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1. The Oval Cricket Ground was once a simple 10-acre market garden. It then became the headquarters of the Surrey County Cricket Club (SCCC).

2. Parveen Babi admitted to have made her film debut in cricketing style. Her first film was Charitra, in which she was paired opposite former cricketer Salim Durrani.

3. The term ‘A pair of spectacles’ means a person who has scored a zero in both innings of a match.

4. West Indian player Ellis Edgar Achong is famous for being the source of the term Chinaman. He was one of the first players with Chinese roots to play Test cricket. He was a left-arm spinner, and when he got Walter Robins stumped during the Manchester Test of 1933, it led to a remark ‘being dismissed by a Chinaman’ hence the term.

5. Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe are the two teams which hold the record for being involved in the shortest complete matches, taking into account the total number of balls bowled in the match.

6. Derek Underwood is the bowler who bowled Sunil Gavaskar the most number of times in his Test career - 12 times.

7. 1985 World Championships of Cricket was held to commemorate 150 years of Queen Victoria’s reign. Ravi Shastri had won an Audi for his brilliant performance in this tournament.

8. Vikram Solanki of England became the first ever Super Sub to play in ODIs.

9. The Diana Memorial cricket match was played on July 18, 1998 to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of W.G. Grace.

10. Sir Garfield Sobers is the author of a children’s novel about cricket, Bonaventure and The Flashing Blade, in which computer analysis helps a university cricket team become unbeatable.

11. The great all-rounder Richard Hadlee’s autobiography is titled At The Double.

12. In the world of cricket the nickname ‘Big Bird’ is given to the West Indian bowler Joel Garner.

Top Football flights will be on their way in the month of August. World is anxiously waiting for the ultimate attack, defense, tackle and skills on the football field. We bring you the predictions, teams and players to watch out for in the top three leagues of the World.
English Premier League (15th Aug - 9th May)
It is the most watch out league in the world. EPL is known for its sheer pace and it is a home to many super stars of the football world. If reports to be believe, Premier League is also the richest football showdown on the planet. EPL have been a dominant force in European football also. Since last three to four seasons, Champions League (Top European Honor) has witness the much more English teams in the Semi-Finals and Finals. Current (2009-2010) campaign of Premier League would take the intensity to a new level with Twenty teams fighting for the top honor.
Predictions
Manchester United will be the force to reckon with. Current champions might have lost the charisma of Ronaldo but they have enough power in their belly to be the champs once again. Chelsea with the new manager (Carlo Ancelotti) and Liverpool with their star players could tumble the title race. Last years fourth finisher Arsenal might go down further in the league with the departure of Adebayor and Toure. Manchester City relishing under new owner and players could be the surprise package of the current season. Rest of the positions would see up and down of many teams.
Probable Top Four Finishers
1. Manchester United
2. Chelsea
3. Liverpool
4. Manchester City, Aston Villa or Arsenal
Players to watch out for
Forwards: Rooney ( Man U), Drogba ( Chelsea), Torres (Liverpool), Vanpersie ( Arsenal), Robinho ( Man City), Owen( Man U), Adebayor ( Man City), Tvez ( Man City).
Mid-Fielders: Lampard ( Chelsea), Gerrad ( Liverpool), Fabregas ( Arsenal), Nani( Man U), Mascherano (Liverpool), Benayoun(Liverpool), Barry( Man City), Arshavin( Arsenal).
Defenders: Terry (Chelsea), Toure( Man City), Ferdinand( Man U), Carragher( Liverpool), Agger( Liverpool), Dunne( Man City), Bridge( Man City), Silvestre ( Arsenal).
Goalkeepers: Cech( Chelsea), Reina( Liverpool), Howard( Everton), Van Der Sar( Man U), Robinson(Blackburn Rovers), Almunia( Arsenal), Given( Man City).

Roger Federer claimed his third Cincinnati Masters title with a 6-1 7-5 victory over Novak Djokovic in the final.Federer, who beat defending champion Andy Murray 6-2 7-6 (10/8) in the semi-finals, confirmed his status as heavy favorite for the US Open with an outstanding performance. It was his 16th Masters Series title - his first as a father - and apart from Djokovic’s fight back early in the second set he was never troubled. The world number one and defending Wimbledon, French and US Open champion took his total career prize money to US dollars 50million with this triumph.

Usain Bolt created yet another piece of athletics history when Jamaica won the men’s 4×100 metres relay title. It was his third gold at the World Championship. He also set up a sensational win in the 200 metres at the World event in Berlin. After winning the 100m with a new world record of 9.58 seconds in recent times, Bolt completed another landmark by smashing his own world record in the 200m for good measure. Bolt stormed to victory in the Olympic Stadium in 19.19 seconds, slashing 0.11secs off the time set in Beijing last year, with Panama’s Alonso Edward claiming silver in 19.81 and American Wallace Spearmon the bronze in 19.85.Bolt 23, becomes the first man to hold the 100 and 200m world and Olympic titles at the same time following his triumph in last year’s Olympics. 

Olympic champion Lin Dan became the first shuttler to clinch three successive World Championship titles. He beat second seed compatriot Jin Chen in the summit clash.Dan, seeded fifth in the event, defeated his higher-ranked countryman 21-18, 21-16 a 46-minute contest. But his girlfriend Xie Xingfang faltered at the final hurdle and lost 23-21, 21-12 to Lu Lan at the BWF World Championships on Sunday. Incidentally, Lin Dan is the first shuttler to clinch three world titles. In another all-China final, eighth-seeded women’s doubles pair of Zhang Yawen and Zhao Tingting defeated second seeds Cheng Shu and Zhao Yunlei 17-21, 21-17, 21-16. All England champions Cai Yun and Hu Haifeng of China won a thrilling men’s doubles final over Jung Jae Sung and Lee Yong Dae of Korea 21-18, 16-21, 28-26. In all China won four out of the five golds on offer.

Michael Schumacher won’t be back to roar again on the F1 track. German has abandoned the comeback after failing to shrug off a neck injury suffered in a motorbike accident few months back. Earlier seven-time F1 world champion had agreed to help out former team Ferrari and step in for Felipe Massa on a temporary basis after the Brazilian suffered head injuries at the Hungarian Grand Prix recently. Ferrari have reacted quickly to the news that Michael Schumacher will not returning by naming Luca Badoer as his replacement. Schumacher told his official website: “I had to inform Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo and Team Principal Stefano Domenicali that unfortunately I’m not able to step in for Felipe.”I really tried everything to make that temporary comeback possible, however, much to my regret it didn’t work out.”

A good spinner is always a luxurious commodity. A great one is rarer. That is why, a certain Rajinder Goel has the most plausible reason to be as heart-broken as a lady who has lost her first love; having snatched 750 wickets at the domestic level and yet, that opportunity to play for the country at the highest level proving to elusive. He may have consoled himself with the fact that he had suffered the misfortune of being a contemporary to four rare gems in Bishen Singh Bedi, Chandrashekhar, Venkat and Prasanna and hence this end-result. After all, no spinner after the four had ridden high into their respective dusks, could ever capture the imagination of world cricket – let alone India – over such a sustained period of time apart from the sporadic existence of Abdul Qadir.
Other than Qadir, the purists world over had begun to worry about the slow death that this great art was besieged by. Till…
…till a certain trio of Anil Kumble, Shane Warne and Muthiah Muralitharan began an almost two-decade long sojourn, which was a recovery path for the spin bowling that left the world of cricket a much richer place to live in. Kumble and Warne have left the scene with more than a lot, while Murali may be scalping and erasing newer records by the buckets, but what they have also done is revived the spin bowling department. They spawned enough interest amongst youngsters to pick up the baton and deliver that finger-lickin’ wizardry that makes the inventions of latest technology like ‘slo-mo’ as thrilling as it is!
Thanks to the three, the art is, now well alive and kicking.
This piece features the spinners who took the world by storm in the year 2008, or exhibited enough potential to do so in the years to come.
Ajantha Mendis: A Rich Man’s ‘Tendulkar-the-bowler’:
For those uninitiated, this title needs an explanation or two. When Sachin Tendulkar was a more regular ‘irregular’ bowler, the television broadcasters had a serious problem in defining a suitable caption for him while describing his bowling when he came on to roll his arm over. Ajantha Mendis posed the same riddle to TV guys the world over. And the reason? He, like Tendulkar before him, bowled a variety of deliveries; one that spun back into the batsman, another that left him, a third that endeavoured to leave him but came back, and vice-versa, along with the usual bag of straighter ones, googlies, flippers and the Doosras and the Teesras of the world! Let me assure you, its not as simple it is writing about it!
The best part about the whole thing was that his consistency over his line and length is almost Glen Mcgrath-like. And this was reflected in his figures for the year, as he ended the year 2008 with an average that was so George Lohmannesque in nature, that everyone had to take notice. Such was the sheer bizarreness of his bowling and the corresponding result – most batsmen would have thrown a white handkerchief in surrender if they had been allowed to – that ‘google’ searches were dominated by keywords like ‘Ajantha Mendis video’!
Unfortunately, Sourav Ganguly and his men hadn’t had the opportunity to play Mendis in a lot more than what he did, otherwise, the results may have been a little different for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
He first made his mark in his debut ODI against the West Indies, where, on an unhelpful pitch he bamboozled Ramnaresh Sarwan enough to have elicited a quiet little snigger from most watching him bat. Sarwan had kept plodding and prodding, waiting in rapt anticipation for a loose delivery, but it never came and Mendis ended with figures of 3/39 off his ten. There was no looking back for him.
The final of the Asia Cup saw India get their first little dose of this wily, ‘you-name-it-I-bowl’ spinner, as he tickled the Indian line-up into surrendering to his magic; Mendis ending with a six wicket haul. But if Team India had thought that they were done with him, they were proved to be wrong as the very vaunted line-up of the likes of Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid and Laxman found the going difficult in the test series in the Island Nation; all thanks to this man.
And that is putting it mildly.
26 wickets at around 17 runs per wicket broke the Indian back to splinters, and had it not been for one crazy inning by Virender Sehwag, it could very well have been a 3-0 whitewash for the Sri Lankans.
These were the only three test matches that he featured in the year, but one would be interested to watch his progress over the next couple of years. Especially against the teams that are not-so-proficient against the slower ones. A delicious battle lies in store ahead!
Amit Mishra: Out of wilderness, into Kumble’s boots
Anil Kumble’s retirement was around the corner for a couple of years now. And the one huge reason why he would have had extended his playing career would have been the absence of a leggie who could, if not replace, at least give a semblance of hope for the future. And after five years of toiling away at the domestic level, Amit Mishra had finally captured his skipper’s imagination enough to return back to the team at the oldest format of the game.
