The Surfer

World-class players win matches through world-class performances but do it more than occasionally. Two of them are Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor. Yes, they are capable and occasionally do perform world-class deeds but far too infrequently to be labelled world class. Somehow these two players who are crucial to our success must find a way to become more consistent. That alone is a skill and they are both deficient in that area.

I have played against some of the South African players earlier. Dale Steyn was in the same IPL team for which I was playing. I have faced him a lot in the nets. As for South Africa, I did play the IPL there in 2009, but at this time of the year the pitches will be different. Of course, the IPL experience will help. The good thing is that the confidence of the team is high and the players are in good shape for the series.

Imran: If a batsman plays a maiden over, how do you know he is taking money or not? That's my worry, that this could be quite widespread. It was the 'News of the World' sting operation, not some ICC investigation that caught them. So bear in mind that it was just by chance that it came out. Even Hansie Cronje's case was completely by fluke. It just happened that the phone got tapped and by chance he got caught. So therefore, I think measure need to be taken and they need to be drastic like bank accounts. All the players should submit their bank accounts. They should make it so transparent that how much money they have, how much tax they pay, assets declaration. It's got to be much more extensive, so that the deterrent factor is there, so that the people are scared that they can be caught. Otherwise, I don't know how you are going to catch spot-fixing.

Greeting Ghulam [Ahmed, the then chairman of India's national selectors panel] at an airport, TE quickly realised that the veteran off-spinner, not unlike other selectors of the time, had not recognised him. “Good morning Sir,” he said, “I’m V Sivaramakrishnan sir, the opening batsman.” “Ah, Siva, good morning,” was Ghulam’s reply. Incredibly, he then asked TE, “How’s our friend TE Srinivasan?” giving him a glorious opening for one of his pranks.” TE’s reply was not only instantaneous but completely mad. “TE, sir? That rascal is up to no good sir, always drinking and getting into trouble.”

Also the Australians are not used to being out in the field for long periods without taking wickets. I mean, Jesus, six for 1,137! It’s easier being a good fielder when the catches are coming along pretty regularly, but when you drop a guy on five and he makes 150 or 200 every so-and-so remembers that. In past Australian sides, if you dropped a catch you knew that another chance would be coming along 10 minutes later.

One of the major problems confronting the Australia bowling unit at the moment is the confusion surrounding places in the team. When a bowler feels under pressure, he will often lose sight of bowling plans and try to take a wicket with every other ball. That may sound reasonable in theory but, with Test pitches around the world generally flat, it serves only to relieve the pressure on batsmen.

What has happened? A carbon copy of the upheaval that occurred in England 20 years ago. Cricket, and sport in general, ceased to be regarded as an important part of education. It is deemed more important to experiment with resins in the DT lab, or compose a power point document than have some healthy exercise. The facts are that in the 1960s Australian children played an average of eight hours’ sport a week. Today the figure in some schools is as low as 20 minutes a week.

Goodness, the fun continues out here in Australia with the selection of the home side’s squad for the third Test in Perth. In comes a chap called Michael Beer. He’s a left-arm spinner and I’ll admit that the first I’d heard of him was when our star columnist, Shane Warne, was earlier this week deflecting us away from talk that he might be about to make a dramatic comeback.

Steven Finn's approach contains an element at the start consisting of half a dozen strides that offer him little, before he gets into his run proper. Even that is inconsistent in its graded acceleration. I am told that in practice he bowls just as fast from a shortened run as from his longer one, while experience tells me that you could develop a much stronger body action consequently, which would also serve to improve an already solid method. I'm told, too, that it has been suggested, but that he is reluctant.

Captaining a cricket team is a glamorous job because, unlike in football and rugby, you are the main man. The coach/director of cricket is responsible for preparing the players for the game but it is the captain's role to manage and direct them on the field. When it all goes right and victory is gained there is no better feeling but when it goes wrong it is extremely stressful. Defeats cannot be laughed off, they are taken personally.

Steyn and Morkel have the natural chemistry every successful partnership has. Sir Len Hutton once said of Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller that you couldn't pick a fight with one of them, for you'd have both at your throat. There's a similar sense to how Steyn and Morkel operate. Not only do their methods complement each other — Steyn's skiddy pace and late swing and Morkel's sheer speed and abrupt lift — they work on batsmen together. You need look only at how they roughed up and removed Michael Hussey in concert to understand this.

Such a scenario is not so obvious this time, after Ricky Ponting's team became the first Australian side in 24 years to lose by an innings to England, capitulating in Adelaide this week. England retained the Ashes in December 1986 by winning the fourth Test at the MCG inside three days to go 2-0 up with one match to play. Just 2 1/2 years later Border was holding up a replica of the Ashes in England after winning a six-Test series 4-0 with basically the same batting line-up.

Most of the wounds are self-inflicted. Supposedly gifted youth has been glorified and the hard heads have been pushed aside. It is not entirely the selectors' fault. The system has broken down.