Fresh match fixing scandal - Latest Updates (Asif a serial match fixer)

Ex-girlfriend says Asif a serial match fixer -

Mohammad Asif's ex-girl friend has launched a scathing attack at the bowler and accused him of being directly involved in match-fixing.

Asif's former girl friend Veena Malik accused the fast bowler of being 'criminal minded' and a 'serial match-fixer.'

Here's what she said:

-She has accused Asif of bribing an Indian doctor during his doping trial at the Indian Premier League.

-He is supposed to have told Mohammad Amir "I have had more court cases than your age (18)"

-Kalim Imran supposedly provided Asif with nandrolone injections. Malik claims she had asked what had happened to Asif's performance to which Asif replied, "That wasn't me, that was the nandrolone."

-Indian bookie's incoming text: Asif used to send texts to Dhiraj Dixit from his servant's numbers.

Conversation: Dhiraj says: "I can give you 40,000 dollars for this deal. Asif says: "No I want 200,000 dollars." Dhiraj says: I would like some more team members for this deal."

-When Pakistan started losing in Australia, I jokingly said, "For god's sake win a match." To this he replied, "We won't win anything until 2010.

                                                                               source:http://bit.ly/cEXtLg

Sydney Test was fixed -

Australia's dramatic Test victory over Pakistan at the SCG in January is looking more tainted by the day.

As the cricket world reeled from allegations that the Pakistani Test team had been involved in spot fixing during the ongoing Test against England at Lord's, the man at the centre of the sting claimed that the Sydney result had been engineered to order.

Player agent Mazhar Majeed said the Sydney Test was "the last Test" where the result had been rigged, after Pakistan reached a position where odds against their defeat were prohibitive.

In light of Majeed's words, the investigation may need to be re-opened.

                                                                                source:http://bit.ly/bYAjGI

Fresh match-fixing scandal of Pakistan Cricket

International cricket rocked by a match-fixing scandal with as many as seven top Pakistani players, including captain Salman Butt, being under the scanner for their role in 'spot-fixing' in the ongoing fourth Test against England at Lord's.

In a dramatic development the Scotland Yard detectives visited the Pakistan dressing room immediately after the third day's play to question the players after a British tabloid's sting operation exposed the alleged nexus between players and the bookies.

The 'News of the World' tabloid alleged that a Pakistani man Mazhar Majeed, who is now under arrest, had paid bribes to the players to bowl no-balls and wides in the series and the Lord's Test. 

Scotland Yard have visited the Pakistan team hotel and inspected players rooms and the police is said to have recovered large amounts of money from rooms of some players and also seized their mobile phones. 

The tabloid claims it has video evidence confirming involvement of seven players which it had shared with Scotland Yard triggering off the investigation into the spot-fixing racket.   

Click below to watch the complete deal along with the photos and videos as a proof..

                   http://bit.ly/aAI16d

Again a shameful act by Pakistani Cricketer, even the youngsters who just started their carrier.

Captain Salman Butt, Opening bowlers Asif & Amir, wicket keeper Kamran Akmal are in the list of corrupt cricketer.

India Kneel down in final once again

Continued failure of Indian batting and their indisciplined bowling handed Sri Lanka a one-sided 74-run victory in the triangular series final in Dambulla on Saturday. Indian captain MS Dhoni was the last man dismissed in a 300-run chase after team's batting crumbled under pressure put by the Sri Lankans.

Earlier, Virender Sehwag got run out after brisk 28, while Dinesh Karthik's poor form continued as the Tamil Nadu batsman nicked a leg-side delivery, which seemed to have brushed his thigh pad, to wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara. 

For Sri Lanka, Tillakaratne Dilshan struck a blistering century as the hosts exploited a sloppy bowling display by the Indians to amass an imposing 299 for eight.

Captain Kumar Sangakkara (71) and Mahela Jayawardene (39) were the other notable scorers for the hosts who have left India with a stiff asking rate of nearly six runs per over to record their second successive series triumph on Lankan soil in three months.

Umpiring decisions and manic appealing dominated the chase, but couldn't alter the expected result. Dinesh Karthik was given out caught off the thigh pad. Virender Sehwag's plumb lbw was not given, but he ran himself out off the same ball. Yuvraj Singh got away with a caught-behind before having scored a run, but was given out off one he didn't seem to have edged - 26 runs later. MS Dhoni survived a close lbw call when on 12, but ran out of partners as the required run-rate mounted.

Thisara Perera, by now Sri Lanka's India specialist, and Suraj Randiv, who got nice drift and dip, kept the wicket flow going in the middle.

Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni tried to buck the trend of Sehwag-over-game-over, but Sri Lanka were at them all the time. Kohli's uncharacteristic hoick showed the pressure the required rate exerted, Raina's cameo involved too many risks and ended prematurely from India's point of view, and Dhoni's 67 were too late and too few. 

In the End Sehwag adjusted Man of the Series, he scored 268 runs in 5 matches with one century.

BCG Matrix of Cricket - Stags, Class, Bombs and Stars

Here is a BCG Matrix of Cricket which explain the All-time best ODI run getters by measuring batsmen in two dimensions, and accordindly placing them into four different categories. 

In general BCG matrix is a product portfolio of a business units. It has two dimension i.e Market Share and Market growth and the product fall into four categories (Stars, Cash Cows, Dogs and Question Mark).

BCG Matrix of Cricket is the frame of this matrix only but with a different concept, here two dimensions are Strike Rate and Average, and the categories are Stags, Class, Bombs and Stars.

These four categories are-

STAGS - Skilled Tenacious Almost Greats

CLASS - Consistent Long-lasters Although Sometimes Slow

BOMBS - Break-it Or Make-it Blitzkriegs

STARS - Supremely Talented All-round Run-machines

  

Experts make an interesting analysis of the ODI performances of some phenomenal batsmen over the years.

Below is the graph with the performance of batsmen in ODIs, a bubble chart was created with the size of the bubble indicating the aggregate runs compiled in one’s career. 

For now, this is just a comparison of the top 20 ODI run-getters and since most of them, with the exception of Haynes, played in roundabout the same era, some of the more recent prolific ODI run getters like Dhoni, Pietersen, Symonds and Hussey were left out.

                                      source: http://bit.ly/cVoCE8

In the graph above, the more top-right a batsman the better he is. You may ask what the lines in the middle of the chart are - well what’s the point of creating such a chart without a 2x2 matrix!

Each quadrant of the graph represents a particular breed of batsmen, with the best of the best on the top right. Here’s how the players can be broken down in four groups :

STAGS (Skilled Tenacious Almost Greats) -

This is the bottom left section of the graph comprising Jayawardene, Sangakkara, Azhar and Atapattu. Four fantastic batsmen who often delivered when the chips were down and fought till the very end. However, their averages and strike-rates are not quite enough to make them the best of all time.

CLASS (Consistent Long-lasters Although Sometimes Slow) -

This word is fitting to call Kallis, Yousuf, Mark Waugh, Ganguly, Chanderpaul, Dravid, Haynes and Inzamam class batsmen. These guys are the pretty stroke-makers who put emphasis on style and managed to play long innings. That’s the hallmark of class batsmen; they consistently stick around for a long time at the crease leading to healthy averages in the 40s. They can however be guilty of not scoring quick enough at times. The same can’t be said for our next group.

BOMBS (Break-it Or Make-it Blitzkriegs) -

Five batsmen in this group- Jayasuirya, Gilchrist, Gibbs, DeSilva and Anwar. All with strike-rates in excess of 80, Gilchrist up at 96.94! No real explanation needed for the BOMBs, destructive batsmen at their best but they provide chances for the opposition to defuse them early.

STARS (Supremely Talented All-round Run-machines) -

Lara, Ponting and Tendulkar- your all-time ODI greats. These three are complete batsmen, with the ability to score quickly and consistently. 

Tendulkar leads the pack with an average of 45.12, a strike-rate of 86.26 and a career aggregate of 17,598 runs (and counting!).

Everyday, every where, experts come up with the different analysis and approach. They may have different concept but all the time the result is same..Sachin Tendulkar leading in any aspects of batting.

Undoubtedly he is most complete batsman, and arguably the biggest cricket icon as well.  

Click the link below to see the complete expert analysis of Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI career, Master Blaster’s achievements in different phases and tells you why there is only one Sachin Tendulkar.

Click here....

             http://bit.ly/cblQWz

 

India storm into tri-series final by beating NZ

Praveen Kumar grabbed three early wickets and Virender Sehwag smashed a superb century as India entered the tri-series final with an emphatic 105-run win over New Zealand.

India, with 10 points from four matches, will clash with Sri Lanka (11 from four) in the final on Saturday. New Zealand finished their league engagements with seven points.

Paceman Kumar finished with 3-34 as New Zealand, chasing a 224-run target, were shot out for 118 in 30.1 overs - their lowest total against India in One-Day Internationals.

India were indebted to Sehwag for posting a competitive total as the hard-hitting opener cracked one six and 16 fours in a 93-ball 110 for his 13th one-day hundred. India virtually wrapped up the match when they sent New Zealand struggling at 22-4 in the ninth over, with Kumar taking three wickets.

Tail-ender Kyle Mills hammered an entertaining 52 for his second half-century in one-dayers, but his knock came too late to stop India from the winning the match. Mills hit three sixes and seven fours in his 35-ball knock.

Kane Williamson (13), Grant Elliott (11) and Tim Southee (10) were the others to reach double-figures in New Zealand's disappointing batting performance. Fast bowlers Munaf Patel (3-21) and Ashish Nehra (2-10) were India's other main wicket-takers.

Earlier New Zealand paceman Southee (4-49) and off-spinner Nathan McCullum (3-35) earlier shared seven wickets to bowl India out for a modest total despite Sehwag's century.

India were tottering at 66-4 in 13 overs after electing to bat when Sehwag propped up the innings with a 107-run stand for the fifth wicket with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (38).

Southee, Mills (2-42) and Andy McKay (1-31) tested the Indian batsmen with pace and bounce in their lively opening spells to help New Zealand seize the early initiative. Dinesh Karthik, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina all failed to reach double-figures.

The Indian opener fell playing shots, caught at deep mid-wicket by Bradley-John Watling off McCullum in the 33rd over. McCullum struck again when he had Dhoni caught by wicket-keeper Gareth Hopkins, who took four catches.

Sachin shortlisted for ICC People's Choice Award

 To cast your vote for the ICC People’s Choice Award, click here…


Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar is one of the five cricketers who have been shortlisted for the first LG People's Choice Award to be given away during the ICC prize distribution function in Bengaluru on October 6. 

The other four shortlisted players were Mike Hussey of Australia, Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka, England captain Andrew Strauss and South African AB de Villiers.

The award category, which has been included for the first time this year, will be chosen by cricket fans around the world who now have a chance to vote for their favourite player until September 10, the release said.

The cricketers have been selected on the basis of some innovative parameters by a five-member ICC selection panel, chaired by former West Indies captain and current chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee Clive Lloyd.

The panel also includes former international players Angus Fraser of England, Matthew Hayden of Australia, Ravi Shastri of India and Zimbabwe's Duncan Fletcher.
 

Sachin, Dhoni, Sehwag nominated for ICC awards

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar and opener Virender Sehwag are among the eight cricketers who have been nominated for the October 6 ICC Awards 2010. Eight players from four teams have each been nominated in three different categories for the award which is scheduled to be held in Bangaluru later this year.

Besides the Indian players, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis from South Africa, Shane Watson and Doug Bollinger from Australia and Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardena will feature prominently in the long-lists for the awards. In addition, there are nine players who are nominated in two distinct categories.

Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar nominated in three categories.

The long-lists of nominations were made by a five-man ICC selection panel chaired by former West Indies captain and current chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee Clive Lloyd. The panel also includes former international players Angus Fraser of England, Matthew Hayden of Australia, Ravi Shastri of India and Zimbabwe's Duncan Fletcher.

The LG ICC Awards ceremony is now in its seventh year and this year it will be held in Bengaluru, India. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007 and 2009), Dubai (2008).

Randiv banned for one match, Dilshan fined for no-ball fiasco

Sri Lankan cricket board on Wednesday cracked the whip on its players by suspending spinner Suraj Randiv for one match and imposing a fine on Thillakaratne Dilshan for his role in depriving Indian opener Virender Sehwag a century.

Captain Kumar Sangakkara was also reprimanded and has been advised to ensure that repetition of such incidents do not occur in future. Suraj Randiv has been suspended from the next match against New Zealand on Thursday and his match fee for the India vs Sri Lankan match on August 16, 2010, has been forfeited.

TM Dilshan's inference in this issue has resulted in his match fee for the same match also being forfeited. Furthermore, captain Kumar Sangakkara has to ensure that repetition of such incidents do not occur, where disrepute will be brought to the game of cricket, affecting the spirit of the game.

The decision to take disciplinary action against the players was taken by the six-member committee which meet this afternoon to take action on the recommendations of team manager who probed the 'no-ball' controversy.

The apologies prompted the Indian team management to declare the episode a "closed chapter" while the BCCI also made it clear that it would not pursue the case any further.

Randiv apologise to Sehwag for deliberate no-ball

Sri Lanka Cricket and offspinner Suraj Randiv have both apologised to Virender Sehwag for denying him a one-day century after a deliberate no-ball from Randiv ended the match and left the India opener stranded on 99, despite him hitting the delivery for six. 

SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga called India manager Ranjib Biswal this morning to apologise. 

Sehwag revealed on Twitter that Randiv had apologised to him personally. "Hi guys. Randiv came to my room n(sic) apologize," Sehwag wrote.

Indian Manager Biswal defending SI said it was clear everything had happened in the heat of the action and now that Sri Lanka had apologised, it was time to move on. Eventhough Randiv came in for sharp criticism by former players who felt the Sri Lankan spinner's antics were "unsporting and unpardonable".

Sehwag himself was not in a good mood. After the game, Sehwag said Sri Lanka had used such tactics in the past, having left Sachin Tendulkar stranded at 96 with a similar strategy in a match in Cuttack.It was clear that the Lankan team did not want me to get to my 100.

Sri Lanka board has asked for an enquiry in to the incident. 

Though it appears that Sangakkara have asked his bowler to bowl a no ball, he lost his cool and when asked about the no ball during the presentation ceremony, his face could not reflect the astonishing feel. Sri Lanka joins the club of Australia in Cheap tactics.

On the other hand some former cricketer felt the six hit by Sehwag off the no ball should have counted.

Sehwag's 99 helps India beat SL

Virender Sehwag cracked a robust 99 not out to help India post a comfortable six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the triangular one-day series on Monday.

The opener hit two sixes and 11 fours in his 100-ball knock as India raced to the 171-run target with more than 15 overs to spare in the day-night match for their first win in two matches.

Sehwag, 31, was one short of his 13th one-day hundred when the match ended with off-spinner Suraj Randiv's no-ball, which was eventually smashed for a six by the batsman.

Sri Lankan seamers Angelo Mathews took two wickets and Dilhara Fernando one to reduce India to 32-3 before Sehwag came to his team's rescue with a responsible innings.

He put on 59 for the fourth wicket with Suresh Raina (21) and 80 for the unbroken fifth wicket with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (23 not out) to ensure an emphatic victory.

India earlier put in a disciplined bowling performance to bowl Sri Lanka out for 170.Paceman Praveen Kumar (2-20) rocked Sri Lanka's top order when he bowled Upul Tharanga with the first ball of the match and then trapped former captain Mahela Jayawardene leg-beforein his fourth over.

Left-arm spinners Pragyan Ojha (3-36) and Ravindra Jadeja (2-34) also kept up the pressure as India never allowed the hosts to build a big partnership.Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan top-scored with a fighting 45 in Sri Lanka's disappointing batting performance after the hosts elected to bat.

Dilshan was the fifth man to be dismissed, sweeping Ojha to Rohit Sharma at mid-wicket after hitting five fours in his 62-ball knock.Sri Lanka, struggling at 103-7 in the 32nd over, managed to cross the 150-mark, thanks to gutsy knocks from Randiv (43) and Nuwan Kulasekara (22).

Randiv hit four boundaries in his 61-ball knock.

