Sachin Tendulkar's Cricket World Cup journey from 1992 to 2007

BATTING LEGEND Sachin Tendulkar, who is probably playing his last World Cup Cricket, has so far played five cricket world cups since 1992. Sachin Tendulkar has already played 36 world cup matches and scored 1796 runs with an average of 57.93. He has scored four centuries and 13 half centuries in the world cup.

Here is Sachin Tendulkar's World Cup Journey from World Cup 1992 to ICC Cricket World Cup 2007:

Sachin Tendulkar started his Cricket World Cup journey in 1992 against England on February 22. In 1992, Benson & Hedges World Cup, in Australia and New Zealand, Sachin Tendulkar scored 283 runs including three half centuries in eight matches. Against England he scored 35 runs, against Sri Lanka he did not bat because match was abandoned due to rain. Against host Australia he scored 11 runs, against Pakistan he scored unbeaten 54 runs, against Zimbabwe he scored 81 runs,  against West Indies he scored four runs, against co-host New Zealand he scored 84 runs and against South Africa Sachin scored 14 runs.

Sachin scored 523 runs including two 100s and three 50s in seven matches in the 1996 Wills World Cup. India started their campaign against Kenya. Sachin opened for the first time in the World Cup and scored his maiden World Cup 100 in the first match against Kenya. He scored 127 runs. In the second match against West Indies he scored 70 runs, against Australia he scored 90 runs, against Sri Lanka he scored 137 runs, against Zimbabwe he scored three runs. In the quarter final match against Pakistan scored 31 runs and in the semi-final against Sri Lanka he scored 65 runs.

In the 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup, which was held in England, Sachin Tendulkar scored 253 runs including one 100 in seven matches. In the first match against South Africa, Sachin Tendulkar scored 28 runs, against Kenya he scored 140 runs, against Sri Lanka he scored two runs, against England 22 runs, against Australia in first Super Sixes he scored 0, against Pakistan he scored 45 runs and against New Zealand in last Super Sixes match he scored 16 runs.

In the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Sachin Tendulkar scored 673 runs including one 100 and six 50s in 11 matches. In the first match of India during the World Cup, Sachin scored 52 runs against Netherlands. Against Australia, Sachin scored 15 runs, against Zimbabwe he scored 81 runs, against Namibia he scored 152 runs, against England he scored 50 runs, against Pakistan he scored 98 runs, in the Super Sixes against Kenya he scored five runs, against Sri Lanka he scored 97 runs, against New Zealand he scored 15 runs, in the semi-final against Kenya scored 83 runs. In the final of the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup at New Wanderers in Johannesburg against Australia, Sachin Tendulkar scored only four runs, which was his lowest in the tournament and India lost by 125 runs.

In the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup in West Indies, India was knocked out in the group stage. Sachin Tendulkar scored 64 runs including one 50 in three matches. In the first match against Bangladesh, Sachin scored seven runs. In the next match against Bermuda, he scored 57 runs and last match of Indian campaign, Sachin was out for a duck against Sri Lanka.

Sachin Tendulkar's Cricket World Cup journey from 1992 to 2007

BATTING LEGEND Sachin Tendulkar, who is probably playing his last World Cup Cricket, has so far played five cricket world cups since 1992. Sachin Tendulkar has already played 36 world cup matches and scored 1796 runs with an average of 57.93. He has scored four centuries and 13 half centuries in the world cup.

Here is Sachin Tendulkar's World Cup Journey from World Cup 1992 to ICC Cricket World Cup 2007:

Sachin Tendulkar started his Cricket World Cup journey in 1992 against England on February 22. In 1992, Benson & Hedges World Cup, in Australia and New Zealand, Sachin Tendulkar scored 283 runs including three half centuries in eight matches. Against England he scored 35 runs, against Sri Lanka he did not bat because match was abandoned due to rain. Against host Australia he scored 11 runs, against Pakistan he scored unbeaten 54 runs, against Zimbabwe he scored 81 runs,  against West Indies he scored four runs, against co-host New Zealand he scored 84 runs and against South Africa Sachin scored 14 runs.

