Vettori confident of good show in World Cup

Daniel Vettori is the most-capped New Zealand player in ODIs with 280 appearances, going past Stephen Fleming's mark of 279 ODIs.

After missing most of 2012 and 2013 with injury, Daniel Vettori is enjoying his time back with the team this season and his performances have made New Zealand complete. During the sixth ODI against Sri Lanka at Dunedin, Vettori featured in his 280th ODI for New Zealand, becoming the most-capped New Zealand player and he was given a special presentation by Stephen Boock, New Zealand cricket president. The previous record was held by former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, who had 279 ODI appearances .
Vettori is the leading wicket-taker in ODIs for New Zealand and he needs just 11 wickets to reach the 300-wicket mark in ODIs. In early 2013, Vettori had declined a central contract in order to be fit for the 2015 World Cup. He said the main concern for him was to get through the amount of cricket that was been played. "It's been nearly four months of nearly non-stop cricket, I've played a lot of games and bowled a lot of overs and I'm feeling pretty good, the body's feeling good, there haven't been any niggles, and with still a fair amount of cricket to go including the World Cup, I'm fairly confident I'll get through it," he said.
When asked about how he felt about the milestones that he has accumulated in his career, Vettori said, "To play for such a long period of time and to put those milestones together is pleasing, particularly as a spin bowler in New Zealand, where conditions aren't always conducive to bowling spin because of the grounds and the nature of the wickets, so to be able to hold the record for Test matches and ODIs is very pleasing."
The main battle in the New Zealand team is for the spinner's slot and it is between Vettori and Nathan McCullum. Vettori has played in four games but has not taken a wicket yet in the series against Sri Lanka. However, he has contained the flow of runs nicely by going at an economy rate of just 3.67.

India left with unanswered questions after Sydney wash-out

Another failure for Dhawan has added to India's woes. 

India may have come out the happier of the two sides after the fifth one-dayer of the Carlton Mid tri-series in Sydney was rained out but during the 16 overs on Monday, the glaring questions that hovered over their top-order turned into massive headaches.

With the bowlers showing that they could be a big problem, India already had their plates full ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup. Two of the four batsmen who were lucky or unlucky to bat in the penultimate league game only added to the problems today, leaving MS Dhoni and Co. with big decisions to make.

Shikhar Dhawan has contributed little next to nothing in three ODIs while Ambati Rayudu seems all at sea about his role in the side. Both failed in testing conditions on Monday, adding more substance to questions about their spots.

Having invited India to bat on a morning marred by rain, Australia bowled 16 overs before bad weather forced the umpires to call the game off. The teams were robbed off match practice but split points meant India kept alive their chances of progressing to the next stage and playing Australia in the final. Their game against England on January 30 will now be a virtual semifinal.

Just over an hour's play was possible in Sydney, but it was enough to compound the defending World Cup champions' woes.

Shikhar Dhawan understandably took a cautious approach and picked runs when the bowlers erred in line. However, his vigil lasted only 13 deliveries. Dhawan is now becoming concomitant with edging behind the stumps. The left-hander, once again, flirted with a delivery outside off-stump and edged it to first slip. Scores of 2, 1 and 8 are not what India would have hoped for from a batsman who is expected to replicate Virender Sehwags blazing approach.

Dhawans scores before the tri-series read 91, 79 and 113. Three successive failures doesn't necessarily mean a batsman is woefully out of form but Dhawan looks a mere shadow of the player he has been. His confidence has taken a battering and, against quality opposition in overseas conditions, he has become a liability.

Unlike Ajinkya Rahane or Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan cannot be moved down the order and that could work against the 29-year-old. Add to this, Dhawan's form when India visited New Zealand early last year (32, 12, 28, 9) and it becomes clear why Dhawan is everyone's favourite for the axe.

The other aspect that has made India's World Cup build up all the more irksome is their inability to figure out what to do with Rayudu. The fact that Virat Kohli 'gave him the chance that should have been given to him 10 years ago'is touching for sure but with a World Cup in sight, is it right to persist with having him at the crucial No.3 spot? Especially when India boast of the worlds best No. 3 at the moment.

Rayudu was used more as a pinch-hitter on Monday, perhaps keeping in mind that rain would have an effect on the outcome. And although he hit a couple of lusty blows, it was clear that being quick off the blocks is not one of his strong points. India have players like Suresh Raina to play in such manner, should the need arise. Rayudu slammed two fours and a six during his 24-ball cameo before he was out, trying to hoick Mitchell Marsh out of the ground.

