The Surfer
King of Pathans
Shahid Afridi reigns supreme in Peshawar
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
Shahid Afridi reigns supreme in Peshawar. An example of the region’s love for its star, was when half the Arbab Niaz stadium vacated after the very first ball of the match! Why? Simply because Afridi was dismissed by a little known Zimbabwean bowler Matambandzo in 1997. They chanted "try ball, try ball", in a hope that Afridi would be called back.
Pathans dominate 70 percent of all public transport in Pakistan. It is a very common sight that their trucks, buses, rickshaws and taxis adorn the picture of their beloved cricketer. "Afridi Afridi hai, us jaisa koi nahi, jaisa zalim batsman woh hai aur koi nahi (Afridi is Afridi. There is no one like him and no one can be as cruel a batsman as he is)," said Amanullah Zai, a taxi driver.
No goof-up with Tri-colour please: Tendulkar
It's not just the Indian cricketing fortunes that dipped in Pakistan but the Indian flag too
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
It's not just the Indian cricketing fortunes that dipped in Pakistan but the Indian flag too. An upside down Indian flag on the match ticket for today's one-dayer has prompted the team management to file an official complaint with the Pakistan cricket board. Apparently its not the first time either. Even on the fourth floor of the Pearl Continental hotel, where the Indian team is putting up, the Tricolour had green on the top and saffron at the bottom. It was only after Sachin Tendulkar insisted that it was set right.
Full postThe mundane triangular
The VB Series may have had a romantic beginning but now,the visitors look like a bunch of ragged souls
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
The VB Series may have had a romantic beginning but now,the visitors look like a bunch of ragged souls.Peter Roebuck questions the format of the annual tri-series and sympathises with the players who could be cursing their respective boards for accepting such a preposterous fixture list.
Full postWhether I get a record or not, life doesn’t change: Sehwag
In the lead-up to the first ODI, Virender Sehwag spoke to the Kolkata-based daily The Telegraph
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
In the lead-up to the first ODI, Virender Sehwag spoke to the Kolkata-based daily The Telegraph. Among other things he clarifes his stand on the minor controversy that erupted about his alleged ignorance about former players - Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy.
Where would you place Sourav as a captain?
The best after Steve Waugh... Among other things, a good captain has to make things happen... Both did that... The captaincy is tested when partnerships have to be broken. Steve, in particular, was brilliant in creating pressure... The batsmen would be forced to give it away. Both Steve and Sourav were positive.
Nowadays, Sourav isn’t a certainty even in the Test XI. Do you feel for him?
Full post The force is against Zimbabwe
In the Sunday Telegraph , Scyld Berry writes that Zimbabwe's time is now up, and the takeover of cricket by the government has left an administration who can intimidate and bully, but know little about the game of cricket :
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
In the Sunday Telegraph, Scyld Berry writes that Zimbabwe's time is now up, and the takeover of cricket by the government has left an administration who can intimidate and bully, but know little about the game of cricket:
These Zanu chaps, they know their realpolitick, even if they couldn't tell the difference between a googly and Google.
England head out with fingers crossed
Not since the West Indies arrived in India in 1983 and 1994 have a team been so woefully short of spin ammunition on the sub-continent, writes Mike Atherton
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
Not since the West Indies arrived in India in 1983 and 1994 have a team been so woefully short of spin ammunition on the sub-continent, writes Mike Atherton
Full postThere is something about Shoaib
Trevor Chesterfeld, the veteran journalist, feels S hoaib's action was dodgy at Karachi
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
Trevor Chesterfeld, the veteran journalist, feels Shoaib's action was dodgy at Karachi. Hmmm...
There was something decidedly peculiar about Shoaib’s action when he bowled in Karachi.Watching on television is, admittedly, hardly the same as being at the venue. But Shoaib’s action was noticeably slingshot and thus suspect at times and it appeared he was out to deliberately hit the batsmen.
Glenn and Jane McGrath
Glenn and Jane McGrath had everything - international acclaim, success, true love - everything you could possibly hope for in life
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
Glenn and Jane McGrath had everything - international acclaim, success, true love - everything you could possibly hope for in life. And then something else happened to them that threw it all into perspective - cancer. How they dealt with it, what it's meant to them, where they are now, well, it's the stuff of life.
Click here to read this rare interview. It's a May 2004 interview but worth a re-read now, considering the current circumstances.
Full postThe wonder of Woolmer
Technical expertise is fine, but the ability to inspire trust and respect from the players is more important still
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
Technical expertise is fine, but the ability to inspire trust and respect from the players is more important still. Bob Woolmer has achieved that says Vic Marks.
Full post