Rather ironically, it was not only at the domestic level, but also his performance in the first season of the Indian Premier League that had changed the direction of the wind in his favour. Playing for the Delhi DareDevils, Mishra featured in only six of the 15 matches that his team played in – surprisingly, one must add – but when he did, it was his hat-trick against Hyderabad that stole the thunder. There was no looking back after that for this orthodox leg-spinner.
However, it had been the season before he was selected for the IPL that would have tilted the scales in his favour, when he had picked 27 wickets in the five matches that he featured in, at a rather measly average of 15 runs per wicket! And all this translated into Mishra getting a nod over the likes of Piyush Chawla and Chetanya Nanda for the home test series against Australia.
There were a few questions asked about his inclusion, so to say, pulled out of the blue, but all of them disappeared when he mixed his leg-spinners – that spun a mile on occasions – with his difficult-to-pick-up googlies and stunned most of the Aussies on his debut. Michael Clarke was dismissed off the last ball of the day off one such delivery that did not spin from around the wicket, as he picked a fifer in his very first inning.
Five tests and 20 wickets later, Mishra seems to have established himself as the number one leg-spinner in the Indian side, and knowing Dhoni’s penchant for continuity, it may just be a difficult task to get him out of the side now!
Jason Krezja: One Match Wonder?:
Shane Warne’s retirement, and Stuart MacGill’s sudden loss of form, confidence and self-belief left the Australians in dire straits this year. But what would have not helped matters was the unwarranted frequency with which they shuffled around with their spinners throughout the year. After MacGill’s full-tosses had been dispatched from the scene, along with the bowler himself, Beau Casson was tried out for a match, but then dropped for no apparent rhyme or reason. Bryce McGain was an injury-free week away from making into the test team after having only recently quit his software job, while the likes of Cameron White got a look-in for four tests in India.
Amongst all this melee, the one bowler who outshone everyone else – and by miles at that – was Jason Krezja, who finally made his debut in the final test match of the series, and captured a mind-boggling tally of 12 wickets against a team that was once a great player of spin bowling as a whole. India!
And then, for reasons known to the selectors only, he was dropped to make way for Nathan Hauritz, after one bad test match against South Africa at, the mother of all spinner-graveyards, the WACA in Perth.
What had stood out in his debut match was his ability to continue flighting and looping the ball amidst the barrage of shots that got played against him by the likes of Virender Sehwag and company. Whether he is able to maintain the same in the year to come is a question-mark, but a huge part of it would be answered only if the selectors decide to groom this very orthodox, but effective spinner.
Samit Patel and Graeme Swann: English Spinners, an oxymoron of sorts!
Till before the advent of Monty Panesar, an English spinner was anybody who had a run-up of less than five steps and delivered the ball at less than 100 km/hr! Such has been the paucity of the tweakers, that this year must rate amongst the best when it comes down to the spin bowlers. Apart from Panesar, the likes of Samit Patel and Graeme Swann made their mark this year, though, it must be said that it had a trifle lesser fan following than what Mendis would have had, and for obvious reasons.
The left-arm slow blower Patel was more of an ODI bowler with his strong hitting down the order to boot, but the real surprise was Swann who had made his debut eight years back and had then disappeared away into wilderness. His return to international cricket happened last year, and based on some of the excellent spells that he bowled against Sri Lanka, he was picked for seven ODIs against the Kiwis. With his ability to flight the ball and extract some turn, he played against India in the shorter version, and then impressed all and sundry with his bowling in the couple of tests he featured in. So much so that there were talks of dropping the more experienced Monty Panesar for the second, Mohali test and retaining Swann, and picking a quick bowler instead.
Shakib Al Hasan: The Surprise Package:
There is no doubting the fact that an year ago, not many would have given a Bangladeshi too much hope of featuring in a list of top play-makers in the spin department. In fact, most would have scoffed at the very suggestion. Shakib Al Hasan seems to have upset many an expectation with his all-round performance during the year. Hasan, the batsman was impressive enough, but it was as a bowler that he captured everyone’s imagination. 30 wickets at an average of less than 26 in tests would read good in anyone’s cricketing dictionary, but when one factors in the fact that he bowled without too much support from the other end and played against all his matches against stronger oppositions like the Kiwis, Proteas and the Lankans, one cannot help but doff one’s hat to him.
His best performance, though, came in a match against the Kiwis, when his seven-wicket haul had the tourists on the mat, before a one-man showing by Hasan’s left-arm spinning counterpart, Daniel Vettori helped them scrape through. He ended with match figures of 9/115, and for posterity ended with a neat half-century.
In the end, Hasan proved to be Bangladesh’s lone knight in a very shining armour; unfortunately, it was never enough to see the team through to a win.

