Men at work

There was cricket aplenty in 2009: 150 ODIs and 48 Twenty20s, if that is your tipple, and 41 Tests too. No other year had so many Twenty20s, no other year without an ICC tournament had as many ODIs, 11 others had more Tests. So this week we've looked at which players and teams have been the busiest in 2009 and in previous years as well.

The year gone by would have been a blur of airports and hotels for the Australian team. They began January with the final Test of the home series against South Africa, and then played two Twenty20s and five ODIs against them. New Zealand visited for five ODIs and a Twenty20 in February, before Ricky Ponting and Co. flew to South Africa for three Tests, two Twenty20s and five ODIs. The last week of April and the first few days of May were spent in the UAE, playing Pakistan in five ODIs. From there it was onward to England where they played the World Twenty20, the Ashes, eight one-dayers and a couple of other Twenty20s during the best part of four months. By the time Australia finished, the summer was ending in England, and the other teams were already warming up in South Africa for the Champions Trophy. The Australians arrived late but, despite having no time to acclimatise, won five games on the trot to retain their title. Next stop was India and by now they were losing a player a day to injury. Their weakened squad still beat India 4-2 in a seven-ODI series. After traipsing the world, they were finally hosts again, taking on West Indies in three Tests and Pakistan in one before the end of the year. Phew.

Australia played 61 matches (13 Tests, 39 ODIs, nine T20s) over 107 days in 2009, the most by any team in any year. India's 55 in 2007 is second most. England were next busiest in 2009 with only 44 matches - 13 Tests, 22 ODIs and nine T20s. Among the major teams, South Africa had the lightest year: their six Tests, 18 ODIs and 12 T20s were spread over 59 days.

Most international matches by a team in a year

Team	Year	Mat	Days		Tests	Days	ODIs	Days	T20Is	Days
Australia	2009	61	107		13	59	39	39	9	9
India	2007	55	92		10	47	37	37	8	8
India	1999	53	91		10	47	43	44	0	0
Pakistan	2000	53	98		12	57	41	41	0	0
England	2007	53	95		11	53	34	34	8	8
South Africa	2000	52	91		11	50	41	41	0	0
India	1997	51	98		12	59	39	39	0	0
Australia	1999	51	99		14	62	37	37	0	0
India	2002	51	109		16	74	35	35	0	0
Sri Lanka	2009	51	87		11	47	27	27	13	13
Pakistan	2002	50	84		12	46	38	38	0	0
Sri Lanka	2006	50	86		11	46	36	37	3	3
Zimbabwe	2001	48	87		11	50	37	37	0	0
Sri Lanka	2001	47	88		13	54	34	34	0	0
South Africa	2002	47	73		9	35	38	38	0	0
Australia	2003	47	90		12	55	35	35	0	0
South Africa	2007	47	76		9	38	30	30	8	8
Australia	2007	47	62		4	18	34	35	9	9
India	2009	47	69		6	28	31	31	10	10
Pakistan	1996	46	70		7	31	39	39	0	0

No Australian, however, played all their team's matches in 2009. Michael Hussey played the most - 51. He was part of all the Tests but played only 33 ODIs and five Twenty20s. Ponting also played all the Tests but took the field in only 29 ODIs and six T20s. Kumar Sangakkara had a hectic year too, playing 50 matches, comprising 11 Tests, 27 ODIs and 12 Twenty20s.

Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly had also played 51 matches in 1997 and 1999 respectively while Lance Klusener and Paul Collingwood played 52 in 2000 and 2007. Nobody played more matches in a year, though, than Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Yousuf, who took the field in all 53 of their teams' games in 1999 and 2000. None of them were three-hour Twenty20s either.

Most international matches by a player in a year

Player	Year	Mat	Days		Tests	Days	ODIs	Days	T20Is	Days
R Dravid (India)	1999	53	91		10	47	43	44	0	0
Mohammad Yousuf (Pak)	2000	53	98		12	57	41	41	0	0
L Klusener (SA)	2000	52	91		11	50	41	41	0	0
PD Collingwood (Eng)	2007	52	94		11	53	33	33	8	8
SR Tendulkar (India)	1997	51	98		12	59	39	39	0	0
SC Ganguly (India)	1999	51	89		10	47	41	42	0	0
MEK Hussey (Aus)	2009	51	97		13	59	33	33	5	5
SK Warne (Aus)	1999	50	94		13	57	37	37	0	0
ME Waugh (Aus)	1999	50	98		14	62	36	36	0	0
JH Kallis (SA)	2000	50	89		11	50	39	39	0	0
DPMD Jayawardene (SL)	2006	50	86		11	46	36	37	3	3
KC Sangakkara (SL)	2006	50	86		11	46	36	37	3	3
MS Dhoni (India)	2007	50	79		8	37	34	34	8	8
KC Sangakkara (SL)	2009	50	86		11	47	27	27	12	12
SC Ganguly (India)	1997	49	92		11	54	38	38	0	0
Abdul Razzaq (Pak)	2000	49	91		11	53	38	38	0	0
Moin Khan (Pak)	2000	49	90		11	52	38	38	0	0
SM Pollock (SA)	2000	49	88		11	50	38	38	0	0
DPMD Jayawardene (SL)	2009	49	85		11	47	26	26	12	12
M Azharuddin (India)	1997	48	95		12	59	36	36	0	0

