The Surfer

I can't explain what happened, even after looking at the replay a few times. I was in position, I had a great view of the ball and watched it all the way. I've probably taken more than 1000 catches at training and plenty in games that have been no harder than that catch was the other night.

The simple truth is that the torturous tri-series drags on for at least two weeks too long, and by the time cricket promoters try to manufacture a climax the game's supporters are tuning out because in their minds the cricket season is over.

Some of the reasons are self-evident. Shane Warne has retired. Since the reformatting of the Australian season, the triangular finals have fallen outside the school holidays. Last night, many young enthusiasts, back in their schooldays routine, were playing cricket instead of watching it (which can be no bad thing).

For starters, there was the excellent impression made by new paceman Mark Gillespie, then there was batsman Lou Vincent, who was injected into the side like a dose of adrenalin and who could forget Jacob Oram's feats at Adelaide and Perth, when he awoke a previously near catatonic Australian public with a hitting blitz that had respected commentators comparing him with Ian Botham and Viv Richards.

In the last decade, such happenings are not rare as it is quite 'honourable' for clubs to threaten or physically beat up their opponents, own players or the umpires if the match did not go according to their wish.

Can we afford to go into such a big event with just 14 fit players in case we get another couple of injuries? All these things have to be considered and it's going to be a difficult decision for the selectors as to which way they go.

It’s a nice cat, and you are fond of it, but it’s not exactly what you went in for. Still, there’s not much you can do except stroke it.

The game is expected to feature a mixture of recently retired cricketers and celebrities, with one team captained by Warne and the other by former tennis star Pat Rafter. Ex-footballer Garry Lyon, fast bowler Jason Gillespie and comedian Dave Hughes are also among those invited to play.

Even if we decide to farewell Chappell that would be half the job; deciding on his replacement would complete it. What did we like about John Wright, Chappell, Wadekar, what does this particular team need, let's sketch a profile of the man we're looking for, then go find him.

The worst aspect of Pakistan’s almost humiliating defeats has been that barely a month away from the World Cup, the team does not have what anyone would described as a settled look to it. It seems that all the questions that were raised four years ago during the last World Cup and to which the management has been struggling to find answers, today remain as unanswered as they ever were.