World Cup could be a three-way race - Duncan Fletcher

Next month's World Cup could end up being a three-way race between the top teams in Test cricket, Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach and currently South Africa's batting consultant, has said. "You've got three sides on a par: India South Africa and England, all with different strengths and weaknesses," Fletcher said in Johannesburg on Friday. 

Fletcher claimed South Africa, who have never won a World Cup, are going to be a "huge threat" in the subcontinent. "I believe South Africa match everyone as far as one-day cricket is concerned." He indicated that their stiffest challenge will come from India, who will be under "enormous pressure" because they are playing at home and England, given their recent form. "England has a good athletic side in the one-day game. The big difference, and you can see it, is the confidence having gone out to beat Australia." 

While Fletcher singled out those three teams as the top dogs, he also felt this World Cup will be one of the most hotly contested in years, because of the more level-playing field. "It's an open World Cup for a change. There are no firm favourites. You can't rule out Sri Lanka. Australia, although they have taken a huge dip, I don't know where they are at the moment and Pakistan, you can't write them off on those wickets."

The conditions in the subcontinent are expected to be a major factor in the tournament and Fletcher had two significant pieces of advice for all the teams. "Spinners are going to be crucial," he said, "Secondly, you need fit cricketers, because it's going to be hot there and the players have to adapt to those kinds of wickets and get their techniques right and how to play on those wickets." 

Both those warnings will need to be taken seriously by South Africa, who traditionally only use one spinner and came under fire for several senior players suffering from cramp in the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean. That senior-player contingent which consisted of Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and Justin Kemp, now only two survivors and the dynamics of the South African team have changed since then, so fitness should not be an issue, whereas the role of the spinner might be.

Johan Botha shoulders most of the slow-bowling responsibility, with JP Duminy's role increasing. The South African selectors have included Pakistan-born legspinner Imran Tahir in the squad for the current series ODI against India, but he did not play in the first match in Durban and looks unlikely to make an appearance in the second in Johannesburg. The pitches in South Africa favour their four-seamer, one spinner, attack and without testing Tahir here, it's difficult to see how he will fit into the World Cup plans.

For Fletcher, the big question that hung over South Africa was how their bowlers will adjust to pitches that are significantly different to the quick, bouncy strips they are playing the current series on and are used to. He didn't think South Africa were easily fooled into believing they will be gifted surfaces like the one they had in Durban on Wednesday, where they bowled India out for 154, but he was concerned about the short time-frame they will have to acclimatise to vastly different conditions. "When they go to India those wickets may be a bit slower and a bit flatter, but they just have to get used to it. They have to adapt a bit quicker," he said. 

South Africa played ODI cricket in India last year as well as a series in similar conditions in the UAE against Pakistan. Fletcher said the planning has been in place for a while for this World Cup, but the execution will still be important. "They've [youngsters] been across to Sri Lanka on a couple of A tours so they planned well in that situation. But there's still a huge jump up from that level to international level."

Fletcher believed South Africa had the ability to learn quickly and with the number of young players in the set up, and the guidance they will be provided with, they will have the right mindset to challenge for the title. "With fresh young minds coming through and wanting ideas you just have to make sure you go through their game mentally rather than technically. The key to it is to make them believe that ability they have is good enough and it has got them to this level. That's why they have been picked." 

Fletcher will travel with the South African team for the remainder of the ODI series against India and through the warm-up stages of the World Cup. He has also not ruled out coaching them on a full-time basis in future. With Corrie van Zyl stepping down after the World Cup, there is every possibility of Fletcher stepping in. "I'm not going to say I like a job, I'm not going to say I don't like a job at the moment. I've been very fortunate with the work I'm doing with South Africa." 

Cricket South Africa extended the deadline for applications for the head coach to February 18, so Fletcher still has some time to consider if he will throw his name into the hat.

Tendulkar and Kallis share number-one batting spot

India batsman Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis of South Africa have jointly claimed the coveted number-one position in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after stellar performances in the Cape Town Test which finished on Thursday.

Tendulkar, who scored 146 and 14 not out, has gained one place while Kallis has been rewarded with a jump of four places for his performances of 161 and 109 not out .that earned him the man of the series and match of the match awards, to leapfrog Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara.

Both the batsmen now sit on 883 ratings points, just one ahead of Sangakkara.

Tendulkar, who won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year Award 2010 at the LG ICC Awards in Bengaluru in October last year, last claimed the number-one spot on 14 October 2010 after his magnificent 214 and 53 not out against Australia also in Bengaluru.

