Sachin has been an amazing role model: Pollock

MUMBAI: Shaun Pollock is occupying the same dressing room at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai which the Indian team had used a couple of days back, working their way to World Cup glory.

Sitting there, watching the turf through the thick glass panelled viewing area, he tries recollecting what he saw of India's victory in the final over Sri Lanka on television.

"It was an amazing moment," he says. "A well-deserved victory for a very good team."

Pollock is here for the Indian Premier League, as a mentor for Mumbai Indians, the team he's been associated with for two of the three years and the idea of working with Sachin Tendulkar again has fascinated the former South African all-rounder. "He's been an amazing role model."

Pollock puts a lot of emphasis on the humility of Tendulkar. "From the media, from the public, there's so much pressure. I have travelled with him across the country in the same team bus. To see him keep his focus completely on the game despite the kind of adulation he receives is something."

Pollock says the senior batsman has a very good idea of how youngsters watch his every step and therefore, to be the right role model for growing cricketers is the biggest service Tendulkar might be doing.

He's hoping that Mumbai Indians will be a bigger draw than any time before because of Tendulkar's presence. Not that it wasn't the case earlier, but this time because Tendulkar will be playing the tournament as a World Cup winner.

"The Indian community has always been such a great fan of this game and I'm hoping they'll flock the stadiums to watch Tendulkar like never before," says Pollock.

Sadly, Pollock is yet to see his national team South Africa lay its hands on the Cup. But, he doesn't feel the Proteas are chokers as labelled. "The media, opposition teams add to the pressure when they keep repeating it. These things make a difference," insists Pollock.

But, with India's victory, he sees a ray of hope for South Africa shedding the chokers tag. "The Indian team also faced enough pressure but they managed to win the trophy and South Africa can do the same," he says.

Pollock is about to find the next 40 days in India interesting because it'll give him a good idea of how the frenzy post the World Cup victory has caught up with the whole country. In the process, he's looking forward to having a great time helping Mumbai Indians win their first IPL trophy, one that is yet to find its way into Tendulkar's growing trophy cabinet.

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/Sachin-has-been-an-amazing-role-model-Pollock/articleshow/7890792.cms

Clamour for Bharat Ratna to Sachin growing

Mumbai: Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has reached every conceivable milestone in the world of cricket. Now with the World Cup in his kitty, the clamour for Sachin to be awarded the Bharat Ratna is growing.

The Maharashtra Assembly adopted a resolution on Tuesday, seeking India's highest civilian award for Sachin Tendulkar.

The state assembly unanimously recommended to the Central Government that Sachin be presented the Bharat Ratna.

"The Maharashtra Assembly has unanimously decided that Sachin must be awarded the Bharat Ratna for his accomplishments," said Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

The Opposition went a step further and said that Tendulkar's request for extra FSI to construct a gym at his Bandra bungalow, be approved. This despite the fact that Sachin himself, had later withdrawn this demand.

"If needed, the rules should be amended to meet Sachin's demand as soon as possible," said BJP MLA Devendra Fadnavis.

Still others demanded honours for the entire team.

"Having won the WC, Sachin must get the Bharat Ratna and all other members of Team India must be awarded Padma Puraskar," said Maharashtra PWD Minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal.

At the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan on Tuesday, after a motion to congratulate the Indian team was passed, the whole assembly gave a standing ovation to the Indian team and cheered loudly for India. The men in blue clearly achieved the unachievable, unity amongst the men in white!

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http://ibnlive.in.com/news/clamour-for-bharat-ratna-to-schin-growing/148365-3.html?from=hp

We knew we were going to win: Kirsten

Gary Kirsten has called the tough quarterfinal against Australia a tipping point in self-belief in the Indian camp, and that it led to a "sense of destiny" about winning the World Cup. Though no host country had won the World Cup before, Kirsten said he thought there was "never any doubt" about India becoming champions as the knockout stage progressed.

"I felt we were going to do this thing. And to the point the day before the final we knew were going to win," he told ESPNcricinfo on Monday (full interview will be published on Tuesday). "We actually even spoke about it. That we were going to win this thing. It [the issue] is how we prepare to deal with the success because we are going to win. There was never any doubt at that stage."

Kirsten said he was thrilled with the resilience of the Indian team, which managed to win though their opponents were generally viewed to have the edge at the halfway stage of each of the knockout matches. "The one thing what really worked for us in the tournament was that we got ourselves into tough situations in virtually every game," he said. "Even the games against Ireland and the Netherlands were tough. But I believe that really helped us. We were battle-hardened. We had no easy build-up.

"For me the key moment was the Australian game where we chased down 260, which was a tough ask. And from that moment I just got a real sense that within our unit that now we can actually believe that we can win this (World Cup) because we can confront any situation.

"We just believe that we can do anything. It stems from Harbhajan Singh scoring hundreds. It stems from Ishant Sharma batting with [VVS] Laxman to save a game. It stems from Gautam Gambhir batting out a day against South Africa in really tough conditions at Newlands. And then all the one-day efforts from difficult situations."

One man who rescued the team from tight situations in several matches was Yuvraj Singh, who had lost his place in the one-day side last year after struggling with form and fitness, but transformed into a match-winning allrounder in the World Cup.

"Yuvi had a turnaround I would say about six months ago when he got left out of the side in Sri Lanka. From that moment he did a lot of work with Paddy [Upton, the mental conditioning coach]. He made some personal decisions about what he was going to do in preparation for the World Cup: one of them was his fielding, one of them was his fitness.

