Australia captain Ricky Ponting has quit Twenty20 international cricket, bucking a global trend, so he can prolong his career in the Test and limited-overs international arenas.
Ponting skipped two T20 internationals in England to return home in the wake of Australia's Ashes Test series loss to England.
He made his announcement about T20 cricket on Monday, ahead of his return flight to England for the end of the seven-match ODI series.
"The last 10 or 12 days for me have been a lot about reflection, looking back to the Ashes and looking forward to my playing future," Ponting said. "The decision I've made is all to do with my longevity in the game."
The recent trend has been for older players to retire from test cricket to take up lucrative T20 contracts
Monday, September 7, 2009
Ponting retires from Twenty20 international
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Gambhir makes it to top of ICC Test rankings
Gautam Gambhir became the number one batsman, replacing Pakistan run-machine Mohammad Yousuf in the latest ICC Test Player rankings issued Wednesday. Incidentally, Gambhir reached the top when the ODI batting chart is also led by his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Yousuf, who had returned to the rankings last week at the top spot after his century in the first Test at Galle, flopped in the second to drop to fifth.
Gambhir became the sixth India batsman to lead the batting table in the longest version of the game. The 27-year-old left-handed opener is the first Indian batsman after former captain Rahul Dravid to top the batting charts. 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 ranking in January 1999 and had been number-one for 36 Tests between 1999 and 2005.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
ngland's Flintoff retires from test cricket
England allrounder Andrew Flintoff says he is retiring from test cricket after the Ashes series against Australia.
The 31-year-old Flintoff made the announcement Wednesday, a day before the second test.
Flintoff, who aggravated a knee injury during the drawn first test against Australia which ended on Sunday, has struggled with injuries since being at the heart of the 2005 Ashes triumph.
He is sacrificing five-day cricket to try to ensure his fitness for 50-over and Twenty20 international matches.
Flintoff said: ``It's been something I've been thinking about for a while and I think this last problem I've had with my knee has confirmed to me that the time is now right.''
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Sachin didn't stand by me: Kambli
One of Indian cricket’s most enduring friendships has developed cracks. Vinod Kambli blew the lid on his friendship with Sachin Tendulkaon a TV show that goes on air this week.
According to an insider at the show, Kambli said his childhood chum Tendulkar didn’t lend a helping hand during his downward spiral, which was also marked by self-destructive behaviour.
‘‘We are very close... we were very close. He could have done a little more, but he didn’t,’’ he said in reply to a query on his friendship with Tendulkar during a polygraph (lie detector) test which is part of the show.
The Mumbai southpaw replied in the affirmative when he was asked whether Sachin is embarrassed to accept him as a friend now.
Kambli, 37, who is yet to retire from cricket, also took a massive swipe at the BCCI. ‘‘I always felt discriminated because of my caste and colour by the cricket board,’’ Interestingly, all these revelations came during a polygraph test, which every contestant is subjected to. The format of the show is such that the same questions are asked by an anchor in front of a select audience. If the answers don’t match, the contestant is disqualified.
Kambli last featured in a Test in 1995 (India vs New Zealand at Cuttack) when he was just 23. The maverick Mumbai left-hander’s ODI career, which included nine comebacks, lasted longer as he played his last match in 2000 at Sharjah.
Manoj ‘Muntashir’, writer of the show which is titled ‘Sach Ka Saamna’, refused to confirm Kambli’s revelations. ‘‘You are talking as if you’ve watched the episode,’’ he said when contacted. ‘‘The whole world knows about Kambli and Tendulkar’s friendship. Questions about their friendship are bound to be featured.’
Monday, July 13, 2009
Tendulkar most reliable batsman: Former Kiwi players
CHRISTCHURCH: 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 teammate 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."
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Yuvraj is Team India's backbone: Dhoni
Yuvraj Singh is the backbone of India's batting line-up, said skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni lauding his deputy's contribution in the 2-1
series triumph over the West Indies.
"He is the backbone of our batting line up. Coming in at number four he always takes up the responsibility and sets up the platform for the batsmen down the order to contribute," Dhoni said after the fourth and final match was abandoned due to rain.
"When he sets himself up, rest assured he is in for a big score," Dhoni, who was adjudged the Man of the Series, said.
Dhoni said a series triumph on foreign soil is always special and showered praise on his bowlers for adapting to the conditions.
"It's a pleasure to win a series out of the country. The bowlers have taken the initiative, we have a very good bowling attack. The youngsters who came in and got a chance have proved themselves. I think we really have a very good side," Dhoni said.
Dhoni said he was most pleased to see Ishant Sharma return to form after a lean spell.
Handed the responsibility of opening the attack in the washed out fourth and final ODI against West Indies here, Ishant was bang on target from the word go and sent packing hosts' captain Chris Gayle for duck with the second ball of the innings.
Ishant gave away just 17 runs in his four overs which earned him the praise from his captain.
"He (Ishant) was concentrating more on what he needs to do rather than looking at the batsman. Today he was bowling in the right areas and there was a bit help in the pitch for the fast bowlers.
"Today he looked a totally different bowler with the new ball," he said.
West Indies captain Gayle said he was disappointed at not getting a chance to level the series.
"We are very disappointed to have lost the series but you can't really do anything in such weather conditions," he said.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Buchanan slams Indian cricketers in his book
Former Australian and Indian Premier League team Kolkata Knight Riders coach John Buchanan's relation with India may have ended but he still holds very strong views about Indian cricketers.
In his new book The Future of Cricket: The Rise of Twenty20, Buchanan has taken potshots at not only at Sachin Tendulkar and former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar, but at many other current and former players.
Buchan writes that Sachin Tendulkar is not a player who can dominate in a Twenty20 match. He believes Tendulkar is no longer good enough for the Twenty20 format and has come out with sensational remarks on the batting maestro and his usefulness in cricket’s shortest version.
"History will remember him as a cricketing master. But is he an effective T20 player at this stage of his career? In the position he plays, as an opener or No 3, the T20 game requires not only the finesse and skill he has, but also power and domination... an ability to take the bowlers on while being creative. You have to be inventive, fearless. And I don't see those qualities as part of Sachin's make-up at this stage of his career. Sachin Tendulkar is still a great player, but not in this arena of T20," writes Buchanan.
The legendary Gavaskar has been referred to be 'blinkered by bias and tradition' and Yuvraj Singh, too, has come in for some harsh criticism.
"Yuvraj Singh in a sense tries to be a modern-day Ganguly, but I don't think he has the charisma or the dignity with which Ganguly carries himself," Buchanan writes in his book.
Buchanan has also slammed Harbhajan Singh, Kevin Pietersen and Shoaib Akhtar though he surprisingly holds high praise for Ganguly.
In one chapter of the book, Buchanan even compares Ganguly to former Australian skipper Ian Chappell.
"Harbhajan is good at dishing out treatment, lighting the fire and then finding an appropriate means to camouflage his actions," writes the former Australian coach.
Writing about the Andrew Symonds-Harbhajan Singh incident, Buchanan says that "Harbhajan dished it out, but when it came to his turn... he was not able to receive it back so well."
He has also blamed Bangalore Royal Challengers owner Vijay Mallya for nopt giving enough freedom to his players and caches.
"Vijay Mallya didn't allow the players to play and the coaches to coach, which is why he employed them in the first place," he says.
However, speaking to CNN-IBN, Buchanan defends himself saying his book offers an insight into the world of cricket and asks his detractors to read it before commenting.
"Once you read the book you will see I am extremely supportive of what India is doing and how they are going about their cricket. At the same stage there are certain individuals I suppose within that, that draw my attention as there are individuals from other countries that draw my attention in the book and I am quite happy to try and expand my thoughts about those people and provide some insights to them. I think its important to put the questions in context. It's important to do that. Hopefully you get a chance to read the book and others do so as well," says Buchanan when asked about his criticism of players like Gavaskar.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Sourav Ganguly may try to become BCCI chief in 2014
KOLKATA: Eight months after he retired from international cricket, Sourav Ganguly is all set to launch a new innings that could well see him
Sourav Ganguly during a recent function in Kolkata.
anointed the BCCI president in five year's time.
