‘Not heard of threats to players wanting to leave IPL’

Australian Twenty20 vice-captain Cameron White’s manager has rubbished reports that players were warned to stay put or risk being banned from the Indian Premier League after two crude bombs exploded outside Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

White and umpire Simon Taufel were in close proximity to the blast site outside Bangalore’s cricket stadium on Saturday.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that cricketers who leave India early because of Saturday’s bomb blasts have been threatened with disqualification from future IPL tournaments.

White’s manager, Gerard Sholly, said he was unaware of any threat towards players wanting to leave.

“I haven’t heard anything about an ultimatum, I think it would probably be a rumour,” Sholly said.

“Cameron was in his hotel room at the time, he wasn’t required to play. He sent a message to his friends and family letting them know he was fine.”

Sholly said White would remain in India for the remainder of the IPL and then meet Australian teammates in transit to the World Twenty20 in the West Indies next week.

Seventeen people were reported injured after the attack, which took place before an Indian Premier League match between the Bangalore Royal Challengers and the Mumbai Indians.

Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive Paul Marsh said the bombing was a serious concern and was awaiting a report from IPL security company Nicholls Steyn last night.

Who needs what in the IPL semi-final race

It's a bit of a mind boggler for the laymen and sheer wonder for the avid statistician, but do wrap your brain around the following to find out who needs what in order to qualify for the 2010 IPL semi-finals...

Nine wins across a dozen matches on the back of a superior run-rate sees the Mumbai Indians sitting pretty on 16 points - four points more than their closest rivals - and thus already secure in a semi-final berth.

All but through to the last four, the Bangalore Royal Challengers can seal the deal with a victory over Mumbai, whom they beat earlier in the tournament, on Saturday. Even if things do not go their way against Sachin Tendulkar's posse, a profitable net run-rate means Bangalore need not depend on other results - unlike the chasing pack - in the group stage's closing fixtures.

Another franchise basking in a plentiful net run-rate, the Chennai Super Kings only have to win one of their last two games - against temperamental Delhi or the bottom-feeding Kings XI Punkab - in order to line up alongside Mumbai and company. Losing both matches, however, will leave the Super Kings on shaky ground and all too reliant on other results.

Despite the presence of the big-hitting Virender Sehwag, the Delhi Daredevils' net run-rate isn't as formidable as one would have anticipated at the start of the tournament. Hence, they're left seeking a couple of wins - or at least one utterly convincing one - against Chennai and the Deccan Chargers this week. At the same time they'll be hoping fellow mid-table lurkers Deccan fluff their final games against the Kings XI and Delhi, leaving Adam Gilchrist's posse languishing on 12 points and the Daredevils in the clear on 14 points.

Even if the Rajasthan Royals manage to upstage Kolkata on Saturday, which will take them to 14 points, they're left with an unhealthy dependence on other results thanks to their unenviable net run-rate of -0.421. The former champions' only hope lies in a huge win over the Knight Riders coupled with two losses for Delhi and two wins each for Chennai and Deccan. Fat chance, indeed.

Another side to have fallen prey to a poor net run-rate, the Deccan Chargers' best case scenario requires wins over Punjab and Delhi to get 'em through to the final four on points. On the contrary, two losses guns the defending champs out of contention entirely, while a solitary win from their remaining two fixtures leaves them to the devices of other results.

In the same boat as Rajasthan, the Kolkata Knight Riders must win their final clash and will Delhi to beat Chennai and Deccan and the Kings XI to console their awful campaign with a two-triumph high. So in other words, a lot needs to go their way.

A snowball's chance in hell leaves the Kings XI Punjab needing to string together two wins on the trot - something they haven't managed all season - and a host of net run-rate unlikelihood to play into their hands.

This piece will be updated each morning to reflect the previous night's result, so keep checking in to see how things have progressed.

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts	Net RR
Mumbai Indians	12	9	3	0	0	18	+1.116
Bangalore Royal Challengers	13	7	6	0	0	14	+0.467
Chennai Super Kings	12	6	6	0	0	12	+0.348
Delhi Daredevils	12	6	6	0	0	12	+0.024
Rajasthan Royals	13	6	7	0	0	12	-0.421
Deccan Chargers	12	6	6	0	0	12	-0.438
Kolkata Knight Riders	12	5	7	0	0	10	-0.632
Kings XI Punjab	12	4	8	0	0	8	-0.484

Deccan Chargers keep IPL semi-final hopes alive

ust when the Deccan Chargers’ chances of securing a semi-final berth in IPL-3 seemed all but extinguished, three consecutive victories have revived their top-four chances.

When Adam Gilchrist’s team slumped to their fifth straight loss in a nail-biting finish against the Rajasthan Royals on April 5th their prospects of backing up last year’s IPL victory with another in 2010 appeared remote.

After that two-run defeat, Deccan were languishing in seventh place in the IPL points table, with only the hapless Kings XI Punjab below them. Then came the revival.

First came a seven-wicket win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore away from home; that was followed a six-wicket win over the Chennai Super Kings at Nagpur two days later; and for the hat-trick they defeated Bangalore by 13 runs in the return match yesterday.

Suddenly, Deccan had gone from cellar dwellers to fifth place on the points table and one of four teams to have recorded six wins for the IPL, shaded out of a semi-final place only on percentage.

Indeed, while it’s probably safe to pencil top-of-the-table team the Mumbai Indians (eight wins and three losses) in for a top-four finish and Punjab (four wins and eight losses) in as a bottom-four finisher, you could throw a blanket over the remaining six teams, who are all in a tight race for the semis.

There must have been some nervous moments in the Deccan camp against Bangalore yesterday though as Bangalore’s Dale Steyn, the world’s No. 1 ranked Test bowler, steamed in on his hat-trick ball in just the first over of their innings, having dismissed both Gilchrist and Tirumalasetti Suman for ducks.

Rohit Sharma defended that delivery safely away to mid-on and went on to steady the ship for his team with 51 valuable runs from 46 balls. That innings, combined with Monish Mishra’s 41 from 30 deliveries, helped Deccan to a modest total of 151-6.

Bangalore started their run-chase in a similar fashion to Deccan’s innings – losing Manish Pandey for a diamond duck. But that was just the start of their problems.

Jacques Kallis (27), Rahul Dravid (49) and Ravi Uthappa (34) all offered some resistance to the Deccan bowlers, but with no other batsman making more than four they received little support from their teammates.

The knock-out blow for Bangalore came in the first ball of the 19th over, when Harmeet Singh rattled Uthappa’s stumps with Anil Kumble’s team requiring just 18 more runs for victory. The medium-pacer made it two wickets from two balls when he trapped Dale Steyn in front.

Bangalore added just four more runs for the match, before they were all out for 138, 14 runs short of the target.

And with that, Deccan – with matches against Punjab and the Delhi Daredevils to follow – were firmly back in the race for the semi-finals in 2010, and perhaps a second straight series victory in the IPL.

“The last three games we have got better and better and better,” Gilchrist said post-match yesterday. “There’s no other option, we have just got to keep winning.”

It’s the same story for five other teams too.

City chemist arrested for selling IPL tickets in black

A 36-year-old chemist was arrested by central district police for allegedly posing as an authorized agent of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and selling tickets for cricket matches in the black market at five times their original price.

Sources said the accused, Amit Kumar Gupta, who owns a chemist shop in Daryaganj, had a franchise of ‘Easybill’. Police arrested him on Saturday near the Feroze Shah Kotla cricket stadium following a tip-off.

"Amit procured IPL tickets using Easybill facilities and stocked them well in advance. Once the sale had closed at the stadium, he used to sell the tickets to desperate cricket fans and earned huge profits," said DCP (central) Jaspal Singh. He said that Gupta was arrested after the police received a complaint that he was selling tickets for the Sunday match between Delhi Daredevils and Kings XII Punjab near the stadium.

Police said that 28 tickets and a complimentary pass for the match were seized from Gupta’s possession. After receiving a tip-off, police laid a trap and managed to nab Gupta, said sources. A decoy customers was sent to him and when he tried to sell a Rs 100 ticket for Rs 500, he was arrested, said a police officer.

"Gupta never sold the tickets from his shop. He posed as an IPL agent to win the confidence of the people approaching him for tickets," the police officer said.

IPL 2010 | Points Table

Here is the current IPL Standings in season 2010. We have collected data of won,lose, current run rates, total points, matches played, matches drawn, current position, current rank and so we have analyzed it in special way. Here is the list of the current table for IPL Standings after the Match Between Bangalore Royal Challengers and Deccan Chargers on 8th April March which was won by Deccan Chargers.

