Pakistan look for revenge

DAMBULA, July 29: After a 2-0 drubbing at the hands of Sri Lanka, Pakistan will look to take revenge their loss in the five-match ODI series which will kick off at Dambullaon Thursday.
Despite the one-sided nature of the test series, it will be difficult predicting the same result for the ODIs as well. And this has to do with the new-look Pakistani team, which looks pretty balanced on paper. The first game will obviously set the trend, and the visitors will defenitely try to start the series with winning note.

Schumacher returns

ROME, July 29: Michael Schumacher is to sensationally come out of retirement to race for Ferrari in the absence of the injured Felipe Massa.
Seven-times world champion Schumacher, now 40, has not driven competitively since the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix in October 2006.
But Schumacher, who won five of his titles with Ferrari and who has been acting as an advisor to the team of late, will race in the European Grand Prix in Valencia on August 23.
“Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro intends to put Michael Schumacher in Felipe Massa’s car until the Brazilian driver will be able to race again,” Ferrari confirmed in a statement.
“Michael Schumacher said he is ready and, over the next few days, will undertake a specific training programme at the end of which confirmation will be given of his participation in the championship with effect from the European Grand Prix on the 23rd of August.”

ICC should preserve Test cricket: Akram

New Delhi, July 27: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram feels it is for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to preserve the sanctity of Test format.

Akram said the ICC should go ahead with day-night Tests and must ensure that matches are played on sporting tracks to counter the popularity of Twenty20.

“The ICC has to do something with T20. Even cricket boards are running after it because it fetches them millions. Twenty20 and one-day cricket are fun but Test cricket is real. The ICC should do something to preserve Tests,” Akram told reporters here on Monday. Akram feels Twenty20 is “just a phase in international cricket, which will pass soon without harming Tests.”
“Cricket started with Tests, so how can it end? Every aspiring cricketer in the world wants to play Tests. Twenty20 will take over the 50 overs game, but it can’t hurt Test cricket,” he said. On ICC chief David Morgan’s proposed four-day Test, Wasim said: “If you have a four-day Test, there are more chances of it ending in a draw. Why will spectators come to watch a dull and drab drawn Test? The ICC, instead, should ensure that Test wickets are sporting and result-oriented.”

The 43-year-old former left-arm fast bowler also disagreed with ex-South African tearaway Allan Donald on legalising ball-tampering. “I don’t know why Donald said that. Ball-tampering is illegal and I am with the ICC on the issue. If you legalise ball-tampering, then bowlers will start doing it from the first over. Ball-tampering is an art and you can only do it after 40-50 overs in Test cricket. It is not possible in ODIs and T20s,” said Akram, who was one of the Pakistani fast bowlers once accused of ball-tampering. (IANS)

Haas eyes treble Safin closes in on retirement

LOS ANGELES, July 26: Tommy Haas will bid for a Los Angeles Open title hat-trick from Monday while soon-to-retire Russian Marat Safin ticks off another tournament box in his season-long farewell to the game.

Wimbledon semi-finalist Haas will have it all to play for after his solid showing final four at the All England club.

The 31-year-old will try to back up titles here from 2004 and 2006 after losing in a first-round shock at UCLA a year ago to American Donald Young.
Haas rested after Wimbledon and has had three clear weeks to get ready for the summer hard court season.

Former world number one Safin, 29, will retire at the end of the year and has little to show for a final season.

The mercurial Russian, whose brilliance has led him to a pair of Grand Slam titles, is struggling as his motivation slumps after a decade and a half on the tour. But the eighth-seeded crowd-pleaser, who first played the event in 2001 and reached the quarter-finals last summer, may find his competitive juices again as he faces off in a Monday night exhibition against Pete Sampras, a repeat of the 2000 US Open final won by the then-newcomer Russian.

While he won’t say exactly what his new plans are for a post-tennis future, Safin knows he doesn't want to continue in the game.

“Throughout the years, you have to live with tennis 24/7. There is no way you're going to leave and for days relax and not think about it. Sooner or later you're going to think about tennis,” he complained. (Agencies)

India must decide its priorities: Gary Kirsten

Johannesburg, July 26: There are trends developing in world cricket that are of concern to the future of the game, including in India, Indian coach Gary Kirsten said here, saying Team India has to decide its priorities in terms of test cricket and other forms of the game, like T20.
Kirsten was speaking on Saturday at a gathering here organised by the Indian mission here for local and visiting captains of business and industry who had attended the Doing Business with India Conference.

New Zealand cut test match to play IPL

major crisis in New Zealand cricket was averted when six of the country's leading players agreed to sign new contracts with the cricket board, but only after they were assured of playing a major part in the Indian Premier League, a newspaper report said here today.

Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor, who were among the 20 players who signed contracts with NZC yesterday, can play in the IPL for at least three weeks as Australia's Test tour of New Zealand has been cut short to two matches from three.

The move will also benefit the Australians contracted to the franchisees for the March 12 to April 25 IPL-III, the 'Dominion Post' reported.

It means that McCullum, for example, can still earn USD 350,000 for playing three weeks in the IPL.

"A crisis was averted after a draft copy of the schedule showed stumps will be pulled on March 31, effectively turning the traditional end-of-summer six-week tour into a furious month-long experience comprising just two Tests," the newspaper said.

"The first Test will be held at the Basin Reserve in Wellington from March 19-23 and the second in Hamilton from March 27-31. After that, the star players will high-tail it to India to play the final three weeks of the six-week IPL," the report said.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justine Vaughan refused to admit that Test cricket has been sacrificed by this move but said it was difficult to spin the schedule around.

"This summer we have three home Tests against Pakistan and Tests against Bangladesh. We are not going to be short of Test cricket, but I agree three Tests against Australia is what you aim for.

"This year we get the squeeze. Hopefully, it is a one-off aberration, we'd hate to see the IPL move into March on a regular basis," Vaughan said.

Australia are hosting the West Indies until February 23 while the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies starts from April 28.

With the IPL scheduled between March 12 and April 25, New Zealand were only left with the month of March to host Australia.

© PTI

No comebacks for Justin Langer

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Justin Langer isn't thinking about making a Test comeback, despite reports to the contrary in the press today.

In an interview about his passing of Don Bradman to become Australia's leading first-class run scorer, Langer was asked if he would play in next week's third Test if approached.

"I'm certainly not interested in making a Test comeback," Langer was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia's official website.

"There was a bit of a tongue in cheek conversation between myself and Marcus Trescothick in the (Somerset) change-rooms about what it would take for him to play next week with Pietersen injured."

"He said he wasn't interested and the point I was making was as a kid in the backyard all you want to do is play in an Ashes Test. I mean who wouldn't? It's the greatest thing in the world."

"But that was it, it was just a tongue in cheek comment."

Langer, who retired from International Cricket in 2007 after 105 Tests and 7696 runs for Australia, has continued playing for English County side Somerset even after his retirement from Australian domestic cricket in 2008.

Langer, whose comments touched on the role of the English media and the ability to deal with them, said, "One of the things that this relatively inexperienced Australian squad is going to have to deal with is the English media. You're constantly under the spotlight and it's something we found really hard in 2005."

"Not only were England playing really good cricket and public expectation was flowing against us, we also had the constant, relentless battery of the English press to deal with, and it's something that Punter and the boys will have to deal with over the next few weeks."

"I guess that's how the press works over here and that's fine, it's an institution, but there's definitely no chance of me making a comeback for Australia."

© Cricbuzz

Sangakkara ranked no 1 in Tests

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Gautam Gambhir's stay at the top of the ICC rankings for Test batsmen lasted just 10 days as Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara grabbed the coveted position from the Indian opener.

Gambhir had replaced Pakistani run-machine Mohammad Yousuf as the number one Test batsmen on July 15 but Sangakkara's match-saving knock of 130 in the third Test against Pakistan propelled him to the top.

By virtue of his performance in the third and final Test against Pakistan, the 31-year-old Sri Lankan wicket-keeper gained two places to secure the number one position with 862 points while Gambhir dropped to the second place with 847 points.

Apart from Gambhir, no other Indian finds a place in the top-10 chart and the next in the list is Sachin Tendulkar, who dropped a place to find himself in the 15th spot.

