Tendulkar, Dravid & Laxman must retire, feels Reid

Former Australian pacer Bruce Reid has opined that India’s legendary batting trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman should retire in the interest of Indian cricket.

Reid was quoted in MiD Day as saying, “India definitely need to blood some new batsmen. There's no doubt that Sachin, Laxman and Dravid have been champion players. But they need to realise that you can't play forever.

“There comes a time, when you reach a certain age, you starting losing your reflexes, eye sight, and so on -- especially if the opposition is bowling as well as the Australians are. I have the utmost respect for the trio -- but they should go out before Indian cricket plunges even further -- not that you can plunge further than the rock bottom it has already hit.

Reid, India’s former bowling coach feels India’s downfall can be attributed to the emphatic bowling performance by the new-look Australian pace-attack.

He said, "I am not saying India didn't bat appallingly (in the just-concluded Test series), but this has been one of the best bowling performances by Australia. They pitched the ball up, swung it and bowled fast. I think after England and South Africa, Australia now has the best up-and-coming attack."

Reid feels he has been disappointed with the way Indian team management have treated talented left-handed pacer Irfan Pathan.

He said, "When I first met Irfan (Pathan) in 2003, I was so impressed with what he had to offer. But I was a bit amazed that he was put up in the batting order.

Source: http://www.cricketcountry.com/cricket-articles/Tendulkar-Dravid-Laxman-must-retire-feels-Reid/10933

IPL auction: Kochi players top pruned list

Brendon McCullum, VVS Laxman and Sreesanth are the most valued names among several former Kochi Tuskers Kerala players to have been added to a trimmed 144-man list for the upcoming IPL auction in Bangalore on February 4.

The IPL's Governing Council, after releasing a 183-man shortlist to the franchises earlier this month, had said that Kochi players would be added at a later date.

Laxman, the embattled Test batsman, discarded pace bowler Sreesanth and New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum have fetched the highest reserve price of $400,000. The Sri Lankan pair of Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralitharan – who retired from international cricket after the 2011 World Cup – have been valued at $300,000 followed by RP Singh and Parthiv Patel ($200,000) and Ravindra Jadeja, Vinay Kumar, Ramesh Powar and VRV Singh ($100,000).

Each of these players played for Kochi in IPL-4 before the franchise was terminated by the IPL's Governing Council.

"The shortlist comprises some outstanding cricket talent. Given that it was prepared on the basis of the feedback of the franchises themselves, the stage is set for an exciting and eventful Player Auction, this Saturday," Rajeev Shukla, the IPL chairman, said on the list announced.

There are several new additions to the list, which did not feature on the initial 183-player list. Those to fetch reserve prices of $200,000 are discarded Australian allrounder Steven Smith, former Australia bastman Brad Hodge, England's Ian Bell and Owais Shah and former South African allrounder Nicky Boje.

Source: http://cricketnext.in.com/news/ipl-auction-kochi-players-top-pruned-list/63465-13.html

George Bailey named Australia Twenty20 captain

Uncapped batsman George Bailey has been named as Australia's new Twenty20 captain after previous skipper Cameron White was dropped from the squad to face India.

White will not feature in the two upcoming matches against India after managing just 55 runs at an average of 7.85 in the Big Bash League.

Bailey, 29, has hit 114 runs at an average of 19 in the BBL.

Brad Hogg, 40, and Brett Lee, 35, have been recalled to face India.

Hogg turns 41 in February but has been outstanding in the BBL, taking 12 wickets for the Perth Scorchers.

Bailey impressed selectors with his captaincy for Australia A against New Zealand in November and replaces White, who took the role when Michael Clarke retired from the format in January last year.

National selection panel chairman John Inverarity said: "George is a very good T20 player with a sound record.

"He is widely respected and regarded as an outstanding captain, having had sustained success in this role.

"Brad Hogg's bowling has been outstanding and his case for inclusion was compelling."

Australia face India on 1 and 3 February.

