SACHIN-THE MAESTRO

[Idukki Gold]

New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar has been declared fit for the first Test against Australia starting October 9.

"A report submitted by Paul Close (National Cricket Academy physio) states that the player has recovered fully from his elbow injury. Tendulkar will join the camp (at Bangalore from September 30) prior to the series," a BCCI media release said here on Friday.

Tendulkar had injured his elbow during the third and final Test in Sri Lanka last month and has been out of action since.

He also sat out of the high profile Irani Trophy encounter.

Tendulkar now has been declared fit by the physiotherapist Paul Close at the national cricket Academy and can join the national team training camp which begins on the September 29.

tanx jaggu

[Hari Kuttan]

Sachin the best ever ODI opener | espnstar.com

10. Sourav Ganguly- 4620 points
It might come as a surprise to some to see Ganguly this low on the list. The Prince of Kolkata has 19 tons as an opener at an average of 41.5. But it's his strike-rate that sees him lose out- 73.6 which is low for a player who played his cricket in the late 90s and the 2000s. That gives him an adjusted SR of 72.2 and that's enough for him to just squeeze into this top ten list.
9. Gary Kirsten- 4635 points
More famous now as Team India's coach, Gary Kirsten was South Africa's reliable sheet anchor. He was a grafter, often opting for the fine nudges and glances as opposed to taking the aerial route. He finished with 13 centuries with an average of 41.8
8. Graeme Smith- 4770 points
From one Protea opener to another- Graeme Smith is the modern day hard-hitting aggressive batsman. He took over as South Africa's youngest ever captain in 2003 and has since led from the front. He scores fast, at a strike-rate at 82 at a healthy average of 41. Smith may have been named captain of the ICC Test team of the year, but his impressive ODI record makes him the highest ranked South African on this list.
7. Saeed Anwar- 4788 points
Anwar will always be remembered by Indian fans as the man who always scored big hundreds against them. The biggest of those was 194 in Chennai, which is the highest individual score in ODIs. Anwar also loved playing in Sharjah, where he destroyed a number of bowling attacks. Anwar amassed over 8000 runs as an opener and finished with a fantastic conversion rate of turning fifties into hundreds, with 37 fifties and 20 tons.

6. Chris Gayle- 4832 points
The numbers seem to indicate that Hurricane Gayle is one of the most under-rated cricketers in today's game. He figured highly in the all-rounders list and is up at 6 on this list, and it's hard to argue with his average almost touching 42 and his strike-rate in the 80s. There may be doubts on whether or not the Jamaican left-hander should lead the Caribbean national team, but there is no doubting his place in the list of all-time great one-day batsmen.
5. Adam Gilchrist- 4847 points
Gilly revolutionised the game with his unique attacking style and is arguably the most exciting player in the modern game. He finished with a strike-rate of 98 which more than made up for a less than stellar average of 36.5. With his form declining towards the end of his career, Gilchrist proved his mettle with a breathtaking hundred that 'squashed' the Sri Lankans in the World Cup final.
4. Matthew Hayden- 5019 points
In case you haven't noticed yet, this list seems to be filled with left-handers for some inexplicable reason. Winner of the ICC One-Day Player of the Year in 2007, Matty Hayden is the seventh and final left-hander in the top ten. And with an average in excess of 44 and a strike-rate close to 80, it's not hard to see why.
3. Mark Waugh- 5114 points
In terms of overall batting records considering all positions in the batting order, Mark Waugh is well behind his other Aussie mates. But Junior stepped up his game as opener, his career average of 39.4 up by almost 5 points when he batted atop the order. He was a terrific strokemaker and opening the innings took him from being just another really good player to a truly great ODI batsman!
2. Gordon Greenidge- 5162 points
Greenidge is one of the guys from yesteryear who would have gone unnoticed if it hadn't been for the decadal adjustment. An impressive average of 45.4, but a seemingly meager SR of 65.7. However, Greenidge played at a time when batsman did not score very fast. He formed the greatest opening combination the 80s with Desmond Haynes and while Haynes may have been the highest run-getter at ODIs at one point in time, it's Greendige's consistency and hard-hitting that sees him at number two on this list.
1. Sachin Tendulkar- 6007 points
Sachin Tendulkar tops the list with a commanding lead, almost 1000 points clear of his closest rival. 13245 runs as an opener, at an average of 48.2 with 38 centuries and 68 fifties. All that at a prolific strike-rate of 87.4! Not surprisingly, the Master Blaster is miles ahead of the competition amongst all opening batsmen in the history of the One-Day game. But is Tendulkar the greatest batsman in the history of One-Day cricket? That answer comes to you on another day with another list!

[hitler]

Great News Sachin e vellan ini arenkilum janikkanam..

[Prithvithestar]

Sachin My Super Star... :)

[Prithvithestar]

[jagan]

Tendulkar to arrive in training camp early

Mumbai: India's master-blaster Sachin Tendulkar is leaving for Bangalore on Sunday morning, it is learnt here.


According to the sources close to the batsman, he will be reaching Bangalore two days prior to the scheduled training camp which begins on Tuesday under the watchful eyes of coach Gary Kirsten and assistant coach Pady Upton.


Though Tendulkar has been declared fit by the Indian cricket board, he will be examined by NCA physio and trainer - Paul Close and Paul Chapman - it is also learnt. Tendulkar suffered injury to his right hand elbow during last Sri Lanka tour.


