England lining-up some good all-rounded players

England might still be reeling under the absence of their foremost all-rounder, Andrew Flintoff, but as things present themselves for the moment, they do have a good bunch who can make-up for Freddie's absence. In Stuart Broad and Bresnan (big dude in the pic here), England have found two useful players who can bat and bowl and are pretty agile in the field. Bresnan, in particular has been impressing a lot during the last few months, scoring some very decent knocks during the latter part of the innings. Add to this, Collingwood, who is a handy, if not a complete bowler, and England pretty much size-up to most sides in terms of all-rounder strength. However, what is lacking is one or two batsmen who can give them blistering starts when batting. You really cannot expect Strauss of Ian Bell to do that. I still believe that Pietersen finds himself lost since his captaincy was taken away. For some strange reason, his sudden removal from the profile has caused his confidence to slip far too much for an international player.

Sreesanth, Latest Entrant in India’s Hall of Bowlers Gone Slow!!

I thought that it was some sort of off-season injury or some other weird reason that Sreesanth was bowling so slowly during the first of the one-dayers against the South Africans. As it turns out, that wasn’t just a one-time thing. Like many other of his young Indian counterparts, he has actually slowed-up remarkably although there is no injury and neither has he been used excessively. This is some sort of a virus that seems to affect every speedster coming from India who has some promise to offer. Further, it seems that his bowling action too has changed a bit. Sreesanth never really did have remarkable line or length to boast of—it was swing bowling at some good speeds that got him all the wickets and made him a tough customer if the pitch had anything to offer. He even showed signs of being able to use the old ball. Now, he can hardly cross the 130 km/hr barrier and his swing is lacking due the change in the manner in which his is delivering the ball. Yes, the seam is still very upright—one of young Sreesanth’s typical bowling traits, but now the shrug-like movement that he had at the time of releasing the ball has gone and has been replaced by a more controlled sort of stride that may be prettier from a technical aspect but sure as hell doesn’t make him a better or a more lethal bowler.

Bits & Pieces is the way for India at the moment

You can call it the result of playing on docile wickets and the fact that Indian batsmen are chasing 300+ scores in nearly every one-dayer that they play or the ineffectiveness of the Indian bowling attack but the fact remains that the Indian selectors have understood that this team just cannot afford to have too many specialist bowlers. As a result, from Yousuf Pathan to Jadeja and now even, Abhishek Nayyar, all players who have a record of contributing with the bat and the ball have been inducted into the team. 2011 World Cup is not very far away and the selectors and the team management most probably understand that there is not much difference between someone who can give-away six or seven runs per over, and hence, if the compromise in bowling attack means having nearly 8 batsmen, then why not take the advantage. It should be understood that a similar approach has been taken by various international teams with widely varied results. In 1996, the Sri Lankans used their part-time spinners to put together a world cup-winning effort whereas the West Indies have tried it many times and are still trying it with a host of players who can bowl medium pace or a bit slower but have found no success whatsoever. It is not a sure-win formula by any stretch of imagination but when the domestic scene is so completely devoid of quality bowlers with any real spin or pace to talk about, are there any good alternatives?

IPL3: Timing gone horribly wrong??

Some folks might not be asking this question but I am surely not one of those guys. I honestly feel that the present scheduling of IPL3 is highly questionable considering that the T20 World Cup 2010 in Caribbean is so near. This will lead to another T20 glut that is not going to do any favors to the viewership for the club games. Let us get thing very clear, and that is in the cricket perspective: we are not in the mold of the English Premier League wherein the same bunch of guys can form great, talked-about friendships during their club stints and still go totally ‘Mexican’ when it comes to the competitions wherein national teams participate. This is still a more conservative form of a not-so-global sport and we want to see some real bad blood, I am trying to say ‘extreme competitiveness’ here, between the players and the presence of IPL3 so close to the World Cup is bound to hamper this. Further, after seeing IPL matches round the clock, doesn’t the very status of a World Cup get slightly eradicated, particularly considering that T20 matches are still assuming the serious proportions that they have promised.

Things are not going to improve overnight, so why the fuss?

This is regarding the continuing fuss about playing in IPL3 by many overseas players. It should be understood that the present situation is nothing new and things cannot be expected to change drastically. For starters, things haven’t improved in any was since the attacks in Mumbai that caused the shifting of IPL2 to SA. If there are any apprehensions, they should be directed to the organizers of IPL who are going ahead with their plans, paying no attention to the possibility of a terrorist attack or the damage that can be incurred to a nation’s international status, if something violent does happen and any international player is injured or for that matter, harmed beyond on-field injuries. This rising conundrum of opinions wherein the sub-continent is being ridiculed just makes no sense—there is nothing that has changed in the last few weeks or for that matter, the last decade that makes the entire sub-continent safer or hazardous for foreign travelers—the threat of terrorism is a real and thriving for every citizen of India and its neighboring nation and for overseas players to expect that things would improve or should be different just because they plan to come here for a few weeks is simply unwarranted.

