Introduction About Cricket

Cricket is a game played between two teams, generally of 11 members each. In essence, it is single combat, in which an individual batsman does battle against an individual bowler, who has helpers known as fielders. The bowler propels the ball with a straight arm from one end of the 22-yard pitch in an attempt to dismiss the batsman by hitting a target known as the wicket at the other end, or by causing the batsman to hit the ball into the air into a fielder?s grasp, or by inducing one of a number of other indiscretions.

The batsman attempts to defend the wicket with the bat and to score runs ? the currency of the game ? by striking the ball to the field boundary, or far enough from the fielders to allow the batsman to run to the other end of the pitch before the ball can be returned. At least two bowlers must take turns, from alternating ends; also, there are always two batsmen on the field, each to take a turn as required. When all but one of the batting team have been dismissed ? or after an agreed period ? the teams? roles are reversed. After all the players required to bat on both sides have done so either once or twice (which can take from a few hours to five days) the total number of runs accumulated determines the winner.

But sometimes there isn?t oneBack in the 1970s an enterprising soul in England came up with an amusing explanation of cricket, clearly aimed at the kind of American tourists who buy plastic policemen's helmets and who believe that Dick van Dyke's cockney accent in Mary Poppins was exactly how 98% of England spoke (the other 2% being West County yokels with straw poking out of every available orifice).

What started as a novel marketing ploy has burgeoned into a beast utterly out of control. Thirty years on, the tea towels refuse to die, and anyone who enjoys cricket will have almost certainly been given one of the infernal things by a distant aunt or newly acquired mother-in-law who thought it would be "ideal for Christmas".

Anyone who receives one is allowed to be rude to the giver, and is also duty-bound to burn the cloth immediately.

But, as requested by some masochists, here is the text in full ...
Source:http://www.liveindia.com/cricket/VirenderShewag.html

Virendra Sehwag
Sachin Tendulkar

Virendra Sehwag

Virender Sehwag
Statistics
Born: 20 October 1978, Delhi
Major Teams: Delhi, India.
Known As: Virender Shewag
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Off Break

Profile:A hard hitting batsman and a more than useful off spinner, Virender Shewag made a disastrous debut against Pakistan at Mohali in the Pepsi Cup. After having got out for a single he was hammered for 35 runs in the three overs that he bowled. He was then short listed among the 19 probables for the 1999 World Cup in England but did not make the final squad. Shewag has been a mainstay in the Delhi Ranji Trophy team since the 1998-99 season. A powerful hitter of the ball, he aggregated 745 runs during the 1998-99 Ranji Trophy season with three centuries and followed it up with 674 runs in the 1999-2000 edition of the competition.

Shewag made a strong comeback to the Indian team during the Australia tour of India in 2000-01. In the first one-dayer at Bangalore, Shewag helped himself to a quick half century before scalping three crucial wickets to play a leading role in India's victory. Man of the match in the first one-dayer, Shewag was forced to miss the rest of the series with a fractured finger. But the last has not been heard of this stout hearted Delhi all rounder.

