All posts by n8rngtd.top

An evening free in Colombo? You won’t get bored

Angelo Mathews19-Aug-2012Colombo is known as the entertainment and arts hub of Sri Lanka. You’ll feel the buzz of the island here. The capital is known for its five-star hotels and we like to boast about its nightlife and top restaurants.I was born in the city and it is my home. I really enjoyed growing up here, and was lucky to study at St Joseph’s College, one of the leading schools in Sri Lanka. I spent my weekends and spare time playing soft-ball cricket – running around in the back streets with a bat and ball, going to friends’ houses where we would make up rules for street cricket games and then play them for hours.The Premadasa feels like our home ground, in terms of one-day cricket certainly, as we have a healthy win ratio there recently. I like to think of it as our fortress. We play so much there that we know what to expect and can prepare ourselves accordingly. The square was re-laid just a while ago, so the wickets are now more sporting and less dusty, with a little more in it for seamers, in terms of bounce and carry. The stands are steep and the stadium itself is more enclosed, so the atmosphere is always brilliant. But, as we saw in the 2011 World Cup at the new grounds in Hambantota and Kandy, whichever part of Sri Lanka we play in, the supporters follow us. The passion of the fans throughout the island is amazing.Eating out
Colombo is great for a meal out. I am a long-time regular at the London Grill in the Cinnamon Grand hotel, because the steaks there are awesome. Another good spot to eat out would be the Gallery Café for dinner. Among bars, I like to hang out and shot some pool at the Cheers Pub, also in the Cinnamon Grand.The recently converted Old Dutch Hospital next to the Colombo Fort is now a nice spot for food and drinks in the evening. I recently tried out Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara’s new seafood restaurant called the Ministry of Crab. I was very impressed! It is a really smart set-up right in the heart of the city.Shopping
When my friends come over to stay in Colombo, they go shopping at Paradise Road and Odel. Barefoot is good for gifts, with a little café that hosts quizzes and plays live jazz.Shop at Suriya and Gandhara for antiques for your home. There are local art fairs at Green Path that you could check out. For a more raw and hectic Sri Lankan market atmosphere, go to Pettah Market to pick up bits and pieces. Even if you don’t want to shop, I’d recommend a visit there, just for the experience.

Having reached two finals and a semi-final in the opening three editions of World T20, Pakistan will hope to continue their success in the shortest format’s marquee tournament

Umar Farooq22-Sep-2012

Overview

Unpredictability is the defining feature of the Pakistan team, but you still can’t shun the thought that they are one of the compelling sides in the format. Their notoriety for inconsistent performances was on show during their warm-up games: they botched a mild chase of 111 against England right after succeeding in chasing down 186 – a rare sparkling chase against India.Pakistan are always surrounded by off-the-field issues but presently things are relatively stable, which bodes well for the creation of a positive team atmosphere under a new captain, Mohamamd Hafeez, who has succeeded Misbah-ul-Haq. Although Hafeez’s Twenty20 form doesn’t warrant him an automatic place in the side, the PCB has taken a decision largely in the best interests of the team, deeming the allrounder a sensible leader in the longer-run. He has so far led Pakistan in five matches, losing two and winning three, including a Super Over victory against Australia in Dubai earlier this month.Pakistan enter the event as the world’s most experienced side in the format, having played most number of matches – 58 – winning 34 and losing 22 with two tied matches. They were the explosive starters in T20 cricket but have lost momentum since 2010, playing 22 matches and losing 11. In a bid to pick up momentum, the selectors have picked the country’s potent and hugely experienced Twenty20 specialists for the job.The squad is flexible enough to accommodate three explosive specialist openers in the top order, namely Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed and Kamran Akmal, followed by a mixture of skilful youngsters in Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq and experienced men in Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi, to guard the middle-order. And they have an agile bowling line-up, strengthened by the return of Umar Gul – he is back at the World T20 after missing the previous event in the West Indies.Pakistan enter the tournament with the entire squad having accumulated ample practice in Sri Lanka. Pakistan had a full series against the hosts earlier this year and, later, players from the T20 squad featured in the Sri Lanka Premier League.

Key Player

The Pakistan bowlers have been dominating the T20 format, occupying the first three spots in the list of leading wicket-takers, with Saeed Ajmal leading the chart with 60 wickets followed by Shahid Afridi, 59, and Umar Gul with 58. The linchpin will be Ajmal, who has an exceptional economy rate of 6.03 in the format. He will be out to further stamp his authority as the world’s best bowler. His control over his spin and clever variations of his doosra certainly make him dangerous. Pakistan, expectedly, will look to capitalise on more spin options with Ajmal having a significant role to play in the coming days.

Surprise package

Pakistan have recently unleashed a 20-year-old rookie left-arm spinner: Raza Hasan, largely known as a death bowler, averaging 13.65 in 22 matches with 40 wickets. He is not a big turner of the ball but his fearless approach and decent variation contain the run rate and made him a prominent bowler on the Pakistan domestic circuit. He was first noticed in 2010 when Pakistan called him up for the tour of England, but he didn’t get a game. His wares were finally on show earlier this month in the three-match T20 series against Australia in Dubai. He is perhaps unlikely to play in every game but he has a definite future with the team.

