teams that used spin as an attacking used spin as an Twenty20 cricket have been reasonably successful so far.The success of Harbhajan Singh and Daniel Vettori in the world championship
in SouthAfrica underlined this to an extent. The pressure on the spin ner is no less or greater than that on the medium pacers.Having only four overs to bowl might not be the ideal situation
for a slow bowler but it is the same for the batsmen who have to get on from ball one for the
batsman,argues Channai super king's star spinner,Muttiah Muralitharan."Spinners usually take time to settle down.Four overs is not to ideal span for a spinner.But that is a challange one must
took forward to," said murali. For a bowler who is accustomed to long spells,Murali is happy that
T20 cricket it will be easier on the body.
This is a format where the bowler are not going to get exhausted.The momentum can be easily maintained.I have played only one T20 at the international level but i have played fair bit for
Lancashire and that experience should hold me in good stead, he said.
Murali notes it will be the 50-overs one-day cricket that will suffer due to the frequency of T20
cricket.
Test cricket can get boring at times,but it will survive at performance in test cricket is dear to all cricketers.
T20 is a medium that is aimed
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
The Game of Cricket / History of Cricket
Results
If the team that bats last has all of its batsmen dismissed before it can reach the run total of the opposing team, it is said to have lost by (n) runs (where (n) is the difference between the two run totals). If however, the team that bats last exceeds the opposing team's run total before its batsmen are dismissed, it is said to have won by (n) wickets, where (n) is the difference between the number of wickets conceded and 10.
If, in a two-innings-a-side match, one team's combined first and second innings total fails to reach its opponent's first innings total, there is no need for the opposing team to bat again and it is said to have won by an innings and (n) runs, where (n) is the difference between the two teams' totals.
If all the batsmen of the team batting last are dismissed with the scores exactly equal then the match is a tie; ties are very rare in cricket, particularly in matches of two innings a side. If the time allotted for the match expires before either side can win, then the game is a draw.
If the match has only a single innings per side, then a maximum number of deliveries for each innings is often imposed. In this case the side scoring more runs wins regardless of the number of wickets lost, so that a draw cannot occur. If this kind of match is temporarily interrupted by bad weather, then a complex mathematical formula known as the Duckworth-Lewis method is often used to recalculate a new target score. A one-day match can be declared a No-Result if fewer than a previously agreed number of overs have been bowled by either team, in circumstances that make normal resumption of play impossible - for example, an extended period of bad weather.
Laws of cricket
The game is played in accordance with 42 laws of cricket, which have been developed by the Marylebone Cricket Club in discussion with the main cricketing nations. Teams may agree to alter some of the rules for particular games. Other rules supplement the main laws and change them to deal with different circumstances. In particular, there are a number of modifications to the playing structure and fielding position rules that apply to one innings games that are restricted to a set number of fair deliveries.
Players
A team consists of eleven players. Depending on his or her primary skills, a player may be classified as a specialist batsman or bowler. A balanced team usually has five or six specialist batsmen and four or five specialist bowlers. Teams nearly always include a specialist wicket-keeper because of the importance of this fielding position.
A player who excels in both batting and bowling is known as an all-rounder. One who excels as a batsman and wicket-keeper is known as a wicket-keeper/batsman, sometimes regarded as a type of all-rounder. True all-rounders are rare and valuable players; most players focus on either their batting or their bowling.
Umpires
Two on-field umpires preside over a match. One umpire (the field umpire) will stand behind the wicket at the end from which the ball is bowled, and adjudicate on most decisions. The other (the square leg umpire) will stand near the fielding position called square leg, which offers a side view of the batsman, and assist on decisions for which he or she has a better view. In some professional matches, they may refer a decision to an off-field third umpire, who has the assistance of television replays. In international matches an off-field match referee ensures that play is within the laws of cricket and the spirit of the game.
Scorers
Two scorers are appointed, and most often one scorer is provided by each team. The laws of cricket specify that the official scorers are to record all runs scored, wickets taken and (where appropriate) overs bowled. They are to acknowledge signals from the umpire, and to check the accuracy of the score regularly both with each other and, at playing intervals, with the umpires. In practice scorers also keep track of other matters, such as bowlers' analyses, the rate at which the teams bowl their overs, and team statistics such as averages and records. In international and national cricket competitions, the media often require notification of records and statistics, so unofficial scorers often keep tally for broadcast commentators and newspaper journalists. The official scorers occasionally make mistakes, but unlike umpires' mistakes
The playing field
For more details on this topic, see Cricket field.
The cricket field consists of a large circular or oval-shaped grassy ground. There are no fixed dimensions for the field but its diameter usually varies between 450 feet (137 m) to 500 feet (150 m). On most grounds, a rope demarcates the perimeter of the field and is known as the boundary.
Placements of players
The team batting always has two batsmen on the field. One batsman, known as the striker, faces and plays the balls bowled by the bowler. His or her partner stands at the bowling end and is known as the non-striker.
The fielding team has all eleven of its players on the ground, and at any particular time, one of these will be the bowler. The player designated as bowler must change after every over. The wicket-keeper, who generally acts in that role for the whole match, stands or crouches behind the wicket at the batting end. The captain of the fielding team spreads his or her remaining nine players — the fielders — around the ground to cover most of the area. Their placement may vary dramatically depending on strategy. Each position on the field has a unique label.
The toss
The two opposing captains toss a coin before the match, and the captain winning the toss chooses either to bat or bowl first. This decision will be based on whether the team's bowlers are likely to gain immediate advantage from the pitch and weather conditions (these can vary significantly), or whether it is more likely that the pitch will deteriorate and make batting more difficult later in the game.
Overs
Each innings is divided into overs, each consisting of six consecutive legal (see "Extras" for details) deliveries bowled by the same bowler. After completing an over, the bowler must take up a fielding position and let another player take over the bowling.
After every over, the batting and bowling ends are swapped, and the field positions are adjusted. The umpires swap so the umpire at the bowler's end moves to square leg, and the umpire at square leg moves to the new bowler's end.
End of an innings
An innings is completed if:
Ten out of eleven batsmen are 'out' (dismissed) — the team are all out.
The team has only one batsman left who can bat (the others being incapacitated either through injury, illness or absence) — again, the team are all out.
The team batting last reaches the score required to win the match.
The predetermined number of overs are bowled (in a one-day match only, usually 50 overs).
A captain declares his team's innings closed (this does not apply to one-day limited over matches).
Playing time
Typically, two innings matches are played over three to five days with at least six hours of cricket being played each day. One innings matches are usually played over one day for six hours or more. There are formal intervals on each day for lunch and tea, and shorter breaks for drinks, where necessary. There is also a short interval between innings.
The game is only played in dry weather. Additionally, as in professional cricket it is common for balls to be bowled at over 90 mph (144 km/h), the game needs to be played in daylight that is good enough for a batsman to be able to see the ball. Play is therefore halted during rain (but not usually drizzle) and when there is bad light. Some one-day games are now played under floodlights, but, apart from a few experimental games in Australia, floodlights are not used in longer games.
Professional cricket is usually played outdoors. These requirements mean that in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Zimbabwe the game is usually played in the summer. In the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh games are played in the winter. In these countries the hurricane and monsoon season coincides with their summers.
Batting
Batsmen strike the ball from the batting crease, with the flat surface of a wooden bat. If the batsman hits the ball with his bat, it is called a shot (or stroke). If the ball brushes the side of the bat it is called an edge or snick. Shots are named according to the style of swing and the direction aimed. As part of the team's strategy, he may bat defensively, blocking the ball downwards, or aggressively, hitting the ball hard to empty spaces in order to score runs. There is no requirement to run if the ball is struck.
If the batsman manages to hit the ball over the boundary ropes, he automatically scores runs. A ball that reaches the boundary on the full (without touching the ground) automatically scores six runs. A ball that reaches the boundary after having touched the ground automatically scores four runs.
Batsmen come in to bat in a batting order, decided by the team captain. The first two positions, the "openers", face the most hostile bowling, from fast bowlers at their freshest and with a new ball. After that, the team typically bats in descending order of batting skill, the first five or six batsmen usually being the best in the team. Then follow the all-rounders — bowlers or wicket-keepers who can bat decently — and finally the pure bowlers who rarely score well. This order may be changed at any time during the course of the game.
Bowling
A bowler delivers the ball toward the batsmen, using what is known as a bowling action: the elbow may be held at any angle and may bend further, but may not straighten out during the action. If the elbow straightens, it is an illegal throw and the delivery is called a no-ball. Under new cricketing law, after consultation with health experts, the bowler is allowed to straighten his arm 15 degrees or less; if the bowler straightens his arm more than 15 degrees it is called a "no ball".
