Sachin and Zaheer Nominate ICC Test Team

Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan in ICC Test Team of the Year

 

Indian cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan earned a place in the ICC Test Team of the Year, chosen by a specially appointed selection panel headed by West Indian legend Clive Lloyd on Friday.

Four countries are represented in the 12-man line-up and Tendulkar made the side for the third year in a row, having appeared in the ICC World Test Team of the Year in 2009 and 2010.

South African Dale Steyn features in the World Test team for the fourth year running. He was a member of the ICC World Test Team of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Steyn's teammates — Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis — along with Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, and the England duo of Graeme Swann and James Anderson all appear in the side for the second year in a row. Former Sri Lanka skipper Sangakkara is named captain of the team.

“The selection of this year's Test team was a difficult one with so many worthy candidates available to fill just 12 places,” said the Chairman of the LG ICC Awards selection panel, Clive Lloyd, at a media conference

while announcing the short-lists for the LG ICC Awards 2011 scheduled to be held in London on Sept. 12.

“The team has a formidable line-up that bats well down the order and has bowlers with the ability and form to dismiss any opposition twice on any surface,” he said. Lloyd added, the process of selection was a difficult one and they had to weigh the credentials of all the players before zeroing in on the list.

“The selection was a difficult process with so many outstanding performances available to look back on. All the top performers during the voting period were discussed at length and various combinations were considered.

Lloyd was joined on the panel by former South Africa spinner Paul Adams, former Pakistan batsman Zaheer Abbas, New Zealand's Danny Morrison and former England player Mike Gatting.

ICC Test Team of the Year: Alastair Cook (Eng), Hashim Amla (SA), Jonathan Trott (Eng), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind), K. Sangakkara (SL, wicketkeeper/captain), A.B. de Villiers (SA), Jacques Kallis (SA), Stuart Broad (Eng), Graeme Swann (Eng), Dale Steyn (SA), James Anderson (Eng). 12th man: Zaheer Khan (Ind).

Sachin Near By 100th Hundured

Tendulkar, Mishra resist English attack

AP Sachin Tendulkar brought up his second 50 of the series to steer India to 216/3 at lunch on the the final day of the fourth Test against England at the Oval on Monday.

 Sachin Tendulkar remained on course for a historic 100th Test ton as India fought back to save the match after following on, reaching 216 for three at lunch on the fifth day of the final cricket Test here on Monday.

India quelled England’s charge for the whole of morning session without losing a single wicket with the two overnight batsmen Tendulkar (72 batting) and Amit Mishra (57 batting) piling on 98 runs for the fourth wicket.

The visitors now trail by 75 runs with seven second innings wickets in hand.

Everyone was backing Tendulkar to come good but Mishra was the real surprise packet as he handled both spinners and pacers with aplomb.

Tendulkar set the early tone of the day when he steered and flapped James Anderson through the slip cordon for two boundaries. A single brought his half century up from 74 balls and he had thus far hit seven fours.

Mishra, on the other end, clearly found the off-spin of Graeme Swann to his liking as he dabbed him past slips for his first four of the morning. He then flicked Stuart Broad off his pads and later swept Swann for yet another boundary.

Two more fours by Mishra, one each off Broad and Swann, took him into 40s.

England removed Swann from the bowling attack and brought Ravi Bopara on to bowl his medium pacers but Tendulkar hit him for two off-side fours.

Bowlers were being shuffled around but they were not able to beat the bat often as the Indian pair grew increasingly in confidence.

Anderson Comments on Sachin

Tendulkar is not my bunny: Anderson

AP James Anderson has dismissed Sachin Tendulkar seven times in Tests. He is seen here picking up the wicket of Tendulkar in the second Test at Nottingham.

 

James Anderson might have become the second most successful bowler against the iconic Sachin Tendulkar in Test cricket, but the England paceman does not believe that he has an upper hand over the Indian batsman.

