Pakistan’s chronic ‘multi-skipper’ symptom raises its ugly head again
If you are talking about a side that has issues due to a staggering number of present, ex and wannabe skippers in the team, then Pakistan is the unquestioned focus of such discussion. The present side has been under a lot of pressure due to reasons that are beyond their talent or their inherent abilities—I guess, we all understand that in terms of raw talent, there is no team that can catch-up with Pakistan. The team did have some degree of success playing in the T20 matches and Afridi looked like someone who could take charge in an unchallenged manner in the ODIs and T20s and Younis Khan seemed to be doing reasonably well as the test captain. But then, the old symptom of Pakistani selectors doing something totally inconceivable and avoidable happened—Mohammud Yousuf has been made the new skipper and Afridi’s displeasure about the entire issue is crystal clear. Yousuf is a great batsman no doubt, but his leadership is passive. Further, there really was no need to bring him in at a time when the team is in a difficult situations, trying to reassemble itself. The results of this utter stupidity by the PCB administrators is there to be seen—the Pakistani team is playing like a bunch of reluctant schoolboys and the Aussies are walking all over them in each match since the day the Pakistan team landed Down Under.
Ready for another IPL overdose?
The third season of IPL is about to begin and I just want to know one thing—how many people actually follow this league? Yes, there are the occasional viewers like me how just like to keep in touch regarding the final score or the match result but how about the hardcore IPL fans, I mean if there are any around? For starters, the matches are scheduled at a time that was supposed to facilitate the viewership in terms of post-working hours but then after a day’s work or even if you aren’t in a back-breaking employment like mine, do you really get excited by the prospect of international players overloaded with huge sums of money playing in a league wherein club rivalries are yet an unknown quantity and besides the trophy winner’s prize booty there seems to be no other motivating factor?
To make matters worse, Modi has schedules close to 60 matches this time with each franchise playing more than 10 matches—how many non-international games can an average, no matter how avid, cricket follower digest?
To make matters worse, Modi has schedules close to 60 matches this time with each franchise playing more than 10 matches—how many non-international games can an average, no matter how avid, cricket follower digest?
The ‘Singles Approach’ — a Kirsten thing?
If you recall, the entry of South Africa during the 1992 World Cup heralded a new fashion of setting-up decent scores in ODI without taking too many risks — the idea was to take as many quick singles and secures the wickets for the slog overs. Before this, the Australians were regarded as the best team in terms of running, seemingly-risky but actually, safe singles and running the opposition teams, ragged. Yes, there were some players from the sub-continent like Miandad who had created a niche for themselves by being canny single seekers but beyond a few names, this approach was limited to Australia. After the 1992 season, Hansie Cronje’s South Africa gave a new definition to this approach wherein under the coaching of Bob Woolmer, the team started believing that if you could take a single off every ball, a score of around 300 was easily achievable and that too when a score of ODI game was within the realm of 225 – 250. Those who have a good cricket memory would recall that one of South Africa keenest followers of this approach and a dedicated innings architect for nearly a decade was India’s preset coach, Gary Kirsten. The man literally grew upon the opposition not through magnanimous shots that are played by the likes of Sehewag or Hayden, but through this, singles approach. It seems that the current Indian team is beginning to understand the virtue of this noble approach. For starters, for the first time in probably a decade, the team looks hungry to rotate the strike and their batting appetite is being satiated through taking a boundary but along with preceding and following the boundary shot by placing the ball into gaps and running lots of ones/twos.
I personally believe that this is a direct effect of Kirsten’s presence in the squad. He has somehow managed to appeal to the senses of the boundary-and-sixes hitters in the team that the entire idea is to keep the game moving even if it means sacrificing your ‘glory’ shots and running a lot, for the team’s cause. The result is very evident — batsmen like Gambhir and Sehewag are becoming more comprehensive batters, learning how to mix-up their innings which previously, often bordered on being one-way traffic. The idea was introduced by Greg Chappell also but somehow his much-maligned approach didn’t work with the team.
I personally believe that this is a direct effect of Kirsten’s presence in the squad. He has somehow managed to appeal to the senses of the boundary-and-sixes hitters in the team that the entire idea is to keep the game moving even if it means sacrificing your ‘glory’ shots and running a lot, for the team’s cause. The result is very evident — batsmen like Gambhir and Sehewag are becoming more comprehensive batters, learning how to mix-up their innings which previously, often bordered on being one-way traffic. The idea was introduced by Greg Chappell also but somehow his much-maligned approach didn’t work with the team.