Sachin scored 523 runs including two 100s and three 50s in seven matches in the 1996 Wills World Cup. India started their campaign against Kenya. Sachin opened for the first time in the World Cup and scored his maiden World Cup 100 in the first match against Kenya. He scored 127 runs. In the second match against West Indies he scored 70 runs, against Australia he scored 90 runs, against Sri Lanka he scored 137 runs, against Zimbabwe he scored three runs. In the quarter final match against Pakistan scored 31 runs and in the semi-final against Sri Lanka he scored 65 runs.

In the 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup, which was held in England, Sachin Tendulkar scored 253 runs including one 100 in seven matches. In the first match against South Africa, Sachin Tendulkar scored 28 runs, against Kenya he scored 140 runs, against Sri Lanka he scored two runs, against England 22 runs, against Australia in first Super Sixes he scored 0, against Pakistan he scored 45 runs and against New Zealand in last Super Sixes match he scored 16 runs.

In the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Sachin Tendulkar scored 673 runs including one 100 and six 50s in 11 matches. In the first match of India during the World Cup, Sachin scored 52 runs against Netherlands. Against Australia, Sachin scored 15 runs, against Zimbabwe he scored 81 runs, against Namibia he scored 152 runs, against England he scored 50 runs, against Pakistan he scored 98 runs, in the Super Sixes against Kenya he scored five runs, against Sri Lanka he scored 97 runs, against New Zealand he scored 15 runs, in the semi-final against Kenya scored 83 runs. In the final of the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup at New Wanderers in Johannesburg against Australia, Sachin Tendulkar scored only four runs, which was his lowest in the tournament and India lost by 125 runs.

In the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup in West Indies, India was knocked out in the group stage. Sachin Tendulkar scored 64 runs including one 50 in three matches. In the first match against Bangladesh, Sachin scored seven runs. In the next match against Bermuda, he scored 57 runs and last match of Indian campaign, Sachin was out for a duck against Sri Lanka.

Hashim Amla, Daniel Vettori top ICC ODI ranking

THERE ARE still 15 days to go for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and predictions have already started about who is going to win this cup. Defending champion Australia which has been a strong contender every year has not found favour with experts this year, while India and South Africa are the hot favourites.
While Australia may be down but as per the ICC ODI ranking, Australia  is still the top one-day playing side in the world. As far as individual batting and bowling performances are concerned, South African batsman Hashim Amla, New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori and Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan top the rank as the best ICC batsman, bowler and all-rounder  respectively.

According to the ICC Cricket ranking Australia is no 1, India is the number 2 team in the ICC ODI ranking, while Sri Lanka is no 3,  South Africa is no 4, England is no 5, Pakistan is no 6, New Zealand is no 7, West Indies is no 8, Bangladesh is no 9, Ireland is no 10, Zimbabwe is no 11, Netherlands is no 12 and Kenya at the number 13 respectively.

The top ten ICC batsmen in ranking are Hashim Amla, Virat Kohli of India, A.B. de Villiers of South Africa, Mike Hussey of Australia, Chris Gayle of West Indies, Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka, MS Dhoni of India, Shivnarine Chanderpaul of West Indies, Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka and Jacques Kallis of South Africa respectively.

The top ten list of ICC bowlers starts with New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, Morne Morkel of South Africa, Abdur Razzak of Bangladesh, Graeme Swann of England, Ray Price of Zimbabwe, Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh, Doug Bollinger of Australia, Stuart Broad of England, Nuwan Kulasekara of Sri Lanka and Dale Styen of South Africa are among the top ten.

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, Shane Watson of Australia, Shahid Afridi of Pakistan, Jacques Kallis of South Africa, Daniel Vettori of New Zealand, Jacob Oram of New Zealand, Yuvraj Singh of India, Paul Collingwood of England, Chris Gayle of West Indies and Ryan ten Doeschate of Netherlands are among the top ten all-rounders, according to the ICC ODI ranking.

ICC appoints umpires and match referees for Cricket World Cup

THE APEX body of cricket, International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed umpires and match referees for the group stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, which is going to be held between February 19 to April 2 in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The International Cricket Council has appointed Aleem Dar, who was ICC Umpire of the years 2009 and 2010, four-time ICC Umpire of the Year Simon Taufel along with Ian Gould, Billy Doctrove, Daryl Harper, Steve Davis, Marais Erasmus, Tony Hill, Asoka de Silva, Rod Tucker, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Kumar Dharmasena, Bruce Oxenford, Asad Rauf, Amish Saheba and Shahvir Tarapore.

