The Heavy Ball
The problem with New Zealand
Whisper it: the Black Caps are killing Test cricket
Alan Tyers
14-Jan-2013
The pressure group Save Test Cricket claims that the oldest format of the game faces a new and worrying threat to its long-term survival.
Previous hazards to the primacy of the five-day game have included T20 cricket, young West Indian men playing basketball, Indian television companies, universal suffrage, and allowing women into the Pavilion at Lord's.
However, it seems that Test cricket may be facing a more serious hazard than ever before: the New Zealand Test team.
Full postWarne penalised for bloodying pitch
Also: batsman goes to witch doctor to lift commentator's curse, and other delightful news you may have missed
R Rajkumar
11-Jan-2013
Billy Bowden's finger found to be straightening
The ICC has pulled up Billy Bowden for suspicion of straightening the finger he uses to give batsmen out. "After exhaustively studying footage, we can confirm that Billy's finger is extending more than what is considered normal for him," said a spokesman. "This is a clear infringement of the laws of the game."
The ICC has pulled up Billy Bowden for suspicion of straightening the finger he uses to give batsmen out. "After exhaustively studying footage, we can confirm that Billy's finger is extending more than what is considered normal for him," said a spokesman. "This is a clear infringement of the laws of the game."
The ICC has chalked out a programme of rehabilitation for Bowden, who will first be sent to the University of Western Australia for tests. As part of the programme, Bowden will be asked to incorporate into his daily routine a series of one-fingered push-ups.
Warne penalised for bloodying pitch, ball
Shane Warne is in the headlines again, this time for an almighty fracas he may or may not have instigated against Marlon Samuels. Warne has always worn his heart on his sleeve, but has in this instance been penalised for his behaviour and told to at least tuck the bloody organ inside the sleeve from now.
Full postShane Warne is in the headlines again, this time for an almighty fracas he may or may not have instigated against Marlon Samuels. Warne has always worn his heart on his sleeve, but has in this instance been penalised for his behaviour and told to at least tuck the bloody organ inside the sleeve from now.
'Having some shrimp'
News of extreme interest in our Twitter round-up for the week
Alex Bowden
10-Jan-2013
This week's Twitter round-up features both tea and coffee. Who says that the world's cricketers have little to say on the world's most popular microblogging website?
The one-match ban
Shane Warne is philosophical about his punishment.
Full postShane Warne is philosophical about his punishment.
'Never fly a toy helicopter into a wig'
Essential New Year wisdom in our Twitter round-up this week
Alex Bowden
03-Jan-2013
If you're wondering what the world's cricketers had to say about New Year, there was lots of talk about positivity and what a great year it's going to be. Words like "hopes", "dreams" and "success" featured in most tweets. In short, everyone was really, really dull.
The New Year
Graeme Swann expressed it best.
Full postGraeme Swann expressed it best.
Listen up, 2013
When a new year begins, there are instructions and advice to pass on
Samantha Pendergrast
01-Jan-2013
Dear 2013,
Greetings and happy birthday. I thought it would be nice to hand over the annual duties with a list containing advice, warnings and nostalgia:
Be prepared to be blamed for everything. Except when the IPL is the more convenient scapegoat. You are, after all, a 13. I lived with the burden of a doomsday prophecy and you're not going to escape it either, because of Tendulkar. The world, according to cricket fans, might just end when he retires.
Full postTendulkar forced to retire after failed apocalypse
And other earth-shattering news you may have missed this week
R Rajkumar
31-Dec-2012
Fletcher proves he's not a robot
Duncan Fletcher has long been derided for not being as expressive as he should be. Some might even say that he is the very personification of the phrase "wooden-faced". But tell that to his computer. For what Fletcher doesn't get from his fellow humans - recognition, validation, love? - he finds in abundance online.
Duncan Fletcher has long been derided for not being as expressive as he should be. Some might even say that he is the very personification of the phrase "wooden-faced". But tell that to his computer. For what Fletcher doesn't get from his fellow humans - recognition, validation, love? - he finds in abundance online.
The beleaguered India coach finds solace and confidence in the simple act of registering himself on at least one website a day, successfully retyping captcha words, an act he has become addicted to. "I can't describe the feeling you get when you have successfully proven to a website that you are, in fact, a human being and not a robot," Fletcher admitted on a talk show recently. "After a long, hard day of sitting poker-faced through matches, meetings and media scrums, being told that you are human after all is not just validating but a relief. I was beginning to wonder myself."
Man remains seated during Mexican wave
A man remained seated during a Mexican wave recently, and after giving it some thought, decided that he felt pretty good about himself for doing so. "I saw the wave coming round the stadium," said the strangely smug man, "and decided well in advance that I wasn't going to stand up and throw my hands in the air like everyone else."
Full postA man remained seated during a Mexican wave recently, and after giving it some thought, decided that he felt pretty good about himself for doing so. "I saw the wave coming round the stadium," said the strangely smug man, "and decided well in advance that I wasn't going to stand up and throw my hands in the air like everyone else."
'Can't wait till I get some socks and undies from my parents'
Tis the season to share on Twitter what you got for Christmas
Alex Bowden
27-Dec-2012
Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you all prepared exquisite Christmas dinners and then smashed them
The Christmas shoplifter
Alviro Petersen is offering bad advice.
Full postAlviro Petersen is offering bad advice.
Effigy-burning a dying art
Whatever happened to the times when people would break out the petrol and matches after just about every game of cricket?
R Rajkumar
24-Dec-2012
The time-honoured tradition of burning effigies of hated cricket players is in danger of becoming a thing of the past.
Bangalore's FG Road, which once bustled with the energy of effigy-wallahs selling their goods to fans too furious with the object of their ire to pursue a bargain, now wears a sadly deserted look. The rare shop still open only sells old effigies that are a pale, less-flammable shadow of their former selves.
"That no one's come to us even after a near-unprecedented Test series loss to England makes this all the more painful," said Pradeep Agnimitra, who comes from a long line of effigy-makers and has tended the family shop on FG Road almost all his life.
Full postCricket's letters to Santa
Two front teeth? Apparently some of our leading lights want a little more for X'Mas
Alan Tyers
21-Dec-2012
The most wonderful time of the year (Yuletide, not the Big Bash) is upon us, and the great and the good of cricket have been busy with their letters to Father Christmas
Stuart Broad
I would like a pony, please, Santa. I will look after him very nicely and brush his hair just like mine. Don't let me down on this. You know how cross I can get when I appeal for something and it doesn't go my way.
I would like a pony, please, Santa. I will look after him very nicely and brush his hair just like mine. Don't let me down on this. You know how cross I can get when I appeal for something and it doesn't go my way.
Sir Ian Botham
I would like you to have a reindeer here, here, here and here. I want three elves there, and another four there. And a short sled in here and here. I just cannot understand the point of flying over the rooftops in a defensive manner.
Full postI would like you to have a reindeer here, here, here and here. I want three elves there, and another four there. And a short sled in here and here. I just cannot understand the point of flying over the rooftops in a defensive manner.
'Bought Mum an iron in the hope that she starts to enjoy doing my ironing'
It's the season of giving on our Twitter round-up
Alex Bowden
20-Dec-2012
The Test series victory
Last week Steven Finn revealed that England celebrated their Kolkata Test win with a Nineties boyband sing along. So how would they celebrate a series victory? Graeme Swann enlightens us.
Last week Steven Finn revealed that England celebrated their Kolkata Test win with a Nineties boyband sing along. So how would they celebrate a series victory? Graeme Swann enlightens us.
There seems to be some inverse correlation between the scale of the achievement and the quality of the music.
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