Pakistan Cricket: Why Shahid Afridi Retired?

Pakistan Cricket has got another bad blow…They lost their first test against Australia at Lord’s by 152 runs. But the real blow was that their newly appointed captain Shahid Afridi has announced retirement from Test Cricket, allowing Salman Butt to lead Pakistan Cricket team in the rest of test matches Pakistan team is set to play against Aussies and England

Well, this is unfortunate for Pakistan Cricket. Whenever it seems that Pakistan team is showing some signs of improvement, another blow controversy them. Pakistan won the 2-match T20 cricket series against Australia. Their supporters and critics have started to call it a new beginning for Pakistani Cricket team. They started off well in the Lord’s test; especially their bowling has been excellent. But their weak point was inexperienced and inconsistent batting line-up. And that’s what cost them the match. They were bowled out for a mere 148 in the first innings.

Although they started off well in 2^nd innings chasing 420, Pakistan got a good start, thanks to Salman Butt. They looked focused until Salman Butt was stumped off the bowling of North. And after that, the Pakistan batsmen looked like they were playing a practice match. Coming in, slogging, and getting out cheaply. No one looked like playing a test match.

And just after this defeat, Shahid Afridi came out and announced his retirement from Test cricket.

All this was very sad. I think Afridi led the side quite well. Pakistani Cricket team played reasonably good cricket except their poor batting performance, which was very much expected. But, I think, the abrupt announcement of Shahid Afridi’s retirement was the biggest drawback. 

Yes, Afridi was never a test cricketer. But he has accepted the test captaincy. He should not have accepted the responsibility if he was not sure about his place in the Test XI. All this has sent a message of chaos and uncertainty, which the Pakistani team wanted to get rid of.

All this shows how Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is handling the cricket affairs of Pakistan. I must say, PCB chairman Mr. Ejaz Butt is the most incompetent chairman in the history of PCB, or even in the cricket world. This man has only brought crises after crises in Pakistan cricket. From the attack on Sri Lankan team to the pathetic series in Australia, Pakistan cricket had to pay (and is still paying) the price of the hasty, short-sighted and dishonest decisions from Ejaz Butt. He is such a mis-fit in PCB that without his exit from PCB, I don’t see any improvement in Pakistan Cricket team.

Anyways, I wish a good luck to Salman Butt and his men and hope that his team performs well against Aussies and England.

Your Turn Now: Do you think Shahid Afridi has done the right thing by taking Retirement from Test? Is Salman Butt a good choice as Captain? Will the Pakistan team perform well now? Or Anything Else…Tell in Your COMMENTS!

Can Pakistan Cricket Team beat Australia at Lords?

Pakistan cricket team is set to play their first Cricket Test against Australian Cricket team at the Lords from 13^th July. This is the first ‘Away’ Test series of Pakistan Cricket team. Pakistani team will play 2 Tests in this series against the Aussies.

Pakistan Cricket is in a recovery phase. The trauma that started from their Australian tour earlier this year in which Pakistani cricket team lost literally every match of series. And the controversies that hit Pakistan Cricket were destructive.

However, Pakistan team has a new captain, Shahid Afridi, the boom boom. Afridi has shown that team spirit and unity can change the whole scenario. The Pakistani team that looked like minnows, has now turned into a cornered tiger. They have already beating Australia in the 2 T20 matches. Yes, the T20 is a lot more different than the Test cricket but victory is a victory at the end of the day.

So, can Pakistan Cricket team win the Test Series? Well, it’s a very tricky question. Let’s analyze the two teams.

Day/Night Test: The Only Way To Survive for Test Cricket?

Cricket needs change! Ever since the first Cricket Test match played between England & Australian Cricket teams, in 1877, Cricket has gone through many changes. And now, most critics believe that some rigorous changes need to be made to the Test Cricket in order to keep it alive!

Test Cricket is the purest form of the game. Cricket, widely considered as World’s 2^nd most famous sport, has gone through different forms of transformation in the last 133 years. From 8-ball over to 6-ball over, from white uniform to colored team kit, from Red ball to White ball, and from 5-day cricket to 1-day cricket and now the 20-over cricket and so on.

The most recent change that everyone is talking about is the Day/Night Test. The proposed idea is said to be important in terms of avoiding the death of Test Cricket. Most of the heavy weights have supported this idea. Former Australian captain Steve Waugh, and the Indian Cricket legend, Rahul Dravid, have also supported the D/N Test Cricket idea, so as Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan Cricket team skipper.

