The batting team will decide when to introduce either the second or the third Powerplay during their innings, starting with the one-day series between New Zealand and Bangladesh in October. The change from the earlier scenario, in which the fielding side decided when Powerplays would be taken, is part of the ICC's new playing conditions which takes effect from October 1.

The ICC Chief Executives' Committee had met in June and unanimously approved certain changes. The amendment to the Powerplay rule also allows the captain three fielders outside the 30-yard circle during the second and third Powerplay. The previous rule allowed the captain to have two fielders in the outfield during the first Powerplay, and three in the others.

The committee also aimed to curb players from taking comfort breaks during a match by stating that substitute fielders will be only permitted in cases of injury, illness or other wholly acceptable reasons, which should be limited to extreme circumstances.

The ICC also decided to retain the free-hit rule as well as the mandatory changing of the ball at the start of the 35th over of an innings.

The interval rule, implemented in June, which allowed the umpires to reduce the length of time between innings in an ODI, if the innings of the side batting first is delayed or interrupted, was also retained.

"In the event of time being lost [playing time lost less any extra time provided] up to and including 60 minutes in aggregate, the length of the interval shall be reduced from 45 to 30 minutes. In the event of more than 60 minutes being lost in aggregate, the duration of the interval shall be agreed mutually by the umpires and both captains subject to no interval being of more than 30 minutes' duration or less than 10 minutes' duration. In the event of disagreement, the length of the interval shall be determined by the match referee."

Umpires can now consult the third umpire on whether or not a catch was taken cleanly. "Following such consultation, the final decision will be made and given by the bowler's-end umpire. Should the bowler's-end umpire still not be able to decide, a not-out decision shall be given."

10:47 PM
Categories: Cricket. Author: SacHu

Everyone in this world would have muttered his name atleast once. He's the hero of Beijing and the winner of 8 gold medals in this olympics alone. He's the man none other than Micheal Phelps. After he left for Beijing from his home, he hasn't talked to his father yet. Many gossips about his love towards Stephine rice. Now he's going to write a book titled "Built to Succeed" about his journey of olympics. The book will tell the story behind his historic eight gold medal swims, which resulted in seven world records. It is scheduled to be released in early December.

Phelps also earned a $1 million bonus from swimsuit maker Speedo for winning eight gold medals at the Games and recently signed a deal to be featured on upcoming boxes of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes and Kellogg's Corn Flakes. The New York Daily News reports that he could stand as much as $40 million in endorsements thanks to his success in Beijing.

10:10 AM
Categories: Sports. Author: SacHu

Recent news is that our Master blaster, the little hero of the world cricket "Sachin Tendulkar" is set to act with our Universal Hero "Dr. kamal haasan". Both are joining hands for a documentry film of about 30 minutes. And the main motto of this documentry film is to create awareness among the youth about the importance of Education. Sachin plays a role as a cricketer himself and Kamal haasan plays the role of sachin's fan. The film is being produced by a social welfare organisation . It seems that both the hero's agreed to act for free. The film is planned to screen next december. It will be a huge feast for both the fans worldwide. Hope both the hero's will rock.

10:06 AM
Categories: Cini Mini, Cricket. Author: SacHu

A raw action film featuring Ajith is a welcome delight for the Ajith fans. The actor has been combining humour, sentiment and romance in all his films so far.

However this time around Thala, as he is affectionately called by his fans, has opted for an action all throughout film, which is sure to delight them in a big way.

The movie inspired by Bollywood hit 'Main Hoon Na' starring Shahrukh Khan, is directed by ace choreographer Raju Sundaram. Titled 'Aegan', which refers to Lord Shiva, means the one and only powerful God.

Nayantara, whose on screen presence with Ajith in 'Billa' created waves, is once again joining hands with Ajith in 'Aegan'. Navdeep, who has acted in 'Arindhum Ariyamalum' is doing the role of Ajith's brother in the movie. 'Poi Solla Porom' Piya plays his lady love.

Says Raju Sundaram, "The role of Ajith in the film is such a powerful one. He fights for justice and establishes his supremacy. That's why the title 'Aegan'."

The movie is being produced by Ayngaran International and some important portions of the movie including the introduction shot of Ajith was canned in Hong Kong. The film is expected be a real treat for die-hard Ajith fans.

Yuvan Shankar Raja, who came up with catchy tunes for 'Billa', is back once again with lilting tunes for 'Aegan'.

In a nutshell, the movie is about a former Military officer and his efforts to foil the terrorist and his gang. He is simultaneously attempting to mend relations with his father's estranged first wife and his half-brother complications ensue.

Ajith fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the movie for they are basking in joy following the huge success of 'Billa'. The news doing rounds that Aegan hitting the screens on Deepavali has come as a pleasant one for them.

7:37 PM
Categories: Cini Mini. Author: SacHu

What does a search engine need to be the world’s most popular having over 1 trillion web pages indexed after 10 years since its activity began? –The answer is not that simple. It needs lots and lots of features to satisfy everyone’s needs, starting with a cool friendly logo that attracts at the first glance and continuing with multiple language support, AdSense, Image Search, Toolbar for your web browser, a large official blog, Maps with traffic information, Search for mobile including the iPhone, SMS service, Desktop Search, Finance utilities, and why not, a brand new and advanced Internet browser that has to be called Chrome.

Today is Google’s birthday, when it celebrates 10 years of activity, and we all want to congratulate it wishing its team many hugs and a friendly “Happy 10th Anniversary, Google!”.

6:49 PM
Categories: Something Interesting. Author: SacHu

Valentino Rossi was left hoping for an improvement in the weather in Motegi after finishing Friday's practice in third place.

The Fiat Yamaha rider will secure his sixth premier class world title on Sunday with a podium finish and after a day blighted by wet conditions was on course.

Reigning champion Casey Stoner needs to win to force Rossi to record a third or better and was quickest on his Marlboro Ducati with a best time of one minute 48.121 seconds.

Rossi said: "This morning it was quite wet and we were very fast from the start.

"We found a good setting and the Bridgestone wet tyre worked very well for me.

"This afternoon in the dry however we had a few more problems and Stoner and Dani Pedrosa were both faster than me.

"At the moment we´re missing a bit of front grip. This track is always quite hard and it doesn't suit our bike perfectly; at the moment we have some issues in the slow corners and we're suffering a bit.

"Anyway, we were still third so it´s not a big problem and I am sure we will be able to improve tomorrow. I hope the weather is better for the rest of the weekend."

Stoner revealed that the scaphoid injury which has hampered him at the last two rounds appears to have improved after topping the timesheets.

The 22-year-old wrapped up the title last year by winning at the Japanese venue and is focusing on a repeat performance to keep his slim chances alive.

He said: "This morning we struggled to find rear grip on the wet track and we couldn't understand why, so this afternoon it was a case of taking our time to get the setting right and eventually we found a decent feel.

"We have a few areas to improve on and one of the things we tried towards the end of this afternoon proved to be a blind alley, so that cost us some time. Basically we tried a new tyre but it was spinning up a lot on the rear and forcing me wide on the brakes.

"We need to make up for that tomorrow and a dry day would certainly help!

"My wrist is feeling pretty good here - much better than it has for the last two races anyway, only in the dry it is a little bit more difficult, in the wet no problems.

"I didn´t use any bandage; I preferred not to because I have not the same movement. If I can I won´t use it."

