Ricky Ponting Hopeful about ODI Success against South Africa

After losing the two-match Twenty20 series to South Africa, Australian captain Ricky Ponting is now hopeful to bounce back in the upcoming five-match ODI series starting from April 3, 2009. No doubt, after winning the test series by 2-1 margin, Australia was hoping to clinch the twenty20 series as well. However, Ricky Ponting’s men could not stand up to the 20-over games, but the Australian captain is now confident about a strong come back in the ODI series which kicks off with the first ODI being gone underway in Durban coming Friday. Australia is also looking to retain their no. 1 spot in ODI ranking that they lost in earlier in January after being defeated by South Africa 4-1 at home. So, Australian players are also gearing up to take revenge of their 4-1 ODI series defeat at home and this is a very good chance for the Ricky Ponting boys to prove their credential of becoming the no. 1 team in ODI cricket.

Both Australia and South Africa features some of the new faces in the twenty20 series ahead of this year’s Twenty20 world cup which will take place in England. Australia featured medium pacers Brett Geeves and Ben Laughlin, while South Africa brought in left arm pacer Yusuf Abdulla and all rounder Roelof van der Merwe whose match winning 48 runs in the second twenty20 is considered to play a big role behind his ODI debut in the forthcoming ODI series.

Shane Harwood and David Warner have gone back home after the end of the twenty20 series. Both Australia and South Africa would bring about a number of changes in their first eleven for the first ODI. Ricky Ponting has backed left arm pacer Nathan Bracken had a nightmarish performance in Australia’s 17-run defeat in the second twenty20 international as the pacer conceded 44 runs in his 4 overs with one wicket. However, Ponting believes that Nathan Bracken has excellent strength and has backed him for a strong come back in the ODI series, stating that the bowler was little bit of under prepared for the twenty20 game.

Related article:

Cricinfo

Emmanuel Adebayor happy to Stay in Arsenal

Emmanuel Adebayor is perhaps now the top player of Arsenal and in the last season, he was the top scorer for the club and was one of the top 3 leading scorers in EPL. In Summer of 2008, there was intense speculation that he might join Barcelona for a huge amount of money but he decided to stay at London and now he feels that it was the right thing to do.

"At the moment it is very difficult for the club because we haven't won a lot of games in the league but I'm still happy to be at Arsenal.

"It's my desire, it's what I show everyone and it's what I tell everyone. I want to stay at Arsenal."

This was his reaction to a newspaper about the decision to stay in London. I also agree with him because he has seen some decent amount of success and his place in the first eleven is almost certain in every match.

India Drew with New Zealand in the Second Test

Centuries from Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman guided India towards a draw in the second test against New Zealand. Indian batsmen raised the hopes of avoiding a seemingly defeat on the fourth day when India finished the day on 252 for 2, indicating an eventful fifth day. Yes, the final day of the match was eventful, but there was no excitement as Indian batsmen played for a mere draw.

Gambhir and Tendulkar started the day with the overnights score of 252 for 2, but New Zealand pacer Chris Martin picked up Tendulkar’s wicket making him the catch of wicketkeeper McCullum the batsman was on 62. However, Gambhir and Laxman cleared all the fears adding 96 runs for the fourth wicket partnership. Previous day’s centurion Gambhir batted pretty slowly before being LBW off Jeetan Patel for 137. To be honest, I did never see Gambhir batting in such a manner. Anyway, VVS Laxman completed his 14^th test century and remained not out on 124, hitting 25 boundaries. Along with Laxman Yuvraj Singh was not out on 54 at stumps with India’s second innings total reaching on 476 for 4. For New Zealand, Patel picked up 2 wickets, while Martin and Vettori got a wicket each.

No doubt, Indian batsmen showed excellent resistance against New Zealand bowlers in the second innings. At the end of the third day, India was facing a defeat. With this draw, India could hold on to their 1-0 lead in the three-match test series. So, the third test starting from 3^rd April in Wellington has become a must-win match for the home side, while India just needs a draw to win the series.

American Premier League (APL): Twenty20 Craze Now in USA?

From the title, you can guess that I am going to talk about Twenty20 cricket tournament on American soil. Twenty20 cricket has already emerged as the new tool to spread cricket over the world in what would make it a global sport. Indian Cricket League (ICL) and Indian Premier League (IPL) have already caught up the attention of India’s cricket crazy fans. Now, the glitz and glamour of Twenty20 cricket seems to be entertaining cricket fans living in USA. Jay Mir, the CEO of American Sports And Entertainment Group Inc, has taken an initiative to organize a tournament titled American Premier League (APL) in the frame of IPL. The tournament is reportedly expected to be held on a converted baseball field situated in Staten Island, New York in October.

Jay Mir said that there could be six international teams in the tournament: Premium Pakistan, Premium Indians, Premium West Indies, Premium World and Premium America. Mr. Mir hopes that the tournament would stir up a cricket revolution in the country where cricket is mainly popular among the South Asian community. Mir has already deployed an agent in England to form a squad for World XI. Moreover, negotiation is going on with Richie Richardson, former captain of West Indies, who is expected to be recruiter as well as coach of West Indies team.

However, USACA secretary, John Aaron, thinks that October is not a right time to play cricket in New York. Besides the excitement of Twenty20 cricket, American cricket fans can also enjoy the state-of-the-art facilities of the stadium located in Staten Island, New York which has 10,000 spectators. Cricket fans can see the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty and the Hudson River from the stadium.

Jay Mir has already been in talks with some of ICL’s Pakistani players including Inzamam-ul-Haq and there is a possibility that a number of Pakistani players who have contracts with ICL could also appear in American Premier League. However, they would first see if their ICL contracts allow them to join APL. It has been hinted from ICL that if there is no clash with ICL schedule, ICL players can take part in any tournament.

Cricket may not be a popular game in America, but a big South Asian community ensures a big lucrative market for cricket in the country. So, the idea of American Premier League (APL) could be a success story for the organizers and it could be conducive for the development of cricket in the country.  

