Scott Styris (NZ) needs 51 runs to complete 1000 ODI runs Mathew Sinclair (NZ) needs 194 runs to complete 1000 ODI runs Chris Cairns (NZ) needs 204 runs to complete 4000 ODI runs Grant Flower (ZIM) needs 53 runs to complete 6000 ODI runsNathan Astle (NZ) needs 5 wickets to join the 100 ODI-wicket club Chris Harris (NZ) needs 6 wickets to join the 200 ODI-wicket club Grant Flower (ZIM) needs 3 wickets to join the 100 ODI-wicket clubChris Cairns (NZ) needs 25 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs Chris Harris (NZ) needs 115 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs Nathan Astle (NZ) needs 199 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs Grant Flower (ZIM) need 27 runs to complete 500 World Cup runsChris Cairns (NZ) needs 9 wickets to join the 25 World Cup wicket-club Heath Streak (ZIM) needs 5 wickets to join the 25 World Cup wicket-club
HOVE, England – Steve Waugh is working around the clock in a determinedbid to overcome his torn calf muscle in time for the fifth and finalAshes Test against England at The Oval.Waugh, 36, taken from the field on a stretcher during Australia’sseven-wicket triumph at Trent Bridge last weekend, threw away hiscrutches two days later to the astonishment of his team-mates.Desperate to play one last Test in England before retiring in a coupleof years, the Australian captain is having up to eight hours ofultrasound, hydrotherapy, bike work and massage every day.England batsman Graham Thorpe took seven weeks to return from a pulledcalf at the beginning of the summer but Waugh, with two tears to hisleft calf, is desperate to make a more hasty recovery.He will skip this weekend’s trip to Belfast to have more treatment withteam physiotherapist Errol Alcott in Birmingham before linking with thesquad in Leeds on Sunday night.The first Test starts in Leeds next Thursday.”My priority is to get right again and I really don’t have a time frameon that,” Waugh said.”I’m in the best hands in the business in Errol Alcott and by being hereI’m ensuring I get intense treatment, plus pool and bike work.”I have to be cautious about my chances of returning for The Oval but atthe same time I’m maintaining an optimistic outlook.”When I did the injury I gave myself a nought per cent chance of beingback for The Oval and while I’ve improved since then, I still have togive myself only a tiny chance of being right.”Alcott gave a similarly non-committal assessment but refused to discountthe possibility of Waugh making a miracle recovery.Adam Gilchrist will lead Australia in the fourth Test at Headingley.”Steve is having constant treatment and doing everything possible withinthe boundaries of what we will allow to make as quick a recovery as hecan,” said Alcott.”He’s got a huge mountain in front of him, but if there’s anyone willingto try and climb it, it is him.”He just wants to do all the treatment possible and see what happens.”He’ll do what we tell him every day, put in the work.”That’s all he can do.”He has improved, but there are two tears and there’s only so much youcan achieve in such a short time frame.”Asked if Waugh was a genuine chance of playing at The Oval from August23, Alcott said: “I wouldn’t like to say.”Time is obviously the factor here – there’s very little when you lookat it realistically.”But he is a tough man and it takes a brave one to write him off tooquickly.”Australia travels to Belfast on Saturday morning for a one-day gameagainst Ireland on Sunday.The second day of the three-day game against Sussex today was wrecked byrain.Only 13 overs were bowled as Australia reached 2-86 in reply to theSussex first innings of 4(dec)-355.Michael Slater and Mark Waugh hammered 67 runs from the brief day,reaching 46 and 32 respectively from their overnight scores of 16 andnought.More rain is forecast.
Chelsea fans are very excited about the prospect of Aleksandr Golovin arriving at Stamford Bridge this summer. According to the Sun, the Blues are eager to tie him down to a contract at Chelsea, and it’s easy to see why.
He has bags of potential and class, and his future is undeniably very bright.
The addition of the young Russian star to the Blues’ squad wouldn’t be good news for everyone though.
Breaking into the first team at Stamford Bridge from the youth ranks is already notoriously difficult, as the small army of talented young payers the club currently have out on loan across Europe can attest to.
In Golovin, Chelsea would be bringing one of football’s brightest young talents in, but they may have to accept losing a couple themselves as a consequence.
Here are two players that may be forced to leave the club if Golovin joins Chelsea this summer…
Mason Mount
19-year-old Englishman Mason Mount spent the 2017/18 season on loan with Vitesse in the Eredivisie.