4:58 PM
Categories: Sports. Author: SacHu

So this time it’s Yahoo. World’s most popular web portal Yahoo.com is all set to change the design of its home page. The new home page is under testing phase. This time, the aim behind this change is to include more and more third party content on the home page. For example, after this change Yahoo visitors will be able to check e-mail from multiple accounts, including Gmail and AOL Mail. Moreover, outside developers will be able to put their own applications on the new Yahoo home page. Even the color of the Yahoo logo on the top of the page will be changed from red to purple.

" We’re working on a new homepage that will help you get more out of the Internet, make more of your precious time, and make sense of all the things going on in your world. After lots of ongoing research (i.e., focus groups, usability experiments, etc.), today we’ve begun testing an all-new, more streamlined Yahoo.com that will bring the things that matter most to you — no matter where they “live” on the Web. Yahoo Senior Vice President Tapan Bhat"

See the screen shot of the new home page of Yahoo which is under testing phase.


If you see the screen shot of new design then you will notice the left-hand column - which now links to various Yahoo services, such as HotJobs and Yahoo Answers has been replaced by a customizable space where users can access applications that allow them to check for new e-mail, view the status of their eBay bids or track specific stocks and other third party services.

So friends, let’s be ready for new Yahoo!

4:56 PM
Categories: Latest Tech. Author: SacHu

Former India coach Greg Chappell, who is now Australia's assistant coach, said he was "amused" by concerns that he would share inside information about the Indian team with Australia.

"I am also flattered by the fact that people think that I wield a magic wand and can change things overnight," he said. "Australia and India have played a lot against each other in recent times. The Indians must be having the footage of Australian players as much as the Australians have of the Indians. There are no secrets between the two teams now."

Australia kicked off their first warm-up match of the tour on Saturday after arriving in India six days ago. Chappell dismissed suggestions that India will lose their home advantage because of the amount of time Australia have to acclimatise before the Tests. "The series will be decided by which team is able to put the basics together consistently and prepared to work the hardest," he said. "Mental aspects are as important as physical aspects. The team that shapes up better mentally will be the favourite team."

He said it was Australia coach Tim Nielsen's idea to reach India early and practise at the Rajasthan Cricket Academy. "He did say that if the Champions Trophy was cancelled they would consider coming here The idea was as most of the players are coming for the first time for Test cricket, they would want to have a camp here. I then spoke to Lalit Modi (RCA chief) and that was how it came through."

Chappell also backed Australia's captain Ricky Ponting, who has a poor record in India (he averages 12.28 in eight Tests, making it by far his least productive venue in a career during which he has averaged 58.37) to come good in the series. "He is conscious of the fact that his record here is not so good as compared to other countries. I can see a steely glint in his eyes and that means a few runs around in India this time. If I were in the Indian team that would be the thing that would have been worried me."

Though several of Australia's experienced players having retired since the previous tour to India in 2004, Chappell said most of the newer squad members have prior experience of the country from A team or academy side visits. "The team is in transition after the retirement of some great players. But with that comes the opportunity for somebody to step up in win for Australia. Historically whenever such an opportunity came somebody has won matches for Australia. We are hoping that happens in this series."

4:51 PM
Categories: Cricket. Author: SacHu

India beat Brazil 2-1 to top Group D and qualify for the semifinals of the Junior Davis Cup at San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

Both Yuki Bhambri and Saurabh Singh came from behind to beat their respective opponents in the singles before the combination of Saurabh and Venkata Abhiskeh Sakleshpu lost the inconsequential doubles rubber.

Saurabh finally tasted victory when he overcame a bad start to beat Henrique Tsukamoto 4-6 6-2 6-1 to give second seeded India a good opening.

Yuki then sealed the issue in India's favour by winning the second singles rubber, defeating Guilherme Clezar 3-6 6-1 6-1.

After pocketing the tie, team captain Kawaljeet Singh decided to field in Abhiskeh along with Saurabh in the dead doubles rubber.

The Indian pair fought well but lost 6-7 (6) 6-7 (6) to the Brazilian pair of Henrique and Fenandes Tiago.

India, aiming for their first Junior Davis Cup crown, now face off against third seeded United States, toppers of Group C, in the first semifinal.

The other semifinal will be fought between top seed Russia (Group A) and fourth seeded Hungary (Group B).

In the first singles, Saurabh paid the price of not converting breakpoints -- in the fifth and ninth games -- and dropped his own in the 10th game to give away the opening set. He was up 40-15 but a couple of unforced errors -- a missed drop shot and a double fault -- did him in.

In the second set, Saurabh broke Henrique twice -- third and seventh games -- and quickly wrapped up the set to take the match to the third and decisive set.

The Indian number two player had complete control over the proceedings in the deciding set as he broke his rival in the third, fifth and seventh games to hand India 1-0 lead.

Next in, Yuki began in a confident manner breaking the Brazalian in very first game of the match but only to drop his own in the next.

Clezar's solid ground strokes from the baseline did not allow Yuki to make any variations and the Brazilian broke the Indian in the sixth game to pocket the set.

However from there on, Yuki raised his game and played some stunning drop shots and was aggressive on the net. He did not allow Clezar to get his rhythm and broke his serves in the fourth and sixth games to draw parity.

In the decisive third set, Yuki was in complete command as he broke the Brazilian twice to seal a semifinal berth for India.

4:45 PM
Categories: Sports. Author: SacHu

The challenge facing Delhi on the fourth day - they needed 265 runs with seven wickets in hand - was always going to stretch them, and their batsmen, with the exception of Gautam Gambhir, caved without a fight. They were bowled out within the first session: Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh exploited the cracks in the pitch to pick up seven wickets, and Rest of India won the Irani Cup for the 21st time by 187 runs in Vadodara.

The slide started in the second over of the day. Gambhir had batted aggressively on the third evening and needed a stable partner. Aakash Chopra, who had not opened because of an ankle injury, joined him with a runner. He had scored 182 in last week's Nissar Trophy and a confident 42 in the first innings against a versatile and experienced attack. Chopra's resistance in the second innings, however, ended with his first ball. He drove away from his body at a Zaheer Khan delivery and inside-edged it on to his stumps.

Kumble brought Harbhajan on inside the first hour to take advantage of the wearing pitch and the offspinner struck immediately. Mithun Manhas tried to pad a delivery but the ball turned into him, deflected off the bat handle, and went to Rahul Dravid at first slip. The only point of interest after that was whether Gambhir, who scored steadily despite the regular setbacks, would reach his century. He fell on 91, edging an attempted cut off Kumble to Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

This was the last opportunity for the national players to get match practice ahead of the Tests against Australia and coach Gary Kirsten would have expected more. Before the start of the game he, and Kumble, had said this game was an important component in their preparation for the Australia series and each individual had a role to fulfill and understood it well.

If Sourav Ganguly doesn't make the Test squad, it will open up a vacancy in the middle order. Two of the contenders for the spot, S Badrinath and Mohammad Kaif, had the opportunity to push their claims in the Irani Cup but failed to turn in convincing performances. Badrinath looked in discomfort in the first innings and did not move his feet. He made a scratchy 16 off 62 balls before he was bowled while trying to cut. He was more confident during his 36 in the second innings before he was struck on the elbow and bowled once again by Ishant Sharma.

Kaif had made adjustments to his batting stance after chats with Kirsten but met with little success. He failed to convert a start in the first innings, top-edging a pull to midwicket, and edged a scorcher from Ishant off his second ball in the second innings.

One of the biggest positives was the performance of the bowlers. Zaheer Khan bowled wicket-to-wicket and focused on the batsman's weaknesses: he exploited Sehwag's slow footwork and trapped him lbw with one that cut in during the second innings. Ishant was hostile and extracted pace and bounce from a slow pitch, Munaf Patel proved his recovery was on the right path, while both Kumble and Harbhajan showed how dangerous they could be on a helpful surface. Only RP Singh was erratic with his line and length.