Weakness

If the script runs correctly, you will barely find any flaws within the Pakistan set-up, but if not, the fragile batting could be rattled. Ensuring a blistering start through the openers is a problem, as Mohamamd Hafeez takes his time to settle in, while Imran Nazir is cautions at the crease these days. The lost form of Afridi is another definite blow for Pakistan and there is obviously a concern over the allrounder.

World T20 history

Pakistan have an impressive record in the World Twenty20 and their pedigree has been remarkable in the three editions so far. They have been the best side in tournament’s brief history. Had Misbah-ul-Haq not skied the paddle-scope to fine-leg in the 2007 final against India, Pakistan could have won the inaugural tournament. In 2009, Pakistan, led by Younis Khan thrashed Sri Lanka to lift the title. Pakistan were once again on course for another title in the Caribbean in 2010 but were undone by Australia’s Michael Hussey’s heroics in the semi-final in Saeed Ajmal’s final over. Their win-loss tally in World Twenty20 is 12 victories to eight defeats, including the bowl-out loss against India.

Recent form

Pakistan landed in Sri Lanka after intense preparation in a three-match ODI and three-match T20I series in the Dubai against Australia in the exhausting heat of the desert. Pakistan lost the ODI series but went on to win the T20I series 2-1.

The efforts of the England captain, with perhaps his finest innings, alongside Matt Prior may not save the opening Test but they will give the team belief for the rest of the series

George Dobell in Ahmedabad18-Nov-2012When a batsman as good as Graham Gooch lavishes praise on an innings, you know it has been special. Gooch, the leading run-scorer in England Test history, has, in his own words, “seen most things” in cricket over a long and illustrious career.But even Gooch was impressed by Alastair Cook’s rearguard innings against India. He described Cook as “one of the best players in the world” and described the mammoth innings at Ahmedabad as “as good an innings as I’ve seen him play.” Few would disagree.Cook is, in many ways, a remarkable cricketer. He plays few shots to make a crowd roar with excitement or sigh with pleasure. He does not have the range of Kevin Pietersen or the timing of Ian Bell. He can score a century without playing a single memorable shot.But if batting is just about scoring runs – and in Test cricket it pretty much is – then it is hard to define him as anything other than great. After all, on current form, Cook will have scored more Test runs than any other Englishman before his 30th birthday. He overtook Gooch’s record of 20 Test centuries during this innings and is set to break every England run-scoring record.Cook has made a virtue out of a vice. He knows he is not, in terms of hand-eye coordination, the most talented cricketer in this team. He knows he cannot emulate the strokeplay of Pietersen or Bell.But, by staying within his limitations, by knowing that failure beckons if he elaborates or complicates, Cook has found a method that works. While others prosper on strength and skill and bravado, Cook prospers on concentration, denial and efficiency.At his best, he leaves well, plays straight and is not drawn into pushing outside the off stump. Such is his patience, he either waits for the bowler to err, or he forces them to pitch short or bowl too straight. He plays few drives – he has scored just one run through mid-off and only two through mid-on during this innings – but pulls and cuts well and is good off his legs.And he keeps going. Such is his mental strength – his concentration, his huger, his patience – that it seems he can, at his best, wear down the wind.Perhaps his left-handedness was a help in this innings. Pragyan Ojha, by far the more dangerous of the bowlers, certainly looked more effective against the right-handers and R Ashwin was dealt with in relative comfort.”When you’ve been in the game as long as I have, you’ve seen most things that happen,” Gooch said. “We saw poor shots, poor decisions, bad mistakes, bad thinking, bad judgement and then you sometimes see the opposite.”It was great commitment from our guys and great fighting spirit. There was belief in their own ability and Alastair led from the front as captain.”That was as good an innings as I’ve seen him play because he was under great pressure after a poor first innings performance from the team.”He can do it because he is one of the best players in the world. It is not just physical skill I’m talking about. A lot of people have physical skill. You need skill between the ears. This lad has had a great temperament from when he first started and came here to make his debut.”He proved even then the priceless skill of knowing how to play. From the outset he knew what he could do and what he couldn’t do and he still has that skill today. He crafted a century. It wasn’t a flamboyant innings. He did the job that was necessary.”How typical that Matt Prior’s excellence should be overshadowed. Over recent years, he has developed into a wonderfully selfless player: reliable and positive behind the stumps and with the bat. His dismissal in the first innings was typical: left with the tail for company, Prior perished in sight of a personal landmark as he attempted an ambitious boundary hit. Many would have aimed for a ‘not out’ to protect their average.The turning point in his career came in 2008 when he was dropped. He had a choice, at the time, of railing at the selectors and the injustice, or taking responsibility himself. He decided on the latter course and determined to work as he had never worked before. He developed from a liability behind the stumps until he became, arguably, the best wicketkeeper in current Test cricket. He is likely to replace Craig Kieswetter in the England T20 team for the games before Christmas.His career has seen many ups and downs: the century on debut; the immense Ashes contributions; the unfortunate broken window at Lord’s and the ‘jellybean’ incident at Trent Bridge for which he was publically chastised but utterly blameless. But some of those close to Prior suggest that it was fatherhood, in early 2009, that changed him. They say it brought a maturity and contentment that allowed him to accept the cricketer he is. Before that he had, at times, perhaps tried to be something he was not: another Pietersen or another Adam Gilchirst. Now he has let such ambitions go and settled into the role as the ideal supporting character.If anyone had said, at the start of day four, that it would finish with India playing for time, you might have thought they had been in the sun too long. But, as Cook and Prior edged England into a fragile lead, the over-rate – excellent for so long – slowed and it became clear that India were as glad to reach stumps as England.India have, in most respects, outplayed England in this game. Their spinners have looked more dangerous, their batsmen – in general – more assured and their seamers have bowled with better control, gained more movement and, in the case of Yadav, generated more pace. There has not even been much to choose between the fielding of the two sides.But the one area that England have an edge on them is fitness. Long before the end of the fourth day, several of the Indian players looked exhausted: Ashwin, in particular, became less effective and even Ojha, who has been outstanding in this game, showed signs of weariness. With the next Test starting in Mumbai on Friday, there is little time to recover.But Cook, especially, never faltered. He did not even break sweat. He showed that India, just like England, can he ground down if the batsmen keep them in the field for long enough.India may feel unfortunate. It is true that both Prior and Cook might – should, even – have been adjudged leg before. But rather than blaming the umpires – good men having a bad day – they would be better directing their frustration elsewhere. We all know who decided that the DRS would not be utilised in this series.Whatever happens on the last day – and it is good for Test cricket that this game has, at last, become a contest – it should not mask the failings of England earlier in the game. They have been overly reliant on individuals in Ahmedabad and, even if they escape, know they will have to improve if they are to challenge in this series.They could do far worse than emulate their captain. As far as England are concerned, you cannot have too many Cooks.

