The Surfer

In Australia national selector John Inverarity has said the decision about whether or not the doosra should be taught to young bowlers is "a question of integrity", because he is not sure it can be bowled legally. Many people in England, it seems, would agree with him, though they haven't come out and said it. Holmes is not one of them. "It is proven that you can bowl the doosra within the limits; that is a scientific fact, there is no morality about it. I have proven that I can bowl it within the limits." It feels as though a confederacy of conservatives is at work against him.

The case of Manoj Tiwary is rather strange, as not only did he get runs against the visiting Englishmen but he has also done well in limited-overs international cricket in his sporadic appearances. The lack of "X factor" was cited as the reason for S Badrinath's indifferent treatment when he was getting runs as regularly as a batsman possibly could. Rahane deserves to be picked no doubt, but at the same time Tiwary cannot be the soft target eternally.

Unlike John Wright, the former India coach who could put the selectors to shame with his propensity to watch domestic cricket, Fletcher has chosen not to visit any Ranji matches. Ranji cricket apart, he has been conspicuously absent for England's two tour games in India. And while he is expected to show up for the three-day camp just days before the first Test begins in Ahmedabad on November 15, India's preparations for the forthcoming Tests seem insipid and lacking in direction. Compare this to the kind of homework England are putting in, having arrived three weeks early, and there is some cause for concern.

Perhaps there is still the opportunity for teams from New Zealand to join the Big Bash League? Who knows where the T20 game will be in a few years time, given the changing nature of cricket. If New Zealand teams were to join the Australian competition, then perhaps this would lead to them also joining the Sheffield Shield.

Unlike other international examples, the rivalry has usually been a well natured one. Perhaps it is time to show some brotherly love and follow the compelling example of our netballing sisters.

Cricket is a summer game, played in the the sun (which is why players rush to the pavilion as soon as it begins to rain in the neighbouring state), and should remain so. But - and this is the question to be asked - is it better to play to relatively bigger crowds at night or to play in the sun before the proverbial three men and a dog? Over the years, the game has evolved. Bats have changed, the height of the stumps too; the laws were different from what they are today, and the unstated aim has been to make it more competitive, more attractive and more gasp-worthy.

Yes, Test cricket ought to be played in the sun with a red ball but Test cricket at night is an idea whose time has come.

One thing, which became clearer over time, was how gently the weight of the position rested with him. He found just that right space between authority and friendliness and settled into it, which is the secret of all management really.

This came out best in the smile he offered the bowler after turning down an appeal; a little patronising sure with those pursed lips, but a little sympathetic too in those eyes. It was as expert and finely tuned as the steady hands that defuse bombs.

Change is inevitable, but it is hard to overstate just how much upcoming players may have lost out by being deprived of the chance to play first-class cricket with the stalwarts.

The alarm bells have begun to ring in Australia with Pat Cummins, the 19-year-old fast bowler, set to miss another full season through injury. Cummins has played just four first-class games, while representing Australia and others in as many as 28 Twenty20 matches. Trying to run without perfecting the walk is risky business.

We will be intrigued by three players, who share 510 Test caps, 41,520 Test runs and 113 years between them: Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis. But will we be marvelling at their immortality or wincing as they vainly seek to recapture the magic of their earlier years? It could be enthralling; it could be very painful.

Tendulkar and Ponting are now accustomed to queries about their future but somehow retirement has not been an issue with Kallis recently. It may be that his recent form has been so impressive; it can't just be that the new batch of hair upon Kallis's head creates an impression of youthfulness, which deflects any interrogators.

Buchanan is playing the long game. His is a numbers plan based around performance. A holistic plan encompassing everything cricket, judging New Zealand cricketers on the world's best players' numbers. Plenty of paper work, plenty of assessment.

Wright's was more on instinct and hard work. In general Wright was seen as "old school" and wanted the right people with the right attitudes. His belief was that hard work and the best people were what was needed.

Yesterday's forecast had the encouraging word "thunder-showers" and one of those large lightning bolts sandwiched between angled rain lines. Now look at Sri Lanka's rainfall rates. This is the second inter-monsoon season over there. One month has a mean total rainfall of 414.4 millimetres, by a distance the wettest month of the year. Go on, have a guess which month it is?