The most significant outcome from this game, however, was the resolute batting of Rahul Dravid, who opened for Rest of India. His poor form over the last year has hurt India but here he succeeded in the most demanding of situations. As the wicket grew slower, Dravid stuck it out for nearly five hours in the second innings. He played the majority of the deliveries confidently, used soft hands to block short balls aimed at the body, and waited for the bowler to feed his strengths.

It was the sort of preparation Dravid would have hoped for ahead of the Australia series and it was a terrific example of mental discipline for the rest to follow.

4:39 PM
Categories: Cricket. Author: SacHu

Scientists have uncovered evidence for an inbuilt "sat-nav" system in the brains of London taxi drivers.

They used magnetic scanners to explore the brain activity of taxi drivers as they navigated their way through a virtual simulation of London's streets.

Different brain regions were activated as they considered route options, spotted familiar landmarks or thought about their customers.

The research was presented at this week's BA Science Festival.

Earlier studies had shown that taxi drivers have a larger hippocampus - a region of the brain that plays an important role in navigation.

Their brains even "grow on the job" as they build up detailed information needed to find their way around London's labyrinth of streets - information famously referred to as "The Knowledge".

"We were keen to go beyond brain structure - and see what activity is going on inside the brains of taxi drivers while they are doing their job," said Dr Hugo Spiers from University College London.
Taxi driver's brain

The scientists used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to obtain "minute by minute" brain images from 20 taxi drivers as they delivered customers to destinations on "virtual jobs".

The scientists adapted the Playstation2 game "Getaway" to bring the streets of London into the scanner.

After the scan - and without prior warning - the drivers watched a replay of their performance and reported what they had been thinking at each stage.

"We tried to peel out the common thoughts that taxi drivers tend to have as they drive through the city, and then tie them down to a particular time and place," said Dr Spiers.

The series of scans revealed a complex choreography of brain activity as the taxi drivers responded to different scenarios.

The hippocampus was only active when the taxi drivers initially planned their route, or if they had to completely change their destination during the course of the journey.

The scientists saw activity in a different brain region when the drivers came across an unexpected situation - for example, a blocked-off junction.

Another part of the brain helped taxi drivers to track how close they were to the endpoint of their journey; like a metal detector, its activity increased when they were closer to their goal.

Changes also occurred in brain regions that are important in social behaviour.

Taxi driving is not just about navigation: "Drivers do obsess occasionally about what their customers are thinking," said Dr Spiers.

Animals use a number of different mechanisms to navigate - the Sun's polarized light rays, the Earth's magnetic fields and the position of the stars.

This research provides new information about the specific roles of areas within the brains of expert human navigators.

12:08 PM
Categories: Something Interesting. Author: SacHu

The internet needs a way to help people separate rumour from real science, says the creator of the World Wide Web.

Talking to BBC News Sir Tim Berners-Lee said he was increasingly worried about the way the web has been used to spread disinformation.

Sir Tim was speaking in advance of an announcement about a Foundation he has helped create that he hopes will improve the World Wide Web.

Future proof

Sir Tim talked to the BBC in the week in which Cern, where he did his pioneering work on the web, turned on the Large Hadron Collider for the first time.

The use of the web to spread fears that flicking the switch on the LHC could create a Black Hole that could swallow up the Earth particularly concerned him, he said. In a similar vein was the spread of rumours that the MMR vaccine given to children in Britain was harmful.

Sir Tim told BBC News that there needed to be new systems that would give websites a label for trustworthiness once they had been proved reliable sources.

"On the web the thinking of cults can spread very rapidly and suddenly a cult which was 12 people who had some deep personal issues suddenly find a formula which is very believable," he said. "A sort of conspiracy theory of sorts and which you can imagine spreading to thousands of people and being deeply damaging."

Sir Tim and colleagues at the World Wide Web consortium had looked at simple ways of branding websites - but concluded that a whole variety of different mechanisms was needed.

"I'm not a fan of giving a website a simple number like an IQ rating because like people they can vary in all kinds of different ways," he said. "So I'd be interested in different organisations labelling websites in different ways".

Sir Tim spoke to the BBC to publicise the launch of his World Wide Web Foundation which aims to improve the web's accessibility.

Alongside this role it will aim to make it easier for people to get online. Currently only 20% of the world's population have access to the web

"Has it been designed by the West for the West?" asked Sir Tim.

"Has it been designed for the executive and the teenager in the modern city with a smart phone in their pocket? If you are in a rural community do you need a different kind of web with different kinds of facilities?"

Creative medium

The Web Foundation will also explore ways to make the web more mobile-phone friendly. That would increase its use in Africa and other poor parts of the world where there are few computers but plenty of handsets.

The Foundation will also look at how the benefits of the web can be taken to those who cannot read or write.

"We're talking about the evolution of the web," he said. "Perhaps by using gestures or pointing. When something is such a creative medium as the web, the limits to it are our imagination".

The Foundation will also look at concerns that the web has become less democratic, and its use influenced too much by large corporations and vested interests.

"I think that question is very important and may be settled in the next few years," said Sir Tim.

"One of the things I always remain concerned about is that that medium remains neutral," he said.

"It's not just where I go to decide where to buy my shoes which is the commercial incentive - it's where I go to decide who I'm going to trust to vote," he said.

"It's where I go maybe to decide what sort of religion I'm going to belong to or not belong to; it's where I go to decide what is actual scientific truth - what I'm actually going to go along with and what is bunkum".

12:00 PM
Categories: General Info. Author: SacHu

Australia's Test squad still plans to depart for India on Sunday despite increased fears over security following deadly bomb attacks in New Delhi on Saturday. Cricket Australia officials were due to meet with representatives from the Australian government's department of foreign affairs on Monday afternoon to receive an update on the safety situation in India.

Michael Brown, Cricket Australia's general manager of cricket, will also receive a report on Tuesday from Reg Dickason, the team's security advisor, but a spokesman said there had been no change to the schedule for the four-Test series. "Our position is that the tour is going ahead unless we are otherwise persuaded," Peter Young, Cricket Australia's general manager of public affairs, told Cricinfo. "Our advice is there are some concerns and to exercise caution, but currently they do not compromise the tour. Our plan is to depart on September 21 subject to our advice."

Australia have scheduled warm-up games in Jaipur and Hyderabad, where bombs have gone off over the past year, before heading to Bangalore, where one person was killed in attacks in July, for the opening Test on October 9. While Cricket Australia will continue to discuss the issue with their security advisers, the government and the Indian board, more information on the situation in the country is available from members of the Australia A squad.

The outfit is currently in Hyderabad, 1500km south of New Delhi, for a one-day tri-series and the first match will be against New Zealand A on Monday. Young said the team wanted to stay and play.

"In consultation with the BCCI, we have upgraded security in and around the dressing rooms and they will have an escort to the ground," Young said. "They have also been told not to leave the hotel without good reason. It's just a matter of prudence." The squad is travelling with a security advisor who is part of Dickason's team.

The Australian Cricketers' Association does not believe the danger in India is as bad as in neighbouring Pakistan, but Paul Marsh, the chief executive, said he expected "heat" if Australia toured. "If the team stays in India, there might be some who criticise us for double standards," he told the Sydney Morning Herald. "But people need to understand our starting point is that we always want to tour.

"We go to extreme lengths to obtain the best advice on the situation of each country we visit. In Pakistan's case this year, people we rely on told us not to tour. If they say not to tour again, we'll listen. Bombs going off anywhere are a concern."