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has also backed this idea of Day/Night Test matches. MCC is widely considered as the Conservative Guardians of Cricket tradition. In recently held meeting of MCC, it was agreed upon that the Day/Night Test matches were the only way to salvage the longest version of the game. The MCC has also raised concerns about the percentage of the audience who see Test Matches in India, which is only 11% of the total Indian audience watching all formats of the sport.

As proposed, the Day/Night Test matches will be played with

ICC: India Rules Cricket Australia Out?

Australian Cricket is continuously under pressure. First the Australian cricket team has lost its consistency. And now, the Cricket Australia, Australian cricket board, seems to have started losing its influence on World Cricket affairs.

John Howard, the former Prime Minister of Australia, has been rejected for the post of Vice President of ICC, in the Executive meeting of the Cricket’s governing body held in Singapore on Tuesday. John was the candidate nominated by Australia & New Zealand, but only England (apart from the nominators) voted in favor of his run for the Vice Presidency. A vast majority, featuring the Cricket boards of Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa and West Indies voted against John Howard. Cricket analysts fear that this development has raised the concerns of division of World Cricket in 2 parts: “White” & “Non-White nations”!

John Howard is not a new name in Cricket World. As Australian Premiere, he has raised voice against different issues related to Cricket. Especially, Howard has severely criticized Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe. He has also invited anger from Sri Lanka for supporting ban on Muttiah Muralitharan for his ‘illegal’ arm action. 

In the same meeting of ICC board members, India’s Sharad Pawar has taken up the responsibility as the President of ICC. Pawar was former chairman of BCCI, the Indian Cricket Board. 

Now ICC has asked Australia & New Zealand Cricket boards to nominate someone else for this post.  

To me, John Howard’s rejection is not a big issue. But what is more significant is that the ICC Executive Board has divided into 2 blocs. If you look at the past

Cricket Regime: Who Will Replace Australia?

Australia Cricket team has long ruled the Cricket World. In almost every Cricket World Cup, Australian Cricket team has played as favorites. They still hold the Cricket World Champions title. But, will they be able to continue their regime on Cricket World? Let’s look into it in some details!

Australia has been known as the “Unbeatable” team in world of Cricket for the most of 2000-2010 decade. They have been on No.1 spot of the ICC Team Rankings in both Tests & ODIs. Aussies team has been termed as the synonymous to “Consistency”. They got habitual of winning in every game, every tournament, and every country and under all sorts of conditions! 

But for the last year or so, Australian Cricket team seems to have been losing the grip on this Consistency. They lost their Top spot in Test Rankings to India. Australia is not even ranked No.2 in ICC Test Rankings. They have 3^rd Spot after South Africa in Tests. On the other hands, although they are on No.1 in ICC ODI rankings but they are not far away from South Africa & India at No.2 and No.3 respectively. 

England lost the T20 World Cup-2010 final earlier this year to England. And now they are touring England for ODIs and the Ashes. Aussies have already lost their first 3 ODIs to England out. This means the 5-match ODI series is already won by the hosts, England.

Australia is also scheduled to play 2 Tests and 2 T20 matches against Pakistan in England. It will be great test for both Aussies and Pakistani Cricket team.

So, which Cricket team do you think has the potential to take the place of Australian Cricket Team?

Worst Ever Pakistan Cricket Team For England?

Well, Pakistan Cricket Board has done it again! Pakistani Cricket team is due to tour England from the next week where Pakistan Cricket Team is going to play against the hosts, England, and the World Champions Australia.

What Pakistan Cricket Board has done this time is not new though. The one-man show continues to run in PCB. Mr. Ejazz Butt, the king of Pakistan Cricket, is absolutely free to make decisions. It only happens in Pakistan Cricket, that the Chairman of Cricket Board announces the team in the Press Conference with the Chief Selector sitting beside him during Asia Cup-2010!

As expected, the Pakistani Cricket Team announced for England tour has raised many eye-brows. The Pakistani Cricket team includes names like Shoaib Malik, Imran Farhat, and Kamran Akmal and excluding Younis Khan, Asim Kamal, Abdul Rahman and Sarfaraz Ahmed.

The most unfortunate news is that Pakistani Cricket team’s

Pakistan Cricket Team: Crisis Or Bad Luck!

