Sports

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Alastair Cook, MS Dhoni lead ICC Test, ODI teams

Alastair Cook and MS Dhoni have been named captains of the ICC's Test and ODI Teams of the Year. Dale Steyn was included in the Test side for the sixth successive year, while Dhoni made the ODI line-up for the sixth consecutive year as well. Performances between August 7, 2012 and August 25, 2013 were considered by a panel chaired by former India captain Anil Kumble, also the ICC cricket committee chairman.

ICC Test Team of the Year (in batting order)
Alastair Cook (capt), Cheteshwar Pujara, Hashim Amla, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni (wk), Graeme Swann, Dale Steyn, James Anderson, Vernon Philander, R Ashwin (12th man)

ICC ODI Team of the Year (in batting order)

Tillakaratne Dilshan, Shikhar Dhawan, Hashim Amla, Kumar Sangakkara, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Saeed Ajmal, Mitchell Starc, James Anderson, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan (12th man)

Hashim Amla was named in the Test side for the fourth straight year, while Cook made an appearance for the third year on the trot.

"It is always tough to decide on the Test and ODI teams of the year, with so many worthy candidates to consider based on the players' performances between 7 August 2012 and 25 August 2013," Kumble said. "The selection panel had a lengthy debate on all the top performers during the performance period and a number of combinations were considered.

"The selectors did utilise a vast amount of statistics from the period under observation, but we also took into account other factors like the opposition, pitch conditions, match situation and the like. But when you have only 12 places to fill from a big group of world-class players, there will always be a few who will miss out. In the panel's expert opinion, it has selected the best Test and ODI teams based on performances over the past 12 months."

The other members of the panel were former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis, former England captain Alec Stewart, former South Africa batsman Graeme Pollock, and former New Zealand women's player Catherine Campbell.

Courtesy: ICC news, ESPNcricinfo

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/695999.html

Messi & Ronaldo share spoils in La Liga awards

The Argentine took home two awards from the annual LFP gala, while Diego Simeone was named as the best coach for his side's Copa del Rey victory
Lionel Messi was named ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in La Liga's 2012-13 season at the annual LFP awards, but the Real Madrid forward was voted the most valuable player of the campaign.

The Barcelona attacker won the award for the fifth successive year and also took home the prize for top forward, while team-mate Andres Iniesta was voted as the greatest attacking midfielder in the division for the fourth time in five seasons.

Confusingly, though Ballon d'Or favourite Ronaldo missed out on the best player tag, he was given the MVP trophy at the fifth edition of the awards, which are held by the Primera Division's governing body.

"It is an honour and a privilege to receive this award," the 28-year-old said upon receiving the award. "I have to thank my team-mates and Madrid and all the people behind this award such as my family. I will try to keep fit to win more prizes at a collective and individual level."

Fellow Madrid player Asier Illarramendi won two titles on Monday: best midfielder and the breakthrough player of last season, which came ahead of his switch to the Santiago Bernabeu from Real Sociedad in the summer.

Best defender also went to a Madrid player, as Sergio Ramos took home the accolade for the second campaign in a row.

Diego Simeone trumped Tito Vilanova and Jose Mourinho - neither of which are still in their positions at Barca and the Blancos respectively - to the best coach award for guiding Atletico Madrid to Copa del Rey glory and a third-placed finish.

Rojiblancos goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, spending his third season on loan at the Vicente Calderon, won the prize for the top player between the sticks, while benched Real Madrid shot-stopper Iker Casillas took home the fair play prize.

Courtesy: Miles Chambers

Source: http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/138/spain/2013/12/03/4450785/messi-ronaldo-share-spoils-in-la-liga-awards

Monday, December 2, 2013

Indian and South African teams Has Good Relationship

MS Dhoni said "The relationship between the Indian and South African teams has been good. Though we've seen a bit of chirping going around, it makes cricket interesting. "

MS Dhoni and his team arrived in Johannesburg this morning to cloudy skies and cold shoulders. But they don't know too much about the latter. At least, not yet.

Matters seemed routine when Dhoni and his delegation got into the team bus, drove to the hotel in Sandton where they will spend most of their time on this tour, given that Durban is the only other city they will see, and the captain readied himself for his first media engagement. The number of South African reporters outnumbered their Indian counterparts and they had more than just the cricket on their minds.

The second question - the first was an almost mandatory one about how the Indian squad is coping with the absence of Sachin Tendulkar - was whether Dhoni was aware of the anger surrounding the tour. Dhoni smiled his signature smile. If people were upset with him, he seemed to be saying, he would meet that with pleasantries.

"We can arrange a match for the administrators and let them go at it," he suggested. There was laughter all around. "The relationship between the Indian and South African teams has been good. Though we've seen a bit of chirping going around, it makes cricket interesting. The guys have not become too personal, which means we will have a good series."

Courtesy: Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-india-2013-14/content/current/story/695861.html

Fixtures of New Zealand v West Indies Series, 2013-14

Date and Time

Match

Weather

Wed Nov 27 - Fri Nov 29 21:30 GMT (prev day) \| 10:30 local	New Zealand XI v West Indians Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln

Tue Dec 3 - Sat Dec 7 21:30 GMT (prev day) \| 10:30 local	1st Test - New Zealand v West Indies University Oval, Dunedin

Wed Dec 11 - Sun Dec 15 21:30 GMT (prev day) \| 10:30 local	2nd Test - New Zealand v West Indies Basin Reserve, Wellington

Thu Dec 19 - Mon Dec 23 21:30 GMT (prev day) \| 10:30 local	3rd Test - New Zealand v West Indies Seddon Park, Hamilton

Thu Dec 26 (50 ovs) 01:00 GMT \| 14:00 local	1st ODI - New Zealand v West Indies Eden Park, Auckland

Sun Dec 29 (50 ovs) 01:00 GMT \| 14:00 local	2nd ODI - New Zealand v West Indies McLean Park, Napier

Wed Jan 1 (50 ovs) 22:00 GMT (prev day) \| 11:00 local	3rd ODI - New Zealand v West Indies Queenstown Events Centre

Sat Jan 4 (50 ovs) 22:00 GMT (prev day) \| 11:00 local	4th ODI - New Zealand v West Indies Saxton Oval, Nelson

Wed Jan 8 (50 ovs) 01:00 GMT \| 14:00 local	5th ODI - New Zealand v West Indies Seddon Park, Hamilton

Sat Jan 11 (20 ovs) 06:00 GMT \| 19:00 local	1st T20I - New Zealand v West Indies Eden Park, Auckland

Wed Jan 15 (20 ovs) 06:00 GMT \| 19:00 local	2nd T20I - New Zealand v West Indies Westpac Stadium, Wellington

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Fixtures of Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Series, 2013-14