Team India's coach is appointed!!!

Former England coach Duncan Fletcher has been approved as the Indian Cricket Coach by the BCCI on Wednesday.

Duncan Fletcher to take over as India Coach from West Indies Tour.

This comes after World Cup winning coach Gary Kirsten's quit the post.

Team India's next coach!!!

So Gary Kirsten is back in Cape Town, doubtless feeling like a bride at a swayamwar, fending off suitors of varying pedigree and looking for the right one. Kirsten was very good, but he was brave too. He knew what he wanted and was willing to sacrifice opportunity for it. Not all of us have priorities that are as clear; not all of us are selfless enough. Maybe that is why he made a good coach. India must wish him well and look for another.

But the position of India's cricket coach is not an easy one to fill, because we are a landscape of the most diverse cultures, existing within one country. We can bewilder easily, we are too heterogeneous to understand. We pass legislation in favour of the gay community, and among us also reside people who murder their aunt because they suspect her of being in a same-sex relationship. We accept hunger but give in to hunger strikes. Our young players come from poor families and grow exceedingly rich in very little time. Understanding India isn't easy, and yet that must be a primary requirement for the coach of the Indian cricket team.

Whoever it is that is finally appointed must be willing to embrace our culture; not loan himself to it but marry into it. For if he is unwilling to do that he will not understand the young men who play the game, the administrators who run it, the media that covers it incessantly, and the people of India who smile and cry, who deep within live and die with the sport.

It is not about whether it is right or wrong - a coach cannot be judgemental about a culture - but about how it is. You can have a fine candidate but if he is reticent about accepting another culture, he is the wrong candidate. India can baffle and frustrate but can love without limits. A South African was carried around the ground, to his visible embarrassment, by his young Indian wards as a sign of respect after the World Cup was won. Money and contracts don't buy that. Being coach of the Indian cricket team is not a job; it is a relationship with some emoluments thrown in. It is not like coming to run the Indian operation of a multinational corporation.

India needs to look for a man with an extraordinary work ethic, for that is not, inherently, a strength of Indian cricket. He must be willing to stay in the background, and that will be a challenge because our media can be extremely intrusive. He must be a giver. It cannot be his way and no other, because with him will be cricketers who have their way, a way that has been successful. And he must be low-key because, before he realises it, he can be caught in a political whirl otherwise. India needs to pick a man who does not seek to head down that path. 

He has to be someone who has done it himself on a cricket ground, because India, like no other nation, is unwilling to listen to someone who doesn't have a track record. Kirsten could have done everything else right but he would not have been accepted if he hadn't been a top Test player. India can never have a John Buchanan or a Mickey Arthur as coach. 

But for some reason India cannot have an Indian coach, and so we must live with the fact that a new man will turn up every few years, who will take time to understand the country, its people and its cricket. It is something Indian cricket, once it stops being obsessed with finances and power, needs to look at. India, or for that matter Asian nations, seem to be pretty good at producing cricketers but not coaches. Indeed, of the 10 IPL franchises, nine have overseas coaches. There must be a reason.

The generation that must coach today didn't earn as much as those they coach. This is critical to understand, for it means they probably need the jobs, and could be pliable, could be politically influenced. Many seek to forward their cases through friends in the media and will not be able to terminate those relationships, or keep them at arm's length. If what happens in a selection committee meeting, for example, is routinely transmitted, surely what happens in a team meeting can be too. Can players, then, share their deepest anxieties and fears with the coach? While I would love to know what Yuvraj Singh went through, or what Sreesanth does, I find it reassuring in a way that I don't. I believe, though, that the players exiting the game now will be more at peace with themselves, can become coaches in time to come. Surely a Kumble can, a Laxman can.

Hopefully Indian cricket will find a good man. But it is nice to know that the right man for a bigger job, the captain of the national team, already exists.

Sachin says no to acting!!!

Sachin Tendulkar is a movie buff. "Movies and music are the two things that help me relax," he admits. Sachin's love for movies started when he was really young. He recalls watching Dev Anand's Guide with his family way back in the 70s. "Sholay is one film I have repeatedly watched," he says.

Intrigued by Gabbar Singh, Sachin has often tried the 'Arre o Sambha, kitne aadmi thay' line on friends and colleagues. "Virendra Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are two teammates who are movie aficionados. I love watching films with my son Arjun, but the real movie buff is my wife Anjali."

