The Surfer

The BCCI must give the captain a media officer to act as a buffer. India’s media is massive, and no different from say English football where informed reporters work alongside less salubrious souls, but it can overpower a captain. A wise, organised team manager (as opposed to fellows who sight-see) eases tensions, he affords the captain more time and space. A smart coach does the homework, runs practices, deflects criticism. These are the very basic protections.

There are only two international Twenty20 matches scheduled for summer. Last year, nearly 30,000 turned out to see the Twenty20 final between Victoria and Tasmania. One state official said that the new form was "where the big bucks are" and claimed it was the only state generating a profit. Costs for the Twenty20 matches are considerably lower than for one-day internationals or Pura Cup matches.

This is a far cry from almost two months of the often soporific cricket that dragged itself around the Caribbean this year for the traditional World Cup, which was fittingly decided in total darkness amid complete chaos as Australia claimed a third successive title.

He did not have much to lose, a steady but peripheral media career and a tangential involvement in the game. Why not go for broke? From the Pakistan perspective, Lawson was the right choice. Proven candidates had not applied. At least he wanted the job and was prepared to look past current complications. Moreover, he was an outsider and came with a clean plate.

The captaincy of the Indian cricket team is a jigsaw puzzle. It is also a facet that is guaranteed to create suspense and debate.

It was his fault that Mark Wagh left. It was his fault that Moeen Ali left. It was his fault that he alienated senior players like Michael Powell and Brown who had only the best interests of the club at heart. And it was his fault that the side played unattractive cricket. For Greatbatch distrusts flair. Supporters had neither success nor entertainment to savour.

The appetite for Twenty20 is insatiable. While all eyes have focused on South Africa, there were two developments elsewhere which suggest that eventually Twenty20 cricket could well become the dominant form of the game. I'd certainly lay a large wager that eventually 50-over cricket will be rendered extinct.

Above all, the tournament has maintained its momentum. Thankfully, the ICC learnt from the mistakes made in the last long-winded World Cup. Matches have been rattling along so that interest has not wavered. Tickets have been cheap, $4 in the popular areas, and no attempt has been made to dampen spirits. To the contrary, music has been encouraged as well as silly costumes and amusing antics.

I find it's like watching that old 1960s television show Combat (with Vic Morrow) where people got shot up at the rate of 100 deaths per minute. Eventually you get to the stage where you go "Oh, another one, anything else happening?" It doesn't push my buttons but you simply have to accept that cricket needs it.

Now money is a good thing, but everybody knows that it can do strange things to people and to sport.

Sehwag, Dhoni, Yuvraj and Kaif have not convinced us completely of their Test qualifications in recent times, yet one of these men must lead, slip, fall, learn. India cannot go backwards and rely again on its older men. They have done enough.

The Aussies looked leaden. Not so long ago, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist dominated a World Cup campaign. Here, they lost their wickets to poorly executed back-foot shots. Having played practice matches on firmer pitches, none of the Australians timed the ball sweetly, especially off the back foot. Ponting himself played an awful shot, a slog sweep that merely made matters worse. Perhaps the Australians had watched the opening match and thought every ball had to be dispatched into the stands. Certainly the batsmen did not adjust their games to meet the conditions. None of the Australian batsmen played county cricket this winter, and it showed.

"When the Aussies got into $1.01 we still matched more than $400,000. That's the shortest odds possible," Betfair’s Hugh Taggart said. "What's even more staggering is that a further $2.8 million was matched at $1.02. It's safe to assume there's more interest in Twenty20 than we first thought."