The Buzz
An elegy for Peter Roebuck
It has been a year since Peter Roebuck committed suicide in South Africa
Nishi Narayanan
25-Feb-2013
It has been a year since Peter Roebuck committed suicide in South Africa. A fan from Australia, Benjamin Golby, has written a song to mark the anniversary. "In Memoriam - P.M.R" is not an attempt at obituary for Peter Roebuck," said Golby, who is taking his Honours in Composition in Melbourne, having studied Music at the University of Western Australia. "Rather, it is a response to Mr Roebuck's death. This is what distinguishes an elegy from eulogy, in that an elegy is a personal lament rather than a detailing of its subject's qualities."
Golby wrote the song after attending a memorial service for Roebuck in Melbourne six weeks after the writer's death. "I had found Mr Roebuck's death difficult to comprehend and, when attempting to discuss it with friends, felt unable to express the confusion I felt regarding it."
In the song, Golby writes:
Full post"Learnt of your death early on a Sunday morning hungover and consumed with my own complaints Soon after, my father telephoned touchingly to check I was okay, making sad warning Beside myself I had trotted down to the nearby oval, where I found solace watching the park cricketers"
Dhoni rechristens his superbike team
MS Dhoni's love for bikes is no secret and the cricketer has now rechristened his superbike team to Mahi Racing Team India
Carlyle Laurie
25-Feb-2013
MS Dhoni's love for bikes is no secret. Images of him riding with Suresh Raina and Praveen Kumar pillion at Eden Gardens, after India beat England in an ODI in 2011, come to mind.
Dhoni, who, launched his own superbike team called MSD RN Racing, a few months ago, has now rechristened it, Mahi Racing Team India. He unveiled the new logo of the team and signed Turkish world champion biker Kenan Sofouglu and French former world champion Fabien Foret to race in the next season.
"We thought MSD RN was quite a big name. There were some other reasons also. So we thought let's keep it sweet and simple, Mahi Racing Team India," Dhoni said. "Riding a bike was a dream but I still cannot ride a bike at this level. We would like the team to do well. There is a mix of talent, there are young drivers and there are experienced drivers."
Dhoni said he was happy with his team's performance, so far, with Team rider Dan Linfoot finishing third in the final race of the World Superbike Championship in Magny Cours, France, in October.
Full postMuesli, the secret of Tendulkar's energy?
Remember Sachin Tendulkar's brief but brutal attack against Glenn McGrath in the quarter-final of the Champions Trophy in 2000? It turns out he had muesli for breakfast that day
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
Remember Sachin Tendulkar's brief but brutal attack against Glenn McGrath in the quarter-final of the Champions Trophy in 2000? Ever wondered erm … what he ate for breakfast that day? He had muesli, it turns out. Tendulkar revealed as much at a book launch in Mumbai on Thursday: "Muesli; the aggression builds up gradually."
He also said that he loves Japanese cuisine, snails are not quite to his taste and he fancies barbequing in the wild - as he did with the rest of the Indian team on tour to Zimbabwe in 2001. Talking about the outing, Tendulkar said: "We went to a game reserve and we cooked for ourselves in the middle of a jungle. It was a beautiful barbecue. That experience of being in the middle of a jungle, making your own food and mingling with your team-mates … it was an experience."
And yes, if you've heard the story of Tendulkar only eating ice cream mid-innings during that India-Pakistan clash at the 2003 World Cup, we can confirm it's true. "I had a big bowl of ice cream and nothing else. I had my earphones on and I didn't want to listen to anyone as I knew what was needed," Tendulkar said of the match. "I just informed the ground staff to let me know when the umpires walk out. When they did, I just removed my earphones and walked out. In the meanwhile, the ice cream was quite good."
Full postIt's not just cricket at The Oval
England's oldest Test ground has staged all manner of additional events since it opened in 1845 and on November 3, it will play host to Aussie Rules Football
Alex Winter
25-Feb-2013
England's oldest Test ground has staged all manner of additional events since it opened in 1845 and on November 3, cricket will be far from the mind as Aussie Rules Football comes back into town for the inaugural Australian Football European Challenge.
The sport is returning to London after a six-year break and is set to resume an annual slot to promote the game in Europe. The match between Port Adelaide and Western Bulldogs will be played in twilight - an "exciting development" according to AFL Europe.
"We're expecting a really good, tight contest between two good sides," Tony Woods, AFL International Development Manager, told Surrey TV. "We'd expect another big Australian-based crowd but it also reaches out to Londoners so we're hoping they can come along and experience what we think is the most spectacular game in the world."
Full postGayle's answer to Gangnam
Chris Gayle's uninhibited celebration dance after the World Twenty20 win, which featured moves from the global hit 'Gangnam style', has inspired a dance artist, Zinga, in Jamaica to create the 'Chris Gayle cover drive' dance
Devashish Fuloria
25-Feb-2013
Chris Gayle's uninhibited celebration dance after the World Twenty20 win, which featured moves from the global hit 'Gangnam style', has inspired a dance artist, Zinga, in Jamaica to create the 'Chris Gayle cover drive' dance. According to Zinga, who is also a former cricketer and Gayle's friend, the new dance is influenced by Gayle's original moves as well as the Gangnam video. The video will be shot when Gayle returns from the Bangladesh tour and will also feature Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Wavell Hinds and Daren Powell. Zinga has some more moves in the pipeline - 'Nah laugh wid dem' for Samuels and 'Wave dem' for Hinds.