World Cup 2010 Qualifying: Uzbekistan Defeats Qatar 4-0

I watched the match and I have to say that I was not that much impressed with the performance of Uzbekistan. However, Qatar players were even more terrible and it was a very substandard match compared to world cup qualifying. Well, you should not be surprised because these two teams are weak compared to the countries like Australia and Japan and you cannot expect high quality football from them.

ESPN wrote:

A Farhod Tadjiyev hat-trick helped Uzbekistan secure their first victory in Asian qualifying for the World Cup with an emphatic rout of a lacklustre Qatar at Pakhtakor Stadium.

The visitors were dealt an early blow when Bilal Rajab was sent off just after the half-hour mark before Tadjiyev scored twice in the first half and added another after the break.

India Followed on in the Second Test against New Zealand

New Zealand continues its dominance over India at the end of the third day of the second test. Today, India got all out for 305 in the first innings and was forced to follow on. At stumps, India scored 47 runs losing the wicket of opener Virender Sehwag who got played on off Jeetan Patel on 22 and India still needs 267 runs to avoid an innings defeat. Gambhir and Dravid are batting on 14 and 11 respectively.

No doubt, India is now on the verge of losing the match. It is not that Indian batsmen failed to settle down in the wicket due to fiery bowling by Kiwi bowlers. The problem is that a number of batsmen got set in the wicket and then threw away their wickets. India needed some big scores to avoid a follow on. Dravid played an excellent innings of 83 before making a mistake when he edged Ryder to wicketkeeper McCullum. Tendulkar also got out off Patel just one run short to his fifty, while Laxman was dismissed by Martin on 76 when he looked pretty much settled.

Chris Martin picked up 3 wickets for New Zealand, while Vettori, Patel and O’Brien all took 2 wickets each. India is now under pressure and is facing a seemingly defeat in the second test. Now, India has to show that they have the ability to bounce back from any situation and in their pursuit to overtake Australia to become the no. 1 team, this is a good opportunity for Indian team.

Mohammad Yousuf Wants to Play for Pakistan and Ready to Walk out of ICL Contract

Mohammad Yousuf is reportedly interested to play for Pakistan once again. The player is currently under contract with rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) and he must resign from ICL, if he wants to be back in PCB reckoning for Pakistan team. Yousuf joined ICL last year. However, the veteran batsman has recent sent a letter to PCB, insisting his wish to represent Pakistan in international cricket and to do that, he is also ready to terminate his contract with ICL who has already hinted that it would sue Yousuf if he wants to walk out of the contract. PCB said that it would consult with legal department to see if there would be any legal implication of Yousuf terminating contract with ICL.

Related article:

The Hindu

New Zealand Scored 351 for 3 on the First Day of Napier Test against India

New Zealand team has been in a good position at the end of the second test that started today in Napier. Winning the toss, New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori decided to bat first and the home side finished the day at 351 for 3 with Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder hitting excellent hundreds in their way to share a 271-run fourth wicket stand. New Zealand did not have a very good start as they lost 3 wickets on 23. Zaheer Khan bagged the wickets of Gultill and How before Ishant Sharma had dismissed Tim McIntosh for 12. After loosing 3 wickets pretty early, Taylor and Ryder pulled the string for the home side as they took New Zealand from 23 for 3 to 294 for 3 before Taylor being dismissed for 151 becoming the only victim of Harbhajan Singh on the first day. However, Ryder, who got his second straight ton in the series, remained not out on 137 along with James Franklin batting on 26 at stumps. Picking up two wickets, Zaheer Khan is the most successful bowler of the day for India.

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Cricinfo

India vs New Zealand Second Test 2009: New Zealand on Top After Day 1

It seemed that New Zealand players have learnt something after suffering a crushing defeat in the 1^st Test against India. Indian bowlers were at top in the first hour of Day 1. However, after that for the rest of the day, it was two Kiwi batsmen who dominated all the way. In fact, at one stage, the Kiwis were in deep trouble in 23/3. Many fans thought that it was the end for them in this test. However, Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder had something in their mind and they put on a massive partnership. Taylor scored 151 and Ryder is unbeaten 137 and 271 runs came from fourth wicket partnership. At the end of the day, the Kiwis were 351-4.

The obvious goal of New Zealand will be pile up a huge and imposing total on Day 2. They will surely look for a score 500+ in the first innings. On the other hand, Indian bowlers will want to restrict the Kiwis under 400 runs. The Indian fans are perhaps worried after Day 1. It should be mentioned here that their team has never won a test series in New Zealand. This is indeed their best chance to rewrite the history.

Sachin Tendulkar on Consistent Success of Indian Team

Sachin Tendulkar is very much happy with the recent success of Indian cricket team, terming it exciting times for Indian cricket. India has recently clinched their first ever test match win in 33 years on New Zealand soil. The veteran batsman thinks that India’s overseas success started since 2001 Zimbabwe tour, followed up successes in West Indies, England, South Africa and Australia. Now, India is looking to a rare series win out of sub-continent as India is leading the three-match test series 1-0 against New Zealand. Sachin Tendulkar said that Team India had always been happy, but perhaps it was happier now as the victories coming in a flurry.

Related article:

Timesofindia

IPL 2009: Why South Africa, Why not England?

Indian Premier League (IPL) is the richest cricket event in the world and it seems that very soon, it will outshine any other cricket event in terms of generating money. Of course, you have to understand that people love to watch Twenty20 matches because they finish within just 3-4 hours and this gives a lot of excitement to the viewers in India. Well, people from some other countries like to enjoy IPL too but the main market for the organizers is undoubtedly India. What has happened now is that because too much dependence on just one country, organizing this event has become a big problem this year simply because it coincided with the general election in India.

Now, it has been decided that IPL 2009 will be held at South Africa. Two countries were being considered- South Africa and England. Many people felt that England would have the choice simply because England is the birthplace of cricket and England has strong media. It seems that BCCI officials wanted to save some money and South Africa is much less inexpensive compared to South Africa. I also think that it is a wise decision. Not only England would have been more expensive but also Sky Sports will be busy with England series.