"He had been through a tough six months, and to end up being the player of the World Cup that is as good a turnaround I have seen in world sport. He just personified the desire and the pride that these individuals have in playing for the country."

Among the people who inspired Yuvraj and the rest of the Indian team in the build-up to the tournament was Mike Horn, a high-altitude climber and Arctic explorer, who returned to help the team in the knockout phase as well. Among Horn's extreme adventure feats are climbing a 8000-metre peak without oxygen, navigating 7000km of the Amazon river besides traversing the Arctic circle without the help of motorised transport.

"The guys were really impressed with Horn's first session, which was during the Kolkata Test against South Africa last year," Kirsten said. "So we got him again during the pre-tournament stage. And again he went down remarkably well with the players, really connected with them, players love him, gave a couple of chat sessions, got involved in the practices.

"We wanted him (again) from the quarters but he said he couldn't make it but he came for the semis. The players were unaware when he entered the room in Mohali. He gave three very really inspirational talks leading into the final. He really just shares his personal experiences about his life and his adventures. He was the X-factor. He was that little bit of extra kick we needed."

Horn may have provided the extra kick, but it was Kirsten's low-profile coaching technique that constructed the base for the team to succeed. Everyone from Sachin Tendulkar to Virender Sehwag have repeatedly spoken of how Kirsten has helped them with their game, and the respect with which the players hold Kirsten was demonstrated when they chaired him around the ground during the victory celebrations at the Wankhede Stadium.

Despite the high esteem in which he is held within the Indian establishment, and the many successes during his three years in charge, Kirsten ruled out continuing to coach the national team and said he hadn't been approached by the BCCI to change his mind. The time away from his young family in South Africa was one of the factors in his decision, and he was yet to decide on what his next job would be.

"There is a lot on the table, you know. South Africa have approached me, and a couple of IPL teams have approached me," he said. One of them is the Mumbai Indians, and the other is a team that he has "forgotten" but for now it seems the only way in which he may remain connected to Indian cricket will be through the IPL.

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http://sports.ndtv.com/world-cup-2011/news/item/171670-we-knew-we-were-going-to-win-kirsten

‘I’ll continue to play ODIs’ - We’ve brought a smile on the face of every Indian: Sachin

Mumbai: Sachin Tendulkar, The Master, briefly spoke to The Telegraph at the team hotel and, then, took questions from a section of the media at the Raj Bhavan, on Sunday evening.

Such is the craze for Sachin (indeed, everybody wants a piece of him) that he couldn’t leave the hotel, for the reception by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, at the first attempt.

Sachin could cross the lobby only after security personnel quickly cleared the area. Not that he wasn’t mobbed at the Raj Bhavan.

The following are excerpts

Feelings on the day after...

It’s an unbelievable feeling, something I haven’t experienced before.

If he slept at all on Saturday night...

Hardly... That we’d won the World Cup still hadn’t sunk in... Rather, I began imagining that another match was coming up. It’s sinking in now

The achievement...

Huge... Huge... There’s nothing bigger than the World Cup and we’ve won it.

Win unifying the country, perhaps, like never before...

It’s great... We’ve brought a smile on the face of every Indian.

Teammates dedicating the win to him...

I’ve been touched... India have won, the team has won... I won’t forget their gesture... I’d dedicate it to the country.

Player of the Tournament Yuvraj Singh naming him as his special one...

(Laughs) I think he had somebody else in mind!

Having been in tears...

Well, I’d waited 21 years to be a World Cup-winner... I cried out of joy.

What made the difference...

Planning, preparation... The team’s self-belief. An environment where everybody knew his role.

Role played by Gary Kirsten, who is no more the coach...

His has been a big contribution. He’ll be missed in the dressing room.

If thoughts of the 2003 final, at the Wanderers, surfaced...

No... Last night was all about positive things... The good memories.

Message for the billion-plus fans...

Enjoy the moment... Savour the win.

Finally, on speculation that he’d quit ODIs...

No, I’ll continue to play them.

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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110404/jsp/sports/story_13807019.jsp

India Sri Lanka final: Dhoni's parents keep fingers crossed

RANCHI: "Shaurya" is premises no. H 10A in the Harmu Housing Colony, some 4 kms from Firayalal, the centre of Ranchi town. A two-storeyed building that had closed all its doors and windows on Friday afternoon to keep the pestering media at bay. It's the house where the Dhonis live, the family of the first citizen of Indian Cricket.

Shaurya is superstitious about Saturday's match. The inmates, Mahi's parents and his elder brother's family, do not want to discuss cricket at all. "There's a reason why. In 2007, we were nervous and didn't talk to anybody from the media at all. The Mahi-led India team won the inaugural ICC World Twenty20, defeating Pakistan by 5 runs in the final at Johannesburg. So we were delighted of course! When time came for the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup in England, we talked our hearts out. And India lost !"

That was Narendra Singh Dhoni , Mahi's elder brother, speaking to ET on Friday. "You know what? All this cricket means we are forced to remain under voluntary house arrest till it ends. Just look at the crowd in front of our house and you would know what I mean" he said. Sure enough. Between H10A and the BJP party office bang opposite the road, there were atleast six OB vans and some 40-50 mediamen milling around.

The Dhonis of Shaurya are, therefore, taking no chances this time. Not a word to the media, nothing at all that may come in the way of India and the Cup, not a deed that might make the Gods angry. Yes, the Dhonis are simple, God-fearing people.

