INDIA ICC World Cup Champions. Congratulations India.

[pinci2000]

very good picture and schedule sharing i like this thread so much and plz continue it .

 

[Yusuf]

How many MBs/GBs would streaming cricket matches take? I have to watch one inning everyday in office and broadband is the only way.

 

[bhogta]

^^ Depends upon which site you are using. Some do encoding vary good. I will search and then tell you.

 

[plugwater]

How many MBs/GBs would streaming cricket matches take? I have to watch one inning everyday in office and broadband is the only way.

It ll come around 250 MB per hour. But it varies depends on quality of the video.

 

[A.V.]

How many MBs/GBs would streaming cricket matches take? I have to watch one inning everyday in office and broadband is the only way.

We will have a online scoreboard and live commentry feature on DFI forum page , eagleone is working on it already it will be done

 

[A.V.]

we cannot share the live video as its not legal but score and commentry can

 

[Oracle]

/\/\/\ That's great news.

 

[Blackwater]

mate got to agree with blackwater, the stadiums in our country including the cricketing ones are far from being termed world class. the only country which truly has world class cricket stadiums is australia, with sa having 1-2 good stadiums. in india the only two stadiums that can be termed close to world class are dy patil cricket stadium, mumbai and jawaharlal nehru stadium, delhi rest have a lot of catching up to do though from what i have seen of eden gardens cricket stadium and the chinnai cricket stadium so far, one would like to believe the two would come close to or better dy patil and jn stadiums.

After Eden garden now Wankhade stadium in Mumbai which will host final, failed fire test.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...vour-top-teams-Shetty/articleshow/7461285.cms

World Cup fixture made to favour top teams: Shetty
PTI, Feb 9, 2011, 05.35pm IST

NEW DELHI: Tournament director of World Cup and BCCI's CAO Ratnakar Shetty on Wednesday admitted that World Cup fixtures have been made in order to favour co-hosts India and other top teams make it to the knock-out stage.

Shetty also said that organisers did not want to take a risk with the format unlike 2007 when India and Pakistan made exit in the opening round.

Asked whether lot of matches featuring minnows have been scheduled in order to tweak it in favour of India, Shetty replied, "I will not be honest if I say no. Economically, we all know that India is the financial powerhouse of cricket. The exit of India and Pakistan from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 was a disaster for the tournament. The sponsors, broadcasters, tour operators, West Indies board - all lost a lot of money," Shetty said.

"The format was changed in such a way that it gives all the top teams a chance to compete. We have gone back to the same format that was used in 1996," he told espnstar.com.

On the issue of India-England match being shifted from Kolkata to Bangalore, Shetty said that the CAB should have factored in the delay that was to be caused due to the organisation of IPL matches.

"According to the ICC charter, a venue is supposed to be ready three months before the event, which the Cricket Association of Bengal knew well in advance. Hence, it was their responsibility to take all those factors into consideration before hosting the IPL games. Considering factors like the monsoon, we extended the deadline to December 31.

"After the December inspection, the venues in question - Eden Gardens, Wankhede, Hambantota and Pallekele were given one last chance, and unfortunately Eden Gardens fell way short of the mark when it came to the level of preparedness," he added.

Questioned whether the Eden issue could have been resolved in a better manner, he answered, "Unlike in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh where the Boards run the show completely, in India, the BCCI doesn't run daily cricket.

"In our case, the stadia are completely managed by the state associations. The ICC have documented the progress of each venue. The BCCI monitored the reports of the venue, but to ensure that the work is completed was the responsibility of the state association."

Shetty informed that Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium will host some local matches in order to test the 22-yard strip.

"We will have some local matches. Every alternate day, there are bowlers who bowl at the nets. ICC pitches committee head Andy Atkinson is stationed in Mumbai to oversee the preparation.

"The wicket was not completely re-laid, only the top surface was changed. We have a very able curator in Sudhir Naik who has done a wonderful job in the past, so it is not a major worry for us."

About the security arrangement for the tournament, Shetty said, "Things have changed in the last two years. The police have a mechanism of continuously monitoring the security issues. The threat perception varies from team to team, and that is an aspect that is being looked into by the central Government.

 

[Pintu]

http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/column_bcci-has-let-eden-down_1505659

BCCI has let Eden down
Vedam Jaishankar | Thursday, February 10, 2011

There is no superior cricketing arena than a jam-packed Eden Gardens.The gigantic Kolkata stadium morphs into a veritable cauldron when 100,000 passionate, vocal spectators congregate to transform it into one of the greatest sports ground in the world.

The resultant electrifying atmosphere could unnerve all but the most steely of cricketers. No wonder someone once compared it to ancient Rome's Coliseum where gladiators lived and died entertaining citizens of the republic.

But Eden Gardens, under lights, would have surpassed even the legendary Coliseum and an India World Cup clash against a resurgent England at this venue might well have been one of the most enduring features of this quadrennial event. Alas, it was not to be as a combination of pigheadedness, high-handedness and indifference squashed the heightened expectations of millions of cricket fans.
Article continues below the advertisement...

Of course, the shifting of the match to Bangalore gave that great sporting city its just due. Till then, the Karnataka State Cricket Association, whose erstwhile office-bearers were not in the best of terms with some of the bigwigs of BCCI, were saddled with crappy World Cup matches. This was despite captain MS Dhoni and many others having publicly hailed the Chinnaswamy Stadium as one of the best venues for cricket soon after last year's exciting Test against Australia.

However, the recent election of Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath as president and secretary of KSCA seems to have goaded the BCCI bigwigs into rewarding it first with the India vs Australia warm-up game and more recently with the high profile India vs England World Cup match.And the Karnataka cricket fans are loving it, simply loving it!

Amidst the euphoria of Bangalore having got to host this top drawer World Cup tie, the larger question that needs to be asked is: should the BCCI have let go of the Eden Gardens without a murmur of protest. Sure, it suited the convenience of a number of BCCI honchos in not having the India-England game in Kolkata. But pause for a minute and ponder if it served the long term interests of Indian cricket.

For this, look no further than England. They have consistently hyped Lord's as the iconic home of world cricket. Never mind that some international cricketers, like our own Sunil Gavaskar, always believed that the facilities at Lord's did not match the hype.On the other hand, every single England fan, supporter and administrator perceived the venue as a revered site and would not even dream of seeing it in any other light. The same holds true for Australia, Australians and the MCG.These two countries' board take great pride in them and even when they are up for renovation (like during the India- England Test in 1990 when owing to re-construction of the stands the boundary on one side of the pitch was a mere 50 yards) they highlight the positives ofthe venue and conjure illusions of what it might be in future.

So, why haven't we done the same with the Eden Gardens? Mumbai might be the cricket capital of India and Bangalore, probably the nursery, but Kolkata and the Eden Gardens are, without doubt, the heart and soul of Indian cricket. Of course, its spectators have at times been unreasonably violent, like during the 1996 World Cup semifinals against Sri Lanka. But there is no doubting that the Eden Gardens spectators wear their cricket passion on their sleeve and this has significantly contributed to its charm.

Irrespective of the claims and counter claims — Cricket Association of Bengal stated that only two roofs were not in place and they had informed in advance that they'd put them up only after the World Cup and were reassured that the roofs were not mandatory;while the ICC team's concern was that host venue obligations in relation to cricket operations, media, broadcast and sponsorship facilities were not finalised and confirmed by the venue — it is a fact that CAB were tardy with the pace of work and the BCCI failed to supervise, caution and constantly advice them on this score.

It is also possible that the ICC team was unaware of Indian penchant for working at break-neck pace at the eleventh hour and bringing things up to speed in the nick of time. We've been conditioned to seeing this happening repeatedly at all sort of event venues, including marriage halls, launch parties and more prominently the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games. It is possible that Kolkata too might have been match-ready in time, if only the BCCI showed a more determined inclination to back it.

No doubt it is too late to right a wrong, but the BCCI must take care that as the World Cup progresses, it does not continue to trifle with national pride and passion. Its politics must take a back seat for the duration of the event and it must help shore up shortcomings, if any. The last thing it should do is to allow international committees to publicly trample all over its host associations. The time for BCCI to be pro-active is now!

