Cricket is a gentleman’s game and is loved by millions of people around the globe, and so are these cricketers.

They are not just exceptional players but are also blessed with looks that just make you drool over them.

Today we look at some of these Handsome Cricketers who have not just won our heart with their game but also killed us with their looks.

So now you can start drooling over them again!

Here they are….

Brett Lee

He isn’t just blessed with good looks but is one of the most loved cricketer thanks to his humble nature. He is surely missed! Well he tops my list and am sure yours too!

Alastair Cook

One of the most good looking English player, Captain Cook surely make you his fan with not just his batting but a personality to die for.

Kevin Pietersen 

You may call him a rebel, but Kevin is blessed with an attitude and style that surely make heads turn.

Andrew Flintoff

Not just a cricketer, Andrew also competed as a professional boxer, and well he can give any Hollywood actor a run for his money. What do you think?

Brendon McCullum

This New Zealand cricketer is blessed not just with cricketing skills but also looks and a body that make you skip a heart beat.

James Anderson

Not just a fierce bowler, this Englishman has got the looks worth drooling.. How many of you had crush on him? Well I am one of you 😉

Shahid Afridi

Lala as he is famously called has fans all over the world. Not just famous for hitting those sixes, this Pakistani player is also one of the most handsome player in the world ever.

Virat Kohli

This Indian player is not just known for his attitude on field, but is also famous for making girls go crazy for his looks off field. Young girls ship him, and well looking at this picture, I now believe why.

Michael Clarke

The test captain of Australia, and the man under whose captaincy Australia lifted the world cup trophy this year, is one of the most respected and good looking player today. Look at his smile and you will fall for him…

Mitchell Johnson

This Australian fast bowler is not just good looking but has a body that will make you drool. Isn’t this a million dollar picture? And that dimple gosh!

Graeme Smith

The former South African captain surely deserves to be in this list. A well built body and a face that can give competition to any actor, don’t you think so?

AB De Villiers

No one can hate this guy! Not just a handsome player, he is one of the legend cricket has ever produced. If you have seen him on field you will surely love him off field too!

So which one out of these made you drool?

Don’t forget to share your list too!

Let me continue drooling over these hotties 😉

The post These Handsome Cricketers Can Give Actors A Run For Their Money! appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

When South Africa and Sri Lanka take the field tomorrow at SCG, you can expect two Goliaths going head-on in a battle whose outcome no one can accurately predict.

South Africa face Sri Lanka in the first quarter-final match tomorrow at SCG

Another reason why the winner of this match is difficult to forecast is because the last 16 matches between the two teams have ended with both winning 8 games each.

These stats confirm that cricket, indeed, is an unpredictable sport.

Where the outcome of other quarter-final ties can be foreseen, the bout between South Africa and Sri Lanka is sure to break millions of hearts with one team being ousted from the competition.

This match will also see AB de Villiers and Kumar Sangakkara battling for the coveted No.1 spot in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen. In this tournament, Sangakkara is the leading run scorer with 496 runs. De Villiers, on the other hand, is third with 417 runs.

AB de Villiers and Kumar Sangakkara will be key players for their respective team

Former West Indies captain Brian Lara said, “South Africa vs. Sri Lanka is maybe the best quarter final game we could see and I’m looking forward to that. I will be there.”

And this is highly likely.

Both South Africa and Sri Lanka enter this match with confident wins in their respective last group match over UAE and Scotland, respectively.

When it comes to deciding the winner of this match, you have to be very brave to place a bet on South Africa considering their history in the later stage of the World Cup tournaments. Sri Lanka, though are one-time winners (1996) and 2011 ICC World Cup finalists.

The match between South Africa and Sri Lanka during 2003 WC ended in a tie knocking out the Proteas

The pitch at SCG is ideal for spin and it is no secret that the team from Asia would be hoping that their ace spinner Rangana Herath is fit for this match. If reports are anything to go by, the left-arm spinner is likely to miss the clash due to a finger injury. The Proteas will be relying on their first pick right-arm leg spinner Imran Tahir.

In the World Cups, both teams have met on 4 occasions prior to this bout. South Africa holds a slight edge over their Asian adversary with 2-1 lead, while the match played during the 2003 edition ended in a tie.

South Africa hold a 2-1 edge over Sri Lanka in World Cups

Sri Lankan bowlers would be keen to demolish the South African batting line-up including the in-form AB de Villiers. The Proteas, too, will have their eyes set on the record-breaking Kumar Sangakkara, in the process preventing him from scoring his fifth consecutive ODI century.

With players like Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, to name a few, competing against Lasith Malinga, Dilshan and Angelo Mathews and others, the match is too tough to call.

Nevertheless, South Africa would aim at getting rid of the ‘chokers’ tag and Sri Lanka would love to make it to another semi-final at the World Cup tournament.

The post South Africa vs Sri Lanka Preview – The Battle Of The Goliaths appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

On the back of South Africa and India winning their respective opening matches, their bout against one another on Sunday is bound to be one hell of a firecracker.

While we are discussing firecrackers, have you seen the ad poking fun at India for not having won a single game against the African giants in the World Cups?

Yes, it’s true. India may have won the World Cup, but they have never beaten a team that is disreputable for falling apart under trying situations.

India and South Africa meet face each other for the fourth time in the World Cups this Sunday.

India face South Africa for the fourth time in World Cups

Both teams have met on three occasions – 1992, 1996 and 2011 – with South Africa proving formidable every single time.

There’s no question that India looked at its prime against arch-rivals Pakistan while handing them a 76-run defeat last Sunday. South Africa, on the other hand, faced Zimbabwe beating them convincingly by 62 runs.

India’s batting line-up, after a long time, looked steady with Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina scoring big runs. Though South Africa’s top-order did appear vulnerable against their African counterparts, it could be brushed off as a one-time bad experience.

India will be keen on beating South Africa for the first time in World Cups

It was good to see India’s bowling come to the party for once as it bundled out Pakistan for just 224 runs. While chasing the mammoth total set by South Africa, Zimbabwe did manage to score 277.

This Sunday, the competition will be against Indian batsmen and South African bowlers. South African bowling will be led by Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, two of the fiercest pace bowlers in modern day cricket.

South Africa would like to keep their unbeaten record against India

While India and South Africa will be competing, all eyes will be on Gary Kirsten, former India coach under whom team India won the World Cup in 2011. Kirsten, who joined South Africa as a consultant, will like to play a key part in his team winning cricket’s most coveted prize this year.

One of the interesting facts about South Africa in World Cups is that they have faced a fate bad than worse after defeating India every single time.

Rain saved England against South Africa at the 1992 World Cup

Would history repeat itself or will India beat South Africa, in the process, altering the latter’s “jinx” at the World Cups?

Regardless, a huge crowd is expected at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the 22^nd of February. India vs South Africa will be a contest that will keep you wanting for more.

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Team India is up against the Proteas this weekend.

After a thumping victory against Pakistan, Team India’s spirits are definitely high up on cloud number 9 but it’s time to settle down and reflect upon their performance in the match.

Rectifications in Order

• India’s bowling needs to be fixed ASAP! The number of wide balls against Pakistan was evident that our bowlers, especially Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav keep losing their focus and eventually gifting valuable runs to the opposition. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar is still not in form due to his ankle injury.
• In the batting department, Kohli and Dhawan need to set their head straight and practice on better co-ordination, while running between the wickets. A stupid run out will cost us dearer against a stronger team than Pakistan, the mighty South Africans!

The South African too side has various tricks up its sleeve. India would be a fool to underestimate them or to consider them easy to beat, like they beat a weaker Pakistani team with over 70 runs to spare.

The SA side has 5 such mighty juggernauts that our Indian warriors need to surpass at all costs in order to maintain their dominance in this world cup and keep their bid alive to retain their world championship.

These 5 Juggernauts Are:

Gary Kirsten:

He recently retired as chief coach of the SA team. Indian fans will remember him better as India’s erstwhile coach from 2008 to 2011. He knows every player’s strong points and weaknesses. HE led India to win the World Cup in 2011!  He is keenly watching India’s practice sessions. India must put up a good fight to show the South Africans that they do have what it takes to surpass the ‘Proteas magic’.

Gary Kirsten

David Miller and Hashim Amla:

These two batsmen are the most dependable players in the SA side. Their wickets need to be taken at the earliest possible opportunity to curtail SA’s scorecard.

David Miller & Hashim Amla

Dale Steyn:

He can blow your head off with his pace attack… literally! Indian batsmen need to practice really hard in order to dupe Steyn’s attack and score easy boundaries with yorkers that he so effortlessly bowls.

Dale Styen

AB de Villiers:

His name is enough! This batsman makes his earning by hitting the ball out of the stadium mercilessly. Getting him out is an uphill task but needs to be performed since he single-handedly can ruin India’s chances of winning. As we said, his name is enough!

AB de Villiers.

JP Duminy:

The all-rounder that makes India sweat! He can overturn any pressure situation and score big runs. With the ball too, he can do serious damage to our batsmen, especially our susceptible middle order which is infamous of collapsing one after the other.

JP Duminy

These are 5 tall peaks team India needs to scale in order to fly our flag high! Recently, Mike Hussey, Australian cricketer and a top quality batsman have been attending SA training sessions. India needs to beware of this tactic since Hussey is a local and knows the features of Australian pitches at the tips of his fingers.

It would be another cracking match between the two teams this Sunday, 22^nd February. India will face a mighty task beating Kirsten and current SA coach Russell Domingo’s trained team.

The post World Cup 2015: The Five South African Juggernauts India Needs To Surpass In Order To Win Their Upcoming Match! appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Team India’s lacklustre performance in the recent past has made it vulnerable and other teams confident to put on a great show in the upcoming ICC World Cup.

That being said, many teams are already counting out the defending champions and focusing on their own strengths. India not looking confident enough presents other teams an opportunity to win the most coveted prize in cricket.

England, New Zealand and especially South Africa would be fancying their chances this year. South Africa, who are also referred to as chokers because of their inability to pull off matches later in the competition, would have their sights on the World Cup.

15-member squad for South Africa

They have had a phenomenal cricketing year thus far (also 2014) and they would want to get rid of the ‘chokers’ tag once and for all. So what exactly are South Africa’s chances at winning the trophy?

In the ICC rankings, team South Africa is placed at number three in ODIs. Eight members out of their 15-member squad have appeared in the previous World Cup matches.

Out of these eight men, two players – AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla – are in sublime form. Where the former recently recorded the fastest century in ODI history, the latter cannot let go of his habit of playing consistent innings, regardless of the opponents.

Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers will play a key role

Other teams cannot ignore their bowlers either. Dale Steyn is still one of the most ferocious bowlers in cricket (ODI, Test and T20). Supporting him are Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Imran Tahir.

Basically, the squad is full of match-winners. However, their habit of crumbling under pressure situations is something that needs working. South Africa has already risked it by including half-fit wicketkeeper Quinton De Kock.

The team is gelled well together and is seen as one of the frontrunners for winning the World Cup. South Africa played 19 One-Day Internationals in 2014 of which they won 12 matches. Such a result means that the players are physically and psychologically strong and can bring home the trophy for the first time since their inclusion in cricket.

South Africa is placed in Pool B. Other teams competing alongside them in this pool are West Indies, India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Ireland and UAE. They play their first match at Hamilton against Zimbabwe, which they are slated to win.

Pool B in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

If the team manages to rid the psychological barrier that has often resulted in them being labelled as ‘chokers’, South Africa can really take home the trophy after participating in the tournament on prior six occasions.

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