Declaration

How unexpected were West Indies' and Australia's decisions to declare in the Barbados Test? Very.

Dissent

How tiresome is it to see players like Harbhajan and Munaf argue with umpires over decisions? Very

Apr 11, 2012

Switch

Is it fair? Is it not? When can KP make the change? Before, between or after the delivery is bowled? So many questions. So many opinions. So few aware of the rules. And the threat of penalty. Exciting times.

Ditch

Oh no Sunil Narine, did you just leave West Indies in the lurch to play the IPL? Just when they looked like they could beat Australia, who seem to be the new England when it comes to playing spin bowling

Apr 6, 2012

Collision

The Bangladesh board was hopeful of overturning the result of the Asia Cup final based on Aizaz Cheema's collision with batsman Mahmudullah during the chase. The claim was rejected but it gets points for the most optimistic appeal ever

Prediction

On day three of the Galle Test Graeme Swann said England were favourites to win their highest ever chase. Shortly after tea on day four, they lost the match. An optimistic prediction but one that only made us laugh

Mar 30, 2012

One run

Just one more run and West Indies would have beaten Australia in the third ODI in St Vincent; one run and Bangladesh would have tied the Asia Cup final with Pakistan...

One Twenty20

Say whaa? India are sending a full team to South Africa for a one-off game between now and April 4, when the IPL starts? Who did this? The BCCI? Ah that explains it

Mar 24, 2012

Shock

Every Bangladesh win is called that, isn't it? And it usually does give a jolt to one's perception of the world order

Sleepwalk

Is what South Africa will be doing against this New Zealand side that keeps making "dumb mistakes"

Mar 17, 2012

Timing

Rahul Dravid's retirement announcement was just like his batting - a well-timed stroke that slipped between the gaps with minimum fuss

Slamming

Cairns rages at Modi, the PCB criticises the FICA, Bangladesh selector rails against the board president - is anyone happy and ulcer-free at all?

Mar 11, 2012

Qualifiers

Like the ones for the World Twenty20, which give chances to Associate teams. Or the mathematical one in the final league stages of the CB Series, which got people interested in the tournament before the finals

Bans

If it's a New Zealand Cricket ban, it must have been handed down to Jesse Ryder for some alcohol-related incident. And this time he's dragged Doug Bracewell down with him into the hall of shame

Mar 5, 2012

Small grounds

The thinking batsman's accessory of choice when it comes to blasting humongous scores, leading to interest from the IPL, which then buys said batsman's services for squillions of dollars. Naturally, bowlers will cry.

Big turnarounds

So England have won both limited-overs series against Pakistan in the UAE. Does that mean they'll forget the 0-3 loss in the Tests? Start taking ODIs seriously? Do we even care?

Feb 28, 2012

Fast hundreds

Those are exciting, like Richard Levi's record-breaking T20 century

Slow fielders

Who us? Sehwag has no idea Dhoni called the Indian seniors slow on the field

Feb 22, 2012

Hunger

Husky Samit Patel, he of the portly countenance, declared recently at a press conference that he has "too much hunger", comic pause, "for cricket". How jolly.

No appetite

David Warner couldn't be happier he has been passed over for the captaincy in the wake of Michael Clarke's injury, though Warner is the vice-captain.

Feb 16, 2012

23.5

Wait, how many degrees does Saeed Ajmal's elbow flex again? And does that make him the reincarnation of Plastic Man? Oh wait, it's eight. No, it's 15. No, it's a problem with English not being his first language. His action's legit, it's not, it's hours of fun for everyone.

1.55

What do you call it when you pull strings to make sure you're able to get the English allrounder of your dreams for your IPL team by paying over a million and a half dollars, and he plays three matches making not very many runs and taking not very many wickets? Karma?

Feb 8, 2012

T20 for T20's sake

The Associate players are participating in the BPL, Scott Styris is playing T20s for his fourth county, and even Murali has signed with Gloucestershire this season - all playing the format for love (and money) of the game.

T20 for nation's sake

Is it at all cool for James Anderson to claim that the reason he has entered his name in the IPL auction list is so he can make a case for his recall to the England Twenty20 side? How hurt will the franchises feel?

Feb 2, 2012

Seam

It has been the flavour of the season and what has caused the Indians to look so sour through the Test series in Australia

Stream

Stop that right now. Haven't you heard watching cricket matches online illegally is the greatest danger facing cricket today?

Jan 27, 2012

IPL

We love to hate it but we can't do without it. Neither can Ravi Bopara, who opted out last season, insisting he preferred county cricket over the league. But he's back now, like a moth towards this glorious flame.

BPL

There's a lot of buzz surrounding the new Bangladesh league, but is it turning out to be as unpopular to play in as the national side? Sammy has opted out and Afridi says he probably won't participate.

Jan 21, 2012

Bowled

Rahul Dravid has messed up his furniture eight times in his last ten innings. India may be abysmal right now, but that is some consistency

Caught

Mervyn Westfield not only took money to underperform, he even told his team-mate what he did. Not smart

Jan 15, 2012

Fighting talk

Treat the series against England like war, Ramiz Raja has advised Pakistan, political correctness be damned, in a modern retelling of Imran Khan's famous "cornered tigers" speech. Or something

Rolling over

Down under, having been thrashed to within an inch of their lives, India are being told this will help them build character. We're all for character, but is there a less painful way of acquiring it, please?

Jan 9, 2012

Ducks

You only really love things when you don't get enough of 'em. Like Jacques Kallis getting his first pair in Tests in 16 years.

Hundreds

The SCG is hosting its 100th Test. Peter Siddle has got to 100 Test wickets. Sangakkara got his first in South Africa. Everybody's getting them, except...

Jan 3, 2012

Debutants

Five-fors for Nathan Lyon, R Ashwin, Vernon Philander, Marchant de Lange, Pat Cummins, a half-century for Ed Cowan, all in their first Tests. The batch of 2011 is a pretty successful one, isn't it?

Farewells

So many new players are coming in but who's going out? India's big three show no signs of leaving, Warne, Hayden and MacGill have returned. Cricket's roster is getting as crowded as its itinerary

Dec 28, 2011

Coaching the coaches

Rod Marsh will be in charge of the coaching system in Australia. Now that's a novel idea. Someone to mind the coaches and teach them how to stare into the laptop and look in control when the team's collapsing out on the field. What will Warne say to the use coaches for coaches? And has John Buchanan applied for the post yet?

Sledging the opposition

The players are behaving themselves so the media outlets of India and Australia have taken the responsibility of mental disintegration, with reports about India wanting to leave Canberra because of the rain and researchers claiming Tendulkar is statistically better than Bradman. Boring and old

Dec 22, 2011

Gavaskar

Move over Hobart Test, there's a new thriller in town. Was Sunny G promised a fee of Rs 5 crore by the BCCI, which was then not paid? Yes, says Mr G. Yes, chirps Lalit Modi in assent. No, says the board's Rajiv Shukla. We're on the edge of our seats.

Sri Lanka

So their players haven't been paid for yonks, but instead of getting all militant and downing tools, they're placidly playing on - though even a promised partial payment hasn't materialised - saying they have cricket on their minds, not cash. Yawn.

Dec 16, 2011