Afridi takes a U-turn, says didn’t question Sachin’s greatness

New Delhi: Just a day after claiming that he saw Sachin Tendulkar's legs trembling while facing Shoaib Akhtar, Pakistan's former captain Shahid Afridi has now stated that he did not intend to question the Indian batting icon's greatness and was only talking about one incident.

"I am not denying what I have said. I have seen that Tendulkar was not at all comfortable against Shoaib in Kolkata Test in 1999. It was Shoaib's first tour of India and he bowled out Sachin without giving him a chance to open his account. He also claimed (Rahul) Dravid's wicket in both the innings," Afridi said from Karachi.

"Shoaib was in full form on that tour and had tremendous speed. He terrorised almost all the batsmen in the world at that time. I have seen Sachin trembling as I was fielding at square leg. I am still saying that.

"But this was only one incident. He never spared Shoaib after that. We all have seen what happened in 2003 World Cup," he added.

Afridi went on to state that the Indian batsman does not need his certificate.

"Sachin is one of the best batsmen and the whole world knows this. He does not need mine or anybody else's certificate. His records speak for him," Afridi said.

The controversy-prone former captain on Saturday backed his Akhtar's claim that Tendulkar was uncomfortable against his pace, saying that he had once witnessed the Indian batsman "trembling" while facing the pacer.

Afridi, who retired after revolting against his own board and has a history of making controversial remarks, said Tendulkar was uneasy against Akhtar, a claim which the pacer made in his recently-launched autobiography 'Controversially Yours'.

Afridi said his remarks should not be construed as demeaning to Tendulkar.

"I am not raising any question on Sachin's greatness. Everyone knows that how many sixes Sachin has smashed on Shoaib's bowling after that. But sometimes it happens. I got out on a duck against a weak opponent like Zimbabwe in Peshawar when I was at the peak of my career," he said.

"Any batsman can go through this on a good wicket and opposite a good bowler. That was Shoaib's day and Sachin was nervous that day. Media should not read much into it as it can happen to Don Bradman as well," added the all-rounder.

Afridi huge fan of Sachin 

Afridi said he is a huge fan of Tendulkar both on and off the field.

"I am a huge fan of Sachin. He is not only a great cricketer but a humble human being as well. I have only one photograph on the wall of my drawing room and that is of Sachin. It has Sachin's autograph on it, do I need to say more," said Afridi.

When asked if he will talk to Tendulkar to clarify his position on this issue, he said that there is no need for it.

"The whole matter is blown out of proportion by Indian media. Sachin is a great cricketer and he will understand what I am saying. I have not said anything wrong," he said.

"Media should play a positive role to reduce tension between the two neighbours. When we went to play the World Cup in India earlier this year, we saw all the negative reporting against Pakistani team. Indians love and respect us but not their media," he said.

On the possibility of his comeback to international cricket, he said that he wants to play for another two-three years.

"Inshah Allah, I will be back in national team. I think I can play for 2-3 years. I am not going to beg for it but I know that I will represent Pakistan again," said Afridi.

Akhtar could make best batsmen nervous: Gul

Karachi: Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul said Shoaib Akhtar, when at his best, could ruffle the best batsmen in the world including West Indian great Brian Lara.

Akhtar, who retired after the World Cup earlier this year, had created a stir by claiming in his autobiography that the Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar was scared to face him.

Gul did not directly comment on Akhtar's remarks on Tendulkar but said the former quick with his sheer pace could make even the best in the business nervous.

"I can't say specifically that I saw Tendulkar running away from Shoaib, but no one can deny that when Shoaib was at his fastest and best, the world's best batsmen were nervous against him. There is no batsmen who is not nervous or ruffled when facing a pure fast bowler," Gul was quoted as saying in espncricinfo.com

"Even Brian Lara, who I rate as the world's best batsman, admitted to feeling ruffled when he was hit on the helmet by a bouncer from Shoaib."

Gul said he is opposed to legalising ball tampering as against Akhtar, who in the autobiography suggested to "set rules" for tampering.

He feels if the ball tampering is made legal, it would make it too easy to bowl reverse swing, which is an art, and some of the beauty of the game would be lost.

"I don't think the way is to legalise it. Leave cricket with its traditional ways rather than making changes that would take all the charm out of it," he said.

Lata surprised by Shoaib's remarks on Sachin

Mumbai: Singing legend Lata Mangeshkar is surprised at the comments of Pakistani bowler Shoaib Akhtar on ace cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.

In his just-released book "Controversially Yours", Akhtar has claimed that batting maestro Tendulkar was afraid of facing his deliveries and that he and Rahul Dravid lack the "art of finishing the game".

