March 15, 2014 · 8:26 am

ICC: neither Holy, nor Roman nor International any longer

Gideon Haigh, in The Weekend Australian 15 March 2014

ICC 33 ICCMIRPUR, a suburb to the north east of Bangladesh’s capital city of Dhaka, is home to a zoo, a botanic gardens, the head office of the country’s celebrated microfinance institution and, for the next two weeks, to world cricket. Half the group games and all the finals of the fifth World Twenty20, which begins on Friday, are to be played at Mirpur’s well-equipped Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, including all those involving Australia; the balance will be held at Chittagong’s rather plainer ZA Chowdhury Stadium. Both cities should be in for an excellent ensuing fortnight. In its short history, the World T20 has had greater gram-for-gram impact than any global cricket event. Continue reading →

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March 14, 2014 · 1:19 am

Aravinda’s stature better than Lara and Tendulkar

Nirgunan Tiruchelvam, in The Island, 12 March 2014 where the title is “Why Aravinda was the best batsman of all”

ARAVINDA  Taj Mahal Wallpapers 6 Pix fr wallpapers-xs.blogspot.com

For the first century of its existence, the Taj Mahal was unknown outside India. If there was a cricketing equivalent of this monument it would be Aravinda de Silva. For much of his career, Aravinda was not recognized abroad. The World Cup victory changed that, but not enough.

The Indian cricket historian Ramachandra Guha has argued that Sunil Gavaskar was a superior batsman to Viv Richards. Though Viv Richards was much more destructive, he never had to face his own bowlers. Gavaskar not only faced Garner, Marshall and Holding, but he mastered them. He scored a scarcely believable 13 centuries against the feared West Indian bowlers. That is by far the highest number of centuries against the Windies, which was the leading attack of that era.

By the same token, Aravinda was a superior batsman to Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar. Not many are aware that Aravinda is the top century scorer against Pakistan, the leading team of his time. As the scorer of eight centuries against Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Abdul Qadir, Aravinda should be placed on a pedestal. Continue reading →

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March 10, 2014 · 3:02 pm

Accolades for Lanka’s Asia Cup Triumph

I: “Sri Lanka return to heroes’ welcome,” by Andrew Fidel Fernando, in ESPNcricinfo

“Four World Cup finals, four heartbreaks, but this is what it feels like to finally win something,” one Sri Lanka fan was overheard saying, as
the open-top bus carrying Sri Lanka’s cricketers came into view near SLC headquarters. She was one of thousands who lined the streets, waving flags, decked in blue, tooting horns, and occasionally breaking out in a baila-flavoured jig as they awaited the Asia Cup-winners.

ANGELO with CUpCricket lovers in Sri Lanka are an apathetic bunch by South Asian standards, and on Sunday even the beaming players appeared surprised by the masses that had turned out for them, on 18 hours’ notice. The joy in the whoops, the whistles and the waves could not be mistaken, but equally palpable was the relief. Sri Lanka’s public had waited a long time to shower adulation on their players like this. The players, many of them accustomed to a relatively throng-free existence, lapped up the attention. Continue reading →

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Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, Angelo Mathews, cricketing icons, Lasith Malinga, Mahela Jayawardene, patriotic excess, performance, player selections, Sangakkara, Sri Lanka Cricket

March 10, 2014 · 2:45 pm

Sri Lanka’s ASIA CUP triumph in Pictures

Afridi congrats  Afridi congratulates Angelo while Chaturanga looks on

ASIA CUP ckters returmn Continue reading →

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March 10, 2014 · 2:37 pm

Mahela is my landmark says rising Kiwi star, Raki Weerasundara

Kanihskaa Balachandran in ESPNcricinfo,

RAKI WEERASUNDARAShortly after Raki Weerasundara‘s third birthday, his family called time in Colombo and started a new life in Wellington. The year was 1998, and with Sri Lanka plunged in civil war, the political and security situation had compelled several of its citizens to relocate to countries with friendly immigration laws. There had been mass emigration in the 1980s, when the ethnic conflict boiled over, and relocation gathered pace again in the late ’90s, to places like New Zealand, England and Switzerland. Continue reading →

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March 4, 2014 · 12:39 pm

As outlandish as unique — Abdur Rehman’s bowling figures read 0-0-8-0

 

Really one for the books — as unique as a man with no balls at all

ABDUR REHMAN 11 afp-gETTY

Continue reading →

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March 4, 2014 · 12:32 pm

As mercurial as lunatic – that’s Shahid Afridi!

“No other cricketer in his generation blends genius so liberally with lunacy as Shahid Afridi, …” says Andrew Fidel Fernando after Afridi hit two sixes in the 50th over to ski-jump Pakistan’s victory over arch-rivals India.

AFRIDI --happy streaminsblog spot  Continue reading →

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February 22, 2014 · 1:25 pm

Across Generations: Sri Lanka’s Dream Team from County Cricket across the Ages

Bill Ricquier, courtesy of The Island, where it is entitled “The Sri Lankan Masters“

ARI for KENTEnglish county cricket owes a huge debt to its overseas players. Particularly since the qualification rules were liberalised in 1968, county supporters have been able to watch the world’s greatest cricketers plying their trade on a daily basis. In that first year, Gary Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Farokh Engineer, Majid Khan, Barry Richards and Mike Procter were among the stars to adorn the domestic game. And they were often as loyal as any local boy. It was length of service as much as talent that led to Gloucestershire becoming known as Proctershire: after him Courtney Walsh stayed there for many years. Continue reading →

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February 22, 2014 · 8:52 am

Kevin Pietersen: as troubled and troubling as gifted

Ed Smith, courtesy of the New Statesman, where the title reads “Kevin Pietersen: the man who fell to earth”

I — Five years ago, researching a book about Fortune, I came across the following paragraph in a scholarly essay about Renaissance conduct. The author was defining a particular type of Renaissance man, the so-called fortunato, or “Fortunate One”. It read:

The Fortunate Man, unlike the virtuous man, does not need a code of conduct; he has only to follow his impulses and be carried to the highest goals … The fortunati often lose their occult powers when they begin to study or try to work out a course of action … In all they do, they act without caution and close their ears to advice and admonition. They violate all dictates of reason and prudence, and yet they never fail.

In the margin, I wrote one word: “Pietersen”. Continue reading →

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February 20, 2014 · 10:53 am

Hail Mary as the Irish stump the Windies

Where the Afghan Under 19 thanked Allah and themselves in Pashtun as they beat the Aussie Under 19 in the Middle East, the best of the Irish raised there voices in brogue and thanked their Guinness as they trumped the Windies and their patois in their own backyard in a T 20 encounter! The cricket world is truly changing !

I: Brutal Analyst in ESPNcricinfo: Not that big an upset for those that follow cricket closely both Cod and Wirus called it.I was disappointed Santokie didn’t start when he has consistently been the stand out T20 bowler domestically. I couldn’t tell 100% from the stream but it looked like Sammy was limping/struggling ? if so it’s ridiculous he’s rushed himself back what else is absurd is W.I have chosen the squad for WC before Ire Eng tours and some guys in WC squad are not in this squad, Charles an Cottrell and when you think it can’t get any worse Cottrell has never played a T20I game is not in the squad yet is off to Bangladesh ? Equally saddening as mentioned before is the scheduling of T20’s midweek during the day giving no atmosphere or home support and to top it off no TV coverage. All in all it’s one big tragic comedy of errors and to think this is the state right now when they’re World Champs things are unlikely to get any better and forget defending the title I’ll be surprised if W.I make it out the group. Continue reading →

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