Thursday, October 5, 2023
Mohammad Nabi
Mark Chapman
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
England vs ireland
England's opening one-day international against Ireland was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Wednesday, denying World Cup warm-up.
With the rest of England's first-choice squad rested ahead of next week's departure for India, Root requested to be included for the first of a three-match series after a lean return with the bat in four matches against New Zealand.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Dhoni's comments brings UPA under pressure; PM intervenes
MS Dhoni will now get the services of a very senior minister in the Manmohan Singh cabinet to help him avoid the kind of negative publicity he unwisely generated after blaming the fleeting rains for India’s defeat against Australia in the ongoing T20 World Cup © Getty Images By Amrut Thobbi
Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is reportedly very upset with Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Not because of the drubbing his team received at the hands of Australia, but because of the Indian captain’s poor public relations skills which got him flak from all corners.
A source from the Prime Minister’s office revealed on conditions of anonymity that the normally cool Dr Singh was terribly upset when he heard about Dhoni’s excuses during a cabinet meeting. “What kind of excuse is that!? How can you blame it on rains? Even we in the UPA don’t come up with such crappy excuses when confronted by the opposition or the media!”
Dr. Singh is apparently worried that the entire focus of the media will now be back on the fate of the UPA.
“It was smooth sailing for us in the last few days, with no media scrutiny on our policies such as the FDI or hike in diesel prices as the attention of the entire nation was on the ongoing T20 World Cup. I could also manage to get time to go for a stroll in the park,” said Dr. Singh. “But this loss has now brought back the media attention on us, and with it comes loads of headache.”
The Indian Prime Minister, who has a wealth of experience in tackling media, has now stepped forward and offered to coach Dhoni to say the right things at the right place and thus avoid an avalanche of negative publicity.
Dr. Singh feels Dhoni should either seldom speak to the media - the way he does - or ask someone in the team who can make insane comments to the media.
The PM apparently said: “Dhoni could have come up with something that is outrageously hilarious, the way Kapil Sibal did when he suggested about the zero loss in the 2G scam - this when the whole world was screaming hoarse about corruption in the 2G scam. That way, people stop taking you seriously, will be humoured by the moronic comments and soon forget the issue itself!”
According to latest reports, the PM may not be extricate himself from political work but has told Rajeev Shukla that he is rushing Kapil Sibal to Sri Lanka to offer Dhoni some quick-fix solutions in the art of dealing with the media.
Now we are not sure if the remedy is worse than the illness!
(Amrut Thobbi, an engineering graduate now pursuing Masters in journalism, is an ardent cricket fan who likes to write spoofs, like the one above. His passion for writing inspired him to give up a sales and marketing job, which he does not regret. By writing on cricket, he wants to relive his dream of becoming a cricketer. He has also worked as a freelance writer in education and technology sectors)
NB: The above article is pure fiction.
Points Table
ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2012: Match time table with group details
Video: Watch the preview to the India-Pakistan clash at the ICC World T20 2012.
Video: See what fans have to say about the upcoming India-Pakistan clash
Clash of the Titans: Record favours India, form favours Pakistan
By Nishad Pai Vaidya
It is a high-voltage encounter – one whose intensity and fervour transcends the boundaries of the cricket field. The rivalry between India and Pakistan has its deep roots in history, and things reach a fever pitch when the two sides face each other. If the pressure of playing each other in a simple game is immense, it just magnifies in a World Cup. It is a game both sides desperately want to win, irrespective of their standing in the tournament as it is a matter of prestige. The ICC World T20 2012 is poised to host the two arch-rivals and witness an encounter that is potentially breathtaking - one which would bring the two countries to a standstill.
India’s record against Pakistan in World Cups – both the 50-over and the World T20 - is fantastic; they have never lost a game! Prior to the ICC World T20 2009, the two sides played each other in a warm-up game – which was also won by India. However, Pakistan got one back before the start of the current edition – albeit in a similar practice affair. Players from both sides would vouch for the fact that no contest between the two sides is any less significant. Thus, India’s defeat in that game may be a bit of a psychological dent ahead of the crucial Super-Eights match.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni number of questions before him as his team has been erratic in the tournament so far. The win against England raised the expectations of the fans and some stated that India had the goods to go all the way. However, it was almost as if they had ignored the fact that the English batsmen were inept at playing spin – something that was the biggest factor in India’s comprehensive victory. The crushing defeat to Australia took India to the opposite end of the spectrum as the same bowlers were carted around the park with ease.