Now, I feel sorry for Pakistan Cricket team. Yes, they lack consistency, but their recent record in Cricket does not realistically highlight the quality cricket they have been playing.

It all started from the ICC Champions Trophy in 2009. Pakistan, the-then T20 World Champions, played against New Zealand in the Semi-finals. Pakistan Cricket Team played well, the game was very close, but New Zealand managed to hold their nerves and won the match.

Then Pakistani Cricket team toured New Zealand in the end of 2009. Pakistani team was winning the first test but eventually lost to the Kiwis by 32 runs on the last day. Pakistan Cricket team comprehensively won the 2^nd Cricket Test by 141 runs but the final match was without result. The series was drawn 1-1.

Just before the end of New Zealand tour, Pakistani

Asia Cup-2010: India Vs Pakistan Cricket History

Cricket claims to be the world’s 2^nd most popular sport in the world after Soccer. Although debatable, but when it comes to South Asia, Cricket is by far the most popular sport here.

South Asia is the power house of Cricket. And the most powerful cricket board, BCCI, the Indian Cricket Board, is also a part of South Asia. Over the years, South Asia has contributed a lot towards the game of Cricket. First, India and Pakistan produced legendary cricket stars like Sunil Gavaskar, Zaheer Abbas, Sarfaraz Nawaz, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Majid Khan…and the list goes on and on.

Then, Cricket spread its roots to the neighboring countries of these two arch-rivals. Sri Lanka started showing some great talent. And now Bangladesh is emerging as the 4^th strongest team of Asia.

But the Cricket in South Asia is mainly dominated by India and Pakistan. And when these 2 teams (India vs Pakistan) are up against each other, you are bound to get excited. No matter what the event is, no matter what the Cricket Ranking of each of these teams, no matter which era it is, when there is match featuring India vs Pakistan, the whole Cricket world expects a fascinating clash.

The history of India vs Pakistan Cricket is very volatile. More often than not, the two teams avoided playing Cricket against each other due to the several political tensions.

India Vs Pakistan History

Since 1978, there have been a total 118 ODI Cricket matches featuring India vs Pakistan. Out of which

Asia Cup-2010: History & Future!

Asia, not only the largest Continent on Earth but it’s the biggest region when it comes to the craze for Cricket.  Asia is really the power house of Cricket. Nations like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and now Bangladesh have contributed a plenty to the Cricket world.

Asia Cup is a tournament that features all these 4 teams in ODIs. The tournament was first played in 1984 in Sharjah, UAE organized by ACCA, the Asian Cricket Council. However, this tournament has not been held regularly due to the unfavorable political and Cricket affairs between different Asian nations, especially between India and Pakistan.

A total of 8 editions of Asia Cup Cricket Tournament have been held. India and Sri Lanka have been victorious 4 times each. The first Asia Cup was won by India in 1984. However, in 1986, Sri Lanka managed to become the Asian Champions. In 1988, team India regained the title.

Indian cricket team managed to defend the title in 1990-91. Then in 1993, the Asia Cup was scheduled to be held in Pakistan but due to political tensions, it was not held. In 1995, once again India cricket team managed to successfully defend the title. In 1997, Sri Lankan team came up as victorious.

Pakistan Cricket team could only win the Asia Cup Cricket Tournament in year 2000, held in Bangladesh. There was again a gap of 4 years when the Asian rivals locked horns again in 2004. This time, Sri Lanka reclaimed the title.

The last time Asia Cup was held in 2008, when Pakistan was hosting the event for the first time. Sri Lanka cricket team again managed to win the title when they beat India in the Final.

Now, the 9^th edition of the Asia Cup Cricket tournament is going to be held from June 15, in Dambulla, Sri Lanka.

It’s not easy to figure out the favorites for the Asia Cup-2010. Not because all teams are evenly good, but because the performance of these teams have not been impressive in the recent times. Let’s have a look at each team:

Team India:

Indian cricket team is struggling with

Can Cricket Compete With Football?

The biggest sport event on Earth, the FIFA World Cup-2010 is about to begin. Being held in South Africa, this will be the 19^th edition of the World’s most popular global event. FIFA World Cup is truly the biggest sports event when it comes to the craze, popularity and devotion. Even the Olympic Games cannot compete with the excitement and craziness that a FIFA world cup ignites. Soccer world cup is such a big event that people (like me) who normally do not follow football, are bound to take interest in the game!

