The Plays of the Day from the second day of the second Test between West Indies and New Zealand in Jamaica

Subash Jayaraman in Jamaica04-Aug-2012The Finn Effect
In the 26th over of the West Indies innings, Doug Bracewell bowled a delivery to Shivnarine Chanderpaul that slid down the leg side. Chanderpaul seemed to be attempting a glide down to fine leg but the ball took the thigh pad and rolled to the boundary. Everyone was surprised to see umpire Paul Reiffel signaling a dead ball. Given the drama surrounding Steve Finn at Headingley, everyone quickly looked towards the stumps at the non-striker’s end to see whether Bracewell had knocked off the bails in his delivery stride. He didn’t. It was just a strange call from the umpire, because he reckoned the batsman wasn’t offering a shot.The Tavaré Effect
It was an uncharacteristically sedate innings from Chris Gayle. In his comeback innings at Antigua, he biffed Chris Martin for four consecutive boundaries in the first six deliveries he faced. He had to work a bit harder today, but in his 55-ball innings he ended with a strike rate of only 14.54, drawing comparisons with a dour former England opening batsman. Chris ‘Tavaré’ Henry Gayle?The shot
Darren Sammy had claims to that when he smacked a length delivery off Trent Boult so straight, that he nearly injured the umpire Marais Erasmus. When Samuels neared his century with only the No.11 for company, he unfurled a few audacious shots and Tim Southee bore the brunt of it. It included a loft over the sightscreen, and another one over long-off but the slap shot over cover to get to his first Test century at home stood out as the shot of the day.The near miss
Tim Southee was in the middle of a very good spell without much luck. He had earlier induced an edge off Gayle which was dropped by Ross Taylor at slip. He later had Marlon Samuels edge towards second slip, where Brendon McCullum dived to his right to try and pluck it with his right hand. He quickly suggested that he wasn’t sure if the catch was clean. Upon review, the ball had bounced. Such was Southee’s luck on a day when he had bowled good enough to pick up a five-wicket haul.The welcome distraction
Cricket may not be a part of the Olympics, but for a brief moment, the Olympics was part of the cricket. During a stoppage in play, the Women’s 100m heats were shown in the big screen. As the camera skimmed past the contestants, Jamaica’s very own and reigning Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce was shown. The Sabina Park crowd roared in approval. There will also be a “strategic drinks break” on Sunday to show the Men’s 100m final from London on the big screen.The dodgy ball-tracker
In the 54th over, a full, swinging delivery from Southee hit Darren Sammy low on the front foot, but the umpire Reiffel turned down the LBW appeal. Even as he was in his follow through, Southee made the “T” signal and Taylor followed up instantaneously. The video replay made those who were watching to believe it would have gone on to hit the leg stump, but the ball-tracking system showed it to be hitting bang on middle stump. Either Reiffel completely flubbed it or the ball tracker did. The consensus in the press box is it was the latter.The sightscreen
It’s quite common in grounds around the world having someone walk right behind the bowler’s arm at the wrong time, or a faulty sightscreen not turning from sponsor ads, causing a stoppage in play. Samuels wasn’t too bothered. He didn’t notice the background hadn’t turned white and yet continued to face the bowler.

It loses authenticity by attempting to match the IPL for glitz, but at least by putting domestic players in the limelight and finally attracting interest from the public, its benefits to Sri Lankan cricket are becoming clearer

Andrew Fernando21-Aug-2012Considering the sheer number of complications the SLPL has suffered since its inception, it may not be unfair to say that if the SLPL had been a baby, its parents would probably have put it up for adoption. If it had been a racehorse, it would already be glue. If it had been the Millenium Falcon, we may never have even discovered that that small moon was really a battle station.The tournament’s biggest overseas drawcard withdrew before the commencement; the SLPL’s website was hacked and defaced during the opening ceremony; a tape alleging corruption in one of the franchises had emerged; the tournament has failed to attract decent crowds, and has largely been boycotted by the local media who have opposed it for being ‘too Indian’; and most recently, allegations of sexual misconduct between an employee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and one of the organisers have added yet another serving of tournament kryptonite. In just over two weeks, the SLPL has combined the criminality and scandal of , with the viewer interest of Halle Berry’s Catwoman.Yet, halfway through its 24-match schedule, the tournament rolls on, apparently unconcerned. The cricket, which has largely been watchable, even compelling, may as well be happening on a parallel universe untouched by the match-fixing allegations and media antagonism. The pitches have been sporting – spinners, swingers and dashers have all enjoyed success in equal helpings. Sides like the Nagenahira Nagas have strung together impressive results, despite the lack of superstars, homegrown or foreign. And though the catching has sometimes veered toward awful, Sri Lanka internationals, who seemed burnt out in the ODI series against India have contributed heavily, and seemed rejuvenated in fierce provincial clashes against their usual team-mates. Thilan Samaraweera even played two type-busting scoop shots that both flew to the boundary.The overseas talent, which reads a little like a who’s who of cricketers who have played for Pakistan in the last half decade, has perhaps been the most disappointing aspect of the tournament. Shahid Afridi and Brendan Taylor have failed to fire, and Kyle Mills and Scott Styris have not been at their best either. Brad Hogg is yet to even get a game. But amid a majority of underwhelming imports, there have been a few stellar foreign performers. Sohail Tanvir is swinging the ball as far as it’s likely ever been swung in Sri Lanka, and has been the key to Kandurata Warriors’ resurgence after a poor start, Kamran Akmal and Tamim Iqbal have formed a dangerous opening pair for Wayamba United, and Mushfiqur Rahim has been a crucial cog in the Nagenahira’s success so far.Even the crowds have finally begun to show. Hundreds of Wayamba fans, all in team shirts, amassed in two large blocks at Pallekele International Stadium on Sunday, before their noise and presence was taken up by a large group of Uva Next fans for the second match of the evening’s double header. Some have even come hundreds of kilometres and taken time off work to partake.”Where I live, we don’t get much of a chance to see the domestic cricketers play,” says Keerthi Jayatilleke, who has traveled from the coastal town of Wennapuwa to Kandy. “I can support my team (Wayamba United) who are doing well, I can see some of the promising stars for Sri Lanka like Dilshan Munaweera, (Akila) Dananjaya and Shaminda Eranga and I can have a good time.”

