The Buzz
All not well in the land of Dungog Doug
While Australia glories in the excitement of co-hosting the World Cup, out in the land of Dungog Doug, cricket is suffering troubled times
ESPNcricinfo staff
10-Mar-2015
Australia loves little more than celebrating the authenticity of its Bush cricketers who rose from humble beginnings to achieve greatness on the international stage.
But while Australia co-hosts the World Cup, one news story that will go largely overlooked is a warning that all is not well for cricket in more isolated parts.
Dungog Shire, a hilly agricultural and tourism area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, 75kms north of Newcastle, is famous for producing Australian cricketers of the calibre of Arthur Morris and Doug Walters.
Full postHigh Court backs inmates' World Cup plea
A High Court judge in India has ruled that inmates in a Guhawati prison should be able to watch the World Cup on cable TV as part of their basic human rights
ESPNcricinfo staff
07-Mar-2015
Inmates in an Indian prison have successfully argued in the High Court that watching the World Cup is part of their fundamental human rights.
The High Court in Guhawati has ordered that a cable connection must be laid within five days with Justice Arup Kumar Goswami ruling: "Prisoners need recreation for a healthy mind."
Although prisoners were already able to watch the state-run Doordarshan channel, which is screening India's matches, the majority of matches in the World Cup are only available on cable TV.
Lawyers representing the prisoners had argued that television was part of the "right to life and personal liberty" set out by India's constitution.
Full postWorcestershire make Hughes shirt tribute
Worcestershire have unveiled a shirt for their pre-season tour that features a tribute to Phillip Hughes
ESPNcricinfo staff
06-Mar-2015
Worcestershire have unveiled a shirt for their pre-season tour that features a tribute to Phillip Hughes. The shirt, made by Canterbury, has 408 - Hughes' Australia Test cap number - on the sleeve, as well as "P. Hughes 63 not out" below the badge.
Hughes, who died last year after being struck by a ball, was a popular figure at New Road, where he spent much of the 2012 season. Shirts worn by Worcestershire players in Abu Dhabi will be auctioned off and there are also plans for it to be stocked in the club shop, with all proceeds going to charity.
"Following the tragic death of Phil Hughes at the back end of last year, without doubt it hit the club and the staff really hard," Worcestershire's commercial director, Jon Graham, said. "Phil was such a popular guy and, when things like that happen, you want to do something that is befitting of the individual and commemorate his name.
"For the trip to Abu Dhabi, we thought it would be a good idea to develop a one-off kit in honour of Phil's name. We have worked alongside Canterbury to design that and I'm sure the lads will be proud to wear that kit."
Full postTaxman goes after Ashes heroes
Ten years on from the Ashes series that briefly made English cricket sexy, some of the players involved are facing allegations of impropriety in that most unsexy of areas: tax
ESPNcricinfo staff
06-Mar-2015
Ten years on from the Ashes series that briefly made English cricket sexy, some of the players involved are facing allegations of impropriety in that most unsexy of areas: tax.
A number of former England cricketers, including members of the 2005 Ashes-winning side, could be facing "very substantial" bills from the UK taxman, according to a report in the Guardian. The demands concern investments made almost a decade ago, which Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is investigating as alleged tax avoidance.
Players including Michael Vaughan, Matthew Hoggard, Ashley Giles and Paul Collingwood - who played in the 2005 Ashes - reportedly invested in the UK film industry via partnerships set up by a company called Ingenious Media. HMRC is now challenging the tax relief granted by such schemes.
Full postThat's Out! Dickie Bird opens his wallet for Yorkshire
Dickie Bird, among the most loved of all Yorkshiremen, has gone beyond the call of duty to help with the Headingley development by funding a new dressing room balcony out of his own pocket.
ESPNcricinfo staff
03-Mar-2015
Dickie Bird, one the most famous of former Test umpires, has gone beyond the call of duty to help with Yorkshire's development of Headingley by funding a new dressing room balcony out of his own pocket.
Bird, now 81, is revered in his native Yorkshire for his eccentric good nature, and as his largesse is applauded around the county, the jokes that nobody has ever seen his wallet have now become outdated in quite wonderful style.
Bird has been nominated to stand for a second term as Yorkshire president at the AGM in April - an uncommon honour which even passed Geoffrey Boycott by, and which has been proposed in recognition of the support role he played as the county won the Championship for the first time in 13 years.
