I fall in love with this game more and more: Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar today said he made a conscious effort to blend Sunil Gavaskar's defence with Viv Richards' ruthlessness to evolve a batting style of his own.

Since his 1989 debut against Pakistan, Tendulkar has been lording it over the bowlers, who continue to struggle to breach his near-impregnable defence, and often find themselves at the receiving end of his aggressive hitting.

Tendulkar revealed he modelled his batting style on Gavaskar and Richards, two players he idolised.

"Sunil Gavaskar, needless to say, and Vivian Richards are the batsmen that really inspired me," said the champion batsman with more than 29,000 international runs under his belt.

"I wanted to be as solid as Sunil Gavaskar and as destructive as Vivian Richards, because that combination was always going to be lethal. I felt truly inspired by these two individuals on the field," Tendulkar told CNN-IBN channel.

Over the last two decades, Tendulkar's appetite for runs never waned and the Mumbaikar said he never ran out of motivation.

"I don't need anyone to come to me or motivate me or prepare me before a big game," Tendulkar said.

"I've always been motivated and I love this sport. I grew up loving this sport and as each day goes by, I fall in love with this game more and more.

"The desire to go out there and win matches for my nation is growing, and it continues to grow. I'm proud of the fact that I've been able to play for 20 years and I'm still motivated, and I still want to go out there and do better," he said.

Despite his iconic status, Tendulkar remains a team man and he underlined the importance of working as a unit.

"Team work for me is practicing together and also trying to get the best out of each other. That can only happen if you go out of your way to help your team-mate. You must be prepared to sacrifice for your team-mate, which will eventually end up giving a positive result for your team," he said.
source by=cricbuzz.com

Ponting to stay as Australian Skipper: CA

Calls for Ricky Ponting to relinquish his captaincy in the wake of Australia's Ashes series loss to England are "completely unfair", Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland said on Monday.

Australia's 197-run loss in the deciding fifth test at the Oval on Sunday gave England a 2-1 victory in the pulsating series, and made 34-year-old Ponting only the second captain to lose twice in England since Billy Murdoch in the 19th century.

Ponting, who averaged 48 with the bat for the series, told reporters in England on Sunday he expected to come under scrutiny on his return home, after the defeat also stripped Australia of its number one status in Test rankings.

"I think that's completely unfair," Sutherland told reporters in Melbourne, when asked about the calls in Australia for Ponting to lose the captaincy.

"Of course, we like to win and we'd prefer to win but as well we want to be proud of players who we know have given their all and I thought that Ricky held himself very well in the difficult situation of losing the Ashes," he added.

Ponting has led a side that is rebuilding since the retirements of bowlers Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne and wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist in the past two years, resulting in three series defeats in its past five test series.

Sutherland, however, said the organisation was well aware the team was rebuilding.
"I don't think Cricket Australia is under any illusions as to where this team is at," Sutherland said.

"We're definitely in a rebuilding phase after losing some of the best players to ever play cricket for Australia.

"What you get with a young and relatively inexperienced team is some ebbs and flows in performance and we saw a little bit of that in the Ashes series."

Sutherland also defended Australia's selection panel, after former players criticised selectors for failing to pick a specialist spinner for the Oval test on a sun-baked pitch that showed turn from day one.

"We've lost the game by 200 runs, it's a pretty significant defeat, and having a spinner in the side wouldn't have helped us in the first innings where we were bowled out for 160 and effectively lost the game," he said.

"I don't think that in any way we can hold the selectors accountable for us losing the Ashes. At the end of the day the players go out and do the business on the field.

"For now, we lick our wounds and we really look forward to the oppo (opportunity) in 2010/11, which promises to be another huge summer."

source by:cricketnext.in.com

Muralitharan creates another world records

Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan today surpassed Australia's Shane Warne in creating a new world record by bowling the highest number of maiden overs in Test cricket.

Muralitharan, playing in his 128th Test currently underway against the New Zealand, overtook Warne's record by bowling his 1752nd maiden over at the Galle Stadium. Warne has bowled 1751 maidens in his 145-Test career.

Muralitharan set up the record when he bowled the 79th over of the first innings during the first Test for a maiden.

It was the 27th over of Murali and the batsman on the crease against whom the deliveries were bolwed was all-rounder Jacob Oram.

Muralitharan is the highest wicket-taker in both Tests and in ODIs. He took the wicket of Gautham Gambhir in February this year in Colombo, to surpass Wasim Akram's ODI record of 502 wickets.

The 37-year-old Muralitharan became the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket when he overtook the previous record-holder Shane Warne in December 2007.

source by:cricbuzz.com

Goodwin makes landmark triple century

Former Zimbabwe batsman Murray Goodwin made the sixth highest score in the history of English county cricket as his 344 not out helped Sussex reach 742-5 against Somerset on Thursday.

Goodwin's innings lasted 351 balls and included 43 fours and six sixes before Sussex declared.

The 36-year-old's mammoth score was a new individual record for Sussex and his team's total was their highest ever, beating the previous best of 705-8 declared against Surrey in 1902.

Former West Indies batsman Brian Lara holds the record for the highest score in first class cricket with an innings of 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston in 1994.

source by:cricbuzz.com

Coventry equals Anwar's ODI record

Charles Coventry - with a highest of 74 before Sunday in One-Day Internationals - equaled Saeed Anwar's record of playing the highest individual innings in ODIs with an unbeaten 194 from 156 balls.

Had the non-striker Prosper Utseya showed some commonsense and given him the strike in the last over, Coventry would have broken the world record and could have also become the first batsman to score a double-century in ODIs.

Score Batsman Opponents Venue Date
194* CK Coventry (Zim) v Bangladesh Bulawayo 16-08-2009
194 Saeed Anwar (Pak) v India Chennai 21-05-1997
189* IVA Richards (WI) v England Old Trafford 31-05-1984
189 ST Jayasuriya (SL) v India Sharjah 29-10-2000
188* G Kirsten (SA) v U.A.E. Rawalpindi 16-02-1996
186* SR Tendulkar (Ind) v New Zealand Hyderabad (Ind) 08-11-1999
183* MS Dhoni (Ind) v Sri Lanka Jaipur 31-10-2005
183 SC Ganguly (Ind) v Sri Lanka Taunton 26-05-1999
181* ML Hayden (Aus) v New Zealand Hamilton 20-02-2007
181 IVA Richards (WI) v Sri Lanka Karachi 13-10-1987

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Sehwag will be fit for Champions Trophy: Dhoni

Virender Sehwag, recuperating from a shoulder surgery, was shaping well for the Champions Trophy, according to Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who said the dashing opener may however not be ready for the tri-series in Sri Lanka in early September.

"He is improving every day. He is putting in a lot of effort to get ready for the Champions Trophy," Dhoni said on Thursday.

On Sehwag's chances of playing in the tri-series in Sri Lanka starting on September 8, Dhoni hinted the batsman may have to sit out of the event.

"It's (tri-series) too soon, with just a few days to go," he said.

Sehwag had injured his shoulder during the semifinal of the second edition of the Indian Premier League in South Africa and he underwent a surgery for the the Grade II lesion at a Nottingham hospital in June.

Since then, Sehwag has been following a rehabilitation programmed, which makes him doubtful not only for the September 8-14 tri-series in Sri Lanka but also cast a cloud of doubt over his availability for the Champions Trophy in South Africa starting on September 22.

Dhoni said apart from Sehwag, there were no other injury issues and the players looked in perfect shape for a hectic schedule ahead.

"We just had a mid-term fitness test and we'll have a camp before the tri-series to get back into the groove and get ready for the long season ahead," Dhoni said.

The Indian captain was here to announce the second season of the September 9-13 Kolkata Fashion Week, of which he is the brand ambassador.

Dhoni had appeared in fashion shows along with model-turned-actress Deepika Padukone.
Asked if he would team up with the actress again at the Kolkata Fashion Week this year, Dhoni's reply had the audience in splits.

