 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Posts Tagged ‘Sri Lanka’
Fri, November 14, 2008 5:52 am By James Coolridge  Printer friendly version
 Email to a friend
 Known as the greatest spinner, ever produced by the Indian sub continent, Anila Kumble is also known as the gentleman of the game. This magic leg spinner of Indian side was born on 17 October 1970 in Banglore, Karnataka. The former Indian cricketer is a right-arm leg-spinner and a right-hand batsman, who is also the leading wicket-taker for India in both Test and One Day Internationals. Holding more than 600 Test wickets in his kitty, Anil Kumble is the leading wicket taker after Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne.
Kumble was appointed as the captain of the Indian Test cricket team on 8 November 2007 for the three-test home series against Pakistan that India won 1-0. He led the Indian side against Australia for the 2007-08 four-test series, which India lost 1-2. He was appointed the captain afetr the resignation of Rahul Dravid in September 2007. Kumble made his debut into international cricket on 25 April 1990. He has taken 619 Test wickets and 330 ODI wickets in his credit. He is one of only two bowlers in the history of cricket to erode all 10 wickets in a test innings. Kumble was honoured with the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours in 2005. Kumble retired from international cricket on 2 November 2008.
Born in Banglore, Kumble began his cricket career with a club called Young Cricketers when he was 13. The right-arm leg spinner with an unorthodox style started his career as a medium pacer. His first-class debut for Karnataka was in November 1989 and became a part of the India Under-19 squad against Pakistan, the same year. He made his ODI debut on 25 April 1990 at Sharjah agaist Sri Lanka. He also made his Test debut in the same year against England. In 2006, he became the second player in the history of the game to score 2000 runs and take over 500 Test wickets.
Anil Kumble announced his retirement on the last day of the 3rd Test match against Australia at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium, New Delhi after continous injuries, which were causing him to miss matches from time to time.
Tags : England, retirement, India, Sri Lanka, Anil Kumble, test, Australia, batsman, Banglore, wickets, cicket, Shane Warne, Ione- Day Internatioanals, leg spinner, Padma Shri
Thu, November 6, 2008 8:12 am By James Coolridge
 If you ask any cricket lover, who his favourite batsman or bowler is, I am sure he may fumble over whom among his list of favourite he shpiuld pick out. But if he is asked who his favourate fielder is; wthout wasting a second, the aswer will come- Jonty Rhodes. He is undoubtedly the greatest fielder ever cricket history has seen. Never need an introdution for him. He is someone who gave a new dimension to the fielding.
Jonathan Neil Rhodes, popularly known as Jonty Rhodes was born on 27 July 1969in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. The fielding demigod of South African team excelled in both One Day Internationals and Test matches for South Africa in his career ranging from 1992 to 2003.
This right-handed batsman was noted for his quick running and ground fielding. He was adored all over the world for his throwing from his most common position of backward point. He holds the record of the ninth highest number of run-outs in ODI cricket of any fieldsman, with the third highest success rate. Jonty Rhodes has also batted for Irish cricket team and has been a part of Glocestershire County Cricket Club and Kwazulu- Natal in first class cricket. Rodhes bid farewell to one day cricket in 2003 after an injury.
Rhodes was also a part of the South African hockey team and was selected for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games squad, but could not qualify to go to the tournament because of a hamstring injury Rhodes made his debut in Test cricket against in 1992 against India in Durban. His first century was born at Moratuwa, Sri Lanka in 1993-94 season. He retired from Test cricket in 2001. Rhodes began his one-day international career in 1992 World Cup against Australia in Sydney. In his retirement life, he is an account executive at Standard Bank. He is also currently the fielding coach of the South African national cricket team.
Tags : Cricket, Sydney., catches, India, Sri Lanka, Hockey, Australia, South Africa, debut, Jonty Rodhes, fielding, Durban
Sun, November 2, 2008 6:57 am By James Coolridge
 Ricky Ponting is really sick of hearing the questions on his performance in India. He has been quizzed by the media over his potential in facing the balls on Indian grounds. His otherwise unblemished Test record is shadowed with unimpressive performance on India fields. His attempts to bring out scores never found good results on India soil. In the past few years Ponting was seen to be more aggressive of grounds with a few couple of massive tons taking his overall runs to new heights. He even garnered a space in Aussies cricket same to Steve Waugh, Allen Border and Mark Taylor. With a series of mind blowing performance in past two-three years, he has gained an authority over Aussies batting side.