Steve Bucknor Retired from Test Cricket

Steve Bucknor, one of the most respected cricket umpires of this era, has recently retired from test cricket at the end of the third test between Australia and South Africa at Cape Town. The 62-year-old umpire holds the record for officiating 128 test matches and Steve Bucknor is the first umpire to reach the 100-test mark in the history of cricket. The Jamaican would also bid farewell to ODI cricket this month, and thus, ending his umpiring career at international level.

Steve Bucknor is also credited with a record for officiating five ICC World Cup finals in a row. No other umpire has this achievement in their career. He has officiated in 179 ODI matches, second only to South African umpire Rudi Koertzen. After the end of the third test, Bucknor received a lap of honor paid by the cricketers of both teams and was honored with a standing ovation by the crowed. ICC Chief Haroon Lorgat and ICC general manager David Richardson paid their tribute to this great umpire. Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was full of praise about Steve Bucknor, stating that he always felt privileged while playing a match that Bucknor officiated.

There is no doubt, Steve Bucknor is one of the great umpires cricket has ever seen in its history and he would remain as a great character among the players, fans as well as his colleagues.

Venue of IPL 2009 T20: England or South Africa?

Decision over a relocated venue IPL 2009 is yet to come from BCCI, but it is pretty much confirmed that either England or South Africa would host the matches of IPL 2009. A group of high officials in BCCI are interested to move the tournament to England, while another group is in favor of South Africa. TV timing, logistics, operational costs are the issues which are now being considered while deciding over the venue.

Many people prefer England because Twenty20 world cup 2009 will take place just after IPL 2009 Twenty20 event. So, it would be helpful for Indian team to be prepared for the Twenty20 world cup. However, England as a venue has a shortcoming when it comes to TV timing. If the matches are to be held as scheduled then the first match of a day would have to start at 11.30 am local time in England in what would be 4 pm Indian Standard Time (IST). At that time in England, it is less likely to see a sold-out match. No matter, how multi-cultural or multi-racial cricket crowd England possesses.

Moreover, English country cricket would also start at the same time and that is why, county fixture would also be affected by IPL tournament and some of the countries have already voiced their concern. However, England has an advantage and that is the traveling cost because the venues are within bud-ride distance, but when it comes to hotel and TV production cost, South Africa holds an advantage.

Both South Africa and England have some advantages as a venue for IPL 2009, but England seems to be ahead at this moment and it is more likely the England will organize the IPL 2009 Twenty20 tournament.

Related article:

Cricinfo

Arsene Wenger: The Gunners are in Form

For the whole season, the Gunners have just faced criticism and a lot of it was aimed at the method of Arsene Wenger of not spending too much money for buying star players in transfer windows. All are not lost for them even in this season. They are alive and healthy in FA Cup. They will play against Chelsea in the semi final. It is a daunting task but I think that they can do it. The same perhaps goes for UEFA Champions League too. I am confident that Arsenal will win the quarterfinal clash and jump to the semifinal. Now, they are well poised to get the 4^th spot in Premier League and qualify for Champions League next season.

What is amazing perhaps is the fact that most players in the current Arsenal side are very young. I am impressed with another thing even more. Because of the fact that the club did not spend too much money for buying big players, they are in healthy and vibrant financial condition even during the economic recession.

Andrey Arshavin: The Best is Yet To Come

Andrey Arshavin is not a new player in International football. Last year, in Euro 2008, he amazed most fans in home and abroad. Arsene Wenger became his fan and ensured his arrival in London. He just played in a few matches in the last days and has impressed many fans already. His goal against Blackburn Rovers perhaps reminded everyone that Arsene Wenger was a smart coach to go after him. In fact, he is confident that his best performance is yet to come. He feels that it will take some time for him to get used to London and England. Then he will try his best for his club.

I think that Andrey Arshavin has the right attitude and he can become a very good player in time. Well, it is too early but I can say that if he can continue trying this way with the right mind set then Andrey Arshavin will become another Arsenal Legend.

Arsenal Defeated Newcastle United 3-1 in Premier League

Arsenal clinched a 3-1 victory over relegation threatened Newcastle United on the road. With this victory, Arsenal has been put firmly in the fourth place with 55 points from 30 matches. However, the Gunners are still 10-point behind leader Manchester United and 6-point behind Chelsea and Liverpool who are currently in the second and third place in the league table.

Arsenal opened scoring when Bendtner’s head to the free-kick off Arshavin took the net. However, Newcastle United required just one minute to get an equalizer when Obafemi Martins scored from 12-yards. However, Arsenal defense was mostly responsible for conceding the goal as they could not cleared it well. Then Abou Diaby and Samir Nasri scored to ensure three points for Arsenal.

Related article:

BBC

Barcelona vs Bayern Munich Quarterfinal Clash in CL 2008-09

The quarterfinal line up of Champions League 2008-09 is up and it looks like a very exciting line up for the fans. Of course, English clubs are dominating the scenario but there is life after the EPL clubs. I think that one of the top clashes in quarterfinals to enjoy is the match between Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Bayern Munich is one of the most successful clubs in the history of Champions league with four titles to their credit. The ease with which German champion Bayern Munich outclassed Sporting Lisbon 12-1 on aggregate in the first knock-out round, it seems that Bayern is playing at their best. Bayern Munich defeated Sporting Lisbon 7-1 at home and 5-0 on the road. No doubt, the two victories must have increased the confidence level of Bayern Munich and they would now go into the quarter final stage full of confident. I think, confidence is one of the very important things when it comes to getting over a knock out stage like Champions League quarter final.

Bayern Munich defeated VfL Bochum 3-0 on the road in their recent German Bundesliga match last week. Overall, the Bavarians are enjoying their best form this season and that is where their hopes in Champions League lie. However, the German club has a couple of injury woes to contend with. Key striker Miroslav Klose is now out of action as he has recently undergone a surgery on his ankle and it is expected that the German international would require 6-8 weeks to be back in action. So, it is less likely that Klose will be able to take part in any of the two quarter final legs of Bayern Munich in Europe. Striker Luca Toni is also injured though he is expected to be fully fit before Bayern Munich play the first leg of quarter final match. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Galaxy striker Landon Donovan already joined his US team following a loan spell at the German club.

