England on top as fixing still haunts cricket

LONDON : Cricket and controversy, never far apart, were closely linked in a year where England finally achieved their long-held objective of climbing to the top of the world Test rankings.

Nothing that happened on the field in 2011 rocked world cricket quite like the jail sentences handed down by an English court to former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif for their roles in a 'spot-fixing' scam during last year's Lord's Test against England.

But the fact the case came to light as a result of a newspaper investigation left many asking what was the point of the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit.

England had gone 21 years without winning a series in Australia but a 3-1 Ashes triumph sealed in January, with all three victories coming by innings margins, ended that barren spell in emphatic fashion.

Alastair Cook made a colossal 766 runs in the Ashes series and the Essex left-hander carried on during England's 4-0 home Test rout of World Cup winners India, including a monumental 294 at Edgbaston.

Australia's woes continued even after the Ashes, with their batsmen looking especially vulnerable against swing and seam bowling.

In November, Australia slumped to 47 all out against South Africa in Cape Town, with debutant fast-medium bowler Vernon Philander taking a stunning five for 15 in seven overs.

Then New Zealand, without injured all-rounder Daniel Vettori, enjoyed their first Test win on Australian soil in 26 years.

Seamer Doug Bracewell, took six for 40 as New Zealand won by seven runs in Hobart in a match where Australia had needed just 82 runs for victory with eight wickets standing,

Zimbabwe, after six years of self-imposed exile sparked by a race row over selection, returned to Test cricket in August with a 130-run win over Bangladesh -- a result that said as much about the losers as anything else.

In an age of few genuine fast bowlers, South Africa quick Dale Steyn's average of 22.82 stands comparison with the all-time greats.

In December he became the second fastest bowler in history to take 250 Test wickets, reaching the landmark in his 49th Test -- one more than legendary Australia fast bowler Dennis Lillee.

"There's no doubt for me that he's the best South African bowler we've seen thus far -- at least since readmission in 1991," said former Proteas seamer and captain Shaun Pollock. "His ability to swing the ball away with incredible pace is phenomenal."

West Indies cricket was overshadowed by the stand-off between Chris Gayle and Caribbean administrators which deprived a largely young team of a fine batsman.

But having gone 2-0 down in their series in India, they battled back in the Mumbai finale which ended in a draw with the scores level -- only the second time this had happened in Test history.

This year saw the deaths of several prominent cricketers including former India captain the Nawab of Pataudi, Australia's Sam Loxton and ex-England all-rounder Trevor Bailey, with Graham Dilley, one of the heroes of England's '500-1' win against Australia at Headingley in 1981, passing away aged just 52.

Meanwhile former Somerset captain turned cricket journalist Peter Roebuck leapt to his death in bizarre circumstances in South Africa.

But in terms of their impact on both world cricket and wider society, few could match Basil D'Oliveira, who died in November aged 80.

D'Oliveira became an England all-rounder after his path was blocked in his native apartheid-era South Africa, an impressive enough achievement in itself.

But he made front-page headlines in 1968 when he was included in the England squad for the tour of South Africa which was called off when the South African government refused to accept his presence.

It marked the start of South Africa's cricketing isolation, which would last until the early 1990s.

D'Oliveira was one of the few people to emerge with any credit from the incident, not least when it was later revealed he'd refused to accept a huge cash bribe to make himself unavailable for the 1968 tour.

"Throughout this shameful period in South Africa's sporting history, Basil displayed a human dignity that earned him worldwide respect and admiration," said Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola.

"His memory and inspiration will live on among all of us."

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Pakistan jump up to 5th in ICC Test team rankings – Cricket News Update

Pakistan jump up to 5th in ICC Test team rankings – Cricket News Update

Pakistan cricket team has jumped up one position in the ICC Test team rankings after comprehensively beating Bangladesh by 2-0 in a recently concluded series.

The Men in Green have been performing extremely well over the past one year and are improving in overall rankings day by day. They are now the number fifth Test team, leaving Sri Lanka behind in sixth.

One of the main reasons behind Pakistan’s success has been the splendid leadership skills of Misbah-ul-Haq, who was initially named as captain in the longest version of the game, but later took over from Shahid Afridi in One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 cricket as well.

There was a lot of criticism over Misbah, considering his age. However, he performed well both as captain and player during 2011, silencing all critics.

The 37-year-old is yet to be defeated in any series until now. Pakistan have only lost one Test and ODI under the leadership of Misbah, who has now set his sights on the series against England in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), starting from Tuesday, January 17, 2012.

Many believe that Pakistan’s success in 2011 was only because of the weaker oppositions they played against. The team defeated West Indies, Ireland, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in different competitions.

However, the Men in Green also played against Sri Lanka, team which was better ranked before the start of the series against Pakistan.