In just over two weeks, the SLPL has combined the criminality and scandal of , with the viewer interest of Halle Berry’s Catwoman

Good times have indeed been had at the SLPL, even before the spectators arrived in numbers. The hired papare bands have helped create a sense of atmosphere, even if it is the canned version, rather than the real thing, and the few fans who have come have drunk, sung and danced their way to a good night out. The IPL-style cheerleaders (covered up to suit Sri Lankan sensibilities of course), have at times been outdone by hundreds in the stands, who lack the cheerleaders’ choreography, but more than compensate in the limbs-flying-everywhere-spastically stakes. Large groups of teenage boys have even begun gathering behind the cheerleaders at each corner of the ground, and mass-mimicking the dancers’ moves – seemingly in caricature, but partly, surely, in veiled adulation. Though plenty have moaned that Indian sponsors, Indian franchisees, Indian organisers and Indian gimmicks have rung false in a Sri Lankan domestic tournament, by yelling, partying and generally behaving like hyperactive maniacs in the stands, the public have restored some ‘Sri Lankan-ness’ to the occasion.Teams have started to generate a fan base, with some travelling from various parts of the island•Ron Gaunt/SPORTZPICS/SLPLThe expatriate reaction has also been good, if YouTube hits and internet forum buzz are any indication. Each match is being streamed with a 10-minute delay on YouTube, and the official channel is already approaching 200,000 hits. “Even if it’s not a tournament that gets a lot of crowds in Sri Lanka, it gives the thousands of Sri Lankan cricket fanatics who live elsewhere the chance to actually see some of the young players coming through,” says Dilan Silva, who has been watching the tournament online from Oslo. “Otherwise, we read these guys’ names on websites and newspapers, but have never actually seen them in action. It’s good to see them rubbing shoulders with international players from all over as well, and it’s nice that even if it’s just T20, that Sri Lankan domestic cricket gets this kind of exposure.”The SLPL has also taken on added significance not simply as a warm-up for the World Twenty20, for which R Premadasa Stadium (Colombo) and Pallekele are the two main venues, but as a proving ground for players on the cusp of selection for Sri Lanka’s final 15, as acknowledged by the SLC when they requested an additional week to finalise selections. Akila Dananjaya has had four matches as good as can be expected for someone who has never played first-class or List A cricket before, and Ajantha Mendis has bowled himself firmly into contention as well. Others like Chathuranga Kumara (Wayamba) and Dushmantha Chameera (Nagenahira) are players to watch.Whether the crowds will continue to improve when the SLPL returns to Colombo for its pointy end remains to be seen, and with the cloud of a corruption investigation hanging overhead, it may be that at least one more major difficulty is still in the works for the tournament. For the moment though, the SLPL appears to be gathering speed. It loses authenticity by attempting to match the IPL for glitz, but at least by putting domestic players in the limelight and finally attracting interest from the public, its benefits to Sri Lankan cricket are becoming clearer.

The Perth Test against South Africa will be Ricky Ponting’s last. Below is a transcript of the press conference during which Ponting announced his decision to retire

29-Nov-2012As you probably seem like you’re all very aware now, a few hours ago I let the team know of my decision to make this Test match my last. It’s a decision I thought long and hard about, put in long consideration about the decision, at the end of the day it was based on my results and my output really in this series so far. It hasn’t been what I expect of myself and it certainly hadn’t been to the level that I feel is required for batsmen and players in the Australian team. As I’ve said all along, I’ll continue to play this game as long as I felt that I could contribute to wins, play well enough to help the team win games, and over the last couple of weeks I think that my level of performance hasn’t been good enough to do that.My passion and love for the game hasn’t changed one bit, right through the last 12-18 months when things probably haven’t been as I would’ve liked them or pictured them. I’ll continue this season to play out the rest of the summer, and I’m looking forward to a full season of the Big Bash with the Hobart Hurricanes. But I think it’s really important today, I could sit here all day and reflect on my career and talk about the great teams I’ve played in, the great players I’ve played with and against, but I honestly believe that’s for another time, there’s other days and times for that at the end of this game, at the end of my career that we can all get together and talk about those moments.As far as I’m concerned, my immediate focus now and the team’s immediate focus is what we’re presented with tomorrow. That’s an unbelievable opportunity. We’re going into what I believe is almost like a grand final. I’ve prepared well this week, and as I said to the boys this morning, I’m hungrier than ever and want this win probably more than any other game I’ve ever played in, so I’ll do whatever I can this week to contribute to a great team performance. If that happens to lead to a win for the team and we get back to the top of the tree and No. 1 in the world then there’s no better time for me to finish anyway. This week we’ve got a big job ahead, and especially me, I’ve got to lift my level of play from where it was last week to where it is this week. I’ve got a good feeling I can do that, and as I said there’s no better stage than in a finals type game, a big game, to try to do that this week. Ironically, this is where it all started for me, I think 17 years ago, this is where it all started, and that’s where it’s going to finish.Who did you have your first discussions with and how hard was it to discuss retirement?
The lady sitting beside you there [his wife, Rianna Ponting] was the first one I spoke to about it. It was towards the end of the Adelaide game when I first started contemplating what it might mean, and contemplating if I believed within myself if I was good enough to play the way I’ve been known to play through the years. I think the thing that struck home mostly was that only a few weeks ago I felt my preparation had been as good as it has been for a while. My Shield form had been good, I’d scored runs, I felt good about my batting, but when the big moments come around I haven’t been able to delivery what’s been required for the team. That was when I first started thinking about things. We spoke long and hard and there’s been a few sleepless nights over the last couple of days to reach the decisions, but I’m very comfortable with the decision I’ve made. I think timing wise it’s the right time. At the end of the series it’ll give whoever my replacement is the chance to start afresh in a new series and for me those little things have been pretty important as well.

“I’ve had moments of really good stuff, and prolonged moments of cricket that’s been below my expectations and below a par level for me, so there hasn’t been one dismissal or one moment, it’s just been in my own eyes reasonably consistent failure. That’s why I believe the time is right now to be making this decision.”Ponting on what prompted his decision to retire

What do you think you have given cricket, what has cricket gained from your involvement?
I know I’ve given cricket my all. It’s been life for 20 years. Not much more I can give.Was there one moment or dismissal that triggered this or was it a long time in coming?
I want to be a consistent performer, and if you look back over the last 12 or 18 months I haven’t been able to perform consistently. I’ve had moments of really good stuff, and prolonged moments of cricket that’s been below my expectations and below a par level for me, so there hasn’t been one dismissal or one moment, it’s just been in my own eyes reasonably consistent failure. That’s why I believe the time is right now to be making this decision.Did you still have the unanimous support of the selectors?
I believe so, there’s been all sorts of things in the papers the last couple of days and I know certainly with my captain and my coach I couldn’t have had any more support from those guys, and they’ve been the ones who’ve been most verbal about their support. This is not a decision that’s been made by the selectors, this is a decision that’s been made by me, and I’d like to thank all those guys for the support they’ve given me over the last 12 months. There were probably moments when they thought long and hard about ending my career and I’m glad I’ve got the opportunity to finish this way and on my terms.How tough is it for you not to go to the Ashes next year?
It’s not tough at all, because I’ve made up my own mind that I’m not good enough to get there. So that’s not a tough decision. When you’ve come to the realisation that what you can give is probably not good enough then it’s a pretty easy decision.What are you going to do with yourself now, after cricket?
I’ve got a few months of cricket yet, which I am really looking forward to. I really enjoyed the start of this season playing cricket with Tasmania and back with some of my mates – really I place I haven’t spent a lot of time for near on the last 20 years. So I’ll enjoy that for what it is, but this is my new team here [pointing to his family].What did you tell your team-mates earlier and what was their reaction?
I tried to tell them a lot, but I didn’t get much out. As I said to the boys this morning, they’ve never seen me emotional, but I was this morningAny thoughts on who should replace you in the team going forward?
Thankfully for me I’ve never been a selector, right through my time, and probably right at the moment I’m thankful I’m not a selector again. But I guess it’s really pleasing from my point of view that there are a few guys out there in Shield cricket who are scoring runs at the moment. I know whichever way the selectors decide to go with the next player, they’ll play well for Australia. We’ve got great structures, great set-ups now around our team, the next player will be given every opportunity and I’m sure they’ll do well.