Please don't dismiss this as a mere birthday wish of a left-handed stylist, who is celebrating his 37th birthday on Wednesday.
This is a realistic possibility that no one is prepared to rule out. In fact, many in the BCCI are open to the idea of Sourav becoming the BCCI president in 2014 when it is East Zone's turn to put up a candidate for the top job, for it would necessarily mean the end of the Jagmohan Dalmiya era.
Of course, conditions do apply and the odds against him are tall, but when has that bothered the bespectacled leader who has made a career out of proving critics wrong? Sourav, for one, has made up his mind to enter the domain of cricket administration.
"I am convinced that I can play a positive role," Sourav told TOI in course of an exclusive interview at his Behala residence. "Having played the game at the highest level and being part of the system, I know what it takes to make a difference," he added.
The entry point for Sourav has to be the CAB, his home association that is in a state of rut under the once powerful Dalmiya. Rumours are rife that Dalmiya's rivals have all but convinced Sourav to contest the CAB polls later this month. However, Sourav is not prepared to rush into it.
"At some point, I will find a way to get into the CAB where people have known me since I was a kid. I have respect for them and I am sure they will appreciate my concern for Bengal cricket and the difference I can make. I am in no hurry," Sourav said.
To get into the CAB, of course, he has to beat Dalmiya at his own game. Sourav is well aware that it took Dalmiya's foes in the BCCI close to 15 years to throw him out. Sourav's supporters reckon that under Dada's leadership, the task of capturing the CAB can be achieved in a much smaller time frame
Friday, September 5, 2008
Harbhajan doesn't care whether Symonds tour India or not
Melbourne (PTI): The whole of Australia maybe waiting with bated breath to know if Andrew Symonds will eventually tour India but his bete noire Harbhajan Singh says he just could not care less.
Symonds is reportedly nursing a grudge against Cricket Australia for downgrading his racist charges against the Indian spinner in the Sydney Test, which went on to affect his commitment towards the team.
The all-rounder recently preferred a fishing trip to a compulsory team meeting and was sent home packing from Darwin where Australia hosted Bangladesh for an ODI series.
Though Symonds is not yet officially ruled out for the India tour, Harbhajan said he hardly cares whether the Australian tours India or not.
"It doesn't bother me whether he is coming or not," Harbhajan was quoted as saying by the "Courier Mail".
"We are playing against a team. If he features in it, fine, if he doesn't, things don't change much for me," said Harbhajan with characteristic nonchalance.
Courtesy:thehindu.com
Complete artical HERE
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Aussies may not be that lethal without Symonds
: As much as India-Australia series are about keen contests, they are also about personalities - a stylish batsman like VVS Laxman turning a Test match on its head, a tear-away fast bowler like Brett Lee ripping through the opposition and personalities like Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds adding drama to the goings on.
Does the absence of a player like Symonds make much of a difference to a top team like Australia? Is it only a psychological difference or will the team miss the all-rounder in various departments? Cricketnext.com caught up with a number of former players to try and gauge the brawny cricketers’ importance for the Australian team, which is due to tour India next month. Symonds, as you would know, may not tour India owing to disciplinary problems during the ongoing tour of Bangladesh.
Former India wicket-keeper Kiran More, who was the chief selector before Dilip Vengsarkar took over, felt Symonds was a key player for Australia who had proved himself in Indian conditions.
"He is a top class player, who can swing the match with his hard-hitting batting and brilliant fielding. He is also a useful medium-pacer who can turn the ball on spinner-friendly wickets," More told, Cricketnext.com.
"I would consider him as the most dangerous player in world cricket because of his ability to adjust to different conditions. He can also change gears according to the situation of the match," added the former Baroda player.
