In the Name of Cricket

29/04/2009

Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals (Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria)

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is up against it. Not only are they in a trough and trailing in the points table, they are up against the rejuvenated Rajasthan Royals (RR).

If you take the teams and compare them man to man then CSK is a far stronger team. Unfortunately, for them under the inspiring leadership of Shane Warne, RR team is a motivated lot and hence more than a match.

In sharp contrast CSK is a team that lacks motivation and with the captain under pressure to perform with the bat they need luck to prevail over RR. Both their batsmen and their bowlers are under par and going by Dhoni’s statements it appears there are going to be numerous changes in the squad.

The question is will a change in personnel help CSK’s cause.

BCCI reprieves ICL players but will ICL let them free?

Image via Wikipedia

After being mule-headed for long the BCCI has announced that ICL players will be considered for domestic tournament if they disassociate themselves from it by May 31 st.

Which is all very good and magnanimous of the BCCI. However, ICL announced on the 15 th of April its plan to launch ICL Season-3 with its 'October-November 2009'-Winter edition of the ICL 20s Indian Championship, preceded by the ICL 20-20 Domestic Tournament & camp for its players.

Given that no love is lost between the two leagues, it is unlikely that the ICL will release its contracted players without getting its pound of flesh.

Once again the players are caught between the devil and the deep sea.

It is Ravi Bopara at No.3

Ravinder Bopara at the Cricketforce Launch, Up...

Image via Wikipedia

The England squad for the first Test against West Indies at Lord’s has a few surprises.

After much debate at least in the media, Ravi Bopara finds himself in the 12-man squad. The selectors have omitted Michael Vaughan, Ian Bell and Owais Shah, in essence leaving the No.3 position to Bopara to make it his own.

The other surprise is the selection of Graham Onions instead of Steve Harmison. I had genuinely believed that Harmison would get another chance to redeem himself. Looks like the selectors have lost patience with his weak willed ways.

Another surprise is the retention of Monty Panesar, I believe that after his non-performance in India and in the West Indies, he is lucky to find a place in the English squad for the first Test.

England squad for the first npower Test match against West Indies at Lord's (May 6-10):

Andrew Strauss (Middlesex, captain)

James Anderson (Lancashire)

Ravi Bopara (Essex)

Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire)

Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)

Paul Collingwood (Durham)

Alastair Cook (Essex)

Graham Onions (Durham)

Monty Panesar (Northamptonshire)

Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire)

Matt Prior (Sussex, wkt)

Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire)

Tait to target shorter formats

Yet another cricketer thinks of retiring from Test cricket to extend his career.

Tait ponders Test retirement - Cricket News | SPORTBOX.tv - Nothing Inside But Sport

Petition to see Sachin Tendulkar at T20 World Cup 2009

I had been expecting this to happen from the first match that Mumbai Indians played against Chennai Super Kings.

It was a certainty once Sachin blazed away in last nights match against Kolkata Knightriders.

In between Sachin proclaimed on his birthday that he felt like a 16 year old.

Well then here it goes. Sachins fans have taken the cue and have started a petition to make Sachin play the ICC World Cup Twenty20.

If you want Sachin to play the t20 world cup, please sign http://www.petitiononline.com/srt4t20/

28/04/2009

List of commentators for IPL 2009

These are the commentators on World feed contracted by IMG and based in SA.

RamizRaja
Sunny Gavaskar
Ravi Shastri
Pommie Mbangwa
Kepler Wessels
Danny Morrison
Greg Blewett
Robin Jackman
Alistair Campbell
Jeremy Coney
Ranjit Fernando
Simon Doull
L S Shivaramakrishnan
Mark Nicolas

Apart from this, their Mumbai studio may have any of the following.

Sameer and Gaurav
Arun Lal
Akash Chopra
Anjum Chopra
Mohinder Amarnath

Will Pakistan boycott 2011 Cricket World Cup?

BBC reports that the majority of 2011 Cricket World Cup matches scheduled to be hosted in Pakistan have been switched to India.

The reports also add that India will host 29 of the 49 matches across eight venues,Sri Lanka will host 12 games while Bangladesh will stage eight at two grounds, along with the opening ceremony on 18 February 2011.India will now hold the final and one semi-final, with Bangladesh hosting two quarter-finals and Sri Lanka one.

