BCCI Lifts Ban on ICL Players, Staffs and Officials

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to lift the ban on Indian Cricket League (ICL) players, staffs and officials. Recently, the board declared that those who are currently involved with ICL can come back to BCCI fold, if they can cut their ties with ICL by May 31, 2009. However, ICL players will not be readily considered for international selection. In fact, they have to play domestic cricket for a year before putting themselves in line for the international selection.

Shashank Manohar, the president of BCCI, has said that a number of players, staffs and officials have realized their mistake and are now interested to return to BCCI fold again and that is why, BCCI has decided to give them a chance. ICC rejected ICL’s appeal for official recognition last month, stating that any private tournament in any country must have the recognition of its domestic cricket board in order to become eligible for ICC recognition.

Well, I think, BCCI is showing an unprecedented dominance not only over Indian cricket but also over world cricket, using the large Indian market for India. ICL is a private tournament initiated by Essel Group in 2007 which successfully held a number of tournaments in India, but still failed to get BCCI or ICC recognition. Moreover, BCCI has put a bar on ICL players and officials to be involved in international cricket in India and forced other domestic boards to do the same with their ICL players. I do not know if a cricket board has the power to restrict somebody from domestic cricket which is similar to violating someone’s profession illegally.

Related article:

NDTV

Pakistan vs Australia 4th ODI Dubai: Online Live Score

If you want to get the live score and updates of the fourth ODI between Pakistan and Australia, then visit the following link:

Pakistan vs Australia 4th ODI on 1 May 2009 Updates

Just one correction: the match will take place in Abu Dhabi not in Dubai.

Whether you support Pakistan or Australia, you will have to agree with me that the series is now hanging on a nice balance after the 3 matches. Yes, Australia is leading by 2-1 and if they win the 4^th ODI then they will win the series. On the other hand, all Pakistani fans are praying to God that their team wins the match and thus the series will come back to 2-2. If that happens then the 5^th ODI will decide the fate of the series. After the One Day series, there is going to be only one Twenty20 match.

I have to say that I am disappointed with the 3 matches that have finished so far. I could not see any exciting thing. Dubai should have been a good pitch for batting but the bowlers dominated. That is why, we could not see any century in the series so far. I hope that a century comes in the 4^th ODI. In the past, in Sharjah we have seen that batsmen dominated and many runs were scored. This time, in Dubai, I am a bit surprised to see that bowlers are on top. Well, Pakistan and Australia both are famous for their fast bowlers. So, this may be one reason too.

In the 3^rd ODI, at one stage Pakistan looked strong and most fans thought that their favorite team would win. However, Australian bowlers took some quick wickets and took the match out of Pakistan’s reach and the supporters became depressed and left the stadium even before the match finished.

It is poor batting that is now the main cause of concern for Pakistan team. Only Afridi is in good form. Even Afridi was a failure in the lsat match. Well, Afridi is never a consistent batsman and that is why, other batsmen have to come forward and try their best to get some decent runs. Stuart Clark thinks that match fitness is absent among Pakistani players because they did not play for a long time.

Fox Sports wrote:

But Clark said, that with Pakistan having had several scheduled tours cancelled in recent months, the relative novelty of being under the pressure of a tight match might have hurt them.

"It's pretty obvious they haven't played much cricket and I think that showed in the pressure situations," Clark said.

"When you talk match fitness, that's got a lot to do with match fitness, making good decisions under pressure.

Pakistani bowlers are doing well. They are doing their job in almost every match. It is the batsmen who are letting the team down. On the other hand, Australian bowlers are in good form. They are putting pressure in every match. This is now the key behind their success in the last two matches.

The Hindu wrote:

Clarke’s brilliant bowling, which saw Pakistan lose all its wickets in the space of 76 runs, steered his team to a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

Praise for bowlers

“We did the job in the end and that feels great,” man-of-the-match Clarke told reporters.

“We did bowl well, but still need to work hard when it comes to batting. We were probably 20 to 30 runs short of our intended target. Full marks to our bowlers, specially the spinners, for doing the job for us.”

What I feel is that Pakistani players have to work on increasing their confidence level. They looked very weak in the last match. The manager and other officials should talk to the players. Some of the players are obviously unhappy over the fact that no cricket is taking place in the country for many months because of security reasons. The players also could not play in IPL. So, they lost a lot of money.

If you are looking for live score of the match then there a number of websites. Some of them are:

action8cricket

cricinfo

getsport

cricketnext

ecric.net

Australia to Feature Brett Lee in the Fourth ODI against Pakistan?

It has already been reported that Brett Lee is fit enough to be available for selection for the remaining two ODI matches against Pakistan in UAE. The veteran pacer has been out of action since the home series against South Africa. Lee underwent a surgery on his left ankle, and thus, missed Australia’s recent tour of South Africa. However, he had been called up for the ongoing series before medical staff of Australian team put a bar on his participation in the series, claiming that the bowler did not recover well from the surgery.

However, Brett Lee has finally got the green light as the pacer showed extensive progress over the last fortnight in South Africa. At this moment, Australia is leading 2-1 in the series with two matches left. Now, let us see if Australian team management brings Brett Lee into the final eleven of the fourth ODI to strengthen their pace attack.

