ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 : Fever Starts

[LaBong]

I will go and watch Ireland vs Kenya in Eden. Thank you so much Jaggu Dalmiya.

 

[Ammyy]

I will go and watch Ireland vs Kenya in Eden. Thank you so much Jaggu Dalmiya.

Hey buddy may be mara transfer Kolkata ho gaya hai but not confirm now

 

[Mirza Jatt]

I will go and watch Ireland vs Kenya in Eden. Thank you so much Jaggu Dalmiya.

you know what..I kind of respected this man dalmiya for his professonalism and personality...and I still cant belive this is happening under him.

can you imagine, the most popular ground in India and Indian team not playing there.

 

[KS]

I heard that Praveen Kumar is injured in hand.

Going to Germany for consultations.

 

[Ammyy]

I heard that Praveen Kumar is injured in hand.

Going to Germany for consultations.

How serious his injury ???

Is their any chance for S Sreesanth???

 

[Ammyy]

THE MUCH awaited event for cricket lovers across the globe, ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is now 25 days to go. Fourteen nations including ten test playing nations will clash for the glittering trophy from February 19 to April 2.
All the teams are divided into two groups. Before the commencing of Cricket World Cup 2011, ICC has scheduled fourteen warm-up matches.
All the team will play two warm-up matches each with the team of other group.

The first warm-up match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 will be played between West Indies and Kenya at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on February 12. Here is the schedule of warm-up matches of World Cup Cricket tournament 2011.

12 Feb West Indies vs Kenya R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo 09:30 AM IST
12 Feb Bangladesh vs Canada Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong 02:00 PM IST (D/N)
12 Feb South Africa vs Zimbabwe MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai 02:30 PM IST (D/N)
12 Feb New Zealand vs Ireland Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur 02:30 PM IST (D/N)
12 Feb Sri Lanka vs Netherlands Pallekele International Cricket Stadium,Kandy 02:30 PM IST (D/N)
13 Feb India vs Australia M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru (Bangalore) 02:30 PM IST (D/N)
15 Feb Ireland vs Zimbabwe Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur 09:30 AM IST
15 Feb Bangladesh vs Pakistan Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur 02:00 PM IST (D/N)
15 Feb Australia vs South Africa M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru 02:30 PM IST (D/N)
15 Feb Kenya vs Netherlands Pallekele International Cricket Stadium,Kandy 02:30 PM IST (D/N)
16 Feb England vs Canada Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium, Fatullah 09:00 AM IST
16 Feb Sri Lanka vs West Indies R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo 09:30 AM IST
16 Feb India vs New Zealand MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai 02:30 PM IST (D/N)
18 Feb England vs Pakistan Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium, Fatullah 02:00 PM IST (D/N)

 

[Ammyy]

Injury might rule out Praveen Kumar from ICC World Cup 2011

Injury might rule out Praveen Kumar from ICC World Cup 2011

Indian medium pace bowler Praveen Kumar is in danger of missing out on the ICC World Cup 2011 because of an elbow injury which he sustained during the recent tour of South Africa.

Praveen is considered as a specialist in the limited-over format of the sport and has been a regular member of the Indian team in Twenty20 and 50-over cricket. He was injured during a practice session in South Africa before the One-day International series. With less than 20 days to go before the mega event begins, he has not fully recovered from the injury.

24-year-old seamer from Uttar Pradesh is set to leave for England very soon in order to receive some urgent treatment on his elbow. However, he looks quite optimistic about recovering in time to join India’s quest for the World Cup.

“I am feeling pretty good now. The rehab program is on the right track and hopefully I will strike a good rhythm before the tournament starts,” Praveen said.

He has played 48 ODIs so far for India and has taken 57 wickets at an average of 33.57 including three 4-wicket hauls. On top of that, Praveen has also played four Twenty20 internationals for India in which he has taken four wickets at an impressive economy rate of 5.44 runs per over. He also comes in handy with the bat and can use the long handle to good effect. However, he is yet to make his Test debut and selectors have just given him opportunities in the limited-over format of the game.

Praveen Kumar made his ODI debut against Pakistan in 2008 and since then he has been a regular member of the Indian side. His ability to swing the new ball adds a lot of variety to the Indian bowling attack. The only thing that he lacks is pace but his accuracy and sharp in-swingers make up for that weakness.

If he is not able to recover within time then it is most likely that Shanthakumaran Sreesanth would take his place in India’s final-15 for the World Cup.

 

[Ammyy]

Shahid Afridi to lead Pakistan team at ICC cricket World Cup

04 Feb 2011 02:55:34 PM IST

Pakistan Cricket allrounder Shahid Afridi will lead the team in the ICC Cricket World Cup, beginning from February 19.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has Afridi as the captain for the World Cup on Friday.

Misbah-ul-Haq will be the deputy of Afridi in the Cricket World Cup 2011. The announcement came just after Afridi-led Pakistan team won the ODI series against New Zealand.

Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board had delayed naming the captain. Pakistan was the only team which did not name its captain while announcing the 15-member squad.

Several former cricketers, including Wasim Akram and Waqar Younus had slammed PCB for its delay tactics.

 

[Ammyy]

Spinning a Web Around the World Cup

The sub-continent has historically been a happy hunting ground for spinners. The sub-continental nations, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have produced some of the finest spinners to have ever played the game such as Muttiah Muralitharan, Anil Kumble, Saqlain Mushtaq, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, Mushtaq Ahmed, Erapalli Prasanna and Abdul Qadir to name a few. Thus, one can expect spinners to play a very important role in the 2011 World Cup which will be jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. More or less every team has included two to three spinners in its fifteen man squad and the part-timers too will in all probability be called upon quite frequently. Here, we take a look at some of the best spinners in the game at present, who will also be playing in the World Cup and might have defining roles to play in their team’s quest for the ultimate prize.

Graeme Swann

Graeme Swann

Swann’s rise as a top-class spinner in the past couple of years has been nothing short of meteoric. He had to wait for more than seven and a half years to play his second ODI after making his debut in 2000. Swann’s invaluable contribution to English cricket can be gauged by the fact that England’s rise as a cricketing powerhouse has coincided with his growth as a premier off-spinner. He had a key role to play in his team’s triumph in the Twenty20 World Cup in 2010. It won’t be wrong to say that Swann is the only world-class spinner that England have produced in the last two decades or so. Swann has now become an indispensable part of the English side in all forms of the game. He will be knowing quite well that fans back home have a lot of expectations from this English side and if they want to win their first one-day international World Cup in the sub-continent, where wickets are likely to favour spinners, Swann will have a massive role to play.

Daniel Vettori

Daniel Vettori

New Zealand skipper, Daniel Vettori has been the face of his country’s cricket team for a large part of the past decade or so. One of the best left-armers to have ever played the game, Vettori is one of those cricketers who put in a lot of thought into their game. He is New Zealand’s highest wicket-taker in both tests as well as ODIs. His team’s form over the past few years hasn’t been great, but as an individual Vettori has more often than not been right up there with the very best. After leading the side for about four years, he recently stepped down from the test captaincy after losing the test series at home against Pakistan. He has also announced that the World Cup will be his last tournament as the skipper. Vettori has a more important role to play than most of the other players in this list. He will not only have to perform himself, he will also need to lift his team up and ensure that every man gives his 100% out in the middle.

Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan has been the spearhead of India’s spin attack for quite a few years, especially in the shorter formats of the game. If India are to win their second World Cup, ‘Bhajji’, as Harbhajan is affectionately referred to by his fans back home, will have a big part to play. Harbhajan knows the conditions as well as anyone else and his experience will definitely come in handy. The other one or the ‘doosra’ that he has developed over the past few years has troubled even the very best in the business. However, the last couple of years have not been Bhajji’s best. He has at times resorted to a defensive approach in order to try can contain the batsman rather than adopting an attacking one to try to pick up wickets, even if it comes at the cost of a few runs. As a result, he has also been at the receiving end of a fair bit of criticism from some of the experts of the game. The whole of India will be hoping that Harbhajan is back to his very best for the World Cup.

Muttiah Muralitharan

Muttiah Muralitharan

It would be blasphemy to not include the highest wicket-taker in the history of ODI cricket in this list. Murali may be 38 years old, but he is as passionate about the game as anyone else. Murali is the sort of spinner who can turn the cricket ball on more or less any wicket in the world and when the wickets assist spinners, he is as dangerous as it can possibly get. Murali was probably the first man to perfect the doosra and use it to devastating effect. He has already retired from test cricket and the 2011 World Cup will be his last assignment as an international cricketer. He is the sole surviving member from the Sri Lankan side that won the World Cup in 1996. Having been there and done that, Murali knows what it takes to be the best in the World. He knows the conditions in the sub-continent like the back of his hand and if Murali gets going, it won’t be easy to stop the Lankan Lions.

Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi

He burst into the international scene with a blistering 37-ball century in just his second one-day international at 16 years of age. However, he could maintain the high standards with the bat and his shot selection drew a lot of criticism. But despite that, he managed to stay in the side due to his bowling abilities. Over the years, he has developed into a potent leg-spinner and at present, he can walk into the Pakistani side purely as a bowler. He possesses a very well-disguised quicker delivery along with an equally dangerous googly. Leg-spinners are a rare breed in international cricket at this moment and it can be said that Afridi is leading that pack as of now. He has retired from tests and his entire concentration is now directed towards limited overs cricket. Afridi is another man who knows the conditions of the sub-continent very well and his importance is further amplified by the fact that he is the most experienced man in Pakistan’s bowling attack.

