Celebrity Beauty Looks of the Day: Angela Bassett, Katie Holmes and Michelle Trachtenberg

The latest standout beauty looks from the celebs you know and love…

Angela Bassett:
The actress wore a gorgeous shimmering dove-gray smoky eye to the 4th Annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon in Beverly Hills, California. Her silky locks were worn in spiral curls, and her creamy nude lip and rosy cheeks looked amazing with those sizzling peepers.

Katie Holmes:
The 32-year-old actress looked effortlessly elegant at the Max Mara fashion show in Milan, Italy. Her hairstyle was pumped up with volume in the front, her eyes dressed in a soft, sultry shadow, and her lips painted in a raspberry-toned gloss.
Michelle Trachtenberg:
The “Take Me Home Tonight” actress went for a big and bold Hollywood-style beauty look at the Hollywood Domino Gala in West Hollywood, California. Her milky complexion was absolutely flawless, and we loved that creamy, scarlet red lip color, as well as, her thick, winged-out eye liner.

Shop the selection of makeup products below to help you nail this celebrity look, and check out our Wear the Beauty Trend column for more pretty looks.

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Eminem tops Lady Gaga in Facebook friends

According to Famecount.com, social media statistics service, the rapper has just knocked Lady Gaga from her top spot – as most popular living person on the site – after a long battle. He has 28, 977,000+ ” likes,” and she’s not far behind. Less than 1 million fans have separated the two stars for more than two months.

Gaga took the crown from Barack Obama on June 25. But she could not hold off Eminem , who has been recruiting 546,000 new fans each week. That number is more than the population of Luxembourg, notes Famecount. Only one person has more Facebook friends than Eminem – the late Michael Jackson, who has more than 29 million “likes.”

But Eminem’s popularity is not carrying over to Twitter. Lady Gaga is way ahead of him there. She’s got 8.4 million followers. Eminem has a mere 3 million or so.

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Kate Middleton “Fascinates” With Bold Style

Kate Middleton was a vision in red when she stepped out today in Scotland, a color also favored by the late Princess Diana.But the fashion flock are still chirping about her appearance with Prince William on Thursday, when she wore a “fascinator” — a fancy cousin to the beret, with decoration designed to draw the eye.

Middleton’s velvet and feather topper was custom made for her by the Vivien Sherrif Millinery, a small enterprise based in rural Wiltshire, which creates each of its intriguing headpieces by hand, People reports.

The princess-to-be’s beret included an antique cameo, pheasant feathers and something perfectly appropriate for the future daughter-in-law of the Prince of Wales– Welsh military metals.

Middleton wore the beret to the Trearddur Bay Lifeboat station in Angelseys to christen a new vessel accompanied by her royal fiancé. The headpiece accessorized an ensemble that included a tailored camel jacket, brown scarf and gloves.

Vivien Sherrif specializes in color coordination, often working with retailers to match their collections.

“She has quite a few of our pieces and luckily she wore one of ours today,” Maggie O’Mahony, a member of the milliner’s design team told People. Its designers learned of their photo op when pictures of Middleton began circulating on the Internet.

Besides looking a little windswept on what was a blustery day, Middleton pulled off the ambitious hat, O’Mahony declared. “She’s a really good dresser. She looks lovely.” Hear that, Dame Vivienne Westwood?

And why not rave? Although it’s been widely reported that Middleton has tapped London milliner Philip Treacy to dress heads for the April 29 royal wedding, StyleList couldn’t help but notice the impressive collection of bridal hats on Vivien Sherrif’s Web site.

Middleton, of course, has become a one-woman ambassador for obscure and prominent British designers.

Read about the attention she’s focused on established London designer Bruce Oldfield.

And Middleton’s influence has also impacted the ambitions of the woman who designed her royal engagement dress.

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Health Watch: Cell Phones and Brains

Many of us spend an awful lot of time glued to our cell phones every day but is it safe?
A new government study raises new questions about how our cell phone habit affects our brains.
The findings raise some interesting questions but they don't give us a whole lot of answers when it comes to the safety issue.

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health used pet scans - which show brain activity on a cellular level - to study volunteers who held a cell phone to their ear for about 50 minutes at a time.