"During the period, I would not be in Kolkata. I will be playing in Sri Lanka. So I'll be walking the ramp there with the likes of Yuvraj Singh and fellow cricketers from New Zealand and Sri Lanka," he quipped.

On a serious note, Dhoni said Kolkata was close to his heart since he played a lot of cricket here early in his career.

"Right from my under-13, under-16 and under-19 days when I was playing for Bihar, now Jharkhand, a number of times we played at Eden Gardens.

"Apart from that, I used to play P Sen Trophy for Shyam Bazar Club and I remember a good innings against East Bengal.

I played a number of Ranji matches against Bengal at Eden," he recalled.

"When I was working with Railways in Kharagpur, I spent quite a good time here. I understand Bengali, can speak a bit. Kolkata is very close to my heart," he said.

source by: cricketnext.in.com

Sehwag eyes champion trophy return

After being out of action for over two months following a shoulder injury that needed surgery, dashing opener Virender Sehwag is hoping to return to top-notch cricket through the ICC Champions Trophy next month.

"I am hoping to play in the ICC Champions Trophy. My rehabilitation is going well," said the Delhi marauder on the sidelines of a book release function here on Friday.

Sehwag sustained the shoulder injury during the semi-finals of the Indian Premier League in South Africa in May while captaining Delhi Daredevils against eventual winners Deccan Chargers.

He was in the Indian squad for the World T20 Cup in England but could not play any part because of the injury to his right shoulder that needed surgery.

Sehwag underwent a surgery on June 11 after a lesion was identified in the injured shoulder and he was ruled out of action from between 12 to 16 weeks. The lesion was expected to heal in six weeks.

Indian team's physio Nitin Patel was given the task of monitoring Sehwag's rehabilitation process at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.

The Champions Trophy, earlier termed the Mini World Cup, is also to be held in South Africa from September 22.

Sehwag said he will start batting practice from the first week of September and is now able to lift 10 kg with his injured shoulder. "But I can't throw or bowl yet," he said.

As a first step towards a recall into the Indian team, Sehwag, who has played in 69 Tests and 205 ODIs in which he has amassed a combined 12,000-plus runs, at a fabulous strike rate of close to 90, is to visit the NCA in Bangalore on August 15.

"I am set to go to Bangalore (NCA) on August 15 (for assessment of his progress from injury), said the ace batsman who has 26 hundreds to his credit in Tests and ODIs combined.

Significantly, the Indian selectors are to meet on August 16 to pick the Champions Trophy squad, as well as the ODI squad for the triangular series in Sri Lanka preceding it, on the next day at Chennai.

Sehwag's selection for the ICC event would depend on the report that would be sent by the Indian team physiotherapist ahead of the selection panel meeting. He has been visiting the NCA after his surgery as part of his rehab process.

If he fails to make the cut for the Champions Trophy the next target is the seven-match ODI series against World Cup champions Australia that commences on October 25.

source by:cricketnext.in.com

Siddle, Clark put Aussies on top in fourth Test

Peter Siddle took his Test-best figures and Stuart Clark marked his return to international cricket with three wickets as Australia bowled out England for just 102 at Healingly here on Friday.

England, who won the toss, were routed on the first day of the fourth Ashes Test with Siddle taking five wickets for 21 runs in 9.5 overs and Clark three for 18 in 10 as Australia looked to level the five-match series at 1-1.

Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, then made 78, before falling short of his third hundred at Headingley in as many Tests, to help his side to 196 for four at stumps - a lead of 94.

Michael Clarke was 34 not out and Marcus North seven not out after Ponting and opener Shane Watson shared a second-wicket stand of 119.

Clarke was hit flush on the helmet by a Stephen Harmison bouncer on 27 and then, after several minutes of treatment, survived a huge appeal for caught behind following another short ball from the Durham quick.

Australia were on the verge of building an impregnable lead when fast bowler Stuart Broad took two wickets for four runs in six balls to have both Ponting and Michael Hussey lbw.

Australia, who had lost three wickets for 18 runs in 19 balls in total, were then 151 for four.

But that was nothing compared to England's collapse.

Clark took three wickets in quick succession as England, who won the toss, slumped to 72 for six at lunch before Siddle polished off the tail with four wickets for three runs in 14 balls.

Matt Prior (37 not out) and opener Alastair Cook (30) were the only England batsmen to make it into double figures in an innings that featuring four naught and lasted less than 34 overs.

Clark, after Australia dropped off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, made a dramatic return in what was his first Test in nine months after an elbow injury and selectorial preference had kept him out.

The 33-year-old upheld his reputation for economical accuracy by taking three wickets for five runs in 21 balls.

source by:cricketnext.in.com

I want to score heavily in Test matches: Virender Sehwag

India's only batsman to hit two triple centuries, opener Virender Sehwag says his penchant to hit big centuries in Tests was driven by critics doubting his caliber in the longer version of the game.

"In Test matches I'm very cautious. I want to score more runs and I want to score big runs and I want to prove everyone wrong because when I came to the Indian team everybody was saying 'He's only a one-day player, he cannot bat in Test cricket'," he said on an ICC talk show.

The Delhi-dasher is currently undergoing rehabilitation after a surgery to be fit for September's ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.

Often compared to Tendulkar, Sehwag said he always wanted to emulate the little master.

"I wanted to become a Tendulkar, but that's not possible because he is a God of cricket. When I was watching him on television, I tried to copy every single shot."

Sehwag was sent home from England during the ICC World Twenty20 because of a shoulder injury sustained during the second edition of the Indian Premier League.

source by: cricketnext.in.com

Yuvraj defends stand against WADA

Hitting back at sportspersons criticising cricketers for not signing an anti-doping clause, Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh today said playing to a cramped calendar makes it necessary for cricketers to guard their privacy in a brief off-season.

Several Olympians, including Beijing gold medal-winning shooter Abhinav Bindra have ridiculed the cricketers' privacy and security apprehensions with regards to the 'Whereabouts Clause' of the WADA anti-doping code which requires athletes to furnish their location three months in advance for out of competition tests.

Yuvraj said while the athletes from other sports were entitled to their opinions, the cricketers' concerns were not without basis either.

"I feel we are travelling more. We are playing a lot of time in a year and we should be given more space with due respect to other sports," Yuvraj told a news channel.

"After nine months of playing, we come home for just 10 days. We don't want somebody to intrude our privacy for dope tests during that small period. We have put out our points in front of the BCCI and they will speak to the ICC," he added.

The feisty left-hander said athletes from other sports don't have to travel abroad as much as the cricketers have to.

"Their sports and our sport is different. We play more and we get very little time with our families. They have their opinions but we have our concerns and we have conveyed them," he said.

source by: cricketnext.in.com

Ashes defeat will see Australia drop to No. 4

Australia must win against England at both Headingley and the Oval to retain their No. 1 Test ranking, as an Ashes series defeat would precipitate a stunning fall from grace which would relegate Ricky Ponting's side to fourth place on the ICC Test ladder behind South Africa, Sri Lanka and India.

A drawn series will place them second after Graeme Smith's men. Either rain or England could seal Australia's demise in the coming weeks.

The tourists require victory at both Headingley and the Oval to retain their No. 1 Test ranking, but a bleak weather forecast for Yorkshire could greatly reduce their chances of forcing a result in the fourth Test.

Australia have won just five of their past 14 Tests, three of which were against the South Africans, and their inability to register a victory in the first three Tests of the Ashes series has drawn Smith's side to within two points of the top ranking.

Mickey Arthur, who so very nearly engineered Australia's overthrow earlier this year, was adamant his side was worthy of recognition as the world's premier Test side, even if rain proves the deciding factor.

"I have been following the rankings a little bit, and I don't think we would be out of place at all (with the No. 1 ranking) if that was to happen," the Dawn quoted Arthur as saying.

