Sachin, Zaheer gains same position in ICC rankings

Sachin Tendulkar stays the highest placed Indian batsman at fifth position, while Zaheer Khan held on to his sixth spot in the bowling chart of the latest ICC Test rankings. Rahul Dravid, unchanged at 10th, was the only other Indian batman in the top-10. Meanwhile, Kumar Sangakkara edged nearer to recapture the number-one position in the Rankings for Test batsmen after hitting a match-saving double century against Pakistan in the first Test at Abu Dhabi which concluded on Saturday.

Sangakkara, whose 211 also earned him the man of the match award, has gained 29 points for his brilliant effort and he is now just 31 points away from reclaiming the number-one position which is currently held by South Africa's Jacques Kallis. Sangakkara, who had surged to the top of the batting table in December 2007, had lost the popular position earlier this year to Tendulkar and Kallis after the two batsmen stroked dazzling centuries in the drawn Test in Cape Town.

The main mover in the batting table is Taufeeq Umar, the Pakistan opener, who has gained 17 places after his epic 236 which came off 496 balls. The 30-year-old from Lahore is now in 46th position. Also heading in the right direction are Azhar Ali in 33rd (up by one place), Angelo Mathews in 37th (up by two places), Prasanna Jayawardene in 48th (up by two places), Mohammad Hafeez in 60th (up by six places) and Asad Shafiq in 90th (up by six places).

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WC is main tournament of my life

Sachin Tendulkar

Months before the start of the 2011 World Cup, the entire cricket the public was abuzz with the talk of how this was one of the mainly significant tournaments for the genius of Indian cricket, Sachin Tendulkar. However, Sachin, who is playing his last World Cup remained quiet and decided to focus on the task on hand. But, just a day before Team India’s all main quarter-final against defending champions Australia, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar has finally came out in the open and conceded that the ongoing cricket World Cup in the sub-continent is indeed the most important tournament of his memorable cricket career.

Sachin, who has never been very expressive about his feelings, started his World Cup career in 1992 and has equaled Javed Miandad’s record of playing in six World Cups after representing the country in the ongoing edition. Over his two-decade long cricket career, the little master has set and broken every record possible but has longed for the memorable World Cup success that has eluded Team India since that memorable win in the 1983 edition of the quadrennial tournament.

The dream was nearly realized when India made it to the final of the 2003 World Cup but ended up as the runners-up after losing to Australia in the final. Tendulkar was also not a part of the T20 World Cup winning squad that was led by MS Dhoni.

A victory in what in all probability is his last World Cup would be the icing on the cake and would be the perfect parting gift for the man who has done more for Indian cricket than any other cricketer. "Yes, it is the most important tournament of my life," Sachin was quoted as saying by a leading newspaper. “"Everyone wants the team to do well. I need to focus all my energies on how to go about doing my job," he added. Team India take of Australia in the quarter-final before possibly squaring up against arch-rivals Pakistan in the semis.

Tendulkar eyes ton of tons in final Group Match

Sachin Tendulkar can complete another landmark on Sunday by hitting his 100th international hundred as India tackle West Indies in the World Cup's final group match. Both sides have yet to make sure of their quarterfinal places, although the qualifying picture from Group B will become a lot clearer after South Africa, who are already through, face hopefuls Bangladesh in Dhaka on Saturday. As well as the qualification picture, most of the 38,000 fans at the Chidambaram Stadium will be anticipating Tendulkar's 100th international hundred.

The India star moved to 99 centuries (51 in Tests and 48 in one-day internationals with a majestic innings of 111 in his side's earlier group match against South Africa. However, even a 'Sachin special' was not enough to prevent a three-wicket defeat by South Africa where India, on a belting batting pitch in Nagpur, contrived to lose their last nine wickets for just 29 runs as they slumped from 267 for one to 296 all out."When you hit those big shots, you tend to forget that you are playing for the country and not for the crowd," India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.

Runs are set to be harder to come by in Chennai, where no batsman managed a fifty on a naturally bowler-friendly pitch during England's exciting 18-run win over the West Indies on Thursday. The good news for India is that West Indies have no equivalent of Proteas' fast bowler Dale Steyn. But their batsmen, who will be expected to bat far more sensibly in the power play after collectively losing their heads against South Africa, will do well not to under-estimate a youthful Windies attack that worried England.

Sachin's Records:

	Matches	Inns	Runs	N.O	Avg	SR	100	50
Test	177	290	14692	32	56.94	53.96	51	59
ODI	449	438	17953	41	45.22	86.39	48	93

Ranatunga is all praise for Sachin

The glamour and glitz of Twenty20 has had its unpleasant affect on Test cricket and only someone of Sachin Tendulkar's build can help restore the waning fame of the traditional form of the game, feels former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga.The Lankan captain lavished praise on Sachin for not treating the game as a basis of income."Sachin is an iconic figure. We need cricketers like him to save Test cricket. As long as Sachin is playing, I am sure Test cricket is safe," Rantunga said from Colombo while congratulating the champion batsman on his 50th Test century.

"He has been playing for more than 20 years now. I think he is a unusual cricketer who does not consider cricket as a source of income. This is the secret of his longevity and phenomenal success as well," the cricketer twisted politician said.The skipper of the 1996 World cup winning Lankan team also believes that some of the greatest attributes of Sachin like dedication, commitment and passion for the game is lacking in cricketers of modern era."Sachin has sacrificed a lot to reach the pinnacle. He has sacrificed playing T20 international cricket which is all about money and glamour.

"Young players, who do not be uncertain sacrificing playing for the country for financial gains, should learn quite a few lessons from him," Ranatunga took an indirect dig at some senior Sri Lankan players who had refused to tour England to take part in cash-rich Indian Premier League.Ranatunga, who has played in country's inaugural as well as 100th Test match feels that it will be unfair to contrast Tendulkar with Sir Don Bradman."I have not seen Sir Don playing but Sachin is the best batman in modern era. It is not fair to compare two legends of different generation. Bradman was the best in his era and Sachin is the best in his era," said Ranatunga.

Tendulkar hits 50th test century

Sachin Tendulkar went where no cricketer has ever gone before when he scored his 50th Test century on Sunday, displaying a characteristic intelligence of event to lift a downcast team struggling to avoid an innings defeat, and the hopes of millions of cricket fans. Coming 20 years after he made his first century as a 17-year-old against England at Old Trafford in 1990, Sachin's 50th ton was a testimony to his career longevity and enduring class.

It is hard to believe that the first century was made when his good friends and great contemporaries Brian Lara and Shane Warne had not made their debuts, while Jaidev Unadkat, the youngest in the present Indian team who made his debut in Centurion, was not even born. Ishant Sharma was just one year old when Tendulkar made his Test debut in November 1989 against Pakistan.

Apart from stacking up one record after another, Tendulkar has shown the capacity for remaining an enduring symbol of hope for an India on the move.His appeal has in a sense been the great steady even as the game morphed around him and India mushroomed. Tendulkar has pretty much dominated every great bowler of his time, at home and abroad. His classy technique won the ultimate kudos when Don Bradman said Tendulkar's shots reminded him of his own.

Warne and Lara have showered effusive praise on him, and his single-minded focus and motivation in the game. He has scooped up almost every batting record. His 50th Test century prolonged his own record further. He has also played the most Test matches, holds the mark for the highest aggregate.At second place, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is well behind with 39 Test centuries while South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis notched his 38th in Centurion. Tendulkar has enjoyed a magnificent 2010.

Great cricketers were nominated for two great awards

Great Cricket News: Two Indian Cricketers Sachin and Sehwag were nominated for the two great awards “Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year awards” which is going to be held on Oct 6 in Bangalore. One more cricketer name has been included in the nomination list for both awards. He is South Africa’s Hashim Amla.

While Dale Steyn of South Africa has been short-listed as the fourth player in the category of Test cricketer of the Year award, England's Graeme Swann is nominated for the Cricketer of the Year award. The final list was decided on the basis of the votes casted by the independent 25-member academy.

Meanwhile, two of Australia's victorious World Twenty20 team members - Shelley Nitschke and Ellyse Perry - alongwith West Indies' Stafanie Taylor and England's Katherine Brunt have been shortlisted for Women's Cricketer of the Year award. The Emerging Player of the Year nominees include Englishman Steven Finn, Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka, Tim Paine of Australia and Pakistan's Umar Akmal.

The LG ICC Awards 2010 takes into account the performances of the cricket players and officials during the period of August 24, 2009 to August 10, 2010.