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Friday, April 22, 2011

Dhoni more influential than Obama: Time

Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been ranked above football icon Lionel Messi and US President Barack Obama in Time magazine’s 2011 list of 100 most influential people.

The cricket world cup title win after 28 years helped Dhoni secure the 52nd rank. He was the only Indian sportsperson to make the list this year. Dhoni is the second Indian sportsman after Sachin Tendulkar to make the prestigious list.
Other Indians on the list were billionaire Mukesh Ambani (61), neuroscientist V S Ramachandran (79), Wipro chairman and philanthropist Azim Premji (88) and social activist Aruna Roy (89).






The magazine described the 29-year-old as “Captain Fantastic”. Dhoni, has 2,925 runs in 54 Tests and 6,049 runs in 186 one-day internationals. The team had won the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in 2007 under his leadership. Author Chetan Bhagat described the ace captain in the magazine as India’s best captain ever, exuding both cool confidence and down-to-earth humility. “As astonishing as Dhoni’s talent is his background. Indian success stories are usually associated with pedigree, connections and power. Dhoni, from a small-town family of modest means, had none of these, but he’s shown India that you can make it with only one thing: Excellence. Dhoni doesn’t just lead a cricket team; he’s also India’s captain of hope. And he didn’t just win India the World Cup; he also taught India how to win,” read the accompanying profile written by Bhagat.This year the list was topped by Wael Ghonim, the Google executive who became the “Spokesman for a Revolution” in Egypt as decribed by the magazine. Others in the list include Obama (86), US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (43), Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (6), WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (9) and Pakistani spy chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha (17).

$500 mn gambled away in Indo-Pak WC semi-final: Malcolm Speed

SYDNEY: The money gambled on cricket now is astronomical, and if former International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Malcolm Speed is to be believed, at least 500 million dollars was gambled away during the recent World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan in Mohali , India.

The Age quotes Speed as saying in his book "Sticky Wicket: A Decade of Change in World Cricket", that any game involving India attracts about 200 million dollars.

Betfair chief executive Andrew Twaits believes it would be naive to suggest approaches to players were confined to punters or bookmakers in illegal, unregulated markets.

He argues all states should adopt the Victorian requirement for all betting agencies to gain approval from the relevant sport and for all gambling operators to move towards an account-based betting regime.

''The transparency that an account-based model creates is a vital first step towards guarding against corruption in sport,'' Twaits said in a blog.

Speed adds: "The other vital ingredient is for there to be specific criminal penalties for those involved in gambling-related corruption whether those allegations relate to outright match-fixing or spot-fixing or trading with the benefit of price-sensitive information.''

Speed, now executive director of the Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports, is expected to recommend both of those things in a research paper in its final drafting stages.

Lord Paul Condon, the former chief of the ICC's anti-corruption unit, told the ICC board in 2009 the absence of the council's investigators from that season's Indian Premier League called into question the integrity of the event. He also expressed concern about the party atmosphere, which enabled easy access to players.

ICC investigators now have a presence at the IPL and the Twenty20 Champions League, in which CA has a financial stake.

TRUMP IN CONTROL AGAINST GOULD



Picture
Trump - in command against Gould.
 
Judd Trump marched towards a quarter-final place at the Betfred.com World Championship as he sped into an 11-5 lead against Martin Gould.
Trump believes he can claim the Crucible title this year and he offered more compelling evidence to support that confident view as Gould suffered in their second session.
If there is any consolation for Gould, who slipped from 5-3 at the start of the session to within two frames of defeat, it comes in the fact that he knows an 11-5 lead is not necessarily a winning one.
He too led by that margin at the last-16 stage last year, but Neil Robertson fought back to win 13-12.
The 29-year-old from Pinner in north-west London will return for tomorrow morning's final session with a glimmer of hope, but Trump should not crumble as Gould did last year.
Trump had a break of 108 in the second frame of the afternoon, but Gould managed to cut his lead to 6-5 with runs of 76 and 72, only for the two-frame gap to be restored with 69 from the man who knocked out Robertson in the first round this year.
"If in doubt hit it as hard as you can?!!" was Trump's message at the interval, as he turned to Twitter.
He had smashed the white off the table at the end of the fourth frame of the afternoon, and he continued to be the aggressor when they returned, winning all four remaining with runs of 51 - twice - 84 and 67.
An obvious turning point came in frame 13 which went to a respotted black, and when Gould went for an ambitious double and missed it was left for Trump to put away.
Trump, 21, is considered a world champion in waiting, and has been ever since making a 147 break in an under-16s tournament at the age of 14, making him the youngest player to have an in-competition maximum.
The seven years since that magical moment have not all been kind to the Bristol youngster, but he is making good on his talent at last, and winning the China Open at the start of April has shaped his remarkable self-belief.
Ali Carter or last year's runner-up Graeme Dott awaits the winner of Trump's match.

HAWKINS IN FRONT AGAINST ALLEN

Picture
Hawkins - early lead.
 