It is imperative that Dhoni gets the balance of his side right as there were a number of loopholes in the last game. Irfan Pathan shouldn’t open the batting, irrespective whether Virender Sehwag is brought back or not. However, the return of Sehwag may help as he has done well against Pakistan on many occasions in the past. In such high-pressure games, his uncomplicated thinking allows him to absorb the pressure at the top and take India off to flyers. A quick-fire 20-odd off his bat may be enough to lift the spirits and set the ball rolling.
The five-bowler strategy was labelled as the ultimate saviour and something that would change India’s fortunes. It did work wonders against England, but went awry in the game against Australia. Perhaps, Dhoni erred by over-emphasising on spin. Playing three specialist spinners was always going to be a gamble and he must avoid it this time. The Pakistan batsmen are fantastic players of spin and wouldn’t have too many problems playing them. India had used five-specialist bowlers in the warm-up against Pakistan and it clearly didn’t work. Thus, they must clearly chalk out the options they want to use.
Pakistan have been a fantastic side in T20 internationals and the pressure is clearly on India given the complete picture. However, the whole notion of playing Pakistan may boost India’s morale and pep them up for the contest. It may be a required push to lift their performances and beat their neighbours. At the Asia Cup earlier this year, India comfortably chased a huge total against Pakistan at the back of Virat Kohli’s stupendous century. That win had come in the aftermath of the shocking defeat to Bangladesh. It would be a mistake to write India off, but Pakistan clearly have the advantage on many fronts.
Is the Pakistan warm-up victory a ripple that changes the tide or would India rise to the occasion and manage to defend their unbeaten record?
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and an analyst for the site’s YouTube Channel. He shot to fame by spotting a wrong replay during IPL4 which resulted in Sachin Tendulkar's dismissal. His insights on the game have come in for high praise from cerebral former cricketers. He can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nishad_44)
Video: See what fans have to say about the upcoming India-Pakistan clash
Points Table
ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2012: Match time table with group details
Yuvraj, Ashwin & Kohli - Heroes of India's morale-boosting victory over Pakistan
Yuvraj Singh (above) looked like a man possessed. The typical celebrations on picking a wicket were back, and more importantly he was brilliant in the field. The direct hit to run-out Yasir Arafat was a major statement made by him © Getty Images By Nishad Pai Vaidya
It was a day where two rivalries ensued at the ICC World T20 2012. While one is a traditional one with its deep roots in history, the other has more to do with the recent past and their respective unique brands of cricket. The India-Pakistan and Australia-South Africa contests were touted as epics, but they turned out to be one-sided affairs, devoid of the usual excitement. The victors – India and Australia – registered comprehensive eight wicket victories and completely dominated their rivals.
Let us focus on the India-Pakistan game - the more intense rivalry off the two on show on Sunday. Going into the game, Pakistan had a clear advantage, given the fact that they had a better track record in T20 internationals. On form in this tournament, they had the upper hand as India had been very erratic. However, a different Indian team turned up and looked up for the contest. The whole buzz around the game may have lifted their spirits and prompted them to perform better.
As one of the commentators pointed out, the balance of power has shifted more towards India in recent years because they have absorbed the pressure well. Pakistan, on the other hand, have looked too eager in such clashes as they have tried too hard to make things go their way. A common feature in recent contests between the two sides would be a below-par Pakistani performance in the field. The fielders seem adamant on shying at the stumps even when it isn’t required. Then there are overthrows, a few misfields and not to forget a spilled chance or two.
India would be very happy with their performance and this win would give them tremendous confidence. However, Mahendra Singh Dhoni would know that the job isn’t done and they need to maintain consistency – something that has been missing during this campaign. As mentioned earlier, they have been too erratic as a poor performance has been followed up with a brilliant one and vice versa.
Let us track India’s progress since the warm-ups, where they beat Sri Lanka comfortably and then slipped to a defeat against Pakistan. In the group stages, they just about got past Afghanistan and then mauled England to secure a victory. Australia bludgeoned India into submission and then came along this comprehensive victory over the arch-rivals. It is evident that there has been no middle path, with the peaks and troughs alternating.
