Virender Sehwag on Monday denied reports of retirement from international cricket after news of his retirement went viral on the social media. Sehwag, who is in Dubai attending a ceremony of Master Champions League (MCL), hinted at retirement to make himself eligible for the inaugural edition of MCL. Sources close to Sehwag confirmed that the former Indian opener has not officially announced his retirement.
Sehwag is the only Indian batsman to score a triple-century in Tests, and he did it twice. With 8586 runs from 104 Test matches, Sehwag stands at fifth in India's all-time list. In ODIs, he scored 8273 runs, with 15 centuries including the second-highest individual score of 219. In 19 Twenty20 internationals, the right-hander made 394 runs. Aside from all those runs, Sehwag took 40 wickets in Tests and 96 in ODIs.
Though he made his ODI debut in 1999 and was initially seen as a limited-overs player, Sehwag's biggest contribution was changing the way opening batsman approached Test cricket. A middle-order batsman from his Delhi days, Sehwag made his name opening for India in Test cricket after the former coach John Wright and Sourav Ganguly took a gamble on him during the Lord's Test of 2002. Sehwag had debuted in Tests at No 6 the year before, scoring a glittering century against South Africa, and was a reluctant candidate to move up the order. But with a punchy innings of 84 in his first innings as opener, his role was confirmed.
Sehwag went on to revolutionise the opener's approach, and his strike-rate of 82.23 is the best for any batsman to aggregate over 2000 runs. The 2003-04 season was a breakthrough one for him, with 1040 run in nine Tests including 195 on day one of the MCG Test and India's first triple century, a 375-ball 309 against Pakistan at Multan.
Galle, Kanpur, Kolkata, Colombo and Ahmedabad and, famously, an attacking 68-ball 83 on the fourth evening of the Chennai Test in December 2008 that propelled India towards victory on the final day. One of this most unique innings came at Adelaide earlier that year, in his comeback series, when he produced a patient 151 in the second innings to secure a draw.
Incredibly, of his 23 Test centuries, 14 were in excess of 150. Apart from two monumental triple-centuries - the first at Multan and the second versus South Africa at Chennai in 2008 - Sehwag possesses four doubles. He was a key figure in the Test team's ascendancy to No 1 in the ICC rankings, scoring centuries both home and away. In late 2012, Sehwag became the ninth Indian cricketer to play 100 Test matches.
Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq, on Friday, said he was mulling retirement after the upcoming Test series against England. The 41-year old, who plays only only the Test format, said he hadn't taken a final decision but that he hoped to leave the game on a high. I haven't taken a final decision, Misbah told media on the sidelines of a training camp in Lahore, adding that he was considering his options.
Misbah retired from Twenty20 cricket in 2012 and left the one-day international game after Pakistan's quarter-final finish in the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in March. "People remember your final performance.
The unassuming middle-order batsman will be remembered for his admirable leadership of Pakistan in the aftermath of the 2010 spot-fixing scandal which resulted in five-year bans for Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. Last month Misbah had announced he will retire after an upcoming series against India, but the December-January contest is in serious doubt due to political tension between the arch-rivals.
Pakistan take on the Ashes-winning England team in a three-Test series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) starting in Abu Dhabi from October 13. While England are on a high following their win against Australia, Misbah warned that the conditions in the UAE will be challenging for the visitors.
This English team has done well in the Ashes, Misbah said. "But they do not have experience of UAE conditions and that will be a big challenge for them. Misbah however refused to be drawn on the prospect of another 3-0 rout of the Lions, such as the one in the UAE under his captaincy three years ago. "We have to take it match by match, session by session and once you win sessions you go towards the bigger goals. We are not thinking of 3-0, England is a top team and we have to play well and think how to tackle them."
When asked if Pakistan would miss Saeed Ajmal -- one of the architects of the 2012 rout with 24 wickets -- Misbah said Pakistan have replacements in leg-spinner Yasir Shah and left-armer Zulfiqar Babar. "Shah and Babar are doing extraordinarily well and that's a big plus, so they haven't made us feel anyone's absence," Misbah summed up.
source:http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/74942/pakistan-vs-england-misbah-ul-haq-mulls-test-retirement
Sachin Tendulkar– childhood and early life
Sachin Tendulkar was born on April 23, 1973 at the Nirmal Nursing Home in Dadar, Mumbai. His father was one of the most famous novelists of Maharashtra, Ramesh Tendulkar, and his mother Rajni was an insurance professional. His father named Sachin after Sachin Dev Burman who happened to be his favorite music director. He was the youngest among 4 siblings – elder brothers Nitin and Ajit and elder sister Savita.
