In the Name of Cricket

23/03/2009

Some uncomfortable questions

Kamran Abbasi asks some uncomfortable questions.

..the IPL could consider reinstating Pakistan's cricketers if the tournament is outside India. Is that too much too ask? Aren't all nations victims of terrorism? Why should Pakistan's players be penalised and prevented from participating in a purportedly global tournament? Don't Pakistan's cricketers require support from the international cricket community to help competitive international cricket to survive in Pakistan?

Even though there is value to what he says, I believe the matter is out of the IPL administrators hands. Firstly, with elections on the political parties may make it a big issue and ensure that the IPL is forever blighted. Secondly, there is still a majority of Indians who believe that isolation is one way to bring Pakistan to heel.

The political climate and the public sentiment is such that it maybe a long time before we will see the Pakistani cricketers playing against or with Indian cricketers.

21/03/2009

IPL –Maharashtra holds out.

CNN-IBN has gone to town displaying copies of the letters IPL had received from various state governments. Curiously, Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar’s home state appears to be holding out and proving to be dampener.

If IPL fails to get the green signal from Maharashtra it would impact the scheduling as the IPL organisers have allotted as many as 18 venues for matches across the state, including 14 in and around Mumbai.

Cricket News Online Live.com

Duckworth-Lewis strikes again

Image by HiMU

England won their first International since August, when Dyson the West Indies team coach, made a miscalculation.

Instead of batting on or at least making sure they were ahead in the run-rate, West Indies promptly took the chance to go off the field when rain and bad light hampered play.

Unfortunately, while trying to play the percentages, their coach Dyson miscalculated and left the West Indies team one run short of the Duckworth-Lewis target thus handing over an unexpected victory to the English.

One hope this does not set -off rumors that Dyson was favoring his future employers. :)

Cricket-West Indies v England, first ODI scoreboard

20/03/2009

England’s brazen act.

There are rumours that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is in discussion with the West Indies cricket team coach John Dyson and has offered him a deal significantly better than he currently enjoys with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

However one writer in the Jamaica Gleaner sees this act as not only a renewed attack on WI cricket, but also sees this type of predatory behavior as bad manners and as unethical business practice.

Quite strong words that and though I would not go so far as to condemn ECB’s act as unethical business practice, I would certainly consider it as brazen and quite tactless.

How do you look at ECB’s act of engaging John Dyson in discussion particularly when they are currently playing against the team coached by him?

Cricket News Online Live.com

19/03/2009

30% Pay Hike for Bangladesh Cricketers

Image by Bengali Bum via Flickr

It has been observed that the entertainment industry thrives during a recession and cricket is proving no exception.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board's board of directors has increased the salary of the national players and local staff in the team management by 30%.

Now it is up to the Bangladeshi cricketers to remember that in a country where poverty is prevalent, they are privileged and only by excelling in cricket, they can bring joy to their brethren.

Cricket News Online Live.com

17/03/2009

IPL stuck in a mire

The 2nd edition of IPL appears to be stillborn. Granted, the terrorist attacks and the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls were unexpected. Nonetheless, Lalit Modi is responsible for miring the IPL into needless controversies.

Take the current imbroglio about the schedule. Instead of trying to pressurize the Home Ministry by announcing the dates, it would have been better if IPL had discussed with them beforehand.

The same browbeating technique Modi used against Sony has made their official broadcasters to take them to court.

Both these issues have caused uncertainty over the very conduct of the DLF Twenty20 tournament. Lalit Modi by letting his ego get the better of him is in danger of destroying all he has built. At the end of the day, the franchisee owners are going to take the brunt of his impulsive actions.

An ordinary cricket fan observing these controversies is justified if he wonders whether the second edition of IPL will ever take place and if it does, will it broadcasted.

Cricket News Online Live.com

16/03/2009

Strauss in strife

Sunday's six-wicket defeat in the Twenty20 match at the Queen's Park Oval has proved that England is struggling in all forms of the game.

Their clueless batting and purposeless performance is certain to place a big question mark against Strauss's captaincy.

Can Strauss discover the magic potion before the start of the five match one-day series in Georgetown on Friday?

Scoreboard Twenty20 International between West Indies and England at Queen's Park

Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad on Sunday.

14/03/2009

India comes apart

India lost the final ODI thus surrendering the momentum to New Zealand.

The loss was expected as the Indian team thus far had the benefit of flat wickets. However, the Auckland wicket had lateral movement and it was enough for the New Zealand trundlers to pick the Indian batting apart.