January:
1: Arjuna Ranatunga, the former Sri Lanka captain, was appointed chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket following the resignation of Jayantha Dharmadasa.
11: South African all rounder Shaun Pollock announces his retirement from international cricket during the third Test against West Indies in Durban. He finishes with 421 wickets in 108 Tests at an average of 23.11 and 3781 runs at 32.31. In 303 one day internationals, he claimed 393 wickets at 24.50, and scored 3519 runs at 26.45.
13: Marlon Samuels is reported for a suspect action by the on-field umpires after the Durban Test. An independent analysis later confirms the umpires’ judgment and Samuels is duly suspended from bowling in international cricket.
17: Anil Kumble became the third bowler, after Australian Shane Warne and Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan, to take 600 wickets in Tests. He achieved this feat, in his 124th Test match, by dismissing Andrew Symonds,caught by Rahul Dravid in the Perth Test.
19: India win the third Test in Perth by 72 runs, ending a 16-match Australian winning streak for the second time.
19: Gautam Gambhir made an unbeaten 130 to help Delhi beat Uttar Pradesh by nine wickets in Mumbai and win the Ranji Trophy.
25: Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist goes past South African Mark Boucher’s world record of 413 Test dismissals,on the second day of the Adelaide Test. Next day, he announces his retirement from Test cricket. He finishes with 5570 runs at an average of 47.60 and 416 dismissals in 96 Tests.
26: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar is conferred the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour.
28: Australia win the series 2-1 and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after fourth and final Test match at Adelaide ended in a draw.
30: Boeta Dippenaar, the South Africa batsman, announces his decision to quit international cricket. He played 38 Tests for South Africa, scoring 1718 runs at an average of 30.14.
February:
2: Pakistan complete a 5-0 rout of Zimbabwe in their home one day series, with a seven-wicket win in Sheikhpura.
3: Scott Styris, the New Zealand allrounder, announces his retirement from Test and first-class cricket in an attempt to prolong his one day internationals and Twenty20 career.
South Africa inflict a 5-0 drubbing on West Indies, defeating them by eight wickets (D/L) in a rain-affected final one day international at Johannesburg.
7: Australian fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz retires from domestic and international cricket. He ends his 43-Test career with 113 wickets at 32.88 and later joins the ICL.
10: Chennai Superstars win the 50-over edition of the ICL with a thrilling one-wicket win over Delhi Jets in Chennai.
12: Matthew Elliott, the former Australia Test opener, who represented them in 21 Tests, announces his retirement from first-class cricket and signs up with the ICL.
12: Jane Smit, who represented England women in 109 one day internationals, including their win in the 1993 World Cup, retires from international cricket.
14: Stephen Fleming announces he will retire from Test cricket at the end of the home series against England. Fleming, New Zealand’s most capped player, finishes with 7172 runs in 111 Tests at an average of 40.06. He captained New Zealand in 80 Tests, winning 28 and losing 27.
18: England women retain the Ashes after beating Australia by six wickets in a one-off Test in Bowral.
18: The fourth one day international between New Zealand and England in Napier, was ended in a tie. It was the 23rd tie match in limited overs international cricket
The ICC chief executives’ committee, after a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, recommends the 2011 World Cup in Asia field fewer teams and run for a shorter duration.
25: Trinidad and Tobago beat Jamaica by nine wickets to claim the US$1 million prize money in the final of the second edition of the Stanford 20/20.
South Africa complete a hard-fought five-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first Test in
29: Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie add an unbeaten 405 on the first day of the second Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong. They go on to break the record for the highest opening partnership, eventually finishing with 415. South Africa inflict a massive innings defeat inside three days on the hosts.
March:
1: India win the Under-19 World Cup beating South Africa in a rain-affected final by 12 runs (D/L) at Kuala Lumpur.
4 : India won the triangular CB series by beating Australia in the second final at Brisbane. The final match was Adam Glichrist’s last international appearance. He finished with 9619 runs and 472 dismissals in 287 one day internationals.
8: Ryan Sidebottom performed a hat-trick against New Zealand in England in Hamilton.
14: South Africa claimed the No. 1 position in the ICC one day international rankings after completing a 3-0 rout of Bangladesh in Mirpur, near Dhaka.
19: New South Wales beat Victoria by 258 runs in the Pura Cup final in Sydney.
22: England batsman Marcus Trescothick announces his retirement from international cricket after a prolonged struggle with a stress-related illness.
26: England beat New Zealand in the third Test in Napier by 121 runs to record their first overseas series win in three years. The Test is Stephen Fleming’s last; he scores fifties in each innings.
26: Sri Lanka beat West Indies by 121 runs in the first Test at Providence Stadium,Guyana, to record their first Test victory in the Caribbean.
28: Virender Sehwag became only the third batsman to score two triple centuries in the history of Test match cricket. The right hand opening batsman from Delhi achieved this feat by scoring an unbeaten 309 off 292 balls with 41 fours and five sixes in India’s first innings against South Africa at Chennai.
29: Rahul Dravid became the sixth batsman to complete 10000 runs in Test cricket. The Indian middle order batsman achieved this feat during his 111-run knock against South Africa at Chennai.
31: Shivnarine Chanderpaul wins three major awards, including the International Cricketer of the Year, at the West Indies Players’ Association awards in Trinidad. In 2007, he averaged 111.60 in Tests and 76.08 in one day internationals.
April:
4: Jacques Kallis became the first South African and seventh batsman overall to score 30 or more centuries in Test cricket. The right hand middle order batsman achieved this feat, in the 200th innings of 118th Test match, by making 132 off 275 balls with 14 four and a six in the second Test match against India at Ahmedabad.
6: Hyderabad Heroes win the second edition of the ICL, beating Lahore Badshahs in a bowl-out in the second final. Hyderabad had won the first of the best-of-three finals two days earlier.
9: Jacques Kallis was named the Leading Cricketer in the World for 2007 by Wisden Cricketers Almanack. Kallis made 1210 runs at 86.42 and took 42 wickets at 25.75 in nine Tests in 2007.
11: Mohammed Yousuf became the second Pakistani after Inzamam-ul-Haq and 12th batsman overall to score 9000 runs in limited overs international cricket. The right handed batsman from Lahore achieved this feat during his unbeaten 32-run knock in the second one day international against Bangladesh at Faisalabad.
13: India level the two Test series 1-1 against South Africa by winning the second Test by eight wickets at Kanpur.
18: The first IPL match, between Bangalore Royal Challengers and Kolkata Knight Riders, was a one-sided affair. Brendon McCullum scores a blistering 158 off just 73 balls to help Kolkata to a massive 140-run win.
