Home Blog Page 181

Top cricketers of all time

Cricketers have shown their extraordinary talents over the years and again and again. Therefore, it cannot be negotiated with the fact that cricket is one of the most exciting sports all over the world. Also, the skills required for playing cricket at a professional level are exceptional. Some players have shown their extraordinary talent and skills on the cricket pitch, making it an exceptional and extraordinary sport.

Cricketers are very popular across the globe, and some of them are believed to be highly talented, and you may find their names on Sports betting sites also. Today, we will list a few of the most popular cricketers of all time who have unmatched skill sets.

Ricky Ponting

Regarding the most popular players in the history of cricket, we can never forget the name of right-handed batsman Ricky Ponting. His cricket career lasted from 1995 to 2012; he scored 13,378 in the test and 13,304 runs in the ODI.

He played a total of 168 test matches and 370 5ODI matches. He is among the greatest captains of all time, and he was born on 19 December 1974. His fielding skills are extraordinary, and he had a bright 17-year international cricket career.

Kumar Sangakkara

Moving further in the list, there is another left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper, Kumar Sangakkara, who has noted his name in the history of cricket. His cricket career lasted from 2000 to 2015, and he made 12,400 runs in the test matches and a total of 134 test matches. During his career, he played 404 ODI matches and scored 14,234 in this line.

Shane Warne

Another great name in the history of cricket is Shane Warne. He is a right-arm leg break bowler, and he played between 1992 to 2007. He played a total of 145 test matches and took 708 wickets.

In his ODI career, he had 94 matches and took 293 total wickets. His skills lie in bowling, and his height is 6 feet. He made his debut in 1992 against India and retired from cricket in 2017 after recording his name among the best cricketers of all time.

Brian Lara

Brian Lara is a very popular cricketer who played between 1992 and 2007. He is a left-handed batsman and scored in 131 test matches, scoring 11,953 runs. In his ODI career, he played 299 matches and scored 10,405 runs which is a remarkable benchmark in the history of cricket.

He was born on 2 May 1969, and United States President Obama appreciated him. Although he had collaborations with multiple brands back then, one of the most remarkable matches was in 1999 when he scored 153 runs.

Wasim Akram

A bullet from Pakistan named Wasim Akram was also one of the most recorded remarkable names in cricket history. He’s a left-arm fast bowler and played between 1984 to 2003. He played a total of 104 test matches and took a total of 414 wickets. In his ODI career, he played 356 matches, taking 502 wickets.

He was the first bowler to achieve a target of 500 wickets in total in his ODI career, and he set the record in 2003 during the World Cup. He was also awarded the man of the match 17 times during his career and had four hat-tricks in his name.

Viv Richards

And it is another markable name in the history of cricket, and he took a total of 32 test match wickets scoring 8540 runs, and 118 ODI matches wickets scoring 6721 runs. He is a right-handed batting all-rounder, and he played between 1974 to 1991.

He is considered one of the best all-rounders in cricket and was born on 7 March 1952. He hailed from Britain, and his run rate was around 50.23 per evening in 121 of his matches played.

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is one of the most notable names in the history of cricket. He is a right-handed batsman and played between 1989 to 2013. He played 200 test matches, scoring 15,921 runs and 460 ODI matches, scoring about 18,426 runs. He is also called the best of all time in cricket history; therefore, he had 24 years of international cricket career.

He is the one who scores hundred centuries in the international series, and therefore, he is the best cricket player today. Also, some cricket boards regard him as the greatest batsman in history, and he was the fastest player to score 11,000 runs in test cricket matches.

How can you be a perfect player for a basketball game?

Basketball is a game that requires excellence and perfection in the players. If any of the players are not perfectly playing, it can damage the real target of the team. The team may not even be able to qualify for the first level of the game if it does not have perfect players. So, if you want to join a basketball team, you need to develop yourself into a personality that is quite suitable for this game.

To do so, you must learn a few of the most important details associated with the game. With the details of the game, you can become a perfect suit for the basketball game and join any team.

Check your interest!

Before becoming a part of any basketball club, you must develop an appropriate mindset. It is because none of the games will become easy for you if you are not even mentally prepared for the same. So, first, check if you are interested in the particular game.

For instance, basketball is a game that requires utmost dedication if you want to become a professional player. So, first, check your abilities and try to think over and over again if you are going to be wholly dedicated to watching the game.

Things you can do!

Once you have decided to enter a basketball career, you must make sure you know about things you can do. Anyone is not perfectly fit and fine to enter into the game. They have to be perfect for the same. You can also do so by following a few of the steps. But if you are interested in sports betting, you can try betting on basketball online. Fighting sports are also great to bet on. So, you must consider the ufc fight schedule when wagering.

First, you need to know what you can do to make yourself a perfect match for any basketball team. Then, we will provide details regarding what you can do to prepare your body for the basketball game.

1. Create a healthy diet – Before you go to practice for the basketball team, the first thing you have to do is to create a healthy diet. Dieting is crucial but does not refer to eating less. Instead, it refers to eating right.

You must prepare your body for the basketball game, which can be done by adequately managing your diet. You have to take the appropriate amount of nutrients that are required by the basketball player so that you can stay in the game for longer.

2. Build your cardio – Cardio is quite a crucial part of the basketball game because the game can go on as long as for a long time. Therefore, you need to have adequate strength along with the card so that your body is entirely fit and acceptable for the game. In addition, make sure that you build your routine of working out.

Develop your cardiovascular system so you can also increase the demand for strength in your body. If your cardio does not work correctly, even your skills will not be of any use to you.

3. Set concrete targets – Targets are crucial if you are willing to become a professional player in basketball. You need to identify your weaknesses as well as your strengths.

Make sure to work on your weak areas to become a perfect match for any of the basketball teams you are willing to join. For that, you have to set some concrete targets and strictly follow them.

4. Play small-sided games – Even though you have been playing a lot on the central basketball court, there is always much room for improvement. Therefore, you can also start playing small-sided games to improve your areas where you lag far behind the team.

These are the small tournaments organized by small organizations like the Red Bull 3X combine, and these tournaments can help you to develop your skills much better.

If you make yourself completely prepared to follow the things mentioned above, perhaps becoming a player of professional caliber will not be difficult for you. Moreover, you will learn many things about a basketball career with the above things.

Bottom line

No one is born with the skills they use in the basketball game. It is developed over time. It requires a lot of dedication and practice. You have to be dedicated entirely to your practice and games to reach the expert level of playing basketball.

You have to be patient and not give up if you feel the small targets. Your ultimate target is to reach the perfection of basketball gaming, which will take some time.

What Does Ireland Need To Do To Make The Next World Cup?

It has been a long time since Ireland last participated in the World Cup finals. This year marks 20 since Ireland’s last appearance at the premier soccer event on the calendar, as they famously reached the round of 16.

 

Of course, that tournament in South Korea and Japan was contentious for a number of different reasons, which included the fact that Roy Keane walked out on the team before a ball was even kicked.

 

However, this year, the Irish will once again need to sit back and watch a number of the home nations participate in the World Cup odds, as they failed to make it out of the group stages and set up a shot in a playoff tie. But, what must Ireland do over the coming months and years to ensure that they stand a chance of making it through to the World Cup in 2026?

 

Build A Younger Squad

 

One thing that Ireland has constantly been guilty of over the past 20 years is building the national side around older players. That has hindered the progression of some of the brightest players, and meant that the FAI have lost talented players such as Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, who both opted to represent England instead. There is certainly evidence that Stephen Kenny is looking to amend that, as there is a younger field about the squad that played in a recent international fixture against Ukraine.

 

Players such as Nathan Collins and Dara O’Shea are forming a new defensive partnership, while midfielders such as Jayson Molumby and Jason Knight are both under the age of 25 and playing regularly for their club sides. Ireland also has an exciting crop of younger strikers available these days, which means that Michael Obafemi and Troy Parrott may be given extended runs in the team throughout qualification to get experience playing for Ireland.

 

The signs at this stage are encouraging, but they must be transferred into positive results in order for Kenny to have the time to try and gain qualification to the World Cup in four years time.

 

Solid EURO Qualification Campaign

 

Before the campaign to try and get to the World Cup gets underway, Ireland will first aim to reach the European Championship finals for the third time in four editions of the competition.