More than 20 people were killed in the explosions in New Delhi, which will host the third Test from October 29. "The threat assessment for India has been considerably lower than that of Pakistan," Marsh said in the Australian. "We want to find out if the latest bombings will change that in any way and what our independent experts think about our Australia A players being over there at the moment. As always we'll rely on the advice of the experts."

11:48 AM
Categories: Cricket. Author: SacHu

Women experience significantly more nightmares than men and have more emotional dreams, research suggests.

In a study of 170 volunteers asked to record their most recent dream, 19% of men reported a nightmare compared with 30% of women. Researcher Dr Jennifer Parker of the University of the West of England said there was no difference in the overall number of dreams reported. Other research has shown women tend to have more disturbed sleep than men. One factor which has been linked to this is changes in a woman's body temperature during her monthly cycle. Dr Parker, a lecturer in psychology, said it has been known for a long time that pre-menstrual women report more vivid and disturbing dreams. "The consistent finding in this research was that women report more unpleasant dreams than men." Women taking part in the study were much more likely to report dreaming about very emotionally traumatic events such as the loss of a loved one. She added: "In terms of processing emotional information, women may be more prone to taking unresolved concerns into their sleep life.

" Dr Chris Idzikowski, director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre said he was not surprised the research showed a gender difference but what is difficult to pick out is whether women are having more nightmares or remembering them better. "This fits in with what's in the literature.

11:43 AM
Categories: Something Interesting. Author: SacHu

Wikipedia CEO Jimmy Wales once said on the success of Wikipedia that The best things in the world are free. This statement is valid for internet also. For example, the best search engine Google, the best webmail service, gmail, yahoomail etc, the best online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, the best internet browser, Firefox are all free. Today I am talking about free softwares. I am going to list out top ten most popular windows softwares. The source of this list is Download.com. It is a big directory of free and paid softwares where you can download them for free. It offers content in four major categories: Softwares, Music, Games, and Videos, offered for download via FTP from Download.com’s servers or third-party servers.

Their Software section is most popular on internet which includes more than 100k freewares, sharewares, and trial downloads. Downloads are often rated and reviewed by editors, and also contain a summary of the file from the software publisher, and one or more screen shots. You can also write reviews and give ratings to the software. So here comes the list of top ten most popular softwares for Windows.

1. AVG AntiVirus Free Edition — One of the most popular antivirus softwares.
2. Ad-Aware 2008 — It can scan your RAM, Registry, hard drives, and external storage devices for known data-mining, advertising, and tracking components thereby allowing you to maintain a higher degree of privacy while you surf the internet.
3. LimeWire — It is the world’s fastest P2P file-sharing application for all types of computer files, including music, video, pictures, games, and text documents.
4. Avira AntiVir Personal - Free Antivirus — Yet another good free antivirus.
5. Avast Home Edition — It is a complete ICSA & Checkmark certified antivirus, Checkmark certified anti-spyware & anti-rootkit package.
6. FrostWire — FrostWire is a fork of the very popular LimeWire PRO Gnutella/Bittorrent client.
7. Orbit Downloader– A Download manager software.
8. WinRAR — WinRAR is a 32-bit Windows version of RAR Archiver, an archiver and archive manager. Also works for .ZIP files.
9. BitComet — It is one of the most popular BitTorrent/HTTP/FTP download clients.
10. Camfrog Video Chat– It allows you to join real streaming video chat rooms where you can hear, see, and chat with many people at a time.
11. WinZip — Not better than WinRAR.
12. Spybot - Search & Destroy — It can search your hard disk and registry for threats to your security and privacy.
13. mIRC — It is a Internet Relay Chat client for Windows that can be used to communicate, share, play or work with others on IRC networks around the world, either in multi-user group conferences or in one-to-one private discussions.
14. IrfanView — It is a fast and compact image viewer/converter.
15. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware — It is an anti-malware application that can thoroughly remove even the most advanced malware.
16. Advanced WindowsCare Personal — It is a comprehensive PC care utility that takes a one-click approach to help protect, repair, and optimize your computer.
17. YouTube Downloader — It is used to download videos from YouTube and many other video websites and convert them to other video formats.
18. FLV Player — For playing .flv videos.
19. RealPlayer — RealPlayer 11 gives you the ability to download videos from thousands of Web sites with just one click.
20. GOM Media Player — It supports file formats such as AVI, DAT, MPEG, DivX, XviD, WMV, ASF.

Linux founder Linus Torvalds has once said “Software is like sex, it’s better when it’s free.” So friends enjoy the fun of free sex, download these softwares.

11:18 AM
Categories: General Info. Author: SacHu

Cristiano Ronaldo does not expect a hostile reception from Manchester United supporters after his failed Real Madrid move.

Ronaldo was linked with a move to Spain all summer and some fans were disgruntled by his apparent desire to move to the Bernabeu.

And the Portugal winger, who could return from an ankle injury in time for this week's Champions League opener against Villarreal, has no concerns about Red Devils' following.

"When I put on the shirt, I give it my all," he said in The Sun.

"I'm already in the history of the club. When I play the fans will love me again."

Ronaldo also flatly denied there is any chance of him joining newly-rich Manchester City in the future after claims they would pay US$270 million for him.

"No way do I see myself in the shirt of another Manchester team," he said.

"I didn't realise I was worth that much!"

11:04 AM
Categories: Sports. Author: SacHu

Olympic quarter-finalist Saina Nehwal reckoned her triumph at the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix was the biggest in her career.

The ace Indian shuttler hopes to break into the top 10 riding on her performance at the Asian circuit.

Saina became the first Indian woman shuttler with two Grand Prix crowns under her belt after she clinched the title in Chinese Taipei beating unseeded Malaysian Li Ya Lydia Cheah 21-8, 21-19 in the final of the GP Gold event today.

"This is my biggest victory. Philippines Open was a four-star event but this one was five star and I feel I really played very well. I was in peak form and my confidence was very high," Saina said.

Playing her first tournament since making it to the quarter-finals of the Beijing Olympics, Saina said the tie against Porntip Buranaprasertsuk of Thailand in the last-eight stage was the toughest and winning it made her confident of claiming the title.

"I think the quarter-final was the most toughest match for me. I was stretched to three sets. This Thai girl (Porntip) was a good hitter and played very good strokes. Winning this match made me comfortable for the next two days and gave me the confidence that I can win the title.

"I expected the semi-final to be a tough one, especially because (Pia Zebadiah) Bernadet had defeated Olympic bronze medallist (Marian Kritin ) Yullianti in the quarter-finals. But it turned out to be relatively easier than I expected," she said.

Following the rampaging form that saw her win the Grand Prix title, the ace shuttler says breaking into the top 10 is next on her agenda. "My next aim is to break into the top 10. I am playing the Japan Super Series and the China Masters next. These are big events and I hope to do well there," said the Hyderabadi girl.

After her first GP win at the 2006 Philippines Open, Saina went through a lean patch and the 18-year-old says it was sheer hard work in those two years that made her an improved player.

"After the Philippines open, it was not that I was playing too badly. I wasn't winning but I was giving a tough fight.

"In between I worked mainly on my stamina and defence and also on my movement and it today it paid me rich dividends.

"Today, I am a much improved player, I am playing very well against top players and it has given me a lot of confidence," she said.

Saina will meet seventh-seed Mi Zhou in the first round of the Yonex Japan Super Series Open to be held from September 16-21 and the national champion is upbeat about it.

"I know it will be a tough one, but I am not scared. As always I will give of my 100 per cent and put the best foot forward and hopefully I will be able to do well there as well," Saina, who is leaving for Japan tomorrow morning, said.