The Pakistan cricketers and the cricketing establishment will assail this move.

On May 24, Imran Khan had called for moving the World Cup to Australia. Just yesterday, Reuters quoted Javed Miandad as saying that “The International Cricket Council should shift the 2011 World Cup out of Asia after Australia refused to send its Davis Cup tennis team to India”.Surely, the other rablle-rousers will follow suit and in a show of bravado raise their voices for a boycott.

Though, Haroon Lorgat has dismissed any chance of Pakistan boycotting the World Cup, the incendiary comments from the political and cricket establishment in Pakistan may well cause PCB to take this drastic step.

Termonologies in cricket explained.

A layman's guide to terminologies in cricket:

Underarm delivery: Australians acting like dickheads.

Pitch report: When your mate points out the hotties in the place when you arrive.

Stranded on 99: Getting along great in bed, clothes off, about to raise the bat and kiss the emblem and the girl gets cold feet and says no. Doesn't happen often and it was a good knock until then.

Do a Gilly: Walk when you didn't have to, the girl is ready to go home with you but you somehow disappear (tribute to Adam Gilchrist).

You can find more termonologies in cricket here.

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Chennai Super Kings ambushed by Deccan Chargers

Yet another defeat in the final over

I am convinced that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batsmen are failing the team. In all the matches we have lost in the final over, clearly indicating that, the batsmen have scored 20 runs less than what the situation warrants.

What CSK needs to do now is to revamp the batting and clear up Dhonis clogged head.

To elaborate, persisting with Parthiv is perplexing as he is a misfit as an opener. Similarly, Badrinath is wasted down the order, so why not free up the batting by replacing Parthiv Patel with Badri. As I had written earlier, Badri can keep the scoreboard ticking and prove a foil for Hayden’s big hitting.

It is patently evident that Dhoni is a shadow of his earlier big hitting self. He appears satisfied with compiling a run a ball innings. Pundits may laud him for subjugating his flair for the sake of the team. I however believe that we do not need Dhoni for that kind of innings. For that, there are many other players’ .For example Badrinath can be used as an anchor through out the innings and the big hitters and the flamboyant players like Raina can build the innings around him.

It is also evident that Dhoni has lost clarity of thought and appears to lose his much-acclaimed ability to read the game. He is floundering and very soon, I expect his on field cool demeanor to crack. Worryingly, there is nothing specifically wrong with his captaincy, but his inability to stay two steps ahead of the game is evident by his choices. For example, earlier the bowling or batting order changes he made worked giving him a Midas aura. Now they do not work leaving us all wondering whether his early successes was because of luck.

Leaving all this frustrated nitpicking aside, it is my belief that whether setting or chasing a target the Chennai Super Kings have to scale up to score 20 runs more than what they have done until now.

Do you have any suggestions to reverse CSK’s fortunes?

Image by Zn

27/04/2009

Can Chennai Super Kings halt the Deccan Chargers?

Only a rabid fan like me will say that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) can halt the Deccan Chargers (DC) blitzkrieg. A look at the records clearly shows the vast gulf between the teams.

The Deccan Chargers have won all their matches and are leading the points table. CSK’s third position is courtesy of a lone win and a split point they earned out of an abandoned match against Kolkata Knight Riders.

A look at their games clearly shows that CSK is struggling in the batting department. We can argue that CSK have lost their matches with narrow margin, however, they could have won these matches if their batsmen had scored the crucial 20 or 30 runs more.

What CSK has to do to win is that either, one of their batsmen plays a big innings or one more batsmen, say Dhoni, score a fifty. If neither happens, then CSK will suffer another narrow defeat.

26/04/2009

ICC clubs American Premier League with ICL

Just when I thought the American Premier League was gaining traction, here comes the news that ICC has declared it as unauthorized and have warned players from taking part in it. Surprisingly, the ICC seemed to taken the decision on its own as there is no hint that the BCCI has flexed its financial muscle.

Meanwhile Sir Richard Hadlee has stirred up the controversy surrounding APL by confirming he would act as an executive consultant to the American Premier League. He is the first officially announced big name to have confirmed his association with the six-team Twenty20 competition.

It is rumoured that Inzamam-ul-Haq and some more Pakistani players associated with ICL have signed up though there has been no formal acknowledgment of their participation.