19: Pakistan have won the five match series against Bangladesh by 5-0 after winning the fifth and final one day international by 150 runs at National Stadium, Karachi. Pakistan set a new record after winning the all matches in the five matches series for the fifth time.
27: Jamaica beat Trinidad and Tobago by nine wickets in the Carib Challenge final.
May:
3: Bangladesh women make history by claiming their first win against an international side, beating Pakistan women by four wickets in an Asia Cup match in Kurunegala.
8: Pakistan’s Javeria Khan recorded the best bowling performance in Women’s Asia Cup by taking six for eight in 8.1 overs against Bangladesh at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. The former Indian skipper, Mamatha Maben, who took six wickets for 10 runs in 6.2 overs against Sri Lanka at Kandy on April 25,2004 held the previous record of best bowling performance in Women’s Asia Cup.
11: India thrash Sri Lanka by 177 runs in the final of the Women’s Asia Cup in Kurunegala to clinch their fourth successive title
30: Ricky Ponting became the third Australian and seventh batsman overall to break the 10000-run barrier in Test match history. The Australian skipper reached this landmark during his 65-run knock against West Indian at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua. It was 196th innings of his 118th Test match.
June:
1: Rajasthan Royals are crowned winners of the inaugural IPL after beating Chennai Super Kings in a closely-fought final by three wickets.
14: Pakistan defeated arch rivals India by 25 runs in the final at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, near Dhaka to win the three-nation Kitply Cup. It was Pakistan’s second tournament victory in Bangladesh and 23rd in limited overs internationals.
16: Shivnarine Chanderpaul became the fourth West Indian and 19th batsman overall to score 8000 runs in Test cricket. The left hand middle order batsman from Guyana, achieved this feat during his 50-run knock in West Indies’ second innings in the third and final Test match against Australia at at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados.
19: Graeme Hick set a new record for most games played in senior cricket after appearing in Worcestershire’s Twenty20 Cup match against Somerset at New Road. It was Hick’s 1196th match - taking into account all county, representative and international appearances - and that took him past Graham Gooch’s career aggregate of 1195 matches between 1973 and 2000.
24: Graham Napier rewrites the Twenty20 record books with a breathtaking assault against Sussex at Chelmsford - 152 from 58 balls, the highest score in English Twenty20, which includes a record 16 sixes.
27: Ricky Ponting became the 13th player to appear in 300 one day internationals. The second one day international between Australia against West Indies in Grenada was Australian skipper’s 300th.
27: Playing their first-ever Twenty20 international, West Indies women rout Ireland with a 75-run win at the Rush Cricket Club in Dublin.
July:
1: New Zealand recorded their highest ever total in limited overs international match by scoring 402 for two in 50 overs against Ireland at Mannofield Park, Aberdeen. They recorded the biggest victory in one dayers by winning the match by 290 runs.
3: The ICC changes the result of the controversial Oval Test between England and Pakistan in 2006 from an England win to a draw, following pressure from the Pakistan Cricket Board.
6: Ajantha Mendis bamboozles India to finish with astonishing figures of 6 for 13 and help Sri Lanka win the Asia Cup final in Karachi by 100 runs.
6: Australia complete a 5-0 whitewash in the the one day international series against West Indies, winning the fifth match in St Kitts by 169 runs.
11: In the first Test match between England and South Africa at Lord’s, Ian Bell became the first Englishman and seventh player in the history of Test cricket to become the victim of 199. It was eighth instance when a batsman missed his double century by one run. Zimbabwean Andy Flower is the only batsman who was left stranded on 199.
August:
1: Ashok Mankad, the former India batsman, who played 22 Test matches between 1969 and 1978 , passes away in Mumbai.
2: Hong Kong beat defending champions United Arab Emirates by three wickets to win the ACC Elite Trophy in a rain-shortened final in Kuala Lumpur.
2: Graeme Smith’s unbeaten 154 guides South Africa to a five-wicket win against England at Edgbaston in the third Test, ensuring a series victory for South Africa, their first in England since 1965.
4: Ireland and Netherlands share the World Twenty20 Qualifiers trophy after the final of the tournament is washed out in Belfast.
11: Sri Lanka make their way to a comprehensive 2-1 Test series win, their first over India since 2001, winning the third Test by eight wickets.
27: India’s 3-2 series victory was their first ever in Sri Lanka and 11th overseas series victory overall. It was also first overseas series victory in limited overs international cricket under Mahendra Singh Dhoni in bilateral tournaments.
September:
1: On the 40th anniversary of Garry Sobers hitting six sixes in an over, Floyd Reifer , the former West Indies batsman, emulates the feat in a match in the Barbados Cricket Association’s Twenty20 league.
6: Australia sweep the one-day series against Bangladesh 3-0 in Darwin. Bangladesh collapsed to 125 all out, chasing 199.
9: England Women beat India Women 4-0 in the home one-dayers. The fifth and final one day international in Hove was washed out.
10: Shivnarine Chanderpaul was named the 2008 ICC Cricketer of the Year at the annual ICC Awards in Dubai.
14: Murray Goodwin secures the Pro40 title for Sussex by hitting the final ball of a gripping winner-takes-all clash against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge for six.
18: SNGPL become the first Pakistan team to win the Mohammad Nissar Trophy after the game against Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla ended in a draw. SNGPL take the title based on their first-innings lead.
26: Kris Srikkanth heads India’s first-ever paid national selection committee. The committee also comprises Yashpal Sharma (North), Narendra Hirwani (Central), Surendra Bhave (West) and Raja Venkat (East).
27: Durham claim their first-ever County Championship title after beating Kent by an innings and 71 runs at Canterbury.
28: Khaled Mashud, the former Bangladesh captain and wicketkeeper, announces his retirement from all forms of international cricket.
October:
17: Sachin Tendulkar became the highest run getter in Test match cricket when he hit Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle to third man for two runs during his 88-run knock on the opening day of the second Test match at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali.He was playing 247th innings of his 152nd Test match. Brian Lara who scored 11953 runs at 52.88 with 34 centuries and 48 fifties in 232 innings of 131 Test matches between 1990 and 2006 held the previous record. He also scored his 50th half-century and became the first player to cross the 12,000-run mark.
17: Sourav Ganguly became the fourth Indian after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar to score 7000 runs. The left hand middle order batsman from Kolkata achieved this feat during his unbeaten 54-run knock in India’s first innings. It was also Ganguly’s 50th fifty plus score in Tetsts. With this fifty, the former Indian skipper became the fifth Indian and 37th batsman overall to score 50 or more fifty-plus scores in Test cricket.