Misbah and his men dominated the opposition in that series, as Sri Lanka only managed to win just one ODI on the entire tour.

Despite all that, critics rate Misbah as a defensive captain and expect him to struggle against the Poms, who are number one in the ICC Test and Twenty20 rankings. They only struggle in the 50-over format, but are competitive enough to trouble any opposition in the world.

The Pakistani captain will be against three different skippers, as England have a separate leader for every format of the game.

However, Misbah believes that his side can continue winning in every format if they stick together and play as one unit. He advised his players to continue focusing on the game rather than listening to the critics, who can never be satisfied.

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Haider still stands by decision of leaving team

Karachi : Out of favour Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider has said he has no regrets over his conduct during the 2010 series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates, but admitted that he could have tackled the situation in a better manner.

“I still stand by my decision to leave the team in UAE. This was done for the betterment of Pakistani cricket,” PakPassion quoted Haider, as saying.

"In retrospect, I should have spoken to the ICC and this is what I will do should a situation similar to the one in Dubai arise again. Pakistani cricket is getting better due to the strict security policies of Mr. Zaka Ashraf and hopefully these problems [corruption] will be reduced or disappear completely,” he added.

Haider had fled from his team’s hotel in Dubai after allegedly receiving security threats from bookmakers just before the fifth and final One Day International match between Pakistan and South Africa.

The Pakistan Cricket Board, however, imposed a fine and reprimanded him for making false accusations after conducting a probe into the issue.

Haider is now looking forward to make a comeback to the international cricket after giving a spectacular performance in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam (QEA) Trophy.

“I am the best domestic wicket keeper at the moment, I am hoping that the new Chairman of PCB, Mr. Zaka Ashraf, will take note of my performances in domestic cricket. I am aware that the Board and selectors have their eyes on the best performers. So I am hoping that they will pay attention to my performance this season as well,” Haider said.

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Misbah says England tour won’t be easy

LAHORE : Pakistan cricket team skipper Misbah-ul-haq has said that harder work would be needed to face England in the coming tour, Geo News reported.

Talking to newsmen at the Allama Iqbal International Airport here, he said that Pakistan’s performance in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka was more than satisfactory, which was a heartening thing to note.

He said, doubtless, England were tough cookies, but Pakistan were also alive to the fact that they would have to go extra miles to claim the tour.

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Kim Hughes and Kapil Dev preview Australia-India Test series

On this week's ICC Cricket World Radio Show, former captains Kim Hughes and Kapil Dev preview the four-Test series between Australia and India which starts in Melbourne on Monday next.

In a rare interview, the 57-year-old Hughes, who played 70 Tests and 97 ODIs for Australia, says: "India's record away from home has not been very good. They got slaughtered by England (earlier this summer) and England are a far better side than Australia.

"But I would have thought that given (Australia's) injury worries and that we are an average side now, yes, this would be India's best chance.

"Certainly, India's batting is far superior to Australia's. (Sachin) Tendulkar is still playing marvelously well, (Rahul) Dravid is in fantastic form, and (VVS) Laxman and (Virender) Sehwag have always done well in Australia.

"I think Sehwag is possibly Australia's biggest danger because he gets India off to such a good positive start and he likes playing well on our true wickets.

"Australia has got a young spinner in (Nathan) Lyon and it will be younger bowlers (James) Pattinson, (Mitchell) Starc and (Peter) Siddle who will have to carry the bulk of the bowling.

"Our batting has been very, very brittle as evident in South Africa and against New Zealand albeit I think the wickets will be more conducive to batting in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide."

Hughes, who scored 4,415 Test runs and also led Australia in 28 Tests, also talks about the pressures on Australia captain Michael Clarke and an out-of-form Ricky Ponting. "Clarke has played particularly well. I mean, his 150 at Cape Town was magnificent. Since he has taken captaincy, I think he has scored two or three hundreds.

"As far as Ricky Ponting is concerned, it's purely a technical thing. He is very fit and certainly has a desire but his technique is poor at the moment," he says.

Hughes is convinced Tendulkar will score his 100th international century in Australia but suggests the champion batsman to use lighter bats.

"Tendulkar always looks in good form. Using heavy bats on flatter wickets are fine but when the wickets have got a bit of a pace and bounce, then I don't think heavier bats are a wise thing. I think lighter bats in Australia where you play more horizontal shots are a better option.

"You would think in four Tests, Tendulkar will get an opportunity (to score a century). We produce good wickets in Australia for the batsmen and I would have thought Tendulkar will certainly get one hundred in one of those four Test matches."

The show can be used in whole or part by radio stations that want free cricket content for editorial use, while the public can also download it straight from www.icc-cricket.com or from iTunes.

52-year-old Kapil Dev, one of the ICC Cricket Hall of Famers and a veteran of 131 Tests and 225 ODIs, says: "We are all getting excited about India playing in Australia.

