The broken nose saga continues

duck and be hit on the helmet or perhaps he has misjudged the length and the speed of the ball and is struck. In the pre-helmet days batsmen had to be extra careful in negotiating the faster deliveries for obviously he could not afford to be hit on the head. These days it is not an uncommon sight to see a batsmen being hit on the helmet for he is aware that even if he makes a misjudgment he is protected. But as we have seen this is not guaranteed. The recent mishap to Stuart Broad in the Old Trafford Test against India is a case in point. The tall left handed England all rounder hooked Varun Aaron for successive sixes – a grand way to open his account. Heady with success he went for another maximum off the very next ball. But having just come in perhaps he had not got his eye fully in for this delivery – another short one – was a shade quicker timed at 141 kmph and rose probably more than Broad expected. He was late on the stroke and the ball struck him flush on the grille of the helmet where it lodged itself. Some of the newer helmets have an extra grille on the visor but it appeared that Broad’s helmet didn’t. The ball went in between the grille and the peak of the helmet and it was quickly obvious that it was a nasty blow with the bridge of the nose taking the maximum impact. He was bleeding and the physio rushed out to render first aid. Broad was led off holding a cloth to the bloody nose. Not unexpectedly he did not take any further part in the match even as England made light of his absence as a bowler and won in three days by an innings and 54 runs.
Taken to hospital Broad required stitches for a fractured nose but he made a fast recovery and included in the team for the final Test at the Oval he played with a nose splint to disguise the temporary damage. Broad’s case is not the first such incident. There have been a few players over the years who have suffered grievous injuries in a similar manner with the helmet unable to save them. The most famous – or infamous depending on one’s point of view – is the one involving Mike Gatting and Malcolm Marshall. It happened on the 1985-86 England tour of the West Indies. Gatting the vice captain had been one of the few batsmen to be among the runs during the early phase of the tour but in the first ODI at Kingston he suffered a blow which had long term consequences both in playing terms and psychologically. England batted first and Gatting came in when the score was ten for two with both Tim Robinson and skipper David Gower falling for ducks to Patrick Patterson. The fearsome West Indian speed quartet was at full strength for besides Patterson, there were Marshall, Courtney Walsh and Joel Garner. Gatting had scored ten when he missed an attempted hook off Marshall and was struck flush on the nose. To add insult to injury the ball cannoned off his face to the stumps. Gatting was predictably donning protective gear but some of the early helmets did not have the visors that came in later. Gatting flew home to get his nose fixed and after convalescing for some time rejoined the team four weeks later. As misfortune would have it he broke his thumb within 20 hours of his return in the game against Barbados. In the first innings he batted bravely showing no after effects of his facial injury but after making 36 in 85 minutes he had no counter to a fast medium delivery from Vibert Greene which as bad luck would again have it lifted steeply to his bottom hand whence it looped to second slip where Carlisle Best completed the catch. Gatting did not bat in the second innings and took no further part in the tour. How much impact Gatting’s initial injury had on the team as a whole could be debated but the fact remains that England suffered a 5-0 “blackwash’’ in the Test series besides losing the ODI series 3-1.
One recalls Manoj Prabhakar meeting with the same fate at the hands of Walsh on the 1994-95 West Indian tour of India. As an opening batsman Prabhakar was courageous personified and this quality saw him face up to the fastest of bowlers despite limitations in his technique. In the third and final Test at Mohali he had scored a brave 120 in the first innings – incidentally the only Test century in his 39-match career – batting for 405 minutes and handling the pace of Walsh, Kenny Benjamin, Cameron Cuffy and Andy Cummins admirably. In the second innings when India were set a victory target of 357 Prabhakar again opened but before he could open his account he had his nose broken by Walsh in the very first over. He tried to pull the ball but it went through his helmet grille causing considerable damage. Prabhakar was led off bleeding and not unexpectedly could not come back to bat even as India went down to defeat by 243 runs. While on the subject I also recall Kris Srikkanth being hit on the face by a ball from Wasim Akram despite wearing a helmet in an ODI between India and Pakistan at Hyderabad in 1987. He had scored just two and the injury kept him out of the three remaining matches in the series. Without their most explosive batsman
Source-http://www.crictoday.com/

Captaincy not up to standard

Former England captain Mike Brearley has stated that MS Dhoni’s captaincy and wicketkeeping is not up to Test standard. Brearley, writing in his column for The Times, said India have been a disappointment in the Test series even though their bowling has throughout been energetic and often skillful. “In three of the past four Tests, including the one at Lord’s won by India, the pitches have been designed to suit England, and to test India’s batsmen, but much of the rest of their play, including slip fielding, has been, for the last three matches, poor,” the former England skipper said. “Mahendra Singh Dhoni has batted with skill and courage, standing out above the rest. He seems able in his batting and in his captaincy to put much of the past behind him, and to avoid touchy or petulant reactions,” Brearley said. “But his wicketkeeping is not up to Test standard. Nor, I think is his captaincy,” he said.
Windies beat Bangladesh
All-rounder Kieron Pollard hit 89 and Denesh Ramdin chipped in with 74 as the West Indies overcame a disastrous start to beat Bangladesh by three wickets in their opening one-day international at the National Stadium. With five fours and six sixes off 70 balls, Pollard added a critical 145 off 132 deliveries with fellow Trinidadian Ramdin after the hosts had slumped to 34-5. The West Indies eventually got home at 219-7 off 39.4 overs after Bangladesh reached 217-9 from its 50 overs. Al-Amin Hossain took 4-51 from 8.4 overs for Bangladesh, whose 21-year-old opener Anamul Haque hammered 109 off 138 balls after being sent in by the hosts. In only his 20th match, Anamul hit 11 fours and one six in his third century at this level. He shared an opening stand of 41 with Tamim Iqbal, who contributed 26, and a sixth wicket partnership of 53 with Nasir Hossain, who also supported with 26. However, the Bangladesh innings never got the momentum needed and the final total was well short of par. Captain Dwayne Bravo took 4-32 with his medium pace for the West Indies. The hosts’ reply stuttered badly early on as Al-Amin, with support from fellow seamer Mashrafe Mortaza and off-spinner Mahmudullah, reduced them to 34-5 after 13.1 overs. Chris Gayle (3) sliced to third man off Mortaza while Al-Amin picked up Darren Bravo (7) and Lendl Simmons (0) from outside edges to the wicketkeeper. In between, Kirk Edwards was bowled by Mahmudullah as he missed a sweep.
When Dwayne Bravo clipped to deep square leg for Al-Amin’s third scalp, Bangladesh looked to have taken control of the match — only for Ramdin and Pollard to share a record sixth wicket stand. Ramdin was busy throughout while Pollard used his straight hitting to good effect. Their association of was the best sixth wicket partnership for the West Indies against Bangladesh and the best for the wicket at this venue. Bangladesh sensed a way back when Pollard and Ramdin were dismissed shortly after a rain delay of half an hour. Ramdin bottom-edged Shag Gazi onto his stumps while Pollard holed out off Al-Amin with Mahmudullah holding a fantastic running catch. But Jason Holder hit 22 not out off 15 balls to see his side home.
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Piedt leads SA to win

