Left field
The Reuters global sports blog
Cricket World Cup — live
Join us for coverage of the revamped Cricket World Cup on the subcontinent. Follow all the drama here with regular posts and some of the best photographs around. Comments welcome!
England v Australia, Twenty20 final — live
We’re blogging from the final of the World Twenty-20 cricket in the West Indies, with the clash between England and Australia building towards a climax.
England are doing surprisingly well, but who would write off Australia after their semi-final comeback against Pakistan? Stay tuned … and remember, comments are extremely welcome…
A cricket blog seems out of place amongst all the football blogs . I make this point because a radio programme was talking to a tennis star AND WAS SUDDENLY ASKING THE TENNIS STAR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORLD CUP FOOTBALL .Possibly i am wrong about that because i was trying to do other jobs and was not listening attentively enough to the radio .Please note that sports stars are often foreign and they may be able to cope with English language using words connected with their own particular sport. Asking the sports star questions about another sport is just “not on ” The star is giving up his or her time and to maintain star standard in journalism as well , i think it far better to stick to questions about that stars particular sport . Mixing a cricket report in with many footabll blogs might lead other interviewers to try “steering off “the main reason why the sports star has been chosen to give up his or her time ie the sports star is most likely expecting to be asked to talk about his/her own sport .Why give the sports star more hastle? Why give me this hastle ? I like headings and think they are important in life/There is no heading really to indicate the posts should be all about football so no mistake has been made but nevertheless it seemed important to make this point here ie a sports person is probably notdesirous of wasting time That sportsperson might consider it a waste of time if he or she is asked a question about another sport perhaps .
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka to win World Twenty20 — your views
Pakistan bowled aggressively and batted with supreme calm to seal a convincing eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final of the World Twenty20 on Sunday.
Shahid Afridi’s finely judged 54 saw them home with eight balls to spare after three wickets from Abdul Razzaq had limited Sri Lanka to 138 from their 20 overs.
Pakistan’s superb start with the ball almost decided things by itself, with Tillakaratne Dilshan’s duck setting the tone, but captain Kumar Sangakkara played beautifully to rescue the innings, scoring 64 to see his side to a total that was at least competitive.
Pakistan batted sensibly during the power play to put themselves in a winning position at 63-1 at the start of the 10th over and they made it home quite comfortably.
What did you think of the final? Let us know in the comments.
PHOTO: Shahid Afridi plays a shot during Pakistan’s World Twenty20 final win over Sri Lanka at Lord’s, June 21, 2009. REUTERS/Kieran Doherty .
I was sad to see my country lose, but Congratulations Pakistan!! Job well done!! .. Congratulations to Sri Lanka too for making it to the finals.
Sri Lanka to face Pakistan in Twenty20 final
Chris Gayle’s magnificent best was not enough to prevent Sri Lanka beating West Indies on Friday night and making it through to the World Twenty20 final, where they will face Pakistan.
Tillakartne Dilshan gave Sri Lanka a total and West Indies were undone by an astonishing first over that saw them lose three wickets…. There’s no coming back from that against a team that bowls as well as Sri Lanka. What an extraordinary tournament this has been, to provide something unexpected almost every game…
So what do you think? Pakistan or Sri Lanka? If Pakistan play like they can I think they’ll win, but if this tournament has taught us anything it is to expect the unexpected…
Let us know what you think…
PHOTO: Spectators try to catch a Chris Gayle six during the ICC World Twenty20 cricket semi-final match between the West Indies and Sri Lanka in London June 19, 2009. REUTERS/Philip Brown
You know what ever happend with srilanka coming to Pakistan or what not. But the main reason i fink Pakistan should win is that their always put down they get the blame for everything. By winning this it b dream come true. But you know what end of the day i am pakistani fan i truelly hope inshallah pakistan does win. But if they dont then what can you do becoz srilanka is a really good team nd i like malinga soo much. So lets jus see. U have 2 admit ppl pakistan was critized so much about how they going to loose to south africa but mashallah pakistan played good and for me and i fink for many pakistani fans the match with south africa had 2 b the best match every 1 was shocked. I dono if any 1 finks dis but england cricket team get payed sooo much for playin cricket dey get excellent training pakistan and sri lanka nd other teams prb dont gt half the pay but they better team. No matta what both teams r winners. but i jus hope inshallah pakistan wins tommrow. But if srilanka !
does den well done 2 dem 
x x
Passionate crowds key to sport
This week’s attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team means Pakistan will be a no-go area for sports teams for years to come but the country will still be able to “host” matches elsewhere, with a “home” series already lined up against Australia in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
It’s a good solution for the Pakistan Cricket Board, who will keep the team playing and generate much needed cash from the sale of the TV broadcasting rights, but I hope this is not the start of a trend.