A damp squib

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Chennai Super Kings Vs Kolkata Knight Riders

My prediction that the match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders would be boring (KKR) came true, thanks to rain.

It was so boring watching the covered wicket and the endless replays’. Eventually the match was abandoned with not even a ball being bowled.

Both CSK and KKR get a point and by pure luck, Chennai Super Kings manage to become 3rd in the points table.

25/04/2009

Knights cross swords with Kings

The Chennai Super Kings match against Kolkata Knight Riders in the DLF-Indian Premier League today could well turn out to be a boring match.

Both teams have a lot to lose and hence will play warily. Unless someone comes up with an electrifying performance, both teams will play the percentages and strive to minimize their mistakes.

This match could be boring because, both KKR and CSK have not come up with one stunning performance. Their performances have been adequate and hence they have lost close matches. However, CSK has more positives because they won their match against RCB comprehensively, whereas KKR won their only match against KXIP based on the D/L method.

Talking about this match from CSK’s angle, they have to win and if possible win big. Now that Flintoff has flown the coop, Ntini is a certainty. It will mean Badrinath will get an opportunity to make an effective contribution with his bat. Finally, CSK needs to capitalize on the tempo created by Hayden and get over its ‘strategy break’ hang-up.

In short CSK should stop playing like mere mortals and start playing like Kings.

Flintoff limps off /IPL/CSK/Knee injury/

Complete tear of medial meniscus with free-flo...

Image via Wikipedia

It is reported that Flintoff felt discomfort while playing in the Chennai Super Kings Vs Delhi Daredevils.

CSK team's management sent Flintoff for a scan in Durban where a slight medial meniscal tear was revealed. They have sent Flintoff back to England for keyhole surgery scheduled next week.

This injury is a bigger blow to Chennai SuperKings than England as it means that they will lose his services for this tournament. However, England can expect him to be fit for the ICC World Twenty20 and definitely fully fit for the Ashes.

To those who are readying themselves to blame IPL for this injury, please remember that the ‘meniscus’ can be torn by activities such as walking or squatting or even by playing sports. However, in Flintoff's case, the damage has occurred due to prolonged wear and tear and if he had not played in IPL, he could have torn it while walking on the beach.

Though Flintoff has been expensive, both in terms of acquisition cost and in terms of his performance, this is indeed a loss for the CSK. Now they have to plan their campaign without his burly presence.

24/04/2009

Royal Challengers Vs Kings XI - Desperate Stuff

Image by quinn.anya via Flickr

Both teams languish at the IPL points table.

For Kings XI, D/L has cost them both their rain affected match. Another factor that is stopping them is Yuvraj Singh's uninspiring captaincy. For a team that made it to the semi-finals in the 2008 edition, it is desperate times and a must win game.

Coming to the Royal Challengers, it is more of a morass they are unable to lift themselves from. They lack magic; both the batsmen and bowlers despite their first match win appear sapped. Despite Rahul Dravid competing with Mathew Hayden for the 'purple cap' the team appears unable to lift themselves from run – a - ball mentality. The batsmen should start thinking of Twenty20 as Twenty20 and not as an ODI match.

A win, will rejuvenate a teams chance for a berth in the semi-final.

Super over Seals Kolkata Knight Riders fate

Yusuf Pathan blasted 18 runs off four balls as Rajasthan Royals snatched victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders in a 'super over' after their match ended in a tie.

Kolkata needed only seven to win off the last over; sadly, Ishanth Sharma was run out attempting to finish the winning run of the last ball of the match. This left the teams tied at 150 runs and brought the super over into play.

KKR scored 15 for 1 thanks to Chris Gayles 3 successive fours in the super over. However, Yusuf Pathan of RR, who took the strike against Ajantha Mendis of KKR in the super over blasted 6, 2, 6 and 4 and ensured that Rajasthan Royals won with ease.

23/04/2009

Chennai SuperKings mess up the chase

Image by mlcastle via Flickr

What can one say about a team that was in control of a chase yet manage to lose the match?

Chasing 189 on a sub-continental type of wicket, Chennai SuperKings (CSK) needing to score at the rate of 8 runs per over was cruising when the dreaded ‘strategy break’ struck.

