Team India gets down to business for Cricket World Cup 2011

The whole of India wants it to be Sachin Tendulkar’s World Cup. And why not! As soon as the team bus arrived at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, one spotted the maestro sitting in the first row. Tendulkar may not be leading the side, but looking at the manner in which he stepped out of the vehicle, one could sense that hunger in him. The World Cup means a lot to him and that was more than evident ahead of the first practice session.
The entire team participated in a football game. Tendulkar left the field a little later, and spent the rest of the day at the NCA gymnasium. Coach Gary Kirsten is keen on getting the players ready for Sunday’s warm-up game against Australia. He chose to engage the boys in some light workout and short stints at the nets.
Kirsten was the busiest man around. The South African was seen throwing balls at Virender Sehwag and then Gautam Gambhir. The last batsman to face Kirsten was YuvrajSingh. The coach also had a word with Yuvi. The others who had a hit were Virat Kohli, Yusuf Pathan and Harbhajan Singh, who, surprisingly, did not bowl on Wednesday. Skipper MS Dhoni also batted for 10 minutes at an extreme corner of the nets.
The bowlers, too, had a light session with Eric Simons keeping a close watch. The bowling coach, who stationed himself behind the stumps, made good use of his baseball glove. Ashish Nehra was seen working very hard. The left-arm pacer was trying to get his run-up and rhythm right.
Meanwhile, Kirsten was quick to point out to National Cricket Academy director Sandeep Patil that the practice pitches had a lot of grass. He then ensured that the grass was shaved off.
One reckons India will try to make full use of the home advtange. After all, the flat tracks will only help out batsmen and spinners. Before he left for the day, Kirsten had a nice look at the bald pitch. It was an indication of what we’d see in the days to come.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011: Team Canada Preview

Despite being considered as one amongst the minnows and an easy pushover for the stronger sides, the Ashish Bagai-led Canadian team will travel to the Indian subcontinent with the intention of creating a few upsets and go back home with some pride and accolades. In a group that has biggies like Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, Canada will look to contribute to the twists and turns of the mega tournament by trying to make themselves competitive against the big guns, all the while hoping to pick up the odd win against other teams in the same bracket as them.

Having won a World Cup warm-up match against Netherlands on February 6^th at Abu Dhabi, Canada will be pumped up to begin their World Cup campaign with the right attitude and playing some good competitive cricket. Though this Canadian side has seldom played in the Indian subcontinent, the presence of players of Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan origin should mean that conditions aren't too alien for them. They are in the limelight straight away in the tournament, opening their campaign on Day 2 against co-hosts Sri Lanka on February 20^th at Hambantota. It will be imperative for their confidence that they are not ripped to shreds by the likes of Muralitharan, Mendis and Malinga, and batting out their 50 overs will be one of the targets they set themselves when competing with the big boys.

Batting:

Although Canada will enter their third World Cup as a minnow, one cannot forget what opening batsman John Davison did against West Indies in the 2003 World Cup. His beserk innings of 100 from 67 balls still remains untouchable. Davison, now 40-years old, is the senior stateman in the Canadian side, and while no longer quite as lethal, he does still pose a threat. Hiral Patel, who has often been moved up and down the order, could play as Davison’s opening partner. The Indian-born Patel doesn’t have the stats to back him up but his energy and the urge to work hard and play well will help him fight any initial nerves on such a huge stage.

At number three, Canada will play the Sri Lankan-born Ruvindu Gunasekera. The 19-year old Gunasekera has represented Canada in just three ODIs but has scored half centuries in two of them. Although the southpaw failed to impress against Netherlands in the warm-up tie, he will be very useful in conditions that will suit him well. Captain and Wicket keeper Ashish Bagai, who is most likely to play at number four, will be Canada’s top dog. Bagai, who is one of the few members of the squad to have featured in a World Cup before, will bring in a lot of consistency into the team’s batting. Although Canada finished at 5^th spot in the ICC World Cricket League Division One, Bagai played a few good innings and was instrumental in both their victories against Kenya in the tournament. He has also been very effective with the gloves effecting 13 dismissals in the two World Cups he has played. The Indian-born Bagai will lead his side for the first time in a World Cup and will be excited about the prospect of returning 'home' for the tournament.

In the middle order, Canada has the likes of Rizwan Cheema and Jimmy Hansra. The 32-year old Cheema is known for his fearless batting and is believed to have the audacity to hit big pacers all over the park. In the 21 ODIs he has played, Cheema has scored 523 runs at a brilliant strike rate of 119.40.On batsmen-friendly pitches, if this man gets going, even the strongest team will be in a spot of bother. Jimmy Hansra, another Canadian player of Indian origin, fits into the batting lineup as one of the lower order batsmen who can clear the ground as well as nudge the ball around and consolidate a partnership according to the given circumstances. In the warm-up tie against Netherlands, Hansra scored a patient fifty to set up his side’s run chase after a few initial hiccups, and took them to a good win ahead of the World Cup.

