krbuzz

  By K.R. Nayar Following Namibia and West Indies posting extremely small totals, fans are beginning to wonder whether players have assumed that this is a T10 tournament! We also had a West Indies player being thankful to a Covid-19 provision that got him a place in the team. Did the number 13 prove unlucky for Chris Gayle?  It all happened at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday. This story was published in The Telegraph, India   When West Indies lost seven wickets for 44 runs in 10.1 overs, a cricket fan and allrounder sent me a WhatsApp message: “Has the West Indies team mistaken this for a T10 match, especially since the UAE is the birthplace of this shortest format in world cricket?"   When England began their chase, one wondered whether the West Indies would be able to make England play at least 10 overs. Had England won in five overs, then the whole match would have been over in 20 overs! The West Indies innings lasted only 14.2 overs...

  By K.R. Nayar Dilip Vengsarkar, who has played some spectacular knocks during the India-Pakistan matches in Sharjah, believes that when an equal number of supporters from both teams cheer from the stands then every player should be at the top of his game. Vengsarkar, who has experienced the emotions involved in an India-Pakistan clash here, talked about the approach needed for India to win the match Dilip Vengsarkar  Former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar, who has played many sterling knocks against Pakistan in Sharjah, wants the India-Pakistan match on Sunday (October 23) not to be seen as a Virat Kohli versus Babar Azam battle. Though both the skippers are one among the finest batsmen in world cricket today, Vengsarkar, in an exclusive interview from Mumbai, said: “It’s not about a Babar Azam versus Kohli clash as many are talking. It is much more than that because winning the match is vital at all costs. Every player must put their best foot forward.” V...

  By K.R. Nayar Watching the joy of a non-Test playing nation beating a Test nation is a delightful sight. Namibia created history at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium beating Ireland to qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 Super 12 stage in their very first appearance in the tournament. There were interesting scenes after the triumph. David Wiese. Photo ICC Soon after David Wiese hit the winning boundary and remained unbeaten with a timely 28 off 14 balls, their players and support staff went ecstatic. They rushed out hugging each other and everyone stood and waved at the few supporters who were cheering for them from the top of their voice from the pavilion.  My captain should have been man of the match Captain Gerhard Erasmus had remained unbeaten with a valuable 53 but was not named the man of the match. He did not seem concerned about it since the joy of his team making it to the Super 12 was more than anything else. But Wiese thought otherwise. After receiving ...

  By K.R. Nayar It was the first World Cup match at a venue from where cricket began in the UAE. It was Abdulrehman Bukhatir's dream to bring international cricket to the UAE when he built the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Every format of the game has been played here, including Test matches, at this oldest cricket venue in the UAE. And now, World Cup matches too are being held here A blue carpet welcome to Sharjah Cricket Stadium  Sharjah’s first match of the ICC Twenty20World Cup 2021 when Namibia played Ireland in the 11 th  match of this edition on Friday (October 22, 2012) was special in many ways.  It is from this venue that international cricket began in the UAE. That is why one cannot miss these words at the entrance to this stadium: “Welcome to the Home of Cricket in the UAE… “IT All STARTED HERE” It all started here...  For this venue to go on to stage a World Cup is a big achievement and a special moment. From the ea...

 By K.R. Nayar From a disastrous start of 8 for 3 to going on to post over 150 runs by Sri Lanka, it happened for the first time in a T20 World Cup. Some wise batting by Namibia’s hero David Wiese, who knows the UAE wickets having played in Pakistan Super League (PSL) here before, helped Namibia beat Netherlands for their first victory in T20 World Cup. With the exception of one question in English, the post-match press conference was all in Sinhalese with Sri Lanka’s Mahesh Theekshana Hero of Sri Lanka's victory Wanindu Hasaranga. Photo: ICC Netherlands and Ireland land with defeats after giving hope Netherlands and Ireland landed up getting defeated after lighting up hopes of a victory on Wednesday at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium.  The Netherlands posted an impressive score of 164 for 4, and yet lost by six wickets to Namibia. Ireland despite reducing Sri Lanka to 8 for 3 crashed to a 70-run defeat. What was special about Sri Lanka’s fightback and triumph is that...

 By K.R. Nayar After Ravi Shastri guided India to great success, it seems many more nations are likely to opt for cricketers-turned-coaches from their own country. Sri Lanka’s legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who visited the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium press box even remarked that Sri Lanka should consider Roshan Mahanama as the successor to their present head coach Mickey Arthur. Muttiah Muralitharan answer queries from journalists inside the press box  It was a pleasant surprise to have Muttiah Muralitharan visit the press box and talk to journalists. Since Mickey Arthur was appointed as Head coach in December 2019 for a period of two years and his term is set to end, Muralitharan was asked about who should be the next Sri Lankan head coach. The news about Rahul Dravid likely to take over from Shastri as India’s next head coach could inspire Sri Lanka too to opt for their own countryman as the head coach. Muralitharan, who is also the brand ambassador...

  By K.R. Nayar UAE allrounder CP Rizwan had once bagged four wickets in four balls in one of UAE’s domestic A Division tournament final like Ireland’s Curtis Campher did against Netherlands on Monday. He talks about the thrill and joy he experienced after such a special feat. Incidentally, Rizwan had played against Campher in January and had even cracked a century at the same venue   CP Rizwan with Rashid Khan, who has also bagged four wickets in four balls  UAE allrounder CP Rizwan knows the joy of taking four wickets in four balls. He had hit a century in January 2021 while playing against Ireland. Incidentally, Curtis Campher was in that Ireland team as well. “Taking four wickets in four balls is a feeling that is hard to explain. I had done it in the Mulk Holding T20 Cup in 2016 while playing for the Bukhatir XI against Multiplex International at the Ajman Cricket ground. So I can very well understand Campher’s joy when he did it against Netherlands and that...