 

Ireland was unlucky in their bid to make it to the Eurostwo years ago, as they eventually fell in the playoff round. However, their record at that stage of the competition has improved in recent efforts, as they managed to get through the playoffs to qualify for both the 2012 and 2016 Euros.

 

The draw for the qualification campaign is yet to be made, but Ireland will be aware that they will be drawn alongside at least one heavyweight in the European game. Ireland were unfortunate when it came to their World Cup qualification campaign, as they were drawn alongside both Portugal and Serbia. Therefore, they will need a little bit of luck to help them gain qualification to the EUROs, which could help them become a higher seed for the World Cup qualification after the tournament in Germany.

 

There were positive signs in the previous qualification campaign, as Ireland managed to record draws against Portugal and Serbia, but poor results such as the draw against Azerbaijan and the defeat Luxembourg were ultimately costly in their pursuit of chasing Portugal for the second position in the group.

 

Those costly defeats have been very evident with Ireland in previous campaign, which has ultimately meant that they haven’t been able to challenge for top two places in the groups. Amending these slip-ups will be a key factor when it comes to qualifying for major tournaments in the future.

 

Players That Could Have Key Roles

 

Scoring goals has been a problem for Ireland throughout recent qualification campaigns, and that was evidence once again in World Cup qualification, as they scored just eleven goals in eight games. Among those was a 0-0 draw against Portugal, where Ireland created more than enough chances to land the win.

 

Limited first team opportunities for Troy Parrott could limit his chances for the national side, which means forwards such as Adam Idah and Aaron Connolly may get more of an opportunity.

 

Connolly certainly looks to be the future of the national side, as the 21-year-old moved to Venezia on loan to get more minutes after falling down the pecking order at Brighton & Hove Albion. The striker made just four Premier League appearances last term, but impressed on loan at Middlesbrough in the second half of the season, scoring twice in 18 games.

 

Idah also looks to get more minutes this season with Norwich back in the Championship after impressing towards the end of their Premier League campaign last term. The forward scored his first Premier League goal towards the end of the season, and could be set to be a big player for the Canaries as they search for another promotion back to the top-flight.

 

Double gold for Ireland at Para-Cycling Road World Championships

Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal won gold. Credit: @CyclingIreland.

At the Para-Cycling Road World Championships in Baie-Comeau, Canada, on Sunday, Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal won gold in the tandem road race.

Josephine Healion and Linda Kelly also took bronze in the tandem, while Ronan Grimes took bronze in the men’s C4 road race.

Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal were winning an incredible sixth World Championship title, with Dunlevy stating:

“I’m absolutely over the moon. It’s our sixth World Championship medal and it’s as special as the first and you know we lost the titles last year so it’s great to that back to bring to Ireland.”

Josephine Healion and Linda Kelly, who were competing at this level for the first time, took the bronze medal in the tandem road race.

The battle for bronze was between Ireland and Poland but 15 metres from the finish line the timing chain came off on the Irish bike. Healion and Kelly had done enough, however, to see them cross the finish line to claim a spot on the podium.

Ronan Grimes struck gold for Ireland in the C4 road race. The Irish cyclist, who claimed a bronze medal in the time trial two days earlier, came out best in a five-rider sprint for the finishing line.

“Today everything seemed to go right,” admitted Grimes. “It was a hard race and a long sprint to the link which you know which played into my hands perfectly today.”

O’Donovan & McCarthy win European Championships gold

Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy won gold at the European Championships. Image provided by Rowing Ireland.

Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy have done it again, winning gold in the LM2x at the European Championships.

The West Cork duo have continued their success streak, adding more silverware to their collection.

O’Donovan and McCarthy made their usual solid start placing them in the middle of the field. Their second half of the race saw them consistently find the speed to pull through every crew ahead.

The Swiss double went out hard, leading to the 1 kilometre and holding onto the Irish coming into the last quarter. In the end, they just couldn’t keep up with the Cork duo, dropping back into third position crossing the line.

Aoife Casey (UCC RC) in the A Final of the LW1x just missed out on the medals by a mere 1.4 seconds.

The PR2 Mix2x of Katie O’Brien (Galway RC) and Steven McGowan (Galway RC) put in a strong showing in their A Final, finishing in fourth position.

In an extremely tight race, the Lightweight Women’s Double of Margaret Cremen and Lydia Heaphy finished just outside of the medals in fourth position.

Michael Murphy & Cleverboy win second bronze medal at FEI Para Dressage World Championships

A few days after winning his first ever World Championship medal, Michael Murphy won a second bronze medal in Denmark.

In the Grade I Freestyle Individual Championship at the ECCO FEI World Para Dressage Championships at Herning in Denmark Murphy and Cleverboy achieved a second podium finish this week.

A score of 78.387% in Sunday’s Freestyle To Music Grand Prix with the 15-year-old gelding Cleverboy saw them claim a second bronze medal of the Championships.

Italy’s Sara Morganti took the gold medal with a score of 80.653 %, while silver went to Latvia’s Rihards Snikus on a score of 78.400%.

Horse Sport Ireland Para Dressage High Performance Director, Debora Pijpers said:

“I am very proud of how all four Irish Para Dressage combinations presented themselves this World Championships. Highlights were absolutely Michael Murphy and Cleverboy obtaining a historical bronze medal in the individual competition and a bronze medal again in the Freestyle (Grade I), with a gap of 0,013% separating them from a silver medal.

“The aim for the team result was to achieve a top 12 position, so I’m very pleased with the 9th position and the promising scores (76,072%, 69,824%, 67,975%) that contributed to this. I feel that each rider as an individual but also our team has grown from all valuable experiences in Tokyo last year. We are very happy with the results now and we are motivated and inspired to develop and improve our team further!”

Irish Show Jumping team 4th at World Championships but qualify for Paris Olympics 2024

Bertram Allen and The Irish Sport Horse Pacino Amiro in action. Credit: Helen Cruden. Image provided by Horse Sport Ireland (HSI).

Michael Blake’s Irish Show Jumping team of Denis Lynch, Bertram Allen, Cian O’Connor and Daniel Coyle, claimed one of the five coveted places on offer for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris by finishing fourth in the ECCO FEI World Show Jumping Championships in Herning, Denmark

Ireland climbed from overnight ninth place to finish fourth overall and take one of the five Olympic places on offer – and at the finish, missed out on the bronze medal by just one penalty.

Just the top 10 teams from the 22 that started the week made it through to the final under floodlights. Ireland starting in ninth place overall, carrying forward a score of 17.15 penalties from the first two rounds held on Wednesday and Thursday.

Tipperary’s Denis Lynch was first to jump with his Rome Grand Prix winner Brooklyn Heights. The World No.25 produced an excellent round, jumping clear over the fences, picking up just one time fault over what was proving a very difficult course.

Wexford’s Bertram Allen then gave Ireland another boost when he jumped an outstanding clear round with The Irish Sport Horse Pacino Amiro. Those rounds from Lynch and Allen moved Ireland up five places to fourth with two riders left to jump for each of the 10 teams.Third to go for Ireland, Meath’s Cian O’Connor and C Vier 2 were clear until the penultimate combination where they had one fence down and picked up one time fault for a five fault score. That score from O’Connor would prove crucial.

Derry’s Daniel Coyle had a couple of fences down with Legacy, after which Coyle decided to retire knowing he couldn’t improve Ireland’s score.Sweden claimed a well-deserved team gold medal after finishing on a score of just 7.69. Netherlands took silver on 19.31 while Britain just pipped Ireland for bronze on 22.66 seconds.

Ireland in fourth had a final score of 23.15, while Germany took the last Olympic qualifying place on a score of 24.76.Irish team manager Michael Blake said:“Obviously we are delighted to take an Olympic qualification place at the very first opportunity as it now gives us two full years to prepare for the Games. It is slightly bittersweet as we came so close to winning a medal.

Horse Sport Ireland CEO Denis Duggan added:“Huge congratulations to Michael Blake and his team on a fantastic performance at the World Championships and in gaining Olympic qualification. To qualify here at the very first opportunity against all of the top teams in the world, is hugely significant, as it gives us as much time as possible to prepare for Paris.”

Bronze for Michael Murphy & Cleverboy at ECCO FEI Para-Dressage World Championships

Pictured left to right, Debora Pijpers (HPD Para-Dressage), Patrick Murphy, Sue Murphy, John Murphy, Denis Duggan (CEO Horse Sport Ireland) and Michael Murphy, Bronze Medallist World Championships 2022.

Michael Murphy won Ireland’s first medal at the ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning, Denmark, where he claimed bronze position with his mount Cleverboy in the Grade I competition.

Speaking after the prize giving Michael Murphy said:

“He’s an amazing horse to go from competing at Grand Prix level dressage to a walk test takes a special horse and he is, he’s amazing! He took it all in his stride and I want to thank my trainer Elder Klatzko for getting me here and for getting Cleverboy here looking and feeling so well and to his owner Bronte Watson”

The Para-Dressage High Performance Director, Debora Pijpers said:

“Today was an exciting and very good first day of competition here at the World Championships. Michael Murphy rode a very active and sparkling test and really showed the quality of his Cleverboy. With a score of 74,143% he won a historical bronze medal for Ireland in Grade I. I’m very proud of Michael and Cleverboy and his support team. They all showed true sportsmanship and have given it their very best. I want to sincerely thank Sport Ireland, Horse Sport Ireland, Para Equestrian Ireland, and Paralympics Ireland for all their support!”

Horse Sport Ireland Chief Executive, Denis Duggan, said:

“This was an outstanding performance from Michael and Cleverboy against the very best in the world. Huge congratulations to Michael, Sue, Debora and the entire team here in Herning. It has been a hugely successful few weeks for HSI’s High Performance teams on the back of last weekend’s team gold medals in Pony Showjumping and Eventing. Today was the first day of the Para dressage and Showjumping competitions here at the World Championships and I would like to wish all competitors the very best of luck in the coming days.”

Michael Murphy and Cleverboy represented Ireland at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 where they achieved 4th position, Michael has also represented Ireland at many international events including the Para Dressage European Championships in 2019.

What Would Happen If Sports Betting Gets Banned in Ireland?

Sports betting has been legal in Ireland for centuries. The laws around it are currently being covered in the betting act 2015.

Among many things, this act states that online bookmakers that are taking bets from Irish players are required to have a license from the Irish Revenue Commissioner. This is a regulatory body that is expected to be replaced by a full-fledged gambling authority sometime in 2022.

The purpose of these regulatory bodies is to ensure the Irish government benefits from the bookmakers and to protect its residents from things such as false or excessive advertising. When the new gambling authority launches, sports betting sites will be required to follow certain rules and procedures, which in addition to those mentioned, may include the following:

Responsible gaming must be promoted via various tools.
Bookies must offer low minimum deposit limits.
Players may only use a certain number of bonuses.

While the new regulatory body is being introduced to combat an increasing number of young residents that end up with a gambling addiction, there are people who believe a total ban on sports betting would be for the better. But what exactly would happen if a full ban was enforced in a country where betting is such widespread past time? Let’s discuss!

Problem Gamblers May Decrease

According to a publication made by the Health Research Board in Ireland in February this year, the country suffers from 12,000 problem gamblers. Additionally, 90,000 more are considered to experience a moderate level of difficulties from their gambling habits.

If sports betting is banned in Ireland, we may or may not see a decrease in problem gamblers. You might think that a ban would be certain to lead to a reduction, but the matter is not as black and white.

If a ban on sports betting only means a ban on companies offering the service, this would not necessarily limit the accessibility to betting as there would still be plenty of options available. There would not be any physical betting shops in Ireland and there would not be any online bookies operating from within the country. Even if they existed underground, they would be easy for the police to crack down on.

However, these days, there are hundreds of online bookmakers operating in jurisdictions such as Curacao where Irish laws do not apply. Furthermore, the licensing entity in Curacao is not required to, and as far as we know, would not care to control if its bookmakers abide by the laws in Ireland.

Thus, we may not see a reduction in the number of people betting if a ban is introduced, but only a shift in the platform people is using to bet on. Hence, problem gambling would remain as much of an issue.

We believe, the only way the number of people betting would noticeably decrease is if individuals were penalized for their betting. But even then, it is questionable how big the reduction would be.