West Indies stayed alive in the one-day series against Bangladesh courtesy two main contributors: while Sunil Narine turned his form around with the ball in Mirpur, Marlon Samuels extended his purple patch with the bat

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur05-Dec-2012Sunil Narine made his debut for West Indies on December 5, 2011, against India. In the one year since, he has not come full circle. In fact, recently, international cricket has been rocky ground for him, with wickets being scarce. So, on Wednesday in Mirpur, it must have been a relief for the West Indies dressing room, seeing their lead spinner bowl like one; Narine took four wickets, including that of Tamim Iqbal with one that went the other way, as West Indies beat Bangladesh to stay alive in the five-match ODI series.His change in fortunes could be down to that wrong ‘un. Mahmudullah, who faced Narine for a few deliveries, said that he had brought out the delivery, one that has been troubling Bangladesh, in the one-dayers. “I think he didn’t use his wrong one, the mystery delivery, in the Tests,” Mahmudullah said after Bangladesh’s four-wicket loss. “He started using it in the one-dayers in Khulna, and that too effectively.”The pace [of Narine’s deliveries] was quite good and the pitch today was a bit difficult, so the ball was gripping. He bowled well, perhaps got a bit of assistance from the wicket too. We will try to pick him better next time, watch his videos a little more …”While Narine had to turn his form around, Marlon Samuels didn’t. In the preceding Tests, he recorded a career-best of 260; now he topped his one-day best, with a knock of 126 that guaranteed West Indies suffered no hiccup after Narine had ensured they were chasing a moderate target.Samuels’ was a battling innings, on a track that wasn’t built for pretty shots. He had a stoic expression throughout the innings, while dealing with the two-paced nature of the pitch and unreliable bounce, with some deliveries jumping from a good length while one or two kept quite low. He just did was a senior player needed to do, Samuels said: “I am a senior player now, so I have to take the responsibility. I don’t mind the extra pressure. I am aware of things I have said before, and I have to deliver. A senior player had to stand up and be counted, and I did it.”Having decided to bat at No. 3 himself, Samuels dominated a 111-run second-wicket stand with Kieran Powell before chipping away at the target with Darren Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Kieron Pollard and Devon Thomas. None of these batsmen looked convincing against spin but Samuels stood firm at most times. The exception was when Samuels was on 96, when Mashrafe Mortaza dropped him at slip off part-time left-arm spinner Mominul Haque. Samuels said of the particular delivery: “That ball spun sharp after pitching. It was a difficult chance for a fast bowler standing in the slips. That one would have had to stuck, fortunately it didn’t.”I wasn’t worried about him dropping a catch there. I was focused on batting right through. It was a difficult pitch to bat on, so runs on the board were always going to be difficult to [chase down]. I went to bat at No. 3 because I thought I had the technique to bat against spin, and the rest of the batsmen could do the job around me.”This was Samuels’ fourth ODI hundred, and it took him 140 balls to get there. Soon after, he addressed his strike-rate, going into overdrive against Rubel Hossain in the 45th over. He drilled the fast bowler for three consecutive fours, before launching him straight, twice, for sixes. It was an over that put the game firmly beyond Bangladesh, and it was premeditated Samuels said: “After my century I would have taken on any bowler that came on from that end. It is unfortunate [for Rubel that he] came on from that end.”West Indies have kept themselves in contention in this series but to win the next two games they would probably need more contributions from Narine and Samuels, as the rest of the batting and bowling looked thin once again.

Despite defeat in this series, England have developed a game plan that works and a method that can prosper

George Dobell27-Jan-2013Any side that wants to be confirmed as the best in the world can never be satisfied with a series defeat but, bearing in mind England’s ODI record in India and their weakened state, then they can depart India both quietly encouraged and slightly frustrated.Yes, the final victory came in a dead rubber. Yes, this is an Indian side in something of transition. And yes, each of the five games in this series was won by the team that won the toss. For all those reasons, it would be wrong to read too much into these results or the fact that only decimal points separate England and India at the top of the ODI rankings table. It is success in global events that will continue to define limited-overs success.But when England captain, Alastair Cook, spoke of “taking a lot of positives” from the series, it was not empty rhetoric. Not only had the new captain-coach partnership helped improve England’s grim ODI record in India – England had not won any of their previous 13 ODIs against India in India; they had been beaten 5-0 in both their previous ODI series in India; and only once, in 1984, have they emerged victorious from an ODI series in the country – but they have shown they are on the right track.Most importantly, England have shown they have a game plan that works. They have a team that exploit the new ODI playing regulations – two new balls and fewer fielders outside the ring – better than most. In English conditions, in particular, they look to have a side and method that can prosper. They may well start the Champions Trophy as favourites.Their qualities were typified by Ian Bell in the final ODI. Bell’s calm temperament and sound technique enabled him to withstand some testing bowling in helpful conditions and pace England’s chase expertly. If there were any doubts about the make-up of England’s top five in the Champions Trophy – and there really shouldn’t have been – then Bell and Eoin Morgan should have dispelled them. Bell, it should be noted, was top scorer in both ODIs that England won, their top run-scorer in the series overall and top of the averages. While such players may not have been ideal openers in the ODI cricket of a few years ago, they may prove ideal now.Certainly the pressure for Kevin Pietersen to return to opening position should have abated. It is true that his record as an ODI opener – albeit from a brief sample size – is a great deal better than his record as a middle-order player. In his eight ODIs as an opener, Pietersen averages 58.85; in his 29 ODIs at No. 3 he averages 28.85 and in his 94 ODIs batting between No. 4 and No. 7, he averages 45.17. In normal circumstances there might be a decent argument for promoting him back to open. But against two new balls and in English conditions – he has never opened in ODIs outside Asia – he is better off at No. 4.

