Weekly Round Off !!!

Quotes of the Week:

“I don’t mind if Test Cricket dies”.

Chris Gayle; Captain, West Indies Cricket Team.

“There was no time to rest. Fatigue is a part and parcel of Indian cricket.”

M.S Dhoni

“It’s the job of administrators to ensure that the players are fresh and ready. Otherwise, there is the possibility of cricket overkill in India.”

Dilip Vengsarkar

“I have it in the back of my head all the time that the boys could burn out during the IPL before the tournament”.

Mickey Arthur; South African Coach.

Apology Letter:

This column “Weekly Round Off” has been gathering dust and spiders for the past one month. We would like to apologize to our readers, for putting no updates in this category. It was mainly due to the hectic IPL and our very own cricrepublic was under design renovation. Now that we are back, it will be more weekly updates and more cricket!

Story of the Week: The Burn-Out factor!

There is a new problem making rounds this time that of burn-out, fatigue and overkill of T20 cricket. The T20 cricket match which lasts for a little over 3 hours has instant appeal and is running high on popularity charts. But for the players it is otherwise. There is so much cricket being played now a days that a cricketer has schedule packed to the heck. Match after match has taken a toll on the best talent in the business. Flintoff, Zaheer being the heavy casualties for England and India respectively. Going into the T20 world cup, most of the players have just come from a long IPL tournament, and doing the same for another 3-4 weeks is not going to be easy. It is more of mental fatigue than physical toil which the players have to cope with.

The other after math of IPL is international players inclining themselves to T20 internationals. Does this mean death of Test Cricket! If the player reactions are anything to go by, then Chris Gayle’s apprehensions may not be far away.  Already many players have supported for separate IPL window in the year given its financial attractions. And some reports suggested that Lalit Modi was planning for two IPL tournaments a year. If these reports are true then this would be true overkill of cricket. After all who wants to play for 5 days and earn the same amount as they would in 3 hrs a day. It is up to to ICC now to use the Golden Duck called “T20″equally with ODI’s and Tests. Else the truest form of cricket would be extinct sooner than later.

Quiz of the Week:

1) What is the highest team score in IPL?

A) 240/5 by Chennai Super Kings against Kings XI Punjab on 19-04-2008.

2) What is the lowest team score in IPL?

A) 58/10 by Rajasthan Royals against Royal Challengers Bangalore on 18-04-2009.

3) Who holds the record for highest individual score in IPL?

A) Bredon McCullam of Kolkata Knight Riders scored 158 against Royal Challengers Bangalore on 18-04-2008.

4) Who has the best bowling figures in IPL?

A) Sohail Tanvir of Rajasthan Royals with figures of 6-14 against Chennai Super Kings on 04-05-2008.

5) Who holds the record for maximum number of sixes in an innings in IPL?

A) Bredon McCullam of Kolkata Knight Riders with 13 sixes against Bangalore Royal Challengers on 18-04-2008.