The Buzz
Tendulkar set for PITCH debut
Sachin Tendulkar is to star in an animated series called 'Master Blasters' that is to be co-produced by Shemaroo Entertainment and Moonscoop
Rohan Sharma
10-Apr-2013
Sachin Tendulkar has been on TV screens around the world for over two decades but he's now set to make his debut in animated form - as part of a new series called 'Master Blasters.' Tendulkar will travel the world in his "spaceship cum stadium", playing cricket matches with and against some of the best cricketing talent on offer. He even has his own arch rival, Peter, who looks to humiliate the hero at every turn.
In the series, Tendulkar is appointed by the Programme for International Training of Cricket Heroes (PITCH) to run a training camp for the finest young cricketers around the world. Tendulkar will feature along with an assortment of twelve kids, with the series promising elements of comedy, life coaching, and of course, cricket. Tendulkar says he was a Superman fan in his youth; here's his chance to live yet another dream.
Full postCSK pay tribute to 'Sir Jadeja'
10-Apr-2013
Most of you have probably heard several jokes about 'Sir' Ravindra Jadeja, in the Chuck Norris/Rajnikanth template, floating around. How about his one? "Sir Jadeja once wanted to make a silt mountain to play as a kid, now we all call it Mt Everest." That one's courtesy Jadeja's India and Chennai Super Kings' captain, MS Dhoni.
Jadeja had to put up with some serious ribbing from Dhoni and his Super Kings' team-mates on Tuesday, prior to their evening practice session in Mohali. Dhoni, Suresh Raina, R Ashwin, and even franchise official Gurunath Meiyappan, all got into the act, tweeting joke after joke about "Sir Jadeja". Among other things, Jadeja was credited with inventing something new every time he made an error, making the road move whenever he sat in his jeep with the intention of going for a drive, and making the ball come to him instead of running to claim a catch.
Jadeja's response? He tweeted Dhoni and Raina confirming he had no intention of being the next Rajnikanth, and went on to pose for photos in the team bus with Raina.
God realised RAJNI sir is getting old so he created sir ravindra jadeja
— Mahendra Singh Dhoni (@msdhoni) April 9, 2013
Shakib's motion picture cameo
Shakib Al Hasan's celebrity status in Bangladesh has taken a further leap after he shot scenes for a Bangla movie during the weekend
Mohammad Isam
08-Apr-2013
Shakib Al Hasan's celebrity status in Bangladesh has taken a leap after he shot scenes for a Bangla movie during the weekend.
He made a guest appearance for Shob Kichu Pechone Fele (Leaving Everything Behind) at the Cox's Bazar beach. He parachuted on to the beach and played cricket with five friends, the main characters in the movie. Director Rajibul Hossain told Bangla daily Prothom Alo that the movie is about the adventures of these five friends.
Shakib is a regular in TV advertisements in the country and also supports several charities as brand ambassador for various products.
Full postRoyals throw out Pinky
A pink doll as punishment; that's now history at Rajasthan Royals
Nagraj Gollapudi
08-Apr-2013
Brad Hodge carried it once for reporting late to the team bus. Kevin Cooper clutched it around for not wearing the right kind of swimwear. Pinky was a pink doll, which Shane Warne, the former Australia legspinner had brought with him during his time as captain and mentor at Rajasthan Royals. One of the numerous tricks out of Warne's book of eccentricities, Pinky was actually a punishment imposed on a Royals player for breaking a team rule/curfew or walking late to the team bus or making a mistake. Warne had imposed the ruling that the concerned player would be forced to carry the doll everywhere from the ground, to the dressing room, to the team bus, to the parties. But all that is in the past. "Pinky will not be seen this time around. Hopefully, Paddy [Upton, the coach] will come up with something more unique," Royals CEO Raghu Iyer was quoted as saying in Times of India.
Full postJadeja's wicked Wiki profile
Ravindra Jadeja's deeds in the ongoing India-Australia Test series paled in comparison to a recent insertion in his Wikipedia profile
Abhishek Mukherjee
19-Mar-2013
Ravindra Jadeja, the India allrounder, has two first-class triple-centuries to his name in the 2012-13 season and is currently in the purplest patch of his career with the ball, having accounted for Australia captain Michael Clarke in five innings out of six in the ongoing Test series. Yet even those deeds paled in comparison to a recent insertion in his Wikipedia profile - it called him "a philanthropist, a Nobel Prize winner, a double Laureus sportsman of the year, and the nearest human to god."
