Cricket.LifeTips.com
Category: General Subcategory: General-general Tip: Front Foot While playing a shot, a batsman goes to the front foot or back foot. On the front foot a right-handed batsman will put his left foot forward and then play his short and a left-handed player will put his right leg forward to play a shot. Tip: ICC International Cricket Council (ICC) is the main governing body for cricket. Its job is just that of FIFA in Soccer to regulate the game. The ICC is responsible for the whole conduct of the game and it has powers to give the Test and ODI status to any aspiring country. All the Test playing nations are full-time members of ICC while there are others who do not have Test playing status but have a say in it. The ICC is also responsible for the development of the game and has devised many strategies to try ad spread the game around to many parts of the world. Tip: Leg Spinner He is a type of spin-bowler who bowls the ball with a low trajectory and the ball after pitching turn towards the batsman's off side i.e. it starts to deviate away from him. These are very intelligent bowlers and it is very difficult to pick the turn when it leaves their hand. The famous leg-spinners of today are Shane Warne of Australia, Abdul Qadir of Pakistan and Anil Kumbe of India. Tip: Off-Spinner He is just the opposite of a leg-spinner. The ball turns towards the leg-side after it pitches and this causes the left-handed batsman to be more cautious as for them this is a leg-spinner. The famous off-spinners of are Saqlain Mushtaq and Tauseef Ahmed of Pakistan. Tip: On-Side and Off-Side For the right-handed batsman, the part of the ground that is on his left side is known as the on-side. It is the complete reverse for the left-handed batsman. Whereas the right-hand side for the right-handed batsman is known as the off-side and vice versa for the left-handed batsman. Tip: One Day International (ODI)
As opposed to a Test Match, ODIs are very short and exciting. The match ends in one day and everybody is happy. In this each team is allotted 50 overs and the team who scores more runs wins the match in those 50 overs. There are both day and day-night matches held nowadays as well. Tip: Runner The player acting as a runner for a batsman shall be a member of the batting side and shall, if possible, have already batted in that innings. The runner shall wear external protective equipment equivalent to that worn by the batsman for whom he runs and shall carry a bat. Tip: Spinner A spinner is a bowler who bowls slowly and the ball turns after pitching. There are two types of spinners, leg- and off-spinners. The famous spinners of the game are Shane Warne of Australia, Saqlain Mushtaq of Pakistan, Anil Kumble of India and others. They are all known for their variety in the spin department and are master of their art. Tip: Substitute A team is allowed to have substitutes for a player if that particular player is ill or injured. The substitute can only field in his place. He shall not be allowed to bat or bowl nor to act as wicket-keeper or as captain on the field of play. The opposing captain has to agree on the use of substitutes so that there is no misuse this facility. Tip: Test Match The test match has a stipulated five days and it has to go on for that time. The teams have to get each other out twice and the one that has scored more runs, combined from the two innings, than the other is the winner. Each day 90 overs have to be bowled. There are also draws in this types of match when five days have elapsed and no team is able to get the other out twice to force a result. Category: News Subcategory: News-general Tip: Australia whitewash West Indies The Australians continue their dominance over the world of cricket as they whitewash West Indies 5-0 to retain the Frank Worrell Trophy. They are the first ever team to inflict such a heavy defeat on the West Indies.