England will go into the Champions Trophy better equipped for a global ODI tournament perhaps since 1992. England need to stick to their guns and retain faith in their methods and key players.

There were other encouraging signs for England. Steven Finn improved by the game and Joe Root and James Tredwell were especially impressive. The conditions of a June day in England – when the Champions Trophy is to be played – may not resemble those of India, but Tredwell showed the skill and composure to suggest, whatever the conditions, he would never let England down. Root, too, may have to be content with a role as understudy at present but, with each passing day, his future looks more and more promising. If you could buy shares in people, you would invest heavily in Root.The one major disappointment from this series has been England’s failure to identify the missing links in their ODI jigsaw. They went into this series all but certain about the identity of nine of their first choice ODI XI and ended it the same way. Perhaps discounting the claims of Craig Kieswetter and Jade Dernbach might be counted as progress, but England are little closer to finding their alternatives. If you accept that this series was about learning, England have to accept that some aspects of it have ended in failure.The main issues to resolve remain the identity of the wicketkeeper and the identity of the fifth bowler. Hoping to squeeze 10 overs out of the likes of Samit Patel and Root will work sometimes but it is taking a huge risk. The pair conceded 80 runs between them in their 11 overs in the final ODI. England have been here before and it has cost them: in the 1979 World Cup final they attempted a similar ploy only to see the 12 overs delivered by Geoff Boycott, Graham Gooch and Wayne Larkins cost 86.The ideal solution would be to field an allrounder of batting at No. 6 or No. 7 and delivering a full allocation of overs. None of the potential candidates – Tim Bresnan, Patel, Root, Luke Wright, Ben Stokes, Ravi Bopara, Chris Woakes or Rikki Clarke among them – are ideal at present, but knowing what you are missing is a decent first step towards finding it. Given some opportunity in the games remaining ahead of the Champions Trophy, each of them might learn their role. Woakes and Bresnan are in pole position.The failure to take a look at Stuart Meaker might also be considered a missed opportunity from this series. It is hard to see the benefit of selecting Bresnan – impressive though he was – in the final game of this dead series. England learned nothing new about him. It might have made sense to look at some alternatives.Minor quibbles aside, England will go into the Champions Trophy best equipped for a global ODI tournament since, perhaps, the 2004 version of the same event or even the 1992 World Cup. Whatever the vicissitudes of form, England need to stick to their guns and retain faith in their methods and key players. It is a long time since a global ODI trophy has been won by a side with a top three that owes more to the traditions of Boycott than Jayasuriya but that is the hand that England have been dealt and they play it well. If they keep playing it and identify the two missing positions, they will prove hard to beat.

Plays of the Day from the third day of the Cape Town Test between South Africa and Pakistan

Firdose Moonda at Newlands16-Feb-2013Celebration of the day
It looked as though Saeed Ajmal would not let any of his team-mates take a wicket, but when the second new ball was taken, it was out of his hands. Pakistan’s seven-foot quick Mohammad Irfan was given the opportunity to make an impact and he did in his first over. He did not do anything too special, just a length ball that AB de Villiers lobbed to Umar Gul at mid-on, so the celebrations were contained. Until Asad Shafiq tried to high-five the tall man and couldn’t reach. He jumped to try and get there and Irfan, with arms raised above his head, waited for his team-mate to meet his hands. As more of them did it, the smiles grew.Shot of the day
Saeed Ajmal and Robin Peterson are usually mentioned in the same breath to discuss their differences: Ajmal is a magician with the ball, while Peterson more workmanlike. Their first-innings performances underlined that. However, Peterson got one over Ajmal with the bat. Having approached Ajmal positively, Peterson switch-hit the spinner over third man to take his score to 77.Ball of the day
Dale Steyn does not often get it wrong, but in his first over he bowled a delivery that landed so wide, it was almost off the pitch. AB de Villiers could not get near the ball and the slips had to collect it.Record of the day
Mark Boucher was at Newlands to enjoy a day dedicated to saying goodbye to him. He may not have known that a record of his was being broken as he busied himself with activities. Peterson’s sprightly 84 was the best effort by a South African batsman in this match and the most runs a South Africa No.8 has scored against Pakistan. Boucher held the previous record, his 78 at the Wanderers in 1997-98, during a stand with Pat Symcox that was crucial to cementing his place in the side.Chance of the day
A much-improved Peterson deserved more wickets in Pakistan’s second innings but unlike in the first, the only fielder he can be aggrieved with was himself. Shafiq was dropped off his bowling on day one, and today Peterson put down a chance from Azhar Ali. The batsman smacked the ball so hard back at Peterson in his follow through that it may have hurt Bruce Oxenford, had Peterson not got in the way. He almost got to it but ended up fending it off, earning a bruise but not much else.

