Some Famous Fast Bowlers in Cricket Today

Feb 2nd, 2011 Posted in Cricket News | No Comments »

Pace bowling’ also called ‘Fast bowling’ is one of the two types of bowling in cricket. The aim of fast bowling is to bowl at such a speed, such that the ball bounces off the pitch in a bizarre, erratic trend leaving the batsman dazed to hit the ball neatly. Some noted and best fast bowlers are Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee, and Dale William Steyn.

Shoaib Akhtar, a Pakistani right arm fast bowler, has set a world record by achieving a 161.3 km/hr bowling speed, in cricket. He bowls sharp bouncers and fast yorkers and so is claimed as the legend of Pakistan cricket. Unfortunately backed by a spate of bans and controversies, this best fast bowler had made a come back in the first Indian Premier League and had played for the Kolkata Knight Riders team. Currently he is released from the IPL contract due to an injury; reports say that the officials of the Kolkata Knight Riders are in talks with him for his come back to IPL.

Another cricketer in the fast bowling series is Australia’s Brett Lee. Brett Lee’s fast bowling skills were recognized as soon as he entered the Australian Test team. His fastest delivery till date is 160.8 km/ hr at Napier against the New Zealand’s batsman Craig Cumming in 2005. In and out of the cricket scene due to injuries, this speedster was a leading performer in the 2003 World Cup. Lee retired from Test cricket to concentrate more on the ODI’s and T20’s.

Dale William Steyn, a South African cricketer, plays Test cricket and ODI’s for South Africa. A right arm fast bowler, he bowls at a speed between 140-150 km/hr. His fastest bowling speed was 154.1km/hr at the IPL 2010. Usually this best fast bowler is chosen to bowl with a new ball; he plays as a tail ender while batting for his side.

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Some Basic Fielding Positions in Cricket

Jan 26th, 2011 Posted in Cricket News | No Comments »

At any given time, there are nine fielding positions while the game of cricket is in full swing. The other two players of the team, namely the bowler and the wicket keeper, concentrate on their respective duties from their respective positions. The captain, usually in co-ordination and consultation with the bowler and the other team mates, keeps shuffling the positions of the nine players (including his position) among the different positions all the time, except when the bowler is in action (that is bowling).

There are no definite fielding positions and a fielder can occupy any other place too. The positions are generally named in accordance with a system of the polar co-ordinates. A good fielding can save some 30 odd runs and hence fielding has assumed a more professional status. The fielding positions matter more in One Day International matches where run saving is important. Some of the common angle specific positions on the field are leg, mid wicket, cover, square, forward, and backward positions. Some of the distance specific positions are the long, short, deep, and silly ones.

The areas to the left and to the right of a right handed batsman are called leg side (on side and off side respectively). In case the batsman is left handed, then it is vice versa. Certain fielding tactics will be adopted by the captain depending upon a number of variables and the approach could be defensive or attacking tactics. A good captain will ensure that the batsmen’s strokes do not reach the boundary side for four or more runs.

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Role of an Umpire in a Cricket Match

Jan 19th, 2011 Posted in Cricket News | No Comments »

A bat – ball game that entertains the whole mass of people gathered and also the ones who watch it live in the televisions. Cricket a world class game captivates hearts and souls of many individuals across the world. People die to watch the game, literally starve to enter the gates of the ground in which the game is played. The fans all over the world know that cricket is definitely an entertaining game.

But in this game of cricket, can you guess who are the important players without bat and ball? They are the decision makers of the game who can make happiness or break it amongst teams. They ought to the good informers. They ought to be keen watchers of the game. They will have to be the wise decision makers irrespective of their favorites. They can earn good names if they are perfect. They are vulnerable to fans’ critical comments. Their decision is very crucial for the match. The guess can never be as simple as this one is. Of course, they are umpires. Umpires are the most important players in the field. They are different types and they are three in number.