ICC also appointed Ranjan Madugalle, Chris Broad, Jeff Crowe, Roshan Mahanama and Andy Pycroft as match referees for ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Here is the full list of umpires and match referees for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 until group stage.

Saturday 19 Feb – Bangladesh vs India (D/N), Dhaka- Steve Davis and Kumar Dharmasena, Billy Doctrove (third), Asad Rauf (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)

Sunday 20 Feb – New Zealand vs Kenya (D), Chennai – Rod Tucker and Marais Erasmus, Aleem Dar (third), Sudhir Asnani (fourth), Roshan Mahanama (referee)

Sunday 20 Feb – Sri Lanka vs Canada (D/N), Hambantota – Ian Gould and Shahvir Tarapore, Tony Hill (third), Daryl Harper (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)

Monday 21 Feb – Australia vs Zimbabwe (D/N), Ahmedabad – Asoka de Silva and Richard Kettleborough, Amish Saheba (third), Simon Taufel (fourth), Jeff Crowe (referee)

Tuesday 22 Feb – England vs Netherlands (D/N), Nagpur – Asad Rauf and Brice Oxenford, Kumar Dharmasena (third), Steve Davis (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)

Wednesday 23 Feb – Pakistan vs Kenya (D/N), Hambantota – Tony Hill and Nigel Llong, Daryl Harper (third), Shahvir Tarapore (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)

Thursday 24 Feb – South Africa vs West Indies (D/N), New Delhi – Simon Taufel and Amish Saheba, Asoka de Silva (third), Richard Kettleborough (fourth), Jeff Crowe (referee)

Friday 25 Feb – Australia vs New Zealand (D), Nagpur – Billy Doctrove and Kumar Dharmasena, Asad Rauf (third), Bruce Oxenford (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)

Friday 25 Feb – Bangladesh vs Ireland (D/N), Dhaka – Aleem Dar and Rod Tucker, Billy Bowden (third), Marais Erasmus (fourth), Roshan Mahanama (referee)

Saturday 26 Feb – Sri Lanka vs Pakistan (D/N), Colombo – Daryl Harper and Ian Gould, Nigel Llong (third), Tony Hill (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)

Sunday 27 Feb – India vs England (D/N), Bengaluru – Billy Bowden and Marais Erasmus, Rod Tucker (third), Aleem Dar (fourth), Roshan Mahanama (referee)

Monday 28 Feb – West Indies vs Netherlands, (D/N) New Delhi – Amish Saheba and Simon Taufel, Richard Kettleborough (third), Asoka de Silva (fourth), Jeff Crowe (referee)

Monday 28 Feb – Zimbabwe vs Canada (D), Nagpur – Asad Rauf and Bruce Oxenford, Steve Davis (third), Billy Doctrove (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)

Tuesday 1 Mar – Sri Lanka vs Kenya (D), Colombo – Tony Hill and Shahvir Tarapore, Ian Gould (third), Daryl Harper (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)

Wednesday 2 Mar – England vs Ireland (D/N), Bengaluru – Aleem Dar and Billy Bowden, Marais Erasmus (third), Rod Tucker (fourth), Roshan Mahanama (referee )

Thursday 3 Mar – South Africa vs Netherlands (D), Mohali – Asoka de Silva and Richard Kettleborough, Simon Taufel (third), Amish Saheba (fourth), Jeff Crowe (referee)

Thursday 3 Mar – Pakistan vs Canada (D/N), Colombo – Daryl Harper and Nigel Llong, Tony Hill (third), Ian Gould (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)

Friday 4 Mar – New Zealand vs Zimbabwe (D), Ahmedabad – Aleem Dar and Marais Erasmus, Rod Tucker (third), Billy Bowden (fourth), Roshan Mahanama (referee)

Friday 4 Mar – Bangladesh vs West Indies (D/N), Dhaka – Kumar Dharmasena and Steve Davis, Asad Rauf (third), Bruce Oxenford (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)

Saturday 5 Mar – Sri Lanka vs Australia (D/N), Colombo – Tony Hill and Ian Gould, Shahvir Tarapore (third), Nigel Llong (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)

Sunday 6 Mar – India vs Ireland (D/N), Bengaluru – Billy Bowden and Rod Tucker, Marais Erasmus (third), Aleem Dar (fourth), Roshan Mahanama (referee)

