Cricket News - Cricket store - Cricketers Profile - shopping by star cricket

Sachin Tendulkar turns 35 tomorrow and as he inaugurates his late thirties, it is worth looking at his eighteen and a half year career so far. No other Indian Cricketer has been an India regular for such a long period. Sunil Gavaskar played for sixteen years, Anil Kumble is in his eighteenth year. He has done so without ever being dropped for reasons of performance. I have written about him before, but i never cease to marvel at the sheer relentlessness of his accomplishments. He made Test hundreds on his first tours to England, Australia and South Africa and he is still making hundreds 18 years later - 39 Test hundreds so far. No other batsman has been studied with more care than Sachin Tendulkar - both by worried opposing teams and by observers. It is said that Sir Leonard Hutton saw him play in England in 1990 and immediatly observed that his footwork was amongst the surest he had ever seen. Bradman saw his own image in Tendulkar’s batsmanship. Sunil Gavaskar watched him play in 1987, and at the time declared that the two best batsmen in Bombay were Dilip Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar’s batting career is replete with instances where he has been kept in check - mastered even. Bowling line ups have tried many ideas against him. Bowling sides have tried to frustrate him outside off stump, they have tried to frustrate him with slow left arm bowling outside leg stump, they have tried to bounce him, they have tried to cramp him by bowling straight with a packed on side field. Each of these tactics have worked so some degree or another, but Tendulkar has never been mastered. Specific bowlers have troubled him - Glenn McGrath is one. However, there has never been an occasion when some engagement with the bowler’s play on Tendulkar’s part has not been apparent. Amongst his most memorable displays in my view was his effort on the second evening at Adelaide in 1999. He spent 40 minutes ignoring McGrath outside off stump, and later explained that he felt he was in control. On another occasion, he spent a full morning session over 12 runs against Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh in the West Indies in 1997, and on the way back for lunch told his partner Rahul Dravid that he hadn’t been able to read Ambrose’s length at all. Yet, he spend the whole morning pushing forward and managing as best he could, without throwing his hand away. He went on to make 80 or 90 in that innings if i remember correctly. Raymond Price troubled him in India a few years ago with his left arm spin. This was a stage where Tendulkar was unwilling to leave his crease against the spinner. These are the battles which have defined him in many ways. These constitute the ammunition that critics will hurl at him whenever they seek to belittle his efforts. But, at a more fundamental, cricketing level, these are the contests which reveal the unheroic nature of his game. He is nothing if not amazingly dexterous in his use of batting technique. He is able to shift from prominently front foot play, to a more conservative back and across shuffle in the middle of an innings, indeed, from spell to spell. He is able to bide his time and he’s able to attack. There is no trademark Tendulkar way of batting in my opinion. His batting is not about blazing cover drives, or exhilirating stroke play, or dour defense, or gritty survival. It is about all of those, and hence is about something much more fundamental. He is not just an entertainer or just a match-winner or just a technically correct, dependable, classy Test Match batsman. He is truly a cricketer, in the best sense of the word. He lives the contest between bat and ball, and is better equipped than most others to deal with it. He is able to do it without letting his own self get in the way. He has now spend more than half his life as an international cricketer, over the 19 most important years in the modern cricketing era. As Cricket heads into the Twenty20 age, with all its accompanying confusions about sport, entertainment, worth, value and quality, Sachin Tendulkar’s career stands out as what Cricket at its best can offer. He may just be the last of a dying breed - that of the truly great cricketing sportsman.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Love cricket Great, player, tendulkar

Full Name:      Adam Gilchrist

 Date of Birth:  14 November 1971

 Birth Place:    Bellingen, New South Wales -  Australia  Test Cap No:  381  Major Cricket Teams: Australia - Western Australia - New South Wales  Playing Role: Wicketkeeper batsman