The glitzy T20 league will provide pressure but also the temptation for Ayub to change his game – he should resist in order to further his international chances

Mohammad Isam15-Jan-2013Marshall Ayub will go into this season’s Bangladesh Premier League with added reputation after he made a mammoth 289 in his last innings. He has seen plenty of ebb and flow the last seven years but for him to take the next step, which could see him promoted to international cricket as early as March, the next four weeks will bring precisely the pressure he needs to handle. The glitzy, televised stage provided by the BPL for every uncapped and discarded international cricketer from Bangladesh is one of its positives.The 2012-13 season has been easily Ayub’s most productive since making his first-class debut in 2005-06. He has averaged 67.11 in the National Cricket League for Dhaka Metropolis and 113.50 for Central Zone in the Bangladesh Cricket League. In total, he has scored 1,058 runs in these two first-class competitions, including two double-centuries, respectively the highest individual scores in those tournaments, and he has done all this by January.Although it may seem notching up big scores has taken him time and he is a player more suited to the longer version, he has batted at a fair strike rate. He might still want to improve on the pace of his batting, as well as add a few more angles to his strokes, which are at the moment quite pragmatic and typical of a middle-order batsman from the subcontinent.Ayub, however, will be wary of changing too much of his batting method for a tournament like the BPL, which is essentially nothing more than three hours of work every evening. He will be asked to bat in a certain way, one that is followed by every other cricketer trying to make it big on the Twenty20 circuit but, for Ayub, it will be imperative to continue batting the way he has done for the last four months, and the last few seasons, to win a place in the Bangladesh squad for the Sri Lanka tour in March.Last season’s experience in the BPL should also serve as a warning for Ayub not to expect too much from Twenty20 cricket. He made 12 runs in three games and even though he took 4 for 20 against Chittagong Kings, he wasn’t given another game thereafter.The case of Enamul Haque jnr is also cautionary for players like Ayub, who are quite close to national selection or hoping to make a name for themselves in the Twenty20 market. Left-arm spinner Enamul hasn’t come close to the Bangladesh squad despite taking more than 100 wickets in all competitions for the last two years. He was a star performer in the first season of BPL as well, but didn’t get further than the Bangladesh A team.Ayub, however, has seen what bad times are like and has survived to tell the tale. Marked out as one of the talented youngsters in the age-group structure, he was impressive in first-class cricket and in the run-up to the Under-19 World Cup in 2008, before a debilitating knee injury ended his hopes and put his career back some way. He also suffered the ignominy of getting hit for six consecutive sixes in an over three years ago, but Ayub has fought through and the 2012-13 season has seen him scoring more runs than at any point in his career.In the grander scheme of things, the BPL is a hindrance for domestic cricketers, especially the younger ones. It takes up too much time in the already short cricket season, and moreover and more importantly, it takes up a lot of attention. Add to that the unpredictable payment schedule and it becomes a tournament of too much trouble.For many experienced domestic players, however, it is a stage that is very important, especially for those who have given up on Bangladesh selection. Essentially, they won’t be household names in the near future, so for players like Jubair Ahmed, Imtiaz Hossain and Nazmul Hossain Milon, it is the biggest stage in their cricket careers. Ayub however has far to go, so should be using the BPL as a stepping stone and not treat it as a medal around the neck.

