The Surfer

On the other hand, as expected, the general sentiment among spectators at the Oval was largely of disappointment. "It's disgusting," said an elderly gentleman with a big wave of his hand. A keen cricket follower, Todd Russell said he felt like being taken for a ride. "I was fortunate to see Sachin in action during the Test match here, but missing him today is again a disappointment. I guess everybody wants to see Sachin in action."

Pietersen's return at the top of the order is a reprise of the role he attempted, with some success, at the World Cup, before injury struck. It is also something approaching a final roll of the dice for a player once recognised as unquestionably England's top 50-over gun, but who has not scored an ODI hundred for three years and whose lustre as a match-winner has unquestionably dimmed.

"A good score on this pitch is ... " The obvious answer once again should be "as many as we can get". This may appear a flippant answer, but it is a senseless question. The infinite numbers of factors that come into play throughout a game are hard enough to judge at the end of the contest, let alone at the beginning. This is just another addition to the dreaded predeterminations that players are often exposed to.

In fact, more than anything else, it makes one wonder why the batsmen need to be ‘rested’ now? Are they saving up their best for the IPL? Do they want to be fit for the ‘big’ event? What other reason could this selection committee and the team management have of suddenly lapsing into a rotation policy in the middle of a tough tour of Australia?

His fans have a right to know what his condition is, and by when he could be back on the cricket field. The problem arises when we treat even this personal tragedy as a matter of public discourse in which speculation, gossip, fact and fiction merge so that the story becomes too soppy or even juicy.

The controversy on the ethicality of running the ad is redundant. Yuvraj Singh, faced with the most fearful crisis in his life, has just shown us how to brilliantly manage perception, and come out stronger and bigger. We want to see this man, with his wonderful talent and now-evident titanic willpower, back on the field for India, as soon as he thinks he is ready

Universally, the auction system is the one aspect of the IPL most feel requires immediate change. A system designed to select players on the basis of market forces, the auction is conceivably meant to determine players’ values, along the lines of a player draft as per the US leagues or any other professional sports league. Its implementation, however, leaves much to be desired, and this is due to the fact that draft systems or player trades/ loans evolve over time, and are not based entirely on individual parameters that revolve around money.

The oval ball game was king for young Bracewell, a promising first five-eighth or fullback who emerged through Rathkeale College into Wairarapa-Bush age-grade sides. He'd played at Hurricanes junior tournaments against the Whitelock brothers, rising stars with Manawatu, and wanted a taste for more. His father, Brendon, arranged him a season in Perth on leaving school. Then, perhaps to New Zealand Cricket's eternal relief, fate intervened.