10:48 AM
Categories: Sports. Author: SacHu

The aware (awareness during REsuscitation) study is to be launched by the Human Consciousness Project of the University of Southampton - an international collaboration of scientists and physicians who have joined forces to study the human brain, consciousness and clinical death.

The study is led by Dr Sam Parnia, an expert in the field of consciousness during clinical death, together with Dr Peter Fenwick and Professors Stephen Holgate and Robert Peveler of the University of Southampton. Following a successful 18-month pilot phase at selected hospitals in the UK, the study is now being expanded to include other centres within the UK, mainland Europe and North America. "Contrary to popular perception," Dr Parnia explains, "death is not a specific moment. It is a process that begins when the heart stops beating, the lungs stop working and the brain ceases functioning - a medical condition termed cardiac arrest, which from a biological viewpoint is synonymous with clinical death. "During a cardiac arrest, all three criteria of death are present. There then follows a period of time, which may last from a few seconds to an hour or more, in which emergency medical efforts may succeed in restarting the heart and reversing the dying process. What people experience during this period of cardiac arrest provides a unique window of understanding into what we are all likely to experience during the dying process." A number of recent scientific studies carried out by independent researchers have demonstrated that 10-20 per cent of people who go through cardiac arrest and clinical death report lucid, well structured thought processes, reasoning, memories and sometimes detailed recall of events during their encounter with death.

During the AWARE study, doctors will use sophisticated technology to study the brain and consciousness during cardiac arrest. At the same time, they will test the validity of out of body experiences and claims of being able to ‘see' and ‘hear' during cardiac arrest.

2:30 PM
Categories: Education, Something Interesting. Author: SacHu

The quest to create an Indian Grand Slam singles title winner led to the launch of the Apollo Mission 2018 on May 23, 2007 by the Apollo Tyres Limited. The idea was to select the best young tennis talents in the country and give them world-class training – mentally and physically - under one roof to ensure that they could bridge the gap between potential champions and champions. The training and grooming of the selected candidates will be under the guidance of India’s tennis Ace Mahesh Bhupathi, who is the brand ambassador consultant for the project.

In the first year of the initiative, Apollo Tyres Ltd held four tennis clinics – in Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata and the national finals in New Delhi. About 4000 children in the ages of five to 14 were assessed in the two-month long process in the winter months of November and December.

The panel of judges consisted of tennis stalwarts like Mahesh Bhupathi, his father and coach C G K Bhupathi, former India No. 1 and Davis Cupper Prahlad Srinath, India’s Davis Cup coach and Arjuna Awardee Sandeep Kirtane, international physical trainer Heath Mathews and eminent physiotherapist Tony Beecroft.

Thirty-two children made it to the national finals in New Delhi of which 15 were finally inducted in the Foundation for Indian Sporting Talent (FIST) Academy tennis programme under the aegis of the Mahesh Bhupathi Tennis Academy in Bangalore. The other 17 children were awarded a two-week scholarship at the Mahesh Bhupathi Tennis Academy.

Apart from training at the academy by top notch coaches and trainers, the selected 15 will also will play select tournaments in India and abroad to gain valuable match experience.

In the first year of Mission 2018, 15 talented youngsters, of which seven are girls, were enrolled into the programme that started in April 2008. The youngest member of this group is five-year-old Rohan Mehra, while Saurabh Singh at 14 is the eldest.

Following is a list of the selected 15:

1. Spoorti Shivalingaiah (12)
2. Sansitha Nandakumar (12)
3. Dhruti Venugopal (10)
4. Nandini Das (8)
5. Romil Kamdar (9)
6. Rohan Bhatia (12)
7. Sneha Reddy (10)
8. Md Azhar (12)
9. Seeulee Upadhyaya (11)
10. S M Abdullah (12)
11. Rohan Mehra (5+)
12. Sumit Nagal (10)
13. Simran Kaur Sethi (11)
14. Jennifer Luikham (8)
15. Saurabh Singh (14)

2:09 PM
Categories: India, Sports. Author: SacHu

David Beckham is happy to longer play in every England game if it helps the Three Lions reach the World Cup in 2010.

The 33-year-old has ambitions of featuring in the tournament in South Africa but accepts his role could be off the substitutes' bench as a squad player.

Coach Fabio Capello preferred Walcott to Beckham on the right flank for the last two matches and the results were devastating against Croatia as the Arsenal teenager become England's youngest scorer of an international hat-trick.

Beckham, who came on for Walcott at the Maksimir Stadium, said: "I don't care if I play or not. As long as England win, that is the biggest thing for me.

"I'm happy to get on in the last two games and I'd have loved to have played more in both.

"I'm happy to be part of the squad and get as many games as possible. I don't expect to be in every game, that is the way it is.

"At the end of the day it's all about the team, the squad, and England qualifying for the World Cup.

"I'm part of the squad, happy with the team and the two results. "It's six points out of two games so whether I play or not is immaterial. The biggest thing is if England win."

Beckham has been in the England team when there have been genuine hopes of success, so he is wary of getting carried away with the 4-1 win in Zagreb.

However, he also hopes the victory will win back fans who have been disillusioned with England underachieving.

"I hope so because the fans we have travelling all the time deserve it and the people at home deserve it," said the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder.

"It's great to see the success we've had in other sports, in the Olympics, cricket and rugby. It would be great to see if football can do that.

"We want to get people back interested in us, that is a big thing for us. We want to get people to love coming to the games like they used to and talk about the national team like they should.

"Hopefully this result will set us up for that but we need to continue moving forward."

Beckham feels it was a matter of time before England produced a performance like they did against Croatia - and Capello will now ensure that standards do not drop.

He added: "Someone said that we've turned a corner but we felt like that before the game, so the performance didn't really surprise the players. But it's put us on a good platform.

"We as a team are not getting carried away but we'll be happy with the result. The way we performed was the biggest thing. We have a lot of level-headed lads who will be pleased but we will not get carried away.

"It's a chance for us to take this on because we want to carry on going forward. We don't want to take a step back. The manager won't let that happen anyway."

1:59 PM
Categories: Sports. Author: SacHu

The BCCI asserted that the serial blasts in Delhi will have no bearing on the upcoming Test tour by Australia in October.
The Board reiterated that the tour would go ahead as scheduled.
After the capital was rocked by a series of five blasts last evening, Cricket Australia (CA) said it was considering the option of sending a security team to India before taking a call on the four-Test tour next month.

BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, however, asserted there was no threat to the tour.

"I have not heard about any communication from Australia and I don't think there will be any change to the tour schedule," Shah said.

"I hope Australia also understands our position. The situation is normal and the Australian tour to India will go as per schedule," he said.

On CA's plan to send a security team to India, Shah said, "If there are any concerns, a security team will come. I don't think there will be any problem in Australia coming to India."

Cricket Australia will commission an urgent report from its long-term security adviser outlining the safety situation in India following a series of bomb blasts in New Delhi on Saturday that killed more than 20 people. The city is the venue for Australia's third Test, starting on October 29, and the terrorist attacks raise more safety issues after they decided not to tour Pakistan this month for the Champions Trophy, a stance which led to the postponement of the tournament.

Reg Dickason, the team's security manager, will work on the report with the Australian Cricketers' Association and Peter Young, Cricket Australia's public affairs manager, said he expected a decision would be made "in the next week or so". Michael Brown, Cricket Australia's general manager of cricket, will also speak with the Indian board, the Australian High Commission, which is based in New Delhi, and security agencies to gain information on travelling in the country.

"The fundamental principle that always comes first is the safety of the team and the team officials," Young said. "There's a standard process for every tour. Such is the way of the world these days that this process is completed before we go anywhere." A pre-tour assessment has already been done but if the concerns remain Cricket Australia will consider another inspection.

While the first Test is not until October 9 in Bangalore, the 15-man squad is due to leave next Sunday and play two warm-up matches in Jaipur and Hyderabad. Australia A are currently in Hyderabad, about 1500km south of New Delhi, preparing for a tri-series with teams from India and New Zealand.

Niranjan Shah, the secretary of the Indian board, said the BCCI was concerned by the explosions. "But I don't think it will have any impact on the coming Australia series," he told the Hindustan Times.

One of Cricket Australia's main reasons for its stance on Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and the earlier Test and one-day series, which were also postponed, was the terrorist threats to westerners. "The specific answer we were given on Pakistan was that it was not safe to go," Young said. "We will take advice on this situation and will make a decision. We expect that to be in the next week or so."

The Australian government's updated travel advice for India is "to exercise a high degree of caution because of the high risk of terrorist activity by militant groups". The latest attacks were reportedly planned by the Indian Mujahideen group, but there have been other deadly explosions since May in Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Bangalore.

1:47 PM
Categories: Cricket, India. Author: SacHu

Indian dope testing laboratory's long wait for a seal of approval from the World-Anti Doping Agency is likely to be over next week.

"WADA has an executive committee meeting coming up in Montreal on September 20 where our dope lab is going to get the accreditation," IOA general secretary Randhir Singh told PTI.

He along with Athletics Federation of India secretary Lalit Bhanot and Anil Khanna, President Asian Tennis Federation, were part of the dignitaries at the recent India Sports Marketing Forum.

Taking a dig at corporate houses, all three felt money being pumped into sports is a mere pittance.

"Big business houses only talk about promoting sports haven't done much," said Randhir, who is also the vice-chairman of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

He also hoped that a successful organising of the Commonwealth Games will support India's bid for the 2020 Olympics. "But for that we also have to win medals." With the centre allocating Rs 700 crore for athletes' training for the 2010 Games, Bhanot felt they were on the right track.

"The 2010 Games is going to boost the country's sporting scenario," said Bhanot, secretary-general of the Commonwealth Games.

Khanna felt there's lot other disciplines can learn from the Indian Premier League. "Tennis too needs restructuring. Today only the top players are earning while those outside the top-100 have to fend for themselves."

1:46 PM
Categories: India, Sports. Author: SacHu

Five suspected bomb blasts have been reported within minutes of each other in markets in India's capital, Delhi.

At least seven people were killed in the attacks, police said, while at least 30 people are reported hurt.

The explosions are not thought to have been very powerful but they happened in areas crowded with evening shoppers.

The exact cause of the blasts is not known but bombs are suspected. Crude explosives have been detonated in several Indian cities recently.

More than 400 people have died in separate attacks since October 2005, with the cities of Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Jaipur among those hit.

India has blamed Islamist militant groups for these previous bombings.

CNN-IBN, a local TV news channel, said it had received an email before the blasts from a group calling itself the "Indian Mujahideen".

"Do whatever you can. Stop us if you can," the e-mail reportedly said.

The same group has claimed responsibility for two other recent bombing attacks.

Chaotic scenes

Two of the latest blasts in Delhi are believed to have happened metres away from each other in the central shopping district of Connaught Place.

Another blast took place in a market in the Greater Kailash area in south Delhi.

A BBC producer who visited the scene said a low-intensity explosion had scattered glass over a large area, near a popular cafe.

Two of the other explosions were reported in Delhi's Karol Bagh area and on the Barakhamba Road.

An unexploded bomb was reportedly found and defused at the capital's India Gate monument, local TV quoted police as saying.

Television pictures showed scenes of chaos at the blast scenes. Crowds have been seen milling around mangled vehicles, with debris and bloodstains scattered across the streets.

After the bombings in Jaipur and Bangalore, a group calling itself the Indian Mujahideen also claimed responsibility.

While it is too early to say exactly what caused Saturday's blasts in Delhi, they appear similar to the earlier attacks.

The earlier attacks involved multiple small devices hidden in small boxes or bags and aimed at soft targets such as crowded markets, analysts say.

The devices contained shrapnel such as nuts, bolt and ball bearings while the explosives used were improvised. Islamic militants in Kashmir have tended to use military-grade explosives.

8:41 PM
Categories: India. Author: SacHu

A court in India has postponed the release of a film entitled Hari Puttar, after complaints from the makers of the blockbuster Harry Potter films.

Hollywood company Warner Bros has filed a lawsuit against all parties involved in the production and distribution of the Hari Puttar film.

It has been quoted as saying the the title of the Indian movie is confusing.

Mirchi Movies, the makers of the Bollywood children's film, have denied the accusations.

It told the BBC that India's Hari Puttar had nothing to do with the Harry Potter wizard movies, to which Warner Bros owns the rights.

Mirchi says that Hari is a popular Indian name, and Puttar means 'son' in Hindi and Punjabi.

The Indian film tells the story of a 10-year-old boy who moves to England with his family and becomes involved in a plan to save the world.

The Indian production house says the name of their film was registered in 2005.

But the legal proceedings mean that scheduled release of Hari Puttar has been postponed.

It was meant to hit cinema halls on Friday, but has now been pushed back to the end of this month.

11:23 PM
Categories: Cini Mini. Author: SacHu

MS Dhoni may have bagged ICC ODI Player of the Year award but Adam Gilchrist believes Sachin Tendulkar is still the best.

"Well, it's hard to compare whether statistically or in your mind or opinion. It's a big award for Mahendra to win but I would still say Sachin is the best player of recent times," Gilchrist told an Indian news channel.

Making a comparative study of both the Indians, Gilchrist said, "Dhoni is firepower, (it's more about) his explosiveness and unpredictability. If there is anything about Sachin, it's his technicality, he is beautiful to watch and clinical whereas Dhoni is almost carefree, playing without fear that can hurt you most.

"He (Dhoni) hits some extraordinary shots that are quite unique to the game. You never see them in textbooks but are equally effective," said the Australian.

Gilchrist was also against rushing Dhoni into the Test captain's job even though he felt it was just a matter of time before the star stumper takes over the reins from Anil Kumble.

"Well, his time will come I believe," Gilchrist said.

"There is no need to rush him in, I'm sure it's just a matter of time. He looks to me like the top character who can handle both Test and one-day captaincy, and the wicket-keeping and batting roles and the many, many sponsors he has," Gilchrist quipped.

Though no more part of the Australian squad, Gilchrist is not immune to issues affecting the Aussies and he sounded equally worried about the uncertainty over Andrew Symonds' fate

11:22 PM
Categories: Cricket. Author: SacHu

A bad news for cigarettes smokers in India. Government of India has decided to ban smoking in in all public places from 2nd October, Gandhi Jayanti. Now you can’t smoke in hotels, restaurants, offices, public gatherings etc. Moreover, if you get caught while smoking, then a fine of Rs 200 would be imposed. The health ministry has also plans to increase the fine to Rs 1000 after some time. Even if the employer will be fined if their employees are found smoking inside office premises. Smokers will also be fined for lighting up their cigarettes in even pubs, bars and discotheques. Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss is the brain behind all these new measures. He has already banned smoking in India movies.

I feel that the idea behind this ban is to discourage smoking by making it more inconvenient, and to stop harmful smoke being present in enclosed public spaces. According to WHO reports, in developed countries, 26% of male deaths and 9% of female deaths are due to smoking. So time has come to say no to Smoking.