Here is the Detailed Ranking Tables. On Date 8th April 2010.

Rank	Team	Matches	Won	Lose	Tied	N/R	Points	Run Rate
.
.
1.	Mumbai Indians	9	7	2	0	0	14	+1.31
.
2.	Delhi Daredevils	10	6	4	0	0	12	+0.28
.
3.	Rajasthan Royals	11	6	5	0	0	12	-0.13
.
4.	Royal Challenger Bangalore	10	5	5	0	0	10	+0.35
.
5.	Chennai Super Kings	10	5	5	0	0	10	+0.15
.
6.	Kolkata Knight Riders	10	5	5	0	0	10	-0.32
.
7.	Deccan Chargers	10	4	6	0	0	8	-0.63
.
8.	Kings XI Punjab	10	2	8	0	0	4	-0.70

IPL 2010: Daredevils Captain Gambhir eyeing top 4

Delhi Daredevils are in a good form for the last few matches and with the inclusion of Paul Collingwood, the Gautam Gambhir-led Delhi side is doing a great job.

Last night they outplayed Royal Challengers Bangalore and credit must be given to Collingwood, Pradeep Sangwan and leg spinner Amit Mishra.

Captain Gautam Gambhir praised his team’s effort and stated: “We played some very good cricket,” the captain observed. “Winning the toss helps, I guess and once we had done that, we knew that if we put 180-185 runs on the board, we had the bowling to restrict the opposition.”

He also added that he was very happy to have beaten a quality side like Bangalore saying: “Bangalore is a quality side and we are always threatened by them. But things are going our way and a score of 180 is always very difficult to chase.”

Gambhir main aim is to make the semi-finals and he knows that his team needs to maintain this performance in order to achieve that feat. He wrapped up the interview stating: “We haven’t even made the semi-finals yet. We have a couple of away games and our focus as of now is making the semi-finals.”

Delhi have won their last 4 encounters and for me they have already made it to the top 4 and it’s just the matter of time before the round robin matches ends. Stay tuned to get all the latest updates on IPL.

IPL to shell out Rs 60 lakh for cop security

The IPL organisers will have to shell out about Rs 60 lakh to the police for the security cover for the three matches which will be played here. The police have sent a notice to the IPL, said sources.

"According to the rules, we have prepared estimated cost of security personnel being provided for the matches. The rates charged from the IPL organisers are different for policeman of each rank," said a police officer.

He added that as there would be about 1,800 policemen of various ranks to be deputed for security at the hotel where the teams will stay and the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, the estimated cost of security is around Rs 20 lakh for each match.

"Notice has been issued and we are awaiting payments. We have been informed that payments will be made soon," said the officer.

"The IPL organisers have agreed to pay the amount in 2-3 days. Discussions regarding this was held in presence of RCA president C P Joshi," said the officer.

The cops are also awaiting an amount of Rs 1.15 crore from the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) for the security cover they provided during the ICC champions trophy in 2006 at the SMS Stadium. Despite several notices to the RCA, the amount has not been paid till date.

The amount (Rs 1.15 crore) is also substantiated by the audit report of the Controller and Auditor General for 2008-09, following the evaluation of the documents from the SP (south) office.

Chennai Super Kings beat Bangalore by 5 wickets:

IPL 3: IPL 2010 Points Table: Chennai knock down the upper ranked Bangalore by 5 wickets in the 28th league match of the IPL session 3 played at the P Chidambaram Stadium on yesterday.

It was an all-round performance of the Super kings which led the team toward a big victory against the Royals. Opener Murali Vijay had a major contribution in the match with a valuable 78 of 39 to reach a target of 162.

Earlier in the match Royal’s captain Anil Kumble won the toss and opted to bat first to settle a big target for the host but were restricted to 161 by the super Kings.

Coming to bat at second Chennai easily reached the target with the great support of 78 from Vijay, and then by 44 of Raina.

Murali Vijay was later declared man of the match. It is to be mentioned here that in the first match between the two in the previous phase of the seriesChennai lost the match to Bangalore by 36 runs.

Discovery 'Go' for April 5 Launch

THE IPL match on March 29,2010 between KKR and DD (Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils) was played at the Firoz Shah Kotla stadium.The stadium was all decked up. The match was a crucial one for both the teams as they had not performed satisfactorily in previous matches.

The toss was won by Delhi Daredevils, who chose to bat. DD had an advantage of playing on the home ground. Gautam Ghambir rejoined as skipper of the team after recovering from the injury. Though the early loss of the three wickets left people disappointed, but DD managed to score 177/4 by end of 20 overs. It was David Warner's unbeaten century that enabled the DD players breathe easy.

On the other hand, KKR also did not start off that good. Unlike DD, the Knight Riders come into form gradually. Fine bowling by Nannes and Amit Mishra led to early wickets for DD .The spectators seemed to be in high spirits till the end as they enjoyed the unexpected pleasant breeze, the loud cheerful numbers that were being played and needless to mention the bubbly cheerleaders. The match was won by Delhi Daredevils by 40 runs. KKR slipped down to the 6th position while DD rose to the 4th position.

All in all, it was a great morale booster to the DD.The KKR need to pull up their socks to stay in the tournament.

Kings XI Punjab fined for slow over rate

Kings XI Punjab has been fined by the Indian Premier League (IPL) for maintaining a slow over rate during the match against Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday night.

At the end of the match, Kings XI Punjab were assessed to be one over behind the required rate after allowances were taken into consideration.

Since it was Kings XI Punjab's second offence of the season, under the IPL's Code of Conduct relating to minimum over rate offences, captain Kumar Sangakkara was fined $40,000 and each player in the team $10,000. Sangakkara was earlier fined $20,000 for his team's first offence.

Mumbai Indians' Sachin Tendulkar, Delhi Daredevils' Gautam Gambhir and Knight Riders' Sourav Ganguly are other captains who have been fined so far in the IPL.

Shilpa Shetty to be celeb judge for IPL Rockstar

Shilpa Shetty Kundra’s tryst with reality shows continues as she’s drafted in as a celeb judge on Colors show IPL Rockstar, say various media reports.

Shilpa was quoted in a tabloid saying that she’s judging a reality show but couldn’t speak more.

Sources associated with the show claim that IPL Rockstar required a star connected to the Indian Premier League and so Shilpa was signed on. Shetty will rate the contestants for their star presence and the ability to shine as a true Rockstar. Sukhwinder Singh and Kailash Kher are the other judges on the show.

Shilpa and her hubby Raj Kundra are stakeholders in the Rajasthan Royals IPL team which is currently lying at the bottom of the table. In fact, ever since the couple joined the IPL bandwagon since last year, Rajasthan Royals’ fortunes declined as they not only lost their title but finished sixth in the 8-team competition.

IPL Rockstar hasn’t quite set the ground on fire and the naysayers might not approve of Shetty’s inclusion. However, not many gave Shilpa a chance when she won Big Brother 3.

Meanwhile, Sa re ga ma pa Challenge 2007 finalist Raja Hasan too has joined IPL Rockstar.

“When asked about Shilpa Shetty coming in as judge, Hasan replied “When the God of cricket (Sachin Tendulkar) is in the ground, the rest are simply dwarfed. Honestly, I’m not aware of Shilpa’s participation but it would be great to perform in front of her.”

Tendulkar's knock against KKR is his highest T20 score

Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar's match winning knock of 71 against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) was his highest Twenty20 score.

Tendulkar's unbeaten 71 off 48 balls at the Brabourne Stadium on Monday is his second 50 in the third edition of IPL - his fifth IPL 50 overall.

Other statistical highlights of the match between Mumbai Indians and Knight Riders:

Tendulkar's runs tally of 176 (ave. 58.66) in four games is bettered only by Jacques Kallis (264) and Virender Sehwag (186) in the third edition of IPL.

Tendulkar earned his fourth MOM award - the most for Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

Sourav Ganguly, during the course of his 31 off 34 balls, completed his 1,000 runs in Twenty20, aggregating 1,013 at an average of 23.02 including four 50s in 49 matches.

Chris Gayle posted his sixth 50 in Twenty20. His knock of 75 off 60 balls is his first 50 in IPL.

Mumbai Indians have won all five matches against Kolkata Knight Riders in and are now placed on the top of the table with six points, having NRR of +1.330.

Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Deccan Chargers have won three games each in the 2010 edition of IPL.

Knight Riders recorded their 19th loss in 31 matches. Kolkata's tally of 11 wins is the least amongst eight teams - winning percent 37.09.

Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils have lost three games each.

Kolkata (155/3) have posted their highest total against Mumbai, outstripping the 139 for six at East London on May 1, 2009.

Gayle and Ganguly were involved in a stand of 71 - Kolkata's highest for the opening wicket against Mumbai in five games.

The stand is the second highest for the first wicket for Kolkata, next only to the 101 between Brad Hodge and Manoj Tiwary against Bangalore at Kolkata on March 14, 2010.

IPL steroid to boost Kerala cricket

The first cricketer from Kerala to play for India, Tinu Yohannan, looked destined to become a professional athlete. That his father TC Yohannan broke the Asian Games record in long jump at Tehran (1974) meant that his pedigree as a track and field star was impeccable.

When he reached high school, Yohannan junior dabbled in cricket and became the strike bowler of his school team. A break with a popular cricket club in Kochi provided him the launch pad, which sent him all the way to the Indian team.

A decade ago, however, Yohannan’s career path to Team India was more of an exception than the norm in a state where football, athletics, swimming, waterpolo, volleyball and basketball have traditionally dominated.

Youngsters adorn their walls with posters of Diego Maradona, Carl Lewis, Steffi Graf, Cristiano Ronaldo, Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. IM Vijayan, the former India football skipper, can still draw as big a crowd as Sachin Tendulkar. The advent of Yohannan and then Shanthakumaran Sreesanth did trigger a passion for cricket among Malayalees but football or athletics still held their sway.
All that, however, could just change with Kochi bagging the franchisee rights for an Indian Premier League team.

KN Ananthapadmanabhan, the former Kerala leg-spinner, believes that the launch of a Kochi-based team will open a window of opportunity for aspiring players from the state.

“Just imagine one of the young Kerala fast bowlers dismissing Virender Sehwag or Sachin Tendulkar. What ails the Kerala cricketer is a lack of confidence because he hardly gets an opportunity to rub shoulders with the big boys. Even Sreesanth, after breaking into the national team, has played only a handful of games for Kerala. If our boys can share the dressing room with international players and play against them they will gain immensely,” Ananthpadmanabhan, also a former junior national selector, told DNA.

Incidentally, it is only in Kochi that league cricket is played over two days of 90 overs each. The other cricket played in the districts is either 50 or 30-over games.

“Quality turf wickets have been laid in new stadiums in Thalassery and Palakkad. However, most of the other turf wickets are within grounds where at times the boundary is just 30-35 yards away. Rest of the cricket is played on matting wickets. Hopefully, having a Kochi-based IPL team will improve infrastructure rapidly,” Ananthapadmanabhan said.

Sreesanth believes that the new IPL team will see more role models emerge. “When it came to fast bowling I always looked up to Tinu. Now, I am sure we will see more youngsters take up cricket as a profession over athletics and football. Sports in Kerala will get a big boost as having an IPL team will mean more investment and greater interest in cricket.” Sreesanth told this newspaper.

As for where his loyalties will lie, Sreesanth said: “I would love to be an icon player for Kochi and help them win the IPL title. That said, as of now I am enjoying playing for Kings XI Punjab.”

Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) secretary TC Mathew said: “We are establishing cricket stadiums in 14 districts and will train 300 players under the Cricket Academy and Sports Hostel (CASH) programme, an international-standard cricket stadium with a seating capacity of 50,000 will come up in Edakochi,” Mathew said.

This season Kerala’s only success in Ranji Trophy was a walkover, courtesy Services. However, Ananthapadmanabhan believes results don’t reflect the calibre of the side. “We are a much better team.”

Tendulkar's fourth IPL 50 him takes past 600-run aggregate

Sachin Tendulkar's 32-ball 63 against Delhi Daredevils is his fourth 50 in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The knock fetched the Mumbai Indians skipper his third Man-Of-The-Match award in New Delhi at the Ferozeshah Kotla.

Tendulkar, who hit his sixth 50 in 22 matches in the shortest form of the game in Delhi on Wednesday night, moved to second position behind swashbuckling Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya with an aggregate of over 600 runs. Tendulkar has 632 (ave. 33.26) from 22 matches and Jayasuriya 765 runs for Mumbai Indians.

The other highlights of the match:

# Mumbai Indians have recorded their second win in five games over Delhi and are the only unbeaten team in the third edition.

# Saurabh Tiwary (61 of 37 balls) has posted his fourth 50 in Twenty20.

# Tiwary has batted extremely well in the third edition, recording successive fifties apart from maintaining a strike rate of 162.85.

# Virender Sehwag has completed his 700 runs in the IPL -- 713 (ave.28.52) in 28 matches. He is the second player for Delhi Daredevils after Gautam Gambhir (901) to achieve the feat.

# Dinesh Karthik and Adam Gilchrist share the IPL record for most stumpings (10).

# Mumbai Indians' 98-run triumph is the biggest winning margin by runs in the third IPL edition, bettering Chennai Super Kings' 55-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders Tuesday.

# Mumbai Indians (218/7) have registered their highest total in the IPL.

# Mumbai, with their successive 200-plus scores, became the first team to record two totals of 200-plus in this edition.

# Mumbai's total is the best by any team against Delhi Daredevils, surpassing Rajasthan's 192 for nine at Mumbai on May 30, 2008.

Shaun Marsh moves closer to IPL return

Shaun Marsh will be in India by the weekend provided he can convince Cricket Australia his injured back is fully healed. The opener Marsh, who was the batting star of the first IPL, has been troubled by a bulging disc problem for the past five weeks and the injury interrupted his Australian one-day ambitions for the second year in a row.

If he can prove his recovery to Kevin Sims, the Cricket Australia physiotherapist, on Friday, Marsh will try to get on a flight that night or on Saturday morning and begin his road back with Kings XI Punjab. "Hopefully I'll get the all-clear, which I'm really confident of doing, and get over to play some cricket in India," Marsh told Cricinfo.

"It's perfect to get away and play over there, it's a little bit more relaxed than playing international cricket, so I want to get over there and have a little bit of fun and enjoy it. I'll see what happens after that."

Initially it was thought Marsh suffered back spasms in the warm-up before the third ODI against West Indies last month, but the injury was diagnosed as a painful bulging disc. It was another untimely setback for Marsh, who was floored by long-term hamstring injuries last year, just as he was becoming a fixture at the top of the one-day order. In 26 ODIs he averages 37.96 and made starts in all eight matches against Pakistan and West Indies this summer, with his scores ranging for 12 to 83.

The latest issue has forced a change in his approach to fitness for Marsh, who is still only 26. "The last year I've had these injuries and it's made me realise I have to start look after my body a little bit better," he said. "I probably really haven't worried about it too much. This has given me a little bit of a kick up the bum that I make sure I do everything right, with recovery and gym work and that sort of stuff. I see it as a minor setback."

Shane Watson, who seems to have overcome his injury plague, has offered Marsh support with his problems. Marsh has not followed Watson into a life full of pilates and free of alcohol, but he has restructured his training and wants to build on the outlook in India.

Punjab are currently win-less after two games and have matches on Sunday and Tuesday, which Marsh could be part of. He was the surprise of the first IPL, topping the run list with 616 at a strike-rate of 139.68, but he didn't play in the second event due to his hamstring problems.

Later in this campaign he hopes to run into his little brother Mitchell, the 18-year-old signed with Deccan Chargers. "He had a fantastic year this year, he came on in leaps and bounds," Shaun said. "Hopefully I'll get over there and play against him."

Mitchell left Perth for India on Tuesday and the brothers' franchises are due to face each other on April 16. By then Shaun will know how his body has coped with the extra demands of his rehabilitation.

'Injured' Dhoni out of IPL 3 for 10 days

Chennai Super Kings' Indian Premier League campaign received a huge blow on Wednesday (March 17) with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni being ruled out of action for the next 10 days because of an elbow injury.

"Dhoni will be out of action for the next 10 days and the exact nature of his injury is being examined by the doctors at a private hospitals here," a team management source said.

Dhoni underwent an x-ray test after being hit by a rising Shane Bond delivery in yesterday's match against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens even though coach Stephen Fleming ruled out any major injury to the India skipper.

Suresh Raina has been appointed as the stand-in skipper. Sources added that Dhoni will be travelling with the team to Delhi, where the Chennai side will take on Delhi Daredevils at Ferozeshah Kotla on Friday. "He will be travelling with the team to Delhi," the source said.

Earlier, the team’s coach Stephen Fleming ruled out any major injury adding, “He has gone for an X-ray. I hope that everything is well and it’s just a bruise and nothing more than that.”

Apart from the match against the Daredevils, the injury also rules Dhoni out of Chennai Super Kings' matches against Kings XI Punjab (March 21), Royal Challengers Bangalore (March 23) and Mumbai Indians (March 25).

IPL 2010: CSK Vs DC - Cricket live score, updates, streaming

Chennai Super Kings take on Adam Gilchrist's Deccan Chargers today, March 14 in the IPL 2010 Twenty20 at Chepauk. Do watch the live coverage, cricket live scroe, latest updates and live streaming.

Today is a big day for Indian Skipper MS Dhoni, as his IPL team Chennai Super Kings take on Adam Gilchrist's Deccan Chargers today, March 14 in the IPL 2010 Twenty20 at Chepauk. Today's match, CSK Vs DC would be Chennai's first match in the IPL 2010 season 3. Whereas,for defending champions, Deccan Chargers, today would be their second match in the IPL 3 after losing their opening match against SRK's Kolkatta Knight Riders.

The CSk Vs DC IPL T20 match would be a day night affair and would start at 8pm Indian time. The live coverage of the match and the cricket live score can be watched on Sat Max TV Channel. Also the latest news, updates and live streaming will be available on a number of websites.

Today's Match, would be a treat for all the viewers across the globe as both the sides have some of world's best players in their teams. Dhoni's Cuper Kings have a slight edge over Deccan Chargers as they will be playing at home and all its key players are in great form. However, CSK will be without the services of Flintoff, Hussey and Oram. But they have Dhoni, Hayden, Murlidharan, Raina, Kemp who can fire anytime and anywhere.

On the other hand, DC will be under a bit of pressure after losing their 1st match against KKR. But they have players like Gilchrist, Gibbs, Symonds, rohit Sharma who can single handedly turn things around.

The Pitch will be a batting's paradise, promising a high scoring match. So whats your take? Who will win today's IPL 2010 match between Deccan Chargers and Chennai Super Kings?

Charged up Deccans take on Knight Riders in glitzy IPL opener

The third edition of IPL will kick off on Friday evening with Defending Champion Deccan Chargers taking on the Shah Rukh Khan owned franchise Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening match at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Heavy security arrangements have been made in the vicinity of the Stadium.

The match will be preceded by an opening ceremony, which will witness performances by some top international performers like - Lionel Ritchie, UB40 and Bjorn Agan, besides Bollywood star Deepika Padukone as well as some spectacular fireworks.

The eight teams Deccan Chargers, Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab) will be honored in this ceremony and the games will officially begin with the first match.

This IPL will be important for the players for more than one reason. They would be looking to give their best in this season so that they can strengthen their case for the IPL IV auction in 2011.

The one and half month long cash-rich T20 tournament is known for its thrilling and nail-biting encounters in past.

The inaugural edition of IPL was held in 2008, since than it has earned unanimous popularity across the world. Buoyed by huge success, IPL management has announced to add two more teams in 2011.

The Final match of IPL 2010 will be played on April 25, 2010.

Deccan Chargers will play exciting cricket, says Gilchrist

Deccan Chargers' skipper Adam Gilchrist is very excited and keen to do well in IPL-3. The defending champions begin their campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai on March 12. In an exclusive chat with ToI on Tuesday, Gilchrist affirmed his team's commitment to play an exciting brand of cricket. Excerpts.

You're probably the best advertisement for a wicketkeeper-captain, leading the defending champions...

Thank you. Wicketkeeping brings with it an involvement throughout. You're involved in every ball, perhaps more than anyone else. So it helps you have a better understanding of the game and what's going on. I think that helps the team when it needs attention or direction.

It was tough going in IPL-I. How difficult was it for you to face the situation after getting used to the Australian way?

It just confirmed to me that losing, the feeling of losing, is the same no matter who you play for. It's not that we never lost a game for Australia. We had lost and I had experienced it before. I was very lucky to play in a successful era for Australia. But that (DC) was a great challenge for me and everyone in Deccan Chargers.

Did you veer off track in trying to adapt to local conditions than forging a separate DC identity?

Without doubt. Every team would have been looking to understand and appreciate each other's cultures, especially when most teams had nearly six different nationalities. We were the same. Perhaps we overdid it early but since no success came we probably neglected it towards the end. What we realised was that we needed to create our own environment and culture.

Given the clout T20 wields what do you reckon are the major areas due to change because of the new format?

In terms of cricket, the mindset of the players: that anything is achievable. It's really creating a new style of cricket. Brendon McCullum showed last week and (Tillakaratne) Dilshan is doing it. I read with interest McCullum saying the bowlers are getting better so we need to open up new areas on the ground so that we get more scoring options. It's fascinating to watch that happen.

Mandira's cricket, cocktails and conversation

It’s T20 season and kickstarting the excitement this time round is Citibank, the IPL’s official bank, with an afternoon of cricket, cocktails and conversation between television anchor Mandira Bedi and Deccan Chargers’ star player Rohit Sharma — the winner of the 2009 Citi U-23 Success of the League Award.

He unveiled the trophy for 2010 after interacting with guests at the Citibank initiative in which Mandira conducted a lively cricket quiz and Sharma himself gave children present tips on bowling.

Of Sharma winning the award last year, IPL Commissioner and Chairman Lalit Modi said, “Rohit was the deserving winner. The DLF IPL is the perfect opportunity for young players to make their mark at a global event and showcase the skills that will make them future stars. It is great that Citi places such an emphasis on success in young people. I am sure that the Citi U-23 Success of the League Award will be a prize all aspiring cricket stars will covet.”

Vijay Ramchandran, Chief Marketing Officer, Citi South Asia, added, “We are pleased that our smartly chosen avenue through the IPL has helped us reach out to millions of Indians and establish long-term relationships with our customers, the majority of whom love cricket. We have launched a host of interesting offers that will give them an opportunity to enjoy the IPL Season 3 live in the stadia.”

IPL will help local players'

The security at the team hotel was predictably tight but Mahendra Singh Dhoni appeared relaxed and confident here on Monday, ahead of Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) battles in season III of the Indian Premier League.

Dhoni said, “We reached the final and the semifinal in the first two editions. We can win the title but need to play to our potential.

“But then, given the kind of format Twenty20 cricket is, you cannot guarantee success. Things can change very quickly. You can have good days and the not so good ones.”

He noticed the security around him too. “I think the security has been great. We are all feeling comfortable.”

Primary strength

The dashing wicket-keeper batsman maintained batting was CSK's primary strength. “We are basically a strong batting unit. We have a useful bowling attack too.

“We have players who can step in to bowl if our main bowlers go for runs. I think, overall, we have a balanced side,” said Dhoni.

Dhoni conceded CSK would miss the injured Andrew Flintoff who would take no part in this edition. He was not sure either about Jacob Oram's time-frame for recovery from yet another fitness concern.

“We have Justin Kemp this year though. He can be a destructive batsman and can chip in with the ball.”

He, however, expected the senior bowlers to rise to the occasion.

“Someone like Muttiah Muralitharan is still a very good bowler. He is also a great character, adds a lot to the dressing room.”

Gruelling event

The CSK skipper acknowledged IPL could be a gruelling event but added the upcoming edition would be less tiring than the competition in South Africa.

Home base

“Twenty20 cricket is a demanding format, physically and mentally. There is also a lot of travelling involved. But at least, we would have a base this time.

“We did not have that in South Africa. The competition would also help us to prepare well for the Twenty20 World Cup.”

Dhoni felt the domestic player had gained much from the IPL.

“I think coach Fleming and cricketers such as Michael Hussey have been good mentors. A lot of Indian cricketers have benefited.

“S. Badrinath, M.S. Gony and M. Vijay have gone on to play for India.

“Suresh Raina has emerged a much better cricketer. So, the IPL really helps the emerging players.”

This is precisely the reason why Dhoni firmly believes only four foreign cricketers should figure in the eleven. “It is the Indian Premier League, right? I think, the Indian cricketers should gain the most from it.”

Fleming's take

Coach Stephen Fleming said, “While the international players enable a side win a game or two, it is the strength of the domestic players that helps a team win the title. I think a lot of good local talent has come through in Tamil Nadu.

“This is a region that has a rich history in the game and is extremely proud of its cricket. There is a very good development system for young cricketers here. All said, local players are the key.”

Talking about practice sessions, he said, “There would be more quality than quantity. We will strive to be extremely focussed and intense.”

Who has the right to broadcast cricket news?

