Srinivas Padma: Personal Musings on Life, Growth, and Connections

One of the game’s all-time greats, Sachin Tendulkar , announced his retirement from one-day cricket, bringing to an end a glorious 23-year-old career in the format during which he rewrote numerous batting records. “I have decided to retire from the One-Day format of the game. I feel blessed to have fulfilled the dream of being part of a World Cup wining Indian team. The preparatory process to defend the World Cup in 2015 should begin early and in right earnest,” the 39-year-old said in a statement released by the BCCI today. “I would like to wish the team all the very best for the future. I am eternally grateful to all my well wishers for their unconditional support and love over the years,” he added. Tendulkar, considered the most complete batsman in modern cricket and one who was considered next only to the legendary Sir Donald Bradman, retires from the ODI format at the top of the run-getters’ list. Tendulkar goes out after amassing 18,426 runs in 4...

Rahul Dravid being dropped from the Mumbai match is a clear signal that the former captain's place in the one day side is once again under scrutiny. Dravid is the first to admit that the shorter format of the game is not his forte, yet so far he has managed to adapt and create spaces for himself. Now time seems to be running out. He has scored 51 runs from five innings at an average of 10. Is that deemed as a big enough failure to drop a player like Rahul Dravid. Well certainly not, is what the cricketing fraternity has to say including the Australian captain Ricky Ponting. "I was quite surprised (at Rahul being dropped). He's done very well for India," Ponting said. "It's shocking you cannot treat a player like this," said Vinod Kambli, former India captain. Recent stats show that Dravid is in the worst slump of his one day career, and he stands alone amongst India's 'Big 3' in his failure to perform over the last 10 innings. He averages a m...

Lasith Malinga takes a hat-trick, then Ntini for a 'Golden Duck' to make it four wickets in four balls vs South Africa in the Super 8's.

On a detailed analysis of planetary positions, practical possibilities, the likely performances of players and, more importantly, the fortunes of captains the following possible outcome can be expected in the cricket World Cup . If the time of commencement of the World Cup matches is any indication, the defending champions, Australia , are staring at dethronement. The semi finalists would be the West Indies , Australia, South Africa and India. Australia and India may play the final on April 28. But there is always an element of uncertainty in astrology. The above predictions would be true if the squad remains constant. The West Indies, one of the dark horses, have a good chance based on forces that cannot be gauged by astrological parameters alone. Apart from the pointers horoscopes provide us at the time of the final and the prize distribution ceremony, the strength of the captains’ chart gives Rahul Dravid’s men an edge over the others in the Cup. On the flip side, it is clear that ...

SPIN-KING STEPS DOWN - Test cricket’s greatest bowler Shane Warne announced his retirement from international competition on Thursday, drawing the curtain on one of the most celebrated careers in the sport’s history. Saying he wanted to go out on top, the 37-year-old Australian legspinner with a world record 699 Test wickets revealed the two remaining Ashes Tests against England will be his last international matches. “It’s been unbelievable — my ride in international cricket’s been phenomenal,” an upbeat Warne told a packed media conference at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Warne said he had also retired from Australian domestic cricket but will see out the remaining two years of his contract with English county side Hampshire. Fast bowler Glenn McGrath is also tipped to announce his retirement soon, while batsmen Damien Martyn quit suddenly just before the third Ashes Test. Warne said he had considered retiring after the 2005 Ashes but decided to press on after Australia’s shock loss...

Sourav Ganguly was named in the 16member squad for the threeTest series against South Africa starting from December 15, here on Thursday. With the Indian team barely enduring a baptism by fire in South Africa, the selectors had no choice but to strengthen the batting line-up. Out went Suresh Raina, Mohammad Kaif and Dinesh Mongia and in came the tried and tested — Ganguly and V.V.S Laxman. Laxman will not only carry the load of batting but also of vicecaptaincy on this tough tour. Ganguly’s name was in the air ahead of the selection committee’s meeting that was shifted from Mumbai to Delhi as BCCI president Sharad Pawar was in the national capital, busy with the ongoing Parliament session. “Our batsmen have not played well. We need experi enced players,” said selection committee chairman Dilip Vengsarkar. “Our senior players have performed reasonably well. Our bench strength is not good but the experience of Ganguly and Laxman should come in handy on the pacy wickets.” Laxman being thr...

By SHAMIK CHAKRABARTY Kolkata Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday stepped down as Bengal captain to pave the way for his expected return to the Indian Test squad. Speculation is rife about Ganguly’s imminent comeback and a sudden shift of venue for the selection committee meeting, due on Thursday, has added grist to the mill. The team for the South Africa Test series was to be picked in Mumbai on Thursday, but the venue has now been changed to New Delhi. This is to enable the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Mr Sharad Pawar, to interact with the Dilip Vengsarkar-led selection committee. A BCCI directive on the former India captain appears to be on the cards. Ganguly’s chances have also brightened after coach Greg Chappell’s reported remarks that he wouldn’t mind if the Bengal left-hander was considered for the Test squad. Chappell, in any case, is not in a position to call the shots against the backdrop of a dismal tour so far. It is learnt that the majority of selectors...

By VALENTINE WILSON Hyderabad B. Manoj Kumar and Md Shaibaz Tumbi of St Peter’s High School broke Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli’s world record stand of 664 runs when they hammered triple hundreds and were involved in an unbroken opening partnership of 721 runs in the Hyderabad Cricket Association’s under-13 cricket league championship at the Parade Grounds on Wednesday. It was a massacre of the innocents as Manoj (320) and Shaibaz (324) went on a rampage sending the St Phillips High School bowlers to all parts of the ground to help their school register a massive 700-run victory. “I dedicate the triple hundred to Allah, my coaches, parents, brothers and sisters and particularly my driver Vijay Sharma, who sincerely drops and picks me up from practice everyday,” said Shaibaz, whose highest score had been 65 so far. Manoj said he was “thrilled to have broken my idol Sachin Tendulkar and elegant batsman Vinod Kambli’s record.” “I am ambitious but I did not think that I would get such ...

Mumbai: “Shoaib Akhtar may have taken drugs accidentally,” his doctor, Tauseef Razzaq, told this paper from Lahore. “I have been treating him for the last five years and he is like my son, he never hides anything from me and has not taken this drug deliberately”, he said. “After surgery in Australia this February, Shoaib had a stress fracture and a hakim in Pakistan is likely to have given him the nandrolone drug in herbal medicines,” he added. Dr Razzaq has worked with the Pakistani team for several years. “Shoaib is at the peak of his career and will not take such a drastic step. He had also undergone doping tests thrice (at the ICC knockout championship, and before and after the 2003 World Cups) and had never positive.” Akhtar and Asif face hard times Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif are long gone, but tremors of the dope scandal continue to shake Jaipur. It may not be a related development, but the International Cricket Council has introduced testing at the 2006 Champions Trophy f...