Five players from the all-star West Indies stars of the Eighties have made it to Cricinfo’s West

Indies all-time TEST XI. Read more….

Five players from the all-star West Indies sides of the 80s have made it to
Cricinfo’s West Indies all-time Test XI: Gordon Greenidge, Viv Richards, Curtly
Ambrose, Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall.
Viv Richards was the one unanimous pick from that era. Garry Sobers, considered
the world’s greatest allrounder, and George Headley, nicknamed the black
Bradman, were the other two to get all 10 votes.
Like in the Pakistan all-time XI, there are no current players in the XI, a
reflection of the sorry state of two teams that were once world-class.
Greenidge was picked by nine jurors to open the innings, but his partner Desmond
Haynes, with whom he made a record 16 century stands missed out; the other
opener’s spot went to Conrad Hunte, who opened in all of his 44 Tests for West
Indies and scored over 3000 runs. Other prominent omissions were the three Ws
and Andy Roberts.
Brian Lara made it to the middle order with six votes, while the gloves were
given to Jackie Hendriks. Though Jeff Dujon and Clyde Walcott were the better
batsmen, Hendriks got the nod over them because of his remarkable skills behind
the wicket, including to spinners. And with a middle order that boasts Headley,
Richards, Lara and Sobers, the XI can afford to have a pure keeper in the ranks.

The most debated-on position among the readers was that of the spinner: whether
West Indies, with its fast-bowling pack, needed one. The jury thought they did,
and all but one picked Lance Gibbs, the first spin bowler to take 300 Test
wickets, over Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine.
That left three fast-bowling spots, which went to Malcolm Marshall (nine votes),
and to Michael Holding and Curtly Ambrose (six votes each).
Barbados, traditionally the powerhouse of Caribbean cricket, accounts for four
players in the XI, followed by Jamaica with three.
We invited our readers to pick their XI, and their middle-order, fast-bowling,
spinner and allrounder picks matched the jury’s. Sobers got close to a unanimous
vote for the allrounder’s spot, while Gibbs got over 80%. A majority of readers
picked the Greenidge-Haynes pair to open the innings, and over 77% voted for
Dujon to keep wicket.
The jury included former Test player Jimmy Adams, journalists Tony Becca, Fazeer
Mohammed and Garth Wattley, radio commentator Joseph Perreira, cricket historian
Hilary Beckles, sports psychologist Rudi Webster, writers Ian McDonald and Frank
Birbalsingh and former West Indies media manager Imran Khan.
More about the XI here
The XI: Gordon Greenidge, Conrad Hunte, George Headley, Vivian Richards, Brian
Lara, Garry Sobers, Jackie Hendriks, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Curtly
Ambrose, Lance Gibbs.
Readers’ XI: Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, George Headley, Viv Richards,
Brian Lara, Garry Sobers, Jeff Dujon, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Curtly
Ambrose, Lance Gibbs.
Nominees
Openers: Conrad Hunte, Roy Fredericks, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Chris
Gayle.
Middle order: George Headley, Everton Weekes, Clyde Walcott, Frank Worrell,
Rohan Kanhai, Seymour Nurse, Clive Lloyd, Lawrence Rowe, Alvin Kallicharran, Viv
Richards, Richie Richardson, Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Allrounders: Learie Constantine, Garry Sobers, Gerry Gomez, Collie Smith.
Wicketkeepers: Clyde Walcott, Jackie Hendriks, Deryck Murray, Jeffrey Dujon.
Fast bowlers: Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin
Croft, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Ian
Bishop.
Spinners: Alf Valentine, Sonny Ramadhin, Lance Gibbs.

Kieron Pollard

The local boys will have to play harder at home to Jamaica in the Caribbean T20 championships

Trinidad and Tobago, reigning T20 cricket champions, will have to scale another hurdle in defence of their title in their bid for another birth in the Airtel T20 championships, when they meet Zone A leaders Jamaica in the Caribbean championship at the Queen’s Park Oval on Wednesday night.

Both Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica have won their two matches in Barbados- against Canada and the Leeward Ialands-but Jamaica have a better average and it will, understandably, be a major clash which will give more than a hint of who will be the favourites for the championship.

