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VVS Laxman may announce retirement on Saturday

August 18, 2012

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Hyderabad, August 18: It all began 16 years ago against the visiting South Africans in Ahmedabad. After 134 matches and 17 hundreds, Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman's Test journey is likely to end at home with the first Test against New Zealand to be played from Aug 23 to 27.

"Laxman has decided to announce his retirement from international cricket on Saturday. He spoke to me this morning and said he is quitting Test cricket," one of his former teammates told ToI on Friday.

"Asked if it was a sudden decision, Laxman said that he had been thinking about the move for some time now and felt it was time to take a final call," the source added. "Laxman said that he will continue to play domestic cricket for another two or three years. He is keen on revamping the Hyderabad team and grooming youngsters."

Laxman's first coach John Manoj of St John's Sports Coaching Foundation, where Laxman learnt his art, said: "Yes, Laxman spoke to me about it. We had a long chat on the issue."

Laxman has been keen on hanging up his willow this season. "Though he has been selected for both Tests against New Zealand, I think Laxman is most likely to quit after the Hyderabad Test," John added.

"Playing one Test less or more won't make much of a difference to his stature. But the thrill of calling it quits in front of his home crowd is any day a wonderful experience for any player. Laxman's timing has always been perfect and I am sure this time too he will hit the bull's eye," John said.

According to John, Laxman wants the youngsters to cement their places in the Indian team. "With India playing a lot of Tests at home this season, he feels it is proper that youngsters get a chance to hone their skills on subcontinent wickets rather than being thrown to the wolves abroad," John said.

"Laxman has always been a selfless cricketer and a hardcore team man. He doesn't want to come in the way of Team India rebuilding itself. He wants the team management to have the chance of getting a core group going again," he added.

It has been 25 years since John first spotted the talent in a young lad brought to his camp by his uncle.

"It was in 1987 that his uncle Baba brought the 11-year-old Laxman to the camp and we knew that this lad had something 'very very special'. And over the years he has proved to be India's most reliable batsman. It is a matter of great pride for all of us here," John told TOI.

Laxman went on to live up to his nickname - 'Very Very Special' - as he became part of the famous batting quartet also comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravidwhich ruled Indian cricket for more than a decade.

Laxman got his first Test half-century (51) in the second innings of his debut match against the South Africans but it took him another 29 innings before he got his first Test hundred - afabulous 167 against Australia in the Sydney Test.

Since then Laxman has gone on to get 16 more hundreds while notching up a total of 56 half-centuries, with his highest being the monumental 281 against Australia in Kolkata which destroyed Australian captain Steve Waugh's dream of conquering the 'Final Frontier'.

Laxman has since been a thorn in Australia's flesh more than once. Barring the last series Down Under when he could manage only 155 in eight innings, Laxman has time and again taken on the Aussie challenge and come on top. He has 2434 runs against them at an average of 49.67. His splendid form against the reigning Test team was one of the reasons for India's ascendancy to the top spot in Test cricket.

Laxman till date, has played 134 Tests, amassing 8,781 runs at an average of 45.97. The Hyderabadi has always had a pair of safe hands and has pouched 135 Test catches too.

Thriving under pressure has been Laxman's forte. Every time he was dropped, Laxman bounced back with a vengeance and made his bite their words. The Damocles' sword was always hanging on his head but instead of letting it pull him down, Laxman converted it into his strength and went on to carve a nice for himself.

Laxman is one batsman who has batted in all positions barring No.9 and 11. He loves to bat at the No.3 position, where he has 1611 runs to his credit, but made himself comfortable at the No.5 and 6 positions where he got most of his runs (2877 and 2760). It's unlikely that there will be another VVS soon.

Very Very Special Numbers

Test debut: vs South Africa at Ahmedabad, 1996

M - 134; Runs - 8,781; Avg - 45.97; 100s - 17; Top Score - 281

ODI debut: vs Zimbabwe at Cuttack, 1998

M - 81; Runs - 2,338; Avg - 30.76; 100s - 6; Top Score - 131

First-class debut: 1992-93

M - 265; Runs - 19,520; Avg - 51.5; 100s - 54; Top Scores - 353

The other big names in India who called it quits post 2000

Rahul Dravid - Retired in March 2012 aged 39

Tests - M: 164; Runs: 13288; Hs: 270; Avg: 52.31; 100s: 36; 50s: 63

ODIs - M: 344; Runs: 10889; Hs: 153; Avg: 39.16; 100s: 12; 50s: 83

Like Sachin Tendulkar, he seemed to be enjoying a great second wind and it appeared that way as Dravid was the only Indian to shine in India's 0-4 rout against England in England, aggregating 461 runs in four Tests with three tons. He followed that up with a good series at home against West Indies too but post the defeat Down Under, he decided enough

was enough.

