KAPILDEV

Indian coach Kapi Dev will find out whether he can keep his job within the next few days after being questioned by police investigating allegations of match-fixing.

The former all-rounder, who took 434 wickets in 131 Test appearances, was interviewed by officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday.

Kap has 12 months left of a two-year contract and insists he has done nothing wrong, despite allegations made against him by ex-teammate Mano Prabha.

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I will strongly recommend an early submission of the CBI report to the government
Kapil Dev

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But he now faces talks with AC Muthiah, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, who is currently attending an Asian cricket summit meeting in Sharjah.

"I will meet him personally as soon as I reach India. It is only after the meeting that I will decide whether to fire him or retain him," Muthiah said.

Kapil is also among a group of players, past and present, and officials, who are the subject of an ongoing inquiry by tax officials, who raided homes and offices in various Indian cities in July.

Disillusionment:

He has voiced his disillusionment with the game and accused the Indian Board of failing to act quickly enough to rid the game of corruption.

"It's a consequence of the Board not being in the hands of professionals. It's no use having honorary people who have other jobs to do and are not accountable to anyone," he was recently quoted as saying.

Prabhakar claims Dev offered him a bribe to play badly against Pakistan in 1984.

He has also been accused of receiving a luxury car from Hameed Cassim, who was allegedly involved in the match-fixing scandal centred on South Africa captain Hansie Cronje.

ROHIT SHARMA

If not for destiny's design, Rohit Sharma could well have been one of those precious talents that slip through the nets. As Sharma bent on his drives at Kingsmead and smote the ball a furlong over mid-wicket, his ecstatic coach Dinesh Lad couldn't but travel down the memory lane.Lad recalls his infatuation with an 11-year-old Rohit during a chance encounter at a summer camp. "He was bowling gentle off-spinners with quite an impressive action," he recounts.Something snapped within Lad and he asked Sharma to switch from Borivali's Our Lady of Valankini School to Gorai's Swami Vivekananda International School so that his skills could gain roots at an early age. It was here that Sharma revealed another side to this game: he could bat a bit."I convinced our director Yogesh Patel that my boy should be granted a free-ship in sports," Lad says. "Rohit belonged to a modest background. The game he so loves could have exacted a great toll on him financially."A year later Sharma requited his master's affection by scoring a flawless hundred in his first appearance in the Giles Shield, and followed it with two centuries in the Harris Shield and one in the Khichadia tournament.In a sense, Rohit's exploits in the EurAsia tournament and later in the Under-19 World Cup were a natural culmination of his early initiation to domestic cricket."After starting off at number eight in his first year he staked his claim at four through sheer weight of runs. If you ask me, that is where he should be batting for Mumbai," Lad asserts.Who knows, Pravin Amre, who coaches Sharma's state team (Mumbai), must have already mulled over the idea. Trust Amre when he swears that it isn't easy at Durban; this is the ground where he made his debut in 1992-93, scoring a defeat-defying 103.Amre beams at Sharma's knock: "For someone so young, he assessed the situation smartly. India had lost early wickets and South Africa were hitting the deck hard. He played himself in, took his time, before going for the shots. This is what he did all throughout the last domestic season. It was he who heralded the turnaround for Mumbai."Both the coaches didn't miss mention of Sharma's throw-on-the-gather spectacle that ran out Justine Kemp. Fielding is naturally ingrained in Rohit. Even during his school days he would never take it casualleLad almost brought himself to believe that another tournament would go by without Sharma getting a look in. He reveals, "Rohit called me two days ago, upset that he wasn't getting a game. I told him he would play for India the next ten years. At least he is part of the Indian team and that is reason enough to celebrate. Good times come to those who are prepared to wait."He re-lives Rohit's parting lines: "Don't miss a single ball should I get to bat." How could he? Lad, in fact, has already put ink to what he observed in those 40 balls.