The local team had depend on hard-hitting Kieron Pollard, who bludgeoned the Leeward Islands attack and also Dwayne Bravo, after the middle order failed against the Leewards on Saturday.. Trinidad and Tobago will have to give an improved performance with bat and ball to overcome the Jamaican challenge.

This match will begin under lights at 8p.m. The local boys are back home and hard at practice.

Crawford and Sri Lanka batsman Mahela Jaywardene

His Excellency Hasely Crawford!

His Excellency Daren Ganga.

Both sports heroes have been elevated by the new Government to the level of Sports Ambassadors with Ganga, who has led the national cricket team with distinction over the past several years, being given the added assignment of helping bolster the country’s economic profile in some of the cricketing nations.

Crwaford,60, who is twice Ganga’s age may be more likely heading into retirement.

Congrats boys.

The  very first player of note who made an impression on me….Read more….

The very first player of note who made an impression on me was former West
Indian allrounder Phil Simmons.
When I first met Phil, around 1983-84, he was not yet an international player
but he was already playing first-class cricket for Trinidad and Tobago, and was
already being touted as a future West Indies player.
I remember walking through downtown Port-of-Spain one day, back when I was in
high school, along with my friend and former school captain Kirk Newallo and
another colleague, when we spotted Phil across the street. We knew that he had
played at our cricket club, Crompton, previously, but by the time we had joined
the club he was moving up and on and was busy playing elsewhere.
After a brief hesitation we worked up the gumption to go across street to greet
him, not knowing whether or not he would speak to us. Kirk explained where we
were from and that we were members of Crompton. At the end of the chat Kirk said
that if Phil had a spare bat he could pass on to us the next time he came back
from his travels, it would be a dream.
I can’t recall how many weeks or months later it was, but Phil found us and
fulfilled our request.
We shared, cared for and cherished that bat with the greatest pride. Simmo’s
willingness to stop in the middle of downtown Port-Of-Spain and chat to three
teenagers whom he had never met before, to agree to a request for one of his
bats and then to deliver on that promise is something I have never forgotten.
We had heard plenty of stories about “Pip”, as he was affectionately known – his
drive to succeed, passion for the game, unbelievable work ethic, his humility
and loyalty to friends and amiable nature in general. What I experienced of Phil
later as a team-mate and friend mirrored exactly that.
A couple of seasons after that fortuitous encounter, I made my senior debut for
North against South in a zonal competition in Trinidad. Phil turned up at the
game. He came straight up to me and said, “I have heard some good things about
you, and people are talking about you as a future West Indian cricketer, so keep
working hard.” That blew me away because at that time I didn’t see myself in
that light. But that’s Phil – he’ll do anything to help encourage others.
As a batsman there were others technically superior. Statistically he
underachieved for one so determined and one who worked as hard as he did. As a
fielder he made himself sharp and agile, and he had a pair of hands to compare
with many of his day. And he was a canny and underrated medium-fast bowler. But
it is as a quintessential team man and big-brother figure that he has most
impacted me and many of my generation. He taught us the value of courage, hard
work and peak fitness.

Ramnaresh Sarwan hopes home advantage will give West Indies the edge….Read more….

From Cricinfo

Ramnaresh Sarwan hopes home advantage will give West Indies the edge in the ICC
World Twenty20 beginning on Friday. West Indies have yet to win a multi-team
competition since 2004, when they won the Champions Trophy in England, and after
six tumultuous years Sarwan said the team needed its supporters to back them to
the hilt.
“We have a very good chance of winning this competition. We are at home and that
gives us an advantage,” said Sarwan, a veteran of that 2004 success. “What is
important is that we play as a team and try and support each other as much as we
can, whether it’s in the field or when we are batting or bowling. That is
something we hope to do and we hope we can do it on a consistent basis.”
Sarwan, who is on the comeback trail from injury, felt the Caribbean fans had a
big role to play. “There will certainly not be a problem getting support from
our fans,” he said. “I think over the years, although we have not been at our
best, the fans have been very supportive and I think they know that we need
their support now.”
The hosts have been grouped with Ireland and England during the initial phase of
the World Twenty20. In the inaugural tournament in 2007 they suffered a
humiliating loss to Bangladesh and exited in the first round and in 2009 they
lost in the semis to Sri Lanka. Clyde Butts, the president of the West Indies
selectors, was optimistic about the team’s chances this year.
“We have Chris Gayle at the top of the order and he can be a match-winner. It is
also good to have our experienced players in the middle-order – Shiv Chanderpaul
and Ramnaresh Sarwan – and this gives us strength in the batting,” he said.
“Wavell Hinds has been recalled and he brings a wealth of experience. Dwayne
Bravo is one of the leading allrounders in world cricket and he is the key man
with bat and ball.
“We are happy to have Jerome Taylor back in the bowling department and this is a
big plus. I also believe Sulieman Benn will play a major role with the ball.”