"We have played some very solid cricket over the past 18 months. We defeated England, Australia and Pakistan away, and we are certainly proud of that. But whatever happens, I think what is clear is that there is very little now between us, Australia, India and even England. That's healthy for the game."

Arthur has been under whelmed by Australia's performances over the course of the Ashes, having previously predicted them to comfortably account for England.

Like Andrew Strauss, Arthur feels the Australians have lost their aura, but warned England against underestimating them in the final two Tests of the Ashes series.

source by: cricketnext.in.com

Tendulkar rates Chennai Test ton as his best

The century hit by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar against England just after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks gave him more satisfaction in comparison to his other tons in all varieties of the game, as it brought back smiles on the faces of terror hit Indians.

Tendulkar was a 14-year-old schoolboy, when Dilip Vengsarkar, then the Indian captain, judged him ready to play first-class cricket and he went on to hit 208 centuries in all forms of the game.

"I think the one against England in Chennai last year," he says, without hesitation when asked about his most important innings played so far for India.

"After what happened in Mumbai (the terrorist attacks), the mood of the entire nation was low. Something was needed to put smiles on people’s faces.

"I am by no means suggesting that the people who lost near and dear ones could forget their terrible loss, but if we as a team were able to make them smile for just a couple of seconds, that was an achievement," The Independent quoted Tendulkar, as saying.

"And thanks to the England cricket team who came back very graciously and played against us. You know, cricket in India brings the entire nation together, from the poorest child to a billionaire. We are in a position to make everyone happy, which is very special for me and the whole cricketing fraternity," he said.

He pointed other innings which he considered important were played during his school days.

"I would say that there were a couple in my schooldays that changed my life. In the semi-final of an Under-17s tournament I scored 326 not out, which is when everyone in Mumbai took notice of me. I then scored 346 not out in the final, with Dilip Vengsarkar and Sunil Gavaskar watching."

"I was only 14 at the time, but Vengsarkar wanted me to join the Mumbai first-class team, which contained nine Test players. He had to be sure I was ready. So he invited me to play in the India nets.

"The Indian team had a camp in Mumbai, and he made Kapil Dev and all these guys bowl at me in the nets. After that session he gave a green signal to the selectors," he said in the interview.

The master blaster said that in his first domestic season he scored the highest number of runs for the team.

"There are three trophies in India, and in all three I scored a century on my debut, so my performances were very good, but also the timing was perfect," he said.

Source by: Cricketnext.in.com

Sachin Tendulkar eyes 15000 Test runs, World Cup

It's been nearly four months since Sachin Tendulkar has taken the field. But his ambitions have not diminished.

In an interview with Wisden Tendulkar has said that he has set his sight on amassing 15,000 runs in Test cricket.

Tendulkar has also spoken about his dream of India winning the 2011 World Cup. India is one of the host nations from the sub-continent.

In the interview Tendulkar also talks about John Buchanan's comments on some Indian players in his new book including himself.

"It is only his opinion; John Buchanan doesn't have to be right all the time. If I couldn't handle short deliveries, then I wouldn't still be scoring runs," he said.
"Maybe he needs to change his opinion. There must be something very wrong with all the bowlers around the world that they have allowed me to score so many runs."
And he has again put to rest any questions on retiring from the game.

"I am not pleased yet with what I have done," he said. "Sunil Gavaskar has told me that I have to get to 15,000 runs. He said he would be angry with me and would come and catch me if I didn't. I admire him so much and to score that many would be a terrific achievement, but that is not the only aim."

Tendulkar also spoke about how he has been consistently playing with pain.
"I always play in pain, all the time. I played with a broken finger for the last three months, but you know when pain is manageable or not, and most of the time I can do it," he said.

"I can still do what I did when I was 25 but the body is changing, so your thought process has to change too. I have had to change how I think, which is about taking less risk," he added.

Don Bradman had said Tendulkar reminded him of himself and the Indian batsman was the only modern player in Bradman''s all-time XI.

Does Tendulkar think the same way about anyone? "I would say Virender Sehwag comes closest to my style."

Tendulkar said he was not thinking about retirement yet but he would know when to quit cricket.

"I will know when it is the right time, I won't have to be dragged away. I am the person who will make the decision and I will know whether I still belong."

He admitted life after cricket wouldn't be easy. "It's a scary thought. It has been there for my whole adult life, it will be difficult, I have been around for a long time, I can imagine when I finish I will long to face just 10 more balls but you have to move."

Source by: Cricketnext.in.com

Kevin Pietersen's absence will add more pressure on Flintoff: Ponting

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting feels England's star batsman Kevin Pietersen's absence will add more pressure on the Lord's Test hero Andrew Flintoff.

Ponting believes his team had Pietersen's measure during the first two Tests of the ongoing Ashes series but wonders how England will cope without their batting star now he has been ruled out of the series following Achilles tendon surgery.

'If you look at the way we've bowled to him and the way he's played, he's been one of the England batsmen we've been able to put the most pressure on,' Ponting was quoted as saying in Daily Telegraph. 'Ben Hilfenhaus, in particular, has bowled beautifully to him.'

'But he is a massive loss. He's such an X-factor in their side, the way he can score quickly and the ability he has to put the bowlers on the backfoot by putting extra pressure on them.

'I think Pietersen does leave a pretty big hole in their batting. For us, it will be a real positive. It probably puts a bit more pressure back on Flintoff to perform. He has to stand up big time now,' he said.

Ponting also wonders how the inconsistent Ian Bell will feel trying to fill Pietersen's enormous shoes.

'Now England have a much more sound, technically correct, but scratchy player like Bell, if we happen to get him in at the right time he's a pretty nervous sort of bloke as well,' Ponting said.

I was better than Gavaskar: Boycott

Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott believes he was technically superior to Sunil Gavaskar even though his Yorkshire teammate Dicky Bird feels otherwise.

The England opener with a reputation for straight talking said he and Gavaskar were similar in many respects but he had the better technique.

"There is no question that Sunny was a fantastic batsman. People love to make comparisons and Sunil and I have been compared very often perhaps because we were similar in many ways -- we batted right-handed, opened the innings, had a great appetite for runs, hated to give our wickets away and possessed good technique," Boycott wrote in new book 'Sunil Gavaskar: Cricket's Little Master'.

"As our records show, Sunil played more matches, scored more runs and centuries than me, but in terms of technique, I consider myself superior to Sunil even if by just half a percentage point," he added.

Gavaskar has played 125 Tests and scored 10,122 runs while Boycott has 8114 runs from 108 matches.

Incidentally, Boycott's argument could not convince former umpire and his Yorkshire teammate Dicky Bird who had no doubt that Gavaskar was the better batsman.

"What a great sight it was to watch Gavaskar bat. Pace bowlers could never really dominate him. That's why I rate him as the best opener of my era," Bird wrote in the book compiled by veteran cricket journalist Debasish Datta.

"And mind you, I have seen quite a few in my time. He would be in my World XI along with Barry Richards - I have mentioned that in my latest book," Bird said.

"Needless to say that my Yorkshire hero Geoffrey Boycott did not like it after going through the name of my World XI. Boycott wanted to know why I had not picked him in the World XI. He also wanted to know whether I recognised him as a great player."

"I told him, of course he was also a great player but Sunil and Barry were marginally better than him. He did not take it sportingly," he said.

Bird explained why he rated Gavaskar so highly as a batsman.

"He had enormous powers of concentration, an excellent technique and used to time the ball well. He always seemed to have extra time to play a stroke. That's the hall mark of a great player," he said.

Sri lanka draw third test against Pakistan

Sri Lanka's captain Kumar Sangakkara hit an unbeaten century to dim Pakistan's hopes of securing a face-saving win in the third and final cricket Test here on Friday.
The left-hander was 111 not out as Sri Lanka, faced with a world record target of 492 to sweep the series 3-0, moved to 338-4 by tea on the fifth day at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

The rock solid Sangakarra's 19th Test century featured a fourth-wicket stand of 122 with Thilan Samaraweera (73) and 61 for the unbroken fifth with Angelo Mathews (33 not out).