An umpire in the game of cricket plays crucial role. This word ‘Umpire’ is from the Old French word ‘Nompere’ which means not equal, i.e. not a member of one of the teams. He is the person who has the authority to make decisions on the cricket field, according to the International Laws of Cricket under ICC. Apart from making decisions about wicket appeals, delivery laws, legalities involved, conduct and the manners in the game, the umpire has a track of all the records. It involves all the deliveries and announcements of the completion of an over.

To preside over the match, there are two on-field umpires present. The umpires are different in the positions and that makes the difference. There is one umpire who stands just behind the bowler’s wicket. He is the most important umpire and he decides and acts as a judiciary for most of them. There is another umpire standing with a side view from the batsman’s view. He is called the square leg umpire, the reason of the name being the filed position is called square leg. He helps the main umpire for many decisions that concerns his views. If he is able to see better, then he helps the umpire. The professional matches have the other option called third umpire. Third umpire has the technology to support him. If there is a condition for the umpires on field to make flaws or if there are any difficulties, there is a third umpire who has an access to television replays.

Rohan Kanhai – West Indies Cricket Icon

Jan 11th, 2011 Posted in Cricket News | No Comments »

Rohan Kanhai was the first West Indian batting icon of East Indian descent. The Guyanese right-hander was known for his stroke play and innovation at the crease and had a colourful career in the maroon cap of the West Indies for nearly two decades.

Born in Berbice, Guyana on December 26, 1935, Kanhai made his debut for Guyana as a 19-year old in the 1954/ 1955 First Class season. It was not long until the middle order batsman caught the eye of West Indies selectors – after only three seasons. Kanhai’s Test debut came on the West Indies’ 1957 tour of England. In that drawn game, the Guyanese batsman opened the batting – scoring 42 and 1.

Rohan went on to play 79 Tests for the W.I., tallying 6,227 runs at a good average of 47.53. Of those 6227 runs, 15 were centuries and 28 were fifties. His highest score in Tests was also his highest score in First Class cricket – 256 against India at Eden Gardens in January 1959. Kanhai scored another Test double hundred – 217 against Pakistan at Lahore – and had the distinction of scoring a century at Lord’s, the home of cricket.

Although the Guyanese icon scored the majority of his Test runs against England (2267), he averaged the highest against India (62.70). Kanhai enjoyed batting on the subcontinent, as he averaged 63.75 in India and 54.80 in Pakistan. However, he was no flat-track bully, as he managed to average 40.32 in the difficult batting conditions of England.

Kanhai played with and against some illustrious names in cricket in his era. He played with Sonny Ramadhin, Garry Sobers, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes and Sir Frank Worrell in his debut match. Later in his Test career, he shared the field with Roy Fredericks, Clive Lloyd and Andy Roberts. Rohan Kanhai also had the distinction of captaining the West Indies in 13 Test matches, scoring 738 runs and averaging 41 as captain.

Kanhai’s batting exploits took him all over the world. Apart from the West Indies and Guyana (formerly British Guiana), the attacking stroke-maker also played for North of South Africa, Tasmania, Transvaal, Trinidad, Warwickshire and Western Australia. For those teams, he played 421 First Class matches, scoring 29,250 runs at an average of 49.40. His best score was 256, while 86 hundreds and 120 fifties formed part of his massive tally.

Towards the end of his career, Kanhai played one-day matches as well, scoring 4,769 runs from 159 matches at an average of 39.09 – demonstrating his versatility. After he retired from First Class cricket in 1977, the Guyanese legend was involved in administration.

And now you can read brief profiles of some of the best spinners and fast bowlers that the game of cricket has ever seen:

The best spin bowlers in cricket history: http://www.helium.com/items/1516046-best-spin-bowlers-in-cricket

The top 5 fast bowlers in cricket history: http://www.helium.com/items/1518569-top-fast-bowlers-in-cricket-history

Perfect Batting Techniques in Cricket

Jan 4th, 2011 Posted in Cricket News | No Comments »

So you’re a budding cricketer who wants to improve their batting technique? In order to become good at something it’s always helpful to learn a few tried and tested tips. We will be looking at skills that should help improve your game.