Siddle’s Energy Bursts Worth Watching
I remember some commentator saying that Peter Siddle was built like a small horse but his bowling performances are far better than to be horsing about the issue. He has incredible bouts of energy and seeing him bowl, almost makes you wish you were so athletic, packed with so much stamina and could do what he does best — constantly bowl at 142 + km/hr without showing any signs of drop in intensity or energy. Siddle reminds a bit of the young Ntini from SA who had started out in a very similar style but then eventually the workload of the balling probably slowed him down. Hillfenhaus, the other recently introduced Aussie bowler too is impressive but he is more of the McGrath type with a measured length and line being his main thing. Siddle is a bit like Brett Lee and Waqar Younis rolled into though his wickets tally usually don’t match the wicket-taking fame of these two ultra-quick bowlers.
Watson and Marsh—Next ‘Big’ Aussie Opening Pair?
They aren’t Hayden & Gilchrist by a long shot, but still, the Aussie opening pair of Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh could the opening solution that Australia had been searching for some time. While Watson has impressed everyone with his graduation into a mainstream batsman, Marsh was always considered the next big thing to arrive from the competitive Aussie domestic circuit. I first saw him in the first season of IPL and he still looks as impressive he did when I first saw him straight-lift bowlers over their heads, making the ball often step over the boundary ropes. Both the batsmen don’t have any particular vulnerability to spin or pace and with Watson having proven himself in the test match arena recently, this could well be the opening pair that will be uniformly used in T20s, tests and ODIs. The only unsightly thing—that absolutely ridiculous dance cum hopping routine that Watson bursts into while bowling.
IPL3 undervalued? Shockingly yes, according to Mr. Modi
It is very difficult to decipher whether Lalit Modi means business or he is just obsessing with his baby—the IPL. According to him and some financial analysts, the TV rights for IPL3 have actually been under-valued and marketed at nearly 90% less than its actual worth. This announcement came on top of the fact that in the next few seasons, one IPL team would be worth around $300 million and that is just a conservative estimation, if Mr. Modi is to be believed! What I still cannot fathom is how the IPL is making so much cash considering that I have rarely seen someone truly emphatic about the fate of IPL matches and just cannot recall even person who is a real follower of this league. Do these figures represent any kind of facts whatsoever or is this another one of Modi’s brainwaves to engage some more media attention towards the IPL, may be even at the cause of raising curiosity among folks for no apparent cause?
Afridi—no longer the Pakistani roaring tiger?
He has a tiger imprint on his bat and the bat reads “sher” too which essentially means a lion and that is the type of cricketer Shahid Afridi is believed to be—till the time he started complaining about the unfair treatment against him and his teammates in being ridiculed against in the IPL auctions. It was almost unbelievable to hear the usually ferocious ‘pathan’ complaining like a meek cat on an Indian FM channel. He even had the nerves to say that he believes his team has more fans in India than in Pakistan and thus, their participation in the IPL is vital!! I always counted Afridi along the likes of Saeed Anwar and Wasim Akram—players whose performance and on-field antics reached a new height every time they played against India. I always believed that Afridi must be on the Indian team’s most vicious, almost hated opponent, considering the amount of verbal abuse he displays against the Indians. It now seems that the lure of easy IPL cash has mellowed down the Pathani tiger—they do say money can make you do strange things, don’t they?
India versus SA 2010: is it really a ‘world championship’ series?
For those who are tuned into Neo Sports, the cricketing channel controlled by the BCCI, would know that for the last few days, the channel has been advertising the upcoming test series between South African and India 2010. as the world’s test championship series. What they are essentially referring to is the fact that while India currently occupies the number test ranking, SA are at number two and the competition among these two teams to be called the top-ranked
test team is going to be intense. However, if you try to be very precise about things, it really isn’t a test championship in any way, is it? For starters, even after repeated demands from many present and ex cricketers, there is no league format for a dedicated championship tournament to decide the world’s top, test match team. Secondly, unless Australia is a part of the mix, no test championship tournament can be complete, simply because they are the biggest threat at the moment, consistently winning at home and away, with a renewed vigor. It would have been much better hand India, SA and Australia would have been made to play some sort of a triangular test championship and the eventual prize — the baton and the rightful, unargued status as the world’s best test team of 2010!!
test team is going to be intense. However, if you try to be very precise about things, it really isn’t a test championship in any way, is it? For starters, even after repeated demands from many present and ex cricketers, there is no league format for a dedicated championship tournament to decide the world’s top, test match team. Secondly, unless Australia is a part of the mix, no test championship tournament can be complete, simply because they are the biggest threat at the moment, consistently winning at home and away, with a renewed vigor. It would have been much better hand India, SA and Australia would have been made to play some sort of a triangular test championship and the eventual prize — the baton and the rightful, unargued status as the world’s best test team of 2010!!
