Race for final four begins with West Indies-Pakistan

Players who can transform a game with bat or ball through vintage Caribbean brilliance represent West Indies` best opportunity of upsetting Pakistan in Wednesday`s opening World Cup quarter-final in Dhaka.

Pakistan bring skilled spinners, experience and a rare victory over defending champions Australia to Bangladesh at a tournament set to increasingly favour the sub-continental contenders as the temperatures soar.

To combat the pre-match favourites, West Indies plan to recall Chris Gayle and Kemar Roach after injury and illness while the obdurate Shivnarine Chanderpaul is expected to return to the middle order.


Gayle can make a mockery of any bowling attack with his reach and his power while Roach is fast and hostile in the best traditions of the great Barbados fast bowlers.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy told reporters on Tuesday that West Indies were looking forward to a return to the city where they comprehensively defeated Bangladesh in the first round.

He said Gayle and Roach had played a full part in practice while Chanderpaul was likely to return after he was dropped following a form slump.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi made his name as a limited overs dasher who still holds the world record for the fastest one-day century.

Now his role is primarily that of an attacking leg-spinner, whose 17 wickets in the tournament is the highest so far.

Pakistan will need all the runs they can get with a semi-final against India in Ahmedabad looming if they beat West Indies and Afridi is conscious that he must start to perform after looking like a novice with the bat.


"I will be more focused," he promised. "I know how important my batting is for my team."

World Cup is most important tournament of my life: Sachin

Ahmedabad: Months before the start of the 2011 World Cup, the entire cricket community was abuzz with the talk of how this was one of the most important tournaments for the genius of Indian cricket, Sachin Tendulkar. However, Sachin, who is playing his last World Cup remained quiet and decided to focus on the task on hand.

But, just a day before Team India’s all important quarter-final against defending champions Australia, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar has finally came out in the open and conceded that the ongoing cricket World Cup in the sub-continent is indeed the most important tournament of his illustrious cricket career.

Sachin, who has never been very expressive about his feelings, started his World Cup career in 1992 and has equaled Javed Miandad’s record of playing in six World Cups after representing the country in the ongoing edition.


Over his two-decade long cricket career, the little master has set and broken every record possible but has longed for the illustrious World Cup victory that has eluded Team India since that memorable win in the 1983 edition of the quadrennial tournament.
The dream was nearly realized when India made it to the final of the 2003 World Cup but ended up as the runners-up after losing to Australia in the finale. Tendulkar was also not a part of the T20 World Cup winning squad that was led by MS Dhoni.

A victory in what in all probability is his last World Cup would be the icing on the cake and would be the ideal parting gift for the man who has done more for Indian cricket than any other cricketer.


"Yes, it is the most important tournament of my life," Sachin was quoted as saying by a leading newspaper.

“"Everyone wants the team to do well. I need to focus all my energies on how to go about doing my job," he added.

Team India take of Australia in the quarter-final before possibly squaring up against arch-rivals Pakistan in the semis

SRK's three essentials to make Hindi films global

Bollywood lacks three very essential skills - screenplay writing, technology and discipline - says superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who has been in the industry for almost two decades "Hindi films lack in three very important aspects of filmmaking. The first amongst them is screenplay writing We need to understand the format and adhere to screenplay writing technique like them (Hollywood). The sooner Indian filmmakers realise that screenplay writing is not an art form but a science, the faster our films will globalise,” Shah Rukh said Friday at the India Today Conclave.

"Secondly, I feel so odd that on one hand we have the biggest software developing industries of the world, but somehow we are lacking behind in it's usage in India. We have the means to buy the machines, but we don't have mechanics to stand by them. That is a big investment we are looking for from Hollywood.”
"We need our own people who can make us our own cheaper, better, faster software for visual-effect teams,” he added.

"The third important thing that we need to learn is the discipline with which they (Hollywood) do their business. It does exist in other sectors, but it is lacking in the film industry.”

"If our industry wants to thrive economically, we also need to figure out and learn ways of selling our dreams to the largest number of people in the shortest span of time. We need to learn the science of marketing from them,” he said.

The actor also felt that if one didn't understand the importance of these aspects, sooner our young audience will stop watching our own domestic product.

At the same time, Shah Rukh felt that Indian filmmakers need to maintain their own individuality.

Aamir to play ghost in next?

Everyone knows that Aamir Khan is playing a cop in Reema Kagti's suspense thriller, but is he playing a ghost too?

If reports are to be believed Aamir Khan's character will die in the first half only to resurface in the second as a bhoot, reports Mid Day. Before Aamir,Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan have also portrayed ghosts in Hello Brother and Paheli respectively.

Apart from this film, Aamir Khan is all set to portray a negative character in Dhoom 3.

In Reema Kagti's next, Aamir Khan would also be portraying a moustache. We now wonder if that will accentuate the ghost effect?

Priyanka to do sizzling number in Dostana 2?

Priyanka Chopra wrapped up the final schedule of Don 2 a week ago and is now looking forward to two films with Hrithik Roshan, Krrish 2 and Karan Johar’s remake of Agneepath, which she started shooting for this week. “It’s too early to comment on my role in Krrish 2 but I’m part of Rakesh sir’s project, and that’s the happiest bit of news for me,” she says.


“After completing Don 2, I’ve just started shooting for Agneepath. I’m melting on the sets because it’s so hot and we’re shooting outdoors in the city all day. But that’s the look and feel of the film, it’s rough, real and hot. I’m still a bit nervous on the sets because everyone has been shooting for a while. In a week, I’ll have found my space too.”

Don, in 2006, had her stepping into Zeenat Aman’s shoes as Roma, who had performed a couple of stunts in the original Don (1978). Last summer, when the Don sequel with Shah Rukh Khan had gone on the floors, Priyanka had said she would use some of her experience from her TV reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi Season Three in the film. Did she really do that? “Yes, I have a few more stunts in Don 2 than I had in Don. But don’t forget that I’m Roma, and not Don. So, I can’t have more stunts than him,” she laughs.“Don was a remake, so there was a diva like Zeenatji, who had set a benchmark for me. This time, it’s a completely new plot, and I’ve had to set a benchmark for myself. None of that was easy.” So, did she finally catch hold of Don? “Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai!” laughs Priyanka.

The actor has recently shot an ad for the camera brand, Nikon that she endorses, with Dostana director Tarun Mansukhani. Considering she wanted to be a part of Dostana 2, expected to roll with Katrina Kaif, Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham in the second half of the year, have they figured out a way to fit her in? “It could be a passing shot in one of the frames or I could be introducing characters the way Shilpa (Shetty) did in Dostana with a hot sizzling number. Tarun and I again had a discussion while shooting for the ad. I’m sure we’ll figure out my part in Dostana 2 before the shoot starts,” says Priyanka.

The actor is also rumoured to be one among three female actors in the running to play the lead in the Abhishek Bachchan-Aamir Khan starrer, Dhoom 3, which starts later this year. Priyanka says, “I’ve been reading about it, but unfortunately I haven’t been offered the film yet. So, I can’t say if I’m in the running or I’m doing it.”

Director Madhur Bhandarkar, whose Fashion got Priyanka her first National Award for best actor, is rumoured to be writing Fashion 2 with her in the lead. “Really? Was there ever going to be a Fashion part two? I don’t know about any such film. We’ll see if and when Madhur comes up with the sequel,” she says.

Aamir wants acting tips from Hrithik

With actor Aamir Khan set to take over the mantle of a villain in Dhoom 3, he is reportedly planning to get in touch with his Dhoom predecessor, Hrithik Roshan for acting tips. Hrithik had played the villain in Dhoom 2. Khan, reportedly, wants to discuss a "few points" with the younger hero regarding his role in Dhoom 3.
"Hrithik and Aamir had bonded earlier, but not in this manner. Aamir had never openly come out gushing about Hrithik's acting.

He wants to have a sitting with Hrithik before he starts shooting for Dhoom 3," says a source. Khan recently admitted during a TV interview that he's keen on taking acting lessons from the younger actor.

"Hrithik is one of the best looking actors we have. He is also a great actor. I want to take acting lessons from him," the actor had said on television.

Sources say that Khan has given a lot of thought to the matter that he is replacing Hrithik as the villain in the franchise, and wants to live up to it.

"Aamir would like to have a sitting with Hrithik regarding the matter and generally talk about the acting and body language required for the film.

Since Aamir is a very private person, he will not share the exact details of the conversation that he shared with Hrithik, but we know that he doesn't mind taking a few tips from Roshan Junior, and doesn't even dither to admit it openly," adds the source.

ll eyes were on the World Cup quarterfinal between India and Australia

Sydney: All eyes were on the World Cup quarterfinal between India and Australia as some unnerving news for Australia captain Ricky Ponting might come falling, as speculation is rife that he is in his last week as the Oz skipper following a string of defeats and behavioural incidents that put him in a bad light.

The Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday said there was stiff opposition at boardroom level to the 36-year-old retaining the job for next month`s tour of Bangladesh, although his position as a player was not in jeopardy.

An unnamed Cricket Australia official was quoted as saying, "We`re waiting for the next thing to blow up. We don`t go a game without there being some issues with him."

"We need to be looking at the future. It`s time for us to make a change," the newspaper quoted the official as saying.


Ahead of the World Cup, Ponting earned the dubious distinction of becoming the only Australian skipper to fail to win the Ashes three times, putting him under enormous pressure.

He has also done himself no favours in India, taking a reprimand from the International Cricket Council after smashing a dressing-room TV in a fit of fury after being run out during Australia`s World Cup win over Zimbabwe.

He was also criticised for angrily throwing the ball to the ground after colliding with teammate Steven Smith during their victory over Canada.

Then his sportsmanship was questioned when he failed to walk in Saturday`s defeat to Pakistan.


"We`re waiting for the next thing to blow up," the official said. "We don`t go a game without there being some issues with him."

Meanwhile, another media report claimed that Ponting runs the risk of losing his captaincy after the World Cup and Australia may be led by Michael Clarke in next month`s tour of Bangladesh. "As Ponting prepares to lead his team against cricket superpowers India in Thursday night`s cut-throat World Cup quarter-final in Ahmedabad, it has emerged the 36-year-old faces as big a battle with Australian powerbrokers to hold on to his job," the report said.

"The Herald has been told by a senior Cricket Australia official there should at least be a discussion by the board on whether Ponting should lead the side to Bangladesh even if national selectors name the Tasmanian as captain for the tour."

Michael Clarke, who led Australia to an emphatic 6-1 one-day series victory over England to give them a boost after the post-Ashes despondency, is seen as favourite to take his job.

The Australians face India in Thursday`s World Cup quarter-final in Ahmedabad.