Australia Having a Tough Tussle in South Africa

Gone are the days when the Australians were deemed to be an unbeatable team. Losses of many key players and out of form seniors have made them start from the scratch. After their dismal outing in the 2011 World Cup the team has undergone many changes. While Ricky Ponting was relieved of his captaincy duties, Tim Nielsen has resigned. This seems to be the right time for Aussie Second Coming. But there is a slight problem. They have many high class opponents to get over. India the world champions in the ODI format, England the T20 World Champions and the ever powerful South Africa have upset many teams with high quality cricket. So the newly appointed captain Michael Clarke does not have an easy task at hand. Though the young Aussies performed well against the Sri Lankans and took a lot of heart from that series but South Africa is another cup of tea. 

Shane Watson During his Match winning Innings in 1st T20 

Australian cricket team would be under constant pressure all through their tour of South Africa. Cricketing history says when a cricketing super power falls from their position of supremacy; they find it hard to regain the same position. But as far as the young Australian team is concerned they are performing very well in South Africa. In the 2 International T20s and 3 ODIs they have shown their mettle. 

Morne Morkel Picks up a Wicket

The tour started off with the International T20 matches. First match was played in Cape Town and the Australians won the match by five wickets. Batting first South Africa put up a competitive total of 146/7. They were aided by a fine knock of 67 from 53 balls by J.P. Duminy. Among the Aussie bowlers Patrick Cummins impressed all with his spell of 3 wickets for 25 runs. When it came to Australia’s turn with the bat they reached 147 runs losing only 5 wickets. Shane Watson was the star in the run chase by scoring 52 of 30 balls and supported by little contributions from Shaun Marsh (25 of 19 balls), David Hussey (25 of 27 balls) and Cameron White (28 of 22 balls). The second T20 was staged in Johannesburg and South Africa came back strongly to win this match by 3 wickets. Australia batted first and got to a total of 147/8 with notable contributions coming from the skipper Cameron White (39 of 26 balls) and Mitchell Marsh (36 of 21 balls). Regular fall of wickets did not let the Aussies consolidate. South Africa chased down the total with 3 wickets still intact. Graeme Smith laid a solid start (24 of 22 balls), then Johan Botha (34 of 28 balls) and Juan Theron (31 of 16 balls) completed the victory. 

Young Australian Bowlers were Disciplined all through

Next in was turn for the ODI series to commence. Both the teams had a point to prove after the level ending T20 series. First ODI at Centurion was marred by rain interruption but the Aussies got off to a winning star. They won the match by 93 runs according to the Duckworth Lewis method. Australia batted first and got to a total of 183/4 in 29 overs before rain stopped play. Ricky Ponting showed glimpses of his former self with a fine innings of 63 from 77 balls while Michael Clarke (44 of 48 balls) and Michael Hussey (30 of 21 balls) also chipped in. South Africa came out to chase a reduced total due to the rain delay. But they managed only 129 all out. Only significant contributions to the innings were provided by Hashim Amla (24 of 32 balls) and Faf du Plessis (27 of 20 balls). Mitchell Johnson and Patrick Cummins bagged 3 wickets each. Second ODI was played in Port Elizabeth and as expected South Africa made a strong comeback. They beat the Australians by 80 runs. Batting first South Africa amassed a formidable total of 303/6. Jacques Kallis was the leading scorer with 76 of 88 balls. There were many other significant contributions from Graeme Smith (57 of 69 balls), J.P. Duminy (56 of 58 balls) and David Miller (59 of 51 balls). Though Australia was given a solid start by David Warner who scored 74 of 97 balls yet the following batsmen could not keep up the tempo and they were bowled out for 223. Morne Morkel bagged 4 wickets to finish the route. There was an intense tussle expected in the last ODI at Durban and the match lived upto its expectation. Batting first South Africa put up a meagre total of 22/6 in seam friendly conditions. Though Hashim Amla (52 of 72 balls) and Jacques Kallis (54 of 74 balls) started out well but disciplined Australian bowling restricted the South Africans. When chasing the total Australia also had their share of problems. But the cool and calm Michael Hussey saw the visitors through with his unbeaten knock of 45 of 64 balls. Thus Australia clinched the ODI series 2-1. 

Jacques Kallis & Graeme Smith in 2nd ODI

The teams will now gear up to carry on the contest onto the Test arena with a two test series coming up. It’s been a tough tour for the Aussie boys and so far they have coped well to the pressure. 