SACHIN TENDULKAR

As the master returns to international cricket after a break, I wanted to look back at Sachin’s greatest one-day knocks.Ranking Sachin’s test innings is arguably an easier task. Considering he has scored 39 centuries and for some portion of the ’90s, was the lone warrior in the Indian team in the one-day game, this is going to be difficult,. And with so many people having watched many of these, people will have their own favorites.J.H. Fingleton wrote in an article about Vic Trumper but he could very well have been writing for me:A fighting innings of 30 or so under difficult conditions is lost in cold statistics yet its merits may far outweigh many staid (and often unnecessary) centuries that are recorded for all time…What is important is whether a particular contest gives to posterity a challenge that is accepted and won, or yields in classical technique an innings or bowling effort that makes the game richer so that a devotee can say years afterwards, with joy in his voice: ‘I saw that performanceThat is the spirit in which this ranking is done.Where I couldn’t judge on that basis alone, I have fallen back on quality of opposition and importance of the innings in the context of a series/ tournament.
Rank 5: v Aus 90, Mumbai, 1996:It was arguably Sachin’s best tournament. In this match under lights at The Wankhede stadium, Sachin tore into the Australian bowlers and McGrath was taken to the cleaners. He was coming down the wicket and hitting them straight over the bowler’s head. With a rapturous home crowd cheering him on, Sachin played his best innings of the World Cup of 1996. Australia’s Mark Waugh had set the stage with a graceful century and Sachin came out and bested it. Yes, he got out to a rash shot and to an intelligent piece of bowling (stumped off a wide) but then he gave us an innings to remember for a life-time.
Watch the video here
Rank 4: v NZ 82, Auckland, 1993/1994:Sachin had started out as a lower middle-order batsman in the one-day game. One fine day during India’s tour to NewZealand, Navjot Sidhu made his biggest contribution to Indian cricket: a stiff neck laid him low and Sachin was asked to open. Then came Sachin at his savage best. 82 off 49 studded with seventeen hits to the boundary:15 fours and 2 sixes. The Kiwis didn’t know where to bowl. And India had found its greatest opener/player in the one-day game.
Rank 3: v Aus 134, Sharjah, 1998:India had struggled through to the finals. Batting second and chasing a target of around 270, Sachin put on a sublime display of batting. He never looked like getting out, never once believing India would lose. He made 134 of the finest runs seen in Sharjah. It was after this tournament that Sachin finally put to rest the argument on the finest batsman ever, to rest- for a long time to come.
Watch the video here
Rank 2: v Pak 98 WC, Centurion, 2003:World Cup, Pakistan, emotions running high, 273 runs on the board, Shoaib and his special ball. Special it was. 98 of the most precious runs made for India. The little master showed Shoaib his place. Starting off quietly, Sachin took the attack to the opposition after the dismissal of the explosive Sehwag. Two quick wickets fell but as long as Sachin was there, the game was in the bag. Falling 2 short of a well deserved century, Sachin had again shown the critics: cometh the hour, cometh the man.
Watch the video here
Rank 1: v Aus 143, Sharjah, 1998:Desert Storm. India needed to qualify for the finals. Off to a dismal start, India were quickly in trouble. Sachin in the company of Mongia was putting things together when a sand storm hit the stadium. What we saw after that was the best display of one-day batting I’ve ever seen. Bowlers were hit to all parts of the ground. There was a brilliant shot off Tom Moody, straight over his head and Tony Greig’s commentary, for a change indicated that we were watching something truly special. Had he stayed longer, we would have even won the game. The great man at his best.
Honorable mentions : 186 v NZ Hyderabad , v SL s/f WC 1996 (he batted on a placid track while the rest batted on a minefield), 141 v Pak Rawalpindi (2003/04) , 104 v Zim at Benoni (1996),

