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[Cover Point]

Looks like professionalism is kicking in instead of social service and big name puja now.

Yup the way it ought to be.  If tomorrow SRK says Ganguly is not the man for the job to lead KKR after inputs from JB that is what it should be.  Accountability is what it is.  And if JB or Warne fail with their blue prints ultimately they are the ones in the firing line.  So it is fair they are left alone till the time to evalute them by the owners comes in.

it doesnt work that way. If Ganguly is touched by anyone then all the gangulians go berserk. You see there is professionalism for everyone else. For Ganguly rules are different. U have to take effigies and Rail Rokos into account. People do have a lot of time now since they are not making Nanos

Somehow I think SG will be one of the top performer from KKR this season. The mess up would be JB ideas if at all.
SG has played two warm up games and has done good. Let us wait for some real matches before you ask him out of team. And am sure, if he does not perform in few JB's thoughts are not hidden from anyone. It would be more about KKR making money, rather giving SG a free ride.

when did I ask for him to be out of the team? Am just reacting to people's reactions on Ganguly losing captaincy.

One of the rare occasions I differ with you.  I do not consider JB's idea worth experimenting(once i find out what it is ?  ).
As per SG captaincy, Looking forward may not be a bad Idea. They can make LRS or BM captain considering KKR has to have a captaing for another two years. With SG out of the international arena, his form will always be doubtful. However a similar argument can be made against Warnie, Mcgrath Hadyen etc ..If RR can bet on Warnie, Why can't KKR have faith on SG. He has come from behiend on few occasions to show his worth.
As of now I don't see any reason fro SG not to be capatin unless he underperforms and does not deserve a place in PXI.

Well ... JB's idea is new. And I am still sticking to the coach running the game rather than the multiple captain per game thing.

Once SG becomes redundant and is not an automatic choice in the 11 and is not setting the batting order we are cool. Now he can play in the team on merit. If that means he needs to bat at #7 or #4 ... so be it.

If they dont have another good opener and SG has to bat there .. so be it. Let JB make that call.

Ofcourse if he underperforms ... the bench is very close to the boundary in T20 ... he can warm it rather well

[gouravk]

the coach does not run the game. the coach is useful to get the players from the hotel to the field so that they dont have to run all the way . blah ! coaching is for losers ! im with warnie on this one !

[justforkix]

Just saw the breaking news In toi that kaif is sent back home

What is so breaking about a player like a Kaif being sent home.  

This guy is lucky to have played 125 ODI's and 13 Tests for India when better talents hardly got a chance to even get a sniff at the Indian cap.  Badrinath is one such example.

Why ? Stranger things have happened. VVS was lucky enough to play 86 ODIs .

And Badrinath example is incorrect. He came into reckoning when Kaif was already out of the team.

[justforkix]

Its a good opportunity for etams with weaker batting to grab Kaif - KKR, CSK, KXIP are 3 teams who should try and get him. Or is it too late for that ?

[12th_Man]

Its a good opportunity for etams with weaker batting to grab Kaif - KKR, CSK, KXIP are 3 teams who should try and get him. Or is it too late for that ?

Are these guys sacked or just send home ? I read they could be called back if someone is injured.

[ramshorns]

Just saw the breaking news In toi that kaif is sent back home

What is so breaking about a player like a Kaif being sent home.  

This guy is lucky to have played 125 ODI's and 13 Tests for India when better talents hardly got a chance to even get a sniff at the Indian cap.  Badrinath is one such example.

Why ? Stranger things have happened. VVS was lucky enough to play 86 ODIs .

Yeah right bring in VVS when the point of discussion is the strokeless wonder.

I say Tendulkar was lucky to play 400 odd ODI's and RD 300 ODI's when a talent like VVS could only play 86 ODI's.

That is not the point.  It is very clear Kaif's International credentials are in question.  This guy gets dumped from the national squad and plays FC cricket.  When all things are taken into consideration over the last two years there is no way he is the top 7-8 FC player.  If this guy would not have been recruited from the U-19 ranks no way with his talent and FC temperament would he have played for India in 125 internationals and the proof of that is in the pudding with his non-selection now and over the last 2 years.

And Badrinath example is incorrect. He came into reckoning when Kaif was already out of the team.

My point in bringing Bardinath is there is no need to feel for a weak player like Kaif when better talents did not get a sniff at the national accolades while this guy played 125 ODI's with medicore batting. So it very correct to bring in Badrinath or a Mujumdar.

[ramshorns]

Its a good opportunity for etams with weaker batting to grab Kaif - KKR, CSK, KXIP are 3 teams who should try and get him. Or is it too late for that ?

If he only agree's to play for 50 bucks a game.  

I think there is a reason why Warne did not let him bat higher up the order last year.  He neither has the class to pierce the field on a consistent basis nor does he have the stroke making ability or the power of a Yusuf Pathan to make any impact at the international level.

I am sure Dhoni and JB and other teams are smart enough to know that.

In all seriousness if he agrees for a league minimum then he is worth warming the bench and show up for a fielding assignment when a player is out of the game.

Actually it is a honest assessment of Kaif.

[justforkix]

Yeah right bring in VVS when the point of discussion is the strokeless wonder.

I say Tendulkar was lucky to play 400 odd ODI's and RD 300 ODI's when they have when a talent like VVS could only play 86 ODI's.

That is not the point.  It is very clear Kaif's International credentials are in question.  This guy gets dumped from the national squad and plays FC cricket.  When all things are taken into consideration over the last two years there is no way he is the top 7-8 FC player.  If this guy would not have been recruited from the U-19 ranks no way with his talent and FC temperament would he have played for India in 125 internationals and the proof of that is in the pudding with his non-selection now and over the last 2 years.

That talented player has a lower career average and strike rate than the strokeless wonder . If Kaif is mediocre in ODIs, so is VVS. Talent and class means zilch if it cannot be translated into performance on the field. And SRT and RD could play 300+ ODIs because they could transform their game for ODIs, while VVS could not - no luck here !!! Its quite clear to anyone without biased thinking that VVS is a misfit in both ODIs and T20s. And regarding Kaif, I disagree, looking at the numbers, Kaif has been in the top 10 batsmen in FC in 3 of the last 4 years, since he was out of the side.

[LosingNow]

that is amazing! Now Kaif doesnt even qualify for a domestic team!

Does the Franchise still have to pay him the 675K?

This is amazing!

Agree. This is amazing.

IMO, only a RR can pull this kind of thing.. which is good. The other teams are still trying to "fit-in their big name non-performers"...maybe RR will show them the light.

Would be interesting to learn, if a "cut" player can still make his contracted value...ie are these guaranteed contracts like MLB or are these non-gauranteed like NFL. 

[gouravk]

chill. he is only dropped from the squad for this IPL, its not as if his contract is terminated.

[justforkix]

that is amazing! Now Kaif doesnt even qualify for a domestic team!

Does the Franchise still have to pay him the 675K?

This is amazing!

Agree. This is amazing.

IMO, only a RR can pull this kind of thing.. which is good. The other teams are still trying to "fit-in their big name non-performers"...maybe RR will show them the light.

