Keith Miller, the regal allrounder who impressed everyone in pubs to palaces, has died at the age of 84.An Invincible, a Second World War fighter pilot, a journalist, an elderly recluse: Miller was many things. Above all he was a hero to generations of Australians, even in his old age. “The ladies loved him, and every man wanted to be him,” the broadcaster Michael Parkinson said of his boyhood hero. Boasting film-star looks and a game to match, Miller helped shake the Commonwealth from its postwar despair with his dash and dare.During the war he flew fighter planes over Britain, and survived when the average lifespan was about three weeks. The experience shaped the remainder of his career and helped develop his legend. Cricket was merely one of life’s asides. “I’ll tell you what pressure is,” he once said. “Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse. Playing cricket is not.” A crash-landing left a bad back – “Nearly stumps drawn that time, gents” – but he walked away. On one mission he detoured over Bonn on the way back so he could see the city of Beethoven’s birth. Still, the Allies had stolen his early twenties. He entered the forces as a batsman and exited, reluctantly, as Australia’s fastest bowler.Unconventional and his own man, he raised the ire of Don Bradman on his Ashes debut, at the Gabba in 1946-47, by refusing to bowl fast and short to Bill Edrich. “I’d just fought a war with this bloke. I wasn’t going to take his head off.” He bowled cutters instead, taking 7 for 60 in the first innings in the greatest bowling performance of his career. The batting highlight had come at Lord’s the year before, when he played for the Dominions against England.Players from all over the world were selected yet Miller, according to Wisden, “outshone them all”. On those two August days in 1945 Miller scored a magnificent 185 and peppered seven sixes, one landing on to the top tier of the pavilion, another on the broadcast box. Spectators felt they were safer in the bar; Pelham Warner called it the greatest exhibition of batting he ever saw. RS Whitington, the journalist, author and Miller’s great friend, observed, “It is a tragedy that Australians have never quite seen the Miller of 1945.”

Keith Ross Miller was born in Melbourne in 1919, and named after the aviators Keith and Ross Smith. “Nugget’s” first Test came against New Zealand in 1945-46, in a journey that would lead to his being named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1954 and inducted into the Australian Hall of Fame. Capable of batting at No. 4 and opening the bowling, Miller finished his 55 Tests with 2958 runs at 36.97 and 170 wickets at 22.97. The greatest omission was that he never led his country. Richie Benaud regularly described Miller as the greatest skipper he’d played under. “He was the best captain never to lead Australia,” he said. But Miller was not in the Australian Cricket Board’s image and his anti-establishment methods rankled with more straight-laced administrators. Yet his photo was one of only two in the Canberra office of the Australian prime minister Sir Robert Menzies.He was always at his best in a proper contest. As the Invincibles careered towards 721 in a day against Essex, Miller let himself be bowled first ball by Trevor Bailey and headed for the local racecourse via the dressing-room. In Test retirement he became a touring journalist and columnist for the Daily Express, and in later life was rather reclusive, rarely giving interviews but regularly returning to England. Three hip operations, cancer and a stroke slowed him down, and his shock of black hair turned grey. It blew easily in the wind at the MCG in February, when his statue was unveiled and he gently clapped his frail hands. “I don’t take too much interest in the cricket,” he told Australia’s Inside Edge magazine at the time. “There seems to be a Test match on every day. I spent years playing 55 of them, and these blokes run up 190.”Peter English is Australasian editor of Wisden Cricinfo.