Usually, the bowler pitches the ball so that it bounces before reaching the batsman. Some part of the bowler's front foot in the delivery stride (that is, the stride when the ball is released) must be behind the popping crease to avoid a no-ball (although the bowler's front foot does not have to be grounded). The ball must also be delivered so it is within the batsman's reach; otherwise it is termed a wide. A wide cannot be called if the batsman hits the ball. A wide or no-ball results in an extra run being added to the batting team's score, and an extra ball being bowled in the over.
The bowler's primary goal is to take wickets; that is, to get a batsman out or dismissed. If a bowler can dismiss the more accomplished batsmen on the opposing team he reduces the opportunity for them to score, as it exposes the less skilful non-specialist batsmen. The bowler's secondary task is to limit the numbers of runs scored per over bowled. This is known as the Economy rate. There are two main kinds of bowlers: pace bowlers, who attempt to bowl the ball too quickly for the batsman to properly react, and spin bowlers who bowl slower deliveries that bounce and curve in unpredictable ways.
Dismissal of a batsman
There are ten ways in which a batsman may be dismissed. Once a batsman is dismissed, he leaves the field to be replaced by another batsman. When the tenth batsmen are out the remaining not-out batsman has run out of partners, at which point the side is "all out", and the innings is over.
Many modes of dismissal require the wicket to be "put down". The wicket is put down if a bail is dislodged from the top of the stumps; or if a stump is struck out of the ground either by the ball, or by a fielder using his hand which is holding the ball. Of the following ten modes of dismissal, the first six are common, while the last four are technicalities which rarely occur. Briefly, the ten modes are:
Caught — When a fielder catches the ball before the ball bounces and after the batsman has struck it with the bat or it has come into contact with the batsman's glove while it is in contact with the bat handle. The bowler and catcher are both credited with the dismissal. (Law 32)
Bowled — When a delivered ball hits the stumps at the batsman's end, and dislodges one or both of the bails. This happens regardless of whether the batsman has edged the ball onto the stumps or not. The bowler is credited with the dismissal. (Law 30)
Leg before wicket (lbw) — When a delivered ball misses the bat and strikes the batsman's leg, pad or body, and the umpire judges that the ball would otherwise have struck the stumps. The laws of cricket stipulate certain exceptions. For instance, a delivery pitching outside the line of leg stump should not result in an lbw dismissal, while a delivery hitting the batsman outside the line of the off stump should result in an lbw dismissal only if the batsman makes no attempt to play the ball with the bat. The bowler is credited with the dismissal.
Run out — When a fielder, bowler or wicket-keeper removes one or both of the bails with the ball by hitting the stumps whilst a batsman is still running between the two ends. The ball can either hit the stumps directly or the fielder's hand with the ball inside it can be used to dislodge the bails. Such a dismissal is not officially credited to any player, although the identities of the fielder or fielders involved is often noted in brackets on the scorecard.
Stumped — When the batsman leaves his crease in playing a delivery, voluntarily or involuntarily, but the ball goes to the wicket-keeper who uses it to remove one or both of the bails through hitting the bail(s) or the wicket before the batsman has remade his ground. The bowler and wicket-keeper are both credited. This generally requires the keeper to be standing within arm's length of the wicket, which is done mainly to spin bowling. (Law 39)
Hit wicket — When the batsman accidentally knocks the stumps with either the body or the bat, causing one or both of the bails to be dislodged, either in playing a shot or in taking off for the first run. The bowler is credited with the dismissal. (Law 35)
Handled the ball — When the batsman deliberately handles the ball without the permission of the fielding team. No player is credited with the dismissal. (Law 33)
Hit the ball twice — When the batsman deliberately strikes the ball a second time, except for the sole purpose of guarding his wicket. No player is credited with the dismissal. (Law 34)
Obstructing the field — When a batsman deliberately hinders a fielder from attempting to field the ball. No player is credited with the dismissal. (Law 37)
Timed out — When a new batsman takes more than three minutes to take his position in the field to replace a dismissed batsman (If the delay is protracted, the umpires may cause the match to be forfeited). This rule prevents the batting team using time limits of the game to unfair advantage. No player is credited with the dismissal. (Law 31)
Additionally, a batsman may leave the field without being dismissed. For instance, if he is injured or taken ill, this is known as retired hurt or retired ill. The batsman is not out; he may return to bat later in the same innings if sufficiently recovered. Also, an unimpaired batsman may retire, in which case he is treated as being dismissed retired out; no player is credited with the dismissal.
Batsmen cannot be out bowled, caught, leg before wicket, stumped, or hit wicket off a no ball. They cannot be out bowled, caught, leg before wicket, or hit the ball twice off a wide.
Some of these modes of dismissal can occur without the bowler bowling a delivery. The batsman who is not on strike may be run out by the bowler if he leaves his crease before the bowler bowls, and a batsman can be out obstructing the field or retired out at any time. Timed out is, by its nature, a dismissal without a delivery. With all other modes of dismissal, only one batsman can be dismissed per ball bowled.
Fielding and wicket-keeping
Fielders assist the bowlers in preventing runs, either by taking catches to dismiss a batsman, or by intercepting the ball and returning it to the pitch. The wicket-keeper is the only fielder permitted to wear gloves. A fielder may stop the ball with any part of their body.
The wicket-keeper is a specialist fielder who stands behind the batsman's wicket throughout the game. His primary job is to gather deliveries that the batsman fails to hit, to prevent them running into the outfield, which would enable batsmen to score byes. To this end, he wears special gloves (he is the only fielder allowed to do so) and pads to cover his lower legs. Due to his position directly behind the striker, the wicket-keeper has a good chance of getting a batsman out caught off a fine edge from the bat; thicker edges are typically handled by the "slips" fieldsmen. The wicket-keeper is also the only person who can get a batsman out stumped.
History
A basic form of cricket can be traced back to the 13th century, but it may have existed even earlier than that. The game seems to have originated among children of the farming and metalworking communities in the Weald between Kent and Sussex. Written evidence exists of a game known as creag being played by Prince Edward, the son of Edward I (Longshanks), at Newenden, Kent in 1300.
In 1598, a court case referred to a sport called kreckett being played at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford around 1550. The Oxford English Dictionary gives this as the first recorded instance of cricket in the English language.
A number of words are thought to be possible sources for the term cricket. The name may derive from a term for the cricket bat: old French criquet (meaning a kind of club) or Flemish krick(e) (meaning a stick) or in Old English crycc (meaning a crutch or staff). (The latter is problematic, since Old English 'cc' was palatal in pronunciation in the south and the west midlands, roughly ch, which is how crycc leads to crych and thence crutch; the 'k' sound would be possible in the north, however.) Alternatively, the French criquet apparently derives from the Flemish word krickstoel, which is a long low stool on which one kneels in church and which resembles the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket.
During the 17th century, numerous references indicate the growth of cricket in the south-east of England. By the end of the century, it had become an organised activity being played for high stakes and it is likely that the first professionals appeared in that period. We know that a great cricket match with eleven players a side was played for high stakes in Sussex in 1697 and this is the earliest reference we have to cricket in terms of such importance.
The game underwent major development in the 18th Century and had become the national sport of England by the end of the century. Betting played a major part in that development and rich patrons began forming their own "select XIs". Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury. The Hambledon Club was founded in the 1760s but its team was already playing first-class matches in 1756. For the next 20 years until the formation of MCC and the opening of Lord's in 1787, Hambledon was the game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC quickly became the sport's premier club and the custodian of the Laws of Cricket.
The 19th Century saw underarm replaced by first roundarm and then overarm bowling. Both developments were accompanied by major controversy. The concept of a "champion county" arose in the 1820s and then, starting with Sussex CCC in 1839, county clubs were founded and these ultimately formed a County Championship.
In 1859, a team of England players went on the first overseas tour (to North America) and 18 years later another England team took part in the first-ever Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia.
The legendary W G Grace started his long career in 1864. It can fairly be said that he revolutionised the sport and did much to ensure its massive popularity.
The last two decades before the First World War have been called the "Golden Age of Cricket". It is almost certainly a nostalgic idea based on the sense of loss brought about by the war, but even so the period did produce some great players and memorable matches, especially as organised competition at county and Test level developed.
The inter-war years were dominated by one player: Don Bradman, statistically the greatest batsman of all time. It was the determination of the England team to overcome his incredible skill that brought about the infamous Bodyline series in 1932/33.
Cricket entered an epochal era in 1963, when English counties modified the rules to provide a variant match form that produced a certain result: games with a restricted number of overs per side. This gained widespread popularity and resulted in the birth of One-day International (ODI) matches in 1971. The governing International Cricket Council quickly adopted the new form and held the first ODI Cricket World Cup in 1975. Since then, ODI matches have gained mass spectatorship, at the expense of the longer form of the game and to the consternation of fans who prefer the longer form of the game.
As of the early 2000s, however, the longer form of cricket is experiencing a growing resurgence in popularity but a new limited overs phenomenon, Twenty20, has made an immediate impact.