Would be interesting to learn, if a "cut" player can still make his contracted value...ie are these guaranteed contracts like MLB or are these non-gauranteed like NFL.

no idea. it has to be guaranteed I would think because there are no extra performance incentives. Or perhaps, there is a penalty clause both ways with some compensation. Dunno if cut = release. There was not any cuts last year. Maybe this is a one-off because games are in SA and not in India.

[ramshorns]

Yeah right bring in VVS when the point of discussion is the strokeless wonder.

I say Tendulkar was lucky to play 400 odd ODI's and RD 300 ODI's when they have when a talent like VVS could only play 86 ODI's.

That is not the point.  It is very clear Kaif's International credentials are in question.  This guy gets dumped from the national squad and plays FC cricket.  When all things are taken into consideration over the last two years there is no way he is the top 7-8 FC player.  If this guy would not have been recruited from the U-19 ranks no way with his talent and FC temperament would he have played for India in 125 internationals and the proof of that is in the pudding with his non-selection now and over the last 2 years.

That talented player has a lower career average and strike rate than the strokeless wonder . If Kaif is mediocre in ODIs, so is VVS. Talent and class means zilch if it cannot be translated into performance on the field. And SRT and RD could play 300+ ODIs because they could transform their game for ODIs, while VVS could not - no luck here !!! Its quite clear to anyone without biased thinking that VVS is a misfit in both ODIs and T20s.

To me VVS is an exception to the rule when his ODI career was cut short owing to unnecessary tinkering just like they did with his Test career.   And he proved in Tests the real measure for a player to be judged by scoring that 281 a knock many termed as the one that changed the face of Indian cricket and top 5-6 ever played in history of cricket.  That should exonerate him and prove that he would have been more than a worthy ODI player if he enjoyed the same backing a Tendulkar or Dravid had.   

So Kaif averaging a bit more and a s/r fractionally higher than VVS in ODI's after playing 125 of them proves nothing but divert the issue.  The better way would be to compare Kaif to the players that have played 125 or more games and see how he measure up just like VVS in terms of players that played 100 Tests or more.  That should put things in perspective.

And regarding Kaif, I disagree, looking at the numbers, Kaif has been in the top 10 batsmen in FC in 3 of the last 4 years, since he was out of the side.

Then let the rest of the ten or so who are better FC players than this mediocre player play 125 games for India.  Then we can talk.  In a way you are agreeing with me by conceding he is not a cut above the rest and if he is not then how did he play 125 games when Mujumdar played 0 games or a Badrinath play 5-6 games.

[LosingNow]

Its a good opportunity for etams with weaker batting to grab Kaif - KKR, CSK, KXIP are 3 teams who should try and get him. Or is it too late for that ?

Can he be traded this late? I thought the trading window is over.

Is there a concept of "waiver line" in IPL? Perhaps they should institute that.. that way players can be placed on waivers and can be picked by other teams. It helps both the player and the franchise

[ramshorns]

Only a loser team would grab a player like Kaif after he failed in the trails for RR.  I hope no team is that desperate to grab a player who just got cut not because of good players around him but his own incompetence. 

Think about it.  This is not a international squad.  Most of the 17-18 member rosters constitute local players who hardly played any International cricket.  So Kaif's stock has dropped siginificantly for this to happen.  To begin with IMO it is mostly hype that fetched him 700k in the auction.  He hardly did much of note to earn that last season.  And when that caught managements attention better sense prevailed and they let this guy loose unless there was a way to pay him the league minimum.  Even at that RR might have thought Kaif's is a wasted spot to keep him and I do not blame them.

[gouravk]

why are you assuming that rajasthan want to trade him ? maybe they want him for next year !!

[justforkix]

To me VVS is an exception to the rule when his ODI career was cut short owing to unnecessary tinkering just like they did with his Test career.   And he proved in Tests the real measure for a player to be judged by scoring that 281 a knock many termed as the one that changed the face of Indian cricket and top 5-6 ever played in history of cricket.  That should exonerate him and prove that he would have been more than a worthy ODI player if he enjoyed the same backing a Tendulkar or Dravid had.   

Backing comes from performance. And 30 avg at 70 s/r in 80+ ODIs cannot buy a player that backing. Saying that this is an exception is just a cop-out.

[ramshorns]

why are you assuming that rajasthan want to trade him ? maybe they want him for next year !!

for what?

[LosingNow]

To me VVS is an exception to the rule when his ODI career was cut short owing to unnecessary tinkering just like they did with his Test career.   And he proved in Tests the real measure for a player to be judged by scoring that 281 a knock many termed as the one that changed the face of Indian cricket and top 5-6 ever played in history of cricket.  That should exonerate him and prove that he would have been more than a worthy ODI player if he enjoyed the same backing a Tendulkar or Dravid had.   

Backing comes from performance. And 30 avg at 70 s/r in 80+ ODIs cannot buy a player that backing. Saying that this is an exception is just a cop-out.

Per CI for career  against non-minnows - incl BD, Zim but not the scotlands of the world - min # of innings = 40, N= 262..

Kaif : innings played 103, ave 31.33, SR 70.64, Ave Rank 114, SR rank 127. Was not out 20 times.. with a relatively high Not out % of 19%.
VVS : 79, 30.95, 70.91, 115, 123.. was not out only 7 times.

Not much to chose from between these 2

As a reference, the average for 232 players is 31.12. They both were average!

[ramshorns]

To me VVS is an exception to the rule when his ODI career was cut short owing to unnecessary tinkering just like they did with his Test career.   And he proved in Tests the real measure for a player to be judged by scoring that 281 a knock many termed as the one that changed the face of Indian cricket and top 5-6 ever played in history of cricket.  That should exonerate him and prove that he would have been more than a worthy ODI player if he enjoyed the same backing a Tendulkar or Dravid had.   

Backing comes from performance. And 30 avg at 70 s/r in 80+ ODIs cannot buy a player that backing. Saying that this is an exception is just a cop-out.

Per CI for career  against non-minnows - incl BD, Zim but not the scotlands of the world - min # of innings = 40, N= 262..

Kaif : innings played 103, ave 31.33, SR 70.64, Ave Rank 114, SR rank 127. Was not out 20 times.. with a relatively high Not out % of 19%.
VVS : 79, 30.95, 70.91, 115, 123.. was not out only 7 times.

Not much to chose from between these 2

As a reference, the average for 232 players is 31.12. They both were average!

Actually it is a futile exercise to compare this way though you proved that at a similar juncture there is not much to choose.   Just to extend it a bit even Tendulkar and Dravid after 80 odds game would have averaged between 30-35.  That does not mean we can extrapolate and say that if Kaif played 300 odd ODI games he would have turned out better than a Tendulkar. 

I firmly believe Kaif got lucky to make it to the top and play 125 ODI's without much FC credentials coming through the U-19 ranks and he is proving me right by struggling to make a comeback for 2 years since being out by not being able to beat out his competition at the FC level.  And this RR axing further reinforces my take.

[ganavk]

Yeah right bring in VVS when the point of discussion is the strokeless wonder.

I say Tendulkar was lucky to play 400 odd ODI's and RD 300 ODI's when they have when a talent like VVS could only play 86 ODI's.

That is not the point.  It is very clear Kaif's International credentials are in question.  This guy gets dumped from the national squad and plays FC cricket.  When all things are taken into consideration over the last two years there is no way he is the top 7-8 FC player.  If this guy would not have been recruited from the U-19 ranks no way with his talent and FC temperament would he have played for India in 125 internationals and the proof of that is in the pudding with his non-selection now and over the last 2 years.

That talented player has a lower career average and strike rate than the strokeless wonder . If Kaif is mediocre in ODIs, so is VVS. Talent and class means zilch if it cannot be translated into performance on the field. And SRT and RD could play 300+ ODIs because they could transform their game for ODIs, while VVS could not - no luck here !!! Its quite clear to anyone without biased thinking that VVS is a misfit in both ODIs and T20s.

To me VVS is an exception to the rule when his ODI career was cut short owing to unnecessary tinkering just like they did with his Test career.   And he proved in Tests the real measure for a player to be judged by scoring that 281 a knock many termed as the one that changed the face of Indian cricket and top 5-6 ever played in history of cricket.  That should exonerate him and prove that he would have been more than a worthy ODI player if he enjoyed the same backing a Tendulkar or Dravid had.   

So Kaif averaging a bit more and a s/r fractionally higher than VVS in ODI's after playing 125 of them proves nothing but divert the issue.  The better way would be to compare Kaif to the players that have played 125 or more games and see how he measure up just like VVS in terms of players that played 100 Tests or more.  That should put things in perspective.

And regarding Kaif, I disagree, looking at the numbers, Kaif has been in the top 10 batsmen in FC in 3 of the last 4 years, since he was out of the side.

Then let the rest of the ten or so who are better FC players than this mediocre player play 125 games for India.  Then we can talk.  In a way you are agreeing with me by conceding he is not a cut above the rest and if he is not then how did he play 125 games when Mujumdar played 0 games or a Badrinath play 5-6 games.

Hmmm...when you compare VVS and Kaif you are saying Kaif cannot be compared to VVS because he has played 40+ extra matches but on the other hand you are saying VVS would have done better if he was given as many chances as Kaif/RD/SRT.

[ramshorns]

Yeah right bring in VVS when the point of discussion is the strokeless wonder.

I say Tendulkar was lucky to play 400 odd ODI's and RD 300 ODI's when they have when a talent like VVS could only play 86 ODI's.

That is not the point.  It is very clear Kaif's International credentials are in question.  This guy gets dumped from the national squad and plays FC cricket.  When all things are taken into consideration over the last two years there is no way he is the top 7-8 FC player.  If this guy would not have been recruited from the U-19 ranks no way with his talent and FC temperament would he have played for India in 125 internationals and the proof of that is in the pudding with his non-selection now and over the last 2 years.

That talented player has a lower career average and strike rate than the strokeless wonder . If Kaif is mediocre in ODIs, so is VVS. Talent and class means zilch if it cannot be translated into performance on the field. And SRT and RD could play 300+ ODIs because they could transform their game for ODIs, while VVS could not - no luck here !!! Its quite clear to anyone without biased thinking that VVS is a misfit in both ODIs and T20s.

To me VVS is an exception to the rule when his ODI career was cut short owing to unnecessary tinkering just like they did with his Test career.   And he proved in Tests the real measure for a player to be judged by scoring that 281 a knock many termed as the one that changed the face of Indian cricket and top 5-6 ever played in history of cricket.  That should exonerate him and prove that he would have been more than a worthy ODI player if he enjoyed the same backing a Tendulkar or Dravid had.   

So Kaif averaging a bit more and a s/r fractionally higher than VVS in ODI's after playing 125 of them proves nothing but divert the issue.  The better way would be to compare Kaif to the players that have played 125 or more games and see how he measure up just like VVS in terms of players that played 100 Tests or more.  That should put things in perspective.

And regarding Kaif, I disagree, looking at the numbers, Kaif has been in the top 10 batsmen in FC in 3 of the last 4 years, since he was out of the side.

Then let the rest of the ten or so who are better FC players than this mediocre player play 125 games for India.  Then we can talk.  In a way you are agreeing with me by conceding he is not a cut above the rest and if he is not then how did he play 125 games when Mujumdar played 0 games or a Badrinath play 5-6 games.

Hmmm...when you compare VVS and Kaif you are saying Kaif cannot be compared to VVS because he has played 40+ extra matches but on the other hand you are saying VVS would have done better if he was given as many chances as Kaif/RD/SRT.

I did not say that.  But given your analytical abilities and my experiences from the past with you I am not surprised you came to that conclusion though my post prior to this will help you clear your doubts and notions up.

[LosingNow]

To me VVS is an exception to the rule when his ODI career was cut short owing to unnecessary tinkering just like they did with his Test career.   And he proved in Tests the real measure for a player to be judged by scoring that 281 a knock many termed as the one that changed the face of Indian cricket and top 5-6 ever played in history of cricket.  That should exonerate him and prove that he would have been more than a worthy ODI player if he enjoyed the same backing a Tendulkar or Dravid had.   

Backing comes from performance. And 30 avg at 70 s/r in 80+ ODIs cannot buy a player that backing. Saying that this is an exception is just a cop-out.

Per CI for career  against non-minnows - incl BD, Zim but not the scotlands of the world - min # of innings = 40, N= 262..

Kaif : innings played 103, ave 31.33, SR 70.64, Ave Rank 114, SR rank 127. Was not out 20 times.. with a relatively high Not out % of 19%.
VVS : 79, 30.95, 70.91, 115, 123.. was not out only 7 times.

Not much to chose from between these 2

As a reference, the average for 232 players is 31.12. They both were average!

Actually it is a futile exercise to compare this way though you proved that at a similar juncture there is not much to choose.   Just to extend it a bit even Tendulkar and Dravid after 80 odds game would have averaged between 30-35.  That does not mean we can extrapolate and say that if Kaif played 300 odd ODI games he would have turned out better than a Tendulkar. 

I firmly believe Kaif got lucky to make it to the top and play 125 ODI's without much FC credentials coming through the U-19 ranks and he is proving me right by struggling to make a comeback for 2 years since being out by not being able to beat out his competition at the FC level.  And this RR axing further reinforces my take.

Look...
If you are trying to say that VVS should have gotten more chances than he got.. I think the answer is YES.. he should have played ahead of Dinesh Mongias of the world

If you are saying that VVS should have gotten more chances ahead of Kaif.. the answer is a clear NO.. Kaif saved at least 15 runs in the field.

[ramshorns]

To me VVS is an exception to the rule when his ODI career was cut short owing to unnecessary tinkering just like they did with his Test career.   And he proved in Tests the real measure for a player to be judged by scoring that 281 a knock many termed as the one that changed the face of Indian cricket and top 5-6 ever played in history of cricket.  That should exonerate him and prove that he would have been more than a worthy ODI player if he enjoyed the same backing a Tendulkar or Dravid had.   