YUVARAJ

Yuvraj revealed the fifth six was a mishit: The first one was the longest one. Second one was, I thinksquare; third one was long-off; fourth was over point; fifth was a mishit over midwicket and sixth was again to long-on he said.The left-hander said he thought about six sixes only after the fifth one sailed over the boundary.After the fourth six I thought, if I use the crease much better, I'm sure I can hit one more," he said. "After the fifth I thought that I had to go for the sixth. It's a great feeling."Yuvraj said he was reminded of the five sixes England's Dimitri Mascarenhas hit off his bowling during the sixth one-day international at the Oval in London earlier this month."I got more phone calls after that over than when I get for scoring a century," he said after being named the man of the match."So I decided to do something about it and luckily I got my chance today. I just went for the shots and they came off."Yuvraj said he felt sorry for young Broad because he understood what the bowler must have been going through."I know how it feels after that Oval game," he said. "It's a horrible feeling and Stuart is one of their main bowlers so, I feel sorry for him. He had a horrible day. It can happen to anyone. Yuvraj blasts his way into history: A ball by ball commentary on Yuvi's sixes18.1 : Broad to Yuvraj Singh, SIX, that's out the ground, super shot over cow corner and it just kept going up 18.2 : Broad to Yuvraj Singh, SIX, now that really is sweet, no more than a dismissive flick off his legs, swatting a fly, and the ball arcs deep into the crowd beyond backward square leg. The dodgy TV measurement says that's 111 yards but as it landed outside the ground how do they know? They guess that's how.18.3 : Broad to Yuvraj Singh, SIX, he's hitting them everywhere, he steps to leg and smashes the ball over extra cover and it keeps on traveling. The fireworks start on top of the scoreboard and they've been going off in the middle for some time.18.4 : Broad to Yuvraj Singh, SIX, Shiver me timbers! Broad goes round the wicket, bowls a filthy wide full toss and Yuvraj steers it over backward point and it clears the rope again. 18.5 : Broad to Yuvraj Singh, SIX, down on one knee and larruped over midwicket, that one was more nine iron, it went into the night sky and dropped with a thud in the jubilant crowd. England have a team meeting.Broad looks quizzical and miserable. Can he, can Yuvraj do it. Broad looks like a man who knows he is about to be mauled again. 18.6 : Broad to Yuvraj Singh, SIX, and he has, Yuvraj leans back and smacks that over wide mid-on. It was the maximum from the moment it left that bat and the crowd was roaring as it flew

HAYDEN

BBC reports: Matthew Hayden has been charged with a breach of Cricket Australia’s code of conduct after describing Harbhajan Singh as an “obnoxious little weed”.This was expected. CA has already drawn a lot of flack for the way this tour has shaped up. I wonder what punishment would be in store. IMO though, Haydos needs to be sent a rehabilitation centre to help him get rid of his liking for weed. Really, how ridiculous could one get with commenting about the opposition players? Calling Harbhajan an obnoxious little weed could be ignored. But the following statement about Harbhajan proves that Haydos must have himself been high on weed when he gave the interview to a Brisbane Radio station:His record speaks for itself in cricket. There is a certain line that you can kind of go to and then you know where you push it and he just pushes it all the time.This about a bowler whose maximum wickets (64/256) have come against the Australians. How dumb can you get? Effect of weed I guess.As if this wasn’t enough, he goes on to give further proof. This time talking about Ishant Sharma, who, again, just by chance, happens to be the best bowler against the Aussies in this series.

THE South Africans entered the first Test convinced that Sunday's epic one-day victory had, after years of heartbreak, shattered the mental barriers that stood between them and a Test series victory over the Australians.Reality, though, has turned out somewhat differently.
After a disastrous first day, in which South Africa's coach Mickey Arthur blamed the circus surrounding Sunday's one-day run chase for distracting his players, the home side struggled to contain an Australian side intent on building an imposing first-innings lead.Led by Matthew Hayden, who became just the ninth Australian Test batsman to pass the 7000-run barrier and, in so doing, moved passed Sir Donald Bradman's career mark, the visitors advanced to 4-228 just before to tea on the second day - an overall first-innings lead of 23. On a Newlands wicket quickening by the hour, the Australians were determined for a lengthy stay at the crease.
The South Africans, though, hardly did themselves any favours, committing a succession of blunders in the field that largely negated the solid bowling efforts of Andre Nel, Andrew Hall and Makhaya Ntini.Ricky Ponting was the main beneficiary of several dropped catches, allowing him to post 74 and combine for a potentially match-turning 154-run partnership with Hayden.
Upon resuming their innings on Friday, Hayden and Ponting appeared in a far more positive mindset than on day one, which concluded with Australia at 1-63 from 23 overs in pursuit of South Africa's 205.Hayden, in particular, worked hard to lift the run rate, continuing his startling run of form since the fifth Test of the Ashes series.Having lost his opening partner Justin Langer to a doubtful lbw decision for 16 on day one, the hard-hitting Queenslander promptly moved past his 26th Test half-century and stood within reach of his sixth ton since The Oval Test last year. Driving and pulling strongly, Hayden seemed immoveable on a ground at which he has scored 63 and 96 in his only other innings.Ponting never looked as convincing. After surviving a close lbw shout from Jacques Kallis, then watching as Mark Boucher and Andre Nel butchered opportunities to catch him, the Australian captain was eventually dismissed on the eve of the lunch interval for 74.

