Mark Nicholas

From the golden age of Rantunga and Murali, they are now at a point where the road ahead is uncertain, on field and off it

The next four matches in Sri Lanka will tell if they have a capacity for considered expression and the skill to thoughtfully adapt to the circumstances and conditions

He finished as he began, with a century. The game is better for his place in its history

Superb, sun-kissed action, drama, and generosity of spirit - what more could you ask for?

Why England ought to play him in the fourth Test, bring in Moeen Ali, and bring back Sam Curran

As India captain, he needs ego in spades, but while on the job, he needs to show none of it. He has succeeded, and how

The Lord's Test is just the latest in a long line of matches in which players struggled with basic technique and concentration

Matches like this one allow for an experience of breadth and depth that the shorter forms cannot provide

He needs to throw off the shackles to come into his own as a leader

AB de Villiers was iconoclastic in his innovation and puritanical in his disciplines. From those contrasts came the man who can do it all

The ECB's new idea is not a bad thing. Here's how it could be better

The death of Phillip Hughes brought sobering realisations to the game; it is time we all look within again

Teams differ on what is within the spirit of cricket. But basic respect for yourself, your opponents and the game isn't hard to agree upon

It can't always and only be about the lowest common denominator. Cricket's many formats can co-exist successfully in England and elsewhere

The game has weathered storms in the past, and it will almost certainly do so again

Technology, despite all its advantages, can't provide the three-dimensional view that umpires have

There is nothing wrong with the home team winning more often than not, but there is a long-term threat in the visiting team not competing

There is much of the all-time greats in the Australian captain

And the seven reasons he shouldn't have

They couldn't match fire with fire in Brisbane, or spin with spin. And they had no answers for the Steven Smith question