Great sporting events must take place where the crowds are there to watch them, even if TV revenue would still flow in for games played just for the cameras.
As I write this, Sweden are preparing to play their Davis Cup tennis tie against Israel behind closed doors, supposedly because they could not guarantee security should fans be allowed to actually turn up and watch the matches.
Meanwhile, columnists, bloggers and sports figures have been wondering out loud whether the events of this week mean athletes are now targets for extremists, 37 years on from the Munich Olympics, when the pro-Palestinian Black September group killed 11 members of the Israeli team.
“One argument that was used is that it was very unlikely cricketers would be targeted,” England captain Andrew Strauss said after the attack. “Clearly that has been proved wrong.”
Credit to Australia for not abandoning their tour of England in the wake of the London bombings in 2005.
Flat pitches a further concern for cricket
To those uninitiated with cricket, to hear complaints about a playing surface being ‘flat’ would only further confuse them. As if the game, also hit by tragedy this week, wasn’t complex enough.
Now, a recent trend of high scores has led to criticism from some of the game’s former players, who are equally baffled by pitches that serve up nothing more than run feasts.
A list of highest test innings above 600 includes five totals all scored in the last couple of weeks, and two of those make the top 10.
This is not to say that all is bad in world cricket.
A glance at the recent first test match between South Africa and Australia shows how cricket ought to be.
There was life in the pitch from day one, and with the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg being at altitude the ball is more likely to swing. Yet Australia’s number nine batsman, Mitchell Johnson, was still able to score 96 not out in the first innings.
Under Steve Waugh, Australia stepped up the tempo of test cricket to such an extent that matches began finishing regularly in four days. This, of course, didn’t please the television companies and by coincidence or not pitches have become increasingly more bland. For example there hasn’t been a result at Lord’s since 2005.
A long winter looms for Pakistan cricket
A billion fans in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka — all test nations — have used the game of cricket as a balm for their myriad problems.
That myth was exploded on Tuesday after gunmen wounded six Sri Lankan players after firing heavy weapons as their team bus wound its way towards the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore to start the third day’s play in the second test.
While the players apparently escaped without serious injuries, at least eight Pakistanis lost their lives and a local umpire was critically wounded.
Cricket will never be the same again in the region.
Sri Lanka’s tour had itself come in the shadow of violence after the Indian government, its bilateral relations with its neighbour nosediving after the deadly November militant attacks in Mumbai, refused permission for its team to tour Pakistan in January-February.
The island team stepped into the breach, with Pakistan desperate for test cricket and money, having gone over a year without five-day games.
Former skipper Inzamam-ul Haq betrayed the helplessness of cricket administrators in Pakistan, unable to believe that militants, to draw global attention, could have targeted their favourite game.
For heavens sake, what is this India Pakistan thing going to do. All time the same shit!! Grow up people!! These attacks can be carried out by anyone who is brainless. People who are un educated. BLAME THE PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT. If they spend less money on their army and more on education then people wont be so stupid when unemployeed to grab arms and attack tourists. People who watched this thng happening in the streets of Lahore, I would like to tell you this that please BE A SHAMED of yourself. Stand behind your government, save innocent people like the sports team of Sri Lanka and stand agains those hairy taliban freaks. Pakistan is doomed if you guys dont unite against the bloody so called wanna be extra muslims. Ruining the name of Islam and the people who practice the normal way of Islam. After bad times there is always good time. If today u dont have a job 2moro u might, but at least get urself educated OUT SIDE THE MADRASSAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Those freaks wont teach u nothing that can be used to work in the 2days world.
Sport on sub-continent threatened after attack on Sri Lanka cricketers
Scenes of bloodshed on the streets of Lahore after gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus instantly ended any hopes Pakistan might have held of coaxing the cricketing world back to its grounds.
Repercussions from Tuesday’s incident that left six players wounded and five policemen dead may also be felt through the entire region for years to come (read our main report here and click here for reaction).
Security arrangements for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, to be hosted in neighbouring India, are certain to be re-examined and beefed up, while there will be renewed concerns about the merits of staging part of the 2011 Cricket World Cup in Pakistan.
