The $20m (£11.5m) match between England and Sir Allen Stanford's Caribbean team is in doubt after a High Court ruling.

The West Indies Cricket Board has lost its case against team sponsor Digicel and been told it cannot sanction the match, set for 1 November in Antigua.

Digicel, overlooked as a sponsor, took action as it felt it had full branding rights on the match, claiming it was effectively a West Indies match.

The ruling added that no West Indians on central contracts could play.

That would mean star players like captain Chris Gayle and batsmen Shiv Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan would be barred from playing for England's opponents, the Stanford Super Stars XI.

Digicel had been unhappy that Texan billionaire Stanford was only prepared to grant them minimal branding on the bowlers' run-ups and boundary boards. It felt it had a right to a larger slice of the publicity and marketing surrounding the match.

BBC Sport understands he, Digicel and the WICB will now be locked in furious negotiations over the next few days in a bid to save the match which is due to feature a whole week of warm-up matches.

Domestic Twenty20 champions Middlesex are also involved in the action - and are due to be paid handsomely should they win their match against Trinidad & Tobago.

The news is a blow to Kevin Pietersen's England squad, each of whom is set to become overnight dollar millionaires should the match go ahead - and they win it.

BBC Radio 5 Live reporter Pat Murphy said: "It is a humiliation for the West Indies board.

"Digicel maintain [England's opponents] are a full-strength West Indies XI and as the game is recognised by the ICC they are entitled to more than just recognition of their company on the bowlers' run-ups and boundary boards. After all they are the official sponsors of the West Indies Cricket Board.

"The game is now in doubt, the next couple of days will be absolutely crucial."

BBC sports editor Mihir Bose said all parties remained confident of an eventual settlement, with the cash-strapped WICB - which has the most to lose should the match not proceed - likely to have to forgo some of the money that was due to come to them.

WICB chief executive Dr Donald Peters said: "We understand the arbitrator has ruled against us and at this point we are trying to evaluate what the terms of the ruling are before we make any statement."

The England and Wales Cricket Board is keen that the match goes ahead as planned, as it feels it is the best way to lure the top players away from the temptations of the Indian Premier League.

On Monday, ECB chairman Giles Clarke was bullish there would be nothing in the High Court ruling to jeopardise the match, saying: "I'm sure the wise heads involved will sort out the issues.

"It's a matter between the West Indies Cricket Board and Digicel and I'm sure that everybody is seeking to find a sensible solution to enable this very dramatic and extremely exciting game of cricket to go ahead."

Stanford Super Series schedule:
25 Oct: Stanford Super Stars v Trinidad & Tobago
26 Oct: England v Middlesex
27 Oct: Trinidad & Tobago v Middlesex
28 Oct: England v Trinidad & Tobago
29 Oct: Stanford Super Stars v Middlesex
30 Oct: Rest day
31 Oct: Legends Beach Cricket match
1 Nov: Stanford Super Stars v England

11:36 AM
Categories: Cricket. Author: SacHu

There is no hard evidence that circumcision protects gay men from HIV, research shows.

African trials have shown circumcision cuts the likelihood of male to female HIV transmission by up to 60%.

But a US analysis of data on 53,567 men who have sex with other men found HIV rates were not significantly lower among those who were circumcised.

The Journal of the American Medical Association study stressed more work was needed to draw firm conclusions.

The US team, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta examined data on 53,567 men who have sex with men, of which 52% were circumcised.

HIV levels among those who were circumcised were lower - but not significantly so.

However, there was evidence that circumcision may have had a protective effect in studies carried out before the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in 1996.

The researchers said one possible explanation was that the advent of these more effective HIV drugs had encouraged higher levels of risk taking sexual behaviour, wiping out any marginal protective effect from circumcision.

Alternatively, the drugs may have helped lower the risk of transmission to the point where circumcision had no further benefit.

A third possibility is that there may have been a smaller proportion of men in the pre-HAART trials who primarily engaged in receptive anal sex, which carries the greatest risk for HIV infection among gay men.

Prevention

Michael Carter, of the HIV information service NAM, said: "It's my sense that there has been a tempering of the excitement about circumcision, and researchers are now favouring a 'combination prevention' approach.

"Circumcision may have a place in this in some settings, but so too do good sexual health, consistent condom use, and there's real excitement and debate about the role of HIV treatment in prevention."

Will Nutland, of the HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "This research adds weight to the evidence that circumcision isn't an effective method of HIV prevention for men who have sex with men.

"The majority of HIV infections in men who have sex with men are as a result of receptive anal intercourse and circumcision would make no difference in these cases.

"Rather than encouraging gay men to be circumcised, investment in prevention in the UK should focus on targeted education programmes, condom provision and easy access to testing."

