EDITORIAL BOARD Editor Manish Verma Managing Editor Rakesh Pandey Email : [email protected] Sub Editor Mohd. Asim Contributing Editors S. Pervez Qaiser, Sreelata S Yellamrazu, Haresh Pandya Graphic Designer Lalita Adhikari Media Relations Officer Monica Bhardwaj Production Co-ordinator Sunil Chaudhary Photos A.P., Fotocorp, Narender Kumar, Raj Kumar [email protected]

Is the golden era over? BUSINESS OFFICE DIAMOND MAGAZINES PVT. LTD. ust a year ago, they were the country's the team is back at their best. The fans, X-30, Okhla Ind. Area, Blue-eyed boys; they had just con- selectors and even the critics thought that Ph-2, New Delhi-20, Jquered the one-day world cup and this team will be the first one to clinch the Tel 011-40712100 were already ruling the roost in Test . test series in Australia. But things turned Fax (011) 41611866 Director (Mktg.) Manish Verma, It looked like Indian cricket's golden era nasty and all the predictions went wrong as E-mail : [email protected] had finally started. After all, in Mahendra Team India was literally humiliated by the Singh Dhoni, the team had one of the young and in experienced Australian bowl- coolest, if not the shrewdest, captains; he ing attack. The stars filled lineup ADVERTISING OFFICES came with the luck of a first-time gambler failed on all the junctions and were handed Delhi Vivek Parashar, M. P. Singh, Tarun, and almost each time the dice simply smiled sheer embracement. Taking account of all Mohd. Faisal (011) 40712100 and rolled in his favour. Even his worst the overseas failures, the time has come to Mumbai Praveen Chandra, C. Garima moves turned out to be master-strokes. In replace the ageing stars and the ones who 9820129206 and , are failing to prove their worth including Kolkata Biswajit Dasgupta 9830092763 India also had the best opening pair; the fast fading MS Dhoni. Nevertheless, last Pratap Kumar 09845234036 middle order was bristling with brashness year had some great memories in terms of Kanpur Sundhaya Tewari 09415291020 and great stroke-players. No target looked exceptional performances. Many new stars Indore Ramesh C. Nagar, Kanta Nagar beyond them and the concept called impos- were born while some kept their perform- 9302113401 sible didn't come into play. The was ance bar high. Apart from this, few contro- Nagpur Mrs. Khisti 9822202082 Chennai Sathish C. Anand 9841023010 in equally good hands: led by , versies left a bad taste in the mouth while Hyderabad Vijay K Viswanadha the pace attack had all the angles covered. It the death of some former legends brought 9246501841 Ahmedabad Madan Menon looked like India would nicely fit into the an end to their respective eras. All in all, 9898002522 Bhopal S.B. Sharma shoes left behind by Australia. But sudden- 2011 was a great year in terms of on-field 9425024386 Raipur V. Sridhar ly, everything has gone awry: the champion and off-field cricketing action. 9893309558 team has literally disintegrated and the aura In the world of football, Messi once again Punjab Puneet Arya 9316969911 that was just about settling down around proved that he is the best player at the Pune Prasad Datar 9822112674 them has evaporated. This all started with moment. He is the definition of overcoming Mangalore Sanjay Mudbidri 09880483130 the disastrous tour of England and is in the impossible, as he recently claimed his third straight FIFA Player of the Year continuation on the ongoing tour of Copyright Australia. However, after England's unfor- award. There is also much to read about 2005 "Cricket Today" is a registered trademark of gettable tour, India played some good crick- other sports in this edition. Have fun read- The Diamond Group. All rights reserved. No Part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a et at home; making everyone believe that ing the issue. retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, For day-to-day updates on cricket and cricketers join us on Facebook and Twitter. Or visit our website: www.cricketoday.com recorded or otherwise, without prior permission. Printed & Published by Manish Verma and Edited by Manish Verma on behalf of Diamond Magazines Pvt. Ltd. Printed at Best Photo Offset Printers, A- 81, D.D.A. Shed, Okhla Industrial area, Phase-II, New Delhi-20

4 Cricket Today February 2012 From India's dismissal show in Australia to all the crick- FEB 2012 et happenings in 2011, Messi's award to Ambati Rayudu's exclusive interview, Cricket Today's Feb issue CONTENTS unfolds all the happenings in the world of sports.

