CRICKET IS OUR RELIGION AND SACHIN TENDULKAR IS OUR GOD: May 2011

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Photos: Sachin Tendulkar at BCCI Awards 2011

Former Indian cricket player Salim Durrani shakes hands with master blaster Sachin Tendulkar during the BCCI Awards function in Mumbai on Tuesday.

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Durani tells Sachin to go for 400

Mumbai:

The man who has been known over three decades for his towering sixes ' on demand ' has one very special demand from our master blaster Sachin Tendulkar.

Salim Durani wants Tendulkar to claim the record for the highest individual Test score, currently held by West Indian Brian Lara. 'Sachin has had an amazing career. He has broken every possible record in the book, and in fact has redefined the records in many cases,' said Durani. (Also Read: Sachin laughs off 'emphatic 100th ton' theory)

'He won the biggest prize in One-Day cricket, the World Cup for India, and now I feel he should concentrate on getting the 400 in Test matches,' he added.

'Sachin is God's gift to Cricket and more so to India, and I always thank the almighty that Sachin was born in this country,' he said.

Commenting on the latest fad to take limited overs cricket by storm, the IPL, Durani said that it is the perfect set-up for the families to come and enjoy the game. 'It's fun, and masala version of the game. The crowds love it, and it also gives youngsters a platform to showcase their skills against the best players from across the world.'

However, he added that top quality players like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman should avoid playing the IPL. 'They are players of great class, and should display their skills in the real arena, that is Test cricket. They have far superior skills than any contemporary batsman in world cricket.'

He found a special mention for hard-hitting all-rounder Yusuf Pathan. Impressed by his batting prowess, Durani said that Pathan should be nurtured well by the Indian team at the number 3 spot. 'Pathan has a great future for Team India, and the captain and coach should ensure that he is nurtured well.'
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Sachin laughs off 'emphatic 100th ton' theory

Mumbai: Sachin Tendulkar stated the reason for him opting out of June-July's three-Test series in the West Indies.

"I just want to spend some time with my family. I have not had time with my children. If I don't spend time with them now (during their school holidays), I would have to wait for one more year to do so. The kids (daughter Sara and son Arjun) are very thrilled because we hadn't discussed this with them, so they didn't know anything. It was a surprise for them," he said on Monday. (Also Read: Durani tells Sachin to go for 400 )

"I could make out that they wanted me to be with them because of their school holidays coinciding."

Tendulkar was rested for the one-day series against the West Indies, but when it came to the Test series, he requested the Board to leave him out. He will be available for the tour of England involving four Tests and a one-day series.

No one can stop the theories though. The batting genius laughed at one about him not going to the West Indies because he wants to get his 100th international century at Lord's, a venue that will host the 100th India vs England Test (July 21-25) and the 2000th game in the history of Test cricket. "How can you plan such things?" he asked.

Respected West Indies writer Fazeer Mohammed connected Tendulkar's Caribbean absence to the state of the game in the region. "But there was obviously something missing that made India's batting maestro determine that a month in the Caribbean and the prospect of a couple really big innings was worth passing up. Maybe it was the challenge. Maybe it was the sense of occasion. Maybe it was both.

"To put it bluntly: milking our bowlers on the way to a 100th senior international hundred in a near-empty stadium would have been the equivalent of Barcelona defeating Manchester United on a Sunday morning at the Aranjuez Savannah with ten men and two dogs in attendance and two vagrants sleeping at the back of the pavilion," Mohammed wrote in the Trinidad Express.

Earlier, Tendulkar stated: "As I have been playing continuous cricket over the last 10 months which started during the Sri Lankan series in July 2010, I had requested the Cricket Board to allow me to spend some quality time with the family as it coincides with my children's holidays and hence will not be available for the series in the West Indies. I would appreciate everyone's understanding of my decision and look forward to be back shortly post the series."

Post 2000, Tendulkar has been part of Test series wins in England, Pakistan and New Zealand but when it came to the 2005-06 Test series victory in the West Indies, he was injured. So, in all probability, he will end his career without experiencing a Test series triumph in the Caribbean.

That could be a regret, but only just, considering what he said a few years ago: "Getting married and having kids nothing matches that."

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Sunday, May 29, 2011

Sena chief sore with Sachin

Mumbai, May 27: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray today accused Indian cricketers of playing for money and made it clear he was not willing to forgive Sachin Tendulkar yet for his “Mumbai-belongs-to India…. I-am-an-Indian-first” statement of 2009.

In an interview with Times Now editor Arnab Goswami that was aired on a day three top cricketers dropped out of the West Indies tour, Thackeray also said he would not object if son Uddhav and nephew Raj decided to “patch up” in future and work together. “But will they, that’s a question?” he said.