Grant Flower doesn’t agree with media opinion that the Zimbabwe side under the Australian cosh in the first Test at Perth is a virtual 2nd XI. Speaking from Harare, he told Wisden Cricinfo: “I wouldn’t say it’s a 2nd XI, because these days there’s not a lot to choose from.”Rain ended play on the fourth day at the WACA with Zimbabwe staring down both barrels of a crushing defeat. They were 272 for 9 in their follow-on, still a distant 224 runs from making Australia bat again with only one wicket left. Rain all day tomorrow is their only hope of avoiding defeat, even though Australia have two bowlers – Jason Gillespie and Stuart MacGill – out injured.”With Andrew [Flower] and Henry [Olonga] going overseas, and Alistair Campbell and Guy Whittall retiring, that’s probably the best available team,” said Flower. “The loss of key players like those had a lot to do with what’s happening in Australia, but it’s been a while coming. It’s just the way things are run here.”Olonga and Andy Flower left Zimbabwe after the 2003 World Cup as a result of hostile government reaction to their black-armband protest at what they termed the “death of democracy” in their country, while fellow stalwarts Campbell and Whittall quit the game at roughly the samwe time.Grant Flower, who had to drop out of the Australian tour after breaking a finger in a domestic match, suspects that Zimbabwe’s decline is shortening Bangladesh’s days as Test cricket’s whipping boys. “I think Bangladesh are right behind us, and it’s a matter of time before they catch up to us – maybe two years,” Flower said. “I’m not trying to be negative, just realistic.”The Zimbabwean team, Flower admitted, was crumbling under the strain of repeated poor performances. “We’ve been getting caned for quite a while,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a good thing to get used to it, and it sounds terrible, but I think that’s what’s happening.”Flower, who is now Zimbabwe’s most-capped Test player, said he felt for his team-mates as they endured the sharp end of Matthew Hayden’s 380 at Perth, which surpassed Brian Lara’s 375 as the record Test score.”I watched most of it, and it’s a bit disheartening to chase leather all day like that, but it was a brilliant knock. I saw some of Lara’s 375 [against England in 1993-94], which was definitely made against much better bowling. But that’s not to take anything away from Hayden – it was a wonderful effort.”

Shane Warne is ready for the challenge of the Ashes series and has told England they should get used to losing again. He believes Australia are peaking at the right time after a difficult start to the tour. But he said this England team is impressive and, for the first time in a long time, the players have a genuine right to think they have a chance this summer.”Australia have played extremely well in the last couple of one-dayers and I think they have just started to peak at the right time,” Warne told a packed press conference at the team hotel in London. “A few players have started to hit their straps before the Test series, which is a good sign. The Supersubs have obviously favoured the side bowling first every time but Australia have won the toss in the last two games and have played some good cricket.”Warne said the hype around this Ashes series is justified by England’s recent winning form and it differs from the build-up to previous contests. “If anyone thought it was just a bit of hype about England playing Australia, the way they have played has shown they are up for a scrap, they are ready to get into our face and start fighting.”The expectation has always been high from all the England people, because they went unbeaten last year and they think they have got a side which can compete for the Ashes for the first time since 1989. Sixteen years is a long time to really not be in a contest. All the hype with the other contests has been because they thought they had a chance but deep down they knew they didn’t really. But this time they have a realistic chance.”Warne has been warming-up for the series at Hampshire and has formed a strong friendship with Kevin Pietersen, who he believes has to play. The major debate about England’s team has been whether Pietersen should replace Graham Thorpe, but Warne said the decision did not have to be that cut and dried.”They have got to make room for him, he is the most destructive player in England,” he said. “Kevin and Flintoff are both destructive but I think Kevin has that X factor. I played against him a couple of times last year and when I’ve seen him first hand for Hampshire this year, there is just something, he just has that thing you can’t quite but your finger on.”Why can’t they have Thorpe at five, Pietersen at six, Flintoff at seven, Jones at eight then Giles and two quicks. You still have Flintoff as your third seamer, you have four bowlers and some part-timers, so who says you can’t fit them all in?”However, he was quick to start the mind games, saying that he would be happy whoever he bowls against, and would enjoy Thorpe, who he has dismissed nine times in Tests. “Of course I’d rather Thorpe plays because I’ve got him out more times,” he said, “and sometimes you need experience as well.”This is likely to be Warne’s last Ashes series in England – he will be 40 by the time the next one comes around – and the Anglo-Australian contest is the ultimate for him and any other Australian player. “Suddenly England have something to cheer about and I think when No. 1 plays No. 2 it always brings out good entertaining cricket. Australia against England is what it is all about,” he said.”You can give me whatever other series you like. India, Pakistan, yes they are all great series, but to me the Ashes has always been the one and I think if you ask the guys coming over here it’s something special. It always brings out the best in the Australian sides and I can’t see it being any different this time.”

