The Surfer

Could James Anderson copy Kevin Pietersen?

Former England captain Alec Stewart, writing for bbc.co.uk , says that he hopes the decision to rest James Anderson, for the third Test against the West Indies, doesn't prompt him to consider retiring from limited-overs cricket to focus primarily

Carlyle Laurie
25-Feb-2013
Former England captain Alec Stewart, writing for bbc.co.uk, says that he hopes the decision to rest James Anderson, for the third Test against the West Indies, doesn't prompt him to consider retiring from limited-overs cricket to focus primarily on Test cricket.
I am certainly not recommending it, but it could be a question going through Jimmy's mind. He probably values Test cricket at the top of his priorities and, if he wasn't playing the other forms of the game, would he have been left out of the third Test? Whatever thoughts Jimmy may be having, he has to make sure there are no kneejerk reactions.
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Cook learns to thrive in England's high-pressure zone

England’s batsman Alastair Cook has been involved in over 110 partnerships with captain Andrew Strauss, with the pair scoring over 5,000 Test runs together

Carlyle Laurie
25-Feb-2013
“Actually, we do get on very well on and off the field,” Cook said. “We are similar characters and similar players. We have dinner on tour. We talk about all sorts of things. I saw that stat the other day [5,000 runs]. It is a nice little thing to have done. It is quite clearly the opening partnership that tries to set the tone.”
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IPL and the free market delusion

On i3j3 Cricket , Mahesh Sethuram argues that the IPL has little to do with free markets, and blasts the BCCI for putting money-making ahead of developing the game

Cricinfo
25-Feb-2013
On i3j3 Cricket, Mahesh Sethuram argues that the IPL has little to do with free markets, and blasts the BCCI for putting money-making ahead of developing the game.
So, IPL will sell its title rights, franchise rights, broadcast rights, the fours, the sixes, and all the other centralized rights to the highest bidder, but the players have to bear with a budget cap enforced on their employers. There are further caps on uncapped Indian players, defined catchment area for each franchises, an RBI priority sector burden styled requirement to carry a certain number of U-22 players as well. So, outside of private ownership and big money, there is not a semblance of the principles of free markets in IPL. And big money as such has nothing to do with free markets, but it’s a convenient narrative fallacy in India, because of the correlation between our stupendous increase in living standards and opening up of the economy in the early nineties.
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Rotation will stir up a hornets' nest in England camp

Vic Marks, writing for the Observer , says that considering the amount of cricket still to be played this season, it makes sense for England to rest key players whenever possible.

Carlyle Laurie
25-Feb-2013
Vic Marks, writing for the Observer, says that considering the amount of cricket still to be played this season, it makes sense for England to rest key players whenever possible.
The physiologists may tell England's bowlers that missing a game or two now might significantly prolong their Test careers. But I would be very surprised if the first-choice opening pair think like that. Anderson has 267 Test wickets; he wants more and no doubt he scented a few easy ones at Edgbaston. Broad must also fancy his chances of a few relatively cheap Caribbean wickets.
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New playing conditions will add zing to ODIs

Hemant Kenkre, writing for Mail Today , says that the ICC’s decision to alter the existing format of ODI’s, will only add an ‘extra zing’ vis-à-vis entertainment, to One-day games and try and bring it as close to the T20 format as possible.

Carlyle Laurie
25-Feb-2013
Hemant Kenkre, writing for Mail Today, says that the ICC’s decision to alter the existing format of ODI’s, will only add an ‘extra zing’ vis-à-vis entertainment, to One-day games and try and bring it as close to the T20 format as possible.
For many years, ODIs were the cash cow that pumped in huge amounts of money to help run first-class and Test cricket in many countries. Thanks to the huge success of the T20 World Cups, the Indian Premier League and the Australian Big Bash, the shortest format of the game is now expected to be a large source of funding for ICC and world cricket bodies to maintain and manage the traditional forms of the game.
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Ryder stays on right path in IPL cauldron

New Zealand’s opening batsman Jesse Ryder's psychologist Karen Nimmo told Andrew Alderson, from the Herald , that Ryder’s conduct was "exemplary during trying circumstances" playing for the Pune Warriors in the IPL.

