Sree in the dugout

On the one hand, there is the KKR Management (comprising the Dildo, his minion JB and his minions) which flies out players that 'do not fit into the scheme'. On the other, there is Priety's King's XI which insists on keeping Sreesanth in the dugout even when it was clear a few weeks ago that he would not be playing a single match. So what's Sree got that keeps him there?

England have Flower power

Andy Flower’s appointment as England coach ended a long, drawn-out selection process that always seemed likely to end with the announcement of England’s second Zimbabwean team leader.

The prolonged nature of this saga attracted much criticism, not least because Graham Ford, an early front-runner for the post, pulled out due to the excessive time frame involved. The ECB used a head-hunting firm that came up with a group of names any English fan could have done for free.

However, whilst the national team’s hierarchy did little to improve its recently damaged reputation, the best man for the job has ended up being appointed. This was not necessarily the case when Duncan Fletcher needed replacing two years ago; indeed, there are many who claim Tom Moody is still the ideal candidate, as he was when Peter Moores was promoted.

Moody did want to relocate to England, a major factor that prevented Ford, Gary Kirsten and Mickey Arthur from declaring sustained interest in the role. All this, as well as Ashley Giles’ inexperience, left the way clear for Flower.

Flower has had a far from smooth progression through the England coaching ranks. His inexperience is easy to miss – he retired from playing in September 2006 – and his appointment as batting coach coincided with a downturn in form of many England batsmen.

Flower was also on Kevin Pietersen’s hit-list over the winter, but the former skipper seems to have softened his stance. Of more importance is the new coach’s relationship with the current captain, and Flower and Andrew Strauss have an excellent understanding.

This, combined with Flower’s straight talking and honesty has made him popular with the media and he should be given plenty of time to settle into his new job.

However, results are what counts and Flower knows England are in a slump. Winning the Ashes might be too much to ask, but gaining revenge against West Indies may be a better cricket bet. It will also help the new coach prove that he really is the best man for the job.

Opinions

The problem with taking a side, especially in cricket, is that sometimes the person you are so critical of plays a good knock and the wolves that have been circling around you, waiting for an opportunity to bite, suddenly see that moment come by.

Ofcourse, the topic is none other than the controversial Rohit Sharma - the man who we post about when nothing else happens on this blog. I missed the supposedly awesome inning that he played, I didnt read anything about it, I didnt even know that it had happened - for that matter, I am not even sure what IPL team he plays for. Yet, earlier today, I was informed in no uncertain terms that I should post something about him so here I go!

Well done Rohit for climbing the Himalaya sized challenge that is Bangalore!! That must have been pretty tough - did it make you call on every ounce of whatever talent you possess? 50 runs in one inning (as opposed to an entire series) - did you dream about it all night, go to Tirupati to thank the gods? But here's the thing - T20 is not really cricket - it is not the place to prove to the world that you can justify your talent. Even if it is a challenging form of 'bat-ball' in its own right - a single inning does not prove anything - it does not take away anything from criticisms that have been levelled at you. Do it in one-day cricket; even better do it in test cricket and I am a convert - shit, I forgot, you arent even on the fringes of the test team now, are you?

And I have money riding on other IPL teams, so I for one, pray that this was nothing more that a flash in the pan - a joke of the cricketing gods. We look forward to seeing the Rohit Sharma of the recent past for the rest of the tournament.

Cheers!!

Sehwag ki captiancy!

But why all the indignation over Sehwag's captaincy, man? Do people actually believe that Sehwag, because of the way he plays, lacks the authority to chastise teammates? Have I interpreted your sole argument correctly, you infidels?

Flintoff and Pietersen, overpriced and over there

One of the joys of the Indian Premier League is seeing how much players are bought for. If supporters like to compare the lucky ones’ value, then so do the players, and those taking part can be excused for raising their eyebrows at the fees Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen commanded.

As good as they are, the England duo are not as adept at Twenty20 cricket as many, including the franchise owners, think. Sure, they might do well in a ‘who can hit the ball furthest’ contest, but the newest form of the game is much more than big hitting.

Shaun Marsh and Gautam Gambhir proved last year that orthodox players can prosper in Twenty20, where brains as well as brawn are important.

The two leading runscorers of last year’s tournament are greatly experienced in the format, which is not the case for Pietersen and Flintoff. They have played 15 and seven Twenty20 internationals respectively and rarely feature for their counties in the Twenty20 cup due to England commitments.

Flintoff’s average of 12.66 from those seven innings tells its own story, and whilst Pietersen fares better, averaging 26.78, he has still under-achieved. One half century in 15 T20I knocks shows that he does not play the match-turning innings he regularly contributes in the longer formats.

Pietersen likes to size up the opposition bowling before launching his attack, perhaps explaining why his T20I strike rate is inferior to that of fellow attacking batsmen Andrew Symonds, Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle and Sanath Jayasuriya.

As well as suffering from inexperience, Pietersen and Flintoff will both be distracted in South Africa. Pietersen has by his own admission had a terrible few months and will have his thoughts firmly on home; Flintoff is under pressure to stay fit and will not be fully focused. His bowling, his main strength, might be compromised.

Both players will earn a tidy sum for their flying visits and their franchises might be left disappointed with what they get in return. The one winner from their IPL sojourn might be England, who can write off their chances in the ICC World Twenty20 unless their star players find some Twenty20 form.

England captaincy, position filled

It seems strange that there is even a modicum of doubt surrounding Andrew Strauss’ future as England captain. True, results have been disappointing, but England have been on a steady downward curve for four years and there can be no doubt that Strauss is the best man to lead the battle to reverse that slide.

This might be partly due to the lack of alternatives, which is hardly a reason in itself to throw full support behind the sole candidate, but there is no point in pretending that Strauss has a rival.

Kevin Pietersen has just been removed from the post and does not want it back, even if a massive U-turn was made; vice-captain Alastair Cook has only just cemented his place in the side after spending the last year under pressure, whilst Paul Collingwood has had an even more extreme struggle to retain his place. He also walked away from the One Day leadership role, admitting to difficulty in coping with the demands of the job.

There is no one else who can possibly lead the Test team. Strauss might not be the natural choice to be One Day and Twenty20 skipper, but the ECB must not be alarmed by his apparent unease in the shorter formats should they consider a return to a split captaincy.

England have been so poor in coloured clothing over recent times that starting from scratch under Strauss is no bad thing. There is no status quo to upset, no plans to redraw. He is also in the form of his life with the bat and proved in the second ODI against West Indies that he can transfer his Test purple patch.

Andy Flower appears certain to be given the coach’s job for the coming year, despite an even closer association with poor results, having been a key man in the Peter Moores era.

If the ECB can see past Flower’s poor record, they should be able to do the same with Strauss. England need stability and Strauss is the man to provide it. Name him skipper for all formats for the 2009 season and let the planning for the ICC World Twenty20 and West home series start with at least key position properly filled.

Johnson!!

Is Mitchell the best all rounder in the world today? Outstanding bowling - some would argue, even better batting, an arm that fires in rockets from the boundary and buckets that seldom drop anything.

The way he is batting, he would walk into most sides solely as a batsman. Not even sure whether we can continue to call him a bowling all rounder. How does Australia do it - how can it always have crickets that are this good!!

Done ranting with no particular end in mind. Kudos to Johnson though - even Ponting is considering playing him as a floater.

Juicy Ryder

Punctuated by bullet sweats, the Juicy One notches up hundreds in consecutive Tests. And what knocks!! Both times, he was prepared to be sedate (like he had a huge meal) while the mortal at the other end went hammer and tongs. Dan then, Taylor today, Franklin tomorrow?
I have to admit that Ryder never struck me as someone who would easily be a good Test bat, but his confidence while leaving the ball and defending the balls on off has me gushing at the Next Big Thing, excuse the choice of words.

Pseudonationalism

For one with no significant loyalties to any single IPL team, at least none based on geography, the shift to South Africa will not make such a big difference - and certainly not at any emotional level. I mean why the hell should I care if the Indians play the Superkings in Centurion or Chinnaswamy as long as I can pop a beer open in front of the TV? Is this just me?

I just might get really pissed off if the government sold off the Bharatanatyam or the Taj Mahal or the Himalayas. Or lets just say, the Maha Kumbh was shifted to Brazil for security reasons. That would drive me mad. But when the media whipped itself into a frenzy over Gandhi's personal items being auctioned off, I could not care less.

There is no doubt that the IPL belongs to all Indians far less. Its owned clearly by big business, and a year is not enough for a sporting tournament to eat into a nation's ethos/zeitjeist. But the reactions led by the (once?) poster-boy of hate, Narendra Modi, would pencil it down to "national shame". Shorn testicles, if the I in IPL is his rationale!

The IPL does not belong to any of us. Of course, they did try to get us to feel some amount of ownership through the purchase of jerseys and our presence at the venues, but that was never meant to be exclusive, baby. It was just y'know we kinda misunderstood the commitments we took upon.. Certainly never offered us a say in determining venue the next year, and neither did we pay for that right. It might have been sold as a domestic tournament in some quarters but the minority of local representation in teams was a constant reminder that it was not.

Yes, last year I did not catch a single match from a stadium and I will admit I was looking forward to the experience this year. Other than that, as long as I dont have to stay up too long into the night to watch them, I'll be watching almost every single game. Whether there is a massive noisy crowd or not. Aren't there enough Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis around the world to make noise wherever it will be staged?

Unveiling the T 4000

Anybody else think Guptill should be auditioning for Terminator 4?

The Prior paradox

England are unsure as to what their best limited overs team is, with one major talking point being the omission of Matt Prior. Steve Davies was handed an international debut in Sunday’s Twenty20 match against West Indies, an apparently bizarre decision considering Prior’s current excellent form.

Prior was one of England’s many batting successes in the Test series and his overall record of 960 runs from 16 Tests, at an average of 48, rightly suggests he is capable of batting in England’s top six. His wicket-keeping remains under scrutiny, but it is widely accepted that keepers’ frailties are less exposed in limited overs cricket.

Davies looks set to retain his place as opener in the forthcoming One Day series, but we really shouldn’t be surprised. The England management tries (sometimes unsuccessfully) to keep ODI selection distinct from Test and Prior’s record in coloured clothing is poor.

He averages just 22.75 from his 33 ODIs, passing fifty only once. This is a particularly poor return for a batsman often used as an opener – he is more than just a ‘pinch-hitter’ – and Prior paid the price for his run of low scores in India before Christmas, ending the series at number nine in the batting order.

Prior is a naturally aggressive batsman seemingly well-suited to One Day cricket, but this disparity in his records is not unique for players who like to attack in Tests.

Michael Slater represents the best example. The Aussie dasher loved to throw the bat at the top of the order in his 74-match Test career, but he struggled in ODIs, averaging just 24.07 from 42 matches. His ODI strike rate of 60.40 reveals the extent to which he failed to transfer his Test form to the One Day format.

Of course many natural aggressors succeed in both formats, but sometimes this style of player fails to adapt, seemingly confused by the space on the boundaries that should suit their game. One Day cricket is all about flexibility and maybe Prior has not yet discovered it.

Written by Philip Oliver

O-Bala, No-Bala?

Unless Dhoni goes extreme left-field, a third seamer needs to be picked from Munaf, Balaji and Dhawal for the Tests. Balaji (in his new avtar) Dhawal are fairly untested in international waters. Munaf has been weighed and measured and, at least during the third ODI, found desperately wanting under pressure.
For the first Test at least, Dhawal is not in the running and it is a clear two-way knockout between Balaji and Munaf.
dont know how much Dhoni will respect Munaf's position in the pecking order (will someone please give me a better term to use instead, i am fuggin tired of it) ahead of Balaji, at the time the Test team was drawn up. I think it must be respected. Remember how everyone now agrees that Sehwag being dropped from the Test side based on ODI form was a bad idea? The same would apply here.
I can already hear people sing but pressure is pressure maaan and he crumbled. I disagree.. pressure is not pressure, I mean its not the same kind of pressure, more time between spells etc. So there it is - Munaf Patel is my pick for third seamer in the first Test, and it is not because I am not impressed with Bala's comeback.

It is all in the mind

The Nawab of Najafgarh has finally arrived. For long, Sehwag has been India's greatest paradox. His seeming inability to string a consistent run of scores in the limited overs format where he ought to be at home while scoring hundreds almost at will in the five day format has confounded his millions of admirers. Is it just good form that has sparked of this run or is there some change in his makeup - technical, tactical or mental which has seen him embrace the one day game with such success recently?

To this writer, the major reason for Sehwag's recent astounding success has been a change in his mental makeup. The presence of India's brilliant batting lineup has in a way liberated him and yet shackled him. Liberated him from the fear of failure and shackled him from the reckless stroke play which had plagued his one day career. For the first time, Sehwag has realized that he serves the team better by playing normally and not by looking for superhuman feats of shot making. Take an eg: - For a majority of his one day career, Sehwag lived or died by the upper cut to third man. There were spectacular sixers and shocking slashes straight to third man. Yet, he would persist in such endeavors again and again, ruining many promising innings. But, now with restraint added to his many undoubted skills, Sehwag waits before pouncing. The scoring rate is still astounding, India are still off to rollicking starts and Sehwag is at the crease, post, over number 10.

So, roll on Sehwag and delight us with more sixers over point and thirdman !

England fall just short of victory

First word for today should probably go to the fact that England have lost the test series against West Indies 1-0 after just failing to squeeze a victory out of the first test.

With the cricket odds expecting a draw going into the final day, Andrew Strauss’ men – in particular Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss – batted aggressively before declaring on 237-6.

This declaration came a bit too late for a lot of people, but it gave England two sessions to bowl out the hosts and square the series. In the end, it was a valiant effort, but they fell two wickets short.

So, England have lost a series during which they were they were the better side for large periods. In the end, it all came down to that horrific batting performance on the fourth day of the first test in Jamaica.

The disaster of 51 all out combined with two questionably delayed declarations and a number of flat bowling displays have cost England.

One particular position remains uncertain in the England team – the number three batting position. Ian Bell held the position at the start of the series before being dropped for Owais Shah who is currently in possession of the role.

However, he has failed to make the type of impact that would have guaranteed him a place in the side come the English summer. Shah made scores of 57, 14, 7, 21, 33 and 1 during this series. Hardly the sign of someone in it for the long term is it?

Personally, I feel for Shah. He has been forced to bat in a position that he isn’t completely suited to in order to achieve a much deserved place in the side. The reality is that England have a problem with number three and have done for a while now.

So, who are the options to for fill the role in the tests against West Indies and Australia this summer? Well, presumably Bell and Shah are in with a shout if they show some decent form between now and then. Ravi Bopara is another option as he often bats at number three for his county Essex.

However, if England are to have someone at three they can rely upon, someone who has experience, someone who can make big hundreds - it has to be Michael Vaughan.

If the former England captain can find some form, then he could complete an England top six which – despite the 51 all out – is beginning to look in top form. We shall have to wait and see how it turns out.

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about cricket betting

Predictions?

Though Australia have dominated this series, primarily through the ungainly efforts of Mr. Hughes, the South Africans have battled hard on the fourth day. As a result, the fifth day promises to be a humdinger, with all results still possible (assuming no bad weather), though ofcourse, a lot of people think that a South African victory is extremely improbable.

I for one, think otherwise. Based solely on the assumption that South Africa do not lose more than one wicket to the new ball (ideally none!), I see South Africa extremely well placed to level the series. If Kallis can hold up one end, the likes of AB, Boucher and JPD are more than capable of scoring at 4 an over for about 60 overs especially if it comes down to a 20-20 kind of scenario towards the end of the day, with Morket still hovering in the wings.

The bowlers are tired/injured. There is no spinner to talk off (Katich and North are not really going to trouble the sleep of too many batsmen). The pitch, while not completely reliable, has not demonstrated a propensity to fall into bed with the bowling side. Pride and confidence run high in this South African unit, while the Aussies are low on the latter (something that will get compunded if they fail to capitalize on the new ball). All in all, a target that was impossible till last evening (like the 400 + in Australia), is now fairly attainable.

My prediction - a three wicket win for South Africa!!

Superb Strauss hundred overshadowed by negative hosts

From the moment the West Indies selected an extra batsman to replace their front line spinner, their intentions for the test match were clear. Chris Gayle’s team – who hold a 1-0 series lead – are looking to tick the box of every session without too many runs being scored or wickets being taken.

Looking for their first series win since 2004, the West Indies are only after one result and that’s a draw. In some ways, you can’t blame them. They will feel that securing their first series victory over England since 1994 should come in anyway they can.

In all honesty, I’m probably just an England fan that is desperate for a match that ends in a positive result. Gayle’s tactics have frustrated me no end, but I guess that’s the intention of them!

The fact is that the first day’s play was probably the least entertaining 90 overs of cricket you will see and this was completely down to the West Indies approach. They weren’t interested in playing competitive cricket and this was a huge disappointment.

One of the shining lights in an otherwise uneventful day was Andrew Strauss’ hundred. The England captain is in some of the form of his life right now and is cashing in with big scores. He really does seem to excel with the responsibility and this is fantastic news for England.

As for the way the match is going to go, well the cricket odds must be favouring a draw already. The pitch looks like it is going to offer very little and this combined with a packed West Indies batting line-up and a negative Gayle means that a third draw in a row is likely.

England need to do all they can to prevent this. One or two of their bowlers need to realise the seriousness of the situation and put in a match-winning performance.

The tourists don’t deserve to lose this series, but unless they manage to produce more with the ball than they have in the previous two tests, that is exactly what is going to happen.

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about cricket betting

Static from Pakistan

"But terrorits never attack cricketers or cricket venues!" is an argument that I will never make again.

Rohit, where art thou?

Yet another failure for the talented Rohit Sharma. Yet another disappointing game. How much longer?

Should Flintoff risk his Ashes fitness to play in the IPL?

If England are to regain the Ashes this summer, everyone knows that they need to have Andrew Flintoff firing on all cylinders. He is England’s talisman and was the difference between the two sides back in 2005 when England secured a 2-1 series victory.

At this moment in time Flintoff is recovering from a hip injury that is set to rule him out of the fourth test against the West Indies. Once he has returned to the fold, the only significant gap in the international calendar occurs in April when Flintoff is scheduled to play in the Indian Premier League.

This means that leading up to the most important series of them all; Flintoff is going to undergo a process of recovering from injury and then constant cricket. Surely a rest wouldn’t do him any harm?

Speaking about the situation, Flintoff has declared that he expects to be fit to play for the Chennai Super Kings – who have paid £1million for his services – and that he doesn’t even expect it to be ‘touch and go’.

The all-rounder then went on to say that he is ‘intending to go’ despite speculation that the ECB may prevent him doing so to ensure his fitness for the English summer.

Flintoff’s fitness ambitions aren’t as long-term as the IPL at this moment in time though as he says that the competition isn’t at the ‘forefront’ of his thinking right now.

Instead, he is determined to be fit for the final test in the Caribbean and the One Day Internationals that follow it. The cricket odds would certainly expect more England success if this was the case.

However, there has to be concerns about the amount of cricket Flintoff is set to take on following this latest injury. What if he was to suffer from exhaustion or pick up a new injury during the IPL?

You can’t put a price on playing for England against Australia, after all.

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about cricket betting

Test Cricket the winner as the Windies force a draw

Considering the events that preceded the third match between England and the West Indies, it is quite remarkable that the two teams contested in five days of such fabulous test cricket.

The second test match – which was abandoned after less than two overs – left a sour taste in the mouth of West Indies cricket, but this match will have definitely made up for it.

Given the lack of preparation, the fact that the pitch lasted the entire match is quite something in itself. It acted as a reminder to everyone that Antigua is more than capable of hosting test cricket and that it is, first and foremost, a cricket ground.

Anyway, onto the match itself. It really was incredible wasn’t it? It was test cricket at its finest in my opinion and even though England threw away a comfortable winning position, there is no doubt that every ball of every over was enjoyed by the majority.

Huge credit must go the West Indies batsman for their effort on the final day. The rain delay at the start helped, but the cricket odds still backed England to force victory.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan set the tone with their partnership and it really got the West Indies team believing they could save the game.

Then, the mammoth effort from the tail-enders – in particular from Daren Powell – was fantastic. They dug in and achieved what must have felt like a victory for their team.

As for England, well they contributed to their own downfall really. Why bat on so long in the second innings? Why send in James Anderson as a night-watchman when it was obvious he would struggle to score quickly the following morning?

Fair enough, the injury to Andrew Flintoff couldn’t be legislated for. Had he been firing on all cylinders, England would probably have one the game. As it was, they are left feeling like they have lost it.

The match as a whole will go down in history though and it exaggerated the enjoyment test cricket can bring. In what other sport can five days of intense action come down to the final 30 minutes? Incredible stuff.

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about cricket betting for Betfair – check them out for the latest Cheltenham festival betting

Seaming (ly) Awry?

A mumbling Srinath has terrorized me for a few months now, espeically given that there is so little sensible mumble coming out of someone who has played so much international cricket. Like the proverbial flash in the pan however, Srinath's comments on the third Indian seamer finally add some serious value to what should be a more hotly debated issue.

To paraphrase what he said - Indian selectors must stop playing musical chairs with the position of the third seamer. This role has been fulfilled by Munaf, Praveen, Ganguly, Sreesanth and Ajit over the past few years in the Indian version of the rotation policy. If we accept that batsmen require a longish noose from which to hang themselves, why does the same logic not apply to bowlers, life for whom has anyway been made tougher by pitches that are getting slower and slower? Has Praveen done badly in the recent past to merit an exclusion? Didnt Sreesanth do enough in the little domestic cricket that he played?

I fail to understand how the allegedly best swing bowlers in the country are not on this tour (Zak excluded). Sreesanth and Praveen have been picked to play in India, Australia and South Africa (as the case may be), for their ability to swing the new ball and reverse swing the old one. Yet, when we go to a country which demands swing bowling expertise, we prefer the Soooparrstarr (Balaji, who hasnt played in a long long time and bowls only slightly faster than John) over these two? While I am all for one of them missing out for Ranji's highest wicket taker (preference for youth and all that), selections like Balajis' make one wonder whether the selectors are not suffering from some permanent brain damage received during their playing days.

As an aside, my prediction on the test series is a 2-1 victory to India, weather permitting. What say?

Balaji - Return of the Ultimate Sooparstaar

Has Balaji's performance since he regained fitness and got back to the game with reduced pace and a remodelled action really justified a Test match recall? Over Sreesanth and Arpy Singh?

Here are three Bala-watchers who have written about his comeback in the recent past.





N Balajhi of TCWJ:

"LAKSHMIPATHY BALAJI has made comeback into the Indian team after a stellar performance in Ranji trophy where he tallied 36 wickets @ 17.50 in 7 matches. The no. of times he hit the stumps, in his come back Ranji season, was the impressive aspect about his come back. His main weapon, straightening on off-stump is still intact. His inswingers are news to me. He swung the ball both ways. ...
Despite his ability to move the ball bothways he is vulnerable in international cricket for his lack of pace. He was never quick but now slowed down to early 120's. At this pace he got to bowl a very disciplined line in international cricket, especially in ODIs and back that up with good length. At this pace Balaji should try to emulate that Kiwi Larsen, in terms of line and length."

Siddharth Monga on Cricinfo:

"His comeback started during the IPL, but then again so did Ashish Nehra's. Both of them impressed, bowling four overs a day, but the real test would be to bowl 20 to 30 overs a day on unresponsive tracks. Nehra broke down again, but Balaji has gone on through the league stages and the quarter-final of the Ranji Trophy. When it comes to unhelpful tracks, none come worse than the Chinnaswamy pitch, where Tamil Nadu played Bengal.
... Balaji did that and more on a pitch where taking wickets in quick succession was next to impossible. He took five of them for seven runs, whereupon Tamil Nadu went on to make an incredible comeback and make their way through to the semi-final. It wasn't easy: he looked innocuous at times, bowling in the mid-120s and not getting any help from the pitch. But he persevered. In the first innings, he bowled what looked like a slower legcutter to Manoj Tiwary, which jagged in and bowled him. Tiwary was closing in on 150, but nobody expects googlies from pace bowlers. "

On the same quarterfinal match,
Soulberry of The Ranji Trophy Chronicles

"My good friend and fellow Ranji Chronicler, N Balajhi advised caution to my enthusiasm on seeing L Balaji swing it both ways. He was correct of course...the speed was off and all that stuff which makes you less effective on the international stage...but he was lethal today. It was as if he had a magic wand to the ball as he sliced through the Bengal order to end up with six dangerous wickets. dangerous because they tempt you to call him up for national attention. I am tempted to ignore my friend's good advice and call for more of Balaji! Anyway, the gist of the story is the ball moved out, the ball moved in, the batsmen didn't have a clue. Not since Irfan Pathan lost it have we seen consistent swing like Balaji showed us."

A 'class' act disappears?

Rohit Sharma, the supposedly talented right hand batsman, captured the imagination of millions with his performances in the World T20 and the CB Series in Australia. Some people on this blog sang his praises and heralded the coming of the next great right handed Indian batsmen, who had rightfully claimed his place in the pantheon of Indian batting gods.

Today, despite the confidence that Dhoni continues to show in him, Rohit does not command his place in either the one day or T20 teams, leave aside the test arena. Like Dravid, who the test team continues to carry through his slump, Rohit continues to be carried by the might of the Indian batting order, with even Ravinder Jadeja and Yusuf outdoing him consistently. While his fans will continue to argue that it is nothing more than a loss of form (and his class will eventually prevail etc.), in keeping with what I have said earlier on this blog, after yet another dismal performance last night, I am forced to reiterate that he does not belong in the international arena. He lacks the full range of stroke making that is essential at this level, as also the power that someone like Yuvraj or Yusuf weild with nonchalence. Add to this his inability to dominate spin or even rotate strike and you have the pull package of all that a one day team does not need. His fielding, while continuin to remain steady, has shown no flashes of brilliance - some may argue that even the intensity of his fielding has dropped.

While I am all for investing in talent and leeting it find its feet in international cricket, lets remember that the cost is a career for Venugopal, Badrinath, Pujara and other talented youngsters that continue to line up behind him. How long does India carry him? John??

English media play the blame game after humiliating defeat

As far as embarrassing defeats go, England’s loss in Jamaica to the West Indies last week was right up there. Andrew Strauss’ men were blown away in their second innings for just 51 and this has led to many members of the English media bringing up the dreaded ‘crisis’ word.

The defeat followed a month of great controversy surrounding the England team, with Kevin Pietersen and Peter Moores stepping down from their respective roles as captain and coach. With this in mind, it wasn’t the best time to be getting hammered by a team below you in the world rankings.

Where has the blame been placed though? Who is responsible for England’s recent demise? Well, many cricket pundits and former players have been having their say….

One time England spinner Robert Croft believes that the players were ‘too matey’ with their West Indian opponents. He says that there was a lot of ‘smiling and chatting’ between the two teams and that this doesn’t help the teams cause.

Former England captain Graham Gooch has also been critical of the team, by saying that they have ‘no direction’ and that they are ‘standing still’ without progressing forward in the slightest. In terms of blame, Gooch feels that the distraction of the Indian Premier League has played its part.

Elsewhere, BBC Sport’s Robbo Robson says that there is a ‘chummy clique where you have to know the password to get in’ and believes that far too much faith has been shown to the likes of Ian Bell and Monty Panesar, both of whom should be dropped.

Finally, one of the most significant voices in English cricket - Jonathan Agnew - says that that Bell ‘must be dropped’ to show that the batsmen’s places are not fireproof.

In terms of these opinions, the one that I agree with the most is Graham Gooch. Where is the direction? Where is this team going? Where are the youngsters? Are we going to sit and wait for the likes of Strauss, Collingwood, Pietersen and Harmison to retire at the same time and then change the whole team?

Before the test match, I was relatively positive about the team’s chances against the West Indies and so were the cricket odds. However, there was always a chance that they could self destruct - much like they have done. If the performance in Jamacia isn’t enough to suggest it is time for change, I don’t know what is.

Given the fact that Owais Shah is the only batting cover though, not too much can be changed in the rest of this tour. However, let’s freshen it up a bit. This is the team I would choose to face West Indies in the second test on Friday:

Andrew Strauss, Alistair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, Andrew Flintoff, Matt Prior, Adil Rashid, Graham Swann, Stuart Broad, Ryan Sidebottom.

This means that there is no place for Bell, Harmison or Panesar. It also means that Pietersen will be batting at three. It is worth a go though, because there is no way it can get any worse. Hopefully.

By Thomas Rooney - a sports writer who blogs about cricket betting for Betfair - check them out for the latest cheltenham odds

Cool, ei maaan?

"Of course, Suleiman Jamaal Benn is not the most threatening of spinners"

Yes I did say that in March last year when the Lankans were touring. 

Now I say, of course. Height, flight and accuracy - all the makings of a world class spinner. He is not too bad at gully either. All the awkwardn limb movement of Ishant Sharma married to the athleticism of Anil Kumble, but there is a bit of Roger Harper seed in the bwoy. 

He is Cool, ei maan, that Suleimaan. 

Congrats West Indies. Hats off, Jerome for the ruthless expose of the England smugness. This year's Ashes will be a the test of who is less worse off. 

That’s two centuries KP has thrown away, but can he be criticised for scoring 97?

As far as cricket debates go, this is one of the more difficult ones to decide which camp to go in. After Kevin Pietersen hauled out to Sulieman Benn for 97 during England’s first innings in Jamaica, there were groans all around the ground.

“Why has he gone and done that? He could have nudged his way to 100 and then started to build a huge score for his team. Instead he has gone for the glory shot and thrown it all away. That’s why he should never have been captain.”

The above view is similar to that of many England cricket fans. They lay into Pietersen for failing to go on and make a big score. Then, they point to the fact that he did exactly the same thing against New Zealand last summer when he was nearing a century.

Some people disagree with the criticism Pietersen has received though.

“How can people criticise someone who is clearly the best batsmen in the team? If it wasn’t for Pietersen’s innings, England would be in a lot more trouble than 236-5 at the end of day one. Would people have been happier if he was out cheaply like Strauss or Cook so that he wouldn’t have thrown anything away?”

Which view am I closer to I hear you ask! Well, to be honest the second one. Yes, it is frustrating when a player gets out just before making their century and yes, KP played a silly shot at the wrong time. However, I find it very hard to criticise someone who has dug his team out of a hole with a gritty 97.

Pietersen must be thinking that he can do nothing right. Strauss, Cook, Bell and Collingwood didn’t make 97 runs between them and yet the one who did make a significant score is the one being singled out for criticism. I guess it is just a testament to how good a player KP is and how much is expected of him.

The only thing that I would be critical towards Pietersen about is his comments after the day's play. The ‘that’s they way I play’ line annoys me because for the majority of his innings, he was watchful and sensible. Then, he tried to shrug off the fact that he didn’t reach 100. I’m sorry KP, but your face said it all when you got out – you were livid with yourself.

Like I have mentioned though, I can’s criticise him too much. He is England’s best player by a long, long way and the team would be a lot worse off without him. In fact, I dread to think of life without KP at the moment.

In terms of the test match as a whole, well I would say that the cricket odds still expect an England win. As long as they can move beyond 300 in their first innings, they would have done OK. Then, on what is a surprisingly wearing pitch, the West Indies have to bat last and that has to be encouraging for the tourists. Monty Panesar in particular.

More from me next week.

By Thomas Rooney – a sports writer for Betfair – check them out for a grand national free bet

The Royal Conundrum?

In the IPL’s first year, the unheralded Rajasthan Royals, a coalition of hardened professionals and fearless youngsters, demonstrated the value of team work over individual brilliance and experience. In a format that often rewards individual brilliance with a win, the Royals marched to victory on bits and pieces contributions from the mighty Australians, the temperament Pakistanis, the Goans and the powerful Pathans.

The lack of expectation would have gone a long way in the Royals being able to play their brand of cricket. As would have the leadership qualities that Warne demonstrated - the heart of a gambler helps- he was the adhesive that held together and strengthened the coalition.

But, would the Royals would have won without the performances of Pakistan’s best fast bowler or the world’s best all-rounder in Shane Watson – definitely not. Yet, as the IPL juggernaut completes an entire circle, the Royals start this season as defending champions, a title that will force each and every member of that outfit to carry a tremendous burden. Champions that would otherwise have carried this pressure for the Royals have been forced out by injury (Watson) and ridiculous political posturing (Tanvir) by Pakistan, leaving only the experience of Warne, the guts of Salunke and the power of Pathan to battle the might of other cash rich franchises.

The Royals need atleast one of the world’s most explosive batsmen and one of the world’s canniest bowlers if they are to launch a viable defense. Peterson’s flair and relationship with Warne would undoubtedly allow the Royals to mount an Arsenal like challenge, but like the addition of Arshavin to Arsenal, it is not going to be enough to hold the fort. In any event, he is too popular and too expensive for the Royals. Freddie perhaps- a man who is second best only to Watson and would without doubt, form permitting, elevate the Royals to the status of title contenders? Or Duminy, Stuart Clark or Samit Patel?

It does make for an interesting auction tomorrow and I for one can’t wait to see who Warne wants. Whoever it is, Warne will be in his element, for he will be betting close to a couple of million dollars over performances on which he will eventually have little control!

As an aside, since there is a two million cap on each franchisee, what happens if more than one franchisee bids two million for the same player?

Why England’s bowling is a great concern ahead of crucial year

It has been well documented that the England cricket team have a huge few months ahead of them. First up there is two test series against the West Indies, both of which England are expected to win. Then, as we all know, is the much publicised Ashes series.

With this in mind, it is worth taking a look at how the team are shaping up ahead of these three extremely significant series. Well, first things first – the batting seems ok. I believe there is enough there with Strauss, Cook, Pietersen, Collingwood, Flintoff, Shah or Bell to score big runs this year.

However, the bowling department is completely different. In fact, as an England fan, I am very worried about the way in which the bowling attack has been performing. Every single one of the bowlers, with the exception of Flintoff, will feel they need to prove their critics wrong.

This isn’t the healthiest position to be in because in reality, this is just a different way of saying that the majority of England’s bowlers are out of form. To emphasise this point, let’s take a closer look at the men that will be looking to haunt West Indies and Australia’s batsmen in the coming months. Again, with the exception of Andrew ‘England’s best bowler by miles’ Flintoff.

Stuart Broad – This is a young man with a huge amount of talent. He can bat, bowl and field. However, he needs to show the selectors that he can take regular test match wickets if he is to nail down his place in the side.

James Anderson – Mr Inconsistent. On his day, Jimmy can be one of the best swing bowlers in World cricket. Unfortunately though, these days seem to be few and far between. Does he truly believe in himself?

Steve Harmison – It seems as though Harmy will be fighting it out with Anderson for the final position in the side. He needs to show everyone that he can perform on tour after his dismal showing in New Zealand last year. Figures of 0-60 on the first day against West Indies ‘A’ aren’t that encouraging either.

Ryan Sidebottom – The Nottinghamshire man was England’s leading wicket taker in 2008, so form isn’t something that he needs to prove as such. Instead, because of a long injury lay-off, he needs to prove his fitness. He didn’t look that threatening against West Indies ‘A’. Can he find the same rhythm as last year?

Graham Swann – Swann had a decent series in India that started with him taking two wickets in his first over as a test match player. Whether he has enough to take regular wickets is another matter though. He has to prove that he is in the team for the long haul.

Monty Panesar – Another England bowler that has had his fair share of criticism in recent months. Many say that he hasn’t progressed enough as a bowler and he will want to use the games against a weak West Indies team to remind everyone what he is capable of.

Adil Rashid – How much this young Yorkshire man will figure this year is questionable. He has been earmarked as one for the future, after all. However, if he is given the chance he will want to tempt the selectors into giving him a run in the team.

So, overall there are too many players that are going into this year without being completely satisfied with either their place in the team, their form or their fitness. The cricket odds still expect England to beat the West Indies, but it will mean that a couple of their bowlers perform above the standards they have been in recent months.

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about cricket betting

Nouveau Fab

Crests and troughs, rise and fall - a feature in most..

Fuck it, Sick Boy said it best, didn't he?

"Well, at one time, you've got it, and then you lose it, and it's gone forever. All walks of life: George Best, for example. Had it, lost it. Or David Bowie, or Lou Reed..."

Now he can add Australia to the list. That's it. I have joined the army of people singing dirges for Australian cricket. Long may it push daisies.

Simulataneous to its demise, is the rise of another superpower. Looks like South Africa are finally beginning to fulfill the promise of Kepler, Peter Kirsten, Andrew Hudson, Brian McMillan, Cullinan, Gary etc. The newest in fab batting line-ups. The FabFour for cricket fans born after 1997.

Graeme Smith: Has seen the worst, and now close to leading a side crafted in his own image to the best of times.
A B De: Has proved everyone that he is already much much better than Rhodes. Has done it in India which seems to be some kind of benchmark for white batsmen. And has done well against the Australian and English bowling attacks.
Hashim Amla: Beard. Wrists. Zen.
J P Duminy: Too early? Pencilled in for future fabness.

The eye of the Lara

"Adrian Barath, a right-hand opening batsman, is considered to be one of the most promising young batting talents in the West Indies."

Thus spake the Cricinfo player profile. I'd already heard of some young Trinidadian who'd caught Lara's eye, but I did not make the association till I clicked on his name on the scorecard and went to the profile.

He lived up to the billing, and in true Lara style, started by putting the English to the sword. Island Express will keep watching this yaang fela, that Adriyaan.

Chokin traffic

A smile on workhorse, that stole some thunder from the swingin' Pathan at the other end. An outswinger that India fell in love with, at Jo'burg. Both being re-engineered.

Central Zone v. South Zone, Duleep Trophy Match

Not on Neo. Out of focus, they got 3 wickets apiece. 3 run lead. Long long way to go. The road to become a fast bowler in the national team is like the one outside Andheri station. Choked with people, all of whom want to go to same place. If you get on it, you have to be prepared to spend some time on it.

England players cleared for IPL – who will be the most wanted?

England’s cricketers will play in the Indian Premier League later this year after the England and Wales Cricket board agreed to release them for a period of three weeks. It is a decision that has prompted the players to finally sign their central contracts that they had originally been offered back in September last year.

It seems clear that the England players are keen not to miss out on the opportunity to earn a significant sum of money from playing in the IPL and who can blame them? The tournament was a huge success last year and the only major cricket nation missing some players was England.

It is all very well the players being released for IPL duty, but which of England’s players will be in demand for the Twenty20 competition? It’s hardly a form of the game that the team have excelled in so far. Nevertheless, let’s take a look.

Former captain Kevin Pietersen will not only be the most sought after England player, but one of the hottest properties amongst all of the world’s players. Many IPL teams will want him in their team and will look forward to seeing his unique batting style, including the infamous ‘switch-hit’ that he has adopted.

KP’s reputation in India was enhanced even further when he led his England team back to India after the Mumbai terror attacks. There is no doubt that he will the subject of many bids and could earn as much as $1m in total from his IPL experience.

Andrew Flintoff is likely to be England’s only other genuine ‘hot property’. Freddie could well earn as much as Pietersen as his reputation as one of the best all-rounders in the game will make him a very wanted man.

He has hit form at the right time as well and if this continues throughout the English summer, he will be a huge asset for any IPL team. Flintoff is also a very likeable character and he will be the main attraction in some games.

Other than these two, there are arguably no England players that will be in as much demand. Perhaps this reflects the team’s poor record in Twenty20 cricket, I’m not sure. Samit Patel is someone that has already been linked with the Delhi Daredevils and he admits that it would be a great ‘opportunity’.

Elsewhere, Paul Collingwood’s experience will probably land him a place somewhere. He averages 34.30 in 154 One Day Internationals and can also offer something with the ball. Speaking about the prospect of playing in the IPL, he said that there are plenty of ‘benefits’ other than the financial ones. By this he means that England’s players can use it as preparation for the Twenty20 World Cup.

Finally, the only other players I would expect to make a significant impact in the IPL are Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah. Both of them are flamboyant batsman and I’d expect the cricket odds to back them scoring plenty of runs in India. They would suit the competition down to the ground in my opinion, especially Shah.

Stuart Broad’s all-round abilities also could mean that he proves a success, but there is no getting away from the fact that Pietersen and Flintoff are the main men to come out of Team England.

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about cricket betting

What now for England after the Moores / Pietersen saga?

I think that Vic Marks summed up the current state of the England cricket team perfectly – it’s a mess, but not a terrible mess. Would we all have preferred Peter Moores and Kevin Pietersen to have put their problems to one side and agreed to continue working together for England? Probably, yes.

In all serious though, even if they had agreed to continue in their roles, surely it would only have been a matter of time before Pietersen or Moores were unhappy with things again? Had they ‘kissed and made up’ for the West Indies tour, only for their relationship to break down again just before the Ashes – that would have been awful.

So, although the current situation and the circumstance that preceded it were far from perfect, it could have been a lot, lot worse. Believe me. It is now time for English cricket to move forward with Andrew Strauss, starting with a successful tour of the West Indies.

Speaking of Strauss, it has to be said that he was the only choice once Pietersen stepped down. Many have described him as ‘a safe pair of hands’ for the job, but he’s more than just that. His image and personality is more like a traditional England captain than Pietersen and that has probably led to this expression being touted.

There is more to Strauss though – he is an acute tactician, he is respected by all the players, he has succeeded in the role before, he is in form and he has been known to excel with the bat when performing as skipper. So, like I said – he was the only choice when it came to selecting a new captain.

Some cricket odds were favouring Andrew Flintoff for the role, but this would have been a ridiculous decision. Flintoff needs to be left to excel in his role as one of the greatest all-rounders in the game. He is the man that the captain can turn to for something special, not the man to lead the team. There is no way he should have been asked to take on the captaincy as well as batting at number six and being the best bowler in the side.

Another benefit of having Strauss as skipper is that Pietersen can now concentrate on being the best batsman in the side. It has always been said that your best player shouldn’t be the leader and perhaps this belief is relevant for English cricket today. Strauss will open the batting, leading from the front with his star men Flintoff and Pietersen to follow. Perfect.

The only factor that remains uncertain is that of who will succeed Moores. Andy Flower will perform in the role for the West Indies tour and should England put on a decent performance, then he will put his name in the hat for the job on a full-time basis.

Other than that, Tom Moody and Graham Ford appear to be the front runners. Personally I would go with Moody who I feel should have got the job ahead of Moores back in April 2007. Like mentioned though, if England perform well in West Indies, the ECB may well persist with the Strauss / Flower combination.

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about cricket betting

Jihad on ugliness?

Has Islam outlawed ugliness in batting?! The Caliphate (or whatever) forgot to send me the memo.

Outside of Salman Butt and Younis Khan, the evidence is overwhelming. VVS might not be a Muslim, be he does hail from Hyderabad. And I have not even started about Inzy and Yousuf.

Captain Pietersen wants it all his own way – will he get it?

At the start of an Ashes year, the ongoing news story involving the dispute between England captain Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores is far from ideal. The frosty relationship has left the future of England’s coaching team in doubt and means there is great uncertainty ahead of the West Indies tour.

Overall, it is fair to say that the England cricket team is in a small state of crisis. As well as the disagreements between captain and coach, there has been rumours of unrest in the camp, a divide in the opinion of players and perhaps most importantly – a poor run of results.

All of this has meant that even though Australia are being comfortably beaten at home by South Africa in response to their equally destructive defeat in India, England are the team in crisis. At this moment in time it seems as though Australia are in better shape ahead of this summer’s Ashes series. Considering the negativity surrounding their current form, that’s really saying something. All in all, the cricket odds will be expecting an extremely tight series.

Where has all this Moores / Pietersen stuff come from though? Well, the most significantly annoying factor is the fact that this has all come out in public. Captain’s and coaches have arguments about certain things and that is to be expected. Former England captain Nasser Hussain admits that he and Duncan Fletcher didn’t always see eye to eye for example.

So, that’s the first thing – it should have been dealt with behind closed doors. However, if we are being honest, there appears to be more to this than a simple disagreement. Moores and Pietersen’s differing views on the future of Michael Vaughan would have played their part, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

With Moores and Pietersen, there is quite simply a character clash. From the moment KP was appointed captain, I was concerned about his relationship with the relatively reserved and calm Moores. Pietersen is such a huge character that he will want nothing to stand in his way of getting success for this England team.

The Vaughan situation is an example. Pietersen wanted him back, Moores didn’t. Eventually, the coach got his way on this one, but will this be the case in the long term? I don’t think so. The captain of the team will have more power than the coach – it’s his team, it’s his players and it’s his decision making that will affect results.

This view is exaggerated when it’s a player and personality like Pietersen in charge. He isn’t going to want to be compromised by a Peter Moores decision and he won’t want to play second fiddle when it comes to selection. Pietersen wants to run his team in his own unique style and this will probably mean that Moores will have to move on.

The fact that Pietersen, a relatively new captain, has challenged the decision making of the coach says a lot about his personality and about his direct way of thinking. Will this will benefit the team as a whole though? Should the ECB put all their trust in KP to do things his way?

Let me know where you stand in this captain v coach row.

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about cricket betting

Have a great one

Hope you and yours woke up to brilliant sunshine and warm sandy beaches. I did!

Also, Congratulations fellers. We might just be in store for a New Year gift from the BCCI and the ECB. Best!
I am telling you, it's all that man Soulberry's doing!Hum huve kamyaab or some such?

With Vaughan missing out, who holds the key and number three for England?

England named their squad for the tour of West Indies yesterday and if we are being honest, there were no real surprises. Some believed that former captain Michael Vaughan had an outside chance, but realistically, he hasn’t played enough cricket in recent months and it would have been a risky to include him.

The only other talking points in terms of the test squad were that Adil Rashid – who I wrote about on Island Express last week – has been selected and despite recent injury problems, so has Ryan Sidebottom. Other that that it was very much as expected.

So, Michael Vaughan. What does the future hold for him now? In reality, as Jonathan Agnew pointed out in his blog yesterday, the news that he missed out on the squad moves him a step closer to international retirement. Being the determined individual he is, he still harbour ambitions of making back into the England set-up, but the cricket odds are less likely to back this happening now.

The only way that Vaughan is going to remind the selectors he can do a job for his country is to go back to Yorkshire and score lots and lots of runs. The only problem with this though is that time isn’t on his side. Vaughan's main aim is to play against Australia again, that's for sure. If he is to do this next summer, he would have to do enough in the first few weeks of the county season to impress. Given the form he has been in, is this likely to happen?

Even if he does find some form again, he would have to hope that someone in England’s batting line-up has a bad run to make way for him. All in all, not many things are in favour of Vaughan playing for England again, but I wouldn’t rule it out just yet. Even if it isn’t next summer, Vaughan won’t give up hope and the selectors can’t avoid him for ever. Just go and score plenty of hundreds Michael!

I mentioned England’s current batting line-up a second ago and that’s what I want to talk about next. Vaughan’s omission from the squad means that Ian Bell and Owais Shah will be fighting it out for the number three position in the batting order. It is such a vital position for any team and one which England have had problems with for a while now.

Bell is the man in possession of the position and the faith shown in him by the selectors should boost his confidence. However, he really has been on a bad run of form of late. For whatever reason, he has yet to do justice for his undoubted talent with the bat. Graham Thorpe mentioned on Sky Sports yesterday that he always thought Bell looks like he is making his debut when going out to bat. He seems nervous and unsure of his ability to make a big score. Considering Bell has played 45 test matches now – this is a slight worry!

As for Shah, well in my opinion he has to be one of the unluckiest cricketers in recent times. No matter how excellent his form is, he just can’t nail down a place in the test team. His presence in the one-day side is significant, but he has only played two test matches. The Middlesex man is the master of the waiting game and he may have to do the same again in the West Indies.

Overall, the policy of the selectors seems to have been – ‘keep the faith’. Bell needs to repay this decision and score some runs. He needs to start believing in himself more, because in Shah, England have someone determined to force his way into the test team somehow.

This is a huge tour for a number of players and one which could decide whether they take part in the Ashes next summer.

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about cricket betting

Skinhead massacares eleven Australians

Earlier in April, Steyn came to India and had its premier batsman on their knees, a right "racecar in the red". Doing that in India to Indian batsmen was just the latest in a scorching career. Now he has just put to rest any thoughts of him being just one of "three or four very good fast-bowlers in international cricket today".

Apart from letting it slip that he was the best, he scored a few valuable runs as well. If you get past the neo-Nazi looks, you might like him.

And so it began on a Thursday and ended on the next Tuesday.

Kudos to the Poms for the balls they showed in coming back. I was so impressed that I decided to pop up to Chennai to catch the game. The conditions were nearly perfect for cricket – bright sunshine for the most, a nice cool sea breeze, a decent size crowd and a pitch that had something in it for everyone. It makes one wonder what sort of retards chose Mohali as the venue for the second match. It could so easily have been held somewhere in the south and we probably would have gotten in all those lost overs. Also, life in India’s first planned city seems too fast and hectic for the folks there to enjoy a good old game of test cricket – why keep boring them with it?

Unfortunately for the Poms, balls, two well constructed tons from the Andrew at the top and nearly ten straight sessions in command weren’t enough to win, let alone come out level at Chepauk. Watching the English bat in Chennai was about as exiting as listening to Sunil and Sanjay talking you through to the close of play, with Jimmy lined up for the post match analysis. You could settle down with a book (assuming it hadn’t been confiscated for being a bomb) and look at the score board every once in a while knowing for sure that all you missed was Strauss staying back and knocking the ball to backward point or backward square leg for a single or two. Then out came India who, not wanting to stray from well established tradition, did their first-innings-of-a-series-collapse-thing. There was even the obligatory cameo from Bhaji. It was all normal. Then it was that Strauss again and backward point and backward square leg….

After the first three or so days of the test, I was convinced that this was one of those rare instances when a team would win a test by just playing good defensive test cricket. I, like KP, got it wrong. We hadn’t accounted for that bald, smiling, glitch in the matrix from Najafgarh… or Sachin’s elephantine memory and all the repressed fury he had for idiot-mortals who kept mouthing off about Chennai, 1999, and how he was not a “match winner”… or Yuvraj and his penchant for being a pain in KP’s buttox. In an interview before his 68 ball 83, Sehwag said something to the effect of ‘we were chasing 250 against Australia but we couldn’t do it because of bad weather…If we can do that, 387 against England shouldn’t be a problem.’ What is this guy on?

What was spectacular about Chennai was that the freak-maniac was right. It all came together and it was done comfortably, with time and wickets to spare. In hindsight, it really was KP’s declaration that made a mess of things for England. Who declares with Monty at the crease? Serves him right I say. You let him know Monty.

And so the Poms packed up and trekked all the way to Chandigarh, just to have old men winter and Dravid close shop on them. KP made his point too late but it was such a joy to watch. Sure India should have tried harder to win but who really cares anyway? The PCA Stadium is such a lovely ground and it is a pity to see it wasted. Maybe it can be airlifted to Ranchi or somewhere…

It would have been nice to keep watching the English getting hammered but it had to end sometime. I cant help but feel for the English. Watching them getting hammered isn’t half as fun as watching it happen to the Aussies and those sneaky Sri-Lankans. I hear that all we are in for is New-Zealand in March. When are we going to play those Proteas?

WHY IS TEST CRICKET ‘DYING’?

I will remember 2008 as the year when I heard the cry of ‘test cricket is dying’ most often? TV commentators, Indian, English, Australian and what not, said it – the print media repeatedly dwelt upon it – from what I can remember, even some current cricketers viewed test cricket to be in irreversible decline.

But why? In 2008, there have been approximately 30 test matches. While 13 of these have been played in the sub-continent (about 40%), the remaining (about 60%) have been played across South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Australia and England. Across the vagaries of these pitches, there have been less than half a dozen draws in test cricket in the entire year (and of the draws, a couple could be attributed to the weather). Even in the sub-continent, so often accused of producing dull dreary cricket, only 3 drawn tests come to mind immediately (and of these three drawn tests, the two between India-Australia were only a few moments away from changing to results). 2008 has also seen the second highest run chase in history and the highest run chase in India and yet....

Compare this to a few decades back, when draws were the order of a day – a result, something to be cherished – where Dravid’s batting would have been considered outright brash - where just 250 runs in a day was considered outstanding batting! For instance, India and Pakistan played a 5 test series without either side winning a test – and yet they played to packed stadiums!!

So what has changed over the past 15 years? Why are the stadiums, especially the usually packed to the rafters Indian stadiums, suddenly bereft of people? Is it the fast food diet of one-day and 20 over matches that have ruined our palate for the fine cuisine of test cricket? Has the pace of our lives changed, so that we no longer have 5 days to spare on cricket, no matter how riveting the contest? Do we demand more comfort and facilities than the amphitheatres of cricket can offer?? Is there too much cricket?? Is it the television?

We must ofcourse identify the problems before we propose a cure. So, are there any other factors?

Cricket diplomacy OR who's crying for Indo-Pak cricket?

The sharp fall in Indo-Pak warmth since Zardari gripped Manmohan in New York in what was probably the tightest that a Pakistani President has ever hugged an Indian PM, cricket, like the Samjhauta, the Lahore-Amritsar bus-route and Indo-Pak trade on several other occasions, has become a victim of bad relationships between the countries. Perhaps we forgot ourselves in the euphoria of the 2003 tour. Then, when people started seeing cricketing relationships as a barometer of friendliness, we should have known that cricket would once again be one of the first victims of a diplomatic chill. Should it be so? Should we see sport in isolation, or should we see this as part of the larger question of whether people-to-people contact should survive these testing times when governments sulk and the words, "nobody wants a war" are on an everlasting loop on news television. If trade survives, if academic relationships between Universities survive, then there is no reason for sport to be singled out. There are no easy answers. And I won't be giving you one, sorry. Elsewhere in the world, South Koreans are going on guided tours to North Korea, and Americans are visiting Cuba in droves.

But I think the following thoughts are relevant in reaching the answer.
1. I am sick and tired of India-Pakistan cricket anyway and would prefer to wait at least a year more before we play each other again. What I mean is, the loss is not that terrible, though it will be if India do not tour Pakistan in the next five years.
2. The levels of paranoia in India are unprecedented. Even during the Kargil war (my only memory of an actual-and-not-proxy India-Pakistan war) war-mongering was not this shrill.
3. What is the status of Pakistani IPL players?

The great debate: Is Adil Rashid ready for international cricket?

At the time of writing, England’s premier spinner Monty Panesar is struggling for form a little bit. There is a possibility that by the time a lot of you have read this he has taken several wickets in India’s second innings in Mohali. However, considering how confidence drained he has looked in recent weeks – I doubt it.

This poor form from Panesar has got people talking about the possibility of him being dropped from the side. It has got people talking about a certain young spinner from England’s domestic game that could well get the nod sooner rather than later. I am of course referring to Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid.

The 20-year-old – who has travelled to India this winter as part of the England test party – has consistently impressed for his county in the last couple of years. His impressive displays were rewarded back in September 2007 when he was named as the Cricket Writers’ Club 2007 Young Cricketer of the Year.

The reason he has stood out from the rest is that he is a leg-spinner. This in itself is a rarity in English first-class cricket. Not only is he a leg-spinner, he is one that is taking wickets. This goes beyond a rarity in English first-class cricket. Therefore, there was great hype about Rashid from an early stage.

The youngster hasn’t just shown potential with the ball though as he has confirmed his status as a genuine all-rounder with some fine batting displays for Yorkshire. He scored a century for England under 19’s against India in 2006 and followed this with his maiden County Championship century in 2007. Overall, it was fairly obvious why people were getting excited about this young man and the cricket odds certainly expecting him to alert the England selectors before long.

In terms of this international recognition, there has been call ups to the ‘England Performance Programme squad’ and earlier this month he travelled with the full test squad to India, without being an official member of the travelling party.

All things considered, it seems that England are aware that he is talented. However, they are very cautious about throwing him at the deep end too early. Some might say that are being too cautious. Surely if he is going to have a successful international career, he will be capable of performing now?

As much as the Australian model is becoming increasingly unfashionable to follow, I am pretty sure they would have thrown him into the test team by now. Get him involved early and make sure he knows that he is part of the team’s plans.

By consistently involving Rashid in the test set-up without actually playing him, the selectors are saying to the player – ‘we like you, but you are not ready yet.’ Is this going to affect Rashid in a negative manner? If he suffers a dip in form, he is going to feel further away from international cricket than ever before. Then, his confidence will dip and his future performances may decrease.

In fairness to the England selectors, they were right not to select him as an 18-year-old a couple of years ago. This could have unsettled his development a great deal. Now though, Rashid is ready to be called upon. As soon as England decide that Panesar needs a rest or that Rashid is capable of filling the ‘all-rounder’ slot in the team – the spinner is ready in my opinion.

I am excited about what he could bring to the England team and just hope that the selectors don’t delay showing faith in him too much longer.

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about cricket betting

O VVS!

O Very Very Special One,

Since your knock made it quite clear that Dravid's knock, despite the tedium, was a valuable one,

Or why else?

You are the great tickler of the senses. If Akbar still reigned, the Navaratnas would have been the Dasaratnas. Tansen's music could light up the lamps and Birlbal's wit, the darkest moments. You belong with them.

With the Champions League cancelled, can Middlesex be there again in 2009?

It has been well documented that the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League scheduled for December has been cancelled because of security fears following the terror attacks in Mumbai. For any cricket fan, this was obviously very disappointing news. However, for one team in particular it was very difficult to take.

English cricket’s representatives Middlesex were excited at the prospect of playing in such a high profile tournament. Their captain, Shaun Udal, admitted that it was ‘devastating news’ that the competition was to be delayed until October 2009. He also went on to admit that the news would affect the club from a ‘financial’ point of view, although most disappointing was the fact that they wouldn’t be playing cricket.

The difficulty for Middlesex is that they are not automatically eligible for next year’s competition. Unlike the teams from Australia, South Africa and India, they will have to win the domestic Twenty20 competition in England again to qualify.

With this in mind, it is worth considering whether they have the ability to do just this. Their captain is confident that his team can ‘go out and win the Twenty20 cup again’, but whether this is realistic is up for debate. Can they do it again or is it someone else’s turn to shine in cricket’s shortest form?

In terms of a team winning the tournament two years running, well it has never happened before. In the five years that the competition has been running, Leicestershire are the only team to have won it twice – in 2004 and 2006.

Therefore, for Middlesex to come out on top again they would have to perform extremely well. Especially when you consider the fact that the standard and competitiveness will be increased because of the Champions League place at stake. As much as they say they are determined to win it, it may also be hard for the Middlesex players to motivate themselves to do it all again. We shall see.

Something that it worth noting though is that they team they possess is more than capable of at least making it to the semi-finals. Then, as we all know, anything can happen.

During last year’s finals day, Middlesex comfortably saw off the challenge of Durham in the semi-final thanks to a blistering innings from South African Tyron Henderson, who was a key player for them in last year’s competition.

Then, in a thrilling final, they beat 2007 Champions Kent by three runs. The key performers including Owais Shah – who hit a superb 75 off 35 balls – and Henderson again as he conceded just one run off his final two overs to ensure Kent failed to chase down 188 to win in their 20 overs.

So, in terms of the 2009 Twenty20 cup, it is important that Middlesex have the likes of Shah and Henderson available and in form. They have proven many times that they are match winners and as long as they are in Udal’s team –they have a chance.

In fact, whether they are able to re-sign Henderson could prove decisive. As things stand, he is the leading wicket taker in Twenty20 cricket. Anyone who has a player with this record in their team must have a chance of progressing to the latter stages of the competition!

Finally for today, it is worth taking a look at Murali Kartik’s contribution to Middlesex’s Twenty20 glory. The Indian spinner took 13 wickets at an average of 18 in last years’ tournament and there is no doubt he played a huge part in the team’s success. Slow bowling always seems to work in the shorter form of the game, so Kartik can be pleased with how he performed.

Overall, as long as Kent have Shah and Henderson on form, a spin bowler of Kartik’s nature and the experience of Udal – there is every chance the cricket odds will back them to win the competition again. Their biggest obstacle may well be the challenge of winning the it two years running, but there is no doubt that they will do everything they can to be the English team in next years Champions League.

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about cricket betting

Infintini

Fantastic to see Makhaya performing. I was beginning to think that he'd lost it and never get it back. Maybe this was an exceptional case and he'll rarely bowl like this, but when he bowls well, I don't have a problem in telling someone else I like watching South Africa play. He's almost talismanic in the way Flintoff or Sehwag are. Anything seems possible.