As a mutual friend informed, the family visited Tarapith in West Bengal's Birbhum district with a local priest, to offer their prayers just before the semis with Pakistan at Mohali. Tarapith is Tantric hotspot and famously potent. Legend has it that the third eye of Sati fell here, when Shiva went on the rampage with his dead consort's lifeless body on his shoulder and Lord Vishnu decimated the body into 51 bits with his Sudarshan Chakra to pacify Shiva.

Narendra of course parried the question. "Is it not natural that we will pray?" he asked. Sure, and it's not only Mahi's family that is praying. Even his neighbours are. His closest neighbours these days are employees of State Bank of India , Harmu branch and the lady present in the bank on Friday, despite it being a bank holiday, said she certainly has prayed too and that she would be delighted if India wins the World Cup. Old neighbours at the Mecon colony, where the Dhonis first lived at N-171 and later at E-25 and where Mahi was born and brought up, said they were also praying for Mahi and India.

Kalyan Pramanik, who lived in N-172, and Satyajit Panda who lives in E-26, both were counting the uneasy hours before Saturday's finals. Being a Dhoni is tough at times and they are basically simple folk. Narendra is some 40 plus and runs his own private business. "We are very private people, but being a Dhoni doesn't allow us to lead a very private life" said Narendra. He had joined the BJP for sometime against the wishes of everyone in the family, including Mahi and his own wife. The intense opposition finally forced Narendra to quit politics.

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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/india-sri-lanka-final-dhonis-parents-keep-fingers-crossed/articleshow/7847809.cms

Customs detain WC trophy

The Customs authorities in Mumbai detained the cricket World Cup trophy at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on early Friday when it arrived from Colombo. The Customs detained the trophy, as no commercial value was attached to it making it difficult to assess the duty.

An International Cricket Council (ICC) representative had carried the trophy and also a covering letter not addressed to anyone, but saying, "To whomsoever it may concern".

Customs officials said that the letter mentioned that this property is not for commercial purposes and hence has nil value.

The representative arrived at around 2am by a Sri Lankan Airlines flight with the trophy kept in an aluminum box. The trophy made of silver and gold weighed around 11kg.

A senior Customs official, requesting anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media said that the trophy was detained because under Customs Act there is no duty exemption for the same.

"The ICC should have in advance approached the government and got adhoc exemption for the trophy through a notification," the official said explaining the procedure for getting exemption in such cases.

The Customs officials called experts to find out the value of the trophy following which the duty on the same would be ascertained. The experts were busy ascertaining the value of the trophy till evening.

Officials said after the duty is paid, the trophy would be released.

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http://www.hindustantimes.com/Customs-detain-WC-trophy/Article1-680157.aspx

Indian selectors humiliated

The five National selectors, headed by K. Srikkanth, returned to their respective homes after being humiliated in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Their ‘mysterious' absence at the Punjab Cricket Stadium (PCA) in Mohali was not to be missed on Wednesday as India clashed with Pakistan in the World Cup semifinal.

The selectors, who had confirmed room bookings at the Taj, were denied accommodation by the hotel authorities. PCA sources confirmed that the selectors were turned back by the hotel despite holding confirmed bookings.

The hotel, which has a tie-up with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), was facing unprecedented demand for rooms. The hotel did not offer any alternative arrangement and the selectors —Srikkanth, Yashpal Sharma, Narendra Hirwani, Raja Venkat and Surendra Bhave — were left with little choice.

The selectors lost little time in leaving Chandigarh. They drove back overnight to Delhi and were watching the match from their homes instead at Mohali. It is learnt the hotel authorities had transferred the room bookings to the International Cricket Council (ICC) even though the selectors' accommodation was the responsibility of the BCCI. The selectors had reported at 3 p.m. and had left the city four hours later by road.

The fiasco, claimed a PCA source, was due to a tussle between the BCCI and the ICC over ticket allocation and hotel bookings. The selectors are often known to fetch for themselves from the airport to the hotel or the stadium but this was a first as far as accommodation was concerned.

The last time a National selector was humiliated was Hirwani when he was evicted from a hospitality box during an Indian Premier League match (IPL) but surprisingly chose to suffer the indignity without any protest.

Incidentally, the selection committee includes two members — Srikkanth and Yashpal — of the 1983 World Cup winning team. The selectors, undoubtedly, deserved better treatment for having done a decent job of the responsibility entrusted to them.

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http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/article1585743.ece

Rain gives fans a scare

CHANDIGARH: Thunder, lightening and rain hit Mohali on Tuesday night, giving a sleepless night to cricket fans having tickets for Wednesday's ICC World Cup semi-final match between arch rivals India and Pakistan at PCA Stadium. Overnight rain poses a threat to cricket matches if there is water logging or pitch damage.

The sky in the morning was clear and nobody could have predicted rain later in the day even though it was windy for most of the time.

Cloud cover developed late in the evening and at around 10pm, it started raining in Mohali and Chandigarh.

Jatin Kapoor, who came from Delhi to watch the match, got worried on seeing rain in the Tricity. 'I will pray for the weather to stay dry,' he said. Mohali-resident Shailender Anand, who is expecting guests from Pakistan for the thriller, said three of his friends from Lahore were arriving on Wednesday morning. 'It will be shocking if they do not get to watch the match as they have got visas with much difficulty,' he added.

Meteorological officials said that rain was expected to last a few hours. They added that there was less chance of rainfall in Mohali on the day of the match. 'Sky would be cloudy. However, a sudden change in weather cannot be ruled out', officials on duty mentioned.

The met department predicted that maximum temperature on Wednesday would be around 32 degrees Celsius, while minimum would be near the 17 mark.