South Africa beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets inside four days in the one-off test at Harare Sports Club to reinforce its position as the top-ranked team. The South Africans easily knocked off the 41 runs they needed in their second innings, finishing on 44-1 to seal victory and follow up a series win over Sri Lanka last month under new captain Hashim Amla. South Africa earlier bowled Zimbabwe out for 181 in its second innings after off-spinner Dane Piedt took 4-62 to increase his match haul to eight wickets on debut. Fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel picked up three wickets each in the second innings, as Zimbabwe's initial resistance was swept away and it slumped from 98-2, losing eight wickets for 83 runs on the final afternoon. Steyn, the top-ranked bowler in tests, finished with match figures of 8-84 and South Africa was seldom in trouble on a slow, lifeless pitch in Harare that the visiting batsmen and bowlers both took a little time to work out. "Very satisfied with the win, we played well through the day," South Africa's AB de Villiers said. "Test cricket is all about playing well away from home." Zimbabwe fought hard and had its own offspinner making a successful debut. John Nyumbu took 5-157 in South Africa's telling first innings of 397 to give the strugglers a positive outlook despite their batting collapse on the last day. "We were competitive for three days and were blown away after lunch today," Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor said. "A lot of positives for us. Nyumbu has been in first-class form for a number of years. Full credit to him." Playing its first test in a year and first against South Africa in a decade, Zimbabwe made 256 batting first, relying heavily on Taylor's 93. South Africa's Piedt returned 4-90 in his first bowl in tests and was an instant success when he removed Mark Vermeulen with his first ball, a delivery that turned sharply from outside the off stump on a pitch that helped the spinners more than anyone.

Steyn had enough pace and skill to trouble the Zimbabweans despite the pitch to take 5-46 in the first innings, his 24th career five-wicket haul. South Africa replied with 397, with Faf du Plessis making 98, Quinton de Kock 81, and JP Duminy 55. Opener Vusi Sibanda gritted his way to 45 as Zimbabwe held off the South Africans at the start of the second innings, but he and Vermeulen fell in successive overs to start the collapse. Steyn had 3-38 and Morkel 3-15 to back up Piedt, who won the man of the match prize.

Source-https://www.crictoday.com

South Africa creep up on Zimbabwe

Faf du Plessis and Dean Elgar made half-centuries as top-ranked South Africa slowly chased down Zimbabwe in the one-off test at Harare Sports Club. Du Plessis was 69 not out and opener Elgar earlier made 61 to take South Africa to 201-4 by stumps on the second day, 55 behind Zimbabwe’s first-innings score of 256. South Africa had to work hard against the lowly-ranked Zimbabweans on a dry, slow pitch where batsmen found it hard to score freely through the opening two days. Du Plessis ground out his 69 off 192 balls with eight fours and South Africa scored at less than 2 ½ runs per over in its first innings. Off-spinner John Nyumbu made the most of a helpful surface for slow bowlers to collect 2-71 for Zimbabwe on his test debut. Nyumbu removed opener Alviro Petersen (32) and then the dangerous AB de Villiers for seven to have Zimbabwe’s neighbor 157-4 midway through the day and in a little trouble. Du Plessis combined for an unbroken 44-run stand with wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock to take South Africa past 200 and within sight of Zimbabwe. South Africa needs to win to retain the No. 1 ranking it won back from Australia with a series victory in Sri Lanka last month. The test in Harare is the first between the African neighbors in a decade. South Africa’s only slip before lunch on day two had been the loss of opener Petersen when he tried to sweep Nyumbu and was dismissed by a superb catch by wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami, who reacted instantly after an edge hit him to dive to his right and hold the chance. Du Plessis and Elgar appeared to put the visitors firmly in charge with a 75-run partnership for the second wicket but Elgar, new captain Hashim Amla and De Villiers all fell within 25 runs as South Africa stuttered. Seamer Donald Tiripano, Zimbabwe’s second debutant in the test, took his first wicket when Elgar nicked behind and Mutumbami dived for another impressive take.

De Villiers and Amla, the No. 2 and No. 3 batsmen in the world respectively, both failed to reach double figures. But having just survived a run out chance when he was on only 1, Du Plessis fought to give South Africa back control with a typically gritty innings and found support in De Kock, who was 27 not out. At the start of the day, South African fast bowler Dale Steyn needed less than two overs to end Zimbabwe’s first innings when he had Nyumbu caught down the leg-side, giving the world’s top-ranked bowler 5-46 and his 24th career five-wicket haul. Spinner Dane Piedt finished with 4-90 for South Africa on debut after an impressive start to his international career. Skipper Brendan Taylor top-scored for Zimbabwe with his 93 on the first day.

