tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44324492522235796192024-03-05T04:04:38.671-08:00cricketershistorysatishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-69084772325943057582008-11-04T20:19:00.000-08:002013-09-22T01:50:54.984-07:00Heath Streak<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAEY8GdbRz-DCMpTAcGU06dbPq1-4j9rbmkE24HeFALi29betylPQGiDDOIpFZJiK4He1hWWu129zSFgAvvvBvrnKrwuMXxPjd0ukrmx2sbJUQPOYe4YXIQKEVHmStykDZ1DcNJ9fSyM/s1600-h/heath-streak+(1).jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353524270242040050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAEY8GdbRz-DCMpTAcGU06dbPq1-4j9rbmkE24HeFALi29betylPQGiDDOIpFZJiK4He1hWWu129zSFgAvvvBvrnKrwuMXxPjd0ukrmx2sbJUQPOYe4YXIQKEVHmStykDZ1DcNJ9fSyM/s320/heath-streak+(1).jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 240px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 160px;" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Full Name: Heath Hilton Streak..<br />Nickname: Streaky, Stack.<br />Date of Birth: 16 March 1974.<br />Place of Birth: Bulawayo,Zimbabwe.<br />Batting Style: Right Handed Batsman.<br />Role: Bowling All Rounder.<br />Bowling Style: Right Arm Fast Medium.<br />Test Debut: 1 December 1993 Vs. Pakistan.<br />ODI Debut : 10 November 1993 Vs. South Africa.<br />Playing Teams: Zimababwe, Africa XI, Ahmedabad Rockets(ICL), Hampshire, Matabeleland, Warwicshire.<br />Relations : DH Streak.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">TEST CAREER:</span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br />Matches: 65.<br />Runs: 1990.<br />Best Score: 127*.<br />100’s/50’s: 1/11.<br />Bat Average: 22.35.<br />Wickets: 216.<br />5w’s/10w’s:7/0.<br />Best Bowling: 6/73.<br />Bowl Average: 28.14.<br />Catches: 17.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER: </span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></b><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br />Matches: 189.<br />Runs: 2943.<br />Best Score: 79*.<br />100’s/50’s: 0/13.<br />Bat Average: 28.29.<br />Wickets: 239.<br />5w’s/10w’s: 1/0.<br />Best Bowling: 5/32.<br />Bowl Average: 29.82.<br />Catches: 46.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span style="color: red;">First Class Career::</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 309.<br />Runs: 5,684.<br />Best Score: 131.<br />100’s: 6/27.<br />Bat Average: 26.31.<br />Wickets: 449.<br />5/10 wicket’s: 17/2.<br />Best Bowling: 7/55.<br />Bowl Average: 28.765.<br />Catches: 58.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">List A Career:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 309.<br />Runs: 4089.<br />Best Score: 90*.<br />100’s/50’s: 0/14.<br />Bat Average: 25.71.<br />Wickets: 385.<br />5/10 wicket’s: 1/0.<br />Best Bowling: 5/32.<br />Bowl Average: 28.55.<br />Catches: 75.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">T20 Career:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 19.<br />Runs: 333.<br />Best Score: 59.<br />100’s: 0/1.<br />Bat Average: 27.75.<br />Wickets: 24.<br />5/10 wicket’s: 0/0.<br />Best Bowling: 3/18.<br />Bowl Average: 22.37.<br />Catches: 7.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Heath’s Personal Information: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #9999ff; font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Heath Hilton Streak</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> (born March 16, 1974 in Bulawayo) is a Zimbabwean cricketer. A lion-hearted fast bowler with immense stamina and strength, Heath Streak has the ability to bowl out swing at good pace and with excellent control, as he showed at Lord's in 2000 when he was virtually a one-man attack. These qualities made him the first Zimbabwean to reach </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">100 Test wickets</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">. Streak is also an extremely capable batsman who loves to give the ball a whack over the infield, and a magnificent outfielder with a howitzer-like throw.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span style="color: #9999ff;">I</span><span style="color: red;">NTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE:</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #9999ff; font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">TEST CRICKET:</span></span></strong><br />
<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">He made his Test debut in Zimbabwe's tour of Pakistan 1993/1994 making his mark by taking 8 wickets in the 2nd Test at Rawalpindi (December 9-14, 1993). He won the Man of the series award in that series </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">taking 22 wickets at an average of 13.54.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> He bettered his best bowling figures in 1995 when Pakistan toured Zimbabwe taking 6/90 in the first Test at Harare.</span><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">In 1995/96 Season :</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">In 1995/96,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> Streak played in the same Matabeleland team as his 46-year-old father Denis in the final of the Lonrho Logan Cup against Mashonaland Country Districts; this was the first instance of a father and son playing in the same first-class match for more than thirty years.</span><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">In 2000/2001 :</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">In 2000/2001</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">, he won 2 man of the series awards, first in Zimbabwe's tour of England and then in Bangladesh's tour of Zimbabwe.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">After appointing him as a captain of Zimbabwe : </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #9999ff; font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">He was appointed Zimbabwe captain in 2000</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">, but found that the responsibilities - and tension with the board over pay and quotas - affected his form and he resigned. He was reappointed to the role in 2002 but again found himself in the spotlight as the Zimbabwe side disintegrated in the wake of the country's internal turmoil. He was criticized for not taking a firmer political stand, and the subsequent protest by Henry Olonga and Andy Flower further weakened his standing. He again burdened the bowling - and the batting - in Zimbabwe's disappointing tour of England in 2003. The disintegration of the side and the political turmoil in Zimbabwe made the captaincy increasingly burdensome, and in April 2004 he quit after the Zimbabwe board refused to give him guarantees over selection.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">After a bitter standoff with the board: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />After a bitter standoff with the board, Streak finally returned to the fold in March 2005 and was immediately restored to a struggling side. He was appointed captain of Warwickshire for the 2006 season after signing a two-year contract, but quit the captaincy one match into the 2007 season. While he hasn't completely ruled out a return to Zimbabwean cricket, his contract with the Indian Cricket League, which he signed early in 2008, could spell the end of his international career.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span style="color: red;">100 Test Wickets for Streak :</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />He is the only Zimbabwean bowler to have taken over 100 Test wickets and one of only 2 Zimbabwean bowlers to have taken over 100 ODI wickets (the other being Grant Flower). There is little doubt that he is the best bowler to have played for Zimbabwe, with the ability to extract seam movement at a lively pace on even the deadest of wickets.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Retirement : </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />He retired from international cricket in October 2005 to become captain of Warwickshire County Cricket Club having previously played county cricket for Hampshire. He also captains his fellow exiled Anglo-African players from Zimbabwe in the Red Lions team, which plays charity games in England.<br />On 25 April 2007, Streak resigned as Warwickshire captain, saying captaining the side was affecting his on field abilities. He was replaced as captain by Darren Maddy. At the end of the 2007 season he left Warwickshire citing family reasons.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Controversary Point : </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Heath Streak claimed in an interview in The Observer that he was faced with moral challenges in captaining Zimbabwe. He said that he was asked to tell white players that they were not talented enough and were to be replaced by black players..</span></strong></div>
satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-81287527307329382692008-11-04T20:16:00.000-08:002009-07-01T11:29:55.182-07:00Krishnamachari Srikanth History<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCR12hR6V8OfMmCTPf_F5AYHC4tQgzsXSgUMqaw5Vh13ksQJhfVt6PVsk3ORpxF8MeobSGsonJM5eWkw551nIXRfWEy7iEYu4vmElCqtyWM2ubsoXpiMjI46elsmu22IYIegYLKs3yJ4/s1600-h/tendulkarsrikkanth_313.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCR12hR6V8OfMmCTPf_F5AYHC4tQgzsXSgUMqaw5Vh13ksQJhfVt6PVsk3ORpxF8MeobSGsonJM5eWkw551nIXRfWEy7iEYu4vmElCqtyWM2ubsoXpiMjI46elsmu22IYIegYLKs3yJ4/s200/tendulkarsrikkanth_313.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353525714560128082" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Full Name: Krishnamachari Srikkanth.<br />Nickname: chika.<br />Date of Birth: 21 December 1959.<br />Place of Birth: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.<br />Batting Style: Right Handed Batsman.<br />Role: Aggressive Opening Batsman.<br />Role Now : Member of selection committee(Chief Selector of Indian team).<br />Bowling Style: Right Arm off spin.<br />Test Debut: Against England in Mumbai in 1981<br />ODI Debut : Against England in Ahmedabad in 1981.<br />Playing Teams: INDIA<br />Relations : Anirudh (son)<br /><br /></span></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">TEST CAREER:<br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />Matches: 43.<br />Runs: 2062.<br />Best Score: 123.<br />100’s/50’s: 1/11.<br />Bat Average: 29.88.<br />Wickets: 0.<br />5w’s/10w’s:0.<br />Best Bowling: 0.<br />Bowl Average: 0.<br />Catches: 40.<br /><br /></span></span><span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">: </span></span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />Matches: 146.<br />Runs: 4091.<br />Best Score: 123.<br />100’s/50’s: 4/27.<br />Bat Average: 29.01.<br />Wickets: 25.<br />5w’s/10w’s: 2/0.<br />Best Bowling: 5/27.<br />Bowl Average: 25.64.<br />Catches: 42.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">First Class Career:: </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 186.<br />Runs: 7,021.<br />Best Score: 150*.<br />100’s: 6/35..<br />Bat Average: 33.11..<br />Wickets: 667.<br />5/10 wicket’s: 22/1.<br />Best Bowling: 7/33.<br />Bowl Average: 23.25.<br />Catches: 132.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">List A Career:: </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 435.<br />Runs: 5494.<br />Best Score: 134*.<br />100’s/50’s: 3/24.<br />Bat Average: 26.66.<br />Wickets: 573.<br />5/10 wicket’s: 7/0.<br />Best Bowling: 6/21.<br />Bowl Average: 22.93.<br />Catches: 153.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">T20 Career:: </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 46.<br />Runs: 569.<br />Best Score: 59.<br />100’s: 0/1.<br />Bat Average: 21.07.<br />Wickets: 45.<br />5/10 wicket’s: 0/0.<br />Best Bowling: 3/12.<br />Bowl Average: 22.13.<br />Catches: 9.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chika’s Personal Information:<br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />Krishnamachari "</span></span><span style="color:#ff99ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Kris</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">" Srikkanth pronunciation (born 21 December 1959 in the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu) in India is a former captain of the Indian Cricket Team.<br />Srikkanth's son Anirudh is currently a starter in the Tamil Nadu cricket team. On February 18 2008, Kris Srikkanth was named the ambassador for the Chennai Super Kings franchise of Indian Premier League.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE : </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />He made his One Day International debut against England in Ahmedabad in 1981, followed two days later by his Test debut against England at Mumbai. He made his debut at the age of 21 as an opener of the Indian team to partner Sunil Gavaskar. Both batsmen had entirely different approaches to their batting. Gavaskar was more of the orthodox technical batsman and Srikkanth was prolific hitter and a swashbuckling batsman. Srikkanth redefined batting with his power hitting and he gave so wonderful starts to the team against even the toughest of oppositions. He was gifted with good eye and super quick reflexes. Consistency was not his forte. With more technical batsman in the side during his times like Gavaskar, Vengsarkar, Mohinder Amarnath, Shastri etc, he could fancy hitting the bowlers all over.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Batting Technique</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> : </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Srikkanth was a stylish opening batsman with a keen eye and sharp reflexes, allowing him to play aggressive attacking strokes with power and precision. Although somewhat rash in execution, which led to his downfall at times, his swashbuckling style and free scoring like were a favourite with Indian crowds, making him a popular player.<br />As he matured, he tempered his aggression somewhat and became a mainstay of the Indian Cricket Team. He was an integral member of the Indian squad when they won the 1983 Prudential World Cup and 1985 Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chika Leading Indian Cricket Team :</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">He was made the captain of the Indian team in 1989. He never hesitated to experiment like he did against England where India had a target of 260 to chase and had lost two early wickets and Srikkanth sent all-rounder Chetan Sharma to bat at number 4 and Sharma returned with a score of 103 and India won the game. He remained the captain of the team for India's tour of Pakistan in 1989 and managed to draw all the four Tests of the series, which was seen by many as an honourable result. But the selectors disappointed with his batting failures, controversially dropped him. He returned two years later and played for another year before being dropped again. By this time, he had entered the 30s and his reflexes were slowing down. He retired from international cricket in 1993 after not being picked for the South Zone team. He was the first Indian player to score a half-century and pick up 5 wickets in an ODI. He achieved this feat against New Zealand at Vishakapatnam in 1988.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">After Retirement : </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />He retired from international cricket in 1993 after not being picked for the South Zone team .After retirement he took up the mantle of coaching the India 'A' team and was a quite successful stint. He has since been a broadcaster and commentator with various sports and news channels.<br />On September 27, 2008, he was appointed the Chief Selector of the Indian Cricket team.<br /><br /></span></span><span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chika’s Career Record</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> :</span></span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><a title="Kris Srikkanth's career performance graph." href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kris_Srikkanth_graph.png"></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><a title="Enlarge" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kris_Srikkanth_graph.png"></a></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br /></span></span><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Srikkanth played 43 Tests for India, scoring 2,062 runs at an acceptable average of 29.88. His style was better suited to one-day internationals, where he compiled a significantly better record of 146 matches for 4,091 runs at a good average of 29.01. He also bowled off spin regularly in ODIs, taking 25 wickets at a very good average of 25.64. He also lost his flamboyance after he became captain of the Indian team.of 25.64. </span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span><br /><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-53031850623522965602008-11-04T20:14:00.000-08:002009-07-01T09:18:47.966-07:00Ajanta Mendis History<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7_zVL83MmrkDhyphenhyphenAzXmASZQ5hyphenhyphenG4FnvfCqKeSUVPw1-XoS9P3lm5iKw9YcK-wpkk0bXQlhZFsgtWd91oMmN78D5MtAKBSn8PG_SHl8cM4693LPnjQH1TV9LseUl_5ZYFQoK4StZ2_bpE/s1600-h/medis.jpg"></a><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezz0b6JUdR4opyGlbLz72V3x8s5cFN19FR4XfZRmVTWm4PFNFz2zvk7T_uazvtJOmtBZJ0QtscMBYUupviMQKA3z1xHKsI_OYP8Y2VD9F9bOnz4ND_sp1DUHm86V1TYGfKWagp4ak4WU/s1600-h/medis.jpg"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352421556451478994" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 228px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezz0b6JUdR4opyGlbLz72V3x8s5cFN19FR4XfZRmVTWm4PFNFz2zvk7T_uazvtJOmtBZJ0QtscMBYUupviMQKA3z1xHKsI_OYP8Y2VD9F9bOnz4ND_sp1DUHm86V1TYGfKWagp4ak4WU/s320/medis.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"> <br /></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Full Name: Balapuwaduge </span></span></b></span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Ajanta</span></span></b></span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> Winslo Mendis.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Date of Birth: 11 March 1985.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Place of Birth: </span></span></b></span><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Moratuwa</span></span></b></span></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">, </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Sri Lanka</span></span></b></span></st1:country-region></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Batting Style: Right Handed Batsman.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Role: Bowler.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Bowling Style: Right Arm Slow.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Test Debut: 23 July 2008 Vs. </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">India</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">ODI Debut : 10 April 2008 Vs.West Indies.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Playing Teams: 2007/09-Present(Wayamba), 2007/08-2007/08(Sri Lanka ARMY), 2008-present(</span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Sri Lanka</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">), Kolkata Knight Riders(IPL-2008).</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">TEST CAREER: (As on june , 2009)</span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Matches: 6.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Runs: 25.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Best Score: 17 Vs. </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">India</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> .</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">100’s/50’s: 0/0.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Bat Average: 6.25.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Wickets: 34.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">5w’s/10w’s:2/1.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Best Bowling: 6/117 Vs.India in 2008 at </span></span></b></span><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Galle</span></span></b></span></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">, </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Sri Lanka</span></span></b></span></st1:country-region></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Bowl Average: 23.05.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Catches: 1.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER: </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Matches: 28.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Runs: 66.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Best Score: 15*.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">100’s/50’s: 0/0.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Bat Average: 11.00.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Wickets: 64.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">5w’s/10w’s: 3/0.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Best Bowling: 6/13 Vs. </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">India</span></span></b></span></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> in 2008 at </span></span></b></span><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Lahore</span></span></b></span></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">, </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Pakistan</span></span></b></span></st1:country-region></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Bowl Average: 13.14.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Catches: 4.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">First Class Career:: </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Matches: 27.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Runs: 423.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Best Score: 37.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">100’s: 0/0.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Bat Average: 12.08.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Wickets: 155.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">5/10 wicket’s: 9/2.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Best Bowling: 7/37.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Bowl Average: 16.54.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Catches: 10.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">List A Career:: </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Matches: 47.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Runs: 393.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Best Score: 71*.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">100’s/50’s: 0/2.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Bat Average: 21.83.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Wickets: 101.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">5/10 wicket’s: 3/0.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Best Bowling: 6/13.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Bowl Average: 12.15.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Catches: 8.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">T20 Career:: </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Matches: 27.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Runs: 20.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Best Score: 9.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">100’s/50’s: 0/0.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Bat Average: 21.07.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Wickets: 41.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">5/10 wicket’s: 0/0.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Best Bowling: 4/15.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Bowl Average: 13.95</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Catches: 8. </span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Mendis Personal Information: </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Balapuwaduge Ajantha Winslo Mendis (born March 11, 1985 in Moratuwa) is a cricketer who plays for the Sri Lankan national cricket team.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Mendis hails from a hamlet in Moratuwa. He is the third child in a family of five with an elder brother and a sister. He has had his basic education at St Anthony's College at Kadalana in his village where there were no facilities at all for sports.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">His Early Years: </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Mendis subsequently entered Moratuwa Maha Vidyalaya in the year of 2000. During a cricket coaching class, Mendis' talents were initially identified by the school coach named Mr Lucky Rogers back in the year 1998 when he was just 13 years of age. In the year 2000 he represented the school under 15 cricket team and he was selected to the first eleven team. He also deputized for the school team captain. This slow medium bowler with a variation of leg spin was adjudged the Best Bowler at the big-matches twice in 2001 and 2002.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Sri Lanka Army Cricket Committee noticed his talents when he played a cricket match against the Army under 23 Division 11 during 2003/2004 tournaments. Following this he was invited to enlist in the regular force of the Sri Lanka Army, this was particularly due to the low number of cricketers from </span></span></b></span><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Colombo</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> schools joining the Army in the recent years. He enlisted, partly due to the reason that his father, the bread-winner for the family had passed away the week before due to a heart attack.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Mendis in ARMY: </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Following basic training he played for the army team and saw active military service as a Gunner in the Sri Lanka Artillery, a regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. Following the Asia Cup final, he has been promoted to the rank of Sergeant on the 7 July 2008 and the next day again to Second Lieutenant.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Domestic Career Information : </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Mendis has represented the Army in 23 limited over matches and 59 two/three day matches, in which he has 38 wickets and 244 wickets respectively to his credit. Mendis bowls off spin as his stock delivery and he has few more variations in his armory- leg spin, top spin and faster bowl. All this was developed during 2006/2007 domestic seasons on his own. He also extended his purple patch in the domestic season 2007/2008 under 23 division 1 tournament and was later selected to the pool of "Academy Squad" organized by Sri Lanka Cricket. There he was able to polish his cricketing skills further. He had the opportunity of touring neighboring </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">India</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> on an eight-day tour in June 2007 where he was given the opportunity to play two, two-day matches. In the meantime, Sri Lanka Cricket selectors could not ignore his performance in the Premier Limited Over Tournament 2007/2008 and got him selected to play in the "Provincial Tournament 2008" representing "</span></span></b></span><st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Wayamba</span></span></b></span></st1:placename><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></b></span><st1:placetype st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Province</span></span></b></span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">" under the National Captain. In that tournament he performed exceptionally well with the ball. Local TV commentators predicted him as the ideal replacement for spin wizard Muralitharan in time to come and nick named him as "Mysterious Bowler". His marvelous performance in the said tournament got the National Selectors to observe him further closely. In the just concluded domestic season in Premier League Tournament, he has become the Most Successful Bowler by taking 68 wickets in nine matches which is also a record in any form of domestic cricket. The accomplishments of the Gunner Ajantha Mendis hit the pot of gold by getting himself selected to "National One Day Squad" to tour </span></span></b></span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">West Indies</span></span></b></span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> in March-April 2008.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Bowling Technique of Mendis : </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The veteran </span></span></b></span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">West Indies</span></span></b></span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> cricket writer Tony Becca wrote in the Jamaica Gleaner: "Mendis bowls everything. With a smile on his face as he caresses the ball before delivering it, he bowls the offbreak, he bowls the legbreak, he bowls the googly, he bowls the flipper, he bowls a straight delivery, he bowls them with different grips and different actions, he bowls them with a different trajectory and at a different pace, and he disguises them brilliantly. The result is that he mesmerises, or bamboozles, batsmen.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Jerome Jayaratne, the </span></span></b></span><st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Sri Lanka</span></span></b></span></st1:placename><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></b></span><st1:placename st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Cricket</span></span></b></span></st1:placename><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></b></span><st1:placetype st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Academy</span></span></b></span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> coach, said: "Mendis is unusual, freaky and has developed a ball which he releases with a snap of his fingers, (Carrom ball), which is very unusual compared to other orthodox spin bowlers." That ball is reminiscent of the former </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Australia</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> spinner, who had a similar delivery.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Although the ball can be made to either turn away or into a right-handed batsman, Mendis uses it to turn away from a right handed batsman, in order to contrast it with his off-breaks and googlies.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Inernational Perfromance:: </span></span></span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Test Cricket: </span></span></span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span">Great Debut for Mendis against </span></span></span></span></b><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span">INDIA</span></span></span></span></b></st1:place></st1:country-region><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span"> in July 2008::</span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Ajantha Mendis made his debut in Test cricket against </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">India</span></span></b></span></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> in at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, </span></span></b></span><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Colombo</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">, on 23 July, 2008. He claimed his first Test wicket in his fifth over, bowling Rahul Dravid with a delivery now christened the carrom ball, that turned from middle and hit off stump. He went on to claim the wickets of Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan & VVS Laxman to finish with figures of 4 for 72 in his maiden test bowling performance. He followed this up with 4 for 60 in </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">India</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">'s second inings. Ajantha Mendis' match figures of 8 for 132 are the best by any Sri Lankan bowler on Test debut, bettering Kuruppurachchi's 7 for 85 against </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Pakistan</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> in 1985-86. After the game Muttiah Muralitharan stated that "When I started playing Test cricket, I was not as good as Mendis. He is exceptional. He is the future of Sri Lankan cricket,". Mendis collected his first ten-wicket haul in the very next match, which </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Sri Lanka</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> went on to lose. With 26 wickets (ave.18.38) in the series, Mendis has passed Alec Bedser's world record for most wickets by a bowler on his debut in a three-Test series. Ajantha Mendis won the player of the series award for his efforts.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">ONE DAY INERNATIONALS: </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Debut against </span></span></span></span></b><st1:place st="on"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span">West Indies</span></span></span></span></b></st1:place><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> in April 2008 : </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Ajantha Mendis made his One Day International debut against West Indies in at the Queen's Park Oval, </span></span></b></span><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Port of Spain</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">, on 10 April, 2008. He announced his arrival on the international stage with three for 39 off 10 overs in this game, and confounded the West Indian batsmen with his range of variations without a perceptible change in his action. Rob Steen summed up the impact of this initial performance by stating "I have just seen the future of spin bowling - and his name is Ajantha Mendis.". He also plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span">Mendis Performance against </span></span></span></span></b><st1:country-region st="on"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span">INDIA</span></span></span></span></b></st1:country-region><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span"> in </span></span></span></span></b><st1:place st="on"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span">Asia</span></span></span></span></b></st1:place><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span"> cup 2008 : </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Ajantha Mendis, playing his eighth ODI, picked up the first six-wicket haul in the Asia Cup final against </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">India</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> in July 2008. His 6 for 13 is the third-best bowling performance in a tournament final, and the third-best for a spinner in ODIs. His 17 wickets is the best for an edition of the Asia Cup, and he bagged those wickets at an astounding average of 8.52. Ajantha Mendis won the man of the match award in the finals as well as the player of the tournament award for his efforts.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">His best bowling performance in a one-day international came in the final of the 2008 Asia Cup, where he took 6 wickets for 13 runs in just his eighth match. His 17 wickets in the tournament earned him the Man of the Series award.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">T20 International Career : </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">On 10 October 2008, Ajantha Mendis made his Twenty20 debut against </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Zimbabwe</span></span></b></span></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> in </span></span></b></span><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">King City</span></span></b></span></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">, </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Canada</span></span></b></span></st1:country-region></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">. He claimed 3 for 15 in 4 overs and won the man of the match award. In the next game he took 4 for 17 against </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Canada</span></span></b></span></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> and went on to take 3 for 23 in the four-nation series final against </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Pakistan</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">, helping his side to a five-wicket win. For his remarkable performance of 11 wickets for 55 in just 3 games, Ajantha Mendis was adjudged the player of the series.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">Some Acheivements and Awards of Mendis : </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></b></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">· Ajantha Mendis won the Emerging Player of the Year award at the LG ICC Awards ceremony held in </span></span></b></span><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Dubai</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> in September 2008.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">· Mendis was the top choice of the 25-person </span></span></b></span><st1:placename st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Voting</span></span></b></span></st1:placename><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></b></span><st1:placetype st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Academy</span></span></b></span></st1:placetype><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">, coming in ahead of </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">England</span></span></b></span></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">’s up-and-coming Stuart Broad, </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">South Africa</span></span></b></span></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> fast bowler Morne Morkel and Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma of </span></span></b></span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">India</span></span></b></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span">.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;">· The Emerging Player of the Year Award was one of eight individual prizes given at the 2008, ICC Awards. Players eligible for this award must be under 26 years of age at the start of the voting period (August 9, 2007) and have played no more than five Test matches and/or 10 ODIs before the start of the voting period.</span></span></b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></span></strong>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-69461517202816622802008-10-31T00:27:00.000-07:002009-07-01T11:31:21.509-07:00Courtney Walsh History<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbYQXWeT96mEQibvTve3e7ldrnyzPlOyOQRLHWoGBA3yZi1iR54yjOajv1M32BMIW7uQnSCSGXivBxcE9DuInYV8gYN2-Pc_tOrW6RCMj7-7gIGYYWlMD_yubyY_fCEVoXOVAtifyvxA/s1600-h/walsh.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbYQXWeT96mEQibvTve3e7ldrnyzPlOyOQRLHWoGBA3yZi1iR54yjOajv1M32BMIW7uQnSCSGXivBxcE9DuInYV8gYN2-Pc_tOrW6RCMj7-7gIGYYWlMD_yubyY_fCEVoXOVAtifyvxA/s320/walsh.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353528518094580242" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Full Name: Courtney Andrew Walsh.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Nickname: Walsh.<br />Date of Birth: 30 October 1962.<br />Place of Birth: Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies.<br />Batting Style: Right Handed Batsman.<br />Role: Bowler.<br />Bowling Style: Right Arm Fast.<br />Height : 6 feet 6 inches( 198Cms).<br />Test Debut: 9 November 1984 Vs. Australia.<br />ODI Debut :10 January 1985 Vs.Sri Lanka.<br />Playing Teams: 1981/82-2000/01(Jamaica), 1984-1998(Gloucestershire), !984-2001(West Indies). </span></span></strong><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></b><span style="color:#9999ff;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">TEST CAREER: </span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 132.<br />Runs: 936.<br />Best Score: 30*.<br />100’s/50’s: 0/0..<br />Bat Average: 7.54..<br />Wickets: 519.<br />5w’s/10w’s:22/3.<br />Best Bowling: 7/87.<br />Bowl Average: 24.44.<br />Catches: 29.<br /><br /></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER: </span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 205.<br />Runs: 321.<br />Best Score: 30.<br />100’s/50’s: 0/0.<br />Bat Average: 6.97.<br />Wickets: 227.<br />5w’s/10w’s: 1/0.<br />Best Bowling: 5wic/1.<br />Bowl Average: 30.47.<br />Catches: 27.<br /><br /></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">First Class Career ::</span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 429.<br />Runs: 4530..<br />Best Score: 66.<br />100’s: 0/8.<br />Bat Average: 11.32.<br />Wickets: 1807.<br />5/10 wicket’s: 104/20.<br />Best Bowling: 9/72.<br />Bowl Average: 21.71.<br />Catches: 117.<br /><br /></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">List A Career:: </span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 440.<br />Runs: 1304.<br />Best Score: 38.<br />100’s/50’s: 0/0.<br />Bat Average: 8.75..<br />Wickets: 551.<br />5/10 wicket’s: 5/0.<br />Best Bowling: 6/21.<br />Bowl Average: 25.14.<br />Catches: 68.<br /><br /></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Walsh’s Personal Information:</span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Courtney Andrew Walsh (born October 30, 1962 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a former international cricketer (fast bowler) who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches. He is best known for holding the record of most Test wickets from 2000, when he broke the record of Kapil Dev, to 2004, when his record was broken by Muttiah Muralitharan.<br /><br /></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Internatioanl Performance:</span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br /></span></b><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In his Early Years:</span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Walsh's first claim to fame came in 1979 when he took 10 wickets in an innings in school cricket, which was a record at that level. Three years later, he made his first class debut.<br /><br /></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Test Debut: </span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Walsh made his Test debut against Australia in Perth in 1984, taking 2 wickets for 43 runs. Later that season, he also made his One Day International debut against Sri Lanka at Hobart. He first played for Gloucestershire in 1984 and was a mainstay of the side until 1998.<br /></span></b><span style="color:#ffccff;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In 1988-89</span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> at Brisbane he took a '</span></b><span style="color:#ffccff;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">complicated</span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">' hat trick, dismissing Australia's Tony Dodemaide with the last ball of the first innings and Mike Veletta and Graeme Wood with his first two deliveries in the second. During that winter he also took 10 wickets in a Test match for the first time against India in Kingston.<br />Walsh Leading the West Indies Team:<br /></span></b><span style="color:#ffccff;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In 1994</span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">, he was appointed captain of the West Indies for the tours of India and New Zealand after Richie Richardson was ordered to rest because of "</span></b><span style="color:#ffccff;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">acute fatigue syndrome</span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">".<br /></span></b><span style="color:#ffccff;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In 1995</span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">, he took 62 Test wickets at an average of 21.75 runs per wicket, a performance which he bettered in 2000 when he took 66 Test wickets at an average of 18.69, including 34 wickets in the Test series against England at an average of 12.82 runs per wicket. Coming close to the record for a West Indian bowler of 35 wickets in a Test series (set by Malcolm Marshall in 1988). In the 1990s, his partnership with Curtly Ambrose was one of the most feared bowling attacks in world cricket.<br /><br /></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">During the first part of his career: </span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Walsh served as the "</span></b><span style="color:#ffccff;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">stock</span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">" bowler in an attack featuring Marshall, Joel Garner and later Ambrose, but after the retirement of Marshall and Garner took the role as opening bowler. His action lacked the elegance of those bowlers, but its economy and his natural athleticism ensured he was accurate and durable, even over very long spells and he used his height (about 198cm, or six-foot-six) to extract occasionally vicious bounce. Even as he lost pace in the latter stage of his career he continued to take wickets at an undiminished rate; teams tended to defend against him and Ambrose and attack the weaker third and fourth bowlers.<br />Walsh played his last ODI against New Zealand in 2000 and his last Test match against South Africa in his homeland, Jamaica, in 2001.</span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><a title="A graph showing Walsh's test career bowling statistics and how they have varied over time." href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:CWalshBowling.png"></a></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><a title="Enlarge" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:CWalshBowling.png"></a><br /></span></b><span style="color:#9999ff;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Walsh is one of only four bowlers to have bowled over 5000 overs in Test cricket, the other three being spinners: Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka and Shane Warne of Australia, and Anil Kumble of India. These four, in addition to Glenn McGrath are also the only bowlers to have taken 500 or more Test wickets. Among the five, Walsh is the only one who has not taken 8 or more wickets in an innings. In ODIs, Walsh was not as successful although he will be remembered for his best performance, 5 wickets for just 1 run against Sri Lanka in 1986. In first-class cricket, he took 5 wickets in an innings more than 100 times and 10 wickets in a match 20 times. Walsh's feats with the bat are rather less flattering, as indicated by an average of seven in both Test cricket and ODIs. He also holds the record for the most Test ducks (43), but also for the most "not outs" - 61 times. His highest score, coincidentally, was 30 in both forms of the game. By the end of his career, he had such a reputation for poor batting that the crowd would cheer every ball he faced. Whether this was in appreciation of his batting or an attempt to wind up the bowling side is open to interpretation. That said, Walsh is a much loved and respected cricketer and the West Indies have arguably yet to find a fast bowler with anything approaching his talents.<br />Walsh is also famous for his sportsmanlike gesture of not mankading last man Saleem Jaffar of Pakistan in a World Cup match in 1987, which cost the West Indies the match and a place in the semi-finals.<br />He is currently a regular feature of the Lashings World XI alongside other cricket legends including Sachin Tendulkar and fellow West Indian Richie Richardson.<br /><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Briefly about Courtney Walsh: </span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></b><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />A physiological phenomenon, Courtney Walsh probably bowled faster for longer than any man in history. His spirit was as unbreakable as his body, urging him on to the previously undreamed-of heights of 519 Test wickets and 30,019 balls, not to mention the countless overs he sent down for Gloucester shire and Jamaica. For the first half of his career, Walsh was the willing workhorse cantering into the wind while Curtly Ambrose or Malcolm Marshall galloped down the hill. But he grew stronger and wilier with age, graduating to the new ball around 1993, and forming one of the great opening partnerships with Ambrose: 421 wickets between them from 49 Tests. Walsh's action was neither elegant nor orthodox, but it was hugely economical, catapulting the ball down from 10 foot high with a simple snap of the hips. An old-fashioned specialist, his comic incompetence with the bat earned him a Test-record 43 ducks.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Some Highlights of Courtney Walsh: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">· In 1987, Walsh was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year.<br /><br /></span><br /></span></strong>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-7996265590919937442008-10-31T00:24:00.000-07:002009-07-01T11:45:51.408-07:00Steve Waugh History<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoj833UsmVPbzvZOOBvTnmglijCKmx0aS_Nrhe1fC9rJXXU32K9i5FedynqO3kwviM_WO2jPJ_nKETKCdi67kfhmHwzbPXO44WHeoEO572Z-H3dTZXis8HNs_Uow0X9O9ISzwh_aS_Gds/s1600-h/steve2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 117px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoj833UsmVPbzvZOOBvTnmglijCKmx0aS_Nrhe1fC9rJXXU32K9i5FedynqO3kwviM_WO2jPJ_nKETKCdi67kfhmHwzbPXO44WHeoEO572Z-H3dTZXis8HNs_Uow0X9O9ISzwh_aS_Gds/s320/steve2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353563522160134370" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><strong><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Full Name: Steve Rodger Waugh.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Nickname: Tugga, Iceman.<br />Date of Birth: 2 June 1965.<br />Place of Birth: Canterbury, New South Wales, Australia.<br />Batting Style: Right Handed Batsman.<br />Role: Batting All Rounder.<br />Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium.<br />Test Debut: 26 December 1985 Vs. India.<br />ODI Debut :9 January 1986 Vs.New Zealand.<br />Playing Teams: 1984/85-2003/04 (New South Wales), 2002 (Kent), 1998 (Ireland), 1987-1988 (Somerset), 1985-2004 (Australia).<br />Relations : DP Waugh, ME Waugh(Brothers).<br /><br /></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">TEST CAREER:</span></span></span></span></strong><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Matches: 168.<br />Runs: 10,927.<br />Best Score: 200.<br />100’s/50’s: 32/50.<br />Bat Average: 51.06.<br />Wickets: 92.<br />5w’s/10w’s: 3/0.<br />Best Bowling: 5/28.<br />Bowl Average: 37.44.<br />Catches: 112.<br /><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER:</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 325.<br />Runs: 7,569.<br />Best Score: 120*.<br />100’s/50’s: 3/45.<br />Bat Average: 32.90.<br />Wickets: 195.<br />5w’s/10w’s: 0/0.<br />Best Bowling: 4/33.<br />Bowl Average: 34.67.<br />Catches: 111<br /><br /></span></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">First Class Career:: </span></span></span></b></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Matches: 356.<br />Runs: 24,052.<br />Best Score: 216*.<br />100’s: 79/97.<br />Bat Average: 51.94.<br />Wickets: 249.<br />5/10 wicket’s: 5/0.<br />Best Bowling: 6/51.<br />Bowl Average: 32.75.<br />Catches: 273.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">List A Career:: </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 436.<br />Runs: 11,764.<br />Best Score: 140*.<br />100’s/50’s: 13/67.<br />Bat Average: 37.70.<br />Wickets: 257.<br />5/10 wicket’s: 0/0.<br />Best Bowling: 4/32.<br />Bowl Average: 33.49.<br />Catches: 150.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Steve’s Personal Information: </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Stephen Rodger Waugh, AO (born 2 June 1965 in Canterbury, New South Wales) is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of Mark Waugh who captained the Australian Test cricket team from 1999 to 2004. He is the most capped Test player in history with 168 appearances. He is known amongst friends as "Tugga" (as in tug of war), and amongst the public as "Iceman" for his ability to remain calm and cool in high-pressure situations throughout his career. He was named Australian of the Year in 2004.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Steve and his Family: </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Born at Canterbury Hospital in Campsie, New South Wales on 2 June 1965, Waugh was one of twin boys born to Rodger and Beverley Waugh. He arrived four minutes before Mark. His father was a bank official and his mother was a teacher within the New South Wales Department of Education. The family settled in the western Sydney suburb of Panania. The twins were later joined by two more brothers, Dean and Danny. From an early age, the parents introduced their children to sport. By the age of six, the twins were playing organised soccer, tennis and cricket. In their first cricket match, the brothers were both dismissed for ducks.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Steve and Mark “Twins”: </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />The twins came from a sporting family. Their paternal grandfather Edward was a greyhound trainer. Raised in the northern coastal town of Bangalow, Edward earned selection for the New South Wales Country team in rugby league. He was about to join Eastern Suburbs in the New South Wales Rugby League, but had to give up his career due to family reasons. Rodger was Edward's only son and was promising tennis player, who was ranked eighth in Australia in his junior years and was the state champion at under-14 level. On the maternal side, Bev was a tennis player who won the under-14 singles at the South Australian Championships. Her eldest brother Dion Bourne was an opening batsman who played for Bankstown in Sydney Grade Cricket and remains the leading runscorer in the club's history.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Twins making their first step into Cricket: </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />The twins made their first representative cricket team when they were selected the Bankstown District under-10s at the age of eight. In 1976, the twins were the youngest ever to be selected in the New South Wales Primary Schools' soccer team. Playing for Panania Primary School, the twins swept their school to win the Umbro International Shield, a statewide knockout soccer competition, scoring all of their team's three goals in the final. They were a key part of their school's consecutive state cricket championships, and were part of school tennis team that came second in the state in their final year. In his final year, Steve was the vice-captain of the cricket team and captained the state soccer team. The twins were instrumental in New South Wales winning the cricket carnival without a defeat, in one match combining in a partnership of 150.<br />By this time, the increasing time demands led to conflicts between the sports, and were in one case delisted from a team due to a conflict of commitments. The twins progressed to East Hills Boys Technology High School, which had a history of producing Australian international representatives in a number of sports. Aged 13, the twins were invited by their uncle Bourne, then the captain of Bankstown's first grade team, to trial for the club's under-16 team for the Green Shield, and both were selected. Aged fourteen, both made their senior grade cricket debut in 1979–1980, playing in the Fourth XI. The twins broke into East Hills Boys First XI in the same season, and achieved the same level in soccer. In 1980–81 the brothers were elevated to the Third XI mid-season.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The two brothers in their Early Years: </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />The brothers often won formed a two man team—in one match taking 16/85 between them. At the end of 1980, the twins were selected in the state under-16 team for the national carnival. The pair changed soccer teams to play in the reserve grade for Sydney Croatia in the state league being paid small amounts in the professional league. However, they quickly left as their cricket careers increasingly demanded more time.<br />The brothers were promoted to Bankstown's Second XI, before being selected for the First XI in the 1982–83 season, aged 17, both making their debut against Western Suburbs. However, Waugh was dropped back to the Second XI, He was regarded as an aggressive player, something that characterised his early international career.<br />The twins finished high school at the end of 1983. In 1983–84, both were members of New South Wales Combined High Schools and the state under-19 team. Waugh made 170 against Great Public Schools. The brothers were then selected for Australia for the first time. They had been named in the national under-19 team to play a Test and ODI series against the touring Sri Lankan counterparts.<br />The under-19 series pitted several future international players against one another. Waugh scored 187 in the Third Test at Melbourne as Australia won 1–0. After leaving high school, Waugh enrolled in a teaching course, but withdrew after a few lectures. He made his maiden First XI century during the seasonwith tons against Sydney University and Waverley.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In the 1984-85 Season : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />At the start of the 1984–85 season, the brothers were included in the New South Wales state squad.<br />At the end of the season, the twins signed a contract to spend the Australian winter to play for Egerton in the Bolton League in Lancashire in northern England. Each club was allowed to have one professional; Steve was officially designated as such but would split the earnings with Mark. The twins were billeted with a local family. However, during the year, an Australian rebel tour to South Africa was staged, breaking the boycott against the apartheid regime. Some players defected from the Australian Test team to play in South Africa. This resulted in Dave Gilbert being promoted to the national squad, forcing him to forfeit his Esso scholarship, which allowed him to play Second XI cricket in the County Championship. Steve was selected to replace Gilbert with Essex, leaving Mark as the lone professional.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Steve’s International Performance:: </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">First Class Debut :</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Waugh made his first-class debut for New South Wales (NSW) in 1984–85, batting at number nine and bowling medium pace. In the Sheffield Shield final that season, he scored 71 while batting with the tail to help NSW to victory. After nine first-class matches for NSW.<br /><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#99FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Test Debut:</span></span></span></span></span></b></span><div><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />He made his Test debut against India in the 1985–86 season, in the Second Test at Melbourne. He scored 13 and 5 and took 2/36 in the first innings. Failing to make a substantial score in the series (he tallied 26 runs in four innings), Waugh was retained for the subsequent tour of New Zealand. He had a good all-round match in the Second Test at Christchurch, making 74 and claiming 4/56, but his batting average was only 17.40 for the series, scoring 86 runs. Waugh had more success in the one-day format during the season. He made his debut against New Zealand at the MCG and took 1/13 and a catch. He did not bat as the match was washed out. He was retained for all of Australia's 12 matches in the triangular tournament, scoring 266 runs at 38.00 with two half-centuries, including a top score of 81 in the Australia Day victory over India. He took seven wickets at 33.00. Waugh was retained for all four ODIs on the tour of New Zealand, scoring 111 runs at 27.75 and taking four wickets at 3975.<br />The Australian selectors persisted with Waugh, and he toured India in 1986, despite having scored only 113 runs at 12.56 in his Test career. During the three Tests, Waugh had limited opportunities and scored 59 runs for once out and took two wickets. At this stage of his career, Waugh bore a heavy workload as a bowler although he was ostensibly selected for his batting.He played in all six ODIs on tour, scoring 111 runs at 55.50 and taking seven wickets at 35.86.