Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kusal Perera will attempt a breakneck start, but Sri Lanka have not compromised on finishing quality. It is difficult not to draw comparisons with their 1996 World Cup strategy

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Cardiff08-Jun-2013Sri Lankans can be a strange people. It’s the height of impoliteness to decline a meal when visiting friends, but only after you have initially placed a soft refusal. “No, we couldn’t possibly bother you, and we’ve got to run anyway,” becomes a four-hour visit that’s split in half by the first goodbye, and then a string of secondary farewells that interject conversation over the next two hours. Bus drivers alternate between pressing the accelerator to the floor and slamming on the brakes about a dozen times in 30 seconds. And the bakers have long since ceased to put any fish in the fish buns.The Sri Lanka attack has been an apt reflection of Sri Lankan weirdness in past years, but ahead of the Champions Trophy, it is the batting strategy that seems odd. Before the tournament began, MS Dhoni had predicted that teams, his included, would seek to conserve wickets against the two new balls, and then cash in on field restrictions later in the innings. Sri Lanka, though, are heading in the opposite direction. Their opening pair of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kusal Perera possess the highest combined strike-rates for their country. Colombo’s Beira Lake will freeze over before Angelo Mathews asks either to rein his game in.It is difficult not to draw comparisons with Sri Lanka’s strategy in the 1996 World Cup. Like Sanath Jayasuriya, Perera is a manufactured opener – he mans the middle order for his domestic side, and that is where he began for Sri Lanka. Also like Jayasuriya, he had been picked for his second-skill (keeping wickets), but he was so impactful down the order, his talent seemed wasted there. Before the tour of Australia was over, he was opening alongside Dilshan, and has since punched out a batting average well over 50 – albeit in only seven matches. Perera’s brashness and dominant bottom-hand bear a strong resemblance to the old man as well, though whether his bhangra is quite as good as that of his chief selector, who recently did a season with a dance show, remains to be seen.”He’s very fearless and he hasn’t changed anything about the way he plays since he was in the Under-19 teams,” Mathews said of Perera. “He wants to take on any bowler that comes his way, and he takes a lot of pressure off Dilshan as well. That combination works for us.”We’ll try to play the way we are capable of playing cricket. We’ve got a couple of dashing openers at the top. So we are not trying to change too much of them.”Mahela Jayawardene’s promotion to no. 3 in the warm-up matches may also convey something of Sri Lanka’s plans for the tournament. The earlier Jayawardene has arrived at the crease in the past, the freer his strokemaking has been. In the 1996 World Cup semi-final, the early fall of both openers induced one of the most audacious counterattacks in ODI history from Aravinda de Silva, who struck 66 from 47 to draw the poison from India’s attack. If Jayawardene is being handed a similar mandate, then, deliberately or not, Sri Lanka are reclaiming the 1996 spirit that remains the single-most treasured cricket memory for fans, players and administrators in the country.Like the 1996 team that had Hashan Tillakaratne as low as no. 7, Sri Lanka bat deep in 2013 too. Mathews ordinarily arrives at no.6, but has in the past year been followed by Thisara Perera and Jeevan Mendis, though, if conditions suit, fast-bowling allrounder Dilhara Lokuhettige might be preferred to the latter. Nuwan Kulasekara is in good touch with the bat too, having struck an unbeaten 40 in the warm-up match against West Indies, meaning that although Sri Lanka will attempt a breakneck start, they have not compromised on finishing quality.”We’ll let the openers play how they’ve been used to playing, and the rest of the few players can consolidate in the middle,” Mathews said. “We’ve got a few power hitters as well at the back end as well, so we’ve got a pretty balanced team.”Perhaps no Sri Lankan team, no matter how good, can live up to the legend of the 1996 pioneers, of course, given their effect on the nation’s cricketing landscape. But out of that World Cup, some fuzzy, oft-invoked notion of a “Sri Lankan brand of cricket” was born, and if this team can rediscover that knack for hyper-aggression, they will make for compelling viewing, win or lose.