Thilan Samaraweera’s ability to lift Sri Lanka out of a pit of the top order’s making was an emphatic endorsement for substance over style

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Mar-2013One of the most startling tales in Sri Lankan cricket is that of Thilan Samaraweera’s machine-gun celebration. In Lahore four years ago, he nestled his bat under his armpit and shot pretend rounds out of the handle for the first time in international cricket. As fate would have it, Samaraweera had a bullet travel 12 inches into his thigh the morning after the double-hundred that sparked that celebration.It is an odd thing to be remembered for. Thirty years from now, perhaps his ordeal will come up as a piece of cricketing trivia, and some long-toothed tragic will know the name of that fellow who was shot in the middle of a Test match. But Samaraweera deserves better than a grim footnote. That story is moving and his comeback compelling, but for much of his career, defiance drove him at the crease, and for that, Sri Lanka’s more beloved batsmen have owed him much.In his later years as an international cricketer, before the Australia tour that heralded his departure, Samaraweera’s ability to lift Sri Lanka out of a pit of the top order’s making was an emphatic endorsement for substance over style. Tillakaratne Dilshan might have manned the cannons, while Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara commanded pretty cover drives, but Samaraweera often went to work when walls were caving in, and most times, he dug his side through to the light, if not always to victory.As late as 2008, he was marked by some as a backyard bully, but Samaraweera spent the next few years proving that criticism misguided. Since 2008, his away record has been vastly superior to his team-mates’, and among the best in Asia. He began his domestic career primarily as an offspinner, and has 357 first-class wickets at 23.43, but he finished in internationals with the most robust technique against the moving ball of any present Sri Lanka batsman, and a better head for pace and bounce than many more talented men from the subcontinent.

Five of Samaraweera’s best

• 125 v West Indies, Port of Spain, 2008

• 102 v South Africa, Durban, 2011

• 115* v South Africa, Cape Town, 2012

• 83 v India, P Sara Stadium Colombo, 2010

• 100 v Pakistan, Faisalabad, 2004

His most memorable, and perhaps finest stretch, was the year-end tour to South Africa in 2011, where he was Sri Lanka’s best batsman in every Test. Against the fast men, Samaraweera piled on better numbers than any Asian had in South Africa since 2001, while his team stumbled to an innings defeat and a ten-wicket loss around him. Typically, he had produced his best work against the most hostile attack he has ever faced, in their own conditions, after he had been dropped for the previous series. Without his 102 in the first innings in Durban, Sri Lanka would likely still be awaiting their first win in South Africa.It is a shame that his last act as a Test batsman was the sickening swipe across the line in Sydney, when the team was in the sort of mire for which his cricket seemed created. In many ways it suited a man like Sanath Jayasuriya to cut his last ball in international cricket in the air to point, but Samaraweera’s demise did not fit him at all. On that tour, he had let the psychological beatings from previous innings dent his steel, where usually his strength only bloomed in adversity.Perhaps he will reckon it is better to go out this way, than have allowed a bullet to end his career, as it so nearly did. To have forged and re-forged his technique after being unfairly dropped from the top level, and hopes of a recall seemed slim, he must count a sunny disposition among his virtues.After Lahore, Samaraweera did not can the machine-gun century celebration, or think it an ill omen. Though his batting was dour at times, he was too good humoured for such superstition, at the crease, at practice and with the media. With little on the horizon for him in the next year, and with so many young batsmen beating at the selectors’ door, he has chosen the right time not to launch another comeback.

With their form and home advantage disappearing, Alastair Cook’s side are being viewed differently ahead of the Champions Trophy

George Dobell04-Jun-2013It is remarkable how quickly things can change. A week ago, in the eyes of many, England were favourites for the Champions Trophy. A week ago, the theory was that in home conditions and armed with two new balls, England would prevail in low-scoring matches. A week ago, England had a balanced attack, a settled team and a tried and trusted method that had brought them unprecedented success.Suddenly, that all seems like a long time ago. Suddenly, England’s top order are seen to lack urgency, the bowling to lack bite or control, and the middle-order to lack experience and form. England, in the eyes of many, have gone from favourites to no-hopers in the blink of an eye.It is true that there have been some worrying signs in the opening two ODIs against New Zealand. On excellent batting tracks and with the ball barely swinging, England’s methods have appeared obsolete. The support bowlers have been inadequate replacements for the injured Steven Finn and Stuart Broad and the batsmen, without the injured Kevin Pietersen, have lacked the firepower to mend the damage inflicted by their own bowlers conceding too many runs. In short, England’s best-laid plans have been torn to shreds.But it is worth thinking back a little further. It is worth remembering that this England side is, give or take a position here and there, the same one that rose to the top of the ODI rankings less than a year ago. This is the first time England have lost a home ODI series since 2009 and the same side that won a record 10 ODIs in succession a year ago. It is worth remembering how well New Zealand have played and it is worth remembering what happens when England abandon continuity of selection to chase results. They have been down that path. It does not have a happy ending.That is not to say all is perfect. If England have learned anything from this series, it is how important some of their key players are to their success. The reputations of Pietersen, Finn and Broad have all been boosted by their absence. Jade Dernbach and Chris Woakes are both admirable cricketers but, in these conditions and at this stage of their careers, they have struggled to manage the role they have been given.Recent results also suggest England have no Plan B. Not since 2006 have England suffered a whitewash in a home ODI series. On that occasion, when Sri Lanka thrashed them 5-0, just as now, England came unstuck on the flattest of pitches when scores in excess of 300 became par. England remain an excellent side in conditions when 260 is par, but there is little record of them excelling when that figure rises to 300. Indeed, while Ian Bell, speaking at Trent Bridge on Monday, reckoned England would have “knocked off 320 quite comfortably” it is worth remembering that no England side has ever done so. England’s highest successful chase in an ODI is the 306 for 5 they made against Pakistan in Karachi in October 2000.