  Batting Style: Left-hand bat  Bowling Style:  Right-arm offbreak  Height: 1.85 m

 Test Debut:Australia v Pakistan at Brisbane - 1st Test, 1999-2000 

ODI Debut:Australia v South Africa at Faridabad - Titan Cup, 1996-1997

Profile:    Adam Gilchrist is one of Australia’s most exciting young players. Originally from New South Wales, he made his Sheffield Shield debut as a specialist batsman in 1992-93 but relocated within two summers when it became obvious that his desire to become a first-class wicketkeeper would not be realised in his home State. Starved of opportunities (and frustrated by his inability to convince the New South Wales’ selection panel that he was a superior wicketkeeper to the incumbent, Phil Emery), he accordingly moved to Western Australia, where he quickly displaced another highly regarded former international player in Tim Zoehrer. Since that time, he has deservedly acquired a name for himself as an enterprising player who can always be relied upon to make a valuable contribution to his team’s fortunes. Behind the stumps, he is reliable, enthusiastic and athletic, although it should be said that he generally appears more comfortable keeping to faster bowlers than to spinners. As a batsman, his penchant for playing attacking shots and for punishing loose bowling also makes him a particularly enjoyable player to watch. While his most devastating shot is the cut, he possesses a wide variety of strokes and his penchant for powering the ball square of the wicket is accompanied by an equally adroit capacity to drive the ball fluently through the arc between mid-off and mid-on. Although his elevation to national honours was not without controversy (as it was made at the expense of the ever-popular Ian Healy), such has been the extent of Gilchrist’s progress since moving to Western Australia that he has become a fixture in Australia’s one-day international side - as both a ‘keeper and dashing opening batsman - over recent seasons. Indeed, one needs to look no further than the three brilliant ODI centuries that he has already scored during 1998 (a measured 100 against South Africa in Sydney in January, a blazing 118 off 117 balls against New Zealand at Lancaster Park in February, and a superb 103 which saw him anchor Australia’s successful pursuit of a mammoth total of 8/315 set by Pakistan in Lahore in November) to understand that he is an excellent player whose stature in the game will surely only grow when he is afforded his rightful chance to succeed Healy as Australia’s Test gloveman.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Australia player, Profile

Full name: Mohammad Sami

Born: February 24, 1981, Karachi, Sind

Major teams: Pakistan, Karachi, Kent, National Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan Custom

Batting Style: Right-hand bat

Bowling style: Right-arm fast

Profile:

One of a new generation of Pakistan fast bowlers, Mohammad Sami initially forced his way into the Test team with outstanding performances in domestic cricket and had an immediate impact in his first Test with five wickets against New Zealand. Then, in only his third Test, he notched a hat-trick, eking out the last three Sri Lankans in the Asian Test Championship final and he also has an ODI hat-trick. But since those early years, and especially after the World Cup 2003, when he was expected to become the Pakistan spearhead after the retirements of Wasim and Waqar, his story has been a fitful and thus far disappointing one. Series after series has seen him disappoint as a stream of promising paceman have overtaken him, including the likes of Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif. Occasionally when the mood takes him, he can be threatening, as he was for some of the India series in 2005, especially at Kolkatta and the occasional ODI. For the most part he has been surprisingly ineffective and prone to leaking runs. So poor was his form after the India series in early 2006, he was finally dropped from the tour to Sri Lanka was lucky to be selected for the tour to England that summer, after a number of Pakistan’s frontline bowlers were injured. Nobody seems to be entirely sure where the problem lies either - he has been given the new-ball with license to attack, he has come on as first-change. He is fit - one of the fittest in the team - and athletic. From a shortish run-up and high action he generates surprising pace, settled in the mid-to-late eighties but with occasional forays into the nineties. He also quickly mastered traditional outswing and reverse-swing and bowls a mean yorker. Some say it is a confidence thing but a bowling average of nearly 50 after 26 Tests (and a strike rate of over 80) means that opportunities might be limited when other pacemen are fit again. It would have been an unthinkable thought when he took eight wickets on his Test debut.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Pakistan, Players mohmmad sami, pakistani, player

name: Imran Nazir

Born :December 16, 1981, Gujranwala, Punjab

Major teams Pakistan, National Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan Reserves, Sheikhupura Cricket Association, Sialkot Cricket Association, Water and Power Development Authority

Batting style: Right-hand bat

Bowling style: Legbreak

Profile:  

 Another of Pakistan’s prodigiously gifted players, but the suspicion was that Imran Nazir offers more genuine promise than most. An opener who is particularly strong off the back foot, he loves forcing through the covers. An aggressive approach has had him labelled as a one-day player, but Imran didn’t fare badly in his first few Tests. Eventually, however, his technique and lack of footwork was found out rather cruelly by Glenn McGrath and Co in two Tests against Australia. Imran was then upstaged by the likes of Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Hameed, Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar, but a series of consistent domestic performances saw him recalled to the national squad against South Africa in 2006-07. A typically explosive 39-ball 57 saw him get selected for the 2007 World Cup squad though three failures in that series took the gloss off a touch. He is one of the best fielders in Pakistan, though, and is supposed to be the first Pakistani to cartwheel (while intercepting a square cut).