Kamran Akmal talks about being relegated to the fringe, and life after Sydney

Interview by Umar Farooq16-Apr-2013Do you count how many catches you’ve dropped?
The media does. They love doing it. []Dropping one always puts extra pressure, so you quickly have to bring yourself back into the game and think ahead instead of counting or remembering them. But at the start of the day you never want to drop any chances.Did you always want to be a keeper?
Yes, I chose it myself after everyone around me at my club [Cricket Centre] encouraged me to do so. I started keeping wicket around the age of 13-14. I played my first international fixture for Pakistan Under-15 against Australia in England as a wicketkeeper-batsman.What’s it like being a wicketkeeper?
There was a time when wicketkeeping was perceived as a thankless job. But, especially after 2000, I think the role of a wicketkeeper was extended with players like [Adam] Gilchrist and [Mark] Boucher, who have taken the role to a different height. Now a wicketkeeper is one of the most important players in the team.It’s not about just keeping, he needs to motivate the team, and he is a symbol of energy. He is the one who remains on his toes every single ball and talks to the bowler with his eyes without losing his own concentration. And he has another role to play as a batsman.You last played Test cricket back in 2010. Do you miss it?
I am missing it because it’s the format that gives you ample time to express yourself and your abilities. I am enjoying playing limited-overs series but there is always a sense of emptiness without playing Test cricket. I have delivered in the past in the format and I’m eager to do it again, but it’s a decision the selectors have to make. I was actually dropped and I know the place is still unsettled.You have a better batting average than some of the finest former wicketkeepers in Pakistan.
I think for a wicketkeeper-batsman, the batting average must be around 30 to 35. I have dropped my average after 2011 and it’s mainly because of the fluctuations in the batting order. It’s easy to maintain your average once you play a certain number of Tests for at least one complete year.The selectors say there is no real competitor at the domestic level to replace you in limited-overs. Many wicketkeepers have been tried after 2010 but none have settled in.
Like I said before, the role of a wicketkeeper has extended now. The selectors are looking at picking a batsman-wicketkeeper, and maybe they think I am the one who can live up to their expectations. But obviously a day will come when I will call it a day and someone will be ready to take my place.It’s always tricky to replace a senior player in the team. Some ten years back I took over from Rashid [Latif] and Moin [Khan]. I had to work extra hard to step into their shoes.Is there anyone around who is a threat to your place?
It’s my brother Adnan who I am afraid of. He has shown glimpses of being a good wicketkeeper-batsman.Does the Sydney Test still haunt you?
I think it somehow changed the direction of my career. I was pushed back and it’s like starting my career again. I always insisted that it was purely a day of bad luck, and it can happen with every player, any day, any time, in any match. It was surely among the worst days of my career – nothing I did was going my way. I crumbled under pressure.Can you share with us how it felt then?
I had a sense of loneliness, and those missed chances were uppermost in my head. Obviously everyone was disappointed. I was disappointed because we had a great chance to beat Australia on their home soil. In such a scenario, you want the day to pass as quick as possible so that you can start a fresh day with a fresh state of mind, leaving the bad day behind.

“My family and cricket board know I am clean and that’s what matters. It’s a culture here – people believe what they hear, and things spread. Nobody is guilty until proven guilty, so if anyone has any proof against me, come up”

Is that the biggest regret of your cricket career so far?
It is. I always wish I could go back in the past to change it but it’s something you have to take with you throughout your life. It really shook my confidence.There has been plenty of whispering about match-fixing related to you.
Nothing has been proved against me ever, and I am here representing my country. My family and cricket board know I am clean and that’s what matters. It’s a culture here – people believe what they hear, and things spread. Nobody is guilty until proven guilty, so if anyone has any proof against me, come up.I chose cricket, I worked hard in the blazing sun to get to the top. I can’t think about getting mixed up in match-fixing stuff. I am loyal to my profession and my country. Representing Pakistan is the greatest feat I have achieved. I only urge fans to please respect players and let them concentrate on their cricket.These stories are probably the reason your career is in the shadows?
Look, there are certain things that are beyond my control. It took my whole life to build a reputation, but such allegations affect your career in seconds. I have played more than 50 Test matches, nearly 150 ODIs so far, and if my body allows me I can play for five to six more years. The only thing I can do is play hard and perform for the team. Disappointment is there in a corner of the heart, but then that’s life and you have to live with it. You can’t fight with people every day to convince them.You have played some memorable match-winning innings for Pakistan, like in Mohali, Karachi, Kolkata…
These were the finest innings of my career but I want to win more matches for the country. I don’t need to prove anything to anyone as I have delivered on so many occasions, and it shows that I have the ability. Obviously you learn every day and improve yourself. I had a good South Africa series and playing up the order really helped me regain my confidence.Who is the best bowler you have kept to in international cricket?
I enjoyed keeping to Danish Kaneria, but I started having difficulties collecting against him. Collecting off a legspinner is ideal, since the ball spins away from the batsman outside off, with a clear view for the keeper. But after the Australia tour [2009-10], my confidence was shaken. Still, Kaneria was one of the best men to keep to.How about collecting off Saeed Ajmal? Does he signal before bowling a doosra?
Not at all. I never had a problem reading him. The good thing about Ajmal is his length. I know he won’t be bowling a bad ball. But I have to be extra careful while keeping to him because most of his deliveries have the potential to take a wicket. So I am always watchful.Do you sledge from behind the stumps?
Not really. I prefer focusing on my wicketkeeping and avoid talking too much. I and Ishant [Sharma] had an altercation once, but that was in the heat of the moment. Otherwise we are good friends.How do you want to be remembered?
It’s a matter purely in god’s hands. I have worked very hard in life, but especially after the Sydney Test life became difficult and I had to start from scratch amid false allegations. Eventually your hard work pays off.I want to go down in history as a successful player.