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Steve’s Performance against England in 1986-87 : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />He bowled a long spell, taking 3/76, in the First Test against England at Brisbane in 1986–87, then scored 0 and 28 as Australia slumped to defeat. In the Second Test at Perth, he made 71 and had match figures of 5/159 including 5/69 in the second innings, then he scored 79 not out in the drawn Third Test at Adelaide. Scores of 49 and 73 in the last two Tests, gave him series figures of 310 runs (at 44.29) and ten wickets (at 33.60), a fighting effort in a team defeated 1–2. The win in the Fifth Test was the first time that Waugh was in a victorious Test team, in his 13th match. Waugh played in all of Australia's 13 ODIs for the home season, scoring 372 runs at 37.20 with two half-centuries and taking 21 wickets at 21.80. Waugh regularly performed with both bat and ball. In a match against Pakistan, he scored 82 and then took 4/48 but could not stop the visitors taking a one-wicket victory from the second last ball. He then scored 83* and took 2/30 in an Australia Day victory on England. He was unable to maintain his form in the finals, scoring one and 1 and taking a total of 1/78 as England won 2–0.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Early in his international career : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Waugh was a natural, uninhibited strokeplayer who liked to drive off the back foot. He could score quickly, but was inconsistent at Test level and seemed better suited to ODI cricket. In the shorter game, he often accelerated the scoring in the later overs of the innings. As a bowler, he employed a carefully disguised slower ball bowled from the back of the hand, and regularly sent down the final overs, when this change of pace was difficult to score from.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Steve’s Performance in 1987 World Cup : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />The 1987 World Cup, played on the Indian subcontinent, was the turning point of Waugh's career. Australia began the tournament as 18–1 outsiders. Having scored 19* in the death overs against India in the first match, Waugh's tight bowling in the closing overs finished with his dismissal of Maninder Singh in the final over, which secured a one-run victory. In the following match against, Waugh scored 45 before conceding only seven runs in six overs of bowling as the Australians won by 96 runs. In the following match against New Zealand, Waugh bowled the last over with the Kiwis requiring seven runs for victory: he restricted them to only three runs by taking three wickets in the over. He ended with 2/36, as one of the last over wickets was a run out.<br />In the second round robin rotation, Waugh took 1/59 and scored 42 in a 56-run loss to India, before taking 2/37 in a 17-run win over New Zealand. In Australia's final group match, Waugh scored 10* before taking 1/9 from four overs in a 70-run win over Zimbabwe. Australia qualified for the semi-finals and faced co-hosts Pakistan on their home soil in Lahore. Batting first, Waugh hit 16 from the final over of the innings in a cameo of 32*, a match that Australia won by 18 runs. In the final, he scored an unbeaten five in a brief innings at the end of the innings. He was a key player as Australia defended a target of 254 against England at Kolkata. He claimed the wickets of Allan Lamb and Phillip DeFreitas in the 47th and 49th overs as England stumbled towards the end of the run-chase. Australia won by seven runs to claim the World Cup for the first time. Waugh compiled 167 runs at 55.66 and took 11 wickets at 26.18. These performances in tight situations earned him the nickname of "Iceman".<br /><br /></span></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Steve’s Performance against New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka :</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />However, Waugh continued to be inconsistent in Test matches. He made only 194 runs at 32.33 in five Tests in 1987–88 against the touring New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka teams. His bowling helped to keep him in the team, with nine wickets at 29.67. Waugh's ODI form remained strong, playing in all of Australia's 11 ODIs for the season, scoring 226 runs at 32.29 and taking 18 wickets at 23.50. He scored one half-century and took a haul of 4/33 in one match against Sri Lanka.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Against Pakistan in late 1988 : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />A Test tour of Pakistan in late 1988 was unproductive, with 92 runs at 18.40 with one half century and two wickets at 108.00.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Against West Indies in 1988/89 Season :</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />In 1988–89 against the West Indies, Waugh mixed some batting failures with two entertaining innings of 90 and 91 on the faster pitches of Brisbane and Perth, respectively. He bowled a series of bouncers at Viv Richards at Brisbane and claimed 3/77 and 5/92 in the Third Test at Melbourne. Of Waugh's spell at Brisbane.<br />Waugh continued to perform strongly in the ODIs, scoring 270 runs as 38.57 and taking seven wickets at 49.42. His highest score and best bowling analysis occurred in the same match, taking 3/57 before scoring 54 against West Indies in Melbourne. Depsite this, Australia still lost the match.<br />Heading into the 1989 Ashes series, Waugh's batting average was 30.52 from 26 Tests. In the three-match ODI series that preceded the Tests, Waugh scored 113 runs at 37.66 and took three wickets at 54.00.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">First Maiden Century in Test Cricket : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Waugh finally scored his maiden Test century, 177 not out in the First Test at Leeds. It was a free flowing innings marked by square driving, in just over five hours of batting which helped Australia set the platform for a win with a large first innings. He followed this with an unbeaten 152 in the Second Test at Lord's, adeptly shepherding his tailend partners to help Australia set up a winning 242 run lead in the first innings. He was not dismissed until the fist innings of the Third Test for 43, by which time he had amassed 393 runs. Waugh scored 92 in the Fourth Test at Old Trafford in another win. He did not pass 20 in either of the last two Tests and finished the series with 506 runs at 126.5. He bowled less frequently, with only two wickets in the six Tests. It was on this tour that he first experienced back problems that would hinder his bowling. On the brief tour of India for the Nehru Cup ODI tournament that followed the Ashes series, Waugh played as a specialist batsman for the first time. He scored 88 runs at 22.00 and did not bowl a ball.<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In the 1990 Season : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />In 1990, Waugh joined his twin brother Mark in an unbeaten partnership of 464 in 407 minutes for NSW against Western Australia (WA) at the WACA Ground, setting a world first-class record. Both teams were at full strength and WA's attack included Test bowlers Terry Alderman, Bruce Reid and Chris Matthews. The twins ended with 216 and 229 respectively.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Steve Dropped : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />He suffered a form slump during the 1990–91 Ashes series in Australia, and was dropped for the Fourth Test at Adelaide after making only 82 runs at 20.50. He was replaced by his twin Mark, who scored a century on debut.<br />However, Waugh remained a regular in the ODI team, playing in all ten ODIs, scoring 141 runs at 35.25 and taking seven wickets at 49.42.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Steve Recalled : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Recalled for the Third Test in Trinidad during the 1991 tour of the Caribbean, he and Mark became the first twins to play in a Test match together However, he failed to post a significant score and was dropped for the Fifth Test, Australia's only win for the series.<br />He played in all five ODIs and scored 86 runs at 28.66 and took five wickets at 30.60.<br />Waugh remained out of the Test team for eighteen months and did not see action in the five-day format in 1991–92 season. Nevertheless, Waugh played in all 18 ODIs for the season. In the triangular series, he scored only 146 runs at 18.25 but consistently took wickets, with 16 scalps at 19.00. As a result, he retained his position in the team for all eight of Australia's group matches in the subsequent 1992 Cricket World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand. He scored 187 runs at 26.71 and took eight wickets at 34.63. He scored 55 and took 2/28 in a 128-run win over Zimbabwe as Australia failed to progress beyond the group stage.<br />He returned as number three batsman for the 1992–93 home Test series against the West Indies, but his form was again moderate. His 228 runs at 25.33 was bolstered by a score of 100 in the Third Test in Sydney. Waugh called this "probably the most important hundred of my Test career ... word had reached me that if I didn't get runs, then I was going to be dropped". He continued to be a fixture in the ODI team, playing in all ten matches and scoring 213 runs at 23.66 with one half-century and taking nine wickets at 39.22.<br />Solid performances on the tour of New Zealand, where he scored 178 Test runs at 44.50, enabled Waugh to hold his position on the 1993 Ashes tour of England. He completed his tour with 120 runs at 30.00 and three wickets at 57.66 in the five ODIs. The three-match ODI series in England preceded the Tests and Waugh scored 41 runs at 20.50 and took five wickets at 30.20.<br />During the Test series, Michael Slater became the regular opener and Boon returned to the middle order. Waugh gained the number six position ahead of two promising Western Australians, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn. In the Fourth Test at Headingley, Waugh's 157 not out earned comparisons to his efforts in 1989 and he shared an unbroken stand of 332 with Allan Border. He also scored half-centuries in the First and Fifth Tests and ended with 416 at 83.2 from limited opportunities — he played nine innings, only five of which were completed. Australia's top order batting dominated the English attack, and the tourists retained the Ashes 4–1.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Returning To Australia : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Returning to Australia, he solidified his position by scoring an unbeaten 147 against New Zealand in an innings victory in the Third Test at Brisbane, ending the series with 216 runs once dismissed. He missed part of the 1993–94 triangular ODI tournament with New Zealand and South Africa due to a hamstring injury in late December, as well as the first two Tests against the South Africans. He returned for the end of the ODIs and ended with 141 runs at 23.50 and taking four wickets at 54.50. Waugh played in the Third Test at Adelaide Oval in late January with Australia trailing 1–0. He scored a 160 and took 4/26 as Australia won the Test and levelled the series. He was named as the international player of the [Australian] season<br />He took 5/28 and scored 86 in the Second Test of the return series in South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town to help Australia level the series 1–1 after losing the first at Wanderers in Johannesburg. Another half century saw him end with 195 runs at 65.00 and his bowling was at its most productive in five years, with 10 wickets at 13.00 In the ODI series, he received the player of the series for his all-round efforts, which hauled Australia back from a deficit of 2–4 to draw the series at 4–4. Waugh took 2/48 in the final match as Australia levelled the series by one run. He ended with 291 runs at 48.50 and five wickets at 56.40.<br />At the conclusion of the tour, the ACB interviewed Waugh, along with David Boon, Mark Taylor and Ian Healy to discern their opinions on the direction of the team after the impending retirement of Allan Border as captain. Although more experienced than Taylor, Waugh was not considered for the captaincy. Surprisingly, Healy was made vice-captain to Taylor ahead of Waugh.<br />The new leadership took the team to Sri Lanka for the Singer World Series ODI tournament and then on a Test-playing tour of Pakistan. Waugh scored 53 runs at 17.66 and took five wickets in 16.20. On the latter tour, Waugh made 73 in the First Test, which Australia agonisingly lost by one wicket. His 98 in the Second Test at Rawalpindi was notable for his survival against a hostile barrage of short-pitched bowling from Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. He eventually fell when a bouncer struck his body and rolled onto the stumps. A shoulder injury forced him out of the final Test, which Australia drew and therefore lost the series. Waugh scored 153 runs at 38.25 with two half-centuries and took two wickets at 72.00 as Australia won the ODI tournament.<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">During the 1994–95 Ashes series against England : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />During the 1994–95 Ashes series against England, he narrowly missed centuries in the Second and Fifth Test in Melbourne and Perth respectively, when he was 94 and 99 not out respectively when the last wicket fell. In the second instance, his brother Mark was run out after a mix-up while running for the injured Craig McDermott. It was an uneven series performance, scoring 94* and 26* in the Second Test and 99* and 80 in the Fifth, but not passing 20 in the six innings of the other three Tests. He ended the series with 345 at 49.28 and did not bowl for the entire series. The ODI tournament included Australia A; matches involving the A team were not recognised as ODIs. Waugh played only one ODI for the season, scoring a duck and not bowling a ball.The season ended with short ODI tournament in New Zealand, which Australia won. Waugh scored 81 runs at 27.00 in four matches and did not bowl.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Waugh No 1 batsman : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Waugh started the 1995–96 Australian season ranked as the world's leading Test batsman. He made an unbeaten 112 as Australia defeated Pakistan in the First Test at Brisbane and scored 200 runs at 50.00 for the series. Suffering an injury in December, he missed the First Test against Sri Lanka and part of the triangular ODI tournament, then returned for the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne to score 131 not out. Waugh returned during the latter stages of the triangular tournament, playing in the last four matches after missing the first six. He scored his maiden ODI century, ten years after his ODI debut, with an unbeaten 102 against Sri Lanka in Melbourne. Despite this, Australia lost by three wickets. Waugh ended with 128 runs at 42.66 and did not take a wicket, bowling only four overs on his comeback from injury. He helped Australia to a 3–0 result in the Test series by scoring 170 and 61 not out at Adelaide to end the series with 362 runs for once out. He also took 4/34 in the Third Test.<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">During the 1996 Cricket World Cup : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />During the 1996 Cricket World Cup on the subcontinent, Waugh scored 82 and featured in a 207-run partnership with his brother during Australia's first match against Kenya: an Australian record partnership at the World Cup. He made an unbeaten half-century in the quarter-final against New Zealand at Madras, sealing a successful run chase. However, he was less effective in the semi-final and final, failing to pass 20 on either occasion. Australia lost the final to Sri Lanka at Lahore.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">After the World Cup 1996 :</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Geoff Marsh replaced Bob Simpson as coach. The Australians started the new era with two ODI tournaments in Sri Lanka and India. Waugh scored 366 runs at 40.66 with three half-centuries and took five wickets at 37.40 across nine matches. The tour ended with a solitary Test against India in Delhi, where Waugh was the only Australian to make a half-century in a defeat.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Against West Indies in 1996-97 Season :</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Waugh failed to make a century in the five Tests of the 1996–97 Australian season against the West Indies, scoring 255 runs at 36.42 with three half centuries. He also missed the Second Test against the West Indies after injuring a groin while bowling in the First.<br />The injury meant that Waugh was only available for six of Australia's eight ODI matches in the annual triangular tournament. Waugh managed only 159 runs at 26.50 and only bowled three overs without taking a wicket as he came back from injury as Australia missed the finals.<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Against South Africa in 1997 : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Waugh returned to form on the 1997 tour of South Africa, averaging 78.25. He scored 160 in the First Test at Johannesburg, compiling a 309-run partnership with Greg Blewett. They batted for the entire third day's play to set up an innings victory. Waugh then top scored with half-centuries in both innings of the Third Test, which Australia lost. After the team's vice-captain Ian Healy was suspended for throwing his bat after his dismissal, Waugh replaced him as Mark Taylor's deputy. Waugh continued his strong run in the seven ODIs, scoring 301 runs at 50.16 with four half-centuries. After scoring 50 and 50* in the first two matches, he scored 89 in a run chase in the sixth match as Australia sealed the series 4–2 with one over in hand. He then scored 91 in the last match in a vain run chase.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ASHES 1997 : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />On the 1997 Ashes tour, Australia started poorly with a 0–3 loss in the ODI series, with Waugh managing only 60 runs at 20.00.<br />Theis continued as Australia lost the First Test by nine wickets, drew the Second Test, then won the toss in the Third Test at Manchester. Gambling on batting first on green pitch, Australia slumped to 3/42 in the first hour when Waugh came out to bat. He made 108. Similarly, he began his second innings with Australia on 3/39 and scored 116. These two centuries in a low-scoring match won the game. Australia levelled the series and regained the initiative, retaining the Ashes with a 3–2 result. Waugh's only other notable score was 75, scored in the Fifth Test win at Nottingham, and he finished with 390 runs at 39 average for the series.<br /><br /></span></span></b></span><span><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Steve Leading the Australian Team :</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />Waugh took over the captaincy of the one-day side in 1997–98, after captain Mark Taylor and vice-captain Ian Healy, the two oldest players in the team were dropped following Australia's failure to qualify for the Australian tri-nations tournament in the 1996–97 season. Planning began for a more modern team for the 1999 Cricket World Cup, with new wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist chosen primarily on his batting skill in response to the use of Romesh Kaluwitharana by the successful 1996 Sri Lankan team. The new team made a difficult start, losing all four of its preliminary matches against South Africa as Michael di Venuto, Tom Moody and Stuart Law were all tried as Mark Waugh's new opening partner. Waugh himself struggled, scoring only 12 runs, including three ducks in his first six innings before scoring 45* in the last round-robin match to ensure Australia qualified for the finals ahead of New Zealand.<br />However, with Gilchrist's elevation to opener in the finals series, Australia defeated the South Africans 2–1. Waugh scored 53 and 71 in his two innings, and ended the series with 181 runs at 22.63. He bowled only four overs and took a solitary wicket in the series, which was his first ODI wicket in over a year.<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Against New Zealand and South Africa in 1997-98 Season :</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Waugh scored steadily in the 1997–98 Test season against New Zealand and South Africa, getting to 80 three times in six Tests without going on to a century and averaging 40.89; Australia won both series. He bowled more often than in the preceding few years and took six wickets at 17.33.<br />The southern hemisphere season ended with Waugh leading his first overseas tour, a four-match ODI tour of New Zealand. He scored 112 runs at 37.33 and took three wickets at 42.00 as the series was drawn 2–2.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Against India in 1998 Season : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />On the 1998 tour of India, he hit 80 in the Second Test at Calcutta, but missed the following Test due to injury. He ended with 152 runs at 38.<br />He recovered to lead in the triangular tournament in India. Australia won both games to Zimbabwe but lost both to India. However, Waugh's men turned the tables in the final to beat the Indians by four wickets. Waugh contributed with bat and ball, taking 2/42 and scoring 57. This was followed by a triangular tournament in Sharjah, where Australia won all four group matches against India and New Zealand. This time, the Indians turned the table to win the final by six wickets despite Waugh's 70. Waugh totalled 254 runs at 28.22 and eight wickets at 33.50 for the two tournaments.<br /><br /></span></span></b></span><span><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Ashes Series :</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />Waugh began the Ashes series with centuries in the First Test at Brisbane (112) and the Third Test at Melbourne but was criticised for taking singles off the first ball of the over, and exposing the tail-end batsmen to the strike. Stuart MacGill and Glenn McGrath fell to Darren Gough after one such instance as Australia collapsed in the second innings whilst chasing a small target. This criticism could be considered more than a little unfair, however, given his strong record overall of batting well with lower order batsman such as Merv Hughes, Jason Gillespie, Ian Healy, Shane Warne and even Glenn McGrath precisely by putting his faith in them. In the Fifth Test of the season, Waugh was involved in a century partnership with brother Mark for the second consecutive year. Again however, he fell within sight of triple figures for 96, while his brother reached his century. Australia won the Test and the series 3–1.<br /><br /></span></span></b></span><span><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Steve in World Cup 1999 :</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />Australia then had a slow start to the 1999 World Cup in England. After a scratchy win against Scotland, Australia suffered defeats to New Zealand and Pakistan, so they had to win their two remaining group matches (against Bangladesh and the West Indies), then all three "Super Six" matches to progress to the semi-finals: this meant seven consecutive matches without defeat to win the World Cup. After defeating Bangladesh, Waugh and Michael Bevan were criticised for deliberately batting slowly in order to minimise damage to the net run rate of the West Indies. This would enhance Australia's chances: if the West Indies' run rate remained high, they would qualify ahead of New Zealand. Since the Australians had lost to New Zealand, it would be the Kiwis that carried two points through to the next phase if the West Indies was eliminated.<br />When questioned about the ethics of this manipulation at a press conference, Waugh retorted, "We're not here to win friends mate". Having beaten India and Zimbabwe in their first two Super Six matches, Waugh saved his best for two must-win games against South Africa: he scored an unbeaten 120 against South Africa in the "Super Six" phase and 56 in the semi-final. The latter match was tied and Australia progressed to the final, where they crushed Pakistan by eight wickets to win the trophy.<br />The World Cup victory did not immediately turn around Waugh's fortunes in the Test arena. The following tour to Sri Lanka continued the difficulties, when Australia lost the First Test at Kandy, a result exacerbated by a horrific fielding collision between Waugh and Jason Gillespie. Waugh's nose made contact with Gillespie's shin as both attempted a catch. Gillespie suffered a broken leg that sidelined him for 15 months, and Waugh had his nose broken. Although Waugh returned for the following match, the last two Tests were drawn due to interruptions from monsoonal weather. In losing 0–1, the Australians struggled to combat the bowling of Muttiah Muralitharan. Waugh had a lean series with 52 runs at 17.33. Waugh's team then travelled an inaugural Test against Zimbabwe at Harare. Australia won by ten wickets and Waugh's 151 not out was the first century in Tests between the nations. After the team's return home, John Buchanan replaced Geoff Marsh as team coach.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">World record of 16 consecutive Test victories :</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />The 1999–00 Test season, his first as captain in a home series, saw further change as Gilchrist ousted Healy from the wicket-keeper's position. With Gilchrist averaging over 50, the team went on to claim a clean-sweep of both Test series, 3–0 against Pakistan and India respectively. Waugh had lean stretch during the Pakistan series, scoring 58 runs at 14.50, but his team won by margins of ten wickets, four wickets and an innings respectively. Waugh returned to form in the First Test against India at the Adelaide Oval, scoring 150 in the first innings. Waugh only passed fifty once more in the series to end with 276 runs at 55.20. Australia won all three Tests by comfortable margins of 285 runs, 180 runs and an innings respectively.<br />After losing their first match, his team proceeded to win the season's triangular ODI tournament without further defeat. They then toured New Zealand and won the ODI series 5–1, losing their final match, which ended a world record of 14 consecutive ODI victories. They then swept the Tests against New Zealand 3–0 in early 2000, taking the Tests by 62 runs, six wickets and six wickets respectively. Waugh led the way in the Second Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington with an unbeaten 151 but otherwise did not pass 20, totalling 214 runs at 53.50. His men had won all nine of their Tests during the southern hemisphere summer.<br />His team continued their winning streak with an undefeated home season in 2000–01 when the West Indies were white-washed 5–0. The first two Tests were won by an innings, and the Second Test at the WACA Ground brought a twelfth consecutive Test victory, surpassing the record held by the 1980s West Indies team led by Clive Lloyd. Waugh missed the Third Test with injury and Gilchrist led the team in his absence and kept the winning streak alive. Waugh returned for the last two Tests and scored centuries in the first innings of both Tests with 121* and 103 respectively, which Australia won by 352 runs and six wickets respectively. Waugh compiled 349 runs at 69.80.<br />Waugh then led the Australians undefeated in the triangular ODI tournament against the West Indies and Zimbabwe, despite employing a rotation system which saw the team often understrength with players rested.<br /><br /></span></span></b></span><span><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Failure during Border Gavaskar Trophy 2000-01 :<br /></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />Harbhajan Singh was man of the series in the 2000–01 Border Gavaskar Trophy, playing a large part in stopping Australia's winning Test run.<br />The only significant result that Australia had failed to achieve during Waugh's international career was victory in a Test series in India. Waugh began calling this the "Final Frontier" as Australia had not won there since 1969–70. Australia easily won the First Test at Mumbai by ten wickets to extend the winning sequence to 16. India, looked set for defeat in the Second Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata after conceding a first innings lead of 274. Waugh top-scored in the first innings with 110. Waugh chose to enforce the follow-on, the only time that Australia had chosen to do so for more than five years. However, V. V. S. Laxman (281) and Rahul Dravid (180) batted for the entire fourth day's play and set Australia a target of 384 on a dusty, spinning wicket. The Australians were unable to cope with the spin of Harbhajan Singh on the final day, and became only the third team to lose a Test after enforcing the follow-on. Starting the final Test well, Australia's batting collapsed on the second morning, losing 6/26 after Waugh became the sixth batsman to be given out handled the ball—he pushed a ball from Harbhajan away from the stumps after being hit on the pads. Waugh's pair of 47s was not enough as Harbhajan finished with 15 wickets in the match to lead India to a two-wicket win in another thrilling finish.<br />Waugh's team regrouped and won a 4–1 series victory over England during the 2001 Ashes tour. He scored 105 in the First Test at Edgbaston as the Australians started the series with an innings victory. Waugh did not pass 50 in the next two Tests, but Australia won both by eight and seven wickets respectively to retain the Ashes. However, Waugh pulled a calf muscle and missed the Fourth Test at Headingley which Australia lost. In his final Test innings on English soil at The Oval, he combined with brother Mark (120) in a partnership of 197, and scored 157 not out. Australia won by an innings to seal the series 4–1, with Waugh scoring 321 runs at 107.00.<br />He was unable to maintain this form during the 2001–02 Australian season, failing to score a century in the six Tests against New Zealand and South Africa; The first two Tests against New Zealand were drawn due to rain, and the Third also ended in a draw. Waugh failed to pass double figures until scoring 67 in the second innings of the final Test, finishing the series with 78 runs at 19.50.<br />Australia then went on to face South Africa, who were the second-ranked Test team in the world and were seen as the leading challengers to Australian supremacy.<br />Waugh managed only eight and 13 in the First Test, but Australia managed to win by 246 runs in any case. His best score of the series was 90 in the Second Test at the MCG. His innings was ended by a run out decision, which the umpire did not refer to the video umpire. Waugh attracted criticism for not leaving the ground until he had watched a replay of the incident on the stadium's video screen. Australia powered to a nine-wicket win and then polished off a 3–0 sweep with a ten-wicket triumph in the Third Test at the SCG, with Waugh scoring 30.<br />Steve’s Farewell :<br />In the First Test, he was involved in a controversial run out when he had a mix up with Damien Martyn and both players ended up at the same end. Martyn, who had established himself at the crease, sacrificed himself by walking out of his ground for Waugh, who had yet to score. This generated criticism that Waugh's farewell series was being put ahead of team victory. With long bowling spearheads Shane Warne and McGrath unavailable due to drugs suspension and injury respectively, Australia struggled to bowl out the Indian batsmen. After a rain affected draw in the First Test, the next two Tests were shared and Australia needed a win to reclaim the Border Gavaskar Trophy in the final Fourth Test at Waugh's home ground at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Promoters paid tribute to Waugh by handing out giant red handkerchiefs to incoming spectators; Waugh had always used a red handkerchief to wipe perspiration while he was batting. Any hope of a fairytale win for Waugh's Australians was snuffed out when Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, with whom Waugh had many highly publicised confrontations allowed his team to bat into the third morning and amass 7/705. He then made Australia chase an improbable 449 with just over one day's play. Waugh's highest Test score of the season was his last: 80 in the Fourth Test at Sydney, which secured a draw for Australia. After a typically obdurate start to his innings, he took a more aggressive style once Australia had moved into a position of safety, striking several sixes from his trademark slog-sweep shot much to the delight of the crowd. Ironically, it was the highest fourth innings score of his Test career. When he passed 50, several ferries on Sydney Harbour sounded their horns in acknowledgement. A record fifth-day SCG crowd turned out to watch Waugh's final day as an Australian player.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Legacy of Steve Waugh :</span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Waugh turned an already successful side into a dominant one that in many cricket watchers' views ranks with Sir Donald Bradman's 1948 Invincibles and the West Indian teams of the 1980s as one of the best cricket teams of all time. Steve Waugh's ruthless approach led to a succession of drubbings of hapless, outclassed opposition and a record run of 16 consecutive Test match wins, easily eclipsing the previous record of 11 by the West Indies. His 168 test matches is the record for test matches played, of these he captained Australia on 57 occasions the fourth highest of all time, and Australia's 41 victories under his leadership is the most of any Test captain. He holds the unique record of having scored over 150 runs in one innings against each test playing nation at the time.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Technique of Steve Waugh :</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />A shot that Waugh gradually developed (during the 1998 Commonwealth Games specifically) against spin bowling, the "slog sweep" is theoretically technically unsound, but has proven highly effective against the spinners and even against faster bowlers at times. What was also noticeable about Waugh (particularly in the test arena) on his return to the side was his reluctance (and eventual refusal) to play the 'risky' hook shot, rather simply to either play defensively on the back foot, sway or duck out of the way. With this shot removed from Waugh's repertoire his batting developed a safer more reliable look and his test match batting average steadily rose to around 50 for the remainder of his test career.<br />Waugh's ability to continue to play despite a back injury that largely prevented him bowling further enhanced his reputation. Waugh, along with the bowling of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, provided perhaps the major foundation upon which the Australian team rose to become what was widely regarded as the best team in the world by the mid-1990s. He contributed to many one day victories but, often batting in the middle order, his first one-day hundred did not come until his 187th match, for Australia against Sri Lanka at Melbourne in 1995-96.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Other than Cricket : </span></span></span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Waugh helps to raise funds for a leper children's colony, "Udayan", in Calcutta. He reportedly also encouraged his players to learn about and enjoy the countries they visited and played in, presumably partly to reduce the siege mentality of some previous Australian teams playing in south Asia.<br />Waugh is a keen photographer and has produced several "tour diaries" which feature his images. In his latter years as a cricketer, he has written for a number of newspapers. He insists on writing them himself rather than with the assistance of professional journalists. Steve Waugh was recently stated in an article as commenting: "If you don't help people who are in need, it's just not cricket". He is also a prolific author and his ever expanding series of tour diaries and thoughts provide an insight into the mind of Steve Waugh. Recently, he has written an auto-biography called “Out of my comfort zone”, a book which has brought lots of controversy.<br />Waugh was named Australian of the Year in 2004, in recognition of both his sporting achievements and charity work. Waugh is married to Lynette with three children and was named Australian Father of the Year in 2005.<br />Waugh has been touted as a potential viable candidate for Australian government elections, although he personally disavows any political plans. Recently, rumours were published in Crikey that Waugh might be the Australian Labor Party candidate for the seat of Bennelong, although subsequently Maxine McKew was nominated.<br />He was also involved with the Australian Football side during the Asian Cup, assisting the team as a psychological mentor.<br /><br /></span></span></b><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Some Highlights of Steve Waugh :</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />· Waugh was awarded the Australian Sports Medal on 14 July 2000.<br />· He was awarded the Australian of the Year award in 2004, for his cricketing feats also for his work with charities, most noticeably, Udayan Home in Barrackpore, India, helping children suffring with leprosy.<br />· In the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2003, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), "for service to cricket as a leading player, and to the community, particularly through the Udayan children's home".<br />· He is an Australian Living Treasure.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></b></span><br /></div>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-87063303340595824342008-10-31T00:20:00.000-07:002009-07-01T11:49:06.633-07:00Shaun Pollock History<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIbOsw_v8LViF3pz_BlqBg46jYW1oi2jIXVEeo1XHnZAoN8KVtLjDjR-ltaxUpaRzPPMqelsqmbs58XN3zQca6yQvBGkjP0mToI-vbDVbON5JbHvbJR3Hx0IbtHCSp92JgWtwXj_0v3c/s1600-h/shaunpollock32.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 149px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIbOsw_v8LViF3pz_BlqBg46jYW1oi2jIXVEeo1XHnZAoN8KVtLjDjR-ltaxUpaRzPPMqelsqmbs58XN3zQca6yQvBGkjP0mToI-vbDVbON5JbHvbJR3Hx0IbtHCSp92JgWtwXj_0v3c/s200/shaunpollock32.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353565467136791714" /></a><br /><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; ">Full Name: Shaun Maclean Pollock.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Nickname: Polly.<br />Date of Birth: 16 July 1973.<br />Place of Birth: Port Elizabeth, Cape Province, South Africa.<br />Batting Style: Right Handed Batsman.<br />Role: Bowling All Rounder.<br />Bowling Style: Right Arm Fast Medium.<br />Test Debut: 16 November 1995 Vs. England.<br />ODI Debut : 9 January 1996 Vs.England.<br />Playing Teams: 1992/93-2003/04 (Kwazulu-Natal), 1996-2002 (Warwickshire), 2004/05(Dolphins), 2008(Mumabai Indians), 2008(Durham), 1996-2008(South Africa).<br />Relations : Grandfather - AM Pollock, Great-uncle - R Howden, Father - PM Pollock, Uncle - RG Pollock, Cousin - AG Pollock, Cousin - GA Pollock.<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">TEST CAREER:<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />Matches: 108.<br />Runs: 3781.<br />Best Score: 111.<br />100’s/50’s: 2/16.<br />Bat Average: 32.31.<br />Wickets: 421.<br />5w’s/10w’s:16/1.<br />Best Bowling: 7/87.<br />Bowl Average: 23.11.<br />Catches: 72.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER: </span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />Matches: 303.<br />Runs: 3519.<br />Best Score: 130.<br />100’s/50’s: 1/14.<br />Bat Average: 26.45.<br />Wickets: 393.<br />5w’s/10w’s: 5/0.<br />Best Bowling: 6/35.<br />Bowl Average: 24.50.<br />Catches: 108.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">First Class Career:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 186.<br />Runs: 7,021.<br />Best Score: 150*.<br />100’s: 6/35..<br />Bat Average: 33.11..<br />Wickets: 667.<br />5/10 wicket’s: 22/1.<br />Best Bowling: 7/33.<br />Bowl Average: 23.25.<br />Catches: 132.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">List A Career:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 435.<br />Runs: 5494.<br />Best Score: 134*.<br />100’s/50’s: 3/24.<br />Bat Average: 26.66.<br />Wickets: 573.<br />5/10 wicket’s: 7/0.<br />Best Bowling: 6/21.<br />Bowl Average: 22.93.<br />Catches: 153.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">T20 Career:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 46.<br />Runs: 569.<br />Best Score: 59.<br />100’s: 0/1.<br />Bat Average: 21.07.<br />Wickets: 45.<br />5/10 wicket’s: 0/0.<br />Best Bowling: 3/12.<br />Bowl Average: 22.13.<br />Catches: 9.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Polly’s Personal Information: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Shaun Maclean Pollock (born July 16, 1973 in Port Elizabeth) is a retired South African cricketer who is considered a bowling all-rounder. From 2000 to 2003 he was the captain of the South African cricket team, and also played for Africa XI, World XI, Dolphins and Warwickshire.<br />Pollock came from a family of mainly Scottish ancestry. His paternal grandfather, Andrew Pollock, who played for Orange Free State, was born in Edinburgh. He is married to Patricia "Trish" Lauderdale and has two daughters, Jemma and Georgia. Jemma was born in August 2003, and Georgia in July 2006. Lauderdale was a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant in the early '90s and also worked for MTN, a South African telecom company. He is a teetotaller. Pollock is a graduate of the University of Natal with a bachelor's degree in commerce.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Inernational Perfromance::<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Test Debut::<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />He was brought into the South African Test side against Michael Atherton's England tourists in 1995/96 and although his father was the convener of selectors, there was never a hint of nepotism and the younger Pollock took quickly to the higher level.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">From his Early Years: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />In 1996 he had a spell with Warwickshire cut short because of an ankle injury and missed the tour to India at the end of that year. But he soon returned to resume his new-ball partnership with Allan Donald and this pairing was the springboard of much of South Africa's success during the latter half of the 1990s. Indeed, it is possible to argue that the emergence of Pollock inspired Donald to greater heights as the latter found himself with a partner who both complemented and challenged him. Perhaps the straightest bowler in world cricket, Pollock is able to move the ball both ways at a lively pace. He also possesses stamina and courage in abundance as in proved in Adelaide in 1998 when he toiled on hour after hour in blazing heat to take 7 for 87 in 41 overs on a perfect batting pitch.<br />If there is a criticism of Pollock, it is that he has under performed with the bat, but most Test teams would be perfectly happy to have him in their side if he never scored a run. Pollock was thrust into the captaincy in April 2000 when Hansie Cronje was drummed out of the game, and he faced the biggest challenge of his career - to lift a shocked and demoralized South African side. However, after a solid start to his captaincy, he lost some credibility after a 3-0 drubbing in Australia in 2001-02, and was later blamed for South Africa's disastrous World Cup in which they failed to qualify for the Super Sixes. As a result, Pollock immediately lost the captaincy and was replaced by Graeme Smith. Though his nagging brilliance around off stump remains, his pace and ability to take wickets at the top of the order has dipped.<br />Pollock missed the first Test against Australia at home in early 2006 with a back injury and was relegated from opener to first-change by the third. Four wickets in two Tests, with a new run-up and on pitches tailor made for his style, showed that he has slowed. But with 100 Tests under his belt, Pollock remains an integral part of the side. He missed the first Test against Sri Lanka due to the birth of his second daughter, returned for the second and was a pale shade of his former self. He managed just one wicket, and it was a telling sign of what appeared to be Pollock's decline to see him resort to off spin after being ton ked over his head for six by Sanath Jayasuriya. All that was reversed in the Champions Trophy in India, where he showed great form, and against India and Pakistan at home at the end of 2006 and in the New Year. Man of the Series in both the ODIs and Tests against India, Pollock was highly impressive with the new ball and chipped in with useful scores down the order. It was fitting that he became the first South African to take 400 Test wickets. Pollock continued his fine form against the touring Pakistanis next, despite being surprisingly rested for the final Test. Thrifty with the ball and useful with bat he offered precious control and breathing space for his captain. In the ODI series, he was the highest wicket-taker on either side and his 5 for 23 in the final game crushed a weary Pakistan. For the second consecutive one-day series in a row, Pollock was adjudged Man of the Series.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In the World cup 2007: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />It was decent form to carry into his fourth World Cup, but his lack of pace was exposed on the small Caribbean grounds, especially by Matthew Hayden, although his miserly spell against England was key in South Africa securing a semi-final berth. He lost his place in the Test line-up late in 2007 but returned against West Indies, on his home ground in Durban, for what turned out to be his final Test. He announced his retirement midway through the match, the following one-day series being his last international commitments.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In International Cricket: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Shaun Pollock was a medium-fast seam bowler, with the ability to deliver a quicker ball with accuracy and swing. He is considered to be one of the straightest bowlers in world cricket.<br />The nephew of legendary South African cricketer Graeme Pollock and the son of former South African fast bowler Peter Pollock, expectations from him were high since he started playing for South Africa in 1995/96, in their home series against England. He cemented his place in the team with some excellent performances and found a steady bowling partner in Allan Donald. They were to be the mainstay of South African bowling till Donald's retirement.<br />Pollock was also a very useful hard-hitting batsman who normally bats at 7 or 8, with a Test average of over 30 and ODI average above 25. He is also an athletic fielder.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Pollock Leading the South Africa Team:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />After Hansie Cronje was banned from cricket for life, Pollock took over the captaincy in April 2000. He had the task of boosting the morale of the team in the aftermath of the match-fixing scandal. After getting off to a good start as a captain he faced some disappointing series losses in his tenure. He was eventually removed from the captaincy after South Africa's poor performance in the 2003 Cricket World Cup, a tournament that they were amongst the favourites to win as the host nation. Current captain Graeme Smith took over the job.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">After World Cup 2003: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Although no longer captain, he retained his place in the team. Of late, especially after a disappointing Test series tour of Australia in 2005/2006, he has been facing criticism for losing his wicket taking ability. He has the lowest (best) economy rate of any bowler to have taken 300 ODI wickets, and he is also the first South African and only the tenth player to take 400 Test wickets. However, minor injuries have hampered his most recent performances, and in September 2007 he was dropped from the South African test side for the first time in his career. Pollock was later readded to the test series against the West Indies, whereupon he announced his retirement, effective on February 3, 2008. He stated that "I realise I have been blessed by God and feel I have nurtured my talents to the best of my abilities." After South Africa sealed a series victory against the West Indies, Graeme Smith paid tribute to Pollock, stating "It's very important that people celebrate what he's given to South African cricket and what he's achieved as an individual." Shaun Pollock recently represented Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, and Durham Dynamos in the 2008 Twenty20 Cup in England.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">After Retirement: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Shaun Pollock is currently commentating on Sky Sports and Test Match Special on the BBC during the 2008 England vs South Africa Test Series.<br />Some Highlights of Shaun Pollock:<br />· Pollock took four wickets in four balls on his first appearance for Warwickshire - in a limited-overs (B&H Cup) game v Leicestershire at Birmingham in 1996.<br />· He also recently received the SA Player's Player award and the SA ODI Player of the Year Award.<br />· He was also chosen as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2003. Having both taken over 400 test wickets and scored over 3,700 test runs in his 107 test matches as of 2007.</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><a title="Enlarge" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SPollockBowling.png"></a></span><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">· He is currently tenth on the all time Test Wicket takers list, and was named joint 10th in the all time best ever bowler ratings in the LG ICC Ratings.<br />· He has taken over 400 wickets and is one of only six players to have scored 3000 runs and taken 300 wickets in Test matches.<br />· In June 2007 he represented an Africa XI in an ODI game against an Asia XI in Bangalore. Playing as a specialist batsman, Pollock scored 130 from number 7 in the batting order, the highest ever score by an ODI batsman in that position. The record would however not last long, MS Dhoni bettered it later in the series.<br /><br /></span><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-85851370713828390122008-10-21T22:07:00.000-07:002009-07-01T11:49:51.762-07:00Ian Chappell History<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZ9W9jntmplK0-s6-L5iO4KldYZcZQOr-hxbtOOUsJN5muGSjPGZfzciF95vZ5ZWx5nPvN0JVnVSebqx8ReDaBvtzLFvdtdlZfKipixH5zfNKjoSrdkGNBTgWIuKhYBwtpZaiaopJpIw/s1600-h/36180.player.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352777783096084434" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 187px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZ9W9jntmplK0-s6-L5iO4KldYZcZQOr-hxbtOOUsJN5muGSjPGZfzciF95vZ5ZWx5nPvN0JVnVSebqx8ReDaBvtzLFvdtdlZfKipixH5zfNKjoSrdkGNBTgWIuKhYBwtpZaiaopJpIw/s320/36180.player.jpg" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Full Name: Ian Michael Chappell.<br />Nickname: Chappelli.<br />Date of Birth: 26 September 1943.<br />Place of Birth: Unley, South Australia, Australia.<br />Batting Style: Right Handed Batsman.<br />Role: Top Order Batsman.<br />Bowling Style: Right Arm Leg Spin.<br />Test Debut: 4 December 1964 Vs. Pakistan.<br />ODI Debut : 5 January 1971 Vs. England.<br />Playing Teams: South Australia(1962-1980), Lancashire(1963), Australia(1971-1980).<br /></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER: </span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />Matches: 16.<br />Runs: 673.<br />Best Score: 86.<br />100’s/50’s: 0/8.<br />Bat Average: 48.07.<br />Wickets: 2.<br />5w’s/10w’s:0/0.<br />Best Bowling: 2/14.<br />Bowl Average: 11.50.<br />Catches: 5.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">TEST CAREER:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 75.<br />Runs: 5345.<br />Best Score: 196.<br />100’s/50’s: 19/40.<br />Bat Average: 42.42.<br />Wickets: 20.<br />5w’s/10w’s: 0/0.<br />Best Bowling: 2/21.<br />Bowl Average: 62.80.<br />Catches: 105.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">First Class Career::<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />Matches: 262.<br />Runs: 19680.<br />Best Score: 209.<br />100’s: 59/96.<br />Bat Average: 48.35 .<br />Wickets: 176.<br />5/10 wicket’s: 2/0.<br />Best Bowling: 5/29.<br />Bowl Average: 37.57.<br />Catches: 312.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">List A Career:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Matches: 37.<br />Runs: 1277.<br />Best Score: 93*.<br />100’s/50’s: 0/13.<br />Bat Average: 39.30.<br />Wickets: 5.<br />5/10 wicket’s: -.<br />Best Bowling: 2/14.<br />Bowl Average: 28.40.<br />Catches: 20.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chappell’s Personal Information: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Ian Michael Chappell (born 26 September 1943) is</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> a former cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. He captained Australia between 1971 and 1975 before taking a central role in the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation. Born into a cricketing family—his grandfather and brother also captained Australia—Chappell made a hesitant start to international cricket playing as a right-hand middle-order batsman and spin bowler. He found his niche when promoted to bat at number three. Known as “</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chappelli”,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> he earned a reputation as one of the greatest captains the game has seen. Chappell's blunt verbal manner led to a series of confrontations with opposition players and cricket administrators; the issue of sledging first arose during his tenure as captain and he was a driving force behind the professionalisation of Australian cricket in the 1970s.<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">After leaving school</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">, Chappell spent two years as a clerk in a sharebroker's office, which he left to play league cricket in England. He then worked as a promotions representative for Nestle and, later, the cigarette manufacturer WD & HO Wills. After eight years with Wills, Chappell capitalised on his fame as Australian captain by forming his own company specialising in advertising, promotion and journalism, which has remained his profession. He is twice married, and has a daughter (Amanda) with his first wife Kay. Chappell now lives in Sydney with his second wife Barbara-Ann. In recent years, Chappell has been a high-profile activist for better treatment of asylum seekers by the Australian government, in particular its policy of mandatory detention.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Cricketer of effect rather than the graces:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />John Arlott called him, “</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">a cricketer of effect rather than the graces</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">”. An animated presence at the batting crease, he constantly adjusted his equipment and clothing, and restlessly tapped his bat on the ground as the bowler ran in. Basing his game on a sound defence learned during many hours of childhood lessons, Chappell employed the drive and square cut to full effect. He had an idiosyncratic method of playing back and across to a ball of full length and driving wide of but his trademark shot was the. A specialist slip fielder, he was the fourth player to take one hundred Test catches.<br />Since his retirement in 1980, he has pursued a high-profile career as a sports journalist and cricket commentator, predominately with He remains a major figure in Australian cricket: in 2006, called Chappell the biggest influence on his career.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chappell’s Family and Early Years:: </span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />The first of three sons born in Adelaide to Martin and Jeanne (née Richardson), Chappell was steeped in the game from an early age. His father was a noted Adelaide grade cricketer who put a bat in his hands as soon as he could walk, and his maternal grandfather was the famous all-round sportsman Vic Richardson, who captained Australia at the end of a nineteen-Test career. Chappell was given weekly batting lessons from the age of five, as were younger brothers Greg and Trevor, who both went on to play for Australia.<br />Chappell grew up in the beachside suburb of Glenelg and attended the local St Leonard's Primary School where he played his first competitive match at the age of seven. He was later selected for the South Australian state schoolboys team. He then enrolled at Prince Alfred College, a private secondary school noted for producing many Test cricketers, including the Australian captains Joe Darling and Clem Hill. His other sporting pursuits included Australian football and baseball: Chappell's performances for his state in the Claxton Shield won him All-Australian selection in 1964 and 1966 as a catcher. At the age of 18, his form in grade cricket for Glenelg led to his first-class debut for South Australia (SA) against Tasmania in early 1962. Chappell replaced West Indian Garry Sobers who was selected for a Test match in the Caribbean.<br />The aggressive style of Sobers and SA captain Les Favell heavily influenced Chappell during his formative years in major cricket. In 1962–63, Chappell made his initial first-class century against a New South Wales team led by Australian captain Richie Benaud, who was bemused by the young batsman's habit of gritting his teeth as he faced up; to Benaud, it looked as if he was grinning. Chappell spent the northern summer of 1963 as a professional in England's Lancashire League with Ramsbottom and played a single first-class match for Lancashire.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chappell’s International Performance:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In 1963–64,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> Chappell batted at number three for SA for the first time, in a match against Queensland at Brisbane, and scored 205 not out. He was the youngest member of the SA team that won the Sheffield Shield that season. A century against Victoria early the following season resulted in Chappell's selection for a one-off Test against Pakistan at Melbourne in December 1964. He made 11 and took four catches, but was dropped and did not return to the team until the fourth Ashes Test of 1965–66. Chappell supplemented his aggressive batting with brilliant fielding in the slips, and he showed promise as a leg-spinner. At this point, the selectors and captain Bob Simpson considered him an all-rounder: he batted at number seven and bowled 26 (eight-ball) overs for the match.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tour of South Africa in 1966-67:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />He retained his place for the following Test and the tour to South Africa in the summer of 1966–67. Playing in a side defeated 1–3, Chappell struggled to make an impression. His highest score in ten Test innings was 49, while his five wickets cost 59 runs each. On the advice of Simpson, he ceased playing the hook shot as it was often leading to his dismissal.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Against India in 1967-68:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In the first Test of 1967–68 against India</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">, he failed twice batting in the middle order. Heading into the second Test at Melbourne, Chappell's place was in jeopardy, but he rode his luck to score 151 — his innings contained five chances that the Indians failed to take. However, in the remainder of the series, he managed only 46 runs in four innings, so his selection for the 1968 tour of England was based as much on potential as form.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tour of England in 1968:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />In England, Chappell rewarded the faith of the selectors by scoring the most first-class runs on the tour (1,261 runs, including 202 not out against Warwickshire) and leading the Australian Test aggregates with 348 runs (at 43.50). His top score was 81 in the fourth Test at Leeds. Wisden lauded his play off the back foot and judged him the most difficult Australian batsman to dismiss. In a summer severely affected by rain, Australia drew the series and retained The Ashes.