The Surfer

"I would be lying if I said I'm not gutted that I'm not involved in the Olympics. In years to come, Twenty20 cricket will be in the Olympics. But, by then, I won't be involved. I just have to accept that I will have missed the home Olympics. Cricket at the Olympics would have raised the profile of women's cricket in this country. Women's cricket as a game has not had the recognition. [But] we don't play cricket for recognition, we play because we love playing for England."

The danger is that by playing Australia again in this format after only last hosting them in 2010, are we seeing too much of the old enemy and thus running the risk of diluting the Ashes in 12 months' time? I have always believed that less is more and I just hope we do not lose some of the excitement and anticipation that builds in the run-up to an Ashes series.

Some of the [Zimbabwe] national squad have already taken part-time jobs in a return to the semi-professional era that characterised much of the 1990s when Zimbabwe cricket was at its strongest.Not a single one of them earns the equivalent of a basic Franchise retainer in South Africa. Not even Brendan Taylor, their captain and match winner on Sunday.

The quality of cricketers within the England environment has and continues to improve with the investment of the ECB. Years ago, they stole a march over other nations, who, stung by it, have now started stronger investment programmes themselves and are seeing the dividends from it.

The persistent tendency to belittle women's cricket in comparison to men's is just irksome, in a way that tends not to happen in individual sports. This week, the fact that Maria Sharapova in all probability would not take a game, or scarcely a point for that matter, from Rafa Nadal will not diminish her. England women cricketers possess superb skills and high aesthetics, and have only physical constraints. But they still bat with flair, hit sixes, swing the ball, spin it, and field with athletic brilliance.

I can understand a need to play T20 cricket because the World T20 is taking place in September. What I can't understand is going to a tournament like this as preparation for a world event and then not taking half the players who will make up the T20 team at that event.

Among the Twitter posts was one from Scyld Berry that said: "Tom Maynard was so talented that when at Millfield [school] he played for the neighbouring village of Butleigh, batted left-handed and hit a 100. RIP."

Stories like that one are really about the difference between us, the distance between not just the amateur and the pro, but between professionals and internationals and between internationals and the genuinely great. Ultimately, they see the world differently. Martin Amis described it brilliantly as "the natural severity" of the truly talented ball-player. What they do is different; when they strike the ball it makes a different sound, it goes to a different place, at a different speed.

Nowadays, all these foreign coaches… It was fairly simple in my times, less than 9 years ago. It was very simple. What I’ve learnt from Imran, and Javed Miandad ofcourse- the idea as a fast bowler is that the fast bowling muscles will only work when you bowl in nets. The gym training is good for individual muscles, maybe to look good, I suppose, it’s part and parcel of the game [laughs]. I’m fine with that. But again, if you look good and you are not bowling well, there is no point in being a fast bowler, or being a bowler at all. He has to get wickets for your country, your county, your club.

The arguments in favour of Karthik strengthen when one considers his adaptability. He can be used as a floater in the batting line-up and is also a very useful opener in any format. His exploits on India’s tour of England in 2007 bear testimony to this fact as he countered alien conditions with ease. He opened the batting and got India off to good starts on a number of occasions. His batting can be described as combative; he is always looking to take the attack to the opposition. He has good footwork and a balanced head - something that helped him in England.

None of this means that the inequity, in terms of Kaneria, is wrong but rather it is the relative leniency bestowed on Butt that is at odds with the seriousness of his misdemeanour. Despite warnings Kaneria kept the worst of company and at the very least was the cynical ringmaster of a circus intent on maintaining immense corruption within the game.