Saturday 6 October, 2012

Chris Gayle - One Of The Most Funny Warning To Batsman






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Watch Live : Sri Lanka v West Indies| World T20| Big Finale

That result will have no impact on Sunday, though both teams will have taken useful tips on board from that match. What kind of plans the West Indies formulates against Ajantha Mendis and potentially Akila Dananjaya – Mahela Jayawardena has a tricky choice to make between the young man and Rangana Herath, who had a brilliant game against Pakistan but whose left-arm spin could so easily play into Gayle’s massive hands – will be interesting to watch, especially if there is assistance for the spinners as is widely expected. 

Champions League Twenty20 Broadcasters | Check it

The Champions League, 2012 will be telecast around the world by the leading broadcasters of various regions.

The tournament, which will take place in South Africa from October 9 to 28, can be viewed by cricket lovers across the globe in 203 territories, including Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and the USA.

WT20 : Umar Akmal found guilty of breaching ICC Code of Conduct

Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has been fined 50 per cent of his match fee for a level 2 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct during his side's 16 runs defeat against Sri Lanka in the first semi-final of the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 at R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Thursday.

Players of a bygone era who would have been a huge boon for any T20 side

Twenty 20 is the rage of the day, and modern cricketers are growing up with their techniques tuned to this instant variety of the game. However, there have been quite a few huge hitters in the pre-Twenty20 history of the game who would have been ideal for this format.


CLT20 Schedule 2012


It is all systems go for the start of the fourth edition of the Karbonn Smart Champions League Twenty20 which gets under way with the Qualifier in less than a week’s time.

“The Karbonn Smart Champions League Twenty20 is a unique competition that showcases the domestic champions from around the world. We will be privileged to see superstars from all corners of the globe such as Sachin Tendulkar (India), Shahid Afridi (Pakistan), Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka), Shane Watson (Australia), who has been the standout performer at the current ICC World Twenty20, Jacques Kallis (South Africa), Kieron Pollard (West Indies), Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) and Kevin Pietersen (England),” said Cricket SA Acting CEO, Jacques Faul.

Friday 5 October, 2012

Sachin Tendulkar talks about retirement plans

Bangalore, Oct 5: Sachin Tendulkar, for the first time has hinted at retirement, as the Master Blaster said he would take a call in the month of November.
Tendulkar's interview to "Times Now" English news channel, which was published in "The Times of India" newspaper, has touched upon his retirement plans.

When asked about retirement, Tendulkar said: "Of course, I have been. I am 39 plus and it is not abnormal for me to think of it. At that moment, I will go by what my heart says. At this moment, my heart says I am okay. But you will have to look at series by series."

Wednesday 3 October, 2012

Gayle's female guests arrested in West Indies rooms

Sri Lankan police arrested three British women who were found socialising in the hotel rooms of West Indies players, including star batsman Chris Gayle, early Wednesday, police and hotel sources said.

Is Virat Kohli the Sachin Tendulkar of the 1990s in Team India?




Circa 1990s: One player carried the burden of the whole team and almost single-handedly held the key to the nation’s hopes. Still in his early 20s, he had grown in stature to become an iconic figure. Bowlers around the world feared his sight at the wicket and celebrated with unrestrained joy when he was dismissed. Sachin Tendulkar's value to the Indian team in the 1990s was unparalleled. The team heavily depended on him and India expected him to deliver. It was a well known fact that many people in India would switch-off their television sets the moment he was dismissed.

Tuesday 2 October, 2012

Group F : Semi-Final Scenario | Read & Comments |


Group 2
Australia
With two huge wins in as many matches, Australia are the best-placed team in the tournament. For them to go out, both Pakistan and India will have to win their matches by around 40 runs (if they bat first and score 160).

Wednesday 26 September, 2012

Stats | ICC World T20, 2012

  1. The run-rate in the game (9.12) is the 7th highest in WT20 matches (min 30 overs) & the 2nd highest in a #WT20 game involving Pakistan.