This time Ricky Ponting found time to explain the media the reason that he found was behind poor performance. Ricky Ponting says that he never had trust on himself. He was able to take his technique to confidence. Ponting feels that the dismissal in the first Indian Test would have been the cause of the problem. The effort to play different at every delivery is the result of that fear. But they made things more complicated. Things used to end up at stumping or caught at bat-pad sweeping.
Ricky Ponting says that he is this time in India after a thorough home work. He has learned the lessons care fully and have reached a conclusion that even if you get out; you should stick on the style of batting. This may bring runs, he believes. Ricky Ponting added that he never found Harbhajan Singh as a big threat.
Ricky Ponting stressed on the statistics to show that his performance in Sri Lank, which is the most difficult place to face spin bowling is excellent. This proves that he could face spin bowling without any difficulty. Ricky Ponting expressed confidence in his team. He said they are well equipped and has enough ammunition against the hosts.
Tags : Cricket, statistics, India, Sri Lanka, test, Australia, Ricky Ponting, century, Mark Taylor, spin bowling, Harbhajan Singh, home work, ammunition, Steve Waugh, Allen Border
Fri, October 10, 2008 9:10 am By James Coolridge
 Thomas Masson Moody, commonly known Tom Moody was once an integral part of Australian cricket team. This righ hand batsman and right arm medium pacer had been a part of the Kangaroos for a long time in both Tests and One- Day Internationals. Born in Adlaide on October 2, 1965 as the son of a school head master. this soft spoken player had his schooling in Perth. During his schooling at Guildford Grammer School, he exhibited talent in athletics, Australian football and cricket. He was a member of the school cricket team and then joined Midland Guildford team.
The six foot six inch tall guy began his first class career in the 1985-86 season with West Australia. He also wore glouse for Warwickshire and Worcestershire, the English counties. Known as “Long” Moody for his height, this aggressive fast scoring batsman scored over 20,000 runs in his fist class career.
He was the part of Aussies test team between 1989 and 1992, the period in which he played eight matches for the Kangaroos. He was also part of Aussies side in three World Cups. He played 76 One Dayers for Aussies side. He was seen more busy in his post retirement life. Tom Moody was a representative of Austrlian cricket and had held the post of director of criclet with Worcestershire for many years. He was in race for the post of coach for Indian side in May 2005, but lost to Greg Chappel, another former Aussies player. He was later appointed as the coach of Sri Lanka, but resigned from the post in 2007. Moody was appointed by the WACA in 2007 as manager and head coach of the Western Warriors for a period of three years. In short figures show that he is busier in his retirement tenure than his on filed days.
Tags : Cricket, World Cup, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Tom Moody, Kangaroos, Aussies, Greg Chappel, Warwickshire, WACA, Test matches
Sun, September 28, 2008 10:34 am By James Coolridge
 No cricket lover could ever forget Dean Jones, while talking about cricket. The greatest Australian batsman, who is known for his knocks on the field rather than off field controversies. The career spell between 1984 to 1992, Jones was considered as the ace batsman for the Aussies side (remember the Chennai test of 1986). Beginning his career in the first class cricket in 1981–82 season, he made debut in Test against West Indies in 1984.
Johnes wore pads for 52 Test matches for Kangaroos between 1984 and 1992, scoring 3,631 runs, including 11 centuries, at abrilliant average of 46.55. His mindblowing performance at the Chennai Test in 1986 against India smashing 210 is a textbook for the young playesr and is a folklore for new generation cricket lovers.
Jones went on to be a mainstay of the Australian Test team middle order over the next six years until the controversial dropping of him during the 1992-93 Ashes series. Despite his super performance, the axing of this mascot was seen as a result of personal vendetta of then Australian coach Bob Simpson, which invited protests all around the country. The fans of Jones were upset over the decision, who questioned the motives of selectors creating a stir among the cricket circle during that time.
Jones still was a part of the one-day side for a brief time until the 1993 Ashes tour, where he was again dropped. But agin Jones found berth in the Aussies side for the 1993–94 season, which was his last term of the careeer.