From then on CSK lost control of the match. Dhoni and Flintoff came and left nary an impression. With the fall of Raina’s wicket, the boundaries became longer and the fielding team grew in number. The short- statured Warner grew wings, plucked seemingly powerful hits, and turned them into a catch. The inner ring became impenetrable and even normally safe singles turned into death traps. The much-touted Morkel heaved at the ball mightily only to earn meager returns.

By putting up a pedestrian effort, the Chennai SuperKings turned what should have been a stirring win into a demoralizing loss. With Deccan Chargers in an upswing and constant threat of the D/L method deciding the fate of a match, CSK has its work cut out.

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DLF IPL- Chennai Super Kings Vs. Delhi Daredevils

Today’s match up between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils has all the markings of a high-voltage match.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) though the initial tournament favourites, had their reputation dented when they lost the first match to Mumbai Indians. However, they have redeemed themselves with their facile win over Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The Delhi Daredevils (DD) have in fact enhanced their reputation when they beat Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) (though through the Duckworth & Lewis method). Imperious Sehwag and the rather timid looking but tigerish Gambhir appear to have created a fear psychosis among the bowlers.

Their reputation is such that the bowlers appear resigned and passively take the punishment.

This where experienced bowlers such as Muralitharan & Flintoff will prove their worth. Instead of opening the attack with Gony & gang, Dhoni should attack Sehwag & Gambhir with Murali & Flintoff. He should then continue with Morkel/Nitni & Gony.

If Murali & Flintoff get wickets in their initial spell then DD’s untested batsmen can be put under pressure.

As usual the toss will be crucial and decision to bat first may well decide CSK chances.

22/04/2009

IPL- 2 minute strategy breaks?

The 7.5 minutes break dubbed strategy breaks has not gone down well with the players and also the TV audience. It may go well with the spectators in the stadium for there will be quiet a few things going on around them.

However, one thing that has been noticed is that these strategy breaks have changed the course of the match proceedings, particularly it seem to affect the team that has an upper hand until then.

With Sachin voicing his displeasure, Modi may soon rethink on the duration. Modi himself has admitted that "the 'strategy breaks' in the ongoing second season have not gone down too well with a section of players but insisted that the experiment will continue."

Modi said he was aware of the issues raised by players and would consider the suggestions.

"Some players feel one way and others feel the other. We will evolve over the time. Some players want two-minute breaks like in America. We are going to test it out and see.

Startegy Break In IPL

IPL - Flintoff may return

According to the tabloid 'Daily Express' there is every chance that ECB will release Flintoff if Chennai Super Kings reaches the finals.

The tabloid speculates that the intricate and delicate politics of global cricket may force ECB to release Flintoff to the Chennai Super Kings dressing room in preference to the English one.

Readers note that this is a speculative report by 'Daily Express' and may still turn out to be true.

IPL- Why spin is king

According to Murali.

Albie Morkel was telling me that the pitches have been spinning all summer in South Africa so perhaps it has been a dry year. The fact that we are playing on tired squares at the end of the season may also be having an impact.

21/04/2009

Dhoni qualifies victory

Image by Michelle Brea via Flickr

In line with his image of one who maintains equanimity, Mahendra Singh Dhomi has attributed the victory over Royal Challengers to Hayden and Muralitharan.

In the same breath, he believes there is plenty of areas to work on for his side.

Well, he is the captain of Chennai Super Kings and needs to prevent complacency, whereas I do not need to. It was a clean all round victory and what the CSK needs to do is to replicate it in the other matches.

Do you think the team's performance against Royal Challengers needs improvement?

Chennai Super Kings flatten Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Chennai Super Kings defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore, by 92 runs, in their Indian Premier League match in St. George’s Park.

CSK’s victory was built around the performances of two veterans Mathew Hayden and Muthiah Muralidharan.

Hayden hit 9 fours and 2 sixes for a 35 ball 65. His innings effectively put the match beyond Royal Challengers grasp.

Murali then presided over the last rites taking 3 wickets in 4 over’s for 11 runs. Gony, Flintoff, Morkel and Sharma (Joginder) provided him with adequate support.

With this crushing victory, Chennai Super King’s quest for the DLF IPL Cup is back on track.

SCOREBOARD

Chennai Super Kings Batting:

Parthiv b Pietersen 30

M. Hayden (run out) 65

S. Raina c Kohli b Praveen 28

M.S. Dhoni c Bishnoi b Praveen 16

A. Flintoff (not out) 22

A. Morkel b Steyn 5

Extras (lb-5, w-8) 13.

