Pakistan crowned the ICC World Twenty20 champions

Nothing better could have had happened to a nation having lots & lots of trouble for about 3 years now. Younis Khan & his men did what was anticipated by neither the fans nor the critics. Beating the two undefeated teams in the semi-final & the final. It was a collective team effort, but the Afridi’s brilliance was simply a thing to look at. He was on the top of his game. Umar Gul & Saeed Ajmal were also keeping Pakistan in the race before Afridi’s brilliance. All in all a good World Cup. Nothing better than finishing on a winning note.

Pakistan Zindabad

South Africa vs Pakistan 1st Semi Final - Highlights

Pakistan Batting

South Africa Batting

Cricinfo Reports

The South African juggernaut was brought to a screeching halt by Shahid Afridi who, with a little help from his team-mates, dumped the tournament favourites out of the World Twenty20 and secured Pakistan's place in the final. Afridi put in an all-round performance of tremendous intensity, lifting Pakistan to a defendable total with an aggressive yet methodical half-century, before bowling a spell that left the South Africans struggling at Trent Bridge.

The clinical South African side, unbeaten in the competition, were favourites going in to the semi-final and their bowlers fought admirably to restrict Pakistan to 149 when, at one stage a total of 170 seemed on the cards. With the exception of Jacques Kallis, though, their batsmen failed to give the chase any sort of direction. They were suffocated by Afridi and the offspinner Saeed Ajmal and their inability to score enough runs during the middle overs left them with too much to do against the pinpoint accuracy of Umar Gul's yorkers.

"lily-livered coward" Captain Says India 'much safer' than Pak

Australian double standards in visiting Pakistan becoming more evident with every comment that is being given.Latest is from the Aussie captain who says that India is much safer than Pakistan.Here is what he has to say

Defending Cricket Australia’s decision to go ahead with India tour despite Saturday’s serial blasts, the country’s Test captain Ricky Ponting has said that there was a difference in the security situation in India and Pakistan, and that he and his team were comfortable in playing in India and not Pakistan.

“As we all know and has been outlined already, these are very different circumstances between India and Pakistan right at the moment and Cricket Australia has made that very clear. As captain of the side and as a player, right at the moment I am very comfortable to go on the advice of Cricket Australia and the players'' association,” The Australian quoted Ponting as saying.

He said that Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and independent security experts and given the go ahead for the India tour. “Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have obviously been in very close contact with Cricket Australia over the last few days,” Ponting said.

Ponting’s comments followed an outburst from Pakistan alleging “favouritism” by Cricket Australia in proceeding with a tour of India after twice refusing to tour Pakistan this year because of safety and security concerns.[Via]

I think its time to sue Cricket Australia & demand Millions of dollars in compensation for destroying Cricket in Pakistan.It was Australia who refused to tour Pakistan Years back others were happy to tour.

McCullum smashes 158 in Rocking IPL opener

The Indian Premier League, with its potential to transform world cricket, began on Friday with a spectacular floodlit match in Bangalore.

The sell-out crowd of 55,000 was treated to a remarkable innings from New Zealand's Brendon McCullum.

Playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders he hit 158 not out, the highest ever individual Twenty20 score, as his side romped to a 140 run win.

The cricket was preceded by a lavish opening ceremony at the ground.

Acrobats, singers and cheerleaders from the Washington Redskins performed to a backdrop of some impressive fireworks.

But the home team, the Bangalore Royal Challengers, were soundly beaten, and there was one other sour note.

A row about the restrictions placed on international news agencies Reuters, AP and AFP led to all three boycotting coverage.

It meant websites and newspapers were unable to show photos from either the match or the opening ceremony.

When the action started some of the smartest kits ever seen in cricket were on show.

The Knight Riders, part-owned by Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, wore black with gold trim, and gold helmets, pads and gloves.

The home team, led by former India captain Rahul Dravid, wore red, yellow and orange.

Two hours before the match was due to start, music began pumping out of giant speakers at the M Chinnaswammy Stadium.

