Sports News And Tidbits

[Sanguine Sridhar]

Joshna wins Super Satellite crown

http://www.rediff.com/sports/2008/no...lite-crown.htm

[steveaustin]

Warne doubts Dada’s leadership qualities

Melbourne, Dec. 1: Shane Warne has good things to say for almost all the top-100 cricketers of his choice in his book but could not camouflage his dislike for former India captain Sourav Ganguly in whom he found neither the hallmarks of a great batsman nor an extraordinary leader. “Sourav Ganguly might not be my cup of tea as a bloke, but what he did for Indian cricket has to be respected,” he said justifying the Indian’s inclusion in his book Shane Warne’s Century.

“He is a feisty sort of character, not short of self-confidence or unaware of his standing in Indian life. He is regarded over there, especially around his teeming home city of Calcutta, as one of the greatest ever Indian captains. They won more games under him than anybody else, so I guess the statistics back that up. Personally, I am not so sure. I think he had some outstanding players and solid characters in the team. Do you need to be a great leader to win games with Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble in the ranks. Tactically, he was not among the best leaders I came up against, and his management skills left a bit to be desired.”

Warne felt Ganguly was not outstanding as a batsman and said even minnows Bangladesh tried to encash on his vulnerability to short-pitched bowling. “I think that every bowling attack in the world, even Bangladesh, has tried to get him with the short ball or has placed a couple of gullies for those left-handed slashes that he likes,” he said adding, “Maybe his strength is in one-day cricket, where there are strict rules on the use of bouncers... He can also play some glorious looking drives with perfect timing, like most of the Indian batsmen. But he did have the knack of rubbing up opponents the wrong way without seeming to try very hard.”

Source: Deccan Chronicle

Last week he said that he never feared Sachin. Now he is turning to Ganguly.

Shame Shame Warne.

[HonestRaj]

Dhoni's security to be upgraded


http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2008/d...y-upgraded.htm

[Sourav]

Dhoni thread-la post panna DH remba santhosha paduvaaru...

[HonestRaj]

Pakistan is the only one of cricket's nine test-playing nations which will end 2008 without playing a test match.

It was scheduled to play three home-tests in March before Australia canceled its tour due to security reservations. September's Champions Trophy limited-overs tournament was also postponed until next year after four leading teams — South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and England — expressed concerns over security.


http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/...stan-India.php

[HonestRaj]

Q. Following on from last week's question about the late Paul Hibbert, is Adam Parore's 96 against India in 1994 the highest individual score in a one-day international without a boundary? asked Sayontan Sinha from the United States

A. That's a nice, simple one: yes, Adam Parore's 96 for New Zealand against India in Baroda (now Vadodara) in 1994-95 is indeed the highest known ODI score not to include a boundary (there are some early matches for which we don't have full details, but it is highly unlikely that there has been a higher boundary-less score). Parore faced 138 balls during his innings, and put on 181 with his captain, Ken Rutherford, whose 108 included 13 fours.

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/maga...ry/382335.html

Sachin scored century in this match for India's win.

scorecard:

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/indi...tch/65999.html

[ajaybaskar]

Sri Lanka's interim board dissolved, Ranatunga sacked
Sa'adi Thawfeeq

December 23, 2008


Controversies during Ranatunga's tenure

April: Media manager Samantha Algama is sacked and replaced by former SSC cricketer Shane Fernando.
- A five-match ODI series against Pakistan is arranged which clashes with the inaugural IPL.
- Criticises IPL by comparing Twenty20 cricket to 'instant noodles'.
July-August - Antagonises Indian board by inviting banned Sri Lankan ICL players to the podium for award ceremony during Sri Lanka-India Test and ODI series.
- Hashan Tillakaratne, who was appointed by Ranatunga as manager of the national team, is replaced two days into the job by the sports minister.
September Signs MoU with ECB to send Sri Lanka team to England in April-May 2009. The tour clashes directly with second IPL tournament. Series fails to materialise after sports minister intervenes on IPL-contracted players' request.
- Indian board says it will provide cash-strapped SLC US$70m over a 10-year period but is concerned at 'totally unjustified' hostility of Sri Lankan management. At an IPL meeting in Bangkok, Indian delegation reportedly says there will be no deal as long as Ranatunga is chairman.
October: Interim Committee fails to take decision on Badureliya CC relegation/promotion incident. Issue drags on for five weeks before it is finally resolved by the Sports Council.
December: Sixteen SLC employees who are dismissed by Ranatunga appeal to the President and sports minister, who overrules the sackings as the decision was taken without consulting him.
- Sports minister dissolves Interim Committee.

Sri Lanka's sports minister Gamini Lokuge has dissolved the interim administration of Sri Lanka Cricket, headed by Arjuna Ranatunga, saying the situation at SLC demanded an immediate change.

The sports secretary, S Liyanagama, will oversee the SLC administration until a decision is taken - within the next week, Lokuge said - on whether to call for elections or to appoint another interim administration.

"Arjuna Ranatunga has not been cooperating with the company or the players," Lokuge was quoted as saying by PTI. "We tried to sort it out but could not and he has been removed."