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http://sports.ndtv.com/world-cup-2011/features/specials/item/171315-dhonis-unnerving-equilibrium

Divine assistance: Fasting, praying for the success of Team India

NEW DELHI: From February 19 onwards, Sakshi Dhoni has been fasting every day the Indian cricket team has played a match in this World Cup. She would continue her fast on Wednesday, when India plays Pakistan in the second semifinal, in the hope that this routine will culminate on April 2, when the final takes places in Mumbai.

While Indian skipper MS Dhoni's wife performs her vows, Yuvraj Singh's mother Shabnam, too, has been interceding with the Gods. She has completed many rounds of visits to religious places in Chandigarh-her hometown and the venue of the India-Pakistan game -- praying for the success of her son and the Indian team.

Those prayers have borne fruit so far: Yuvraj has been in sublime batting touch, scoring 341 runs in seven matches so far at an average of over 113. He has also taken 11 wickets and is a serious contender for the Player of the Tournament award.

Attacking opener Virender Sehwag can also count on pleas for divine assistance from his mother Krishna. After scoring 175 runs in the tournament opener against Bangladesh, Sehwag has gone off the boil somewhat. He missed the game against the West Indies due to injury and has scored just one half-century in the match against South Africa that India lost.

But she is confident that he will come good against Pakistan, a team against which he has enjoyed good success. The last time India and Pakistan played in a world cup match-Centurion in 2003-Sehwag teamed up with Sachin Tendulkar to set up an easy win.

"Viru is baar koi bada dhamaka karega," she says.

Krishna will not travel to Mohali for the match because she is nervous about watching her son play. She has not seen a single World Cup game live; only recorded clippings. There will be no exceptions, not even for one of the biggest cricket matches that will be played in India. "I get very tensed," she says.

Instead, she will stay at home and pray for her son and the Indian team.

Dhoni's wife is not nervous about watching him play, but she does not hang around either every time India is in action. It's her way of giving him space to concentrate on the biggest tournament of his life.


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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/icc-world-cup-2011-fasting-praying-for-the-success-of-team-india/articleshow/7812645.cms

India rewrite history. Send Australia packing.

India batsman Yuvraj Singh whoops it upon driving in the decisive runs in Thursday's five-wicket victory over Australia.

It is not often that Ricky Ponting scores a gritty century and ends up on the losing side, especially in a World Cup. But he did as India avenged their 2003 World Cup defeat at the hands of Australia in glorious fashion. The second quarterfinal in Ahmedabad between the two heavy weights was always going to be more than just a match. For some, it was the final before the final. And indeed, the meeting more than lived up to the hype with the home team overcoming some tense moments to romp home with 5 wickets in hand.

A sense of anticipation hung in the air as Ricky Ponting put his boys in to bat first. R Ashwin opened the bowling with Zaheer Khan on a dry and crumbly pitch getting drier and crumblier by the minute. After danger man Shane Watson (25) was castled by Ashwin and the team score at 40-1, Brad Haddin took on the responsibility of punishing loose deliveries mercilessly. Munaf Patel soon became the opener's bunny, as Haddin brought up his fourth tournament half-century off the medium-pacer. However, Yuvraj Singh soon got the breakthrough and Haddin was gone for 53.

On the other end, his skipper, Ponting, had been putting together a chanceless knock that went a long way in restoring his confidence. The middle overs were soon to become a battle of the captains. As Ponting played out an impeccable innings steeped in class, MS Dhoni constantly came at him with different bowlers from both ends and used Zaheer Khan's capabilities with the old ball judiciously. There was also a palpable intensity in the Indian fielding today, with new inclusions Raina and R Ashwin ensuring that the Indians had around 20 fewer runs to chase. In the end, the Australians notched up a competitive score of 260-6 notwithstanding Ponting's dismissal on 104 in the penultimate over.

A fluent start by both Indian openers was not to last long, with the tentative-looking Virender Sehwag wassurprised by a Shane Watson delivery in the 9th over. Tendulkar, in the meantime, carried on with some fearless play, opening the full face of the bat to smack some glorious drives to the boundary. He, however, lived a tad dangerously en route to 18,000 ODI runs and yet another sublime half-century. The little master jabbed at a Shaun Tait delivery in the 19th over, which saw him back in the pavilion on 53 with India at 94-2.

Virat Kohli (24) spent an aesthetically pleasing time at the crease, but played a ridiculous shot to gift his wicket away. Gautam Gambhir (50) gave Yuvraj Singh valuable company, and then inexplicably succeeded at running himself out, after a failed attempt on the previous delivery as well. With the Indian skipper soon gone and the team needing 74 to win off 73, it looked like the "chokers" tag was back in business.

But finisher Suresh Raina, newly included in the squad, had other ideas. Both he and Yuvraj waited out a few tight overs from the pacers and then opened the floodgates off two consecutive Lee and Tait overs, which went for 14 and 13 runs respectively. There was no stopping them thereafter, and Ponting's last-ditch efforts to prolong his team's World Cup stint by reintroducing spin were not to be. Yuvraj Singh (57 off 65 and 2 wickets) who has made a habit of seeing his side through won his fourth consecutive Man-of-the-match trophy and setup another high-voltage clash against Pakistan in the semi-final in the week to follow.

Brief Scores: India 261 for 5 (Yuvraj 57, Tendulkar 53; D Hussey 1-19) beat Australia 260 for in 49.4 overs (Ponting 104, Haddin 53; Yuvraj 2-44) by 5 wickets with 14 balls remaining.

