CWC 2015 is fixed! WhatsApp reveals...

In what may serve as a big blow to cricket enthusiasts, a message on #WhatsApp that has gone viral claims that the ongoing ICC World Cup 2015 is fixed.

The shocking fact about this message is that all the results of the World Cup 2015 matches so far have come true and have matched what the message states.

According to the message, India will not be able defend their World Cup title and will also go on to lose against South Africa and Zimbabwe.

According to the message, India will beat New Zealand in the first quarterfinal, but will go down to Australia in the semifinal.

The message states that the second quarterfinal will be between Australia and Zimbabwe, in which Australia will be the winners, South Africa will beat England in the third quarterfinal and Sri Lanka will register their first World Cup victory against Pakistan by beating the 1992 champions in the fourth quarterfinal.



The message shows that South Africa will defeat hosts Australia in the final for their maiden World Cup title victory.

But Asian giants India and Sri Lanka won't progress beyond the semifinals as they will be beaten by arguably the two best teams in the competition - Australia and South Africa respectively, the message claims.

The message shows that South Africa will defeat hosts Australia in the final on March 29 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for their maiden World Cup title victory.

If this message is true indeed, then all the work done by the International Cricket Council against the fixers will clearly come to naught.

TOI Sports

2011: Who will rule the world of Test cricket

It must be said that the captivating series between South Africa and India showed how tight it is at the top of the game in Test cricket.Though outside these fine sides jousting for the Crown of Test number 1.There are other teams who might be regarded with this title come the end of 2011.In the ever improving England and the very fine Sri Lankan side
Im not taking the past into account to rate the Teams.Merely looking at their capabilities in the present and future
So who will be viewed as number 1 come the end of 2011?
Here is a look at the Teams vying for number 1
India

Strength's:
India has many strengths with the most formidable being their batting.Their top 6 is arguably the best in the World of cricket and in players like Tendulkar,Laxman,Dravid and Sehwag.They have greats of the game.This batting line up is almost immovable in Asia on batting friendly pitches.Though as shown in the recent series against South Africa on pitches favouring bowlers against a very fine attack.They are still formidable enough to get the job down with the bat anywhere.
The other strength India has in abundance is experience.They have all been there done that, so never lose hope.This shown in the recent series in South Africa where they were mauled in the 1st Test,but had enough resolve to fight back in the 2nd and in truth should have won the series.

Weaknesses
There are a few weakness- most notably the bowling which is very reliant on Zaheer Khan.This is tenuous too for Zaheer is injury prone.Though in glimpses in South Africa, Sreesanth showed he has the pedigree to be the strike bowler India craves.Though India needs more strength in the pace department.They have many bowlers they have tried that have succeeded at times.Such as Ishant,Irfan Pathan,Munaf and RP Singh.Though they need a consistent performer to back the excellent Zaheer and improving Sreesanth.
Maybe the young Jaidev Unadkhat is the man,but he will take time
The number 6 spot in the batting is a concern.Though in young Cheteshwar Pujar,I have no doubt in time he will be a fine Test batsman
A more compelling weakness that in truth probably cost India the series in South Africa is the Captaincy of M.S.Dhoni.He has shown himself to be an excellent leader in T20/Odi's,but Test match cricket he has been found out.
For India to be number 1,it needs a better leader than Dhoni in regards to the tactical side of the game that is so crucial in Test cricket

Depth
India has great depth in regards to batsmen with players like Kohli,Vijay,Rahane,Badrinath and Mukund all looking likely types.
The bowling isn't so well served with replacements in regards to pace being a huge issue and Spin options not be as strong in India as it usually is
Though long term names such as Bhatt,Srinivas and Mishra are very fine spin prospects

South Africa

Strengths
The South African's are blessed by probably the best fast bowling attack in the game and undoubtedly the best fast bowler in the World in Dale Steyn.He is that good that he is able to win games for South Africa by his deeds alone and there are few in the World who can do that.
Then their batting is very formidable too. Highlighted by the exceptional Hasim Amla,the evergreen Jacques Kallis and the up and coming star A.B.DeVilliers 
Also in Kallis,South Africa has the best all rounder in the game

Weaknesses
There are a few but none that are major concerns
The key one is the lack of a quality spinner, though there are great hopes for the ex Pakistani lad the leg spinner Imran Tahir.If he can be a success it gives South Africa a spinner that can be an attacking option.Rather than the tie down defensive spinners they have now.
The batting has two positions that look weak in regards to the opener Alviro Petersen and Ashwell Prince at number 6.Though South Africa have many options for both spots such as Jacques Rudolph,Rilee Rossouw and  J.P.Duminy.
There are questions over Mark Boucher's position in the Team behind the stumps with many calling for young Heido Kuhn to replace him
A bit of a concern raised in the series against India was the Captaincy of Graeme Smith.In particular in how defensive he was in his declaration in the 3rd Test.Though im going to put down this as a blip in what has otherwise been a very fine reign for Smith as the South African leader