Still, Bayern Munich has a quality striker in Lukas Podolski, but if Toni can not recover in time, the German club will be left with a very few options in its attacking line up. However, they have an excellent midfielder in Franck Ribéry who could be lethal for any opposition. In the presence of Captain Mark van Bommel, Hamit Altıntop, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Munich has a very strong midfield. Their defense features the players like Lúcio, Philipp Lahm, Daniel van Buyten and Martín Demichelis who all are well known for what they are capable of when it comes to on-field performance. Goalkeeper Michael Rensing is also doing a good job.

So, I think, Bayern Munich has every chance to progress into the last four in Europe this season, though I am not quite sure if they will be able to continue their current scintillating form in the coming weeks as well.

In UEFA champions league, the Spanish clubs used to dominate and Barcelona and real Madrid are the two key figures in the Spanish dominance of this tournament. In this season, There is no real Madrid because they have been eliminated in the group stage. So, I did up to Barcelona now to do something substantial and they have the players to go all the way. IN the group stage, Barcelona was in Group C and they emerged as the group winner. IN fact, they did not lose a single match and just drew one and won the other 4. This shows that they are in superb form in Champions League. IN the group stage, this Spanish club scored 18 goals and suffered just 8 goals.

Of course, some critics may say that Barcelona had an easier group compared to other big clubs. May be they are right still +10 goal difference is impressive to me in European stage. In the knockout stage, it faced Lyon and in the first leg, the match was 1-1 draw. Then, in the second leg, Barcelona thrashed Leon 5-2. This is the background of the Spanish club in CL this season. In the domestic form, it is in superb form. It has dominated the La Liga this season right from the start and is poised to win the title. In fact, after 27 matches, Barcelona has managed to get 66 points and is ahead of its nearest club Real Madrid by 6 points.

Barcelona has undoubted some of the top players in the world today. Just look at their attacking side: Eto, Henry, Messi. They can destroy any defense any day. All of them are in excellent form. Messi is indeed the most attacking forward playing in La Liga today. Henry is perhaps at last getting his form in Spain. All of them have got decent number of goals and this the most important part.

Arsenal Reached FA Cup Semi Final, Defeating Hull City 2-1

Arsenal reached the FA Cup semi final after a 2-1 victory over Hull City last night at the Emirates Stadium. The come-from-back victory saw striker Robin van Persie scoring an equalizer in the 74^th minute before former captain William Gallas putting the winner in the 84^th minutes. Earlier, Hull City took a lead in the 13^th minute when Nick Barmby scored. With this victory, Arsenal progressed into the last four of the tournament for the first time in the four seasons.

Arsenal will now face Chelsea at the Wembley Stadium on April 18 in the first semi final of FA Cup, while Manchester United takes on Everton in the second semi final on April 19. Arsenal was facing a loss even just 16 minutes off the final time and it would have been the second home defeat for Arsenal in FA Cup under the guidance of Arsene Wenger. Last time, Arsenal lost at home in FA Cup came 12 years back when they were defeated by Leeds United.

Arsenal is already out of Premier League title race and has failed to bring out any success in Carling Cup too. Though the Gunners are still active in Champions League, FA Cup seems to be the most realistic tournament where they can win silverware this season.

Related article:

Bloomberg

ICC Rules out Sir Vivian Richards Stadium from International Cricket for 12 Months

International Cricket Council (ICC) has cancelled the hosting rights of Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua for 12 months by which the stadium can not host any international match during this time. Recently, the second test between West Indies and England was abandoned due to a bad outfield in this ground after just 10 balls being bowled. The incident created huge criticism for West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

ICC has now asked WICB to work on this ground in order to upgrade its standard up to international level before it reaches up to the mark for hosting international match again. The outfield was so sandy that bowlers failed to have any traction during the 10-ball-long second test that eventually led to the abandonment of the test.

Now, WICB must work on this ground and it must face an ICC inspection before it retains the hosting rights of international matches. However, the good news is that WICB has 12 months in hand to prepare the field before ICC’s inspection. There is no doubt, the cancellation of the second test came as an embarrassment to both WICB and Antigua cricket authorities.

Related article:

Cricinfo

IPL 2009 Still Uncertain

Second season of IPL is due to kick off on 10 April 2009, but it is not yet confirmed if the tournament will take place this year following talks between IPL and Indian Home ministry over security concern has been concluded without any fruitful decision being taken. IPL 2009 is supposed to take place in various venues across the country from April 10 to May 24, but the problem is that India’s parliamentary election is also due to be held from April 16 to May 13 with the overall the process being concluded upon counting of votes on May 16. The original IPL schedule overlapped election dates and that is why, IPL authority submitted a revised schedule which was rejected by the government last week, and thus, putting the tournament in uncertainty. Government said that it would not be able to provide enough security to the tournament during the election.

Now that talks between IPL and home ministry failed, IPL authority would need to re-jig the schedule again and submit it to the government and another rejection by the government might force IPL authority to cancel the tournament for this year because the year 2009 is very much packed with international cricket schedule. Government now wants such a schedule in which states, due to host IPL matches, would be need to count on its election security forces in order to arrange security for the IPL matches. Now, let us see if IPL authority can come up with a revised schedule which will convince the government.

Related article:

AFP

Arsene Wenger Happy with New Form of Arsenal

At the end of the match, the score line was Arsenal 4 Blackburn 0. You can easily understand that it was an amazing win for Gunners. All the fans were very happy. Suddenly, after a very poor season, the players seem to have found their rhythm. Of the 4 goals, Andrey Arshavin scored the best. He is happy and Arsene Wenger is happy. Wenger feels that the pressure is gone from his team and they can do better this season.