Stop whining about India’s batting versus Bangladesh, it makes the game interesting
A lot of people in India, particularly the over-critical media, has been voicing their disappointment about how the Indian batsmen faltered against a mediocre team like Bangladesh. However, I believe that things need to be looked at from a much larger perspective.
For starters, the Idea test series has very little to offer in terms of exciting encounters since the Bangladeshi cricket team hardly has any renowned players. With the Indian batsmen getting out to a score of less than 250 runs, the game has been set-up in a manner that at least makes it a bit engaging, at least in terms of TV viewership. And further, all these emotional outbursts about India faring so averagely after graduating to the number one test team spot is getting a bit too repetitive — India haven’t even spent two straight months at this ranking. It is just an occasional thing and one day of average batting performance is not going to sink the ship… seriously, some folks need to take things a bit less seriously!
For starters, the Idea test series has very little to offer in terms of exciting encounters since the Bangladeshi cricket team hardly has any renowned players. With the Indian batsmen getting out to a score of less than 250 runs, the game has been set-up in a manner that at least makes it a bit engaging, at least in terms of TV viewership. And further, all these emotional outbursts about India faring so averagely after graduating to the number one test team spot is getting a bit too repetitive — India haven’t even spent two straight months at this ranking. It is just an occasional thing and one day of average batting performance is not going to sink the ship… seriously, some folks need to take things a bit less seriously!
How ‘global’ really is IPL3?
The third edition of the IPL is upon us and if you look at the configuration of the tournament in terms of international players participating, an immediate question comes to the mind—how ‘international’ is the International Premier League? I am not talking about the widespread disregard for T20 and the utter dismay of some former players, frowning upon how IPL is spoiling international cricketers by paying them excessively. I am concerned about its status as a globally competitive event. For starters, most of the current Australian cricketers have opted out,
stating that they would rather take rest and prolong their careers for their national teams rather than wallow in the riches of IPLIII. Secondly, you really cannot expect lots of Pakistani players to be playing, considering the current unrest in the relations of India-Pakistan. Further, England players too have refrained from participating in the aftermath of the two of their biggest stars, Flintoff and Pieterson failing miserably in the first edition—you may already know that Flintoff is away with a serious injury and Kevin Pieterson is badly out of form. Considering that nearly every current Indian player is playing and the number of international players that can be fielded isn’t a major proportion by any means, is this actually a global-scale cricketing event? I would rather look upon it as a India’s premier T20 championship that allows some international cricket players to participate. But I guess, when so much money is involved, the reality really doesn’t matter, does it Mr. Modi?
stating that they would rather take rest and prolong their careers for their national teams rather than wallow in the riches of IPLIII. Secondly, you really cannot expect lots of Pakistani players to be playing, considering the current unrest in the relations of India-Pakistan. Further, England players too have refrained from participating in the aftermath of the two of their biggest stars, Flintoff and Pieterson failing miserably in the first edition—you may already know that Flintoff is away with a serious injury and Kevin Pieterson is badly out of form. Considering that nearly every current Indian player is playing and the number of international players that can be fielded isn’t a major proportion by any means, is this actually a global-scale cricketing event? I would rather look upon it as a India’s premier T20 championship that allows some international cricket players to participate. But I guess, when so much money is involved, the reality really doesn’t matter, does it Mr. Modi?
Strauss wouldn’t have had a worst day!