Juventus Going Strong in Serie A

Experts had predicted this would be a tough Serie A season and they were not far off the point. It has so far been one of the closest contested Serie A. Last year AC Milan had clinched the title with two rounds still to play over their closest rivals Inter Milan. Juventus had to contend for the seventh spot. This year Juve has come with a new lease of life by signing many new names into their squad. Their recent signings include Emanuele Giaccherini (Italian forward), Simone Pepe (Italian midfielder), Reto Zigler (Swiss defender), Mirko Vucinic (Montenegro forward), Fabio Quagliarella (Italian forward), Alessandro Matri (Italian forward), Andrea Pirlo (Italian midfielder), Marco Motta (Italian defender), Arturo Vidal (Chilean midfielder), Eljero Elia (Dutch midfielder), Michele Pazienza (Italian midfielder), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Swiss defender) and Marcelo Estigarribia (Paraguayan midfielder). Anotonio Conte was brought in as the new coach of the Juventus side after his successful stint with Siena. 

Simone Pepe, Stephan Lichtsteiner & Claudio Marchisio

The early signs for this side from Turin are inspiring they are sitting pretty at the top of the Serie A table with 16 points from 8 matches including 4 wins and 4 draws. While AC Milan is in the fifth position with 14 points and Inter Milan is in sixteenth position with 8 points. They have been composed in defence and have found a new lease of life while going forward. Another factor helping them, they are out of the Cahmpions League and can solely concentrate on the Serie A for this season. Their scores in the 8 matches so far played are:

Alessandro Matri Leading Scorer for Juventus

• 11th Sep 2011, Home: Juventus 4 [Lichtsteiner (15'), Pepe (58'), Vidal (73') Marchisio (83') De Ceglie (90')] vs. Parma 1 [Giovinco (90' pen)]
• 18th Sep 2011, Away: Juventus 1 [Matri (54')] vs. Siena 0
• 21st Sep 2011, Home: Juventus 1 [Vucinic (29')] vs. Bologna 1 [Portanova (52')]
• 25th Sep 2011, Away: Juventus 1 [Krasic (49')] vs. Catania 1 [Bergessio (22')]
• 2nd Oct 2011, Home: Juventus 2 [Marchisio (86', 90')] vs. AC Milan 0
• 16th Oct 2011, Away: Juventus 0 vs. Chievo 0
• 22nd Oct 2011, Home: Juventus 2 [Matri (6', 58')] vs. Genoa 2 [Rossi (31'), Caracciolo (85')]
• 25th Oct 2011, Home: Juventus 2 [Bonussi (13'), Matri (65')] vs. Fiorentina 1 [ Jovetic (58')]

Remarkable Win Against AC Milan

Though there is a lot of football to be played in the Italian league but Juventus have made a great start to the 2011-12 Serie A season. 

Greg Chappell Drops Another Bombshell and Target is Sachin

He has been a figure of controversy; he has been one of the most hated figures in India. Yes, I am talking about none other than Greg Chappell. His first controversial act came in the one-day international series between Australia and New Zealand. He asked his brother Trevor Chappell to bowl underarm along the ground. Though Australia won the match but Trevor Chappell could never overcome this incident. Many touted this act as unsportsmanlike behaviour. But Greg simply laughed it off saying he intends just one thing, to win matches. 

Sachin Tendulkar & Greg Chappell

He helped the Indian team put up an impressive show against Australia in the 2002-03 series Down Under in the role of a batting consultant. It was no wonder that he became BCCI’s best choice when John Wright decided to step down from Indian coach’s role. In May 2005 he became the coach of the Indian national team with much backing from the then captain Sourav Ganguly. But once he gained the position he went after Sourav Ganguly himself. He started the blame game on this great captain. During the first overseas tour of India in Zimbabwe he asked Sourav to step down as captain. This led to vast media criticism. But soon Greg had his say and Sourav Ganguly was dropped from the Indian team and Rahul Dravid became the new captain. What followed was the start of a dismal Greg Chappell era in Indian cricket. He tried to usher in new blood to the Indian team in the form of Robin Uthappa, Venugopal Rao, R.P. Singh, etc. But none of them can be seen in the Indian team anymore. Many experts feel he is also the reason for Irfan Pathan’s demise from a promising seam bowler. Greg wanted to make him an all-rounder and in the process made Irfan lose his form with the ball. Then came 2007 World Cup where Team India had a miserable outing losing to the minnows Bangladesh. 

Rahul Dravid after India's Early Exit from World Cup 2007

All through his tenure as coach of India he was criticised by many players including Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh but they were dealt with harshly. Many cricket experts also suggested that Greg tried to run the team and always wanted the players to feel he was the headmaster. Thus players were largely unhappy with him. His obscene gestures at the Indian press made him a villain to the public eye. His sacking from the coach’s role brought a sigh of relief to the Indian cricketing world. 