The two teams go into the final session of the match with Sri Lanka needing 154 runs from a possible 38 overs to record a record-breaking win and Pakistan requiring six wickets.

No team has achieved this high a target in the fourth innings to win a Test match. The highest successful chase so far is 418-7 by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003.

The hosts appeared in no hurry to force a victory after scoring 76 runs from 26 overs in the post-lunch session.

Sangakkara and Samaraweera, who resumed the day at 183-3, batted through the morning session to take Sri Lanka to 262 without further loss by lunch.
Sri Lanka suffered a setback soon after lunch when Samaraweera strained a hamstring while taking a single and called for a runner.

The injury did not seem to bother him as he hit the first ball from pace bowler Mohammad Aamer for a boundary, but then was smashed on the helmet by a rising ball later in the same over.

Samaraweera was dismissed in the following over when he failed to read a straight ball from off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and nicked an easy catch to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.

It was the first time in the Test series that play extended into the fifth day after the tourists lost the first Test in four days and the second in three.

Sangakkara and Samaraweera made a cautious start in the morning, scoring 50 runs in 21 overs before Pakistan captain Younus Khan took the second new ball as soon as it was due in the 81st over.

Samaraweera welcomed the change by driving the first delivery from Umar Gul to the cover fence and executing another perfect off-drive from the last ball of the over.

Gavaskar is still scared of 'Bouncer and Beamer': Ravi Shastri

Legendary Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar may have made 70's fiery West Indian bowling line up look ordinary, but his former teammate Ravi Shastri has disclosed the little master's fear for 'Bouncer and Beamer'.

"For someone who has never been bothered by bouncers and beamers hurled at him by rival fast bowlers, Gavaskar is very scared of dogs. Every time he come across my pets, 'Bouncer and Beamer', he breaks outs in sweat," Shastri wrote in a new book 'Sunil Gavaskar: Cricket's Little Master' as a tribute to mark the 60th birthday of the Mumbai batsman.

"They keep him on his toes all the time," he said.

Legendary England all rounder Ian Botham also confirmed Gavaskar's fear for dogs.
"One day he went to a phone booth outside Tauton. As he entered the booth, I kept a dog outside... Sunny was so scared of dogs that he stayed inside the booth for two hours," he said.

Gavaskar's another teammate, Arun Lal shared with readers that the highly successful cricketer took failures in his stride by singing songs.

"He handled failures brilliantly. He usually did so by singing songs and taking a long shower. That was his 'cooling down process'," he revealed.

None other than Lata Mangeshkar certifies the cricketer's crooning abilities better as she wrote "Sunil can really sing very well".

Sourav Ganguly feels Gavaskar's "wit and humour are legendary, which means there is no dull moment when he is around".

But the major surprise was in store in Milind Rege's piece in which he says his friend Gavaskar was among the crowd shown in the 'Dum Maaro Dum' song from Dev Anand's superhit film of 70's 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna'.

"At college, he had this deep desire to act in films.

When the film song 'Dum Maaro Dum' was to be shot, Dev Anand had come to our college looking for youngsters to be a part of the mob scene.

"My friend had vanished from college and went for a screen test for the shot. So if you ever see Sunil somewhere in the corner with a chillum in his hand, don't be surprised," Rege said.

Sachin Tendulkar heads the top tax payers amoung cricketers

There has been much talk of late about M S Dhoni being more sought after by advertisers than Sachin Tendulkar.

But if payment of income tax is any indicator, the little master is still way ahead of all other Indian cricket stars when it comes to earnings. Dhoni is a distant second, though catching up, in terms of tax paid, while Virender Sehwag is third.

Data on income tax paid by cricketer’s shows that Sachin has maintained a steady level of over Rs 8 crore for the last three years, 2006-07 to 2008-09. Behind him, there's been a reshuffle in the batting order.

Dhoni has moved up from third spot in 2006-07 to second last year with a Rs 4.7 crore tax bill. Rahul Dravid, who was Sachin's closest competitor in 2006-07 and a close third behind Dhoni in 2007-08, has dropped to fifth spot.

Justin Langer became the highest scoring Australian of all time

Justin Langer became the highest scoring Australian of all time in first class cricket on Thursday playing for Somerset against Worcester.

The 38-year-old former Test opener, unbeaten on 89 overnight, needed six runs to pass Don Bradman's career total of 28,067 and reached the new mark with a boundary off countryman Matt Mason at New Road. Mason finally got him out for 107, meaning the new record is 28,080.

In his 18th year, the former Western Australia opener reached the milestone in his 615th innings. Bradman, considered the greatest batsman of all time, made his in 338 between 1927 and '49.

Pietersen injury increase pressure on England team

Andrew Flintoff fears Kevin Pietersen's absence for the remaining three Tests against Australia could wreck England's chances of regaining the Ashes.

Pietersen will be sidelined for six weeks after surgery on an Achilles injury which had troubled him throughout the first two Tests.

The 29-year-old batsman, whose highest score in the series was just 69, had hoped pain-killers would allow him to help England build on the 1-0 lead they earned at Lord's this week.

But the injury, which first occurred against the West Indies earlier this year, deteriorated during the five-day clash and Pietersen agreed with advice from a specialist to have immediate surgery.

Now Andrew Strauss's side face the prospect of heading into the third Test at Edgbaston next week on a low despite their impressive Lord's performance.
Flintoff, who is struggling with injury problems of his own, conceded Pietersen's injury may give the Australians a major boost.

"He's a massive influence on our team so it's going to make it tougher for us - but he's been in pain," Flintoff said. "He will be greatly missed and we wish him well - he'll be gutted.

"He's performed well in the past and we expected him to in the next three matches but he'll come back, he's young and I'm sure he's got a few more Ashes series in him yet.

"If (Australia captain) Ricky Ponting was injured you are quite happy not bowling at him - and I think Australia will be thinking the same about Kevin.

"It means a lot playing in the Ashes and I fully expect he'll be coming along to watch a few of the games once he's back on his feet."
Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell is widely expected to replace Pietersen, although Owais Shah could also earn a call-up.

Flintoff added: "Ian Bell has been playing well for Warwickshire but whoever comes in we have to move on pretty quickly and get our bodies and minds right for the Test next week."

Only 24 hours before his operation, Pietersen had spoken of his determination to follow Flintoff's example and play through the pain barrier.

Despite pain from a knee injury that has forced him to announce he will retire from Test cricket after the Ashes, Flintoff took five wickets in the second innings to kill off Ricky Ponting's men.

Pietersen wanted to perform similiar heroics but has been forced to accept defeat.

"As an England cricketer the Ashes are the pinnacle of the game so I'm absolutely devastated to be missing the rest of this series," he said.

"Up until now the Achilles injury has been manageable but it recently reached the point where we needed to look at other options in terms of treatment.
"I hate missing matches for England and especially during an Ashes summer but now that the decision has been made to undergo surgery I'm confident I can return to the England team injury-free following a course of rehabilitation.

"Unfortunately the injury has recently deteriorated. To leave a winning dressing room at this time is heart breaking but it wouldn't be fair to the team or myself to continue given the severity of the injury.

"I'll be supporting the team closely and wish them the best of luck as they look to build on the brilliant win at Lord's and reclaim the Ashes."

Anderson scythes through Australia batting

England quick James Anderson got a royal endorsement of his efforts as he played a key role in making Australia struggle during the first Ashes Test here at Lord's on Friday.

Anderson made 29 with the bat during a last-wicket stand of 47 that helped propel England to a first innings total of 425.

He then took two wickets before lunch, including the prize scalp of Australia captain Ricky Ponting for just two, on his way to Test-best figures against England's oldest foes of four wickets for 36 runs in 17 overs.