Whilst it took him a while to establish himself as a starter in the Netherlands, Mount’s season can only be seen as a success (he won the club’s Player of the Year award). There was even some, admittedly mild, clamouring for him to be included in an England squad for a friendly.
Mount should now be raring to return to Stamford Bridge to stake his claim for a spot in the first team. The potentially imminent arrival of Golovin though could see the English youngster looking elsewhere once more for playing time, on a permanent deal.
The Bundesliga, which has recently taken to nurturing young British talent by providing more first team action than the Premier League can promise, could be attractive to Mount.
Charly Musonda
Like Mason Mount – and countless others – Charly Musonda spent last season on loan from Chelsea.
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The 21-year-old spent 2017/18 with Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic but struggled for game time.
He is certainly a talented attacking midfielder, but may now consider making his name in the Chelsea first team, with yet another obstacle in the form of Golovin in his way, a bridge too far.
It will be an interesting few weeks for him, that’s for sure.
Group A A combined bowling effort from State Bank of Hyderabad inflicted a second consecutive defeat on All India Electricity Board in Visakhapatnam. Vinay Dandekar picked up three wickets and was supported by Abhishek Jhunjhunwala and Rana Chowdhary who picked up two each. The problem for SBH was the failure of their batsmen to convert starts. T Suman made a fluent 32, P Srihari Rao chipped in with 37 while wicketkeeper M Srinivas contributed an unbeaten 33. They were not helped by the appalling lack of support from the other end, as the AIEB bowlers kept chipping away.AIEB would have backed themselves to chase down 172 but they didn’t have to go that far. Rain intervened when they were on 99 for 2 in 20.3 overs, well past what they required at that stage in the event of an interruption.Group B In a thrilling contest in Chennai, Tata Sports Club survived a spirited chase by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and prevailed by one run to open their mark in the BCCI Corporate trophy.The chase of 265 was dealt a major setback when Abhishek Nayar’s fluent knock of 85 was terminated by Gaurav Jathar. At 138 for 4, it seemed TSC were in control but captain VA Indulkar and wicketkeeper Uday Kaul struck half-centuries to surge BPCL back in the game. Indulkar was more measured while Kaul stepped up with four fours and a couple of sixes. Just as it seemed BPCL would upstage their opponents, Wilkin Mota struck twice, ending the threatening stand and then dismissing Sairaj Bahutule. Mota bowled the final over and Bahutule fell first ball but BPCL were still favourites, requiring 4 off 5 balls with Kaul still batting. However, they managed just two more, failing to dispatch Mota, and slipped to an agonising defeat.The star with the bat for TSC was Dhruv Singh, who led his team’s recovery from 109 for 5 with an attacking 115. He was supported down the order by Mota, who chipped in with 30 – part of a decisive all-round effort – and Ajit Agarkar, who blasted 31 off 19 to stretch his team’s score to one they barely managed to defend.Group C Air India eased to their second straight win in the tournament, beating Chemplast by six wickets in Hyderabad. Even a century from Napoleon Einstein and a score of 278 wasn’t enough in the wake of a solid reply from AI’s batsmen. Captain Mohammad Kaif took the lead in steering his team home, making an unbeaten 82 in 88 balls including four fours and two sixes. And there was ample support from the rest. Hrishikesh Kanitkar scored a run-a-ball 53 in a 118-run stand with Kaif, while Sushant Marathe and Chandan Madan put the chase on track with a 70-run stand. Victory was secured without much fuss with 14 balls to spare.Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited edged State Bank of Mysore by five runs in a fascinating encounter in Hyderabad. Both teams were bowled out, there were no half-centuries in the match and yet there were 575 runs scored in all.BSNL opted to bat and seemed to be on track for a more challenging score with a series of consistent contributions from the batsmen in the top and middle orders. Monish Mishra made 39, NS Negi made 41 and Niranjan Behera chipped in with 36 but what was missing was a more substantial innings. Chethan William grabbed three wickets while every other bowler chipped in with at least a wicket to keep BSNL in check and restrict them to a score of 240.SBM were in a good position to secure a win at 152 for 3 but offspinner Kamlesh Makvana broke a 76-run stand between William and B Akhil. He dismissed both batsmen and left-arm spinner Kuldeep Diwan stepped in to trigger a collapse where the last five wickets fell for 31 runs to deprive SBM of a win.Group D State Bank of Patiala and Income Tax (India) served up the third closely-fought game of the day, with the former prevailing by 17 runs in Bangalore. SBP batted first and squandered an excellent start provided by their openers, R Rehni and Ravi Inder Singh, who added 101. Inder Singh made 75 but there were no major contributions from the rest. Spinners Ankit Sharma and Parag Khanapurkar grabbed seven wickets between them to help skittle out SBP for 218. SBP held the edge in the chase, limiting IT for 104 for 6 at one stage. But wicketkeeper Amol Ubarhande and Rohit Dahiya tried to revive the innings with a 57-run stand for the seventh wicket, but SBP fought back. Mukesh Sharma chipped away at the rest of the line-up, finishing with 5 for 26, and ending IT’s innings with more than three overs to spare.Oil and Natural Gas Corporation raced to victory against Madras Rubber Factory at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Despite good starts, the MRF top-order batsmen fell in pairs. The openers Thalavan Sargunam and S Anirudha fell with the score on 87, Sridharan Sriram and Y Gnaneswara Rao then fell in a space of three runs. Venugopal Rao remained unbeaten on 83 but MRF had been in a position to post more than 242 for 6. The score proved inadequate. Praveen Kumar, who opens the bowling for India, shone in his role as a batsman at the top of the order, giving the ONGC innings a boost with a quickfire 54. His opening partner Sandeep Sharma made 75 while Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir remained unbeaten to steer their team to victory with 73 balls to spare.