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Lanka thwarts rain, beat Pak

Rangana Herath grabbed 6-48 as Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by seven wickets on a remarkable last day of the first test. The left-arm spinner turned the game on its head when Pakistan, which trailed by 82 after the first innings, was bowled out for 180. Sri Lanka then needed 99 runs in a minimum 21 overs with dark clouds hovering over Galle International Stadium. Captain Angelo Mathews (25 not out) showed urgency by hitting two sixes and two fours as Sri Lanka reached 99-3 in 16.2 overs — just in time before the rain arrived. Mahela Jayawardene, playing in his penultimate test, set the tempo with a quick 26 as an opener before Mathews took charge under bad light. Kumar Sangakkara’s 10th double century (221) helped Sri Lanka respond solidly by declaring at 533-9 after Younis Khan hit a brilliant 177 in Pakistan’s first innings total of 451. But Pakistan’s batsmen paid a heavy price of protecting their wickets instead of scoring runs after resuming the day at 4-1 as Herath got rid of the top order before mopping up the tail just after tea. Wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed top scored with an unbeaten 52 before he ran out of partners.

Herath ravaged Pakistan’s innings by removing Azhar Ali (41), Younis Khan (13) and Asad Shafiq (8) while offspinner Dilruwan Perera got rid of dangerman Misbah (28) and Ahmed Shehzad (16). Pakistan showed no urgency and looked for a draw as it lost three wickets in the morning session while adding 62 runs. Misbah and Ali defied Sri Lanka briefly with a 56-run stand but not before the Pakistan captain twice survived lbw appeals. He was ruled out leg before wicket off Perera on 8 but successfully overturned umpire Bruce Oxenford’s decision as the ball had brushed his gloves off a mistimed sweep. Misbah wiped out the deficit by hoisting the off-spinner to midwicket for a six before reverse sweeping the off-spinner for another boundary. He was on 26 when Eranga went for the DRS but his high full toss hit Misbah’s pads outside the line of leg stump. However, both batsmen departed within three deliveries when Herath found Ali’s outside edge and Misbah was trapped lbw off the backfoot. Herath trapped Shafiq lbw off an arm ball before Eranga picked up his 50th test wicket when he had Abdul Rehman caught behind to reduce Pakistan to 153-8 at tea. Earlier, Pakistan scored only four boundaries in the morning session after nightwatchman Saeed Ajmal (4) was caught behind off Dhammika Prasad in the eighth over of the day. Shehzad could have overturned English umpire Ian Gould’s lbw decision against him off Perera, but didn’t use the DRS and walked off after scoring a painstaking 16 off 74 balls.

Source-http://www.crictoday.com

The IPL Sandstorm in the UAE

For a second time in its seven year history, the Indian Premier League tasted international waters as it moved to the United Arab Emirates for the first leg of the IPL 7 season. While skeptics abounded about the choice of venue as well as the viability factor in financial terms, ultimately cricket proved to be the biggest draw. By the time the UAE leg of the IPL was over, the tables had turned quite literally from last season, bringing fresh excitement and promise to the seven year old tournament.

Arabian Nights, Desert Extravaganza

After a long hiatus, cricket from India touched ground in the gulf region. The original design for the IPL was never for the domestic Indian Twenty20 tournament to leave home for foreign shores. Yet for a second time in its brief history, the organizers felt the need to move the IPL out of the base country over apprehensions about adequate security given the fever of the general elections sweeping the country this summer season. Not to lose base with local spectators though, the organizing committee of the IPL decided to allot the three venues in the UAE in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi a total of twenty matches in the first part of the IPL 7 season in April for the rest of the tournament to return to India in May.

Any qualms at the outset about the decision to take cricket to the region that has shared a rather turbulent relationship with India’s cricket history over the last decade and a half in particular were soon assuaged and even drowned in the din of the IPL once it got underway. As things turned out, there was plenty of cheering and not just from the cheerleaders. While the IPL 2 season received encouraging response when it was forced to shift base to South Africa, the overwhelming response, largely and presumably from India’s expatriate contingent, in the Middle East has ensured that the brand IPL itself continued to thrive despite change of venue. The gate revenue from virtually sell-out crowds from every match– confirmed by the Indian cricket board - ensured that the tournament could have been dubbed a successful experiment after the IPL had the opportunity to choose between South Africa and Bangladesh also amongst other alternate possible venues for 2014.

Capacity crowds, a home carnival atmosphere, generally high scoring entertaining matches, world class stadia and facilities and an incident-free tournament ensured that the UAE had won over cricket hearts, particularly so after the ties with Sharjah were broken under rather trying circumstances for Indian cricket. The huge fillip from the Indian contingent staying and working abroad never allowed the tournament to feel homesick and that in itself was something the Indian cricket board could have only hoped for after IPL found itself embroiled in controversies and scandals that almost overshadowed the staging of the tournament back home. Instead the IPL was given not only a rousing welcome but also, such hospitality that there would have been a twinge or two in the hearts of teams, franchisees and fans when the Indian Premier League left the Arabian nights behind to return home.