Shakib-Al Hasan

Shakib-Al Hasan

No spinner in the world is as important to his side as Shakib-Al Hasan is to Bangladesh. Bangladesh have enjoyed a fair bit of success in recent times in ODI cricket, a 3-0 series win against West Indies in the Caribbean, albeit against a second string side, and a 4-0 clean sweep against New Zealand being the major ones, and on both occasions, Shakib played an instrumental role. He was the highest wicket-taker in ODIs in 2010 with 46 wickets from 27 matches. His career economy rate of 4.25 is excellent in modern day cricket, more so considering the fact that he represents a team that is not considered among the top teams at this moment. In the 2007 World Cup, Bangladesh surprised the entire cricketing fraternity when they defeated India and progressed into the second stage of the tournament for the first time. Shakib is Bangladesh’s captain this time around and if he gets going it will give his team a lot of confidence.

Special Mention

Imran Tahir

This uncapped South African leg-spinner has grabbed a fair bit of media attention in the lead up to the World Cup. Less that a week after becoming eligible to play international cricket for South Africa, Tahir was picked up for the ODI series at home against India. But the team management decided to keep him out of the playing XI, possibly wanting to use him as a secret weapon in the World Cup. His domestic record is very impressive and a big impact at the biggest show can do wonders for his future as a cricketer.

 

[Ammyy]

25 Memorable World Cup Incidents

The cricket World Cup is a stage where the very best in the business come to showcase their skills. Over the years, it has become the single most awaited spectacle of the cricketing calendar. Every aspiring cricketer dreams of representing his country at the biggest stage of them all. Some make it, many don’t. The World Cup has given rise to many stars. It’s a place where everyone dreams to perform to earn for himself a place in the history books. Over the years, the tournament has seen many memorable incidents. In this piece, we look back at some of those incidents that will remain etched in the memories of those who witnessed them.

Jonty Rhodes flies

Jonty runs out Inzamam

The 1992 World Cup was South Africa’s first. They were facing eventual champions, Pakistan in a league match at Brisbane. A well set Inzamam-ul Haq, playing on 48, was out in the middle with skipper Imran Khan. Inzamam tapped the ball down with soft hands and set off for a run, only to be turned back by Imran. The ball rolled slowly towards Jonty Rhodes at backward point. Rhodes charged towards the ball, picked it up, ran in with the ball in hand and dived full length to break the stumps before Inzamam could make it back. This is arguably the most famous run-out in the history of cricket. Pakistan’s innings crumbled from there and South Africa ended up winning the match by 20 runs.

Donald loses the plot

Australia celebrate a tie that meant much more than a victory

The second semi-final of the 1999 World Cup between Australia and South Africa is one of the greatest matches in ODI history. Chasing 214 for victory, South Africa looked to be down and out when Lance Klusener came in to turn things around. Wickets fell around him but he smashed 31 runs off the first 14 balls he faced, including two boundaries at the start of the 50th over, to bring the equation down to one required off four deliveries. Klusener was on strike and at the other end it was number 11, Allan Donald. A dot ball was followed by a poorly timed straight drive. Klusener ran immediately. Donald hesitated for a moment before dropping his bat and taking off. That split second of hesitation was enough for Mark Waugh to gather the ball and throw it towards Adam Gilchrist who gleefully flicked off the bails. The match was tied but Australia went through to the final as they had beaten South Africa in the super-six stage.

Sandhu takes out Greenidge

Sandhu takes out Greenidge with a beauty

It was the 25th of June, 1983. India were taking on West Indies in the World Cup final at Lord’s. Batting first, India had set West Indies a target of 184 to win their third successive World Cup. And considering the kind of batting line-up the Windies had, the chase should have been quite comfortable. India needed an early spark to get going and Balwinder Singh Sandhu provided just that. With five runs on the board, Sandhu ran in to bowl to Gordon Greenidge, one of the greatest openers of all time. The ball pitched outside off stump and started to move in, Greenidge misjudged the movement and shouldered arms, only to see the ball clip the top of off-stump. That wicket brought a spring in the steps of the Indians and made them believe that the match could still be won and in the end they did win it. Sandhu didn’t have a great international career, but this particular delivery has made him immortal in Indian cricket.

Kapil Dev catches King Viv

Kapil Dev takes a stunner to send Richards back

Another defining moment from the 1983 World Cup final. Sandhu did take out Greenidge but that was not the end. Vivian Richards walked in at number 3 and he started smashing the ball to all corners of the ground. He had raced to 33 off just 27 balls with seven boundaries when the unthinkable happened. India’s captain, Kapil Dev wanted to take Madan Lal out of the attack but he wanted one more over. As Kapil put it later, Madan Lal snatched the ball from him to have another go. He needed to do something special to get his team back and he did just that. He got Richards to mis-time a hook-shot over mid-wicket where Kapil was standing. The ball went high up in the air and kept swirling while descending. Kapil, eyes fixed on the ball, ran about 20 yards back from where he was standing and pouched a memorable catch that swung the game in India’s favour. The rest, as they say, is history.

