Kumar Sangakkara has been a tremendous captain for Sri Lanka – has led from the front, captained the side with astute intelligence and has always had a plan to make the most of the resources he had. But for the Deccan Chargers – now the Sunrisers Hyderabad – the story has been a different one. Earlier, with the Kings XI Punjab as well, he didn’t have a record he could boast of, and the story just seems to continue.

Post the 2011 IPL auctions, Sangakkara has been one of the important members of the Deccan Chargers unit, but he has been one of the worst-performing captains in the IPL.  Overseas captains seem to have been the worst-performing captains; is it because of the fact that they have less time on their hands; or their unfamiliarity of the local talent; or their packed schedules with their own international teams? Having said that, there have also been international captains who have done wonders for their teams, like Shane Warne – who led the Rajasthan Royals to the maiden IPL title and Gilchrist who led the Deccan Chargers to the title in season 2, being named Man of the Series himself.

However, Sangakkara has had no such luck. From 2010 till 2013, he has captained 43 games and has won 15, while he has lost 28 of them with a win percentage of 34.88%. His counterpart, Mahela Jayawardene – who has led Kings XI Punjab, Kochi Tuskers Kerala and now, the Delhi Daredevils – has been captain for 20 games and has won 7, with a win percentage of 35%. Adam Gilchrist, captain of Kings XI Punjab and the Deccan Chargers, has led his teams in 64 games, winning 29 and losing 35 of them, having a win percentage of 45.31%. Daniel Vettori, who led the Royal Challengers Bangalore for 2 seasons, has a win percentage of 54.55%, having captained 22; won 12 and lost 10. Shane Warne has the best win percentage amongst all the overseas captains in the IPL who have captained a minimum of 15 games, that of 56.36%, having won 31 and lost 24.

In this season of the IPL, Sangakkara in particular hasn’t contributed too much to the Sunrisers outfit; their strength has been their bowling and all the games they’ve won till this stage has been because of their bowlers. In 5 games this season, he has scored 84 runs with a high score of 28, at an average of 16.8. His strike rate also is a reflection of the sort of form he has been in – 95.45. Sangakkara hasn’t even kept wickets, and if he isn’t contributing with bat or as a wicket-keeper, then the Sunrisers might see him as a liability in terms of occupying one place in the team of a foreign player. Hence, he dropping himself couldn’t have been more fitting and well-timed, handing the reigns of the team to Cameron White – who is doing a decent job with the team. As good a player as Sangakkara is and as many laurels as he has had for Sri Lanka, if the Sunrisers Hyderabad want to make the playoffs, they will have to get their mix of foreign players right and Sangakkara isn’t a part of the mix this year.

When Shane Watson was left out of the Australian playing XI for the Mohali Test against India, it was asked if his ego had gotten the better of him when he took the next flight back to Australia. How could the vice-captain be dropped? Yes, he didn’t complete an assignment asked by the coach, but he is the vice-captain. What if it was not the question of the assignment? Despite having had a poor series, not been in any sort of form and not being able to bowl, should his place in the side be guaranteed only because he holds the position of the deputy captain? Is that right?

Shane Watson resigning from the post of vice-captain has brought out more of a predicament than the one about selections and picking the right team – the predicament of leadership! The leadership stocks seem as bare as their batting stocks at the moment, which is saying something that was quite evident post the India tour. Australian cricket, over the ages, had always had their successors ready to induct into the team as and when it was required; this is a new situation to find themselves in. There’s no obvious choice to replace Watson in the team, given that nobody’s place is guaranteed.

With the Ashes series just around the corner, having to make a call of appointing a vice-captain to begin with, reflects of the state of Australian cricket. If everyone was excited about knowing the men picked for the Ashes, they are all now wondering about who will be named deputy to Michael Clarke. Should there by a full-time VC named, keeping the long-term in perspective, or someone could be named just for the Ashes and then address the question as and how series’ approach?

Matthew Wade could be in contention, but his scratchy form with the gloves and bat doesn’t secure a place in the team to begin with, having Tim Paine and Brad Haddin in contention for the wicketkeeper’s spot.

How about David Warner? He already has expressed a desire of leading the team in the future – but is he mature enough for a leadership responsibility just yet? Is his own place in the team validated?

George Bailey could be considered as an option, but despite being the captain of the T20 side, he has not found a spot in the Test team, although he might thrive in the format if given the chance, seeming to have the temperament for it.

If you think about the Australian bowlers, Peter Siddle is the senior man amongst the otherwise young attack, but how astute as a leader is he, is not known. Would he be able to handle strategy and tactics in Clarke’s absence for long periods?

Ed Cowan could be an option given how maturely he handled and adapted to the conditions in India, but that alone doesn’t warrant his spot nor leadership ability.

Tomorrow will be a big day for Australian cricket – to mainly see if they are taking a step backwards or are finally moving forward with their selections. The squad for the Ashes is being announced and a new vice-captain will be named. Are we going to see a new deputy for Clarke, or is Haddin going to be named? All your questions will be answered tomorrow.

In another blow for the Australian team, Jackson Bird who showed a lot of promise coming to India has now been ruled out of the series due to a bone stress injury to his back. The seamer was flown back home after the Chennai Test to have some scans done on his back that he sustained during the first warm-up game of the tour. He bowled only 10 overs in the first warm-up game against the Board President’s XI and conceded only 10 runs which looked positive for the series ahead.

“Initial tests performed in Melbourne have confirmed that Jackson Bird has a bone stress injury of the low back,” team doctor Peter Brukner said.

“He will undergo further tests tomorrow (Thursday). He will not be re-joining the team in India.”

Bird’s injury also throws into light the problem of having their paceman fit in time for the Ashes series later in the year. With their pacemen crumbling from all sides due to injuries, the management will have to manage the workload of some of the players well to ensure their participation at all times. Bird especially, would want to recover in time for the Ashes in England since his accurate seam-bowling style will be an asset in England.

Bird’s loss leave Australia one option short heading into the Hyderabad Test with only Mitchell Johnson being the other pace bowling option for the Aussies. Bird’s replacement however, has not been named yet and the replacement is not likely to be a part of the playing XI in Hyderabad.

Here are some of them:

Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke was one of the few to have opted out of the shortest formats of the game after having been captain of the T20 International side since 2009. He believed that concentrating on the longer format would help him regain his touch with the format he loved.

“For me, I’ve always said Test cricket is the ultimate for me. This gives me that opportunity. In saying that, obviously my T20 performances haven’t been that great, which made the decision that much easier.”

Clarke played 34 T20 Internationals and scored 488 runs in 28 innings, at an average of 21.21 with a strike rate of 103.17.

Ricky Ponting

While he was still playing international cricket, Ricky Ponting decided to step down from participating in T20 internationals. His decision came after he felt the need and desire to spend more time and focus on ODI cricket and Tests.

“The last 10 or 12 days for me have been a lot about reflection, looking back to the Ashes and looking forward to my playing future,” Ponting said. “As of today I`ve decided to retire from international Twenty20 cricket. The decision I’ve made is all to do with my longevity in the game.”

Ponting played 17 T20 Internationals and scored 401 runs in 16 innings, at an average of 28.64 with a strike rate of 132.78.

Sachin Tendulkar

In 2010, Tendulkar decided to give up on the shortest form too and did not get on the flight that carried the Indian team to the West Indies for the T20 World Cup.

“I respect his decision, whatever he says because he has done well, given his services to Indian cricket for the last 20 years, if he decides something then we should just respect it,” Dhoni said on his retirement.

Daniel Vettori

In 2011, Daniel Vettori decided to retire from T20 International cricket following New Zealand’s ouster from the World Cup. That was when he decided to step down as captain from all the formats too.

“I’ve played my last Twenty20 match … (but) it’s about six months to the next one-dayer so I have a lot of time to sit down and think about it and talk to my family,” he said.

“Tests are a big part of why I play the game, for team and myself, because there is no better feeling than winning a Test.”

Vettori played 33 T20 Internationals and has taken 37 wickets, at an average of 19.45.

However, he did come out of retirement in 2012 to make himself available for selection for the World T20 after his retirement from the format in 2011 and made a comeback in the tournament.

Hashim Amla

Hashim Amla is the latest cricketer to have stepped up and opted out of T20Is, but only for this year at present. Given the hectic international schedule, he has opted to give it a rest for this year.

“I’ve requested to take a sabbatical from International T20 cricket for the year,” Amla said. “My decision was influenced by the hectic international schedule and this will give me more room to manage my time between the formats more constructively. T20 cricket remains a format that I enjoy, and I hope I can make meaningful contributions domestically when I have the opportunity while continuing to harness my T20 game. I still have hopes of playing for South Africa in the future and will re-visit the decision at a later stage.”

Amla till date has played 15 T20Is and has scored 269 runs at an average of 20.69.

Wasim Akram has stepped down from his post of mentor and bowling coach of the IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders. Akram has cited personal reasons for his decision. He had been involved with KKR since the past 3 years of the IPL. He has been an integral part of the team throughout, devising strategies with captain and coach, Trevor Bayliss.

Akram, in his statement, is believed to have said that he wants to spend more time at home with his family. His media commitments and the IPL keep him away from his teenage kids back home, with whom he would like to spend more time now.

“Wasim Akram will be badly missed. He is a legend and a great motivator to have around the team. However, we fully appreciate the reason why he will be unavailable. We hope to work with him in future.” KKR Ceo, Venky Mysore said.

On the other hand, Trevor Penney will join the Kolkata-based team as their fielding coach, while Joy Bhattacharya, who was the team director will take his position as an advisor from this season onwards.

The last year had been full of retirements and most of the greats like Ponting, Laxman, Dravid etc. did not have fairy tale endings to their careers. However, the first retirement of the year 2013, the one of veteran Lisa Sthalekar was as perfect an ending to a career as it could’ve been. Indian-born Sthalekar, who has been one of the key players for the Southern Stars, called it a day after she helped her team win the coveted Women’s World Cup for the sixth time. Wrapping up her career in the country where she was born made it all the more special for the campaigner.

She began playing cricket as a backyard sport, which was introduced to her by her father in Sydney. Starting off playing with boys, she saw women’s cricket when she attended a Test match between Australia and England. She gradually joined the Gordon club to give cricket a serious go. Sthalekar made her debut for NSW in 1997-98. She started off as a bowler and a lower-order batter, but eventually groomed herself to be a handy batter and an adept all-rounder.

All of Sthalekar’s performances at domestic level led to her ODI call-up in 2001 to tour England. This was her chance to prove herself on the big stage. She made her debut in Derby as a specialist off-spin bowler. In her first game, she took 2/25 from 8 overs to help Australia to a 99-run victory. Following the series, Sthalekar was part of the NSW women’s team that won the WNCL (Women’s National Cricket League) for the sixth time in 2001-2002.

Sthalekar then made her debut against England at Brisbane for a 2-match series. It was then that Sthalekar was given the duty of opening the batting with Belinda Clark. She began working on her batting and making useful contributions for NSW. In the Women’s World Cup in 2005, Sthalekar finished with 165 runs at a brilliant average of 41.25, and 7 wickets at 22.28.

Sthalekar was then a part of Australia’s first Twenty 20 international in Taunton and the second match since the inception of the format. She retires as the number one all-rounder in T20s. She also holds the second position in the ranking for ODI all-rounders. She is also the only woman to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in ODIs.

Sthalekar has been a part of 8 Tests and has scored 416 runs; 2728 runs in 125 ODIs and 769 runs in 54 T20Is. Her bowling stats boast much of her ability as an all-rounder; she has 23 Test scalps, 146 ODI wickets and 60 in T20s. She was a part of two World T20 wins – 2010 and 2012. Her decision to retire after all that she has been a part of was emotional, but she had a fairytale end to an illustrious career.

“To finish my international career by playing in a successful ICC Women’s World Cup in the country of my birth is quite special for me,” Sthalekar said.