Long queues gathered outside, although as most of the stands were already full many fans had to be turned away.

Those lucky enough to get into the ground cheered as the eight captains, all smartly dressed in suits, were introduced to them.

Board of Control for Cricket in India chairman Sharad Pawar said: "This is an historic day for world cricket.

"The world is watching what is happening in Bangalore.

Behind the scenes ahead of the first game

"In 44 days, 123 Indian players and 73 overseas players are going to play 59 matches in eight different places.

"I am confident there is an opportunity for the world's senior players to teach the new young players which will build a strong future team for India."

Acting International Cricket Council president Ray Mali thanked the Bangalore organisers and said cricket "was being taken to the next level".

The contests between the league's eight teams will feature nearly all of the top names in the game, and they will be closely watched in England, the birthplace of Twenty20 cricket.

The England and Wales Cricket Board is in talks with an American billionaire to set up its own version of the IPL, but on Friday the attention was squarely on India.

With the final in Mumbai on 1 June, fans should see some mouthwatering cricket with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai), Ricky Ponting (Kolkata) and Matthew Hayden (Chennai) facing the bowling of Brett Lee (Punjab), Shane Warne (Rajasthan) and Glenn McGrath (Delhi).

The stars will get around £100,000 a week during the tournament, putting them on similar pay to the world's top footballers, albeit for a limited period.

It will also be a new experience for the fans.

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said: "The success or failure of the IPL lies with the Indian supporters who are fanatical about cricket but only until now about the national team.

"If a supporter of the Punjab franchise celebrates wildly when Lee shatters Tendulkar's stumps in Mumbai for a duck then the IPL will have broken new territory."

Kolkata coach John Buchanan, owner Shah Rukh Khan & captain Sourav Ganguly

It has not all been plain sailing for the IPL organisers, however.

As well as having to cope with the agency boycott, they watched a severely one-sided match on Friday, with the Royal Challengers beaten by 140 runs.

Meanwhile, star names Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and Nathan Bracken are injured and out of the opening exchanges.

The most exciting fast bowler around, South Africa's Dale Steyn, is playing domestic cricket for the Titans back home and will also miss the start.

And England's only representative, Dimitri Mascarenhas, will only be released from Hampshire duty for a fortnight some time in May.

[Via]

After all they Were "Badshahs" !!

After all the expected thing happened yet again.Lahore Badshahs lost the second final of ICL's Edelweiss 20s Challenge's Trophy too.It was a tight game which ended in a tie,resulting in a bowl out.And historically Pakistani players are not good at bowl out.Same thing happened here as well.The question is "When you prepare for a twenty 20 game are you ready for a bowl out?I am not sure that any practice is ever done even in the case of our national side.It also shows the lack of confidence in our players.I don't take anything away from them what they've done in the entire tournament.They were the most feared team.But They can't hold their nerves in crunch moments.Rana Naveed's last over was not good at all.Overstepping twice & a wide ball as well.Bottom line is this that These cricketers are from our land & no matter where they play they represent Pakistan.Making same mistakes again & again shows the lack of professionalism in our cricket structure.People "Badshahs" in Pakistan are "Badshahs" everywhere.

Want Cricket Scores ??? let Google Help

With the start of the Twenty20 world championship, cricket fever is upon legions of enthusiasts. To make it easier for you to indulge your interest in a game John Fowles characterized as "chess made flesh," we've simplified your search for cricket scores. Just type [cricket] in a Google search box and you'll see a brief score of all the current cricket matches. A single click will also give you access to a detailed cricket score card.

If you're a diehard India fan, then type [cricket Pakistan] to get results for Pakistani matches. Of course, feel free to replace Pakistan with the country of your choice for country-specific results.

For More Details Google Blog

Shoaib Akhter Not to Join ICL

Enigmatic pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar has said that he is not planning to join the Indian Cricket League (ICL) even though he is in touch with them.

