The Surfer

Chris Gayle is is back and looking good at the highest level, says Richard Lord in the Wall Street Journal , and politics shouldn't ever again be allowed to cause players with his amount of box-office appeal to be adrift in the international

Chris Gayle reloaded

Following Stuart Broad's five-wicket burst on the fifth day at Headingley, England would have been looking forward to the third Test at Lord's with a smile, according to Vic Marks

Graeme Smith seizes the initiative

25-Feb-2013•Akhila Ranganna

The Pietersen v Steyn spectacle

Mike Selvey, writing in the Guardian , recalls the Dale Steyn-Kevin Pietersen brief-but-exhilerating clash from the 2010 World Twenty20, and draws comparisons with it after the two faced off once more at Headingley on Saturday.

Hafiz Marikar, in Sri Lanka's Nation , on former Sri Lankan first-class cricketer and administrator Abu Fuard, who died in July.

Remembering Sri Lanka's Abu Fuard

Dave Barry, in the Miami Herald , has a tongue-in-cheek American view on cricket, and the archery Olympic event at Lord's.

Watching archery, trying to understand cricket

Graeme Swann, left out of the England squad at Headingley for the first time since England's tour of the West Indies in 2009, was important to England, writes Vic Marks, in the Guardian

Swann not indispensable

Steven Finn had Graeme Smith edging to slip off a delivery that was called dead due to Finn's accidental dislodging of the bails on the non-striker's end while bowling on Thursday

Steven Finn's dead ball 'farcical'

England recorded their first home win against South Africa in damp conditions at Headingley, 105 years ago

England v South Africa, Headingley, 1907

England, like India before them, will prove worthy of being only "temporary custodians of the No

Much at stake for England in Leeds

Daniel Vettori's injury has opened up an important role in the New Zealand side ahead of the second Test against West Indies and it could mean an opportunity for leg spinner Tarun Nethula, writes Matt Richens in Fairfax NZ .

Vettori's absence creates opportunities

Team selections may raise doubts, but if done fairly and with a certain objective in mind, must be respected and endured with to enable its fruition, writes Suresh Menon in cricketnext.in.com .

Team selections should be respected

Darren Pattinson has told Paul Newman in the Daily Mail about his "surreal" England debut against South Africa at Headingley four years ago

Pattinson remembers Headingley 2008

25-Feb-2013•Alan Gardner

Will South Africa tamper with the opening pair?

One area where South Africa need to show an improvement going ahead in the Test series is their opening partnership

The British engineers from Great Indian Penninsular Company of Railway built the Tilak Bridge in 1923 to connect east and west Dadar in Mumbai

A cricket rivalry to savour

25-Feb-2013•Akhila Ranganna

England's dominance due to ball

England may have been ranked No.1 in Tests, but their dominance at home could be attributed to the the different ball that they use for their home Tests, Adrian Meredith says in cricketcountry.com .

If John Buchanan is not already on shaky ground with New Zealand Cricket, he should be, writes Aaron Lawton for Fairfax NZ News .

End Australian influence in New Zealand

25-Feb-2013•George Binoy

New Zealand still losing the mental battle

Too often in Test cricket, New Zealand have lapsed during key moments after being competitive for long periods, says Max Bania in TVNZ , like Martin Guptill losing his concentration after playing well for his 97 in the first innings of the Antigua

A sportsman has to grapple with the challenges of life after retirement, sometimes having to compromise his self esteem, as in a career in administration, writes former India allrounder Sanjay Bangar in cricketnext.com .

Challenges of post-retirement career

After England's comprehensive defeat at The Oval, former South Africa captain Kepler Wessels, writing in Supersport , says that the English press will have their knives out for captain Andrew Strauss if the Test series against South Africa were to

Captain Strauss under media scrutiny