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http://www.sify.com/sports/india-rewrite-history-send-australia-packing-news-cricket-ldzjkcdbhha.html

India vs Australia: We are a better side, says Sourav Ganguly

Former captain Sourav Ganguly on Monday said Team India have the ability to beat Australia in the World Cup quarterfinals in Ahmedabad on Thursday, maintaining 'M.S. Dhoni's men are a better side'.

Sourav's team had lost to Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting's side in both the league match and the final in WC 2003.

On being asked if India can beat Australia in what is being called a revenge game, Sourav told Headlines Today Executive Editor Rahul Kanwal, "Yes, there is no doubt about it. India have a good chance of beating Australia. India is a better side."

Speaking on India's prime hope against the Aussies, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav said, "I don't mind him failing against the West Indies. Every time he has got out cheaply, he comes out all guns blazing (referring to his two centuries against England and South Africa in this WC) in next match. I hope to see him putting India in a good position against the Aussies."

Tendulkar had failed to score big in both the games in WC 2003, when India won all their matches, except against the Aussies.

India's only WC winning captain Kapil Dev also said, "They have the ability to do it (beat the Aussies)."

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http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/133043/top-stories/ind-vs-australia-we-are-a-better-side-says-sourav-ganguly.html

‘Tendulkar showed how role-models should act’

KARACHI: Former and current Pakistan cricketers believe that Sachin Tendulkar has shown the right way; the way role-models should conduct themselves on the field after he walked off the ground against West Indies on Sunday.

Tendulkar showed great sportsman spirit by walking off the field in spite of on-field Umpire Steve Davis giving him not out when he was caught-behind off Ravi Rampaul.

It was an entirely different way to what Ricky Ponting did the other day when he stood his ground against Pakistan after snicking the ball to Kamran Akmal and was given out after a referral by Shahid Afridi.

Test leg-spinner spinner Danish Kaneria praised Tendulkar’s decision to leave the field.

“Sachin Tendulkar has set a perfect example for millions of followers and by walking off,” Kaneria told ‘The News’ on Sunday.

“It’s great to see that he understands his responsibilities as a legend.

“Every batsman likes to bat as much as he can but there are times when you have to decide whether you fulfill your desire or maintain the spirit of the game.”

Meanwhile, he added that Ponting should not have stood his ground.

“Ponting is a great player and shouldn’t have stood his ground.

“He should have realised that he is not only followed by the fans but by several international players as well.

“The Australian skipper has a great stature and that’s why his actions are always under the microscope.”

Ponting’s former teammate Adam Gilchirist showed great character in 2003 World Cup’s semifinal, as he walked off the field after being given not out.

Gilchrist got a top-edge while trying to sweep Arvinda de Silva. The ball flew off his pads and was caught by Kumar Sangakkara but Umpire Rudi Koertzen ignored the Sri Lankans’ appeal, ruling that the ball had only hit the pad before popping up.

Gilchrist waited to hear the verdict but when decision came in his favour he decided to walk back to the pavilion. But Ponting at that time as well said in his press conference that he won’t encourage his players to do so.

A top-notch former Test player said that Ponting should have atleast recalled the actions of Gilchirist.

“Ponting for a second should have recalled the example set by Gilly in 2003,” he told on the condition of anonymity, due to personal commitments.

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http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=37322&Cat=10&dt=3/21/2011

STRAUSS: FATE NOT IN OUR HANDS

England know they must wait at least one more day to be sure of a World Cup quarter-final place - and must also improve dramatically to progress any further anyway.

Captain Andrew Strauss was understandably relieved last night when another thrilling match just went England's way, after West Indies had seemed certain to win at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Instead, thanks largely to James Tredwell (four for 48) on his competition debut, England defended 243 by 18 runs as the Windies' last four wickets went down for the addition of only three.

As long as both Bangladesh, against South Africa tomorrow, and West Indies, against India on Sunday, do not both win their final Group B matches England will be in the last eight after all.

Strauss is mindful of that, and his team's vulnerabilities, after a highly eventful and nervy campaign so far.

"We've obviously got to rely on other results going our way," he said.

"If we do progress in this tournament, we've got to be a lot better than we have been. We're not going to hide from that.

"But it's one of those situations where you've got to be in it to win it.

"All we could do was win the game. We were very disappointed to have to be in that position.

"I'm just proud of the guys who stood up and performed in a high-pressure environment."

Strauss was especially pleased with man-of-the-match Tredwell and Luke Wright - who made a crucial 44 from number seven - as both answered the call in their first match of the tournament.

"It's so tough when you're sitting on the outside looking on all the time, waiting for your turn - and a lot of the time you probably think your turn isn't going to come," said the captain.

"To bring Wright and Tredwell in for a massive game was a bit of a gamble. But I felt Wright played exceptionally well when wickets were falling around him, and 'Tredders' was outstanding.

"It was a bit of a risk, because the guys hadn't played. But they stood up and delivered when it really counted."

Tredwell - playing only his third one-day international - came into a team much-changed because of illness, injury and poor form.

He said: "It's not easy sitting on the sidelines.

"But I just tried to attack it like any other game, concentrated on my own skills and then stayed calm so that I could produce them."

West Indies coach Ottis Gibson must try to galvanise his team again to salvage a last-eight place by beating favourites India.

In the meantime, he does not mind voicing his admiration for battle-hardened England and identifying them as a team who could yet win this competition.

"If they get through, of course they can go all the way," he said.

"England have been a resilient side for a long time. They're scrappers. They don't always play their best game, but somebody stands up.

"They've got the sort of resilience that we're looking for."