<br />Acheivement::For his good performance and record no of catches during the 1968-69 season earned him the “</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Australian Cricketer of the Year</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">” award.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tour of West Indies in 1968-69 season:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Against the touring West Indies</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">, Chappell hit 188 not out, 123, 117, 180 and 165 before the New Year. Two of these centuries came in the Test series, when Chappell's average for 548 runs was 68.50. Chappell was elevated to number three in the batting order and became a less-frequent bowler; he was also appointed vice-captain of the team.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tour of India in late 1969:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Following up with a successful tour of India in late 1969, Chappell demonstrated his fluency against spin bowling by compiling Test innings of 138 at Delhi and 99 at Kolkata. His ability against both fast and slow bowling earned high praise, most famously from his skipper Bill Lawry.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tour of South Africa in early 1970:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />When the Australians arrived in South Africa in early 1970, following their victory over India, Lawry told the local media that Chappell was the best all-round batsman in the world His appraisal looked misguided when Chappell managed just 92 runs (at 11.5 average), with a top score of 34, as Australia lost 0–4.<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">On this tour, Chappell clashed with cricket administrators over pay and</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> conditions for the first time. The South African authorities requested that an extra Test be added to the fixture and the “Australian Board of Control” consented. Incensed that the players were not consulted about the change, Chappell led a group of his teammates in a demand for more money to play the proposed game. Eventually the match was cancelled after Chappell and his supporters refused to back down<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chappell Leading the Australian Team:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Chappell became SA captain when the long-serving Les Favell retired at the start of the 1970–71 season. His younger brother Greg made his debut in the second Test of the summer. Facing an English attack led by the hostile fast bowling of John Snow, Chappell scored a half-century in each of the first two Tests, but failed to capitalise on good starts while Greg Chappell scored 108 in his initial innings. Rain caused the abandonment of the third Test without a ball bowled. Temporarily promoted to open the batting, Chappell failed in the fourth Test as Australia lost. In the fifth Test at Melbourne, he returned to number three and started nervously. Dropped on 0 and 14, Chappell found form and went on to post his maiden Ashes century (</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">111 from 212 balls</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">), which he followed with scores of 28 and 104 in the sixth Test.<br />The washed-out Test resulted in a late change to the schedule and an unprecedented seventh Test was played at Sydney in February 1971. Trailing 0–1 in the series, Australia could retain The Ashes by winning this game. Australia's performances were hampered by playing slow, defensive cricket. In a radical attempt to breathe some aggression into the team, the selectors sacked captain Bill Lawry and appointed Chappell in his stead. Dismayed by the manner of Lawry's dismissal, Chappell responded with an attacking performance as captain. However, Australia were beaten in a close match by 62 runs and lost The Ashes for the first time in 12 years. Chappell gained some consolation at the end of a dramatic summer when he led SA to the Sheffield Shield, the team's first win for seven years.<br />Chappell's battles against the short-pitched bowling of Snow during the season compelled him to reappraise his game. Following a conversation with Sir Donald Bradman, he decided to reinstate the hook shot and spent the winter months practising the stroke by hitting baseballs thrown by his brother Greg. Although he still regularly lost his wicket after playing the shot, Chappell felt that the psychological benefit of showing aggression to opposing bowlers offset the times that he was dismissed for a low score.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The Ugly Australians:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Australia played six Tests against New Zealand on both sides of the Tasman in 1973–74. Chappell led his team to a 2–0 victory in the three Tests played in Australia. During the third Test at Adelaide, he equalled the world record of six catches in a Test match by a fielder, which was beaten by his brother Greg the following season. In the drawn first Test at Wellington, the Chappells became the first brothers to each score a century in both innings of a Test match. The Australians lost to the Kiwis for the first time ever in the second Test at Christchurch, when Chappell was involved in a verbal confrontation with the leading New Zealand batsman, Glenn Turner. The Australians then played an ill-tempered tour match at Dunedin that did not enhance the reputation of Chappell or his team, before winning the final Test at Auckland. On this tour, the behaviour of the team was questioned with some journalists labelling them the "</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ugly Australians"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">. In 1976, Chappell wrote about his attitude to the opposition:<br />... although we didn't deliberately set out to be a 'bunch of bastards' when we walked on to the field, I'd much prefer any team I captained to be described like that than as 'a nice bunch of blokes on the field.' As captain of Australia my philosophy was simple: between 11.00am and 6.00pm there was no time to be a nice guy. I believed that on the field players should concentrate on giving their best to the team, to themselves and to winning; in other words, playing hard and fairly within the rules. To my mind, doing all that left no time for being a nice guy.<br />The increasing prevalence of verbal confrontation on the field (later known as sledging) concerned cricket administrators and became a regular topic for the media. Its instigation is sometimes attributed to Chappell. By his own admission, he was a frequent user of profanity who was often at “</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">boiling point</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">” on the field, but he claims that the various incidents he was involved in were not a premeditated tactic. Rather, they were a case of him losing his temper with an opponent. Sledging continues to cause controversy in the game; when the Australian team is involved, the phrase “</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ugly Australians</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">” is still invoked in relation to the issue.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The Ashes regained and First World Cup:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Ian Chappell's Test career batting performance. The red bars indicate the runs that he scored in an innings, with the blue line indicating the batting average in his last ten innings. The blue dots indicate an innings where he remained not out.<br />The highlight of Chappell's career was Australia's 4–1 win over England in 1974–75 that reclaimed The Ashes. Strengthened by the new fast bowling partnership of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, the Australia team played aggressive cricket and received criticism for the amount of short-pitched bowling that was employed. Chappell scored 90 on an "</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">unreliable</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">" pitch on the first day of the opening Test at Brisbane. He finished the six Tests with 387 runs at 35.18 average, and took 11 catches in the slips. The Test matches attracted big crowds and record gate takings, enabling Chappell to negotiate a bonus for the players from the Australian Cricket Board (ACB). Although this more than doubled the players' pay, their remuneration amounted to only 4.5% of the revenue generated by the series.<br />Within months, Chappell was back in England leading Australia in the inaugural World Cup His dislike of the defensive nature of limited-over cricket led to the Australians placing a full slips cordon for the new ball and employing Test-match style tactics in the tournament. Despite the apparent unsuitability of this approach, Chappell guided the team to the final where they lost a memorable match to the West Indies.<br />The workload of the captaincy was telling on Chappell and the four-Test Ashes series that followed the World Cup dampened his appetite for the game. After winning the only completed match of the series, the first Test at Birmingham, Australia’s retention of the Ashes was anti-climactic: the third Test at Leeds was abandoned due to vandalism of the pitch during the night before the last day’s play. In the last Test at the Oval, Chappell scored</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> 192 from 367 balls</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> to set up an apparent victory. However, England managed to bat for almost 15 hours to grind out a draw and Chappell announced his resignation from the captaincy on the last day of the match. In 30 Test matches as captain, he scored 2,550 runs at an average of 50, with seven centuries.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">First retirement:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Remaining available for Test cricket, he played in the 1975–76 series against the West Indies under the captaincy of his brother Greg. Australia avenged their loss in the World Cup final by winning 5–1 to claim the unofficial title of best team in the world. During the season, Chappell incurred censure for his behaviour in a Sheffield Shield match and was warned not to continue wearing a pair of adidas boots with the three stripes clearly visible. This breached the prevailing protocol of cricketers wearing all white. His highest innings of the summer was 156 during Australia's only loss, at Perth in the second Test. Wisden nominated him as the most influential player of the series for his 449 runs at an average of 44.90. In the course of the series, Chappell passed two significant milestones when he became the fourth Australian make 5,000 runs in Test cricket and the first player to hold one hundred Test catches for Australia. The summer ended in controversy and triumph in the domestic competition. During a dispute with the SACA over team selection, he threatened a "</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">strike"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> action by the SA team. After the matter was resolved, Chappell led the side to the Sheffield Shield title for the second time in his career and shared the inaugural Sheffield Shield player of the season award with his brother Greg. He retired from first-class cricket at the end of the season, aged only 32.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">World Series Cricket and aftermath:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Achivement::</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In 1976, Chappell toured South Africa with Richie Benaud's International Wanderers team, released his autobiography Chappelli and was named as one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Year.<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">He was hired to spend the summer of 1976–77 as a guest professional in the Melbourne district competition where he was paid more than he had been as Australian captain. During the season, he was involved in a famous altercation with a young English all-rounder who was in Victoria on a cricketing scholarship, Ian Botham. Both men have put forward vastly different versions as to what happened during the physical confrontation in a Melbourne pub. The animosity between them continues and Channel Nine used it as a marketing ploy when Botham temporarily partnered Chappell as a television commentator during the 1998–99 season. Botham again revived the feud in his 2007 autobiography with another version of the incident.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Rebel skipper:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Throughout his career, Chappell found the ACB obdurate in his attempts to make a living from the game. In 1969 and 1970, they refused his applications to play professionally in England. As Australian captain, he made several unsuccessful representations at ACB meetings in an effort to secure a more realistic financial deal for the Australian players. In consultations with the then-president of the ACTU, Bob Hawke, he explored the possibility of unionising the players.<br />Approached to lead an Australian team in World Series Cricket (WSC), a breakaway professional competition organised by Kerry Packer for Channel Nine, Chappell signed a three-year contract worth AU$75,000 in 1976. His participation was, "</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">fundamental to the credibility of the enterprise</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">". Chappell devised the list of Australian players to be signed, and was involved in the organisation and marketing of WSC. His central role was the result of, "years of personal disaffection with cricket officialdom", in particular Don Bradman. Recently, Chappell wrote:<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">While captaining Australia</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">, I was approached on three separate occasions before WSC to play 'professional' cricket, and each time I advised the entrepreneurs to meet the appropriate cricket board because they controlled the grounds. On each occasion, the administrators sent the entrepreneurs packing and it quickly became clear they weren't interested in a better deal for the players. That's why I say the players didn't stab the ACB in the back. The administrators had numerous opportunities to reach a compromise but displayed little interest in the welfare of the players. It wasn't really surprising then that more than 50 players from around the world signed lucrative WSC contracts and a revolution was born. About half of the WSC players were from Australia and this high ratio can, in part, be attributed to Bradman's tight-fisted approach to the ACB's money.<br />In WSC's debut season of 1977–78, Chappell hit the first Supertest century and finished fifth in the overall averages. The prevalence of short-pitched fast bowling and a serious injury to Australian David Hookes led to the innovation of batting helmets; Chappell was one of the many batsmen to use one. Following their 1975–76 tour of Australia, the West Indies adopted a four-man fast bowling attack, while the World XI contained fast bowlers of the calibre of Imran Khan, Mike Procter, Garth Le Roux, Clive Rice and Sarfraz Nawaz. The constant diet of pace bowling undermined the confidence of some batsmen during WSC. Chappell’s form fell away during the second season and he scored only 181 runs at 25.85 in four Supertests. During the last six days of the season, the WSC Australians lost the finals of both the limited-overs competition (to the West Indies XI) and the Supertest series (to the World XI), thus forfeiting the winner-takes-all prize money. After the latter match, Chappell vented his frustrations on World XI captain Tony Greig by refusing to shake his hand and criticising Greig’s inconsequential contribution to his team’s victory. The final act of the competition was a series between the WSC Australians and the WSC West Indies played in the Caribbean in the spring of 1979. After the Australians suffered a heavy defeat in the first Supertest at Jamaica, Chappell rallied his team to draw the five match series one-all. His best effort were scores of 61 and 86 at Barbados.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Return to Tests:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Convinced to return to official cricket when WSC ended, Chappell resumed as captain of SA in 1979–80, a decision he later regretted. It was a season too far for the increasingly irascible Chappell. Reported by an umpire for swearing in a match against Tasmania, he received a three-week suspension. In his first match after the ban, he was again reported for his conduct in a game against the touring English team. Given a suspended ban by the ACB, he was then selected for Australia's last three Tests of the season. His Test career finished with scores of 75 and 26 not out at the MCG against England in February 1980. In his final first-class match, SA needed to beat Victoria to win the Sheffield Shield. Although Chappell scored 112, SA lost the match and the shield. Ironically, the umpires voted him the competition's player of the season for a second time.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ODI record:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Chappell’s aggressive approach suited limited-overs cricket: he scored his runs at a strike-rate of 77 runs per hundred balls.The timing of his career limited him to 16 ODI matches, but he appeared in a number of historic fixtures such as the first ODI (at the MCG in 1971), the first World Cup final (at Lord’s in 1975) and the first day/night match (during WSC, at VFL Park in 1978). He passed fifty in half of his innings with a top score of 86 at Christchurch in 1973–74. In his final season of international cricket, he scored 63 not out (from 65 balls) against the West Indies at the SCG to win the player of the match award; five days later he hit an unbeaten 60 from 50 balls in his penultimate ODI appearance, against England. As captain, he recorded six wins and five losses from 11 matches.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Captaincy Statatics::<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Season Opponent Played Won Lost Drawn<br /></span></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">1970-1</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> England (home) 1 0 1 0<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">1972</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> England (away) 5 2 2 1<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">1972-73</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> Pakistan (home) 3 3 0 0<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">1972-73</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> West Indies (away) 5 2 0 3<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">1973-74</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> New Zealand (home) 3 2 0 1<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">1973-74</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> New Zealand (away) 3 1 1 1<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">1974-75</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> England (home) 6 4 1 1<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">1975 </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">England (away) 4 1 0 3<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Official Tests</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> 30 15 5 10<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">1971-72</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> Rest of World XI (home) 5 1 2 2<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">1977-78</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> WSC Supertests (home) 5 1 4 0<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">1978-79</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> WSC Supertests (home) 4 1 2 1<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">1979</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> WSC Supertests (West Indies) 5 1 1 3<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">All Matches</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> 49 19 14 16<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Legacy:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />The title of the ABC's documentary The Chappell Era, broadcast in 2002, encapsulated Chappell's significance to Australian cricket. Subtitled Cricket in the '70s, it chronicled the rise of the Australian cricket team under Chappell, the fight for better pay for the players, and the professionalisation of the game through WSC. During the program, Chappell reiterated his criticisms of cricket's administration at the time.<br />In Wisden, Richie Benaud wrote, "</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chappell will be remembered as much for his bid to improve the players' lot as he will for his run-getting and captaincy</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">". During the WSC period, he founded a players' association with a loan provided by Kerry Packer. Despite Chappell's continued support for the organisation after his retirement, apathy and a lack of recognition from the ACB led to its' demise in 1988. Revived in 1997 as the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA), it is now an important organisation within the structure of Australian cricket. In 2005, Chappell became a member of the ACA executive.<br />Chappell was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1986, the FICA Cricket Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2003. Two new grandstands at the Adelaide Oval were named the Chappell Stands; at the dedication ceremony in 2003, the SACA president Ian McLachlan called the Chappells, "the most famous cricketing family in South Australia". In 2004, the Chappell family was again honoured with the creation of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, an annual series of ODI matches played between Australia and New Zealand.<br />Chappell is the leading advocate for greater formal recognition of the first Australian sporting team to travel overseas, the Australian Aboriginal cricket team in England in 1868.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Media career:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Following the path of his grandfather Vic Richardson, who was a radio commentator for many years, Chappell entered the media in 1973 by writing magazine articles and a column for The Age. He did television commentary for the 0–10 Network and the BBC before playing WSC. During the 1980s, Chappell spent eight years co-hosting with Mike Gibson, Wide World of Sports, an innovative magazine-style program broadcast by Channel Nine on Saturday afternoons and co-hosted a sister show, Sports Sunday, for five years. Early in his stint on the former program, he swore without realising that he was live to air. A similar incident occurred during a live telecast of the 1993 Ashes series. Channel Nine suspended him on both occasions.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Leadership critiques:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Chappell began working as a commentator for Channel Nine's cricket coverage in the 1980–81 season, a position he retains. The major controversy of his first season was the Underarm Incident, which involved his two younger brothers in an ODI played between Australia and New Zealand at the MCG. Chappell showed no fraternal bias and was vehement in his criticism of his brother Greg's tactic. He wrote in a newspaper column on the matter: "</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Fair dinkum, Greg, how much pride do you sacrifice to win $35,000?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">"<br />He supported the claims of Rod Marsh to the Australian captaincy over the incumbent, Kim Hughes, in the early 1980s. The constant campaign against Hughes, a relic of the WSC era, destabilised his authority. Compounding the situation, the ACB compelled Hughes to be interviewed by Chappell on a regular basis. When Hughes resigned in 1984, throwing Australian cricket into turmoil, Chappell received a share of the blame for the outcome.<br />Chappell had a direct influence on Hughes’ successor, Allan Border. Early in his captaincy tenure, Border was struggling with the burdens of the position so the ACB appointed Bob Simpson as team coach to assist. This led to animosity between Chappell and Simpson as Chappell derided the need for a coach. Simpson responded by writing that the peer influence of older players helping younger players fell away during the era when the Chappell brothers led the team, and he was redressing the problem. Chappell believed that the Border-Simpson leadership was too defensive and that Simpson usurped too much of Border's control of the team; Border heeded Chappell’s assessment and adopted a more aggressive on-field approach later in his career. Mark Taylor, who captained the team after Border, moved to dilute Simpson's authority. Chappell remains a long-standing critic of the use of coaches by national teams.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Books and writings:: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />Ashley Mallett's biography, Chappelli Speaks Out (published in the UK as Hitting Out — the Ian Chappell Story) was written in collaboration with Chappell and released in 2005. It caused controversy due to Chappell’s assessment of Steve Waugh, who was described as “selfish” and that as a captain he, “</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ran out of ideas very quickly</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">”. Waugh responded by writing, “to say Chappell's criticism irked me would be an understatement.” He categorised the criticisms as "</span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">personal</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">" and noted that Chappell, “always sweated on my blunders and reported them with an </span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">'I told you so' mentality</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">”. Chappell's first book was an account of the 1972 Ashes tour, Tigers Among the Lions, followed by a series of books of cricketing humour and anecdotes published in the early 1980s. The more analytical The Cutting Edge, an appraisal of modern cricket, appeared in 1992. In 2006, Chappell released an anthology of his cricket writings entitled A Golden Age.<br /></span><br /></span></strong></div>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-61391485508887259232008-10-16T21:21:00.001-07:002008-10-21T22:02:20.886-07:00Mark Taylor History<strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Full Name: Mark Anthony Taylor.
<br />Nickname: Tubby, Tubs.
<br />Date of Birth: 27 October 1964.
<br />Place of Birth: Leeton, New South Wales, Australia.
<br />Batting Style: Left Handed Batsman.
<br />Role: Batsman.
<br />Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium.
<br />Test Debut: 26 January 1989 vs. West Indies.
<br />ODI Debut : 26 December 1989 vs. Sri Lanka.
<br />Playing Teams: New South Wales, Australia(1989-1999).
<br />
<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER:
<br /></span></strong>
<br /><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Matches: 113.
<br />Runs: 3514.
<br />Best Score: 105.
<br />100’s/50’s: 1/28.
<br />Bat Average: 32.23.
<br />Wickets: -.
<br />5w’s/10w’s: -.
<br />Best Bowling: -.
<br />Bowl Average: -.
<br />Catches: 56.
<br />
<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">TEST CAREER:</span></strong>
<br /><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">
<br />Matches: 104.
<br />Runs: 7525.
<br />Best Score: 334*.
<br />100’s/50’s: 19/40.
<br />Bat Average: 43.39.
<br />Wickets: 1.
<br />5w’s/10w’s: 0/0.
<br />Best Bowling: 1/11.
<br />Bowl Average: 26.00.
<br />Catches: 157.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">First Class Career:: </span>
<br />
<br />Matches: 253.
<br />Runs: 17415.
<br />Best Score: 334*.
<br />100’s: 41/97.
<br />Bat Average: 41.96 .
<br />Wickets: 2.
<br />5/10 wicket’s: 0/0.
<br />Best Bowling: 1/4.
<br />Bowl Average: 38.50.
<br />Catches: 350.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">List A Career:: </span>
<br />
<br />Matches: 178.
<br />Runs: 5463.
<br />Best Score: 105.
<br />100’s/50’s: 1/47.
<br />Bat Average: 31.57.
<br />Wickets: -.
<br />5/10 wicket’s: -.
<br />Best Bowling: -.
<br />Bowl Average: -.
<br />Catches: 98.
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Taylor’s Personal Information:
<br /></span>
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Mark Anthony Taylor</span>, AO (born 27 October 1964 in Leeton, New South Wales; nicknamed "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Tubby</span>" or "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Tubs</span>") was an Australian cricket player and Test opening batsman from 1988–1999, as well as captain from 1994–1999, succeeding Allan Border. He was widely regarded as an instrumental component in Australia's rise to Test cricket dominance, and his captaincy was regarded as adventurous and highly effective. However, he was considered less than ideal for One-Day International cricket and was eventually dropped as one-day captain after a 0-3 drubbing at the hands of England in 1997.
<br />He moved to Wagga Wagga in 1972 and played for Lake Albert Cricket Club His debut was for New South Wales in 1985.
<br />He retired from Test cricket on 2 February 1999. In 104 Test matches, he scored 7,525 runs with a batting average of 43.49, including 19 centuries and 40 fifties. He was also an excellent first slip - his 157 catches, at the time, a Test record (now held by Mark Waugh).
<br />In contrast to his predecessor Allan Border, who acquired the nickname <span style="color:#ffccff;">'Captain Grumpy'</span>, Taylor won plaudits for his always cheerful and positive demeanour. His successor, Steve Waugh, further honed the Australian team built by Border and Taylor and went on to set numerous records for victories as captain. Many feel that the development of the side under Taylor was instrumental in Waugh's subsequent success.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Achievement:: He was named “Australian of the Year” in 1999.
<br /></span>Having originally trained as a surveyor, he is now a cricket commentator for the Nine Network, and also appears on The Cricket Show with Simon O'Donnell. He is also a spokesman for Fujitsu air-conditioners.
<br />He obtained a degree in surveying from the University of New South Wales in 1987.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">In the Early Years…….
<br /></span>
<br />The second of three children born to bank manager Tony Taylor, and his wife Judy, Taylor's early years were spent at Wagga Wagga, where his family relocated when he was eight. His father had a sporting background, playing first grade rugby in Newcastle. The young Taylor preferred Australian rules football and cricket. He learned to bat in the family garage, with his father throwing cork balls to him. Taylor idolised Arthur Morris, the left-handed opening batsmen from New South Wales who led the aggregates on the 1948 "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Invincibles"</span> tour of England.
<br />Taylor played for his primary school as an opening batsman, and made his first century at the age of thirteen for the Lake Albert club at Bolton Park in Wagga. His family then moved to the north shore of Sydney, where he joined Northern District in Sydney Grade Cricket. Completing his secondary education at Chatswood High School, he later obtained a degree in surveying at the University of New South Wales. Along with the Waugh twins, Steve and Mark, Taylor played in under-19 youth internationals for Australia against Sri Lanka in 1982–83.
<br />Taylor made his Sheffield Shield debut in 1985–86 when NSW was depleted by the defection of regular openers Steve Smith and John Dyson to a rebel tour of South Africa. Opening with fellow debutant Mark Waugh, he scored 12 and 56 not out against Tasmania. His first season was highlighted by home and away centuries against South Australia in a total of 937 runs at 49.31 average. He had a lean season in 1987–88, after which he spent the English summer with Greenmount, helping them to win their first Bolton League title by scoring more than 1,300 runs at an average of 70.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">International Performance:</span>
<br />
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Test Debut</span>: Solid form for NSW in 1988–89 resulted in Taylor's selection for his Test debut in the Fourth Test against the West Indies at the SCG, replacing middle-order batsman Graeme Wood. For three years, the opening combination of Geoff Marsh and David Boon had been successful for Australia. However, team coach Bob Simpson wanted a left and right-handed opening combination, and stability added to the middle order. Therefore, the left-handed Taylor partnered the right-handed Marsh, while Boon batted at number three. Taylor's safe catching at slip was also a factor in his selection. He made 25 and 3 in a winning team, then was run out twice in the Fifth Test. A first-class aggregate of 1,241 runs (at 49.64 average) for the season earned him a place on the 1989 Ashes tour.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Unforgettable Start from Taylor::
<br /></span>
<br />Ashes 1989/90: Beginning with a century at Headingley in his First Test against England, Taylor amassed 839 runs at 83.90 in the six Tests: the second best aggregate in an Ashes series in England, behind Don Bradman's 974 runs in 1930. He occupied the crease for a total of 38 hours, more than six full days of play. The highlight of his tour was the Fifth Test at Trent Bridge when he and Geoff Marsh became the first pair to bat throughout a day's play of Test cricket in England, amassing 301 runs. Taylor made 219 in a partnership of 329, an Ashes record. He finished with 71 and 48 in the Fifth Test to overtake Neil Harvey for the third-highest series aggregate in Test history and totalled 1,669 first-class runs for the tour. Australia won the series 4–0 to regain the Ashes. However, Taylor was overlooked for selection in the ODIs.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Returning to Australia</span>, Taylor made 1,403 first-class runs at 70.15 during the 1989–90 season, and ended 1989 with 1,219 Test runs, thus becoming the first player to better one thousand Test runs in his debut calendar year, something only matched once by opener Alastair Cook over 15 years later. In Taylor's first nine Tests, Australia passed 400 in the first innings.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Taylor Performance against Sri Lanka, Pakistan Later….
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<br />scored centuries in successive Tests against Sri Lanka, and against Pakistan his scores were 52 and 101 at the MCG, 77 and 59 at the Adelaide Oval and an unbeaten 101 at Sydney. Australia won both series 1–0. In just over twelve months, he had amassed 1,618 runs at 70.35.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Taylor Nominated::
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<br />outstanding start to his career earned Taylor nomination as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1990. At the season's end, he demonstrated his leadership abilities for the first time. Standing in as NSW captain in place of the injured Geoff Lawson for the 1989–90 Sheffield Shield final in Sydney, Taylor scored 127 and 100. NSW won by 345 runs to secure its 40th title.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">ODI Debut::
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<br />year after his Test debut, Taylor was selected to make his ODI debut, which came on Boxing Day of 1989 against Sri Lanka. He made 11 as Australia lost by 30 runs. He was selected for nine of Australia's ten ODIs for the season's triangular tournament, scoring 294 runs at 32.66 with two half-centuries. His highest score of 76 came as Australia defeated Pakistan by 69 runs to clinch the finals series in Sydney. The season ended with ODI tournaments in New Zealand an. He played six of the eight matches, scoring 222 runs at 37.00 with two half-centuries, but was dropped for the final in New Zealand.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">During the 1991–92 Australian season::</span>
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<br />Taylor batted consistently in a 4–0 series victory over India. He scored 94 and 35* in a ten-wciket win at Brisbane. He scored half-centuries in each of the next two Tests before striking 100 in the second innings of the Fourth Test at Adelaide. It helped Australia to wipe out a first innings deficit of 80 and set up a winning target. His opening partner Marsh was dropped for the Fifth Test, so the selectors elevated Taylor to the vice-captaincy of the team. Over the next twelve months, a number of players were tried as Taylor's opening partner. Taylor struggled in his first match with new partner Wayne Phillips, scoring two and 16. Nevertheless, he had scored 422 runs at 46.89. Taylor continued to be overlooked by the selectors in the shorter version of the game, missing selection for all of the season's triangular tournament. He was selected for the squad for the 1992 Cricket World Cup held on home soil, and after Australia lost its first two matches, Taylor was recalled for his first ODI in 12 months. He made 13 as Australia beat India by one run, but scored his first ODI duck in the next match as England won by eight wickets. He was dropped for the remainder of the tournament.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">On the 1992 tour of Sri Lanka::</span>
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<br />Taylor struggled in scoring 148 runs at 24.67. After scoring 42 and 43 in Australia's win in the First Test, Taylor failed to again pass 30. With new opening partner Tom Moody also struggling with 71 runs at 11.83,Australia frequently struggled at the top of their innings. He played in all three ODIs, scoring 138 runs at 46.00. His 94 in the first match was his highest score in ODIs to that point.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Against the West Indies in 1992–93::</span>
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span>
<br />Taylor was now opening alongside David Boon with Moody having been droipped. Taylor was ineffective and failed to pass fifty in the first four Tests. After Australia failed by one run to win the Fourth Test and thus the series, Taylor was dropped for the deciding Test at Perth, having failed to make double figures in either innings. In his absence, Australia lost by an innings in three days and conceded the series 1–2. He had scored 170 runs at 24.29 for the series. However, he played all of Australia's ten ODIs, scoring 286 runs at 28.60 with two half-centuries.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Against New Zealand in 1993–94::</span> </span></strong>
<br /><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">
<br />Taylor made 64 and 142 not out in the First Test at Perth, which ended in a draw. He then scored 27 and 53 as Australia won the next two Tests by an innings, totalling 286 runs at 95.33 in three Tests as Australia won 2–0. In the rain-affected Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Taylor played his 50th Test and celebrated with 170 against South Africa, the first Test between the two countries since 1970. This made him the first batsman to score centuries on Test debut against four countries. In addition, he passed 4,000 Test runs during the innings. Taylor had scored more than 1,000 Test runs for the calendar year, ending with ??? Taylor scored 62 in the Third Test, his only other half-century for the series, which he ended with 304 runs at 60.80.
<br />On the reciprocal tour of South Africa at the end of the season, Taylor missed a Test because of injury for the only time in his career. Matthew Hayden filled in for the First Test in Johannesburg, which Australia lost. On his return for the Second Test at Cape Town, he scored 70 and ended the series with 97 runs at 24.25. Both series were drawn 1–1.
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<br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Taylor Performance against West Indies in Caribean(1995)::
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<br /></span>This victory was followed by the 1995 tour of the West Indies, where Australia had not won a Test series for 22 years. Australia lost the ODI series which preceded the Tests 1–4, with Taylor making 152 runs at 30.40.[ The difficulty of Australia's task was increased when fast bowlers Craig McDermott and Damien Fleming went home injured at the start of the tour. Australia fielded a pace attack of and who had played only 23 Tests between them. Despite this, Australia won by ten wickets in the first Test at Barbados, with Taylor contributing a half-century. After the Second Test was a rained-out draw, the West Indies beat Australia inside three days on a "green" Trinidad pitch in the Third Test. Australia regained the Frank Worrell Trophy with an innings victory in the Fourth Test at Jamaica, with Taylor taking the winning catch from the bowling of. Although he only managed 153 runs (at 25.50 average) for the series, Taylor held nine catches and his leadership was cited as a key factor in the result.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Against the West Indies in 1992–93,</span> Taylor was now opening alongside David Boon with Moody having been droipped. Taylor was ineffective and failed to pass fifty in the first four Tests. After Australia failed by one run to win the Fourth Test and thus the series, Taylor was dropped for the deciding Test at Perth, having failed to make double figures in either innings. In his absence, Australia lost by an innings in three days and conceded the series 1–2. He had scored 170 runs at 24.29 for the series. However, he played all of Australia's ten ODIs, scoring 286 runs at 28.60 with two half-centuries.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Taylor Leading the Australian Team after Allan Border Retrirement::
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<br />Frequently omitted from the ODI team due to slow scoring, Taylor missed the finals of the ODI series in Australia against South Africa. On the tour of South Africa, he missed three consecutive ODIs when tour selectors and fellow players Ian Healy and Steve Waugh voted him off the team. In all, Taylor had only played in 11 of Australia's 19 ODIs for the season, scoring 281 runs at 25.55. Taylor requested an extended trial as opener for the ODI side to help consolidate his captaincy of both teams.
<br />Taylor started his ODI captaincy with two tournaments in Sharjah and Sri Lanka. Australia missed the finals in both tournaments, winning three of their six matches. After scoring 68* to guide his team to a nine-wicket win in the first match against Sri Lanka in Sharjah, Taylor's form tapered off, scoring only 64 more runs to end the two tournaments with a total of 132 runs at 33.00.
<br />His first task was a tour of Pakistan in 1994, where Australia had not won a Test since the 1959. To make matters worse, Australia's first-choice pace pairing of Craig McDermott and Merv Hughes missed the tour due to injury. The First Test at Karachi was a personal disaster for Taylor as he scored a pair, the first player in Test history to do so on his captaincy debut. Paceman Glenn McGrath then broke down in the middle of the match. Australia was in the box seat with Pakistan needing 56 runs with one wicket in hand, but lost by one wicket after Ian Healy missed a stumping opportunity and the ball went for the winning runs. Recovering to score 69 in the Second Test at Rawalpindi, Taylor forced Pakistan to follow on after taking a 261-run lead. However, he dropped Pakistan captain Salim Malik when he was on 20. Malik went on to make 237 as Pakistan made 537 and saved the Test. Australia again took a first innings lead in the Third Test, but could not force a result, as Malik scored another second innings century to ensure safety and a 1–0 series win. Taylor ended the series with 106 runs at 26.50. Australia fared better in the ODI triangular tournament, winning five of their six matches. Taylor scored 56 in the final as Australia beat Pakistan by 64 runs to end the tournament with 193 runs at 32.16.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Beginning the 1994–95 season</span> with 150 for NSW in a tour match against the England, Taylor followed up with 59 in an opening stand of 97 as Australia made 426 in the first innings to take the initiative int eh First Test in Brisbane. Australia amassed a 259-run first innings lead, but Taylor, mindful of the Test match at Rawalpindi, became the first Australian captain since 1977–78 to not enforce the follow-on. Although heavily criticised as a conservative decision, Australia still won the match by 184 runs, with Taylor adding 58 in the second innings. Having scored the first win of his Test captaincy, Taylor led his team to a 295-run win in the Second Test.
<br />Taylor played his best cricket of the summer in the Third Test at Sydney. Last man out for 49 in a total of 116 in the first innings, he defied a pitch that had began to seam and swing after a shower and cloud cover as Australia narrowly avoided the follow on. In the second innings, he made a bold attempt at chasing a world record target of 449 by scoring 113, but Australia played for a draw after Slater and Taylor fell following double-century stand. Australia collapsed to 7/292 before hanging on in near-darkness. In the final two Tests, he scored half-centuries as Australia won 3–1. Australia dramatically lost the Fourth Test when England led by only 154 on the final day with four wickets in hand. Aggressive lower order batting saw Australia set 328 in just over two sessions, but a heavy collapse saw Australia eight wickets down with more than hours to play. Almost two hours of resistance later, England took a 106-run win late in day. However, Australia bounced back to win the Fifth Test by 329 runs, the largest margin of the series. Taylor's partnership with Slater yielded three century opening stands at an average of 76.60 for the series and Taylor's individual return was 471 runs at 47.10.
<br />The southern hemisphere summer ended with a quadrangular tournament in New Zealand, where Australia won two of their three group matches to proceed to the final. Taylor scored 44 in a six-wicket triumph over New Zealand and totalled 165 runs at 41.25. His best score was 97 against the hosts in the preliminary round meant that he was still yet to post his first ODI century, five years after his debut.
<br />Taylor Perfromance in World Cup 1996::
<br />Taylor made six as Australia started their campaign with a 97-run win over Kenya. He then made 59 in a century stand with Waugh as Australia defeated co-hosts India in Mumbai. Taylor scored 34 in a nine-wicket win over Zimbabwe, before scoring nine in a defeat to the West Indies in the last group match. Australia finished second in their group and faced New Zealand in the quarter-finals. Taylor made only 10 as Australia chased 289 for victory, but made a surprise tactic by sending in Shane Warne as a pinch hitter. Warne made 24 from ?? in a partnership with over 42 in 4.3 overs ??? with Waugh, to allow Australia to take the momentum and take victory by six wickets. Taylor managed only one in the semi-final as Australia staggered to 8/207? Agains the West Indies. Australia appeared to be heading out of the tournament when the Caribbean team reached 2/165, but a sudden collapse saw Australia win by six runs in the las tover.
<br />Australia managed to reach the final, where they met Sri Lanka. Taylor scored 74, a re cord score by an Australian captain in the World Cup, but Sri Lanka comfortably triumphed on this occasion by seven wickets to claim the trophy. In another spiteful encounter, some players refused to shake hands after the match. Ranatunga, having declared before the match that Australian leg spinner Shane Warne was overrated, struck a six from a misexecuted flipper which turned into a full toss and promptly stuck out his tongue at the spinner.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Short Tour of India in 1996/97 season::</span>
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<br />On a short tour to India, Taylor made his first ODI century at Bangalore, with 105 against India in his 98th match, having been out in the 90s on three previous occasions. Taylor performed strongly in the ODIs, with a total of 302 runs at 60.40. However, it was a disappointing tour for the team; the solitary Test in Delhi was lost, as were all five ODIs played during the Titan Cup.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Tour of West Indies in 1996/97 season::
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">1996–97, Australia</span> confirmed its ascendancy over the West Indies with a 3–2 series win, but Taylor endured a poor season with the bat and failed to pass 50 in nine innings. His partnership with Slater was terminated when the latter was dropped, replaced by Matthew Elliott. Following an injury to Elliott, Matthew Hayden became Taylor's partner for three Tests.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Tour of South Africa in 1997::</span>
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">The early 1997 tour to South Africa</span> brought no upturn in Taylor's batting despite Australia's 2–1 victory in the series: he scored 80 runs at 16.00. His form was such that it influenced the selection of the team. For the Second Test at Port Elizabeth, played on a green pitch, Australia played Michael Bevan as a second spinner batting at number seven to reinforce the batting, instead of a third seamer to exploit the conditions. After scoring seven and 17 in the first two ODIs, Taylor dropped himself from the team for the remaining five matches.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Ashes 1997::
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<br />The 1997 Ashes tour started poorly amid rumours that Taylor was on the verge of losing his place in the side. He batted ineffectively as Australia lost the one day series 0–3, scoring seven and 11, before dropping himself for the final match. In the First Test, Australia were dismissed for 118 in the first innings, with Taylor contributing seven: he had not managed to pass 50 in his last 21 Test innings. England amassed a big lead of 360 runs. With Australia facing a heavy defeat, media criticism of his position intensified. The Melbourne Age ran a competition for its readers to forecast how many runs he would make. Most respondents guessed less than 10 runs. The team's erstwhile coach, Bob Simpson, said that Taylor's retention in the team in spite of his poor form was fostering resentment among the players and destabilising the team.
<br />Taylor started nervously in the second innings, but went on to score of 129, which saved his career, but not the match. His performance prompted personal congratulations from Prime Minister John Howard and the team's management allowed the media a rare opportunity to enter the dressing room and interview Taylor. During the period he refused offers by the manager to handle the media on his behalf. Australia went on to win the Third, Fourth and Fifth Tests and retain the Ashes 3–2. Although Taylor made single figures in the three Tests following his century, he contributed 76 and 45 in the series-clinching Test at Nottingham. Taylor ended the series with 317 runs at 31.7.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Tour of Pakistan in 1998::
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<br />In 1998, Taylor led his team to Pakistan, where a convincing win in the First Test at Rawalpindi by an innings and 99 runs was Australia's first Test victory in the country for 39 years. Taylor then attended a court hearing investigating the claims of match-fixing made during the 1994 tour. In the Second Test at, Taylor played the longest innings of his career. He batted two days to amass 334 not out, equalling Don Bradman's Australian record set in 1930. In temperatures above 32oC, Taylor survived two dropped catches before he had reached 25 and scored slowly on the first day. He shared a 206-run partnership with Justin Langer. The next day, he added 103 runs in a morning session extended from two to three hours. After the tea interval, he discarded his helmet in favour of a white sun hat, to deal with the extreme heat. He passed 311, eclipsing Bob Simpson's record score by an Australian captain. In the final over, Taylor equalled Bradman's Australian Test record when a shot to midwicket was barely stopped by Ijaz Ahmed, which reduced the scoring opportunity to a single run.
<br />At the end of the day's play, Taylor was encouraged by the media, the public and his teammates to attempt to break Brian Lara's world record score of 375. An unusually large crowd turned out the following day in anticipation. However, Taylor declared the innings closed, opting to share the record with Bradman, and making the team's chances of winning the game paramount. He was widely praised for this decision. He made 92 in the second innings, giving him the second highest Test match aggregate after Graham Gooch. His fifteen hours batting in one Test was second only to Hanif Mohammed. The match ended in a draw, as did the Third Test, so Australia won the series and Taylor ended with 513 runs at 128.25 average.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;">Tour of India in 1998::
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<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;">On the 1998 tour of India</span>, Elliott was dropped and Taylor reunited with Slater as the opening pair. Australia started well by taking a 71-run first innings lead in the First Test at Chennai, but Sachin Tendulkar's unbeaten 155 put Australia under pressure to save the match on the final day. They were unable to resist and lost by 179 runs. Australia was crushed by an innings and 219 runs in the Second Test at Calcutta, Australia first series loss in four years and the first time that Australia had lost by an innings for five years. Thus, a series victory in India, which Australia had not achieved since 1969–70, remained elusive. Australia won the Third Test in Bangalore by eight wickets, with Taylor scoring an unbeaten 102 in a second innings run chase.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Ashes 1999::</span>
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<br />Taylor's swansong was the 1998–99 Ashes series against England, which began with his 100th Test in the First Test in Brisbane. He scored 46 and a duck—his first in Australia—as England were saved when thunderstorms forced the abandonment of play on the final afternoon. Two half centuries in the next two Tests in Perth and Adelaide saw Australia win by seven wickets and 205 runs respectively, thereby retaining the series 2–0. After losing the Fourth Test by 12 runs after a dramatic final day collapse, Taylor headed to his home ground, the Sydney Cricket Ground, for what would be his final Test. Australia went on to win the Test by 98 runs and take the series 3–1. Taylor only scored two in both innings, but he broke Border's world record for the most Test catches. His catch in the first innings equalled Border's 156 and another in the second made him the sole owner of the record.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Taylor’s Retirement::
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<br />Taylor retired from professional cricket in early 1999 after the Ashes series. On Australia Day, he was named the Australian of the Year. He is now a commentator for Channel Nine and mainly commentates on One Day International and test matches in Australia, as to spend more time with his family.
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<br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Legacy::
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<br /></span>The improvement of the Australian team, begun during Border's tenure, continued under the captaincy of Taylor. After the defeat of the West Indies in 1995, Taylor's teams won home and away series against every Test team they played, with the exception of winning a series in India. Wisden wrote:
<br />Taylor talked so well that he raised the standard of debate in Australia–and perhaps of cricket itself–in a way which was an example to all professional cricketers ... Border stopped Australia losing. Taylor made them into winners, the acknowledged if not official world champions of Test cricket.
<br />Taylor made a concerted effort to decrease the amount of sledging committed by his team, a trait that brought criticism of Australian teams during other eras. In total, he captained the side in 50 Tests, winning 26 and losing 13, a success rate unmatched in the previous fifty years except for Don Bradman and Viv Richards. </span></strong></span></strong></span></strong>
<br />satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-20472721695038816852008-10-16T20:45:00.000-07:002008-10-16T21:12:25.500-07:00Hansie Cronje History<strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Full Name: Wessel Johannes Cronje.
<br />Nickname: Hansie.
<br />Date of Birth: 25 September 1969.
<br />Place of Birth: Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Australia..
<br />Died : 1 June 2002(aged 32), Cradok Peak, Outeniqua Mountains, South Africa.
<br />Batting Style: Right Handed Batsman.
<br />Role: Batsman.
<br />Height : 6 Feet .
<br />Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium.
<br />Test Debut: 18 April 1992 vs. West Indies.
<br />ODI Debut : 26 February 1992 vs. Australia.
<br />Playing Teams: Free State(1987-2000), 1997(Ireland), 1995(Leicestershire), South Africa(1992-2000).
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<br /></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-size:130%;">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER</span>:
<br /></span></strong>
<br /><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Matches: 188.
<br />Runs: 5565.
<br />Best Score: 112.
<br />100’s/50’s: 2/39.
<br />Bat Average: 38.64.
<br />Wickets: 114.
<br />5w’s/10w’s: 1/0.
<br />Best Bowling: 5/32.
<br />Bowl Average: 34.78.
<br />Catches: 73.
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<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">TEST CAREER:</span></strong>
<br /><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">
<br />Matches: 68.
<br />Runs: 3714.
<br />Best Score: 135.
<br />100’s/50’s: 6/23.
<br />Bat Average: 36.41.
<br />Wickets: 43.
<br />5w’s/10w’s: 0/0.
<br />Best Bowling: 3/14.
<br />Bowl Average: 29.95.
<br />Catches: 33.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">First Class Career:: </span>
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<br />Matches: 184.
<br />Runs: 12103.
<br />Best Score: 251*
<br />100’s: 32/57.
<br />Bat Average: 43.69 .
<br />Wickets: 116.
<br />5/10 wicket’s: 0/0.
<br />Best Bowling: 4/47.
<br />Bowl Average: 34.43.
<br />Catches: 121.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">List A Career:: </span>
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<br />Matches: 304.
<br />Runs: 9862.
<br />Best Score: 158.
<br />100’s/50’s: 5/32.
<br />Bat Average: 42.32.
<br />Wickets: 170.
<br />5/10 wicket’s: 1/0.
<br />Best Bowling: 5/32.
<br />Bowl Average: 33.50.
<br />Catches: 105.
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<br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Hansie Cronje’s Personal Information</span>:
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<br />Wessel Johannes "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Hansie" Cronje</span>" ( <span style="color:#ffccff;">2002)September 25, 1969 - June 1</span>), was a South African cricketer and captain of the South African national cricket team in the 1990s. He was voted the 11th greatest South African in 2004 despite having been banned for life from professional cricket for his role in a match-fixing scandal.
<br />Cronje, <span style="color:#ffccff;">Wessel Johannes</span>, South Africa's cricket captain in a record 53 Tests and 138 one-day internationals between 1994 and 2000, died on June 1, 2002 when the cargo plane in which he was traveling crashed on Cradock Peak in the Outeniqua mountain range on its approach to his home town, George, in the Western Cape. He was just 32. Two years earlier, Hansie Cronje's admission that he took bribes from bookmakers to provide information and fix matches exposed the extent of a corruption scandal that cricket authorities had signally neglected to confront.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;">In the Early Years ........