Bowling

Canada’s bowling attack is spearheaded by the Pakistan-born Khurram Chohan. Chohan is partnered by Henry Osinde, who is considered to be Canada’s fastest bowler. Both Chohan and Osinde are aggressive bowlers and will look to get their side a couple of wickets early on. Both have done reasonably well for Canada in ODIs, with Chohan picking up 22 wickets in 15 games at an economy rate of 4.78 rpo while Osinde has 35 wickets in 33 games at an economy rate of 5.00 rpo. Both of them bowled exceptionally well in the warm-up tie against the Netherlands, going for just 46 runs and picking up two wickets in 16 overs between them. The Canadian squad has a good first change medium pacer in Harvir Baidwan. Known for his impeccable line and length, Baidwan has done well in the 19 ODIs he has played so far, picking up 24 wickets at an economy rate of 4.83 rpo. Baidwan picked up two wickets and gave away just 29 runs in 7.4 overs at an economy rate of 3.78 in the aforementioned game.

Among the spinners, Canada has the 20-year old Parth Desai, who is considered to be one of the best young spinners in Canada. With his disciplined line and length, Desai is capable of keeping the runs down, while picking up the odd wicket too. He had a decent outing in the ICC World Cricket League Division One, picking up six wickets in six games at an economy rate of 3.96. He also bowled exceptionally well in the warm-up tie against Netherlands, finishing with figures of 2 for 18 in 5 overs. In conditions that will suit spinners more than the pacers, this Indian-born off-spinner will look to make the most of this opportunity and help his side to win a couple of games. Captain Bagai also has another spin option in Balaji Rao. Rao also bowled very well in the warm-up tie, picking up two wickets, giving away just 12 runs in his quota of 6 overs.

Squad:

Ashish Bagai (c & wk), Rizwan Cheema, Harvir Baidwan, Balaji Rao, John Davison, Parth Desai, Tyson Gordon, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Jimmy Hansra, Khurram Chohan, Nitish Kumar, Henry Osinde, Hiral Patel, Zubin Surkari, Karl Whatham, Hamza Tariq

Support Staff:

Coach - Pubudu Dassanayake, Assistant Coach- Chandika Hathurusingha, Match Analyst- Rathan Moorthy, Strength and Conditioning Coach- Coling Berenhaut, Physio- Dr. Giovanni Perri, Manager- Michael Henry, Assistant Manager- Johnny Bujan

Likely XI: Hiral Patel, John Davison, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Ashish Bagai(c & wk), Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan, Jimmy Hansra, Harvir Baidwan, Henry Osinde, Parth Desai, Balaji Rao

Players to Watch

John Davison- Davison, with his 67-ball century in the 2003 World Cup is one of the most dangerous batsmen that Canada possesses. The 40-year old is probably playing in his last World Cup and would be looking to go all out to perform well and give the cricket fans in Canada something to cheer about.

Ashish Bagai - Playing three crucial roles of the Captain, Wicket keeper and often even opening the batting, Ashish Bagai will be the man to watch out for on the batsman friendly pitches in the Indian subcontinent. The former Delhi-lad will look to lead the team from the front and play the role of sheet anchor in his side’s pursuit to make sure they bat out the 50 overs.

Dark Horse:

Jimmy Hansra - Jimmy Hansra, who often plays in the side as a floater, will look to seize this opportunity to cement a permanent spot in the batting order. Bagai can use Hansra wisely by bringing him out according to the demands of the situation. He already displayed his ability to revive a batting collapse in the warm-up tie against Netherlands where he scored a resilient half century to take his side to victory.

Schedule

The minnows Canada have their task cut out from the word go at the World Cup as they begin their campaign against one of the World Cup favourites and the co-hosts, Sri Lanka on February 20^th at Hambantota. They then travel to Nagpur on February 28th for a game against Zimbabwe, where they will look to play out of character and squeeze out a win against an opposition that will find the subcontinent pitches a bit more of a challenge.

The action then shifts to Colombo, where they take on a strong Pakistan side on March 3^rd. Despite Pakistan’s problems before the World Cup, Canada is unlikely to challenge the Asian powerhouse. Canada then travel to Delhi to take on Kenya on March 7^th. Having beaten Kenya on two previous occasions in the ICC World Cricket League Division One, this will be Canada’s most crucial fixture and they will hope to pick up all the points from this game. They next travel to Mumbai to take on New Zealand, who have not been in the best of form in ODIs. Canada is easily the weaker side but will look to take their chances and hand the Kiwis an upset.

Canada end their group stage matches with a game against Australia on March 16^th at Bengaluru. They will be keen to escape that match with their dignity intact, and end the tournament on a high.

Fixture List:
February 20^th: Sri lanka vs Canada at Hambantota at 14:30 local time
February 28^th: Canada vs Zimbabwe at Nagpur at 09:30 local time
March 3^rd : Canada vs Pakistan at Colombo at 14:30 local time
March 7^th: Canada vs Kenya at Delhi at 14:30 local time
March 13^th: Canada vs New Zealand at Mumbai at 09:30 local time
March 16^th: Canada vs Australia at Bangalore at 14:30 local time

Recent Form:
September 2010: Ireland vs Canada ODI Series- Series Drawn (1-1)
July  2010: ICC World Cricket League Division One – Fifth Place
April 2010: West Indies vs Canada: West Indies won 1-0

Predictions:

The minnows from North America will come in with no expectation and will set themselves a target of a minimum of two wins in the Group Stage of the competition. But more often than not, a big stage like the World Cup, gives these 'little ones' an extra reason to go out onto the field and set the stage alight. In their bid to beat the biggies of the Cricketing World, expect Canada to play out of their skins and entertain the huge crowds before they head back home with a group stage exit.