Popularity: 5% [?]

Pakistan, Players imran nazir, pakistani, player

Pakistan and Bangladesh evicted a man trying to enter the host team`s dressing room posing as senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf. Mohammad Shafiq, who belongs to a local village near Multan, is a Yousuf lookalike and has also styled himself on the batsman with the same flowing beard and cap.
He had earlier harassed the security officials when Zimbabwe played against Pakistan in Multan earlier this year. Yesterday when Yousuf was on the field, Shafiq managed to break through several security cordons posing as the batsman and was just about to enter the Pakistan dressing room when a security official stopped him and the truth was revealed. Police didn`t press any charges against Shafiq but evicted him from the stadium for creating disturbance. The villager, however, was not willing to give up and he entered an enclosure with a valid ticket. His presence in the enclosure led many to believe Yousuf had come there, leading to a commotion, forcing the police to once again send him out of the stadium. Shafiq protested vehemently after being booted out. Okay so I might not be the real Mohammad Yousuf but I have a valid ticket and I have every right to watch the match,” he told reporters. I had no bad or dangerous intention. I was trying to get near the dressing room to have a glimpse of the players close by. I am a harmless cricket fan he stated.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Love cricket Muhammad yousuf, Pakistan, player

Name: Ajit Bhalchandra Agarkar Born: 4 December 1977, Bombay (now Mumbai)
            Major Teams: Mumbai, India.  
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat

Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium
Test Debut: India v Zimbabwe at Harare, Only Test, 1998/99 
ODI Debut: India v Australia at Kochi, Pepsi Triangular Series, 1997/98

Profile:

 He came up through the India A ranks and suddenly burst upon the scene in the late 90s as one of the most talented young all rounders in Indian cricket. A nippy medium pacer, capable of moving the ball both ways and a more than useful late order attacking batsman, Ajit Agarkar was hailed as the best thing to happen to Indian cricket for a long time. Great things were expected from this Shivaji Park product in Mumbai and Agarkar indicated that he would live upto early promise by racing to 50 wickets in one day internationals faster than anyone else - breaking the record held by none other than Dennis Lillee.  However, his subsequent record - both in Tests and ODI’s - were a grave disappointment. Plagued by injuries, Agarkar was always struggling to hold his place in the side. He had a poor World Cup tournament and on his return sought advice from Lillee at the MRF Pace Foundation. Nothing seemed to help however and after a nightmarish tour of Australia, his place in the national side came under severe scrutiny. After all, it could not have been easy to come back from five successive ducks in Test cricket - four of them off the first ball faced. But Agarkar is as determined as he is talented and during the year 2000 he proved that he was far from washed up - particularly in the one day game. Towards the end of an eventful year for him, Agarkar hit the fastest half century - off only 21 balls - to surpass a famous record held by Kapil Dev, who reached the mark off 22 balls in 1983. At the start of the new millennium, Agarkar seems to have cemented his place in the side as a fiercely competitive, dependable - and sometimes even exciting - cricketer.

Popularity: 6% [?]

India, Players indian, player, Profile

Name:       Rohit Sharma 
Born:         Apr 30 , 1987, Bansod, Nagpur, Maharashtra 
Age:           20 years 5 months 
Team:          India 
Batting Style:     RHS 
Bowling Style :   RHS 
ODI Debut     Ireland vs India-Jun 23, 2007 
                           Twenty 20 Debut: 

Profile: 

The Mumbai player exuded his potential in the recent EurAsia tournament, where he scored two half-centuries for India A in three matches including 62 against Pakistan A.He displayed his class at No. 3 in the Under-19 2006 World Cup - barring the final, when the entire Indian line-up was blown away by rampant Pakistan fast bowlers - and displayed the key quality for that position: adaptability.  Sharma has the temperament to adapt to the role of accumulator or aggressor, depending on the game situation. He is also a more than useful off-spinner - a skill he will no doubt be looking to hone so as to have a second string in his bow. He has been awarded by his inclusion in the One-day squad for the England and Ireland tour of 2007. After India’s poor performance at the 2007 Cricket World Cup, selectors looked at new players to represent India at the national level. As a result, Sharma was selected for the limited-overs matches on India’s tour to Ireland in 2007. He made his One-day International debut against Ireland at Belfast although he did not bat in the match. Prior to that, Sharma had scored a breezy 48 under floodlights against Rajasthan in the final of the Ranji Trophy One-Day Tournament, which Mumbai won by 72 runs, at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.  Indeed, there seems to be just no stopping Sharma, whose youthful aggression and hunger for success are in keeping with the spirit of Generation Next. Considering the kind of cricket that is seen today, and the hardcore professionalism and sheer ruthlessness with which it is expected to be played in the 21st century, Sharma appears to be just the right tonic the doctors may have prescribed for Indian cricket. Surely, future belongs to players like Sharma. The ball is certainly not in Sharma’s court. Rather it is in the selectors’ now. It is up to them how to make the most of Sharma’s exuberance and exciting talents. 