11:33 AM
Categories: General Info. Author: SacHu

Full name Sourav Chandidas Ganguly
Born July 8, 1972, Calcutta (now Kolkata), Bengal
Current age - 36 years 91 days
Major teams - India, Asia XI, Bengal, Glamorgan, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lancashire
Batting style - Left-hand bat
Bowling style - Right-arm medium
Height - 5 ft 11 in
Education - St Xavier's College
Relations Brother - Snehasish C Ganguly


Timeline

January 11, 1992
Inauspicious debut
Makes his ODI debut, his only international on the tour of Australia. Scores 3 and is duly dropped. His highest score on the tour is 29, against Queensland.

June 21 and 22, 1996
Test debut is different
In his first Test, at Lord's, scores an imperious century. Follows it up with another century in the very next Test at Trent Bridge, on July 4.

October 23, 1996
Quite a sighter
In his 11th one-dayer, in Jaipur, opens the innings for the first time, against South Africa. This is the first time the greatest opening combination in ODI history, him and Sachin Tendulkar, comes together. He scores 54, Tendulkar 64, in a 126-run stand.

August 20, 1997
Has a ball in Sri Lanka
Playing against Sri Lanka, scores his first ODI century, in his 32nd match, in Colombo. This innings follows a 147 in the second Test, an innings instrumental in drawing the Test.

September, 1997
If it's Toronto, it has to be Ganguly
High point of his career. Is the leading scorer and wicket-taker in the Sahara Cup. With 222 runs at 55.5 and 15 wickets at 10.66, he wins four Man-of-the-Match awards in five matches, and is the most unanimous Man of the Series, as India beat Pakistan 4-1.

November-December, 1997
Whipping Sri Lanka, round 2
With 392 runs at an average of 98, ends the three-Test home series against Sri Lanka as top scorer and Man of the Series.

January 18, 1998
Setting up a famous chase
Scores 124 against Pakistan in the then highest successful run-chase in ODI history, as India score 316 in 47.5 overs to win the Independence Cup in Dhaka.

July 7, 1998
Whipping Sri Lanka, round 3
Scores 109 against Sri Lanka in Colombo, in the then highest opening stand in ODIs. He and Tendulkar (128) put together 252 runs as India win the Singer-Akai-Nidahas Trophy final by six runs.

May 26, 1999
Whipping Sri Lanka, round 4
A day when he, in partnership, looks like breaking every batting record in the book. His 183 in Taunton is the then highest ODI score by an Indian; the 318-run partnership with Rahul Dravid (145) is the then highest partnership ever; and India's 373 for 6 is the then second-largest ODI total.

September, 1999
Captaincy calibre
Captains India for the first time in the Coca-Cola Singapore Challenge tournament, against West Indies, as Tendulkar is rested due to a sore back. Barely a week later, he leads India again in the DMC Cup - with Tendulkar skipping the tournament due to an injury - against West Indies. India win the series 2-1.

February, 2000
County calling
Signs up to replace Muttiah Muralitharan as Lancashire's overseas cricketer.

February 26, 2000
Tendulkar resigns, Ganguly obliges
Is named captain of the Indian team for the five-ODI home series against South Africa. The announcement comes after Tendulkar has resigned from captaincy. At the prime of his one-day form, he ends the series as top run-getter, but India lose a closely fought series. Is named full-time captain after the series.

March 21, 2001
Final frontier remains
End of a month of enthralling Test cricket. Ganguly is the leading face of a brash, aggressive Indian team who come back from an impossible situation to beat Australia 2-1. Is vindicated as a captain.

November, 2001
Tête-à-tête with match-referee
In an unprecedented and highly controversial action, Ganguly and five other Indian players are summoned by Mike Denness, the match-referee, and warned for excessive appealing during the Port Elizabeth Test. He is also accused of not controlling his players, and is punished with a suspended ban for one Test match and two one-day international matches. India lose the three-Test series 2-0, and the third is deemed unofficial by the ICC amid threats of a revolt by India and the BCCI.

July 13, 2002
Paying them in the same currency
Is seen waving his shirt emphatically at the Lord's balcony as an incredible win in the NatWest Series final caps off impressive back-to-back tours of West Indies and England. India had lost their last nine finals in a row, six under Ganguly. He scores a century in the Test series that follows. India draw the series 1-1.

March 20, 2003
Promised land
Scores a century in the World Cup semi-final as India make it to the final for the first time since 1983.

December 7, 2003
Leading from the front
In Brisbane, scores a brilliant counter-attacking century in a tricky situation to set the tone for Indian batsmen on the Australian tour.

April 16, 2004
Neighbours won over
Becomes the first Indian captain to win a Test series in Pakistan. Also with 15 Test wins, he becomes India's most successful captain. India win the five-ODI series too by a margin of 3-2.

October 10, 2004
Beginning of the false end
India lose the first Test against Australia in Bangalore by 217 runs. He struggles both as a batsman and as a captain, and his withdrawal from the last two Tests due to injury leads to much media speculation and controversy. Australia capture the final frontier with a 2-1 series win.

