Dr Sport

Roger Harper was one of cricket's finest outfielders. His athletic fielding overshadowed his more pedantic off-spin bowling. The Guyanese cricketer was a fringe player for the West Indies between December 1983 and April 1996-in a team that had a heavy emphasis on fast bowling. Born in Georgetown on March 17, 1963, the 6 feet, five inches spinner made his debut for Guyana in the 1979/1980 First Class season, when he was only 17 years old. Harper caught the eye of the West Indies selectors in October 1983, when he made his ODI debut for the West Indies in Srinagar. He had an outstanding debut-taking three wickets for 34 runs to help the Caribbean side to victory against India. It was no surprise that...

Ishant Sharma is one of the youngest and most promising cricketers in the Indian Team. Sharma comes across as something of a deviation in the Indian side with his Tall and lean physique at 6'4" (192 cm). He started his career with a debut against Bangladesh. One of the earliest career highlights which proved his mettle was capturing five wickets in a game leading India to a series win. Sharma passed the 'acid test' on the tour to Australia in 2007-08 that the true strength of the young crickter for he had the Australian skipper going on a bouncing spree failing to handle Ishant on a quick WACA track. Sharma rose to fame in 2007 with the Bangladesh tour playing as substitute for Munaf Patel.As an...

In Test matches, the most ignominious form of defeat is defeat by an innings. Between January 1 2000 and December 31 2009, there were several huge innings victories, with many registered against perennial strugglers Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. In the top five were resounding victories by Australia, Pakistan, West Indies, New Zealand and England. 1. Australia - innings and 360-run victory in February 2002 It is no surprise that Australia - by far the strongest team of the 2000s - is at the top of this heap. What is surprising is the margin of victory against a strong Test opponent (South Africa). Even more noteworthy is that the Aussies romped over the South Africans in Johannesburg, South Africa. The...

After beating Sri Lanka in the final group match of the Triangular Series, Zimbabwe was hoping for a similar result when they faced the same opposition in the final. Both teams progressed to the final with a game to spare as India, the third team, managed to win only one match in the group stage. After a reasonable T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka had the chance to take home a title in a multi-team tournament. Zimbabwe would have been pleased to take the title on home soil as a benchmark of their progress. Batting first at Harare Sports Club, Zimbabwe had an ultra-cautious start - failing to make capital of the first power play. After labouring for 23 balls, Hamilton Masakadza (4) fell to Nuwan Kulasekara...

In today's increasingly competitive world people look for instant gratification for everything. So be it information about anything or be it live cricket score for cricket fans, they want everything to be updated and that too on a regular basis. Cricket fans are very particular about the game and want any information which they get related to the game be just perfect. Live cricket score is one means through which fans can be in constant touch with the latest that is happening on the field. All of us realize that it is not possible to catch up with the live telecast of a cricket match either on television or in the field. So live cricket score is the next best alternative for them. All fans want to...

If you've missed the live match, then cricket streaming of edited highlights is readily available on the internet. These generally cover the latest international games and are often at a reduced cost or even free, as the fierce bidding war for live cricket rights doesn't often extend to the recorded highlights. Streamed highlights are available on the BBC web site soon after the close of play. UK viewers can watch these free, simply by using the BBC Sport media player. You can find similar arrangements world wide, though many transmissions are region specific - for example Cricket Australia TV, ESPN Star or Supersport. However, if you want to plan ahead to view the highlights throughout a season...

Although cricket enthusiasts generally opine that fast bowling involved more brawn than brain, one West Indian fast bowler gave pause to that notion. Anderson (Andy) Roberts- the former West Indies and Leeward Islands fast bowler- was a 'thinking' cricketer. Many considered him a strategist on the field. With a deceptively phlegmatic demeanour that belied his fierceness, Roberts successfully plotted the downfall of many batsmen during his playing days. Born in Antigua on January 29th, 1951, Roberts began his First-class career at the age of 19 for the Combined Islands team in the 1969/70 season. Even though he was renowned for his guile in his later years, Andy Roberts bowled with pace and venom in...