Wikipedia - the free, online 'encyclopedia' that readers can edit - is known, or notorious, for the ease with which entries can be tweaked by the public, and the qualifications were as swiftly deleted. Who added it in? Could have been an admirer, could even have been those who doubt his Test credentials. It was a cricket fan for sure, because it stopped short of calling Jadeja god - that is reserved for only one cricketer.
Full postSnake trouble at Premadasa
Bangladesh players got a surprise break from training when a snake snuck up out of a trough near the car-park of the Cricket Academy next to the R Premadasa Stadium
Mohammad Isam
14-Mar-2013
The Bangladesh players got a surprise break from training when a snake snuck up out of a trough near the car-park of the Cricket Academy next to the R Premadasa Stadium.
The snake, estimated to be between two and four feet long, caught the attention of the dog catchers, and the Bangladesh players, who chased after it. But after being scared away once, it reappeared to the surprise to some of the players, two of whom were fully padded up.
The dog catchers, meanwhile, cast their net a little wider and found a few preys in the stands of the stadium. But they wouldn't even look at the snake.
Coach Shane Jurgensen was not too impressed by all the squealing of the dogs. But his strong words didn't have any impact as the person they were directed to didn't understand English, and so the poachers remained vigilant.
Full postNaveed breaks the speed limit
Pakistan cricketer Rana Naveed can be a big hitter when needed - and now he's shown he can be a fast bat too
ESPNcricinfo staff
14-Mar-2013
Pakistan cricketer Rana Naveed can be a big hitter when needed - and now he's shown he can be a fast bat too. He faced 45 balls in one minute at an event in Lahore on Wednesday, taking him into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most number of deliveries faced in a minute after easily overhauling Andrew Flintoff's record of 19.
Of the 50 bowlers who lined up to have a bowl at Naveed at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground, only 48 managed to hit the deck. Naveed missed three of those balls. Incidentally, he would have faced the remaining two bowlers had the eager crowd not run on to the pitch to celebrate the record.
Full postAussies fail Merv's 'tache test
No use blaming the batsmen, the pitches, or the lack of spinners. Former Australia pacer Merv Hughes has said what Australia lack on the tour of India is not skill, determination or a magic wand, but 'facial hair'.
Vishal Dikshit
06-Mar-2013
No use blaming the batsmen, the pitches, or the lack of spinners. Former Australia fast bowler Merv Hughes, instantly recognisable in his playing days by his handlebar moustache, has said what Australia lack on the tour of India is not skill, determination or a magic wand, but 'facial hair'.
Currently in India with a touring party for the Test series, Hughes said, "I feel facial hair brings the best out of the players. I would like to see the guys with moustaches, beards, goatees, half-beards and half-shaved heads."
Hughes also had another, practical, reason for his suggestion. "When the Australians come to the subcontinent, a lot of the guys grow beards to protect their face from the sun. It is not just a fashion statement.
Full postHistory turned to ashes
The occasion of the 25th anniversary of the 664-run partnership between Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli was dampened as the original score-sheet was claimed to have been 'incinerated'
Abhishek Mukherjee
27-Feb-2013
The partnership of 664 between Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli, in 1988, in an inter-school match, is a lore many Indian fans are fond of. But the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the landmark - a world record, broken only in 2006-07 - was dampened when it was found that the original score-sheet that noted the achievements of the future India batsmen was 'incinerated'.
"The score-sheet was kept along with all the other records of games and has since been incinerated as we could not store them all. You cannot expect us to store files that are 25 years old," Mumbai School Sports Association secretary, HS Bhor, said.
Bhor rubbed in the irony by saying that the score-sheet was 'like a sheet from any other match'.
Kambli gave voice to his disappointment on Twitter.
Full postSwann's costly trick shot
Many of England's players are known to enjoy a round of golf on a day off and there a plenty of wonderful courses for them to take advantage of in New Zealand.
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
Many of England's players are known to enjoy a round of golf on a day off and there a plenty of wonderful courses for them to take advantage of in New Zealand.
However, Stuart Broad may have second thoughts about playing alongside Graeme Swann again after the offspinner did some serious damage to Broad's driver while attempting to show off a trick shot. Put it this, way Broad won't be making many fairways with it any more. Check out Broad's Youtube video for the full picture.
Full post