Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Indian Premier League




The Indian Premier League (often abbreviated as IPL) is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquartered in Mumbai supervised by BCCI Vice President Chirayu Amin, current chairman & commissioner of IPL, and CEO,Sundar Raman. It currently contested by 10 teams (franchises) consisting of players from different countries. It was started after an altercation between the BCCI and the Indian Cricket League.


In 2010, IPL became the first sporting event ever to be broadcast live on YouTube.Its brand value was estimated to be around $4.13 billion the same year.According to global sports salaries review, IPL is the second highest-paid league, based on first-team salaries on a pro rata basis, second only to the NBA. It is estimated that the average salary of an IPL player over a year would be $3.84 million. The brand value of Chennai Super Kings (winner IPL 2010, finalistIPL 2008 and semi-finalist IPL 2009) is estimated at USD 48.4 Million.
2011 Indian Premier League
The 2011 Indian Premier League season, abbreviated as IPL 4 or the 2011 IPL, will be the fourth season of the Indian Premier League, established by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2007. The tournament will be hosted by India and the opening ceremony will be held in Chepauk Stadium, Chennai, the home venue for 2010 ChampionsChennai Super Kings. The season will run from April 8 to May 28 2011. The season saw the addition of new teams the Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers Kerala.



Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Dakar Rally


The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as "The Paris-Dakar" or "Paris to Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal, but due to security threats in Mauritania which led to the cancellation of the 2008 rally, the 2009 Dakar Rally was run in South America (Argentina and Chile), the first time the race took place outside of Europe and Africa. It has stayed in South America from 2009 to the present (2011). The race is open to amateur and professional entries. Amateurs typically make up about eighty percent of the participants.


Despite its name it is an off-road endurance race, called a rally-raid rather than a conventional rally — the terrain the competitors traverse is much tougher and the vehicles used are true off-road vehicles rather than the modified on-road vehicles used in rallies. Most of the competitive special sections are off-road, crossing dunes, mud, camel grass, rocks and erg among others. The distances of each stage covered vary from short distances up to 800–900 kilometres (500–560 mi) per day.


2011 Dakar Rally


The 2011 Dakar Rally was the 32nd running of the event. It was held in Argentina and Chile for the third successive time, and ran from 1 to 16 January. The Amaury Sport Organisation and the governments of Argentina and Chile agreed to a return to South America for the event on 23 March 2010.


The rally concluded in Buenos Aires, with Vladimir Chagin of Russia achieving a record seventh victory in the truck division, at the wheel of his Kamaz, thus becoming the most successful driver in a single category in the history of the event. Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar and Timo Gottschalkof Germany won in the car division, giving Volkswagen their third successive victory in the car class. Marc Coma from Spain won his third Dakar in the motorcycle category, and Alejandro Patronelli of Argentina repeated the feat of his brother—Marcos Patronelli in 2010—to win the class for quad-bikes.

Motorcycles

KTM's Cyril Despres won the first two stages of the rally, to take an early lead of over two minutes on fellow KTM rider Marc Coma. Coma closed the gap to just fourteen seconds after his win on the third stage, and took the overall lead on stage four with his second stage win as Despres lost over ten minutes on the stage, dropping him to second in the standings. Coma maintained his lead overall until the end of the race, taking further stage wins in stages eight, ten and twelve en route to his third victory in the event. Despres, a three-time winner himself, won stage eleven but ended the rally fifteen minutes behind Coma in second place. Aprilia's Francisco López Contardomoved into third position after the fourth stage, and having won the seventh stage, had been set to complete the podium behind Coma and Despres. However on the final stage, López Contardo suffered a mechanical failure 22 kilometres (14 mi) from the finish line and lost over an hour to his rivals. His misfortune allowed Hélder Rodrigues, riding a Yamaha to take third place. López Contardo took fourth position, almost half an hour behind Rodrigues.



Monday, March 14, 2011

Cycling




Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or forsport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists.


Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century and now number about one billion worldwide. They are the principal means of transportation in many regions.




Cycling is an extremely efficient mode of transportation optimal for short to moderate distances. Bicycles provide numerous benefits compared to motor vehicles, including exercise, an alternative to the use of fossil fuels, no air or noise pollution, much reduced traffic congestion and likelihood of causing a fatality, easier parking, greater maneuverability, and access to both roads and paths. The advantages are at less financial cost to the user as well as society (negligible damage to roads, and less pavement required). Criticisms and disadvantages of cycling include reduced protection in crashes, particularly with motor vehicles, longer travel time (except in densely populated areas), vulnerability to weather conditions, difficulty in transporting passengers, and the skill and fitness required.

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar ( born 24 April 1973) is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in thehistory of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket. In 2002, just 12 years into his career, Wisden ranked him the second greatest Test batsman of all time, behind Donald Bradman, and the second greatest one-day-international (ODI) batsman of all time, behind Viv Richards. In September 2007, the Australian leg spinner Shane Warne rated Tendulkar as the greatest player he has played with or against.

Tendulkar is the first and the only player in Test Cricket history to score fifty centuries, and the first to score fifty centuries in all international cricket combined; he now has 99 centuries in international cricket. On 17 October 2008, when he surpassed Brian Lara's record for the most runs scored in Test cricket, he also became the first batsman to score 12,000, 13,000 and 14,000 runs in that form of the game, having also been the third batsman and first Indian to pass 11,000 runs in Test cricket. He was also the first player to score 10,000 runs in one-day internationals, and also the first player to cross every subsequent 1000-run mark that has been crossed in ODI cricket history and 200 runs in a one-day international match. In the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, Tendulkar surpassed Australia's Allan Border to become the player to cross the 50-run mark the most number of times in Test cricket history, and also the second ever player to score 11 Test centuries against Australia, tying with Sir Jack Hobbsof England more than 70 years previously. Tendulkar passed 30,000 runs in international cricket on 20 November 2009. He also holds the world record for playing highest number of Test and ODI matches.Tendulkar has been honoured with the Padma Vibhushan award, India's second highest civilian award, and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratnaaward, India's highest sporting honor. Tendulkar became the first sportsperson and the first personality without an aviation background to be awarded the honorary rank of Group Captain by the Indian Air Force. He has received honorary doctorates from Mysore University and Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences He won the 2010 Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for cricketer of the year at the ICC awards.

Sachin Tendulkar Records List

It is rightly said, "Sachin does not chase records, records chase Sachin." If you go about listing Sachin's Tendulkar's batting records, you will soon realize that it is an extremely tiring (and endless) job, simply because, the man keeps coming up with a new record or achievement every other fortnight! Therefore, for the purpose of simplicity (and subsequent updation), I will divide this article on Sachin Tendulkar records into various categories such as Sachin Tendulkar ODI Records, Sachin Tendulkar Test Records, Sachin Tendulkar World Records, etc. Enjoy the read!

Sachin Tendulkar ODI Records

Here are some of the records held by Sachin Tendulkar in ODIs (One Day Internationals):
Highest individual score in the history of One Day Cricket (200* versus South Africa on Feb 24, 2010 at Gwalior, read Sachin Tendulkar 200 Runs).
First and only person to score a double century in One Day Internationals.
Highest number of ODI centuries (47 ODI centuries, as of March 1, 2011).
Highest number of ODI fifties (93 fifties, as of March 1, 2010).
Most 150+ scores in ODIs (5 scores above 150).
Most ODI runs in a calender year (1,894 runs in the year 1998).
Most ODI centuries in a calender year (9 ODI centuries in the year 1998).
Most ODI centuries against a single opponent (till date, Sachin has scored 9 ODI centuries against Australia)
Most boundaries (4's) scored in ODI cricket (In his career, till date, Sachin has spanked the cricket ball across the boundary line a whopping 1,927 times!)
Speaking of boundaries, during the course of his historic innings of 200*, Sachin Tendulkar also went on to bag the record of the most number of boundaries scored by an individual in an ODI innings (25 boundary hits)
Sachin Tendulkar is now the most capped player in ODIs, having overtaken Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka (444 ODIs).
First player to score 10,000 ODI runs.
First player to score 11,000 ODI runs.
First player to score 12,000 ODI runs.
First player to score 13,000 ODI runs.
First player to score 14,000 ODI runs.
First player to score 15,000 ODI runs.
First player to score 16,000 ODI runs.
First player to score 17,000 ODI runs.
Most Man of the Match (MoM) awards in ODIs (61 MoM awards, as of March 1, 2010).
Most Man of the Match awards in World Cup Matches (8 MoM awards, as of March 1, 2010).
Most Man of the Series (MoS) awards in ODI cricket (15 MoS awards, as of March 1, 2010).
Another of Sachin Tendulkar's ODI records happens to be that of the 'most number of consecutive matches for a team'. Between 25th April 1990 and 24th April 1998, Sachin represented India in 185 consecutive ODIs.
Till date, Sachin Tendulkar has scored 1000+ ODI runs in a calendar year on 7 occasions (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2007). This is a world record.
Sachin Tendulkar was involved in a mammoth 331-run partnership for the 2nd wicket with Rahul Dravid (versus New Zealand at Hyderabad on 8th Nov 1999). Till date, this remains the highest partnership for any wicket in One Day Internationals.
The formidable pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly scored 26 hundred plus partnerships in ODIs. Of these, 21 century stands were for the opening wicket. Both of these happen to be world records.
Another lesser-known Sachin Tendulkar ODI record (also a world record) is that of most stadium appearances. In ODI cricket, till date, Sachin has played on 90 different grounds across the world (as per March 1, 2010).
In ODIs, Sachin has scored over 2,500 runs against Australia, as well as against Sri Lanka. No other batsman has managed to achieve such a feat (even against a single opponent, forget about two).Sachin Tendulkar Test Records

Here is a listing of Sachin Tendulkar's records in Test cricket:
Sachin Tendulkar has scored the highest number of Test centuries in the history of Test cricket (51 Test centuries, as of Jan 07, 2011).
On Dec 19th 2010, Sachin Tendulkar brought up his 50th Test century against the South Africans at SuperSport Park, Centurion. In the process, he became the first and only cricketer on the planet to have scored 50 Test hundreds; a phenomenal achievement in the game of cricket.
He is now the leading run scorer in Test cricket after having surpassed Brian Lara's tally of 11,953 Test runs in 2008.
Prior to Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara (who broke Sachin Tendulkar's record on Aug 5, 2010), Sachin was the fastest man to reach the milestone of 8,000 runs in Test cricket (in terms of least number of innings required. Sachin had required 154 innings to cross the mark, whereas Sangakkara did it in 152 innings).
Sachin is also the joint-fastest to reach the coveted milestone of 10,000 runs in Test cricket (Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara both achieved this milestone in 195 innings).
First man to reach 12,000 runs in Test cricket.
First man to reach 13,000 runs in Test cricket.
First man to reach 14,000 runs in Test cricket.
Sachin has scored Test centuries against all Test-playing nations, a feat achieved only by a handful of international players.
When he recently stepped out onto the field in Sri Lanka to play his 169th Test Match, Sachin Tendulkar created a new record by surpassing Steve Waugh of Australia, to become the most capped player in the world in Test Cricket.
When he scored his 49th Test century against Australia at Bangalore on 11th Oct 2010, Sachin Tendulkar became the first Indian batsman to have scored 6 Test hundreds in a calendar year. The previous Indian record was 5 hundreds in a calendar year, which was jointly held by Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid and Sachin himself! A couple of months later, in Dec 2010, he brought up his 50th Test century, thereby increasing his tally of Test hundreds in the year 2010 to 7.
Sachin Tendulkar also holds the record for the most number of 150+ scores in Test cricket. (Sachin has 20 150+ scores to his credit, as of Oct 11, 2010).
In the process of scoring his 49th Test hundred, Sachin Tendulkar also brought up his 11th Test century against Australia. The only person to have scored more Test hundreds against Australia is Jack Hobbs of England, who scored all of 12 Test hundreds against the Australians.
During his innings of 214 against the Australians, Sachin Tendulkar achieved another milestone; that of aggregating 3000 Test runs against Australia. He becomes only the 3rd man in the world (after Englishmen Jack Hobbs and David Gower) to do so.
Till date, in his Test career, Sachin Tendulkar has won the Man of the Match (MoM) award 14 times, which is the highest by an Indian, and the joint 5th highest in the world. He has also been awarded the Man of the Series (MoS) award on 5 occasions.
Till date, Sachin Tendulkar has scored 1000+ Test runs in a calendar year on 6 occasions (1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2008 and 2010). This particular record of Sachin Tendulkar also happens to be a world record. Brian Lara of the West Indies and the Australian pair of Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting are all in joint 2nd place, each having achieved this feat on 5 occasions.
When he scored 217 against New Zealand in the 1999/00 season, Sachin Tendulkar broke, and is still the present holder, of the record for the highest Test score made by an Indian captain. Previously, the record was held by Sunil Gavaskar who, when captaining the side, had scored 205 against the West Indies in Mumbai in 1978/79.
Sachin Tendulkar was 17 years and 197 days old when he scored his first Test hundred. He remains the youngest Indian to have scored a Test hundred. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, Sachin happens to be 3rd on the list of youngest Test centurions in world cricket.
Till date, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid have put on 19 hundred plus stands in Test cricket. This is a world record for the most number of century partnerships by a single pair in Test cricket.
When he scored his 51st Test hundred against South Africa at Cape Town, Sachin Tendulkar became the first overseas batsman to have scored 5 Test centuries on South African soil. The previous highest was 4 Test centuries by Wally Hammond of England and Neil Harvey of Australia.
Out of his 51 Test centuries, 22 have been scored at home and 29 have been scored overseas. Sachin Tendulkar's record of 29 overseas Test hundreds is a world record, not to mention an indication of his consistency and his spectacular performance away from home.
Another interesting stat (and of course, another Sachin Tendulkar record!) is that Sachin has now scored 12 Test hundreds after the age of 35. Graham Gooch of England remains the only other player to have done so.Sachin Tendulkar World Records