SOURCE:http://www.liveindia.com/cricket/VirenderShewag.html

Profile about sachin


Profile: Sachin Tendulkar
By popular vote, the greatest batsman in the world today, Sachin Tendulkar has the cricketing world at his feet. The adulation he commands world over is unsurpassed, perhaps since the days of Don Bradman, to whom of course he has been compared, by no less than the great man himself. While he may not end with a Test career average of 99.94, there is little doubt that based on his vigorous style of batsmanshiP and his insatiable appetite for runs and big scores, he is the most complete batsman since Vivian Richards. In many ways though he has surpassed even that outstanding West Indian batsman.
When Tendulkar is on song, there is no more majestic sight in the cricketing world. The spectators at the stadium are on their feet cheering while all over the world, TV audiences are glued to the screen. He has scored heavily on all kinds of wickets the world over, in conditions which lesser mortals have not been able to master and against bowlers whom other batsmen have found it difficult to score off. Immensely gifted and blessed with an impeccable technique, Tendulkar's batting is a dream, combining timing, elegance and power. Mentally very strong, Tendulkar is best when confronted by a challenge - as he showed when mowing down Shane Warne in India in 1998. Captain during two short stints, Tendulkar has made it clear that he would prefer to concentrate on his batting and indeed, he seems to be getting better with every passing year. Scoring two double centuries in successive seasons and being the first to cross the 10,000 run barrier in ODIs is clear proof of this. The best thing from the fans' point of view - if not the bowler's - is that the entertainment, courtesy Tendulkar, is still at the intermission stage. Long may `The King' continue to regale his willing subjects!
While his batting ranks him among the best in the world, he is also a part-time bowler and has played a crucial role as a leg spinner or a medium pace bowler who tends to break partnerships. He has more than a hundred wickets in ODIs and 35 in tests, though his bowling averages are above 40. He continues to perform well under the massive weight of expectation of hundreds of millions of cricket followers, in India and around the world, and most recently was named Player Of The Tournament in the 2003 Cricket World Cup.Incidentally, Sachin is the first batsman to be declared run out by third umpire in 1992 in South Africa.

SOURCE:http://www.liveindia.com/cricket/Tendulkar.html

PROFILE ABOUT SOURAV GANGULY


Born: 8 July 1972, Calcutta

Major Teams: Bengal, India, Lancashire.

Known As: Sourav Ganguly

Batting Style: Left Hand Bat

Bowling Style: Saurav Ganguly, the Prince of Calcutta has a fan following of millions and that is justified considering the number of winning knocks he has played for India. His batting is the perfect blend of elegance and power. He has all the traditional style that goes with left hande batsmanship. He is also a superb/ perfect timer of the ball. The manner in which he steps out and pounces on the ball, like a tiger on a hapless prey, is something to be enjoyed on the spot. He is one of the most aggressive Captain India has ever had and has emerged as one the key components of the Indian team. His ability to play shots on the off side is special because there are very few players who can hit the ball in that area as crisply as he does. He is an aggressive left-handed batsman and is also an effective (right-handed) medium pace bowler. He tarted his international career as a 19 year old during the tour to Australia in 1991-92 where both his ability and attitude was questioned. His recall for the 1996 tour to England was severely criticised as one of the evils of India's "quota" system. But he answered that in style by not only scoring centuries in his first two Test innings but also capturing vital wickets to bag the Man of the series award. Still he was considered fit only for the Test matches because of his inability to play onside strokes. He worked on that problem and became a household name in India after the Sahara Cup in Toronto where he won several matches for India against Pakistan. Besides several superlative batting performance (including 75* in 75 balls), he exploited the conditions to return some excellent bowling figures (including 5-16). He is often criticised for his running between the wickets and if he works on that, the way he has worked on his leg-side then he will definitely become a formidable force in the World of Cricket Right Arm Medium

SOURCE:http://www.liveindia.com/cricket/SGanguly.html

ABOUT ISHANT SHARMA



Ishant Sharma India Player profile Full name Ishant Sharma Born September 2, 1988, Delhi Current age 19 years 154 days Major teams India, Delhi, India Red, North Zone Playing role Bowler Batting style Right-hand bat Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
With a physique and attitude that is reminiscent of a young Javagal Srinath, Ishant Sharma shot into prominence during the 2007-08 Test series in Australia. Standing at 6'4", his rhythmic, high-arm action allowed him to bowl at around 135-140 kph. For one who started serious cricket at 14, his rise was rapid and he made his Ranji Trophy debut at 18. An injury to Munaf Patel provided him an opening during India's tour of Bangladesh in May 2007 but it was in Australia where he caught the attention, prompting Steve Waugh to call him the next best thing in Indian cricket. He showed he could move the ball both ways and his probing spell in the second innings in Perth, where he set-up Ricky Ponting, was the stuff of folklore. Siddhartha Vaidyanathan January 2008
Ishant Sharma (born September 2, 1988, in Delhi, India), is an Indian cricketer, more specifically a fast-medium pace bowler at pace around 140 km/h (87 mph). He has a high delivery action and is able to swing the ball in both directions. Sharma was called up to join the Indian national cricket team for the 2006–07 Test series in South Africa at the age of 18, though he did not play for his country in the series. However, after receiving the call-up and organising travel arrangements, it was decided to not send for Sharma after all. In May 2007, he was called as a replacement for fast bowler Munaf Patel, for his national side for the second test against Bangladesh, where he has bowled 3 overs so far, bowling one maiden and only conceding five runs, without taking a wicket.
Sharma plays for Delhi in domestic cricket and has taken 19 wickets in four first class games, including a five-wicket haul against Baroda on the opening day of a match Delhi drew after failing to bowl Baroda out on the fourth day. He has earned the nickname 'Lambu', which refers to his lean but tall build, measuring 6'4" (192 cm).
Sharma toured England with the India Under-19s in 2006 and Pakistan in 2006–07. He has played three youth Tests and six youth One-day Internationals for India, and is yet to lose a match for them.
In May 2007 ,he was selected in the Test Cricket team for the Bangladesh tour, and then the tour of England in July- August. During Pakistan's tour of India in December 2007, Sharma picked up 5 wickets during the third test in Bangalore
SOURCE:http://www.liveindia.com/cricket/ishantsharma.html

ABOUT PRAVEEN KUMAR

Praveen Kumar
Full name Praveenkumar Sakat Singh Born October 2, 1986, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh Current age 21 years 154 days Major teams India, Air India, India Red, Uttar Pradesh Playing role Bowler Batting style Right-hand bat Bowling style Right-arm medium
Praveen Kumar honed his reputation as a man of many parts: A fast bowler with the ability to toil away on unresponsive Indian wickets who can double up as a carefree hitter down the order and as a surprise opener. Beginning his career in the Uttar Pradesh Under-19 team alongside RP Singh, Piyush Chawla, and Suresh Raina, he soon graduated to first-class cricket and shone on his Ranji Trophy debut, picking up nine wickets against Haryana. Kumar was key to UP winning the title in his first Ranji season, taking 41 wickets and scoring 368 runs. His consistency - 90 wickets in two first-class seasons - earned him a call-up to the India A squad touring Kenya in 2007. BRISBANE, Reuters: India ended their tour of Australia on a high note when they beat the hosts by nine runs on Tuesday to win their best-of-three finals series 2-0.
Sachin Tendulkar scored a superb 91 and paceman Praveen Kumar went on to capture four wickets as the tourists followed up Sunday's six-wicket win in Sydney with a thrilling victory at the Gabba in Brisbane.
The Australians, who also lost last year's tri-series finals at home to England, recovered from a terrible start to give themselves a glimmer of hope when James Hopes (63) and Matthew Hayden (55) made half-centuries, only to come up short.
Kumar excelled with both bat and ball in a triangular one-day tournament involving India A, Sri Lanka A and Kenya, winning the Man-of-the-Series award. He continued his fine run in the Challenger Trophy, during which he received his maiden call-up to the national squad for the first two ODIs against Pakistan. Another strong Ranji Trophy series, including eight wickets in an innings during the final, earned him a spot in India's 16-man squad for the CB Series in Australia.

SOURCE:http://www.liveindia.com/cricket/PraveenKumar.html

ABOUT MUNAF MUNSA PATEL PROFILE

Full Name: Munaf Munsa Patel Born: 12th July 1983, Ikhar, Gujarat, India Team : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Batting Style: Right Hand Bat Bowling Style: Right Arm Fast Test Debut: India Vs England, 2nd Test at PCA Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh, 2005/06 ODI Debut: Yet to make Debut
Few mediumpacers had generated as much hype before bowling a ball in first-class, let alone international cricket as Munaf Musa Patel, the young boy from the little town of Ikhar in Bahruch, Gujarat did in early 2003. Kiran More, now chairman of selectors, had seen him bowl in the nets and sent him straight to the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai to train under TA Sekhar and Dennis Lillee. Soon he was being hailed as the fastest man in Indian cricket. Then, even as Baroda and Gujarat vied for his services, Patel chose Mumbai, after Sachin Tendulkar had taken special interest in him and had a word with the authorities in the Mumbai Cricket Association. Even then Patel's first-class career was anything but smooth as he spent more time recovering from various injuries than actually playing.
Strongly built though not overly tall, a wild mane flowing behind him as he bustles up to the bowling crease, gathering momentum before releasing the ball with a windmill-whirl of hands, Patel's priority is to bowl quick. And it was this that first caught the eye about three years ago. Now he has added reverse swing to his repertoire and has troubled batsmen with a well-directed yorker. After plenty of speculation and close calls he finally received a call from the national selection panel for the second Test against England in March 2006, after an impressive performance for the Board President's XI saw him pick up 10 English wickets for 91 runs.
A young man, of about 20 was called to Bangalore by John Wright from the MRF Pace Academy in Chennai, where he was training under Dennis Lillee. Yes, he was Munaf Patel, India's new pace bowling sensation. He was specially parachuted in by the Indian management, because of frequent hype about his ability to bowl quick and swing the ball late. He teamed up with other pacers like Sreesanth of Kerala, Saurav Sorkar of Bengal and Amit Uniyal of Punjab as the regular net bowlers to the members of the Indian conditioning camp at Bangalore. There is where, he became a revelation to the Indian team and of course, the Indian Media.
He, of course made his first class debut for India A against the Kiwis at Rajkot and looked more than impressive for a person sans prior match experience. Picking up a player of Nathan Astle's caliber twice in a match is any bowler's dream start to his first class career. Then came the biggest moment of his career thus far. A transfer conducted from his ex-home team Gujarat to Mumbai, which was by the recommendation of none other than Sachin Tendulkar himself. Thus, this young lad from Baruch became now the man for Mumbai. I can recall of one such switch of sides, that has produced one of the lethal weapons of international cricket - Adam Gilchrist. The story goes like this...Gilly found it really difficult to break it into the New South Wales first XI because of rigorous competition. So, sanity prevailed and he chose the WACA as his new home. He went on to play for Western Australia for 2 seasons, before he got a call up for the Aussies and how, his stature in World Cricket cannot be with a shadow of doubt questioned by anyone. Similarly, with Munaf, he has made the right move although it seemed controversial. I feel, his only chance of advancing to the top is playing with a quality side like Mumbai, which by itself gives a competitive atmosphere

ABOUT YUSUF KHAN PATHAN

Full name Yusuf Khan Pathan Born November 17, 1982, Baroda, Gujarat Current age 26 years 87 days Major teams India, Baroda, India Green, Rajasthan Royals Batting style Right-hand bat Bowling style Right-arm offbreak Relations Half-brother - IK Pathan
Yusuf Pathan first made his mark as a hard-hitting batsman and offspinner for the Baroda Under-16 team in the Vijay Merchant Trophy in 1999-2000. His impressive showings saw him quickly climb the rungs to the Baroda U-19 and the West Zone U-19 sides. He made his Ranji debut against Saurashtra in 2001-02, but it wasn't until the 2004-05 season, by when younger brother Irfan Pathan was donning the national colours, that he established himself as a regular in the Baroda squad. He ended the 2004-05 season as Baroda's fourth-highest scorer and third-highest wicket-taker.
He has scored more than 250 runs and taken at least 15 wickets in each of the last three Ranji seasons but failed to impress in the two Challenger Trophies he played. His ability to score runs quickly - he had the highest strike rate in the 2006-07 Ranji Trophy - and impressive performances in the Deodhar Trophy and Twenty20 domestic tournament in the 2006-07 season was rewarded with a spot in India's squad for the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa.
His impressive showing for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League in 2008 - 435 runs with four fifties at a strike-rate of 179 - earned him an ODI call-up for the tri-series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup in Pakistan. He recorded the fastest fifty of the IPL's first season - off 21 balls against the Deccan Chargers - and his dazzling all-round show in the final was instrumental in Rajasthan's triumph.
Yusuf Khan Pathan born 17 November 1982 in Baroda is an Indian cricketer. Pathan made his debut in first-class cricket in 2001/02. He is a hard hitting right handed batsman and a right-arm offbreak bowler. His half-brother Irfan Pathan is also an Indian cricketer. Though younger to Yusuf, it was Irfan who entered the Indian team first.
Following his impressive performances in the 2007 Deodhar Trophy and the Inter-state domestic Twenty20 competition held in April 2007, Pathan was made a part of the Indian squad for the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship, held in South Africa in September 2007. He made his Twenty20 international debut in the final against Pakistan. He opened the batting for India in the match, and scored 15 runs in the process.
After a good domestic season in 2007/08, he was signed by the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League for USD 475,000 (INR 1.9 crore). In the 2008 IPL season, he scored 435 runs and took 8 wickets. He recorded the season's fastest half century (from 21 balls) against the Deccan Chargers, and was also the Man of the Match in the final.
Following his good showing in the IPL, he was selected for the Indian one-day team. After the IPL though he played all the games in the Kitply Cup and Asia Cup he got to bat only four times.He couldn't perform nicely with the bat and the ball in the Asia Cup and in the Kitply Cup and so he wasn't selected for the Sri lanka Series. He performed well in domestic circuit and impressed the selectors and was selected for the England ODI series in November. He scored a fifty off just 29 balls in the second ODI against England in Indore, on his 26th birthday.
Yusuf had made his One-Day International debut for India against Pakistan at Dhaka on 10 June 2008. He has become a permanent feature of the national One-Day International team

ABOUT RAVINDRASINH










Full name Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja
Born December 6, 1988, Navagam-Khed, Saurashtra Current age 20 years 44 days
Major teams India Under-19s, Rajasthan Royals, Saurashtra, West Zone
Playing role All-rounder
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Slow left-arm orthodox

ravindra Jadeja is an Indian professional cricketer, who was born on December 6, 1988 in Navagam-Khed, Saurashtra. Nicknamed “Revadi” in the cricketing circles, he is an all- rounder, who plays as a left-handed batsman and a slow left-arm orthodox bowler. He started playing cricket from the tender age of ten and idolizes Yuvraj Singh, for his batting style and electric fielding.
An allrounder who bats left-hand and bowls orthodox spin, Ravindra Jadeja has been playing cricket since the age of ten. He scored 53 for West Zone on his first-class debut in the 2006-07 Duleep Trophy and has been an important member of the Under-19 set-up. He was part of the U-19 team that lost the finals of the World Cup in 2006 to Pakistan but bowled a crucial spell of 2 for 25 to bowl India to victory in the finals of the 2008 tournament in Malaysia. Jadeja was part of the Rajasthan Royals, the inaugural IPL champions. He caught the attention of the national selectors with his strong all-round showing in the 2008-09 Ranji Trophy - 42 wickets and 739 runs - and was promptly picked for the ODI series in Sri Lanka.

A regular member of the India-A team, Ravindra Jadeja has represented the Indian Under (U)-19 team that finished as the runners-up in the 2006 U-19 Cricket World Cup. His bowling performance of 2 for 25 and athletic fielding were instrumental in the team’s win over South Africa to lift the 2008 U-19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia.

Ravindra Jadeja made an impressive First-class debut, scoring a half-century for the West Zone team in the 2006-07 Duleep Trophy match played in Indore. A regular feature of the Saurashtra team in Ranji Trophy matches, Ravindra Jadeja made his Twenty20 debut for it on April 4, 2007 versus Maharashtra in Mumbai. As of October 6, 2008 he has made 391 runs, his highest score being 87, at a strike rate of 41.46 from 13 matches in First-class cricket. He has scalped 7 wickets for 94 runs, his career best, in a First-class match at an excellent economy rate of 2.49.


Ravindra Jadeja was selected to be a part of the Rajasthan Royals team owned by Emerging Media for the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. His brilliant display in the IPL matches won him praises from the team’s captain and coach, Shane Warne. He made his presence felt during the IPL campaign and played a crucial role in helping the team win the 2008 IPL defeating Chennai Super Kings in the finals played on June 1, 2008 in Mumbai. He scored 135 runs from 14 matches in the IPL season, his best score being 36* versus Mohali, at a strike rate of 131.06.
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