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma took 2-32.

India made two changes from the side that lost to New Zealand by 200 runs in the opening match, replacing Yuvraj Singh - down with dengue fever - and Abhimanyu Mithun with batsman Virat Kohli and Ishant.

Australia to trial split innings in domestic ODIs

A split innings 12-a-side one-day cricket format will be trialled in Australia's national one-day cup this season.

The new format will divide innings into two blocks, the first of 20 overs and the second of 25 overs, with fielding restrictions for the first five overs of each bracket that are relaxed slightly for the remainder.

Teams will earn an extra point for taking a first innings lead in the match even if they go on to lose overall, a system which is used in the domestic four-day Sheffield Shield matches.

Bowlers will be able to bowl a maximum of 12 overs rather than the usual 10, and pacemen will be permitted to bowl two bouncers an over rather than one. Teams can bat any 11 of the 12 squad members and field any 11 of the 12.

  

New format was approved by its board on Friday on the recommendation of CA's playing conditions committee, whose members include former Test stars Mark Taylor, Matthew Hayden, Greg Chappell and Shane Warne, with Marsh also part of the panel.

Though majority of players - according to ACA survey - had rejected the split innings format. Lets see how it will run.

This kind of format initially suggested by Tendulkar, it is of same kind with little bit modification. 

 

Laxman, Tendulkar leads India to series-levelling win

Veteran VVS Laxman cracked a fighting unbeaten 103 as India relied on their experienced batsmen to pull off a five-wicket win in the third and final cricket Test against Sri Lanka to level the series 1-1 in Colombo on Saturday.

Laxman defied cramps and anchored the innings brilliantly to notch up his 16th Test hundred, while Sachin Tendulkar (54) and Suresh Raina (41 not out) were the other notable contributors as the visitors overhauled a target of 257 about 10 minutes before the tea break.

India, chasing 257 to win, started the final day on 53-3 and lost the wicket of night-watchman Ishant Sharma just three overs into the first session when he was caught by Kumar Sangakkara at mid-wicket off a Suraj Randiv delivery for four.

Tendulkar and Laxman shared 109 runs for the second wicket to tilt the game in India's favor. Tendulkar was out after lunch for a watchful 54 off 122 balls, including three boundaries. Laxman faced 122 balls and hit three boundaries for his 16th test century.

 Chasing 257 on a rather difficult fifth day track, the Indians recovered from early blows suffered yesterday with a 109-run partnership between Laxman and Tendulkar that laid the foundation of the win.

But on the flipside, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men could not break the 17-year-old jinx of not winning a series in the island nation.

Ishant was caught at short mid-wicket by Kumar Sangakkara off Suraj Randiv in the morning. Randiv ripped in a flighted loopy delivery around off and middle stump, leaving Ishant bemused who looked shaky right from the start.

Tendulkar and Laxman then took it upon themseleves to steady the ship and steer a successful chase.

Tendulkar was the more cautious of the two veteran right-handers taking 106 deliveries to reach his 55th Test half century.

He didn't celebrate much on reaching the milestone but the Indian dressing room was up in applause for another of the iconic batsman's match-winning contributions.

The stylish Hyderabadi scored freely and his fifty, which came while Tendulkar was there at the other end, came off just 81 balls in the post-lunch session.

Joined by the in-form Raina, who scored a century on debut in the drawn second Test, Laxman ensured that the boundaries kept coming for India at regular intervals and he alone collected 12 of them.

The 35-year-old's body, however, started troubling him after he reached 60. Laxman was down on ground in pain before the 52nd over due to a lower back problem, which required the physio's assistance.

But the gritty batsman continued nonetheless with Virender Sehwag as his runner.

He reached his century off 146 deliveries by striking consecutive fours off Mendis in the 68th over.

Raina, on the other hand, rode his luck getting away with some edges that flew over fielders to play his role in the final outcome with a 45-ball 41, which included four boundaries and a six.

Laxman was chosen Man of the Match and Sehwag receive Man of the Series Trophy for his good performance with bat and ball. He scored 348 runs and took 7 wickets in 3 matches. Tendulkar scored highest runs (390) for India with 1 century and 2 half centuries.