The Surfer
Fletcher should have copied Greig
Duncan Fletcher has received a lot of criticism for the revelations about the England side recently
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
Duncan Fletcher has received a lot of criticism for the revelations about the England side recently. Now, in the Guardian, Mike Selvey considers how he could have handled media relations during his time as coach - and suggests he could have taken a leaf out of Tony Greig's book.
Full post Sachin's refusal is disappointing
"Sachin Tendulkar’s refusal to take on the responsibility of captaining India has left me shocked and disappointed," writes Gundappa Viswanath in the Hindu .
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
"Sachin Tendulkar’s refusal to take on the responsibility of captaining India has left me shocked and disappointed," writes Gundappa Viswanath in the Hindu.
The obvious question now is, if not Sachin who. The very fact that the selectors opted for Sachin in the first place is an indicator that they, perhaps, think that Mahendra Dhoni is not ready yet. If that is the case, they should not look beyond Anil Kumble, who unlike the other possible candidate Sourav Ganguly, has retired from ODIs, thus ensuring there will no real clash with Dhoni’s current responsibilities.
Reporting from the Gabba ... or somewhere nearby
Brydon Coverdale
25-Feb-2013
An accreditation dispute left News Ltd journalists locked out of the first Test between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Gabba. Peter Lalor from the Australian offered this report from outside the ground.
Chaminda Vaas came in to bowl the first ball of the Test against Sri Lanka in Brisbane today, I think. It gets a bit hard to say what happened as the quick disappeared behind a barbecue cooking sausages just as he was approaching the wicket. Judging by the lack of crowd noise there was neither a boundary or a six from the delivery. Apparently the same thing happened for the next five balls.
The world's richest board
In an interview with Mint , a finanicial daily, Lalit Modi, the Indian board vice-president, discusses the revenue generated by the BCCI, telecast rights, the Indian Premier League and much more.
Nishi Narayanan
25-Feb-2013
In an interview with Mint, a finanicial daily, Lalit Modi, the Indian board vice-president, discusses the revenue generated by the BCCI, telecast rights, the Indian Premier League and much more.
Modi says:
Full postIn a typical ODI, we make close to $8.5 million broadcasting revenue, and our rate is Rs45 [to the dollar], not Rs40. Contracts are based on exchange rate on that date. Then there is Sahara [which is the team sponsor] revenue, Nike [apparel sponsor] revenue... comes to a million dollars per day per match. Ground sponsorship revenue is between $1.6 million and $1.7 million per day.
Here comes Murali... the pace bowler?
Shut your eyes and try to imagine Muttiah Muralitharan steaming in, bowling pace
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
Shut your eyes and try to imagine Muttiah Muralitharan steaming in, bowling pace. Given he's taken nearly 700 Test wickets with his off-spin, it's not too easy, is it. And yet he started life as a pace bowler, as revealed in the Courier Mail, which also tells the story of his conversion to the spin which has made him famous, and brought him to the brink of the world record for most Test wickets.
Muttiah Muralitharan can expect a rough ride [in Australia] despite calls for respect, writes Gideon Haigh in the Guardian.
Full post Duncan Fletcher vents his frustration
"Reading Behind the Shades from cover to cover - rather than just the serialised, juicy bits - one cannot help but have sympathy for [Duncan] Fletcher's frustration over his captain's [Andrew Flintoff] show of irresponsibility at a time when the
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
"Reading Behind the Shades from cover to cover - rather than just the serialised, juicy bits - one cannot help but have sympathy for [Duncan] Fletcher's frustration over his captain's [Andrew Flintoff] show of irresponsibility at a time when the head coach was absorbing all the flak during a difficult time for the England team," writes Sarah Edworthy in the Daily Telegraph.
Full postFletcher's media obsession ruins his legacy
In The Independent Angus Fraser has joined in the attack on Duncan Fletcher for the revelations in his warts-and-all autobiography which was published on Monday
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
In The Independent Angus Fraser has joined in the attack on Duncan Fletcher for the revelations in his warts-and-all autobiography which was published on Monday. Fraser is particular bemused by Fletcher’s claim that Andrew Flintoff, who he singled out for criticism, could captain England again.
Duncan Fletcher last night became the latest sporting author to backtrack on the contents of a controversial book when he suggested that Andrew Flintoff should be given another crack at the England captaincy. Mike Catt and Lawrence Dallaglio have spent much of the past week attempting to withdraw from comments made about Brian Ashton, the England rugby coach, after the recent World Cup, and Fletcher’s words of encouragement for Flintoff can only have been brought on by the negative publicity he has received since revealing that the all-rounder turned up for practice before a one-day international in Australia drunk.
Nobody should begrudge Fletcher the opportunity to portray his side of the story, or even the odd attempt to settle an old score. Indeed, there were times when he did not deserve the criticism he received. But his reaction to the fallout is frankly rather pathetic. Having thoughtfully placed his views down in black and white, he should then at least have the courage to stand by them.
Full postEnglish cricket and South Africa's quotas
South Africa's success in last month's rugby World Cup, with only three black players in the squad, has apparently triggered the end of the quota system in South African cricket
Cricinfo
25-Feb-2013
South Africa's success in last month's rugby World Cup, with only three black players in the squad, has apparently triggered the end of the quota system in South African cricket. David Hopps writes in the Guardian that the decision could be beneficial to English cricket as it will help stem the flow of white South African cricketers taking the Kolpak route to county cricket.
The England and Wales Cricket Board is so concerned about the number of South Africans in county cricket under the so-called Kolpak agreement that Giles Clarke, the ECB's new chairman, discussed the issue at an International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai last week with Norman Arandse, Cricket South Africa's president.
"What South Africa chooses to do is a matter for them, but the ECB has made it clear that we do not encourage county cricket to take the Kolpak route," said Clarke. "It is healthy for the game that England and South Africa both remain strong."
Full postWorld's highest altitude cricket match?
Cricket
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
Cricket. You can play it on a pitch, on the beach, in the backyard... and even up a mountain. That's what a team of English cricketers including Graham Napier and Nick Compton are attempting to do to raise funds for the PCA – and they're trying to set a world record for the highest altitude cricket match while they're at it. Read the full story on the PCA website - they need 40 spare balls you know. And there's more about Napier's challenge here, as covered by Cricinfo in August.
Full postFletcher didn't expect the controversy
Former England coach Duncan Fletcher is sensitive to criticism of his candour and fears it might overshadow his record, writes Donald McRae in the Guardian .
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
Former England coach Duncan Fletcher is sensitive to criticism of his candour and fears it might overshadow his record, writes Donald McRae in the Guardian.
Fletcher is brutally clear in regard to Flintoff's drinking. His behaviour in Australia was just one of many incidents, reaching its lowest point with the player's dunk in a pedalo during the World Cup earlier this year. Fletcher says he supported Flintoff until then. "I think my loyalty was shown by a serious situation [in Australia] where I thought: 'No, let's keep this quiet and just get on with it.' But then in the book I had to directly link that situation to the Fredalo affair because you think, 'No, enough's enough. I've been really let down here."
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