England had just managed to escape a very evident defeat in the third test match versus South Africa and the Barmy Army would have been hoping for a better show on the first day of the final test match. However, it was their captain, Andrew Strauss who had a particularly bad day, and did nearly every thing wrong to squander away
England's chances. For starters, he chose to bat on what is essentially a typically English, green, swinging pitch. Secondly, he got himself out on the first ball of the match. Yes, Amla did take a great catch but getting out for a duck in the decider can never augur well for a team that isn’t high on experience or confidence. What confuses me is the fact that Sidebottom was chosen over Graham Onions although the latter has had a very successful series. This means that the team is depending a lot on Sidebottom’s ability to swing the ball and yet, when the chance to bowl first was served on a platter, Strauss just turned it down and the entire England team has been shot-out for less than a 200!
England's chances. For starters, he chose to bat on what is essentially a typically English, green, swinging pitch. Secondly, he got himself out on the first ball of the match. Yes, Amla did take a great catch but getting out for a duck in the decider can never augur well for a team that isn’t high on experience or confidence. What confuses me is the fact that Sidebottom was chosen over Graham Onions although the latter has had a very successful series. This means that the team is depending a lot on Sidebottom’s ability to swing the ball and yet, when the chance to bowl first was served on a platter, Strauss just turned it down and the entire England team has been shot-out for less than a 200!
This was always coming...India's final loss
Some folks might call it India’s inability to deliver in crunch situations or the collective failure of their batsmen just when it mattered most but I would call it a matter of simple probability… you just cannot keep expecting your batsmen to win every game. The batsmen had been delivering in nearly every match for the past two months
and one bad game was due at some point in time and unfortunately for the Indians it happened in the final of the Bangladesh triseries. Still you would have to say that the batsmen delivered to some extent but as usual, the bowling was below par and it never looked like India would put-up a fierce competition in terms of defending what looked like a low but midway-kind of score.
and one bad game was due at some point in time and unfortunately for the Indians it happened in the final of the Bangladesh triseries. Still you would have to say that the batsmen delivered to some extent but as usual, the bowling was below par and it never looked like India would put-up a fierce competition in terms of defending what looked like a low but midway-kind of score.
South Africa’s Bowling Resources Beginning to take an Impressive Shape
Parnell came and went without doing much, but in the short while that he played for the South African team, the young left-armer showed a lot of promise and in a cricketing nation that hasn’t traditionally produced left-arm seam bowlers, Parnell was rated highly and counted upon to be a big, name in the near future. Now, he is on the verge of making a comeback and if early comments are to be believed, his pace and his penetrative ability have
only improved. He would add more fuel to a bowling attack that is slowly but steadily getting back to its old glory days. With Ntini aging and Pollock no longer able to horse-carry the bowling attack, things were getting a bit difficult for Graeme Smith. However, with Mornie Morkel and Dale Steyn rising to the challenge and the young De Wet being added to the mix, things are improving very quickly. Further, all these bowlers are very young, quick, well-built and seem to have it in them to present a dependable pool at Graeme Smith’s disposal. I dare say that the Aussies might be beaming a lot about their own bench of bowlers but the SA bowlers look at par and they are a lot younger and devoid of those painfully repetitive Aussie on-field antics.
only improved. He would add more fuel to a bowling attack that is slowly but steadily getting back to its old glory days. With Ntini aging and Pollock no longer able to horse-carry the bowling attack, things were getting a bit difficult for Graeme Smith. However, with Mornie Morkel and Dale Steyn rising to the challenge and the young De Wet being added to the mix, things are improving very quickly. Further, all these bowlers are very young, quick, well-built and seem to have it in them to present a dependable pool at Graeme Smith’s disposal. I dare say that the Aussies might be beaming a lot about their own bench of bowlers but the SA bowlers look at par and they are a lot younger and devoid of those painfully repetitive Aussie on-field antics.
England Tampering Charges — Absolutely Avoidable Controversy
The England bowlers are under extreme media scrutiny these days since they were charged with tampering the ball in the last test match versus South Africa. However, if you closely look at the TV grabs, it really doesn’t look like James Anderson was manipulating the seam in any way. In fact, at one point, it is clearly visible that he is holding the ball, near the seam and not upon it and simply polishing
one side of the ball. Yes, the rubbing part does give the impression of pressing down upon the ball but it isn’t hard enough to actually disfigure a cricket ball. I have played a lot of cricket myself and let me tell you that the most used, worn-out of cricket ball also don’t get maneuvered so easily as suggested by the Protean media speculation. What is most strange is that the TV umpire, despite having a host of technological assistance at his disposal couldn’t make this simple differentiation and vented this unrequired controversy. Just ask any domestic or club level player around you and they will say the same after seeing the Stuart Broad – Anderson TV footage — nothing so drastic ever happened, it is just misplaced, wishful thinking of some over-critical cricketing ‘experts’.
