Twenty20 Vision
'The Australians, they just deserve what they get'
An irreverent look in and around World T20 in Bangladesh. If you are looking for news, you have got lost in the right place
ESPNcricinfo staff
03-Apr-2014
Warne switches sides
Question: How do you know Australia have been eliminated from an ICC tournament?
Answer: Shane Warne turns up at the nets of another team.
Full postSpot the Sri Lankan captain
An irreverent look in and around World T20 in Bangladesh. If you are looking for news, you have got lost in the right place
ESPNcricinfo staff
01-Apr-2014
I'm the captain, no I'm the captain
Among the puzzling issues surrounding Sri Lankan cricket over the last few years has been the captaincy which has seen a quicker changeover than the average footballer manager. Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara have enjoyed a merry-go-round in the job with Angelo Matthews and now Dinesh Chandimal being handed the role.
But for their final match against New Zealand, Sri Lanka tried something wholly different. With Chandimal - the official captain - banned for a slow over rate, the vice-captain, Lasith Malinga, naturally assumed the role and wandered out for the toss. But come Sri Lanka's turn in the field, it was Jayawardene calling the shots. Malinga reappeared at the presentation to be the face of Sri Lanka's miraculous victory but it had been Jayawardene that really led them to the semi-finals.
Full postWest Indies can keep on dancing
An irreverent look in and around World T20 in Bangladesh. If you are looking for news, you have got lost in the right place
David Hopps
30-Mar-2014
West Indies can keep on dancing
Australia's coach Darren Lehmann had the good sense to take his punishment when West Indies greeted their victory against his side with a prolonged on-field dance routine. Considering they had not even qualified for the semifinals, Gangnam Style had arrived in Bangladesh a little early. 'We're in the entertainment business and if I could dance like Chris Gayle I'd be dancing every night of the week," said Lehmann.
Australia's coach Darren Lehmann had the good sense to take his punishment when West Indies greeted their victory against his side with a prolonged on-field dance routine. Considering they had not even qualified for the semifinals, Gangnam Style had arrived in Bangladesh a little early. 'We're in the entertainment business and if I could dance like Chris Gayle I'd be dancing every night of the week," said Lehmann.
Lehmann is actually surprisingly light on his feet for a big man, but he is at his most contented when dispensing wisdom while sitting on a bar stool. That wisdom should include the observation that as James Faulkner had expressed a dislike for the West Indies before the match, dancing seemed a wonderfully non-violent way for West Indies to get their own back. That plus a couple of bloodcurdling sixes in the final over by Darren Sammy. It was surely Faulkner's biggest misjudgement since he High Fived his own wicketkeeper, Brad Haddin, in the eye.
Fox Sports in Australia carried out a poll among its readers to discover if they found West Indies' dance acceptable. At the latest count, nearly 80 per cent said yes. Five per cent responded: "What's Gangnam Style?"
Full postNow cricket wants to ban your selfie
An irreverent look in and around the World T20 in Bangladesh. If you are looking for news, you have got lost in the right place
Vithushan Ehantharajah
28-Mar-2014
#SelfieFail
First it was illegal streams, then it was live scorecards and now, for the next segment in bite your fist levels of bureaucracy, selfies have been banned at the World Twenty20.
First it was illegal streams, then it was live scorecards and now, for the next segment in bite your fist levels of bureaucracy, selfies have been banned at the World Twenty20.
Yes, it seems the amateur photography phase that has captured the world's hearts and expressions has now been deemed a breach of protocol at the ICC tournament. When one fan was on the cusp of pressing "capture" with the obliging Shakib Al Hasan, he was reprimanded by a Star Sports bod and informed that Getty hold all still photography rights for the tournament.
What would Ellen Degeneres, whose celebrity-studded Oscar night selfie broke Twitter records, make of it all?
Full postThe murky waters of flag waving
An irreverent look in and around the World T20 in Bangladesh. If you are looking for news, you have got lost in the right place.
Vithushan Ehantharajah
26-Mar-2014
Flag fury
Local supporters have been threatened with bans if they are caught carrying the flags of other teams competing in the World T20 competition. The BCB have waded in, saying they "noticed" Bangladeshis flying other flags and "flouting the country's flag rules".
Local supporters have been threatened with bans if they are caught carrying the flags of other teams competing in the World T20 competition. The BCB have waded in, saying they "noticed" Bangladeshis flying other flags and "flouting the country's flag rules".
The ruling has been there for a while, but came to the fore during the recent Asia Cup, when locals were seen waving Pakistani flags. This particular incident caused a great deal of outrage given the history between the two nations, who were at war in 1971, up to which point Bangladesh was part of Pakistan. The conflict claimed a reported three million lives from the Bangladeshi side alone.
Still, it didn't stop Javed Miandad claiming that the ban violates the spirit of the game while others claimed it to be an attack on Pakistan.
Full postKohli turns his hand to carpentry
An irreverent look in and around the World T20 in Bangladesh. If you are looking for news, you have got lost in the right place.
Vithushan Ehantharajah
24-Mar-2014
India lose wood
Having left India with big expectations and even bigger bats, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and Ravi Jadeja had to reassess.
A hallmark of the sub-continental smasher, thick, low-middle bats have offered batsmen the perfect counter to the slow, low bounce pitches of Asia. Graham Thorpe would often take time to visit local bat manufacturers to sample the local sticks, while Matt Prior was reported to have done the same during England's tour of India in 2012.
Full postBorren's bashing, England's wet balls
An irreverent look in and around the World T20 in Bangladesh. If you are looking for news, you have got lost in the right place.
Vithushan Ehantharajah
20-Mar-2014
Dutch courage
It wasn't Stephan Myburgh, who hit the joint-second fastest fifty in international cricket. It definitely wasn't Tom Cooper, with his 45 at a strike rate of 300 which scans confirmed broke the back end of the chase.
No, the hero in solar red orange was Peter Borren. With his team needing 190 in 14.2 overs to quality for the next round of the World Twenty20, the Dutch captain took the decision to lead from the front, having previously bemoaned his side's performances with the bat. He had never opened in T20I or ODI cricket. But none of that matters if you're Peter Borren.
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