The stage all set for fast and furious action

September 18, 2012

Furious_Action


Twenty20 is often lost between its two banal perceptions. It is either an after-thought attached to a bilateral series featuring Tests and ODIs or it is the ‘commercial trickster’ that lures cricketers away from their national obligations, a rant often heard during the Indian Premier League.


However, once in two years the willow game’s shortest format side-steps these arguments and towers above everything. The ICC World Twenty20 has zoomed in and as it commences with the match between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe at Hambantota on Tuesday and wends its way through Pallekele and Colombo, fans will hope for endless adrenaline surges.
The previous three editions — in South Africa, 2007; England, 2009; and the West Indies, 2010 — threw up winners from sport’s favourite theme of dark horses bucking the odds.


Nervous bride


India, initially a nervous bride when it came to Twenty20, embraced the concept with gusto and won the cup in 2007. Pakistan, the perennial mystery team that can dismantle rivals or implode, was ecstatic in 2009. And England finally clinched a global tournament during the summer of 2010.


Leading into the current event, India steps in after victories over Sri Lanka and New Zealand though the Black Caps won the lone Twenty20 at Chennai.


However, last season’s losses in England and Australia continue to hurt and a part of that angst can be assuaged here with a title win, but work needs to be done as India failed in both the 2009 and 2010 ICC World Twenty20.


Familiarity may breed contempt but in India’s case, its frequent visits to the Emerald Isle, has helped it to be aware of the conditions that will greet the squad over the next three weeks, presuming that M.S. Dhoni’s men will sail through the group and super-eight stages.


India will open its campaign with the Group ‘A’ match against Afghanistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium here on Wednesday and then clash with England on September 23.


Afghanistan, despite all the romance about cricket thriving in a hinterland echoing with the odd rattle of the Kalashnikovs, cannot be expected to test superior rivals while defending champion England is without its wayward talisman — Kevin Pietersen.


The man, who helped England win in 2010, is part of the commentary team!


India also can draw inspiration from Yuvraj Singh’s return, but, understandably, the southpaw’s recovery from cancer has obscured the back-in-the-fold tale of Harbhajan Singh.


Among the rest, Australia will be itching to correct the aberration of being ranked 10th below Ireland, while South Africa needs to show that in an ICC event, it has the nerve to last the distance.


On the home front, Sri Lanka may not have had the best of times after finishing runner-up in the 2011 50-over World Cup but being the host and with its players coming in after the recent Sri Lanka Premier League, Mahela Jayawardene’s men will be tough to beat.


The West Indies, with men like Chris Gayle and Sunil Narine, who have flourished in the Indian Premier League, can be dangerous floaters.


Meanwhile, Group D, with its mix of Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh, will be a tough corner.
“The World is playing,” is a banner that greets visitors arriving in Colombo and after the final on October 7, one team will be lording over the globe.


For the Indian fan, nothing could be better than Dhoni holding aloft the trophy but that’s easier said than done.




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News Network
June 29,2020

Jun 29: The West Indies cricketers will sport a 'Black Lives Matter' logo on the collars of their shirts during the upcoming three-Test series against England to protest against racism in sports.

Skipper Jason Holder, who has voiced his support to the cause that has once again come to the forefront after the killing of American George Floyd, said in a statement on Sunday: "We believe we have a duty to show solidarity and also to help raise awareness."

The ICC-approved logo, designed by Alisha Hosannah, will be the one which featured in the shirts of all 20 Premier League football clubs since the sport's resumption earlier this month.

"This is a pivotal moment in history for sports, for the game of cricket and for the West Indies cricket team," Holder was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

"We have come to England to retain the Wisden Trophy but we are very conscious of happenings around the world and the fight for justice and equality. "As a group of young men, we know of the rich and diverse history of West Indies cricket and we know we are guardians of the great game for a generation to come."

Holder, who wants racism to be treated at par with doping and corruption, said they arrived at the decision to wear the logo after much thought.