From Akash Kaware, Canada

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013
Revolver EntertainmentIn 1995, West Indies lost their tag of undisputed champions of Test cricket to Australia in a seismic series and started the slide down a slippery slope of defeat and despair that continues to this day. For someone like me who started following cricket only in 1996, the current bunch of strugglers in maroon is a much more familiar sight than the juggernaut that steamrolled anything and everything that came in its way for a mind-boggling period of 15 years.For young cricket fans and old, , the much-acclaimed documentary on Clive Lloyd’s great West Indies team, is a delicious glimpse into the rosy past of a proud group of cricketing nations. The best thing about the documentary is that it is not a bunch of doddery old cricket historians talking about this dominant team in flowery language. The speakers are the very people whom the documentary is about, the players and to some extent the fans. Viv Richards and Michael Holding are the show-stealers, but Lloyd, Andy Roberts, Derryck Murray, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Desmond Haynes, Gordon Greenidge all make an appearance. Add to that a bunch of truly eccentric characters like Bunny Wailer, Frank I, some Calypso artists and groundsmen, and the narration of the documentary is representative of the spirit of West Indies cricket in a way a historian or statistician could never have been. In fact, when one groundsman pronounces, “When West Indies lose, we cry tears maan”, you can’t help but be moved and wonder how many tears he must be shedding these days.And then of course there are those unforgettable images; Michael Holding with that graceful run-up, which was a thing of beauty to everyone other than the hapless batsman at the other end; Richards, helmetless and chewing gum, getting hit on the face by a bouncer, and hooking the very next ball for six; Malcolm Marshall bowling with a broken arm in a plaster and batting with one hand; That famous picture of Roberts, Holding, Croft and Garner together, the Horsemen of the Apocalypse; Each time a batsman had his jaws, nose, ribs, hands or other features rearranged – and there are plenty of such instances through the 88-minute documentary – the watcher is sure to wince, yet feel a visceral pleasure. One can only imagine what went through the minds of the batsmen themselves.Exhilarating as it is to watch, the documentary is not without its flaws. The cultural impact of the success of the West Indies team and cricket’s role in bringing together those independent countries in the Caribbean is undeniable. But the aspect of ‘Black Power’, the portrayal of the West Indian success as a payback for years of oppression by their colonial masters is a tad overplayed.Many players in the documentary talk about taking out their anger on the ball and the batsmen, but the fact is, no amount of anger can make a batsman play like Richards did at The Oval in 1976 or Greenidge did at Lord’s in 1984. They could play like that because they were supremely talented players, their skills honed by hours of practice. After all, when a batsman is facing a bowler bowling at 90mph, if he is thinking about the weight of history rather than the ball itself, it is hard to imagine him scoring any runs at all, forget about breaking records!You can try to find a higher political meaning in all events with the passage of time, but in this case, the documentary attempts to attribute the phenomenal success of the team to socio-political factors, rather than more believable ones like outstanding skills with bat and ball, and years of hard work. Ditto with the intimidating bowling. Throughout the documentary, fear and intimidation are a common theme. Batsmen are shown hopping all over the place to avoid bumpers, many are seen getting hit and poor old Brian Close, an elderly, but awfully brave English batsman is seen getting a thorough working over from Holding.Yet there was more to the West Indian attack than bouncers. Roberts was, in Sunil Gavaskar’s words, the cleverest fast bowler there ever was. When Holding took those 14 wickets on a featherbed of a track at the Oval in 1976, he did so by sending those batsmen to the pavilion, not to the hospital. In fact, a look at the scorecard of the particular match would tell you that of those 14 wickets, 12 were either bowled or LBW, suggesting a bowler targeting the stumps rather than batsmen’s heads. Marshall was not exactly a brainless brute either. He, along with Dennis Lillee, was probably the most complete fast bowler the game has ever seen. To the uninitiated, it would appear that the West Indian quicks were all about intimidation. But they were more, so much more.Also, the portrayal of the West Indies team before 1975 as ‘Calypso cricketers’, a bunch of players who could entertain but not win, was shocking. The tour of Australia in 1975-76, which resulted in a chastening 5-1 defeat, largely the handiwork of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thompson, is said to have galvanized the team to come together, and go on to conquer everything there was there was to conquer on a cricket field. However, it must be noted that though West Indies became truly invincible under Lloyd, they had been winning more than they had been losing since the time of Frank Worrell, who doesn’t find more than a passing mention. The 1976 shellacking of England is said to be the ultimate triumph against their old colonial masters, when in fact, they had beaten England in England in 1963, 1966 and 1973 as well.A movie might be forgiven for taking dramatic liberties, a documentary cannot. However, for all its faults that might irk a knowledgeable cricket fan, the documentary still makes for delightful viewing. After all, when the subjects themselves are so fascinating, you hardly need to create drama. Sometimes true stories are enough to give you goosebumps..

