IPL 2010 Pakistan Players to Join IPL Teams

Abdul Razzaq the first player to join the IPL in 2010 for Deccan Chargers, Hope more Pakistan players will join the IPL 2010 soon. Pakistan responded positively to indications that there might be a re-think on the IPL’s snub to its cricketers, saying the blame-game between the two countries should end, not only in the field of sports, but on other issues as well.

Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the statement of Indian authorities on the issue was “welcome”.

“I welcome this statement of the Indian authorities that they would consider it (including Pakistani players in the IPL).

“I believe not only in the field of games but all our issues should be resolved as we are neighbouring countries, and the blame game should end,” he was quoted as saying by Dawn News.

Allan Donald Will be the New Bowling Coach?

Former South African pacer Allan Donald says he is interested in becoming India`s bowling coach, a post lying vacant since Venkatesh Prasad`s unceremonious sacking last year.

Donald said he will consider taking up the job if approached but dismissed reports that he has already accepted such an offer.

Donald`s name has surfaced as possible successor for Prasad, who was ousted in October last year after India`s disastrous Champions Trophy campaign.

“A guy would be stupid not to think about (becoming India`s bowling coach) – I will definitely be interested if they talk to me,” Donald said.

Brett Lee Future in Doubt?

The 33-year-old, who is currently nursing an elbow injury, said he remains optimistic about his international career but the final decision will boil down to how his elbow responds to the treatment in the next couple of months.

The injury-plagued speedster, who has played 76 Tests, said he is focusing on his recovery right now and doesn`t want to think about what might happen in the next few months. “It`s about a 16-week injury with ligament damage and there was a couple of bone spurs in there that were taken out. It`s a pretty decent operation. I`ve had 12 now and this has probably been the worst, the most painful. This is the second I`ve had on my elbow, but I`m pretty positive,” Lee said.

Sri Lanka wins 1st ODI in Tri Series

Tillakaratne Dilshan cracked a solid century to power Sri Lanka to an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in a triangular one-day series match here on Monday.

The in-form opener hit 104 for his sixth one-day hundred as Sri Lanka surpassed Bangladesh’s 260-7 with more than five overs to spare in the day-night match.

Bangladesh were earlier well-served by Mohammad Ashraful, who made an impressive 75 to help his side post a competitive total.

Sri Lanka will now clash with India on Tuesday. Each side will play four league matches before the top two make it to the final on January 13.

Dilshan, who had smashed two centuries in India in a five-match series just before this tournament, put his side on course for an easy victory with a 148-run stand for the second wicket with skipper Kumar Sangakkara.

India missing a Bowling Coach – MS Dhoni

Indian captain MS Dhoni has admitted that the absence of a specialist bowling coach is hurting the team’s performance. Dhoni said it was “tough” for the bowlers and especially head coach Gary Kirsten to perform at optimum levels, and that ideally he would like the vacancy to be filled soon.

“To some extent it does hurt not having a bowling coach. If you have a specialist coach he is always interacting with the bowlers and trying to get the best out of them,” Dhoni said on the eve of the Indian team’s departure to Bangladesh.

Though India ended 2009 at the top of the ICC’s Test rankings, they have struggled to make a consistent progress in ODIs. After the early exit at the ICC World Twenty20, they were knocked out of the Champions Trophy in South Africa even before the tournament reached the second week.

In a desperate move, the Indian board sacked Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh, the bowling and fielding coaches respectively. No explanation was given with the assumption being both coaches had been under the scanner after the World Twenty20 debacle.

ICC Rankings – Swann Finishes 2009 in 3rd in the Bowlers

Swann finishes 2009 in third position in the bowlers` category after his man-of-the-match performance in the second Test against South Africa in Durban.

The 30-year-old took match haul of nine wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings and, that pushed him up by eight places, moving ahead of spin rivals Harbhajan Singh and Muttiah Muralitharan.

Swann`s form with the bat- he scored 85 in the first innings of the Centurion Test – has taken him to fourth position behind Australia`s Mitchell Johnson in the all-rounder`s list.

Stuart Broad has gained six places to seventh in the bowling rankings.

The picture is not as rosy for most of South Africa`s bowlers. Veteran pacer Makhaya Ntini has slipped four places to eighth position after failing to take a wicket in the match while left-arm slow bowler Paul Harris has dropped five places, out of the top 10, to 12th spot.

Dale Steyn has managed to cling on to number-one spot although he is now under significant pressure from Johnson, who is in top form in his side`s current series against Pakistan.

To Create World Record Pakistan Requires 252

Pakistan reached 170 for three at stumps on day four of the first Test against Australia in Melbourne. Captain Mohammad Yousuf (45) and Umar Akmal (27) were at the crease. Paksitan requires 252 runs with 7 wickets in hand.

The two batsmen hold the key for Pakistan if it wants to challenge the Kangaroos, but it would require a mammoth effort from both the batsmen to chase down the gigantic total to take a 1-0 lead in the three match series.

Needing 252 more runs on the final day Pakistan could create history by chasing down the highest total in a Test match, but given the recent form of the Pakistani middle-order it will surely require either Yousuf or young Akmal to rise to the occasion.

Pakistan started awfully in the second innings with the left-arm quick duo of Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson removing the both openers with great in-swinging deliveries. But it was off-spinner Nathan Hauritz who dealt the visitors a bigger blow by removing Faisal Iqbal for 48 with an hour to play. In the Morning, Shane Watson achieved his long standing dream of hitting a Ton.

BCCI Dissolves Pitch Committee

Stung by the humiliation caused by the cancellation of India-Sri Lanka ODI due to ‘dangerous’ pitch condition, the BCCI disbanded its ground and pitches committee with immediate effect. The fifth and final ODI between India and Sri Lanka at Delhi`s Feroz Shah Kotla was abandoned after 23.3 overs.

Former captains swiftly reacted with shock and dismay at the dangerous pitch prepared by the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA), while former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar even saying that Delhi should be blacklisted as an international venue for some time.

Meanwhile, match-referee Allen Hurst sent a detailed report to the ICC abouth the Kotla misdemeanor. This is not the first time that the BCCI finds itself red-faced over the state of pitches in the country. The world’s richest board found itself in a dock after a Test match in Kanpur between India and Sri Lanka ended inside 3 days. The South Africans had then complained to the ICC about the unprepared pitch prepared by the hosts.

The Top Ten Cricketers of the Decade

Cricket South Africa’s decision to zero in on Graeme Smith as captain in March, 2003, when he had just turned 22, has proved to be the most inspired choice ever made. At that time, the selection looked an odd fit. Smith was unworldly, but grew up quickly.

According to the Courier Mail, Smith developed so quickly that he was asked to lead a World XI in a Test against Australia just two years after being made South African captain. At the age of 12 he had put a note on the family fridge predicting he would one day captain South Africa.

Smith deserves to be remembered as the player of the decade, not so much for his excellent batting but for having the poise to grow from a boy to a man under the unique pressures of leading the Rainbow Nation.
1. Graeme Smith:
Tests 78, Runs 6354, Average 49.64, 100s 18,
2. Adam Gilchrist:
Tests 91, Runs 5130, Average 46.63, 100s 15, Dismissals 397,
3. Muttiah Muralidaran:

India Vs Sri Lanka 5th ODI Abandoned

Match Abandoned

In the unlikely event that a new pitch is used, the game will restart. Toss and what not. Besides, the pitch needs to be rolled, TV cameras need to be adjusted, so we’re in for a long delay if they choose to go ahead with that option…

The match referee along with some of the DDCA officials are out there into the centre, looking at the possibility of playing on another surface. Frankly, the other surface looks worse!

The last time an ODI was abandoned due to a bad pitch in India was on Christmas day, 1997 at Indore. Who were the two teams playing? India and Sri Lanka…

Everyone’s walking off now…looks like its being called off. Its Official
Sri Lanka Batting – 83/5 – 23 Overs