Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting has retired from cricket and taken to the field for the last time after the third test match against South Africa in Perth on Monday. Not quite the farewell Ponting was hoping for, the Proteas took the series winning the final test by 390 runs.

Pointing revealed that “I was more nervous for this game than for any other game that I have played, just for the reason how much it means to me to play for Australia and wanting to finish the right way.”

Not until the end of the match, during which he was so focussed on scoring runs, had his retirement from cricket sunk in.

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Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky, proudly South African and crafted at The James Sedgwick Distillery in the Boland town of Wellington, is joining forces with the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras, a first for these two iconic Cape brands.

The announcement was made at a premium gala dinner on 27 July and comes only weeks after Paul Adams took the reign as head coach.

According to Marcel Swain, brand manager of Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky, the partnership is a natural fit which will allow both brands to offer consumers and the trade an opportunity to experience the special flavours and personality of the Cape in a unique fashion.

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India batting great and former captain Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from international cricket on Friday. Dravid said that it was time to “move on” and make room for the next generation of players.

The 39-year-old second highest run scorer in test history announced his decision at a news conference inBangalore with Indian cricket board (BCCI) president N. Srinivasan and former India leg spinner Anil Kumblealso in attendance.

In a prepared statement, Dravid read ”I would like to announce my retirement from international and domestic first-class cricket. It has been 16 years since I played my first test for India. I feel its time for me to move on. I have had a wonderful time but now its time for a new generation of young players to make their own history and to take the Indian cricket team even further.”

Critics and disgruntled fans had called for Dravid and Vangipurappu Laxman (37) to make way for new blood after India were whitewashed 4-0 in their last two away series in England and Australia.

“I would like to believe that irrespective of how the Australian series had gone, in my own mind I was pretty sure that after Australia I was going to sit down and assess a lot of things,” Dravid said.

Dravid who has scored 13 288 runs in 164 tests, including 36 hundreds has said that he looks forward to spending more time with his family in his retirement.

Source: Supersport

South African cricket coach, Gary Kirsten will be welcoming the return of experienced players Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn ahead of the team’s ODI against New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday.

The two players have returned after having been rested during the series against Sri Lanka last month. Kirsten commented that from a team perspective, rotating players works well.

He said that “We can rest players and we can look at other individuals, which I think is important for us and it allows us to build our depth. It also rests some of our seniors players who are getting to a stage where they can’t be expected to play in all the games.”

Kirsten made particular reference to Jacques Kallis who having already had a 17-year career cannot be expected to play all the time as “things are catching up with him.”

Kirsten also said that “I’m enjoying the flexibility that we have created within the batting line-up, especially with guys getting more comfortable with the fact that where they sit on the batting order is based on a situation rather than a fixed position. I think that is outdated thinking in cricket. I’m really excited about that and we are getting a feel for those guys that can play in a certain type of way in a game and those that can close games for us.”

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Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke has said he was partly responsible for the sacking of former captain Ricky Ponting from the one-day squad.

Ponting’s axing from the one-day side earlier this week as Australia build for the 2015 World Cup triggered fierce debate in the country.

The Australian captain became part of a five-man selection panel following the Argus review ordered in the wake of last summer’s Ashes loss. Clarke wrote about how difficult the decision had been for him and the sadness he felt that Ponting would not be part of the one-day squad as it moves towards the 2015 World Cup in a column on Thursday in News Ltd. Clarke added that Ponting remained “a huge part of our test team” and has not completely ruled-out the great cricketer returning to the one day arena.

However, Clarke wasn’t shirking his role in the decision when he fronted the press at Ponting’s Bellerive home ground in Hobart ahead of Friday’s tri-series match against Sri Lanka. Clarke said, “I’m 100 per cent part of the selection panel – that’s part now of the captain’s job, I guess, and we’ve made this decision as a panel.”

Clarke said that while the two where and will always be great friends, this is a similar situation to when he was dropped under Ponting in 2005. ”Ricky was captain of the team for a long time and, although he wasn’t a selector, he still played a big part in selecting the 11 players that took the field,” Clarke said

Clarke replaced Ponting as captain after England completed a 3-1 Ashes series win on Australian soil in January last year, becoming part of the national side’s selection panel.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Messages of support have been pouring in for famed Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh who is currently undergoing treatment after it was recently announced that he has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

Singh was diagnosed with a non-malignant tumour of the lung in 2011 but further tests have revealed he has cancer and is now undergoing chemotherapy in the United States. His physiotherapist, Jatin Chaudhary has said that the cancer was curable and that ”It is a rare tumour and is cancerous but it has been detected in stage one.” So, it seems there is hope for the world cup winning cricketer who is expected to end treatment in April and be ready to play from May.

Messages of support have been pouring in from team mates, politicians and fans. Indian Sports Minister Ajay Maken wrote on Twitter that we ”Wish Yuvraj a speedy recovery! Asking officials to find the quantum and nature of help required. Government should and will help him.”

Team mate Harbhajan Singh also tweeted that ”He is a born fighter. I request media to respect Yuvraj’s privacy and allow him to concentrate on his recovery. He will be back with a bang.”

“Shocked to learn Yuvraj Singh [is] down with cancer. Yuvraj if you read this, know that we all pray for you… All shall and will be well,” tweeted Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan.

Yuvraj’s health first deteriorated during the World Cup last year, in which he was the man of the tournament, helping his country win the trophy for the first time since 1983.

Source: BBC News

During a match in the New Zealand domestic HRV Twenty20 competition, team mates Bevan Small, a substitute fielder, and Michael Mason of Central Stags made what the international media are calling one of the greatest cricket catches ever.

After batsman Brad Wilson of the Northern Knights hit the ball for what looked like a six, substitute fielder Bevan Small leapt into the air at the boundary and before he could hit the ground, threw the ball to team mate Michael Mason who dived to take the catch in what was perfect timing and a display of extraordinary skill and coordination.

Before calling Wilson out, umpires turned to a re-play to confirm the final ruling.

Watch the incredible catch in the video below: