not making it into Indian team Yuvraj Singh disappointment

All-rounder, Yuvraj Singh, on Wednesday said that he was disappointed at not making it into the Indian cricket team. After successfully fighting cancer, Yuvraj, made a brief return to the Indian team when he played Twenty20 matches, but he has been a pale shadow of himself on his comeback trail. He last played for India in a ODI in December 2013.

"Definitely, a comeback to the Indian team is a goal. It's always disappointing when you don't make it to the side. However, that said, the last two years have been patchy, up and down. Hopefully, things will change, and I will be picked again, otherwise life will be very depressing. I can only try and do my best," the left-handed batsman told Wisden India.

When asked if the thought of not being picked for India again ever crossed his mind, he said, "Of course, there is a possibility that I may never play for India again. I have considered that. However, there is also the possibility that I might play for India again, and as long as I believe that I can come back and I have it in me, I'm going to keep pushing myself."

Yuvraj said that he along with other sidelined and struggling players like Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir often talk about the good days.

"We always talk about the time we spent playing for India. We all know that those were the most amazing years of our lives. However, life still goes on, even when you're not in the team. You just have to be positive and keep working hard."

Yuvraj did not do much to stake claim in the national team, but he has still not given up.

"I can't really speak about selection. What is the best opportunity that I have? Duleep Trophy, the Ranji and whatever other games I can get. As I said, if I can make it to the squad, it will be a great story. It will be awesome to come back and play for India in a World Cup again. If it doesn't happen, life goes on, and it will be hard to accept, but Ill have to accept it," he concluded.

New Zealand Cricketer Chris Cairns driving truck cleaning bus shelters to sustain family

Desperate times need desperate measures — and for former cricket star Chris Cairns, these measures include working at bus shelters in Auckland and driving a council truck.

Cairns, who is facing a perjury charge, has legal bills mounting — and while he continues to live in Auckland's most expensive suburb, he has taken to working for $17 an hour at the bus shelter.

The New Zealand Herald, which also reported the story, quotes Cairns' best friend Dion Nash as saying: "He's trying really hard and supporting his family the best way he can. He's not moping around, he's showing guts and doing hard work by cleaning bus shelters. All I can do is support him, but as a friend it is really hard to watch his name being dragged through the mud with no conclusion in sight."

The report also quoted Cairns' wife Mel Croser: "He has no choice, he has to provide for his family ... We have bills to pay like everyone else. We don't own a house, we're paying rent like many other people and getting by is a struggle".

Not far back, in 2010, Cairns had proposed to Croser with a 3.2 carat diamond ring.

Cairns has vehemently denied all cheating claims as the investigation continues.

-FP

Former star all rounder of the New Zealand cricket team, Chris Cairns is driving a truck to make ends meet and support his family. The 44 year old cricketer, who for many, would be among the best the Kiwis produced in cricket, drives a truck for $17 an hour, and cleans bus shelters, international media reports showed.

Cairns has reportedly taken up a job with Auckland Council which operates trucks that are used for water blasting bus stations.

Cairns had been alleged for match fixing, after New Zealand test batsman Lou Vincent named him as Mister X, the former star player that lured Vincent into match fixing with promises of substantial cash rewards. Vincent has since admitted manipulating the outcome of matches in 12 countries and has received 11 life bans from cricket for those activities.

Mid day report quoted another former player, Dion Nash who said he supported Cairns and was by his side for the fixing issue. Nash said Cairns was being bold and was working hard to support his family in their tough times.

-DNA

Sri Lanka thrash Australia

Australian captain Michael Clarke again failed with the bat as his side lost their first Twenty20 game at home in their one-off international against Sri Lanka at the WACA Ground in Perth on Sunday.



After winning the toss and batting first, the home side featuring only four players expected to play key roles in the upcoming Ashes series, struggled to 8-133, after slumping to 5-43 in the 11th over.

Sri Lanka cruised to 3-133 in reply, winning with 21 balls to spare, inflicting Australia's first home defeat in 11 matches.

Clarke went into the game under pressure to retain his spot in the Australian side in the shortest form of the game, as he is averaging just over 20 in the format.

He promoted himself to the top of the order and the move very nearly backfired on the second ball he faced, with an inside edge just missing the stumps.

Clarke should then have been run out on two, when he was sent back by strike Dave Warner and was well out of his ground as the throw by Tillakaratne Dilshan from close range somehow missed.

The 29-year-old briefly looked as if he would capitalise on the good fortune, hitting Dilhara Fernando through mid-wicket for four, before lofting Muttiah Muralitharan, playing his last game in Perth, down the ground for six in the next over.



But on 16, his luck ran out when he lobbed a mistimed drive off Thisara Perera (2-22) down to long on, where a back-pedalling Dilhara Fernando -- who had started the Australian rot when he had Warner caught at mid-off for two - misjudged the flight of the ball but stuck out his right hand to cleanly snare a remarkable catch.

Clarke had faced 19 balls, and his departure left the home side struggling at 2-22.

It got much worse though, with Perera then claiming Test opener Shane Watson for four and David Hussey (7) and Cameron White (8) both going cheaply as Australia collapsed to 5-43.

Brad Haddin (35) and Steven Smith (34) then came to the rescue, their 66-run partnership at least giving Australia a modestly competitive total to defend, before both fell in quick succession to Suraj Randiv, who impressed with 3-25 with his off-spinners.

The Sri Lankans had few problems overhauling the total, with captain Kumar Sangakkara unbeaten on 44 and Dilshan making 41.

Source: Indian Express

Gibbs book opens a pandora's box in SA cricket

Johannesburg: Stories about sexual orgies, marijuana sessions and the dominance of a group of senior players in South Africa cricket squad have been exposed in out of favour opener Herschelle Gibbs' autobiography, which is releasing on Monday.



The weekly 'Sunday Times' carried excerpts from Gibbs' book, a day before its release.

The book graphically details the sexual exploits of the controversial player who has been in trouble for his late night binges and drunken driving charges, as well as leading players in smoking pot in the West Indies.

Gibbs, who just last week confessed that he would have to work very hard to return to the national squad, could also incur the ire of fellow players after writing in his book that the Proteas are dominated by a clique of older players.

"The team has been criticised for being run by a group of senior players - Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, and more recently, AB de Villiers," Gibbs wrote.



"This inner circle splits the team in two and makes any chance of developing true team spirit among the Proteas impossible," said Gibbs, adding that former national coach Mickey Arthur had often bowed to them after trying to take them on.

"Simply put, without Graeme's backing, he didn't have much influence over the guys. In the end, Graeme was simply too powerful."

Gibbs also disclosed how the squad never regained its spirit after former captain Hansie Cronje, now deceased, got a life ban following his admission to match-fixing that was first uncovered by Indian authorities.

"Things were never the same. I sympathised with Shaun Pollock (who took over from Cronje). He had a tough time filling Hansie's shoes and gluing the team together. But the Proteas never had that same togetherness under Polly (Pollock). He never socialised with boys too much."

Gibbs was one of the co-accused with Cronje and Henry Williams, after allegations of match-fixing in Nagpur. He was suspended for six months after that, but still respects the late South African skipper.



"(Despite) the cloud that hangs over his legacy, I can tell you that I've never played with anyone who possessed such a die-hard attitude to winning," Gibbs stated.

The poor performance of the national team in recent years also came under fire from Gibbs, who was himself blamed for contributing to that.

"We've got to admit that the Proteas have underachieved in international cricket over the past decade."

Gibbs summed up his own indiscretions, which included a confession to pulling out some of his wife Tenielle Povey's hair while he was driving during a fight.

"As explosive as my batting can be, it hasn't quite matched the pyrotechnics of my life off the field," Gibbs wrote.

Source: PTI

Priceless gems of Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag is celebrating his 33rd birthday today and while the nation wants to gift him good wishes going into big moments for Indian cricket ahead, MSN relives the greatest gifts given by Sehwag to Indian cricket and its billion fans. Let us relive the priceless gems of our magical Viru Bhai



Priceless Gem No. 1

Period and venue: March 2004/ Multan
Result: India won by an innings
Sehwag's priceless gem: 309
Key factor : First Indian to get a test triple hundred
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
309 375 531 82.40 39 6

This was easily the best inning played by Virender Sehwag for many reasons. The new generation Indian team had never toured Pakistan before this match for a test series and therefore were considered underdogs. But, the way Sehwag knocked the stuffing off Shoaib Akthar was something that gave Indian cricket a new meaning in the international arena. And his strike rate of 82 plus was phenomenal to say the least. It was nearly 10 hours of magic.





Priceless Gem No. 2

Period and venue: March 2009/ Hamilton
Result: India won by 84 runs (D/L method)
Sehwag's priceless gem: 125
Key factor: Fastest ODI hundred by an Indian cricketer
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
125 74 106 169.01 14 6

Prior to this match, India had taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 5-match series. A win here would clinch them a rare series win in New Zealand. The Kiwis had made a competitive 270 from 47 overs in fairly seaming conditions on a day when the rain Gods were playing hide and seek. Then came Sehwag and his blade did the talking. He raced to his 100 in just 60 balls, thus becoming the fastest ODI centurion from India.



Priceless Gem No. 3


Period and venue: December 2003/ Melbourne
Result: India lost by 9 wickets
Sehwag's priceless gem: 195
Key factor of the inning - Fastest test 150 by an Indian in Australia
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
195 233 312 83.7 25 5

When Sehwag gets going, even the best bowlers will have to run for cover. This was evident in the way he despatched Brett Lee to all parts of MCG in an absolute blinder. The blatant assault by Sehwag almost led him to a famous record of double hundred in a single day in Melbourne but the Nawab of Najafgarh fell short by 5 runs. India went on to lose the test match but Viru's innings will be remembered forever.



Priceless Gem No. 4


Period and venue: March 2008/ Chennai
Result: Match drawn
Sehwag's priceless gem: 319
Key factor: fastest triple hundred in test cricket
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
319 304 530 104.9 42 6

South Africa would have fancied their chances in the first test of the series after posting a mammoth 540 in their first innings. But, little did they realise what was coming their way. A storm brewing in the Bay of Bengal and was named Cyclone Viru. He simply blew them away with a thunderous knock that even had the record-writers busy carving the new name. Sehwag raced to the fastest triple hundred in test cricket ever and what an inning it was.