Whats more, Gayle is also expected to sing the song for the promotion of the video before he leaves for the Bangladesh tour. Watch out Bangladesh, Gayle could dazzle you with more than just his bat.
Full postLord's gets turf transplant
After the incongruous site of spectators watching Olympic archery from the Long Room during the summer, Lord's has now been transformed into what looks like a speedway circuit - but not for long
Alan Gardner
25-Feb-2013
After the incongruous site of spectators watching Olympic archery from the Long Room during the summer, Lord's has now been transformed into what looks like a speedway circuit - but not for long. The entire outfield is currently being relaid for the first time in nine years, as a result of the famous old ground's contribution to London 2012.
The project, which will see 21,000 square yards of turf being replaced, is being funded by London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) and is expected to take about one month to complete, depending on the weather. The MCC have again brought in turf contractor Steven Pask, who helped prepare the surface for use during the Olympic archery, to complete the job.
The new turf has been grown at a site in Lincolnshire and tended to by Pask in the manner of an actual cricket outfield for the past year. The delicate, 15mm layer was harvested over the course of seven hours, before being brought to London to cover the brown earth that currently stretches from pavilion to media centre.
Full postThe world's longest net session
There are plenty of international batsmen who could benefit from a few more hours in the nets. Perhaps they could learn from Jade Child, a cricketer from Ricky Ponting's home town of Launceston.
Brydon Coverdale
25-Feb-2013
There are plenty of international batsmen who could benefit from a few more hours in the nets. Perhaps they could learn from Jade Child, a cricketer from Ricky Ponting's home town of Launceston. This week, Child earned himself a Guinness World Record for the longest net session ever when he batted for 25 hours straight.
Child, 26, started batting at 8pm on Wednesday and finished at 9pm on Thursday, not surprisingly also claiming the world record for the most balls faced in a net session along the way. The previous record stood at 12,353 deliveries and by the end, Child had faced 15,701 from a bowling machine and also from local bowlers.
"I'm tired, but I'm happy," Child told the Examiner. "The support I had was incredible, I had people here at 3am helping out when they could've been sleeping, and my wife, Ktima, has helped so much with putting everything together."
In breaking the world records, Child raised about $2000 for the Save the Tasmanian Devil programme.
Full postRaina blames it on the "nephew"
Suresh Raina has become the latest of a long list of cricketers who have got into trouble over their tweets - but his response might be the cue for future explanations
Cricinfo
25-Feb-2013
Suresh Raina has become the latest of a long list of cricketers who have got into trouble over their tweets - but his response might be the cue for future explanations. Minutes after Pakistan's semi-final loss to Sri Lanka in the World Twenty20, a tweet from his account mocked Pakistan for the manner of their defeat.
Expectedly, the tweet caused a furore over social media and it was several hours before Raina responded - by blaming his "nephew".
Smart phones r dangerous. Discovered it last night after my nephew posted random tweets. I'm a sportsman and would never disrespect.
— Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) October 5, 2012
Cue a host of re-tweets and even a "Raina's nephew" twitter handle with tweets about the "uncle's" exploits. Kevin Pietersen may well be wondering why he hadn't thought of something similar when asked about the controversial messages he allegedly sent to South African players.
Full postCricket's parting of the waves
While not quite a miracle, it is certainly an unusual occurance that allows a cricket match to be played in the middle of the sea
Alex Winter
25-Feb-2013
While not quite a miracle, it is certainly an unusual occurance that allows a cricket match to be played in the middle of the sea. Every year, the tide in the Solent estuary recedes sufficiently to reveal 200 yards of the Brambles sand bank.
Since 1950, Island Sailing Club from Cowes and Hamble-based Royal Southern Yacht Club have ventured out in boats, waiting for their pitch to appear to begin an eight-a-side contest in the middle of a shipping lane.
With the pitch likely to deteriorate, teams favour winning the toss and batting first, although the outfield is likely to become damper in the second innings, affecting the quality of the ball.
Full postChanderpaul and his son make runs
Another Chanderpaul is on the rise, in club cricket in the Caribbean at least, and the teenage Tagenarine is learning his trade by batting with his accomplished father, Shivnarine, West Indies' highest run-scorer in Tests.
Akhila Ranganna
25-Feb-2013
Another Chanderpaul is on the rise, in club cricket in the Caribbean at least, and the teenage Tagenarine is learning his trade by batting with his accomplished father, Shivnarine, West Indies' highest run-scorer in Tests.
Playing for Gandhi Youth Organisation against Transport Sports Club on Saturday, Chanderpaul and his son, Tagenarine, bludgeoned the opposition attack, as GYO piled up 312 for 2 from the allotted 40 overs. Shivnarine led the onslaught with an unbeaten 143 that included 10 sixes and seven fours, while Tagenarine was not far behind with an unbeaten 112, which included six sixes and seven fours. The father-son duo put on an unbroken 256 for the third wicket to lay the foundation for a 125-run win.
Earlier in the week, Chanderpaul anchored Tiger Sports to a 94-run win over Unity with an unbeaten 68. Once again Tagenarine provided solid support with 35.
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