But his tendency of dropping bombs and creating controversies hasn’t gone it seems! In his recent book ‘Fierce Focus’ he has claimed that Sachin Tendulkar was mentally fragile and self doubted his skills when he took over as coach. According to him one day during his coaching stint Sachin came to him and had discussions for nearly two hours. He was worried about his loss of form and recovery from tennis elbow injury. Greg also said Sachin asked for his help. In another portion of the book Greg writes "When the team travelled, he would snap on his headphones, not look sideways, and shut it all out. Not even Don Bradman carried expectations like this, and Sachin had been bearing it since 1989". Though I would never want to be on the same bout as Greg Chappell but this is a very valid point. Throughout the 90’s Sachin Tendulkar was seen as the sole person who could win India matches. His departure from the batting crease would often signal the end of Indian resistance. But when we talk about Greg era there were many great players to share the burden. Rahul Dravid was in full flow then, there was Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh too. So why would Sachin complain to Greg at such a time. 

His Controversial Conversation with Sourav Ganguly

Greg also writes on “once we were talking ... and I said, 'You must have so many friends, it must be hard finding time to keep in touch with all of them'. He looked me in the eye and said, 'Greg, you would have more friends in India than I've got.” This is again a contradictory statement to what we know of Sachin. He is a social guy and enjoys his off season with his close friends, family and relatives.

Is Manchester City The New Boss of EPL?

The city of Manchester has largely come to the limelight in the present years for the prestigious club housed there, Manchester United. Manchester United has been one of the bosses of EPL having won the trophy for as many as 19 times. They have also won the UEFA Champions League 3 times. The trophy cabinet at Manchester United club always seems to be full of their recent wins. But now Manchester is witnessing the rise of another sleeping giant. Manchester City who had won their last League title as late as 1967-68, have assembled a great team this time around and are posing a serious threat to the title defence of Manchester United. 

Mario Balotelli Scoring Against Aston Villa 

Roberto Mancini the much acclaimed Italian manager was roped in by the club in December 2009. Before the start of the 2010-11 season Manchester City made some noteworthy signings in the form of David Silva, Yaya Toure, Jerome Boateng, Mario Balotelli, Edin Dzeko, James Milner and Aleksandar Kolarov. Cash coming from the new Abu Dhabi United Group owners was invested in getting solid bench strength. Results showed as they reached the finals of 2011 FA Cup, it was their first final in over 30 years. They beat Stoke City 1-0 to win their first major trophy since 1976 League Cup win. They ended up as the Third team in the 2010-11 EPL and automatically qualified for the UEFA Champions League. But there was still some discontent among the fans. They wanted the EPL trophy next.  So Mancini and the Manchester City management started searching for some new talents. They signed a host of big names in the recently closed transfer window. New signings for Manchester City included Stefan Savic, Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero. They had achieved such a bench strength that reputed players such as Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz was sent out on loan. 

Milner in Action Against Fulham

They have made a great start to the EPL but have a long way to go in Champions League campaigns. In the UEFA Champions League Manchester City are placed in Group A with the likes of Bayern Munich, Napoli and Villarreal. Manchester City have so far managed 1-1 draw against Napoli at home, a 2-0 loss at Munich against Bayern Munich and a 2-1 win against Villarreal at home. They will play Villarreal at Estadio El Madrigal on November 2 to decide their progress. 

Sergio Aguero in Action Against Wigan

In the Barclay’s English Premier league 2011-12 they are still sitting pretty at the top of the table with 25 points from 9 matches. Manchester City is 5 points clear of their city rivals Manchester United at the top of the table. The detailed results of all Manchester City Matches in the EPL 2011-12 are mentioned below:


• August 15, 2011, Home: Manchester City 4 [Edin Dzeko (57'), Sergio Agüero (68', 90'), David Silva (71')] vs. Swansea 0
• August 21, 201, Away: Manchester City 3 [David Silva (26'), Gareth Barry (37'), Edin Dzeko (47')] vs. Bolton Wanderers [Ivan Klasnic (39'), Kevin Davies (63')]
• August 28, 2011, Away: Manchester City 5 [Edin Dzeko (34', 41', 55', 90'),Sergio Agüero (60')] vs. Totenham Hotspur 1 [Younes Kaboul (68')]
• September 10, 2011, Home: Manchester City 3 [Sergio Agüero (13', 63', 69')] vs. Wigan Athletic 0
• September 18, 2011, Away: Manchester City 2 [Sergio Agüero (18', 46')] vs. Fulham 2 [Danny Murphy (75'), Bobby Zamora (55')]
• September 24, 2011, Home: Manchester City 2 [Mario Balotelli (68'), James Milner (89')] vs. Everton 0
• October 1, 2011, Away: Manchester City 4 [Adam Johnson (56'), Mario Balotelli (59'), Samir Nasri (73'), Stefan Savic (87')] vs. Blackburn Rovers 0
• October 15, 2011, Home: Manchester City 4 [Mario Balotelli (28'), Adam Johnson (47'), Vincent Kompany (52'), James Milner (71')] vs. Aston Villa 1 [Stephen Warnock (65')]
• October 23, 2011, Away: Manchester City 6 [Mario Balotelli (22', 60'), Sergio Agüero (69'), Edin Dzeko (89', 90'), David Silva (90')] vs. Manchester United 1 [Darren Fletcher (81')]


The last result is specially mention worthy as they beat the much fancied Manchester United and set early claim for the EPL title this year. Now the other teams will have to catch up on the strong performances of Manchester City if they have to stop this new emerging giant of English football.

Coming of Age of New Zealand

Known to cricketing world as the Kiwis, they were never a team of superstars such as their neighbours Australia or India, but they were a competitive lot never to be undermined. Apart from Sir Richard Hadlee, Martin Crowe and Danny Morrison not many more Kiwis got the cult status in the cricketing world. One of the major positives of this team was their team play. They believed they could do well with the collective contributions of all the players. Then came the era of light when a group of superstars in the likes of Stephen Fleming, Nathan Astle, Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, etc. Stephen Fleming went on to become the most successful captain of New Zealand with the able help of his counterparts. This was a time when they challenged any team in the world and often defeated the best teams in the world with ease. 

Greatbatch and Patel Catalysts of Success in 92

Kiwis came into the limelight with their stellar performances during eth 1992 World Cup. Martin Crowe and his unusual tactics became famous world over and they took many teams by surprise. Dipak Patel, the wily off spinner opened the bowling for New Zealand on the bouncy and pace filled tracks of Australia and New Zealand. Many teams found it hard to plan. On the batting front Mark Greatbatch with his flamboyant stroke play went on a merciless assault on the opponent bowlers. Many see this tactics as the evolution of Sanath Jayasuriya and pinch-hitting at the top of the ODI innings. Talented batsmen such as Martin Crowe and John Wright led the way on the batting front. They stormed into the semi-finals where their progress was halted by the eventual winners Pakistan. Martin Crowe finished as the leading run scorer in the competition. 

Kiwis had Successful Campaign in 99

After this success New Zealand took up another unusual step, they named Lee Germon the captain of New Zealand national team and provided him with a bunch of uncapped talents. Lee Germon himself uncapped could not quite live upto the expectations of the selectors. As is said some risks don’t come off. They failed in the 1996 World Cup. Stephen Fleming was named the captain of the Kiwi team. He restored pride in the team. Players such as Dion Nash, Roger Twose, Craig McMillan and Chris Cairns came up and made it count. While Chris Cairns was at his destructive best in the end over, Nathan Astle gave solid opening to the Kiwis. Geoff Allot with his potent Yorkers ably guided by Dion Nash produced results on the bowling front. After an inspiring display they made it into the semi-finals but their progress was again halted by the Pakistan team. They had to settle for semi-final losers spot over again. 

Stephen Fleming in Action in 2007 World Cup

They had a bad time of it in 2003 World Cup crashing out of the super six stages. In the 2007 edition they went onto reach the semi-finals again and met the same fate. They were defeated by Sri Lanka. Though the team looked lacklustre in the 2011 World Cup but they reached the semi-finals all the same. 

New Bunch will have to Gel Together

In the aftermath of the World Cup Daniel Vettori stepped down as the captain of the national team. He has also decided to play least cricket in national colours. He is one of the leading left arm spinners of all time and his absence will be felt dearly. Though some fresh faces have come in such as southpaw Tim Southee and batsman Kane Williamson, but they are still to be tested many a times. Many New Zealand cricket fans felt that Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder have the makings of great batsmen but they have been very inconsistent and failed in the crunch situations. Though Vettori had been a capable leader in the last few years but he got least support from a team still growing up. Hope that Ross Taylor, recently appointed the captain of the New Zealand team and the experienced coach in John Wright can make this team blossom and then become a team of world beaters over again. 

Can Zimbabwe Come Out Strong This Time?