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<br /></span>Born in Bloemfontein, Cronje matriculated in 1987 from the prestigious Grey College school in Bloemfontein. An excellent all round sportsman, he represented the then Orange Free State in cricket and rugby at schools level. Cronje also went to the University of Orange Free State and there he left with a Bachelor of Commerce (also known as a <span style="color:#ffccff;">'B-Com'</span>).
<br />His father Ewie had played for Orange Free State in the 1960s, and Hansie's older brother Frans had also played first-class cricket.
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<br />It had been so different a decade earlier when, aged 21, he was given the captaincy of Orange Free State. His upbringing and education had groomed him for leadership. His family was of solid, middle-class Afrikaner stock, deeply religious and sporty: Hansie's father, Ewie, had been an off-spinning all-rounder for Free State in the 1960s.
<br />The importance of discipline, dedication and hard work had been inculcated in Hansie at an early age, honed at Grey College in his native Bloemfontein, and was made manifest in 1991-92, his second year in charge, when the young Free State team, coached by Eddie Barlow to a level of physical and mental fitness rare even for South African cricket, finished runners-up in the Castle Bowl (formerly the Currie Cup) and won the limited-overs Nissan Shield. The next two seasons brought Castle Cup and one-day doubles, followed by one-day trophies in subsequent years - a total of seven titles in five seasons. International commitments meant the young captain was not ever-present, but his influence remained inspirational. </span></strong>
<br /><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Hansie Cronje denies chagres levelled by Delhi Police:
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<br />At first he had hotly denied charges leveled by the New Delhi police, who during a phone-tapping operation in March 2000 heard him conspiring with an Indian bookmaker, Sanjeev Chawla, to predetermine performances. And such was his standing as a player, captain and sporting ambassador for post-apartheid South Africa that few in the cricket world doubted him, preferring to heap scorn on the Indian investigation.
<br />Ali Bacher, managing director of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, spoke of Cronje's "<span style="color:#ffccff;">unquestionable integrity and honesty</span>". Then, four days after the accusation, Cronje confessed in a 3 a.m. phone call to Bacher that he had not been "<span style="color:#ffccff;">entirely honest</span>". He was immediately stripped of the captaincy, as his side prepared for a one day series against Australia, and in subsequent testimony to the government-appointed King Commission revealed, sometimes in tears, further details of his involvement with bookmakers in match-fixing. The cricket world listened agog as much as aghast. The game's reputation, it seemed, was at an all-time low. Cronje's life and career were in tatters.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">First Class Debut: </span>
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<br />Cronje made his first-class debut for Orange Free State against Transvaal at Johannesburg in January 1988 at the age of 18. In the following season he was a regular appearing in all eight Currie Cup matches plus being part of the Benson and Hedges Series winning team, scoring 73 as an opener in the final. In 1989/90, despite playing all the Currie Cup matches, he failed to make a century, and averaged only 19.76; however, in one-day games he averaged 60.12. During that season he scored his maiden century for South African Universities against Mike Gatting's rebels.
<br />Despite having just turned 21, Cronje was made captain of Orange Free State for the 1990/1 season. He scored his maiden century for them against Natal in December 1990, and finished the season with another century and a total of 715 runs at 39.72. That season he also scored 159* in a 40-over match against Griqualand West.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 1992/93</span> he captained Orange Free State to the Castle Cup/Total Power Series double.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 1995</span> Cronje appeared for Leicestershire where he scored 1301 runs at 52.04 finishing the season as the county's leading scorer.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 1995/96</span> he finished the season top of the batting averages in the Currie Cup his top score of 158 helped Free State chase down 389 to beat Northern Transvaal.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 1997</span>, Cronje played for Ireland as an overseas player in the Benson and Hedges Cup and helped them to a 46-run win over Middlesex by scoring 94 not out and taking three wickets. This was Ireland's first ever win against English county opposition. Later in the same competition he scored 85 and took 1 wicket against Glamorgan.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Hansie Cronje’s International Performance:</span>
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Cronje form in 91/92</span> was impressive especially in the one-day format where he averaged 61.40. He earned an international call up for the 1992 World Cup, making his One Day International debut against Australia at Sydney. During the tournament he played in eight of the team's nine games, averaging 34.00 with the bat while his medium pace was used bowling 20 overs.
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<br />He had made his debut at 18 in January 1988, joining his brother, Frans, for the Currie Cup games against Transvaal and Northern Transvaal. Innings of two and 16, then a pair, were an inauspicious start for someone who would notch up a record 15 first-class hundreds for the Free State, as well as six in one-day competitions. The following season, his unbeaten 105 against Impalas took Orange Free State into the Benson and Hedges Trophy final, where Frans's old school-friend Allan Donald blew Western Province aside with four for 18. Hansie's maiden first-class hundred followed in January 1990 when, captaining South African Universities, he hit 104 against Mike Gatting's English rebels.
<br />After the World Cup Cronje was part of the tour to the West Indies; he featured in the three ODI's and in the Test match at Bridgetown that followed he made his Test debut, this was South Africa first Test since readmission and they came close to beating a strong West Indian side, going into the final day at 122/2 chasing 200 they collapsed to 148.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">India toured South Africa in 1992/93</span>. In the one-day series Cronje managed just one fifty but with the ball he was economical and took his career best figures of 5/32, becoming the second South African to take 5 wickets in an ODI. In the Test series that followed he scored his maiden test century, 135 off 411 balls, after coming in at 0-1 in the second over he was last man out, after eight and three-quarter hours, in a total of 275. This contributed to South Africa's first Test win since readmission. At the end of the season in a triangular tournament with Pakistan and West Indies he scored 81 off 70 balls against Pakistan.
<br />In South Africa's next Test series against Sri Lanka Cronje scored his second Test century, 122 in the second Test in Colombo; the victory margin of an innings and 208 runs is a South African record. <span style="color:#ffccff;">He finished the series with 237 runs at 59.25 after scoring 73* in the drawn third Test</span>.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Cronje Leading the South Africa Team: </span>
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<br />South Africa lost the first Test in Johannesburg but before the second Test the two teams plus Pakistan and Sri Lanka competed for the Mandela Trophy, New Zealand failed to gain a win in the six match round robin stage while South Africa beat Pakistan in the final. This changed the momentum as South Africa secured wins in Durban and Cape Town, where Cronje scored his fourth Test century, he was the first captain since W. G. Grace to win a three-match rubber after being one down. In early 1995 South Africa won one-off Tests against both Pakistan and New Zealand, in Auckland Cronje scored the only century of the match before a final day declaration left his bowlers just enough time to dismiss the Kiwis.
<br />In October 1995 South Africa won a one-off Test with Zimbabwe, Cronje scoring a second innings 54* to guide them to seven wicket win. In the two one-dayers that followed he took five wickets as South Africa won both comfortably. South Africa won the five Test series against England 1-0 despite Cronje struggling, scoring just 113 runs at 18.83. However, he top scored in the one-day series which they won 6-1.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In the 1996 World Cup</span> he scored 78 and 45* against New Zealand and Pakistan respectively as South Africa won their group but in the Quarter final with West Indies a Brian Lara century ended their 10 game winning streak.
<br />1996/97 featured back-to-back series with India, the first away was lost 2-1 the home series was won 2-0, in the six Tests combined Cronje managed just one fifty. Cronje produced better form against Australia averaging over 50 in both Test and ODI series although both were lost.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Cronje started 1997/98</span> by leading South Africa to their first series victory in Pakistan, his batting continued to struggle with his biggest contribution being taking the wickets of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Moin Khan in the Third Test .
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<br />His captaincy record brooks few arguments. <span style="color:#ffccff;">South Africa won 27 and lost only 11 of his 53 Tests in charg</span><span style="color:#ffccff;">e,</span> with series victories over every opponent except Australia; in 138 one-day internationals there were 99 wins, as well as a tie. His record made a nonsense of the South African board's decision to appoint him for only the first two Tests against England in 1999-2000, even allowing for a downturn in his form and his apprehensions about the UCBSA's politically motivated policy of selection on racial quotas. Although he was later confirmed as captain for all the Tests and one-day games, his take on the turn of events was apparent in his brooding presence and the fact that he openly flirted with an offer to succeed Duncan Fletcher as Glamorgan coach.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Cronje’s Performance against Australia:
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<br />Cronje once again came up against Australia and once again ended on the losing side. In the triangular one day series they won the group with Australia just scrapping through, they also won the first '<span style="color:#ffccff;">final</span>' but South Africa lost the last two finals. During the group matches Cronje had threatened to lead his team off after Pat Symcox had missiles thrown at him, Symcox had the last laugh ending the match with 4/24. Before the Test series started he scored consecutive centuries against Tasmania and Australia A these were his first in two years.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In the first Test</span>, Cronje scored 70 as South Africa saved the match; in the second Test, he lasted 335 minutes for his 88. Despite this, they lost by an innings. In the third Test, they scored 517 and although Mark Taylor carried his bat for 169, Australia needed to bat 109 overs to save the match. Mark Waugh batted 404 minutes, and, despite controversy when Waugh hit one of his bails off (under Law 35 he was adjudged to have finished his stroke and therefore given not out), South Africa fell three wickets short. Cronje put a stump through the umpires` dressing room door after the match and was lucky to avoid a ban .
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Cronje’s Performance against Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England:
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<br />Cronje missed the first Test of the series with Pakistan because of a knee injury. The second Test at Durban was lost, but he top scored at Port Elizabeth with 85, to help square the three Test series 1-1. There was still time in the season for a two-Test series with Sri Lanka. The first was won with Cronje scoring 49 and 74; in the second Test, he took 3/14, his best bowling in Tests, and smashed 82 off 63 balls, his fifty being brought up with three consecutive sixes off Muttiah Muralitharan, and was reached off just 31 balls; at the time, it was the second fastest in Tests after Kapil Dev`s. In the triangular series, which South Africa won, he scored only one fifty at East London where he also took 2/17 off 10 overs.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">During the 1998 Test series against England</span>, Cronje scored five consecutive fifties, having failed to score one in the nine previous Tests against them. In his fiftieth Test, at Trent Bridge he scored 126, his sixth and last Test century and his first in 29 matches. During his second innings of 67, he passed 3,000 runs - only the second South African to do so. However, England won the Test, and the one at Headingley, to win the series 2-1, Cronje finished the series as South Africa's top scorer with 401 runs at 66.83.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">White Wash, Tie and Forefeit:
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In the West Indies series of 1998/99</span> Cronje captained South Africa to their only whitewash in a 5 Test series. However his best batting against West Indies came when playing for Free State, he scored 158* as they chased down 438 and made up a first innings deficit of 249 . In the ODI series he was South Africa's top scorer and took 11 wickets at 14.72 as South Africa won 6-1. In March 1999 they toured New Zealand beating them 1-0 in the Test series and 3-2 in the one-dayers.
<br />Cronje's form at the 1999 World Cup was poor, finishing with 98 runs at 12.25 as South Africa was eliminated after the famous tied Semi-final against Australia at Edgbaston. In their first match of the tournament versus India, Cronje came onto the field with an earpiece wired to coach Bob Woolmer at the first drinks break match referee Talat Ali ordered him to remove it.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In October 1999</span> Cronje became South Africa's highest Test run scorer during the first Test against Zimbabwe . The two Test series was won 2-0 thanks to innings victories. The series with England was won in the fourth Test at Cape Town, Cronje's fiftieth as captain.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">The fifth test of the 1999/2000</span> South Africa v England series at Centurion was ruined by rain - going into the final day only 45 overs had been possible with South Africa 155/6. On the final morning as they batted on news filtered through that the captains had met and were going to "make a game of it". A target of 250 from 70 overs was agreed. When South Africa reached 248/8 Cronje declared; both teams then forfeited an innings leaving England a target of 249 to win the Test, which they did with two wickets left and only five balls remaining. It ended South Africa's 14 game unbeaten streak in Test cricket. Cronje was later learnt to have accepted money and a gift from a bookmaker in return for making an early declaration in this Test (see below).
<br />Cronje top scored with 56 after South Africa were left reeling at 21-5 in the Final of the triangular tournament which featured England and Zimbabwe . Cronje struggled against India in his final Test series scoring just 25 runs in two Tests (he took six wickets) however South Africa were still able to complete their first series win in India. India's first lost series at home since 1987.
<br />On 31 March 2000 his cricket career finished with a 73-ball 79 against Pakistan in the final of Sharjah Cup 1999/00 .
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Match Fixing Scandal:
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">On 7 April 2000</span>, Delhi police revealed they had a recording of a conversation between Cronje and Sanjay Chawla, a representative of an Indian betting syndicate, over match-fixing allegations. Three other players: Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje and Pieter Strydom were also implicated. On 8 April 2000 the UCBSA (United Cricket Board of South Africa) denied that any of their players were involved in match-fixing, Cronje said "<span style="color:#ffccff;">the allegations are completely without substance</span>". However, on April 11 Cronje was sacked as captain after confessing to Ali Bacher that he had not been "<span style="color:#ffccff;">entirely honest</span>". He admitted accepting between $10,000 and $15,000 from a London-based bookmaker for 'forecasting' results, not match fixing, during the recent one day series in India.
<br />On 7 June the King Commission began. The following day Gibbs revealed that Cronje had offered him $15,000 to score less than 20 runs in the 5th ODI at Nagpur. He also admitted another offer of <span style="color:#ffccff;">$15,000</span> to Henry Williams to concede more than 50 runs in that same match. Gibbs scored 74 off 53 balls and Williams injured his shoulder and couldn't complete his second over so neither received the $15,000. Off-spinner Derek Crookes, who was also a witness, admitted being surprised to open the bowling at Nagpur.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">On 15 June Cronje</span> released a statement that revealed all his contact with bookmakers. In 1996 during the third Test in Kanpur, he was introduced to Mukesh Gupta by Mohammad Azharuddin. Gupta gave Cronje $30,000 to persuade the South Africans to lose wickets on the last day to lose the match, South Africa were 127/5 chasing 460, Cronje was already out and spoke to no other players "I had received money for doing nothing". During the return tour Cronje received $50,000 from Gupta for team information.
<br />In the 2000 Centurion Test Marlon Aronstam contacted him offering R500,000 for the charity of his choice together with a gift if Cronje declared and made a game of it. He also admitted asking Pieter Strydom to place an R50 bet on South Africa to win for him. After the match Aronstam visited Cronje giving him two amounts of money (R30,000 and R20,000) together with a leather jacket. The promised R500,000 did not materialise. Before the one-day series Cronje received repeated calls from "Sanjay" asking to fix a match, Cronje gave him the names of Gibbs, Strydom and Boje to try and get rid of him. But Cronje was offered $140,000 for the fifth ODI if Gibbs scored under 20, Williams went for more than 50 and South Africa scored around 270.On 28 August Gibbs and Williams were suspended from playing international cricket for 6 months. Gibbs was also fined R60,000 and Williams R10,000, while Strydom received no punishment .
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">On 11 October Cronje</span> was banned from playing or coaching cricket for life . He challenged his life ban in September 2001 but on 17 October 2001 his application was dismissed .
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Plane Crash: </span>
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">On 1 June 2002</span> Cronje's scheduled flight home from Bloemfontein to George had been grounded so instead he hitched a ride as the only passenger on a cargo flight in a Hawker Siddeley HS 748 turboprop aircraft. Near George airport, the pilots lost visibility in cloud, and were unable to land, partly due to unserviceable navigational equipment. While circling, the plane crashed into the Outeniqua mountains northeast of the airport. Cronje, aged 32, and the two pilots were killed instantly.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In August 2006</span> an inquest into the plane crash by South Africa's High Court started - the inquest reached the conclusion that "<span style="color:#ffccff;">the death of the deceased Wessel Johannes (Hansie) Cronje was brought about by an act or omission prima facie amounting to an offence on the part of pilots</span>."
<br />However, theories that Cronje was murdered - on the orders of a cricket betting syndicate - have flourished since his death, and were most recently re-floated by former Nottinghamshire coach Clive Rice in the wake of the death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer in March 2007 . Cronje's alleged involvement in match-fixing, the suspicion of murder in both the Cronje and Woolmer cases and the links between cricketers and betting syndicates have since appeared in the 2008 novel Raffles and the Match-Fixing Syndicate by Adam Corres.
<br />Hansie, a biographical film about the life of Hansie Cronje was released on 26 September 2008. The film was written by older brother Frans Cronje and directed by Regardt van den Bergh. The title role is played by Frank Rautenbach.
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<br /></span></strong></span></strong>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-45372949818590571582008-10-14T23:09:00.000-07:002008-10-14T23:57:32.675-07:00Ian Botham History<strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Full Name: Ian Terence Botham.<br />Nickname: Beefy.<br />Date of Birth: 24 November. 1955.<br />Place of Birth: Heswall, England.<br />Batting Style: Right Handed Batsman.<br />Role: All Rounder.<br />Bowling Style: Right Arm Fast Medium.<br />Test Debut: 26 August 1976 vs West Indies.<br />ODI Debut : 28 July 1977 vs Australia.<br />Playing Teams: Durham(1992-93), Worcestershire(1987-91), Queensland(1987-88), Somerset(1974-86) and England.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER: </span></strong><br /><strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#9999ff;">Matches: 63.<br />Runs: 2113.<br />Best Score: 79.<br />100’s/50’s: 0/9.<br />Bat Average: 23.21.<br />Wickets: 145.<br />5w’s/10w’s: 0/0;<br />Best Bowling: 4/31.<br />Bowl Average: 28.54.<br />Catches: 36.<br /><br /><span style="color:#66ff99;">TEST CAREER: </span></span><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;"><br />Matches: 102.<br />Runs: 5200.<br />Best Score: 208.<br />100’s/50’s: 14/22.<br />Bat Average: 33.54.<br />Wickets: 383.<br />5w’s/10w’s: 27/4.<br />Best Bowling: 8/34.<br />Bowl Average: 28.40.<br />Catches: 23.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">First Class / List A ::</span><br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><br /></span>Matches: 402/470.<br />Runs: 19399/10474.<br />Best Score: 228/175*<br />100’s: 38/7.<br />50’s : 97/46.<br />Bat Average: 33.97/29.50 .<br />Wickets: 1172/612.<br />5wicket’s: 59/3.<br />10 Wicket’s: 8/0<br />Best Bowling: 8-34/5-27<br />Bowl Average: 27.22/24.94.<br />Catches: 354/196.<br /><br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Botham’s Personal Information:<br /></span><br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;">Sir Ian Terence Botham</span>, OBE (<span style="color:#ffccff;">born 24 November 1955</span>) is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well known by his nicknames "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Beefy</span>" and "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Guy the Gorilla</span>". While a controversial player both on and off the field at times, Botham also held a number of test cricket records, and still retains the highest number of wickets taken by any England bowler.<br /> <span style="color:#ffccff;">He married (Kathy) Kathryn Waller in 1976 in the borough of Doncaster, whom he first met in June 1974. After their marriage they lived until the late 1980s in Epworth near Scunthorpe. He has two daughters Becky (born November 1985) and Sarah, and a son Liam (born August 1977). Sarah works for Sky as a production assistant, and Liam was a professional cricketer and rugby player, before becoming a commentator for Sky Sports. They, their son, his wife and three children, now live in Ravensworth in North Yorkshire.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">A part from Cricket::<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">A talented footballer as well as cricketer</span>, Botham had to choose very early in his career whether to play professional football or cricket. At one point during his career, in an effort to get fit after an injury, he joined football club Scunthorpe United in March 1980, where he played as a centre forward and made 11 appearances in the Football League. He also had a spell at Yeovil Town.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">In the Early Years…….</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span>Botham was born in Heswall, Wirral to Herbert Leslie Botham (who worked for Westland) and Violet Marie Collett (a nurse). Both his mother and father played cricket. He went to Milford Junior School in Yeovil, Somerset, where his "love affair" with sport began, and played for Somerset Under-15s. He left Buckler's Mead Comprehensive School at 15, being only interested in playing cricket for Somerset, although he also had an offer to play football with Crystal Palace F.C. From an early age he was always single-minded. When informed that Ian wanted to be a sportsman, the careers master at his school said to him <span style="color:#ffccff;">'Fine, everyone wants to play sport, but what are you really going to do?</span>'.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Domestic Performance:: </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In first-class cricket</span>, he scored <span style="color:#ffccff;">19,399 runs</span> at <span style="color:#ffccff;">33.97</span>, took <span style="color:#ffccff;">1,172 wickets</span> at <span style="color:#ffccff;">27.22</span> and held <span style="color:#ffccff;">354 catches</span>. He played for Durham, Somerset and Worcestershire, as well as a season (1986-87) in Australia playing for Queensland.<br />Botham started his first-class career in 1974 with Somerset. In 1985 he resigned from the Somerset County Cricket Club to protest the sacking of his friends Viv Richards and Joel Garner. He joined Worcestershire, playing for them between 1986 and 1991. In 1992, he joined County Championship newcomers Durham before retiring midway through the 1993 season, poignantly after Durham's match against the touring Australians. In 1974, when playing against Hampshire and facing the West-Indian fast bowler Andy Roberts, a bouncer hit him straight in the mouth. He spat out teeth and simply carried on..<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;">International Performance:</span> </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Test Debut</span>:: Botham made his Test debut for England on 28 July 1977 in the Third Test against Australia. He went on to enjoy a Test career spanning 15 years, in which he played in 102 matches.<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Botham finshed with 5,200 career runs at an average of 33.54; taking 383 wickets at an average of 28.40;</span> <span style="color:#ffccff;">and holding 120 catches</span>. He is recognised as one of England's greatest Test players. He was also England's captain for 12 Tests in 1980 and 1981. As captain Botham is generally considered to have been unsuccessful in that role. His tenure was brief and he achieved no win, 8 draws and 4 losses. In his defence, 9 of his matches as captain were against the best team of the time, the West Indies.<br />Compared with many of cricket's greatest players, most of whom were specialists, Botham's averages are fairly ordinary but this overlooks the fact of Botham's all-rounder status, which is uncommonly achieved at world-class level. Of note Botham's first 202 wickets came at 21.20 per wicket, while his final 181 cost on average 36.43 a piece; the first figure one that would make Botham one of the greatest bowlers of the modern era, ranking alongside the West Indian greats Curtly Ambrose (career average 20.99), Malcolm Marshall (career average 20.94), and Joel Garner (career average 20.97), but the second number depicts a player who, as a specialist bowler, would be unable to sustain a place in many test teams. This difference can be at least partially attributed to Botham's bowling pace being severely diminished by back injury.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Botham's batting</span> - although never the equal of his bowling abilities - declined as well, with a batting average of 38.80 for his first 51 tests substantially higher than the 28.87 he managed in his last 51 tests, again a number that would be considered unsatisfactory for a specialist batsman in most Test sides.<br />Despite the obvious decline in his form, Botham retained his reputation of playing to extremes and so, if he played well, he could seem to win a match on his own. He was renowned as a big-hitting batsman, but with a surprisingly classical technique, and as a fast-medium paced swing bowler who could be very effective indeed when atmospheric conditions favoured his style.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">ODI Performance::<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Botham ODI career included 116 games from 1976 to 1992.</span> He made his debut on August 26th against the West Indies at Scarborough. He finished with a batting average of 23.21 (nine 50s, no 100s, culmative score 2113 runs), and a bowling average of 28.5 (strike rate 43.24, 145 wickets in total, best figures 4/31).<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Botham’s Performance in Ashes 1981:: </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In the late 1980</span> he resigned the captaincy after a loss and a draw in the first two Tests of the 1981 Ashes series. The resignation itself was the cause of controversy, with Alec Bedser, the Chairman of the selection panel, making it clear to the media that Botham would have been fired in any event. Botham himself refers to the event as his "<span style="color:#ffccff;">dismissal</span>" in his autobiography. In this Test, his last as England captain, Botham was dismissed for a pair, the game being the Second Test, played at Lord's. He returned to an embarrassed silence in the pavilion and after the previous year's events at the centenary Test, this possibly was the final straw. For the rest of his cricketing career, Botham always refused to acknowledge the pavilion members when he played at Lord's.<br />Mike Brearley, the captain Botham had replaced, took over the reins for the Third Test scheduled for 16 to 21 July, at Headingley. <span style="color:#ffccff;">Australia won the toss and elected to bat</span>. They batted all day Thursday and most of Friday, declaring after tea at <span style="color:#ffccff;">401 for 9,</span> John Dyson having made 102 and Botham having taken 6 for 95. The England openers Graham Gooch and Geoff Boycott survived the remaining few overs, and England finished the day on 7 for no wicket.<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">The next day, Saturday</span>, was a disaster for England: Gooch was out in the first over of the day, and although Boycott and Brearley then attempted to dig in, they were both out before lunch. None of the other batsmen got going at all with the exception of Botham who top scored with 50 — his first half century since his first Test as captain 13 matches earlier. England were all out in the third session for 174. Australia enforced the follow on and piled on the pressure, Gooch was out for 0 on the third ball of the first over caught by Terry Alderman off the bowling of Dennis Lillee. By the close, England had struggled to just 6 for 1, still 221 behind Australia.<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Sunday 19 July</span> was a rest day and the papers roasted the lamentable England team. Morale was not improved by the news that Ladbrokes were offering 500-1 against England winning the match. (Controversially, the Australian wicket keeper Rod Marsh and opening bowler Dennis Lillee both placed bets on England to win, claiming that 500-1 were silly odds on any two-horse race.)<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">On Monday morning</span> the odds began to look generous as first Brearley, then David Gower and Mike Gatting all fell cheaply to reduce England to 41 for 4. Boycott was still anchored at the other end however and he and Peter Willey added 50 runs before lunch. In the afternoon however, Willey was out for 33 and England were in deep trouble at 105 for 5 as Botham walked out to bat. Matters did not improve as first Geoff Boycott and then Bob Taylor were soon dismissed. At 135 for 7 an innings defeat looked almost certain.<br />By all accounts, both teams' players thought Australia would win the match. When Graham Dilley joined him at the crease, Botham reportedly said, "Right then, let's have a bit of fun...". With able support from Dilley (56) and Chris Old (29), Botham hit out and by the close of play was 145 not out with Bob Willis hanging on at the other end on 1 not out. England's lead was just 124 but there was hope. On the final day's play there was time for just four more runs from Botham before Willis was out and Botham was left on 149 not out. Wisden rated this innings as the 4th best of all time.<br />Willis' real contribution was with the ball. After Botham took the first wicket, Willis skittled Australia out for just 111, finishing with figures of 8 for 43 - rated by Wisden as the 7th best bowling performance of all time. England had won by just 18 runs. It was only the second time in history that a team following on had won a Test match.<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">The next Test match</span>, at Edgbaston, looked almost as hopeless for England. In a low scoring match (no-one made a score over 48), Australia needed 151 to win. At 105-5, things looked a little worrying for them, but an Australian win was still the most likely result. Botham then took 5 wickets for 1 run in 28 balls to give England the win by 29 runs. Later, Brearley said that Botham hadn't wanted to bowl and had to be persuaded.<br />The Old Trafford Test was less of a turnaround and more of a team performance than the previous two Tests, but Botham again was England's hero, scoring 118 in what Lillee claimed was a better innings than his Headingley heroics. His sixes in this innings have themselves become a part of cricketing folklore; three of the five were from Lillee's bowling, two of them in the same over. Remarkably, even though he seemed to take his eye off the ball while hooking some fearsome Lillee bouncers, his sheer power and strength carried the ball over the boundary ropes. Botham had joined Chris Tavaré with the score at 104-5. Botham then scored 118 in a partnership of 149 before he was dismissed. In total Botham batted for 5 hours shorter than Tavaré and yet scored 40 more runs. England won the match, then drew the last match at The Oval (Botham took 6 wickets in the first innings) to take the series 3-1. Unsurprisingly, Botham was named man of the series, scoring 399 runs and taking 34 wickets.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Some Records of Ian Botham::<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">· Sir Ian Botham holds a number of Test records as an all-rounder, including being the fastest (in terms of matches) to achieve the "doubles" of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets, 2,000 runs and 200 wickets, and 3,000 runs and 300 wickets.<br /><br />· He briefly held the world record for the greatest number of Test wickets, although his tally has subsequently been passed by several players, hoowever he still holds the record for the highest number of test wickets ever taken by an Englishman at 383.<br /><br />· Botham scored a century and took 5 wickets in an innings in the same Test match on 5 occasions; no-one else has managed this feat more than twice.<br /><br />· In 1980, playing against India, he became the first player to score a century and take ten wickets in a Test match (Alan Davidson was the first to score 100 runs and take 10 wickets in a Test but that did not include a century).<br /><br />· During the 1981 Ashes (see below), Botham set a record of six sixes in a single Ashes Test Match at Old Trafford. That record remained unbroken until August 7 2005 when Andrew Flintoff scored five in the first innings and four in the second innings of the second Test at Edgbaston, and again until September 12 2005, when Kevin Pietersen hit seven sixes in the second innings of the last Test at The Oval.<br /><br />Some Achievements of Ian Botham::<br />· 2008 Botham was awarded an honorary doctorate in Sports Science by Leeds Metropolitan University.<br />· 2008 Botham was awarded an honorary degree with the title Doctor of Laws from the University of Bath.<br />· 2007 Botham was knighted by the Queen in the Queen's Birthday Honours, again in recognition of his cricket achievements and his sustained efforts in raising money for Leukaemia research (see above). The ceremony took place at Buckingham Palace on 10 October 2007.<br />· 2004 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.<br />· 2003 First ever President of Leukaemia Research, the UK's leading blood cancer charity.<br />· 1992 Botham was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to cricket and for his charity work in the Queen's Birthday Honours.<br />· 1988 Awarded Pipe Smoker of the Year.<br />· 1981 Voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year.<br />· 1978 He was elected a Wisden cricketer of the year.<br />· 2003 First ever Persident of Leukaemia Research, the UK’s leading blood cancer charity.<br /></span><br /></span></strong>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-46279520501981604042008-10-14T22:31:00.000-07:002008-10-14T22:45:35.817-07:00Dennis Lille History<strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Name: Dennis Lille.
<br />Nickname: Lille.
<br />Date of Birth: 18 July, 1949 in Subiaco, Western Australia..
<br />Place of Birth: Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia.
<br />Batting Style: Right Handed Batsman.
<br />Role: Pace Bowler.
<br />Bowling Style: Right Arm Fast.
<br />Test Debut: Against England in Ashes in 1970/71 season.
<br />Playing Teams:.Australia, Western Australia.
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<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER:</span></strong>
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<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">Matches: 63.
<br />Runs: 240.
<br />Best Score: 42*.
<br />100’s/50’s: 0/0.
<br />Bat Average: 9.23.
<br />Wickets: 103.
<br />5w’s/10w’s: 1/0;
<br />Best Bowling: 5/34.
<br />Bowl Average: 20.82.
<br />Catches: 67
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<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">TEST CAREER:</span>
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<br />Matches: 70.
<br />Runs: 905.
<br />Best Score: 73*.
<br />100’s/50’s: 1/0.
<br />Bat Average: 13.71.
<br />Wickets: 355.
<br />5w’s/10w’s: 23/7;
<br />Best Bowling: 7/83.
<br />Bowl Average: 23.92.
<br />Catches: 23.
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<br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Dennis Lille’s Personal Information:
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<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;">Dennis Keith Lillee</span> (born July 18, 1949 in Subiaco, Western Australia) was an Australian cricketer. Australia's most consistent fast bowler during the 1970s and early 1980s, Lillee was known for his fiery temperament, <span style="color:#ffccff;">'never-say-die'</span> attitude and popularity with the fans.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">In the Early Years…….
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<br />In the early part of his career Lillee was an extremely quick bowler, but a number of stress fractures in his back almost ended his career. Taking on a strict fitness regime, he fought his way back to full fitness, eventually returning to international cricket. By the time of his retirement from international cricket in 1984 he had become the then world record holder for most Test wickets (<span style="color:#ffccff;">355</span>), and had firmly established himself as one of the most recognisable and renowned Australian sportsmen of all time.
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">First class Debut:</span> Aged 20, Lillee made his first-class debut for Western Australia in 1969-70 and impressed with his raw pace. At the end of the season, he toured New Zealand with an Australian second team and took 18 wickets at 16.44 average.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">International Performance::
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ffccff;">Test Debut</span>:: The following season, he made his Test debut in the sixth Ashes Test at Adelaide, taking 5/83 from 28.3 eight-ball overs. In 1971–72 against a World XI at Perth, he destroyed a powerful batting lineup that included Garry Sobers, Clive Lloyd, Rohan Kanhai and Sunil Gavaskar by taking 8/29. Lillee followed this performance with a successful Ashes tour of England in 1972, when he "asserted himself as a great bowler". In a series that ended 2–2, he was the outstanding bowler on either team, taking 31 wickets at an average of 17.67. This earned him selection as one of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year for 1973.
<br />In 1973, during a tour of the West Indies, Lillee was diagnosed with an incredible four spinal stress fractures, and he was forced out of cricket.
<br />Many journalists and fans alike thought that his career may have ended, but Lillee persevered and put himself onto an intensive physiotherapy course, reshaping his bowling action.Following his strict fitness regime, Lillee returned to competitive cricket just eighteen months after being diagnosed with his potentially career-ending injuries, and soon re-established himself in the Australian Test team.
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">During his Injuries</span>:: Lillee bowls to a nine-man slip cordon during a 1977 Test match in New Zealand.
<br />During a Test against Pakistan in the <span style="color:#ffccff;">1972–73 season</span>, Lillee felt sharp pain in his back for the first time, but continued to play. On the tour of the West Indies that followed, Lillee broke down completely and was diagnosed with stress fracture in his lower vertebrae. Forced out of cricket, he spent six weeks during the winter of 1973 wearing a plaster cast that encased his entire torso. After the removal of the cast, he played club cricket in Perth as a specialist batsman.
<br />There was speculation that his bowling career was over. Lillee persevered, undergoing an intensive physiotherapy routine and remodelling his bowling action.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 1974–75</span>, he returned to Test cricket for the <span style="color:#ffccff;">Ashes series</span> and was paired with Queensland fast bowler Jeff Thomson to form one of the most effective opening bowling combinations in Test cricket. The pair was a major factor in Australia's emphatic <span style="color:#ffccff;">4–1</span> victory. In 1975, the University of Western Australia timed <span style="color:#ffccff;">Lillee's bowling at 154.8 km/h.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Lille Player of World Series Cricket::</span>
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<br />Remaining in Australia to do television commentatary on the tour, Lillee was isolated from the furore in England surrounding the plans for the breakaway professional competition, <span style="color:#ffccff;">WSC</span>. He was announced as one of the <span style="color:#ffccff;">WSC</span> players in May 1977. The Lillee image and personality were key components in WSC's innovative marketing of their games. However, he struggled on-field during the first season of WSC and in the winter of 1978 made further adjustments to his action. He also spent time working with ex-World professional sprint champion Austin Robertson, improving his running technique and fitness. In nine "Supertests" (four in Australia and five in the West Indies) .
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 1977</span> Lillee was one of the Australian players to join World Series Cricket, backed by media mogul Kerry Packer, resulting in his enforced absence from the Test and one-day international teams.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">During 1978–79</span>, Lillee captured 46 wickets at 22.5 average, with a best of <span style="color:#ffccff;">7/23</span> against the West Indies XI at the SCG.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;">After working with ex-World Professional Sprint Champion Austin Robertson::</span> </span></span></strong>
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<br /><strong>Cutting down his pace and the length of his run up, Lillee now concentrated on moving the ball off the seam with an occasional faster or slower ball for variation. During the season of his return to official cricket, Lillee collected 35 Test wickets in six matches against the West Indies and England, and gave Australia's bowling attack stability while the selectors experimented with the team. In the World Series Cup, his changed style helped to bring him 20 wickets (at 12.7 average) in eight ODIs, including 4/12 against West Indies and 4/28 against England, both at the SCG. However, the tour of Pakistan that followed was ruined for Lillee by flat batting pitches prepared by local curators to blunt his effectiveness. He managed just three wickets in three Tests.
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 1980/81 season::</span> Lille performed dramatically well against New Zealand in 1980-81 season. He took 37 wickets in six Tests and was the leading bowler in the world Series Cup for the second successive season .Australia could able to achieve their first victory in the competition due his performace . He took 25 wickets single handadly. . After breaking Richie Benaud's Australian Test record of 248 wickets, Lillee toured England in 1981 when his preparation was compromised by a viral infection. A return of 39 Test wickets (at 22.30) for series was the best of his career and he won man of the match awards in the first and last Tests. Lillee formed a penetrative partnership with fellow West Australian Terry Alderman, who claimed an Australian record of 41 wickets.
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<br />Lillee became the then-world record holder for number of Test wickets in 1981 during one of his most famous Test performances. Late on day one of the traditional Boxing Day match in Melbourne, Lillee ripped through the strong West Indian batting line-up, dismissing Desmond Haynes, Colin Croft, and (famously) Viv Richards, to leave them at 4 for 10 at stumps. The next day he went on to innings figures of<span style="color:#ffccff;"> 7 for 83</span>, and his dismissal of Larry Gomes saw him pass Lance Gibbs' record of 309 Test wickets.
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Betting at Headingly in 1981 tour of England</span>: At Headingley on the 1981 tour of England, Australia was in such a strong position at one stage of the third Test that bookmakers at the ground were offering odds of 500–1 on an England victory. These odds were flashed on the scoreboard during a break in the game and noticed by the Australian players. Lillee and Rod Marsh believed that the odds were so ludicrous that, via a third party, they each put a small wager on the outcome, later describing their actions as a "<span style="color:#ffccff;">joke</span>". Between them, they collected <span style="color:#ffccff;">7,500 pounds</span> when England pulled off a comeback victory. Both men openly discussed the incident and received no official censure or sanction, although some criticised their actions. There has never been a suggestion that the bets compromised their efforts in the game. However, the issue has been re-examined in modern times following the match-fixing scandals that have plagued international cricket since the mid-1990s.
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In the 1981–82 season</span>:: Lillee's season got off to a poor start when he was involved in the infamous incident with Javed Miandad (see below) in the first Test of the summer. Suspended for two ODIs, the level of his on-field aggression was again criticised. However, he continued taking wickets: 15 in three Tests against Pakistan and 16 in three Tests against the West Indies. Against the latter, his 7/83 and 3/44 at the MCG in the first Test took him past the world record for the most Test wickets held by Lance Gibbs. His ODI season was less successful, with 12 wickets in 12 games. His best effort was 2/18 in ten overs against the West Indies during the third final of the World Series Cup, the only match in the final series Australia was able to win.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ffccff;">Lille against New Zealand in March 1982:: </span></strong>
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<br /><strong>Bowling as a first-change, Lillee had an uneventful tour of New Zealand in March and April 1982 before suffering a serious knee injury in the first Ashes Test at the WACA Ground in November of the same year. This forced him to miss the rest of the series and Australia's 2–1 victory, which reclaimed the Ashes. Returning to the team for the latter stages of the World Series Cup, Lillee was no longer an automatic choice to take the new ball. Nevertheless, his 11 wickets in six ODIs helped Australia win the tournament with a victory over New Zealand in the final.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ffccff;">Lille against Srilanka in Srilanka in 1983::</span></strong>
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<br /></span>His wicket-taking capacity was diminishing. During Australia's brief tour of Sri Lanka in 1983, Lillee took three wickets at Kandy in the inaugural Test between the two nations and went wicket-less in two ODIs. Later in the year, his ODI career finished during the third World Cup in England when he conceded 52 runs from 12 overs in the match against the West Indies at Lord's. Dropped from the team, Lillee acknowledged that he was not fully fit, but he remained motivated to continue in Test cricket by the number of people who had written him off.</strong>
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ffccff;">Lille in 1983-84 Season::
<br /></span>During the first two Tests of<span style="color:#ffccff;"> 1983–84</span> against Pakistan at Perth, he took only one wicket and looked set to be dropped from the Test team as well. Fate intervened when Carl Rackemann, the man of the match from the second Test, was injured. This allowed Lillee to play the rest of the Test series and he finished with 20 wickets at 31.65. Along with Greg Chappell he announced his retirement during the final Test at Sydney, and took eight wickets, including a wicket with his last delivery in the match.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">After Lille’s Retirement:: </span></strong>
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<br />Lillee made a brief comeback to first-class cricket in 1987–88 for Tasmania. In 1988, he played eight matches for English county team Northants and suffered a severe ankle injury. In his recent autobiography, Lillee claimed that he played again as a preparation for a possible comeback to the Australian team that was suggested by the then captain Allan Border.
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<br />By the time of his retirement Lillee was the most successful Test bowler in history, with 355 wickets at the outstanding average of 23.92, although his record was eventually taken over by English bowler Ian Botham.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">During the 1990s</span> and in the early years of the 21st century Lillee has dedicated himself to educating and improving young fast bowlers, working closely with bowlers from all around the world. He is currently considered one of the finest fast bowling coaches in the world. Lillee continued playing competitive cricket until 1999 for the traditional ACB President's XI match against touring sides at Lilac Hill. In his final match he took three wickets and played alongside his son Adam.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Some Records and Achievements of Lille::
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">· He was one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1973
<br />· He was one of the ten inaugural inductees into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 1996
<br />· He was selected in the official Australian Test Team of the Century
<br />· He was immortalized in the Men at Work song "No Restrictions" with the line: "Hear the cricket calling, switch on the TV, sit and stare for hours, and cheer Dennis Lillee." </span>
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<br /></span></span></strong>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-25016114250522554272008-10-14T02:44:00.000-07:002008-10-14T02:53:23.770-07:00Clive Lloyd History<strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Name: Clive Lloyd.
<br />Nickname: Big C, Hubert.
<br />Date of Birth: August 31, 1944.
<br />Place of Birth: Queenstown, Georgetown, Demerara, British Guiana.
<br />Batting Style: Left Handed Batsman.
<br />Role: Batsman and Part time Bowler.
<br />Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium.
<br />Height: 6feet 5 inches.
<br />ODI Debut: Against England at Leeds, sep 5. 1973.
<br />Test Debut: Against India at Mumbai, Dec 13. 1966.
<br />Playing Teams: West Indies, British Guiana, Guyana, and Lancashire.
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<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER:</span></strong>
<br /><strong>
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">Matches: 87.
<br />Runs: 1977.
<br />Best Score: 102.
<br />100’s/50’s: 1/11.
<br />Bat Average: 39.53.
<br />Wickets: 8.
<br />5w’s/10w’s: 0/0;
<br />Best Bowling: 2/4.
<br />Bowl Average: 26.25.
<br />Catches: 39.
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<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">TEST CAREER:</span>
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<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">Matches: 110.
<br />Runs: 7515.
<br />Best Score: 242* vs. India at Mumbai in 1974/75.
<br />100’s/50’s: 19/39.
<br />Bat Average: 46.67.
<br />Wickets: 10.
<br />5w’s/10w’s: 0/0;
<br />Best Bowling: 2/22.
<br />Bowl Average: 62.20.
<br />Catches: 90.
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<br /></span><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Clive Lloyd’s Personal Information:
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Clive Hubert Lloyd</span> CBE born 31 August 1944 in Georgetown, British Guiana (now Guyana), is a former West Indies Cricketer. Clive Lloyd was<span style="color:#ffccff;"> 6'5"</span> with stooped shoulders, a large moustache and thick glasses (his eyes were damaged when he was 12 as he attempted to break up a fight at school), Clive Lloyd was the crucial ingredient in the rise of West Indian cricket. A cousin of Lance Gibbs, he was a hard-hitting batsmen and one of the most successful captains in history. An almost ponderous, lazy gait belied the speed and power at his command and the astute tactical brain that led the West Indies to the top of world cricket for two decades
<br /> <span style="color:#ffccff;">He captained the West Indies between 1974 and 1985 and oversaw their rise to become the dominant Test-playing nation</span>, a position that was only relinquished in the latter half of the 1990s. He is still one of the most successful Test captains of all time: during his captaincy the side had a run of 27 matches without defeat, which included 11 wins in succession (Viv Richards acted as captain for one of the 27 matches, against Australia at Port of Spain in 1983-84). He was the first West Indian player to earn 100 international caps. Lloyd captained the West Indies in three World Cups. They won the 1975 final (Lloyd scoring a majestic century) and the 1979 final. They were very strong favourites for the 1983 final but surprisingly lost to India.
<br />Lloyd was a useful right-arm medium-pacer too, taking <span style="color:#ffccff;">114 first-class wickets in all (including a best of 4-48</span>, Lancashire v Leicestershire at Old Trafford, 1970) with 10 in Tests. He was awarded a testimonial by Lancashire in 1977 (that raised £27,199) made captain of the club in 1981 and brought his children up in the county.
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<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Clive Lloyd on the other hand: </span>
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<br />Although Lloyd has worked as a <span style="color:#ffccff;">civil servant for Guyana Ministry of Health</span>, he has remained involved in cricket. He has coached and commentated on the game, as well as managing the Guyana team. A promising career as ICC Match Official (he officiated in both semi-final and final of the 1996 World Cup) was put on hold to take on the management of the West Indies team after their disappointments in the World Cup. It was a frustrating period for Lloyd, whose hands were tied by the decision not to appoint him as a full selector (although he was a selector while on tour), and whose responsibilities became increasingly administrative. He resigned at the end of the 1999 tour of New Zealand after a three-year period that coincided with a decline in the fortunes of West Indies cricket. </span>
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<br /> With that experience behind him, he resumed his duties as an ICC Match Referee - a position he occupied with great presence and no little humour to earn the respect and confidence of the players. They knew he understands the game as well as anyone and that he holds the good of the game in the highest regard at all times.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 2008</span> Lloyd was appointed the chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee after Sunil Gavaskar stepped down to pursue his role as a media columnist and commentator.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Clive Lloyd’s International Performance::
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">First Class Debut</span>: Lloyd made his first-class debut as a left-hand middle-order batsman in the then British Guiana in 1963-64 and played for Haslingden in the Lancashire League in 1967. Warwickshire before signing for Lancashire, making his debut for them in 1968, and winning his cap the following season offered him terms.</span>
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Test Debut</span>: Lloyd had already made his Test debut, against India at Mumbai (then Bombay) in December 1966, hitting 82 and 78 not out as he put on 102 runs with Sobers to win the match on a pitch helping the spinners. His first home Test also brought his first Test century, 118 against England in Trinidad that helped stave off defeat. Another century followed in the fourth Test of that series to confirm he was at home at the highest level. Touring Australia in 1968-69 he hit another Test century, at Brisbane, in his first Test against them.