The left-handed batsman says that he is more partial to light-hearted films because "then you don't have to watch the entire film; you can just start and leave it from wherever you desire. I don't usually spend two to three hours on a movie. I just watch a little before I take my power nap."

Squashing rumours of his acting in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Ferrari Ki Sawari, Sachin says, "Vinod and I met. We spoke about the movie but I am not acting in it. I have had several movies offered to me, but I have not considered any."

When asked to analyse his own acting talents, especially since he has done so many commercials, the cricketer reveals, "Well, I'm not perfect. There are retakes involved." He says that if his son were to ever tell him that he wished to be in films, he wouldn't be averse to the idea. "Whether it is sports or films, passion is what should drive you," he smiles.

Sachin loves a visit to the multiplex occasionally but he admits that "sometimes it is hard to go unnoticed, so I prefer visiting theatres overseas." His new home in Bandra will have a 20-seater home theatre being designed with the help of his friend Ameya Hete. "I think it will be really cool to sit back and watch a first day, first show. In the past, thanks to friends like Aamir Khan, I have watched movies even before they came to the theatre. Now I guess it is time to sit back, relax and watch movies in my own home."

Its sachin who invented helicopter shot!!!! Dhoni popularised the shot!!!

Saurav Ganguly again not picked in IPL 4!!!

 

Frozen out at the players' auction, stymied by objections raised by three franchises, Sourav Ganguly is set to be third-time unlucky in his bid to play in the Indian Premier League's fourth edition.

They had ample chances to pick him up at the auction, but Kochi Tuskers management stood firm with other franchises and refused to touch him with a barge pole. With VVS Laxman, the only Indian batsman of repute in their side, the Kochi management soon realised their folly and were back knocking on BCCI's door, requesting permission to sign up the former captain, who was the only Indian player to remain unsold at the two-day auction in Bangalore on Jan 8 and 9.

However, with three franchises objecting to Kochi's move, the Prince of Kolkata could not become the King of Kochi. The new franchises were left rueing their missed chance at the auction, and Sourav, desperate for an opportunity, was left hoping to step in if any top player pulled up injured.

As luck would have it, Kochi's Australian all-rounder Steven Smith, who played in the ODIs against Bangladesh, has now pulled out of IPL to undergo surgery on his injured ankle and the new franchise is keen to sign up the former KKR icon, but the tournament rules bar them from doing so.

As per IPL rules, a team can replace an injured player if he is out for an entire season, but can only opt for someone with the same base price or lower. As Kochi bought Smith at his base price of $200,000, they are obliged to pick any player from the auction pool with the same base price or lower even though they have plenty of money left in their kitty to afford Sourav's $400,000 price tag.

Complete sledging in 2011 cricket world cup!!!

What world cup means to one man!!! 1983-2011

From boy to god,Sachin's evolution-Rare pictures of sachin!!!

If a Tendulkar ton can help MS Dhoni hold aloft the World Cup, the journey from a ball boy to a World Champion will have been a fruitful and emotional one. Now to the million dollar question: Who writes Tendulkar's scripts? Want a clue? Here it is: He opens in ODIs and bats at No. 4 in Tests.

We wont let sachin to go without the WC!!!

