The Surfer

We are told ad nauseum that the fight against terror is a global fight and that it effects everyone; if it does, everyone should be showing a little more solidarity with Pakistan, especially since a huge bulk of public opinion in Pakistan already feels that this is the West’s war, not Pakistan's. This, it would seem, would have been an excellent opportunity to stand with Pakistan and reaffirm the global commitment to the war on terror by people from a range of different countries coming to Pakistan and taking part in a high profile sporting event. The shying away from Pakistan gives exactly the sort of message that should not be given — namely, the global community telling Pakistan that while it may be just us much our war as yours, you do the dying and if there is any risk involved, count us out.

Instead of zones recommending the nominees, the ideal way is to appoint a high power committee of Pataudi, Gavaskar, Vengsarkar and Shastri to interview candidates. Each zone can recommend five candidates. Interview 25 candidates for two days and zero in on five national selectors. Gundappa Vishwanath, Chetan Chauhan, Milind Rege who have been associated with the game even after retirement, should be some of the names for BCCI to consider.

It might seem perverse to suggest it, but perhaps South Africa's cause has not been helped by the postponement of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. While the International Cricket Council's decision was widely applauded, South Africa now know they are homeward bound. Instead of having to head for the sub-continent, as they would have done had the Trophy proceeded, it is as if they can smell brai and biltong again.

It is the one question about Bradman that continues to fascinate. Few people today could care less about the various controversies that surrounded him during his lifetime. Whether he leaked this or that story to the press. Whether he was anti-Catholic. Whether he disliked Bill O'Reilly as much as O'Reilly disliked him.

He has not played since and despite selection in the squad for the one-day series - odd in itself given his condition - the ongoing groin and hip injury that has been incapacitating him means he is to play no part in the remaining four matches, the first of which is at Trent Bridge this afternoon. After this series there are no more international matches in which to re-establish his credentials before the Twenty20 game in the Stanford ground in St John's and the cricket world has a habit of moving on and leaving stragglers.

It is irksome that Bradman will always stand alone, of course, because, as Bolt showed so marvellously, we want to improve on those who came before without at all deriding their achievements. That is the fun. But all studies of Bradman – and they are by now countless – point to his uniqueness.

Following a plaque unveiling at the Bowral Primary School where the cricket legend used the bell-post as a makeshift wicket, students will walk to the Bradman Oval and form a giant human "100" on the grass. They will then sing Happy Birthday and Our Don Bradman before tucking into birthday cake.

No two experts agree on how to make the ball reverse-swing or why it reverses. It's a mystery, a sleight of hand that unsettles many because they don't understand it.

At the time, there were whispers that the English were doing something to the ball, but no one, certainly no one in the Australian camp, was prepared to go public for fear of it appearing like sour grapes. One figure close to the Australian team even cottoned onto the fact that the ball always went back to the bowler through Trescothick, but only now, three years later from the sanctuary of retirement, does the full extent of his misdemeanour become clear.

His captaincy will no doubt end in tears, for England captains always end in tears, because the job is unsustainable, and nothing is done to reduce the over-load. But with each week of his nascent captaincy, the promise grows that before the premature ending there will be some glorious moments.

For Boycott, now 67 and once one of England's greatest batsmen, was one of the lucky ones. Three months ago, in May, he was given the all-clear: the aggressive, fast-growing tumour on his tongue has gone and his prognosis is good.

There is not the slightest doubt that had he not expressed his bafflement at being continually ignored for national selection and not being told what he needs to do by any selector, he would not have been picked as a replacement for Virender Sehwag. By saying what he did immediately after the one-day team to Sri Lanka was announced he brought attention to the selectors wandering minds that here was a player who had done no wrong and needed to be given a chance, or as Badri himself put it, given a chance to fail. Make no mistake, if he had not given that interview the selectors would have turned to Dinesh Karthik, or the perennial standby Mohammad Kaif, to take the place of the injured Sehwag.