Will Abhishek Nayyar follow Agarkar’s footsteps?

Most cricket followers may no longer recall the name of former Indian paceman, Ajit Agarkar. However, it is worth mentioning that he was once, the most promising of the Indian fast bowlers to have arisen from the famous Mumbai factory of cricketers. Often dubbed as the ‘perpetual underperformer’, Agarkar had promised a lot as a leading swing bowler and more so, as an all-rounder. His batting abilities never really surfaced during his decade-long career but most analysts and coaches from the Indian domestic circuit had believed that he was the one who would be able to replace the vacuum created by Kapil Dev’s retirement, to some extent, some day. That never happened and Agarkar never rose to the status that nearly everyone who had seen him blossom as a young performer believed was his for the taking. Now, another youngster from the same Mumbai team and one of Agarkar’s current bowling partner Abhishek Nayyar is being billed as the next big thing to arrive from the Mumbai stables and a complete all-rounder that the Indian team has been missing for some time. Yes, Irfan Pathan did promise a lot but he too has fallen by the side and no one really knows what he is doing at the Ranji circuit and whether his performances are being even watched by the selectors. Nayyar had been included in the Indian ODI squad after a string of decent performances in the first edition of the IPL but then, many observers say that he is being over-hyped simply because he is neither a very pacy bowler nor a very talented batsman in terms of being technically superb or a brilliant hitter of the ball. Many critics have gone on to say that the prime reason for the undertones regarding his selection are arising simply due to the desperation of the Mumbai supporters to get someone from their team in the Indian squad.

To be very honest, Delhi has left Mumbai way behind in terms of hogging the spots in the Indian team and besides Tendulkar there is literally no other player who is even in the scheme of thing — plz don’t raise the name of Rohit Sharma, we all know that he is just another bubble about to burst at any point. For me, even the comparison between Agarkar and Nayyar are misplaced, simply because Agarkar’s rise-to-fame and the huge expectations were because of his natural talent that was very evident in the very first ODI game he played. He had the ability to swing the ball on dead pitches and had the panache of a natural batsman — Nayyar on the other hand seems to be peddling on a wave of optimism regarding his capabilities rather than having actually delivered or showcased as much as Agarkar during his long but not-so-impressive career.

IPLIII: Pakistan's predicament is its own doing

This may sound a bit rude but how can a nation that has been confirmed across the world as a breeding ground for international terrorism, can even consider complaining about international teams not wanting to play it its cities and now, its players being not allowed an easy access to IPL3? Isn't there any sort of moral responsibility within the PCB for realizing that the very presence of its team within international tournaments seems to risk the lives of other innocent, international players? Can the PCB be regarded as an entity that is separated from Pakistan itself? I am not very educated but I believe that the "P" in PCB refers to Pakistan and since the nation's administrators have repeatedly and openly denied any sort of assistance to help India curtail the terrorism issue, can it actually complain about bias towards its own players? Further, there are reports that due to 'efforts' by Mr. Modi, some Pakistani players will be able to swim in the cash-rich pool of IPL3 2010 : how far will this man go to ensure that the reputation of his franchise and his own credibility as a ruthless money-maker is augmented , even if it comes at the cost of hurting national sentiments. But then again, 'we' shouldn't be complaining too much> after all, as I write this, Kasab would be having his delicious lunch, served in a room built with thousands of dollars, paid from the tax-payer's money... sorry, if I have diverted from the topic, but what can be done when you realize that earnings diverted towards the PCB have a high chance of being converted into bullets that will pound into the flesh of our soldiers.

Dhoni not up to 'Test' standards?

I don't want to sound too critical but I have been seeing Dhoni bat against the Proteas in the ongoing test match series and it seems that a lot of commentators too believe that MSD really isn't up to the benchmarks of batting in the test match arena. The difference does become apparent when you compare his one-day record with this test match scores. For starters, he has rarely scored big against a good bowling side and hence, his struggles against the South Africans and other foreign teams, particularly when travelling abroad. The difference wouldn't have been so magnified had his ODI record too been along the same lines but we all realize that he is among the best of batsmen in the shorter versions of the game. Hence, the question really is that Dhoni actually more susceptible when playing test match cricket, courtesy his average footwork and handling of the short ball or is it too early to make such judgments.

Paul Harris in the Giles mold?

Just looking at Paul Harris bowl in test matches against India, I wonder what kind of a spinner he really is, that is assuming that he can be called a spinner at all? For starters, he never spins the ball. His deviation of the ball in the air is minimal to negligible and even on the slowish wickets he has always struggled to get batsmen out, i.e. by putting genuine spin into effect. What he does do remarkably well is follow in the Giles mold, wherein both of these men can bowl outside the leg-stump all day long, restricting the run scoring and hoping that one, odd delivery will take-off from the weathered area outside the leg-stump region. Phew...I never knew mediocrity has its followers and further more, success too, since Graeme Smith has repeatedly said that Harris is an important 'bowler' for the team.

