The Surfer

In a young team that's reeling from the losses in experience of players Ponting and Hussey and coaches Langer and McDermott, Australia were crying out for a more authoritative voice. Someone capable of telling it straight if it needed to be told, but still commanding respect

When the 1983 World Cup opened, India were 66-1 to win a trophy that only 20 per cent of Indian cricket fans were aware was being contested. The state broadcaster, Doordarshan, only considered televising the games live once India reached the semi-finals. India had never done one-day cricket. Their great spin attack of Bishen Bedi, Bhagwath Chandrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan was simply not in the business of keeping run rates down. In the opening match of the 1975 World Cup, Sunil Gavaskar had infamously batted through a full 60 overs against England for 36 not out. The team that reached the 1983 final contained not a single spinner.

Most cricketers of this generation have grown up in an era of instant gratification. Everything must be achieved 'now', at this instant, so the idea of quick money is as attractive to them as that of a quick match. Just as spectators are increasingly junking five-day matches for three-hour ones, players see a Rs.45-lakh offer as an instant recipe to set themselves up for life.

We sat down in the front seat of A stand: we were alone there. Mr Marx's eyes went round: "Is it always as crowded as this? Does it get enough money to pay for the ball?" He continued observing the scene. "What a wonderful cure for insomnia. If you can't sleep here, you really need an analyst. Doesn't that maharajah with the whiskers get tired pitching? Even the men in the tradesmen's coats are trying not to watch it. Umpires, eh?"

Kane Williamson is the goods, plain and simple. In Williamson we have a cricketer with an exceptional cricket brain and an understanding of batsmanship. He had a very good Champions Trophy and showcased his all-round ability. Williamson is the platform which this ODI batting team must be built around from now on.

Australian cricket took a long time to accept the concept of a coach. Bob Simpson was the first and he was eventually forced out for being too interventionist. Ian Chappell, who profoundly influenced Australian cricketers over more than one generation, always said coaches were for transportation from hotel to ground. Shane Warne, whose level of influence needs no elaboration, was similarly dismissive. These two are archetypal figures of Australian cricket and their views resonate. Right now, though, it's hard to avoid the view that Clarke needs all the support he can get from off the field. And if that involves tough love, so be it. Those who are causing trouble need to be confronted with the type of coaching discipline footballers expect to receive if they wilfully step out of line.

While rejoicing in the dream run of a young side, which certainly has the potential to mount a successful defence of the World Cup in two years' time, we should not lower our guard and allow ourselves to be distracted from our vigil. If we do that, we will have to live with its discomfiting consequences. When you look at the big picture, sometimes, nothing fails like success. For, success tends to edit reality and render our perception askew

Zaheer had missed most of the IPL through injury inaugurated an outlet of his chain of restaurants in Pune called Toss. He has surfaced at different events in Mumbai but has been tight-lipped about his training plans. He might go to England for a stint in the County Championships. "Zaheer has to work on fitness. The day he's 100% fit, he has it in him to make it back," feels Sudhir Naik, the Mumbai chairman of selectors.

There is one thing of which to be certain, however, and that is that throughout his time he would never have stopped looking around him, spotting the next generation. He is good at that. Players such as Virat Kohli were already in the system but he would have known of the qualities of Shikhar Dhawan, by a distance the outstanding player of this tournament, and had the foresight, for example, to resurrect the career of Dinesh Karthik. These are the circumstances in which India are seeing the best of Fletcher. It is not known how much the renewal of his contract was at the instigation of Dhoni but it was probably significant and clearly the pair have an excellent working relationship.

England have a group of players ready to win a tournament and even if they lose on Sunday I put them down as one of two favourites alongside India for the 2015 World Cup in Australia. In Australian conditions this England bowling attack will be a huge threat. It is the first time since 1992, when Graham Gooch's team reached the World Cup final, that we have had such a good one-day side.

But Crowe's story is no longer a cricket story. Or one about hair. It's a story of a man who lived his life in public with his heart on his sleeve. The story of a man who took criticism too personally and who let his stress get the better of him. A man who looked so in control at the crease yet, by his own admission, had large periods of his life where he was out of control.

To understand Trott further it is necessary to look beyond his overall statistics, and concentrate on the batsman he has become. He does not hurry at the start, rather laying down his own foundations, but the longer the innings, the more he accelerates.