For an attacking batsman, Gautam Gambhir shows a surprisingly liking for situations where dour defending is the need of the hour

Sidharth Monga at Newlands06-Jan-2011Gautam Gambhir loves these situations; situations which attacking batsmen such as himself should find difficult in theory. A match to save, no thought of scoring runs, no release of pressure through boundaries, just grinding the opposition down, and boring the hell out of them. It is not as easy to do as it is to say. Not when your injured hand has combined with a fresh hit to your elbow to put you out of cricket for a few weeks. Not when you decide to come out to bat one last time against Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel on an uneven pitch, with that crazy swing from the first innings still on your mind. Not when the third ball you face hits you on the same aching elbow that needed icing for a whole day.During an equally important innings he played in Napier in 2008-09, where he batted longer in terms of time (close to 11 hours), but faced a lesser challenge from the track and the bowlers – VVS Laxman noticed that Gambhir hadn’t said a word for a very, very long time. Gambhir told Laxman he didn’t want to come out of the zone he was in. That innings, he went at 12 runs an hour. Today, as he went at 14 runs to the hour. He had found a similar zone.Gambhir repelled everything the fast bowlers threw at him. There were judicious leaves either on line or length, or both. When the bouncers were at him, he rode the bounce well. When the leg gully came in, he managed to fend the ball down into the ground. When Steyn went round the wicket and looked for a repeat of the dismissal from the second innings in Centurion, he managed to clip him for four.Paul Harris provided him with a challenge, even though Gambhir is one of the best players and dominators of spin in the world, because of the rough outside the left-hand batsman’s off stump. When Harris bowled from the Kelvin Grove End, the ball kicked and turned and snarled at him, but Gambhir swallowed his pride and just kept kicking away balls pitched in the rough. Some of them reared up towards his hurt elbow, some even higher, but he resisted the urge for release. Balls and minutes went by, and Gambhir looked more and more entrenched.The only time he got anxious to score runs wasn’t a surprise. He gets a little fidgety in the 40s and the 90s, wanting to reach the landmark as quickly as possible. Even in Napier, where he put the rest of the world out of his head like a monk, he got to his fifty and his hundred by steeping out to a spinner and lofting him over the infield. He got more enterprising in the 40s again, punching Steyn down the ground for four, and driving him over point with what was not a controlled shot. He then played and missed one, charged at Harris again, and was not steady until he had square-cut Steyn to bring up his 11th fifty-plus score in the 30 attempts he has had to bat in the second innings.The steadiness was deflating for South Africa, especially after Rahul Dravid got out just before tea. Gambhir had made 62 from 142 when Dravid got out, and then just to make sure South Africa were completely disheartened, he scored only two off the next 42 deliveries. For those who respect stonewallers, it was a beautiful passage of play that started just before Dravid’s dismissal: Gambhir added five runs in 58 deliveries.By the time he got out in an unfortunate manner, gloving one down the leg side, Gambhir had made sure the series had been saved. India were not surprised at the source of this particular kind of resistance. “We saw the Napier innings, which was very special,” MS Dhoni said. “We all knew he was one guy who could do it. It was really good to see him take those big heavy blows on the body and still continue. You need plenty of courage to do that, and it was good to see the bat the way he did. Unfortunately he got out. If he had stayed till the end, it would have been much better, but still happy because the team needed that and one of the individuals stepped up and said, ‘Okay I will be the person to do that.'”Now that the game has petered out to a tame draw, Gambhir’s effort might look easier than it was, but it took all his concentration to bat and not do what every batsman loves to do: score runs. Gambhir didn’t get a century on the tour that was to be his biggest test as an opener, but he looked good for one on three occasions out of the four times he batted. Quietly during the series, Gambhir has walked away with a lot of credit.

Ed Joyce talks about turning out for Ireland, then England, and moving back

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi02-Mar-2011″I feel I’ve done my bit in the past to get Ireland to where they are. It does not feel like I’m gatecrashing”•Getty ImagesHow does it feel to play against England. Are you nervous?
It feels like any other game really. I was more nervous going into the Bangladesh game as that was our first outing in this World Cup. We were obviously extremely disappointed after that game and we’re hoping to put in a good performance against England.Do England need to fear Ireland?

I wouldn’t say England fear us, but I think they respect us and won’t be taking us lightly, which just shows how far Irish cricket has come in the last five years or so. We really shouldn’t have just scared Bangladesh last week. We should have beaten them after bowling and fielding so well.How happy are you back to be with Ireland?
I’m delighted to be back with my old team-mates. Those 18 months with England, I really enjoyed that. It was in quest of playing Test cricket. That did not come about, unfortunately. The silver lining is, I’m back with Ireland.What were you thinking when you decided to make the shift to England?
I made the decision in 2001. Mike Gatting and Angus Fraser at Middlesex asked me if I wanted to try and play for England. Till then it had not even entered my head. I did not even know you could do that.I was breaking into the Middlesex side at that point, but I thought then about trying for the residency period, which was four years. By 2005 I had established myself and was playing well, and that is when I came under the England selectors’ radar. I played a few matches up to about the 2007 World Cup. So the process started much earlier than 2005, but obviously that was when I got involved with England.Was it difficult to make the move?
It was and it was not. England and Ireland are neighbours and big rivals in a lot of other sports but not necessarily in cricket. That is because in Ireland there were a lot of good players always, but there were not really any structures in place to play well as a team. There was no plan to go forward as a cricketing nation, whereas now there is. That is new. It is an exciting team to be around, playing World Cups and competing against the best countries.You did everything possible for Ireland to qualify for the 2007 World Cup…
That was a bit strange. It was good to be involved in the tournament in 2005 which allowed Ireland to qualify for the World Cup, and then to play for a different country in the tournament was a bit odd. It is just one of those anomalies.Did the thought occur to you at any point that you should play for Ireland in that World Cup?
Not really. I put my eggs in the basket. The reason I was playing for England was because I wanted to try and play Test cricket. Ireland still don’t play that. At that point I wanted to play at the highest level. That was the dream. I went on an Ashes tour and was the 12th man in the Test squad a few times. I was close enough but did not quite get there.Do you think you could have been in the England Test squad by now if you had stayed back?
I’m more interested and excited being with this team [Ireland], really, because it is a more vibrant atmosphere. The same guys I played with in 2005… the improvement is amazing, and some of the younger players who have come in have improved so much. There are a lot of full-time professionals there. I do not really miss aiming to play at the highest level. Hopefully, Ireland will get there in the near future.It has been a journey. That’s for sure. It’s hard to put in a couple of sentences. Eoin Morgan is going through the same thing now: he is an Irishman and played in the World Cup for Ireland, and now he is in the Test squad for England.I did not have a huge plan back when I made the decision to try and play for England in 2001. Each decision you make leads on to something else. In one of my first games for England, a Twenty20, I did my ankle in spectacular fashion. Then I came back, played in the World Cup – played against Ireland twice as well in those 17 games.Did you get sledged when playing in the Ireland matches?
I did not last very long to get sledged!What was the high point of playing for England?
It has to be the hundred against Australia in Sydney. It was a very difficult Ashes tour and I did not play any game. I was part of the squad. It was a very downbeat team, and then to come back and win that one-day series against Australia and New Zealand after losing the first couple of the games was really good. To be integral in that team and get a hundred, get a few fifties, was the high point. It is a pity I did not kick on from there. [Andrew] Flintoff and [Duncan] Fletcher were pretty complimentary at that stage. What were your emotions when you made the move back to Ireland?
The World Cup was pretty much a disaster for that England team. There was no doubt that some people were going to pay the price. I’ve said this before: if I had performed better than I did and then got left out I would understandably be very upset. I think I deserved to play a bit more than I did, but I did not really set the world on fire. I performed to a level. I could have done better. I should have done better. And I did not. That is frustrating.To see Ireland do well, and being an Irishman, it was difficult to watch. There was a little bit of jealousy. That spurred me to come back. In the 2009 winter, around Christmas, Cricket Ireland asked if I was interested in coming back. I said I would love to.