Popularity: 6% [?]

India, Players cricket, indian, player

Name               Yuvraj SinghCountry            IndiaDate Of Birth   December 12, 1981Place Of Birth   ChandigarhBatting Style     Left HandedTest Debut       October 16, 2003 v New Zealand at Punjab Cricket Association               Stadium, Mohali – ChandigarhODI Debut       October 3, 2000 v Kenya at Nairobi Gymkhana Club Ground, NairobiT20 Debut      September 13, 2007 v Scotland at Kingsmead, Durba

Profile:

Team Mohali is the one of the sports franchises in the Twenty20 Championship. They are based in Mohali. The team will be captained by Yuvraj Singh. He is also the Icon Player of the franchise. The team will be coached by Australian Tom Moody. The CEO will be Neil Maxwell who has been a part of the Australian domestic circuit. The owners of the franchise include Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia - Joint Managing Director of Bombay Dyeing, Karan Paul of the Apeejay Surendra Group and Mohit Burman of Dabur. The group paid a total of $76 million to acquire the franchise. In addition to Yuvraj, the team also contains the promising Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan, Aussie speedster Brett Lee and the Sri Lankan duo of Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara in its ranks. Indian speedsters S Sreesanth, spinner Piyush Chawla, and VRV Singh also constitute the team. The team will be looking to put up a good show and give some tough competition to all their rivals.

Popularity: 6% [?]

India, Players indian, player, Yuvraj singh

Name :     Symonds Andrew

Born  :       June 9, 1975

                  Right – hand bat

                   Test cap number:  388

                   One- day cap number: 139

Profile:

Built his reputation as a Boxing Day Test specialist with 156, his maiden Test century, at the MCG against England last December, and leapt into the arms of his great Queensland mate Matthew Hayden to celebrate. A year earlier, he signalled his arrival as a Test all-rounder in the corresponding match when he blasted 72 from 54 balls against South Africa and captured three crucial wickets with his medium-pacers. Spent some time in the Test wilderness between those games, losing his place when the selectors opted for five specialist bowlers against Bangladesh. Was recalled to the Test team last December after the retirement of Damien Martyn. Made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Galle in March 2004, but played only the first two Tests. Regained his place for the Test series against West Indies and South Africa in 2005-06. Ripped a biceps tendon off the bone while batting during the Commonwealth Bank Series last season, and had surgery to re-attach it. Without him, Australia suffered its worst losing streak in a decade, dropping five games in succession immediately before the World Cup. Returned in the preliminary stage of the tournament, and was part of Australia’s 2007 triumph four years after his stunning breakthrough as a one-day batsman at the 2003 World Cup. There, he scored 326 runs at a strike rate of 90.55, starting with his memorable 143 not out against Pakistan. Was suspended for two matches during the One-day International leg of the 2005 tour of England after he was found to have stayed out late ahead of a game against Bangladesh in Cardiff. In his absence, Australia lost the match, its first ever defeat to Bangladesh. When he returned he made 229 runs at an average of 57.25 and took six wickets, including a career-best 5-18 against Bangladesh in Manchester. Holds the record for the most sixes in a first-class innings and match (16 and 20 respectively), for Gloucestershire against Glamorgan at Abergavenny in 1995, scoring 254 not out and 76. Also regarded as one of the world’s best fielders. Born in Birmingham, he turned down a chance to play for England A in 1995-96 in order to remain available for Australian selection.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Australia Australia, player, Profile

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene will not be able to play for Derbyshire as planned because of changes to other playing commitments, the English county side said on their Web site (www.derbyshireccc.com). The batsman had been scheduled to play from late April to mid-July but the move of the Asia Cup to June and changes to India’s tour of Sri Lanka meant there was too little time to make a shortened contract worthwhile, the club said.

Popularity: 4% [?]

News mahela jayawardene, player, srilankan