Shoaib Akhtar announced his departure, and didn’t find a farewell game to bow out with. Ricky Ponting, Graeme Smith and Daniel Vettori gave up some part of their captaincy at least. Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas eye an encore of their 1996 triumph as their last hurrah. In so many ways this World Cup not only marks the end of great careers, but also the end of our romance with the game.
Some of those names evoke sheer greatness. No other word can replace it. Some are World Cup champions, others on the throes of being called mavericks, another who has single-handedly carried the hopes of a nation that is almost destined to never win a big trophy. Yet, Daniel Vettori too has an ICC Champions Trophy to show for. Kevin Pietersen is too new to even think of when it comes to reminiscences of an innocent past, where over hours of summer vacation mornings were spent trying to emulate bowling actions and cricketing shots.
When India play Sri Lanka in the final on Saturday, it may well not be the end of Sachin Tendulkar either, the one with whom the people of my generation have grown up with. Going by the way he is playing, it may be a long time coming. And yet, I wanted to pen a tribute. Because the one trophy that every other of that last remaining childhood heroes boasts of, has eluded Tendulkar. And how we pray he has it against his name when he has hung up his pads.
The rise of Indian cricket over the past decade has meant it was more or less certain for us to be in this position. But not back in 2003. Only three years since the horrors of match-fixing had shattered our most loved sport, a young Indian team rose up to challenge, and defeated, everyone along the way to make the final. We were hammered in Johannesburg. And yet, the team received a heroes’ reception when they touched down. We knew we had achieved more than we should have.
But this time it feels different. Some might beg for this trophy from Sri Lanka even, because Muralitharan and Vaas have won World Cups, but not their fierce adversary that is Tendulkar. But we don’t need to. Tendulkar’s teammates have firmly displayed it on the field. They will not let him go without a World Cup medal.
Test cricket is not mentioned here because it’s not at the forefront for now. The Indian Test team has anyway achieved far more than the one-day variety. It’s future is safe in the hands of the Dravids and Laxmans, along with Sachin. But right from the World Cup of 1992, Tendulkar has enchanted us into believing more than we should have back then.
No wonder people here call him God. He has forced them to believe that way. And yet he is all too human. All too human to have witnessed a semifinal exit in Kolkata, humiliation in Durban and Barbados, left dumbstruck in Chennai, silence in Kolkata (1999), humiliation in Australia. Those were the days when people shut their TV sets when he was dismissed. But the new decade changed it all.
From being a one-man show, we became the team we should have been. A player like Tendulkar deserved to be in a team like Australia, a team that won everything. And yet he finds himself at the twilight of his career without that trophy in a glittering cabinet.
But does that alone mean India will win the final come Saturday? For so much more. Even though there is no hint that Tendulkar will quit ODI cricket following the game, it sure will be the perfect sendoff. Elusive World Cup victory, on his home ground, against one of his greatest contemporaries. And for once records will not matter to us. Whether a century of centuries comes or not, Tendulkar will not care. I was seven during the 1992 World Cup. So were many of us. We have waited too long for this.

Thank god Sachin's 100th ton couldn't have come this way

It was an uncharacteristic Sachin Tendulkar versus a characteristic Pakistan in the semifinal. Even as the occasion got to some of the players, Tendulkar shaped India's total but the century of centuries, the 100th, could not have come in this error-prone way.

For a while out in the middle on Wednesday, though, it seemed Tendulkar was pre-ordained to achieve the feat here. He did everything wrong and kept surviving, and Pakistan's fielders did everything they could to aid his survival. Much of the pre-game build-up had seen Afridi posturing aggressively about his team's desire not to let the milestone happen here. The Pakistan skipper would have had his heart in his mouth for much of India's innings as his fielders scripted a comedy of errors around him.

The drama didn't begin with a dropped catch, though. The 11th over saw Saeed Ajmal breach Tendulkar's defences and Ian Gould promptly raising the finger. Out LBW. Not. Tendulkar, for long a vocal critic of the Umpire Decision Review System, finally saw the advantages as replays showed the ball missing leg. The very next ball, he narrowly survived being stumped too. Three overs later, on 27, Misbah-ul Haq dropped a sitter at midwicket as bowler Afridi looked on in astonishment. On 45, again off Afridi, Younis Khan made a hash of a relatively simple chance. This time, the skipper yelled and flung his arms in frustration.

A relatively quiet period where Tendulkar proceeded to build his innings was broken again on 70, when that doyen of botched chances, wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal failed to move to his right in time. It was a difficult one but the bowler, again, was Afridi, who by now had his head in his hands! Eleven runs later, Kamran's brother Umar dropped another catchable one at mid-wicket, this time off Mohammad Hafeez.

It seemed there was nothing more Sachin could do wrong. But with the ton only 15 runs away, Afridi himself dived and latched on to a drive to end the dream. The cat's nine lives had run out. Afridi had rediscovered his grin.

Sachin: Close Shave

Over 10.4
Saeed Ajmal raps Tendulkar on the pad and umpire Ian Gould raises the finger. Tendulkar goes for the review, replays show ball will miss leg stump.
Tendulkar on 23; India 75/1

Over 10.5
Ajmal goes past Tendulkar’s bat with a doosra who lunges forward as Akmal appeals for a stumping. Tendulkar just gets his leg back in time.
Tendulkar on 23; India 75/1

Over 13.1
Tendulkar pulls Shahid Afridi towards short mid-wicket where Misbah ul-Haq drops a sharp low chance.
Tendulkar on 27; India 84/1

Over 19.3
Tendulkar chips Afridi to Younis Khan at covers who drops a sitter at comfortable height near his shoulder. Ball was parried up but Younis failed to latch on off the second attempt as well.
Tendulkar on 45; India 116/2