Football or Soccer is the planets’ most popular game. Soccer has the world’s largest fan following on Earth. It’s fast, it’s exciting and it’s highly competitive. People are crazy about Football.

FIFA, the Federation of International Football Association, is the worlds’ most influential and powerful sport governing body.

So, why I opted to write on Soccer World Cup-2010? Actually, I got the feeling that I should write something about the comparison between Cricket & Soccer, or ICC & FIFA, for that matter.

Soccer is said to have a Chinese origin, where it was discovered by the English and is now the most followed sport in 93 countries with a two-billion population. 

FIFA has 208 member nations. The English Premier League (EPL) and the Champions League are the most popular football leagues. Soccer also has the largest base of diehard fans, players and professional leagues in the world’s largest economy, Europe.

As mentioned above, the FIFA World Cup is the biggest and most lucrative sporting event in the world. The 2006 tournament, involving 64 matches, 32 nations and television coverage in 214 countries, had a cumulative television audience of 26 billion people. According to another report, the final between Italy and France was watched by 700 million viewers.

Well, everybody knows Soccer or Football is the world’s most popular sport. But which sport comes 2^nd, it is highly debatable. The popularity level is measured in terms of total estimated followers/fans for a particular sport. The most recent records as

Why Team India Thrown Out?

What we predicted has happened. Indian Cricket team has been thrown out of the Tri-series in Zimbabwe, quite convincingly. The host Zimbabwe has beaten India twice in a week to remove Team India’s chances of playing final of the series.

So, what went wrong with Indian team? As we have already discussed in our previous post, the selection of team India was the main cause of the team’s dismal show. The team comprised of all youngsters with no big names. The most shocking decision was to exclude the skipper, MS Dhoni. The selection was pathetic.

However, I support the idea behind the selection, to give chance to the youngsters ahead of Asia Cup-2010. But the way this idea was executed, was absolutely unacceptable. You just cannot afford the risk of playing all the young 11, without any experience, and most importantly, under a very inexperience captain.

I also feel sorry for the youngsters who played in the tri-series. They were put under enormous pressure, with inexperience captain, and without any experience players to learn from. This might just ruin the future of these young Indian players.

This decision of excluding all the big names has backfired. India has lost the 2^nd position in the ODIs and has moved to the

Does Pakistan Need Shoaib Malik?

Well it’s disappointing. The Pakistan Cricket Board has once again taken a U-turn on their decisions. After banning and fining almost all the top players of the Pakistan team, PCB has now decided to take some steps back on the issue. PCB has lifted the ban from Shoaib Malik and halved the fine of Rs.3 Million. The fines on Umer Akmal and Kamran Akmal have also been relaxed.

However, the PCB has not taken any decisions on

Young Team: Toothless India...!

The Indian Cricket team is playing the Tri-series in Zimbabwe. This series also features the hosts, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. But the most surprising news is the team India selection for this series.

Senior Indian Cricketers have been rested for this triangular cricket series in Zimbabwe, Suresh Raina is leading the young Indian team in the series.

I support the Indian selector’s decision to include youngsters in the national team, but what amazed me was the exclusion of almost all the cream of the senior cricketers. I have not seen such a clean sweep of senior players from Indian cricketers for a while. The team does not include players like Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh  and most amazingly, the captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The idea was to give opportunity to a host of youngsters for their impressive performances in the domestic circuit. Players like R. Ashwin, Pankaj Singh, Umesh Yadav, Ashok Dinda, Vinay Kumar and Naman Ojha have been awarded for their good performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Murali Vijay is another youngster who will make his ODI debut. Virat Kohli is the vice-captain while Rohit Sharma and Pragyan Ojha make a comeback in the ODI side.

Besides the Tri-series, ending June 09,  India will also play two Twenty20 internationals against Zimbabwe. Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla will play only in the two Twenty20s.

Now, there are a few issues I want to discuss here. First, the Indian team should not

Pakistan Team for Asia Cup, England: Something Missing?

I am astonished by the way Pakistan Cricket Board is running the Cricket affairs. PCB has taken back a number of decisions which they made haphazardly. Recently, PCB has announced a 35-member probable Pakistan Cricket squad for Asia Cup and the England Tour.