Sunday 6 Mar – England vs South Africa (D), Chennai – Simon Taufel and Amish Saheba, Asoka de Silva (third), Richard Kettleborough (fourth), Jeff Crowe (referee)

Monday 7 Mar – Kenya vs Canada (D/N), New Delhi – Asad Rauf and Billy Doctrove, Bruce Oxenford (third), Steve Davis (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)

Tuesday 8 Mar – Pakistan vs New Zealand (D/N), Pallekele – Daryl Harper and Nigel Llong, Ian Gould (third), Shahvir Tarapore (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)

Wednesday 9 Mar – India vs Netherlands (D/N), New Delhi – Bruce Oxenford and Steve Davis, Billy Doctrove (third), Kumar Dharmasena (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)

Thursday 10 Mar – Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe (D/N), Pallekele - Marais Erasmus and Nigel Llong, Tony Hill (third), Ranmore Martinesz (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)

Friday 11 Mar – West Indies vs Ireland (D), Mohali – Asoka de Silva and Shahvir Tarapore, Bruce Oxenford (third), Steve Davis (fourth), Roshan Mahnama (referee)

Friday 11 Mar – Bangladesh vs England (D/N), Chittagong – Daryl Harper and Rod Tucker, Aleem Dar (third), Enamul Hoque-Moni (fourth), Jeff Crowe (referee)

Saturday 12 Mar – India vs South Africa (D/N), Nagpur – Ian Gould and Simon Taufel, Billy Doctrove (third), Kumar Dharmasena (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)

Sunday 13 Mar – New Zealand vs Canada (D), Mumbai – Shahvir Tarapore and Bruce Oxenford, Steve Davis (third), Asoka de Silva (fourth), Roshan Mahanama (referee)

Sunday 13 Mar – Australia vs Kenya (D/N), Bengaluru – Asad Rauf and Richard Kettleborough, Billy Bowden (third), Amish Saheba (fourth), Andy Pycroft (referee)

Monday 14 Mar – Pakistan vs Zimbabwe (D/N), Pallekele – Nigel Llong and Tony Hill, Marais Erasmus (third),  Ranmore Martinesz (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)

Monday 14 Mar – Bangladesh vs Netherlands (D), Chittagong – Aleem Dar and Rod Tucker, Daryl Harper (third), Enamul Hoque-Moni (fourth), Jeff Crowe (referee)

Tuesday 15 Mar – South Africa vs Ireland (D/N), Kolkata – Kumar Dharmasena and Billy Doctrove, Simon Taufel (third), Ian Gould (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)

Wednesday 16 Mar – Australia vs Canada (D/N), Bengaluru – Amish Saheba and Billy Bowden, Richard Kettleborough (third), Asad Rauf (fourth), Andy Pycroft (referee)

Thursday 17 Mar – England vs West Indies (D/N), Chennai – Asoka de Silva and Steve Davis, Shahvir Tarapore (third), Brice Oxenford (fourth), Roshan Mahanama (referee)

Friday 18 Mar – Sri Lanka vs New Zealand (D/N), Mumbai – Richard Kettleborough and Asad Rauf, Amish Saheba (third), Billy Bowden (fourth), Andy Pycroft (referee)

Friday 18 Mar – Ireland vs Netherlands (D), Kolkata – Simon Tuafel and Ian Gould, Kumar Dharmasena (third), Billy Doctrove (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)

Saturday 19 Mar – Australia vs Pakistan (D/N), Colombo – Tony Hill and Marais Erasmus, Nigel Llong (third), Tyron Wijewardena (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)

Saturday 19 Mar – Bangladesh vs South Africa (D), Dhaka – Daryl Harper and Aleem Dar, Rod Tucker (third), Enamul Hoque-Moni (fourth), Jeff Crowe (referee)

Sunday 20 Mar – Zimbabwe vs Kenya (D), Kolkata – Billy Doctrove and Kumar Dharmasena, Ian Gould (third), Simon Taufel (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)

Sunday 20 Mar – India vs West Indies (D/N), Chennai – Steve Davis and Bruce Oxenford, Asoka de Silva (third), Shahvir Tarapore (fourth), Roshan Mahanama (referee)

Team India wants to gift World Cup to Sachin in 2011

INDIAN CRICKET captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the entire Indian team wants to make this world cup memorable for the legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin, who has, so far played five cricket world cups since 1992, is still to add his name in the world cup winning squad.