90 Sports Safari Cheryl Smitten 28 by Wardrobe 46 Cover Story 2011 India’s Golden Era at Special Watershed Biggest Off-field Show Stoppers

100 Scoop of the Month Is Marriage on the Cards?

64 2011 Special Is Pace Bowling Back to Old 2011 Special Grove? 5 Heart Stoppers 2011 Special Those Who Left Us Face Off 2011 Special Ambati Rayudu’s Favourite Actress 102 Worst Test XI of the Year is Deepika Padukone Sports Round Up 2011 Special Talent Search Jordan Engaged to Girlfriend Weddings Emerging Wings of Indian Sports Talking Point Second Innings Proving Detractors Wrong 2011 Special Pakistan Cricket on a Rise Top 5 Test Players View Point Willowy Words Freelancing - A Specie on the Rise Peter Roebuck - An Enigmatic 2011 Special Genius Top 5 ODI Players Talking Point Depression in Cricket Greats of the 2011 Special Game Top 5 T20 Players Telly Talk Gundappa Viswanath - The Preview of CB Series, Australia 2011 Special Supreme Artist of the Willow 5 Solo Performance Travel Time Leading Off ITC Maurya is an Island of Health - Lionel Messi - Greatest Athlete on 2011 Special Jai Prakash Yadav 5 Controversies & Scandals Earth death overs new ball middle muddle

6 Cricket Today February 2012 Cricket is a passion and like any other sports, NEWS this gentleman’s game too produces some unex- pected happenings on and off the field. From ROUND UP records to milestones..... By Girish Singh Great Comparison

Irfan to marry after Yusuf Irfan Pathan recently said at an event that he survived bad times in his career because of his family’s support. He further added that he will only Arjun Tendulkar reminds former cricketer Dean Jones of marry once Yusuf has tied the knots. “My priority is to focus on my game little Shaun Marsh. Arjun is the 13-year-old son of Master and play for India. As far as the wedding is concerned, nothing is Blaster . “I remember Swampy (Geoff decided yet. However, I am sure it will take place only after Yusuf Bhai Marsh) bringing a young Shaun (Marsh) to practice with gets married.” him much like Tendulkar does. The thing it does is it gives them a glimpse of how the game works at the highest level,” said Dean. “If he (Arjun) does ever choose to go Kallis sets down the same road, he’ll look back at these experiences and won’t be overawed if he reaches this level,” he added. target Baichung Bhutia recently South Africa’s veteran all- Thanks expressed his gratitude rounder Jacques Kallis has towards star cricketer Yuvraj expressed his wish to play for for standing by victims his country at least till the who were affected by earth- next World Cup, which will quake in Sikkim, last year. “I be held in Australia and can’t thank Yuvraj enough for New Zealand in 2015. his support in the hour of cri- Kallis has played in sis. After the earthquake, he five World Cup was one of the first sportsper- tournaments for sons who tweeted and South Africa, pledged his support for the which has never victims who were affected by won a knockout the tragedy. I spoke to him game since their first after that and he has also effort at the 1992 event in given a lot of donation,” said Australia. However, his first Bhutia. To raise funds for the World Cup tournament was in earthquake victims, Yuvraj 1996. has given one of his bats too.

I was hoping that the oldies Poor start. Refused entry to the Happy Army Day to all the so called big three would hotel bar for wearing Flip our soldiers out there.We be phased out gradually but flops.... owe you everything! now it looks like it is time for VaughanCricket Thank you and stay safe... wholesale changes. (Michael Vaughan) JaiHind anilkumble ImRo45 () ()

8 Cricket Today February 2012 Red hot Afridi The first-ever auction for the Bangladesh Hayden’s Premier League saw Shahid Afridi walk away with the biggest pay packet and a pro- longed bidding war for Chris Gayle. Afridi Secrets was sold to the Dhaka franchise for $700,000 for the Feb. 10-28 tournament. 1 Chris Gayle was sold to Barisal for Mathew Hayden, the for- $551,000. His compatriots Marlon Samuels mer big Australian opener, and were sold for $360,000 who is married to Kellie, and $300,000 to Rajshahi and Dhaka fran- has three children’s. Grace chises respectively. A total of 111 overseas is nine, Joshua is six and players and 80 local cricketers were put on Thomas is four. auction with teams given a maximum budg- 2 et of $2million and able to buy not more He is quite fond of fishing than eight overseas players. and goes for this whenever he has the time. 3 MS Dhoni, the Indian cap- Tigers at home tain, and are Mathew Hayden’s best buddies from cricket. Model Poonam 4 Pandey, who has made He runs a company named headlines for her bold ‘The Hayden Way’, which is stripping, has made a a leisure and lifestyle strong comment about recreational unit. the current form of the 5 Indian players in He is a regular follower of Australia. “Indian Dalai Lama’s teachings, batsmen are like faith- whom he met during the ful husbands, they . perform only at 6 home.” Poonam, who He is a cooking enthusiast, had earlier gone half who published his own nude to celebrate the best-selling book, the special occasion of imaginatively titled Matthew team India winning Hayden Cookbook in 2004. the Cricket World Smoked ham and pumpkin Cup, has once again soup are his favorites. taken on the Indian players. Police loss is cricket’s gain

Three years ago, Vidarbha pacer Umesh Yadav gave up plans to become a police constable to concentrate on cricket. He fell three marks short in the exam for the Nagpur police. Yadav, who clocked a fastest of 150.1 kmph, was always encouraged by his father. Earlier this year, his mother, Kishori Devi passed. The youngest of the family is closest to his father. “I call him every alter- nate day,” he said.