Related article:

Sky Sports

Barcelona vs Chelsea Champions League Semifinal 28 April Live in Ten Sports TV Channel

If you want to get the live score and updates of tonight’s (28 April 2009) Barcelona vs Chelsea semi final match of Champions League, then visit the following link:

Barcelona vs Chelsea Champions League Match 28 April 2009 Updates

It is perhaps one of the most eagerly waited match of this season in Europe. In Champions League semifinal, out of 4 teams, 3 are from England- Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. The only non-English club is Barcelona from Spain and in fact, Barcelona is the club that is capable of facing the 3 English clubs on any day anywhere in the world. I will not get shocked if Barcelona can go all the way and win the trophy. Of course, first, they have to face the hurdle of Chelsea football club. Tomorrow night, this match is going to take place in Spain. So, we all will have to watch it in TV.

If you live in South Asia then Ten Sports is the TV Channel for you. The match is to start at 19:45 BST (British Standard Time). I think that it will be 00:15 Indian Time, 00:45 Bangladesh time, 23:45 Pakistan Time. So, if you live in any of these countries of South Asia, you should tune into Ten Sports channel and the enjoy the live telecast of Barcelona vs Chelsea semifinal match.

American Premier League Causing havoc in New Zealand Cricket

New Zealand cricket got divested by Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2008. What happened was that some top players like Shane Bond joined ICL and it made the New Zealand international cricket team very weak. It seems that NZ cricket is now going suffer another blow. You might have already know that American Premier League is going to take place this October in New York and the organizers behind it are trying their best to ensure the participation of legendary figures. They have already got one from the Kiwis- Sir Richard Hadlee. Hadlee is undoubtedly the greatest player of all time from his country.

Since Hadless has joined American Premier League, it is clear that he will try to find some quality players from New Zealand. ICC has not given any official recognition to this tournament and I think that ICC will not give any recognition because then they will be under pressure to do something about ICL.

Deccan Chargers: The Surprise Package of IPL 2009

Deccan Chargers was the weakest team in the inaugural season of IPL as it finished 8^th in the eight-team tournament. However, Deccan has got off to an excellent start to the second season of IPL and has already won their first four matches in the tournament. Today, Deccan defeated last season’s semi finalists Chennai Super Kings by 6 wickets and is currently leading the point table with maximum 8 points from 4 matches.

Actually, Deccan Chargers has got the right combination this season. They got some excellent performers both in bowling and batting. Captain Adam Gilchrist and his opening partner Herschelle Gibbs have been instrumental behind Deccan’s success in batting. Rohit Sharma has also emerged with his good form. However, the man who contributed most to the current invincible from of Deccan Chargers is left arm spinner Pragyan Ojha. Pacer duo Fidel Edwards and RP Singh are also doing their job flawlessly. Naturally, Deccan has so far been the most frightening team in IPL 2009. In fact, they have been doing what was done by Rajasthan Royals last season when Shane Warne’s team appeared as tournament’s surprise package and continued their surprise till the end of the tournament. Now, let us see if Deccan Chargers could follow Rajasthan’s footstep to win the second season of IPL.

Arsene Wenger: Be Prepared for Economic Recession

In some parts of the world, some people are talking that the worst effect of economic recession has gone. However, not everyone is so relaxed. Take the example of Arsene Wenger. He is a smart man and he is all the time calculating with money. In fact, I have not seen any other coach in world football who gives so much value to money like Wenger. He is considered to be the most successful coach for the Gunners but at the same time, he has suffered a lot of criticism for not going after big players in the transfer deal market.

Now, he has said that the economic recession is going to effect EPL because England government is now going for a new tax system that would mean that rich people will have to pay more tax. This system is going be introduced to fight against recession.

Related Article

Mirror

Pakistan vs Australia 3rd ODI Dubai: Live Telecast in Ten Sports TV Channel

To get live score of the cricket match (3rd ODI Pakistan and Australia 2009), click here:

Live Score and updates of 3rd ODI 24 April 2009

From the Sitemeter of this blog, I noticed that many people came to know about Pakistan vs Australia 3^rd ODI match. Well, it is natural that some people are searching for information about telecast of the mathc in television. If you live in Asia then it is Ten Sports channel. Ten Sports has TV rights for Pakistan home matches and you should have already known that although the match is taking place in Dubai, it is a home match for Pakistan. It is just that because of fear of security, the match is taking place in Dubai.

It seems that some people are talking about Dubai becoming the home venue for PCB. To know more about it, visit this entry: Dubai and Pakistan: Give Something Get Something

Pakistan vs Australia 3rd ODI 2009: Online Live Score Information

For live score of this match, visit this link:

3rd ODI match 2009: Live Score Updates

I hope that you already know the fact that in the ongoing one day international cricket series between Pakistan and Australia that is being held at Dubai at this moment, the two teams are leveled at 1-1. This is an exciting prospect for the next or 3rd one day international match because whoever will win it will take the lead. In the second ODI, Australian players showed again why they are the best in the world and won it convincingly. Now, they will be hopeful that they can Repeat the same skill and success in the next match that is going to take place on April 27, 2009 Monday.