Moving him down the order would pose other problems for India. Rayudu is not known for his big hits and he could throw a spanner in India's works during the death overs should he be batting then. When India played England in a one-off T20I in September last year, MS Dhoni refused to give Rayudu the strike as he appeared to have doubted the Baroda batsman's finishing capabilities. India will be keen on avoiding a similar situation during the World Cup. So then, would the side be looking at dropping Rayudu from the side? That would allow a more-solid Ajinkya Rahane to drop down to No. 3 with Dhawan and Rohit Sharma opening. India could also be looking at getting Rayudu ready for any eventuality. While they see him more as a batsman who can drop anchor, India could also be making sure that Rayudu is ready to wield the long-handle should the situation crop up.

India's experimentation in the tri-series has unfortunately left them with more issues to address. With Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel not getting their chance in today's game, the side would now be in a quandary about what to do in their must-win game against England. Should they give Patel and Jadeja another go in the XI? Should Dhawan and Rayudu get one last chance? Or should India go with an in-form and tested combination?

MS Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher do not have much time to find the right answers.

Clarke feels both Smith and himself could play in Australia's XI

Clarke has struggled with injuries in recent times. 

Michael Clarke, who is on a recovery path after undergoing a surgery on his troublesome hamstring, has indicated that there is room for both Steven Smith and himself in Australia's ODI unit. With Clarke constantly troubled by injuries, questions have been raised over his place in the Australian side for the ICC Cricket World Cup, 2015.
"It is about trying to pick the best 11 players and I don't think it is about any individual. There are roles to play for every player. You know your strengths," Clarke was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
Former South African captain, Graeme Smith, was one of the cricketers who had questioned Clarke's selection for the World Cup. He had even indicated that there was no room for both Smith and Clarke in the playing XI. Smith has been in great form in both the longest format of the game as well as in ODIs. In fact, since the start of 2014, Smith averages 55.92 in the abridged version of the game. On the other hand, Clarke, played a mere six ODIs in 2014.


Clarke, who is facing a race against time to be fit for the mega-event, trained during the ODI played between India and Australia in Sydney.
"Right now, for me it is about getting fit, about getting back on the park. I have played enough cricket to know that if I am fully fit and playing my best cricket that the selectors will work out what they think is their best XI and we will go with that," Clarke summed up.

WC Countdown #18: The 2007 Final farce

Nothing went right in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup. India and Pakistan suffered early exits while Bob Woolmer was found dead under mysterious circumstances shortly after Pakistan suffered a shocking loss at the hands of Ireland. To add to the tournament's woes, a blunder by match officials meant that the final of the 2007 World Cup came to end with a farcical finish in darkness.
The start of the game on 28 April, 2007, was delayed because of rain. In the rain-marred final, which was reduced to 38 overs per side, Adam Gilchrist's brutal assault on the Lankan bowlers meant that Australia finished with a commanding 281/4.
Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara scored half-centuries, but Australia kept picking up wickets at regular intervals to put Sri Lanka on the back-foot. With no floodlights at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados and the light fading, it seemed obvious that the match would be decided on basis of the D/L method when players were called off after the 33rd over.
Australia, when they were off, were already celebrating as they thought that the umpires calling them off for bad light meant that they won the game as per the D/L method. While the followers of the game clearly know that 20 overs in the second innings is enough to constitute a result in case of rain or bad light, the officials, it appeared, were unaware of the rule as they called the players back, asking Australia to bowl three more overs.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting and Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene were perplexed, as were the rest of the players, when they were called back onto the field. On-field umpires Steve Bucknor and Aleem Dar, third umpire Rudy Koertzen and match referee Jeff Crowe are all knowledgeable men. However, their lack of awareness of the basic playing conditions meant that Ponting and Jayawardene had to come up with an arrangement where the Australians agreed to bowl as slow as possible to ensure that no Sri Lankan batsmen were hurt in the three overs that they played in almost complete darkness. Had they not played out those three overs, the umpires had informed the teams that they had to come back on the reserve day.
The match ended with Sri Lanka finishing at 215/8 in 36 overs. Australia won the match by 53 runs (D/L method) to lift their third title in a row. Even as the officials were booed during the presentation ceremony for their foolish move, match referee Crowe admitted that it was a mistake on his part, while he also suggested that umpire Koertzen misread the situation.
"In hindsight, I should have known the rules and said the game had been called off. I'm very embarrassed for the playing control team today. For me, the real confusion has come from the fact we were talking about resuming the game tomorrow, which was technically wrong. Rudi was talking about the allowances and talking about the possibility of tomorrow. I don't think it's Rudi's mistake, it's a collective mistake. The fact Rudi might maybe have suggested it early doesn't mean the other umpires couldn't have over-ruled him. The two on-field umpires are the ones who control the match," Crowe said.