The cupboard is bare beyond Zaheer

The Indian selectors might still put up a brave face and say that the pitch for the Eden Garden test match is not going to be doctored but the fact remains that until this is done, the chances of India winning the final test match are rather slim. The reason lies more in the depleted bowling resources rather than the inability of the batsmen to handle short-pitched bowling. It seems that after Zaheer's initial burst, there are no other Indian bowlers who can even induce some pressure on the batsmen, leave alone actually bowling them out. This is when, just about four months back the entire Indian media was overwhelmed with "so many younger bowlers coming through", now where are they? Was that wishful thinking or the tendency to bloat-up things that has become endemic to media coverage for Indian cricket.

Not the right time to be mouthing-off, Gayle

As if the absence of the three main batsmen in the team, Sarwan, Chanderpaul and Bravo wasn’t sufficient, the west Indian captain, Chris Gayle went on to make a strange prediction before the start of the Australia – WI, ODI series that his team would win it 4-1. Has that helped the team in any conceivable way? Really not. Just look at the result of the first two matches and it is clear that once again, the men from Calypso were simply outplayed. So the question I would like to ask Gayle is that what he was trying to do, making such outrageous comments? His team certainly doesn’t have the track-record of winning series and the absence of such critical players was bound to take its toll. It is fine being a bit brave, or even cocky if you are playing the Aussies, but 4-1, against the Aussies in Australia, really?

India need a Steyn-remover

It is hard to comprehend which of the Indian batsmen is capable of taking on Steyn but unless something is done soon, this test series spells doom for the Indian team. None of their batsmen seem comfortable against Steyn’s reverse swing and his ability to move the ball either ways from the good-length area. The only thing I can suggest is that somehow the presently not-so-impressive Gautam Gambhir can somehow try and step out of his crease and come down the wicket, just to spoil Steyn’s line and create some breathing space for the rest of his teammates.

Wake-up India, the Test Series with SA is upon you!

Just one day to go for a test series that is supposed to decide who would hold on to test cricket ranking of number one and strangely, there is not much commotion in the usually, over-active India media. For some strange reason, the arrival of the SA team in India, their subsequent practice match and the lead-up to the first test match in Nagpur has had a sleepy feel to it. For me, it is extremely difficult to decipher the exact reason considering that even the Indo-Bangladesh series was talked about, even before it began! My gut feeling is that this could hurt the Indian team since the batsmen in particular are known to get a bit over-insulated if the opposition doesn’t make the expected noise. Could it be that Graeme Smith has planned this move? I seriously wish someone from the Indian camp makes some statements about the fact that the Proteas are here without a regular coach—I mean someone who has been earmarked for being fired in the very near future…tsk, tsk, when will the Indian team learn to play ‘dem mind games??!!

Great to have a combo of Mitchell, Bollinger and Bracken

Ricky Ponting might not make it very obvious in his post-match speeches but it is no secret that the Aussie bowling resources are reaching a remarkable level. I am particularly impressed by their left-arm riches. Just consider the fact that they have three different bowlers of this bowling style and each one bowls very differently and in fact, all of them can play together in a match though the probability of something like that happening in the near future is minimal. Bollinger comes across as a hit-the-deck sort of left-armer who seems to enjoy a bit of zest in the pitch. Bracken on the other hand is more suited to the dry surfaces since he bowls so many of those off-cutters. Now look at Mitchell Johnson, he is somewhat of a combo of these two bowlers and probably the fastest of the lot and can bat pretty well too. What is even more remarkable is the fact that just about 10 months back, the Australian bowling cupboard looked bare or that is what everyone thought and now the newest of additions like Siddle, McKay and Harris are taking wickets by the heap and Ponting must be perplexed who to leave out in a match.

South Africa must be planning to bounce-out Indians

The recent test matches in Bangladesh might have been easily won by the Indian team but the fact is that the team's inability to handle the short-ball became a bit too obvious for the comfort of the coach and the captain. I say so because the Indian team is about to take on the Proteas and the SA team has some of the tallest bowlers who would have smelt blood looking at the predicament of the Indian batsmen. While some folks might say that the discomfort of the Indians was precipitated by their tendency to take the Bangladeshi bowlers a bit casually...the fact is that most Indian batsmen just don't expect bowlers to be hitting their helmets in home conditions. Thus, this might just become their undoing when Morkel and a rejuvenated Dale Steyn bend their backs and try to aim for their jawlines. Does that mean that the Indian batsmen will fail? Not really, I just wanted to highlight that this aspect could well become the most attention-grabbing feature of the short test series. Further, the Indian team really does not have the bowlers to reciprocate the favor. U really cannot expect Zaheer Khan to keep bowling throughout the day and there is no besides him who can bowl short-pitched stuff in an effective manner.