Early childhood
The first few years of Sachin’s life were spent at the Sahitya Sahawas Cooperative Housing Society in Bandra East. As a young kid Sachin was completely opposite to how he is nowadays – at school he was not averse to picking a fight or two against children who had come there for the first time and this led him to be regarded as a bully of sorts.
In his teens Sachin was a big fan of John McEnroe, one of the prominent tennis stars from the US who was also known for his fits of temper. Ajit decided to do away with the bullying and mischievous nature of Sachin and so he introduced him to cricket during 1984. He took Sachin to Ramakant Achrekar, who was one of the most well known club cricketers of his time as well as a top coach. He used to teach at Shivaji Park, Dadar.
Achrekar liked what we saw with the young Sachin and asked him to change his school to Sharadashram Vidyamandir (English) High School, which was located in Dadar itself. The school was a top name in local cricketing circles and had gifted many famous cricketers at that time. Before this, Sachin had been studying at the Indian Education Society’s New English School in Bandra East.
The cricketing journey starts
Achrekar started by coaching Sachin in the mornings before school and in the evenings after his school got over. Tendulkar used to practice for hours at end and whenever he became tired Achrekar used to place a one rupee coin at the top of his stumps. The condition was that Sachin could keep them if he did not get out and Sachin collected 13 coins this way, which he still regards as being among his most treasured possessions. It was at this time that he decided to stay with his uncle and aunt who lived close to Shivaji Park in order to deal with a tiring schedule.
Sachin – the child prodigy
At school Sachin was regarded as a child prodigy and was a common point of discussion in the cricketing circles of Mumbai. He was a constant feature for his school team in the well known Matunga Gujarati Seva Mandal Shield. Along with school cricket, Sachin made his mark in club cricket as well with appearances at the prestigious Kanga League. His first club was the John Bright Cricket Club and then he switched to the Cricket Club of India (CCI).
Sachin attended the MRF Pace Foundation in Madras at the age of 14 so that he could train and become a fast bowler. However, Dennis Lillee who was heading the proceedings was not impressed at the least by the young kid and asked him to focus on his batting instead. It was during this time that Sachin was not able to win the Best Junior Cricketer Award of the Mumbai Cricket Association and was distraught but he received a pair of ultra light pads from a certain Mr. Sunil Gavaskar who wrote to him as well and said that he himself had not been able to win it as well as that age. In an effort to gee up the young talent he also stated that he had not done too badly as a cricketer himself. Sachin stated after he had eclipsed Gavaskar’s record of 34 test centuries that it had acted as possibly the greatest encouragement for him at that point in time.
First brushes with international cricket
Sachin’s first experience of international cricket came when he appeared as a substitute for Imran Khan’s team at an exhibition game that was being staged at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai as a commemoration of the golden jubilee of CCI where Sachin used to play. When India played England in the semi final of the 1987 World Cup in Mumbai Sachin played the role of a ball-boy in that game.
First glimpses of his talent
Sachin had an exceptional season in 1988 and hammered a century in each and every match he played. With former friend and team India colleague Vinod Kambli he took part in an unbeaten partnership of 664 runs against the St. Xavier’s High School in a Lord Harris Shield interschool contest. Their dominance was such that the opposition was not keen on going ahead with the match and one bowler was actually crying. Tendulkar notched up a 326 in that game and also scored in excess of 1000 runs in that tournament. His partnership was to stay unbroken till 2006 when a couple of under-13 batsmen eclipsed it at a game held in Hyderabad.
US Open 2015 mixed doubles semi-final, Leander Paes and Martina Hingis booked a place in the final of their third Grand Slam this year and considering the sport's obsession with youth, the performances of these two old-timers - which includes 2015 Australian Open and Wimbledon titles - is nothing less than superlative.Paes is 42 while Hingis, who dominated women's singles field in the late 90s is now 35. To go with her 14 titles prior to her retirement, the Swiss has now added four more Grand Slam titles - two of them with Paes . And with Sania Mirza, the Swiss is now poised for her second women's doubles title this year after reaching the final with ease. It was Paes who pushed Hingis for this partnership and the duo have looked almost unbeatable since joining hands at the Australian Open earlier this year. While Hingis' transformation from a singles to doubles player has been impressive, Paes, one of the best if not the best doubles player in the world is proving time and again that age is just a number.