The immediate issue was the sacking of 16 SLC employees by Ranatunga last week. At the time, SLC officials explained the decision by saying those sacked were holding positions no longer required by the organisation. However, the decision was apparently taken without informing the minister, directly contravening his order that he be consulted on every move.

Rantunga accepted the minister's decision and said he did not want to comment on the issue. "I only wanted to make the SLC a clean place and serve cricketers," Ranatunga told Sri Lanka's Daily News. "I did not go there to do any politics."

Ranatunga, appointed to the post in January 2008 after Jayantha Dharmadasa decided to step down, has had a controversial tenure. Perhaps his most controversial decision was negotiating a tour of England that would overlap with the second season of the IPL, to which many of the players are contracted. Ranatunga said his cash-strapped board badly needed the US$2 million which the ECB was offering as guarantee money for the tour. After a protracted tussle, the tour was eventually called off with West Indies slotted in to replace Sri Lanka.

Ranatunga has been a vocal critic of the IPL, once comparing it once to instant noodles, and antagonised the Indian board by stating that India lost the first Test to Sri Lanka in July because they played too much Twenty20 cricket. He also sought tighter control for the national board over player contracts with the IPL.

In September, the SLC broke ranks with the official cricketing establishment by deciding to allow five cricketers and an umpire who had signed up for the unauthorised ICL to play domestic cricket.

Ranatunga met Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapakse on Tuesday and it was widely speculated that he would be given a ministerial post.

[directhit]

Double-sided bat to debut

Most reverse-sweeps still come off the front of the bat - Andrew Symonds' version of the stroke being an exception - but batsmen could soon have the option of using the back of their blade . A double-sided bat will be trialled during two Australian domestic Twenty20 games this week.

David Warner, the New South Wales batsman who has just signed up for the IPL, will use the bat against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday and Victoria's Aiden Blizzard will test it against Western Australia at the MCG on Thursday. Warner had a hit with the new-style bat in the SCG nets on Sunday and he said he didn't think it would significantly change the game.

"Generally when I'm playing the reverse I'm swapping hands, and now I don't really have to so it's going to be better. It gives you a couple of extra seconds," Warner told the Age. "If people think it's going to be an advantage to batsmen, I have to disagree.

"The person who is using the timber is in control, so I just see it as another shot for other people to try as well. Everyone is trying it these days, especially in Twenty20, so why not have the back of the bat flat as well? It makes it easier, but it's not a real advantage. You've still got to play the shot."

[Sanguine Sridhar]

India to tour Sri Lanka next month

http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2009/j...n-february.htm

[Sanguine Sridhar]

What keeps Sreesanth motivated?

http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2009/j...h-motivated.ht

From setting inspirational songs as his mobile ringtone to wearing I-Never-Give-Up T-shirts, pacer S Sreesanth [Images] has come up with unique methods to keep himself motivated as he waits for a recall to the Indian cricket team.
The flamboyant pacer has declared himself fit after recovering from a back injury but with the Indian pace bowling attack doing well with Zaheer Khan [Images] and Ishant Sharma [Images] at the helm, the Kerala [Images] bowler may have to wait a while before getting a recall.

And in a bid to keep his motivation intact, Sreesanth has turned to some unconventional ways.

"The ringtones of my cell phones keep me going, especially the title song of Rocky 5 and the other by A R Rehman 'yeh jo des hai tera' from the movie Swades [Images]. Actually, this song keeps telling me 'come on Sreesanth, you have to work hard and make a comeback, keep working hard'," Sreesanth told ESPN-STAR Sports.

"My business manager got T-shirts for me from Mumbai [Images] with messages on them. The one that I have now reads 'I never give up. That is the mantra for me, I dont want to give up ever, just keep fighting," he added.

The bowler also got the backing of former Sri Lanka [Images] captain Arjuna Ranatunga, who feels bringing him back into the attack would lend variety to Indian bowling.

"Zaheer Khan is a left-armer, Ishant Sharma is a bowler who hits the deck and if Irfan Pathan [Images] is not in top form then I think the Indian think tank should contemplate having Sreesanth for the Sri Lankan tour," Ranatunga said, referring to the upcoming five-match one-day series between India and Sri Lanka.

"He has a wonderful out-swinger which can be handy with the new ball. On top of that, he bowls well with the old ball with his reverse swing and yorkers. I know he is making a comeback but if at all he has to make a comeback, it can be now," he added.

The Indian selection committee meets on Sunday to pick the squad for Sri Lanka where the team will also play a Twenty20 [Images] game.

Sreesanth has declared himself fit for selection and is raring to go.

"I am completely fit and hopefully I can make my comeback sooner than later, may be with the Sri Lankan trip itself," he said.

The 25-year-old bowler last played for India against South Africa [Images] in Kanpur but following a back injury he has been out of action.

"Thanks to the National Cricket Academy staff Dav Whatmore, Paul Chapman and Paul Close and others that I am able to make a comeback to the game. Now, let's see if I am able to take the next step," he said