Australia at stumps had collapsed to 156 for eight, still needing another 70 runs to avoid the follow-on at a ground where they last lost a Test in 1934.

At lunch the teams lined up in front of the Pavilion to be presented to Queen Elizabeth II, monarch of both Britain and Australia, and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Anderson said that while the Queen did not say anything to him the Duke, a former President of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which owns Lord's, had stopped for a word.

"I got a well done from Philip, he mentioned I'd had a good morning," the modest Anderson told reporters.

Reflecting on the state of the game, he said: "It's been a good couple of days for us as a team.

"After Cardiff (where Australia piled up 674 for six declared), we had a long chat, we knew we hadn't bowled well enough but we executed our plans better today," Anderson, 26, explained.

Anderson, who bats left-handed but bowls right, said getting to 400, when England had been 378 for nine, was a significant milestone for the team.

"It gave us some extra momentum and confidence. I felt good with the bat, I've been working hard and it's starting to pay off a little bit.

"Everyone wanted to start afresh (after Cardiff). We got out of jail a little bit and we didn't want to waste that."Several Australia batsmen got out trying to pull.
Anderson said that in some cases there had been a deliberate plan but in others England had frustrated the batsmen into making an error.

"For a couple of their guys we decided on the short ball, for a couple we bowled tight. Marcus North (out for naught), we dried him up for runs."

Unhappy Aamir Sohail threatens to quit Pakistan Cricket Board

Former Pakistan opener Aamer Sohail, a director in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), is planning to quit over differences with chairman Ijaz Butt on the implementation of his project to develop the game.

Sohail, a key PCB official, said he had not resigned yet and would take a decision in a day or two.

In fact, there have been reports that Sohail has already resigned over differences with Butt and another senior PCB official and former Pakistan captain and wicket-keeper Wasim Bari.

'I have not resigned as yet, I will take a decision in the next couple of days,' said Sohail.

Sohail is not the first former cricketer to fall out with Butt, himself a former Test batsman. Butt had a public spat with another Pakistan captain Javed Miandad, who resigned as PCB's director-general in January.

Miandad blamed Butt and other senior Board officials for not giving him enough authority to implement his developmental plans. However, a few weeks later, Miandad resumed his duties after senior government officials persuaded Butt to take the former Pakistan batsman back.

Abdul Qadir resigned as chief selector last month, accusing the PCB top brass and the national team management for meddling in selection affairs. The former Pakistan Test leg-spinner has since become a bitter critic of the Butt-led PCB.

Aussies shocked by Flintoff's retirement plans

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff's decision to quit international Test cricket after the ongoing Ashes series has shocked quite a few Australian cricketers, including Nathan Hauritz and Marcus North.

Hauritz and North had faced Flintoff for the first time at Cardiff last week, and were gearing up for Thursday's second Test match at Lord's, when they learnt about Freddie's retirement plans.

"I'm shocked. He has been the cornerstone for English cricket for some time now. You only had to see at Cardiff, when he came on to bowl or out to bat, the lift he gave the whole ground," The Sun quoted Hauritz, as saying.

Meanwhile, middle-order batsman North acclaimed the credibility of Freddie and claimed that he is still a fearsome bowler to bat against.

"Andrew's been outstanding in his career and an icon in his country. He's obviously had problems with fitness and the grueling nature of the game. But without question he'll be a huge loss to the game," North said.

"He's still bowling really quick and without a doubt he is intimidating.
To keep charging in like he does, with the injuries he's had, just shows what a competitor he is," he added.

England Opener put Century Stands

England made the most of winning the toss and some indifferent bowling by racing to 126 for none at lunch on the opening day of the second Test against Australia at Lord's on Thursday.

Skipper Andrew Strauss was unbeaten on 47 and Alastair Cook (67) reached his 20th Test half-century as England quickly got on top of an Australian attack that lacked any consistency and failed to take advantage of some early cloud cover.

Cook, who endured a disappointing opening test in Cardiff, played himself into form, striking 14 boundaries while Strauss looked rarely troubled and hit eight fours.

Mitchell Johnson, the world's third-ranked bowler, was the worst offender for the Australians, going for 53 from his eight overs and singly failing to find any rhythm on his first appearance for Australia at Lord's.

Andrew Flintoff passed a fitness test and took his place in the England starting XI with the only change from the drawn first test being the return of Durham seamer Graham Onions in place of spinner Monty Panesar. Australia were unchanged.

Gambhir is No. 1 Batsman in Test Cricket

Gautam Gambhir has become the first India batsman in over four years to head the batting rankings after a double failure by Mohammad Yousuf dropped him out of the top three of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen.

Yousuf, who had returned to the batting table last week in number-one position after his century in the first Test at Galle, scored only 10 and six in the second Test and, as such, he has dropped four places to fifth position in the latest rankings which were released after the conclusion of the St Vincent and Colombo Tests.

Accordingly, Gambhir became the sixth India batsman to lead the batting table in this version of the game.

The 27-year-old left-handed opener is the first India batsman after former captain Rahul Dravid to top the batting chart. Dravid had briefly become the number-one batsman after hitting centuries in each innings (110 and 135) of the Kolkata Test against Pakistan in March 2005. Dravid had first achieved the top batting ranking in January 1999 and has been number-one for 36 Tests between 1999 and 2005.

Sachin Tendulkar is the other India batsman in the last 15 years who has topped the batting chart. He first led the table in November 1994 while last time he occupied the number-one position was in August 2002 after the Leeds Test against England. Overall, Tendulkar has been the number-one batsman for 125 Tests between 1994 and 2002.

Both the Test and ODI batting rankings are now headed by India batsman with Mahendra Singh Dhoni in number-one position of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen with Yuvraj Singh in second place.

Kambli denies remarks against Sachin Tendulkar

Vinod Kambli Tuesday denied making any remarks against Sachin Tendulkar after a media report claimed the former cricketer had, in a reality show, accused his childhood friend of letting him down when he was going through a rough patch in his career.

Kambli also said he did not say anything against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

'I have not said anything against Sachin or BCCI. When you watch the show you will see what I have said,' Kambli told reporters here.

'Sachin is a very close friend and he knows that Vinod can never say such things. My family is shattered and so is his. I can understand what Sachin must have gone through if he has come to know of it. I can never say anything like this against him,' Kambli said.

Asked whether he has spoken to Tendulkar to clear all doubts, Kambli said: 'I have not got a chance to speak to Tendulkar. He is in London.'

'I have played cricket for 18 years and I have represented my country. Why would I say anything against BCCI. I have not said anything against the board,' he clarified. 'I do not need any publicity that I will do all this.'

A media report said that on a TV show that goes on air this week Kambli said that 'Tendulkar did not lend a helping hand during my downward spiral.' It also quoted the left-hander as reportedly saying: 'I always felt discriminated against by the cricket board because of my caste and colour.'

Tendulkar most reliable batsman: Former Kiwi Cricketers

When it comes to batting for life, Sachin Tendulkar is the choice for most of the Kiwi cricketers, who rate the Indian batting maestro as the most accomplished player of his generation.

New Zealand's 'Herald on Sunday' newspaper asked a few former cricketers who was the best batsman in the world and whom they would like to bat for their life? Replying to the questions, former Kiwi Test players John Morrison and Dipak Patel picked the Indian batting ace and were all admiration for his exploits all around the world in different conditions and various match situations.

"I'd go with Tendulkar. He is still the most capable batsman in the world. He has the full array of shots too, though he might not play them as freely as he once did," Morrison said. "I like Tendulkar because there are guys out there brilliant on certain types of surfaces but he is adept at playing on anything."

"Slow, bouncy, turning, whatever - he covers the field on all of them. "I'd still back him ahead of everybody, even at the age of 36," Morrison, who played 17 Tests between 1974 and 1982, said.

