The Surfer

Several days after his second five-for in Tests, he is still spitting nails at how badly he thought he bowled against Bangladesh at Lord’s and Old Trafford. “It was the worst I’d bowled this season,” says this season’s leading first-class wicket-taker.

Shafiul did something different. He waited until Trott had finished his routine, made as if to set off and then aborted his run and started again. Trott was not able – would not have been allowed – to go through the rigmarole again. Thus, Shafiul had broken the circle of concentration. It had the hand of his coach, Jamie Siddons, in it and good for him. It will happen a lot. Now it is up to Trott to adapt.

England have a probable 21 one-day matches between now and the start of the World Cup next February. It is their objective to refine the muscular approach which has pervaded all three elements of their game in the last nine months, starting with the Champions Trophy last September.

One of the two main orchestrators of this is Andrew Strauss, the captain, who overhauled England's philosophy with the coach, Andy Flower – which is why suggestions that his place was vulnerable were at best premature, at worst uninformed nonsense. Strauss needs some runs in the sense that batsmen always need runs but it is clear that England want him to be at the helm come the sub-continental World Cup.

But the distressed West Indian supporter would also turn on the board and inquire about a developmental programme to nurture the likes of Pollard, not merely to enhance obvious natural ability but to give him the capacity to play vintage Test innings and aspire to more than fast 30s and 40s. We are creatures not only of our genes but of our socialisation and environment, of the culture and civilisation into which we are born and nurtured. Had Pollard and the generation after Lara and Chanderpaul been nurtured in such a crucible created by the board, there would be no issue about choice. Young players would have had inculcated into their beings what it is to be a West Indian cricketer playing for their nation.

Every umpire has their trademark, that was mine. The media labeled it the 'slow finger of death', I found that pretty interesting. There's a story behind it though. When my umpiring career first began, I used to hold my hands in front of me and every time there was an appeal, I would fold it against my ribs. The someone told me "Rudi, you can't do that, every time you raise your hands to fold it, the bowler thinks you're going to give him a wicket." So I started clasping my wrists at the back. The finger comes out slowly because it takes time for me to release my grasp at the back.

Strauss, said Flower, has been as much the architect of England’s recent resurgence as anybody. That may be so, but is he good enough to get into the best side?

“I have heard people talk about our friendship and I have always taken pride in it. I know he cares for me and is a genuine well-wisher,” says Zaheer, who first saw Nehra a decade ago in Chennai. “He was in the Indian team and I was a ‘nets' bowler,” he smiles.

In the Eighties and Nineties, cricketers had to beg their local dealership for whatever was going spare — perhaps a nice white Ford Sierra with a tail fin and electric sunroof. In return, the car was plastered with the player’s name and cricketing CV. Yes, you got the Sierra, but it came at a heavy social price. Not every player, of course, viewed driving a car embossed with his own name and accomplishments as an embarrassment. Some went straight back to the garage to ask for bigger print.

"I've always felt when I play for my country that I'm going to war, and it was so disappointing to be consigned to the scrapheap like that.

The national selectors, who during their careers perhaps themselves have been victims of weird selection policies, find it tough to get rid of the bias they get blamed for as they can only pick the best 15 they can think of.