JOHN BUCHANAN WANTS JOHN WRIGHT TO PICK THE CAPTAIN FOR NEW ZEALAND

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John Buchanan wants John Wright to pick the captain for the New Zealand team

Director of New Zealand Cricket, John Buchanan, has said that the coach of the national team John Wright should be the one to decide the new captain for the Black Caps.

Daniel Vettori decided to step down from Test captaincy after the home series against Pakistan earlier this year and relinquished the limited overs leadership after the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

Ross Taylor has been Vettori’s vice-captain since the last couple of years and is expected to take over the job but Wright seems to be in favour of the wicketkeeper/batsman Brendon McCullum.

Buchanan said that it is imperative for an international cricket team that the coach and the captain have a good relationship and this is the reason why Buchanan wants Wright to choose the captain.

He said, "If the coach and captain of a team don't get along then it's a recipe for disaster, so John needs to be very strong on who he wants there."

New Zealand cricket has faced torrid times since the last one year, facing disastrous defeats against Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Defeats against India and Pakistan might not have hurt them that much as both the subcontinent teams are major forces in international cricket but their loss against Bangladesh was alarming.

Kiwis faced a humiliation at the hands of Bangladesh when they were whitewashed in the One Day International series.

Buchanan who himself is a former coach of the Australia team feels that more and more power should be given to the coach.  He feels that the coach of a team is responsible for the performance and this is the reason why coaches should have a say in selection.

"Part of my role is very clear. I want to elevate the role of the coach. I believe an individual is accountable for the team performance yet doesn't have some of the key responsibilities that should go with that position of which selection is one," Buchanan added.

Let’s hope that Buchanan and Wright can change the fortunes of Kiwi cricket because New Zealand has been a very important team in international cricket over the years.

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Hurley’s love leads Warne’s side to win

Girl friend of the cricket legend, Shane Warne, and a renowned English model, Elizabeth Hurley, demonstrated heartfelt support for Rajasthan Royals during their game at Jaipur on 1 May, 2011.
The Warne-led side has stunned the world by winning all three games at Jaipur, cementing their place in the tournament and taking their winning streak to 15 wins out of 19 matches at home.
Weekend's game between Rajasthan Royals and Pune Warriors was a thrilling competition. It was evident through Hurley’s gestures and expressions that she was involved and stressed, wanting her boyfriend to triumph.
Hurley was shouting and raising slogans on every ball and every hit. She was a resplendent showpiece for the spectators and for the media cameras.
The game over with Royals standing as winners, Hurley revealed that she had not imagined that the game would be so stressful.
It was the most emotionally-charged game for Warne who was fighting for the top slot. Hurley was also present at the stadium during Rajasthan’s clash with Mumbai Indians on Friday.
After an easy and convincing victory, Warne exchanged a lovely kiss with Hurley, setting their fans to clap and smile.
After losing a couple of their games, Warne was confident of a startling comeback when the Royals returned to their home ground for three games. Under Warne’s meticulous leadership, they won all three games in Jaipur.
In yesterday’s game, Pune Warriors scored 143 after losing 7 wickets in the first innings. Rajasthan Royals had a dismal start but Ross Taylor’s unbeaten 47 steered them to the 11^th hour victory.
The Rajasthan Royals now hold the top slot in the ongoing tournament. The side claimed the IPL title in 2008.
After the game, Warne tweeted Hurley and thanked her for the support. Warne wrote, “you and D’s flag waving was superb today-all the boys appreciate your support very much.” In reply, Hurley added three kisses and exclaimed, “Yes! Love cricket now.”
The 45-year old Hurley and 41-year old Warne have been friends since last July. Both are divorced and their friendship is quite strong. Hurley tries to ensure her presence on every big occasion related to Warne.
A successful former Kangaroo skipper, Warne has been leading Rajasthan Royals since the very first edition of the IPL.

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ROSS TAYLOR HOPES TO MAKE MOST OF BATTING OPPORTUNITIES AS RAJASTHAN BIDS FOR LAST FOUR

New Zealand’s most accomplished batsman in their present line-up, Ross Taylor, believes that he has it in him to make the most of his new found role of finisher in the batting department.

Taylor, who has captained the team in the absence of Daniel Vettori, in the One Day format, is currently representing the champions of the first edition of the Indian Premier League Rajasthan Royals at the fourth season of the cash rich league.  

The Royals registered an impressive win over one of the most fancied teams in the league Mumbai Indians. After restricting the Indians to 94, the Royals romped home with plenty to spare, which meant that Taylor only needed to score 13 runs at the end of the innings.

Taylor though stated later that he was enjoying his stint in the league and the new found role is a real challenge for him, as he bids to advance his game and become a world class talent, which he has threatened to in the last few years.

"It is probably something that has been put upon me over the last three or four years", Taylor said. "It is different. It is not a role I do for my team back home in New Zealand or for New Zealand at international level but it is something I do enjoy".

He added that it was a tough ask to hit the ball from the outset in any format of the game and at present there are very few players in any team at present, who can make that kind of an impact on a consistent basis.

He added that ideally a batsman must spend some time at the crease before going into top gear and he needs to make most of the starts, as that was the only way to blossom and make most of the situation even in the shortest format of the game.

"There are not many batsmen who can come out and smack the ball from ball one and do it consistently. So you still have to give yourself a chance. It depends on many runs you have to get and how many balls you have to go. Then you can decide how many balls you have to get in".

Meanwhile, the Royals have had an indifferent season thus far. They have recorded some one-sided wins yet have been on the receiving end of some heavy defeats also.

They are currently placed at the fifth position in the ten team league and have a total of seven points from seven games.

In the wake of the present situation, Taylor reckons that the point gained from the rained-out game against Royal Challengers Bangalore might be the crucial bid that helps them sneak ahead in the knock out stage.

Taylor added that the upcoming games are real tough ones for his team and they need to make the most of the matches against bigger teams such as, Chennai and Mumbai, who have shown glimpses of their potential.

"We have Mumbai and Chennai, home and away, over our next seven games and they are first and second in the table so it is going to be a tough road ... but we have four games at home and we know how to play at home so hopefully we can show that".

The IPL ends on 28^th May, and Taylor would be hoping that he has silverware in his hands at the final of the biggest cricket league in the world.

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Ross Taylor accepts challenging role in the face of expectations

Ross Taylor was picked up by Rajasthan Royals this season amidst great expectations. He was inducted as a 'finisher' who can lift any innings to a higher level or salvage one on the verge of collapse.

He came into the limelight during the match against a strong Pakistan side who had recently beaten the Kiwis at their home.

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 game was staged at Kandy, Sri Lanka on 8 March, 2011. The Kiwis’ had lost two wickets at 55 runs when Taylor entered the arena. Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar had been utterly dominating the Black Caps.

Taylor was lucky to be dropped a couple of times early in his inning by the Pakistan wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.

Pouncing on the opportunity, Taylor changed the complexion of the game by thrashing Pakistani bowlers to death. He remained unbeaten in the match with 131 runs off 124 balls aided with seven towering sixes and eight powerful fours.

New Zealand was able to post 302 runs in the 50 overs and bowled out Pakistan for 192 runs. Taylor had singlehandedly devastated the Green Caps, leading his side to victory.

After that stellar innings, Taylor has a lot to live up to, especially in the Twenty20 format prevailing in the Indian Premier League.

"It is probably something that has been put upon me over the last three or four years," Taylor told ESPNcricinfo.

"It is different. It is not a role I do for my team back home in New Zealand, or for New Zealand at international level but it is something I do enjoy,” he added.

Taylor takes the expectations as a challenge but the shorter version of the game requires a change of tactics.

"There are not many batsmen who can come out and smack the ball from ball one and do it consistently. So you still have to give yourself a chance. It depends on many runs you have to get and how many balls you have to go. Then you can decide how many balls you have to get in."

Rajasthan Royals have won four games so far in the ongoing Indian Premier league. Taylor has not yet had to prove himself or save a collapsing side.

However, the Rajasthan Royals are looking forward to book their place in the Semi-finals. They have been winning the home matches so far and will be looking to bag the rest as well. Taylor’s presence is a definite advantage for his side, it’s not just his batting talent that is of value, but his experience being the Vice Captain of his national side also comes in to play.

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Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab

The batting gurus of Rajasthan Royals include Rahul Dravid, Ross Taylor, Shane Watson and Johan Botha.

Rahul Dravid

Dravid, who has ruled the world of cricket for so many years, has a rock-solid defence with an extremely strong technique. With a combination of outstanding cricketing strokes all around the wicket, Dravid has the quality to rotate the strike well in the limited-over cricket. The Batsman has scored tons of runs in international cricket and his experience allows him to play well in every format of the game.