Sourav Ganguly - Retired in Nov 2008 aged 36

Tests - M: 113; Runs: 7212; Hs: 239; Avg: 42.17; 100s: 16; 50s: 35

ODIs - M: 311; Runs: 11363; Hs: 183; Avg: 41.02; 100: 22; 50: 72

The moment Krish Srikkanth took over as the new chief selector, he was brought back for the four-Test series of Australia at home. On the eve of the first Test in Bangalore, though, Ganguly announced that the series would be his last. He signed off on a high, scoring a brilliant hundred in the second Test in Mohali and a strokeful 85 in the first innings of the last Test in Nagpur.

Anil Kumble - Retired in Oct 2008 aged 38

Tests - M: 132; Wkts: 619; Best: 10/74; Avg: 29.65; 5w: 35

ODIs - M: 271; Wkts: 337; Best: 6/12; Avg: 30.89; 5w: 2

Appointed captain at the age of 37 after Rahul Dravid quit the job, Kumble led with distinction in Australia, where his diplomatic skills salvaged some acrimonious situations during the 'Monkeygate' controversy and the defeat in Sydney. A shoulder injury made him pave the way for Dhoni to lead in the second Test in Mohali. He returned but split the webbing in his left hand, prompting him to announce the retirement.

Javagal Srinath - Retired in Nov 2003 aged 34

Tests - M: 67; Wkts: 236; Best: 8/86; Avg: 30.49; 5w: 10

ODIs - M: 229; Wkts: 315; Best: 5/23; Avg: 28.08; 5w: 3

He had briefly retired after India's tour to West Indies in 2002 and was persuaded to return by then-skipper Sourav Ganguly. He did so and bowled well in India in the Tests against West Indies. His decision to pull out of the Test series on spicy wickets in New Zealand in 2002-03 didn't go down well with the team management. His dipping fitness finally prompted him to call it quits.



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News Network
January 14,2020

Sydney, Jan 14: Retired South African big-hitter AB de Villiers on Tuesday said efforts are on to ensure his comeback in the national team for the T20 World Cup in Australia, a plan in which his IPL form will play a crucial role.

Speaking to Cricket Australia's official website 'cricket.com.au', the 35-year-old swashbuckler said he would love to be back two years after calling it quits internationally. He is currently in Australia to play in the Big Bash League.

"I would love to. I've been talking to 'Bouch' (new South Africa coach Mark Boucher), (new director of cricket) Graeme Smith and (captain) Faf (du Plessis) back home, we're all keen to make it happen," he said.

"It's a long way away still, and plenty can happen – there's the IPL coming up, I've still got to be in form at that time. So I'm thinking of throwing my name in the hat and hoping that everything will work out," he added.

De Villiers, nonetheless, is keeping a check on his expectations.

"It's not a guarantee, once again. I don't want to disappoint myself or other people, so for now I'm just going to try and keep a low profile, try and play the best possible cricket that I can and then see what happens towards the end of the year," he said.

"There are a lot of players (involved with CSA) who I used to play with. Guys who understand the game, leaders of the team for many years" he said of the present dispensation.

"So it's much easier to communicate than what it used to be in the past. They understand what players go through – especially players that have played for 15 years internationally.

"It doesn't mean that everything is going to be sunshine and roses, but it's definitely a lot easier and it feels comfortable, the language that's being used and just the feel that everyone has at the moment in South Africa about the cricket," he added.

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News Network
May 6,2020

May 6: They have similar impact on their teams but Virat Kohli is driven by sheer passion to subdue the rivals while Steve Smith just enjoys batting, says Australia opener David Warner.

India skipper Kohli and top Australian batsman Smith are arguably the top two cricketers of the current era. They achieve new milestones consistently, invoking debates, who is better between them.

"Virat's passion and drive to score runs is different to what Steve's would be," Warner said while speaking to Harsha Bhogle on 'Cricbuzz in Conversation'.