Mark Allen's dramatic first-round victory over Matthew Stevens was a fading memory as the Northern Irishman fell 5-3 behind to Barry Hawkins.
The two left-handers split the opening six frames, before runs of 71 and 43 helped Hawkins open up his lead.
Allen, from Antrim, admitted following his win over Stevens that he has hardly practised for months, and it showed against Hawkins as he struggled to put away the chances which came his way.
He lost the opening frame despite a run of 51, and then saw a 64-0 lead in the fifth wiped out by Hawkins' clearance of 69.
They play to a finish over morning and evening sessions on Saturday, which is also Dartford cueman Hawkins' 32nd birthday.

Williams wants break incentive

Mark Williams has blasted the decision by snooker chiefs to scrap the maximum break prize and predicted it would stop players attempting a 147 at the Crucible.
Welshman Williams waltzed through to the quarter-finals of the Betfred.com World Championship with a 13-4 demolition of Stoke's Jamie Cope in which he made two century breaks but not at any stage did he think about going for the feat of 15 reds and blacks, followed by the six colours, snooker's ultimate individual feat.
"I think it's terrible that there's not a 147 prize in this tournament," Williams said. "Even if it was £20,000 for a maximum break, it's got to be something for this tournament."
Williams awaits the winner of the last-16 match between Mark Allen and Barry Hawkins.
Hawkins carries a 5-3 lead into Saturday, when the left-handed pair play morning and evening sessions to determine who goes forward to tackle the champion of 2000 and 2003.
Judd Trump marched towards a quarter-final place as he sped into an 11-5 lead, two away from victory, against Martin Gould.
Mark Williams

Ali Carter or last year's runner-up Graeme Dott will await the winner.
Dott and Carter's opening session was on the slow side, but the pace did not worry Dott who had trailed 3-1 early on but took four frames in a row to develop a 5-3 lead.
It was a different story between Dott and Carter in the evening though, with a higher tempo and Carter fighting back well.
They shared the opening two frames, and then Carter went on a run of four in a row to lead 8-6, with breaks of 63, 86, 112 and 115. Dott made it 8-7 though and the Scot finished the session with a run of 66 to level up at 8-8 ahead of Saturday afternoon's conclusion to the match.

Middletown names new basketball coach

MIDDLETOWN — Josh Andrews has been announced as the new Middletown High School boys basketball coach, according to a press release Friday afternoon from the MHS Athletic Department.
Andrews has been the head coach at Princeton High School the last four years where he has compiled an 80-18 record, won three Greater Miami Conference championships and led the Vikings to a Division I state runners-up finish in 2009.
“We are thrilled to have Josh join our school and to take over the helm of the Middie basketball program,” Middletown athletic director Gary Lebo said. “He is a very passionate young man and I think the kids will relate and respond to him. He’s a good fit for our program.”
Andrews is a Hamilton High School graduate.

Montana State Billings women's basketball signs 4 in-state recruits

BILLINGS, Mont. — Montana State Billings women's basketball coach Kevin Woodin has announced the signing of four in-state recruits during the spring signing period.
Joining the Yellowjackets for the 2011-12 season are: Shepherd forward Kayleen Goggins, Saco guard Annie Depuydt, Billings West forward Janiel Olson and Butte High post Kabri Emerson.
Goggins averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds and three steals per game in earning all-state honors.
Depuydt averaged 14 points, nine rebounds and three assists per game and was named the MVP of the Class C state tournament after leading Saco to the state title.
Olson averaged 12 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and two assists per game in helping Billings West to the Class AA state title.
Emerson averaged 13 points and nine rebounds in helping Butte advance to the state tournament.

Basketball: That's my boy

Jan Henare misses the first call on her cellphone amid all the din but the second time around, minutes later, she picks up the vibration and answers.

The cacophony of clinking silverware and wine flutes in the backdrop of belching espresso coffee machines suggests the gregarious mother of professional basketballer Paul Henare is primed for lunch at a trendy cafe in Takapuna Beach, on the outskirts of North Shore, in Auckland, where a friend spots TV One weatherman Jim Hickey.

"I couldn't even hear the phone go properly the first time it rang," she says apologetically but that fails to disguise the air of expectation in her voice, only a day after the New Zealand Breakers' historic game one victory over the Cairns Taipans in the Australian National Basketball League finals.

For someone adept at rustling hearty roasts, Jan Henare is far from her comfort zone in Napier, where she lives and teaches at Porritt School in Tamatea.

"I gave up doing roasts when my boys [Richard, Jamie and Paul] left home but my Sunday roasts are still legendary," she says, something those who have been fortunate enough to indulge in will unequivocally attest to.

Tomorrow will be a Sunday geographically off the axis of normalcy for the 60-year-old grandmother, but that is not to say she will lose the frequency required to whet her insatiable appetite for basketball.