"Earlier that was not the case because we were no match for Australia. Australia dominated world cricket and always bounced back. But this time we can go there thinking of not drawing but with a view to win the series.

"This time India has a better chance to win the Test series in Australia, there is no doubt about that. Australia were on top of the world cricket for 15 years. But now it is not the same team without (Glenn) McGrath, (Shane) Warne, (Adam) Gilchrist and (Matthew) Hayden. They are not as strong as they used to be.

"We still have Sachin, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag. Then there are young talented fast bowlers and spinners. We are getting strong every day. We, therefore, have a better chance than ever before.

"It is a team game. I am not concerned about one or two players.

"Ricky Ponting is the most important player. He is an experienced player and if India can control him, then we can control Australia. Remember experience always comes in handy in the long run. He has scored enough runs against us and is due for a big score.

"Captain is the most important element in both teams. But equally important to note is that India needs to play like a team. Don't count on one or two. It is a team sport, after all."

On Tendulkar, Dev says: "Sachin has served India cricket so enormously that at this stage this talk of this 100th hundred is not important. If India can win the series, Sachin's 100th hundred will be taken care of."

Current and former Australia captains, Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting, also look forward to the Tests against India which will be played in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide.

Finally on the show, Bangladesh coach Stuart Law and Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq reflect on the just concluded series in Bangladesh. Pakistan won the three-match ODI series 3-0 and the two-Test series 2-0.

Apart from these exclusive interviews, there is the usual round-up of cricketing news and an update of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings.

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Modest Dhoni leads by example for expectant India

Live in the moment, keep it simple and work hard.

It may not be the most sophisticated philosophy to come out of India but it is a concise mantra which has served MS Dhoni well in four years as captain of his country's cricket team.

As India's first skipper from outside the main urban centres, the 30-year-old has already delivered the Holy Grail of the World Cup and over the next month takes on the challenge of leading his team to a maiden test series triumph in Australia.

Hailed by master batsman Sachin Tendulkar as the finest captain he has played under in a career spanning more than two decades, Dhoni's leadership is not about rousing pep talks or even inspired gambles.

"The important thing is that he keeps things simple and not complicated," chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth said recently.

What Dhoni does display is leadership by example, no less so than when he promoted himself up the batting order and hit 91 not out to lead India to the World Cup triumph on home soil in early April, sealing the dramatic victory with a six.

The wicketkeeper-batsman cut his international captaincy teeth in the Twenty20 format by leading his country to victory of the inaugural World Cup in 2007.

There was immediate success too when he took the reins of the one-day side and led them to a series victory in Australia. He assumed the test captaincy in 2008.

"I love to be in the moment, I love to analyse things a bit," Dhoni said in a recent interview with CNN news channel.

"Very often what is important is to realise what went wrong, not only when you are losing a series or a game, but also when you are winning a series. You need to realise which are the areas you need to work on."

There have been calamities along the way, of course, including criticism of his wicketkeeping and his own poor form when India crashed out of the 2007 50-over World Cup in the first round.

Subsequently, the biggest setback of his leadership came when the test team where humiliated 4-0 in England earlier this year and relinquished the number one world ranking they had earned in December 2009.

One of Dhoni's great attributes, however, has been his ability to keep his head in the midst of the frenzy that often surrounds the sport in cricket-mad India.

"He is always calm and never shows his frustration," Tendulkar said after the World Cup triumph. "These are some of the human qualities which have made him such a good captain."

'COUNTRY BOY'

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was born in Ranchi, now the capital of the state of Jharkhand, and grew up playing cricket with a tennis ball on the red dirt of his home town.

Describing someone from a place with a population of two million people as a 'country boy' might sound absurd to non-Asians, but that was the reality for Dhoni and his path from India's outback to the cricketing elite was one that had been travelled by very few.

"When I was playing for my school, the only thing I wanted to do was get selected for the under-16 or the under-19 district teams," he said.

"Frankly, I never thought that I would represent my country one day. Now I'm leading my country, so it's like a fairytale.

"I never thought I'd do all these things. I lived in the moment, I kept working hard."

Away from the cricket pitch, Dhoni keeps a low profile and enjoys nothing better than returning to Ranchi to be with his three dogs and collection of motorbikes.

Australia will present him new challenges as captain, including an often hostile reception from local media, crowds and even the players, but Dhoni has shown in the past that he has the cool temperament to deal with them.

"I believe that he's the best captain in world cricket today. He's a leader by example," South African Gary Kirsten, who was coach of India from 2007 until after the World Cup, said upon his departure from the job.

"He expects his troops to be ready for battle. He's calm and level-headed. I have never seen him lose his temper. If things don't go well, he takes the responsibility."

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