Speaking to reporters on the opening day of the national training camp at the Gaddafi Stadium for the Twenty20 World Championship to be held in South Africa next month, Shoaib expressed that he wanted to give his best to Pakistan, adding he was eagerly waiting for the chance to do so not just in the global Twenty20 event but also in the three forthcoming series against South Africa, India and Australia.

Commenting on the recent row with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over skipping the national camp in Karachi and the Rs300,000 fine which had been imposed on him, Shoaib said it would have been better had the board quietly resolved the issue itself. He also hoped that instead of delivering notices to the players the PCB would focus more on the game of cricket.

In this instance, the PCB’s appellate tribunal had later set aside the penalty asking Manager Talat Ali Malik to hold fresh inquiries giving the bowler equal opportunity to defend his case.

Shoaib had not been able to appear before the disciplinary committee as the letter summoning him could not be delivered to his address. Giving his view on the issue, Shoaib said there was no space to write one’s residential address on the central contract document, therefore, he said, he did not write it.

The head of the tribunal, Mueen Afzal, and PCB’s Chief Operating Officer Shafqat Naghmi have admitted this mistake saying that neither the fast bowler wrote his proper address on the central contract nor did the board check for it.

ICL Offers Asif Rs 100 million

Stepping up their player signing up drive, the Indian Cricket League has wooed Mohammad Asif with a more lucrative second offer of Rs 10 crore, local media reported today. "The ICL has offered Asif Rs 100 million for a three-year contract and the pacer is carefully assessing the various aspects of the offer before taking a decision next week," the ‘Dawn’ reported today quoting Pakistan Cricket Board sources. The ICL had last month offered Rs 9 crore each to Asif and fellow fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar which they had refused. The sources also said the PCB was concerned about the congregation of several Pakistan players in London and were wary of their intentions to join the rebel League. Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed and Shahid Afridi are all in England these days where a former Test captain and wicketkeeper is intensely lobbying for the ICL, said the sources.

Geoff Lawson is the new Pakistan Coach

Geoff Lawson is the new Pakistan Coach

He succeeds Bob Woolmer, who died at the World Cup earlier this year after collapsing in his Jamaica hotel room.

"Lawson is our choice and we are confident he will help the Pakistan team into a new era of success," said board chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf.

The 49-year-old, who took 180 wickets in 46 Test appearances in the 1980s, has agreed a two-year contract.

Earlier, however, he told Australian TV and radio he would not have taken the job if there had been any doubts remaining about Woolmer's death.

The case was initially treated as murder but pathologists later contradicted the findings and confirmed he had died from natural causes.

"That put my mind at rest," said Lawson.

The Pakistan team has had eight different coaches in the past 11 years and struggled to achieve consistency in both Test and one-day cricket.

And Lawson's appointment ahead of rival candidate Dav Whatmore, the former Sri lanka and Pakistan coach, represents something of a gamble by the PCB as his only experience came with state side New South Wales.

Explaining their decision, Dr Ashraf said: "We wanted a bright, young, qualified coach, well aware of the modern day requirements."

Lawson believes Pakistan has a highly talented squad, who just need to achieve the right mental approach to improve results in all forms of the game.

"It's not a great exercise in skill development, it's an exercise in mental development," he told Sydney radio station 2KY.

"Australia never look on any game they run out on the paddock for as meaningless. That is a terrific attitude to have. Every day is 100% and that's certainly not what a lot of sides do.

"If you've got the talent and you're well prepared and you take every game as if it's a grand final, there's a chance you are going to do well.

"Pakistan's inconsistency has probably got a lot to do with that - not approaching every game, or the next game, as the most important one they're going to play.

"I think that is the greatest challenge," he said.

Lawson is expected to arrive in Pakistan next month to begin preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup in September and series against South Africa and India which follow.

His first task will be to appoint support staff to work alongside him.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has not been included in a list of 20 players awarded central contracts by the board.

Despite retiring from one-day cricket following the World Cup, he was still hoping to continue his Test career.