Kapil Dev, the former Indian captain, has questioned Sachin Tendulkar’s abilities as a match-winner after failing in the first Test against England at Lord’s. Tendulkar scored 37 and 16 in a close draw.Kapil said that Tendulkar has not been able to perform under pressure and deliver in crunch situations. None of the four middle-order batsmen – Rahul Dravid, Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly – managed a half century as India made 201 in the first innings and just managed to hang on in the second and save the game before bad light on the fifth day resulted in a draw.”Every time people hope big things from Sachin Tendulkar but often it is only disappointment that we are left with,” Kapil told Aaj Tak, a Hindi news channel. “He is thought to be the backbone of the Indian team but many times he has not stood up to the occasion.”Tendulkar found form in the three-match one-day series against South Africa in Ireland which preceded the England tour, winning the Man-of-the-Series award. He went on to score an exhilarating 171 in the tour game against England Lions at Chelmsford, before the Lord’s Test.Kapil felt that Tendulkar was presented with the best opportunity to silence his critics and play a match-winning knock in the second innings with India set to chase 380. Tendulkar fell to Monty Panesar for 16 on the penultimate evening, struck leg before in front of offstump.”Figures say that Sachin has not been able to perform under pressure,” he said. “Sachin has big records to his name but until he wins matches for India in these conditions, people will raise fingers at him.”Kapil praised Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s unbeaten 76 in the second innings, an under-pressure knock which rescued India from a certain defeat.”He has the ability to win matches for India on his own. He was tentative on the last day of the Test match and was not able to play freely.”
The wife of Australia’s former captain, Steve Waugh, has undergone surgery for a blood clot on her brain. Lynette Waugh, 38, was rushed to Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick on Thursday and underwent the operation the following morning.Steve and Lynette have been married for 15 years and have three children, Rosie, 10, Austin, six, and Lily, four. She is “fighting and fighting very well,” her father-in-law, Roger Waugh, told the Nine Network, while Steve’s twin Mark and his wife Kim have both visited the hospital. “We’ve seen her,” said Mark. “She’s going well.”Waugh, 41, was named Australian Father of the Year last year, but lauded Lynette’s role during the years he spent away on tour. “While I was away for a lot of years playing cricket, [Lynette] was basically the lone parent,” he said. “So I congratulate Lynette, this award is probably more for you than me.”
Harbhajan Singh conceded that India had an uphill task to get back in the game, but expressed his happiness at taking a five-wicket haul. Here’s what he had to say after close of play on the second day of the Bangalore Test:
On the state of the game Australia batted really well, and we have to do something special tomorrow to get back into the game.On Michael Clarke’s innings Clarke played a sensible innings. He’s a good young player who uses his feet well, and even though he’s playing his first game, he’s very confident.On his passionate reaction after dismissing Adam Gilchrist It was good to take that wicket. I was glad to break the partnership, because it had been great for Australia but not so good for us. I reacted with anger, because I like to be fired up. Sometimes you play best when you’re angry, but sometimes it doesn’t work.On the state of the pitch The wicket was difficult to bowl on, because we were not getting much response from it. On the first day it was good for batting, but now it’s turning a bit but is still slow. We’ll have to see how it goes in the second innings. We have the kind of batsmen and the right bowling attack to put Australia under pressure.On the reminder his haul sends to Australia To take five wickets was definitely a boost to my confidence. It was my first Test back after injury, and five wickets is always good, especially against Australia. It doesn’t matter how you play or how many runs you concede, it always lifts the confidence, and it will be fun to play in the next match and the next innings. I can’t predict what will happen next, but to get five wickets is always special.On whether India can turn it around That all depends on how we bat in the second innings. We have done it before, and we’ll be doing our best to make a game of it. You never know, we could be capable of doing it again. The key is to stay positive, and play to our potential. If we can do that, then no matter how the wicket breaks up, we’ll hold on.On the impact of Glenn McGrath’s early wickets McGrath is a great bowler, and his wickets came at a very good time for Australia. It was very good for him, but not for us.