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<br /> <span style="color:#ffccff;">Batting Technique</span>: Lloyd was a tall, powerful middle-order batsman and occasional medium-pace bowler. In his youth he was also one of the finest cover point fielders of his generation. He scored over 7500 runs at Test level, at an average of 46.67. His scholarly appearance and slight stoop masked his obvious talent as a batsman. He wore his famous glasses due to a fight when he was young at school, which damaged his eyes.<span style="color:#ffccff;"> He hit 77 sixes in his Test career</span>, which is the sixth highest number of any player. He played for his home nation of Guyana in West Indies domestic cricket, and for Lancashire (he was made captain in 1981) in England. His Test match debut came in 1966. In 1971 he was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year. He is a cousin of spin bowler Lance Gibbs.
<br />Since retiring as a player, Lloyd has remained heavily involved in cricket, managing the West Indies in the late 1990s, and coaching and commentating. He was an ICC match referee from 2001-2006.
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<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 2005</span>, Lloyd offered his patronage to <span style="color:#ffccff;">Major League Cricket for their inaugural Interstate Cricket Cup in the United States</span>, to be named the Sir Clive Lloyd Cup.
<br />He currently serves as the manager of the West Indian cricket team.
<br />His son, Jason Clive Lloyd, is a goalkeeper for the Guyana national football team.
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<br /> <span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Clive Lloyd performance in County Cricket::</span>
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<br /> Lloyd was named a “<span style="color:#ffccff;">Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1971</span>” for his performances i, when he'd scored 1600 runs for Lancashire at 47. Often raising his game for the big occasion, he struck 126 against Warwickshire at Lord's to help Lancashire to the Gillette Cup (1972), and hit a wonderful century in the first ever World Cup Final at Lord's in 1975 to take the West Indies to victory.
<br />At his best Lloyd was a flamboyant destroyer of bowling. His heavy bat, powerful shoulders and full swing of the arms could turn the course of any game, <span style="color:#ffccff;">once scoring 201* in just 120 minutes against Glam organ - equaling the record for the fastest ever first-class double hundred (1976)</span>.
<br />Clive Lloyd leading West Indian Team: Lloyd's first tour as captain (1974-75) marked a dramatic improvement after a run of low scores. 163 in the First Test at Ban galore (his century came in just 85 balls) was followed by a Test-best 242* in the Fifth Test in Mumbai to set up a series-deciding win for the West Indies. Often he was obliged to curb his natural, attacking instincts in order to work his team out of trouble, as on the tour of Australia of 1975-76 where he scored 469 runs at an average of 46.9 as his team were swept aside 5-1 by Thomson and Lillie.
<br />Lloyd's final record as captain was remarkable, including a run of 26 Tests without defeat, and 11 successive wins. He also became the first West Indian to win 100 Test caps. Having been a schoolboy athletics champion, he became a brilliant cover fielder before knee problems forced a move to the slips, where he pouched many of his 90 Test catches.
<br /> <span style="color:#ffccff;">The unsuccessful tour of Australia</span> proved to be a major turning point in West Indian cricket however, as Lloyd decided to adopt the intimidatory tactics of the Australians and stack his team with fast bowlers. Some may say his job as captain was fairly straightforward: with a battery of fast bowlers including Roberts, Marshall, Garner, Holding and Croft at his command, and batsmen of the calibre of Greenidge, Haynes and Richards, he certainly had some handy players to call upon. But he instilled his talented side with the professionalism and determination to win consistently and when the conditions suited the opposition. He united the disparate threads of the separate nations that make up the West Indies, and was the force that gelled them as a team rather than a bunch of talented individuals. There was controversy too, though. Slow over rates and intimidation of batsmen with short-pitched bowling were both characteristics of his reign as captain. His side changed the way Test cricket was played too, as other nations copied the formula of fast bowling and intimidation he had come to admire in Australia.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">In the End of Clive Lloyd’s career: :</span>
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<br />During the Packer crisis Lloyd resigned as captain after disagreeing with the selectors on the eve of a Test against Australia (1977-78), but he returned to lead his team to the 1979 World Cup. On the subsequent tour of Australia he underwent surgery on his knee that improved his mobility and effectiveness. Centuries at Adelaide and Old Trafford followed, and back in the West Indies he found the most consistent form of his career as in nine successive innings his lowest score was 49 (run out). He averaged 76 in the series against England and a phenomenal 172.50 in domestic cricket.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Playing against Australia in 1981</span>: Although age slightly decreased Lloyd's belligerence at the crease, he remained a key player in the middle order; able to dig the team out of trouble or add impetus when applicable. In Australia in 1981 he played the crucial innings to secure the West Indies a win at Adelaide to draw a series that had seemed destined to be won by Australia, encouraging his fast bowlers to rush on to the pitch and carry him off on their shoulders. Normal service was resumed with home and away victories against India and Australia. On his final tours he averaged 67 in England (1984) as the West Indies completed a famous 5-0 "<span style="color:#ffccff;">blackwash</span>", and <span style="color:#ffccff;">50.85</span> against Australia (1984-85) as he helped secure a 3-1 triumph.
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Bennet King Praises Clive Lloyd:</span>
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<br />Bennet King Could not have been far from pulling on the maroon gear when his team were dowm to ten fit men for a brief while during West Indies’ match against Australia in Mumbai, Vinayak Samant, the former Mumbai cricketer and current vice-captain of the Cricket Club of India team, did fielding duties, although only for two overs, but as humbled as he would have been to be on the field with those who had played hundreds of international games, he would have been more at home than King. Samant's played 61 first-class matches to King's 0. But, as is fast becoming the trend in international cricket, King is coach not because of how much cricket he played, but because of what he cant teach. </span></strong>
<br /></span></strong>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-89965153729142125902008-09-21T08:07:00.000-07:002008-09-21T08:21:26.328-07:00History of Sanath Teran Jayasuriya<span style="font-weight: bold;">Name: Sanath Teran Jayasuriya.<br />Nick name : Sanath.<br />Date of Birth : 30 June 1969.<br />Place of Birth : Matara, Sri Lanka.<br />Batting Style : Slow Left Arm Orthodox.<br />Bowling Style : Right Arm Off break.<br />Role : Batsman (opener) and Part time bowler.<br />TEST Debut :<br />ODI Debut :<br />Playing Teams : Sri Lanka and Mumbai Indians (2008).<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL.</span><br /><br />Matches : 415(As on July 3, 2008).<br />Runs : 12,520.<br />Best : 189 against India at Sharjah in 2000.<br />Average : 32.43 (Bat)<br />100’s : 26<br />50’s : 65<br />Wickets : 310<br />Best Bowling : 6/29<br />Average : 36.40 (Bowl)<br />Catches : 117.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >TEST CAREER</span><br /><br />Matches : 110<br />Runs : 6,973<br />Best : 340 against India at Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1997.<br />Average : 40.07 (Bat)<br />100’s : 14<br />50’s : 31<br />Wickets : 98<br />Best Bowling: 5/34.<br />Average : 34.34<br />Catches : 78.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >Sanath's Personal Information………………….</span><br /><br />Sanath Teran Jayasuriya (born 30 June 1969 in Matara) is a Sri Lankan cricketer. The all-rounder has been a member of the Sri Lankan cricket team since 1989. He is the only player in the world to score over 12,000 runs and capture over 300 wickets in ODIs. He is also regarded by many critics and supporters as one of the best ODI players to ever play the game.<br /><br /> Jayasuriya was born to Dunstan and Breeda Jayasuriya in Matara and had his education at Servatius College, Matara. It was there that his cricketing talents were nourished by the Principal, G.L. Galappathy and coach Lionel Wagasinghe.. He has an elder brother, Chandana Jayasuriya.<br /><br /> His wife, Sandra, is a former flight attendant for Sri Lankan Airlines. Sanath and Sandra have 3 children.<br />Sanath Jayasuriya is the first cricketer to be appointed as a UN Goodwill Ambassador (by UNAIDS, Geneva) for his commitment to prevention of HIV/AIDS among young people in Sri Lanka.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >Sanath’s International Performance...................<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">Sanath’s batting Style……………..</span><br /><br />Sanath Jayasuriya revolutionized one day international batting with his aggressive tactics during the 1996 cricket world cup. The tactic used was to take advantage of the early fielding restrictions by smashing the opening bowlers to all parts of the cricket ground. This was a novel but potentially match-winning tactic at that time. Pretty soon this tactic became the standard opening batting strategy in world cricket. Glenn McGrath cited Jayasuriya in his toughest XI batsmen, noting "it is always a massive compliment to someone to say they changed the game, and his storming innings in the 1996 World Cup changed everyone's thinking about how to start innings."<br /><br /> Jayasuriya is known for cuts and pulls along with his trademark shot, a shot over point. Jayasuriya was promoted to the top of the batting order for ODIs during the 1995-96 tour of Australia, and, with Romesh Kaluwitharana they made use of the early over fielding restrictions to score freely. He was instrumental in Sri Lanka's victory in the 1996 Cricket World Cup, where he was adjudged Man of the Tournament in recognition of his all-round contributions.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >Starting from his career………………..</span><br /><br />His philosophy towards batting is summarized by an all-aggression approach and over the years he has dominated almost every one day bowling combination that he has faced at one stage or another. Batsmen such as Gilchrist and Afridi have similar styles but Jayasuriya is universally recognized as the most dangerous batsmen when on-song. This is because of his incredible record to make huge match-winning contributions once he gets in, he holds the record for the second highest amount of one day centuries and has scored the most 150+ scores. His devastating performances have ensured that Sri Lanka have won almost 80% of the matches that he scores over 50 in. This is due to the rapid rate in which he scores his runs as well as the physiological effect he has on opposition bowling attacks.<br /><br /> He was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1997 and served as captain of the Sri Lankan team in 38 Test matches from 1999 to 2003. He is a very useful all-rounder with a good batting average in both Test cricket and One Day Internationals, and an excellent batting strike rate in One Day Internationals.<br /><br /> As a left-arm orthodox spin bowler, he has a reasonable bowling average and economy rate. He regularly helps to decrease the workloads of strike bowlers Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas and as of August 2007 has 400 international wickets.<br /><br /> Jayasuriya is a skillful infielder, with a report prepared by Cricinfo in late 2005 showing that since the 1999 Cricket World Cup, he had affected the seventh highest number of run-outs in ODI cricket of any fieldsman, with the eleventh highest success rate.<br /><br /> Jayasuriya held the record for the highest Test score made by a Sri Lankan, 340 against India in 1997. This effort was part of a second-wicket partnership with Roshan Mahanama that set the then all-time record for any partnership in Test history, with 576 runs. Both records were surpassed in July 2006 when fellow Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene scored 374 as part of a 624-run partnership with Kumar Sangakkara against South Africa.<br /><br /> He also holds the world's second highest ODI score, jointly with Viv Richards, which are 189 runs against India. As of February 2007 he holds the four highest individual scores by a Sri Lankan, and seven of the top nine.<br />He currently holds the record fastest fifty in ODIs, scored off just 17 balls. Jayasuriya was the previous record-holder for the fastest century (off 48 balls), before losing that claim to Shahid Afridi of Pakistan. He has hit 241 sixes in one day internationals (ODIs) and currently holds the world record for most ODI sixes. He has become the fourth batsman to score more than 10,000 runs in ODIs. On 20 September 2005, during the Second Test of the home series against Bangladesh, Jayasuriya became the first Sri Lankan to play 100 Tests, and the 33rd Test cricketer to achieve this feat. He used to hold the record of scoring most runs in an ODI over (30; he has achieved this remarkable feat twice).This record is now with South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs (36 runs in an over).<br /><br /> Jayasuriya announced his intention to retire from Test cricket following the Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka in April 2006. He reversed his decision soon after however, joining the Sri Lankan cricket team in England in May 2006. Missing the first two Tests, Jayasuriya returned in the Third Test at Trent Bridge. Although his test performances were not notable, he scored two centuries in the one-day Natwest series, including scoring 152 off 99 balls in the final match. In that innings, he and Upul Tharanga (109) put on 286 runs for the first wicket, a new one-day international record. Jayasuriya's batting display earned him the Man of the Series award as Sri Lanka won the series 5-0.<br /><br /> Following the Natwest Trophy, Sri Lanka traveled to Holland for a two-match one-day series. In the first game, Jayasuriya scored 157 off 104 balls as Sri Lanka posted the highest team total in limited-overs cricket (443/9), beating the 438/9 South Africa scored against Australia in March 2006. Sri Lanka won the match by 195 runs. On a personal note the innings was his 4th score of over 150 in ODI cricket and he is currently the only player to do so. It was also his second successive score of 150 plus, another first in ODI cricket.<br />He also scored 2 centuries and 2 half-centuries in the 2007 Cricket World Cup held in the West Indies.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >Sanath’s performance in Twenty20……………..<br /><br /></span>During the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, Jayasuriya appeared to break his tradition of using Kookaburra bats by wielding a normal Reebok sponsored bat. He achieved two half centuries in the group stages against New Zealand and Kenya in this tournament. He also achieved a dubious record of having the most expensive figures in a Twenty20 international, having been hit for 64 runs in the maximum of 4 overs.<br />After the Twenty20 World Cup, Jayasuriya played in Sri Lanka's 3-2 One Day International series defeat against England, achieving limited success and then in the 2-0 Test series defeat in Australia. After scoring a half-century on day three of the first Test against England in Kandy, he announced he was to retire from Test cricket at the end of the match, but that he would continue to play in One Day Internationals. He also hit six fours in one over against James Anderson in his last Test innings of 78.<br />In December 2007, Jayasuriya confirmed that he has signed for Warwickshire for the 2008 Twenty20 Cup... In April 2008, he joined the Mumbai Indians to play in the IPL.<br />· After scoring a devastating 114 not out off just 48 balls for the Mumbai Indian against Chennai Jayasuria regained his position in the one day side after he had been dropped for the West Indies tour. He then followed up his century with a 17-ball 48 not out to surpass the Kolkata Knight Riders score of 67 in just the 6th over resulting in the biggest victory in twenty20 history (in terms of balls remaining. He currently leads the six-hitting board and is the tournament’s 3rd highest run scorer with 514 runs at a strike rate of about 160...<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >Sanaths Records in ODI.......................<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">Sanath has 18 “Man of the series” awards in ODI’s, they were……….<br /></span></span><ul style="font-weight: bold;"><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> In world cup 1996 which was won by his team. (Sri Lanka)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> In Singer cup 1996 played between 3 nations (Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan) in Singapore.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> In Pepsi Independence Cup 1997 Played between 4 nations (Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and New Zealand).</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Against India in 1997. </span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Against Zimbabwe in 1997/98.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">In Coca Cola Champions Trophy 2000/01 Played between 3 nations (Sri Lanka, India, Zimbabwe and UAE).</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">In Coca Cola cup 2001 Played between 3 nations (Sri Lanka, India, and New Zealand).</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">In LG Abans Triangular Series 2001/02 played between 3 nations (Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and West Indies).</span></li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;">In Asia cup 2004 played between 6 nations (Sri Lanka, India, UAE, Bangladesh, Honkong and Pakistan).</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">In Natwest Series 2006 played against England in England.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">In Laqshya Series 2007 played against Bangladesh in Sri Lanka.</span></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >Sanath’s Awards in Test Matches………………………...<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);font-size:85%;" >4 “Man of the Match” awards……………….</span></span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" > India [2], Zimbabwe [1] and Pakistan [1].</span></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">2 “Man of the Series” awards…………………</span></span><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" > India [1] and Pakistan [1].</span></li></ul>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-67076314160746950892008-08-11T09:25:00.000-07:002008-10-14T02:42:48.389-07:00History of Greg Chappell<span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Name : Gregory Stephen Chappell.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Nick name : Greg.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Date of Birth : 7 August 1948.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Place of Birth : Unley, South Australia, Australia.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Batting Style : Right Handed Batsman.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Bowling Style : Right Arm Medium.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Role : Batsman, Coach, Commentator.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Height : 1.85m (6feet 1inch)</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">TEST Debut : against England in December 1970.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">ODI Debut : against England in January 1971.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Playing Teams: Queensland (1973-84), Somerset (1968-69), South Australia (1966-73), and Australia (1970-84).</span><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL::</span><br /></span></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Matches : 74. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Runs : 2331.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best : 138*.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 4018(Bat).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">100’s : 3.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">50’s : 14</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wickets : 72.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best Bowling: 5/15.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 29.12(Bowling).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">5/10 Wickets : 2/0.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Catches : 23.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">TEST CAREER::</span><br /></span></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Matches : 87. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Runs : 7110.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best : 247*.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 53.86(Bat).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">100’s : 24.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">50’s : 31.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wickets : 47.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best Bowling: 5/61.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">5/10 Wickets : 1/0.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 40.70(Bowling).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Catches : 122.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="font-size:130%;">Chappell’s Personal Information</span> ::</span></span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">Gregory Stephen Chappell</span>, MBE (born 7 August 1948 in Unley, South Australia) is a former cricketer who captained Australia between 1975 and 1977 and then joined the breakaway World Series Cricket (WSC) organization, before returning to the Australian captaincy in 1979, which he held until 1983. The second of three brothers to play Test cricket, Chappell was the preeminent Australian batsman of his time who allied elegant stroke making to fierce concentration. An exceptional all round player who bowled medium pace and, at his retirement, held the world record for the most catches in Test cricket, Chappell’s career straddled two eras as the game moved toward a greater level of professionalism after the WSC schism. </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Fleming’s Family and Early years………………….</span><br /></span><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">Chappell was the second of three sons born in Adelaide to Martin and Jeanne (nee Richardson).</span> He was steeped in the game from a very early age: his father Martin was a noted grade cricketer in Adelaide who put a bat in his hands as soon as he could walk, while his maternal grandfather was the famous all-round sportsman Victor Richardson, who captained Australia at the end of a nineteen-Test career. Elder brother Ian and younger brother Trevor also played for Australia, and Greg closely followed in Ian's footsteps to the top. Given weekly lessons by Coach Lynn Fuller, the brothers fought out fierce backyard cricket matches, with no holds barred. The fraternal relationship between Ian and Greg became legendary in Australian cricketing history for volatile verbal slanging matches, even during hard fought Test matches, which had their genesis in the family back yard. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Chappell attended St Leonards primary school, where he played his first competitive match at the age of eight; he also played a lot of baseball. Quite small for his age, Chappell developed a technique for dealing with the high bouncing ball by playing most of his shots to the leg side. Aged twelve, he hit his first centuries and was selected for the South Australian state schools team. He was then enrolled at Plympton high school for two years before following Brother Ian and attending Prince Alfred College (PAC) on a scholarship. In the summer of 1964-65, Chappell suddenly grew ten centimeters in seven weeks and within twelve months had shot up to 189cms. With this greater physical presence, Chappell was able to dominate schoolboy matches in his final school year of 1965. PAC's coach Chester Bennett (a former first class player) wrote at this point: "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Possibly the finest all-round schoolboy cricketer in my experience...he could go far in the game</span>."</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The Chappell brothers played grade cricket for Glenelg and they batted together for the first time in a semi final against Port Adelaide in early 1966. Later that year, Ian was chosen for the Test tour to South Africa, which opened up a place in the South Australian team. Greg seized the opportunity by scoring 101*, 102* and 88 for his club, then made his first class debut against Victoria at Adelaide Oval, aged 18. Hampered by a throat infection, Chappell still managed 53 and 62* to earn an extended trial in the team. The remainder of the season brought another 386 runs in 14 innings, including a maiden century against Queensland. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Chappell’s International Performance</span> ...............<br /><br /></span></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Chappell’s Test Debut……………</span><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">Entering the 1969-70 season</span> with a point to prove, Chappell hit four hundreds to earn a place on an Australian a trip to New Zealand. Scoring 519 runs at 57.7, he was the dominant batsman of the tour and with the Test team failing in South Africa, he only needed a solid start to the next season to force his way in to play against England. After acting as twelfth man in the first Test, he was selected to bat at number seven for the second match, the first Test played at Perth's WACA ground. During an historic century on debut, he teamed with Ian Red path to add 219 runs and haul Australia out of a difficult situation. Just days after the Test, he belted 102 in two hours against the English in a tour match. However, the dream start impacted on Chappell, who struggled for the rest of the series, apart from a score of 65 in the last Test. In the main, he was getting out by playing too many big shots early in his innings. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The inconsistent form continued the following season, when he was omitted from the Australian team for the series with a Rest of the World XI. Press criticism led to a rethink of his mental approach, and when reinstated a new Chapell emerged. He invented what became known as the Chappell "vee" where he played the ball exclusively in a narrow arc between mid off and mid on until he felt he had his eye in. This reorganization brought him scores of 115* and 197* in the third and fourth unofficial Tests. He truly emerged as one of the great batsman on the subsequent tour of England, where his 131 in the Lords Test on a bowlers' wicket was considered a modern classic. Chappell himself rated this his best innings, as did Riches Benaud, who recently wrote:</span><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">...I thought it close to the most flawless innings I had seen and I still believe that to be the case. It was beautifully elegant with wonderfully executed strokes, great technique and it exhibited a deep knowledge of what was needed to square the series</span> .<br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">His game went from strength to strength. In the fifth Test at the Oval, he hit another ton, sharing a big partnership with Ian as they became the first brothers to score Test centuries in the same innings. Against Pakistan he made 116* and 62 at Melbourne and bagged 5 for 61 at Sydney. On the subsequent trip to the West Indies, he achieved the rare feat of scoring a thousand runs on a Caribbean tour, which included 106 in the Test at Bridgetown, Barbados. With the Australian team now undergoing a dramatic renaissance, Chappell was the leading batsman, giving him a huge national profile. This brought a lucrative an offer to move to Brisbane and captain the Queensland side, as a precursor to taking over the Australian captaincy when Ian decided to retire. He made the move in the winter of 1973. </span><br /></span><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Chappell performance in Ashes……………</span><br /><br /></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The interest in his arrival was enormous as he was expected to lead the state to its' first Sheffield Shield title. Although Chappell gathered more than a thousand runs in the shield matches alone, Queensland were thwarted in the last match of the season by a devastating spell from young New South Wales fast bowler Jeff Thomson. Learning of the bowler's dissatisfaction with his home state, Chappell convinced Thomson to move to Queensland for the following season. Chappell then departed for Australia's first Test-playing tour of New Zealand. The Chappell brothers shattered records in the Wellington Test, as Ian and Greg scored centuries in both innings, the only such instance. Greg's effort of 380 runs in a Test match (<span style="color:#ffccff;">247* and 133</span>) remained a record until beaten by Graham Gooch in 1990.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Unfortunately for Chappell, his health was now blighted by recurring tonsillitis and he found it difficult to bat for long periods during the 1974-75 Ashes series. He was the backbone of Australia's sometimes inconsistent batting, scoring 608 runs at 55.3. At Sydney, where Australia won to reclaim the Ashes, <span style="color:#ffccff;">Chappell dominated with 84 and 144</span>, which he followed up with a century in a losing cause in the sixth Test at Melbourne. At Perth, he broke the world record for a fielder by snaring seven catches. Ironically, his grandfather Vic Richardson was one of several players who held the old record of six. Chappell reluctantly had his tonsils removed, but he quickly lost a lot of weight which affected his performance on the tour of England that followed. He played in the World Cup (for what proved to be the only time), then made only one good score (73* at Lords) in the four Ashes Tests that followed. </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Chappell leading Australian Team……………</span><br /></span></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sufficiently recovered, Chappell totally dominated the season of 1975-76, amassing a record 1547 first class runs at an average of 85.9, with five centuries. Appointed as Australian captain, an appointment that seemed pre-ordained for him, Chappell began with a century in each innings to win the first Test against the West Indies in his adopted home town of Brisbane. This performance is unique in Test cricket. He led the team to an overwhelming 5-1 win and the title of unofficial world champions. His personal highlight was a classic 182* in the Sydney Test.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The peak of Australia's form proved to be brief. The team lost a number of players to early retirement, mainly because remuneration was so poor. Chappell was able to parlay his position into a reasonable income with his Queensland contract and personal endorsements, but he still needed to develop business interests in life insurance outside the game. His leadership abilities were tested in the summer of 1976-77 as a number of new players was blooded and Jeff Thomson was laid low by long-term injury. Australia received much criticism for defensive play during a drawn series with Pakistan, but Chappell's form was faultless, and he scored 121 and 67 in the only Test victory. The tour to New Zealand that followed was similar; it was clear Australia was in a rebuilding phase. During the Test at Auckland, a streaker appeared when Chappell was at the crease. Incensed by this new craze and the disruption that it caused, Chappell grabbed the man and hit his bare backside with the bat. When play resumed, the ensuing din from the incident caused Chappell to mis-hear his partner's call for a run, and he found himself run out. For once, the famous Chappell concentration had been broken. But the most significant occurrence of this match occurred off-field: Chappell was approached to sign with a proposed break away competition, later to be known as World Series Cricket (<span style="color:#ffccff;">WSC</span>).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Chappell formally signed a <span style="color:#ffccff;">WSC</span> contract the following month, during the Centenary Test, a one-off match against England commemorating one hundred years of Test cricket. He was offered the most lucrative WSC contract in line with his age and high profile as captain of Australia. Chappell led Australia to a dramatic victory in the Centenary Test. Some of his players felt that he struggled to cope with the pressure of captaincy during the tense England run chase on the final day, when Australia won a dramatic victory, due to by a marathon bowling spell from Dennis Lillie. But Lillie’s absence for the forthcoming tour of England would hamper Chappell's campaign to retain the Ashes. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">News of the <span style="color:#ffccff;">WSC</span> break away was leaked early in the tour, and Chappell quickly found himself besieged. Tour officials and administrators back home questioned his loyalty; journalists were constantly looking for comment, while non-WSC players in the squad accused him of bias in team selections. Leading an inexperienced team in often inclement weather sapped his confidence, while the English bowlers, knowing that he was the key wicket, constantly put him under pressure. After a brave 44 and 112 failed to save the second Test at Manchester, his form fell away and the team slipped to a 0-3 loss.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Chappell, who was a tremendous player of pace bowling, is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen ever to play for Australia and.. Although adept in all aspects of batting, he was especially noted as a strong player on the on side (or leg side) of the wicket. The English writer and commentator John Arlott wrote of him in 1977.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Return to the Captaincy………………….</span><br /><br /></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">When <span style="color:#ffccff;">WSC </span>players rejoined official cricket for <span style="color:#ffccff;">1979-80</span>, there was plenty of debate over the Australian captaincy. Chappell was the far from unanimous choice, and he led the Test team in twin series, against England (won 3-0) and West Indies (lost 0-2), and the first triangular ODI series where Australia failed to reach the final. It was a mixed bag of results and the programming came in for some criticism. Chappell led by example in scoring 74 and 124 in the Brisbane Test against the West Indies in his comeback to Test cricket. <span style="color:#ffccff;">His 98* guided Australia to victory over England at Sydney, then 114 and 40* extracted a similar result at Melbourne</span>. While he averaged 44 with the bat and claimed seven wickets in the ODIs, a constant shuffling of positions ensured an uneven Australian performance. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Despite protesting the strenuous nature of the players' workload in this new era, Chappell found himself leading the team to Pakistan two weeks after the end of the Australian season. Pakistan narrowly won the first Test then prepared featherbed wickets for the remaining two matches. At Faisalabad, Chappell made 235 and as a protest at the pitch, allowed all eleven Australians to have a bowl in Pakistan's innings - the first time this had happened in a Test since 1884. Australia lost the series 0-1. Later in the year, Australia played a second Centenary Test, this time to commemorate the first Test played in England, and the match (played at Lords) ended in a draw due to poor weather. One of only four players who played both matches, Chappell scored 47 and 59, but his best remembered contribution to the match was an attempted citizen's arrest (along with England captain Ian Botham) of an MCC member who attacked one of the umpires in a very ill-tempered scene. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">In May 1979</span>, the <span style="color:#ffccff;">ACB</span> announced an agreement with <span style="color:#ffccff;">WSC</span>, which allowed the <span style="color:#ffccff;">WSC </span>players to return to international cricket at the start of the <span style="color:#ffccff;">1979–80</span> Australian season. In the meantime, Australia made two tours, giving the incumbent players an opportunity to press for places in a reunited team. The first tour, to England for the <span style="color:#ffccff;">1979 Cricket World Cup</span>, ended with Australia being eliminated in the first round. Border scored 59 runs in two innings. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">This was followed by a three-month long, six-Test tour of India, when Australia failed to win a single match. Border scored <span style="color:#ffccff;">521 runs at 43.42 in the Test series</span>, including 162 in the First Test at Madras, when he displayed excellent footwork and handled the Indian spinners much more effectively than his teammates. As a result of this performance, Border was one of only three players to retain their position for the next Test against England at Perth in November 1979 after the WSC players returned. Border scored 115 in the second innings to help secure victory, and in doing so passed 1,000 Test runs. He had done so in 354 days, the fastest ever by an Australian, and made more runs (1,070) in his first year as a Test cricketer than anyone before him. However, he was unable to maintain this form and ended the season with 317 runs at 31.70 in six Tests against England and the West Indies. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">On the tour of Pakistan that followed, Border hit 150 not out and 153 in the Third Test at Lahore to become the first batsmen in Test history to pass 150 in both innings of a Test</span>. In the off-season, Border married Jane Hiscox, and moved to Brisbane and began playing for Queensland. During the 1980–81 season, he scored 328 runs at 36.44 average in the six Tests against New Zealand and India, a modest return boosted by a score of 124 against India at Melbourne, in the final Test of the summer. </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Underarm controversary and Bad Form …………………</span><br /><br /></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">The 1980-81 season</span> brought another three way competition, this time with New Zealand and India. In the Tests, Australia had a convincing win over the Kiwis, but was held to a drawn series against India. Chappell was in good form throughout the summer, but managed only two international centuries. The first came at Sydney in an ODI against New Zealand, when Chappell set a record Australian score of 138*. Early in the New Year, on the same ground, he played his first Test against India. Despite suffering a bad stomach upset, Chappell hit 204, an innings described by Wisden as "masterly”. However, this season is best remembered for the triangular ODI series, specifically the third of the best of five finals series, paid at Melbourne on 1 February 1981.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Greg Chappell's Captaincy Record ..................</span><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;"><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Season Opponent Played Won Lost Drawn </span><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1975-76</span> West Indies (home) 6 5 1 0 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1976-77</span> Pakistan(home) 3 1 1 1 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1976-77</span> New Zealand(away) 2 1 0 1 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1976-77</span> England(home) 1 1 0 0 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1977 </span>England(away) 5 0 3 2 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1979-80</span> West Indies(home) 3 0 2 1 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1979-80</span> England(home) 3 3 0 0 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1979-80</span> Pakistan(away) 3 0 1 2 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1980</span> England(away) 1 0 0 1 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1980-81</span> New Zealand(home) 3 2 0 1 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1980-81</span> India(home) 3 1 1 1 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1981-82</span> Pakistan(home) 3 2 1 0 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1981-82</span> West Indies(home) 3 1 1 1 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1981-82</span> New Zealandaway) 3 1 1 1 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1982-83</span> England(home) 5 2 1 2 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1982-83</span> Sri Lanka(away) 1 1 0 0 </span><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Total 48 21 13 14 </span><br /><strong></strong><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">With the series tied at 1-1, Australia looked to have gained the upper hand by batting first and setting New Zealand a chase of 235 runs. Undisciplined bowling and fielding by the Australians, and a great innings from Kiwi opener Bruce Edgar narrowed the target to 15 with one over to play. Chappell's younger brother, Trevor, a batting all-rounder who specialized in bowling at the end of an innings, delivered the final over. From the first five balls, Trevor Chappell took two for 8, leaving the new batsman (Brian McKechnie) to score a six to tie the game. At this point, Greg Chappell intervened, told his brother to deliver the ball along the ground (i.e. underarm) and him then informed the umpire to let the batsman know of the change of bowling style. Despite the protestations of wicketkeeper Rod Marsh, the ball was delivered and the batsman simply put his bat in front of the ball to stop. He then hurled his bat away. A large crowd of 50,000 – mostly Australian – loudly booed the Australian team from the field.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Chappell was also captain of the ODI team concurrently with his Test captaincy, registering 21 wins and 25 losses from 49 matches; all but four of these matches were after the end of World Series Cricket, and Chappell never captained Australia in a Cricket World Cup tournament. His batting exploits in ODIs were not quite of the same magnitude as his Test match career, but he did hold the Australian record single-innings score (138 not against New Zealand in 1980 for more than ten years. His ODI captaincy career is most commonly remembered for the "<span style="color:#ffccff;">underarm</span>" incident in 1981.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">After retirement, Chappell has remained connected with the sport in numerous capacities. Recently, he fulfilled a consultancy role for Pakistan and, between 20 May 2005 and 4 April 2007, was the coach of India. This role was the subject of much negative public and media commentary particularly involving his working relationship with former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Controversary with Sourav Ganguly……</span><br /></span><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Chappell's first overseas tour as the coach of the Indian team was to Zimbabwe in September 2005. Sourav Ganguly, the Indian captain, scored a century in the first Test match and later alleged that the coach Chappell had asked him to step down as captain on the eve of the game. This was widely covered by the Indian media. Ganguly was later dropped from the Indian cricket team by the selectors on the grounds of poor form, but many in the media suggested his omission was influenced by the previous row with Chappell. However the fact that Ganguly's form and batting average were in trouble was not disputed, in fact, many Indian supporters themselves were suggesting that Ganguly should be dropped from the team. </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Chappell as a Coach / commentator………………</span><br /></span><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">He has coached South Australia and worked as consultant at Pakistan's National Cricket Academy. He has also worked as a commentator for ABC Radio. In 2002, he was inducted into the prestigious Australian Cricket Hall of Fame. In May 2005, he was appointed coach of the Indian national cricket team for a two year term until the World Cup 2007. He earned about 175,000 USD as salary from the BCCI every year.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Of late he came in for criticism] for his tinkering with the batting lineup and unorthodox cricket coaching methods. His comments also did not go down well with the Indian public</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Then after India's early exit from ICC world cup (after losing to Bangladesh) he resigned from his post as Indian coach.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Chappell as an Indian cricket Team Coach………</span><br /><br /></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">With India's dismal performance in the <span style="color:#ffccff;">2007 ICC World Cup</span> a majority of Indians were questioning the appointment of Greg Chappell as the coach of Indian Cricket Team at an annual salary of $200,000. On 4th April 2007 Chappell decided, not to renew his contract with BCCI citing personal reasons. However its believed that he wasn't happy with the attitude and performance of senior cricketers in the Indian Team.</span><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-82747630980071897942008-08-11T09:23:00.000-07:002013-09-16T09:56:04.584-07:00History of Monty Panesar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Name: Mudhsuden Singh Panesar.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Nick name : Monty.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Date of Birth : 25 April, 1982.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Place of Birth : Luton, England.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Batting Style : Left Handed Batsman.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bowling Style : Slow left arm orthodox.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Role : Bowler.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Height : 1.85m (6feet 1inch)</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">TEST Debut : against India in March 2006.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">ODI Debut : against Australia in January 2007.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Playing Teams : Northamptonshire (2001-Present) and England (present).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><strong><span style="color: red;"><u>TEST CAREER</u></span></strong><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Matches : 36(As on october 2008). </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Runs : 165.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Best : 26.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Average : 5.50(Bat).</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">100’s : 0 </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">50’s : 0</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Wickets : 114</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Bowling : 6/37.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Average : 31.95(Bowl).</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">5/10 wickets : 8/1.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Catches : 6</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;"><u>ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL </u></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Matches : 26. </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Runs : 26.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Best : 13.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Average : 5.20(Bat).</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">100’s : 0 </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">50’s : 0</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Wickets : 24</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Bowling : 3/25.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">5/10 Wickets : 0/0.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Average : 40.83(Bowl).</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Catches : 3.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Monty’s Personal Information </span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monty Panesar (born Mudhsuden Singh Panesar, 25 April 1982 in Luton, Bedfordshire), is an English cricketer. A left-arm spinner, Panesar plays Test and ODI cricket for England, and county cricket for Northampton shire</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Panesar, a devout Sikh, has a large supportive family both in England and Punjab, his parents having migrated to England from India in the late 1970s. His father, Paramjeet Singh Panesar, who moved to England in 1979, is a builder. His mother is Gursharan Kaur. Panesar has a younger brother, Isher Singh Panesar, and sister, Charanjit Kaur Panesar. His family lives in Luton. Panesar is a devoted Luton Town fan and is often seen at matches.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Panesar has been quoted as saying, “I follow Sikhism, and maybe I’ve channelled the discipline that religion creates into my cricket. There’s discipline with any religion, and you can take it into a game or into anything else." (The Sunday Times, August 06, 2006). Away from cricket, Panesar went to Stopsley High School, Luton. He also has a degree in computer science from Loughborough University. Panesar has uncut hair and a full length beard, which is a fundamental part of the Sikh identity and way of life. He won the 2006 Beard of the Year competition run by the Beard Liberation Front. </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Nicknames for Panesar include "The Montster", "The Python" (a reference to Monty Python), The "Sikh of Tweak" (probably a humorous reference to Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne's (though mispronounced) sobriquet, 'The Sheik of Tweak)', "Monastic", "Parmesan Tony" (an anagram), "The Beard to be Feared", or most popular "The Turbanator" (though this can also refer to Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh). </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">Monty’s Early years………….</span> </div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Monty was originally a medium-pace bowler, he shifted to spin at around sixteen following advice from Northampton shire. Panesar played cricket at Bedford Modern School for Stopsley High School and then Dunstable Town CC, before being selected for the England Under-19 team. His first-class debut came in 2001 at the age of 19. His appearances over the next few years were limited, partly because of his commitment as a full-time student at Loughborough University. After graduating, he became a more important member of the team and had a fine season in 2005, taking 46 County Championship wickets at an average of just 21.54.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">Monty’s International Performance</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;">Monty’s Test Debut……..</span> </div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Due to his performances in 2005, many prominent figures called for Panesar's inclusion in the English Test squad for the 2006 tour of India. For a place as back-up spinner to incumbent Ashley Giles he faced competition from left-armer Ian Blackwell and off-spinners Shaun Udal and Alex Loudon. It was suggested that his reputation for poor batting and fielding might hamper his chances of selection, but earlier in 2005 he had attended the Darren Lehmann Academy in Adelaide in order to address these issues. He was selected in January 2006 for the tour to India, and made his international debut in the first Test against India in Nagpur. He took three wickets, including India's ex and current captains, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. The former, who Panesar states was his childhood hero and was the spinner's first international Test wicket, later signed the cricket ball that dismissed him and presented it to Panesar. Panesar went on to play in the second and third Test matches, in Mohali and Mumbai with thirty-five of his family members attending the Test at Mohali, Punjab.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Monty’s Performance against Sri Lanka and Pakistan……..in 2006…</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">On 11 May 2006 Panesar made his maiden Test appearance in England against Sri Lanka at Lord's. He played a small role in the first and second Tests, taking only five wickets. He was to fare better in the third by claiming his first five wicket haul with bowling figures of 5/78. He followed this up with an explosive innings of 26 from 28 balls that included a 6 and put on 37 for the final wicket with Liam Plunkett. This was not enough to affect the result as Sri Lanka won the Test by 134 runs.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Panesar took three wickets in the first innings of the Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford, Manchester, on 27 June 2006. His wicket-taking was overshadowed by Steve Harmison who took a six wicket haul to get Pakistan all out for 119 in the 1st innings. However, Panesar took 5-72 in the second innings, and Harmison 5-57. The pair took 19 of the 20 Pakistani wickets in the match (the other being a run out) in an innings-and-120-run victory. This was the first time two bowlers had taken all bowling wickets since Jim Laker's record match figures of 19 for 90 again at Old Trafford. In the second innings Panesar took the wickets of five of the six specialist batsmen, including Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">In the first innings at Headingley, Panesar picked up three wickets including that of Inzamam-ul-Haq, who overbalanced and dislodged the bails with his stomach. In the second innings Panesar had figures of 3 for 39. Panesar was given some credit for responding to criticism from England coach Duncan Fletcher. Despite his performances in the Test arena against Pakistan in the summer of 2006, Panesar was overlooked for the 30 man ODI squad for the 2006 ICC Champion's Trophy in India. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">Monty’s Performance against Australia in 2006/07 season………….</span> </div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">The likelihood of Panesar playing against Australia in the 2006-07 Ashes series led to media commentary by some Australian players, who indicated that they would take an aggressive approach towards him. Australian captain Ricky Ponting said, "We'll try to make some sort of impact on him early on, and we won't let him get on top. The way our left-handers, especially Justin Langer and Matty Hayden, play spin is to be fairly aggressive." However, he was also praised by Ponting. Ponting told the Sunday Age, "He (Panesar) didn't look like he was scared to throw the ball up a little bit and actually try and get you out. He's got good, subtle changes of pace and, watching the other night (against Pakistan), a really good arm ball as well.". The former Australian Test player Darren Lehmann said "He's probably a more attacking bowler than Giles was and a wicket-taking option for them, more so than Giles was." Commenting on the possibility of Australian crowds targeting Panesar because of his poor fielding and batting, Lehmann stuck up for Panesar saying "He should have no worries at all... He's a beautiful lad.". It also emerged that Panesar had been seeing a sports psychologist and talking to former England left-arm spinner Phil Tufnell, another English spinner who was poor at fielding, about the ribbing he is expecting to get from the Aussie crowds on the tour, and how to prepare himself mentally for the task.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Panesar was left out of the England team for the first two tests of the series, which led to a petition being started by BBC Radio Five Live, calling out for his inclusion. Panesar was eventually selected to play in the third test at the WACA in Perth. He finished the first innings with figures of 5 for 92 off 24 overs, with Justin Langer, Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist among his wickets, becoming the first English spin bowler to take five wickets in a test match at the WACA in Perth, his other two wickets being Shane Warne and Brett Lee. He also performed respectably with the bat, finishing on 16 not out as part of England's best partnership in the innings. He remained in the team for the rest of the series, finishing with a record of 10 wickets at an average of 37.90 and collecting a total of 35 runs. He was the joint third highest wicket taker for England behind Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff, tying with Steve Harmison, having only played in three out of the five tests. During the Tests Panesar played, he quickly became a crowd favourite for both Australian and English fans, eliciting cheers from the crowd when fielding, bowling and batting.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">After the Ashes series, Panesar was selected in the England squad for the Commonwealth Bank series with Australia and New Zealand. He made his ODI debut against Australia at Melbourne on 12th January 2007 and played in nine matches in the series. His attacking style, bowling economically and aggressively in equal parts, worked well, taking nine wickets and conceding 4.60 runs per over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Monty’s Performance in World cup 2007……….……….</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Following his impressive performances in the Ashes and Commonwealth Bank series Panesar was selected in England's World Cup squad. He struggled to pick up wickets, only taking 7 at an average of 40.42, but bowled fairly economically conceding 4.42 runs an over. His best performance came on 11 April 2007 in a Super Eight's group game against Bangladesh where he took 3/25 off his seven overs which included two maidens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Monty’s Performance against West Indies in 2007……………….</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Panesar was in the team for all four Tests against the West Indies in May and June 2007. He got his first six wicket haul in Tests during the first innings of the first Test at Lord's when he took 6/129. Five of his six victims were trapped LBW, all given out by the Nursery End umpire Asad Rauf. Panesar's first Test ten wicket haul came in the third Test at Old Trafford, in which he took four first innings wickets, and six in the second innings, for match figures of 10/187. He became the first English spin bowler to take ten wickets in a match for ten years, Phil Tufnell in 1997 being the last English spinner to achieve this feat. He was awarded his first man of the match award for the performance. Panesar achieved his sixth 5-wicket haul in the final Test match, at Chester-le-Street. He took the wicket of the otherwise immovable Shivnarine Chanderpaul wicket to end the West Indies second innings. He finished the series with 23 wickets at an average of 18.69, an achievement which won him the man of the series award.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Panesar was not selected for the following Twenty20 matches, with both sides electing not to include full-time spinners in their sides. He played in two of the three ODI matches taking 1/57 overall at 4.07 runs an over. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Monty’s Performance against India in 2007………</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Panesar played in all three tests against India in July and August. He played fairly well in the first and second Tests but struggled in the third Test. In the first Test at Lord's he took 2/85, trapping Sachin Tendulkar LBW when he was on 16 runs (an identical dismissal to his first Test wicket) as well as having a good appeal for a would have been match winning LBW against Sreesanth turned down (The match ended in a draw due to rain with India 282/9 chasing 380 to win). In the first innings of the second Test at Trent Bridge he took 4/101. In the third test at the Oval he struggled on a flat pitch, taking 2/217 in the match. He took 8 wickets in the series at an average of 50.37. He played in six of the seven ODI matches performing fairly unspectacularly. He took 6/268 runs overall at 4.78 runs an over. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Monty’s Performance against Sri Lanka in 2007/08……</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">In October 2007, Panesar was dropped for the first four matches of the five match ODI series, the England selectors opting to pick Graeme Swann due to his better batting ability. Panesar played in the fifth match, where he bowled tightly taking 1/31 at 3.10 runs an over. There was speculation that Swann would challenge Panesar for the Test place or at least play alongside him on the back of his strong performances in the first four ODIs. However, Panesar was given a vote of confidence from the England Coach, Peter Moores, who called him "(England's) number one Test spinner" In the event, England opted to play Panesar ahead of Swann in the three match series in December. In the first match at Kandy Panesar took 6/178, but in the second Test at Colombo and the third Test at Galle he only managed figures of 2/151 and 0/76 respectively. He finished the series with 8 wickets at an average of 50.63.</span> </div>
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<span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Monty’s Awards in Test Matches</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">3 “Man of the Match” awards…</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">West Indies [2] and New Zealand [1].</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Monty’s Achievements …</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">NBC Denis Compton Award 2001</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Wisden Cricketer of the Year 2007</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Beard of the Year 2006 by the Beard Liberation Front. </span></div>
