All posts by h716a5.icu

No matter how ordinary England have been as an ODI side, India’s comeback, in spirit and in their minds, has been remarkable

Sidharth Monga at Edgbaston02-Sep-2014About three weeks ago the India players looked like they were being led to the gallows. Dispirited, just turning up to take their beating. No matter how ordinary England have been as an ODI side, the comeback, in spirit and in their minds, has been remarkable. This ODI series could easily have ended as an extension of the Tests. Losing can become a habit hard to kick. Sometimes when you lose as badly as they did – their opening stands over the last four Tests added up to 187, only a few more than Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan at Edgbaston – you become your own opposition.India haven’t, and they have improved every game. It needed an inspiring knock, which came from Suresh Raina, to start them off. Two matches later they played the near-perfect ODI. MS Dhoni thinks so, too. “The good thing is, we have kept improving from the first ODI on,” he said. “That’s definitely a big positive. It was a good toss to win today. The fast bowlers bowled really well initially and gave us those early breakthroughs, because of which we were able to put pressure on their middle order. Overall, I’m very happy. Jinks [Rahane] also got a century. We got an opening partnership. So a complete game for us.”When wins come about so easily for a team that failed to win a single game on their last two ODI tours, when the opposition is so clearly out of their league, it is well advised to not get lulled into a false sense of confidence. However, Dhoni won’t have the sense of achievement questioned. He was asked after the match if he felt his side was pushed and tested enough by England, keeping in mind their previous two overseas series and with an eye on the World Cup. “How do you want us to be tested?” an unimpressed Dhoni shot back.Dhoni went on to say they were not tested because they didn’t let England test them. “That’s what happens in cricket,” Dhoni said. “At times, you get early breakthroughs and you think that your batting or bowling has not been tested. You only get tested when you don’t get those breakthroughs. When you don’t get those early wickets and then the wicket doesn’t help you in middle overs, the spinners find it difficult to get wickets.”We were not tested because our fast bowlers bowled well initially in the game. Where they didn’t bowl well, the spinners took the responsibility. So on and off it was good. Batting, we have kept improving from the first game, which I feel is important. We will only see how much we will be tested. Testing is good, but you don’t always want to be tested. You want to win games easily too, you don’t always want to hang in until the 49th-50th over.”India’s openers rattled off the majority of the target to capitalise on good work by the bowlers•Getty ImagesThere had always been a fear that India will forget the Test debacle once they resume winning in the ODIs, or in Tests at home. This has been a strange old tour. India have been hopeless in the last three Tests, England even more so in the ODIs. When asked how much of a consolation this series win would be to India, Dhoni suggested Tests were a different universe, a universe he didn’t want to travel to at the moment.”It’s not only that,” Dhoni said. “It’s not about consolation prizes. It’s about winning the series. Once you have lost the Test series, there is no real point thinking about it, because it is done and dusted. With the World Cup coming up, it is very important we start doing well outside the subcontinent. We don’t think about what happened in the Test series, and what will happen in the future series.”When you are having a tough tour, and when you are switching formats during that tough tour, this mindset can help arrest a slide. “We kept it simple,” Dhoni said. “The change of format helps. The demands are very different. That to some extent eases the pressure.”This win was extra special for Dhoni. He has won the World Cup and Champions Trophy as a captain, but this ODI gave him an accumulative record too. It took him past Mohammad Azharuddin as India’s most successful captain in ODIs. Dhoni took the moment to thank the players who have made it possible. “When I started leading the team, I got a fantastic team then, and I have got a fantastic side right now,” Dhoni said. “There will be ups and downs, but thanks to everyone. Whoever I have played with. Without their contribution it wouldn’t really have been possible. All the senior players I played with and who played under me, followed by the youngsters. I personally feel we are a very good, fantastic ODI side. And there will be ups and downs, but what is important is to keep the intent positive. Thanks to all the players.”