Indian skipper also told reporters during a promotional event in New Delhi that the World Cup trophy can be the biggest gift from the team to Sachin Tendulkar apart from adding, “We all love him (Tendulkar) a lot. Most probably it is his last World Cup although we all want him to play many more World Cups. But practically speaking it seems impossible. ”

Sachin, who will turn 38 on April 24, played his first ever world cup cricket at the age of 19 years. Sachin Tendulkar has already played 36 world cup matches and scored 1796 runs with average strike rate of 57.93. He has scored four centuries and 13 half centuries in the world cup. During the 2003 World Cup, Sachin scored 673 runs, which is highest by any player in a single Cricket World Cup tournament. He has also won eight man-of-the-match awards in world cup matches which is also a world record.

India, one of the favourite contenders of Cricket World Cup 2011, is placed in group 'B' along with South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Netherlands and Ireland. The inaugural match will be played against India and Bangladesh at Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on February 19.

ICC World Cup 2011: Review Team Pakistan

WELL TO start of with it is actually quite absurd that a sub-continent team playing in sub-continent won't have that much pressure to perform. The reasons are obvious, ravaged by spot fixing scandals and infighting, the Pakistan cricket fraternity is on a recovery mode. And no one really expects them to give that much of a fight. With Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amer suspended, the first choice bowling attack of Pakistan is gone. With the captaincy issue yet to be resolved, the team morale won't be that high. But still a sub-continent team in sub-continent cannot be ignored.
THE SQUAD
Shoaib Akhtar, Muhammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Umer Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Abdul Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Umer Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Ahmed Shehzad.
THE YOUNG BLOOD
Out of the 15 chosen, 8 are those who have never been part of an event of this importance. Clearly the Pakistan selectors did not have an option and leaving out Imran Nazir reaffirms the fact that they wanted to start afresh. If we start taking the replacements for the suspended tainted trio, Ahmed Shehzad is in for Butt and Shehzad is clearly a fire brand if there was any.
He has a distinction of playing at the highest level and then going back to represent Pakistan in the Under 19 World cup. He only has one gear and that is to clear the in-field any how, he is not afraid to take on the fastest of the bowlers and even on bouncy wickets he has played some magnificent  shots on the rise. He won’t get that pace in sub-continent and moreover his 7 match experience might not be enough.
Umar Akmal, a prodigy in the making, probably a complete batsmen Pakistan have produced after the era of Saeed Anwar. Though Younis Khan is probably the best Pakistan has got at the moment. This would be the make or break tournament for Umar. And to utilise his complete ability he must be slotted at No.3 nothing below that.
Wahab Riaz, is the replacement for Mohhammed Asif and to be fair on him he is a decent catch from the bowling factory. He has not exactly filled in the shoes of Asif but his approach ahs been commendable and as with Umar it would be make or break trip that he would be making to India.
THE WORRIES
One the other hand there is Mohammed Hafeez, Pakistan selectors does seem to have a blind faith on this chap. With an average of 22 in 62 ODIs, how the hell he made it to the squad, only reason I can think of is, he is not swashbuckling as Shehzad so they assumed he would be the calmer and wiser partner.
Mohammed Amer could have been the potent weapon for Pakistan instead they had to content themselves with the old potent weapons, Shohib Akhtar. As an old war veteran, it is not his pace or form which has made him survive this long, it’s probably his never say die attitude. And this never “say die attitude” unfortunately looks good on paper or say a blog only.
Being hit for an economy of more than 8 and again coming back to bowl the full quota of overs to end up with run rate of 7 does not fit the bill for never say die attitude. That plainly is poor bowling but Pakistan selectors as I mentioned earlier tend to assume a lot of things.
Kamran Akmal, putting Kamran in the slot is just because of the poor form he is in; he tried his hands as an opener then at number 3 with no effect. In recent times, he has been very successful in the sub-continent primarily against India and his being in form would be of prime importance. He is more like Suresh Raina of Pakistan, unpredictable yet assuring figure.
Inspirational Misbah Ul Haq, is a player of calibre but I doubt his big match playing credentials.
Abdul Razzak is more of confusion; unpredictability has hovered all around his cricketing career. Not as strong a bowler he used to be but he is the variation guy of the team. He can pack a punch and on a given day could be more barbaric than Yusuf Pathan, but its all about him clicking or not. Not exactly a worry but wont put him in chances section as well.
CHANCES
Here chances have to be read as Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi. Gul is the strike bowler, best exponent of death bowling and Shahid Afridi along with Saeed Ajmal, I think is the best spinning duo in the world cup. Classic ODI spinners, with one having the knack of picking up wickets and other choking down the batsmen.
Younis Khan just cannot afford to have a bad day at the office as he would be the spine of Pakistani batting attack.
Semi-final could be the maximum they could reach but again unpredictability is what Pakistan cricket lives with.