Michael Kasprowicz will replay Steve Harmison’s final ball for the rest of his life after the heart-breaking yet thrilling conclusion to the second Test. A hurting Kasprowicz said the aim was to “dig in and have some fun” as he joined Brett Lee with Australia still needing 62 for victory.But three short of the most amazing come-from-behind victory he was judged to have gloved Harmison’s pinpoint short-ball, giving the wicketkeeper Geraint Jones a comfortable legside catch. “It’s the most vivid delivery that I’ll replay in my mind for the rest of my life,” Kasprowicz told . “It just got big quick and I didn’t see too much of it.” Slow motion replays suggested Kasprowicz’s hand was off the bat when hit, but it was millimetre-close and Billy Bowden gave the decision.The feeling was similar for Brett Lee, who took a string of stinging blows from Andrew Flintoff, including one on the armguard that he said was the fastest he had faced. “As much as we’re hurting right now mentally and physically, it’s good for cricket,” Lee said.When asked about his pain, Lee pointed to his heart and said: “I’m hurting more here. We knew we had to take a few on the body. I’d do it plus tax again to make sure we give everything we can to make Australia win.”Kasprowicz believed they could scrape home and the pair comfortably added singles, boundaries, byes and leg-byes in the gripping 59-run stand. “Over the years, this Australian side has come back from some pretty amazing positions,” he said. “We just decided our best chance was to get in there and dig in and have some fun along the way.”

Ken Gordon, the recently-elected president of the West Indies Cricket Board, has said that as part of his bid to ensure that there is transparency in the board’s dealings the “relevant parts” of the report by Justice Lucky into the Cable & Wireless and Digicel contract negotiations will be made public.Gordon was handed Lucky’s report last Friday, and he and senior officials have been examining it over the weekend. There were fears that it would be kept under wraps – critics of the WICB had certainly raised such suspicions – but Gordon said that he would discuss its findings with the executive and then divulge relevant sections of it.The report was commissioned by Teddy Griffiths, Gordon’s predecessor, after months of speculation and rumour over the way Digicel had been awarded the sponsorship of West Indies cricket. There was considerable unease over the way Cable & Wireless, the previous sponsor, had been replaced, and the board’s marked reluctance to make information available only increased the unrest. The recent players’ strike was a legacy of the contract dispute.Gordon was in no doubt that the board had to be more open in its dealings. “I hope you will always keep in mind that this report has come about because the West Indies Cricket Board recognised the need for transparency,” he explained. “They didn’t have to do this. So that if there was anything to hide, if there was any intention to keep anything under the carpet, this would not have happened. I think you must give jack his jacket, and whatever criticisms are levelled at the board in the past, I think we should give it full marks for that initiative.”Gordon also stressed that he did not believe that there had been any attempt to cover anything up in the past. “My own view is that the members of the Board with whom we’ve had contact are all understanding of the need to be transparent. I don’t believe that anyone was deliberately keeping things quiet because there were any sins to read. But still, events tend to move things along, and I believe that the timing is propitious for that.”And, cruciially, Gordon offered a hope that relations between the WICB and the West Indies Players’ Association, which have all but broken down, could be improved. He praised WIPA for its role in trying to resolve the dipute, and said that he hoped the outstanding issues could be resolved before the scheduled tour to Australia in October. WIPA has set a deadline of September 30 to find a solution.Justice Lucky, who along with accountant Gregory Georges and Avondale Thomas had produced the report, explained the the constraints placed on him and his colleagues. “This was just a committee, we were not a commission of enquiry. With a commission of enquiry, for example, if CARICOM had appointed this commission of enquiry, with a specific mandate, then they would have indicated that we would have the power to subpoena witnesses. We had to depend on their [witnesses] good will.”Lucky also said that of the all members of the board requested to come before the committee, only two directors, whom he neglected to name, did not make an appearance, saying they had expressed doubts about the interview.