Backing comes from performance. And 30 avg at 70 s/r in 80+ ODIs cannot buy a player that backing. Saying that this is an exception is just a cop-out.

Per CI for career  against non-minnows - incl BD, Zim but not the scotlands of the world - min # of innings = 40, N= 262..

Kaif : innings played 103, ave 31.33, SR 70.64, Ave Rank 114, SR rank 127. Was not out 20 times.. with a relatively high Not out % of 19%.
VVS : 79, 30.95, 70.91, 115, 123.. was not out only 7 times.

Not much to chose from between these 2

As a reference, the average for 232 players is 31.12. They both were average!

Actually it is a futile exercise to compare this way though you proved that at a similar juncture there is not much to choose.   Just to extend it a bit even Tendulkar and Dravid after 80 odds game would have averaged between 30-35.  That does not mean we can extrapolate and say that if Kaif played 300 odd ODI games he would have turned out better than a Tendulkar. 

I firmly believe Kaif got lucky to make it to the top and play 125 ODI's without much FC credentials coming through the U-19 ranks and he is proving me right by struggling to make a comeback for 2 years since being out by not being able to beat out his competition at the FC level.  And this RR axing further reinforces my take.

Look...
If you are trying to say that VVS should have gotten more chances than he got.. I think the answer is YES.. he should have played ahead of Dinesh Mongias of the world

If you are saying that VVS should have gotten more chances ahead of Kaif.. the answer is a clear NO.. Kaif saved at least 15 runs in the field.

I refuse to get into old debates.  All these 15 runs saves and running between the wickets are discussed to death in the prior years.  I could care less at this point how many ODI's VVS played.  His legacy is secured ranking among pantheon of greats that played for India like Vishy, SMG, RD and SRT in Test match cricket.   That is saying more than any ODI history would reveal.  He was needlessly dragged into this thread with an aim to hijack it.

The topic of this thread is RR and axing of Kaif.  I have made several pertinent posts on why that is justified.  I have not seen any strong challenges to that excepting some weak responses such as it is insulting or some other team picking him up for no reason.  Let us stick to that and see why what I was saying all along about this cricketer came to the fore today when the person paying the big bucks saw a merit with my POV.  EOD.

[gouravk]

why are you assuming that rajasthan want to trade him ? maybe they want him for next year !!

for what?

i dont know ! i said "maybe" ! READ !

[inoc]

To me VVS is an exception to the rule when his ODI career was cut short owing to unnecessary tinkering just like they did with his Test career.   And he proved in Tests the real measure for a player to be judged by scoring that 281 a knock many termed as the one that changed the face of Indian cricket and top 5-6 ever played in history of cricket.  That should exonerate him and prove that he would have been more than a worthy ODI player if he enjoyed the same backing a Tendulkar or Dravid had.   

Backing comes from performance. And 30 avg at 70 s/r in 80+ ODIs cannot buy a player that backing. Saying that this is an exception is just a cop-out.

Per CI for career  against non-minnows - incl BD, Zim but not the scotlands of the world - min # of innings = 40, N= 262..

Kaif : innings played 103, ave 31.33, SR 70.64, Ave Rank 114, SR rank 127. Was not out 20 times.. with a relatively high Not out % of 19%.
VVS : 79, 30.95, 70.91, 115, 123.. was not out only 7 times.

Not much to chose from between these 2

As a reference, the average for 232 players is 31.12. They both were average!

Actually it is a futile exercise to compare this way though you proved that at a similar juncture there is not much to choose.   Just to extend it a bit even Tendulkar and Dravid after 80 odds game would have averaged between 30-35.  That does not mean we can extrapolate and say that if Kaif played 300 odd ODI games he would have turned out better than a Tendulkar. 

I firmly believe Kaif got lucky to make it to the top and play 125 ODI's without much FC credentials coming through the U-19 ranks and he is proving me right by struggling to make a comeback for 2 years since being out by not being able to beat out his competition at the FC level.  And this RR axing further reinforces my take.

Look...
If you are trying to say that VVS should have gotten more chances than he got.. I think the answer is YES.. he should have played ahead of Dinesh Mongias of the world

If you are saying that VVS should have gotten more chances ahead of Kaif.. the answer is a clear NO.. Kaif saved at least 15 runs in the field.

I refuse to get into old debates.  All these 15 runs saves and running between the wickets are discussed to death in the prior years.  I could care less at this point how many ODI's VVS played.  His legacy is secured ranking among pantheon of greats that played for India like Vishy, SMG, RD and SRT in Test match cricket.   That is saying more than any ODI history would reveal.  He was needlessly dragged into this thread with an aim to hijack it.

The topic of this thread is RR and axing of Kaif.  I have made several pertinent posts on why that is justified.  I have not seen any strong challenges to that excepting some weak responses such as it is insulting or some other team picking him up for no reason.  Let us stick to that and see why what I was saying all along about this cricketer came to the fore today when the person paying the big bucks saw a merit with my POV.  EOD.

rams

i agree with a lot of what you say including the fact that VVS was certainly not the person to be discussed here in this thread. discussions however tend to meander and we have this discussion now.

leaving aside VVS and his exploits in the test arena, which as you have said deserves to be in the great indian test players of all time top list, let me provide my side of the argument.

i believe no player who has had more than 50 or so attempts (a decent number, I think, may be even shortened to 25 in this day an age) can be part of an international side with an average of 30, in tests or ODIs, with a SR of 70 in ODIs in particular.

lets limit this discussion to ODIs only.

considering indian players only, a batsmen to have played on with that kind of numbers ...brings to mind two players.

1. VS - despite his poor average his excellent SR, and the the fact that everybody only concentrates on the matches he has won, leads him to stay put in the side. I still think that he is over rated in the indian ODI side, maybe his bowling when we have few part time bowlers is an added consideration.

2. GG - similar player but a poor SR. The fact that got him the added matches was his excellent T20 WC performance.

if not he was a dead duck.

In a scenario were the stalwarts were not present and GG made the most of it, gave him the the chance of a lifetime and with MSDs backng he was a success.

other than these two examples, you will struggle to find a long term ODI player who averages 30, with a SR of 70, being part of an international team for long.

i also feel that the number 5 to 7 position is the most difficult position to bat in. despite the discussions, in the other thread, or may be 'because' of the discussions in another thread we realise that other than a few ppl, should we call it three, most suck at those positions.

you are coming in at the end of an innings to up the rate or you are in, when the situation is dire with 3/4 down kind of scenario for not many on board.

a cursory look at the careers of MK and VVS suggests that VVS batted at the top of the innings more often than MK did. which would put him in an advantageous situation wrt MK, BUT, that was not the case.