“There was no plan for Ireland to go forward as a cricketing nation, whereas now there is. That is new. It is an exciting team to be around”

Do you think it would be a big challenge to become one of the lads once again, with Ireland?
In a way it has been easier because Hamish Marshall was doing the same, so there were two of us. But as I said earlier, it would’ve been harder if I had not been involved in the 2005 qualification. So I feel I’ve done my bit in the past to get Ireland to where they are. It does not feel like I’m gatecrashing. That is a good thing.I had a few reservations because if I got picked for this World Cup I thought I’d be taking the place of someone else who possibly would’ve played if I had stayed back in England. But there has been absolutely nothing of that sort and I have slipped back in easily. People now are expecting me to do well, so there is a bit of pressure, but that is always there when you represent your country. Could you talk about Ireland coach Phil Simmons’ hand in their growth? What kind of role does he have in mind for you?
Phil had a difficult job because he took over from Adrian Birrell, who had a huge influence on Irish cricket. But Phil reads cricket incredibly well. He picks up something about your game very quickly and tells you in his own way. He has been very impressive. John Mooney says the improvement he has made under Phil has been huge – he is one of the guys who was part-time before and now is full time.Tomorrow if any youngster is in the same situation as you were, what would you advise: to do what you did or stick with Ireland?
I would always advise and encourage anyone to shoot for the stars and try and be the best you can be. Until Ireland gets Test status it is difficult to tell someone not to play Test cricket. Eoin is a good example. He is a good friend, a good man, has a long England career ahead of him, and he has a good head on his shoulders.You were the trailblazer originally for many Irish youngsters, including Morgan. Many looked at you as an example, they still probably do. Is there a little bit of discomfort somewhere that your dreams did not work out the way you wanted them to?
It’s interesting, because I grew up playing cricket in Ireland. Ireland always had a cricket team but they were never particularly competitive. Once the opportunity came to play at the higher level, no one at home – anyone who knew cricket at least – thought “What the hell is he doing?” It was just a natural progression. I went to England to play county cricket. Ireland did not even play one-day cricket back in 2001. It is probably slightly different for the younger guys now.Where do you think Associates go now, in view of the ICC decision on their participation in future World Cups?
I would hope that if it goes down to 10 nations there would be some avenue left for Associates to qualify through playoffs between the lower-ranked ODI teams. I will be very disappointed if that was not the case. It would be very disappointing considering the strides that Ireland have made.

The batting line-ups of both teams have been inconsistent, but Pakistan’s better bowling attack gives them the edge

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan22-Mar-2011Despite there being few doubts about Pakistan qualifying for the knockout stages, their top position in the group stages has come as a bit of a surprise. Their performances over the years have always been characterised by sheer unpredictability, which makes them a formidable opponent on any given day. As per their seeding, Pakistan were expected to finish behind Australia and Sri Lanka, and beat New Zealand. But what happened was quite the opposite. They pulled off stunning wins over Sri Lanka and Australia, ending the latter’s 34-match unbeaten streak in World Cups. However, they lost heavily against New Zealand after an inept batting and bowling performance. West Indies, who were expected to face stern tests against Bangladesh and the other two lower-ranked teams, comfortably triumphed in the three matches. They bowled Bangladesh out for just 58 in Mirpur and went on to ensure their qualification for the next round. What has been less inspiring is their performance against the top teams. While they were not expected to topple India, England or South Africa, they have had their chances in all three teams and failed to grab them.Pakistan better against top teams
West Indies have been more ruthless than Pakistan in the matches against the lower-ranked teams. They beat Netherlands by 215 runs and thrashed Bangladesh in Mirpur by nine wickets. Pakistan, on the other hand, comfortably got past Zimbabwe and Kenya, but fell for 184 against Canada before eventually defending the score with some disciplined bowling. In matches played against lower-ranked teams, West Indies have the better average and run-rate difference. The story is very different against the top teams. West Indies have a poorer bowling average and economy rate than Pakistan. West Indies, who have chased and lost on two out of three occasions against top teams, might prefer to bat first and post a big score against Pakistan, who floundered in a big chase against New Zealand. In 1996, fourth-placed West Indies faced top-ranked South Africa in the quarter-finals and pulled off an incredible win defending 264, which was set up by a stunning century by Brian Lara. One of their batsmen will have to stand up and deliver a similar emphatic performance for them to upstage Pakistan.

Pakistan and West Indies in the World Cup 2011 so far

TeamOppositionRuns per wicket(batting)Run rateRuns per wicket(bowling)Economy rateAverage diffRR diffPakistanTest-playing teams28.134.8728.615.07-0.48-0.20West IndiesTest-playing teams21.164.6931.915.21-10.75-0.52Pakistannon Test-playing teams and Bangladesh33.255.2214.853.4618.401.76West Indiesnon Test-playing teams and Bangladesh34.945.9113.464.0621.481.85Batting woes for both teams
Pakistan and West Indies have finished top and bottom of their respective groups, but the batting performances of both teams have been inconsistent. In the match against Sri Lanka, Pakistan’s batting came good and enabled them to post an excellent score of 277 which they defended successfully. Against Australia, Pakistan’s brittle batting was nearly exposed while chasing a modest 176. New Zealand, however, thoroughly exploited the weaknesses in Pakistan’s top order, by reducing them to 23 for 4 in pursuit of 303, from which Pakistan never recovered. Pakistan’s top order has been unconvincing except for Asad Shafiq, who top-scored against Zimbabwe and Australia. Their middle order has been doing much better, but is likely to be severely tested if faced with a competitive target and quality bowling attack.West Indies’ problems have been quite the opposite. Strong starts in almost every game have been frittered away and incredible middle order collapses have meant that they have finished well short. After the early loss of Chris Gayle against South Africa, they recovered and looked set to reach a score of 280 before a flurry of wickets in the end kept them down to just 222. Gayle provided an explosive start against England but again the middle order failed to capitalise. In their final group game against India, West Indies lost their last eight wickets for just 34 runs and lost by 80 runs after being in a comfortable position in their chase of 269.