Until the end of the Indian tour of Pakistan, we will be running a daily Paper Round of what newspapers in India and Pakistan, and from around the world, are saying about this series. This is what the media had to say today:
Kapil Dev has announced that the upcoming tour will be a matter of life and death for the players, The Times of India reports. “It may be a goodwill series for some, but for the boys, it’s life and death,” Kapil said. “It’s about their careers. The players need to win for the team as well as for themselves.”He had a few words of advice to counter the pressure. “The boys must learn to enjoy the game and savour the opportunity. They have to just concentrate and work hard for the results to show up.” Kapil spoke about his role during the three-day camp: “There is no chance of making big changes in three days. I just wanted to get them more confident before the series. Of course, there were some technical aspects as well, but I wouldn’t like to talk about them now.”* * *Shoaib Akhtar played down his impending duel with Sachin Tendulkar, saying that cricket was not about individuals. “Cricket is a team game. The Indians now have more than one Tendulkar, and we have to get five Tendulkars out to win matches, but we are up to it.”Shoaib spoke to Press Trust of India about the additional responsibility of leading Pakistan’s attack, and the country’s expectations of the team. His personal goals, however, hadn’t changed from the start of his career. “I want to be the best against the best. That has been my endeavour since I started my career. So I am gearing up.”* * *Ten Sports and India’s cable operators have been involved in a confrontation that could affect viewers when the first Indo-Pak one-dayer gets underway on March 13, PTI reports. The channel had been blacked out because of a dispute over a 400-500% rise in subscription payments. “Not only Ten Sports, most pay-channel broadcasters have asked for four-five times the present subscription payments and they want this agreement for the next one year,” a cable operator said. “We cannot sustain such payments.” However, Ten Sports was confident that the matter would be settled soon.* * *Irfan Pathan is waiting eagerly for the day he opens the bowling with Zaheer Khan, according to a report by PTI. “I am enjoying the prospect of bowling alongside Zaheer Khan. He is a great help and always gives me tips. We vibe pretty well … it will be fun bowling with him.” While training on the last day of the three-day camp in Kolkata, Pathan said he was working on getting his basics right, which was essential for the tour to Pakistan. “Sharing the new ball has thrust greater responsibility on me. I am aware of the demands that come along with it. I am working on the basics and trying to perfect the line and length to get the little things in order … It is these things which will help in Pakistan.”* * *Ramesh Powar came in for praise from John Wright, The Indian Express reported. On the verge of representing India for the first time, Powar’s all-round ability and hard work was commended by Wright. “Apart from being an offspinner, he is a good fielder and can also bat. It’s an advantage to have a player like him in the team,” Wright said. “He has a lot of energy and let’s see how he shapes up for the tour.”* * *The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken steps to ensure that spectators are given every chance to watch matches without untoward incidents taking place.According to The Indian Express, the PCB has put up huge TV screens at various points in Lahore to lessen the pressure on the Gaddafi Stadium. Bar-coded tickets were issued to avoid forgery and the custom of giving away complimentary tickets was done away with. Meanwhile, tickets were issued for the warm-up game in Lahore on March 11.* * *Yuvraj Singh’s father, Yograj, wants his son to marry “someone of the calibre of Steffi Graf.” Why? Genetic preparation’s the answer, according to The Indian Express. “I have read some books on genetic preparations and I want to ensure that Yuvraj, whenever he decides to marry, ties the knot with a strong, athletic woman irrespective of where she comes from.” Yograj also had the country in mind when he said, “Look how he’s [Andre Agassi] planned his generations. He is already talking about careers for his children. It’s an approach everyone should have, only then India can boast about being a sporting powerhouse.”
