The Surfer

In their last 28 Tests overseas – beginning with the previous visit to South Africa five years ago – England have taken 20 wickets only seven times, including twice against a weak New Zealand side in seam-friendly conditions. One in four is not a ratio to set the pulse racing, let alone beat the best team in the world. There’s more. During that period England were able to field possibly their most incisive seam attack ever. Now they arrive in South Africa without any of the Fab Four of Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones that delivered the 2005 Ashes. Flower possibly knows something we don’t.

Gayle is a busted flush. Sympathisers say he cares about West Indian cricket. If so, he has a curious way of showing it. Appointed on a wing and a prayer by authorities desperate to stop the inexorable slide in West Indian cricket, the languid Jamaican has been a profound disappointment. If nothing else, his abject performance during last winter's Test series in England ought to have cost him his job.

There has been a lot of tip-toeing around the issue of whether Wright wants to be involved. Has he expressed official interest and does he want the arduous grind of overseas travel again?

The trouble is, to cheapen maintenance costs, the Stratford stadium will be reduced to 25,000 seats once the Olympics is over. That would put its capacity behind Lord's and only marginally in front of the Oval's. Unless 50,000 spectators can be accommodated, the only reason for international cricket to be played elsewhere in the capital would be for the novelty. If you want that, far better to build a stadium with a roof to make the game weatherproof.

"We both love our speed,'' Clarke said. "Our cars, our motorbikes, and a bit of shopping here and there - but we also both love trying to be the best cricket players we can. I guess that's how our relationship continued to grow. I had an idol who was willing to help me. I would have been stupid not to have listened to him. From there, we've built a friendship outside of cricket, which is very special to me. It's something I'm very lucky to have.''

With captain Younis Khan at number three, Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan’s best batsman) at number four, and now Umar Akmal in the side, Pakistan’s Test middle-order is packed. In ODI and Twenty20 cricket, the batting line-up has to accommodate all-rounders too, which leaves even less room. The only scenario in which Misbah forces his way back is if someone gets injured or loses form. No one knows the future, but the odds are against it.

Pakistan cricket’s Achilles’ heel is not its ability to produce good openers, reliable middle-order batsmen or good fielders. The real Achilles’ heel is the inability to build a cricket structure in which only competent managers could survive.