The Buzz
KP's the hair-care heir
Denis Compton and David Beckham have football in common and Beckham and Kevin Pietersen have pop star wives in common but what connects the three is Brylcreem, the perennial British stamp of style and stardom
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
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"Those are pretty big shoes to fill, but I'm eager to bring my individual style and personality to the table,” Pietersen said on becoming the Brylcreem Boy a decade after Beckham first endorsed the product. Brylcreem’s marketing boffins said Pietersen had all the qualities required - great looks, easy charm, and a touch of flair. It’s a long way from the time in 2005 when a Brylcreem poll saw Pietersen’s hairstyle – he then sported a skunk-like blonde streak across the middle of his head - voted among the worst in showbiz.
Full postMushy Ate My Credit Card
It must be a legspinner thing, but a year after a play about Shane Warne, Sussex have announced a one-man theatrical extravaganza about their 2003 County Championship success called Mushy Ate My Credit Card
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
It must be a legspinner thing, but a year after a play about Shane Warne, Sussex have announced a one-man theatrical extravaganza about their 2003 County Championship success called Mushy Ate My Credit Card. No, we are none the wiser either.
Written and performed by Mark Brailsford, this “comical and dramatic new play” will be performed at The County Ground, Hove between October 21 and 31.
The publicity blurb continues: “Sam Smith’s love of watching cricket leads to an extraordinary personal journey as the legends of the 2003 team including Mushtaq Ahmed light the blue and white touch-paper of the most successful decade in Sussex’s history. Sam’s life, wife (and credit score) will never be the same again.”
Full postBalle-balle at Buckingham Palace
England spinner Monty Panesar may not be the world’s best fielder - he was called Monty Python for his comical attempts – but he 'll have to keep his flaps and fumbles to a minimum for at least a few moments next month - when he'll be
Nishi Narayanan
25-Feb-2013
England spinner Monty Panesar may not be the world’s best fielder - he was called Monty Python for his comical attempts – but he 'll have to keep his flaps and fumbles to a minimum for at least a few moments next month - when he'll be participating in the Queen’s Baton Relay for the 2010 Commonwealth Games launch at Buckingham Palace .
Since the Games will be held in Delhi, the organising committee wanted to give the launch, on October 29, an Indian flavour. "We thought that someone from the UK was needed because the Queen, the head of the Commonwealth is British; we needed a link to India,” said Vic Sethi, Panesar’s former agent and committee member. “I think Monty was perfect because he is one of the first British Sikh sports stars to wear the turban and the full beard.”
What we’d like to know is how he’ll celebrate after passing the baton - an overexcited leap and a high five with Her Majesty?
Full post'Are you ready Hyderabad?'
If you enjoyed Rudi Koertzen’s voice booming around the Wanderers at the start of the IPL final asking spectators “Bullring are you ready
Nishi Narayanan
25-Feb-2013
If you enjoyed Rudi Koertzen’s voice booming around the Wanderers at the start of the IPL final asking spectators “Bullring are you ready? Gentlemen let’s play”, just wait till the Champions Twenty20 League starts in October. The umpires in the tournament played in India will be miked up to be heard by television audiences throughout the matches. So no more must you rely on lip-reading skills to hear who said “luck to you” to whom. However in a killjoy move the organisers have given umpires the option to switch off their mikes during the games. In case of an on-field confrontation, you may have to wait till players Twitter it or their publish tell-all autobiographies.
Full postICC hit by email scam
Amid rumours that they are about to relocate their headquarters from Dubai to Nigeria, the International Cricket Council has been forced to issue a warning about hoax emailers, after a wave of spam messages, purporting to have originated from the
Andrew Miller
25-Feb-2013
Amid rumours that they are about to relocate their headquarters from Dubai to Nigeria, the International Cricket Council has been forced to issue a warning about hoax emailers, after a wave of spam messages, purporting to have originated from the board, flooded the internet.
“It has been brought to our attention that there are various emails in circulation claiming to be from representatives of the International Cricket Council,” read a statement on the ICC website. “The emails ask the recipient to forward his/her personal details so that they can receive a cash prize, which the individual is told he/she has won in an online draw supported by the ICC and in connection with the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 or ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
“Please be warned: this email is a scam,” continued the statement. “The ICC is not associated with these communications, which are fraudulent attempts to obtain personal information and possibly money. Therefore, we advise you to ignore and/or delete this email if you receive one.”
Full postIrfan gets his drive back
Irfan Pathan may have receded to the fringes of Indian cricket but if he’s moping about missing out on the Champions Trophy, his mood has just got better: His brother Yusuf, who has made the trip to South Africa, gave him a Ford SUV for the Eid
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
Irfan Pathan may have receded to the fringes of Indian cricket but if he’s moping about missing out on the Champions Trophy, his mood has just got better: His brother Yusuf, who has made the trip to South Africa, gave him a Ford SUV for the Eid festival. A report in the Indian Express said their father gave Irfan the car keys on Monday morning, after the traditional prayers. Irfan’s star has dimmed since he first burst on the scene in 2004 but Yusuf has been publicly championing his brother’s cause. In July, shortly after the initial squad for the Champions Trophy was announced, Yusuf offered this sharp comment on Irfan’s exclusion: “Irfan's performance was always up to the mark. He has not been left out because of his performance. Everybody has seen what is happening.” Irfan, who will play in the Irani Cup next week, is slowly returning to centre-stage – maybe the SUV will make that a smoother journey!
Full postSonny side down
Imagine not taking the call, when Sachin Tendulkar is on the other end of the line
Judhajit
25-Feb-2013
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Imagine not taking the call, when Sachin Tendulkar is on the other end of the line. Well, you could afford to do it, if you happened to be Arjun Tendulkar. Papa Tendulkar recently spoke about how he was troubled by his son's refusal to come on the phone when he went away on tour. "It was tough initially because my son didn't like it when I left home," Tendulkar told a TV channel. "For the first five-six years of his life, he wouldn't speak to me on the phone. That was difficult for me." Happily, young Arjun eventually appreciated just what his father was doing on tour - and what it meant to cricket at large. So much so that he's now started playing cricket too, which Tendulkar says was of his own choosing.
Full postStrauss not so pricey
As if the jeers at Trent Bridge on Thursday weren't enough, further evidence of Andrew Strauss's slide from Test hero to one-day villain was evident in a WH Smith advertisement carried in the national newspapers
Alex Brown
25-Feb-2013
As if the jeers at Trent Bridge on Thursday weren't enough, further evidence of Andrew Strauss's slide from Test hero to one-day villain was evident in a WH Smith advertisement carried in the national newspapers. Strauss's recently-released book, Testing Times, has already had its recommended retail price slashed in half, less than a month after England reclaimed the Ashes at The Oval. So much for the afterglow.
Full postElephants and idol talk
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
Sachin Tendulkar doesn’t get criticised much, and almost never in India. So when Sanjay Manjrekar called him “the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about” in February 2008, after a string of poor performances in ODIs, people took notice - and not a few hurled back brickbats on their idol's behalf. Manjrekar, though, remained unfazed and on Thursday he reiterated - not once, but twice - that he stood by that opinion in that context. Asked first at a press meet whether he would revise that opinion, Manjrekar didn't budge. "I stand by the comment I made at that phase. He is a great player but he is also a human being. I have seen him from close since he was 14 and I could see he was afraid of failure and getting out." He added, though, that that seemed to have disappeared and he was playing with more freedom." For good measure, he repeated the sentiment in a TV interview the same evening - before presumably being smuggled out the back door to avoid irate Tendulkar fans.
Full postVaughan can have his cake and eat it
Michael Vaughan has joined the Test Match Special and will make his first regular appearances during England’s tour of South Africa which starts in November
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
Michael Vaughan has joined the Test Match Special and will make his first regular appearances during England’s tour of South Africa which starts in November. He has done the occasional summarising stint this summer, but will now be part of the main team.
Vaughan had been widely expected to move into broadcasting, but the television route taken by the likes of Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton looked the likely route. However, he has opted for radio and will be one of the expert summarisers that TMS uses alongside their commentators.
According to Adam Mountford, the TMS producer, Vaughan has already shown a liking for the famous cakes that get delivered to the commentary box. One of the bonuses of not playing any more.
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