Arsene Wenger should tell his boys that all is indeed not lost this season. Yes, they are out of EPL title but they are still alive and active in FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. Of course, even in EPL, there is something to fight for- becoming 4^th and qualify for the Champions League next season. Just a few days ago, almost everyone wrote the Gunners off from EPL this season. I had the same idea too. I am happy that Wenger’s team is trying their level best to prove us wrong.

Sacking of Luiz Felipe Scolari and Few Reflections

It has been more than a month, Chelsea sacked world cup winning Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari following a series of poor performance by Chelsea. Dutch manager Guus Hiddink joined the Blues immediately thereafter and turned around Chelsea’s performance overnight as the Blues are now 7 match winning streak in all competition under the guidance of Hiddink. Well, I asked myself the question many times that what was exactly the reason behind the sacking of Scolari who started off very well in Stamford Bridge?

Different reports out in the media seem to be misleading. Chelsea’s poor show seems to have been instrumental behind the sacking of Scolari who joined Chelsea with lots of promise and hopes last Summer. However, Scolari himself expressed that some of the Chelsea players like goalkeeper Peter Cech, Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba had a big role behind his losing the job. You might find some truth in his statement when you will know that Cech, Ballack and Drogba have recently expressed their extreme happiness under the new coach Guus Hiddink.

Well, do not blame me for making any statement in this regard. Reports even also suggest that the Brazilian coach had a conflict with Drogba which was reportedly forced Chelsea to choose between Scolari and Drogba. However, Chelsea’s assistant coach dismissed any kind of dressing room rift between the two.

Luiz Felipe Scolari has some supporters in Chelsea too. Ashley Cole gives the credit to Scolari for helping him to play his best football for Chelsea ever. In fact, Cole is so impressed that he even considers Scolari as a father figure and Cole has said that he would miss the Brazilian in Chelsea.

I do not know what the exact reason behind his sacking was, but I think, Chelsea should not have sacked him midway through the season because every coach at this level deserves a certain period of time to show what he is capable of. Specially, when someone has the previous record of winning a world cup, you must admit the man has something in him. Like Hiddink, Scolari also started off very well in the season with Chelsea winning a series of games on a row. At one stage, Chelsea was missing most of the first team players through injury and was mainly relying on the reserve bench players. Still, Scolari kept the Blues in the winning run and there were many who got surprised by the ruthless performance of injury-hit Chelsea squad.

I do not believe that only performance can determine class and talent. Scolari is definitely a great coach who not only helps the players on tactics, but also influences them psychologically and helps the players to become confident. Though he has recently been linked with Manchester City, it is not yet confirmed what would be the next destination of Scolari.

Manchester United vs Liverpool Live Updates: 14 March 2009

Manchester United (1) vs Liverpool (4)

The match has finished with Liverpool picking up an excellent win at Old Trafford. This is the first win for Liverpool at Old Trafford since Rafael Benitez took over as Liverpool manager.

90+3 minutes: Liverpool won the match 4-1.

90 minutes: Dossena scored another goal for Liverpool. This is now 4-1. Can you believe it?

88 minutes: Ronaldo failed to control the ball in the box, and eventually lost the possession.

86 minutes: What a Miss! Gerrard failed to keep the ball into post, but his short range shot went off the target. This is perhaps the easiest chance of the match.

84 minutes: Rooney kept the ball in the box, but Reina gripped it before Berbatoz reached.

81 minutes: Babbel replaced Torres.

77 minutes: Aurellio scored from the free-kick and Liverpool is now leading by 3-1.

76 minutes: Nemanja Vidic was shown RED Card! He tackled Gerrard illegally; otherwise, it could have been another goal for Liverpool.

73 minutes: Three changes for Manchester Untied. Andersen, Park and Carrick went out and Scholes, Berbatov and Giggs came on the field.

70 minutes: Neither side is dominating in the match now.

68 minutes: Dossena comes in and Reira goes out.

65 minutes: Lucas had a shot at target, but United keeper was up to the mark.

63 minutes: United got another good chance. Ronaldo's cross was kept in the box by Rooney's chip, but Tevez failed to reach the ball.

60 minutes: Both sides are trying to create chances. United got a free kick, but nothing happened in the end. Mascherano was shown yellow card.

53 minutes: Ronaldo's free-kick was easily gripped by Reina.

51 minutes: Manchester United is looking for the equalizer.

48 minutes: Manchester Untied is in attacking mood at this moment.

46 minutes: Second half has just started.

It is now half time at Old Trafford. We will be back with the second half updates. So, do not go anywhere and be with us.

45 minutes: Liverpool got a free kick and then United got a corner, but nothing happened.

44 minutes: Liverpool scored again as Gerrard scored from penalty. Liverpool is now leading by 2-1.

42 minutes: Michael Carrick's long range shot just missed the target. It would have been an excellent goal, had it found the post.

40 minutes: Manchester United got another corner, but it was cleared in end.

37 minutes: Ferdinand was shown yellow card for tackling Kyut.

35 minutes: Ronaldo's free kick was not well-gripped by Liverpool goalkeeper, the ball slipped from him gloves and Tevez went very close to it before the Reds keeper gripped it again.

33 minutes: United for a free kick, but nothing happened in the end.

30 minutes: Rooney had a threatening corner, but Ronaldo just missed to reach it.

28 minutes: Torres scored the equalizer for Liverpool. He received a through ball from behind and slotted past the United keeper.

26 minutes: Manchester United seems to have been inspired after scoring, while Liverpool seems to have cut on their confidence. Liverpool is losing ball possession very often.

23 minutes: Manchester Untied got a PENALTY! Ronaldo scored from it. So, the home side is now leading 1-0.

22 minutes: Liverpool earned a free-kick, well taken by Gerrard, but there was no Liverpool player where it landed.

20 minutes: Torres had a very good attack, but United defense was up to the mark

16 minutes: Manchester Untied got two back-to-back corner, but neither of them was threatening.

13 minutes: Evra's shot went off the target. Nice attack from United, but not a good finish.

10 minutes: Neither side is dominating now

8 minutes: United is on attack

6 minutes: Both sides are trying to dominate in the game, Torres had a run in the left, but it was cleared in the end.