Priceless Gem No. 5

Period and venue: February 2009/ Colombo
Result: India won by 147 runs
Sehwag's priceless gem: 116
Key factor - Series-winning knock
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
116 90 165 129 17 0

It was the 3rd match of the 5-match series and India already were leading 2-0. So, a win here and the series in the pocket. Sehwag knew the situation when India won the toss and decided to use the willow. Sehwag blazed from the word go and smashed a majestic 116 off just 90 balls as he set such a platform that India pulverised the Lankans to win the series in emphatic fashion.




Priceless Gem No. 6

Period and venue: august 2008/ Galle
Result: India won by 170 runs
Sehwag's priceless gem: 201
Key factor - Series-levelling knock
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
201 231 348 87.10 22 4

India had come into the second test of the series after suffering their worst ever defeat in Sri Lanka and one of their all-time worst defeats at the SSC in Colombo. And just when they were looking for some inspiration, they had the magic of Virender Sehwag. The opener carried his bat in an inning, where all the other batsmen were simply falling apart. Sehwag contributed nearly 70% of the team's total. India won the match and levelled the series




Priceless Gem No. 7

Period and venue: January 2006/ Lahore
Result: Match Drawn
Sehwag's priceless gem: 254
Key factor - Fastest 250 in test cricket (then)
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
254 247 328 102.83 47 1

Two years after Sehwag had demolished the Pakistani attack on his way to 309 at Multan, the PCB decided not to field Multan as one of the venues for this Indian tour. But, little did they know that Sehwag was a man for all occasions and all venues. After Pakistan made 679 and were looking to put pressure on the Indian batsmen, Viru comes up with another blinder. A run a ball 250, which eventually was the fastest 250 in test cricket.



Priceless Gem No. 8

Period and venue: June 2008/ Karachi
Result: India won by 6 wickets and 8 overs to spare
Sehwag's priceless gem: 119
Key factor - India's record chase in Pakistan (then)
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
119 95 150 125.3 12 5

Karachi is never an easy venue for India traditionally. With full crowd roaring for Pakistan, the home team made a commanding 299 in their 50 overs. Needing exactly a run a ball, India couldn't have asked for a better start. Sehwag tore into Sohail Tanvir and Rao Iftikhar Anjum to set up the run chase for India before Raina and Yuvi ensured it was a landslide victory for the visitors.




Priceless Gem No. 9

Period and venue: December 2009/ Mumbai
Result: India won by an innings and 24 runs
Sehwag's priceless gem: 293
Key factor - Fastest 250 in test cricket
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
293 254 366 115.4 40 7

It was a golden run for Virender Sehwag and he was only getting stronger by the day. If one had thought his records are simply unbreakable, they were wrong cause Sehwag was still playing active cricket and he was there to break them. He bludgeoned Lankan bowlers to all parts of the historic Brabourne in Mumbai and in the process broke his own record for fastest 250 in test cricket. He would have broken again his own record for fastest triple hundred had he scored 7 more runs to his majestic 293.




Priceless Gem No. 10

Period and venue: December 2009/ Rajkot
Result: India won by 3 runs
Sehwag's priceless gem: 146
Key factor - Match-winning knock
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
146 102 166 143.1 17 6

Barely a few days after smashing 293 in 254 balls, Sehwag continued to haunt the hapless Sri Lankans. This time at Rajkot in the first ODI the Nawab blasted 146 off just 102 balls and looked good to break the then world record of Saeed Anwar with nearly 15 overs left. But, he got out to a soft dismissal in the end. It was ironically a match where both teams scored over 400 runs and Sri Lanka lost by a mere 3 runs.

Bangladesh clean sweep against New Zealand

Dhaka: After clinching a historic ODI series win against New Zealand, Bangladesh rubbed in more salt into the Kiwi wound when they completed a whitewash of the visiting team. This is the first time ever that Bangladesh has blanked out a top cricket team in a series.



This is the second time that Bangladesh has managed a clean sweep in an ODI series. The last time the side was able to do the same was in 2009, when they beat a second grade West Indies side on their Caribbean tour.

Powered by a three-wicket haul by seamer Rubel Hossain and neat efforts from the spin department, Bangladesh defended a meagre target of 175 runs and dismissed New Zealand three runs short of the target. Grant Elliot's 59, Daniel Vettori's 43 and a late-order heroics from Kyle Mills failed to take the Kiwis to victory.

A completely out-of-form New Zealand side has just failed to produce a single match-winner who would have taken them across the finishing line in the series. In the five-match series, New Zealand has succumbed to three close defeats, with one match being abandoned without a ball being bowled.



Take a look at the result of all the four matches.

1st ODI at Mirpur
Ban 228 in 49.3 overs beat NZ 200/8 in 37 overs
Bangladesh win by 9 runs(D/L method)
Top performer from Ban: Shakib Al Hasan: 58 runs and 4 wickets
Top performer from NZ: Brendon McCullum: 61 runs



3rd ODI at Mirpur
NZ 173 in 42.5 overs lost to Ban 177/3 in 40 overs
Bangladesh win by 3 wickets
Top performer from Ban: Shahriar Nafees: 73 runs
Top performer from NZ: Ross Taylor: 62 runs



4th ODI at Dhaka
Ban 241 in 48.1 overs beat NZ 232 in 49.3 overs
Bangladesh win by 9 runs
Top performer from Ban: Shakib Al Hasan: 106 runs and 3 wickets
Top performer from NZ: Kane Williamson: 108 runs