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.

सटोरियों ने माना भारत को वर्ल्‍ड कप का विजेता, लगाया सबसे ज्‍यादा दांव

दुबई. 2011 क्रिकेट विश्वकप शुरू होने में तीन हफ्ते से कम का वक्त रह गया है, लेकिन इस प्रतिष्ठित टूर्नामेंट के विजेता को लेकर कयास लगने शुरू हो गए हैं।
टीम इंडिया के कप्तान महेंद्र सिंह धोनी की उनकी टीम को हल्के में न लेने की चेतावनी के बाद टूर्नामेंट के सह आयोजक भारत को सट्टेबाज भी संभावित विजेता मान रहे हैं। यही वजह है कि सट्टेबाज सबसे ज़्यादा सट्टा भारत पर लगा रहे हैं। सट्टेबाजी के बाजार में भारत का भाव 7/2 चल रहा है। गौरतलब है कि 19 फरवरी से शुरू हो रहे आईसीसी क्रिकेट विश्वकप में भारत के अलावा बांग्लादेश और श्रीलंका आयोजक हैं।

ज़्यादातर इंग्लिश सट्टेबाज टूर्नामेंट जीतने के लिए भारतीय टीम को फेवरेट टीम मान रहे हैं। श्रीलंका पर सट्टेबाजों ने  5/1 और  36 साल से विश्व कप जीतने का सपना देख रहे इंग्लैंड पर भी 5/1 का भाव लगाया है। सट्टाबाजार में दो अन्य टीमों जिनपर सबसे ज़्यादा दांव लगाया जा रहा है, वे हैं ऑस्ट्रेलिया और दक्षिण अफ्रीका।

ऑस्ट्रेलिया 2007, 2003, 1999  और 1987 में यह खिताब जीत चुका है। वहीं, भारत ने १९८३, श्रीलंका ने १९९६ और पाकिस्तान ने १९९२ में विश्व कप जीता है। हाल ही में ऑस्ट्रेलिया पर एशेज और टी २० मैच में जीत के चलते इंग्लैंड के भाव आसमान छू रहे हैं।

TV makers all set to cash-in on World Cup Sony gets Dhoni

Television makers and satellite TV service providers have started the battle for the Cricket World Cup sales bonanza through price cuts, bundled offers, zero-interest finance and big-ticket campaigns.

Panasonic has cut the prices of its flat television models, while LG, Samsung and Akai kept television out of overall price increases to offset rising input costs.

Sony on Tuesday also roped in Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador and kicked off a 100-crore multimedia campaign to promote its Bravia HD TV brand and said it targeted to sell 2.5 lakh television units during the mega event.

TV makers have also tied up with direct-to-home satellite TV providers such as Dish TV, Tata Sky and Airtel Digital TV and financiers for bundled discount offers and special finance schemes. DTH providers are also offering special sports packages to cash in on cricket fever, besides tying up with TV brands.

"World Cup Cricket season is as good as Diwali season," says Saurabh Dhoot, director at Videocon Industries , which is present in both television and DTH markets.

TV makers expect up to 50% jump in their monthly sales during the February-May period. While the World Cup takes place between February 19 and April 2, IPL-4 kicks off on April 8.

Japanese company Panasonic has reduced the prices of all its LCD television models by 3%, or 800-1,000. A 32-inch Panasonic LCD TV is now available at nearly 24,000.

"World Cup is the time when cricket fans are glued to their television sets almost throughout the day. We want to reach out to a large number of people this time," Panasonic India's marketing director Manish Sharma said. Television prices will be revised upwards only in April, he said. Panasonic, however, is contemplating a price increase in its other products due to increasing prices of raw materials such as copper and steel.

Something market leader LG India has already done. The South Korean consumer durable maker has increased prices of all products categories except televisions by 5%.