The Indian Premier League can’t seem to keep itself free of controversies. If it isn’t the Australians, it’s the Pakistanis and political parties. Just when matters died down, Indian news channels have drawn swords against IPL’s India broadcaster: Setmax.

Last week the News Broadcast Association (NBA), representing 34 news channels across the nation, decided to boycott the coverage of the third season of IPL that starts soon, due to its restrictive coverage guidelines.

Opposing the newly proposed guidelines for IPL coverage issued by IPL and Setmax, the NBA stated that IPL/Setmax have arbitrarily refused to abide by their commitment as contained in the 2008 norms drafted jointly by both parties.

“In view of this position unilaterally taken by IPL/Setmax, members of the NBA are unable to offer their viewers any coverage in relation to IPL or its proposed matches,” said their official release.

Setmax is pained by the rampant usage of cricket clippings aired on news channels and sometimes, dedicated cricket programmes using their footage and allegedly robbing them of their channel audience.

The official Highlights are often given a miss. Add to it the fact that news channels tend to get sponsors for their special cricket shows, thus making revenues that the official broadcaster lost out on.
And this gets Setmax’s goat.

Back of the envelop calculations show that Setmax stands to lose Rs. 10 crore throughout the event. Hence it believes that since it has legal rights to the footage, it has the prerogative to set the rules of
the game.

ICC chief Howard welcomes strong India

Former Australian prime minister John Howard has welcomed India's new-found influence over world cricket as he prepares to become the sport's governing body chief in 2012.

Howard, who is facing a challenge to win over Asian nations, according to Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan, said India's growing power was positive for the sport.

"India is the second most populous country in the world, it's cricket-mad, they are pluses," Howard told state radio on Wednesday.

"I think it's entirely wrong to look at the Indian involvement in cricket in a negative light.

"I think of those millions of people in India and the sub-continent... who play cricket. They play it with a passion and love it."

Howard, a self-confessed "cricket tragic", has been nominated for the rotating International Cricket Council presidency and will take over from India's Sharad Pawar in 2012.

Muralitharan said he had forgiven Howard for labelling him a "chucker", but added that it would not be easy for the conservative former leader to get South Asian nations on-side.

"It won't be an easy job. He has to convince the subcontinent -- that's going to be a tough challenge for him," Muralitharan told the Sydney Morning Herald.

India's huge market has made it cricket's most important powerbase, with its Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament handing out lucrative contracts to the world's best players.

Howard also defended his suitability for the role despite having no experience of sports administration, unlike the New Zealand contender John Anderson.

"I think the fact I haven't been involved in cricket administration is explained by the fact I had a day job which made that rather difficult," he said in reference to his 30-year stint in politics.

Sachin tops 'trust' list in cricket; Lalit Modi at bottom

The legendary Sachin Tendulkar has been named the country's most trusted person in the cricket arena, wherein IPL Chairman Lalit Modi has been ranked at the bottom.

In a list of 100 most trusted people compiled by Readers' Digest magazine, Sachin figures at the eighth position -- the highest among people related to cricket and next only to chess champion Viswanathan Anand (overall 6th).

In the same list, IPL Chairman Lalit Modi, arguably the most controversial cricket administrator, has been ranked 93rd -- the lowest rank for any cricket-related person in the list.

About Modi being at the tail-end of its Trusted list, Readers' Digest said "perhaps it's controversy that still stalks Lalit Modi, cricket administrator and chairman of Indian Premier League, who at 93rd position is the only sports personality to feature amongst the trust list's tailenders."

While Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, ranked 97th, is also related to the field of cricket in his capacity of Chairman of BCCI (Board for Control of Cricket in India), but he's more of a politician.

Among people in the list who owe their fame to cricket, Sachin is followed by Team India captain MS Dhoni at 42nd position in the overall list.

Last week, master blaster Tendulkar dedicated his record unbeaten knock of 200, scored in the one-dayer against South Africa, to the people of India.

After the match, Sachin thanked his fans and people of India for their support and said: "I dedicate this ton to the people of India. I thank those who supported me and this is indeed a special moment."

Besides cricketers, other sportspersons on the list include Viswanathan Anand (6th), shooter Abhinav Bindra (25th), Mahesh Bhupati (49th), Leander Paes (57th) and Sania Mirza (81st).

'Cricket needs leadership from India'

Sachin's ODI double

Like millions of others, I have been a Sachin Tendulkar fan for many years now. And while the real excitement was watching him emerge as the best player in the world, it has also been wonderful witnessing his endurance. There have been quite a few good judges who have tried to persuade Tendulkar to retire, but I am not one of those. The Indian cricket lovers simply can't get enough of him, and let's face it, he will be retired for a long time. His double-hundred against South Africa was another milestone in the career of a man who has been a great example to cricketers young and old. Despite making more runs than anyone else in cricket, Tendulkar remains true to the spirit of cricket - though he has to live a life that is very different from that of many of his team-mates.

He is so loved. He is mobbed wherever he goes in India, and many other cricket-loving countries. He and his family have to take holidays in remote places to experience things most of us take for granted - like shopping or going for a drive. Even a family meal at a restaurant is just not on. He has handled all this adoration with the same calm control he possesses when he has a bat in his hand. I don't think there can ever be another Don Bradman, but if there is, Sachin Tendulkar would be the man.

Brett Lee's retirement from Test cricket

Brett Lee's retirement from Test cricket shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. He has been through a tough time with injuries, and is now at an age when he needs to manage what he has left in his fast-bowling tank. This likeable fast bowler has also had to manage a recent marriage break-up, and [the retirement] goes with being a good dad to his young son Preston.

As much as Lee loves Test cricket, he, like many of his team-mates, is faced with a tougher decision than those who have gone before. The international calendar has changed dramatically with the advent of the lucrative Twenty20 tournaments around the world. It is no longer imperative to have a board contract to make a living and this is resulting in those close to retirement, and fast bowlers in particular, reassessing their plans. Brett Lee has decided that if he gives Test cricket away, he has a chance of making an impact in ODIs and Twenty20.

He retires as Australia's fourth-highest Test wicket-taker - he took 310 wickets in 76 Tests. His contribution while playing in the world's best cricket team for over a decade will give him immense satisfaction. While Australia don't have a super-fast replacement for Lee, there is no doubt that the very healthy first-class competition will continue to produce hardworking and effective replacements, like Mitchell Johnson, Doug Bollinger, Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle. The cupboard is certainly not bare. Brett Lee has brought to Australian cricket the excitement that goes with watching a seriously fast bowler. He falls into the same category as Shoaib Akhtar and Dale Steyn - super fast and aggressive. His Test career may be over but expect to see him bowling and hitting out in the limited-over formats.

Are fast bowlers a dying breed?

There are some experts who are worried that fast bowlers are a dying breed. They argue that too much cricket and not enough recovery time is killing them off and that the balance has shifted in favour of batsmen over the years. There is no doubt that this is partially true. The advent of the helmet has certainly reduced the test of courage and bats are far better than they were. It is up to those of us who know the game to come up with answers that address the problems that unsettle the balance between bat and ball. Fast bowlers flourish on fast, bouncy pitches, so all we have to do is see to it that pitches around the world are, in the main, hard and not devoid of surface grass. This past season in Australia groundsmen were instructed to prepare normal pitches but to leave more surface grass on the pitches. The pitches were wonderful, and we saw plenty of good cricket. Flat pitches, like many in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the West Indies, allow batsmen to dominate and the result is often boring. Again, we are in the hands of the administrators of the game. If they don't take action nothing will change.

Premature retirements

It amazes me that cricket lovers and some administrators are surprised that cricketers are announcing their retirement from Test cricket in order to prolong their ODI and Twenty20 careers. Let's try to get all this into perspective. Since World Series Cricket back in the late seventies, the financial position of cricketers has continued to improve. As a result top players are playing well into their thirties, and in some cases forties, to take full advantage of the wealth on offer. As they find it more difficult to handle the hectic programme, something has to give, so it's natural that the toughest and most time-consuming format of the game, Test cricket, is the victim. Giving away Tests gives top players more recovery time, while also allowing them to play in all the limited-overs internationals. It also gives them a better opportunity to play in the IPL and to cherry pick the other Twenty20 domestic competitions around the world, in an effort to ensure they have a team to play for in the lucrative Champions League. It's all about money, and the IPL is the biggest money spinner.

