-- NEWS --

Tendulkar, Dravid, Zaheer nominated for ICC awards

11 August 2011

 

Dubai, Aug 11(ANI): Indian stars Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan have been nominated for the prestigious ICC 'Cricketer of the Year' (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) and 'Test Player of the Year' awards, which will be presented in London on September 12.
Tendulkar and Dravid have previously won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.
Tendulkar won it in 2010, while Dravid won it at the inaugural awards in 2004.
Zaheer has also been nominated for the 'ODI Player of the Year' award along with M.S. Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir Virat Kohli, Munaf Patel, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh.

This year's ICC Awards includes 10 individual prizes and also features the selection of the Test and ODI Teams of the Year and the award to the side that has adhered most to the Spirit of Cricket.
For the second time, this year's awards feature the category, the People's Choice Award.
This award will be chosen by cricket fans around the world, who will get a chance to vote for their favourite player online from a short-list of five cricketers.
Those five cricketers - Jonathan Trott, M.S. Dhoni, Chris Gayle, Kumar Sangakkara and Hashim Amla - who were selected by the ICC selection panel and released to the public for voting earlier this month.
Cricket fans currently have the opportunity to vote for the cricketer of their choice online until August 25 at www.lgpeopleschoice.com.
'The LG ICC Awards presents a wonderful opportunity for the ICC, in association with FICA and a myriad of cricket fans, to acknowledge and reward the brilliant performances of the world's best cricketers," said ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.
"It is also a chance to look back on some of the great cricketing feats witnessed in the past year, including from our flagship event, the ICC Cricket World Cup. This will be the eighth Awards edition and once again the voting academy will face a tough task in deciding the winners," he added.
The long-lists of nominations were made by a five-man ICC selection panel chaired by former West Indies captain and current chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee Clive Lloyd.
The panel also includes former international players Mike Gatting of England, Danny Morrison of New Zealand, Paul Adams of South Africa and Pakistan's Zaheer Abbas.
The individual player awards will be selected by an academy of 25 highly credentialed cricket personalities from around the world.
The academy includes a host of former players and respected members of the media, representatives of the Emirates Elite Panels of ICC Umpires and ICC Match Referees.
The ICC Awards ceremony is now in its eighth year and this year it will be held in London, England. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007 and 2009), Dubai (2008) and Bengaluru (2010).
ICC award nominees:
Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy):
Hashim Amla (RSA), James Anderson (ENG), Ian Bell (ENG), Stuart Broad (ENG), Alastair Cook (ENG), Rahul Dravid (IND), Jacques Kallis (RSA), Zaheer Khan (IND), Misbah-ul-Haq (PAK), Kumar Sangakkara (SRI), Andrew Strauss (ENG), Graeme Swann (ENG), Sachin Tendulkar (IND), Chris Tremlett (ENG), Jonathan Trott (ENG), AB de Villiers (RSA), Shane Watson (AUS)
Test Player of the Year:
Hashim Amla (RSA), James Anderson (ENG), Ian Bell (ENG), Stuart Broad (ENG), Alastair Cook (ENG), Rahul Dravid (IND), Jacques Kallis (RSA), Zaheer Khan (IND), Misbah-ul-Haq (PAK), Kevin Pietersen (ENG), Ishant Sharma (IND), Harbhajan Singh (IND), Dale Steyn (RSA), Graeme Swann (ENG), Sachin Tendulkar (IND), Chris Tremlett (ENG), Jonathan Trott (ENG), AB de Villiers (RSA), Shane Watson (AUS)
ODI Player of the Year:
Hashim Amla (RSA), Michael Clarke (AUS), M.S. Dhoni (IND), Gautam Gambhir (IND), Mohammed Hafeez (PAK), Mahela Jayawardene (SRI), Zaheer Khan (IND), Virat Kohli (IND), Lasith Malinga (SRI), Munaf Patel (IND), Saeed Ajmal (PAK), Shakib Al Hasan (BAN), Kumar Sangakkara (SRI), Virender Sehwag (IND), Yuvraj Singh (IND), Tim Southee (NZL), Dale Steyn (RSA), Graeme Swann (ENG), Jonathan Trott (ENG), AB de Villiers (RSA), Shane Watson (AUS). (ANI)

crtsy : Yahoo! Cricket

---NEWS---

For Donald, aggression starts from the nets
20 June 2011
Donald, one of South Africa's most dreaded fast bowlers, wants the current and future crop of bowlers to be 'cocky and arrogant in all the right ways' even when they are training at the nets.

