All posts by h716a5.icu

Cheteshwar Pujara, returning to the Indian side after a year and a half, says he is treating his comeback as a ‘second debut’

Nagraj Gollapudi21-Aug-2012Cheteshwar Pujara, recalled into the Test squad for the New Zealand series, is treating his comeback as his “second debut”. One of the impressive young batsmen to have come out in the last five years on the domestic circuit, Pujara was a popular choice to take a place in the Indian middle order once the top guns walked out of the game. And with two berths opening up after the retirements of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, Pujara feels he is “motivated and passionate” while not being fussy about his position in the batting order.Pujara, who made a match-winning debut in Bangalore against Australia in 2010, played just two further Tests before a knee injury in IPL 2011 sidelined him for six months. Recovering from the surgery, he missed out on the home series against West Indies late last year, but was eager to get a ticket for the Australia tour. However, the selectors did not have enough confidence since Pujara, who plays for Saurashtra, had not had quality match practice.Pujara made just 200 runs during last season’s Ranji Trophy, but stronger performances on the recent India A tour of the West Indies, where he topped the run-charts, put him back in the reckoning. “I have been working hard on making a comeback. It has been delayed because there were not many games but I did whatever I could in domestic format and with India A. But I do not want to rush. I’m going to be calm and play my natural game,” Pujara told ESPNcricinfo immediately after being picked for the Tests.Making a comeback was never going to be easy. Pujara was hurt by some pundits questioning his fitness levels. But, working alongside his father Arvind, his driving force and mentor, Pujara made the finer adjustments to his batting. “When you come back after a six-month lay-off it is difficult to straightaway catch the rhythm. You need to start from the scratch. But once you cross those hurdles then you get mentally tough,” Pujara said. He knew he could not throw away a lifetime of hard work. “I am fully motivated. This is the moment I have always worked hard for. There is hunger and passion about playing at the highest level. It is once again a debut game for me.”Mentally adept and patient, Pujara, who is only 24, has blended those qualities with his batting skills which have remained sound and fluent from his age-group cricket days. Though the likes of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have made more headlines in the last year, Pujara has remained a favourite to take the important No. 3 slot vacated by Dravid. It was the same position he batted in the nets today in Hyderabad during the Indian training session, with Kohli at No. 5; the other two contenders – Rahane and S Badrinath – batted late down the order.However, Pujara does not want to be picky about his position in the batting order. “It is a team game so most of the time you have to see the comfort of the team, not your own. As a batsman I need to be flexible. I am a youngster who is making a comeback and not someone who is settled in the batting order so I should not be demanding. Yes, once I prove myself at a particular position then I can say I would like to bat at this number.”

West Ham academy gem Ben Johnson was an unsung hero as they defeated Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Michail Antonio’s sixth goal of the season was the difference as he slotted home from close range after an inch-perfect corner from Aaron Cresswell.

The left-back’s creativity has been crucial to the Irons’ success since David Moyes returned for a second stint at the club. He provided a squad-high eight assists last term and he has now finally gotten off the mark for the current campaign with his fine set-piece ability.

However, it was his fellow full-back that went a little unnoticed in east London.

The 21-year-old defender registered more touches (71) than anyone else on the pitch, including Cresswell (70) and even Declan Rice (58), which suggests that he deputised in the absence of Vladimir Coufal to great effect once again.

It also means he was one of the more influential players on the pitch as a lot of their play ran through him – and with these touches, the 5 foot 9 dynamo completed 100% of his crosses, created one key chance and even had a shot at goal.

He also did his defensive duties to a tee, recording a whopping five tackles winning 100% of his seven duels and even one clearance, as per SofaScore, who also graded him on par with Cresswell – both scoring 7.7 rating.

Johnson’s performance was even more impressive considering he was tasked with the massive job of defending against Heung-min Son, who is Spurs’ top goalscorer and one of the most lethal forwards in the Premier League on his day.

As football.london reporter Tom Clark explains, the youngster ‘did well up against Son’, whilst the Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser claimed he ‘continues to impress as he deputises for Vladimir Coufal. Confident on the ball and handled himself well at the back.’

On the above evidence, the 21-year-old Rush Green prodigy handled himself well on the biggest stage and he deserves just as much credit as Cresswell and Antonio combining for the winner.

AND in other news, 10 duels won, 8 tackles: West Ham’s “unbelievable” £60k-p/w beast ran the show vs Spurs…

A round-up of the final day’s play of the fourth-round matches of the Ranji Trophy Super League 2009-10

Cricinfo staff27-Nov-2009Group A
Scorecard
Chandrasekar Ganapathy and L Balaji put in superb performances with the ball as table-toppers Tamil Nadu stormed to a win against Himachal Pradesh in Dharamsala. With nine wickets between them, they helped Tamil Nadu cement their position at the top of the points table. Resuming on 199 for 5, the visitors were boosted by Ravichandran Ashwin’s fluent fifty and an unbeaten 44 from Ganapathy. They were bowled out in the 25th over of the day, not before setting HP a target of 247. Ganapathy had the top order in tatters, accounting for five of the top seven batsmen. Balaji proved to be the perfect foil picking up four wickets, as HP failed to hold on to first-innings points. Vikramjeet Malik was their top scorer with 45, but the day well and truly belonged to Ganapathy.
Scorecard
Gujarat slipped further down the points table with an innings defeat against Punjab in Mohali. They were staring down the barrel at 227 for 7 yesterday, and the Punjab bowlers wasted no time, taking just under 19 overs to wrap up proceedings. There was to be no fight from Rujul Bhatt, who added just two to his overnight score of 93. Manpreet Gony ended as Punjab’s most successful bowler with four wickets – a total of eight in the match – while Harmeet Singh finished with three. With the defeat, Gujarat fell to fourth position, handing the No. 3 spot to Punjab.
Scorecard
Railways would have to thank Marripuri Suresh and captain Murali Kartik for helping them avoid defeat against Mumbai at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi. Beginning on 174 for 7, with a slender lead of 77, Railways were lifted by Suresh’s patient fifty. The overnight partnership with Karan Sharma finally ended on 81, but Suresh combined with Kartik to add another 83 for the ninth wicket. Suresh remained unbeaten, having struck 11 boundaries, as the innings came to an end in the 49th over of the day. The target of 213 could have tempted Mumbai to go on the offensive, but they chose to be content with first-innings points, as the openers put on an unbeaten stand of 69.
Scorecard
Anirudh Singh hit a combative half-century to carve out a thrilling draw for the home team after left-arm spinner Dhiraj Singh had nearly pulled off a sensational win for Orissa in Hyderabad. Chasing an improbable 321 for win, Hyderabad were on the brink after being reduced to 191 for 9, but Anirudh held out for 43 balls along No. 11 Lalith Mohan. Earlier today, resuming at 159 for 4, Orissa declared their second innings in the 24th over of the day, setting Hyderabad a stiff 321 for victory. Basanth Mohanty and Alok Chandra Sahoo shared four top-order wickets as Orissa pushed for the win. Dhiraj polished off the middle and lower order with a four-wicket burst to draw them closer. Orissa though, had the consolation of three points, courtesy their first innings lead, while Hyderabad managed one.

Group A

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts Quotient For Against

Tamil Nadu 4 2 0 0 2 017 1.378 1889/45 2010/66 Mumbai 4 1 0 0 3 012 1.537 1628/40 1721/65 Punjab 4 1 1 0 2 010 0.909 2018/66 1851/55 Gujarat 4 1 1 0 2 09 1.072 2027/60 1513/48 Orissa 4 0 1 0 3 05 0.822 1306/47 1589/47 Railways 4 0 0 0 4 04 1.000 1727/50 967/28 Himachal Pradesh 4 0 2 0 2 04 0.802 1564/62 2045/65 Hyderabad (India) 4 0 0 0 4 04 0.729 1606/66 2069/62 Group B
Scorecard
Abhimanyu Mithun and R Vinay Kumar shared the spoils for the second time as Karnataka duly completed an innings victory over Maharashtra at the Poona Club Ground. Resuming on 254 for 5, Maharashtra’s hopes lay entirely with overnight centurion Ankit Bawne. He held fort to add 40 along with Ganesh Gaikwad, before Sreesanth Aravind had him caught by Robin Uthappa. The end came about quickly after that, with Vinay Kumar adding two wickets to take his match tally to eight. Mithun, who wrecked the Maharashtra top order yesterday, picked up one more today to finish with seven in the match. Karnataka took six points from the win, opening up a five-point gap at the top of the table.
Scorecard
Virat Kohli’s fighting century notwithstanding, Delhi surrendered tamely by an innings and 22 runs to Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow. Delhi’s hopes of salvaging a point from this game lay with the overnight pair of Kohli and Puneet Bisht. They did try their best, adding a further 104 to the overnight third-wicket stand, before Kohli departed, having hit 22 boundaries. Suresh Raina then got into the act, picking up three wickets with his part-time offspin to hasten the end. Rajat Bhatia made a watchful 56 but ran out of partners as Delhi were badly hampered by Shikar Dhawan’s absence in both innings. The six points helped Uttar Pradesh become the new No. 2 on the points table, at the expense of Bengal.
Scorecard
Arindam Das ensured that Saurashtra did not force an innings defeat, though the visitors gained first-innings points at the Eden Gardens. With victory out of the question, Bengal began the day hoping that Arindam and Manoj Tiwary would continue their partnership and challenge Saurashtra’s mammoth first-innings score. However, their hopes were dashed when both batsmen fell early, sparking off a collapse in which Bengal lost eight wickets for 132 runs. Ravindra Jadeja picked up 4 for 71, as Saurashtra enforced the follow-on. Rohan Banerjee’s early loss in the second essay gave the visitors some hope of a win, before Arindam and Deep Dasgupta joined hands for the second time to steady the ship. Both reached fifties before play was called off after 32 overs.

Group B

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts Quotient For Against

Karnataka 4 2 0 0 2 017 1.976 2201/44 1924/76 Uttar Pradesh 4 1 1 0 2 012 1.000 1858/57 2217/68 Bengal 4 1 0 0 3 08 0.883 1921/50 2436/56 Saurashtra 3 0 0 0 3 07 1.699 1616/27 1585/45 Baroda 3 0 0 0 3 05 0.995 1889/52 1132/31 Delhi 3 0 1 0 2 04 0.787 1536/48 1504/37 Maharashtra 3 0 2 0 1 01 0.313 1374/55 1597/20

Aston Villa should consider sanctioning the sale of Anwar El Ghazi in the January transfer window.

What’s been said?

That’s according to Ex-Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, who, in a recent interview with Football Insider, called for Aston Villa director of football Johan Lange to cash in on the 26-year-old this winter, following recent reports that Villa would be willing to accept an £18m offer for the winger amid interest from AS Roma.

Speaking about the future of El Ghazi, Kenny said: “He’s not been in their plans for a while now, so I don’t think this would be a bad move at all. If it frees money and wages up to maybe bring someone in January in, get it done.

“They’ve got a lot of really good attacking players now. Unfortunately, that means that they are going to have to have a bit of a clearout. If he is interested in that move and is ready to move to Italy, then it makes sense for both parties to go for it.”

Stealing a living

After enjoying an impressive debut campaign at Villa Park on a season-long loan deal from LOSC Lille back in 2018/19 – scoring five goals and registering six assists over 31 Championship appearances – a move which Villa would spend £8.1m to make permanent in the summer of 2019, the future appeared to be bright for El Ghazi under the guidance of Dean Smith.

Indeed, after another decent season in 2019/20, with the £11.7m-rated man scoring four goals, providing four assists and creating for big chances over 34 Premier League appearances, the Netherlands international went on to score a highly impressive ten goals over just 28 top-flight fixtures last term – finishing as the club’s second-highest goalscorer in the league.

However, following the £100m sale of Jack Grealish this summer, Lange brought in a wealth of new attacking talent to Villa Park, landing the signings of players such as Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings.

As a result, the £38k-per-week El Ghazi has fallen down Smith’s pecking order, making just four Premier League appearances so far this season, as well as averaging a disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.63.

As such, while it is undeniable that the man who The Villa View Podcast dubbed an “inconsistent” player has been a useful part of Smith’s squad over the years, considering his rather hefty weekly wage, the club should not allow the 26-year-old to simply sit on the bench for the remainder of the season.

That leads us to agree with Kenny’s claim that Lange should move the winger on in January – with it beginning to appear as if El Ghazi is somewhat stealing a living at present.