Thackeray admitted he no longer shared the ideological connect with the BJP that he did when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was at the helm.

Asked about his criticism of Sachin in November 2009, Thackeray said he admired Sachin for his cricket. “But to say something about Mumbai, that Mumbai belongs to the country, no. We fought for Mumbai, 105 people laid (down) their lives… So I said, ‘Don’t talk about Mumbai. I said, if you say we cricketers belong to the country, yes I will accept that, play for the country,’ but they play for money.”

Continuing his attack on Sachin, Thackeray said: “If you need money for something, he will give you a bat. Then it gets auctioned, and then the money is deposited. The World Cup-winning shirt, I can sell it, auction it.” He described such auctions as a “stingy thing”.

Thackeray seemed almost reluctant to comment on the future of the Sena-BJP alliance. “In politics nobody is close to anybody. No one is close…. Alliances come and go,” he said, admitting he shared an ideological closeness 20 years ago when Vajpayee and L.K. Advani led the BJP.

The Sena boss also slammed Anna Hazare’s televised campaign for the Lok Pal Bill. “I am a political cartoonist. I know the political side of the thing. You are overpowering the other four pillars of your democracy. Your democracy, not my democracy. I don't believe in democracy. I believe in Shiv Shahi (Shivaji’s rule) and not Lok Shahi (democracy)…. You are overpowering Supreme Court, the President. Then just scrap it and wipe them out. Just keep the Lok Pal, and let the, what do you call it, Lok Pal committee decide it.”

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Friday, May 27, 2011

Photos:Sachin & Yuvraj sharing some light moments.

As we know Yuvraj has a great relationship with sachin Tendulkar.He respect him a lot and recently he dedicated worldcup 2011 victory to him.Yuvraj confessed that he wanted to win this worldcup for Sachin.both are good friend and shares some great moments on and off field so here are some photos of them.They are sharing some light moments.

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Thursday, May 26, 2011

IPL-4 Photos:Mumbai Indians' thriller Victory against Kolkata in Playoffs.

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A fresh set of records for Sachin Tendulkar.

Statistical highlights of the IPL eliminator between Mumbai Indians [ Images ] and Kolkata Knight Riders [ Images ].

# The four leading batsmen in terms of run-aggregate in the IPL 4 are - Chris Gayle [ Images ] (519), Virat Kohli [ Images ] (514), Sachin Tendulkar [ Images ] (513) and Shaun Marsh [ Images ] (504).

# Sachin has equalled Shaun Marsh's feat of aggregating 500 runs in an IPL competition twice.

# Sachin had first registered the feat in 2009-10, amassing 618 (ave 47.53) in 15 matches, including five fifties.

# Jacques Kallis [ Images ], is the top run-getter in the IPL 4 for Kolkata - 424 runs at an average of 35.33 in 15 matches. He is followed by Gautam Gambhir [ Images ] (378), Manoj Tiwary (359) and Yusuf Pathan [ Images ] (283).

# Shakib Al Hasan (26) has recorded his highest innings in the IPL 4.

# Munaf Patel [ Images ] (20 at an average of 16.55 in 14 matches)) became the second bowler to bag 20 wickets in the IPL 4.

# Lasith Malinga [ Images ] (28 at an average of 12.53 in 15 matches) is the top wicket-taker in the IPL 4.

# Mumbai Indians have won 33 and lost 25 out of 58 contested in the IPL - success per centage of 56.89.

# Kolkata have won 24 and lost 30 out of 55 contested (Tied 1) - success per centage of 44.54.

# Kieron Pollard's batting performance is below average so far in the IPL 2011 - 143 (ave.15.88) in 12 innings.

# Harbhajan Singh [ Images ] has averaged 45.00 in the IPL 4 - 90 runs in seven innings, five times not out. His strike rate of 140.62 is excellent.

# Munaf Patel has received his second Man of the Match award in the IPL.

# Rohit Sharma [ Images ] has recorded his third duck in the IPL - his fourth in Twenty20 [ Images ].

# Sachin Tendulkar has averaged 40.07 - 1683 runs, including one hundred and ten fifties.

# Tendulkar is one of the two batsmen to have recorded an average of 40-plus amongst the top ten run-getters in the IPL - the other being Mahendra Singh Dhoni [ Images ] (40.08)

# Brett Lee [ Images ] has claimed only five wickets in 12 games in the IPL 4 - his bowling average (67.60) and the strike rate (54.4) are his worst in any format.

# James Franklin, thanks to his three successive unbeaten innings, is averaging 91.00 in the IPL 2011 - 91 runs in four innings, at a strike rate of 149.18.