Meanwhile, England were today expected to confirm their request to the International Cricket Council for a replacement player, after a recurrence of Ajmal Shahzad's hamstring injury meant he must fly home from the World Cup.


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Burden of reputation on MS Dhoni

India’s Mr Captain Cool has a reputation to live up to. And this sits like a millstone around his neck.

The die was cast for MS Dhoni as soon as he led the team to a title triumph in the inaugural World Twenty20. More than the victory, it was the manner in which he panned it — the means to the end — that stuck out.

On that distant day, in a pressure-cooker like atmosphere, the final against arch-rivals Pakistan was heading towards a nail-biting finish.

Skipper Dhoni, who seemed remarkably composed in contrast to the rest of the players, nonchalantly tossed the ball to Joginder Sharma, a virtual novice in international cricket.

He not only induced a false stroke from Pakistani Misbah-ul-Haq, but bowled India to a famous victory.

Much was written about that audacious Dhoni move. While some called it a desperate ploy by a hopeless gambler, others hailed it as an inspired move.

There were critics who believed Dhoni went by a ‘gut feeling’. Yet, others believed that the strategic introduction of Joginder lulled Misbah into lowering his guard and playing into the Indian team’s hands. Whatever the conclusions, one thing was certain: the force (to use Star Wars parlance) was with Dhoni.

There are plenty of such Dhoni captaincy moments to recall. But one other will suffice to bring the essence of our Captain Cool.

India were chasing a target of 268 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup event in Sri Lanka and there were plenty of frayed tempers, gesticulations, heated words exchanged and near scraps out on the field.

India had lost a couple of wickets under 90 runs and were in trouble when Dhoni decided to promote himself up the order and take control of the situation.

His calm, composed approach to the challenge rubbed off on his partner, Gautam Gambhir, and the pair added 98 invaluable runs for the third wicket to turn the tables on the Pakistanis.

Later, Dhoni, at the post-match press conference, revealed that he was just as anxious and excited as the other Indian players during the course of the nerve-wracking run chase. But his deportment during the game hardly betrayed this, either to his players or anybody else.

Dhoni’s dead-pan approach to the task was important, for all around him the pressure was getting to the players. His partner in the match-winning partnership, Gambhir, for instance, confessed that he had his “heart in his mouth” and he just “could not bear to watch the closing moments of the game.”

It was in such a situation, that skipper Dhoni, with his calm, collected and almost sphinx-like demeanour radiated a soothing effect on the team.

The players, charged-up and with adrenaline levels soaring, were spoiling for a fight that probably would have side tracked them from their goal of defeating Pakistan.

But with Dhoni at the helm, and calling the shots, none crossed the line. He helped ensure that they stayed focused and consequently there was no panic in the ranks.

The team almost always looked in control. And this, frankly, was so unlike Indian batting line-ups of the past when batsmen just collapsed under the pressure of a run chase.

These two instances epitomise the effect Dhoni could have on the team. In fact Robin Uthappa famously said after the World Cup T20 triumph that he would stand in front of a moving truck if Dhoni asked him to. So blind and unshakeable was his faith in his skipper.

Yet, this very same Dhoni made a blunder the other night by banking on a less-than match fit Ashish Nehra to bowl the momentous final over in the key game against South Africa.

It was a shocking piece of captaincy, especially when Harbhajan Singh, who at last was bowling really well, still had one over of his quota remaining. Harbhajan had already taken three wickets and the off-spinner logically would have been the ideal choice to bowl to the left handed Peterson.

The ball would have been spinning away from the batsman and the battle-scarred Harbhajan would have had a greater chance than Nehra to come good at that stage.

Alas! Dhoni put his faith in Nehra. And South Africa, who till then seemed to be playing out their role of eternal chokers, gleefully accepted the gift by spanking the bowler for 16 runs in four deliveries to post the win.

So why did Dhoni make such a big blunder?He is a very intelligent captain and it is unlikely that he did not know what he was doing.

The only explanation that seems logical is that he is trapped in his own hype and he sincerely believes that he ought not to keep it simple. He or his ego, if you will have it, suppresses his ability to work on expected lines. He will opt for the startling rather than the logical move in crunch situations.

This behaviour, in itself, is settling into a pattern. And that’s the worrying aspect of his captaincy. Dhoni, during the Twenty20 World Cup match against the West Indies at Lord’s in 2009, held back one over from his best bowler Zaheer Khan and that cost India the match.

The Harbhajan case against South Africa is almost an echo of that incident.

Still, Dhoni has a lot of positives as captain. The time for him to draw on that is now. He should ignore the hype and concentrate on the substance. After all it was the latter which brought him all his success and fame.

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http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_burden-of-reputation-on-ms-dhoni_1520442

Kapil Dev, Srinath throw their weight behind MS Dhoni

India skipper MS Dhoni and coach Gary Kirsten during a training session at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore recently.

Legendary captain Kapil Dev and former India pacer Javagal Srinath have thrown their weight behind Mahendra Singh Dhoni whose decision to have Ashish Nehra bowl the last over against South Africa at Nagpur has come under flak.

Nehra conceded 13 runs off the final over as South Africa handed India their first loss in the World Cup on Sunday, sparking widespread criticism of Dhoni's choice of the left-arm seamer instead of Harbhajan Singh.

Srinath said Nehra was the logical choice. "Ashish (Nehra) is a very good bowler, and as Dhoni has rightly pointed out, he has been our best bowler in the powerplay periods (in the last two years). It was the right decision (to bowl Nehra in the last over). I totally endorse it. It's a big gamble to bowl a spinner in the last over, Dhoni didn't have a choice," the former right-arm fast bowler told MiD DAY.