Come 6pm, the TV news will give way to a Sky Sports channel for the live coverage of game two of the ANBL finals between favourites Breakers and wounded Taipans, who were humiliated 85-67 at the North Shore Events Centre on Wednesday night.

Jan will be glued to the box at the home of her father, Don Campbell, at Snells Beach, Warkworth, north of Auckland.

"My dad's one of Paulie's biggest fans," she says.
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"He's very vocal and there'll be some strong opinions on what's going on in the game."

The demands of her job and the cost associated with travelling and accommodation mean the sea of orange at the Cairns Convention Centre won't drown Jan when the much-anticipated confetti rains down from the ceiling to acknowledge the Breakers as the first code to break the shackles of Australian domination in their own professional competitions.

That is the foregone conclusion, of course.

If everything follows the New Zealand script, the Kiwi franchise will become the first professional team to infiltrate a domain the Aussies have jealously guarded in any major code - basketball, rugby league, football or netball.

Close takes over UCLA women's basketball program

Cori Close, who has coached in 15 consecutive NCAA basketball tournaments, has been named to replace Nikki Caldwell as coach of the UCLA women’s basketball program.
Caldwell accepted the coaching job at LSU April 3.
This is the first head coaching assignment for Close, who has worked as associate head coach or assistant on teams that won at least 20 games in 15 of the previous 16 seasons and won or shared a total of 11 conference championships.
“Cori has established herself as one of the top women’s basketball associate coaches in the nation and is certainly ready to take the next step,” Guerrero said. “Cori has enjoyed great success at Florida State and UC Santa Barbara, on the court, off the court and on the recruiting trail, and has a great vision for the future of our program. She will continue to build upon the foundation that has been established over the last few years."
“Cori is a great fit for UCLA,” Petrina Long, UCLA Sr. associate athletic director/senior women’s administrator, said. “She has enjoyed great success throughout her career and possesses all the tools to keep our program at a high level. She is thrilled to be coming back to Westwood and we are excited to have her back.”
Close, who served on the Bruin coaching staff in 1994 and 1995, returns to Westwood after spending the last seven seasons as associate head coach at Florida State.
Considered one of the top offensive minds in the game, Close helped guide the Seminoles into a nationally-recognized program in her time. FSU ranked among the nation’s top 30 teams in scoring, field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage the last two seasons.

George Mason men’s basketball coach Jim Larranaga through the years

After turning George Mason into a perennial postseason contender and leading the team on its improbable run to the 2006 Final Four, 61-year-old Jim Larranaga is leaving Fairfax to take the head coaching job at the University of Miami

zulqarnain haider decided to file defamation case against Geo Tv

zulqarnain haider decided to file defamation case against a major pakistani media group and seeking compensation to the value of 1 million pounds.this case will be filed in british courts within coming days.he had consulted with a major human rights law firm Burney legal solicitors in london.the compensation money will be used to arrange free ambulance services for needy people in pakistan.the media group gave a news that zulqarnain had decided not to return pakistan and filed a fresh assylum case in United Kingdom which is totaly baseless news,zulqaranain haider will return to pakistan as sheduled on 24th April from London Heathrow airport and will reach islamabad on the morning of 25th april

Top five reasons Mosley has no chance against Pacquiao

As the Pacquiao vs. Mosley bout draws closer, fans, media members and boxing insiders have had plenty to say about who they think will win the affair. While viewing your typical Pacquiao vs. Mosley preview, you'll find that Mosley is being given little, if any, chance to pull off the surprise victory.
In fact, few individuals outside of dedicated Mosley fans believe he has what it takes to get the win at this stage in his career. If you think that Sugar Shane still has enough left to upend the pound for pound best fighter in the sport, then think again.
While we might not officially know the Pacquiao vs. Mosley results until May 7th, here are the top 5 reasons why Mosley has absolutely no chance against Manny Pacquiao.
1. Starts with a 3 and ends with a 9: No, not the 39 knockouts Mosley has scored in his career. Instead, the 39 years he has been alive. Mosley is 39-years-old and will be 40 this September, and outside of legendary, ageless wonders like Bernard Hopkins, that's an extremely advanced age in the boxing ring. Especially so for a fighter who has been through as much as Mosley has, having a lengthy amateur career and debuting as a lightweight force in the professional ranks over 18 years ago. Mosley is just too old to win against a windmill of destruction like Pacquiao.
2. Speed Isn't What it Used to Be: When Mosley was the best fighter in the world, he was the fastest fighter in the game. But like a pitcher who lost a few MPH off the heater, Mosley's speed has declined with his age, and even though he's still fast, the difference between then and now is huge.
3. Recent Track Record: Let's face it, Mosley has looked pretty terrible in his last two outings. He dropped 11 of 12 rounds to Floyd Mayweather, which is understandable enough, but then he took part in a true stinkfest of a fight that ended in a Draw against Sergio Mora. Not exactly the two performances you'd like to be building off of as you prepare to face Pacquiao.
4. Adapting to Pacquiao: Mosley has never been great at adapting mid-fight to what his opponent was bringing to the table. In his first fights with Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright, and in his outing against Mayweather, once the initial plan was squashed, he looked lost in the ring. If you can survive early, Pacquiao can be figured out… and Juan Manuel Marquez is the master at doing just that. But chances are that Mosley will be overwhelmed by Pacquiao's speed and will be unable to adjust to turn the tide.
5. Pacquiao is Nonstop: Mosley's stamina is usually a strength of his, but Pacquiao has him beat in that department as well. When Pacquiao fights he is nonstop in the ring, darting in and out, peppering you with quick jabs and thunderous combinations, using his feet, creating angles, and more. This constant movement will wear Mosley out like never before, particularly considering that haunting number we started this list with, 39.

