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November 30, 2007
Posted on 11/30/2007 in Indian cricket
Sharda Ugra writes in India Today that it's time that India got over the diaries Gary Kirsten wrote on South Africa's visit in 1996.
If he takes up the job, Kirsten may discover that India has changed since 1996, but that's not the point. He is being asked to come to India to coach its cricket team, not to do tourism promotion. The point is that people--yes, even cricketers--grow up and Kirsten by all accounts, did. As his career wound down, the left-hander was known as a quiet, thoughtful man, generous of his opponents, who both respected and liked him. That incriminating diary... hell, that's bygones. Or it should be.
Posted on 11/30/2007 in Indian Cricket League
Writing in The Times, Shane Warne flags that Twenty20 will hit India, the game’s largest market, in a big way over the months ahead. The ICL starts today, although Warne has joined the official IPL – “there are lots of capital letters in those sentences” he admits - but Pandora’s Box has been opened, and Warne does not approve of the possible action against those playing in the ICL.
Both leagues give wonderful opportunities to professional cricketers and I think it is right that players should have the freedom to play in whichever of them they wish to. Although the ICL is yet to be given official blessing, I hope that players are not penalised or banned from other competitions.
Cricketers have to earn a living and the bills do not stop coming through the letterbox at the end of a season. It is wrong that honest men … with good reputations may be punished for simply accepting very good offers to ply their trade. The ICL has been described as a breakaway and a rebel league, yet comparisons to World Series Cricket in the late-Seventies do not stand up.
It will be interesting to see how the ICL works, whether the crowds give their support and how the facilities stand up. But, however popular it proves, I cannot imagine a big split in the game.
Posted on 11/30/2007 in English cricket
Nasser Hussain says England's tour of Sri Lanka could be even tougher than a visit to Australia. Writing in the Daily Mail – and writing from the experience of having captained a difficult, but ultimately victorious, tour there in 2001 - he says:
Give me the choice of a tour to Australia or Sri Lanka and I would take Australia every day of the week. It's not that the cricket is any easier in Australia, just that Sri Lanka is such a difficult place to play.
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November 29, 2007
Posted on 11/29/2007 in Australian cricket
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"Hi John, it's Cricket Australia. We saw you picked up Adam Gilchrist's six in Hobart"
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The search for the ball Adam Gilchrist hit for his 100th Test six is getting interesting again. Peter Lalor, writing in the Australian, says Cricket Australia is closing in on the man known as “John”.
A CA spokesman said he had spoken to John's workmates and an intermediary, who confirmed the man had boasted about having the ball and that he still had it in his keeping. The man did not come to the phone and has been asked to make contact with CA but has not returned calls.
Lalor also writes about whether an India-Australia series can rival the Ashes.
It’s award season and Matthew Hayden has won the prize for Queensland’s Sports Star of the Year.
Posted on 11/29/2007 in English cricket
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Mark Boucher: "People tend to ask whether it is more difficult to face him [Murali] or Shane Warne, but that's not a simple question to answer"
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"To sweep or not to sweep, that is the question facing England's batsmen as they attempt to finalise a strategy to overcome the most dangerous bowler in the world – Muttiah Muralitharan," says Angus Fraser in the Independent.
What's it like facing Muttiah Muralitharan? Three of the batsmen he's dismissed the most number of times - Mark Boucher, Grant Flower and Khaled Mashud - give us an insight in the Guardian.
Boucher: Murali doesn't try to get into your head as much as [Shane] Warne does, but he turns the ball on anything and often the lack of bounce in a pitch is just as dangerous for batsmen - if it turns square from outside off you've got a much better chance of keeping the ball out if you can play it just below the splice than if it's squirting around your ankles. Murali gets it to squirt square!
"Ravi Bopara has faced Muralitharan twice before, but while full of respect, refuses to be cowed by a bowler," writes Derek Pringle in the Daily Telegraph.
I've faced him when he played for Lancashire and in that World Cup game, and he's a great bowler, he wouldn't have had 704 wickets if he wasn't. I can spot his doosra some of the time, but it's a bit more difficult when he comes around the wicket. If you watch hard enough you should be able to pick it. If not you're in trouble. But there's another bloke who's got to bowl from the other end so there's places to score."
"Here are two dilemmas, each almost as difficult as the other. Who should bat at No 6 for England in Kandy this weekend, Owais Shah or Ravi Bopara? And, no less relevant in a wider context than the first Test against Sri Lanka, who should make the decision?" asks Christopher Martin-Jenkins in the Times.
Posted on 11/29/2007 in Indian cricket
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Suresh Shastri in action
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| The Hindu’s special correspondent caught up with Suresh Shastri, a member of the ICC’s international panel of umpires.
When he made his international debut as an umpire in the match against Zimbabwe at Pune in 1993, Shastri knew the task was going to be tough. “Those days we would get just one match in one year,” he remembered. From 1993 to 1998, he stood in a mere four matches. Since last November, when he returned to the international panel, Shastri has officiated in 15 one-dayers and two Tests.
Umpiring is a challenge and Shastri has learnt to live with the pressures. “You can’t imagine the decibel of the noise when you stand in the middle. It is very difficult to concentrate,” he confesses. But his ‘pranayam’ helps Shastri bear the pressure and his good work on the field has earned him respect from the players, with Sachin Tendulkar leading the list.
Posted on 11/29/2007 in Indian cricket
India's fielding coach Robin Singh has sent a report to the BCCI assessing the players' fielding skills after the five one-day internationals against Pakistan. You can read it here.
Sachin Tendulkar: Needs to improve on his agility and work on his fitness.
Sourav Ganguly: Has to improve on his fitness, agility and anticipation.
Robin Uthappa: Was below his normal fielding standards; should work on his fitness, agility and throwing from the deep.
November 28, 2007
Posted on 11/28/2007 in Australian cricket
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The Ashes trophy may take a little longer to win in 2010-11
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Chloe Saltau writes in the Age about Australia’s push for six Ashes Tests and the possible restructure of the annual tri-series.
In the short term, Cricket Australia is working to finalise the visits of New Zealand and South Africa next summer for three Tests each and, in all likelihood, separate head-to-head series of five one-day internationals.
In the longer term, it wants to play a Test in every state when England tour, which last happened in Australia in 1978-79, and is prepared to reciprocate by returning to six Tests when Australia tour England. The major obstacle is the proximity of England's next tour, in 2010-11, to the 2011 World Cup in India.
Saltau also speaks to Michael Hussey, who says his brother David should be considered for Australia’s one-day side.
Australia have won the Sydney Morning Herald’s Sports Performer Team of the Year award.
Posted on 11/28/2007 in Indian cricket
"One of the key requests, conditions if you please, of former South Africa opener Gary Kirsten has been the appointment of a "mental conditioning coach" for the Indian team," writes Chandresh Narayanan in the Times of India.
Kirsten confirmed to TOI that he has recommended the appointment of Paddy Upton, also a former fitness trainer with tthe South African team between 1994-1998. Upton now works as a mental conditioning coach at Kirsten's cricket academy in Cape Town and is also his business partner in a venture called "Performance Zone". "It is not yet finalised, but I have told the BCCI that Paddy could add value to the side," said Kirsten.
Also, click here to read Jacques Kallis talking about how Upton helped him improve.
Posted on 11/28/2007 in Australian cricket
The former Australia coach John Buchanan, speaking in the Advertiser, has given Australia a few tips on how to deal with Sachin Tendulkar during the Test series with India.
"What I've been seeing for a while is that his feet don't move early in his innings and he is not very fluid early on," Buchanan said. "That makes the good-pace short ball a great weapon. It doesn't necessarily mean you will get Sachin out with the shorter ball. But you can push him back on his crease and then look for a full ball which he can tend to squirt to the slips early in his innings when he doesn't have great control."
Chloe Saltau writes in the Age about Terry Jenner’s frustrations when people ask: "Where are Australia’s young spinners?"
November 27, 2007
Posted on 11/27/2007 in Indian cricket
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Yuvraj Singh is desperate for a place in the Test XI, while Rahul Dravid will be keen to get back into the ODI team
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| The Times of India's Sumit Mukherjee calls for the inclusion of Yuvraj Singh and Rahul Dravid in both the Test and ODI teams.
We have a situation where there is a traffic jam in the Indian batting with 'brand new cars' jostling for space with a few 'old models' that should have long been scrapped. The problem with Indian cricket selectors is that they have always suffered from a delusion that they have an obligation to please everyone.
In trying to do so, they invariably end up upsetting everyone including the team's balance. They also tend to approach their job from the wrong end. Over the years, selectors have tended to pick or drop a player and then sought to justify their deed when all they ever need to do is pick the best and shut out the rest.
If dropping Dravid from the ODIs reflected their confused state of mind, keeping an in-form Yuvraj out of the Test XI betrayed complete bankruptcy of thought. VVS Laxman's polished unbeaten 72 in the Kotla Test against Pakistan may have Dilip Vengsarkar and his colleagues nodding in approval, but that still leaves Yuvraj boxed in as far as Test cricket
November 26, 2007
Posted on 11/26/2007 in Australian cricket
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Stuart MacGill might be about to open the door for Brad Hogg
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Stuart MacGill is preparing to rule himself out of Australia’s Test series against India to have knee surgery in an attempt to prolong his career, Alex Brown writes in the Sydney Morning Herald.
But in doing so, the veteran leg spinner will surrender his position to Brad Hogg, allowing the West Australian a prime opportunity to cement his place in the Test side over the course of the four-Test series against India. Should all go to plan, MacGill would be available for the final rounds of the Pura Cup competition, then present himself for Australian selection before the tour of Pakistan. But there are no guarantees. At 36, and having already undergone surgery on the knee this season, there is a very real possibility MacGill might not regain fitness in time for the tour of Pakistan. And if Hogg were to perform strongly against India, MacGill's international career would be all but over, anyhow.
Posted on 11/26/2007 in Australian cricket
The belting Stuart MacGill has taken from the media during the past week has not been helped by MacGill’s own attitude over the years, according to Robert Craddock in the Courier-Mail.
It's a cliche but sportsmen ignore it at their peril - show respect for people on your way to the top, or the same people might just elbow you in the breadbasket once you fall to your knees. MacGill never showed much of that respect and consequently people are queuing up to question his future as a Test bowler after his modest performances when hampered by injuries in two Tests against Sri Lanka.
In the same paper Craddock looks at Shane Watson’s progress – he has just started to bowl as he continues to recover from repeated hamstring injuries.
In the Australian, Michael Clarke chats to Peter Lalor chats about his development in the Australian team and about his possible future role as Ricky Ponting’s successor.
Nick Walshaw, writing in the Daily Telegraph, sets out to discover if Brett Lee still has the killer instinct he displayed in 2003, when he bowled “dangerously fast” and “sadistically short” to a group of journalists enlisted to face him in a promotional net session.
November 25, 2007
Posted on 11/25/2007 in English cricket
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Gibson has his work cut out in Sri Lanka
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Ottis Gibson, England’s recently employed fast bowling coach, is confident Steve Harmison can return to his top form and rediscover his “Curtly Ambrose” best. Speaking to Derek Pringle in the Sunday Telegraph, Gibson – “widely credited with helping England's bowlers find success in the recent one-day series in Sri Lanka” – offers his thoughts on his new role and how England can take 20 Sri Lankan wickets on dead pitches.
"When pitches are dead, one of the things I want bowlers to do is bowl within themselves. If their top speed is 87?mph I want them to be bowling at 82?mph, but consistently. They can then either go up to their maximum or drop down to 72?mph with a slower ball, which offers them three levels of variation."
Over at The Sunday Times, Simon Wilde forgets the “soulless mechanics” of how Muttiah Muralitharan bowls and instead concentrates on the Sri Lankan’s character.
His genius is his Darwinian adaptability. When a coach told him he was too small to bowl fast, the 13-year-old switched to off-spin. Under fire from Aussie officialdom, he turned to leg-spin. When a string of left-hand-ers began to thwart him, he turned the tables by perfecting his doosra. More recently he has added a slider. And he has developed astonishing stamina, averaging 331 balls per Test (Warne, no slouch himself, averaged 281).
By his own admission, the chase for the world record has maintained his passion through the past three years and it will be interesting to see how long he keeps going once he has planted his pole on cricket’s Everest. But he’ll want to put it out of anyone else’s reach. “I have my achievements and fame,” Murali once said. “Money can’t buy how that makes me feel.”
Posted on 11/25/2007 in Sri Lankan cricket
Kumar Sangakkara is going back to school next week. “Not many international players can claim their favourite Test venue is their old school pitch,” he writes in the Sunday Telegraph, “but Asgiriya International Stadium is where I learned how to play cricket. This beautiful stadium, ringed by Kandy's green-mantled hills, is full of fond memories.”
Posted on 11/25/2007 in Sri Lankan cricket
Why does Lasith Malinga bowl with the action he does? What did he learn playing beach cricket as a boy? And why, when others may have given up, did he carry on? Find out, in an interview with him in The Observer.
Posted on 11/25/2007 in English cricket
It's time to wind back the clock to expect a slower kind of Test cricket, writes Ian Bell in The Independent on Sunday. He is looking forward to batting again at No 3 and is gearing up to face Muttiah Muralitharan.
November 24, 2007
Posted on 11/24/2007 in Pakistan cricket
Shoaib Malik's appointment as captain of Pakistan, that too at the sprightly age of 25, was a proud moment for a family of seven from Sialkot. Imran Malik, brother of Shoaib, now in Delhi to watch the first Test between India and Pakiatan, talks about the family's humble origins and how his brother benefitted from their father's constant support. Read the full piece at Indiatimes.
"Our father owned a small shop of electronic goods. He always encouraged us to take up the sport. He used to tell Shoaib not to be too serious about studies and play cricket."
Posted on 11/24/2007 in New Zealand cricket
John Wright, set to take over from Ric Charlesworth as New Zealand Cricket's high performance manager, looks ahead to his new role, the frustration at being overlooked last month as a national selector and the talented players to look out for. In an indepth interview to Jonathan Millmow in stuff.co.nz, Wright explains why struggling players like Michael Papps and Craig Cumming should be persisted with.
"I know Bruce Edgar and I were averaging in the mid 20s for the first 20 Tests of our careers but we were stuck with and backed and then we repaid them.You have to have specialists and they have to want to open the batting and you have to give them a chance, but having said that, if we are to get better at Test cricket then we have to solve that situation."
Posted on 11/24/2007 in Australian cricket
Aspiring actors wanting to break through in Hollywood often have to wait on tables for years on end as they bide their time, patiently but confidently. Australian opener Phil Jaques' route to top-flight cricket was punctuated with some hard graft of his own, his stint coming as a labourer, sealing tanks. Chloe Saltau meets a combative, never-say-die batsman who is now reaping the rewards of a self-belief which he has had for more than 20 years when, aged eight, he told his mum he was going to play for Australia. Read all about it in The Age.
November 23, 2007
Posted on 11/23/2007 in Indian cricket
The ABC documentary Guru Greg, on Greg Chappell's controversial tenure as India coach, is finally out. The producers of the show, Stu McCarney and Matthew Duffy, share their observations during the filming. Read the full piece on news.com.au
"We approached him and said we were interested in telling the story, the experience he was going through. Judy wasn't always there and we could see a change in Greg when she'd arrive. She provides a lot of support to Greg on the road and she has a difficult job because cricket is so all consuming and it's hard for us to fully understand that."
Posted on 11/23/2007 in Miscellaneous
With the arrival of Twenty20 and several obits being written on the 50-over game, Harsha Bhogle feels that Test cricket will remain in robust health. The stands may not be full but people know the scores, great performances are lauded, victories are celebrated and statistics greedily devoured.
To my mind, the reason Test cricket will never die is because it gives people the opportunity of fighting back. A mistake is not the end of the world, players stand firm against the tide and sometimes turn it back with old-fashioned grit. Test cricket is not retro, it is still contemporary and even modern cricketers look forward to playing it.
In the same piece in the Indian Express, he suggests that 50-overs cricket can follow the rules of Tests by splitting the innings into two overs of 25 overs each to add more spark to a dying format.
Posted on 11/23/2007 in Miscellaneous
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Kieron Pollard, wielding a baseball bat, was a smashing success in Havana
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Mike Haysman, in his column in SuperCricket writes about his visit to Havana for his television show and the baseball exploits of Kieron Pollard, the new Trinidad and Tobago sensation. Pollard, holding a baseball bat for the first time, faced up to Pedro Medina [he is also referred to as Lazo], who was a member of the Cuban national team for 19 years.
Keiron was looking as though he was taking this all in his stride as his typical West Indian gait took him to the batting box. Five minutes later he had not laid bat on ball. He had swung from the hip at every thunderbolt that thudded into Lazo’s catchers’ glove. It was close but no cigar. A smile was slowly appearing on Pedro’s face. Keiron’s eyes grew wider with each delivered strike.
The speed generated by Lazo was quite remarkable. It must have been intimidating from Keiron’s perspective as well, knowing that his pin point accuracy could intentionally be slightly and dangerously adjusted at any chosen moment. Still Pollard swung but still no connection. I could see in Lazo’s eyes that he was enjoying this currently one sided challenge.
And then it started to happen. Pollard found his range. The odd fly ball and foul signalled that the wheel was starting to turn. Before long Keiron was making solid connection and the by now swelled gallery was muttering Spanish words of appreciation. The odd nods of approval were delivered my way by Pedro and Lazo also complimented Pollard.
November 22, 2007
Posted on 11/22/2007 in Australian cricket
Stuart MacGill's struggles in the Test series against Sri Lanka have put Australia's selectors in a tricky position ahead of such a hectic upcoming Test schedule. In the Herald Sun Jon Pierik wonders what has gone wrong in the development of Australia's slow-bowling stocks.
While MacGill will worry the selectors, what is equally concerning is the lack of slow bowlers around the country. That Brad Hogg is considered the next best option, at age 36, sums up Australia's predicament. Good on Hogg for resurrecting a career which seemed dead four years ago. But, really, shouldn't there be a 20-something legitimate wrist-spinning option around? Shouldn't there be a youngster emerging who was inspired by Warne to take up the leg-spinning craft in his teenage years? It appears not.
There might be a lack of quality young spinners in Australia's first-class ranks but the batting prospects remain strong. In the Daily Telegraph Tom Walshaw chats to one of the newbies on the scene, Phillip Hughes, 18, who debuted for New South Wales this week and is already being compared to another blond, spiky-haired New South Welshman.
But comparing Hughes to "Pup", or even fellow Blues opener Phil Jaques, is to overlook his own unique rise from bushie to Blue. An ascension completed with such speed, even Australian Test great John Dyson failed to recognise the debutant when presenting his NSW cap at the SCG on Tuesday.
There is still no sign of the ball that Adam Gilchrist struck to bring up his 100th Test six on Saturday.
November 21, 2007
Posted on 11/21/2007 in Miscellaneous
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Kumar Sangakkara was at his sublime best at the Bellerive Oval
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| Kumar Sangakkara's, who scored 192 in the second Test against Australia in Hobart, has received rave reviews, not only for the manner in which it was scored his runs, but the way he took umpire Rudi Koertzen's decision to rule him out when replays showed that the ball had missed his bat and come off his shoulder.
Peter Roebuck, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, felt Sangakkara's dismissal could not "erase the memory of the wonderful innings".
Sangakkara was superb. While Sanath Jayasuriya was contentedly clubbing the ball around the ground, he was able to advance at his own pace. In the early hours of his resistance he played a stream of sweetly timed strokes, placements through cover, glides off his pads and assaults on misdirected spinners. When necessary he defended alertly, eye on the ball, biding his time.
The Australian's Michael Davis lauded Sangakkara's sportsmanship.
Kumar Sangakkara proved himself a true champion by shaking hands with South African Rudi Koertzen after the game despite a woeful decision by the umpire that cost the Sri Lankan the chance of making a historic double-century. .
Glenn Mitchell, in his ABC Grandstand Blog, also praises Sangakkara.
Too many times the sporting headlines are filled with elite sportspeople's misdemeanors.
It seems it's more palatable to expose the flaws rather than highlight the grace.
Today at Bellerive Oval, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara embodied what we want to see from our sports champions, and he deserves to be heralded for his batting brilliance and his extreme grace.
Posted on 11/21/2007 in Australian cricket
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Rhett Lockyear earned a stump, and a pat on the back from Phil Jaques, for his supersub efforts
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Robert Craddock pulls no punches in his Courier-Mail blog, where he says Rudi Koertzen has become an embarrassment to the game.
Rudi, who has hearing problems, is not a bad man but he has a large ego and simply cannot accept his time has come. His decision to give out Kumar Sangakkara caught off the shoulder yesterday was the howler of the summer.
Another man who didn’t have the best of times in Hobart was Stuart MacGill, and in the Herald Sun Steve Waugh says MacGill needs to improve his fitness.
In the Mercury, Brett Stubbs chats to man who had a much more enjoyable experience on Bellerive Oval – Australia’s supersub Rhett Lockyear, who contributed a catch and two run-outs to Australia’s victory.
Posted on 11/21/2007 in Australian cricket
Australia might have lost a few of their ageing stars after last summer but as Greg Baum discovers in the Age, some cricketers have a good 50 years left in them by the time they reach their late 30s.
One Friday night in 1944, Brendan Lyons, captain of Xavier's first XI, was despairing of how to bowl to Scotch's schoolboy prodigy and future Test opener Colin McDonald. In the study hall that night, Lyons "surreptitiously" read a coaching manual in which Don Bradman advised that a fast bowler should sometimes surprise by delivering from a yard behind the stumps. First over next morning, the emboldened Lyons clean bowled McDonald.
Doubtless, Lyons' arm is not as high now. Nonetheless, there he was yesterday at Royal Park, bowling a couple of presentable overs into the teeth of a howling northerly and glaring at a batsman who pulled him disrespectfully for four. Lyons, 80, was the most senior of the "world's oldest XI" — average age 75.5, birth certificates provided — which played the "world's oldest second XI", all over 70. These were men who look upon age as a sundry.
November 19, 2007
Posted on 11/19/2007 in English cricket
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Ravi Bopara and Alastair Cook don't plan to read former England coach Duncan Fletcher's book Behind the Shades
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Guardian's Andy Bull interviews Essex and England batsmen Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara on flipping sponsors' cars, reading books by former coaches and future English captains.
I ask Ravi whether anyone has nicknamed Cook FEC yet, as they once did Mike Atherton. Before he can answer, Cook turns to him and says: "I bet you don't know what that means." Bopara laughs and admits he doesn't, but after a quick explanation (the initials stand for Future England Captain, or at least that was the polite version) he reveals that yes, he often gets asked that question. "I've heard rumours at dos and things. People often ask 'who do you think will be the next England captain, Alastair Cook?' and I'm like yeahhhh, maybe. He's a good candidate." Cook leans over and deadpans "I wouldn't pick you if I was".
Posted on 11/19/2007 in Indian cricket
India-Pakistan series still has staggering appeal, writes Nagraj Gollapudi in the Observer.
The most happy are the sponsors, advertisers and marketing personnel who are always busy devising ways and means to sell the 'package'. This time it has arrived on their doorstep without them having to do the hard sell. Having an India-Pakistan series during the peak season for advertisers - from Diwali to Christmas and New Year - was definitely a boom time.
Posted on 11/19/2007 in Zimbabwe cricket
A report in The Sunday Telegraph highlights a change of approach from the UK government which makes it less likely that any England side will play Zimbabwe while Robert Mugabe remains in power.
While the Blair government was all too willing to talk, it refused to take any action and left the onus on the England board. Under Gordon Brown, it seems words might be backed by actions.
Amid suggestions of a hardening of attitudes since Gordon Brown took over, the government are looking again at legal options.
Should the Government decide on a blanket ban on all sporting links with Zimbabwe, it is possible the effects might be felt beyond cricket. Such a move might raise questions, for example, over Zimbabwean participation in the 2012 London Olympics.
November 18, 2007
Posted on 11/18/2007 in Indian cricket
Siddhartha Mishra looks back at the 18 years of Sachin Tendulkar's international career and writes in the Times of India that Tendulkar hasn't necessarily changed his nature. Rather, he has grown into it empowered by the Zen-like wisdom that comparison with his own self has brought.
That is the charm of his story: that the subtext is more significant than the actual result. And the subtext reads: for a person who has the temerity to fail as much as he has the audacity to seek greatness, the illusion of performance is never incongruous to the pattern of his development.
November 17, 2007
Posted on 11/17/2007 in Indian cricket
Greg Chappell is in Jaipur as the head coach of the Rajasthan Cricket Academy, the brainchild of Rajasthan Cricket Association president and influential BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi. Prem Panicker finds out what Chappell's plans for the academy are. Read the interview here.
Rediff.com also looks at some of the uncoventional exercises Chappell and Ian Frazer have prescribed for Rajasthan's young hopefuls.
"What you get in a gym are social muscles, the kind that looks good on a beach, or in a T-shirt, but are valueless on the sports field. What you really need are functional muscles, the sort that builds you up for what you do on the cricket field, and this circuit is one of the steps to getting there."
For instance, Chappell points out, when you run over the uneven ground, and then jump into a pit that is a good seven feet deep, you are working out the "back chain muscles" of the leg - the ones that, beginning with the glutes, go down the back of your thighs, the knee, the calves, all the way down to the sole of your foot.
It is these muscles that take tremendous strain when playing.
And Chappell finds time to take a swipe at his former employers - the BCCI - in an interview to Vijay Tagore in the Daily News & Analysis.
Unlike the BCCI, my present employer Lalit is very committed and passionate about the academy and I’m happy to be giving six months of an year for three years.
He went on to say: It’s difficult to work under the BCCI which was not willing to change for its own compulsive reasons.
Posted on 11/17/2007 in Indian cricket
Yuvraj Singh is the world's best limited-overs player, says Ayaz Memon in the Daily News & Analysis. He thinks that Anil Kumble's first dilemma as captain will be to decide whether Yuvraj has a place in the Test side.
... it is his daring strokeplay and strong finishing which marks Yuvraj out as exceptional.
Add to this his outstanding fielding and useful left-arm spin and you have a multi-faceted match-winner. But is he good enough, Kumble will be asking himself (and a few others surely), to break into the Indian Test team which has Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman at numbers 5 and 6?
Posted on 11/17/2007 in Indian cricket
Harsha Bhogle asks the embarrassing question at espnstar.com.
I guess the pecking order at the moment is Zaheer Khan, RP Singh and Sreesanth. But it is a pretty tiny list. Who is India's no. 4 seamer? And, since we must ask embarrassing questions, who is no. 5? Irfan Pathan might give the impression of a renaissance and more than anyone else I wish that were true. He is bowling well in one-day cricket but you can be a good one-day bowler without really threatening to take wickets all the time. The in-swing surfaces occasionally but his best ball is the slow cutter and that is not the best weapon in a test match.
Posted on 11/17/2007 in New Zealand cricket
Even as Chris Martin zeroes in on records, Paul Holden, writing in the stuff.co.nz website, tracks the men who can bat ahead of Martin at the list of all-time Black Cap lower-order batting battlers.
November 16, 2007
Posted on 11/16/2007 in Sri Lankan cricket
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The ground during the 2004 Sri Lanka-Australia Test
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| The Daily Telegraph’s Tony Francis has been in Galle where the reconstruction of the cricket ground following the devastation of the 2004 tsunami is almost complete.
Only a couple of months ago, the ground on which Sri Lanka entertain England in the third Test next month reminded me of the horse-drawn section of the National Ploughing Championships after two Suffolk Punches had done their work.
And he reports that the venue now has a new indoor cricket centre with funds raised by a woman whose husband died in the disaster.
Julian Ayer was travelling by bus to watch his stepson play for Harrow School at the start of their Sri Lanka tour when the vehicle was submerged on its way to the stadium. Ayer was reported to have helped his wife off the bus but was unable to save himself. His widow was so distressed by the plight of other bereaved families in Sri Lanka's worst affected region that she donated £50,000 to Galle Cricket Club, believing that sport would give destitute youngsters something to cling to.
Posted on 11/16/2007 in Australian cricket
It seems that Shane Warne’s spin has done it again. After Warne wrote that Muttiah Muralitharan’s action should be tested in a match, he made up with Murali by telling him that the article was referring to any bowler with a suspect action – not specifically Murali. Alex Brown examines the saga in the Sydney Morning Herald.
There's a problem here. Warne did refer specifically to Murali in his column. But given that Muralitharan has not read the article directly, he accepts Warne's version of events and offers an apology for his outburst. Another opponent bamboozled by Warne's spin. And things were good. Like a pair of old chums, Warne and Muralitharan arrive for the trophy unveiling ceremony, flashing smiles and sharing a few laughs while camera shutters click and pens scribble around them.
But later, when Brown reads the relevant part of Warne’s column back to Murali, things change.
"You do know that Warne referred to you by name in his column?" Murali is asked. "But he says he didn't," he replies. The passage is read back to Muralitharan. "Then everything is the same as yesterday," he says. "I apologised because he said it was not about me."
In the Age, Peter Roebuck discusses the sudden rush to condemn world cricket as one-sided after Australia’s win in the first Test.
November 15, 2007
Posted on 11/15/2007 in Indian Cricket League
Simon Briggs writing in The Daily Telegraph reports that the launch of the Indian Cricket League was not the slick affair that had been expected and it raised concerns about what is to come.
The competence of the ICL was immediately put in doubt as their first statement left off the names of the six team captains - Law, Brian Lara, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns and Marvan Atapattu.
As the ICL have held up Lara and Inzamam as their star attractions since the project was first unveiled, this embarrassing omission suggested that the tournament, due to start on Nov 30 at a ground near Chandigarh in northern India, is unlikely to proceed without a few hitches.
Posted on 11/15/2007 in Pakistan cricket
The arrest of former Pakistan captain Imran Khan has attracted widespread global interest. Even though his political career has not really taken off, he remains a high-profile figure and one that remains a thorn in the side of the ruling regime.
In the UK The Independent devotes its front page to the news, with claims that Imran’s life is in danger, and it also outlines the British government’s role in events which Imran claims have led to his arrest.
In The Daily Telegraph, Simon Briggs looks at what Imran has been up to since he quit cricket.
When Imran launched his party, it was initially seen as a whimsical vehicle for a man who could not bear to be out of the public eye. But after a false start in the 1997 elections, he kept battling away and eventually claimed a seat in Pakistan's National Assembly in 2004.
Posted on 11/15/2007 in Australian cricket
Creating a Warne-Muralitharan Trophy was a mistake from the start, writes Greg Baum in the Age.
The Warne-Murali trophy is a marketing ploy, the latest instance of sport's compulsion to present stuff. It's a photo opportunity. Its provenance shows it. One of the enshrined has only just retired, the other is still playing. Not nearly enough time has elapsed for proper appreciations of their relative deeds and standings to be made, let alone the tension between them resolved. The portents are not good. Warne and Murali are fundamentally and congenitally estranged.
In the Sydney Morning Herald, Chloe Saltau chats to Adam Gilchrist about his award as Australia's greatest ODI player, and to Ashley Noffke, who was named the Australian Cricketers' Association Player of the Month for October.
November 14, 2007
Posted on 11/14/2007 in Indian cricket
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Greg Chappell is in the middle of yet another controversy, this time after comments about an alleged cover-up by the Indian board after he was attacked by a fan
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| Malcolm Conn, writing in the Australian, reveals that Greg Chappell, in a documentary, had said that the Indian board had covered up an incident involving a fan who assaulted him after breaching team security.
In the documentary, Guru Greg, to be shown on ABC television next week, the former Australia captain makes it clear that he believes he was attacked because he was a foreigner.
"I got hit on the side of the head and my immediate reaction was 'he's broken my jaw'," Chappell said after he was hit and pushed as the Indian team arrived in Bhubaneswar, in the eastern state of Orissa, to play a one-day international against the West Indies in January this year." .
In an other article, Conn writes on Chappell's unsuccessful attempt to change Indian cricket.
Now coach of a new academy set up by the Rajasthan Cricket Association, Chappell offers an often frank and unflattering assessment of the amateur and bureaucratic Board of Control for Cricket in India which is sure to prompt yet more outrage from officials more efficient at blame shifting than forward thinking. Indian demi-gods such as Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly are painted as ageing, selfish cricketers more interested in personal success than team triumph
Posted on 11/14/2007 in Indian Cricket League
John Inverdale, writing in The Daily Telegraph, says that the Indian Cricket League has restored the word “rebel” to the cricket world after a 30-year absence. And he thinks that the ICL might have a chance of succeeding.
Bit by bit, one or two well-known players are signing up for the league, and while, as things stand, it doesn't have the international game quaking in its boots, at the same time it is firing a warning shot across the International Cricket Council's bows, and they ignore it at their peril.
Inverdale makes the point that other wealthy individuals will be looking on with more than passing interest and the game’s bosses cannot rest on their laurels.
This after all, is a sport that contrived, despite all the business acumen that has come into cricket in recent years, to organise possibly the least impressive World Cup ever staged. It's almost impossible to imagine - actually it is impossible to imagine - a football World Cup bombing in Brazil, or a Rugby World Cup failing in New Zealand. Well the ICC took cricket's equivalent to the West Indies and made it a laughing stock.
The ICL could turn out to be a complete catastrophe, with the rug pulled from under its feet by a unified front from all the main Test-playing countries. It could equally, in a cricket-mad nation, be setting the standard for taking the sport to a new level.
Posted on 11/14/2007 in New Zealand cricket
'On Monday I wrote that Mathew Sinclair should be in the test team', writes Hamish McDouall in the stuff website. 'Two days and 243 runs later, the rest of the country agrees.'
Sinclair has been a nearly man for half a decade. His absence from the test team, considering three big test hundreds, another two ODI centuries and 11 international 50s, seems inexplicable when players like Papps, How, Cumming, Fulton and any number of Marshalls have been preferred.
Also read Paul Holden's blog in the same website writing on the naffest cricket merchandise…ever.
Meanwhile the saga that is Shane Bond's cricket career continues, says Sam Worthington in the Dominion Post. Bond touches down in Christchurch today after being invalided out of yet another tour.
November 13, 2007
Posted on 11/13/2007 in Australian cricket
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Sri Lanka's Sunday Times makes its point
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| As the row over Cricket Australia’s demands to charge agencies for access to international matches grows, the pressure on the board escalates, although it has, perhaps unsurprisingly, found an ally in the Indian board, an organization which is not averse to grabbing income from anywhere it can.
In Sri Lanka there is widespread anxiety that the public might miss out on a landmark when and if Muttiah Muralitharan breaks Shane Warne’s record of Test wickets. The Sri Lankan board has written to CA and Sri Lanka’s Sunday Times published a silhouette figure with its cricket coverage with a caption: "This space is dedicated to what would have been an action picture of the Test match in progress in Brisbane. The black figure is courtesy of Cricket Australia."
The subject has attracted comment across the globe. In the Gulf News, Gautam Bhattacharyya wrote:
Cricket Australia, one of the most progressive and professional bodies to run the sport, is now being termed as 'greedy.' It's very much a subject of debate, but what is certain is that they have set a rather dangerous precedent now.
In Jamaica’s Gleaner, Tony Becca points out that sports needs the media.
Cricket at all levels has been surviving because of sponsors, for sponsors' presence is key. And if the media, if the newspapers are not present, neither will the sponsor's product or service. Sport has become big business, but it has become big business partly because of the exposure and the coverage it receives from the media - and none more so than cricket.
Greg Baum makes a similar point in The Age:
This, though, is not about marketing. Mostly, cricket shares a mutually convenient relationship with media; cricket sells papers, papers sell cricket. It is true of other sports and other media
The Times of India's Partha Bhaduri takes off on the Indian board's stance.
There’s no denying the fact that such demands could spill over into written content as well, apart from changing the way the Internet functions and is regulated.
Posted on 11/13/2007 in New Zealand cricket
Andre Nel intrigues me, writes Paul Holden in his stuff.co.nz website blog, Sideline Slogger.
If South African journalist Telford Vice reckons Scott Styris is cricket’s version of Banquo’s ghost, then in “Nella” we just might have gone one better and discovered the sport’s Shakespeare.
The beleaguered Black Caps can expect no respite from the short-pitched bowling barrage by South Africa's speedsters in the second cricket test at Centurion, writes Geoff Longley in the Press.
Meanwhile the New Zealand Herald are conducting a reader's poll. Is this New Zealand's worst ever sporting year? Read the selection of comments here.
Posted on 11/13/2007 in Australian cricket
Nobody ever expected an Ashes-like audience for the first Test of Australia’s home summer but the turnout at the Gabba was disappointing regardless, writes Jon Pierik in the Daily Telegraph.
If cricket is a game of statistics, then attendances for the first Test at the Gabba would surely have this great ground struggling to hold its spot in the side. Queensland Cricket had hoped for an overall match attendance of about 60,000. It didn't even reach that modest figure, with 55,953 (1285 yesterday) filing through the turnstiles over five days, although it was one of the best returns for a series involving a sub-continental team. Whatever spin Cricket Australia puts on that, it's not good enough for a sport which claims to occupy the hearts and minds of Australians in summer.
Cricket Australia also comes under scrutiny in the Australian, where Peter Lalor looks at the potential for Muttiah Muralitharan to break Shane Warne’s Test wicket record at Hobart with no photographic coverage because of the ongoing dispute with media organisations.
In the Herald Sun, Steve Waugh assesses Sri Lanka’s problems and decides they made the mistake of trying to be competitive rather than planning how to win.
Posted on 11/13/2007 in English cricket
Alex Loudon gave up cricket this year, at the age of 27, just a year after making his England debut. But far from a knee-jerk reaction, he had been considering his next move carefully, as he tells Mike Dickson in the Daily Mail.
November 12, 2007
Posted on 11/12/2007 in Australian cricket
For the second season running, a prospective challenger to Australia's hegemony has been sent packing. Last November it was England and now it's Sri Lanka who have been routed in the first Test at The Gabba. But far from cheering this turn of events, even the uber-Aussie Malcolm Conn of the Australian fears for the lack of competitiveness on show.
The sadness of Australia continuing to raise the bar in Test cricket means the foundation of the game is becoming less and less relevant in more countries as the Twenty20 phenomenon multiplies the excitement in shorter forms of the game.
This is even so in Australia, which has the strongest tradition of Test cricket with England. If Australia was playing a one-day or Twenty20 match at the Gabba it would have sold out long ago.
Posted on 11/12/2007 in Indian Cricket League
Scyld Berry writing in The Daily Telegraph is of the opinion that the Indian Cricket League is set to fail, and much of the blame lies with Kapil Dev whose “great sense of timing has deserted him”.
Around 50 cricketers are milling around Chennai this weekend wondering what, if anything, is going to happen. ICL's signings include some great has-beens … but the majority are young Indian players whom nobody has heard of, and who have signed away their careers in official cricket after being promised 20 to 40 lakh rupees (£25,000-£50,000) for a three-year contract.
They have got one ground to play on, at Panchkula outside Chandigarh. What the teams are, and when they will play, has not yet been displayed on the website of the Indian Cricket League. Only one thing is certain: the terrible timing of this breakaway tournament.
Posted on 11/12/2007 in New Zealand cricket
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'Poor batting technique. Balsa wood bodies. This raises two key questions – how is John Bracewell improving batting skills and fitness?'
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In the Stuff.co.nz, Paul Holden, a New Zealand fan, writes on the cricket commentary on the wireless in South Africa.
Meanwhile, here in Aotearoa, we’ve never had a female cricket commentator, as far as I can recall. It is total man-land on both RadioSport and Sky’s cricket commentary teams with no cricket commentary suffragettes on the horizon either. Possibilities from the ranks of those of the fairer sex who have pledged their allegiance to cricket at one time or another would include effective actress Jodie Rimmer, bespectacled Basin-loving politician Marian Hobbs or the voluptuous talkback host Kerre Woodham .
Hamish McDouall dissects New Zealand's woeful performance in the first Test against South Africa.
Exactly half Michael Papps‘ test innings have finished in single figures. Apart from providing a funny nickname (“Smear”) and a ridiculous haircut, what does he offer that Lou Vincent or Matthew Sinclair doesn’t? I think it is time to take the puppy out the back and shoot it. Craig Cumming’s vaunted technique against quick bowlers looked overstated in the face of superb Protea bowling.
Poor batting technique. Balsa wood bodies. This raises two key questions – how is John Bracewell improving batting skills and fitness? (After all, we don’t need finely tuned athletes, just blokes who can turn up for work…) And what the hell is High Performance Manager Ric Charlesworth actually doing?
Posted on 11/12/2007 in West Indies cricket
Will the Patterson Report be left to join the dusty archive of unexamined good intentions or will it set a new course to West Indies cricket? Ian McDonald, writing in the Jamaica Gleaner, urges the authorities to act upon the report.
Recommendations for a new structure of governance, much more reflective of the interests of all stakeholders in the region, are therefore set out in the committee's report. These recommendations lie at the heart of the report and deserve to be urgently considered.
Posted on 11/12/2007 in South African cricket
Wonder why Jacques Kallis has not managed to score a double century yet? Blame it on the media, writes Neil Manthorp in the Supercricket.co.za website.
It should suprise nobody that the media's obsession soon became his with the result that he concentrated his efforts on doing everything he could to raise his average. It meant, of course, that he could not get out. Not outs were the bricks and cement required to build a proper average. It meant that not only did a couple of potential double centuries go abegging, but even some centuries. Kallis was determined to cement his place in the team and if that meant scoring slowly and playing so far within his limits that even his fabled cover drive was limited to sporadic displays, then so be it.
Posted on 11/12/2007 in Australian cricket
Tony Becca, of the Jamaica Gleaner agrees with the media protest against Cricket Australia's decision to charge a fee to cover the game.
Fazeer Mohammed, writing in the Trinidad Express, presents a different angle to the issue.
Fact is, we (I include myself because I'm just as guilty) the readers, listeners and viewers really aren't all that interested in such matters so long as we get what we want, never mind who is providing the coverage in whatever form-print or electronic. Given the reputation of journalists as a bunch of arrogant know-it-alls, there are no doubt more than a few out there who enjoyed the sight of Coward, Conn and others being locked out.
November 11, 2007
Posted on 11/11/2007 in Australian cricket
Brett Lee missed this year’s World Cup with an ankle injury but he is guaranteed to star at the next one. As David Sygall reports in the Sun-Herald, Lee has been asked to produce and perform the theme song for the 2011 World Cup to be held on the subcontinent.
Lee had other things to think about at the Gabba, where he spearheaded Australia's solid bowling effort against Sri Lanka. His team-mate Stuart MacGill, on the other hand, would have been disappointed to finish the first innings with just one wicket, according to Peter Roebuck in the Sunday Age.
In the same paper Damien Fleming compares MacGill to the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield – both “don’t get no respect”.
Also in the Sunday Age Amanda Dunn chats to Richie Benaud, Bill Lawry and co about the 30 years they have spent in the Channel 9 commentary box.
And in the Sunday Telegraph Terry Jenner calls for Muttiah Muralitharan's action to be tested in Test-match conditions, while Arjuna Ranatunga hands out some rare praise for Ricky Ponting's captaincy.
November 10, 2007
Posted on 11/10/2007 in Indian cricket
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Anil Kumble: India's new Test captain
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Hailing the appointment of Anil Kumble as India's Test captain in the Australian, Mike Coward feels the 37-year-old could speak up for the five-day game.
Kumble has an abiding affection for Test cricket and no doubt will have even a greater spring in his step now he has retired from the arduous limited-overs game. Indeed, this is the first time India has had different captains for the one-day and Test match cricket.
It is to be hoped that Kumble, and Ponting and Jayawardene for that matter, will use their position of privilege and speak loudly and often about the joys of Test match cricket and what the pure game means to the world's elite players.
Sandeep Dwivedi of the Indian Express writes,
Maybe, it will be in the role of a captain that Kumble’s significant role in the collective triumph of the team will be finally recognised.
Ayaz Memon weighs in on the issue in the DNA.
Kumble enjoys probably the most exalted place in the dressing room along with Tendulkar. There is very little about this game that he has not seen or experienced. His voice commands attention and respect, from seniors and juniors alike. His body of work is so spectacular that it brooks no nonsense.
Read Kumble's thoughts on captaincy in the Kolkata-based Telegraph.
November 9, 2007
Posted on 11/09/2007 in English cricket
If England want to win the Test series in Sri Lanka, they must treat the tour "as a challenge rather than a hardship," writes Dileep Premachandran in the Guardian.
Meanwhile, an article in the Daily Telegraph points out that Australia's past four long-term Test captains have improved on their predecessor's winning percentage.
November 8, 2007
Posted on 11/08/2007 in Australian cricket
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James Sutherland, Cricket Australia's chief executive, chats to the journalists who were locked out
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An accreditation dispute left News Ltd journalists locked out of the first Test between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Gabba. Peter Lalor from the Australian offered this report from outside the ground.
Chaminda Vaas came in to bowl the first ball of the Test against Sri Lanka in Brisbane today, I think. It gets a bit hard to say what happened as the quick disappeared behind a barbecue cooking sausages just as he was approaching the wicket. Judging by the lack of crowd noise there was neither a boundary or a six from the delivery. Apparently the same thing happened for the next five balls.
Mark Day, who writes on media issues for the same paper, offers his opinion on the dispute
Posted on 11/08/2007 in English cricket
Duncan Fletcher has received a lot of criticism for the revelations about the England side recently. Now, in the Guardian, Mike Selvey considers how he could have handled media relations during his time as coach - and suggests he could have taken a leaf out of Tony Greig's book.
Posted on 11/08/2007 in Indian cricket
"Sachin Tendulkar’s refusal to take on the responsibility of captaining India has left me shocked and disappointed," writes Gundappa Viswanath in the Hindu.
The obvious question now is, if not Sachin who. The very fact that the selectors opted for Sachin in the first place is an indicator that they, perhaps, think that Mahendra Dhoni is not ready yet. If that is the case, they should not look beyond Anil Kumble, who unlike the other possible candidate Sourav Ganguly, has retired from ODIs, thus ensuring there will no real clash with Dhoni’s current responsibilities.
November 7, 2007
Posted on 11/07/2007 in English cricket
South Africa's success in last month's rugby World Cup, with only three black players in the squad, has apparently triggered the end of the quota system in South African cricket. David Hopps writes in the Guardian that the decision could be beneficial to English cricket as it will help stem the flow of white South African cricketers taking the Kolpak route to county cricket.
The England and Wales Cricket Board is so concerned about the number of South Africans in county cricket under the so-called Kolpak agreement that Giles Clarke, the ECB's new chairman, discussed the issue at an International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai last week with Norman Arandse, Cricket South Africa's president.
"What South Africa chooses to do is a matter for them, but the ECB has made it clear that we do not encourage county cricket to take the Kolpak route," said Clarke. "It is healthy for the game that England and South Africa both remain strong."
Posted on 11/07/2007 in Cricket books
"Reading Behind the Shades from cover to cover - rather than just the serialised, juicy bits - one cannot help but have sympathy for [Duncan] Fletcher's frustration over his captain's [Andrew Flintoff] show of irresponsibility at a time when the head coach was absorbing all the flak during a difficult time for the England team," writes Sarah Edworthy in the Daily Telegraph.
Posted on 11/07/2007 in Sri Lankan cricket
Shut your eyes and try to imagine Muttiah Muralitharan steaming in, bowling pace. Given he's taken nearly 700 Test wickets with his off-spin, it's not too easy, is it. And yet he started life as a pace bowler, as revealed in the Courier Mail, which also tells the story of his conversion to the spin which has made him famous, and brought him to the brink of the world record for most Test wickets.
Muttiah Muralitharan can expect a rough ride [in Australia] despite calls for respect, writes Gideon Haigh in the Guardian.
November 6, 2007
Posted on 11/06/2007 in English cricket
In The Independent Angus Fraser has joined in the attack on Duncan Fletcher for the revelations in his warts-and-all autobiography which was published on Monday. Fraser is particular bemused by Fletcher’s claim that Andrew Flintoff, who he singled out for criticism, could captain England again.
Duncan Fletcher last night became the latest sporting author to backtrack on the contents of a controversial book when he suggested that Andrew Flintoff should be given another crack at the England captaincy. Mike Catt and Lawrence Dallaglio have spent much of the past week attempting to withdraw from comments made about Brian Ashton, the England rugby coach, after the recent World Cup, and Fletcher’s words of encouragement for Flintoff can only have been brought on by the negative publicity he has received since revealing that the all-rounder turned up for practice before a one-day international in Australia drunk.
Nobody should begrudge Fletcher the opportunity to portray his side of the story, or even the odd attempt to settle an old score. Indeed, there were times when he did not deserve the criticism he received. But his reaction to the fallout is frankly rather pathetic. Having thoughtfully placed his views down in black and white, he should then at least have the courage to stand by them.
Posted on 11/06/2007 in Indian cricket
In an interview with Mint, a finanicial daily, Lalit Modi, the Indian board vice-president, discusses the revenue generated by the BCCI, telecast rights, the Indian Premier League and much more.
Modi says: In a typical ODI, we make close to $8.5 million broadcasting revenue, and our rate is Rs45 [to the dollar], not Rs40. Contracts are based on exchange rate on that date. Then there is Sahara [which is the team sponsor] revenue, Nike [apparel sponsor] revenue... comes to a million dollars per day per match. Ground sponsorship revenue is between $1.6 million and $1.7 million per day.
Posted on 11/06/2007 in Offbeat
Cricket. You can play it on a pitch, on the beach, in the backyard... and even up a mountain. That's what a team of English cricketers including Graham Napier and Nick Compton are attempting to do to raise funds for the PCA – and they're trying to set a world record for the highest altitude cricket match while they're at it. Read the full story on the PCA website - they need 40 spare balls you know. And there's more about Napier's challenge here, as covered by Cricinfo in August.
Posted on 11/06/2007 in English cricket
Former England coach Duncan Fletcher is sensitive to criticism of his candour and fears it might overshadow his record, writes Donald McRae in the Guardian.
Fletcher is brutally clear in regard to Flintoff's drinking. His behaviour in Australia was just one of many incidents, reaching its lowest point with the player's dunk in a pedalo during the World Cup earlier this year. Fletcher says he supported Flintoff until then. "I think my loyalty was shown by a serious situation [in Australia] where I thought: 'No, let's keep this quiet and just get on with it.' But then in the book I had to directly link that situation to the Fredalo affair because you think, 'No, enough's enough. I've been really let down here."
November 4, 2007
Posted on 11/04/2007 in Australian cricket
Peter Roebuck writes in the Sydney Morning Herald that naming the trophy in the Australia-Sri Lanka Test series after Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan was “a masterstroke”.
It was also important to bring these spinners together. Rivalry had set them apart. Warne had been graceless, pointing out the number of wickets Murali has taken against weak nations, as if the Tamil had arranged the fixture list. Sri Lanka's supporters had responded by pointing at the skeletons in Warne's cupboard. Australians cast aspersions about Murali's action. The Lankans put it down to jealousy. All the more reason to unite the opposing factions.
In the Australian, Malcolm Conn argues that the inclusion of Ben Hilfenhaus in Australia’s Test squad is actually good news for Stuart MacGill.
And in the Daily Telegraph, Jon Pierik looks at whether players signing autographs while fielding on the boundary is a distraction.
Posted on 11/04/2007 in New Zealand cricket
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Laptops have become a mainstay of the coach's armoury
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John Morrison, the former New Zealand batsman, has attacked the modern culture of over-analysis (which was mentioned yesterday by Nathan Astle) and criticised New Zealand’s inability to think on their feet.
"I'm always worried when I go to a ground and see cricket coaches poring over laptops but the problem is, now if you say anything to the contrary you're called old and out of touch.
So instead we've created this industry of extras around the team who have to justify their existence by taking any decisions or responsibilities away from the players.
"So we've got this mollycoddled generation of sportsmen who might be great athletes but who have lost all ability to think for themselves.
Read the full piece at the New Zealand Herald, and check out John’s website.
Posted on 11/04/2007 in English cricket
Simon Wilde analyses what the much-publicised extracts from Duncan Fletcher's autobiography mean. Writing in the Sunday Times, he says that the most significant aspect of the book is "the picture it paints of dysfunctional management at the apex of English cricket."
True, the consequences of the investment of too much power in Fletcher were being felt, but elsewhere mistakes were made left, right and centre by senior figures seemingly more interested in leaking information to the press and minding their own backs than working for the good of the collective cause.
Back in 2005 it seemed England had created the best-run professional cricket system in the world. Even the Australians were asking for advice. But it seems England just got lucky, with a good set of players on a run free of injury.
Wilde also feels that Fletcher's failure to punish Andrew Flintoff was a sign of the coach not having enough control over the team towards the end of his reign.
Posted on 11/04/2007 in Australian cricket
In the Sun-Herald, David Sygall speaks to Michael Hussey about his early days as a first-class cricketer – and some of the events that shaped his future.
He was picked for Western Australia and received an introduction he will never forget. "I was 12th man and the only young fella in the team at the time," Hussey says. "Tom Moody told me he needed to take some pills for a backache. I told him I'd get some water, but he said, 'No. They're suppositories - and you need to apply them'. Everyone joined in on the act and I was about to scream as Tom dragged me to the toilets. Thankfully, they all burst out laughing and that was the end of it."
Daniel Lane writes in the same paper of Ricky Ponting’s most important partnership – with his wife Rianna.
Kerry O'Keeffe uses his Sunday Telegraph column to suggest that Stuart MacGill deserves a Test spot because “he could spend an off-season trapped inside a vat of riesling and still return match-winning numbers at his next appearance”.
And in the Sunday Herald Sun Keith Stackpole laments that Victorian cricket is at one of its lowest points, with no Victorians deserving a spot in the Test team.
November 3, 2007
Posted on 11/03/2007 in New Zealand cricket
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Nathan Astle made the revelations in his recently published autobiography
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New Zealand's cricketers run a form of "personality training" whereby the team are split up into groups to describe eachother, according to Richard Boock in the Sunday Star Times.
This is the much-trumpeted forum that as told in Nathan Astle's just released autobiography includes a session in which each player has to leave the room while the rest of side break into groups and dream up adjectives to best describe him, and a few things they believe he should try to brush up on.
Apparently the brainchild of a former Australian school teacher, the supposed aim is to improve the relationship-dynamics between the players, therefore imbuing the squad with a greater sense of trust and, as a consequence, helping to achieve more success on the playing field. That's the aim, anyway.
However, if you talk to Astle who describes it as personality training (not a long way from attempted brain-washing) or any number of genuine conflict-management specialists, they'll tell you it's an astonishingly naive system, lacking in any academic appraisal and with the potential to cause more damage than benefit.
[...]
It's true, Imran Khan was arrogant, Ian Botham was irresponsible and Javed Miandad was dangerously intemperate but I can't recall any complaints about the quality of their performance. Same goes for Shane Warne. He wouldn't have won any prizes for balanced thinking, but do you think his team-mates cared?
Maybe you only have these quack-fests when you have a struggling team.
Posted on 11/03/2007 in English cricket
With the England Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour set to assemble for a training camp, among the (hopefully) sober and (presumably) well-rested players dragging their kitbags into the National Academy at Loughborough will be Stuart Broad, a young man who might just have it in him to become England's next world-class allrounder. Simon Briggs of The Telegraph, caught up with Broad and writes why it's time for England to embrace such players with good potential.
His father has argued that he might have been better off spending the next six weeks with the Academy squad, who will be honing their skills in northern India. At least that way he would be guaranteed to get a game. But Stuart has no truck with such negative ideas.
Posted on 11/03/2007 in Indian cricket
"It will be encouraging to see the Pakistanis walk on to the field in some of the great cities of India. All divisions are artificial, a question of geography or colour or gender or faith and the other prejudices that set men apart," writes Peter Roebuck in the Hindu.
Posted on 11/03/2007 in Indian cricket
"I have honestly not thought about playing only one version of the game to play the other longer," Sachin Tendulkar tells Bobilli Vijay Kumar in the Times of India. "As I said earlier I am enjoying whatever I am doing at the moment. The moment I feel I am not enjoying myself, I will start thinking about it. Right now I am very happy with myself and my game."
Posted on 11/03/2007 in Australian cricket
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Expectations are high for Andrew Symonds
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Andrew Symonds enters a Test series as a match-winner for the first time, according to Alex Brown in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Like his breakthrough one-day century against Pakistan at the 2003 World Cup, many within Australia's cricket community believe Symonds' innings of 156 against England at the MCG last December has marked a turning point in his Test career. And expectations are high ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka.
In the Australian Malcolm Conn reports on Stuart MacGill’s place in the Test team and says he is not on the outer.
The facts are that the Australians grew more tired of Warne and his constant, self-consumed dramas than they ever have of MacGill's occasional lapses of sanity.
Cricket is at a critical point in its evolution, writes Mike Coward in the same paper.
November 2, 2007
Posted on 11/02/2007 in Indian cricket
You could argue that Rahul Dravid need be treated no differently from anyone else and that if he doesn’t score enough runs he should be left out like anyone else. The problem with that theory is that seeks to treat proven match-winners like young hopefuls, writes Harsha Bhogle in the Indian Express.
All good teams back their players when they are down. It is easy to back a man when he is scoring runs, the strength of a unit is seen when it rallies around someone who isn’t. Indian cricket needed to back Dravid, to give him confidence.
Rahul Dravid will play for Karnataka against Mumbai but Anil Kumble says he would have preferred to see him play for India instead, says Nihal Koshie in Daily News and Analysis.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan finds Shoaib Akhtar the most exciting character among the star cast involved in the forthcoming blockbuster India-Pakistan series, says Sanjjeev K Samyal in Mid-Day.
Posted on 11/02/2007 in Offbeat
It would be a huge shame if an India-Pakistan series is deprived of Mohammad Asif's presence, writes Dileep Premachandran in his newly introduced blog in the Times Online website.
Posted on 11/02/2007 in New Zealand cricket
In the past Chris Martin didn't always seem to be taking his cricket seriously. But now he has a target of 200 Test wickets, he tells Jonathan Millmow of the Dominion Post.
Martin is ninth on the New Zealand test wicket charts with 106 scalps, but a successful return in the upcoming two-test series against South Africa would see him overtake Bruce Taylor (111) and Richard Collinge (116)
Nathan Astle is retired from international cricket but he still remains a sought-after player as various tournament organisers turn to him to wow crowds, writes Logan Savory in the Southland Times
Astle feels the atmosphere surrounding the Black Caps was claustrophobic and the game made too complicated. Read Geoff Longley's piece in the Press for more.
Posted on 11/02/2007 in English cricket
Geoff Boycott says players and coaches shouldn't be allowed to write about their experiences for at least two years after they finished. Boycott, like many, is dismayed by Duncan Fletcher's revelations this week and believes it's nothing but destructive.
As for players writing during their playing career, he believes this is not necessary:
Today's players earn far more than my generation ever dreamed of. I am delighted for them — it is right that they should be well remunerated. In cricket, the top players' contracts start at £350,000, and that's before all the sponsorship deals and endorsements; they don't really need the extra cash that comes with a ghosted autobiography or newspaper column.
He even admits that he should have waited more than a year after retiring before publishing his autobiography – it got him into plenty of hot water with the Yorkshire committee. Powerful and forthright stuff from Boycott, as ever, so read all about it here in The Daily Telegraph.
Posted on 11/02/2007 in Australian cricket
Shane Warne: The Musical is set to roll out in Australia next year, according to a report on the News.com.au website.
Our Cricinfo reviewer was impressed when he went to the premiere in Adelaide in June this year, as Eddie Perfect – the writer and star – trialled the production. And, if rumours are to believed, one day the show could be coming to England.
Posted on 11/02/2007 in
Andrew Symonds tells the Australian that he's up for the challenge of facing his old friend and rival, Muttiah Muralitharan.
November 1, 2007
Posted on 11/01/2007 in Australian cricket
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Brad Hogg's success in one-day cricket, and the recent Pura Cup, has made him a contender for the slow bowler's spot, alongside Stuart MacGill
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| Australia named their squad for the first Test on Thursday – and included 13 players who are in line to take on Sri Lanka. The inclusion of both Brad Hogg and Stuart MacGill raised eyebrows across the media, although it is generally agreed that only one slow bowler will make the XI.
Robert Craddock, writing for Fox Sports, reckons that Hogg's inclusion is “a sobering slap in the face” for MacGill, who had been thought of as the front runner prior to the recent Pura Cup matches in which Hogg impressed. But, he says, the decision to give them both the chance to impress in the nets was the correct one.
Ricky Ponting, Australia's captain, told The Australian however that they weren't going to be assessed in the nets at all, and that the inclusion of both was to allow them to choose the best bowler for the conditions at the time.
Either way, he is keeping his cards close to his chest on the issue: "There is going to be a tough call, but I'm sure the selectors will make the right one."
Peter Roebuck, in the Sydney Morning Herald, merely thinks that to take a second spinner is a waste of an airfare.
Perhaps the panel is trying to be gentle with deserving players unlikely to make the final cut. But Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg have not emerged from a delicatessen. They are battled-hardened warriors produced by a rugged system. They know the score and await the verdict. MacGill realises he has wickets on the board but needs to show form. Hogg understands that his stocks are rising but senses, too, that he is the challenger. There is no need to soft-soap them. Either they are in the team or not.
Posted on 11/01/2007 in English cricket
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Duncan Fletcher's revelations in his book "Behind the Shades" has hogged the headlines
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The settling of scores in print is bad for the game and reflects poorly on Duncan Fletcher, says Christopher Martin-Jenkins in the Times.
Coming from the centre of the bubble inside which Fletcher sought to control the England team between late 1999 and his enforced resignation in April this year, they cannot be ignored, but in return everybody is having a go at Fletcher, which is no less distasteful. The sum of the two minuses, it is doing nothing for the good name of cricket, however much it may be adding to the sales of his book and the bank balances of himself a>nd his ghost writer.
Also in the Times, Martin Samuel says: "There are several reputations that will not recover from Duncan Fletcher’s foray into publishing. Inadvertently, one of them is his."
Matthew Hoggard, however, doesn't "give a monkey’s about the whole business concerning Andrew Flintoff’s drinking in Fletcher’s new book".
"We might think Fletcher's revelations of Flintoff's drinking, Chris Read's lack of spirit and Marcus Trescothick's mental state are spiteful and vindictive and constitute a betrayal of trust," writes Tanya Aldred in the Guardian. "But name an interested person with the self-discipline not to open the newspaper and lap them all up."
"Whatever you may have read about Duncan Fletcher, and it is fair to say that public opinion is sharply divided, this is an appropriate time to consider the profound contribution he made to English cricket," writes Michael Henderson in the Telegraph.
When he took over as coach eight years ago this month, in South Africa, England were regarded as the weakest side in world cricket. They had just been beaten at home by New Zealand, when supporters at the Oval booed Nasser Hussain, the new captain, and they were the subject of general mockery. I know; I was one of the mockers. Within a year, however, they had beaten West Indies for the first time in 31 years. The following winter they became the first team to win a Test in the Pakistan stronghold of Karachi (and with it, the series). They again broke new ground when they came from behind to beat Sri Lanka 2-1 on home soil, a feat nobody had managed there after a losing start.
To read extracts from Fletcher's book, Behind the Shades, in the Daily Mail, click here.
Posted on 11/01/2007 in Australian cricket
Shane Warne, writing for Fox Sports, explains the best way to play Murali and says he wants to see aggression from Australia in their forthcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka:
As a general rule for batsmen, the better the bowler, the more aggressive you have to be. If you just try to survive, eventually one delivery will have your name on it and in Murali's case he will bowl lots of deliveries with your name on it.
You need to make a statement and get after him before he gets you.
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