Kapil said he had faith in Dhoni's leadership qualities and trusted him to steer the team out of trouble. "I strongly believe in Dhoni. He's a clever captain and will come up with some sort of a plan," the 1983 World Cup-winning skipper told MiD DAY.

Kapil refused to criticise the bowlers and said the bowling coach, Eric Simmons, had a role to play in this situation.

"What can be done now? These are the bowlers we have and we need to back them. The onus is on the bowling coach, he has to right the wrongs, iron out the flaws," the 52-year-old said. Both Kapil and Srinath cautioned against knee-jerk reactions. "Whatever bowling attack has been (selected for) the World Cup has been (selected) after a lot of planning. It would be wrong to question the skipper and selectors. They must have some formula in mind, and I totally support Dhoni and his arsenal," Kapil said.

Srinath backed Nehra. "I have played lot of cricket with Ashish, he is a rhythm bowler. One can never decide the fate of a bowler after just one over," he said.

"The problem is that there is so much (expectation) among Indian fans about winning the World Cup, they forget the uncertainties of the game. We need to be more realistic, and appreciate the contest. The India-South Africa game was a classic."

India are likely to go back to the two-pacer-two-spinner combination for their next game against the West Indies here on March 20. The venue witnessed a low-scoring tie between South Africa and England earlier this month when Graeme Swann and Robin Peterson turned the ball prodigiously.

In that case, either Nehra or Munaf Patel would have to make way for the second specialist spinner.

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http://www.mid-day.com/sports/2011/mar/150311-Kapil-Dev-Javagal-Srinath-Dhoni.htm

Win WC? Tell Dhoni he's dreaming, says Dean Jones

Given their weak bowling and unimpressive fielding even the high quality batsmen cannot save India's World Cup campaign, feels former Australian batsman Dean Jones who says winning the coveted trophy will remain just a dream for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men.

"The three main common denominators consistent with all World Cup champion teams are: Your top four batsmen must be of a high quality. They must have the technique to play the new ball, as well as have the power and stroke play during powerplays. Your top four bowlers must be of high quality, able to absorb pressure and bowl defensively in powerplays. If you can't field, don't bother turning up!" Jones said in his column for 'The Age'.

"All this taken into account, I do not believe India will win the World Cup with its current form. Tell Dhoni, he's dreaming," wrote Jones in his article.

Jones said that despite the presence of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag in the team, who can rip any bowling attack to shreds, India cannot win the World Cup.

"Everyone here has a huge regard for the Indian team. They have the batsmen, no doubt. Tendulkar and Sehwag can rip any attack to shreds. But that alone doesn't win the World Cup for India. He is dreaming," he said.

The former Aussie cricketer said that Dhoni's bowling combination comprising Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Piyush Chawla and Harbhajan Singh doesn't match the standards of any of the line-ups of the previous teams.

"Captain M S Dhoni has admitted some of his fieldsmen are very slow. But Dhoni believes he will win the World Cup with this bowling line-up: Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Piyush Chawla and Harbhajan Singh. Dhoni must turn to history to see that this bowling attack will not win a World Cup."

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http://www.indianexpress.com/news/win-wc-tell-dhoni-hes-dreaming-says-dean-jones/761803/

World Cup: The Ashwin riddle

Why is MS Dhoni playing leggie Piyush Chawla and not the off-spinner R Ashwin? unravels the pros and cons...

THE TEAM MANAGEMENT'S POINT

Piyush Chawla was unimpressive on a flat track in the game against England but MS Dhoni has persisted with him because he felt the player needed a few more games to get his confidence going. If Chawla's efficacy improves, he might offer the regular leg-spinning option on these tracks that Dhoni craves. Chawla was bowling with a lot of freedom today. Sometimes a player needs a game more than a game needs a player. Piyush needed this game more than Ashwin as he is under a lot of pressure.

— MS Dhoni after the game against The Netherlands

Dhoni might be waiting to unleash Ashwin in a crunch game to surprise opponents. That's not a bad strategy given that Dhoni has faith in Ashwin's mental strength and ability to rise to the occasion. He has also had a decent look at teammate Ashwin's capabilities in the IPL, where Dhoni used him brilliantly, often with the new ball and at other times during the Powerplay too. Ashwin can be both an attacking option and a restraining one. He (Ashwin) deserves a chance. He is mentally tough and it's good to have someone in the reserves who is mentally stable.

— MS Dhoni on whether Ashwin would be played

THE COUNTERPOINT

The cricketing logic mooted for not playing Ashwin is that Dhoni has too many off-spinning options already in spin mainstay Harbhajan Singh and Yusuf Pathan. There's also the effective orthodox left-arm spin of Yuvraj Singh.

Chawla offers a unique leg-spinning option as he can take the ball away from the right-handers and also has a deceptive googly. With most teams looking to play out Harbhajan and attack Chawla, he might pick up a few wickets too. But Dhoni never had a problem partnering Ashwin with another offie, Muralitharan, in the IPL. So why now? The argument that a young player needs to be persisted with after a bad game appears to be flawed given this is the World Cup. By that logic, shouldn't Sreesanth also have been persisted with after a poor outing against Bangladesh?


The Indian bowling needs to be more effective and it is imperative that all combinations are tried out before the tournament enters the knockout stages. Also, Dhoni needs to play his best bowlers. In the seam department, won't India play both left-arm pacers in Zaheer and Nehra if they are fit and in top form? So why the reluctance to play two offies in Ashwin and Harbhajan?