Keep your eye on the ball

Keeping your eye in the ball at all times helps to ensure that you don’t get any surprises. The world’s top batsmen try and play the ball as late as possible so that they can make use of things such as late swing or turn.

Back-lift

A batsman such as Brian Lara of the West Indies was renowned for his high back-lift. This meant that he could get plenty of power into his stroke. Depending on the type of delivery it may be wise to adjust your back-lift accordingly.

Footwork

Footwork is an integral part of being either a good batsman or a world-class batsman. This is because good footwork means that in some cases you do not need so much power for big shots. For example, Pakistani Inzamam Ul-Haq was never renowned for his running between the wickets but he always managed to hit big shots. This was due partly to his magnificent footwork which saw him hitting huge boundaries. In addition, from a defensive perspective, it can also help you with your guard.

Timing and Strokeplay

Timing is probably the key factor when it comes to differentiating yourself as a great batsman. If you have a fast bowler charging down at you and fail to time properly, the ball can whiz past you in about half a second. It is therefore essential that you work on your timing. Just imagine that ball hitting the sweet spot of your bat at 95mph? Some people are lucky to have raw talent in timing and stroke-play, if you aren’t then this is something that should be on top of your priority list and something that should be worked on all the time.

Posture

A good posture is instrumental in keeping your body going for years. A bad posture can use up lots of energy which could potentially reduce the amount of time you spend on the pitch, If you are comfortable then you will be more relaxed and focussed on your game.

Practice

All the above are important points that need to be addressed. However, without continuous and consistent practice, one cannot improve. It is therefore recommended to play as much cricket as possible and try and focus on all the elements above. Remember that this will not happen overnight, rather take time so don’t forget to enjoy yourself in the process.

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Online Cricket Information to Appease the Avid Cricket Fan!

Dec 27th, 2010 Posted in Cricket News | No Comments »

In countries where cricket is keenly followed, almost every second person has an opinion or information about different aspects of the game. This can turn out to be very confusing and misleading at times. Based on such half baked information, the general public believes that they know all about cricket. Such unreliable information often leads the public to make unrealistic expectations and can also give birth to controversies. Online cricket information is the perfect source of authentic information for the serious cricket lover.

Finding information about anything in the internet is not at all difficult, given the amount of information available on the World Wide Web. Nonetheless what is important is fact that you must know where you can find authentic information. The internet is flooded with websites claiming to be containing information authentic information about cricket. If you are really passionate about the game, I am sure you will actually take the trouble of finding out if the site is authentic or not.

Online cricket information covers many aspects of the game. Starting from player information, statistics, landmarks, records, rankings, ratings you can find everything in online cricket information. Besides these features you can find many websites that have interactive cricket games for you to play. These interactive games are great means for you to indulge in playing games related to cricket.

Fantasy cricket is one such game that is provided by various websites for the cricket fans to indulge themselves. All cricket lovers dream of creating their own XI and see them in action. Fantasy cricket as the name itself suggests is just a game that lets you create your fantasy team. By playing this game, fans can relive their most coveted dream of seeing all their favorite players in action at a time. Actual player performance in the field will determine the winner of a game of fantasy cricket. Fans can give a free run to their cricketing brain, test their skills and come up with the best possible combination for their team.

Sites containing online cricket information also have many other features for cricket fans. If you miss the live coverage of a match, you can relive the exciting moments of the match by listening to pod casts offered by the online sites. Pod casts mostly contain expert opinion on the highs and the lows of a game. It can also include pre and post match analysis by a panel of experts to let you know all about the game.  Missing out on live action can be easily compensated with pod casts.

Online cricket information site also provides cricket fans with news, views, features, columns, latest pictures and all the other happenings in the world of cricket. You can get information about both on field and off field activities related to the game.

Whenever you want to know the score of a live cricket match that is taking place, all you need to do is check out the sites which provide online cricket information. Most sites have scorecards which can be downloaded very quickly and you can know all about the latest position of the match. You will be updated constantly about the status of the match as the match progresses.

