Middlesex eye Yuvraj after Tendulkar refusal

England county team Middlesex have confirmed their approach to sign Yuvraj Singh after their first choice Sachin Tendulkar refused to play in order to prolong his international career. Yuvraj Singh if signed will be Middlesex’s second overseas player for the season after retired Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchirst.

Middlesex’s director of cricket, Angus Fraser said, “We have been in talks with Yuvraj about the possibility of him playing Twenty20 cricket this summer. The contract is not in place at this moment in time, but we’re in communication, and it seems to be going quite positively.” The move to sign two international players of high caliber is partly funded by MCC.

Yuvraj Singh captured the imagination of a big striker in world cricket after he smashed England fast bowler Stuart Broad for six sixes in one over in the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa. However, Yuvraj’s participation could still be under cloud as the schedule for the Indian team is still remains unconfirmed. The BCCI is planning a tri-series in Sri Lanka involving the host, India and New Zealand in July.

Sangakkara appointed KXIP captain

It’s now official. Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara will replace Punjab’s Yuvraj Singh as the captain of Indian Premier League franchise (IPL) Kings XI Punjab. Since the Test series between India and Sri Lanka a few months back there was a speculation over captaincy changeover but now it has been confirmed by franchise chief executive officer Anil Srivatsa.

Srivatsa said the management is hoping that the move will allow Yuvraj to focus more on his all rounder skills. “Kumar Sangakkara is the new captain of Kings XI Punjab. We are hoping for good things to come out of it. Being taken off the leadership role does not diminish Yuvraj’s standing in the team. Yuvraj’s inputs are vital for us. He has done well for the team in the past two seasons and he has one more year with us. He did his job well enough. This has got nothing to do with all this.”

Sangakkara on his part said he had spoken to Yuvraj about the change of guard and assured that the transition will be a smooth one. “I have enjoyed playing under Yuvraj, he is a very able captain. When everything was not concrete, I spoke to him and after that I decided that it was the right time to take up captaincy. I don’t think it would cause any problem. He is a very good friend. I had a long chat with him on this, everything was done very transparently. Moreover, Yuvraj is the most important player in our side. Any IPL team will be lucky to have him. He can change a match just like that. He is a match-winner.”

Yuvraj captained Punjab team in the first two editions of the IPL where the team reached semi-finals in the inaugural edition in India and failed to make the top four last year in South Africa. However, Yuvraj was the leading run scorer for his team in the previous edition scoring 340 runs including two half centuries. Sangakkara now join the list of a few foreign players – Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Shaun Pollock, Brendon McCullum and Kevin Pietersen to lead an IPL team.

All ends well in DDCA

Virender Sehwag, the dashing India opener who took the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) for a toss with charges of nepotism in selection at junior level said he hopes that his suggestions to Delhi chief Arun Jaitley are implemented soon.

“If you look at the Indian team, I don’t think there is any need to give any suggestions because it’s the merit that matters. Whoever performs gets picked. There is never an instance where somebody has not performed and got picked. It happens at lower levels and I have given some suggestions to DDCA and I hope that my suggestions would be implemented soon and the results would be seen in near future,” Sehwag said a day after his meeting with Jaitley.

Senior Delhi batsman Gautam Gambhir and former India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi were also present at the meeting. Sehwag said being a senior player he felt ‘morally bound’ to put things straight. “I would like to reiterate that I would love to continue to serve Delhi cricket in the improved environment. It has been a matter of great pride to be part of the cricketing legacy of the capital. That’s why, I felt most hurt unfair practices creep in the selection matters and the voices of deserving names were not heard.”

“Fair selection is what every sportsperson, whether promising or proven, hopes for. Having noticed an unacceptable trend that was setting in selection matters in Delhi, I thought it was time to raise the issue. I am glad it was taken in the spirit in which it was meant,” he said.

Sehwag’s team India mate Yuvraj Singh who was also present at the promotional event voiced in support of the opener said, “Sehwag has raised a voice and everybody is with him and we have the highest hope. There were instances where I performed but was not picked. Such unfair practices hurt the careers of young cricketers and shatter their dreams. So I think the selection should be done keeping every player’s performance in contention.”

On the other end, Jaitley the DDCA President, who was addressing a press conference said that the player’s concerns were put across “in a dignified manner and were well appreciated by us.”

“I can tell you the best way to run the system is to not confront your own bodies. You have to reconcile with your bodies, you can make suggestions, and I have not found them in defiance of the executive committee. I don’t think they will be,” Jaitely said.