Depth
In most departments South Africa has excellent depth.Especially in regards to pace options and batting depth
There are few spin options,though South Africa's pace attack is good enough to get 20 wickets on any pitch.So a good spinner would just make a bowling attack that is very good into one that is truly exceptional

England

Strengths
More than anything England's strength is their evenness as a Team.They have few you would consider to be stars of the game,but you view every player in their 11 as being capable in any match of making a game changing contribution.
Their depth in all department as shown in the Ashes is exceptional too.
Also their back room staff is without a doubt the best in the game

Weaknesses
The only real weakness I see in the England Team is the absence of that one superstar.
Like South Africa has Steyn,India has Tendulkar and Sri Lanka has Sangakkara.
Though to counter this the evenness in their Team which covers the need for a star
Also we might be paying England too much credit for them mauling Australia in the Ashes.For in truth Australia at present is a dreadful side

Depth
England's depth is truly exceptional
The batting has young precocious types like Eoin Morgan and James Hildreth waiting in the wings
The bowling in regards to pace has about 8 options that are all effective at Test level
Then in regards to spin you have Monty Panesar and Adil Rashid-one a left armer and one a leggie which provides compatibility and variety to Graeme Swann's Off Spin

Sri Lanka

Strengths
The biggest strength for Sri Lanka is they have one of the best batsmen in the game in Kumar Sangakkara.Who is backed by the excellent Mahela Jayawardene.
Also in Lasith Malinga,they have one of the best up and coming fast bowlers in the game
The are well served in spin options too.
In Asian conditions that suit them their Team is tailor made and thus very formidable

Weakness
This might be strange but I think the biggest weakness for Sri Lanka in regards to Test Cricket is there Countries mentality to it.This shown in the choice to rest Lasith Malinga for the Test Series against the West Indies. When he was fine and dandy to play in a few meaningless Odi's in Australia.It shows that the have a higher desire to excel in the lesser forms of the game than in Tests
Also the proposed Sri Lankan version of the IPL will again take their attention away from excelling in the Test Arena
On the field Sri Lanka's biggest weakness is performing in foreign conditions.In Asia there batsmen are exceptional,but in conditions where there's a bit of bounce or a little in favour of the bowlers.There are queries over them being able to perform well.
Though we can't comment too much on this for we rarely see then in Tests away from Asia.
Thankfully they are due to play in England in the Northern 'summer' so we will be able to judge them after that

Depth
Sri Lanka struggle with depth in regards to Test standard bowlers
Though have many fine young spinners and batsmen
The young keeper/batsman Dinesh Chandimal is said to resemble Adam Gilchrist in his abilities

So who do you think will be number 1 after 2011 in Tests?


By - Tim Holt (Cricket through the eyes of an Irishman)

World Cup stadium preparations..

World Cup preparations at several stadiums are still running behind schedule, but the ICC chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, remains confident there will be no Commonwealth Games-style last-minute dash to complete the work. The opening World Cup game is five weeks away, but several venues, including Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, which will host the final, are not yet ready.

Last month, an ICC inspection team confirmed that Wankhede Stadium and Eden Gardens in Kolkata, had failed to meet the November 30 construction deadline, and if they weren't ready by January 15, there could be no guarantees they would be handed over for the ICC event. That date has now arrived, but Lorgat played down concerns about the state of the grounds.

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LEVEL 1 CRICKET COACHING COURSE CONDUCTED IN

A Level I, ICC endorsed coaching course was held in the northern part of the Country at  St john’s College, Jaffna from 23^rd to 26^thSeptember 2010. This four day program was held under the guidance of the Coach Education Unit of Sri Lanka Cricket. The Coaching program was conducted by former fast bowler JC Gamage.


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MEDIA REPORTS IMPLICATING PLAYER

It is with deep regret that we note certain media organizations have been misleading the public by accusing some of our players of misbehavior, during the recently concluded tour of Zimbabwe. As a responsible administrative body of Sri Lanka Cricket, we would like to state, that we do not take disciplinary action against players based on baseless allegations that are vindictive with an objective of character assassination of individuals.

We assure all of you that appropriate action will be taken against any player no matter if he is a senior or a junior, if they are found guilty after a proper inquiry.

Proper inquiries will be conducted for all official complains or accusations that are brought against any player be it at home or on overseas tours.

We shall greatly appreciate if you could give us the due publicity for this statement since we stand to be accused of not taking any action against our players on disciplinary grounds.                    

We wish to convey our disappointment that in view of World Cup 2011 and forthcoming bilateral series only such baseless stories are given prominence in some media which would be detrimental to players and the country

                                                                                                         - SLC

Right of reply ‘Sex and SL Cricket’ – SLC responds

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Sangakkara Reject those Gossips...

Mubarak, Mathews lead teams at HP fiesta

Jehan Mubarak and Angelo Mathews will lead two teams in a softball cricket match to be played at the Bloomfield ground on Saturday.

This match is organized by Hewlett Packard (HP) and the two national players are the brand ambassadors. The two teams will be picked by HP from their customers lists.

The match, called HP T10 Fiesta, is scheduled to begin at 2.00 p.m. will consists of only ten over per side. (TBR)

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Taylor-Dhoni "Do or Die" situation...!