Among Indian bowlers, Harbhajan Singh has dropped a spot to the sixth while Zaheer Khan gained one rung to be ninth.

South African Dale Steyn leads the bowlers chart, followed by Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan and Aussie pacer Mitchell Johnson.

Meanwhile, there was no change in the top-five of the ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders with South African Jacques Kallis still leading the pack, followed by Johnson and New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori.

© PTI

I can't tolerate SRK insulting Gavaskar: Miandad

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New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad has lashed out at Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan for his "verbal volleys" at Sunil Gavaskar on multiple captain theory prior to the start of IPL-II.Shah Rukh had backed his Kolkata Knight Riders' coach John Buchanan's multiple captain idea and had criticised Gavaskar for his remarks against the Australian's coaching method.And Miandad, paying tribute to Gavaskar on the occasion of his 60th birthday, wondered if the legendary batsman was yet to win the respect of his "rich and famous" compatriots despite his contributions to the country."It happened before the Indian Premier League-2 got under way in South Africa, but it still rankles me. I simply cannot tolerate the insult Shah Rukh Khan heaped on our icon," Miandad wrote in a book compiled by veteran journalist Debashish Dutta."Even my fellow cricketers in Pakistan were shocked...

PTI

Ganguly captain, Wright coach of KKR in 2010

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Kolkata, Jul 25 (PTI) Sourav Ganguly is almost certain to be reinstated as the captain while John Wright is likely to take over as the coach of Kolkata Knight Riders in the third edition of the Indian Premier League in 2010, team sources said today.

Even as an official announcement is awaited, sources said that there could be a major reshuffle with former India coach Wright likely to replace John Buchanan as Knight Riders coach, while former Australian middle-order batsman Michael Bevan will be in the coaching panel.

Sources said Ganguly would be back at the helm in 2010 when his contract with the Kolkata team ends and the iconic Bengal cricketer had a one-on-one with prinicipal owner Shah Rukh Khan when the duo met in London to receive doctorates by the University of Central Lancashire last week.

PTI

Randhawa, Chowrasia miss cut at SAS Masters

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Malmo (Sweden), July 25 (PTI) The Indian challenge at the European Tour's SAS Masters golf tournament came to an abrupt end after both Jyoti Randhawa (77) and SSP Chowrasia (72) missed the halfway cut here.

While Randhawa stuttered to a four-over 77, Chowrasia was only slightly better with a one-under 72 in the second round here.

Chowrasia, who carded an 82 yesterday, and Randhawa were way down the cut line which was decided at 148.

Overnight tied 36th, Randhawa dropped a bogey on the first hole followed by another on the eighth hole to take the turn at two-over.

He tried to make amends by stroking in a birdie on the 10th, but a bogey on the 15th hole brought him back to square one.

Federer becomes father of twin girls

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GENEVA: Roger Federer is the father of twin girls after his wife Mirka gave birth on Thursday. More Pictures


In a statement released on his personal Web site and Facebook page, tennis' world No. 1 said the girls had been named Charlene Riva and Myla Rose.

"I have some exciting news to share with you," Federer's Facebook page said.

"Late last night, in Switzerland, Mirka and I became proud parents of twin girls.

"We named them Myla Rose and Charlene Riva and they are both healthy and along with their mother they are doing great.

"This is the best day of our lives." It was the first children for the couple, who were married in April.

Earlier this month, Mirka sat courtside through the nerve-wracking Wimbledon final in which Federer beat American Andy Roddick 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14 to clinch his 15th grand slam title, breaking the previous record held by Pete Sampras.

The 27-year-old Federer met his wife-to-be - born Miroslava Vavrinec in Slovakia - in 2000 when they were competing for Switzerland in the Sydney Olympic Games.

Mirka, 31, emigrated with her family to Switzerland as a small child, and after playing on the WTA Tour and retiring prematurely due to injury, she became one of Federer's managers.

TOI

Sania in semis of Lexington Challenger event

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NEW DELHI: Preparing herself for the gruelling hard court season ahead, Sania Mirza advanced to the semi-finals of the $50,000 ITF Challenger tournament in Lexington, USA, after Lindsay Lee-Waters withdrew from the contest, on Saturday.

The second seed Indian was leading 5-2 in the first set when her American opponent opted out of quarter-final contest.

Sania will next meet sixth seeded Chinese Meg Yhuan, ranked 195th, who defeated American fourth seed Madison Brengle 6-3, 6-3 in another quarter-final match.

TOI

Constant format switches hurting consistency: Gambhir

CHENNAI, July 23: A packed international schedule and constant shifting between three formats has made it difficult for top players to maintain a consistent level, India opener Gautam Gambhir said.

“It’s difficult to consistently perform for anyone because we play so much of cricket, that too in changing format(s),” Gambhir is quoted as saying.

After a prolific spell with the bat in the last 12 months, the 27-year-old left-hander took over as the world's top-ranked Test batsman last week from Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf.
However, Gambhir’s form dipped at the Twenty20 World Cup in England in June and subsequent One-day series in West Indies just two months after scoring 445 runs in India’s first Test series victory on New Zealand soil for more than four decades. “We played Test cricket just before the IPL (Indian Premier League) which meant a change to the Twenty20 format after just a few days’ gap,” he said. The Twenty20 World Cup followed soon after the conclusion of the IPL season.

“It’s very difficult to change your mindset so quickly and be at the peak of your game,” Gambhir added.

The Delhi batsman said too much cricket was also affecting player performances.
“The more you play, the more you are bound to fail. No one can keep the intensity always.”
India’s next assignment is a triangular One-day series in Sri Lanka in September before the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

“At the moment, I am on complete break and not at all thinking about cricket because I want to be in right frame of mind when I resume the game,” he said.
“You have to be very tough mentally to survive in international cricket.” (PTI)

Magnificent Sangakkara ensures draw

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Kumar Sangakkara hit an unbeaten century to steer Sri Lanka to a draw in the final Test against Pakistan here on Friday and win his first series as captain.

The left-hander made 130 not out as Sri Lanka, faced with a world record target of 492, defied the Pakistani bowlers to finish with 391-4 on the fifth day at the Sinhalese sports club.

The rock solid Sangakarra's 19th Test century featured a fourth-wicket stand of 122 with Thilan Samaraweera (73) and 114 for the unbroken fifth with Angelo Mathews (64 not out).

Sri Lanka clinched the series 2-0, their first at home against Pakistan after five unsuccessful attempts, and provided Sangakkara with a winning start as captain after he took over from Mahela Jayawardene in April.

Sangakkara hung on for nearly seven hours on a placid pitch to frustrate Pakistan's bid to record a face-saving win ahead of the five-match one-day series starting at Dambulla on July 30.

No team has achieved this high a target in the fourth innings to win a Test match. The highest successful chase so far is 418-7 by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003.

The two teams went into the last session of the match with Sri Lanka needing 154 runs from a possible 38 overs to record a record-breaking win and Pakistan requiring six wickets.

The hosts gave an indication they would prefer to settle for a draw when they made just 76 runs from 26 overs in the two hours after lunch.

The final session, watched by some 3,000 home fans, provided dull cricket from both sides as the batsmen plodded along and the bowlers set defensive fields to ensure the run-rate did not pick up.

Play was finally called off when 15 overs remained with Sri Lanka needing a further 101 runs.

It was the first time in the series that play went into the fifth day after the tourists lost the first Test in four days and the second in three.

Sangakkara and Samaraweera, who resumed the day at 183-3, batted through the morning session to take Sri Lanka to 262 without further loss by lunch.

The pair made a cautious start in the morning, scoring 50 runs in 21 overs before Pakistan captain Younus Khan took the second new ball as soon as it was due in the 81st over.

Samaraweera welcomed the change by driving the first delivery from Umar Gul to the cover fence and executing another perfect off-drive from the last ball of the over.

Sri Lanka suffered a setback soon after lunch when Samaraweera strained a hamstring while taking a single and called for a runner.

The injury did not seem to bother him as he hit the first ball from pace bowler Mohammad Aamer for a boundary, but then was smashed on the helmet by a rising ball later in the same over.

Samaraweera was dismissed in the following over when he failed to read a straight ball from off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and nicked an easy catch to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.

Scoreboard

Pakistan 1st innings 299 Khurram Manzoor 93, Mohammad Yousuf 90, T. Thushara 5-83

Sri Lanka 1st innings 233 K. Sangakkara 45, M. Jayawardene 79, D. Kaneria 5-62

Pakistan 2nd innings 425-9 decl Shoaib Malik 134, Kamran Akmal 74, R. Herath 5-157

Sri Lanka 2nd innings

T. Paranavitana c Alam b Malik 73
M. Warnapura c Malik b Kaneria 31
K. Sangakkara not out 130
M. Jayawardene c Akmal b Kaneria 2
T. Samaraweera c Akmal b Ajmal 73
A. Mathews not out 64
Extras b1, lb7, nb9, w1 18
Total for 4 wkts 391

Fall of wkts 1-83, 2-139, 3-155, 4-277

Bowling
Gul 12-0-65-0 (nb5), Aamer 21-5-46-0 (nb1), Younus 8-0-25-0 (w1), Ajmal 43-9-95-1, Malik 14-1-38-1 (nb3), Kaneria 36-3-114-2

Cricbuzz

AIFF-Bharti academy on hold for now: Patel

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NEW DELHI: The ambitious AIFF-Bharti Academy, first proposed to be established in Goa and then in Haryana, is on hold "for the time being", national football federation acting chief Praful Patel said on Wednesday.

The academy, for which Bharti Airtel had to pump in Rs 100 crore, was to be established in Goa but a land dispute and tussle between two ministers in the state government led to the project being rendered a non-starter.

Later, it was proposed to be shifted to Haryana but Patel said the assurance given by the north Indian state government turned out to be an "oral promise".

"The academy was to come up in Goa but a land dispute arose and Bharti agreed to shift it to Haryana. But again the Haryana government could not give us land required for the academy," Patel said after an emergency committee meeting of the AIFF.

"It turned out that the earlier assurance given (by Haryana government) was an oral promise," he added.

Patel said he had requested Bharti not to scrap the project as the academy "can come up as and when the land is available".

"I had interactions with Bharti people recently and I had requested them not to lose interest in the academy. They have assured me they are for the project as and when land is available," Patel assured.

"I am still speaking to the Goa government to sort out the land issue. It is Goa which is going to lose out a state-of-the-art academy on account of petty issues," he said.

"I had interactions with Bharti people recently and I had requested them not to lose interest in the academy. They have assured me they are for the project as and when land is available," Patel assured.

"I am still speaking to the Goa government to sort out the land issue. It is Goa which is going to lose out a state-of-the-art academy on account of petty issues," he said.

TOI

Hodge left out as Australia name CT squad

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Melbourne, July 23 (PTI) With a view to build a team for the 2011 World Cup, Australian selectors today included three new faces while leaving out batsman Brad Hodge in the preliminary squad of 30 for the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in September in South Africa.

Tasmania wicketkeeper Tim Paine, Victoria spinner Jon Holland and New South Wales all-rounder Moises Henriques figured in the probables' list for the September 22 to October 5 tournament. The squad must be trimmed to 15 players by August 23.

The squad does not include controversial all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who was sent back home from England on disciplinary grounds just before the start of Twenty20 World Cup besides scrapping his Cricket Australia contract.

Fast bowler Brett Lee, who suffered a side-strain injury just before the first Ashes Test, and injury-prone all-rounder Shane Watson also made the cut

Sri Lanka face record chase to win final Test vs Pak

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Colombo, July 23 (AFP) Sri Lanka will need to set a world record to sweep the Test series against Pakistan 3-0 after the tourists piled up the runs in the final Test here today.

Shoaib Malik made 134 as Pakistan amassed 410-9 in their second innings by lunch on the fourth day at the Sinhalese Sports Club, an overall lead of 476 runs with one wicket in hand.

Pakistan are expected to declare soon after resumption to leave themselves with enough time to bowl Sri Lanka out and earn a consolation win after losing the first two Tests.

The highest successful fourth innings chase in history is by the West Indies, who scored 418-7 to beat Australia at St John's, Antigua in 2003.

The most runs scored in the fourth innings to win a Test at the SSC here is 326-5 by Sri Lanka against Zimbabwe in 1998.

Pietersen out of remaining Ashes Tests after surgery

LONDON: England batsman Kevin Pietersen will miss the remaining three Ashes Tests against Australia after undergoing surgery on his Achilles tendon, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Wednesday.

Pietersen has struggled with the problem throughout the opening two Tests of the Ashes series and, after being assessed by a leading specialist on Wednesday, it was decided that surgery was the best option.

The 29-year-old has been ruled out for six weeks and he admitted it was massive blow to be sidelined while England, who lead the series 1-0 after winning the second Test at Lord's, try to regain the Ashes.

"As an England cricketer the Ashes are the pinnacle of the game so I'm absolutely devastated to be missing the rest of this series," Pietersen said.

"Up until now the Achilles injury has been manageable but it recently reached the point where we needed to look at other options in terms of treatment.

"I hate missing matches for England and especially during an Ashes summer but now that the decision has been made to undergo surgery I'm confident I can return to the England team injury-free following a course of rehabilitation."

Pietersen, whose top score in the series was just 69, had hoped to play through the pain barrier for the rest of the series, but ECB Chief Medical Officer Nick Peirce admitted it was impossible to expect him to produce top-class performances while he was in so much discomfort.

"Following a consultation, involving scans and testing, with the world's leading Achilles specialist Kevin Pietersen underwent surgery on his right Achilles tendon," Peirce said in an ECB statement.

"Kevin will look to undertake a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to ensure there is no risk of recurrence. This is expected to be approximately six weeks but will be taken at an appropriate pace following constant review.

"Despite conventional conservative treatments to the tendon with trial periods of rest and rehabilitation, Kevin continued to be in significant discomfort and is currently unable to run or even walk comfortably.

"He had a strong desire to get through the Ashes series but despite this he has recently been unable to achieve a maximum level of performance.

"A number of short-term measures were considered but having been reviewed by the specialist, who flew into London from Sweden specifically, it was felt that anything else would put the tendon at risk and jeopardise his long term recovery."

Although Pietersen, who originally suffered the injury against the West Indies earlier this year, played in the 115-run victory over Australia at Lord's, he spent lengthy spells off the field and was clearly in pain when running.

He needed pain-killing injections to get through the match but the problem has got even worse after the heavy wear and tear of a five-day Test.

"I was pleased with the previous course of treatment as it allowed me to take part in this Ashes series but unfortunately the injury has recently deteriorated," Pietersen said.

"To leave a winning dressing room at this time is heartbreaking but it wouldn't be fair to the team or myself to continue given the severity of the injury.

"I'll be supporting the team closely and wish them the best of luck as they look to build on the brilliant win at Lord's and reclaim the Ashes."

Pietersen's absence is a massive blow to England's hopes of holding onto their series lead. Andrew Strauss's side are already keeping their fingers crossed that all-rounder Andrew Flintoff can make it through the rest of the series.

Flintoff is struggling with a knee injury that has forced him to announce his retirement from Test cricket at the end of the Ashes.

Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell is likely to come into contention as one of the main contenders to replace Pietersen.

Soruce:TOi

Sachin top taxpayer among Men in Blue

NEW DELHI: There has been much talk of late about M S Dhoni being more sought after by advertisers than Sachin Tendulkar.


But if payment of income tax is any indicator, the little master is still way ahead of all other Indian cricket stars when it comes to earnings. Dhoni is a distant second, though catching up, in terms of tax paid, while Virender Sehwag is third.

Data on income tax paid by cricketers shows that Sachin has maintained a steady level of over Rs 8 crore for the last three years, 2006-07 to 2008-09. Behind him, there's been a reshuffle in the batting order.

Dhoni has moved up from third spot in 2006-07 to second last year with a Rs 4.7 crore tax bill. Rahul Dravid, who was Sachin's closest competitor in 2006-07 and a close third behind Dhoni in 2007-08, has dropped to fifth spot.

Heaviest Scorers

(Income tax paid in Rs crore and figures in brackets indicate last year's rankings)

Years 2008-09 2007-08
1. Sachin 8.1 8.7 (1)
2. Dhoni 4.7 3.4 (2)
3. Sehwag 3.1 1.9 (5)
4. Yuvraj 2.6 2.0 (4)
5. Dravid 2.4 3.1 (3)

Source:TOI