The Surfer
Strauss brings quiet ambition to leadership contest
Andrew Struass has a burning desire to keep the captaincy job, discovers Donald McRae.
Sriram Veera
25-Feb-2013
Andrew Struass has a burning desire to keep the captaincy job, discovers Donald McRae.
Strauss's belief that England would benefit from him being the "main man" can be heard in the way he describes becoming Middlesex's captain. "That was a real turning point for me, just like now. I had to stop being a student idiot and become more sensible and organised and that definitely improved my batting. I also reacted far more quickly to situations in Test cricket because I'd been a county captain.
Strauss is <i>the</i> man
Duncan Fletcher gave no clues as to who would captain England at the Ashes, but Vic Marks, writing in the Observer , favours Andrew Flintoff .
Sriram Veera
25-Feb-2013
Duncan Fletcher gave no clues as to who would captain England at the Ashes, but Vic Marks, writing in the Observer, favours Andrew Flintoff.
The way ahead lies with Strauss, asserts Mike Atherton. In the article, Atherton ponders on Trescothick.
is Trescothick on medication? If so, does that affect his state of mind going out to bat? The reason I say that, is that occasionally I had to go on steroids called prednisolone to combat a medical condition – steroids that caused mood swings – not exactly ideal when a key part of batting is controlling your mind and controlling your emotions. Moreover, how will Trescothick handle an Australian tour that is bound to be more stressful and mentally enduring than virtually any other? Can he last the distance; history has shown that he fades towards the end of long, gruelling tours?
England’s squad for this winter will be announced on Tuesday and there is still plenty for the selectors to resolve, not least the captaincy, writes Simon Wilde in the Times.
Full postMoody's a man with a mission
While Australia has been pondering where Tom Moody stands in the coaching pecking order, the man himself has been undertaking far more meaningful work - helping provide cheer to a battered nation, feels Alex Brown in the Sydney Morning Herald .
Sriram Veera
25-Feb-2013
While Australia has been pondering where Tom Moody stands in the coaching pecking order, the man himself has been undertaking far more meaningful work - helping provide cheer to a battered nation, feels Alex Brown in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Full postHair breaks silence to hit back at critics
Darrell Hair, the umpire at the centre of cricket's biggest controversy since Bodyline more than 70 years ago, has broken his silence to hit back at those critics who have condemned his role in the Pakistan ball-tampering affair
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
Darrell Hair, the umpire at the centre of cricket's biggest controversy since Bodyline more than 70 years ago, has broken his silence to hit back at those critics who have condemned his role in the Pakistan ball-tampering affair. Bill Day speaks to Darrell Hair for The Mail on Sunday.
"It really upsets me when people describe me as racist, because they have no idea how I spent my childhood and how that shaped my beliefs in adult life. How can people judge me to have prejudices when I went to school in Australia alongside Chinese children, Hungarian refugees and all manner of other nationalities?
Call it whatever you like, no one cares
Most [England] fans don’t give two hoots about the Champions Trophy
Sriram Veera
25-Feb-2013
Most [England] fans don’t give two hoots about the Champions Trophy. It’s misnamed (it must be — England’s one-day team are included), it’s misconceived (too frequent, too money-driven) and it’s mistimed (too close to the World Cup), says Tim de Lisle.
Full postBalls to it all ...
Mike Haysman joins the long line of experts who back the move to legalise ball tampering:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
Mike Haysman joins the long line of experts who back the move to legalise ball tampering:
The skill of a bowler to make a cricket ball perform in an unconventional way to deceive the batsmen is an integral part of the game. That ability separates the best from the average and only the best can influence a game by perfecting the art. Constant deviation does not guarantee habitual success. Why should a bowler not be allowed to further display his skill, utilising means naturally found on a cricket field? By the way, bottle tops have never been discovered loitering harmlessly at extra cover, waiting to be stealthily employed!
What to learn more about Mike Haysman? Read Robert Houwing's profile in Cricinfo.
Full postWarne's England mood change
Shane Warne yesterday told Cricinfo England could be the best team in the world , but today in The Age he mocks their progress .
Peter English
25-Feb-2013
Shane Warne yesterday told Cricinfo England could be the best team in the world, but today in The Age he mocks their progress.
"It's incredible that everyone is still talking about the last Ashes — it was one series and England have got to move on. What happened last summer will not matter one bit when we start the first Test in Brisbane and we are very confident. England might say they are the best team in the world because they beat us last year, but they lost to Pakistan straight afterwards. Does that mean Pakistan become the best in the world?"
Chingoka: 'The game is on its feet'
Peter Chingoka, the head of Zimbabwe Cricket’s interim board, in an exclusive interview with Zimbabwe’s Independent newspaper, has claimed that things were on the up despite Zimbabwe’s suspension from Test cricket.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
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The interview addressed all the issues dogging Chingoka - the controversial new constitution, the financial position of the board and the long-awaited forensic audit, the domestic programme and the national side.
But Chingoka skirted round many of the questions, and on closer scrutiny the answers were vague. But he did hint, as Cricinfo revealed last month, that Test cricket would not be resumed until 2007-08:
"We are working with the ICC on this issue with the aim of resuming in the 2007-08 season. In order to do this, we believe we need to play 10 to 12 unofficial three/four-day matches. The youngsters are coping with the shorter version but need more exposure to the longer version."
Apart from being Superman, what should coaches do?
Quite apart from being Superman, what does a coach really need to be given that he himself never has to face a ball, asks Harsha Bhogle in The Indian Express .
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
Quite apart from being Superman, what does a coach really need to be given that he himself never has to face a ball, asks Harsha Bhogle in The Indian Express.
Full postBedser mocks call from players for shorter day
Jamie Alter
25-Feb-2013
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The Professional Cricketers’ Association, the representative body for England’s Test and county cricketers, has asked the ECB to reduce the number of hours and overs bowled each day in County Championship matches.
While players around England believe the provision of more time to relax and recuperate will lift standards in the game of cricket, Alec Bedser, the great former Surrey and England bowler, feels otherwise.
“Soon they will not want to play at all ... I don't understand how modern cricketers can improve by playing less. I have been putting these points for 30 years but have never had any answers. The administrators are too worried about what the players think.”