Tip: Pakistan lose to England The visiting England team clinched their first ever series in Pakistan by defeating them at Karachi. Pakistan had never lost a Test at the National Stadium Karachi since it was established. It was a shame for the Pakistanis and the English people were over joyed with the win. They never expected it since they were very lowly rated and it was their sheer commitment that got them through. Tip: South Africa defeat Sri Lanka The South Africans taught a lesson to the Sri Lankans when they defeated them by an innings and 229 runs. This was the most disastrous defeat for the Sri Lankans since their debut in Test cricket. The summarized scores were, Sri Lanka: 95 and 180 South Africa: 504 for 7 declared. Tip: Zimbabwe beat New Zealand The Kiwis lost the one day series to the Zimbabweans 2-1 after a thrilling performance by the Zimbabweans. The Kiwis had earlier drawn the one-off test held earlier. Category: Players Subcategory: Players-general Tip: Inzamam-ul-Haq Though not having the reputation of being the world's best runner, Inzamam has firmly cemented his position in the Pakistan side due to his consistency, versatility and powerful batting. He has effectively proven his worth in both styles of the game and has earned himself the top position in the Coopers and Lybrand's rankings. He has shown himself to be an adaptable player switching from heavy powerful hitting in the one day game to playing sensible and solid innings in Tests. This young man, hailing from Multan, an ancient cultural town in the lower Punjab, has the style, the technique and, most importantly, the calm and collected manner, which are the makings of an all time great. Career Statistics TESTS Batting M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St 70 116 12 4807 200* 46.22 12 29 57 - ODIs Batting M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St 234 221 32 7549 137* 39.94 7 56 70 - Tip: Moin Khan Moin Khan is a good wicket keeper and a reliable batsman lower down the order thus strengthening the batting line up of Pakistan. He has more often than not performed
with his bat when it was much needed. He has won many matches for Pakistan single handedly and always urges the players on the field to perform well. He can be called a "True Fighter". He is expected to give a lot more to Pakistan cricket in the future. Career Statistics TESTS Batiing M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St 61 93 7 2418 117* 28.11 3 15 111 20 ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS Batting M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St 185 155 35 2751 69* 22.92-8 185 64 Tip: Saed Anwar One half of Pakistan`s dynamic opening batting pair, Saeed Anwar`s skills in roughing up the new ball very fast have sealed the fate of many limited overs matches early in the innings. A very clean striker of the ball, Saeed is good on both sides of the wicket and seems to possess all the glory of the traditional left hander. After being in and out of the Pakistan team early in his career, Saeed is now a key member of Pakistan`s top order. After scoring three consecutive centuries in Sharjah, Saeed never looked back and has now 19 centuries to his name. Saeed also has the record of the highest runs scored by any batsman in an ODI. Although always a prolific limited overs run getter, Saeed`s Test career started off unconvincingly. He has managed to get over the initial glitches and has now developed his Test temperament immensely. He is recognized as one of the best batsmen in present day cricket. Career Statistics TESTS Batting M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St 52 86 2 3890 188* 46.30 10 25 18 - ODIs Batting M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St 213 210 16 7638 194 39.37 19 34 39 - Bowling O M R W Ave Best 4w 5w SR Econ 36.2 3 176 5 35.20 2-9 - - 43.6 4.84 Tip: Saqlain Mushtaq One of the finest off spinners in the game today, Saqlain's strike rate in one day cricket is the envy of most bowlers. He is very much in the mould of the classical offie in that he likes to give the ball some air and give it a real tweak as opposed to just pushing it through as has become the norm of late. He has been one of the few spinners to succeed on all kinds of pitches and has played crucial role, with Warne, Kumble and Murali, in reviving the art of spin bowling. Saqlain is also a very confident bowler, not easily perturbed by batsmen giving him the charge. He has enough faith in his bag of tricks to know that he will, most likely, have the last laugh. Career Statistics TESTS Batting M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St 31 49 11 565 79 14.86-2 12 - Bowling O M R W Ave Best 5W 10W SR Econ 1557 383 3960 134 29.55 8-164 11 2 69.7 2.54 ODIs Batting M I NO Runs HS Avg 100 50 Ct St 128 75 26 611 37* 12.47 0 0 21 0 Bowling Overs M Runs Wkts Avg Best 5w 4w SR ER 1117.5 53 4738 237 19.99 5-20 6 9 28.30 4.24 Tip: Shahid Khan Afridi Shahid Khan Afridi; called in as a last minute replacement leg spinner for the One Day Tournament in Kenya in 1996, amazed everyone by smashing a century off 37 balls
