The Surfer

Ramachandra Guha, writing in the Hindu , is relieved that Anil Kumble has been given an opportunity to captain India in Tests and also discusses how Kumble has managed what even fellow legspinner Shane Warne had failed to do: score a Test

Kumble and the Test captaincy

International standards at 50-year low - Simpson

Mike Atherton meets Mike Brearley, the former England captain who was named as MCC's new president in May

MCC 'more human, not so aloof'

25-Feb-2013•Will Luke

Bracken learns how to scrap

Nathan Bracken is not viewed as one of the hard men of cricket but as Will Swanton writes in the Sun-Herald , Bracken's punishing workouts with Troy Waters, the boxing champion, tell a different story.

In the Sydney Morning Herald Alex Brown speaks to the man he believes is taking on the toughest job in world cricket, John Dyson

Journalist cuts Murali for four

25-Feb-2013•Will Luke

Dyson sets realistic goals

Peter Roebuck writes in the Sydney Morning Herald about Australia's search for a slow bowler to match the impressive stocks in other countries, after spin was not so long ago "supposed to be as relevant as letter writing".

The world keeps spinning

It's 75 years since the Bodyline series and the Weekend Australian has reprinted some pieces from the Times looking back on the infamous tour

Remembering Bodyline

Clarke enters era of responsibility

Angus Fraser, the former Test player who is now at The Independent , says that more English players should follow the example of Surrey's James Benning and Stewart Walters in heading abroad during the winter in a bid to increase their cricket.

If you can't beat them, join them

Dinesh Weerawansa of the Daily News , the Colombo-based daily, writes about how he cycled all the way to a school ground meet a young Muttiah Muralitharan, to get a clarification on how his name was spelt.

Excuse me Murali, how do you spell your name?

Jonathan Agnew, writing in the Test Match Special blog, thinks umpire Asad Rauf should be more patient while handing out verdicts, after his decision to rule Ryan Sidebottom lbw, when replays showed that he had inside-edged the ball, put Sri

Issues with umpiring and an injured bowler's musings

The Australians will wear vests with global positioning systems during the Twenty20 match against New Zealand and the data collected will be shown by Nine , Alex Brown reports in the Sydney Morning Herald .

Australian players go hi-tech for Twenty20

While the world – ok, ok, the public relations department of Cricket Australia – was begging for the ball Adam Gilchrist hit for his 100th Test six to be handed back, it was actually buried in a backyard in Melbourne

Gilly’s ball saved after backyard burial

Harbhajan Singh, the India offspinner, thinks Muttiah Muralitharan should be appreciated for his genius instead of being questioned over his action, a situation he himself is familiar with

A fellow offspinner applauds Murali

Dilip Vengsarkar, India's chairman of selectors, seems right now to be the Abhimanyu of Indian cricket, finding himself in the chakravyuha with no way to leave unscathed, writes Makarand Waingankar in the Mumbai Mirror .

War of the agents

25-Feb-2013•George Binoy

Bad Eden Gardens wicket produced a bad Test

"It doesn’t matter whether or not the chairman of selectors writes a column

25-Feb-2013•George Binoy

Will MacGill's gamble pay off?

Chloe Saltau, writing in the Age , weighs up the risks of Stuart MacGill’s decision to have an operation on his injured hand.

Adam Gilchrist, speaking in the Sydney Morning Herald , responds to claims the Australians are hypocrites for complaining about too much cricket and then signing up for Twenty20 competitions

Too much cricket, not enough time