Sehwag wants to play more Tests than T20

Mumbai: The public might be enchanted with the Twenty20 format but swashbuckling Indian opener Virender Sehwag prefers to play Tests and ODIs more than the shortest form of the game that has taken the cricket world by storm.

"Personally I would like to play more Tests and ODIs than T20 games which I know have become extremely popular. I would like to play at least eight to 10 Tests in a year," Sehwag said at the media conference here to announce the list of nominees for this year's LG-ICC annual awards.

Sehwag batted for all three formats even as some past cricketers, including spin legend Shane Warne, have written the epitaph of the 50-over game.

The England and Wales Cricket Board already scrapped the One-dayers from its domestic schedule.

"The 20-20 game is big and in future may be everything but I would like to play more Tests and ODIs. The message I would like to give to the ICC is to introduce a World Championship of Tests. Every cricketer would like to play Tests against every other country and perform well. Test cricket is the true Test (of a cricketers' calibre)," he said.

Sehwag, one of the nominees for the ODI Player of the year award, welcomed the idea of the ICC awards, which he felt give the cricketers an added incentive to do well and described them as the "Oscars of cricket".

Dhoni, Dilshan in three categories for ICC awards

Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and in-form Sri Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan have each been nominated in three categories for this year's International Cricket Council (ICC) awards.

Dhoni has an opportunity to pick up a second consecutive one-day international player of the year award, and also features in the cricketer and test player categories in the list of nominations released by the sport's governing body on Wednesday.

Dilshan has been named among the nominees for the cricketer, test player and Twenty20 international performance of the year.

The nominations were compiled by a five-man panel chaired by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd with performances during the period from Aug. 13, 2008 to Aug. 24 this year taken into consideration, the ICC said.

Awards will also be handed out to the emerging player, women's cricketer and umpire of the year, and will be presented in Johannesburg on Oct. 1.

The test and ODI teams of the year will also be selected and an award to the team that has adhered most to the spirit of cricket will also be named.

Sri Lanka set to chase 142 runs

Ross Taylor's 60 runs powered New Zealand to 141/8 in 20 overs against Sri Lanka in the first Twenty20 International at R Premadasa Stadium.

West Indies unearth 'next Tendulkar'

ROAD TOWN: If former player Keith Arthurton is to be believed, West Indies has unearthed the next Sachin Tendulkar in a seven-year-old hailing from Hannah Estate in Tortola. Arthurton conducted a three-day coaching clinic this weekend on the islands of Tortola and Virgin Gorda and he had no doubt whatsoever that he has seen the next Tendulkar in Aidan Gorege.

"While he was batting, I heard someone in the crowd shout out that he looked like Sachin Tendulkar and I thought the same thing because of the way he bats, his stance and his attitude," said Arthurton, who represented West Indies in 33 Tests and 105 ODI between 1988 and 1999.

"You don't really see that in kids who are that young but he has something special in him and the local coaches should work with him so that he can develop his cricket skills," Arthurton said of Aidan, who is originally from Dominica.

Youngest participant of the camp, Aidan looks older than his age and has a stance which is almost a replica of Tendulkar's, according to a report in the 'Anguilla News'.

Bhajji fined for breaking Chandigarh traffic rules with his Hummer

Driving his dream Hummer landed Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh in trouble on Tuesday, when he was fined by Chandigarh traffic police for using the vehicle without a valid number plate.

Singh had to pay a 3000-rupee fine for the offence, according to reports.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (traffic), H S Doon, told reporters that this episode would promote better traffic sense among the general public.

The off-spinner became the latest Indian cricketer to buy the American SUV after skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Harbhajan imported the car from England, which costs about 70 lakh rupees in India. After paying the duty, the cost of the vehicle has come to one crore rupees.

While Dhoni's Hummer is silver in colour, Harbhajan has opted for a "Black Beauty".

Harbhajan is also looking forward to shifting to a new home.

The house is under construction in the New Baradari area of the city. The plot was given by the state government for his outstanding performance in the 2001 home series against Australia.

However, he has no plans to sell off his ancestral home where he was brought up.

Sangakkara reclaims top spot in rankings

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara reclaimed the top spot in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) test rankings for batsmen after his inspired knocks in the final test against New Zealand.

Sangakkara scored 50 and 109 in the home side's 96-run win for a 2-0 sweep on Sunday to regain his top ranking from India's Gautam Gambhir.

Sangakkara's team mate and man of the match Mahela Jayawardene moved up four places to a career-best third after scoring 92 and 96 in the same match.

England face Australia in 2nd T20 - Commentary (Last 5 Overs)

It is time for the second and final Twenty20 International between England and Australia as this match turns out to be a decider due to the first match washed out. The match is being played at the same venue and the weather is more or less the same as well. The pitch for the first match was slow and dry and the Aussie batsmen found it very difficult to score runs. They were bombarded with short stuff which rhey found difficult to handle. England bowled very well lead superbly by Paul Collingwood. Australia, however, did not get much chance to bowl on this track, but in the time that they bowled, they also managed to creep in a few doubts among the English batsmen. Australia are still to find an answer to the inconsistent batting that they have had of late. Their bowling has not been in great form either. England on the other hand, have a superb bowling attack, but, they too, are in a little bit of a worry with their batting. Both the teams have plenty to play for with England players going on air saying that they want to send Australia back home empty-handed while Australian players want an Ashes revenge. Sidebottom is back for England and Lee is back for Australia, both who looked in good shape in the first match. Should be another humdinger, if weather does not play spoilt sport with rain forecasted for the evening.