Spinning Ta bles

Perhaps the biggest draw for the spectators of the IPL 7 season lay in the fact that the tournament did not pan out along predictable lines. One would have thought that given that the tournament is in its seventh year, some teams would have completely dominated the standings. Fortunately for IPL in the UAE, that was not the case. Instead, the tournament brought forth exciting new team lineups as a result of player reshuffles and while a few players struggled to find their feet with their new franchisees, others thrived beyond expectations. Kings XI Punjab, who have been struggling to get a foot in the door in the IPL in the boardroom as well as on the field, found themselves on the top of the world while last year’s ecstatic champions, the Mumbai Indians, were languishing rather ignominiously at the bottom by the time the UAE journey was complete. While Kings XI Punjab walked away from the UAE with a clean five wins out of five matches record, the Mumbai Indians found themselves diametrically on the opposite side of the spectrum, failing to record a single win after five matches. It went downhill very quickly for the Mumbai Indians who boast of a world class bench of support staff that includes Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Robin Singh, Jonty Rhodes, Anil Kumble to mention only a few. Unfortunately that failed to translate into a winning formula and process with the play on the field leaving a lot to be desired from a team who seemed to have finally got their design and act together last year to lift both, the IPL trophy and the Champions League Twenty20 trophy, last year. However, the Mumbai Indians never found their rhythm in the desert sands and therefore, raised no storm for the crowds to cheer about. They, however, provided great entertainment by allowing opposing team such as the Kings XI Punjab to completely dominate the action, particularly with the bat.

Expectations were high from the Royal Challengers Bangalore yet again and although the team did get off to a good start with two wins off successive matches, the next three matches failed to yield any points. A couple of rather low scoring matches also included one that involved the Royal Challengers Bangalore who were shot out for seventy by the Rajasthan Royals. The Rajasthan Royals themselves were a tad fortunate in that they snuck through to the third position by virtue of the tied Super Over match against the Kolkata Knight Riders that saw the former win the contest on the basis of greater number of boundaries scored.

The story proved little different for the other teams who returned with a mixed bag of results. In the end, the mid-section saw four teams tied on eight points with two wins and three losses each after five matches respectively and these included the Kolkata Knight Riders, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the Delhi Daredevils. Amongst the highlights shared amongst these middling teams would include Chris Lynn’s catch on the boundary that kept the Kolkata Knight Riders in the news and Bhuvneshwar Kumar giving Dale Steyn a run for his money with his bowling for the Sunrisers Hyderabad even as the team found a dependable Australian batting partnership in opener Aaron Finch and number three David Warner. Ajinkya Rahane was a rarity in that he was the only Indian in the list of highest run getters to keep the home flag flying high even as the bowling list seemed to do more justice to the home contingent although Sunil Narine and Lasith Malinga continued to hold fort as prime foreign bowling talent. J.P. Duminy kept it interesting for the Delhi Daredevils who were saved the blushes by the bottom trailing Mumbai Indians.

Repeat victors from previous seasons, the Chennai Super Kings remained just below the radar, deservedly one rank below the Kings XI Punjab after the latter gave the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led IPL team a hiding of a chase they barely saw coming. The Chennai Super Kings managed to maintain a respectable record, pulling out four wins out of five matches and that was largely due to a winning combination at the top of the batting order.

Foreign Bats, Desi Beat

Speaking of successful batting combinations, while the Mumbai Indians were disappearing like quick sand, the Chennai Super Kings managed to walk away rather respectfully from the UAE leg even while remaining under the radar. Huge credit would then go to their two new opening batsmen providing maximum entertainment and keeping the team high on the points table. With Twenty20 being a largely batting dominated sport, it seemed the IPL had lived up to those high entertainment expectations in the UAE with teams benefitting more than others from the player reshuffle earlier in the year.

Where Mumbai Indians struggled to find a consistent opening pair, the Chennai Super Kings were more than happy to reap the benefits of snatching Dwayne Smith at the auctions. Mumbai Indians’ loss was the Chennai Super Kings’ gain simply because where Michael Hussey has struggled to find his rhythm in the opening slot for the Mumbai Indians, Smith has settled in rather beautifully into the role and complemented the destructive New Zealander, Brendon McCullum, who found his sure footing once more since that lung opener in 2008 when he took the IPL by storm.

Even the Chennai Super Kings managed to stay just below the radar and their openers managing to prove the maximum thrust, even they could not overshadow the elation of the ascendance of another team in the IPL. Poaching worked wonders for the Kings XI Punjab in that the world was provided with the exhilarating M&M show. Glenn Maxwell, in particular, was an expensive buy for the Mumbai Indians last year but was underutilized in an over-stacked talent rack. At the Kings XI Punjab team, the Australian cricketer has enjoyed a free rein and in his partnership with another dynamic young South African batsman in David Miller, revealed Kings XI Punjab as serious contenders to the throne in 2014. The Maxwell-Miller partnership broke the backbone of more than one team and it is not easy to ruffle the feathers of the otherwise cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni who has skippered the Chennai Super Kings since the inception of the IPL. Maxwell in particular was not only majestic but also, brutal in his stroke play, essentially plundering at will to score in the nineties twice and on three occasions, coming close to scoring his first IPL century. That minor blip, however, could not stop the Kings XI Punjab from scoring five wins on the trot and essentially being the raging success in the desert leg of the IPL.

While Maxwell’s bat yielded 300 runs from five matches at a fearsome strike rate of 201.34 with an average of sixty, the destructive damage with the bat was complimented by the fifteen wickets shared between Laxmipathy Balaji and Sandeep Sharma, lending a nice balance to the winning strategy of the high flying Kings XI Punjab. It was hard to look past the team who virtually dominated all the headlines coming out of the Arabian caravan.

Mirage in the sand

But not everything in the UAE was a rip roaring success. Although the overall and feel of the experience of the IPL in the UAE appeared a resounding success, there were many minor disappointments on the player level that would have been hoped to have been corrected when IPL 7 – Part 2 got underway in India. For one, some of the Indian batting contingent failed to live up to the hype much to the disappointment of the crowds hoping to see some of India’s finest talent.

