Reader Ravi Mehta sent us this picture from Brisbane.
The New Zealand cricket team members will wear black armbands tomorrow during the World T20 game against hosts India here as a mark of respect to the departed former captain Martin Crowe. "In the match on Tuesday, we will be showing our respects by wearing black armbands and I believe after the anthems, there will be a moment where there will be a pause, so that will be a special time of recognition on behalf of the side," said New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on the eve of the Super 10 Group 2 game at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha. Crowe died after a long battle with cancer on March 3 in Auckland aged 53 and the funeral was conducted on March 11. "Like you mentioned, some blokes in the side, they were very close to Martin and I guess they will deal it in their own way throughout the tournament and throughout the cricket that is coming up. He was a big part of their lives as a cricketer and as a person. It's just the process that you get through when something significant like this happens," Williamson added.
Apparently what happened in Australia over the course of the Sydney Test and in its immediate aftermath is, in the eyes of some at least, an Indian end run for world domination and if that doesn't strike you as hilarious even as you read it, your sense of humor needs fine-tuning.
Shane Warne has slammed then Australia coach John Buchanan for questioning the players' (lack of) desire to win, leading to near mutiny in the team.
England coach Trevor Bayliss has backed shattered Ben Stokes to bounce back from the harrowing World T20 final experience and also expressed his desire to see the all-rounder putting himself in pressure situations again. A visibly devastated Stokes was left squatting with his head in his hands on the ground after he failed to replicate his death-bowling heroics, displayed during clashes against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, in the high-octane finale. It was in the last over when West Indies required 19 more runs to win but Carlos Brathwaite produced his batting master class and hit the bowler for four successive sixes to steer his side to their second World T20 title. The match also saw Marlon Samuels using abusive and offensive language at Stokes after their seven wickets win over England.
Stirling Moss, the British racing driver who ranked as one of the all-time Formula One greats despite never winning the world championship, died on Sunday at the age of 90 after a long illness. News of his passing was mourned across the world of motorsport, with Formula One hailing a 'legend' and 'one of the true greats'.
Hardik Pandya is another example that money can buy you a car, a house but it can't buy you class.
Australia coach Darren Lehmann is to hold clear-the-air talks ahead of the one-day series against New Zealand after recalled all-rounder Glenn Maxwell criticised wicketkeeper Matt Wade. Maxwell said on Thursday that he had been disappointed at some of the decisions by Wade, his captain in the Victoria state side, to bat ahead of him in matches this year.
'Speechless with the tragic news of the passing of my great mate and beloved cricketing man'
Boring batsman, boring bloke. Can Gary Kirsten really be as dull in real life as he is at the crease.
Australia's legendary wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist has a special advise for the current team ahead of their next year's tour of India. Gilchrist's first of five Asian Test tours was a 2-1 series loss to India in 2001. After scoring a century in the opening match in Mumbai, he then posted scores of 0, 0, 1 and 1 in his remaining four innings. However, he returned three years later to captain the side for most of their 2-1 series victory, Australia's first series win on Indian soil since 1969.
A sympathetic Nathan Lyon is not too worried about the Australian batsmen's abject first-innings surrender in the third Test against India, saying 'success for them is around the corner'.
The eight innings in the ongoing Australia versus India has produced an unprecedented 2498 runs and Cricket Australia bosses have admitted that they are trying to ring in change to make all the pitches batting friendly. In all the four ODI matches, batsmen have had the upper hand with 671 runs being scored in the Canberra game - third most in an ODI played in Australia. "In an ideal world we've got some of the best fast bowlers in the world who like it hard, fast and bouncy and we're not getting that at the moment," CA's general manager of team performance Pat Howard was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Amit Mistry was a wicked actor, someone who could chance a broken arm, who could take deep dives, who could ram his head into walls, all without bothering about the outcome. And, as with that closing bit, the knowledge of where he might have arrived at eludes us now, observes Sreehari Nair.
Resurgent Australia completed a 5-0 whitewash of Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, with all top four batsmen posting half-centuries in a commanding 20-run win, the team's eighth in succession.
Australia's cricket board gambled that greed would motivate top players into accepting a pay offer and while that bet has backfired the parties are likely to thrash out a deal in time to avert an Ashes boycott, former captain Ian Chappell said.
Where a few film-makers are sensitive in their treatment as noted in the depiction of lesbian love in Hindi movies, a significant number is prone to poking fun for cheap laughs.
Former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin will move into coaching to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of local cricketers, coach Darren Lehmann has said.
The exciting young Hyderabad opening batsman discusses his game and the India 'A' tour of England.
Australia's three World Cup-winning captains are unified in their belief that under-fire skipper Michael Clarke is the right man to lead the team to a potential fifth tournament victory next March.
Australia's Triple M radio station will pay the fine imposed on national cricket coach Darren Lehmann for disparaging comments he made about England's Stuart Broad in an interview with the broadcaster.
Australia great Allan Bordrer was baffled by Cricket Australia's decision to rest all-rounder Mitchell Marsh from the squad for the second one-day international against India here. The junior of the Marsh brother has been replaced by John Hastings. Justifying the move selector Rod Marsh stated, "Mitch is a tremendous asset to Australian cricket and we are conscious of managing his workload and his travel, especially with so much cricket to come during the rest of this summer and beyond. "By taking this decision we have opted to give him an extra day at home in Perth after match one, before he flies to Melbourne on Thursday to prepare for Sunday's third match of the series."
'Sad day for Indian cricket' 'Gratitude has obviously been thrown out of the window by whoever raising 'revolt' against India's giant Kumble'
'He is great to have as a captain -- he just keeps everything simple and doesn't change his emotions too much, which in the heat of the battle, (helps) to keep your mind clear'
The legendary Ian Chappell feels Australia is in "no position to throw stones" at India as far as sledging is concerned but administrators should step in to curb on-field aggression before it escalates beyond control.
How the world reacted to Smith, Bancroft and Lehmann
Cheteshwar Pujara struck a classy century and combined with captain Virat Kohli (82) to put India in control on the second day.
Even as Alastair Cook ponders about his future as Test captain after the 4-0 series drubbing in India, England's assistant coach Paul Farbrace said the entire team is behind the lanky opener.
Less than three months ago, Aaron Finch, alarmingly down on form and confidence, actually feared he might not be chosen for the Australian squad that he was due to lead. Now, he's atop the scoring charts at the World Cup.
Brendon McCullum said he can only marvel at Daniel Vettori's contribution to the game.
Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson has revealed how his long-standing friendship with Shane Watson got off to a rocky start back in 2000, when the former all-rounder stuck his head in the toilet at the Australia's Cricket Academy in Adelaide.
Here are stories blogged around the Cricket World Cup
Former Australian cricketer Dan Marsh has called on his country's side to consider George Bailey for selection for next year's tour of India
Sukanya Verma curates an impressive list.
'I think Joe Root is ready to captain England'
India's Ravindra Jadeja is an exceptional cricketer and England are happy that he featured only in the fifth and final Test, said the home team's assistant coach Paul Farbrace.
'He's come off a second stress fracture in his back and while he's just starting to get up and running in the nets now -- I think he's played six white ball games in the last 18 months -- that's T20 and one-day cricket'
Pace bowler Kyle Mills has followed team mate Daniel Vettori into retirement.