5th ODI at Dhaka
Ban 174 in 44.2 overs beat NZ 171 in 49.3 overs
Bangladesh win by 3 runs
Man-of-the-Match: Rubel Hossain- 4/25

Source: India Syndicate

Verbal duel begins on day one itself

It was just the first day of the fresh series and already there are indications, the current India-Australia series will not disappoint on the 'spat' front. Ricky ponting and Zaheer Khan have given the series a (im)perfect start. MSN looks at some (in)famous spats between the two hot rivals of international cricket



Mohali: Session two on day one of the first cricket Test in Mohali between India and Australia saw Zaheer Khan and Ricky Ponting take on each other. A disappointed Ponting walking back to the pavilion after his dismissal was accosted by Zaheer, who as TV replays show, launched a verbal tirade against the Oz captain. Ponting in return pointed his bat towards Zaheer, before umpire Billy Bowden intervened to diffuse the situation.

At times in sports, the real game on the field is arm twisted and superseded by more spiteful and spicy action.

A contentious decision, a petulant contestant, a verbal tirade, is all that is needed to spark a controversy. India-Australia Test rivalry has a long history of vitriolic incidents that have gone hand in hand with some fabulous quality of cricket. MSN India takes a look at some of these moments.



Sunil Gavaskar-Dennis Lillee


In 1981 in Melbourne, Kapil Dev's fiver in the second innings handed India a famous series-leveling win. But more than the victory, the Test became infamous for Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar staging a walk out. After suffering a series of low scores, Gavaskar was finally finding some form in Australia. At a score of 70 runs, a delivery from Dennis Lillee jagged back and hit Gavaskar on the pads. No sooner had the bowler appealed that Gavaskar was adjudged lbw by umpire Rex Whitehead. The decision was the tipping point as a fuming Gavaskar refused to accept the decision and made his way back to the pavilion, pulling his fellow opener Chetan Chauhan alongside. A major row was averted when the Indian team management intervened and Chauhan was asked to return to the centre and Gavaskar was escorted back to the dressing room.



Rahul Dravid-Michael Slater
The 2001 Wankhede Test saw heated exchanges between Australian opener Michael Slater and Indian number three Rahul Dravid. Dravid's mistimed pull spooned the ball in the air, which Slater then claimed to have taken a catch off. Unconvinced Dravid stuck to his crease. Umpire S Venkataraghavan referred the catch to the third umpire which convincingly revealed that Slater had not caught the ball cleanly. An incensed Slater confronted Dravid and started shouting and gesturing at Dravid. Later, Slater was fined for his unruly behaviour.



2008 Sydney Test
2007-08 India's tour of Australia was marred with skirmishes on and off the field. And none more grievous than the devious umpiring decisions in the Sydney Test. Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds were the beneficiaries, while Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, fighting his way to earn India a draw, were the ones who were rubbed on the wrong side. Umpire Steve Bucknor came under heavy fire for making some of the worst mistakes seen on a cricket field. Each and every incorrect dismissal was backed by credible amount of video footage and was a point of debate not only in the TV studios but all across the two continents.



Harbhajan Singh-Andrew Symonds
A controversy that brought disrepute to the game and threatened to end an already acrimonious series. A verbal battle between Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds in the 2008 Sydney Test turned all the dirtier when the latter accused the Indian spinner of making racist remarks. Symonds alleged that Singh had called him a monkey. A disciplinary panel was set about the task of looking into the charges. Harbhajan Singh was let off after the hearing, but the seeds of a bitter cricketing relationship were sown.

Source: India Syndicate

Why so much fuss about Yuvraj being dropped?

Yuvraj Singh says he is not out of form and that the selectors have been harsh in dropping him. For starters, Yuvraj’s average in 2010 is 21 in ODIs and 23 in test matches. There are at least 5 other batsmen in the middle order in domestic cricket including the newly inducted Cheteshwar Pujara who have averaged well above 50 in the last one year. So, who is unfair Mr. Yuvraj?



Yuvraj Singh has been dropped. This news has come as a bomb for the prince of Punjab. In what has been a sign of 'enough is enough' the selectors have sent out a warning to Yuvi to get fit soon or face the axe even for the World Cup. The dashing batsman is out of the Aussie series and will have to fight it out to secure a place in the squad for the series against New Zealand that follows immediately afterwards.



Yuvraj however has come out and said he was bitterly disappointed and refuted talk of poor form and fitness. "Selection is not in my hands. In Sri Lanka I played two games, in the first I scored a hundred and a fifty in the second. If that's not good enough, I can't say," he said.

"Not a great feeling. For the last seven years I have been trying to cement my place in the Test team but have not been able to do that. And that is a big disappointment. The reasons may be many. The first reason even I don't know," he added.

" If I continue to be dropped like this, definitely I will have to look for something else," he said jokingly.



Yuvraj has said he is not out of form. We are certainly baffled by what he has said. Do statistics lie?

Yuvraj's form book

Yuvraj has been dreadfully out of form in recent times. In 2010, he has played in 3 test matches and has averaged just 23.5. His total test score for the year is 92 and his best effort came against Sri Lanka in the Galle test, where he made 52 in one of the innings.

His ODI form has been nothing to write home about either. In 9 ODIs this year, Yuvraj has averaged 21 with the bat and has not scored a single 100. This is not the first time such a situation has come for the gifted batsman, who has lost it completely in recent times, both physically and mentally. If he is complaining, he must take a look at his fellow countrymen in the same game, who have toiled for years now and yet struggle to find a place leave alone cementing one.



Many better than Yuvi

If Yuvraj has reasons to say words like 'if that was not good enough', MSN now takes a look at 5 other players who will have a 101 questions.

Cheteshwar Pujara

Pujara has been the in-form player in Indian domestic cricket for some time now. His selection for the Oz series has been automated after a double hundred against West Indies 'A' side in June this year. It is very hard to forget that sensational triple hundred he got against Orissa 2 years ago. If that was not enough, Pujara got himself another double hundred the last Ranji tournament and finished the season with an outstanding average of 79. He is just 22 and technically one of the brightest prospects to play the longest version.

Pujara's Ranji Season 2009-10
Matches Runs Highest score Average 100s 50s
5 554 204 N.O 79.14 1 4

Why so much fuss about Yuvraj being dropped?



Subramaniam Badrinath

A name that is now more popular in Australia than India one would have to say after his exploits in the Emerging Players' tournament down under over the last 2 to 3 years. Badri has been 'The Wall' for Tamil Nadu and scored a mammoth 599 runs during the last season. Mammoth considering Tamil Nadu could not progress past the quarterfinal stage. His average for the season was a staggering 85.57.

Badrinath's Ranji season 2009-10
Matches Runs Highest score Average 100s 50s
6 599 250 85.87 3 2




Manoj Tiwary

Tiwary has been hanging around for some time now. He has been making the 14 but finds it difficult to make the playing XI. Not the player to lose heart, Tiwary invariably looks at domestic cricket season after season to keep him going. And that has helped him. His Ranji season of 2009 wasn't the best by his standards and yet he managed to eek out an average of 57.

Tiwary's Ranji season 2009-10
Matches Runs Highest score Average 100s 50s
5 399 107 57.5 1 3



Virat Kohli

Another prodigious talent, Virat Kohli has tested his guns on ODI and T20 formats. Now is the time for the 23-year-old to make it bigger and scale to the next level of cricket. Busy with national duty at most times, Kohli made sure he was there for Delhi whenever he was free. And didn't that make a difference? Just 3 matches and Kohli scored a huge 374 runs at no less than 93 a piece.

Virat Kohli's Ranji season 2009-10
Matches Runs Highest score Average 100s 50s
3 374 145 93.5 1 2




jinkya Rahane

Hailing from the same place as master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, cricket comes naturally for Ajinkya Rahane. He played a big role in helping Mumbai win the Ranji trophy last year. Didn't do much in the final at Mysore but his tournament record speaks for itself. 809 runs with an average of 73.54. Can't get much better.

Ajinkya Rahane's Ranji season 2009-10
Matches Runs Highest score Average 100s 50s
9 809 265 N.O 73.5 3 3

The biggest problem with Yuvraj throughout his cricketing career has been domestic cricket or the lack of it. Among the current generation players, Yuvraj is notorious for missing out on domestic cricket for prolonged periods.

Yuvraj's first-class record
Matches Runs Highest score Average 100s 50s
91 5523 209 43.46 17 26

He hardly plays first-class cricket. In his career spanning so many years, Yuvi has played only 91first-class matches and averages a modest 43. Compare this with someone like VVS Laxman, who bats in almost the same position as Yuvi does. 244 first-class matches.

What should Yuvraj do now?

Pack his kit bag and head to the nearest ground, which is host to domestic cricket. Yuvi might not have those beauties glaring at him in domestic matches and may be that will help him focus better.

Blistering Pollard shines in Mumbai win

Durban: Kieron Pollard's blistering 72 runs which contained nine sixes in all and a 46-ball-48 from Sachin Tendulkar powered Mumbai to a convincing 31-run win over Guyana.



Facing a tough target of 185 runs, the Guyanese batsmen failed to fire and were restricted to 153-6 in their full quota overs. Guyanese captain Ramnaresh Sarwan top scored with 46 runs as the rest of the batting order fell apart in the face of a huge target.

Although Mumbai won, their bowling attack came up with an average performance. Wides and no-balls were given freely and Mumbai ended up gifting away 29 extras. Dwayne Bravo and Harbhajan Singh claimed two wickets each and Lasith Malinga and Zaheer Khan snapped one wicket apiece



Keiron Pollard butchered the Guyana bowlers with a whirlwind unbeaten half century to power Mumbai Indians to 184 for four in their crucial Group B match of the Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament here today. Pollard was at his ruthless best as hammered the Guyana bowlers to all parts of the ground to remain unbeaten on 72 that came off just 30 deliveries.

Mumbai's decision to send the imposing West Indian up the order bore fruit as he hit nine towering sixes and one four to take the Indian Premier League side to the formidable total after they were down at 99 for three at one stage. Pollard's domination with the bat can be ascertained from the fact that Mumbai piled up a mammoth 85 runs in the last overs.

Pollard's task, however, was made easy by the 82-run opening stand between Sachin Tendulkar (48 off 39) and Shikhar Dhawan (39 off 37). Even though Tendulkar was not at his elegant best, he and Dhawan ensured that Mumbai were off to a decent start that eventually laid the platform for Pollard''s late fireworks.



Towards the end, JP Duminy too came up with a vital six-ball 14-run knock to help his side''s cause. For Guyana, leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo was the pick of the bowlers, picking up three wickets for 34 runs.

Opting to bat, Tendulkar and Shikhar Dhwan went out with a purpose and adopted an attacking mood from the word go. Tendulkar made his intentions clear with a smashing pull to the midwicket boundary of Crandon in the second over.

Dhawan, who so far had a forgetable outing in the tournament, got off the blocks with a huge six over square-leg boundary off Paul Wintz and then Tendulkar finshed off third over with another pulll to the midwicket fence. After the initial burst, even though the duo managed to rotate the strike with ones and twos, they found boundaries hard to come by.



Desperate to broke the shackles, Tendulkar was handed two lives by the butterfingered Guyana fielders as the champion bastman went for big hits in the ninth over. Crandon was the guilty fielder on the first occasion as he made a mess of a regulation running catch at long-on off Christopher Barnwell.

If that was not enough, in the very next ball Tendulkar was handed another life when a running Jonathan Foo dropped a difficult one at deep square leg. Tendulkar was utlisised those chances to perfection with back-to-back boundaries off Bishoo in the first two deliveries of the 11th over before falling to the leggie two balls later.

Source: PTI

Raina, Vijay power Chennai to big win

Centurion: Chennai Super Kings registered their second win in the Champions League T20 with a massive 97-run victory over Wayamba.



Chasing a huge target of 201 runs, the Lankan champions folded for just 103 runs. None of their batsmen was allowed to hold fort and build any sort of partnership as the Chennai bowlers kept taking wickets at regular intervals. Ashwin's spin fetched him four wickets and South African speedster Albie Morkel picked up three victims in the match.

Earlier, Suresh Raina and Murali Vijay scored twin quick-fire half centuries to enable Chennai Super Kings post a mammoth 200 for three wickets against Wayamba in their second Group A match of the Champions League Twenty20 here.

Raina scored a blistering 44-ball 87 while Vijay complimented him well with a 46-ball 68 to notch up a 137-run second wicket stand between them which came in just 72 deliveries.

While Vijay was the initial aggressor, Raina overtook him once the innings progressed in the perfect batting conditions at the SuperSport Park.



Raina bejeweled his innings with six boundaries and as many sixes while Vijay found the fence nine times and crossed it once.

For Wayamba Chanaka Welegadara picked up two wickets for 47 runs off his four overs.

Sent into bat, Chennai were cautious in the beginning as openers Mathew Hayden and Vijay found it difficult to pick up the tricks of mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, who opened the bowling along with left-arm pacer Isuru Udana.

However, Mubarak's ploy to introduce Welegedara in the fifth over backfired as Vijay took the left-arm pacer to the task, hitting him for one six and three fours, apart from a leg-bye boundary, to pick up 23 runs of that over.



But Mendis kept his captain's faith and gave Wayamaba the breakthrough, trapping big-hitting Hayden plumb in front of the wicket in the next over.

Vijay was at his elegant best as he welcomed Shalika Karunanayake with a blazing drive past extra cover and then meted out the same treatment to Thisara Perera in the next.

Perera was at the receiving end of Vijay and Suresh Raina's ire as she bled 18 runs off his second over.

Raina came out of his shell and hammered Perera for a boundary and a six over extra cover and then Vijay finished off the over with an elegant flick over midwicket.

After initial hiccup, Raina opened up and matched his partner stroke by stroke. Karunanayake also had to face the left-hander's ire as he clobbered the right-arm medium pacer for a boundary and a six in the 12th over to up the Chennai tempo.



Once set, the duo used their long handle to great effect towards the end and smashed Wayamba bowlers to all parts of the ground to help Chennai pile up 65 runs in the last five overs.

Raina destroyed Mendis' figure with four huge sixes during the spinner's second spell to pick up 28 runs of the 17th over.

However, in the next over both the batsmen perished in search of quick runs. Welegedara was the lucky bowler, who scalped both Raina and Vijay in two consecutive deliveries to break the destructive partnership.

While Raina hit one staraight to Mubarak inside the circle, Vijay was holed out in the deep by Perera.

Albie Morkel (9 off 5) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (10 off 9) finshed off the proceedings for Chennai.

Source: PTI

'Greg Chappell was Indian cricket’s biggest disaster'

In the biggest attack yet on Greg Chappell and his role in 2005 with Indian cricket as chief coach, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh says the current Australian full-time selector was after Sachin and wanted the master blaster to retire. Bhajji was speaking to Shekhar Gupta in the show ‘Walk the Talk’. Here are the excerpts of a very interesting interview.



Shekhar Gupta: I am at the Mumbai Cricket Association grounds at Bandra-Kurla and my guest isHarbhajan Singh.

This city has given you some of your toughest moments. Remember the 2001 series against Australia?

Harbhajan Singh: That was my comeback series and in that game, I think I was the only bowler who took four wickets, so I was the only survivor among the spinners. So, Mumbai city has not just given me joy but that match gave me the chance to play in the next game.

Shekhar Gupta: Bhajji, that was a time of crisis for you. I have heard that before that series, you were thinking of leaving cricket for Canada or America and driving a bus or something. Is that just a story?

Harbhajan Singh: That was a very difficult time for me, because they had taken me off the National Cricket Academy.