March 28, 2005
Decline continues
The signs of his decline are obvious after a dismal showing in a drawn series at home against Pakistan. Pakistan side triumphs in the decider at Bangalore, virtually signalling the end of the successful Ganguly-Wright relationship. Ganguly scores 48 runs in the series, at 9.60.

April 12, 2005
Bad gets worse
After the fourth ODI against Pakistan, with the six-match ODI series tied 2-2, he is banned for six matches for a slow-over rate and has to watch from the sidelines as India go down 2-4 to Pakistan.

September 15, 2005
After hundred, comes nadir
A slow hundred against a depleted Zimbabwe sends the critics into raptures, only for the controversial Ganguly-Greg Chappell saga to blow up in everyone's faces. Ganguly goes public with his dismay at Chappell's suggestions during the match that he step down from the captaincy, and the media goes wild. Chappell is not amused, maintaining that the Indian captain asked him for his honest opinion on his form and leadership in a private meeting between the two. The tour goes on, with India unsurprisingly beating Zimbabwe 2-0. On the team's return to India Ganguly is publicly ostracised and there are more and more calls for his sacking. Forty-eight hours after saying that he respected the Indian captain and looked forward to working with him in the future, Chappell fires off a damning memorandum to the BCCI.

October 21, 2005
Refusal to die
Hits a century in the Duleep Trophy match against a strong North Zone attack to remind the world that he is not done yet.

November 22, 2005
Passes the thorny baton
The selectors end his five-year reign as Test captain when they pick Rahul Dravid to lead India in the Tests against Sri Lanka.

January to March, 2006
Uninvited
Is picked for the Test series in Pakistan. Does not bat in the first Test, is dropped for the second, and scores 34 and 37 in the third in Karachi. His performance isn't enough to secure a spot in the one-day series that followed. Is not picked for the home Tests against England.

December 7, 2006
Beginning of the end of the end
India are doing miserably in South Africa, having lost all the one-dayers. Ganguly is picked for the Tests. India are 1 for 2, 37 for 3, 59 for 4 against Rest of South Africa in Potchefstroom. Ganguly comes in and scores 83, India win, and take momentum into the Test series.

December 15, 2006
Riposte continues
Scores a half-century with the tail in the Johannesburg Test, as India reach a crucial 249 and bowl South Africa out for 84. They go on to win by 123 runs, but lose in the final Test to squander an opportunity for a rare series win. Ganguly is the leading run-getter for India.

January 21, 2007
ODIs, here I come, again
In Nagpur, on his ODI comeback, scores 98 against West Indies. India go on to score 338 and win by 14 runs.

May 18-19, 2007
I have been expecting you, Test ton
Scores an even 100 in Chittagong, his third century in three-and-a-half years. His last two centuries are Bulawayo, 2005 and Brisbane, 2003.

July-August, 2007
Feels like home in England
Scores 249 runs at 49.80 in India's series win in England, and has secured his place in both Test and ODI sides.

November-December, 2007
E-done and double delight
Scores his first Test century at Eden Gardens, his home ground, and follows it up with his first double-century, in Bangalore. Pakistan are at the receiving end, as he top-scores with 534 runs in three Tests at an average of 89, and is the Man of the Series.

December 2007-January 2008
Beginning of another false end?
A mixed Test series in Australia (235 runs at 29.37, two half-centuries) is followed up by the ODI axe for the CB Series in Australia.

April 12, 2008
Mastering the Mean Street
On an under-prepared, dual-paced pitch in Kanpur, Ganguly scores a serene 87 to help India level the three-Test series against South Africa. Later calls it one of his best Test innings.

October 7, 2008
'I've decided to quit'
Two days before the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, announces it will be his last series. There have been talks doing the rounds that the BCCI has been trying to force the seniors into retirmement. He first denies such notions in a press conference, and then when the presser is over, makes the announcement. "Just one last thing lads, before I leave," he says. "I just want to say that this is going to be my last series. I've decided to quit. I told my team-mates before coming here. These four Test matches are going to be my last and hopefully we'll go on a winning note."

7:40 PM
Categories: Cricket. Author: SacHu

Sourav Ganguly has announced he will retire after the upcoming Test series against Australia.

"Just one last thing lads, before I leave, I just want to say that this is going to be my last series," Ganguly said at the end of a routine press conference in Bangalore. "I've decided to quit. I told my team-mates before coming here. These four Test matches are going to be my last and hopefully we'll go on a winning note."

Kris Srikkanth, the head of India's new selection panel, was of the opinion that Ganguly made the right decision. "I think Sourav Ganguly has been an extraordinary cricketer," he said. "He has brought so many laurels to the country both as a captain and as a player.

