Cricket

 – 
 
“A 
 magic word in the sphere of sports.
”
 
 
 
INTRODUCTION
Cricket
 is a bat-and-ballgame played between
two teams of 11 players
 onan oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long  pitch. Oneteambats, trying to score as
many  runsas possible while the otherteam bowlsand fields, trying to dismissthe batsmen and thus limit the runs
scoredby the batting team. A run is scored by the striking batsman hitting the ball withhis bat, running to the opposite end of
the pitch and touching the creasethere without being dismissed. The teams switch between batting and
fielding at the endof an innings. In professional cricket the length of a game ranges from 20 oversof six
bowlingdeliveries per side to Test cricketplayed over five days. The Laws of Cricketaremaintained by the 
International Cricket Council(ICC) and the MaryleboneCricket Club(MCC)
 with additional Standard Playing Conditions for Testmatches and One Day Internationals.
[1]
 Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world behind soccer. The ICC, thegame's governing body, has tenfull
members.
[3]
  The game is played particularlyin Australasia, the Indian subcontinent, the West Indies, Southern Africa
andEngland.
 
 
HISTORY
 The game of  
cricket
 has a
known 
 history spanning from the 16th century to thepresent day, with international matches played since 1844, although the
officialhistory of
international Test cricketbegan in 1877
. During this time, the gamedeveloped from its origins in England into a game which is now playedprofessionally in most of
the 
Commonwealth of Nations. 
 The first evidence of cricket being played was recorded in the year
1550
, by thepupils of
Royal Grammar School, Guildford
. In the year 1611 it is reported thattwo young men from Sussex were punished for playing cricket instead of going tothe
church. The first match is recorded to have been played at Coxheath in Kent inthe year 1646.Cricket was in fact a major
gambling sport towards the end of the 17th century. Itis recorded that in the year 1679, a 11-a-side match was played with
stakes as highas 50 guineas per side.During the 18th century cricket survived and thrived due to the huge amounts ofmoney
via monetary backing and gambling. The first instance of a match to beplayed between counties in England is recorded to be
on 29th June in the year1709. This match was played between Surrey and Kent at Dartford Brent. The first English
touring team on board ship at Liverpoolin 1859 The
18th century
 also witnessed the emergence of
two types of cricket players
. They were known as the
retained player and the individual player
. Generallythe retained player was the servant of the lord and a cricketer as well. On the otherhand the individual player was
free to play anywhere with his skills
 
 
In the year
1787, the Marylebone Cricket Club also known MCC
 was created. The MCC has since then gone on to become one of the most prominent bodies in world
cricket. The late 18th century was a very crucial phase for the developmentof the game, both within and
outside Britain. The game was spread far and wide
mainly due to England’s imperialism. The first official match was held between
Canada and United States was held in the year 1844.In the present times, cricket has its own following of loyal fans.
 The InternationalCricket Council, better known as the ICC
 is the governing body in worldcricket. The ICC was founded on the 15th of June in the year 1909. All lawsrelating to ODIs and
Test Cricket are framed and implemented by the ICC.
INDIAN CRICKET
Cricket was popularized by
English
 settlers and the British army.
 The OrientalClub
 was the first all-Indian cricket club, specifically for a Indian religious sect. In1906, a triangular match was
played with the Hindus, the Parsis, and theEuropeans; however in 1912, it became a quadrangular tournament with a
Muslimteam. The National championship has been played since 1934 for the Ranji Trophy, named for K.S.
Ranjitsinhji, one of the most famous Indian cricketers.
21ST-CENTURY CRICKET
Cricket remains a major world sport in terms of participants, spectators and mediainterest.Cricket's newest innovation is 
 Twenty20
, essentially an evening entertainment. Ithas so far enjoyed enormous popularity and has attracted large attendances
atmatches as well as good TV audience ratings. The inaugural ICC Twenty20 WorldCuptournament was held in 2007 with a
follow-up event in 2009. The formationof Twenty20 leagues in India
 – 
 the unofficial Indian Cricket League, which startedin 2007, and the official Indian Premier League, starting in 2008
 – 
 raised muchspeculation in the cricketing press about their effect on the future of cricket.
 