Full postNational anthem leaves Morgan lost for words
Eoin Morgan's failure to sing the national anthem for "personal reasons" has not gone down too well with the flag wavers now he is England captain
ESPNcricinfo staff
28-Feb-2015
National anthems are routinely played at ICC world tournaments, but singing them out loud has never been regarded as obligatory… has it?
Eoin Morgan, England's Dublin-born captain, has enough problems to deal with without being the subject of media debate about why he has never sung the national anthem during his six years of playing for England. As captain, though, it is now deemed to matter.
"I have never sang the national anthem when playing for Ireland or England," he said. "It does not make me any less proud to be an English cricketer. It is a long story. It is a personal thing."
Full postLeave your fruit and veg at home
Fans heading to Eden Park on Saturday for the match between New Zealand and Australia in Auckland have been implored to leave their fruit and vegetables at home by the very people who grow them
ESPNcricinfo staff
27-Feb-2015
Fans heading to Eden Park on Saturday for the match between New Zealand and Australia in Auckland have been implored to leave their fruit and vegetables at home by the very people who grow them.
That's not bad marketing.
In a full-page advertisement in the New Zealand Herald, the country's commercial fruit and vegetable growers have asked cricket fans to "hit an unwelcome Aussie visitor for six!" And they don't mean the cricketers from across the ditch. They are referring to a "potentially devastating" Australian (Queensland) fruit fly - not Merv Hughes either - which was discovered in Grey Lynn, a suburb of Auckland, last week.
"This is the only time we will ask you not to eat fruit," the ad says. "New Zealand growers appeal to cricket fans - Please don't take any fruit to the big game tomorrow."
Full postFederer apologises for #BleedBlue marketing stunt
Roger Federer has made a public apology to cricket fans annoyed by his #BleedBlue marketing stunt
ESPNcricinfo staff
23-Feb-2015
Roger Federer has issued a public apology - doesn't everyone these days? - after ill-advisedly agreeing to a Facebook marketing stunt showing him drooling over India's World Cup shirt.
Federer's display of loyalty was to his sponsor, Nike, rather than any affinity with the Indian cricket team, but his comment "Dressing up for a gentleman's game today #BleedBlue" brought such a hostile reaction from some fans that as a non-cricket lover he could never have imagined.
Federer, a 17-times Grand Slam winner, explained: "It was more of a Nike thing to be quite honest. I met some of the Indian players and I had just spent some time in India so they presented the shirt to me. I support South Africa, and everybody knows that. The idea wasn't to spark any fire and I'm sorry if it did that."
Full postUS Embassy mistakenly hails great Afghan victory
Afghanistan's debut in the World Cup briefly brought confusion at the US Embassy in Kabul as they tweeted congratulations on a victory that did not exist with the match still in its first innings
ESPNcricinfo staff
18-Feb-2015
Cricket history will forever relate that Afghanistan's World Cup bow ended with defeat against Bangladesh, but there was a point in the match when at least one observer saw it rather differently.
An Afghanistan victory was prematurely pronounced by the United States embassy in Kabul which seemed under the illusion that they had won the match even though at that stage it was midway through the first innings.
Congratulations to #Afghanistan for their win over #Bangladesh in the Cricket World Cup #CWC15 #AFGvsBAN
— U.S. Embassy Kabul (@USEmbassyKabul) February 18, 2015Watson has 3.6m reasons to smile
Shane Watson's annual earnings are barely 10% of those accredited to MS Dhoni, but he has been named as Australia's top-earning cricketer in a new survey
ESPNcricinfo staff
17-Feb-2015
Shane Watson may have one of the saddest faces in cricket, latterly on show when he made a duck against England in the opening match of the World Cup, but at last he is smiling all the way to the bank according to the latest Rich List for Australian sports stars.
Watson's 2014 earnings are estimated at USD $3.6m, leaving him eighth among Australian sports stars and the top cricketer on the list, ahead of Mitchell Johnson (10th), Michael Clarke (11th) and David Warner (12th).
Australian sportsmen and women rely heavily on overseas earnings in the United States and India to achieve such wealth. Salaries for Watson, Johnson and Warner all topped $1m in 2014. Australia's women do not fare well in the latest survey with only two named in the top 50.
Full post