Hyundai to be official car partner for World Cup 2011

NEW DELHI: Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL), the largest exporter and second largest car manufacturer in India, today announced that HMIL will be the official car partner for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Hyundai will also be the official car partner for the International Cricket Council (ICC) from 2011 to 2015, with exclusive category rights.

Speaking on this announcement, H W Park, MD and CEO, HMIL said, "I am pleased to announce our partnership with the International Cricket Council. The ICC Cricket World Cup is one of the biggest sporting extravaganzas, and we are proud to be a part of this event.

Ground transportation is critical to the successful staging of an international event like the ICC Cricket World Cup and Hyundai will endeavour to provide the best and the most luxurious transportation option for the players, officials and VIP guests. Hyundai shares ICC's deep-rooted passion for cricket and remains committed to supporting the game in the future as well".

Under this agreement, ICC officials, players and VIP guests will use Hyundai cars for official transportation for the entire duration of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and the contract extends till 2015. In addition to the World Cup, Hyundai will also be transport partners for the Women's World Cup and the T20 championship.

The fleet includes the best-selling i10, the luxurious SUV Santa Fe, the powerful Verna Transform and the international favourite - the Sonata Transform.

As a dynamic automotive brand, HMIL has always been connected with sports enthusiasts. Hyundai is also the official transport partner for the FIFA World Cup and it was formerly the naming rights sponsor for the ICC Cricket Awards. With this tie-up, Hyundai aims to continue its association with popular sports like cricket and football.

To generate excitement among its large customer base, HMIL proposes to conduct activities like "Hyundai Fan Park" where its customers can get together and watch the matches live on large screen TV and also in the process enjoy refreshments and win tickets for the matches.

During the World Cup, HMIL will undertake many promotional activities to heighten the enthusiasm and excitement among the 'cricket crazy' people of the country.

ICC World Cup trophy on display in the city

Reliance Communications, the Global Partner for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, today displayed the trophy in the city as part of their trophy preview across India and also promotional activity.

The 11 KG cup, made in Gold and Silver, was unveiled at a function by Lakshinarayanaswamy, President, Coimbatore DIstrict Cricket Association, in the presence of city police commissioner, C Sylendra Babu.

World Cup trophy on display in the city

Encouraged by the overwhelming response to its Value Added Services from cricket loving fans during the T20 World Tournaments, Reliance is all set to launch a host of services that would provide exciting audio and video content on 3G platform during the World Cup, which would be kicked off in Dhaka on Feb 19, Rakseh Singh, Hub head, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, said at the function.

Both Sylendra Babu and Lakshminarayanaswamy expressed hope that India would win the cup, as the team have the potential to do so.
Later the trophy was taken through the main thoroughfare of the city and kept at strategic points for the public to have a view.

Pakistan can be uncertain surprise in World Cup

In the 2008 edition of the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia, there was one Pakistan cricketer who was being talked to by the team coach. He stood there listening attentively to what his senior had to say. A few yards away, a couple of journalists who were on tour covering the World Cup were listening as attentively to a support staff member of Pakistan's squad.

"Aap dekh rahe hain, kitni khamoshi se sun raha hai woh?" (Do you see how quietly he is listening to the coach?) The manager pointed out to journalists " Lekin jaise hi woh wicket par pahunchega, yeh apni marzi se sab kuch karega. (But he will do exactly what he wants once he reaches the wicket.)

The young lad who was being talked about was the talented Umar Akmal. Younger sibling of Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran, Umar is fast gaining a reputation of being one the most explosive batsmen of the modern day, slam-bang kind of a game. At the same time though, he has become infamous for throwing away his wicket when the team requires his presence on the field. But as the member of Pakistan support staff at the Under-19 World Cup rightly pointed out, Umar will do exactly what he feels is right when on the crease. But he is not the only Pakistan cricketer who go by their instincts. Pakistan is a land full of such cricketers.

And that's Pakistan cricket. Unpredictable! miles away from what wise men call rational! even erratic at times. Controversies and cricket in Pakistan are like inseparable sisters. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had not even named a skipper till about Friday afternoon. But there is something about the Shahid Afridi-led Pakistan squad. At no point, the team can be written off. For, they are the eternal comeback boys of World Cricket.

A classic case is the 1992 edition of the World Cup. For a cricket enthusiast and purists alike, this edition of the World Cup will be remembered for the dramatic comeback Pakistan made. This despite the fact that two of their star performers - fast bowler Waqar Younis and opening batsman Saeed Anwar were consumed by injury. But they had an inspirational skipper in Imran Khan. And when Pakistan lost 4 of their first 5 matches and were barely a defeat away from being eliminated in the first round, an inspirational speech by Imran turned it around. The dashing Pathan, legend has it, told his teammates to fight like cornered tigers. It inspired the team to win five successive matches, including, most famously, the semifinal against hosts New Zealand and the final against England.

Pakistan went through some heart-stopping moments in the semis against hosts New Zealand. But an unknown 22-year-old named Inzamam-ul-Haq smashed a 37-ball 60 to help Pakistan win the match and set up a title clash with England. In the years to come, Inzamam went to lead Pakistan to several memorable wins.

