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

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.

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?

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.

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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:

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

Close encounters of the terminal kind

Image via Wikipedia

After spending a decade and more in denial, our man naked, comes clean.

Afghans 3 wins away

Image by Undeleterious via Flickr

Another three wins will give Afghanistan a realistic chance of a top-four finish on the eight-nation standings and a place at the ODI World Cup.

Will they last the distance?

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Bollywood is passe

Image via Wikipedia

Our special correspondent who is covering the IPL, reports that it is time for Bollywood to move over.

Read his exclusive report Move over Bollywood, its time for Hollywood at the IPL!

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DLF-IPL II schedule

The schedule:

April 18: Opening ceremony followed by Rajasthan Royals v Royal Challengers and Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings (Newlands, Cape Town).

April 19: Kolkata Knight Riders v Deccan Chargers (Newlands, Cape Town); Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab (Newlands, Cape Town).

April 20: Royal Challengers v Chennai Super Kings (St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth)

April 21: Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians (Kingsmead, Durban); Kolkata Knight Riders v Kings XI Punjab (Kingsmead, Durban).

April 22: Delhi Daredevils v Chennai Super Kings (Kingsmead, Durban); Royal Challengers v Deccan Chargers (Newlands, Cape Town).

April 23: Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals (St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth).

April 24: Kings XI Punjab v Royal Challengers (Wanderers, Johannesburg).

April 25: Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings (Newlands, Cape Town); Deccan Chargers v Mumbai Indians (Kingsmead, Durban).

April 26: Rajasthan Royals v Kings XI Punjab (Newlands, Cape Town); Royal Challengers v Delhi Daredevils (St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth).

April 27: Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians (Newlands, Cape Town); Chennai Super Kings v Deccan Chargers (Kingsmead, Durban).

April 28: Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals (Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria).

April 29: Mumbai Indians v Kings XI Punjab (Kingsmead, Durban); Kolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers (Kingsmead, Durban).

April 30: Delhi Daredevils v Deccan Chargers (Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria); Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings (Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria);

May 1: Royal Challengers v Kings XI Punjab (Buffalo Park, East London); Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders (Kingsmead, Durban).

May 2: Rajasthan Royals v Deccan Chargers (Wanderers, Johannesburg); Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils (St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth).

May 3: Mumbai Indians v Royal Challengers (Kingsmead, Durban); Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders (Buffalo Park, East London).

May 4: Deccan Chargers v Chennai Super Kings (St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth).

May 5: Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders (Kingsmead, Durban); Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals (Kingsmead, Durban).

May 6: Mumbai Indians v Deccan Chargers (Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria).

May 7: Kings XI Punjab v Chennai Super Kings (Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria); Royal Challengers v Rajasthan Royals (Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria).

May 8: Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians (Buffalo Park, East London).

May 9: Deccan Chargers v Kings XI Punjab (Outsurance Park, Bloemfontein); Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals (St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth).

May 10: Kolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Daredevils (Buffalo Park, East London); Royal Challengers v Mumbai Indians (Wanderers, Johannesburg).

May 11: Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan Royals (Outsurance Park, Bloemfontein).

May 12: Royal Challengers vs Kolkata Knight Riders (Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria); Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians (Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria).

May 13: Deccan Chargers v Delhi Daredevils (Kingsmead, Durban).

May 14: Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals (Kingsmead, Durban); Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers (Kingsmead, Durban).

May 15: Kings XI Punjab v Delhi Daredevils (De Beers Diamond, Oval, Kimberley).

May 16: Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians (Wanderers, Johannesburg); Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders (St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth).

May 17: Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Daredevils (De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley); Kings XI Punjab v Deccan Chargers (Wanderers, Johannesburg).

May 18: Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders (Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria).

May 19: Delhi Daredevils v Royal Challengers (Wanderers, Johannesburg).

May 20: Chennai Super Kings v Kings XI Punjab (Kingsmead, Durban); Rajasthan Royals v Kolkata Knight Riders (Kingsmead, Durban).

May 21: Deccan Chargers v Royal Challengers (Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria); Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils (Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria).

May 22: Semifinal 1 at Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria.

May 23: Semifinal 2 at Wanderers, Johannesburg.

May 24: Closing ceremony followed by final (Wanderers, Johannesburg).

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Pakistan to spin

In line with their assessment that the Australian batsmen struggle against spin, Pakistan is preparing to unleash all three, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal and Shoaib Malek at them.

Not only that, if what Tony Hemming, the curator at the Dubai Cricket Stadium, told Gulf News is true Pakistan as the host nations will decide on the nature of the pitch.

Undoubtedly, they will opt for a wicket that will spin and try to weave a web of spin around the Aussies.



Do you believe the Aussies are pushovers against spin?


Cricket News Online Live.com

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A good enough excuse

Image by infamecless via Flickr

As they say, a bad workman blames his tools.