The Plays of the day from the IPL match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab

Siddarth Ravindran19-Apr-2013The catch
This IPL has already seen some of the old-timers pull off some astonishing bits of fielding – Ricky Ponting’s leaping effort to dismiss Unmukt Chand, Brad Hodge’s fast, flow throw to get the crucial run out of David Warner, Adam Gilchrist’s athletic catches against Rajasthan Royals and Rahul Dravid’s reflex one-handed pluck to send back Robin Uthappa. There was an addition to that list in the eighth over of the chase. Reddy looked to power a ball over mid-off only to see 38-year-old Azhar Mahmood zip across and then stretch out his right hand to snare the ball when it seemed to have almost gone past him.The diamond duck

Manpreet Gony got his first game of the season three days ago against Kolkata Knight Riders, and surprised everyone with a career-best 18-ball 42 that proved pivotal in a low-scoring shootout. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he was promoted ahead of Dimitri Mascarenhas, but there was no repeat of the magic. In fact, Gony didn’t even get on strike as he was run-out for a diamond duck, sent back while attempting a suicidal second. Quite the turnaround in fortunes.The juggle
Towards the end of Kings XI Punjab’s innings, they were looking to David Hussey to provide the final push to take the side to a competitive score. Those hopes were dashed, though, when he picked out Akshath Reddy at sweeper cover in the 17th over. Kings XI’s hopes were again momentarily raised as the ball bounced off Reddy’s shoulder but, to their dismay, the ball popped up nicely to provide Reddy a simple second chance, which he gleefully accepted.The miss
Most legspinners have a decent googly in their armoury, and Amit Mishra is no exception. On a spinning track, he floated one in the 16th over and the batsman, Gurkeerat Singh was completely befuddled by it. Gurkeerat was looking to hammer the ball through the off side, but the ball beat his bat by a long way to strike his pads. There was such a large gap between the ball and bat that even Gurkeerat broke into an apologetic grin.The puzzler
In his fifth match of the season, Gilchrist won his first toss and chose to bat. When asked why, he seemed nonplussed, left searching for words as the media training of many years deserted him. He finally managed to say that one of the reasons was that teams have managed to defend low totals this season, something his side couldn’t replicate on the day.

The owners’ investment into the IPL has come at some very high prices; that cannot, however, absolve them of strict scrutiny

Sharda Ugra06-Jun-2013Three weeks after the IPL corruption scandal first broke, two things reminded us once again what the whole shebang was about – a festering rot in world cricket’s most celebrated league.The first glimpse of clarity from the BCCI’s corner arrived on Tuesday with vice-president Arun Jaitley talking about “insiders getting involved in betting”.Then next came on Thursday in a statement by Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar that Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra had confessed, during a 12-hour chat, to “betting on his own team” during the IPL. Kundra has since denied saying anything of the sort.Until these two happenings, the BCCI had turned its attention elsewhere. For two weeks, its muddled ditherings had sidelined the real crisis facing Indian cricket and the IPL after the arrest of Gurunath Meiyappan, amorphously-titled enthusiast-official-owner of the Chennai Super Kings and definitively-established son-in-law of BCCI president N Srinivasan. The working committee meeting in Chennai on Sunday ended up being merely a ‘Save Srini’s Feelings’ platform whose eventual result was an old order giving way to the older.The day after Jaitley’s comments, Gurunath and his alleged punter pal Vindoo Dara Singh were given bail; now, Kundra, while not charged, is alleged to have placed bets on his own team during the IPL season. It has left Indian cricket – finally free of Srinivasan’s overwhelming presence – once again shaken by the knowledge that IPL 2013 had revealed the possibility of a new avenue of access for the illegal betting mafia – the owner-punter.It is why the response to Gurunath’s arrest from both Srinivasan and Chennai Super Kings was a crushing disappointment and a dangerous precedent. It portrayed Gurunath as a lone gunman, and sidestepped a central premise. That a secret club of illegal punters could be hidden among the IPL franchise owners.The line trotted out was that Gurunath was charged with “only” betting and not spot-fixing. Betting is illegal in India; but even in countries where betting is legal, it is both illegal and unethical for team owners in sporting leagues to place bets around the event. The NFL constitution details the disciplinary action – under 8.13 C – that can be taken over betting by “a person employed by or connected with the league or any member club thereof” in what is the richest sporting league in the world. The Football Association, the parent body under whose rules England’s Premier League clubs must function, has a betting handbook that states clearly that “players, managers, coaches, club medical staff, other club employees and staff, directors and licensed Agents” are not allowed to bet.What both the Gurunath and Kundra cases instantly red-flagged is the need of the BCCI to be as thorough in asking for details from all the IPL owners and even their (to use a Lalit Modi-ism) “friends and family,” as they are of cricketers, their agents and other assorted hangers-on.The IPL owners have enormous influence and reach over their teams and its players. After Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested, an IPL official offered an analogy, “Imagine the spot-fix to be like a mafia hit. Mr A has a reason to want a hit. He makes an offer to Mr B to execute the hit. Mr B makes a plan and either knows someone who knows the people who can carry out the hit or he knows the people themselves.” On the money trail of this hit, the cricketers feature at the bottom; they may be the best known on this ladder but they are the least paid, at the end of the illegal betting mafia’s food chain.In this food chain, those privy to the inside information that cricketers are also privy to are valued even more. Those folk ‘invest’ in the betting business themselves after all, and they can open all kinds of doors for bookies. In the IPL, those are the Beautiful People, the nebulous group that populates the VIP areas of league matches. Jaitley spelt out the worst-case scenario of such insiders being involved in betting – that betting could be “transformed into fixing.”There is, it must be said, more than one BCCI official deeply suspicious of the new entrants into Indian cricket through the IPL. More than one will tell you about what they hear and see around games. A few seasons ago, a man wearing a pitch-access pass was heard to remark that there was comparatively less money in the actual IPL and more in betting, which he was into. A complaint was made to the ACSU and the man was never seen again.In the Gurunath case, even if Srinivasan and Chennai Super Kings knew nothing of Gurunath’s alleged proclivities, to attempt to completely obliterate his existence from the core of Super Kings is to dodge truth. That truth is that Srinivasan and Super Kings were responsible for giving Gurunath the access to cricketers, coaches and insider information. He is now charged with using that access to make a personal profit through betting.Gurunath’s arrest – even if on charges of betting alone – is the reason why the ownership of an IPL team by a BCCI official was always going to be a bad idea. Srinivasan’s resignation pantomime was evidence that the first response of an official-owner would be to try his damnedest to prevent any and all strictures from being enforced on himself or his enterprise.The ghastly fallout of IPL 2013 has also served as another warning to not be dazzled by the IPL’s shiny, noisy wrapping paper. Or rather any sort of packaging. Gurunath looked, as IPL operations folk describe with disbelief, “absolutely correct and proper.” As an owner, he had, “a totally low profile, didn’t try to project himself, he was non-interfering.” It was believed that Guru was the “right kind of guy” in charge of the “model-run franchise.” Alleged player-bookie Amit Singh was well-spoken and educated. Not judging books by their covers is useful advice.The more astute inside the IPL ecosystem today – and they do exist – have no doubt that the rot is spread wider and higher than the level of cricketers alone.In the time they have at the helm of the BCCI, Jagmohan Dalmiya, Jaitley & Co must turn an unwavering glare on the IPL owners. Whatever the IPL may say it has done in terms of scrutiny of owners at the time franchises were auctioned, it was clearly not sufficient. One solution could be dealing only with corporations listed on stock exchanges. Along with that, ensuring that the bonafides of everyone involved in the owners’ caravans are established and vetted from several sources. Owner access is as much an entry point for the betting mafia into the IPL as is player access. The delusional distance that the BCCI has kept from law enforcement – apart from having them look after crowd control during matches – is now threatening the very existsnce of their golden goose.The owners’ investment into the IPL has come at some very high prices; that cannot, however, make up for the diminishing values of the IPL’s integrity.