That's the beauty of Pakistan cricket. Once a player is inducted into the national squad, he is never awed by the situation, opponent, or even an individual. And just like the 22-year-old Inzamam, there have been many cricketers who have delivered when it mattered.

Abdul Razzaq is one such player. Over a decade after making his international debut, Razzaq may not be spoken in the same breath today as a Kieron Pollard or perhaps a Yusuf Pathan. But this right hander can be equally destructive on his day. He has shown it time and again right from the time he burst onto the international scene in 1999. True, Pakistan have had many heroes. Zaheer Abbas, Majid Khan, Imran Khan, Inzamam, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, to name a few, but one thing that tilts the scale in Pakistan's favour decisively is the selection of Afridi as skipper. Afridi, also a pathan like Imran, is an inspirational leader. On his day, he sure is a match-winner. Add to it his ability to back his teammates. Just like Imran could get his boys to deliver at crunch situations and at the highest level, Afridi can extract the same commitment and dedication from his teammates.

All other captains post the 1992 World Cup triumph have failed to command the kind of respect Afridi and Imran have. Wasim Akram may have been a super bowler, but throughout his career, he was embroiled in controversies. Inzamam could win a match on his own, but his mood swings never really allowed his teammates to feel comfortable. Javed Miandad was another batsman who could get his teammates to deliver. But he too was involved in unnecessary petty issues with players and the management. Younis Khan led the team to the World T20 crown from a hopeless situation but soon fell out with the others.

Rameez Raja, Saleem Malik and others who captained the team had some problem or the other. The Pakistan Cricket Board have added to the team's woes in their own way. Imran not only got the team together, he also backed his players if they had issues with the board. Afridi too in his own way has never ceased to express his feelings if he feels the PCB is in the wrong. Obviously, people like Imran and Afridi will be looked up upon by their teammates.

Pakistan's squad sure has the balance, but it will be Afrdi, who has to ensure he brings about the best out of his players. Pakistan sure have the right man on the hot seat.

How Pakistan gained the notorious tag line unpredictable!

1975: Only 18 ODIs were played before this World Cup. The teams were divided into two groups of four teams with each one the group playing the other once. Top from the group qualified for the semis. Pakistan were not one among the four semifinalists.

1979: For the first time Pakistan made it to the semifinal in this edition of the Prudential World Cup. They were pitted against West Indies for a place in the final, but Asif Iqbal's men fell short by 43 runs, chasing a target of 293. In the league stages, Pakistan had defeated the might Australians by 89 runs.

1983: They made it to the semifinals for a second time. But it was deja vu for Pakistan. Led by the powerful Imran Khan, Pakistan went down to Clive Lloyd's West Indies by eight wickets.

1987: Three semifinal appearances in a row. Hopes in Pakistan went soaring. And there could have been celebrations galore back at home had Pakistan not fallen short by 18 runs against Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium.

1992: Skipper Imran Khan had failed to shepherd his team into a World Cup final in back-to-back editions. And four defeats in five games suggested Pakistan would be eliminated in the first round itself. But Imran who had come out of retirement, delivered an inspirational speech. Pakistan won all the remaining matches to be crowned World Champions. Bingo! They were in an elite list now.

1996: They were on a high after their first World Cup triumph. But when pitted in the quarterfinal against India at Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium, Aamir Sohail's men were pushed on the back foot by Bangalore boys Anil Kumble (3-48) and Venkatesh Prasad (3-45). Pakistan eventually fell short by 39 runs.

1999: In the semifinal against New Zealand, opener Saeed Anwar hammered a brilliant 113 to ensure Pakistan canter home with nine wickets to spare. They eventually lost to Australia in the final.

2003: A very bad edition for Pakistan. Elminated in the first round itself.

2007: Just like India, Pakistan also crashed out in the preliminary stages of this edition of the World Cup

World Cup will reverse poor perception of 50-over cricket: ICC

New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat believesnext month''s cricket World Cup will dismiss fears of thedemise of the 50-over format of the game and prove that allthree formats can co-exist.

Buzz up!
"I think the talk of poor interest in 50-over cricket isoverstated. I firmly believe that all three forms of the game(Test, ODI and T20I) will co-exist and in fact thrive atinternational level," Lorgat told Espnstar.com.

"I hope that the ICC Cricket World Cup, being the game''sflagship event and cricket''s biggest prize, will add toreversing the poor perception of 50-over cricket as some ofthe recent matches already have.

"To be frank, the talk of a demise of 50-over ODI cricketis way out of whack with what we are experiencing. Players,spectators, TV viewers and administrators still see greatvalue in the ODI and I think we are very fortunate as a sportto have three viable formats that are so popular in their ownways. I can''t think of any other sport that enjoys such anembarrassment of riches in that way," he added.

Lorgat said 2011 will witness the most open andunpredictable ICC Cricket World Cup in history.

"This year''s event promises to be one of the most openand unpredictable in history. It seems to me that the topteams are all playing some wonderful cricket at present andthere is precious little to decide between them," he said.