Batting stats of top order and middle order of teams

TeamBatting positionAverageStrike rate100s50sPakistanTop order (1-3)24.7069.1902West IndiesTop order (1-3)42.6281.8714PakistanMiddle order (4-8)33.6881.6906West IndiesMiddle order (4-8)19.8086.0802Powerplay performances reflect batting worries
The consistent batting performance of the top order of West Indies is clearly reflected in the stats in the mandatory and bowling Powerplays. Their batting average and run rate are much higher than Pakistan’s in the same phase of the innings. However, Pakistan have been the more incisive and economical bowling team in the first ten overs. The powerful lower-middle order of Pakistan has scored at a run rate close of 9.81 in the batting Powerplay. In the same period, though, West Indies have been unable to create an impact as a result of major middle-order collapses.

Performance of the teams in the Powerplays

TeamInnings phaseRRBatting AverageERBowling averageRun rate diffDot-ball percentageBoundary percentagePakistanMandatory Powerplay (overs 1-10)4.4121.333.6619.850.7578.1658.59West IndiesMandatory Powerplay (overs 1-10)5.1361.604.6327.500.5066.9460.38PakistanBowling Powerplay3.5834.664.5033.75-0.9267.8126.92West IndiesBowling Powerplay5.24131.004.3025.800.9454.6644.27PakistanBatting Powerplay9.8152.336.0011.283.8138.5462.42West IndiesBatting Powerplay8.0023.336.079.751.9346.6662.85The batting for both teams has been a let down in the tournament so far. Not surprisingly, Devon Smith is the only batsman from both teams to figure in the top 20 run-getters in the tournament so far. Kieron Pollard and Gayle have been good on occasions, but will need to step up if West Indies are to challenge the top teams in the knockout games. Not a single Pakistan batsman figures among the top 20 run-getters with Umar Akmal coming in much later on the list with 211 runs.Pakistan the better balanced bowling side
Shahid Afridi, the most successful bowler in the World Cup with 17 wickets, could be a huge threat to West Indies, given that they haven’t been comfortable against spin. Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq found form against Australia, and the right blend of pace and spin gives Pakistan a bowling edge over most teams. Pakistan’s pace bowlers have been more impressive against right-handers, though, and the presence of a number of left-hand batsmen in the top order of West Indies could be a test for Pakistan’s bowlers.The West Indies pace attack has been quite a revelation all through, with Kemar Roach and Andre Russell being the pick of the bowlers. Ravi Rampaul also impressed with a five-wicket haul against India, and could get another game despite the return of Roach. Devendra Bishoo has been quite economical in the two games he has played, while Sulieman Benn did well in Mirpur against Bangladesh. Like Pakistan’s attack, West Indies’ bowlers have also relished bowling to right-handers.

Performance of pace bowlers and spinners against right handers and left handers

Type of BowlerType of BatsmanAverageERPakistan (pace)RHB21.5922Pakistan (pace)LHB29.664.20West Indies (pace)RHB16.044.95West Indies (pace)LHB26.664.48Pakistan (spin)RHB21.193.74West Indies (spin)LHB19.844.52Pakistan (spin)RHB19.425.62West Indies (spin)LHB53.005.18Even record in recent times
In recent head-to-head clashes in global tournaments, the teams have been evenly matched. Pakistan won by five wickets in their most recent meeting in the Champions Trophy while West Indies won comfortably in their last World Cup meeting in the opening game of the 2007 World Cup. West Indies have an 8-3 record in global tournaments against Pakistan. Since 1999 though, both teams have won two games each when they have met in the World Cup and Champions Trophy. Overall, in matches played since 2000, Pakistan enjoy a much better record.Mirpur, the venue for the match, has generally been a good batting wicket, but stats here are distorted because of the two batting failures by Bangladesh, when they were bowled out for 58 and 78 against West Indies and South Africa respectively. In recent games teams chasing have done much better in Mirpur, but in a crucial knockout game batting first might be the better option.

Interesting one-liners churned out by players, past and present, on all that happened (and should have happened) at the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2011AFP”He is the Obama of cricket.”

Feb 1, 2011″We’re going to a World Cup, and World Cups are incredible events. We’ve had an incredible 12 months, [winning would] cap off the most remarkable 12 months in English cricket history.”

Feb 9, 2011″If you want to irritate someone that should be the opposition and not your side.”

Feb 18, 2011″There’s going to be a lot of sign language involved.”

Feb 26, 2011″I could’ve stopped ’em better with my coat.”

Feb 27, 2011″Stop whatever you’re doing and turn on the England-Ireland match!”

Mar 2, 2011″I didn’t last long enough to get sledged.”

Mar 2, 2011″It would be nice to get me and my brother up there, two very good-looking men.”

Mar 3, 2011Kamran Akmal’s wicketkeeping didn’t impress too many, least of all Geoffrey Boycott•AFP”Some bookmakers had Ireland at 400-1 at one stage. I wish I’d not kept my money in pocket.”

Mar 3, 2011″We don’t want to play Tests. We don’t want to do anything. The World Cup is over for us. This is it.”

Mar 3, 2011″I saw only two murders in the theatre, but ended up watching many more during the Ireland-England game.”
Saat Khoon Maaf

Mar 4, 2011″It’s a bit confusing. I don’t know, don’t understand it much.”

Mar 7, 2011″If his batting was as good as Don Bradman’s, he couldn’t score enough runs to make up for what he costs them with his keeping.”

Mar 8, 2011″Currently sitting in a corner, rocking back and forth, having Indian nightmare. Poor bowlers, it’s not fair.”

Mar 12, 2011″You don’t play for the crowd, you play for the country.”

Mar 12, 2011″You may put hybrid fuel in the car but the cylinder, the engine, everything, needs to be like that.”

Mar 11, 2011″It felt like playing football with both hands tied behind my back.”

Mar 14, 2011″Following England in this World Cup is a bit like following Newcastle United – you never know what you’re going to get. One minute we’re beating South Africa, the next we’re losing to Ireland and Bangladesh.”

Mar 15, 2011″Don’t ask. Very irresponsible shot as captain. On a stage like that.”

Mar 19, 2011″I’ve been saying this for more than 21 years to Afridi. He has to learn.”

Mar 19, 2011″It was the best ball of my cricket career. It was one of those moments in life you dream of. I wasn’t sure how to celebrate.”

Mar 20, 2011″We hope you lose tomorrow, daddy. Then you can come home.”

