The Surfer
White's fall has Vics seeing red
Last week Cameron White possessed a national contract worth about $145,000 and was within reach of an Australian berth, writes Chloe Saltau in The Age
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
Last week Cameron White possessed a national contract worth about $145,000 and was within reach of an Australian berth, writes Chloe Saltau in The Age. This week he has lost his contract and failed to make Australia's second-best team.
Full postNothing to shout about
Why the allocation of the 2019 World Cup to England and Wales should be a cause for back-slapping and declarations of how much it shows us to be in the vanguard of the global game beats me, writes Mike Selvey in The Guardian .
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
Why the allocation of the 2019 World Cup to England and Wales should be a cause for back-slapping and declarations of how much it shows us to be in the vanguard of the global game beats me, writes Mike Selvey in The Guardian.
Full postLara reappointment 'lacks vision'
Brian Lara’s reappointment as West Indies captain has not gone down well with everyone
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Brian Lara’s reappointment as West Indies captain has not gone down well with everyone. An editorial in the Guyana-based Stabroek News is less than enthusiastic.
“It proves that the decision-makers still lack vision or are too timid to make the hard decisions and prefer to be politically correct instead. If you add a touch of insularity one cannot go too wrong either.
“It is said he has the experience and maturity to take the team through the World Cup and beyond, but those qualities do not automatically translate into tactical awareness and motivational skills on the field of play.”
Full postWorld Cup safety concerns
A different take on the World Cup
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
A different take on the World Cup. Aroutis Foster, a reader of the Gleaner in Jamaica, has questioned the safety of tourists visiting the island for the tournament.
“As a Jamaican living and studying overseas, I am left pondering how the country could expect to get foreigners to come to Jamaica and enjoy the Cricket World Cup in 2007 and also reassure peaceful local residents that it is safe in Kingston, when there are headlines in the local newspapers talking about impending wars in communities such as Rockfort.”
The issue of crime on some of the islands is one that is of serious concern to the organizers, and is one that is unlikely to be resolved in the next ten months. As Foster points out:
Full post“Jamaicans abroad as well as foreigners are afraid to visit Jamaica. People do not feel safe in Jamaica, especially in Kingston.”
Cricket loses out to fitness
Despite the best efforts of Andrew Flintoff and England during the Ashes to raise the profile of cricket in Britain, it seems some shops still care more for fitness equipment than the great game.
Will
25-Feb-2013
Despite the best efforts of Andrew Flintoff and England during the Ashes to raise the profile of cricket in Britain, it seems some shops still care more for fitness equipment than the great game.
I am in the sports department of John Lewis with a friend, trying to buy a cricket bat. But they are out of cricket bats. In fact, they have no cricket equipment at all. A third of the floor space is taken up with treadmills, rowing machines and exercise bikes. "This is all about keeping fit," my friend protests. "What's that got to do with sport?"
You can see what he meant. Despite the best efforts of Freddie Flintoff, cricket gear accounts for less than 1 per cent of the sports equipment market, while fitness kit has a huge 23 per cent, second only to that eternal generator of accessories, golf (35 per cent).
More at the New Statesman.
Full postAir of optimism comes from Northeast
In the Times , Ivo Tennant profiles 16-year-old Sam Northeast , one of England’s brightest young batsman who is good enough for Kent to send their coaches to him rather than asking for him to go to them.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
In the Times, Ivo Tennant profiles 16-year-old Sam Northeast, one of England’s brightest young batsman who is good enough for Kent to send their coaches to him rather than asking for him to go to them.
“Last summer they [Kent] gave him his second XI debut at Beckenham, where he scored 96 against Derbyshire. In his first innings of this term he scored 122 against Charterhouse and took four wickets.”
And David Parsons, the England spin-bowling coach, is equally enthusiastic.
“Sam is one of the most exciting talents and there is no reason why he should not go far. A fantastic ball player, very fit and a stroker of the ball rather than a hitter. He is Michael Vaughan-esque.”
Sri Lanka's domestic worries
It might not be directly about cricket, but as Sri Lanka’s tour of England kicks into life, their players might be forgiven for keeping a close eye on developments back at home
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
It might not be directly about cricket, but as Sri Lanka’s tour of England kicks into life, their players might be forgiven for keeping a close eye on developments back at home. A long absence overseas is never easy at the best of times, but the Independent reports that Sri Lanka is sliding “sliding inexorably back towards civil war”.
"There has been a drastic increase in violence between government forces and the Tamil Tiger rebels since December, culminating in government air strikes on Tiger positions just outside Trincomalee . The air strikes came after the attempted assassination of the Sri Lankan army chief by a suspected Tiger suicide bomber. More than 100 people have died in the last two weeks alone."
Moody's mission
If Sri Lanka are to spring a surprise and emerge victorious from their tour of England, then they will need their coach, Tom Moody, to impart the wisdom he has acquired during a decade of service as a player in the shires
Andrew Miller
25-Feb-2013
If Sri Lanka are to spring a surprise and emerge victorious from their tour of England, then they will need their coach, Tom Moody, to impart the wisdom he has acquired during a decade of service as a player in the shires. This week, he returns to his old stomping ground at New Road to take on England A.
Full post It's the English way
In the Daily Telegraph , Sue Mott reports on the 20th season of Bunbury charity cricket
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
In the Daily Telegraph, Sue Mott reports on the 20th season of Bunbury charity cricket. Run by David English (“He has made a career out of failing to be shy”), the venture has raised almost £10 million for charity in their two decades.
"In no time, anyone who has made a record, a TV appearance or a Test hundred could find himself standing in the slips, glass of wine in hand, fag going in the other, fielding off the bowling of Freddie Flintoff and listening to jokes told in stentorian tones by the captain who, for some insane reason on the part of Dickie Attenborough, had a line in A Bridge Too Far."