Carlyle Laurie
25-Feb-2013
New Zealand’s opening batsman Jesse Ryder's psychologist Karen Nimmo told Andrew Alderson, from the Herald, that Ryder’s conduct was "exemplary during trying circumstances" playing for the Pune Warriors in the IPL.
“It is a party environment but we achieved what we wanted. I'm proud of his [Jesse's] efforts. We had a plan in place and we stuck to it," Nimmo said. “The IPL is an eye-opener on a different sporting scale to anything I've seen before. There is a fair bit of drum-beating and the red carpet is rolled out regularly for the players. They are mobbed, touched and photographed at every turn. They mingle with billionaires and stay in palatial hotels. That is not normal for young men. It must be hard to keep your head. Jesse is a modest guy in that way. He just wanted to avoid all that hype."
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Towards greener pastures?

Suresh Menon, writing for ESPNstar.com , says that the demise of the 50-over game might actually be good for cricket, as it will mean fewer matches in a year, and perhaps a greater focus on Tests.

Carlyle Laurie
25-Feb-2013
Suresh Menon, writing for ESPNstar.com, says that the demise of the 50-over game might actually be good for cricket, as it will mean fewer matches in a year, and perhaps a greater focus on Tests.
T20 cricket is all about an individual sport cleverly disguised as a team game. Restraint of trade apart, cricket boards will soon have to deal with top players and their version of having the cake and eating it too: Test cricket for the honour and T20 for the money. The two formats can co-exist, and will need to, especially if the relationship is to be symbiotic, with T20 driving a new audience to Test cricket.
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In league with money?

Neeru Bhatia, writing for the Week , says that while the IPL has been a cash cow for the BCCI, the league has not helped in discovering talent to serve Indian cricket in the long run.

Carlyle Laurie
25-Feb-2013
Neeru Bhatia, writing for the Week, says that while the IPL has been a cash cow for the BCCI, the league has not helped in discovering talent to serve Indian cricket in the long run.
Cricket-wise, though, the benefits appear few. Even though domestic players are getting a chance to rub shoulders with Indian and international stars, IPL has not helped in discovering talent to serve Indian cricket in the long run. There have been flashes in the pan, like Manvinder Bisla, KKR's star in the final match against Chennai Super Kings. But similar talents like Paul Valthaty, Swapnil Asnodkar and Kamran Khan have been one-season wonders.
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Will Black Caps players take money or tests?

Aaron Lawton, writing for the Dominion Post , says that a number of New Zealand players will have to choose between Test cricket and the IPL next season

Carlyle Laurie
25-Feb-2013
Aaron Lawton, writing for the Dominion Post, says that a number of New Zealand players will have to choose between Test cricket and the IPL next season. New Zealand is slated to play two Test matches against England in May 2013, around the same time as the IPL.
Two years ago New Zealand Cricket agreed a clear window for those with franchises to play in the event, a tacit acknowledgement that it could not deny Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori and the like the opportunity to take advantage of the big sums on offer in the Indian Premier League. Even before the arrangement, when New Zealand toured England in 2008, five players missed the opening week of the trip while they played in India. Since then visits to England by Sri Lanka and this season West Indies, have been affected by the IPL calendar.
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'Uncapped players' in the IPL a sensitive issue

The BCCI removed the salary cap on uncapped players in the IPL as a reaction to the sting operation on some players

Stringent rules are non-negotiable, but to introduce them after one has allowed flexibility in the past would create more loopholes and the IPL needs to watch out. Announcements to rectify defects in the system are good, but an auction for uncapped players will be bottom-heavy.
The IPL needs to think through this clearly, holding every franchisee's hand, or this could once again be reason for disharmony amongst the shareholders of a very exciting league.
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