Shane Warne And Liz Hurley : IPL 4 , Romance Continues

British actress Elizabeth Hurley made heads turn Thursday as she cheered for Australian spin legend Shane Warne at an Indian Premier League match in northwest India. 

Dressed in a sleeveless dark pink top and blue jeans, Hurley was spotted in one of the VIP stands at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium where Warne's Rajasthan Royals were slogging it out against Kings XI Punjab. 

Warne's son Jackson was seen sitting next to the British beauty. 

The Press Trust of India news agency said the couple had been enjoying their stay at a five-star hotel in nearby Chandigarh where they were also photographed in a relaxed mood next to the swimming pool. 

"Warne and Hurley are enjoying the Indian food," it quoted a hotel staff as saying. 

Hurley split with her Indian businessman husband of three years Arun Nayar last year amid reports of her romance with Warne. 

It is not the first time Warne's romantic flings have made news. Previous affairs cost Warne not only his marriage but the vice-captaincy of the Australia Test side in 2000. 

Warne reportedly met Hurley at an English race meeting in July last year and interviewed her on his new Australian television chat show 'Warnie' which coincided with the Ashes series.

Problem with Junaid Khan's bowling action , jerk visible : Basit Ali

Former Pakistan batsman Basit Ali believes that the national team's young pace bowler,Junaid Khan will soon land into trouble over his bowling action.  

"There is a problem with his bowling action and there is a visible jerk when he bowls. The selectors should have seen this before picking him in the side," Basit said on Friday.

Basit, who played 19 Tests and 50 one-day internationals, said that Junaid's bowling action would soon be reported by match officials in the ongoing series in the West Indies.

Junaid, a left-arm pace bowler, made his international debut in the T20 match against West Indies in St Lucia yesterday.

He was also called up to the World Cup squad by the selectors as a replacement for the unfit Sohail Tanvir but didn't get play.

The selectors rate him highly as a promising future prospect.

But Basit said Junaid needed corrective measures on his bowling action.

Basit, who had been a national selector, also said that dropping Younis Khan for the one-day series in the Caribbean while retaining Misbah-ul-Haq was sheer injustice.

"The selectors talk about rebuilding and new players but Misbah, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman are all in their thirties."

Pakistan lost the T20 international to a depleted West Indian side by seven runs.

Pakistan cricket has a history of problems, with many of its bowlers being reported for suspect action.

In the recent past Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Saeed Ajmal have all been reported by match officials.

Michael Clarke is a tactical captain but it is a big job : Adam Gilchrist

Former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist feels it would be a big challenge for Michael Clarke to lead the country after Ricky Ponting stepped down from the post following its quarterfinal exit in the World Cup.

According to the Kings XI Punjab captain, Clarke looks to be tactically sound and has a good understanding of the game but said it would all boil down to handling pressure on and off the field.

"Clarke is a tactical captain. He has a good understanding of the game. But it is a big job and it would be a challenge for him to understand the full responsibility of leading a team on the field and also to deal with things off the field," Gilchrist said on the eve of his team's IPL match against Delhi Daredevils on Saturday.

"Also to deal with the pressure when his own performance comes under scanner. But he looks excited and desperate to do well and I wish him all the best," he added.

Punjab have won three games on the trot after losing the initial two and one of the factors behind the turn around has been Paul Valthaty, who is leading the run charts with 247 runs at 82.33.

Asked if he sees the 27-year-old making it to the Indian team in near future, Gilchrist said if he can maintain his consistency on the field and composure off it, he will surely earn more success in future.

"I don't know what Team India is planning, I mean they will tour West Indies and there are expectations of people. Paul is trying hard to do well, he is working hard and he has a very calm approach. If he doesn't get flustered by the adulation and can maintain his approach, it will surely lead him to more success," Gilchrist said.

The Sri Lanka cricket board's demand that national players involved in the IPL return to prepare for the England tour has reignited the club versus country debate and Gilchrist said for him country should always be the priority.

"Country should always be priority in my opinion. IPL is an Indian domestic competition which we are very fortunate to play as international players but if your country wants you to play then that should always be the priority and its upto the individual and country to decide how they want to go about it," the 39-year-old said.

Asked about the secret of leading Deccan Chargers, a team that struggled in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, to title triumph in the next season, and then turning the fortunes for another team this year, Gilchrist said it is all about gelling as a team.

"I think it is all about group effort, it is not one person's game. Captains need to know the players well, we have a very jovial and funny environment and we gelled well," he said.

Delhi Daredevils have planned a green top for the Kotla wicket for Saturday's humdinger and Gilchrist said though he hasn't seen the track, he is confident of his team doing well in any wicket.

"Historically Kotla has a history of being slow and dead wicket where the ball keeps low and we will see what is in strongly when we get there tomorrow, can't really speculate from here sitting at the hotel room. But whatever is the case, we have the squad to be effective on whatever situation we are in," he said.

IPL 4 : Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by 8 runs , Bhajji the star




Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh led a clinical bowling show with a five-wicket haul after Rohit Sharma's batting heroics as Mumbai Indians scored a thrilling eight-run victory over defending champions Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League clash in Mumbai on Friday.
Mumbai posted a challenging 164 for four after being put into bat, thanks to a 48-ball 87 by Rohit and then Harbhajan (5/18) produced this IPL season's second five-wicket haul to give the home side their fourth win in five games. Harbhajan's MI team-mate Lasith Malinga was the first to take five wickets this season with five for 13 against Delhi Daredevils on April 10.
The home side also produced a superb fielding show with the match turning their way with Kieron Pollard taking a stunning forward diving catch to remove Michael Hussey in the fifth over. With this win at the Wankhede Stadium, MI surged to sole top slot with eight points.
Chasing a challenging total of 165, CSK lost wickets at regular intervals, including three in the 18th over from man of the match Harbhajan to be left stranded at 156 for nine. Subramaniam Badrinath made a fighting, unbeaten 71 from 48 balls while Hussey scored 41 in 33 balls for a losing cause while the rest of the batsmen caved in meekly.
It was Harbhajan who took the bowling honours in the match with his five-wicket haul while Kieron Pollard took two catches, one of them a fabulous diving catch to send back danger man Hussey off Malinga. Malinga, who announced his retirement from Test cricket, ended up with fine figures of two for 20 while Munaf Patel and Pollard took a wicket apiece to help last year's runners-up Mumbai defeat their arch-rivals for the fourth time in eight meetings in IPL history.
Chennai began their reply by losing two wickets within the first five overs with Murali Vijay departing after scoring 12 and Suresh Raina caught and bowled for five by Harbhajan. The double strike left Chennai at 38 for two in the fifth over.
Hussey and Badrinath then put on 60 runs for the third wicket in 6.4 overs to put their side on course of the run chase. Both used the pace of the bowlers to find the gaps with nudges, flicks and off-glides. Badrinath outscored his Australian partner by finding the gaps at will. He also stepped out once to Rohit to slam the bowler for a six over the straight field.
However, Hussey surged past his partner by striking two fours off R Satish, the seventh bowler to be used by Tendulkar, in successive balls.
Just when he looked set for big innings, Hussey was dismissed by Malinga who came back for his second spell. The Sri Lankan had Hussey caught brilliantly by Pollard, who dived full length in front at short mid wicket, when the batsman swatted at a bouncer on to his face.
The gangling Pollard, who had taken an acrobatic catch in the previous match to send back Pune's Robin Uthappa to turn the tide, was once again the man in the centre stage with his stupendous catching.
Then the West Indian dismissed CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni with a rank bad ball which the Indian captain mistimed and the ball ballooned towards third man where Rohit brought off the second stunning catch of the innings after running a
few yards to his left.
Chennai had lost two important wickets within seven balls and for the addition of three runs to give back the initiative
to their opponents.
Badrinath and S Anirudha (9) put the innings back on track for a brief while with a stand of 22 runs before the latter was caught in the deep off a full-toss from Harbhajan, leaving CSK the task of getting 42 runs in the last four overs
with five wickets in hand.
Badrinath completed his fifty in 37 balls with six fours and a six, with clever batting and after the 17th over his side required 32 in 18 balls.