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satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-28550663035295125892008-08-11T09:21:00.000-07:002008-09-21T05:25:21.931-07:00History of Viv Richards<span style="font-weight: bold;">Name : Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nick name : Master Blaster, Smokey, Smokin Joe.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Date of Birth : 7 March 1952 (age 56).</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Place of Birth : St John's, Antigua, West Indies.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Batting Style : Right Handed Batsman.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bowling Style : Right Arm Medium/ off break.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Role : Batsman..</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Height : 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m).</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TEST Debut : against India in November 1974.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ODI Debut : against Sri Lanka in June 1975.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Playing Teams : Glamorgan (1990-93), Queensland (1976-77), Somerset (1974-86), Leeward Islands (1971-91), Combined Islands (1971-81) and West Indies.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);"> ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Matches : 187. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Runs : 6721.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best : 189*.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Average : 47.00(Bat).</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">100’s : 11.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">50’s : 45.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wickets :118.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Bowling: 6/41.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Average : 35.83(Bowling).</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5/10 Wickets : 2/0.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Catches : 100.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">TEST CAREER</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Matches : 121. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Runs : 8540.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best : 291.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Average : 50.23(Bat).</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">100’s : 24.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">50’s : 25.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wickets : 32.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Bowling: 2/17.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Average : 61.37(Bowling).</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Catches : 122.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" > Richard’s Personal Information </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, (born St John's, Antigua on 7 March 1952) is a former West Indian cricketer. Better known by his second name, Vivian or, more popularly, simply as Viv, Richards was voted one of the five Cricketers of the Century in 2000, by a 100-member panel of experts, along with Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Jack Hobbs and Shane Warne. Richards had a brief relationship with a renowned Indian Bollywood actress, Neena Gupta, with whom he has a daughter Masaba (born: 1989). </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> In February 2002, he was judged by Wisden to have played the best One Day International (ODI) innings of all time. In December 2002, he was chosen by Wisden as the greatest ODI batsman of all time, as well as the third greatest Test batsman of all time. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >Richards “The King”……………..………….</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Richards was a very powerful right-handed batsman with an extremely attacking style, besides being an excellent fielder, and a handy off-spin bowler. He is often regarded as the most devastating batsman that ever played the game by cricketers, journalists, fans and others alike. Richards, who was also known as <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);font-size:130%;" >“The King”</span>, built up his fearsome reputation over the course of his career in what is usually considered the greatest era ever of fast bowling in cricket. And moreover, that he did without ever wearing even a helmet, in a career spanning around 17 years from 1974 till 1991. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Several prominent personalities including former cricketer and legendary fast bowler and all-rounder Imran Khan and noted writer John Birmingham are of the opinion that Richards was the best ever batsman against genuine fast bowling. Many other former players of the game rate him extremely high overall as a batsman. Ian Chappell rates him the second-greatest batsman he ever saw after Sir Garfield Sobers, while for Barry Richards, Ravi Shastri and Neil Fairbrother; he remains the best batsman they ever witnessed. Wasim Akram rates Richards the greatest batsman he ever bowled to, ahead of Sunil Gavaskar and Martin Crowe. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In 2004, in a poll by ESPN, participated in by 15 of the leading names in cricketing history, Richards was voted the third greatest ever player after Bradman and Sobers, and the second greatest ever batsman after Bradman. He was also voted the greatest cricketer since 1970 by another poll ahead of Ian Botham and Shane Warne. That poll saw both Botham and Warne vote for Richards, and in the opinions of both, Richards is the greatest batsman they ever saw. In 2006, in a study done by a team of ESPN's Cricinfo magazine, Richards was again chosen the greatest ODI Batsman ever. Former cricketer Derek Pringle also rates Richards to be the best batsman ever in the history of Limited Overs Cricket. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <br /> His impressive style of play, and relaxed but determined demeanor, made him a great crowd favorite and an intimidating prospect for opposition bowlers all over the world. The word "swagger" is frequently used to describe his batting style. His batting often completely dominated opposing bowlers. He had the ability to drive good-length balls from outside off-stump through midwicket, his trademark shot, and was one of the great exponents of the hook shot.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">Richard’s International Performance</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Richard’s Test Debut……..</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Richards made his Test match debut for the West Indian cricket team in 1974 against India in Bangalore. He made an unbeaten 192 in the second Test of the same series in New Delhi. The West Indies saw him as a strong opener and he kept his profile up in the early years of his promising career. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <br /> In his Test career, he scored 8,540 runs in 121 Test matches at an average of 50.23 (including 24 centuries). Richards also scored 5 centuries in World Series Cricket between 1977-79. These are not recognized by the ICC as "official" Test centuries, but the high standard of cricket played in this series means that they can arguably be ranked alongside his 24 Test centuries. Richards won 27 of 50 matches as a Test captain, and lost only 8. He is also the scorer of the fastest-ever Test century, from just 56 balls against England in Antigua during the 1986 tour. He hit 84 sixes in test cricket. His highest innings of 291 is sixth on the list of West Indies' highest individual scores.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> In 1975 Richards helped the West Indies to win the inaugural Cricket World Cup, a feat he later described as the most memorable of his career. He starred in the field, running out Alan Turner, Ian Chappell and Greg Chappell. <br /> The West Indies were again able to win the following World Cup in 1979, thanks to a Richards century in the final at Lord's, and Richards believes that on both occasions, despite internal island divisions, the Caribbean came together.. He was until 2005 the only man to score a century and take 5 wickets in the same one-day international, against New Zealand at Dunedin in 1986-87. He rescued his side from a perilous position at Old Trafford in 1984 and, in partnership with Michael Holding, smashed 189 to win the game off his own bat.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> 1976 was perhaps Richards' finest year: he scored 1710 runs, at an astonishing average of 90.00, with seven centuries in 11 Tests. This achievement is all the more remarkable considering he missed the second Test at Lord's after contracting glandular fever; yet he returned to score his career-best 291 at the Oval later in the summer. This tally stood as the world record for most Test runs by a batsman in a single calendar year for 30 years until broken by Mohammad Yousuf of Pakistan on November 30, 2006.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Richards captained the West Indies in fifty test matches from 1980-1991. He is the only West Indies captain never to lose a Test series, and it is said that his fierce will to win contributed to this achievement. His captaincy was, however, not without controversy: one incident was his aggressive, "finger-flapping" appeal leading to the incorrect dismissal of England batsman Rob Bailey in the Barbados Test in 1990, which was described by Wisden as "at best undignified and unsightly. At worst, it was calculated gamesmanship" This behavior would nowadays be penalized according to Section 2.5. of the Rules of Conduct of the ICC Code of Conduct .</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >Richards Performance in English County…………………</span><br /> </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Richards had a long and successful career in the County Championship in England, playing for many years for Somerset. In 1983, the team won the NatWest Bank Trophy, with Richards and close friend Ian Botham having a slugging match in the final few overs.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> However, the performances declined, and the county finished bottom of the County Championship in 1985 and next to bottom in 1986. New captain Peter Roebuck became the centre of a controversy when he was instrumental in the county's decision not to renew the contracts of Richards and compatriot Joel Garner for the 1987 season, whose runs and wickets had brought the county much success in the previous eight years. Somerset proposed to replace the pair with New Zealand batsman Martin Crowe, and consequently all-rounder Botham refused a new contract and joined Worcestershire. After many years of bitterness and the eventual removal of Roebuck from the club, Richards was honored with the naming of a set of entrance gates and a stand after him at the County Cricket Ground, Taunton.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> After his sacking from Somerset, Richards spent one season in the Lancashire Cricket League playing as Rishton CC's professional in preparation for the West Indies tour the following season. Richards returned to county cricket for the 1990 season towards the end of his career to play for Glamorgan, helping them to win the AXA Sunday League in 1993. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >Some of Achievements of Viv Richards</span></span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">1999 Richards was knighted in his native Antigua.</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">In February 2002, he was judged by Wisden to have played the best One Day International (ODI) innings of all time.</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">In December 2002, he was chosen by Wisden as the greatest ODI batsman of all time, as well as the third greatest Test batsman of all time. </span></li></ul><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">· </span>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-63200087928276999952008-08-11T09:20:00.001-07:002008-09-21T05:36:40.368-07:00History of Stephen Fleming<span style="font-weight: bold;">Name : Stephen Paul Fleming.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nick name : Stephen..</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Date of Birth : 1 April 1973.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Place of Birth : Christchurch, New Zealand.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Batting Style : Left Handed Batsman.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bowling Style : Right Arm Medium.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Role : Opening Batsman and Captain.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Height : 1.88m (6feet 2inches)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Playing Teams: New Zealand.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Matches : 280. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Runs : 8037.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best : 134*.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Average : 32.40(Bat).</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">100’s : 8 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">50’s : 49</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Catches : 133.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >TEST CAREER</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Matches : 111. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Runs : 7172.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best : 274*.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Average : 40.06(Bat).</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">100’s : 9.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">50’s : 46.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Catches : 171.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 255, 153);"> <span style="font-size:130%;">Fleming’s Personal Information</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">Stephen Paul Fleming (</span>born in Christchurch on 1 April 1973) is a New Zealand cricketer, and the former captain of the New Zealand national cricket team, known as the Black Caps, in Test and one-day cricket. Known for his astute tactical abilities, he is New Zealand's most capped test player with 111 appearances, longest-serving and most successful captain, having led the side to 28 victories and having won Test match series' against India, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. He retired from international cricket on 26 March 2008. Fleming played in the 2008 Indian Premier League for the Chennai Super Kings after being signed for US$350,000.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> On 9 May 2007 Fleming married his long term partner Kelly Payne in a ceremony held in Wellington. The couples also have a young daughter born in 2006. He recently had to return to New Zealand just before the Semi Finals of the IPL tournament in India for the birth of his second child, Cooper. His father was President of the South Christchurch Cricket Club. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >Fleming’s International Performance</span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">..............</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 255);font-size:130%;" >Fleming’s Test Debut………………………………</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A left-handed batsman, Fleming made his Test debut in March 1994 against India winning the Man of the Match award on debut after scoring 92. In 1995 he survived controversy when he was caught and admitted to smoking marijuana with teammates Matthew Hart and Dion Nash while on tour at their hotel. In England's tour of New Zealand in 1996/97 he scored his maiden Test century in the First Test at Auckland. In the Third Test of the tour he took over the captaincy from Lee Germon becoming New Zealand's youngest captain at 23 years and 321 days. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >Fleming leading New Zealand Team…………..</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fleming became New Zealand's most successful captain in September 2000 with a victory over Zimbabwe. This was the 12th win under his captaincy overtaking Geoff Howarth. Fleming was long regarded as an underperformer with the bat, with one of the worst 50 to 100 conversion ratios in world cricket. However since the 2003 tour of Sri Lanka, Fleming has silenced his critics; with 274 not out against Sri Lanka - when Fleming selflessly declared rather than staying to reach 300 which would have been a record in New Zealand cricket history.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Arguably Fleming's best ODI innings was his unbeaten 134 to help New Zealand beat hosts South Africa in the 2003 Cricket World Cup. Chasing a rain adjusted target of 229 off 39 overs, Fleming hit 134 off just 132 deliveries as New Zealand cruised to a 9-wicket victory over a team they had struggled against in the past. Fleming has not been one of the world's leading ODI batsmen at any stage of his career but has seven other centuries to his credit. Fleming adjusting the field at Nottinghamshire. Fleming was regarded as one of the world's best cricket captains.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Fleming has played county cricket in England for Middlesex, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire. He captained Nottinghamshire to County Championship victory in 2005, their first Championship title in 18 years.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In the second Test between New Zealand and South Africa at New lands, Cape Town in April 2006, Fleming scored his 3rd Test double-century and became the first New Zealander to achieve this feat. Fleming scored 262 as he and Wellington team-mate James Franklin put 256 runs for the 8th wicket, the highest partnership to date in Tests between New Zealand and South Africa. It is also a New Zealand record for the 8th wicket against any country.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /> On 25 October 2006, Fleming captained his country for the 194th time in an ODI - a world record, overtaking Arjuna Ranatunga. On 24 April 2007, Fleming resigned as the ODI captain of the Blackcaps. The announcement was made in a post-match press conference held after the Semi-Final defeat to Sri Lanka in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. After Fleming's last match as captain, Mahela Jayawardene added a tribute. "Stephen's been a great leader for New Zealand for some time and you could learn a lot from him". Over a decade of leading the side he finished with 218 games, 98 wins, and 106 losses.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> There was speculation in 2007 that he might join controversial Indian rebel Twenty20 league, the Indian Cricket League. However it turned out to be unfounded and he has since joined the 'official' Indian Twenty20 league, the Indian Premier League, and played for the Chennai Super Kings in the league's initial incarnation.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> As of April 2007, Fleming had captained New Zealand in 80 Test matches -- a New Zealand record and the second highest number worldwide. As a fielder, Fleming took over 170 catches giving him the 3rd highest Test aggregate for a non-wicketkeeper.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <br /> In September 2007, Fleming was replaced by Daniel Vettori as the New Zealand Test captain. He also left English county Nottinghamshire after three years as captain. In February 2008 Fleming ended speculation and confirmed his retirement from the New Zealand team at the end of England's 2008 tour of New Zealand to spend more time with his family, and to play for the Indian Premier League.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> He played well in his final series, scoring 297 in six innings. In the first innings of the second test against England, he scored his 7000th run in his 110th match. In his final test at, Napier, he scored half-centuries in both innings to ensure that he finished with a Test match average of over 40 (40.06). </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >Some Records of Stephen Fleming</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">International Records…………………………..</span><br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Most capped ODI Captain (218 matches as of April 24, 2007). </span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">The most catches in Tests by a fielder in a calendar year with 28 in 1997.</span></li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">National Records………………………………….</span><br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Most Test runs and matches by a New Zealander (7172 and 111)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Most ODI runs and matches by a New Zealander (8007 and 279)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Highest Test score by a New Zealander away from home (274* in Colombo)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Most catches by a New Zealander in Test and ODI cricket (171 and 132)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Most capped Test Captain for New Zealand (80 matches) </span></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-83367803078768962422008-08-11T09:18:00.000-07:002013-09-09T05:06:27.627-07:00History of Kapil Dev<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggcIXiBxtm-tiOYb7h1gYaZl14oHJl9fHnR3A906XBXZ-YI4rsaDOk835LJOHOjX-fuNX0V8bNn0pZvup3GGdPmiaUHtl55M7aIVIq_9LUnXfnP5OgD94tjc98yRTGtLbt9FOdJg6aRc4/s1600/Kapil-Dev_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggcIXiBxtm-tiOYb7h1gYaZl14oHJl9fHnR3A906XBXZ-YI4rsaDOk835LJOHOjX-fuNX0V8bNn0pZvup3GGdPmiaUHtl55M7aIVIq_9LUnXfnP5OgD94tjc98yRTGtLbt9FOdJg6aRc4/s200/Kapil-Dev_0.jpg" width="134" /></a><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Name : Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj.</span></span><span style="color: #351c75;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nick name : Kapil Paaji.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Date of Birth : 6 January, 1959.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Place of Birth : Chandigarh, India.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Batting Style : Right Handed Batsman.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bowling Style : Right Arm Fast Medium.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Role : All Rounder.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TEST Debut : vs. Pakistan in 1978(1st October).</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ODI Debut : vs. Pakistan in 1978(16th October).</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Playing Teams : Haryana (1975-92), Worcestershire (1983-84), Northampton shire (1981-83).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER</span> ::</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Matches : 225. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Runs : 3,783</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best : 175*against Zimbabwe in 1983.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Average : 23.79(Bat)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">100’s : 1 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">50’s : 14</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wickets : 253</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best figures : 5/43</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Average : 27.45</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5/10 wickets : 1/0</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Catches : 71</span><br /><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">TEST CAREER</span> ::</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Matches : 131</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Runs : 5248</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best : 163</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Average : 31.05(Bat)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">100’s : 8 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">50’s : 27</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wickets : 434</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best figures : 9/83</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Average : 29.64</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5/10 wickets : 23/2</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Catches : 64</span><br /><span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">Kapil’s Personal Information::</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kapil Dev is a former Indian cricketer regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders to have played cricket. Kapil Dev was named by Wisden as the Indian Cricketer of the Century in 2002 for captaining India to their maiden and only Cricket World Cup in 1983 and holding the record for the most Test match wickets between 1994 and 1999. Kapil Dev had a rather prosaic stint as India's national cricket coach for 10 months between October 1999 and August 2000.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kapil Dev was born to Ram Lal Nikhanj and Raj Kumari Lajwanti (maiden name) on 6 January 1959. He was the sixth of seven siblings. Kapil's parents emigrated from a village near Rawalpindi during Partition. Ram Lal Nikhanj settled in Chandigarh and settled into a prosperous building and timber business. Kapil Dev was a student at D.A.V. School and in 1971 joined as a pupil to Desh Prem Azad. He was introduced to Romi Bhatia by a common friend in 1979 and proposed to her in 1980. Kapil Dev married Romi in 1980 and the couple has a daughter Amiya Dev who was born in 1996.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kapil was a right-arm pace bowler noted for his graceful action and potent outswinger, and was India's main strike bowler throughout most of his career. He also developed a fine in swinging Yorker during the 1980s which he used very effectively against tail-enders. As a batsman he was a natural striker of the ball who could hook and drive effectively. A naturally aggressive player, he often helped India in difficult situations by taking the attack to the opposition. His nickname was “The Haryana Hurricane” he used to represent the Haryana cricket team.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Starting from his carrier</span> ::</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kapil Dev made his debut for Haryana in November 1975 against their neighbors Punjab and impressed with a debut 6/39 innings haul, restricting Punjab to just 63 runs and helping Haryana to a victory. However, Kapil finished the season with only 12 wickets in 3 matches.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In the 1976-77 season opener against Jammu & Kashmir, he had a match haul of 8/36 to win the match for his team. While his contributions for the rest of the season were ordinary, Haryana qualified for the pre quarterfinals. Kapil Dev achieved his then best innings haul of 7/20 in just 9 overs in the second innings to skittle Bengal for 58 runs in fewer than 19 overs. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">For the 1978-79 season, Haryana had a repeat encounter with Bengal in the pre-quarterfinal match after a lackluster bowling season from Kapil Dev (12 wickets from 4 matches), riding on the performance of the season's leading wicket-taker - Rajinder Kaul. Kapil Dev however scored 2 half-centuries in the group stage matches. In the pre-quarterfinal match, he showed his big-match attitude by taking a 5-wicket haul in the first innings. Poor batting by Haryana in the second innings meant Bengal could avenge their loss from 2 seasons back by scoring the required 161 runs for the loss of just 4 wickets.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In the 1979-80 season, Kapil Dev showed his batting talent with a maiden century against Delhi when he scored his career best 193. In the pre-quarterfinal match, where he captained Haryana for the first time against Uttar Pradesh, he took a five wicket haul in the second innings to advance to quarter finals where they lost to Karnataka. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dev won his maiden and only Ranji Trophy championship. In the 1990-91 Ranji season, Haryana rode into the semi-finals on the back of the bowling performance of Chetan Sharma and the batting performance of Amarjit Kaypee. Kapil Dev took centre stage in the semi-final against Bengal where he led his team to a mammoth score of 605 runs by scoring 141 as well as taking 5 wickets.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The finals of the 1991 season will be remembered for the number of international cricketers who were part of the match with Kapil Dev, Chetan Sharma, Ajay Jadeja and Vijay Yadav turning up for Haryana and Bombay cricket team represented by Sanjay Manjrekar, Vinod Kambli, Sachin Tendulkar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Chandrakant Pandit, Salil Ankola and Abey Kuruvilla. Deepak Sharma (199), Ajay Jadeja (94) and Chetan Sharma (98) helped Haryana to a score of 522 while Yogendra Bhandari (5 wickets) and Kapil Dev (3 wickets) restricted Bombay to 410 runs in the first innings. A crucial 41 from Kapil and top scorer Banerjee (60) took Haryana to 242 runs, setting Bombay a target of 355 runs. After the initial wickets, Vengsarkar (139) and Tendulkar (96) fought back for the Bombay team. After Tendulkar's dismissal, Haryana took the final 6 wickets for 102 runs and Vengsarkar and Bombay were stranded 3 runs short of the target. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">International Career</span> ::</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kapil Dev made his Test cricket debut in Faisalabad, Pakistan on 16 October 1978 and though his match figures were unimpressive, the numbers did not convey any measure of Kapil's contribution in the match. With his speed and bounce, he bought glee to the Indian players when Pakistani batsmen were startled with bouncers that clanged the helmet on more than one occasion. Kapil Dev also captured his maiden wicket of Sadiq Mohammad with his trademark outswinger Kapil Dev showcased his all-rounder talent when he scored India's fastest Test half-century off 33 balls and 2 sixes in each of the innings during the 3rd Test match at National Stadium, Karachi, though India lost the match and the series 2-0. In the ensuring series against a visiting West Indies team, he scored his maiden Test century (126) at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi in just 124 balls and had a steady bowling performance (17 wickets at 33.00). Ominous signs of Kapil Dev's liking for England showed up in the ensuring series, Kapil's first outside the sub-continent. Kapil Dev picked up his first 5-wicket haul and all of England's wickets, though it came at a huge cost (48 overs and 146 runs conceded) as England scored a mammoth 633 and won the match comfortably. Kapil Dev finished the series with 16 wickets though his batting haul of 45 runs (Average: 7.5) was unimpressive. Kapil Dev's debut in ODI Cricket happened in the earlier tour of Pakistan where his individual performance was ordinary and it stayed the same as both Kapil Dev and India had a poor campaign at the 1979 Cricket World Cup.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kapil Dev established himself as India's premier fast bowler when he took two 5-wicket hauls and ended the home series against Australia with 28 wickets (Average: 22.32) and also 212 runs that included a half-century.[12] Kapil Dev gained fame in the 6-Test home series against Pakistan in the 1979-80 season when he led India to 2 victories against the visitors - once with the bat (69) at Wankhede Stadium, Bombay (Now Mumbai)[13] and the second time with bat and ball (10-wicket haul in match - 4/90 in the first innings and 7/56 in the second innings, 84 in 98 balls with his bat) at Chepauk, Madras (Now Chennai). Kapil Dev rates his all-round performance in this match as his best bowling effort in his career and his second innings figure of 7/56 was his best to-date. During the series, he also became the youngest Test player to achieve the all-round double of 100 Wickets and 1000 Runs and in 25 matches (although Ian Botham took just 21 matches to achieve the same feat) and finished the series with 32 wickets (Ave: 17.68) and 278 runs that included 2 fifties. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">India's tour of Australia in 1980-81 had the looks of the familiar Indian series as India were 1-0 down and were defending a meager 143 runs and Kapil Dev virtually ruled out with a groin injury. When Australia finished the fourth day at 18/3, Kapil willed himself to play the final day with pain-killing injections and removed the dangerous Australia middle order. Kapil won the match for India with the innings bowling performance of 16.4-4-28-5, a bowling performance that figures in his five best bowling performance. During the Australian tour, he scored his first fifty in ODIs against New Zealand at Brisbane. Somehow India's Test cricket sensation was unable to adjust to ODI cricket and had a career start of 278 runs (Average: 17.38) and 17 wickets after 16 ODI matches.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A dismal New Zealand tour later, Kapil Dev was ready for the 1981-82 home series against England where his five-wicket haul won the first test at Wankhede Stadium, Bombay (Now Mumbai). Kapil Dev scored 318 runs (Average: 53, 1 century, 1 fifty) and took 22 wickets (2 5-wicket hauls) and walked away with the Man of the Series honors. England saw more of Kapil in the ensuing series at home against the Indian cricket team in the 1982 season when Kapil opened with a 5-wicket haul and 130 runs in a losing cause at Lord's. Kapil Dev finished the 3-match series with 292 runs (Ave: 73, 3 fifties) and 10 Wickets and bagged the Man of the Series again.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Facing Sri Lanka for the first time, Kapil Dev helped himself to a five-wicket haul to kick start the 1982-83 season. In the following tour to Pakistan, Kapil Dev along with Mohinder Amarnath was the only bright spots in a series dominated by rival all-rounder Imran Khan (40 wickets and 1 century). Kapil Dev took a 5/102 haul in the second Test at National Stadium, Karachi, 7/220 in the third Test at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad and 8/85 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore while he received little support from other team members. After this disastrous tour, Kapil Dev was made the captain of the Indian cricket team in place of Sunil Gavaskar.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kapil’s Records in International Career::</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">· In early 1994, he became the highest Test wicket-taker in the world, breaking the record held by Sir Richard Hadlee. Kapil's record was broken by Courtney Walsh in 1999.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">· Kapil is the only player to have achieved the all-rounder's double of 4,000 Test runs and 400 Test wickets.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">· In 1988, Kapil overtook Joel Garner to become the highest wicket-taker in ODI cricket. His final career tally of 253 wickets remained a record until it was broken by Wasim Akram in 1994.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">· According to the ICC cricket ratings for all-rounders in ODI cricket, Kapil's peak rating of 631 is the highest rating ever achieved. He reached this mark on 22 March 1985 after a World Series final against Pakistan in Australia.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Some Achievements of Kapil Dev</span> ::</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Awards</span> ::<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">· 1979-80 - Arjuna Award</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">· 1982 - Padma Shri</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">· 1983 - Wisden Cricketer of the Year</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">· 1991 - Padma Bhushan</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">· 2002 - Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Century</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Test Match Awards</span> ::</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Man of Series Awards</span> ::<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"># Series Season Series Performance </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 .England in India 1981/82 318 Runs (6 Matches, 8 Innings, 1x100, 1x50); 243.1-40-835-22 (2x5WI); 3 Catches </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 .India in England 1982 292 Runs (3 Matches, 3 Innings, 3x50); 133-21-439-10 (1x5WI) </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. West Indies in India 1983/84 184 Runs (6 Matches, 11 Innings); 203.-43-537-29 (2x5WI, 1x10WM); Catches </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. India in Australia 1985/86 135 Runs (3 Matches, 3 Innings, 1x50); 118-31-276-12 (1x5WI); 5 Catches </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Man of the Match Awards::</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">S No Opponent Venue Season Match Performance::</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 .England Wankhede, Mumbai 1981/82 1st Innings: 38 (8x4); 22-10-29-1</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2nd Innings: 46 (5x4); 13.2-0-70-5 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 .England Lord's, London 1992/93 1st Innings: 41 (4x4); 43-8-125-5</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2nd Innings: 89 (13x4, 3x6); 10-1-43-3 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 .Pakistan Gadafi, Lahore 1982/93 1st Innings: 30.5-7-85-8 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4 .Australia Adelaide Oval, Adelaide 1985/86 1st Innings: 38 (8x4); 38-6-106-8</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2nd Innings: 3-1-3-0 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. England Lord's, London 1986 1st Innings: 1 Run; 31-8-67-1; 1 Catch</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2nd Innings: 23*(4x4, 1x6); 22-7-52-4 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Australia Chepauk, Chennai 1986/87 1st Innings: 119 (21x4);18-5-52-0; 2 Catches</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2nd Innings: 1 Run; 1-0-5-0 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7.Sri Lanka Barabati, Cuttack 1986/87 1st Innings: 60 Runs; 26-3-69-4; 2 Catches</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2nd Innings: 16-4-36-1 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8 .Pakistan National Stadium, Karachi 1989/90 1st Innings: 55 (8x4); 24-5-69-4</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2nd Innings: 36-15-82-3 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9.Joint MoM Award with Dean Jones in the tied Test Match</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ODI Match Awards</span> ::</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Man of the Series ::</span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"># Series (Opponents) Season Series Performance </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 Texaco Trophy (India in England ODI Series) 1982 107 (2 Matches & 2 Innings, 1x50); 20-3-60-0 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 Benson & Hedges World Series Cup (Australia, New Zealand) 1985/86 202 Runs (9 Innings); 20/391; 7 Catches </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Man of the Match Awards::</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">S No Opponent Venue Season Match Performance </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 .New Zealand Woolloongabba, Brisbane 1980/81 75 (51b, 9x4, 3x6); 10-0-37-1; 1 Catch </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 .West Indies Albion Sports Complex, Berbice, Guyana 1982/83 72 (38b, 7x4, 3x6); 10-0-33-2; 2 Catches </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 .Zimbabwe Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells 1983 175* (138b, 16x4, 6x6); 11-1-32-1; 2 Catches </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4 .England VCA Ground, Nagpur 1984/85 54 (41b, 3x4, 4x6); 10-1-42-1 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5 .New Zealand Woolloongabba, Brisbane 1985/86 54* (53b, 5x4); 10-1-28-1 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. England Sharjah 1986/87 64 (54b, 5x4, 1x6); 8-1-30-1 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7 .New Zealand Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore 1987/88 72* (58b, 4x4, 1x6); 10-1-54-0 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8 .Zimbabwe Gujarat Stadium, Ahmedabad 1987/88 41* (25b, 2x4, 3x6), 10-2-44-2 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9 .West Indies Sharjah 1989/90 41 (50b, 2x4, 1x6); 7.4-1-19-2 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10 .New Zealand Basin Reserve, Wellington 1989/90 46 (38b, 4x4, 1x6); 9.5-1-45-2 </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11 .South Africa Kingsmead, Durban 1992/93 30 (37b, 5x4); 10-4-23-3.</span></span><br />
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satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-56168827126339676472008-08-11T09:15:00.000-07:002008-09-24T00:35:18.694-07:00History of Anil Kumble<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Name : Anil Radhakrishna Kumble.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Nick name : Jumbo.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Date of Birth : 17 October 1970.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Place of Birth : Bangalore, India.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Batting Style : Right Handed Batsman.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Bowling Style : Right Arm Leg Break.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Role : Bowler and Test Captain.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Height : 1.85m (6feet 1inch)</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">TEST Debut : against England in August 1990.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">ODI Debut : against Sri Lanka in April 1990.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Playing Teams : Karnataka (1990-Present), Surrey (206), Leicestershire (2000), Northamptonshire (1995), Royal Challengers Bangalore (2008) and India (1990-Present).</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL</span> ::<br /></span></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Matches : 271(April 2008). </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Runs : 938.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best : 26.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 10.53(Bat).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">100’s : 0 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">50’s : 0</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wickets :337.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best Bowling : 6/12 against West Indies in 1992.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 30.89(Bowling).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">5/10 Wickets : 2/0.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Catches : 85.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">TEST CAREER</span> ::<br /></span></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Matches : 68. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Runs : 2440.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best : 110* against England in 2007.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 18.24(Bat).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">100’s : 1.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">50’s : 5.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wickets : 608.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best Bowling: 10/74 against Pakistan at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, India.5/58.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">5/10 Wickets : 35/8.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 29.06(Bowling).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Catches : 57.</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Anil’s Personal Information::</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">Anil Radhakrishna Kumble (born 17 October 1970 in Bangalore, Karnataka) is an Indian cricketer.</span> He is a right-arm leg spin (leg break googly) bowler and a right-hand batsman. Kumble is a right-arm leg spinner with an unorthodox style, most famous for his flipper. He started his career as a medium pacer, which has given him a useful faster delivery. He relies more on accuracy, variations and bounce than spinning the ball. His unique bowling style can be attributed to matting pitches in Bangalore which assist top-spin and over-spin. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> He is currently the leading wicket-taker for India in both Test and One Day International matches. At present he is the third highest wicket-taker in Test cricket and one of only three bowlers to have taken more than 600 Test wickets. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> Anil Kumble was born in Bangalore, Karnataka to KN Krishna Swamy and Saroja. His family, of Kannadiga origin, takes its name from Kumble village situated in the Kasaragod district of Kerala, close to the Karnataka border: his paternal grandfather hailed from this village while his maternal family hails from Karnataka. He is married to Chethana Ramatheertha. Anil has 2 children - daughter Aaruni (from Chethana's previous marriage) and son Mayas. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> Kumble began playing cricket on streets of Bangalore and joined a club called Young Cricketers when he was 13 years old. Kumble did his primary schooling at Holy Saint English School and his high schooling at National High School, Basavanagudi. He got his Pre-University College education from National College, Basavanagudi. Kumble graduated from Rashtreeya Vidyalaya College of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering in 1991-92. Anil's studious dispensation is not without a basis in fact. Prior to his selection for the England tour, he did exceedingly well in his academics passing mechanical engineering with distinction in the top of his class. Anil was dedicated enough to be promoted at the end of each year to the next grade. Two of his college team mates, M.P. Vivek and Rashid Mohsin went on to have scintillating but short lived first class careers. Kumble has a brother by name Dinesh. He has a nickname Jumbo not only because his deliveries, for a spinner, are "as fast as a Jumbo jet"., but also because his feet are quite big or jumbo as observed by his team-mates. </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Anil’s International Performance</span> ::<br /></span></span><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From his Early years to 500 Test Wickets………….</span><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Under-19s, scoring 113 in the first test and 76 in the second. He made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka at Sharjah in the Australasia Cup on April 25, 1990. He also made his Test debut in that year on India's tour of England in the second Test. It was when India toured South Africa in 1992 that he established himself as a quality international spinner, taking 8 wickets in the second Test. Later that year, when England toured India, he took 21 wickets in just 3 Test matches at an average of 19.8.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> He took his first 50 Test wickets in just 10 Test matches, the fastest an Indian bowler had achieved the milestone. He went on to become the second fastest Indian bowler to reach 100 Test wickets (in 21 Test matches), after Erapalli Prasanna. On November 27, 1993, he took 6 wickets for 12 runs in an ODI against the West Indies at Calcutta, a new record for best bowling figures by an Indian, one that has remained unbeaten for 10 years.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> His performance in ODI cricket peaked in 1996, the year in which the World Cup was held in Asia, when he took 61 ODI wickets at an average of 20.24 and an economy rate of 4.06.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> Kumble is one of only two bowlers ever (the other being Jim Laker) to have taken all 10 wickets in a Test innings. Kumble achieved this against Pakistan in the second Test played in New Delhi between 4 February and 8 February 1999, although by failing to dismiss Pakistan's Waqar Younis in either innings, he missed out on the achievement of dismissing all 11 batsmen in a Test match. It has been said that once he had got 9 wickets his friend and teammate Javagal Srinath tried not to take a wicket so that Kumble could take the 10th. The achievement was commemorated by naming a traffic circle in Bangalore after him.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> On 6 October 2004, Kumble became only the third spinner in the history of Test cricket (after Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan) and the second Indian bowler (after Kapil Dev) to capture 400 Test wickets. Reaching the mark took him 30 fewer Test matches than it took Kapil Dev, and 7 fewer than Warne. He is one of only 2 Indian bowlers (the other being Javagal Srinath) and one of only 3 spinners (the others being Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya) to have taken over 300 ODI wickets. In the India-West Indies series of 2006, Kumble took 6-78 in the second innings of the final Test in Sabina Park, Jamaica, and bowled India to a historic series victory; it had been 35 years since a similar series victory. During the first innings of the match, Kumble scored 45 and became the second player in the history of the game (after Warne) to score 2000 runs and take over 500 Test wickets.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;color:#ffccff;" >Kumble’s Performance in Test Matches after 500 Wickets………</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On December 10, 2004, Kumble became India's highest wicket taker when he trapped Mohammad Rafique of Bangladesh to surpass Kapil Dev's haul of 434 wickets. On 11 March 2006, he took his 500th Test wicket. On June 11 2006, Kumble passed Courtney Walsh on 520 Test wickets to take 4th place. After returning to India from the 2007 Cricket World Cup, he announced his retirement from ODI Cricket on March 30, 2007. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> On 10 August 2007, Kumble scored his maiden century, with an innings of 110 not out against England to help them finish with 664. He took 118 Test matches to reach his maiden Test hundred, which is a record, beating Chaminda Vaas who had held this record previously with 96 Tests. It was also the only hundred by an Indian in the 3 Test series. He is the only Test cricketer to have taken all ten wickets in an innings and score a Test hundred in his career. A day after scoring his ton, Kumble dismissed Vaughn for his 900th International wicket and 563rd Test wicket, drawing him level with Glenn McGrath. Later he trapped Monty Panesar for an LBW to finish the innings and overtake McGrath in the list of all time wicket takers, only Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne have more wickets.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> Anil Kumble is perhaps India's best current spinner in a side which is beginning once again to consider fast bowling a viable attacking option.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">He is one of the 4 bowlers, alongside Richard Hadlee, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, and the only Indian bowler ever, to have taken 5 wickets in a Test innings more than 30 times. He also holds the world record for the largest number of caught-and-bowled dismissals in tests, 28. His ODI bowling average, which is above 30, is considered high compared to other great bowlers, and he is known to be a much better bowler in India than elsewhere. He is also one of 4 Indian bowlers to have conceded over 250 runs in a Test match, although he took 12 wickets in that match. He is known for bowling tirelessly, having bowled 72 overs in a Test innings once. He is also remembered for his tenacity in bowling even when injured, especially after an incident in a match against West Indies where, despite having his broken jaw being heavily taped, he came back to prise out the wicket of Brian Lara.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> His Test batting average is acceptable for a lower order batsmen; however, his unconvincing running in ODIs, giving him a fairly ordinary average of around 10, has prevented him from becoming an all-rounder. His fielding is considered adequate and he usually fields on the boundary or at gully.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On 17 January 2008, in the third Test against Australia at WACA, Perth, Anil Kumble became the first Indian bowler and the third in the world to reach the milestone of 600 Test wickets. Kumble achieved the record just after the tea break when he had Andrew Symonds caught by Rahul Dravid at first slip. In a friendly gesture, Adam Gilchrist shook hands with Kumble and congratulated him. Kumble would go on to lead India to its first Test victory in Perth. Kumble's 600 wickets came in 124 matches at an average of 28.68. Kumble has captured most number of wickets against Australia by an Indian bowler. He has taken 104 Australian scalps in 17 matches at an average of 27.5.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> Kumble is the third bowler after Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne to take 600 Test wickets. Paying tribute to Kumble on reaching this milestone, cricket analysts have provided some interesting insights to his bowling skills, specifically vis-à-vis Warne and Muralitharan. Sambit Bal, the editor of Cricinfo, writes: </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> "That he [Kumble] has been an unusual spinner has been said many times before. It has also been said, a trifle unfairly, that he is a unidimensional bowler. Palpably, he has lacked the turn of Warne and Murali, but his variety has been subtler, far more apparent to batsmen than to viewers. He has shown that not only turn and flight that can deceive the batsman but also the changes of length and pace. He has been a cultured practitioner of his unique craft and a master of nuances."</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> Columnist and former cricketer Peter Roebuck interestingly argues that in a bowling method that relies more on precision rather than big turns, Kumble is closer to fast bowler Glenn McGrath rather than his fellow spinners Warne and Muralitharan. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> "Curiously, Kumble has little in common with his two great contemporaries, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan. They relied on excess, spinning the ball ferociously and able, by sleight of hand, to fool batsmen into playing at thin air. They created error by destroying hope. Kumble more closely resembles Glenn McGrath because he does not so much baffle batsmen as torture them with precisely-pitched deliveries. Like the Australian, he does not tear opponents apart, just works away methodically till the deed has been done. Apparently he is an engineer, but he belongs in the courts of law as an inquisitor."</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">During the 4th test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval on 25 January 2008, Kumble was only 13 runs short of his 2nd test hundred by scoring 87 runs off 205 balls, with 9 fours in India's first innings of 526. Only Sachin Tendulkar scored more than him, with a masterful 153 runs off 205 balls. </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Kumble leading Indian Team……………….……...................</span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Kumble was appointed the captain of the Indian Test cricket team on 8 November 2007. His first assignment as captain was the three-test home series against Pakistan that India won 1-0. Then he led the Indian Test team on its tour to Australia for the 2007-08 four-test series of The Border-Gavaskar Trophy that India lost 1-2. Kumble succeeds his state team mate Rahul Dravid, who resigned as the captain in September 2007. Since his debut in international cricket in April 25, 1990, he has taken over 600 Test wickets and 330 ODI wickets. Although often criticized as not a big turner of the ball, Kumble is the second highest wicket taker among leg spinners in Test cricket behind leg spinner Shane Warne of Australia and the third of all bowlers after Warne and off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka and has claimed over 600 Test wickets. He is one of only two bowlers in the history of cricket to have taken all 10 wickets in a test innings, the other being Jim Laker of England. Kumble is currently ranked the 9th best bowler in Tests by the International Cricket Council. He was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors, by the Government of India in 2005. </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Kumble’s Awards in Test Matches……………………</span> </span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><br /></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">10 “<span style="color:#ffccff;">Man of the Match</span>” award……………….</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sri Lanka 2], Pakistan [2], New Zealand [1], England [3], Australia [1] and Zimbabwe [1].</span><br /></span></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">4 “<span style="color:#ffccff;">Man of the Series</span>” awards…………………</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Against England in home series (He took 21 wickets) in 1992/93.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Against New Zealand in home series (He took 20 wickets) in 1999/2000.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Against Zimbabwe in home series (He took 16 wickets) in 2001/02.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Against Sri Lanka in home series( He took 20 wickets) in 2005/06.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Kumble’s Awards in ODI………………………...</span> </span></span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Kumble has 6 “<span style="color:#ffccff;">Man of the Match</span>” awards in ODI’s, they were……….</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">1 against England (Stats: 11-2-29-2).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">1 against West Indies (Stats: 6.1-2-12-6).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">1 against New Zealand (Stats: 10-0-33-5).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">1 against South Africa (Stats: 8.2-0-25-4).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">1 against Bangladesh (Stats: 10-4-17-3).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">1 against Kenya (Stats: 10-1-22-3).</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">And Kumble has 1 “<span style="color:#ffccff;">Man of the Series</span>” award in ODI………….</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Against Pakistan in Sahara Friendship Cup (with 13 wickets in series) 1996. </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Some of Achievements of Anil Kumble</span> ::</span></span><br /><p><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· Arjuna award, a sports award from the Government of India, in 1995</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· One of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year, in 1996</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· Among the 16 cricketers short listed for the Wisden Indian Cricketer of the 20th Century, in 2002 (Kapil Dev won)</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· Padma Shri, a civilian award from the Government of India, in 2005</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· A prominent intersection in M. G. Road, Bangalore has been named after Anil Kumble.</span></p>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-73364435146872492012008-08-11T09:12:00.001-07:002008-10-14T02:30:57.473-07:00History of Andrew Flintoff<span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Name : Andrew Flintoff.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Nick name : Freddie.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Date of Birth : 6 December 1977.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Place of Birth : Preston, Lancashire, England.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Batting Style : Right Handed Batsman.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Bowling Style : Right Arm Fast.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Role : All Rounder.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Height : 1.93m (6feet 4inches)</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">TEST Debut : against South Africa in April 1999.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">ODI Debut : against Pakistan in July 1998.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Playing Teams: Lancashire (1995-Present) and England (1998-Present).</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL</span> ::<br /></span></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Matches : 127(September 2007). </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Runs : 3090.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best : 123 against West Indies at Lords ground, England in 2004.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 31.53(Bat).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">100’s : 3 </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">50’s : 16</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wickets : 146.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best Bowling: 5/56.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 25.10(Bowling).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">5/10 Wickets : 1/0.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Catches : 41.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">TEST CAREER::</span><br /></span></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Matches : 67. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Runs : 3381.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best : 167 against West Indies at Edgbaston, England in 2004.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 32.50(Bat).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">100’s : 5.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">50’s : 24.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wickets : 197.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best Bowling: 5/58.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">5/10 Wickets : 2/0.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 32.02(Bowling).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Catches : 44.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Flintoff’s Personal Information:: </span><br /><br /></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">Andrew Flintoff</span>, MBE, (born 6 December 1977 in Preston, Lancashire) is a cricketer who plays for Lancashire and England. A tall (6' 4") fast bowler, aggressive batsman and fine fielder, he is perceived by some to be one of the few genuine all-rounders in the international game at the present time. His nickname "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Freddie</span>" or "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Fred</span>" comes from the similarity between his surname and that of Fred Flintstone. Since his debut in 1998, Flintoff has become an integral player, and has both captained and vice-captained the team. He has been plagued with ankle injuries due to his bowling action, and in late 2007 a fourth operation took him out of cricket until summer 2008.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">He married Rachael Wools on 5 March 2005, and they have three children: a daughter, Holly (born September 2004); and two sons - Corey (born March 2006), and Rocky (born 7 April 2008). He has the names Rachael, Holly and Corey tattooed on his left shoulder.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Andrew's father, Colin, and his brother, Chris, both played cricket, with Colin still playing for Whittingham Cricket Club near Preston. During his innings of 167 against the West Indies at Edgbaston in July 2004, one six off Jermaine Lawson was hit high into the Ryder Stand and was almost caught by his dad, who fumbled the ball and dropped it. Colin Flintoff remarked "If I'd taken it he'd have been the first Test batsman to be caught out by his dad!". </span><br /><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Flintoff’s Early years………….</span><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Flintoff was captain of the England Under-19 team for their "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Test</span>" match tour to Pakistan in 1996/7 and at home against Zimbabwe in 1997. Though he made his Test match debut for England in 1998 against South Africa, his struggle to make the grade at county level continued, he found form only intermittently, though often explosively when he did so. In 2000 he hit 135 not out in the Quarter-finals of the Natwest Trophy against Surrey, which David Gower described as "<span style="color:#ffccff;">the most awesome innings we are ever going to see on a cricket field</span>". In the same year England's management made clear they were unhappy with his fitness and weight, Flintoff responded to his critics with 42 not out in a one day game against Zimbabwe on his home ground of Old Trafford, forming an explosive second wicket stand with Graeme Hick; as he collected the Man of the Match award he remarked his performance was "not bad for a fat lad". Though he lost his England place during 2001, he remodeled his bowling action and he gained a place on the 2001-02 tour to India. Though he hit possibly his worst international batting form during the Test series, frustrating him to the point that he broke down in tears in the dressing room at one stage, he later saw the tour as a turning point in his career, specifically the crucial final one-day match. Entrusted with bowling the final over with India needing 11 to win, he ran out Anil Kumble and bowled Javagal Srinath with successive balls to win the match, taking off his shirt in celebration, through both joy and personal relief. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Flintoff’s International Performance</span> ::</span></span><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;"><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 2002</span> he scored his maiden Test century. By 2003, a newer, fitter Flintoff started to justify the comparisons with Botham. Up to the end of 2002, he had averaged just 19 with the bat and 47 with the ball; from 2003 to the end of the 2005 Ashes series, the corresponding figures were 43 and 28. In the summer of 2003 he scored a century and three fifties in the 5 Test series against South Africa at home, and continued to excel on the tour of the West Indies in March and April 2004, taking five wickets in the Test in Barbados, and scoring a century in Antigua. In early 2004 he was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year, having failed to make Wisden's top 40 lists in 2002.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Although injury prevented him from bowling, he was called into the England squad for the 2004 Nat West One Day International Series against New Zealand and the West Indies as a specialist batsman, scoring two consecutive centuries in the series and hitting seven sixes in one innings.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">He matched this haul in the Second Test against the West Indies at Edgbaston in July, hitting a first-class best figure of 167. Over the course of England's record-breaking summer, he hit a half-century in all seven victorious Tests against New Zealand and the West Indies. On returning to the one-day game as an all-rounder in September he fell agonizing short of a third one-day century, caught on 99 against India, though he went on to hit a further century in the ICC Champions Trophy pool match against Sri Lanka two weeks later. At the end of the season he was named as the inaugural winner of the ICC Award for one-day player of the year, and the Professional Cricketers' Association player of the year. He also became a father when his fiancée Rachael Wools gave birth to Holly on 6 September. They now have a second child, Corey, who was born during the series in India in 2006. Freddie briefly returned home from the tour to see his son for the first time and did not miss any matches in the process.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Flintoff’s Performance against Australia in Ashes 2005………</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><strong></strong><br /></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Following the Test series in South Africa in December 2004 and January 2005, Flintoff flew home for surgery on his left ankle, leading to worries he might not regain fitness in time for The Ashes. In fact, following a rehabilitation programme of swimming and hill-walking, he recovered ahead of schedule and was able to return to action for Lancashire in April.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">In the Second Test</span> against Australia at Edgbaston in August 2005, he broke Ian Botham's 1981 record of six sixes in an Ashes Test Match with five in the first innings, and a further four in the second innings, 141 runs in total. In the same game he took a total of 7 wickets (across both innings), including the wickets of Langer and Ponting in his first over in Australia's run-chase. He managed all this despite a shoulder injury early in the second innings. England won the game by the narrowest of margins - just 2 runs, and saved their hopes of regaining the Ashes. Flintoff was named <span style="color:#ffccff;">'Man of the Match'</span> and Captain Michael Vaughan subsequently dubbed the match "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Fred's Test</span>" in honour of his achievement.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Flintoff scored a century during England's crucial win at Trent Bridge. He took 5 wickets on the fourth day of the final test match, enabling England to go off for bad light and helping them to eventually secure a draw and regain the Ashes.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">For his achievements throughout the 2005 Ashes series, he was named as "Man of the Series" by Australian coach, John Buchanan. His achievement also won him the inaugural Compton-Miller Medal. He was also awarded the Freedom of the City of Preston.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">In October 2005</span>, Flintoff shared the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC player of the year award with Jacques Kallis of South Africa. In December 2005, Flintoff was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2005, the first cricketer since Botham in 1981. In the New Year's Honors List for 2006, Flintoff was appointed an MBE for his role in the successful Ashes side. In January 2006, Flintoff was presented with Freedom of the City award for Preston, Lancashire. The award was presented to Flintoff by the Mayor of Preston. Other recipients of the award include Sir Tom Finney and Nick Park. In April 2006, he was named Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World.</span><br /></span></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Flintoff leading England Team………</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">In February 2006</span>, following England captain Michael Vaughan and vice-captain Marcus Trescothick becoming unavailable for the first Test match against India, Flintoff was named captain of the England team and subsequently announced that he would be staying in India for the entire Test series, although he and his wife were expecting their second child. His wife gave birth to a son, Corey, shortly before the second Test on 9 March. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On the field, <span style="color:#ffccff;">Flintoff was seen as a great success during the drawn series with India, with a 212-run victory in Mumbai</span>. His contributions with both bat and ball ensured that he was named as the player of the series, with many commentators seeing Flintoff as someone who not only worked better under the responsibility but was also viewed as a great influence of an inexperienced side, which included many debutants, such as Alastair Cook, Owais Shah and Monty Panesar. Flintoff amassed four fifties in the series, and took 11 wickets, on unfriendly surfaces for seamers. Flintoff continued to captain England during the seven ODIs in India, although he was rested for two matches.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">However, following a recurrence of his long-term ankle problem in May 2006, he missed both the ODI series against Sri Lanka, and the first Test against Pakistan. It was later announced in July that Flintoff's rehabilitation had not been sufficient to quell the injury, and that further surgery would be required. He was thus ruled out for the entire series against Pakistan. Despite injury concerns, Flintoff was later named for the ICC Champions Trophy, where he played as a specialist batsman, not as an all-rounder.</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Flintoff’s Performance against Australia in Ashes 2006/07…………</span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">After his previous stint as captain in the Test series against India, Flint off returned as captain of the England team for the eagerly anticipated 2006-07 Ashes series in Australia. The series turned out to be a humiliating one for Flintoff, leading his side to five straight losses and thus losing the Ashes after having held them for the shortest time in history. In addition, he presided over England's worst ever defeat in an Ashes series, equaling the 1921 whitewash at the hands of the Warwick Armstrong-led Australian team in the wake of WWI.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Flintoff's own play in the 2006-07 series, both bowling and at the crease, was generally deemed disappointing. He made only two scores over 50 in the series, his best bowling figures were 4/99 in the first innings of the First Test in Brisbane, and he failed to get 5 wickets in a match. Flintoff played only one first-class game in the lead up to the series. He was initially undone by Australia's excellent seam bowling but his batting improved throughout the series as he got more match practice. A persistent ankle injury prevented Flintoff from bowling long spells at full pace and Australia's batsmen took advantage of this. According to Nasser Hussain during the tour he also had three or four warnings for inappropriate behavior and binge drinking, including arriving hung-over for a training session.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Flintoff also captained England for several of the subsequent 2006-07 Commonwealth Bank Series One Day International matches. Michael Vaughan's return from knee surgery was cut short by a hamstring injury and he was only able to play two matches, leaving Flintoff in charge for the remaining games. England qualified in the last game of eight group matches for the best-of-three finals against Australia, but reversed their poor form on tour with a 2-0 series win in the finals.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Flintoff contributed significantly with the ball in both matches, taking three wickets in the first match and allowing only 10 runs off 5 overs in the second as Australia chased a reduced total in a rain-hit match.</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Flintoff’s Performance in World cup 2007………….…</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">With Michael Vaughan returning from injury for the Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, Flintoff was replaced as captain but appointed England's vice-captain.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">In the opening match of the tournament against New Zealand Flintoff was out first ball in England's innings and failed to take a wicket, although his bowling was very economical conceding only <span style="color:#ffccff;">17 runs in 8 overs</span>, and he took a stunning one-handed catch at slip to dismiss Ross Taylor for a duck. On the evening of England's defeat Flintoff - along with some other players and coaches from the England squad - indulged in some late night drinking in a night club, only two days before their vital match against Canada . In the early hours of the morning he was reported as having to be rescued after falling off a pedalo - this quickly became known in the media as the "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Fredalo</span>" incident (a portmanteau of "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Freddie</span>" and "<span style="color:#ffccff;">pedalo</span>"). Flintoff and the others involved were reprimanded and fined and with Flintoff being stripped of the vice-captaincy and, in addition, he was suspended for the match against Canada. It was revealed by England coach Duncan Fletcher that Flintoff had had a number of previous warnings about his behavior. Flintoff has since issued a public apology.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Flintoff returned to the England team for the last group match against Kenya, taking two wickets. In the Super 8 matches, Flintoff often excelled with the ball but failed to recover his batting form. Against Ireland he took 4-43 and scored 43 runs; against Sri Lanka he took 3-35 but was out for 2 and against Australia he took 1-35 but was out for 4. In the next match against Bangladesh Flintoff took 1-38 in 8 overs and scored <span style="color:#ffccff;">23 runs off 21 balls</span>. Ultimately, he failed to influence an ailing English side and had a poor tournament. Michael Vaughan later commented that Flintoff's pedalo antics had adversely affected team morale.</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Some Achievements and Records of Andrew Flintoff.