Millions will have their eyes glued to television screens for the clash between India and Pakistan on March 1. It is the most anticipated game of the tournament, and the players carry the burden of the expectations of either nation on their shoulders. Both, Pakistani as well as Indian cricket fans are known to be unforgiving of losses to the arch-rival, and this time the tension is at its highest ever as the two have not played against each other for almost 3 years.This is possibly the first time in the last decade where the Pakistan heads into a match against India as underdogs. The Pakistanis have mostly had the better of India, especially in their encounters at Sharjah, but their record in the past World Cups is not quite as impressive. Pakistan has never managed to beat India in World Cup encounters, and it is about time that they break this run of defeats.The equation for Pakistan is quite clear they must win both their matches against India and Zimbabwe if they hope to make it to the Super Six stage. The only thing that could mess up the situation would be if England defeat Australia, then net run rates would be involved, where Pakistan are likely to suffer. However, it’s more important for them to focus on the task at hand, and that is beating India in this crunch game.The Indians come into the game with high spirits, and their batsmen looking in supreme touch. Tendulkar’s brief knock against England was simply awesome, and if he gets stuck into the Pakistan pace attack, then it will be hard to come back into the game. Sehwag looks to be in reasonable form as well, and the key for Pakistan lies in dismissing the opening pair early on. The Indian team looked highly pumped up against England, so this is by no means an easy task.Pakistan’s batsmen on the other hand seem to be going through the worst phase in their cricketing careers. Inzamam’s form is appalling and is his body language emphasized it more after being dismissed against Holland while trudging back to the dressing room. Youhana seems to be in reasonable touch, but has failed to carry on and get a big score after a few starts. Saeed Anwar is a mere shadow of his former self, while Younis Khan has been a huge disappointment over the last six months. Richard Pybus summed up the lack of consistency of our batsmen brilliantly, by saying that they either “operate in fifth gear or reverse.” Well, this is the right time for a gear shift!I personally feel that the Pakistanis should go into the game against India with the same side they played against Holland. There is a temptation to draft Afridi into the squad, but the management should refrain from that as Afridi upsets the balance of the side by being included at the expense of a genuine opener. Anwar and Taufeeq Umar must open, while there is a possibility of swapping Elahi for Younis Khan. Elahi is a good prospect as an opener, but doesn’t seem at home in the middle order. However the poor form of Younis Khan doesn’t warrant an automatic selection either. On performance, Inzamam deserves to be dropped, but while the mind may agree, the heart still feels that Inzamam might just have something up his sleeve for the big game. Either way, the Pakistani management could not be blamed if they persist with him. Youhana must be moved up the order, preferably at number 3 or 4.The bowling attack looks fine – it just needs the batsmen to be competitive if they are to win games for Pakistan. A special word of praise is necessary for Wasim Akram, arguably the best cricketer Pakistan has ever produced and maybe the best the world has ever seen. No praise is enough for what he has done for the side, and he thoroughly deserves the credit he is getting for reaching the landmark of 500 wickets. One just hopes that the World Cup 2003 will be a fitting swan song and that he can bow out of the game with dignity.For that Pakistan need to win and the match against India is the ideal way to turn things around. The Pakistan team has been known to be at their best when their backs are to the wall. Our cricket has sunk to the depths of despair, and hopefully there is only one way to go and that is up! It is difficult to be upbeat after viewing Pakistan’s recent performances, but the team only has a chance if the fans back them fully.The toss might just be the deciding factor, more so for Pakistan, as the Indians will opt to bat immediately if they win. Waqar must hope that fortune favours him at the start, and he should not think twice about batting first if he wins the toss. It would be foolish if he repeats the mistake made against the Aussies.So it’s all set for the big game, let us just hope that it will be close and exciting one! All the best, Pakistan, a nation is looking up to you!Ed: If readers wish to correspond with the author, please email Taha Noor
After seeing his side end the day on 385 for 9, 65 ahead of Lancashire, Somerset Coach Kevin Shine said: “It was an excellent day for us; good fighting cricket on a wicket where the ball was turning a lot.”Peter Bowler, Jamie Cox, Rob Turner, Ian Blackwell and Mike Burns all batted well for us, and at the end there was a super little knock by Matt Bulbeck and Steffan Jones.”Looking forward to Saturday the caoch went on: “Tomorrow we will be hoping that the last pair can stay together to get us past 400 to gain maximum batting points.”He added: “Keedy and Schofield bowled well for them, and the wicket is not getting any better. We have two spinners in our team and will be looking to get as many runs as possible so that we don’t have a nasty little run chase at the end.”