Imran Khan wants Shahid Afridi to lead Pakistan in Test cricket as well

Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan has said that Shahid Khan Afridi should be the captain of the national team in all the three formats of the game. Afridi announced his retirement from Test cricket during the series against Australia in England last year after Pakistan lost the first Test at Lords and he flew back home. However, the Men in Green went on to level the series in the next match under the captaincy of Salman Butt. Imran wants Afridi to take back his retirement from the longer version of the game and lead his country in limited overs as well as Test cricket. The legendary cricketer and one of the best all-rounders of the history of the sport feels that there should be one man leading his country...

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Cricket World Cup 2011: review, experts’ verdict, team of tournament and changes for 2015

Michael Vaughan Player of the tournament Yuvraj Singh... His batting and bowling were both crucial to India’s success. His calmness at the crease took them home in tight situations. He made 362 runs at an average of 90 and took 15 wickets. Only Zaheer Khan, Tim Southee and Shahid Afridi managed more victims. Match of the tournament India v England... England’s tie with India was a fantastic game of 50-over cricket that ebbed and flowed. Both sides left the ground feeling that they could and should have won. Most memorable moment Dhoni's winning six... A great way to end the final and a shot that will live forever in the memory of India’s fans. Dhoni had played the perfect captain’s innings. Biggest...

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Warne puts his hand up for India job?

According to reports, former Australian spinner Shane Warne on Wednesday suggested that he'd vie for the position of Indian coach if afforded the opportunity, as the World Cup-winning nation search for a successor to Gary Kirsten. Having announced earlier in the year that he would renew his contract with the BCCI after the ODI showpiece, former South African batsman Kirsten brought to a triumphant end to his role as head coach of the sub-continental big guns with victory over Sri Lanka in Saturday's final in Mumbai. "It is a very difficult job to be India coach, it is never easy," Warne was quoted as saying in the Mail Today. "But with India doing so well, it is a lot easier to take over right now than it has been in the past. I'll...

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Jayawardene, selection committee resign

Sri Lankan Cricket's week of turmoil continued on Wednesday as vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene and the entire selection committee, headed by chief selector Aravinda de Silva, handed in their resignations. This after Kumar Sangakkara had on Tuesday quit the ODI and Twenty20 captaincy and outlined his plans to eventually relinquish the Test helm. The term of de Silva and fellow committee members Ranjith Fernando, Amal Silva and Azwer Ali was due to end on April 30, but their choice to collectively step down in advance, according to their statement, comes as a means for "the new selection committee "an opportunity to make short- and long- term plans, in the way they think is best for our cricket." Just four days after Sri Lanka's World...

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ICC up the creek and without a paddle

Nobody can deny that there were a handful of incredibly one-sided games in the 2011 World Cup - the scorecards don't lie. Using the same form of measurement, though, one can also see that there were some absolute crackers, a few of which involved the likeable folk from Ireland. William Porterfield's men quickly became fan favourites at the event, but those fans better commit Kevin O'Brien's assault against England, George Dockrell's magic and a general sense of enthusiasm and dedication to their long-term memories because they won't be seeing those players at the game's showpiece event for at least eight years; and that is simply unacceptable. Ireland's reaction to the ICC's decision to limit participation in the 2015 World Cup to the 10 Member nations has been understandably ...

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Weak middle order cost South Africa - Kirsten

Gary Kirsten, former South Africa opening batsman and India coach, believes that South Africa's early World Cup exit was caused by their fragile middle order. South Africa crashed out of the tournament in the quarter-finals after a 49-run defeat to New Zealand. They failed to chase 222, after losing eight wickets for 64 runs. "The most important thing in those games is to have an experienced middle order," Kirsten said in Mumbai, where his stint as India coach ended with World Cup victory. "I just felt that they fell short in the middle order in this World Cup." South Africa's middle and lower middle order regularly consisted of JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis and Robin Peterson who collectively scored 426 runs in 21 innings at the tournament....

