New Zealand

Ben Cutting: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Ben Cutting Cannot Find Much Luck In The Corner Stores

What he said :

“If you could buy luck in a corner store, I’d throw my life savings at it.”

Young Aussie paceman, Ben Cutting, is cut up with his side strain that effectively ended his chances of playing the second Test against New Zealand at Hobart.

What he really meant:

“Good fortune,like gold and oil,is in short supply—even more so for pace bowlers.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I wonder what the odds are on my recovery at Ladbrokes?”

Chris Cairns: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Chris Cairns Is Elephantine In His Pronouncements

What he said (via Sydney Morning Herald):

“And there’s an elephant in the room at the moment in Ricky Ponting that nobody is really addressing.”

Chris Cairns begins the mind games prior to Australia’s tour of New Zealand.

The Kiwi all-rounder believes that Ricky Ponting’s shelf life has neared its expiry date and called for his retirement.

Cairns said:

I don’t think you can have two years averaging 27 as a No.3. I think it’s his time. And when you look at the likes of Mark Taylor, [Ian] Healy, Mark Waugh – they were told it was their time. And there’s an elephant in the room at the moment in Ricky Ponting that nobody is really addressing.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got the utmost respect for Ricky Ponting but there’s a time and a place. And for me, his time and place is Hobart in the second Test against New Zealand. That’s to say, ‘Thanks very much’.

Australian selectors have been kind to Ricky Ponting in comparison to his predecessors, none of whom were retained.

Cairns said:

And whilst [the Ponting saga] continues on, the media circus will go with it and the guys will just be surrounded by that talk instead of just getting on and playing cricket.

Absolutely [Cricket Australia are avoiding the tough decisions]. They’ve allowed Ricky to keep going because of his stature in the game and who he is. But why should he have to make the call? At the end of the day, for me, Australia has always been about the team and what’s best. He is behind Bradman, Australia’s greatest batsman, so they’re managing it. But I just think it’s an elephant in the room. I really do. Australia has got rebuilding to do.

What he really meant:

“Australia have one captain too many in the dressing room—a non-performing one to boot. They all know what needs to be done. The question is ‘who’s going to bell the cat?’”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Ricky Ponting has to be nursed along much like Sachin Tendulkar. Treat him with kid gloves.”

Martin Crowe: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Martin Crowe Scratches His 14 Year Itch

What he said:

“Well, people think I’m having a mid-life crisis. And I can only say ‘too right!’”

New Zealand’s finest batsman ever, Martin Crowe, returns to club cricket in his 50th year.

Crowe says:

“Call it a silly little selfish challenge, just like someone trying to run a marathon at 49. Well, I can’t do that because of my knees so I’m going to have a bit of fun with a bat in my hand again.”

Crowe terms his comeback “a long-shot experiment to see if a 50 year-old can still wield a bat.”

The Kiwi hopes to turn out for the MCC against English county champions Lancashire in Abu Dhabi next year.

“That game’s being played with a pink ball, which I’m a big supporter of as a member of the MCC World Committee, who have been driving the idea for three years. To be selected would make all the hard work worthwhile for me.”

Crowe feels up to fresh challenges:

“I was bored. When you reach 50, you’ve got to think about doing things to keep on top of your health. I was tired of the gym; I don’t swim, cycle, climb or run, so I thought ‘why not do something I love?’”

The maestro feels that he still retains the hand-eye co-ordination of his heyday.

Actually, I feel just as good as a batsman now. I’m playing late, playing straight and timing it. It’s just a case of how the body can cope with a long innings; the fatigue factor just kicks in a lot quicker.

But I had my hand-eye co-ordination and balance tested by the optometrist who did it back in 1992 and he’s found I’m 20 per cent faster than back then. I’m finishing every session with a smile on my face.

Here’s one cricketing great who has no complaints about the improvements in technology:

“Today’s equipment? Unbelievable. I dread to think of the damage that Ian Botham and Viv Richards would have done with them.”

What Martin Crowe really meant:

“Well, at least, I’m not spending it all on a sports car and a fresh wife (Crowe is married to former Miss Universe Lorraine Downes).Isn’t that customary? “

What Martin Crowe definitely didn’t:

Damien Wright: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

“I used to love watching him as a kid because he had the same last name as me.”

Damien Wright kids you not. If you have the same last name as him, he will be your fan for life. Lucky for him, that’s a whole lot of Wrights. D is New Zealand’s bowling coach while J is the head coach.

What he really meant:

“John Wright was a classy bat and it helped no little bit that he had the very same surname.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I was offered the job because I had the same last name as John.”

Ross Taylor: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

“I missed the phone call from John Buchanan. I was trying to pick wedding songs for this coming Saturday. I had the music going a bit too loud.”

Ross Taylor was too busy preparing for his up-coming marriage to bother with a phone call from John Buchanan, informing him that he’d been chosen captain of the Kiwi cricket team.

What he really meant:

“The stereo was cranked up. I did not hear the phone ring.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Can you turn up the volume, please?”

What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t: Jacob Oram

Image by Dhammika Heenpella / Images of Sri Lanka via Flickr

What he said:

“After nearly every game there’s an after-party, there’s Bollywood stars there and fashion parades; the drinks are free and the cheerleaders are around. It’s a different world. Sometimes you wonder if you’re here for cricket or not. Ultimately you are. It is good fun, but at the same time I don’t think it’s reality."

Jacob Oram describing his hurly-burly life in the IPL.

What he really meant:

“Cricket’s my reality.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“It’s a paid vacation but hush, don’t tell anyone.”

What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t: Adam Parore

What he said:

“You can see the end of the world but it’s just a shame you don’t know what you’re looking at.”

Adam Parore was disoriented on reaching the summit of Mount Everest.

What he really meant:

“You see, I actually don’t know what the end of the world looks like but after climbing Mount Everest, what else is there to do? It feels like the end of the world and it looks like nothing.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I can’t see.”

IPL-Bollywood Points Table: Winners and Losers

IPL-Bollywood Points Table

Star	Played	Won	Points
Image via Wikipedia Shilpa Shetty	13	5 (1 NR)	11
Image via Wikipedia Shah Rukh Khan	13	8	16
Image via Wikipedia Preity Zinta	13	7	14

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What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t: Martin Crowe

What he said:

“If Ganguly can do it, anyone can.”

Martin Crowe, the New Zealand batting legend, announcing a comeback at 48.

What he really meant:

“If Ganguly’s not too old to play the IPL, I’m not too old to play first-class cricket.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I’m trying out for the IPL.”

“Saurav’s gonna give me fielding practice.”