Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Chaminda Vaas to retire from test cricket
Sri Lanka's Chaminda Vaas will retire from test cricket after the third and final match against Pakistan, the fast bowler announced on Sunday.
The 35-year-old had been recalled to the squad earlier in the week after being overlooked for the first two tests, a move that prompted speculation he would be given a farewell match after Sri Lanka took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
The third test against Pakistan starts on Monday.
"I have decided to retire from test cricket after this test match," Vaas said after Sri Lanka's final practice session.
Vaas, who took 354 wickets in 110 tests in a career spanning 15 years, is expected to replace spinner Ajantha Mendis in the final game to be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara paid tribute to Vaas after the announcement.
"Vaas is a true champion and probably the only Sri Lankan fast bowler who can be called a true legend of the game," he said.
"No matter who replaces Vaasy in the bowling attack they will take years and years to reach the standards he has set -- and maybe they never will.
"He has got a great part to play in our one-day set-up until the World Cup in 2011 and maybe beyond it as long as he is fit," he added.
The 35-year-old had been recalled to the squad earlier in the week after being overlooked for the first two tests, a move that prompted speculation he would be given a farewell match after Sri Lanka took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
The third test against Pakistan starts on Monday.
"I have decided to retire from test cricket after this test match," Vaas said after Sri Lanka's final practice session.
Vaas, who took 354 wickets in 110 tests in a career spanning 15 years, is expected to replace spinner Ajantha Mendis in the final game to be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara paid tribute to Vaas after the announcement.
"Vaas is a true champion and probably the only Sri Lankan fast bowler who can be called a true legend of the game," he said.
"No matter who replaces Vaasy in the bowling attack they will take years and years to reach the standards he has set -- and maybe they never will.
"He has got a great part to play in our one-day set-up until the World Cup in 2011 and maybe beyond it as long as he is fit," he added.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Cricket without India means big financial loss for PCB
Shoaib targeting Sri Lanka one-day series
Shoaib Akhtar, who missed the ICC World Twenty20 due to a skin infection, is eyeing a return to international cricket in the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka which starts at the end of this month.
"It was a heartbreak missing out on Pakistan's World T20 success, but that's in the past now and I want to play the one-day series against Sri Lanka," Shoaib told AFP. "I have attained full fitness and have been gaining rhythm in bowling. I hope to stage a comeback in the one-day series against Sri Lanka, if I am selected."
Shoaib last represented Pakistan in the five-match ODI series against Australia two months ago. He had just recovered from a knee injury which kept him out of Pakistan's scheduled tour of Bangladesh in March, subsequently postponed due to security concerns. The ODI series in Sri Lanka will begin on July 30, after the conclusion of the three-match Test series which Pakistan currently trail 1-0.
Shoaib, 33, has not been a regular member of the Pakistan side of late due to disciplinary issues and injury. He was involved in a tussle with the PCB after reportedly criticising the board publicly for not awarding him a central contract. Subsequently, upon his return to international cricket, he was dropped after a poor ODI series against Sri Lanka and again under-performed ag ainst Australia, taking three wickets with an average of over 50.
"It was a heartbreak missing out on Pakistan's World T20 success, but that's in the past now and I want to play the one-day series against Sri Lanka," Shoaib told AFP. "I have attained full fitness and have been gaining rhythm in bowling. I hope to stage a comeback in the one-day series against Sri Lanka, if I am selected."
Shoaib last represented Pakistan in the five-match ODI series against Australia two months ago. He had just recovered from a knee injury which kept him out of Pakistan's scheduled tour of Bangladesh in March, subsequently postponed due to security concerns. The ODI series in Sri Lanka will begin on July 30, after the conclusion of the three-match Test series which Pakistan currently trail 1-0.
Shoaib, 33, has not been a regular member of the Pakistan side of late due to disciplinary issues and injury. He was involved in a tussle with the PCB after reportedly criticising the board publicly for not awarding him a central contract. Subsequently, upon his return to international cricket, he was dropped after a poor ODI series against Sri Lanka and again under-performed ag ainst Australia, taking three wickets with an average of over 50.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Graeme Smith the best of 2008
Graeme Smith’s summer of success has come to a fitting conclusion in the middle of winter.
South Africa’s cricket captain was last night named cricketer of the year in Cricket South Africa’s annual awards.
Smith, who captained the Proteas to their first Test series win against Australia Down Under, was also named Test player of the year.
Other major winners were AB de Villiers (ODI player) and JP Duminy (Twenty20 player and players’ player).
The awards came after a year of achievements in all forms of the game, and in some categories the rivalry was intense, none more so than for newcomer of the year, where the leading contenders were Roelof van der Merwe, Wayne Parnell and Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Left-arm spinner Van der Merwe emerged a narrow winner.
There were five finalists for the Cricketer of the Year compared with the usual three.
The awards covered the period from the tour of England last year up to the end of the home series against Australia and did not include the recent World Twenty20.
The chief executive of CSA, Gerald Majola, said the awards marked a “golden era” for South African cricket.
“It is most fitting that the SA cricketer of the year award goes to Graeme Smith, who led the Proteas to their best season ever,” he said.
Smith had an outstanding year both as leader and player. He led the Proteas’ Test squad to away Test victories over both England and Australia — something that had never been achieved before — in the space of six months.
Injury ruled him out of the ODI series in Australia, which South Africa also won.
He was the leading run-scorer in Test cricket in 2008, becoming the first South African to score more than 1600 runs in a 12-month period. He also played one of the memorable Test innings of all time, when his unbeaten 154 in the fourth innings at Edgbaston clinched the series against England.
It was one of the top 10 scores of all time in a successful run chase. His century at Perth also laid the foundation for the Proteas’ epic 414-run chase in the first Test in Australia.
It is significant that these two victories are two of South Africa’s four highest successful run chases of all time, the 414 being only three runs shy of the world record.
De Villiers averaged 63 in Australia (strike rate 87) and 60 at home (strike rate 95). He also confirmed his reputation as the best fielder in world cricket.
Duminy played two innings of genius in the T20 matches in Australia.
He finished the summer with a career average of 31 and a strike rate of 133, which was only beaten by Albie Morkel (139) and Van der Merwe (160).
South Africa’s cricket captain was last night named cricketer of the year in Cricket South Africa’s annual awards.
Smith, who captained the Proteas to their first Test series win against Australia Down Under, was also named Test player of the year.
Other major winners were AB de Villiers (ODI player) and JP Duminy (Twenty20 player and players’ player).
The awards came after a year of achievements in all forms of the game, and in some categories the rivalry was intense, none more so than for newcomer of the year, where the leading contenders were Roelof van der Merwe, Wayne Parnell and Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Left-arm spinner Van der Merwe emerged a narrow winner.
There were five finalists for the Cricketer of the Year compared with the usual three.
The awards covered the period from the tour of England last year up to the end of the home series against Australia and did not include the recent World Twenty20.
The chief executive of CSA, Gerald Majola, said the awards marked a “golden era” for South African cricket.
“It is most fitting that the SA cricketer of the year award goes to Graeme Smith, who led the Proteas to their best season ever,” he said.
Smith had an outstanding year both as leader and player. He led the Proteas’ Test squad to away Test victories over both England and Australia — something that had never been achieved before — in the space of six months.
Injury ruled him out of the ODI series in Australia, which South Africa also won.
He was the leading run-scorer in Test cricket in 2008, becoming the first South African to score more than 1600 runs in a 12-month period. He also played one of the memorable Test innings of all time, when his unbeaten 154 in the fourth innings at Edgbaston clinched the series against England.
It was one of the top 10 scores of all time in a successful run chase. His century at Perth also laid the foundation for the Proteas’ epic 414-run chase in the first Test in Australia.
It is significant that these two victories are two of South Africa’s four highest successful run chases of all time, the 414 being only three runs shy of the world record.
De Villiers averaged 63 in Australia (strike rate 87) and 60 at home (strike rate 95). He also confirmed his reputation as the best fielder in world cricket.
Duminy played two innings of genius in the T20 matches in Australia.
He finished the summer with a career average of 31 and a strike rate of 133, which was only beaten by Albie Morkel (139) and Van der Merwe (160).
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