Mar 21, 2011″For the first time in my life there have been claps in a press conference. I am sure this is a special moment for me, guys.”

March 24, 2011The dewy conditions in Bangladesh didn’t go down too well with Graeme Swann•Getty Images”I told Gautam: I am not Virender Sehwag, I can’t run like that.”

Mar 24, 2011″Thankfully, I am six foot six, and I replaced Kane Williamson who, I think, is four foot six.”

Mar 25, 2011″The rave across the street has finished and my windows have stopped shaking but it seems they have moved the party into our hotel. If it’s still going in a couple of hours I might stick a pair of jeans on and hit the dance floor.”

Mar 25, 2011″The monkey’s almost become a gorilla now and until we win an ICC event it’s always going to be there I’m afraid.”

Mar 31, 2011″Tendulkar has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years. It is time we carried him on our shoulders.”

Apr 2, 2011

ESPNcricinfo picks some of the lesser-known players that could spring a surprise or two in the Champions League

Nikita Bastian and Dustin Silgardo22-Sep-2011Daniel Harris, South AustraliaDaniel Harris was South Australia’s Player of the Year for the 2010-11 season•Getty ImagesAn opening batsman, Daniel Harris is strong square through the offside and a sharp fielder. He was named South Australia’s Twenty20 player of the year for 2010-11, following his strong showing in the Big Bash. Harris topped the tournament’s batting charts with 304 runs at 60.80, and hit 12 sixes in seven innings, second only to Chris Gayle. The highlight of his Twenty20 season was a blistering 70 against Western Australia in Perth, which came off 37 balls and contained nine fours and three sixes. If South Australia are to do better than last year’s semi-final finish in the CLT20, Harris’ success at the top of the order could be vital.Patrick Cummins,
New South WalesAn 18-year-old new-ball bowler, Patrick Cummins made his debut in all three formats for New South Wales earlier this year. He picked up 11 wickets at 14.09 in six Big Bash matches, while conceding only 6.59 runs an over, to finish No. 1 on the tournament’s bowling charts. He reserved his best for the business end of the competition, destroying Tasmania in the preliminary final with figures of 4 for 16 – the best spell in Big Bash 2010-11. In June, he was named in Cricket Australia’s list of contracted players for 2011-12, the youngest player to be offered a central contract since the current system was introduced in 1998.Shadab Jakati, Chennai Super KingsShadab Jakati, a left-arm spinner, has played a significant role in Chennai Super Kings’ strategy of stifling the opposition of runs with slow bowling. He was on the expensive side in the early part of IPL 2011, but improved as the tournament progressed. In the second-half of the group stage, apart from an off day against Delhi Daredevils, his economy rate hovered between 5.50 and 7.50 and he managed to claim big players like Shane Watson and Brendon McCullum after they had got off to starts. He made a telling contribution against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final, trapping AB de Villiers lbw and taking a return-catch off Luke Pomersbach, while conceding only 21 from his four overs.Iqbal Abdulla, Kolkata Knight RidersIqbal Abdulla, IPL 2011’s Under-23 player of the tournament, played a crucial role for Kolkata Knight Riders on both offensive and defensive fronts. He was miserly with his left-arm spin, conceding only 6.10 runs an over – the fourth most economical bowler of those who sent down fifty overs or more in the tournament. He was also Kolkata’s leading wicket-taker, with 16 wickets at 19.06, and had the scalps of batsmen like Kumar Sangakkara, Adam Gilchrist, David Hussey and JP Duminy to his credit. The side’s confidence in Abdulla was evident during the CLT20 qualifiers, when he opened the bowling in both games.Peter Trego, SomersetA hard-hitting allrounder who bowls medium pace, Peter Trego proved quite handy for Somerset with ball (v Auckland) and then bat (v Kolkata) during the CLT20 qualifiers. He had kicked off his Friends Life t20 2011 season with a knock of 55 from 37 balls against Hampshire that included three sixes, and went on to score 304 runs in the tournament, one of three Somerset batsmen to go past 300. Trego’s role in the side gains further importance with Somerset missing four key batsmen in Marcus Trescothick, Craig Kieswetter, Jos Buttler and Kieron Pollard for various reasons.Ambati Rayudu, Mumbai IndiansAmbati Rayudu has been a big part of Mumbai Indians’ success over the past two years•AFPJust 25 years old, Ambati Rayudu has already seen some dramatic fluctuations in his career. From leading India at the Under-19 level, he went to being cast out by the Indian board for choosing to join the Indian Cricket League. By the time he took the BCCI’s amnesty offer in 2009, and signed to play for Mumbai Indians in the 2010 IPL, most had forgotten he was once touted as an India prospect. Two years of big scoring in the IPL – he was Mumbai’s third-highest run-getter in 2010 and their second-highest in 2011 – have brought him back into the limelight, and his recovery reached a crescendo when he won Mumbai their last league game of the 2011 IPL with a six off the last ball. Though it is his Twenty20 exploits that have earned him most recognition, Rayudu is not per se a big hitter. He gets his runs through orthodox strokes, and when he innovates it is usually with cheeky flicks and cuts.Saurabh Tiwary, Royal Challengers BangaloreMumbai Indians’ run to the final of the 2010 IPL, after having failed to get to the knock-out rounds in the previous two seasons, had a lot to do with the contributions of Rayudu and Saurabh Tiwary. A big-hitting left-hand batsman, who was part of the team that won the 2008 Under-19 World Cup, Tiwary’s image was enhanced by the fact that he hailed from the same state as India’s captain MS Dhoni, had long hair like Dhoni did in his younger days, and played in the same inelegant yet effective manner. In the 2010 IPL, he plundered 419 runs which earned him a call-up to India’s one-day side, and when the players were auctioned again in 2011 Royal Challengers Bangalore were willing to cough up $1.6 million for him, more than they did for any other player. Tiwary, though, did not go past fifty once in the tournament and had a strike-rate of less than 100. His India prospects have also taken a dive after he was ignored for the one-dayers in West Indies and England, and the Champions League is an opportunity for him to prove he is worth the exorbitant price Bangalore paid for him.Samuel Badree, Trinidad & TobagoLegspinner Samuel Badree has not managed to make a mark in first-class cricket, having only played 11 more first-class games since making his debut back in 2001-02. The Twenty20 format though has given his career a new lease of life: he first impressed for Trinidad & Tobago in the Stanford Super Series in 2008, and has since led a spin-heavy T&T attack in their Twenty20 tournaments. Badree is known more for his ability to keep the runs down than take wickets. In the 2010 Caribbean T20, he took only five wickets, less than several of his team-mates, but his remarkable economy-rate of 3.90 was the best of any bowler in the tournament. His miserliness has already been on display in the Champions League qualifiers, where he had figures of 2 for 7 in his four overs in T&T’s match against Leicestershire.Richard Levi, Cape CobrasA quick-scoring opening batsman, Richard Levi played a prominent role in Cape Cobras’ winning campaign in the 2010-11 Pro20 Series in South Africa. He was the side’s second-highest run-getter, with 258 runs from eight innings at a strike-rate of 145.76. His 60 off 31 balls in the semi-final helped Cobras chase 223 against Titans and he scored an important 45 in the final versus Warriors. His strong domestic season earned him a place in the South Africa Emerging Players squad for the recent tournament in Australia, where he scored an unbeaten century in a three-day game against New Zealand A. Levi was part of the Cobras squad that came to India to play the 2009 Champions League, but did not get a game. This time, he is likely to play a big role in their campaign.JJ Smuts, WarriorsJon-Jon Trevor Smuts has struggled to find consistency in his short career as an opening batsman who also bowls left-arm spin. A poor Pro20 Series in 2009-10 meant he was consigned to the bench for the 2010 Champions League. He bounced back in the 2010-11 season, leading the run-charts for Warriors in their run to the Pro20 final, and going at just 6.58 an over with the ball. However, his form dipped again at the Emerging Players Tournament where he had a highest score of 39. He will have to dig himself out of that slump because with Davy Jacobs playing for Mumbai Indians in this year’s Champions League, he will have to take the lead in getting Warriors off to solid starts. Also in the Warriors squad is his younger brother Kelly Smuts, who scored a half-century on Twenty20 debut in the Pro20 final.

South Africa are hoping that Johannesburg, their traditional first stop of an international season, will bring about a chance in their fortunes

Firdose Moonda in Johannesbug15-Oct-2011Nevermind the game parks, the wildlife and the wide open spaces, South Africa’s favourite holiday destination is Cape Town. A mountain, pristine beaches and a city that combines the delightfulness of Europe with the authenticity of Africa, it’s an ideal spot for a holiday or an adventure but it proved an unhappy place for South Africa’s start to the international season.It’s an unusual venue for an incoming tour to start, with bustling and busy Johannesburg usually the first stop of an international season. “This used to be the starting point for the tour and the guys have started well here,” Johan Botha said at the Wanderers, where South Africa were preparing for the second Twenty20 against Australia on Sunday. “Hopefully we can start our winning ways for the season here,” Botha said.After more than six months away from the international game, South Africa looked like an undercooked lot. While they achieved a par score at Newlands, their batting stuttered along the way, their bowling lacked incisiveness and even their fielding was a little off colour. The lack of energy culminated in an ultimately rusty performance, with one of the guiltiest parties being the man with the same name as the team’s showing.Rusty Theron, who made his name as a death-overs specialist, bowled three and a half overs and was hit for 42 runs. He was ineffective, wayward and expensive, a far cry from the bowler who was selected as part of the World Twenty20 squad in 2010. “He probably was a little off the beat in the Champions League and it showed on Thursday,” Botha said. “He shouldn’t just look at pace but he is probably five or six kilometres per hour down from where he has been in the past. Bowling yorkers at 133 kph to where he was at 140 kph is quite a difference. He will have to lift his game to stay in this team. That’s just honest.”Despite his obvious potential, Theron has only featured in four ODIs and six Twenty20s during his year as an international cricketer. Lack of opportunity appears to have pushed him back and he is likely to make way for Warriors team-mate Wayne Parnell. “Wayne should definitely get a go. He has got that little bit of extra pace and flair,” Botha said. “He is not scared to try things. In Twenty20 you need to be a little unpredictable sometimes.” Parnell has battled injury in recent months but is still considered the best back-up, in terms of pace, in the case of one of Dale Steyn or Morne Morkel breaking down, and has been looking to cement a more permanent place in the team.On a pitch that will offer more pace and bounce, South Africa may leave out one of their spinners, Botha or Robin Peterson. Botha was their best bowler in the first match, his place should be safe. An experienced Twenty20 campaigner, Botha also captained the team in the past and is regarded as one of their trump cards. He said he has based his game in the shortest format on unpredictability. “I am probably not your classical offspinner who lands it on the same spot all the time, I do try different things,” he said. “You have to try and stay one step ahead and use your fielders cleverly.”It was those creative and innovative elements of his game that made Botha a respected leader. Although he no longer holds that role, he is still part of the think-tank and Hashim Amla was seen consulting with him on numerous occasions on Thursday night. Botha was pleased with the way the team fought, although he felt the ability to close out the game was lacking. “We did really well. There was a period towards the end of the innings where we almost got 50 in four overs and in the field, our general energy was really good,” he said. “We did well to get it that close but obviously we would have liked to take more chances.”Another former captain, Graeme Smith, was guilty of letting one of those chances go begging when he dropped Shane Watson off Morkel’s bowling. He also failed with the bat; after facing six awkward balls from Doug Bollinger he was bowled off the inside edge. JP Duminy said it was just a matter of Smith rediscovering his form. “Obviously he hasn’t played much competitive cricket of late. A few of us have been involved in Champions League which helped. He has been only involved in club cricket,” Duminy said. “It’s about him just finding his feet again and with him not being captain he can focus more on batting and fielding.”Richard Levi, South Africa’s only new cap in the squad, missed out on playing in front of his home crowd on Thursday and would slot in ideally in Smith’s place. Although it is unlikely Smith will be dropped, Levi would not be wrong if he was hopeful of a chance. Botha said Levi could provide a little extra oomph at the top. “He is a very explosive player and we could maybe use that in the first six overs.”

Bunking classes to watch India-Pakistan? Hell yeah

Fahmim Ferdous19-Mar-2012Choice of game
It was India versus Pakistan, in Dhaka. That kind of a thing happens literally once in 12 years, and my absolute sweetheart of a friend got hold of two of the most sought-after tickets of the year, through her dad’s contacts. I felt the match was more important than my electrical engineering lectures, and to my surprise, I found two of my favourite lecturers from the university in the same gallery as me.Team supported
Pakistan, because their win would allow Bangladesh a slightly easier equation to reach the finals. Though, I would have supported Pakistan regardless.Key performer
Virat Kohli. The man, bursting with confidence from a dream run, was a class apart. To me he resembled a mountaineer – focussed, gritty, and determined to keep going no matter what the circumstance. The strength of his mind outdid his muscles by a fair margin, which was something, given the muscle-power on display. In the end, he did justice to his name, getting too “Virat” (Hindi/Bangla for “big”) for Pakistan.One thing I’d have changed
Wahab Riaz’s lunch menu. Or the DVD he watched the night before. Or maybe the alignment of his bowling shoulder a little bit to the left, so that all those deliveries down the leg side would have been on line. Hard to believe it was the same guy who took a five-for the last time these two sides met.Face-off you relished
Saeed Ajmal v Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin looked like his old self against the seamers, timing everything exquisitely. But against Ajmal he stumbled, more than once, and was eventually outfoxed by his doosra.Wow moment
Suresh Raina pulled off a Paul Collingwood-ish blinder at cover to send a dangerous-looking Younis Khan back. If he loses his touch with the bat, Raina can certainly audition for the position of “Seeker” in any Quidditch team.Close encounter
Praveen Kumar fielded near where we were sitting, and he got heckled for his name, which when translated to Bangla means “elderly bachelor”.Close encounter II
I met the Indian supporter who claims to be Sachin’s biggest fan, and backs it up with his action. His face and torso were painted perfectly in the India colours, and “Sachin” was written on his back. He was blowing a conch shell and wielding a huge Indian tricolour flag. He is such a common sight at India’s games worldwide, and it was good to have him at our gallery.Shot of the day
Tendulkar’s upper-cut off Aizaz Cheema in the fifth over was like a maestro doing a quick encore of one of his oldest, most famous classic sonatas. It was a moment to reminisce on a bad day – that I have seen Tendulkar hit a bowler for six over the keeper’s head will surely cheer me up no matter how low I may be feeling!Crowd meter
Despite it being the first weekday, the stands were packed long before offices closed. The atmosphere was festive, upbeat and dynamic. Pakistan were narrow favourites, especially because a victory for them would pretty much shut India out of the final, and open it up for Bangladesh. The loudest cheers, very predictably, went up for the two most loved characters of the game in this part of the world – Tendulkar and Shahid Afridi.Accessories
With too many restrictions on what we could take into the stadium premises, all we managed was my friend’s little camera, whose lens covered just us and the wide-angle shots of the grounds.Overall
It was a high-scoring encounter, had three centuries, and a stunner of a catch. Not much more to expect from an ODI. The atmosphere in the stands was scintillating and the weather just about perfect. Can’t complain, unless you’re a hardcore Pakistan supporter. Then again, the players have themselves to blame for the defeat.Marks out of 10
The game would get an 8.5 from me, the deductions being for Pakistan’s listless bowling and fielding efforts, and the overall toothless-ness of the Indian bowling attack.

It is a hundred years to the day that Victor Trumper played his last Test match. A look back at the genius batsman (and his phobia of clergymen)

Ashley Mallett01-Mar-2012The cricketing gods loved one batsman above all others: Victor Thomas Trumper. Whenever Trumper strode boldly onto the green sward on his way to the middle of his beloved SCG, the crowd rose as one to applaud. It was said even the blades of grass seemed to bow respectfully in the wake of the great man, becoming a rolling sea of green, nature’s own version of a Mexican wave.To the day, 100 years ago, Trumper played his last Test innings. It was March 1, 1912, the fifth and last Test of the 1911-12 Ashes series, at the SCG, and Australia needed 363 runs to win the game. At the non-striker’s end, little Syd Gregory contemplated the seriousness of the situation, as the great SF Barnes cruised past to deliver the first ball of the Australian second innings.Barnes, England’s finest bowler, operated a shade above medium pace, bowling a combination of swing and spin, the fast legbreak his most potent weapon. The cricketing gods must have been taking a tea break, for Barnes dismissed Trumper for 5 in the first innings, producing a near perfect legbreak, which pitched leg and would have taken the top of off, had not Trumper’s bat got in the way – alas, only to catch an edge, giving Frank Woolley, who stood tall and straight like a Grenadier Guardsman, a dolly at first slip. Trumper’s fate didn’t seem fair somehow. Woolley himself had scored an unconquered 133 in England’s first innings of 324. Big Warwick Armstrong hit the top score of 33 in Australia’s paltry 176.But today Trumper was setting out to make amends for a summer of discontent for Clem Hill’s Australian team. Trumper’s only century in the Test series had been in the first match, at the SCG. He hit 113 in the first dig, and, significantly, it was the only match of the series that Australia won. By the fifth Test Australia trailed 3-1 and were looking to turn the tables on an England team that included some of the greats – among them Jack Hobbs, George Gunn, Wilfred Rhodes, the captain, JWHT Douglas, and, of course, Woolley and the incomparable Barnes.The first ball from Barnes was a yorker, but Trumper dismissed it in a flash, playing what he called the “dog shot”. As the ball careered towards leg stump, having moved from off to leg in the manner of a late reverse swinger, Trumper merely lifted his front leg, swivelled neatly on his back leg, meeting the ball on the half volley and dismissing it from his presence to the backward-square fence. Umpire Bob Crockett broke into a broad grin, unusual for such a stern soul, and the crowd rose to acclaim Trumper’s mastery. The four, then a two past gully, and a single to mid-on, brought Gregory to face the music. Two balls in a row from Barnes beat the Gregory outside edge, but he survived.How could Trumper know then that this day would be his last in Test cricket? Nephritis, the kidney disease, which took his life in 1915, was yet to show its ugly face. However, the mental stress that had always plagued Trumper throughout his career was at its most distressing when he happened to set eyes on a man wearing a dog collar. Those who saw his batting genius at first hand never understood why Trumper believed he was doomed to failure if he spotted a man of the cloth in the crowd.”How can I get runs with all those clergymen standing about?” Trumper whispered to Clem Hill at Lord’s in 1899. The pair had just walked from the field, Australia having got England out for a modest 206. But despite the presence of many dog collars in the crowd, the very next day Trumper scored his maiden Test century, 135 not out. Hill also hit 135 in the Australian first innings of 421, runs that set the side up for an impressive ten-wicket victory. It was Trumper’s second Test match. In his first, WG Grace’s last, Trumper scored a duck (bowled by Jack Hearne) and 11 (bowled by FS Jackson).In Australia on December 4, 1891, the 14-year-old Trumper impressed Grace’s visiting England team by fielding brilliantly as Grace and others batted on the edge of the SCG. Trumper was one of a number of youngsters who fielded, and he was invited to have a hit. Wearing knickerbockers and a brave face, young Trumper struggled to middle too many on the rough turf and Grace strode towards him: “You can surely field, m’boy… but I am afraid, batting is not your forte. You’ll never get anywhere as a batsman.”Eight years on, at Lord’s, Grace had changed his mind about the young Australian. He knocked on the Australian dressing room door and asked to see Trumper, who had just made his maiden Test century. The doctor handed him his bat, upon which he had written the words: “From the past champion to the future champion.”Traditionally, cricketers are pretty superstitious. Well, most of them. For Australia the devil’s number is 87, which is supposed to date back to the time Don Bradman was dismissed pulling a ball onto his stumps on that score against Victoria once. Keith Miller, then 12, was watching. He looked at the score board. “Fancy getting out for 87, unlucky 13 from 100,” he mused.The great Victoria and Australia fast-medium bowler Alan Connolly always took the field for his country with a piece of Hugh Trumble’s green-and-gold Test hat-band on his person. Celebrated England wicketkeeper Alan Knott had a peculiar habit of having a handkerchief hanging precariously from his trouser pocket, and when standing up to the wicket to Derek Underwood and Co, he would always gently touch the top of the stumps for good luck.