Dont get me wrong, VVS compared to MK is like comparing cheese to chalk in batting pedigree, but i am forced to say that in the time, read matches, that VVS was given the oppurtunity - he sucked, and that too mostly at the top of the order where he shouls have had the time and opportunity to establish his class.

i am not denying his class but commenting on his inability to transform it to good/decent performances in te ODI arena.

for your perusal

POS            MK   INN   NO   SR   AVG                      VVS    1NN   NO   SR     AVG
OPEN      1   1   62    24                              5     0     39      11
3             8   2   71   51                             49     4     74       34
4            15   3   63   38                                8      0      71        26
5            16   2   65   22                                2        0     42        14
6             22   2   66   21                                 2       1       68     26
7             27   8   84   26               
8               2   2   159   *               
              91   19   70   29                                66        5       71      30

numbers are without minnows.


VVS did not belong to the ODI team, not because he wasnt capable but because he did not do himself justice. you can argue till the cows have come home but VVS was unacceptably poor in ODIs.
in no way sayng that Kaif was better mind you, he was equally poor in a more difficult position in the batting line up.

[ramshorns]

To me VVS is an exception to the rule when his ODI career was cut short owing to unnecessary tinkering just like they did with his Test career.   And he proved in Tests the real measure for a player to be judged by scoring that 281 a knock many termed as the one that changed the face of Indian cricket and top 5-6 ever played in history of cricket.  That should exonerate him and prove that he would have been more than a worthy ODI player if he enjoyed the same backing a Tendulkar or Dravid had.   

Backing comes from performance. And 30 avg at 70 s/r in 80+ ODIs cannot buy a player that backing. Saying that this is an exception is just a cop-out.

Per CI for career  against non-minnows - incl BD, Zim but not the scotlands of the world - min # of innings = 40, N= 262..

Kaif : innings played 103, ave 31.33, SR 70.64, Ave Rank 114, SR rank 127. Was not out 20 times.. with a relatively high Not out % of 19%.
VVS : 79, 30.95, 70.91, 115, 123.. was not out only 7 times.

Not much to chose from between these 2

As a reference, the average for 232 players is 31.12. They both were average!

Actually it is a futile exercise to compare this way though you proved that at a similar juncture there is not much to choose.   Just to extend it a bit even Tendulkar and Dravid after 80 odds game would have averaged between 30-35.  That does not mean we can extrapolate and say that if Kaif played 300 odd ODI games he would have turned out better than a Tendulkar. 

I firmly believe Kaif got lucky to make it to the top and play 125 ODI's without much FC credentials coming through the U-19 ranks and he is proving me right by struggling to make a comeback for 2 years since being out by not being able to beat out his competition at the FC level.  And this RR axing further reinforces my take.

Look...
If you are trying to say that VVS should have gotten more chances than he got.. I think the answer is YES.. he should have played ahead of Dinesh Mongias of the world

If you are saying that VVS should have gotten more chances ahead of Kaif.. the answer is a clear NO.. Kaif saved at least 15 runs in the field.

I refuse to get into old debates.  All these 15 runs saves and running between the wickets are discussed to death in the prior years.  I could care less at this point how many ODI's VVS played.  His legacy is secured ranking among pantheon of greats that played for India like Vishy, SMG, RD and SRT in Test match cricket.   That is saying more than any ODI history would reveal.  He was needlessly dragged into this thread with an aim to hijack it.

The topic of this thread is RR and axing of Kaif.  I have made several pertinent posts on why that is justified.  I have not seen any strong challenges to that excepting some weak responses such as it is insulting or some other team picking him up for no reason.  Let us stick to that and see why what I was saying all along about this cricketer came to the fore today when the person paying the big bucks saw a merit with my POV.  EOD.

rams

i agree with a lot of what you say including the fact that VVS was certainly not the person to be discussed here in this thread. discussions however tend to meander and we have this discussion now.

leaving aside VVS and his exploits in the test arena, which as you have said deserves to be in the great indian test players of all time top list, let me provide my side of the argument.

i believe no player who has had more than 50 or so attempts (a decent number, I think, may be even shortened to 25 in this day an age) can be part of an international side with an average of 30, in tests or ODIs, with a SR of 70 in ODIs in particular.

lets limit this discussion to ODIs only.

considering indian players only, a batsmen to have played on with that kind of numbers ...brings to mind two players.

1. VS - despite his poor average his excellent SR, and the the fact that everybody only concentrates on the matches he has won, leads him to stay put in the side. I still think that he is over rated in the indian ODI side, maybe his bowling when we have few part time bowlers is an added consideration.

2. GG - similar player but a poor SR. The fact that got him the added matches was his excellent T20 WC performance.

if not he was a dead duck.

In a scenario were the stalwarts were not present and GG made the most of it, gave him the the chance of a lifetime and with MSDs backng he was a success.

other than these two examples, you will struggle to find a long term ODI player who averages 30, with a SR of 70, being part of an international team for long.

i also feel that the number 5 to 7 position is the most difficult position to bat in. despite the discussions, in the other thread, or may be 'because' of the discussions in another thread we realise that other than a few ppl, should we call it three, most suck at those positions.

you are coming in at the end of an innings to up the rate or you are in, when the situation is dire with 3/4 down kind of scenario for not many on board.

a cursory look at the careers of MK and VVS suggests that VVS batted at the top of the innings more often than MK did. which would put him in an advantageous situation wrt MK, BUT, that was not the case.

Dont get me wrong, VVS compared to MK is like comparing cheese to chalk in batting pedigree, but i am forced to say that in the time, read matches, that VVS was given the oppurtunity - he sucked, and that too mostly at the top of the order where he shouls have had the time and opportunity to establish his class.

i am not denying his class but commenting on his inability to transform it to good/decent performances in te ODI arena.

for your perusal

POS            MK   INN   NO   SR   AVG                      VVS    1NN   NO   SR     AVG
OPEN      1   1   62    24                              5     0     39      11
3             8   2   71   51                             49     4     74       34
4            15   3   63   38                                8      0      71        26
5            16   2   65   22                                2        0     42        14
6             22   2   66   21                                 2       1       68     26
7             27   8   84   26               
8               2   2   159   *               
              91   19   70   29                                66        5       71      30

numbers are without minnows.


VVS did not belong to the ODI team, not because he wasnt capable but because he did not do himself justice. you can argue till the cows have come home but VVS was unacceptably poor in ODIs.
in no way sayng that Kaif was better mind you, he was equally poor in a more difficult position in the batting line up.

While I do not agree with most of what you say regarding VVS the ODI player I can see why people feel the way you feel about VVS as a ODI player.  I do not think he sucked big time and I made my points with reasons at various times.  I am not going to dwell into that again.

However since you said that 80 games is a good enough number I will be interested to know how much SRT/RD/VS/YS averaged after say 80 games.  If they averaged in the 30-33 range I can say extrapolating to VVS they too sucked at that given point in time.  But I will not venture into that since I know VVS's value and greatness given he proved himself at the highest level that is Test cricket and am sure if he did get a fairer trail earlier in his ODI career without a doubt he would have excelled in it given that someone like a RD did it.  I especially believe that would have been the case with VVS a Tendulkar like talent and best player on display strokemaking wise since Vishy.

Anyhow like I said we can move this into a seperate thread and discuss there further.