Australia's 107 days of cricket in 2009, however, isn't the most for a team in a year. India played 109 in 2002, even though they played only 51 matches. They played 16 Tests that year and, had all the Tests lasted five days, India would have played 115 days of cricket.

Most days of international cricket by a team in a year

Team	Year	Mat	Days		Tests	Days	ODIs	Days	T20Is	Days
India	2002	51	109		16	74	35	35	0	0
India	1983	37	107		18	87	19	20	0	0
Australia	2009	61	107		13	59	39	39	9	9
Australia	1999	51	99		14	62	37	37	0	0
India	1997	51	98		12	59	39	39	0	0
Pakistan	2000	53	98		12	57	41	41	0	0
Australia	2005	46	98		15	67	29	29	2	2
India	2008	45	97		15	67	29	29	1	1
England	2007	53	95		11	53	34	34	8	8
Australia	1993	33	93		16	75	17	18	0	0
India	2007	55	92		10	47	37	37	8	8
South Africa	1998	37	91		15	69	22	22	0	0
India	1999	53	91		10	47	43	44	0	0
South Africa	2000	52	91		11	50	41	41	0	0
Australia	2003	47	90		12	55	35	35	0	0
England	2009	44	90		13	59	22	22	9	9
India	1979	21	88		18	84	3	4	0	0
Pakistan	1987	38	88		13	62	25	26	0	0
Sri Lanka	2001	47	88		13	54	34	34	0	0
England	2002	38	88		14	64	24	24	0	0

Who has played the most days of international cricket in a year? If you're thinking someone in the noughties, you're wrong. If you're thinking 1990s, you'd be wrong again.

India's wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani played 107 days of cricket in 1983. The 18 Tests India played that year is the most any team has ever played in a year, beating their mark of 17 in 1979. Kirmani played in all 18 Tests - India didn't win even one - as well as all 19 ODIs. Kapil Dev was also part of all 18 Tests but played one less ODI, leaving him with 106 days of cricket in the year, a mark that would be equalled by Sourav Ganguly in 2002.

Most days of international cricket by a player in a year

Player	Year	Mat	Days		Tests	Days	ODIs	Days	T20Is	Days
SMH Kirmani (India)	1983	37	107		18	87	19	20	0	0
N Kapil Dev (India)	1983	36	106		18	87	18	19	0	0
SC Ganguly (India)	2002	48	106		16	74	32	32	0	0
SM Gavaskar (India)	1983	33	103		18	87	15	16	0	0
R Dravid (India)	2002	44	102		16	74	28	28	0	0
SR Tendulkar (India)	1997	51	98		12	59	39	39	0	0
ME Waugh (Aus)	1999	50	98		14	62	36	36	0	0
Mohammad Yousuf (Pak)	2000	53	98		12	57	41	41	0	0
RT Ponting (Aus/ICC)	2005	46	98		15	67	29	29	2	2
MEK Hussey (Aus)	2009	51	97		13	59	33	33	5	5
AC Gilchrist (Aus/ICC)	2005	44	96		15	67	27	27	2	2
M Azharuddin (India)	1997	48	95		12	59	36	36	0	0
SK Warne (Aus)	1999	50	94		13	57	37	37	0	0
SR Tendulkar (India)	2002	36	94		16	74	20	20	0	0
PD Collingwood (Eng)	2007	52	94		11	53	33	33	8	8
RT Ponting (Aus)	2009	48	94		13	59	29	29	6	6
IA Healy (Aus)	1993	33	93		16	75	17	18	0	0
MG Johnson (Aus)	2009	47	93		13	59	30	30	4	4
DC Boon (Aus)	1993	32	92		16	75	16	17	0	0
SC Ganguly (India)	1997	49	92		11	54	38	38	0	0