cricket

Shahid Afridi Unconditionally Un-retires To International Cricket

What he said:

I’m available to play for Pakistan. I never retired. I only said I wouldn’t play under the previous PCB management. I wasn’t comfortable with them because they didn’t respect players.

But as the board now has a new chairman and there’s a different team management, it is time to come back.

Shahid Afridi announces his comeback and availability for selection to the Pakistani cricket team.

The former skipper conditionally retired from international cricket after the tour to the West Indies this year citing differences with then PCB chairman Ijaz Butt and coach Waqar Younis.

Butt completed his term on October 8 ; Younis is no longer coach.

Afridi said:

“I’m fit and can play for Pakistan for a few more years.I never ran after the captaincy. I just want to represent my country and can play under anyone.”

What he really meant:

“What’s retirement but a word—a word to be used at the drop of a hat and forgotten just as quickly.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“But, what happens to Butt?”

Indian Cricket: Sunil Gavaskar Makes Looks Count

What he said:

“I think the 1983 team was better-looking than the 2011 team.”

Sunil Gavaskar will concede nothing to the current World Cup winning squad.

What he really meant:

“Sandeep Patil featured in a full-length Bollywood movie. Can any of you guys (with multiple dance show appearances) boast of anything remotely close?”

What he definitely didn’t:

“That’s because Kapil shared his Palmolive with us all; we were always clean-shaven.”

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s World Is Greying Under Pressure

 

What he said:

"I get influenced by pressure but I have so much gray hair because I don’t let expressions on field reveal this."

Indian cricket team skipper and World Cup winning champion—twice over—Mahendra Singh Dhoni discloses that he maintains his composure at all times on the field; the stress is revealed only in his prematurely grey thatch.

Dhoni credited then coach Gary Kirsten for the inspirational move up the order in the ODI World Cup final against Sri Lanka in April—a stratagem that nullified the Lankan spinners ascendance.

MSD said:

"I hadn’t planned to promote myself and play earlier. Gary  asked me if I would go early. I thought with two spinners, maybe I should. It worked for me."

What Dhoni really meant:

“I’m seeking a hair dye sponsor. Godrej, come calling.”

What Dhoni definitely didn’t:

“Gray is the new black.”

MS Dhoni: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Image via Wikipedia

Dhoni Wants His Team To Be Sociable—Always

What he said:

“The team showed character not to lose temper and still be sociable on the field."

Mahendra Singh Dhoni believes that his side may have lost the Test match and ODI series in England but they won hearts for not being sore losers.

The Indians lead 2-0 in the return ODI series—back home.

The Indian skipper was decorated with the ‘Spirit of the Game’ award at the annual ICC ceremony in September this year for his decision to allow English bat,Ian Bell, to continue his innings overturning a contentious dismissal just before the tea break during the second Test at Trent Bridge.

Ironically, Dhoni and his teammates were missing for the glittering function;Ian Bell collected the prize on his behalf.

What He Really Meant:

“We were so shell-shocked by the hammering meted out to us and the cold weather that we did not have the will to pull our  hands (holding hand warmers) out of our pockets. Talk about letting off a little steam!”

What He Definitely Didn’t:

“Check out our Facebook profiles and friend our friends—the entire English squad.”

Andy Flower: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Andy Flower Calls Foul On The Written Word

What he said:

I personally don’t think that it’s a good idea for current players to be talking about their fellow players. The written word does come across very, very differently — when you can’t judge a person’s tone — and particularly with Swann’s words, that is an accurate and important point.

English cricket team director, Andy Flower, is unequivocal that Graeme Swann was inappropriate in his criticism of then skipper and fellow teammate, Kevin Pietersen, in his autobiography, “The Breaks Are Off”—serialised in an English daily.

Swann is severe on Pietersen terming him the wrong person for the job.

Flower, however, brushed aside suggestions that the book has caused strife within the team.

Flower said:

“It’s all been handled in-house — without many problems. Pietersen and Swann get on well, and I think Pietersen has handled it very maturely.”

Commenting further on Pietersen, currently touring India for the return ODI series, Flower considers the No.4 an integral part of the squad:

When Kevin was competing in the game any -comments in a book had no place in his mind.

I expect him to score runs, that is why we pick him. If we didn’t expect it we wouldn’t pick him so I look -forward to him doing that soon. I personally disagree with -current players making comments about their team-mates. My personal opinion is that it is not the right thing to do.

I don’t think the commercial opportunities are that important to be honest. However, I think Pietersen has handled it very well and he and Swann get on fine. I think he has handled it very maturely and there aren’t any issues arising from it.

What Flower  really meant:

“What you say, is very, very different when it’s written out. There’s a finality about  it that’s damning. One thing to hear it, quite another to read it—in print.”

What Flower definitely didn’t:

“I guess it’s all right if the same thing were to be reiterated over and over again—verbally! Sledge him with it, chaps.”

David Gower: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

David Gower Pricks Shoaib Akhtar’s Hot Air Balloon

What he said:

"Its all talk, hot air. Wouldn’t want to get stuck in the argument.”

Former England skipper and commentator David Gower is dismissive of Shoaib Akhtar’s remarks concerning Sachin Tendulkar in his autobiography, “Controversially Yours”.