Actual Semifinal to the Tri Series Final.....

Match Facts

Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Start time 14.30 (0900 GMT)


The word most conspicuously absent in all press conferences this tournament is 'momentum'. The schizophrenic performances of all three teams in Dambulla - crushing opponents one day, and being crushed themselves the next - has meant no team could claim whatever advantage momentum allegedly provides. The topsy-turvy league phase reaches its conclusion on Wednesday when India and New Zealand face off in an elimination match.

New Zealand's inexperienced batting line-up remains their biggest concern. The relaxed format of the tournament and the unseasonal rain which washed out their match against Sri Lanka means their batsmen have, amazingly, not had a bat in the middle for a dozen days, which the captain Ross Taylor said is "going to give a little more anxiety than the actual game itself."

MS Dhoni's captaincy record of winning every tournament in Sri Lanka is also under threat after India's batting failures in two matches. One heartening factor for Dhoni is the glimpses of form Yuvraj Singh showed during Sunday's humiliating defeat. India have alternated between wins and losses in the previous six matches, a trend which Dhoni will hope extends for one more game.

Form guide

(most recent first)
India: LWLWL
New Zealand: LWWLL

Watch out for...

Scott Styris is enjoying a run-filled year and his 168 one-day caps will be essential to a batting unit light in international exposure. He has found the conditions in Dambulla helpful to his steady bowling, finishing with 2 for 36 in ten overs in the previous match.

MS Dhoni is the top-ranked one-day batsman in the world, but has been part of two shambolic Indian collapses. With some of the youngsters in the middle order finding it hard to adjust to the seaming pitches in the tournament, the team is looking to their captain to deliver.

Team news

New Zealand welcome Martin Guptill back at the top of the order after missing a game due to injury. Their only fitness concern is Kane Williamson, who has a bicep injury and couldn't bowl or throw on Monday. If Williamson is missing, Nathan McCullum's place is likely to be secure.

New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 BJ Watling, 3 Ross Taylor (capt), 4 Kane Williamson/ Peter Ingram, 5 Scott Styris, 6 Grant Elliott, 7 Gareth Hopkins (wk), 8 Jacob Oram, 9 Daryl Tuffey, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Andy McKay/Nathan McCullum

India had no injury worries on the eve of the match. Despite the pummeling against Sri Lanka, it's unlikely there will be too many changes to the side. Again, the decision will be on whether to bring in Virat Kohli at the expense of either Dinesh Karthik or Rohit Sharma.

India (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Dinesh Karthik, 3 Rohit Sharma/Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 Pragyan Ojha, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra

Pitch and conditions

A fresh pitch will be used for the match but MS Dhoni, who inspected the pitch after the Indian net session, expected it to behave similar to the ones used earlier in the tournament. "Initially, there will be a bit of help for the seamers. During the daytime, they can swing the ball with the breeze. And under the lights, it always swings here."

Of as much interest is the weather. It was cloudy on Tuesday and drizzled in the morning, and light rain is predicted for Wednesday. Taylor has shown a preference to chase if there is a chance of the D/L method needing to be applied, but could stick with the bat-first policy captains have traditionally favoured in Dambulla day-nighters if the skies are clear.

Quotes

"It's just a game of cricket and every game you play you play to win, we don't want to put any more pressure on ourselves and that's the attitude we'll be going with."
Ross Taylor isn't getting too worked up about the hype of a must-win match

"We just have to be careful not to fish at the ball. Rather we will have to just leave or play a shot."
Some words of advice from MS Dhoni about tackling the moving ball

SOURCE : ESPN

Sanga charged with level 2 offence for collision

Dambulla: There seems to be no respite for controversy-ridden Sri Lanka as the hosts were today involved in yet another unsavoury incident with skipper Kumar Sangakkara colliding with New Zealand all-rounder Nathan McCullum in a tri-series match here on Friday.

The incident happened in the 26.5 over, when after flicking a ball to fine-leg region, Sangakkara bumped into McCullum while trying to ground his bat to take his run.

The bowler didn’t like it and complained to the umpires, who reported it to the Match Referee and Sangakkara was charged with a level 2 offence for the incident.

Talking about the incident, former skipper Mahela Jayawardene said it was not done intentionally by Sangakkara as he was “blinded” when he took the run.

“It was not intentional. Sangakkara collided with a bowlers and the bowler complained to the umpire. But Sangakkara didn’t do it intentionally. He was blind when he took the run. Both the players spoke about it in the dressing room,” Jayawardene said.



This incident comes days after Sri Lanka were embroiled in a demoralising no-ball controversy in their second game against India on Monday.

Off-spinner Suraj Randiv was banned for one game by Sri Lanka Cricket for bowling a no-ball to Virender Sehwag at the fag end of the match to deprive the Indian opener his century.

• Rain abandon match as Lanka, NZ share points

Senior batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan docked of his entire match fee after local media reported that he coaxed Randiv to bowl the no-ball.

The SLC also reprimanded Sangakkara that no such incident should happen in future.