The first Test against visiting Australian team starts on 9th October. All eyes will be on him as he is on the threshold of beating Brian Lara's record of the highest Test

[reality]

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar tops the list of the world's 100 best Test cricketers named by legendary spinner Shane Warne [Images] in his book Shane Warne's century, which also features as many as 10 other Indians.

Warne's list from among cricketers whom he had played with or against also includes Sourav Ganguly [Images], Rahul Dravid [Images], VVS Laxman, Harbhajan Singh [Images], Virender Sehwag [Images], Anil Kumble [Images], Kapil Dev [Images], Mohammad Azharuddin, Dilip Vengsarkar and Ravi Shastri.

The list in Warne's book released on October 2 is almost identical with the one the The Times newspaper published ast year.

The legendary spinner describes Tendulkar as a "genius" and "best in the business", one who has an amazing discipline, and puts the Indian ahead of West Indian legend Brian Lara .


"Tendulkar has a touch of genius about him. He is the best in the business. Being quick and decisive means that he either goes all the way forward or back on the crease, but doesn't get caught in two minds.

"I have found it difficult at times to deceive him because he reads the length and the spin so quickly," said Warne of Tendulkar in the book.

Ganguly, who is in the Indian Test squad to play against Australia [Images] in the four-Test series starting on October 9, figures in 96th place in Warne's list.

Warne shared a love and hate relationship with Ganguly. The two have had a few run-ins, the latest being during the inaugural edition of Indian Premier League [Images], where they involved in a war of words and were both fined 10 per cent of their match fees.

Still, Warne considers Ganguly as an intelligent cricketer with interesting ideas on all subjects and one who has his own way of doing things.

"But he did have the knack of rubbing up opponents (and even teammates when he went to Lancashire) the wrong way without seeming to try very hard. If this was part of a deliberate strategy, then he got it bang on at times.

"He would also be late for the toss and then walk off on his own without waiting for Steve Waugh, our captain. To be a minute or so behind because an issue crops up is one thing, but more than that is just taking the mickey," Warne wrote of Ganguly in the book.

Besides Tendulkar, the top five include Brian Lara in second spot, followed by Curtly Ambrose, Allan Border [Images] and Glenn McGrath.

The list of 100 best cricketers also has nine Pakistanis and eight Sri Lankan players.

[Lakkooran]

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[KarthikeyaN]

McGrath and Richards hail ‘Tendulkar the great’ — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

Sachin Tendulkar.

New Delhi: The air of invincibility that gave nightmares to bowlers is all but gone but Sachin Tendulkar’s greatness can never be doubted and the least that the batting maestro deserves is a retirement day of his choice.
Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath, West Indian great Sir Vivian Richards and the man who has been called a ‘Tendulkar clone’ — Virender Sehwag — are unanimous in their opinion that Tendulkar does not need anybody other than himself to decide when the time is right to call it a day.
For all his vulnerabilities that have been exposed over the years, McGrath says Tendulkar remains as enchanting as he was when he first burst into the international scene as a 16-year-old.
In fact, he says it hurts when critics scrutinise a career as glorious as Tendulkar’s through statistics.
“It’s sad to note that people try to find faults in Sachin’s mental strength by pointing to a poorer second innings average and a below-par record in the finals. I find such readings of Sachin’s career to be a bit harsh,” McGrath wrote in a column published in the latest issue of The Week magazine.
“I know he is coming towards the end of his career but I think he has earned the right to decide when he runs out of the urge to play. He has enough financially and now it’s up to him to seek motivation and if he finds it, he must continue to play,” he added.
Richards goes a step further and says that Tendulkar’s refusal to leave the international stage even after playing for 19 years is based on his love for the game and instead of being critical, critics and fans should enjoy whatever is left of his career.
“He is at a stage in his career where financial gain and the need to prove himself are no longer motivators. He is playing because he loves the game and feels that he can continue for a couple of seasons more.
“Instead of waiting for the announcement, let’s enjoy the remaining innings of this great player and immensely likeable individual,” he said.
Sehwag puts it rather bluntly and says Tendulkar is “god of cricket” and should continue as long as he wants.
“I once asked him ‘you have made so many runs and played for so many years, don’t you get bored?’ He said ‘no I am enjoying my cricket. The day I feel I am not enjoying playing, I will quit,”’ the Indian opener said recalling a conversation with Tendulkar. The trio feels Tendulkar’s greatness lies not just in his batting prowess, but in the way he has influenced the sport, setting an example for one and all with his conduct both on and off the field.
One in a billion “The joy he brings to the millions of his countrymen, the grace with which he handles all the adulation and the expectations and his innate humility — all make for a one in a billion individual,” said McGrath.
“It’s often said that Sachin does well when his teammates do well. But, to turn that around a little, perhaps his teammates do well because he instils confidence in them by his own performance. He has had a long career spanning two decades, yet he has the ability to raise his game to a different level and inspire his teammates by example,” added Richards.
Born for cricket “He insists that one must enjoy the journey and not think of the result. I think he is born for cricket. Nobody talks about cricket while waiting at airports or during a flight, but he always talks about the game,” observed Sehwag of his inspiration.
“I want his consistency, his technique, his focus — I want all that from him. He always tells me to enjoy my batting and to keep taking on new challenges,” he added. — PTI

[jagan]

master blaster on the top of the world