—Vedam Jaishankar is a
Bangalore-based cricket writer. He has covered five World Cups and
authoredRahul Dravid— A Biography

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...e-last-ball-Harbhajan/articleshow/7452700.cms

This Indian team can fight till the last ball: Harbhajan
IANS, Feb 8, 2011, 04.56pm IST

NEW DELHI: Harbhajan Singh lists a whole lot of pointers to cite why India can hope to go far in the upcoming World Cup, the uppermost being their ability to fight till the last ball.

Harbhajan, who will be playing his third World Cup, is a senior pro now and when he speaks his words carry weight. Like some of his peers and contemporaries, he says the India team is a good mix of youth and experience and has more than one match-winner.

"The team can now bank on not only seniors, but also on (Virat) Kohli, (Yusuf) Pathan and (Suresh) Raina who can win matches on their own," Harbhajan said.

"Even bowling has bite with Zaheer (Khan), (Ashish) Nehra and Munaf (Patel) at their best. They can change the course of a match with incisive spells. That is a big plus for the team.

"The confidence levels are sky-high as we have performed well in the last three years and showed we can fight till the last ball."

As for the group games in the Feb 19-April 2 event, the off-spinner picked the opening match against Bangladesh as crucial as they had knocked India out of the last World Cup in the Caribbean at the preliminaries stage.

"The first match will be important and will set the tone for the rest of the tournament. We are not taking any team lightly and none is a favourite. Last time there was little chance to stage a comeback after losing the first match, but there are no such fears in this World Cup," Harbhajan maintained.

Harbhajan's role, too, has changed in the last four years. Besides being one of the seniors, he is the lone established spinner with the other two being newcomer Ravichandran Ashwin and and comeback man Piyush Chawla. The turbanator is aware of this responsibility but maintains that he will not try do anything fancy in the tournament and will bowl according to the situation.

"This is my third World Cup and I am more experienced now. My target is to take wickets and bowl as the situation demands. There is no new ball that I will experiment with nor am I going to bowl any magic ball," said the Jalandhar lad, who went wicketless in the last edition and is keen on turning things around this time.

Harbhajan has turned into a reliable lower-order batsman and has gained recognition as a bowling all-rounder. His back-to-back hundreds against New Zealand and then crucial knocks in South Africa were solid efforts.

"Bhajji," as he is fondly called, credits Gary Kirsten for the improvement in his batting, but insists bowling remains his top priority.

"I owe a lot to Gary for the improvement in my batting. He tirelessly throws balls in the nets and he works with players on a one-on-one basis, attending to every individual player's needs. That is the stamp of a quality coach. For all my batting exploits, I consider myself a bowler, who is keen to contribute with the bat when required," Harbhajan said.

The biggest cricketing extravaganza is being played on the low and slow wickets in the sub-continent, where part-timers spinners can also revel. Harbhajan sees this a big advantage for India as Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina are much more than mere back-up spinners.

"The wickets will get slower as the tournament progresses. You have to have variation in your attack. You just need to be sure of what you are doing. The part-timers will play a big role."

Harbhajan is fine with the World Cup schedule, unlike England's Kevin Pietersen who is unhappy with it.

"As for the schedule, it has no bearing on our preparation and in any case there is no point cribbing about it. If the gap between the matches is less, then someone will complain of not getting adequate rest and when there is a week between the matches, they still grumble," said Harbhajan.

The World Cup is returning to India after 15 years and there is bound to be some pressure playing at home, but Bhajji, just like his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, sees it as an added responsibility.

"There is no additional pressure on us just because we are playing at home. It is a responsibility.

"It is the biggest tournament for any cricketer. Everyone expects us to win. Wherever I go, I am asked whether we can win the Cup. We can only get motivated by the enthusiasm among fans."

 

[Pintu]

http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_cricket-world-cup-2011-team-india-gets-down-to-business_1505699

Cricket World Cup 2011: Team India gets down to business
Published: Wednesday, Feb 9, 2011, 23:56 IST
By Angshuman Deb Barma | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

The whole of India wants it to be Sachin Tendulkar's World Cup. And why not! As soon as the team bus arrived at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, one spotted the maestro sitting in the first row. Tendulkar may not be leading the side, but looking at the manner in which he stepped out of the vehicle, one could sense that hunger in him. The World Cup means a lot to him and that was more than evident ahead of the first practice session.

