SEHWAG WON THE CRICINFO AWARD

Former India player Sanjay Manjrekar announced the four Jury Awards.
Star Indian opener Virender Sehwag won the 'Cricinfo Test Batting Performance of the Year 2008' award. He got the honour for his excellant knock of 201 not out in the Galle Test against Sri Lanka last year.
Sri Lanka's mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis won the 'ODI Bowling Performance of the Year'award.Mendis took six for 13 in the final of the Asia Cup last year.

Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya won the 'ODI Batting Performance of the Year' award, for his 125 against India in the same match.
South African speedster Dale Steyn won the 'Test Bowling Performance of the Year' award for taking five for 67 against Australia in the Melbourne Test.

'Cricinfo' editor Sambit Bal announced the Statguru Award.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul was announced as the 'Batsman of the Year' and Ajantha Mendis as the 'Bowler of the Year'.
Sehwag also got the Statguru Award of 'the batsman with the highest strike-rate in the year'in both Tests and ODIs, and the one with the highest boundary percentage. Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were announced the best opening pair in Test cricket.

Sachin Tendulkar missed out on the jury awards, but he was clearly the favourite with Cricinfo's readers.He won in both Test and ODI batting categories in the Readers' Choice segment of the awards. Tendulkar's match-winning 103 not out in Chennai against England was voted the best Test innings, while his unbeaten 117 against Australia in the first final of the CB Series was voted the best ODI innings.

Jury awards 2008
Test Batting Performance of the Year: Virender Sehwag

Test Bowling Performance of the Year: Dale Steyn

ODI Batting Performance of the Year: Sanath Jayasuriya

ODI Bowling Performance of the Year: Ajantha Mendis

Important Statsguru Awards 2008
Batsman of the Year: Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Bowler of the Year: Ajantha Mendis

ZAHEER IS THE BEST BOWLER :AKRAM

Former Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram feels that India have emerged as the strongest team in world cricket. Akram also rated pace bowler Zaheer Khan as the best bowler in the cricket world.
"India have won against Australia at home and away, and beaten England and South Africa. I will admit that South Africa are the best only if they do well in India during their tour," he said
Asked about the world's best bowler, Akram said: "Without doubt Zaheer Khan is the best. He has improved his bowling. He can swing the ball both ways and also get it to reverse swing. He can also bowl close to the wicket, wide of the crease and round the wicket."

CRICKETERS ARE SHOCKED AFTER THE ICC'S 'ALL TIME GREATS' LIST

Legendary Kapil Dev said Friday that the ratings made a mockery of players like Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar who "served the game with unmatched devotion".
" It is all the more disappointing when I see that the names of Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar do not figure on the top," Kapil said."When batsmen like Gavaskar, Tendulkar and (Rahul) Dravid and bowlers like (Dennis) Lillee and (Wasim) Akram languish at the bottom there must be something seriously wrong with the judgment."
"What are the parameters that the ICC uses to come to such ridiculous decisions? Does a batsman become big or important only if he helps the team win a match? What about the matches he helps to draw.
"Look at the statistics of Gavaskar and look at the quality of bowlers he faced. How can you take away the credit of a Gavaskar taking on the likes of Marshall, Lillee, Thomson, Hadlee, Garner, Roberts, Holding, Willis, Botham, Underwood, Imran, Sarfaraz, Qadir," he said.
Kapil felt Tendulkar's only place is next to Don Bradman of Australia and putting him anywhere below that mark was an injustice to the batting maestro.
"Take Tendulkar's case. All modern bowlers agree that he has been the most outstanding opponent in all conditions. Brian Lara comes closest to him. To be told that Tendulkar is not among the best 20 of all time is indeed laughable. We all accept Don Bradman as the all time best but there can be no other candidate for the number two slot than Tendulkar", he said.
Sri Lankan fast bowler Chaminda Vaas on Friday said that International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings were no indicator of a player's calibre and Sachin Tendulkar would always be regarded as an all time great batsman. Reactions came in when Tendulkar was placed 26th in ICC's all-time great ranking.
India's former left-arm spinner Maninder Singh called it a "joke" and said "sadistic" ICC officials should stop coming out with such lists. "The ICC is in the habit of making a joke of themselves, and this list proves that. Now, how can you explain Tendulkar who has scored over 12,000 Test runs not being in that list?

