The Surfer

Like it or not sport is now a business and cricket is our product which competes for the attention of sports lovers around the world. In our industry the one-day game is ultimately what generates the real money. Having to go through a building phase in our most lucrative product range is like not opening our store during the Christmas rush. It makes no business sense.

Did Gautam Gambhir’s form in 2008 surprise you?

The Test series triumph set the tone and the media and the public rather liked the fuzzy feeling they got going into the new year. The last thing they need is to feel like they're losing it - as happened in England last year when South Africa's victory in the Test series was followed by a horrible flop in the ODIs. Also, on the question of rebuilding, the Australians are in the same boat.

Brett Lee has been very fast and so was Shaun Tait the other day, for example. Think Shoaib again, or Allan Donald, or Waqar Younis. A lot have bowled quick deliveries from time to time, but sometimes the pitch and the carry flatter to deceive. Graham Gooch, who faced pretty much everything around in the 70s, 80s and early 90s was fearful for his wellbeing only once, against the West Indian Patrick Patterson at Sabina Park. I can honestly say that I have never witnessed bowling consistently faster than that of Michael Holding and Thomson, which leads me down another avenue because of course the argument is hypothetical given the absence of data from the past.

It’s got to come from Jesse himself. Jesse can either keep living the starlight lifestyle he does, and operate at less than optimum on the cricket field and be a minor folk hero - and be selected on his form not his potential; or deal with his addiction and become a truly great player - for everybody recognises his luxuriant talent.

Half a dozen kids had arrived at the same time as us and clearly didn't know about the regulation which bans spectators from taking any cans of drink into the ground. They each had a couple of cans of cooldrink in their bags. Security staff removed them, opened them, poured the contents away and disposed of the can. I asked a lady why they did that: "So that nobody else can have them!" she replied, defiantly. Are there no underpriviledged, no needy people, no childrens homes?

The team will miss him tremendously, not just for his run-scoring and everything he has been to the team for such a long time, but for how genuine a bloke he's been and how hardworking he's been and how he has set such a great example to the young players who come in to the change room.

Ford led South Africa to eight Test series wins from 11 between 1999 and 2002. Key, who looks excited by the chance that his coach might get a chance with England, says he is widely admired and can deal with elite players. Ford might have spoken prematurely of his "good relationship for a long time" with Pietersen, but that is no bad thing because Pietersen's return to the ranks will also need to be skilfully managed for years to come.