The entire team participated in a football game. Tendulkar left the field a little later, and spent the rest of the day at the NCA gymnasium. Coach Gary Kirsten is keen on getting the players ready for Sunday's warm-up game against Australia. He chose to engage the boys in some light workout and short stints at the nets.

Kirsten was the busiest man around. The South African was seen throwing balls at Virender Sehwag and then Gautam Gambhir. The last batsman to face Kirsten was YuvrajSingh. The coach also had a word with Yuvi. The others who had a hit were Virat Kohli, Yusuf Pathan and Harbhajan Singh, who, surprisingly, did not bowl on Wednesday. Skipper MS Dhoni also batted for 10 minutes at an extreme corner of the nets.

The bowlers, too, had a light session with Eric Simons keeping a close watch. The bowling coach, who stationed himself behind the stumps, made good use of his baseball glove. Ashish Nehra was seen working very hard. The left-arm pacer was trying to get his run-up and rhythm right.

Meanwhile, Kirsten was quick to point out to National Cricket Academy director Sandeep Patil that the practice pitches had a lot of grass. He then ensured that the grass was shaved off.

One reckons India will try to make full use of the home advtange. After all, the flat tracks will only help out batsmen and spinners. Before he left for the day, Kirsten had a nice look at the bald pitch. It was an indication of what we'd see in the days to come.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...t-Chinnaswamy-Stadium/articleshow/7463284.cms

When Kirsten failed to get his way at Chinnaswamy Stadium
Satish Viswanathan, TNN, Feb 9, 2011, 10.52pm IST

BANGALORE: The Indian World Cup camp kicked off, literally so, at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Arriving at the venue a little after 3.00 pm, the team started the session with the now customary game of football, the only difference being that it was a sea of red out there on the green grass.

The Indian blue has been traded for a smart red for the duration of the World Cup. The Men in Blue will still play the matches adorned in blue though, the red being restricted to practice sessions.

With most of the players having arrived in the morning, the 'Air Show' in Bangalore ensuring early morning departures from their respective home bases, the morning was devoted to rest. Then following a team meeting at the official hotel, it was over to the session at the ground.

Coach Gary Kirsten was the first to emerge from the dressing room and he was straightaway involved in an animated conversation with one of the groundsmen at the main ground. Kirsten wanted his side to be allowed to have their football stint there but the groundstaff were having none of it.

The amiable Kirsten tried his best but when explained that the players' spikes would damage the just-watered outfield, he saw reason and signaled for the players to join him at the adjoining KSCA B ground, where the National Cricket Academy is situated.

Before he left, he seemed to have got the groundstaff to promise him some leeway on Thursday morning when the first full session is scheduled to get underway.

Kirsten's concern was understandable, he wanted his boys to run a lot more than they would at the smaller B ground but then the groundstaff had to keep the larger picture in mind - the conduct of seven matches in the same outfield, including two practice games.

At the NCA, following the football and a short rocket-ball session, Kirtsen took a few batsmen aside to face his thunderbolts. There was no tennis ball involved and so it wasn't about short stuff but more of full-length deliveries, just for the batsmen to get their feet moving and the hand-eye co-ordination going.

It also helped test Gautam Gambhir's recovery from the injury to his wrist. The left-hander who followed his good friend Virender Sehwag at the throwdowns had a limited session and though at the end of it he seemed to be favouring his wrist a bit, there didn't seem to be real cause for alarms.

In case you were wondering where Sachin Tendulkar was, as he normally bats between Sehwag and Gambhir, well, the master did indulge in a spot of football but didn't, for once in his life, return with bat in hand, simply choosing to relax instead.

Even as Kirsten added Yuvraj Singh to his throwdowns list, skipper Mahendra Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh and Yusuf Pathan played out some gentler stuff at the far net.

While the batsmen were doing their stuff, bowling coach Eric Simons took the bowlers out to the center wicket. Spinners R Ashwin and Piyush Chawla were followed by the pace foursome of Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel and S Sreesanth, all of whom didn't go full out but did enough to suggest that they were raring to go.