Total 179 (five wickets; 20 overs)

Fall of wickets: 1-106, 2-106, 3- 144, 4-165, 5-179.

Royal Challengers Bangalore Bowling:

Praveen 4-0-37-2

Steyn 4-0-35-1,

J. Kallis 2-0-28-0

Vinay Kumar 1-0-12-0

Kohli 1-0-9-0

Kumble 4-0-26-0

Pietersen 3-0-14-1

Taylor 1-0-13-0.

Royal Challengers Bangalore Batting:

Praveen b Gony 0

R. Uthappa st Dhoni b Muralitharan 20

J. Kallis lbw b Morkel 24

R. Taylor c & b Flintoff 1

K. Pietersen lbw b Muralitharan 0

R. Dravid c Flintoff b Balaji 20

V. Kohli c Badrinath b Joginder 11

R. Bishnoi c Balaji b Muralitharan 0

Vinay Kumar c Hayden b Balaji 5

D. Steyn (run out) 0

A. Kumble (not out) 1

Extras (lb-1, w-4) 5.

Total – 87 (in 15.2 overs)

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-40, 3-47, 4-49, 5-50, 6-66, 7-66, 8-74, 9-78.

Chennai Super Kings Bowling:

Gony 3-0-24-1

Balaji 2.2-0-18-2

A. Morkel 2-0-12-1

Flintoff 3-0-11-1

Muralitharan 4-1-11-3

Joginder 1-0-10-1.

20/04/2009

IPL TV Ban- Alipore inmates on hunger strike

500 inmates at the Alipore Central Jail in Kolkata are on strike after they were not allowed to watch Indian Premier League cricket matches.

Read the full story here.

Chennai Super Kings Vs Royal Challengers – Port Elizabeth

CSK must field the right combination

The Bangalore and Chennai teams head for Port Elizabeth. This match is crucial for both teams. For CSK (Chennai Super Kings) it is vital to win as two consecutive defeats will leave them trailing on the points table and as for the RC, they will have to feed on the surprising win against RR and build momentum.

The South African pitches (going by the ones we saw at Cape Town) are sporting. This means teams need to be multi-dimensional and are always in with a chance of swaying the match their way and hence the team composition is important.

The Chennai Super Kings failed to get the right combination for their first match against Mumbai Indians. In addition, they have to change the batting order. Badrinath should move up the order to provide more dynamism. He can destabilize the opposition with his quick singles, deft nudges and his calculated big hitting will complement Hayden & Flintoff’s powerhouse batting.

The CSK bowlers did a competent job against MI. However, Murali should play instead of Tushara and as he is lethal when playing under the lights. He is also capable of bowling with control when using a greasy ball.

In the last 4 matches (let us ignore the Delhi - Mohali match) the 7.5 minutes strategic break has altered the flow of the game. CSK have to prevent the match from slipping out of their hands as it did after the strategic break last time.

Despite the threat of rains (if any) Chennai Super Kings should bat first as Royal Challengers Bangalore are fragile lot. There is only one batsmen who is doughty, that is Dravid, but he appears overwrought by the negative vibes emanating from his team owner.

In short, Chennai Super Kings have an excellent opportunity to beat RC if they get their team composition right and bat first if they win the toss.

Don’t you think the right combination will do the trick?

19/04/2009

Chennai Super Kings - Drastic steps needed

If Chennai Super Kings is to reverse their fortunes, they have to replace Parthiv Patel with Suresh Raina or Badrinath.

He, Parthiv Patel, has done nothing of note and when Dhoni is in the squad there is no need for his wicket keeping skills.

Which brings me to the question, is Dhoni carrying an injury? If he is fit then he should kept wickets in the first match.

Similarly, CSK's batsmen and bowlers have to ramp up. Their performance in the opening match can be excused as rustiness, but this match that too against a keyed up opponent like Royal Challengers Bangalore they have to give more than a competent performance.

I would also select Muralitharan in the place of Tushara. He should be able to stem the flow of runs.

What do you guys think?

Chennai Super Kings trim squad

Chennai Super Kings sends back Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, Srikkanth Anirudha, Suresh Kumar, Abhinav Mukund and Napoleon Einstein from their 28-man squad.