Let's face it, cricket administrators don't know how to handle the new cricket landscape. India have already managed to wrestle from the world game a window of two months in which to play the IPL, but more importantly they have set up a franchise system which is able to offer overseas players financial incentives to play. The whole model is based on television revenue, and every cricket nation is now faced with the prospect of losing their best players to India's IPL for no financial return whatever. It's only a question of time before all this will come to a head, and when it does India will be asked to make concessions, but it may well be too late. Ultimately the players will decide what is best. Do they want to continue to be contracted to their respective boards, and in so doing do as they say or will they choose the freelance option? Some will stay and others will go as they are now, but there can be no doubt that the game as we know it will change unless the all powerful Indian board decides or is forced to adopt a different approach.

The IPL and security issues

The security for foreign players during the IPL has again become a talking point, and there are many players who are apprehensive about taking part in this year's tournament. Regrettably, we live in an age where no government or cricket board is in a position to give meaningful guarantees to players. They do, however, have to listen to the concerns of the players and do their best to implement their requirements. The attack on the Sri Lankan players in Lahore has ensured that it is no longer acceptable to put in place minimal security arrangements. Hotel and ground security has to be top-class and appropriate convoy procedures have to be in place when teams are moved between airports, hotels and grounds. Another player-related incident in India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka will have a shattering effect on cricket in the region.

It's far too easy to accept that the security threat is a modern reality. As far as I am concerned it's an individual thing and I can see a time when cricket authorities the world over will be left with no option other than to allow players to make their own decisions without there being any repercussions. We could even see a situation arise where players who agree to go to places that are dangerous will receive more of a financial incentive for doing so. If, for example, Pakistan wanted to play a World XI in Pakistan in an effort to get some decent home games, they would, I am sure, succeed in putting a team together but it would be expensive. It's also worth noting that the more the cricketers rely on the IPL for a living, the more likely it is that these players will go to India regardless of the threat.

Saving Test cricket in India

Recently Rahul Dravid bought into the cricket-calendar debate and what he had to say was interesting and will raise a few hackles in India. Dravid wants India to adopt a similar approach to their scheduling to that of Australia, South Africa and England. He actually went a step further and suggested that India should use their clout to lead the debate. Great idea, but I am not going to hold my breath because it seems to me that while India holds the financial trumps they will continue to adopt a divide-and-separate philosophy. There are so many issues that need to be resolved before cricket settles down to a period of peace and prosperity. For this to happen the game needs leadership, which has to come from India or it will simply not happen. A rolling programme has to be devised which takes into consideration the requirements of everyone in the cricket family. Such changes don't usually come about until a disaster occurs. It's rather like an alcoholic - there is usually the downhill slide, and then comes the call for help, and the recognition that there is a problem; thereafter it's usually plain sailing.

Tendulkar jumps to 3rd spot after historic innings

Sachin Tendulkar has jumped to the third spot in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen after belting out the first ever ODI double-century in the second match against South Africa in Gwalior.

Tendulkar, who returned undefeated on 200 in his 442nd one-dayer yesterday, climbed up three places and now trails second-placed Mike Hussey of Australia by 43 points. It is Tendulkar's highest ranking in two years. He had earlier reached the second position following an unbeaten 117 against Australia in Sydney.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni strengthened his position at the top of the rankings after scoring an unbeaten 68 runs off just 35 balls. However, while Tendulkar vaulted into third position, his fellow opener Virender Sehwag has dropped one place to the 10th spot.

Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir have also slipped in the latest rankings after missing the first two ODIs due to injuries. A player loses one per cent of his ratings points for every match missed and as such, Yuvraj has fallen one place to the 13th spot while Gambhir has dropped two places to the 21st spot, a position he shares with team-mate Virat Kohli.

AB de Villiers remains South Africa’s highest-ranked batsman in fourth position after stroking an unbeaten 114 in Gwalior while Australian skipper Ricky Ponting completes the top five. But the rankings for bowlers will come as a severe disappoint for Indian fans since off-spinner Harbhajan Singh at sixth position is the only Indian among the top 20.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori is the top ranked ODI bowler with Ray Price of Zimbabwe at second place. Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh, Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Kulasekara and Kyle Mills of New Zealand are the others in the top five.

Source from :

http://www.deepikaglobal.com/ENG6_sub.asp?ccode=ENG6&newscode=41884

Only Sachin was worthy of double ton milestone

A thirteen-year wait ended for me on Wednesday. A wait for the first double hundred in ODIs. I had watched an utterly dehydrated Saeed Anwar of Pakistan get to 194 in the Pepsi Independence Cup match against India at Chennai. And he had a runner.

Ever since that day one was wondering who would be the first to do it. Zimbabwean Charles Coventry came close to it with another 194 against Bangladesh in 2009.

Sachin Tendulkar was the obvious one, Adam Gilchrist the next. When Sehwag came on the scene he became the marked one. In fact, Sehwag got nauseated about the hype over the ODI double-ton and it worked counter productive for him.

After Sehwag came on the scene and blasters like Gautam Gambhir and Mahendra Singh Dhoni followed suddenly the pressure was off Sachin to get that 200.

And that worked in his favour. Everybody expected a hundred but not the 200. They had given it up as gone because they thought only Sehwag could do it.

The reason was Sachin was not playing those rapier-like shots. Nor frequently on the up. Neither was he playing the heave over mid-wicket which he was told by doctors to eschew after his Sharjah back problems.

On Wednesday he played that heave off Langeveldt in the 170s. But as the 200 beckoned Sachin threw caution to the winds. He knew it was his day. By 150 he knew a fair idea where his runs would come from.

He was leaning on his shot and running, tapping and running and when he flicked he didn't need to run because he knew he had cleared the infield. The straight loft off Langeveldt was grand because he was not quite on front foot.

For a long time one has been waiting for Sachin to play two shots he hasn't, a six off the backfoot as an injured 'Tiger' Pataudi hit at Melbourne in 1968 and a six one from outside the off-stump to over square-leg as Viv Richards would do. Today he came near to hitting the backfoot six.

In the end Mahendra Singh Dhoni added an element of doubt to the inevitability of a Sachin’s 200. By denying him strike at the end of three successive overs. Sachin fans all over the globe were livid. It was luck a Dhoni boundary off ball number two off the last over was saved on the fence and Sachin finally got the strike. Or he would have had just three balls for the magic moment.

After the tension of the previous three overs, three balls to get one run for the magic figure seemed a luxury. A dab to point and Sachin kept his date with history, golden history.

All over the world the refrain was 'If there was one person deserving to get ODI's first double hundred it should be Sachin Tendulkar.' For he had done so much to light up the shorter game when he was asked to open for India when Sidhu was injured.

In a bygone era they said the same about Sunil Gavaskar when debate would ensue about who should be the first to get to the 10,000 mark in Test cricket.

From past pronouncements, Sachin's typical response to his feat would be, "It's not about records. It's about loving the game and enjoying being out there in the middle. That is extremely special to me and far bigger than breaking records or creating new ones. Creating records happens after you've gone on the cricket field, but you've got to find a reason to go on the cricket field, and for me the reason is very clear....

"From the age of three I've loved this sport and I've never thought about scoring the most number of centuries or runs in international cricket. Everyone enjoys breaking records, I'm enjoying it too, but that is not the reason for playing cricket...

"When I started playing, I always wanted to be regarded as one of the best and the idea was that when I stopped playing, people would remember my name. Being regarded as one of the best players is always a good feeling, and that drives you, it refuels you completely. You want to be on top of your game all the time and push yourself harder and harder. There's a huge responsibility and it is a great challenge. I love that."

Australian cricket stars make IPL security demands

Australian cricket stars Tuesday refused to commit to this year's lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) until a list of safety demands addressing "serious" security concerns had been met.

Paul Marsh, head of the Australian Cricketers' Association, said players issued the demands, which follow a reported threat from an Al-Qaeda-linked militant, after a security consultant identified a number of shortcomings.

"From the outset it is important to reinforce that players want to play in this year's IPL," Marsh told reporters after a meeting with about 25 Australian players.

"However the independent report has identified some serious concerns with aspects of the current security process.

"Specifically these concerns relate to the reported direct threat against the event and the status and implementation of the IPL's security plan."

Marsh said players had agreed to take British security expert Reg Dickason's confidential findings back to their colleagues to prepare a list of demands, which would be relayed to the IPL by FICA, the international cricketers' union.

Until the IPL responded to their concerns Marsh said players would not commit to the tournament.

"The players are most certainly concerned, the IPL's had a direct threat ... and the IPL security plans are not currently in a state that we're happy with, those are the two issues," Marsh said

Fresh security worries surfaced last week when the Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online news website said it had received a warning from an Al-Qaeda-linked militant about attacking sports events in India.