Tendulkar takes on Akhtar

Tendulkar upper-cuts Akhtar for six

It was probably the most anticipated match of the group stages of the 2003 World Cup. India and Pakistan were facing each other for the first time in almost 3 years. The venue was Centurion. Most of the pre-match talks revolved around the contest between star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, one of the greatest, if not the greatest of all time, and Shoaib Akhtar, the fastest bowler in the world at that moment. Pakistan set India a formidable total of 274 to chase. Akhtar took the ball in the second over. Nothing much happened in the first three deliveries. The fourth delivery was a short one outside off-stump to Tendulkar who stretched his arms and managed to make good contact. The ball flew off the bat, up and over the third man boundary. Two more boundaries followed and the battle was more or less won. Akhtar did come back later to dismiss Tendulkar for 98, but by then the Little Master had already taken his team to a comfortable position and the men to follow made sure that his efforts didn’t go in vain.

Akram gets two in two

Akram celebrates the wicket of Lamb. Lewis followed him soon after.

The final of the 1992 World Cup at Melbourne between Pakistan and England was full of twists and turns. Set 250 for victory, England suffered a few early hiccups but Allan Lamb and Neil Fairbrother seemed to have got things under control. Their partnership of 72 runs was threatening to take the game away from Pakistan when Wasim Akram produced an unplayable delivery. The ball swung in towards Lamb’s pads, and moved away after pitching, foxing the batsman and taking out the off-stump on its way. Chris Lewis walked in at number 7 and got a peach of a delivery first up. The ball pitched a good feet or so outside the off-stump and curl back in. Once again the off-stump was rattled. England’s tail-enders tried their best but in the end, Pakistan prevailed

South Africa are stumped by the laws

The scoreboard says it all

The 1992 semi-final between England and South Africa is something every South African cricket fan will remember irrespective of whether he witnessed it or not. The match was heading for a close finish with South Africa needing 23 to win off the last 13 deliveries with four wickets in hand. The men in the middle, Brian McMillan and Dave Richardson were no mugs with the bat and so the Proteas were still in with a chance. Just then the rain Gods intervened. It rained for just 12 minutes but that was enough to wash away South Africa’s hopes of reaching the finals on their first World Cup appearance. Two of the lowest scoring overs of the side that batted first were struck off. As a result, the Proteas now needed 22 to win off the final delivery. McMillan took a single off the last ball and walked off the ground, fuming with rage. The crowd was as clueless as some of the players. South Africa’s dream run was over.

Kapil Dev plays the innings of a lifetime

Kapil Dev thumps one against Zimbabwe

Kapil Dev’s decision to win the toss and bat first against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells in the 1983 World Cup seemed to be a big mistake as India slumped to 17 for 5. But Kapil, who had walked in at 9 for 4, was not going to give up so easily. A brilliant counter attacking innings took India out of trouble. He shared a 60-run partnership with Roger Binny for the sixth wicket and a 62-run eight wicket stand with Madan Lal before an unbroken 126 run stand with Syed Kirmani in which Kirmani’s contribution was just 24. Kapil remained unbeaten on 175 off just 138 deliveries. His struck 16 boundaries and six massive sixes during the innings. Kapil’s innings to India to a respectable total of 266 which was good enough to secure victory. This innings instilled a lot of confidence in the Indian team and made them believe that they could win from any situation.

 

[Ammyy]

Lloyd leads from the front

Lloyd plays a square drive during his masterful knock

Three early wickets with just 50 runs on the board had put West Indies in a bit of trouble in the 1975 World Cup final against Australia at Lords’. Skipper Clive Lloyd walked in at this critical juncture and played a knock that not only bailed the Windies out of trouble, but put them in the driver’s seat. Lloyd scored 102 off just 87 deliveries with 12 boundaries and two big hits. He shared a 149 stand with Rohan Kanhai, who preferred to watch the fireworks from the other end. Lloyd departed with the score at 199. He had not only set a wonderful platform for the men to follow, but also done considerable damage to the confidence of the fielding side. The men who followed took full advantage of that to take West Indies to a total of 291. A good outing with the ball and on the field resulted in West Indies lifting the first ever cricket World Cup.

Aravinda takes charge

Aravinda de Silva raises his bat after reaching three figures

Sri Lanka had never reached the semi-finals of a World Cup from 1975 to 1992. Thus, their journey to the final in 1996 surprised quite a few people. They owed much of their success to the opening duo of Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana who had been giving the team explosive starts in most of the matches. But in the final, chasing 242 for victory, the Lankans lost their openers with just 23 on the board. Aravinda de Silva walked out to the middle and started the rescue operation with Asanka Gurusinha. Asanka departed after a 125-run stand. Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga joined de Silva and the duo completed a memorable victory. Aravinda remained unbeaten on 107. His knock was studded with 13 hits to the fence and it was and probably still is the most important knock by a Sri Lankan. His application out in the middle was outstanding and had it not been for Aravinda the Lankans might have still been without a World Cup title.