If you are looking to script the story of Zimbabwe cricket and make a film out of it then you are a perfect opportunist. Indeed the history of Zimbabwe cricket in the recent past has been one of ups and downs. After having got their ICC Affiliation they played in World Cup 1983 and went off to a dream start beating Australia. They even came close to humiliating India, but for that match saving innings by Kapil Dev. Their performance in the next two editions of the World Cup was not inspiring, but their progress as a cricketing nation inspired ICC to give them test status. In the way they became the ninth test nation in 1992. Their initial performances in the test arena were very week.

Zimbabwean Players in World Cup 1999

All through the 90’s they improved in the ODI format though. Many talented cricketers such as wicket-keeper batsman Andy Flower, batsmen Grant Flower, Murray Goodwin, David Houghton and Alistair Campbell and all-rounders Heath Streak, Andy Blignaut, etc. led the way to the gradual improvement of the Zimbabwean cricket team. They got to the super six stages of world Cup 1999 and did not get through to the semi-finals merely on the basis of inferior run-rate. Their one day performances even reflected in their Test results and the team won first test series against Pakistan. During the late 90s they could beat any team on their best days.

Andy Flower & Henry Olonga Wore Black Armbands

But then this talented cricket team faced one upset after the other. The political unrest in Zimbabwe loomed large on the World Cup 2003. Even some Zimbabwe players, namely Henry Olonga and Andy Flower wore black armbands to mourn the death of democracy. England avoided playing in Zimbabwe. After the World Cup both the above mentioned protestors left Zimbabwe never to return again in fear of execution. In 2004 already weakened Zimbabwe side protested vehemently against political intervention and racism in team selection. ZCU had introduced a new regulation according to which there would be percentage equilibrium of the black and white players in the side. Heath Streak was also sacked from his captaincy. The team lost many important members such as Travis Friend, Andy Blignaut, Douglas Marillier, Sean Ervine, Craig Wishart among others due to this policy. This coupled with the recent departure of players such as Neil Johnson, Murray Goodwin and Grant Flower made the team crumble.

After Losing Key Players Zimbabwe Lost the Way

Though Heath Streak was reinstated later but he resigned in 2005 leaving Zimbabwe cricket in dismay. Tatenda Tiabu was named as the next captain, but differences between him (along with host of other players) and the ZCU over central contracts forced him to resign too. What followed was a series of embarrassing results. They lost a test to New Zealand within two days and were the first team to be bowled out twice in a test against India in their home series. In January 2006 the ZCU that they would suspend test playing and try to build a better team. They have ever since not played much of International cricket. Though they have played regularly against Bangladesh in One Day and T20 format, but they have gone from the favourites to underdogs in this duel.  

Recent Success against Bangladesh was a Dream Comeback

They have recently re-surfaced on the International arena and their first signs are inspiring. They won their comeback series against Bangladesh. The ODI series was bagged by Zimbabwe 3-2, while they also managed to win the One-off Test Series.  In their present series against the Kiwis they are looking competitive at times, while lost at others. Hope this new coming of the Zimbabwean cricket team would be as inspiring as the 1999 World Cup performances and they will give a hard time to big guys of World Cricket.

Is Bangladesh Losing the Plot Again?

If you consider the graph of the Bangladesh cricket team, it would show an unimaginable inconsistency. In their good times they have beaten strong teams such as India, Pakistan, Australia and West Indies. But they have also succumbed to facile losses. One of the brightest lights in Bangladesh cricket was their win against the world semi-finalists Pakistan in World Cup 1999. But in the aftermath they had many disappointing results. They also managed to beat the unbeatable Australian team (in those days) at the heaven of cricket, Lord’s. Their next notable performance in ODIs came against the fancied Indian team led by Rahul Dravid in 2007 World Cup. But after this they were again subjected to many disappointments.

Famous Win Against India in World Cup 2007

One of the highlights for Bangladesh cricket was that they were still a leader among the minnows and managed to beat Zimbabwe consistently, though the Zimbabweans were ravaged by political unrest at home. Another noteworthy achievement for Bangladeshis came under the able leadership of Shakib Al-Hasan when they defeated the depleted West Indies side in 2010. They not only won the ODI series but the test series too with an overwhelming margin of 2-0. Under Shakib Bangladesh proved to be a competent cricket team as was witnessed by New Zealand or England. Shakib’s partnership with Jamie Siddons was one of the impressive phases of Bangladesh cricket.

Shakib is and has been One of the Best Performers

In the recently concluded 2011 World Cup in India Bangladesh had some inspiring performances winning against the giant killers Ireland, fancied England and Netherlands. Though they lost their matches against India, West Indies and South Africa and thus blew the opportunity to move to the next round. Shakib not only led the team well in his tenure but he improved as an ace all-rounder too. He picked up important wickets at crucial junctures of the game and scored runs when his team needed the most. Immediately after the World Cup the Bangladesh team toured Zimbabwe, who had just come out of international hibernation. Everyone expected Shakib’s men to win the series handsomely but the team failed.  Though Bangladesh won the first two matches easily but then they seemed to have lost the art of winning and lost the series 2-3. This loss didn’t go well with the Bangladesh Board and they brought about many changes, while Jamie Siddons left, Shakib was stripped off captaincy. I feel this was a decision taken under circumstances rather than being a just decision. One failure cannot undermine the consistency Bangladesh had under Shakib. Mushfiqur Rahim was named the new skipper and Stuart Law was brought in as the new coach.

Bangla Batsmen Need To Step Up Their Game under New Regime

It is time for the new partnership to prove their worth. West Indies at present is touring Bangladesh. In the One off T20 Bangladesh got to a win by 3 wickets. West Indies batted first and got to a total of 132 for 8 with Marlon Samuels (58 off 42 balls) top scoring. Bangladesh chasing the score got to 135 for the loss of 7 wickets. The star of the game was newly appointed captain Mushfiqur Rahim who scored 41 off 26 balls and was named the Man of the Match.

Mushfiqur is the new Man in Charge

 In the 3 match ODI series West Indies bossed the proceedings. In the first ODI at Mirpur they won by a margin of 40 runs. West Indies batted first and got to a total of 298 for 4, star for the visiting side was Lendl Simmons who scored 122 off 124 balls. In reply Bangladesh managed to get to 258 for 7 in their 50 overs. Shakib Al-Hasan top scored with 67 off 58 balls for the home side. In the second ODI, West Indies again beat Bangladesh emphatically by a margin or 8 wickets. Bangladesh got to a score of 220 after batting first with Mushfiqur Rahim (69 off 109) and Nasir Hossain (50 off 54) being the impressive batsmen. West Indies chased down the total with comfort thanks to the contributions from Lendl Simmons (80 off 125 balls) and Marlon Samuels (88 off 74 balls). In the final ODI at Chittagong Bangladesh came back strongly and won the dead rubber by eight wickets.  They bowled out West Indies for 61 in 22 overs as Shakib wrecked the Windies batting with his 4 wicket haul. The winning runs were knocked off by Tamim Iqbal in 20 overs.

Lendl Simmons has Been a Thorn in the Flesh for Bangladesh

Next up is a chance for Bangladesh to redeem themselves in Test cricket. It is a week West Indian side and it would be a great chance for Bangladesh to get off to a winning start in Tests under the new reign.

They Run the Show From the Dressing Room

You ask any person about the players in the International cricketing teams and they will be able to answer instantly, this is the fan following of cricket players. But the success of a team not only depends on the on-field skills but the planning done of the drawing board and the practice sessions held before a match. During such times the coach of the team is the most important person. The coach’s role in international cricket cannot be undermined in any way. Still they live within the confines of the dressing room and seldom get the desired praises. Coaches though are the first people to get the axe if their team does not perform according to the desired expectations. So I thought I would bring these great men to the fore today. Below is a list of all the International coaches:

Duncan Fletcher, Indian Coach

Duncan Fletcher (India)

He is a former Zimbabwe captain and was instrumental in improving the fortunes of the English team before taking on the role of head of the Indian national team in April, 2011. As a player he was known for his left-handed batting and bowled right arm fast medium. Though he mounted no peaks as a professional cricketer for Zimbabwe, yet his partnership with Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan led to the rejuvenation of the English side.

Troy Cooley, Coach of Australia

Troy Cooley (Australia)

He is a former player for the Australian first class team Tasmanian Tigers. He also acted as bowling coach of the English national team for many years and became the bowling coach of Australian national team in May 2006. He has been appointed the interim coach of the Australian team following the resignation of Tim Nielsen.

Andy Flower, Coach of England

Andy Flower (England)

Andy Flower is a former captain and keeper-batsman for Zimbabwe. He is considered to be one of the best keeper batsmen alongside Adam Gilchrist.  He started his coaching career as an Assistant coach of the England team. He was made the head coach of the English team in April 2009 following the departure of Peter Moores. Under him England has won the 2010 ICC World Twnety20 and the Ashes. He has led the English team to the number one spot in test cricket in 2011.

