The Surfer
England's short-sighted World Twenty20 selection
Stephen Brenkley believes that England's squad selection for the World Twenty20 lacks in long-term planning
Nitin Sundar
25-Feb-2013
Stephen Brenkley believes that England's squad selection for the World Twenty20 lacks in long-term planning. Read his entire article in the Independent.
The choice of the 22-year-old wicketkeeper batsman, Craig Kieswetter, flavour of the month and it is to be hoped the decade, makes it certain that England will use their 17th different opening batting combination in 26 T20 internationals. As soon as one pair fails another one is summoned, which is less selection policy than hailing a cab and hoping for the best.
Is the IPL sport?
It has been an astonishing success, but an evening spent at an IPL game reveals a grand spectacle desperately in search of a point, writes Barney Ronay in the Guardian
Cricinfo
25-Feb-2013
It has been an astonishing success, but an evening spent at an IPL game reveals a grand spectacle desperately in search of a point, writes Barney Ronay in the Guardian.
Full postHaving sat through (and enjoyed) back-to-back Delhi Daredevils fixtures, later described separately in the Indian press as "pulsating" and "mighty", I would identify two problems. First the standard of cricket is mixed: spectacularly skilful moments, combined with some mediocre bowling and often appalling fielding. Secondly it simply doesn't matter who wins. As a sporting contest these matches have no real content. The franchises are still hotchpotches of familiar faces, (most of whom will rotate in the next two years). The allegiance in the stands is only replica shirt-deep, and the IPL itself still a vehicle mainly for personal achievement.
New Zealand urgently need to recover lost ground
In the aftermath of Australia's thumping Test-series win against New Zealand, Peter Roebuck is concerned about the state of the game, with some teams falling way behind the others
Nitin Sundar
25-Feb-2013
In the aftermath of Australia's thumping Test-series win against New Zealand, Peter Roebuck is concerned about the state of the game, with some teams falling way behind the others. Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, he hopes that New Zealand can arrest their slide.
New Zealand has found little comfort in these Test matches. It is not much consolation, but it is not alone in its suffering. Pakistan has imploded after its increasingly bad-tempered tour of Australia and the captain of that party has retired from international cricket.
Meanwhile, Dwayne Bravo, the rising star of Caribbean cricket, has said that he puts Trinidad and Tobago first on his list, Mumbai Indians second and West Indies third. So much for hope.
It's not a question of the top three or four sides coming back to the field. It's a matter of the rest meeting their challenge. New Zealand has fallen short and, like a struggling player, needs to identify and correct its weaknesses. For all the trans-Tasman rivalry, Australians will wish them well in this endeavour.
Full postHarbhajan and Yuvraj need to mend their ways
Harbhajan Singh might be at the top of his game with bat and ball, but his consistently poor conduct over the first three seasons of the IPL leaves a lot to be desired, feels Khalid A-H Ansari
Nitin Sundar
25-Feb-2013
Harbhajan Singh might be at the top of his game with bat and ball, but his consistently poor conduct over the first three seasons of the IPL leaves a lot to be desired, feels Khalid A-H Ansari. Writing in Mid-day, Ansari says that although he loves 'Bhajji', the phenomenal entertainer, "I could do without his wanton shenanigans".
Leave aside his behaviour towards opponents in Test and one-day cricket, which have earned him opprobrium from umpires, match referees, the media and fans in India and abroad, Harbhajan's raffish behaviour in the three editions of IPL has been notably consistent.
The redoubtable off-spinner's constant refrain that his "aggression" helps his performance is patently misconceived. If anything, it is self-defeating.
Writing in his blog, Smoke Signals, Prem Panicker thinks it is time for Yuvraj Singh to rise above fitness and attitude problems, and stop taking things for granted.
Full postCheerleaders shame Indian cricket
The IPL's reliance on foreign cheerleaders reinforces unsavoury Indian stereotypes about sex and women, writes Kanishk Tharoor in the Guardian .
Siddhartha Talya
25-Feb-2013
The IPL's reliance on foreign cheerleaders reinforces unsavoury Indian stereotypes about sex and women, writes Kanishk Tharoor in the Guardian.
I'm not offended by cheerleading, more bored by it. In any grown-up context, it offers a dispiriting definition of both leadership and cheer. Many cricket fans, including myself, would be happy to see the (metaphorical) back of these cheerleaders. Their twists and pumps add nothing to what is, in truth, a wonderful sporting spectacle. They are a reminder of the ocean of inanities that commercial modernity promises our lives, drowning all occasions in froth. First the fall from grace, then the flood.
