The Surfer
Beware the agony of Cairns
Richard Boock warns against writing off Chris Cairns, who was recently dropped for the South African tour , and writes: "Cairns might be in the autumn of his career, but he remains a cut above most domestic practitioners."
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
Richard Boock warns against writing off Chris Cairns, who was recently dropped for the South African tour, and writes: "Cairns might be in the autumn of his career, but he remains a cut above most domestic practitioners."
The key, though, according to Boock, is whether Cairns can convince the selectors that he's a better bowler than Kyle Mills and James Franklin, or batsmen than Craig McMillan, Hamish Marshall and Lou Vincent.
Full postWhen Harry Potter ate humble pie
Telford Vice reports that Garth King's "The Hansie Cronje story: an authorised biography" has surged to the top of South Africa's non-fiction bestseller list
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
Telford Vice reports that Garth King's "The Hansie Cronje story: an authorised biography" has surged to the top of South Africa's non-fiction bestseller list. In Cronje's hometown, Bloemfontein, where he remains a hero to most, the book reportedly outsold J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince" in the first week of its release.
Full postWhere were you when ... ?
Now that the excitement is just about dying down, The Guardian asked a swathe of professionals - including Shaun Udal and Mark Ramprakash to rake over the Ashes by recording their personal highs and lows, and picking out who, for them, had been
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
Now that the excitement is just about dying down, The Guardian asked
a swathe of professionals - including Shaun Udal and Mark Ramprakash to
rake over the Ashes by recording their personal highs and lows, and
picking out who, for them, had been the key players. Finally, they were
asked to note where they were the moment the Ashes were won.
Peter Moores, the head of the national academy, remembers that at the end of
the Oval Test, he was left to celebrate alone: "I was sadly on my own at
home at the time England won the Ashes. The family had gone out. But I had a
beer for company."
Nottinghamshire's coach Mick Newell also celebrated with a bit of pop. "I
had just finished a committee meeting at Trent Bridge, and we cracked open
the champagne [.] We all had a bit of a slip, but nothing like Freddie
Flintoff."
One of the reporters for this piece, Lawrence Booth, has also been busily
writing his humorous cricket email for The Guardian, called The Spin.
Full postFrom King of Spain to King of Spa
As if being King of Spain wasn’t regal enough, Ashley Giles has now been made an Honorary Citizen of Droitwich
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
As if being King of Spain wasn’t regal enough, Ashley Giles has now been made an Honorary Citizen of Droitwich. Wowsers. Gilo must be pretty excited about this, you’d expect, what with all the freedoms it must convey and all that.
Afterall, his England team-mate Andrew Flintoff can now drink bars dry in his home town, having been given the freedom of Preston – where he can also drive a flock of sheep through the streets. But closer inspection of Giles’s new rights reveal that, er, nothing much will change for him on his jaunts in Droitwich, as he’s to be made a citizen rather than freeman.
"He really didn't fit into the criteria for an honorary freeman," said a spokesperson. "He hasn't carried out any community service.” Still, it’s all pretty glamorous … although not as glitzy as the new world which is opening up to KP.
Pietersen is living the highlife out in LA at the moment, partying with Mickey Rourke and, as the London-based People newspaper revealed, schmoozing with Paris Hilton.
Full postFreaks of nature
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
In the Sydney Morning Herald John Huxley reports that four Australian sports scientists have worked out the reason for Don Bradman's freakish ability. The researchers point out to Bradman's unorthodox technique - including his grip and stance - and psycho-physical tests which showed that he had a slower reaction time than the average university student. And they add that both these helped him develop a "perfect" technique".
Another Australian, another legend, another freak. Shane Warne is a unique specimen and cannot be aped, writes Robin Mckie, the science editor of the Observer. He says:
Full postTripping the light not-so-fantastic
He may be able to do the fandango, apparently, but, mama mia
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
He may be able to do the fandango, apparently, but, mama mia! - Darren Gough’s England career could be thrust right into jeopardy … because of ballroom dancing.
Dazzler, as he his known, will soon be twinkling on the dancefloor in the latest series of the BBC light entertainment show Strictly Come Dancing but David Graveney has warned that he could be quick-stepping off the England stage at the same time.
“We will now see how other people do in his place,” Graveney told the BBC, “and it is a great opportunity for them.” But he refused to give an opinion on Gough’s dancing: “I've no idea what he's like,” he said. Read the whole story on the BBC website.
Full postTwo men, one spat
The Sourav Ganguly-Greg Chappell saga has dominated the front pages of most of the Indian newspapers but The Surfer picked out two outside views on the whole issue
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
The Sourav Ganguly-Greg Chappell saga has dominated the front pages of most of the Indian newspapers but The Surfer picked out two outside views on the whole issue. Steve Waugh writes:
The review committee that meets on Tuesday might try to work out a compromise, but I think that would be unrealistic. The spat has been too ugly, too public and too bitter, and therefore one of the two gentlemen at the helm of Indian cricket will have to leave.
Also check out Peter Roebuck's piece on the dynamics between coaches and captains.
Full postBreaking barriers
Shahid Hashmi of AFP tells a stirring tale of two women who were rarely allowed to go out in public, overcame several societal barriers and yet made it to Pakistan’s women’s national cricket team
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
Shahid Hashmi of AFP tells a stirring tale of two women who were rarely allowed to go out in public, overcame several societal barriers and yet made it to Pakistan’s women’s national cricket team. Armana Khan, one of them, says: "In an era when tolerance and equality are promoted in all sports, cricket give us girls a way to live freely."
But what of the men's side? In Dawn, Qamar Ahmed previews Pakistan's forthcoming series against England. Conquering Australia in familiar conditions is one thing, he says, but beating Pakistan in their own backyard could turn out to be a different kettle of fish.
Full postSnickometers, bad light and substitutes
Ray White, the former president of the South African board, puts forth his suggestions to improve Test cricket
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
Ray White, the former president of the South African board, puts forth his suggestions to improve Test cricket. Read the piece in Natal Witness.
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