"The Australians could make history by becoming the firstteam to win four in a row but they will be challenged as theyare not as dominant today as they were four years ago. Theother teams no doubt will sense an opportunity to wrestle ''TheCup that Counts'' from their tight grasp," he added.

The ICC CEO said the governing body doesn''t have plans totinker with the format of the game but it is ready to considerchanges if it is good for cricket.

"There are no plans to dramatically change the format ofthe 50-over game at international level. That said, weencourage our Members to experiment with different formats andinitiatives to see if there are ways it can be enhanced," hesaid.

"The ODI today has a very different look and feel to whatit was 40 years ago when the first match took place in 1971.

We have always embraced change and will continue to do so. Ifit''s good for ODIs we will consider it," he added.

The World Cup, which is being co-hosted by India, SriLanka and Bangladesh, will be starting from February 19 inDhaka.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Records

As the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is about to begin in few days. Here is a little flashback on the record list of world cup history. These records including team records as well as individual records.

Highest Individual Score

1. Gary Kirsten (SA) 188* vs. UAE
2. Sourav Ganguly (IND) 183 vs. SL
3. Vivian Richards (WI) 181 vs. SL
4. Kapil Dev (IND) 175* vs. ZIM
5. Craig Wishart (ZIM) 172* vs. NAM

Leading Run Scores

1. Sachin Tendulkar (IND) 1796 (36 Matches)
2. Ricky Ponting (AUS) 1537 (39 Matches)
3. Brian Lara (WI) 1225 (34 Matches)
4. Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) 1165 (38 Matches)
5. Adam Gilchrist (AUS) 1085 (31 Matches)

Best Batting Strike Rate

1. Shane Watson (AUS) 170.58 (8 Matches)
2. Dwayne Smith (WI) 163.33 (6 Matches)
3. Chris Lewis (ENG) 155.76 (9 Matches)
4. Andy Blignaut (ZIM) 138.20 (7 Matches)
5. Ian Smith (NZ) 132.69 (17 Matches)

Best Batting Average

1. Shane Watson (AUS) 145 (8 Matches)
2. Lance Klusener (SA) 124 (14 Matches)
3. Andrew Symonds (AUS) 103 (18 Matches)
4. James Franklin (NZ) 95 (9 Matches)
5. Michael Clarke (AUS) 87.2 (11 Matches)

Most 100s

1. Sourav Ganguly (IND) 4 (21 Matches)
2. Mark Waugh (AUS) 4 (22 Matches)
3. Sachin Tendulkar (IND) 4 (36 Matches)
4. Ricky Ponting (AUS) 4 (39 Matches)
5. Rameez Raja (PAK) 3 (16 Matches)

Most 50s

1. Sachin Tendulkar (IND) 13 (36 Matches)
2. Graham Gooch (ENG) 8 (21 Matches)
3. Martin Crowe (NZ) 8 (21 Matches)
4. Steve Tikolo (KEN) 8 (23 Matches)
5. Herschelle Gibbs (SA) 8 (25 Matches)

Best Bowling

1. Glenn McGrath (AUS) 7/15 (7 Ovrs) vs. NAM
2. Andrew Bichel (AUS) 7/20 (10 Ovrs) vs. ENG
3. Winston Davis (WI) 7/51 (10.3 Ovrs) vs. AUS
4. Gary Gilmour (AUS) 6/14 (12 Ovrs) vs. ENG
5. Shane Bond (NZ) 6/23 (10 Ovrs) vs. AUS

Highest Team Total

1. IND 413 vs. BER
2. SL 398 vs. KEN
3. AUS 377 vs. SA
4. IND 373 vs. SL
5. NZ 363 vs. CAN

Lowest Team Total

1. CAN 36 vs. SL
2. CAN 45 vs. ENG
3. NAM 45 vs. AUS
4. SCO 68 vs. WI
5. PAK 74 vs. ENG

Largest Victory Margin (Rns.)

1. IND 257 vs. BER
2. AUS 256 vs. NAM
3. SL 243 vs. BER
4. AUS 229 vs. NED
5. SA 221 vs. NED

Largest Victory Margin (Wts.)

1. IND 10 vs. ZIM
2. WI 10 vs. PAK
3. WI 10 vs. ZIM
4. SA 10 vs. KEN
5. SL 10 vs. BAN

Most Catches

1. Ricky Ponting (AUS) 25 (39 Matches)
2. Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) 18 (38 Matches)
3. Chris Cairns (NZ) 16 (28 Matches)
4. Brian Lara (WI) 16 (34 Matches)
5. Inzamam-ul-Haq (PAK) 16 (35 Matches)

Most Stumping

1. Moin Khan (PAK) 7 (20 Matches)
2. Adam Gilchrist (AUS) 7 (31 Matches)
3. Kiran More (IND) 6 (14 Matches)
4. Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 6 (21 Matches)
5. Romesh Kaluwitharana (SL) 4 (11 Matches)

Most Run Outs

1. Jonty Rhodes (SA) 5 (24 Matches)
2. Dwayne Bravo (WI) 4 (9 Matches)
3. Chris Harris (NZ) 4 (28 Matches)
4. Lou Vincent (NZ) 3 (6 Matches)
5. Mark Waugh (AUS) 3 (22 Matches)

Cricket World Cup countdown: Firsts in record book

THE TENTH edition of mega cricketing event ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is going to start from February 19 at Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. Defending champion Australia and thirteen other nations will play a total of 49 matches at 13 venues during the 43 days long event.