Over his career, Sachin Tendulkar has broken many, many world records, and has set several new ones. In addition to the many world records mentioned earlier (in the ODI and Test record sections), here is a listing of a few more of Sachin Tendulkar's world records (both in Tests as well as One Dayers):
Till date, Sachin Tendulkar remains the only player in the world to have scored 5 Test centuries before the age of 20.
Sachin Tendulkar is the leading run scorer in the history of World Cup Cricket. Till date, he has scored a total of 1,796 runs in 36 World Cup matches (spread over 5 World Cups from 1992 to 2007).
He also holds the record for the most number of runs in a single World Cup event (673 runs in the 2003 Cricket World Cup).
Sachin Tendulkar is the only cricketer to have achieved the unique double of scoring 15,000+ ODI runs and taking 150+ ODI wickets.
First batsman to score 50 International centuries (combined, Test + ODI)
First batsman to score 60 International centuries (combined, Test + ODI)
First and only batsman to score 70 International centuries (combined, Test + ODI)
First and only batsman to score 80 International centuries (combined, Test + ODI)
First and only batsman to score 90 International centuries (combined, Test + ODI)
As of March 1, 2011, Sachin has scored a whopping 98 International hundreds, and is fast-approaching another mind boggling milestone...that of scoring 100 International hundreds!
Sachin Tendulkar is the first and only player to have scored 30,000 International runs (both, Tests and ODIs combined, read Sachin Tendulkar Completes 30,000 International Runs)
On most occasions, Sachin Tendulkar's name finds mention in the record books for an endless amount of good reasons. However, there also exist a couple of reasons which the Maestro would not be particularly proud of. A lesser-known Sachin Tendulkar record (which by the way, also happens to be a world record), is that he happens to be the batsman who has been dismissed the most number of times while in the nineties. Sachin has fallen prey to the nervous nineties on 25 occasions (17 times in ODIs and 8 times in Tests). This is a world record.
Another unique record in the 'Sachin Tendulkar records list', is that he is the only player to have scored a hundred on both his Ranji Trophy debut, Duleep Trophy debut, as well as his Irani Trophy debut (all three being premier domestic cricket tournaments in India).
During the course of his magnificent innings of 120 against England at Bangalore on 27th Feb 2011, Sachin Tendulkar achieved yet another milestone; that of having scored the most number of hundreds in World Cup cricket (5 World Cup hundreds till date). He previously shared this record with 3 other players - Sourav Ganguly, Ricky Ponting and Mark Waugh (4 World Cup hundreds scored by each of these players).
As far as 50+ scores are concerned, Sachin leads the pack by a long, long margin. He has crossed the 50 run mark on 17 occasions (this includes the 5 hundreds). Herschelle Gibbs and Ricky Ponting are second placed with ten 50+ scores each (Gibbs with 2 hundreds, Ponting with 4).
Here is another mammoth Sachin Tendulkar record. After combining both Test, ODI as well as T20 batting records and statistics, it comes as no surprise to see Sachin's name right at the top of the list of 'most boundary scorers' in International cricket. Till date, Sachin Tendulkar has scored in excess of 3,675 boundaries. Second placed in this list, is West Indian Brian Lara, who with 2594, is more than a thousand boundary hits behind Tendulkar. Ricky Ponting is in third place with 2504 (these numbers are as per March 1, 2010).
Tendulkar isn't far behind when it comes to clearing the ropes either. With a combined total of 240 sixes till date (in all three forms of cricket), Sachin has proved time and again that he is undoubtedly the most complete batsman ever...a perfect blend of power, precision and technique.
Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most Man of the Match (MoM) and Man of the Series (MoS) awards in International cricket (all three forms combined). Till date, he has won the MoM award 75 times (14 times in Tests, 61 times in ODIs) and the MoS award 20 times (5 times in Tests, 15 times in ODIs). Both are world records.
Here is another of Sachin's records. He, along with Sourav Ganguly, have been involved in 38 hundred plus partnerships in International cricket (all three forms combined). This is a world record. The 12,400 runs scored by this pair in International cricket (all three forms combined) is also a world record. (Incidentally, the pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid have also put on 29 century stands in International cricket, which presently places them at number 3 on the list).
Between 25th April 1990 and 24th April 1998, Sachin Tendulkar represented India in a total of 239 matches (54 Tests and 185 ODIs) without missing a single game. Till date, this remains a world record for the most number of consecutive matches for a team (all forms of International cricket).