Anderson has dismissed Tendulkar seven times in eight matches while retired Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has taken the Indian batsman’s wicket eight times from 19 Tests.

“A lot of people are starting to mention it, but I genuinely don’t think I have anything over him. It is really nice to keep getting him out though and hopefully it will continue,” Anderson said.

Anderson first took Tendulkar’s wicket in a Test in March 2006, three times in 2007, once next year and twice this year.

He has also dismissed Tendulkar thrice in One—dayers.

Asked how he is managing to get Tendulkar so often, he said being mentally tough has helped him a lot recently.

“There are still plenty of times like at Trent Bridge earlier in that second innings (Tendulkar made 56), when I felt like I had nowhere to bowl at him. He was hitting me for boundary after boundary.

“With all players as good as he is, it is just a question of hanging in there and hoping that you bowl one too good for him,” he was quoted as saying by ‘Daily Express’

“One area where I have really improved my game is mentally. In 2006—07 (when England were thrashed in the Ashes in Australia) I wasn’t in a great place mentally. Now I’m not thinking about who is at the other end. Believe it or not the battle between Sachin and me is not at the forefront of my mind. I concentrate on the plans we have talked about and bowling it there.”

He believes that England can go on to whitewash India in the ongoing Test series. “I really don’t see why we can’t win this series 4—0.”

cric-news Federer Knows a lot about cricket:sachin

Federer knows a lot about cricket: Tendulkar

The batting ace who is a big fan of Swiss tennis star had a long chat with the latter at SW 19.20

London: It takes a lot to bowl over Sachin Tendulkar as bowlers around the world would confess but tennis ace Roger Federer managed to do it just by his knowledge of cricket when the two legends caught up during the Wimbledon here.
Tendulkar, a self-confessed Federer fan, met the winner of 16 Grand Slams at the All England Club after the world number three beat David Nalbandian to advance to the fourth round of Wimbledon.
Tendulkar chatted for an hour with the Swiss and posed with him for the shutterbugs.
"Spent an hour with Roger Federer chatting on the balcony of Wimbledon Royal box. What a humble guy! And by the way he knows a lot about cricket!!" Tendulkar later tweeted.
The two reportedly also had dinner together after Federer's match.
Federer too talked about his meeting with Tendulkar on his facebook page.
"Today was a special day, played a good match and had the chance to catch up with the great indian cricket star Sachin Tendulkar," read the status message on his facebook page.

cric-news Lara Comments On Sachin

Sachin’s the best: Lara

The Sachin Tendulkar fan club keeps getting bigger with West Indies batting legend Brian Lara describing him as the best batsman in the world right now and former England captain Alec Stewart calling him “the modern day Don Bradman”.

 

Participating in a panel discussion at Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's "East Meets West" Gala Dinner at the Hilton Park Lane in London on Monday, Lara said, "Sachin started playing (Test cricket) at the age of 16. And at 38 now, we have not seen a better player. Sachin is the best batsman in the world."
"I am going to the Lord's to see Sachin make his 100th century," he said.
Stewart, who also participated in the discussion, described Tendulkar as the "modern day Bradman".
India's veteran batsman Rahul Dravid added to the praise, saying, "In India we have many gods and he is one of them."
Answering questions from cricket commentator Henry Blofeld, Lara said, "While Sachin is special, Dravid is the wall."
"Dravid is always going to be there -- he is a tremendous player," he said.
Stewart described Dravid as a "great player".
"Dravid is India's most technically gifted player," he said.
About Lara, Stewart said, "he was the best player in the 90s. But in modern day, Sachin is a better player than Lara -- a modern day Bradman."
Asked to forecast on the outcome of the India-England series, Stewart gave it 2-1 to England.
Source: AP

Sachin Tendulkar Double Century In ODI Fully Highlyts

Sachin Tendulkar Double Century In ODI Fully Highlyts

Sachin tendulkar is the first person Double Century in oneday international Fullyhighlytes