It is difficult to determine who the top exponents in any realm are subjectively, but much easier when you use statistics. At the start of 2010, only five bowlers have taken five hundred wickets or more in Tests. Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan; Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne; Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble; Australian pace bowler Glenn McGrath and West Indies legend Courtney Walsh are the fabulous five. Whether it was guile, turn, bounce or pace, these bowlers posed problems for batsmen who faced them in their prime. Muttiah Muralitharan "Murali" is a controversial figure in cricket, particularly outside the subcontinent. His odd bent-arm action and high degree of straightening...

To say that ranking is 'just another number to me' and 'I don't care about them' is a clichéd statement. But many cricket players use this oft repeated statement whenever a new ranking comes up and they see that they are listed no where among the top. Ranking in any sport be it cricket or tennis is something that many people do not like, but there is no escape from it. ICC cricket rankings are the most widely recognized and accepted rankings in the world of cricket. ICC also known as the International Cricket Council is the governing body in the cricket world. The game is controlled and administered by this governing body. ICC cricket rankings are widely accepted as official rankings in the...

South Africa was already leading the ODI series against the hosts, West Indies, 2 - 0 by the third match of the series. The West Indies chased in the T20s and ODIs before this and experienced no success because of the frailty of their batting. The South Africans were seeking to wrap up the series with two matches in hand. Injuries and poor form forced the West Indies to make a few changes for this match. For the first time in the series, the match was not played in Antigua. Windsor Park, Dominica was the venue for this fixture. The visitors won the toss and chose to bat first at Roseau, with the in-form Hashim Amla opening the batting with South Africa captain Graeme Smith. Again, they gave the...

The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup is carded for the Asian subcontinent. The subcontinent is known to offer much different conditions from England, Africa and Oceania. The hosting of the 2011 World Cup may be in doubt, after the 2009 attacks against the touring Sri Lankan team in Pakistan. However, the hosting of the tournament remains a significant factor in predicting the eventual winner of the 2011 tournament. Although 12 teams will be participating in that event, only 8 should be considered as having a realistic chance at capturing the title. Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa, India and Sri Lanka all have a realistic chance of winning. England, West Indies...

The West Indies and Australia had some tense Test matches in history - some of the tensest of all time in fact. In the series Down Under in the 1992/1993 season, there was the closest Test match victory ever. The West Indies managed to win by a one run - the only time a team has won by a single run between 1877 and 2010. Batting first in the match, Phil Simmons and Desmond Haynes raised 84 runs for the first wicket before Simmons was out for 46. The West Indies lost five wickets in the space of 50 runs to reach 134/5. Brian Lara and wicketkeeper, Junior Murray, put on 55 runs for the sixth wicket before Craig McDermott dismissed Lara - caught by Ian Healy for 52. Junior Murray scored an unbeaten 49...

While the IPL 2010 auction only produced two bids in excess of the player cap of US $750,000, the IPL franchises already had a bevy of expensive cricketers. West Indies all rounder Kieron Pollard and New Zealand pace bowler Shane Bond were the only two additions to the list of well-paid players on the IPL books. The auctions for the previous editions fetched higher prices because no cap was implemented then. Therefore, we do not have a good idea of how expensive Pollard and Bond really are. However, we can still identify the most expensive players in the league. In the first two editions of the Indian Premier League, five players had icon status. This status allowed them to be compensated 15% more...

With Pakistan having beaten South Africa in the penultimate match of Group E, England was assured of a semi-final spot. Their opponents on the day, New Zealand, had no such luxury; given their inferior net run rate to Pakistan, New Zealand needed a victory to leapfrog Pakistan into the semi-final spot. England was missing Kevin Pietersen, who left for England to witness the birth of his son. Scott Styris felt that this would make it easier for New Zealand to reach the semi-finals. At the Beausejour Stadium at Gros Islet, St. Lucia, New Zealand won the toss and elected to take first strike. Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder opened the batting for the Kiwis. They got off to a cautious start, scoring 30...

In the era of Sir Garry Sobers, the West Indies had another dapper all rounder, who played in the first official One-day international match for the regional side. Trinidadian all rounder, Bernard Julien, was a very capable performer at international level during the 70s. The brevity of his career owed much to the rise of genuine pace bowlers and batsman in the world-beating West Indies of the late 70s and 80s. Born in Trinidad on March 13, 1950, Julien made his debut for Trinidad and Tobago in the 1968/1969 domestic season. He was a handy cricketer from the outset-a flashy stroke player, medium pacer, spinner and lively fielder. It was not long before Julien made his Test debut as a 23 year old...