after being promoted to one down. The promise shown in his early batting in international cricket has gradually worn off due to poor self-control and perhaps team management. He has not been called upon to play regular first class cricket to improve his batting skills, instead has been made a regular pinch hitter who after a few defensive strokes begins lashing out regardless of line and length. This may have put a halt on his learning progress and he now needs to play far more carefully to retain his place in the team. The percentages were clearly against him and as he has so far failed to 'learn from experience', the tremendous expectations from him are subsiding. Afridi probably introduced the fastest spin delivery the game has seen in recent years. Delivering quick leg spinners with an occasional even quicker one, he surprised and beat many batsmen through his unorthodox bowling. But with exposure, batsmen have now got used to him and fewer wickets fall Afridi's way. Never a significant turner or flighter of the ball, he has now just become a run stopper in the middle of the innings rather than a wicket taker. Shahid Khan Afridi's extravagant bowling avg. (+45) and higher than average economy rate, coupled with his ever falling batting scores have begun to raise doubts and do not reflect the initial promise shown by this hugely popular youngster. Career Statistics: TESTS Batting M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St 11 20 1 594 141 31.26 68.67 1 3 7 - Bowling O M R W Ave Best 5 10 SR Econ 197.5 41 584 20 29.20 5-52 1-59.3 2.95 ODIs Batting M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St 120 116 4 2673 109 23.86 2 14 44 - Bowling O M R W Ave Best 4w 5w SR Econ 731.2 19 3450 78 44.23 5-40 - 1 56.2 4.71 Tip: Waqar Younis "The Burewala Express," named so after his hometown in central Punjab, Waqar Younis has brought back the danger, the fear, and the devastation into fast bowling that was associated with greats like Marshall, Holding, Imran and Lillie at the peak of their careers. After an innocuous performance in his debut against India at home in 1989, Waqar stormed onto the international scene in 1990, with his amazing feats at the dull Sharjah wicket, and has since then, when fully fit, been possibly the most feared bowler in recent history. Waqar`s career has been interrupted by a recurring back problem, which caused him to miss the 1992 World Cup, and most of the 1995 cricketing year. Despite this, Waqar holds the record for reaching 200 wickets in the least number of Tests jointly with Dennis Lillie. Waqar specializes in moving the old ball a long way both into and away from the batsman. His inswinging yorkers have been referred to as "toe-crushers," to the validity of which many batsmen can testify. Career Statistics TESTS Batting M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St 68 92 19 746 45 10.21 - - 11 - Bowling O M R W Ave Best 5W 10W SR Econ 2203 427 7045 313 22.50 7-76 21 5 42.2 3.19 ODIs Batting M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St 199 105 36 738 37 10.69 - - 23 - Bowling O M R W Ave Best 4w 5w SR Econ 1636.2 109 7497 316 23.72 6-26 12 10 31.0 4.58 Tip: Wasim Akram
With all apologies to Alan Davdison, Wasim Akram is the greatest left arm pace bowler of all time. His achievements in both forms of the game are unmatched. In the early days, Wasim was an out and out quick bowler. Over the years, he has added much variety to his bowling and become one of the most feared and respected opponents. Few bowlers can disguise deliveries as well as Akram. His ability to move the ball both ways off the seam is almost legendary. The two deliveries that he bowled (to Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis) in the 1992 World Cup final are now part of cricketing lore. Seldom has one man dominated a final the way Akram did in 1992. As a batsman, Akram has never realised his true potential. In the final analysis, that might go against him and prevent him being bracketed alongside the likes of Sobers, Botham, Kapil Dev and Imran Khan. He has enjoyed much success as captain but internal wrangling and skirmishes with the establishment have resulted in his being replaced at the helm. Now in the twilight of his career, he has his eyes trained on replacing Courtney Walsh as the leading wicket taker in Test matches. His record of over 400 wickets in limited overs matches is unlikely ever to be broken. Career Statistics TESTS Batting M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St 100 143 18 2815 257* 22.52 3 7 43 - Bowling Overs M Runs Wkts Ave Best 5W 10W SR Econ 3662.3 848 9478 409 23.17 7-119 25 5 53.7 2.58 ODIs Batting M I NO Runs HS Avg 100 50 Ct St 311 244 43 3258 86 16.21 0 6 87 15 Bowling Overs M Runs Wkts Avg Best 5w 4w SR ER 2659.5 208 10266 431 23.82 5-15 5 16 37.03 3.86 Category: Records Subcategory: Records-general Tip: Highest Wickets Courtney Walsh of West Indies holds the record of taking the highest number of Test Wickets, 493 to be exact. It has taken him around 130 Tests and is going great guns to reach the 500 milestone even at the age of 37. His next assignment is South Africa's tour of West Indies and it is expected that he will reach the milestone there. Tip: Highest Wickets in ODIs This record is held by Wasim Akram of Pakistan. He has so far taken 432 wckets and is leading by more than a hundred wickets. He has played 311 one dayers and is fit enough to play for another 2-3 years where he can take this record to newer heights. He also holds the distinction to be the only person to have taken two hat-tricks in ODIs and also two in Test cricket. Wasim Akram is the best left arm bowler that anybody has seen. Tip: The World Cup
The world cup is the mega event of cricket just like for Soccer or any other sport. All the teams that play cricket internationally participate in it. It is help after every four years on a rotation basis. The team who wins the tournament is crowned the world champions of ODIs for the next four years. There have been seven world cups so far and out of them West Indies and Australia have won it twice, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka have won it once. The latest was held in 1999 in England and it was won by Australia. Category: Rules Subcategory: Rules-general Tip: Caught When a batsman hits the ball and a fielder in the field catches the ball before it falls on the ground the batsman is out caught. Another form is when he is caught behind that is when the catch is held by the wicket-keeper. Tip: Dead Ball A ball is dead when: a) a boundary is scored b) it lodges in a batsman's clothing or equipment c) it lodges in a helmet of the fielding side d) the umpire calls "over" or "time" It usually means that it is time for a new delivery to be bowled by the bowler and the batsman cannot score any more runs from that delivery. He has to face the next delivery and then score runs. Tip: LBW A batsman is given out LBW, when the ball hits the body and the umpire is of the opinion that the ball will hit the stumps, had the batsman completely missed it. But there are certain exceptions. If the ball has pitched outside the leg-stump, then the batsman can never be given out LBW. In the other case, if the ball has pitched outside the off-stump and has also hit the batsman outside his off-stump, he cannot be given out. The height is also taken into account. Even if the batsman is adjacent to the stumps but the ball has hit him high on the legs then chances are that he will be given the benefit of doubt. Tip: Leg Byes A leg bye is credited to the batting side if a striker plays at a fair ball and it comes off his person or clothing and goes for runs. These runs will only be given if the batsman has attempted to play the ball with his bat or he has tried to avoid being hit by the ball.
Tip: Run Out This occurs when a batsman is found short of his ground while he is running for a run and the fielder has broken down the wicket. Nowadays, there are third umpires placed to give an accurate decision if there is any element of doubt in the minds of the umpires on the field. The bowler is not credited with the wicket as he has no role to play in taking the wicket. Tip: Slips This is a field position wherein the fielder stands beside the wicket-keeper to try and catch any shots that may have come of the edge of the batsman's bat. There can be multiple number of slips and the maximum it can reach is 9 as these are the maximum fielders that a team can spread out in the field. Tip: Stumped This usually happens when there is a spinner bowling. If a batsman, while in his follow through, is found short of the crease and the wicket-keeper dislodges the wicket, then the batsman is given out stumped. It should be prompt and any time delay will result in a run out decision being given and the bowler will not be credited with the wicket. Tip: Wide Ball A wide ball is signalled by the umpire if in his opinion the ball is so high or wide off the wicket that the batsman cannot reach it while standing in his normal position. A penalty of one run is given for a wide, but if the batsman runs two runs, then it will stand as two wides. The ball is not dead when a wide is called and the striker may be given out stumped or hit wicket and a batsman may be out, run out or handled ball or obstructing the field. In one day cricket the interpretation is stricter.