Bailey hopes to end form slump

George Bailey might lose his place in the side if continues to fail with the bat. 

George Bailey has one fifty to his name in his last ten ODIs for Australia. While his team has excelled in the ongoing tri-series that also involves England and India, he has been found struggling for runs. In the absence of regular captain Michael Clarke, Bailey has been leading the side and if his slump continues, his position in the playing XI during the World Cup that starts next month will be in danger.

Bailey knows the consequences of his regular failures with the bat but points out the fact that Australia's top order has been in good form and he comes to bat quite late in the innings which gives him little time to settle and he, invariably, ends up playing the role of a finisher.

"If I'm not scoring runs and they pick him (Michael Clarke), that's fine, that's the nature of the game. It'll sound a bit silly but I think we've been batting really well as a group, so in terms of my role I've been coming in a touch later than when I was scoring big runs," he said. "So I feel like I'm batting as well as I ever have, it's just a matter of getting some balls in the middle. But hopefully we continue batting as well as we are at the top of the order and that role continues to be a finishing role at the end."

However, despite his struggles, the 32-year-old is looking forward to captaining the side against India on Monday which also happens to be Australia Day. "It's a very enjoyable thing to do, to captain your country. Tomorrow will be fun, captaining on Australia Day, that will be a real buzz. And you are scoring runs and you are not scoring runs - then you get picked or you don't. It's a really basic equation," he said.

Allrounder Shane Watson has been ruled out of the India game meaning Bailey can move up the order and spend more time in the middle to get back in touch. Mitchell Marsh, who is available for selection after attaining full fitness, might find a place in the playing XI.

"I will probably get to bat higher up with Watson being out, however our line-up's structure will remain much the same as the other day," said Bailey. "I think the spinner will play, Xavier Doherty will come back in and we're just finalising which quicks we're going to go with. Mitchell Marsh has pulled up really well. He has a good chance and if playing he'll be expected to bowl."

However, Mitchell Johnson has been ruled out as he is being saved for the final of the tri-series to be played on February 1. Australia have already qualified for the final after winning all three of their games of the series."I faced Mitchell Johnson last night and that's never pleasant, so his pace was still pretty good. He's had another hit out today. He's going reasonably well. I don't think he'll play tomorrow and he'll be building up for Perth," he said.

WC Countdown #19 - Rain to Pakistan's rescue

           

To win a major tournament, you need to display plenty of pluck and need a bit of luck, too. In 1992, when Pakistan won the World Cup under the inspirational leadership of Imran Khan, the entire country celebrated and the game was pushed to the forefront in Pakistan. However, without the solitary point they got from the abandoned encounter against England in Adelaide, Pakistan would have been knocked out in the preliminary stages of the tournament itself.

England were up against Pakistan in the round-robin stage. With heavy rain overnight and thunderstorms predicted during the match, England captain Graham Gooch won the toss and elected to bowl. On a wicket that helped the ball move zig-zag and with Imran missing from the line-up due to a back injury, Pakistan looked like a rudderless ship. Derek Pringle, took three wickets for a mere eight runs and rest of the seamers supported him to skittle out Pakistan for a paltry 74 in 40.2 overs. By then, it was clear that only weather gods could save Pakistan.

England, in their reply, lost Gooch, but by lunch they had progressed to 17 for 1. The one-sided nature of the game even made most of those 7,537 fans who had come to watch a riveting contest, leave the stadium in disappointment. Just in the nick of time for Pakistan though, it started raining heavily. On expected lines, the umpires brought out their calculators. 

Now, the 1992 World Cup is still remembered for a bizarre rain rule, where the ''highest scoring overs'' of the first team was taken into consideration. It was unfair towards the team batting second. As 15 overs were required for the match to take place, England suddenly needed 63 runs off 15 overs (based on Pakistan's highest scoring overs). After another shower, it was revised to 64 off 16 overs. Both the not out batsmen, Ian Botham and Robin Smith were unhappy as on a deck that was offering plenty of assistance to the pacers, it was going to be an uphill task to chase it down. But after just two more overs were bowled, it started to rain again and the match was declared as a wash-out.