21: India defeat Australia by 320 runs in Mohali, to record their biggest ever victory in terms of runs in Tests. The 280-run win over South Africa at Kanpur in 1996-97 was India’s previous biggest victory in terms of runs in Test cricket.
November:
2: Anil Kumble has announced his retirement from international cricket. In 132 Tests, Kumble took 619 wickets at 29.65, the highest among Indians and third in the all-time list after Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan (756 wickets in 123 Tests) and Australian Shane Warne (708 wickets in 145 Tests). He also led the team in 14 Tests, but struggled with the ball in 2008, taking 28 wickets in 10 Tests at an average of 50.57.
2: Ireland become the Intercontinental Cup champions for the third consecutive time when they crush Namibia by nine wickets in Port Elizabeth.
4: Abhinav Mukund became the third batsman from Tamil Nadu and 18th batsman overall to score triple century in Ranji Trophy. The Left hand opening batsman from Chennai achieved this feat, in his only 11th innings of seventh first class match by making an unbeaten 300 in 568 minutes off 383 balls with 33 fours and five sixes on the second day of the Group B Super League match against Maharashtra at Golf Club Ground, Nasik.
6: Venkat Sai Laxman became the eighth Indian and 46th player overall to play 100 or more Test matches. The fourth and final Test match between India-Australia Test, at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Jamtha, Nagpur was 100th Test match for the Hyderabadi.
7: Harbhajan Singh became the third Indian after Kapil Dev and Anil Kumble and 22nd bowler overall to take 300 or more wickets in Test cricket. The off-break bowler from Jalandhar achieved this feat by bowling out Australian skipper Ricky Ponting on the second day of the fourth Test match at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Jamtha, Nagpur.
10: India regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after beating Australia by 172 runs in Nagpur to take the series 2-0. It is Sourav Ganguly’s last Test. He finishes with 7212 runs at 42.17 and as India’s most successful captain.
12: Khurram Manzoor became the fourth Pakistani and ninth batsman overall to make two fifty plus scores in his first twto matches in limited overs international cricket. The right hand opening batsman from Karachi who made 50 off 73 balls with six fours on his debut in the fifth and final one day international match against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura Stadium on February 2, 2008 went to score 69 off balls with in the first match of the three-match series against West Indies at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
14: Yuvraj Singh scored the second fastest century for India in one day internationals by reaching 100 off just 64 balls during his unbeaten 138-run knock in the first match against England at Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, Rajkot. Mohammed Azharuddin who completed his century off 62 balls during his unbeaten 108-run knock against New Zealand at Baroda on December 17,1988 holds the record of fastest century for India in limited overs international cricket.
17: England became the seventh team to play 500 or more matches in one day internationals. The second one day international match against India at Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground, Indore was their 500 match in limited overs international cricket.
17: Yuvraj Singh became only the third Indian and 10th player overall to score a century and take four wickets in a same match in limited overs international cricket. After scoring 118 off 122 balls with 15 fours and two sixes, he went to take four wickets for 28 runs in the second match of the seven-match series against England at Indore.
20: Harbhajan Singh became the sixth Indian and 30th bowler overall to take 200 wickets in limited overs international cricket. The off-spinner from Jalandhar, achieved this feat by dismissing English middle order batsman Owais Shah, caught by Zaheer Khan at Green Park, Kanpur.
22: Brett Lee became the fourth Australian and 23rd bowler overall to take 300 or more wickets in Test cricket. The right arm fast bowler from New South Wales, achieved this feat by dismissing New Zealand opening batsman, Jamie How, caught by Ricky Ponting at Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane.
23: Virender Sehwag became sixth Indian and 39th batsman overall to complete 6000 runs in limited overs international cricket. The right hand opening batsman from Delhi, reached this milestone when reached 36 during his 69-run knock in the fourth match against England at Karnataka State Cricket Association Ground, Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
23: India became the first team to play 700 or more matches in one day internationals. The fourth one day international match against England at Karnataka State Cricket Association Ground, Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore was their 700th match in limited overs international cricket.
27: North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) became the Pentangular Cup champions after beating Baluchistan by 28 runs.
28: Matthew Hayden became the 12th Australian and 47 player overall to play 100 or more Test matches. The second Test match between New Zealand-Australia at Adelaide, was 100th Test match for this left hand opening batsman.
December:
12: Graeme Swann became only the second bowler in Test history to claim two wickets in his first over on debut. The off spinner struck with his third and sixth deliveries by dismissing Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid, both leg before, on the second day of the first Test match at M.A Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai.
14: Virender Sehwag set Indian record of most sixes in Test cricket by hitting second six off leg spinner Monty Panesar during his 68-ball 83-run knock in India’s second innings o against England at M.A Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai. Kapil Dev who smashed 61sixes in 184 innings of 131 Test matches between 1978 and 1994 held the previous record for India.
15: India recorded a six-wicket victory in Chennai against England, chasing down the fourth-highest total in Test cricket. Sachin Tendulkar made a match-winning 103, his third century in the fourth innings of the match.
21: South Africa recorded the second-highest chase in Test cricket after scoring 414 for four to win the first Test against Australia in Perth. Graeme Smith and Abraham de Villiers made centuries in an easy six-wicket victory.
29: Chamina Vaas became only the seventh all-rounder to complete a grand double of 3000 runs and 300 wickets in Test cricket. The Sri Lankan all rounder achieved this feat by completing his 3000 runs during 37-run knock against Bangladesh aat Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, near Dhaka.
30: Australia crashed to their first home Test series defeat in 16 years when they went down to South Africa by nine wickets in the second Test at Melbourne.The last team to win a series against Australia in Australia was West Indies. West Indies have won the five-Test match series 2-1 under Richie Richardson in 1992-93.
With this victory, South Africa also ended nearly a century-old drought to register their first ever series win in Australia. Since touring Australia for the first time in 1910-11, this was the Proteas’ maiden series win Down Under — their previous best performance being a 1-1 draw back in 1963-64.