Forms of cricket
There are many different types and grades of cricket; those played professionally at an international level are Test cricket, one-day cricket and Twenty20.
Test cricket
Test cricket is a form of international cricket started in 1877 during the 1876/77 English cricket team's tour of Australia. The first Test match began on 15 March 1877 and had a timeless format with four balls per over. It ended on 19 March 1877 with Australia winning by 45 runs.The Test cricket series between England and Australia is called The Ashes.
Since then, over 1,800 Test matches have been played and the number of Test playing nations has increased to ten with Bangladesh, the most recent nation elevated to Test status, making its debut in 2000. Test matches are two innings per side, over a period nowadays of up to a maximum of five days - although matches are sometimes completed early when one side wins well within the time allotted (e.g. in three or four days). In the past, Tests have been played over 3, 4, or 6 days, and some have been 'Timeless' - played to a finish. Tests that are not finished within the allotted time are drawn.
One-day cricket
Limited overs matches, also known as one day cricket or instant cricket, were introduced in the English domestic season of 1963 due to the growing demands for a shorter and more dramatic form of cricket. One-day, single-innings, matches often took place before this, but the innovation was the limiting of each side's innings to an agreed number of overs (nowadays usually 50). The idea was taken up in the international arena in 1971, during England's tour of Australia, when a match was played on the scheduled fifth day of the rained-off third Test.
The one-day game has since become a crowd-pleaser and TV-audience-generator across the globe, hastened in part by the success of the inaugural World Cup in 1975. The abbreviations ODI (One-day International) or sometimes LOI (Limited Overs International) are used for international matches of this type. Innovations have included the introduction of coloured clothing, distinct tournaments, and "day-night" matches (where play extends into the night under floodlights); together with frequent nail-biting finishes and the impossibility of either side opting to play for a draw, these have seen ODI cricket gain many supporters.
Twenty20 Cricket
Twenty20 Cricket was first played in English domestic cricket in 2003 to popularise first-class cricket and attract more spectators to the game. Now it has spread to many other countries. A "Twenty20 Game" consists 20 overs per each side, a free-hit after a no-ball is bowled, short boundaries, batting-friendly pitches, and other rules designed to attract crowds that would not usually wish to sit through the slower paced one day games or test matches. The first men's Twenty20 international was between Australia and New Zealand in 2005, the first women's Twenty20 international having been between England and New Zealand in 2004.The ICC announced after its Executive Board meeting in March 2006 that beginning from 2007 to 2015, the Twenty20 World Championship would be held on an biannual basis and the first ever Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa in September 2007.
First-class matches
A first-class match is generally defined as a high-level international or domestic match that takes place over at least three days on natural (as opposed to artificial) turf. First-class games are two innings per side. Like Test matches, if the game is not completed over the allotted time then it is drawn. Games where the teams have only one innings each are not first-class (including one-day internationals).
A two-innings match of at least three days duration is granted first-class status only if both teams have first-class status. For example, Test matches, other games between two Test nations, games between two domestic teams deemed first-class in countries holding full membership of the ICC, and games between a Test nation's national side (or a team drawn from a national touring squad) and a first-class domestic team from a Test nation, are usually deemed to be first class. Matches between Kenya, one of the leading associate members of the ICC, and another team adjudged first-class are usually granted first-class status, but domestic matches in Kenya are not.
Among cricket statisticians, first class cricket is variously deemed to have started in 1660, 1772, 1801, 1815 or 1864. This ongoing controversy is described in the main article. The limited overs equivalent of first-class status is list A status.
International structure
ICC member nations. Orange are the (highest level) Test playing nations; green are the associate member nations; and purple are the affiliate member nations.The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the international governing body for cricket. It is headquartered in Dubai and includes representatives of each of the ten Test-playing nations, as well as an elected panel representing non-Test-playing nations.
Each nation has a national cricket board which regulates cricket matches played in their country. The cricket board also selects the national squad and organises home and away tours for the national team.
Nations playing cricket are separated into three tiers depending on the level of cricket infrastructure in that country. At the highest level are the Test-playing nations. They qualify automatically for the quadrennial World Cup matches. A rung lower are the Associate Member nations. The lowermost rung consists of the Affiliate Member nations
If the team that bats last has all of its batsmen dismissed before it can reach the run total of the opposing team, it is said to have lost by (n) runs (where (n) is the difference between the two run totals). If however, the team that bats last exceeds the opposing team's run total before its batsmen are dismissed, it is said to have won by (n) wickets, where (n) is the difference between the number of wickets conceded and 10.
If, in a two-innings-a-side match, one team's combined first and second innings total fails to reach its opponent's first innings total, there is no need for the opposing team to bat again and it is said to have won by an innings and (n) runs, where (n) is the difference between the two teams' totals.
If all the batsmen of the team batting last are dismissed with the scores exactly equal then the match is a tie; ties are very rare in cricket, particularly in matches of two innings a side. If the time allotted for the match expires before either side can win, then the game is a draw.
If the match has only a single innings per side, then a maximum number of deliveries for each innings is often imposed. In this case the side scoring more runs wins regardless of the number of wickets lost, so that a draw cannot occur. If this kind of match is temporarily interrupted by bad weather, then a complex mathematical formula known as the Duckworth-Lewis method is often used to recalculate a new target score. A one-day match can be declared a No-Result if fewer than a previously agreed number of overs have been bowled by either team, in circumstances that make normal resumption of play impossible - for example, an extended period of bad weather.
Laws of cricket
The game is played in accordance with 42 laws of cricket, which have been developed by the Marylebone Cricket Club in discussion with the main cricketing nations. Teams may agree to alter some of the rules for particular games. Other rules supplement the main laws and change them to deal with different circumstances. In particular, there are a number of modifications to the playing structure and fielding position rules that apply to one innings games that are restricted to a set number of fair deliveries.
Players
A team consists of eleven players. Depending on his or her primary skills, a player may be classified as a specialist batsman or bowler. A balanced team usually has five or six specialist batsmen and four or five specialist bowlers. Teams nearly always include a specialist wicket-keeper because of the importance of this fielding position.
A player who excels in both batting and bowling is known as an all-rounder. One who excels as a batsman and wicket-keeper is known as a wicket-keeper/batsman, sometimes regarded as a type of all-rounder. True all-rounders are rare and valuable players; most players focus on either their batting or their bowling.
Umpires
Two on-field umpires preside over a match. One umpire (the field umpire) will stand behind the wicket at the end from which the ball is bowled, and adjudicate on most decisions. The other (the square leg umpire) will stand near the fielding position called square leg, which offers a side view of the batsman, and assist on decisions for which he or she has a better view. In some professional matches, they may refer a decision to an off-field third umpire, who has the assistance of television replays. In international matches an off-field match referee ensures that play is within the laws of cricket and the spirit of the game.
Scorers
Two scorers are appointed, and most often one scorer is provided by each team. The laws of cricket specify that the official scorers are to record all runs scored, wickets taken and (where appropriate) overs bowled. They are to acknowledge signals from the umpire, and to check the accuracy of the score regularly both with each other and, at playing intervals, with the umpires. In practice scorers also keep track of other matters, such as bowlers' analyses, the rate at which the teams bowl their overs, and team statistics such as averages and records. In international and national cricket competitions, the media often require notification of records and statistics, so unofficial scorers often keep tally for broadcast commentators and newspaper journalists. The official scorers occasionally make mistakes, but unlike umpires' mistakes
The playing field
For more details on this topic, see Cricket field.
The cricket field consists of a large circular or oval-shaped grassy ground. There are no fixed dimensions for the field but its diameter usually varies between 450 feet (137 m) to 500 feet (150 m). On most grounds, a rope demarcates the perimeter of the field and is known as the boundary.
Placements of players
The team batting always has two batsmen on the field. One batsman, known as the striker, faces and plays the balls bowled by the bowler. His or her partner stands at the bowling end and is known as the non-striker.
The fielding team has all eleven of its players on the ground, and at any particular time, one of these will be the bowler. The player designated as bowler must change after every over. The wicket-keeper, who generally acts in that role for the whole match, stands or crouches behind the wicket at the batting end. The captain of the fielding team spreads his or her remaining nine players — the fielders — around the ground to cover most of the area. Their placement may vary dramatically depending on strategy. Each position on the field has a unique label.
The toss
The two opposing captains toss a coin before the match, and the captain winning the toss chooses either to bat or bowl first. This decision will be based on whether the team's bowlers are likely to gain immediate advantage from the pitch and weather conditions (these can vary significantly), or whether it is more likely that the pitch will deteriorate and make batting more difficult later in the game.
Overs
Each innings is divided into overs, each consisting of six consecutive legal (see "Extras" for details) deliveries bowled by the same bowler. After completing an over, the bowler must take up a fielding position and let another player take over the bowling.
