Chokers tag will stay with team: Cricket South Africa chief

Graeme smith

South Africa Team

Graeme smith

JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Gerald Majola on Monday admitted that the team will have to live with the chokers tag following their shock ouster from the World Cup.

South Africa lost to New Zealand in the quarterfinals after topping the group. Citing the defeat, Majola said the South Africa have allowed the chokers tag to stick to them.

"We have always had this chokers tag with us; unfortunately we have allowed it to stick," Majola was quoted as saying by Sport 24 website.

"We haven't applied ourselves. We have to accept the problem and then deal with it."

Majola was expecting the team to reach the final after faring well in the group stage.

"When I looked at the draw, I thought we would play either India or Pakistan in the final. But we failed ourselves. The match was basically a replica of the England game. We needed calm heads."

Majola was in Dhaka where the team was bowled out for 172, chasing New Zealand's 222. He recalled the dark moment for South African cricket and said he had not seen outgoing captain Graeme Smith in a worse mood than that.

"I have known Graeme since he was 18 years old in 1998, when I was a selector, and I have never seen him so distraught."

Coach Corrie van Zyl will also step down with the skipper and Majola said the process of finding the replacements has already begun.

"We have a shortlist of six names that we will announce after the tournament," Majola said.

Van Zyl had on Sunday said requested the fans not to call the team chokers as it puts pressure on the players.

Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters - WTA Miami 2011 matches

Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters are both on the Order of Play for Tuesday, March 29th at the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open.

Clijsters will face Ana Ivanovic in a battle of former world number ones and the head to head series is one that has been dominated by Clijsters, although they have not met many times. Heading into tomorrow's match, Clijsters is 3-0 against the Serbian and that history includes a fairly recent match from the 2010 US Open.

Maria Sharapova appears to have an easier opponent as she faces Romania's Alexandra Dulgheru. Dulgheru is improving on tour and she is just 21 years old still but heading into Tuesday's match, Dulgheru is ranked just 28th.

The two players have never met before but you have to like Sharapova's chances of advancing and she does tower over Dulgheru by a full six inches.

Umar Gul hopes Shoaib Akhtar can ease pace burden

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Mohali—Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul hopes Shoaib Akhtar is given one last chance to show what he can do against India in Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final.

Akhtar, who will retire from international cricket after the World Cup, has featured in just three matches during Pakistan’s run to the semi-finals.

And it seemed his last outing at this level would be a wretched return of one for 70 in a 110-run group stage thrashing by New Zealand in Pallekelle three weeks ago.

However, Akhtar’s return—and the result itself—might have been decidely different had not erratic wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal dropped the simplest of catches off the express quick when New Zealand’s Ross Taylor, who made a match-winning century, was still in single figures.

A clearly irate Akhtar never recovered his composure and a tournament return of three wickets at more than 40 apiece tells its own story.

Nevertheless Gul, who has taken 14 wickets at an impressive average of 14.50 at this World Cup, said Monday he would welcome the return of the 35-year-old Akhtar for the winner-takes-all clash.

“Shoaib Akhtar is an experienced bowler who has performed well against India. If he plays, it will take some of the pressure off me. When he was not there, there was a lot of pressure on me.”

And he insisted Akhtar had not been sidelined.

“The team management is not angry with Shoaib Akhtar. He has been rested for a few games to find fitness and form but has been practising now for two to three days.”

However, the 26-year-old Gul—one of the world’s best reverse- swing bowlers—said he’d been getting used to open the bowling at the urging of Pakistan coach Waqar Younis, himself once an outstanding fast bowler.

“For the last two to three years, Waqar Younis has been telling me to get prepared to use the new ball in the World Cup. I have returned to my best form by bowling with the new ball again,” Gul explained.

Gul could well have been the ‘third seamer’ if Pakistan had come into the World Cup with the new-ball duo of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer.

