The Surfer

I tend to be pretty relaxed. My philosophy is that things that I hated doing when I played and I don't think are significant, I don't ask these players to do. A lot of time is taken up by coaches trying to put their point across instead of serving the team. In that sense, my advantage is that I am not a career coach. I don't coach any team apart from Chennai Super Kings. So my energy and focus is very much on this group of people and on this form of the game. I come somewhat fresh and try innovative ideas because I am not worried about a coaching career. I have to worry about results with CSK but I don't have to worry about proving myself to the cricket world that I can coach. I am relaxed and I have a captain with a similar approach.

Sir John Major, a former British prime minister and cricket historian, noted in "More Than a Game", "money was to be the root of all progress". With so much cash riding on the outcome of games, so came the need for more tightly defined rules. Several matches had already ended in riots--and lawsuits--after perceived underhandedness by patrons. The first recorded attempt at settling on some basic rules was made for a match in 1727. Formal laws, however, were not drawn up until 1744, making cricket the first game to be codified. These laid out, among other things, the dimensions of the pitch, the height of the wicket, the weight of the ball, the length of overs and the various ways of being out.

I also believe that the pitches have played a part in the wonderful impact the quicker bowlers have had. Across teams, a number of fast and medium-fast bowlers have picked up loads of wickets - Dale Steyn, Kevon Cooper, Siddharth Trivedi, Vinay Kumar, Praveen Kumar, Mitchell Johnson. The fresh pitches have offered the fast bowlers some movement, particularly in the night games, but even otherwise, there is a kind of reinforced confidence in the fast bowlers.

"Compared to other batsmen Sanju picks the line and length much earlier and hence is in position earlier. He was so talented that the pace bowlers would bowl at him with synthetic cricket balls from 15 yards. First they would bowl from 22 yards, then 18 and then finally 15 and even then he was in position early to play the stroke," George said of his 'exceptionally talented' ward, who has represented his state in all age-group tournaments, including the Under-25, and was also part of India's Under-19 Asia Cup squad.

Initially it was a frantic existence for all teams. Everyone was bouncing off the wall. Money had been invested. Everyone wanted instant results.

Where the PCA stand out is in their work concerning the health and welfare of cricketers. [Jason] Ratcliffe says that 40% of their income goes in this direction. The issues of depression and addiction among players have been well-publicised recently and the association have been determined to get involved. Ratcliffe is eager to extend his gratitude to "the courageous men, who are helping the general population de-stigmatise a wide range of social issues".

I've still got a video of Shoaib Akhtar bowling to me at the WACA and that's the fastest spell I've faced in my career. I remember Justin Langer was at the other end batting with me and he wouldn't run. I was stuck there at one end facing Akhtar and Justin was at the other end leaning on his bat and making sure that I face all the balls.

Whenever I visit Lord's I see old men taking their grandsons -- rarely granddaughters I note -- along the same route the old and the young trod heaven knows how many years ago. Those young men will be taught to identify players without names and numbers, to applaud each fifty, each small partnership and even clap the players as they walk off for tea. One day granddad will buy their first bat and grumble about the price, as my mother did all those summers ago, and maybe even present them with their first Wisden -- now £50, the cost of a bottle of champagne -- and teach them to find their way from Notes by the Editor to the funny little tales in the back.

While Dhoni may have secured the slipping crown on his head after the whitewash over Australia at home, tougher away challenges lie in the months ahead, ensuring the power equations aren't yet permanent. As is the case during most shake-ups, those holding on tightly to their positions of power were asserting themselves, while the challengers, who were waiting for the tide to turn, were looking a shade frustrated.

Best of all, cricket writing is back on the money. Literally. There is no bigger story in cricket at the moment than its finances - particularly in regard to illegal betting. Predictably, the International Cricket Council is not that keen to investigate; its efforts limited to setting up any number of sub-committees that invariably seem to discover next to nothing. Cricket's writers have been far bolder and more successful on a fraction of the budget.