'The training ground is meant to be the most hostile,' Donald was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

'That is where it must all happen so when the captain goes in the match, he will be absolutely sure of what everyone can give him.'

Donald, while talking about South Africa's pace spearhead Dale Steyn and his opening bowler Morne Morkel, said they technically might be as sound as anyone but there is always scope for working with the bowlers' mindset and that also includes the ones who are waiting in the wings.

'It starts with the A team. That's where the message must get across so that the players aren't scared and know what international cricket is about.'

Donald's first assignment will be the A team tour to Zimbabwe later this week. The team is scheduled to take part in the ODI tri-series which includes the hosts and Australia A. This means that Donald has started his work earlier than newly-appointed coach Gary Kirsten.

Donald gave the reason of hitting the ground running with the A team as he wants to create a wide pool of fast bowlers.

'I want the younger guys to punch a hole into the line up and not just sit and wait for their turn,' he said.

Donald was the coach of the New Zealand team before taking up the role in the national side. The 44-year-old said he was impressed the most with Tim Southee, who he thinks has the potential to become the best swing bowler in the world.

'He (Southee) is such a talented guy. We were working on some other variations to his bowling which I hope he develops. What people don't know about him is that he can hit a cricket ball a very long way. He has the skills to become a very good all-rounder,' he said.

Sources: Yahoo! Cricket

--NEWS--

AB-inspired Bangalore overcome Kochi fright
The South African, who came in to bat with the team reeling at 48-2, put on 52 runs for the fourth wicket with Tiwary to ensure Challengers got off to a winning start. Wicket-keeper batsman AB de Villiers struck a fine half-century as Bangalore survived some anxious moments against fighting Tuskers.
De Villiers impressed with his shot selection, patiently waiting for loose deliveries to punish Kerela bowlers - smacking five big sixes and a four. He stayed there till the end as Bangalore romped home in 18.4 overs.
Kerala's attack came under pressure for the first time when opener Mayank Agarwal (33) welcomed Muralidaran with a monstrous hit over deep mid-wicket off his first ball to bring up Bangalore's 50 in style. He and de Villiers comfortably gathered runs against pace and spin, much to the dislike of Jayawardena.
Murali was immediately replaced and Mahela brought in part-timer Ravindra Jadeja, who got the wicket of Mayank trying to go over long off.
Local lad Sreesanth did the early damage for Kochi, dismissing opener Tillakaratne Dilshan for 1 run as crowd erupted in joy. Youngster Virat Kohli (23), back from a World Cup high, played some lusty shots before being trapped by Vinay Kumar. Promising Kohli, only player retained by Bangalore for this edition, missed a menacing straight delivery form Kumar which would have taken out leg stump happily.
Earlier, opener Brendon McCullum's brisk 45 runs in 32 balls - which included four boundaries and two huge sixes - was the cornerstone of Kochi's 161 as the home team impressed with their batting after winning the toss against favourites Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Brendon McCullum loves playing against Royal Challengers doesn't he? It was against Bangalore in the opening game of the inaugural Indian T20 extravaganza where McCullum hammered 158 off just 73 balls. After that both Kolkata and McCullum had a horrible time in IPL. So, he changed the team, got a new jersey - violet and light orange - and gave debutant Kerala a dream start against his favourite opponents.
The home team made the most of winning the toss on an easy-paced pitch as McCullum and Laxman provided an explosive 80-run start off just 8.6 overs.
McCullum greeted Dirk Nannes with 4, 4 and 6 in the second over, much to the amusement of the crowd celebrating their only association with big time cricket. VVS Laxman too demonstrated his enduring class in the company of his aggressive partner and brought 50 runs for Kochi in just 5.3 overs.
After all the hic hic play in the first six overs, both openers started dealing in singles as Bangalore bowlers continue to struggle with their line and length. However part-timer Tillakaratne Dilshan provided the much-needed breakthrough in the 9th over when VVS tried to hoick one for a simple catch to Cheteshwar Pujara at deep mid-wicket.
Big-hitting New Zealand wicket-keeper McCullum soon followed Laxman trying to 'Dilscoop' a low full toss from Virat Kohli for an easy catch to Nannes at short third man. Sad ending to a promising innings...
The momentum suddenly shifted in Bangalore's favour after McCullum's wicket and their bowlers kept the pressure on with some good slower ones. However, Brad Hodge (27) and Ravindra Jadeja (23) propelled Kochi Tuskers to a competitive 161 - the score captain Jayawardena wanted.
The pick of the bowler for Bangalore was Daniel Vettori, whose 4 overs of spin yielded 1-17 while Nannes claimed one wicket at the expense of 31 runs in 3 overs.
In all, the Tuskers - under the stewardship of Mahela Jayawardene - impressed with their batting, fielding and to some extent their bowling - which needs improvement.