It is a working day and that is why I do not expect that a huge crowd will turn out just like the second match. However, that does not take away any importance from the match. But the fans of these two countries are eagerly waiting for the outcome and millions of people especially in Pakistan want their cricket team to win it.

Andrew Symonds is confident that that to Australia will do well and he will be able to play an important part. Australian captain Michael Clarke is happy with the performance of his team in the second match and has called upon his teammates to do the same in the next match. Michael Clarke is also confident about his team doing the thing they need to do. He was under a lot of pressure after poor performance against South Africa and that is why it is very important for him to show others that he is now the right leader for his country. I’m happy with the bowling department of Australia and I believe that they are finding their rhythm at last. It is their batsmen who need to work more on their batting skill.

On the other hand, the Pakistani cricketers do not look to me to be in great shape. I do not blame them because they have been out of action for a long time. And the first match, it was that Shahid Afridi who was the one man army for his team and excelled both in batting and bowling. In the second match, he was not in good shape and the team suffered. This is the thing that is perhaps not good for the team because they are getting dependent on just one person in this series. Shoaib Akter has perhaps frustrated his supporters a lot. Many people expected him to cause havoc on the opponents batting line up like past but he has not been able to be near of their expectations.

I have already stated that the match is going to take place in Dubai and that is most people will have to be happy by watching it in TV. Well, if you are outside and do not have access to television then perhaps the next best thing is to enjoy live score by different websites. Some of them are:

Action8cricket

Cricinfo

eCrick

So, enjoy the match and come to this blog for reading more. You can find more discussion about the match here: Australia vs Pakistan 3rd ODI match 2009: Detailed Analysis. Who will win?

PCB Spending 20 million Pakistani rupees for its High Officials in Dubai

Pakistan is facing world champion Australia in Dubai in a five-match ODI series at this moment. As Pakistan is back to cricket field again following last month’s terror attack on Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, Pakistani cricket fans are now happy and the high officials of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are now in Dubai and are spending a lavish life and PCB is bearing all these expenses amid its troublesome financial condition of recent.

When you are facing financial problems, and your cricket is getting isolated from international cricket day by day, how could you dare to spend 20 million Pakistani rupees for your high officials? Well, this is matter of commonsense. No body knows when international cricket will be back in Pakistan again, and the country has been dropped as one of the co-hosts of 2011 world cup cricket by ICC recently on security ground.

I think, PCB should more focus on cricket and try to cope up with the current condition and stop spending such a big amount for the high officials. Along with Pakistani government, PCB should try to bring back the lost pride of cricket in Pakistan. You can expect that the security condition of Pakistan will be changed overnight, and it will definitely affect the game in the country. Now, it is the responsibility of PCB to keep the attraction of cricket among the young generation intact during this tough time when the country half isolated from rest of the cricket world.

Asus F70: First 17.3 Inches Notebook

It seems that today, I am in a mood for writing about laptops. In this blog, I mainly cover about sports although the name if Techtainment and even in the url you can find the term Tech. In fact, I wanted to make this blog about Technology, business and blogging. This was the original idea but then I found that sports is something that I like and many people like. This way, we have got huge response from many people around the world. Now, we have our domain Sports37 and you will be happy to know that today, more than 6000 people visited the website. So, you may go there too and enjoy the sports coverage.

In the meantime, let me tell you something about Asus F70 laptop. It is a large notebook as its display is 17.3". I like this kind of display because it is very comfortable to work with. 1,920-x-1,080 sounds cool to me and it will satisfy even the most spoilt user who is sensitive about video quality. PC World has written about it and you should go there if you are interested. Just remember that its price is over $1000.

GM Pontiac: End of the Road

It seems that no news about General Motors is now good news. The company has suffered a lot of set backs in the past 1 year because of economic recession. At times, we heard about its possible bankruptcy and some how, it stayed alive until now. Well, Pontiac is one of its car models and although the company is going to survive for the time being, this brand wont. It is going to die on Monday. If it happens then it will be the end of a glorious chapter for GM. Pontiac has a long tradition and history. It is long running car that has entertained many people in the USA over the years. It seems that in order to survive GM needs to shed some more plants and some more brands like this one.

It has happened at a time, when GM is going to get $2 billion from US government in order to ensure the survival of the company. In fact, there is some speculation that General Motors may receive $5 billion in short-term aid. So, you may wonder why the company is shedding off its Pontiac brand model car. The reason is simple. GM is in deep crisis and under huge debt.

1st ODI 2009: Pakistan Won by 4 Wickets

It was the comeback match for Pakistan and Pakistani cricket team won the match against world champion Australia. I have to say that it was a one sided match in which one man really dominated both with his bat and ball- Shahid Afridi. He is considered to be an aggressive batsman who really likes to go after the opposition bowlers. We saw another quality of him and when he bowled, he captured six wickets of the opposition and it was the thing that made all the difference in the end. Australia batted first and could get only 168 runs. Afridi was the danger man for them.