3 minutes: Park got the ball just outside the box, but it was cleared for a corner. The corner was taken poorly.

1 minute: Manchester United earned the first corner of the match, but nothing happened in the end.

0 minute: The match has started just now

Players are on the field now.

Players are lining up in the tunnel.

Manchester United will play in 4-4-2 formation with Tevez and Rooney up front, while Liverpool will play in a 4-5-1 formation with Torres playing up front, Reira returning after missing the Champions League tie with Real Madrid on suspension. Xabi Alonso is missing the match with injury.

The match between Manchester United and Liverpool will take place at Old Trafford, Manchester. In this post, we will be giving you live score and updates of the match which kicks off from 12:45 GMT. So, be with us and enjoy the updates of the match.

ICC Champions Trophy 2009 in South Africa?

ICC Champions Trophy 2009 now seems to be moved from Sri Lankan to South Africa due to concern over an unstable weather in the island country in September. The 12-day tournament is due to be held in September this year. Well, the tournament was originally due to take place in Lahore and Karachi in September last year, but ICC was forced to postpone the tournament until this year as a number of participating countries expressed their concern over the depleting security condition in Pakistan. In January 2009, ICC declared Sri Lanka, the official reserve venue for the tournament, as the new host of ICC Champions Trophy 2009.

However, ICC's Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) has recently recommended South Africa as the changed venue for the tournament after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC)’s failure in ensuring that there would be no rain in Colombo during the tournament which is set to take place from 24 September to 5 October. However, the final decision over the tournament venue will be taken by ICC board. ICC chief, Haroon Lorgat, has said that there is a “distinct possibility” of rain in Sri Lanka during the time of the tournament. As the tournament is only 12-day-long, it is impossible to arrange a reserve day for a rain-affected match. That is why, there is now a strong possibility of shifting the venue of ICC Champions Trophy 2009 from Sri Lanka to South Africa.

Related article:

Cricinfo

Is Guus Hiddink the Perfect Coach of Chelsea Football Club?

If you are a fan of Chelsea football club then I guess that you have the same question in your mind at this mind now. Guus Hiddink has come to London only for the last few weeks. Not only that he is still the coach of Russian football team. Under him, Chelsea has not lost a match yet. It seems that the players have got back their mental confidence. At least, they showed some kind of positive mental strength in this weekend in FA Cup match. In fact, under this new coach, the London Club has won 5 matches consecutively.

If morning shows the day then we can say that Chelsea will shine under Guus Hiddink. Do you agree? 

Is Eduardo Coming Back for the Gunners?

Last season, Arsenal was in sublime form for most part of the season. In the end, they lost way in every competition. Many fans believed that it was the injury of Eduardo that killed the Gunners. Well, the good news is that Eduardo is back and he is in good form. He played in today’s FA Cup match against Burnley and even scored a goal.

 

Telegraph wrote:

Hanging on the shoulder of the last defender, Eduardo beat the offside trap to ghost on to a flighted ball to the back post before stabbing a volley with the outside of his left foot in to the net.

Eboue completed the scoring when he ran on to a back heel from Alex Song and fired low and hard in to the far corner as the game became stretched with Burnley searching in vain for a goal to get them back in to the match.

 

Within a few days, it is the second time in 2 matches that the Gunners scored 3 goals. Arsene Wenger is delighted and is now happy. 

Arsenal: The Most Important One Week

It seems there is still something for Wenger’s men to play for to do something in this season. They are still in FA Cup and Champions League. Of course, it was one of the 3 matches that they have to play in 7 days. Wednesday, Arsenal is going to face Roma in Italy in a Champions League match. They have one goal advantage from the first leg win. So, let us see how they do.

 

Telegraph wrote:

These hectic seven days will stretch Wenger's threadbare squad to its seams but if they progress past Burnley today, Roma on Wednesday and defeat Blackburn on Saturday, a season that has been mired in frustration could take on a very different complexion.

This cluster of key games coincides with the return of key players: Theo Walcott and Eduardo are in the squad for the Burnley game today and could play a part in mid-week. Perhaps even more encouraging is that Cesc Fabregas will be back in two weeks. Emmanuel Adebayor is also approaching fitness. Suddenly, the possibility of a first trophy in four years does not appear so remote.

 

Wenger is hopeful that they can salvage something even in March. 

Fernando Torres to be Handed a New Contract with Increased Salary at Liverpool

This is the second season for Spanish striker Fernando Torres in English Premier League. He starred at Anfield in his debut season and the momentum still continues with Torres scoring for the Reds pretty regularly. Torres already has contract with Liverpool until 2013, but News of the World reported that he might be offered a new deal with a much-improved paycheck and under the new contract he would stay at Liverpool until 2014.

Fernando Torres, Spain’s Euro 2008 winning striker, is currently earning in the range of £70,000 which could well be improved by 20 % to £90,000 in the new contract. Liverpool is actually trying to ensure that Torres would not leave the club in the near future.

I am guessing another thing here, though I could be wrong. Giving an improved deal to Torres, Liverpool officials are perhaps trying to ensure that the Spaniard stays at the club, even if manager Rafael Benitez, who is now in conflict with Liverpool authority over his contract extension, leaves the club at the end of this season. Both Torres and Benitez hail from Madrid, Spain and Liverpool might fear that Benitez would tempt Torres to leave the club if Liverpool does not extend Benitez’s contract.

Related article:

Goal.com

Imran Khan Sees Foreign Link in Lahore Attack on Cricketers

You already know that cricket world is now raving about the recent terror assault on Sri Lankan cricket team and ICC umpires and match officials near the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Many people are considering it a big blow for Pakistan cricket as no international team would like to visit Pakistan in the near future.

Imran Khan, Pakistan politician and former captain of Pakistan Cricket team, thinks that there is a foreign element in the brutal terror attack and he points out that India, Afghanistan or the Tamil Tigers could be behind this attack. Internet edition of The Times of London published an interview of Imran Khan where the former cricket great has expressed his fear about the future of Pakistan and its cricket. Mr. Khan has also added that the motive of the attack was to damage Pakistan and end its cricket. However, Imran Khan has also blamed Pakistan government for security lapses.

Related article:

AFP

ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 Live on ESPN Star Sports TV Channels

ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 starts from 7 March 2009 (Saturday) with cricket’s two arch-rivals India and Pakistan taking on each other in a seemingly exciting opener. There are eight teams participating in the tournament including hosts Australia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, England, West Indies and South Africa. The 16-day tournament will be held in 6 different venues across Australia.

Eight teams have been divided into two groups of four. Group A includes defending champion Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and West Indies, while India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England have been drawn into Group B. In the group stage, each team will face other group members once in a round robin league system and three teams from each group will progress to the Super Six stage where three teams from Group A will face each of the three teams from Group B. There is no semi final stage like ICC world cup for men. Two teams with highest points from Super Six round will face each other in the tournament final on 22 March 2009 at the North Sydney Oval.

ESPN Star Sports television channel has got the rights of telecasting seven matches including the final of ICC Women’s World Cup 2009. So, if you want to watch some of the exciting matches of this grand event of women’s cricket, you can tune on to ESPN Star Sports television channel.

Related article:

The Hindu

Some Football News Updates for 5 March 2009

Well, first of all, let me tell you that some of the links I am giving you here were written by me in some other blogs. So, I apologize for it if you do not like them.

Who does not want to win a trophy? When footballers win any trophy be it small or big, the fans get happy and the players get good reward. Believe it or not, in Maldives, it has happened just the opposite. So, read more: Maldives Football: Win Trophy and Lose Salary of $389?

These are very tough days for Arsenal players and coach because the club is not doing well at all this season. I have written a thought provoking entry in another blog about it: Arsenal Should not be in Europe Next Season

Guti is a player of Real Madrid and he does not like Barcelona. I do not understand why he is so upset: I Always Want Barcelona To Lose - Guti

Well, if you are a fan of Real Madrid then there is more painful news for you. On the other hand, if you are a Barcelona fan then you should be happy with this news: Cup kings Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao set up final date

 

So, read all of them and enjoy. 

ICC Match Referee Chris Broad Avoided Injury in Terror Attack in Pakistan

ICC match referee Chris Broad could successfully escape the terror assault in Lahore on 3 March without being injured. The former England batsman was caught up in the attack on the Sri Lankan team bus which left six policemen and two civilians dead and six members of Sri Lankan cricket team injured. Chris Broad even helped fourth umpire Ehsan Raza to come out of danger during the attack. David Collier, chief executive of England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that Broad was caught up in the attack, but did not pick up any injury.

Related article:

Press Association

IPL 2009, Economic Recession and General Election

There is just one month left before the start of Indian premier league (IPL) 2009. But it is now the richest tournament in the world and the funny thing is that it is not even an official tournament in the sense that the records made here are not counted as the mainstream cricket records. They will be just regarded as IPL records but not as of Twenty20 records. Still, most people and players do not bother because it is the richest tournament and the cricketers earn a huge amount of money in just two months.

 

On the other hand, for TV viewers, it is six-seven weeks of continuous entertainment almost every night and in the weekends, they can have even two matches on the same day. Big companies in India are very happy because at last, they have found a tournament which will be played on a yearly basis and they can promote their products by advertisements. Thus, there is every thing and there is something for everyone with IPL. It is the second season that is going to start from April, 2009 and I am curious to see what happens this time because two important things are going to coincide during this time: recession and election.

The first thing to take note is the economic recession. Most people related to IPL management are confident that their event is recession proof. They feel that IPL is the most popular sporting event in India and cricket is more than a sports in this country. They think that People will never become tired of cricket and the big companies want to be where there are a lot of people. BCCI Officials are confident that thousands of people will come to the stadium to enjoy the matches like last season and on the other hand, all the companies will come with big endorsement, sponsorship and advertisements in TV.

Cricket 360 wrote:

Many news items and editorials have been devoted to statements made by Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi to the effect that the IPL is impervious to the recession; that the IPL will not be affected by the economic downturn because of its business model and long term contracts. According to Modi, the IPL typically enters into 5 to 10 year contracts which makes it ‘recession proof’. 

Even Kings XI Punjab co owner Ness Wadia believes that the recession won’t affect the Indian Premier League much and has gone on to say that the IPL will draw even more crowds this year. Certainly the likes of Vijay Mallya and Mukesh Ambani can thumb their nose at the recession, but there are many who are actually feeling the pinch.

 

 I do not agree with them and I feel that economic recession is going to affect IPL this time perhaps not the amount that I’m expecting but it will hurt the event to some extent. You have to understand one thing and that is many big companies in India are multinational companies and they are suffering in Europe and America because of economic recession. So, naturally they cannot afford to spend that amount of money for sponsorship and advertisements like last Specially, think of the American companies who are suffering a lot in USA and many of them are seriously trying to just survive at this moment. As for the Indian companies, you have to understand that they are also  trying to become cautious in the time of economic slowdown. Even a big conglomerate like Tata is worried about the future and they are trying to become careful about not to spend too much money. So, I feel that there will be some kind of repercussion of economic recession over IPL 2009.

Another big matter that is perhaps going to affect is that general election in India is going to take place in April 2009. But the main problem is that general election in India takes place over a period of time not just in one day and security is always a big concern when election takes place in this country. In fact, Indian government has already talked about making delay of IPL 2009 so that it does not clash with the general election 2009.

Cricket Next wrote:

Earlier, few games in the IPL were rescheduled due to the election dates. The IPL is scheduled to start on April 10 and the first round of polling is on the April 16.

"I have asked the Home secretary to get in touch with the IPL organisers. Since, the election dates are unalterable, I have asked to find out of the dates of the IPL can be rescheduled. I would be happy if the tournament starts when the bulk of the polls is over," said Chidambaram.

 

Well, BCCI officials will be in big problem because this is perhaps the only window of time (April and May) open for them to organize the event. It is impossible for them to find any other month for the event and you have to remember that in 2009, two import an international cricket events are supposed to take place: Twenty20 World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy. So, I think that it’ll be a big challenge for BCCI to find any other month for organizing IPL 2009.  