----Breakig NEWS---

Dhoni, Kirsten, Tendulkar make team world beaters
Four years ago, the team was in ruins after crashing out in the first round of the World Cup in the Caribbean, with fans baying for the cricketers' blood.
But the transition in the next four-year cycle has been outstanding, the picture completed with the six-wicket victory at the Wankhede Stadium, when Dhoni anchored the run chase with his knock of 91. The three characters who stand out for India in the transformation of the team's approach are Dhoni, low-profile coach Gary Kirsten and the indefatigable Sachin Tendulkar.
If Dhoni has marshaled his resources well, Kirsten has been the facilitator of systems and Tendulkar the biggest inspiration for younger players. These three have transformed the team into a powerful unit that has done well in different conditions around the world and also come back from the brink to achieve impressive victories.
Tendulkar, who has played with many top players in his 21 years of international cricket, said Saturday he was enjoying playing like never before. "This team shows a lot of self belief and is extremely consistent," Tendulkar said after the victory.
"It is a great honor to be part of this team."
The Indian team, already enjoying top ranking in test cricket, is now also atop the one-day table.
In the past few years, India has come back undefeated from test tours of Australia and South Africa, won a test series in New Zealand as well as one-day series in Australia and Sri Lanka, all considered difficult feats for any team. But the one event that triggered the cycle was the Twenty20 World Championship victory in South Africa four years ago, which offset the despair of the 2007 World Cup and refreshed the side.
Dhoni gave the first glimpse of his charismatic qualities as a leader of a young team and slowly took over as captain of one-dayers and test matches too. Dhoni conceded the other day that he does not believe in too much planning and likes to give players freedom as well as responsibilities.
"I don't even attend the bowlers' meeting. I'm happy to let them come up with strategies and keep that out of my mind," he said about the Zaheer Khan-led attack.
But Dhoni, like most others, accepts that South African Kirsten's contribution has been immense, specially in removing the insecurities that have dogged players in the past. "Everyone knows what he has done for the team. He knows our players very well and is probably the best thing to happen to Indian cricket," Dhoni said of him. Supporting Kirsten has been South African Paddy Upton, credited with the players' better mental conditioning.
The team management has also thought out of the box and been inspired by the likes of high altitude climber and Arctic explorer Mike Horn. "Mike is an adventurer and the stories that he tells of his experiences are simply outstanding. He has given us insight into what the human mind can do for us," Dhoni said of him.
India opener Virender Sehwag, like many of his teammates, said the team had been wanting to win the World Cup for Tendulkar and revealed that the team had been aiming for the win for over a year.
"For more than one year, we have been aiming to do this. It has been a team effort with even a 38-yer-old Tendulkar diving on the boundary line today," Sehwag said after the victory.

---Breaking NEWS---

Never known Tendulkar to walk when given out: Ponting

Participating in a Headlines Today interview with former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday, Ponting said he had been very consistent in not walking way until the umpire had ruled him out.Ponting said that he was surprised when Tendulkar walked after the umpire had not ruled him out caught behind in a pre-quarterfinal match against the West Indies in Chennai on March 20.

"I've never known Sachin to be someone that walks all the time, so I'm not sure why he chose to walk the other day," Fox Sports quoted Ponting, as saying.

"If I get a nick behind to the 'keeper, then I stand there until the umpire makes a decision," he added.

"If Sachin had looked up the other day and noticed that the umpire was giving him not out, then I'm not sure he would have walked either," he said.

Ganguly supported Ponting's view that walking can be a bad idea, especially in a big game like Thursday's quarterfinal between Australia and India in Ahmedabad.

"Sachin has never done that in the past, let's be honest, and he shouldn't because there have been times when he has been given out and he was not out," Ganguly said.

"At the end of the career, it balances. I think it's fair for everyone to wait for the umpire's decision, including Sachin Tendulkar," he added.

"It could be a big game India 100 for three, Tendulkar batting on 55, he's holding the key to India's success. I would really not want him to walk unless an umpire has given him out," Ganguly said.

"He needs to stick to the umpire's decision. Whether he does that consistently, we'll have to wait and see," he added.

---Breaking NEWS---

India fired up for Aussie challenge, says Dhoni

India sealed an 80-run win over West Indies in the concluding group match of the tournament in Chennai on Sunday, but only after a spectacular collapse by the brittle Caribbean side, who crashed from 154-2 to 188 all out.