A ten year old elephant, Stumpy is the official mascot of the 2011 Cricket World Cup. The winner and the runner-up teams of this mega event will get a total prize money of US$ 3 million and US$ 1.5 million respectively. ESPN Star Sports and Star Cricket would broadcast ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 across the globe.
Here are some interesting and unique facts of the first World Cup Cricket, which was held from  June  7 to June 21, 1975 in England.

First ever world cup match captains: Mike Denness (England) and S. Venkataraghavan (India)

First cricketer who scored a 100 in a world cup match: Dennis Amis (England) 137 runs against India

First cricketer who scored 150 in a world cup match: Glenn Turner (New Zealand) 171 runs (not out) against East Africa

First cricketer who scored a 50 in a world cup match: Keith Fletcher (England) 68 runs against India

First cricketer who hit a six in a world cup match: Keith Fletcher (England) against India

First cricketer who played full sixty overs in a world cup match: Sunil Gavaskar (India) against England at Lord's, London

First cricketer who scored a 100 in a world cup final: Clive Lloyd (West Indies)

First cricketer to claim a wicket in a world cup match: Mohinder Amarnath (India) of John Jameson (England)

First bowler who claimed 5 wickets in a world cup match: Dennis Lillee (Australia) against Pakistan

First bowler who claimed 5 wickets in a world cup final: Gary Gilmour (Australia)

First bowler who bowled a batsman in a world cup match: Madan Lal (India) bowled Dennis Amis (England)

First cricketer who was run-out in a world cup match: Ramesh Sethi (East Africa)

First wicket-keeper who picked a catch in a world cup match: Alan Knott (England) of Anshuman Gaekwad (India)

First wicket-keeper who stumped a batsman in a world cup match: Ken Wadsworth (New Zealand) stumped Frasat Ali (East Africa)

First cricketer to take a catch in a world cup match: S. Venkataraghavan (India) caught John Jameson (England)

First team which won by the margin of 200 runs in a world cup match: England against India at Lord's, London

First team which won by 10 wickets in a world cup match: India won against East Africa at Headingley, Leeds

First team which scored 300 runs in a world cup match: England against India at Lord's, London

First team which scored below 100 in a world cup match: Sri Lanka against West Indies at Old Trafford, Manchester

First cricketer who won Man-of-the-match in a world cup match: Dennis Amis (England)

First cricketer who won Man-of-the-match in a world cup final: Clive Lloyd (West Indies)

First umpires to officiate a world cup match: David Constant and John Langridge of England.

World Cup will reverse poor perception of 50-over cricket: ICC

NEW DELHI: ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat believes cricket World Cup will dismiss fears of the demise of the 50-over format of the game and prove that all three formats can co-exist.

"I think the talk of poor interest in 50-over cricket is overstated. I firmly believe that all three forms of the game (Test, ODI and T20I) will co-exist and in fact thrive at international level," Lorgat said.

"I hope that the ICC  Cricket World Cup, being the game's flagship event and cricket's biggest prize, will add to reversing the poor perception of 50-over cricket as some of the recent matches already have.

"To be frank, the talk of a demise of 50-over ODI cricket is way out of whack with what we are experiencing. Players, spectators, TV viewers and administrators still see great value in the ODI and I think we are very fortunate as a sport to have three viable formats that are so popular in their own ways. I can't think of any other sport that enjoys such an embarrassment of riches in that way," he added.

Lorgat said 2011 will witness the most open and unpredictable ICC Cricket World Cup in history.

"This year's event promises to be one of the most open and unpredictable in history. It seems to me that the top teams are all playing some wonderful cricket at present and there is precious little to decide between them," he said.

"The Australians could make history by becoming the first team to win four in a row but they will be challenged as they are not as dominant today as they were four years ago. The other teams no doubt will sense an opportunity to wrestle 'The Cup that Counts' from their tight grasp," he added.

The ICC CEO said the governing body doesn't have plans to tinker with the format of the game but it is ready to consider changes if it is good for cricket.

"There are no plans to dramatically change the format of the 50-over game at international level. That said, we encourage our Members to experiment with different formats and initiatives to see if there are ways it can be enhanced," he said.

"The ODI today has a very different look and feel to what it was 40 years ago when the first match took place in 1971. We have always embraced change and will continue to do so. If it's good for ODIs we will consider it," he added.

The World Cup, which is being co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will be starting from February 19 in Dhaka.

ICC Cricket World Cup trophy unveiled

The glittering ICC World Cup trophy was unveiled by BCCI treasurer M P Pandove at a ceremony at PCA cricket stadium on Wednesday.

Unveiling the prestigious trophy, Pandove stated that PCA will host three World Cup matches including a semifinal.

A large number of people thronged the stadium to have a close glimpse of the trophy.