Keeping this into perspective, the five bowler debate has no real relevance as the team itself isn’t striking consistency. Even with five-bowlers India were nowhere near competing with Australia and the same strategy didn’t work against Pakistan in the warm-up. It is imperative that the bowlers maintain discipline and show good application in the middle. Lakshmipathy Balaji and Zaheer Khan were good, although they were hit around a little. Irfan Pathan was a touch expensive, but picked up the crucial first wicket.
The performance of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh should be lauded as they were the ones who strangled Pakistan. In the seven overs they bowled between them, they conceded only 32 runs and scalped four wickets. Yuvraj, in particular, looked like a man possessed. Since his comeback he has looked a little weak and not at his best in terms of fitness, but during this game he looked charged up. The typical celebrations on picking a wicket were back, and more importantly he was brilliant in the field. The direct hit to run-out Yasir Arafat was a major statement made by him.
Irrespective of the format, Virat Kohli continues to be in brilliant form. He comes in, soaks all the pressure and places India in a very comfortable situation. At the age of 23, he has become India’s mainstay and a lot of their hopes depend on him. As the year has progressed, one can sense an assured touch to his batting and most of the deliveries look innocuous when he faces them. His feet are moving well and the bat is meating the ball.
India now has to beat South Africa to have a good chance of qualifying through to the semi-finals. There are a number of permutations and combinations involved and the picture would only become clearer once the games are done. This teamwork and discipline has to be carried forward to that game and the erratic tendencies have to be nipped.
For now, India can rejoice that its unbeaten record against Pakistan in World Cups is intact.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and an analyst for the site’s YouTube Channel. He shot to fame by spotting a wrong replay during IPL4 which resulted in Sachin Tendulkar's dismissal. His insights on the game have come in for high praise from cerebral former cricketers. He can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nishad_44)
Points Table
ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2012: Match time table with group details
Video: See what fans have to say about the India-Pakistan clash
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
ICC World T20: Did the Indians win or lose?
Last Updated: Wednesday, October 03, 2012, 00:50 
Zeenews Sports Bureau When Balaji got rid of lanky Morne Morkel to hand India a win by a solitary run, we were confused to the fact that should we celebrate or not. For a fact we knew that the Proteas had played the royal party poopers, and India were out of the tournament. Earlier in the day Pakistan had convincingly defeated the mighty Oz, and had made the equation even tougher for India to qualify. To make situations worse Dhoni had lost the toss and was put in to bat first. This meant India had to win and win with a margin of 31 runs, which was anyway looking like a tall order considering South Africa are no push-overs.
The duo of Viru-Gauti were expected to get India off to a belligerent start, but they failed to live up to the expectations, and when in-form Virat Kohli departed, things looked bleak. When Virat perished, the stage was all set for Yuvraj to deliver. Yuvraj had started off brilliantly and we just felt that he has got into the zone when he clobbered two monstrous sixes, but when he gifted his wicket away it seemed that things had just gone out of hand. India finally managed to crawl to a tricky 152.
152 surely didn`t look good enough, but when Zak managed to get Amla out in the first over itself it felt things were far from being over. But what followed next was horrifying. It seemed Dhoni didn`t know that he had to restrict the Proteas to 121 runs or less to qualify for the semis. Body language of the men in blue suggested they had already accepted the fact that they won`t qualify and were playing just to win. The fielders weren’t placed in attacking positions, hence were not looking to stop singles. Throughout we were hoping against hope. It was sad to see Dhoni`s defensive approach being the quality captain he is. The intent from the Indian boys was missing big time.
Zaheer for a change was the only bowler who was looking to take wickets. Monday’s match also highlighted the fact that, India is heavily dependent on young Virat Kohli. Rohit Sharma`s 27-ball 25 was weird to say the least. It felt he didn`t have a clue about the task in hand. He gives one the feeling that he is suffering from identity crisis. We are finally forced to believe the fact that the over hyped star studded Indian line-up looks good only in paper.
Finally, the question remains -- DID WE WIN OR DID WE LOSE?
First Published: Wednesday, October 03, 2012, 00:50-
Last Updated: Wednesday, October 03, 2012, 00:50 Zeenews Sports Bureau When Balaji got rid of lanky Morne Morkel to hand India a win...
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By Nishad Pai Vaidya It is a high-voltage encounter – one whose intensity and fervour transcends the boundaries of the cricket field. The r...
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Shruti Chopra dwells into her tarot cards to see what lies ahead in the Australia vs Pakistan ICC T20 World Cup game on Tuesday. --- Aust...