The annual BCCI awards ceremony was held in Mumbai before the departure of the Indian team for New Zealand, to commemorate the outstanding performers of the 2007-08 season. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) disbursed Rs.25 lakh at the awards function held on 18th February 2009.
Virender Sehwag received the Polly Umrigar Trophy and Rs. 5 lakh for outstanding performance in international cricket. Sehwag had made a successful return to the Indian Test team on the 2007-08 tour of Australia after being overlooked for away series in Bangladesh and England, and the home contest against Pakistan. Since then, he has been in prolific form, scoring 1462 in 14 Tests in 2008 at an average of 56.23 and strike-rate of 85.84, including a blistering triple-century in Chennai against South Africa. He was also part of India’s victorious team at the World Twenty20 in South Africa in September 2007.
Other honours awarded at the BCCI awards ceremony for 2007-08 included Cheteshwar Pujara and Sudeep Tyagi, who won prizes for the best batsman and bowler in domestic cricket. Pujara and Tyagi won Rs 1 lakh each and the Madhavrao Scindia Award. Pujara, who plays for Saurashtra, finished the 2007-08 season as the leading run-getter in the Ranji Trophy Super League, with 807 runs at 73.36. Uttar Pradesh medium-pacer Tyagi took 41 wickets at 21.63 apiece.
Former India captain Gundappa Viswanath was chosen for the CK Nayudu lifetime achievement award. He also received a cash amount of Rs.15 lakh with the honour.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and star off-spinner Harbhajan Singh also got special honours during the annual awards ceremony. Dhoni, who received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and Padma Shri, was given a special award for leading Indian cricket to new heights during the past year. Similarly, Harbhajan too was felicitated for taking 300 Test wickets in his career, a feat he achieved last year in the series against England, and receiving the Padma Shri earlier this year.
Maharashtra’s Ankit Bawane, Punjab’s Mandeep Singh, UP’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Delhi’s Rahul Dewan were awarded the MA Chidambaram Trophy for the best Under-15, Under-17, Under-19 and Under-22 cricketer respectively. Former India captain Mithali Raj and legspinner Thirush Kamini were named the best woman cricketers. Each of these winners received a cash prize of Rs.50000.
The BCCI also handed out special awards to the Maharashtra Cricket Association (best overall performance in the season).
List of awardees:
CK Nayudu Award: G R Viswanath (Rs. 15 lakhs)
Polly Umrigar Award: Virender Sehwag (Rs 5 lakh)
Madhavrao Scindia Award (Batsman): Cheteshwar Pujara
Madhavrao Scindia Award (Bowler): Sudeep Tyagi
M A Chidambaram Trophy (Under-15): Ankit Bawane (Maharashtra)
M A Chidambaram Trophy (Under-17): Mandeep Singh (Punjab)
M A Chidambaram Trophy (Under-19): Bhuvneshwar Kumar (UP)
M A Chidambaram Trophy (Under-22): Rahul Dewan (Delhi)
M A Chidambaram Trophy (Best Woman Cricketer): Mithali Raj
M A Chidambaram Trophy (Best Junior Woman Cricketer): M D Thirushkamini.
Special Awards:
Maharashtra: Best Overall Performance in the 2007-08 season.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni: For receiving the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award & Padma Shri.
Harbhajan Singh: For taking 300 Test wickets and receiving the Padma Shri.