Shekhar Gupta: Why did they remove you?

Harbhajan Singh: Because I had complained about the food there. They had a diet chart that listed out the nutrients we should have, but the food we got didn't have a single thing that was on the chart. I tried complaining in vain to the people in charge. So one day I got angry and tore the chart. That was the biggest mistake I made. Anyway, that was why I was removed from the NCA. When I went home, my dad was ill. He was hospitalised and then he passed away. I did not know what to do because I was out of the academy. There were some selectors who did not want me to play cricket, they wanted me to stay back in Jalandhar. And there was one selector who even took my trial by himself. He would wear pads and come to bat at the nets and say that if you can bowl me out, you are in.

Shekhar Gupta: So, did you manage to bowl out that selector?

Harbhajan Singh: On many occasions. I don't know how he qualified for a position in the Indian team.

Shekhar Gupta: This particular selector, was he right-handed or left?

Harbhajan Singh: I don't know, but the way he was batting right-handed, it did not look as if he was right-handed.



Shekhar Gupta: So, what did you think then...when you were in trouble?

Harbhajan Singh: Back then, I did not think they would take me. I did not really think much of continuing playing for the Ranji Trophy because I knew my potential. But I had a family to feed, so I thought I might as well go abroad and do something. Anything to help run my family. I am not ashamed of doing anything, whether it is washing dishes or driving trucks or working at a petrol pump.

Shekhar Gupta: So you were planning to go to Canada or America.

Harbhajan Singh: At that time, my family was my top priority because I am the eldest. But suddenly I saw some hope when Sourav (Ganguly) spoke to me, called me to Delhi and John Wright, who was the coach then, saw me bowl. There was this camp of players and my name was in it. It was then that I realised that this could be my comeback. So, I went to the camp, performed well. And then they let me into the Board XI team that was touring Australia. They were short of a spinner because Anil bhai (Anil Kumble) was injured. I took three and two wickets in each of the innings. I bowled well, so my name came up for the first Test match.

Shekhar Gupta:Who do you give more credit to -- Sourav or John Wright?

Harbhajan Singh: I give a lot of credit to Sourav. I think he was the guy who fought for me. Throughout my career, he has always been there when I needed his help and support, and so has Anil Kumble.

Shekhar Gupta: The Bombay Test match of 2001 was a disaster. That was the turning point in Indian cricket. So, what was the team taught after that very easy defeat in Bombay?

Harbhajan Singh: I remember that game. The Australians got out very fast in that match. At one stage, they were 91 for five, but from there onwards, Gilchrist played a fantastic innings. And Matthew Hayden got his first hundred. And suddenly, they were right on top and we lost the game. I picked up four wickets, so I survived and got to play in the next game. Then we went to Calcutta, which was a similar story. We got out, and they came to bat. By tea, they had started scoring hard, and they had made 200 to 250 runs. After tea, though, five to six wickets went down just like that. I don't know what happened, I had God's blessings. Everything was working out just the way I wanted. I got a hat-trick, bagged five wickets for the first time in a Test match. That day was the best in my life, when I realised that I could take five wickets. And I was against the best batsmen early in the game. They were in the driver's seat till then, but when we came in to bat, the situation changed again. But I think the whole game was about VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid, the way they batted was just fantastic.



Shekhar Gupta: Sachin Tendulkar once said on Walk the Talk that the amount of bounce that Harbhajan got, I have never seen a spinner get so much bounce. He said that's why the Australians just could not handle it, because they were playing the sweep shot and they just did not understand the bounce.

Harbhajan Singh: The bounce was good, the wickets were good too. Every match went into the fifth day. It was a very good match at Calcutta, and a batsman always bats differently when he is under pressure. Plus, I had not played a lot against Australia, and they did not know my bowling that well either. I was just bowling the way I was bowling in Ranji Trophy, it was just that I had more confidence.

Shekhar Gupta: Bhajji, that series was also the beginning of your special relationship with the Australians. Of the top five batsmen that you dismissed the most number of times, four of them are Australians. Ricky Ponting is your special favourite.

Harbhajan Singh: Well, I want to do my best against the best. Because everyone says Australia is the best team in the world, they have very good players, they are very competitive. And I am very competitive too.



Shekhar Gupta: Do the Australians say things about you?

Harbhajan Singh: They keep saying bunny etc. When I go to bat, the wicketkeeper keeps saying something or the other behind my back. But when they are batting, they don't say much. Then it's our turn. I did not know much English then, but I would say whatever I knew. Or I would say something in my language. If they can make fun of us, we can too. But we still have to play.

Shekhar Gupta: The first time you got Ponting out, was it at Sharjah? I think you got him stumped. Even then, a few words were exchanged there.

Harbhajan Singh: Yes, I do not want to say what I said. I was young and it just happened. At that time, I did not really know the meaning of what I was saying. It was an English word, and that was the only one I knew. Something I heard from senior players.

Shekhar Gupta: But that was what took your special relationship with the Australians forward.

Harbhajan Singh: Well, after I dismissed Ponting six times in the 2001 series, he also started getting angry that this 20-year-old boy was getting him out all the time.

Shekhar Gupta: So, after Ponting, in a way, Andrew Symonds took over.