The warning, from Ilyas Kashmiri, cast jitters over the glitzy Twenty20 tournament, along with the field hockey World Cup later this month in New Delhi, and October's Commonwealth Games

A right-wing Hindu group earlier withdrew a threat to prevent "kangaroo cricketers" from playing in Maharashtra state, which includes IPL hosts Mumbai and Nagpur, after a series of attacks on Indian students living in Australia.

Marsh previously warned that securing the IPL, which is spread over many venues across multiple cities, was a more difficult task than more concentrated formats such as the Olympic or Commonwealth Games.

Australian legspin great Shane Warne last week said the threats had him "thinking twice" about heading to India to captain-coach the Rajasthan Royals, describing them as of "deep concern to athletes across a number of sports."

Warne said the IPL had been moved last year at short notice to South Africa and, if the threats were proven, organisers should consider moving it again.

Organisers took the dramatic step of shifting the event abroad last March, after Indian authorities could not guarantee security because of a clash with national elections. Just weeks earlier gunmen in Lahore, Pakistan had ambushed the Sri Lankan team's convoy, killing eight Pakistanis.

Extremist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008 which left 165 dead had already prompted grave security fears for the IPL tournament.

1st ODI: Depleted India snatch dramatic win over South Africa

Wayne Parnell was run out off the final delivery, attempting a second run that would have tied the match, to leave the Proteas on 297 all out in reply to India's 298/9.

The tourists were tottering at 225/8 in the 43rd over when the ninth-wicket pair of Parnell and Dale Steyn swung the day-night match around by adding 65 off 38 balls.

South Africa, needing 26 off the final 12 deliveries, smashed 16 runs in the penultimate over of Ashish Nehra that included a six each by Parnell and Steyn.

With nine runs required from five deliveries, seamer Praveen Kumar bowled Steyn and conceded just seven more off the next four to hand India a thrilling win.

Parnell hit a defiant 49 off 47 balls and Steyn plundered an 18-ball 35, but the pair failed to take the tourists across the line at the Sawai Man Singh stadium in Jaipur.

Earlier, Suresh Raina top-scored with 58 off 63 balls and Virender Sehwag hammered a typically aggressive 46 off 37 balls as the hosts piled up 298/9 after being sent in to bat.

South Africa's stand-in captain Jacques Kallis starred for the tourists with both bat and ball, claiming 3-29 from seven overs with his medium-pace bowling before making a fluent 89.

The veteran all-rounder hit six fours and a six before being eighth out, bowled by Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, 11 runs short of his 17th One-day century.

India took the field in the series opener without bowling spearheads Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh, and frontline batsmen Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh.

Harbhajan was given permission to miss the first two matches due to his sister's wedding, while the other three were injured.

Kallis led South Africa in the absence of Graeme Smith, who opted out of the One-dayers with a finger injury sustained during the Test series, which ended 1-1 last week.

When India batted, Sehwag and Dinesh Karthik (44) put on 79 for the second wicket in 75 balls after veteran Sachin Tendulkar was run out for four in the second over of the match.

Sehwag, who hit two audacious sixes over the third man and cover region, was unlucky to be run out when a Karthik drive was deflected to the non-striker's wicket by bowler Charl Langeveldt.

South Africa made a flying start as Herschelle Gibbs (27) and Loots Bosman (29) put on 58 for the first wicket off just 8.4 overs.

South Africa, who were 134/3 at one stage, lost three middle-order wickets for 27 runs to slip to 161/6 by the 35th over.

The second match will be played in Gwalior on Wednesday and the third in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

India's amazing win over South Africa

India's amazing win over South Africa proves Test cricket is thriving

Test cricket, eh? Supposedly on ­life-support, with administrators and media alike lavishing most attention on the pretty young thing that is Twenty20, Tests continue to confound and enthrall us all. In the space of a little more than six months, we've had epics at Cardiff, Centurion, Cape Town, Dunedin, Perth and now Eden Gardens. South Africa have been part of three of those nail-biters, and finished disappointed every single time. This defeat, in front of the most raucous crowd in India, will hurt the most, especially after Hashim Amla batted 60 seconds short of 500 minutes in a display of defiance as brave as it was skilled.

Spare a thought too for Morne Morkel, who sank to his knees in anguish after being trapped leg before with just nine balls of the scheduled 98 overs remaining. A month ago, in the shadow of Table Mountain, he bowled the final over as Graeme Onions preserved England's series lead. Here, he and Amla kept India on tenterhooks for 126 balls after Paul Harris had been caught in the slips.

Wayne Parnell, who'd endured a torrid initiation to the subcontinent with ball in hand, had played his part too, with a 64-ball 22 after more experienced hands in the middle order had fallen short. But ultimately, this final day was about Harbhajan Singh, the lion of Eden, and an India side with pride and the No1 ranking on the line after the four-day mauling in Nagpur.

By morning, they knew that they'd have to cope without Zaheer Khan, whose nous with new ball and old has been such a huge factor in home victories over Australia, England and Sri Lanka. But Harbhajan, the 13-wicket hero of 2001, stepped into the breach admirably, nudging South Africa towards defeat with flight, turn and sheer cussedness. Amla and Ashwell Prince, with 98 runs in his previous nine innings, kept India at bay nearly all morning before Harbhajan tossed one up invitingly outside off stump. Prince's checked drive went only as far as mid-off, and when Amit Mishra, who has the thankless task of trying to fill the void left behind by Anil Kumble, produced a peach of a googly to see off AB de Villiers, architect of an epochal win in Perth, the crowd sensed an early finish.

As the afternoon wore on, it became clear that the South Africans, and especially Amla, had no intention of running up the white flag. MS Dhoni tried everything, rotating his bowlers, changing ends and even trying an over of Sachin Tendulkar's Shane Warne imitations. When the spinners tired, the ball was thrown to Ishant Sharma, struggling horribly to find the rhythm and menace that so impressed in two series against Australia in 2008.

It's testament to Ishant's strength of character that he managed to dismiss Parnell and Harris. At times, it was like watching Steve Harmison's travails in the latter half of his career, with the odd unplayable delivery in the midst of dross. Through it all, Amla was almost serene, taking his series tally to 490 runs. India got him just once after bowling 1,033 balls to him, and he batted for more than 23 hours in conditions that more celebrated batsmen have never come to terms with.

"I've been quite fortunate on a few occasions," he said with typical modesty afterwards. "There were a few drops here and there, so I could've been dismissed before. Every professional cricketer goes through certain tours and series where he excels. I just been fortunate that this tour has been my opportunity."

The more you watch him, the more you're reminded of Rahul Dravid, both in terms of the incredible powers of concentration and the utter imperviousness to external pressures. Before his debut at this venue five years ago, he had told me: "The [Indian] batting line-up has huge quality, but I'd love to talk to Dravid when there's time." After this series, it won't be long before he's mentioned in such august company.

Gripping matches like this deserve the biggest stage and the unbelievable atmosphere at what is Indian cricket's theatre of dreams shamed the board officials who hadn't scheduled a Test here since December 2007 for a host of petty reasons. No one quibbles with one-day cricket and T20 being played in every corner of this antique land, but if Test cricket is to remain in rude health, Eden Gardens and Chepauk must get at least one Test a year. Playing in front of empty stands at Mohali and Nagpur merely mocks a great tradition. As a friend wrote to me: "Can you imagine England picking Grace Road above Lord's, or the Aussies Hobart over the MCG/SCG?"

The noise as Harbhajan came on to bowl what turned out to be the final three balls was just deafening, and that too in a stadium that has lost two huge stands to World Cup renovation. Men and women, young and old, everyone was on their feet, with fast handclaps, chants and roars creating an atmosphere similar to that which precipitated the Australian collapse from 166 for 3 to 212 all out nine years ago.

"The crowd was fantastic," said Harbhajan later. "Eden has always been special. I have not heard this kind of noise anywhere in India. In Test matches, we don't always get crowds but at Eden, you get crowds for the whole five days. It does not matter whether India is batting or bowling."

India Vs South Africa 2nd Test: Cricket live score

VVS LAXMAN and Mahendra Singh Dhoni played with common sense to take India to the top in the second India Vs South Africa test match at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta.

VVS Laxman played brilliantly to negotiate the South African speedsters in the morning reaching his half century in style as the score read 471 for the loss of 6 wickets on the crucial day 3 of the India Vs South Africa second test.

Laxman is playing on 52 runs, while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is also pressing for a well made half century, playing at 49 runs.

The South Africans were frustrated in the morning by night watchman Amit Mishra, who took his chances and hit some nice shots for his cameo of 28 runs. His inning helped India to negotiate the crucial first hour and also allowed VVS Laxman to settle in his rhythm.