168 was a small total to defend and Australian bowlers tried their best and in fact, could put some serious pressure at one stage. However, again it was Afridi with his bat came and destroyed the opposition. Just one massive over made a lot of difference. The Australian players looked tired and out of touch. May be Dubai is a new place for them and in the second match, they will try to perform better. Tomorrow is the second ODI and you can find detailed information about it here.

AB de Villiers: The First Centurion of IPL 2009

IPL 2009 has not seen any 200 plus innings form any team yet and most of the matches have been low-scoring compared to the first season of IPL last year. In fact, there was no centurion in the first 8 games of the tournament this season. However, IPL fans got to see a brilliant hundred from South African batsman AB de Villiers today in the ninth match of the competition.

AB de Villiers played a swashbuckling innings of 105 not out from just 54 balls with 5 boundaries and 6 over-boundaries. Along with Tillakaratne Dilshan, who scored 50 off 27 balls, de Villiers guided Delhi Daredevils towards a huge total of 189 after 20 overs. Chennai Super Kings innings stopped just 9 runs shot of Delhi total, and thus, Delhi picked up their second victory in 2 matches.

AB de Villiers was really ruthless against the Chennai bowlers and did not allow any Chennai bowler to go on top of him throughout the innings. AB de Villiers is always known as a big hitter, and once again, the 25-year-old proved his skill of scoring quickly.

Liverpool vs Arsenal English Premier League 08-09 Live Updates

Liverpool (4)--- Arsenal (4)

90+6 minutes: The match has finally finished.

90+3 minutes: Liverpool has again scored and it is 4-4. What a match.

90 minutes: Who Scored the fourth goal for Arsenal? Arshevin scored the 4th goal for Arsenal. He has scored 4 goals in the match and Arsenal leading 4-3.

89 minutes: What a match. Still teh two teams are working very hard

86 minutes: Arshevin is trying for his fourth goal but may be he will not get it today

83 minuites: Liverpool got 2 successive corners but Arsenal survived

80 minutes: Liverpool had a freekick from dangerous position

76 minutes: Freekick for Arsenal

72 minutes: Liverpool now scored and it is 3-3

70 minutes: Goaallllll. Arshavin has scored hattrick for Arsenal. Can you believe it? Arsenal is leading by 3-2.

68 minutes: Arshevin scored the second goal for Arsenal and now score is 2-2

64 minutes: Liverpool got a coner, Alonso took it, but it was cleared later on.

60 minutes: Arsenal had a good attack, but Liverpool defense was up to the mark.

56 minutes: Benyoun scored for Liverpool, and Liverpool took a lead now.

54 minutes: Both sides are trying to create chances now.

49 minutes: Kyut's cross was headed home by Fernando Torres. It is now 1-1.

48 minutes: Liverpool is looking for the equalizer.

46 minutes: Second half has just started.

It is now half time at Anfield. Liverpool played wiht more attacking intent, while Arsenal looking for creating chances and showed moments of glory and mainly relied on counter attack. Overal, an entertaing first half. Now, let us see what is waiting for us in the second half. Be with us and enojoy the second half action when the match resumes.

45 minutes: Arbeloa's shot was brilliantly gripped by Arsenal keeper.

44 minutes: Liverpool is trying hard to get an equalizer, while Arsenal is trying to keep the lefad intact.

42 minutes:Liverpool threatened again, but Arsenal defense was up to the mark.

39 minutes: Liverpool had two back-to-back corners, but nothing happened in the end.

36 minutes: Andrei Arshavin scored for Arsneal. Arsenal is now leading by 1-0.

35 minutes: Liverpool is attacking more at this moment. Arsenal seems to be little defensive.

31 minutes: Some threatening attackes from Liverpool in the last couple of minutes.

28 minutes: Arsenal got a freekick but poorly taken and now LIverpool got a corner and poorly taken too

24 minutes: It is total domination from Liverpool

19 minutes: Another two good attacks from Liverpool and another 2 great saves from the Gunners goalkeeper

15 minutes: At last a good attack from the Gunners

9 minutes: Great save from Arsenal goalkeeper Fabiansky.

5 minutes: Liverpool is the better side now. They lost 2 opportunities

1 minute: The match has just started and Liverpool had the first attack

Liverpool and Arsenal lock horn tonight in a much-awaited premier league clash at Anfield. Here, in this entry, we will be giving live score and updates of the match. So, be with us and enjoy the live commentary of the match here.

Arsene Wenger Seeking Revenge against Chelsea in Champions League

Poor Arsene Wenger. It was a heart breaking feeling for him to see his club going down against Chelsea in FA Cup semifinal this Saturday. The Gunners played very well in the match and was even leading by 1-0 and then suffered 2 goals and they lost it. Now, Arsene Wenger is hoping that Arsenal can reach the final of UEFA Champions League and Chelsea also goes there and he can get his revenge. However, for doing it, he has to pass a major obstacle in the semifinal- Manchester United. On the other hand, Chelsea will have to defeat Barcelona in the semifinal.

Anyway, tomorrow, Arsene Wenger’s team will be in action against Liverpool. Let us see how they do. Champions League final is still a distant possibility.

