Exploring Sachin's mind

Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday expressed hope that India's football team will qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2022 to be held in Qatar.

"I know in 2022 there is something really big happening for Indian football. I hope India qualifies for that World Cup. That is something that should be your target and your senior players will guide you. Just follow their steps and chase your dreams," Tendulkar said at the Father Agnel School ground in Navi Mumbai.

Tendulkar spoke these encouraging words at the presentation function of the Coca-Cola Cup (National under-15 sub junior football tournament) final between Meghalaya and Orissa which the former won 1-0.

Spot-fixing: Sreesanth an attention seeker, Chandila a tough nut, says police official

A senior police official, who interrogated the cricketers, said Sreesanth had a "very little" attention span and he used to "jump from one point to another".

"We had to come back to the point where he started for clarification time and again. He is mercurial and highly emotional. He won't concentrate. He would constantly do something to gain attention.

Gautam, Yuvraj out, Dhawan, Kumar makes in Champions league

Right-handed Tamil Nadu opener Murali Vijay, who scored two hundreds against Australia in the Test series, too has been named in the MS Dhoni-led squad.

The national selectors, headed by Sandeep Patil, met on Saturday at the CCI, Mumbai to decide on the 15-man squad, which suggested that IPL form has been taken into account while finalizing the final 15.

Dinesh Karthik and Rohit Sharma, the highest run-getters for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing IPL, were rewarded with a place. Karthik has been recalled to the ODI team after a gap of three years.

Amit Mishra, who is one of the highest wicket-takers in IPL history, pipped Pragyan Ojha as the sides' second specialist spinner.

Mohd Shami Ahmed and Ashok Dinda were given the axe, with R Vinay Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Irfan Pathan shouldering the fast bowling responsibilities.

India and South Africa are scheduled to kick off the tournament on June 6 at the Sophia Gardens at Cardiff, Wales in a Group B match.

India are to take on the West Indies at the Kennington Oval in London on June 11 and then conclude the four-team group engagement on June 15 against arch-rivals Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Australia, New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka form Group A.

The top two teams from each group would progress to the semi-finals scheduled on June 19 and 20 at the Kennington Oval and Sophia Gardens respectively with the winners advancing to the June 23 final to be played at Edgbaston.

This would be the first international engagement for the team after the conclusion of the four-Test series against Australia on March 24.

Apart from the 15 named for the 8-nation tournament, BCCI selectors also shortlisted a 21-member probables list for the tri-nation series in West Indies involving Sri Lanka. The tri-series follows the Champions Trophy in late June and early July. The other 6 members in that list are Manoj Tiwary, Praveen Kumar, Mohammed Shami Ahmed, Ambati Rayudu, Rahul Sharma and Gautam Gambhir.


MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, R Vinay Kumar, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav.

Dhoni skips

Gagged by BCCI, skipper refuses to queries on fixing

posted from Bloggeroid

Is it all about "FIXING"

Jagmohan Dalmiya (former BCCI prezident)
                        This is a golden opportunity to clean cricket. Dirt in cricket has gone down deep and no one is bothered. Instead of asking Srinivasan to resign, clean cricket. If people are serious, they should use this opportunity and cricket can be cleaned.

Smriti Irani (Politician)
                         The Sport of cricket is bigger than any individual considering that it has been a religion in the country. This is the time when the game be cleaned up guilty be brought to justice. There is a nead to remove the scar on cricket and its dignity be restored.

VVS Lakshman

                      Credibility of cricket should not be affected just because of some greedy players who are

lured into spot-fixing,

Master leaves IPL grounds

I waited 21 years for the world cup, six years to win IPL. I am happy that it came in my last IPL. It's never too late..... Yes, I have to be realistic. Said the master blaster after winning Ipl. He also getting retirement from IPL.

posted from Bloggeroid