Kieron Pollard

An outrageous scoop shot over the wicketkeeper for six. Kieron Pollard’s brilliant all round show earns him Man of the Match award.

Trinidad and Tobago big-hitting all rounder Kieron Pollard, derided by some as an unvarnished “vooper”, is demonstrating in the Indian Premier League T20 competition that he is worth every penny of his US $750,000 contract.

On Tuesday, his remarkable 13-ball innings of 45 which included five thunderous sixes and two fours; his tight bowling and athletic fielding which accounted for two run outs won him the “Man of the Match” award when his team when his team Mumbai Indians easily defeated the Delhi Daredevils.

It was his highest score so far in the competition and one of the sixes was an outrageous scoop shot over the wicket keeper, off fast bowler Ashish Nehra.

He came to the crease with three overs left and with only 133 runs on the board and his breathtaking batting propelled the team to 183, dominating a partnership of 50.

Captain Sachin Tendulkar who scored 30 said at the end of the match that “ today  the way he batted put us in a winning position”. He also described Pollard’s innings as “terrific” and the most important one he has played so far.

While fellow Trinidadian, the more experienced Dwayne Bravo, was dropped for a couple of matches, Pollard has played in all 12 with swift cameo innings, brilliant fielding and effective wicket-taking bowling.

He has certainly enhanced his reputation as a dynamic allrounder.

Mumbai Indians were just a win away from reaching the semi-final. Read more….

Mumbai Indians were just a win away from reaching the semi-final, but their
progress hit a stumbling block following their second consecutive scratchy
batting performance, this time against an inspired Kings XI Punjab in Mohali.
Punjab were assisted by a slow pitch and a disciplined show by their bowlers who
exploited it well to restrict Mumbai to an unsatisfactory 154. Piyush Chawla and
Irfan Pathan took three wickets apiece to set up Punjab’s win, which was
achieved in the final over.
Kumar Sangakkara’s half-century was constructed on a decent platform built by
his openers, who had added 41 in quick time. A couple of late wickets gave
Mumbai a narrow opening, but a second specialist spinner, or more slow-bowling
options, could have resulted in a closer contest.
The spell which stamped Punjab’s authority was Chawla’s, who removed the big
hitters in a four overs to deliver his first convincing performance of the
tournament. It took 11 games for Chawla to finally show up. In the ten games
prior to this, he bled 55 runs per wicket at 8.33 an over, all for just five
wickets. His selection for the ICC World Twenty20 ahead of the tournament’s
leading wicket-takers, Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha, flummoxed many. It took a
long time coming, but for once, sixes didn’t fly off his bowling and the batsmen
treated him with a bit more respect.
He was fortunate to be bowling in conditions which suited him. Though the pitch
didn’t take much turn, the slowness assisted bowlers like him and Ramesh Powar,
who bowled out their overs in one spell. Punjab captain Sangakkara realised that
spin was the best option after the seamers got tonked by Ambati Rayudu.
Match Meter