Over 29.3
Afridi’s leg-spinner catches Tendulkar’s edge off a defensive push but Kamran Akmal fails to hold on to the ball.
Tendulkar 70; India 163/4

Over 34.6
Tendulkar goes for a whip-pull shot off Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal at short mid-wicket jumps and gets two hands to the ball but it pops out.
Tendulkar on 81; India 183/4

Special stage set for Sachin,Finals,mumbai,India!!! Wow

India's Sachin Tendulkar led a charmed life to hit a crucial 85 in Wednesday's semifinal win against Pakistan before targetting his first World Cup title in front of his home fans in Mumbai.

Tendulkar was dropped four times in his man of the match innings to anchor India to 260/9 against their arch-rivals before his team's bowlers applied the pressure and the brakes to secure a 29-run win.

"The final in Mumbai will be a fantastic occasion. We will focus on the job in hand and try to get the job done," said Tendulkar of Saturday's title match against Sri Lanka.

Tendulkar again missed out on making 100 international centuries but had the satisfaction of having played in all five of India's World Cup wins over Pakistan.

Now he hopes to be at the forefront of Saturday's campaign where India will look to capture a second World Cup title, 28 years after their first and only triumph.

"It's always memorable to play against Pakistan and to be on the winning side five times against them is a memory I will always cherish.

"But it was a brilliant effort in the field and by the bowlers today. When we batted we had to make sure we got a fighting total. I thought 310 or 315 would have been a good par score.

"Then the ball started stopping and spinning and something closer to 270 was par."

A grand salute to the 2000 police officers outside stadium with out water and food

The near-2000 strong police force deployed for the forthcoming cricket World Cup 2011 semifinal has been left to fend for itself for food and water as no provisions have been made to provide food and drink for the hapless cops.

Most of the deployed police personnel have been sourced from various police ranges across the state with some being requisitioned from places as far as Patiala, Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Barnala, Bathinda, Ferozepur and Faridkot districts.

The cops have been present in Mohali since last Friday and have been deployed outside at the stadium to look after the law and order situation there.

However, instead of being vigilant outside the stadium complex, a large number of cops were spotted cooped up inside police vehicles trying to sleep on an empty stomach.

A constable with Punjab police from Bathinda, on the condition of anonymity said, ''We were ordered to come to Mohali on Thursday night and although authorities have made arrangements for our stay and a meal, which usually is dinner, throughout the day we are left to fend for ourselves. The outstation police force is not as lucky as the ones living near to Mohali, who can bring lunch boxes, as we have to spend from our own pockets. We are not even allowed to go inside the stadium to get a glass of water and have to purchase water bottles.

Mohali superintendent of police Harpreet Singh said, ''We are providing a daily allowance and we cannot be made responsible for arranging meals for about 2000 personnel.''

Sachin in Maniratnam's movie!!!

A R Rahman is the Sachin Tendulkar of music and Sachin is the Rahman of cricket. And ace director Mani Ratnam has brought these two legends together, for a short film.

The film shot for Shakthi Foundation, which works for the rights of the differently abled, has Sachin in front of the camera, with Mani Ratnam wielding the megaphone.

The Oscar-Grammy winner has taken care of the background score and he has provided soul-stirring music, we learn. "The short film is a shot in the arm for the physically challenged who successfully cross all hurdles in front of them," sources say.

India Vs Pakistan World cup 2011 Semi Finals!!! What,who & why analysis

Difference between Indian Team Vs Pakistan Team!!!

Excitement and pressure will go hand in hand when Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Indians clash with Shahid Afridi's Pakistanis in Wednesday's high-voltage World Cup semifinal in Mohali.

Though Indian team is looking strong in paper, are they still considered to be strong???

Answer is Yes!!! 

INDIAN SIDE:

1. Most destructive Opening combo:

The best opening combo in any form of cricket  is Sachin Tendulkar & Virendra Sehwag. We should admit the fact he is the most destructive batsman of this era rated ahead of Adam Gilchrist. Sachin what to say about this little master!!! He is the best in Indian cricket or even in the world cricket has produced. If you look at the Indian cricket in 2005-2008,moment Sehwag gets out, Sachin tries to play safe & secured. Thereby our run rate dips for a while, It gradually improves later. But in recent times, If Sehwag gets out, Sachin tries to play more aggressively & keeps the score board ticking, thereby maintaining the pressure back on the bowlers. This is a very good sign for the Opening stand.