Ponting bats India out of contention

Ponting brings up his century

It was the final of the 2003 World Cup and it was apt that the two teams that had played the best cricket thus far, Australia and India, were competing for the title. Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly’s decision to field first after winning the toss surprised quite a few people. Batting first was probably the better option and Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting showed why it was. After a good start from the openers, Ponting walked in with Australia at 105 at the end of 14 overs. He started slowly, taking 74 deliveries to reach his half-century and scoring just one boundary in the process. But after that, he simply exploded. Ponting brought up his century off 103 deliveries, his second fifty containing again a solitary boundary but to go with it he had struck five massive sixes. He kept going even after reaching three figures. Ponting remained unbeaten on 140 off 121 deliveries at the end of Australia’s 50 overs. His eight sixes was a record in a World Cup innings. India were set a mammoth target of 260 to chase down. The pressure got to the Indians and they fell short by 125 runs. It was Ponting’s first World Cup triumph as captain and the script couldn’t have been better.

Gilchrist has a ‘ball’

Gilchrist sends one into the stands

There are some batsmen who can on their day tear any attack apart irrespective of what the conditions are and who the bowlers are. Adam Gilchrist is one such batsman and in the final of the 2007 World Cup, the Sri Lankan attack was at the receiving end. A rain delay meant less action for the spectators, but Gilchrist made up for it. He played an innings that crushed the Lankans completely. Stand and deliver was the motto of the day. Gilchrist brought up his fifty off 43 balls and his century in 72 deliveries. The highest run-scorer of the 2007 World Cup, Matthew Hayden contributed 38 runs in an opening partnership worth 172. Gilchrist finally departed for 149, a knock that included 13 boundaries and 8 towering sixes. There was a fair bit of talk about Gilchrist having an unfair advantage as he had used a squash ball in his gloves. But there was no law against it and hence the issue died down. As for the match, Australia coasted to a 53 run victory to clinch their third successive World Cup.

Roberts and Murray take on Pakistan

Andy Roberts drives

Had it not been for Andy Roberta and Deryck Murray the West Indies would not have been able to win the 1975 World Cup. Chasing 267 for victory against Pakistan in the semi-final at Edgbaston, the Windies were down in the dumps at 203 for 9. Roberts, who was playing only his second one-day, was definitely not the man Murray wanted to see walking out of the dressing room. But there was no other option. A historic 64-run tenth wicket stand followed that stunned every single man in the ground. Murray led the recovery and he remained unbeaten on 61. Roberts tapped Wasim Bara towards mid-wicket to score the winning run with just two balls left to spark off wild celebrations among the West Indies faithful present at the ground.

Kenya march to the semis

Kenya celebrate their victory over Sri Lanka

Even the most die hard Kenyan cricket team would not have given this team a chance of progressing beyond the group stages in the 2003 World Cup. But they did it. New Zealand’s decision not to play in Kenya due to security reasons worked in favour of the hosts as they were awarded full points for that fixture. An expected victory over Canada and a totally unexpected one over Sri Lanka was good enough to take Kenya to the super-six stage. The other two teams qualifying from the group were Sri Lanka and New Zealand and thus Kenya carried over the maximum points possible. They needed just one win to secure a spot in the last four and they got that against Zimbabwe. The fairytale ended in the semi-final as an in-form Indian side went past them with ease. But for the Kenyans, reaching the last four of the World Cup was almost as good as winning it. It was a massive achievement for them and the reception the players received back home was quite spectacular.

Gatting goes for the reverse

Gatting walks back after playing an ill-judged reverse sweep

The most famous example of a reverse sweep backfiring. It was the final of the 1987 World Cup at the Eden Garden’s Kolkata. Australia were facing England, with both teams looking for their first World Cup title. England’s bowlers had done quite well to restrict the Aussies to 253. While chasing, they were comfortably placed at 135 for 2 with two set batsmen, Mike Gatting and Bill Athey out in the middle. Gatting, especially seemed to be in great touch and he had moved on to 41 off just 44 deliveries. Aussie captain, Allan Border decided to bowl some of his slow left-armers. He delivered a ball that pitched on Gatting’s off-stump. The batsman got down on his knees and went for a reverse sweep. The ball took the top edge and Gatting’s shoulder on its way before looping up for keeper Greg Dyer to complete an easy catch. Gatting’s moment of madness swung the match in Australia’s favour and they went on to win it by 7 runs.

Collis King outshines Richards

Collis King has a chat with Viv Richards

Out batting Vivian Richards in no mean feat. Doing so in a pressure situation like the World Cup final is even more special. Thats exactly what Collis King did in the 1979 World Cup final between West Indies and England at Lords’. West Indies had their backs against the wall when King walked in to join Richards at 99 for 4. As he walked in, Richards offered him some advice, “Hey man, take it easy…we have plenty of time.” It seemed to have fallen into deaf ears and King cut the first ball he faced off Ian Botham for four. What followed after that was complete mayhem. The ball kept disappearing to all parts of the ground as Richard’s decided to work the singles and savour the action from the other end. King finally fell for 86 off just 66 deliveries but only after he had swung the momentum in favour of West Indies.. Richards took over from there and scored an unbeaten century. West Indies won by 92 runs and had it not been for King, the story might have been very different.