From TS Trudgian, Canada

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013
Brad Haddin – much improved over the past two years•Getty ImagesThere is a gambling element to B.J. Haddin’s wicketkeeping. When Australia took on South Africa in Sydney 2009 he came up to the stumps while Andrew McDonald was bowling. McDonald is not an express bowler, but he is quick enough to make a wicketkeeper think twice. With the gloves Haddin is no Jack Blackham, nor is he Bertie Oldfield. The former stood up to even Fred ‘The Demon’ Spofforth, and took gave the quick man two stumpings; of the latter it is said that he exuded such grace and elegance that he would knock off just one bail when effecting stumpings off the quicks. But Haddin chose to approach the stumps and these were days before the Hannibal Lecter facemasks made popular by the World Twenty20 in 2009.By standing up he kept the batsmen back in the crease, and since McDonald bowls such a straight line, the slightest seam movement could have him in with a stumping wrought from a lazy South African back foot. As it was, Boucher played a flamboyant cover drive, producing a thick outside edge which would have flown comfortably Haddin’s gloves … if he had been standing back. Not the best advertisement for keeping up the stumps, sure, but at least Haddin was willing to put the burgeoning partnership under pressure, doing something. He almost affected a leg-side stumping several overs later — there is little better reward for a keeper.Rod Marsh — who should know a thing or two about keeping — says that a keeper should be judged on the number of catches he holds, not of byes he concedes. What a relief: ‘Bad Hands’ had a torrid time keeping a clean sheet in the start of his career. (It would belie Anglo-Australian rivalry if I did not make mention that the record for the most byes conceded in a match is 52, held by Matt Prior.) Of course, Haddin is no Gilchrist, but we must move beyond that. His keeping has improved steadily since his permanency in the Australian side. Plenty of give off the inside hip, the patented Ian Healy flick of the heels in leaping for overhead balls, and the odd bit of inspired play make him the pick of the possible keepers during the Ashes.He can bat too, although had he survived the second over at Lord’s back in 2009 — see Vol. II — then world-record run chases and my Dad’s pessimism could have been broken, and two-dozen schoolkids could have learned the lesson on which I was bred: Australia beat England at cricket — fact.

N Srinivasan has been free to stay on as BCCI president because politicians in the organisation kept silent

ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-2013N Srinivasan’s future as BCCI president is now in the hands of a group of senior politicians who are part of the BCCI, some of them holding positions on the board. These politicians, cutting across party lines, had maintained a studied silence through the spot-fixing and betting scandal and even after Srinivasan asserted his decision to stay on in charge following the arrest of his son-in-law and top Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan. That sparked outrage among the public, and especially in the media, that these politiians had failed to apply the standards of probity and transparency to Srinivasan that they demand in the political sphere. On Wednesday, it seemed that the wheels had started moving – prompted, most likely, with an eye on the general elections due in 2014 – and politicians began speaking out. The power they wield goes far beyond cricket and is more than sufficient to twist arms on the board. Here’s the who’s who of the BCCI’s political bossesArun Jaitley
President, Delhi & District Cricket Association; vice-president, BCCI; and member, IPL governing council
MP (BJP), Leader of the Opposition Party in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Parliament
The Supreme Court has given it (BCCI) a 15-day time limit. It will give its report which will come up before the Disciplinary Committee. Be rest assured we are going to take tough action (against anyone found guilty).Narendra Modi
President, Gujarat Cricket Association
Chief Minister, Gujarat (from the BJP)
NothingAnurag Thakur
President, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association and joint secretary, BCCI
MP, Lok Sabha (BJP)
NothingRajiv Shukla
Secretary, Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association and chairman, IPL governing council
MP (Congress), federal junior minister for parliamentary affairs
No official press conference since the first arrests on May 16.Jyotiraditya Scindia
President, Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association
MP (Congress), federal junior minister for power
The only politician in the BCCI to say Srinivasan should step downCP Joshi
President, Rajasthan Cricket Association
MP (Congress), federal minister for railways and road transport

NothingFarooq Abdullah
President, Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association
MP (National Conference) and federal minister for new and renewable energy
“Let the investigation get over. If it comes out in investigation that N Srinivasan is responsible, he will go, he is an honourable man.”