[inoc]

To me VVS is an exception to the rule when his ODI career was cut short owing to unnecessary tinkering just like they did with his Test career.   And he proved in Tests the real measure for a player to be judged by scoring that 281 a knock many termed as the one that changed the face of Indian cricket and top 5-6 ever played in history of cricket.  That should exonerate him and prove that he would have been more than a worthy ODI player if he enjoyed the same backing a Tendulkar or Dravid had.   

Backing comes from performance. And 30 avg at 70 s/r in 80+ ODIs cannot buy a player that backing. Saying that this is an exception is just a cop-out.

Per CI for career  against non-minnows - incl BD, Zim but not the scotlands of the world - min # of innings = 40, N= 262..

Kaif : innings played 103, ave 31.33, SR 70.64, Ave Rank 114, SR rank 127. Was not out 20 times.. with a relatively high Not out % of 19%.
VVS : 79, 30.95, 70.91, 115, 123.. was not out only 7 times.

Not much to chose from between these 2

As a reference, the average for 232 players is 31.12. They both were average!

Actually it is a futile exercise to compare this way though you proved that at a similar juncture there is not much to choose.   Just to extend it a bit even Tendulkar and Dravid after 80 odds game would have averaged between 30-35.  That does not mean we can extrapolate and say that if Kaif played 300 odd ODI games he would have turned out better than a Tendulkar. 

I firmly believe Kaif got lucky to make it to the top and play 125 ODI's without much FC credentials coming through the U-19 ranks and he is proving me right by struggling to make a comeback for 2 years since being out by not being able to beat out his competition at the FC level.  And this RR axing further reinforces my take.

Look...
If you are trying to say that VVS should have gotten more chances than he got.. I think the answer is YES.. he should have played ahead of Dinesh Mongias of the world

If you are saying that VVS should have gotten more chances ahead of Kaif.. the answer is a clear NO.. Kaif saved at least 15 runs in the field.

I refuse to get into old debates.  All these 15 runs saves and running between the wickets are discussed to death in the prior years.  I could care less at this point how many ODI's VVS played.  His legacy is secured ranking among pantheon of greats that played for India like Vishy, SMG, RD and SRT in Test match cricket.   That is saying more than any ODI history would reveal.  He was needlessly dragged into this thread with an aim to hijack it.

The topic of this thread is RR and axing of Kaif.  I have made several pertinent posts on why that is justified.  I have not seen any strong challenges to that excepting some weak responses such as it is insulting or some other team picking him up for no reason.  Let us stick to that and see why what I was saying all along about this cricketer came to the fore today when the person paying the big bucks saw a merit with my POV.  EOD.

rams

i agree with a lot of what you say including the fact that VVS was certainly not the person to be discussed here in this thread. discussions however tend to meander and we have this discussion now.

leaving aside VVS and his exploits in the test arena, which as you have said deserves to be in the great indian test players of all time top list, let me provide my side of the argument.

i believe no player who has had more than 50 or so attempts (a decent number, I think, may be even shortened to 25 in this day an age) can be part of an international side with an average of 30, in tests or ODIs, with a SR of 70 in ODIs in particular.

lets limit this discussion to ODIs only.

considering indian players only, a batsmen to have played on with that kind of numbers ...brings to mind two players.

1. VS - despite his poor average his excellent SR, and the the fact that everybody only concentrates on the matches he has won, leads him to stay put in the side. I still think that he is over rated in the indian ODI side, maybe his bowling when we have few part time bowlers is an added consideration.

2. GG - similar player but a poor SR. The fact that got him the added matches was his excellent T20 WC performance.

if not he was a dead duck.

In a scenario were the stalwarts were not present and GG made the most of it, gave him the the chance of a lifetime and with MSDs backng he was a success.

other than these two examples, you will struggle to find a long term ODI player who averages 30, with a SR of 70, being part of an international team for long.

i also feel that the number 5 to 7 position is the most difficult position to bat in. despite the discussions, in the other thread, or may be 'because' of the discussions in another thread we realise that other than a few ppl, should we call it three, most suck at those positions.

you are coming in at the end of an innings to up the rate or you are in, when the situation is dire with 3/4 down kind of scenario for not many on board.

a cursory look at the careers of MK and VVS suggests that VVS batted at the top of the innings more often than MK did. which would put him in an advantageous situation wrt MK, BUT, that was not the case.

Dont get me wrong, VVS compared to MK is like comparing cheese to chalk in batting pedigree, but i am forced to say that in the time, read matches, that VVS was given the oppurtunity - he sucked, and that too mostly at the top of the order where he shouls have had the time and opportunity to establish his class.

i am not denying his class but commenting on his inability to transform it to good/decent performances in te ODI arena.

for your perusal

POS            MK   INN   NO   SR   AVG                      VVS    1NN   NO   SR     AVG
OPEN      1   1   62    24                              5     0     39      11
3             8   2   71   51                             49     4     74       34
4            15   3   63   38                                8      0      71        26
5            16   2   65   22                                2        0     42        14
6             22   2   66   21                                 2       1       68     26
7             27   8   84   26               
8               2   2   159   *               
              91   19   70   29                                66        5       71      30

numbers are without minnows.


VVS did not belong to the ODI team, not because he wasnt capable but because he did not do himself justice. you can argue till the cows have come home but VVS was unacceptably poor in ODIs.
in no way sayng that Kaif was better mind you, he was equally poor in a more difficult position in the batting line up.

While I do not agree with most of what you say regarding VVS the ODI player I can see why people feel the way you feel about VVS as a ODI player.  I do not think he sucked big time and I made my points with reasons at various times.  I am not going to dwell into that again.

However since you said that 80 games is a good enough number I will be interested to know how much SRT/RD/VS/YS averaged after say 80 games.  If they averaged in the 30-33 range I can say extrapolating to VVS they too sucked at that given point in time.  But I will not venture into that since I know VVS's value and greatness given he proved himself at the highest level that is Test cricket and am sure if he did get a fairer trail earlier in his ODI career without a doubt he would have excelled in it given that someone like a RD did it.  I especially believe that would have been the case with VVS a Tendulkar like talent and best player on display strokemaking wise since Vishy.

Anyhow like I said we can move this into a seperate thread and discuss there further.

rams

sorry  dont have the time today but will come back to this another time. if you want it in another thread I will start one.

[RicePlateReddy]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jOBzv4gqFfHejexUAV0SSh_zCbGA

Rags to riches for IPL slumdog millionaires
2 days ago

NEW DELHI (AFP) — Sleeping on railway platforms and going hungry was Kamran Khan's daily, depressing routine as he struggled with abject poverty in his dusty home town of Azamgarh in eastern India.

But the advent of the Indian Premier League has turned things around for the teenager.

A raw left-arm pace bowler, Khan was picked by Rajasthan Royals, the inaugural winners of the glitzy Twenty20 tournament, after he impressed the bosses during trials in Mumbai.

The selection came as a boon for Khan, 18, who has not even played first-class cricket.

"I had gone for trials to every part of my state Uttar Pradesh but without success," said Khan.