In a jolt to the West Indies players, the WICB has made it clear to them that it will “engage” only with the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) in any attempt to break the deadlock between the groups

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Oct-2014In a jolt to the West Indies players, the WICB has made it clear to them that it will “engage” only with the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) in any attempt to break the deadlock between the groups. Dave Cameron, the WICB president, stated in a letter sent on October 10 to the players’ representative Dwayne Bravo that the board was willing to play a mediating role, but strictly under the new guidelines laid out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the WICB and the WIPA in September.In a letter sent to the WICB on October 10, Bravo had sought an “urgent intervention” from Cameron to facilitate a solution to the growing divide between the players and Wavell Hinds, the WIPA president and CEO. Bravo contended that Hinds had signed the MoU without the players’ knowledge and such an agreement would only lead to a significant cut in their pay structure. He asked the WICB to not deal with the WIPA until the issue had been resolved.Countering the players’ fears of losing up to 90% of their earnings, WICB president Dave Cameron has said the new agreement will increase rewards for on-field performance•WICB Media Photo/Randy BrooksBut Cameron rejected Bravo’s appeal, saying WIPA was the “sole and exclusive collective bargaining representative” of the players. “While we recognise that we may certainly be able to play a role in mediating the apparent issues between yourselves and WIPA – and are willing if invited, to do so; we must make it clear to you that we recognise and respect the principles set out in the MOU/CBA (combined bargaining agreement) signed by ourselves and WIPA on September 19, 2014 and any involvement on our part could only be in accordance with that agreement. What this effectively means is that we will only engage in discussions relating to the welfare, working conditions and remuneration of Cricketers with WIPA.”Although Bravo has repeatedly stated that the players stood to have a 90% cut in their overall payment, Cameron differed with such a view. He said the new agreement rewarded the performers substantially so the players stood to gain more. “One of the major benefits of this structure is that players’ compensation is based on players earning a percentage of WICB revenue; so that we are engaged in a true partnership – where WICB benefits financially, the players will also benefit.”The agreement also creates the framework for WICB and WIPA to comprehensively address the use of players’ image rights – so that both WICB and the players may benefit in relation to such usage. Further, it creates the opportunity for players to earn substantial amounts based on merit – by implementing financial rewards for on-field performances.”Cameron asked Bravo and his team to focus on their cricket, contending that a strike would not only hurt the players, but would also drive away sponsors and affect the WICB’s “credibility with other ICC Full Members.”

A round-up of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Silver League games that ended on November 8, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2014Group IDespite conceding a first-innings lead, Karachi Zebras beat Hyderabad Hawks by six wickets at the United Bank Limited Sports Complex, thanks to a seven-wicket haul from the legspinner Mansoor Ahmed in the second innings.Hawks, after being inserted, made 260 in their first innings thanks to fifties from Zeeshan Gul (68) and Faisal Athar (80). They then enforced their advantage by bowling Zebras out for 176 in 54.1 overs, with Babar Khan wrecking their line-up by collecting 5 for 41.Mansoor, however, counterattacked by running through Hawks for just 93 in 36.1 overs. His 7 for 16, Mansoor’s best figures in first-class cricket, meant that Hawks lost their last eight wickets for just 25 runs.It meant that Zebras needed just 178 for victory; a total they chased down in 53.3 overs, thanks to a 62 from Naved Khan and an unbeaten 49 from Owais Rehmani.Group IIThe star-studded Habib Bank Limited thumped State Bank of Pakistan by an innings and 40 runs for their fourth win in five games. State Bank chose to bat and were in trouble straightaway against the new-ball pairing of Umar Gul and Fahad Masood – they were reduced to 11 for 4 and never recovered. They fell to 120 all out.In reply Habib Bank make 298 with cameo contributions all through the order. Shahid Afridi, opening the innings, and No. 5 Rameez Aziz were to top scorers, with 58 and 53 respectively. Medium pacers Aamer Yamin and Rizwan Haider key with the ball for State Bank, sharing nine wickets.Their batsmen could not make amends for the first-innings slide, folding for 138 the second time around. Afridi showed his all-round prowess, picking up 4 for 11 in 5.2 overs, as Habib Bank cruised to a massive win.