Dravid is considered to be one of the classiest batsman India has ever produced. Although, the veteran campaigner has a strike rate of under-43 in Test cricket, Dravid has the quality to convert his game according to the situation. With a strike rate of almost 120 in Twenty20 games, Dravid has scored 1288 runs in his 57 game.

Ross Taylor

The Kiwi is one of the most brutal batsmen in modern-day cricket. With an ability to destroy any bowling attack on his day, Taylor has emerged as a dangerous limited-over player. An aggressive middle-order batsman, Taylor is fully capable to take up the challenge against top-class bowlers. Taylor’s strongest scoring area is the leg-side where he hits mighty sixes. With his powerful hitting, the Kiwi can change the course of the game within few moments. However, he hasn't shown much of his class so far in the ongoing tournament.

One can remember his marvellous knock of 131 from just 124 balls in the ICC World Cup 2011 group match against Pakistan, where he single-handedly snatched the game away from the opposition. Having played 106 Twenty20 matches, the Kiwi batsman has scored 2687 runs at an awesome strike rate of almost 150.

Shane Watson

Watson is an experienced and talented Aussie all-rounder, who is known as the most devastating cricketer in the today’s cricket. His recent innings of 185 not out against Bangladesh is regarded as one of best innings of one-day history. With an outstanding command on multiple strokes, Watson does not allow bowlers to settle down and loves to take the charge from the very first ball of the innings.

After missing opening IPL matches due to the Australia-Bangladesh one-day series, Watson reached India with huge expectations. However, the batsman has not yet capitalized the situation, failing to make big scores in the previous two matches. A player of his calibre can turn the game anytime with his destructive batting. He has played 57 Twenty20 matches, scoring 1418 runs at a fabulous strike rate of almost 150.

Johan Botha

Although the Proteas all-rounder is known for his controlled spin bowling, he has improved his batting a great deal over the last few years. Botha’s cricketing career is an interesting case; he started playing cricket as a medium-pacer but then turned himself into an off-break bowler.

Botha showed a little glimpse of his batting talent by scoring a fantastic half-century in his first season IV game. In his 71 Twenty20 matches, Botha holds a strike rate of over 115. With his hard hitting low down the order, Botha will surely be one of Rajasthan’s players to watch out for.

Comparing the two batting line-ups, it is evident that both teams have experienced and skilled batsmen in their set-up.

The venue, Mohali Stadium, has a marvellous batting track. Thus, a high scoring match can be anticipated. With some quality batsmen in both teams, the show will definitely be entertaining. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see that how these batting masters use their expertise to take their side to the glory.

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Shoaib Akhtar wants to play one final match for Pakistan

Shoaib Akhtar, world's fastest bowler, who announced retirement from all formats of international cricket after 2011 World Cup wants to one final match for Pakistan.

The fast bowler wants a proper send off on Pakistan’s tour of West Indies.

Shoaib, who is known for his acrimonious behaviour, last played for Pakistan in a match against New Zealand during the group stages of ICC 2011 World Cup.

Shoaib started off nicely in that game and was troubling opposition’s batsmen early on but once Pakistani wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal dropped two catches of his bowling he looked pretty mediocre.

Shoaib was taken apart by Kiwi batsman Ross Taylor who was dropped twice. The bowler got frustrated and was later involved in an altercation with wicket-keeper which forced the management to reprimand both cricketers. The fast bowler was penalised for US $ 2,000.

The Rawalpindi Express did not feature for Green Shirts since the confrontation. The fast bowler is of the view that he deserves a proper farewell similar to what was given to former Pakistani skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Inzamam retired from international cricket in 2007 after his side was knocked out of group stages of World Cup for the second time. Pakistan Cricket Board recalled the right-hand batsman and gave him a proper send-off by allowing him to play against South Africa at his home ground.

The PCB might not agree because it believes the cricketer lacks the fitness to last a match.

A source was quoted by a local newspaper as saying, ”He (Akhtar) is far from fit to play international cricket. And the fact that another big reason why Pakistan opted against playing him in their key World Cup games was his poor behaviour makes it almost impossible for the bowler to make a return even for one final match.”

Only time will tell whether Rawalpindi express gets a run for one last time or not. According to Waqar Younis, coach Pakistan cricket team, “Shoaib was a big name in Pakistan cricket and there is no doubt that he left an impact on the team. It is never easy to replace such players but I guess every player has to call it a day eventually.”

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