“I feel that this is the right time for me to retire. Women’s cricket has changed a lot during my time in the game and it’s been an honour to witness this evolution first hand. We have seen at this year’s World Cup that the standard of women’s cricket across the world has grown immensely in the last few years alone.”

It has been a week since the ICC Women’s World Cup has ended and cricket has moved onto the next big thing – Australia’s tour of India! Yet somehow, the memory of the Southern Stars picking up the World Cup is as fresh as it can be. Right from the outset, the Australian girls had dominated the competition, losing only one game in their entire campaign, ironically, to the West Indies in the Super Six stage. The 114-run win margin was the highest margin in a final, surpassing the 98-run win that Australia had recorded after beating India in 2005. The total of 259 was also the highest in a Women’s World Cup final, surpassing the previous best of 215.

Let’s have a look at what the Australians did different from the Caribbean girls to have won the coveted trophy for the sixth time:

Team spirit

The entire team played like a unit and contributed to the win. Not one, not two, but all the players had a role to play in the victory. Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes started off strongly and thereafter, Jess Cameron took over to ensure Australia had a good total to defend. Fields, along with Perry’s blows at the end, took Australia to 259. Perry was the star dismissing the top three West Indian batters along with Megan Schutt who has been brilliant throughout. Sthalekar was her brilliant self, chipping in with two wickets and taking that stunning one-hander to win Australia the cup.

Play to their strengths

The girls came out with the primary intent to win. After winning the toss, they wanted to put up as many on the board and go all out to defend it; they had a plan in place. They brought in their best for the final in Ellyse Perry and it paid off. They played to their strengths with their batters having been in great form coming in to the cup; although they struggled during the tournament, they put up a brilliant performance when it mattered most.

Adept captaincy and fielding

Jodie Fields

Like the Australian boys, the girls showed their proficiency in the field. The West Indians erred in the field on more than one occasion and gave away too many runs in the bargain; the Australians, however, saved more than the West Indians would have liked. Fields’ captaincy could be best described in one word: aggressive. In tandem with her bowlers and fielders in sync, she attacked the opposition from the first ball and it paid off. The pressure got to them and they crumbled. Attacking fields, bowlers on the money and pugnacious fielding made all the difference on the day.

Belief

They always felt they were in to win; they believed they could do it a record sixth time. Fields’ faith in her star Perry was a gamble, but she trusted her enough to give her a go ahead of Ferling, who had been such a vital part in Perry’s absence. Perry struggled in her first over and was limping her way through, but she continued to bowl determinedly and struck for her team. She made the difference to the team. Schutt, Sthalekar and Osborne chipped in and with every player in the team playing her part, they picked up the trophy for the sixth time!

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/02/23/four-reasons-why-australia-won-the-icc-womens-world-cup/feed/ 0 01741 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/02/21/who-is-moises-henriques/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/02/21/who-is-moises-henriques/#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:40:08 +0000 Kritika http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=1344750

Just like skipper Michael Clarke did in 2004, fellow NSW player, Moises Henriques is set to make his debut in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Chennai. It was a toss-up between Glenn Maxwell and Moises Henriques as to who would debut in Chennai, but despite all the injuries and setbacks, Henriques never gave up the dream or desire to earn himself a baggy green; and so he did. The Portugal born will be the 432^nd player to don the baggy green for Australia.

Henriques made his ODI debut in 2009, but gradually faded out of the international scene with a series of injuries and a waning of form. In the Sheffield Shield season last year, his unbeaten 161 caught the attention of the selectors, and less than five months later, he is making his Test debut. He was picked ahead of Maxwell due to his ability to extracting reverse swing in Indian conditions. Having performed well in the warm-up games, where he had figures of 4/12 – each of the four being scalps of the top order – against the President’s XI, he earned his call-up ahead of Maxwell.

”I knew I had to keep training hard and working hard, I never once doubted it,” Henriques said. ”In those couple of years I didn’t deserve to be in the mix, but I knew if I could get fit that I wasn’t far away.

”I think in the past I have shown some glimpses but my form now has been more consistent with the bat and ball. There has been a lot of injuries and in amongst that there has been some inconsistent form as well. The one thing you lose first is your match touch, but being able to stay on the park the last six months has helped some consistency come into my game.”

He also is accustomed to Indian conditions a tad more than the rest of the Australian squad due to his stints in the IPL for the Delhi Daredevils. Although IPL exposure doesn’t count for much, it is more than what most of the other Australians have. Having said that however, Test cricket will be a different ball game altogether. In 39 first-class matches, he has scored 1745 runs at an average of 30.61; he averages 27.07 with the ball, having picked 78 wickets. Henriques was a part of the NSW Blues squad that won the CLT20 in India in 2009; he was also part of the Sydney Sixers squad that won the Champions League T20 league in South Africa last year, having made useful contributions in both tournaments.

Whether Australia’s gamble of going in with one spinner is brave or foolish, only time will tell, but having a genuine all-rounder like Henriques in the team will surely be an asset, given his adeptness with the bat and ball, as he has proven all this while for New South Wales.

Australia: Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phil Hughes, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (c), Matthew Wade, Moises Henriques, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon. 12th man: Glenn Maxwell.

The entire cricketing world has been divided and has been debating about the DRS system for a very long time. The DRS came into the picture as a result of consistent bad umpiring.

In the crucial Super Six match of the Women’s World Cup that New Zealand skipper had termed, ‘almost a semifinal’, the umpiring was nothing but dreadful. Her team was at the receiving end of four LBW decisions; Kate Broadmore and Frances Mackay were dismissed by deliveries that hawk-eye said would have gone down leg side, Sophie Devine got an inside edge onto the pads and Nicola Brown was struck outside the off-stump.

The two umpires who were responsible for these shockers were Indian, Vineet Kulkarni and Indonesian, Shahul Hameed. Vineet Kulkarni is in the international panel of umpires, while Hameed is from the ICC’s Associate and Affiliate international panel of umpires. There is not a single umpire from the ICC’s elite panel officiating at the Women’s World Cup. Hameed’s last international game as umpire was in the 2009, during the Women’s World Cup. There has never been a men’s World Cup featuring umpires who have officiated years ago!

What message does the ICC give out by such incidents? Aren’t they taking the women’s World Cup seriously enough?

Tony Hill is the only umpire from the elite panel of umpires, but he is a mentor for the 13 officiating ones at the World Cup; 5 of whom are from the Associate and Affiliate International panel and 7 from the international panel. Kathy Cross from New Zealand is the only woman umpire at the event. Other international umpires from the elite panel could have been called upon for the tournament since there weren’t too many tournaments running at the same time. The only constraint would have been the budget. What is the point of only making people believe that the women’s World Cup is an upcoming event when even the basics are dented?

This was not the first instance when an umpiring error has cost a team the match; earlier in the tournament, English captain, Charlotte Edwards said that two umpiring decisions against the Australian girls were game-changing. Edwards went a step further to say that “Two poor decisions obviously did not help.” Also, maybe the DRS is a very expensive device for a budget tournament like the women’s World Cup, but she said, “There might have been a few decisions we might have referred today.”

Had there been elite umpires who were umpiring in the tournament, one wouldn’t have had an opportunity to have felt undone by the ICC, given the quality of umpires appointed for an ‘elite’ event. These officials are supposed to be the next generation of the elite panel, but why not use the best you have for a tournament that is just finding its feet? It was quite disappointing to have second-string umpires presiding over a tournament that is already oblivious to most.

Pakistani cricketers have once again been left out of the sixth IPL edition’s auctions this year. Pakistanis have not been included in the IPL ever since the Mumbai attacks in 2008. They have been left out of the 101 players who will be going under the hammer on Sunday.

The Pakistanis would have hoped that they would finally be given a chance to be a part of the tournament following the bilateral series in December-January, but that was not to be. Although the PCB has been pushing hard for its players to be included in the IPL, their efforts have gone in vain.

The decision to leave the Pakistani players out of the IPL was actually believed to have been taken before the series in December – before the cross-border tension ensued between the two neighbours. The BCCI had considered their inclusion but eventually decided against it. An official said, “It is for the franchises to decide their teams. The franchises invest a lot of money and they do not want to take a risk by including Pakistani players. The idea is to play it safe.”

There have been protests in Mumbai against the inclusion of Pakistani players in tournaments in India by Shiv Sena. They had protested against the India-Pakistan series in December. The Pakistani Hockey players had been sent back from the Hockey India League post the tension at the border. The Pakistani women’s team’s matches were shifted to Cuttack from Mumbai due to the same reasons. Perhaps the BCCI didn’t want to instigate another controversy.

Series’ between India and Australia in recent years have always been hard-fought and full of competitiveness. Both the teams have usually gone all out to fight the hardest and earn their team victory. Today, a 17-man Australian squad to take on India next month has been named.

Squad:

Batting: David Warner, Ed Cowan, Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (captain), Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith.

All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Johnson.

Keeper: Matthew Wade (wk).

Bowlers: James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Jackson Bird, Xavier Doherty, Nathan Lyon.

This was the first time when I felt absolutely nothing on reading of the team selected. Yes, it was a tough task for the NSP to pick a team following the retirements of some of the experienced campaigners, but I for one, am not quite sure they got it right regarding a couple of selections.

Chief selector, John Inverarity said, “It is a large squad and we felt as though we needed that for flexibility,” I’m not sure about the idea of flexibility, but what is Doherty’s selection based on? He last played against England where Kevin Pietersen ripped him apart, and all of us thought that it spelled the end for him! He makes a comeback based on the recent ODI and T20 performances, perhaps, because there is no other reason I can think of, given his abysmal record of 119 wickets in 51 games at an average of 44.78! But does that form validate a Test selection? In this season of the Sheffield Shield, he averages 80 with 2 wickets. Surely, that could not have been overlooked?

Steve o’ Keefe

On the other hand, what has been overlooked – one too many times – is the brilliance of the New South Wales Captain, Steve o’ Keefe. Despite being the leading spinner in this Sheffield Shield season, he has not found himself a place in the squad. Isn’t the point of the Sheffield Shield competition to evaluate players for the big stage? His numbers are perhaps the only ones that look like a bowler’s amongst all the spinners in Australia, with an average below 30 in first-class cricket. Adding to that, he is also a very handy batsman who has contributed time and again with the bat for his NSW side, an able leader with a smart cricketing brain and a team player through and through.

My next question is, what has Smith done to warrant a place in the team? Why have both, Smith and Maxwell been picked ahead of Steve O’ Keefe? Smith is a great fielder, yes, but is that why he is in the team? Time and again he has failed to warrant his selection, despite being given numerous opportunities. He neither has the technique nor application to handle batting in Tests. A player who can’t exactly bowl nor bat is far from being an all-rounder. So, I think we need to redefine the definition of an all-rounder if Steve Smith is picked as one.

Other teams around the world at one stage used to pick players who could hardly be termed as all-rounders and we jeered at them for that. Today, we’re the laughing stocks and they’re the ones laughing; how the tables have turned!

We don’t need a bunch of ambiguous all-rounders; what we need to beat India are a bunch of specialist batsmen and bowlers who know their job and how to get it done at the end of the day. I don’t see us having that any more. Australia faces perhaps its toughest period in cricket right now, and by making selections of the mediocre ahead of the deserving isn’t helping the morale among those players nor the fans. We want to see the best XI out there facing India. Are these 17  the best that Australia has right now? Let’s not start over again.

Away from all the glitz and glamour that usually accompany a men’s World Cup, the ICC Women’s World Cup is finally here. It is no surprise that the build-up to the tournament has been as good as any gully match; by which I mean there has been no publicity at all. In contrast to the cut-outs, banners, posters, advertisements in every nook and corner or Colombo at the ICC World Twenty20, this tournament is parched of any marketing whatsoever.

But that doesn’t stop us enthusiasts in following the women’s game and the World Cup. Here is a preview of the teams’ participating.

England

The defending titleholders are a strong unit led by a brainy Charlotte Edwards – the most capped player in women’s ODIs. They are a good team on the field whose opponents will need to take every chance they get to beat them.

Adapting to these conditions might be a challenge for them. But as seen in the World Twenty20 held in Sri Lanka last year, they have the competences to progress well in the tournament. Their star keeper-batsman, Sarah Taylor, is one to look out for, being one of the best players in the team.

New Zealand

The runners-up of the previous World Cup are a gifted team with loads of experience, which is their strength. The likes of Suzie Bates, Sara McGlashan, Nicola Browne and Sophie Devine have all played 40 ODIs at a minimum.

The Kiwi girls have ended up being second-best three times and often fall short of that one last step.  They will be looking to turn things around this year. Much relies on Suzie Bates who comes into the tournament in good form as she notched up a ton and two half-centuries in her last 5 ODIs.

Australia

Australia, having an all-round strong side, finished fourth last time around. The conditions in India, or the subcontinent for that matter, might not be favourable, but the Southern Stars have won the World Cup on the two occasions that the elite tournament has been held in India.

The key player for the Aussie girls will be Elysse Perry, who has been a consistent contributor with the bat and ball. Meg Lanning has been in fine form after having scored a 45-ball century and a couple of fifties in the recent series against New Zealand as part of preparation for the World Cup.

West Indies

The West Indies women finished fifth last time around. They are gifted with a power-packed team of players that are aggressive and dominant. They are in decent form at the moment, having drawn their series against the South Africans 2-all after having been 2 games down to nil.

Their run in recent times has been quite similar to the men’s team in terms of performance with neither teams capitalizing on their resources. They hope to have a better outing this time around by at least finishing in the top 3 if not going all the way. Their opener, Stafanie Taylor, who is currently the title-holder of the ICC Women’s International Cricketer of the Year, will play a vital role in their campaign in Mumbai. What will be interesting to see, however, is if they turn their fortunes around and follow the men’s team, thus winning the coveted silverware.

India

India finished third last time around and although they would have the home advantage going into the tournament, they failed to make the finals the previous two times that the World Cup was held in India.  A lot is expected from the top order and they will have to set the foundation if the Indian girls are to reach the end of the tournament.

Captain Mithali Raj, who is one of the more experienced players in the side, having played 141 ODIs, will play a key role in India’s campaign in their pursuit to reach the second finals of the World Cup.

Pakistan

Pakistan finished sixth last season but will be hoping to turn things around this year for themselves. They have a very able team and the subcontinental conditions will only assist them in their campaign, particularly the off-spinner, Nida Dar. Their preparations were hampered due to political pressures in Mumbai and hence, the matches were moved to Cuttack.

Sadia Yousuf, the slow left-armer, who was the joint highest wicket taker at the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, along with Nida Dar will pose a challenge for the opposition teams.

South Africa

The South African team’s strength is clearly batting with three of their batters occupying a place in the Top 20 of ICC ODI rankings. Captain Mignon du Preez, Cri-Zelda Brits and Tricia Chetty have their places amongst the best 20 in the world, which reflect on their consistency and contributions.

Their bowling however seems to be on their weaker side, with only Sunette Loubster finding a place in the top 20 bowlers. An experienced campaigner of 62 ODIs, Cri-Zelda Brits averages almost a whopping 60! She will be one to look forward to, as she makes a comeback after a whole year, providing the Proteas with a welcome impetus.

Sri Lanka

The Lankan damsels finished last at the previous World Cup and were rightly quite disappointed. Despite having a good team with handy all-rounders, they failed to win a single game in 2009. This time, they have all-rounders such as former captain Chamani Seneviratna and Sripali Weerakkody, who will be their trump cards. In this year’s World Cup, their best chance is a win against the West Indies. The Sri Lankan’s women team have not played an ODI since April last year, which means they are devoid of match practice and could be a disadvantage for them heading into the World Cup.

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/31/icc-womens-cricket-world-cup-2013-team-previews/feed/ 0 02980 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/29/the-rotation-policy-and-views-around-it/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/29/the-rotation-policy-and-views-around-it/#comments Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:40:47 +0000 Kritika http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=1251512

Opinions are like backsides, everybody has one. Whenever there is an introduction of a new element in our everyday life, there is always a resistance to change; that applies to cricket too. After the DRS debate, the next big thing that has caused a divide amongst cricketers of the past and present, is the debatable rotational policy. There was once a time when the only idea in picking a team was putting forth your best players; the best XI in the country. Now, looking at the state of Australian cricket, it seems far from it. From an ardent fan’s perspective, I don’t quite know what the best XI is anymore, based on selections this summer. Australia, over this summer, have played 33 players: Cowan, Warner, Quiney, Ponting, Clarke, M Hussey, Wade, Siddle, Pattinson, Hilfenhaus, Lyon, Hastings, Johnson, Starc, Watson, Hughes, Bird, Finch, Khawaja, Bailey, D Hussey, Maxwell, Haddin, McKay, Doherty, Smith, Richardson, Cutting, Henriques, Marsh, Vogues, Faulkner and Laughlin.

There are some who have come out in support of the policy which is being adopted to manage a player’s workload. There have been players coming out and criticizing the policy, while others have come out backing and defending its consequence.

Here are some of the arguments for and against the policy.

Dennis Lillee – the Australian great – said he thought rotation was necessary even 20 years ago, but now it’s a reality. He added, the rest given to a player is not just a rest, but it is rehab and conditioning, which would include cardio and some good core strength work. The fast bowling great added that the experience he has had working with Australia’s senior bowlers in the past is that sometimes it is not being addressed as well as it could be.

“The reality is that there’s a lot more cricket on. The bowlers need this active rest. There’s very little in the way of a pre-season nowadays. The pre-season was a way of building up all the areas you needed to address, then kept them topped up during the season. If you don’t have a proper pre-season, you’ve got to somehow get some work in and make sure that in all areas your levels aren’t dropping. It’s a double-edged sword really. Just having games off doesn’t help the fitness side of it. We’ve got to look into it a lot more. It’s pretty complex really,” he added.

On the contrary, Shane Warne, the Australian spin legend has lashed out at the officials at Cricket Australia, calling them ‘Muppets’ and the policy, ‘absolute rubbish’. Warne took to Twitter to express his angst. “I think CA really need to look at the people who are making decisions on all facets of cricket in Australia, we are seriously becoming a joke! Absolute rubbish re-selections, rotations, resting & farcical decisions on matches, joke.. dudding (cheating) the public & too many excuses. Wake up CA,” he added.

The legendary Ricky Ponting, on the other hand, backed the policy saying that it’s infeasible to expect the best players to be at their best every game, given the packed calendar that includes the T20 big bucks on offer in the Indian Premier League and the Champions League. He said he totally supported the rotation policy, adding that the people that are making these decisions are making them for the right reasons and for the betterment of the team and the individual players. He also went on to say that he could understand that the public sometimes can be a little bit disappointed that the best players aren’t playing every game, but he really thinks it’s impossible to expect the best players to play every game.

Australian paceman Brett Lee sided with Warne on the matter and questioned the legitimacy of the program. “I believe, and I’m a bit old school, that you’ve got to earn your right to play for Australia,” he said. “You don’t want to breed a culture where you’re looking over your shoulder every time — who’s out this week? Who’s getting rested? Who’s coming in because there are four or five guys waiting to take my spot? On the one hand I think it’s great that everybody’s getting an opportunity.  But also, if I’m a paying member of the public, I want to see Australia’s number one side. What is that side? I don’t know, no one knows.”

Is the policy the right way forward? Is it really ticking the boxes the management is looking at? Only time will tell.

Despite considering  making a comeback in New Zealand’s home series against England next month, Jesse Ryder is not ready just yet to make his way back into the squad. He has ruled out a return to international cricket any time in the near future. However, Ryder will be spending time with the team. Earlier in the month, he said that he was looking at a comeback in the series against England and his good form only would have validated his selection.

But Aaron Klee, Ryder’s agent, had this to say,

“Jesse has decided that he is not ready to return to the Black Caps yet. He wants to stick to the plan he started last year, where he set out to achieve some personal goals and play a full season of domestic cricket.  He made a decision in June last year to take 12 months out of international cricket to achieve some of his goals. It has only been seven months since he made that decision. Whilst he has been back playing well, and starting to rediscover his enjoyment of the game, he feels that he needs more time before committing fully to playing international cricket,” 

Ryder was dropped from the national team following an incident during the ODI series against the Proteas. Subsequently, he decided to take an indefinite break from the game to work on various issues and work on his game. On his comeback to domestic cricket, he has performed consistently  having scored 580 runs at an average of 58 with 3 centuries in the Plunket Shield competition.  He was also the highest run-scorer in the HRV Cup scoring 584 runs in 12 games at an average of 58.40.

His agent also said, “Jesse is committed to seeing through the plan that has so far been successful.He has been making very good decisions – we need to respect his decision-making in this instance as well. He still has goals he wants to achieve and achieving these would be difficult whilst playing international cricket – especially given the schedule the Black Caps have in the coming months.”

“Jesse wants to keep to his original plan and the decision to take 12 months out of international cricket. That decision was made last June, so it is unlikely that he will deviate from his plan,” Klee adds mentioning that New Zealand cricket have been very supportive of Ryder’s return to the game.

Ryder, however, would play in the IPL if picked as it is a domestic competition and a short-term project, his manager said. Ryder will discuss his plans and future with New Zealand coach, Mike Hesson, in a few days. All those who were looking forward to the explosive batsman’s comeback will have to wait a little longer.

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/27/jesse-ryder-not-ready-just-yet-for-a-return/feed/ 0 01680 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/27/doherty-set-to-prove-mettle-against-india/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/27/doherty-set-to-prove-mettle-against-india/#comments Sat, 26 Jan 2013 18:52:17 +0000 Kritika http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=1240021

Test dream might just come true for Xavier Doherty who is the likely replacement for injured, Michael Beer. After not being used in the first ODIs against Sri Lanka, his match-winning performance in the final game of the series helped Australia tie the series level at 2-2. Doherty took 3/21 off 8 overs that included the prized scalp of Mahela Jayawardene.

Although Doherty has been used more as a part-timer in the Sheffield Shield matches for the Tasmanian Tigers this year due to the presence of grass on the wickets, he is in contention to be picked in the squad to come to India for a 4-match Test series.

Apart from Nathan Lyon, who is a sure-shot pick, Michael Beer was to be the second spinner in the touring squad. But due to a shoulder injury that he picked up during the BBL, Doherty gets an opportunity to make a comeback in the baggy green after the Ashes debacle two seasons ago.

“It was nice to get a bowl, I was pretty nervous having not bowled a ball in a game for nearly 10 days I guess,” Doherty said after his performance last night. “I would certainly love to play in the Test team again, I wasn’t that rapt with how it all went. I think they are completely separate but it’s about keeping my name up there in any format. I think I’m a better bowler than what I was when I played Test cricket two years ago and at 30 still quite young as far as an international player goes.”

Having followed England’s tour to India quite closely and the impact that left-arm Panesar had on the series, he hopes he can have similar success. “I watched quite a bit of that and it was a great series and it is a great place to play cricket and obviously as a spinner you get plenty of assistance there,” he said. I think I’ve bowled 50 overs in five Shield games which is not ideal but the way I bowled last year in Shield cricket up until the One Day series and Big Bash, I was pretty pleased with that. As far as four day cricket goes, I think I’ve come a long way. There is no doubt I’m spinning the ball more and better control, which as a spinner that is something that comes with age. The schedule is what it is; I wouldn’t knock back a chance to play for Australia.”

Doherty will be hoping he gets another shot at Test cricket and that his last memory in baggy green will not be of Pietersen’s mauling. India will be a major challenge for Doherty and hopefully, he can prove his mettle by hanging in there are playing the role Monty did for England.

New Zealand’s explosive batsman, Jesse Ryder, is finally ready to make a comeback, and is considering a return to international cricket. After having opted for an indefinite break early last year, to address his fitness and personal issues, he is finally known to be ready to make a return.

Ryder said that he would meet with Head Coach, Mike Hesson, in the last week of January to discuss his future and his chances of making the team for New Zealand’s Test series against England next month. “I’m definitely not ruled out for a return for England,” he said.

Since his break last year, Ryder has scored 558 runs at an average of 69.75 and 508 runs at an average of 63 in first-class cricket and domestic Twenty20, respectively. Will he be the reviving force for New Zealand cricket following their disastrous runs in recent times?

New Zealand Cricket’s Director, John Buchanan, said that their poor form would only make it harder for the Kiwis to find opponents given their dismal 8^th rank out of 9 Test-playing nations. The poor run would also mean NZ being awarded lesser Tests than the currently meagre number that they are being awarded already.

“Certainly, performances such as this (in South Africa) and what we have experienced in recent times are not going to enhance our reputation as a test-playing nation,” he said.

“Any major changes to be made (to the future tours program) require a vote at the ICC and I would suspect that’s not going to change too much. But I would suspect our capacity to play longer test series or longer tours, in other words more games, is somewhat impacted.”

Ryder’s inclusion would only add strength to NZ’s fragile top order. His time off, he believes, has helped him improve his technique and consistency over the period of time. He wants to make a comeback in all formats of the game.

“I think I’ll be fine. I’ve had a good 11 months off working through a lot of stuff regarding that sort of stuff,” he said.

The Indian cricket team had a disastrous run in the Test series’ following their World Cup victory. They were drubbed 4-0 by first by England in England, and then, by Australia, Down Under. They had hoped for redemption when England toured India for a 4-match Test series – as they are usually invincible on their home turf; almost. England, following their disastrous tours against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, were tipped to be pounded and whitewashed in India. But this time however, they proved that with practise and application, India can be beaten at home.

The Sad

There can be nothing more dismaying than the greats exiting the game. I have grown up following and coming to love the sport because of these great men who were an important part of the game. It has been the end of an era in a lot of ways last year. We saw greats like Brett Lee, Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Mike Hussey, Mark Boucher, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Andrew Strauss call it quits from different forms of the game. Their era of cricketers came with a cut-throat, no-rubbish kind of an attitude and their voids will take some filling.

The Supernatural

Michael Clarke had a year that was nothing less than remarkable. Apart from having broken multiple batting records that included being the highest Australian run-scorer in a calendar year, the most number of double centuries in a year (4) etc, he contributed to victories with his adept captaincy. He led from the front, averaging a whopping 106.33 in the 11 Test matches he played last year.

Alastair Cook’s golden form saw no end to the tons of tons that he accumulated over the course of last year – especially against India in India.  He was the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket in the last year, having amassed 1249 runs at an average of 48.03. Cook scored 4 centuries in his 4 Tests as Captain. Cook took over the reins when the team was in dire straits and not only has helped float their boat, but rather has given direction and motivation to them to rise to the top. With the upcoming back-to-back Ashes series, he will have a very important role to play for England.

Clarke and his counterpart Cook, had a lot in common last year – having led from the front, both ensured success for their respective teams.

The comeback

Monty Panesar’s comeback in India was nothing short of than spectacular. His comeback essentially changed the course of the series. Ever since he was picked for the Mumbai Test against India, England’s fortunes began to change. He was instantly effective and picked 11 wickets in the game (5/129 and 6/81) and was named Man of the Match. He followed that up with 5 wickets at Kolkata.

Marlon Samuels

Samuels, after his debut in 2000, showed a lot of promise but eventually disappointed. Following a ban for 2 years, he made a comeback in 2010 and scored 1005 runs in 22 matches at an average of 50.25. In West Indies’ campaign at the World T20 World Cup, he played a vital role in the final to see his team cross the line and win the coveted trophy that was essential for his team. For all we know, that win could act as a catalyst for a West Indian resurgence.

2012 – the year of the apocalypse – was a good cricketing year with lots of contests that have been savoured by cricket fans all over the world. With the good however, there were also some not-so-good events that had occurred over the course of the year. Let’s have a look at the good, the bad, the ugly and the entertaining occurrences in 2012!

The Good

A bilateral series between India and arch-rivals Pakistan was welcomed with open arms by cricket fans in both nations. The first series since 2007 was celebrated by those who missed the epic contests between the two sides that history boasted of. Cricket is one of those few aspects that unites the two nations, amidst a hoard of political problems. The relations between the two sides only aggravated post the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, but one would see this as only a positive move, given that the cricketing history between the two sides was legendary.

Kumar Sangakkara, one of Sri Lankan cricket’s superstars, joined an elite club of Test cricketers to have scored 10,000 Test runs. Sangakkara, the 11^th batsman to do so, reached the esteemed mark in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne against Australia late last year. His importance in Sri Lankan cricket exudes over mere numbers; he, along with Jayawardene, form the core of Sri Lankan cricket.

The Bad

The New Zealand board’s lack of faith in Ross Taylor following their series loss to India, Sri Lanka and their World Twenty20 campaign was doleful. New Zealand’s cricket board initially wanted to split the captaincy between McCullum and Taylor, with Taylor leading the Test team, while McCullum took over the shorter formats. But that was unacceptable to Taylor who didn’t comply. Furthermore, he took a break from the game following the incident, and did not tour South Africa with the team. Kevin Pietersen, however, made a comeback into the team post the World Twenty 20 to play against India in the Test series that they eventually won.

The Ugly

Kevin Pietersen and drama are never far apart; they travel hand-in-hand. This time however, KP pushed his luck a tad too far and paid the price for it. The initial fallout took place when Pietersen wanted to play the entire duration of the IPL and called it quits from One-Dayers – that, according to the ECB, meant that he couldn’t play in T20s for England too, based on their contract. What followed was even worse: KP allegedly sent derogatory text messages about his coach, Andy Flower, and skipper Andrew Strauss to the South Africans. That episode followed Pietersen being shown the door, and he was dropped from the team for the third Test against South Africa.