"The selectors wanted to give central contracts to those players who are playing both forms of the game," explained Ashraf.

From : BBC

Geoff Lawson eager for Pakistan Coaching chance

Geoff Lawson eager for Pakistan Coaching chance

Former Australia fast bowler Geoff Lawson has described coaching Pakistan as "one of the most important jobs in world cricket".

Lawson is one of three candidates to succeed the late Bob Woolmer and was interviewed in Bhurban on Monday.

"Pakistan are impressive when they play well, and are frustrating when they play bad. But they are a good group of men who can be motivated," he said.

The Pakistan Cricket Board hope to make an appointment next week.

Rival candidate Richard Done met PCB officials last weekend and Dav Whatmore, the former coach of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will do so on Wednesday.

Lawson, meanwhile, admitted that he was initially reluctant to accept an invitation to attend while Woolmer's death in Jamaica during the recent World Cup was still being investigated.

"It is fair to say I changed my mind after it was announced Woolmer died of natural causes," he said.

The 49-year-old paid tribute to the former Pakistan coach, adding: "We crossed paths nine months ago and apart from his coaching abilities, which were superior, he was a good human being and the world of cricket will miss him."

Lawson took 180 wickets in 46 Tests during the 1980s and has coaching experience with state side New South Wales.

"I am honoured and feel great pride to be among the candidates. Pakistan have a bright future and that's what brought me here," he added.

From: BBC

Police confirm Woolmer not murdered

Jamaica police have confirmed that Bob Woolmer died of natural causes and was not murdered.

As expected, police commissioner Lucius Thomas read out a statement confirming that three independent reviews of the post mortem and pathology reports had all rejected the original findings of Dr Ere Seshaiah, which had led to the launch of a murder investigation.

"The JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) accepts these findings," he said, "and has now closed its investigation into the death of Mr Bob Woolmer."

Foreign pathologists "concur with the view that Mr Woolmer died of natural causes", he said, while in further toxicology tests, "no substance was found to indicate that Bob Woolmer was poisoned."

Mark Shields, the deputy police commissioner who led the case, said: "We have conducted a thorough, professional examination. We had to conduct an investigation. There is no alternative. Our job is to keep an open mind. We said from the very beginning that we would keep an open mind. Ultimately, of course, it will be a decision for the coroner."

The JCF will now submit a report to the coroner to gain an official ruling that his death was of heart failure and not "manual strangulation" as the original autopsy suggested.

Commenting on allegations of match-fixing, Thomas added that "neither the ICC nor the JCF have found any evidence of any impropriety by players, match officials nor management during the investigation of Mr Bob Woolmer's death."

Thomas thanked the Pakistan players for their assistance. "The whole team were treated with respect throughout the investigation and it is to their credit that we were able to fulfil all of our investigations. I would like to thank the other teams for the support they gave."

And he offered his condolences to the family. "My hope is that despite the trauma of the last two and half months, Mrs Woolmer and her sons will be confident that the JCF has done all it can to establish the truth surrounding the death of her husband ... and she may be able to find some closure."

Gill Woolmer released this statement: "My sons and I are relieved to be officially informed that Bob died of natural causes. We realise that this investigation has been problematical given the circumstances and the media spotlight. We hope this matter will now be closed and that our family will be left to grieve in peace."

The fallout from the embarrassing about-turn by police, however, will rumble on. Already, Shields and Reneto Adams, the senior superintendent, have crossed swords.

Adams called for Shields to resign on national TV last week, but Shields fired back demanding that Adams step down for his part in other cases. The pair are old adversaries, stemming from Shields's investigation into a bungled police raid spearheaded by Adams.

From: CricInfo

Ford turns down India job

The BCCI's shambolic efforts to find a national coach took an embarrassing turn today when it was revealed that Graham Ford, the former South African coach who's now director of coaching at Kent County Cricket Club, had turned down the offer to coach the national side. Ford had been chosen last Saturday after a seven-man committee listened to presentations from him and John Emburey, the other candidate to be invited to the meeting in Chennai.

