in February-April, will be joined by Pakistan in a round-robin preliminary league with the top two teams contesting the final on June 24.

“This is a good chance to test our strengths and weaknesses and also see how the others are faring on the way to the World Cup,” Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.

India go into the tournament in the central town of Dambulla hoping to make amends for their failure to reach the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.

A second-string side then lost twice to hosts Zimbabwe in a recent one-day tri-series also featuring Sri Lanka, exposing a weak bench that does not augur well for the World Cup.

India, who face Bangladesh in their first match on Wednesday, are without veteran Sachin Tendulkar, the world’s most prolific Test and one-day batsman, who opted to rest ahead of a busy season.

Also missing is one-day regular Yuvraj Singh, who was dropped due to poor form after scoring just 74 runs in five World Twenty20 matches. In five one-day internationals this year, the left-hander has managed only 96 runs.

Pakistan, preparing to clash with holders Sri Lanka in Tuesday’s opener, have recalled mercurial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for the first time since May last year when he was sidelined with a knee injury.

Flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi leads a talented Pakistani squad which includes three promising batsmen in Umar Amin, 21, Shahzaib Hasan, 20, and Asad Shafiq, 24.

Sri Lanka – who won the last Asia Cup in Pakistan two years ago – have left out ageing batsman Sanath Jayasuriya and unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis for the tournament.

Jayasuriya, who turns 41 later this month, is the most experienced one-day batsman in the world with 444 appearances and second in the leading scorers’ list with 13,428 runs behind Tendulkar’s 17,598.

But a woeful average of 3.75 in six matches at the World Twenty20 forced his exclusion for the Asia Cup and raised doubts over the left-hander’s future ahead of the World Cup.

Bangladesh hope to regroup on the slow Dambulla wickets after being beaten by England in both Tests on seam-friendly tracks at Lord’s and Old Trafford. 

With Sri Lanka co-hosting the World Cup with India and Bangladesh, organisers hope fans will not shun the matches like they did when the previous edition was held in Pakistan.

Two years after the players were forced to contest the matches in the energy sapping heat of June and July, they will be hoping for more pleasant conditions as all the games take place under lights in the central Sri Lankan town of Dambulla.

All four teams will play six preliminary, round-robin games ahead of the June 24 final. —Agencies

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posted @ 10:36 AM, ,

Asia Cup vs FIFA

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By Sulakshana

The biggest sporting event of the year literally kicked off this week taking the undiverted attention of all sports lovers world wide. But this does not mean that the other sports are put on hold. The Asia Cup is clashing head on with FIFA.

The Asia Cup first played in 1984 is seen as a one day international tournament where the Asian cricket teams meet each other to prove the best in the continent. It is a platform where some of the strongest international cricket teams in the world such as Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan battle for one trophy.

The most popular sport in southern Asia at least is undoubtedly- cricket. However, football is also making an impact on the continents sports fans and the clash of the Asia Cup with the Football world cup may mean that viewers will have a hard time choosing one.

Given the public frenzy over the FIFA World Cup, Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi is of the opinion that fans would give the upcoming Asia Cup in Sri Lanka due attention.

Talking to media persons before leaving for Sri Lanka for the quadrangular one-day tournament starting June 15, Afridi said he believes that fans would tune in to the cricket matches amidst the madness for football.

“Football is huge, but I hope after the 90 minutes of excitement (of a World Cup game) fans will give cricket its due attention and follow the Asia Cup,” The News quoted Afridi, as saying.

Afridi said that while his team will also be following the football World Cup, the prime attention would be on cricket.

“Like millions of Asians I also follow football and my favourite team is Brazil, so like my team mates I will follow World Cup matches as and when we have time, but the focus remains the Asia Cup,” he said.

Afridi also said he is hopeful of good results in the Asia Cup.

“We have all trained really hard and we see the Asia Cup as the first part of our preparations for the 2011 World Cup so this is a important tournament for us,” he said.

The captain’s statement reflects the attitude of most Asian countries where football is idolised nearly as much as cricket. The popularity of cricket in each country is directly proportional to the strength of that countries cricket team. Another factor that helps cricket to retain its throne is the fact that no South Asian team is taking part in FIFA. However, sports fans are more into good quality sports rather than seeing their own team play.

The Asian football teams have always been overshadowed by the more sponsored and publicised cricket teams and this may be the reason why the region has no strong football team yet to give a challenge to the westerners as they are doing with cricket.

This years Asia Cup is hosted by Sri Lanka who has appeared in every final match of the Cup since it was initiated, and will see the participation of the best teams in the region as well as budding new teams such as Afghanistan.

The tenth Asia Cup will be played from June 15-24 in Dambulla, in central Sri Lanka, about 150 kilometres northeast of capital Colombo, coinciding with the month-long FIFA world cup, which kicked off in South Africa this Friday.

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posted @ 11:01 AM, ,


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