Harbhajan, after his batting stint, chose to stretch his body, physio Amit Shah putting him through the paces for a fairly lengthy time. There was no sign of the other Indian physio Paul Close but Nitin Patel, who had swapped places with him and joined the NCA, arrived with the Indian team on the bus. Has another swap taken place was the immediate query which on the day at least found no answer.

With the light fading, the light session drew to a close, after which Kirsten spent a lot of time discussing what seemed to be fielding drills with R Sridhar, the former Hyderabad player who is the fielding coach at the NCA. Kirsten does have his priorities clear and knows how important a part the fielding is going to play in the World Cup.

 

[Pintu]

India : 101/4 ( 21.2) Last Wicket Dhoni bowled 11(24), Shewag Not Out 45(51)

For more details about this Warm up tie with Australia :

http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/engine/current/match/473326.html

Regards

 

[Oracle]

Top 10 World Cup knocks

Brief run-down of the top batting knocks in the World Cup (against test playing nations only) ahead of the 2011 edition which starts on Saturday:

1. Sourav Ganguly (India) - 183 (158 balls, 17 fours, 7 sixes) v Sri Lanka, Taunton, 1999

Ganguly provided a taste of what T20 might be like with his towering hits that almost cleared the outskirts of the town, let alone Taunton's tiny ground.

After stuttering in their opening encounter against South Africa and choking in a space of six balls from Henry Olonga against Zimbabwe, India needed to win big against Sri Lanka.

Ganguly's innings ensured just that and provided the momentum for a place in the Super Sixes. However, the early setbacks cost India the chance of further qualification.

In Image: 26 May 1999: Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly of India celebrate a record partnership of 318 in the World Cup Group A game against Sri Lanka at Taunton in England.

2. Viv Richards (West Indies) - 181 (125 balls, 16 fours, 7 sixes) v Sri Lanka, Karachi, 1987

Richards walked in to bat on a hat-trick and by the time he departed, he had scored the highest score (then) in a World Cup.

He went about his business in such a savage manner that Desmond Haynes' 105 almost seemed pedestrian by comparison. It was a perfect riposte to two back-to-back losses in World Cups for the West Indies (1983 finals to India; opening encounter against England in 1987).

Although, they exited before the semi-finals, Richards had once again stamped his authority on the World Cup.

In Image: In this file photo cricket legends India's Kapil Dev and West Indies' Vivian Richards interact during the unveiling of new initiatives and grand plans by ESPN Star Sports for the forthcoming ICC World Cup 2011 in New Delhi.

3. Matthew Hayden (Australia) 158 (143 balls, 14 fours, 4 sixes) v West Indies, North Sound, 2007

Hayden imposed himself on the home side with an innings of various gears. It was an uncharacteristic innings, given it was Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Shane Watson who provided the impetus while the big man almost played a 'sheet anchor' role by his standards.

Having not opened his account for 18 deliveries, he got to his 50 in 72 deliveries, and it was only in the 45th over that he really went into overdrive. Despite a glimpse of Brian Lara's class, there was no stopping Australia.

In Image: Australian cricket fans celebrate their victoy over West Indies at the end of the ICC World Cup Super Eight match between Australia and West Indies as a big screen shows Australian batsman and Man of the Match Matthew Hayden batting from 27 March's innings at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in St John's, 28 March 2007.

4. Adam Gilchrist (Australia) 149 (104 balls, 13 fours, 8 sixes) v Sri Lanka, Bridgetown, 2007

Clive Lloyd (1975), Viv Richards (1979), Aravinda de Silva (1996), Ponting (2003) and Gilchrist (2007). It is a Who's Who list of batsmen who left their indelible mark on World Cup finals.

After a rather tepid tournament by his standards, Gilchrist -- with a squash ball inside his gloves -- treated the cricket ground akin to a squash court.

His brutal assault propelled Australia, and although Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakarra made a game of it, they could not stop Australia from winning the 2007 World Cup for the third consecutive time.

In Image: Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist (L) celebrates with teammate Matthew Hayden after scoring a century against Sri Lanka at the Kensington Oval stadium in Bridgetown, in Barbados, 28 April 2007, in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup Final 2007.