While India will tackle Australia in Ahmedabad on Thursday, the West Indies take on in-form Pakistan in Dhaka on Wednesday in the opening quarter-final tie. "We will be at our best for the quarter-finals," said Dhoni.

"Australia are a very strong side and very expressive on the field. But it's about how we prepare for the game to achieve what we want. In the process, we hope to give our best."

Dhoni praised strike bowler Zaheer Khan, whose three wickets included the key dismissal of opener Devon Smith who had made 81 when he was clean-bowled, a wicket which precipitated the West Indies collapse.

"He changed the game. He got the breakthrough by getting rid of Smith. Once we got his wicket, we were able to put pressure on all the batsmen at both ends."

All-rounder Yuvraj Singh was man of the match for his 113 runs and 2-18 with the ball. Yuvraj overcame illness to help his team to victory and doubled-up in pain during his innings. "I had stomach cramps and I was struggling in the morning but I was just worried about the match and the team," said Yuvraj.

Zaheer praised his team's tactics which saw the new ball tossed to spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. "We knew that with the new ball it would come on to the bat and that the seamers would get reverse swing later on in the innings, so that's why we used a spinner to open the bowling," said Zaheer, who took 3-26.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy admitted that his men will need a radical improvement against Pakistan. "We are in the knockout stages and that was our first objective," said Sammy.

"But we need to bring our A-game against Pakistan. We will have to pick things up."

---Breaking NEWS---

 Yuvraj ton powers India's win over Windies

See if this script seems familiar: One of the top four batsmen gets into the zone and plays out of his skin; at least one other puts his hand up for a best supporting actor nomination; the batting side cruises past the 30-over mark and looks set for a humongous score; one of the set batsmen falls and, like the nursery rhyme goes, they all fall down.

The script should surely be familiar to fans who have seen India go from 305/4 to 338 all out against England; from 268/3 to 296 all out against South Africa and, today, from 212/3 after 40 overs to 268 all out within the distance.

The last time this happened, skipper MS Dhoni had cuttingly remarked that batsmen needed to play for the team, not the crowd. Cricket has a way of coming back to bite you in the butt, and it happened today when Dhoni himself made a mess of an attempt to go down the track and helicopter Devendra Bishoo out of Chennai - the stumping that resulted triggered the all too familiar slide.

Badly as India messed up its batting in the final few overs, credit where due, Ravi Rampaul in particular, and Andre Russell some of the time, bowled superbly on a Chennai center pitch so rolled and sheltered from the elements that it offered spongy bounce. Both bowlers had at the start been so seduced by the spongy bounce that they overdid the short stuff, but in their final spell they bowled the full length, with a modicum of reverse, aiming constantly for the base of the stumps and ensuring that the tail end of the Indian innings yorked itself.

Amidst the ruins, two batsmen stood out. One was Virat Kohli, who came in to bat before the Chennai crowd had settled down, thanks to a brute of a bouncer that Sachin Tendulkar, for all his years and skill, couldn't evade. The ball touched something as it careened through; the umpire didn't see it but Sachin apparently felt it, for even as the official was shaking his head in negative response to the appeal, Sachin turned and walked through the stunned silence.

Kohli, getting his favored spot up the order back, settled into the kind of innings he builds so well - full of intelligent placements and sure calling and running, and punctuated by the occasional creamy strokes, mostly through the cover region, against pace and spin alike. Almost throughout his knock, his intent was to turn the strike over to his partner as quickly, and as often, as he could invent ways of doing it.

At the other end, Yuvraj started off a touch edgy particularly against pace, survived a chance when Sammy dropped him at backward point after he was squared up and found out by a Russell bouncer, but once he shook the fidgets out of his system, he remembered who he was in his prime and turned the clock back with a display as close to his best as we will likely ever see. It had everything - effortless drives characterized by immaculate timing; powerful pulls when the bowlers, particularly of the slow and/or spinning variety, dropped short...

His fitness - or lack thereof - no longer permits him to be the electric heeled runner between wickets that he was at his peak (in my book, it was when he combined with Kaif that India finally woke to the value of singles). But when he is on song, he has ability touched with that streak of genius, that allows him to convert almost any delivery into a hittable one, and he does that every time he seems in danger of slipping into a rut.

It was not the easiest knock to play on a two-faced wicket - and to add to the problems posed by the wicket, the Chennai heat and his own avoirdupois made the last quarter of his innings a labored affair, punctuated by a couple of periods of collapse, and one barf at the side of the wicket.