"Even until a few days ago, nobody knew me. I used to play at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai and just hoped to keep on doing the hard work.

"I had just one pair of clothes for trials and torn shoes. I used to buy platform tickets and spend the nights there when travelling to attend trial camps as I did not have money to book hotel rooms.
"I often used to bowl on an empty stomach or a meal of tea and biscuits."

But life has never been the same for Khan ever since his IPL selection.

An annual contract worth 240,000 dollars, a trip to South Africa and rave reviews by skipper Shane Warne - Khan has been sucked into a heady whirlwind of good fortune.

"He's a tiny little guy, but he bowls 140 plus. He's very raw but he could be a bit of a bolter," said Australian leg-spin legend Warne.

"There's a toss-up as to what his nickname could be - Wild Thing or Tornado - something like that."
Khan is not the only youngster to be touched by IPL's magic wand.

Yusuf Pathan, son of a muezzin in a mosque in western Vadodara, led a life of impoverishment before being signed by the Royals for 475,000 dollars.

In the inaugural edition last year, Pathan scored 435 runs and took eight wickets and was also the man of the match in the final. Following his good showing in the IPL, he was selected for the Indian one-day team.

Paceman Ashok Dinda, hailing from a nondescript village of Naichanpur in West Bengal, hit the IPL success button after struggling for recognition in domestic cricket.

A late addition to the Kolkata Knight Riders' squad for the inaugural season, Dinda shone in the league opener in Bangalore. Just four months later he was picked in the Rest of India squad for the prestigious Irani Trophy.

Palani Amarnath, a right-arm seamer, worked for a construction company before deciding to take part in a fast bowling talent hunt programme.

After playing just three first-class matches, he was spotted by Chennai Super Kings, a franchise led by India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

For these youngsters, the purists' debate over Twenty20 cricket might hold little relevance for it's this slam-bang format which has brought them riches and fame.

[candymachine]

Last year's finalists aim for repeat
17 April 2009, 6:32 am



The two charismatic leaders of last season's finalists - the least glamorous teams at the time - are aiming for a repeat. This time, though, Chennai have a slight edge in bowling. Shane Warne has been in the limelight with his dynamic press conferences and MS Dhoni is sure to impress people with his temperament and wit once the tournament begins.



Tyron Henderson of Rajasthan has good control over the slower ones and is a hard hitter

© Getty Images

Rajasthan

They were last season's Cinderella team: Written off at the start, but drawing fans as they embarked on a fairy-tale run that improbably went all the way. They will face the pressure of being the defending champions this time around - but then they have a leader who thrives on pressure. It won't be all smooth sailing, though. Shane Watson is available only as a batsman, and that too for just two weeks, and Sohail Tanvir will be sorely missed. Tyron Henderson, the hardhitting allrounder, will do his best to fill that hole; Dimitri Mascarenhas and Graeme Smith should be available for the entire season.

The buzz

It's all about Warne (with apologies to Shilpa Shetty). He has spoken about the past, the present, and the future of this format. He has thrown darts at his old friend John Buchannan, talked about his friendship with Graeme Smith and has embraced South Africa while expressing sorrow over the loss of India as the venue. Meanwhile, he has quietly picked new faces, discarded the likes of Mohammad Kaif, taken his team to see Australia-South Africa ODI games and generally continued being the team's undisputed marketing and cricketing guru.

New faces

Tyron Henderson, bought for $650,000, is an impact player in this format and Shaun Tait, while not quite possessing the consistency of Tanvir, can do damage in a four-over spell. Indeed, one of the success stories of this season could be the Warne's handling of the fragile Tait. Morne Morkel and Justin Langer are also available. Rob Quiney, the hard-hitting Victoria top-order batsman, has been picked as an uncapped signing; other signings include Victoria's fast bowler Shane Harwood and Queensland allrounder Lee Carseldine.

Watch out for

Henderson. He can be the Watson of this edition. He hits the length, has a good control over the slower ones and is a hard hitter. And he will be playing at home.

Missing in action

Sohail Tanvir. The highest wicket-taker last year and a superb death-over specialist, he will also be missed for his useful lower-order batting.

X Factor

Kamran Khan, a left-arm slinger kept under wraps by Warne. It will be interesting to see how Warne uses him. Will he play him only in select games?  

Strength

A very well-balanced team with the emphasis on batting. They have quality in Graeme Smith, players like Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan and Henderson who can hit out against the spinners and medium pacers, and a steady bowling attack in Warne, Munaf Patel, Sidharth Trivedi and Jadeja. And they have weeded out players like Kaif who weren't 100% last season.

Weakness

The absence of Tanvir and Watson (he'll play only as a batsman) from the bowling is a concern. But not many expected the injury-prone Watson to be so effective with the ball last season. Time for Henderson and Tait to step up.

PREDICTION FOR 2009

Should make it to the semi-finals. At that stage, their bowling might crack under pressure.

IPL 2008 - The key figures:

Final position: Winners

Top scorer: Shane Watson with 472 runs at 47.20

Top wicket-taker: Sohail Tanvir 22 at 12.09 and economy rate of 7.07

Best result: 105-run win over Delhi

Worst result: Delhi won by nine wickets

Highest team score: 217 for 7 v  Deccan Chargers

Lowest team score: 103 v Mumbai

Chennai



Look out for Suresh Raina's beautiful strikes over extra-cover

© Getty Images

They were a pretty solid outfit last year: The batting was impressive with Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey in full form though the bowling botched up a few times. They have strengthened it this year with the inclusion of Andrew Flintoff, though only for the first half. It will be interesting to see which four foreigners play. If Flintoff goes in with Makhaya Ntini, Albie Morkel, and Matthew Hayden, we might see Muralitharan, who wasn't so effective last year, sit out with the offspinner R Ashwin, who was the highest wicket-taker in the Challenger series, playing alongside L Balaji and Manpreet Gony.

The buzz

It's been a pretty professional, low-profile show so far - just as it was last year. They announced very early the redesignation of Stephen Fleming as a mentor, rolled out a new team song early, and hit South Africa early as well for their camp. In the auction they got what they wanted - Flintoff.

New faces

Flintoff, Thilan Thushara, and the Tasmanian George Bailey, who might not be used much.

Watch out for

Suresh Raina. He was just ahead of Rohit Sharma in the pecking order before India's series against Sri Lanka began but rocketed ahead by the end of the New Zealand series. Look out for his beautiful strikes over extra-cover. Not many in the world play it better than him.

Missing in action

Michael Hussey, though he has said he will be available for semi-finals if needed. Barring Hussey and Flintoff, all their foreign players are available for the full season.

X Factor

Stephen Fleming the coach. This is his first stint in this role but, if you believe Suresh Raina, he was a great help in developing mental skills. Raina spoke about the dinner meetings last year when Fleming would take him and the young players and offer advice. Post-IPL, we might see the rise of Fleming the coach in the international arena.