By axing batsmen Vidyut and Anirudha, it appears CSK is keen to have bowlers on their bench, a view expressed by Chandrasekhar the team manger.

However, if you look at the performances in the first game, then CSK needs bolster its batting.

What do you think, have they done the right thing?

Artballing by Michael Vaughan

There are many who believe Michael Vaughan's stroke play is pure artistry. Among them Michael Vaughan himself appears to believe so.

Undoubtedly, he has his retirement plans in place.

ICL appeal rejected

As expected, ICC rejected ICL's appeal for recognition on the ground that it did not meet its criteria for approval.

The already beleaguered owners of ICL, who are rumoured to be feeling the heat of global recession, may take this as an opportunity to close shop and cut their losses.

However, if they do so, the fate of the Indian players in particular, is sealed. For in its wisdom, the ICC has left the fate of the players to the individual boards. In essence it is an open invitation for churlish cricket boards like the BCCI to make an example of these players by ignoring them through out their career.

The ICC should have at least directed the cricket boards to consider those who aligned themselves with ICL sympathetically.

USA Cricket Association & New Zealand Cricket move closer

A proposed partnership between the USA Cricket Association (USACA) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) that "covers activities ranging from the sharing of coaching and development resources through to the staging of international cricket fixtures involving the New Zealand BLACKCAPS in the United States, as well as other joint commercial ventures," was announced today.

To start the partnership NZC is offering USACA immediate assistance to prepare its national Under-19 team ahead of the ICC Under-19 World Cup in January 2010.

USA Cricket Association & New Zealand Cricket move closer

To start the partnership NZC is offering USACA immediate assistance to prepare its national Under-19 team ahead of the ICC Under-19 World Cup in January 2010.

So Mr. Mallya, what's your opinion about these test players now?

My friend Trideep, has grown up idolizing Sachin, Dravid, Kumble and gang. If I am not mistaken he has been more hurt by the calls for their retirement than the players themselves.

So it is unsurprising that he hits back at their detractors when he has the chance. Yesterday's game between RCB and RC where Dravid and Kumble put in an outstanding performance provides him with one another opportunity.

Unhesitatingly he targets their chief tormentor and asks "So Mr. Mallya, what's your opinion about these test players now?"

I join him in asking,Well, Mr. Mallya, what is your answer?

18/04/2009

Chennai Super Kings lose their first match

Image via Wikipedia

I expected this match to reveal where exactly the team CSK stood.However, their performance left me none the wiser.

Actually there was nothing in their performance that indicated a lag.Everything the team did was just enough. The bowlers did just enough and the batsmen followed suit. Yet,the team fell short by 19 runs leaving me wondering why they lost.

This ambivalence is also due to the fact that their opponents Mumbai Indians did not do anything special as they too put in a competent performance.

As a Chennai Super Kings fan I do not want to say this, but I am forced to say that the CSK look as if they are a bundle of cricketers who are yet to gel together. They look disjointed and lacked cohesion.

Let us hope the time together before their second outing will effect a positive change.

IPL lung-opener: Winning the toss will present a dilemma

Image via Wikipedia

If you are to go by the curator Avin Flint's assessment, the toss will be crucial. He has hinted that the pitch would be bereft of grass and playing under the lights will be a disadvantage.

Adding weight to his words is the fact that most of the pitches in South Africa are yet to recover from the pounding they received during the just concluded domestic cricket season. A tired pitch is sure to be low and slow during the second innings.

Then there is also the dubious dew factor. Sweaty fingers and greasy outfield is sure to make the life of the team bowling second miserable.

If they win the toss it presents Dhoni's CSK with a dilemma. Do they bat first in order to take advantage of the fresh pitch or bowl first to avoid an unresponsive one.

Or do they bowl first to take advantage of a lively pitch or bat second to avoid one.

It is that time of the year

Image by DΕΠΠΙS via Flickr

Regular readers may remember that this blog supported Chennai Super Kings during the last season. In fact a few complained that I was promoting CSK to the exclusion of other serious issues in cricket.

Well folks, it is that time of the year again and from now on at least till the end of Chennai Super Kings campaign this blog will become a CSK fan.

However, that does not mean I will ignore the weighty utterances of my friend Niranjan Shah.

Cricket News Online Live.com

Test cricket is the least popular format

An MCC survey has revealed that Test cricket format is the least popular.