An Israeli umpire was killed when he was struck by a ball during a league game in the port city of Ashdod, just south of Tel Aviv

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2014An Israeli umpire was killed when he was struck by a ball during a league game in the port city of Ashdod, just south of Tel Aviv. The incident comes even as the cricket world mourns the passing of Australia batsman Phillip Hughes this week from head injuries after being struck by a ball.During the league game in Ashdod, after the ball was hit by the batsman, it ricocheted off the stumps and struck the umpire, Hillel Awasker. Israeli newspaper quoted medics who tried to resuscitate Awasker as saying that he suffered a heart attack after being hit by the ball. Awasker was taken to hospital in a critical condition, and medics were unable to revive him.Awasker, 55, was a former captain of the Israel team, and had represented Israel in six ICC trophies since 1982. His last matches for Israel were in division two of the European Championships in 2006. A left-arm spinner and hard-hitting top-order batsman, he had the local league record for the highest score, 244 not out, scored for the Ashdod A side.Awasker held a degree in Business Administration, and was married with two daughters.”The cricket family bows its head over the passing of Hillel. This is a tragedy for his family and for cricket in Israel,” Naor Gudkar, CEO of the Israeli Cricket Association, was quoted as saying by the . “This is a one-in-a-million accident. It happened a few days ago to an Australian player and I don’t know how it has arrived at our doorstep.”I’m sure world cricket will look into what happened last week and we will also investigate the incident, but I’m not sure there was anything we could have done as we act according to all the rules and regulations.”The ICC sent out a release offering its condolences to Awasker’s family and friends, calling him “a central figure in Israel cricket for many years, well-liked and well-respected throughout the local cricket community.”

On November 27, 2014, three days shy of his 26th birthday, Australia batsman Phillip Hughes died in St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, as a result of the injuries he picked up after being hit by a bouncer while batting at the SCG in a She

27-Nov-2014December 7, 2014
Russell Jackson – Healing by putting your bat out
December 5, 2014
Samir Chopra – Grieving for a stranger
December 4, 2014
Mark Nicholas – The spirit of Hughes, the spirit of cricket
December 3, 2014
News – Emotional farewell for Hughes
Brettig – Lessons of Hughes’ life unforgettable in death
Monga – Adelaide turns out for its adopted son
News – ‘His spirit is still with me’ – Clarke
Video – Clarke’s tribute to Phillip Hughes
Video – ‘See you in the middle’
Video – Phillip Hughes, forever young
Video – Macksville remembers its favourite son
Video – Adelaide mourns Phillip Hughes
Gallery – Australia farewells Phillip Hughes
Video – A sad and sombre day for world cricket – EdwardsDecember 2
News – No pressure on players for quick Test return
News – Hughes family wants big crowd at funeral
News – ‘It’s going to be pretty bloody hard’ – Harris
News – Swap between first two games of Australia tri-series
Inbox – On growing disenchanted with the game, and the bouncer
News – Mehrab Hossain extends support to Abbott
December 1
News – Adelaide confirmed as first Test venue
Tour diary – Not a shot you just get on with
News – 408 for 6 declared; 63 overs
Sidharth Monga – Macksville prepares for Hughes’ final homecoming
November 30
News – Clarke pays tribute to his ‘brother’ Hughes
News – Kohli to attend Hughes funeral
Video – Adelaide cathedral honours Hughes
Ian Chappell – Playing the Test the best way to honour Hughes
Tony Cozier – Outlawing the bouncer not the right response to Hughes’ death
November 29
News – Hughes funeral on December 3, Gabba Test delay confirmed
News – ‘Our dressing room will never be the same’ – Clarke
Martin Crowe – Towards a kinder, gentler game
Video – When could the Gabba Test be held?
Video – A nation in mourning
News – BCCI offers help in healing process
November 28
News – Gabba Test in doubt as players mourn
Chris Hartley – Living with Tuesday
Features – #putoutyourbats
Simon Barnes – Every innings is an act of courage
Philip Brown – An unpredictable subject
Gallery – The day after in pictures
News – ‘Best for players to play the Test’ – Chappell
Video – ‘Hughes death has impacted the cricket world’ – Kumble
Video – Coverdale: A lot of questions no one has answers to
Video – ‘Cricket unimaginable in these circumstances’ – Gillespie
News – ‘Not been easy to concentrate’ – Mathews
News – Teams to play ODI as tribute to Hughes
Video – ‘Hughes was an outstanding talent’ – Cook
Video – ‘A huge loss for cricket’ – MathewsNovember 27
News – Phillip Hughes dies aged 25
News – Hughes suffered extremely rare, freak injury to neck
News – Clarke goes above and beyond
Obituary – The country kid who moved a nation
Timeline – A summary of Phillip Hughes’ career
Reactions – ‘Gone too soon’
Chappell – ‘Hughes will be remembered for uncomplaining attitude’
Coverdale – A precocious talent, a humble man
Mark Nicholas – A prizefighting artist
Coverdale – ‘Hughes was one of the genuinely nice guys’
Video – Melinda Farrell on the life of Phillip Hughes
Video – ‘We love you’
Video – Hughes suffered rare injury
Video – ‘A cherished son, brother, friend and team-mate’ – Sutherland
Audio – ‘He blitzed us off the park in 2009’ – SteynNovember 26
News – Hughes still critical, Sheffield Shield round abandoned
News – Counselling over cricket – ACA boss
Reactions – ‘A top man’
Iain O’Brien – Living and working with the bouncer
Coverdale – Hope for Hughes, feel for Abbott
Brettig – We’ve all been hit
November 25
News – Hughes in critical condition after being hit by bouncer
News – Distraught players offered counselling for Hughes blow
Video – ‘He appeared to black out, and fell face first’
Features – The inherent dangers of batting

