Maxwell Becoming T20's Biggest Star

As recently as 1 year ago, there were many who considered Glenn Maxwell as the symbol of everything that is wrong with modern cricket.
Plucked from relative darkness and thrust onto the stage of cricket's guilty pleasure, the IPL, the 25-year-old and his $1 million contract came to be seen as representative of the true extent of the game's lamentable and cash-fuelled shift.
Yet in spite of that almost toxic outside perception, Maxwell now stands as the biggest international star of T20 cricket just 12 months on. 
Of course, Maxwell's now well-documented explosions in the recent ICC World T20 and ongoing IPL have launched the Australian to the forefront of the sport. But, for those whose eyes haven't strayed elsewhere, his latest outbursts merely form part of the anticipated journey. Those feet of his have remained firmly planted, too. 
Glenn Maxwell inspires fear. He is exhilarating, heis inspiring, and he is scary. Till now this kind of fear was the sole domain of Chris Gayle. 
Maxwell is the new, improved Chris Gayle.

Contributed By: Siddharth Jha

What makes KOHLI so Good is his Attitude & not only Talent !

Virat Kohli is a special player, for special occasions. Whenever the pressure is on, he keeps it ice cool and excels. His passion and dedication to his craft and his love for his country is a rare find in modern cricketers. With so much to play for at global tournaments, Kohli still passionately bleeds Indian blue and seems to be pumped up no matter what the occasion. Beyond the cheeky batsman and the attitude is a player mature beyond his years, though. A player who understands the game and thinks about how to get better all the time. His confidence is often confused for arrogance and even if that were true, with his wealth of talent, he's allowed a little bit of an arrogant streak.
Kohli is just 25 years old, he averages over 40 in every format of the game and he's already scored 25 international centuries. Kohli has got amazing talent, it's huge for a 25-year-old, and maybe, he can be better than Tendulkar. 

The best part? He's only getting started.




Contributed By:
Siddharth Jha

Farewell, Ricky Ponting!

We will miss you 'PONTING'

A legend walks into the sunset – Ricky Ponting bids adieu to Test cricket to cap a glorious career. It has not only been a journey where he has scaled numerous personal peaks, but one that has helped Australian cricket rise to the pinnacle of the game. In many ways, it was Ponting who symbolised the Aussie dominance over world cricket in the 2000s as his best years coincided with their reign. 
His contribution to the international game has been immense and quite rightly he will be remembered as one of the true legends of the sport. 
He was the most successful captain in the history of Test cricket and was the first player to feature in 100+ Test match victories.
He also steered Australia to two ICC Cricket World Cup triumphs - as well as playing in a third - during which time they set a record of 34 consecutive victories yet another record. He was also captain for two successful ICC Champions Trophy campaigns.

One of my fav(ourite) and greats of the game has retired! So long punter (Ponting) u were a treat to watch. Last big motive for younger guys would be the Ponting innings of 140 in the world cup final (2003) against India (that) sadly took the game away from India.

Ponting hung his boots after playing 168 Test matches, scoring 13,378 runs at an average of 51.85 with a highest of 257. He also scored 41 centuries and 62 half-centuries. In One-Day Internationals (ODI), the former Australia skipper played 375 matches scoring 13,704 runs, including 30 centuries with a highest score of 164.

As a cricket fan it gets increasingly difficult for me to imagine the game being played without 'PONTING', its 

an end of an era.

Impressive Irfan has proved a point

Prior to the beginning of the India-Sri Lanka one-day series many critics, including me, questioned the selection of left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan as a replacement for the injured R. Vinay Kumar. Well, Pathan has proved all of us wrong with some excellent performances with both bat and ball during this series. To be honest there wasn’t any wrongful intention involved in questioning Pathan’s selection, for he is a wonderfully hardworking cricketer. It was just that he wasn’t able to perform anywhere near his potential, and his bowling had also lost the sting he once possessed.No, he hasn’t regained everything on this Lankan tour. But what he has done is exhibit that he can be a match-winner on his day. 
Bowling apart, Pathan has impressed with the bat as well.Despite his success in Lanka, it cannot be said that the old Pathan is back. Still, something of Pathan is better than nothing of him for Indian cricket.



By: Siddharth Jha

What’s wrong with Rohit Sharma?

If one were to ask cricket experts who is the more talented between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, don’t be surprised if most come up with the latter as the answer. Further, when it comes to the aesthetic quotient of the batting as well, Rohit scores over Kohli.
 It is often said that stats don’t always tell the true story, but when a batsman has played 83 matches, there is little chance of numbers providing the wrong picture.
There is no denying that Rohit is among the more talented batsmen India has produced in the last decade. What then is the reason behind his constant failures? The question Rohit needs to ask himself is whether he is working hard enough to give himself the best chance of succeeding.

There was a brief phase last season when he won two man of the series awards, and it seemed like his career was back on track. However, things are back to square one now, and Rohit needs to do plenty to regain the confidence of selectors and the public. A wonderful suggestion came from ex-Lankan coach Tom Moody, who stated Rohit could knock on Kohli’s door to discuss what the latter’s done to turnaround his career. Hope someone passes on the message to Rohit.





By- Siddharth Jha

The Epic Clash

It will be decided on Sunday, 18^th March, 2012 when India and Pakistan renew their cricket rivalry after almost a year’s break when they take part in the Asia Cup one-day tournament starting in Dhaka on Sunday!

No other Sporting rivalry is Greater than Pakistan India which is fueled by nationalism, bloodshed and a shared history. The tension is palpable in the air when these two great cricketing nations go head to head, fierce competitiveness, even hatred, is evident whenever India and Pakistan play a cricket Match.

When these two Asian giants play in Sub-Continent, the excitement is beyond words. Though it is not a war which is fought on the border with bombs and guns but the ambiance during Indo-Pak clash is no less as 11 players play to make their country proud. People talk of the Ashes as a big event; it really don't come close to what a Pakistan, India match.

Both the countries will stand before thousands in the stadium, with over millions watching their every move on television. Each team will have to prove themselves this time. Cricket, in this case, transcends physical fitness, on-field performances and statistics. It becomes a game of mental robustness. Pakistan has defeated the strong teams and the weaker ones, they have performed well with the bat and the ball, and we witnessed outstanding effort in the field from them. 

While on the other hand India performed very well in last matches of CB series so as against Sri Lanka in Asia Cup 2012. Although they lost to Bangladesh in a thrilling contest but will have to perform against Pakistan.
both the Teams should tread boldly as they march into the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Sunday. Players should keep their heads up, focus on positivity and enjoy the game. They should revel in the achievement of reaching where they have up till now, and the rest will follow through.

One thing common amongst both the countries, their fans don't want a cup when the teams are facing each other, even accept the lost against weaker teams but can't accept the loss against rivals. No matter if their teams play outstanding cricket, they will receive negative comments in shape of loss and that's why the match between both the countries have importance amongst the cricket lovers.

It will be an epic battle of nerves and the side that is better able to deal with the pressure that comes with playing such a high profile encounter, will surely come out on top.

Contribution: Siddhu Siddharth