"We did not take our decision lightly. We know what it is for people to make judgments because of the colour of our skin, so we know what it feels like, this goes beyond the boundary. There must be equality and there must be unity. Until we get that as people, we cannot stop," he said.

"We have to find some way to have equal rights and people must not be viewed differently because of the colour of their skin or ethnic background."

The West Indies players are likely to wear the shirts for the first time in this week's four-day warm-up match at Emirates Old Trafford, starting on Monday.

The opening Test of the series, which will mark the resumption of international cricket after the coronavirus-forced hiatus, will get underway at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on July 8.

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News Network
February 11,2020

Mt. Maunganui (New Zealand), Feb 11: KL Rahul struck a combative 112 but New Zealand completed a 3-0 whitewash of India by winning the third ODI by five wickets, here on Tuesday.

Rahul helped India recover from a shaky start to post a challenging 296 for 7 but the Kiwis overhauled the target with 17 balls to spare.

This is the first whitewash that India has suffered in an ODI series in more than a decade.

Sent in to bat, India were down 62 for 3 in the 13th over after the dismissals of Mayank Agarwal (1), captain Virat Kohli (9) and Prithvi Shaw (40) but Rahul got a useful ally in in-form Shreyas Iyer (62) to take India to a competitive total.

Rahul, who hit nine fours and two sixes during his 113-ball innings, and Iyer stitched exactly 100 runs from 18.2 overs for the fourth wicket to revive the Indian innings.

After the end of the promising innings of Iyer, Rahul shared another 107 runs for the fifth wicket with Manish Pandey (42).

The Kiwis were off to a confident start in their chase with Martin Guptill (66) and Henry Nicholls (80) and putting on a 106-run stand. However, wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took three wickets to bring India back in the game.

Colin de Grandhomme (58) and Tom Latham (32), though, took their side past the finish line with an unbeaten 80-run partnership.

Brief Scores:

India: 296 for 7 in 50 overs (KL Rahul 112, Shreyas Iyer 62; Hamish Bennett 4/64).

New Zealand: 300 for 5 in 47.1 overs. (H Nicholls 80, M Guptill 66; Y Chahal 3/47).

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March 7,2020

Melbourne, Mar 7: He will be supporting Australia for sure but former pacer Brett Lee feels an Indian victory in Sunday's T20 Word Cup final could be a "start of a major breakthrough" for the women's game in the cricket-mad country.

India and Australia will lock horns in what is expected to be a blockbuster title clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"As an Australian, I'd love nothing more than for (Meg) Lanning's team to do the job. But if India were to win the World Cup for the first time, victory would do so much for women's cricket in a country that already adores the sport," Lee wrote in an ICC column.

"This could be the start of a major breakthrough, particularly with the amount of talent that is coming through."

The former speedster said Australia will have to look for ways to counter the in-form 16-year-old Shafali Verma.

"In Shafali Verma, India boast one of the most talented players in the world and you feel that for Australia to win the game, dismissing her will likely be their first job.

"I've been so impressed with the opener - it's staggering to believe she's only 16 with the confidence she has in her own ability and the way she strikes the ball so cleanly.

"She's such good fun to watch and I'm not sure the women's game has seen anyone like her for such a long time."

Shafali has been the star of the tournament, having amassed 161 runs at a strike rate of 161, consistently providing India solid starts, and that was not lost on Lee.

"To be the world's best T20 batter already shows just how far she has progressed in such a short space of time and the experience in this tournament will hold her in good stead for years to come.

"Even with the way she's played in Australia and her fearless brand of cricket, you still get the feeling she has more to come as well."

He reckoned Shafali may have another big score awaiting her.

"She's got a big score in her locker and there's probably no better place to do that than the MCG. Shafali is already a record breaker but if she can steer her side to their first Women's T20 World Cup title at just 16, then the sky really is the limit for her career."

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