It was no secret that Ford was the players' choice, with the grapevine suggesting that the move for him had been initiated by Rahul Dravid, the Indian captain. After Greg Chappell's tenure, characterised by off-field controversy as much as anything on the field, Ford - who has a reputation as a back-room facilitator rather than an outspoken disciplinarian - was seen as the perfect choice to heal the fissures within the Indian team.

The news will come as a severe blow to the BCCI, who didn't have any other noteworthy candidate lined up once Dav Whatmore was ruled out by the committee. The top officials are currently in Bangalore, in parleys with senior players over contracts, and this development will force them to send out fresh smoke signals for what was once seen as one of the more prized assignments in international cricket.

Soon after that meeting, N Srinivasan, the board treasurer, spoke about the decision. "We have received a communication from Graham Ford that he cannot accept our offer at short notice because of his commitments to Kent. He has said he's withdrawing as candidate for the position." Srinivasan added that the matter would be discussed at the working committee meeting in New Delhi tomorrow.

Sunil Gavaskar, a member of the committee that interviewed Ford, said he was unaware of the reasons behind Ford's decision. "We are back to square one, that is a fact of life", he said. "I don't know what the BCCI's thinking is, whether it will start the process [of appointing a coach] all over again or make a short-term appointment as it did for the Bangladesh tour."

There is also the possibility that it will fall back on Emburey. When contacted by Cricinfo, Emburey said: "I haven't heard anything from the BCCI, I understand they are trying to contact me but haven't heard yet."

A media release issued by Kent quoted Ford as saying: "I am very grateful to the club for allowing me to go to India to find out more about the job of coaching the Indian Team. I have had a chance to reflect on the offer made by the BCCI and their urgency to fill the vacant position.

"After careful consideration, I have decided to continue my work here at Kent. This has been a really difficult decision. I am honoured that India have shown such interest in my capabilities, but feel that this is the right decision for me and my family."

Kent were understandably delighted by Ford's decision to stay. Graham Johnson, the club chairman, said: "This is really great news for Kent cricket. We are delighted Graham has decided to stay with us. I would like to say how much we appreciate the way Graham has handled the last few days.

"I know that all in the business at Kent, the playing staff, the coaching staff and all our administrators will be thrilled by his decision. It also says much about the future vision we have for Kent, the way we conduct our business and how we all play a part in the delivery of that vision, not least through what we do on the field."

From: © Cricinfo

ESPN acquires Cricinfo

Cricinfo has been acquired by ESPN, the global sports media powerhouse. The acquisition was announced by ESPN and the Wisden Group earlier this morning.

With this, Cricinfo joins a stable of top-drawer sports websites including ESPN.com, the US's premier online sports destination, and ESPNsoccernet.com - the world's leading English-language football website.

"Growing our business in the online world is vital for us to serve sports fans," said Russell Wolff, managing director of ESPN International. "Cricinfo is a tremendous property with a great fan base and it will be a strong addition to ESPN."

Explaining the decision, Mark Getty, director of the Wisden Group, said: "Cricinfo has developed into a significant cricket brand in its own right, combining huge global popularity with strong commercial success. ESPN is a major sports broadcaster and international rights holder and will provide the perfect environment for Cricinfo to further realise its enormous potential."

The Wisden Group, Getty said, would continue to focus on its Hawk-Eye sports technology business in cricket, tennis and a growing range of other sports.

"We have had a strong working relationship with ESPN for a number of years," Tom Gleeson, Cricinfo's managing director, said, "and we know how successful they are in providing innovative online sports content. We look forward to drawing on ESPN's expertise in sports marketing and digital media."

Today's announcement marks the latest stage of Cricinfo's evolution since its inception, in 1993, as an online community of cricket fans supplying cricket-related information on a voluntary basis.

Cricket lends itself perfectly to online coverage: the length of matches and the statistics-rich nature of the game combine to drive high global usage and build loyalty, and that's where Cricinfo has scored. Beginning with scorecards and live scores, the portal pioneered audio and video streaming of cricket matches.