Monday 24 September, 2012

Irfan Pathan vs Alex Hales "Keh Ke Lunga"

Pakistan must not lose to Bangladesh by 36 or more runs

New Zealand from Group D have already advanced into Super Eight Round due to their superior Net Run Rate (+1.150) whereas Pakistan and Bangladesh are still not confirmed for the next round.
If Pakistan are to go in Super Eight, they must not lose to Bangladesh by margin of 36 or more runs when they play on Tuesday (September 25) in Pallekele. Or if Pakistan bat first then they must not let Bangladesh chase target before 16 overs. In other words, if Bangladesh win by at least 36 runs or chase the target in less than 16 overs, they will knock out Pakistan from the event and will go through along with New Zealand.
If the match between Pakistan and Bangladesh is washed-out (No Result) then Pakistan will qualify for Super Eight Round.

Thursday 6 September, 2012

Is it fair to target Sachin Tendulkar: Analysis of over 38 batsmen in Test history?


Three times on the trot the ball has crashed into Sachin Tendulkar’s stumps and we are reminded of the similar dismissals of Rahul Dravid not too long ago. 


Sachin Tendulkar's stumps being struck by the cherry once too often – three times out of three in the New Zealand series – makes one wonder if one is hearing the death rattle of a noble career.

After all, fresh in our immediate memory are the 11 times Rahul Dravid has been bowled after turning 38 
.

 Although not many will remember the exact figure, the repeated sound of the ball finding a fissure in the wall and its way to strike timber still makes us wince. And that heart stopping clatter is being echoed innings after innings for Sachin Tendulkar.


If we take all cricketers into consideration from the very beginning of Test cricket, we find that bowled constitutes 21.49% of the total dismissals. If we consider all the innings played by those under the age of 38, this figure is 21.37%. For men over 38, this jumps to 25.65%.

Statistically, this deviation is significant – we can say that the proportion of bowled dismissals becomes considerably more after the age of 38 with 99.98% confidence.

All Batsmen

Under 38

Over 38

Total

Other dismissals
61081
1879
62960
Bowled
13054
482
13536
Total
74135
2361
76496
Percentage bowled
17.61
20.42
17.70
p-value
0.9997


If we consider only the top order batsmen, leaving out tailenders who are prone to get bowled anyway – by taking only the ones who batted at numbers 1 to 7 – the results are similar. The percentage leaps from 16.43 for the under-38 to 19.29 for over-38, which, again, is statistically significant. We can say so with 99.92% confidence.  

Batting at 1-7

Under 38

Over 38

Total

Other dismissals
44140
1393
45533
Bowled
8675
333
9008
Total
52815
1726
54541
Percentage bowled
16.43
19.29
16.52
pvalue
0.9992




However, the curious fact is that the batsmen at batting orders 1-7 have an overall average of 35.91, which shoots up to 37.80 for the 38-plus group. The reason is obviously that to bat at this level when over 38, one has to be very, very good – a Jack Hobbs, a Don Bradman or a Rahul Dravid.





If we look at a sample of individual batsmen across time who have played past 38, we find that not everyone gets bowled more often. In fact, for Hobbs, Geoff Boycott and Clive Llyod, the percentage decreases drastically. And if we consider that Bradman was bowled 44% of the times he was dismissed post-38, we do find it has little to do with quality or performance.


Overall Dismissals

Before 38

After 38

Percentage Bowled


All

Bowled

All

Bowled

All

Bowled

Overall

Before 38

After 38

J Hobbs
95
24
43
14
52
10
25.26
32.56
19.23
P Hendren
74
26
28
10
46
16
35.14
35.71
34.78
D Bradman
70
23
52
15
18
8
32.86
28.85
44.44
T Graveney
110
26
74
16
36
10
23.64
21.62
27.78
C Cowdrey
173
31
162
28
14
3
18.13
17.28
21.43
G Boycott
170
30
111
22
59
8
17.65
19.82
13.56
C Lloyd
161
27
134
24
27
3
16.77
17.91
11.11
V Richards
170
36
154
34
16
2
21.18
22.08
12.50
G Gooch
209
36
154
27
55
9
17.22
17.53
16.36
S Waugh
224
39
216
38
8
1
17.41
17.59
12.50
R Dravid
254
55
230
44
24
11
21.65
19.13
45.83
S Tendulkar
282
51
258
46
24
5
18.09
17.83
20.83