MIRayudu hammers: Mumbai’s only period of dominance with the bat.
Rayudu smashes Pathan and Ablish for six boundaries in two overs to help
his team race to 45 off five overs KXIPChawla nips out three: Chawla
gets rid of the big hitters, including Sachin Tendulkar, to set Mumbai
back from 51 for 1 to 70 for 4 KXIPJayawardene steps on the gas: A
breezy 31 off 18 balls by Jayawardene gets Punjab off the blocks to 41
at the end of four overs KXIPSangakkara takes them closer: Sangakkara
takes control of the chase after Jayawardene’s dismissal. He reaches his
fifty in the 18th over with Punjab needing a gettable 19 off 15
Advantage Honours even
A change of pace brought about an immediate shift in momentum, as Chawla
breached Rayudu’s defences with a topspinner. An alert and brilliant stumping by
Sangakkara sent back Saurabh Tiwary but the trophy wicket was undoubtedly Sachin
Tendulkar’s. Having progressed to 25, he attempted a wild slog off Chawla but
lost his middle stump to a straighter delivery. Re-run the tapes to 2005 and it
was at this very venue where Chawla had castled Tendulkar with a googly during
the Challenger Trophy. Not surprisingly, it was the 16-year-old Chawla’s claim
to fame.
His partner Powar didn’t get a wicket, but he kept things tight by varying his
flight and pace to make the batsmen think twice before stepping out. Chawla’s
three wickets dented the run rate, which dipped from 9 to 7.25 after he finished
his spell. It started to pick up once JP Duminy got his eye in. But he didn’t
get enough support from the other end to finish the innings in a flourish. Irfan
induced a thick outside edge from R Sathish and flattened Kieron Pollard’s off
stump with a yorker. Sathish and Pollard had added 26 and 38 respectively with
Duminy, but those were nothing more than brief recoveries.
Mumbai’s best chance of fighting back was to pick up early wickets, but
curiously, Tendulkar didn’t attack with Harbhajan Singh straightaway as he had
done in recent games. There were two bowling changes in the first four overs; by
then Punjab had raced to 41 thanks to Mahela Jayawardene. He was harsh on length
balls and played some crispy drives through the off side. Lasith Malinga kept
him in check with slower balls before dismissing him with a chip to Tiwary at
mid-on. Adrian Barath too played with freedom, using his feet to Harbhajan and
not letting him settle. Harbhajan conceded 34 off his four overs; the part-timer
Duminy had better figures of 1 for 15 from three.
Sangakkara got going with crunchy drives off Zaheer Khan and didn’t try any
risky shots till he got out in the penultimate over. His presence ensured that
Punjab were never in grave of danger of losing. Yuvraj Singh supported him in a
stand of 38 before he holed out to deep midwicket. Sangakkara reached his fifty
off a fumble at the extra-cover boundary but a loft towards long-off cut short
his knock. Pathan backed his good showing with the ball with a few big hits to
seal the game, which never slipped out of Punjab’s grasp.
Kanishkaa Balachandran
is a sub-editor at Cricinfo

.

From Cricinfo

Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, has said that he will not rush injured Fidel Edwards back

into action….Read more….

Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, has said that he will not rush injured
Fidel Edwards back into action because he doesn’t want to put the fast bowler’s
“whole career at risk”. Edwards is recovering from recent back surgery and
hasn’t played for West Indies since the World Twenty20 in June 2009.
“We can’t afford to rush him [Edwards] because, if we rush him and something
happens, it could put his whole career at risk and we don’t want to do that,”
Gibson told CMC. “He is somebody that we hope – he is only 28 years old – fully
recovers from his operation and comes back to play a major part for us in the
next couple of years.”
Though Edwards hasn’t played for West Indies since his injury in the World
Twenty20, he turned out for his IPL franchise Deccan Chargers in the Champions
League Twenty20 in India last October. He returned from the tournament injured
and wasn’t given a contract by the West Indies board.
“He abandoned it [WICB's remedial programme] and went to play in the Champions
League in India and got injured there,” WICB chief executive Ernest Hilaire had
said. “We now need to sort that out.”
Edwards then missed the tour of Australia and underwent surgery and Gibson said
he was currently undergoing rehabilitation. “He had a back operation sometime in
December or January. He’s doing a rehab programme with Jacqui King the
physiotherapist,” Gibson said. “Once you have had a back injury and it requires
an operation, it’s a very slow process sometimes. So he needs to take his time
with that. He is in good hands with Jacqui King.”