All eyes were on the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s most exorbitant buy, Yuvraj Singh, who was yet to justify the price tag of Rs.14 crores when the IPL left the UAE. But the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s disappointments in the UAE stemmed from the fact that many of their big guns including the explosive Chris Gayle remained largely silent. Likewise, much was expected from the Delhi Daredevils captain, Kevin Pietersen, after his retrenchment from England cricket’s plans for the future. However, a finger injury saw him miss the beginning of the Arabian escapade, proving to be a dampener.

India’s comeback hopeful, Virender Sehwag, showed semblance of brilliance with his stint with the Kings XI Punjab but nothing concrete enough to croon about even as his team unearthed a few match winners including their skipper, George Bailey. Sehwag’s former India opening team mate, Gautam Gambhir, fared even worse. As skipper of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Gambhir was expected to kick off matters for his team. Instead Gambhir would want to forget the UAE sojourn in a hurry given that he collected three ducks on the trot as his team struggled to get momentum going their way.

Although the IPL 7 was far from complete, it had to be said that the overall experience of the IPL in the UAE was a resounding one, one that held promise that mainstream cricket, apart from being proxy hosts for the Pakistan cricket, could return to the region. The overwhelming majority of cricket loving expat population made it a relatively cost effective, worthwhile enterprise, one that could be explored by the BCCI for further commercial ventures. The IPL was made to feel at home even before it touched base back home. That the BCCI was elated by the prospect was more than evident when they released a statement that appreciated the Gulf adventure for “an unprecedented success in terms of fan turnout, television viewership, digital views and ticket collection”. While teams would look to maintain or improve their momentum depending on how they fared in the Middle East, the IPL and spin offs may have just found a home away from home in the United Arab Emirates.

NZ tour of WI: A battle of equals

With the conclusion of the Indian Premiere League, there might be a collective gloom among cricket lovers across the globe. However, the international cricketing calendar is such that it hardly gives you space to brood and the true cricket lovers would always be spoilt for choices.

This year, the international cricketing summer begins with New Zealand’s tour to the West Indies. The tour, which constitutes of three Tests and two T20 international matches, promises to be an engrossing affair and fans of the both nations would hopefully be satiated by the end of it. What is interesting is that both the sides have recently faced off against one another and know their strengths and weaknesses quite well. West Indies had toured New Zealand in late December-early January for a full-fledged series comprising of three Tests, five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and two T20s. Though New Zealand won the hard fought Test series 1-0, West Indies came back to equal the ODI series 2-2 (with one match being abandoned due to rain). New Zealand won the T20 series comfortably; affecting a whitewash by winning 2-0. Nevertheless, what stood out from that series was that both the sides; irrespective of the conditions, are on equal measure when compared to each other. According to the ICC’s international Test rankings, New Zealand stands at the sixth position while the West Indies is struggling at the eighth number. It clearly indicates that there isn’t much to choose between the two sides and each would have to play out of their skins to oust the other. Now let us have a brief look at the players to watch out for both the teams in this series.

Players to watch out for New Zealand

Brendon McCullum: Fresh from an outstanding triple century (302) in his last Test match against India at Wellington, Brendon McCullum is truly in the form of his life. His 525 runs in the two match Test series against the Indians was a world record and it seems that the responsibility of leading the side is perhaps pushing the dashing right-hand batsman to play more maturely. Additionally, McCullum has also relieved himself from the wicket-keeping duties and can now solely concentrate on his batting. As was evident from his epic knock against India, McCullum is relishing the role of being the senior batsman and his current purple patch may cause West Indies dear.

Ross Taylor: Though, this senior New Zealand batsman hasn’t exactly been setting the stage on fire of late, it would be foolish to count Ross Taylor out. The attractive right-hand batsman has the ability to tear apart any opposition in the world and it is only a matter of time before he lets his bat do all the talking. In his last series against the West Indies, Taylor had scored heavily; with a double century and two centuries in three Tests and the West Indians would certainly be wary of him. He has played many memorable knocks in the past for his country and the slow and low pitches of West Indies are likely to suit his style of play. Ross Taylor forms a vital cog of New Zealand’s middle-order and the team would expect him to play some responsible knocks for them.

Kane Williamson: He is the rising star of New Zealand cricket and could well go on to be one of the great New Zealand batsmen ever if he stays true to his skills. The 23 year old did have a sedate series against India, but his sparkling 113 at Auckland in the first Test match of that series was a clear display of his class. Coming at number three, Williamson’s role in the batting order assumes prime significance and it remains to be seen how he fares in the slow and low tracks of West Indies. He has played the West Indies bowlers in their last tour to New Zealand and did fairly well. If the young batsman has got to show his class to the world, there would not be a better stage than in front of the cricket loving public of the Caribbean.

Tim Southee: The right-arm medium fast bowler is in good form currently and should enjoy bowling in the tracks of West Indies which always has something for the quicks.

Though the tracks of the Caribbean would not be the same seaming and bouncing ones found in New Zealand, it should still aid the 25 year old’s bowling style. His biggest challenge of course would be facing up front to Chris Gayle and if somehow Southee manages to come up trumps in the battle, his team would be at an advantageous position. Another fact that might help Southee is that the West Indies squad has a number of lefthanders and his outswingers might trouble them.

Trent Boult: He is another bowling star in the making for New Zealand and if handled properly could go on to make many records for his country. Having taken 82 wickets in just 22 matches, Boult has shown that he is a force to reckon with. The left-arm fast bowler has the ability to bowl at pace and can move the ball both ways. He is in good rhythm currently and should trouble the West Indians, known to be susceptible to swing and bounce. How well he performs with the old ball may well be the deciding factor for New Zealand’s outcome in the Test series.

Players to watch out for West Indies

Chris Gayle: The tall Jamaican would undoubtedly be the man to watch out for in the entire tour. Having torn apart bowlers all over the world, Chris Gayle would be at ease on the familiar pitches at home. Though Gayle’s Test form has been a little moderate off late, but you can expect him to be up to the challenge when the series commences. What would perhaps work as an added motivation for Gayle, would be the fact that he would be playing his 100th Test match at Jamaica; his home ground, which incidentally is the also the First Test match of the series.