Although Australia Women and West Indies Women already qualified for the semi-finals, this final Group A game was not merely academic. The outcome of this game would determine the winner of the group. New Zealand Women likely awaited the Group A runner-up, while the winner would have an easier match against either Sri Lanka Women or India Women. The hosts, West Indies, knew where their better chance was, so this match promised to be keenly contested. At Warner Park, St. Kitts, the Australians batted first in this group-decider. Shelley Nitschke and Elyse Villani opened the batting and had a fast start. The openers plundered 33 runs off 21 balls before Nitschke was out for 19 off 11 balls. Villani...

The County Championship in English domestic cricket did not officially commence until 1890, but for several decades previously, there were unofficial contests to determine the best sides in the country. There are partial records dating back as far as 1825 to a small competition featuring a handful of English counties. A winner was only announced if they went the whole season without losing to any of the other teams and before its termination in 1963 it had been won by Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Nottinghamshire. It is more commonly agreed that the first formal competition began in 1964, when the country's sporting press decided upon the champion. There was no use of consensus to elect just one champion...

When Lawrence Rowe made his debut for the West Indies at Sabina Park, Kingston in 1973, it appeared as though another star was born. In his first Test innings, the Jamaican batsman scored 214 runs in an authoritative innings, while his second innings produced an even, unbeaten 100. The top order batsman also had the distinction of being one of a few West Indians to score a Test triple-century. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, on January 8, 1949, Rowe made his debut for Jamaica in the 1968/69 season for Jamaica. His auspicious Test debut came against New Zealand two seasons later. Considering the nature of his debut match, it is surprising that Rowe only played 30 Tests for the West Indies-between 1972 and...

Initially the Indian Premier League was started by BCCI to oppose the Indian Cricket League started by the Zee Network. But now it has reached to a height where the Indian Cricket League is no where in front of the Indian Premier League. Initially the craze for the Indian Premier League started during the auction conducted for the franchises. Top Industrialists like Mukesh Ambani, Vijay Malaya and Celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Preethi Zinta participated and successfully won the bids. The highest amount in this auction was for Mumbai team which was bid for $111.9 million by the reliance group chairman, Mukesh Ambani. The second highest amount was for the Bangalore team which was bid for $111.6...

It is not often that one would mention a great West Indian spinner. However, West Indian spin existed long before West Indies had become synonymous with good spin bowling. A Guyanese fellow with unusually long fingers who could really tweak the ball was the most successful spin bowler from the West Indies. Lancelot Richard Gibbs was an off-spinner who allied turn with bounce from a strange, open-chest action. He had the distinction of being the first spin-bowler in cricket history to reach 300 Test wickets and briefly held the world record for most Test wickets at the end of his career. Born in Georgetown, Guyana on September 29th, 1934, Lance Gibbs made his First class debut in the West Indies...

The off-spinner is the opposite form of spin bowling to the leg-spinner. Hence, the delivery spins the opposite way. To a right handed bowler, bowling to right handed batsmen, the ball spins towards the leg side, from the off side. There are 3 types of deliveries an off-spinner can bowl. These include the off-break (spin), which is the bowler's stock delivery, the doosra and the arm ball. Off Break: The off break is the standard, stock delivery of the off-spinner. As the name suggests, the ball breaks away from the off-side, towards the leg (right handed bowler, bowling to a right handed batsmen). The grip on the ball should have the thumb under the ball, on the seam. The index finger and middle...

In cricket's history, many bowlers terrorized and troubled batsmen with sheer speed and guile. So many past and current quick bowlers excelled at their craft that picking the best of them guarantees that some greats are omitted. To make the subjective task of picking the best easier, one must use relevant criteria. These criteria should be both subjective and objective, with due emphasis on statistics. The best fast bowlers must have: Impressive Test statistics: Test matches are the yardstick by which fast bowlers are measured Genuine pace: able to bowl at 140 kph/86 mph A good career average: Below 25.00 for this list Number of matches/ number of wickets: The best should have either at least 50...

