Smith snatches top spot from Sachin   - Agencies

Dubai, Mar 15: A prolific series in Bangladesh allowed South African captain Graeme Smith to dethrone Sachin Tendulkar from the top spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings. The left-hander was placed third in the rankings going into the three-match series against the minnows, but an aggregate of 199 runs not only won him the Player of the Series award but also earned him 39 ratings points which were enough for him to leapfrog Tendulkar as well as Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, who was placed second. Smith is ranked 14th in the Test rankings and would like to lead from the front when the Proteas start a three-Test tour of India later this month.
Tendulkar's stint at the top of the batting charts lasted less than two weeks. The 35-year-old had climbed to the top following his two match winning performances in the tri-series finals against Australia, which had pushed Ponting into second place. India's limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni held on to his 10th spot, while Yuvraj Singh is 17th.

It’s impossible to behave like a saint: Gilchrist   - Agencies

New Delhi, Mar 15: Taking a dig at Harbhajan Singh, just-retired Australian stumper Adam Gilchrist said it's impossible to ‘behave like a saint’ when a cricketer plays Test matches against one of the toughest opponents like India. Reacting to the Indian off-spinner's remarks that Gilchrist was ‘no saint’, the Australian said he never proclaimed to be a noble soul during a bitter battle of Test cricket.
"An off-spinner from Punjab said Adam is not a saint. There are no saints in Test cricket and I never proclaimed to be one. It's a hard-fought game there, lot of passion and emotion involved in it," Gilchrist said. The wicketkeeper-batsman, however, said that the players should stay within the limits while making personal attacks on rival cricketers.

'Dhoni & co gave significant lift to India'   - Agencies

New Delhi, Mar 15:: Celebrated cricket writer Peter Roebuck said the rise of limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his side marked the latest phase of India's elevation in world cricket. Roebuck said Dhoni and his young team-mates heralded a new era for Indian cricket, which has emerged as a force which wanted to prove its worth. "The first major stage was Sunil Gavaskar. He was seen as the voice of protest, 'we will do it the Indian way.' The next stage was Sachin Tendulkar, 'I am comfortable with what I am.' He is a great player who is graceful as well. The third phase was in Sydney Test with Dhoni, Irfan Pathan & Ishant Sharma.

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