one side of the ball. Yes, the rubbing part does give the impression of pressing down upon the ball but it isn’t hard enough to actually disfigure a cricket ball. I have played a lot of cricket myself and let me tell you that the most used, worn-out of cricket ball also don’t get maneuvered so easily as suggested by the Protean media speculation. What is most strange is that the TV umpire, despite having a host of technological assistance at his disposal couldn’t make this simple differentiation and vented this unrequired controversy. Just ask any domestic or club level player around you and they will say the same after seeing the Stuart Broad – Anderson TV footage — nothing so drastic ever happened, it is just misplaced, wishful thinking of some over-critical cricketing ‘experts’.
Afridi for full-time captaincy?
I must have heard it wrong or there is something even more wrong with Pakistani cricket than I had imagined until now. If reports are to be believed some folks in the PCB are planning to make Shahid Afridi as Pakistan’s permanent skipper. I don’t have anything personal about the guy — that might be the general impression since I am a hardcore Indian cricket fan, but I don’t think he is even close to having the temperament that international skippers are supposed to have. For starters, I doubt his presence in all formats of the game not because he isn’t a decent player but simply because it just doesn’t look that he is pushing himself to establish himself
as a comprehensive international player. He has never been seen complaining about the lack of test matches he has played or the careless manner in which he has repeatedly got out just when the team looked like winning an ODI game. Add to this, the fact that he has never been consistent at any place in the long list of batting order swaps that have been hurled at him, make him a very susceptible kind of batter… destructive yes, but consistent enough to lead by example — I very seriously doubt… at best he is a T20 captain since owing responsibility is not really emphasized upon in the T20 format.
as a comprehensive international player. He has never been seen complaining about the lack of test matches he has played or the careless manner in which he has repeatedly got out just when the team looked like winning an ODI game. Add to this, the fact that he has never been consistent at any place in the long list of batting order swaps that have been hurled at him, make him a very susceptible kind of batter… destructive yes, but consistent enough to lead by example — I very seriously doubt… at best he is a T20 captain since owing responsibility is not really emphasized upon in the T20 format.
How Many Coaches Are Enough?
This is the question I want to pose to some of international captains who seem to be demanding a certain type of coach, every time their respective team shows signs of lagging behind in a certain aspect of the game. Dhoni was the one who called for a full-time fielding coach along with an assistant because the pathetic fielding standards of the Indian team have now become a commonly acknowledged fact. Is it that the fielding coach is going to sprinkle some magic on 25+yr olds who have been playing this game for more than a decade and make them bend and twist along the lines of cricket’s ex-Mr. Fielding Jonty Rhodes? The Indian fielders cannot perform basic fielding actions with precision like bending down fully and collecting the ball cleanly. Is that really something for which you need a full-time, dedicated coach? Mohammed Yousuf has now demanded a batting coach because his side has stumbled twice against the average spin of Nathan Hauritz & Co. What are we supposed to believe? The Pakistani batsmen who dug out the short pitched bowling that supposed to be their nemesis but got out repeatedly to a lollypop bowler like Hauritz are going to be re-taught how to play down flighted deliveries? Seriously, we need some sense being knocked into captains who just cannot acknowledge the fact that their sides are performing badly in a certain way simply because there is lack of application. How about keeping a coach for being honest and forthright if we are already on a coach-appointing spree??
Can the Indian bowlers deliver even once?
This is what the captain, MS Dhoni must be wondering after yesterday’s loss to Sri Lanka in the second match of the Dhaka Cup. Dhoni has been very vocal about the inability of his bowlers to either contain runs or take wickets. He has often been seen in the press conferences lamenting the fact that there very few occasions wherein the bowlers have won a game on their own. Yes, it is batsmen’s game but then Dhoni cannot be blamed for expecting his bowlers to deliver at least once every ten matches or so. Just take yesterday’s ODI for instance, the total of 280 wasn’t all that bad a score and though dew was an issue, the opening Indian bowlers could have rattled the Lankans by picking up a few early wickets. That is something that hasn’t happened in the last six months for the Indian team and the trend continued yesterday night. As usual, Ashish Nehra leaked runs in his opening spell and Sreesanth reminded us why he cannot be looked upon as a reliant bowler, as he had one of his many average days, yet again. To blame the batsmen for not crossing the 300-run mark is foolish considering that they too should be give some breathing space — if they didn’t hammer the living hell out of the opposition bowlers in one, occasional match, the bowlers should have taken up the responsibility.