Though cricket might not have broken much ground in the United States, it is a popular sport in practically all other former British colonies, possessions, etc. For example, India and Pakistan are fierce rivals in international cricket competitions, and streets in both countries can bet much quieter whenever a televised match between them is being broadcasted. Developed over four hundred years ago, it has risen to become a major international sport. Cricketers in all countries, no matter what position they play, can do better if they improve breathing patterns they use on and off the field. Many teams, both professional and amateur, classify their players into two broad types: specialty batsmen and...

What will the status of the winners be when they emerge victorious from the tournament this month? It might sound an odd question, but think about how absurd it would be in any other sport. Imagine that six months after the FIFA World Cup, another tournament, also called the World Cup, was played with pretty much the same teams fielding pretty much the same players in a pretty similar tournament format with pretty similar viewing figures (both at the grounds and on the telly), but with 45-minute matches rather than the full 90. I'm not questioning the existence of T20, because I love cricket, and I understand that this ultra-intense, short format of the game means people can watch a whole game in an...

Well no surprises here. South Africa is at the top and Australia second. New Zealand is at No. 3 (and if you know that this rating doesn't even include their 2007 performances, I'd say they are the dark horse this time). And minnows Bangladesh's time has also come. I am sure they may surprise this time. The laggards include India and Pakistan. And some important cricket nations like West Indies and Zimbabwe come way down after Bangladesh who're riding an unprecedented 13 wins in 14 matches into the world cup. Netherlands is another surprise at No. 11 as some of their players have an astounding record and if they play as per their record they may spring a surprise match win... Ireland's ranking is...

1. Greg Chappell mentions that some Senior Players of India had formed a clique/ mafia that controlled cricket and kept deserving talent out Seems much like any other sports or corporate. Has a tinge of truth in it. He possibly hinted at Sachin who has not played any great innings for a long time, and should have hanged his boots by now. Thumbs Up. That Greg didn't have this courage when he was the coach. Thumbs Down. 2. Sachin Tendulkar hits back emotionally mentioning that he's distressed at the remarks. And has reiterated that his committment to the country not be questioned. Sachin is true about his commitment to the country not being questioned. However, I as a cricket fan would also say that...

A non-profit organization aimed at the promotion and development of cricket in the United States, the Cricket Hall of Fame inducts both local and international athletes for both their contribution to the game and also to contribute to the community through charities. In February 1981, the Sportsmen's Athletic Club, located in Hartford, Connecticut, envisioned the launch of the first Cricket Hall of Fame in the world. After a number of failed attempts, the Cricket Hall of Fame became a reality through an in-house development from the Sportsmen's Athletic Club. In October 1981, the first annual Cricket Hall of Fame induction dinner was held at the Hartford Holiday Inn Hotel. The event was popular...

In an era when we read about corporate scandals--including former reputable bank managers, highly respectable pastors and trustworthy politicians-- cricket has established a Mount Olympus of virtue: a list of elite umpires in a mythical tower of infallibility. The last time I checked the list of Popes, from their inception by the Cardinal of Bishops in 1099, history could have difficulty assigning the adverb "respectful" to names of corrupt Popes like Pope Pius 111, Pope Fernan Martin V, and Pope Philip Le Bel or "Fair Philip" 1285-1314. Let us not forget that the only non-Muslim male that the Holy Koran cites as an example of Pious living, Isa Ibm Miriam (Jesus son of Mary)--He chose an elite...

Did they tell you that Indian cricket players to earn more under the new (proposed) contract? Check out some important statistic everyone has been hiding... Taking a tough stand in the wake of India's World Cup debacle, the BCCI on Saturday scrapped the players' contract system and reverted to payment of match fees, including bonus for every series win. Previous contract system had three grades. * Senior players like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag were Grade A players and got a retainership of Rs 50 lakhs. In addition they were paid Rs 2.5 lakh per Test and Rs 1.60 lakh per ODI. * Grade B players included Yuvraj Singh, Mohd Kaif, Ajit Agarkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and they were...