Zimbabwe’s batsmen have lacked staying power in the past. Their middle order reversed that trend and their handling of the spinners showed improvement

Firdose Moonda in Harare04-Sep-2013The first ball Malcolm Waller faced was a standard Saeed Ajmal offbreak. It turned, but not so much that he was surprised by it. In fact, Waller seemed perfectly prepared.Waller moved to the ball, as though he had waited for it the whole day. He drove it through the covers with the placement and timing of someone who had replayed doing that in their mind multiple times. It pierced the gap and sailed to the boundary as though traveling on a silk sheet while Waller admired it from the crease. There weren’t many others at the ground but those who were would have agreed: that was a superb stroke.Zimbabwean batsmen have been known to bring out similar stunners in the past, some of which made an appearance in this innings. Vusi Sibanda’s pull, which he managed to keep under wraps until a Rahat Ali delivery was short enough, and his off-drive were two examples. Tino Mawoyo’s pushes down the ground which appear effortless as they beat the non-striker were another.Even Hamilton Masakadza’s block was beautiful because it was strong. But that shot from Waller was different. It symbolised something other than the ability to produce an eye-catching stroke on occasion. Because he did it again and again as the day went on, it illustrated progress.Zimbabwe’s batsmen have lacked staying power in the past, especially in their middle order, so to have a fourth-wicket stand worth 127 and No.4 and 5 in the batting line-up end the day as the top-scorers showed improvement. To have them handle spinners with such ease demonstrated their development even further.Just six months ago, albeit in more spinner-friendly conditions, Shane Shillingford and Marlon Samuels reduced their batting to what can only be called the remains of an international line-up. Today, they dealt with Ajmal and Abdur Rehman with confidence and poise, enough to be able to have stacked two good days of Test cricket together.The resistance began much earlier, when Zimbabwe’s openers stood firm against an assault from Pakistan’s openers. Junaid Khan and Rahat produced exceptional first spells. They both found movement – Junaid swinging it away from the right-handers and Rahat curling it in – and both kept Zimbabwe on their toes.Mawoyo had an lbw appeal against him with the first delivery of the innings but it had pitched outside leg. Rahat cut through Sibanda with one that hit the top of the pad and went over the stumps in the second over. Every ball seemed to do something, whether it bounced or swung.After a few tense deliveries, one of them would overpitch and runs would come. Then, it was back to the uncertainty. Sibanda had a few inner battles to fight as he contemplated whether to play the ball or not. Both had to judge the extra bounce, take a gamble on whether the swing would become too dangerous and then decide to leave or not. If they got bat on ball, then they could begin hoping there was enough time to complete a quick run.Having not played competitive cricket for six months, it did not take too long for Mawoyo to judge one incorrectly, but the 40 minutes he spent at the crease used up time, which was important for those who followed. Masakadza did a similar thing. He demonstrated patience and temperament Zimbabwe have lacked in the recent past and began to see off the first of the spinners with Sibanda.Rehman did not pose much of a threat. When he tossed it up, the batsmen responded but they were willing to bide their time against anything else. The same applied to Ajmal when he came on, although Masakadza gave him a sign that it was not going to be hard work for him when he launched him over the clubhouse for six in his first over.With little assistance from the surface, Ajmal had to rely purely on his own skill. He turned a few and he remained deceptive – Masakadza was out playing for a doosra when it was in fact the offbreak – and that was where it could have gone wrong for Zimbabwe. The two old hands, Sibanda and Masakdaza were out off consecutive deliveries and the stage for a collapse was set. Waller’s push for four showed Zimbabwe’s intent to reverse that trend and the rest of his innings and his partnership with Sikandar Raza rubber-stamped that.After that shot, they went 12 balls without scoring. Patience, they knew, would be important. But when Junaid went too wide or bowled a full toss, Waller punished him because some show of aggression was important too.Finding the balance between the two was what Waller indicated was Zimbabwe’s biggest challenge. “Previously when we’ve gone out there and maybe because we don’t play a lot of Test cricket, guys are in a hurry,” Waller said. “But in this match, most guys are very clear about what they need to do and they know their roles. We’ve got simple plans and we’re trying to stick to them. We’re also not as attacking as we used to be.”Waller and Raza took the risk out of their game by only playing shots they were confident of pulling off. The sweep was one of them and Waller used it at will. He was able to play it so often and so successfully, he said, because he had learned to read Ajmal, despite him remaining difficult to face. “I tried to concentrate and watch the ball as closely as I could. I found that I was playing it a lot off the pitch and not from the hand but he was tricky, as he has been most of the other times I have faced him,” Waller said.While Waller scored quickly, Raza hung on and he only quickened up once he was more comfortable. He was rewarded with a fifty on Test debut and when he was dismissed, Zimbabwe were only 37 behind the Pakistan total. So weak has their middle-order been in the recent past that even in that situation, it remained a possibility that Zimbabwe would be bowled out without passing Pakistan’s score. That they managed to take a lead represented a different mindset from Zimbabwe. They need to show more such commitment to grow in the elite form of the game.