At lunch, India had reached 431 runs and extended the first inning lead over South Africa by 135 runs. South African fielding failed to live up to the mark today as they dropped a number of catches, some of which were tough though.

Amit Mishra's wicket was claimed by Morne Morkel, who managed to get an edge from him taken brilliantly by Kallis at second slip.

India needs to win this match to retain the number one position in ICC test ranking and without doubt return of VVS Laxman really boosted the Indian batting. South Africa leads the India Vs South Africa series 1-0 but it will be quite difficult for the visitors to save this match, if both VVS Laxman and Dhoni continue their pyrotechnics.

South Africa only needs a draw to win the India South Africa series and become the top test team in the world.

The playing eleven of Ind - SA second test match at Eden Garden in Kolkata:

South Africa: 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 JP Duminy, 7 Ashwell Prince, 8 Paul Harris, 9 Wayne Parnell, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Morne Morkel.

India: 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 M Vijay, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 S Badrinath, 7 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 8, Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Amit Mishra, 11 Ishant Sharma.

Ind - SA second test match of the India South Africa test series at Eden Garden in Kolkata can be watched live on Neo Sports from 9:30 AM. Live streaming of the match is available on internet.

Ind vs SA 2nd Test Day 2 Live Cricket Scores and Streaming

Ind vs SA Live Cricket Score: South Africa are batting on 266 for the loss of nine wickets. South Africa lost seven wickets for 32 runs after tea.

South Africa had reached 218 for 1 in 58 overs, with the help of centuries from Amla and debutant Alviro Petersen.

Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh finished the day with three wickets each.

SA are all out for 296 on the 2nd day morning.

Watch Live streaming and Live scores of the 2nd days play of 2nd cricket test match between India vs south Africa (IND vs SA) which will be played at Kolkata from February 14-18, 2010.

Match start time 0915 (0345 GMT).

On Sunday, South Africa met the devil himself, and didn’t know what to do. They had reached 218 for 1 in 58 overs.

Indians bowlers stunned South Africa after taking the last 7 wickets in just around 15 overs and 36 runs. , at the end of day one SA were 266 for 9 wickets.

SA were all out for 296 and India after a rapid start lost 2 quick wickets.

The probable teams are as follows :

India: 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 M Vijay, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 S Badrinath, 7 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 8, Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Amit Mishra/Pragyan Ojha/Ishant Sharma, 11 Sreesanth.

South Africa: 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Ashwell Prince, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Paul Harris, 9 Wayne Parnell, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Morne Morkel

Australia vs West Indies 3rd ODI live with Aus vs WI live scores

Today Australia will meet West Indies in 3rd ODI if the One day series. Australia is definitely the hot favorite win this match.

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting told that they are quite confident to mark another victory against West Indies team. West Indies cricket captain stated that they will show a good fight against them.

Here is the full list of team squad

Australia squad

RT Ponting*, MJ Clarke, DE Bollinger, RJ Harris, NM Hauritz, JR Hopes, MEK Hussey, MG Johnson, CJ McKay, SE Marsh, TD Paine†, AC Voges, CL White

West Indies squad

CH Gayle*, N Deonarine, TM Dowlin, WW Hinds, NO Miller, RS Morton, BP Nash, KA Pollard, D Ramdin†, R Rampaul, KAJ Roach, DJG Sammy, LMP Simmons, DR Smith, GC Tonge

This match will start at local time 14:25 in just a few moments from now. To check the ball by ball commentary you can visit our website.

Kirsten appointed ICC Cricket Committee member

India coach Gary Kirsten was today appointed member of ICC Cricket Committee as a representative of national coaches on the final day of two-day meeting of the International Cricket Council Board here.

Kirsten will replace Mickey Aurthur, who recently resigned as South Africa coach. "The Board has reappointed Ian Bishop and Mark Taylor to the ICC Cricket Committee as media representatives and also ratified the reappointment of Kumar Sangakkara and Tim May as current player representatives and India's Gary Kirsten as the representative of national coaches following the recent resignation of Mickey Arthur," an ICC statement said today.

The ICC Board decided to further work on the Decision Review System and build on the encouraging results from the first 13 matches.

"ICC received a report from David Richardson, ICC General Manager – Cricket, on umpire decision review system in which he stated the system had led to a significant increase in the number of correct decisions. In 13 Tests the percentage of correct decisions has risen from 91.3 to 97.44 per cent.

"The Board supported to continue to build on the encouraging results from the first 13 matches and will discuss further technological improvements with broadcasters in March to improve and refine DRS further," the statement said.

It also accepted ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit's recommendation on the requirement of a designated full-time security manager by all the full members.

New Zealand Vs Bangladesh Cricket - NZ win

New Zealand completed a one-day cricket series whitewash by beating Bangladesh by three wickets in the third and final match tonight.

The hosts chased down their target of 242 in 44.5 overs, with Martin Guptill leading the way with 91 off as many deliveries before James Franklin and Ian Butler put on an unbroken stand of 34 for the eighth wicket to get them across the line.

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan impressed with his left-arm spin, keeping the New Zealanders honest with figures of four for 33 off 10 overs.

Bangladesh scored a competitive 241 for nine batting first in the day-night fixture after young opener Imrul Kayes hit 101 off 138 balls, his maiden one-day century and the first scored by a Bangladeshi against New Zealand.

Seam bowler Tim Southee and spinner Dan Vettori both took three wickets after the home side restricted the tourists to just 43 runs in the final 10 overs.

New Zealand won the earlier matches by 146 runs and five wickets.

PCB slapped with legal notice by Cricket Council USA over 'illegal' remarks

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is facing another controversy, with the Cricket Council of the United States of America (CCUSA) sending it legal notice following insult by chairman Ijaz Butt.

Butt had in a press release described the CCUSA as an 'illegal' institution, and blamed PCB director general Javed Miandad for wanting to take an illegitimate cricket team to China.he CCUSA's legal notice demanded an immediate retraction of statement and an apology from Butt.

"Your defamatory statements expressed in the widely-popular fixed print medium of the 'Jang' represent false and unprivileged expressions of negligence and malice. Your actions have directly insulted the wonderful cricket constituents of the venerable PCB," the notice said.

"Your reference to Mr Miandad working with a non-sanctioned American organisation to try and take an illegal cricket team to compete in China is totally false. Never has CCUSA assembled a cricket team for such purpose. My client demands the retraction of these falsehoods," the notice, which was through Attorney David Rubin, said.

Meanwhile, PCB's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Wasim Bari said the board would reply to the notice after consulting its legal experts.

"The CCUSA is not an International Cricket Council (ICC) recognised member as earlier cricket's governing body had written to the PCB, objecting to any association with CCUSA. The PCB had informed Miandad of ICC's protest and he had clarified not to have any dealings with the CCUSA in an official capacity," The Daily Times quoted Bari, as saying.

He said the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) was the only officially recognised ICC member.

According to sources, a number of former Pakistani cricketers, who have now settled America, are allegedly supporting the CCUSA and are currently camping in Dubai from where they wanted to take a team to China.t may be mentioned that the ICC had officially conducted elections of USACA after large scale bungling was alleged by those involved in the running of the USACA in the past.

Galdstone Dainty was elected as the USACA president in the election held six months back. The ICC had also appointed a CEO of the USACA to run the sport in that country

Cricket India v South Africa first test scoreboard - lunch

Scoreboard at lunch on the fourth day of the first test between India and South Africa at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur, India, on Tuesday.

South Africa first innings 558-6 declared (H. Amla 253 n.o., J.Kallis 173, AB de Villiers 53).

India first innings 233 (V. Sehwag 109, S. Badrinath 56, D.Steyn 7-51).

India second innings (overnight 66-2)

G. Gambhir b Morkel 1
V. Sehwag c Smith b Steyn 16
M. Vijay c Morkel b Harris 32
S. Tendulkar not out 77
S. Badrinath c Boucher b Parnell 6
M. Dhoni not out 9
Extras (b-10 lb-5 w-5 nb-1) 21
Total: (for four wickets; 49 overs) 162
Fall of wickets: 1-1 2-24 3-96 4-122.

To bat: W. Saha, H. Singh, Z. Khan, A. Mishra, I. Sharma.

Bowling (to date): Steyn 10-0-36-1, Morkel 12-4-36-1 (w-5),
Parnell 6-0-38-1, Harris 14-5-21-1, Kallis 6-2-11-0, Duminy
1-0-5-0 (nb-1).