Mitchell McClenaghan might have reserved his most uncomfortable delivery of the ODI series against England for his views on their leading player. He claimed there might be times when New Zealand could prefer not to dismiss Jonathan Trott as his run-rate was “not overly a threat”.
“We’re quite in control of being able to contain Trotty,” McClenaghan said. “He’s not one of the easiest batsmen to get out. You need to get him early but he’s not overly a threat for us when he’s out there. It’s more about really attacking the guy at the other end and putting the pressure on him. He’s definitely the rock of their unit but I don’t mind bowling to him.”

You could argue that if England require levellers such as helpful bowling conditions to allow them to compete they might simply not be a very good side. Certainly this squad would be ranked outsiders if this event was to be played in Asia or Australia.But the disappointment for England is that it appears there may be no home advantage to them in hosting the Champions Trophy. The white Kookaburra ball seems to offer their bowlers little swing and the pitches seem to have few of the characteristics that might usually define English conditions. Even the appearance of the sun – a rare visitor to the English cricket season of late – has appeared to mock them and reduce the potency of their seasons and exacerbate the limitations of their batsmen.Might there be other options who could have offered an alternative, more aggressive method? Of course. But for all the potential of Ben Stokes, who did himself no favours after being sent home from the Lions tour of the, Alex Hales, who didn’t take his chance as a senior player on the same tour, James Taylor or James Vince, much of England’s success in recent times has been built upon the solid starts provided by the current top three. It would have been extraordinary to change a winning formula after the success of 2012. Besides, it is too late to change the Champions Trophy squad now; alterations are only allowed in the event of injury. But if England are unsuccessful in the Champions Trophy, all four younger men will come into consideration ahead of the 2015 World Cup.It may be unfair to judge England’s batsmen too harshly, anyway. While many of them were chastised for making starts but then losing their wickets, the problem at the Ageas Bowl, at least, was that their target was simply too large. They have been forced to take too many risks, too early in their innings and lost their wickets as a result.There was some encouraging news for England on Tuesday. Finn and Broad both took a full part in training and bowled with good pace, though whether they play on Wednesday remains to be seen.With the series gone, England may well experiment a little at Trent Bridge. There is a strong case for resting James Anderson and, despite this being his home ground, Graeme Swann too. James Tredwell could come into the side and, if England decide to keep Finn and Broad on ice – in Finn’s case almost literally as he nurses his sore shins – Boyd Rankin could play, too. Bell described facing him as “absolutely horrible” and, while he has rarely enjoyed the sustained fitness levels to maintain the consistency required to be a top international bowler, there is little doubt that, on his day, Rankin, with his height, pace and movement, can be a nasty proposition for any batsman. What sense it makes to now play a man not included in the Champions Trophy squad may well be asked.Ravi Bopara will come into contention, too. While his form with the bat has receded, his worth as a bowler has increased and he could, perhaps in partnership with Jonathan Trott and Joe Root, fill a role as the fifth bowler. He also has a reputation as a skilled polisher of a cricket ball. In a game of fine margins, such factors can be crucial.

His absence for the Champions Trophy is a huge blow for England and news on Kevin Pietersen’s fitness is now set to dominate the next few months