There are a number of different types or formats of cricket currently being played around the world. Although they are different they are all similar in their aims. This article will give you a brief overview of the different formats you may come across: Test Cricket The most common form and one of the best known is test cricket. This is one format played when the teams that are playing are international teams (such as England and Pakistan) and it was first played in the late nineteenth century. The test match is played over two innings for each of the teams and is played for five days or until each side has been bowled out twice. This gives more time for the top players to play the game to the best...

Three weeks ago, I landed at Heathrow airport shivering. An Indian born immigration officer asked me why was I shivering when I just arrived from Switzerland? "Switzerland is colder than London," he volunteered. I told him I was shaking off the last frost flakes because next day, God willing, I would be in Antigua for the eagerly-awaited start of the Stanford 20/20 Cricket Tournament 2008. His eyes lit up immediately. He put down his pen and inquired: "You know Viv Richards?" I told him that he lives exactly two blocks from where I would be staying. I told him about the time I introduced Viv to a cousin of mine, years ago at Lords. After Viv shook his hand, my cousin refused to wash the hand that...

The lower in the batting order you get, the less likely you are to find partnerships of substance. However, in several Test matches, the ninth-wicket partnerships proved vital in the outcome of the test. Naturally, the ninth-wicket partnerships are substantially lower than other record partnerships. 195 - Mark Boucher and Pat Symcox (South Africa) Against Pakistan at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg in 1998, the portly offspinner, Pat Symcox combined with wicketkeeper Mark Boucher to rescue South Africa's innings. The pair came together when the home side was struggling on 166/8 in the first innings of the match. Against a Pakistan attack that included Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar and Saqlain...

Harbhajan Singh biography - Harbhajan Singh the great Indian cricket player was born on the motherland of India on auspicious day of 3 July 1980 (29 years, 7 months and 1 day old) in the small district of Punjab. Basically Bhajji belonged to a middle class Punjabi family. He was the only son of Sardar Sardev Singh, a businessman who owned a ball bearing and valve factory. He was the only son of his father and a lone brother of his five sisters too. Being a single handed of his sisters he was very loving and caring among all of them. Harbhajan Singh career - Initially Bhajji was trained as a batsman but could made it and became an off spinner bowler. His training and guiding sessions were organized...

The cricket world cup of 1975 was the first ever cricket world cup and looking back on it is quite a bizarre experience. Prior to 1975, only 18 one day internationals had ever been played. The idea of ODI cricket was in its infancy reflected in cricket whites, a red ball and 60 over format closer resembling Test cricket. Held in England the cricket world cup went from June 7 to June 21 over a fortnight period. The spirit in which the game was played was a lot more docile than what we have come to expect from the modern era of one day internationals. Many sides chose to treat the new format as a shortened Test match. In a bizarre episode, Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar made history with surely the...

Cricket is a sport of English origin, which has become increasingly influenced by international interest. As commercial opportunities have arisen, the sport has made itself more appealing to its followers. There is evidence to suggest cricket was played, in some form as long ago as the 11th century, but it was not until 1646 when the first organised game took place for a bet of twelve candles. Cricket continued to develop for another hundred years or so without any standard written rules. The earliest laws of the game were formally composed in 1744. Although it would be another 43 years before any central governing body existed. In 1787 Marylebone Cricket Club (more commonly known as the MCC) was...

Many films about England, which occur in the 1700's and 1800's, often, have a scene which involves the game of Cricket. Although it looks a lot like American baseball, it is different, seeing as cricket is baseball's predecessor by at least 300 years. The game seems to be played by all people in all social status circles, and is enjoyed by all people from the royal family to the lowliest commoner. It was also played by all who knew the rules and had the equipment to play the game. It was recently featured in the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and it was because the ball hit and broke a window that the children hid in the wardrobe and ended up in Narnia with a...

Any cricket player must invest in a cricket bat no matter if they are just beginning the sport or, if they are an advanced player. When a cricketer determines to choose a bat s/he will need to choose from a variety of sizes and weights. Most cricket bats are constructed from a soft wood such as English willow. These are great choices because of the natural moisture that is conducive to pressing during the manufacturing process. This gives each bat a spring like striking ability. Usually the English willow cricket bat comes in a variety of grades beginning with G1+. This bat is usually the highest of quality with a straight grain. There is minimal marking on the bat. It is not bleached. This is the...