Yuvraj Singh's victory over cancer to be featured in TV series



His highs, his lows, his struggles and his successful battle against cancer - cricketer Yuvraj Singh's journey has been captured in a three-part series "Zindagi Abhi Baaki Hai" to be aired on national television. He says when he grows old, he will be able to recall what happened to his life

In "Zindagi Abhi Baaki Hai", which will be aired on Colors, Yuvraj will narrate his experience with cancer.


"Each part of the (three-part) series has its own meaning. I have shot whatever I could. In that stage whatever I have gone through in the past six to seven months, it's going to show the highs and lows," Yuvraj told 

Wednesday 5 September, 2012

Irfan Pathan Hat-trick v Pakistan Karachi 2006

Why Dhoni's value to the team is unparalleled in history of Indian cricket


Indian cricket has never had a wicket-keeper who could double up as a genuine batsman in the manner of MS Dhoni. Add the phenomenal captaincy numbers to the equation and we have a gift to cherish, the like of which the nation has never seen before 


To put this in perspective let us look at Dhoni compared with the regular wicket-keepers of the past.

Amir eyes 2015 return to international cricket

Pakistan's banned pacer Mohammad Amir is hoping to be allowed back in international cricket in 2015, when he would complete a minimum five-year ban for his role in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal that shook the game.

Tuesday 4 September, 2012

‘First-class cricket essential for U-19s’


Promising under-19 cricketers should be tested in first-class cricket before elevation to the senior team, India ‘A’ coach Lalchand Rajput said here on Monday.
“You can’t directly jump from under-19 to senior team.”
He stated that first-class cricket, like ‘A’ tours, are of a higher standard than junior cricket. “The standard of batting, bowling and fielding in India ‘A’ is different, and the pressure is slightly higher than the under-19 level.
It helps the under-19 cricketers who are picked for India ‘A’ to experience this level and make themselves ready for the big league.”

Ashwin, Kohli achieve career-best rankings in Test


Off-spinner R. Ashwin broke into the top 20 for the first time in the ICC rankings for Test bowlers released on Tuesday.
Virat Kohli vaulted 12 places to achieve a career-best ranking of 35 in the Test batsmen rankings.
Ashwin, who took 5/69 in New Zealand’s second innings on Monday, jumped seven places to a career-best 18th position.
The Chennai bowler finished the series with 18 wickets and gained 26 places on the bowlers’ table through the course of the series, as India whitewashed the Kiwis 2-0 in the two-match series.
Pragyan Ojha, who ended with a match haul of 7/148, moved up a place to career-best 14th.
Pace bowlers Zaheer Khan (15th) and Umesh Yadav (48th) slipped a place each.
South Africa’s Dale Steyn still leads the rankings for Test bowlers.
The other Indian batsman to make upward movement is Mahendra Singh Dhoni who moved up two places to 36th.
Batsmen losing ground after the Bangalore Test include Sachin Tendulkar in 16th (down by five), Virender Sehwag in 23rd (down by one), Gautam Gambhir in 38th (down by two) and Cheteshwar Pujara in 58th (down by two).

MS Dhoni is a happy man, says is ready for England and Australia



 India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday ticked all the positive boxes while asserting that he was quite happy with the overall performances of the team that is unlikely to see any kind of "reshuffling" for the forthcoming home Test series against England and Australia.

Speaking to media after leading India to a 2-0 series sweep against New Zealand here Monday, Dhoni said he was not unduly worried about the poor form of some of his batsmen, notably opener Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar, while making a case for a longer run to the younger players rather than judging them on the basis of a couple of innings.

"No reshuffling. I think, it is just a matter of time before he gets going. I thought he batted quite well in the second innings," said Dhoni with reference to Gambhir who had scores of 22, 2 and 34 in three innings in the two Tests against the Kiwis.

With regard to Tendulkar, the captain said: "Everytime we talk about Tendulkar's form, he comes up with a big innings and I am waiting."

Dhoni was dismissive of criticism of Suresh Raina's injudicious shot that cost him his wicket in the second innings here and emphasized that younger players needed to be given a long run.

"Like I said, there are two ways of dealing with pressure. Either you go for your shots, like Raina did, or soak in the pressure, like Virat (Kohli) who batted brilliantly. It depends on the individuals, but I feel we need to back the youngsters, for that's the way to groom them," said Dhoni.

The Indian captain again made a strong case for playing home Tests on pitches that assist spin, but in the same breath, Dhoni praised spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha for their effort on tracks that did not assist them, but favoured the batsmen.

"I would like to see us batting on turning tracks, but our spinners were brilliant (in the just-concluded series) on pitches that didn't help them, but I feel that the fast bowlers need to chip in.

"Ashwin and Ojha complemented each other and hunted well on pitches that were good to bat on. Ashwin has been bowling brilliantly and is learning variation while Ojha bowled well in the first innings here," said Dhoni.

Saturday 1 September, 2012

India as No.1 v England as No. 1, A comparison



The No.1 ranking is the ultimate aspiration for an individual, team or a nation. Being World No.1 gives a particular entity an aura of absolute power and authority. The hard work put in attaining the No.1 status involves immense planning and execution of skills. The harder part comes when teams have to stay at the No.1 status for a prolonged period. This statement is the written gospel in any sport and cricket is no exception. 

In the modern age, we have observed that teams have not managed to stay on top for a long period. Australia was the last team to remain on top of the cricketing pyramid for close to 15 years. With the decline of the Australian empire, nations like India and England have slugged it out to become the Kings of cricket. Although both teams attained the No.1 ranking, they have not managed to establish themselves. 

It is said that the basic necessity of a conqueror is a strong cavalry, artillery and disciplined foot soldiers. In the modern era, a powerful country is defined by having a strong navy, air force and ground troops. In cricket, dominance of a team is signified by strong bowling, batting and fielding. In this article, we look at how England and India managed to relinquish the ruler's throne due to the inconsistency in one of the factors. 

INDIA AND ENGLAND: A GLOSSARY OF THEIR PERFORMANCES 

India became the World No.1 team in the Test arena following their 2-0 series win against Sri Lanka in December 2009. This was the result of much-improved performances in the international arena as well as strong home performances. After attaining the World No.1 status, the team performed consistently throughout 2010 without losing a series. Not only were they dominant for the whole of 2010 and for half of 2011, they consistently showed grit and fight against all opponents. Dominant teams are known to adapt in any situation and the Indian team was no different. 

When England assumed the World No.1 ranking in Tests, it seemed that their domination would be ominous. On pitches that offered assistance to bowlers and where batsmen had their techniques tested regularly, one thought that the aura of this team was one of complete supremacy. However, if one looks at it, England seemed to be overwhelmed by the No.1 ranking. The stats below highlight how India and England fared when they became No.1. 

INDIA

MATCHES WONMATCHES LOSTMATCHES DRAWN
TEAM INDIA
HOME (7)412
AWAY (15)564
TOTAL (22)976
TEAM ENGLAND
HOME (6)222
AWAY (5)140
TOTAL (11)362

*The India statistics begin from January 2010 till August 2011. The series against Bangladesh was their first series since assuming the title of World No.1 and it includes the 0-4 loss to England where they relinquished the top spot. The England stat starts from the time of the Pakistan series in 2012 as that was first Test that they played as No.1 and it includes the recently concluded series against South Africa. 

BATTING PROWESS 

India always had the better batting order. It was expected that with the batting prowess at their disposition, it would be very hard to dislodge them from their perch. The figures here show that the top and middle order contributed consistently. This table compares the figures of the Indian batting during their ascendency and during their tenure as the No. 1 team in the world. 