"I think he's probably taken the right decision. He had a good chat with me and my co-selector Narendra Hirwani. He wants a peaceful series without any troubles on his mind. As a player I can tell you that when you have an axe over your head it doesn't feel right. I hope he goes out with couple of hundreds. Ganguly was one of the best captains the world has ever produced and I think he deserves it."

India's selectors picked Ganguly in a 15-man squad for the first two Tests against Australia despite intense speculation on his future leading up to the selection meeting in Mumbai last week. Ganguly had reportedly considered quitting cricket after being overlooked for the Irani Cup match between the Rest of India and Delhi but India's selection panel valued his experience over youngsters like Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif.

"To be honest I didn't expect to be picked for this series," Ganguly said. "But once I was chosen, I started preparing. Even when I was left out of the Rest of India squad, which was a bit of a surprise for me, I was still training with the Bengal boys."

Ganguly also dismissed speculation over a voluntary retirement scheme for the senior members of India's squad. "I don't think it's ever possible that anybody can offer you a VRS scheme. You cannot do that to players like [Anil] Kumble, [Rahul] Dravid, [VVS] Laxman, me, Sachin [Tendulkar] or anyone.

"What is important is what you get to know from the board [BCCI] and as far as I, and some of the senior players, are concerned, we have not received any intimation from the board on anything."

Ganguly, 36, has scored 6888 runs in 109 Tests, with 15 hundreds. He played 49 Tests as captain, the most by an Indian. The 21 matches won during his tenure is also an Indian record, and his win percentage of over 40 is the highest for players who have captained India in more than one Test. Starting with a hundred on debut, Ganguly's Test average has never dipped below 40.

In 311 ODIs, he scored 11,363 runs at 41.02. He captained India in 147 ODIs. His last ODI was against Pakistan in Gwalior on November 15, 2007. He is one of only three players to complete the treble of 10,000 runs, 100 wickets and 100 catches in ODIs, Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar being the others. Along with Tendulkar, he formed a prolific partnership at the top of the order, with 6609 runs at an average of nearly 50 per stand in 136 innings.

Since his recall in December 2006 and till the end of the home series against South Africa earlier this year, Ganguly scored 1571 runs at 50.67, including a maiden double-century.

He, however, put on a lacklustre show against Sri Lanka in the recent series, and Ganguly will now be hoping for a gala exit.

7:09 PM
Categories: Cricket. Author: SacHu

Another major European financial institution is teetering on the brink of collapse after a banking consortium withdrew from rescue talks.

Germany's second-largest mortgage lender, Hypo Real Estate, said a bail-out deal had fallen apart. Correspondents say its failure would put further strain on financial institutions in other countries.

The news came as EU leaders at a Paris summit stopped short of offering a US-style rescue plan to banks.

Hypo Real Estate, which has large amounts of bad debt, has suffered from the credit squeeze in international markets.

The bank said a consortium of German financial institutions involved in a government-led rescue plan pulled out of the negotiations after refusing to come up with nearly 36bn euros ($50bn; £28bn) for a bail-out.

The reasons why the consortium pulled out are unclear but a Hypo Real Estate spokesman said the property lender was fighting for its survival.

Some analysts are saying the bank will not last more than a few days without a rescue package, so action must be taken before the markets open on Monday.

Another meeting of government representatives and private bankers is expected to take place on Sunday.

Executive 'sanctions'

Correspondents say if Hypo Real Estate does collapse it could plunge already volatile markets even further into debt.


News of the failed plan came as leaders of the major European economies met in the French capital for talks hosted by President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Britain, Germany, Italy and France all agreed to work together to support financial institutions but did not agree to set up a big rescue fund similar to that of the US.

They decided instead to seek a relaxation of the EU rules governing the amount of money individual states can borrow.

The leaders also issued a joint call for a G8 summit "as soon as possible" to review the rules governing financial markets.

Mr Sarkozy announced a series of other measures - including unspecified action against the executives of failed banks.

Speaking after the meeting at a joint news conference, he said the four had agreed that the leaders of a financial institution that had to be rescued should be "sanctioned".

The French president added: "Each government will operate with its own methods and means, but in a co-ordinated manner."

Meanwhile German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on EU countries not to take steps at home that could cause problems for other member states.

The Irish and Greek governments have been criticised within the EU for deciding to act independently by guaranteeing to protect all savings deposited in their banks.

'Trial by fire'

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, meanwhile, called on European leaders to send the message that "no sound, solvent bank should be allowed to fail through lack of liquidity".

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, right, points to the Elysee Palace stairs as French President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, watches on 4 October 2008
EU leaders are under pressure to contain the financial contagion

He also said the meeting had agreed to ask the European Investment Fund to release 15bn euros ($21bn; £12bn) in loans to help small businesses operate.

The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dominique Strauss-Kahn, had earlier urged EU action, saying the financial crisis was presenting Europe with a "trial by fire".