It is the 10th time that Tendulkar has claimed the number-one ranking which he first achieved in his 33rd Test in November 1994 against the West Indies in Mumbai.

Kallis last surged to the top of the batting table in October 2005 after the Sydney Test against Australia while he first topped the chart after the Newlands Test against England in January 2005. He earned 77 ratings points from the series against India in which he scored 498 runs.

Also charging up the batting table are left-handed openers Alastair Cook of England and Gautam Gambhir of India. Cook, who scored a match-winning 189 in Sydney, has vaulted eight places to fifth spot. Cook had entered the Ashes in 30th position on 628 ratings point and ended the series with a career-best rating of 803 – thanks to his series aggregate of 766 runs which earned him the man of the series award.

Gambhir has broken into the top 20 and he now sits in 15th position after his scores of 93 and 64 have helped him jump seven places in the latest rankings which were released on Friday.

England's Ian Bell and Matt Prior have also improved their rankings after hitting centuries in England's an innings and 83 runs victory in Sydney. Bell has moved up five places to 22nd position while Prior is now in 29th position after gaining six places.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, South Africa's Dale Steyn continues to lead the pack. He is now on 899 ratings points after earning two ratings points and will now have to wait until the next Test series against Australia in September-October before he takes a shot at the 900-point mark threshold..

Bowlers making upward movements include James Anderson in third (up by one place), Ishant Sharma in 15th (up by one place), S.Sreesanth in 22nd (up by four places), Ben Hilfenhaus in 24th (up by two places), Shane Watson in 32nd (up by one place) and Tim Bresnan in 36th (up by five places).

There is no change in the top five of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders with Kallis leading Daniel Vettori of New Zealand by a distance.

Australia finally halt England's winning march

Australia edged out England by four runs in the second and final Twenty20 International at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday to level the series 1-1.

With this loss, England's world record eight match winning streak in Twenty20 Internationals also came to an end.

Australia, after opting to bat first, posted 147 for 7 in its 20 overs. England started off briskly but later lost its way in the chase and ended up at 143 for 6 to finish on the losing side.

Earlier, Australia rode on a brisk start by David Warner (30: 26b, 3x4), but quickly slipped from 63 for 2 to 80 for five. It required a 51-run stand for the sixth wicket between Aaron Finch (53: 33b, 4x4, 2x6) and Steven Smith to give the score some respectability. For England its spinners Graeme Swann (2-19) and Michael Yardy (2-19) bowled well.

England began its chase in fine fashion with Ian Bell (39: 30b, 3x4) and Steven Davies (29: 26b, 2x4) adding 60 in 7.2 overs. But a middle-order collapse followed. England moved from 60-0 to 88-4 and thereafter fell behind the asking rate. Chris Woakes spanked a straight six off Brett Lee in the last over to bring in some excitement into the contest but it was too little too late.

All-rounder Shane Watson (2-17) and fast bowler Mitchell Johnson (3-29) were the best bowlers on view as Australia snapped their five-match losing streak in Twenty20 Internationals.

CWC 2011 50-day countdown celebrations in Cape Town

Cricket fans flocked to the picturesque and world famous V and A Waterfront in Cape Town on Friday evening to celebrate 50 days to go before the start of the game's flagship event, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

The tournament begins in Mirpur, Dhaka, on 19 February with the much-anticipated opener between co-hosts Bangladesh and India.

Joining the many followers of the game in Cape Town were Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat and South Africa and India captains, Graeme Smith and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The full version of the official promotional film for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 was also revealed at the press conference. This promotional film will be part of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 television marketing campaign that will go on air this month.

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 trophy was later displayed at the function which concluded shortly after midnight with a spectacular fireworks display.

The celebrations will continue today (Saturday) at the V and A Waterfront Shopping Centre with the fans having an opportunity to be photographed with The Cup that Counts.

Ms Zille, in her welcome address, said: "2010 will always be remembered as the year of a successful and exciting FIFA World Cup in South Africa. It is a fitting way to conclude 2010 by welcoming the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy to Cape Town."

Mr Lorgat said he was delighted to see so much interest and excitement building up amongst the players and followers of the game.

"With 50 days to go before cricket's flagship event starts, key players are starting to think and talk a lot more about the World Cup"

"The players will soon start with their World Cup focus and preparation and the related anticipation across the world will escalate with each passing day."

With the three host nations busy with extensive preparation and recognizing that a few venues were behind schedule, Mr Lorgat urged everyone to continue with the hard work required to successfully stage a world-class event.