…………</span><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;"><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· Flintoff is the third highest English wicket-taker in one-day international cricket with 135 wickets, and the 12th highest in Test cricket, with 197 wickets. These figures include wickets taken for the ICC World XI.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· He is also the 9th highest English run-scorer in one-day internationals, with a total of 2975.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· Flintoff hit Surrey's Alex Tudor for 34 runs (6-4-4-4-4-6-6-0) in an over at Old Trafford in 1998. The over included two no-balls that, under ECB regulations, counted for two penalty runs apiece, making a grand total of 38.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· The highest score of his career at any level is 232 not out for St Anne's (Under 15) Cricket Club against Fulwood and Broughton. He recalls that "it was a 20 -overs-a-side game, played on an artificial wicket, and I remember getting dropped when I'd scored just six. My opening partner David Fielding scored 60 not out and we got 319 for 0 in 20 overs. You don't forget days like that, whatever the standard you're playing in".</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· Flintoff was Lancashire's winner of the NBC Denis Compton Award in 1997.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· Flintoff holds the record for the most sixes scored for England, beating Ian Botham's record of 67 with a six off India's Piyush Chawla in Mohali on 11 March 2006.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· Flintoff is only the seventh player to have batted on all five days of a Test match, achieving this feat at Mohali, in the same match in which he broke the sixes record. </span><br /></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span></span>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-89123577455624898042008-08-11T09:05:00.000-07:002008-10-14T02:23:55.772-07:00History of Wasim Akram<span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Name : Wasim Akram.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Nick name : Sultan of Swing.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Date of Birth : 3 June 1966. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Place of Birth : Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Batting Style : Left Handed Batsman.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Bowling Style : Left Arm Fast.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Role : Bowler.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Height : 6 ft 2 inches (1.88 m).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">TEST Debut : against New Zealand in November 1984.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">ODI Debut : against New Zealand in January 1985.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Playing Teams: Hampshire (2003), Lahore Blues (2000/01), Lahore city (1986/87 & 1997/98), Pakistan International Airlines (1992/93-2001/02), Lancashire (1988-1998), Lahore city Whites (1985/86), Pakistan Automobiles Corporation (1984/85-1985/86).</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL</span> ::<br /></span><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Matches : 356. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Runs : 3717.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best : 86.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 16.52(Bat).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">100’s : 0.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">50’s : 06.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wickets : 502.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best Bowling: 5/15.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 28.52(Bowling).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">5/10 Wickets : 6/0.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Catches : 88.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">TEST CAREER</span> ::<br /></span></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Matches : 104. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Runs : 2898.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best : 257*.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 22.64(Bat).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">100’s : 3.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">50’s : 7.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wickets : 414.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best Bowling: 7/119.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 23.62(Bowling).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">5/10 Wickets : 25/5.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Catches : 44.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Wasim’s Personal Information ::</span><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;"><strong></strong><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">Wasim Akram (Urdu: وسیم اکرم</span>) (born June 3, 1966 in Lahore, Punjab) is a former Pakistani cricketer. He was a left-arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman, who represented the Pakistani cricket team in Tests and One Day Internationals. Widely regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers ever, Akram holds world records for the most wickets taken in both ODIs (502) and List A cricket (881), and was one of the pioneers of reverse swing bowling. The revolutionary nature of reverse swing initially resulted in accusations of ball tampering, although reverse swing has now been accepted as a legitimate feature of the game. Akram's later career was also tarnished with accusations of match fixing, although these remain unproven.</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Wasim’s International Performance::</span><br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wasim’s Domestic Performance…………………………..</span><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wasim signed for Lancashire in 1988 and went on to become one of their most successful overseas players. From 1988 to 1998, he spearheaded their attack in their NatWest Trophy, Benson & Hedges Cup and Sunday League winning sides. He was a favorite of the local fans who used to sing a song called "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Wasim for England</span>" at Lancashire's matches. </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Wasim’s Performance in International Career…………</span><br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">Wasim </span>made his <span style="color:#ffccff;">Test debut</span> for Pakistani cricket team against New Zealand in early 1985 and in only his second Test he made his presence felt with a ten-wicket haul. Like a few other Pakistani cricketers of his time, he was identified at club level and bypassed first-class domestic competition, entering international cricket directly. A few weeks prior to his selection into the Pakistani team, he was an unknown club cricketer who had failed to even make it to his college team. He was spotted by Javed Miandad, and as a result of his insisting was it that Wasim was given an opportunity to play for Pakistan. Later that season he paired with Imran, who became his mentor, at the World Championship of Cricket in Australia.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wasim's rise in international cricket was rapid during the initial years. When Pakistan toured the West Indies in 1988, he looked to be the quickest bowler between the two sides. However, a serious groin injury impeded his career in the late 1980s. Following two surgeries, he re-emerged in 1990 as a bowler who focused more on swing and control than speed.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span><br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;" >Wasim’s Performance in One Day Internationals……………………</span> </span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">Wasim was instrumental in Pakistan's famous World Cup victory in 1992 in Australia. In the final against England his late flurry of an innings, 33 off 19 balls, pushed Pakistan to a respectable 249 for 6</span>. Wasim then took the all-important wicket of Ian Botham early on, and when brought back into the attack later on, with the ball reverse swinging, he produced a devastating spell which led to Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis being clean-bowled in successive deliveries. His excellent performances earned him the Man of the Match award for the final. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">He also captained Pakistan with some success. The high points of his captaincy were the 1996-97 victory in the World Series in Australia, two Test match wins in India in 1998-99 and in 1999, when Pakistan reached the World Cup final for the second time. The low point was the 1996 World Cup in Pakistan and India, when he had to pull out of the crucial quarter final match against India. After Pakistan's defeat, there were angry protests outside his homes, and a government inquiry was launched into the failure.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 1999</span>, he led Pakistan to the brink of victory in the World Cup before they rolled over and gave the final to Australia. This was the start of the match-fixing controversies, as people believed Wasim had set up the match for Australia. He was pardoned by Justice Qayyum.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">He was Pakistan's top bowler in the 2003 World Cup taking 19 wickets in 7 matches. However, Pakistan failed to reach the "Super Six" phase of the tournament, and Wasim was one of the eight players to be sacked by the Pakistan Cricket Board as a result.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wasim was diagnosed with diabetes at the peak of his career, but despite the initial psychological blow, he managed to regain his form and went on to produce fine cricketing displays. Since then he has actively sought to be involved in various awareness-raising campaigns for diabetes. </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Wasim’s Retirement………</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wasim retired in 2003, after a brief spell with Hampshire in England. Since then, Wasim has taken up commentary and can currently be seen as a sportscaster for the ESPN Star network, and is also running shows on ARY Digital. He is married to Huma Mufti, daughter of Mr. Humayaun Mufti. Wasim and Huma have two sons from their marriage of fourteen years.</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Secret of Wasim Style……………</span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">An immensely talented player first discovered by Javed Miandad, Wasim played for his college (Govt. Is lamia College Civil Lines, Lahore) as an opening bowler and batsman. Early on in his career, he bowled with genuine pace and hostility. Wasim possessed accurate control of line and length and seam position, and could swing the ball both in and out. With a very deceptive ball-concealing action, he could bowl equally well from both sides of the wicket. His mastery of reverse swing with the old ball meant he was at his most dangerous towards the end of an innings, and earned him the nickname Sultan of Swing.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">As well as often being able to find the edge of the bat, Wasim would also focus his attack on the stumps and had a particularly lethal Yorker. Of his 414 Test wickets, 193 were taken caught, 119 were taken LBW and 102 were bowled. In partnership with Waqar Younis, he intimidated international batsmen in the 1990s. Together Wasim and Waqar, known as "<span style="color:#ffccff;">the two Ws</span>" of the Pakistani team, were one of the most successful bowling partnerships ever.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wasim was also skilled with the bat and was regarded as a bowling all-rounder. He was especially effective against spinners. However, he liked to slog and was criticized for his lack of big scores and giving away his wicket too cheaply for a player of his talent. He did silence his critics in October 1996 when he scored 257, not out, of the team's total of 553 against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura. He also made good scores in difficult times for the Pakistan team such as his 123 against Australia and his 45 not-out to take Pakistan to victory in a low-scoring match. Pakistan, needing six runs in two balls two win the Nehru Cup saw Wasim come out to bat. The first ball he faced was hit out of the ground and secured the cup. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Some of Achievements and Records of Wasim Akram</span> ::</span></span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">·<span style="color:#ffccff;"> In his Test career, Wasim took 414 wickets in 104 matches, a Pakistani record, at an average of 23.62, and scored 2,898 runs, at an average of 22.64. </span></span></span><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;"></span></strong><br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· In One Day Internationals, Wasim took a world record 502 wickets in 356 appearances, at an average of 23.52, and scored 3,717 runs, at an average of 16.52.</span></span><br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· Wasim was the first bowler in international cricket to take more than 400 wickets in both forms of the game, and only Muttiah Muralitharan has since achieved this. </span></span><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;"><strong></strong><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· Wasim also held the record for the most wickets in Cricket World Cups — a total of 55 in 38 matches. Australia's Glenn McGrath broke the record during the 2007 World Cup, ending with a final tally of 71 from 39 matches. On passing Wasim's record, McGrath said, "Wasim Akram, to me, is one of the greatest bowlers of all time. Left-armer swung it both ways with the new ball and he was so dangerous with the old ball. To go past him is something I will always remember. Probably the other side of the coin is that if you play long enough, you're going to break records here and there."</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· Uniquely, Wasim took four hat-tricks in international cricket, two each in Tests and ODIs. He is one of only three bowlers to have taken two Test hat-tricks (the others being Hugh Trumble and Jimmy Matthews), and also one of only three bowlers to have taken two ODI hat-tricks (the others being fellow Pakistani Saqlain Mushtaq and Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka). Wasim's Test hat-tricks are unique, since they were taken in consecutive Test matches in the same series, both against Sri Lanka in the 1998-99 Asian Test Championship. Wasim is also one of only two bowlers to have taken both a Test and ODI hat-trick (the other being fellow Pakistani Mohammad Sami). </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· Playing in a Test against the West Indies at Lahore in 1990-91, he became one of only six players to have taken four wickets in an over during a Test match. In Wasim's case, the feat was not part of a hat-trick, the third ball of the series being a dropped catch, which allowed a single. </span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· Wasim has also achieved the highest score by a number eight batsman in Test cricket — 257 not out from 363 balls against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura. The innings contained 12 sixes which is also a world record for Test cricket. </span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">· He also has the third highest number of Man of the Match awards in Test cricket, seventeen. </span></span><br /><br /></span></span>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-87560873744954919392008-08-11T08:51:00.000-07:002008-10-14T02:15:57.316-07:00History of Sunil Gavaskar<span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Name : Sunil Manohar Gavaskar.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Nick name : Little Master.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Date of Birth : July 10 1949. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Place of Birth : Mumbai, India.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Batting Style : Right Handed Batsman.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Bowling Style : Right Arm Medium.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Role : Opening Batsman..</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Height : 5 ft 5in (1.63 m).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Test Debut : against West Indies in 1970. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Playing Teams: India. </span><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL</span> :::<br /></span></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Matches : 108. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Runs : 3092.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best : 103*.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 35.13(Bat).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">100’s : 1.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">50’s : 27.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wickets : 1.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best Bowling: 1/10.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 25.00(Bowling).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">5/10 Wickets : 0/0.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Catches : 22.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;" >TEST CAREER</span> ::<br /></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Matches : 125. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Runs : 10122.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best : 236*.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 51.12(Bat).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">100’s : 34.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">50’s : 45.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wickets : 1.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Best Bowling: 1/34.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Average : 206.00(Bowling).</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Catches : 108.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Gavaskar’s Personal Information ::</span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">Sunil Manohar Gavaskar</span> pronunciation (born July 10, 1949 in Mumbai, Maharashtra), nicknamed Sunny, was a cricket player during the 1970s and 1980s for Bombay and India. Sunil is married to Marshaniel Gavaskar (née Mehrotra), daughter of a leather industrialist in Kanpur. They have a son Rohan. Widely regarded as one of the greatest opening batsmen in the Indian Test history, Gavaskar set world records during his career for the most runs and most centuries scored by any batsman. He held the record of <span style="color:#ffccff;">34 Test centuries</span> for almost two decades before it was broken by Sachin Tendulkar in December 2005. He was widely admired for his technique against fast bowling, with a particularly high average of <span style="color:#ffccff;">65.45</span> against the West Indies, who possessed a four-pronged fast bowling attack regarded as the most vicious in Test history. His captaincy of the Indian team, however, was less successful. The team at one stage went 31 Test matches without a victory. There were incidents like crowd displeasure at Eden Gardens in Calcutta leading to multiple matches being disrupted, in response to the poor performance of the Indian team. Turbulent performances of the team lead to multiple exchanges of captaincy between Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, with one of Gavaskar's sackings coming just six months before Kapil led India to victory at the 1983 Cricket World Cup.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;" >Gavaskar’s Early years………….</span> </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Growing up in Mumbai, Gavaskar was named India's Best Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 1966. After scoring <span style="color:#ffccff;">246*, 222 and 85</span> in school cricket in his final year of secondary education, before striking a century against the touring London schoolboys. He made his <span style="color:#ffccff;">first-class debut</span> for Vazir Sultan Colts XI against an XI from Dungarpur, in 1966/67, but remained in Bombay's Ranji Trophy squad for two further years without playing a match. He made his debut in the 1968/69 season against Karnataka, but made a duck and was the subject of derisive claims that his selection was due to the presence of his uncle Madhav Mantri, a former Indian Test wicketkeeper on Bombay's selection committee. He responded with 114 against Rajasthan in his second match, and two further consecutive centuries saw him selected in the 1970/71 Indian team to tour the West Indies. He is the first batsman to score 10,000 runs. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Gavaskar’s International Performance::</span><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Gavaskar’s Test Debut……..</span><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">A diminutive player, Gavaskar stood at just 163cm. After missing the First Test due to an infected fingernail, Gavaskar scored 65 and 67 not out in the second Test in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, hitting the winning runs which gave India its first ever win over the West Indies. He followed this with his first century, 116 and 64* in the Third Test in Georgetown, Guyana, and 1 and 117* in the Fourth Test in Bridgetown, Barbados. He returned to Trinidad for the fifth Test and scored 124 and 220 to help India to its first ever series victory over the West Indies, and the only one until 2006. His performance in the Test made him the second player after Doug Walters to score a century and double century in the same match. He also became the first Indian to make four centuries in one Test series, the second Indian after Vijay Hazare to score two centuries in the same Test, and the third after Hazare and Polly Umrigar to score centuries in three consecutive innings. He was the first Indian to aggregate more than 700 runs in a series, and this 774 runs at 154.80 remains the most runs scored in a debut series by any batsman. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Gavaskar’s arrival in England in 1971 for a three Test series generated substantial publicity in light of his debut series. He was unable to maintain his performance, making only two half centuries. He was involved in controversy when taking a quick single from the bowling of John Snow. They collided and Gavaskar fell over. Snow was suspended. Gavaskar’s 144 runs at the low average of 24, led some to question Gavaskar’s worthiness in international cricket. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">In 1972-73, England toured India for a five Test series, Gavaskar’s first on home soil. He was ineffective in the first three Tests, accumulating only sixty runs in five innings as India took a 2-1 lead. He scored some runs in the final two Tests which India drew to complete consecutive series wins over England. His first home series was largely disappointing, aggregating 224 runs at 24.89. His English critics were placated when India returned in 1974 and Gavaskar scored 101 and 58 in the First Test at Old Trafford. He managed 227 runs at 37.83 as India were whitewashed 3-0. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Gavaskar’s 1974-75 Indian was interrupted, playing in only the First and Fifth and final Test of the series against the West Indies. He scored 108 runs at 27, with an 86 at Mumbai the closest the Indian public got to seeing a century. The Test was the start of a world record streak of 106 Test appearances. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">The 1975-76 season</span> saw three and four Test tours of New Zealand and the West Indies respectively. Gavaskar led India in a Test for the first time in January 1976 against New Zealand during the First Test in Auckland when regular captain Bishen Bedi was suffering from a leg injury. Standing in despite having scored only 703 runs at 28.12 since his debut series, Gavaskar rewarded the selectors with <span style="color:#ffccff;">116 and 35*</span>. As a result, India secured an eight wicket victory. He ended the series with 266 runs at 66.33. On the West Indian leg of the tour, Gavaskar scored consecutive centuries of 156 and 102 in the Second and Third Tests, both in Port of Spain, Trinidad. These were his third and fourth centuries at the grounds. In the Third Test, his 102 helped India post 4/406 to set a world record for the highest winning fourth innings score. The Indians’ mastery of the Caribbean spinners on a turning track reportedly led West Indian captain Clive Lloyd to vow that he would rely on pace alone in future Tests. <span style="color:#ffccff;">Gavaskar totaled 390 runs at 55.71 for the series</span>. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Gavaskar was not to score a century on home soil until November 1976. In an eight Test summer, three and five against New Zealand and England respectively, Gavaskar scored centuries in the first and last Tests of the season. The first was 119 in front of his home crowd at the Wankhede Stadium in Bombay, helping India to a victory. Gavaskar scored another half century in the Second Test to end the series with 259 at 43.16. In the First Test against England at Delhi, he was mobbed upon becoming the first India to reach 1000 Test runs a calendar year. A steady series saw him finish with 394 runs at 39.4 with a century coming in Fifth Test at Mumbai and two half centuries. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 1977-78</span> he toured Australia, scoring three consecutive Test centuries (113, 127, and 118) in the second innings of the first three Tests at Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne respectively. India won the third but lost the earlier two. He finished the Five Test series with 450 runs at 50, failing twice as India lost the final Test and the series 3-2. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">1978-79</span> saw India tour Pakistan for the first series between the arch rivals for 17 years. For the first time Gavaskar faced Pakistani captain and pace spearhead Imran Khan, who described him as “The most compact batsman I’ve bowled to.” Gavaskar scored 89 in the First Test and 97 in the Second, which India drew and lost respectively. Gavaskar saved his best for the Third Test in Karachi, scoring <span style="color:#ffccff;">111 and 137</span> in the Third, but was unable to prevent a defeat and series loss. His twin centuries made him the first Indian to score two centuries in one Test on two occasions, and saw him pass Umrigar as India’s leading Test run scorer. Gavaskar had finished the series with 447 runs at <span style="color:#ffccff;">89.40</span>. </span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 1977</span>, the breakaway professional competition World Series Cricket (WSC) signed many players who were then banned from first-class and Test cricket, thus leaving many vacancies in the Australian team. Border started the 1978–79 season with his maiden first-class century, 135 against Western Australia at Perth, and followed up with 114 against Victoria at the SCG. After Australia lost the first two Tests in the Ashes series, Border was selected for his Test debut at the MCG. Making a nervous start, he took more than half an hour to score three runs. He made 29 and was run out for a duck in the second innings while attempting a single. In the following Test at Sydney, he was in a "lonely class of his own" by top-scoring in both innings with 60 not out and 45 not out as Australia lost the match and the Ashes. He used his feet to the spinners as his teammates struggled to cope with the turn. However, after scores of 11 and 1 in the Fifth Test at Adelaide he was dropped for the Sixth Test. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Recalled for the First Test against Pakistan at the MCG, Border batted at No. 3 and hit his maiden Test century as Australia reached 3/305, chasing 382 for victory. Border’s dismissal for 105 triggered a major collapse of seven wickets for five runs as the other batsmen were unable to cope with the swing of Sarfraz Nawaz. <span style="color:#ffccff;">Australia lost by 71 runs</span>. Border made 85 and 66 not out as Australia squared the series with a victory in Perth. In his second Test series, he had topped the batting aggregates and averages with 276 runs at <span style="color:#ffccff;">92.00</span>. </span></span><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;"><strong></strong><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" >Gavaskar’s Captaincy…….</span><br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">Gavaskar was captain of the Indian team</span> on several occasions in the late 1970s and early 1980s, although his record is less impressive. Often equipped with unpenetrative bowling attacks he tended to use conservative tactics which resulted in a large number of draws. During his tenure Kapil Dev emerged as a leading pace bowler for the country. He captained India to nine victories and eight losses, but most of the games were drawn, 30.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">His first series</span> in charge was a West Indian visit to India for a six Test series. Gavaskar’s several large centuries contrasted with several failures. His 205 in the First Test in Bombay made him the first Indian to score a double century in India against the Caribbean’s. He added a further 73 in the second innings of a high scoring draw. After failing to score in the Second Test, he scored <span style="color:#ffccff;">107</span> and <span style="color:#ffccff;">182 not out in the Third Test at Calcutta</span>, another high scoring draw. This made him the first player in Test history to achieve centuries in both innings of a Test three times. He managed only 4 and 1 in the Fourth Test in Madras as India forced the only win of the series. He posted a fourth century for the series, scoring 120 in the Fifth Test at Delhi, becoming the first Indian to pass 4000 Test runs. He aggregated <span style="color:#ffccff;">732 runs at 91.50 for the series</span>, securing <span style="color:#ffccff;">India a 1-0 win</span> in his first series as captain. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Despite this, he was stripped of the captaincy when India toured England in 1979 for a four Test tour. The official reason given was that Srinivas Venkataraghavan was preferred due to his superior experience on English soil, but most observers believed that Gavaskar was punished because he was believed to be considering defecting to World Series Cricket. He started consistently, scoring four half centuries in five innings of the first three Tests. It was in the Fourth Test at The Oval that he produced his finest innings on English soil. India were 1-0 down needed to reach a world record target of 438 to square the series. They reached 76/0 at stumps on the fourth day. Led by Gavaskar, India made steady progress to be 328/1 with 20 overs remaining on the final day with a record breaking victory still possible. An Ian Botham lead fight back saw Gavaskar removed, with India still needing 49 runs from 46 balls. With three balls left in the match, all four results were possible. India ended nine runs short with two wickets in hand when stumps were drawn. According to Sanjay Manjrekar, it was “Vintage Gavaskar, playing swing bowling to perfection, taking his time initially and then opening up. Nothing in the air, everything copybook.” He ended the series with <span style="color:#ffccff;">542 runs at 77.42</span> and was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Gavaskar was restored to the captaincy for the grueling <span style="color:#ffccff;">1979-80 season</span>, with six Test home series against both Australia and Pakistan. The first two Tests against Australia were high scoring draws where only 45 wickets fell; with India taking a first innings lead in both after making scores over 400. India broke through for a 153 run win in the Third Test at Kanpur, where Gavaskar scored 76. He made 115 in the Fourth Test in Delhi, where India were unable to convert a 212 run first innings lead, resulting in a draw. After another stalemate in the Fifth Test, Gavaskar scored 123 in the Sixth Test in Bombay, where Australia collapsed by an innings after India posted their fourth first innings in excess of 400 for the series. The series against Pakistan was similarly high scoring, with four draws, three of which did not reach the fourth innings. India won the Third and Fifth Tests in Bombay and Madras. At Madras, he made 166 in the first innings and was unbeaten on 29 when India brought up the winning runs. Having secured the series 2-0, Gavaskar was stepped down as captain for the drawn Sixth Test. This occurred because Gavaskar had refused to tour the West Indies for another series immediately afterwards, asking for a rest. As a result, Gundappa Viswanath was appointed so that he could prepare his leadership skills for the tour. In the end the tour did not go ahead as the West Indian board was not interested in a team without Gavaskar. The season ended with a one off Test against England in Mumbai, which India lost. In the 13 Tests that season, he made 1027 runs at 51.35 with three centuries and four half centuries. This ended a 14 month span in which Gavaskar played in 22 Tests and the 1979 Cricket World Cup. In the time, he scored 2301 Test runs including eight centuries.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">The 1980-81 season</span> saw Gavaskar returned as captain for the Australasian tour, but it was to be the start of an unhappy reign for Gavaskar and India. He managed only 118 runs at 19.66 in the three Tests against Australia, but his impact in Australia was a controversial incident. At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, when Gavaskar was given out by the Australian umpire Rex Whitehead, he ordered his fellow opener Chetan Chauhan off the field. Instead of abandoning the match, the Indian manager, SK Durani persuaded Chauhan to return to the match which India went on to win by 59 runs as Australia collapsed to 83 in their second innings. India drew the series 1-1 but the following three Test series in New Zealand were to signal the start of a barren run of 19 Tests under Gavaskar of which India were to win only one and lose five. India lost to New Zealand 1-0, with Gavaskar managing 126 runs at 25.2. He finished the Oceania tour with 244 runs at 22.18, with only two half centuries, making little impact.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">The 1981-82 Indian season</span> saw a hard-fought 1-0 series win over England in six Tests. India took the First Test in Mumbai, before five consecutive draws resulted, four of which did not even reach the fourth innings. Gavaskar made 172 in the Second Test at Bangalore and reached a half century on three further occasions to compile 500 runs at 62.5. India reciprocated England’s visit in 1982 for a three Test series, which was lost 1-0. Gavaskar made 74 runs at 24.66 but was unable to bat in the Third Test.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#ffccff;">The 1982-83</span> sub continental season started well for Gavaskar on an individual note, as he made 155 in a one off Test against Sri Lanka in Madras. It was the first Test between the two nations, with Sri Lankan having only recently been awarded Test status. Despite this, India were unable to finish off their novice opponents, the draw heralding a start of a winless summer. India played in twelve Tests, losing five and drawing seven. The first series was a six Test tour to Pakistan. India started well enough, drawing the First Test in Lahore, with Gavaskar scoring 83. Pakistan then defeated India in three consecutive matches. In the Third Test in Faisalabad, Gavaskar managed an unbeaten 127 in the second innings to force Pakistan into a run chase, but the other two losses were substantial, both by an innings. Despite holding on for draws in the last two Tests, Gavaskar was replaced by Kapil Dev as captain after the 3-0 loss. Despite his team’s difficulties, Gavaskar remained productive with 434 runs at 47.18 with a century and three half centuries. Gavaskar went on to the West Indies for a five Test tour purely as a batsman, but could not reproduce the form that he had shown in the Caribbean in 1971 and 1976. He managed only 240 runs at 30, as India were crushed 2-0 by the world champions. Apart from an unbeaten 147 in the drawn Third Test in Georgetown, Guyana, his next best effort was 32. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The 1983-84 season started with a home series against Pakistan, with all three matches being drawn. Gavaskar scored an unbeaten 103 in the First Test in Bangalore, and made two further half centuries to total 264 runs at 66. This was followed by a six Test series against the touring West Indies at the height of their powers. The First Test was held in Kanpur and India were crushed by an innings. Gavaskar had his bat knocked out of his hand by a hostile delivery from Malcolm Marshall before being dismissed. In the Second Test in Delhi, Gavaskar delivered his riposte to Marshall, hooking him for a consecutive four and six to start his innings. Gavaskar, unwilling to be dictated to by the Caribbean pacemen, hooked the short pitched barrage relentlessly, reaching his half century in 37 balls. He then went on to score 121, his 29th Test century in 94 balls, equaling Don Bradman’s world record. He also passed 8000 Test runs in the innings, and was personally honored by Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India at the ground. The match was drawn. Gavaskar’s 90 in the Third Test at Ahmedabad saw him pass Geoff Boycott’s Test world record of 8114 career runs was insufficient to prevent another defeat. During the Fifth Test in the series, India were defeated by an innings at Calcutta to concede a 3-0 series lead. India had won only one of their 32 most recent Tests and none of their last 28. The Bengali crowd singled out the Marathi Gavaskar, who had made a golden duck and 20. Angry spectators pelted objects onto the playing arena and clashed with police, before stoning the team bus. In the Sixth Test in Madras, he compiled his 30th Test century, with an unbeaten 236 which was the highest Test score by an Indian. It was his 13th Test century and third double century against the West Indies. He had aggregated 505 at 50.50 for the series. </span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">With India having failed to win for <span style="color:#ffccff;">29 successive Tests</span>, Kapil was sacked as captain and Gavaskar resumed leadership at the start of the 1984-85 season. The two Test tour of Pakistan resulted in two further draws, with Gavaskar compiling 120 runs at 40. The First Test against England in Bombay saw India breakthrough for its first Test victory in 32 matches. It proved to be a false dawn, with England squaring the series 1-0 in Delhi before another controversial Third Test at Eden Gardens in Calcutta. The hostile crowd watched as India batted for over two days to reach 7/437 after 203 overs. Angry with the slow pace of India’s innings, the crowd chanted “Gavaskar down! Gavaskar out!” blaming him for India’ performance. The local police chief reportedly asked Gavaskar to declare to placate the angry crowd. When Gavaskar led his team onto the field, he was pelted with fruit. Gavaskar vowed never to play at Eden Gardens again, and duly withdrew from the team for India’s next fixture at the Bengali capital two years later, ending his record of 106 consecutive Tests. The match was drawn, but India conceded the series after losing the Fourth. The series ended 1-2, and with a poor display of 140 runs at 17.5, Gavaskar resigned, although he had already announced his into to relinquish the leadership before the series. The change of captain improved the form of neither Gavaskar nor India as they toured Sri Lanka for a three Test series. India were embarrassed 1-0 by the Test minnows, with Gavaskar managing only 186 runs at 37.2.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Outside Cricket………………….</span> </span></span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Gavaskar has also been awarded the<span style="color:#ffccff;"> Padma Bhushan</span>. In December 1994 he was appointed the Sheriff of Mumbai, an honorary for a year. After retirement, he has been a popular, sometimes controversial commentator, both on TV and in print. He has written four books on cricket – Sunny days, Idols, Runs n' Ruins and One day wonders. He also served as an advisor to the Indian cricket team during the home series against Australia in 2004 and currently serves as the Chairman of the ICC cricket committee.</span><br /></span><br /></span>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-43471658451647352792008-07-16T06:33:00.000-07:002008-10-14T02:03:15.556-07:00Don Bradman<span style="font-size:100%;"><strong></strong></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,0)"><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></o:p></span></p><h2><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></span></h2><h2><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></span></h2><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Name : Sir Donald George Bradman</span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Nick name : The Don, The Boy from Bowral Braddles.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Date of Birth : 27 August, 1908.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Place of Birth : <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">CootaMundra</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">New South Wales</st1:state>, <st1:country-region st="on">Australia</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Died : 25 February, 2001(age 92). <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Batting Style : Right Handed Batsman.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Bowling Style : Right Arm Leg break.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Role : Batsman.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Height : 1.70m (5feet 7inches)<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">TEST Debut : 30 November 1928 vs. <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Playing Teams : <st1:state st="on">New South Wales</st1:state> (1927-34), <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Australia</st1:place></st1:state> (1935-49).</span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">FIRST CLASS CAREER::</span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Matches : 234. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Runs : 28,067<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Best : 452*<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Average : 95.14(Bat)<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">100’s : 117 <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">50’s : 69<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Wickets : 36<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Best figures : 3/35<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Average : 37.97<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Catches : 131. </span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">TEST CAREER:</span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Matches: 52.</span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Runs : 6,996<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Best : 334<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Average : 99.94(Bat)<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">100’s : 29 <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">50’s : 13<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Wickets : 2<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Best figures : 1/3<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Average : 36.00<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Catches : 32. </span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Bradmans Personal Information::</span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,0)"><o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="color:#ffccff;">Sir Donald George Brad man</span>, AC (27 August 1908-25 February 2001), often referred to as The Don, was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Brad man’s career Test batting average of 99.94 has been claimed to be statistically the greatest achievement in any major sport.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><o:p><strong></strong></o:p></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Donald Bradman was the youngest child of George and Emily (nee whatman) Bradman, and was born on 27 August 1908 at <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Cootamundra</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">New South Wales</st1:state></st1:place> (NSW).<sup><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Bradman#cite_note-Birth-7"></a></sup> He had a brother, Victor, and three sisters—Islet, Lilian and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Elizabeth</st1:place></st1:city> May.<sup><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Bradman#cite_note-Birth-7"></a></sup> When Bradman was about two-and-a-half years old, his parents moved to Bowral in the NSW Southern Highlands. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><o:p><strong></strong></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">The story that the young Brad man practiced alone with a cricket stump and a golf ball is part of Australian folklore. Brad man’s meteoric rise from bush cricket to the Australian Test team took just over two years. Before his 22<sup>nd</sup> Birthday, he had set many records for high scoring, some of which still, stand, and became <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s sporting idol at the height of the Great Depression.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><o:p><strong></strong></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">A collection of Brahman’s private letters was published in 2004, giving researchers new insights into Brad man’s personal life.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Bradman first met Jessie Martha Menzies in 1920 when she boarded with the Bradman family, to be closer to school in Bowral. The couple married at <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">St Paul</st1:place></st1:city>’s Anglican Church at Burwood, Sydney on 30 April 1932. During their 65-year marriage, Jessie was "shrewd, reliable, selfless, and above all, uncomplicated ... she was the perfect foil to his concentrated, and occasionally mercurial character". Bradman paid tribute to his wife numerous times, once saying succinctly, "<span style="color:#ffccff;">I would never have achieved what I achieved without Jessie</span>".<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">The Bradmans lived in the same modest, suburban house in <st1:street st="on">Holden Street</st1:street>; <st1:placename st="on">Kensington</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Park</st1:placetype> in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Adelaide</st1:place></st1:city> for all but the first three years of their married life. They experienced much personal tragedy in raising their children. Their first-born son died as an infant in 1936, their second son, John (born in 1939) contracted polio, and their daughter, Shirley, born in 1941, had cerebral palsy since her birth. His family name proved a burden for John Bradman; he changed his last name to Bradsen by deed poll in 1972. Although claims were made that he became estranged from his father, it was more a matter of "the pair inhabit different worlds”. After the cricketer's death, a collection of personal letters written by Bradman to his close friend Rohan Rivett between 1953 and 1977 was released and gave researchers new insights into Bradman’s family life, including the strain between father and son. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Bradman’s reclusive ness in later life is partly attributable to the on-going health problems of his wife, particularly following the open-heart surgery Jessie underwent in her 60s. Lady Bradman died in 1997, aged 88, from cancer. This had a dispiriting effect on Bradman, but the relationship with his son improved; to the extent that John resolved to change his name back to Bradman. Since his father’s death, John Bradman has become the spokesperson for the family and has been involved in defending the Bradman legacy in a number of disputes. The relationship between Bradman and his wider family is less clear, although nine months after Bradman’s death, his nephew Paul Bradman criticized him as a "snob" and a "loner" who forgot his connections in Bowral and who failed to attend the funerals of Paul's mother and father. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">After his return to <st1:country-region st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>, Bradman played in his own Testimonial match at <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Melbourne</st1:place></st1:city>, scoring his 117th and last century, and receiving £9,342 in proceeds. He was made a Knight Bachelor for his services to the game in the 1949 New Year’s Honours List, and the following year he published a memoir, Farewell<i> to </i>Cricket. Bradman accepted offers from the <i><span style="color:#ffccff;">Daily Mail</span></i> to travel with, and write about, the 1953 and 1956 Australian teams in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <i><span style="color:#ffccff;">The Art of Cricket</span></i>, his final book published in 1958, is an instructional manual. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Bradman retired from his stockbroking business in June 1954, depending on the "<span style="color:#ffccff;">comfortable</span>" income earned as a board member of 16 publicly listed companies. His highest profile affiliation was with Argo Investments Limited, where he was Chairman for a number of years. Charles Williams commented that, "[b]usiness was excluded on medical grounds, [so] the only sensible alternative was a career in the administration of the game which he loved and to which he had given most of his active life".<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Bradman was honored at a number of cricket grounds, notably when his portrait was hung in the Long Room at Lord's; until Shane Warne's portrait was added in 2005, Bradman was one of just three Australians to be honored in this way. Bradman inaugurated a "Bradman Stand" at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 1974; the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Adelaide</st1:place></st1:city> Oval also opened a Bradman Stand in 1990.<sup><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Bradman#cite_note-142"></a></sup> Later in 1974, he attended a Lord's Taverners function in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">London</st1:place></st1:city> where he experienced heart problems, which forced him to limit his public appearances to select occasions only. With his wife, Bradman returned to Bowral in 1976, where the new cricket ground was named in his honor.<sup><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Bradman#cite_note-144"></a></sup> He gave the keynote speech at the historic Centenary Test at <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Melbourne</st1:place></st1:city> in 1977.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">On 16 June 1979, the Australian government awarded Bradman the nation’s highest civilian honour, Companion of the Order of <span style="color:#ffccff;"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><i>Australia</i></st1:place></st1:country-region> (</span>AC). In 1980, he resigned from the ACB, to lead a more secluded life.</span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Starting from his career:</span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><o:p><strong></strong></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Bradman practiced batting incessantly during his youth. He invented his own solo cricket game, using a cricket stump for a bat, and a golf ball. A water tank, mounted on a curved brick stand, stood on a paved area behind the family home. When hit into the curved brick facing of the stand, the ball rebounded at high speed and varying angles—and Bradman would attempt to hit it again. This form of practice developed his timing and reactions to a high degree. In more formal cricket, he hit his first century at the age of 12, playing for <st1:placename st="on">Bowral</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Public School</st1:placetype> against <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Mittagong</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">High School</st1:placetype></st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 1920–21</span>, Bradman acted as scorer for the local Bowral team, captained by his uncle George Whatman, and once filled in when the team was short of players, scoring 37 not out. During the season, Bradman's father took him to the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) to watch the fifth Ashes Test match. On that day, Bradman formed an ambition. "I shall never be satisfied", he told his father, "until I play on this ground". Bradman left school in 1922 and went to work for a local real estate agent who encouraged his sporting pursuits by giving him time off when necessary. He gave up cricket in favor of tennis for two years, but resumed playing cricket in 1925–26. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><a title="Bradman in 1928" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bradman_c.1928.jpg"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"></span></a><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Bradman became a regular selection for the Bowral team; several outstanding performances earned him the attention of the Sydney daily press. Competing on matting-over-concrete pitches, Bowral played other rural towns in the Berrima District competition. Against Wingello, a team that included the future Test bowler Bill O'Reilly, Bradman made 234. In the competition final against Moss Vale, which extended over five consecutive Saturdays, Bradman scored 320 not out. During the following Australian winter (1926), an ageing Australian team lost The Ashes in England, and a number of Test players retired. The New South Wales Cricket Association began a hunt for new talent. Mindful of Bradman's big scores for Bowral, the association wrote to him, requesting his attendance at a practice session in Sydney. He was subsequently chosen for the "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Country Week</span>" tournaments at both cricket and tennis, to be played during separate weeks. His boss presented him with an ultimatum: he could have only one week away from work, and therefore had to choose between the two sports. He chose cricket.</span></strong><a title="Bradman in 1928" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bradman_c.1928.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"> </span></strong></a></o:p></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Bradman's performances during Country Week resulted in an invitation to play grade cricket in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Sydney</st1:city></st1:place> for St George in the <span style="color:#ffccff;">1926–27 season</span>. He scored 110 on his debut, making his first century on a turf wicket. On 1 January 1927, he turned out for the NSW second team. For the remainder of the season, Bradman traveled the 130 kilometers (81 mi) from Bowral to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Sydney</st1:place></st1:city> every Saturday to play for St George.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">The next season continued the rapid rise of the "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Boy from Bowral</span>".Selected to replace the unfit Archie Jackson in the NSW team, Bradman made his first-class debut at the Adelaide Oval, aged 19. His innings of 118 featured what soon became his trademarks—fast footwork, calm confidence and rapid scoring. In the final match of the season, he made his first century at the SCG, against the <st1:place st="on">Sheffield</st1:place> Shield champions Victoria. Despite his potential, Bradman was not chosen for the Australian second team to tour <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">New Zealand</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Bradman decided that his chances for Test selection would be improved by moving to Sydney for the <span style="color:#ffccff;">1928–29 season</span>, when England were to tour in defence of the Ashes. Initially, he continued working in real estate, but later took a promotions job with the sporting goods retailer Mick Simmons Ltd. In the first match of the Sheffield Shield season, he scored a century in each innings against <st1:state st="on">Queensland</st1:state> and then made 87 and 132 not out against <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region>. This earned him selection for the first Test at <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Brisbane</st1:place></st1:city>. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Bradman with his Wm. Sykes bat, in the early 1930s. The "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Don Bradman Autograph</span>" bat is still manufactured today by Sykes' successor company, Slazenger.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Playing in only his 10th first-class match, Bradman—nicknamed "<span style="color:#ffccff;">Braddles</span>" by his teammates—found his initial Test a harsh learning experience. Caught on a sticky wicket, <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Australia</st1:country-region></st1:place> were all out for 66 in the second innings and lost by 675 runs. Following scores of 18 and 1, the selectors dropped Bradman to twelfth man for the second Test. An injury to Bill Ponsford early in the match required Bradman to field as substitute while <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region> amassed 636, following their 863 runs in the first Test. RS Whittington wrote, "... he had scored only nineteen himself and these experiences appear to have provided him with food for thought". Recalled for the third Test at <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Melbourne</st1:place></st1:city>, Bradman scored 79 and 112 to become the youngest player to make a Test century, although the match was still lost. Another loss followed in the fourth Test. Bradman reached 58 in the second innings and appeared set to guide the team to victory when he was run out. It was to be the only run out of his Test career and the losing margin was just 12 runs. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">The improving Australians did manage to win the fifth and final Test. Bradman top-scored with 123 in the first innings, and was at the wicket in the second innings when his captain Jack Ryder hit the winning runs. Bradman completed the season with 1,690 first-class runs, averaging 93.88, and his first multiple century in a Sheffield Shield match, 340 not out against Victoria, set a new ground record for the SCG. Bradman averaged 113.28 in 1929–30. In a trial match to select the team that would tour <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region>, he was last man out in the first innings for 124. As his team followed on, the skipper Bill Woodfull asked Bradman to keep the pads on and open the second innings. By the end of play, he was 205 not out, on his way to 225. Against <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Queensland</st1:place></st1:state> at the SCG, Bradman set a world record for first-class cricket by scoring 452 not out; he made his runs in only 415 minutes. </span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><o:p>... he will always be in the category of the brilliant, if unsound, ones. Promise there is in Bradman in plenty, though watching him does not inspire one with any confidence that he desires to take the only course which will lead him to a fulfilment of that promise. He makes a mistake, and then makes it again and again; he does not correct it, or look as if he were trying to do so. He seems to live for the exuberance of the moment.</o:p></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><o:p>... he will always be in the category of the brilliant, if unsound, ones. Promise there is in Bradman in plenty, though watching him does not inspire one with any confidence that he desires to take the only course which will lead him to a fulfilment of that promise. He makes a mistake, and then makes it again and again; he does not correct it, or look as if he were trying to do so. He seems to live for the exuberance of the moment.</o:p></span></strong></span></p><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><o:p><p><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;"> Inn: N0tOut: Best: Agre: Avg: 100s: 100s/inns:<br /></span>Ashes Tests:: 63 7 334 5,028 89.78 19 30.2%<br />All Tests:: 80 10 334 6,996 99.94 29 36.3%<br />Sheffield Shield:: 96 15 452* 8,926 110.19 36 37.5%<br />All First Class:: 338 43 452* 28,067 95.10 117 34.6%<br />Grade:: 93 17 303 6,598 86.80 28 30.1%<br />All Second Class:: 331 320* 22,664 84.80 94 28.4%</p><p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><br /><br /><table class="MsoNormalTable" style="MARGIN-LEFT: -15.75pt; WIDTH: 100%" cellpadding="0" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; WIDTH: 27.82%; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt" width="27%" colspan="2"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span style="font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';color:#9999ff;"><o:p><strong></strong></o:p></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt" colspan="4"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">Batt</span></strong></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt" colspan="4"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><o:p>Bowl</o:p></span></strong></span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; WIDTH: 16.54%; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt" width="16%"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">O </span><span style="color:#ffccff;">opposition<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Matches<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Runs<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Average<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">High Score<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">100 / 50<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Runs<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Wickets<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"> </p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"> </span></strong></span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; WIDTH: 16.54%; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt" width="16%"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in"><strong><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';color:#9999ff;">E<span style="color:#ffccff;">England</span></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Arial Black';" ><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">37<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">5028<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">89.78<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">334<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">19/12<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">51<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"> </p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span> </p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span> </p></td></tr><tr><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; WIDTH: 16.54%; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt" width="16%"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in"><strong><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';color:#9999ff;">I <span style="color:#ffccff;">India</span></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Arial Black';" ><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">5<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">715<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">178.75<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">201<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">4/1<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">4<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">0<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span> </p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span> </p></td></tr><tr><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; WIDTH: 16.54%; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt" width="16%"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in"><strong><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';color:#ffccff;">S SSouth</span></st1:place></st1:country-region></strong><strong><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';color:#ffccff;">A</span></st1:place></st1:country-region></strong><strong><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';color:#ffccff;">frica</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Arial Black';" ><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">5<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">806<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">201.50<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">299*<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">4/0<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">2<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">0<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"> </p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span> </p></td></tr><tr><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; WIDTH: 16.54%; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt" width="16%"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in"><strong><st1:place st="on"><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';color:#9999ff;"><span style="color:#ffccff;">WWest IIndies</span></span></st1:place><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Arial Black';" ><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">5<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">447<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">74.50<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">223<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">2/0<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">15<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">1<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span> </p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"> </p></td></tr><tr><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; WIDTH: 16.54%; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt" width="16%"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Arial Black';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Ooverall<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">52<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">6996<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">99.94<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">334<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">29/13<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">72<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">2<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span> </p></td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0);font-family:'Eras Demi ITC';" ><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><u><o:p><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none;color:#9999ff;" ><strong></strong></span></o:p></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,0)"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;">Test Records of Bradman<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><o:p><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none;font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;" ><strong></strong></span></o:p></u></p><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Highest career batting average (minimum 20 innings): 99.94<o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Highest series batting average (5 Test series): 201.50 (1931–32) <o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Highest ratio of centuries per innings played: 36.25% (29 centuries from 80 innings) <o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Highest 5th wicket partnership: 405 (with Sid Barnes, 1946–47) <o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Highest 6th wicket partnership: 346 (with Jack Fingleton, 1936–37) <o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Highest score by a number 5 batsman: 304 (1934) <o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Highest score by a number 7 batsman: 270 (1936–37) <o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Most runs against one opponent: 5,028 (v <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region>)<o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Most runs in one series: 974 (1930) <o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,0)"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Most centuries scored in a single session of play: 6 (1 pre lunch, 2 lunch-tea, 3 tea-stumps) <o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Most runs in one day’s play: 309 (1930) <o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Most double centuries: 12<o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Most double centuries in a series: 3 (1930) <o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Most triple centuries: 2 (equal with Brian Lara and Virender Sehwag) <o:p></o:p></span></strong></li><li class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="color:#ffccff;">Most consecutive matches in which he made a century: 6 (the last three Tests in 1936–37, and the first three Tests in 1938) <o:p></o:p></span></strong></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal"><u><o:p><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none;color:#9999ff;" ><strong></strong></span></o:p></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><u><o:p><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none;color:#9999ff;" ><strong></strong></span></o:p></u></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"><i><u></u></i><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span></strong></o:p></i></p>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-52766077228818344622008-07-16T06:32:00.000-07:002008-10-13T01:15:53.468-07:00Allan Border<strong>Name : Allan Robert Border.