After few years of independent existence, Cricinfo received its first major investment in 1999 from Sify, an Indian IT company, which acquired a majority stake in the company. It changed hands four years later when the Wisden Group, which then ran its own cricket website, wisden.com, bought it.

Since then Cricinfo has built on its reputation for providing accurate, live scoring from cricket matches the world over, by adding ball-by-ball commentary for most international games and building a database including every one of the 3000 international and 45,000 first-class cricketers to have played the game. It always had breadth, and it acquired depth by tapping into Wisden's traditional strengths in terms of comment, analysis and general reportage by the world's leading cricket writers.

The merger of those two resources has made Cricinfo the world's leading cricket website today, ranked number one in all of its major markets and reaching more than seven million users every month. The site's reach, authority and brand recognition is unrivalled in the online cricket world. And Cricinfo now reaches beyond the Internet - so that fans can get Cricinfo content on mobile applications and on some of the world's leading internet portals.

Woolmer was poisoned before murder

London: Pakistan's cricket coach Bob Woolmer was incapacitated by drugs before he was strangled, a British Broadcasting Corp. investigative program said on Monday.

Preliminary toxicology tests, due to be given to Jamaican police next week, indicated that Woolmer had been incapacitated by a drug, the BBC's Panorama programme said. The programme did not identify the drug or the source of its information.

Woolmer, a 58-year-old former England test batsman, was found unconscious in his room and later declared dead on March 18, the day after his squad was upset by Ireland and eliminated from the World Cup. Police said he was strangled. Woolmer's body was returned to his family in South Africa on Sunday.

Gilchrist stars in Aussie World Cup win

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Australia won an unprecedented third straight title and fourth overall when they beat Sri Lanka by 53 runs under Duckworth & Lewis method in the rain-curtailed final of the World Cup 2007 here at the Kensington Oval on Saturday.They earlier won the cricket’s mega event in 1999 and 2003, having also won the World Cup in 1987. It was also their fourth successive appearance in the final, having been beaten by Sri Lanka in 1996. Sri Lanka played their second World Cup final following their win 11 years ago. This was the ninth World Cup final since its inception in 1975, and the first staged in the Caribbean.The match was reduced to 38 overs a side because of rain and after winning the toss, captain Ricky Ponting decided to bat in wet conditions. Openers Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist put on a huge 172 for the first wicket in just 22.5 overs before Hayden fell after giving a fine support to his partner with a patient 38 off 55 balls. He was caught by skipper Mahela Jayawardene off Lasith Malinga.On the other end, vice-captain Gilchrist continued the onslaught and completed his fifty from 43 balls and his 15th ODI hundred off 72 balls. He added another 52 with his captain for the second wicket. However, Gilchrist’s hurricane innings came to an end when he pulled a short-length ball from Dilhara Fernando only to get a top edge and Chamara Silva took a good catch at short mid- wicket. His blazing 149 came from 104 balls with the help of 13 fours and eight sixes. This was the highest individual score in a World Cup final. The previous record was 140 not out by Ponting against India at Johannesburg in the 2003 World Cup final.Gilchrist also reached the 9000-run mark in One-day International career. He is the second Australian after Ricky Ponting and the 11th batsman overall to reach this milestone.Later, Ponting was run out at the score of 261. He made 37 off 42 balls. Five runs later, Shane Watson was clean bowled by malinga. However, Australia finished 281 for four at the end of the 38th over. Andrew Symonds was not out at 23 from 21 balls and Michael Clarke at eight runs.Malinga claimed two wickets for 49 and Dlihara Fernando took one wicket at a high cost of 74 runs.Chasing a rather difficult target, Sri Lanka lost their opener Upul Tharanga in only the third over but veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya and wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sanagakkara played sensibly and gradually accelerated the score. Both completed their fifties and added 116 runs for the second wicket before Sangakkara fell to Brad Hogg for 54. This was his 40th ODI fifty and in all he faced 54 balls and hit six fours and one six.Later, Jayasuriya was bowled by Clarke and Sri Lanka lost the hope of winning the title.Jayasuriya, in his final appearance in the World Cup he was playing since 1996, scored 63 off 67 balls with nine fours. This was his 64th ODI fifty. He also completed 12000 runs in the record 390 One-day Internationals. Then another short rain interruption revised the target to 269 in 36 overs. But wickets were falling at regular intervals. They were 206 for seven in 33 overs when bad lights stopped play and Australia thinking the match had been called off began celebrating the victory. But umpire Aleem Dar asked the players to resume the game in the dark to complete the remaining three overs.However, Sri Lanka finished at 215 for eight to lose the final by 53 runs under D/L rule.Adam Gilchrist was declared the man-of-the-match and Glenn McGrath the man of the tournament as the ninth edition of the World Cup ended with colourful celebrations at the ground.

Tendulkar should consider quitting,

Tendulkar should consider quitting

Look into that mirror, Sachin

Ian Chappell

Time to retire for Sachin Tendulkar? Ian Chappell thinks so © Getty Images

In the fallout from India's early demise at the World Cup one of the major decisions will concern the future of Sachin Tendulkar.

Before anybody else makes a decision on what will happen to Tendulkar the player himself has to have a good long look in the mirror and decide what he's trying to achieve in the game. At the moment he looks like a player trying to eke out a career; build on a glittering array of statistics. If he really is playing for that reason and not to help win as many matches as he can for India then he is wasting his time and should retire immediately.

When you think that for a decade Brian Lara and Tendulkar went head to head in a wonderful battle of stroke play to establish who was the best batsman in the world, they are now worlds apart in effectiveness.

Lara's quick-footed tip toe through a terrific innings against a good Australian bowling attack when the rest of the West Indies top order succumbed easily was in direct contrast to Tendulkar's stumbling effort in the crucial Sri Lanka match. The amazing thing about Lara's brilliant career is the fact that he hasn't changed his style at all over seventeen years. This is a credit to his technique and mental strength, as the aging process generally makes a player more progressively conservative.

Tendulkar hasn't worn as well; his last three or four years have been a shadow of his former self. His double century at the SCG in January 2004 was a classic case of a great player really struggling. He came to the crease out of form and despite amassing all those runs and batting for in excess of ten hours he was no closer to recapturing his best touch than he was when he started out. It was a tribute to his determination but it was a sad sight to see; there are enough average players around that you don't won't to see a class one reduced to that level.

Tendulkar hasn't been as lucky as Lara; the Indian batsman has suffered a lot of injuries in this period where his play has deteriorated and there is nothing that melts your mental approach quicker than physical handicaps. Lara has been relatively free from injury and he certainly doesn't have the weight of numbers riding on his shoulders that Tendulkar does.

However, the population of the Caribbean might be small but they are extremely demanding. Despite all the fuss and the odd controversy that has surrounded Lara's career he has remained himself; this is my game and that is how I play. For whatever reason Tendulkar hasn't been able to maintain his extremely high standards for the last few years and unless he can find a way to recapture this mental approach he's not doing his team or himself any favours.

If Tendulkar had found an honest mirror three years ago and asked the question; "Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the best batsman of all?" It would've answered; "Brian Charles Lara." If he asked that same mirror right now; "Mirror, mirror on the wall should I retire?" The answer would be; "Yes."

Source

© Cricinfo

Don't Support South Africa in The World Cup

Herschelle gibbs, a South African player did thison day 4 of test 1.He got banned for some matches after doing this. overheard on the stumps microphone shouting that the Pakistani supporters were behaving “like bloody animals” and something should be done about the “f Pakistanis”.

Woolmer's body kept in Caribbean

Bob Woolmer had coached Pakistan since 2004 A coroner in Jamaica has ordered that the body of the murdered Pakistan cricket coach, Bob Woolmer, should remain there until an inquest is held. The former England player was strangled in his hotel room hours after Pakistan was eliminated from the World Cup. Pakistan's cricket squad are returning home but two officials will stay, after promising Mr Woolmer's family to remain until everything was sorted...