# Franklin's average in Twenty20 is reasonably good - 32.93 - 1515 runs in 71 matches, including six fifties.

# Franklin's superb average of 91.00 is the highest in the IPL 2011 - the next best is 74.14 by Chris Gayle.

# Mumbai Indians, with a win over Kolkata, have qualified for the Champions League [ Images ].

# Mumbai Indians became the second team after Chennai to record ten victories out of 15 played in the IPL 2011.

# Mumbai Indians have posted their seventh victory in eight games against Kolkata in the IPL - success per centage of 87.50.

# Kieron Pollard is the first fielder to take 10 catches in the IPL 2011.

# Sachin Tendulkar, during the course of his 36 off 28 balls, has completed his 2000 runs in Twenty20, aggregating 2029 at an average of 39.78 in 59 matches.

# Sachin became the fourth batsman to complete 500 runs or more in the IPL 4, aggregating 513 at an average of 42.75 in 15 matches.

# With his first fifty (70 not out) in the IPL - an outstanding innings - Doeschate has averaged 53.50 in the IPL 2011.

# Doeschate's aforesaid knock is his fourth half-century in Twenty20. His innings is the third highest for Kolkata against Mumbai - the two highest being 75 by Chris Gayle at Mumbai on March 22, 2010 and 73 by Brad Hodge [ Images ] at East London [ Images ] on May 1, 2009.

# Rajat Bhatia became the third player to be dismissed run-out three times in the IPL 2011 - the first two being Eoin Morgan [ Images ] and Mahela Jayawardene [ Images ].

# Aiden Blizzard's first fifty (51 off 30 balls) in the IPL 4 is his second in Twenty20.

# Blizzard and Tendulkar were associated in a stand of 81 for the first wicket - Mumbai Indians' highest opening stand in the IPL 4.

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The passion for cricket is amazing in India: Franklin.

Unlike his compatriot Jacob Oram [ Images ], who said he could not connect with the IPL, Kiwi batsman James Franklin said he was enjoying being part of the Indian Premier League [ Images ].

After playing just two IPL games, Oram returned to his country and said he felt disconnected with the event due to after-match parties, heavy presence Bollywood stars and fashion parades.

James Franklin Franklin yet again played a good hand in Mumbai's win as he scored an unbeaten 29 in a tight situation.

"I have enjoyed it. It's my first experience. I'm with a great franchisee Mumbai Indians [ Images ]. I have really enjoyed thus far. Hopefully we have two games to go and we do go all the way. It's been pretty good fun till now. The passion for the game is amazing here. I have been here for four months since the World Cup. I'm still enjoying my stay here," he said at the post match press conference.

"After nearly every game there's an after party, there's Bollywood stars there and fashion parades; the drinks are free and the cheerleaders are around. It's a different world.

"Sometimes you wonder if you're here for cricket or not. Ultimately you are. It is good fun, but at the same time I don't think it's reality," Oram had said.

About Wednesday's match, Franklin lauded the effort of his bowlers for restricting Kolkata Knight Riders [ Images ] to 147-7 and said it gave them the control of the match.

"I thought we did a really a good job to restrict them under 150. In the last game here between Chennai and RCB the par score was between 160-165. Boys did a great job with the ball. We had a great start with the ball. It got us on the frontfoot and we did hold on from there," he said.

The left-hander, however, felt that the team left it till the end and brought themselves under undue pressure.

"We are leaving it too late at the moment. We had a great start with (Aiden) Blizzard and Sachin (Tendulkar). They gave us a good platform. If we are trying to seek perfection weprobably lost too many wickets in the middle and put too much pressure on ourselves. Harbhajan came and played a couple of good shots and we crossed the line."

Franklin, who had scored a quickfire 45 not out in Mumbai Indians' thrilling five wicket win over the same rivals in Kolkata on Saturday, felt that victory didn't mean too much coming into this game.

"Every game is a new start. The boys weren't thinking what happened in Kolkata two nights ago. We started afresh. I'm sure KKR had done the same," he said. Franklin said he expected a tough challenge from that Royal Challengers [ Images ] Bangalore in the second qualifier.

"That game is sudden death. A semi-final. Royals lost last night. But they have an extra day's rest. They are a tough side. They have done well in the last two-two and half weeks and have won many games in a row. So its going to be a tough game. We are looking forward to it."

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Wishing Sachin Tendulkar Happy Marriage Anniversary..

Today is a day when our master blaster sachin Tendulkar married Anjali.

Anjali is sachin's biggest strength as per sachin's one interview.

Anjali has supported him in every good and tough times.

Anjali gave up her promising medical career to be Tendulkar's biggest support.

They have completed 16years.So wishing them on their anniversary, May the love they share Last their lifetime through, As they both make a wonderful pair. Happy Wedding Anniversary to sachin and anjali.

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