The Surfer
How bad are West Indies?
The morning after West Indies’ 379-run thrashing Robert Craddock asks in the Daily Telegraph how bad are the tourists
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
The morning after West Indies’ 379-run thrashing Robert Craddock asks in the Daily Telegraph how bad are the tourists? His answer? “West Indies is so outclassed that it is very possible Lara could make 200 in an innings and the side could still be beaten by a country mile.”
Living away from home is the hardest part of touring life and The Australian’s Malcolm Conn speaks to Adam Gilchrist about the demands of a jet-setting lifestyle.
Full postLet's end rules wrangles
After Michael Vaughan twice moved his fielding position while the ball was being bowled in the three-day tour opener in Rawalpindi, Jason Gee writes in The Guardian that Bob Woolmer has called for the rules on moving fielders to be clarified
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
After Michael Vaughan twice moved his fielding position while the ball was being bowled in the three-day tour opener in Rawalpindi, Jason Gee writes in The Guardian that Bob Woolmer has called for the rules on moving fielders to be clarified before Pakistan and England begin their three-Test series on Saturday.
Full postA Test of character
They cannot rest on their laurels for much longer, writes Vic Marks in The Observer
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
They cannot rest on their laurels for much longer, writes Vic Marks in The Observer. On Saturday, England's Ashes heroes stride out in Multan to undertake their first challenge of a gruelling winter.
The glamour and glitz of the Oval and Trafalgar Square are history now and England, under more intense scrutiny since their triumphant summer, must consolidate their reputations in distant, humdrum surroundings. It will be an interesting test of their commitment.
The quicks and the dread
Suddenly, Australia's fast-bowling cupboard looks worryingly bare, writes Trevor Marshallsea in The Sydney Morning Herald
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
Suddenly, Australia's fast-bowling cupboard looks worryingly bare, writes Trevor Marshallsea in The Sydney Morning Herald. What does life after Glenn McGrath have in store for Australia?
Only six months ago, Australia's fast-bowling stocks looked robust. Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz appeared a formidable line-up. Brett Lee couldn't even get a Test. Suddenly, Australia's fast-bowling cupboard looks worryingly bare. As questions emerged as to the identity and location of Australia's next young quicks, word spread that national chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns was even looking beyond state first-team level and was interested in Doug Bollinger
Arrival of the archetypes
There is a serious study to be made of domestic Pakistani cricket teams, writes Barney Ronay in The Guardian
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
There is a serious study to be made of domestic Pakistani cricket teams, writes Barney Ronay in The Guardian . Why, for example, are so many of them named after the kind of phantom companies used by the CIA to mask the activities of its covert Alien Abduction & Robot Spy Plane Bureau?
England's cricketers don't seem perturbed. With victory over the only-vaguely-sinister Patron's XI secured, and with their final warm-up game about to start, the familiar tour party archetypes have already begun to emerge:
The Really Great Bloke
A modern phenomenon, the Really Great Bloke has turned being a wildly enthusiastic good egg into a year-round career. He prowls the balcony, hungry for milestones to applaud. He never once removes his Vodafone ECB cap. Sadly, he also never gets picked. Already pencilled in for a vaguely humiliating over-age academy spot next year....
Full postLankans have to think out of the box
India showed how they’ve perfected the art of playing the mindgame and endgame , writes Trevor Chesterfield in The Indian Express
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
India showed how they’ve perfected the art of playing the mindgame and endgame, writes Trevor Chesterfield in The Indian Express
Chess is the sort of mindgame where masters of the endgame use trusted tactics to outwit the opposition. And so far, in this series, India have cleverly employed the same tactics to outmanoeuvre Sri Lanka’s gameplan
The Yorkshire Valentino
The silly season is upon us
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
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He [Gough] has revealed style and hidden talent on the dance floor, and a slick unity with his cute Russian partner. On last week's show he was described by one judge, Bruno Tonioli, as a "Yorkshire Valentino". The yummy mummies in my kids' school playground, who can't tell an LBW from a BMW, are suddenly smitten.
Indian cricket's Marlon Brando
R Mohan feels that Ganguly's media chatter was a crass political act that was not likely to be forgiven readily.
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
R Mohan feels that Ganguly's media chatter was a crass political act that was not likely to be forgiven readily.
In Ganguly’s regime, Team India was assuming the contours of a closed group, of vested interests generated in the old boy school network type of togetherness that prevails in the cricket-playing class. The skipper wished to be viewed eternally as the one doling out the favours and demanding fierce personal loyalty in return.
When stars and alignments don't count
India have found fluidity and lost their dependence on individuals, now Sri Lanka must go through that painful process, writes Harsha Bhogle .
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
India have found fluidity and lost their dependence on individuals, now Sri Lanka must go through that painful process, writes Harsha Bhogle.
Full postBracewell and the laboratory
Richard Boock writes on John Bracewell's coaching methods:
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
Richard Boock writes on John Bracewell's coaching methods:
You get the feeling that if John Bracewell was a chemistry teacher his science laboratory would have been blown to smithereens within the first weeks of the opening term ... has opted for experimentation to find the best World Cup combination has so far watched his shrewdest theories explode in spectacular style.