Jones in his one day career of 164 matches scored 6,068 runs, including seven centuries and 46 half centuries, at an average of 44.61, another stupenduous performance. He made the crowd in the stadium dance with his positive, aggressive and flamboyant style of play.
After the retirement from first class cricket, Jones played various roles including, coach and a commentator. His condemnation of Muttiah Muralitharan over the bowlig action had hit the headlines of the news a few years ago. He was also in news for his remarks over South African player Hashim Amla in 2006.
Tags : Cricket, India, Sri Lanka, test, Australia, Muttiah Muralitharan, South Africa, Dean Jones, 1986, Chennai, Hashim Amla, century, runs, Ashes, Bob Simpson
Fri, September 12, 2008 8:38 am By James Coolridge
 Colombo Aug 25 Ever since they were shown off the doors at the ICC World Cup last year in the Caribbean soil, India have progressed nicely in the shorter version of the game under new captain M.S. Dhoni. The grand win against Sri Lanka, the runners-up of the World Cup tournament is a fine example for that.
Under the captaincy of Dhoni, India grabbed the inaugural ICC Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa last year and won the Commonwealth Bank tri-nation ODI competition in Australia that involved the World Champions and Sri Lanka. This was a good sign of India’s come back to glorious days of cricket.
A victory here for the tourists, without two of their big sharks Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag will be hailed and yet another close contest is expected at the R. Premadasa Stadium Tuesday.
After the defeat to the Sri Lankans in the first ODI by eight wickets in Dambulla, the tourists did well and made a grand come back and won the next two ODIs by three wickets and 33 runs respectively.
A win either in Tuesday’s or Friday’s day-nighter will give the Indians the series.
‘We’ll take it game by game. We want to give 100 percent and play the first game well and if there are any mistakes there, we want to come back, rectify them and finish off the series in a winning note,’ Dhoni told the pressmen in Colombo.
‘We won thanks to a good team effort and that’s good to see. Not a single player had a bad game and hopefully that continues,’ he added.
The Sri Lankans, meanwhile, rather belatedly, will bring in one of the regular openers to the side, pushing down Kumar Sangakkara to his original number three slot.
Going by Sangakkara’s excellent form during the Asia Cup tournament, where he hit three successive hundreds opening the innings, the Sri Lankans let him partner Sanath Jayasuriya. But the wicketkeeper batsman has struggled against Zaheer Khan in this series.
Tags : Cricket, ICC, India, Sri Lanka, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni, test, South Africa, Sachin Tendulkae, Twenty-Twenty, Colombo
Wed, September 10, 2008 8:30 am By James Coolridge
 JOHANNESBURG – The South African cricket coach Mickey Arthur on Friday said a proposed limited-overs series with Pakistan will not take place offered a welcome break for his exhausted players.
“A lot of the senior players have played a helluva lot of cricket this year, and break is the need of the hour,” Arthur told a news conference.
“I’m sure the tri-series is not going to take place and, in retrospect, it’s a relief that the Champions Trophy was called off because we would have been back on a plane flying out on Sunday,” added Arthur here at the press conference.
Arthur and his squad had just returned from England after their two-month tour, where they claimed their first test series win in 43 years but lost the limited-overs series 4-0.
The coach said his players would be in no shape to take part in another limited-overs series.
“I can’t think of one player who was involved in both the test and one-day series in England who has not picked up a niggle.
Captain Graeme Smith’s is suffering with an elbow injury, Mark Boucher has a fractured finger, Morne Morkel a side strain and Dale Steyn is yet to recover from a niggling shoulder injury, Arthur said. All this make a break essential for the boys.
The Pakistan board have been in negotiations with Cricket South Africa to stage a one-day series in South Africa. Sri Lanka proposed was planned to be the other team. This month’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan got postponed due to security concerns.
Although England, under new captain Kevin Pietersen, ripped South Africa apart in the one-day series, Arthur was delighted with his side’s overall performance.
“I’m still immensely proud of the team,” he added. “It was a huge positive to win the test series that was really the be-all and end-all of our tour.
“We knew the one-dayers would be tough and I don’t think a really good England has got the credit they deserve.”
He said he noticed a change in the mood of the team ahead of the final test at the Oval, with South Africa already 2-0 up and assured of the series win.
