The Surfer
The origin of the Ashes and the right to burn
In the Guardian , Mike Selvey delivers a history lesson on the origin of the Ashes.
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
In the Guardian, Mike Selvey delivers a history lesson on the origin of the Ashes.
The obituary was attributed to a Victorian buck, Reginald Shirley Brooks (can you see that name without thinking of Leslie Nielsen, Airplane and "don't call me Shirley"?), and put down to a journalist's twee joke consistent with the age of music hall. He would have been blogging or tweeting these days.
The Independent continues its countdown to the Ashes, now with the most memorable quotes - words that put an extra bit of pace on the ball and a little extra bite in the batting.
"I think I was saying 3-0 or 4-0 about 12 months ago, thinking there might be a bit of rain around. But with the weather as it is at the moment, I have to say 5-0."
Times turn for Katich
Peter English
25-Feb-2013
First Bob Simpson, the former Australia captain and coach, helped Simon Katich revive his batting. Now he’s assisting him with his bowling, writes the Australian’s Peter Lalor.
If Simpson can do the same thing for the opener's tweak as he did for his batting, England's batsmen need be warned. Katich, Marcus North and Michael Clarke have all been told to work on their part-time spin in preparation for England, an indication the only frontline spinner on the tour, Nathan Hauritz, may not be first choice. Captain Ricky Ponting has been reluctant to use Katich in the past, but a couple of key cameos by the left-hander during the South African tour converted the captain, who has now vowed to use him more often.
Ojha has changed the thinking of modern spinners
In the Hindu , Makarand Waingankar writes that a delightful outcome of effective strategy management in the T20 format is the emergence and handling of spinners
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
In the Hindu, Makarand Waingankar writes that a delightful outcome of effective strategy management in the T20 format is the emergence and handling of spinners. Taking Pragyan Ojha as an example, both Dhoni and Kirsten have used him as an attacking bowler, primarily to take wickets without being too bothered about leaking the odd boundary.
In Wadekar’s and Hemu Adhikari’s scheme of things, they needed to block one end up with Venkat and attack with Bedi and Chandrashekar. And being a brilliant close in-fielder, Venkataraghavan added value to his presence on the field. Pataudi used Abid Ali and Eknath Solkar in close in fielding positions while picking all three attacking spinners. Both the moves worked well.
In the Indian Express, Deepak Narayanan catches up with the creator of Twenty20, Stuart Robertson, who's been maintaining a low profile of late.
Full postIn a hell called KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders had a tumultous IPL in South Africa - the entire team needed dialogue and, more importantly, shared understanding and focus
Judhajit
25-Feb-2013
Kolkata Knight Riders had a tumultous IPL in South Africa - the entire team needed dialogue and, more importantly, shared understanding and focus. The head of KKR's talent hunt wing tells Makarand Waingankar in Open magazine how coach John Buchanan destroyed a good team. Turn to page 23 for the full story.
Full postThings to do in Leicester when you're dead
There are differing opinions over whether Australia's early exit from the ICC World Twenty20 will help or hinder their Ashes preparations
Brydon Coverdale
25-Feb-2013
There are differing opinions over whether Australia's early exit from the ICC World Twenty20 will help or hinder their Ashes preparations. Shane Warne, in his column in the Times, argues that it could be a positive.
Although Australia will still be hurting, this could be a blessing in disguise for the Ashes. They will be able to have a short break to get this out of their systems and then tick along with their practice out of the spotlight before the warm-ups. They have one focus now, no distractions before July 8 in Cardiff.
But the Guardian's David Hopps disagrees.
The fact is that Ponting, Lee and Co will now have too much dead time on their hands. And the continuation of World Twenty20 will be a constant reminder of their failure. It's just a shame that Andrew Symonds isn't around to tempt them to drink their way through it.
Two sides of the Twenty20 debate
Cricinfo
25-Feb-2013
Twenty20 may fast be turning into the game's most popular format, but the Independent's James Lawton clearly isn't one of its fans. Read what he has to say after watching England secure their passage to the Super Eights with victory over Pakistan
Twenty20 contrives its thrills in a crayon-drawn format so pre-ordained, so soul-grindingly repetitive, that its defenders declare it foolproof, but then what happens when one of two allegedly competitive teams has neither the form nor the inclination to make a match of it? We saw it at The Oval on Sunday night. It is a hideously jerked-up formulaic parody of the real game, the one that delighted such as Pinter and Samuel Beckett and was once lauded by a visiting African chieftain, a guest at Lord's of the Foreign Office, as the finest, most elaborate and still most subtle rain-making ceremony ever devised. Twenty20 is about as subtle as a ram-raid.
Arguing the case for Twenty20 is Lawrence Booth, who writes in this week's Spin that the format has the ebbs and flows that is the essence of sport, and can also throw up some good yarns such as last year's IPL also-ran reaching this season's final.
Full postStuart Broad's meltdown followed by Stuart Broad's comeback. Gayle's sixes on to the road and the roof. Mike Hussey's fluffed catch. Kevin Pietersen turning his back on twos with distinctly regal waves. Ajantha Mendis beguiling the Aussies and Tillekeratne Dilshan moving to a half-century by flicking the ball over both his head and Brad Haddin's. The O'Brien brothers. Stumps for goalposts. Marvellous! Not proper cricket? How about proper sport in that case?
Rejoicing at Australia's exit
Kiwi blogger Paul Holden is relishing the early exit of the Australians from the World Twenty20
Cricinfo
25-Feb-2013
Kiwi blogger Paul Holden is relishing the early exit of the Australians from the World Twenty20. Read him on the Sideline Slogger blog.
There is a rare joy for a Kiwi in seeing the Australian cricket team get thumped twice in a matter of days. It may be perverse, it may be irrational, it may be hurtful, it may be immature, it may be un-Australian - but it does feel good to see the previously all-conquering Australians return to the pack of international cricket.
After crashing out four days into the tournament, Australia's most pressing task is uncovering the attractions of Leicester (where they are expected to spend the next couple of weeks), says David Hopps in the Guardian.
Full postNew tunes to keep crowd transfixed
Giles Smith is amazed at the speed with which a team's fortunes fluctuate in the World Twenty20, and at fans' "notoriously twitchy attention spans"
Cricinfo
25-Feb-2013
Giles Smith is amazed at the speed with which a team's fortunes fluctuate in the World Twenty20, and at fans' "notoriously twitchy attention spans". In a hilarious tongue-in-cheek piece in the Times he wonders whether the organisers are concerned that the crowd's attention will slide because of the long national anthems before each match.
Full postAnd how are they going to stop the audience at home visiting the fridge or deciding to throw it all in and go on YouTube instead? ... It's a genuine worry. Which is why we propose the composing, as soon as possible, of special, shorter format, Twenty20 versions of the anthems. Just a couple of bars from the verse and a chorus, say. Or (still more in keeping) just replace them all with another quick blast of James Brown's I Feel Good - get the job done and then on with the cricket. And then off with the cricket, as short a time as possible later. It makes sense
Only a full-strength England can win Ashes
With England's big guns Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen are recovering from injuries
Cricinfo
25-Feb-2013
With England's big guns Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen are recovering from injuries. Kevin Garside writes in the Daily Telegraph that with England lacking the depth that Australia's squad possesses, both Flintoff and Pietersen need to be at peak fitness if England are to regain the Ashes.
We don't have a Phillip Hughes coming through, or a Mitchell Johnson to step up with ball and bat when Brett Lee goes down. We have an improving team replete with superior triers who are able to compete in the highest class only when its front-line warriors are tooled to the hilt and ready to go.
At this point Flintoff and Pietersen are not. Flintoff is inching towards recovery. Each outing is followed by a wait to see if the impaired knee joint can tolerate the next test. Pietersen does not have that luxury. Two days before the knock that nailed Pakistan to the floor at the Oval he could barely negotiate a set of steps
Peter Bill makes a similar point on his blog in the Independent after watching Pietersen's half-century, which revived England's chances in the World Twenty20.
Full postA defining moment in Pakistan cricket
Pakistan's game against Netherlands could just be the most important match for the nation since the 1992 World Cup final, writes Imran Yusuf in the Dawn
Ashwin Achal
25-Feb-2013
Pakistan's game against Netherlands could just be the most important match for the nation since the 1992 World Cup final, writes Imran Yusuf in the Dawn
Younus Khan has said that he has ‘never attached too much importance to Twenty20 cricket.’ Younus, quite simply, you’re wrong. Pakistan are cricket’s outcasts. No team is willing to play in our country. Last month the whole world (including The Netherlands’ Dirk Nannes) apart from us were invited to the biggest party in cricket, the IPL. We need to belong again. We need to prove - again, as much to ourselves as to the world – that Pakistan matters.