But three wickets in five balls in the 18th over bowled by Harbhajan pushed Chennai to the brink as they lost Albie Morkel (3), R Ashwin (0)and Joginder (0) to be left facing defeat at 137 for eight after the 18th over.
Chennai needed 25 from the last over and Badrinath took 16 off Munaf Patel.
Earlier, Rohit Sharma cracked a blistering 87 to help last year's runners-up Mumbai Indians rally strongly and put up a challenging total of 164 for four.
Rohit, who came to the crease at the fall of skipper Sachin Tendulkar in the fourth over, put on half century stands with Ambati Rayudu (27) and Andrew Symonds (31 not out) to help the home team recover from 13 for two at the Wankhede Stadium tonight.
He was finally out in the last over holing out to long on fielder Michael Hussey off Doug Bollinger.
Thanks in large measure to Rohit, who hit five sixes and eight fours from 48 balls, and his partnerships of 61 with Rayudu and of 87 with Symonds, who hit two sixes and a four in 36 balls, Mumbai's total assumed challenging proportions on a track offering some movement to the pace bowlers.
Rohit's knock came after Mumbai had lost both their openers Rajagopal Satish for a duck and in-form Tendulkar for nine.
For Chennai, Doug Bollinger grabbed two for 30. Albie Morkel at last found his touch with the ball and bowled a splendid four-over spell, including one maiden over, to take 1-19. Suraj Randiv got one for 31.
Mumbai commenced their innings with a new partner for skipper Tendulkar, Rajagopal Satish replacing James Franklin who opened in the previous game against Pune Warriors.
But the move did not click as Satish failed to get going and put pressure on his captain.
Facing the first over from Albie Morkel after his team was asked to take first strike, Satish failed to connect all the deliveries barring one which ended up as a near-catch to the point region and the opening over was a maiden.
Tendulkar started promisingly with a superb back-foot cover-drive in the next over from left-arm Doug Bollinger who began with four wides with a short ball that bounced over Chennai captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
But Satish fell off the very first ball in Morkel’s second over, spooning a tame catch to short mid-wicket fielder Anirudha Srikkanth to leave the home team at eight for one.
The big blow was reserved by Bollinger when he induced Tendulkar (five in eight balls) with a short ball that the champion batsman gloved in trying to pull and gave a dolly catch to slip fielder Michael Hussey to leave MI tottering at 13 for two in the fourth over.
Rohit Sharma, who had completed Mumbai's victory over Pune two days ago with a six, began in splendid fashion by square driving Bollinger for two boundaries in the same over.
The talented Mumbai batsman then flicked Morkel, who bowled four overs at a stretch for 20 runs and was able to extract appreciable movement off the pitch, for a four.
Sharma slammed the first six of the contest by hoisting Joginder Sharma, playing in his first match of the season after replacing Shadab Jakati, over long on.
Mumbai, 41 for two after the power play six-over period, reached 50 in the eighth over. The introduction of R Ashwin for Morkel after the latter's full quota got the desired result for the Super Kings by arresting the run-rate a bit.
The home team's third wicket pair completed their half century stand when Rohit square cut Suraj Randiv for another four after the Lankan offie was brought in for Joginder. After the 10th over, Mumbai were 67 for two.
Rayudu (27) departed in the 11th over after having added 61 runs with Rohit in 7.3 overs. Lured by Randiv, he gave the bowler the charge but was deceived by a straight ball and Dhoni made an easy stumping. He hit four fours in 29 balls.
In the same over, Rohit edged the Lankan spinner for a four and then essayed a classy lofted cover-drive. Rohit later struck Randiv straight to the sight screen for his second six to bring up his 50 in 31 balls and the team's 100 in the first ball of the 15th over.
At the end of the 15th over, Mumbai were 107 for 3. They added 57 runs in the last five overs.
The 16th over bowled by Joginder proved very expensive for the visitors with Rohit hitting the medium pacer for two fours and Andrew Symonds, struggling to middle the ball, carted him over long on for a six. Sixteen runs came off it and the 50 of the fourth wicket stand too was raised in 29 balls.
Symonds later whacked Ashwin straight over the ropes for his second six and the Mumbai run-rate had perked up nicely with eleven more added in the 17th over and they were 135 for 3. Rohit even scored a scooped six off Bollinger in the 18th over.
Sharma then went hammer and tongs against Suresh Raina by slamming the part timer for two sixes in the 19th over while the Chennai fielding too was put under pressure.