Welcome, Yuvi

Another Test gem in Yuvi's dusty career. This time, it came in a (memorable) win.
This one wasn't a century though it felt as if it should have been. None of Yuvi's centuries have come in winning causes (despair in Lahore, retreat in Karachi and a romp at Bangalore) and perhaps it was just as well.
But this one should give him a lot of confidence. Monty is not the worst spinner in the world. Swann may be a debutant, but he turns it a long way and it was a fifth-day pitch. As expected, he was a nervous wreck starting out against the spinners. Flintoff gave him the working over more than once. What he had at his disposal were his awesome talent and 22 yards away, an absolute master of working the singles against the spinners. Nervous hope gave fruit. India won. Yuvraj is Saurav's successor in the Indian team. Welcome Yuvi.

New guy on the pantheon

The last post was by Avinash. Unlike the (now almost mythical) TM and the (sporadically active) Sajith, Avinash cannot be described by what he does in life. But if one were to list what he does not do...

Welcome Avinash.

A confidence player

The first innings had all his dazzling talent on display and the second was cut short just before he could bring out all his wares. If that nick had not happened, we might just have seen the first ODI double hundred. It is when you're faced by the full blast of his amazing talent that after the first instinct to thank heavens for the presence of divinity, the next is to tear your hair out in frustration. And in this frustration, I'd reckoned that nothing had really changed. I knew two years ago that Yuvraj Singh was one of the top 3 ODI batsmen in the world. I was confident then that by the end of 2008, he'd be averaging 4o plus, having played in 45 Tests. In Jan 2008, I knew that would not happen. Maybe next year.

Then I get an SMS.

"Write bitch", it said. "Dont fuckin wait for Sreesanth to bowl an outswinger at some drunk Malayali on Kovalam beach."

And then,

"If you have a conscience.."

And then the former CoS made a comment. And the current CoS had a rejoinder.

Yuvi is a confidence player says the CoS, someone who needs a "couple of good knocks in his belt". Two knocks, one high on fast food entertainment, and another high on "focus" have propelled him to the position of frontrunner to replace Ganguly in the Test lineup. So what about the first hundred? That came on the back of persistent Test failure and a bad run in the Sri Lanka ODIs and some average Ranji knocks. He did not need any under the belt for that, did he? So he is more than just a confidence player. He is also someone who can hit his way out of form. But can he graft his way out of bad form? If not, it means that he is susceptible to the extended run of very low scores, without the 150 ball thirty-nines that can save his spot in the Test team.

But the thing is..

The thing is that England is a good team to mark his Test comeback. They have good pacers who will test him even on placid tracks. Their lone spinner is not too far up the global spinner incompetence order that it won't be a huge challenge for him.

The opportunity to make a point is well within his grasp.

So long..

Oz-fatigue has kicked in. Like lovers, India and Oz spent the better part of two months titillating, rubbing, scratching, biting, gouging and slapping each other - before getting absolutely tired of each other. They will now wait a few years before meeting again - new perfumes, sexual techniques, new haircuts - all adding to the anticipation, not of winning over the other, but just to meet.

Meanwhile Ganguly, Dhoni, Kumble and Bob Dylan sit around a fire.

When we meet again
Introduced as friends
Please don't let on that you knew me when
I was hungry and it was your world.
Ah, you fake just like a woman, yes, you do
You make love just like a woman, yes, you do
Then you ache just like a woman
But you break just like a little girl.

The Long Ganguly Goodbye - Part II

Why is everyone so fkin loathe to acknowledge Ganguly the batsman? All right, so he was not a modern batting great, but the admiration from Roebuck and Hopps is so grudging that Giant Alien Lizards who landed from Mars last night might be tempted to believe that he made a cricket career exclusively from politicking and being a fantastic leader of men and a shrewd (not brilliant though) strategist. He is an all-time ODI great - almost up there with Tendulkar. Absolutely ridiculous that nobody acknowledges his ODI record as a fact that speaks for itself, rather than as one part of a highly succesful opening partnership. Perhaps his Test record does not merit that he share Fab-ness with the other three, but he did tame the best bowlers in the business at different times in his career. Perhaps not consistently enough to justify his talent, but he did justify his place in the strongest middle order of the era for a larger part of 113 Test matches. So fk off.

Could someone confirm this..

..because I am just too lazy. Apparently, is Sauravda scores a hundred tomorrow (or in the 2nd innings), he will join Greg Chappel as the only two players to have played (x) number of Tests and scored a hundred in their first and last matches.

Is it true? If it is, how fkin ironic is that?

Crazy kiya re

What Guru Greg did not achieve, Bishen Bedi seems to have stitched up in his pocket. So it would seem from a reading of the scorecard at the end of days play at Nagpur. Jason Krezja has removed Sehwag, Dravid and Laxman, i.e. a chunk of the Indian runmachine. Those that watched him getting tonked by Yuvi and Rohit Sharma will be similarly amazed. I have not seen the highlights yet, but for an offspinner, there is a fine line between a batsman gifting a bowler his wicket and an offie inducing the error. So all I can say is: Krezja has already gone better than Gavin Robertson. Credit also to Ricky Ponting who finally tore up and pissed on the Memorandum on New Age Cricket. An offie needs an imaginative captain.

The power of the net

Thanks to Cricinfo and Cricbuzz for ensuring that a cricket mad Indian, who is unfortunately stuck up in an office with nothing other than an internet connection, can still savour the thrills and the spills of a highly anticipated test match. If it were not for these great websites and the men who run the show, I would have been reduced to a school student, begging the principal to show the cricket match live on the sole television in the school.
Now that is a great idea to be implemented in office.

Uncertainity Thy Name is Yousuf

Are there two Mohammad Yousuf's? One rivalling VVS Laxman and Mark Waugh for grace and elegance on the cricket field, the other acting as the exact opposite in real life - a comical mixture of indecision and rash thinking.

The erstwhile Yousuf Youhana's, on the field, exploits are the primary reason for his place in any cricket fan's heart. His timing has been astounding and for a brief span in 2006, he was the best batsman in the world bar none - at least based on statistics. While there have been criticisms regarding his apparent selfishness with the bat, Yousuf remains by some distance Pakistan's best batsman.

But, there is another side to Yousuf- his life outside the cricket ground. While his conversion from Christianity to Islam may be accepted on the altar of personal life, the latest saga related to the ICL cannot be blindly accepted . Here is the story in short.

In a fit of pique, after the 2007 World Cup, Yousuf joined ICL. On pressure from the PCB, he drops out of the rebel league. Instead, he offers his wares to the IPL. The ICL retaliated with legal action. Yousuf backed off. PCB announced their team with Yousuf in it. ICL announced that Yousuf was a part of the ICL fraternity. The story currently stays here with more to come for sure.

To me, Yousuf resembles Pakistani cricket. Exhilarating and Infuriating in equal measures. Cricket's Jekyll and Hyde - both the country and the man. If Hamlet, were a cricket follower , he would have one thing to say about both - "Uncertainty, thy name is ..."

The Soldier

It has been months since I wrote on cricket. The interest to watch had never waned, but the desire to write certainly had. I watched with frustration as the Indian batting struggled in SriLanka . The feeling changed to irritation as the latest battle between the Fourth Estate and the Indian veterans reached ludicrous levels. Yet, none of these emotions were so strong as to be represented in words. Ganguly's retirement plans almost forced me to tap the keyboard again. But, there was still a mental block to be overcome. The block was finally overcome by the retirement of India's finest test match winner - Anil Kumble.

It was inevitable that Anil Kumble would retire sometime during the 2008-2009 season. Age was catching up and the shoulder was complaining and the veteran had to bow, as all must, to Father Time. But, as Kumble was given a farewell which rivalled Steve Waugh's, it was tempting to look back on the many triumphs and the few failures which made him such a special cricketer. But, the cliche still holds, facts and figures can never do proper justice to a sportsman.

To me Kumble's greatest achievement is that in all the tests India won during the time he was in the team, he was India's foremost player - not Tendulkar or Dravid. He relentlessly rolled on, bowling over after over and ensuring that the batsmen didn't ever complain that the bowlers hadn't done their job. He was India's finest bowler, her greatest test player.

Congrats Anil for being such a great player and for rekindling a dying flame in me -writing.

About casting the first stone..

Apparently, I am a klutz. Hardly a week goes by without people commenting on my abilities at breaking expensive glasses and spilling food and drink on fancy carpets. One time, my friend's mother (in Bangalore) went to work somewhere in Africa and I practically moved in. A month and a half later, she returned to a house without cutlery. Not all of it was my handiwork. I did invite a few people home to take care of the remainder. Then there was the time that I finally moved into an apartment/house (people in Delhi will understand how dwelling areas aren't categorised easily, especially around Lajpat Nagar) and very soon, I realised the absolute pointlesness of buying breakable stuff. Carpets you ask? I was smarter than that.

Anyway, the point is this: I can't criticize the Indian fielding today... I have my moments where I have pulled off the spectacular catch, and completed a dream runout; but I can't remember the number of sitters I have spilt. So I will not spank the Indian fielding. Not today, not ever.

But if there is someone reading this who earnestly believes in their abilities as a safe fielder, then the floor is yours. I will stand by you while you spank, roast and waterboard them.