ICC'S LIST OF ALL TIME GREAT BOWLERS,IS ALSO A SHOCKER

If you thought the International Cricket Council’s list of all-time greats in batting was a shocker, just check out the bowlers.
ICC’s all-time great list of bowlers is as mindboggling as it’s list of great batsmen was.
Indian spin legend,Bishansingh Bedi is the only entry in the top 100 at No. 74.
Shane Warne, is ranked 15th. Anil Kumble, trails way behind at No. 43.
Other Indians in the list include Kapil Dev, Vinoo Mankad, SP Gupte and Dilip Doshi at numbers 35, 67, 74 and 83.
Among pacers, Stuart Clark is placed above Michael Holding, Shoaib Akhtar, Ian Bishop and Bob Willis. Indeed, Clark at No. 38 is way ahead of teammates Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson. Of Clive Lloyd’s world-beating attack of Holding, Roberts, Garner and Marshall, only Malcolm Marshall ranks in the top 20 in ninth spot, with Holding a lowly 42nd.
South African fast bowler Dale Steyn, after just 30 Tests, a far greater Test bowler than his idol Allan Donald, Dennis Lillee, or Wasim Akram?
Well, the ICC thinks so.that is why they put Steyn ahead of Donald, Lillee, Akram.Steyn is No. 22 in the league of the 100 best-ever Test bowlers while Donald, Lillee and Akram find themselves at 26th, 34th and 59th spots, respectively.
Pakistani fans will doubtless be happy to see Imran Khan at No. 3 in the list. But their joy would be shortlived when they discover that Wasim Akram, the greatest left-arm pacer of the game, only manages 59th.

INDIA-SRI LANKA SERIES SCHEDULE

The Indian squad for the tour of Sri Lanka would be picked in Mumbai on January 18, according to BCCI.
The tour has been arranged following the gap in the schedule after the cancellation of tour of Pakistan. The tour features 5 ODIs and a 20-20 match.The Indian team will reach Sri Lanka on January 26.Team will play the first two ODIs of the five-match ODI series at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium (RDICS) at Dambulla on January 28 and 30.
Colombo's R Premadasa International Cricket stadium (RPICS) will host the third and fourth matches of the series on February 2 and 5, as well as the one-off Twenty20 International on February 10.
The fifth and last ODI is scheduled on February 8 at Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), which is also in Colombo.
Apart from the fifth ODI, all games will be played under lights.

INDIA-SRI LANKA SERIES SCHEDULE
1ST ODI- JANUARY 28,DAMBULLA
2ND ODI- JANUARY 30,DAMBULLA
3RD ODI- FEBRUARY 2,COLOMBO
4TH ODI- FEBRUARY 5,COLOMBO
5TH ODI- FEBRUARY 8,COLOMBO
20-20 - FEBRUARY 10,COLOMBO

SACHIN'S ROLE MODELS:VIV AND SUNNY

Sachin is being treated like a god by his fans in India for his cricketing achievements but he feels that nobody is bigger than the game.

"No, never. Nobody is bigger than the game. Cricket teaches you every day. If you start feeling that you are bigger than cricket, sooner comes the fall," Tendulkar said.

"When I started learning cricket from my coach Ramakant Achrekar, I was told clearly by him that not only I should respect the game, I should worship cricket also and than only cricket will take care of me. I still believe in that," Tendulkar said.

Sachin, who had already featured in five World Cups, when he was asked whether he would play in the 2011 World Cup to be held in the sub-continent.

"Every cricketer wants to be a part of a World Cup winning team. Same is the thing with me. If I get a chance to be part of a world cup winning team it will be a great thing for me," he added.

Tendulkar picked Sunil Gavaskar and West Indian great Vivian Richards as his cricketing role models.

"I always wanted to be a combination of Gavaskar and Viv Richards. I admired their batting styles," he said.

Asked about his best innings in his 19 years of excellent cricketing career, he said, "1992, Perth against Australia. I was 18 years old and scored my third Test hundred on a very difficult pitch. It proved to be the turning point in my career. I gained confidence of a lifetime on that day."

Asked about the saddest moment of his cricketing career, Tendulkar said, "2003 World Cup final. We were so close to winning the World Cup and we were really playing good cricket at that time."