"Even though the Aussies have managed to find good replacements in the past, it will be a big task to find someone to replace Symonds. His explosive batting can be compared to former greats like Vivian Richards and his utility as an all-rounder can be as much as Garry Sobers’ used to be for the West Indies," felt More.
Courtesy:ibnlive.com
Complete artical HERE
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Bradman reaches latest century, still unbeaten
SYDNEY: Australians on Wednesday marked the centenary of their greatest sporting hero, cricketer Don Bradman, by celebrating the fact his unbeaten record is still untouchable 60 years after he quit the sport.
Bradman, who died in 2001 aged 92, played his last match in England in 1948 and retired with a yet-to-be topped Test batting average of 99.94.
Australian media used the occasion to revisit the legend of the 'Boy from Bowral' whose run-scoring feats lifted the hopes of the country during the Depression and inspired generations of sportsmen and women to come.
Newspapers splashed images of the small-statured batsman across their pages while television bulletins re-broadcast rare snippets from interviews with 'The Don', who loathed his celebrity.
In Bradman's boyhood home of Bowral, a small town south of Sydney, scores of children formed a massive 100 on the cricket oval on which he first played, and sang 'Happy Birthday'.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who will deliver the Bradman Oration at a dinner to be hosted by Hollywood star Hugh Jackman later today, led tributes to the global cricketing hero.
"That Bradman made a century on average every time he batted is remarkable in itself, but to realise his batting average is virtually twice as high as anyone who played Test cricket for any length of time shows why he is one of sport's great stories," Ponting wrote in The Australian .
Ponting said sporting records were made to be broken, with the Beijing Olympics no exception with the breathtaking feats of swimmer Michael Phelps and runner Usain Bolt. But Bradman's was an "unassailable" record, he said.
"Of the 2,519 batsmen who have taken the crease in 131 years of Test cricket, Bradman stands alone and untouched," he said.
Courtesy:cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Complete artical HERE
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Sidhu makes silver screen debut in Punjabi film
Mumbai (PTI): Former cricketer and MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, known for his quirky one-liners is all set to showcase his acting skills in a Punjabi film, "Mera Pind."
The film directed by cinematographer turned director Manmohan Singh, also stars singer-actor Harbhajan Mann and Kimi Varma.
"In the film, Sidhu plays an NRI who has chosen to settle in his native village. With the help of the youth in the village, he sets off a revolution of development.
The village is transformed into a modern prosperous hamlet, changed by Sidhu's simple but extremely enterprising initiatives, " Singh said.
The film aims to make Punjabi audiences realise the importance of being an entreprenuer in one's own land rather than showing one's skills in the West where Punjabis are said to be fairly successful and hardworking, an impression which belies the visible reality back home, he added.
"Mera Pind", to be released on September 8, is a complete family entertainer with a perfect blend of emotions, drama and comedy, he added.
Courtesy:thehindu.com
Complete artical HERE
Monday, August 4, 2008
Dhoni to be conferred Khel Ratna
NEW DELHI: India's One-Day and Twenty20 captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on Monday chosen for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, country's highest honour for a sportsperson.
An expert committee, chaired by Milkha Singh, on Monday met to discuss the nominees and they decided to confer the award on Dhoni for leading India to the Twenty20 World Cup triumph -- making him only the second cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar to get the honour.
Sources in the Sports Ministry, however, informed that an official announcement would follow only after August 20.
Meanwhile, BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty hailed the decision.
"On two occasions, we felt let down when Rahul Dravid didn't get Khel Ratna and Yuvraj (Singh) was denied Arjuna. Dravid was in good form, we had won 16 ODIs on the trot and the team was on a high -- still he did not get the award.
"Yuvraj too was unlucky not to get Arjuna after two years of consistent performance. We are happy Dhoni got it," he told 'Times Now' channel.
Shetty said what impressed him most about Dhoni was the way he conducted himself.