After every over, the batting and bowling ends are swapped, and the field positions are adjusted. The umpires swap so the umpire at the bowler's end moves to square leg, and the umpire at square leg moves to the new bowler's end.
End of an innings
An innings is completed if:
Ten out of eleven batsmen are 'out' (dismissed) — the team are all out.
The team has only one batsman left who can bat (the others being incapacitated either through injury, illness or absence) — again, the team are all out.
The team batting last reaches the score required to win the match.
The predetermined number of overs are bowled (in a one-day match only, usually 50 overs).
A captain declares his team's innings closed (this does not apply to one-day limited over matches).
Playing time
Typically, two innings matches are played over three to five days with at least six hours of cricket being played each day. One innings matches are usually played over one day for six hours or more. There are formal intervals on each day for lunch and tea, and shorter breaks for drinks, where necessary. There is also a short interval between innings.
The game is only played in dry weather. Additionally, as in professional cricket it is common for balls to be bowled at over 90 mph (144 km/h), the game needs to be played in daylight that is good enough for a batsman to be able to see the ball. Play is therefore halted during rain (but not usually drizzle) and when there is bad light. Some one-day games are now played under floodlights, but, apart from a few experimental games in Australia, floodlights are not used in longer games.
Professional cricket is usually played outdoors. These requirements mean that in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Zimbabwe the game is usually played in the summer. In the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh games are played in the winter. In these countries the hurricane and monsoon season coincides with their summers.
Batting
Batsmen strike the ball from the batting crease, with the flat surface of a wooden bat. If the batsman hits the ball with his bat, it is called a shot (or stroke). If the ball brushes the side of the bat it is called an edge or snick. Shots are named according to the style of swing and the direction aimed. As part of the team's strategy, he may bat defensively, blocking the ball downwards, or aggressively, hitting the ball hard to empty spaces in order to score runs. There is no requirement to run if the ball is struck.
If the batsman manages to hit the ball over the boundary ropes, he automatically scores runs. A ball that reaches the boundary on the full (without touching the ground) automatically scores six runs. A ball that reaches the boundary after having touched the ground automatically scores four runs.
Batsmen come in to bat in a batting order, decided by the team captain. The first two positions, the "openers", face the most hostile bowling, from fast bowlers at their freshest and with a new ball. After that, the team typically bats in descending order of batting skill, the first five or six batsmen usually being the best in the team. Then follow the all-rounders — bowlers or wicket-keepers who can bat decently — and finally the pure bowlers who rarely score well. This order may be changed at any time during the course of the game.
Bowling
A bowler delivers the ball toward the batsmen, using what is known as a bowling action: the elbow may be held at any angle and may bend further, but may not straighten out during the action. If the elbow straightens, it is an illegal throw and the delivery is called a no-ball. Under new cricketing law, after consultation with health experts, the bowler is allowed to straighten his arm 15 degrees or less; if the bowler straightens his arm more than 15 degrees it is called a "no ball".
Usually, the bowler pitches the ball so that it bounces before reaching the batsman. Some part of the bowler's front foot in the delivery stride (that is, the stride when the ball is released) must be behind the popping crease to avoid a no-ball (although the bowler's front foot does not have to be grounded). The ball must also be delivered so it is within the batsman's reach; otherwise it is termed a wide. A wide cannot be called if the batsman hits the ball. A wide or no-ball results in an extra run being added to the batting team's score, and an extra ball being bowled in the over.
The bowler's primary goal is to take wickets; that is, to get a batsman out or dismissed. If a bowler can dismiss the more accomplished batsmen on the opposing team he reduces the opportunity for them to score, as it exposes the less skilful non-specialist batsmen. The bowler's secondary task is to limit the numbers of runs scored per over bowled. This is known as the Economy rate. There are two main kinds of bowlers: pace bowlers, who attempt to bowl the ball too quickly for the batsman to properly react, and spin bowlers who bowl slower deliveries that bounce and curve in unpredictable ways.
Dismissal of a batsman
There are ten ways in which a batsman may be dismissed. Once a batsman is dismissed, he leaves the field to be replaced by another batsman. When the tenth batsmen are out the remaining not-out batsman has run out of partners, at which point the side is "all out", and the innings is over.
Many modes of dismissal require the wicket to be "put down". The wicket is put down if a bail is dislodged from the top of the stumps; or if a stump is struck out of the ground either by the ball, or by a fielder using his hand which is holding the ball. Of the following ten modes of dismissal, the first six are common, while the last four are technicalities which rarely occur. Briefly, the ten modes are:
Caught — When a fielder catches the ball before the ball bounces and after the batsman has struck it with the bat or it has come into contact with the batsman's glove while it is in contact with the bat handle. The bowler and catcher are both credited with the dismissal. (Law 32)
Bowled — When a delivered ball hits the stumps at the batsman's end, and dislodges one or both of the bails. This happens regardless of whether the batsman has edged the ball onto the stumps or not. The bowler is credited with the dismissal. (Law 30)
Leg before wicket (lbw) — When a delivered ball misses the bat and strikes the batsman's leg, pad or body, and the umpire judges that the ball would otherwise have struck the stumps. The laws of cricket stipulate certain exceptions. For instance, a delivery pitching outside the line of leg stump should not result in an lbw dismissal, while a delivery hitting the batsman outside the line of the off stump should result in an lbw dismissal only if the batsman makes no attempt to play the ball with the bat. The bowler is credited with the dismissal.
Run out — When a fielder, bowler or wicket-keeper removes one or both of the bails with the ball by hitting the stumps whilst a batsman is still running between the two ends. The ball can either hit the stumps directly or the fielder's hand with the ball inside it can be used to dislodge the bails. Such a dismissal is not officially credited to any player, although the identities of the fielder or fielders involved is often noted in brackets on the scorecard.
Stumped — When the batsman leaves his crease in playing a delivery, voluntarily or involuntarily, but the ball goes to the wicket-keeper who uses it to remove one or both of the bails through hitting the bail(s) or the wicket before the batsman has remade his ground. The bowler and wicket-keeper are both credited. This generally requires the keeper to be standing within arm's length of the wicket, which is done mainly to spin bowling. (Law 39)
Hit wicket — When the batsman accidentally knocks the stumps with either the body or the bat, causing one or both of the bails to be dislodged, either in playing a shot or in taking off for the first run. The bowler is credited with the dismissal. (Law 35)
Handled the ball — When the batsman deliberately handles the ball without the permission of the fielding team. No player is credited with the dismissal. (Law 33)
Hit the ball twice — When the batsman deliberately strikes the ball a second time, except for the sole purpose of guarding his wicket. No player is credited with the dismissal. (Law 34)
Obstructing the field — When a batsman deliberately hinders a fielder from attempting to field the ball. No player is credited with the dismissal. (Law 37)
Timed out — When a new batsman takes more than three minutes to take his position in the field to replace a dismissed batsman (If the delay is protracted, the umpires may cause the match to be forfeited). This rule prevents the batting team using time limits of the game to unfair advantage. No player is credited with the dismissal. (Law 31)
Additionally, a batsman may leave the field without being dismissed. For instance, if he is injured or taken ill, this is known as retired hurt or retired ill. The batsman is not out; he may return to bat later in the same innings if sufficiently recovered. Also, an unimpaired batsman may retire, in which case he is treated as being dismissed retired out; no player is credited with the dismissal.
Batsmen cannot be out bowled, caught, leg before wicket, stumped, or hit wicket off a no ball. They cannot be out bowled, caught, leg before wicket, or hit the ball twice off a wide.
Some of these modes of dismissal can occur without the bowler bowling a delivery. The batsman who is not on strike may be run out by the bowler if he leaves his crease before the bowler bowls, and a batsman can be out obstructing the field or retired out at any time. Timed out is, by its nature, a dismissal without a delivery. With all other modes of dismissal, only one batsman can be dismissed per ball bowled.
Fielding and wicket-keeping
Fielders assist the bowlers in preventing runs, either by taking catches to dismiss a batsman, or by intercepting the ball and returning it to the pitch. The wicket-keeper is the only fielder permitted to wear gloves. A fielder may stop the ball with any part of their body.
The wicket-keeper is a specialist fielder who stands behind the batsman's wicket throughout the game. His primary job is to gather deliveries that the batsman fails to hit, to prevent them running into the outfield, which would enable batsmen to score byes. To this end, he wears special gloves (he is the only fielder allowed to do so) and pads to cover his lower legs. Due to his position directly behind the striker, the wicket-keeper has a good chance of getting a batsman out caught off a fine edge from the bat; thicker edges are typically handled by the "slips" fieldsmen. The wicket-keeper is also the only person who can get a batsman out stumped.
History
A basic form of cricket can be traced back to the 13th century, but it may have existed even earlier than that. The game seems to have originated among children of the farming and metalworking communities in the Weald between Kent and Sussex. Written evidence exists of a game known as creag being played by Prince Edward, the son of Edward I (Longshanks), at Newenden, Kent in 1300.