New Zealand Coach, John Wright

John Wright (New Zealand)

He was the former captain of the New Zealand national team. He was left handed batsman and scored 12 test and 1 ODI hundred. After a successful stint with Kent he took up the position of head coach of Indian national team in November 2000 from Kapil Dev. He formed a great partnership with Sourav Ganguly and the duo won many remarkable victories including test triumph in Australia and beating Pakistanis at their backyard. Under him the Indian team made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup 2003. He resigned from the coach’s position after the World Cup. He took over the position of head coach of New Zealand from Mark Greatbatch in December. Though the team to perform in the 2011 World Cup but he has been retained as coach.

Geoff Marsh: Coach of Sri Lanka

Geoff Marsh (Sri Lanka)

He was the former opening batsman of the Australian national side and featured in more than 50 test matches and 100 ODIs. He led the Australian team to the 1999 World Cup victory as a coach. He assumed the position of the head coach of Australia in July 1996 and was known to be a key ingredient in Australia’s dominance over world cricket. After leaving the top job in Australia he became the head coach of Zimbabwe in 2001 and continued till 2004. He was made the coach of Sri Lankan cricket team in September 2011.

Gary Kirsten Coach of South Africa

Gary Kirsten (South Africa)

He was a former opening batsman of the South African national team. He featured in 101 test matches and 185 ODIs. He had the record for highest individual score in ODI innings with 188 not out against UAE. After retiring he took up the role of head coach of Indian national team. Under his guidance the Indian team reached to the top of the test rankings and won the ICC World Cup 2011 too. He resigned from the position after the World Cup success and took up the South African head coach position in June 2011.

West Indies Coach, Ottis Gibson

Ottis Gibson (West Indies)

Ottis Gibson was a right arm fast bowler for West Indies national team. He did not have much success wearing the West Indies colours but he had inspiring spells in English County. In September 2007 he was appointed the bowling coach of England. He took up the role of head coach of West Indies national team in January 2010. He has been ever since trying to rebuild the West Indies team to its former glory. He was retained even after the disappointing World Cup 2011.

Mohsin Khan (Pakistan)

He was an opening batsman for Pakistani team. He has been appointed as the interim coach of the Pakistan team even as they search for their full time coach. He has taken over the responsibilities following the resignation of Waqar Younis last month.

Alan Butcher, Coach of Zimbabwe

Alan Butcher (Zimbabwe)

He is a former English batsman who was known for his performances in first class competitions. He became the coach of county side Essex in 1993 and Surrey in 2005. He has been the head coach of Zimbabwe and helping the team rebuild after their hibernation from world cricket.

Bangladesh Coach: Stuart Law

Stuart Law (Bangladesh)

He was a middle order Australian batsman and featured in 54 ODIs. Law was appointed the assistant coach of Sri Lanka in October 2009 and became the head coach of Sri Lanka for a very short time after Trevor Bayliss left. He was named the head coach of Bangladesh following the departure of Jamie Siddons.

Irish Coach Phil Simmons

Phil Simmons (Ireland)

He was a skilled opening batsman and useful bowler who played for West Indies. He featured in 26 tests and 143 ODIs. He also has 1 test and 5 ODI hundreds to his credit. He became the head coach of Zimbabwe in 2004. He was made the head coach of Irish national side after Adrain Birrell left Ireland after the World Cup 2007. Under him Ireland has staged many upsets in the World Cup 2011 and have been a top team among the ICC Affiliate Nations.

Spot Fixing Puts Honesty of International Players in a Spot

The cricketing fraternity was rocked by the match-fixing scandal which came to light in the early 2000. The Delhi Police revealed that many Indian and South African players were involved in match-fixing some of the eminent names among them were Hansie Cronje, Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja, etc. Most of the players were suspended for life and a special anti-corruption unit was set up by the ICC. 

Amir Bowling a No Ball in the 4th Test

It seemed that the days of fixed matches were gone. Then the 2010 spot-fixing controversy came to the fore. According to the News of the World release many Pakistani players had accepted bribes to provide information about some segments of the play. Information such as timing of bowling a no ball or wide within a pre-fixed time of the play were provided to the bookmaker Mazhar Majeed in return of monetary gains. Three Pakistani players namely Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were accused of the crime. The fast bowlers Asif and Amir had bowled no balls at specific balls within an over intentionally during the 4^th Test match during Pakistani cricket team’s tour of England. Undercover reporter’s videotaped a sting operation which revealed these names.