A first-innings lead of 301 helped Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited take the Quaid-e-Azam Gold League title after a drawn final match against the National Bank of Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-2014
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited won on first-innings lead
ScorecardA first-innings lead of 301 helped Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited take the Quaid-e-Azam Gold League title after a drawn final match against National Bank of Pakistan.SNGPL batted through most of the second and third days to post 543 in their first innings, building on 224 from Mohammad Rizwan and a 120 from Khurram Shehzad. Their bowlers, led by Manzoor Khan’s 5 for 43, had dismissed National Bank for 242. The pair also shared a 251-run stand for the fifth wicket, coming together at 165 for 4 before Shehzad was dismissed with the score at 416. Fawad Alam was the most successful bowler for NBP, taking 3 for 33 in 12 overs.National Bank fought back in their second innings, as centuries from Kamran Akmal, Raza Hasan and opener Sami Aslam helped them wipe out the deficit and score 508. The side were struggling at 71 for 3 before a 221-run stand between Akmal and Aslam lifted them to 291. Yasir Shah broke the stand, dismissing Akmal for 137 and the SNGPL bowlers made quick inroads, reducing National Bank from 291 for 3 to 309 for 7. The lower order, however, rallied around Raza Hasan, who stitched important stands with Wahab Riaz and Zia-ul-Haq to lift the total to 508 and eat away SNGPL’s chances of an outright win. Raza’s maiden first-class hundred – 123 off 209 balls – had 14 fours and four sixes. SNGPL fast bowler Imran Ali, who was wicketless in the first innings, took 5 for 85.Set a target of 208, the SNGPL openers faced just 10 overs before the game ended and reached a score of 28.

A look at the other instances of conflict of interest within the BCCI

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2015The Supreme Court order on Thursday dwelt at length on the conflict of interest between N Srinivasan heading the BCCI and owning an IPL franchise. However, Srinivasan’s is not the only instance – merely the most high-profile – of the BCCI’s clubbiness and its preference for keeping plum positions in-house. Here are other examples:Lalit Modi (IPL chairman till 2010):
Suresh Chellaram, Lalit Modi’s brother-in-law, is one of the co-owners of the Rajasthan Royals franchise through a stake in Jaipur IPL Private Limited, which owns the franchise, and is also a director of the company Mohit Burman, one of the promoters of the Dabur group – an Indian company manufacturing Ayurvedic products – and a co-owner of the Kings XI Punjab franchise, is also linked to Lalit Modi. Mohit’s brother Gaurav is Modi’s step son-in-law. In 2008, Mohit had told the that the IPL was a business opportunity and “the relationship with Modi is a mere coincidence.”IS Bindra (former BCCI president, headed the Punjab Cricket Association till 2014) In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court in April 2014, Srinivasan said Bindra’s son Amar had been an employee of Nimbus, which owned the BCCI TV rights between 2006 and 2011. Bindra, and Modi were on the committee that decided that Nimbus’ license fee should be reduced by Rs.255 crores. Amar Bindra was also a managerial consultant of the Kings XI Punjab franchise even as his father was part of the IPL governing council.Sharad Pawar (BCCI president 2005-2008): Sadanand Sule, Sharad Pawar’s son-in-law, had a stake in Multi Screen Media, which owns the broadcast rights to the IPL. Pawar’s daughter Supriya has said her husband inherited the stake from his father, who had been chairman of Sony, MSM’s parent company.