"What I like most about Mahi, apart from his cricket, is the way he leads. He is a cool customer and never gets agitated. I'm also impressed by his clarity of thought. He speaks his mind even if it may not be seen in the right sense," he added.
Courtesy:timesofindia.com
Complete artical HERE
Friday, August 1, 2008
Home » News Former player Ashok Vinoo Mankad dead
New Delhi: Former Test player Ashok Mankad passed away at the age of 61 in his sleep in Mumbai on Friday morning.
Mankad played 22 Tests for India with six half-centuries to his name. He started as a middle-order batsman, making his debut against New Zealand in 1969. Later, he started opening the innings. His 97 against Bill Lawry's Australia in 1971 in Delhi took India to a famous win and helped them level the four-test series.
The veteran cricketer was also a member of the history-making Indian squads under Ajit Wadekar, which recorded India's first-ever series victories in the West Indies and England in 1971.
After his retirement Mankad was rendering his services as the coach. His father Vinu Mankad also played Test cricket for India while his sons Harsh and Mihir Mankad are professional tennis players. Harsh has represented India in the Davis Cup.
The Indian team, who are playing Sri Lanka in Galle are wearing black arm-bands as a mark of respect to him.
Courtesy:cricketnext.com
Complete artical HERE
Monday, July 28, 2008
Security concerns over Ind-Aus series
A series of bomb blasts in India over the weekend, which has raised new levels of concern about the safety of cricketers across the region.
Media reports in Australia suggests that there is some amount of concern over Australia's Test tour in October following the serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
Representatives from Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association are due to arrive in India in August for a pre-planned inspection, and may now also bring along a security consultant with them. Australia are scheduled to play four Test series in India in October.
The first Test is scheduled to be played in Bangalore, where nine explosions on Friday night killed two people and injured 12. A day later, blasts in Ahmedabad killed at least 30 people and injured more than 100.
There was fear of setting a precedent, moving a tournament which involves the top eight cricket nations over safety and security issues, when all four countries are jointly hosting the next World Cup in 2011.
Sri Lanka, which is the official standby country for the Champions Trophy, also has problems with an escalating, decades old conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels
Courtesy:ndtv.com
Complete artical HERE
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Sreesanth loses cool over AC, gets BCCI notice
New Delhi: India pacer S Sreesanth is in trouble again. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has sent him a letter on Wednesday asking for an explanation on the alleged altercation he had at the Hotel Grand Ashoka in Bangalore on Sunday.
The BCCI has also sent a letter to the hotel asking for details on the incident.
Sreesanth allegedly had a tiff with the hotel authorities over a noisy air-conditioner in his room.
The AC of Sreesanth's room was reportedly making a lot of noise and the young fast bowler insisted on shifting to another room.
But as there was no vacant room so the hotel management requested him to wait for some time.
Sreesant apparently flew into a rage and threatened to shift to another hotel.
Sreesanth is at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore for a fitness regime after he was ruled out of the Asia Cup with a side strain.
The fiery young pacer has been making headlines for the past few months for being at the center of controversies and not for his cricketing exploits.
During the Indian Premier League, Sreesanth was slapped in Mumbai on April 25 by India teammate Harbhajan Singh after a match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians.
Sreesanth was representing Kings XI Punjab while Harbhajan was the acting captain of Mumbai Indians during the match.
Courtesy:ibnlive.com
Complete artical HERE
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Kapil's 175 is the best ODI knock: Gavaskar
Gavaskar recalled that it was a match that India had to win to enter the semi-final.
"When you had lost half of your side with less than 20 runs on the board, obviously it was not looking good. But this gentleman (Kapil Dev) went out and played his innings...best innings I had seen in limited overs international.
"That 175 has to be in my view the greatest knock in the World Cup," Gavaskar said while speaking at a media meet, arranged by the UB Group.
The UB Group would host a gala dinner for the 1983 World Cup winning team in London on June 25 to mark the 25th anniversary of the historic triumph.
Kapil Dev said captaining the 1983 side was not difficult as everybody was playing well at the time.