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South Africa wants Gary Kirsten in the same avatar

THE MAN behind million smiles and who guided Team India to the path of victory is in great demand. Gary Kirsten , coach of the world champion Indian cricket team was approached by cricket South Africa to take the place of coach from Corrie Van Zyl in June, but he has not taken a decision yet.   Just after the world witnessed India’s victory the coach stood up on his toes with joy to celebrate his team’s hard work that resulted in such a magnificent win. Kirsten, under whose guidance and support, the Indian team won the world cup after 28 years, has always given the credit to the players.   When he took up the role of coach for India, many predicted that will be a cultural clash but his approach and dedication made India see this day of victory. India became the...

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Wasim Akram regards Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the best Indian captain

The legendary Pakistani fast bowler, Wasim Akram regards Mahendra Singh Dhoni as ‘the best captain’, Indian has ever had. A few days ago, Sachin Tendulkar termed Dhoni as the best captain, he has played under. The coach, Gary Kirsten also declared him as the best captain, who puts in his maximum effort in the field and is very sensitive towards the performance of the team. The former Pakistan captain also joined the chorus and said the wicket-keeper batsman’s record is a testimony to the fact. Akram said, "Dhoni performed very well in the last four years. He has evolved as a leader, not just as a cricketer. In my opinion, if you see his records, he is definitely the best captain India ever had." Dhoni emerged...

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The best World Cup of all time

This was India's year, and they earned their win in style. But this World Cup was a spectacular success and would have been had they won the final or not © AFP Enlarge Related Links Match home : Format of future World Cups Audio/Video: 'Dhoni made the difference for India' Series/Tournaments: ICC Cricket World Cup Teams: Ireland Four years ago in the Caribbean, it was said that the ICC got the World Cup it deserved. The 2007 tournament was a bloated, corporate, soulless sell-out of an event, infused with a noxious blend of controversy and apathy that turned the self-proclaimed Carnival of Cricket into a six-week wake. In Asia in 2011, however,...

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SL selectors resign after captain, v-captain quit

After Kumar Sangakkara stepped down as one-day and Twenty20 captain and veteran batsman Mahela Jayawardene quit as vice-captain, a three-member selection committee also resigned en masse in a major shake-up in Sri Lankan cricket following the team's World Cup defeat. The selectors, led by former batsman Aravinda de Silva, handed in their resignations to Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage. De Silva was the vice-captain of the 1996 World Cup-winning Sri Lankan side. Sangakkara stood down on Tuesday to allow selectors to groom new leaders for the next cricket World Cup in 2015. A day later, Jayawardene resigned as vice-captain to let the selectors to appoint a young player as new deputy. Sri Lanka's next international assignment is the tour of England in May-July for three...

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Pakistan Cricket Board announces squad for tour of West Indies

The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced the squad for the tour of West Indies which is scheduled to start later in April 2011. Following Pakistan’s 29-run defeat to India in the semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2011, the selection committee has decided to include youngsters for the tour to the Caribbean. Shahid Afridi would lead the squad for the upcoming series as a captain while Misbah-ul-Haq, who was hugely criticised for his performance in the ICC World Cup 2011 semi-final against India, would serve as a vice captain. On the other hand, Kamran Akmal, who displayed a dismal glove work throughout the World Cup, has been replaced by Muhammad Salman. Senior batsman Younis Khan has also been dropped for the next series as he also...

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I am always available to work with our players: Former Test Captain, Javed Miandad

I am always available to work with our players: Former Test Captain, Javed MiandadAfter helping the Men in Green to prepare for the New Zealand 2010-11 tour, former Pakistan test captain Javed Miandad has been approached to assist the squad’s batting lineup.Thanking the skipper, Shahid Afridi and the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt, a generous Miandad responded that his services are always available for the Pakistan team in times of need. "I am always available to work with our players. I will be able to focus full-time on this job in a few months time," maintained Miandad.Even thought the cricket veteran has not given his final word for the upcoming West Indies tour,...

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