11:21 PM
Categories: General Info, India. Author: SacHu

As the year 2012 approaches many people await it with a certain degree of trepidation.
Some believe it will hail a new age of enlightenment for mankind, some that it will signify the beginning of the end of the world and some that the date actually holds no special significance at all. So what can we expect to happen in 2012 ? In her new book '2013: Envisioning the world after the events of 2012", Marie D. Jones explores the possibilities.

This book is somewhat different to a lot of similar books out there in that it doesn't serve as an exercise in fear mongering about an apocalyptic future that nobody can escape, what it does do for the most part is take a realistic look using known political, medical, technological and environmental factors at what the world might be like in the coming years. While many of these scenarios don't specifically relate to the year 2012 the author does focus on that date throughout the book and covers its significance both historically and in the present, including when and by whom it was determined.

Early in the book the author introduces us to the 2012 concept and looks at where it originated. Interpretations of the apocalypse and the religious and metaphysical aspects of the phenomenon are also explored here. Following this she moves on to the first of several chapters detailing possible scenarios for the future and what could happen as 2012 approaches and beyond.

Global warming, the melting of the ice caps and the consequences for mankind of these and other environmental issues are covered, as are undersea methane releases, solar radiation from space, super volcanoes and asteroid impacts. Subsequent chapters cover future concerns over everything from overpopulation, water shortages, running out of natural resources, animal extinctions and diseases to political factors such as global power shifts and terrorism.

Also mentioned are a lot of the advantages the future may bring in technology and medicine. Covered are possible new treatments for cancer, aids and other incurable diseases as well as bionics, computer technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology and space flight. It's a nice change to read a book where the positives are also included.

'2013' is a book that should appeal to anyone curious about the 2012 phenomenon and about the future, it covers a wide range of possibilities and paints a picture of a future in which anything could happen, good or bad. What will actually transpire as the calendar changes to 2012 however, if anything, is a mystery that we will have to wait another few years to find out.

11:10 PM
Categories: DOOMSDAY 2012: The End of Days. Author: SacHu

I live in Chennai, India and I can still see it now! It's like a ring of light around the moon. Also its like there is less cloud around the moon than there is on the outside of the circle! When i came across some sites i found that it is named to be Moon Halo.

What is a Halo?

Moon halo displays range from the familiar circle around the moon to rare and prized events when the whole sky is webbed by intricate arcs.

Tiny ice crystals in the atmosphere create halos by refracting and reflecting light.

Halos bestow a delicate beauty to the skies and tell us about the crystals inhabiting the clouds.

A Ring Around The Moon

The ring around the Moon is caused by the refraction of Moonlight (which of course is reflected sunlight) from ice crystals in the upper atmosphere. The shape of the ice crystals results in a focusing of the light into a ring. Since the ice crystals typically have the same shape, namely a hexagonal shape, the Moon ring is almost always the same size.

Less typical are the halos that may be produced by different angles in the crystals. They can create halos with an angle of 46 degrees.

10:58 PM
Categories: Something Interesting. Author: SacHu

The future looks bright—maybe too bright.

The sun is slowly expanding and brightening, and over the next few billion years it will eventually desiccate Earth, leaving it hot, brown and uninhabitable. About 7.6 billion years from now, the sun will reach its maximum size as a red giant: its surface will extend beyond Earth’s orbit today by 20 percent and will shine 3,000 times brighter. In its final stage, the sun will collapse into a white dwarf. Although scientists agree on the sun’s future, they disagree about what will happen to Earth. Since 1924, when British mathematician James Jeans first considered Earth’s fate during the sun’s red giant phase, a bevy of scientists have reached oscillating conclusions. In some scenarios, our planet escapes vaporization; in the latest analyses, however, it does not. The answer is not straightforward, because although the sun will expand beyond Earth’s orbit, or one astronomical unit (AU), it will lose mass along the way. As a result, Earth should drift outward as the gravitational tug lessens over time. (At its maximum radius of 1.2 AU, the sun will have lost about one third of its mass, compared with its current heft.

) In this way, Earth could escape solar envelopment. But other factors complicate the analysis. Drag on the planet from the sun’s outermost, tenuous layers will cause Earth to drift inward. Smaller forces from the other planets—all in turn reacting to the same reducing, expanding sun—are even more difficult to account for completely.

10:52 PM
Categories: General Info. Author: SacHu

Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres are both fit for Liverpool's huge clash with Manchester United at Anfield on Saturday lunchtime.

According to the club's official website both players completed a light training session at Melwood on Friday morning and have been included in the squad to take on Alex Ferguson's men.

Both men appeared set to miss the clash with the European champions - Torres because of a hamstring injury and Gerrard because of recent groin surgery.

"They are both much better," confirmed Benitez.

"They came through a full training session this morning. It wasn't a very hard session, but they will both be in the squad.

"It's important for us to have these two players of quality who can change a game."

"I'm not surprised they are available because the medical staff have done a good job and the players have been working really hard with the physios to get fit."

10:45 PM
Categories: Sports. Author: SacHu

Federer's fifth straight US Open title means that the lid is firmly back on all the debate that surrounded his dismal form this year.

His clinical demolition of Andy Murray, according to Suntay, points to the fact that not only has the Swiss taken the losses in his stride but has improved his game.

"After realising that the rest of the world had caught up with him, he went out and looked to add to his already intimidating game. He took the losses in stride and looked to improve," he wrote in his weekly column for espnstar.com.

With the win at Flushing Meadows, Federer is now one major title from tying the 14 career Slams of Pete Sampras.

The reason why people had raised questions about Federer was because the man himself has such an impeccable record that a slip here and a slip there is viewed through a magnifying glass.

According to statistics, Federer has gotten to the final four stage 18 straight times in major competitions. So of course the man has set lofty standards.

"I guess we hold Federer in such high regard, much like Tiger Woods, that if he doesn't win a number of Major tournaments as well as a handful of others, and he doesn't run roughshod over everyone, we say he is slipping," says Suntay.

Federer has not only come back on track through his tremendous resolve, but ensured that his list of admirers increases with every passing day.
*************************************************************************************

Roger Federer fired a warning by saying his latest US Open title had put him at ease for a resurgence in 2009.

A relaxed and invigorated Federer swept Britain's Andy Murray aside in straight sets in New York on Monday night to earn his fifth successive US Open title at Arthur Ashe Stadium and silence the critics who had written the Swiss star off as a spent force following an otherwise disappointing season.

Federer, 27, lost his world number one ranking to Rafael Nadal in August after 12 defeats in 2008 which included the loss of his Australian Open and Wimbledon titles and another French Open final setback to the Spaniard.

That left Federer's season on the line but he responded superbly at the Billie Jean King National Centre, gaining revenge for an Australian Open semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic at the same stage in New York and then powering past grand slam final debutant Murray.

"I would have been disappointed losing and having three finals and one semis of the slams," Federer admitted after securing the 13th grand slam title of his career, one shy of Pete Sampras' record haul.

"You feel like you missed an entire year, you know, being so close but yet so far, because semis and finals don't help me a whole lot any more in my career.

"It's all about the wins, and that's why this is huge. This is massive, really, and I'm very, very happy about this grand slam obviously. It's a different type of flavour, this one, to me, no doubt.

"And I can definitely go into the rest of the season more relaxed now, and then also looking forward with great spirits for next year."

Federer said the turning point in his season was winning an Olympic gold medal in the doubles in Beijing last month with Swiss team-mate Stanislas Wawrinka, a victory that, he believed, put away any doubts about his game as he returned to a tournament he had been unbeaten in since 2004.