 
HOW IS CRICKET PLAYED ?
In cricket, there are two teams, the batting and the nonbatting. Nine members ofthe nonbatting team are in the field, one is
the wicketkeeper, and one is the bowler,for a total of 11 players. The batting team designates the order of the
batters, where the first batter is called the striker. A batsman tries to guard his wicket, whilethe bowler tries
to hit it. The batsman tries to keep the bowler from hitting the wicket with the ball, whilealso attempting to
hit the ball hard enough to give him time to run to the other endof the pitch, before any of the nonbatting team picks up the
ball and hits the wicket. If the wicket is broken, by a thrown ball or by the wicketkeeper or bowler,the
batsman is dismissed. The striker does not have to run after he hits the ball,and a miss does not count against him. However,
if he gets a hit and thinks he canscore a run, he runs for the opposite wicket while the second batsman - thenonstriker - runs
toward him. If they each reach the opposite wicket before
a wicket is broken, a run is scored. Also, if the batsmen theing there is time, theymay run back for two or
more runs, crossing each time. If they score an evennumber of runs, the striker is the next to hit the ball. However, if an odd
number isscored, the nonstriker will be facing the bowler and thus getting his chance to hitthe ball. Any runs scored in this
manner go to his personal score for the game. When a hit ball goes beyond the boundary, the game is paused
and four runs areadded to the team's score. In order for the team's score to go up, several otherthings may happen other
than the batsman scoring runs. A bye occurs when a ballfrom the bowler is missed by the batsman, but he can still make a
run. A leg byehappens when the ball touches part of the batsman's body, but he can still makegood a run. A wide occurs
when the ball is out of reach of the striker, and thiscounts for a run. No balls occur when the ball is improperly bowled. Each
of theseextras add points to a side's score.If a bowler bowls six balls, not counting wides and no balls, he completes what
istermed an over. A new over is then begun by a different bowler at the opposite wicket. The field must also
adjust accordingly. If a bowler bowls a complete over without a batsman personally scoring a run, it is
called a maiden over. A bowler may bowl either right or left armed, propelling the ball overhand
withoutbending his elbow. He is allowed any number of steps to give a delivery, but hemay not cross the bowling crease. A
good bowler must be able to control length
 
 
and direction, which includes the spin placed on the ball to attempt to deceive thebatsman into being dismissed. A
batsman may hit either right or left handed, based on a vertical bat with its entireblade faced to the ball.
There are many different batting strokes, including theforward stroke, the back stroke, the leg glance, and the
cut.Fieldsmen must be quick runners, with good hand-eye coordination and the abilityto throw a cricket ball far. He should
be able to guess the batsman's strokes, andact
accordingly. The wicketkeeper should have exceptionally good reaction time and sharp sight.He must
concentrate fully on every ball.
CRICKET EQUIPMENTS
 WICKET AND CREASES
 - A wicket is three stakes or stumps placed into theground so that a cricket ball cannot pass between them. There are two
wickets, which the bowler attacks and which the batsman defends. The creases are
lines of whitewash that mark the ground at each wicket. The bowling and return creasesmark the area
where the bowler's rear foot must be placed when bowling the ball;the popping crease marks the area which is the
batsman's ground.
BAT AND BALL
 - The bat is paddle shaped made of willow and approximately11 centimeters wide. It, including the handle, may not under
regulation exceed 97centimeters in length. The ball is made of a core of cork encased in red leather. The two leather
halves are sewn together with a raised seam. A baseball is slightlyheavier, softher, and larger than a standard
cricket ball.
DRESS
 - The players usually wear white flannel pants and shirt, white canvas orbuck shoes, a white woolen sweater (often times
with their club colours trimmingit), and multicoloured club caps. A batsman wears protective white pads, or legguards,
rubber or leather batting gloves, and a body protector. The wicketkeeperalso wears pads and reinforced gloves. However,
the fielders in cricket do not weargloves when fielding.
 
 
CRICKET LANGUAGE
CAPPED
 - A cricket player is"capped" when he is selected to play for arepresentative team. This term comes from the use of club caps
in the game.
REPRESENTATIVE TEAM
 - A "representative team" is a team of cricketplayers selected by their ability to represent a county, a country, etc. These
playersare normally selected from among club teams or minor teams.)
INNINGS
 - An innings has actually several term usages in cricket. (1) It is a turnof a batsman to bat, (2) a turn of a team to bat, or (3)
when results are being given,it is when one team still has a turn to bat but has scored more runs than theopposing team
(which has completed its two innings.)
FOLLOW ON
 - To "follow on" occurs when a team bats out of turn (e.g. secondinnings directly after first innings) after scoring less than the
opposing team in firstinnings by a certain number of runs.
HIT A SIX
 - To "hit a six" means to hit the ball over a boundary without ittouching the ground, thus scoring six runs.
PITCH
 - A "pitch" can be used in several ways. (1) It is the area going 1.5 meterson either side of the center line between the
wickets, (2) the impact of a bowledball on the ground, or (3) the distance from one wicket to the other.
 WICKET
 - The word "wicket" has four meanings in cricket. First, it is the goal,consisting of three stakes, which two sticks lay on top of.
The batsman defendsthem and the bowler attempts to hit. Secondly, it is a turn to bat. Thirdly, a wicketis, in scoring, if a side is
batting last, it is the number of batsmen who have to beput out (dismissed) when the opponent's score is passed. And lastly,
it is the areabetween two sets of stumps (also known as pitch.)
STICKY WICKET
 - A "sticky wicket" is a wicket (pitch) that is drying after arain. Any softsoil - turf - makes playing more difficult for a batsman.
 
 
PRINCIPLES OF MATHEMATICS IN CRICKET
In a game of cricket, there are two main points of interest where the flight of theball is concerned. The first is the time from
when the bowler releases the ball
to when it is either hit or missed by the batsman. The second is the time after thecollision of the ball with the
bat. As the batsman's goal is to score as many runs aspossible, most hits are played so that the ball is close to the ground, and
istherefore harder to catch by a fieldsman. The bowler's main aim is to pitch the ballso the batsman does not hit the ball to
his best ability. The flight path of the ball issuch that the trajectory can be found with a simple equation. However, this
doesnot necessarily apply to slow pitches. There is a small set of critical speeds in whichpressure imbalances cause the ball to
swing (deviate) to one side or the other of abowl. These speeds are functions of several variables, including the angle of
theseam, surface texture of the ball, the spin put on the ball by the bowler, and the aircurrents. Forces up to 30% of the
weight of the ball push on the ball from the side.In a horizontal direction of motion,
m(dv/dt)=-kv 
2 
  where
m 
 is the mass of the ball,
(dv/dt)
 is the derivative based on time, representingacceleration, and
k
 is the side force constant. This equation is only true if
the vertical motions are completely ignored. If this equation is changed to be aderivative of velocity in respect
to distance rather than time, it will be:
v(dv/dx)=-(k/m)v 
2 
  where all variables remain the same, but
x 
 is the distance down the bowl that theball is when measured. This equation can be solved to give
x=(m/k)
ln
(v 
0
/v)
  where
ln
 is the natural logarithm, and
v 
0
 is the initial velocity, and all other variablesremain constant. This shows the relationship of distance and velocity after a hit
bythe bowler. In order to find an estimate of the time of flight, separation of variables can be performed on the last
equation to give
t=(m/k){(1/v)-(1/v 
0
  )}
  This shows how long the ball is in the air for a particular velocity. Once each ofthese equations is solved
using the known variable(s), the deviation of the ballfrom the visible path can be traced. Even the slightest variation can trick a
batter'seye into missing the ball or mistiming a hit.
 
 
LAWS OF CRICKET
 The
laws of cricket
 are a set of  rulesestablished by the Marylebone CricketClub(MCC) which describe the laws of  cricket worldwide, to
ensure uniformity andfairness. There are currently
42 laws
, which outline all aspects of how the game isplayed .
PLAYERS AND OFFICIALS The first four laws cover the players, the umpires and the scorers.
Law 1:  The players 
.
 A cricket team consists of eleven players, including a captain.Outside of official competitions, teams can agree to play more
than eleven-a-side,though no more than eleven players may field.
Law 2:  Substitutes 
.
 In cricket, a substitute may be brought on for an injuredfielder. However, a substitute may not bat, bowl, keep wicket or act
as captain. Theoriginal player may return if he has recovered. A batsman who becomes unable torun may have a runner,
who completes the runs while the batsman continuesbatting. Alternatively, a batsman may retire hurt or ill, and may return
later toresume his innings if he recovers.
Law 3:  The umpires 
.
 There are two umpires, who apply the Laws, make allnecessary decisions, and relay the decisions to the scorers. While not
requiredunder the laws of cricket, in higher level cricket a third umpire (located offtheground and available to assist the on-
field umpires) may be used under the specificplaying conditions of a particular match or tournament.
Law 4:  The scorers 
.
 There are two scorers who respond to the umpires' signalsand keep the score. AN UMPIRE
 
 
EQUIPMENT AND LAYING OUT THE PITCH
Law 5:  The ball.
 A cricket ball is between 8 13/16 and 9 inches (22.4 cm and22.9 cm) in circumference, and weighs between 5.5 and
5.75 ounces(155.9g and163g). Only one ball is used at a time, unless it is lost, when it is replaced with aball of similar wear.
It is also replaced at the start of each innings, and may, at therequest of the fielding side, be replaced with a new ball, after a
certain number ofovers have been bowled (80 in Test matches, 34 inODIs). The gradual degradationof the ball through the
innings is an important aspect of the game.
 
Law 6:  The bat 
.
 The bat is no more than 38 inches (97 cm) in length, and nomore than 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) wide. The hand or glove
holding the bat isconsidered part of the bat. Ever since the Heavy Metalincident, a highly publicizedmarketing attempt
by  Dennis Lillee, who brought out an aluminiumbat during aninternational game, the laws have provided that the blade of
the bat must be madeof wood (and in practice, they are made from White Willow  wood).
Law 7:  The pitch.
 The pitch is a rectangular area of the ground 22 yards (20 m)long and 10 ft(3.0 m) wide. The Ground Authority selects and
prepares the pitch,but once the game has started, the umpires control what happens to the pitch. Theumpires are also the
arbiters of whether the pitch is fit for play, and if they deem itunfit, with the consent of both captains can change the pitch.
Professional cricketis almost always played on a grass surface. However, in the event a non-turf pitchis used, the artificial
surface must have a minimum length of 58 ft(18 m) and aminimum width of 6 ft (1.8 m).
 
 
Law 8:  The wickets 
.
 The wicket consists of three wooden stumps that are 28inches (71 cm) tall. The stumps are placed along the batting crease
with equaldistances between each stump. They are positioned so they are 9 inches (23
cm) wide. Two wooden bails are placed on top of the stumps. The bails must notproject more than 0.5 inches
(1.3 cm) above the stumps, and must, for men'scricket, be 4
5
 ⁄ 
16
 inches (10.95 cm) long. There are also specified lengths for thebarrel and spigots of the bail. There are different specifications
for the wickets andbails for junior cricket. The umpires may dispense with the bails if conditions areunfit (i.e. it is windy so they
might fall offby themselves).
Law 9:  Bowling, popping, and return creases 
.
 This law sets out the dimensionsand locations of the creases. The bowling crease, which is the line the stumps arein the
middle of, is drawn at each end of the pitch so that the three stumps in theset of stumps at that end of the pitch fall on it (and
consequently it isperpendicular to the imaginary line joining the centres of both middle stumps).Each bowling crease should
be 8 feet 8 inches (2.64 m) in length, centred on themiddle stump at each end, and each bowling crease terminates at one of
the returncreases. The popping crease, which determines whether a batsman is in his groundor not, and which is used in
determining front-foot no balls (see law 24), is drawnat each end of the pitch in front of each of the two sets of stumps. The
poppingcrease must be 4 feet (1.2 m) in front of and parallel to the bowling
crease. Although it is considered to have unlimited length, the popping crease must be
 
 
marked to at least 6 feet (1.8 m) on either side of the imaginary line joining thecentres of the middle stumps. The return
creases, which are the lines a bowlermust be within when making a delivery, are drawn on each side of each set of
thestumps, along each sides of the pitch (so there are four return creases in all, one oneither side of both sets of stumps). The
return creases lie perpendicular to thepopping crease and the bowling crease, 4 feet 4 inches (1.32 m) either side of
andparallel to the imaginary line joining the centres of the two middle stumps. Eachreturn crease terminates at one end at
the popping crease but the other end isconsidered to be unlimited in length and must be marked to a minimum of 8 feet(2.4
m) from the popping crease.
Law 10:  Preparation and maintenance of the playing area 
.
 When a cricket ballis bowled it almost always bounces on the pitch, and the behaviour of the ball isgreatly influenced by the
condition of the pitch. As a consequence, detailed ruleson the management of the pitch are necessary. This law contains the
rulesgoverning how pitches should be prepared, mown, rolled, and maintained.
Law 11:  Covering the pitch 
.
 The pitch is said to be 'covered' when thegroundsmen have placed covers on it to protect it against rain or dew. The
lawsstipulate that the regulations on covering the pitch shall be agreed by both captainsin advance. The decision concerning
whether to cover the pitch greatly affects howthe ball will react to the pitch surface, as a ball bounces differently on wet
groundas compared to dry ground. The area beyond the pitch where a bowler runs so asto deliver the ball (the 'run-up')
should ideally be kept dry so as to avoid injurythrough slipping and falling, and the Laws also require these to be
covered wherever possible when there is wet weather.
 
 
STRUCTURE OF THE GAME
Law 12:  Innings 
.
 Before the game, the teams agree whether it is to be over one ortwo innings, and whether either or both innings are to be
limited by time or byovers. In practice, these decisions are likely to be laid down by CompetitionRegulations, rather than pre-
game agreement. In two-innings games, the sides batalternately unless the follow-on (law 13) is enforced. An innings is
closed once allbatsmen are dismissed, no further batsmen are fit to play, the innings is declared orforfeited by the batting
captain, or any agreed time or over limit is reached. Thecaptain winning the toss of a coin decides whether to bat or to bowl
first.
Law 13:  The follow-on 
.
 In a two innings match, if the side batting second scoressubstantially fewer runs than the side batting first, the side that
batted first canforce their opponents to bat again immediately. The side that enforced the follow-on risks not getting to bat
again and thus the chance of winning. For a game of fiveor more days, the side batting first must be at least 200 runs ahead
to enforce thefollow-on; for a three- or four-day game, 150 runs; for a two-day game, 100 runs;for a one-day game, 75 runs.
The length of the game is determined by the numberof scheduled days play left when the game actually begins.
Law 14:  Declaration and forfeiture.
 The batting captain can declare an inningsclosed at any time when the ball is dead. He may also forfeit his innings before
ithas started.
Law 15:  Intervals 
.
 There are intervals between each day's play, a ten-minuteinterval between innings, and lunch, tea and drinks intervals. The
timing and lengthof the intervals must be agreed before the match begins. There are also provisionsfor moving the intervals
and interval lengths in certain situations, most notably theprovision that if nine wickets are down, the tea interval is delayed
to the earlier ofthe fall of the next wicket and 30 minutes elapsing.
Law 16:  Start of play; cessation of play.
 Play after an interval commences withthe umpire's call of "Play", and at the end of a session by "Time". The last hour ofa
match must contain at least 20 overs, being extended in time so as to include 20overs if necessary.
Law 17:  Practice on the field 
.
 There may be no batting or bowling practice onthe pitch except before the day's play starts and after the day's play has
ended.Bowlers may only have trial run-ups if the umpires are of the view that it would waste no time.
 
 
SCORING AND WINNING
 The laws then move on to discuss how runs can be scored and how one team canbeat the other.
Law 18:  Scoring runs 
.
 Runs are scored when the two batsmen run to each other'send of the pitch. Several runs can be scored from one ball.
Law 19:  Boundaries 
.
 A boundary is marked round the edge of the field of play. Ifthe ball is hit into or past this boundary, four runs are scored, or
six runs if the balldidn't hit the ground before crossing the boundary.
Law 20:  Lost ball 
.
 If a ball in play is lost or cannot be recovered, the fielding sidecan call "lost ball". The batting side keeps any penalty runs (such
as no-balls and wides) and scores the higher of six runs and the number of runs actually run.
Law 21:  The result.
 
 The side which scores the most runs wins the match. If bothsides score the same number of runs, the match is
tied. However, the match mayrun out of time before the innings have all been completed. In this case, the matchis drawn.
Law 22:  The over 
.
 An over consists of six balls bowled, excluding wides and noballs. Consecutive overs are delivered from opposite ends of the
pitch. A bowlermay not bowl two consecutive overs.
Law 23:  Dead ball 
.
 The ball comes into play when the bowler begins his run up,and becomes dead when all the action from that ball is over.
Once the ball is dead,no runs can be scored and no batsmen can be dismissed. The ball becomes deadfor a number of
reasons, most commonly when a batsman is dismissed, when aboundary is hit, or when the ball has finally settled with the
bowler or wicketkeeper.
Law 24:  No ball.
 A ball can be a no ball for several reasons: if the bowler bowlsfrom the wrong place; or if he straightens his elbow during the
delivery; or if thebowling is dangerous; or if the ball bounces more than twice or rolls along theground before reaching the
batsman; or if the fielders are standing in illegal places. A no ball adds one run to the batting team's score,
in addition to any other runs which are scored off it, and the batsman can't be dismissed off a no ball
except bybeing run out, or by handling the ball, hitting the ball twice, or obstructing thefield.
 
 
Law 25:  Wide ball 
.
 An umpire calls a ball "wide" if, in his or her opinion, thebatsman did not have a reasonable opportunity to score offthe ball.
A ball is called wide when the bowler bowls a bouncer that goes over the head of the batsman. A wide
adds one run to the batting team's score, in addition to any other runs whichare scored offit, and the
batsman can't be dismissed offa wide except by being runout or stumped, or by handling the ball, hitting his wicket, or
obstructing the field.
Law 26:  Byeand  Leg bye.
 
If a ball that is not a no ball or wide passes the strikerand runs are scored, they are called byes. If a ball that is not a no ball hits
thestriker but not the bat and runs are scored, they are called leg-byes. However, leg-byes cannot be scored if the striker is
neither attempting a stroke nor trying toavoid being hit. Byes and leg-byes are credited to the team's but not the
batsman'stotal.
MECHANICS OF DISMISSAL
 
Law 27:  Appeals 
.
 If the fielders believe a batsman is out, they may ask the umpire"How's That?", commonly shouted emphatically with arms
raised, before the nextball is bowled. The umpire then decides whether the batsman is out. Strictlyspeaking, the fielding side
must appeal for all dismissals, including obvious onessuch as bowled. However, a batsman who is obviously out will
normally leave thepitch without waiting for an appeal or a decision from the umpire.
Law 28:  The wicket is down 
.
 Several methods of being out occur when the wicket is put down. This means that the wicket is hit by the ball,
or the batsman, orthe hand in which a fielder is holding the ball, and at least one bail is removed.
Law 29:  Batsman out of his ground 
.
 The batsmen can be run out or stumped ifthey are out of their ground. A batsman is in his ground if any part of him or hisbat
is on the ground behind the popping crease. If both batsman are in the middleof the pitch when a wicket is put down, the
batsman closer to that end is out.
 WAYS TO GET OUT
Law 30:  Bowled.
 A batsman is out if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered bythe bowler. It is irrelevant whether the ball has touched the
bat, glove, or any partof the batsman before going on to put down the wicket, though it may not touchanother player or an
umpire before doing so.
Law 31:  Timed out 
.
 An incoming batsman must be ready to face a ball (or be atthe crease with his partner ready to face a ball) within 3 minutes
of the outgoingbatsman being dismissed, otherwise the incoming batsman will be out.
 
 
Law 32:  Caught 
.
 If a ball hits the bat or the hand holding the bat and is thencaught by the opposition within the field of play before the ball
bounces, then thebatsman is out.
Law 33:  Handled the ball 
.
 If a batsman willfully handles the ball with a hand thatis not touching the bat without the consent of the opposition, he is out.
Law 34:  Hit the ball twice 
.
 If a batsman hits the ball twice, other than for thesole purpose of protecting his wicket or with the consent of the opposition,
he isout.
Law 35:  Hit wicket 
.
 If, after the bowler has entered his delivery stride and whilethe ball is in play, a batsman puts his wicket down by his bat or his
body he is out. The striker is also out hit wicket if he puts his wicket down by his bat or his bodyin setting off
for a first run. "Body" includes the clothes and equipment of thebatsman.
Law 36:  Leg before wicket(LBW).
 