MCC commissioned research in October 2009 into the reasons why attendances at Test cricket were declining in parts of the world.

Test attendances in Australia and England remain strong and so the initial research centred on cricket fans in three countries: India, New Zealand and South Africa.

The survey of 1,500 cricket fans in India, New Zealand and South Africa shows:

Strong support for a World Test Championship
Strong support for day/night Test cricket
T20 cricket has helped to diminish the following of Test cricket
ODI cricket is the most popular format in South Africa and New Zealand
Test cricket is comfortably the least popular format in all three countries
Slow over rates, drawn games and bland pitches are not major reasons why fans are not attending Test matches
Ticket prices are a major reason for non-attendance, particularly when games can be watched on television

Read more detailed analysis of each section of the research:

17/04/2009

Ganguly has to swallow his pride

Some clarity emerges on the dethroning of Ganguly. Buchanan wins round one against Ganguly: Cricket Next . However, if Buchanan is considering Laxmi Ratan Shukla as Captain, Ganguly will have to swallow his pride.

Ganguly will remain as Kolkata's icon player but will not be their captain, or only captain.

The captaincy will go first to Brendon McCullum, then to Chris Gayle for a couple of games and may be even to Ganguly for a bit and even perhaps to the little known all-rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla.

Ganguly sacked?

In one way the speculation on the multi-captain proposal has been put to rest.
However, if one goes by this PTI report McCullum replaces Ganguly as KKR captain it appears Ganguly has been sacked as Captain.

After weeks of speculation, Sourav Ganguly has been replaced by New Zealand's Brendon McCullum as captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders team for the second Indian Premier League starting here tomorrow.
KKR's captaincy was a topic of much speculation after its Australian coach-cum-director John Buchanan came up with the idea of having multiple captains.

16/04/2009

Do you think you can build the best team with 2 million dollars?

Then CricketFantasies.com is the place for you.

CricketFantasies.com has created a riveting online fantasy cricket game that has been grabbing attention at a brisk pace.

As you all know, Fantasy cricket is about creating a virtual team with your favorite cricket players and competing against other similar teams, created by your friends or other fans on the website. The teams (a.k.a fantasy teams) earn points based on the performance of their cricket players in actual cricket games. The objective is to make a team that earns most points, by the end of the IPL season. With exciting prizes like Nintendo Wii and X-box to be given away to the winners, the fans are competing with that extra bit of fervor.

CricketFantasies.com is the first fantasy gaming site that allows its users to buy cricket players in an auction. The users are given 2 million dollars upon joining using which they bid for cricket players and build their teams until the actual cricket tournament starts. Once that happens they play one-on-one fantasy cricket matches with each others‘teams. When actual cricket games are in progress, the users can even trade their cricket players with each other in a fantasy stock market. Both one-on-one fantasy matches and fantasy trading market is the first of its kind innovation from CricketFantasies.com.

So, what are you waiting for? Go register now at htttp://www.cricketfantasies.com and start playing fantasy cricket !

Cricket News Online Live.com

NCA goes online

I have no issues with the NCA for launching their website with a simple function. It is the simple nature of the website that bothers me. Let us hope they go beyond mere reporting of NCA events and have more informative content soon.

The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : NCA’s website launched

After its initial formative steps in 2000, the National Cricket Academy made another leap forward as its website — www.nationalcricketacademy.in — was launched at a simple function here on Wednesday afternoon.

History of Sports & Sports entities

The Associated Press: Online rights headline Australian Senate inquiry

Sports leagues and the news organizations that cover them offered differing opinions Wednesday about their rights to publish online at an Australian Senate inquiry into how technology is changing sports coverage.

I have already made my stance clear on embargo between the news agencies and sports event organisers. My objection has nothing to do with the organsiers stance but it has everything to do with news agencies stance on copyright.

Leaving that side, in the same AP report, David Tomlin, The Associated Press' associate general counsel, put forward an interesting point.

He believes:

"Sports entities will be able in the long run to take over the reporting of the history of their sports and no one can be entrusted to tell their entire history by themselves," Tomlin said via telephone
link from the United States. "Their right to tell their story is the same as ours (the media) and all of us ought to have access equally."

Well, I for one, object to a uni-dimensional history of events, however his assertion that everyone have equal access to events rings hollow as these very same news agencies claim their reports of what are essentially public events, are subject to copyright laws.