Tags : Cricket, Champions Trophy, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Graeme Smith, one dayers
Mon, September 8, 2008 5:17 pm By James Coolridge
 JOHANNESBURG – The South African cricket coach Mickey Arthur on Friday said a proposed limited-overs series with Pakistan will not take place offered a welcome break for his exhausted players.
“A lot of the senior players have played a helluva lot of cricket this year, and break is the need of the hour,” Arthur told a news conference.
“I’m sure the tri-series is not going to take place and, in retrospect, it’s a relief that the Champions Trophy was called off because we would have been back on a plane flying out on Sunday,” added Arthur here at the press conference.
Arthur and his squad had just returned from England after their two-month tour, where they claimed their first test series win in 43 years but lost the limited-overs series 4-0.
The coach said his players would be in no shape to take part in another limited-overs series.
“I can’t think of one player who was involved in both the test and one-day series in England who has not picked up a niggle.
Captain Graeme Smith’s is suffering with an elbow injury, Mark Boucher has a fractured finger, Morne Morkel a side strain and Dale Steyn is yet to recover from a niggling shoulder injury, Arthur said. All this make a break essential for the boys.
The Pakistan board have been in negotiations with Cricket South Africa to stage a one-day series in South Africa. Sri Lanka proposed was planned to be the other team. This month’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan got postponed due to security concerns.
Although England, under new captain Kevin Pietersen, ripped South Africa apart in the one-day series, Arthur was delighted with his side’s overall performance.
“I’m still immensely proud of the team,” he added. “It was a huge positive to win the test series that was really the be-all and end-all of our tour.
“We knew the one-dayers would be tough and I don’t think a really good England has got the credit they deserve.”
He said he noticed a change in the mood of the team ahead of the final test at the Oval, with South Africa already 2-0 up and assured of the series win.
Tags : Cricket, Champions Trophy, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Graeme Smith, one dayers
Sat, August 23, 2008 10:44 am By James Coolridge
 Karachi, Sep 6: Pakistan’s embattled coach Geoff Lawson has made it clear that there exist no job insecurity following the quitting of Pakistan Cricket Chairman Nasim Ashraf, who was the biggest supporter of the former Aussie Test pacer.
Lawson said here on Saturday he overlooked several lucrative positions in Australia to become Pakistan coach and can go back to some other important job back home any time he likes.
‘I have no insecurity,’ said the former Aussie fast bowler in Karachi. He took over as Pakistan coach last summer following the death of Englishman Bob Woolmer during the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.
There have been reports that Lawson is expected to face the axe along with several other people occupying key positions in the cricket establishment once a new PCB chairman is appointed later this month.
Traditionally it is seen that a new PCB chief brings in new set of officials after asking the previous officials to quit or face the axe.
Lawson does not enjoy much experience as an international coach and was handpicked by the former PCB chief ahead of his vastly accomplished compatriot Dav Whatmore.
During his 14-month stint so far, Lawson’s biggest achievement is reaching the final of the inaugural World Twenty20 Championship in South Africa last September. Under him, Pakistan have played two Test series - against South Africa at home and against India in India, but lost both.
Critics have always raised voices against Lawson calling him a weak coach and the Aussie’s fractious relations with the national selectors and the Pakistani media has not helped his cause much. But Lawson is not a worried man.
“I had several lucrative options in Australia but accepted to be Pakistan’s coach because it was a big challenge for me. And I will continue to focus on my task which is to make Pakistan the world’s best team.”
Lawson said that if the new PCB feels he is not fit for the post, he will happily go back to Australia and take up some other assignment. Lawson lamented the fact that foreign cricketers believe that Pakistan is an unsafe destination for them.
“I live in Lahore and move around in the city like a normal person, going shopping and to restaurants. I don’t feel unsafe,” said Lawson. Lawson travelled to Australia and New Zealand last month to convince the players there that they would be completely safe in Pakistan during the Champions Trophy.
But the players were not convinced and later the ICC was forced to postpone the ICC Champions Trophy. Thanks to the security fears.
‘It was unfortunate. The players were convinced that Pakistan was unsafe because they see this country through the eyes of the Western media and believe it’s a dangerous place,’ says Larson.
Tags : World Cup, PCB, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, tests, Australia, Geoff LAwson, Nasim Ashraf, pace bowler, West Indies, Dav Whatmore
| | | | |
Posts RSS
Comments 
RSS