Sir Alec Bedser 1918-2010

Mickey Stewart, the former Surrey captain, has described Sir Alec Bedser….Read more….

Mickey Stewart, the former Surrey captain, has described Sir Alec Bedser, who
died on Sunday evening at the age of 91, as the “typical traditional English
professional cricketer”.
“This is obviously a very sad day for me and everybody who has been associated
with Alec both during his Surrey and England days,” Stewart said. “I first met
him in my debut season with Surrey in 1953 when he was the senior professional
and it was an honour and a great experience to play with him.
“He was an incredibly accurate medium pace bowler with great control and I know
he was extremely proud of the great Sir Don Bradman saying he was the finest
bowler of his type that he played against.
“He was also great friends to myself and my family. Whenever there were moments
of concern, Alec was always the first on the phone to see that everything was
okay.
“Alec was the typical traditional English professional cricketer and never quite
understood all the fuss that goes on about the game today – both on and off the
field. When he took his eleven wickets against India in 1946, the press rang at
home to speak to his mother for her reaction. Her reply was, ‘Well, isn’t that
what he’s supposed to do as a bowler?’.”
“Alec Bedser deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest England bowlers of
all time, a master of the craft of seam bowling and a true legend of the game,”
said Giles Clarke, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board.
“His contribution to cricket in this country as a player and an administrator
was immense and he will forever be associated with Surrey’s famous County
Championship winning sides of the 1950s,” said Clarke.
Paul Sheldon, the Surrey chief executive, added: “Sir Alec was an iconic figure
in world cricket. He upheld all the great traditions of the game and represented
an era that has had a lasting impact on the history of Test and county cricket.
Along with his twin brother Eric, he was one of the most recognisable characters
in cricket across the globe.
“In our sadness at the passing of one of the worlds greatest cricketers, we can
also celebrate the end of an innings which brought pleasure to millions – and
who was respected by all who were privileged to have known him.”

Inspired by their captain and urged on by the caudlron that is the Eden Gardens, Kolkata Knight

Riders roared back into the competition with a clinical win over Deccan Chargers. Read more….

Inspired by their captain and urged on by the cauldron that is the Eden Gardens,
Kolkata Knight Riders roared back into the competition with a clinical win over
Deccan Chargers. A splendid 88 from Ganguly, who with David Hussey led Kolkata’s
revival, propelled the home side to a formidable total and the bowlers struck
telling blows across Deccan’s two-faced chase that petered out tamely. At the
halfway stage of their innings Kolkata had 80 on the board, but the last five
overs yielded 65 runs to furrow Adam Gilchrist’s brow. In stark contrast, Deccan
managed just two boundaries in the last six overs and after Shane Bond bowled
four consecutive dot balls in the penultimate over the last six deliveries were
but a formality. Deccan’s nightmare was best summed up by the plight of their
captain, Gilchrist, who missed two stumpings and was then knocked over for just
nine.
For any Ganguly fan down the years, the man’s innings would have warmed the
heart. Ganguly had been under the scanner for his sluggish scoring, but it was
he and Hussey who added 78 in a steady 7.3 overs after Kolkata were struggling
at 68 for 3. From the time he put away the first ball of the game away to the
boundary off his hips, and cut the third one past point, Ganguly looked the best
he’s been this year. But once again Kolkata had failed to make a strong start,
with Chris Gayle and Cheteshwar Pujara failing to make an impression. Gayle was
utterly clueless about a gentle offcutter from Andrew Symonds that he lobbed
high in the air to long-off. Pujara played three classy boundaries but was
undone by the slowness of the track, becoming Symonds’ second victim. Despite
some wayward bowling, Deccan had kept Kolkata to 46 for 2 after the Powerplays.
Ganguly broke the shackles against Kemar Roach with a lovely lofted six over
mid-on, judging the length and hitting on the rise, and followed up next ball
with a delicate dab to third man for four. He then played a lovely steer for
four, timing Rohit’s offspin expertly between a strong off-side field.
Match Meter