He held talks with Mr Sarkozy before the EU leaders' meeting and said although the EU was a more complex organisation than the US, Europe needed to take "concerted collective action".

Mr Strauss-Kahn said it had to be "indicated to the markets... that European countries will not react as every man for himself".

He also said he would be scaling back his world economic growth forecasts.

Calls for European action followed the bail-out of both Bradford and Bingley in the UK and Fortis Bank by the governments of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

But the president of the European Parliament has criticised the summit, warning that the leaders of Europe's four largest economies have no power to decide for the entire European Union.

10:24 AM
Categories: General Info. Author: SacHu

South Africa will be looking to replicate their Test success in the One-Day arena, while England will be looking to get the "Pietersen Era" off to a good start. One thing both these One-Day outfits are blessed with is a genuine all-rounder. Jacques Kallis and Andrew Flintoff are arguably the greatest all-rounders in the game today and will make a real difference in this series. But are they the best all-rounders in the history of ODIs....close but no cigar is what the numbers reveal.

First, it is important to agree on the definition of an all-rounder. Ideally, an all-rounder is someone who can hold a place in the side purely as a batsman or a bowler. But such chimerical cricketers are few and far between; even someone like the great Sir Richard Hadlee would have struggled to play in the eleven as just a batsman. So an all-rounder can be one who bats in the middle-order, scores you a solid fifty and then comes on first change with the ball and picks up three wickets- your classic all-rounder. He could also bat atop the order, score a hundred and bowl a tidy ten overs, picking up a wicket or two- the batting all-rounder. And of course, he could come lower down, score a quickfire thirty and then take a fifer with the ball- and he would be called, you guessed it, the bowling all-rounder. As long as the batting and bowling all-rounders show the ability to do consistently well with both bat and bowl (defined as a minimum qualification of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in ODIs), they make the cut for consideration. That's a list of 42 all-rounders up for consideration based on overall One-Day records. Of course you have Adam Gilchrist, a different kind of all-rounder whom we shall not include for the purpose of our discussion.

The "All-Rounder Index" (ARI), is simply a combination of a batting index and a bowling index for each player. The batting index itself is a combination of average and strike-rate over the course of one's career. Likewise, the bowling index is a combination of bowling average and economy rate. These indices have been adjusted to give a higher weightage to averages as opposed to taking a simple product of the two factors (average and strike-rate). Further, they have been adjusted to ensure the batting and bowling scores are on the same scale and are hence are equally important to the overall ARI. And here are the top ten.

10. Kapil Dev: ARI 1563
Kapil Dev had a terrific strike-rate of 95 with the bat, but his bowling is what helped him crack the top ten. Kapil was an uncomplicated cricketer, accurate bowling and big hitting. He led by example to take India to a historic World Cup win in 1983, and without a doubt, is India's greatest all-rounder.

9. Andrew Symonds: ARI 1569
Perhaps one of the most under-rated cricketers when it comes to a discussion on the all-time greats, Andrew Symonds is arguably one of the greatest ODI batsman of all time. He averages over 40 with the bat with a strike rate in the 90s, which makes him the third best batsmen in this all-rounder list of 42. He has made a few handy contributions with his off-breaks as well. Roy's career may have got off to a shaky start, but his 143* against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup was the turning point in his career and since then he has gone on to establish himself as Australia's best ODI all-rounder ever.

8. Richard Hadlee: ARI 1657
Sir Richard Hadlee is the best bowler in this list, with an average of under 22 and an economy rate of 3.3. He single-handedly carried the Kiwi side for a decade and a half, as one of the best fast bowlers of his generation. Hadlee also chipped in with some useful contributions with the bat, but a career average of 21.6 prevents him from making it higher on this list.

7. Chris Gayle: ARI 1662
As blasphemous as it may seem to some to put Gayle ahead of Hadlee and Dev, the numbers indicate that Gayle has earned his spot with some aggressive batting and clever bowling. Gayle averages close to 40 at a strike rate of over 80. While it could be argued that he plays in a time when scoring rates are higher and his strike rate should be more than openers and all-rounders of the past, Gayle also has to bowl in a time when runs are scored faster and his economy rate will be worse than a similar bowler in a previous decade. And Gayle has been a key bowler, often coming on at the death and going at 4.6 runs an over picking up a wicket or two for every ten overs. Gayle narrowly edges out Hadlee to come in at 7, but there's quite a difference between his score and number 6 on the list.

6. Jacques Kallis: ARI 1807
A Jacques of all trades, Kallis is in at 6. Kallis has an impressive batting average of 45.2 and a decent bowling average a bit over 30, but his low strike rate of 71 and an economy rate coming close to 5 peg him down to number five in the list. Kallis will figure much higher in a Test match equivalent version of the best all-rounders, but in the ODI version he is not the best of the best.