Amir (left), Butt (middle) & Asif (right) during 4th Test 

Since then a game of denial has been going on between the court of law and the accused. All the three players filed suits against the ICC in a bid to withdraw temporary suspension. But their suits have been denied by the court. In the recent hearing of the Crown Prosecution Salman Butt again labelled all the accusations against him to be false. He said he never asked the bowlers to bowl the no-balls. He said he was never in touch with Mazhar and this might be a conspiracy of other Pakistani team members. Mazhar on the otherhand has said that he was a close friend of Danish Kaneria who is already under the scanner for spot-fixing controversy in UK domestic cricket. As like others Danish too denied this comment. Mazhar also startled the court by claiming that he had access to Indian players such as Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh. But the duo joked about it and asked for the ICC to get the mental stability of Mazhar checked.

Mazhar Majeed Caught in Sting Operation

Mazhar Majeed also confessed that he was in contact with many Australian players. To this accusation the entire Australian team stood up in unison. An investigation team was set up by the CA but all the players were declared clean according to the reports. Such accusations have again posed a huge question mark on the fairness of International cricketing matches. But unlike the 2000 match-fixing controversy this recent development has not fazed much of the cricketing enthusiasts. It seems that they have taken it in their stride as long as they get good cricket to watch. But the ICC on its behalf needs to do more. The convicts should be dealt harsh punishments to set an example. Cricket or any other sports for that matter should be free from bribery and fraud.

Would India be Able to Take a Sweet Revenge?

The nation which was still basking in the glory of World Cup 2011 triumph got a rude awakening when the India team toured England. If the five nil drubbing in the test series was not enough, then came the 4-0 drubbing in the one-dayers. Though India missed many key players all through the tour and at a time the team looked like a hospital, with most of the first team players nursing some injury or the other, yet that was no reason for the number one team in the world to lose so heavily. Many comments flew in from the English press and the ex-English players and the Indian team had to contend with that.

Indian Team After Scalping an English Wicket in Hyderabad

Now it is time to take a sweet revenge. We are back at our home turf and in conditions that suit our players. Many English experts had started strewing the plot even before the English team arrived the Indian shores. They blamed India for preparing slow and spin friendly pitches. But my argument in this regard would be: when we visit England don’t we have green and seamer friendly pitches to contend with? So what is the issue, every team tries to reap home advantage. With the exception of Gautam Gambhir most of the other players are yet to recover from their injuries and thus it would be a second chance for the young talents to show their skills on the big stage. One of the things that baffled me with the team selection was the exclusion of Yusuf Pathan and Harbhajan Singh. We know both these players have under-performed over the last few months, but they are talents that can win you matches.

Dhoni on his Way to a Match Winning Innings at Hyderabad 

But the series has already got underway and you can easily name it the revenge series. Indian team is out to prove a point against a fiercely competitive English side. The series has started with the one-dayers which are being played under the new ICC rules. In both the matches India have mastered over their opponents. The first one-dayer played at Hyderabad was won by India by a thumping margin of 126 runs. India batted first and amassed a total of 300 for the loss of 7 wickets thanks largely to the crucial knock from skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni who top scored with 87 from 70 balls. He was ably assisted by Suresh Raina scoring 61 of 55 balls and Ravindra Jadeja who scored 27 of 22 balls. When England came in to bat they had very little to boast about apart from the innings of their skipper Alistair Cook who scored 60 of 63 before succumbing to Ravindra Jadeja. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin went on to claim 3 wickets each as England were bowled out for 174 in 36 overs and one ball.

Vinay Kumar after Claiming the Wicket of Trott

The second one-dayer at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi brought similar joys to the home team as well. India beat England by 8 wickets in this rubber. Opting to bat first England got to a total of 237 with forties from Kevin Pietersen and Samit Patel. There were no large partnerships all through the innings largely thanks to Vinay Kumar’s bowling heroics. Vinay Kumar ended up getting 4 English scalps. When batting Indian team got off to a dodgy start and at one stage they were 29 for 2. But this time around Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir washed out the English opposition with their master-class stroke play. They featured in an unbroken partnership of 209 runs. While Virat Kohli got his seventh hundred in ODIs (112 from 98 balls), Gautam Gambhir on the otherhand remained unbeaten at 84 of 90 balls. All the English bowlers were taken to the sword as the match ended in just 36.4 overs.

Kohli & Gambhir During their Unbeaten Partnership

During these matches I saw many fielding blemishes and even missed catches in the outfield from the English team. So whom does Nasser Hussain want to call a monkey now? Or does Michael Vaughan have some new conspiracy theory against the Indian team? We can only hope that India completes its revenge in style to silence all their critics.