He said even after he took that famous catch of Vivian Richards off Madan Lal, the final match was still open as Clive Lloyd was still at the crease.
"Lloyd was the most dangerous player", Kapil Dev said.
But Gavaskar insisted it was that catch indeed which took India to the last-four stage of the elite event.
"Kapil's 175 got us into semi-final...that catch (Richards) got us the final."
Members of the 1983 World Cup team, Roger Binny and Syed Kirmani, also shared their experience.
BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said the Board would hold a special event in Delhi on June 22 to felicitate the players of the 1983 team.
UB Group officials said the the entire 1983 World Cup winning team would be touring the Lord's on June 25.
Kapil Dev and Gavaskar also presented a special cricket bat signed by World Cup winning team. The bat would be encrusted with diamonds and auctioned by the UB Group in association with auction house e-bay.
Courtesy:cricketndtv.com
Complete artical HERE
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
IPL turning point for me: Swapnil
MARGAO — Swapnil Asnodkar has attained the tag of Goan icon, thanks to his stupendous performance for IPL champions Rajasthan Royals.
The unassuming opener is already soaking in the valuable advice given to him by Royals’ stalwarts Graeme Smith, captain Shane Warne and man-of-the series for IPL, Shane Watson.
“The trio were awesome in their stature but equally humble in their approach,†Swapnil, who is basking in the euphoria of IPL success, said.
“The three led by example being the senior members and international stalwarts, but yet taught me how to be fearless at international level as the rivals keep a close watch on one’s weaknesses they told me,†the Goan star said.
“Do not fear any bowler and go about your business of playing to your strength to become successful,†Swapnil said recalling Smith’s advice before his debut game against Kolkata Knight Riders.
“Therefore, I reiterate that IPL has been the turning point for me and I will continue to learn from the valuable exposure I received from the Indian Premier League,†the 24-year-old right-handed batsman added.
Swapnil reminisced that sharing the same dressing room with the likes of Warne, Smith and Watson was a lifetime experience for him.
“If I have improved in my cricket during my stint with Rajasthan Royals it would be due to the positive influence these great players have had on my approach,†Swapnil added. “I was guided and nurtured well under Warne’s captaincy. He was exceptional and a supreme tactician,†Swapnil said of Warne. “Playing under Warne was a dream achievement,†he added.
Swapnil’s fearless approach was his strength and opening with Smith made him realise his potential. “Smith always kept talking to me and so did Watson. Fear no bowler as long as you are on top I was told,†Swapnil claimed, recalling Smith’s advice.
Asked how did he utilise the period when he was not part of the playing XI, Swapnil said, “We were playing on rotation as the ploy was to give everyone a chance. During the break, I practised hard and tried to improvise in the nets gaining valuable advice from my seniors. IPL needs a lot of innovation and I tried my best to suit the requirements,†Swapnil, the only Goan to play an active part in the IPL, said.
One could even recall former Indian captains Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri, commenting on prime time television, praising Swapnil for his brave and cavalier attitude in batting.
“Asnodkar is inventive and innovative,†Shastri said on TV while Gavaskar also praised the Goan dynamo for his quick ‘bat speed’ and ‘adaptability’ to the Twenty20 version.
Swapnil had already won praise from Sachin Tendulkar during one of the league games against Mumbai Indians, which the opener described as ‘flattering’. Sachin had said Swapnil is impressive although the maestro hasn’t watched the Goan play before.
The Porvorim-Sangolda based lad was also praised for his quick eye, agility between the wickets and ‘great attitude’ which had been the highpoints of Swapnil’s success in the IPL which allowed him to score 311 runs in the tournament.
Skipper Shane Warne also needs to be complimented for leading a bunch of nondescript youngsters from smaller Indian states to big time glory.
Warne, who himself never got the nod from his own board to captain Australia, proved his captaincy mettle in IPL and also backed youngsters like Swapnil, Niraj Patel, Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja to do well and showed all the confidence in them to play a big final.