Strength

Batting. The middle-order in particular is really strong with Raina, Dhoni, S Badrinath, Flintoff and Albie Morkel. And discount Matthew Hayden, who hit a frenetic 35-ball 65 in the warm-up game, at your peril. He is fit and will have a point to prove after his tame exit from the international arena.

Weakness

Who will open with Hayden? Parthiv Patel averaged 27.45 with a strike rate of 101.68 but was not used in all games. Will they use M Vijay and is he suited for this format? And one has to wait and watch if Manpreet Gony can repeat his dream season.

PREDICTION FOR 2009

Should make it to the semi-finals

IPL 2008 - The key figures:

Final position: Runners-up

Top scorer: Raina with 421 at 38.27

Top wicket-taker: Albie Morkel: 17 wickets at 23.47 and an economy rate of 8.31 and Manpreet Gony: 17 wickets at a higher average but an economy rate of 7.38

Best result: Nine-wicket win over Punjab

Worst result: 9-wicket loss to Mumbai

Highest team score: 240 for 5 v Punjab

Lowest team score: 109 v Rajasthan

Sriram Veera is a staff writer at Cricinfo



Source: India news from Cricinfo

[fineleg]

so candymc is a bot for cricket news feed!

I really thought dex got a girfriend 
So, he is still up for suggestions 

[dextrous]

so candymc is a bot for cricket news feed!

I really thought dex got a girfriend 
So, he is still up for suggestions 

she actually helped setup a bot...to increase her post count

but you're right, she's no longer my gf...we're engaged now

[broadbat]

So I guess we can we now safely say 'Saurabh Ne Bana De Jodi'

[12th_Man]

so candymc is a bot for cricket news feed!

I really thought dex got a girfriend 
So, he is still up for suggestions 

she actually helped setup a bot...to increase her post count

but you're right, she's no longer my gf...we're engaged now

Badhi ho ! The final frontier however is still to be captured.
As they say:
There is a time you are happy, Then you got married.

However have learned to use it with the rider the hard way.

There was a time I was happy, Then i got married to live happily everafter.

[Cover Point]

so candymc is a bot for cricket news feed!

I really thought dex got a girfriend 
So, he is still up for suggestions 

she actually helped setup a bot...to increase her post count

but you're right, she's no longer my gf...we're engaged now

congratulations. I am going to wait with bated breath for the invite to the wedding.  My wedding gift to you maybe not calling you Gangulian for a whole week!

[keep-it-cool]

1. VS - despite his poor average his excellent SR, and the the fact that everybody only concentrates on the matches he has won, leads him to stay put in the side. I still think that he is over rated in the indian ODI side, maybe his bowling when we have few part time bowlers is an added consideration.

Maybe before the CB series ...since then he has averaged close to 45-50 at a SR of over 100. Hardly over rated.

[cricket_news]

Tait banned from playing in IPL
18 April 2009, 7:38 am



Tait banned from playing in IPL



Tait has been limited to three Tests and 22 ODIs due to injury and illness

Cricket Australia have refused to allow fast bowler Shaun Tait to play in the Indian Premier League because of fitness concerns.

The 26-year-old was due to play for Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals, the defending champions, in Saturday's first game against Bangalore.

But Australian officials were concerned he had not recovered from a hamstring injury sustained two months ago.

"He's still working through the rehab programme," spokesman Peter Young said.

Tait is the latest in a series of Australians to withdraw from the lucrative tournament, whichj is being staged in South Africa this year because of security concerns.

Shane Watson, IPL Player of the Season last year, will instead be part of Australia's squad for a series against Pakistan in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, along with fellow all-rounder Andrew Symonds.

Brett Lee, meanwhile, is recovering from injury and skipper Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey have decided to rest ahead of this summer's ICC World Twenty 20 and Ashes series in England.

Tait's manager, Andrew McRitchie, was unhappy with the decision to rest the paceman, who is close to full fitness after almost two months of a radical treatment involving injections of his own blood into the problem area.

"The IPL was the only chance to prove his fitness before the squad for the Twenty20 World Cup was picked," McRitchie said. "How he proves that now, I don't know."



Source: BBC Sport | Cricket | World Edition

[teamindia]

so candymc is a bot for cricket news feed!

I really thought dex got a girfriend 
So, he is still up for suggestions 

she actually helped setup a bot...to increase her post count

but you're right, she's no longer my gf...we're engaged now

Congratulations !!!

"A married man should forget his mistakes; no use two people remembering the same thing."

[LosingNow]

so candymc is a bot for cricket news feed!

I really thought dex got a girfriend 
So, he is still up for suggestions 

she actually helped setup a bot...to increase her post count

but you're right, she's no longer my gf...we're engaged now

I missed this post..

Congratulations !!

[dhruvdeepak]

i think rajasthan are stupid for sending back batsmen like dogra and kaif. they have an abundance of bowlers now. and lack a good middle order.

obviously watson is the biggest loss but theyll have to do without him.

now i have no doubt in my mind that you cant play BOTH dimitri and henderson. they do the same thing and lend no stability to the upper middle order.

you saw how henderson batted, it was a joke. the guy had NO idea how to hold the bat.

my team:

Smith
Asnodkar
Carlesdine
Ravi Jadeja
Susu Pathan
Raiphi Gomez
Dimitri
Rawat
Warne
Trivedi
Munna

----

have a look at Carlesdine's bio. unlucky SOB!!


Lee Carseldine had to overcome a serious back problem and years of rehabilitation before winning a surprise recall for the Bulls in November 2007. An allrounder, Carseldine had not played for the state since January 2004 when he benefited from a Queensland injury epidemic and was promoted to the one-day side. He scored 2, collected two wickets with his left-arm seam and was involved in an accidental tussle that broke Cameron White's foot. After the match he could not stop smiling at the good fortune of recovering from back surgery that included inserting a titanium disc in his spine. The operation didn't stop the pain straight away and he suffered septicaemia when one of the needles used for further tests was infected. "It could have been life-threatening," he said. "I was in bed for two weeks and basically couldn't move." Over the rest of the season he contributed in the FR Cup with 45 against South Australia, appeared in five Twenty20 fixtures and was soon back on Queensland's contract books for the following season.

Carseldine's breakthrough as a senior player came with a fleeting first-class appearance against Tasmania in 1998-99 and then with berths in the state's semi-final and final teams of the 1999-2000 Mercantile Mutual Cup campaign. He went on to play 24 first-class matches, including being part of the 2000-01 Pura Cup win, before he was floored by the injury. Back then he was primarily a batsman, reaching a highest score of 124 not out, but he picked up eight wickets to average in the 30s with bat and ball. A scholar at the Academy in 1997, his body prevented him from achieving regular great things on the field, although he owns a century against New Zealand and two in the same match against India in 2003. In an interesting off-field career, he has studied for an MBA, worked for a power station, run a gym and been a lifeguard.

---



alternatively you could have Smith moving down the order to lend that stability and send either Susu or Gomez up.

and even more importantly work the internationals around so that you can play Morne Morkel.

we really got fked by langer and tait and watson not being available!

[broadbat]

IPL in SA is going to hurt the Royals the most. The batting will have a tough time coping and how much can Smith do?