cricket

Rashid Latif Bats Economically For Danish Kaneria

What he said:

"I would say it’s an economical murder of a player who has served the country very well and is still eager to continue."

Former Pakistani skipper, Rashid Latif, continues Pakistani cricketers’ saga of recriminations against their administrators.

Latif accused the PCB of a lackadaisical attitude to one of the premier spinning talents in the country—Danish Kaneria.

Kaneria was arrested for spot-fixing together with fellow Essex bowler Mervyn Westfield in 2010 but was released without charge.

An hearing of an integrity committee of the PCB failed to clear him. Kaneria has filed a petition in a bid to force the PCB to allow him to represent the country.

Latif claimed:

All around the cricketing world they preserve their players, however in Pakistan the ideology is just the opposite as the PCB is destroying Kaneria’s career.

He is the most successful spinner of the country, hence should be treated with respect.

What he really meant:

“It’s not a reference to Kaneria’s bowling figures.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Who’s Adam Smith? And what’s he doing on a cricket field?”

Saurav Ganguly Is Practical About One-Day Cricket

What he said:

“The problem with England is they have too much theory in one-day cricket.”

Saurav Ganguly analyses the reasons for England’s 4-0 washout against India in the five match ODI series in India.

The former Indian skipper was commenting on England’s unwillingness to have Ian Bell open the innings in the 50 over format.

Bell is rated the best batsman in the world by leading experts.

What he really meant:

“I’m all for anti-theory—especially when it comes to opposing sides.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Wasn’t this the same side that beat us in the ODI series at home?”

South Africa Cricket: Dale Steyn Will Holiday Against Australia At Home

What he said:

“I go on holiday for longer than that series is going to last.”

South African pacer, Dale Steyn, is disbelieving that just two Tests against Australia at home will test (pun intended) both sides’ character.

Steyn is that disappearing breed of quickies who believe that the longer form of the game is where men prove their mettle.

Steyn said:

There’s a lot of guys who can bowl 150km/h when you give them the ball when they’re fresh in the morning, but can they do it late in the afternoon when it’s boiling hot and they’re bowling their 20th over for the day? I want to be able to do that and I want to be the only guy who is able to do that.

I want to be in your face all day, not for little periods of time, that is pretty much my inspiration. I want the opposition to walk off and say, ‘Shit, that was tough’.

On the two-match series:

I won’t lie to you, I’m very, very disappointed. Everyone is talking about Test cricket still being the ultimate in everybody’s minds and yet we are only playing two Test matches. Also in England next year, our series has been changed from five Test matches to three.

‘We want people to want to play Test matches. We want kids to aspire to that, and yet two of the biggest Test nations in the world are only playing two Test matches. I go on holiday for longer than that series is going to last. I hope somebody gets up and decides to do something about it. We want it to be competitive and hard and, seriously, two Test matches is not enough.

Steyn claims he is a smarter bowler nowadays:

I think I am a little bit more street-smart. Each day you play you don’t necessarily get better but you get a bit wiser and that can work against you because you don’t use your natural instincts, but I think I’m at the stage now where I use a bit of both.”

I would love to bowl 160 km/h. Any fast bowler would love to do that. But for me that is almost impossible. Someone like ‘Taity’ who is only playing T20 these days, it’s very possible for him to do that all the time. It’s like asking Usain Bolt to run the 100 metres in under 10 seconds every day of the week for 30 days, it’s just not going to happen.

The thing I’ve got to concentrate on for South Africa is bowling at good pace and if the ball is in the right area that will cause enough trouble.

What Dale Steyn really  meant:

“Two tests, ten days of Test cricket! I take off for two weeks—at least!”

What Dale Steyn definitely didn’t:

“Don’t pay me my match fee. It feels as though I’m vacationing.”

Jonty Rhodes Won’t Sing Nor Dance

What he said:

“Bollywood actors sing and groove. I know my limitations. I don’t sing, I don’t dance, nor do I have the looks of a hero — it’s zero out of three for me.”

Former South African cricketer and Mumbai Indians fielding coach is not Bollywood hero material.

Rhodes was celebrated for his dare-devilry on the field but the idea of appearing in an Indian pot-boiler gives him the heebie-jeebies.

Rhodes disclosed his eagerness to meet model Poonam Pandey:

“A lot of people were waiting to see the show that she was going to put on for the Indian team. I, too, had put my hand up for that. If she needs a little practice or wants someone to advise her, I’d be happy to help… as a father figure.”

What he really meant:

“I can fly, though. I wonder why Shah Rukh Khan didn’t come calling for ‘Ra.One’.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I’m all jaunty about acting.”

Dean Jones Is Conscientious In Deciphering Inexplicable Virender Sehwag

What he said:

“He has no conscience when he bats and plays the hardest stroke for any batsman with complete ease.”

Former Australian batsman and commentator, Dean Jones, attempts to explain Virender Sehwag’s uncomplicated approach to batting.

What he really meant:

“The ball is there to be hit and Sehwag hits it. No second thoughts, no second guessing.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“If batting’s a crime, then Sehwag is it’s ‘Jack The Ripper’.”

Dale Steyn Will Not Burn Himself With Philip Hughes’ Frying Pan

What he said:

One of the things we said was that we didn’t want to bowl wide to him, and then we did. It was one of those childish things where you say to a kid, ‘don’t touch the frying pan, you’re going to burn yourself’, and then you end up touching the frying pan and burn yourself. The English side found a way of getting him out, and quite easily getting him out, so I will go through those videos. I’m a little bit wiser, a little bit smarter now.