But the pair, along with former Test captain Salman Butt, were banned for their roles in last year’s ‘spot-fixing’ scandal in England.—APP

Pakistan should recall Shoaib Akhtar - Umar Gul

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul said Shoaib Akhtar should be recalled for the World Cup semi-final against India.

Paceman Shoaib was dropped after going for 70 runs in the loss to New Zealand and did not feature in the wins over Zimbabwe, Australia and West Indies.

"Shoaib Akhtar is an experienced bowler who has performed well against India," said Gul. "If he plays [on Wednesday] it will take some pressure off me."

Shoaib, 35, announced last week that he would retire after the World Cup.

Although Pakistan have been victorious since Shoaib was left out, his replacement Wahab Riaz has struggled to make an impact on the tournament.

Gul's call for Shoaib's return follows a similar plea from former captain Imran Khan, who said Shoaib's pace and aggression could trouble India's star-studded batting order.

Shoaib has taken 41 wickets in 28 one-day matches against India at an average of 26.78 and is three wickets short of the 250 mark overall.

In announcing his retirement on 17 March, he said he hoped his final game for Pakistan would be the World Cup final on 2 April.

To reach that match, Pakistan will have to beat their arch-rivals in Mohali.

It will be Pakistan's first cricket match in India since before the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, in which 166 people died - an atrocity which has been blamed on Pakistan-based extremists.

Gul, who has 14 wickets at an average of 14.50 at the tournament, said: "In both countries people want to see the teams play each other.

"Relations will be better if the teams play each other more often. Fans can't stand defeat but we have won six of seven matches so far and hope to play our best cricket against India."

New Zealand Has reached sixth World Cup semifinal 2011

The Kiwis' score of 221-8 did not seem to be enough, especially when South Africa got past 100 for the loss of two wickets, but a magnificent effort in the field began to turn the tide in their favour — and crucially put doubt in the minds of the South African players.

"The way we bowled and particularly the way we fielded probably got us through to victory," Vettori said. "The whole way through there was a sense of belief that if we could get into the South African middle order then we had a chance."

Vettori mentioned Martin Guptill's throw to run out AB de Villiers as key. Jacob Oram's spectacular running catch on the boundary to remove Jacques Kallis was equally crucial. Oram also took four wickets to claim the man-of-the-match award.

The win earned Vettori at least one more match before he hands over the captaincy of New Zealand's limited-overs team, and simultaneously ended Graeme Smith's tenure of the South African one-day team.

New Zealand now travels to Colombo where it faces Sri Lanka or England on Tuesday.

Pakistan has always given India tough time Afridi said

Afridi, who led his team to a thumping victory against the West Indies in the quarterfinal on Wednesday, said that the morale of his squad is very high, and that each player of the team has a sense of responsibility, especially against India.

He further said that he had fulfilled the promise of reaching the semi-finals, and now all his boys were confident enough to tackle India and give positive results in the March 30 game.

"The Pakistan team is ready to compete with any team anywhere and he will plan a strategy according to the situation. The boys are professional cricketers," The Nation quoted the skipper, as saying.

Afridi had initially said that his team would prefer to play their quarterfinal or semifinal out of India because of the pressure involved in playing in front of the Indian crowd, but later retracted his statement, saying that Pakistan was willing to play at any venue, including India, as its main emphasis was on cricket and doing well on the field.

"Of course, every team like to have the crowd supporting them but it doesn't mean we cannot play in front of fans, who are backing our rival team. There were over 30,000 people supporting Sri Lanka in Colombo but we won that match," he said.

Expectations are high in the cricket-crazy region for a mouth-watering Indo-Pak clash for a slot in the World Cup final match to be held at Mumbai on April 2.

India and Pakistan have not played in any bilateral series since the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008. The Pakistan cricketers have also not played in the Indian Premier League since its first edition in early 2008.

Shahid Afridi says his dream of winning World Cup for Pakistan becoming a reality

shahid afridi

shahid afridi

shahid afridi

shahid afridi

shahid afridi

Pakistan's limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi has said that his dream of winning the coveted World Cup trophy for his country is on its way to becoming a reality as he led his team to a thumping victory against the West Indies in the quarterfinal on Wednesday.