READ MORE :-CRICKET SPORTS NEWS
When he takes the court against USA's Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey in the mixed doubles final at Flushing Meadows, it would be the Indian's 33rd Grand Slam final appearance and he will be aiming to follow his Wimbledon victory with the US Open title. Out of his 33 Grand Slam final appearances, 16 have been in men's doubles, while 17, including the 2015 US Open, have come in mixed doubles. Paes has won eight doubles and eight mixed doubles and will likely win his third with Hingis this year without much trouble against unseeded pair of Mattek-Sands-Querrey.
Paes had enjoyed success the most at SW19 winning five titles in all. Four of them came in mixed doubles while one in men's doubles with Mahesh Bhupathi. A win with Hingis will also take his US Open title tallies to five. Three of those victories have been in men's doubles, while one in mixed doubles came with Zimbabwe's Cara Black. Hingis, on the other hand, seems to be enjoying the company of Indians as her four Grand slam victories after her comeback in 2006 have come in the partnerships of Paes (2015 Australian Open, 2015 Wimbledon), Bhupathi (2006 Australian Open) and Mirza (2015 Wimbledon).
The Swiss player has also entered the final of women's doubles with Mirza and the top seed too will be aiming for their second consecutive Grand Slam title after their Wimbledon success. Mirza has now completely shifted her focus on the doubles event and is revelling the partnership of Hingis. The Indian will be aiming for her fifth Grand slam title and second US Open title. She had won the mixed doubles event at Flushing Meadows last year in company of Brazil's Bruno Soares.
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Australian wicket-keeper Brad Haddin announced his retirement from Test cricket on Wednesday bringing the curtains down on a decorated international career. Haddin, who missed the second Ashes Test at Lord's due to personal reasons, could not reclaim his spot from gloveman Peter Nevill for the subsequent games as Australia conceded the Urn after a 3-2 series defeat. He becomes the fifth Australian player to retire in this Ashes summer after Ryan Harris, Michael Clarke, Chris Rogers, and Shane Watson.
READ MORE: CRICKET SPORTS NEWS
Post his prolific run in Ashes, Haddin's form nosedived and the veteran stumper averaged only 15.24 in 12 subsequent Tests forcing Darren Lehmann and the national selectors into giving his young deputy Nevill a go in the 2015 Ashes. The Australian team management's decision not to reinstate Haddin in the side for the third Ashes Test drew considerable flak from former cricketers and the media. But Haddin, who had taken the decision to put family above self, said he had no regrets with the way his career ended.
"I'm no different to any other parent in Australia. Everyone puts their family first and I have no regrets about doing that," Haddin told reporters while announcing his retirement. "To me, it wasn't a choice. I remember saying to Karina (wife) at the hospital that I'll never play again. I'd put myself in a position where I was vulnerable because I walked away. I could live with that because I was needed somewhere else and it was a place that was far more important for me.
My family needed me at that time and the reality is I was unable to take the field for Australia with the 100% focus I needed. I understood the consequences that went with my decision. I put myself in a position to lose my spot and I don't regret that, not one bit. I wouldn't change one thing because I don't regret one thing that happened. During my whole career I've tried to get better every day and that ... killer... that competitive edge is gone. I don't have that willingness to keep fighting and now is the perfect time to retire. I've just had enough. I've had a great run and it's time to let someone else do it.
"People say you know when it's 'time' and when you're young you laugh at the older guys who say that but it's true, you do know. Enough is enough."
Cricket Australia Chief James Sutherland led the tributes to the outgoing veteran. "Brad was a vital player during an important period in Australian cricket," Sutherland said. "His tenacity with bat and gloves was matched with an unflinching will to win which made him the foundation of a changing team. His strong performances and positive influence on the team were all the more remarkable given he was dealing with the serious illness suffered by his daughter Mia.
"He showed true leadership at the most difficult of times and proved a loyal deputy to Michael Clarke when appointed vice-captain from the 2013 Ashes series. Brad can be enormously proud of his contribution to Australian cricket on and off the field," Sutherland added.
Ajinkya Rahane managed to score a century against Sri Lanka while batting at No. 3, Former India skipper Rahul Dravid prefers the 27-year-old to bat down the order. Joining the debate over Rahane's batting order in Tests, Dravid, who was present at the launch of Aakash Chopra's book. The Indian think-tank should look at Rahane's ability to bat well with the tail and reconsider his position in the batting order.