What is your take?

15/04/2009

It is Flower/Cricket/Coach/England

As expected Andy Flower has been appointed as the new England cricket coach for a job which I believe had no other takers.

Andy Flower the 40-year-old former Zimbabwe and Essex batsman was unveiled as the man to lead England's bid to win The Ashes at a press conference at Lord's.

He was the overwhelming favourite to be given the job after stepping in as caretaker when Peter Moores was sacked in January.

As with anything to do with English cricket the focus is again on The Ashes tour. Now the question is will he survive beyond that.

ECB on Twitter, Facebook & YouTube

Will it work?

England teams up with Twitter, Facebook and YouTube ahead of Ashes summer | Sport | The Guardian

The ECB has launched official Twitter, Facebook and YouTube channels in an effort to promote the game beyond its normal fanbase. Twelfth Man, a "fan community", will act as a focal point for fixtures, ticket information and debate. A "Twelfth Man van" will tour grounds to record footage of fans to be broadcast online and on big screens. Pete Ackerley, head of development at the ECB, said the sport had learned the lessons of the summer of 2005, when the exploits of Andrew Flintoff, Kevin Pietersen and Michael Vaughan in regaining the Ashes helped the sport achieve a huge boost in popularity before there was a structure in place to fully exploit it.

France challenges England /Cricket/Olympics/

England faces century-old Olympic cricket challenge from former enemy France - Telegraph

The fixture could reopen the debate about the origins of the sport, which recent research suggests may have originated in continental Europe rather than Hampshire as generally believed.

The first, and only, Olympic medals for cricket were won at the Paris Games of 1900 when England beat France by 158 runs in a two-day final in the Vincennes velodrome. Cricket is no longer an Olympic sport.

Now the French national cricket association, France Cricket, has challenged England to a return game in Lille just before the London Olympics in 2012, according to the Independent newspaper.

14/04/2009

Another controversy dies/ SRK/Gavaskar/KKR/Multi-Captain

Image via Wikipedia

As expected,when it comes Indian cricket even the Khan of Bollywood has to accept defeat.

According to reports SRK will be addressing a press conference at approximately 10 PM IST.

Earlier SRK had said in a TV interview that he had also addressed an apology letter to Gavaskar if he felt offended by anything SRK said. In the interview, he reiterated that he had the greatest respect for Gavaskar and that if the latter asked him to walk on his head and run the team...

So no more excitement from the SRK- Gavaskar spat.

IPL – Will it be a success? / Cricket/ Twenty20/ South Africa

Image by Archie McPhee Seattle via Flickr

According to this report, IPL is once again using a clever mixture of the glitz of Bollywood with a promise of a spectacle to attract the South African’s.

In fact, they have planned to organize a The Miss Bollywood South Africa beauty pageant. The winner not only gets to visit a Bollywood set but also an opportunity to work with Shah Rukh Khan in his next movie.

The advertisement agencies have already kick- started campaigns using both traditional and digital media to position IPL as epitome of entertainment, Bollywood stars and modern India.

Even without the advertisement, the chance to see the Indian film stars, cricketers and some cricket is sure to attract the Indian expatriates.

However, will the high voltage advertisement campaign attract the native South African’s?

13/04/2009

American Premier League- A cricket revolution in America?

It appears that American Sports and Entertainment;Group (ASEG) is capitalising on the huge interest evoked by IPL in the US by planning to run a tournament called APL (American Premier League).

The inaugural series of the APL ,which will take place twice a year, will be played out in New York from October 6 to 26 and the next one in April 2010 in Fort Lauderdale,Florida.

Though it is purportedly modeled on IPL, it has also taken a leaf out of ICL and given national names to its teams. For instance, there is a Premium World Team, Premium India, Premium Bangladesh, Premium Pakistan,Premium Windies and a home team called Premium America.

There are news reports that Nicky Boje, Andrew Hall and Lance Klusener have been offered lucrative contracts to play for the Premium World team.

12/04/2009

Yuvraj wants to do it on the ground

Image by austinhk via Flickr

When asked to single out a favorite to win the DLF-IPL Season2, Yuvraj refused and instead insisted
"let us do it on the ground instead of talking".

We agree- henceforth let us all do it on the ground.

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