They Indian Player Harbhajan Singh Started Taking Their Own "Rest" And "Injury" Breaks

The little surprised the news that Harbhajan Singh was dropped from the tour of Australia and then missed his next Ranji Trophy game because of a shin injury didn't make the headlines it should have. A week later, we learn he may be out for a long time because the scans have revealed the injury is a lot more serious than it was originally thought to be.

India's management of their players' fitness has left a lot to be desired over the years. It was an important reason why Indian cricket was humiliated in England earlier this year. If the curious case of Harbhajan's injury is ignored by the authorities and allowed to pass, an important lesson will not have been learned from the England tour.

So the players took a more pragmatic approach. Instead of taking on the boards to get the right balance between rest and play, they started taking their own "rest" and "injury" breaks, while their nation's cricket marched on.


Samsung Gains After Apple Fails to Block Galaxy Samsung from selling its 4G smartphone and Galaxy


Read More:

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.


Read More

http://www.sportinglife.com/cricket/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=cricket/11/03/18/CRICKET_England_Strauss.html&BID=615

It's upto England to keep the interest alive

As the league stage comes to a close, there will be attention focused on which team finishes where in the top four of their group. That will decide the opponents in the quarter finals and as everyone knows there are some teams that find another team as a bogey one and would prefer to play that team only in the finals.

The Group B is delicately poised with the possibility that there could be a tie for the fourth place. That will happen if England beat the West Indies and then the West Indies beat India in the final group game of the tournament. England have found themselves in this situation because of the inability to deal the finishing blow.

India - Powerless in Powerplay, clueless in UDRS

They had Bangladesh on the ropes and had to take only two wickets to win the game and secure two points that would have ensured their passage in the knockout stage of the tournament. Bangladesh had to score 58 runs to win so it was not easy at all, yet they showed great heart and did it. England did not help themselves by being negative about the dew factor.

Cricket is all about conquering different conditions in the world. How would it look if sub-continent players started to moan about the cold in England. They are brought up to play in the hot weather, so if they come across unfamiliar bitterly cold conditions in the north of England should they complain? They would be laughed off if they did.

England or for that matter even West Indies and India won't find the heat and humidity of Chennai easy. It saps the energy so quickly that before you can say hello, the tiredness creeps in. That is why staying strong mentally is going to be crucial in Chennai. It is going to be a crunch game for all three teams though if South Africa beat Bangladesh the previous day, then it will ease India's worries considerably.

The Chennai pitch will definitely help the spinners and the West Indies with plenty of left-handed batsmen will not find it easy going against Swann. England's bowling has suffered from the absence of Stuart Broad who has developed into a fine slog overs bowler though Bresnan has not done badly in that job and like Broad, is pretty useful with the bat too.

If England lose, then Bangladesh qualify even if they lose to South Africa and the interest in the group will go down because then West Indies and India will also qualify for the knockouts, so it is up to England to keep the interest in the group alive till the last day of the league games.

Read More

http://www.sify.com/sports/it-s-upto-england-to-keep-the-interest-alive-news-columns-ldrkswhdccc.html

Kevin O'Brien the hero as Ireland shock England

England were left in shock and awe as Kevin O'Brien's astonishing display of controlled hitting delivered a damaging blow to their World Cup hopes.
O'Brien (113) hit the fastest hundred in the tournament's history to turn an apparently hopeless situation for Ireland into victory with three wickets and five balls to spare.

From 111 for five in the 25th over under lights, he launched 13 fours and six sixes on his way to and beyond a 50-ball century which spared no English bowler.

Named man of the match O'Brien admitted he could scarcely believe his feat.

He said: "I'm pretty speechless at the moment. To be honest it's the best innings I've ever played since I started playing cricket. I just kept going and kept believing and it went our way.

"When we were 111 for five we could have just pottered around, but I chanced my arm and we didn't look back really. We attacked and it came off."

Kevin is one of five O'Brien brothers to play cricket, with Niall keeping wicket yesterday, and Ger, who is the president of Kevin's club in Ireland - the Railway Union Cricket Club - was not surprised to see him take England's attack apart.

He said: "Over the last six or eight months his batting has really flourished and he was destined to have a big knock.

"I am so proud. I followed some of it on the web and then I got out to see the climax of the game. When he got to 80 I knew he had a chance and he did nearly all of it in boundaries, which was amazing.

"It was amazing to see the English bowlers go around. He took them apart, even Graeme Swann, who is the No 1 spin bowler in the world.

"It is such a great day for Irish cricket. Some bookmakers had Ireland at 400-1 at one stage. I wish I'd not kept my money in pocket."

Kevin O'Brien had a spell with Nottinghamshire in 2009 on a one-day contract and his exploits are sure to attract other counties to him ahead of the 2011 season.

Ireland captain William Porterfield, who was dismissed first ball in his side's reply by James Anderson, hailed the victory as their greatest-ever win.

"It's got to be the greatest, pretty much the greatest day of our lives so far," he said. "Credit to the lads, they kept believing. We'll be looking to put in a performance like that every game."

Alex Cusack claimed Ireland were "on top of the world" after the result. Cusack, who made 47, added: "I'm pretty amazed, words can't described how I'm feeling, just on top of the world."

Cusack paid tribute to the big-hitting O'Brien, adding: "I was just trying to knock it around for Kev because he's got the power. He's got the big shots."

Read More

http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Kevin-O39Brien-the-hero-as.6727621.jp

How the 'Ashes' got their name

Mention the word 'Ashes' to any cricket fan and they know you are talking about a Test contest between England and Australia. But cricket's oldest rivals had been playing each other for five years before the idea of the Ashes was born. It happened in 1882 when, in a one-off Test at The Oval,Australia, inspired by figures of 14 for 90 from Fred Spofforth, 'The Demon', fought back to win a thrilling match by seven runs.

The Sporting Times reacted to Australia's first win on English soil with a mock obituary written by Reginald Shirley Brooks.

It read: "In affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at The Oval, 29th August 1882. Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances. R.I.P.N.B.The body will be cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia."

Ivo Bligh, later Lord Darnley, captained England to a 2-1 victory in the subsequent series in Australia and, according to many cricket histories, he was presented with an urn containing the Ashes of a bail used in the third Test by a group of Melbourne women.

However, it was subsequently suggested that the Ashes were those of a ball and in 1998 Lord Darnley's daughter-in-law said they were the remains of her mother-in-law's veil.

The urn itself was bequeathed to Lord's owners Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on Darnley's death in 1927 and became an exhibit in the ground's museum.

Regardless of the result of the Ashes, the urn -- which stands just four inches high -- has remained at Lord's.

The justification has been that the ashes were a private gift to MCC and not a sporting trophy.

But in order to remedy this perceived unfairness MCC commissioned an Ashes-shaped crystal trophy which was first presented to Australia captain Mark Taylor after the 1998/99 series.

England currently hold the Ashes following their upset 2-1 win at home in 2009 which erased the nightmare of a 5-0 whitewash in Australia two years earlier.

The urn has only been to Australia on a couple of occasions, the first in 1988 for the country's bicentennial celebrations.

MCC had hoped the urn could return to Australia in 2003 but an X-ray taken at the time revealed several serious cracks, notably in the stem.

But, following repair work, it was taken on a tour of Australia to coincide with the 2006/07 series.


Read More

http://www.hindustantimes.com/How-the-Ashes-got-their-name/Article1-627808.aspx