Some had the cell phone turned on but muted and some had the phone off. The team found radio waves from the phone seemed to turn up the activity levels of certain areas of the brain.

In the areas closest to the antenna -- that control memory and our cognitive skills - the activity levels went up by about 7-percent. The further away from the phone, the more the activity decreased.

 

So, bottom line, the electromagnetic energy the phone emits was able to alter brain activity.

The question is whether those changes are something we need to be concerned about.

Several major studies have failed to find a link between cell phone use and brain cancers.

And while this study found an increase in brain activity, it raises questions about how using the phone all the time affects the brain long term.

That's important because especially because a whole generation of kids have grown up with the phone almost attached at the ear.

But a spokesman for the CTIA - the wireless industry group - says the science so far has overwhelmingly indicated wireless phones do not cause a public health risk - or adverse health problems.

The lead researcher says she is planning a retrospective study to see if long-time cell phone users who spent two hours a day on the cell phone have had any health problems.

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Blake Lively

IS Blake Lively the luckiest girl in the world? Christian Louboutin names latest shoe design after the Gossip Girl star.

We were already pretty envious of Blake Lively. But news that Christian Louboutin has named a shoe after the Gossip Girl star has tipped us into full-on jealousy.

The French footwear designer, whose red-soled shoes are a favourite with celebrities, has created a 'Blake' style in honour of the 23-year-old, who plays Serena van der Woodsen in the hit teen drama. - Mail Online AP

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Christina Aguilera

AN erratic Christina Aguilera has refused help from staff despite drunkenly passing out at a party.

The singer has reportedly been out of sorts ever since she split from husband Jason Bratman. But when her staff attempted to persuade her to seek help, Christina threatened to fire them.

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Kate Winslet says she lost starring roles as a teen for being 'too fat'

Kate Winslet said she was regularly passed over for stage roles as a teenager because she was "too fat" and her feet "were the wrong size," British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported yesterday.

 

The Oscar-winning actress spoke of her physical shortcomings while on a surprise visit to a children's theater company that nurtured her acting talents.

Though not in the limelight at the Starmaker Theatre Company in Reading, southern England, Winslet told young actors there that she was a boisterous member of the chorus and took part in 20 productions.

But she added that she reveled in lead roles in the musicals Annie, The Jungle Book and Bugsy Malone.

She encouraged aspiring young thespians at the stage school to never give up on their dream, reminding them that "anything was possible."

Winslet combined her early years at Starmaker with a full-time education at Redroofs Theatre School, in nearby Maidenhead.

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Breast cancer survivors honored at annual brunch

Saturday, Vi at Bentley Village hosted 260 breast cancer survivors from across southwest Florida for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure annual breast cancer survivor brunch.

 

This year’s guests heard words of inspiration from Robert VanWinkle, news anchor from NBC-2 in Ft. Myers. Also, guest heard breast cancer survivor Susan Muller of Susan Muller Interior Design share her inspiring story of overcoming the disease.
Holding true to the “pink” theme of breast cancer awareness, the tables in the dining room and lobby area were decorated with shades of pink cloth, pink ducks and pink arrangements.
Vi at Bentley Village’s Executive Head Chef, Ed Padden whose wife is a breast cancer survivor took it to heart when planning the menu. “In honor of my wife, pink was definitely the main focus while I planned this event” Chef Padden said. Pink sticky buns, crepes and champagne were just a few of the pink themed items guest had to choose from.
Guest also had a chance to sign up to win the new 2011 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure car donated by Coconut Point Ford that was on display. For each registration card filled out before the race on March, 12th $10 will be donated to the organization.
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure annual breast cancer survivor brunch is an opportunity to celebrate the survivors, remember those that have lost their battle and to promote awareness that breast cancer is the most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of death among women both nationally and in Florida.

This story is contributed by a member of the Naples community and is neither endorsed nor affiliated with Naples Daily News

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From student romance to royal wedding: Prince William and Kate Middleton's love affair

WE chart Prince William and Kate Middleton's romance from its humble beginnnings. 

 

September 2001: Prince William and Kate Middleton meet at St Andrews University, where they are studying art history. The pair have rooms close to each other in the St Salvators Hall of Residence. Kate persuades William to stay at university after he admits finding it difficult to settle. He later switches to a geography course.

March 2002: William pays £200 ($326) to watch Kate modelling a sheer black lace dress over a black bra and bikini bottoms in a charity catwalk show.

April 2002: William and Kate go flat-hunting to find a house for their second year.

September 2002: They move into a student house with two other friends, including former Etonian Fergus Boyd. Kate is dating another student Rupert Finch.

 

May 2003: William and Kate are pictured deep in conversation at a rugby match.
June 2003: Clarence House denies that William is romantically involved with close friend Jecca Craig, the daughter of wealthy conservationists based in Kenya.
June 2003: Kate attends William's 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle. The Prince insists in an interview to mark his birthday that he does not have a steady girlfriend.


September 2003: William, Kate and their two flatmates move into a cottage in their third year of university. It is not known exactly when William and Kate became an item but rumoured to be around Christmas 2003.
March 2004: William and Kate's romance is exposed after they are pictured on the ski slopes of Klosters together. Clarence House does not deny they are dating. On the same holiday, William says: "I don't want to get married until I'm at least 28 or maybe 30".
April 9, 2005: Kate is not invited to the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles in Windsor.
June 2005: Kate joins William at the wedding of his close friend Hugh van Cutsem.
June 2005: William and Kate graduate in the same ceremony at St Andrews and attend a celebratory lunch together joined by their families.
July 2005: The pair enjoy a romantic holiday at the Lewa Downs game reserve in Kenya, owned by the parents of Jecca Craig.
October 2005: Kate's lawyers - the same used by the Prince of Wales - ask newspaper editors to leave her alone, claiming she is being hounded by photographers.
Autumn 2005: There are reports that the relationship has cooled off.
November 2005: William tells an All Blacks rugby player at a Palace reception that the relationship is going well.
January 2006: William is photographed kissing Kate in public for the first time during a skiing break in Klosters. Days later, William begins his Army training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.
March 2006: Kate, without William, is invited into the Royal Box at the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Also there are the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
April 2006: Kate's lawyers make further complaints to newspapers and picture agencies after she is photographed on a shopping trip.
April 2006: The pair holiday on the Caribbean hideaway island of Mustique. They are snapped on a yacht together.
May 2006: William and Kate attend the wedding of the Prince's stepsister, Laura Parker Bowles.
August 2006: They holiday in Ibiza ahead of William's final term at Sandhurst.
November 2006: Kate gets a job as an accessories buyer with Jigsaw, the fashion chain owned by friends of her family.
December 2006: Kate makes her most significant appearance to date as she turns up to watch William graduate as an Army officer at Sandhurst.
January 2007: Kate's lawyers try to persuade newspaper editors to stop using paparazzi pictures of her after she is confronted by a media scrum outside her home on her 25th birthday. There are reports that legal action is being considered.
March 2007: William starts Army training at Camp Bovington, Dorset. The pair are pictured at the Cheltenham Gold Cup together. Kate makes her first official complaint to the Press Complaints Commission over alleged harassment in connection with a photo used in the Daily Mirror. She later settles the matter after an apology from the paper.
April 14, 2007: William and Kate are confirmed to have split.
June 2007: Speculation mounts that the couple are back together after they are seen kissing and dancing together at an Army party.
July 1, 2007: Kate joins William at the Wembley Stadium Concert for Diana, fuelling rumours that the couple are back together.
July 11 2007: The Media and Sport Select Committee accuses the Press Complaints Commission of failing to help protect Kate from "clear and persistent harassment" by the paparazzi.
October 2007: William and Middleton are photographed out on the town together for the first time since their split. Kate joins William at Balmoral for a private weekend with Charles and Camilla. At the same time, the Prince voices concern after he and Kate are "aggressively" pursued in their car by the paparazzi.
August 2007: Security concerns force Kate to pull out of a Dover to Calais Chinese dragon boat race.
April 11, 2008: Kate appears at William's side at his graduation ceremony from the RAF, suggesting the couple's relationship is now permanent and has the approval of senior royals.
May 17, 2008: Kate attends the wedding of William's cousin, Peter Phillips, to Autumn Kelly. William attends another wedding in Africa.
June 16, 2008: Kate attends the Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle to watch William taking part. It is the first time she has appeared at a formal and official Royal public occasion.
June 22, 2008: William marks his 26th birthday by playing side by side with his brother Harry in a charity polo match, with Kate watching from the sidelines. The celebrations continued with a private party at Prince Charles's home at Highgrove.
July 19, 2008: Kate attends her second royal wedding of the year without William. She is present at the marriage of Lady Rose Windsor.
September 2008: Kate dons hot pants and legwarmers at a charity roller disco she co-organised. She is pictured lying on her back after falling on the rink. Christmas and New Year 2008: The couple holiday at the royal retreat of Birkhall, the Prince of Wales's home on the Queen's private Balmoral estate in Scotland.
May 2009: The couple are pictured together for the first time in five months after being spotted at a polo match.
July 2009: They are snapped kissing outside a pub.
December 2009: The Queen's lawyers warn newspapers against publishing paparazzi photos of the Royal family, fuelling speculation William and Kate are to wed.
January 2010: The pair take a New Year break at Birkhall.
January 15, 2010: Kate watches as William graduates on an advanced helicopter training course and receives his flying badge from the Prince of Wales.
February 2010: William remarks "You'll have to wait a while yet" when asked by a member of the public about the prospect of a royal wedding.
March 2010: The couple holiday with Kate's family on the slopes of Courchevel, France. Kate gives an insight into her childhood in an online question and answer session on her parents' firm's website. The link is later removed after the details are reported.
October 2010: Kate and William are photographed attending the Gloucestershire wedding of a friend.
November 16: The couple's engagement announced in a brief statement released by Clarence House.

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Deadly Christchurch earthquake came from out of the blue, says seismologist Bill FryDeadly Christchurch earthquake came from out of the blue, says seismologist Bill Fry

NEW Zealand was completely caught off-guard by yesterday's devastating magnitude 6.3 earthquake. 

 

A day earlier it was predicted there was just a 4 per cent chance of an earthquake of that magnitude hitting the country within two weeks.

"We didn't know it was coming today," said seismologist Dr Bill Fry.

"We can't really predict these things, we only go on the likelihood, and as of yesterday we could not have expected it. It's terrible.

"It is an aftershock of the quake we saw in September, but this is big enough that it will have its own aftershock sequences.

 

"The September event was longer in duration but this had much more intense ground shaking."

Dr Gary Gibson, from Melbourne University's School of Earth Sciences, said despite being a lower magnitude, yesterday's quake was deadly because of where it hit.

"The epicentre was at shallow depth under Christchurch, so many people were within 10 to 20km of the fault rupture," Dr Gibson said.
"The magnitude 7.0 earthquake on September 4 was 30-40km west of Christchurch."
New Zealand experiences up to 15,000 tremors every year, sitting on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, known as the Ring of Fire.

 

"Earthquakes larger than magnitude 6.0 occur about annually in New Zealand," Dr Gibson said.
"(But) this is by far the largest earthquake to have occurred in the Christchurch region in historic time."
Dr Fry said it would take many months for Christchurch to recover from yesterday's horrific quake.
"They'll be feeling big aftershocks from this event for many weeks. They are resilient people so I guess they will recover, but it's just absolutely terrible."

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Prince Andrew spotted partying with billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein

PRINCE Andrew has been spotted in New York spending time with billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

 

The UK's special representative for international trade and investment visited his friend for four days in December last year, when the pair were spotted walking through Central Park, reports News of the World.

Mr Epstein had recently returned to New York after living in Florida, where he spent some time under house arrest after pleading guilty to two counts of soliciting a minor for prostitution and soliciting prostitution.

His victim was a 14-year-old girl identified in court only as "Jane Doe".

The 58-year-old businessman was introduced to the Prince around 2000 by a mutual friend and the duo have frequently holidayed together.

During the Prince's visit Mr Epstein threw a welcome home party for himself, reportedly attended by director Woody Allen and newsreader Katie Couric, among others. The paper quoted Prince Andrew, 51, comparing himself to his nephew Prince Harry. "Like Harry, I'm just the younger brother," he reportedly said.

In reply to Woody Allen's enquiry about his ex-wife, Fergie, the prince said, "She's very well - we live together."

Neighbours of Mr Epstein said they saw a number of beautiful women arriving at the residence during the Prince's stay. Prince Andrew was also spotted kissing an unidentified woman on the doorstep.

Mr Epstein arranged private security who were on hand for the whole of Prince Andrew's stay, as well as a team of Royal Protection officers,

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Do You Listen to Music While Running?

Let me start off by saying that I am a novice runner. I’ve done a handful of races – mostly 5Ks and 8Ks, one 10K and one memorable half marathon. I’m a slow runner, one that is making her way back from a pretty severe injury – I tore my calf muscle almost in half in February and wore a boot for 14 weeks. So I’m laboriously working my way back up with intervals, that red-headed stepchild of running. One thing that helps me, keeps me going and pounding, pushing and struggling is my music.

 

I’ve always been a big fan of music anyway, so it stands to reason that I’d find it to be useful when exercising. I’ve got a particular playlist of music – it starts off slow, builds and then slows. It repeats twice and then finally it slows even further for walking.

There are some really great places to find running playlists for every level of runner – beginner, intermediate or advanced. I was really inspired to find complete audio or video workouts at both iTrain and PumpOne. These are great for going the extra distance. Also a new program – BeatScanner, found at BestWorkoutMusic. The free program searches your music library for upbeat tunes so you can create your own great exercise sets. I did this and it put together songs that I’d never considered, and yet, it all works together beautifully.

One more freebie – MotionTraxx has free (yes, FREE) 60 minute podcasts of music 140-160 beats per minute updated every two weeks.

Now you have NO excuse not to lace up your shoes and get outside!

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Stretching before running 'does not prevent injury'

Stretching before running does not necessarily prevent injury a US study of over 2,700 has suggested.

 

But the researchers say runners should maintain their current routine, whether or not they stretch, as it is changing that is the problem.

The long established doctrine that it is important to stretch before running has recently become an issue of debate.

This is the first controlled study exploring the link between pre-run stretches and injury risk.

The findings are to be presented to the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

Worldwide, there are more than 70m people who run both recreationally and competitively. 

 

Stretching is an important part of pre-run routines for many runners, including professionals such as Paula Radcliffe and the sprinter Usain Bolt.

Surprising results

Dr Daniel Pereles of Montgomery Orthopaedics, Washington DC, carried out the study.

He found that: "The risk for injury was the same for men and women, whether or not they were high or low mileage runners, and across all age groups".

However weight and whether or not a runner had already suffered an injury within the past four months did influence the likelihood of injury.

Dr Pereles found the results surprising and said "as a runner myself, I thought stretching before a run would help to prevent injury".

The study involved 2,729 runners who ran 10 or more miles per week.

The runners were randomly assigned to two groups- a group who stretched for three to five minutes immediately before running and a non-stretch group.

The stretch group runners stretched their quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius/soleus muscle groups.

All runners who switched their routines for the study were more likely to experience an injury than those who did not switch.

However, the runners who normally stretch before running but were placed in the non-stretch group, were the most likely to have an injury.

Dr Pereles said this implied "that an immediate shift in a regimen may be more important than the regimen itself".

The popularity of running in the UK has particularly increased over the past two years with record numbers applying for the London marathon last year and new running events emerging elsewhere around the country.

The research was carried out in partnership with USA Track and Field and Simon Fraser University.

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Messi to the rescue as Barca beat Bilbao

Barcelona restored their lead at the top of La Liga on Sunday night with a hard fought 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao at the Nou Camp.

The league leaders made the perfect start after their midweek defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League with David Villa scoring after four minutes, latching onto a knock down from Daniel Alves.

Despite dominating possession, Barca failed to find the net again in the first half and were made to pay five minutes after the break when Bilbao were awarded a penalty as Sergio Busquets brought down Fernando Llorente inside the box.

Andoni Iraola duly converted the spot kick beating Jose Manuel Pinto who was standing in for the injured Victor Valdes.

But Barca's persistence finally paid off as Alves grabbed his second assist of the night laying the ball off for Messi who finished with customary aplomb.

The win restores Josep Guardiola team's five-point lead over rivals Real Madrid who beat Levante on Saturday.

 

Mourinho milestone as Real Madrid win

Villarreal missed the opportunity to close the gap on Champions League rivals Valencia (who drew 0-0 with Sporting Gijon on Saturday), as they played out a 1-1 draw against bottom-of-the-table Malaga.

A win would have sent Villarreal up to third place but an 82nd minute strike by Uruguay's Sebastian Fernandez cancelled out Marco Ruben's 36th minute goal.

The result means Villarreal remain in fourth, two points behind Valencia.

New Osasuna coach, Jose Luis Mendilibar got off to a flyer as his side thrashed Espanyol 4-0 in Pamplona.

Iranian midfielder Javad Nekounam opened the scoring after 15 minutes and doubled Osasuna 10 minutes into the second half as he slotted a penalty. Lola (81st minute) and Fernando Soriano (88th minute) completed a resounding win which lifts Osasuna out of the bottom three.

Despite losing their fourth successive league game, Espanyol stay in sixth place but are now nine points off a top four finish.

 

Deportivo La Coruna left it late to grab a point at Almeria.

Argentine Pablo Piatti had put Almeria ahead three minutes into the second half, but Deportivo's goalkeeper Dani Aranzubia scored a dramatic 95th minute equalizer.

The draw keeps Almeria in 19th place and three points from safety.

Sevilla move up to seventh after a 1-0 win over Hercules. Croatian Ivan Rakitic's 21st minute goal proving enough to secure three points and relieve the pressure on coach Gregorio Manzano.

An 89th minute penalty by Pablo Pinillos secured Racing Santander a crucial win over at Getafe. The result means Santander now lie 12th in the table with 28 points, while ninth-placed Getafe remain on 31 points.

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New Buell 1190RS superbike – first look

Erik Buell Racing has finally given us a complete look at the new 1190RS sportsbike which will be shown in public this weekend in America.

 

 The bike promises to be the first new road-legal machine produced by the innovative designer, Erik Buell, since parent company Harley-Davidson pulled the plug on Buell Motorcycles at the end of 2009.

It should be more than a match in terms of performance for the likes of the Ducati 1198 and KTM RC8R.

Soon after, Buell left Harley and founded Erik Buell Racing to hand build race-only machines as the terms of his departure prevented his manufacture of road going Buells for a period of 12 months. That stipulation has now, however, expired. 

 

Predictably, the 1190RS is based on EBR’s $44,900 (£27,841) 1190RR racer, itself a development of the last of the ‘old’ Buell’s: the Rotax-engined 1125R.

Developed with help from former MotoGP riders Jeremy McWilliams and Alex Barros, as well as a host of top US racers, the 1190RR track machine boasts an explosive power-to-weight ratio, weighing in at just 164kg and making 185bhp and 93ftlb of torque at the rear wheel.

Think the power of an S1000RR, the grunt of a Ducati 1198SP and the weight of a BSB bike.

With its road legal exhausts, road bodywork, lights and indicators, the 1190RS is bound to weigh a more, although judging by all the carbon fibre in the latest picture, not by much.

An earlier leaked picture also showed the new bike’s nose, which seems to closely resemble that of the 1190RR racer, also pictured. The 1190cc V-twin is likely to be detuned slightly for reliability too, but should still deliver mouth-watering performance. 

In typical Erik Buell style, the machine mixes the normal with the unconventional and has a rim-mounted front brake disc and its fuel cell located inside the aluminium beam frame.

The 1190RS is expected to be unveiled at this weekend’s Indy Dealer Expo. Check back for more details as we get them.

 

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Cricket world Cup 2011 photo Highlits

Classy Jayawardene Sets Canada Target Of 333
Mahela Jayawardene stroked a superb century to steer Sri Lanka to a score of 332 for seven against Canada

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2011 ICC Cricket World Cup: Top 5 Batsmen To Look Out For

Cricket Update from the iSport Cricket Pavillion: iSporter Jigar Mehta tells us the top 5 batsmen to watch out for in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.

1) Sachin Tendulkar (India): This genius is an automatic qualification in this list. After 21 long years in International cricket the only thing missing from his resume is a World Cup win.

Since 2010 he played only four ODI'S and scored 235 runs which included the historic double century. But his records in the biggest tournament are mind boggling, this time around he will be playing in his sixth World Cup and this master batsman has already amassed 1796 runs from 36 World Cup matches at a staggering average of 57.93 with four centuries and 13 half centuries at a strike rate of 88.21. On the Asian soil he averages 46.96 with 11,413 runs from 276 matches (35 centuries). He is the highest run getter in the World Cups and was the Man of the Series in the last edition of the tournament. With the form he is in, this master batsman can tear apart any attack and win it for his country.

All hopes will be on this genius to deliver and he is surely a batsman to watch out for this World Cup!

2) Hashim Amla: (South Africa): Though he has not been a part of any World Cups till date, his staggering form in the ODI'S has helped him make the list of top 5.

His technique and his calmness in the middle sets him apart from most of the rest.

He was the highest run getter in the ODI'S in 2010 and in last 20 matches he has amassed 1308 runs including six centuries.

What's more dangerous is that he averages 62.42 from 10 matches in the Asian Subcontinent.

The South African fans will be hoping that this man delivers at the top of the order and help them remove the chokers tag that has been haunting the South African cricket team for years!

3) Kumar Sangakkara: (Sri Lanka): The captain of the Lankan cricket team has been leading from the front with his consistent performances all these years. His ability to rotate strike and hitting big shots when it matters sets him apart from the other batsmen. This elegant left-hander has been following the footsteps of greats like Arjuna Ranatunga and Asanka Gurusinha.

The most impressive thing about him is that he has not let the burden of captaincy affect his form as he has scored 1216 runs in 35 matches as a captain at an average of 39.22 which is better than his overall career average.

Last year he averaged 48.40 from 17 matches scoring 726 runs. He has scored 9 out of his 19 centuries in the Asian Subcontinent and in World Cup he averages 30.94 from 21 matches scoring 526 runs, but with the kind of temperament this player possesses and his current form, this average is certainly going to get better in the coming World Cup!

4) Eoin Morgan (England): The present era has dawned with several promising youngsters coming onto the scene and one of the names among them is Eoin Morgan. This left-hander from England has a really cool and steady head capable of handling pressure, a clever cricketing brain and has every stroke in his armoury.  There is one thing that separates him from other cricketers and that is the innovation he brings to the game. His paddle shots and his reverse sweeps are a treat to watch for any cricket fan. His innovative reverse sweep to a fast bowler is something which is simply unthinkable of! 

He has been termed as a finisher, a character most important in One-day international cricket and has been performing consistently as he averaged 53.15 from 17 matches scoring 691 runs with three centuries and two half-centuries last year.

His performances on the Asian shores are all the more impressive as he averages 46 from six matches.

England has been devoid of a finisher after the retirements of Neil Fairbrother and Graham Thorpe. This cricketer has the talent to imitate what these legends had done for their country for years and win the World Cup for England this time around!

5) Virat Kohli (India): This young sensation has set the cricketing stage on fire recently with his spectacular performances with the bat. He was the second highest run getter last season with 995 runs from 25 matches at an average of 47.38 and this year he has already amassed 193 runs from five matches at an average of 48.25.

He averages 45.03 on the Asian soil and all of his centuries have been scored in the Asian territory.

He will make his World Cup Debut this time around but will carry with him great experiences of Under-19 World cup as he was second Indian U-19 captain to win the tournament.   

Off-late this 22-year old has matured a lot and has developed the ability to convert his fifties into hundreds.

Confident and aggressive are the two main adjectives that define this young talent.

Possession of all these qualities at such a tender age and his ability to deliver in crunch situations helps him enter the top five batsmen to look out for in World Cup 2011

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How Sachin belted out those World Cup hits

India’s batting maestro has come a long way to play his sixth World Cup. DILEEP PREMACHANDRAN traces his journey on the biggest stage of all

By the time Oceania’s first World Cup began in February 1992, the whole world knew what a special talent Sachin Tendulkar possessed. As a 17-year-old, he had scored a match-saving century on his first Test tour of England. Earlier in the Australian summer that included the World Cup, now aged 18, he had given further evidence of genius with magnificent hundreds at Sydney and Perth.

Sachin Tendulkar goes over the top against Australia’s Shane Warne in the 1996 World Cup game at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. PIC/IMAGES

That the subsequent World Cup didn’t turn out to be his oyster can be attributed to two reasons. After being hammered 4-0 over five Tests, the Indians then lost the finals of an interminably long tri-series also featuring the West Indies. They entered the tournament mentally shot and physically spent and, like the hosts and West Indies, missed out on a semifinal place. The only game where they roused themselves was against Pakistan, with Tendulkar’s 54 pivotal to a convincing win.

The second cause had to do with the team being unaware of how to best utilise his special skills. They stumbled across a solution only in 1994, when he was asked to open the batting at Eden Park in New Zealand. By the time the World Cup returned to the subcontinent in 1996, his place at the top of the order was set in stone?

Sachin Tendulkar blasts away against Kenya at Bristol during the 1999 World Cup. PIC/GETTY IMAGES

He started with a superb 90 against Australia in Mumbai, a game that India narrowly lost, and that frustrating pattern would repeat itself throughout the campaign. A brilliant 137 against Sri Lanka in Delhi was eclipsed by Sanath Jayasuriya’s blitz and though he matched Aravinda de Silva’s magic with a glorious innings in the semi-final, the rest of the team fell apart much like the underprepared Eden Gardens pitch.

When the competition returned to England – scene of the 1983 triumph that inspired a million dreams, including Tendulkar’s – an underwhelming team display went hand-in-hand with personal loss. Days after he had flown home to cremate his father, Tendulkar returned to score a century against Kenya. But victory against Pakistan aside, there was little to celebrate as an unbalanced team exited at the Super-Six stage.

By 2003, he was the senior statesman in a formidable side, and he reprised the heroics of 1996, finishing as top scorer with 673 runs. Few will forget that dismissive six off the bigmouthed Andrew Caddick in Durban, and India won eight in a row on their way to the final.

As in 1992, he saved his best for the crunch game against Pakistan. Having struggled to sleep for nearly a fortnight before the game at Centurion, there was no sign of lethargy once he strode out to mastermind a stiff run chase. A gorgeous punch through the covers off Wasim Akram set the tone, and he followed that with 18 runs off a Shoaib Akhtar over.

African safari followed by disaster in the Caribbean

India captain Sourav Ganguly pats teammate Sachin Tendulkar on his back after he was dismissed for 83  during the 2003 World Cup semi-final against Kenya at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban. PIC/GETTY IMAGES

The slashed six over third man is now part of every highlights package, and the 75-ball 98 shares pride of place with Collis King’s 66-ball 86 (1979 final) as the most celebrated World Cup innings that didn’t result in a century.

Unfortunately, India ran into an all-time-great Australian side in the Wanderers final, and Tendulkar’s first-over exit in pursuit of a Himalayan 360 meant that the wait to emulate Kapil Dev and company would go beyond two decades.

Four years later, Indian cricket’s golden generation gathered for one last crack at World Cup glory. It was a dismal goodbye, with an unpopular coach (Greg Chappell), insecure players and inspired opposition (Bangladesh) combining to send the team home before the business end of the tournament.

With Chappell set on having him bat in the middle order, rather than at the position where he had scored more than 30 centuries, the buildup to the competition had been coloured by rancour and self-doubt. When the team returned with jeers ringing in their ears, Tendulkar broke his silence, hurt by insinuations that he hadn’t put the team first.

Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble have all gone, but the boy-man who was there to welcome each of them into the side, remains, both Luke Skywalker and Yoda in the one body. There are few batting records that he doesn’t own, but you just sense that the prize that he craves above all else will be handed over in his home city on April 2.

Quote Hangar

People say it is his last World Cup, but I don’t believe in this. We might see him play the next World Cup also. I feel until and unless he wins the trophy, he won’t go.
Kapil Dev

I sincerely wish that this would not be Sachin’s last World Cup and he would play one more. All members of the Indian side would like to win it for him.
Gautam Gambhir

This is a good team and they must win the trophy for Tendulkar. This will be his sixth World Cup and he has not figured in a winning team. Australia have won three on the trot and many of their players are not fit to tie Tendulkar’s bootlaces.
Bishan Singh Bedi

When you talk of Sachin, he has done all that was expected of him
Sir Garfield Sobers

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