Almost all of the world’s top cricket nations have already refused to tour Pakistan because of fears about the safety of their players. (more…)
Peace, Linden
quote -peace writes Who would be gaining out of this incident….-unquote
Last night I was watching this movie “A Mighty Heart (2007), ” Angelina Jolie’s film about the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, which happened in Pak in 2003. In all its gripping and sobering storyline, I suddenly burst into convulsive laughter when the Pak information minister proudly declares to national and international media that, ‘we have credible information that the Indian Intelligence agencies are behind this kidnap to embarrass and malign pak’. Later, Al Qaeda, surfaces and starts making demands for release of their hastage.
Dismissal of Shariff brothers from office,swat drone attackes and Malaria out break in Karachi will also be blamed on Indian agencies, im sure. But the said covert agencies are not able to eliminate fugitive Dawood Ibrahim, how strange.This is the typical perennial mindset from very top to bottom in civil and military establishments in Pak. The people like peace will continue to live their life in denial.
Where will Younis innings rank in Test history?
Pakistan captain Younis Khan will be chasing Brian Lara’s record highest Test score of 400 when he resumes on 306 not out against Sri Lanka but no matter how many runs he racks up — 400, 450, 500 even — it is not going to be remembered as one of the great Test knocks.
It’s not the fault of Younis, who has by all accounts batted impeccably in helping Pakistan avoid the follow-on.
But great feats of sporting endeavour, the sort you can imagine boasting to your grandchildren that you saw with your own eyes, come in less friendly circumstances than this Test, where each wicket has come at a cost of more than 100 runs.
I won’t pretend for a second to be capable of picking a list of the great Test innings, but a couple of examples will make the point.
First, which would you consider to be Brian Lara’s finest Test score? The current record 400 he scored against England in 2004? Or perhaps the 375 that originally put him top of the pile, as he swept past the old record of Sir Garfield Sobers?
Wisden would say neither. The Wisden 100 list rates his best innings the 153 not out he scored to deliver victory for West Indies after they were set 308 to win against a magnificent Australian attack a decade ago.
Or how about Graham Gooch? His 333 against India at Lord’s in 1990 remains the 12th highest Test score in history yet the following year the then captain played a much better innings to make 154 not out against West Indies at Headingley.
I think the best innings have to be those played against an in-form bowling attack, or one bowler so intent on getting the man out that he performs out of his skin.
For Gooch to notch up 154 runs against Marshall, Ambrose and Walsh is scary.
But I liked Atherton’s 185 not out against South Africa in 1995, mainly for his contest with Allan ‘White Lightning’ Donald. Atherton batted for over 10 hours, facing nearly 500 balls. That’s even more scary.
Jayawardene steps down in his own understated style
Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka’s most successful test captain and one of the nicest men in cricket, is stepping down as skipper after their tour of Pakistan.
“In the best interests of the Sri Lanka team, I have decided to stand down as Sri Lanka captain after this Pakistan tour,” Jayawardene said in a statement after three years at the helm.
“This is something I have been considering for some time as it has been my long-held belief that my successor should have at least 18 months in the job to imprint his vision on the team for the 2011 World Cup.”
Jayawardene’s departure follows Sri Lanka’s 4-1 defeat by India in a recent ODI series.
I was very impressed by Jayawardene at the 2007 World Cup in West Indies, when his side reached the final. His mild-mannered, almost shy, approach belied a strong will-to-win and an aggressive glint in his eye.
It was hard not to be relaxed amid the palm trees of the Caribbean, but Jayawardene seemed the calmest, most honest, sporting captain you would ever come across.
He has also won a number of awards for his captaincy and fair play as well as being praised for charity work.
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Resident Left Field Expert
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Congratulation to all Indians! We have won the World Cup! I am overwhelmed by the outstanding performance of our team where Dhoni acted as an ideal captain and a true leader.But I am thoroughly disappointed by the decision made by the governing bodies where MS Dhoni was recognized as Man of the Match and Gautam Gambhir was completel…y ignored by everyone out there.He did not get individual recognition for a single moment.Where as the fact is if India won today,she won because of the outstanding and consistent performance of Gautam Gambhir.He was the one who layed the foundation on which India could make a history again.MS Dhoni could not have achieved it all alone.He made the strongest partnership with Dhoni and Virat.He was the one who held on the wickets and stuck on to the ground.When 2 giant and most reliable players got out unexpectedly, we all lost hopes and that time the team needed will power, motivation,Gambhir stepped in the groung in that tensed situation where he kept his cool, calmly but steadily performing and leading India closer to its goal.He took some calculated risk and gave some wonderful shots.I am highly disappointed with such an a decision.Dhoni was undoubtedly brilliant today but the recognition should have been shared between the two champions!