Gower said:

Shoaib had the talent. He was one of the quicks in his generation. He had the pace to trouble the best. Even (Vivian) Richards was troubled by pace. There was nothing new about that. But look at Sachin’s record, his thousands of runs in Test and one-day cricket…Its all hot air, irrelevant!

The left-hander with the sublime skills at the crease was equally critical of Akhtar’s suggestion that ball-tampering be sanctioned:

I understand what they are saying but there has to be a line somewhere. Its like legalising good ivory. It will increase poaching anyway. If you say its okay to do tampering, you will get a lot of tamperers. It will encourage cheating.

What he really meant:

“Shoaib’s  blowing hot and then cold on Tendulkar makes this a non-starter. Do we really need to take this topic further?”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I’m a batsman. Do you seriously expect me to take a bowler’s side—on this? I can still recall quaking in my boots when we had the West Indian quartet of fast bowlers at our throats in the 80s. It’s the stuff of nightmares.”

Rajeev Shukla: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Rajeev Shukla Is Not Fatigued For Excuses

What he said:

We have three formats. There are very few common players. There is no fatigue in common players.

To avoid fatigue, we said there should be proper coordination between physio and trainer. We will talk to the franchises to reduce the participation of players in parties that are held on the eve of matches.

So that the players get rest. But, if you say that there is fatigue due to IPL, I don’t agree with that.

IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla refutes the ‘absurd’ notion that cricketers are tired because of the IPL. The ICC virtually cleared the Future Tours Programme (FTP) schedule to accommodate the IPL.

The BCCI was severely criticized following the abject surrender of the national side in the away series in England. The tourists lost 0-4—a complete whitewash.

The IPL was seen as the largest contributory factor for this defeat.

Injuries to key players on the tour only exacerbated the perception.

What he really meant:

“Cricketers are superheroes, robots or demi-Gods. Have it whichever way you like. Fatigue is for mere mortals.“

“Just wave a little IPL moolah and the word ‘fatigue’ disappears from the players’ dictionary.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“It’s a no-brainer. Let’s drop Tests altogether.”

Yuvraj Singh: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Yuvraj Singh Lays Down The Law

What he said:

“The problem in India is if some one says a rooster has given an egg it will become news!! Whether it’s true or not it doesn’t matter."

Yuvraj Singh is livid that bookie Mazhar Majeed named Harbhajan Singh and him among the cricketers he had ‘access’ to.

Majeed and Pakistani fast bowler, Mohammad Asif, are on trial in a London court facing spot-fixing charges in a betting scam.

The News Of The World broke the sensational expose with footage of meetings between intrepid reporter Mazhar Mehmood and the crooked bookie.

Yuvraj tweeted:

"And who is Majid!! Absolute rubbish! Don’t no (sic), never met!”

The next tweet compared Majeed to a rooster practically terming his ‘lie’ a cock-and-bull story.

Harbhajan Singh was equally furious speaking to reporters in Nagpur:

I don’t know who this person is, I have never met him. We will definitely take some action against him. I don’t know whether it will be legal action or whatever.

But I will definitely bring it to the BCCI’s notice and I’m sure they’ll take the right kind of action against these kind people who are trying to spoil the game.

What he really meant:

“Sensationalism first, fact-finding later. That’s the name of the game.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“This rooster (Mazhar Majeed) laid some golden eggs for us (Harbhajan Singh and me).”

Graeme Swann: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Graeme Swann Provides Skipper Material

What he said:

“I lose my rag fairly easily, so the captains I’ve enjoyed playing under are the ones who don’t get flustered in the middle even when the pressure is on.”

Graeme Swann expounds on his reasons why Kevin Pietersen was not the right choice for skipper of the English cricket side.

Swann wrote—in the Sun:

There is no doubt Kevin Pietersen is a really fine batsman but he was never the right man to captain England.

Some people are better leaders of men and Kev, for all his talent, is not one of those natural leaders.

The English off-spinner further elaborated that he needed someone “who can calm me down”.

Swann said—of Pietersen:

“At one point in India, his leadership was reduced to screaming ‘F****** bowl f****** straight’ at everyone.”

Swann contrasts Andrew Strauss’ leadership saying “he is one of those guys who demands respect.”

The No. 1 Test bowler in the world commended Strauss:

He always says the right things and his word is never questioned.

If you were in the trenches, you’d pick him to be in charge and his captaincy is founded on leading from the front. He can be hard-nosed, too, if necessary.

What Graeme Swann really meant:

“You can rest assured asking me to ‘F****** bowl f****** straight’  got me to do anything but that.”

What Graeme Swann definitely didn’t:

“Just give us a ‘F****** skipper’—as long as it’s not me.”

Ravi Bopara: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

"It’s a cut-throat business.”

Ravi Bopara believes that the competition for spots in the English cricket team is ruthless.

Bopara claimed:

"You’ve just got to keep playing well whenever things are in your favour, and make sure you nail it."

The English all-rounder of Indian origin has been in and out of the English squad failing to carve a niche for himself.

What he really meant:

“Tell me about it. I play county cricket—a bloody sacrifice—and yet Eoin Morgan is selected ahead of me despite waltzing off to the IPL.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“That’s why they term the willow—a blade.”