The Buzz
No gloves? That's just crazy!
Jacob Oram once joked that he would consider cutting off his badly broken left ring finger to ensure he was fit for the 2007 World Cup
Brydon Coverdale
25-Feb-2013
Jacob Oram once joked that he would consider cutting off his badly broken left ring finger to ensure he was fit for the 2007 World Cup. Three years on, and after another tournament in the Caribbean, Oram and his team-mates stopped by to visit the Florida Marlins baseball team while in town for their T20s against Sri Lanka.
“That's just crazy,” the second-baseman Dan Uggla said at the thought of playing an entire game without a glove. His shortstop colleague Hanley Ramirez had some advice: “They were telling me how they break fingers and hands all the time. I told them, ‘Maybe in the future you should think about wearing gloves’.”
The Miami Herald reported that several of the New Zealanders “shagged flies” in the outfield, which we’re assured is a baseball term and not a variant on the New Zealand-Australia “sheep-shagging” banter.
Ramirez strapped on some cricket pads and had a hit, though was confused at where to run, while Oram made the pitcher Josh Johnson lick his lips with the concept that: “Sometimes in cricket, you try to hit the batsmen to unsettle them.”
Full postVettori, Oram play a whole new ball game
For a change, Daniel Vettori will have to put a lid on his trademark arm balls and variations in flight
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
For a change, Daniel Vettori will have to put a lid on his trademark arm balls and variations in flight. Jacob Oram cannot bounce the batters or crush their toes. The New Zealand pair will be asked to fire it in as quick as they can, with bent elbows, provided they keep it straight. The difference is, they will be armed with a baseball for a change. Currently in Florida for the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka, the pair – who happen to be baseball fans - will take time off to throw the ceremonial first pitch at Florida Marlins' home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Miami. As long as they keep the ball off the ‘pitch’, it should be a success.
"I'm probably going to try and throw it as straight as I can. Travis Wilson, our old fielding coach (formerly with Atlanta Braves), has been in touch and all he wants is for us to get it as straight as we can or it's a bad look for his coaching," Oram said. "There's five or six guys who are big baseball fans; myself, Scott Styris, Shane Bond and Dan Vettori are in a fantasy league which doesn't please our wives that much but kills some time when we're on the road."
Full postMum’s the (final) word
Following India’s disastrous performance in the ICC World Twenty20 criticism and advice have been coming from all quarters, from former players to filmstars
Akhila Ranganna
25-Feb-2013
Following India’s disastrous performance in the ICC World Twenty20 criticism and advice have been coming from all quarters, from former players to filmstars. And from Sehwag’s mum, who has picked on India’s new Public Enemy No 1, the post-match IPL parties. Something of an urban legend since a series of ads that played on her son’s homespun image, Krishna Sehwag has some typically straightforward advice. “"[The players should] Stay away from girls, partying and fights," she told the Indian TV channel Headlines Today. "They have their families' image to protect”. The solution: don’t organise such parties. ”The players go to such parties because they are organised." Not that she’s worried about her son - "Sehwag stays away from women and is happy with his family".
While Sehwag may welcome mum’s endorsement of his family values, he may not be so happy to hear her speak on the national team captaincy. Amid speculation that Dhoni might be removed as India captain in the shorter formats, she has a replacement in mind: "I will be very happy if Virender becomes captain.” While reports suggest that Sehwag is not really interested in the captaincy – national, IPL or otherwise, his mother sings a different tune. “He [Sehwag] does not want to be vice-captain, “she says. “He wants to be the captain of all teams, not just Ranji or IPL."
Full postTeenager scores 329 in limited-overs game
The village Sunday league at Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales witnessed an innings of rare belligerence when 18-year old Oliver Hardaker smashed his way to the small matter of 329 runs in a 40-overs a side contest
Nitin Sundar
25-Feb-2013
The village Sunday league at Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales witnessed an innings of rare belligerence when 18-year old Oliver Hardaker smashed his way to the small matter of 329 runs in a 40-overs a side contest. Hardaker struck 27 fours and 28 sixes in his run-marathon that lasted 144 balls. Upper Wharfedale was the bowling unit that suffered the brunt of his fury. Though his innings featured in an amateur game, Hardaker outdid the efforts of Alistair Brown who scored 268 at the first class level in 2002, and Sachin Tendulkar who recently made 200 in an ODI against South Africa.
Hardaker’s achievement came after a late night out the previous day, celebrating a friend’s birthday that nearly made him miss the game. He looted 34 runs in one of the overs, hitting five sixes and a four. “I just kept playing my shots and didn't think about my score. It was a bit weird when I got to 100 with 27 overs left and I thought I could get something big here,” he said later.
“It was quite a cold day which really helped because I wasn't sweating and getting too flustered so I could just stay calm and concentrate. It felt like I was playing a video game or something.” Indeed.
Full postTendulkar debuts on Twitter
India’s most secretive celebrity has finally joined the Twitter brigade
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
India’s most secretive celebrity has finally joined the Twitter brigade. Sachin Tendulkar, who guards his privacy as zealously as he guards his wicket, debuted on the microblogging network on Tuesday night and, within hours, had more than 30,000 followers. His tweets are unlikely to be as gregarious as Shane Warne’s or laconic as Chris Gayle’s, or even as revelatory as Phil Hughes’ have been, but they will be rare unprompted thoughts from a man whose every public utterance so far has been tightly controlled. His first tweet could set the tone – "Finally the original SRT is on twitter", it said, in a gentle swipe at all the imposters, before wishing the Indian team the best for the current World Twenty20.