5. AB de Villiers (South Africa) 146 (130 balls, 12 fours, 5 sixes) v West Indies, St George's, 2007

With the West Indies already out of contention for a semi-final slot, Lara experimented with some debatable team selection and bowling decisions.

But nothing can be taken away from the knock of De Villiers, who ensured that South Africa's shock defeat to Bangladesh was an aberration.

Although Sarwan tried gamely, South Africa eased through to the semis where, again, their fragile batting was exposed by the Australians, thus re-invigorating the tag of 'chokers'.

In Image: South African batsman AB de Villiers celebrates after reaching his century during the ICC World Cup 2007 Super Eight match between West Indies and South Africa at the Grenada National Stadium in Saint George's, 10 April 2007.

 

[Oracle]

Contd..

6. Rahul Dravid (India) 145 (129 balls, 17 fours, 1 six) v Sri Lanka, Taunton, 1999

Indian cricket is replete with Dravid's feats in some monumental partnerships and this extremely crucial 318-run partnership with his skipper, Ganguly, was no less momentous.

The fact that he scored at a very impressive strike rate almost went unnoticed as he was finding the gaps and using his pull shots but not hitting the towering sixes that regularly came at the other end.

However, Mr Dependable was there when India needed him most.

In Image: Indian batsman Rahul Dravid flicks a ball from Saqlain to leg as Pakistani keeper Moin Kahn looks on during their Cricket World Cup match at Old Trafford in Manchester 08 June 1999.

7. Andrew Symonds (Australia) 143 (125 balls, 18 fours, 2 sixes) v Pakistan, Johannesburg, 2003

In Australia's first match of the 2003 World Cup as defending champions, they were stunned by the Pakistani fast bowling attack with Gilchrist, Hayden, Damien Martyn and Jimmy Maher back in the hutch within the Powerplay.

Ponting and Symonds rebuilt the innings and a sedate start assumed fierce proportions once Ponting departed. Symonds took a liking to Shahid Afridi's bowling and did not spare the Ws (Wasim and Waqar) in the death overs either.

Pakistan never really got going and Australia were off and running.

In Image: Australian batsman Andrew Symonds (L) embraces teammate Ian Harvey after scoring his maiden century in their one-day match being played at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg 11 February 2003.

8. Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa) 143 (141 balls, 19 fours, 3 sixes) v New Zealand, Johannesburg, 2003

A feeling of deja vu must have crept in when Gibbs scored another century at the World Cup and lost another crucial match.

Rewind to 'You just dropped the World Cup, mate' quip from Steve Waugh in 1999 when Gibbs dropped a sitter after having scored 101 and let Australia off the hook.

Fast forward four years, and this time it was the Kiwi skipper, Stephen Fleming, who upstaged Gibbs' heroic effort with sheer class and grace.

It was a tournament where bad luck, rain, Messrs Duckworth & Lewis, and common sense (or lack of it) conspired to eliminate the hosts.

In Image: South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs (front) kisses his helmet after scoring his century against New Zealand during their ICC Cricket World Cup match at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg 16 February 2003.

9. Dave Houghton (Zimbabwe) 142 (137 balls, 13 fours, 6 sixes) v New Zealand, Hyderabad, 1987

Another heartbreak story for another valiant centurion. Zimbabwe had always threatened to be giant slayers in their performances against India and Australia in 1983.

They nearly did it again, chasing a respectable 243 to win.


Houghton played one of the most majestic innings and almost single handedly won the match for Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, the rest of the batting line up let him down with tennis scores of 1-5-12-4-5-2-1.

When Zimbabwe fell short by three runs, all neutral cricket fans must have been equally dejected.

In Image: In this file photo Dave Houghton in action against South Africa in Cape Town on 29 January, 1997.

10. Scott Styris (New Zealand) 141 (125 balls, 3 fours, 6 sixes) v Sri Lanka, Bloemfontein, 2003

To round off the theme with a hat-trick of centuries in losing causes, Styris was the sole survivor amidst a sinking ship with only a fighting 32 from Chris Cairns to prop up the New Zealand total.

New Zealand never really came close to challenging the relatively imposing total of 272 from Sri Lanka.