It seems that suddenly there is a lot of uncertainty over IPL second season and it cannot be good news for the BCCI management, the owners of different clubs and even the players. Here, I like to remind you that in 2008, Champions League did not take place because of terrorist attack in Mumbai. But well, it’s really there is some kind of uncertainty and in the end, the second season of IPL does not take place this year, then it will perhaps give a lot of satisfaction to everyone involved with Indian Cricket League (ICL). They will feel that it is like a poetic justice but the cricket loving fans in India will be very unhappy because they are eagerly expecting to have some kind of great entertainment from the second season of IPL. 

New Zealand vs India First ODI 2009: Who Will Win?

If you have asked this question just last week then I would say that it is India who is the hot favorite. In fact, most people would have agreed with me because India had been in superb form in the last few months. They totally dominated over England, Australia and Sri Lanka. Well, it seems that this theory does not apply to New Zealand because against the Kiwis Team India struggled continuously for many years. If you look at the result of the first two Twenty20 matches, then you will have to think that it will be tough for Dhoni and his men to change the fortune even in 2009.

I really cannot understand the problem. May be it is the weather, may be it is the pitch. In any case, New Zealand is now a very weak team. They have no genuine fast bowler but still, Dhoni and his batsmen are struggling against them. May be, it is time that the players get some expert advice to overcome the mental challenge. Surely, the two Twenty20 matches frustrated many fans. Now, they just want a victory in the ODI series. Well, many of them have lost heart. It is up to the players to bring happiness for them. 

Carling Cup Final 2009: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur Live Updates

Manchester United (4) vs Tottenham Hotspur (1)

Manchester United has won the match 4-1 in tie breaker. So, Ferguson boys clinched the Carling Cup 2009 title, second title for United this season. Stll, three left to make it five.

Manchester also scored.

Tottenham Scored

Manchester United is now leading by 2-0

Tottenham missed it.

Manchester United scored and is now leading by 1-0.

Dear readres, hold on to your breath and wait for the 10 deciding shots.

ET 30 minutes: Now, it is penalty shoot-out.

ET 28 minutes: Manchester and Tottenham are on their last try now, but neither side seems to be very organized at this moment.

ET 25 minutes: Time is running out for both sides because they have only 5 minutes left in hand before entering into the nail-bitting tie-breaker.

ET 21 minutes: Tevez had a sot at goal, but went off the target.

ET 20 minutes: Tottenham has come back excellently well in the second half of extra time.

Extra time first half was dominated by Manchester United. Now, let us see what happened in the second half of extra time.

ET 15 minutes: The first half of Extra Time has also finished in goalless.

ET 14 minutes: United seems to be playing better now and creating more chances. Ronaldo has made a couple chances over the last few minutes, but goal has not come yet.

ET 12 minutes: Giggs has made an instant impact on the game.

ET 8 minutes: Carlos Tevez is trying his best to prove he worths a permanent deal by United at the end of the season.

ET 5 minutes: Extra time play started. Giggs has come on the filed in palce of Gibson.

The full time of the Carling Cup Final 2009 final has been eneded in goalless. Now, it is time for extra time display. We will take you through the extra time action and tie-breaker, if needed. So, be with us.

93 minutes: Carlos Tevez could have earned a last-gasp winner for United, but his shot went just off the target.

92 miniutes: Dawson earned a free-kick, but nothing happened from Heurelho Gomes's free kick.

90 minutes: Injury time play is going on now.

88 minutes: Both sides got some good chances over the last few minutes, but it is still goalles at Welbley stadium.

82 minutes: Now, it seems both sides would need extra time to present the fans with a much-awaiting goal.

80 minutes: United seems to be in more attacking mood at this moment. Vidic comes in place of O'Shea.

75 minutes: Anderson's effort was blocked by Tottenham keeper. Ohh! I forgot to inform you that Anderson is playing in place of Welback for Manchester United and Tottenham’s Pavlyuchenko was replaced by O'Hara.

70 minutes: Both sides are trying heart and soul to clinch a goal, knowing that it could give them Carling Cup title.

68 minutes: Ronaldo shown yellow card. Man Utd fans felt that they got a penalty card but Refree did not agree

65 minutes: Tottenham came very close of scoring a goal from a counter attack. Change of player for Tottenham.

62 minutes: Manchester United got a corner and came to close to a goal but just close

60 minutes: The match is still goalless.

55 minutes: Neither side is dominating at this moment.

53 minutes: Manchester United has 51% and Tottenham has 49% ball possession. So, you can guess the kind of contest two teams created in the match.

50 minutes: Tottenham got a free kick, but nothing happened in the end

48 minutes: The match is still goalless.

46 minutes: Second half started just now

Now, it is half time at the Wembley Stadium, London. We will be back with the second half updates. So, do not go anywhere and be updated.

45 minutes: The first half ended in goalless, but both sides got a few chances that they squandered off.

43 minutes: Manchester United has now more ball possession than Tottenham Hotspur

40 minutes: Both sides are looking to clinch the Carling Cup title, but goal is yet to come in the match.

35 minutes: The match is still goalless. Pavlyuchenko went very close to score, but his head went wide off the target.

30 minutes: Manchester United is playing better at this moment, but I would not say the Red Devils are dominating.

27 minutes: United looks very balanced in the presen of young talents like Evans and Welback as well as experienced players like Scholes, Tevez and Ronaldo.

23 minutes: Pavlyuchenko is trying to create scoring chance for Tottenham, but United defense is showing enough resistance

20 minutes: Tevez and Ronaldo are threatening Tottenham box very often

17 minutes: Nice attack from Tottenham, but Evanse was up to the mark and blocked it successfully.

10 minutes: The match is still goalless.

7 minutes: The match is going on with full swing. Both sides are trying to create chance.

Here, in this entry, we will be providing you live score and updates of the Carling Cup 2009 final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. The match starts at 03:00 GMT. So, be with and enjoy the live updates of the match.