Top 10 Sports Events.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans, France

Skill, speed, and stamina are the three s’s that mark the world’s best automobile race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The race, organized by Automobile Club de L’Ouest, bridges past and present on the automotive circuit.

The competition is set on a non-permanent track at Circuit de la Sarthe near the city of Le Mans on the Sarthe River. Roughly 46 cars start the race, in a series of classes that include prototype high-performance vehicles, dedicated race cars, and street cars. The diversity of autos gives the race a mix of old-fashioned and modern competitors. The winner is the car, driven by a team of three drivers, that covers the greatest distance in 24 hours.

The first Le Mans contest took place in May 1923; today it is held every June. The race begins at 4 p.m., and for 24 hours the sound of roaring engines fills 8 miles (13 kilometers) of French countryside.

The Olympic Games

It’s hard to imagine that Zeus and the other gods lording over ancient Greece ever envisioned the global event the modern Olympiad has become. For a two-week span, athletes from dozens of countries compete against each other in scores of different sports. And that’s just the Summer Games, which began their modern run in the late 1800s. The Winter Games, featuring sports that largely require snow and ice, draw a smaller field of competitors. But the competition for the gold, silver, and bronze is just as intense. Remember Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan?

National rivalries are varied. Consider the United States hockey team winning the gold over the favored Soviets in 1980; Jamaica’s jubilant 1988 bobsled team overcoming long odds to win hearts, not medals; or Argentina beating America’s 2004 “Dream Team” and going on to capture the gold in basketball. Even the competition among national Olympic committees to host the games is fierce, with bribery accusations and investigations becoming, sadly, the norm in sports news over the last several years.

Still the games must go on; to be sure that they do, the International Olympic Committee decided to stagger the Winter and Summer Games. So during every even-numbered year, runners will bear the torch that eventually lights the Olympic flame somewhere in the world.

World Cup Soccer

Thirty-two nations play, but billions of people in countries all around the world drop everything they’re doing for a month every four years to see who claims the title of World Cup soccer champion.

The teams that compete in the World Cup finals are those that emerge from a series of qualifying rounds played out over the prior three years. The tournament of tournaments is therefore a showcase of the finest squads from across the continents and hemispheres.

It’s during the finals that the intense challenge begins. First, in a series of first-round games, each team plays the three rivals in its opening bracket. Teams get three points for each win, one point for a tie, and zero for a loss. The top two teams in the bracket then move on to the single-game elimination rounds, with victorious teams proceeding though quarterfinal and semifinal rounds before the final championship match.

All the while the world’s gaze is squarely fixed on the matches and the festival atmosphere in the stands. Chanting, singing, flag-waving, and superstitions are all part of the carnival that ensues.

Since the first World Cup tournament took place in 1930, the most dominant team has been Brazil. Winner of five championships since 1958, the greatest Brazilian teams were led by perhaps the most famous soccer player ever, Pele.

Rivalries are often fierce and deeply rooted: Two of the many in the sport are between England and Argentina, and one that has recently emerged between neighbors—Mexico and the United States.

4   The Super Bowl, United States

The Super Bowl is so big that even the commercials are worth watching. The first Super Bowl (held in January 1967) was played to plenty of empty seats and a waning TV audience. But now Super Bowl Sundays, progressively marked with Roman numerals, are the most celebrated one-game professional championship on the 12-month Gregorian calendar.

The Super Bowl concludes a 16-game regular season, and three postseason play-off rounds. It pits the top team from the American Football Conference against the top team from the National Football Conference for the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy (not to mention diamond-studded rings for players, coaches, and front office “suits”). The Sunday evening spectacle is preceded by two weeks of parties and pre-game hype.

The National Basketball Association Finals, United States

The NBA Finals. Showtime and the “Ghosts of the Garden.” Rockets and Knicks, Spurs and Pistons. The National Basketball Association’s finals are a showdown of stars and teams for the ages. It takes four games to win, but at least 93 games to get there. And the teams that do bring a lot of glitter with them. Movie stars in front-row seats. Cheerleaders that resemble Las Vegas show girls in high-energy dance routines. The see-and-be-seen spectacle ringing the court is as intriguing as the game itself.

Pro basketball has changed radically over the last four decades. The three-point shot, the slam-dunk, a pendulum swing against defense makes NBA ball a high-scoring, acrobatic affair. What hasn’t changed is the prize, the right to be crowned world champion.

The Masters, United States

The green jacket. That’s all one has to say. The brainchild of legends Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, the first Masters was held in 1934. It was called Augusta National Invitation Tournament for the first five years of its existence before the name changed to what it is today. Unlike other sports championships and showcase events, the Masters remains steeped in tradition and continuity. The four-day stroke playing of 18 holes each day instead of the formerly customary 36 holes on the third day is still the rule.

Jones and Roberts left indelible images on the sport. But it was in the 1950s that legends and superstars took over the game. A pair of victories by Ben Hogan, and the first of four for Arnold Palmer made those two players the best known in America. The 1960s marked the arrival of the “Golden Bear,” Jack Nicklaus, who became the first Masters champion to repeat in consecutive years. Today, the average winning score is eight under par. The setting at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, provides a lush, southern scenery that is unmatched at courses around the world.

The green jacket. That’s all one has to say. The brainchild of legends Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, the first Masters was held in 1934. It was called Augusta National Invitation Tournament for the first five years of its existence before the name changed to what it is today. Unlike other sports championships and showcase events, the Masters remains steeped in tradition and continuity. The four-day stroke playing of 18 holes each day instead of the formerly customary 36 holes on the third day is still the rule.

Jones and Roberts left indelible images on the sport. But it was in the 1950s that legends and superstars took over the game. A pair of victories by Ben Hogan, and the first of four for Arnold Palmer made those two players the best known in America. The 1960s marked the arrival of the “Golden Bear,” Jack Nicklaus, who became the first Masters champion to repeat in consecutive years. Today, the average winning score is eight under par. The setting at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, provides a lush, southern scenery that is unmatched at courses around the world.

Polo at Palermo, Argentina

Argentine polo is considered the best in the world, and it’s no wonder the Argentine Open Championship is the top draw for the sport’s best players and most knowledgeable fans. The tournament, first known as the River Plata Polo Championship, takes place between late November and early December. First held in 1893, the tournament is older than the tango.

In 1923, the new Argentine Polo Association moved to the field in Palermo, where polo has been played ever since. The host country usually dominates, given that Argentines have dominated the sport since the end of World War II.

The Argentine Open is played in the Catedral, the grounds in the chic Palermo neighborhood of the capital city. The sport was introduced in Argentina by English ranchers, but it soon became the domain of the Argentine gauchos, cowboys, who were expert and skilled in a similar game called pato. Observers of modern global sport competitions insist that true polo aficionados must attend the Argentine Polo Open at least once in their lives.

Wimbledon, England

Center court. Grass surfaces. Strawberries and cream. What better way to spend a fortnight in old London Town? Wimbledon at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club. Located in southwest London, this grand spectacle is one of the four tennis tournaments that make up the grand slam.

Wimbledon is considered to be the most prestigious, largely because of its setting and surrounding pomp. It’s the only major tournament played on a natural turf surface.

Wimbledon has figured prominently in the history of tennis and in its development into the egalitarian and highly skilled sport that so many millions enjoy. Originally created in France during the 12th century, the sport took its modern form in Britain during the 1800s. In 1874, Walter Clopton Wingfield patented his game of lawn tennis in London, and three years later, Wimbledon, the first of the major tournaments, was created.

The setting at Wimbledon and its history only magnifies the match-ups on the grass courts. Connors versus Borg. Evert and Navratilova. Agassi and Sampras. Venus versus Serena. The winner on center court holds a trophy to show who has reached the mountaintop, and perhaps a number one ranking in the world tennis order.

World Series, United States

Home runs and chilly nights. Pitching duels and seventh-game thrillers. A century’s worth of the World Series has seen all that and much, much more. The Fall Classic is more than a sporting event; it’s a fixture on the American cultural landscape. Grandfathers and grandmothers remember Don Larsen’s perfect game in 1956. Fathers and mothers recall the amazing Mets of 1969. And sons and daughters have grown up with another New York Yankees dynasty.

To get to the series, each of the 32 teams in the major leagues must endure a 162-game season, followed by three playoff rounds. The first is a best-of-five series, followed by two best-of-seven series. The World Series engenders nostalgia, too, stretching from the hopeful days of April and spring, through the doggedly hot days of summer, before reaching the apex in the autumn winds of October, when heroics on the mound and in the batter’s box prove decisive.

The Grand National, England

Stamina and speed make the Grand National’s steeplechase the world’s most renowned horse race. First held in 1839, the three-day meet is held in Britain’s Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool. The Grand National pits as many as 40 horses against each other on a 4.5-mile (7-kilometer) course replete with obstacles.