In Image: New Zealand's batsman Scott Styris plays a defensive shot as Sri Lanka's keeper Sangakara looks on during the World Cup match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand on 10 February 2003.

Source

 

[Oracle]

Eden, Wankhede get green signal from ICC to host WC ties

Kolkata and Mumbai grounds have been given the final clearance to stage Cricket World Cup matches after concerns about their readiness, the head of the governing body told Reuters on Monday.

"Those venues have all been squared off, they're ready," International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a telephone interview ahead of the Feb 19-April 2 tournament. "There isn't an issue about readiness of stadiums."

This means only one match, India's fixture with England on Feb 27, had to be switched from Kolkata's Eden Gardens to Bangalore. Mumbai has been given the go-ahead to stage the final on April 2 as well as two other group-stage fixtures.

"We felt they (Kolkata) would not be ready by Feb 27 but they had every opportunity to be ready for the matches (there) in March and we've got to the point now when all of the venues are going to be ready for the games scheduled," he said.

"Mumbai made fabulous progress post the initial delays, the initial concerns, that were experienced back in December and when we came for that inspection in January we were satisfied with the progress.

"So there isn't an issue about readiness of the stadiums."

Similarly, Sri Lanka's three grounds were also "good to go".

A report from the ICC's World Cup inspection team is expected on Tuesday to confirm his comments.


The ICC's bill of health will be a big relief to local organisers, particularly in India where the delays in preparing Commonwealth Games facilities last year in New Delhi proved a major embarrassment to a country determined to present a modern, efficient image to world audiences.

Eden Gardens is one of the most prestigious in India but ICC inspectors found renovation work on the stand still unfinished in December and similarly, Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium needed completing.

Source

 

[Oracle]

Indian team under me was successful due to seniors: Wright

CHENNAI: Former India coach John Wright on Tuesday said the success of the then team under him was largely due to the determination and drive of the senior players to improve and he was just a catalyst in the process.

Wright, who had maintained a low-profile throughout his five-year tenure from 2000-2005, was his modest self when reminded that the current Indian team was his baby.

"Oh no ... it's satisfaction on seeing players playing to their potential. Like Zaheer (Khan) who has improved a lot now and (Virender) Sehwag. I think Gary (Kirsten) and his team and Paddy (Upton) have done exactly the same as when I was coach. When you take over a team, you like to make progress, they have taken it to another level," said the current New Zealand coach.

"But you know I think that Sourav (Ganguly) and all the senior players Rahul (Dravid), (VVS) Laxman, Sachin (Tendulkar) really the guys drove that process. I helped with that they did the great job because they wanted their team to change and improve.

"I probably got the opportunity because of that desire from those players. It was a pleasure working with them. Really that's been a factor of the side for a long time," Wright said at a press-conference ahead of his side's World Cup warm-up match against India on Wednesday.

Wright, who confessed to still following Indian cricket, had special memory of VVS Laxman because of the magnificent 280 he had scored to win a Test match for India against Australia at Eden Gardens in 2001.

"Many times when I walk around my farm, I still think very affectionately of Laxman on moving the cattle of the sheep or something like that. You think at that time it could have gone other way. I remember Kolkata. Someone said to me I hope you got good yields. I said what you mean. I thought at that stage particularly when we had to follow on - then Laxman and Rahul turned up and Bhajji ( Harbhajan Singh) turned it around.

"You look back on that you think well you had a bit of team talk about the batting order. You get fortunate some thing like that happens and then you pick up on the Chennai thing that was a bit of an adventure. So I still think very affectionately about VVS when you look back. So its great to be back here (in India)," said the former New Zealand opening batsman.

Asked about Ganguly having retired and Dravid no longer in the Indian ODI squad, Wright said, "Everything takes its course you know. India's team for next World Cup will be different from this one. I think the players understand that, I can't imagine Sourav at mid-off at the moment.

"But every one has their time players, coaches. You always got to keep moving on in sports. They have had great careers and now it is someone else's turn. Those sort of decisions are selection issues, really."

Source

 

[Blackwater]

any memebers living in europe,, which channel showing live matches????

 

[Oracle]

Check out the websites of ICC and Espnstar. I think they will be streaming matches live.