In 1598, a court case referred to a sport called kreckett being played at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford around 1550. The Oxford English Dictionary gives this as the first recorded instance of cricket in the English language.
A number of words are thought to be possible sources for the term cricket. The name may derive from a term for the cricket bat: old French criquet (meaning a kind of club) or Flemish krick(e) (meaning a stick) or in Old English crycc (meaning a crutch or staff). (The latter is problematic, since Old English 'cc' was palatal in pronunciation in the south and the west midlands, roughly ch, which is how crycc leads to crych and thence crutch; the 'k' sound would be possible in the north, however.) Alternatively, the French criquet apparently derives from the Flemish word krickstoel, which is a long low stool on which one kneels in church and which resembles the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket.
During the 17th century, numerous references indicate the growth of cricket in the south-east of England. By the end of the century, it had become an organised activity being played for high stakes and it is likely that the first professionals appeared in that period. We know that a great cricket match with eleven players a side was played for high stakes in Sussex in 1697 and this is the earliest reference we have to cricket in terms of such importance.
The game underwent major development in the 18th Century and had become the national sport of England by the end of the century. Betting played a major part in that development and rich patrons began forming their own "select XIs". Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury. The Hambledon Club was founded in the 1760s but its team was already playing first-class matches in 1756. For the next 20 years until the formation of MCC and the opening of Lord's in 1787, Hambledon was the game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC quickly became the sport's premier club and the custodian of the Laws of Cricket.
The 19th Century saw underarm replaced by first roundarm and then overarm bowling. Both developments were accompanied by major controversy. The concept of a "champion county" arose in the 1820s and then, starting with Sussex CCC in 1839, county clubs were founded and these ultimately formed a County Championship.
In 1859, a team of England players went on the first overseas tour (to North America) and 18 years later another England team took part in the first-ever Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia.
The legendary W G Grace started his long career in 1864. It can fairly be said that he revolutionised the sport and did much to ensure its massive popularity.
The last two decades before the First World War have been called the "Golden Age of Cricket". It is almost certainly a nostalgic idea based on the sense of loss brought about by the war, but even so the period did produce some great players and memorable matches, especially as organised competition at county and Test level developed.
The inter-war years were dominated by one player: Don Bradman, statistically the greatest batsman of all time. It was the determination of the England team to overcome his incredible skill that brought about the infamous Bodyline series in 1932/33.
Cricket entered an epochal era in 1963, when English counties modified the rules to provide a variant match form that produced a certain result: games with a restricted number of overs per side. This gained widespread popularity and resulted in the birth of One-day International (ODI) matches in 1971. The governing International Cricket Council quickly adopted the new form and held the first ODI Cricket World Cup in 1975. Since then, ODI matches have gained mass spectatorship, at the expense of the longer form of the game and to the consternation of fans who prefer the longer form of the game.
As of the early 2000s, however, the longer form of cricket is experiencing a growing resurgence in popularity but a new limited overs phenomenon, Twenty20, has made an immediate impact.
Forms of cricket
There are many different types and grades of cricket; those played professionally at an international level are Test cricket, one-day cricket and Twenty20.
Test cricket
Test cricket is a form of international cricket started in 1877 during the 1876/77 English cricket team's tour of Australia. The first Test match began on 15 March 1877 and had a timeless format with four balls per over. It ended on 19 March 1877 with Australia winning by 45 runs.The Test cricket series between England and Australia is called The Ashes.
Since then, over 1,800 Test matches have been played and the number of Test playing nations has increased to ten with Bangladesh, the most recent nation elevated to Test status, making its debut in 2000. Test matches are two innings per side, over a period nowadays of up to a maximum of five days - although matches are sometimes completed early when one side wins well within the time allotted (e.g. in three or four days). In the past, Tests have been played over 3, 4, or 6 days, and some have been 'Timeless' - played to a finish. Tests that are not finished within the allotted time are drawn.
One-day cricket
Limited overs matches, also known as one day cricket or instant cricket, were introduced in the English domestic season of 1963 due to the growing demands for a shorter and more dramatic form of cricket. One-day, single-innings, matches often took place before this, but the innovation was the limiting of each side's innings to an agreed number of overs (nowadays usually 50). The idea was taken up in the international arena in 1971, during England's tour of Australia, when a match was played on the scheduled fifth day of the rained-off third Test.
The one-day game has since become a crowd-pleaser and TV-audience-generator across the globe, hastened in part by the success of the inaugural World Cup in 1975. The abbreviations ODI (One-day International) or sometimes LOI (Limited Overs International) are used for international matches of this type. Innovations have included the introduction of coloured clothing, distinct tournaments, and "day-night" matches (where play extends into the night under floodlights); together with frequent nail-biting finishes and the impossibility of either side opting to play for a draw, these have seen ODI cricket gain many supporters.
Twenty20 Cricket
Twenty20 Cricket was first played in English domestic cricket in 2003 to popularise first-class cricket and attract more spectators to the game. Now it has spread to many other countries. A "Twenty20 Game" consists 20 overs per each side, a free-hit after a no-ball is bowled, short boundaries, batting-friendly pitches, and other rules designed to attract crowds that would not usually wish to sit through the slower paced one day games or test matches. The first men's Twenty20 international was between Australia and New Zealand in 2005, the first women's Twenty20 international having been between England and New Zealand in 2004.The ICC announced after its Executive Board meeting in March 2006 that beginning from 2007 to 2015, the Twenty20 World Championship would be held on an biannual basis and the first ever Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa in September 2007.
First-class matches
A first-class match is generally defined as a high-level international or domestic match that takes place over at least three days on natural (as opposed to artificial) turf. First-class games are two innings per side. Like Test matches, if the game is not completed over the allotted time then it is drawn. Games where the teams have only one innings each are not first-class (including one-day internationals).
A two-innings match of at least three days duration is granted first-class status only if both teams have first-class status. For example, Test matches, other games between two Test nations, games between two domestic teams deemed first-class in countries holding full membership of the ICC, and games between a Test nation's national side (or a team drawn from a national touring squad) and a first-class domestic team from a Test nation, are usually deemed to be first class. Matches between Kenya, one of the leading associate members of the ICC, and another team adjudged first-class are usually granted first-class status, but domestic matches in Kenya are not.
Among cricket statisticians, first class cricket is variously deemed to have started in 1660, 1772, 1801, 1815 or 1864. This ongoing controversy is described in the main article. The limited overs equivalent of first-class status is list A status.
International structure
ICC member nations. Orange are the (highest level) Test playing nations; green are the associate member nations; and purple are the affiliate member nations.The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the international governing body for cricket. It is headquartered in Dubai and includes representatives of each of the ten Test-playing nations, as well as an elected panel representing non-Test-playing nations.
Each nation has a national cricket board which regulates cricket matches played in their country. The cricket board also selects the national squad and organises home and away tours for the national team.
Nations playing cricket are separated into three tiers depending on the level of cricket infrastructure in that country. At the highest level are the Test-playing nations. They qualify automatically for the quadrennial World Cup matches. A rung lower are the Associate Member nations. The lowermost rung consists of the Affiliate Member nations
NatWest CricketForce 2008
With only nine days to go, our Natwest CricketForce weekend is gearing up to be a roaring success.
Following our meeting with Dave Leighton from the ECB, I really wasn’t sure that six weeks was enough time to organise everything we wanted to achieve at the club, despite the successes of other clubs in previous years.
Admittedly, in the beginning suppliers were not very forthcoming. However, once one donated, the others followed and the offers began to roll in.
We’ve had 150sq metres of patio slabs donated from Chandlers, Parker Building Supplies and Build Center, (and that’s an awful lot of slabs) along with cement and 12 tons of sand. Parkers have also donated 10 fence panels and posts for our new machinery compound.
Paint has been donated from Focus DIY and Community Repaint. B&Q & Wickes have also contributed. Harper & Eede and Travis Perkins have kindly donated a digger and dumper each and Pilbeams donated drainage pipe that we were desperate for as a stream surrounds our ground.
Our only problem has been obtaining chain link fencing for around our new pitch. Presumably because we need metres and metres of it no one company is prepared to donate for free, however I am still working on the necessary companies so I’m pretty sure someone will come through for us in the end.
AVS Fencing could not supply the chain link but have been very kind and donated all new picket fence instead.
A big thank-you must go to all of our suppliers and not forgetting Buxtons Carpets who are donating all new flooring and tiles for our pavilion, changing rooms and showers and Kew Electrical Distributors who have given us all new lighting inside and outside the pavilion.
Of course, our CricketForce weekend is not all about work. There will be loads for the children to get involved with. We’ve incorporated Chance to shine in our weekend and there should be an extra 120 children from schools in Sussex visiting us over the Saturday and Sunday.