Shahdi Afridi has been given the charge of Captaincy in all the 3 formats of the game. Many people question his captaincy in the Tests when he has not played the longest form of the game for the last 4 years. However, I think with the limited options PCB has, Afridi may the ideal candidate for the job.

And if you appoint Afridi as Captain in ODIs and T20, then who will lead the side in Test?

A New Beginning for England Cricket, Is it?

England, the Father of Cricket, has finally won an ICC title. The T20 World Cup-2010 played in Caribbean, has brought a new milestone for the English Cricket.

I am a big fan of English Cricket, they have produced a number of legendary players from Alec Bedser to Ian Botham all are Cricket Greats. But this is always shocking to know that England had never won an ICC title before this World T20.

England has been ruling the international cricket from the start. They got to the Finals of Cricket World Cup, in 1979, 1987, and 1992. In 1979, West Indies thrashed England. In 1987 Australia managed to overcome them and in 1992, the Imran Khan-led Pakistan team snatched the final from England. English Cricket team also managed to reach the ICC Champions Trophy in 2004, but West Indies did not allow them to win the trophy.

Was it only ‘bad luck’ that didn’t allow England to win the ICC title before this T20 World Cup-2010? Well, I don’t think so. I believe a lot has to do with the ability of English players to take pressure in the important games. You can label them as ‘Chokers’ too, like the South Africans.

But that’s a history now. I think the way English team played in the 3^rd T20 World Cup, was phenomenal. It’s great to see that the Fathers of Cricket has been able to take their share from the World Cricket.

So, what makes this English Side superior than the previous ones?

Pak V Aus: Was Sydney Test Fixed? ICC Investigates!

Well again the Pandora Box of Match-Fixing in Pakistan Cricket has been opened. I feel very sorry to see Pakistani cricketers been accused of match-fixing. This is not new though. We have already talked about Match-Fixing phenomenon right after the Australian tour of Pakistan Cricket team in the previous post.

So what’s new then? Actually a video is being shown on different news channels and on the web in which Pakistani Cricketers are shown expressing their views in front of the Probing Committee of Pakistan Cricket Board, which was formed to investigate the worst ever tour of Pakistan team to Australia. In this video, team management raised their concerns about the possible involvement of some players in Match-Fixing during the Austrlia-New Zealand tour of the Pakistan team.

In the same video, players like Shahid Afridi and Mohammed Yousaf, who captained the side during the tour have criticized Shoaib Malik for his back-biting, negative behavior, indiscipline and politics. Now these are some serious allegations. But I am surprised that such a player has only got a ban of 1 year and a 20 million rupee fine. And players like Mohammed Yousaf and Younis Khan have been banned for indefinite period, although they were not charge with such severe allegations.

I always wonder, why these ‘great’ heroes of Pakistan Cricket, sell their

T20 World Cup-2010: A Cricket Failure?

The World T20 Cup-2010 has come to end with a historical win of England. Yes, England the land where Cricket was born. But it is shocking for most of the people that this is the first ever ICC title for England in the history of Cricket.

I personally believe England truly deserved to win this title. They have been far much superior than any other team in this tournament. Even Australia had seen some ups and downs. Especially the Semi-final against Pakistan has been termed as the Match of the Tournament. Where Michael Hussy took simply demolished the Pakistan bowling to take his team into the finals.

Many people asked whether Pakistan deserved a place in the Semi-finals. But the way Pakistan played in the Semi-final against Australia all these mouths are shut now. Pakistan was the first team in the World T20 Cup-2010 that troubled Australia. And Pakistan always won the match, had Hussy not showed his powerful display of batting.

The most disappointing efforts came from

T20 World Cup-2010: India Out, Blame IPL

Yes, the negative effects of IPL on Indian Cricket have started to come out. Team India has been thrown out of the ICC T20 World Cup-2010, being played in West Indies. India could not win a single match in the Super-8 round of the World T20 Cup and hence could not qualify for the semi-finals of the mega event.

India Cricket team has been performing outstandingly: Ranked No.1 in Test cricket and No.2 in ODIs. India also has the privilege of winning the first ever T20  World Cup back in 2008. So, what IPL has to do with the exit of Team India in the previous two T20 World Cup tournaments? Let’s try to find!