Woolmer's death 'suspicious' - police

Mark Shields, Jamaica's deputy police commissioner, addresses the media regarding the death of Bob Woolmer © Getty Images

Police are now treating Bob Woolmer's death as suspicious, Mark Shields, the deputy commissioner of police, told a news conference in Jamaica. A full-scale investigation has been ordered.

"We have already informed the Woolmer family of these developments," Shields said. "Having met with the pathologists, our medical personnel and investigators, there is now sufficient information to continue a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Woolmer, which we are now treating as suspicious."

However, unconfirmed reports suggested Woolmer might have been murdered because marks were found around his neck.

Shields said the police had been in close contact with the Pakistan team management, the Cricket World Cup committee and the ICC, but he would not speculate on the cause of Woolmer's death. "It would be inappropriate for me to make any comment at this stage as we have still not got the final official report from the pathologists," he said.

Talat Ali, the Pakistan team manager, told Geo TV they had not been given full details by the police. "They have not made any reference to poisoning or anything yet, as some reports are suggesting," Ali said. "There is no information at all that this poison could be involved. Investigations will carry on so we cannot come to any conclusions right now."

Ali denied Pakistan were not allowed to travel. "There are no police restrictions on the team," he said. "As planned for now, we are flying back on Saturday."

Woolmer, 58, was found unconscious in his hotel room on Sunday and pronounced dead shortly after at a Jamaica hospital. Woolmer's family said after speaking to doctors they expected his death came from a stress-related heart attack.

His wife Gill told CNN-IBN, an Indian news channel, he did not complain of any chest pain after the match. An autopsy completed on Tuesday was inconclusive, but investigators were waiting for the results of toxicology tests to see if they helped determine the cause.

Source

© Cricinfo

World Cup: Pakistan captain Inzamam quits one-day cricket

Inzamam-ul-Haq announces his retirement from one-day cricket at a press conference, Kingston, Jamaica, March 18, 2007

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Inzamam-ul-Haq will quit one-day cricket and stand down as captain after the World Cup, citing Pakistan's first-round exit and the sudden death of coach Bob Woolmer as his main reasons.

Playing at his fifth World Cup, the Pakistan captain scored 36 in the opening loss to host West Indies and 1 in the shocking upset to Ireland.

The 37-year-old batsman said the upcoming match against Zimbabwe will be his last one-day international, although he plans to keep playing test cricket.

"This is the last one-day international I'm playing," he told a news conference Sunday, hours after Woolmer was pronounced dead in hospital after being found unconscious in his hotel room.

Ireland upset 1992 champion Pakistan by three wickets on Saturday, prompting immediate calls for both Inzamam and Woolmer to resign.

"I apologize to the people of Pakistan because I disappointed them," Inzamam said, speaking in Urdu. "The players tried our best and worked very hard in this World Cup.

"I just offer my apologies to the Pakistani nation and to my family because they were with me all the time, helping."

Inzamam said he had wanted to speak to Woolmer in the wake of the loss to discuss his future, but the pair agreed the discussion could wait a little while.

"That talk never came," he said. Woolmer's death, "is a big shock for me."

Inzamam has compiled 8,813 in 119 test matches at an average of 50.07 and a high score of 329. In 377 limited-overs internationals, he has amassed 11,702 runs at an average of just under 40.

The rest of the players in the Pakistan squad were standing on the fringes of the news conference when Inzamam made the announcement, all looking dejected.

Woolmer, 58, had been coaching Pakistan since 2004. He led South Africa to the semifinals of the 1999 World Cup and played 19 test matches for England.

Pakistan officials said Woolmer was diabetic and had mentioned he was having trouble breathing at night before he left for the World Cup.

Jamaica police said a post mortem would be conducted to investigate the cause of death.