The Surfer

When Pakistan dominated India, patterns – strange but distinct – would emerge with no relation to any pattern that preceded, or followed. No matter how poorly the team had been playing they would shake it off against India.

In BCCI president N. Srinivasan’s words, the need for zonal representatives this time had to do with the geography of India and not with any clandestine policy of appeasement. Looking at the five good men the board’s roped in, it’s difficult to disagree with him.

Dhoni has said often enough what he thinks of the media, and most of it has not been very complimentary. Intense competition has led to some strange stories appearing, attributed to “my sources in the team” by the reporter. Dhoni learnt a lesson in captaincy early in his career – do exactly what you want to, and thanks to the millions, including former players, who have an opinion on everything he does, there will be enough people who support him. This is a superbly mature attitude, and served him well in the unnecessary debate over the dropping of Virender Sehwag for the match against Australia.

When AB de Villiers faced Sri Lanka's star fast bowler, Lasith Malinga, during the fifth over of the seven-over match last week in Hambantota, he seemed eerily well prepared for the second ball. He positioned himself quickly, suspiciously quickly, for the hook shot and then made the sweetest connection possible to send it more than 100m over deep midwicket.

Indeed, the first ball of the over had been an attempted yorker, which slid out of control for a wide. De Villiers reasoned that a fast bouncer was unlikely to follow – which left him with the slower bouncer. He picked it – and destroyed it.

There has to be a reason why Razzaq was recalled for the World Twenty20 after being discarded as spent force after World Cup 2011. Perhaps it’s his vast experience or the fact that he has been a match-winner for Pakistan during his heyday.

Whatever the reason, it’s quite obvious that the national selectors and Pakistan management believed that the allrounder was good enough to be in the squad ahead of several fitter and younger options like Junaid Khan and Hammad Azam. The thing is when you recall a senior player like Razzaq, you only do that if you think that he is going to make the cut for the playing eleven. Otherwise, it’s better to have somebody younger in the squad as an understudy, who can learn from his seniors even if he fails to be a part of the playing eleven.

But really, isn’t Riley guilty of exaggeration? Couldn’t it be that the stupendous performance of the West Indies cricket team and its consequent salutary impact on its people have persuaded Riley, as also the players, to read meanings which did not exist as overtly in the past as they do in his film? National and racial pride can inspire stellar performances now and then, but to vanquish all the teams in the world for nearly 20 years requires both gifted players and an inexhaustible pool of talent. Can nationalism inspire, say, Bangladesh to become overnight the conquerors of the cricket world? I think not.

What I soon learned about him was that Viru did not want to dedicate himself to taking his talent to its zenith. He was happy to turn up and play and accept what came his way. No amount of cajoling from me could shift him from his insouciant way.

This often happens to those with the greatest gift. Because he had never had to work hard at developing such a skill, Viru did not know how to dedicate himself to disciplined training. It was only during periods of relative poor form that he was prepared to spend time getting things back on track. As soon as he made some runs he slipped back into old habits and appeared content to practise in the same old profligate way; until his form evaporated again.

The big double hundred in the Irani trophy is an ideal way to start a critical season, but there is a lot more work left to be done before he either entertains thoughts of a comeback or puts the selectors under pressure. The key will be in not allowing the big double hundred to linger too long in his system. The reason I say this is because he has already paid a heavy price for letting the success of IPL and its methods stay in his memory longer than required.

What is the problem with England and spin? The problem is they are trying too hard. The word spin gives them neuroses and they focus too much mental and physical energy on countering it, instead of regarding spinners as just another bowler. They panic. They are in too much of a hurry, attempting premeditated and difficult shots before they have even got the measure of the bowler and the pitch. Playing spin requires subtlety not savagery.

If Harbhajan can take four for 12, what can the mystery spinners awaiting England next do to them? Sunil Narine barely turned a ball when he made his Test debut against England this summer but he is a different proposition entirely in the short game, having made his name in the Indian Premier League. Expect him to be the West Indies’ main threat in Pallekele on Thursday

Asked by the MC, the former Kent captain David Fulton, whether he had received a call about the Test tour party to India that was to be announced the day afterwards, Root replied: “I’ve had the call but I can’t say anything about it.” It was a shock answer, if delightfully naive. It certainly meant Root was in the party – those touted as possible candidates are not contacted with disappointing news – and it contrasted with the response given by Nick Compton, who was also at the lunch to receive the County Championship Player of the Year award.