Raina breaks into top-20
Dubai:Riding stupendous batting form that helped him earn the player of the series award against England, Indian batsman Suresh Raina on Sunday jumped eight places to enter the top-20 ICC ODI batting rankings on 19th position. left-hand batsman Raina made his presence felt with a match-winning 75-ball 100 in the second ODI in Cardiff and went on to accumulate 160 runs in four matches at an average of 53.33 in a series that India won 3-1. Opener Shikhar Dhawan closed the gap with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (sixth) as the left-hander jumped three places to be placed at seventh position. With an unbeaten 97 in the fourth ODI that India won by 9 wickets, Dhawan registered 155 runs in four innings. But the biggest gainer of the series was Ajinkya Rahane, who leapfrogged 32-spots to be placed in 68th position. The top-order batsman cracked a 100-ball 106 in Brimingham to become the highest run-getter in the series with 192 runs to his credit. For England, Joe Root once again stood out after being the second-highest run-getter with 163 runs courtesy a ton.The 22-year-old, who also played in the ICC U-19 World Cup in New Zealand in 2010, was been rewarded with a jump of 13 places that has put him in 29th spot, his highest-ranking to date. South Africa’s AB de Villiers is perched at the top followed by countryman Hashim Amla.
India, Aus, Proteas favourites: Chappell
New Delhi: With the teams entering the final phase of their preparations for next year’s World Cup, cricketing great Ian Chappell has said defending champions India, Australia and South Africa are the favourites to win the game’s showpiece event. “As teams enter the home straight in preparation for next year’s World Cup, it seems that three of the big names are in an advanced state of readiness and a fourth is primed for an early exit,” Chappell wrote in his column in ESPNcricinfo. “The winner is likely to come from the trio of Australia, India and South Africa, with captaincy playing a role in any success, whilst West Indies is the dark horse. As for England, captaincy is likely to play a part in the dark days ahead, and the outstanding feature of their World Cup trophy cabinet is likely remain a 39-year-old piece of velvet carpet,” the former Australian captain said. The cricketer-turned commentator said that the leading teams — India and Australia — are in good shape partly because of strong leadership. “Though they are the defending champions, there are lingering doubts about India’s ability on bouncy pitches. Is the batting up to it and do they have the pace bowling firepower to utilise these conditionsIJ The seam bowling will suffice in New Zealand’s more friendly conditions but in Australia they may be found out. “If India can survive long enough they might be rewarded with a semi-final against Australia at the SCG; that would be their best chance of consecutive final appearances,” he said.
‘Fletcher’s fate depends on ravi’s report’
Chennai: Under-fire India cricket coach Duncan Fletcher’s fate at the top job is expected to be decided by the BCCI after it receives Team Director Ravi Shastri’s report on the England tour, the Board said on Sunday. An official, who attended the informal meeting of the BCCI here, told PTI that the Board will take a call on the Zimbabwean’s fate only after going through Shastri’s report. “Fletcher’s fate will be decided by Ravi Shastri’s report, which will be tabled at Working Committee meeting on September 26.
Bailey steps down as Aus T20 captain
Melbourne: George Bailey on Sunday stepped down as Australia’s Twenty20 captain, saying that he wants to focus on his Test career. “George Bailey has resigned as Australia’s Twenty20 captain, citing a desire to focus on first-class cricket,” Cricket Australia said in a statement. Bailey has handed in his notice as captain of the national Twenty20 team as he eyes a possible return to Test ranks through improved red-ball performances and Australia look to rebuild ahead of the 2016 World Twenty20 in India. While that decision will need to be ratified by the CA Board, opening batsman Aaron Finch looms as Bailey’s likely replacement given his leadership with Melbourne Renegades in the KFC T20 Big Bash league. “The very end goal is hopefully to play more Test cricket, but more than that it’s just about playing the best four-day cricket I can,” said Bailey, who will lead Tasmania in the upcoming Bupa Sheffield Shield season.
‘BCCI’s enormous power not good’
london: Days after cricketing legend Ian Botham called for IPl to be scrapped, former England captain Geoffrey Boycott has said it is not the T20 tournament but the Indian cricket board wielding enormous power that is detrimental to the game. Reacting to Botham’s comments about the Indian Premier league being “too powerful” for cricket’s “long-term good”, Boycott told The Telegraph, “I don’t think it is the IPl, India are powerful and not the IPl. The IPl has been good for cricket. What is not good for the game is when one country has so much power that many other countries are frightened of it...All the decisions are really made by India,” he said.