 

[Ammyy]

Viv does it for West Indies, but not with the bat

A direct hit from Viv Richards accounts for Greg Chappel

In the 1975 final, Viv Richards was one of only two West Indian batsmen dismissed in single digits. That was a very disappointing performance Viv Richards who surely would have liked to have made an impact on the big stage. There was an opportunity to do that in the field and Richards grabbed it with both hands. He ran out three key batsmen, opener Alan Turner, skipper Ian Chappell who was looking good with 62 and his brother Greg Chappell. West Indies went on to win the World Cup and Richards had a big role to play in it, though not with the bat as he usually did.

Malinga gets four in four

Malinga celebrates his feat

The 2007 World Cup didn’t have too many memorable moments. Poor organisation, the death of Bob Woolmer and Australia’s complete domination meant that a large part of the World Cup was rather boring. The super-eight match between Sri Lanka and South Africa was heading towards a not so exciting finish. Chasing 210 to win, the Proteas were cruising at 206 for 5 when Lasith Malinga struck. He removed Shaun Pollock and Andrew Hall with the last two deliveries of the 45th over and followed it up with the scalps of Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini with the first two deliveries of the 47th. It was the first time a bowler had taken four wickets in successive deliveries in an ODI. The Proteas still managed to win the match but Malinga’s last gasp efforts did bring everyone to the edge of their seats for the last few minutes.

Gilmour makes his World Cup debut

Gilmour removes Dennis Amiss

Hosts England faced Australia in the first semi-final of the 1975 World Cup at Headingley in Leeds. Australia’s decision to field first after winning the toss paid rich dividends as Gary Gilmour, playing his first match of the tournament, ripped through the English top order. He picked up six wickets in no time and left the hosts reeling at 36 for 6. England were bundled out for just 93 with Gilmour’s contributing 6 wickets for just 14 runs. Asutralia’s run-chase didn’t get off to a great start either and they too had six men back in the dressing room with 39 runs on the board. Gilmour came out and along with Doug Walters, stitched together an unbroken 55 run partnership that took Australia to the victory target and sent them through to the World Cup final. Gilmour scored a run-a-ball 28 and won one of the most well-deserved man-of-the-match award ever.

South Africa crash out at home

A dejected South African dressing room tells a sorry tale

Hosts South Africa were one of the strongest contenders of the 2003 World Cup. However, defeats against West Indies and New Zealand cast a shadow of doubt on their progress to the next round. They were in a must win situation in their last group stage match against Sri Lanka, who had already qualified for the next stage. The Lankans set the Proteas a target of 269 to chase down in order to stay alive in the competition. Late in the South African innings, with rain falling steadily, it became clear that the Duckworth-Lewis method would come into action. Word came out from the South African dressing room that they would have to reach a score of 229 to stay ahead of the Lankans after the 45th over provided the wickets lost remained 6. They required six off the last two deliveries when Boucher smashed the penultimate delivery into the stands. Believing he had done enough, he tapped the last delivery straight to short mid-wicket before the players were forced to leave the ground. But unfortunately for the Proteas, they had actually tied the match and not won it. No further play was possible and yet again the Duckworth-Lewis method had played a part in South Africa’s exit from the World Cup.

Prasad takes out Sohail

Prasad celebrates the wicket of Sohail

India-Pakistan matches are always fiercely contested ones, and the meeting of the two sides in the 1996 World Cup semi-final at Bangalore was no different. A well compiled 93 from Navjot Singh Sidhu and a destructive 25-ball 45 from Ajay Jadeja took India to a formidable 287. In reply, Pakistan’s openers Saeed Anwar and stand-in skipper, Aamer Sohail got off to a flyer. Anwar departed for 48 but Sohail kept going. Venkatesh Prasad had the ball in his hand in the 15th over with Pakistan at 109. He dropped one short and wide outside the off-stump and Sohail flat-batted it to the extra-cover fence. That wasn’t enough for Sohail and he walked down the pitch, pointed his bat towards the boundary and asked Prasad to fetch the ball. Prasad’s reply was as good as it can get. He ran in and speared one towards Sohail’s off-stump who tried to play a similar stroke. Sohail missed and Prasad hit. The off-stump was uprooted and Prasad gave the batsman a not so pleasant send-off. India went on to win the match and qualify for the semi-finals.