Australia’s problems seems to be mounting but their stand-in captain dealt with the flak before focusing on what his team could do better

Jarrod Kimber at Edgbaston11-Jun-2013″I think we’ve only lost the first game thus far,” a smirking George Bailey said.It has been a rough couple of days for Australia in England. Michael Clarke will not play against New Zealand and, as Bailey put it in a slight understatement, “He’s our captain and out best batsman.” He could have said, he is our life force, our sunshine, our everything, yet still understated the effect that Clarke’s absence has on this team. When asked when Clarke might be back, he said: “I not qualified, I’m not good with backs.”Without Clarke, and with the entire English press corps slating them at every chance, Australia could be forgiven for crawling up in a ball in a corner of Edgbaston and waiting for it all to end. Instead when the press bashing of Australia was brought up, Bailey responded with a gag. “The English press. We read everything they write, we take it very, very seriously and they’re privy to everything we do,” he said. “No, we take it with a pinch of salt. The loss hurt us more than anyone. We don’t want to be losing to England, we don’t want to be losing to anyone.”Australia’s form is one of the recurring themes of this tournament. Other than Pakistan, no other team seems so incapable of making runs. The loss to England was embarrassing and, despite their being only a couple of Australian journalists covering the team, a second loss to New Zealand will really upset the fans and up the pressure.Australians generally patronise New Zealand and look down on their cricket. But in this game, with New Zealand’s ODI form in England, the fact they won their first game, their bowling attack, and how long they have had to acclimatise, they might for the first time in a very long time go into this game as favourites. Even if the bookies and punters still believe Australia deserve that title.In the mode of modern cricket, Bailey seemed far more interested in his team than the opposition. Sure, he said the normal, “They’re in good form, their one-day cricket has been pretty consistent for a number of years,” about New Zealand but mostly he was focused on his own team. “For us to play our best cricket and get back to where we want to be, it’s about focusing a bit more internally.”Nowhere is that more important than with Australia’s failing batsmen. “Batting’s a good example of that,” he said. “The challenge is, when you’ve had a couple of poor batting performances, that the guys start to think about their place within the team or their role within the team. And what we want our guys to do is go out there with that clarity and that freedom to bat how they bat.”Luckily for the players in this Australia squad, with Clarke out, there is really no other full-time batsman to push for a spot, so they have two matches to really back themselves. And they’ll be doing it against a team that hasn’t beaten Australia in an ICC 50-over tournament since 1999.Australia are considering playing Xavier Doherty on this pitch, on which South Africa defeated Pakistan on Monday and where spin was hard to get away. Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson are the most likely front-line bowlers to make way but, while Johnson can be flighty and inconsistent at times, he has often been, as one journalist put it, “a thorn in New Zealand’s flesh”.Bailey enjoyed hearing that. It was, perhaps the most positive part of the entire press conference for him. Now he will be hoping that after Australia have played their two traditional enemies, he isn’t fronting the press on Wednesday night saying we’ve only lost two games thus far.