The challenges presented by the steeplechase require the competing horses and jockeys to demonstrate a variety of riding skills. The horses and riders have to successfully jump a total of 30 fences, made more difficult by a six-foot-wide ditch on the take-off side. After the final fence is cleared, the first horse to reach the finish line in a 494-yard (451-meter) sprint wins the race.

The Grand National takes place every April, and captures the attention of Britain like no other event in the country’s sporting calendar. The first event, Opening Day, brings a crowd of 26,000 spectators to Aintree for the start of the racing cycle. The second day, known as Ladies Day, combines sport with fashion and is considered the highlight of northern England’s social season. The Grand National is held on the final day, completing the three-day extravaganza of sport and culture.

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Highest paid football players in Europe

These are the five highest paid footballers in Europe. List below cited the annually salary of these top football players in their clubs. .

No.1 Samuel Eto'o

After he's moved from Inter Milan to FC Anzhi Makhachkala he becomes the highest paid footballers in History. Etoo will earn £ 17.9 million a year after tax for a 3 year deal.

No.2 Cristiano Ronaldo

 

He advertised for big names such as Coca-Cola, Nike, Armani and many more that improves his total earning per year. But his salary at Real Madrid is about £11 millions in year that bring him to second place on list of highest paid football players in Europe. No.3 Lionel Messi The little guy, but with gifted skills in football at moment he is the best player in World. However, his salary whit Barcelona per year, it's about £9 million in dollars ($16million). But, his total earning in year is more because of deals with PepsiCo, Adidas, etc. No.4 Wayne Rooney

After handed a transfer request and afraid to quit Old Trafford, Manchester United improved his salary annually around £8 million in dollars (15 Millions).

No.5 Ricardo Kaka

The Brazilian Super star, He moved from AC Milan to Real Madrid had enhanced his annually salary at £7 millions in dollars (13millions).

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Top 10 Tallest Cricketers Of All Time

10) Ishant Sharma (India) – 6′ 5″

Ishant is fondly called ‘Lambu’ or ‘Tall’ by his friends and family members back home in Delhi and they have a fair reason to call him so. Born on September 2, 1988 in the Indian capital, Ishant plays for them in the Ranji Trophy but has featured in the IPL for Kolkata and Hyderabad in the last four years.

With a physique and attitude that reminds many of a young Javagal Srinath, he has a high arm delivery action and is not a swinger of the ball but depends a lot on pace and movement off the seam.

Ishant Sharma made his Test debut against Bangladesh in May 2007 in Dhaka and his ODI debut was against South Africa in Belfast the same year. But it was not until the tour of Australia in December 2007 that the world saw the ‘real’ Ishant Sharma. He caught the attention of everyone in the Test series, with greats such as former Australian captain Steve Waugh calling him ‘the next best thing in Indian cricket’ while Adam Gilchrist in what was his last Test series for Australia, described his bowling as ‘lethal’. His menacing spell to the then Australian skipper Ricky Ponting at the WACA, Perth was the talk of the nation in the days to come and proved the stuff he was made of.

He continued to impress in the one-day series, clocking more than 150kph once, and ended as India’s highest wicket-taker in the triumphant campaign. These performances were crucial in earning him a place in the Kolkata Knight Riders roster in the first 3 years of the IPL, and being an 18-year old he was auctioned for $950,000, which was the highest paid for any bowler in the world then.

His performances were consistent in the next 12 months that followed the Australia tour, with South Africans too facing his pace with not much success and Australia again suffered, when they came on the return trip to India with Ishant winning the man-of-the-series award with 15 wickets in 4 Tests, being only the second Indian fast bowlers to win that award after Kapil Dev in India. But come 2009 and his form slumped to a huge extent as he lost his potent weapon – pace and since then has struggled to return to what he was on his debut.

Though, Ishant Sharma had a wonderful 2011 ending with 43 wickets in Tests being the second highest wicket-taker in the world after Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal. He has immense talent in him to be India’s permanent bowling spearhead in the absence of Zaheer Khan and having played 43 Tests and picked 131 wickets, to pick the likes of batters such as Ricky Ponting 8 times and Michael Clarke 6 times is no mean achievement. The only obstacle in his success would be a poor record in the shorter formats of the game as he only has 64 wickets in 47 ODIs at a poor economy rate of 5.72.

There are several other cricketers such as Will Jefferson from England who has a massive height of 6 feet 10 inches but is a county cricketer and so has not been considered in this list. While international cricket has seen other tall players such as Steve Harmison, Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles and Glenn McGrath in the contemporary era. But the above mentioned 10 cricketers are said to be the tallest ever when it comes to playing cricket as of now, even as this list could see some changes in the years to come.

9) Morne Morkel (South Africa) – 6′ 5″

Morne Morkel, the younger brother of allrounder Albie, is an out-and-out fast bowler who has not just the height but also a tremendous amount of pace to trouble the best of batsmen.

Morne Morkel was born in Vereeniging, Transvaal on October 6, 1984 and made his first-class debut in 2003-04, earning promotion to the Nashua Titans in the 2006 domestic season. A certain Allan Donald, ‘The White Lightening’ marked him out as a national-level player of the future with high praise for the gawky fast bowler’s ability to extract bounce and bowl genuinely fast.

The highlight of the 2006-07 home season was India’s tour of South Africa and Morkel used the opportunity to play for Rest of South Africa against the tourists to achieve a spot in the Test sdie. On the opening day of the four-day fixture at Potchefstroom, Morkel ripped through the Indian top order with 4 for 29. That showing earned him a Test call-up which he was aiming for, and he made his debut in the second Test at Durban when Dale Steyn was ruled out, showing good application in an unbeaten 32, shepherding his fellow tail-enders, and pushing South Africa on to a score that seemed scarcely probable earlier in the match. He added three quick wickets on day three to help South Africa to a fantastic win, but missed out on the final Test at Cape Town.

He did have a quite 2008 but then roared back into form the following year with the home series against England being one of the highlights as Morkel famously got the wicket of the obdurate Ian Bell in the second last over of the final day of the Cape Town Test match and consequently, South Africa won to draw level the series.

Since then, he has formed the best new-ball pair in the contemporary era with Dale Steyn, especially in Tests and that has been the main reason why South Africa is ranked in the top 3 Test and ODI teams of the world. Morkel’s achievements grabbed the eyeballs of the Rajasthan Royals in the first three years of the IPL and the Delhi Daredevils in 2011 and his participation in the IPL subsequently has made him sharpen his bowling skills. While in English domestic cricket, he plays for Yorkshire while in South Africa, he turns out for the Titans in the domestic championships.

8) Peter Fulton (New Zealand) – 6′ 6″

Peter Fulton is a tall middle-order batsman nicknamed “Two-Metre Peter”, and was born in Christchurch on February 1, 1979. He initially made his mark on first-class cricket by extending his maiden century to 301 not out for Canterbury against Auckland in March 2003, in only his second full season.

The following season he scored consistently, making 728 runs at 42.82, including two more centuries, and – after a consistent tour of South Africa with New Zealand A – was finally called up to New Zealand’s one-day squad for the tour of Bangladesh in November 2004. He played one match there, but it was another one year before he cemented a place in the national side, with 70 not out, 32, 50 and 112 against Sri Lanka. Wisden was perhaps too early to call him “one for the future, provided he could retain his simple, uncomplicated batting style”.

After being overlooked for New Zealand’s initial World Cup games in March 2007, Fulton replaced Lou Vincent who had to fly back home. Fulton grabbed this opportunity and was his team’s top scorer in three matches, including a lone hand of 62 as New Zealand crumbled against archrivals and eventual champions Australia. He finished the tournament third on the side’s run tally, with 297 runs at a decent average of 37.12.

Fulton however is a classic example of a talent wasted due to inconsistency just as Mohammad Ashraful of Bangladesh and was dropped from the side in 2009. But he is one of the few New Zealand batsmen to have gone past 1000 runs in ODIS as he averages 32.53 while in Tests he has only managed 314 runs at an average of 21.43

7) Abey Kuruvilla (India) – 6′ 6″

Possibly the tallest player to play for India at 6′ 6″, he was born in Mannar, Kerala on August 8, 1968. Abey Kuruvilla, in spite of his well endowed physique, was not an express bowler. He thrived on his ability to swing the ball and later developed variations such as a well disguised slower delivery, he had his grounding under the mentoring of Frank Tyson as part of the BCA-Mafatlal Bowling Scheme.

Abey Kuruvilla took 35 wickets in his first full season for Bombay in 1991-92 and although widely expected to make the tour of South Africa in 1992-93, he was unfortunately not selected in the final squad.

India’s perennial problem has been, to find a quality pace bowler. That made the Indian selectors selectors finally gave the lanky Mumbaikar a chance to don the national colours on the 1996-97 West Indies tour. Abey Kuruvilla emerged as a key figure in the Indian attack and a haul of 5 for 68 in the second innings of the third Test at Barbados set up a winning position for India as they only had to score 120 to win, but the batsmen unfortunately messed it up all. He went on to play just five more Tests against Sri Lanka at home and away in the following season where he did perform reasonably well considering the flat wickets in the Indian subcontinent but, shockingly, he was never considered again to play for the country.

He retired from first class cricket after the 1999-2000 Ranji Trophy final against Hyderabad and ever since has looked to take up coaching assignments.

6) Jacob  Oram (New Zealand) – 6′ 6″

Another career which has been drastically hampered by height. But Jacob Oram has never failed to entertain Kiwi fans when he takes the field being fully fit. He has a high degree of agility in the field, where his skills were developed as a schoolboy representative soccer goalkeeper, and he complements that with solid medium-fast bowling skills and a naturally aggressive approach with the bat. Usually batting in the middle to lower order, Oram’s bowling has been more successful in the shorter format—reaching as high as 5 in the ICC ODI Player Rankings

He is one of the 36 New Zealand cricketers to have scored 1,000 runs in Test match cricket and one of the six New Zealanders to have reached the double of 1,000 ODI runs and 100 wickets.

In 2003–04, he fell agonizingly short by 3 runs of a maiden Test hundred, with 97 against Pakistan. But he was able to bring up his first Test against South Africa. His second Test hundred was 126 not out against Australia in Brisbane having the likes of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath in 2004. His 3rd Test hundred was against South Africa, with a career highest of 133 out of the five Test hundreds he has scored till date.

On 28 January 2007, in Perth, Oram smashed an unbeaten 101 off 72 balls in an ODI against Australia. It was at the time the fastest ever ODI century by a New Zealander, and also the fastest ever made against Australia. His 137 run partnership with Brendon McCullum was, at the time, the highest ever for the New Zealand 6th wicket, though this record was broken the following month.

On 2 September 2009, Oram took a hat trick against Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 International in Colombo, dismissing Angelo Mathews, Malinga Bandara and Nuwan Kulasekara which is an honour to possess considering the format suiting batsmen more than the bowlers while in the 2011 World Cup, he took a spectacular catch at the boundary to assist New Zealand in choking South Africa to a shock quarterfinal defeat.

Now he plays for New Zealand in the shorter formats of the game, Central Stags in the New Zealand domestic championships and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.

5) Tom Moody (Australia) – 6′ 7″

Tom Moody was born in Adelaide on October 2, 1965. He was tall in terms of both his height and playing structure.  He got rid of tentativeness against short bowling in the initial stages of his career, only to become a batsman who looks at his prime while hitting through the covers and down the track with immaculate power.

He was also a more than a part-time, bowling medium-pace often and also swung the ball to an extent, a safe slip fielder and a natural leader which was seen more in domestic cricket that he played for Western Australia and Worcestershire.

His short Test career did not take off after he was sacrificed as an opener in Sri Lanka in 1992-93, though he made a memorable comeback to the one-day team in time to play in, and contribute measurably to, Australia’s 1999 World Cup win. He and Steve Waugh became the first two Australians to win two World Cups and this is something he will always be proud to have achieved.

He appeared in 8 Tests and 76 ODIs for Australia from the period of 1989 to 1999. His career was cut short by a back injury which is perhaps due to his height and so had to prematurely take up retirement.

But Moody remains active in the world of cricket after being Sri Lanka’s coach from 2005 to 2007, guiding them famously to the 2007 World Cup final and then being the coach of the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL from 2008 to 2010. He also appears on television as a cricket expert for several series these days.

4) Curtly Ambrose (West Indies) – 6′ 7″

He is the second West Indian to make this list. Curtly Ambrose was born in Antigua on September 21, 1963 and made his Test debut against Pakistan in Guyana in 1988 and his ODI debut against the same opposition in the same year but in Jamaica.

His skill was as a right-arm fast bowler, especially  with his partner-in-crime being Courtney Walsh. With Walsh, he formed one of the greatest opening bowling partnerships in history, as evidenced by the 421 wickets they shared in the 49 Test matches they played together.

His colossal 6’7″ frame was a threatening sight for any batsman and although his pace fell away due to age, he still bowled excellent line and length and, due to his height, could extract humungous bounce from any pitch which is a danger to even some of the finest batsmen of all.

Curtly Ambrose was a man of few words, refusing countless interview requests with the motto “Curtly talk to no man” although he was involved in a clash with Steve Waugh in 1995 in the Frank Worrell Trophy played at home. Yet his actions spoke louder, not to mention his menace.