SYMONDS

Melbourne: All-rounder Andrew Symonds was racially abused by a section of the crowd during Australia’s fifth cricket ODI against India in Vadodara, the media reported here on Friday.
The Australian media quoted team officials, saying the crowd booed and abused Symonds with “monkey chants” while he was fielding near the boundary line during the Indian innings.
The incident was widely reported in the Australian newspapers which projected it as “Australian cricket team’s continued suffering from ugly treatment at the hands of its Indian hosts.”
“The only black member of the national side was taunted with monkey noises from the crowd as he fielded during the latter stages of India’s innings at the Reliance Ground,” according to The Age. Behaviour condemned A Cricket Australia official confirmed the racist taunts were directed at the all-rounder. “The matter will be left in the hands of the local authorities,” a CA official confirmed. The Australian cricket team was trying to respect Symonds’ wish not to make a big deal out of the incident, it said. The Indian camp condemned the behaviour of the fans. “This should not happen but the problem is trying to control the crowds and in some areas there can be some trouble,” team manager Lalchand Rajput was quoted as saying. An ICC spokesman from Dubai said the body treated ‘racial abuse’ very seriously. “We have not received any complaints about this but in general terms we have a no tolerance policy to racism and a very strict anti-racism code,” a spokesman said from Dubai. The Sydney Morning Herald said, “An unspecified number of spectators taunted Symonds with the monkey noises,” and equated it with abuses “which have been the scourge of European soccer for years.” The report also claimed that the crowd “pelted the playing surface with bottles as Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting, closed in on a nine-wicket victory.” Charges denied Both the police and the Baroda Cricket Association have vehemently denied that Symonds was racially abused during the fifth one-day international against India.

GANGULLY

Greg Chappell thinks that Sourav Ganguly has a negative influence on the players. Tell us since you are very close to him being a team mate, how does Sourav Dada gets along with his Bengal team mates? See I don't know about other people what they think but as far as the Bengal Dressing Room is concerned, he has been good. He makes all these youngsters feel very comfortable because when most of them come into the Dressing Room to see someone like Sourav Ganguly who has 15000 International Runs with I think 34 international hundreds, it is very inspiring. You don't generally get to feel like he had achieved such great feats and he is very down to earth kind of person when he is in the Bengal Dressing Room and the youngsters are very happy to be around him. He talks with them and helps them out, so as far as Bengal Dressing Room is concerned, he is not a problem at all. Now that you are leading the Bengal Side, how does Sourav Ganguly help you out on the field? He does help me out a lot, I mean if he has any plan or anything for a bowler or a batsman in his mind, he just comes up to me and says "Deep, you can try this out". And the best part is that he doesn't expect me to do whatever moves he suggests. There is no compulsion on me and he wouldn't say "Deep, you have to do this" and he doesn't get upset or sad about it when I don't do what he had suggested. He leaves the decision making entirely on me and that's really great. And whenever we are in a tricky situation, I go up to him and ask "What do you think I should be doing now" and he is always there to help me out. Tell us what kind of person is Deep Dasgupta is and what does he do apart from playing cricket? Well, I think I am an easy going, fun loving kind of guy. If I am not playing cricket, I try to spend as much as time possible with my family. I have got a wonderful wife and a year and a half old amazingly cute son who always keeps me busy.

