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/ 9 April 2008

Kallis scoops prestigious award

South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis was on Wednesday named as the Leading Cricketer in the World for 2007 by the 2008 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, cricket’s major annual reference work. He became the fifth recipient of the award, introduced in 2004.

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/ 8 April 2008

ICC quizzes Akhtar over match-fixing claims

An International Cricket Council (ICC) investigator has questioned banned fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar over his claims that he was offered money to throw matches, Pakistani sources said on Tuesday. Akhtar (32) was banned for five years a week ago for criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board. He later alleged that that he had refused offers of bribes to underperform.

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/ 17 January 2008

India turn up the heat on dramatic day

Australia’s bid to break their own world record for consecutive Test wins was on shaky ground on Thursday after their batting collapsed on a dramatic second day of the third Test against India in Perth. India bowled the Australians out for 212 in 50 overs and then added 52 runs for the loss of one wicket, reaching stumps with an overall lead of 170.

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/ 16 December 2007

Cricket makes return to tsunami-hit stadium

England and Sri Lanka will mark one of cricket’s most poignant moments when they contest the third Test at the previously tsunami-ravaged Galle International Stadium from Tuesday. The stadium, situated close to the Indian Ocean in the country’s coastal south, was destroyed by the Asian tsunami in 2004.

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/ 7 December 2007

Muralitharan, a hero for us all

This week Muttiah Muralitharan became the highest Test wicket-taker in cricket’s long history. It’s an extraordinary, heart-warming achievement that will be celebrated at length and in style in Sri Lanka and elsewhere in the cricket world. But there will be quarters, particularly in Australia, where it will be begrudged and depicted as tainted.

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/ 4 December 2007

Prolific Sangakkara leaves England uphill task

Kumar Sangakkara became the first batsman to hit 150-plus scores in four consecutive Tests as Sri Lanka pressed for victory in the first Test against England on Tuesday. The left-hander made 152 as Sri Lanka piled up 442-8 in their second innings when they declared 30 minutes before stumps on the fourth day to leave England an imposing victory target of 350.

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/ 3 December 2007

Ageing stars put Sri Lanka on top

Muttiah Muralitharan shattered the world Test-bowling mark and Sanath Jayasuriya excelled with the bat as Sri Lanka took charge of the first Test against England on Monday. Sri Lanka, trailing by 93 runs on the first innings, easily cleared the deficit and ended the third day’s play on 167-2 in their second knock, a lead of 74 runs with eight wickets in hand.

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/ 2 December 2007

England stumble as Murali equals Warne’s record

Muttiah Muralitharan equalled Shane Warne’s world-record tally of 708 wickets as Sri Lanka sent England crashing in the first cricket Test on Sunday. The off-spinner grabbed 4-30 in 23 overs as England, replying to Sri Lanka’s modest 188, slumped to 186-6 by tea before heavy rain washed out the rest of the day’s play.

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/ 1 December 2007

Hoggard and Panesar help skittle Sri Lanka for 188

England’s pace-spin duo of Matthew Hoggard and Monty Panesar combined to destroy Sri Lanka for 188 on the opening day of the first cricket Test on Saturday. England replied with 49-1 by stumps after losing opener Alastair Cook to the third ball of the innings when he was trapped leg-before by 100-Test veteran Chaminda Vaas.

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/ 30 November 2007

Muralitharan stands on the brink of history

With Sri Lanka taking on England in a Test match starting this weekend, Muttiah Muralitharan stands on the brink of overhauling Australia’s Shane Warne to become Test cricket’s all-time leading wicket-taker. Murali needs just five victims to overhaul Warne’s total of 708 wickets. Some of those dismissed most by Muralitharan shed more light on the legend.

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/ 21 November 2007

Steyn rockets up ICC player rankings

South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn has left his mark on the LG International Cricket Council (ICC) player rankings following his man-of-the-series performances against New Zealand. Steyn, who took 20 wickets in two matches against the Black Caps, has rocketed up to third in the latest listings for Test bowlers, a reflection of his recent potency.

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/ 18 November 2007

Lee supports decision not to enforce the follow-on

Australian strike bowler Brett Lee has supported Ricky Ponting’s decision not to enforce the follow-on in the second Test against Sri Lanka despite the temptation of chasing a quick kill. The Australians had the option of making the Sri Lankans bat again after bowling them out for 246 — 296 runs behind the home side’s first innings total of 542.

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/ 17 November 2007

Australia pile on the runs against Sri Lanka

Adam Gilchrist became the first player to smash a 100 sixes in Test cricket in a brutal display of power hitting that put Australia in control of the second Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday. Gilchrist clubbed three massive sixes, including two in succession off Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, to blaze his way to an unbeaten 67.

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/ 28 October 2007

Sri Lanka topple All Stars at Hong Kong Sixes

An All Stars team containing some of the greatest names in world cricket was beaten in the final of the Hong Kong Sixes on Sunday by a team of little-known Sri Lankans. Over two days of carnival cricket, the All Stars — featuring captain Shane Warne, Brian Lara, Glenn McGrath and Anil Kumble — had produced explosive cricket.

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/ 27 October 2007

World legends spark fireworks at Hong Kong Sixes

Cricketing greats Shane Warne, Brian Lara and Glenn McGrath on Saturday starred on the opening day of the Hong Kong Sixes — one of the sport’s most colourful tournaments. They led an All-Stars team competing in a weekend of quick-fire matches with innings of only five overs a side — a format that demands non-stop boundaries from the batsmen.

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/ 19 October 2007

Racism row haunts India

A racism row has refused to go away in India where fans repeatedly taunted Australia’s only black player, tarnishing the country’s sporting image. Andrew Symonds was subjected to monkey chants from the crowd during the fifth game of seven in the India-Australia one-day series and booed and mocked in the final game in Mumbai on Wednesday.

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/ 16 October 2007

Pollock, Akhtar join Indian Twenty20 league

South Africa all-rounder Shaun Pollock, his New Zealand counterpart Jacob Oram and Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar have signed up for the Indian Premier League Twenty20 series, organisers said on Tuesday. Their inclusion takes to 25 the number of foreign players who have committed to the lucrative league due to start next April.

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/ 9 October 2007

Smith signs up for Indian board’s league

Skipper Graeme Smith and four other South Africans are among 10 current internationals to have signed up for the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) to be played next year, organisers said on Tuesday. Building on the national team’s Twenty20 World Cup triumph, the Indian cricket board is to launch its own multimillion-dollar professional Twenty20 league.

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/ 25 September 2007

‘Hey beautiful … the back door’s open’

The wife of former Australian cricket champion Shane Warne says their marriage reconciliation is over after he mistakenly sent her an incriminating SMS. Simone Callahan, who reunited last December with the spin bowler known also for his womanising, told a woman’s magazine she caught Warne cheating on her while he was in London.