The biggest factor behind this failure is Indian Premiere League (IPL). Yes, it’s true. Indian Premiere League has taken its toll. The 45 day long cricket league has not only cricket, it included late night parties, hectic travel, extra pressure from franchise owners and a lot of money. Of course, players love all this. They enjoyed every bit of these activities and didn’t bother to keep an eye on their fitness to play the T20 World Cup-2010.

Yes, there are other international players who have played IPL but only Team India has

T20 World Cup-2010: Miracle in Cricket?

Miracles do happen. This can be proved by what happened to Pakistan Cricket team in ICC T20 World Cup-2010 when they eventually booked their seat for the Semi-Final of T20 World Cup-2010.

Pakistan had lost their first 2 matches of Super-8 round. They were almost out of the Semi-Final race. And then we saw that miracle. Pakistan won their last Super-8 match and then on the same day, England beat New Zealand to take Pakistan to the Semi-Finals of T20 World Cup-2010.

Pakistan team is highly fortunate and the other two teams left out of mega tournament were a lot unlucky, especially South Africa who have been labeled ‘Chokers’ due to their habit of losing the important matches.

South Africa were looking very impressive except their defeat to India in the first round. However, they lost important match against England in the Super-8 round and then they were beaten by Pakistan in the final match.

New Zealand, on the other hand also lacks

Can Pakistan Play T20 World Cup Semi Final?

Sluggish - The least one can say about the performance of Pakistan Cricket Team in the match against England.  And after losing a close match to New Zealand, people can only hope Pakistan qualifies for the Semi-finals of the T20 World Cup-2010.

Pakistan were playing the first match of their Super-8 round in the ICC T20 World Cup-2010, being played in West Indies. Pakistan batted first and could only score 147 despite a start. As usual, the poor batting forms of all the batsmen stopped Pakistan from getting a higher score.

In response, Pakistan Fielding was just good enough to help England achieve the target. Not only the batting failed for Pakistan, the bowling was also terrible. And fielding… well don’t ask me.

Saeed Ajmal was truly the hero for England. This man

ICC T20 World Cup-2010: An India-Pakistan Comparison

In Twenty20 Cricket you will find two strongest teams: Pakistan and India. India was the champion of the first T20 World Cup in 2008, while Pakistan was the champion in the 2^nd T20 World Cup in 2009. And this is the third edition of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup-2010. All eyes are again on these two teams, who will win, who will lose in T20 World Cup-2010? India and Pakistan have played both group matches in the ICC T20 World Cup-2010. I thought it’s a good time to compare the performance of both these teams in T20 World Cup-2010 so far.

India and Pakistan are archrivals and when these two play, it’s not easy to sit calmly in front of the TV set, especially, if you are an Indian or a Pakistani. India, Pakistan Cricket rivalry has been adding beauty to the game ever since they played each other for the first time. Especially, their record in Twenty20 World Cup has been outstanding against each other.

India and Pakistan, both have started T20 World Cup-2010 as favorites. However, India has

ICC T20 World Cup: Who is Favorite?

Twenty20 (T20) Cricket seems to have overshadowed the International Cricket. After 42-day extravaganza of IPL, Twenty20 World Cup (T20 World Cup-2010) is going to start from April 30.

This year will see the third edition of T20 World Cup. The inaugural T20 World Cup was won by India in 2008 when they beat archrival Pakistan in the Final. The second Twenty20 World Cup was won by Pakistan, beating Sri Lanka in the Final. This year T20 World Cup will be played in West Indies.

The question everyone is asking now is who will win the Twenty20 World Cup-2010. The answer, of course, is not easy!

Pakistan has the best record in Twenty20 World Cup, they are the only team to reach the final of the first two T20 World Cup tournaments, could only won the last T20 World Cup in 2009. Pakistan also has the best winning ratio in Twenty20 World Cup with 22 wins, 7 losses and 1 no-result.  However, Pakistan team for Twenty20 World Cup-2010 misses key senior players due to injuries/bans. Shahid Afridi, the skipper, is sure to make his team fight hard to win Twenty20 World Cup-2010.

Another favorite of T20 World Cup-2010 is India. India also has the privilege

IPL: Is Sachin Tendulkar a Great Captain

The little master Sachin Tendulkar has always made great impact on cricket. Sachin Tendulkar has registered a new addition to his never-ending record of achievements. Sachin Tendlukar leads Mumbai Indians (MI) into the Final of Indian Premiere League-2010 (IPL-2010).

Sachin Tendulkar has given a lot to the world of Cricket. From his stylish batting style to his brilliant batting techniques, Sachin Tendulkar has set highest standards for himself and his fans. Sachin Tendulkar has now added new dimensions to his success story as a captain of Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010). Under Sachin Tendulkar’s leadership, Mumbai Indians was the first team to book a seat in the finals of the Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010). Great Work Sachin Tendulkar!

Sachin Tendulkar has broken so many records and set up dozens of new

Corruption Controversy: Latest IPL Crisis!

Here we go! Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010) has met with controversies ever since it started the third season (IPL-2010) this year. The latest controversies associated with Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010) include the element of corruption in the Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010), involvement of Lalit Modi, the commissioner IPL, in Money Laundering, Match-Fixing, Tax Evasion, and the involvement of Underworld money in IPL. One can ask: Where is Cricket in IPL?

Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010) has been in the news ever since its start in 2008 (IPL-1). Most of the analysts have blindidly praised Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010). However, some of them (including me) have also raised voices about the negatives of Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010).

This year’s edition of Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010) was controversial ever since the Pakistani players were denied for selection by any franchise of IPL. Then, Cricketers from Australia, New Zealand, and England raised concerns about the security in Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010). These concerns turned out to be legitimate when there were 3 bomb explosions outside the stadium in Bangalore, just before an IPL match last week. The semi-finals of IPL shifted from Bangalore to Mumbai after this. IPL security was again questioned.

Another IPL controversy broke out when

KKR’s Cricket: Shahrukh Khan quits IPL?

By: Sana Khan

Well it’s so sad! The king of bollywood, Shahrukh Khan’s team Kolkatta Knight Riders (KKR) lost in the third edition of Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010). With this disappointing stuff from KKR in IPL-3, the question arises whether King Khan, Shahrukh Khan will give up his IPL campaign and quit IPL forever?

Not an easy question to answer guys! Shahrukh Khan has always been a symbol of success. Shahrukh Khan has faced the storms to attain his goals. Shahrukh Khan is known for his struggle, persistent hard work and achievements. Shahrukh Khan never gave up! But now…What Shahrukh Khan is thinking? Will the Bollywood No.1, Shah Rukh Khan give up?

Shahrukh Khan is very passionate about Cricket. And when Indian Premiere league (IPL) was launched, Shahrukh Khan was among the first Bollywood greats who participated in the auction for IPL teams. Indian Premiere League-3 (IPL-2010) moving towards semifinal phase, with Mumbai Indians has come up as the strongest contender for Indian Premiere League-3 (IPL-2010). Kolkatta Knight Riders (KKR) of which Bollywood King, Shahrukh Khan (SRK) is a co-owner, has been ruled out of the semifinals of IPL-2010 (IPL-3). Shahrukh Khan’s passion has earned him pain…Shahrukh Khan’s excitement has brought him frustration!

Third edition of Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010) has brought some

Sania Mirza Weds Shoaib Malik Against All Odds

Finally, the hot Sania Mirza weds Shoaib Malik. Hot Sania Mirza is a super tennis star of India, and shoaib Malik, a former Pakistan Captain. Yes it sounds odd.  But it’s a reality now.

The sizzling Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik won the battle against all the odds. Sania Mirza’s wedding with Shoaib Malik was not a child’s play. It’s like crossing a river of fire for both, Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik. When the news broke out that hot Sania Mirza will marry Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik, nobody believed it. This disbelief was not because Sania Mirza was a bigger celebrity than Shoaib Malik (although I believe so); nor it was because Sania Mirza wedding will end up her tennis career: The biggest thing stopping everyone to believe was that hot Sania Mirza would marry a Pakistani! “Impossible”, everyone said (including me)!

Hot Sania Mirza is a role model for the Indian women. Sania Mirza was a tennis superstar. Sania Mirza gave hope to the young tennis players in India. Sania Mirza was remarkable with achievements in her very short successful career. Hot Sania Mirza had to face different controversies

IPL Makes Cricket A University Course?

By: Sana Khan

Well here we go! I have been talking about the positives and negatives of Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010) on this very page. But here is another positive of Indian Premiere League (IPL).

As reported by an English daily, due to the powerful display of Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010), Cricket will be taught as a subject in the Auckland University, New Zealand. Indian Premiere League (IPL) has truly transformed the Cricket. With its fast-paced twenty20 (T20) format, Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010) has not only attracted the youngsters to see it, but Indian Premiere League (IPL) has provided a great opportunity for the cricketers to earn millions of dollars in a short span of time.

