WARNIE ON ODIs

Twenty20 has rendered one-day cricket irrelevant and the 50-over format should be done away with, according to spin great Shane Warne."I'll say it again, one-day cricket should go. It has evolved into Twenty20," said the Australian legend, asserting the game would be better off with just two formats."Cricket only needs two forms of the game. Something needs to be done about scheduling: it's been going on for too long," Warne wrote in his column for 'Herald Sun'.The leg-spinner, who led Rajasthan Royals to a fairytale triumph in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League, remains a staunch supporter of the Twenty20 format and believes one-dayers simply has no business in the international calendar.Warne was equally critical of Australia's post-Ashes schedule which pits them against the same English side for a seven-match ODI series.

TWIST

The recent rank game of cricket resembles the unexpected ups & downs of life.

1. With ICC releasing fresh rankings after Ashes, Australia's No.1 Test ranking and its 14-year hold on world dominance has ended. They have been placed at 4th place below India with 116 pts.

2. Gauti taking the advantage to Sangakkara's and Clarke's poor performance climbs to the summit in test player rankings.

ENGLAND CLINCHES THE ASHES, SAYS YOUTH DID THE TRICK

Andrew Flintoff returned in place of Graham Onions for the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval and other than that Jonathan Trott was the only change to the England line-up from the team which slumped to defeat within two and a half days at Headingley.
Warwickshire batsman Trott justified his selection with a debut second-innings hundred while youngsters such as Stuart Broad came good under pressure after difficult starts.
National selector Geoff Miller now wants the team to build on their 2-1 series success against Australia.
He said: "It's always easy to gamble. We're not in the throes of gambling. We've set out the way we want to go forward - the word we use so often and it's important now is 'consistency'.
"We'll continue to do that. It's proved that is the way forward. The youngsters, when they feel they're secure and part of a unit, they start getting better and better and that augurs well for the future.
"Everyone played really well. We scored 700 runs on that wicket so we deserved the victory."
Broad, whose five wickets for 37 runs in the first innings at The Oval earned him the man-of-the-match award, has been tipped as the natural successor to Flintoff.
But Miller has warned not to heap too much expectation on the 23 year-old's shoulders.
"It doesn't necessarily just fall on Stuart, we'll have to assess it," he said.
"We know all right Fred (Flintoff) is not going to be part of our middle order but we're looking at players continually who can fit into that category and move on."
Of Flintoff, who bowed out from Test cricket in style yesterday with the crucial run-out of Australia captain Ricky Ponting, Miller added: "He's been absolutely fantastic for the game of cricket worldwide and certainly for England.
"We will miss him but he's made a decision. He knows what his body's like so we'll run with that.
"He's not packed up on one-day cricket so when everything's sorted out with his operation, or whatever happens to him on Tuesday, we'll take it from there.
"It might be a long break but we know what he's capable of doing. We know what he wants, he's passionate to play for England and you saw it yesterday."

THE ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2009

The wait is about to over and another ICC special is to our way , the community of mad cricket fans like us. Here's the schedule of the ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY,2009. The action starts from 22nd September in South Africa promising another 14 days of excitement and hopes. Lets hope for a great tournament forcing us to feast our eyes on our television screens.

THE WADA CONTROVERSY

What is WADA?

WADA, or the World Anti Doping Agency, was established in 1999 to fight the increasing use of performance-enhancing drugs in international sport. It is sport’s official anti-doping regulator and is backed by the International Olympic committee. Over the last decade, 570 sporting committees in 192 countries are under the WADA umbrella.
When did cricket come under WADA cover?

Though the ICC has been conducting anti-doping tests since 2002, it was only in 2006 that it signed up with WADA. To be a signatory and to comply with WADA norms were mandatory for cricket to become a truly global sport and get an opportunity to participate in events such as the Olympics or Asian Games.

Why is it an issue now?

The ICC amended its anti-doping code in compliance with the latest WADA norms in January 2009, with players required to put pen on paper by July 31. Though all members of the ICC agreed upon the updated code, there is one clause that has irked the Indian players — the ‘whereabouts clause’. Though the ICC has been conducting anti-doping tests since 2002, it was only in 2006 that it signed up with WADA. To be a signatory and to comply with WADA norms were mandatory for cricket to become a truly global sport and get an opportunity to participate in events such as the Olympics or Asian Games.
Why is it an issue now?
The ICC amended its anti-doping code in compliance with the latest WADA norms in January 2009, with players required to put pen on paper by July 31. Though all members of the ICC agreed upon the updated code, there is one clause that has irked the Indian players — the ‘whereabouts clause’.

What if there is a change in a player’s schedule?

Whenever there is a change in his or her schedule, the player will have to update his ‘whereabouts’ information by notifying his ICC nodal officer either online or by sending an SMS of his location at that point.

What is the procedure for submitting the whereabouts information?

The players can use the online WADA whereabouts management system to submit their information. There is also a provision of authorising third parties to do so.
What happens if the information is inaccurate?
There is a strike recorded against the player’s name. A strike is also recorded if the player is not available at the location that he or she had nominated for the ‘testing slot’. Three such strikes within an 18-month period could mean a ban which could stretch anywhere between one to eight years.

What issues do Indian players have against the clause?

The Indian players in the 2009 IRTP insist that the clause breaches their privacy, and have also questioned the practicality and feasibility of it. The likes of Dhoni and Tendulkar, who have received threats from terrorist organisations in the past, have also cited security risks.