Denesh Ramdin: The wicket-keeper batsman has been named as the West Indies captain for the Test series and for West Indies to do well, a lot would depend on his captaincy. Coming lower down the order, Ramdin’s batting too would be under scrutiny. He has played some vital knocks for his team from that position in the past and now, as the captain of the side, his role becomes even more pertinent. Ramdin has already led his side in three T20s and an ODI, but leading a Test team is an altogether different challenge.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul: The 39 year old is clearly one of the unsung heroes of West Indies cricket. There have been innumerable instances when Shivnarine Chanderpaul, through his gritty performances, has bailed his team out of trouble. His batting is unorthodox and not very attractive to look at, but what matters is that it is effective. With 29 Test centuries and 11219 runs in 153 Test matches at an average of 51.93, Chanderpaul clearly is one of the best batsmen in the world today. Though the world hasn’t exactly given Chanderpaul due credit for his feats, he is unlikely to brood over it. He loves being the ‘silent guardian’ of West Indian cricket and would surely be the one thorn that New Zealand would find hard to remove.


Tino Best: This robust fast-bowler has just 57 Test wickets in 25 Test matches. However, stats rarely do tell the full story. Tino Best is a bowler with heart and has the markings of the great West Indies bowlers from the yore. He has pace and can extract steep bounce from even the most docile tracks. Best has been handed the responsibility of leading the bowling attack and thus his role would be one of the most important ones for West Indies’ chances in the series. He might not get wickets in heaps, but can surely trouble the best as was seen in Sachin Tendulkar’s last Test match where he was regularly uncomfortable facing up to Best.

Sunil Narine: The rightarm off-break bowler from Trinidad is known more for his heroics in the shorter format of the game than in the Test matches. His subtle variations, dexterity and guile make it hard for batsmen to hit him in ODIs and T20s. However, Sunil Narine is yet to announce his arrival in the Test arena. To be fair to him, Narine has only played six Test matches as of yet and with some regular chances he is sure to add to his tally of 21 wickets. In his last Test innings, incidentally against New Zealand, he returned with figures of 6/91. With New Zealand historically known to struggle against spin, Sunil Narine could well be the ace of Ramdin’s pack.

The pitches

The pitches would obviously be the centre of attention as that is where all the action would be played. Let us briefly look at the three different stadiums where the Test matches would be played and the nature of the pitches there. The first Test would be played at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. The pitch here was known to be lively with good pace and bounce, but over the years it has toned down and despite the grounds men’s best efforts it remains slow and low. Spinners can have a big role here and batsmen who can grit it out can play some long innings. The second Test match would be played at the picturesque Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The pitch here has true bounce which the fast bowlers should enjoy. However, the bounce also helps the batsmen who have been known to get big scores in this ground. The final Test match of the series is to be played at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. The stadium is relatively new; being established in 2006, and it is yet to be determined the true nature of the wicket here. From the records, it seems that the pitch here is quite favorable to bowlers, and batsmen would have a tough time setting their pace and playing a long innings.

The T20 series

Apart from the Test matches there would also be some light entertainment for the fans in the form of two T20s to be played between the two sides. With the likes of Corey Anderson, Jimmy Neesham and Brendon McCullum in New Zealand’s T20 side and Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine and Dwayne Smith in the West Indies line up, a crackling and exciting series is to be awaited.

The overall scenario

Overall, one should expect a hard fought and a grueling and engrossing series between the West Indies and New Zealand. Both the sides are well balanced and seem to be on equal stead when pitted against each other. To stake its claim as a serious Test playing nation, this tour is New Zealand cricket’s best chance. On the other hand, West Indies would like to rise up the charts from the bottom of the Test rankings and doing well on this tour might be their first step towards it. Exciting times for cricket lovers thus lie ahead. Fact Box 1: T20 World Cup winning captain Darren Sammy has announced his retirement from Test cricket after losing the captaincy to Denesh Ramdin. Sammy said that ‘he was no longer needed in Tests by the selectors’. Sammy would continue to lead West Indies in ODIs and T20s. Fact Box 2: Former New Zealand batsman Craig McMillan has been signed up as the batting coach of New Zealand for this tour. “It’s a career path I’m looking forward to pursuing,” McMillan, who played 55 Tests and 197 one-day internationals for New Zealand, was quoted as saying to the Dominion Post on his appointment.



RESOURCE:-http://www.crictoday.com/magazine/top-story/12260-nz-tour-of-wi-a-battle-of-equals.html

Biggest foreign disappointments of the Indian Premier League

T20 format of the game is the most unpredictable one and the Indian Premier League is no different. We were sure of certain players and their success in this edition but they failed big time. Let’s take a look at the biggest foreign disappointments of this year’s IPL.

Steyn gun was quite The number one bowler in the world was at the receiving end in this year’s IPL. He was first taken apart from AB de Villiers and then MS Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan went after him. His Yorkers were hit for boundaries while his length deliveries got brutal treatment. This was the first time when he proved ineffective in the cash rich league. He took just 11 wickets from 14 games and had an economy rate above 7 which is rear with him. He couldn’t help his team with regular breakthroughs, which was one of the prime reasons behind Sunrisers Hyderabad lowly finish in the points table.

Kallis lost his magical touch The veteran all-rounder from South Africa was not able to set stage on fire in the seventh edition of the cash rich league. It seemed that age was getting better of this classy player. He was dropped from the team after playing 8 games. The tally of 151 runs and 4 wickets is hardly what Kolkata needed from their star player. I know comebacks are possible but he is too old to think of this. His IPL career is looking over and it would be great if he is used as a mentor.