“I am grateful to my captain (Warne) for backing me and supporting me throughout the tournament. That’s the trademark quality of Warne as he backs the youngsters and shows faith in them to do well,†Swapnil said in a candid admission.
Courtesy:navahindtimes.com
Complete artical HERE
Monday, May 12, 2008
Mallya takes potshots at Dravid for IPL debacle
NEW DLEHI: The internal bickering of the Bangalore Royal Challengers is out in the open with team owner Vijay Mallya revealing that he was at loggerheads with captain Rahul Dravid and the outfit's sacked CEO Charu Sharma over players' selection for the Indian Premier League.
Mallya made it clear that he was not happy with the squad, currently languishing at the bottom of the IPL points table, which has been ridiculed as a Test team in Twenty20 jersey.
The liquor baron said he had some players in mind but Dravid and Sharma completely ignored them and went ahead with their own plan.
"I had my own list (of players) but the fact is Rahul Dravid and Charu Sharma had their own list and at the end of the day, I decided to take the back seat," Mallya told a news channel.
"I was very tempted to bid for players whom I wanted but they held me back. Obviously things have turned out differently," he said.
He said Sharma backed Dravid to the hilt and even in the second auction, where the captain was not present, the former CEO discouraged Mallya to buy players of his choice.
"When Rahul Dravid was not present in the second auction, I wanted to acquire some players but Charu Sharma was very tentative about them. I mean I bought Misbah-ul Haq because I was determined to do it. There were other players I was discouraged about," Mallya said.
On sacking Sharma and replacing him with former Test player Brijesh Patel, Mallya said, "Charu Sharma was appointed CEO because I thought he understood cricket and he would add value to the team and the entire Royal Challengers initiative."
Mallya said Patel's appointment was necessitated because he was tired of complaints that the team did not have good practice facilities in its base in Bangalore.
"When I was questioning the performance of the team, all I was told was that practice facilities are bad, then I was told there was no bonding in the team...so everything was blamed on a particular event or lack of infrastructure.
"So I said to myself things can't continue like this and I brought Brijesh Patel. He is the honourable secretary of the KSCA (Karnataka State Cricket Association) and who better a person to provide match facilities and whatever else the team needs at its base in Bangalore. He understands cricket as well," Mallya explained.
The flamboyant liquor-baron also made it clear that IPL had an unmistakable corporate face, which makes it evidently distinct from other tournaments.
"At the end of the day, people need to understand that the IPL has a corporate side to it, and a very definitive corporate side. It is not at all cricket in the traditional sense," he added.
Courtesy:timesofindia.com
Complete artical HERE
Friday, May 2, 2008
IPL windfall? Taxman knocks on BCCI's door
To examine service-tax liability, the Central Board of Excise and Customs has asked its regional commissioners to examine all contracts the BCCI has entered on or behalf of the Indian Premier League with all corporate bodies who have either bid for teams or are providing services — from entertainment to broadcasting to advertising. A fortnight ago, Director General of Service Tax (DGST) told field functionaries to collate findings on “relevant facts, the views regarding taxability of such activities, the amount of service tax involved, the amount of tax dues collected, if any” to be reported to him.
Under the franchise model, a sponsor owning a team pays a stipulated fee to the BCCI to get ownership. The franchisees have to pay 10 per cent of the bid amount every year to BCCI, as a franchisee fee. With the auction fetching BCCI $723.59 million, BCCI will get $72.36 million each year.
So the BCCI gets liable to pay service tax under “business auxiliary service.”
Since players, too, are not playing for the country, their purchase fees would be liable to service tax again under BAS.
Broadcasting rights to a consortium of Sony Television and Singapore-based World Sports Group for 10 years for over $1 billion and their sale of time slots for ads would also attract service tax under the broadcasting service.
So would branding of stumps in DLF name, showing its logo on the sidescreen. Naming Pepsi as the IPL official drink for five years for a fee of $12.5 million would also mean that BCCI would have to pay service tax on it.
Courtesy:expressindia.com
Complete artical HERE
Posts
