General Cricket thread

[anant_s]

In this slam bam version of cricket, change of pace is certainly important, with good pitches and batsman swinging at every delivery. Bowlers like Southee and Bravo really have perfected several versions of a slower ball and it is paying rich dividends.
However, in longer version of game, where batsman have luxury of taking time, a bowler who apart from variety has discipline and Pace, will almost always come on top.
Back in 70s and 80s, West Indian Fast bowlers, led more batsman to take up praying God, than Priests or Fathers at Church.

 

[WAJsal]

In this slam bam version of cricket, change of pace is certainly important, with good pitches and batsman swinging at every delivery. Bowlers like Southee and Bravo really have perfected several versions of a slower ball and it is paying rich dividends.
However, in longer version of game, where batsman have luxury of taking time, a bowler who apart from variety has discipline and Pace, will almost always come on top.
Back in 70s and 80s, West Indian Fast bowlers, led more batsman to take up praying God, than Priests or Fathers at Church.

Southee is a champion in all formats along with Trent Boult. This pair gave us a tough time in UAE and won a test game to draw the series. Very good bowlers.

 

[ghazi52]

Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, Waqar Younis and Aaqib Javed

 

[mercurydancer]

A few years ago I heard Dickie Bird describe Wasim Akram as the fastest he has seen, with the caveat that Michael Holding often offset speed for swing, (and also had an undetectable slower ball) but could be equally as fast. Waqar Younis was certainly a top standard bowler, but had an aggression about him that worried batsmen.

I think that is what Mr Anant_S is describing. The difference with the WI bowlers is that there were not two, but four bowlers who could be hugely destructive.

The weak point, and I am sure that the Pakistan team know this, is Alastair Cook's vulnerability in the first 20 runs of his innings. The first over between Mustafizur and Cook will set the tone for the whole series. We cannot just rely on Joe Root be the only batsman for England.

 

[ghazi52]

Youngest to score 10,000 runs: Alastair Cook all set to go past Tendulkar

The southpaw boasts 9964 runs in 126 Test outings. — Reuters/File
England captain Alastair Cook is all set to surpass India’s Sachin Tendulkar as the youngest batsman to reach the 10,000 runs mark in Test cricket.

The southpaw boasts 9964 runs in 126 Test outings and will get an opportunity to go past Tendulkar when England, under his leadership, take on Sri Lanka in a three-match Test series which kicks off May 19.

Tendulkar reached the milestone in March 2005 at Kolkata against Pakistan at an age of 31 years and 10 months while Cook, who turned 31 on December 25 will take the record away from the ‘little master’, five months earlier, if he scores the required 36 runs in the first Test at Headingley.

It would be a great accomplishment for the England captain, who, after a difficult period of two years between June 2013 to May 2015, in which he failed to score a Test ton, has emerged extraordinarily to become one of the best modern day batsmen.

After posting a breakthrough ton against the West Indies in Bridgetown, the left-hander hit another at Lord's against New Zealand, and also scored a massive 263 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi last October to take his career tally to 28 – the most by an Englishman.

Reaching the 10,000-run mark will also make Cook the first English batsman to achieve the feat.

Cook, who currently plays for Essex in English County Cricket, has been in top form since the start of the domestic season, scoring 88, 105, 35, 1, 127and 65 so far with a total of 421 runs in the 2016 County Championship Division Two for his team.

Although Cook looks extremely likely to become the youngest man to score 10,000 Test runs, he won't be the fastest to reach the landmark in terms of number of innings played.

The record of fastest 10,000 runs is currently shared by Tendulkar, West Indies great Brian Lara and former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, who each took 195 innings to reach the milestone.

Cook, with 226 innings in Tests cricket at present stands between South Africa’s Jacques Kallis (217 inns) and Australia’s Allan Border (235) on ninth position in the 10,000-run club.

Other players, who are closest to joining this club, are Pakistan veteran Younis Khan and South Africa’s AB de Villiers who stand at 9116 runs and 8074 runs respectively.

 

[ghazi52]

.................
Pakistan Cup 2016 Final Match Held in Faisalabad: Punjab vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Result
KP defeat Punjab by 151 runs

Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

........

 

[WAJsal]

Richie Benaud at his best...

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=585528641605666

 

[WAJsal]

So that's what happens when these two bat together, i feel sorry for the bowlers. @anant_s , RCB is missing Starc.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-premier-league-2016/content/story/1013633.html

 

[anant_s]

So that's what happens when these two bat together, i feel sorry for the bowlers.

this tells you a story, doesn't it. I mean bangalore Stadium is a place where teams back themselves to score anything, but yesterday was insane.
& my word, AB and Viraat are playing some other brand of cricket. IPL isn't very serious cricket (money is), but yet performing match after match is a really big thing.

RCB is missing Starc.

Likewise, this picture too tells a story. Despite having two of the best batsman at the moment in prime form, RCB hasn't been able to do well.
Golden rule of the game is in the end in all formats, its the bowlers that win you the game. Batsman can prepare a stage but in the end its job of bowlers to win matches. Starc would've won a few more games, but overall quality of RCB attack (barring Jordan maybe) is below par.

 

[WAJsal]

@anant_s , have got nothing to say about Kohli. I am actually shifting my study time to make sure i don't miss this guy batting. Speechless.

 

[anant_s]

@anant_s , have got nothing to say about Kohli. I am actually shifting my study time to make sure i don't miss this guy batting. Speechless.

A month back my son asked for a new bat and we went to a store. He is 6 years old and perhaps doesn't understand much about cricket except for for the old joy of gulli cricket, we all grew up playing.
On shop, he wanted bat with Kohli's name. Some 25-30 years earlier when i was his age, i had similar fetish for Sachin.
At this time, he is a legend in making who'll probably destroy all standing batting records and is a treat to watch.
However, i for some reason dont like the amount of LOI cricket played now a days. this has a bearing on life of players and at some point he'll have to slow down and chose games. Longevity is the only thing that will decide Virat's final destination.

 

[WAJsal]

A month back my son asked for a new bat and we went to a store. He is 6 years old and perhaps doesn't understand much about cricket except for for the old joy of gulli cricket, we all grew up playing.
On shop, he wanted bat with Kohli's name. Some 25-30 years earlier when i was his age, i had similar fetish for Sachin.
At this time, he is a legend in making who'll probably destroy all standing batting records and is a treat to watch.
However, i for some reason dont like the amount of LOI cricket played now a days. this has a bearing on life of players and at some point he'll have to slow down and chose games. Longevity is the only thing that will decide Virat's final destination.

Determination and the hunger is too strong. There is no stopping this guy, just too good. Will only improve.

IPL is too long and starting to get boring.

 

[anant_s]

IPL is too long and starting to get boring.

There is already an overdose of T20 this year. Hoping to see some test cricket now. Eng SL series is underway and there was some good first days game yesterday.

 

[ghazi52]

1977

 

[WAJsal]

@anant_s , he has that eye for talent. Basically gave us generations of players, inspired generations. What a player.