"Steve is going out there for a hit in the middle, that's how he sees things. He's hitting them out in the middle, he's having fun, he's enjoying himself, just does not want to get out."

Warner feels, while Kohli is batting he is aware that if he sticks around the middle his team will be on top of the proceedings.

"Virat obviously doesn't want to get out but he knows if he spends a certain amount of time out there, he's going to score plenty of runs at a rapid rate. He's going to get on top of you. That allows the guys coming in, especially in the Indian team you've got a lot of players who can be flamboyant as well."

The Australian opener added that both men are mentally strong and a good knock by them boosts the morale of the entire team.

"When it comes to cricket, they both have got the mental strength, the mental capacity to score runs. They both love spending time in the middle.

"They stabilise, they boost morale - if they score runs, everyone else's moral is up. If they are out cheaply you almost sense that on the field that everyone is (down on morale and thinking) 'now we all have to step up'. It's a very bizarre situation," he added.

Asked about the similarities between himself and Kohli, who are both live wires on the field, Warner said the passion to do better than the opponent keeps him going.

"I can't speak for Virat, obviously, but it's almost like we got this thing in us when we go (out to the middle) we need to prove people wrong, prove someone wrong."

"If you're in that contest, and if I'm going at him for example, you're thinking, 'Alright, I'm going to score more runs than him, I'm going to take a quick single on him'. You are trying to better that person in that game. That's where the passion comes from."

Warner also explained how he breaks down a match into smaller competitions.

"Obviously you want to win the game but you almost break it down to: If I can score more runs than Virat, or if Pujara scores more runs than Steve Smith, you have these little contests and that's how you try to narrow the game in the sense that if we do these little things, we can be ahead of the game or we can be behind the game.

"The passion is driven by...I know my sense - one, the will to win and two, wanting to do better than that person in the opposition," said Warner.

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Agencies
August 6,2020

New Delhi, Aug 6: The BCCI on Thursday suspended the IPL title sponsorship deal with Chinese mobile phone company Vivo for the event's upcoming edition amid heightened tensions in Sino-India diplomatic ties.

The BCCI sent out a one-line statement, without giving details, saying that Vivo would not be associated with the IPL this year. "The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd have decided to suspend their partnership for Indian Premier League in 2020," the statement said.

Meanwhile, Vivo released its own statement saying that the two entities "have mutually decided to pause their partnership for the 2020 season".

Vivo won the IPL title sponsorship rights for five years from 2018 to 2022 for a reported sum of Rs 2,190 crore, approximately Rs 440 crore per annum.

The two parties are now working out a plan in which Vivo might come back for a fresh three-year period starting 2021 on revised terms.

However, a top BCCI official offered a different view. "Here we are talking about diplomatic tensions and you expect that after November, when IPL ends and before the next IPL starts in April 2021, there would be no anti-China sentiment? Are we serious?" a veteran BCCI official said on conditions of anonymity.

The anti-China sentiment in the country peaked after the violent face-off between the Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh. India lost 20 soldiers in the clash, while China also acknowledged unspecified casualties.

The stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) caused outrage across India with several calls for boycotts of Chinese companies and products.

The BCCI is now likely to float a tender for new IPL title sponsors as mandated by its constitution. The glitzy T20 league starts on Sept. 19 in the UAE, forced out of India due to the rising COVID-19 cases.

The new development is in stark contrast to what came out of Sunday's IPL's Governing Council meeting, where it was decided that Vivo, along with all the other sponsors, will remain on board.

This was after the BCCI had announced in June that all sponsorship deals pertaining to IPL will be reviewed in the aftermath of the clash in the Galwan Valley.

However, after Sunday's meeting, there was a huge backlash on social media about the BCCI holding on to Vivo.

Both parties then began thrashing out an amicable separation plan, at least for this season.

However, the end of this deal could spell losses for the franchises as they get a substantial share from the sponsorship pool. Half of the annual Vivo sponsorship money is distributed equally among eight franchises, which comes to Rs 27.5 crore.

"As of now, it will be very difficult for the BCCI to match the sponsorship amount at such short notice. Therefore, both BCCI and the franchises should be prepared to lose out on some money -- BCCI more but each franchise from Vivo's exit will potentially lose 15 crore," the official said.

"This year will be difficult for everyone but the show must go on," the official said.

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