George Dobell25-Apr-2013Any regular spectator at Taunton in the early 1980s would be familiar with the sensation as the public address system announced: “No. 11 on your scorecard, Joel Garner, has been replaced by No. 12, Dennis Breakwell.” Sighs followed. Breakwell, a slow left-arm spinner, was a worthy cricketer, but he was no replacement for Garner.So it feels for England today. Several worthy candidates have an opportunity to take the position vacated by Kevin Pietersen in the team participating in the Champions Trophy. But none of them can truly be said to replace him.Some will deny that. They will state, quite reasonably, that England reached No. 1 in the ODI rankings last year without Pietersen and they will state, quite reasonably, that Pietersen played in only four of England’s run of 10 consecutive ODI victories last year. Pietersen’s ODI record has included some significant troughs – he scored just one 50 in 24 innings between 2009 and 2011, for example – and, after his return from ODI retirement, England lost the next series he participated in, after Christmas in India. It is quite true that England can still win the Champions Trophy without him.But it will be much harder. It was, after all, Pietersen who took the Man of the Tournament award when England clinched the only global trophy they have yet won – the World T20 in 2010 – and Pietersen who has more ODI centuries (nine) and more ODI runs (4,351) than any current England player. On the biggest stage, there is no England player more likely to revel in the spotlight, no England player more feared by the opposition and no England player as capable of changing the course of a game. His absence is a crushing blow to what had been presumed to be England’s best chance to win a global ODI tournament.It is not just about the runs, though. Pietersen’s absence is a major blow to the balance of the England side. While the top three of Ian Bell, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott provide excellent stability and reassurance, their role is best complemented by Pietersen’s aggression at No. 4. Pietersen’s absence leaves a heavy burden on the shoulders of Eoin Morgan, in particular, and to a lesser extent Jos Buttler.There are several candidates vying for Pietersen’s place. Joe Root has shown a welcome ability to adapt his game to the match situation in his brief England career to date and is probably best placed at present, but Jonny Bairstow is among those who may also have a chance. It was Root who batted at No. 4 in the ODI series against New Zealand, when Pietersen was rested.There is better news of England’s other injury worries. Graeme Swann, almost as important a player as Pietersen in the England team, has returned to bowling in the nets and hopes to play for Nottinghamshire next week, while Tim Bresnan made an impressive return for Yorkshire in the Championship on Wednesday. The return of both players will be a relief to Ashley Giles, England’s limited-overs coach, though it will not compensate for the loss of Pietersen.To compound matters, the Champions Trophy represents a glorious opportunity for England. It is not just that they have, after many years, found a method to flourish in ODIs, it is that rule changes, such as the use of a new ball from either end, and the advantage of home conditions – playing in England and Wales in June ought to play into their hands – should also have conspired to help them. The next World Cup in England does not come until 2019.At present, it is anticipated that Pietersen will resume training in mid-June. That leaves him little opportunity to play first-class cricket before the start of the Ashes on July 10 as the English domestic season will soon thereafter be dominated by T20 cricket.So it may be that Pietersen’s return comes against Australia. Somerset have a first-class match against the tourists starting on June 26 and, just as Andrew Strauss was drafted into the Somerset side when he required match practice ahead of the series against India, so could Pietersen be. His other options would appear to be a Championship game for Surrey against Yorkshire (starting on June 21, perhaps too early after his return to training) and a warm-up game for England against Essex starting on June 30. Pietersen, it should be noted, came so close to joining Somerset ahead of the 2005 season, he drove around in one of their sponsored cars for much of the winter. He ultimately joined Hampshire.Either way, with Ashes fever apparently as prevalent and contagious as the recent measles outbreak, updates on Pietersen’s knee may dominate the media as news of Denis Compton’s did more than half-a-century ago and news of David Beckham’s second metatarsal did ahead of the 2002 football World Cup.

Multiple-choice answers let you decide who takes what from the series

Andy Zaltzman26-Aug-2013An interesting but curious series ended with an almost wilfully weird final Test that offered a rare cocktail of grinding negativity, reckless abandon, numbing tedium and a pulsating if contrived climax that bore no relation to the four days of cricketing and climatic drudgery that had preceded it.England finished slightly disappointed not to have won a game they had done nothing to win until the final session, and in which they had played some alarmingly passive cricket in the field and with the bat. Australia finished perhaps relieved not to have lost a series 4-0 in which they had held four first-innings leads, not allowed their opponents to score 400 in any innings, and in which only one England batsman averaged over 40. Had they done so, it would have been one of cricket’s greatest statistical anti-achievements.In many ways, 3-0 was not a fair scoreline. And in many ways, it was a perfectly fair scoreline. It matters little. England were decisively better at enough crucial moments, Australia’s shortcomings scuppered their progress far too often. With different luck and different umpiring, the baggy greens could have won the series. With different luck and umpiring, England could have won by a street at Trent Bridge, and who knows how the series would have progressed then?Appropriately enough, given the controversies that have scarred/enlivened the series, the umpires called time on proceedings, and denied the teams, the spectators and Test cricket four final overs of frenzy in the London gloom. But, of critical importance, the rule book was adhered to, so everyone could go home happy. In fact, the parting memory of the 2013 Ashes for me will be of 22,000 cricket fans chanting, “Give me a P, give me an R, give me an O, give me a T…”, before being overwhelmed with excitement and being unable to complete the phrase “Protocols were correctly applied”.Admittedly, that may not have happened. I write this from a ferry somewhere in the Bay of Biscay, on the way to a holiday in Spain, where I will endeavour to reconnect with some things in the world unconnected with the Ashes (for example: wife, children, reality, high-quality hams, and anything that does not involve a psychologically unhealthy amount of time with Statsguru). But I hope it did happen. A match being snipped off in its prime against the will of both teams and cricket in general became inevitable once the ICC placed responsibility in the restricted hands of the umpires. Thankfully, nothing too important was at stake, but still, a little piece of cricket died.Clarke’s declaration will no doubt be dissected, analysed and interpreted like a medieval rodent’s intestines. Having not seen the final day’s play, and now being officially on holiday, and sitting in a bar on a ferry listening to a Boney M covers band (yes, my career is going very well indeed, thank you), I will allow you, the reader, to make your own conclusions. Delete as many or as few of the given options, as you consider appropriate.Setting England 227 to win in 44 overs was: bold / inventive / good for cricket / a rare act of consideration for the paying spectator / clinically insane / a pipe dream / strategically baffling given the minuscule likelihood of taking ten wickets in 44 overs on a pudding of a pitch on which all of England’s top seven had scored at least 25 in the first innings / more reckless than training your dog to eat nothing but sausages and scotch eggs and then taking it with you to a nudist colony.If Australia had won, it would have been: a crucial confidence boost ahead of the return series later in the year / fun but meaningless, given that the Brisbane Test is (a) months away, (b) in different conditions and a different hemisphere / a massive important staging post for an emerging new team, who have shown they can compete with, if not yet beat, one of the world’s top teams in its own backyard, and whose batsmen’s selfless batting in the pursuit of quick wickets suggested a group of players that is rapidly unifying in a common cause.If Australia had lost, it would have been: a price worth paying for proving they are a team with a burning desire to win / fun but meaningless / a morale-shattering squandering of the progress made over the final three Tests of the series – instead of beginning in Brisbane having lost only one of the previous three Tests, and that narrowly after playing much good cricket, and having had the better of the two draws, they would have begun after losing eight of nine Tests this year, and suffering a record-equalling margin of Ashes clobbering / the almost inevitable result of setting a target that, in the time available, gave England a risk-free opportunity to construct a low-risk chase, knowing that they could always fall back on their well-honed fifth-day resistance act for a couple of hours if necessary.All in all, Australia emerge from the series: disappointed, but confident that the worst is over, and the core of a functioning team has emerged / frustrated, having had winning positions in three of the Tests against opposition who, on paper, had been vastly superior to them at the start of the series / terrified, having lost 3-0 to an England team carried by the sublime centuries of Ian Bell, the consistent threat of Swann, and sporadic bursts of brilliance by their seamers, but whose recent batting bulwarks malfunctioned throughout, and aware that conditions in Australia will probably suit England’s batsmen / excited to their very cores about the prospect of their impending 25-match one-day series in India and another unmissable season of the Big Bash League.England, for their part, will be: thrilled, having emerged from several pressurised situations undefeated, and with a convincing series win / pleased of course, but also disappointed that they failed fully to exploit the vulnerabilities of weak, fragmented opponents / terrified that Ryan Harris has not fallen to pieces, that Steve Smith has batted with such skill and cojones, and that Shane Watson has re-found his elusive mojo / burning with justified pride that, as a result of their scientifically applied caution, they avoided defeat / embarrassed that, as a team that aspires to be the best it can be, it resorts to a tactically questionable negativity at the first sign of danger, willing to plonk nine fielders on the boundary when three of the world’s top ten bowlers are bowling at Australia’s No. 10.