FLAWED BATTING ORDER COST PAKISTAN SEMI FINAL GAME AGAINST INDIA IMRAN KHAN

Pakistan's former World Cup winning captain, Imran Khan, blamed the national team to have a flawed batting order for its 29-run defeat against arch-rivals India in the semi-final of the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2011.
"I kept on saying that you need to send your best batsmen at the top so that they can save wickets”, said Khan while talking to the media on the sidelines of a function arranged to honour Elite panel umpire, Aleem Dar. Dar was one of the officials in the high-pressure World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka.

Flawed batting order cost Pakistan semi-final game against India – Imran Khan
“When you preserve your wickets, the pressure transfers to the fielding side and if you have couple of hard hitters in the team, you can always score quick runs in the final overs", he further added.
The cricketer-turned-politician said that the same strategy was followed by the team in the knockout matches during 1987 and 1992 editions of the World Cup.
The former cricket star of Pakistan admitted that losing to the Men in Blue, led by Dhoni, in the semis still hurts and it is hard to accept the loss. Imran reckoned that Afridi and his men crumbled under pressure.
Imran Khan said that the Cornered Tigers were outstanding throughout the mega event prior to collapsing under the pressure of the semi-final. The former Pakistani cricket captain said that he was not expecting that the team would come under pressure.
"What disappoints me is that this team overall performed very well and reached the semi-finals when no one expected it to go this far”, said the 58-year-old. "But once they had got into the semi-final and knew it was going to be a high pressure match against India, the players should have been ready for the situation. Unfortunately they buckled under the pressure", he further added.
The former all-rounder ace is frustrated that the co-hosts were under immense pressure of playing in front of home crowd as well as their title favourites tag. He said that the whole batting line-up of India, except forVirender Sehwag, was under pressure and this led to quite a number of soft dismissals as well.
He said that pressure on the Indian team could be better judged from the fact that a world class performer like Sachin Tendulkar offered at least four chances to the opposition to send him back to the pavilion.
Khan further commented that the under pressure Men in Blue seemed to be all set for a defeat but Pakistani batsmen failed to absorb the pressure on themselves and collapsed. Imran said that once wickets started falling, the pressure started to mount on incoming batsmen and it became difficult for them to perform. The legendary all-rounder noted tactical mistakes in the game as well.

SHAHID AFRIDI A TACTICALLY ASTUTE CAPTAIN OR AN INSPIRATIONAL LEADER

With Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies set to begin today, let us take a look at Shahid Afridi and his role as the captain of the national team. There are aspects of the talismanic captain that still raise questions as to what his strengths and weaknesses are, as a skipper.
After emerging on the world stage and making a name for himself as an aggressive batsman, Afridi’s game has undergone many transformations. Although he was originally selected in the side as leg-spin bowler, he has been followed by fans for his flamboyant batting.
Shahid Afridi – A tactically astute captain or an inspirational leader?
Criticised for his poor shot selection on more than just a few occasions, the player would often find himself as a liability for the side, which resulted in Afridi being dropped for the 1999 World Cup final against Australia.
Afridi, however, transformed his game once again to become one of the most feared spin bowlers in modern day cricket. His 21-wicket haul in the ICC World Cup 2011 was the highest in the tournament, as the all-rounder led his side to the semi-final of the mega event.
Tactician or Leader
As a tactician, the jury on Shahid Afridi is still a mixed bag of critics. His pre-match planning before every game seems to reap the desired results. His ‘plan for the Australians’ in the group stage of the World Cup worked to near perfection, as Pakistan became the first team to beat the defending champions after 13 years.
While his pre-match strategy appears to be sound, his ability to adapt to the constantly changing direction of a cricket match, is still up for debate. Many questions were raised when Afridi opted not to take the batting power-play when Misbah-ul-Haq was at the crease, in the semi-final against India, in Mohali.
The tactic demonstrated a lack of flexibility from the captain in a pressure situation and could be one of his drawbacks as a leader.
Afridi’s nature has never been of a person who relies on tactics, as his batting has demonstrated throughout his career. The Pakistan Captain is known for his passion and enthusiasm, which he puts in while on the field.
The aggressive batsman’s strength has been his ability to unite the team and get them all working for the same cause. Afridi backed his spirit, with match winning performances to inspire his side. His three four-wicket hauls in the World Cup, along with a five-wicket one helped his team to make it to the final four of the tournament.
Afridi leading the side gives the team a sense of togetherness, which had not been seen in the squad for ages. The skipper is always seen talking to his players, keeping them calm in tight situations, which is crucial to keep the game under control.
Although he may not be the best when it comes to the technical aspect of the role of captaincy, the fact remains that Shahid Afridi is more of an inspirational figure the side can look to, in times of need.
The success of Pakistan in the World Cup is proof that his approach is not to be taken lightly and the West Indies need to be wary when they face his side in the upcoming series to begin today.

SHAHRUKH AND JUHI PLANNING TO CONSTRUCT NEW STADIUM IN GUJARAT

Bollywood close friends and co-actors, Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, are planning to construct a cricket stadium at Porbandar, Gujarat.
King Khan and gorgeous film actress, Juhi Chawla, have been jointly working on various projects. Their first venture Dream Unlimited, along with their third partner and director Aziz Mirza, is the production house, which has produced the patriotic film, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, starring Juhi and Shahrukh himself.
Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla planning to construct new stadium in Gujarat: Cricket News
When their production house could not create magic, they opted for another mega project by owning a franchise in Indian Premier League (IPL). They own the successful IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
After the IPL team KKR’s ownership, now the idea of constructing the cricket stadium shows the love and passion of both film stars for cricket.
After that, both the partners decided to go ahead with the project. They have decided to name the stadium as the Nanji Kalidas Stadium.
Shahrukh Khan has signed a deal with the local construction company along with the Mehtas. Firstly, batting pitches will be prepared and then stands and players’ dressing rooms will be built. Shahrukh Khan has hired expertise from United Kingdom to design and construct the outfield and public stands.
Although there were tiffs between the two Indian film actors and they have not worked together in films since a very long time. However they decided to bond again, as they are very successful when comes to business.
Kolkata Knight Riders commonly known as KKR is one of the ten teams of Indian Premier League. The celebrity owners bought this team for USD75.09 million, in 2008.
KKR’s official theme is in Bengali language and it goes like ‘Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo Re' which means ‘for We will do it, Fight for it, Win it.’
Besides their defeats in the previous seasons of IPL, it is still rate as one of the most popular teams in IPL. One of the main reasons of its popularity is the people who own it. People around the globe are crazy for their beloved King Khan.
KKR has performed in all the previous three seasons. In their current fourth season, KKR lost the opening match against the Chennai Super Kings. However, they are looking forward to perform well in the future matches of the league.

