Virender Sehwag

 
About Virender Sehwag

Full name Virender Sehwag

Born October 20, 1978, Delhi

Current age 32 years 91 days

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Major teams India, Asia XI, Delhi, Delhi Daredevils, ICC World XI, India Blue, Leicestershire, Rajasthan Cricket Association President's XI


Virender Sehwag Profile

Virender Sehwag has constructed an extraordinary career with a relentless quest, and a genius, for boundary hitting. With minimal footwork but maximum intent, he has piled Test runs at a faster pace than anyone in the history of cricket. Bowlers must always fancy their chances against a batsman who plays so many strokes; it's just that Sehwag fancies his chances against them much more.

As a starry-eyed youngster from Najafgarh, where his family ran a flour mill, Sehwag grew up, like many others from his generation, wanting to be Sachin Tendulkar. Indeed, when he scored his first one-day hundred, filling up for his injured idol against New Zealand in Sri Lanka, he could have been mistaken for him: there was the same back-foot punch on the off side, the minimalistic straight drive and the wristy whip to the leg. And on his Test debut, on a fiery pitch in Bloemfontein, he matched the master stroke for stroke as they both blazed away to hundreds. But soon he emerged his own man, and not long after Tendulkar was playing a supporting, and somewhat calming, hand as Sehwag romped away to a triple-hundred, the first by an Indian, in Multan, bringing it up with a six. Two Tests ago, he had been dismissed trying the same stroke five short of what would have been his first Test double-hundred.

His uncomplicated approach - batting is all about scoring as many runs as quickly as possible - belies a sharp and street-smart cricket mind. He has a keen grasp of his own, and his opponents', strengths and weaknesses and exploits them in a forensic manner. What appears risky to many, is merely an opportunity for him, and his lack of footwork, which does get him in trouble against the moving ball, is mostly an advantage, for it creates space for his brilliant handwork. Few batsmen have hit the ball harder square on the off side, and fewer still have hit them as frequently. And the sight of a spinner brings the savage out in him: and for many spectacular assaults against the world's leading spinners, there have numerous outrageous dismissals against the not-so-reputed ones.

The most remarkable aspect of Sehwag's career of course has been his ability to build massive Test scores at breathtaking speed. He holds the Indian record for highest number of Test double-hundreds, and came within seven runs of becoming the first batsman to score three triple-hundreds. That innings, against Sri Lanka at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, epitomised the Sehwag brand of batsmanship: a mix of imagination, daring, power, skills, and clarity of vision.

He is equally refreshing off the field and shares his views on the game in an endearingly direct and candid manner, a rare trait among contemporary cricketers. He is, in every sense, a true original.

Fast Facts

* Virender Sehwag became the first to retain Wisden's 'Leading Cricketer of the Year' honours in 2010. In the same year, he also received the ICC Test Player of the Year award.
* He became the 11th Indian to score a century on Test debut.
* He became the third overall and the first Indian batsman to stroke two triple centuries in Tests. His second against South Africa in Chennai was the fastest ever, coming off just 278 deliveries.
* As of December 2010, Sehwag holds the record for the fastest ODI century for an Indian which came against New Zealand in 2009 off just 60 balls.
* He became the fastest Indian to reach the 3000-run mark in Tests, reaching the feat in just 55 innings.
* Sehwag took 134 Test innings to reach 7000 Test runs, becoming the second fastest to do so after Englishman Wally Hammond.
* With 11 consecutive 150 plus scores, he holds a distinct record for consecutive Test hundreds converted to 150 or more.

Zaheer Khan

About Zaheer Khan

Full name Zaheer Khan

Born October 7, 1978, Shrirampur, Maharashtra

Current age 32 years 104 days

Playing role Bowler

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Left-arm fast-medium
Major teams India, Asia XI, Asia XI, Baroda, Mumbai, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Surrey, Worcestershire


Zaheer Khan Profile

Zaheer Khan is an Indian fast bowler with all the traits that made the Pakistani fast bowlers a phenomenon. He swings the new ball and reverses the old, he does well on flat subcontinent pitches and relishes the helpful ones away, and he controls all three balls well - SG, Duke and Kookaburra. He might not quite have the skills of Wasim Akram, who he has often been compared to, but mentally Zaheer has become as good as Akram. He knows how to get wickets, he has an intuitive sense of when to go for the kill, and once a batsman has shown him the slightest hint of a weakness, Zaheer preys on it ruthlessly. Unlike the Pakistan fast bowlers of the 2000s, though, he stays away from controversy and is pretty low-key off the field.

Zaheer's career can be easily divided into three distinct sections, neatly segregated by injuries. He was all promise ever since he bowled Steve Waugh with a low full toss in the Champions Trophy in 2000. A mysterious injury in Australia in 2003-04 - hamstring at first and later discovered to be a nerve twitch - then tortured him for the best part of the next two years, during which he could not sort out the true nature of the injury. Every comeback ended in a frustrating setback through a new injury.

In 2006, though, Zaheer, now with a shorter run, a fitter body and a meaner mind, dazzled England with 78 wickets for Worcestershire, where team-mates started calling him Zippy Zakky. He was the perfect foil for Sreesanth in South Africa, and he then regained his status as leader of the pack with a matchwinning display at Trent Bridge, as India won only their fifth Test on English soil. The new, lethal Zaheer was not only the leader of the Indian attack, he was one of the best in the world. Already the second-most successful Indian pace bowler, if Zaheer keeps injuries at bay, he could end up as India's most complete fast bowler of all time.

Fast Facts

* Zaheer Khan was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2008.
* He is India's most successful left-arm seamer and the third most successful in the World.
* In Tests, he is India's most successful fast bowler after Kapil Dev.
* Zaheer became the third Indian bowler to take more than 150 Test wickets outside India.
* He was India's highest wicket taker in the 2003 ICC World Cup.
* In county cricket, he became the first Worcestershire player to take 10 wickets in a match on debut for over 100 years.
* He was the highest wicket-taker in 2007, picking up an astonishing 81 scalps in Tests and ODIs combined.
* As of December 2010, his 75 against Bangladesh in 2004 was the highest Test score by a number 11 batsman.
* Against Australia in 2008, Zaheer became the third Indian after Rusi Surti and Kapil Dev to score a half century and take five wickets in an innings in the same match.

Sachin Tendulkar

 
About Sachin Tendulkar

Full name Sachin Tendulkar

Born April 24, 1973, Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra

Current age 37 years 270 days

Nickname Tendlya, Little Master

Playing role Top-order batsman

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak, Legbreak googly

Height 5 ft 5 in

Education Sharadashram Vidyamandir School

Major teams India, Asia XI, Mumbai, Mumbai Indians, Yorkshire


Sachin Tendulkar Profile

Sachin Tendulkar has been the most complete batsman of his time, the most prolific runmaker of all time, and arguably the biggest cricket icon the game has ever known. His batting is based on the purest principles: perfect balance, economy of movement, precision in stroke-making, and that intangible quality given only to geniuses: anticipation. If he doesn't have a signature stroke - the upright, back-foot punch comes close - it is because he is equally proficient at each of the full range of orthodox shots (and plenty of improvised ones as well) and can pull them out at will.