Souav Ganguly Stripped of Kolkata Knight Riders Captaincy and Some Points

You already know that former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has been stripped off the captaincy of Kolkata Knight Riders recently and Brendon McCullum from New Zealand has been handed over the captaincy of KKR. Well, cricket fans of West Bengal are not happy with this decision and they think that it is a dishonor to one of the greatest ever Indian cricketers who is also the country’s most successful captain. Shah Rukh Khan, bollywood star and co-owner of KKR, has said that the decision of taking the captaincy from Ganguly is part of their long term plan.

Well, Shah Rukh Khan may have forgotten one thing that Ganguly knows very well how to make long-term plan and implement it effectively. When he was appointed as the captain of Indian team, Indian cricket was struck by match fixing scandal and their performance on the field matched only with a mediocre team who lacked consistency. It was Ganguly who turned the team around and developed a team ethic resulting into the team being known as ‘Team India’. Ganguly was the man who single handedly nurtured the talented players like Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan, who all got enough support from Captain Ganguly, despite showing series of poor performances. Now, all of these players are the key members of Indian team.

The main problem of Indian cricket is that it is sometimes run by the people who have little knowledge about the game and those people often make a mess while intending to do something intellectual. It seems that Kolkata Knight Riders are also being affected by the people of this kind.

Related article:

Hindustan Times

IPL 2009 Twenty20 Opening Day: Dominated by the Bowlers

IPL 2009 tournament started today, but the both the twenty20 matches were not very exciting because both the matches were low scoring compared to the standard scoring rate of twenty20 format. In fact, the first day of the IPL second season saw total dominance by the bowlers. The star of the day is none other than veteran leg spinner and former Indian captain Anil Kumble who guided Bangalore Royal Challengers towards an emphatic 75-run victory over defending champions Rajasthan Royals. Anil Kumble picked up 5 wickets only for 5 runs in 3.1 overs. Even the Bangalore innings also saw a number of excellent bowling performances by Dimitri Mascarenhas and Shane Warne.

In the first match of the day, Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga helped Mumbai Indians to clinch a 19-run victory over Chennai Superstars, the runners up of last season. The batsman who could show typical twenty20 dominance on the first day of the tournament is Abhishek Nayar who scored 35 runs off just 14 balls with two 4s and three 6s which guided Mumbai Indians towards a big total of 165 on the bowling friendly wicket of Newlands, Cape Town. Overall, the first day of IPL 2009 was totally dominated by the bowlers.

Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Rajasthan Royals IPL 2009: Preview and Live Score

Defending IPL champion Rajasthan Royals kicks off IPL 2009 mission on Saturday (18 April 2009) when they take on Bangalore Royal Challengers at Newlands, Cape Town. Rajasthan started IPL 2008 as an underdog, but under the shrewd guidance and leadership of former Australian great Shane Warne, Rajasthan ended up winning the tournament. Naturally, Rajasthan is leveled with favorite’s tag this time, while Bangalore Royal Challengers, one of the weakest IPL teams of last season, is now considered to be underdog for the second edition of Indian Premier League (IPL).

Match: Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2009 Group Stage

Venue: Newlands, Cape Town

Date: 18 April 2009, Saturday

Kick off: Local time: 16:30; GMT: 14:30; IST: 20:00

Live on: Sony SET Max

However, I think, Bangalore Royal Challengers could emerge as the surprise package in IPL 2009 with the inclusion of two in-from batsman: Captain Kevin Pietersen and Jesse Ryder. Ryder has been in sparkling form in the home series against India. For Pietersen, I hope, you do not need any introduction. Though Bangalore will get him only for two weeks, Pietersen could inspire the team and boost up the confidence level of Bangalore Royal Challengers who did not have anything from last season to inspire themselves. Another important thing is that Bangalore has a balanced squad in the combination of young as well as experienced players. Experienced players like Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher can step in to help the side with their experience whenever needed, while the young players like South African all rounder Roelof van der Merwe, who sparked in the recent home series against Australia, Virat Kohli, Praveen Kumar, who is one of the twenty20 specialists for India, wicketkeeper Sreevats Goswami and Pankaj Singh.

Rajasthan will miss a number of players this season. Specially, last season’s most wicket taker Pakistani pacer Sohail Tanvir was instrumental behind Rajasthan’s triumph last season. Moreover, Rajasthan will get all rounder Shan Watson, who was last year’s player of the tournament, only for two weeks due to his international duty with Australia in UAE against Pakistan. To add to the Rajasthan’s worry, Watson is available only as a batsman and would not offer his excellent medium pace due to health concern.

Still, Rajasthan has some excellent players who are proven match winners. They have a destructive opener in Graeme Smith, while there are effective all rounders like Dimitri Mascarenhas from England and South African Tyron Henderson. Ravindra Jadeja is a talented middle order batsman who can outperform opposition bowlers in his day. Shane Warne may not have played competitive since last year’s IPL tournament, but the leg spinner could be crucial by bringing breakthroughs for Rajasthan and match winning bowling performances. Moreover, his ability to score quickly in the lower order could also be proven decisive. However, Rajasthan Royals has a ‘mystery package’ in 18-year-old left arm pacer Kamran Khan who was recently hailed very highly by the team captain Shane Warne. Rajasthan’s pace attack could fill the void of Sohail Tanvir with the return of in-form pacer Munaf Patel.