DRAVID

Almost as soon as news spread that Rahul Dravid was 'rested' for the final India-Australia one-dayer, almost every cricket follower started reeling out his opinion about the decision. Endless reams of paper have been devoted to discussing the issue and the majority verdict is that the omission was unfair and undeserving of Dravid.
Now, here are my two cents.Dravid is undoubtedly a great batsman and has been a determined soldier for the team for a long time now. He also, probably, has many more jaw-dropping performances in store to offer to Indian cricket. But then there is also the irrefutable fact that his average from his last ten ODI innings is a paltry 9 runs. Plus, it is also a fact that a whole lot of talented players are waiting at the sidelines.Ofcourse, it is only a temporary loss of form that Dravid is suffering from and as the selectors themselves say, the odds of Dravid making a comeback are very high. But surely, the process of regaining form does not need only international cricket. Domestic cricket can do the job just as well.Also, it surely is not necessary to carry an out-of-form batsman in the team while many other capable players, if included, could do a better job.Additionally, the decision will also send out a strong message to the players that Vengsarkar's recent threats about nobody's place in the team being permanent is not just a toothless remark

DHONI

what India need to refresh themselves after their recent tour of England, according to new captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
“I don’t think fatigue will have any impact on the team. The England tour was very tiring and exhausting but this is a World Cup and that brings excitement, freshness and confidence to the team,” Dhoni told reporters on Monday.
Dhoni said he would not feel under extra pressure when he leads India for the first time in the inaugural 20-over world championship, which starts on Tuesday. Regular captain Rahul Dravid and former skippers Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar are all being rested.
“I never even dreamed of playing for my country, so to captain India is a massive bonus. But I am not under any pressure because it is the team that must implement my decisions,” Dhoni said.
“I only make the decisions and whether they are successful or not depends on the response of the whole playing eleven. I know it is a very big challenge to be captain but success is not just about the captain. Good captains are made by good teams.” India completed a gruelling four-month tour of England at the weekend, losing the last of seven one-day internationals to lose the series 4-3.
India welcome several fresh players, having recalled experienced spinner Harbhajan Singh, hard-hitting all-rounders Joginder Sharma and Irfan Pathan and swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag. Irfan’s older brother Yusuf, a spin bowling all-rounder, has also earned a first call-up.

ZAHEER KHAN

Kumble didn't allow any batting heroics from Brett Lee as he trapped him infront of his stumps with a skidder to send him packing for a 12-ball duck. That was Jumbo's 35th five-wicket haul. He would have got his sixth as well but Umpire Mark Benson didn't pick a bat pad catch off Mitchell Johnson. Brad Hogg and Johnson, both left handers survived the spin attack at both ends and Kumble was now left with the option of taking the second new ball. Zaheer, who made first use of it struck straightaway with the very first ball as Hogg played a loose shot away from his body to be caught by Dravid at third slip. Hogg made 17 having lasted 44 balls. That wicket fell in the 87th over and that was also the last for the day's play. Stuart Clark (21 from 17 with 3 fours) , the no. 11 batted with very good technique and Mitchell Johnson (10 from 25 which includes a six off Kumble) had no trouble whatsoever. Aussies finished the day at a disappointing 337 for 9.

ANIL KUMBLE

Anil Kumble took 7-63 as India wrapped up victory in the second Test against Pakistan by 195 runs in Calcutta. The leg-spinner finished with match figures of 10-161 in Pakistan's first ever defeat at Eden Gardens. Kumble removed Younis Khan with the first ball of the final day and bowled skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq before Taufeeq Umar edged Laxmipathy Balaji to slip. Kumble and Harbhajan Singh (2-51) then ran through the middle and lower order to put India 1-0 up with one Test left.

HARBAJAN

India look set to recall off-spinner Harbhajan Singh to counter a rejuvenated Pakistan in the second Test starting on Wednesday. Harbhajan could return at his favourite Eden Gardens, where he captured 15 wickets to bowl India to a famous victory over Australia in 2001. Harbhajan was left out of the team for last week's first test in Mohali, in which Pakistan staged a superb rearguard action to force a draw. Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq faces a dilemma over his deputy Younis Khan, who failed twice in Mohali at number three with scores of one and nine. Pakistan's top order struggled generally, with left-handed opener Salman Butt falling cheaply to left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan in both innings. The aggressive Shahid Afridi, who hit 141 in the first Test in Madras in 1999, and Yasir Hameed could replace him. Captain Sourav Ganguly must choose between Pathan and fellow left-arm Zaheer Khan to share the new ball with Lakshmipathy Balaji, India's most successful seamer in Mohali with match figures of nine for 171 on his comeback from a pelvic injury.The 100,000 fans expected to pack into Eden Gardens will also be hoping that Sachin Tendulkar can complete a record 35th test century after missing out by just six runs in Mohali.