Dipak Patel echoed the same sentiment. "I like Gautam Gambhir and Graeme Smith at the moment but in the end, if they were batting for my life, I couldn't go past Tendulkar. He's got the experience, the sheer weight of runs and best all-round game."

"He can bat for survival and can bat to force wins. He's got a big-match temperament and he has scored runs all around the world," Patel, who played 37 Tests between 1987 and 1997, said.

"Gambhir is the new kid on the block but I would put Smith in just behind Tendulkar. He has a wonderful track record of getting through the new ball. Every game he is out there facing the music and is just a terrific competitor," he added.

Tendulkar's team-mate and another Indian great, Rahul Dravid also has his own admirers for his sound technique, one among them is former Test player Gavin Larsen.
"There'd be a few on my shortlist. Shiv Chanderpaul would make it, Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey. Graeme Smith would be there, as would Mohammad Yousuf and Sachin Tendulkar but the name I keep coming back to is Rahul Dravid," Larsen said.

"He (Dravid) is technically correct, perhaps the best technician in the game, he has scored runs in all conditions, he's dogged and he's incredibly mentally strong. He can bat for long periods of time without scoring and it never seems to get him down."
Dravid was also the second choice for Craig McMillan whose first pick is Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara.

"I'd struggle to go past guys like Rahul Dravid and Kumar Sangakkara. In the end, I'd take Sangakkara. With Dravid, you know what you're going to get but Sangakkara is probably the most adaptable batsman playing cricket at the moment."

Flintoff announces Test retirement after Ashes

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff announced on Wednesday that he will retire from Test cricket after the Ashes series against Australia because of his ongoing struggle with injuries.

The 31-year-old Flintoff is still determined to feature in the four remaining tests of the current series — despite aggravating a knee injury during the drawn first Test against Australia which ended on Sunday.

"My body has told me it's time to stop," the former England captain said. "For the next four Test matches I'll do everything I need to do to get on a cricket field and I'm desperate to make my mark.

"I want to finish playing for England on a high and if you look at the fixtures going forward, the way my body is suggests I won't be able to get through that."
Flintoff has struggled with injuries since being at the heart of the 2005 Ashes triumph and is sacrificing five-day cricket to try to ensure his fitness for the 50-over and Twenty20 international matches. He has played Test cricket for 11 years.

"I've been through four ankle operations, I had knee surgery just a couple of months ago and had three jabs in my knee on Monday just to get me right for this Test so I took that as my body telling me that I can't cope with the rigors of Test cricket," he said.

"Since 2005 I've done two years when I've done nothing but rehab from one injury or another. Two of the last four years I've spent just in rehabilitation and I just can't keep doing it for myself, my own sanity, my family and also for the team — because they need to move on as well."

England captain Andrew Strauss revealed that although he had prior knowledge, Flintoff made the announcement to the team on Wednesday morning.

"As players we've had a feeling this was coming sooner rather than later with the injuries he's had over the last couple of years," Strauss said. "Test match bowling puts so much pressure on his body that this seemed the logical thing to do.

"It's sad that he's made this decision at this age but maybe it will make him more motivated for the next four Tests. He wants to go out with a bang."

Strauss was confident that Flintoff would be fit enough to get through the Lord's Test that starts on Thursday and also the rest of the series.

"We spoke to the medical staff and we would never play a guy in a Test if we didn't have a huge amount of confidence that he could get through," he said. "He feels better the news is out there and with the injury surrounding this game he felt it was the right time."

Youngsters should learn from Sachin, Dravid'

While taking a trip down memory lane during the inaugural Dilip Sardesai lecture on Thursday, Sunil Gavaskar touched upon some contemporary issues that the game is grappling with.

Speaking about the influence the late Sardesai had on him during his playing days, Gavaskar stressed that there was a urgent need to mentor present-day cricketers, particularly in the highly lucrative age of Twenty20. Sardesai had helped a young Gavaskar demystify the West Indian quicks during the historic 1971 tour, and the former India captain said today's cricketers needed advice to deal with the opportunities that offered them quick money.

"Players in the age group of 19-22 are going the wrong way. Younger players get carried away by fame, publicity and success," he said. A member of the IPL governing council, Gavaskar said he was wary of the impact big contracts could have on the minds of teenaged cricketer. "The worrying factor is far too many youngsters see the IPL as the be all and end all. This should not be the case since their ultimate goal should be earning the India cap," he said.

There could come a stage, he warned, when players would give more importance to the IPL than playing for their state sides. "A lot of players miss out on domestic cricket before the IPL to avoid injuries. That is what we have to be very, very careful about Changing behaviour.

Another aspect of modern cricket that Gavaskar said needed to change was the changing on-field behaviour of players, expressing his reservations about the way several international cricketers celebrated their milestones.

"At times, players use abusive language when they should be acknowledging the applause of the crowd and their team mates. These days, because of the replays, it is very easy to lip-read what they are saying," he said, and held up the examples of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid as what should be done. "They may not always be smiling after scoring a century because of tiredness, but they always acknowledge the almighty, their team mates and the crowd; they're not abusive."

But the 59-year-old former batsman ruled out coach Gary Kirsten's assessment that IPL-induced fatigue was a reason for Team India's early exit from the World T20 in England. "We were outplayed at the tournament," he said.

When asked about the Indian batsmen's problem with the short ball, he said that it wasn't a cause of worry. "India went to West Indies after playing a format where one doesn't get too many short ball. T20 is mostly played on the front foot, so they took time adjusting," he said. India had been peppered with short bowling in the World T20 as well, particularly by West Indies and England in their all-important Super Eights matches.

India clinched their fifth straight One-day International series

India clinched their fifth straight One-day International series, when rain forced the abandonment of the final ODI against West Indies on Sunday.

India won the four-match series 2-1, after they won the high-scoring opening ODI by 20 runs two Fridays ago at Sabina Park in Jamaica, West Indies secured an eight-wicket victory in a low-scoring second ODI two days later at the same venue, and India won by six wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis Method.

India's captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was named Man-of-the-Series.

Only 7.3 overs were possible at the Beausejour Cricket Ground before a torrential downpour forced a stoppage, after India won the toss, chose to field and West Indies had reached 27 for one.

The rain later stopped, but there was too much water on the outfield for play to continue, and after waiting about two hours, the umpires decided to abandon the match.

Play had started an hour later than scheduled, after overnight and morning showers had left parts of the outfield sodden, and there was seepage of water from the covers onto the pitch.

When play started, India had immediate success, when Ishant Sharma had Chris Gayle caught behind for a second-ball duck.Sharma and new-ball partner Ashish Nehra bowled tightly, and did not allow the West Indies batsmen the leeway to get away to a flourishing start.

India thought they had made a second breakthrough, when Sharma appealed for a caught behind, after Sarwan essayed a hook at a short, rising delivery.

Just when it appeared things had reached a crescendo, the rain came down, and finished things off.

India's players will now enjoy a much-anticipated two-month break from the game, and West Indies will get down to business in a series against Bangladesh which features two Tests, three ODIs, and a Twenty20 International.

Skipper Dhoni guides India to last over win

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni played another responsible knock of 46 not out as India took an unbeatable 2-1 lead in the series, winning the third One-day international by six wickets according to the Duckworth-Lewis (DL) Method with just one ball to spare here on a rain-marred on Friday.

India capitalized on a good start by openers Dinesh Karthik (47) and Gautam Gambhir (44) and Man of the Match Dhoni played a composed innings off 34 balls as the visitors achieved the rain revised target of 159 in 22 overs at the Beausejour Stadium.

India skipper opted to bowl but the start was delayed by over two hours due to rains and when the game started persistent rains interrupted the game thrice.
Ramnaresh Sarwan's fine 62 off 59 balls went in vain even as West Indies made a challenging 186 for seven in 27 overs. But India were set a target of 195 according to the DL method.