In other news: Aston Villa dealt potential blow on “exemplary” £5.2k-p/w beast, Johan Lange must act

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have been left in awe of new signing Nikola Vlasic following his international outing for Croatia on Tuesday night.

Vlasic, who signed for the Irons on summer transfer deadline day, hasn’t yet featured under manager David Moyes due to the timing of his switch but could make his debut for the club this weekend.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments-2/” title=”West Ham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The exciting 23-year-old put pen to paper on a five-year contract as West Ham paid an initial £26.8m, with an extra £7.7m in potential add-ons, to sign him from CSKA Moscow (BBC).

The Croatia international comes to east London with plenty of promise following his fantastic 2020/21 season in the Russian Premier League, where he averaged a four shots per game whilst bagging 11 goals and five assists (WhoScored).

After his outing for his nation against Slovenia on Tuesday evening, a match where he got on the scoresheet, had three attempts on goal and made three key passes (WhoScored), many West Ham fans have been raving about their “clever” new talent on Twitter, with one likening him to former Irons player Marko Arnautovic.

Check out some of their verdicts below.

West Ham fans rave over Vlasic

“Vlasic build and the way he runs at players reminds me of Marko Arnautovic.”

Credit: @westhamonline5

“Nikola Vlašić’s goal for Croatia highlights his intelligent final third movement that makes him very capable of operating as a false nine when required. He’s a creator, dribbler and drifts into goalscoring positions often. Such a smart signing for West Ham”

Credit: @danwoff98

“Vlasic is so good”

Credit: @central_louis

“Vlasic looks a player. Finds space well and can spot a pass. Work rate is good and tracking back”

Credit: @Pfinch215

“He’s gonna ball out in the Europa League”

Credit: @Kieranwhufc

“Vlasic did well to hold his run last night because on his first run he was Ignored.

Vlasic had to improvise & then he got a good cross for his goal.

Clever player

At West Ham I’m hoping his movement is noticed earlier, also the clever runs between defenders must be noticed.”

Credit: @RockyWhu

In other news: Agent lifts lid on West Ham interest in 63-goal forward, makes deadline day claim…find out more here.

Speaking to West Ham Zone, former Irons striker Frank McAvennie has shared what he’s ‘heard’ about Man United forward and linked star Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: West Ham attempt Lingard signing…

It is no secret that the Hammers and manager David Moyes wanted to re-sign Lingard after his sensational stint on loan at the London Stadium last season.

The 28-year-old, branded ‘phenomenal’ by talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham, scored nine goals and assisted four others in just 16 Premier League starts for West Ham last campaign (WhoScored).

Alas, Lingard chose not to relocate down south from Old Trafford but reports post-transfer window have suggested West Ham could still return in January – with the club apparently set to maintain a ‘dialogue’ behind the scenes according to Football Insider.

The Latest: McAvennie makes Lingard claim…

Speaking to WHZ, McAvennie has now shared what he’s ‘heard’ whilst sending a bold West Ham transfer message – avoid bringing him back at all costs.

“They’re [Manchester United] not giving Lingard a new contract I heard,” the former Irons favourite explained.

“Brilliant isn’t it, he’s blown it.

“Listen, I hope West Ham don’t take him back. We knew he wasn’t getting a game. It’s not for me. I liked him, I wanted him, he was a breath of fresh air.

“[But] The bottom line is he’s blown his chance. Did he honestly think he was going to go and get a game with [Cristiano] Ronaldo and all of that lot?

“I saw it coming. It’s going to cost him his England place.”

The Verdict: Correct call?

We believe West Ham should, at the very least, contemplate returning for him in January – especially considering the Red Devils could offload for as little as £15m due to his contract situation – which currently expires in 2022.

Despite the Irons signing Nikola Vlasic in the summer, Moyes will need plenty of options in the attacking areas if he is to maintain West Ham’s excellent 2021/2022 start.

In other news: Contact made: West Ham have already positioned themselves to sign 17-goal ‘real handful’ for Moyes, find out more here.

Sheffield Wednesday have been handed an injury boost ahead of their League One clash against Oxford United at Hillsborough this afternoon.

After securing a 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium in midweek, the Owls are now set to welcome Karl Robinson’s men to Hillsborough for their next slice of league action.

What’s the story?

This comes after Owls manager Darren Moore revealed in his press conference on Friday ahead of the Oxford clash that Sam Hutchinson was taken off during the win over Wigan as a “precaution” but has trained alongside the rest of his teammates in preparation for the match today.

That means the 32-year-old could be available to take on the U’s at Hillsborough in what would be a big boost to the manager and his team.

Wednesday fans will be thrilled

Given how Hutchinson missed Wednesday’s league games against Rotherham United and Morecambe after picking up an injury against Fleetwood Town back in August, it’s good to hear that he has not suffered another injury and was taken off against Wigan merely as a precaution.

Taking into account how the 32-year-old has played in numerous positions for Wednesday so far this season such as centre-back, defensive midfield and central midfield, it’s safe to say that he has been an important figure for the team based on his versatility when called upon and the abundant experience he has under his belt.

Wednesday originally signed Hutchinson back in February 2014 on a loan deal from Chelsea before securing him on a permanent basis in the following summer’s transfer window. He joined Pafos FC on a free transfer 13 months ago before returning to Wednesday on a free back in January.

Overall, he has made 184 appearances for the Yorkshire club across all competitions, chipping in with seven goals and five assists along the way (per Transfermarkt). He is the Owls’ second-highest rated player so far this season according to WhoScored performance metrics, with a squad-high two interceptions per game illustrating his importance in stifling opposition attacks.

Looking ahead to the Oxford clash today, we feel that if Hutchinson in fully fit enough to play, he should definitely be in the starting XI, playing in whichever position Moore thinks he is needed.

In other news: Moore must ruthlessly axe £450k-rated dud v Oxford, he’s not good enough 

The fickle weather which has dogged Colombo for the past five days has extended to Asgiriya, Kandy, the venue of the first 4-day unofficial cricket test between Sri Lanka A and Pakistan A

Sa'adi Thawfeeq02-Jul-2009

Sri Lanka A will welcome back Avishka Gunawardene© CricInfo
The fickle weather which has dogged Colombo for the past five days has extended to Asgiriya, Kandy, the venue of the first four-day unofficial Test between Sri Lanka A and Pakistan A. Sri Lanka A were deprived of any practice on a rainy morning and had to do their light training under a steady drizzle.With the pitch under covers the whole day, and the outfield waterlogged, Sri Lanka A were taking no chances by finalising their XI: they have delayed their announced until the morning of the match. But they have gone as far as minimising their squad from 15 to 13, by omitting batsman Anushka Polonowita and fast bowler Priyanka Silva. With three seamers likely to play, Sri Lanka A will have to make a final choice between a batsman and a spinner.They will welcome back the hard-hitting left-handed opener Avishka Gunawardena, who was forced to miss the one-day triangular series after suffering from a severe bout of cramps during a practice match. His condition was so serious that he had to spend a few days in hospital. Without his big hitting experience, Sri Lanka’s batting was found wanting on several occasions during the tournament.Two other left-handers, Russel Arnold and Michael Vandort, will be keen to continue their good form in this series. Arnold, who was overlooked for the tour of New Zealand, was in outstanding form during the one-day tournament running up the highest aggregate of 316 runs at an average of 63, which included four fifties in five matches.Vandort broke on to the Test scene with much promise, but he didn’t even make the A squad after a heavy loss of form. He was handed a lucky break when Gunawardena was hospitalised, and he seized the opportunity with both hands, scoring an undefeated hundred backed up by two fifties to total 291 runs at an average of 73 in five matches in the one-day tournament. It was Arnold and Vandort who held their team’s batting together when the rest failed.The series will also prove testing for skipper Jehan Mubarak. Despite his undoubted talent, this tall left-hander had a horrific one-day tournament with the bat, averaging 4.40 from five innings.Pakistan practised in the afternoon and were more fortunate with the weather. They were able to use the ground to gain for some useful practice under a spot of welcome sunshine.Pakistan are buoyant after a thrilling final against Sri Lanka to clinch the tri-nation one-day limited overs tournament by one wicket on the Duckworth and Lewis rule on Tuesday. But their only two-day practice match, against a Sri Lanka Academy XI, was affected by bad weather at Moratuwa. They dismissed the Academy XI for 159 and replied with 101-4 before the match ended in a draw.The Asgiriya ground authorities were keeping their fingers crossed that it wouldn’t rain later last night, which may prevent a prompt start at 10.30 a.m.The series will comprise two Tests, with the second one due to commence at Rangiri Dambulla on April 10.Sri Lanka A (from) Jehan Mubarak (capt), Avishka Gunawardene, Ian Daniel, Michael Vandort, Russel Arnold, Malintha Gajanayake, Prasanna Jayawardene, Gayan Wijekoon, Malinga Bandara, Dilhara Fernando, Nandika Ranjith, Suraj Mohamed, Sajeewa Weerakoon.Pakistan A (from) Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Wajahatullah Wasti, Faisal Athar, Bazid Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Hasan Raza, Yasir Arafat, Zulqarnain Haider, Tahir Khan, Imran Thahir, Abdul Rauf, Mohammad Asif, Riaz Afridi, Aamir Bashir, Asher Zaidi.