There are no apparent weaknesses in Tendulkar's game. He can score all around the wicket, off both front foot and back, can tune his technique to suit every condition, temper his game to suit every situation, and has made runs in all parts of the world in all conditions.

Some of his finest performances have come against Australia, the overwhelmingly dominant team of his era. His century as a 19-year-old on a lightning-fast pitch at the WACA is considered one of the best innings ever to have been played in Australia. A few years later he received the ultimate compliment from the ultimate batsman: Don Bradman confided to his wife that Tendulkar reminded him of himself.

Blessed with the keenest of cricket minds, and armed with a loathing for losing, Tendulkar set about doing what it took to become one of the best batsmen in the world. His greatness was established early: he was only 16 when he made his Test debut. He was hit on the mouth by Waqar Younis but continued to bat, in a blood-soaked shirt. His first Test hundred, a match-saving one at Old Trafford, came when he was 17, and he had 16 Test hundreds before he turned 25. In 2000 he became the first batsman to have scored 50 international hundreds, in 2008 he passed Brian Lara as the leading Test run-scorer, and in the years after, he went past 13,000 Test runs 30,000 international runs, and in 2010 became the first player to score 50 Test centuries.

He currently holds the record for most hundreds in both Tests and ODIs - remarkable, considering he didn't score his first ODI hundred till his 79th match. Incredibly, he retains a divine enthusiasm for the game, and he seems to be untouched by age: at 36 years and 306 days he broke a 40-year-old barrier by scoring the first double-century in one-day cricket. It now seems inevitable that he will become the first cricketer to score 100 international hundreds, which like Bradman's batting average, could be a mark that lasts for ever.

Tendulkar's considerable achievements seem greater still when looked at in the light of the burden of expectations he has had to bear from his adoring but somewhat unreasonable followers, who have been prone to regard anything less than a hundred in each innings as a failure. The aura may have dimmed, if only slightly, as the years on the international circuit have taken their toll on the body, but Tendulkar remains, by a distance, the most worshipped cricketer in the world.

Fast Facts

* Sachin Tendulkar was the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1997 and recently, the ICC Player of the Year for 2010.
* He is the leading run-getter and centurion in Tests and ODIs.
* Tendulkar became the first to reach 50 Test 100s.
* He is also the only player to score more than 90 international centuries.
* No player has made more international 50s than Tendulkar in all formats together.
* 'The Little Master' was the first batsman in ODIs to reach the 10,000 run milestone.
* He became the first to score a 200 in ODIs.
* Crossing an unprecedented milestone of 17,000 ODI runs in 2009, Tendulkar stretched his lead as the highest run-scorer in ODIs.
* He holds the record as the youngest Indian to make an international debut.
* Tendulkar is the only player to score two or more centuries against each of the other nine Test playing nations.
* He also holds the record for the most number of Test appearances.
* Tendulkar has got the highest number of Man of the Match and Man of the Series awards in ODIs.

Yuvraj Singh Latest pictures,wallpapers,bio,profile,fast facts,centuries.....

About Yuvraj Singh:

Full name Yuvraj Singh

Born December 12, 1981, Chandigarh

Current age 29 years 38 days

Playing role Middle-order batsman

Batting style Left-hand bat

Bowling style Slow left-arm orthodox

Relation Father - B Yograj Singh
Major teams India, Asia XI, Kings XI Punjab, Punjab, Yorkshire


Yuvraj Singh Profile:

When all is well with Yuvraj Singh, he hits the ball as clean and long as it has ever been hit. When all is not well, he looks so awkward you forget he can hit the ball clean and long. All is well with Yuvraj more often in limited-overs cricket, where he can be effortless and brutal at the same time, than in Tests. When he started off his athleticism on the field and his canny left-arm spin made him a dream one-day player as Indian cricket went through a makeover at the turn of the century.

Yuvraj's father, Yograj, who played one Test for India, was what Mike Agassi was to Andre. So obsessed was he with Yuvraj's cricket that he took a skating gold medal off his young son's neck and threw it out of the car. "From now on, you are going to play cricket." And from then on he has played cricket. The major shift came when, at 15, he carried kitbags in crowded local trains, living away from his parents and a luxurious life in Punjab. At 18 he was shredding a strong Australian attack, in only his second ODI, in the Champions Trophy in 2000.

Soon Yuvraj would become India's middle-order lynchpin, forming fruitful partnerships first with Rahul Dravid and then with MS Dhoni. Both batsmen, superb ODI operators in their own right, credited their success to Yuvraj's ability to score at will. Testament to Yuvraj's importance is that when he was dropped from the ODI side in 2010, it was the first such occurrence since he cemented his place in the Indian team. While his ODI career is full of highlight reels, perhaps the biggest impact was his contribution to India's World Twenty20 triumph in 2007, where he famously hit a Stuart Broad over for six sixes.

However, his limitations have manifested themselves in Tests, where he has struggled both against the seaming and swinging ball, and quality spin. Apart from three shining innings - a sparkling century on a Lahore greentop, another from 61 for 4 against Pakistan, and an unbeaten 85 in a successful chase of 387 in Chennai - his Test career doesn't have much to write home about.

Fast Facts:

* Yuvraj Singh smashed Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in an over to become the second player after Herschelle Gibbs to achieve the feat. He did so against England in the 2007 ICC World Twenty20.
* In the same match, he registered the fastest half-century in international cricket off just 12 balls.
* In T20Is, he became the first batsman to make three fifties in 20 or less balls.
* Yuvraj became the 10th most successful ODI batting all-rounder with more than 7000 runs and 80 plus wickets.
* In ODIs, he stands 4th in the all-time list of maximum century scorers for India.
* He assisted India to the highest ODI run-chase at that time - 325 runs against England in the 2002 NatWest Trophy final.

Centuries:

Test centuries

Test Cricket Centuries of Yuvraj Singh
#	Runs	Match	Against	City/Country	Venue	Year
1	112	11	Pakistan	Lahore, Pakistan	Gaddafi Stadium	2004
2	122	13	Pakistan	Karachi, Pakistan	National Stadium, Karachi	2006
3	169	20	Pakistan	Bangalore, India	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium	2007

ODI centuries

ODI Cricket Centuries of Yuvraj Singh
#	Runs	ball	Against	City/Country	Venue	Year	Result
1	102	71	Bangladesh	Dhaka, Bangladesh	Shere Bangla National Stadium	2003
2	139	122	Australia	Sydney, Australia	Sydney Cricket Ground	2004
3	110	114	West Indies	Colombo, Sri Lanka	R Premadasa Stadium	2005
4	120	124	Zimbabwe	Harare, Zimbabwe	Harare Sports Club	2005
5	103	122	South Africa	Hyderabad, India	Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium	2005
6	107*	93	Pakistan	Karachi, Pakistan	National Stadium, Karachi	2006
7	103	76	England	Margao, India	Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Margao	2006
8	121	115	Australia	Hyderabad, India	Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium	2007
9	138*	78	England	Rajkot, India	Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground	2008
10	118	122	England	Indore, India	Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket	2008
11	117	95	Sri Lanka	Colombo, Sri Lanka	R Premadasa Stadium	2009
12	131	102	West Indies	Kingston, Jamaica	Sabina Park	2009
13	113	123	West Indies	Chennai, India	MA Chidambaram Stadium	2011

yusuf pathan

About Yusuf Pathan

Full name Yusuf Pathan

Born November 17, 1982, Baroda, Gujarat

Current age 28 years 63 days

Playing role Allrounder

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

Relation Half-brother - IK Pathan
Major teams India, Baroda, India Green, Rajasthan Royals


Yusuf Pathan Profile

Yusuf Pathan first made his mark as a hard-hitting batsman and offspinner for the Baroda Under-16 team in the Vijay Merchant Trophy in 1999-2000. His impressive showings saw him quickly climb the rungs to the Baroda U-19 and the West Zone U-19 sides. He made his Ranji debut against Saurashtra in 2001-02, but it wasn't until the 2004-05 season, by when younger brother Irfan Pathan was donning the national colours, that he established himself as a regular in the Baroda squad. Pathan ended the 2004-05 season as Baroda's fourth-highest scorer and third-highest wicket-taker.

His ability to score runs quickly - he had the highest strike rate in the 2006-07 Ranji Trophy - and impressive performances in the Deodhar Trophy and Twenty20 domestic tournament in the 2006-07 season was rewarded with a spot in India's squad for the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa.

Pathan's impressive showing for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League in 2008 - 435 runs with four fifties at a strike-rate of 179 - earned him an ODI call-up for the tri-series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup in Pakistan. He recorded the fastest fifty of the IPL's first season - off 21 balls against the Deccan Chargers - and his dazzling all-round show in the final was instrumental in Rajasthan's triumph. A run of patchy scores in India's limited-overs squads saw Pathan dropped, but he replied with emphatically with a 190-ball unbeaten double century - his second in the match - as West Zone sealed the highest first-class chase ever in the 2010 Duleep Trophy final.

His ODI career hit a peak when he helped India chase 316 with a blistering century against New Zealand. At the IPL auctions in 2011, he was snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders for a bumper US$2.1 million, and shortly after, was picked in India's Squad for the World Cup.

Fast Facts

* Yusuf Pathan made his international debut in the finals of the ICC World Twenty20 in 2007.
* In IPL, he scored the first season's fastest half-century of 21 balls.
* Pathan also scored the fastest century in IPL of just 37 balls against Mumbai in the third edition.
* In 2009-10, his unbeaten 210 from 190 balls in the second innings helped his side West Zone complete a highest successful run chase in the first class cricket history.

Graeme Swann

About Graeme Swann

Full name Graeme Swann

Born March 24, 1979, Northampton

Current age 31 years 303 days

Major teams England, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire

Nickname Chin

Playing role Bowler

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

Height 6 ft 0 in

Education Sponne School, Towcester

Relation Father - R Swann, Brother - AJ Swann

Graeme Swann came to prominence with a maiden first-class century for Northants against Leicestershire in the Championship in 1998, his first season, and was regularly promoted in the batting order to provide impetus in one-day cricket. He impressed all observers with his positive attitude and energy. Fast-tracked into the A team to tour South Africa and Zimbabwe, he took 21 wickets at 25.61, and averaged 22 with the bat.

Called up for the final Test against New Zealand during England's inglorious summer of 1999, Swann was subsequently left out of the final XI, but rewarded with a place as part of the new-look England squad to tour South Africa that winter. He found life outside the Test team frustrating, but made his international debut at Bloemfontein in the triangular tournament when Ashley Giles's injury saw him called into the one-day squad. Swann bowled only five overs, but showed confidence in continuing to spin the ball appreciably.

However, his off-field conduct left some unimpressed - what some saw as confidence, others interpreted as arrogance or cheek - and he rapidly slid out of the international reckoning. After marking time with Northants for a while, he decided to seek fame and fortune elsewhere, and packed his bags for Nottinghamshire and Trent Bridge in 2005. This decision was justified when he was a key member of the Nottinghamshire side that won the County Championship in 2005.

After the club's relegation the following summer, Swann played a major part in their return to Division One with 516 runs and 45 wickets. It earned him an international recall for the one-day series in Sri Lanka, nearly eight years after his debut. He made his Test debut against India in Chennai, taking two wickets in his first over - only the second time that has happened.

Before the winter was out Swann's variety and control, allied to his lusty lower-order hitting, had confirmed him as England's first-choice spinner in all formats, and though he started the 2009 Ashes with a nervy performance in the first Test at Cardiff, he soon settled into a crucial series of performances. He produced four-wicket hauls in both of England's victories, at Lord's and The Oval, and he had the honour of taking the decisive wicket of the series, that of Michael Hussey on the final day of the fifth Test.

As England looked to avoid the Ashes hangover that infected their 2005 success, Swann proved pivotal. He helped England to a memorable innings victory in the second Test against South Africa in Durban in December 2009. Swann collected nine wickets in the game, including 5 for 54 in the second innings, which took him to 54 wickets in 2009, the first time an England spinner has managed more than 50 in a year. The performance also propelled him to No.3 in the world, the highest ranking for an England spinner in decades and Swann is now one of the first names on the team sheet. His stature as the leader of their attack in all formats was confirmed when he finished England's leading wicket-taker during their successful 2010 World Twenty20 campaign - finishing with 10 wickets in seven matches.

He was earmarked as England's likeliest matchwinner for the tour of Australia in 2010-11, although in the event he was overshadowed by James Anderson as Michael Hussey took it upon himself to beat him out of the attack in two of the five Tests. Nevertheless, he fronted up with five matchwinning wickets in the second innings at Adelaide, and a critical holding role for the seamers at Melbourne. In between whiles, he confirmed his star status in an unconventional fashion, through his ECB video diary that revealed the inner workings of one of the most cohesive England teams of recent years.

Ian Bell

About Ian Bell

Full name Ian Bell

Born April 11, 1982, Walsgrave, Coventry, Warwickshire

Current age 28 years 285 days

Major teams England, England Lions, Marylebone Cricket Club, Warwickshire, Warwickshire Cricket Board

Nickname Belly

Playing role Top-order batsman

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm medium

Height 5 ft 10 in

Education Princethorpe College, Rugby

Relation Brother - KD Bell

Once described by Dayle Hadlee as the best 16-year old he had ever seen, Ian Bell had been earmarked for greatness long before he was drafted onto the England tour of New Zealand in 2001-02, as cover for the injured Mark Butcher.

Technically sound, Bell is a top-order batsman very much in the mould of Michael Atherton, who was burdened with similar expectations when he made his England debut a generation ago. Unlike Atherton, who invariably produced his best when his back was firmly against the wall, Bell's most fluent efforts tended to come about in a pressure vacuum, a trait that belied an average hovering around the 40 mark, and a record of a century every five or so Tests.

However, on the tour of South Africa in 2009-10, Bell set about changing those perceptions. A perfectly paced century while batting at No. 6 in Durban set England up for an innings victory that ranked, at the time, among their finest overseas performances for a generation, but he surpassed that effort in the very next Test in Cape Town, with a backs-to-the-wall 78 that saved the match and ensured a share of the series.

A freak injury while fielding in a one-dayer against Bangladesh interrupted his progress in 2010, but on the subsequent tour of Australia, he continued to save his best for when the chips were down, particularly during England's first-innings struggles at Brisbane and Perth. By common consent, he was the most fluent batsman on either team and overdue a promotion from No. 6 in the order, but he still finished the tour on a high with his maiden Ashes hundred at Sydney, and a reputation transformed.

When in form, Bell has always been adept at leaving the ball outside off stump, and he received glowing reviews from coaches at every stage of his development, not least from Rod Marsh at the England Academy, a man not given to hyperbole. A former England U19 captain, Bell had played just 13 first-class games when called into the England squad, though in 2001 he scored 836 runs for Warwickshire at an average of over 64, including three centuries. Amid all the attention, Bell's form slumped, but by 2004 he was on his way back.

He finally made his Test debut against West Indies in August 2004, stroking 70 in his only innings, before returning the following summer to lift his career average to an obscene 297 with two unbeaten innings against Bangladesh, including his maiden Test century at Chester-le-Street. Unsurprisingly, he wouldn't find such easy pickings on offer for the rest of the summer. Found out - like so many others - by Australia's champions, McGrath and Warne, he mustered just 171 runs in ten innings, but bounced back that winter, top-scoring for the series against Pakistan, including a classy century at Faisalabad.

After seeking advice from Alec Stewart to assert himself at the crease, he struck three elegant centuries in successive Tests against Pakistan and went to Australia with a new-found belief, having been named ICC's young player of the year for 2006. He was targeted by the Australian sledging, but managed four elegant half-centuries to confirm his stature as a Test batsman. By the end of England's disappointing World Cup campaign in March and April, Bell was one of a handful of squad members to have established themselves in both forms of the game.

Yet for all his class, the doubts persisted in his inability to convert fifties into match-turning hundreds. His critics were briefly quietened after making 110 against New Zealand in Napier and a career-best 199 against South Africa at Lord's, but an unproductive winter saw him dropped after the first Test of the West Indies tour. He returned midway through the Ashes, however, and responded with a pair of half-centuries in three Tests, including a gutsy 72 on the first day of the final Test at The Oval.

One Test later, he was back under pressure after failing twice in the opening Test against South Africa at Centurion. However, with the critics circling he responded with a sublime 140 to help set up an innings victory for England in the second Test at Durban, and his five-hour rearguard at Cape Town marked the moment he attained international maturity.

Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen was born on 27th June, 1980, in Pietermaritzberg, Natal, South Africa.
With a South African father and an English mother, Kevin Pietersen played for his home club Natal as a boy and made his first professional cricket debut for their B team in the 1997-1998 season.
Kevin Pietersen continued to play for Natal for the next 2 seasons, however a lack of opportunities in the first team caused him to move to England and he signed a professional contract with Nottinghamshire in 2001.

Kevin Pietersen made a huge impression on the team that year with his big hitting and quality fielding. His impressive right hand batting technique earned him an average of 57.95 in his first season of county cricket.
He made his most impressive show of the season at Derby in July, hitting 218 not out in an unbroken sixth wicket partnership of 352 with John Morris. This was after getting a duck in the first innings!
The following year, Kevin Pietersen beat this score at Middlesex with 254 not out.
To play for England Kevin Pietersen had to complete a four-year residency qualification and so in preparation for the first team he went with the England A team to India and in his six innings there he scored three centuries and one half century.
Not surprisingly Pietersen was selected for the full England team as soon as possible and impressed immediately in the ODIs (One Day Internationals) against Zimbabwe and South Africa.
In 2005 after some rumoured 'tension' with his Nottinghamshire team-mates he moved to Hampshire for the start of the new season.
Then the England selectors chose him to be in the 2005 Ashes squad. Pietersen put in an incredible performance - for details read Ben Rosenbaum's analysis: Kevin Pietersen's Ashes.
Wisden named Kevin Pietersen one of the top 5 cricketers in the world in 2005.
Pietersen's form continued and in March 2006 in the second one day international against India his innings of 71 meant that he passed 1,000 career runs in ODIs in just 21st innings, equalling Viv Richards's record.
Kevin Pietersen continued his excellent batting back home. In May 2006 in the first innings of the first Test against Sri Lanka, Pietersen equalled his top score in Test matches of 158.

Shane Watson

 

Shane Robert Watson (born 17 June 1981 in Ipswich, Queensland) is an Australian cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-handed fast medium bowler. He debuted for the Australian cricket team in 2002, playing his first one-day international against South Africa. While he has become a regular member of the one-day squad, Watson has played few Test Matches for Australia, having debuted against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2005. Despite being allocated to be Australia's designated Test all-rounder, injuries have prevented him from claiming his position in the Test team. Watson started his first-class cricketing career for Tasmanian Tigers after leaving his home state of Queensland, but returned to play for his native Queensland Bulls as his international career was beginning. He has also played for Hampshire in the English County Championship. He regards Terry Alderman as one of his mentors. Watson was selected for his first Australian team in early 2002, being selected to tour South Africa with the Test team after topping the Pura Cup wicket-taking charts for Tasmania, as well as steady middle-order batting performances. Australian captain at the time Steve Waugh stated that Watson would possibly be Australia's first genuine all rounder since Keith Miller and Alan Davidson in the 1950s. Watson expressed joy at being selected in an Australian team with Waugh, whom he cited as his idol. Watson scored an unbeaten century on his debut in a tour match, but did not play in the Tests as the selectors retained the same XI that had swept South Africa 3-0 in the Australian season. Watson did make his ODI debut on tour, ironically replacing Waugh, who was sacked after the team failed to make the ODI finals in the preceding Australian summer. Watson continued as a regular member of the ODI team until he three stress fractures in his back, at the start of 2003, missing the 2003 Cricket World Cup. He was replaced by his Queensland teammate Andrew Symonds, who proceeded to establish his position as the all rounder after scoring 140* and 91 during the tournament. Watson's injury sidelined him until the 2003/04 Australian season, and during his rehabilitation he played most of the season as a batsman, allowing himself to improve his batting skills while his back was still healing. During this time he smashed an unbeaten 300* for his club side, Lindisfarne. Watson returned to regular ODI duty in the 2004/05 season, as a bowling all rounder. He also played in the Third Test against Pakistan as the fifth bowler, in order to allow Australia to play two spinners and three pace bowlers on a dry Sydney Cricket Ground pitch. Following England's Ashes victory over Australia in 2005 with a five bowler strategy, Australia responded by including Watson as the fifth bowler and all rounder in all Test matches. Watson stated his intention to emulate Andrew Flintoff, who plays the analogous role for England. Watson played against the ICC World XI in the role, but he dislocated his shoulder in just his second Test in that designated role against the West Indies, after diving to field a ball. Watson was again replaced by Symonds and was unable to represent Australia for the remainder of the summer. He was recalled for the one day squad for the 2006 tour of South Africa but was dropped when all-rounder Andrew Symonds returned from injury. Watson was looking to establish a place in the Test side when he got injured, and Andrew Symonds stepped in to fill the gap. Watson had been previously criticised for his relatively flat bowling trajectory and inability to move the ball, reflected in his relatively high bowling average. Jamie Cox, a former Tasmanian team-mate and future Australian selector, felt that Watson was being mis-used as a bowling allrounder, believing that he was better suited as a conventional batsman and part-timer bowler, rather than a bowler who engaged in power hitting in the latter part of an innings. This changed when Watson opened the batting for Australia at the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, alongside wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist, instead of Simon Katich. In the competition he impressed with both the ball and bat, as Australia moved to their first Champions Trophy victory. Critics and captain Ricky Ponting cited his better strike rate, straight hitting and the ability to bowl as the reasons why he was selected ahead of Katich. After failing in the first two matches against the West Indies and England, Watson made a 50 in Australia's victory over India, which sealed their place in the semi-finals. Ponting suggested that Watson would bat at the number 6 position in the Ashes series against England in 2006/07, and he was named in the squad. However, he came off the ground in a one-day domestic game the week before the first Test with a suspected hamstring tear, which ruled him out for the first three Tests. Michael Clarke was called up in Watson's place, and responded with a half-century, and then a century to cement Clarke's place in the team. Watson was expected to be fit for the fourth Test on Boxing Day and the MCG in Melbourne, and because of Damien Martyn's unexpected retirement, it looked likely that Watson would be included in the side. However, another injury setback in a match for Queensland ruled Watson out for the rest of the Ashes series. Watson eventually returned in February to the ODI side, replacing Cameron White in the all rounder position, However he again broke down with injury during the 2007 Cricket World Cup and missed most of the Super 8's before returning in fine style smashing an unbeaten 65 of 32 balls against New Zealand. Injury again struck Watson prior to the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 as he missed most of the tournament due to hamstring strain.‎

Abdul Razzaq

 About Abdul Razzaq

Full name Abdul Razzaq

Born December 2, 1979, Lahore, Punjab

Current age 31 years 48 days

Major teams Pakistan, Asia XI, Hampshire, Hampshire 2nd XI, Hyderabad Heroes, ICL Pakistan XI, Khan Research Labs, Lahore, Lahore Lions, Middlesex, Pakistan International Airlines, Surrey, Worcestershire

Also known as Abdur Razzaq

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium

Abdul Razzaq was once rapid enough to open the bowling and remains composed enough to bat anywhere, though he is discovering that the lower-order suits him nicely. His bowling - the reason he was first noticed - is characterised by a galloping approach, accuracy, and reverse-swing. But it is his batting that is more likely to win matches. He boasts a prodigious array of strokes and is particularly strong driving through cover and mid-off off both front and back foot. He has two gears: block or blast. Cut off the big shots and Razzaq gets bogged down, although patience is his virtue as he demonstrated in a match-saving fifty against India in Mohali in 2005. Just prior to that he had also played a bewilderingly slow innings in Australia, scoring four runs in over two hours. When the occasion demands it though, as ODIs often do, he can still slog with the best of them: England were pillaged for a 22-ball 51 at the end of 2005. and then again for nearly 60 runs in the last three overs of an ODI in September the following year.

It has hardly been smooth sailing though through his career. He suffered a slump, particularly in his bowling, between 2002 and 2004 when, though his place in the team wasn't under threat, there was uncertainty over how best to use him. But there were signs he was rediscovering some of his old guile if not his pace and nip. And if the pitch is in anyway helpful to seam - as it was in his first and only Test five-wicket haul at Karachi in 2004 or against India at the same venue in January 2006 - he can be a proper danger. Though Kamran Akmal's hundred overshadowed all in the Karachi win over India, Razzaq's performance was easily his most emphatic as an allrounder: he scored 45 and 90 as well as taking seven wickets in the match. A combination of injuries and poor form put his Test place into question and a knee injury days before the 2007 World Cup meant Pakistan missed his presence in a disastrous campaign.

A lackluster comeback to international cricket against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi and mediocre performance in the practice matches saw Razzaq being omitted from the 15-man squad for the Twenty20 World Championship and consequently announce his retirement from international cricket. He then went on to sign for Worcestershire towards the end of the county season as well as signing up with the Indian Cricket League, which ruled him out of Pakistan contention. He took back his decision to retire but committed himself to the ICL for two seasons, during which he served the Hyderabad Heroes as one of their star players.

After a global amnesty and quitting the ICL, he was welcomed back to the Pakistan fold for the World Twenty20 in England and made an immediate impact as Pakistan won the tournament. His Test comeback also looked set to be complete after he was included in Pakistan's 15-man squad for the tour of Sri Lanka in June. Early in his career he promised to be Pakistan's most complete allrounder since Imran Khan, and though for a variety of reasons he hasn't translated that into achievement, his country wouldn't mind having just a very solid allrounder.

Abdul Razzaq Career:


Test:
1999-2006

ODI:
1996-2010

T20:
2006-2010

Abdul Razzaq Test


Debut: Pakistan Vs Australia at Brisbane Cricket Ground (Woolloongabba), Brisbane - Queensland - Nov 05, 1999
Last played:
Pakistan Vs West Indies at National Stadium, Karachi - Nov 27, 2006

Abdul Razzaq ODI


Debut: Pakistan Vs Zimbabwe at Gaddafi Stadium (Lahore Stadium), Lahore - Nov 01, 1996
Last played:
Pakistan Vs South Africa at Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium, Dubai - Nov 08, 2010


Abdul Razzaq T20

Debut: Pakistan Vs England at County Ground, Nevil Road, Bristol - Aug 28, 2006
Last played:
Pakistan Vs New Zealand at AMI Stadium, Christchurch - Dec 30, 2010

Younis Khan

Full name Younis Khan

Born November 29, 1977, Mardan, North-West Frontier Province

Current age 33 years 51 days

Also known as Younus Khan

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm medium, Legbreak

Major teams Pakistan, Habib Bank Limited, Nottinghamshire, Peshawar Cricket Association, Rajasthan Royals, South Australia, Surrey, Warwickshire, Yorkshire.

Younis Khan is fearless, as befits his Pathan ancestry and will forever be remembered as the second Khan to bring home a world title for Pakistan: Younis was Pakistan's captain in the 2009 World Twenty20, leading a successful campaign with stark similarities to the one Imran Khan had led 17 years earlier. Younis retired from the format straight after, a graceful and dignified gesture from a complex but honest man.
Younis Khan Career


Test:
2000-2011

ODI:
2000-2010

T20:
2006-2010

IPL:
2008-2008




Younis Khan Test


Debut:
Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi - Feb 26, 2000

Last played:
Pakistan Vs New Zealand at Seddon Park, Hamilton - Jan 07, 2011



Younis Khan ODI


Debut:
Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka at National Stadium, Karachi - Feb 13, 2000

Last played:
Pakistan Vs South Africa at Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium, Dubai - Nov 08, 2010



Younis Khan T20


Debut:
Pakistan Vs England at County Ground, Nevil Road, Bristol - Aug 28, 2006

Last played:
Pakistan Vs New Zealand at AMI Stadium, Christchurch - Dec 30, 2010

Kamran Akmal

 

 

Kamran Akmal (born 13 January 1982 in Lahore) is a Pakistani cricketer who has played 38 Test matches and 88 ODIs for Pakistan. He is a quick-scoring batsman and a wicket-keeper, who has achieved four centuries and two fifties in 31 Test innings. However, his first century was vital - his 109 from the number eight position at Mohali, coming in with Pakistan in a lead of 39 against India in the first Test, ensured that the visitors could draw the match. His form against the touring English in 2005 made him one of the most important players in the team. Naturally, he is a batsman that plays lower down the order but has sometimes opened in both Test and One-day cricket. As an opener he has scored two back to back centuries in ODIs against England. Coming in lower down the order in Test matches, he played one memorable innings. He saved Pakistan from a score of 39/6, scoring a century, to a competitive 245 which helped Pakistan win the match and series. His batting was highly productive in early 2006 as he scored seven international hundreds within the space of 6 months. Since his tour of England in Summer 2006 however his batting form dwindled and steadily become worse. His wicket-keeping also worsened and dropped many catches on both the England tour and on a tour to South Africa in early 2007. Since then he did not score an international hundred until the Bangladeshi tour of Pakistan in 2008. Kamran Akmal was dropped for the Asia Cup 2008 as a result of his poor batting form and very poor keeping. He was replaced by Sarfraz Ahmed who has performed very well the domestic level. Kamran was named in the 30 man probable squad for the 2008 ICC Champions Trophy. On 12 November 2008, Akmal hit two consecutive 6s in the last over. As a result Pakistan won the first ODI in Abu Dhabi against West Indies. Akmal was also signed on to the Rajasthan Royals, and played in the inaugural season of the IPL. He played five matches in the tournament, as wicket-keeper and top-order batsman, including the final of the tournament against the Chennai Super Kings. He took two catches in the first innings, however he was run out for six runs during the Royal's chase. The Royals went on to win the tournament after a thrilling finish.

Umar Gul

About Umar Gul

Full name Umar Gul

Born April 14, 1984, Peshawar, North-Western Frontier Province

Current age 26 years 280 days

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Major teams Pakistan, Gloucestershire, Habib Bank Limited, Kolkata Knight Riders, North West Frontier Province, North West Frontier Province Panthers, Pakistan A, Pakistan International Airlines, Peshawar, Peshawar Panthers, Western Australia.

The least-hyped but most successful and assured Pakistan pace product of the last few years, Umar Gul is the latest in Pakistan's assembly-line of pace-bowling talent. He had played just nine first-class matches when called up for national duty in the wake of Pakistan's poor 2003 World Cup. On the flat tracks of Sharjah, Gul performed admirably, maintaining excellent discipline and getting appreciable outswing with the new ball.

He isn't express but bowls a very quick heavy ball and his exceptional control and ability to extract seam movement marks him out. Further, his height enables him to extract bounce on most surfaces and from his natural back of a length, it is a useful trait. His first big moment in his career came in the Lahore Test against India in 2003-04. Unfazed by a daunting batting line-up, Gul tore through the Indian top order, moving the ball both ways off the seam at a sharp pace. His 5 for 31 in the first innings gave Pakistan the early initiative which they drove home to win the Test.

Unfortunately, that was his last cricket of any kind for over a year as he discovered three stress fractures in his back immediately after the Test. The injury would have ended many an international career, but Gul returned, fitter and sharper than before in late 2005. He returned in a Pakistan shirt against India in the ODI series at home in February 2006 and in Sri Lanka showed further signs of rehabilitation by lasting both Tests but it was really the second half of 2006, where he fully came of age. Leading the attack against England and then the West Indies as Pakistan's main bowlers suffered injuries, Gul stood tall, finishing Pakistan's best bowler.


Since then, as Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar have floundered, Gul has become Pakistan's spearhead and one of the best fast bowlers in the world. He is smart enough and good enough to succeed in all three formats and 2009 proved it: he put together a patch of wicket-taking in ODIs, on dead pitches in Tests (including a career-best six-wicket haul against Sri Lanka) and established himself as the world's best Twenty20 bowler, coming on after the initial overs and firing in yorkers on demand.

He had hinted at that by being leading wicket-taker in the 2007 World Twenty20; over the next two years he impressed wherever he went, in the IPL for the Kolkatta Knight Riders and in Australia's domestic Twenty20 tournament. Confirmation came on the grandest stage: having poleaxed Australia in a T20I in Dubai with 4-8, he was the best bowler and leading wicket-taker as Pakistan won the second World Twenty20 in England. The highlight was 5-6 against New Zealand, the highest quality exhibition of yorker bowling. He is not a one-format pony, however, and will remain a crucial cog in Pakistan's attack across all formats.

Umar Akmal

BIO

Full name Umar Akmal

Born May 26, 1990, Lahore, Punjab

Current age 20 years 238 days

Batting style Right-hand bat

Fielding position Occasional wicketkeeper

Relation Brother - Kamran Akmal, Brother - Adnan Akmal 
Major teams Pakistan, Lahore Lions, Pakistan Under-19s, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited

The runs didn't cease to flow for Umar Akmal, the younger brother of Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran and Adnan, in his maiden first-class season. In a triumphant 2007-08 for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, Umar failed to score in his first outing but then went on to amass 855 runs from nine matches in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, at an average of 77.72 and an impressive strike-rate of 90.18. He showed a penchant for both brisk and big scoring, with knocks of 248 off 225 balls and 186 off 170. In January 2008, he was picked in Pakistan's Under-19 team for the World Cup in Malaysia. He was the leading run-getter - with 255 runs at a strike-rate of 123.18 - in a tri-nation tournament involving England and Sri Lanka in the lead-up to the World Cup. A successful tour of Australia with Pakistan A was followed up a maiden international call-up for the ODIs in Sri Lanka, and Umar started off with a half-century in his second game and a power-packed hundred in his third. A Test call-up was inevitable and he gave an optimistic glimpse into the future of Pakistan cricket, with a century on debut, under pressure followed by a string of consistent scores in New Zealand.

Ahmed Shahzad

Full name Ahmed Shahzad
Born November 23, 1991, Lahore, Punjab
Current age 19 years 57 days
Major teams Pakistan, Habib Bank Limited, Lahore Eagles, Lahore Ravi, Lahore Shalimar, Pakistan Under-19s
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Legbreak
Ahmed Shehzad Picture

Ahmed Shehzad aims to be an aggressive batsman like Ricky Ponting, and he is well on his way if his top-order performances for Pakistan Under-19s are any indication. Shehzad made his first-class debut in January 2007, just two months after his 15th birthday, and has since established himself as an opening batsman for the U-19 team. His 167 in the same year helped Pakistan chase down a stiff 342 in the first Youth Test against England in Derby. He backed that up with impressive performances at home, scoring 315 runs – with a highest of 105 – as Australia Under-19s were thrashed 5-0. Another century followed in the Youth Test against Bangladesh, and he carried that form into the triangular tournament in Sri Lanka in 2008, which Pakistan won. He made it to the Pakistan Test squad for the home series against Sri Lanka the following year despite not being in the probables. A century in the tour game against the visitors changed his fortunes. He returned to the Under-19 circuit to represent Pakistan in the World Cup in New Zealand.

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar (born 13 August 1975 in Rawalpindi, Punjab) is a Pakistani cricketer, and amongst the fastest bowler in the world, earning him the name Rawalpindi Express. He set a world record by clocking 100mph twice. His ability to bowl fast yorkers, well disguised slow balls, swinging deliveries, and sharp bouncers made him lethal even on dead pitches. However, he has never been far from controversy, often accused of not being a team player. Shoaib was sent back home from a tour in Australia in 2005. A year later he was embroiled in a drug scandal after testing positive for a banned substance. However, the ban imposed on him was lifted on appeal. In September 2007, Shoaib was banned by the PCB for an indefinite period for the alleged brawl with his team-mate Mohammad Asif. The ban was finally lifted but injuries and his attitude problem have kept him more off the field than on it.

Misbah-ul-Haq

 

Misbah-ul-Haq Khan Niazi (born May 28, 1974) is a Pakistani cricketer. Misbah is known for his cool headed batting especially under pressure. Outside of cricket he has done an MBA from the University of Management Technology, Lahore. Misbah was initially noticed for his technique and his temperament in the Tri-nation tournament in Nairobi, Kenya in 2002, as he scored two fifties in the three innings in which he played, however, over the next three Tests he played against Australia, he failed to score more than twenty runs and was soon dumped from the team. Having witnessed Pakistan being eliminated in the opening phase of the 2003 Cricket World Cup, Misbah was part of the changes made to the team in the aftermath of these results, but failed to make much of an impact and was soon dropped again. At the age of 33, Misbah was chosen to play in the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007, filling the middle order spot vacated by Inzamam-ul-Haq. He had been regularly making runs in Pakistani domestic cricket and in the years before his recall he was consistently one of the top run scorers at each season's end, with his first-class average briefly climbing above 50. Misbah was one of the stars of the tournament, playing a large part in many thrilling run chases. The first was in the group stage against India where he scored a half century in a tied match. He was run out attempting the winning run off the last ball of the match. In their Super 8s encounter with Australia he was named Man of the Match with an unbeaten 66 off 42 deliveries to see his side home with 5 balls to spare. Another unbeaten innings in the semi final against New Zealand saw Pakistan book a spot in the final against India. He played an instrumental role in Pakistan's recovery in the inaugural 2007 ICC World Twenty20 final against arch-rivals India, with 3 consecutive sixes. The sixes came off Harbhajan Singh's last over of the match. With 6 runs needed to win off 4 remaining balls, Misbah tried to scoop the ball over short fine leg, but was caught out by Sreesanth. Misbah scored his maiden Test hundred against India at Kolkata in the 2nd Test of the 2007 series. After India managed 616 in their first innings, Pakistan were at 5 for 150 in reply and in danger of following on when Misbah and Kamran Akmal put together a match saving 207 run stand. Misbah finished on 161 not out. In the 3rd & final Test of the series, Misbah made another fluent century this time finishing on 133 not out. 2008 began with some high points for Misbah as he was elevated to the post of Vice - Captain of the Pakistan team and was awarded a Grade A Contract. Since returning to International Cricket for Pakistan, Misbah has gone through a sustained patch of prolific run scoring. In his last 5 Test Match innings for Pakistan, he has notched up 458 runs at a very high batting average of 152.67 against India.In his last 5 ODIs as well, Misbah has made 190 Runs at an average of 63.33 & in Domestic Cricket for Punjab, he has amassed an astounding 586 runs at an average of 195.33 with 2 centuries and his highest first-class score of 208 not out.

Jacques Kallis

Full name Jacques Henry Kallis

Born October 16, 1975, Pinelands, Cape Town, Cape Province

Current age 35 years 81 days

Major teams South Africa, Africa XI, Cape Cobras, Glamorgan, ICC World XI, Middlesex, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Warriors, Western Province

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium

Career statistics
Test debut South Africa v England at Durban, Dec 14-18, 1995 Last Test South Africa v India at Durban, Dec 26-29, 2010
ODI statistics
ODI debut South Africa v England at Cape Town, Jan 9, 1996 Last ODI Pakistan v South Africa at Dubai, Nov 8, 2010
T20I debut South Africa v New Zealand at Johannesburg, Oct 21, 2005 Last T20I West Indies v South Africa at North Sound, May 19, 2010
First-class debut 1993/94
Last First-class South Africa v India at Durban, Dec 26-29, 2010List A debut 1994/95
Last List A Pakistan v South Africa at Dubai, Nov 8, 2010

Twenty20 debut Eastern Cape v Western Province Boland at Port Elizabeth, Apr 13, 2004 Last Twenty20 Mumbai Indians v Royal Challengers Bangalore at Durban, Sep 19, 2010

Profile
No batsman prizes his wicket more highly, and no wicket in all of cricket is more highly prized. Jacques Kallis is the broad-shouldered colossus of the South African team, a figure whose looming presence inspires calm in some and dread in others. Few players who belong to the modern age are a better fit for the notion of the classical cricketer. Kallis is a fine, forceful batsman who has at his disposal both a rock-solid technique and a mind impervious to distraction. Though his role as a bowler diminishes with each passing season, he will be remembered as a purveyor of sometimes surprising pace and swing, and awkward bounce. In the slips, his sure-handedness and rattlesnake reflexes make ridiculous catches look regulation.

Muttiah Muralitharan

 

Muttiah Muralitharan (born 17 April 1972 in Kandy, Sri Lanka), often referred to as Murali, is a Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002. Muralitharan is the highest wicket-taker in both Test cricket and in One Day Internationals (ODIs). He took the wicket of Gautham Gambhir on 5 February 2009 in Colombo, to surpass Wasim Akram's ODI record of 502 wickets. Muralitharan became the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket when overtook the previous record-holder Shane Warne on 3 December 2007 in longer version of the game. Muralitharan had previously held the record when he surpassed Courtney Walsh's 519 wickets in 2004. But he suffered a shoulder injury later that year and was then overtaken by Warne. Averaging over six wickets per Test, Muralitharan is one of the most successful bowlers in the game and the greatest player for Sri Lanka. He plays domestic cricket for the Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club, and county cricket for Lancashire as an overseas player. Muralitharan's career has been beset with controversy; his bowling action called into question on a number of occasions by umpires and sections of the cricket community. After biomechanical analysis in non-match conditions, Muralitharan's action was cleared by the International Cricket Council, first in 1996 and again in 1999. The legality of his doosra was first called into question in 2004. This delivery was found to exceed the ICC elbow extension limit by nine degrees, five degrees being the limit for spinners at that time. Based on official studies into bowling actions, the International Cricket Council revised the elbow flexion limits applying to all bowlers in 2005. Muralitharan's doosra falls within the revised limits. In Februaury 2009, after becoming cricket�s highest wicket-taker in both forms of the game Muttiah Muralitharan hinted that he may retire at the conclusion of the 2011 World Cup. He stated \"I think I am fit in my body and mind, I am enjoying my cricket and want to play more. But after the next World Cup, I will have nothing left to achieve in the game. The World Cup should mark the end of my career.\"

Brett Lee

Date of Birth

8 November 1976, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

Nickname

Bing
Binga
Oswald

Height

6' 1¼" (1.86 m)

Mini Biography

Is a member of the world champion Australian Test & one day cricket sides. One of the fastest bowlers ever seen in the game of cricket, regulary bowling at speeds over 150 km/h.
IMDb Mini Biography By: mighty_pickman

Spouse

Elizabeth Kemp

(3 June 2006 - 1 June 2008) (divorced) 1 child

Trade Mark

His bowling speed

Trivia

Has a day time job at Barclays Menswear in Sydney
Has 2 brothers, one older, Shane and one younger, Grant.
In a band called Six and Out
Son, Preston Charles born November 16th 2006.
Owns his own clothing line called BL
Delivered two balls at 160.2km to be the fastest bowler in history.
He has two brothers, Shane (older) and Grant (younger).
His wife Liz is pregnant with the couple's first child. She's in her second trimester (as of June 12, 2006).
Wife Elizabeth Kemp is a Sydney (Double Bay) Podiatrist.
Has admitted to being a fan of Indian actresses Kareena Kapoor and Preity Zinta. He also likes veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan, whom he prefers to call "Big B".
Likes Indian culture. He has visited the country of India many times.
Good friends with English cricketer Andrew Flintoff.
Son Preston Charles, born November 16, 2006.
Is a good friend of Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.

Personal Quotes

"Fashion can be misleading. It can give out wrong messages to young girls who think that they have to be skinny to be beautiful. Men can suffer from this as well, thinking that they need to train too hard or neglect their body for bigger muscles. I believe that the fashion industry needs to cater for every demographic, not just one particular section of the population."
"I think there's more violence these days, especially in schools, and that worries me. Kids with guns is a scary concept. We tend to think 'only in America', but it's happening in Australia too."

Kumar Sangakkara

Sangakkara was born on the 27 October 1977 at Matale, Sri Lanka , he was born to Kumari and Chokshanada Sangakkara. He is the youngest of four siblings and has a brother and two sisters and he is 33 years old. His full name is Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara. He is an all rounder , Left hand batsaman and the Right arm off break bowler. He is the top-order batsman and can play tremendously in all forms of the game. Sangakkara showed talents in both cricket and tennis at school.
He is married to his longtime partner, Yehali. He is currently a law undergraduate and his father is also a leading lawyer in Kandy. He is multilingual as he is able to speak in Sinhalese, Tamil and English and is often seen as the unofficial spokesman of the cricket team. Sangakkara is currently a law student at the Sri Lanka Law College.
Sangakkara is the athelet from the Trinity College, Kandy, over there he got the coveted Trinity Lion for Cricket and was the Ryde Medalist of his year. He also has the honor of being the Head Boy of Trinity College in 1996.Mr. Leonard De Alwis the principal of the school, advised his mother to encourage him to take cricket seriously for future game.
Sangakkara started his career being the batsman but than he was made the wicket keeper for the team. He is extraordinary batsman as he once topped the LG ICC Test batting rankings. In the year 2006 he succeed over the PrasannaPrasanna Jayawardene in Tests and from that time he’s been playing being the skilled batsman.

Sangakkara skill and performance got fame worldwide when he won selection for the ICC World XI One International Day team. This team competed against Australia in the Johnnie Walker Series in October 2005. May 2006, he was named the vice-captain of the side. In March 2009 he was appointed to captain the Sri Lankan team for the 2009 ICC World Twenty20.During the 3 March 2009 terrorist attack Sangakkara was also inured with other team players.

In 2009,Sangakkara was ranked 1st on the Test batting rankings and peaked at 6th on the ICC all-time Test batting rankings. On the 6 December 2007 he was named as the new Number 1 batsman in the LG ICC Test player rankings with a rating of 938, the highest rating ever achieved by a Sri Lankan player, and became the first batsman ever to score in excess of 150 in four consecutive tests. He holds the record for fastest 8000 runs (152 innings) in Test cricket. He broke the previous record set by Sachin TendulkarSachin Tendulkar (154 innings) during the third test against India on 6 August 2010.

Andrew Strauss

Andrew John Strauss MBE, (born 2 March 1977 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is an English cricketer who plays county cricket for Middlesex County Cricket Club and international cricket for England. A fluent left-handed opening batsman, Strauss has the ability to accumulate runs without playing big shots, in which respect he has been likened to Graham Thorpe.[1] Also, his technique and more specifically his footwork has been compared to that of the Australian opening batsman Justin Langer, who captained Strauss at Middlesex. Strauss favours scoring off the back foot, mostly playing cut and pull shots. Strauss is also known for his excellent fielding either at slip or in the covers. He made his First-class debut in 1998, and made his One Day International (ODI) debut in Sri Lanka in 2003. He quickly rose to fame on his Test match debut replacing the injured Michael Vaughan at Lords against New Zealand in 2004.[2] He became only the fourth batsman to score a century at Lord's on his debut and was close to becoming the first Englishman to score centuries in both innings of his debut when he was run out for 83. He was however given the man of the match award for his efforts in the England win.[1][3] Strauss also scored a century and was named man of the match in his first overseas Test match, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, in December 2004.[4] Strauss suffered a drop in form during 2007, and as a result he was left out of the test squad for England's tour of Sri Lanka, and announced that he was taking a break from cricket.[5] After a poor tour for England, Andrew was recalled into the squad for the 2008 tour of New Zealand, and subsequently reestablished himself in the side with a career best century in the third and final test of that series, and a further three centuries in 2008. Having deputised for Michael Vaughan as England captain in 2006, Strauss was appointed on a permanent basis for the 2009 tour of the West Indies following Kevin Pietersen's \"resignation\".

Ricky Ponting

(born Dec. 19, 1974, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia)
 Australian cricketer, who was the country's premier batsman in the 1990s and 2000s.
Ponting gained a reputation as a cricket prodigy when he scored four centuries (a century is 100 runs in a single innings) for the Under-13s in a Tasmanian cricket week and two more when promoted to the Under-16 team. By age 20 he had made his Test (international match) debut and had been hailed by some as the new Don Bradman, who was considered by many the best cricketer of the 20th century. A maiden Test century came at Leeds on the 1997 tour of England. Ponting was criticized for his inconsistent performances early in his career (caused, in part, by off-field personal troubles), but, after rededicating himself to the sport, he became a key factor in Australia's dominance in international cricket over the next decade.
In 2002 he was rewarded with the captaincy of Australia's one-day international side, and the next year he led the side to victory in the World Cup in South Africa, one of three World Cups won by Australia with Ponting on the squad (1999, 2007). When Test captain Steve Waugh retired in 2004, Ponting was his natural successor. In 2005, Australia lost to England in the first Ashes series under Ponting's leadership. Ponting followed this with an impressive 2005–06 season wherein he scored 1,483 runs (an average of 78 per match), including seven centuries. In January 2006 he marked his 100th Test with innings of 120 and 143 not out against South Africa in Sydney. Later that year he was named the International Cricket Council Player of the Year and, for the third time, the ICC Test Player of the Year.