Tendulkar absense in t-20 worldcup will be huge advantage

Pakistan's Captain for t-20 worlcup 2010, Shahid khan afridi said that Sachin Tendulkar's absence from the Indian team for the tournament will be a blessing in disguise for the other sides.

"The way he has blossomed in the last few years, he is only getting better and better as a batsman. If he is not playing for India in the Twenty20 World Cup, it is certainly a big advantage for other teams," Afridi was quoted in the Times of India. "If Tendulkar had played in this World Cup, I am sure he would made big impact for India."

Afridi feels that age has not had any effect on Tendulkar's powers. "With every match he seems to be growing as a batsman and getting better. He is playing like a teenager. There is no sign of age affecting his game at all," Afridi said.

"The biggest thing that he still enjoys playing the sport and he is hunger for runs has not died at all," he said. I think even in Twenty20 cricket you need to bat properly and at times even playing out 20 overs is a big challenge for a team. You need to play orthodox cricket," Afridi said.

Don Bradman’s son goes to court against law firm

ADELAIDE: Sir Donald Bradman’s son has won the right to go to trial with allegations that a law firm has wrongly exploited the cricket great’s identity as a “brand name like Mickey Mouse,” reports the Associated Press.

John Bradman and other executives of the former Australian captain’s estate are seeking unspecified damages against law firm Allens Arthur Robinson, alleging breach of contract and negligence in assigning the iconic name.

In a published complaint in 2005, John Bradman spoke against a decision to license an Australian food company to market “Bradman” biscuits in India, a key international market for cricket.

A South Australia Supreme Court judge last year ruled that the law firm had not breached its contract.

But the Full Court of the Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favour of Bradman’s appeal against that decision, allowing him to proceed to trial at a date to be set, the Australian Associated Press reported.

John Bradman claims the law firm failed to follow his late father’s instructions to allow the family power of veto over decisions to use his name for commercial purposes, AAP reported.

The Bradman family’s statement of claim said Sir Donald was “a loved and missed family member, not a brand name like Mickey Mouse.”

The former test batsman died in 2001 at the age of 92 but his name remains one of the most high profile in cricket, and in Australian sport.

Bradman was famously out without scoring in his final test innings in England in 1948, when he only needed four runs to achieve a test career average of 100.

No other batsman in international cricket has come anywhere near his test average of 99.94, which he achieved over 52 test matches from the 1928-29 season to 1948. —AP

twenty-20 wide Open-Salman butt

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will launch their ICC World Twenty20 title defense against Bangladesh in St Lucia on May 1 and stylish opener Salman Butt is taking the whole thing in his stride.



“I think everything has its advantages and disadvantages and when it comes to us arriving at the tournament as current holders of the World Twenty20 title, it’s the same deal. There’s no reason why we can’t win it again. I think we’re in a tough group with Bangladesh and Australia. Australia is a good team and Bangladesh is a very good emerging side. Bangladesh has done very well recently, especially in the shortest format of the game in which no team is a clear favorite.” APP quoted Salman as stating in a local daily.



The 25-year-old from Lahore said the playing conditions will not be a big factor in deciding the outcome of the games. “It does matter at times but in this format, I think there is not much the conditions can do. Plus, it’s only a 20 over game and there’s very little chance of the pitch changing its behavior. I think it will be an even competition which anyone can win. I am looking forward to going back to the West Indies. It will be my second time there. It’s a great place to play with a great atmosphere.”



Salman, however, believed the lead up to the tournament will be a big factor as the T20 version hardly gives a team time to acclimatize and adjust to alien conditions.



“I am sure there will be quite a few international players who are playing non-stop cricket in a lead up to the ICC World Twenty20 and might pull up an injury during the main event. It is a bit of both when it comes to the advantages and disadvantages of playing in a domestic event before a global tournament like the ICC World Twenty20. In general, I don’t think it matters either way in Twenty20 as once you get in the groove, it’s anybody’s game. When I look at the Pakistan team, especially in this shortest format, I think anyone who plays to his full potential has the ability to single-handedly win the game for us on any given day. I think every player is extremely talented and it would be unfair to single out one or two players.”