Offbeat

Pietersen cut goes over school boundary

Feb 25, 2013: Freedom of expression came at a high price for a teenager sent home from school for styling his hair like his cricketing hero Kevin Pietersen.

Indian cricket

Greg, tone it down

Feb 25, 2013: In what looks like an open letter to Greg Chappell, Rohit Brijnath in The Sportstar pleads with Chappell to draw the line between professionalism and haste

A new googly, and it’s Anil Kumble reinvented

Feb 25, 2013: David Gower eulogises about Anil Kumble and how, the veteran leggie, is still learning new tricks .

Charity cricketers head for Mumbai

Feb 25, 2013: A team of celebrity cricketers, led by Phil Tufnell, Jack Russell and Rosalie Birch, are heading for India to take on the stars of Bollywood

Indian cricket

India's new Mr Cricket looking to bottom line

Feb 25, 2013: Anybody who doubts India is one of the most nakedly capitalist societies in the world should have watched Lalit Modi, the new power-broker in Indian cricket, at work yesterday

England in India, 2005-06

Kit off is not on

Feb 25, 2013: The front page of today’s local section in the Hindustan Times shows a sneering blonde English ladette giving the cameraman the bird.

New Zealand cricket

Beaten, but what a swell party it was

Feb 25, 2013: Bruce Pairaudeau, the former West Indies batsman, relives the memory of those dramatic hours at Eden Park 50 years ago, when New Zealand rolled his West Indies side for just 77 in the second innings, to end what is still the longest winless test

Indian cricket

Laxman needs dramatic re-entry to remain a force

Feb 25, 2013: Shifts are quicker, as dog-fights for the middle order intensifies; nothing is sacrosanct any more, says Harsha Bhogle.

Australian cricket

Funny start to final round of Pura Cup

Feb 25, 2013: The final round of the Pura Cup starts today and five teams are in with a chance of meeting Queensland, the sixth side, in the final

English cricket

Cardigan Connor inspired by Ashes victory

Feb 25, 2013: Cardigan Connor, the former Hampshire fast bowler, is in Anguilla - the cricket-mad country in the Caribbean - and heading up a team of four cyclists and two athletes for the Commonwealth Games

Bermuda

Bermuda gain $11m cash boost

Feb 25, 2013: Bermuda's Premier, Alex Scott, has pledged $11m to Bermuda's cricket team over the next five years:

England in India, 2005-06

Of pylons and pilots

Feb 25, 2013: The Punjab Cricket Association stadium rose from the Mohali swamp 12 years ago

Australian cricket

Aussies brush over advanced decay

Feb 25, 2013: Writing in the Guardian , Mike Selvey says the Australian team is in danger of becoming a laughing stock after recalling four players to play South Africa

English cricket

Poorer counties' grounds for concern cut no ice

Feb 25, 2013: As the debate over the disparity in income between English counties whose grounds host Tests and those who don't rumbles on, Dennis Amiss, Warwickshire's retiring chairman, told Christopher Martin-Jenkins in The Times that there was more to the

New Zealand cricket

'Weekes is out!' echoed all over NZ

Feb 25, 2013: The New Zealand Herald spoke with the surviving members of the NZ team about their historic victory over the West Indies 50 years ago - their first in Test cricket

Australian cricket

Australia's selectors face the backlash

Feb 25, 2013: Reaction to Australia’s Test squad still dominates the newspapers and Dean Jones tells The Australian the sacking of Brad Hodge for Damien Martyn could open the door for Matthew Hayden’s one-day return .

England in India, 2005-06

Sidhu hits parliament for six

Feb 25, 2013: I discover today that the MP for the nearby city of Amritsar is Navjot Singh Sidhu – the Indian opening batsman turned TV commentator, famous for tonking John Emburey for nine sixes in a match

Sachin signs Monty's ball

Feb 25, 2013: Sachin Tendulkar, who became Monty Panesar's first Test victim at Nagpur last week, has signed the very ball for Panesar :

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea cricket receives sponsorship

Feb 25, 2013: The Papua New Guinea cricket board (PNGCB) has received extra funding, and have opened up a qualifying structure to allow more teams and players to qualify for the National Cricket Championship.

Australian cricket

George Bush 1 John Howard 0

Feb 25, 2013: John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister and an avid cricket fan, declined to have a bat against some of India's most promising fast bowlers during his visit to Dennis Lillee's MRF Pace Academy in India