Sourav Ganguly was lying low ahead of his side’s attempt to win their first match at their fifth attempt in Harare when they face Zimbabwe in the second Test starting Tuesday.Ganguly declined to speak after practice at Harare Sports Club on Monday, with Greg Chappell, the coach, suggesting that the captain did not “want to be grilled by them (Indian press)”. His absence represented a break from tradition when captains talk pre-match about their team, state of the wicket, recent form plus expectations of play.Despite leading India to an innings and 90 run win over hapless Zimbabwe with a day to spare in the first Test at Bulawayo, Ganguly is facing the prospect of his working relationship with Chappell plummeting to crisis point. Ganguly, who hit a much-needed century in that game, caused a sensation by revealing that he had been asked to stand down as skipper before the match.It was reported that Chappell hinted that Ganguly’s form as a batsman might be better served if the captaincy was surrendered but Chappell vigorously denied that the suggestion was made by him.Meanwhile, the Indian team was working off steam on the field and in the nets, even under a hot sun, following their break at Victoria Falls. They are clearly determined to beat Zimbabwe in the final match of their tour and by as big a margin as possible.

Amitabh Choudhury, the manager of the Indian side on their recent tour to Zimbabwe, has said he was “astonished” with Sourav Ganguly’s revelations to the media about goings on in the dressing-room and felt that he had “gone back on a deal”.”We all agreed that this was a matter that should stay between us and should not, under any circumstances, be discussed with the media,” Choudhury told . He said he asked Ganguly why he’d gone public, to which the captain replied that he’d responded to a journalist’s question.Tracing the origin of the whole crisis, Choudhury added that Chappell’s suggestion that Ganguly step down as captain was a “very remarkable thing to happen”. “Sourav then said that the coach had told him the reasons why he should step down as captain. First, his current form did not warrant his being in the team as captain. And second, that in the Mutare match he had left the field because the new ball had been taken by the Zimbabwe team.”In my opinion, the coach’s was an extraordinary decision. It should not have been taken during the tour. And it should be left for the national selection committee to look into it. I told Sourav that you have done the right thing by speaking your heart … I told him that he must keep cool. I will try to resolve the problem. I went to Rahul and told him the facts. Rahul agreed with me that any decision on matters related with the coach’s decision must not be taken on a tour. Then both Rahul and I went to Chappell and explained to him what effect his decision, if honoured, would have on the team. He did consider that he had made some suggestion to the captain.”Then all three of us went to Sourav and talked to him for 30 to 40 minutes. All four of us agreed on two things. One, the status quo being maintained with Sourav remaining captain. Two, all four of us keep the entire affair a closely guarded secret.”Choudhury didn’t want to comment on Chappell’s observation that Ganguly was mentally and physically not fit to be captain, but, added that his `tantrums and `uppishness’ might have irritated Chappell.

West Indies have suffered a blow ahead of next week’s first Test with the injury-enforced withdrawal of the batsman Wavell Hinds. Hinds broke the little finger on his left hand while fielding in the tourists’ opening tour match against Queensland on Thursday.A team spokesman said Hinds, the left-handed batsman with 44 Test appearances, had to keep the finger immobilised for ten days, which would also force him out of the three-day match against Victoria in Melbourne, starting on November 11. Hinds is not expected to be fit until the second Test in Hobart, beginning on November 17.The unavailability of Hinds, who averages 33.54 in Tests with five hundreds, will solve a selection riddle for West Indies over who will open the innings with the World XI one-day representative Chris Gayle. Devon Smith is now expected to partner Gayle for the first Test starting next Thursday.