But he soldiered on, and India looked good for a 320-plus score as long as he and Kohli built the innings through the middle phase. But then came the first of Darren Sammy's good bowling calls - bringing Rampaul on in the 31st over, to take advantage of any reverse before the ball change. Raina got one that darted back in after swinging late; it didn't help that the youngster, till then all grace, aimed an ugly slog at it. Net result, the off stump went back - and India's troubles started.

Among the many mishaps that led to wickets, there was one that went under the collective radar - the power play.

Logic dictated its taking after 35 overs. Kohli and Yuvraj were set and batting smoothly; what they needed was the trigger to begin the acceleration and set it up for the much vaunted big hitters. But then Kohli got out, and the power play was delayed ostensibly so Dhoni could settle in. By the time he did, Yuvraj was close to his hundred, and the PP was delayed again. By the time that landmark was attained, Dhoni had gotten out. And shortly thereafter, Raina. And so on. All of which led to the incongruous situation of the PP being taken, mandatorily, in the 46th over for the likes of Ashwin and Munaf to exploit.

The Windies innings was a patchwork quilt of impressions. There was the sight of MS Dhoni, taking a page from his CSK playbook, tossing the ball to Ashwin for the first over of the innings. The lanky off spinner responded with a tight opening spell that saw him give away just 26 runs in seven overs for one wicket, before Darren Bravo got going.

At the other end, there was the rare sight of Zaheer Khan having an off day; forcing Dhoni to try Harbhajan as early as the 6th over. The senior off spinner, though bowling to attacking fields featuring slip and leg slip, lost his internal radar, sprayed it around, went for 23 and had to be hastily removed.

That set up Ashwin to bowl eight unchanged overs at one end, and for part timers to rotate at the other. It also produced the best period of the chase, when Devon Smith did a Kohli, rolling the strike over so Darren Bravo could dance.

And dance he did. The lad looks so much like Lara it is uncanny - and if his looks bear a striking resemblance, his batting is an even more accurate mirror of the Windies icon: the backlift with full flourish, the extravagant ease with which he hits through lines and creates seemingly impossible angles, an airy insouciance that suggests it is all too easy...

There was magic in the way he twice took on the hitherto tight Ashwin, creaming him for a lordly six over long on, predicting that the spinner would adjust the length next ball, waiting on it and smashing it square.

But then, youth and inexperience took over. Suresh Raina bowled as bad a ball as ever took a wicket: short, flat, outside off, and Bravo overhit it in his exuberance to put the ball down the throat of long on.

From then on, it was an implosion that shaded India's own effort earlier in the day. At the 30 over mark, the West Indies were 154/2 (India 160/2) and cruising, with Devon Smith anchoring brilliantly. 10 overs later, the Windies had slumped to 179/8, and India was thinking ahead to its quarter final game, next Thursday, against Australia.

The turnaround came with Dhoni borrowing from the Darren Sammy playbook. In the 31st over, he brought back Zaheer Khan for the same reason as the Windies captain - to see if there was any reverse swing to be had, before the mandatory ball change in the 35th over.

There was. Zaheer used it to send a couple to leave the well set Devon Smith. And as he has done with Graeme Smith time out of mind, he then produced the one that landed in the same spot, and darted in late - as with the South African Smith, the West Indian variety was also lured into playing down the wrong line, and his off stump pegged back.

The bigger blow came in the next over when Keiron Pollard had what can only be called an Afridi moment. Without even having had time to settle, he launched an almighty hit at Harbhajan Singh and picked out long on - and that rash wicket opened up the game for Yuvraj to work his magic. A beauty that had flight, loop and sharp turn lured Thomas out and had him stumped; another leg break foxed Russell into aiming a cut at it that put the ball in point's hands...

Long, painful story short, the West Indies lost its last 8 wickets for 34 runs in the space of 13.3 overs - and lost by a margin of 80 runs with eight overs left unplayed. In other words - they were bad.

On the two-paced Chennai pitch, each innings was neatly divided into two halves. In the first half, run making was relatively easy; in the second half, not. In the final analysis, India played the first half of its innings better, thanks to the Yuvraj-Kohli partnership - and won.

The win will paper over a lot of cracks, and deflect attention from what is now becoming a habitual collapse at the fag end of the innings. India has time between now and Thursday - but on that day, Australia awaits.

On current form, the reigning world champions are vulnerable - but India will need to be at the top of its all round game, for if there is one thing Australia is not, it is forgiving of lapses.