At their blog, The Wisden Cricketer magazine's editor, John Stern, calls for greater perspective in the wake of the terrorist attacks in India.
The chances of England returning for the two-Test series in India seems negligible. I can’t believe that there is much appetite among the players to return so unless the ECB force them to go back, which is inconceivable, then the Tests are off.
This is a shame. Totally understandable, even inevitable, but a shame nonetheless. On the one hand, sport can seem utterly trivial at times of great tragedy and personal suffering. But on the other, this is when sport can show its best side, it can be a force for good, a symbol of public resilience, of normality, a sign that we will carry on with our lives in the face of vile pressure. Above all, it is a chance to remember why we love this game, its capacity to bring fun, entertainment and excitement into our lives.
I didn’t expect Kevin Pietersen to be standing in the lobby of his Bhubaneshwar hotel saying: “We ain’t going nowhere.” Nor did I really expect Lalit Modi to be saying with such certainty that the Tests would go ahead. “There is no problem with that,” is possibly one of the most glib statements I’ve ever heard from a cricket administrator and (to paraphrase Blackadder) you can imagine there’s some pretty stiff competition. Was it stiff-upper-lip Dunkirk spirit from Modi or was it textbook grandstanding from the man who effectively runs world cricket? I know where my money is.
In contrast, Miles Jupp provides a more whimsical look at a possible England team meeting...
As preparation for the Fifth ODI in Cuttack, England opted to have a team meeting rather than a practice session. The following is a transcript of a tape recording of their meeting in the team room at the hotel made by a private detective.
We can hear talking, laughing and the noise of darts and table tennis being played.
Peter Moores: Excuse me everybody. Excuse me.
There is the noise of more chattering and giggling. Someone is doing what sounds like an impression of Bob Willis.
Moores: C’mon now, guys. Let’s have a bit of quiet. Can you come away from the pool table for a moment?
The chattering gets louder.
Moores: (mildly) Kevin, would you mind getting them all to…?
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