Based on the period between August 13, 2008 and August 24, 2009, the awards took into account performances by players and officials during the span

Cricinfo staff02-Sep-2009The nominationsCricketer of the Year
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Tillakaratne Dilshan, MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Shakib Al Hasan, Mitchell Johnson, Graham Onions, Thilan Samaraweera, Kumar Sangakkara, Harbhajan Singh, Graeme Smith, Andrew Strauss, Daniel Vettori, AB de VilliersTest Player of the Year
Stuart Broad, Michael Clarke, MS Dhoni, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Gautam Gambhir, Shakib Al Hasan, Mitchell Johnson, VVS Laxman, Jesse Ryder, Thilan Samaraweera, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Peter Siddle, Harbhajan Singh, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Andrew Strauss, Graeme Swann, Daniel Vettori, AB de VilliersODI Player of the Year
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, MS Dhoni, Andrew Flintoff, Chris Gayle, Umar Gul, Martin Guptill, Michael Hussey, Nuwan Kulasekara, Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Thilan ThusharaEmerging Player of the Year
Martin Guptill, Ben Hilfenhaus, Philip Hughes, Amit Mishra, Graham Onions, Kemar Roach, Jesse Ryder, Peter SiddleAssociate and Affiliate Player of the Year
Rizwan Cheema (Canada), Khurram Chohan (Canada), Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands), Trent Johnston (Ireland), Alex Cusack (Ireland), Neil McCallum (Scotland), Kevin O’Brien (Ireland), Niall O’Brien (Ireland), William Porterfield (Ireland), Boyd Rankin (Ireland), Edgar Schiferli (Netherlands), Steve Tikolo (Kenya), Regan West (Ireland), Bas Zuiderent (Netherlands)Twenty20 International Performance of the Year
Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Dwayne Bravo, Alex Cusack, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chris Gayle, Umar Gul, David Hussey, Sanath Jayasuriya, Zaheer Khan, Ajantha Mendis, Wayne Parnell, Abdur Razzak, David WarnerWomen’s Cricketer of the Year
Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Holly Colvin (England), Charlotte Edwards (England), Laura Marsh (England), Sana Mir (Pakistan), Shelley Nitschke (Australia), Mithali Raj (India), Karen Rolton (Australia), Priyanka Roy (India), Lisa Sthalekar (Australia), Claire Taylor (England), Sarah Taylor (England), Stefanie Taylor (West Indies), Haidee Tiffin (New Zealand), Aimee Watkins (New Zealand)Umpire of the Year
Billy Bowden (New Zealand), Aleem Dar (Pakistan), Steve Davis (Australia), Ian Gould (England), Tony Hill (New Zealand), Daryl Harper (Australia), Asad Rauf (Pakistan), Simon Taufel (Australia)MS Dhoni and Tillakaratne Dilshan lead the list of nominations at the sixth ICC Awards. Both have been shortlisted in three categories for their performances between August 13, 2008 and August 24, 2009.Eighteen players have received at least two nominations for their performances during this period, which includes the 2009 World Twenty20 in England, the 2009 Women’s World Cup in Australia, and the 2009 World Cup Qualifiers in South Africa, in addition to the various bilateral Test and ODI series.Dilshan scored 848 runs in the eight Tests during that period at 70.66 and was also named Player of the Tournament during the World Twenty20 held in England. He was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s successful run to the final. His unbeaten 96 off 57 balls against West Indies in the second semi-final, and his quickfire 74 against the same opponents in the league phase are the two performances he has been nominated for in the Twenty20 International Performance of the Year category. He is also in line for the ICC Cricketer of the Year and Test Player of the Year awards.Dhoni, who was the ODI Player of the Year in 2008, has been nominated for the Cricketer of the Year, Test Player of the Year and ODI Player of the Year. A hugely successful phase resulted in 544 runs from eight Tests at 54.40 and 967 runs in 24 ODIs at 60.43. Among the players nominated for two prizes is Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, who is in contention for the Cricketer of the Year and the Test Player of the Year awards.This year’s awards include eight individual prizes, as well as the Spirit of Cricket award for a team. Apart from this, the Test and ODI teams of the year will also be announced, and one man who could be in the frame for the five-day version is England’s captain, Andrew Strauss, who capped a remarkable run of form by leading England to victory in the Ashes, and is one of the 14 players in the frame for the Player of the Year.”I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of playing for England over the past 12 months and to be nominated for two ICC Awards is a huge honour,” he told ecb.co.uk. “I’ve been pleased with my form during that time and I’ve particularly relished the role of England captain more recently. We don’t play the game for awards but to be nominated alongside some of the best cricketers in the world is very humbling.”The Emerging Player of the Year nominees include three Australians – Philip Hughes, Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle – along with the New Zealand duo of Martin Guptill and Jesse Ryder. Indian legspinner Amit Mishra, West Indian fast bowler Kemar Roach and England bowler Graham Onions are the other nominees in the category.Ireland boasts the most number of nominees in the Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year award with seven names on the list, followed by Netherlands with three. Canada have two names while Kenya and Scotland have one player each.”The LG ICC Awards are an opportunity for the ICC and FICA to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable performances of the world’s top players,” said ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat while announcing the list of nominations in Mumbai.”It is also a chance for followers of our great sport to reflect on some of the great cricketing feats they have witnessed over the past year. This will be the sixth time the awards have been handed out and yet again there are so many great performances to recall. Selecting the winners will no doubt test our selectors and voting academy.”The lists were compiled 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 players such as India’s Anil Kumble, Mudassar Nazar of Pakistan, Bob Taylor of England and New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming.The ceremony will take place in Johannesburg on October 1, to coincide with the ICC Champions Trophy 2009. The previous editions were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007) and Dubai (2008).