Australia says implementation of Qayyum report would have avoided spot-fixing fiasco



Cricket Australia says implementation of Qayyum report would have avoided spot-fixing fiasco


Cricket Australia Chief, James Sutherland, has said that the spot-fixing fiasco, which happened in England in August 2010, could have been avoided had the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) taken steps to implement the proposals of the Qayyum Report of the 1990s.
According to media reports, Sutherland stated, “I would have big question marks about whether those things would have happened last year if those recommendations had been fully implemented.”
Sutherland said that he believes that if the recommendations of the Qayyum report were implemented in letter and spirit by the PCB, the spot-fixing scandal of 2010 would not have occurred. He also said that Cricket Australia had implemented suggestions by the Queens Counsel Rob O'Regan.
The former Aussie cricketer said, “Every single recommendation in his report has been implemented and continues to be implemented today. From a Cricket Australia perspective, we do what we can, but one of my concerns is that everyone around the world needs to do that for the integrity of the contest to remain clean.”
Cricket Australia official also said that the Australian cricket team’s processes are working well and the team immediately informs the management if a suspicious individual or deal as been offered to the players. However, the entire CA is making sure that no corruption like match-fixing should take place in the team.
He says players of Under-17 level and above are enlightened about dangers of interacting with people around their hotel lobbies and elsewhere. He said that the CA has set examples for others to follow in cases of betting, match fixing, corruption by employing life time bans.
The Qayyum Report in 1998 was created by the retired Supreme Court Judge Malik Mohammad Qayyum. He was appointed by the PCB to examine the corruption taking place in the cricketing circles of Pakistan. "It took me two long years and I summoned some 52 players and officials, who all accepted match-fixing existed in cricket”, the retired judge said in the report.
The commission suggested a few names of former cricketers that they should be investigated properly and should not be given any jobs in the Pakistan Cricket Board. The report also stated that properties, assets of all the players should also be examined annually. However, all such suggestions remain unimplemented.

Sri Lanka changes decision to call back players from IPL

Sri Lanka changes decision to call back players from IPL

After negotiations with India’s cricket board, Sri Lanka has changed their decision of calling back their cricketers earlier from the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
Earlier this month, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had asked their players to return back home by May 5, 2011.
On the other hand, the vice-president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and franchises revealed that SLC had promised to allow their players to stay in the IPL till May 21, 2011.
BCCI sent a request to SLC for extending the stay of their players in India for IPL, but they did not receive any positive response.
SLC secretary, Nishantha Ranatunga, said that after discussions with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, both the bodies have reached a consensus that Sri Lankan cricketing authorities would not call back their players if the cricketers manage to participate in the second warm-up match on May 19, because that preparation will be enough for the tour of England.
The tour includes three Tests, one Twenty20 and five One-Day Internationals (ODIs). The first match of the tour will be played on May 14, while the first Test match is scheduled to be started on May 26.
Sri Lanka’s sports Minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, earlier had said that in the future, players will only be allowed to play foreign leagues such as IPL, if it would not affect the national team.
The star players playing in the IPL are, Kumar Sangakkara, Lasith Malinga, Mahela Jayawardene, and, Tillakratne Dilshan.
Sangakkara has recently stepped down from the captaincy of Sri Lanka, following their exit in the final of the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup 2011, at the hands of India.
Following Sangakkara’s decision, Jayawardene and four selectors including Aravinda de Silva also stood down from their posts. Dilshan is now appointed, as a new captain, who will lead his team in the upcoming series.
Pacer, Malinga, who has given a significant performance in the recently concluded mega-event, has refused to play in the three-match series, mentioning an injury.
However, his excuse raised controversies and the cricket officials of his country are expected to call him back for a rehabilitation programme.

Pakistan women beat Sri Lankan Women by 2 wickets


Pakistan women cricket team defeated Sri Lanka by two wickets in a low-scoring encounter at the Sinhalese Sports Club here on Thursday.
Set a target off 154, Pakistan women eased to the target.
Choosing to bat, the Sri Lankan women lost wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for 153.
The only resistance came from Deepika Rasangika and Eshani Kaushalya, who put on a 62-run stand for the seventh-wicket. Qanita Jalil ended with figures of 3-20.
Pakistan were not much better in the chase, losing wickets in a hurry but opener Javeria Khan made all the difference, guiding her side home with a patient, unbeaten 63.
Kaushalya came good for Sri Lanka women with the ball as well, taking three top-order wickets