Category Archives: cricket

Cricket news: England lost Kevin Pietersen for ashes

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Andrew Strauss, the former England captain, said on Friday (May 17) that it was important for the side’s Ashes prospects that star batsman Kevin Pietersen recover full fitness. KP is presently sidelined with a knee difficulty and in his absence England struggled to 232 all out in the first innings of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s.

Strauss retired from all cricket following a 2-0 series beat by South Africa last year after KP was dropped from the team for sending text messages serious of his captain to South African players. But Strauss, who succeeded KP as England captain, always insisted the texts had not hastened his retirement. And, on Friday, in a conference with Sky Sports at Lord’s, the former opening batsman said KP was the best player he’d played with.

The vast popular of the time he’s very easy to manage because he works really hard, he’s very professional in the way he goes about his business,Strauss said. And we all know what he brings. As far as I’m worried he’s the best player I’ve ever played with, in terms of sheer talent, in terms of the ability to take the game away from the resistance – he’s outstanding,added Strauss, set to join five other ex-England captains in the Sky comments box for the Ashes. But you know what you’re getting with someone like KP, obviously.

He has got a big ego, and he likes to be the centre of concentration and that’s always going to rub some people up the wrong way. But that is one of challenges of captaincy – bringing a dissimilar group of people together and making sure they all have a common purpose.

Strauss added: I think we’ve seen in this Test how much he (KP) can change the pace – I think we’re absent him in this game. It’s important for England he’s fit.Three-times an Ashes-winner, Strauss led England to a 3-1 series victory the last time cricket’s oldest rivals met in Australia in 2010-11.

In July, England will begin their bid for a third Ashes achievement in a row – something they last managed back in the 1950s. However, Strauss said an England team now captained by his former opening partner, Alastair Cook, would have their work cut out against Australia’s fast bowlers.

Graeme Swann will be licking his lips at the option of playing these guys on turning wickets. It’s going to be closely contested series – Ashes always are and this one will be no dissimilar.

Pepsi IPL 2013: 15 overseas cricketers look for Indian citizenship!

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In an attractive progress, almost 15 abroad cricketers belonging to different Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises have apply for Indian citizenship. This reporter spoke to a few sources to try and appreciate the justification behind the sudden spurt of interest in Indian citizenship.

A source in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) head office told: So far we have conventional request from Glenn Maxwell, Shakib-al-Hasan, Shoaib Malik, Ryan ten Doeschate, Steve Smith and few more. Almost all of them have same motive for relocation. They want to get a possibility in the playing 11 of their individual franchisees and not just warm the bench.

Maxwell told this reporter, With Laisth Malinga, Kieron Pollard, Ricky Ponting and Mitchell Johnson in team, other international players in Mumbai Indians don’t stand much of a chance to be in the playing 11. A few of us who find perennially in the bench have given a written demand to the BCCI asking for the foreign symbol to go up by one more to five. If they don’t agree, I am going to file for Indian citizenship.

Ryan ten Doeschate was also of the same opinion. He said,If I have to watch the match, I can do it from my home also. Why come all the way to India? Shakib-Al-Hasan’s case is a little hard. He explored the option of illegally migrating to India, get an Aadhar card and become Indian resident legally. But it’s not that easy. Aadhar cards can take anywhere from two months to three year and many times they don’t arrive at all.

He blames his parents for not journey to India in 1971. Because of that he missed living The Great India Dream every Bangladeshi dreams about. Shoaib Malik is enthused by fellow Pakistani, Azhar Mahmood the cricketer, not the terrorist with whom he shares his name and surname — who is playing as English citizen.

Just like Indian women married to American men can file for US citizenship, I have also practical for Indian citizenship since my current wife and ex-wife both are from Hyderabad, reasoned Shoaib. At a time when other cricketers are looking for Indian citizenship, Virender Sehwag and Unmukt Chand have shamefully applied for British citizenship.