"It's my dream to do something for my country. It's my dream to help Pakistan win the World Cup and today all of us are extremely happy that we have taken another step towards that direction," The News quoted Afridi, as saying.

He expressed his confidence that his team, which registered a 10-wicket win against the Windies in the knockout stage, would maintain its golden form in the March 30 semi-final match.

"I'm confident that the team will maintain its form in our next match," said the seasoned allrounder.

Afridi took four wickets for 30 runs to take his tally in the tournament to 21, becoming Pakistan's most successful bowler in a World Cup. Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan owned the previous record with 17 wickets in the 1987 tournament.

But the skipper made it clear that personal goals were not important to him.

"It's all about the team and Pakistan," he said. "We are here to give the best for our country and each and every player in our team is trying to do that."

Pakistan may encounter archrivals India in the semi-final stage, if the co-hosts beat Australia in Thursday's quarterfinal in Ahmedabad.

Expectations are high in the cricket-crazy region for a mouth-watering Pakistan-India clash for a slot in the World Cup final match to be held at Mumbai on April 2, but Afridi said that he would not be losing sleep over it.

"It doesn't matter if we play India or Australia in the semifinal," he said.

"The good thing for us is that we are going to Mohali and now our aim is to win a place in the final. I'm confident that the team will maintain its form in our next match,"

Why India will beat Pakistan: Ian Chappel

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

sehwag

shahid afridi

sachin tendulkar

Umar Gul

There's good reason to believe that India, who conquered Australia on Thursday, have sharper tools to triumph over Pakistan in the semi-final on Wednesday. (Do you think India can beat Pakistan)

Here's why India are tipped to beat Pakistan in the semi final at Mohali on Wednesday:
First of all, I'd say Pakistan have played two very disciplined games (vs Australia and West Indies) and I am not sure they can string three together. Pakistan's bowling is very good. I thought South Africa and Australia had the best attacks in the competition, but now I will say South Africa and Pakistan have the best attacks.


So, it will be an interesting battle where you will see the strong Indian batting versus the might of the Pakistan bowling.

But ever since India promoted R Ashwin in the side, I feel as though Mahendra Singh Dhoni has his attack lined up so he gets some good match-ups.

The Indian attack has improved enormously with the inclusion of Ashwin.

Bowling vs batting In the end, it will come down to the two lesser skills each of the two teams have got - i.e India's bowling and Pakistan's batting. India's bowling is stronger than the Pakistan batting which I think is quite wobbly - not just the middle order. The top order as well. Calm leadership

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a much more calmer leader than Shahid Afridi. You always get the feeling that Afridi is going to do something out of the ordinary and a bit that will damage his team. I thought Dhoni had a good game in the field against Australia. He summed up the situation very well; kept looking for wickets all the way through. He is a very calming influence and boy, Indian needed some of that on Thursday.

Some of that running between wickets was something that they won't want to repeat against Pakistan. Dhoni is a much more calmer leader than Shahid Afridi.

You always get the feeling that Afridi is going to do something out of the ordinary and a bit that will damage his team. As I said earlier, Pakistan's last two games have been very disciplined but you always feel it won't take much to panic.

Pakistan will have problems because Afridi is not the kind of calming influence as Dhoni is. For me, the danger is that this match will be their final - Pakistan vs India and whichever team wins this, might be absolutely drained going into the final. But that is something to worry about down the line. You have to win the semi-final first, but I think Dhoni's calmness is a big advantage to India.

Pressure soakers India is better equipped to deal with the pressure surrounding the India vs Pakistan label to the game. That's mainly because of Dhoni and his calmness is a big advantage to India. Pakistan will have problems because Afridi is not the kind of calming influence as his opposite number.

When you guide your team through tough situations, that builds confidence in the team. Once the team believes that the captain can do some good things, then they (good things) tend to happen.