Gilchrist walks

Gilchrist 'walks' in the semi-final in 2003

Very few people ‘walk’ after edging the ball nowadays. Even fewer Australians, who are known to be extremely competitive, do it. But Adam Gilchrist did it and that too at a big stage. Gilchrist had given the Aussies a brisk start after skipper Ricky Ponting had decided to bat first after winning the toss. Lankan skipper, Sanath Jayasuriya decided to bring on Aravinda de Silva to take the pace off the ball. In Aradinda’s second delivery, Gilchrist went for the sweep. He got a thin edge onto his pads and the ball lobbed up for keeper Kumar Sangakkara to complete an easy catch. But the umpire, Rudi Koertzen, seemed to have missed the edge. Gilchrist looked up once, turned back and started to walk towards the pavilion. The decision to walk didn’t have much effect on the result as the Aussies went on to win the match but his act of sportsmanship was appreciated thorughout the cricketing fraternity.

Bangladesh overcome Pakistan

Spectators rush onto the Bangladesh's triumph

It was Bangladesh’s first World Cup appearance and they immediately made people around the world take notice. In a group stage match against Pakistan, Bangladesh pulled off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. Put into bat by Pakistan, a number of tidy cameos helped them to a decent total of 223. Wickets with the new ball are always useful and Bangladesh had five Pakistani top-order batsmen back in the pavilion with just 42 runs on the board. The rest of the batsmen did all they could to try and claw back, but Bangladesh hung on to the advantage and clinched victory by 62 runs. The result was inconsequential from Pakistan’s point of view as they had already made it to the next round but for Bangladesh, it was a massive achievement.

Kenya stun West Indies

A jubilant Kenyan side after defeating the West Indies

Kenya came into the 1996 World Cup with little expectation. West Indies were still a formidable side with the likes of Brian Lara, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Richie Richardson in their ranks. Thus, for most people the result of the Kenya-West Indies match of the 1996 World Cup was a foregone conclusion. Things seemed to be going according to script as the Kenyans were bowled out for 166. The chase was should have been just another stroll in the park for West Indies, but that was not the case. Rajab Ali and Maurice Odumbe picked up three wickets a piece to bowl West Indies out for just 93. The defeat couldn’t stop the Windies from progressing ahead and for Kenya, it was their only victory. But this was not just any other victory. It was a very special one.

 

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Warne and Australia return from the dead

Warne gets a hug from captain Mark Taylor after the match

The semi-final of the 1996 World Cup between Australia and West Indies saw the Aussies come out of nowhere to clinch victory. Chasing 208, the Windies were coasting at 165 for 2 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul looking good for a century and skipper Richie Richardson too seemed to be in good flow at the other end. Glenn McGrath took out Chanderpaul and Roger Harper in quick time before Warne got into the act, accounting for Ottis Gibson and Jimmy Adams. Arthurton was snared by Damein Fleming before Warne struck yet again, trapping Ian Bishop in front of the wicket. Richardson’s kept fighting valiantly but it was all in vain as Curtly Ambrose’s ran himself out and last man, Courtney Walsh lost his off-stump to Fleming off the very first delivery he faced. The Windies fell short by 5 runs. They lost their last eight wickets for just 37 runs, with Warne picking up three wickets for just six runs in a devastating three-over spell.

 

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Cricket World Cup team Preview Pakistan : The Unpredictables

Well to start of with it is actually quite absurd that a sub continent team playing in sub continent won’t have that much pressure to perform. The reasons are obvious, ravaged by spot fixing scandals and in fights, the Pakistan cricket fraternity is on a recovery mode. And no one really expects them to give that much of a fight. With Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amer suspended, the first choice bowling attack of Pakistan is gone. With the captaincy issue yet to be resolved, the team moral won’t be that high. But still a sub continent team in sub continent cannot be ignored.

THE SQUAD

Shoaib Akhtar, Muhammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Umer Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Abdul Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Umer Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Ahmed Shehzad.

THE YOUNG BLOOD

Out of the 15 chosen, 8 are those who have never been part of an event of this importance. Clearly the Pakistan selectors did not have an option and leaving out Imran Nazir reaffirms the fact that they wanted to start afresh. If we start taking the replacements for the suspended tainted trio, Ahmed Shehzad is in for Butt and Shehzad is clearly a fire brand if there was any. He has a distinction of playing at the highest level and then going back to represent Pakistan in the Under 19 World cup. He only has one gear and that is to clear the in field any how, he is not afraid to take on the fastest of the bowlers and even in bouncy wickets he has played some magnificent shots on the rise. He won’t get that pace in sub continent and moreover his 7 match experience might not be enough.

Umar Akmal, a prodigy in the making, probably a complete batsmen Pakistan have produced after the era of Saeed Anwar. Though Younis Khan is probably the best Pakistan has got at the moment. This would be the make or break tournament for Umar. And to utilise his complete ability he must be slotted at No.3 nothing below that.

Wahab Riaz, is the replacement for Mohhammed Asif and to be fair on him he is a decent catch from the bowling factory. He has not exactly filled in the shoes of Asif but his approach ahs been commendable and as with Umar it would be make or break trip that he would be making to India.

THE WORRIES

One the other hand there is Mohammed Hafeez, Pakistan selectors does seem to have a blind faith on this chap. With an average of 22 in 62 ODIs, how the hell he made it to the squad, only reason I can think of is, he is not swashbuckling as Shehzad so they assumed he would be the calmer and wiser partner.

Mohammed Amer could have been the potent weapon for Pakistan instead they had to content themselves with the old potent weapons, Shohib Akhtar. As an old war veteran, it not his pace or form which has made him survive this long, it’s probably his never say die attitude. And this never “say die attitude” unfortunately looks good on paper or say a blog only. Being hit for an economy of more than 8 and again coming back to bowl the full quota of over to end up with 7 does not fit the bill for never say die attitude. That plainly is poor bowling but Pakistan selectors as I mentioned earlier tend to assume a lot of things.

Kamaran Akmal, am putting Kamaran in the slot is just because of the poor form he is in; he tried his hand as an opener then at number 3 with no effect. In recent times he has been very successful in the sub continent primarily against India and his being in form would be of prime importance. He is more like Suresh Raina of Pakistan, unpredictable yet assuring figure.

Inspirational Misbah Ul Haq, is a player of calibre but I doubt his big match playing credentials.

Abdul Razzak is more of confusion; unpredictability has hovered all around his cricketing career. Not as strong a bowler he used to be but he is the variation guy of the team. He can pack a punch and on a given day could be more barbaric than Yusuf Pathan, but its all about him clicking or not. Not exactly a worry but wont put him in chances section as well.

CHANCES

Here chances have to be read as Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi. Gul is the strike bowler, best exponent of death bowling and Shahid Afridi along with Saeed Ajmal, I think is the best spinning duo in the world cup., Classic ODI spinners, with one having the knack of picking up wickets and other choking down the batsmen. Younis Khan just cannot afford to have a bad day at the office as he would be the spine of Pakistani batting attack.

Semi final could be the maximum they could reach but again Unpredictability is what Pakistan cricket lives with.

 

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Aravinda De Silva : Great Performances in the Cricket World Cup :– 1996

Aravinda De Silva had made a name for himself much before the Wills Cricket World Cup of 1996.As an Indian and a fan of Kapil Dev, it pained me a lot when De Silva hit the great bowler for a six in a test match.

Aravinda made the headlines for his ability to take on the best of the bowlers-both pace and spin. He was not afraid to play the horizontal shots when the ball bounced. He was all power and at times, the ball just sped to the boundary seemingly at the slight wave of the bat. Aravinda seemed to infuse the finesse of some his predecessors like Roy Dias with power. As was the case with most of his teammates, Aravinda too did not mind having a paunch.

The 1996 World Cup saw Sri Lanka in its full glory where everything seemed to work for the men from the small island nation. The batsmen could score runs; the bowlers took the wickets while fielding was top class. Every member of the team contributed to the ultimate triumph while the class of Aravinda came into its won during the semi-finals and the finals.

Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana gave their team flying starts and most opponents were too shell shocked to trouble the rest of the Sri Lankan team. But in the semi-finals versus India at the Eden Gardens, things went from bad to worse for the islanders. Srinath sent the opening pair back to the pavilion with very few runs. Asanka Gurusinghe was given a rough time before he too fell to Srinath. Things started looking really rosy for India and a spot in the finals at Karachi seemed very real.

I can still remember the day of the match. It was the day when examinations were going on and every now and then I went away from the examination hall to get the latest scores. The first three wickets were followed by three crackers and after a while there was an eerie silence. The reason was Aravinda was taking on the Indian bowlers. There was a cover drive that looked ominous and in the company of Roshan Mahanama, De Silva took Sri Lanka to a good total. As it turned out, this total was beyond the reach of India and Sri Lanka was in the finals.

The finals featured Sri Lanka and Australia. The Aussies did not go to Sri Lanka for the preliminary round of matches citing security reasons. There were the usual mind games before the big match. The Aussies appeared confident while Arjuna Ranatunga did not blink. History had favoured the Aussies to win the World Cup for a second time. I had not fully recovered from the trashing India received from Sri Lanka but I did not want the Aussies to win.

The Aussies could not post a good total. The famed batting line-up boasting the likes of the Waugh twins, Stuart Law, Michael Bevan, Ponting and Healy failed to make a big score. The spinners of Sri Lanka made it difficult to score freely and Aravinda had a big role taking 3 key wickets-Mark Taylor, Ponting and Healy.

The target was not stiff but Shane Warne was expected to make the ball talk but the genius of Aravinda put an end to all such speculation. Like in the semi-finals, Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana failed.Aravinda scored a century and along with Gurusinghe put the match beyond the reach of the Aussies. There were all kinds of shots-the powerful and also the subtle ones.

Truly a great World Cup for a great player. Like Mohinder Amarnath in 1983, Aravinda contributed immensely with both the bat and the ball.