On an emotional day in Mumbai, Sachin Tendulkar kept his emotions in check; while the fans went crazy, he calmly said his goodbyes with his family by his side

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Nov-2013Anjali Tendulkar stood below the Indian dressing room waiting for her husband. An emotional Sachin Tendulkar had climbed the 34 steps leading to the dressing room with his head bowed down, tears trickling down, after India had decimated West Indies in the Mumbai Test.Anjali was standing in the shade of the sight screen, along with her children, daughter Sara and son Arjun. Tears might have been welling up in their eyes but they did well to not let their emotions spill over lest it soil their husband/father’s moment. As everyone was waiting for Tendulkar to emerge from the dressing room, the Wankhede Stadium crowd bellowed, “Thank You, Sachin. Thank You, Sachin.”Eventually, having given a speech in the West Indies dressing room, listened to in rapt attention by former captain Brian Lara, Tendulkar walked out with an energy drink in his hand. Fans from the adjacent MCA Pavilion went insane, making screeching and wailing noises to express their emotions. Tendulkar just smiled and then spotted Sudhir Gautam, one of his biggest fans. Tendulkar asked the Indian logistics in charge to get Gautam onto the ground, hugged his wife and kids, and smiled as he walked towards the presentation party.On Friday, Tendulkar had sought out Gautam and Dharamveer Pal, the polio-stricken young man who travels with the Indian team during matches. He told them both to keep supporting cricket. “It is because of you guys we play. Keep supporting India. Indian cricket needs you,” he said.Now, as Ravi Shastri started the introductions, a powerful wave of boos cascaded and drowned his words. Everyone was desperate to hear one man: Tendulkar. A note in hand, Tendulkar walked with a small bottle of water in the other. Smartly, Shastri handed the microphone to Tendulkar without saying anything. Mic and bottle in hand, and the list in the other, Tendulkar started his tribute speech.Each and every person he spoke about, he tried to locate them so he could speak them, whichever stand they were in, wherever they were sitting or standing. The only person absent was his father, who was the first person on the list. When he addressed his mother Rajni he looked at her in the president’s box, which was above the teams’ dressing rooms. Tendulkar had personally overseen the construction of the ramp which would allow her wheelchair access. On Thursday morning before the first ball was bowled, Tendulkar had told BCCI president N Srinivasan that he was playing this final match for his mum and nothing else mattered. Today, he thanked the woman who meant everything to him heartily.As he revealed bits and pieces about his life, about how his sister gave him his first bat, how his eldest brother Nitin had encouraged him all the while because he believed in him, how he told his brother Ajit that both of them had lived the same dream, about his in-laws being open to discuss any issues and his friends willing to cater to all his needs – including the doctors whom he would call to all parts of the world to diagnose his niggles – the applause only grew in resonance around the Wankhede. Anjali finally cried – so did Sara, while Arjun appeared sombre – when Tendulkar told the world about the sacrifices she had made to make for his sake.By the time he had thanked his team-mates both present and former, the speech was about 10 minutes long. He apologised to everyone saying, “I know my speech is getting longer.” Even before he could finish his sentence the crowd, in a bossy manner, egged him on. He continued.And when he said he would dearly missing the crowds chanting “Saachinn, Saachinn” the thunderous roar refused to die down. Amidst that, Tendulkar wrapped up his speech.He rushed away into the protective embrace of his family and team-mates. It was now time to say one last thanks to the public. The farewell lap. Tendulkar had already been carried in 2011 by his team-mates, after India had won the World Cup. But then it was a collective dream fulfilled. Today it was all about him. Even his own team-mates, as Rohit Sharma later revealed, just wanted to take in as much as possible of their hero.The lap of honour started form the MCA Pavilion and inched towards the Sunil Gavaskar Stand. MS Dhoni tapped on Tendulkar’s shoulder telling him his team-mates would like to carry him aloft on their shoulders. Tendulkar just smiled. Enough for Dhoni and Virat Kohli to lift him up instantly. Tendulkar sat upright. Unburdened. Waving the Indian tri-colour.Anjali walked behind the palanquin, not like a wife but just one of the crowd. Arjun kept a close eye on his old man. Like a bodyguard he craned his neck here and there to make sure no suspicious elements had managed to sneak past the security cordon. Nitin Patel (physio) and Maane (Ramesh Mane, masseur) carried on clapping like they were on a Tendulkar (pilgrimage).The crowd, meanwhile, was going mad. Like slaves in olden times the thousands raised their hands from all tiers across every stand chanting “Saaachin”, as if he were saviour who could release them from their misery. It was one of the many touching moments on the day.Soon the lap came to an end. Anjali and the kids left for the family box. Tendulkar took a sip of water.And then he walked alone towards the middle. Like he had done thousands of times. Except this time he was not the gladiator walking into the arena. He was just a normal man paying obeisance to the soil on which he had built his career. The chant was still on. It stopped when he reached the pitch. He rubbed the red soil of the Wankhede pitch for a moment with his right palm and touched it to his heart and head. Goosebumps erupted all around, as did a cacophonous roar. Tendulkar walked back, head low, face hidden under the sweat-drenched sun hat given to him by his team-mates on the occasion of the 200th Test. He did not dare show those moist eyes to the world.Sachin then climbed the 34 steps, once again, briskly. Afraid the crowd might swallow him. In five minutes, the stadium was empty.He then visited his family and returned one last time to the Indian dressing room, where the players from both teams were milling around, having lunch. About 20 minutes later Tendulkar walked into the team bus. Like always, the front seat was his. Anjali sat next to him. It became evident that he had not had his lunch, busy extending courtesies and thanking everyone while the ground catering staff packed lunch for him and the family. Just then Tendulkar spotted his former team-mate and captain, Sourav Ganguly. Both men hugged warmly.At 13 minutes past two on Saturday afternoon Sachin Tendulkar left the ground. One last time. Youngsters dressed in his No. 10 ODI jersey ran behind the team bus. Outside the ground’s gates the (drums) were in full swing. Revellers were going crazy along Marine Drive. “Cricket now is a temple without god,” read one of the banners at the ground.

Plays of the day for the opening day of the first Test between India and West Indies in Mumbai

N Hunter14-Nov-2013The drop
Mohammad Azharuddin and Rahul Dravid used to field at first slip. Hands that picked some of the best catches. A bowler would trust them completely and likewise, these guys built his confidence. However R Ashwin, who fields at the same position, has never given that same kind of assurance. Today he had already seen a difficult chance, an outside edge from Kieran Powell fall a yard in front of him. But a few overs later when Powell was beaten by the superb seam movement of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashwin spilled a straightforward catch. The ball was going to his left. Ashwin moved quickly but tried to pouch the ball, probably, with hard hands because the ball bounced off his left palm, trickled across his arm before bouncing off his lap onto the ground even as he tried to hold on to it in vain. Ashwin looked to the heavens for assistance. The bowler, too, did the same.The shot
The ball was pitched on a good length. It was slightly fuller. Sachin Tendulkar’s eyes lit up. He opened his stance, quickly moved forward and using his left elbow to lend direction, he punched exquisite straight drive -past Darren Sammy, past mid-on for another four. It was a shot that comes to mind when you think Tendulkar the batsman. It is shot the roaring Wankhede took home.The word of caution
Narsingh Deonarine was playing his first ball of the series. He tapped Bhuvneshwar towards mid-on and set off for a single without even realising Pragyan Ojha was standing well inside the circle. If that was not enough, Deonarine, who replaced Veerasammy Permaul, should have at least realised his partner was the as-safe-as-they-come Shivnarine Chanderpaul. The Guyanese, playing his 150th Test match, did not even blink as he turned his back to Deonarine, who had to retreat swiftly. An annoyed Chanderpaul indicated his displeasure by drawing a question mark with his hands.The plan
The ploy of making the batsmen play as many balls as possible is a rule good fast bowlers never forget. Bhuvneshwar deployed that strategy successfully against all batsmen including Chanderpaul, who was defeated by the bowler’s accuracy and persistence. In his third over of his first spell after lunch, Bhuvneshwar bowled four balls to Chanderpaul of similar nature: pitching back of a length, on leg or middle stump and moving away. Chanderpaul left a couple of deliveries alone, but the other two he was tempted to play, only to get squared up. In his next over, Bhuvneshwar improvised by pitching on the leg stump and creating an angle that forced Chanderpaul to play at the ball. The thick edge went to Ashwin, who did well to hold a good catch.The catch
Deonarine seemed in a hurry as he tried to play most of the balls. Trying to defend a delivery from Ashwin which had pitched on the middle stump and was turning away, Deonarine stretched forward, but could not get to the pitch of the ball. The outside edge flew to the left of M Vijay, at short gully, who dived to pluck a spectacular low catch.

William Porterfield talks leadership, his first match for his country, and the super power he wants

Interview by Jack Wilson08-Mar-2014Think back to September 3, 2013. A century, while captain of Ireland, against England. How good was that?
It was a pretty special moment. To score a century for your country always is, but at the end of the day we lost. It takes a bit away from scoring a few runs when it’s not in a winning cause.Was it made more special because it was against England?
It’s always nice for any Irishman to do well when they come up against England in any sport, but they are the closest team to us and a Full Member nation too.What is it like to captain your country?
A massive honour. To walk out leading Ireland is something I dreamed about. I had a taste of captaining Ireland’s junior sides from a young age and just wanted it more and more.How much would Test cricket mean to Ireland?
It would be massive for the country and for cricket in Ireland. It would show how far we’ve come, but it’s still a work in progress. I know it’s not going to happen overnight but we’ve come a long way.Will it happen in your career?
I hope so. The board have put a plan in place and a strategy to become a Test-playing nation by 2020. I’d like to think I’ll still be around then.There have been a load of great days in your career, but what has been best?
The 2011 win in the World Cup over England in Bangalore is up there. The 2007 World Cup was magnificent too: the tie with Zimbabwe and then the win over Pakistan that got us through. There are so many.If you had to pick one?
I’ll go with the win over Pakistan, as it meant we qualified for the Super Eights that year.Who is the hardest man in county cricket?
I played with Steve Kirby and he was a fiery character on the pitch. Off it, he was a big softie.Who is the greatest Irish sportsman or woman that has ever lived?
George Best.If you could have one super power, what would it be?
To turn back time.Which of your Ireland team-mates can down a pint of Guinness the quickest?
I’ll go with Paul Stirling.Your team-mate Niall O’Brien told ESPNcricinfo he was a good sledger. What do you make of that?
I stand out of his way so I don’t have to hear him! I’ve never heard it when we’ve played Northamptonshire as I haven’t batted for long enough.Who is the most laidback player in your team?
Kevin O’Brien is right up there.Who’s the easiest to captain?
Paul Stirling. He doesn’t get upset about too much. He just goes out there to see the ball and smash it.What is the last film you have seen?
I’m not a film man myself. I think it was . How old is that?