2.Evolution of Yuvraj & co:

Indian team have variety in the form of Gautam Gambhir & Virat kohli who can play sensibly according to the situation. Then followed by Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni & Suresh Raina. They literally replaced great players like Saurav Ganguly,Rahul Dravid,Ajay Jadeja,Mohammed Azharuddin. In this world cup 2011,there are various match winning performances from Gambhir, Kohli & Yuvraj.

3. Zaheer's Brilliance & Ashwin's Smart act:

Even though Indian team are one short of a fast bowler, they try to fill the gaps with Part timers like Yuvraj, Sachin & Raina. Zaheer Khan evolved as the head for Indian Bowling attack followed by Harbhajan Singh. Though Munaf patel's position is debatable, he really helps Indian team with his Economy bowling rate & his tempting line & length deliveries. We can say that the latest sensation to this Indian bowling attack is Ashwin, all the batsman were finding in very difficult to play his arm ball & when to expect that arm ball is a biggest question mark in batsman's head.

4.Sachin's Motivating Factor:

Most important thing in this world cup is how India handled pressure. India haven't lost a match so easily till now & the other way around they haven't won the match convincingly. Indian players are well aware of the pressure situation unlike Pakistan team. That's a good sign for INDIA!!!

Most importantly Sachin as the motivating factor for the Indian Players, Raina expressed his pleasure in sharing the dressing room with Sachin & he got to know his responsibility of playing cricket in pressure situation because of a short conversation with Sachin, All this happened in India Vs Australia match just before Raina came to bat.

Yuvraj Singh who's major contribution leads India to Semi's has something to say about Sachin. Just before the world cup, The selectors had made Yuvraj feel so unwanted... Plus, there was the fitness issue... Injury, illness... Yuvraj seemed to get everything... He spoke to a few people, most notably Sachin, who advised him not to give in so easily. Sachin Tendulkar, one understands, convinced Yuvraj Singh not to quit when the dashing left-hander had been low on confidence earlier this season.

PAKISTAN SIDE:

Shahid Afridi factor:

The skipper has been the driving force behind his team's brilliant show in this World Cup. Unleashing his tricky bag of leg-spinners, Afridi has taken 21 wickets in seven games at just 10.71 to be the highest wicket-taker of the tournament so far. On sub-continent wickets, Afridi becomes tremendously dangerous with his variations, which batsmen fall prey too. The 31-year-old hasn't been that successful with the bat as he has been with the ball. The once-explosive batsman has managed just 65 runs in seven games. He has destroyed India before. In a big game, he may just do it again. Captain Afridi has been of immense value too, and in a crunch match, he could inspire his boys as well.

Akmal Brothers:

Kamran and Umar Akmal are the twin "necessary evils" of Pakistan cricket. Kamran can drop catches, and Umar can "feign injury" to save his brother's job, but there is no denying the fact that the Akmal siblings are match-winners in their own right. Kamran has solved the opening problem well, bringing an attacking edge to Pakistan's start. Umar is one of the most supremely talented batsmen in world cricket, and his unbeaten 44-run knock against Australia showed that in a pressure situation, he can steer Pakistan to victory.

Younis Khan:

This middle-order bat has always done well in India, against India and in big games. At No. 4, he can take control of an innings beautifully and bring all his experience into play. His 267 against India at Bangalore in the final Test in 2005 won the match and the series for Pakistan. In 2007, he scored 117 as Pakistan chased 322 to beat India by four wickets at Mohali. The 33-year-old who led the team to a World Cup win - the T20 crown in 2009, will be keen for an encore.

Spin Threat:

Besides the flippers, googlies and the zooters of Afridi, India, who play spin well, will have to watch out for Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal too. Both the offspinners can be dangerous. While Hafeez can be equally effective in his other role as an opener, Ajmal, with his doosras in tow, could be equally dangerous.

Umar Gul:

Has been amongst the best seamers of the event so far. Bowling brilliantly with both the old and the new ball, he has been almost unplayable. In fact, he has become more lethal since he started opening the attack. Gul has taken 14 wickets @14.50 so far, and on the Mohali track, should be able to add more to his tally. With Pakistan losing both Mohd Asif and Mohd Aamer before the tournament and Shoaib Akhtar losing his form and place in the side, Gul's super show has been a boon for Pakistan and it's pace department.