INDIA 

PLAYERSPERIODMATCHESINNINGSRUNSFIFTIESCENTURIESAVERAGE
RAHUL DRAVIDBEFORE NO.1122010106350.5
DURING NO.1203115192749
SACHIN TENDULKARBEFORE NO.1121810935460.72
DURING NO.1192919957868.79
VVS LAXMANBEFORE NO.112159177260.13
DURING NO.11928141112250.39
GAUTAM GAMBHIRBEFORE NO.1101815514786.17
DURING NO.114247835132.63
VIRENDER SEHWAGBEFORE NO.1122110915251.95
DURING NO.1173114878551.27

* The statistics of the Indian team before attaining the World No.1 ranking are from the start of the Australian tour to India in 2008 till the series against Sri Lanka in December 2009. 

One observes that most of the batsmen maintained their consistency for a prolonged time. Their consistency barely dipped since they acquired the No.1 ranking till they lost the England series 0-4. Gautam Gambhir had a golden run in 2008-09 with an average of 86.17. However, as soon as India acquired the No.1 ranking, he suffered a loss of form and his average dipped to 32.63. The variable of 53.54 basis points is the highest among all the Indian batsmen taken into account in this period. 

The batting average of the awesome quartet of Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman was 50 plus during both the periods. The Indian middle order was formidable and consistent, which ensured their longetivity at the top of the mountain. 

One can observe that the Indian top order scored consistently in both the periods. Thus, one can say that India lost the World No.1 ranking when both the bowling and batting unit failed to perform at crucial intervals(mainly in England). 

ENGLAND 

The statistics of the England players has even more contrasting aspects. In this case, their fortunes varied from plenty to nothing. Before they assumed the No.1 ranking, the whole team performed as a unit and their performances were no less than the juggernauts of the early West Indies or Australian teams. This table takes a look at England's performance in the batting department. 

PLAYERSPERIODMATCHESINNINGSRUNS SCOREDFIFTIESCENTURIESAVERAGE
ANDREW STRAUSSBEFORE NO.112175634133.12
DURING NO.111216972233.12
ALASTAIR COOKBEFORE NO.1121615044694
DURING NO.111216873132.71
JONATHAN TROTTBEFORE NO.110158103354
DURING NO.111217115133.86
KEVIN PIETERSENBEFORE NO.1121610555365.94
DURING NO.110187152239.72
IAN BELLBEFORE NO.1121211645597
DURING NO.111195006026.31
MATT PRIORBEFORE NO.112126533354.42
DURING NO.111175194030.53

*The period before they were World No.1 is taken from the Ashes series in November 2010 till they achieved the 4-0 whitewash against India. The statistics of the team during the No.1 period is from the Pakistan series till the end of the recent South Africa series. 

The statistics of the England team are staggering to say the least. During the period from the Ashes till achieving a whitewash against India, the bowling and the batting functioned as a thorough unit. The batting, right from the openers till the lower middle order gave consistency a whole new meaning. Barring Andrew Strauss, who has had the same average in both the time periods, the rest of the players have a massive variable. 

Take the instance of Alastair Cook and Ian Bell. Bell's average from the period of the Ashes till the Indian whitewash was a staggering 97. Ever since England occupied the top spot, his average is a paltry 26.31, a massive difference of 70.69 basis points. Alastair Cook had achieved such a level of consistency that his average in that period was 94. In the period in which England occupied the No.1 ranking, his average has dropped down to 32.71, a difference of 61.29 basis points. One observes that most of the England batsmen in the current period have a batting average in the low 30's, barring Kevin Pietersen who has an average close to 40. 

Not only has the averages of all the players dipped, the number of big scores scored by the batsmen has also gone down. During the period before they attained the No.1 ranking, the top order batsmen from the openers till the wicket-keeper scored 24 fifties and 21 centuries. During the period when they were No.1, the top order batsmen have scored 22 fifties and six centuries. One thing that can be established from this is that England's slide from No.1 was primarily due to the loss in form of the batsmen. 