"We must do our utmost to complete all the necessary work to deliver another memorable event," said Mr Lorgat.

He also thanked the host countries and the ICC's commercial partners for their excellent work to date.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith, whose side opens its campaign against two-time winner West Indies in New Delhi on 24 February, shared his excitement when he said: "I can't believe that the World Cup is only 50 days away! The spectacular way that 50 days to the World Cup was marked is a pointer to the magnitude of the event.

"As a unit, we are looking to make sure we head into the showpiece with the best preparation possible.

"The five-match ODI series against India starting on 12 January will be our last chance to make sure we are fully prepared and we hope to bring home the silverware."

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he can feel the World Cup buzz around him.
"With just 50 days remaining before we launch our campaign to win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, I can clearly feel and sense the tremendous excitement which is gripping the cricket fraternity," he said.

"It is not a surprise to me as it doesn't get any bigger than the World Cup. It is the ultimate dream of every cricketer to represent his country in this competition and win the glittering trophy at least once in his career.

"Every one of us in the India dressing room wants to lift that cup, not only for ourselves, but also for the billions of fans supporting us around the globe. It will require a lot of hard work, self belief and also a positive approach which Team India is capable of displaying at the highest level."

Commenting on his side's preparations for the World Cup, Dhoni said: "I'm happy with our preparations so far as we have gelled well, we have backed each other all the way and have played some excellent cricket lately. But we are also aware that we need to peak at the right time and maintain a winning momentum as the competition will be tough and every team will enter the event fancying its chances.

"Each team and match will bring a fresh challenge and we will have to play to our potential every time we take the field."

The charismatic India captain urged the spectators to play their part in making the event the most successful ever.

He said: "I also take this opportunity to urge the India public and spectators to support the tournament and all the teams taking part in it. I would love to see every stadium packed to capacity even when we are not playing.

"With billions of eyes following the World Cup on television, this would be another great opportunity for us to showcase our love and passion for this great sport. Let us all unite and make the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in the subcontinent the best ever."

Official ICC CWC 2011 merchandise goes on sale

Supporters following the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and general cricket fans around the globe can now ensure they look the part following the launch of the official tournament online store.

The site, which is being managed by international brand management company IVS Group Ltd, will offer a wide range of official merchandise, including T-shirts, polos, caps, key-rings, mini-bats and horns as well as a range of products for children centred around the event mascot, Stumpy.

Visitors to www.icconlinestore.com can shop for official merchandise by product, by team or by range and purchasing is convenient, safe and secure with Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Laser, Maestro and Solo all accepted methods of payment.

Managing Director of IVS Group Ash Kapoor said: "We are proud to be working with such a prestigious international event as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. It is the third biggest sporting event in the world and we are honoured to be providing the merchandising services this time just as we did at the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009 and 2010."

The licensing and merchandise for the tournament is facilitated and managed by Licensing In Motion (LIM), the ICC's global licensing and merchandising partner, and the online store can be found at www.icconlinestore.com with a worldwide delivery service provided.

In addition, IVS Group will also manage the official onsite event sales and will be present at all 13 venues of the ICC 2011 Cricket World Cup across Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. IVS always uses local suppliers and labour thus generating jobs within the community while minimising environmental impact.

Gilchrist to captain Kings XI Punjab

Adam Gilchrist, the former Australia wicketkeeper, will be the captain of Kings XI Punjab for the fourth season of the IPL, the Punjab coach Michael Bevan has said. Bevan said Punjab bought Gilchrist, who led Hyderabad to the trophy in the IPL's second season, specifically for his leadership skills. Gilchrist was bought on the first day of the auction for $900,000. 

"The main reason we picked him was because he is the captain," Bevan, who was appointed Punjab coach four days before the auction, said. He also brushed aside any fears of form or fitness issues Gilchrist might have considering he is the second oldest player in the IPL at 39 years. "Even if he is not at the peak of his career, I still feel as a leader he has a lot to offer. In Twenty20 cricket you are not asking the guy to strike at 120 in the opening position. You are asking for guys to strike at 140 or 150 and Gilly is the type of player who can turn in three or four match-winning performances over the season." 

It was Gilchrist who contacted Bevan, with whom he played alongside in the 1999 and 2003 World Cup winning sides, as soon as he heard the news. "He pretty much rang back straightaway and has been involved in the team-building process in the auction after that. That is a great sign; him lending his experience with some of the players he has played with. As a coach, you want your captain immersed in what we are trying to achieve."