But another spell of shower in the 14th over during India's innings revised gave the target to 159 in 22 overs.
However, it was the 84-run opening run stand that always kept India ahead of the run rate and Dhoni ensured that he stayed till the end as India scampered home to win in the penultimate ball. Dhoni's only six came in the last over and it reduced the equation to four from four balls that India achieved easily.

Brett Lee swings back into form

Back in contention for the Ashes with his first five-wicket haul on English soil, Australian pacer Brett Lee says he has finally mastered reverse swing, which the Englishmen had used with destructive precision during the 2005 series.

"If you look back to 2005, what let us down and what affected us was reverse swing... we couldn't work out a way to get it to swing," Lee said after picking five wickets in a practice match against England Lions.

The 32-year-old, who was battling for his place due to indifferent form, finally got some breathing space after Thursday's performance.

Lee said reverse swing would play a "massive" role in the Ashes, starting July 8, and contrary to what is said, he has no problems bowling with an old ball.

"We wanted to get the ball to swing early on, try and rough it up and try to get the ball to come back in later on. That worked a treat. I always enjoy bowling when the ball is like that," Lee was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.

The speedster, who took 5-21 in 40 balls and ended with 5-53 in the tour match, also got a word of praise from West Indian fast bowling legend Michael Holding.
"I liked what I saw," Holding said.

"Everyone has been saying Brett Lee has been injured and coming back into the game he might not be on top of his game. He bowled the fastest ball of the match so far and he has bowled some very, very quick spells," he added.

Muralitharan to miss first Test against Pakistan

Muttiah Muralitharan will miss the first Test against Pakistan due to a knee injury.

Muralitharan, who holds the record for the most Test wickets, has injured his patella tendon and will require two-to-three weeks rest.

The off-spinner suffered the injury while fielding on Wednesday and the decision was made after scans revealed a slight tear.

"I was hoping to play but when (team physio) Tommy Simsek saw the scans we realised I needed to rest," Muralitharan told Reuters.

Muralitharan could return for the third and final Test but it is more likely he will target their one-day series or a series against New Zealand starting in August.

Selectors have called up off-spinner Suraj Kaluhalamulla (formerly known as Suraj Mohamed) and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath as cover for the opening Test, which starts on Saturday.

Herath has been rushed back to Sri Lanka from England where he was playing club cricket while Mohamed took three wickets against Pakistan in a warm-up game this week.

Bowled by three-year-old son, Vaughan decided "it's time to move over"

Former England captain Michael Vaughan said that he was convinced that it was time to quit cricket when his three-year-old son, Archie, uprooted his off-stump during a backyard match.

"Two weeks ago, my little lad Archie bowled a ball that hit a weed and knocked my off stump out of the ground. If a three-year-old is bowling me out, it's time to move over," The Sun quoted Vaughan, as saying.

The incident made him realize that he had no chance of playing for England again, and the daily grind of county cricket had little appeal for him.

"I always say that senior players have to be the most enthusiastic and I was starting to feel in the Yorkshire dressing room that I wasn't passing on that enthusiasm to the younger players," Vaughan said.

"I knew I had to move over and give those younger players the opportunity I had when I was 19 and 20. I'd like to be remembered as someone that gave his all and was, hopefully, a nice player to watch," The Sun quoted him, as adding.

Career of Michael Vaughan

Born October 29, 1974, Manchester. A right-hand opening bat and occasional off-spinner, Vaughan makes his county debut for Yorkshire against Lancashire in August 1993, scoring 64 at Old Trafford.

He scores 1,066 runs in his first full season of first-class cricket with Yorkshire in 1994 and captains England under-19s in a home series against India.

International Debut

Makes his international Test debut in 1999 against South Africa in Johannesburg, the first of 82 Tests in which he scored 5,719 runs at an average of 41.44.

Makes his maiden Test century against Pakistan in 2001 at Old Trafford, the first of 18 tons for England.

In the same year helps Yorkshire to win their first County Championship in 33 years.
Makes his international one-day debut in 2001 against Sri Lanka in Dambulla, the first of 86 matches in which he scored 1,982 runs at an average of 27.15.

In 2002 he scores 900 runs in seven home Tests against Sri Lanka and India, including a career-best 197 against the latter at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, before scoring three centuries abroad against the formidable Australians.

Vaughan is one of England's greats: Flintoff

Andrew Flintoff led the tributes after former England captain Michael Vaughan announced his retirement from cricket on Tuesday.

Yorkshire batsman Vaughan is England's most successful test skipper, with 26 wins from 51 matches.

"He was unflappable," said Flintoff on the eve of England's three-day practice game with Warwickshire. "There could be mayhem all around him and he would just stand there as if nothing was happening, whether the side was 500 for none or 90 for nine.

"He always looked pretty poker-faced," the all-rounder told reporters. "He gave confidence to his team ... he helped me as a player and he was a mate as well.
"He will go down as one of the greats of the English game."

Vaughan, 34, who scored 18 centuries in 82 tests, was captain at the time Kevin Pietersen came into England's one-day team in 2004 when the South African-born batsman had to return to his native country and confront a hostile crowd.

"Michael was huge for me," said Pietersen who hit three centuries in that one-day series.

JIBBERING WRECK
"One of the first things he said to me, when I came in at the Wanderers when 60,000 people looked as though they wanted to kill me, was `the ball's white, the ball's round and do whatever you have done to get here'.

"That calmed me right down from being a jibbering wreck when I walked on to that field to the player I am now. That's all I do now, I just watch the ball, not think about any rubbish," added England's leading batsman.

"Michael is a great leader of men and you learn a lot from guys like that."
Andrew Strauss, who will lead England in next week's first Ashes test against Australia in Cardiff, agreed Vaughan was a brilliant skipper.

"It's hard to speak highly enough about him as England captain," Strauss said. "He is the best captain I've played under, that goes for any form of cricket.

"His achievements can't be underestimated, the way he took the team forward, the relaxed way he was able to get us playing cricket.

"A lot of the stuff was behind the scenes, the way he dealt with players on a one-to-one basis was exceptional, and he cared," said Strauss.

"It's important to remember what a great player he was. It's a sad day."

Ponting is a crap captain: Thomson

Former Australian fast bowler Jeff Thomson has described current Australian cricket skipper Ricky Ponting as a "crap captain".

Thomson is of the view that Ponting should never have been given the Australian captaincy five years ago and believes England has the advantage going into this year's Ashes series.

Thomson, who snared 200 Test wickets, also believes the inclusion of spinner Nathan Hauritz in Australia's Ashes squad further highlights those deficiencies.

The Sun quoted Thomson, as saying: "I thought Ricky was c**p when he was first captain in 2004 and nothing much has improved since then. I'm not the only one who thinks that. I've always bagged him and everyone at home thinks he's s**t at the captaincy. He's a great player but captaincy is a totally different thing."

"He was in a side that had very good players and now he's got a side that has average players. He's still left wanting. You see it on him - he gets frustrated. He worries when the players don't do what he's used to with the ball when he passes it to them," he added.

"The choices he makes, his field settings and the things he does are never right. England has the edge in the captaincy department. But while England have a better captain, Australia have a better line-up," he said

Michael Vaughan announces his retirement

England's most successful test captain Michael Vaughan said on Tuesday he was retiring from the game, after failing to regain his place in the team for next month's Ashes series against Australia.

"After a great deal of consideration, I've decided that now is the right time to retire from cricket. It has been an enormous privilege to have played for and captained my country and this is one of the hardest decisions I have had to make," Vaughan said in a media release issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

His career has been blighted in recent years by a knee injury and speculation about the 34-year-old's future intensified after Vaughan failed to win a place in England's squad for the Ashes series against Australia which starts next week in Cardiff.

"We have some fantastic talent coming through the English counties and, with the next Ashes series upon us, now is the time for the younger players to rise to the challenge of building on the success achieved in English cricket in the last few years.