"We tried to go for them [the target], but it rained again and it was declared a wash-out and we shared the points, one each. In the end that was enough for them [Pakistan] to qualify for the semi-finals," Gladstone Small, England seamer, was quoted as saying by the Guardian.

The one point that Pakistan got from the match eventually helped them reach the semi-final. Pakistan ended up with nine points to their name. The West Indies and Australia remained on eight. However, if Pakistan had lost that game against England, Australia would have gone through as the hosts had a superior net run-rate when compared to the West Indies and Pakistan, and all three teams would have had eight points against their name.

World Cup Heroes: David Boon lifts Australia to maiden triumph

The moustachioed and stockily built David Boon was known for his correct and compact technique against quick bowling. In fact, Boon's career remains even now etched in memory for his unflinching courage and his refusal to buckle down when facing up to the venomous pace of West Indies' pacers of yore.

However, if we jog our memory back to the 1987 World Cup, played in the subcontinent, the 26-year-old Boon, found his career at crossroads. His lack of footwork against the tweakers and his trouble against swing bowling were exposed by the old enemy, England, and he was even dropped from the side. Only consistent performances during a tournament in Sharjah just before the World Cup assured his place in the Australian squad.

With Kepler Wessels having quit the Australian team and the experiment of sending Wayne Phillips up the order not yielding the desired results, the selectors were also looking for a solid opening pair. So, both Boon and his longtime partner-in-crime at top of the order, Geoff Marsh, were given a run in the side.

In the '87 World Cup, Boon surprised one-and-all by turning out to be a vital cog in Australia's stunning surge towards winning the mega-event. He aggregated 447 runs at an average of 55.47 and was on top of the pile in terms of runs scored in that tournament. The trials and tribulations during the early part of his career seemed to have strengthened the Tasmanian batsman's resolve.

Boon started on a good note in the World Cup by accruing a well-constructed innings of 49 in their first match against hosts, India in Chennai. He also stitched an important century stand for the opening wicket with Marsh. As Kiran More, India's wicket-keeper for that game later said: Boon and Marsh never looked like getting out. Both of them expertly milked the Indian spinners square off the wicket on either side to take Australia to 270 for 6. On the back of Steve Waugh's sterling last over effort, Australia beat their fancied opponents by a mere one run.

Boon's next significant contribution for the Aussies came in the third game, when he exuded command at the crease by essaying 87 off a mere 96 balls in a rain curtailed 30-over match against New Zealand. Boon continued his rich vein of form with a 63 in a losing cause against India in Delhi and compiled a fine 92 against minnows, Zimbabwe. By that time, the relatively young Australian side had stumped critics by qualifying for the World Cup semi-final. Yet, many didn't give Australia an iota of a chance to beat the Imran Khan-led Pakistan side in their own den in the semi-final - so much so that Pakistan's former middle-order batsman Zaheer Abbas had called the Australian team as 'club cricketers'.

In the first semi-final played in Lahore, Boon and Marsh, for the umpteenth time, gave Australia a fine start. Even after Marsh was run out for 31, Boon played a defiant knock to lay a solid foundation for the visitors. He had his share of problems against the spin of Abdul Qadir and Tauseef Ahmed. The mighty craftsman, Qadir, looked nigh unplayable, but Boon proved his worth by negotiating Qadir safely. Australia went on to reach 267, and then silence the boisterous Pakistan crowd by winning an engrossing encounter by 18 runs.

Before the tournament started, most pundits had reckoned the final would be played between India and Pakistan. But it turned out to be a tussle between old foes, England and Australia. It was expected to be another of those high-pitched battles between the two sides. In front of of 90,000 fans at a jam-packed packed Eden Gardens, Australia won the toss and elected to bat. Boon, known for those savage cuts and pulls, took full advantage of some wayward bowling with a flurry of boundaries. With his fine start, Boon had certainly soothed the jangling nerves in the Australian camp. Boon, along with Marsh and Dean Jones, had taken Australia to a position from where they could accelerate. Boon was finally dismissed for a well-measured knock of 75 by Hemmings. 

Eventually, in a game full of ebbs and flows, Australia sent shock waves throughout the cricketing landscape by winning their first ever World Cup. Boon was rightly adjudged as the Man of the Match. The epochal win sent the entire team into wild ecstasy as they celebrated long and hard, and it was in no small part to David Boon.