"I was coming here happy being an Olympic champion. I think that's what really made the big difference," he said.

"If I wouldn't have played doubles at the Olympics, say, I would have come here with three tough losses.

"But with the Olympic gold in doubles, it really sort of made me forget about it, to just come in here and enjoy this tournament.

"I mean, I'm always going to be confident. I'm a four-time defending champion. So I was always going to believe in my chances, and especially at the Slams, I knew I was so close at Wimbledon that my chances were always going to be good here.

"So that's why I came into this tournament quite confident."

Federer insisted he had remained upbeat throughout his grand slam defeats, which included a classic five-set encounter with Nadal at Wimbledon that denied him a sixth consecutive title there.

"I'm quite proud obviously of my achievement. It takes a lot out of a player, you know, always trying to go from one tournament to the next and trying to do your best, it's been a tough summer.

"I think the French Open loss was brutal, but I got over that one pretty easily, played great on the grass, and had a really tough loss at Wimbledon where I was proud to be part of such a great match.

"At the same time it just made me sad not having won that great epic match. Maybe I was always dreaming about it and not winning it.

"I was always positive. I lost quite a few matches I should have never lost, and they hurt. Now, getting the fifth US Open, it really means a lot to me. I really thank the fans, as well, the crowds. They were great."

Having recently lost his ranking as the number one player in the world, which he had held since February 2, 2004, Federer said his victory at Flushing Meadows was the perfect riposte.

"I mean, from the beginning, that's really what I was hoping for. And losing my number one ranking, that's also what meant a lot to me this season.

"So to bounce back straight away after losing the number one ranking, this is the best scenario ever."

10:39 PM
Categories: Sports. Author: SacHu

The status of Twenty20 cricket as the sport's most lucrative avatar has been confirmed with commercial rights to the Champions League being sold for US$900 million to broadcasters ESPN-Star Sports (ESS). This makes the Champions League, promoted by the national boards of India, Australia and South Africa, the highest valued cricket tournament on a per-game basis.

The ten-year deal, which includes an additional $75 million for marketing the tournament, gives the network the global commercial rights to every Champions League match from this year's inaugural event in December until 2017.

The organisers confirmed the deal when they opened all the bids in Dubai on Wednesday. ESS was preferred ahead of DIC, who offered $751.3 million, and the Abu Dhabi Sports Club, whose bid was disqualified for being conditional.

The deal marks ESS's entry into the specialized Twenty20 market; it had lost out on the bid for the Indian Premier League after what seemed like a miscalculation on its part. The IPL rights were eventually sold to a consortium, including Sony Entertainment Television and the Singapore-based World Sports Group, for more than $1 billion. It had seemed like an outrageous price to pay at the time; now, after the overwhelming success of the inaugural IPL, it seems a steal.

ESS are the ICC's television rights holder until 2015 - they acquired the rights in 2006 for $1.1 billion over nine years - but the postponement of the Champions Trophy, originally due to start in Pakistan tomorrow, left them facing a long spell without a major series.

Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, said the bidding process had been "fair and transparent". "We have what we believe to be the best commercial deal for the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 season and for cricket fans across the world," Modi said. "All the bids received were of a very high standard."

Modi told Cricinfo that Mumbai and Bangalore were the new "confirmed venues" for the 2008 series, while a suitable third venue will be finalised in the "next 2-3 days". The organisers had previously scheduled the tournament in Mohali, Delhi and Jaipur, but Modi said the venues had to be changed taking into consideration the dew factor that may affect the night games in northern India during winter months.

The Champions League this year will feature eight sides from India, South Africa, Australia, England and Pakistan, before expanding to a 12-team competition in 2009.

10:29 PM
Categories: Cricket, General Info. Author: SacHu

India's one-day captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has won the ODI Player of the Year award at the ICC Awards ceremony in Dubai.

Dhoni beat off tough competition from his India team-mate, Sachin Tendulkar, Australia's fast bowler Nathan Bracken and Pakistan stalwart, Mohammad Yousuf, to take the award.

During the voting period, Dhoni played 39 ODIs and scored 1,298 runs at an average of 49.92 and at a rate of 82.46 runs per 100 balls faced. In that time he hit a century and nine fifties, making sure he led his team from the front.

Also in that time, in his capacity as a wicketkeeper, Dhoni claimed 62 dismissals (46 catches and 16 stumpings), which is almost twice as many as the next best, albeit having played more matches than any other keeper.

He is currently ranked No. 1 in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen. Dhoni said: "I would like to thank the voting academy for considering me to be deserving of this award. I am really happy to get this - it's a great privilege.

"Also, it feels great to know that I am the first Indian player to get this particular award and it's very special because now I am in the company of a lot of other good cricketers. Some fantastic players have won this award in the past and to be mentioned in their company is truly a humbling experience for me.

"I would like to thank the ICC, my home cricket board, my family, my team-mates and friends."

The ODI Player of the Year Award was one of eight individual prizes given at this year's ICC Awards. Dhoni also featured on the ICC ODI Team of the Year as picked by the ICC selection panel. The award was announced by Australia captain and two-time ICC Cricketer of the Year, Ricky Ponting.

India's flamboyant batsman, Yuvraj Singh, became the inaugural winner of the Twenty20 International Performance of the Year Award, in recognition of his amazing six sixes in one over during last September's ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa.

This new award highlights the most impressive performances by players in Twenty20 Internationals during the 12-month voting period and it marks the advent of this exciting new format of the game at international level.

On September 19, 2007, during a match against England in Durban, Yuvraj smashed every delivery of the 19th over - bowled by Stuart Broad - beyond the boundary rope, in the process registering a 12-ball half-century and putting his team on course for victory.

It was the first time a player had hit six sixes in a single Twenty20 International over. Herschelle Gibbs did it in an ODI during the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, while Garry Sobers became the first batsman to achieve the feat during a first-class match back in 1968.

According to the voting academy, Yuvraj's effort was the most impressive performance of the past 12 months. It beat off competition from his team-mate, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who led his team to victory in the same tournament; Chris Gayle of West Indies, who scored 117 off just 57 balls against the hosts, South Africa, in the opening match in Johannesburg; and Australia's Brett Lee, who became the first bowler to take a hat-trick in the event, against Bangladesh in Cape Town.

After collecting his award from Sri Lanka's former World Cup-winning captain, Arjuna Ranatunga, Yuvraj said: "For me it was very important just to get nominated. There were other great performances during the past year. For example Chris Gayle's innings in the World Twenty20 was fantastic. I am very happy to collect this award and I would like to congratulate the other players who were nominated alongside me.

"It's very important for any player to get his performance recognised. You play hard and you like to think people see that and get something out of it. I would like to thank the ICC for recognising the performances of the players - it's an important aspect of the year for us.

"After the fifth six in that over I remember having butterflies in my stomach and I knew that if I managed to hit it for six it would be very special. It was a great feeling when I saw the ball go over the boundary."

The Twenty20 International Performance of the Year Award was one of eight individual prizes given at this year's ICC Awards - presented in association with FICA - which are based on the 12 months between August 9, 2007 and August 12, 2008.

The ceremony is now in its fifth year and this is the first time it has been staged in Dubai, the home of the International Cricket Council. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006) and Johannesburg (2007).

The panel was chaired by the former West Indies captain, Clive Lloyd, and included the former Australia captain, Greg Chappell, the recently retired South Africa allrounder Shaun Pollock, the former Sri Lanka opener Sidath Wettimuny and the former Bangladesh batsman, Athar Ali Khan.

10:12 PM
Categories: Cricket. Author: SacHu