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At the AFC Asia Cup 2011 in Qatar, the Indian National Football Team Bus said

11 Players, A Billion Heartbeats

It’s an inspiring slogan but one that sadly is not true. Those 11 players were not backed by a billion hearts, barely a few lakhs. Let’s face it. Indians will only support their Cricket team because we are seemingly successful in it. The number one ranked test playing nation, Number 2 ranking in ODI matches, in a game played by 16-20 nations.

Why are most Indians so happy with this statistic? Content in being mildly successful in a sport which is barely played by 7% of the world. I’ve reached the conclusion its because we’re favorites in most games. I think in the mind of most Indians they think

“Why support the football team when you know their going to lose most probably? At least we have a chance of winning in Cricket.”

It’s a hypocritical attitude and one which is spread by the major media organisations as well. They will all criticize the Indian team when we lose a match in Hockey or in football but none of them will come forward to cover the time India wins.

Most Indians will support you as long as your the favorite to win. They will not give a damn if you are an underdog. I feel sorry for myself and other athletes in these sports, where you play for the country solely and not because your name will come in bold as the winner (cite individual sports such as Golf, Badminton,Tennis, etc. where the individual’s name comes first rather the nation’s), how do we motivate ourselves? We know no one will give us any appreciation in our own country if we do well but will be the first one to jump on our backs and criticize us for a fighting but ultimately futile performance (AIFF, Times of India bashing the Indian Team’s performance in the Asia Cup).

I respect countries like Australia, South Africa because their fans come out completely in support of each and every team they put out no matter what the sport, but we cant even get our AIFF President Mr. Praful Patel to attend the National football team’s match in Kuala Lumpur because god forbid he miss the India-Australia cricket match.

Yes most people don’t know when the football team or hockey team plays because of a lack of coverage but will more coverage really help that much?

Maybe Chris Daniels is right (Indian Football, Just a waste of Time? ) , maybe we athletes and supporters of niche sports are just hopelessly supporting the wrong sport in a wrong country.

Right now, if I come out on the pitch to represent India, I’ll play for me, for my love of the country, not for the hypocritical hearts back home who are selectively patriotic.

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Toronto, March 31 (IANS) The high-voltage India-Pakistan semi-final in the ICC World Cricket Cup Wednesday came in handy for Canadian politicians to woo South Asian voters in the campaign for the May 2 elections.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper playfully swung the bat as he joined Indians and Pakistanis in watching in the match in the Toronto suburb of Brampton which is home to the largest concentration of Indians in the Toronto area.

Not far away from the prime minister, Canada’s hottest Indian-origin MP Ruby Dhalla too joined in the excitement of the match during her election campaign in her Brampton-Springdale constituency – or riding as they call it here in this country.

Later in the evening, Dhalla, a former Miss India-Canada runner-up and rated as the third sexiest woman politician by Maxim magazine, threw a celebration party for both Indians and Pakistanis in her constituency.

Inviting everyone to the evening party, she said, “Please join the Re-elect Ruby Dhalla Campaign Team to celebrate the success of both India and Pakistan’s performance at the Semi Final World Cricket Cup this morning.”

Parliamentary Secretary (equal to deputy minister) Deepak Obhrai, who is the highest ranking Indo-Canadian in the out-going Conservative government, too joined his supporters in his constituency in Calgary to watch the match.

“Congratulations to India for their victory! It was a great match,” said the five-time MP from Calgary East.

In Vancouver, Canada’s high-profile immigration minister Jason Kenney spent two hours in House of Dosas restaurant to
watch the match with hundreds of beer guzzlers. “Our place was jam-packed. The minister was glued to the television for two hours as he enjoyed the India-Pakistan encounter,” restaurant manager Kesav Sharma told IANS.

Interestingly, even as emotions ran high in India and Pakistan over the cricketing duel, members of the local India-Pakistan Dosti organization came together to watch the match.

“We – India and Pakistan – are like a family. The family has won today, not India or Pakistan. Indians and Pakistanis sat together and watched this match… there was only excitement, no high emotions because we (Indians and Pakistanis) are one family. MP Ruby Dhalla also joined us,” said India-Pakistan Dosti founder-chairman Akbar Warris who hails from Nankana Sahib in Pakistan

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Pakistan are set to meet India, on Wednesday, March 30, in a much-awaited semi-final game of ICC World Cup 2011. India are overwhelming favourites to win the match. Pakistan were in disarray in the months leading up to the world cup; the spot-fixing scam that broke out during the team’s England tour demoralised them even as they were looking to re-build their squad. Crucially, they lost three extremely talented players, in Asif, Amir and Butt.

A successful tour of New Zealand united the men, under Afridi. Captaincy was expected to be a bone of contention, especially as in the past, the team had often been divided into rival factions under different captaincy aspirants. On this occasion, Misbah, the only other contender for the captaincy, stepped aside in the Pathan’s favour, even as the Pakistan Cricket Board dithered on naming the skipper for the cup.

There’s a rare unity, among the Pakistani players, not seen since the days Imran Khan was at the helm. Famously, Imran answered General Zia’s call and came back from retirement to lead the team to the 1992 world cup. A half-fit Imran played as a pure batsman, coming in at number three, and his 72 in the final contributed substantially to the title that the team eventually won. This time around, Pakistan’s continued fortunes will depend on the following six men:

1. Shahid Afridi:

If there’s an analogy with Imran Khan at the 1992 event, Afridi, better known for his batting exploits, has shone with the ball, at this world cup, and he is currently the leading wicket taker, with 21 scalps in seven games. Like Imran, Afridi has impressed with his man-management skills; the players swear by their captain, and this unity, more than anything else, has helped Pakistan to the semi-finals. Afridi has been leading from the front, albeit not with the bat, but his bat could have a big role to play against India, especially if Pakistan bat second and have to chase a stiff target. Afridi has gone on record as saying that his dream was to beat India in India at the world cup.

2. Younis Khan:

Younis Khan is another senior player whose presence lends stability to the team, especially to its fragile batting line up. Younis skippered Pakistan to the T20 World Cup title in 2009, and stepped aside while claiming publicly that he wasn’t the best man for the job. With his genial self-effacing nature and his many responsible knocks for his team, Younis exudes the air of a senior statesman, and the team will look to him for a big innings against India.

3. Misbah-Ul-Haq:

In the absence of Mohd Yousuf, Misbah-Ul-Haq is technically the most accomplished batsman of the team. His composure at the crease is in sharp contrast with the mercurial image of the quintessential Pakistani cricketer. Misbah came close to pulling off an improbable win against India in the 2007 T20 world cup final, in the company of Sohail Tanvir, after Pakistan had lost 7 wickets. The team will want plenty more of that resoluteness against India, on March 30.

4. Umar Gul:

Umar Gul has always had a penchant for taking wickets, while not looking threatening, in terms of pace. Gul has been a low-profile player, having played in the shadow of more accomplished bowlers like Shoaib Akhtar and Mohd Asif. Given the new ball for the first time, Gul has revelled in his new found role as the team’s strike bowler, and Pakistan will look to him for an early breakthrough against India.

5. Umar Akmal:

Umar Akmal is arguably the most exciting young batsman to have emerged in the last few years. The extreme talent that Akmal brings to bear at the crease has often proved his undoing, accompanied as it is by an extreme sense of adventure. Afridi has named the young man as a strong contender for Man-of-the-Tournament; Akmal’s innings under pressure in the league match against Australia did not belie that hope.

6. Abdul Razzaq:

On his day, old war horse Abdul Razzaq is capable of just about anything, with bat and ball alike, accomplishing it all with a poker face. The semi-final against India could hinge on which Razzaq appears on the field, on March 30 — the brilliant or the indifferent.

About the Author:

For the latest sports gossip, including the ICC World Cup, click http://www.sportingattitude.com.

Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

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Indian Premier League, or IPL as it is popularly known as, will be stepping into its fourth season on April 8th, 2011. The IPL 4 is slated to be the most exciting and the biggest IPL season so far. A total of ten teams will be taking part in IPL 2011 and around 74 matches will be played amongst them in a manner, not common in Indian sports.

Many people will be looking forward to IPL 2011 as the next season to cheer for after all that happened during IPL 2010. The controversies surrounding the tournament were enormous and took a great toll on the popularity of the event. Commissioner Lalit Modi was exposed as the poster boy of corruption in India and the whole system of player auctions and bidding was looked upon suspiciously. Questions were raised on the format of the event and the late night parties were banned by the new officials in chair. Now, Modi is expelled and Chirayu Amin has taken his place. IPL 2011 will be his first assignment after taking the top job.

Although IPL is considered to be the most business-friendly format of cricket, Twenty20 has been into existence for quite some time now. The first nation to have sampled twenty20 was England. In 2003 the England cricket board hosted a professional inter-county tournament. Then in January 2005 Australia’s hosted a Twenty20 match at the WACA between the Western Warriors and the Victoria Bushrangers. Almost 20,700 people reportedly attended. Australia and New Zealand played their historic Twenty20 game in Auckland in February, 2005. That match made its impact in the stands where it was lauded for its festivities and relevance to faster times where everyone wants quick results. In July 2006 almost 20 West Indian local teams battled it out in a T20 tourney. Obviously, criticism of such instant gratification came thick and fast. But its popularity continued to soar.

The fourth season of IPL Schedule will feature the following teams:

Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Deccan Chargers, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils, Sahara Pune Warriors, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders

The ten teams will be divided into two groups of five teams each. The two new entrants are Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers. Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab were banned by the IPL over ownership related issues last year but both the franchises fought the expulsion in Supreme Court and muscled their way in the tournament.

All in all, we can say that IPL 2011 will be the most successful version of the event till date. Almost all the teams look good to clinch the title and the players have all been reshuffled in the recent auctions. It would be interesting to see who wins IPL 2011.

About the Author:

An athletic looking, IPL crazy Indian cricket fan.

IPL 2011 Website

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The opening encounter of the defending champion Australia once again proves this fact that the minnows are a total mismatch in an internationally acclaimed tournament like the ICC Cricket World Cup. After Bangladesh, Kenya and Canada, now it was the turn of Zimbabwe to get humiliated in front of the top notch teams like Australia.

However, it was not a one sided game in the initial stage. The Zimbabwean bowlers maintained a good line and length and restricted Australia with a score of only 262. The trick to initiate the attack with the left-arm orthodox spinner Ray Price proved to be utterly beneficial for the Zimbabweans. It once again proves that how the Australian batting line up struggles in the turning pitches of the sub continents.

Apart from Shane Watson and Michael Clarke none of the Australian batsmen seemed to appear comfortable in front of the Zimbabwean spin bowlers. The run rate also suffered as the strike rate of most of the batsmen is surprisingly low. However, it was Shane Watson who played a patient knock of 79 runs from 92 balls and contributed a lot in assisting the team to reach the 250 mark. He was being well supported by Clarke, who once again exhibited his ravishing skills and played a knock of 58 runs by facing only 55 deliveries.

Coming to bat, it never looked like that Zimbabwe would be able to achieve the target. The fiery pace attack of Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson are perhaps too good for the Zimbabwean batsmen. Although, the opener Charles Coventry gave some hints to dominate the Australian bowling line up, but he also fell prey to the same.

Johnson conducted an excellent spell of 9.2 overs and snatched four important wickets at an economy rate of only 2.03. Tait and Jason Krejza shared two wickets each while Lee picked up the vital wicket Coventry. This disciplined bowling performance from the World Champions literally left no stone unturned in order to secure the win of Australia. Zimbabwe got all out by scoring 171 in 46.2 overs.

Shane Watson was being declared as the “Player of the Match” due to his matured an immaculate innings. When most of his other mates are failing to cope with the slow bounce of the Motera Stadium of Ahmedabad, it was Watson who stood there upfront and the lead the innings in a proficient manner. The innings consisted of eight fours and one six with a strike rate of nearly 85.86.

Truly speaking, it never appeared that Zimbabwe could make any sort of impact on the mere result of the game. They have been outperformed in every single aspect of the game, which once again proves the difference in the quality of the two teams. However, it would be interesting to see how Zimbabwe performs in their upcoming match against Canada on 28th February at Nagpur. On the other hand, Australia is all set to take the challenge of their arch-rivals on the aforesaid venue on 25th February.

About the Author:

Get informed about Cricket World Cup 2011 and Final Cricket World Cup 2011 matches.

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Ricky Ponting’s resignation yesterday ends one of the most successful, and most polarizing, reigns as captain of the Australia cricket team.

Ponting led Australia in 77 test matches, winning 48 to surpass his predecessor Steve Waugh’s record of 41 test victories as captain. He also captained Australia in 227 limited-overs internationals, of which he won 163, encompassing two World Cups triumphs and a Champions Trophy title.

Throughout his nine years at the helm, Ponting fashioned unprecedented records of individual and team success, including a record-equaling 16 consecutive test wins between December 2005 and January 2008.

He participated as a player in 99 Australian test victories, surpassing Shane Warne’s record of 92, and is Australia’s most prolific international batsman with more than 12,000 tests runs – including 39 centuries – and more than 13,000 in 352 ODIs.

“We all play to win games of cricket and be involved in a team that wins a lot of games of cricket,” Ponting said when he equalled Waugh’s captaincy record. “They are things I am very proud of.”

Yet, even purely statistical examination of Ponting’s captaincy emphasizes the paradoxes that mark his career. While he achieved unprecedented success and helped make Australia almost invincible in the middle period of his tenure, he was also the first Australian captain in more than a century to lose two Ashes test series in England.

His team’s 3-1 Ashes series defeat in Australia this summer, Australia’s first series loss to England at home since 1987, helped crystalize opposition to his captaincy and push him towards yesterday’s announcement.

And beyond bare statistics or considerations of success and failure, Ponting’s captaincy raised long-lasting and polarizing questions about conduct and demeanor, the style and the substance of his leadership.

“Ricky Ponting has been an outstanding batsman, one of the best to wear the baggy green,” Cricket Australia chairman Jack Clarke said in a statement yesterday.

“His leadership as captain has been outstanding and I sometimes think his brilliance with the bat has overshadowed his fine work as captain.”

Ponting said yesterday the main reason for stepping down was that it was the right time.

“Getting through the Ashes series the way that we did and the World Cup now being over, I wanted to make sure that I gave the next captain every opportunity I possibly could to make sure he has as much experience going forward in the next couple of big events that we will play.”

Cricket Australia declined to name a successor, but Michael Clarke, who stood in for the injured Ponting in the final Ashes test and for the one-day series against England that followed it, is expected to replace his mentor as skipper.

Ponting endorsed the 29-year-old Clarke to take over the reins, adding that he would have no problems serving under his apprentice.

“I’ve actually taken orders most of my life, so it will be no different than anyone else here,” Ponting said.

- Agencies

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The ongoing Live Cricket World Cup 2011 is the 10th cup which is being hosted by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In Cricket World Cup the match format is of One Day International (ODI), and first world cup was played in the year 1975 in England. The International Cricket Council is the organizing committee for this International game, which provides a common platform for the teams all over the world to compete with each other.

This is the first time in the cricket history, when Bangladesh is co-hosting the matches. In between these three hosting countries, India is hosting most of the matches, Sri Lanka is hosting few of the matches as well two are being awarded to Bangladesh. The headquarters of the organizing committee is in Mumbai coordinating this international event. There are various big matches which are to be played in this tournament, and some of them are between India vs South Africa on 12th of March, Pakistan vs Australia, England vs South Africa, India vs West Indies on 20th March, and then there are four quarter finals, two semifinals and then the FINAL, and you can easily watch any of your favourite match in the Cricket WorldCup 2011 live in HD on various blogs and websites.

The event is the most appealing and hot topic of the present scenario, where all the teams have made game more interesting by giving tough competition to each other, making the ways for themselves to take the cup to their home. Each of the participating team has given their best performances, and is all set to give up their best and whole hearted effort to make this event a successful one.

Since the cricket match is the most entertaining and lovable game, therefore special arrangements have been made by the hosting countries to take special measures to maintain the integrity of the game from any kind of unwanted actions. For this seasons Cricket Cup various extra measures have been adapted for the comfort and leisure of the team players, so that they can pay their full attention to their game and can enjoy as well on their tour.

Wishing the participating teams a whole lot of good luck, let’s keep our eyes open to welcome the winning team this year. Most probably, India should win this world cup, as the team looks perfect, and they have the potential to beat any team in this Cricket world cup 2011.

About the Author:

You can watch all the cricket matches live in High Definition video on http://sharmaekant.blogspot.com/ — Ekant Sharma

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India vs Pakistan Cricket World Cup 2011: India vs. Pakistan Cricket World Cup 2011 Semifinals Live Stream Score Match at India ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 – The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 between India vs Pakistan is currently being held in Mohali, India. It is the second semi final round in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 before the finals round on April 2, 2011 which is going to be held in Mumbai India according to the ICC World Cup 2011 schedule .

The clash of the titans India vs Pakistan at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 will take place at 1:30 PM Pakistan Standard Time at Mohali. Even though there was heavy rain last night, the weather today is forecasted to be clear.

The Pakistan team’s lucky mascot, Chaudhry Abdul Jalil, also known as ‘Chacha Cricket’ and attired in a flowing green kurta and white salwar, is confident his team will win.

“I am sure of Pakistan’s win. All our players, especially the skipper Shahid Afridi, are in good nick. I was waiting for an India-Pakistan clash for a long time. Many Pakistani fans from Karachi and Lahore have reached Mohali to support our team,” said Jalil.

Around 400 Pakistani cricket fans, including officials and relatives of the players, have crossed into India through the Attari-Wagah border in the last seven days to witness the India vs. Pakistan Semi Finals match at the Cricket World Cup 2011.

Both teams India and Pakistan are very good. India is ranked second in the world in one-day international (ODI) cricket, while Pakistan is fifth. Amazingly, neither team even made it out of the knockout rounds in the 2007 Cricket World Cup, but each team has lost a final within the past twelve years. However, despite being one of the stronger sides in the world and having a winning record against India overall, Pakistan are 0-4 all time against India in the World Cup.

ICC Cricket World Cup fans of India will be focusing their eyes on Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar, now 37, is widely considered to be one of the best players ever to grace the field and holds most of international cricket’s batting records. Many might not be familiar with the idea of cricketers as world superstars, but check out this quote: “I have seen God. He bats at no. 4 in India in Tests”. From a fan, that would be kind of cool, but it comes from Matthew Hayden, one of Australia’s top batsmen over the past two decades.

Who will win between India vs Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup 2011? Currently we are watching the India vs Pakistan ICC Cricket World Cup live streaming and India is leading over Pakistan. Standby below as we provide live updates of scores and results of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Semi Finals Round between India vs. Pakistan.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011: India vs. Pakistan Scores and Updates:

India frittered away their assertive beginning at the semifinal match today afternoon and posted what can be called a ‘fighting total’ of 260 for 9 in the crucial World Cup semifinal match being played at Mohali.

India lost wickets in a hurry in the middle overs – Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh to successive balls – when its famed middle order fumbled again.

Sachin Tendulkar walked back to the pavilion at 85 after surviving four dropped catches before finally being caught by Shahid Afridi off a Saeed Ajmal delivery.

FINAL UPDATE on India vs Pakistan Cricket World Cup 2011 Semi Finals:

India defeated Pakistan by 29 runs in the heated semi-final, 260-231, despite encountering little difficulty in the earlier rounds. India will take on Sri Lanka on April 2, at 9 GMT (4 a.m. EST) for the final championship round of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup which will be played in Mumbai, giving India the home advantage.

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ICC Cricket World Cup 2011: India vs Pakistan Cricket World Cup 2011 Official India Cricket Semi Finals Results Schedule Released- It’s the Cricket season once again and all Cricket fans will surely be watching their favorite Cricket teams to cheer and support them. The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup will be the tenth Cricket World Cup and will be hosted by three South Asian Test cricket playing countries: India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It will be Bangladesh’s first time co-hosting a Cricket World Cup. To watch all the Cricket matches, you can tune into several Cricket live streaming channels to watch it on your PC.

Of all the three hosts for this year’s 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, India will be the main host. The Cricket World Cup 2011 teams will then be divided into two groups, Group A and Group B, with each group having 7 teams. Group A will be composed of Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya while Group B will be composed of India, South Africa, England, Bangladesh, West Indies, Netherlands and Ireland.

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 will take place between February and early April 2011, with the first match to be played on 19 February 2011 with co-hosts India and Bangladesh facing off at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka.

The opening ceremony was heldlast 17 February 2011 at Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, two days before the start of the tournament. The final cricket game will be on 2 April 2011 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The ICC World Cup 2011 Cricket games will be broadcasted live by ABC.

Below is the complete ICC Cricket World Cup 2010 Match Schedule:

Final Scores and Updates on India vs. Pakistan ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Semi Finals Round :

The game between India vs Pakistan on the Semi Finals Round of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011was finished and it was India who won the cricket match. India beat Pakistan by 29 runs, 260-231, despite encountering little difficulty in the earlier rounds.

With the victory of India, they will be facing the first semi finals winner Sri Lanka on April 2, 2011 for the ICC World Cup 2011 final championship round at Mumbai in India. The cricket match will start at 9pm GMT (4am EST). Standby here as we will report the live scores and results of that much awaited Cricket World Cup championship match!

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10:29am Wednesday 30th March 2011

ONE brave shopkeeper, who believes he is the only India Cricket fan in his neighbourhood, is watching today’s World Cup grudge match with dozens of Pakistan supporters.

Cricket-mad Mohammed Chopdat, says he will have to cheer on his beloved India in the semi-final along with dozens of his Pakistan-supporting friends.

The 25-year-old, who runs YM News in Pendle Street, Accrington, said: “The Asian community in the town is almost entirely Pakistani, which means I’m almost the only Indian in Accrington.

“The match is going to be a massive one, but I am going to be surrounded by loads of opposition fans.

“I am going to watch the match at home with my friends and I’ve told them all that we are going to win. I know we can do it.”

Mr Chopdat, whose father Yakub, 58, is Indian, was born in Blackburn and moved to Accrington when he was seven.

He said: “I think the game is going to be stressful.

“There’s going to be a lot of banter and arguing but I’m sure it will be good humoured.

“When the game finishes the place will go mad.

“We will be out on the streets celebrating, and hopefully it will be for an India win.”

The India/Pakistan cricket rivalry is considered to be one of the most fierce in the world.

In East Lancashire, around 10 per cent of the population is Indian or Pakistani, with the majority in most communities being from Pakistan.

Former Blackburn with Darwen mayor Mohammed Khan will be cheering on the Pakistan team.

He said: “There will be a huge interest in Lancashire for the match.

“In Blackburn there are a lot of Indian and Pakistani communities.

“The rivalry is so intense that everyone will be glued to the game.

“It is going to be so exciting.”

Click on the link below for our live updates on the game.

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