If the ball hits the batsman without firsthitting the bat, but would have hit the wicket if the batsman was not there, and
theball does not pitch on the leg side of the wicket, the batsman will be out. However,if the ball strikes the batsman outside
the line of the off-stump, and the batsman was attempting to play a stroke, he is not out.
Law 37:  Obstructing the field 
.
 If a batsman willfully obstructs the opposition by word or action, he is out.
Law 38:  Run out.
 A batsman is out if at any time while the ball is in play no partof his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and
his wicket is fairlyput down by the opposing side.
Law 39:  Stumped 
.
 A batsman is out when the wicket-keeper (see Law 40) putsdown the wicket, while the batsman is out of his crease and not
attempting a run.
FIELDERS
Law 40:  The wicket-keeper 
.
 The keeper is a designated man from the bowlingside allowed to stand behind the stumps of the batsman. He is the only
player fromhis side allowed to wear gloves and external leg guards.
Law 41:  The fielder 
.
 A fielder is any of the eleven cricketers from the bowlingside. Fielders are positioned to field the ball, to stop runs and
boundaries, and toget batsmen out by catching or running them out.
 
 
FIELDING POSITIONS :Fair and unfair play
Law 42: 
  Fair and unfair play.
 
OBJECTIVES OF CRICKET
 The objective of each team is to score more runsthan the other team and tocompletely  dismissthe other team. In
limited overs cricket, winning the game isachieved by scoring the most runs within the overs allowed, even if the
oppositionhas not been completely dismissed. In Test cricket, it is necessary to score the mostruns and dismiss the
opposition twice in order to win the match, which wouldotherwise be drawn.
DISTINCTIVE DECESSIVE ELEMENTS
 1.
 
Individual focus2.
 
Spirit of the Game3.
 
Influence of weather4.
 
Uniqueness of each field
 
 
 TYPES OF MATCHES
Cricket is a multi-faceted sport which, in very broad terms, can be dividedinto 
major cricket
 and
minor cricket
 based on playing standards. A morepertinent division, particularly in terms of major cricket, is between matches
in which the teams have two innings apiece and those in which they have a singleinnings each. The former,
known as 
first-class cricket
, has a duration of three tofive days (there have been examples of
"timeless" matches
 too); the latter,known as limited overs cricketbecause each team bowls a limit of typically 50 or20 overs, has a planned
duration of one day only (a match can be extended ifnecessary due to bad weather, etc.). Typically,
two-innings matches
 have at least six hours of  playing timeeach day.
Limited overs matches
 often last six hours or more. There are usually formalintervals on each day for lunch and tea with brief informal breaks for
drinks. Thereis also a short interval between innings. Historically, a form of cricket knownas 
single wicket
 had been extremely successful. In this form, although each teammay have from one to six players, there is only one
batsman at a time and he mustface every delivery bowled while his innings lasts.
 Test cricket
. Test cricketis the highest standard of first-class cricket. A Test match is aninternational fixture between teams
representing those countries that are FullMembers of the ICC. Although the term "Test match"
was not coined until much later, Test cricket isdeemed to have begun with two matches
between Australiaand Englandinthe1876
 – 
77 Australian season. Subsequently, eight other national teams haveachieved Test
status: South Africa(1889), West Indies(1928), NewZealand(1929), India( 1932), Pakistan(1952), Sri Lanka(198
2), Zimbabwe(1992)
 
 
and Bangladesh( 2000). Zimbabwe suspended its Test status in 2006 due to itsinability to compete against other
Test teams,
[38]
 and returned in 2011.
[39]
  Test matches between two teams are usually played in a group of matches called a
"series".
 Matches last up to five days and a series normally consists of three tofive matches. Test matches that are not finished within
the allotted time are drawn.In the case of  Testandfirst-class cricket: the possibility of a draw often encouragesa team that is
batting last and well behind to bat defensively, giving up any faintchance at a win to avoid a loss.
[40]
 Since 1882, most Test series between England and Australia have been played for atrophy known as 
 The Ashes
. Some other bilateral series have individual trophiestoo: for example, the 
 Wisden Trophy
 is contested by England and West Indies;
the Frank Worrell Trophy
 by Australia and West Indies and the 
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
between India and Australia.
Limited overs
Standard limited overs cricket was introduced in England in the 1963 season in theform of a knockout cup
contested by the first-class county clubs. In 1969, anational league competition was established. The concept was gradually
introducedto the other major cricket countries and the first limited overs international wasplayed in 1971. In 1975, the
first Cricket World Cuptook place in England.Limited overs cricket has seen various innovations including the use of multi-
coloured kit and floodlit matches using a white ball. A
"one day match",
 named so because each match is scheduled for completionin a single day, is the common form of limited overs cricket
played on aninternational level. In practice, matches sometimes continue on a second day ifthey have been interrupted or
postponed by bad weather. The main objective of alimited overs match is to produce a definite result and so a conventional
draw isnot possible, but matches can be undecided if the scores are tied or if bad weather
 
 
prevents a result. Each team plays one innings only and faces a limited number ofovers, usually a maximum of 50.
The Cricket World Cupis held in one day formatand the last World Cupin 2011 was won by the co-hosts, India. The next
WorldCup will hosted by  Australiaand New Zealandin 2015.
 Twenty20
is a new variant of limited overs itself with the purpose being tocomplete the match within about three hours, usually in an
evening session. Theoriginal idea, when the concept was introduced in England in 2003, was to
provide workers with an evening entertainment. It was commercially successful and hasbeen adopted
internationally.
National championships
 Yorkshire County Cricket Clubin 1895. The team won the first of its 30 CountyChampionship titles in 1893.First-class
cricketincludes Test cricket but the term is generally used to refer to thehighest level of domestic cricket in those countries
with full ICC membership,although there are exceptions to this. First-class cricket in England is played for themost part by the
18 county clubs which contest the County Championship. Theconcept of a champion countyhas existed since the 18th
century but the officialcompetition was not established until 1890. The most successful club hasbeen Yorkshire County
Cricket Club with 30 official titles.
 Australia
 established its national first-class championship in 1892
 – 
93 whenthe
Sheffield Shield
  was introduced. In Australia, the first-class teams representthe various states. New South Waleshas won the
maximum number of titles with45 to 2008.
 
 
National championship trophies to be established elsewhere included the 
Ranji Trophy(India), Plunket Shield(New Zealand), Currie Cup(South Africa)and Shell Shield(West Indies).
 Some of these competitions have been updatedand renamed in recent years.Domestic limited overs competitions began
with
England's GilletteCup
 knockout in 1963. Countries usually stage seasonal limited overs competitionsin both knockout and league format. In recent
years, national Twenty20competitions have been introduced, usually in knockout form though someincorporate mini-
leagues.
Other types of matches
Indian boys playing
cricket on the street with a tennis ball
 in UttarPradesh,India.  There are numerous variations of the sport played throughout the world thatinclud
e 
indoor cricket, French cricket, beach cricket, Kwik cricket
 and allsorts of card games and board games that have been inspired by cricket. In
these variants, the rules are often changed to make the game playable with limitedresources or to render it
more convenient and enjoyable for the participants.Indoor cricketis played in a netted, indoor arena, and is quite formal but
many ofthe outdoor variants are very informal.Families and teenagers play  backyard cricketin suburban yards or driveways,
andthe cities of India and Pakistan play host to countless games of
"Gully Cricket"or "tapeball"
in their long narrow streets.In Samoa a form of cricket called 
Kilikiti
is played in which hockey stick-shapedbats are used. In Estonia, teams gather over the winter for the annual 
IceCricket
 tournament.
 
 
INTERNATIONAL STRUCTURE-ICC
ICCmember nations. The (highest level) Test playing nations are shown in orange;the associate member nations are shown
in yellow; the affiliate member nations areshown in purple. The
International Cricket Council (ICC),
 which has its headquarters in Dubai,is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the ImperialCricket
Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and
South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up itscurrent name in
1989. The ICC has 104 members: 10 Full Members that play official Test matches,
34 Associate Members, and 60 Affiliate Members.
[41]
  The ICC is responsible for theorganisation and governance of cricket's major international tournaments, notablythe
Cricket World Cup. It also appoints the umpires and referees that officiate atall sanctioned Test matches, One Day
International and Twenty20 Internationals.Each nation has a national cricket board which regulates cricket matches played in
 
 
its country. The cricket board also selects the national squad and organises homeand away tours for the national team. In the
West Indies these matters areaddressed by the West Indies Cricket Board which consists of members appointedby
four national boards and two multi-national boards.
 Vision of Success
  As a leading global sport , cricket will captivate and inspire people of every age,gender, background and
ability, while building bridges between continents,countries and communities.
Strategic Direction
  A Bigger Better Global Game Targeting more players, more fans, more competitive teams.Our long-term
success will be judged on growth in participation and public interestand the competitiveness of teams participating in men's
and women's internationalcricket.
Mission Statement - Leading World Cricket by:
 * Providing a world class environment for international cricket* Delivering "major' events across three formats* Providing
targeted support to Members* Promoting the global game.
STRATEGIC PLAN The Way Forward for International Cricket
 
 
 
 The ICC Strategic Plan 2011-15 was launched at the ICC's Annual Conference inHong Kong in June
2011. After a two-year consultation period with the game's stakeholders, includingMembers, players, media
and supporters, the plan sets out a vision for internationalcricket.By following through on our commitment to develop new
competition structuresand meritocratic pathways for men's and women's teams across Test, ODI
and T20I cricket, supported by effective targeting, the ICC will be well-placed toachieve a truly global game
with more players, more fans and more competitiveteams. The ICC vision for 2011-
15 is to create ‘A bigger, better, global game' aimed at‘Targeting more pla
yers, more fans, more competitive teams.'Our success between 2011 and 2015 will be judged on growth in participation
andpublic interest and the competitiveness of teams participating in men's and women's international cricket.
ICC WORLD CUP
 The ICC Cricket World Cup is the showpiece event of the cricket calendar andtakes place every four years,
with matches contested in a 50 overs per side
format. There have been ten events so far, with the first tournament taking place inEngland in
1975. The last ICC Cricket World Cup took place in 2011 in which
was won by India, who hosted the tournament along with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.Other winners of
the event include Australia (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007), West Indies(1975, 1979), India (1983), Pakistan
(1992) and Sri Lanka (1996). The next ICC Cricket World Cup will be staged in Australia and New Zealand
in2015.
 
 
ICC WORLD CUP 2001 WINNER - INDIA
 
 
INDIA NATIONAL CRICKET TEAM
INDIAN CRICKET CREST
 
 The
Indian cricket team
 is the national cricketteam of  India. Governed bythe 
Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI),
 it is a full memberofthe 
International Cricket Council(ICC) with Testand One DayInternational(ODI) status.
 The Indian cricket team is currently ranked third by the ICC in Tests, second inODIs and seventh in T20s.
[1]
 On 2 April 2011, the team won the 2011 Cricket World Cup, its second after 1983. It thus became only the third team
after WestIndiesand Australiato have won the World Cupmore than once.Currently  
Mahendra Singh Dhoniis the captain
 in all forms of the game .Under the leadership of Dhoni, the Indian team has set a national record for mostback-to-back ODI
wins (9 straight wins )
[3]
 and has emerged as
one of the mostformidable teams in international cricket.
[4]
 
Coaching staff :

 
Head coach: Duncan Fletcher

 
Mental conditioning coach: Vacant

 
Fitness trainer: RamjiSrinivasan

 
Physiotherapist: Nitin Patel

 
Masseur: Ramesh Mane

 
Performance analyst: C.K.M. Dhananjai

 
Bowling consultant: Eric Simons
 
 

 
The Official ICC Player Rankings for International Cricket

 
The ICC Player Rankings are the official guide to the relative merits of batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders
in Test matchand ODI cricket. 

 
The ICC ODI Women’s Rankings provide an opportunity to showcase the leading stars in the women’s
international game.

 
If you want to know what the rankings were on any specific date from history, visit Date-Specific
 
Rankingswhile to see which players have held the highest rankings in history click on Best-Ever
 
Ratings. 
 

 
We hope you enjoy the site.GREAT PERSONALITY OF PRESENT CRICKET
ID  Rat  Name  Nat
1 906
S.P.D. Smith
 
2 878
.E. Root 
 
3 875
K.S. Williamson
 
4 863
H.M. Amla 
 
5 845
 Younus Khan
 
6 810
 A.B. de Villiers
 
7 802
 A.C. Voges
 
 
8 785
 A.M. Rahane
 
9 776
R.L. Taylor
 
 
10 772
D.A. Warner
 
Top 100
 
 
 
ID  Rat  Name  Nat
1 870
.M. Anderson
 
2 859
R. Ashwin
 
3 854
D.W. Steyn
 
4 836
S.C.J. Broad
 
 
5 831
H.M.R.K.B. Herath
 
6 806
 Yasir Shah
 
7 792
M.A. Starc
 
8 773
R.A. Jadeja 
 
9 766
T.A. Boult 
 
10 718
N. Wagner
 
Top 100
 
ID  Rat  Name  Nat
 
1 887
 A.B. de Villiers
 
2 813
 V. Kohli
 
 
 
3 778
H.M. Amla 
 
4 752
K.S. Williamson
 
5 751
M.J. Guptill
 
 
6 750
R.G. Sharma 
 
7 741
.E. Root 
 
8 737
S Dhawan
 
9 735
Q. de Kock 
 
10 734
T.M. Dilshan
 
Top 100
 
ID  Rat  Name  Nat
1 759
S.P. Narine
 
2 731
T.A. Boult 
 
3 699
Shakib Al Hasan
 
4 693
Imran Tahir
 
5 681
M.A. Starc
 
6 675
M.J. Henry 
 
 
7 645
K. Rabada 
 
7 645
D.W. Steyn
 
 
 
9 628
M. Morkel
 
10 613
Mohammad Irfan
 
Top 100
 
ID  Rat  Name  Nat
1 820
 V. Kohli
 
2 803
 A.J. Finch
 
 
3 754
M.J. Guptill
 
 
4 741
F. du Plessis
 
5 735
.E. Root 
 
6 719
K.S. Williamson
 
7 699
 A.D. Hales
 
8 674
Mohammad Shahzad
 
9 668
C.H. Gayle
 
10 657
H. Masakadza 
 
Top 100
 
ID  Rat  Name  Nat
 
 
1 743
S. Badree
 
2 740
Imran Tahir
 
3 735
.J. Bumrah
 
 
4 684
R. Ashwin
 
5 674
Shahid Afridi
 
6 671
K.J. Abbott 
 
 
7 668
S.P. Narine
 
8 655
 A.F. Milne
 
9 641
.P. Faulkner
 
10 638
Mohammad Nabi
 
Top 10