The Surfer

The best umpires have a rapport with the players, but Hair's bullying tactics were never going to earn him any respect. Without wishing to rake over old coals, I thought Hair was wrong at the Oval. He was too hasty and too inflexible. Now he has had time to sit down and reflect, I hope he will come back as a better umpire and a better communicator. I have no dislike of the man, nor do I want to see him hounded out of the game.

Flintoff can't be Roy of the Rovers all the time. And let's face it, do we really need him in the side to beat these New Zealanders?

On Tuesday night, I was part of a panel that debated the controversies that have spiced up the IPL's opening week, and there was complete agreement among the audience when it was suggested that all of India had a right to feel let down after what Harbhajan did.

Players need to learn to respect the opposition and most importantly, to gain the respect of everyone. It's very important to understand what you should not say instead of what you would naturally say.

I suggest three competitions: the County Championship, the bedrock; one 50-over tournament, starting as a league, leading to quarter-finals and semi-finals and a Lord's final; and a regular weekend Twenty20 league, allowing each club a home game every fortnight. For television, that would mean a couple of big matches each weekend to rival football's Premier League; for most clubs, it would guarantee mean ample television and gate revenue; for players, a four-day game in most but not all weeks and a high-profile one-day match each weekend.

Harmison's progress from now on will be intriguing. He has been copping flak from all directions. But I was impressed by an interview he gave before Durham's first Friends Provident Trophy match of the season against Yorkshire. Too often he has not helped himself in such situations, speaking over-emotionally and appearing to rid himself of cricketing responsibility. But here he was upbeat and clear. "I wouldn't be playing for Durham if I did not think I could play for England," he said cheerfully and defiantly.

1981

"Sreesanth was sledging Mumbai's batsmen right from the start. He was over-the-top throughout the match and was acting like a petulant schoolboy."

During my ban period, I supervised Baroda’s Ranji Trophy preparatory camp. Harbhajan can help his teammates too. I firmly believe that a cricketer can continue to learn by observing others at play and there is a lot of action that Harbhajan can watch.

While Kolkata Police Commissioner GM Chakrabarti has deployed policemen in huge numbers at the stadium — almost turning the ground into a fortress — the CAB has hired a 25-member security team from Group-4 Securicos for round-the-clock vigil. The city police chief, meanwhile, briefed that a few people were being interrogated over the power cord thefts at the Eden Gardens.