Kevin Pietersen failed big time He was bought by Delhi Daredevils to anchor their ship with his batting and captaincy skills but his tenure ended in a failure. He accumulated 294 runs from the eleven games while his side managed just 2 wins in the entire tournament. This is what happens when one stop playing international cricket but in Pietersen’s case, his career was cut short because of his temperament problems.

Chris Gayle never arrived The left-hand batsman was never in touch during his stay at the crease in the seventh edition. He missed few games because of injury but couldn’t deliver after making the return. His trademark shot were missing while his mode of dismissals was almost identical match after match. The big fellow was tied down even by some unknown bowlers. His low scores meant that RCB was never in the reckoning for the playoffs.

Forget Test cricket, go for T20s

May. 26th, 2014

• 4:10 PM

If anyone ask cricketers which is their favorite format, the reply will be Test cricket. It is considered as the purest form of cricket and all the upcoming and current players have a dream of representing their respective countries in this version of the game. Whether it is some powerful cricketing nation or the associate ones, the players from these countries are always interested in Test cricket. Countries like India, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, England and few more are part of the elite club which got surety of playing five day game but the same couldn’t be said about Ireland, Netherlands, Afghanistan and few more. No matter how hard they try, this format will remain a distinct possibility for them. The smaller teams have gained attention because of their performances in the bigger events. Ireland was able to defeat Pakistan in the 2007 cricket World Cup while they repeated their performance this time against England in the 2011 Cricket World Cup. There have been few more similar stories when it comes to minnows. The recently concluded T20 World Cup in Bangladesh saw one of the similar stories. The hero of the story was the Netherlands team which defeated Ireland, caused problems to New Zealand, had South Africa under trouble and eventually beat England. The orange outfit got better of England in the 2009 T20 World Cup as well.

Teams like Ireland, Hong Kong, Nepal and Afghanistan too had their moments in the qualifying round. The point I am trying to make that T20 has given every nation a chance to compete at the highest level. It is useless to say that associate nations are not talented enough to dismantle bigger teams in the slam bang edition of the game. They have already shown that they can win against any strong team if given a chance. The learning curve in Test cricket is too steep for them and they have a wide gap to fill even in the ODIs. The T20 format is not that old and has given everyone a chance of fulfilling their desires. The shortest format of the game has led to the find of some innovative shots and all the budding cricketers of the cricket playing nations are learning them at the same point of time.  T20 is an easier sport to master as it requires less time. It is the only reason I believe that Test status shouldn’t be the ultimate goal for the new countries. Test cricket is a dated ambition which is not must to survive in the competitive world. I know playing longer versions like Test cricket and the ODIs will help in the short game skills but even this is not mandatory as there are players who have made their international debuts even before playing a first class game in their respective countries. Krishmar Santokie of the West Indies is the latest example in this list. However, the players from under developed nations in terms of cricketing knowledge should be allowed to play in different T20 leagues of the world. Their cricketing boards along with the ICC should draft a formula wherein their number of players are guaranteed a place in the private T20 events. Indian Premier League is the best T20 event across the globe.

The problem is that the franchises of this league have not paid importance to the players who are from the weaker nations. Their names have popped up in the auctions but the hammer has come down as unsold. It is no more a hidden fact that player from Ireland, Netherlands and other countries are immensely talented in the T20 format. I know it is not easy to order T20 leagues to keep certain slots for the players from the small countries but atleast the idea can be explored.  The players from Pakistan and particularly England haven’t been able to participate in different T20 extravaganza due to different reasons which has hampered their progress. England has one of the best and the oldest T20 competition but this is not enough to learn about the playing conditions of the remaining countries. Playing in India will help in developing one’s knowledge about the sub-continent. Aaron Finch, the Australian opener, recently stated that playing with Virender Sehwag has made David Warner a better player.


Sehwag and Warner played together for Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League. If the associates are not exposed to these leagues, they will start falling behind in the format that gives them a chance of competing with the best. Moreover, the governing body of the Champions League T20 could run a qualifying round in which certain number teams from the associate nations play against each other and the winner is drafted in the main draw. If the administrators are interested in expanding cricket beyond the current limit, T20 is their best chance. It is the only format, which has the capability of taking the competition level to new heights and who knows we could see India getting defeated at the hands of Nepal someday.

T20 World: Top Contenders

The T20 World Cup is few days away with lots of expectations from the big power houses of world cricket. West Indies have a tough task of defending their crown while the likes of Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia would like to add this trophy in their cabinet. Here is a look at the top contenders of the World Cup.

India
Team India is always ranked among the leading contenders of any tournament and the upcoming T20 World Cup is no different. They have top quality batsmen in their team but the bowlers are poor than school children's. Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni are the match winners but same can't be said about the bowlers. The pitches in Bangladesh will assist spinners so R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will have to look out for wickets.
Group: B
Prediction: Group Stage Exit

Australia
If anyone saw them playing against South Africa in the recently concluded T20 series, then it won't be difficult to judge them for the upcoming T20 world. Forget about the firing guns like Aaron Finch, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Shane Watson, the veteran Brad Hodge is the player to watch out for in Bangladesh. Mitchell Starc is the quality fast bowler even in this format of the game and his partnership with Nathan Coulter-Nile could prove decisive.
Group: B
Prediction: Winner

West Indies
They won the last edition of the T20 World Cup but repeating this feat again won't be easy for them. They have players like Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Andre Russell, who can win matches single handedly while the likes of Sunil Narine is enough to contain the batsmen from world over. However, the loss of Pollard and the pressure of being the reigning champion could pressurize them in this year's competition.
Group: B
Prediction: Group Stage Exit