The south Indian rivalry will come to the fore when defending champions Karnataka take on arch-rivals Tamil Nadu at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai

The Preview by Amol Karhadkar07-Mar-2015Match FactsMarch 8-12, 2015
Start time 0930 ISTTamil Nadu will have to overcome Karnataka’s seamers if they have to halt the defending champions’ march•ESPNcricinfo LtdBig PictureIt’s a game every domestic cricketer aspires to feature in. It’s a game every domestic team craves to win. It’s the Ranji Trophy final. To add to the zing, the south Indian rivalry will come to the fore when defending champions Karnataka take on arch-rivals Tamil Nadu at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.The last time both the southern stalwarts faced each other in the Ranji final was in 1995-96, with Anil Kumble’s Karnataka overpowering Robin Singh’s Tamil Nadu. That match, played almost two decades ago, will have little bearing over this week’s game. But two former opening batsmen would keep on reminiscing the Chepauk clash all through next week.WV Raman has now taken over the mantle of being Tamil Nadu’s coach, while J Arunkumar, who was dropped for the final, has excelled as batting coach for Karnataka. Both the coaches have sounded optimistic about their team’s chances.As Arunkumar admitted, Karnataka would enter the game as firm favourites. They have lived up to the billing of defending champions in style, hardly faltering during their 10 games thus far. Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, were virtually down and out halfway through the league stage, and have staged a dramatic turnaround since then.Karnataka’s title defence will largely depend on the performance of their pace troika: Vinay Kumar, S Aravind and Abhimanyu Mithun have shared 116 scalps among them. Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, have relied on spinners on the turning tracks at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. With the Wankhede track likely to assist pacers, M Vijay and Co. will have to overcome Karnataka’s seamers if they are to end Tamil Nadu’s 27-year Ranji title drought.In the spotlightManish Pandey enters the match on the back of a quiet run with the bat in the quarter-final and the semi-final. But the Karnataka batsman with a big-match reputation would be backing himself to deliver when it counts the most. In his two Ranji finals so far, Pandey has tallied 208 runs at 72.66, including a memorable 144 against Mumbai in 2009-10.He joined the Tamil Nadu squad midway through the tournament after yet another overseas successful Test series. And M Vijay continued his form from Australia to spin-friendly conditions at home. He would be keen to forget the failure in the 2011-12 final, and help his team regain glory.SquadsKarnataka: Vinay Kumar(capt), Manish Pandey, (vice-capt), Robin Uthappa, R Samarth, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shreyas Gopal, Udit Patel, A Mithun, S Aravind, HS Sharath, J Suchith, Shishir Bhavane, KC Avinash, Abhishek Reddy, CM GautamTamil Nadu: Abhinav Mukund (capt), M Vijay, U Sushil, B Aparajith, Dinesh Karthik (wk), B Indrajith, R Prasanna, L Balaji, Vijay Shankar, M Rangarajan, Rahil Shah, R Aushik Srinivas, M Shahrukh Khan, A Aswin Crist, L Vignesh, Prasanth Parameswaran.Stats and trivia A victory in the final would make Karnataka the undisputed second-most successful after Mumbai in the history of the Ranji Trophy. They are tied at seven titles apiece with Delhi, way behind Mumbai’s 40. Vinay Kumar is four wickets shy of becoming only the sixth pace bowler to take 300 wickets in Ranji Trophy after Madan Lal (351), Ashish Winston Zaidi (348), Debasis Mohanty (337), Kailash Gattani (308) and NP Singh (305). Dinesh Karthik needs seven victims behind the stumps to enter the five most successful wicketkeepers in Ranji Trophy. Karthik has 210 dismissals, while Sarabjit Singh and Mahesh Rawat have 216 each and are jointly placed fifth behind Vinayak Samant (335), Naman Ojha (267), Sagar Jogiyani (252) and Pinal Shah (246).Quotes”Tamil Nadu is a good side and we can’t take anything lightly in this format, especially in a big game. They have good spinners in the team, but even we have Shreyas [Gopal], who is doing well, Udit [Patel] is doing well. Ultimately who will play, we’ll decide tomorrow morning only.”
“I think it is going to be a battle for a lot of things. They are a really good team they have been consistently doing well over the last two years which makes them a very good team. We are a young side which is looking to do well, which is looking to win. And these small battles don’t really make a lot of sense when you are looking for bigger picture and the bigger picture for us is to go out there and do well as a team.”

Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann has mounted a defence of the vice-captain, Brad Haddin, saying his aggressive antics towards New Zealand in the World Cup final were in accordance with the team’s plans for the tournament decider

Daniel Brettig01-Apr-2015Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann has mounted a defence of the vice captain, Brad Haddin, saying his aggressive antics towards New Zealand in the World Cup final were in accordance with the team’s plans for the tournament decider.Haddin has been roundly criticised for being the ringleader of several send-offs to departing New Zealand batsmen in Australia’s comfortable victory, something he later put down to feeling “uncomfortable” at how “nice” the same opponents had been during an earlier pool match in Auckland.Speaking to Adelaide radio station , Lehmann said the Australians had played the final the way they wanted to, and admitted the team plans had called for a “really aggressive” approach towards New Zealand to throw them off their rhythm. He also noted the lack of ICC code of conduct reports out of the game, and was dismissive of complaints about the team’s alcohol-soaked celebrations.”He’s copped a bit, hasn’t he?” Lehmann said of Haddin. “We like to play our game, no-one got reported out of the game, so we must have played it fair. It was a little bit disappointing, but people are entitled to their opinions and you’re going to have good and bad times. You accept that and you move on.”We’re happy with the way we played obviously. We knew we wanted to be really aggressive against them, and look, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”You’re supposed to enjoy it, enjoy it in the right way and look after yourself and look after everyone else, that’s the main thing. Everyone’s entitled to their opinions.”More critical than Haddin’s actions, Lehmann felt, was the first over dismissal of Brendon McCullum by Mitchell Starc, a moment that had the previously confident and fearless New Zealand side retreating into themselves with tentative play typified by Martin Guptill’s dismissal by Glenn Maxwell.”You like it when a plan comes together don’t you, especially so early in the game and it sets the tone,” Lehmann said. “It was interesting once that happened they went into their shells a bit New Zealand, which was surprising, so allowed us to control the game. James Faulkner… when they just looked like they were getting into the game he came through with that spell in the Powerplay.”Running his eye over Australia’s West Indies and Ashes squads, Lehmann said he was looking forward to seeing the wrist spinner Fawad Ahmed acquitted himself, selected ahead of Adam Zampa and Cameron Boyce for reasons of experience – ditto Adam Voges ahead of Joe Burns.”He gives us that added variation you might need in the West Indies and England, with the off spinner in Lyon and the bloke who takes it away in the leg spinner who we rate highly,” Lehmann said. “We went with experience more than anything else, someone who’s been around for a bit. Adam Zampa and Cameron Boyce in Queensland we felt just fell away a bit towards the back end of the season with their bowling.”Lehmann and the team staff will now enjoy a brief holiday before reconvening in Brisbane to prepare for the dual tours of the West Indies and England, in contrast to Lehmann’s entry into the Australian job on the day the 2013 Ashes tour began, in place of Mickey Arthur.”The preparation [for the 2013 Ashes] wasn’t quite there as I would have liked, I got thrown into it just before they all met up,” Lehmann said. “We’ve got a lot more planning to do this time, which is nice, and I think we’ve got a great mix in that squad.”We meet up in mid-May for the West Indies tour so looking forward to that. You move on pretty quickly, you enjoy what it is and what it was, a pretty special seven weeks in all our lives, the fifth time Australia won the World Cup, but you also have an eye to the future to work out what you’ve got to do to get moving again.”

