Runs and Puns

  Graeme Smith playing and almost saving the match with the broken hand. Grant Elliot extending a hand to Dale Steyn after hitting the winning six in the WC semis . Indian team waving Sri Lankan flag after defeating Bangladesh in context to the incidence that happened in the previous match. Kumar Sangakara smiling even after losing the WC. This was Unbelievalble!!! This was majestic !! But after 434 SA chasing it was a FAIRY-TALE written in heavens. Suresh Raina appreciating Pant for his innings when he missed the century by a run. The silence which filled the stadium when Sachin got out in WC finals.All hopes were thrashed. Allan Donald and Herschelle Gibbs costing SA the WORLD CUP. MSD carrying water bottles. Believe ME!! SA were 206/5 and then 207/9 with the blink of an eye.Amazing spell by NOSE OR TOES Expert. James Faulkner winning the match with a record LAST-WICKET stand of 57 runs against Guess Who!!! Obviously !! ENGLAND… Flintoff appreciating Brett lee after his valiant effor

Keeping in mind the same criteria on which the fab 4 are judged namely : Performing consistently regardless of the pitches . Performing in all the three formats .(ODI,TEST,T20) Performing when others are struggling . The “FAB 4” Let me start out with the fairly obvious choice . Jasprit Bumrah The moment he stepped into the test arena in South Africa , he made an entry into the FAB 4 of the bowlers list . He has performed consistently throughout all formats and has looked class apart in comparison to other bowlers . His averages across all the formats (21.9,21.0,20.5) clearly declares him as one of the best bowlers of this era and probably the best bowler India has ever produced Mitchell Starc Taking Highest number of wickets on Asian subcontinent pitches is no joke and that too by a pacer . He took SriLanka and everyone by surprise when SriLankans were taken off guard by this pacer on their home soil. His World cup heroics in 2015 is known to everyone where he

The kind of format this world cup will be hosting is one of its kind spanning across a month and few days . This time no surprises , no flukes , no one match wonders can get you through the next stage . You need to be perform consistently to be at the top which will eventually decide your fate in the semis . Each team will get equal chances as they will be playing in round robin against one another . Aahhh!!!! Its a perfect problem for Permutation and Combination in a Mathematics book . Question : If there are 10 teams in the world cup and each team will play the other team , How many number of matches would the world cup be hosting ? ( Assuming after the matches 2 semis and 1 finals , although PLAY-OFFS make more sense to me but ICC is evolving slowly so fingers-crossed in the next world cup ) Answer : 10 C 2 i.e. 45 + 2+ 1 = 48 Now that we are clear of the fact that this world cup will require some serious consistency, perseverance and fitness , let us look at the pla

Younger batsmen in the region needed an opportunity, and thus the panel thought fit that the veteran of 164 Tests should not be included in the training squad - Clive Lloyd A bloke you needed to crowbar away from the crease SHIVNARINE CHANDERPAUL . “ perfectly orthodox… provided the bowler delivers from next to the umpire at square-leg, not the one at the bowler’s end. ” - Scyld Berry,on his unsual stance This unusual “ Crab Like ” stance doesn’t speak volumes about his phenomenal career but this is just another thing about him which is missed in the cricketing fraternity. 164 tests , 11867 runs at an average of 51 and having 30 test hundreds on his name in a career spanning over 22 years since his debut . Similarly ODI career of 251 matches and a total of 8778 runs but he retired in 2011 in the ODIs after QF WC loss against the Aussies . He had an uncanny knack of consistently playing a brilliant innings irrespective of the opponents or pitch . One of the such fascinat

Arjuna Ranatunga . Changed the Game forever!!!! The inception This all started in 1994 when Ranatunga realised the potential of a youngster now people call “Sanath Jayasurya” . He saw him batting and considered that he is way more than a bowler . So he contemplated of experimenting him at the top and let him open . So , he started opening with Rosan Mahanama and established himself . But in the year 1996 during the Australian tour Mahanama was criticised for his batting ( Yes that’s an irony , the top order batsman is criticized ) . This is when Ranatunga thought that if they can pull-off a firepower at one end why not try the same on the other . So,Ranatunga in consultation with the team manager Duleep Mendis suggested another Lower order batsman Romesh Kaluwitharna as an opener . Dav Whatmor was a bit skeptical regarding the same but agreed later on . The World Cup “Stunt” The audacity of the decision would really qualify it as a stunt but not without guidance