Among the highlights of Ambrose’s 405 Test wickets at a miserly average of 20.99, two spells were his best. Tthe 6 for 24 that blew England away for 46 at Port of Spain, Trinidad in 1993-94, and his series-winning 7 for 1 against Australia at the WACA the previous season. The WACA pitch was ideal for a man who stood 6ft 7ins and released the ball from almost 10ft high, making it look like a springboard in action on the cricket field.

Now Curtly Ambrose has become a musician, but still regrets not being a part of a West Indies side which lost a won semifinal to Australia in the 1996 World Cup.

3) Bruce Reid (Australia) – 6′ 8″

Bruce Reid shared the same height as Garner, making him the joint second tallest cricketer to have played the game at international level. He was born in the land of fast bowling in Australia, i.e, Perth on March 14, 1963 and as a result played for Western Australia in the Australian domestic competition.

As a lofty and gawky left-arm pace bowler, he made his international debut alongside the likes of Merv Hughes and Geoff Marsh in 1985-86 when Australia were in a slump. His ability to straighten the ball in to the right-hander as well as slant it away to an extent, and with naturally steep bounce, made him instantly Australia’s mainstay. His ultimate achievement was to take 13 wickets against England in the Boxing Day Ashes Test at Melbourne in 1990-91.

He represented Australia in Test cricket between December 1985 and December 1992 and in ODIs between January 1986 and March 1992.

He played 27 Tests for Australia taking 113 Test wickets at an average of 24.63 runs per wicket. He also played 61 one-day-internationals taking 63 ODI wickets. But being very thin in build, he frequently broke down with injuries and was rarely fully fit and perhaps Australia lost another potential bowling legend. Though he was an integral part of the 1992 World Cup team, which eventually failed in the tournament held at home for the first time in their cricketing history.

After retirement, Bruce Reid came in the headlines again for being the bowling coach of the Indian team for the tour of Australia in December 2003 as his contribution was vital in India leveling the 4 Test match series at 1-1.

2) Joel Garner (West Indies) – 6′ 8″

Also known as ‘The Big Bird’ for the fact that he is a predecessor to other Caribbean pacers, Garner was born on December 16, 1952 in Barbados.  He was a 6 feet 8 inches fast bowler highly known for demoralizing opposition batsmen with the steep bounce he generated time and again. Working in tandem with the likes of fellow quickies such as Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Colin Croft and a little later Malcolm Marshall, the West Indies were easily the worlds No.1 Test and ODI team in the 70s and 80s, even if they lost the 1983 World Cup final to India. But they did not lose a single Test series for a span of 15 years.

Joel Garner played in 58 Tests between 1977 and 1987 and took 259 wickets at an average of slightly over 20, making him one of the most efficient fast bowlers of all time

But it was in ODI cricket that he put his height to use with devastating effect.

In 98 matches he took 146 wickets. He had the ability to unleash a toe-crushing yorker time and again and obviously generate more bounce.

He is amongst the only two bowlers with more than 100 ODI wickets to average under 20, while his economy rate of slightly above 3 runs per over combined with taking 100+ ODI scalps, are also the best ever for any bowler. His most memorable spell was the 5 for 39 he achieved in the 1979 Cricket World Cup final against England remains one of the best ever bowling performances in a final..

Joel Garner represented Barbados in the West Indies, South Australia in Australia and Somerset in England alongside other greats such as fellow West Indian Viv Richards and Ian Botham. He was at Somerset in the most successful time in the county’s history.

1) Mohammad Irfan (Pakistan) – 7′ 1″

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The 10 best men's tennis players of the decade

As the decade winds down, Busted Racquet will celebrate the past 10 years of tennis with various top 10 lists. Today, we at look at the 10 best male players of the 2000s:  

10. Juan Carlos Ferrero -- Grand Slams: 1, Weeks at No. 1: 8

Injuries prevented Ferrero from a lengthy career, but not before he became the 21st man to ever ascend to No. 1 in the rankings in September of 2003.

9. Novak Djokovic -- Grand Slams: 1, Weeks at No. 1: None

In one year, Djokovic went from No. 23 to No. 3 in the rankings. He's stayed there for 92 of the past 112 weeks.

8. Pete Sampras -- Grand Slams: 2, Weeks at No. 1: 10

Where, oh where, to put Sampras? By the time the time the world had calmed down from Y2k panic, the peak of the best player of last decade was over. But Sampras still won two Slams in the decade, culminating in his 2002 U.S. Open swansong.

7. Gustavo Kuerten -- Grand Slams: 2, Weeks at No. 1: 43

The first-ever Brazilian to win a Grand Slam and reach No. 1, Kuerten won three French Open titles, two of which came during the decade. If our "decade" was from, say, 1995 to 2005, Kuerten would be a bit higher on the list.

6. Marat Safin -- Grand Slams: 2, Weeks at No. 1: 9

At his best, I'd take Safin over the next man on the list. The only problem is, Safin was at his height so inconsistently that it's tough to rank him any higher. The Russian was ranked in the year-end top 10 just three times (2000, 2002 and 2004), but does have those two Grand Slams to his credit.

5. Andy Roddick -- Grand Slams: 1, Weeks at No. 1: 13

Surprised Roddick is so high? Me too. But the American has one thing going for him that almost every other member of this list doesn't: longevity. This was the eighth straight year Roddick finished in the year-end top 10. He may only have one Grand Slam (the 2003 U.S. Open), but he's been consistent enough to be a threat in every non-Paris major since then. Plus, it's not his fault he happened to be born around the same time as the greatest player ever.

4. Andre Agassi -- Grand Slams: 3, Weeks at No. 1: 51

Though his career straddles both the '90s and '00s, Agassi played some of his best tennis in the current decade. It was sort of surprising that he "only" won three Slams in the aughts (Aussie 2000, 2001, 2003), but he reached the finals of the U.S. Open twice as well.

3. Lleyton Hewitt -- Grand Slams: 2, Weeks at No. 1: 80

Not to take anything away from Hewitt, but his success was largely predicated on his timing. Had he been born a few years earlier, he'd have been Patrick Rafter. Had he been born a few years later, he'd be Novak Djokovic. Neither of those things is an insult (the pair have three Grand Slams between them, after all), but there's little chance Hewitt would ever have seen No. 1 if he was playing against Federer and Nadal at his peak.

2. Rafael Nadal -- Grand Slams: 6, Weeks at No. 1: 46

If he's not the greatest clay court player of all-time, he's right behind Bjorn Borg. At the start of the year Nadal looked like he was on his way to supplanting Roger Federer and ending the decade at No. 1. But injuries ruined his year and now the tennis world is left to wonder: Are Rafa's best days behind him?

1. Roger Federer -- Grand Slams: 15, Weeks at No. 1: 259

There are hundreds of ways to describe Federer's greatness, but consider this: In the decade, he won 15 of 40 Grand Slams (37.5 percent). And since his first (Wimbledon, 2003) he took home the title in 58 percent. Thank goodness Nadal came around, or else men's tennis would have had as much suspense as a Harlem Globetrotters game.

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TOp 10 tax paid cricketers.

India's captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni tops the list of the world's highest earning cricketers compiled by Forbes, followed by compatriot Sachin Tendulkar, as six Indians and four Australians feature in the top 10.

With earnings of $26.5million (£17m) last year, Dhoni features at the top and according to the US magazine $23m (£14.7m) of it was earned only from endorsements.

"Only a small portion of that payout, about $3.5 million, comes directly from Dhoni's on-field play. The remaining sum of $23 million comes from his impressive list of nearly 25 endorsements.

Tendulkar, one of the best players in the history of the game, stands second at $18.6m (£12m), out of which $16.5m (£10.5m) comes from sponsors that include Adidas, Coca-Cola, Castrol and Toshiba.

The next three spots on the list are also held by Indians as the country's players' complete the top five, highlighting how lucrative it is to play cricket in the South Asian nation.

Gautam Gambhir (£4.7m) ranks third, Virat Kohli (£4.5m) fourth and Virender Sehwag (£4.4m) fifth, while their compatriot Yusuf Pathan (£2.4m) takes the 10th spot.

The report claims Indian companies are willing to spend millions for a top player's endorsement and even foreigners like Australia's Brett Lee and Shane Watson are paid well by Indian advertisers.

Watson is sixth and leads the four Aussie players on the list with earnings of £3.8m last year. The 31-year-old is followed by his captain Michael Clarke (£3.1m), Lee (£3m) and former skipper Ricky Ponting (£2.6m). The report also identifies David Warner as a player who has the potential to become the nation's top-earning cricketer in a few years. The 25-year-old already has endorsements with Adidas and bat maker Gray-Nicolls.

The magazine says that the earnings estimates include salaries, bonuses and prize monies from both club and national teams, as well as endorsement income for the year between June 2011 and June 2012. It does not subtract taxes or agents' fees.

Top 10 list:

1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (£17m)
2. Sachin Tendulkar (£12m)
3. Gautam Gambhir (£4.7m)
4. Virat Kohli (£4.5m)
5. Virendra Sehwag (£4.4m)
6. Shane Watson (£3.8m)
7. Michael Clarke (£3.1m)
8. Brett Lee (£3m)
9. Ricky Ponting (£2.6m)
10. Yusuf Pathan (£2.4m)

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Top Pakistani cricketers face probe for tax evasion

Pakistan’s Test and one-day captain Misbah-ul-Haq, along with some other leading cricketers like Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali and Taufeeq Umar and national Twenty20 captain Mohammed Hafeez, are being investigated by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for filing incomplete tax returns.

Pakistani authorities are investigating complaints of non-payment of taxes by the country’s top cricketers including national team captain Misbah-ul-Haq.

A spokesman of the FBR said on Friday that there were complaints of non-payment of full taxes on total income earned by the players.

“The investigations will be carried out to confirm whether the complaints of non payment of taxes is correct,” he said.

Pakistani Test players Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali and Taufeeq Umar and national Twenty20 captain Mohammed Hafeez will also be investigated.

The FBR had earlier invited these cricketers to lodge their tax returns. Complying with the FBR directives, the six players lodged their returns after obtaining their group income certificates from the Pakistan Cricket Board.

However the FBR has ascertained that the incomes and expenses were more than what was mentioned in the received financial documents.

According to details in the financial years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, Misbah had to pay a total tax of Rs 4.9 million, based on his declared income, however his total tax payment for the two years stood at Rs 2.96 million.

A source in the board said the Federal Department of Income Tax had also talked about having tribunal hearings on the issue of non-payments of taxes by Misbah and other players.

The source also said that Umar Akmal’s bank account had been frozen by the FBR citing non-payments of taxes worth Rs 7.8 million. During the same financial years, opening batsman Imran Farhat paid a total tax worth Rs 1.03 million, Hafeez paid Rs 2.7 million, Azhar Ali Rs 0.62 million and Umar paid Rs 1.195 million. The PCB has also been at loggerheads with the FBR over tax payment and exemption issues and the FBR lodged a case against them in court.

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Top 10 Highly Paid Foot Ballers in 2014

   1) Iker Casillas

Iker is very famous player.He is playing  from Real Madrid.Iker Cassilas has been a 2nd choice keeper since last season in Real Madrid.

 But his lucarative contract since nets him 6.3 Million GBP a year making him the highest paid football goal keeper.

•    2) Manuel Neuer

  Manuel Neuer is a legend  goal keeper.H is FC Bayern Munich Keeper.who is currently making 5.60 Million GBP a year for his services for European Winners. 
  
  
  Neuer is expected to sign a extension to his currently very lucarative deal.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

     3) Gianluigi Buffon

  Long serving keeper, Gigi Buffon a Juve icon. he currently sits on top of highest paid keepers list .

  alongside Neuer

  
  

  . Buffon has 1 year left on his current deal with Juventus.He is among the highly paid goal keepers.

  
  

  

  
  

    4)Petr Cech

   He is also a highly paid goal keeper.One of the finest Premier League keeper of last decade, Petr Cech makes more than 5 Million GBP a year with his current Chelesa Contract.

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

   5)Victor Valdes

  Barcelona keeper who recently stated that he will leave Barcelona at the end of current season as his contract runs out. 

   He makes in region of 5 Million GBP a year making him one of the highest paid keeper.

  
  

  

  
  

   6) Joe Hart

  Manchester City keeper who was their best performer in last couple of season’s, Joe Hart makes around 4.7 Million GBP a year with City contract according to the Sunday Time.

  His earning is increasing day by day.

  
  

  

  
  

   7) Pepe Raina

  Pepe Raina joined napoli from Liverpool in last summer window, and he is on par with some highest paid keepers his current deal is unknown but with Liverpool contract he made just over 4 Milliona GBP a year.

  

  
  

    8) David De Gea

  Manchester United keeper who suffered in his first season. But came of age in last season or so and makes more than 3.5 Million GBP a year and expected to sign a new improved deal.

  
  

  

  9) Hugo lloris

  Tottenham Keeper current salary is around the region of 3 Million a year with Spurs contract. 

  
  

  He was very consistant last season and has been a first choice under Villa Boes.

  
  

  

  
  

  10) Salvatore Sirigu

  Paris Saint Germain Keeper and French International is making just over 2.5 Million GBP a year according to french magazine FranceFootball.he is well paid player.

  

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