5. Imran Khan: ARI 1835
Imran Khan is one of the few classic all-rounders the game has ever seen, and he could play in the Pakistan squad purely as a batsman or a bowler. And Imran was consistent, never really showing a decline in form even in the latter part of his career. He played at a time when three other all-rounders (Hadlee, Dev and Botham) lay claim to being the best of their time, but in the end, Imran Khan in the shorter format of the game has proved to be better than them all.

4. Shaun Pollock: ARI 1839
The baby-faced assassin, Shaun Pollock was one of the tightest bowlers in the modern era. His economy rate of 3.67 is better than anyone else that played in his time, even McGrath wasn't as economical. Pollock was also an explosive lower-order bat, averaging 26 with a strike rate in the mid 80s.

3. Andrew Flintoff: ARI 1965
Touted as the next Ian Botham, Freddie Flintoff has actually out-performed his hero in the one-day version of the game. He started his career as an erratic, inconsistent player, but time has changed him into one of the highest impact players in today's game. Before he was out injured, Flintoff's bowling in ODIs was a revelation as he was England's most accurate and economical bowler. With Flintoff back at his best, England can realistically hope to bounce back in the upcoming one-day series.

2. Viv Richards: ARI 2023
Sir Issac Vivian Alexander Richards is arguably the greatest batsman in the shorter version of the game, fearless (never wore a helmet!), aggressive and down right intimidating. Yet, Richards is also the second greatest all-rounder of all time. Clearly, he was never a classic all-rounder, a batting all-rounder for sure. Richards' batting accomplishments were so phenomenal, one tends to overlook his efforts with the ball. Richards though has done enough to prove his ability as a bowler with 118 ODI wickets which has him at number two on this list.

1. Lance Klusener: ARI 2049

The master of masters is Lance Klusener. Zulu will be best remembered for his spectacular performances at the 1999 World Cup when he averaged over 140 with the bat and a shade over 20 with the ball, for which he won the Man of the Series. He will also be remembered for his starring role in the semi-final tie against Australia, where he single-handedly brought his side back into the game, only for the Proteas to choke right at the end. Klusener's career ended rather abruptly, but with a batting average of over 40 and a strike rate close to 90, he will be known as one of the most destructive batsmen the game has ever seen. Bowling was his forte when he started as a tearaway quick, but he adapted to injuries to a medium pacer who picked up regular wickets. Overall, Klusener was a fantastic player and is the best all-rounder in the history of One-Day cricket.

7:21 PM
Categories: Cricket. Author: SacHu

Sachin Tendulkar was selected in ODI Team of Year at the recently concluded ICC Awards. A look at the numbers reveals that Tendulkar is the greatest opening batsmen in the history of the one-day game. The all time top-ten opening batsmen list however does throw up quite a few surprises.

First, a definition of the criteria-

1. Batsmen who have scored at least 3000 runs in ODI cricket as an opener.
2. Only performances as openers are considered in computing averages and strike-rates.
3. A time-adjustment has been made to compare batsmen across eras. Strike-rates and therefore, runs-per over have significantly increased over the ages. In the 1970s, the average RPO in ODIs was 3.93. This went up to 4.38 in the 80s, 4.58 in the 90s and 4.87 since the turn of the century. Similarly, averages have also shown an increasing trend, though it is not as pronounced as the increase in strike rates. Therefore, a batsman's average and stike-rate have been adjusted to account for this difference across decades. For example, Desmond Haynes played 69 of his 238 matches as opener in the 1990s, and the rest in the 1980s. Using the decadal average adjustment, his average is increased by a factor of 1.02 (obtained by the division of the all-time average Avg by the average Avg in the respective decade) and his strike-rate by 1.05. That means his adjusted average is up from 41.4 to 42.4 and his adjusted strike-rate is up from 63.1 to 66.4.
4. Finally, batting points have been defined as a combination of batting average and strike rate. A simple multiplication of the two factors may be considered, but that would not be completely fair since strike-rates and averages are not measured on the same base. The top 50 all-time ODI run getters have an average Avg of close to 40 and an average SR of about 80. In order to account for this difference, batting points have been defined as Avg * (SR + 40).

To address one question that was raised by readers of the all-rounder article- this criterion does not include longevity. What that means is, someone like a Ganguly who has scored over 9000 runs as an opener, or Jayasuriya who has scored over 12000 runs are not rewarded for having amassed those many runs. The rationale for that is some players have simply had more opportunities to play in ODIs. As long as a player has scored at least 3000 runs, he is considered good enough to make the cut. However, higher runs scored have been used a tie-breaker in the event of players being within 10 batting points of each other. Here is the list of the top 10 openers of all time.

10. Sourav Ganguly- 4620 points

It might come as a surprise to some to see Ganguly this low on the list. The Prince of Kolkata has 19 tons as an opener at an average of 41.5. But it's his strike-rate that sees him lose out- 73.6 which is low for a player who played his cricket in the late 90s and the 2000s. That gives him an adjusted SR of 72.2 and that's enough for him to just squeeze into this top ten list.

