The Surfer

It's the 25th anniversary of Ian Botham's fund-raising ‘walk’ for leukemia research and Beefy's at it again

Keeping up with the Bothams... and failing

In order to avoid future spats like Twittergate, an editorial in the Indian Express says the IPL can emulate the model followed by soccer's English Premier League

Smells like team equity

It is not yet clear if anything will come of the allegations of so-called "spot-fixing" against a pair of Essex cricketers

Spotting spot-fixing is harder in Twenty20

Stuart Broad's turning out to be one of the most expressive England cricketers around

Clean-cut Broad shows a hint of menace

The Indian players in the IPL have not played to expectations consistently enough, though there are exceptions like Robin Uthappa, writes Makarand Waingankar in the Hindu

Indian players not impressive enough

If Essex players are found guilty of any wrong-doing, the implications for English cricket would be huge and financially disastrous, writes Scyld Berry in the Sunday Telegraph .

An old menace rears its head again

IPL teams have largely benefitted from Indian leaders with Shane Warne being the notable exception, says R Kaushik in the Deccan Herald

Captains in the IPL

In the Sunday Times , Simon Wilde looks at the development of two of England's most exciting home-grown prospects - batsman James Taylor and fast bowler Steve Finn

The little and large of English cricket

Debesh Banerjee and G S Vivek explore in the Indian Express how the IPL's sponsored after-match parties, at which "the unwritten rule is that top stars need to make an appearance", are adding to players' exhaustion

A party that never ends

Ramachandra Guha questions the choice of Pune and Kochi for the two new franchises in the IPL, arguing in the Kolkata-based Telegraph that neither city has a cricketing reason to get a spot in the Twenty20 tournament

League of Privileged Indians

The Observer says the mad dash for Twenty20 riches by the game's administrators is serving neither spectators nor players

For the want of a sensible schedule

Peter Roebuck asks in the Hindu whether Twenty20 players can achieve greatness, though the stage is smaller

Greatness in a lightweight format?

In the Guardian , Mike Selvey is highly critical of the ECB's move to stretch the county season at both ends, which he believes has compromised the championship's integrity.

ECB's attempt to fit a quart into a pint pot

The sheer presence of the IPL is such that it demands to be watched

Why the IPL scares even a committed capitalist

In the Wisden Cricketer , Lawrence Booth lists five things he would like to see in the new county season which is about to begin

Five wishes for the county season

Altus Momberg writes in supersport.com that the South African playerspoor form in the IPL is jeopardising the national side's preparations for the World Twenty20 tournament.

IPL affecting South Africa's World T20 plans

He may have been dropped by the England and Yorkshire selectors, but Matthew Hoggard, in his new role as captain of Leicestershire, tells the Guardian that he has a lot to offer to his new county.

Matthew Hoggard ready for Leicestershire challenge

Sir Alec Bedser's death has triggered a series of tributes

Tributes pour in for Sir Alec Bedser

Stephen Brenkley writes in the Independent , that the selection of the England side for the World Twenty20 tournament, including three new-faces, is a shot in the dark and is not based on detailed planning.

Another blind gamble from England's selectors