The Surfer
Dhawan - Indian cricket's rising star
After three consecutive hundreds at the international level, Shikhar Dhawan has established himself in the Indian team. But his rise has come after years spent failing and succeeding in domestic cricket
ESPNcricinfo staff
19-Jun-2013
After three consecutive hundreds at the international level, Shikhar Dhawan has established himself in the Indian team. But his rise has come after years spent failing and succeeding in domestic cricket. Venkat Ananth, in the Livemint, talks to Tarak Sinha, Dhawan's coach from Delhi's Sonnet Cricket Club, about Dhawan's transformation from an aggressive but inconsistent batsman to an accumulator.
The transformation came around 2009, when Dhawan slowly started realizing his potential as a player--five years after he made his debut--scoring his maiden double-hundred for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy Super League 2009-10. "He started working hard on his game. He was always a one-side of the field player, favoured the off-side and tried to chase deliveries outside off-stump. He knew he had to have an all-round game with a lot of leg-side shots to excel at the international level," says Sinha. "Today, I am happy that he's a competent player on the leg-side."
Chronicles of the ghost-writer
In a piece in Man's World magazine, Sharda Ugra shares her experience of being a ghost-writer on two cricket biographies - John Wright's Indian Summers and Yuvraj Singh's The Test of My Life: From Cricket to Cancer and Back.
ESPNcricinfo staff
18-Jun-2013
In a piece in Man's World magazine, Sharda Ugra shares her experience of being a ghostwriter on two vastly different cricket biographies - John Wright's Indian Summers and Yuvraj Singh's The Test of My Life: From Cricket to Cancer and Back.
Now that the books are done, in hindsight, I think it would be close to impossible to take on an ultramarathon without either affinity or respect for the subject. A key commandment? Abandon your ego and your own stylistic imprints, replicate the narrator's own voice. The book, after all, belongs not to you but to the sportsman whose life it contains. It is he who must speak, authentically and credibly, to the reader and hold their attention. That's what you're there for.
Pakistan's batting: where failure doesn't count
Hassan Cheema, in the Dawn, analyses Pakistan's batting woes following their poor showing in the Champions Trophy
18-Jun-2013
Hassan Cheema, in the Dawn, analyses Pakistan's batting woes following their poor showing in the Champions Trophy. One of their biggest problems, he says, is the persistence with proven failures.
Pakistan should have used the time between the 2011 World Cup until now building a team for the future. Instead, with the captain under fire before every series, conservative options have been taken and Pakistan are further away from an ideal team now than they were two years ago.
The argument made by Misbah and the selection committee has been that Pakistan need experienced batsmen; but the experience in their cases is one of failure. Pakistan now have 20 months, almost exclusively in friendly conditions, before the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. They could begin the process of building for that by removing the deadwood.
Why not newer faces?
Pakistan's experienced batsmen, barring Misbah-ul-Haq and Nasir Jamshed, came a cropper in the Champions Trophy why is why Osman Samiuddin writes in the National that the Pakistani setup, including the selectors, Misbah and Dav Whatmore, lack vision and m
ESPNcricinfo staff
17-Jun-2013
Pakistan's inability to score over 200 runs more than once led to three consecutive defeats and their ouster from the Champions Trophy. Their experienced batsmen, barring Misbah-ul-Haq and Nasir Jamshed, came a cropper why is why Osman Samiuddin writes in the National that the Pakistani setup, including the selectors, Misbah and Dav Whatmore, lack vision and must have a fresh look at their batting to have a better future.
To persist with this order, with men who have failed to establish themselves and have actually regressed over a decade is, essentially, cowardice and an example of the worst form of defensiveness that Misbah's sides are accused of. If the batting is to fail, should it not do with fresher options?
Why should Pakistan not try to learn something new from Ahmed Shahzad's failures, or Umar Akmal's? Or Fawad Alam? Or, as the all-rounder they direly need, Hammad Azam? Or another wicketkeeper?
Full postHow the times have changed...
The inevitable fallout from the Warner-Root altercation wouldn't have gained much credence some decades ago when cricket was rife with strong personalities and minimal supervision. The Old Batsman shares an anecdote that punctuates this line of thinking
17-Jun-2013
The inevitable fallout from the Warner-Root altercation has brought a host of issues to the fray, specifically the condemnation of Warner's acts by his team, media and country. The Old Batsman shares a unique anecdote from Jeff Thomson, former Australian quick, in a time when such indiscretions would be viewed with frivolity, and not elevated to such a degree as it would today.