Jacques Kallis signed off with a century, and his team-mates lived through the last 20 runs before lining up to congratulate the allrounder on a career well played

Firdose Moonda in Durban29-Dec-20130:00

Match Point – Kallis a better No. 4 than Tendulkar?

When Jacques Kallis went to bed on Saturday night, he was 78 not out after the third day of his final Test. None of his team-mates really knew what was going through his mind.”He is a great poker player, so he’s got a great poker face. You don’t know what he is feeling,” Robin Peterson said. “But I’m sure he was more nervous in the nineties than he was last night. It looks like he is just enjoying himself in his last game.”Kallis later revealed how he had felt. “It is a special feeling. It’s strange walking out to bat knowing that there is no tomorrow and it will be your last opportunity to get a hundred for your country,” he said. “It’s a different kind of pressure, being in the nineties for the last time, so it was different to normally being in the nineties.”He spent 49 deliveries moving from 78 to 100, and 20 of them were in the nineties. Petersen said the dressing room lived every one of them. “With 20 runs to go, all the boys were playing the innings with him,” he said.They sat in their box, all looking out of the window, ensuring they didn’t miss a thing. Morne Morkel was in the front row with Graeme Smith. Kallis drove to enter the nineties and their expressions grew more anxious with every ball. He left one alone and then clipped through square leg to add one more and stay on strike.Then Kallis blocked two deliveries from Ravindra Jadeja and worked one to fine leg, and then to square to move to 94. He was beaten by Mohammad Shami, had a short ball hurled at him, survived a yorker and saw one go down the leg side. No run in that over. Nails were bitten.But 98 came quickly after that, when Jadeja went down the leg side and Kallis played delicately to fine leg. The scoreboard declared him the third highest run-scorer in Test cricket. It was wrong. Three forward-defensives followed, then a single off Shami to move to 99, and three more blocks.Finally, a nudge to mid-on and a stroll. A 100. Kallis whirled his bat in the air, removed his helmet, looked to the skies and saluted the dressing room. They were on their feet, saluting him back. The Indian fielders were applauding. Kallis owned that moment.Jacques Kallis was greeted by his team-mates as he walked into the dressing room after his century•Getty ImagesThe mood lightened as soon as the milestone was achieved and the focus shifted to South Africa building their lead. By the time he had actually gone past Rahul Dravid to slot into third on the all-time list, the scoreboard had forgotten all about it.In the next over, Kallis had had enough. He tried to sweep Jadeja but top-edged to offer Dhoni a catch. As soon as he did, the South African players rushed down the steps to greet him. Smith was the first person Kallis met and the captain planted a kiss on his right temple.”A lot of guys were emotional [as] they went to meet him on the steps,” Peterson said. “I was padding up so I couldn’t join them. I’m pretty bummed about that. But it was really emotional, especially for the guys who have played with him for a long time. He has raised the bar as far as allrounders are concerned. It was great to see.”Kallis enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with his feet up watching Peterson and du Plessis bat. Smith was next to him the entire time. He had time to think about the innings he had just completed, which started slowly and cautiously, and gave it his stamp of approval.”In the situation that we were in, it was important to consolidate a bit and make sure we got back on track after losing a few wickets,” Kallis said. “We basically tried to pace the innings and keep the scoreboard ticking. It was quite difficult to score because the wicket is quite slow. They put up defensive fields and bowled quite defensively. As we got closer to their total we could afford to be more positive. I thought the guys really paced the innings well.”After South Africa were bowled out for 500, with a lead of 166, Kallis was second last out of the change room. He warmed up and took his place at second slip where nothing came his way. It’s likely to be in that position that he will stand on the final day.”I think he had a bit of a niggle towards the end of his batting,” Peterson said, referring to the treatment Kallis received during the drinks break. “We are probably going to have to carry him through his last Test. He has done enough in his career, so hopefully we can do the work and he can just stand at slip.”There are no more milestones for Kallis to chase. He has already claimed his 200th catch and at 292 wickets, 300 is unlikely to be in his sights. All he needs to do is enjoy the final day while the rest are sweating over how to send him off with a win. “He richly deserves to do that,” Peterson said. “All the guys just want him to enjoy his last moments.”