Smart in the field The inclusion of Suresh Raina has made a big difference to the Indian fielding. I am not sure which way they'll go in terms of combination for the next game, but Raina has to hold his place with the way he performed against Australia. India did a good job particularly since it was so hot. There was a lot of talk earlier in the tournament about India's fielding and lack of fitness in hot weather but they showed otherwise yesterday.

Pakistan Vs India in Semi Final of World Cup 2011 – Are You Ready?

Shahid afridi vs Ms Dhoni

Shahid afridi vs Ms Dhoni

Shahid afridi

Shahid afridi vs Ms Dhoni

shoaib vs sachin

India has made to semi-finals of the cricket world cup 2011 to face Pakistan by defeating world champions Australia today. The semi final which is scheduled for 30th of March is one of the most awaited day for the people of sub-continent.

Six days before the match takes place and the time has frozen on us. As much as I am excited, this is also making me nervous. The craze is in the air. Pakistan vs India is all our twitter timelines and Facebook news-feeds read. 144 hours before it all begins, and this is trending worldwide on twitter.

Pakistan has never beaten India a single match in the history of cricket world cup but has India beaten Pakistan a single match at Mohali? The history shall repeat but which one?

Will you make a really good excuse to ditch college/work this day? Or would you just say Pakistan vs India!

Who prevails in this game? Are you ready?

Confident Afridi says Pak will reach World Cup semis

Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi & Waqar Younas

Pakistan’s limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi has expressed his confidence that his team will achieve the target set at the start of the 2011 World Cup, which was to reach the semifinal stage.

“Our aim at the start was to make the semifinals and I am confident we can achieve that. The expectations back home are high and we are determined not to let our supporters down,” The News quoted Afridi, as saying.

On the eve of Pakistan’s biggest World Cup game since their forgettable appearance in the 1999 final at Lord’s, the players sat over the dinner table and vowed to give their best in the quarterfinal clash against West Indies.

They received a motivational talk from Afridi and coach Waqar Younis, and later the captain said that the “boys are ready for the big game.”

“For most of our players, it’s the biggest game of their lives. They all know how important this World Cup is for our cricket and for our country and they are all pumped up to give their very best tomorrow,” Afridi stressed.

Pakistan have been at their brilliant best so far in the tournament, entering the quarterfinals after clinching the top spot in Pool A ahead of defending champions Australia and co-hosts Sri Lanka.

“I have played for 14 years and never seen the team train so seriously and focus on their game,” Afridi said during a press conference at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

Tendulkar, Ponting at opposite poles as walking debate rages

Chennai: Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar and Australian captain Ricky Ponting took two opposite sides as the walking debate raged in the ongoing cricket World Cup in the sub-continent.

Tendulkar walked back to the pavillion despite the umpire signalling not out during India's league match against the West Indies, while Ponting stayed his ground till he was ruled out after a successful review by Pakistan in another match.
Tendulkar was hoping to score his 100th international hundred but his innings ended when he was dismissed for just two. He faced only four balls, clipping fast bowler Ravi Rampaul to wicket-keeper Devon Thomas and he walked without waiting for the umpire's decision.

Ponting had made 19 when he edged off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez to Kamran Akmal at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo on Saturday.

When on-field umpire Marias Erasmus gave the Australian captain not out, the decision was reviewed and overturned.

Ponting admitted he knew he had edged the ball but said he had always waited for the umpire's decision all through his career.

"There were no doubts about the nick, I knew I hit it, but as always I wait for the umpire to give me out. That's the way I've always played the game," he said.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy hailed Tendulkar as "a true gentleman" for walking despite Australian umpire Steve Davis ruling him not out.

"It shows the measure of the man (Tendulkar). He is a true gentleman. After 17,000 runs, he could walk. That was brilliant on the part of Sachin," Sammy said after his side lost their last Group B match by 80 runs here last night.

Yuvraj, who set up the win for India, was not surprised with Tendulkar walking.