Cricket Equipment

Cricket is becoming popular globally; day is not far when like Soccer, Cricket will become mass mania across the globe. Cricket is a religion in India and Pakistan. In India all youngsters aspire to become Sachin Tendulkar or Kapil Dev. Cricket mania or pure love of this game can be witnessed during World Cups especially if match is between India and Pakistan.

This fantastic, nerve breaking game is played between teams of eleven players each. Due to increasing interest of corporate in cricket and huge amount of money associated with the game, cricket sports equipments have become trendier.
Following are the cricket equipments:
Cricket bat: 
Bat is made of wood and has a long handle. It cannot be longer than 38 inches or wider than 4.25 inches. The front portion of the bat is flat and back portion has a slender curve, which gives the bat thickness and balance.

Ball: 
Standard circumference is 9 inches. The ball is made of cork at its center, wrapped in twine and covered with leather, which is stitched to form a seam. White ball is used in international cricket.

Stumps: 
These are three wooden poles of height 28 inches. It has a conical bottom and a horizontal groove across the top end. There are three stumps at each end, with two bails sitting across the top of them and are equally spaced to cover a width of nine inches.

Boundary: 
A rope which demarcates the perimeter of the field is known as boundary line.

Sight screen: 
It is the screen outside the boundary exactly parallel to the width of the pitch and behind both pairs of stumps for better visibility.
Cricket clothing is fashioned in such a way, so that it is comfortable and at the same time provides the proper protection to the players. Apart from t-shirts with collar, trousers, hats, caps, spiked shoes, and sunglasses following are the important protective wear in the game of cricket.
Leg pads: These are worn by batsmen and wicket keeper to protect themselves against the pace of the ball. Today’s pads are very light in weight but are still great protection for the batsmen. Wicket keeper’s pads are similar to batting pads, but they are shorter and lighter in weight, making them easier to move and dive around in.

Gloves: 
There are two types of gloves, one used by batsmen which has thick padding above the fingers. Wicket keeper wears the other gloves, which are larger in size with web between thumb and forefinger. Wicket keepers like to wear a pair of cotton inners underneath the main gloves.

Helmet: 
Helmet is worn by batsmen and a maximum of one close fielder or keeper. Helmet is a must to avoid any accident in the field be it full toss, top-edged or a throw, which can land on the players head.

Abdominal guard: 
It is high density plastic with smooth edge worn to protect the "privates" when batting against a cricket ball or other hard ball. Wicketkeepers and fielders close to the wicket should also wear it. It is also called as box, cup or cricket box.

Other cricket equipments used by batsmen are thigh pad and rib guard for the protection of thigh and chest respectively. If you've ever been hit by a quick delivery, you'll know it's always better to use the guards in the game of cricket, as much as you can so that the game becomes more fun.

With the advent of "twenty-twenty" in the international cricket, the pace and spirit of the game is at its peak. There may be cricket equipments for safer and better play on the ground but for cricket fans, every time match reaches its climax its magic catches them off guard!