Online Live Score and Updates

Here, I am giving some live score and update websites from where you can get the live score and updates of the match:

Cricinfo

Thetwenty20cup

Cricketnext

Cricket.sulekha

indianpremierleagues

stickcricket

cricpoint

cricbuzz

indvsauslivescore

squidoo

Sify

cricketworld

sports.yahoo

I do not want to pick up any side as favorite, just considering their performance of last season. In fact, lots of things have been changed in the last one year and I do not think that the upcoming match between Bangalore Royal Challengers and Rajasthan Royals will be another one-sided match like last season’s two meetings of these two sides, with Rajasthan winning on both occasions pretty comfortably. I think, the upcoming match will be full of excitement which cricket fans would like to enjoy to the fullest.

Will Andy Flower Become Successful Like Duncan Fletcher as England Coach?

You already know that former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower has appointed as the new permanent coach of England national cricket team. Zimbabwe cricket fans are very much delighted with Flower becoming England coach. Andy Flower is one of the legends of Zimbabwe cricket and is the most successful batsman for the country in both forms of cricket.

Andy Flower pulled himself out of Zimbabwe cricket team along with teammate Henry Olonga after the 2003 world cup as part of his protest against autocracy of Robert Mugabe-government inside the Zimbabwe cricket board. After that, he continued playing in county cricket before taking up the job of assistant coach in England national team. Following the sacking of former coach Peter Moors, England team was without a permanent coach and Flower was appointed as the stand-in coach for the West Indies tour during which Flower developed a strong working relationship with Captain Andrew Strauss. Finally, ECB has decided to give the England coach’s job to Andy Flower permanently.

Naturally, Zimbabwe cricket fans are very much happy that Flower is now the captain of England team. However, Flower is not the first Zimbabwean cricket to have been appointed as England coach. Former Zimbabwe captain Duncan Fletcher also had a very successful 8-year stint as England national team coach during which England regained their Ashes title from Australia in 2005 after 18 years. Now, let us see if Andy Flower would also become as much successful as Fletcher during his coaching term with England team.

IPL 2009 Twenty20 Missing Star Players

The second season of Indian Premier League (IPL) starts from 18 April 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa. Cricket fans are expecting lots of excitement and entertainment ahead of another big-money tournament from IPL. However, this year IPL is missing a number of star players who were present last year’s inaugural tournament.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey are missing the tournament as they opted to rest during this time, while other Australian players like Brett Lee, Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson are available only for 2 weeks as they all have been included in Australian squad for the Pakistan series in UAE.

West Indies Captain Chris Gayle, and some of the star English cricketers like Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, two of the highest paid players of this year’s auction, as well as Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah are also available for 2 weeks due to the upcoming series between England and West Indies. Moreover, Pakistani players like Sohail Tanvir, who was the highest wicket taker with 22 wickets last season, will also miss the tournament as Pakistan government put a bar on the Pakistani players visiting India earlier this year.

Do you think that IPL 2009 will be less exciting in the absence of these star players?

Related article:

AFP

Arsenal vs Villarreal Champions League 08-09 Quarter Final Live Updates

Arsenal (3) ---- Villarreal (0)

Arsenal is now through to the semi final of the Champions league.

90+4 minutes: Arsenal won the match 3-0.

90+2 minutes: Arsenal has a corner.

89 minutes: Arsenal has got a free kick, but nothing happened in the end.

81 minutes : Walcott and Van Persie replaced by Diaby and Dnilson

75 minutes: Arsenal looks very confident now.

69 minutes: Arsenal scored another one through Van Persie penalty. Eguren shown red card.

65 minutes: Arsenal is still leading by 1-0

60 minutes: Adebayor scored the second goal for Arsenal.

53 minutes: Villarreal is still in search of an equalizer.

47 minutes: The second half has just started.

This is the half time at the Emirates stadium now. We will be back with the second half updates. So, be with us and enjoy the live updates of the match.

45 minutes: Eguren was shown yellow card. The first half ended and Arsenal is leading by 1-0 in the match.

41 minutes: Villarreal needs one goal to keep their semi final hopes alive.

37 minutes: Arsenal still holds on to their one-goal lead in the match, and in good frame of mind at this moment.

17 minutes: robert Perez threatened but a corner he got in the end

15 minutes: Arsenal trying for second goal

11 minutes: What a goalllllllllllllllllllllll. Walcot has scored for Arsenal. Arsenal leading 1-0

8 minutes: Good attack from Arsenal but offside

5 minutes: Arsenal ame very close to a goal

3 minutes: The match has started. Be with us for live updates.

Arsenal and Villarreal are going to take on each other in a crucial second leg quarter final tie of Champions League on 15 April 2009. Here, in this entry, we will be giving you live updates of the match with text commentary. The match starts at 19:45 BST. So, if you can not watch the match live in your television, then enjoy the updates of the match in this entry when the match kicks off.

