CRICKET FUNDA

Andrew Flintoff rated Sachin Tendulkar's second innings Test century at Chennai against England as the batting maestro's career-best on Monday and termed his words of gratitude to the visitors for returning to India to play the series after the 26/11 terror strike in Mumbai as a extremely touching gesture. 

"The one that he scored in Chennai after the 26/11 attack in Mumbai," the 33-year-old former England all-rounder said when asked about the best century scored by the champion batsman in Test cricket. 

"We flew back and it was decided that we will play in Chennai. England were in a great position. And we thought we are going to win the Test match. But Sachin had other ideas. He scored a hundred. I am never good at losing. However, at that instance it was fitting that Sachin, who was from Mumbai, hit the winning runs," he said. 

"The best thing is after the game he thanked everyone of the English players for coming back to India. That was quite a poignant moment for me and rest of the boys," he said after interacting with aspiring cricketers in a promotional event. 

The England team returned home midway through the seven-match ODI series following the three-day terrorist siege of Mumbai before retuning to India to resume the tour and play in the Test series. 

Saluting Tendulkar's longevity in the game, Flintoff wished the batsman many more years of international cricket ahead. 

"He's an amazing man and a successful player. To play for so long as he has and to score so many runs as he has is amazing. He is somebody I have come to respect. I remember I had come to play for Lancashire Under-13. And he was making his Test debut. He was only four years older than me. But he has been playing since then. 

"I wanted to get him out. I wanted to impress him, get his respect. Good luck to him. Hope he doesn't stop at 50 (centuries) and goes on and on and on. He's been a good ambassador for the game," he added. 

On Tendulkar's comparison with legendary cricketer Don Bradman, he said, "Never played against Bradman. I don't know. It is wrong in sport to compare heroes. In modern day cricket, Sachin is the best." 

Flintoff said while the retirement of some of greats of the current crop of Indian cricketers would create a hole in the team, the country need not be bothered about it yet. 

"It is a big question. I think (especially) when they are still playing and Sachin (Tendulkar) is in the peak of his life, isn't he? He keeps scoring runs. He could carry on for a long time. 

"But you could possibly like Australia had (Matthew) Hayden, (Justin) Langer, ( Adam) Gilchrist, (Glenn) McGrath, (Shane) Warne all finished at the same time. It does leave a hole in the side and needs rebuilding process. 

"However, India are number one and playing fantastically well. I reckon they can carry on for as long as possible," he added. 

When it came to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, Flintoff rated the hosts as favourites for the event.

"I think the sub-continent sides are the favourites - India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka because of the conditions. However, England have also got a chance. Can't really count out Australia. But again I think India are going to be the favourites on home soil. 

"But they are under pressure as Indians expect India to do well all the time and that could be a daunting task," he said. 

Flintoff said though India were favourites, because of their number one tag in Test matches, facing the hosts in home condition would be a tough challenge in their forthcoming series against South Africa.

International cricket will show its support for people living with HIV and AIDS this week with leading players wearing red ribbons on their playing shirts in international matches to help celebrate World Aids Day as part of the Think Wise partnership.

Players and match officials will wear red ribbons in the ODI matches being played on 1 December (Wednesday) between Bangladesh-Zimbabwe, India-New Zealand and Sri Lanka-West Indies, as well as on the opening day of the Ashes Test match between Australia and England on 3 December (Friday). Further activities are also being held in South Africa.

In addition, Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralidaran will travel to Papua New Guinea this week to help take part in a variety of education and fundraising activities promoting World Aids Day.

Sri Lanka captain and Think Wise champion Kumar Sangakkara believes it is vital that cricketers show their support for the Think Wise initiative, a joint partnership between the ICC, UNAIDS, UNICEF and the Global Media AIDS Initiative that has been running since 2003.

The initiative aims to raise awareness around HIV prevention and eliminate discrimination against people living HIV and AIDS.

"It is very important because many people living with HIV live in cricket-playing countries. It is something that you cannot escape, no matter where we play and the lack of awareness and low sense of risk are some of the factors that contribute to high risk taking, making particularly young people in the 15-24 year age group vulnerable to infection," said Sangakkara.

"This lack of awareness is compounded by the discrimination that those living with HIV and AIDS undergo. It is therefore important to create awareness to stop the spread of the virus while also curbing discrimination and as international cricketers we can help to achieve this objective.

"The red ribbon that we wear symbolises our support for the cause to help those living with HIV and AIDS to live a full and productive life in society without giving up hope. It is a disease that we should fight by understanding how it spreads and encouraging people to talk about things like sexuality in their homes," added the Sri Lanka captain.

A new UNAIDS report shows that the world is beginning to reverse the spread of HIV. New HIV infections have fallen by nearly 20% in the last 10 years, AIDS-related deaths are down by nearly 20% in the last five years, and the total number of people living with HIV is stabilising.

The report gives new evidence that investments in HIV prevention are producing significant results in many of the highest burden countries. Despite these gains, an estimated 2.6 million people became newly infected with HIV and 1.8 million people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2009, and 33.3 million people were estimated to be living with HIV.

The focus for the Think Wise campaign for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 will be ‘Get the Facts, Protect Yourself'. The campaign will encourage young people to be informed, take appropriate action to prevent HIV infection and stand together against stigma and discrimination often facing people living with HIV and AIDS.

Players will also wear red ribbons in important matches at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, including the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.

South Africa skipper Graeme Smith, also a Think Wise champion, is delighted that that cricket will continue to show its public support for people living with HIV, particularly at the sport's flagship event.

"You only have to look at the statistics to understand why I am passionate, as the captain of South Africa, to raise awareness about HIV.

"Two million people die of AIDS-related deaths each year and nearly three-quarters of them come from Sub-Saharan Africa. These are people who watch me play cricket on television, support me in the stadium and this makes it all seem very real to me," said Smith

"If I can use my position as international cricketer to deliver important social messages, such as encouraging young people to use protection and wear a condom, and reduce the number of new infections then it is something that I am happy to do.

"By wearing a red ribbon we are sending a message to the millions of fans across the world that you shouldn't discriminate against people living with HIV," he added.

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has regained the top spot from India's Sachin Tendulkar in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after the top order batsman scored an impressive 150 against the West Indies in his side's drawn match at R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo.

The 33-year-old's 24th Test century, which came off 216 balls and included 12 fours and one six, lifting the Sri Lankan back to the top of the rankings and forcing Tendulkar into second place.

Joining Sangakkara in the top ten are two rising batsmen in the form of South Africa's AB de Villiers, the current ICC ODI Player of the Year, and England's Jonathan Trott, with both players entering the top ten of the Test batsmen rankings for the first time.

De Villiers had a strong first innings with the bat against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi scoring a record-breaking 287 not out to move up eight places to fifth while Trott's 29 and 135 not out against Australia in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane has seen the 29-year-old right-handed batsman rise to eighth position.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, India's Zaheer Khan's has risen to number three in the world, his highest ranking to date after figures of 4-90 against New Zealand in the second Test match at Hyderabad.

Australia's hat-trick hero Peter Siddle and England's Steven Finn have both climbed the rankings at the conclusion of the first Ashes Test. Siddle has risen to 14th after claiming 6-144 in the first Test at the Gabba while ICC Young Player of the Year Finn has broken into the top 20 in 19th place time after his six-wicket-haul.

There is no change in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders with South Africa's Jacques Kallis still leading the field. However Australia's Shane Watson has displaced England's Graeme Swann for fifth place in the all-rounders rankings after the 29-year-old Queenslander scored 77 runs and claimed 1-96 during the first Ashes Test.

Shakib Al Hasan on Monday joined an elite group of cricketers from across the world as he was announced the Think Wise campaign spokesperson for Bangladesh by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The campaign aims at raising awareness about HIV and AIDS in order to make a positive impact on the lives of young people across the world and helps to prevent new HIV infections.

The announcement came at a press briefing held Monday afternoon at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the presence of ICC, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), UNICEF and UNAIDS officials.

"I feel privileged to be a part of the Think Wise campaign. I have always had a desire to support and assist social causes because as a sportsperson I know how far-reaching an impact we can make in addressing key issues like HIV and AIDS, especially in developing countries like Bangladesh," said Shakib Al Hasan.

He also said that South Asia in particular is in danger of HIV and AIDS as the lack of awareness and general ignorance in the region is far greater than anywhere else.

"Because of the presence of HIV and AIDS in every continent, the game of cricket can be a very powerful force against social stigma, ignorance and discrimination - factors that contribute to increased vulnerability to HIV infection. The victims are usually very young. Today, I am joining the fight to save generations by inspiring them to think wise and to take the right decision," said Shakib, who is currently the leading all-rounder in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Rankings.

The Think Wise initiative builds on a long-term partnership between the ICC, the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), UNICEF and the Global Media AIDS Initiative (GMAI) that for more than seven years has reached out to the cricketing community to work together in responding to the global AIDS crisis.

The partnership seeks to educate cricket players, coaches, commentators, broadcasters, volunteers and spectators about the AIDS epidemic, particularly around prevention, and stigma issues as around 10 million people living with HIV are from Test-playing nations. This number accounts for more than a quarter of all the people across the world that are HIV-positive and a sizeable portion of these people live in South Asia.

The other Think Wise champions working to make a positive impact on the lives of young people across the world and helping to prevent new HIV infections through using the power of cricket are Nathan Bracken from Australia, Isa Guha from England, Kumar Sangakkara from Sri Lanka, Graeme Smith from South Africa, Virender Sehwag from India, as well as Stafanie Taylor and Ramnaresh Sarwan from the West Indies.