Anil Kumble has blamed the loss of early wickets as the reason for his team’s 16-run defeat to Mumbai Indians in Port Elizabeth

Cricinfo staff10-May-2009Anil Kumble, the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain, has blamed the loss of early wickets as the reason for his team’s 16-run defeat to Mumbai Indians in Port Elizabeth. Bangalore were in trouble at 58 for 4 chasing 158 and the loss of wickets increased the pressure and the asking rate.Kumble said Rahul Dravid’s run-out for 10 was the turning point in the chase. Dravid turned around for a second run but he failed to make his ground before Lasith Malinga’s throw from long-off reached the bowler.”We lost too many wickets at the start [of the run chase] and probably that was the main reason [for the loss]. That’s what we need to look at seriously,” Kumble said. “I think Rahul’s run-out was crucial. If he was there till the end it was still a good wicket to bat and we could have chased it down.”Kumble felt the loss of wickets only piled the pressure on Boucher who made an unbeaten 48 off 33 balls.”Boucher is someone who played till the end to try and finish the game for us, but unfortunately it was too many runs at the end for him,” Kumble said.The winning captain Sachin Tendulkar praised the contributions of JP Duminy and Ajinkya Rahane, who scored half-centuries and lifted Mumbai to a match-winning total. Mumbai were desperate for a win after three successive defeats and the victory helped them move to No. 6, just ahead of Bangalore.”We needed this victory and all thanks to JP and Ajinkya,” Tendulkar said. “I thought they really batted well till the end. Sanath [Jayasuriya] too did a good job. Our bowlers also bowled well. It was a good all-round performance by the team. It was an all-round performance, batting, bowling and fielding everything was good.”