Yusuf Pathan: Rajasthan ROyals Super Star IPL Twenty20
February 18, 2009
Yusuf is known for being a fierce hitter of the ball capable of dispatching any bowler out of the park. He also chips in with useful off-spinners and is capable of containing batsmen. Although, Yusuf is the elder of the two Pathan brothers, Irfan picked up spot light earlier than him. Yusuf was not given much of a chance in the T20 World Cup to exhibit his talent, but to the surprise of many Indian Captain MS Dhoni chose to play him in the final against Pakistan. Although, Yusuf scored only 15 runs but he managed to give a flying start to India which helped them get to a good total.
Yusuf Khan Pathan was born in Baroda, Gujarat, India on 17 November, 1982. He is the elder brother of the famous Indian All-Rounder Irfan Pathan. Yusuf Pathan made his first class debut in 2001-2002 and after making solid contributions for his domestic side he was made part of the Indian squad for the Inaugural Twenty 20 World Cup held in South Africa.
After having a good domestic season in 2007-2008 Yusuf was given a contract of $475,000 with the Rajasthan Royals in the Inaugural IPL season. Yusuf made useful contributions for the Royals on many occasions and ended up scoring 435 runs in the tournament. He also scored the fastest half-century of IPL against Deccan Chargers in just 21 balls. Throughout the competition captain Shane Warne handed Yusuf the ball on many crucial junctures and Pathan did not disappoint. He took 8 wickets in IPL and balled several containing overs that restricted hard-hitting batsmen.
Yusuf made crucial contribution in the final of IPL against Chennai Super Kings; when the run rate was climbing high, Yusuf struck boundaries off a Muralitharan over. Yusuf created stable platform for the rest of the batsmen to come in and get the target. He was awarded the Man of the Match award for the final. Yusuf was also included in the Indian ODI squad but once again he could not get enough chance to show his talent. In the Twenty 20 Champions League to be held in India, Yusuf Pathan will be a strong weapon for the Rajasthan Royals and his team will depend upon his performance.
Shoaib Malik: IPL T20 Dehli Dare Devils Star
February 15, 2009
Shoaib Malik was born in Sialkot on 1 February, 1982. Shoaib started his cricket career as a specialist off-spinner with an action very similar to that of great Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq. Shoaib also had a ‘Dosra’ like Saqlain but was not as effective.
Malik faced a major set-back when his action was reported and so after undergoing several tests, he modified his action slightly. But this incident had a great influence over his bowling as he lost confidence in his bowling abilities and is now regarded as a batsman who can bowl a bit. Malik announced himself as a hard-hitting batsman when he scored a mind blowing innings of 82 runs from just 41 balls against South Africa. Malik also has an excellent record against arch rivals India in ODIs. Apart from his contributions with bat and ball Malik is an excellent fielder and a brisk runner between the wickets.
Malik was handed the golden opportunity to captain Pakistan side after Inzamam decided to retire after a dismal performance in West Indies World Cup in 2007. As middle order batsman Younis Khan was not willing to take this responsibility Malik was the obvious choice. Former cricketers in Pakistan had mixed reaction to his appointment as captain, but legendary Pakistan Cricketer Imran Khan welcomed this decision. Malik was the captain of his domestic Sialkot side for some time before and had shown excellent leadership skills.
As the skipper Malik has led Sialkot Stallions to three consecutive victories in the domestic Twenty 20 competition. In the 2008 tournament Stallions were not expected to put up a good show as key players like Rana Naved, Imran Nazir had joined ICL while Mohammed Asif was also unavailable, but despite all this Malik led them to victory.
Throughout, the tournament Malik motivated his side to defend small totals through good bowling and fielding. Although, Stallions is a hugely under-rated side but they are ranked in the second spot in the International Twenty 20 rankings. In the inaugural Twenty 20 Champions League Shoaib Malik’s Sialkot Stallions will be a force to reckon with and other sides cannot take them lightly.
IPL Cheerleaders Hunt Shows on TV
February 11, 2009
IPL 2009 will surely be the big hit from IPL first season and this can be clearly predicted from the media and Bollywood interest in the game of Cricket.
Cheerleaders roles in Twenty20 and especially IPL cant be neglected. Every team is looking for Best cheerleaders and They want it Democratically, They are planning to arrange Contest on TV to gain more and more attention.
Cheerleader hunts and Contest are gonna be a huge buzz before starting of second IPL season. First one to announced was Shahrukh Khan Teams Cheerleader hunt named”Knights and Angels” for Kolkata Knight Riders. This show will be judged by Team Captain and icon player Sourav Ganguly.
“Knights and Angels” will be broadcast on NDTV.
Chennai Super Kings are also selecting there Cheerleaders though a Cheerleader hunt show named “Chennai Super Kings Cheerleaders”. This could be the hottest and most popular Cheerleader hunting show as Dhoni is the Favorite IPL player.
CSK Cheeerleaders hunt show will be aired on Vijay TV.
Preitty Zinta’s Teams is also launching a Talent hunt show for Selecting Cheerleaders for Kings XI Punjab.
From the Buzz of Cheerleaders hunt shows and Cheerleaders in IPL, It’s looks like that some big festival preparation are on the way and India is getting ready for celebration.
I am sure that IPL Cheerleaders hunt shows and Cheerleader will surely effect/help the Teams performance and spirit.
Shaun Marsh: IPL T20 Kings IX Punjab Star
February 10, 2009
Shaun Edward Marsh was born in Narrogin, Western Australia on 9 July, 1983. He is the son of the great Australian cricketer Geoff Marsh.
Shaun also astounded other fellow Australian cricketers when he scored his maiden first class century in 2003 against New South Wales team that included the Waugh brothers. After the retirement of the legendary Aussie opener Justin Langer, Shaun Marsh made a crucial decision of his young career when he decided to replace him as an opener. Many experts believe that the most difficult job is that of an opener, and there were many question marks whether Shaun would succeed in this role just like his father.
Shaun got his opportunity to display his special talent in the inaugural IPL season in which he got a contract from the Kings IX Punjab. Marsh displayed explosive form in the shortest version of the game and impressed one and all. Despite the fact that he missed the opening four matches, he still remained among the highest scorers of the tournament. He made solid contributions in all the matches he played and helped his team win many unlikely games. Throughout IPL Shaun was seen to be playing booming cover drives and dispatching short deliveries over the fence. He posed strong challenge to fast bowlers with the new bowl in hand like Chaminda Vaas, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, Umar Gul and Ishant Sharma.
Owing to his superb domestic performances Shaun was named the Lawrie Sawle Medalist for being the best player for Western Australia. Recently Shaun was made his International debut for Australian National side against West Indies. Although, Kings IX Punjab could not qualify for the Twenty 20 Champions League, but Shaun would still be featuring in the Western Warriors. In such a historical event, the stage is set for this young Australian sensation to make his mark upon the International cricket scene.
AB Morkel Twenty20 IPL Chennai Super Kings Star
February 9, 2009
Johannes Albertus ‘Albie’ Morkel was born in Veerniging, Transvaal on 10 July 1981. He is the brother of the tall South African bowler Morne Morkel.
Owing to his good run in the domestic competitions, he made his International debut against New Zealand but failed to make his mark. Albie Morkel was also selected to play against the Asian side in the Afro-Asian Cup but he withdrew because of an injury. In 2007 both the Morkel brothers made history by becoming the first brothers to open a bowling in an ODI International. His domestic performances had earned him a reputation of a hard-hitter of ball and this lead to his inclusion in the T20 World Cup in which he made good contributions.
In the first season of IPL, Kepler Wessels, the coach of Chennai Super Kings paid special attention to including Albie Morkel in his side. Kepler having a close eye upon Albie in South African domestic cricket knew the importance of a dynamic all-rounder like him, and went on to give him a contract worth $6,75,000.
Albie Morkel was one of the main bowlers of the Super Kings in IPL and took many crucial wickets. His hard-hitting batting style also stunned many opposition sides. His contributions with the bat and ball were important for the Super Kings to reach the final of the IPL.
In the upcoming Twenty 20 Champions League Albie Morkel’s both domestic teams Nashua Titans and Chennai Super Kings are participating. But Albie has picked to play for Chennai, a decision which was welcomed in India but not so much in South Africa. Bowlers from all over the world must be cautious of this dangerous T20 cricketer in the upcoming Champions League.