By the time you would be reading this, there would have been more clarity on the short-term future of the second season of the Indian Premier League; whether or not it would take place as scheduled, whether or not the motley of cricketers would finally be able to pocket those truckloads of cash. With so much – read money – at stake, it would take quite a Herculean task for it to be postponed, or invariably cancelled, at such a late stage of the day. Although some of the cricketers have expressed their reservations about travelling to India, the lure of the lucre should pull most of them towards the IPL; unless of course it becomes totally unavoidable.
Yes, it finally boils down to the trade-off between the individual’s perceived risk and the money that he would end up pouching from the event.
So, who will stand to gain how much from this version of the Indian Premier League? How did the bidding process actually happen? Who were the biggest gainers, and who were the shocking losers in this auction? This piece delves deep into the intricacies surrounding the newest characteristic of a cricketer’s profile; his price tag.
Tactics and Strategies:
When Adam Gilchrist had oh-so-famously declared that he felt like a cow at the end of the first auction, there had been raised eyebrows and the media immediately jumped on to one or the other side of the fence. This time around, it’s no longer about shocked expressions, herded cows or taking sides; it is plain business.
The auction in Goa was touted as an event as extravagant as the tournament itself; yet, it was as short and probably, even more exciting than a T20 match!
This time around, with the global financial condition in a not-so-healthy state, the franchises were more interested in getting in players who would fit in their exact scheme of things. This was based on a variety of factors such as their existing set of players, the gaping holes in the team’s previous season’s performance, the loss of Pakistani players and the cash balance left in their kitty. The thing to remember about the last point here is that every team was allowed a budget of $2 million to pick their players in this second auction, where as there was a restriction of not more ten foreign players per squad, including those that were already present!
Most teams bought virtually unheard of players even before and after the auctions, who they thought could fit the above bill, and yet not rake up a long bill! There were some shocking omissions, either by choice or by force, where as some of the teams exchanged their players with another, while others went in for a total revamp.
The Opening ‘Exchange’:
There were a couple of smart trades between the teams, none better than Zaheer Khan who had played for Bangalore Royal Challengers last year exchanged with Robin Uthappa of Mumbai Indians. From Mumbai’s perspective, Zaheer has played his domestic cricket for Mumbai before, and is in the form of his life, while Uthappa’s batting epitomises the life in the fast lane that a certain Vijay Mallya is so associated with. Yet, it was a little surprising from Bangalore’s point-of-view to weaken their only area of strength last year – the pace bowling – to be losing Zaheer.
Bangalore went on to acquire Gaurav Dhiman – an under-19 World Cupper – and Pankaj Singh from the others to try and balance their team. Then there was the Delhi-born Ashish Nehra who played for the Mumbai Indians in the previous season, but was swapped with Shikhar Dhawan from the Delhi Daredevils.
From a nobody to an IPL player:
There were many of them who had probably shone on a couple of occasions for their state side in England, Australia or South Africa, and that had prompted them to be picked at an end-of-season-sale price. David Warner was one such commodity who was first snapped up by the Daredevils and then went on to make his international debut and smash a 42-ball 89 against the Proteas. Andrew McDonald was another such player who was bought by the Daredevils, which was followed by a spot in the Australian test team as an all-rounder! The other signings had Ryan Harris for Deccan Chargers, Moises Henriques for the Kolkata Knightriders, and Graham Napier for Mumbai.
There were a couple of reasons for these out-of-the-box purchases. For one, and the most obvious one, the global recession had ensured that none of the franchises wanted to stitch a longer coat than the cloth they had. Secondly, unless the player is of the quality of Virender Sehwag, who plays test cricket and T20 without much dissimilarity, a batsman who can hit the ball hard will do that irrespective of whether he is a great player or just a good one. What usually separates a great batsman from the good is his ability to build an inning into a long enough one and nail home the advantage. However, the format of this game is such that even five to six overs of teeing-off is good enough if the batsman fits in the role.
And this was not restricted to foreigners only. Quite a few domestic Indian players, like T Suman and Manvinder Bisla bought by the Deccan Chargers, and Rajasthan Royals’ Raiphi Vincent Gomez, a hard-hitting Kerala batsman have been afforded a chance to represent a team in the IPL.
Of pocket-burners and shocking picks:
The auction day, itself, went according to plan for most. Bangalore Royal Challengers’ owner Vijay Mallya showed that his penchant for the big and costly brands is not restricted to the accessories and clothes but extended to the cricketers as well. Kevin Pietersen became the costliest ever player of the IPL by crossing the $1.5 million record set by M.S. Dhoni last year. Mallya had no qualms in accepting that even if Pietersen would have cost him $2 million, he wouldn’t have hesitated in going for him. Dhoni’s owners, the Chennai Super Kings, decided to go in for another million and a half dollar purchase in Andrew Flintoff and in the end, he cost the franchise $1.55 – same as Pietersen. J.P. Duminy’s stocks had shot up after his successful tour of Australia, and being a multi-utility player, he fits this format of the game to the tee. Mumbai Indians outbid the others and attained him for $950,000.
Rajasthan replaced Sohail Tanvir with Shaun Tait, where as an originally top-heavy Delhi team got in Owais Shah and Paul Collingwood for only $275,000. Owais Shah’s 48-ball 72 in that rain-reduced 22-over Bangalore ODI against India would have tilted the scales in his favour, while Collingwood’s ability to bat in the middle order and bowl the middle overs – not to mention his top class fielding at the cover and point region – would have tilted the scales in his favour.
There was an ample representation from New Zealand as well, as Kyle Mills was sold to the Mumbai Indians and finger-twiddling, nail-biting – in his own words – rotund figure of Jesse Ryder was bought over by the Bangalore Royal Challengers. Ironically, Ryder’s past has a quite a few alcohol-induced incidents associated with it, where as the Royal Challengers’ owner is one of the biggest liquor barons of the world!
Ravindra Bopara found his roots – and was paid $45000 for finding them – in Kings XI Punjab, while Dwayne Smith should be an ideal replacement for Shahid Afridi at the Deccan Chargers. Another maverick bowler, Fidel Edwards, also found his way into the Chargers’ team.
There was also a surprise, as little-know Middlesex player, Tyron Henderson was repeatedly bid for and finally got for $650,000 from a base price of $100,000. His past record meant that he probably deserves every bit of the penny, as he had scored almost 300 runs in 2008 season of the English T20s, and also scalped 21 wickets at less than 17. However, at 35, he would also be one of the older players to feature in the IPL, and whether that has any adverse effect on his performance remains to be seen.
However, the shocker of the day came in the form of a certain Bangaldeshi by the name of Mashrafe Mortaza. A battle ensued between the Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders, and was fought tooth and nail before being won by the latter; $600,000 more than what the player’s base price of $50,000 was. Mortaza may say that all his hard work had paid off, but the fact of the matter was simpler; Shah rukh Khan wanted to exploit the Bangladeshi market if some of the matches did get hosted at Dhaka next year and the best foot forward here was by having local flavour. Yet, $650,000 looks rather too much!
The only other Bangladeshi to get in was Mohammad Ashraful who was picked up by Mumbai for $75,000.