Most Promising Cricket Captains of Today

Dec 18th, 2010 Posted in Cricket News | No Comments »

Good cricket captaincy is an art by itself. The best cricket captain is declared thus if he lets his players play their real game and never allows the sport to drift into boredom. He dons several roles like a selector, motivator, coach, tactician, player and a rudder, all rolled into one single package. He understands his team mates in and out and allows each player to play his defined role.

The cricketing world has witnessed many great skippers and the 3 best cricket captains today can be:

M.S. Dhoni: He is truly a blessing to Indian cricket. A destructive batsman himself, this Indian skipper is replete with bountiful positive energy and positive body language which he uses very well on the pitch. A good wicket keeper too, recently he led India to beat the world champions Australia and has regained the number one ODI batting position for him too. A consistent captain, he is sure to take India to greater heights in the near future.

Ricky Ponting: skipper of the Australian test cricket team, has captained ruthlessly during his tenure, clinching two World Cups to his side and many more major ICC trophies. A live wire skipper on the ground, he is also considered as the most prolific run scorer in test cricket.

Kumara Sangakkara: skipper of the Srilankan team is considered as a hot property in Test cricket at the moment. A consistent batsman in the International Cricket scene, he has won ample admiration for the clever use of his sledging in cricket and has the potential to be one of the most distinguished and best cricket captains among all the Srilankan skippers.

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Laws of Cricket – Why Did the Super-Sub Rule Fail?

Dec 10th, 2010 Posted in Cricket News | No Comments »

The laws of cricket are meant to address possible difficulties that might be faced in mounting a competitive and entertaining cricket match. One of the popular laments of latter-day cricket captains is regarding the paucity of genuine all-rounders. Not so long ago, the likes of Botham and Kapil Dev strode the cricket field, batting, bowling and fielding with equal ease and felicity. For instance, India’s World Cup win in 1983 was built on the backs of men who could everything their captain demanded of them, men answering to names such as Mohinder Amarnath, Roger Binny and Madan Lal. But those days are a distant memory, now.

For a brief period in 2005, the ICC thought it had a solution to the problem. It introduced, in ODIs, the Super Sub rule, devised specifically to encourage all-rounders. Under the rule, the captains at the toss would name 12 players, including a super substitute, who could be introduced at any time into the game, while ensuring that no more than 11 players represented the team at a given moment. The super sub was allowed to bat, bowl and keep wickets, at the discretion of his captain. Also, once the substitution was made, it was permanent. The replaced player could not come back.

Captains were quick to try and exploit the rule, in a way the ICC had not considered, while devising it. For instance, if it was a bowler friendly wicket, a captain hoping to bowl first would name an extra specialist bowler in the team, to be replaced by a specialist batsman as a super substitute, when the team batted. But there was a slight hitch that prevented captains from benefiting. They had to name the substitute before the toss. This meant that any advantage of having a specialist batsman or bowler as super substitute depended on winning the toss, and electing to bat or bowl according to the team’s choice of a batsman or bowler as the super sub.

This often resulted in the super sub not taking any further part in a match, if the captain lost the toss. Far from helping to produce all-rounders, the ostensible reason for the law, the super sub rule soon became a farcical device, and the ICC thought it best to consign the rule to the dustbin of cricket history.

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Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger on the game. His new blog on sports is fast becoming popular, backed as it is by comprehensive knowledge and research.

Laughing at the Indian Cricket Team

Dec 3rd, 2010 Posted in Cricket News | No Comments »

Indian cricket is headed for a disastrous World Cup and only those who wish to bury their head in the sand can think that they will do well there. The pitches in West Indies are fast and the players (who anyway have a tough time on such pitches) will succumb easily. They will advance (I truly hope so) to the next round by beating the weak teams but they will lose once again to the strong ones and they will find ourselves out and forgotten very soon. So instead of feeling sad, the only thing left for the fans to do is to joke about them. So here goes!

The story goes that there was a couple married for quite some time and they had a boy of 5-6 years old. Their  relationship was turning  sour. So finally it reached such a stage that they thought it was better for them to be divorced than to carry on such a relationship.