As the ball careered towards leg stump, having moved from off to leg in the manner of a late reverse swinger, Trumper merely lifted his front leg, swivelled neatly on his back leg, meeting the ball on the half volley and dismissing it from his presence to the backward-square fence

Bill Whitty, the left-arm medium-fast bowler from Mount Gambier in South Australia, once told me that during Trumper’s brilliant summer of 1910-11, he “could do anything at any time. All the bowling came alike to him, and he was just as likely to get a couple of fours off the first two balls of the day as he was off the last two. But he could not relax at the batting crease if he saw a clergyman, either on the way to the wicket or in the crowd while he was out in the middle.”Trumper’s fear of the men in dog collars was extraordinary, and his superstitiousness was in complete contrast to Bradman, the man who took over from Trumper as Australia’s batting idol, and had no fear. “Friday the 13th, black cats, treading on cracks in the pavement and the figure 87, are all silly superstitions and pure nonsense,” Sir Donald told me in 1974. For many years Bradman occupied Room 87 on the eighth floor of an office block opposite the Adelaide Town Hall. I wonder if Geoff Boycott would have occupied Room 111 in a Leeds building, given that 111 is England’s devil’s number – derived, I believe, from the legend of Admiral Nelson: “one arm, one leg, one a***hole…”In Manchester in 1902, Neville Cardus, a boy then, sat transfixed as Trumper and Reg Duff walked to the wicket. He said to himself: “Please, god, let Victor Trumper score a century today for Australia against England – out of a total of 137 all out!” Trumper scored 104 before lunch. Ever self-effacing, he wrote in his diary that day: “Wet wicket. Fourth Test. Won toss. Made 299. Self 104…” Only three Australians have scored a century before lunch on the first day of a Test match – Trumper in Manchester in 1902, Charlie Macartney in Leeds in 1926, and Bradman, also in Leeds, in 1930.Surely there were men of the cloth in the crowd that day. Maybe Trumper’s eyes were only for the ball. Imagine if the opposition today knew of such a weakness. Masks with the image of a man of the cloth on them would be handed to every fan barracking for England. England under JWHT Douglas or Archie MacLaren could have done with the likes of David Sheppard in the side, who was among the dozen-odd clergymen to have made their mark in English cricket history, and who wore his dog collar to matches.Reverend Sheppard certainly incurred the wrath of Freddie Trueman once, who, upon a misfield, said to him: “It is a pity, David, that you only put your hands together on a Sunday.” During that England tour Down Under, of 1962-63, Sheppard wore his dog collar to a reception and when a bishop appeared, Trueman called: “Hey, David, is that your senior pro?”Today we mark 100 years since Trumper played his last innings. Australia lost that match, but Trumper scored exactly 50 – again caught at slip by Woolley off Barnes.Trumper’s legacy to the game of cricket was not the number of runs he scored, but the way he played the game. We don’t rank Sachin Tendulkar above Bradman just because he has scored a mountain more runs than him – albeit in 130 more Test matches. Cardus summed it up best when he said of Trumper: “You will no more get an idea of the quality of Trumper’s batsmanship by adding up his runs than you will get an idea of the quality of Shelley’s poetry by adding up the lines written by Shelley.”The great CB Fry said of Trumper: “Victor Trumper is perhaps the most difficult batsman in the world to reduce to words. He has no style, yet he is all style.”In 1980, Kim Hughes, the gifted yet wayward Australia batsman, hit a magnificent century at Lord’s in the Centenary Test match. In batting terms that innings was the epitome of Trumper. The memory of its class and style lingers, as has that of Michael Clarke’s amazing unconquered 329 at the SCG this golden summer. Methinks there was more than a touch of Trumper in both those innings.Bibliography
by Ashley Mallett
by AG Moyes
Victor Trumper’s 1902 diary

A timeline of events and decisions that has affected the implementation of the Decision Review System (DRS)

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-2012June 2008
A decision is made to trial the DRS in the Test series between Sri Lanka and India starting in July 2008.July-August 2008
Virender Sehwag becomes the first player to be given out after the on-field umpire’s decision was overturned by the use of DRS. In three Tests, India make only one successful review; Sri Lanka make 11. The system reveals some glitches in its first experiment and receives mixed reviews.March 2009
ICC expands the scope of DRS by including Hot Spot as a tool for decision-making, allowing it to be trialled during the second and third Tests between Australia and South Africa.November 2009
There is serious opposition to DRS after the BCCI decides against using the system for the Tests against Sri Lanka, and other boards begin to complain over the costs borne by the host nation. Instead, they call on the ICC to fund DRS.October 2010
The ICC says the DRS will be used in the 2011 World Cup. While ball-tracking, it said, would be used for all games, Hot Spot would be available for the semi-finals and final.February 2011
Hot Spot, it is announced, will not be used for the World Cup as the “supplier advised it was not willing to supply its cameras for the tournament.”February 2011
A controversial moment in the World Cup when Ian Bell is ruled not out, with Billy Bowden sticking to his original decision as a result of the 2.5 metre rule. It triggers a spat between the BCCI and the ICC. The rule is subsequently tweaked to ensure consistency.May 2011
The BCCI reiterates its opposition to the DRS following a recommendation by an ICC committee to implement the system in all internationals.June 2011
A compromise is struck when the ICC unanimously agrees to make DRS with Hot Spot – subject to availability – mandatory in all Tests and ODIs, with ball-tracking removed from the compulsory list. The ICC also moots raising a sponsor to fund DRS.August 2011
The BCCI and Hot Spot reach an agreement to use the technology for India’s home season.September 2011
Hot Spot is criticised by the BCCI after it proves inconclusive on several occasions on India’s tour of England. It decides to revisit the agreement reached with the ICC in June.October 2011
Hot Spot, it is decided, will not be used for India’s home ODIs against England. Its owner cites disappointment with performance, and not having the BCCI’s support, as the reasons.October 2011
The DRS is no longer mandatory, says the ICC, leaving it subject to the bilateral agreement between the boards.February 2012
The ICC decides on testing the effectiveness of the two ball-tracking technologies – Hawk-eye and Virtual Eye – independently at Cambridge University.June 2012
Following successful testing of DRS technology, the ICC Chief Executives Committee reiterates its commitment to making DRS mandatory in international cricket. The BCCI, however, says its stand remains unchanged.

