As the league stage draws to a close, a few surprises deserve to be listed. The biggest has been the success of Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis. The men at the other side of 30s are now the poster boys of Twenty20 cricket.
A couple of retired cricketers have also stood the test of time. Anil Kumble still can’t be trifled with and Sourav Ganguly can still get runs. Much as these seniors have bucked the trend, Yuvraj Singh’s form has been most disappointing.
Everyone expected Shane Warne to be a bigger force in bowling than has been the case.
Among the foreign biggies, Adam Gilchrist hasn’t lived up to his billing. Matthew Hayden is another whose failure is surprising. It’s been also a no-show from AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan.
A few youngsters have seized the opportunity. Saurabh Tiwary, Ambati Rayudu, Naman Ojha and T. Suman have all been noticed. Harmeet Singh and R Ashwin too have had their dream moments.
Irfan Pathan’s success has gone unnoticed. He has bowled and batted manfully but everybody seems in a hurry to forget him. Robin Uthappa has been sensational and deserved to be on the plane to the Caribbean. The same is true for Amit Mishra and Murali Kartik.
A couple of other stars have gone unnoticed. Rahul Dravid batted too low down while VVS Laxman was laid low by injury and poor selection.
Showing posts with label Sachin t20 Worldcup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sachin t20 Worldcup. Show all posts
Given the form he is in, India would definitely miss Sachin Tendulkar's services in the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup to be staged in the West Indies from April 30-May 16, reckons former India coach John Wright .
"Yeah, India would definitely miss Sachin (Tendulkar) in the Twenty20 World Cup. He is in brilliant form and having him in the team would have given India a big edge over other teams," Wright said.
"But he has made up his mind not to play and he is sticking to it. So you can't help anything. You need to respect his decision," he said.
Tendulkar, who quit Twenty20 International cricket along with Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in 2007, is in prime form in the ongoing Indian Premier League , which forced the Indian cricketing fraternity to request him to chnage his mind and play in the Twenty20 World Cup.
However, the champions batsman has ruled out the possibility, saying he will stick to his stance of not playing T20 Internationals anymore.
Wright, who had a successful five-year stint as India's coach from November 2000 till 2005, said notwithstanding his age, Tendulkar's passion for the game is still intact.
"He is going to be 37 but he is getting better day by day. He is looking in great touch. Playing such great cricket at this age is fantastic for Indian cricket," he said.
"He now looks fitter and more agile. He seems to have not lost anything, especially his enthusiasm for the game, which is great for India.
"It is great to see that he still loves the game. I wish him all the best and hope he continues to play the same way for many more years," added the former Kiwi batsman about Tendulkar, who would be celebrating his 37th birthday on April 24.
Asked about India's chances in the Twenty20 World Cup, Wright said the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side's success in the tournament would largely depend on their start.
He refused to hand pick any single team as the favourites to lift the trophy but said India is among the five team in reckoning for the title.
"India's start would be critical. India is a team no one wants to play because they can win from any situation. They have got enough match-winners but the performance of their bowlers would be crucial," said Wright, who is here as the brand ambassador of New Zealand's Southern Institute of Technology.
"It is really hard to predict a favourite but there are five teams -- Australia , South Africa , India Pakistan, and England who have good chance of winning. New Zealand are the darkhorses but it would be interesting to see how England plays," he said.
"Yeah, India would definitely miss Sachin (Tendulkar) in the Twenty20 World Cup. He is in brilliant form and having him in the team would have given India a big edge over other teams," Wright said.
"But he has made up his mind not to play and he is sticking to it. So you can't help anything. You need to respect his decision," he said.
Tendulkar, who quit Twenty20 International cricket along with Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in 2007, is in prime form in the ongoing Indian Premier League , which forced the Indian cricketing fraternity to request him to chnage his mind and play in the Twenty20 World Cup.
However, the champions batsman has ruled out the possibility, saying he will stick to his stance of not playing T20 Internationals anymore.
Wright, who had a successful five-year stint as India's coach from November 2000 till 2005, said notwithstanding his age, Tendulkar's passion for the game is still intact.
"He is going to be 37 but he is getting better day by day. He is looking in great touch. Playing such great cricket at this age is fantastic for Indian cricket," he said.
"He now looks fitter and more agile. He seems to have not lost anything, especially his enthusiasm for the game, which is great for India.
"It is great to see that he still loves the game. I wish him all the best and hope he continues to play the same way for many more years," added the former Kiwi batsman about Tendulkar, who would be celebrating his 37th birthday on April 24.
Asked about India's chances in the Twenty20 World Cup, Wright said the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side's success in the tournament would largely depend on their start.
He refused to hand pick any single team as the favourites to lift the trophy but said India is among the five team in reckoning for the title.
"India's start would be critical. India is a team no one wants to play because they can win from any situation. They have got enough match-winners but the performance of their bowlers would be crucial," said Wright, who is here as the brand ambassador of New Zealand's Southern Institute of Technology.
"It is really hard to predict a favourite but there are five teams -- Australia , South Africa , India Pakistan, and England who have good chance of winning. New Zealand are the darkhorses but it would be interesting to see how England plays," he said.
With master-blaster Sachin Tendulkar absence in the Twenty20 World Cup, the star cast of Sajid Nadidawala's upcoming film 'Housefull' feel it would pinch the performance of the Indian team but are optimistic about India bringing home the trophy.
"I feel Sachin's absence in the upcoming T20 World Cup would make a difference to India. The Indian team is incomplete without Sachin be it for T20, Test or ODI match.
But I'm sure they will bring the World Cup home this year," Director Sajid Khan told reporters here, as a marketing tie-up between ESPN Star Sports and film, 'Housefull' was announced last night.
The star cast of the multi-starer comedy 'Housefull' Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal, Riteish Deshmukh, Lara Dutta, Sajid Khan and Sajid Nadidwala eagerly wait to see the world cup but say they will miss Sachin.
Akshay Kumar said, "Sachin has been playing great since last two years. It would have been amazing to see Sachin playing the T20 world cup for India. We will miss Sachin but we are sure India will win this year."
"I feel Sachin's absence in the upcoming T20 World Cup would make a difference to India. The Indian team is incomplete without Sachin be it for T20, Test or ODI match.
But I'm sure they will bring the World Cup home this year," Director Sajid Khan told reporters here, as a marketing tie-up between ESPN Star Sports and film, 'Housefull' was announced last night.
The star cast of the multi-starer comedy 'Housefull' Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal, Riteish Deshmukh, Lara Dutta, Sajid Khan and Sajid Nadidwala eagerly wait to see the world cup but say they will miss Sachin.
Akshay Kumar said, "Sachin has been playing great since last two years. It would have been amazing to see Sachin playing the T20 world cup for India. We will miss Sachin but we are sure India will win this year."
Johannesburg, Apr 9 (PTI) South African opener Loots Bosman is relieved that Sachin Tendulkar won't be playing in the Twenty20 World Championships later this month but he feels even without the senior batsman India remains a very dangerous outfit.
Bosman has been honing his skills with coach Corrie van Zyl while most of his teammates play in the Indian Premier League.
The Proteas will take on India in their first match of the World Championship in ST Lucia, the West Indies on May 2 and Bosman said he and his teammates were happy to know that Tendulkar would not be playing in the Caribbean.
"But India still has a lot of very dangerous players that one has to keep in account," he told Afrikaans daily 'The Beeld'.
Bosman said is ready to take on the spinners if India decides to open with them in the event.
Bosman has been honing his skills with coach Corrie van Zyl while most of his teammates play in the Indian Premier League.
The Proteas will take on India in their first match of the World Championship in ST Lucia, the West Indies on May 2 and Bosman said he and his teammates were happy to know that Tendulkar would not be playing in the Caribbean.
"But India still has a lot of very dangerous players that one has to keep in account," he told Afrikaans daily 'The Beeld'.
Bosman said is ready to take on the spinners if India decides to open with them in the event.
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