"Picture tube, a key cost component in a TV set, hasn't witnessed a sharp price rise. So, television prices have been kept stable," LG India's chief operating officer YV Verma said.

Of course, it has the World Cup demand in mind. LG expects 35% year-on-year growth in TV sales during the World Cup-IPL season.

Samsung and Akai, too, will hold on to TV prices for now. Samsung is also offering zero-interest finance schemes to boost TV sales this season.

LCD TV sales doubled in 2010 to nearly 3 million units from 1.5 million in 2009, thanks to sporting actions such as IPL-3, Football World Cup and Commonwealth Games. Television makers expect the market to touch 5-million mark this year.

Sony aims to corner a 40% share in the flat panel TV market during the World Cup by selling 2.5 lakh units during the mega event, Sony India MD Masaru Tamagawa said.

"Cricket is the biggest sport in India. Dhoni and Sony are a perfect match," he told reporters in Mumbai. An industry official said Sony has also cut its TV prices, but this could not be confirmed from company officials.

Sony has also joined hands with Airtel to offer free DTH connection on purchase of its Bravia HD sets till April 15. Dish TV has a similar tie-up with Samsung.

DTH service providers expect the Indian market to grow to 35 million by the end of the cricket season. With ESPN Star Sports telecasting the World Cup in Hi-Definition, players are betting big on HD box sales too. Videocon D2H has launched its high-definition Digital Video Recorder, which allows users to record live programme to watch it later.

ICC World Cup 2011

Cricket Schedule of ICC World Cup 2011. Fixtures of ICC World Cup 2011 has been announced. The first schedule match of ICC World Cup 2011 between India vs Bangladesh begins Feb 19, 2011 onwards. Keep viewing CriSchedule for latest updates on Cricket Schedule and Fixtures of upcoming ICC World Cup 2011.

Good times are here for India. The country will get to host the tenth world cup of its most loved sport in 2011 along with co-hosts Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It will be the first time co-hosting for Bangladesh in a cricket world cup. Fourteen national teams are scheduled to compete for the coveted cup between February and early April 2011. According to the announced fixtures of ICC World Cup 2011, the first match will be played among co-hosts India and Sri Lanka at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

The formerly announced time-table of 2011 world cup also included Pakistan as a co-hosting nation but the 2009 attack on Sri Lankan cricket team at Lahore which left seven players injured, forced the world cup governing body (ICC) to strip off Pakistan of its co-hosting rights on Apr 17, 2009. India will now host 29 of the total 49 planned matches including the all important grand final at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai and one semi-final as well. Sri Lanka will host 12 matches while the first time nation Bangladesh has been given the opportunity to host the tournament opener along with eight other matches. Since India has been allotted the highest number of matches, the ICC has moved its headquarters to Mumbai to ensure smooth and timely preparations for the event. Mr. Ratnakar Shetty has been appointed as the managing director of the event, while the security directorate will be headed by Mr. Shashank Manohar of BCCI.

The allocation of world cup venues is always a much sought after event with major cricketing nations bidding for hosting rights. To avoid favoritism, the ICC prefers to rotate venues between major cricket playing nations. In the bidding for the 2011 event, Australia/New Zealand had an upper hand over the trio of India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as they had not had a chance to host the World cup since 1992. But Indias argument that the trio being a bigger group of countries helped clinch the final deal. The 2015 cricket world cup will be held in Australia/New Zealand.

Cricket world cup organized every four years is the fourth largest and one of the most eagerly awaited and viewed event of the cricket world. It is widely considered to be the pinnacle of achievement in this sport. The excitement among fans is already palpable as the first phase of tickets was put for sale in Mumbai on 1 June 2010. Priced affordably at around 20 US cents, the organizing committee is expecting to reap in bumper sales and not diminish the euphoria of fans. The new revised format of the world cup wherein 14 teams instead of 16 will be participating also ensures that fans get to see their favorite teams play a minimum of six matches even if they are ruled out of the tournament due to early defeats.

Cricket fan or not- there is no way you can escape the all-engulfing madness. From cricket merchandise at stores to travel packages to host nations and restaurants and cafes serving cricket-themed food, the fever is all over. Personal relationships too are not unaffected by the craze. While the love for cricket unites some, it also spells doom for many relationships. There is simply no running away, so prepare to drown yourself in the drone of cricket slogans in the year to come!