"He's good at No. 5, or even 4, because of his ability to play with the tail-enders, the range of shots he possesses and for the opportunity he would get to face the second new ball too," Dravid in reply to the question posed by former opening batsman Chopra. He added: "At times for the sake of the team he may have to bat at no. 3, as it happened in Sri Lanka."CRICKET SPORTS NEWS
Rahane was sitting by Dravid's side on the dais when he was asked the question. Rahane, a proven performer at No. 5 in recent overseas tours, was asked to bat at No. 3 in the second and third Tests against Sri Lanka. While he scored a second innings century in a winning cause at the P Sara Oval in the second Test, Rahane failed to reach double figures in the other three innings in which he batted at No. 3.
Read :-Mumbai Indians De Villiers, first win
Meanwhile, Dravid showered Rahane with praise for showing a lot of patience and scoring big runs in domestic cricket to force his way into the Indian squad and then nailing his spot with consistent batting. "The only similarities between us that I see is that both of us had to wait for 45 years and score a lot of runs at plus 60 average in domestic cricket before breaking into the Indian team. He has many more shots than me. Ajinkya, perhaps, has been our best batsman over the last few series overseas. He has hit so many hundreds. He has great potential."
With the competition for the batting spots intensifying in the Indian team following Cheteshwar Pujara's splendid ton in the final Test against Sri Lanka, an interesting time is in the offing for Indian cricket, feels Dravid. "India has a lot of options once the injured Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay return. There is Rahane, there is (KL) Rahul, Virat himself. Rohit has hit a few half centuries recently and Pujara was exceptional. Its an interesting time for Indian cricket.
Dravid felt that in modern-day Test cricket, where emphasis is on attacking batting, the positives of rotating the strike by taking singles with the in-out field employed by most captains was equally important. "Players need to react better than what they are doing now against in-out fields
KPL 2015: Special stands for children and women
The stage is set for the Karbonn Smart Karnataka Premier League (KPL) 2015. The teams have begun to arrive in the City of Hubballi while Hubli Tigers and Bijapur Bulls have already settled in and are in the thick of things practising.
Hubballi will host the first leg of the tournament at the Rajnagar Stadium from September 3 to September 10 with all the eight teams in the fray playing four matches each. Mysuru will host the second leg from September 12 to 20 with each of the eight teams completing the rest of their three league matches. The Qualifier 1 and Eliminator will be played on September 18, the Qualifier 2 on September 19 and the grand Finale on Sunday, September 20.
"KPL is a mofussil cricket bonanza. It offers the youngsters great visibility and also the experience of playing under lights, under pressure, in front of big crowds and against quality opposition," said Sanjay Desai, Hon. Vice President, KSCA, while welcoming the gathering.
Former India cricketer, Dodda Ganesh reminiscing on the inaugural year of the KPL said, "In 2009 I was a coach and it is now the IV edition. KPL has become an inspiration for many youngsters. Many are taking to the game and most are hoping to make a mark in Indian Premier League through this platform."
Speaking to the media at Hubballi, Mr. Vinay Mruthyunjaya, Managing Committee Member and Official Spokesperson, KSCA, said, "This year, we have a special stand for children (to the West of the Pavilion) and they will be allowed to watch the cricketing action free of cost."
He also said, "We also have earmarked a stand for Women and it will be part of the Karbonn Smart Pavilion (also situated to the West of the Pavilion). Apart from this, we have invited around 100 children to initiate them to Kwik Cricket (A learning model for toddlers, with plastic bats and ball) and this will be conducted by UNIBIC and Moonwalker before the start of the first match each day."
"Tickets for match days are available on bookmyshow.com, the URL for which is http://in.bookmyshow.com/. There will also be ticket counters present at the Stadium too. The KPL website is up and running and will have live scoring for all matches apart from match reports, reviews, player profiles, interviews, etc."
KPL in partnership with SportsMechanics (digital partner to KSCA) have laid out a digital fan engagement roadmap for KPL 2015. The objective/aim is to reach out to all stakeholders of KPL through the digital medium and engage them in terms of a "Differential Fan Experience".
Unveiled at the press conference was the glittering Karbonn Smart KPL 2015 Trophy. The KPL Anthem, scored by Grammy Award Winner Ricky Kej. was played for the benefit of the media and guests present.
Skipper of Hubli Tigers, Sreenath Arvind, along with team CEO, Anutosh Poll unveiled the 'Team Jersey' for the tournament at the event.
note-http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/74447/kpl-2015-special-stands-for-children-and-women
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