DC  KKR Top-order trouble: Andrew Symonds strikes twice in the Powerplay
overs but Kolkata reach 46 for 2, a run rate of 7.66. KKRKolkata
revival: David Hussey joins Ganguly in the ninth over and a sensible
partnership is formed. Hussey is keen to get Ganguly on strike and
Ganguly reciprocates with the odd boundary. At 116 for 3 after 15 overs,
Kolkata have set themselves up for a final push. KKRThe Hussey and
Ganguly show: Hussey gets going with a straight six off Symonds, moving
from 11 from 16 balls to 17 from 17, and receives a life off Ojha. In
the same over Ganguly sends the Eden faithful into raptures with three
slogged sixes before he falls. DCFast start: Despite the loss of
Gilchrist, Deccan finish their first six overs with a run-rate of 9.83,
and Herschelle Gibbs is timing the ball well. KKRThe wheels come off:
Three boundaries in one Mohnish Parmar over prove very handy to Deccan’s
cause, but then a double-strike puts the skids on the chase. Shane Bond
returns to get Gibbs for 50 and Rohit Sharma is bowled by Murali Kartik.
KKRTight bowling seals it: With Deccan needing 48 from 18 deliveries,
Ajit Agarkar returns to bowl a super eight-run over. Bond follows up
with four dot balls in the next over.
Advantage Honours even
Hussey’s arrival, after Manoj Tiwary played a poor shot to Pragyan Ojha, settled
the innings. Ganguly batted on purposefully, collecting boundaries both sides of
square off the erratic Harmeet Singh, and reached his second half-century of the
tournament by putting an Ojha full toss away for six. Kolkata’s scoring rate
dipped slightly as Hussey indulged in some sensible single-hunting instead of
risky shots, but Ganguly did well to keep it from slipping too far with the odd
poached boundary. Only in two overs of their crucial alliance was a four not
hit, and Gilchrist erred by missing a stumping when Ganguly was 67. At 116 for 3
after 15 overs, Kolkata had set themselves up for a final push.
Hussey got it going with a straight six off Symonds, moving from 11 from 16
balls to 17 from 17, and received a life when Gilchrist muffed a simple stumping
off Ojha. In the same over Ganguly sent the Eden faithful into raptures with
three slogged sixes before he fell trying a fourth. Hussey’s second six, off the
expensive Roach, brought up the 150 and though he and Mathews fell in the space
of three deliveries in the penultimate over, Agarkar slapped two boundaries to
help the total to 181. The last five overs had cost 65 runs and that proved
decisive in the final outcome.
Kolkata’s defense of 181 started poorly, with the offspinner Mohnish Parmar
thrust into a tough spot on his debut. Herschelle Gibbs took three boundaries
off the opening over, two slapped fiercely past square leg and the third
delicately run down to third man, and Deccan had 14 on the board. Shane Bond was
then driven over extra cover for six by Gibbs, and it seemed the chase was on.
Enter Ajit Agarkar. Gilchrist smacked his first two deliveries for four but
top-edged the fourth to midwicket. That left Gibbs and Monish Mishra to rebuild
the innings, and Mishra set about it with a lovely stab past the wicketkeeper
for four but couldn’t press on. He pummelled a few more handy blows in a breezy
29 before falling to an uncontrolled shot, and the runs started to dry up as a
wee bit of swing led to more flails at air than solid connections.
Kolkata briefly threatened to throw it away, bowling a series of full tosses and
spilling two catches. Gibbs was dropped on 34 by Angelo Mathews, who stuck out
his right hand but failed to latch on, and Symonds was also let off by Parmar,
though the ball was slapped back fiercely. Three boundaries in one Parmar over
proved very handy to Deccan’s cause, but then came a double-strike that put the
skids on the chase. Gibbs, just after getting to fifty, gave Bond the charge and
picked out Hussey at long-off, while Rohit Sharma ate up three dot balls before
being bowled off the thigh playing against the turn.
Suddenly the boundaries seemed miles away and the batsmen, especially Symonds,
wary of going anywhere near them. Matthews allowed just six from the 17th over
and with Deccan needing 48 from 18 deliveries, Agarkar returned to bowl a super
eight-run over. Symonds picked up a boundary off the first ball of the 19th
over, but that was the first Deccan had managed since the 14th over and that
told a story in itself.
Jamie Alter is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo