Lance Klusener: A forgotten hero...

Few would figure Lance Klusener to be a No. 11, but that's where he batted after breaking into first-class cricket as a fast bowler. A childhood spent among Zulu children on a sugar-cane farm and three years in the army contributed to a straightforward approach to bowling: hit the batsman's head if you can't hit his stumps. He spent a couple of years bowling just two lengths before a serious ankle injury in 1998 forced him to drop his pace and develop further skills. He was a revelation in his debut Test, ending with match-winning figures of 8 for 64 against India in Calcutta. He showed glimpses of his big-hitting in the years leading to the 1999 World Cup. His baseball-style backlift and thunderous hitting symbolised the tournament and his heroics nearly took South Africa to the final.

Around 2000 he began fulfilling the role of second spinner, bowling medium-pace cutters off just six paces that many batsmen find impossible to score from. Few would pencil Klusener in at the top of the order either, especially after his dismal form in West Indies (2000-01) and Australia (2001-02). But as his run of poor form became prolonged he lost his place in the side, and a recall for the 2003 World Cup failed to kick-start his career. His subsequent omission for the 2003 tour of England put his international career in doubt, and led to a bout of legal wrangling. However, after both parties settled their differences, he was recalled for the one-day series against West Indies in 2003-04, kept his place for the following series in New Zealand, and earned a Test recall to the tour of Sri Lanka in 2004. However, it was a short-lived comeback and he left international cricket for good to join the African influx at Northants under Kepler Wessels.

Contrary to his reputation as an unrefined slogger, set in stone at the 1999 World Cup, Klusener is one of the most skillful players in the game - which makes him one of the most adaptable. While his heavy bat sends the ball arcing to all fields, he is introspective by nature and happiest holding a fishing rod. Not talking to the media is another hobby of his, although when he breaks his silence he does so with quiet intelligence and impressive clarity of thought.

Klusener was one of the high-profile signings in the unofficial Indian Cricket League in 2007, and enjoyed reasonable success with the Kolkata Tigers. He quit the ICL in 2009 to embark on a coaching carrer with Cricket South Africa.

Graeme Smith is hopeful for 2011 World Cup

Graeme Smith has said South Africa are expecting a "tense Test" in the series decider against India that starts on Sunday. "When the series is on the line, the pressure is on both teams to perform," he said at the pre-match press conference in Cape Town.

India beat South Africa by 87 runs in Durban three days ago to level the three-Test series at 1-all after they were pummelled by an innings and 25 runs in Centurion. Despite a third, consecutive defeat at Kinsgmead, Smith said there is still great self-belief in the South African camp. "As a team the confidence runs deep, it's not just something that erodes after one game. We have played well over a long period of time. It's just about reassessing things, tweaking them and getting it right in this game."

Newlands is also one of South Africa's favourite venues to play at, which makes the adjustment process somewhat easier for them. "Playing here is one of the highlights of our year. The ground is looking magnificent, and the nets are the best I have seen in a very long time." The pitch is not expected to provide as much assistance for the bowlers as the previous two pitches, but Smith still expects it to do a little bit more than in previous years. "We know well it will have a bit more of bounce and carry than some of the other Newlands wickets we have played on."

While conditions have dominated talk ahead of the each of the three Tests in the series, there is an additional element adding to the hype of the third match: sledging. Sparks flew between Smith and Sreesanth during the second Test and Paul Harris claimed that the India bowler made vulgar, personal comments to members of the South African team.

Smith lost his wicket in the second innings shortly after an on-field altercation with Sreesanth that saw Smith wag his bat at the Indian bowler. Although it looked like a rush of blood to the head caused Smith to play a needless shot, he insisted that the he and the rest of the team are capable of dealing with sledging and that they regard it as part of the game. "You get used to it. In my 90 Tests, I don't think I have played many Tests where there hasn't been an aggressive vibe in the field." However, like Harris, he was quick to caution against getting personal. "I think you start bringing people's families into it, it gets a little bit like crossing over the line."

Despite that Smith believes the spirit is good between the two teams. "There is a lot of respect from both teams. It's one individual that has caused a few hassles and maybe crossed the line in certain ways."

MS Dhoni echoed Smith's sentiments about the incident, saying that certain guidelines needed to be followed on the field. "You have always to be on the right side of that line. Of course it's better if every individual is. It's quite difficult to control Sreesanth. Hopefully he will be on the right side this time, and if he's supposed to say something, say something that's not very personal and to the point."

