The Surfer

What has happened with the UDRS today is that there has been no consistency of its use in Test cricket. While some countries are for it like Sri Lanka, there are others like India who are against it. In such circumstances where does the ICC draw the line? It cannot just leave it hanging loosely hoping that all Test playing countries will one day come to some form of agreement and use it constantly. As the governing body the ICC has its responsibilities to ensure that once it takes a decision it is mandatory to all and sundry, not leave it in the hands of the host country to convince their opponents of the merits of the system.

The oldest domestic competition in the world has been treated dismissively lately, rather like the old duffer in the pub whose tales of yesteryear are tolerated but who some say has outstayed his welcome and frankly is going gaga.

It fails to garner the necessary coverage any more, in any form of the media; it is treated as an afterthought, an irrelevance, a necessary evil. It has done nothing to deserve this.

Muttiah Muralitharan's story unfolded through his eyes. Burning, bulging, crazily intent, they were a steely monochrome to the contortionist's impossibly flexible wrists, inward rotating shoulders and that bent elbow which haunted his domain like a vengeful poltergeist. They were eyes that would kill. And wouldn't let go until they did, having foretold doom 792 times in Test cricket before Sunday, 84 more than a more flamboyant Australian world-beater with whom mathematical games will forever continue.

Pandey’s own cricketing skills are well respected in Delhi’s local circuit. A student of Bishan Singh Bedi, he is known to have the knack of getting Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir out cheaply. “Once when Viru met Mahi, he told him how I had got him out once again. Apparently, they laughed their heads off when Mahi said, ‘Now, I will hear this story from Pandeyji again’. Actually, I have dismissed Viru some 8-9 times,” Pandey says.

When a Test batsman turns 35, it's much like a businessman turning 60. With retirement looming, you quietly sense you are not what you were but are happy to still be giving a bit of cheek and you celebrate those moments when you give those young bucks a shake-up.

Australia's cricketers owed their primacy as the world's Test and one-day champions partly to their American baseball coach, Michael Young, who taught their fielders to corner the batsman like a hunting pack; and this summer he was seconded to Somerset.

A generation ago, fielders did not dive; now they swoop, fling, leap and pirouette, before firing the ball over the stumps with a flat throw of no more than one bounce. Baseball has brought athleticism and choreography to cricket.

The only thing preventing this country from taking over world cricket is the lack of a properly structured and competitive junior program. A program that instills the basics from an early age. There are some other things such as the lack of access to gym equipment and that logistically there's not as many grounds. But it's scary to think how strong Pakistan cricket would be if it had the sort of support structures we have in place in Australia

There's a core of players with very good athletic ability. Umar Gul, Fawad Alam and Younis Khan's fitness levels are through the roof. They can run for days. Salman Butt has done a huge amount of work recently and Mohammad Yousuf has trained very hard with me over the past three years. Misbah is a great trainer, so is Kamran Akmal