9. Gary Kirsten- 4635 points

More famous now as Team India's coach, Gary Kirsten was South Africa's reliable sheet anchor. He was a grafter, often opting for the fine nudges and glances as opposed to taking the aerial route. He finished with 13 centuries with an average of 41.8

8. Graeme Smith- 4770 points

From one Protea opener to another- Graeme Smith is the modern day hard-hitting aggressive batsman. He took over as South Africa's youngest ever captain in 2003 and has since led from the front. He scores fast, at a strike-rate at 82 at a healthy average of 41. Smith may have been named captain of the ICC Test team of the year, but his impressive ODI record makes him the highest ranked South African on this list.

7. Saeed Anwar- 4788 points

Anwar will always be remembered by Indian fans as the man who always scored big hundreds against them. The biggest of those was 194 in Chennai, which is the highest individual score in ODIs. Anwar also loved playing in Sharjah, where he destroyed a number of bowling attacks. Anwar amassed over 8000 runs as an opener and finished with a fantastic conversion rate of turning fifties into hundreds, with 37 fifties and 20 tons.

6. Chris Gayle- 4832 points

The numbers seem to indicate that Hurricane Gayle is one of the most under-rated cricketers in today's game. He figured highly in the all-rounders list and is up at 6 on this list, and it's hard to argue with his average almost touching 42 and his strike-rate in the 80s. There may be doubts on whether or not the Jamaican left-hander should lead the Caribbean national team, but there is no doubting his place in the list of all-time great one-day batsmen.

5. Adam Gilchrist- 4847 points

Gilly revolutionized the game with his unique attacking style and is arguably the most exciting player in the modern game. He finished with a strike-rate of 98 which more than made up for a less than stellar average of 36.5. With his form declining towards the end of his career, Gilchrist proved his mettle with a breathtaking hundred that ‘squashed' the Sri Lankans in the World Cup final.

4. Matthew Hayden- 5019 points

In case you haven't noticed yet, this list seems to be filled with left-handers for some inexplicable reason. Winner of the ICC One-Day Player of the Year in 2007, Matty Hayden is the seventh and final left-hander in the top ten. And with an average in excess of 44 and a strike-rate close to 80, it's not hard to see why.

3. Mark Waugh- 5114 points

In terms of overall batting records considering all positions in the batting order, Mark Waugh is well behind his other Aussie mates. But Junior stepped up his game as opener, his career average of 39.4 up by almost 5 points when he batted atop the order. He was a terrific strokemaker and opening the innings took him from being just another really good player to a truly great ODI batsman!

2. Gordon Greenidge- 5162 points

Greenidge is one of the guys from yesteryear who would have gone unnoticed if it hadn't been for the decadal adjustment. An impressive average of 45.4, but a seemingly meager SR of 65.7. However, Greenidge played at a time when batsman did not score very fast. He formed the greatest opening combination the 80s with Desmond Haynes and while Haynes may have been the highest run-getter at ODIs at one point in time, it's Greendige's consistency and hard-hitting that sees him at number two on this list.

1. Sachin Tendulkar- 6007 points

Sachin Tendulkar tops the list with a commanding lead, almost 1000 points clear of his closest rival. 13245 runs as an opener, at an average of 48.2 with 38 centuries and 68 fifties. All that at a prolific strike-rate of 87.4! Not surprisingly, the Master Blaster is miles ahead of the competition amongst all opening batsmen in the history of the One-Day game. But is Tendulkar the greatest batsman in the history of One-Day cricket? That answer comes to you on another day with another list!

7:18 PM
Categories: Cricket. Author: SacHu

Australia are in for some tough times ahead because they no longer have the services of the best pace bowler of all time.