Vernon Philander has the best returns from seven Tests in over a century. What’s his secret? Hadlee-like consistency

Firdose Moonda09-Apr-2012 is the name of a popular South African soap opera. It is a television series about life on a street named 7th Avenue. There is very little relation between and sport. But that may change if the producers of the show discover that a record-breaking cricketer grew up and still lives on a real 7de Laan.Vernon Philander, the seven-Test match 50-wicket sensation, is a product of Ravensmead, a lower-income area on the Cape Flats. He lives with his three younger brothers and mother, Bonny, in his grandparents’ home on 7de Laan. He lived there when he first started playing cricket at the age of eight. He lived there when he worked his way through the Western Province age-group structures and played for South Africa Under-19. He lived there when he was first picked for the national team in 2007, when he was dropped little over a year later, when he worked his way back in, and when he became the latest bowling superstar.Constants have played a massive role in Philander’s success. The discipline he employs in line and length, complemented by subtle movements of the ball, have earned him Test cricket’s best return from seven matches in over a hundred years. It was a skill that took careful crafting and years of hard work, as Philander negotiated an unconventional road to sporting success.He grew up with his mother, and although he knew his father, Philander did not have a male role model until he started playing club cricket. A member of Tygerburg Cricket Club, where another international, Alfonso Thomas, was discovered, saw Philander playing in the streets of Ravensmead and introduced him to Hannes Adams, the club’s chairperson. Adams is one of many elders who monitored Philander from a young age, having identified his talent, but not in the way we know it now. “Vernon was more of a batsman then,” Adams said. “These days people only know him as a bowler but he was scoring a lot of runs then. He was always focused and he always knew what he wanted.”At the time unity was still a relatively new concept and opportunities for people from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, like Philander, were just starting to open up. Philander’s ability got him his chance. He was picked for the U-13 Western Province team, where Nabeal Dien, manager of amateur and development cricket at the province, first met him.Dien noticed a talented but somewhat troubled young man, who “compensated a lot for things he lacked” with absolute self-assurance. “Vernon was always ahead of his years in terms of his ability. The problem was his ability to fit in,” Dien said. “He wasn’t an easy guy to get along with through his younger years. He was the kind of fellow who would rub people up the wrong way. I didn’t always see it as arrogance but a lot of people did. His over-confidence was almost arrogant in a way, and that carried him through.”By the time Philander was 14, he was playing for the first team at Tygerburg CC. He jumped straight from U-15 to U-19, and spent six months of his final school years on an exchange programme in England. He was picked for South Africa’s U-19 team on its tour of England in 2003. He also went to the U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh the following year. By that time the batsman had become a bowler, and at 21 he was called up to the national side for a tri-series in Ireland.He took 4 for 12 on debut but things went downward from there. For a long time he was remembered for a dropped catch in an ODI in Leeds in August 2008.Adams was not surprised by Philander’s early stumbles. “I felt that they threw him into the wrong form of the game. From the start I could see he was more of a longer form player and Test cricket was the best form of the game for him.”It was a lesson not only in cricket but in the dangers of over-confidence. Dien said Philander took the setback seriously. “What I said to him is that we must take care not to take this game for granted. For him there was nothing difficult about it, but when you drop crucial catches in a game, the public measure you on that. That was a bit of a knock for him. We all said, ‘Keep going. There is no way with your ability that you won’t get back up there.'”A period of introspection followed. Philander decided to focus on his disciplines, and as he entered his mid-twenties he became better at managing them. “In the last two years he has matured,” Dien said. “I always felt that if he wasn’t going to mature, he wouldn’t make it, that he would one day lose his franchise contract and that would be the end of Vernon.”

“What I said to him is that we must take care not to take this game for granted. For him, there was nothing difficult about it, but when you drop crucial catches in a game, the public measure you on that. That was a bit of a knock for him”Nabeal Dien, Philander’s Western Province mentor, on the bowler’s early international career

He also needed someone to help polish his skills and hone his accuracy. Dien credits Richard Pybus – who many won’t acknowledge has a hand in Philander’s growth because his tenure at the Cobras ended sourly after the 2011-12 season – for doing just that. “The discipline that Vernon needed more than anything, Pybus gave to him,” Dien said. “He is a very disciplined coach. Vernon was the kind of person that on any given day, he wouldn’t be able to execute his skills like he should. Pybus was able to bring that out in him.”The results were impossible to ignore, as Philander took 94 wickets in two seasons of first-class cricket. By the time he was recalled to the national team, he had the lowest average of all bowlers who had taken 250 wickets or more. When he was included in the squad for the Test series against Australia last year, popular sentiment among experts in South Africa was that he would not play and, like Richard Levi who was named in the Twenty20 squad, serve drinks and soak in the atmosphere. A few like Boeta Dippenaar said if Philander did play, he should open the bowling. Most dismissed that as a joke, insisting the deadly pair of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel should not be separated.The selectors saw sense and used Philander in the role he had blossomed in at domestic level. He did not let them down. Every time he picked up the ball, he was a threat. In five months he went from being a rookie to the leader of the attack.The simple secret to his success is that he seldom bowls a bad ball. He is the embodiment of consistency. His agent, Arthur Turner, a former chief executive of Western Province cricket, sees “huge similarities between Philander and Richard Hadlee”. “Hadlee may have been a touch quicker but he also hit good areas, swung the ball, got a bit of seam movement and built pressure.”Philander insists that if he sticks to his line, just outside the off stump, it will work “anywhere in the world”. So far he has not been proved wrong. After success at home and in New Zealand, he opened his county campaign for Somerset with a five-wicket haul in his first match, which can only bode well for South Africa’s tour of England later this year. Philander’s Somerset stint is not his first experience in England; he has previously played at Devon and Middlesex, but adjusting to conditions this time is much more important for his international ambitions.With so much having already gone right for him, it’s tough to see how things could get better, and he may have to brace for a less fruitful times. Dien thinks Philander is well prepared for lean patches. “He is mature enough to know that cricket works that way. There will be days when nothing comes your way.”For now, though everything is going his way, Philander still has a lot he wants to achieve. He has joked about becoming the fastest bowler to 100 Test wickets. It’s not a pipe dream, either. George Lohmann, the 19th century England Test bowler who emigrated to South Africa, holds the record, at 16 Tests. Philander has played only seven so far.He also wants to re-establish his status as an allrounder. “He said to me that he wants to prove he can bat. I think he is looking to the other formats now,” Dien said. Philander has two first-class hundreds to his name, and showed his capability with the bat in the Tests against New Zealand.And then there are other goals. 7de Laan will not be Philander’s home for much longer. He is building a house for him and his family in Kuils River, a suburb east of Cape Town. “For the family, it will be a good thing,” Dien said. “If you went to the place [Ravensmead], you may find it hard to understand that a national cricketer is living there but he stuck it out there for a long time, because he felt a responsibility.”His new home may not be the only building that will commemorate Philander’s achievement. Adams has another structure in mind to serve as a symbol of success at Tygerburg Cricket Club. “The legacy I want to build for Vernon Philander is a big indoor facility at our club,” Adams said. “It will be for Vernon and Alfonso and all the guys who made it.”