So they consulted a lawyer. But the big question was who would have the  kid. In the hearing in the court it was decided that this choice should be left to their son. So the judge asked “Son, would you like to stay with your mummy?”

The kid replied,” No, mummy beats me.”
So the judge asked “Then, would you like to stay with your papa?”
The kid replied, “No, papa beats me too.”

Now the judge was in a dilemma and was not able to decide what to do. After  pondering  for some time he smiled with the ideas he had in his mind about the child.

And he gave the judgment that the kid would stay with

Any guesses?

Come on I know you can guess this.

Ok here is the decision: The judge decided that the kid would stay with the Indian Cricket Team because they never beat anybody.

And here are some one liners to pipe up your day:
Why do Indian babies cry and complain all the time?
They are practicing how to become Indian cricketers when they grow up.

What is an handcuffed Indian Cricketer called?
A cricketer you can trust.

What are the four words that will destroy any Indian batsman?
Did you bat today?

Why doesnt the crowd blink when Tendulkar goes out to bat?
There just is no time until he gets out again.

What is the difference between an Indian batsman and an Australian one?
100 runs.

What is the difference between batteries and Indian cricketers?
Batteries have a positive side.

How do you force Indian cricketers to run between wickets?
You place food on either end.

Yes, I know that some of these jokes are really putting the Indian team down but considering their recent form (excluding the recent two victories against West Indies which I think is more of a fluke than anything else), I felt that I could say such things.

I cannot understand how such players such as Ganguly, Tendulkar, Dravid and the rest can let the fans down time and again. Sometimes it seems that they are not really interested in playing and that they www.gambling-portal.comgamble away their wicket easily. If that is the case then they should leave and let other more able and willing youngsters take a shot. They will not fare much worse in any case. What will they do? Lose. They lose anyway and to any cricket playing nation in the world!

Indian Premiere League 2010 (IPL) – Cricket Fans Take Note

Nov 25th, 2010 Posted in Cricket News | No Comments »

The Style of IPL
To begin off, the IPL is now firmly established on both the Indian and the world cricket scenario. The entire procedure including auctions, glamour, filmstars, hype and media fervor adds to the excitement and charm and it feels like watching cricket in a bullfight arena.

The Indian Premiere League is a decidedly different experience than the kind of cricket we used to see in our childhood, with the lone batsman playing ball after ball, refusing to give ground or leave the wicket. I remember how frustrated the entire crowd used to get at those snail pacers who were only after creating personal records at the cost of team victory.

One-Day Cricket Saves the Day but Still Insufficient for Today’s Pace
It of-course started with Australian millionaire Kerry Packer’s concept of bringing cricket to the arena of professional sports from the arena of amateurs. However, Kerry Packer’s initial proposals met with contempt from those opposed to change, people who did not ignore reality found a middle-way and One Day Cricket was born. It became an instant hit. The frenzy and popularity made it clear to sports organizers that sports lovers and cricket fans loved it. One-Day Cricket, being of limited duration brought all the energy and capital together in a short and brilliant spurt. It opened the new age of cricket. The T20 came as a logical step to take cricket into the fully professional squad.

IPL Is the Best Bet to Save Indian Cricket
I think the Indian Premiere League is an excellent concept because professional management, big industry investment and involvement, and high fees of players negate the possibilities of match fixing. Simple cricket fans like us can watch honest games, and relax knowing market dynamics is creating the best possible fun combination on the cricket fields.

The Actual Official Website and Online Store of IPL
However, it remains that the IPL having gained fame will become the target of those trying to make a quick buck. I have seen several websites on the Internet, which seem to be entirely dedicated to the Indian Premiere League, and also trying to sell dubious merchandise for cricket fans at unreasonable prices.

If we feel that IPL is good for Indian Cricket, and the Indian Premiere League 2010 needs our support to pull through the blames of discrimination cast upon it, it is also our duty to avoid spurious businesses that try to cash in on the popularity of IPL.

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