Michael Ballack: Chelsea can Defeat Barcelona

Michael Ballack is still going well despite the fact that he is not young anymore. He is an experienced player with a lot of past glories. He wants another glory with Chelsea now. Chelsea has always valued this player highly and Michael Ballack knows it. That is why, he is now eager to give his best. Now, Chelsea is at the semifinals of UEFA Champions League 2008-09. Their opponent is mighty Barcelona who is at top form both in Spanish La Liga and in Europe. So, many people believe that Barcelona is the hot favorite in the semifinal and they would advance to the final. Michael Ballack does not agree with this kind of idea and he has stated that his club can go all the way in this season.

Arsenal v Villarreal UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals: Who Will Win?

Arsene Wenger suffered a lot of criticism in the last few months for the poor performance of his club. It is not that he plays in the field but it is the norm in our time that when a club cannot perform well the lion’s share of the responsibility comes to the coach. Well, many Arsenal fans understand the dilemma in which Arsene Wenger has to work with. The club has to arrange a lot of money for paying back the loans that happened because of building the new Emirates stadium. So, he has to maneuver within a very tight budget. He cannot think of buying a player like Messi or Christiano Ronaldo. However, there are a lot of expectations for the club to perform well because they have a very large fan base not only just in UK but also in many other countries in the world.

For Villarreal, the problem is of different kind. They have suffered from consistency. They are sometimes playing very well and sometimes not so good. For example, in the last week match, against the Gunners, Villarreal players could not perform well. They were at home and their fans felt frustrated. The draw has made many of their fans very disappointed.

For Arsene Wenger, there are now two big problems. The first one is injury. Many key players are injured and will not be available for the match. I am worried for the defense of Arsenal. Their top goalkeeper is injured. William Gallas will not be there. Clichy is out too. Thus, they will be without at least 3 top players in defense. A highly inexperienced defense will be put to the maximum test in this match. Of course, they played very well against Wigan this Saturday and defeated Wigan 4-1. However, you have to remember that Villarreal is a different club and it is UEFA Champions League. Another major problem is the pressure of the fans. They want some results at last and they don’t care how many players are injured or fit.

So, who will win in the match between Arsenal and Villarreal? What do you think? I feel that Arsenal has more chance to do it infont of home crowd.

FC Porto vs Manchester United CL 08-09 Quarter Final Live

FC Porto (0) vs Manchester United (1)

Manchester United reached the semi final on 3-2 aggregate score.

90+3 minutes: The match has finished just now.

90+1 minutes: Ronaldo had another threatening shot at goal, but Porto keeper restricted it for a corner.

90 minutes: 3 minutes of extra time added on.

88 minutes: Giggs took a good corner kick, but then Nani's shot went over the bar. Porto then had a threatening attack.

81 minutes: Scholes replaced Anderson. Porto is in attacking mode, looking for an equalizer.

75 minutes: Nani has been brought on to the field in place of Dimitar Berbatov

71 minutes: Manchester United is trying hard to keep the lead intact.

60 minutes: Hulk had a good free kick, it was cleared in the end.

50 minutes: Manchester United is defending well now, while Porto is looking for the equalizer.

48 minutes: Manchester United seems to be in attacking mode now.

Porto has to keep it 1-1 in order to reach the semi final, while Manchester United just needs to keep their lead intact to make it to the last four of the tournament. We will take you through to the second half when the match resumes.

45 minutes: Manchester United is leading by 1-0 at the half time. Nemanja Vidic received a yellow card.

41 minutes: Porto is in search of an equalizer.

37 minutes: Manchester United is still leading by 1-0 in the match. Porto is looking for equalizer.

17 minutes: Porto played little better, as they looked a bit organized.

14 minutes: Manchester Untied is totally dominating in the match now. It seems that they are playing in Olf Trafford.

11 minutes: Porto could not make any threatening attack yet in the match. They have to score now if they are to reach the last four of the tournament.

9 minutes: Manchester United is playing better now.

6 minutes: What a Goal from Cristiano Ronaldo! The Portuguese star scored from a long range shot which went into the left corner of the post.

5 minutes: Manchester United seems to be more organized in the first five minutes.

3 minutes: Neither side threatened in the first three minutes.

o minute: The match has started just now.

The match will start very soon. So, do not go anywhere now. The players are coming in the field.

The much-awaited second round match between Porto and Manchester United kicks off at 19:45 BST on15 April (Wednesday). Here, in this entry, we will be giving live updates of the match. So, be with us when the match starts and enjoy the text commentary of the match.

Robin van Persie: Staying Arsenal for a Long Period?

It is a good sign for the club and for the player too. Of course, he is still to find his best form and the reality is that he has suffered numerous injuries until now at his stay at the London club. However, Robin Van Persie seems to have been better this season. He looks now to be fit and healthy. So, there is some discussion going on about his future- whether he is going to stay in Arsenal or leave the club. It seems that he wants to stay here for a longer time.

Telegraph wrote:

Insistent money was not the stimulus for his decision, Van Persie said he was waiting for assurances about the club's ambitions having now gone four years without a piece of silverware.

Arsenal's run of five months without defeat looks to have reassured the striker who, despite saying that meetings to date had left him feeling optimistic, will hold off on talks until the end of the season at manager Arsene Wenger's request.

I think that Van Persie has to understand one thing is that at Arsenal, he is almost assured of a place at the first eleven if he is fit. He cannot think of the same in another top club in Europe.

Chelsea vs Liverpool Champions League 08-09: Live Updates

Chelsea (4) vs Liverpool (4)

The terrific match was ened in a 4-4 draw. Chelsea reached the semi final of Champions League on 7-5 aggregate.

90+3 minutes: Fernando de Santo came in place of Drogba just before the final whistle came.

90+1 minutes: Drogba is little bit injured now.

90 minutes: Essien cleared a seemingly goal from the line.

89 minutes: Lampard scored the equalizer for Chelsea. It is now 4-4.

85 minuts: Babel comes in place of Arbeloa.

84 minutes: Drogba was about to score, but his shot went just off the target.

83 minutes: Reira's cross was headed home by Torres. Liverpool is now leading by 4-3. What an evetful match it is!

81 minutes: Lucas' shot was deflected into the post. It is 3-3 now.

80 minutes: Ballack's free kick went wide off the target.

76 minutes: Chelsea scored another one thanks to Lampard who scored from Drogba's pass.

74 minutes: Liverpool had a number of threatening attack in the last couple of minutes. Aurelio shown yellow card.

70 minutes: Reira comes in place of Mascheranho. Reds need two more goals without refund to make it to the last four.

67 minutes: Ballack failed to defeat Liverpool keeper after receiving a pass from Drogba.

65 minutes: Ashlay Cole shown yellow card and he would miss the semi final if Chelsea progresses to the last four.

63 minutes: Liverpool went very close to score again, but Ivanovic cleared it.

60 minutes: Chelsea is now full of confident and is attacking more. Chelsea got another free kick, but nothing happened.

57 minutes: ALex scored from an excellent free kick. Tremendous come back from Chelsea. It is now 2-2.

55 minutes: Drogba's free kick went jsut off the target. Another threatening attack from Chelsea.

51 minutes: Chelsea scored superbly as Anelka's cross was just tapped by Drogba before going into the post.

47 minutes: A threatening attack from Liverpool. Peter Cech came forward, but later on chaged his mind, keeping his goal open. Chelsea was lucky not to have conceded a goal.

46 minutes: Second half started just now.

It is half time in the second leg quarter final match at Stamford Bridge. It was an eventful first half. We are hoping the second half will be more eventful. So, be with us for the second half updates.

Steven Gerrard did not feature in the Liverpool first eleven.

45 minutes: Two threatening attacks from Liverpool, one hit the cross bar too. Chelsea was lucky not to have conceded the thrid one here.

44 minutes: Liverpool got two back-to-back coners, but nothing happend.

43 minutes: Alonso's free kick went stright to Chelsea goalkeeper.

40 minutes: Banayoun shown yellow card for tackling Anelka illigally.

38 minutes: Chelsea seems to be in more attacking mood now.

36 minutes: There is a famous saying that "Attacking is the best form of defending." That is pehaps the reason for Hiddink to bring on Anelka in place of Kalou.

33 minutes: Liverpool got a corner, but Chelsea defense was up to the mark.

31 minutes: Chelsea had a threatening attack and got a free kick. Lampard took the free kick poorly.

28 minutes: Liverpool was awarded a penalty, and Alonso scored. Liverpool is now leading by 2-0. Ivanovic was shown yellow card.

25 minutes: Chelsea got a free kick and Malouda took it, but nothing happened in the end.

23 minutes: Alonso sent a threatening pass, but it found no one in the box.

21 minutes: Liverpool seems to be more confident now after scoring a goal.

19 minutes: WHAT a GOAL! What a GOAL! Liverpool's Aurelio scored from a long-range free-kick. Peter Cech must take the responsibility of the goal.

15 minutes: Cole's cross did not find anyone in the Liverpool box and goalkick for Liverpool.

13 minutes: Fernando Torres missed perhaps the easiest chance of the match as he failed to convert Benayoun's flick from a short range.

10 minutes: Chelsea seems to be more organized, while Liverpool is in more attacking mode.

8 minutes: Drogba looked to be little bit injured, but the Ivorian international recovered it. Liverpool is now on attack.

5 minutes: Liverpool seems to be in attacking mode, but they do not seem to be very organized in attack.

2 minutes: Btoh sides had attacks in the first two minutes, but nothing happened in the end.

0 minute: The match has started just now.

Players are now warming up in the field.

Chelsea and Liverpool lock horn in a much-anticipated second round quarter final match of Champions League tonight (14 April 2009) at Stamford Bridge. With 3-1 first leg win, Chelsea holds an advantage, but Liverpool is gearing up to make another historic come-from-back victory as they did in the Champions League 2005 final against AC Milan.

Here, in this entry, we will be giving you live updates of the match after every few minutes. The match kicks off at 19:45 BST (British Standard Time). So, be with us when the match starts.