Next ball, adjust the radar... bang... hits him right in the middle of the forehead. Absolutely smack in the middle. I go down to have a look at him and he's got the most perfect six stitch-marks...' Thommo pointed to the spot on his own forehead, and paused for a second, a faraway look in his eyes. He was transporting himself. 'The physio comes on, Bernie Thomas he was called. Fletcher's staggering all over the place, he can't see straight. Someone says, 'He'll have to go off...' and Bernie says, 'he can't we've already got two in the hospital...' So Bernie pushes him back to the crease...'
I fire myself up to get into the right zone - Anderson
Sam Sheringham of the BBC catalogues Anderson's interview with his colleague Mark Chapman, in which the he talks about the skill, physical and psychological requirements of bowling quick
17-Jun-2013
James Anderson has stamped his authority as England's leading bowler in the record books. He surpassed Darren Gough to become the country's highest wicket taker in one-day internationals, a month after claiming his 300th Test victim. Sam Sheringham of the BBC catalogues Anderson's interview with his colleague Mark Chapman, in which the he talks about the skill, physical and psychological requirements of bowling quick.
"When I first got picked for Lancashire I couldn't swing the ball, so [coach] Mike Watkinson took me aside and taught me how to do it: the grip and the seam position," reveals Anderson.
"He said imagine the feel of it coming out of your hand almost like an off-spinner, your arm coming over almost like a round-arm, or low-arm. That really worked for me because I'm a feel kind of bowler.
Full postDefeat should hurt proud Australians
Australia captain Michael Clarke, in his column for the Telegraph, has some strong views on David Warner's errant behavior in the Champions Trophy
17-Jun-2013
Australia captain Michael Clarke, who many believe to be the only man in the present set-up capable of subduing the chaos surrounding his side, has not minced words while writing about the errant behavior of David Warner in his column for Australia's Telegraph.
I've always been big on celebrating success. That has always been a great part of Australia's culture. It is tough to win international cricket matches and when you do you must savour the moment to soak up what it means.
But if you haven't got a reason to celebrate you shouldn't be out at 2.30am and you shouldn't be drinking with the opposition who have just beaten you.
Full postWarner issue part of a deeper problem
In the Observer, Peter English writes that the David Warner bar brawl is a sign of a leadership crisis within the Australian team and that of an expanding dressing room divide
16-Jun-2013
In the Observer, Peter English writes that the David Warner bar brawl is a sign of a leadership crisis within the Australian team and that of an expanding dressing room divide. Hailing from working class roots, Warner is like many of his big-hitting Gen Y contemporaries, overloaded with cash and outward self-belief. It's not easy for Michael Clarke, who maintains big standards, to control his team-mates on and off the field.
After signing another lucrative contract last year, Warner celebrated like Vincent Chase from Entourage, escorting his mates to Las Vegas on holiday. For the recent IPL he bought some of them first-class passage to India so he could have some old friends to play with. A couple of those minders might have been useful this week. Instead his coterie included another wild child in Mitchell Marsh and Phil Hughes, who chose the same venue for sorrow drowning during the 2009 Ashes.
Australia's ruthlessness was one of the major reasons why they ruled cricket for over a decade. However, John Townsend in the Independent reasons the punishments meted out for recent player transgressions lack that very quality.
If his drunken stoush was so bad, why not send him home to contemplate how to salvage his foundering career?
Exuberance or Experience?
New Zealand face a difficult conundrum as their young side was steamrolled by England in the Test series but an experienced squad has been enjoying consistent success in the one-day arena
16-Jun-2013
Andrew Alderson examines a compelling dilemma facing New Zealand cricket in the New Zealand Herald. Investment in youngsters backfired in the Test series against England but fielding a seasoned squad in the Champions Trophy has given them a fighting chance at making yet another semi-final.
Yet the experience in the ODI squad appears to have indirectly shaped the ODI series victories away against South Africa and England. Success in the Champions Trophy is also a possibility. Players like Mills, Elliott and the McCullum brothers have more often played cameo roles securing key victories compared to the star performances of Kane Williamson, Mitchell McClenaghan, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill. With most of the Kiwi 30-somethings balancing sporting careers, young families and mortgages, they offer life experience and mature grounding to a team.
ICC should shed many fielding restrictions
In the Hindu, Ted Corbett writes that the ICC should stop needlessly tinkering with the ODI rules on field restrictions in particular
16-Jun-2013
In the Hindu, Ted Corbett writes that the ICC should stop needlessly tinkering with the ODI rules on field restrictions in particular, because captains now seem to be controlled by the playing conditions.
Its officials should begin by reading Iain Banks' novels from his sci-fi Culture series in which he outlines a world without law. I am not suggesting ICC should mull over the idea of disbanding its own authority -- oh, what a delicious idea -- but that it should halt its tinkering, go back to basic cricket law and leave strategy, tactics and the winning of matches by ordinary means to the players.
