Archive for the ‘Shane Warne’ Category
Mumbai Indians
Bangalore score a thumping win…
MI win a tense game despite Yusuf ton
Dual between Sachin and Warne
Why did Warne and McGrath retire in 2007 ?
Sachin @ 20. Facts — 1
Ironically enough, the next game India played in the next World Cup was against England in 1992 at Perth and the only time when Botham had better of Sachin. They never met in an international fixture before and after. That also was the last time India lost to England in any world cup. Post that, 1999 and 2003 India have had better of England in the World Cup games.
The winter of 1989 turns 20 on Sunday and that winter, the tour to Pakistan changed the face of world cricket. The star, the icon and a sensation arose on the skies of world cricket which the country knows as Sachin Tendulkar. Its a strange irony that the few greats of Indian cricket have debut against Pakistan and went on to make big. Sachin and Kapil are such examples.
I remember Sachin’s 88 in 1990 tour of New Zealend. He came close to being the youngest centurion, but missed the mark by 12 runs. He was overnight on 80 and then the next day he hit 2 boundaries only to fall later to Richard Hadlee (assume). He didnt have to wait longer for his first Test century. He got 117 in Nottingham in the English summer that coincided with the Italia-90.
And then his next 2 centuries were classics. Tour of Australia, the last for the feeble greats like Vengsarkar, Srikanth. India were thumped 0-4 but they came close to wins in Adelaide and Sydney. The 148 he made in Sydney was start of his love affair with the SCG (He scored 2 more hundreds in next 3 tours) and then the master class 118 at WACA when no other player survived the Aussie pace.
Sydney was also the first Test for Shane Warne and nobody knew what he would turn out to be.
Sachin had to wait for close to 4 years for his first century at home and when he hit, he hit in Chennai in the England series of 1993 known for arrival of Anil Kumble and the start of formidable period for India at home (also a period when India won nothing at all abroad). And then one in Mumbai.
England, Sri Lanka and of course Australia are the teams he has scored most of his Test centuries against.
Chennai and Mumbai have been his happy hunting grounds in India.
Sachin answers his critics
There have been questions on him being promoted on the top of the order and breaking of successful pair of Gautam Gambhir and Viru Sehwag for ‘accomodating’ the GOD. How long have been Gambhir and Sehwag being opening ? Just about a year in ODIs ?
Before him its Saurav – Sachin, Saurav – Viru and couple of times dancing babes. So for a man like Tendulkar if the test pair is broken, why so fuss ?
17000 is huge number. Mere mortals cannot reach around the periphery of this figure. 89 hundreds. Talk about him is even futile.
Lets just enjoy the artistery of Tendulkar rather than pointing him out that he doesnt last till the end. What do you expect ? He should shoulder the responsibility of 10 other players ? What are ten other good players for ? If they are not good, then what are they doing in the team ?
Ding Dong ? What about the 19 hundreds this man has scored against the Aussies ? What about the demolition of Warne and McGrath ? 19 hundreds ? Is that a joke ? Go find the answer to this.
Age is just a number
Who said cricket is for youth ?
Perform and keep persisting.
Age doesnt matter. Its just a number. Much for hysteria of the buffoons who know nothing on the game and for whom sustaining the limelight is the only purpose.
How does it matter if you are 25 and keep scoring 20s and 30s remain in the team but a batsman who has had just 5 bad ODIs is dropped for 2 long years. And the man who scores 10700 ODI runs, only 3rd or 4th man in the history to have 10k runs in both formats goes out just cos he is 34. Was 34.
A 40 year old man scores a 98 in the game against India and the 32 year old scores just 1 and 17 and 31 year old hits himself out. And 37 year old takes 5-for in almost every 2nd or 3rd inning and a 26 year old fails after the initial hyesteria.
The top 4 wicket takers are the ones who blossomed in the later years of their careers. The drug abused blonde star who took 40 wickets in losing cause took close to 400 wkts in 2nd part of his career. A jaw broken bowler took 350 wkts in his last 5 years of career when people had written him off.
A 36 year old batsman has scored 9 international hundreds since May 2007 and 7 90s. Out of which many were wrong decisions.
Age is just a number. Fold the number and flush it in the commode of your loo.
MoYo — 2
I have a fight with my captain. Ok I m quitting cricket. I would go join ICL.
Few months later…..
Coach and captain are fired. New captain. Captain my friend. Younis. Mera bhai, mera dost. I would quit ICL and I would play for Pakistan as long as possible.
2 years earlier.
Oh they feel me I m not useful for T20 format. I would quit cricket and play for ICL. Would show them that T20 is my cup of tea too.
Joining ICL.
Mia Yousuf, you are our great batter after inzi bhai. We need you. Come back to our folds and we would get you a IPL contract.
Really ? Would you also give me captaincy ? I converted for the same. I was vice captain for Inzi bhai.
Joining IPL.
Are yaar yeh Yousuf to IPL jaa raha hai. Chandra se approval lo aur court case file karo iske against.
Court case goes in favor of Zee and Yousuf is barred from playing IPL.
What does this show ? Whenever the man doesn’t get his deal he jumps the gun. He jumped the boat to ICL in 2007 when he had a terrific 2006 when he broke all records for most calendar runs in Tests. And then when PCB persuaded him to go back, he played for 1 more year and then again jumped the gun. Imagine this happening to any other country. The player would be dumped no matter how important he is for the team. Symonds and Warne were dumped. Warne never played ODIs again. Australia lost the Test series to India and South Africa in absence of Symonds. And then again the World T20 early exit. They didn’t compromise even now. Symmo would have been more than handy in Ashes with his off spinners.
India dumped Siddhu in 1996 when they had no other opener in the squad to England. Its only in Pakistan that they keep going to players like Yousuf or Akhtar who feel themselves to be over the team, over their nation and are ready to make enough switches. All they care for is money. And they selectively decide their priorities depending on their convenience. Where the country comes ? Where does the loyalty to the team comes ? Nowhere. Who bothers. When you have a boss who would get you in at any cost in the team, then hell with the team priorities and stuff. All I know is my money and my comfort zone.
Royals out of the tournament.
An underrated ex Indian player and a something who could be kapil dev but who couldnt be even a Jimmy player do it for Kolkata. KKR would go with some pride, but they would need to look up for their team selection for next season 3. They got to answer why Langveldt wasnt played who made all the difference today. Most probably no Aussie coach, support staff and perhaps no Ganguly too.
Selection errors for RR, dropping of Smith (not sure if he was injured / dropped), poor batting performance and then poor fielding by Indian lads throw Warne magic out of the IPL. Warne joins McCullum and Tendulkar in the list of ousted captains.
Now all depends on the next big game : CSK vs Punjab. CSK favorites but for their poor bowling and even poorer fielding. I hope they dont play Balaji any more.