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DLF Indian Premier League
McCullum finds encouragement from Agarkar, Vettori
JOHANNESBURG: He set the tone for DLF Indian Premier League with a blitzkrieg in the opening game last year. But a year on, Brendon McCullum has been a mere shadow of the man who slammed Royal Challengers Bangalore all over the M Chinnaswamy Stadium so much so that he has been the biggest disappointment of IPL 2009.
These have been the most forgetful few weeks of his cricketing career, runs coming in a trickle, his leadership skills coming under the microscope. To make matters worse, his team, Kolkata Knight Riders have also not been performing to potential.
Kolkata Knight Riders have been virtually out of the race for the semifinals for a long time now. But in this hour of crisis, his teammates are sticking by him and are hoping that he would turn the corner in the final stretch. "That's (McCullum's form) been the biggest loss for us in the tournament," said teammate Ajit Agarkar in an interview to iplt20.com. "He is such a dangerous and explosive player. I hope he hits top form in the next four games and strikes purple patch."
Support has also poured in from McCullum's New Zealand teammates too. The Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori says the wicket-keeper is just one knock away from being among the runs. "As soon as he get those runs, he will be up again. He has worked quite hard. There has not been a single good cricketer ever who hasn't been through what he has seen," said Vettori.
The Knight Riders camp believes that bad luck has dogged McCullum. "He had a couple of poor decisions, a bad one on Sunday. Then, he was unlucky he hit a long hop straight to point. These things happen with any cricketer," said Agarkar. McCullum said pretty much the same as he courageously faced the flashlights after another loss in the tournament. The situation that he finds himself is far removed from what was expected at the start of the tournament. Along with Chris Gayle, McCullum was supposed to provide firepower to propel Knight Riders into the top four.
But that did not happen. "The kind of players Chris and Brendon are, we expected them to give us the edge," Agarkar said. "But there are four more games and even though we may make the semifinals, Brendon is a key player for us and we hope he can turn it around."
But has McCullum the batsman affected the McCullum the captain or the other way around? "Not at all. I am sure he is the feeling the pinch because he wants to perform and lead by example," Agarkar said. "In fact, if anything, he has tried even harder on the field. We are all hoping that he will set the record straight in the final stretch."
DLF Indian Premier League
McGrath dismisses Buchanan's theory
New Delhi: Delhi Daredevils spearhead Glenn McGrath on Tuesday categorically rejected John Buchanan's multiple-captain theory while endorsing the importance of the captain.
Speaking on the sidelines of a programme to mark the team's send-off to South Africa for the second edition of DLF-Indian Premier League, McGrath said: "I have played under Buchanan and I know he has a lot of theories. Perhaps, this is another one. I don't know why he (Buchanan) has come up with this idea. I like a single captain idea."
"A good captain is one who uses his experience and takes the inputs and suggestions from other younger players of his team as well. But at the end of the day he should be the leader and accountable for his decisions," the Australian legend said. Former Australia World Cup winning coach Buchanan, who is now manager of Kolkata Knight Riders, had suggested the multiple-captain theory, ruffling a few feathers including that of the team captain Sourav Ganguly and Indian great Sunil Gavaskar.
Talking about the challenges of the second edition of IPL, McGrath said conditions in South Africa would be similar to Australia and hoped to acclimatise soon. "I did enjoy the fan support and playing in Delhi last year but if I just think about the conditions, I feel it would be bouncy and quick, somewhat similar to what we have in Australia. I feel we can adjust to the conditions quite quickly," McGrath said.
He said it was a tough decision for him to play in the second edition of IPL considering he has to take care of his children after losing wife Jane last year. "It was a tough decision for me to play in the IPL. I have to take care of my kids, now that Jane is no more with us. But I enjoyed playing IPL last year and this is something special which I wanted to do for myself."