"I am not surprised. He (Tendulkar) felt that he has to walk and he walked. It is a personal decision. It should be left to the person concerned," said Yuvraj who hit his maiden World Cup ton (113) and later took two West Indies wickets.

Sri Lanka vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene and Kiwi off-spinner Nathan McCullum were also involved in a clash over a 'clean' catch in their league match in Mumbai.

McCullum took a brilliant, one-handed diving catch off Jayawardene but TV umpire Amish Saheba was called in and he ruled it not out.

New Zealand's stand-in skipper Ross Taylor said it would make things easier if batsmen were to take the word of the fielder in such situations.

"It depends upon the person. You look at (South Africa batsman) Jacques Kallis. He asks the fielders if they caught it cleanly and he trusts the words of the fielders," said Taylor.

"You put it up to the batsman to make the decision and at the end of the day you just hope the technology is right and if the technology is not right, well then don't use it."

Jayawardene, who went on to make 66 and shared a vital 145-run stand with captain Kumar Sangakkara (111) to set up Sri Lanka's comprehensive 112-run win, was adamant he was right to stand his ground.

"If I felt it was a clean catch, I would have walked. It was a 50-50 thing and it was fair it went to the TV umpire."

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis said it would be a boost for the game if players walked.

"It's nice to see people walking but that doesn't happen now I guess. There is a system in place now so you can't get away with it. I mean people still take chances and why not? Jayawardene took a chance and it went the other way."

Tim Nielsen urges Ricky Ponting to arrest form slump

AUSTRALIAN coach Tim Nielsen has challenged Ricky Ponting to arrest his form slump with a trademark one-day innings.

Nielsen's call comes as statistics show Australia is much harder to overcome when Ponting fires, with the side having won 24 of 29 one-day matches when the champion No.3 hits a century.

Australia's record 12-year grip on the World Cup will end if it loses to India in their quarter-final at the 50,000-capacity Sardar Patel Stadium on Thursday.

Ponting desperately needs a big score to counter the rampant Sachin Tendulkar and has gone more than a year without an international century. India has not faced Australia at the World Cup since the 2003 final, when Ponting hammered a majestic 140 not out from 121 balls in what is widely regarded as his greatest one-day innings.

"It would be nice for Ricky to get a good score," Nielsen said last night.

"It's important for us that one of our top three or four get a big score.

"It would be nice for Shane (Watson), Brad Haddin, Ricky or Michael Clarke (to score runs). We do put a lot of emphasis on our top four.

"The adrenalin will certainly be flowing and playing in front of their home crowd in Ahmedabad will be exciting and a challenge for us.

"It's what World Cups are about, it's the right time to play India. We've got no fear."

Ponting has had a poor World Cup, scoring 102 runs from five innings at 20.40.

Tendulkar, conversely, is flying. At 37, he has 326 runs in six matches at an average of 54.33 and, remarkably, will celebrate his 100th international century if he can reach three figures on Thursday.

At 36, Ponting appears to be in decline but his importance to Australia cannot be understated.

On the 29 occasions Ponting has posted triple figures, Australia has lost just five times, dating back to 1996.

"Hopefully that big score will come for me," said Ponting, who made 19 against Pakistan on Saturday.

"Its been a few games now and I certainly haven't scored the runs I would have liked to have scored in the World Cup so far, but the big games are coming up and hopefully I get some in the quarter-final.

"I felt good again (against Pakistan). I'm just getting out, it's as simple as that.

"It's just the way things are happening for me at the moment. I'm trying as hard as ever and I feel like I'm seeing the ball as good as ever."

Yuvraj's all-round show fashions India's win

yuvraj singh

yuvraj singh

yuvraj singh

yuvraj singh

yuvraj singh

Yuvraj Singh's all-round performance set up India's 80-run victory over West Indies in the final World Cup Group B match on Sunday. Chasing 269 for victory, opener Devon Smith's cultured 81 kept West Indies in the hunt but the two-time champions lost their last eight wickets for 34 runs to collapse for 188 in 43 overs.