"Did he really say that Sachin was scared to face his bowling? Look, no one can take away from Sachin what he has achieved. Anyone who speaks ill of someone as great as Sachin is making more a comment on himself than on anyone else," said Lata, who turned 82 Wednesday.

Tendulkar's presence helped us win: Harbhajan

Chennai: Mumbai Indians upstaged defending champions Chennai Super Kings despite missing some key players in their Champions League Twenty20 opener and stand-in skipper Harbhajan Singh felt his side's cause was helped by the inspiring presence of injured regular captain Sachin Tendulkar in the dressing room.

"It is nice to have Sachin around even if he is not playing. It is a great sign because he is a great player and great motivator. To have him in the dressing room obviously motivates all the players and he has got the knowledge to pass on," Harbhajan said after the three-wicket triumph last night.

"He was sending messages whenever it was required. He was happy with the result. To be honest it is difficult not to have Sachin in the side and Rohit Sharma and Munaf (Patel) were also not there. It is not the same side for us in the tournament," he added.

Tendulkar is not playing the tournament due to a toe injury he picked up during India's recent tour of England.

Harbhajan praised his team for showing character under pressure and hoped that it is just the start of some great results in the tournament.

"I think this win will set the tone for us to go forward, we do not want to take things for granted. We have won this game and this will definitely boost our confidence. We would like to stay very humble in the remaining matches and do what we can do at our best," he said.

Mumbai's win came courtesy a Lasith Malinga cameo during which he scored 37 runs off just 24 balls.

"When we were batting in the middle, Malinga and myself were looking to play all the overs. It was Malinga's day and he played a good innings. Malinga has proved that he can come up with valuable runs and take a lot of responsibility. I can count on him for the future that if there are runs to chase, Malinga is there and anything can happen," Harbhajan said.

Asked whether going forward in this tournament without knowing the quality of the other teams would affect his plans, Harbhajan said, "Most of the guys from overseas also play in IPL and we do have some footage of the others, whom we have not played. We will see the footage and plan our game.

"At the end of the day, it comes down to how well you will bowl, bat and field on a given day and even if you plan, the guys have to execute them," he added.

Meanwhile, Malinga said he was happy to contribute with the bat even though bowling remains his primary job.

"I am playing in Mumbai Indians as a bowler. But, sometimes you have got to get a few runs in crucial times," he said.

Cricket fraternity pays rich tribute to Pataudi: It's terrible loss, says Sachin

New Delhi: Indian cricket icons Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar have described the demise of former captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi as a "terrible loss to cricketing world" which would be hard to fill.

Sachin Tendulkar: The master blaster paid tribute to Pataudi, saying that world cricket will badly miss a hero like him.

"It's a terrible loss to the cricketing world. I had the privilege of meeting him on a few occasions. World cricket will miss a hero like him. I really respected him," Tendulkar said in his condolence message.

Sunil Gavaskar: The little master expressed shock at the demise of Pataudi, whom he called the most charismatic cricketer of his generation.

"This is very sad news indeed. Only a few weeks ago we saw him in England at the presentation of the Pataudi Trophy and he looked his usual self. Therefore to get this news is a shock," Gavaskar said in a statement.

Read: Pataudi's funeral at family burial ground near Gurgaon

"Tiger Pataudi was the most charismatic cricketer of his generation. To bat with almost zero vision in one eye and still to score nearly 3000 runs and half a dozen centuries in Test cricket tells you what a genius he was. He will be terribly missed and it's a huge loss to the game of cricket," he said.

Sourav Ganguly: Former Indian captain remembered Pataudi for his class and dignity.

"I am extremely saddened hearing the news about Pataudi passing away. My heartfelt condolence to his family and may his soul rest in peace," he said.

Read: Twitter flooded with condolence messages for Tiger Pataudi minutes after his death

Other present and former cricketers have also paid rich tributes to Pataudi, who passed away in New Delhi on Thursday after battling a lung infection.

Abbas Ali Baig: It is a terrible moment indeed. His health was deteriorating and eventually he had to give away. He was suffering but he wasn't really sure about the extent of his suffering. He had the talent not only to play for the country but also to lead it to perfection.

Erapalli Prasanna: What we are today in the spin department is because of Pataudi. He had the vision what we could do really on spin bowling to win matches. It is the greatest loss for Indian cricket.

Mohinder Amarnath: I played my first Test under him. He was a great cricketer and a real person to look up to. He used to show a lot of aggression on the field. He showed great fielding skills at a time when we did not have good fielders. He was man of a few word but whatever he said was encouraging.

Anil Kumble: When we got together for the formation of the Players Association, he readily agreed to become the president. He was the most gentle person I met. He made us feel as Indian cricketers were held in high esteem. Gundappa Vishwanath had great stories to tell about Pataudi. It is a sad moment not only for Indian cricket but also for the entire country.

Rahul Dravid: He is an absolute legend of the game. We never saw him playing but heard so many stories about him from the likes of Prasanna, (Gundappa) Vishwanath and (Bhagwath) Chandrashekhar. He was an inspirational cricketer and that is a fantastic legacy to leave behind. He made the game popular with his personality and leadership skills. He gave a pan-Indian flavour to the game. During 2002, he helped us a lot during the sponsorship issue with the ICC. It was really encouraging to listen to him.

Imran Khan (former Pakistan captain): He was the contemporary of my elder cousin (Javed Burki) and a very popular cricketer in Pakistan. He was a crowd puller. The way he played with one eye was amazing. Imagine, what he could have done with proper vision.

Read: Bhopal loses Nawab and cricket its Tiger

Sanjay Manjrekar: As long as the game is alive he will be remembered. His personality was like Imran Khan. He could mingle with anyone.

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: It is quite shocking. He was one of the most determined and a stylish cricketers. He was one guy who hit the ball really hard. During the 2003 World Cup, I had lots of opportunities to spend time with him in the commentary box. During review meetings in the BCCI, he never imposed anything on anyone. He was a symbol of aggression and style. His fielding was amazing.

Read: PM Manmohan Singh condoles Pataudi's death

Nari Contractor: Nari had captained Tiger Pataudi in his debut Test and whose head injury propelled Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi to the hot seat of Indian cricket skipper, described him as a "true leader" and a "great batsman".

The 77-year-old felt Pataudi's outstanding fielding ability has seldom been matched in Indian cricket.

It was under Contractor that Pataudi made his Test debut in Delhi in December 1961 against England. He scored 13 in his maiden knock.

"He was the youngest member of the side, elegant, fun loving," Contractor recalled.

"He was a talented batsmen, capable of making swashbuckling strokes. And as a fielder, I think if you had pitted him against any member of the present Indian team, he would have been a shade better," he said.

The two were involved in a 104-run third wicket stand in Chennai in the final Test where Pataudi scored his maiden Test ton.

Tendulkar writes to ICC, seeks change in ODI format

London: The ODIs are perceived to be on the decline and it's none other than Sachin Tendulkar who has now come out publicly in support of revamping the current 50-over format having written a letter to ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.

Tendulkar, the world's highest run-getter in both Tests and ODIs and someone who is on the threshold of his 100th international century, wants ICC to make "a radical switch" from 50-50 to four 25-over innings.

Tendulkar wants ICC to make "a radical switch" from 50-50 to four 25-over innings.

Apart from reducing the number of overs per innings, Tendulkar has also proposed several more changes for the ODIs.

The Indian batting icon had spoken about this new concept in television interviews in the past but had never written a letter to ICC in this regard.

"I have been capturing my thoughts on what I think would be the way forward to ensure that all three formats in the game co-exist and ensure value creation," he wrote in the letter seen by The Times.

He argued that four alternate innings of 25 overs for each side in an international would be the fairest way of balancing the advantages gained by the team that won the toss when pitch and weather conditions mean that a match can virtually be decided by the spin of a coin.

Tendulkar's letter also proposed changes in voluntary Powerplays.

In each 25-over block, Tendulkar wants only two Powerplays at the behest of the batting side but suggested that up to four bowlers should be allowed up to 12 overs each, rather than the present limit of 10.

One of the prominent matches featuring India seemed to have been lost after spin of coin was 1996 Wills World Cup semi-final when Lankans batted first on a square turner.

The match was awarded to Sri Lanka by the referee after a crowd riot which stopped proceedings after India lost eight wickets.

Again, Sri Lanka were unlucky when they were forced to chase a large Australia total in fading light towards the end of the 2007 World Cup final in Barbados.

Tendulkar also cited two games in the most recent World Cup when evening dew helped England to achieve a tie in their classic qualifying game against India in Bangalore but then counted in favour of Ireland during their famous run chase against England at the same venue.

A split into two equal innings a side was often proposed for the final of the domestic county competition in the UK - originally the Gillette Cup - in the days when it was invariably an advantage to field first, the report said.

The hover cover, instant outfield drainage and sophisticated drying equipment have ensured that matches at Lord's almost always start on a dry pitch these days, but that is not the case everywhere.

In Australia last winter, the inter-state one-day tournament, the Ryobi Cup, was played over 45-overs-a-side, split into two alternate innings of 20 overs followed by two of 25.

The format was generally rated a success by Cricket Australia (CA). There were more close finishes, more runs, more wickets and larger TV audiences.

Significantly, the new regulations appeared to overcome the relatively dull and predictable middle-over phases of 50-over games.