All Star League - CricTracker https://www.crictracker.com/t20/all-star-league/ Latest Cricket News, Updates, Articles, Stats, Records, Etc Fri, 18 Nov 2016 07:45:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.1 https://image.crictracker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/apple-touch-icon-150x150.png All Star League - CricTracker https://www.crictracker.com/t20/all-star-league/ 32 32 Cricket All Stars series to be back in 2017 https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-all-stars-series-to-be-back-in-2017/ Fri, 18 Nov 2016 07:43:43 +0000 https://www.crictracker.com/?p=94019 Shane Warne
Warne’s Warriors player Shane Warne. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

They are back! During November 2015, quite a lot of cricket fans got a chance to re-live their childhood, albeit in slow-motion mode, when Sachin Blasters faced off against Warne Warriors. The retired All-stars played a set of three T20s in America in a bid to popularize the sport there.

And today Shane Warne announced that these Superstars will be back again to take us back in time. The legendary leg-spinner wrote in his Facebook feed that in 2017 the Cricket All-Stars have signed a few more stars.

The recent additions include the recently retired dynamic Brendon McCullum, the maverick Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Smith as well as Mitchell Johnson. This means that the fans can expect more fireworks thanks to signing of these explosive players. Mitch has faced a torrid time against Graeme Smith on Twitter. Now he can let the ball do the talking!

Michael Clarke, the 2015 World Cup winning Australian captain is also expected to play. Stephen Fleming was also featured in the list which has the likes of Kallis, Lara, Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.

Fans did lap up this event when All-stars toured America and played the exhibition matches in Los Angeles, Houston and New York. After a relatively underwhelming first two matches, the final match turned out to be most exciting of the lot with the result getting decided only in the last over.

Also read – Shane Warne Shane Warne, Kevin Pietersen, Michael Slater caught not wearing seatbelts in moving car

This event was followed by Masters Cricket League in Sharjah which didn’t have the same impact as the Cricket All-Stars.

These are the stars we can expect to take the field next year:

Brian Lara (WI)
Shane Warne (AUS)
Jacques Kallis (SA)
Kevin Pietersen (ENG)
Brendon McCullum (NZ)
Glenn McGrath (AUS)
Wasim Akram (PAK)
Ricky Ponting (AUS)
Shoaib Akhtar (PAK)
Kumar Sangakkara (SL)
MahelaJayawardena (SL)
Michael Clarke (AUS)
Graeme Smith (SA)
Shaun Pollock (SA)
Michael Vaughan (ENG)
Mitchell Johnson (AUS)
Matthew Hayden (AUS)
Adam Gilchrist (AUS)
Graeme Swann (ENG)
Jonty Rhodes (SA)
Daniel Vettori (NZ)
Darren Gough (ENG)
Andrew Symonds (AUS)
Allan Donald (SA)
Stephen Fleming (NZ)

It is interesting to note that no Indian player has been listed by Warne. Expect that to change, given the Indian audience interest last time around. Twitter and Facebook almost went into an emotional meltdown when Sachin and Sehwag opened the batting and faced Wasim Akram.  We may just get to see another showdown. Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar batting together one more time. Make it happen again.

]]> The descent of the stars at the Cricket All Stars https://www.crictracker.com/the-descent-of-the-stars-at-the-cricket-all-stars/ Mon, 16 Nov 2015 06:35:14 +0000 https://www.crictracker.com/?p=41180 Cricket All-Stars
LOS ANGELES CA – NOVEMBER 14: Shane’s Warriors Shane Warne (L) and Sachin’s Blasters Sachin Tendulkar pose after the final game of a three-match three city US tour of Twenty20 series of Cricket All-Stars Series at Dodger Stadium November 14, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. Indian Sachin Tendulkar and Australian Shane Warne captained two All-Star on a three city tour to spark interest of the sport in the US. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The descent of the stars at the Cricket All Stars: ‘It is a rock and roll version of the game. Huge hitting and lots of fielding.’ –Shane Warne.

Well, it was more than that with all the stars on the field together.  The 10-day expedition of 28 stalwarts of the gentleman’s game in the land of the Star Spangled Banner came to an end with a memorable six from Warnie, a perfect finish from the progenitor of this series, that gave his team a clean sweep win in the inaugural edition of Cricket All Stars tournament.

The inception of this tournament was with an aim to globalize cricket and to increase its swathe and fan following across the world. The time and venue of the game were all perfect. In June, the USA Cricket Association (USACA) had been suspended and the Local advisory Group had been formed there by the ICC to inculcate interest in the game. So the inaugural edition was a fillip to the USA to reinstate USACA. Besides a cosmopolitan amalgamation of the region ensured that a vast expatriate population from across the globe would be attracted by it, of course with the dominance of the Indians. In addition, the time of the league also coincided with the meeting of the ICC officials with the International Olympic Committee with an aim to introduce cricket back in the Olympics after 1900.

The biggest challenge for the smooth conduct of the tournament was the transformation of the baseball stadium into an oval pitch. The pitch had to be different from what was prepared for the baseball matches. Instead of slowing down when the ball bounces the cricket fans love to see the ball run to the fence and hence lots of effort had to be put in to do the same. Thus, the New York game saw a 74 foot long –pitch being manufactured in Indianapolis and lowered down in Citi Field, New York, just behind the second base of the Triangular field. The pitches in Houston and Los Angeles were fashioned on similar lines.

The easiest task of the entire tournament was asking the legends to come and play as was told by Sachin himself. The legends ranging from Courtney Walsh to Virender Sehwag are all live embodiments of the spirit of the game they were to promote and to see them play together was a real treat.

The first match brought with it all the nostalgia and lore associated with the star cricketers. It all started with the legendary pair of Sachin and Sehwag walking in, to bat and the stadium reverberating with the sounds of ‘Sachin’‘Sachin’ and ‘Viru’‘Viru’. This was followed with the trademark knock of Sehwag, his swashbuckling shots which spanked Allan Donald and Walsh all over the ground as he scored 55 of just 22 balls. The game also witnessed Tendulkar batting alongside Lara, with Warne dismissing both of them, and the spectacle was a replay of the magic of the 90s for all the lovers of the game.

The second half saw the fiery paceman Shoaib Akhtar swoon the crowd with his gun blazing action, which left the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, Jacques Kallis, and Matthew Hayden all dumbfounded. Another attraction of the match was the Lankan greats, Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene who did not appear one after the other in batting line up but managed to appear alongside – KC Sangakkara c Jayawardene b Akhtar.  But the thing which trumped the Blasters was the flamboyance of Ponting and Sangakkara which helped the Warriors reach a comfortable win, chasing a modest total of 141.

The second match saw the game being walloped by the Warriors but it was not without its own instances of excitement. The eye candy was Sangakkara who made a quick seventy, by hitting boundaries over long-on and midwicket, which acted as the catalyst to the Warriors’ mammoth total. This was accompanied by Ponting’s mayhem, especially against Klusener. On the other hand, Lara struggled to conjure the right shots before he was stumped as he came forward to challenge a ball from Symonds. Shaun Pollock had a terrible spell with the ball but made it up by hitting seven sixes in his 22-ball stay, thereby helping his team to cruise beyond the 200 mark.

There was some disappointment as the magic man, Murli had a dry spell, and Shoaib could not repeat his New York performance and even Dada who came in at number three failed to enthrall the audiences. Out and out, seeing the legends play at the home ground of the baseball team Astros was the perfect Diwali gift and it didn’t matter on which side of the foul line the ball ended that day.

Although the result of the series was already decided the third match was in no way a dead rubber which was evident by the crowd which had gathered in Los Angeles to watch the final match of Cricket All-Star Series. Sachin’s Blasters got off to a good start with Sachin, Jayawardene, Ganguly and Hooper all chipping in, adequate runs and posting a formidable total of 219/5 in 20 overs. But the chances of winning the final match were ruined because of giving away too many runs in the slog overs although the Warriors were initially down for 52 for 3 with Michael Vaughan being out for a duck. The initial collapse was overshadowed by the recovery led by Sangakkara, Kallis, and Ponting with Warne coming in to do the winning honors.  The match also saw hilarious tweets being written on Ganguly’s haywire hair bringing back some IPL memories.

In the end apart from Sangakkara who was the Man of the Series and the winning Warrior’s team, the real winner was the “game of cricket”. The reason was the aim with which the 15-match event was conceived got a successful opening and was a huge crowd puller in a land which does not even have proper cricketing fields. Therefore, the seeds of cricket have been sown in the USA with the hope that the next edition of the Cricket All Stars is bigger, better, and more exciting and the game is played all over the world along with other sports. To conclude just as Sachin said the aim is to ensure that every child in America holds a cricket bat along with a baseball bat so that cricket becomes a sport where teams may compete but all revel.

]]> 5 Reasons why All Stars T20 is a big success https://www.crictracker.com/5-reasons-why-all-stars-t20-is-a-big-success/ Sun, 15 Nov 2015 15:09:15 +0000 https://www.crictracker.com/?p=41098 All Stars T20
(© JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

5 Reasons why All Stars T20 is a big success: And finally the 3-match T20 cricket carnival involving the players which made our childhood better comes to an end. Despite the whitewash, the Warne’s Warriors inflicted on Sachin’s Blasters, Ravi Shastri’s clichéd statement about Cricket being the real winner aptly summarizes the purpose of the series.

The initiative started by Sachin-Warne duo to globalize the game, the responses received across the three matches were incredible. While the Houston and Los Angeles matches were played at about 50% capacity, the crowd which had gathered for the first of the series was unbeatable. Even the players themselves were astonished at the responses received. The USA is perhaps the next-largest market available for cricket, and this was exactly the sort of response the initiative needed in it’s inaugural edition. But the T20 series was more than just the globalization of the game. But nevertheless it was a huge success.

Here are the 5 Reasons why All Stars T20 is a big success:

1. Invocation of nostalgia:

It has rarely happened that Indian fans have stayed awake till late night to watch a cricket match. Or woken up early to watch a match; not even the matches in Australia. But majority of the cricket fans, especially in the Indian sub-continent, did exactly the same to revive their childhood memories. What more motivation does an Indian fan need other than seeing Sachin and Sehwag bat together? Or a Pakistani fan to see Wasim’s swinging deliveries or Saqlain Mushtaq’s excellent off-spinners? The very fact of seeing the yesteryear players again in the ground was enough to make every hardcore cricket fans of the 90s and 2000s to watch the series.

2. Revival of old rivalries:

We expected the old rivalries to resume, and resume it did. Sachin and Lara facing off against Warne, Wasim Akram opening the bowling attack against Sachin and Sehwag, Kallis facing off against the likes of Muralitharan, and many many more rivalries were relived in these three matches. And it did match upto the hype. Short boundaries ensured that the batsmen were heavily favored, still the bowlers got the number of their batsmen in quite a few occasions; the highlight of this being Sachin’s dismissals to Warne and Mustaq. Old rivalries, which defined an entire generation of cricket, was reforged, and hence relived.

Also Read – Cricket All-Stars: Warne’s Warriors Player Ratings

3. Formation of new bonds:

When was the last time we have seen Sehwag and Akthar clicking selfies? Or Warne and Muralitharan discussing the mechanics behind spin deliveries? Unimaginable friendships were formed, all thanks to the All Stars T20 initiative. It was enlightening to see our favorite players sharing personal moments together, involving in light banters, and more importantly, having fun- which was barely witnessed during their playing days. This enlightened every fan’s heart, and left them wanting for more of these special moments.

4. Individual brilliance re-seen:

Sehwag’s explosive start, Warne’s incredible spell in the first T20, Mushtaq’s “teesra” to dismiss Sachin in the 2nd, Sachin’s classy fifty in the third, Ambrose’ epic celebration in the third, Sangakkara’s consistency, and phew! We got to witnessed and relive every player’s attribute, even though it was years since any of these players had played international cricket. We got to see what we wanted from these players, and that enough alone would have satisfied the hearts of the fans who would have anticipated such events. We got what we wanted, and even more, thus leaving us hooked for these three matches in spite of oddities in their timings.

5. Crowd support

Imagine the same matches played at empty stadiums with no one to appreciate these legends. It would have left them quite disappointed. But the incredible crowd support the players received, especially in New York, was another attribute to the tournament’s success. Yes, most of them were migrants from the sub-continent and Australia. But it was a stepping stone for the globalization of sport, especially in highly valuable US market. And this tournament is just the start, and it’s success paves the way for good times ahead for international expansion of cricket.

Also Read – Cricket All-Stars: Sachin’s Blasters Player Ratings
]]> 5 Talking Points of Cricket All Stars series https://www.crictracker.com/5-talking-points-of-cricket-all-stars-series/ Sun, 15 Nov 2015 14:54:35 +0000 https://www.crictracker.com/?p=41074 Cricket All Stars series
(© Getty Images)

5 Talking Points of Cricket All Stars series: The cricket fans all over the world witnessed a visual treat as they saw the legends of the game having the time of their lives in an initiative by two cricketing greats Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne in what was called the ‘Cricket All Stars’. It is fair to say that the stalwarts themselves wouldn’t have imagined that they would get such unprecedented support in a country like the USA, the place where the series was held, where the existence of cricket as a sport is negligible.

In the 3 matches held on drop-in pitches at Baseball venues of New York, Houston and Los Angeles, ‘Warne’s Warriors’ spoiled the party for ‘Sachin’s Blasters’ and beat them comprehensively but most importantly, as the cliche goes, cricket turned out to be the real winner.

Here are the 5 Talking Points of Cricket All Stars series:

1. The 90’s nostalgia:

If one has been a cricket fan, then they would have licked their tongues at the prospect of watching their favourite rivalries on-screen once more! The stars list was just never ending and for a kid from the 90s, it must have brought back some brilliant memories of their childhood as they once again witnessed Sachin playing Shane Warne, Wasim Akram’s tailing deliveries, Shoaib Akhtar’s furious bouncers and many more wonderful memories. Just the excitement to see all the stalwarts of the game together was enough to create a buzz among cricket aficionados and it certainly did.

2.  Knocking on States’ door

The fact that the United States of America has a cricket fan following of almost the same as New Zealand must have prompted the All Stars management to conduct this series in the country. USA’s huge Indian population must also have played a part in that decision. The crowds didn’t disappoint at all and graciously accepted the tourists as they came in numbers to watch the matches. In fact, such huge gathering of crowds was something even the legends playing and the management wouldn’t have imagined! The idea was to spread awareness regarding cricket in this huge nation and it turned out to be a big hit.

3. We are a team:

One thing which was observed in all the 3 matches was how much these guys were enjoying each other’s company! No one in their right minds could have imagined Shoaib Akhtar embracing Sachin like he has been his mate for a long time, but that is the beauty of this game. It is fierce and competitive yet spreads the message of being together. In these past 10 days, it was soothing to watch these players have a good time, share jokes, click pictures with each other, have a friendly banter amongst themselves which once again proved that at its heart, cricket still remains a gentleman’s game.

4. Some epic moments:

Amidst all the fun and chat’s, the on-field cricket remained a serious business as though they were sharing laughs, the passion to win the game and perform for their teams was seen in each and every star of the Cricket All Stars. There was plenty to cherish from this first season of Cricket All Stars. Some of the takeaways are mentioned as follows. Shane Warne got the wicket of Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar in the same game while Kumar Sangakkara hit Muttiah Muralitharan for sixes all round the park. Kallis was troubled by an Akhtar ripper while Viru hummed a song and then smashed the ball outside the boundary ropes with ease! Ponting played like a champion not once but twice while Akram swung the ball as if he had never retired. While all this happened inside the park, an airline left the God fuming due to their inadequacies which soon became the talk of the town. The list could go on and on but the overall impact was wonderful for the game.

5. Cricket is the winner:

One cannot thank Sachin and Warne enough for, first of all, proposing this idea and then to implement it at such a large scale so that not just USA but the whole world witnessed these greats play for one more time. The USA would be the biggest beneficiary from this tournament as it got introduced to this wonderful world of cricket by none other than the Masters of the game themselves. The legends also spent time with the locals telling them about the nuances of this game and encouraging them to pick up the bat and ball. They played with the local players, coached them, spent time in improving their techniques and gave them useful tips which would help them to groom their skills and who knows, this laudable effort would bring the USA on the cricket map very soon as one would see them competing with the best of the best.

]]> Sachin’s Blasters v Warne’s Warriors 3rd T20 Review: Warriors win a thriller to end the cricket carnival in the USA https://www.crictracker.com/sachins-blasters-v-warnes-warriors-3rd-t20-review-warriors-win-thriller-end-cricket-carnival-usa/ Sun, 15 Nov 2015 08:22:55 +0000 https://www.crictracker.com/?p=41041 Kumar Sangakkara
(Photo Source: Cricket All Stars Twitter Handle)

Sachin’s Blasters v Warne’s Warriors 3rd T20 Review: Warriors win a thriller to end the cricket carnival in the USA: The 3rd T20 at the Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles produced a high scoring thriller which thoroughly entertained a delirious crowd. Having won the toss the Blasters skipper, Sachin decided to bat first and put the runs on the board.

Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar looked in ominous touch and got their team off to a brisk start. Viru was the first to be dismissed on 27 off 15 with the score at 55 from 3.5 overs. Mahela Jayawardene walked in and continued the good work in the company of the little master who was smashing the ball to all parts of the ground. Sachin hit 6 sixes a made a brilliant 56 off just 27 balls before he was dismissed by Daniel Vettori. The score at this juncture was 129 in 9.3 overs. Mahela made 41 off 18 playing a gem of a cameo before top-edging a reverse sweep. A partnership of 86 runs between Sourav Ganguly and Carl Hooper took the score past 200 and put the Blasters in a commanding position. Ganguly made a 50 off 37 balls while Hooper remained not out on 33 of 22. The Blasters scored 219/5 from 20 overs. Vettori was the most successful bowler for the Warriors picking up 3 wickets and conceding only 33 of his 4 overs.

The Warriors reply started on a bad note with Michael Vaughan being bowled by Curtly Ambrose of the first ball of the innings. An inside edge castled the stumps much to the delight of the legendary West Indian fast bowler. Symonds made 31 off 19, courtesy 3 sixes and 2 fours, before being caught by Mahela off Swann at deep midwicket. Matthew Hayden was the next to go being run out for 12 attempting a quick single. VVS Laxman brilliant throw from the short fine leg was collected by Moin Khan who was quick to dislodge the bails. The score at this juncture was 52-3 from 5.3 overs. Kumar Sangakkara’s quick-fire 42 off 21 balls took the score past 100. Sanga hit 3 sixes and 4 fours before becoming Swann’s second wicket. Jonty Rhodes departed after scoring 17 off 24 balls and the score being 129/5 the Warriors looked in trouble. Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis did the rescue act and played brilliant knocks.  Their partnership of 88 from just 6.1 overs produced some huge hits and kept the pressure on the bowlers. The Warriors needed 57 off 3 overs and Ambrose and McGrath bowled 2 loose overs in which they were hammered for fours and sixes. Ambrose conceded 26 runs while McGrath 23 to hand over the advantage to the Warriors. The final over was bowled by Sehwag and it did produce some drama. Needing 8 runs Kallis missed the first balls and hit a 4 off the second. A wide was followed by a wicket, the South African being caught and bowled by Viru. Ponting could manage only a single off the fourth ball and the Warriors needed 2 off 2 to seal the deal. Their Skipper Shane Warne had a chat with Ponting before taking strike. He danced down the track to Viru and lofted one over deep midwicket above Murali who watched the ball sail over the boundary for a maximum. The Warriors thus won the series 3-0 playing better cricket than their opposition. Ponting remained not out on 43 of 25. Kallis was declared the player of the match for his 47 off 23 balls and a spell of 3 tight overs in which he conceded only 17 runs. Sanga was rightly adjudged the player of the series for his brilliant batting.

The series was all about spreading cricket in the USA and it surely did that. With huge number of fans turning up for all 3 matches, the All-Stars series became a huge hit.

Brief Scores

Sachin’s Blasters:  219/5 in 20 overs (Tendulkar 56, Ganguly 50, Vettori 3/33)

Warne’s Warriors:  224/6 in 19.5 overs (Kallis 47, Ponting 43, Swann 2/21)

Shane Warne’s Warriors won by 4 wickets.

Series: Warne’s Warriors won the 3-match series 3-0.

Jacques Kallis is Man of the Match

Kumar Sangakkara is Man of the Series

]]> Twitter Reactions: Sourav Ganguly has a bad hair day at the Cricket All Stars https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-sourav-ganguly-has-a-bad-hair-day-at-the-cricket-all-stars/ Sun, 15 Nov 2015 05:56:56 +0000 https://www.crictracker.com/?p=41011 Twitter Reactions: Sourav Ganguly has a bad hair day at the Cricket All Stars: Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly started off in the Cricket All Stars with the 2nd T20 but was not able to give his fans much to cheer as he got out after scoring just 12 runs. But come the 3rd T20 and he was right there at his best. Ganguly walked out to bat when his team was in a good position and ensured they had at least 219 runs on the board in their share of 20 overs. Dada played a beautiful knock of 50 from 37 balls, during which he also struck 3 fours and 3 sixes.

Though he was having the best game of the league, people were more drawn by his hair. As he came out to bowl in the second half of the game, up against Warne’s Warriors’ in-form Kumar Sangakkara nobody failed to notice that Ganguly’s hair was going haywire. He usually maintains the gentleman’s look as the Prince of Kolkata is expected to be, being the neat and tidy guy. But today he certainly failed to notice that his hair was out of place and out of order, standing on their own, and as they wished.

Twitter absolutely loved this sight and we instantly saw Tweets coming in, telling Sourav that no matter how good a game he was having, it was a bad hair day for him. Check out the Twitter Reactions:

https://twitter.com/cricingif/status/665758200940126208

https://twitter.com/LPC_TeamIndia/status/665756918183497728

https://twitter.com/holdingwilley/status/665762187055636480

]]> Watch: A fan catches Sachin Tendulkar off Courtney Walsh https://www.crictracker.com/watch-a-fan-catches-sachin-tendulkar-off-courtney-walsh/ Sun, 15 Nov 2015 04:43:01 +0000 https://www.crictracker.com/?p=40994 Watch: A fan catches Sachin Tendulkar off Courtney Walsh: The 3rd T20 of the Cricket All-Stars started after Sachin’s Blasters won the toss and chose to bat first. Tendulkar who is leading the side and had high bids on him to do well had failed to lay a relishable impression thus far in the league. He walked out to take a guard with his former India teammate Virender Sehwag against Allan Donald & Co. Both Sehwag and Sachin were out with clear intentions of making it big this time round.

The master blaster, in particular, came severe this time and irrespective of the bowlers smashed most balls to all parts of the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. On his way to his maiden fifty in the Cricket All-Stars (56 from 27 balls, 2 fours, 6 sixes) on the 1st ball of the second over bowled by West Indian legend Courtney Walsh, Sach hit a big six down the ground.

Walsh who was starting his spell bowled a length ball and Sachin cleared his front leg to have better access at the ball, made room for himself and blasted it over the head of the bowler for a massive six. The ball landed after sailing over a few rows into the stands and as it approached a fan was pretty much ready to grab it. He was delighted and jumping having caught the first six Sachin hit in the game.

At the end of the first half, the Blasters scored 219 against 5 wickets and put up a big task ahead of Warne and his big boys.

Video via (ESPNCricinfo Twitter Handle)

 

]]> Shane Warne confirms that Lee, Gilchrist and Dravid were signed for the All-Stars Series https://www.crictracker.com/shane-warne-confirms-lee-gilchrist-dravid-approached-stars-series/ Sun, 15 Nov 2015 04:24:47 +0000 https://www.crictracker.com/?p=40984 Shane Warne All-Stars Series
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 07: Warne’s Warriors player Shane Warne looks on during a match in the Cricket All-Stars Series. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

Shane Warne confirms that Lee, Gilchrist and Dravid were signed for the All-Stars Series: The All-Stars series has generated a lot of interest amongst fans and players alike. The legends of the game have thrilled the audiences in the USA and given the country a glimpse of the kind excitement cricket can produce.

The 3rd and final match was played at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Sachin’s Blasters decided to bat first on a batting paradise. The Warriors skipper, Shane Warne, while chatting with the commentators from the field revealed the names of players who were missing from the list of legends who participated in the series. Brett Lee, Adam Gilchrist and Rahul Dravid were approached however could not make themselves available due to other commitments.

One of the great fast bowlers of all time, Lee retired from all forms of cricket earlier this year and has since reinvented himself as an actor. He made his debut in an Australian romantic comedy film-‘UnIndian’. One suspects his movie and music commitments must have kept him busy. The squash- buckling wicket-keeper batsman, Adam Gilchrist, recently clarified on Twitter that he was unavailable on the dates the All-Star matches were to be played. The Indian batting legend Rahul Dravid is the coach of the India Under-19 and India A sides and this must be the reason for his absence.

The fans in America must have surely missed the thunderbolts of Lee, the smashing sixes of Gilly and the finesse of Dravid. If there were to be yet another All-Stars series, one hopes to see the three legends in action in future.

]]> Sachin’s Blasters v Warne’s Warriors 3rd T20, All Stars Series, Live Social feeds https://www.crictracker.com/sachins-blasters-v-warnes-warriors-3rd-t20-all-stars-series-live-social-feeds/ Sun, 15 Nov 2015 02:11:46 +0000 https://www.crictracker.com/?p=40944 That’s all from the 3rd T20 of the Cricket All Stars.

Warne’s Warriors 224/6 in 19.5 overs (Kallis 47, Ponting 43; Swann 2/21) Warne’s Warriors make it 3-0

https://twitter.com/LPC_TeamIndia/status/665768164005969920

https://twitter.com/pathakenish123/status/665748121209696256

End of 1st Innings Sachin’s Blasters posted 219/5 (20.0 Overs)

https://twitter.com/Shahrcasm/status/665729588824137730

https://twitter.com/Cricketopia/status/665728300942102528

https://twitter.com/AltCricket/status/665727247245049856

https://twitter.com/AltCricket/status/665722923471237120

https://twitter.com/Cricketopia/status/665721298446737410

Shane Warne: ‘It’s amazing. The noise is fantastic, we will have a big crowd here. The Dodgers Stadium is an iconic baseball stadium, looking forward to play here. We would have batted first as well, the wicket looks great, the outfield is in good condition as well. Looking forward to finish on a high note. Agarkar misses out, Saqlain has a sore knee and Wasim isn’t well, we wish him all the best.’
Sachin Tendulkar: ‘Never thought 25 years down the line (after my debut), I will be playing in LA, it’s something special. We are here to entertain, we will go and give our best. We will bat first tonight. We will look to put them under pressure. It’s a superb track, the ball will come nicely come onto the bat. We have left out Shoaib, Pollock got injured, Lara isn’t playing, neither is Klusener.’

Teams:
Warne Warriors (Playing XI): Matthew Hayden, Michael Vaughan, Andrew Symonds, Jonty Rhodes, Kumar Sangakkara(w), Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, Daniel Vettori, Shane Warne(c), Allan Donald, Courtney Walsh

Sachin Blasters (Playing XI): Sachin Tendulkar(c), Virender Sehwag, Mahela Jayawardene(w), Sourav Ganguly, Carl Hooper, VVS Laxman, Moin Khan, Graeme Swann, Muttiah Muralitharan, Glenn McGrath, Curtly Ambrose

Sachin Blasters have won the toss and have opted to bat

]]> Sachin’s Blasters v Warne’s Warriors 3rd T20, Preview: Warne's Warriors will look to clean sweep https://www.crictracker.com/sachins-blasters-v-warnes-warriors-3rd-t20-preview/ Sat, 14 Nov 2015 06:54:20 +0000 https://www.crictracker.com/?p=40780 Sachin’s Blasters v Warne’s Warriors 3rd T20, Preview
(© Getty Images)

Sachin’s Blasters v Warne’s Warriors 3rd T20, Preview: Warne’s Warriors will look to clean sweep: Its time for the final stop to an enthralling cricketing journey. The series has already been decided, but Los Angeles are in no mood to consider this tie as a dead rubber.

“I’ve seen Dodger Stadium only in photographs,” Tendulkar said. “To go there and play cricket, for a sportsman, it’s something special.”

Clearly, the atmosphere in the dressing room is upbeat, as the Blasters will look to win the sprawling Southern California city. For the Warriors, this will be an opportunity to clean sweep the series and end it on a good note.

Sachin’s Blasters

With a top-heavy batting line-up, the onus will once again be on Virender Sehwag to provide a flying start. Sourav Ganguly is set to play the next match as well; hence his presence will be vital in the top order. The pair of Sachin-Sehwag will look to essay the New York script against a bowling attack that doesn’t lack depth.

Mahela Jayawardene won’t mind taking a cue from his countrymen and replicate a similar show. Carl Hooper is likely to sit out, which makes it interesting to see how Lance Klusener goes about things. Shaun Pollock’s late flourish will boost the Blasters morale, while Brian Lara will look to shift his gear to the next level.

Shoaib Akhtar will once again hold the bowling cards, while Graeme Swann’s presence will be the key. Muttiah Muralitharan was the most economical of all the bowlers in the first T20, but went for 46 runs in the next game. He needs no advice on how to tame a brutal surge and that could well be a threat for the Warriors in the middle overs.

Shane Warne’s Warriors

Having won both the previous games, the Warriors will be on a high. Michael Vaughan’s prowess will be a welcome news for Shane Warne’s side, while the purple patch of Kumar Sangakkara will keep them in good books.

Matthew Hayden and Jacques Kallis will once again look to notch up some quick runs, while Andrew Symonds will be responsible for a death cameo.

Wasim Akram has been the most impressive quickie so far, even though the wickets column doesn’t do justice in this case. With Shane Warne leading the spin pack, Saqlain Mushtaq may well get another opportunity to spin his web around. Shane Warne has been phenomenal in both games, and it won’t be a bad choice to bet on his arms this time around.

Match Details:

Stadium: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

Capacity: 56000

Timings: 8:00 IST

Live Telecast: Star Sports for Indian Viewers

Squads:

Sachin’s Blasters: Sachin Tendulkar (c), VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene, Carl Hooper, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock, Moin Khan, Graeme Swann, Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shoaib Akhtar, Curtly Ambrose

Warne’s Warriors: Shane Warne (c), Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Michael Vaughan, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, Andrew Symonds, Jonty Rhodes, Saqlain Mushtaq, Wasim Akram, Daniel Vettori, Courtney Walsh, Allan Donald, Ajit Agarkar.

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