Harbhajan Singh: Whatever happened in Sydney was an instance of making a mountain out of a molehill. They do not like it when people say things about their players, but they are probably the worst when it comes to saying things or doing things to other players. But I am not like those who can listen to abuses and keep quiet. I have come to play, not get abused. If they abuse me, I will give it back to them.

Shekhar Gupta: But by that stage, things had come to a head.

Harbhajan Singh: Yes, they were frustrated. I was not getting out, and I was playing along with Sachin. They hadn't thought we could manage such a good partnership. They made Bret Lee bowl, and many others, but when they still couldn't break the partnership, they got angry. So, they started saying weird stuff, and if you say weird stuff to me, it's likely that I will give it back to you.



Shekhar Gupta: But do you regret what happened?

Harbhajan Singh: Well, whatever happened, they shouldn't have stretched it for so long. Even if it was my fault, they could have ended it then and there. If they can say things to people, they should have the ability to listen to stuff being said to them too.

Shekhar Gupta: Hayden had also said something?

Harbhajan Singh: Hayden was rattling on. Michael Clarke too. Then they complained about me, Ricky Ponting was the first. But if you say that the game should be played in the spirit of the game, how can complaining about somebody be included in that?

Shekhar Gupta: What kind of things were they saying?

Harbhajan Singh: First they were talking normally. But when they got personal, I got personal too. But I never said the word that they claimed I did.

Shekhar Gupta: The word, monkey?

Harbhajan Singh: Yes, I never said that. If I had, I would have definitely been banned.

Shekhar Gupta: What were the personal things they were saying?

Harbhajan Singh: About my home, etc. I can't say all those words here in front of the camera.



Shekhar Gupta: Describe your growth as a bowler. Like how you learnt the doosra.

Harbhajan Singh: I have been bowling doosras from the first day. The reason I was included in the Indian team was because I was the only Indian spinner who could bowl the doosra. Then they told me that my action was not right, and I was sent for a test. After I passed that, I came back to international cricket. But they continued to tell me the same thing. After that, I did bio-mechanics, which involves sticking a hundred things on your body. I have gone through all those tests and I am glad everything came out fine.

Shekhar Gupta: What are the new things you have done in cricket, and how have you changed?

Harbhajan Singh: I have not done many new things in terms of my bowling, I have just done what any normal guy may do. I just bowled a lot of balls in the nets, and I practised very hard. And I made sure I did my work right.

Shekhar Gupta: So, you learnt your tricks over time.

Harbhajan Singh: Yes, just by bowling in the nets and working hard. I love bowling single wickets, I think every spinner should bowl lots of single wickets. It gives you a lot of confidence. I still do it.

Shekhar Gupta: Players like you, who have been around for such a long time and have learnt so much, do you even feel the need for a coach?

Harbhajan Singh: Yes, because nobody can ever become perfect in cricket. Coaches always stand there and observe you play. Whenever I go to Jalandhar, I always make my old coach, Davinder Aroraji, stand at the nets. He can spot even the smallest of my mistakes. He has been watching my progress since childhood and even now he instructs me on how to improve my bowling.

Shekhar Gupta: Of the coaches that the national team has had -- Gary Kirsten now, Chappell before that, John Wright before that, what are their attributes?

Harbhajan Singh: I think John Wright was fantastic with the team. He gave a lot of confidence to the players. When Mr Chappell took over from him, that was the biggest disaster. Everything went wrong, I don't know what he was up to.

Shekhar Gupta: But he caused insecurity in the team.

Harbhajan Singh: Yes, a lot of it. You couldn't go and talk to him about anything. As a player, if I go to the coach and tell him, 'Sir, my hand is not coming like this, what do you think' or 'I am not confident, what do I do', his job is to give me hausla (courage). But he, instead, would go to the press and say that he is not good, he lacks confidence. I remember, in one of his interviews, he said that a couple of guys are like cancer in the team. When he started off in Zimbabwe, we were playing a Test match and he was writing a mail to his journalist friend, saying this guy is like this, that guy is like that. He was leaking information to the media.



Shekhar Gupta: Did you ever confront him?

Harbhajan Singh: Yes, many times, that is why he did not like me. That's why he didn't like Sourav, Veeru or Zaheer because we were guys who used to ask him. He didn't like Sachin, he was after Sachin. Imagine, he wanted Sachin to retire.

Shekhar Gupta: So his going was good riddance.

Harbhajan Singh: Yes, thank God we got rid of him and we got Gary Kirsten. He's a proper guy for a team like India. And the way he handles the team, I have not seen anyone do it.

Shekhar Gupta: Tell me about your own tough moments -- that fight with Sreesanth on the field.

Harbhajan Singh: I had a fight with him. Whatever happened was wrong on my part. But the coach came and spoke to me. He said I just want you to forget what happened, we will make sure everybody is happy -- you are happy, the team is happy, Sreesanth is happy. We are just like a family, we have fights in our family. We need a guy like Gary to understand that we are not just playing, this is a family kind of a thing.

Shekhar Gupta: Some have felt that you have not been on top of your form lately.

Harbhajan Singh: You can't be in form all the time. You will have your low days, you will have your good days.

Shekhar Gupta: Is the strain of shifting between three forms of cricket too much?

Harbhajan Singh: It is difficult sometimes when you are bowling from one-dayers to Tests to T-20s. But you just have to go take those challenges and hope that you come out successful today, tomorrow and the next day.

Source: The Indian Express