A definition of the criteria-
i. Bowlers who have picked up at least 150 wickets in ODI cricket are considered.
ii. A time-adjustment has been made to compare players across eras. Just like batsmen of an earlier era are disadvantaged by a slower pace of the game at their time, bowlers of today are disadvantaged by the faster pace and quicker scoring. Richard Hadlee bowled at a time when batsmen scored at an average of 4 to 4.5 runs an over, where as today a run a ball is the norm. Therefore, economy rates show an increasing trend. So do bowler averages though the trend is not as pronounced. Similar to the adjustment made for batsmen, a time-adjustment has been made to account for this difference across eras.
iii. Bowling points have been defined as a combination of average and economy rate (measured as runs per 100 balls). Like with the batsmen, a simple multiplication of the two factors may be considered, but that would not be completely fair since economy rates and averages are not measured on the same base. In order to account for this difference, bowling points are measured as Avg * (Eco-rate + 40). This number should be as low as possible, since great bowlers concede fewer runs per wicket (average) and concede fewer runs per 100 balls (eco-rate). Instead of taking a reverse scale, a reciprocal of this number has been taken and multiplied by a suitable constant number to avoid fractional values. This ends up measuring the bowling points on a scale with 6000 as the highest, making it comparable with the batting scale. For instance, Shoaib Akhtar has an average of 23.2 and an economy rate of 77.3. His adjusted numbers are 22.8 and 74.7, an improvement to account for the era he plays in. The Avg * (Eco-rate +40) gives him a preliminary score of 2620, the number that should be as low as possible. Finally, the reciprocal of this number and adjusted to avoid fractional numbers gives him a bowling score of 4966 points. Not that complicated really!
iv. Finally, a longevity adjustment has been made. This rewards bowlers who have picked up more wickets. To the bowling points calculated above, the number of wickets taken by the bowler has been added. Therefore, Akhtar ends with 4966 + 219 = 5185 points. And that's the final score. The longevity bonus does not impact the ratings significantly, only contributing 5-10% of the overall score. However, in cases of bowlers with similar scores, the bowler with more wickets gets the edge.

And here's how the top 10 stack-up.

10. Waqar Younis- 5064 points
The original Sultan of Swing (and Reverse-Swing), Waqar Younis ran through batting line-ups with his fast yorkers. He ended up with 416 wickets, but enough gave away too many runs in his efforts to pick up wickets. That resulted in an economy rate of 4.7 runs per over, high for someone who played predominantly in the 1990s, and 10th position on this list.

9. Makhaya Ntini- 5116 points
A reason South Africa never really dropped off the radar amongst top international teams is because Ntini spear-headed the attack and made up for the losses of Alan Donald and more recently, Shaun Pollock. South Africa's first black cricketer, Makhaya Ntini currently has 257 ODI wickets and will be hoping to joining to 300 club soon.

8. Shoaib Akhtar- 5185 points
Disclaimer- these ratings only consider performances in international ODI cricket and not off the field behaviour! Despite all that's been made up of bad boy Akhtar, the Rawalpindi Express has a phenomenal ODI strike-rate of a wicket every thirty balls and at his best, was the most feared bowler in cricket. Unfortunately, it's not his bowling that sees him in the headlines these days.

7. Brett Lee- 5335 points
In his prime right now, Brett Lee is only going to move higher with time. He already has the best strike-rate of anyone on this list, with a wicket every 29 balls. He took a bit of stick early on in his career which results in an economy rate of 78.5 per 100 balls, but he has become a more complete and controlled bowler. Lightning Lee will certainly be a handful in the upcoming India-Aussie Test series.

6. Curtly Ambrose- 5614 points
This silent giant's first love was basketball, but thankfully for the Windies and cricket lovers, he pursued the leather ball. His economy rate was outstanding, under 3.5 runs per over and the best adjusted economy rate in these rankings. Add too that he did pick up the odd wicket or two, 225 to be precise!

5. Wasim Akram- 5713 points
The only left-arm quickie in this list is Wasim Akram. Listing his credentials would take an entire article. Suffice to say, 502 wickets at 3.89 runs per coupled with 414 test wickets might just make him the greatest pace-bowler of all-time. He loses out on this list because his average 23.5 is not as good as the others in front of him.

4. Alan Donald- 5759 points
"White Lightning", as he was fondly known, Alan Donald took the world by storm at the 1992 World Cup during South Africa's return to international cricket. The sight of the war-paint wearing tear-away quick running in intimidated batsmen and captured the attention of millions world-wide. He ended with his ODI career with 272 wickets at an average of just 21.8.

3. Shaun Pollock- 5798 points
Immaculate, accurate and frugal would best describe Shaun Pollock. How else could a bowler go at just 3.7 runs per over in this day and age. Even in the later stages of his career, Pollock was miserly leading South Africa to the 2007 World Cup semi-final with an economical spell against England, and edges out his counterparts as the top Protean in this list.

2. Richard Hadlee- 5989 points
158 wickets in 115 ODIs for Sir Richard Hadlee, one can only wonder how much more he could have accomplished had there been more cricket at this time. The numbers speak for themselves, an economy rate of 3.3 and an average of 21.6. Among the great all-rounders of the 1980s, Hadlee clearly stood out as the best bowler in the lot.

1. Glenn McGrath- 6161 points

The best of the best- Glenn McGrath possesses a knack to bowl an unwavering line and constantly in the "corridor of uncertainty". 250 matches, 381 wickets, an average of 22 and an economy rate of 3.88 for a man who played more than half of his cricket in the new millennium. He led his country to three world cup triumphs, and finished Man of the Series in the 2007 edition. "Pigeon" made a number of top-class batsmen look like lame ducks and Australia certainly has not be flying as high without him

7:08 PM
Categories: Cricket. Author: SacHu