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/news/World-Cup-The-Ashwin-riddle/articleshow/7676891.cms

Raise the bar & break free

While it was good to see India maintain a no-loss record, watching them huff and puff their way to a win over the Irish did not make for happy viewing. I have said this before but I cannot say it enough: India urgently need to inject life into their World Cup campaign, their approach so far, has be
en far too desultory.

Seize the moment
It's not that they haven't been challenged, but there is a big difference between scraping through or getting through comfortably in the end and putting your stamp of authority on a game.

India so far, haven't done that, except for an hour here and there, through some individual batting efforts.

If they do not use the game against the Netherlands at the Ferozshah Kotla to score important psychological points, India would have let go of a vital opportunity to proclaim to the other top teams that if they want to win the World Cup, they need to beat India to get a hand on it.

Crowd support
Cricket has always been about putting the opposition under pressure, on the field and off it. You need the other team to be feeling the heat when they walk on to face you and that only comes from their being wary straight off of your dominance on the field of play.

In India's case, there is also the solid advantage of a raucous home crowd wherever they play - they need to use it well, not like against the Irish, when the crowd was frequently silenced with the equally frequent ebb and flow of India's chase.

Nehra has to play
Today's game has got to see Ashish Nehra in play. This is his home ground, he knows it better than any other India bowler and, in any case, how long can he be benched?

Niggles are a part and parcel of the modern game. But, as England have shown with Pietersen (and Broad), in a competition as fierce and important as the World Cup, however big the player, and however important you think he might be to your strategy, you need him to be able to be fit to take the field. Otherwise, he needs to step aside.

Nehra is fit and India need to find the correct balance, this is the perfect game to do so.

They also need to bench Piyush Chawla, who had another poor game against Ireland on Sunday.

He bowled far too short and the Irish batsmen took full advantage.

If India play a second full-time spinner (which they might not need to seeing the form Yuvraj is in with the ball) then it has to be Ashwin.

The Ferozshah Kotla will be packed to the rafters today and the Delhi crowd will expect their boys --- Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Ashish Nehra, if he plays - to make this a game that will rekindle the fire in India's campaign.

I'm eagerly waiting for that too.

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http://www.hindustantimes.com/specials/cricket/world-cup-2011/Raise-the-bar-amp-break-free/ICCWorldCup2011-HomePageTopStories/SP-Article10-671107.aspx

No specific terror threat to World Cup: US

WASHINGTON: Noting that there is no specific terrorist threat to the ICC World Cup being held in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the US has urged its citizens to be alert while travelling to these countries during the tournament as such big events are always a soft targets for the militants.

"The Department of State alerts US citizens traveling to or residing in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka to safety and security issues related to the ICC Cricket World Cup scheduled to be held in those countries between February 19 and April 2, 2011," said a US travel advisory.

While the US government has no specific threat information regarding the Cricket World Cup, high-profile events of this nature can be targets for terrorist attacks, the State Department said in a statement a day after the mega cricket event was kicked off in Dhaka yesterday.

The State Department reminded its citizens about the worldwide travel alert it had issued about the American nationals on January 31 which also includes South Asian countries.

Observing that local authorities in the country where individual matches are held are responsible for security arrangements for the ICC Cricket World Cup, the State Department said US citizens should monitor local news reports and consider the level of security present when visiting public places, including religious sites, or choosing hotels, restaurants, entertainment, and recreation and sporting venues.

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/news/No-specific-terror-threat-to-World-Cup-US/articleshow/7519427.cms

One last step before Men in Blue take the leap

The Indian team’s last public appearance before they leave for Bangladesh to begin their World Cup campaign will happen in style. Tickets for Wednesday’s practice match against New Zealand here have been sold out. There will be some 40,000 pairs of eyes to see how prepared MS Dhoni’s team is for what is being called The Cup that Counts.

Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh skipped Tuesday’s optional training session while the rest worked hard under the uncomfortable sun. Their last chance to put that into practice comes against a team which they thrashed 5-0 in last year’s ODI series. Going strictly by record, this shouldn’t be too tough an outing. “Our mental preparation for the warm-up game against Australia (on Sunday) wasn't perfect, so we couldn’t give our 100%. But it being the last practice match tomorrow, intensity will be high. We need to up a few things in this game,” said Dhoni.

Talking about what exactly these practice games provide, the skipper said: “The heart rate goes up. You want to score runs and try out all variations. At the nets, you don’t know what an outside edge results in. In these games you get to see whether it runs down to the fence or otherwise.”

And then, India have a few things to check. With Dhoni saying Sachin Tendulkar will return for this game and Virender Sehwag spending a long time at the nets with Gautam Gambhir, this game is expected to provide the first glimpse of what exactly India’s batting order would be, at least in the first few matches of the tournament.

This match will also give these three batsmen a chance to play a 50-over game, something they did only in patches over the last year.

One can spend hours at the nets, but to see how fruitful that was, there has to be a reality check. In a simulated match situation, this trio will get a chance to do that.

Giving this match a different dimension is the presence of New Zealand coach John Wright, whose eventful five-year tenure with the Indian team saw the emergence of new India, a team which started believing it could beat the best. Wright was emotional while recalling his days with them.

“We started a process which was driven further by the senior guys after I left. It’s satisfying to see that there are some benefactors of that process in this lot. I would be delighted to meet India in a non-practice game later in the tournament. Home fans will be an advantage for them as long as they do well, but if they don’t, it might become a different factor.”

Past, present and future, there are several hues associated with this game. It might be just a practice game for some. For others, it’s more than that.

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