World Cup 2011 Schedule & Timetable releases

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 will be held by in the sub-continent South Asian countries: India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai will be hosting the final of the Cricket World Cup 2011.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 shedule has been released and the mega event will be held from the 19th of February to the 2nd of April in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The first match of ICC World Cup 2011 begings between India vs Bangladesh on Feb 19, 2011 onwards.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Teams:
Group A – Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya.
Group B – India, South Africa, England, Bangladesh, West Indies, Netherlands and Ireland.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Schedule or Timetable:

1. 19 February (14.00) – India vs Bangladesh – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

2. 20 February (09.30) – New Zealand vs Kenya – M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

3. 20 February (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Canada – Hambantota International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota

4. 21 February (14.00) – Australia vs Zimbabwe – Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad

5. 22 February (14.30) – England vs Netherlands – Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

6. 23 February (14.30) – Pakistan vs Kenya – Hambantota International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota

7. 24 February (14.30) – South Africa vs West Indies – Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi

8. 25 February (14.30) – Australia vs New Zealand – Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

9. 25 February (09.30) – Bangladesh vs Ireland – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

10. 26 February (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Pakistan – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

11. 27 February (14.30) – India vs England – Eden Gardens, Kolkata

12. 28 February (14.30) – West Indies vs Netherlands – Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi

13. 28 February (09.30) – Zimbabwe vs Canada – Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

14. 01 March (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Kenya – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

15. 02 March (14.30) – England vs Ireland – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

16. 03 March (09.30) – South Africa vs Netherlands – Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

17. 03 March (14.30) – Pakistan vs Canada – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

18. 04 March (09.30) – New Zealand vs Zimbabwe – Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad

19. 04 March (14.30) – Bangladesh vs West Indies – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

20. 05 March (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Australia – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

21. 06 March (14.30) – India vs Ireland – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

22. 06 March (09.30) – England vs South Africa – M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

23. 07 March (14.30) – Kenya vs Canada – Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi

24. 08 March (14.30) – Pakistan vs New Zealand – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy

25. 09 March (14.30) – India vs Netherlands – Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi

26. 10 March (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy

27. 11 March (09.30) – West Indies vs Ireland – Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

28. 11 March (14.30) – Bangladesh vs England – Chittagong Divisional Stadium, Chittagong

29. 12 March (14.30) – India vs South Africa – Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

30. 13 March (09.30) – New Zealand vs Canada – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

31. 13 March (14.30) – Australia vs Kenya – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

32. 14 March (14.30) – Pakistan vs Zimbabwe – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy

33. 14 March (14.30) – Bangladesh vs Netherlands – Chittagong Divisional Stadium, Chittagong

34. 15 March (14.30) – South Africa vs Ireland – Eden Gardens, Kolkata

35. 16 March (14.30) – Australia vs Canada – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

36. 17 March (14.30) – England vs West Indies – M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

37. 18 March (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs New Zealand – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

38. 18 March (09.30) – Ireland vs Netherlands – Eden Gardens, Kolkata

39. 19 March (14.30) – Australia vs Pakistan – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

40. 19 March (09.30) – Bangladesh vs South Africa – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

41. 20 March (09:30) – Zimbabwe vs Kenya – Eden Gardens, Kolkata

42. 20 March (14.30) – India vs West Indies – M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

43. 23 March (14.30) – First Quarterfinal (Group A1 vs Group B4) – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

44. 24 March (14.30) – Second Quarterfinal (Group A2 vs Group B3) – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

45. 25 March (14.30) – Third Quarterfinal (Group A3 vs Group B2) – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

46. 26 March (14.30) – Fourth Quarterfinal (Group A4 vs Group B1) – Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad

47. 29 March (14.30) – First Semifinal (Winner of Match 43 vs Winner of Match 45) – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

48. 30 March (14.30) – Second Semifinal (Winner of Match 44 vs Winner of Match 46) – Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

49. 02 April (14.30) – Final (Winner of Match 47 vs Winner of Match 48) – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

ICC Annual Award Nominations

The ICC’s prestigious sixth annual awards appear to have run into a controversy with several high-profile figures from South Africa criticizing the final selection process for not including even a single South African player. The ICC Awards ceremony is now in its sixth year and this year it will be held in Johannesburg to coincide with the ICC Champions Trophy. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007) and Dubai (2008).

Majola, the South Africas national cricket board chief executive questioned the credibility of the awards and said it appeared to him that the only way to get on the shortlist was to play the Ashes.

One can raise various questions on the selection. How Graham Onions featured in the Emerging player of the year list? Before being short listed, he has played hardly 5 or 10 tests and do not have nothing great like Parnell or Duminy in him. Same applies for Ryder. They had done nothing outside their home conditions. It seems that the countries which do not play cricket in the latter part of the year will be totally forgotten.

Selection Criteria:

An ICC spokesperson said that the awards nomination “is a completely independent process in which the ICC has no says whatsoever”. The long list of nominations for the individual awards was prepared by a five-member ICC panel headed by Clive Lloyd, the ICC’s cricket committee chairman, and including Anil Kumble, Mudassar Nazar, Bob Taylor and Stephen Fleming. This list was then sent to the ICC’s independent panel of 25 members (including two South Africans) for selection of four players for each category.

Nomination is based on the period between August 13, 2008 and August 24 2009, the ICC Awards 2009 take into account performances by players and officials in that period for the game. That period includes such high-profile events as the ICC World Twenty20 in England, the ICC Women’s World Cup in Australia and the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in South Africa, as well as several bilateral Test and ODI series. While the shortlist was announced, the category winners will be known only on awards night. The votes have already been collated by Ernst and Young, who acted as independent auditors.