Indian Premier League (IPL-3) has rattled the world of cricket with its glamour, money and fast format of Twenty20 (T20). Glamour is not represented in Indian Premiere League (IPL) in the shape of hot IPL cheerleaders only but also with the active participation of hot Indian celebrities

Hot: IPL, Sania Mirza, Sushmita Sen, Bollywood?

Well, it’s all happening! The Indian Premiere League (IPL) in full swing; Hot Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik wedding, Ayesha Siddiqui’s plea for divorce,  Bollywood losing to Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010), Wasim Akram having fun with another hot Sushmita Sen…. Whoosh…!

I couldn’t decide which topic I should choose to write on. Indian Premiere League (IPL), Sania Mirza-Shoaib Malik-Ayesha Siddiqui triangle, Bollywood, Wasim Akram-Sushmita Sen affair or what? Finally I decided to discuss all these in one single post, isn’t it great!

The hottest topic these days on all the Indian channels is the Hot Sania Mirza-Shaoaib Malik wedding. The Sania Mirza, Shoaib Malik wedding news has left behind the Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010) in hype and sensation. I am sure Lalit Modi, the commissioner of Indian Premiere League (IPL) must be annoyed with all this. After all, Indian Premiere League (IPL) has overshadowed all other stories in India. Even, Bollywood, the Indian film industry, has been hit hard by the Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010).

Bollywood films like Love, Sex Aur Dhoka, Well Done Abba, Hum Tum Aur Ghost, Mittal V/s Mittal, Prem Kaa Game and

IPL: Shahrukh Khan Naked & Shilpa Shetty?

Yes, the Indian Premiere League (IPL) is driving the hot Bollywood stars crazy. First, the king of bollywood, Shahrukh Khan has announced that he is going to dance naked if his IPL team, Kolkatta Knight Riders (KKR) wins the Indian Premiere League 2010 (IPL-3). Then, hot Indian actress Shilpa Shetty gave her expressions when her team was playing yesterday in the Indian Premiere League (IPL-2010). Have to say, Indian Premiere League (IPL) has overshadowed the Bollywood too!

The hot Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) is the glad owner of the cricket Indian Premiere League (IPL) team  Kolkata Knight Riders. The Bollywood King’s team is doing pretty well in this season of IPL (Indian Premiere League). The King Khan, Shahrukh Khan is also happy because his team KKR did pathetically bad in the last edition of Indian Premiere League (IPL-2009). But this season of Indian Premiere League (IPL 2010) has brought some great news for KKR. That’s why when KKR won their last match in the IPL a few days back, Shah Rukh Khan was a little much more excited in the post IPL match party, when he said, “If my team will make it to the finals and win the IPL-2010… I`ll dance naked to my song ‘Dard-e-disco’ in the DY Patil stadium”.

Hold on Shah Rukh Khan. You are

Sania Mirza Weds Shoaib Malik: Tennis Ball On Cricket Pitch!!

By: Sana Khan

A surprising but pleasant news hit the world this week when the two sports stars from Pakistan and India confirmed their engagement reports. Shoaib Malik, the former Pakistan Cricket Captain and Hot and sizzling Sania Mirza, the top Indian Tennis Star are going to get married in the mid of April.

This is not the first time a wedding is being taken place between an Indo-Pak couple: There are plenty of such examples including former Pakistan Cricket Star and current Chief Selector of Pakistan Cricket Team, Mohsin Khan who married Rina Rai, an Indian Film Actress. Apart from the celebrities from India and Pakistan, there are dozens of couples belonging to the two rival countries and living a happy life together.

The Pakistan Cricket star Shoaib Malik hails from Sialkot, Punjab. Sania Mirza, on the other hand belongs to a Hyderabad Deccan, India. Both are Muslims.

I was personally shocked to hear this news, because there is no match between hot Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik. Oh come on, these two are totally different individuals, from totally different backgrounds, play totally different sports, and represent totally different (in fact, rival) countries. But maybe this is why it is said that couples are made up in the skies! In other words, “Rub Ney Bana Di Jorri…”

But there is one common thing between Shoaib Malik and hot Sania Mirza (of course, apart from being Muslims), and that is