Australia were billed as a different side to three months ago but emerged as the same flawed team with a penchant for self-sabotage

Jarrod Kimber in Brisbane21-Nov-2013Australia had improved. Despite a batting average of 37, David Warner was to be feared. Even though he finished his last Ashes series as a puddle of doubt, Mitchell Johnson would save the day.In the few months between the series Australia had somehow magically improved their game. Alastair Cook’s defensive captaincy wouldn’t work in the Australian sun. They had found an in-form player in George Bailey. Even Shane Watson’s body had switched from batsman to allrounder mode.During the last two Ashes series, the Australian press looked nervous going into the series. Instead of being the vicious, bile-sledging 12th man, they had been reduced to noting more than the odd bit of chirpiness.This time the walked into the Ashes like not only would Australia win, but England would end up shaking on a hospital gurney. It was back to the glory “banter” years. England were smug arrogant cheats that no one liked. Stuart Broad’s name could not even be uttered. Unless you were calling him a medium pacer.Despite the paper suggesting strongly that Broad should not be mentioned by name, the crowd decided their chant, which referred to him being a self-satisfier, would not work without his name in it. There was even a horror-themed banner inferring about his non-walking past.Warner played some big shots, but did his best work by getting to the non-striker’s end with ease. Watson kept planting that foot and watched the ball very intently as he defended most of them. With Warner and Watson solid at the crease, between 87 and 93 per cent of TV viewers on Channel 9 decided Australia would win the Ashes.Somehow in the three months since the last series, Australia had found a magic cave of awesomeness to transmogrify them into a fierce Test team. The talk was right, Australia were back.Then that smug arrogant cheating medium pacer with no name would not go away.
The sun blared down on a flat pitch without much sideways movement, while he ended Australia’s top order. Watson got stuck, as he has throughout much of his Test career. Either Clarke’s back or his arch nemesis brought him down in a familiar way. Warner bunted an innocuous ball to cover point when he was well set. And Bailey and Steve Smith got out to bowlers who could be named, both tentatively, caught behind the wicket. That was the end of the top order.That was the end of more than just six wickets. The bubble had burst. The emperor had no clothes. Schrodinger’s cat was dead. Australia were still the fifth best Test team on earth.Despite Johnson’s moustache, Australia had not turned into apocalyptic demons in their months off, they were still the same team of inconsistent cricketers that lost a series just a few months earlier. Which considering they had not played a Test since, had a weird adventure in India and are not as used to the Gabba as they make out was not altogether surprising.The best two shots were an uppercut from Warner and the front cover of the . Yet Warner got out with a shot that inspired not fear, but fearlessness. And a few minutes later the headline was “Aussie Wickets Fall”.Then Australia had another lower order fight back. It seems they have one in every game now. Their lower order players face new balls at practice, just in case they are needed early on again. Every easy drive from Haddin and Johnson must have stung at the pride of the top order. Even Twitter is getting bored at the “reverse the order” jokes about Australian cricket.Other than Haddin, Australia made it to stumps with all the panache of a limbless, bloodied ingénue dragging themselves away from an axe-wielding maniac. Hoping beyond hope that the axe-wielding maniac would trip and fall on his own weapon.Australia might still do better in this series, Haddin might cobble together enough for Australia to defend. England may also fall in a heap on this batsmen-friendly pitch. But what is clear is that for Australia almost nothing has changed. Australia are the same flawed team with a penchant for self-sabotage we saw a few months ago. There was no magic cave. Australia had not improved. They just had not had a chance to fail for three months.

