Australia can be beaten says Pietersen

Image via WikipediaThe familiar Aussie fixation is back. A consolation Test match victory in a dead rubber has given enough confidence for the new England Captain, Kevin Pietersen to talk of beating the Aussies.

"It was not far away from the perfect start and from the way I want to play cricket in the future," he said. "If we play like this, we will beat Australia. This is a starting stage. The key is to turn up to every single Test like we have this week."

Conveniently forgotten is the fact that the Australian series is one year away. In the meanwhile, England play India in India and then take on the West Indies.

When will England realise that it is premature to talk of reclaiming the Ashes and this false bravado serves to turn them into a laughing stock of the cricketing world.

Do the deed and then we will applaud.

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Champions Trophy: Thumbs down to Rawalpindi

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The ICC and the PCB have decided to drop Rawalpindi as one of the venues for the Champions Trophy. The dawdling pace of construction - the Rawalpindi stadium is undergoing a facelift, is cited as the official raison d'être.

However, rumors are afoot that Rawalpindi lost out in order to assuage safety concerns. As things stand, Lucknow will hold 7 matches and Karachi will hold 8 matches counting the championship.

Unhappily, yesterday’s reports that Pakistani political parties possibly will impeach Mushraff is bad news for the Champions Trophy. Mushraff is certain to counteract it and this may lead to additional unrest, which regrettably will put a finish to all attempts by the PCB to host the competition.

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An Indian to play in the Stanford Super Series.

When last heard, Murali Kartik was nursing an injury. However, he has recovered and since then helped Middlesex clinch the Twenty20
Cup, and is now looking forward to the Stanford Super Series, where his
side will take on an England XI, the Stanford Super Stars, and West
Indies' domestic Twenty20 champions Trinidad in a series of matches.

"Well, I am definitely going to be a part of the Middlesex team that
will play in Antigua this year and am enormously excited about it," he
said.

Lets hope the BCCI does not get too excited and ban him for playing in a rival Twenty20 league.

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A compromise on ICL Players in the offing?

A compromise to salvage the under-threat Twenty20 Champions League
involving the best club sides in the world could see English counties
agreeing to leave out their so-called rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL)
players when the eight-team tournament takes place later this year.

However, will Modi agree?

Test Cricket and Positive Mental attitude

Boycott had this to say after South Africa defeated England at Headingley.

By having such a positive mental attitude, England self-destruct toooften. The second innings was even more culpable than the first,because a number of batsmen — notably Tim Ambrose and Andrew Flintoff —managed to get themselves in and show patience for an hour or so butthen threw their wickets away.

This statement is significant because we too have a couple of batsmen who seem hell bent on playing the game in their own style regardless of the match situation.

Also. though Dhoni is not playing in the series, one thing attributed to him nowadays is his missing ability to take the bowlers by the scruff of their neck and dump them beyond the boundary. Personally, I do not hold it against Dhoni. I would consider his plodding as playing according to match situation.

So would you say, positive mental attitude be damned, a player should play according to the situation or should he play regardless of the situation.

In pursuit of Mother Cricket

SOUTH African coach Mickey Arthur said England captain Michael Vaughan had got what he deserved from "Mother Cricket". But then who is she, I wondered? Is she Shane Warne's mother or Yuvraj's mother?
No answers were forthcoming, so I set out in pursuit of mother cricket and this is a description of my journey in pursuit of the mother of cricket.

To begin with, I thought Mickey Arthur was making a religious reference.So my first stop was the neighborhood library.A quick check turned up no mother cricket. None, I say, none of the religious texts mentioned her.

It is then I remembered,Ravi Shastri talking of a 'fat lady who sings'. Well, according to him a cricket match was a sort of musical chairs, and the winner was decided as and when she stopped singing.So Mother cricket was neither a mythical or a religious persona, she was flesh and blood and undoubtedly, she could sing. Nevertheless, I could find no trace of this Lady. Ravi Shastri later admitted that he had never seen her and worse, had only a passing acquaintance with her songs. He suggested I quiz cricketers, who according to him, talked a lot of a Lady Luck.

Aha! I thought, the fat lady must have morphed into this sylph like Lady Luck. As you must have guessed this line of research was also fruitless. Though the cricketers attributed their success and failures to her, they swore to have never seen her.

Fortunately, that when I thought of the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Surely, if cricket had a mother they would have surely noted how many times, when and where she had been sighted. Well to cut the long story short they indeed knew her intimately. According to them "the M.C.C., is the mother of cricket" and the last any one had seen her was during the year 1882.

(Pic. credit:salihan)

Technorati Tags of,Arthur,Mickey,Cricket,Mother,Vaughan

Controversial catches enliven the first day of the Headingley Test

After a tepid test match at Lord's, the Test match at Headingley is off to a fiery start.
For the second time in succession South Africa won the toss and put England in to bat.
Contrary to what happened during the first day at Lord's,England lost wickets at regular intervals. The openers, put on a 26 runs before Bowden terminated the partnership with an appalling decision.
Vaughan's dismal form continued. He made a 7 ball duck and for once was caught off Steyn.Surely, Vaughan needs to come up with something extraordinary to silence the rising tide of criticism.
From then on, every 7 th or 8 th over, England lost wickets. Pietersen and Bell flattered to deceive and Flintoff made a hash of his comeback innings by playing, what the commentators call a 'reckless' shot. The 53rd over brought the innings to a close.England score a measly 203 runs.
In reply, South Africa were of to brisk start. The openers put on a 50 run partnership.McKenzie was first to go and Smith followed quickly after making 44.Kallis is struggling and made just 4 runs.Amla and Prince then managed to see out the day with out further alarums and South Africa were 101 at the end of the days play.

The talking points of the day:

Two contested catches.

• Strauss was ruled not out after replays indicated that AB de Villiers had indeed dropped the catch. Was Villiers playing 'hard' or did he genuinely think he held the catch?
• The second controversial catch was the one taken by Vaughan. The replays were inconclusive, yet Amla was reprived. However, the decision to refer it to the third umpire has become controversial as the South African support staff had a hand in pressurising the umpire.

• (Pic credit:Porsupah)
  

Technorati Tags Test,Africa,England-South

A century at Lord's is meaningless

There was a time, when scoring a century at Lord's was deemed an achievement and mention in the honour rolls was the apogee in a batsman's career.
A batsman like Vengsarkar was feted for scoring three centuries in different Tests at Lord's.Similarly, a century by Mendis at Lord's signaled the coming of age of Sri Lankan cricket.

Unfortunately, due to a placid pitch, a century at Lord's is meaningless.
Consider the just concluded Test between England and South Africa. In the only innings they played England had two century makers, out of which one batsmen missed a double century by a run. The South African's in reply had a century maker in their ranks and in the second innings there were three century makers.
The spate of centuries makes one wonder whether a century at Lord's has lost its value.

(Pic. credit birdyboo)

England itinerary- Chepauk misses out again

Really ludicrous.South India has been totally ignored.

The furthest they reach Dakshin India is Mumbai.

Then we all know that it is in the West.

One fails to understand why Chennai misses out again.

To understand my gripe, here is the itinerary according to Cricinfo.

November 6, 2008 England arrive in Mumbai
November 9 One-day warm-up match, Mumbai

November 11 One-day warm-up match, Mumbai

November 14 1st ODI v India, Rajkot

November 17 2nd ODI v India, Indore

November 20 3rd ODI v India, Kanpur

November 23 4th ODI v India, Jamshedpur

November 26 5th ODI v India, Cuttack

November 29 6th ODI v India, Guwahati

December 2 7th ODI v India, Delhi

December 5-7 Three-day warm-up match, Baroda

December 11-15 1st Test v India, Ahmedabad

December 19-23 2nd Test v India, CCI Mumbai

British Politician caught lying he is a cricket fan

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One of the most embarrassing moments as an Indian cricket fan is watching the politicians thronging the dais during the post – match presentation ceremony.
Either they are there in their capacity as cricket association members or they are powerful enough to bully their way.
Watching them jostle for space and limelight is as embarrassing as watching our film actors sing duets in the heart of Berlin among bemused phirangi’s.
However, the news that David Cameron, the Tory leader, has falsely claimed ( that too during a BBC Radio interview with Jonathan Agnew) he loved cricket so much he had spent years on the waiting list to join its most exclusive club - the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) has lessened the embarrassment somewhat.
It further diminished when it was revealed that he refused the membership offered four years ago.
Apparently, politicians using cricket for political gains is a world - wide phenomenon and not confined to India.
So, the next time an Indian fan sees politicians crowding the dais, he can console himself that it is the way of the world, for where there is cricket, a politician will never be far behind.

Sri Lankan Cricket back stabs BCCI

Sri Lanka has agreed to tour England in May. This tour is in direct conflict with the next edition of IPL.

This means, IPL franchisees who have signed Sri Lankan cricketers like Murali, Jayasuriya,Jayawadene,Sangakara and the latest phenomenon Mendis, have to do with out their services. In effect their non- participation will not only hit the franchisees financially (they will have to go for new recruits) it will also deny them an even chance to win the coveted trophy.

Not only that, Sri Lanka's decision has given a handle to the detractors of BCCI. Already, the English press has concluded Sri Lanka's decision as a indication of shifting equations in the ICC. They view this as a victory for ECB in its battle over BCCI.

One wonders, why Ranatunga, who was pleading with the BCCI to financially bail out Sri Lankan Cricket just last month, has agreed to this tour?

Surely, having got what they wanted (the media right for India's tour of Sri Lanka which saved them from penury), Sri Lanka has back stabbed India and Indian cricket by aligning itself with ECB.

[Back Stabber]

Cricket - How do text -messages become public?

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One of the most enduring mysteries in cricket is how text messages of cricketers end up in public.

First, Shane Warne's racy text-messages were sold to press by a willing bar-maid. Much later he unwittingly sent a text-message meant for his mistress to his wife (a rather common but pardonable mistake). However, his irate wife unhesitatingly made it public.

Some what less interesting but more damaging were Greg Chappell's text message to Raju Bharathan, a senior but largely forgotten sports journalist, drew much adverse publicity. This happened at the height of media's love-hate affair with Chappell and hence was made much off.

With regards to text-message there was a lull in cricket. It did not last long ( Warne's misdirected text message happened during this gap), Sachin's text-message to Pawar at the height of Bhajji-Symonds controversy was leaked. Purportedly, this text-message wanted the BCCI to throw the full weight of its financial might behind Bhajji, set of another round controversy in the cricket world.

Now comes another leaked text-message. This time in New Zealand,the most docile of all cricketing nations. Scott Styris apparently pissed off with a Mark Richardson's column, sent an expletive laden text message, which unerringly found its way to the press. As usual it has started a firestorm in New Zealand.

It is obvious that leaked text-messages are going to be an common affair. What puzzles a bemused cricket fan, is how these supposedly one-on-one text-messages end up in the public domain?

Oval Test - Holding protests change in the result

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeWest Indies legend Michael Holding has resigned from the International Cricket Council over their decision to change the result of the controversial 2006 Oval Test between England and Pakistan.

Holding should be commended for making this token gesture.

Holding reasons that though Pakistan was innocent of ball -tampering, their refusal to retake the field should be punished.

Most of us will find no fault in his logic, as ICC by rescinding on its earlier decision to call the match a forfeiture, has opened a Pandora's box. From now on, ICC will be hard put to stop Test playing nations from contesting decisions on controversial Tests.