There has been a bit of news – the stitches on his hand have been removed – and the revelation, via a twitpic, that he sleeps in an Adidas vest. Or that he sleeps, period, and has dinner with friends like the rest of us. It’s manna for his followers, who refer to him as God. Cue jokes – his Twitter handle should have had an “overscore” instead of an underscore – and the expectation that he would soon be Trendulkar. And a word of advice for Steve Jobs – he can start work on his next product, the iFollow.
Full post'Hooked', line and sinker
Cricket has never been able to totally rid itself of matchfixing allegations – and now perhaps we know why
Akhila Ranganna
25-Feb-2013
Cricket has never been able to totally rid itself of matchfixing allegations – and now perhaps we know why. These deals are not being hatched only in shady bars or on the phone - the latest method, according to the Daily Mail involves the use of ‘honey traps’. The report, quoting sources close to the ICC, indicates that prostitutes are being used to lure cricketers into matchfixing. “They [the prostitutes] are used for making contact with players, whether through sexual favours or whatever, and once these guys are hooked, they make their move,” the report quoted a source as saying. “It's a honey trap.”
According to the report, the targets are usually young cricketers, who “may not even realise what is happening, but once they are in it they can't get out because they have done one wrong deed for which they can be blackmailed.” Once the players are educated about it, members of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit are deployed at the team hotels to keep an eye on things. “The players do realise they are being watched.”
Full postA mango named after Tendulkar
This is another juicy bit of trivia for fans of Sachin Tendulkar who keep track of the various tributes coming his way
Nitin Sundar
25-Feb-2013
This is another juicy bit of trivia for fans of Sachin Tendulkar who keep track of the various tributes coming his way. An Indian farmer has named a new hybrid variety of mango after the star batsman, in honour of his cricketing achievements. "There is no player like Sachin Tendulkar in the whole world and that's why I have named this mango Sachin," said Kalimullah Khan, the elderly farmer from the state of Uttar Pradesh, who is responsible for the new variety and its innovative name.
Mangoes are very popular in India, which is the largest producer of the fruit in the world. Sachin is a combination of two of the finest Indian varieties of the creamy sweet-tasting fruit. However, it will not be up for sale. "Our Sachin is a world hero and he is priceless and not a saleable commodity," said Khan, who plans to donate a tree of Sachin mangoes to the cricketer "so he can enjoy them with his friends."
Khan has produced nearly 300 new mango varieties and won India's top civilian award for his work on mango grafting and cultivation. He is currently working on a new hybrid to be named after the legendary Bollywood singer Lata Mangeshkar.
Tendulkar who turned 37 earlier this month, continues to go strong at an age when most cricketers call it quits. He recently scored the first double hundred in ODI history, and followed that up with a stellar performance in the IPL, where he emerged the top run-getter, in a format expected to favour youngsters. The mango tribute is unlikely to be the last of his fruitful career.
Full postNew Zealand skipper is top totty
The New Zealand women’s captain, Aimee Watkins, has been given an unexpected ego boost ahead of her country’s World Twenty20 campaign, after being nominated by the website Yahoo!Xtra as one of the world's sexiest sportswomen.
Andrew Miller
25-Feb-2013
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| Aimee Watkins: top totty © Getty Images |
The New Zealand women’s captain, Aimee Watkins, has been given an unexpected ego boost ahead of her country’s World Twenty20 campaign, after being nominated by the website Yahoo!Xtra as one of the world's sexiest sportswomen.
Watkins, 27, has been rated in the top 64 among female athletes, alongside the American skier Lindsay Vonn, Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice and Czech tennis player Nicole Vaidisova.
"I didn't know anything about it," Watkins told The Dominion Post. "I've seen it now. Mum gave me a call and she was pretty excited and told me to go on and have a look. Since then I've had a bit of stick but, oh well. It's all a bit foreign to me."
Full postSwann's car swiped by thieves
Graeme Swann has “wished a freak accident with a blunt instrument” on the thieves who broke into his Nottingham house and, according to a report in The Sun , stole the keys to his Jaguar while he was away in Barbados preparing for the forthcoming
Andrew Miller
25-Feb-2013
Graeme Swann has “wished a freak accident with a blunt instrument” on the thieves who broke into his Nottingham house and, according to a report in The Sun, stole the keys to his Jaguar while he was away in Barbados preparing for the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20.
The incident, which occurred when Swann’s wife Sarah left their house in West Bridgford, continued a run of motoring mishaps for Swann. Earlier this month he was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving – an incident he said was caused when his cat, Max, got trapped underneath the floorboards at 3 o’clock in the morning.
Of the Jaguar theft, Swann wrote online: “I hope the chaps who broke into my house while I am away are involved in a freak accident with a blunt instrument very soon.” Nothing else was taken in the incident.
Full postColdplay play ball
Popular British band Coldplay are sharing their love and money with a village cricket club in Gloucestershire
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
Popular British band Coldplay are sharing their love and money with a village cricket club in Gloucestershire. The 60-member Slaughters Utd are suddenly the envy of the region, after the band offered to sponsor their new kit. Bass player Guy Berryman had previously sponsored a new training kit for Stow Rugby Club’s Under-15s as he knew their manager Dave Oughton. Oughton then suggested to Slaughters that it may not be a bad idea to approach Coldplay. Good idea, as it turned out. The band are not unfamiliar with cricket – the lead singer Chris Martin once played for neighbouring club Great Rissington. If all goes well, the band could be performing in village greens for a change, if time permits. “We’ve asked Chris and Guy to come and play and hopefully bring their guitars with them,” Slaughters honorary secretary Paul Heming told thisisGloucestershire.co.uk. “They said they were flattered, but very busy – but we’ll keep on asking. It’s a bit bizarre, but exciting to be sponsored by one of the world’s biggest bands – but our youngsters think it’s cool.”
Full post