<br />Nick name : AB.
<br />Date of Birth : 27 July, 1955.
<br />Place of Birth : Cremorne, New South Wales, Australia.
<br />Batting Style : Left Handed Batsman.
<br />Bowling Style : Slow left arm orthodox.
<br />Role : Batsman, captain, coach and Administrator.
<br />Height : 1.75m (5feet 9inches)
<br />TEST Debut : against England in 1978.
<br />ODI Debut : against England in 1979.
<br />Playing Teams : Queensland (1980-96), Essex (1986-88) New South Wales (1976-80), Gloucestershire (1977), and Australia.
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL::
<br /></span>
<br />Matches : 273.
<br />Runs : 6,524.
<br />Best : 127*.
<br />Average : 30.62(Bat).
<br />100’s : 3
<br />50’s : 39
<br />Wickets : 73
<br />Best Bowling : 3/20.
<br />Average : 28.36(Bowl).
<br />Catches : 127
<br />
<br /><span style="color:#66ff99;">TEST CAREER::
<br /></span>
<br />Matches : 156.
<br />Runs : 11,174.
<br />Best : 205.
<br />Average : 50.56(Bat).
<br />100’s : 27
<br />50’s : 63
<br />Wickets : 39
<br />Best Bowling : 7/46.
<br />5/10 Wickets : 2/1.
<br />Average : 39.10(Bowl).
<br />Catches : 156. </strong>
<br /><strong>
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Border’s Personal Information::</span>
<br />
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">Allan Robert Border</span>, AO (born 27 July 1955) is a former Australian cricket captain. His playing nickname was "<span style="color:#9999ff;">A.B</span>." Born in Cremorne, a North Shore suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Border grew up with three brothers in the nearby suburb of Mosman. His father John, from Coonamble in rural New South Wales, was a wool classer and his mother Sheila was the proprietor of a corner store. The family had a spacious backyard for playing games and Mosman Oval, the home of district cricket and baseball clubs, was across the street. Border attended North Sydney Boys High School, and earned his leaving certificate in 1972.
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">He played 156 Tests in his career</span>, a record until it was passed by fellow Australian Steve Waugh. Border still retains the world record for the number of consecutive Test appearances of 153 and the number of Tests as captain. He was primarily a left hand batsman but also achieved sporadic success as a part time left arm orthodox spinner. Border amassed 11,174 Test runs (a world record until it was passed by Brian Lara in 2005). He hit 27 centuries in his Test career. He retired as Australia's most capped player and leading run-scorer in both Tests and ODIs.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Borders Early years…………. </span>
<br />
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">Throughout his early years</span>, Border played in under-age cricket teams two or three years older than his age group. He also played for Mosman Baseball Club, where he developed his fielding and horizontal bat shots. Aged 16, Border made his debut for Mosman in Sydney Grade Cricket as a left arm orthodox spinner and batted at number nine. He won selection for the <span style="color:#9999ff;">1972–73</span> Combined High Schools team in the intrastate carnival. During this time he was coached by Barry Knight, a former England international.
<br />Border accumulated more than <span style="color:#9999ff;">600 runs</span> in grade cricket in <span style="color:#9999ff;">1975–76</span>, and at the start of the following season, he made two consecutive centuries to earn selection for NSW. In the absence of a number of Test players, Border made his debut against Queensland at the SCG in January 1977. He compiled 36 and took the last three catches of the match, as his team claimed victory. Border resigned his job as a clerk in the film library of BHP to spend the 1977 English season playing for Downend in the Gloucestershire League. The highlight of his stay was 159 not out in an invitational match against Cambridge University. In Australia, Border compiled 617 runs at 36.29 average during the 1977–78 Sheffield Shield season. He then returned to England and played for East Lancashire Cricket Club in the Lancashire League, scoring 1191 runs at 56.71 and taking 54 wickets at 18.60.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Border’s International Performance::</span>
<br /><span style="color:#66ff99;">
<br /></span><span style="color:#ffccff;">Border’s Test Debut…….. </span>
<br />
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In 1977</span>, the breakaway professional competition World Series Cricket (WSC) signed many players who were then banned from first-class and Test cricket, thus leaving many vacancies in the Australian team. Border started the 1978–79 season with his maiden first-class century, 135 against Western Australia at Perth, and followed up with 114 against Victoria at the SCG. After Australia lost the first two Tests in the Ashes series, Border was selected for his Test debut at the MCG. Making a nervous start, he took more than half an hour to score three runs. He made 29 and was run out for a duck in the second innings while attempting a single. In the following Test at Sydney, he was in a "lonely class of his own" by top-scoring in both innings with 60 not out and 45 not out as Australia lost the match and the Ashes. He used his feet to the spinners as his teammates struggled to cope with the turn. However, after scores of 11 and 1 in the Fifth Test at Adelaide he was dropped for the Sixth Test.
<br />Recalled for the First Test against Pakistan at the MCG, Border batted at No. 3 and hit his maiden Test century as Australia reached 3/305, chasing 382 for victory. Border’s dismissal for 105 triggered a major collapse of seven wickets for five runs as the other batsmen were unable to cope with the swing of Sarfraz Nawaz. Australia lost by 71 runs. Border made 85 and 66 not out as Australia squared the series with a victory in Perth. In his second Test series, he had topped the batting aggregates and averages with 276 runs at 92.00.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Post-WSC place………………. </span>
<br />
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In May 1979</span>, the ACB announced an agreement with WSC, which allowed the WSC players to return to international cricket at the start of the 1979–80 Australian season. In the meantime, Australia made two tours, giving the incumbent players an opportunity to press for places in a reunited team. The first tour, to England for the 1979 Cricket World Cup, ended with Australia being eliminated in the first round. Border scored 59 runs in two innings.
<br />This was followed by a three-month long, six-Test tour of India, when Australia failed to win a single match. Border scored 521 runs at 43.42 in the Test series, including 162 in the First Test at Madras, when he displayed excellent footwork and handled the Indian spinners much more effectively than his teammates. As a result of this performance, Border was one of only three players to retain their position for the next Test against England at Perth in November 1979 after the WSC players returned. Border scored 115 in the second innings to help secure victory, and in doing so passed 1,000 Test runs. He had done so in 354 days, the fastest ever by an Australian, and made more runs (1,070) in his first year as a Test cricketer than anyone before him. However, he was unable to maintain this form and ended the season with 317 runs at 31.70 in six Tests against England and the West Indies.
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">On the tour of Pakistan</span> that followed, Border hit 150 not out and 153 in the Third Test at Lahore to become the first batsmen in Test history to pass 150 in both innings of a Test. In the off-season, Border married Jane Hiscox, and moved to Brisbane and began playing for Queensland. During the 1980–81 season, he scored 328 runs at 36.44 average in the six Tests against New Zealand and India, a modest return boosted by a score of 124 against India at Melbourne, in the final Test of the summer.
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In 1980-81 season…………….</span>
<br />In 1981, Border made his first Ashes tour and scored a half-century in each of the first two Tests. "Border alone of the established players came through with reputation enhanced"; in the Fifth Test at Old Trafford when he batted with a fractured left finger. He reached a century in 377 minutes, the slowest Test hundred by an Australian, and remained unbeaten on 123 as Australia lost the match. In the final Test at The Oval, Border scored 106 not out and 84. During this latter sequence, he defied the English bowlers for more than 15 hours to score 313 runs before he was dismissed. Overall, he totaled 533 (at 59.22); this prompted Sir Leonard Hutton to call him the best left-handed batsman in the world and resulted in his selection as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1982.
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In 1981-82 season…………….
<br /></span>Border's 1981–82 season was mixed. Against Pakistan, he made only 84 runs in three Tests, but against the West Indies, he scored a century and three half-centuries in 336 runs (at 67.20) to help Australia draw the series. On the tour of New Zealand, his three Tests brought only 44 runs at 14.67. After having the winter off, Border returned to Pakistan but was unable to repeat his performances of two years earlier. He scored 118 runs at 23.60 as Pakistan won all three Tests.
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In 1982-83 season…………….</span>
<br />After failing in the first three Tests of the 1982–83 Ashes series, Border's place in the Australian team was in jeopardy as Australia led the series 2–1. Border’s effort in Australia's loss in the Fourth Test at the MCG is one of his best remembered Test innings. Australia had lost nine wickets and required 74 runs to win when Jeff Thomson joined Border at the crease. 18,000 spectators attended the final day’s play as the pair slowly accumulated runs, before a juggling catch dismissed Thomson three runs short of the target. Border then scored pair of 80s in the Fifth Test to secure a drawn match and Australia regained the Ashes. His figures were <span style="color:#ffccff;">317 runs at 45.28 average.
<br /></span><span style="color:#9999ff;">In 1983-84 season…………….
<br /></span>Australia hosted Pakistan for a five-Test series in 1983–84. Border scored 118 and 117 not out in the Second and Third Tests respectively and averaged 85.8 as Australia won the series comfortably. It was the end of an era for Australian cricket as Rod Marsh, Dennis Lillee and Greg Chappell retired at the end of the season, leaving the Australian team short on experience. At the time, Lillee and Marsh held the world records for the most Test wickets and wicket-keeping catches respectively, while Chappell was Australia's highest ever runscorer. Consequently, Border, who was now captain of Queensland, became Australian vice-captain to Kim Hughes for the tour of the West Indies in the northern spring of 1984.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Border leading Australian team.....</span>
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">
<br /></span><span style="color:#9999ff;">In 1984-85 season....
<br /></span>Australia faced the West Indies again in the 1984–85 season. After Australia suffered heavy losses in the first two Tests, Hughes burst into tears, as he resigned as captain during a press conference. Despite his limited captaincy experience and his stated indifference to taking the position, Border replaced Hughes for the Third Test at Adelaide, which Australia also lost: their sixth consecutive defeat by the West Indies. The tide turned somewhat when Border led the team to a draw, and then a win in the last two Tests. His own form suffered and he averaged only 27.33 for his 246 runs.
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In April 1985</span>, Border’s captaincy prospects were weakened when plans were announced for a team of Australians to tour South Africa, in defiance of the Gleneagles Agreement. Seven players originally selected for the 1985 Ashes tour had signed for the "rebel" team and withdrew from the squad. The disloyalty of the players affected Border deeply; Journalist Mike Coward described Border as going into a "depression" and that while he eventually forgave the players involved, he never forgot. Australia was defeated 1–3 by England, with the team's only success coming in the Second Test at Lord's when Border hit 196. His unbeaten 146 in the second innings of the Fourth Test at Manchester saved Australia from another defeat. He amassed 597 runs at 66.33 in the series and 1,355 first-class runs at 71.31 for the tour, including eight centuries, to be easily Australia's best batsman.
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In 1985-86 season…………….
<br /></span>Australia continued to struggle during the 1985–86 season, when New Zealand defeated Australia in a Test series for the first time. Despite Border’s unbeaten 152 in the second innings, Australia fell to a heavy defeat in the First Test at Brisbane. Australia won the Second Test, but New Zealand won the Third to take a 2–1 victory. During a three-Test series against India, the tourists dominated the play, but failed to force a result so the series was drawn. In the Second Test, it took a last wicket partnership of 77 between Border (who scored 163) and David Gilbert to deny India. Border expressed his dismay at Australia’s inability to perform under pressure.
<br />On the subsequent tour of New Zealand, Border’s form remained good and he scored 140 and 114 not out in the Second Test before Australia lost the Third in Auckland, thus losing another series. Over the course of the extended summer, he had scored four Test centuries but the continued poor form of the team pushed him to breaking point. After a loss in an ODI on the tour, he threatened to quit as captain if performances failed to improve.
<br /></span>
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Border’s Performance in 1987 World Cup………………</span>
<br />
<br />Australia's unexpected victory in the 1987 World Cup proved to be a turning point and heralded the start of more prosperous times. In 1987–88, Australia defeated New Zealand for its first Test series victory in four years. Border hit 205 in the drawn Second Test at Adelaide, his highest Test score which took him past Greg Chappell as Australia's highest run-scorer. The Bicentennial Test against England at Sydney was drawn, and then Australia won its inaugural home Test match against Sri Lanka. Border's contribution for the five Tests was 426 runs at 71.00 average.
<br />Winning overseas still proved elusive for Australia, which lost the 1988 series in Pakistan. Border compiled 230 runs at 57.50, with one century.
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In 1988-89 season…………….</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">In 1988–89</span>, Australian lost again to the West Indies, and Border's form suffered; the West Indies routinely applied a tactic of targeting the opposition captain when he batted, thus undermining his confidence and that of the team. It worked to the extent that Border compiled 258 runs at 32.25 and his best performance was with the ball. He celebrated becoming the first Australian to play 100 Tests by taking 7/46 (the second best bowling analysis by an Australian captain) and 4/50, backed with an innings of 75, in Australia's only victory for the series, in the Fifth Test at Sydney. Previously, he had taken 16 wickets in 99 Tests. Receiving the player of the match award, Border said, “there will be batsmen all around the world shaking their heads in disbelief when they see the result”.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Border’s performance in Ashes tour in 1989………….. </span>
<br />
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">The 1989 Ashes</span> tour was Border’s first major series win as Test captain. He consciously became a more aggressive leader in reaction to criticism that he was too ruthless. Australia won 4–0, its first victory in a Test series abroad since 1977 (apart from a one-off Test in Sri Lanka) and Australia's best result in England since The Invincibles tour of 1948, Border set the tone for the series with attacking innings of 66 and 60 not out in the First Test. In all, he made six half-centuries to end with 442 runs at 73.66. He was subsequently named the 1990 Australian of the Year for his part in helping Australia regain the Ashes.
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In the 1989–90 season,</span>
<br />Australia played Tests against New Zealand (2), Sri Lanka (2) and Pakistan (3). Australia won twice, against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. It was the first home season in six years that Australia went undefeated. The season ended with a one-off Test in New Zealand, which Australia lost by nine wickets to concede the Trans-Tasman Trophy. Border ended the season with 328 runs at 41, with five half-centuries.
<br />Australia reinforced its superiority over England with a convincing 3–0 win in the 1990–91 Ashes series: the three victories were by eight, nine and ten wickets respectively, and Border compiled 281 runs at 46.83.
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In 1991–92 season…………………</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Australia defeated India 4–0</span>, but criticism arose that the team had stagnated since the 1989 Ashes series and needed to turn over players. To that end, the Australian selectors made changes to the team for the Fifth Test, which upset Border.
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In 1992–93 season…………………
<br /></span>West Indies, undergoing a rebuilding phase, toured Australia without the retired Malcolm Marshall, Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge. Australia had the upper hand in the First Test, but failed to force a victory. Border scored 110 in the Second Test before Shane Warne produced his first great Test bowling performance by taking 7/52 in the second innings to win the match for Australia. The Third Test was a high-scoring draw and Border’s innings of 74 made him become the second player after Sunil Gavaskar to pass 10,000 Test runs.
<br />In 1993, Border became the first player since Joe Darling to lead Australia in England on three Ashes tours. Australia won 4–1, losing only the Sixth Test to end Border's streak of 18 Tests against England without defeat. The series was sealed at Headingley in the Fourth Test when Border made 200 not out. His 533 runs for the series came at an average of 54.12. The Australians then claimed the Trans Tasman Trophy with a comfortable 2–0 victory over New Zealand at home in late 1993. Border scored 105 in the Third Test on his home ground at Brisbane. It was the last of his<span style="color:#ffccff;"> 27 Test centuries</span>.
<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Border ended his career</span> by leading the first Australian team to play a Test series against South Africa after their return to international cricket. Three Tests were played in each country, and both series ended 1–1. Border’s final Test innings was an obdurate 42 not out that helped secure a draw in the Third Test at Durban. Border had a modest time with the bat, accumulating 298 runs at 33.11.
<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In 1994-95 season…………….
<br /></span>Border continued playing first-class cricket after his international retirement. In 1994–95, he was a member of the Queensland team that won the Sheffield Shield for the first time in 1994–95. He was named 12th man in Australia's "Greatest ever ODI Team", which was selected by voting of each of Australia's ODI representatives. He has served as an Australian selector. The Australian cricketer of the year now receives the Allan Border Medal with the inaugural award being won by Glenn McGrath in 2000.
<br />Two cricket grounds have been renamed in Border's honor. The oval in Mosman that was directly across from the Border family and where Border played his early grade cricket, was renamed the Allan Border Oval and remains the home ground of the Mosman District Cricket Club. The Neumann Oval in Brisbane has been renamed Allan Border Field and is occasionally used by Queensland as an alternative home ground to the The Gabba. Allan Border wrote an autobiography entitled "Beyond Ten Thousand: My Life Story", published in 1993. In the year 2000 he was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Some of Achievements of Allan Border ::</span>
<br />
<br /> Most career Test runs with 11,174 runs, a record held until November 2005, when it was passed by the West Indian Brian Lara most Test matches played (156) and most consecutive Test matches played (153). Border still holds the record for most consecutive matches.
<br /> Batted in more Test match innings (265) than any other player.
<br /> Most Test scores over between fifty and 100 (63) and most scores of at least 50 (93)
<br /> Captained in 93 Tests (all consecutive), both world records
<br /> Most capped Australian player in Tests and ODI
<br /> Leading Australian runscorer in Tests and ODIs. His ODI tally was first surpassed by Mark Waugh in 1999.
<br /> Most Test catches by a non-wicket-keeper (156); record since first passed by Mark Taylor in 1999.
<br /> The only player to have scored 150 in each innings of a Test, a record which still stands at the end of 2006.
<br /> He was one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1982.</strong>
<br /></strong>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432449252223579619.post-8698096220990655452008-07-16T06:30:00.000-07:002008-10-14T00:28:56.047-07:00Adam Gilchrist<p><strong>Name: ADAM CRAIG GILCHIRST.<br />Nickname: Gilly, Church.<br />Date of Birth: 14 November 1971.<br />Place of Birth: Bellingen, New South Wales, Australia.<br />Batting Style: Left Handed Batsman.<br />Bowling Style: Right Arm Off break.<br />Role: Batsman and Wicket Keeper.<br />Height: 1.86m (6feet 1inches)<br />TEST Debut: against Pakistan at Gabba, Brisbane in 1999.<br />ODI Debut: against South Africa at Faridabad, Pakistan in 1996.<br />Playing Teams: New South Wales (1992-94), Western Australia (1994), Australia and Deccan chargers (2008).</strong></p><strong><p><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER::</span></p><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;"></span><p><br />Matches: 287.<br />Runs: 9,619.<br />Best: 172 against Zimbabwe.<br />Average: 35.89<br />100’s: 16<br />50’s: 55<br />Catches: 417<br />Stumpings: 55.</p><p><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">TEST CAREER::</span></p><p><br />Matches: 96<br />Runs: 5,570<br />Best: 204*<br />Average: 47.60<br />100’s: 17<br />50’s: 26<br />Catches: 379<br />Stumpings: 37.</p><p><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Gilly's Personal Information:</span></p><p><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">Adam Craig Gilchrist</span> (born 14 November 1971), nicknamed <span style="color:#ffccff;">Gilly </span>or Church is a retired Australian international cricketer.</strong><strong> He is an aggressive left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keeper, who re-defined the role for the Australian national team. He is considered to be one of the best wicket-keeper-batsmen in the history of the game.<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">Adam Gilchrist was born</span> in 1971 at Bellingen Hospital, in Bellingen, New South Wales. He and his family lived in Dorrigo, Junee and then Deniliquin where, playing for his school, Deniliquin South Public School, he won the Brian Taber Shield (named after New South Wales cricketer Brian Taber). At the age of 13, his parents, Stan and June, moved the family to Lismore where Gilchrist captained the Kadina High School cricket team. In 1989 Gilchrist was offered a scholarship by London-based Richmond Cricket Club, a scheme he now supports himself.<br />He is married to his high school <span style="color:#ffccff;">sweetheart Melinda (Mel) Gilchrist (née Sharpe), a dietitian, and they have two sons, Harrison and Archie, and a daughter, Annie Jean. </span>Gilchrist’s personal life became newsworthy early in 2007, as his youngest child was due to be born around the scheduled start of the 2007 Cricket World Cup, and this threatened Gilchrist's presence in the early stages of the tournament in March. Archie’s early arrival (in February) meant that Gilchrist was able to declare himself available for the whole competition.<br />Outside cricket, Gilchrist is an ambassador for the charity World Vision in India, a country in which he is popular due to his cricketing achievements. In 2006 Gilchrist sponsored Mangesh Rathod, an underprivileged child from Andheri, Mumbai who had lost his father to tuberculosis. Mangesh's mother works as a housemaid for a paltry salary of Rs 500 per month. Gilchrist bears his cost of education. He was approached in early 2005 by the US baseball franchise, the Boston Red Sox, with a view to him playing for them when his cricket career ends. However, he was selected for the 2007 Cricket World Cup and remains an active cricketer. </strong></p><strong><p><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Gilly’s Domestic Performance:</span></p><p><br />Gilchrist was selected for his first-class debut for New South Wales during the <span style="color:#ffccff;">1992–1993 season</span>, although he played purely as a batsman, due to the presence of incumbent wicketkeeper Phil Emery.</strong><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Gilchrist#cite_note-Bio-26"></a><strong> In his first season, the side won the Sheffield Shield, Gilchrist scoring an unbeaten 20 in the second innings to secure an easy win over Queens land in the Final. He struggled to keep his place in the side, playing only three First-class matches in the following season.<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In 1994</span> Gilchrist joined the Western Warriors in Western Australia, where he controversially replaced former Test player Tim Zoehrer as wicket keeper. He made 55 dismissals in his first season, the most by any wicketkeeper in Australian domestic cricket in 1994–95. His second season based in Perth saw him top of the dismissals again, with 58 catches and four stumpings, but, significantly, an impressive batting average of 50.52. The Warriors made it to the final of the Sheffield Shield, at the Adelaide Oval, where Gilchrist made a massive 189 not out in the first innings, but, with the match ending in a draw, South Australia took the title, having scored more points in the qualifying matches. </strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#9999ff;">The 1996–97 season</span> saw him top of the dismissals leader board once again, with 62, along with a batting average of just under 40, and team success in the Mercantile Mutual Cup, where the Warriors won by eight wickets against Queens land in the March 1997 final.<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">The 1997–98 season</span> ended with Gilchrist top of the dismissals chart for the fourth season in a row with an improved batting average of 47.66, success in the Sheffield Shield once again, this time against Tasmania, but disappointment for the team in the Mercantile Mutual Cup, losing out in the semi-final to Queens land. The following season saw Gilchrist's domestic appearances begin to diminish due to his international commitments: he made only a single appearance in the Mercantile Mutual Cup, but still managed to help Western Australia regain the Sheffield Shield.<br />Gilchrist's regular selection for Australia has meant that he is rarely available for domestic selection. Between 1999 and 2005, he made only seven appearances for his state. He did not play in the 2005–6 Pura Cup and only appeared three times in the limited-overs ING Cup. </strong></p><strong><p><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Gilly’s International Performance:</span></p><p><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In One Day International’s………………….<br /></span>Gilchrist was called up for the Australian One Day International (ODI) team in 1996, his debut coming against South Africa at Faridabad, 25 October 1996 as the 129th Australian ODI cap. While not particularly impressive with the bat on his debut, scoring 18 before being bowled by Allan Donald, Gilchrist took his first catch as an international wicketkeeper, Hansie Cronje departing for a golden duck from the bowling of Paul Reiffel.</strong><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Gilchrist#cite_note-ODIdebut-43"></a><strong> Gilchrist replaced Ian Healy for the first two ODIs in the 1997 Australian tour of South Africa, after Healy was suspended for dissent. When Healy returned Gilchrist maintained his position in the team as a specialist batsman after Mark Waugh sustained a hand injury.</strong><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Gilchrist#cite_note-44"></a><strong> It was during this One-day series that Gilchrist made his first ODI half-century, with an innings of 77 in Durban. Gilchrist went on to play in the Texaco Trophy later in 1997 in the 3–0 series loss against England.<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">At the start of the 1997–98 Australian season</span>, Healy and Captain Mark Taylor were omitted from the ODI squad as the Australian selectors opted for Gilchrist and Michael di Venuto. Gilchrist's elevation was made possible by a change in policy by selectors, who announced that selection for ODI and Test teams would be separate, with Test and ODI specialists selected accordingly, while Healy remained the preferred Test wicket keeper. The new team was initially unconvincing, losing all four of its round robin matches against South Africa in the 1997–98 Carlton & United Series, with multiple players filling Taylor's role as Mark Waugh's opening partner without success. Gilchrist also struggled batting in the lower order at number seven, the conventional wicket keeper's batting position. In the first final against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground Gilchrist was selected as Waugh's opening partner. In a particularly poor start to the new combination, Waugh was run out after a mix-up with Gilchrist. However, in the second final, Gilchrist struck a century, his first in an ODI, to spearhead Australia's successful run chase at the Sydney Cricket Ground, securing his position as an opening batsman.<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">Touring New Zealand in February 1998</span>, Gilchrist achieved the highest average of all Australian batsmen with 50.00, and, significantly, effected his first ODI stumping, the wicket of Nathan Astle in the Second ODI in Wellington. He went on to play in the Coca Cola Cup in Sharjah in April 1998, a triangular tournament between Australia, India and New Zealand. Australia finished runners-up in the tournament, with Gilchrist taking nine dismissals as wicketkeeper and averaging over 37 with the bat. A productive individual performance in the One-day Carlton & United Series in January and February 1999 against Sri Lanka and England resulted in Gilchrist finishing with a batting average of 43.75 with two centuries and a fifty, a highest score of 154, and a total of 27 dismissals in 12 matches.</strong><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Gilchrist#cite_note-54"></a><strong> The 1999 tour of the West Indies continued to prove Gilchrist's ability as a wicketkeeper-batsman, with a batting average of just under 30 at a strike rate of nearly 90.00, and seven fielding dismissals in a seven-match series which ended 3–3 with one tie.</strong></p><strong><p><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Gilly’s Records in ODI………………………..</span></p><p><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">~ He holds the record of holding most number of ODI dismissals by a wicket keeper (455).<br />~ He holds the record of scoring second fastest ODI century by Australian (67 balls) against Sri Lanka.<br />~ He holds most ODI centuries by a Wicket Keeper (15).</span></p><p><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Gilly’s Awards in ODI………………………...</span></p><p><br />Gilly has 28 “<span style="color:#9999ff;">Man of the Match</span>” awards in ODI’s, they were……….<br />~<span style="color:#ffccff;"> 4 each with South Africa, New Zealand and England.<br />~ 1 each with West Indies, ICC World XI, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.<br />~ 7 against Sri Lanka.<br />~ 3 against India and 2 against Pakistan.<br /></span>And Gilly has 3 “<span style="color:#9999ff;">Man of the Series</span>” awards in ODI’s…<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">~ Tri Series played against Sri Lanka and India in August 1999.<br />~ Tri Series played against Zimbabwe and India in Jan-Feb 2004.<br />~ Against ICC World XI in October 2005.</span></p><span style="color:#ffccff;"><p><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Gilly’s Sporting Spirit………………………..</span></p><p><br />Cricket has for many years debated whether batsmen should "<span style="color:#9999ff;">walk</span>", that is to agree that they have been dismissed and leave the field of play without waiting for (or contrary to) an umpire's decision. Gilchrist reignited this debate by walking during a high-profile match, the 2003 World Cup semi-final against Sri Lanka. He has since proclaimed himself to be "a walker", or a batsman who will consistently walk, and has done so on numerous occasions. On one occasion against Bangladesh, Gilchrist walked but TV replays failed to suggest any contact between his bat and the ball. Without such contact, he could not have been caught out. </p><p><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Gilly’s Performance in World Cup’s:</span></p><p><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In world cup 1999</span>, Gilchrist played in every match of Australia's successful World Cup campaign, his quick-fire 63 runs in 39 balls against Bangladesh easing the Australians into the Super Six stage of the tournament. His half-century in the final helped secure Australia's first world title since 1987 with an eight-wicket victory over Pakistan. Success in the World Cup was followed by a defeat by Sri Lanka in the final of the Aiwa Cup in August 1999, despite Gilchrist being the most successful batsman and wicket keeper of the tournament, and a whitewash of Zimbabwe in October of that year.<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In world cup 2003</span>, Gilchrist played in all but one of the matches in Australia's successful defence of their World Cup title, and finished the tournament with a batting average of 40.80 at a strike rate of 105. He scored four half-centuries, including one in the final and was run out against Sri Lanka in the Super Six stage just a single run short of a century. He was also the competition's most successful wicketkeeper taking 21 dismissals. Success in the World Cup was followed up by a tour of the West Indies where Gilchrist was part of a side that won both the ODI and Test series. The Australians also defeated a touring Bangladeshi cricket team in short series in both forms of the game.<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In world cup 2007</span>, Gilchrist and Australia started their 2007 World Cup campaign successfully, winning all three of their matches in Group A, against Scotland, the Netherlands and South Africa. Australia won all six of their matches in the Super8 stage with little difficulty, topping the table and thus qualifying for a semi-final rematch against fourth-placed South Africa. Gilchrist opened the Australian batting in each match, taking a pinch-hitting role in the opening power plays. Initially successful in the group matches, scoring 46, 57 and 42, he failed in the first Super8 match against West Indies (7), but bounced back to score a second half-century (59 not out) in a ten-wicket victory against Bangladesh in a match drastically shortened due to rain. After a run of middling scores, he failed again in the final Super8 match against New Zealand.<br />As batsman, Gilchrist was dismissed for a single run in the semi-final against South Africa. As wicket-keeper, however, he took four catches, equaling the most dismissals in one match in the tournament and bringing his total for the tournament to 14, second behind Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara.<br />Gilchrist opened the batting against Sri Lanka in the final. This was Gilchrist's third successive World Cup final, and the third time he scored a half-century in World Cup finals. Gilchrist went on to score 149 runs off 104 balls with thirteen fours and eight sixes, the highest individual score in a World Cup final, eclipsing his captain Ricky Ponting's score of 140 in the previous final. He was named the man of the match. Subsequently there has been some controversy over Gilchrist's use of a squash ball inside his glove during this innings. The MCC stated that Gilchrist had not acted against the laws or the spirit of the game, since there is no restriction against the external or internal form of batting gloves.</p><p><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">In Test Matches………………</span></p><p><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Gilchrist made his Test match debut</span> against Pakistan at the Gabba in Brisbane in November 1999 and became the 381st Australian Test cricketer. He replaced Healy for the start of the series, despite Healy's entreaties to the selectors to allow him a farewell game in front of his home crowd. Gilchrist's icy reception at the Gabba did not faze him; he took five catches, stumped Azhar Mahmood off Shane Warne's bowling and scored a rapid 81, in a match, which Australia won comfortably. In his second Test match he made an unbeaten 149 to help guide Australia to victory in a game, which looked well beyond their reach. Australia were struggling on 126 for 5 with a target of 369 to win as he joined his Western Australian team-mate, Justin Langer, but the pair put on a record-breaking partnership to enable Australia to win the Test. Gilchrist was also successful in the One-day tournament, the Carlton & United Series, with Australia beating Pakistan 2–0 in a best-of-three final.<br />Gilchrist played a pivotal role in the 2001 Ashes series which Australia won 4–1, with a batting average of 68.00 and 26 dismissals in the five match series. During this series, he captained the team in the Fourth Test at Headingley after an injury to Steve Waugh. Gilchrist declared late on the fourth day leaving England with a target of 315, which, despite losing two early wickets, England reached with six wickets to spare, (Mark Butcher scoring an unbeaten 173, including 24 boundaries).<br />The Australians then toured South Africa the next month and it was during the First Test in Johannesburg that Gilchrist broke the record for the <span style="color:#ffccff;">fastest double century in Tests</span>, requiring 212 balls for the feat. This was eight ball quicker than Ian Botham's innings against India at the Oval in 1982. The record lasted only one month, however, with New Zealand's Nathan Astle taking 59 balls less to reach the milestone during an innings in March 2002. During the three-match Test series against South Africa, Gilchrist had an astonishing average of <span style="color:#ffccff;">157.66</span> at an equally impressive strike rate of just below 100.<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">In early 2005</span>, he hit three successive Test centuries against Pakistan and New Zealand, but later in 2005, he suffered from a prolonged slump in form, particularly in Test cricket, leading for calls for him to be dropped down the order from opening batsman to as low as number seven On 16 December 2006, during the Third Ashes Test at the <span style="color:#ffccff;">WACA</span>, <span style="color:#ffccff;">Gilchrist scored a century in 57 balls</span>, including twelve 4s and four 6s, the second fastest recorded Test century. At 97 runs from 54 balls, Gilchrist needed three runs from the next delivery to better Viv Richards' record set in 1986. He carried this good form into the 2006-07 Ashes series with a century and two fifties, averaging over 45 at a strike rate of over 100 as Australia easily regained The Ashes. However, both he and Australia suffered a surprising string of poor results in the 2006-07 Commonwealth Bank Series, Gilchrist managing an average of only 22.20 during the tournament. England won with two finals victories over the Australians.</p><p><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Gilly’s Records in Test Matches………………</span></p><p><br />~ <span style="color:#ffccff;">He holds the record of hitting most sixes in Test career (100sixes).<br />~ He holds the record of scoring second quickest hundred in 57 deliveries against England.<br />~ He holds the second most Test dismissals by a Wicket Keeper (416).<br />Gilly’s Awards in Test Matches………………………...<br />7 “Man of the Match” awards……………….<br />~ New Zealand [3], India [1], England [1], South Africa [1] and Bangladesh [1].</span></p><span style="color:#ffccff;"><p></span>3 “<span style="color:#9999ff;">Man of the Series</span>” awards…………………<br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">~ South Africa [1], New Zealand [1] and ICC World XI [1]. </span></p><span style="color:#ffccff;"><p><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Gilly In Indian Premier League(IPL):</span></p><p><br />Adam Gilchrist was purchased by Hyderabad franchise the <span style="color:#ffccff;">Deccan Chargers</span> on the 20th of Feb in the highly publicized player auction for <span style="color:#ffccff;">US$ 700,000.<br /></span>He started slowly in the IPL scoring 23 against the Kolkata Knight Riders, 8 against the Delhi Daredevils and 13 against the Rajasthan Royals. However in the fourth match Adam Gilchrist hammered the fastest hundred in the IPL, off just 42 balls, as Deccan notched up their first win in Mumbai.<br />Adam Gilchrist led the Deccan Chargers in the second half of the IPL in the absence of regular captain VVS Lax man, who was ruled out for the rest of the tournament due to injury.</p><p><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ff99;">Some of Achievements of Gilly:</span></p><p><br />~ Gilly was one of five “<span style="color:#ffccff;">Wisden cricketers of the year</span>” for 2002 and was awarded the “<span style="color:#ffccff;">Allan Border Medal</span>” in 2003.<br />~ Gilly was Australian’s ODI player of the year in 2003 and 2004.<br />~ In a poll of over Ten thousand people hosted in 2007 by cricinfo he was voted the ninth greatest all rounder of the last 100 years.</strong></p>satishzagade2http://www.blogger.com/profile/16813847539018762479noreply@blogger.com1