2011 Cricket World Cup




The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup is the tenth Cricket World Cup and is being played in Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka. It is Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup. All matches in the World Cup will be accorded One Day Internationalstatus, with all matches being played over 50 overs. Fourteen national cricket teams will compete in the tournament, including ten full members and fourassociate members. The World Cup will take place between February and early April 2011, with the first match played on 19 February 2011 with co-hosts India andBangladesh facing off at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka.The opening ceremony was held on 17 February 2011 at Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, two days before the start of the tournament,with the final on 2 April 2011 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.


The World Cup was also supposed to be co-hosted by Pakistan, but in the wake of the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team in Lahore, the International Cricket Council (ICC) decided to strip Pakistan of its hosting rights. The headquarters of the organising committee were originally situated in Lahore, but have now been shifted to Mumbai. Pakistan was supposed to hold 14 matches, including one semi-final. Eight of Pakistan's matches (including the semi-final) were awarded to India, four to Sri Lanka and two to Bangladesh.


The biggest upset of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 has been the defeat of England by Ireland.Ireland's Kevin O'Brien made 100 in just 50 balls (and a total of 113 off 63 balls), the fastest World Cup Century and Ireland made the highest successful run chase in World Cup history beating Sri Lanka's 313 against Zimbabwe at New Plymouth in New Zealand in 1992.


Cricket World Cup 2011: Host Nations



India


Cricket has been always been a major attraction in India. The sport is followed by millions of fanatics across the nation. India hopes to dazzle the tourists and travellers on holidays in India with its legendary chaotic charm and warmth.

India is an amazing maze of cultures, cuisines and diversity. If cricket drains you, turn your direction towards any of the country’s picturesque villages, stunning beaches and majestic mountains. Check out the different traditional massages, saps at various hotels in India, and get yourself rejuvenated on your holidays in India.

Delhi is hosting quite a few cricket matches and that is indeed good news for the visitors. Delhi is famous for its beauty and diversity, and visitors will surely get a dose of it at its stunning historical monuments, delicious cuisines and the hospitality of some of the most luxurious hotels in India. Delhi also serves as a base to Jaipur and Agra.

Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata are some other spectacular tourist destinations that are hosting world cup matches. Each city has an appeal of its own and there are many things to do and experience in these wonderful places. An advance booking on flights to India would be helpful to save money if you are planning to travel there during the cricket world cup 2011.
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, the co-hosts of the Cricket World Cup in 2011, is promoting infrastructural development to host players and spectators. The country hopes to showcase itself at the world's third largest sporting event. Sri Lanka Tourism has announced several World Cup related packages that includes tickets to cricket matches as well as visits to nation’s tourist attractions.

Sri Lanka has some of the most incredible tourist destinations. Amazing wildlife reserves, palm-lined beaches and grand historical structures portraying the glorious Colonial, Dutch and Portuguese architecture, make a tour to this nation truly memorable.

Bangladesh

Cricket is big in Bangladesh and this is the first time the country is hosting a major sporting event. The opening ceremony of the 2011 Cricket World Cup will also be held in Bangladesh. This will surely cast a limelight on the country and provide the nation an opportunity to bolster its image as a tourist hub. Travelers and spectators are advised to take advantage of their holidays and explore this beauty rich country. Cricket World Cup 2011 will definitely encourage tours and trips to Bangladesh and offer a boost to the nation’s economy.
Complete ICC World Cup Schedule

There will be 49 games in all, and the event will go on for 43 days. Let's have a look at the groups and then move onto the actual schedule of matches in the tournament.

Group A Match
Group B Match
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals



ICC Cricket World Cup Groups

Group AGroup B

Australia

India

Pakistan

South Africa

Sri Lanka

England

New Zealand

West Indies

Zimbabwe

Bangladesh

Kenya

Ireland

Canada

Netherlands


ICC Cricket World Cup Matches

DateMatchVenue
Feb 19India vs BangladeshDhaka
Feb 20Kenya vs New ZealandChennai
Feb 20Canada vs Sri LankaHambantota
Feb 21Zimbabwe vs AustraliaAhmedabad
Feb 22Netherlands vs EnglandNagpur
Feb 23Kenya vs PakistanHambantota
Feb 24West Indies vs South AfricaNew Delhi
Feb 25Ireland vs BangladeshDhaka
Feb 25New Zealand vs AustraliaNagpur
Feb 26Sri Lanka vs PakistanColombo
Feb 27England vs IndiaKolkata
Feb 28Canada vs ZimbabweNagpur
Feb 28Netherlands vs West IndiesNew Delhi
Mar 1Kenya vs Sri LankaColombo
Mar 2Ireland vs EnglandBengaluru
Mar 3Netherlands vs South AfricaMohali
Mar 3Canada vs PakistanColombo
Mar 4Zimbabwe vs New ZealandAhemdabad
Mar 4Bangladesh vs West IndiesDhaka
Mar 5Sri Lanka vs AustraliaColombo
Mar 6South Africa vs EnglandChennai
Mar 6Ireland vs IndiaBengaluru
Mar 7Canada vs KenyaNew Delhi
Mar 8New Zealand vs PakistanKandy
Mar 9Netherlands vs IndiaNew Delhi
Mar 10Zimbabwe vs Sri LankaKandy
Mar 11Ireland vs West IndiesMohali
Mar 11Bangladesh vs EnglandChittagong
Mar 12South Africa vs IndiaNagpur
Mar 13Canada vs New ZealandMumbai
Mar 13Kenya vs AustraliaBengaluru
Mar 14Netherlands vs BangladeshChittagong
Mar 14Zimbabwe vs PakistanKandy
Mar 15Ireland vs South AfricaKolkata
Mar 16Canada vs AustraliaBengaluru
Mar 17West Indies vs EnglandChennai
Mar 18Netherlands vs IrelandKolkata
Mar 18New Zealand vs Sri LankaMumbai
Mar 19Bangladesh vs South AfricaDhaka
Mar 19Pakistan vs AustraliaColombo
Mar 20Kenya vs ZimbabweKolkata
Mar 20West Indies vs IndiaChennai
Mar 23Quarterfinal: Group A (First) vs Group B (Fourth)Dhaka
Mar 24Quarterfinal: Group A (Second) vs Group B (Third)Colombo
Mar 25Quarterfinal: Group A (Third) vs Group B (Second)Dhaka
Mar 26Quarterfinal: Group A (Fourth) vs Group B (First)Ahemdabad
Mar 29Semifinal: First Quarter Winner vs Third Quarterfinal WinnerColombo
Mar 30Semifinal: Second Quarter Winner vs Fourth Quarterfinal WinnerMohali
Apr 2Final: First Semifinal Winner vs Second Semifinal WinnerMumbai

Spain national football team





The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Basque. The Spanish side is commonly referred to as La Furia Roja (The Red Fury) or La Roja (The Red [One]).


Spain are the current reigning World and European champions, having won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship. Spain also won the 1964 European Nations' Cup and reached the UEFA Euro 1984 Final. In July 2008 Spain rose to the top of the FIFA World Rankings for the first time in the team's history, becoming the sixth nation to top this ranking, and the first nation to top the ranking without previously having won the World Cup. Between November 2006 and June 2009 Spain went undefeated for a record-tying 35 consecutive matches before their loss to the United States, a record shared with Brazil, including a record 15-game winning streak and thus earning third place in the FIFA Confederations Cup. Recently, the team has become known for using a style of play which involves roaming movement and positional interchange amongst midfielders, moving the ball in intricate patterns, and sharp, one- or two-touch passing; this style of play has been dubbed Tiki-taka (or Tiqui-taca), which is also associated with FC Barcelona.
Uniform Kit


Spain's traditional kit is a red jersey with yellow trim accompanied by dark blue shorts and socks while their traditional away kit is a full white kit with red and yellow trim. The colour of the socks changed throughout the 1990s from black to the same colour as the blue short. Spain's kits have been made by manufacturers including Adidas (from 1982 until 1984), Le Coq Sportif (from 1984 until 1992) and again Adidas (since 1992).


Their current home kit designed by a team led by Daniel Newlan at Adidas, is a lighter red than usual along with light blue shorts and red socks, similar to the older 2006 kit. A third kit is sometimes used and is usually blue with red and yellow trim (used currently as change kit). Rather than displaying the logo of the Spanish football federation, Spain's jersey traditionally features the coat of arms of Spain over the left breast. After winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup was added the FIFA Champions Badge as current World Champions and a golden star at the top of the emblem.