For starters, can the ICC stop BCCI from demanding that the Sydney Test to be treated as a draw?

‘common sense’ and ‘revision’- An English Drama

The outrage sparked by Pietersen’s dismissal and calls for “a revision of the way technology is used in international cricket” and Vaughan’s supercilious “the umpires should have used common sense” should be considered as nothing more than a drama

It is typical of the English to behave as if the sky had fallen and by simulating outrage they have managed to shield Pietersen from censure.

Peter Moores snobbery…. sorry insights

Soren Kiergaard:

"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought
which they seldom use."

England coach Peter Moores:

We have to be a bit more savvy, a bit more streetwise and find different ways of
attacking," said Moores. "In the first innings you can use swing and seam but
the second innings is a bit more sub-continent and you have got to find ways to
deliver under these conditions if you are going to win.

Guess Soren Kiergaard got it right the first time.

Any idea how much Peter Moores is paid for these insights?

Check out these two words, savvy and streetwise. They are used in the sense that to play in the Sri Lanka or for the matter in the Indian subcontinent you need oriental cunning, which is of course beneath an Englishman.

Wish Sri Lanka whips these snotty English b…s 3-0!

Jolly good fellows!

News emanating out of Sri Lanka is that Muthiah Muralitharans bunnies are getting ready to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.

Somehow it is an Englishman’s fate to be a part of a world record.

In this regard, fans of Lara will gratefully recollect how the English team as a whole contributed their mite in Lara establishing a world record.

Doubtless, the present lot will fall over like nine pins and help Murali establish a world record without a fight.

Jolly good fellows aren’t they?

The English are obsessed

With winning the Ashes:

There are two objectives: 1) To regain the Ashes. 2) To win an ICC global event. We have won the Ashes once in 18 years. Never in 32 years have we won an ICC global event.




Sad. Will navel gazing do?

A wicket keeping cheerleader

Modern cricket is evolving at a furious pace. If you thought scantily clad cheerleaders during the Twenty20 radical – here is something unthought-of, a cheerleader as a wicketkeeper.

Prior is the epitome of the modern keeper as cheerleader and has perhaps been
more warmly welcomed in the England dressing room than by those outside it who
yearn for the more traditional talents of a Bob Taylor, Alan Knott or Jack
Russell. Or even a Chris Read.

And I always thought a wicket keeper was there to keep wickets.

Allan Donald and the white mans burden

At times you feel surreal. The inability of the English to see beyond their nose is well known and now the affliction seems to have spread to South Africa.

SOUTH African legend Allan Donald has warned Australia its domination of cricket
will not last as other national teams undergo change and plot retribution.

I have no issues with this statement. However the one which follows makes my stomach churn.

Donald has moved to ease fears from fans and rival players that Ricky Ponting's
team will never be caught by declaring South Africa and England are going
through a renewal period and will be two nations that will seriously challenge
for supremacy.

England has been resoundingly beaten by Australia and South Africa’s record against Australia is laughable.

There is no basis to his assumptions; nevertheless, Donald feels these are the two teams which can pose a challenge to Australia.

Poor Donald, he is laboring under a mistaken notion that only a ‘white team’ can beat Australia.

Is that the case? Isn’t he carrying the ‘white mans burden’?

Andrew Strauss ruminates

Andrew Strauss ruminates on his lack of form and the probable reasons behind it.

Without any sort of window in the last 18 months – in a ridiculously crowded international schedule – to take stock, make technical changes and refresh the mind, turning it around has been extremely difficult.

As a true blue whiner he, as a first step, blames the crowded itinerary. However he redeems himself by adding.

In truth it is the culmination of a long, tiring and immensely frustrating 12 months in which little has gone my way. I have been a victim of some poor umpiring decisions, some unfortunate dismissals and a few incredibly good balls delivered at just the wrong moment. But I still have to take responsibility for my less than satisfactory contributions.

It never ceases to amaze me how the English blame anything and everything but themselves.