The turbulent atmosphere in the England dressing room was partly to blame for Monty Panesar's downturn in form over the winter, according to spinner's county coach David Capel.
Panesar's perceived decline – he struggled in the two-Test series in India and was then dropped after the first Test in Jamaica – coincided with the feud between the former captain Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores.

Yuvi speaks

If you had any doubts on IPL's success then this should dispel your fears.

It’s going to be bigger than last year for sure. The Indian fan base in South Africa is huge and we are expecting them to turn up and support their city teams. I am sure that the Punjabi community settled in South Africa will support us. Similarly, those originally from Mumbai would certainly come for Mumbai’s matches.

In an otherwise ringing endorsement of the IPL and his faith on the India diaspora, the fact that he ignored the potential of South Indians settled in SA is the lone sore point.

Benched players boil

Our close to the ground correspondent covering the New Zealand tour has unearthed a complaint:

"Factually speaking, it’s a shameless act of hijacking credits on Dhoni’s part while the whole world knows it was the four of us, who set the actual benchmarks. All we did in New Zealand was to warm the bench till there was obvious marks on it and here you have Dhoni making outrageous claims about setting the benchmark!"

Absolutely shameless of Dhoni to ignore these 'benchmarks' and claim complete credit.

Setting new benchmarks

News Agencies to cover Indian Premier League Cricket

Brinkmanship has its rewards. After threatening the organisers of the IPL with a blackout, the News Agencies and IPL have arrived at an understanding and will cover the second edition of IPL at South Africa.

The IPL and the News Media Coalition said on Thursday they had agreed terms of coverage for the forthcoming season, and the IPL said it would extend a deadline for media to apply to cover the event by 24 hours.

However, despite the news agencies changing their stance, I am still standing by mine.

Yahoo V Cricinfo

Global internet portal Yahoo! signed a three-year deal with
International Cricket Council (ICC) recently. Yahoo! has created
www.iccevents.yahoo.com as the online destination for ICC tourneys, including
ICC Twenty20, ICC Cham-pions Trophy and ICC Cricket World Cup.

While Yahoo! is betting on exclusive content, the deal does
not stop rival online cricket-related brands such as Cricinfo from reporting on
major ICC events. Channel loyalty is very high for a digital content consumer
and hence Cricinfo has remained the favoured digital channel for the online
cricket consumer in India,”said Ramesh Kumar, commercial director, Cricinfo India. Sports broadcaster
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) owns Cricinfo.

Vaughan recalled

He has done nothing of note,
He is injury prone.
Then why is he recalled?
It is called clutching at straws.

The die has been cast for another doomed Ashes campaign.


Ashes hopes on a slippery slope

ICL- PCB as expected backtracks

The PCB pulls banned trio from Twenty20 Cup squad and comes up with the most original excuse for doing so.

"The factual position is that we have dropped these players as we are still waiting for a clear ruling from the International Cricket Council on the ICL players

As ICC's official stance on ICL was always unclear (their unofficual stance was to ignore the ICL per se.) this blogger is forced to ask why PCB chose these ICL players in the first instance?

[Backtracks]

Rubbish

Daniel Vettori had this to say after the 1-0 loss to India.

India obviously outplayed us in all departments, they obviously dominated the game. You can throw in Australia, South Africa and India, and they are the three best teams in the world. It's hard to distinguish between the three...

For the life of me I cannot accept that Australia and South Africa would have ever drawn a match from the position India was in at the end of the 3 rd day of the final test match of the series. Hence India is no where in comparison and its abject desire to draw is a shame for a team aspiring to the top spot.

The only reason Vettori compared India to the other two was to deflect criticism about New Zealand's poor showing.

India completes a series win

As forecast rain had the final say on the 5 th day of 3rd Test between India and New Zealand. Zaheer Khan bowled just one delivery with the second new ball when rain forced the players off the field leaving the Indian cricket fans in a dilemma over whether to cheer a 1-0 win or to
be grumpy for not achieiving a 2-0 margin.

Dhoni could have sewn up this Test match too if he had declared earlier. He let the New Zealanders off the hook by some aimless batting on the 4 th day. Though one doubts whether an early declaration would have won us this match, it is the lack of enterprise that is galling. How glorious it would have been if the India had imposed itself by declaring on the 3 rd day and completed a series win?

Alternatively,one would not have entertained disappointment if the weather had intervened earlier,but to have taken 8 wickets with just 2 more to go, one certainly feels disgruntled at the 1-0 scoreline.

News agencies to boycott IPL

We are on familiar ground here. In fact the outcry from the news agencies are all too familiar.

If my information is correct, news agencies like The Associated Press,Reuters etc., do not pay but they are granted access to events like IPL or even the inaugural speech of the American President. They in turn disseminate information and here is the catch that rankles, this news is subject to copyright and we, meaning bloggers, can be sued if we use it in turn.

This defies logic, firstly why should we pay for information that is for want of a better word 'public'? Secondly, when someone asks them to pay up why do they they threaten to boycott which in effect is a black out, thus denying us information.

To me the stance of the news agencies is incomprehensible, just because they are asked to pay up like ordinary mortals, why are they threatening a boycott?

Can some one explain?

[Rigid stance]

ICC cornered

Pakistan finally breaks ranks and includes three banned players from ICL in its preliminary 30-man squad for the World Twenty20 Championships to be held in England in June.

However, the participation of Abdul Razzaq,Rana Naved-ul Hasan and Imran Nazir will depend on ICC's approval.

Though the ICC is to discuss the ICL at their meeting in Dubai on April 16, this act by PCB is going to put the cat among the pigeons and ICC can no longer delay taking a decision on ICL.

[ICC cornered]

Longevity has its rewards

Setting a world record for the most number of catches by an outfielder is one of them.

Indian cricketer and former captain Rahul Dravid has broken the world record for the number of catches in Test matches by an outfielder.

When Dravid helped to dismiss the New Zealand batsman, Tim McIntosh, in Wellington, it was his 182nd catch in a Test career going back to 1996.

Dravid sets world record for most Test catches

Can India win?

With the lead a healthy 531 and two more days to go this may appear a rhetorical question.

However, consider that the change in daylight saving time has cost 8.3 overs of play today. This combined with a rain forecast on the final day on Tuesday makes me ask this question.

What do you think, will India wrap up the Test match?

Cricket News Online Live

India not yet in control - 3rd Test, 2 nd Day Basin Reserve India V New Zealand

Having a lead of 233 runs with 9 wickets still in hand at the end of second day, it is easy to conclude that India has the upper hand.

However, India is far from sewing up the match.

With 3 days left,India is in the unenviable situation of not only playing out time but also scoring enough runs to pressurize the New Zealand batsmen.

The danger is in misjudging how much time is required to bowl out the hosts which also translates into determining how much runs is enough.

The timing and the runs gain crucial importance, because the pitch is brown and true and as the match progresses it is bound to tame down.

Similarly, as witnessed in the last test, the New Zealand batsmen are no pushovers. What if they click like they did in the last Test?

So, it may appear India is in control, but a poor show can leave them scurrying to save the match.

Cricket News Online Live crash landing

Is it important to play ‘fair’?

In an article on his Lewis Hamilton moment, Michael Atherton, former captain of the English cricket team and the current Chief Cricket Correspondent of The Times brings forth a interesting but unoriginal thought.

There is a deeply moral thread running through our attitudes to our sportsmen. It is not enough to win or to try to win, everything must be seen to be completely above board as well, even though everybody who has played sport knows that rules, laws or conventions are pushed to the limit and often beyond. This morality is a hangover from the days of empire, when sport was seen as essential to the building of moral character, which was, in turn, seen as essential to empire-building. The biggest crime of all is not losing but not playing fair.

Leaving aside the fact that sportsmen or in our case cricketers are human, I wonder why cricket more than any other sport imposes such a high premium on playing fair.

As cricket has long ceased to be a ‘gentlemen’s game’ and not to put a fine point to it, there is hardly any ‘gentleman’ in the true sense of the word currently playing international cricket why do we still worry of ‘fair play’?

Any thoughts?

Image courtesy loupiote

Saurav Ganguly on the offensive

I admire Saurav Ganguly’s combativeness, in fact this is a quality that sets him apart from the other Indian cricketers.

Having been caught unaware by John Buchanan’s ‘multi-captain’ special, Ganguly as is his wont has hit back obliquely by taking up cudgels on behalf of Indian coaches.

In fact he reckons that Indian coaches have the credentials to do a good job and foresees a bigger contribution from them in future editions of the IPL.

Cynics may wonder why it took so long for Ganguly to realise their worth, however keen observers of the Indian cricket scene will know that it is because of the inability of the Indian coach’s to think beyond their survival and hence weak when it comes to imposing coaching regimens has made their capabilities suspect.

Leaving his new fond love for Indian coach’s aside, it will be interesting to observe how Ganguly is going to take his campaign forward. He will be surely joined by many former Indian cricketers who aspire to coach India. Obviously the rabble-rouser Gavaskar, will take up this issue and make a mockery of it by saying something controversial.

Image by Sarutobi Sasuke

Get live cricket scores and news on your mobile

Moblica offers online service providers, media companies and content owners a fast track into the world of mobile Internet. By enabling an easy and rapid deployment of any online service as a full-featured mobile application, they extend their partners' reach to every Internet-enabled mobile device.

Moblica brings superior, designed-for-mobile user experience, giving end-users intuitive access to the richness of their favourite Internet services.

They have now developed a mobile phone live scores and news service for Cricinfo targeted at everyday phones rather than high end iphones, but with a similar slick experience.

You can try it (put m.snaptu.com in your phones browser, or go to www.snaptu.com/a/cricinfo and get an sms link). BTW it's totally free.

Cricket News Online Live.com

Tamil Movie in IPL

The producer of Kanthaswamy a Tamil film starring Vikram and Shriya has decided to advertise the film on the big screen in the stadiums during the IPL.

“I want this film to be famous not just nationally, but internationally. It is for this reason that I’m planning to telecast trailers of the film on the big screen in the stadiums during the IPL series. It costs Rs 25 lakhs for 1-minute, but I’ll still go ahead and do it to give my stars international recognition,” he said.

If you take this as a sample,IPL appears to be heading for another profitable season.

IPL's opening day double-header sold out

Does it mean IPL 2 in South Africa is a hit?

It is too early to conclude so , because Cape Town has lot of Indians and as one IPL official openly admits that was the reason why IPL decided to host the first two matches there.

It is the matches at the other centres that will reveal IPL’s popularity.

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Hussey stands down

Michael Hussey is so badly out of form - averaging just 23.00 in eight Tests since the start of this season that he is giving the second edition of the DLF IPL the go by.

So worn down is Hussey in addition to the IPL, he is also believed to be considering standing down from Australia's six matches against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates as he seeks to rejuvenate both body and mind.

Will this rest do the trick?

Mike Hussey Exhausted

The Shoaib Akthar fixation

Image via Wikipedia

Pakistan cricket has to grow out its Shoaib Akthar fixation.

All eyes on fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar's fitness for Pakistan
Akhtar, 33, has played just two one-day internationals in 16 months due to disciplinary and fitness problems.

He made an unimpressive return to international cricket after 14 months in January but was dropped after taking just one wicket for 88 runs in two limited-overs games against Sri Lanka at home. He failed to complete his full quota of 10 overs in either of the games.

There is no way he is going to play a complete series and more than that PCB's daliance with him is effecting the teams performance. His selection yet again has deprivesd a deserving youngster a place in the team.

PCB, Shoaib Akthar

Kirsten to coach England?

Image via Wikipedia

content="Microsoft Word 11" name="Originator">The venerable Guardian reports:

In addition to Flower, India's coach, Gary Kirsten, who is soon to be out of contract, has emerged as a potential front-runner.

This is followed by a Cricinfo report :

Gary Kirsten has denied he is on the "very short shortlist" of candidates for the England coach's job. Kirsten has been linked to the role in the British papers but he told Cricinfo he has not been contacted by the ECB.

Even Srinivasan the Treasurer of BCCI has rubbished the English media report as speculation.

Here, In the Name of Cricket, we are keenly watching the developments because we believe, there is no smoke without a fire.

Cricket News Online Live.com

Vengsarkar on Buchanan's multiple captain idea

Vengsarkar asks a rhetorical question:

"Suppose there is one ball to go and six runs to be scored... and then four guys come to advise you. It can happen to Ganguly himself. I want Ganguly to go to Buchanan, whose idea it is, and ask what to do. This is a mockery of the game... with four captains telling the captain what to do," said Vengsarkar, at Pepsi's 'First Ball Ka Captain' initiative in Delhi  on Wednesday

Some great songs

Image by tomswift46 via Flickr

Andy Bull lists what he believes are eleven of the best songs on cricket.
Check his selection here.

Cricket News Online Live.com

KKR to have one captain and many strategists

In what appears to be a face saving device the Kolkata Knight Riders have announced  Saurav  Ganguly as Captain, albeit with a qualification.

The KKR management in a statement said that “the idea is to have a set of strategists as is always the case classically in cricket… who will form a team of 4 or 5 core experts in the field of fielding, bowling, batting and data etc. These strategists will assist the one captain on field with their viewpoints on the plan set earlier or shoot from the hip as the case maybe.”

A team official on conditions of anonymity further added that “the intent of today's meeting was to keep the team's plan where it was. And that is that the decision-making process is a shared one. As far as Sourav is concerned, he is a senior who was the captain last year and we want to make sure that he stays in a respectable position.

It is obvious from the anonymous team official’s statement that KKR is going ahead with Buchanan’s theory of ‘multiple captains’ and the formal announcement regarding the captaincy is to assuage Ganguly’s ego.

If the KKR performs well, it will be interesting to observe how the management is going to persuade Ganguly to continue with this compromise because you can be sure that Ganguly will do everything to keep himself in the limelight.This in turn will raise Dada’s fans emotions to fever pitch.

All in all Shah Rukh Khan is going to have a massive headache if the next edition of the IPL is played in India .

Photo courtesy jacobs53