Too Many Dew-affected Matches for Cricketing Comfort of Fielding Sides
I don’t to nitpick but the fact is that the number of ODI matches that are turning one-sided affairs with immense disadvantage to side bowling in the evening/night are rising at an alarming rate. It is not something new as such — dew has always been a factor particularly in the sub-continental conditions where the ground conditions do tend to change once the ground develops a hard-to-counter wet blanket. However, what is surprising is that even though so many captains have complained about this issue, the ICC remains unmoved. It seems that the motive behind this calculated ignorance has been fuelled by the BCCIwhom we all know as a money-making, cash-obsessed cricketing body that rules the roost of international cricketing fixtures. As day-night matches do tend to provide more excitement and bring-in more spectators to the ground and the viewership is substantially higher than all-day ODI matches, it isn't hard to understand why the BCCI and then the ICC have turned a blind eye towards this issue. However, it would like to say that rather than eradicating or limiting day-night encounters in this part of the world, what needs to be done is finding more solutions. Yes, the answers are difficult since there is no practical escape from dewdrops that tend to descend and rise in volume with every passing minute. However, there could be a system wherein the bowling side is provided the option of using more ball — I mean more than the normal number of ball changes to ensure that the side isn't left struggling with a wet, slippery ball with which the bowlers are rendered useless. The current tri-series in Dhaka is another example of this wherein the bowlers are struggling horribly to hold the seam once the ball gets run on the wet outfield.
Dhoni as the next ‘Tendulkar’??
I would like to clear-up before anyone reading this heading gets the wrong idea. I am not trying to suggest that in terms of batting greatness and his overall genius, Dhoni can takeover Tendulkar. I am simply suggesting that the time is near when Tendulkar’s presence as a part of the regular Indian team is bound to decline considerably, i.e. in the very near future. In this perspective, being perhaps the most consistent batsman in the team after
Tendulkar and showing ample resolution to take upon the challenge in a crisis, shouldn’t Dhoni be prepared in the role of a batter-cum-captain, by freeing him from his wicket-keeping responsibilities? The reason why I say that is that no matter what experts say about cricketers doing double-edged roles today, wicket-keeping along with captaining the side and being a major wheel for the team’s middle-order performance is bound to take a toll on Dhoni at some point. Should the selectors take stock of how they plan to ensure that Tendulkar’s eventual absence in the team is compensated to some extent by having someone as reliable as Dhoni, up the order, as a specialist bastman? The point is that even if Dhoni is freed from his wicket-keeping responsibilities, the team’s balance wouldn’t suffer to a damaging effect. For starters, having Dhoni at number three would mean that more stability and tenacity would be maintained at the top. Further, some folks might recall that even as an occasional, part-time bowler Dhoni has bowled a few overs in the domestic circuit and in some test matches against Pakistan with his average speed around the 130 km/hr mark. Considering that most mainstream bowlers in the Indian squad bowl not more than 135 km/hr, this talent of Dhoni could be worked upon, essentially as a part-time contributor. With Dhoni and Yuvraj at number three and four in the batting order and their ability to share a bare minimum of eight overs among themselves, the inclusion of a specialist keeper like Dinesh Karthick would ensure that the team doesn’t lose out on either batting or bowling resources… though that is even hard to contemplate when a certain phenomenon called Sachin Tendulkar is missing from the equation.