The 39-year-old, who emerged as the most economical (6.61) bowler for his team last season, reckoned India vice-captain and Delhi Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag as one of the most destructive batsman he has ever bowled to and rated him highly as a captain. "I have always enjoyed bowling to Sehwag. As a skipper also I rate him highly, I have played under him and I hope this time we help him to win the cup," he said.
DLF Indian Premier League
Fastest 100s in IPL
DURBAN:AB de Villiers became the first batsman to score a hundred in IPL 2009. His hundred came off just 51 balls which puts it among the fastest IPL hundreds.
Adam Gilchrist set the standard by reaching the milestone off 42 deliveries in the match between Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians in Mumbai. Sanath Jayasuriya (Mumbai Indians) has a 45-ball effort against Chennai Super Kings on home ground while Andrew Symonds (Deccan Chargers) plundered a 47-ball century against Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad. Mike Hussey (Chennai Super Kings) played a 50-ball hundred against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali.
Brendon McCullum (Kolkata Knight Riders) reached the landmark off 53 deliveries in the inaugural match against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their home base while Shaun March (Kings XI Punjab) made his 100 off 58 deliveries against Rajasthan Royals in Mohali.
DLF Indian Premier League
All about the Super Over
1. Subject to weather conditions the Super Over will take place on the scheduled day of the match at a time to be determined by the IPL Match Referee. In normal circumstances it shall commence 5 minutes after the conclusion of the match.
2. The Super Over will take place on the pitch allocated for the match (the designated pitch) unless otherwise determined by the umpires in consultation with the ground authority and the IPL Match Referee.
3. Each team elects three batsmen and one bowler prior to the commencement of the Super Over.
4. The nominated players are given in writing to the IPL Match Referee using a standard form.
5. The umpires shall stand at the same end as that in which they finished the match.
6. The umpires shall choose which end to bowl and both teams will bowl from the same end.
7. Each team’s over is played with the same fielding restrictions as those that are in place for the last over of a normal match.
8. The team batting second in the match will bat first in the Super Over.
9. The same ball (or a ball of a similar age if the original ball is out of shape) as used at the end of the team’s innings shall be used for the Super Over.
10. The loss of two wickets in the Super Over ends the team’s Super Over innings.
11. The team scoring the most runs in the Super Over shall be declared the winner. In the event of the team’s having the same score after the Super Over has been completed, the team that hit the most number of sixes combined from its innings in the main match and in the Super Over shall be the winner.
12. If the number of sixes hit by both teams is equal, the team that hit the most number of boundaries (fours and sixes) from its innings in the main match and in the Super Over will be declared the winner
DLF Indian Premier League
EXCLUSIVE: Sachin debunks T20 as young man's game
PORT ELIZABETH: Experience, they tell us, separates the men from the boys. It gives a whole new perspective to life. And it is points at the best way forward. But when it comes to Twenty20 cricket, these words of wisdom do not always apply. Or, so they started saying, when the shortest format of cricket gained popularity around the world.
Very quickly T20 was passed off as a young man's game, without anyone offering any definite reason so. Fielding was an important factor as were running between the wickets and agility.
But one look at the top performers in DLF Indian Premier League in South Africa and you could start asking if T20 is really a young man's game. Why else would you have the over-30 players topping the batting charts. Even in the bowling department, a certain Anil Kumble started off as the Purple Cap winner. The wise heads have managed to show their younger rivals how to bat on the tracks in South Africa.
Obviously, one of them is master blaster Sachin Tendulkar who is showing that T20 is as much about big-hitting as it is about copybook cricket. Both Tendulkar and his partner Sanath Jayasuriya, who is pushing 40, handed out a stern lesson to one and all in Mumbai Indians' win against Kolkata Knight Riders.
At the end of it all, Tendulkar and Jayasuriya also put up the highest opening partnership of the tournament. Just earlier in the day the other senior pros, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs showed just why they are still feared.
Let's hear the maestro himself if T20 a really young man's game? "I don't know who says that it's a young man's game. Clearly, he doesn't know much about cricket. It's a cricketers' game so it really doesn't matter whether you are young or old. It is a cricketer's match," Tendulkar told iplt20.com .