35-year-old Tendulkar said he will miss retiring stalwarts Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble.

"I used to talk with Ganguly in Bengali. How correct was my language I don't know. But we had great time both on the field and off the field. While batting we both understood each other better and talking to each other.

"Similarly with Kumble I have spent a lot of time. He has played for the country for 18 long years. One can't become Ganguly or Kumble overnight; it takes years of hardwork to reach that level. Surely I will miss both of them," he said

SACHIN BROKE ANOTHER RECORD,NOT WITH THE BAT

Sachin Tendulkar joined the list of players who have taken 100 or more catches in Test cricket. Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin was his 1ooth victim on the last day of the fourth and final Test against australia.The batting maestro, who holds several batting records in Tests and ODIs, reached the milestone in his 154th Test to follow other indian cricketers- Rahul Dravid (179), Sunil Gavaskar (108), VVS Laxman and Mohd Azharuddin (105) into the record book.
The world record for the most number of catches in a Test career, 181 in 128 matches, stands in the name of Mark Waugh of Australia.

SACHIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE ICC'S LIST OF TOP 20 TEST CRICKETERS

Indian batting genius Sachin Tendulkar has not been included in the list of top-20 greatest batsmen of all times in Test cricket ratings released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday.
The list, that is topped by the great late Sir Donald Bradman, has the likes of Len Hutton and Jack Hobbs and West Indian legends Clive Walcott, Viv Richards and Garry Sobers and also includes Tendulkar's contemporaries like Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara, Matthew Hayden, Jacques Kallis, Mohammad Yousuf and Michael Hussey.
The only Indian in the list is former batting great Sunil Gavaskar and he is at the bottom of the table.
The list is based on the highest Test ratings batsmen have achieved during their careers and only 25 batsmen in the history of the game have amassed 900 rating points or more in Test cricket.

INDIA-NEW ZEALAND SERIES SCHEDULE EXTENDED

The BCCI and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) have announced an extended schedule for India's tour to New Zealand.The schedule will now include an additional Test match and a second Twenty20 international.
The Indian team will arrive in New Zealand on February 20, eight days earlier than originally scheduled.India will begin the tour with a Twenty20 match in Christchurch on February 25. Napier will host the additional Test, the second of the three-match series, from March 26 to 30.

INDIA-NEW ZEALAND SERIES SCHEDULE
1st Twenty20 international- February 25, Christchurch
2nd Twenty20 international- February 27, Wellington

1st ODI- March 3, Napier
2nd ODI- March 6, Wellington
3rd ODI- March 8, Christchurch
4th ODI- March 11, Hamilton
5th ODI- March 14, Auckland

1st Test- March 18-22, Hamilton
2nd Test- March 26-30, Napier
3rd Test- April 3-7, Wellington

INDIA-SRI LANKA SERIES:5 ONE DAYS AND A 20-20

The historic city of Dambulla is likely to host the first two One-Day International matches between India and Sri Lanka on January 28 and 30.
The Indian team, expected to arrive in Colombo on January 24, is likely to play first two matches -- day fixtures -- in Dambulla, top Sri Lankan Cricket officials said.
Both Indian and Sri Lankan teams will then return to Colombo to play three day-night ODIs followed by one Twenty20 match, according to the officials.
The third ODI is likely to be played on February 2, the sources said adding the 4th and 5th ODIs and the Twenty20 will be played after providing one or two days gap subsequently.

DHONI LOSTS HIS TOP SPOT

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been moved down by his West Indies batsman Chris Gayle, who moved up five ladders in the ICC ODI batsmen Rankings.
Dhoni, who is on the second spot of the list with 779 points and an average of 46.84. Gayle, who is on the top spot,has accumulated 783 points with an average of 40.63, thanks to a series of fine performances against New Zealand.
India's left-hand batsman Yuvraj Singh slipped one place down to the sixth place.
India's master batsman Sachin Tendulkar retained his 12th spot with 708 points.
In the bowlers' list, which is headed by Australia's Nathan Bracken, Zaheer Khan (660) is the only Indian, who retained the 11th spot with economy rate of 4.84.