Parallels can be drawn to drug use where Portugal is a perfect example. In 2001, they decriminalized all drugs. If the logic is that harsher laws lead to a decreased usage and softer laws to an increase, the country would see a spike in users. However, according to a research report from 2007, this connection has not been as clear, showing that heroin usage went down, while cannabis usage went up.

Players Would Be Less Protected

With the current legal landscape and the way Ireland is heading with its new gambling authority, the government can put strict regulations on bookmakers that protect players.

For instance, requiring players to set deposit limits, training operators to pay notice to problematic betting patterns and controlling how the companies market themselves. All of which could reduce problem gambling. Not to mention, ensuring that players are paid their winnings no matter what.

However, if sports betting is banned, this regulation would go away. Only unlicensed bookmakers and those with a questionable license from jurisdictions such as Curacao would remain. These bookmakers are either not regulated at all or don’t have as stringent regulation as that of the Irish government. Thus, they would not offer the same level of protection, putting players at a greater risk.

Of course, even with sports betting being legal, these inferior bookies remain. However, via information and by controlling the flow of marketing within the country, the regulator body can steer players in the right direction. In other words, have them bet with the trusted bookmakers that are licensed in Ireland.

Fewer Tax Profits and More Costs

With the current regulation, Irish bookmakers are required to pay tax in Ireland. Furthermore, it is proposed that the new gambling authority will require sports betting sites to contribute to a “Social Impact Fund”. In other words, the government is making money off the bookies which can be used to help problem gamblers and benefit the country in other ways.

However, if a ban is enforced, all this money would go away. Online bookies that are situated in jurisdictions such as Curacao do not pay tax in Ireland. So, if the problem gamblers would remain the same, we would have the same issues without the funds to combat them or help those in need.

Furthermore, if individuals would be penalized for their gambling as suggested before, this would be an additional cost to society. How would we keep track of people betting? It sounds to us like a huge project that would require a lot of money to fund.

Of course, one could argue that this cost would be covered by the fines bettors have to pay. But then the question arises, exactly how big should these fines be and if they are really big, what is worse? Having people betting with some becoming addicted and spending too much, or, having people betting with some having to pay enormous fines?

Let us know what you think in the comments below!

New Zealand name team to play South Africa on Saturday night

New Zealand head coach Ian Foster has named his side for the second Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship Test against South Africa at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.

Uncapped tighthead prop Fletcher Newell has been introduced to the match-day 23 as front row cover, while props Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax have been named in the run-on side. They are joined by hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho, while 69-Test veteran Codie Taylor returns to the match-day 23 as cover.

Blindside flanker Shannon Frizell has also been moved into the run-on side after being used as an impact player during the first Test in Mbombela, marking his 14th appearance in the No.6 jersey. In the back row, he is joined by Ardie Savea and captain Sam Cane who will surpass Jerome Kaino (81) as the third-most capped All Black loose forward in Tests.

The only change made to the backline is at first-five eighths. Richie Mo’unga will run out in the No.10 jersey for the first time this season, as he closes in on Carlos Spencer (291) for sixth place on the All Blacks all-time points-scoring list.

“Belief and confidence remain high in our group, which is working incredibly hard this week,” said Foster. “Playing at Ellis Park is always a special occasion for any All Black team, and this weekend will be no different.

“Adding to that, the Freedom Cup is on the line which makes this a challenge that everyone is looking forward to.”

All Blacks match-day 23 (Test caps in brackets):

1.Ethan de Groot (5)

2.Samisoni Taukei’aho (12)

3.Tyrel Lomax (15)

4.Sam Whitelock (135)

5.Scott Barrett (51)

6.Shannon Frizell (18)

7.Sam Cane © (81)

8.Ardie Savea (63)

9.Aaron Smith (106)

10.Richie Mo’unga (36)

11.Caleb Clarke (6)

12.David Havili (17)

13.Rieko Ioane (51)

14.Will Jordan (16)

15.Jordie Barrett (40)

16.Codie Taylor (69)

17.George Bower (15)

18.Fletcher Newell * New Cap

19.Tupou Vaa’i (13)

20.Akira Ioane (15)

21.Finlay Christie (7)

22.Beauden Barrett (105)

23.Quinn Tupaea (10)