Tendulkar and showing ample resolution to take upon the challenge in a crisis, shouldn’t Dhoni be prepared in the role of a batter-cum-captain, by freeing him from his wicket-keeping responsibilities? The reason why I say that is that no matter what experts say about cricketers doing double-edged roles today, wicket-keeping along with captaining the side and being a major wheel for the team’s middle-order performance is bound to take a toll on Dhoni at some point. Should the selectors take stock of how they plan to ensure that Tendulkar’s eventual absence in the team is compensated to some extent by having someone as reliable as Dhoni, up the order, as a specialist bastman? The point is that even if Dhoni is freed from his wicket-keeping responsibilities, the team’s balance wouldn’t suffer to a damaging effect. For starters, having Dhoni at number three would mean that more stability and tenacity would be maintained at the top. Further, some folks might recall that even as an occasional, part-time bowler Dhoni has bowled a few overs in the domestic circuit and in some test matches against Pakistan with his average speed around the 130 km/hr mark. Considering that most mainstream bowlers in the Indian squad bowl not more than 135 km/hr, this talent of Dhoni could be worked upon, essentially as a part-time contributor. With Dhoni and Yuvraj at number three and four in the batting order and their ability to share a bare minimum of eight overs among themselves, the inclusion of a specialist keeper like Dinesh Karthick would ensure that the team doesn’t lose out on either batting or bowling resources… though that is even hard to contemplate when a certain phenomenon called Sachin Tendulkar is missing from the equation.
Yes, Freidel de Wet could be Ntini’s Replacement
Shaun Pollock may sound a bit controversial when he says that the time has come for Ntini to hang-up his boots as far as test cricket is concerned but if you watched the first two test matches between South Africa and England, he couldn’t be more correct. Ntini was never a swing bowler and never had any real guile. His real weapon has been seemingly unending reserves of energy based upon which he could hit the deck so much that the ball would bounce awkwardly and make batsmen uncomfortable. Give him some swing or a bit of grass and these virtues become even more threatening.
However, age is beginning to creep upon South Africa’s workhorse and he is no longer the same bowler who could consistently run around the 90 mile/hr benchmark. I still recall how Ntini would literally run back to his bowling run-up even when between long, test bowling spells. Now, this pace is around the 135 km/hr mark and that isn't too great if you are wanting to take wickets simply by depending upon hitting the pitch hard. On the other hand, just like Pollock said, de Wet looks like the next big thing to have arrived on the international cricket scene. He is tall, built like a wrestler, runs up close to the stumps and even on a dead, second test match wicket, he bowled some hostile spells. He was the only South Africa bowler who looked like picking up a fiver or something close and actually troubling the English batsmen. There is just no room for sympathy in international sports and Ntini is faced with something that is applicable to all top-level sportsmen, across the world — you are only as good as your last performance!
However, age is beginning to creep upon South Africa’s workhorse and he is no longer the same bowler who could consistently run around the 90 mile/hr benchmark. I still recall how Ntini would literally run back to his bowling run-up even when between long, test bowling spells. Now, this pace is around the 135 km/hr mark and that isn't too great if you are wanting to take wickets simply by depending upon hitting the pitch hard. On the other hand, just like Pollock said, de Wet looks like the next big thing to have arrived on the international cricket scene. He is tall, built like a wrestler, runs up close to the stumps and even on a dead, second test match wicket, he bowled some hostile spells. He was the only South Africa bowler who looked like picking up a fiver or something close and actually troubling the English batsmen. There is just no room for sympathy in international sports and Ntini is faced with something that is applicable to all top-level sportsmen, across the world — you are only as good as your last performance!
Cricketing Year 2010 — the Likely Formidables!
The New Year is upon us and from a cricketing perspective, it would be fair to say that this could prove to be one of the most closely-contested cricketing seasons. For starters, India and Australia would fight it hard to decide who gets to be the best test team with South Africa and England watching the progress of these two teams closely. South Africa need to regroup to a certain extent and revamp their brand of cricket if they are to become serious contenders for the ODI’s numero uno status and for the top-end of test ranking too. The team seems to be suffered from a lack of creativity on the field and their players, for some inexplicable reason, seem down and aren’t their usual, chirpy self and the bowlers aren’t prepared to get in on with the batsmen. While India’s ascendancy will be closely monitored and followed by millions of fans, it is Pakistan that could turn out to be the real wild card. Agreed that the team has not had the best of time yet, in Australia, but they are getting a semblance of building formidable bowling unit and their batting is slowly picking-up. I would say that England has miles to go, if each mile can be equalled to a decade, before being considered serious ODI material but yes, they do have the resources to be the test championship team. Of course, all these calculations and predictions have no meaning if the recently resurgent Aussies are back to their old ways. Under Ponting, they saw a harrowing period in the first part of 2009 but are now on the way to recovery and the small period of putting in the right pieces to solve their batting order conundrum and filtering bowlers for each format of the game is near completion. If their recent progress is any indication, they may re-assert themselves as the unquestioned world champions in every format of the game.
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