Anil Kumble's photographical journey
In Outlook , among India's most popular news magazines, Anil Kumble speaks to Snigdha Hasan about his book of photographs, Wide Angle .
Siddhartha Talya
25-Feb-2013
In Outlook, among India's most popular news magazines, Anil Kumble speaks to Snigdha Hasan about his book of photographs, Wide Angle.
Why did you choose the medium of pictures?
I have always believed photographs speak a thousand words. I wanted to bring about what the team does in its off time and how players do team-building exercises.
Full postKochi: Why one shouldn't be surprised
Rohit Mahajan, writing in Outlook , examines why Kochi's bid for an IPL team made perfect business sense given the city's rapidly growing consumerism and the impending housing boom.
Siddhartha Talya
25-Feb-2013
Rohit Mahajan, writing in Outlook, examines why Kochi's bid for an IPL team made perfect business sense given the city's rapidly growing consumerism and the impending housing boom.
“It’s recognition of Kochi as the economic capital of Kerala,” says Kochi-based economist Ajit Kumar. “The average Malayali is a very emotional and competitive person, and it satisfies his ego to have a team in the IPL.” He also mentions a more compelling reason for the presence of the IPL in Kochi—fiscal fluidity and demand for housing. “I’ve estimated that by the end of the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012), there would be a demand for 1,20,000 housing units in Kochi alone,” he says. “At present, 50,000 units are available—the shortfall is massive, and that’s why so many builders are among the Kochi owners.” They want to build a brand through the IPL and lure customers to future housing projects
Does tradition count for anything?
The start of the English domestic season and the subsequent schedule reflects the shift in priorities among counties and the ECB, writes Simon Wilde in the Sunday Times .
Siddhartha Talya
25-Feb-2013
The start of the English domestic season and the subsequent schedule reflects the shift in priorities among counties and the ECB, writes Simon Wilde in the Sunday Times.
Tradition counts for nothing any more. Anything can be sold or moved for a price. Tomorrow’s match in Abu Dhabi has been relocated from Lord’s partly to facilitate a project being driven by MCC to find a suitable coloured ball for day-night Test cricket, and partly because the season is starting earlier than ever. There is also MCC’s financial deal with Abu Dhabi.
Vic Marks, in the Observer, while agreeing that the decision to start the domestic season in Abu Dhabi marks a departure from the conservatism that once characterised English cricket, says it might just be a good idea. The experiment with pink balls, he adds, too may prove a favourable development.
Full postFrom boy scout to biggest chief
Tomorrow, at his home ground of Seddon Park, Daniel Vettori will toss the coin to start his 100th test, 99 for New Zealand and one for the ICC World XI against Australia in 2005
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
Tomorrow, at his home ground of Seddon Park, Daniel Vettori will toss the coin to start his 100th test, 99 for New Zealand and one for the ICC World XI against Australia in 2005. Only Stephen Fleming, with 111, has played more for New Zealand, writes Dylan Cleaver in the New Zealand Herald.
Fellow Northern Districts and New Zealand left-arm tweaker Matt Hart well remembers the day when Daniel Luca Vettori first came bounding in at training. "He was all arms and legs, he had a mop of hair and glasses," Hart says. "He had a very young face. Crikey, he showed an enormous amount of talent right from the word go, but the thing that stood out was that nothing fazed him. It's exactly like he is today, nothing seems to faze him."
The New Zealand Herald also has a gallery of pictures of Vettori over the years.
Full postIf it moves, monetise it
India Today , one of the country's leading newsmagazines, has a cover story that looks at the IPL money machine, whether it can be sustained and what plans Modi has for the future
Siddarth Ravindran
25-Feb-2013
India Today, one of the country's leading newsmagazines, has a cover story that looks at the IPL money machine, whether it can be sustained and what plans Modi has for the future.
As the new teams scramble, Modi will continue to venture further. New media rights such as live streaming on mobiles, mobile Internet, mobile scorecards and smart phone applications, which he hopes will explode once 3G technology is introduced in India. He also hopes to tap international audience, changing the IPL's platform in the UK in Season 3 from the bankrupt Setanta to free-on-air ITV 4.
The Economist looks at how and whether teams can make money given the astronomical sums they have paid to be part of the IPL.
Deepti Chaudhary points out in Mint how companies who are new to India are using the IPL to become household names in the country.
On DreamCricket, Gulu Ezekiel wonders where the two new teams, Pune and Kochi, will find their players from.
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