IPL cricketers’ suspension

5 players were suspended by the IPL governing council earlier in the year due to claims of spot-fixing. Mohnish Mishra, Shalabh Srivastava, TP Sudhindra, Amit Yadav and Abhinav Bali were suspended after a sting operation was carried out by India TV.

The Entertaining

If there is one team in world cricket who are loved more than they can imagine, it is the one from the Caribbean. The West Indies cricket team’s success at the World Twenty 20 was celebrated by one and all. The only reason I wanted the West Indian team to win was because I wanted to watch them dance their victory dance, and boy, they didn’t disappoint! Their celebration following the win against Sri Lanka in the final was literally in ‘Gangnam Style’, and was something never seen on a cricket field. It hopefully is the beginning of a must-needed resurgence in West Indian cricket!

One of the acmes for the Australians this year has been Michael Clarke’s form apart from his prowess as captain. In the golden year that he has been having, he has led from the front, amassing a total of 1595 runs in 11 matches in the whole year at an average of 106.33 in Tests that included 5 scores over 100 – 1 triple century, 3 double-centuries and 1 century. In ODIs, he scored 656 runs at an average of 46.85. Michael Clarke now holds the record for the most number of Test runs by an Australian in a calendar year – a record previously held by Ricky Ponting. His astute declarations throughout the year have been inspiring; they were an indication of his approach to chase victory and give his team enough time to go about striving for it.

Here’s a recap of the year 2012 for the Australians.

Australia vs India – January 2012 (Australia won 4-0)

Barring Virat Kohli, there were hardly any positives for the visitors. After the drubbing in England, India came to Australia hoping to salvage some pride, but it was the same story, only at the hands of another one of their rivals. Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting, James Pattinson and Ben Hilfenhaus were the main threats that India had to endure throughout the series, who relentlessly kept their attack on. It was a series the Indians would like to forget along with the one against England.

Triangular ODI Series – February 2012 (Winner – Australia)

The trilateral series between Australia, Sri Lanka and India had home-side Australia dominate the visitors. The Indians were hopeful that the outcome of the ODI series would be different owning the youngsters taking over the mantle, but it didn’t matter too much.  Australia won the finals against Sri Lanka, despite Kohli’s heroics which were rendered futile as India missed out on making the finals.

England vs Australia – June-July 2012 (England won 4-0)

Australia went to England for a 5-match ODI series having their No.1 ODI ranking on the line if they were to be whitewashed. On that tour, they were clearly underdone. They didn’t get to complete 2 of the 3 practice games due to rain and went into the series under-prepared and paid the price; they got pounded in 4 of the 5 games with one game being washed out due to rain without a ball being bowled. The Australians, thus, held on to the top spot for a little longer.

Pakistan vs Australia – August (ODIs – Australia, T20s – Pakistan)

Australia perhaps were wary of Ajmal, given his success rate this year and his annihilation of England. Although Ajmal caused quite a bit of trouble for Australia, the Australian batsmen fared quite well, ensuring wins in both the matches they were made to chase, thus winning the series 2-1. The 3-match T20 series was won by Pakistan 2-1, including the tied 2nd game, which Pakistan won in the one-over eliminator. This was supposed to be the lead-up (practice), before the World Twenty20.

World Twenty20 – September 2012 (Australia reached Semifinal)

Australia, led by Shane Watson, was deemed the team to beat at the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. Out of their first 4 wins, he was named Man of the Match in all the four. The team’s youngsters came to the fore and delivered. Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins caused all sorts of trouble for the opposition, while Warner and Watson gave the team a solid start at the front. Together, they marched strong till the semifinals, where they succumbed to a very spirited West Indian unit.

Australia vs South Africa – November 2012 (South Africa won 1-0)

The high-profile series between Australia and South Africa last month lived up to the hype and cricket of the highest quality was played by both teams. Records were broken, records were set, but both teams fought so hard that the first two Tests ended in exciting draws. Faf du Plessis had a dream debut as he scored a century and helped his team save the Test! In the third and deciding Test however, South Africa showed exactly why they were the No.1 ranked team in the world: they crushed Australia, thus making a statement and justifying their position at the top.

Australia vs Sri Lanka – December 2012 (Current standing: Australia 2-0)

The Sri Lankans weren’t really expected to cause the Australians too much trouble, but their performances over the two Tests have been abysmal and quite disappointing. The first Test was a good contest at different times, but the second Test was just an abdication to the Australians. By the end of the Test that ended in 7 sessions, 3 of Sri Lanka’s players were injured and doubtful for the next Test in Sydney – Kumar Sangakkara, P. Jayawardene and Welegedara. Sangakkara’s loss would hurt the Sri Lankans as their reliance on him and Jayawardene is very high. Dilshan would need to stand up and play a more responsible role in his absence. The Australians have their tails up at the moment and would look at beginning their 2013 on a winning note.

The Australians on the whole, have had a fair year, winning most of their games played. They have played some very good cricket and have fared quite decently. Although, now begins the real Test, as they head into the next year without their most proficient batsmen – Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting.

Another one bites the dust this year. Mr.Cricket – Australian batsman, Michael Hussey – will be retiring from international cricket at the end of the Test series against Sri Lanka. Hussey, 37, has scored 19 centuries in 78 Tests and averages 51.52. The Western Australian’s last Test would be in Sydney next week.

Hussey’s recent form has been remarkable with the veteran averaging 180 in the current series against Sri Lanka with scores of 115*, 31* and 34. He said with four young children, it was time for him to spend time with them.

“The Sydney Test against Sri Lanka will be my last Test match for Australia and I’m going to retire from international cricket at the end of the Australian summer,” Hussey said.

“I was quite excited to tell them (children) that I’m not going to go away and play for Australia any more. They were happy but not as excited as I thought they were going to be. So it was a bit of a shock.”

“I feel like I can come into this last Test match with no pressure whatsoever,” he said.

“I can just really go out there and enjoy it.”

Hussey made his debut at 30 for Australia and is Australia’s 12th-highest run-scorer with 6183 runs averaging 51.52.

His retirement following Ricky Ponting‘s will leave a large void in the Australian team.