Pakistan
This is one team who is always on the contender list because of their past record in the T20 World Cups. Pakistan is full of match winners. From Hafeez to Afridi, Umar Akmal to Shoaib Malik there is no end to the availability of power hitters in the side. Saeed Ajmal is the best spinner in the world, who is renowned for taking wickets in huge numbers against the rivals. Playing him is next to impossible on the spin friendly pitches and Bnagladesh certainly has that kind of tracks. However, they lack consistency.
Group: B
Prediction: Semifinalist

Sri Lanka
They have been unlucky not to win this event. Sri Lanka has always played well in the T20 World Cups and the same is expected from them in Bangladesh. Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Angelo Mathews, Kushal Perera, TM Dilshan, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis and Sachithra Senanayake have got impressive track record in the slam bang version of the game. They will be one of the teams to watch out for in Bangladesh.
Group: A
Prediction: Runners-up

South Africa
They have all the talent in the world to win any tournament on papers but have proved failures on the ground. Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, David Miller, Dale Steyn and Albie Morkel are star players but haven't played as a group in the past tournaments and could continue doing so in the T20 World Cup, which will be played in Bangladesh.
Group: A
Prediction: Group Stage Exit

England
The selectors have ended the career of their best batsman Kevin Pietersen and his absence will surely cost them. Their participation in the tournament is just a formality as they won't cross group stage. Michael Lumb, Alex Hales, Eoin Morgan and Stuart Broad might record some good performances otherwise this team has a tendency of failing when exposed to spin bowling on the turning tracks.
Group: A
Prediction: Group Stage Exit


New Zealand
They are the dark horse of the big event. They have played good cricket in the recent times and could reach the knockout stage. Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Corey Anderson, Martin Guptill, Nathan McCullum, Jimmy Neesham and Tim Southee are tailor made for the shortest format, who could change the complexion of the game in a span of few overs.
Group: A
Prediction: Group Semifinalist


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Virat kohli and ms dhoni a winning combo of team india

MS Dhoni is back in the team after recovering from his side strain. His presence is enough to boost confidence among his colleagues for the upcoming T20 World Cup. This is one format where he is very dangerous with the bat. His can win matches even from the dead situations, which has made him special in this shortest version. He has all the shot in his batting arsenal to score at a brisk pace. All eyes will be on his captaincy. We have been hearing that his methods have become old and less inspiring, which is the reason behind India’s poor performance in the recent times. However, it is not fair to blame him completely for the defeats. The young guns have failed to adapt and we can’t held MS Dhoni responsible for the same. Moreover, the upcoming T20 World Cup will be held in Bangladesh, which has been a happy hunting ground for the team. The comeback of Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh is good news for the team. Yuvraj Singh is a sure shot match winner and has displayed this on number of occasions in the past and this could be his tournament. Suresh Raina has a tendency of scoring in boundaries, which could help India in winning the matches. The left hand batsman has struggled a lot on the bouncy tracks but sub-continent pitches are tailor made for his shot making. He has played numerous match wining knocks for the team and same is expected from him in the upcoming T20 event.
Apart from these two, the inform Virat Kohli, is the backbone of India’s batting order. He is scoring runs since years and there is hardly any way of stopping him from doing his business. The vice captain of the Indian team is a class batsman, who like scoring against all sort of bowlers. He can hit fast bowlers across the park while his ability of handling spinners is simply superb. The Indian batting revolves around him and if he is able to score, then there is no way of stopping India from winning the game. The second area where he can be helpful is his leadership qualities. I know MS Dhoni will lead India but Kohli’s input could prove valuable for the current skipper. Kohli is experienced enough to alert MS Dhoni if he is going wrong somewhere, which is good for the team in the important tournaments like T20 World Cup. According to me, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina are the ones who could help their team in lifting another T20 trophy. There is no denying the fact that cricket is played with eleven men but there are players in each and every team who stands out from the rest because of their exceptional abilities Let’s hope that Men in Blue are able to win the biggest T20 tournament across the globe.
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Asia Cup Preview: Afghanistan Vs. India by Cricket today

in Sports / Extreme Sports    (submitted 2014-03-05)
Afghanistan :-For a team which is participating in the Asia Cup for the first time, the results have been impressive. They were able to defeat Bangladesh and kept Pakistan and Sri Lanka on the ropes for a longer duration of the match. Their bowling has been impressive but things haven’t worked as per the plan in the batting department. They have managed to cross 200 runs barrier in just one of the matches in the Asia Cup. The upcoming match against India is their last opportunity to test their batting.
India :-Team India is already out of the final race but team has the opportunity of keeping their head high if they could win their last match with a bonus point. India’s main problem has been the lack of runs from the opening pair and also the middle order. Apart from this, the fast bowling has not fared well in the closing stages of the match. The Men in Blue should try some different combinations in the batting and the bowling department.
Key Player
Afghanistan:-Asghar Stanikzai has shown consistency with scores of 40, 90 and 27 in the first three matches of the Asia Cup. If he stays around against India, Afghanistan has a chance of posting competitive score on the board.

India:-Virat Kohli is the back bone of the batting lineup and one more crucial knock will be expected from his willow in the last match of the event. He has been a revelation as a captain with perfect bowling changes and the good field placing.
Verdict :-India has a better chance of uprooting Afghanistan because of their better combination in all the departments of the game.
Squads:-
Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi (captain),Asghar Stanikzai, Dawlat Zadran, Fazal Niazai, Hamid Hassan,Hamza Hotak, Karim Sadiq, Mirwais Ashraf,Mohammad Shahzad, Nawroz Mangal, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shenwari, Shapoor Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran.
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Aaron, Stuart Binny, Amit Mishra, Mohammad Shami, Ishwar Pandey, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja.
NOTE-They were able to defeat Bangladesh and kept Pakistan and Sri Lanka on the ropes for a longer duration of the match. Their bowling has been impressive but things haven’t worked as per the plan in the batting department. They have managed to cross 200 runs barrier in just one of the matches in the Asia Cup. The upcoming match against India is their last opportunity to test their batting.
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