Gilchrist was the first player bought by Punjab, on January 8. They proceeded to buy 10 more players, with only four Indian players, the backbone of any IPL team, adding wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, batting allrounder Abhishek Nayar, legspinner Piyush Chawla and seamer Praveen Kumar.

Bevan reckoned spending big money on some of the Indian players might have been a gamble, but he did admit he was new at the IPL poker table. "I was not sure paying two million for a really good player would pay off, but we will wait and see." Punjab had at their disposal a purse of $9 million, but came out of the auction with $2.17 million left unspent. Though he did not say it plainly, Bevan confessed Punjab might have erred in not risking more money on players. "Perhaps we misread the market a little and misread the pricing. There was some fever-pitch bidding, with Indian players going for sky-high prices which we never expected." 

Even though he knew Indian players would go for pretty high prices because there were only 48 of them, Bevan was surprised by how much some of the younger players got. "There was always going to be a premium on the Indian players. We were happy to go with some good solid younger players, but even they went for lots of money." 

Punjab lost out on several players whom they started to bid for, only to be outbid by other franchises. Mahela Jayawardene, who played for them in the first three seasons of the IPL, was bought by Kochi for $1.5 million after Punjab had made a $1.4 million bid. They bid the same amount for Yuvraj Singh, Punjab's captain in the first two seasons and their icon player, only to lose him to the new Pune franchise for $1.8 million. They also lost bidding wars for Australia allrounder Cameron White, India batsman Rohit Sharma, and allrounder Irfan Pathan, who was part of their team for the first three seasons. 

Bevan pointed out that the team owners had decided to stick to a certain budget. "As a coach you also got to go with your budget constraints and hence we had to work out the pricing. It is all part of the big picture. It is just not having the ability to get anyone you want." 

Punjab will now have to fill up the rest of their squad with the uncapped Indian players and India Under-19 players. 

Bevan admitted that taking over as the Punjab coach is the most high-profile job he has ever done, and said the fact he entered late into the piece meant he was a little bit nervous before the auction. But he remains confident of Punjab's prospects because of the presence of Gilchrist.

No takers for Ashes heroes and cricket legends

Bangalore: There were no takers for England's Ashes heroes James Anderson, Graeme Swann, Matt Prior and cricket legends like Brian Lara and Sourav Ganguly on the first day of the players' auction for the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) here Saturday.

Ganguly, India's most successful Test captain, was the first of the 16 players to go into the unsold basket at the ITC Royal Gardenia. Ganguly was earlier placed in the $200,000 price bracket, but he later increased his base price to $400,000, which is the highest bracket for marquee players in the league.

Ganguly, who was the oldest Indian player up for auction at 38 years and six months, had a tough time with Knight Riders and was also removed from captaincy in the second edition in South Africa.

But Knight Riders were not interested in Ganguly and released him for the fourth edition. During Ganguly's auction, the spotlight was on the Knight Riders' table, but the team's think tank looked down as his name was repeatedly called before he went to the unsold basket.

Ganguly was soon joined by another Knight Riders player Gayle in the unsold category.

At 41, Lara was the oldest player in the IPL auction and failed to attract any of the 10 franchises and the celebrity auctioneer Richard Madley didn't waste much time to dump him in the unsold basket where he joined Gayle, another former West Indies captain.

Lara made a return to competitive cricket by playing in Zimbabwe's premier Twenty20 league in October. He was eager to play in the IPL and was also working on his fitness.

IPL chairman Chirayu Amin said that the unsold players will get another chance to find buyers.

"The unsold players will be back in the fray again after the initial rounds are over. This is a reality of the game. It is extremely competitive and the choice of players is left with the owners. The IPL governing council has no say in this matter. It is unfortunate but that's the reality of life," said Amin.

The list of 16 unsold cricketers:

Sourav Ganguly (India) $400,000
Brian Lara (West Indies) $400,000
Chris Gayle (West Indies) $400,000
Luke Wright (England) $400,000
James Anderson (England) $400,000
Graeme Swann (England)$400,000
Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa) $200,000
Matt Prior (England) $200,000
Mark Boucher (South Africa) $200,000
Murali Kartik (India) $200,000
Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka) $200,000
Jesse Ryder (New Zealand) $100,000
Dilharo Fernando (Sri Lanka) $100,000
Chamara Kapugedera (Sri Lanka) $100,000
Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh) $100,000
Graham Manou (Australia) $50,000