SEHWAG PRAISES HAYDEN

India's opener Virender Sehwag on Wednesday saluted retired Australian great Matthew Hayden, saying that he had not seen an "attacking batsman of his calibre".
"The powerfully-built Hayden, whose aggressive strokeplay was similar to that of Sehwag, retired from international cricket on Tuesday after a poor run with the bat in Australia's recent series. But his 8,625 runs in 103 Tests at an impressive average of 50.74 with 30 centuries convinced Sehwag that Australia will struggle to replace a batsman of Hayden's stature.

"The game of cricket has lost a great player. Crucially enough, Australia have lost a rare cricketer. His absence will be felt just as the retirement of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath was."
Sehwag, who has two Test triple centuries to his credit, said he was amazed by Hayden's consistency over the past few years. "In the last eight years he has scored more than 20 centuries," he said. "You can be sure that Australia will not be able to unearth an opener who can hit 20 centuries in the next eight years. I have played eight years and managed only 15."
"If Australia won so many matches in the last eight to 10 years, it was because of the starts Hayden provided. They would reach 500 in just over a day and it would be largely because of his batting. The best thing about him was that he took advantage of his weight and height. A player of his size can be intimidating for any bowler. He attacked the bowler from the word go," he added.
"He is the only batsman I know of who abused the bowler while batting," the Indian vice-captain said. "He sledged while batting. He could talk to the bowler and yet stay on the crease and concentrate on his business. Not only that, he could even sledge the fielders while batting.
"I am sure his retirement will come as a relief for the bowlers."
Sehwag, however, said he loved playing against Hayden and hoped he would get a chance to open with the Australian outside international cricket.
"My personal equation with him was good. We respected each other," he said. "I have never had a chance to open with him. Actually I would love to do that. I want to watch him bat from the other end."

INDIA-SRILANKA SERIES IS FINALIZED

The Indian cricket team will play five One-Day Internationals and a Twenty20 match in Sri Lanka next month, the dates of which would be soon, BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said on Tuesday.
"We have agreed to visit Sri Lanka and play five One Day Internationals and a Twenty20 match before we go to New Zealand for our pre-fixed tour. The exact dates will be finalised soon and will be released jointly," Srinivasan said. The cancellation of India's tour of Pakistan following the terror attacks in Mumbai provided a gap in the calendar and Sri Lanka too split their hastily-arranged Pakistan tour to accommodate this series.
Srinivasan also thanked Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge for assuring that Sri Lankan cricketers would be available for the second edition of the Indian Premier League scheduled in April.

GANGULY AND KUMBLE IN A NEW ROLE

Former India captains Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly will head the expert panel for a series of specialist skills coaching clinics starting at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore on Tuesday.
The clinics, to be held over ten days, will be attended by qualified Level Two and Three coaches from all over the country. A release said: "The initiative is in line with the BCCI's mandate that all states establish their own academies by April 30 this year, and will ensure they are headed up by highly-skilled personnel."
Besides Kumble and Ganguly, the others in the panel of 'master coaches' include Robin Singh and Venkatesh Prasad - India's fielding and bowling coaches - besides former internationals Saba Karim, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Venkatapathy Raju. The panel will be supported by NCA staff under Dav Whatmore, the director of operations.

GAMBHIR'S RESOLUTION OF 2009

Gambhir's temper was also a talking point like his fantastic performance with the bat in 2008. But Indian opener Gautam Gambhir promises to be more responsible this year and Would wish to avoid a repeat of the 'elbow-hitting' incident that resulted in a one-Test ban last season.
"I have resolved to be more calm, more responsible and no more elbowing. Missing the Nagpur Test (against Australia after hitting all-rounder Shane Watson with the elbow) was the lowest point of my career," Gambhir said when asked about his new year resolutions.
"I don't want to get into any trouble of that sort and will be more responsible," he told a TV channel.

GANGULY WAS AWARDED "BANGA-RATNA"

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was on Sunday honoured with 'Banga Ratna' by Rotary International District on the last day of their annual conference.
"It's really a proud moment to be conferred 'Banga Ratna'. My family is closely associated with Rotary International and getting a recognition from them is memorable," Ganguly said after receiving the award.
According to GM Kapur of Rotary International District, Ganguly has been Bengal's pride and the honour suited his excellence in sport.
"The award carries a plaque and a citation and is given every year to a distinguished personality from the state. Sourav having retired from cricket, we thought it would be right to honour him," he added.