Highlights of ICC Awards:

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and opener Gautam Gambhir got twin nominations, while Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag were shortlisted for the ODI Player of the Year.

Gambhir, Dhoni, Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Strauss have been short-listed for the Sir Garfield Sobers trophy for Cricketer of the Year.

In addition, Gambhir, Johnson and Strauss were also short-listed for the Test Player of the Year alongside Sri Lanka’s Thilan Samaraweera. Dhoni is also in contention to retain the ODI Player of the Year award he won last year as he is short-listed in that category with team-mates Yuvraj and Sehwag as well as West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

This year’s awards include eight individual prizes and also feature the selection of the Test and ODI Teams of the Year and the award to the side that has adhered most to the Spirit of Cricket. The nominees for the Women’s Cricketer of the Year are last year’s winner England captain Charlotte Edwards along with team-mate Claire Taylor and Australia’s Shelley Nitschke. The Emerging Player of the Year nominees short-list features two Australians, Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle, as well as Jesse Ryder of New Zealand and England’s Graham Onions. The Umpire of the Year award was voted on by the captains and the match referees based on the umpires’ performance statistics.

ICC Awards 2009 – short lists of nominees:

Cricketer of the Year:

1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind)
2. Gautam Gambhir (Ind)
3. Mitchell Johnson (Aus)
4. Andrew Strauss (Eng)

2.Test Player of the Year:

1. Gautam Gambhir (Ind)
2. Mitchell Johnson (Aus)
3. Thilan Samaraweera (SL)
4. Andrew Strauss (Eng)

3. ODI Player of the Year:

1. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI)
2. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind)
3. Virender Sehwag (Ind)
4. Yuvraj Singh (Ind)

4. Emerging Player:
1. Ben Hilfenhaus (Aus)
2. Graham Onions (Eng)
3. Jesse Ryder (NZ)
4. Peter Siddle (Aus)

5. Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year:

1. Rizwan Cheema (Can)
2. Ryan ten Doeschate (Ned)
3. William Porterfield (Ire)
4. Edgar Schiferli (Ned)

6. Twenty20 International Performance of the Year:

1. Shahid Afridi (Pak) for 51 runs and taking 2-16 against South Africa
2. Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) for scoring 96* against West Indies
3. Chris Gayle (WI) for scoring 88 against Australia
4. Umar Gul (Pak) for taking 5-6 against New Zealand

7. Women’s Cricketer of the Year:

1. Charlotte Edwards (Eng)
2. Shelley Nitschke (Aus)
3. Claire Taylor (Eng)

8. Umpire of the Year:

1. Aleem Dar
2. Tony Hill
3. Asad Rauf
4. Simon Taufel

9. Spirit of Cricket:

1. Australia
2. England
3. New Zealand
4. Sri Lanka

Tendulkar and Kallis share number-one batting spot

India batsman Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis of South Africa have jointly claimed the coveted number-one position in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after stellar performances in the Cape Town Test which finished on Thursday. Tendulkar, who scored 146 and 14 not out, has gained one place while Kallis has been rewarded with a jump of four places for his performances of 161 and 109 not out .that earned him the man of the series and match of the match awards, to leapfrog Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara. Both the batsmen now sit on 883 ratings points, just one ahead of Sangakkara.

Tendulkar, who won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year Award 2010 at the LG ICC Awards in Bengaluru in October last year, last claimed the number-one spot on 14 October 2010 after his magnificent 214 and 53 not out against Australia also in Bengaluru. It is the 10th time that Tendulkar has claimed the number-one ranking which he first achieved in his 33rd Test in November 1994 against the West Indies in Mumbai. Kallis last surged to the top of the batting table in October 2005 after the Sydney Test against Australia while he first topped the chart after the Newlands Test against England in January 2005. He earned 77 ratings points from the series against India in which he scored 498 runs.

Also charging up the batting table are left-handed openers Alastair Cook of England and Gautam Gambhir of India. Cook, who scored a match-winning 189 in Sydney, has vaulted eight places to fifth spot. Cook had entered the Ashes in 30th position on 628 ratings point and ended the series with a career-best rating of 803 – thanks to his series aggregate of 766 runs which earned him the man of the series award. Gambhir has broken into the top 20 and he now sits in 15th position after his scores of 93 and 64 have helped him jump seven places in the latest rankings which were released on Friday. England's Ian Bell and Matt Prior have also improved their rankings after hitting centuries in England's an innings and 83 runs victory in Sydney. Bell has moved up five places to 22nd position while Prior is now in 29th position after gaining six places.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, South Africa's Dale Steyn continues to lead the pack. He is now on 899 ratings points after earning two ratings points and will now have to wait until the next Test series against Australia in September-October before he takes a shot at the 900-point mark threshold. Bowlers making upward movements include James Anderson in third (up by one place), Ishant Sharma in 15th (up by one place), S.Sreesanth in 22nd (up by four places), Ben Hilfenhaus in 24th (up by two places), Shane Watson in 32nd (up by one place) and Tim Bresnan in 36th (up by five places). There is no change in the top five of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders with Kallis leading Daniel Vettori of New Zealand by a distance.