The result meant India will face Australia in the quarter-finals while West Indies take on Group A winners Pakistan.

Earlier, Yuvraj Singh (113) featured in a 122-run third wicket partnership with Virat Kohli (59) to prop up India after captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had opted to bat first.

Drafted in the squad to allow spearhead Kemar Roach some rest, Ravi Rampaul (5-51) made a memorable World Cup debut against the country of his origin and it was largely due to his career-best haul that India once again failed to bat their full quota and folded for 268 in 49.1 overs.

With the team management deciding to rest Virender Sehwag, who is battling a knee problem, Gautam Gambhir (22) partnered Sachin Tendulkar (2) at the top but both were back in the hut inside nine overs.

Much to the disappointment of the crowd who had packed into the MA Chidambaram Stadium hoping to watch him score his 100th international century, Tendulkar nicked Rampaul's sixth delivery and walked off the ground even though he was adjudged not out.

Rampaul cut short Gambhir's fluent cameo too but Yuvraj joined Kohli in the middle to stitch together a steady partnership that was the bedrock of the Indian innings.

West Indies skipper Darren Sammy helped Yuvraj's cause, dropping him twice in successive overs and the batsman, despite his obvious struggle to cope with the heat and humidity, went on to smash his 13th century in one-day internationals.

The Indian tail, however, did not wag and the co-hosts folded with five balls left in their innings.

Smith anchored West Indies' chase and losing Kirk Edwards or Darren Bravo did not have much of an effect on him as he batted with consummate ease.

Zaheer Khan (3-26) bowled him in the 31st over to earn a major breakthrough and the pressure intensified with the exit of Kieron Pollard, who was uncertain to bat having sustained a finger injury that forced him to walk off the ground during the Indian innings.

Yuvraj claimed 2-18 to cap a satisfying outing both with the bat and ball.

Cricket: The craze goes on

Ms Dhoni

sachin tendulkar

indian cricket

CHENNAI: Chennai came alive yesterday when hordes of students, parents, and cricket lovers thronged the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, to watch the India VS West Indies match. One young Indian cricket fan, 10-year-old Dibeeshwar, bared his chest to get the Indian tri-colour painted. “My father asked me to do it and I’m happy for it. This is the first match I’m watching in a stadium. I’m very excited,” he said. A couple from West Bengal, who had come for medical reasons to Chennai, roamed around the stadium to just soak in the festive feel. Husband Debobroto Sengupta said, “We came to Chennai for three days only. But since we both are cricket lovers, we decided to visit the stadium and check the atmosphere around.” The couple was indeed passionate about cricket, as they sported India tri-colours on their cheeks and roamed around the stadium together. The stadium had fans not just from other states, but overseas too. A group of 10 Gujarati NRIs from the UK came to India just to watch the World Cup. Other than the Guju-factors, they all had another thing in common — they were dressed in interesting gears — a tri-colour turban and a tri-colour coat draped on their bodies. One of them even had Yuvraj Singh written all over his chest. “India! India!” they shouted and rooted for an India-win. Jay Patel, a chartered accountant working in London and a member of the group, said, “We came in these gears to show our love for cricket and for India. We always go to the country where the World Cup is played every time and it has been a practice for us for the last five World Cups.” Also seen at the stadium were Bollywood beauties Aditi Govitrikar and Sushma Reddy promoting a new product. But it was also a day of disappointments and shattered dreams for many hoping to buy tickets. Sita Ram and Rajendra Kumar came to Chennai on Saturday from Bilaspur in Lucknow, with a hope of getting a ticket for the match. “We missed Holi to be a part of a cricket match. We have to return empty-handed now,” said Sita Ram. “We missed a very important festival because Holi comes every year, but World Cup happens once in four years. Being a part of this is an achievement for us.”Inspector N Giri manning Gate no 13 at the stadium confirmed that the match is sold out. “We made the announcement on March 19 (Saturday) that tickets were sold out. Now, we’re helpless and had to shoo away cricket lovers seeking tickets to the match.”