South African pace spearhead, Dale Steyn, points out that he is much wiser now, unlike in 2009 when he allowed Australian opener, Philip Hughes, to collar the bowling and score a brace of tons in his debut series.

Hughes has struggled ever since once English bowlers discovered that he was uncomfortable against anything targeted at his ribcage. Hughes recently made a successful comeback under Michael Clarke in Sri Lanka scoring a century in the final Test and averaging 40.40. South Africa face Australia at home in a curtailed two match series.

Steyn said:

”Obviously he opens the batting for Australia, so anybody who is a good player can score runs somewhere along the line, but he will definitely have his weaknesses. We haven’t played a lot against him since then, so I will have to go through a couple of things and see where we went wrong and hopefully we can rectify that.”

The No. 1 fast bowler in the world had only words of praise for Hughes’ predecessor, Simon Katich:

The way he moves around the crease, he is able to control where he wants to hit the ball. It’s incredible.

It’s surprising that he is not there because he is one of those real Aussie players, a gutsy, strong character. He even looks like the epitome of an Australian opening batsman from years back. In a weird way I’m quite happy he’s not playing, but you want to compete against guys like that, and for his sake I think he should be there.

Katich has been dropped from the side—a victim of Australian selectors’ youth policy.

What he really meant:

“Recall how we handled Virender Sehwag the last time India toured here;Hughes is a poor Australian’s  version of the Delhi Butcher.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I never heard of mental disintegration.”

Yuvraj Singh Is Not Testing With His Words

Image via Wikipedia

What he said:

“The English media and the players have spoken too much. So what goes around comes around. The players should be careful with what they say.”

Yuvraj Singh is unable to hide his glee at the turnaround in the Indian cricket team’s fortunes.

The return ODI series against England at home was clinched in convincing fashion with the first three one-dayers going Team India’s way.

What he really meant:

“One English summer does not make a season.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“It’s not Test cricket, is it?”

Shane Warne Is All Giggly With Liz Hurley

What he said:

“I’m sure she giggles with me and not at me.”

Shane Warne and Elizabeth Hurley have not yet set a date for the marriage vows but have decided against a pre-nuptial agreement.

Warne said:

There has not been one chat about what date, where, anything like that. It hasn’t been brought up once. We’re in no rush to marry. We’re a bit romantic and old-school and are enjoying being engaged for a while. We just want to live our life at the moment and see how that goes. We’re enjoying each other, she makes me laugh.

The high-flying couple recently announced their engagement.

What he really meant:

“If our romance is a comedy, let’s laugh together.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Just call us ‘Giggles’.”

India Cricket: Rajeev Shukla Promotes English Cricket

What he said:

"England have been losing for the last 10 years, most of their teams, and at football also. So therefore we’re absolutely happy because we want cricket to grow in England."

New IPL Chairman, Rajeev Shukla, is a jolly good fellow.

Shukla’s horizons have broadened since ascending the BCCI ladder. The IPL chief believes that the recent victory over India at home will benefit English sport.

Shukla said:

“As far as the fans were concerned they were not very happy, but in games, defeat and victory go together, you lose and you win, that happens."

Ironically, Shukla is troubled about the deleterious effect of IPL on Test cricket:

The effect IPL is having on Test cricket is also our concern. That is why we are doing our level best to promote Test cricket now.

We are playing more Test matches, there will be a focus on the Tests. We need to promote all three forms of the game and we are not thinking only from the position of money. There may be more money in Twenty20, more money in one-day, but it does not mean that we should compromise with Test cricket.

We are thinking that we should organise more Test matches in B towns because in the populated metropolises people are always in a hurry, they’re busier, they want Twenty20, they want the one-dayer. But in B grade cities in India where they hardly get any international cricket but still have large populations, if a Test match is organised people will want to watch it.

What he really meant:

“We don’t mind losing on the field; we’re winning in the board room.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I’m just learning the ropes; that’s the best positive spin I can put on an unmitigated disaster of a tour.”

Vinod Kambli Gets All Soapy Over The IPL

What he said:

“It’s like ‘Saas Bahu aur Saazish’ serial.”

Former India player and Sachin Tendulkar’s childhood partner, Vinod Kambli, compares the IPL to a gossipy TV program that covers the latest happenings in various soaps.

The southpaw slammed youngsters’ proclivity to choose popcorn cricket over the longer form of the game.

Today, the youngsters are looking to play in the IPL. Reason being fast money. One Ranji Trophy match and they are picked up for the Twenty20 tournament. From day one, their aim is to play in the IPL but one should understand that real cricket is Test cricket.

IPL is fun, entertainment and offer a short career with a lot of money.

Kambli recently retired from first class cricket.

Kambli said:

It’s for the youngsters to decide their priorities. We all know that IPL results in quick money, all the attention and facilities. But youngsters should give preference to the domestic cricket, which is the ideal platform to develop skill and temperament.
When me and (Sachin) Tendulkar started our careers, there was no IPL. We gave preference to the domestic cricket because our aim was to play in Tests. Now, with IPL, so many matches are being played in two months’ time and it’s becoming like a serial. One day people would like to see a change.

The dashing left-hander, however, did not beg off from partaking of the IPL’s riches:

“Of course, why not! I would like to get associated with any of the IPL franchise as a coach or an expert if provided with the opportunity. Coaching is the first thing on my mind now.”

What Kambli really meant:

“IPL is like watching highlights—you only catch the big hits and fall of wickets.”

“I wish the IPL had happened earlier. Then I wouldn’t have to make all those ridiculous television appearances in chat, dance and news shows.”

What Kambli definitely didn’t:

“How about a soap opera on cricket—for a change? I’ll catch it on ‘Saas Bahu Aur Saazish’.”

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