Those who watched the Twenty20 series that preceded the ODI's were surprised that despite winning the series the New Zealander's erred by preparing flat wickets for the ODI's and the Indians took full advantage.

Now that the familiar Indian weakness has raised its head the New Zealander's should prepared seaming wickets. This will not only reveal the true strength of the Indian batting but it will also help subside the Indian egos.

India sends Australia packing.

India Vs Australia match result - ICC Women’s World Cup News

India pulled off a stunning 16-run victory over Australia to keep its dream of a first ICC Women’s World Cup title alive.

However, this defeat leaves the Australian’s on the brink of elimination. If they are to make it to the finals, the Australians will not only have to win its next two Super Six matches, but it also needs to rely on other teams performances.

Just like the male counterparts, the Indian women’s team appears to have taken a special liking to the Australian team.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009, Super Six - Match 14 – India vs. Australia scorecard.

Cricket News Online Live.com

Ponting the Economist

Sometimes success goes to the head. Drunk on his teams good showing in South Africa, Ponting draws comparison with the wee bit of trouble the Australian team had to undergo with the global recession.

Obviously Ponting is no Amartya Sen, yet he points out how Australia, nay the world can heed how his team turned its fortune around and apply the same to combat recession.

I kept repeating that we knew we were a team in transition, that we had a plan and that while little things might go wrong in the short term, I knew if we did not do anything silly, we would be back on track very soon.

These are the same principles I reckon business leaders in Australia should be staying true to in these troubled economic times: keep working on your plan, believe in the people around you and, most of all, don't do anything silly when it comes to your leadership activities and beliefs.

Cricket News Online Live.com on Ponting the Economist

13/03/2009

Viru comes into his own

Harsha Bhogle analyses Virender Sehwag’s savage form:

I also suspect he is being given the space that every performer needs. Inherently, performers need to be happy souls; a trapeze artist worrying about his job will probably find the safety net. With Gambhir, Yuvraj and Raina batting well, Dhoni solid and reliable and Tendulkar still evergreen, Sehwag probably has the licence to play his brand of fearless cricket. And he seems to be carrying this freedom with a touch of gravity because it can be a thin line between bravery and recklessness. For Sehwag to find out how far his ability can take him, he must have the freedom to play in his style and this team, through its composition and attitude, is giving him this freedom.

This brings us back to Tendulkar’s comment that this is the best ODI batting side he has ever played with.

If one leaves Bhogle’s analysis uncontested, it appears that the great man could be right. However, Indian team’s recent successes have been on the back of a Sehwag innings, so much so one wonders whether India has fallen back to those days of crashing and burning with the fall of Tendulkar’s wicket.

The difference is that today the Indian innings gains its momentum around a Sehwag start and fails to get traction if he fails.

Warm-up games are inessential - Kirsten

Just when I started appreciating Gary Kirsten’s unobtrusive coaching methods, he ruins it by saying that Warm-up games are inessential .

However, the saving grace is that he admits that the Twenty20 series has enabled them to fine tune their preparations for the New Zealand tour.

His rather off hand comment goes to show that not only is the public memory short a coach’s memory is also short. Kirsten seems to have forgotten how the Indian team struggled in the earlier test series against Sri Lanka without the warm up games.

BCCI exerts subtle pressure

BCCI exerts subtle pressure:

Indian cricket bosses are again throwing their weight around over the touchy subject of the rebel Indian cricket league.

They're trying to have former Black Cap and ICL player Craig McMillan banned from the commentary box.

The pressure is on New Zealand cricket to send Macca back to the Pavillion.

BTW, you can watch my man Niranjan Shah exert ‘subtle’ pressure here.

12/03/2009

Modesty - thy name is Kirsten

Among other things I have wondered what makes Kirsten successful and also different from his predecessor Greg Chappell.

The difference as John Wright correctly points out is the fact that Kirsten “understands the importance and the privilege of coaching India"

When you contrast this with the high and mighty Guru Greg who strutted around and intimidated most of us into concluding that we, i.e., India was privileged to have him as coach, the reason for Kirsten’s success is clear.

Modesty, thy name is Kirsten.

England trots out excuses

Some things never change particularly with the English cricket team. They start a new series with hope and conclude it in disarray.

However, they never fail to trot out jaded excuses. Along with their inconsistent performances they bring up the Ashes series and any other distractions they can think off. The only new one they have added to their lament is the IPL.

Possibly they were guilty at the start of the series of having half an eye on the Ashes, and other distractions, rather than their opponents here

England displays do not justify players' wages - Times Online

India seals ODI series in Style

Sehwag and Gambhir confirmed what we all know, that they are as devastating as the Desmond Haynes-Gordon Greenidge ODI opening partnerships.

11/03/2009

Well, that is that.

Australia clinched a series win over South Africa after completing a crushing 175-run victory in the second Test on Tuesday.

Needless to add this means they remain at the top of the world rankings.

Cricket News Online Live.com

10/03/2009

IPL – Modi persists in giving confusing signals

In a press conference, IPL chief Lalit Modi has made it clear that the IPL is on and said that the IPL schedule is being fine-tuned every minute. As far as player security is concerned during the tournament, Modi said IPL will be responsible for security of Indian and foreign players till the end of the tournament. IPl will be coordinating with state governments for security and 90 per cent of states have approved IPL's new schedule.

Wonder what Modi means by saying that IPL is responsible for player security when in the same breath he adds that IPL is still coordinating with the state governments for security.

Either IPL is totally in charge or the state governments are in charge and these types of statements only serves to create uncertainty over the conduct of IPL.

Cricket News Online Live.com

09/03/2009

Panesar – a demented performing seal

The most entertaining description about Panesar.

Panesar was unable to control his emotions after Tiffin turned down a string of appeals and his captain Andrew Strauss dropped a catch off his bowling. He was going bananas at times and waving and leaping around like a demented performing seal.

Unsurprisingly he got away with an official warning.

Cricket News Online Live.com

Will the real South African team stand-up

The South African Cricket team’s lame performance against Australia has bewildered Mark Smit .

The question-bewildered cricket fans were asking at Kingsmead yesterday was: “What has happened to the side which beat Australia 2-1 in Australia only two months ago?”

Cricket lovers elsewhere are as confused and wondering which one – the one that played in Australia or the one currently playing in South Africa is the real one.

Cricket News Online Live.com

Is Kevin Pietersen pulling out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament?

Expectedly, last weeks militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Pakistan has made quiet a few of the English stars chary of participating in the IPL.

Among them, Flintoff who had earlier flip-flopped on his participation in the IPL despite a hip injury is the only player who has a genuine reason to opt out.

The others like Kevin Pietersen, Owais Shah,Ravi Bopara and Paul Collingwood are definitely looking for an excuse to escape from their contract.

As usual, Pietersen has taken the lead in voicing his concerns about security during IPL and this will surely set off a chorus.

However, one doubts whether these players can walk out unless something untoward happens. If the franchisees or IPL assures them their safety, then they will have to play irrespective of what their wives say.

Cricket News Online Live.com

08/03/2009

Mitch doing his thing

Mitchel Johnson is making a habit of terrorizing South Africa and Graeme Smith in particular:

It was only two months - and two Tests - ago that Johnson fractured Smith's left hand with a snarling delivery that jagged back sharply off a gaping crack in the SCG pitch. But the left-armer required no special assistance from the wicket in breaking Smith's right hand, beating the batsman with a sharp, rising delivery that thundered into his glove and prompted immediate concern from the South African dressing room. Clearly, he is a bowler at the height of his powers, and quite possibly the best exponent of his craft on the international circuit.

To think that until now I believed that he will be known only for his girlfriends wardrobe (Photo alongside) malfunction.

Image from CourierMail:

07/03/2009

IPL II - A revised schedule?

Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner, Indian Premier League (IPL), doused speculation regarding conducting IPL matches overseas by reaffirming that the IPL season II will be played during April-May in India.

He however said that the schedule will have to take into account the Lok Sabha elections and revised. This could mean some franchisees losing the opportunity to host all the 7 matches in their home city.

The tinkering has meant that Mumbai replaces Jaipur as the inaugural venue. For the record, Bangalore the home city of the Bangalore Royal Challengers hosted the inauguration last year, promptly lost the match and from then on never recovered.

Interestingly Modi’s detractors in the Rajasthan Cricket Association allege that having lost in the organizational elections, the Lok Sabha polls provided him the excuse to deprive Jaipur city the honour of hosting the IPL inaugural event.

05/03/2009

PCB has made a mess of Pakistan Cricket

The news channels in India are showing CCTV clips of the terrorists involved in the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers making a leisurely get away.

If that were not shocking enough, the PCB appears to have completely ignored the security requirements of the officials.

Davis, who was travelling in the same car as the match referee Chris Broad, said in Melbourne he felt "let down" by the officials in Pakistan. "We were certainly left with no security in our van when we were fired upon, security obviously went with the Sri Lankan bus when they managed to get away but we were left there and no one came back for us,'' Davis said.

"We were all down on the floor and weren't gonna put our head up for anything. Our bus was just left in the roundabout and despite them getting back to the stadium, no one came back for us."

If one adds Davis anger with what the match referee Chris Broad had to say, it is clear that PCB was blasé about the security. Having worked hard to break Pakistan’s seclusion, the PCB appears to have compounded it further by their lackadaisical attitude to security.

Sadly, due to their cavalier attitude Pakistan cricket will suffer.

04/03/2009

Sri Lankan Team has a providential escape.

The Sri Lankan team is lucky to escape with only a few players suffering minor injuries. However, a look at the timeline of events it is clear that this was a horror waiting to happen.

Timeline of cricket safety concerns in Pakistan

May 2002: New Zealand aborts a tour to Pakistan after a bomb explodes outside the team's hotel in the southern city of Karachi, killing at least 11 French engineers.

August 2002: Australia cancels a tour to Pakistan over security concerns in the wake of the September 11 attacks. The series was shifted to in the United Arab Emirates.

September 2003: A bomb blast in Karachi forces the South African team to postpone its tour by a week.

October 2005: England refuses to play a test match in Karachi due to security concerns but agrees to play a one-day international match in the city.

October 2007: South Africa refuses to play a one-day international at Karachi after an assassination attempt on former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The match is shifted to Multan, in central Punjab province.

March 2008: Australia again refuses to tour Pakistan over safety concerns.

September 2008: The International Cricket Council postpones the biennial limited-over's Champions Trophy tournament, scheduled to be held in Pakistan, because most of the eight competing teams had reservations about security.

February 2009: Pakistan hosts Sri Lanka in first test series held in the country in 14 months. The first test ends in a draw.

March 2009: Gunmen with rifles, grenades and rocket launchers attack Sri Lanka's team on its way to play the third day of the second test. Seven players, an umpire and an assistant coach are wounded, and six policemen and a driver are killed.

2011: Pakistan is due to co-host the 2011 World Cup with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The ICC has said it will urgently review those plans now.

NZ HERALD STAFF, AGENCIES

03/03/2009

India starts ODI series on a winning note.

After the Twenty-20 series fiasco, the Indian cricket team redeemed itself somewhat, with the Duckworth –Lewis method coming to their rescue.

Half-centuries from Dhoni, Sehwag and Raina and a spurt of three wickets in four balls by Harbhajan Singh, helped India to a 53-run win on the Duckworth-Lewis method in their rain-shortened opening one-day international against New Zealand.

Actually rain put paid to New Zealand’s hopes of continuing their winning ways when they were forced to chase a stiff target of 216 from 28 over’s after play was halted a second time in the match. The Kiwis floundered to162 for 9.

01/03/2009

Sarwan on a song

It appears that Sarwan has taken over the dogged, determined style of batting Chanderpaul is known for.

In four innings so far, Sarwan has scored three centuries and a 94, and when he resumes at 184 not out on Sunday, he stands a great chance of turning his third ton of the series into the second double-century of his career.

Let us hope for the sake of West Indies cricket, his purple patch extends for a couple of years.

Cricket News Online Live.com

‘Crekette’ is not English

This should shut up the English.

Paul Campbell, of the department of English and theatre at the Australian National University, in Canberra, uncovered a reference to the sport in a 1533 poem, attributed to John Skelton, a popular poet and playwright of the day, in which he links it to immigrants from Flanders, in modern day Belgium, France and Holland.

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Ravindra Jadeja - Is he a complete package?

I admit to being surprised by Ravindra Jadeja's performance. Typical of the present generation of cricketers he appears mentally prepared and at ease in international cricket.

In some ways Ravindra Jadeja was fortunate to get a game but the manner in which he used it shows just how streetsmart a cricketer he is. His left-arm spin was measured and restrictive, and when he had the bat in hand he surprised the Kiwis by clearing the ropes with ease. Add his electric fielding to the mix and you have something close to the complete package for limited overs cricket.

However, I hesitate to call him the complete package as he has a long way to go.

What do you think is he a complete package?

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