Chennai Super Kings are the gold standard for teams in the IPL, but having not won the title since 2011, they will have plenty to prove

Arun Venugopal04-Apr-20152:13

Chennai Super Kings team preview

Likely first XI1 Michael Hussey/Dwayne Smith, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Faf du Plessis, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Ashish Nehra/Ishwar Pandey, 11 Mohit Sharma
Click here for the full squad2014 finishAfter a strong start that included six wins on the trot, Super Kings’ form tapered off towards the end of the league phase, but was still good enough to take them to the second qualifier, where they lost a runathon to Kings XI Punjab.Big pictureR Ashwin’s stated ambition of Chennai Super Kings becoming the IPL’s Manchester United is the sort of chest-thumping theme fanboys and brand managers swear by. Such comparisons are, however, little more than a gimmicky twist given the relatively recent origins of the tournament itself.Still, it can’t be ignored that Super Kings have been the gold standard for teams in the IPL. They have made the last four in each of the last seven seasons, including four straight final appearances and two titles. Given Super Kings’ success rate, three consecutive years without an IPL title is deemed an underachievement. But even as their supporters twitch nervously, Super Kings are unlikely to panic.The team’s accomplishments have come on the strength of sameness, and despite the inevitable shuffling, they have managed to keep their core intact, investing mainly in must-haves at the auction. Michael Hussey, who played for Mumbai Indians last year, is back, even as captain MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, and Ashwin remain the team’s constants.Another familiar figure is coach Stephen Fleming, whose cricket brain is only one of his many strengths in the set-up. Apart from rigorously implementing his pet phrase ‘consistency of selection,’ he has also been Super Kings’ trusted stone-waller at media interactions. His man-management methods – ranging from prankish bonding exercises to crisp team meetings – have kept the unit in a happy place.On the field, what hurt Super Kings the most in 2014 was the runs bled by their seamers. Their three frontline bowlers were hit around for more than eight an over. Seam-bowling has been their longstanding weak spot, and they tried to remedy it at the auction, acquiring Kyle Abbott, Irfan Pathan and Andrew Tye, who Aaron Finch called the find of last season’s Big Bash League, after offloading Ben Hilfenhaus and James Hastings.With Mohit Sharma, Matt Henry, Ashish Nehra, Ishwar Pandey and Dwayne Bravo already in the squad, it would appear this flank has more beef now.The batting department doesn’t lend itself to much change, but Hussey’s arrival will likely see him opening with Brendon McCullum, while Dwayne Smith, Super Kings’ highest-scorer last year, will remain an option as well.Big playersSuper Kings have a big complement of star names to call on, with Dhoni and Raina, who hasn’t yet missed a single IPL fixture, leading the way. But this year’s big draw has to be Brendon McCullum, after his smash-mouth striking – 328 runs at a strike-rate of 188.50 – and leadership brought New Zealand within a match of the World Cup title.McCullum was the third-highest scorer for Super Kings last year with 405 runs at an average of 31.15, but with a surprisingly middling strike-rate of 121.62. Super Kings will also do well to remember that his dropping down to No.4 in the knockout games yielded poor returns.Bargain buyWith every ball Kyle Abbott bowled in the World Cup – he picked up nine wickets in the four matches as replacement for the injured Vernon Philander- the Super Kings management must have been progressively thrilled. At Rs 30 lakh (US$50,000), Abbott was shopped for a steal. Abbott is tall, pacy and is capable of swinging the ball. It helps that he is tidy – at 4.19, he was South Africa’s most economical bowler in the tournament.AvailabilityMcCullum will miss the last stretch of the tournament with New Zealand touring England in May.CoachesHead coach – Stephen Fleming, Bowling coach – Andy Bichel, Fielding coach – Steve RixonQuote”Wow, the squad looks as good as it’s ever been. There have been some great signings in the last couple of years like Nehra, Smith, McCullum and Pathan.”