Smith also unleashed one of his sternest critiques of his team's batting after the second test, blaming the team's loss on their first innings performance when they were bundled out for 131. "In Durban we lost our minds a little bit. Hopefully we can gather our strength, the top six especially, for this Test." South Africa do have JP Duminy waiting in the wings, but with Ashwell Prince being the highest run-scorer for South Africa in Durban, it's unlikely that he will be dropped.

It's difficult to see South Africa make any changes in the bowling department, where they have been relatively successful by their own admission. "We have kept India under 250-300 in the four innings," Smith said "and if we can maintain that, and maybe get even tighter, we can keep them under a bit of pressure." While Smith obviously forgot that India managed 459 in the second innings of the first Test, in three of the four innings they have been kept below 250.

With the confidence South Africa claim to have, it's likely they will field the same XI that did duty in the first two Tests. It's an ideal opportunity to assess them in a pressure situation, something South Africa have been accused of not knowing how to handle. Smith is convinced that they are capable of overcoming this time. "It's nothing we haven't seen before. We came here 1-0 down against England last year and played well."

Match Fixing: An ugly face of Cricket...

Cricket's biggest match-fixing scandal was unearthed in 2000, when Hansie Cronje admitted he had accepted money to throw matches. Soon players from other countries, chiefly India and Pakistan, were implicated, among them Mohammad Azharuddin and Saleem Malik. Since then, allegations of fixing have cropped up sporadically, and it has been acknowledged that bookmakers and the underworld have been active in trying to influence cricket results. In 2010, scandal reared its head again when three leading Pakistan players were questioned by Scotland Yard and suspended by the ICC over spot-fixing charges...

Aamir's No Ball was a suspect: Says Waqar...

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has told the ICC Code of Conduct Commission that Mohammad Amir's infamous no-ball during the Lord's Test had surprised him "greatly" because it was very different from his normal delivery stride. He said he'd taken up the issue with the bowler, only for the then captain, Salman Butt, to intervene before Amir could reply.

Waqar's statements, published in Dawn, formed part of his testimony to the commission investigating the spot-fixing case, which will hear testimony from the three players suspended by the ICC - Amir, Butt and Mohammad Asif - from January 6-11 in Doha. All three have denied their involvement in any spot-fixing.

Waqar said he'd been "greatly" surprised by Amir's no-ball during the Lord's Test. "This was because Amir's front foot stepped over the line by a great distance whereas usually, if anything, Amir tends to bowl from well behind the front-foot line.

"I was so surprised by the delivery that when we went back into the dressing room at the end of that morning session I said to Amir in Punjabi, 'What the hell was that?'. But before Amir had the chance to answer my question, Salman interrupted from across the dressing room, saying: 'I told him to do it because the batsman was coming on the front foot. I told him to come forward and bowl him a bouncer'."

Following the exposé in the News of the World, Scotland Yard raided the Pakistan team's hotel in London and questioned the trio as well as a fourth player Wahab Riaz, who was not suspended.

The team's security manager, Khawaja Najam, told the commission of vast sums of money being confiscated from the room of one of the players. "During the Scotland Yard search of the players' rooms at the team hotel, two police officers found cash in a bag and a small suitcase which they seized. Most of the cash was in the suitcase," Dawn quoted Najam as saying. "I asked the police officers to put on record the amount of money they had confiscated and they did so immediately.

"I have retained that note and attached a copy of it which reads as follows: Room No. 714 - 24,300 UAE Dirhams, 29,787 pound sterling, 12,617 US dollars, 10 Australian dollars, 26,015 Pakistani rupees, 350 Canadian dollars and 440 South African rand.


"While we were there, the police officers asked Salman why he had so much cash in his room and Salman stated: 'It's for my two sisters, they are getting married, it's for their dowry'."


From Amir's room, Najam said, the police found "a Tag Heuer mobile phone and possibly other mobile phones, 5,000 pounds in cash, a few hundred US dollars and a white envelope with 2,500 pounds."


Speaking to Sky News two weeks ago, Butt explained in detail the money found in his room. Part of the money [11,000 pounds], he said, came from his daily tour allowance; another 4,500 pounds was from his extra entertainment allowance as team captain, while 2,500 pounds was for the opening of an ice-cream parlour in south London. The rest of the money, he said, was advanced payment for bat stickers which he was under contract for.

Waqar! We miss you.....

The man who really put the reverse into swing. Waqar Younis bucked the 1980s trend of pitching fast and short by pitching fast and full. Not an obvious recipe for success until you factor in prodigious late inswing, which was designed to smash into the base of leg stump or the batsman's toes. In his youth, he was one of the fastest ever. Waqar's surging run was a glorious sight - and an incredible strain on his body. His method of aiming for the stumps rather than the batsman earned him the best strike rate of any bowler with over 200 Test wickets. It could have been better: back injuries cut short his prime, but determination has always resurrected him, although he was easily pushed over the line that divides aggression and intimidation. He looked to have been put out to pasture by the end of 2000, but before long he had been appointed captain for the 2001 tour to England. Initial results suggested that this was an inspired move, but in October 2002 he was at the helm as Pakistan crumbled to 59 and 53 all out against Australia in Sharjah. He managed to retain the job for the World Cup, but a disastrous tournament - Pakistan beat only Holland and Namibia - meant an unceremonious exit. Unable to force his way back into a side building for the future, he announced his retirement in April 2004. As a batsman, lusty blows were his staple, but Waqar batted with the air of a man who thinks he could have done better. The next stage of his career began in March 2006 when he was appointed as Pakistan's bowling coach, and he has also been a regular in the commentary box.

What will Afridi & Waqar will tell to ICC Tribunal???

"Shahid Afridi and Waqar Younis have been asked to appear before the ICC's Anti-Corruption Tribunal hearing the case of the three Pakistan players who have been accused of spot-fixing.
'Both of them will appear before the ICC Tribunal either in person or through teleconference depending on their convenience and subject to their professional commitments,' the PCB said in a statement.
Afridi, Pakistan's limited overs captain, will not be involved in the Test matches in New Zealand, which coincide with the January 6-11 hearings. Younis, the Pakistan coach, will be in New Zealand.
Though there was no further comment from the PCB or ICC, ESPNcricinfo understands the players' lawyers had been informed of the development. The pair will appear, effectively, as witnesses for the prosecution.
It is likely the pair will be asked about statements they had made to the ICC's Code of Conduct Commission during Pakistan's series with South Africa in the UAE recently . Those comments appeared in Pakistani press last week; Younis is quoted as saying that Mohammad Amir's infamous no-ball during the Lord's Test had surprised him 'greatly' because it was very different from his normal delivery stride. He said he'd taken up the issue with the bowler, only for the then captain, Salman Butt, to intervene before Amir could reply.
Afridi was also questioned and subsequently quoted in the report on his thoughts about the three players.
The hearing, which will be held in Doha from January 6 to 11, will determine the fate of Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. All three have denied their involvement in any spot-fixing."

Run Mchine Has Stopped...

Pakistan’s star Test player Muhammad Yousuf announced the expected formal retirement from international cricket saying he would continue to play first class and league cricket to remain fit and in touch with the sport.
In a brief announcement which initially did not include the world retirement made here Monday on the front terrace of Karachi Press Club during a Meet the Press Programme of the club, the bearded player, who had the test average of 53 plus, better than Javed Miandad and Inzamamul Haq, said he had decided to leave international cricket because the Pakistan Cricket Board had stated in an official letter that his presence in Pakistan cricket would damage Pakistan cricket.
He said he had taken the decision to quit international cricket so that he can save Pakistan cricket from damage as alleged by the PCB in its official letter. He had consulted his elders and friends before taking the decision, he said.
He said during his cricket career spanning 12 years, he had played for the glory of the country and whatever name and fame he had achieved was due to Pakistan and the public of Pakistan.
Damaging Pakistan’s name or national cricket would be last thing on his mind that was why he had selected the road to retirement because in that way he would help Pakistan cricket.
He said he would never do any thing that would damage country’s name and after the PCB wrote that his presence in the team would damage Pakistan cricket and honor, he decided to quit cricket only to save national cricket and honor of the country.
When repeatedly asked was his decision final and irrevocable and would he reverse his decision if the public of other stake holders in cricket pursued him to take it back, he gave no categorical answer but for a number of times during the programme used the phrase “for the time being quitting cricket was his decision” giving rise to doubts that he may take back the decision if right quarters approach him.