"I'd like to record my sincere thanks to the England fans and the ECB and the members and supporters of Yorkshire County Cricket Club for their unstinting backing throughout my career as well as my wife Nicola and the rest of my family who have been equally supportive.

Vaughan fuels retirement speculation

Former England captain Michael Vaughan will attend a news conference on Tuesday, the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement on Sunday.

There has been speculation that the 34-year-old was poised to announce his retirement with newspaper reports saying he was ready to quit after failing to win a place in England's preliminary squad for this year's Ashes series.

Vaughan enjoyed his finest hour in 2005 when he led England to a long awaited Ashes victory over Australia on home soil and he was the world's top-ranked batsman in 2003.

He has struggled with a succession of injury problems in recent years, playing the last of his 82 tests in 2008.

Tendulkar rates ton against England at Chennai following 26/11 attacks his 'most important knock'

The century hit by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar against England just after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks gave him more satisfaction in comparison to his other tons in all varieties of the game, as it brought back smiles on the faces of terror hit Indians.

Tendulkar was a 14-year-old schoolboy, when Dilip Vengsarkar, then the Indian captain, judged him ready to play first-class cricket and he went on to hit 208 centuries in all forms of the game.

"I think the one against England in Chennai last year," he says, without hesitation when asked about his most important innings played so far for India.

"After what happened in Mumbai (the terrorist attacks), the mood of the entire nation was low. Something was needed to put smiles on people's faces. I am by no means suggesting that the people who lost near and dear ones could forget their terrible loss, but if we as a team were able to make them smile for just a couple of seconds, that was an achievement," The Independent quoted Tendulkar, as saying.

"And thanks to the England cricket team who came back very graciously and played against us. You know, cricket in India brings the entire nation together, from the poorest child to a billionaire. We are in a position to make everyone happy, which is very special for me and the whole cricketing fraternity," he said.

He pointed other innings which he considered important were played during his school days. "I would say that there were a couple in my schooldays that changed my life. In the semi-final of an Under-17s tournament I scored 326 not out, which is when everyone in Mumbai took notice of me. I then scored 346 not out in the final, with Dilip Vengsarkar and Sunil Gavaskar watching."

"I was only 14 at the time, but Vengsarkar wanted me to join the Mumbai first-class team, which contained nine Test players. He had to be sure I was ready. So he invited me to play in the India nets. The Indian team had a camp in Mumbai, and he made Kapil Dev and all these guys bowl at me in the nets. After that session he gave a green signal to the selectors," he told The Independent in an interview.

The master blaster said that in his first domestic season he scored the highest number of runs for the team. "There are three trophies in India, and in all three I scored a century on my debut, so my performances were very good, but also the timing was perfect," he said.

India snatch high-scoring thriller against West Indies

Yuvraj Singh made up for the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina with an explosive century, allaying fears of weakness in the Indian batting order, and led his team to a hard-fought win in the first one-day international against West Indies in Kingston. His 131 from 102 balls, which contributed to a substantial partnership with Dinesh Karthik, helped India recover from a shaky start to post a match-winning total of 339 on a pitch and outfield which were on the slower side.

West Indies chased manfully but none of their batsmen combined aggression with longevity, a blend that made Yuvraj's innings so devastating, and one that is a necessity while chasing a target of such proportions. Three of their best batsmen - Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul - made fiery starts but fell at inopportune moments, causing the innings to hit a speed breaker when it needed a batsman to bat at full throttle but stay the distance. As a result, India were always marginally ahead of the game, if only by a hair's breadth at times, and even though the lower-order caused India's bowlers and fielders to palpitate, West Indies fell 20 runs short.

West Indies made promising progress in their difficult chase, reaching 151 for 3 at the half-way stage, despite the inability of their batsmen to convert quick starts into long and damaging innings, like Yuvraj Singh did for India. Chris Gayle, Runako Morton and Ramnaresh Sarwan made useful contributions but their untimely dismissals left Shivnarine Chanderpaul with a lot to do, as West Indies needed 189 runs off the last 25 overs to win the first ODI against India at Sabina Park. Morton attempted to fill the void left by Gayle. He had taken six balls to get off the mark and focused on rotating strike but stepped up after his captain's departure. He helped steer West Indies to 70 for 1 after ten overs, lofting the left-arm spin off Ravindra Jadeja over wide long-on for six. He and Sarwan had begun a promising partnership when Morton was given caught down the leg side, for 42, off Yusuf Pathan when the ball appeared to have come off the thigh pad.

Yuvraj Singh, by himself, made up for the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina with an explosive century, allaying fears of weakness in the Indian batting order. His 131 from 102 balls, which included a substantial partnership with Dinesh Karthik, helped India recover from a shaky start to post 339 in the first one-day international against West Indies, on a pitch and outfield which were on the slower side.

A total of such proportions, though, seemed unattainable on evidence of how India batted at the start of their innings. That familiar bugbear of Indian batsmen - the short ball - began to undo the top order once again before the 135-run stand between Yuvraj and Karthik, which had shaky beginnings, gave the innings direction. India's dominance was so untested during the period when Yuvraj was approaching his hundred that West Indies did well to restrict the score to 339, relatively speaking, after India were 253 for 3 in 38.1 overs when Yuvraj was dismissed.

India started briskly, moving on to 25 in the fifth over, before Taylor unsettled Gautam Gambhir with a 92mph delivery from round the wicket that hurried the left-hander and cramped him for room. Gambhir's attempt to hook was feeble and one hand came off the bat as he top-edged a catch to midwicket. Rohit Sharma fell soon after, pulling a less ferocious ball from Baker to Dwayne Bravo at deep square leg. The momentum swung violently towards India in two phases, the first of which was when the spinners came on after the 20th over. Yuvraj attacked Suleiman Benn and Chris Gayle, pulling and slog-sweeping them thrice over the midwicket boundary. India, largely through Yuvraj, who also feasted on Bernard's full deliveries on leg stump, scored 70 runs between overs 20 and 27.

How Gambhir came to Afridi's rescue

Ajantha Mendis didn't take a wicket and Shahid Afridi never hit him for a boundary but the "demystifying" of the Sri Lankan spinner told greatly on his team's defeat in the finals of the ICC World Twenty20 here on Sunday.

Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara conceded that Pakistan had played his "mystery spinner" too often in recent times and it had played into his opposition's hands. What he didn't know was that an Indian had also contributed hugely in Pakistan's quest to tackle Mendis.

Indian opener Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi were lodged in the same hotel with their teams in central London in the second week of the competition when they caught up with each other over a dinner. Afridi had then inquired Gambhir, arguably one who has played Mendis best so far, on how to come to terms with the Sri Lankan spinner.

Afridi's questions were specific: how to spot when Mendis was bowling a googly or varying the degree of spin or when he was in "carom ball" delivery mode. Gambhir patiently shared all his knowledge with Afridi which must be kind of a news in itself as the world believed their was no love lost between the two cricketers.

Afridi and Gambhir were involved in an ugly confrontation during a match of the 2006-07 series and the latter was even hauled up in front of the match-referee.

Well clearly much water has passed under the bridge since then and Gambhir was more than keen to help out Afridi. The mercurial Pakistani at that stage must not have known if his side would end up facing Sri Lanka again in the tournament. But his eagerness was just a reflection on how desperate Afridi was to succeed.

Gambhir's mantra was no different to what he has maintained all along. "I think it is important to pick him from his fingers because most of the variations which he does, he does from his fingers and it is important to pick him then."

On June 12, exactly nine days before the finals, Sri Lanka and Pakistan had faced each other in a Super Eight match at Lord's only. Afridi had then got out for nought, a victim of Muthiah Muralidharan's mastery. Pakistan had then lost by 19 runs.

Today it was Afridi's turn to get his even. He hit a half century and Pakistan won by eight wickets. In a strange way, there was enough for the newly crowned winners to thank an Indian.