There was a certain tentativeness to New Zealand’s approach on a pitch that has taken both sides by surprise, aiding spin on the second day. Sunil Narine has given his side the chance to drive the advantage

Andrew McGlashan in Hamilton20-Dec-20130:00

McGlashan: West Indies spinners found turn

After more than a year out of the Test side, it took Sunil Narine three deliveries to add to his success against New Zealand. It wasn’t a great ball, and owed much to a fabulous catch at leg slip by Darren Sammy to remove Peter Fulton, but it left the home side 43 for 2. For the first time in the series, West Indies had a foothold early in a match.Then, with half an hour left in the day, he removed Kane Williamson with a tight lbw. When Brendon McCullum’s first two deliveries fizzed past his outside edge from Narine, New Zealand’s captain may just have been having a second thought about his decision to bowl first. The majority of Narine’s Test success came in two Tests against New Zealand last year and the doubts had been rekindled.Peter Fulton was subdued by close catchers during his 11 off 71 balls•Getty ImagesHe is certainly being aided by a pitch which has taken both sides by surprise, offering considerable turn on the second day. “You could say that,” Shivnarine Chanderpaul said with a smile and a laugh that suggested West Indies like what they see.Williamson admitted this surface, the first produced by the new head groundsman Andy Brown, had caught New Zealand out. “Yeah, without a doubt, hence why we bowled first. I’ve never really seen it spin like that [in Hamilton] but they’re the cards we’ve been dealt and we need to turn up with a change of gameplan as a batting unit to face a lot of spin on a wicket that’s very much conducive to spin bowling.”None of the last two wickets have spun very much and we didn’t expect this one to either. The first two balls I bowled, they spun. I set a field for it to slide across and it spun and I thought ‘OK, that’s interesting’. That’s the way it is, you’ve got to roll with those changes and adapt accordingly.”New Zealand have a long batting line-up, Ross Taylor in supreme form (although even he was left floundering on occasion against Narine) and the get-out card of a draw being enough to take the series, but West Indies will be buoyed by what they have seen so far. The period around Fulton’s departure and then the final half an hour of the day was as uneasy as New Zealand have looked in the three Tests – including the careless run-chase in Dunedin.”The challenge is different here having been thrown a curve ball,” Williamson conceded. “It’s a challenge for this team having taken steps to see how we adapt in favourable conditions to the opposition.”It’s too much to say any of the batsmen froze, but you could see the tension building. Fulton had become stuck, tidied down by a tight 10-over opening spell from Sammy and unable to score off Veerasammy Permaul – his one attempt, coming down the pitch, ended with him spooning the ball unconvincingly over cover. He does not have a natural release shot against the spinners so Sammy was able to crowd him with close catchers. The captain himself did the job.Taylor, the man West Indies have bowled to for hours in recent weeks, chipped his first ball, from Narine, dangerously close to short midwicket. Taylor is in fantastic touch (now just the third New Zealand batsman to score 400 runs in a three Test series) but there have been uneasy moments at the start of each innings; a glove over the slips in Dunedin and the dropped catch on nought in Wellington. He is a fine example of making the most of your fortune.At the start of Narine’s next over there was a strong shout for lbw. West Indies reviewed. Hot Spot showed a thin inside edge so it remained not out but there was hesitancy about New Zealand’s batsmen. The following over, Williamson, coming down the pitch to Permaul, was done in by flight but the catching chance fell tantalisingly out of reach of Tino Best sprinting round from mid-off.Taylor and Williamson made it through to tea and after the interval built a 95-run stand, although the spinners continued to cause more difficulties that seam had for vast stages of the previous two Tests. Then Narine slid one past Williamson’s bat and the DRS showed it was clipping leg stump. West Indies will feel they were owed such a line-call after Narsingh Deonarine’s decision on the first day.In the previous matches, West Indies were close to playing two spinners but were swayed by healthy coverings of grass. On this evidence, they would have been better off ignoring the surfaces. Permaul’s first two overs were understandably rusty – this was his first competitive bowl since four expensive overs in the third ODI against India – but he settled to extra enough turn to keep the batsmen uncertain. His economy rate of under three also allowed Sammy to keep control of New Zealand’s scoring and there was a far greater consistency in his line that Best and Shannon Gabriel offered in the previous two Tests.”The wicket is going to spin more,” Chanderpaul said. “It has a lot of grass on top of it and the ball will grip. It will be interesting to see what happens.”West Indies sense they have been given an unexpected lifeline.