THE ABILITY TO TAKE WICKETS IN ANY CONDITIONS 

Most analysts say that for winning a Test match, a team has to take 20 wickets. During India's time at the top of the Test summit, they had the services of Zaheer Khan who admirably led the attack. The attack did not have jaw-dropping legends, but they were able performers who contributed when the team needed them the most. Be it in home or away conditions, the Indian bowlers ensured that the efforts of the batsmen were not wasted. This table highlights how the Indian bowlers came into their own during that period. 

PLAYERSPERIODMATCHESWICKETS5 WKT HAULS10 WKT HAULAVERAGESTRIKE RATE
ISHANT SHARMABEFORE NO.110310033.0962.8
DURING NO.119692134.6357.9
ZAHEER KHANBEFORE NO.112423033.5262.4
DURING NO.111532122.7142.4
HARBHAJAN SINGHBEFORE NO.111521030.5366.7
DURING NO.118632039.8583


During this period, one can observe that Harbhajan Singh was a pivotal member in the bowling line-up. In 11 matches, he picked up 52 wickets just before India attained the No.1 ranking. Zaheer Khan demonstrated his ability as the leader of the pack during this period. Before attaining the No.1 ranking, Zaheer had picked up 42 wickets with an average of 33.52 with a strike rate of 62.4. During the time India were No.1, Zaheer was a top notch performer. He picked up 53 wickets at an amazing average of 22.71 with a strike rate of 42.4. 

It is important to point out that there were other back-up bowlers who contributed at vital times to the fortunes of the team. Sreesanth, in the 11 matches that he played during India's tenure at the top spot, picked up 29 wickets at an average of 50.27. Pragyan Ojha also wheeled away diligently by taking 33 wickets in nine games, but he had a high strike rate of 91.7. However, in the case of Ojha, he was used as a bowler who bottled one end up. His economy rate of 2.85 is the best among the Indian bowlers during this period. 

With injuries to Zaheer Khan, the loss of Harbhajan Singh's form and the inconsistency of Ishant Sharma, the bowling line-up lost its potency and it was left to new-comers like Praveen Kumar, Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav to fill the gap. In India's case, a total failure in both bowling and batting departments during the England series resulted in them being dethroned from the No.1 ranking. 

ENGLAND 

The most common thing present in the dominating West Indies and Australian teams were their battery of pace bowlers. England's pace battery was no less the envy of the world during their ascent to the top. They had bowlers who possessed the ability to bowl in any conditions. James Anderson and Stuart Broad were the masters of swing both at home and away. This table highlights the bowling performance of the team from both the periods. 

PLAYERSPERIODMATCHESWICKETS5 WKT HAULS10 WKT HAULAVERAGESTRIKE RATE
JAMES ANDERSONBEFORE NO.111521026.353.2
DURING NO.110361029.2573.2
STUART BROADBEFORE NO.19351025.6258.3
DURING NO.19402127.7757.3
GRAEME SWANNBEFORE NO.112402035.2269.6
DURING NO.111392132.5869
TIM BRESNANBEFORE NO.15271017.6238.7
DURING NO.16160046.5690.7


One can observe that the England bowlers had taken wickets consistently. The only Achilles heel could be the inconsistent selection of Tim Bresnan. The musical chairs played over the fourth pace bowler did not boost his confidence and he struggled after England acquired the No.1 ranking. 

CONCLUSION 

From all these statistics, one thing is clear though. The major factor necessary for a team to stay No.1 in Tests for a prolonged period is consistency in both bowling and batting. India's bowling performance deteriorated in the England series and this affected the batsmen. In England's case, it is vice versa as the poor form of the batsmen led to the bowlers getting demoralized. The failure of the bowlers to set up games and the inability of the batsmen to capitalize on it hurts a team completely. In the recent series against South Africa, England did not help themselves by dropping nine catches, a rarity for such a highly rated England team. 

If one observes the history of empires, they have inevitably declined after being on top for long. The Romans, Mongols, Greeks, Mauryans and the British Empire all bear testament to the above statement. South Africa will now have to tread on this double-edged sword carefully, but for the moment, they can savor the moment and bask in the glorious sunshine.