Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Australians slam Akhtar drugs loophole - Cricket - Sport - smh.com.au

Hayden and Symonds slams ICC and indirectly PCB for allowing Shoaib Chakther and Mohammad Asif to play even after tested positive for the drugs.

Alex Brown and Trevor Marshallae writing for the Sydney Morning Herald goes on to say that this could be another verbal tussle between Australia and Sub continental.

Link

Australians slam Akhtar drugs loophole - Cricket - Sport - smh.com.au

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

India can rise above the rest - just don't put your bed on it | Cricket | Guardian Unlimited Sport

Everyone in India is backing ..rather hoping that India can win the world...

It is nice to see that a neutral observer backs India for a change this time.

Vic Marks for India

India can rise above the rest - just don't put your bed on it | Cricket | Guardian Unlimited Sport

Knee injury forces Razzaq out of World Cup : Another one bites the dust

What a disaster this is turning out to be for Pakistan ! Did I say all these points to Pakistan ultimately winning the world cup
"Abdul Razzaq, the Pakistan allrounder, has been ruled out of the World Cup with a knee injury suffered just prior to the team's scheduled departure for the West Indies. Razzaq sustained the injury during a practice session on Monday at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and doctors have said that he might be out for up to three weeks.

'I am simply devastated. One moment we are practicing and planning for the big tournament and next moment doctors tell me I am out of it,' Razzaq told agencies. 'It is hugely disappointing for me to go out this way,' said Razzaq, who would have been playing in his third World Cup, had it not been for the last-minute injury. Razzaq, who has played 229 ODIs for Pakistan, recently missed the Test series in South Africa because of an elbow injury"

Cricinfo - Knee injury forces Razzaq out of World Cup:

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Hands up for Nixon

Paul Nixon, the wicketkeeper is considered as one of the main reasons why Eng won the tri series final against Australia.Here's what Steve Waugh has to stay about him

Steve Waugh played with him for a few months at Kent. “Nico? He’s like a mosquito buzzing around in the dark of the night that needs to be swatted but always escapes,” said the former Australia captain. “He is elusive but ever-present. This guy makes Ian Healy [the wicketkeeper who played for Australia under Waugh] look like a choirboy, with his rasping wit, enthusiasm and stunningly accurate assessments of opponents. Geez, I love the guy’s work. He should have been born an Aussie.”


Hands up for Nixon-Sport-Cricket-TimesOnline

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Dravid has best ODI success rate among Indian captains- News-World Cup 2007-Sections-Indiatimes - Cricket

No surprise to me.

"NEW DELHI: With the World Cup around the corner and the top eight teams gunning to lift the most coveted trophy in the West Indies, there is good news for Indian skipper Rahul Dravid. Statistics show that the 'Wall' is India's most successful One-day captain among all those who have captained India in at least 20 matches.

Under Dravid, India have won 32 of the 58 matches that have produced results during his tenure. That's a success rate of 55%, just a little higher than the 54% success rate that Sourav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin and Kapil Dev had. This may seem like a fine point, but the statistics actually understate how much more successful Dravid has been than his predecessors.

That's because, of the 62 One-day matches in which Dravid has captained, only two have been played against a traditional minnow — Zimbabwe in 2005 — while the rest have all been against the top teams in world cricket. "

Dravid has best ODI success rate among Indian captains- News-World Cup 2007-Sections-Indiatimes - Cricket:

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Australian Humbled attack can't win Cup

You thought journalists from India writing on Cricket are fierce , take a look at what Malcom Conn writing in http://www.foxsports.com has to say

"LIKE a horror story? Take a look at the figures for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy and figure out how this attack can possibly defend Australia's World Cup crown?

On present indications it has no hope. If Brett Lee cannot recover in time from a serious ankle injury, and he remains in grave doubt, then the attack that was humiliated by New Zealand during the past week will be the same one fronting up in the Caribbean during the next two months.

Unlike the batting, which was missing four of the top five players in the order, the bowling has no such excuses.

And if Stuart Clark eventually replaces Lee in the World Cup squad, he should not be looked on as any sort of saviour, despite the unresearched hysteria pedalled by sections of the Sydney media.

Clark has conceded an average of 6.4 runs an over, more than a run a ball, during his past 10 limited-overs matches.

The bowlers in New Zealand, from what was so recently the best one-day team in the world, were completely shamed."

Humbled attack can't win Cup - Cricket - Fox Sports:

Confusion over India cricket kit

Yeah! This is the most important thing that needs ICCs attention !

"The international sports firm, Nike, has issued a clarification after Indian cricket players earlier this week displayed colourful new kits.

Newspapers covering the launch reported that the kits would be used in the World Cup, which begins next month.

Nike bosses issued a statement saying that the new strip was only for One Day Internationals (ODIs) not run by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The jersey launched on Tuesday had a sponsor's name prominently printed.


BBC NEWS | South Asia | Confusion over India cricket kit:

Losing was just 'fine-tuning' - Cricket - Fox Sports

Australian coach John Buchanan is known for serving loads of fertilizers for botanical gardens and this is no different and smells more !

"Australia coach John Buchanan insists the sky is not falling in and that the focus of the past two series has been about fine-tuning plans for the World Cup.

'The last few games have shown us where the holes in the balloon might be and that's an upside in terms of us going to the World Cup. I'm sure all of us would rather know now, rather than find them out when we got there,' Buchanan said."

Losing was just 'fine-tuning' - Cricket - Fox Sports:

Internation Cricket: India Women v England Women at Chennai, Feb 21, 2007

Just because men are preparing for their world cup, doesn't mean that there is no Cricket.
There is an international women's tournament going on in India and today India beat England by 18 runs in first of the matches

Cricinfo - 2nd Match: India Women v England Women at
Chennai, Feb 21, 2007

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Kapil, Sidhu in crore-plus TV deals

Just one of the reasons why one should avoid watching CNN-IBN during this worldcup and rest of the Cricket season.!

Rediff report says

"Global Broadcast News, which runs CNN-IBN and IBN7, is close to signing up Navjot Singh Sidhu for a whopping Rs 1.5 crore (Rs 15 million)."

Kapil, Sidhu in crore-plus TV deals: