December 21, 2011 issue
Cricket
record ODI score
Virender Sehwag smashed 219 from 149 balls to break the record for the highest one-day International score as India thrashed West Indies by 153 runs in the 4th ODI at Indore on December 8. His teammate Sachin Tendulkar, rested from this series, previously held the record after hitting an unbeaten 200 against South Africa in 2010.
Sehwag, 33, dropped on 170, hit seven sixes and 25 fours in an India record one-day total of 418-5. In the 4th ODI, India dismissed the visitors for 265 to seal a series-clinching win. Sehwag, captaining the side with Mahendra Dhoni rested, said: "I was cheering for Sachin when he got his double hundred and it's great to break his record.
"I think everyone was expecting me to get 200 but I was not expecting it." Sehwag, dropped badly by rival captain Darren Sammy as he honed in on the landmark, broke Tendulkar's record in the 44th over with a boundary steered through point off Andre Russell.
The opener was finally dismissed in the 47th over when substitute fielder Anthony Martin held a catch at long-off, from the bowling of Kieron Pollard. It was the right-hander's 15th one-day international century and during his innings he passed 8,000 ODI runs.
"It was a true batting wicket and when I was hitting the ball into the gaps, it was going for four," added Sehwag.
Sammy said: "Sehwag has destroyed bowlers all over the world. We bowled some good balls but he played better shots."
Sehwag's innings helped India to their fourth 400-plus total, their highest ever and the joint-fourth highest in all. The right-hander's best score in his 239 previous one-dayers was 175 – while his 219 has only previously been bettered twice in any limited-overs cricket.
Surrey's Ali Brown hit 268 in a domestic C&G Trophy game against Glamorgan at The Oval in 2002, while former South Africa star Graeme Pollock struck an unbeaten 222 for Eastern Province in 1974.
Debutant leg-spinner Rahul Sharma picked up three wickets in his first three overs as the tourists struggled in reply, despite a defiant 96 from wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin. Ramdin put on 64 for the last wicket with Sunil Narine (27 not out) before he was caught in the deep attempting to reach his maiden one-day century. India won the fifth and final one-dayer at Chennai on December 11 by 34 runs.
Summary results of last two games
5th ODI, Dec 11 at Chennai
India 267 for 6 wickets (50 overs)
West Indies 233 all out (44.1 overs)
India won by 34 runs
4th ODI, Dec 8 at Indore
India 418 for 5 wickets (50 overs)
West Indies 265 all out (44.1 overs)
India won by 153 runs
Sir Vivian Richards has condemned the West Indies Cricket Board for its handling of the dispute with batting star Chris Gayle.
The West Indies legend said he did not agree with every decision or approach taken by Gayle in handling some of the issues he faced with the WICB. But Sir Viv said he found it difficult to understand how the WICB could toe such a hard line when the regional governing body has not been living up to their responsibilities as the guardians of the game.
"I would like to believe that at present, the WICB is basically making Chris Gayle out to be this villain about apologising and what he has got to do, the criteria that are required for him to be part of the unit again, and I just think that's a little far-fetched in my opinion," he told the Antigua Observer newspaper.
"Let me also take this opportunity to also say that I am not in Chris Gayle's corner (with) most decisions he makes, but I think that this whole issue itself, it is very potent enough that I feel he needs some support where these matters are concerned."
Gayle has not played for West Indies since the World Cup, after roundly criticising the WICB in an interview with a Jamaican radio station.
Gayle has remained sidelined after several meetings and the WICB has demanded from the estranged opener an apology which he has refused to do.
Richards felt the WICB had no moral ground on which to make such a heavy demand on Gayle.
"It is ludicrous for them now wanting Chris Gayle to come with some apology when they, knowing that something was wrong and maybe these are some of the issues Chris Gayle was trying to address and nobody was listening before," said Richards.
"He may or may not apologise, but that's his particular call. What I am saying is that how dare them at this point wanting so much from Chris when they have given so little."
Sir Vivian said he could not advise Gayle what route he should take, but it was clear that he wanted to play for West Indies - and that he could make a difference to the fortunes of the side.
"I guess just judging from what I would have seen, he clearly wants to be in the West Indies team," he said.
"But sometimes you need to go through these periods of time where there are tribulations and you can shape your whole life how you want to in future and I guess that he realises this and he is getting older and he would like to make a contribution."
He said: "I guess they can be a turnaround because what I do see and maybe it was all in evidence for us to have a look as well, when he was in the IPL, how enthusiastic he looked.
"He was jumping around just having fun and after seeing that, maybe given another opportunity, he could help to shape things."
Gayle is in Australia now, preparing for the Big Bash League Twenty20, where he will play for the Sydney Thunder.
"Guyana has made tremendous contributions to West Indies and international cricket at large, a legacy that is great for our young cricketers to follow, since we have been an outstanding cricket nation and we need to believe in this and take it wherever we go."
Addressing his audience which included Director of the West Indies Cricket Board and Chairman of Banks DIH Clifford Reis, Retired Chancellors of the Judiciary Aubrey Bishop and Cecil Kennard among other invited guests, Perreira wished for a year of less animosity in the cricket fraternity in 2012.
Perreira expressed hope that one day Guyanese players will not have to flock to Trinidad and Tobago to play cricket to earn their keep.
He also acknowledged that while Guyanese administrators and cricketers must respect what T&T has done in the further development of local players, there must come back a time when Guyana's standard of cricket must be elevated.
He was commenting on the professional league, which was promised by the GCB president Ramsey Ali during his presentation.
"Hopefully with this pro league idea we can see the number of our players outside reduced where the cricketers can be motivated to come and play in the local competitions, which automatically becomes higher and which will automatically attract more people because the competition and skill level are much higher.
"I look forward to the day when we ambitiously ... there is no need for our people to go to Trinidad and Tobago but we must respect that T&T has done a good job in seeing the talent we have and they were good enough to give them opportunities at the various clubs," Perreira explained.
On the other hand, Perreira renewed his call for more to be done in honouring Guyana's cricket legends of the past, wishing that the Blairmont Community Centre ground be renamed the Roy Fredericks Ground, sending out a plea to the management of Guysuco to ponder on.
While he applauded the efforts that have been made to name streets and other landmarks after great sportsmen and women, he said much more can be done, indicating that this "will not be reinventing the wheel".
In his closing remarks, Perreira pleaded with local cricket officials not to hurt the game, urging them "not to play politics with the game of cricket, adding that "the damage you will cause you will not be able to turn around."
"You will hurt generations of cricket. I look at young Tagenarine Chanderpaul whom I had the pleasure of meeting during a West Indies presentation. If we hurt this game the likes of Chanderpaul and his natural talent, and others who are in this audience, the game will come to a standstill, just about operating.
"Let us work together to overcome our differences, to not make self the importance, to not make power the importance but let's move on with the game by the contributions we make."