Being captain of Zimbabwe has not been a job embraced by many in the last decade and more, but Brendan Taylor is putting his heart and soul into the role

Firdose Moonda in Harare20-Apr-2013If the Bombay-born Canadian broadcaster Lister Sinclair’s reasoning that, “a frightened captain makes a frightened crew,” is close to the truth, than the opposite must apply as well. A brave leader must make for a brave lot. Cricket’s current captains prove that.Graeme Smith is the obvious example. On the 26 occasions he has scored a century in a Test match, South Africa have not been beaten. When he goes big, the opposition goes home. Michael Clarke also established his leadership with the willow. He scored eight centuries in his first two years as captain, including three double hundreds and one triple. And then there’s MS Dhoni, who took India to an unprecedented treble: World T20 holders, World Cup winners and No.1 in Tests. Although it was followed by a slump away from home, he has also been instrumental in their rebuilding.Brendan Taylor is not mentioned among names like those just yet. But his performance against Bangladesh has inched him closer to being listed with them in future. He became the first Zimbabwe captain, and third batsman from the country overall, to score a hundred in each innings of the match. He is the 12th captain to score twin tons – in doing so he bettered his own highest Test score – and he scored just eight fewer runs in the match than the entire Bangladesh team in both innings.More than the numbers, however, the context of his innings was important. Both occasions when he came out to bat, Zimbabwe were in trouble. Both times, he hauled them out. Taylor did what most of the rest struggled to – he showed patience. Only Zimbabwe’s lower order did the same and by the time they got there, they had Taylor to follow as an example.His first innings hundred was a struggle, reminiscent of Faf du Plessis’ against Australia in Adelaide last November. Du Plessis saved a match that even the coaching staff had written off by blocking out the noise, literally by trying to ignore the fielders’ voices and figuratively, because he isolated every ball as something to be survived.For extended periods, Taylor had to do the same. He had to focus his attention away from Bangladesh’s constant chirping and on the next ball. He was lucky if once an over he could get one away for a single or a little further for two. If he got it far enough, because of the sluggish outfield, it would probably be three rather than four. Only 10 times, in an innings of 324 balls, did he manage to breach the boundary. It is no surprise that Taylor described it as his most patient innings.He batted with slightly more freedom in the second, especially as the lead grew. That was a century with more urgency and a few of his more expansive shots were on display. Taylor’s technical improvements are noticeable simply because he moves his feet more. He has also become a powerful hitter of the ramp shot and the loft down the ground. With a lower order that can support him, he could become one of the best No.4s the county has ever had.He could also become one of their best captains. That is a label Zimbabwe have not been able to pin on someone in recent years because for a while it seemed as though they had a rotation system in place for who would lead them.During the 2000s, Zimbabwe had seven different Test captains and 13 ODI leaders. Four of them, Elton Chigumbura, Hamilton Masakadza, Propser Utseya and Taylor, are part of this squad.The armband was not a prized object, given to someone who had earned the respect of his peers and the confidence of the administrators; it was an afterthought because it was a necessity. It got passed around from one to the next in the hope that someone could wear it without being weighed down by it but none managed.For some, like Streak, politics resulted in their standing down. For others, like Masakadza and Chigumbura, it affected their own game too much. The cautionary tale from all of their stints was that the right man would have to be able to juggle player problems with board issues and that was before he even stepped onto the field.When Taylor was appointed in June 2011, he did not seem to be that man. He had no leadership experience prior to that and had run-ins with the authorities. What he had going for him, though, was that he was a senior member of the squad, had Test experience and was in good form.He also carried none of the baggage of the Zimbabwe’s cricketing past. Taylor turned down an offer to join the white player walkout in 2004 because, at 18, he did not feel he needed to part of the politics of the time. He just wanted to play cricket and he thought Zimbabwe was as good a place as any to do it.That naivety did not last. Taylor has grown to understand that the sport is as much a political tool as food stamps. He also understands that not all of the changes were to be abhorred. Zimbabwe Cricket’s aggressive transformation was a necessity because, in the years after independence, it excluded the majority of the population. It is now a more integrated game and many of those who turned their backs on it, are involved again.Taylor has been a bridge between the two groups. Listening to the crowd at Harare Sports Club applaud him from all sides is indication that he is respected and loved by people across the colour divide. His performances justify that adoration.After an embarrassing tour of West Indies, a much-publicised financial crisis and a board that refuses to announce its new coach even though it is an open secret who that is, Taylor took a massive step forward in this Test and carried the team with him as he did. Importantly, he recognises the worth of both.”It’s massive for me, to be named alongside of the Flowers who are two of our best cricketers. That’s a big honour,” he said. “But we’ve come out with a good result and that means a lot more to me. I work closely with the players and we have a great mutual respect and they make my job easier. I’ve still got a long way to go as a batsman and a captain but I am improving. With performances like this we are going to improve as a whole.”That last sentence of Taylor’s is the one that explains why he was the right choice. Like any good captain, he knows the best way to for his own leadership to come through is if it is mirrored in his performances and then reflected by the whole team.