Apr
03

Windies firepower gives them the edge

Sri Lanka and West Indies won three matches and lost one each in the group stages of the World Twenty20, and their overall batting and bowling stats are fairly similar. West Indies have the marginally better batting numbers, with a slightly higher scoring rate and average, while Sri Lanka have a marginally better bowling average. Both teams have taken exactly 31 wickets, which shows there's little...
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India wrap up 2016 berth with narrow win

India Women 106 for 7 (Mithali Raj 39, Sania Khan 3-15) beat Pakistan Women 100 for 9 (Nahida Khan 26, Nida Dar 24*, Soniya Dabir 3-14) by 6 runsScorecard India Women booked a place in the 2016 Women's World T20 with a narrow win over Pakistan Women in the qualification play-off in Sylhet. Six teams - the four semifinalists and the two winners of the play-off games - qualify directly for the next...
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IPL teams face hit in sponsor revenue

With just two weeks for the start of the IPL, many franchises are yet to finalise deals with sponsors. Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Daredevils, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore are understood to be the five franchises that have been unable to close deals including finding a front-chest sponsor, a valuable space where the brand is most prominently displayed on the shirt...
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North retires from Australian cricket

Former Test batsman Marcus North has sprung a surprise by announcing his retirement from Australian domestic cricket at the age of 34 and after a season in which he was named Sheffield Shield Player of the Year. North will exit on a high after what he declared was his most enjoyable season, a summer in which he topped the Shield run tally with 886 at 63.28 and played in the first Shield final of...
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Apr
02

Gavaskar reaches out to franchises

Sunil Gavaskar will hold his first media conference as the BCCI president - IPL in Dubai on Wednesday. There was some confusion ahead of that formal interaction, however, and possibly not of Gavaskar's making, emanating from a BCCI statement that said he had briefed franchises and held a discussion with them on Monday. Franchises contacted by ESPNcricinfo denied there was any meeting held, except...
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Pakistan consumed by waves of panic

The performance against Australia gave Pakistan fans hope but, not for the first time, they produced a polar opposite displayPakistan never fail to surprise us, do they? If you had come expecting a thriller between two similar, explosive T20 sides, what you got instead was Pakistan showing us multiple, and all equally self-destructive, states of panic. Two of their best bowlers, Saeed Ajmal and Umar...
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Hafeez apologises for Pakistan performance

Mohammad Hafeez was asked pretty direct questions after Pakistan failed to make the World T20 semi-finals with a heavy defeat to West Indies. He was asked if he was considering resigning as T20 captain and if he was the No. 3 batsman the side needed. He was asked why Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik were persevered with. He was asked if the Pakistan team management was good enough. In reply, Hafeez...
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West Indies bring back their fear factor

The ultimate entertainers, West Indies now have the batting power to match the threat their fast bowlers brought in the 1980s Croft: Sammy and Bravo played with confidence West Indies may have a formula for T20, or they may just let it flow through them. Modern players often talk about going out on the field and expressing themselves but it appears to be only the West Indies team that...
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Mar
31

Captain Bailey's 'most disappointing game'

George Bailey has called Australia's big defeat to India in the World T20 the "most disappointing game" of his captaincy tenure. Australia were bowled out for 86 chasing 160, and Bailey was particularly gutted at the way his batsmen folded, saying they had failed to deliver the improvement that was asked of them after two close defeats to Pakistan and West Indies. "Unexpected. Disappointing. I'd...
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Yuvraj fulfils weight of expectations

Probably as much as Yuvraj wanted to succeed, India also dearly wanted him to. His captain's faith in him was vindicated against Australia after a string of failures India tick all boxes ahead of semi-finals 'Matter of one innings'. 'Matter of one innings'. They kept saying it, and we kept hearing it. Didn't come against Pakistan. Didn't come against West Indies. Didn't get a chance to...
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