Remembering spin tips from Brian Lara settled Dwayne Bravo as he produced the innings of his career against Australia. Bravo’s first day bat-pad dismissal to Stuart MacGill was playing on his mind when he walked out with West Indies in desperate trouble at 5 for 133, but the upshot of flashbacks from a conversation in Lara’s hotel room was a superb 113 that pushed his side to a 77-run lead.Omitted for the first Test, Bravo and his former Trinidad youth team-mate Denesh Ramdin combined for a 182-run partnership to frustrate Australia’s easy push for victory and give West Indies hope that they have unearthed a couple of long-term talents. While the team’s top order had crumbled for a third time, the pair first stabilised the innings and then set about cancelling Australia’s hefty advantage.Bravo, 22, began patiently and slowly gained the confidence to use his feet to Stuart MacGill and Shane Warne in a 203-ball innings that was easily the most impressive of his seven-Test career. “This one has got to be it,” he said. “Batting against the best team in the world, they have four top-class bowlers and batting all day I never felt set.”The wicket was encouraging both legspinners and Bravo felt uncomfortable until he recalled Lara teaching him how to sweep and telling him he didn’t have to play every ball pitched outside leg stump. “After I got out [in the first innings] I went up to Brian’s room and he gave me a few tips,” he said. “He’s the best batsman in world when spin is concerned and it flashed back in my mind so I decided to be more positive and believe in myself.”Both young players were buoyed by Trinidad and Tobago’s successful push to the Football World Cup this week and Bravo dedicated his century to the team. Bravo also had a message for Ramdin when he walked out, telling him not to let the attack control them, and they chipped away throughout each session until Ramdin fell to MacGill for 71.”We both played together at youth level so we have an understanding,” he said. “When I would go through a bad patch Denesh would take over and vice versa. We have made a good start and hopefully have a good career ahead of us, but we don’t want to get complacent. Our goal is to play for 14 or 15 years and ensure that when Brian and Shiv [Chanderpaul] and the senior guys move on we can turn things around.”Bravo said the Australians “chipped away and carried on” while he batted but he didn’t reply to their verbal barbs, and he also revealed he had been hindered by a rotator cuff injury that restricted his bowling load in the nets. “They didn’t distract me from what I wanted to do,” he said, “and I just stayed quiet.”West Indies are still looking at a heavy series defeat tomorrow and Bravo said they could turn the corner if they found a successful habit. “When we lose we look at each other and wonder what to do next because West Indies have been on the down for a good while,” he said. “We just can’t find a way to win.”

Sourav Ganguly has received a letter from Niranjan Shah, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, seeking an explanation for his absence from a crucial Ranji Trophy match involving Bengal and Gujarat at Surat.Only a day after Kiran More, the national selection committee chairman, showed his disapproval at Ganguly missing the match, sources from the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) have stated that a “two-line letter” addressed to Ganguly was received by the player himself.The reports that the letter was not addressed to Jagmohan Dalmiya, the CAB president, or Saradindu Pal, its joint secretary. Pal remained non-committal on the matter, stating that he had spoken to Ganguly. “I spoke to Sourav last Friday, the day before the Indian team for Pakistan was selected,” he said. “He told me he’d missed Bengal’s Delhi match, and would also not play the Gujarat match because of unavoidable personal reasons.”Pal also stated that he had been trying to contact Ganguly since December 24 – the day the Indian squad was selected – but had no luck in doing so. Dalmiya, having earlier stated that Ganguly had missed the match against Gujarat for “logistical, and not personal” reasons, refused to comment on the matter today.Ganguly’s absence from the match seems to have agitated the BCCI, given that More emphasized that it was important to members of the Indian team to “engage in domestic matches as much as possible” prior to their departure to Pakistan on January 5. Speculation remains as to whether the message was passed on to Ganguly.Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan and VVS Laxman turned out for their respective state sides in the ongoing fifth round of the Ranji Trophy.