Tendulkar certainly showed while batting just why he believes T20 is for all. The cheeky shot that he played off Chris Gayle certainly showed that age has nothing to do with this format. He scooped the ball from close to the short third man and got himself a boundary.
If T20 is about innovation, Tendulkar certainly ticked that box with that shot. "That was an innovative stroke. I wouldn't say it is the most innovative one ever that I have played. But it was something different," said Tendulkar.
Tendulkar shared a stand worth 127 with Jayasuriya and certainly cannot stop praising his old comrade in arms. "It's fantastic, even last year I enjoyed batting at the other end and it was fantastic. He has got excellent hand-eye co-ordination, very quick feet, very quick hands. Needless to say that he is one of the best strikers in the world," said Tendulkar.
Tendulkar lived by the sword and also perished by it as Mumbai Indians pushed the scoring along. He missed out on a hundred but did not seem too hassled about it. "I am not playing for 100s, I am playing for the team. And, if I score a hundred even better for the team. The idea is not to chase a 100. If it comes my way it's fine. As long as my contribution is there for the team, that is what matters. If it has helped us to get to a good total, I am a happy person.''
Tendulkar is climbing up the Orange Cap charts and is just 52 runs behind the leader Hayden at the moment. His innings on Monday took him close to Hayden's but the man played his individual contribution down. "It was not the most important innings, all the innings are important. I would put this as one of the important ones because we needed to win today.''
DLF Indian Premier League
Players and owners flaunt beliefs and idiosyncrasies
NEW DELHI:The game may have evolved to such an extent that Tests cricket co-exists with Twenty20, umpires blend harmoniously with modern technology like HawkEye and Snickometer and Strategic Breaks, which have added a new dimension to the DLF Indian Premier League, find place alongside superstitions.
How else can you explain the fact that Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Yusuf Pathan's conscious bid to always wear his right pad first when getting ready to bat. "Whenever we start something good, we use our right hand or the right foot. I always follow that,"he explains.
Let us take a quick look at what some of the players are doing at DLF IPL:
Rajasthan Royals fast-medium bowler Siddhath Trivedi carried a handkerchief in each of his trouser pockets
Kolkata Knight Riders fast bowler Ishant Sharma wears religious threads given by his mother.
Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar straps his left pad first before coming to play
Rahul Dravid makes it sure that he puts his right foot forward-literally-when he comes to bat
Deccan Chargers' pacer Chaminda Vaas, who still has to play this season, starts his run-up by crossing his heart
Mumbai Indians opener Sanath Jayasuriya touches all his equipment before taking guard
Kings XI Punjab batsman Mahela Jayawardene keeps kissing the bat while batting
Deccan Chargers opener Herschelle Gibbs keeps mum when coming in to bat.
The idea does not stop with the players. Team owners like Preity Zinta (Kings XI Punjab) offers 'prasad' to her team members before they enter the ground. Rajasthan Royals co-owner Shilpa Shetty wore wristwatches in either hand during her team's victory over Delhi Daredevils."I wore two watches as they are my good luck charms," she said.
Call them superstitions or call them idiosyncrasies, none of these folks sees any point in denying them or in trying to rationalise them.
"It is magical thinking which more often found in children," says Sitaram Bhartiya Research Centre's Dr. Amit Sen, "Some of these beliefs are ritualised to custom and culture the way we are. Believing in quirks, talismans or superstition gives them a sense of comfort, that much extra bit of luck or zest they need.
"Where there is unpredictability and fortunes can turn dramatically, magical thinking takes place, you imagine the outcomes yourself. The essence of it is irrational, something which we can't relate with the players," he says.
Senior psychiatrist Dr. Jitendra Nagpal reiterates that."Commanding rituals that acknowledge there are limits to what a person can control," he says. "It is a coping-mechanism. They build confidence and are ways to feel in control of factors that are really uncontrollable," he says.
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