Greatest Test players of all-time

Public vote on ICC website closes in TWO days with results set to be announced the week before the 2,000^th Test

To mark the staging of the 2,000^th Test match, which will take place between England and India at Lord’s from 21 to 25 July, the ICC’s official website is calling on supporters from across the globe to select their greatest team of all-time.

Voting is now open as cricket-lovers can select a dream team from a shortlist of 60 players split into five categories – they will be asked to pick two opening batsmen, three middle-order batsmen, a wicketkeeper, three fast bowlers and one spinner. Click here for more details.

Supporters will have until midnight Dubai time (GMT+4) on 13 July 2011 to make their selections, with the choices set to be announced the week before the 2,000^th Test is played, at Lord’s between England and India.

While fans have the chance to vote using the suggested nominations, the ICC is also requesting supporters to send in their dream teams viawww.facebook/cricketicc or www.twitter.com/cricketicc.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “With the 2,000^th Test coming up it is appropriate to remember some of the great players through the ages that have thrilled audiences and inspired us all.

“With so many legends of the game to choose from, it is a very difficult task and I’m sure one that will lead to plenty of fond recollection and great debate.

 “Test cricket is the pinnacle format of our great sport and it is important we continue to protect and promote it so that it grows even stronger over the next 2,000 matches.”

The list of players that fans are being asked to vote on is listed below. For more details go to www.icc-cricket.com.

Short-list for greatest Test team of all time

Opening batsmen (two) – Geoffrey Boycott, Sunil Gavaskar, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Jack Hobbs, Len Hutton, Hanif Mohammad, Virender Sehwag, Herbert Sutcliffe, Victor Trumper.

Middle-order batsmen (three) – Don Bradman, Greg Chappell, Wally Hammond, George Headley, Brian Lara, Javed Miandad, Graeme Pollock, Ricky Ponting, Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar.

All-rounder (one) – Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Aubrey Faulkner, Richard Hadlee, Jacques Kallis, Imran Khan, Keith Miller, Wilfred Rhodes, Gary Sobers, Frank Worrell.

Wicket-keeper  (one) – Les Ames, Mark Boucher, Jeff Dujon, Godfrey Evans, Andy Flower, Adam Gilchrist, Alan Knott, Rod Marsh, Clyde Walcott, Wasim Bari.

Fast bowlers (three) – Curtley Ambrose, Sydney Barnes, Michael Holding, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Malcolm Marshall, Glenn McGrath, Fred Trueman, Courtney Walsh, Wasim Akram.

Spinner (one) – Bishen Bedi, Richie Benaud, Lance Gibbs, Clarrie Grimmett, Jim Laker, Anil Kumble, Muttiah Muralidaran, Bill O’Reilly, Derek Underwood, Shane Warne.

Interesting World - Funny Pix

Donkey Language

A wise man, a renowned teacher, once publicly vowed that he would eradicate illiteracy and he would teach everyone to read.

Some mischievous boys brought a donkey to the teacher and asked him if he could teach the donkey to read.

The wise teacher stunned the students by taking up the challenge and said, “Give me the donkey for a month and I will teach it to read.”

The teacher went home and began to train his donkey to read. 

At first he put the donkey into the stable and gave him no food for some days. 

Then he found a thick book and put some food between the pages. 

In the beginning the teacher turned the pages and gave the donkey the food between the pages.

After a while the donkey learnt to turn the pages with his tongue to find and eat the food by itself. 

Each time when the donkey finished the book and found no more food between the pages it would bray: “Eee aah... Eee aah...Eee aah...”

Then the teacher would reward the donkey with some food.

Three days before the one month period was over the teacher stopped feeding the donkey.

For three full days he did not feed the donkey.

The poor starved and famished donkey, after fasting for three days without a morsel of food, was voraciously hungry.

On the fateful day when the whole school assembled to see the miracle of the donkey reading. 

The wise teacher brought the ravenously hungry donkey onto the stage. 

He asked for a big book and put it in front of the donkey.

The hungry donkey turned the first page of the book with its tongue and when it could not find any food the donkey brayed: “Eee aah... Eee aah...” 

Then the donkey turned one more page, and again not finding any food, it cried: “Eee aah... Eee aah...”

The famished donkey kept turning the pages of the book one by one with its tongue and when it could not find any food between the pages its braying grew louder and louder and soon the hapless donkey was turning the pages and shrieking in a loud voice: “Eee aah... Eee aah...” till it reached a crescendo.

Proud of his achievement the wise teacher gave a said to the gathering: “You all have seen that the donkey has turned the pages of the book and he read it.”

One of the naughty students asked: “But we could not understand anything.”

The wise teacher replied: “Of course you could not understand what the donkey read because it was donkey language. In order to understand it you have to learn donkey language. Come to me for tuition in the evening. I will teach you donkey language.”

Moral of the Story

If you want to communicate with a "donkey", you have to learn "donkey language". 

By VIKRAM KARVE