How to choose the online sports equipment

Taking pleasure in sports is amazing that millions, if not billions, of folks around the globe do on a regular basis. Despite the fact that most people will by no means intend to be enhanced than they presently are, there will always be those who crave to perk up their routine, and the right quality sports equipments can be of enormous help in attaining this.

If you are one such person who looks for quality in what all you acquire then you should just extend your thought to sports equipment as well. The search for your quality equipment stops at tracknfieldgear as we are establish in offering you the best quality sports equipment that will help you out to do a good ethics over the sports activities conjointly standing for its durability. Here in this article you will be able to find as of how to select the quality sports equipment.

Apart from using it as an athlete it also benefits us to stay fit so it is a complete need that you acquire for the beat quality equipment. Discus is one such leading game and when it comes to Discus all that matters is the speediness, power and techniques are the chief phases to be enclosed as it engages various course of action which are to be well thought-out a lot than others.

When it comes to sports equipment all that matters is the quality because they stand long way to go also helps us in several ways to make us fit. Tracknfieldgear.com is one such online sporting goods store which will help you find the best greater equipment. When you look out for sporting goods all that you must look is the standard of the product.

The advantage of most sports equipment will be declared by the target market of each product. As the gear planned at the greater part of those taking part in sports will be off-the-rack in order to be able to sell them at an inexpensive price, you will normally find that you have to make some compromises. But in terms of these sports equipment, you will find that the superior the class of equipment you use, the better the development in your performance will be. There may be several online sports equipment store but, the need for your quality centered sporting stuffs will end only when you reach tracknfieldgear.

At track and field gear you will be able to find the best superior products and we are one such chief Athletic gear suppliers as well as the most valued sports instruction equipment suppliers in Texas. You will be able to find in hurdles, discus throw, starting blocks, weight lifting equipment, shot put, track equipments and many others.

We believe in long term customer satisfaction so we sell only quality goods.

India need tough security in upcoming tests

Hassled by crowd behaviour during the second cricket Test in Sydney last week, the Indian team management is planning to demand higher security around the boundary rope for the remainder of the series.

According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, Indian team managers are expected to
approach Cricket Australia officials to tighten security around the boundary rope for the last two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar series.

"Upset about remarks made by crowd members to players in the Indian team during the second Test in Sydney last week, officials want extra security to monitor crowd behaviour at the WACA Ground, where the third Test starts on Friday," the paper reported.

Indian middle-order batsman Virat Kohli had displayed his middle finger to the spectators at the SCG, claiming that his mother and sister were verbally abused. Video

"Agree cricketers don't have to retaliate. What when the crowd says the worst things about your mother and sister? The worst I've heard," Kohli had tweeted.

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma also found himself in the middle of a controversy when he flipped a finger after being taunted during the Indian team's day out at a go-karting track here on Monday night. Video

The controversies related to Kohli and Sharma are the latest in a series of incidents that happened between the two countries.

In 2008, the Indian team had threatened to quit the tour after off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was charged with calling Australian player Andrew Symonds a "monkey" during the Sydney Test.

Tendulkar should take counselling: Latif

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif on Monday suggested that Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar should take counselling from a sports psychologist to get over the "mental block" caused by the continuing wait for his elusive 100th international century.

"He is under pressure no doubt about it. He might not admit it but he is facing a mental block because of this hype over his milestone. It would not be a bad idea for him to get some counselling from a sports psychologist," Latif suggested.

"He is batting well and he is looking good out in the middle. It is just a mental block and pressure that has prevented him from reaching this milestone earlier," he said.

India lost the first two Tests after batting collapses with Tendulkar scoring a half century in each match but failing to get to his elusive 100th international hundred.

Latif said he had a feeling that Sachin would get the hundred in the final Test and definitely in the series. He said the world's top athletes at some time in their career required counselling to get over mental blocks.

"It can happen to anyone," he added. The Indian maestro's last international century came against South Africa in March last year.

Read More: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/india-in-australia/top-stories/Tendulkar-should-take-counselling-Latif/articleshow/11421689.cms