To accommodate all the children there will be lots of cricket activities and matches going on. When they are not playing cricket, they will be able to paint all of the boundary boards and picket fencing and when they’ve done that, we have 50 bird feeders that need decorating, naming and placed around the ground all donated by Southdown Nurseries in Hassocks.
John Newbery Ltd are kindly giving us junior cricket sets to use and keep and hundreds of incredible cricket balls for the children to take home.
So with just over a week to go, now is the time to put the finishing touches to our weekend. Volunteers are still offering their help. Marquees are to be erected; we’ve got a jazz band playing on the Sunday afternoon.
Of course all of our workers will need feeding, so catering is very important. Forfars are donating bread rolls, sausage rolls and donuts and The Ganges Restaurant are supplying us with an Indian feast on Sunday afternoon. My main objective now is to find a supplier of hundreds of rashers of bacon and sausages!
The icing on the cake for the weekend will be fine weather and according to the Met Office it will be cold but fine with sunny intervals. So touch wood next week could be one of the clubs greatest achievements.
source: http://www.ecb.co.uk/blogs/supplier-offers-have-been-rolling-in,59,BA.html
Following our meeting with Dave Leighton from the ECB, I really wasn’t sure that six weeks was enough time to organise everything we wanted to achieve at the club, despite the successes of other clubs in previous years.
Admittedly, in the beginning suppliers were not very forthcoming. However, once one donated, the others followed and the offers began to roll in.
We’ve had 150sq metres of patio slabs donated from Chandlers, Parker Building Supplies and Build Center, (and that’s an awful lot of slabs) along with cement and 12 tons of sand. Parkers have also donated 10 fence panels and posts for our new machinery compound.
Paint has been donated from Focus DIY and Community Repaint. B&Q & Wickes have also contributed. Harper & Eede and Travis Perkins have kindly donated a digger and dumper each and Pilbeams donated drainage pipe that we were desperate for as a stream surrounds our ground.
Our only problem has been obtaining chain link fencing for around our new pitch. Presumably because we need metres and metres of it no one company is prepared to donate for free, however I am still working on the necessary companies so I’m pretty sure someone will come through for us in the end.
AVS Fencing could not supply the chain link but have been very kind and donated all new picket fence instead.
A big thank-you must go to all of our suppliers and not forgetting Buxtons Carpets who are donating all new flooring and tiles for our pavilion, changing rooms and showers and Kew Electrical Distributors who have given us all new lighting inside and outside the pavilion.
Of course, our CricketForce weekend is not all about work. There will be loads for the children to get involved with. We’ve incorporated Chance to shine in our weekend and there should be an extra 120 children from schools in Sussex visiting us over the Saturday and Sunday.
To accommodate all the children there will be lots of cricket activities and matches going on. When they are not playing cricket, they will be able to paint all of the boundary boards and picket fencing and when they’ve done that, we have 50 bird feeders that need decorating, naming and placed around the ground all donated by Southdown Nurseries in Hassocks.
John Newbery Ltd are kindly giving us junior cricket sets to use and keep and hundreds of incredible cricket balls for the children to take home.
So with just over a week to go, now is the time to put the finishing touches to our weekend. Volunteers are still offering their help. Marquees are to be erected; we’ve got a jazz band playing on the Sunday afternoon.
Of course all of our workers will need feeding, so catering is very important. Forfars are donating bread rolls, sausage rolls and donuts and The Ganges Restaurant are supplying us with an Indian feast on Sunday afternoon. My main objective now is to find a supplier of hundreds of rashers of bacon and sausages!
The icing on the cake for the weekend will be fine weather and according to the Met Office it will be cold but fine with sunny intervals. So touch wood next week could be one of the clubs greatest achievements.
source: http://www.ecb.co.uk/blogs/supplier-offers-have-been-rolling-in,59,BA.html
Umpiring, ICC helpless?
Most recently, there has been a lot of talk about neutral umpiring because of the bad decisions being made particularly by Aussie Umpires in most recent times which cost Pakistan a test match while India a humiliating defeat.
Australian umpires, in the Pakistan vs Australia and India vs Australia (incomplete yet) have not at all brought good name for themselves in particular and their country in general.
In the second test match, at Hobart, between Pakistan and Australia, the umpire did not gave Justin Langer out who along with Adam Gilchrist won the match for Australia. There was a clear nick which was clearly heard by everyone and the Snick-o-Meter also verified the dismissal but the umpire just for the sake of compensation of his last innings wrong decision, did not gave him out which most people would say surely cost Pakiz the match and some might say also the series.
Now in Australia vs India, the first test match there was another controversial decision of Tendulkar by Daryl Harper which re-raised the appeal of having neutral umpires at both ends.
The issue at hand is whether Tendulkar was out lbw when he ducked into a Glenn McGrath bouncer which failed to lift (taking his eye off totally off the ball, a poor lack of technique from the "world's best batsman"). The ball hit the ducking Tendulkar on his shoulder in line with the stumps. The Australians appealed, and Adelaide umpire Daryl Harper raised his finger.
The Aussies are giving their arguments in the favour of the dismissal that the ball would have hit the stumps while Indian refusing to accept so arguments.
Apart from these two recent controversial decisions, there has been some real poor umpiring by Steve Bucknor who was umpiring in England vs South Africa test match. The gentlemen belonging to West Indies really made a mess of his reputation who is (now some might say, "was") considered as the one of the best umpire right now.
Before that, it was Pakistani Umpire in India vs England match in the World Cup 1999 who gave Graham Thorpe lbw to a ball which was clearly going down the leg side bowled from Srinath. English team could not qualify for the super six stage because of this decision. In the earlier part of the year, Pakistan vs India test series, Indian umpires also made some very bad decisions that helped India to win the match and Kumble to get 10 wickets in a single innings.
source: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cricket/30257/2
Australian umpires, in the Pakistan vs Australia and India vs Australia (incomplete yet) have not at all brought good name for themselves in particular and their country in general.
In the second test match, at Hobart, between Pakistan and Australia, the umpire did not gave Justin Langer out who along with Adam Gilchrist won the match for Australia. There was a clear nick which was clearly heard by everyone and the Snick-o-Meter also verified the dismissal but the umpire just for the sake of compensation of his last innings wrong decision, did not gave him out which most people would say surely cost Pakiz the match and some might say also the series.
Now in Australia vs India, the first test match there was another controversial decision of Tendulkar by Daryl Harper which re-raised the appeal of having neutral umpires at both ends.
The issue at hand is whether Tendulkar was out lbw when he ducked into a Glenn McGrath bouncer which failed to lift (taking his eye off totally off the ball, a poor lack of technique from the "world's best batsman"). The ball hit the ducking Tendulkar on his shoulder in line with the stumps. The Australians appealed, and Adelaide umpire Daryl Harper raised his finger.
The Aussies are giving their arguments in the favour of the dismissal that the ball would have hit the stumps while Indian refusing to accept so arguments.
Apart from these two recent controversial decisions, there has been some real poor umpiring by Steve Bucknor who was umpiring in England vs South Africa test match. The gentlemen belonging to West Indies really made a mess of his reputation who is (now some might say, "was") considered as the one of the best umpire right now.
Before that, it was Pakistani Umpire in India vs England match in the World Cup 1999 who gave Graham Thorpe lbw to a ball which was clearly going down the leg side bowled from Srinath. English team could not qualify for the super six stage because of this decision. In the earlier part of the year, Pakistan vs India test series, Indian umpires also made some very bad decisions that helped India to win the match and Kumble to get 10 wickets in a single innings.
source: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cricket/30257/2
Umpiring System
Over the past few years, we have seen many poor umpiring decisions cause a loss to the team. In the World Cup, the lbw decision of Thorpe, Tendulkar's decision of lbw in Australia India Test Series, the wrong decision of Langer against Pakistan in test series of Pakistan and Australia and this continues.
All this has raised some concerns in the cricketing arena and really there is a need of more comprehensive umpiring system so as to avoid such incidents in future. No doubt, cricket is a game of human elements and any one can make mistakes or wrong decisions but measures should be taken in order to decrease the rate of these mistakes.
Developing a new umpiring system all together is a very difficult job to do but in a cricket match umpiring decisions carry the most importance and there is more and more need of getting accurate decisions.
The very first priority would be to get neutral umpires not only in an important match but also in all other matches because this problem has been discussed a lot and in recent times home team had got some advantage out of it.
There is a need of developing a point system for umpires. Let these points be the grades of the umpires. Umpires should be assigned the matches according to these points. An important match must have umpires with greater points. A new problem arises that
How these points should be awarded to the umpires:
It does need a big setup and a big monitoring system from ICC, which should be helped by the local cricket bodies. Every umpire get some points on a good decision and his points are deducted if he makes a poor or controversial decision or he simply does not give the batsman, the benefit of doubt. Another problem rises here that
Who will monitor all these decisions:
Match referees should be given this responsibility of monitoring the umpires decisions and thus the points are awarded to the umpires accordingly.
Umpires match fee:
In order to extract very best from the umpires, the payment to the umpires should be based on their points and off course their seniority in the umpires panel.
This is just a demo of what I have in my mind and I would like to discuss with the other people and higher cricketing authorities. I strogly think that by taking such measures more excitement, thrill and "purity" can be added to the gentlemen game, cricket.
All this has raised some concerns in the cricketing arena and really there is a need of more comprehensive umpiring system so as to avoid such incidents in future. No doubt, cricket is a game of human elements and any one can make mistakes or wrong decisions but measures should be taken in order to decrease the rate of these mistakes.
Developing a new umpiring system all together is a very difficult job to do but in a cricket match umpiring decisions carry the most importance and there is more and more need of getting accurate decisions.
The very first priority would be to get neutral umpires not only in an important match but also in all other matches because this problem has been discussed a lot and in recent times home team had got some advantage out of it.
There is a need of developing a point system for umpires. Let these points be the grades of the umpires. Umpires should be assigned the matches according to these points. An important match must have umpires with greater points. A new problem arises that
How these points should be awarded to the umpires:
It does need a big setup and a big monitoring system from ICC, which should be helped by the local cricket bodies. Every umpire get some points on a good decision and his points are deducted if he makes a poor or controversial decision or he simply does not give the batsman, the benefit of doubt. Another problem rises here that
Who will monitor all these decisions:
Match referees should be given this responsibility of monitoring the umpires decisions and thus the points are awarded to the umpires accordingly.
Umpires match fee:
In order to extract very best from the umpires, the payment to the umpires should be based on their points and off course their seniority in the umpires panel.
This is just a demo of what I have in my mind and I would like to discuss with the other people and higher cricketing authorities. I strogly think that by taking such measures more excitement, thrill and "purity" can be added to the gentlemen game, cricket.
Match Fixing vs Betting
These things most certainly are not very complicated but it would be easier for me to give a better picture with an example. Consider me as a bookie.
There is a match being played, say Pakistan vs Bangladesh. Now at the bookies head quarter the ratio is decided. Say for Pakistan, it is 1:2 while for Bangladesh it is 1:50. 1:50 means (I do not want to confuse you people) that if there are 50 chances of winning in this match, then Bangladesh has got only 1.
Now, I bet 1000$ on Bangladesh that Bangladesh will win. Its quite simple, if Bangladesh wins, then I will get 50,000$(50 times) and if Bangladesh loses, I'll suffer a loss of only 1000$.
On the other hand, another person invests 1000$ on Pakistan and same principle applies on him. If Pakistan wins, he will get 2000$ (twice the money) and if Pakistan loses, he will lose only 1000$.
This is what we call betting.
Then, what match fixing is? Consider the same ratio. Most of the people will invest their money on Pakistan that Pakistan will going to win this match. Now I invest 5000$ on Bangladesh and also offer Pakistani player say 1000$ each that they should lose the match. This means a total investment of about 20,000$ considering the extra players, coach and manager of the team.
Deal is set and Pakistan loses the match, then I will going to get 250,000$. The people who have invested their money on Pakistan will going to lose all their money.
I hope that you understand what I've tried to say but still if there are some discrepancies or you have some other ideas, you can start a discussion.
I've used Pakistan and Bangladesh as the teams and I appologize to Pakistani and Bangladeshi people for this. The main reason is that, I think rather most of the people think that Pakistan's match against Bangladesh was fixed in the World Cup 99.
source: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cricket/44527
There is a match being played, say Pakistan vs Bangladesh. Now at the bookies head quarter the ratio is decided. Say for Pakistan, it is 1:2 while for Bangladesh it is 1:50. 1:50 means (I do not want to confuse you people) that if there are 50 chances of winning in this match, then Bangladesh has got only 1.
Now, I bet 1000$ on Bangladesh that Bangladesh will win. Its quite simple, if Bangladesh wins, then I will get 50,000$(50 times) and if Bangladesh loses, I'll suffer a loss of only 1000$.
On the other hand, another person invests 1000$ on Pakistan and same principle applies on him. If Pakistan wins, he will get 2000$ (twice the money) and if Pakistan loses, he will lose only 1000$.
This is what we call betting.
Then, what match fixing is? Consider the same ratio. Most of the people will invest their money on Pakistan that Pakistan will going to win this match. Now I invest 5000$ on Bangladesh and also offer Pakistani player say 1000$ each that they should lose the match. This means a total investment of about 20,000$ considering the extra players, coach and manager of the team.
Deal is set and Pakistan loses the match, then I will going to get 250,000$. The people who have invested their money on Pakistan will going to lose all their money.
I hope that you understand what I've tried to say but still if there are some discrepancies or you have some other ideas, you can start a discussion.
I've used Pakistan and Bangladesh as the teams and I appologize to Pakistani and Bangladeshi people for this. The main reason is that, I think rather most of the people think that Pakistan's match against Bangladesh was fixed in the World Cup 99.
source: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cricket/44527
World’s Top Spinners
Who is the best spin bowler at this time? I do not want to issue any controversial statement but Saqlian, Warne, Murli, Kumble and Mushi are the most successful bowler of this time. Every one has something special about him and that's what is discussed in this article.
Saqlain, an off-spinner with best strike rate in ODIs from Pakistan. Saqlain has always been a very affective bowler on every sort of pitch. His special arm ball, which actually goes away from the right hander, is his most lethal ball. He is an expert in taking wickets of tail-enders. It is one big reason that he has got such a good strike rate. He plays county cricket from Surrey and no doubt is their most important player.
It is said that leg spin bowling is one the most difficult art in cricket and it is very difficult to have a good control on the ball. After retirement of Abdul Qadir, it was thought that it will take some time that the world will again see a leg spinner of such high caliber and capabilities but very shortly Warne emerged on the cricket scenes and became the most successful Australian spinner. Warne recently has become the Australian with most wickets in test ODIs. His remomberable performance was in World Cup 99, semi-final when he got wickets of Cronje, Kallis and Kirsten and paved the way of success for Australia in the last World Cup of previous millenium. Leg spinner and flipper are the most lethal balls that Warne has.
Murlitharn, the biggest spinner of cricket ball played a very important role in the success of Sri Lankan team in 1996 World Cup. Murali is still Sri Lankas most important bowler and their trump card to victory. He has recently devolved a very good arm ball and is taking quite a good number of wickets with it.
Anil Kumble, India's most successful leg spinner and has taken many times his side to victory in ODIs. After the retirment of Srinath from ODI cricket, Kumble has much bigger job on his hands. He is not a conventional leg spinner. He started his career as a medium pacer but then changed to a leg spinner. His yorkers are quite affective and he is a very mean bowler as well.
There are many other spinners in world of cricket like Mushtaq, Chandana, Boje, Adams, Dharmasena, Arshad Khan, McGill, Rober Craft and many others but they have not been as successful as the others are. Mushtaq in particular, who is the successor of Abdul Qadir failed to perform upto his potentails.
Spin bowling is a very difficult art and these names are making it more and more attractive to watch which is not only good for the game of cricket but also for the spectators.
source http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cricket/44182
Saqlain, an off-spinner with best strike rate in ODIs from Pakistan. Saqlain has always been a very affective bowler on every sort of pitch. His special arm ball, which actually goes away from the right hander, is his most lethal ball. He is an expert in taking wickets of tail-enders. It is one big reason that he has got such a good strike rate. He plays county cricket from Surrey and no doubt is their most important player.
It is said that leg spin bowling is one the most difficult art in cricket and it is very difficult to have a good control on the ball. After retirement of Abdul Qadir, it was thought that it will take some time that the world will again see a leg spinner of such high caliber and capabilities but very shortly Warne emerged on the cricket scenes and became the most successful Australian spinner. Warne recently has become the Australian with most wickets in test ODIs. His remomberable performance was in World Cup 99, semi-final when he got wickets of Cronje, Kallis and Kirsten and paved the way of success for Australia in the last World Cup of previous millenium. Leg spinner and flipper are the most lethal balls that Warne has.
Murlitharn, the biggest spinner of cricket ball played a very important role in the success of Sri Lankan team in 1996 World Cup. Murali is still Sri Lankas most important bowler and their trump card to victory. He has recently devolved a very good arm ball and is taking quite a good number of wickets with it.
Anil Kumble, India's most successful leg spinner and has taken many times his side to victory in ODIs. After the retirment of Srinath from ODI cricket, Kumble has much bigger job on his hands. He is not a conventional leg spinner. He started his career as a medium pacer but then changed to a leg spinner. His yorkers are quite affective and he is a very mean bowler as well.
There are many other spinners in world of cricket like Mushtaq, Chandana, Boje, Adams, Dharmasena, Arshad Khan, McGill, Rober Craft and many others but they have not been as successful as the others are. Mushtaq in particular, who is the successor of Abdul Qadir failed to perform upto his potentails.
Spin bowling is a very difficult art and these names are making it more and more attractive to watch which is not only good for the game of cricket but also for the spectators.
source http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cricket/44182
World’s Top All-Rounders:
The list of all-rounders is so long that it is quite difficult to compile and get it in a proper way but still here are some top all-rounders of the world. Wasim Akram, Klusener, Abdul Razzaq, Kallis, Pullock, Azhar, S Lee, Cairns and this list continues but these are the players who have performed repeatedly with both bat and ball quite consistently.
To rank the best out of them is most certainly not the easiest job in the world to do but still if I am asked to pick one from them, then I will most definitely go for Wasim Akram. The main reason being that there is no match to experience. A man with over 300 ODIs and around 100 tests, he is the only man to take more than 400 wickets in both forms of cricket. Bowling is his main strength but now he is just following his "guru" (teacher) Imran Khan who also was a great great bowler but at the end of his career had improved his batting so much that he could easily have played in the Pakistani team due to his batting. The same implies to Wasim
Second one, Zulu (Lance Klusener), person who almost took South Africa to World Cup final in the 1999 World Cup. He won the player of tournament award in the last world cup and I think that no one can forget the two fours he struck to Fleming of the first two balls of the last over when South Africa needed only 9 to win. The second one being a very special one as I simply have not seen any ball go to the fence more quicker than that one. His contributions with bat and ball for South Africa are simply massive.
Abdul Razzaq is also a very successful and promising young all-rounder who paved his way in the Pakistani team in the World Cup 99 and since then he has been one of the most important member of Pakistani team. He has taken more wickets than anyone in this season. He also won the Man of the Tournament award in United & Carltron series in Australia that featured Pakistan, Australia and India.
Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock have been two very successful all-rounders for South African team. Shaun is now the captain of side and is about to take most wickets in ODIs for South Africa. He is also a very useful lower order batsman and has played some really good knocks. Kallis is an excellent swing bowler, with broad shoulders and is considered as one the most technically correct batsman in the world of cricket.
Chris Cairns, New Zeland's most important member has repeatedly performed well with both bat and ball. He has got an excellent slower delivery and I still remember his sixes that he struck to Warne in the World Cup 99-group match against Australia.
Azhar Mehmood has been another very successful all-rounder for Pakistan. His form against South Africa has been superb and has performed quite well with both bat and ball but sadly he has not performed upto the expectations of people and critics.
There are many other names who can be considered as all-rounders like Jaysuria, Shane Lee, Steve Waugh, Robin Singh, Heath Streak and this list continues but the names mentioned above are the one who have commanded both batsmen and bowlers on their days. The game of cricket has become more beautiful and exciting because of their excellent skills.
source: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cricket/45127
To rank the best out of them is most certainly not the easiest job in the world to do but still if I am asked to pick one from them, then I will most definitely go for Wasim Akram. The main reason being that there is no match to experience. A man with over 300 ODIs and around 100 tests, he is the only man to take more than 400 wickets in both forms of cricket. Bowling is his main strength but now he is just following his "guru" (teacher) Imran Khan who also was a great great bowler but at the end of his career had improved his batting so much that he could easily have played in the Pakistani team due to his batting. The same implies to Wasim
Second one, Zulu (Lance Klusener), person who almost took South Africa to World Cup final in the 1999 World Cup. He won the player of tournament award in the last world cup and I think that no one can forget the two fours he struck to Fleming of the first two balls of the last over when South Africa needed only 9 to win. The second one being a very special one as I simply have not seen any ball go to the fence more quicker than that one. His contributions with bat and ball for South Africa are simply massive.
Abdul Razzaq is also a very successful and promising young all-rounder who paved his way in the Pakistani team in the World Cup 99 and since then he has been one of the most important member of Pakistani team. He has taken more wickets than anyone in this season. He also won the Man of the Tournament award in United & Carltron series in Australia that featured Pakistan, Australia and India.
Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock have been two very successful all-rounders for South African team. Shaun is now the captain of side and is about to take most wickets in ODIs for South Africa. He is also a very useful lower order batsman and has played some really good knocks. Kallis is an excellent swing bowler, with broad shoulders and is considered as one the most technically correct batsman in the world of cricket.
Chris Cairns, New Zeland's most important member has repeatedly performed well with both bat and ball. He has got an excellent slower delivery and I still remember his sixes that he struck to Warne in the World Cup 99-group match against Australia.
Azhar Mehmood has been another very successful all-rounder for Pakistan. His form against South Africa has been superb and has performed quite well with both bat and ball but sadly he has not performed upto the expectations of people and critics.
There are many other names who can be considered as all-rounders like Jaysuria, Shane Lee, Steve Waugh, Robin Singh, Heath Streak and this list continues but the names mentioned above are the one who have commanded both batsmen and bowlers on their days. The game of cricket has become more beautiful and exciting because of their excellent skills.
source: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cricket/45127
What's so good in modern cricket?
Cricket, the game of gentleman seems not to be that gentle. Aggression is a part of the sports. Young players like Shoaib, Afridi, Kaluwithrana, Brett Lee and many others have added new dimensions in the game of cricket. New interesting rules especially in ODIs like the limitation of two fielders outside the 30-yard arena in the first 15 overs have made cricket more and more interesting and exciting.
Beautiful stadiums like Eden Garden (Calcutta), MCG (Melbourne), SCG (Sydney), Lords (London), Gadaffi (Lahroe), and Sharjah cricket ground have really made the game of cricket more and more attractive. The addition of colored clothes, white ball, day and night cricket has really added a lot more in the game of cricket to attract the people to stadiums.
ICC has taken great steps to expand the cricket to all parts of world. Initially, it was just confined to British colonies but now cricket has expanded to Sharjah, Singapore, Toronto and many other parts of cricket. Bangladesh have recently been given test status. Now there are 10 test-playing nations along with many associate members of ICC which are doing their best to expand cricket to all parts of the world.
It is said that the best cricket ever played was in 70’s when the West Indians were ruling the world like dictators. They were really a bit too difficult to be caught. But now there is more and more competition in the game of cricket and many strong teams like South Africa, Australia and Pakistan are almost at same level.
The most exciting thing in modern cricket in my view is the two genuine fast bowlers, Shoaib and Lee. Both of them have really been successful in bringing the crowd alive. The people are now going to the stadiums only to see their furious fast bowling. Every one eagerly waits to see the speed of the ball on the speed gun after the ball is bowled. No one can forget the two consecutive dismissals of Dravid and Tendulkar by Shoaib at Eden Gardens. Shaoib’s performance in World Cup '99 was also great and it was perhaps the peak of his career. Similarly, Lee has given many memorable performances.
Another attractive thing in the cricket world is the firey batting of young players like Afridi, Kalu, Gilchrist and some experienced one’s like Jaysuria. Their batting has added a lot of colors to picture of cricket. People do go to stadiums only to watch their furious batting and the way the bowlers become helpless in front of them.
With all this and many other aspects, the game of cricket has become a lot more interesting and exciting and cricket is a lot more exciting and attractive now.
Beautiful stadiums like Eden Garden (Calcutta), MCG (Melbourne), SCG (Sydney), Lords (London), Gadaffi (Lahroe), and Sharjah cricket ground have really made the game of cricket more and more attractive. The addition of colored clothes, white ball, day and night cricket has really added a lot more in the game of cricket to attract the people to stadiums.
ICC has taken great steps to expand the cricket to all parts of world. Initially, it was just confined to British colonies but now cricket has expanded to Sharjah, Singapore, Toronto and many other parts of cricket. Bangladesh have recently been given test status. Now there are 10 test-playing nations along with many associate members of ICC which are doing their best to expand cricket to all parts of the world.
It is said that the best cricket ever played was in 70’s when the West Indians were ruling the world like dictators. They were really a bit too difficult to be caught. But now there is more and more competition in the game of cricket and many strong teams like South Africa, Australia and Pakistan are almost at same level.
The most exciting thing in modern cricket in my view is the two genuine fast bowlers, Shoaib and Lee. Both of them have really been successful in bringing the crowd alive. The people are now going to the stadiums only to see their furious fast bowling. Every one eagerly waits to see the speed of the ball on the speed gun after the ball is bowled. No one can forget the two consecutive dismissals of Dravid and Tendulkar by Shoaib at Eden Gardens. Shaoib’s performance in World Cup '99 was also great and it was perhaps the peak of his career. Similarly, Lee has given many memorable performances.
Another attractive thing in the cricket world is the firey batting of young players like Afridi, Kalu, Gilchrist and some experienced one’s like Jaysuria. Their batting has added a lot of colors to picture of cricket. People do go to stadiums only to watch their furious batting and the way the bowlers become helpless in front of them.
With all this and many other aspects, the game of cricket has become a lot more interesting and exciting and cricket is a lot more exciting and attractive now.
source: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cricket/58266
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