Can India defend World T20 Title?

Indian Premier League (IPL) fever may be over, but the Twenty20 format continues to soar. With the stage set for the ICC World Twenty20 2009 in England next month, all eyes are on just one team -defending champions India. The reasons are many; some feel the team has the right balance and player ingredients for Twenty20 cricket, others are doubtful it can overcome fatigue and fitness barriers, and still others wait with intense curiosity to see how Dhoni’s men will handle the pressure of defending their crown.

A month-and-a-half long tour of New Zealand, followed by cramped IPL 2009 scheduling of IPL, saw many Indian cricketers lose their steam mid-way through the Indian Premier League. The form of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir is a huge concern, while many key players like Yuvraj Singh and captain MS Dhoni carried a niggle or two for most of IPL. Sehwag sat out for five matches due to a finger injury, while Zaheer Khan is still nursing a shoulder injury that he picked up during the tournament.

Prominent personalities from the world of cricket have reacted differently; here are some of their views:

Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian legend, said, “We come as a package. I am certain this package is the best in business at the moment. This package has everything which is necessary to make us world champions once again. India is the most balanced side in the world and there is no doubt we can defend the title. We have very good cricketers in our side and we have proved that this combination is the deadliest.”

He also tipped the pacers to come good saying that, “It is on par with the best. Zaheer,Ishant and RP Singh form a lethal combination, particularly in English conditions. Our seam attack has a lot of variety and would come handy in such conditions. On our day we can demolish any batting side.”

South African coach Mickey Arthur felt India has more game-breakers than any other team in the world. He said, “I think any team has the ability to win this competition. Every team has game-breakers and you only have to have your game-breaker coming off once to win you a game, the game is so short that one major performance wins you a game. But obviously, a team like India has more game-breakers than most teams, so they are definitely going to be one to keep an eye on.”

Dilip Vengsarkar, former Indian captain and selector feels that many Indian players will be mentally tired and might fall short of everyone’s expectations. He also thinks that it will be a huge challenge for Kirsten and his support staff to recuperate the team. “The Indian players are now in a situation where they play two high-pressure Twenty20 tournaments back-to-back and that’s never ideal,” he said.

However, the man who matters most, Indian captain MS Dhoni played it safe saying, “When you play so many matches you do get tired, after all it’s a human body. There was no time to rest for the players. But fatigue is a part of Indian cricket. Till now Indian players have done well with it.”

IPL Shift to South Africa – Player Reactions

Reactions are pouring in from players around the world on the move to shift the Indian Premier League from India to South Africa. Overall, many of them are ruing the fact that they have been robbed of the opportunity to once again play in front of the passionate and massive Indian crowds, while remaining grateful that the tournament will still take place given the security debacle.

Legendary batman Sachin Tendulkar, captain of the Mumbai Indians IPL franchise team, stated his regret that the tournament will now be hosted outside of India. “We will certainly miss playing in front of our supporters. It won’t be the same.”

His India teammate and the captain of Kings XI Punjab, Yuvraj Singh, expressed his sympathy for the hordes of Indian cricket enthusiasts who will miss out on IPL action this year. “It’s a mixed feeling because we were looking forward to playing at home and now we have to play away so we feel sad for a lot of Indians who were looking forward to watching it [Indian Premier League cricket].”

Indian players are not alone, with many International players disappointed in the wake of the decision. Australian Shane Warne, captain of the victorious Rajasthan Royals team, said, “It won’t be the same as it being in India, but hopefully the South African public will get behind it and turn up to the ground and make it a great spectacle. But it will be nothing like if it was in India and it is a shame it can’t be in India.”

Shane Watson, who played a crucial role in Rajasthan Royals victory last year, felt that the move will unavoidability affect the appeal of the tournament. “It is extremely sad the IPL won’t be held in India. It is a beautiful country and the people there are absolutely fanatical about cricket. I think it will definitely be slightly different.”

New Zealand skipper, and Delhi Daredevils player, Daniel Vettori joined Watson in his opinion. “The guys love going over there and touring. One of the most exciting bits about the tournament was you got to play in front of 50-60,000 people who were tremendously excited about the game. We probably won’t have those sorts of crowds. It will take a little bit away from it but the important thing is the games are being played.”

The big fish of the cash rich league, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff have also signaled their disappointment at the relocation of the tournament, whereas the likes of Australian captain Ricky Ponting and New Zealander Brendon McCullum are enthusiastic about the decision.