When the home team wins, you don’t feel too bad about the one-sidedness of the victory

Aashish Calla07-Apr-2012Choice of game
It was the Rajasthan Royals’ first game of IPL 5 so I had to be there. A carnival atmosphere was expected at the ground, and of course, the prospect of Rahul Dravid captaining the side against Adam Gilchrist’s Kings XI Punjab made it an unmissable game.Team supported
The first champions of the IPL, and perhaps the only team in the tournament that has consistently invested in veterans – who else would pick Warne, Lehmann, Martyn, Dravid, Hodge and Hogg for their T20 team?Key performer
Ajinkya Rahane proves that you just have to be a good batsman to succeed in all formats. As Sanjay Manjrekar aptly put it while announcing the Man-of-the-Match award, Rahane showed that one can maintain a strike rate of over 150 in a Twenty20 without slogging. He didn’t play a single delivery across the line. In fact, there were times during his opening stand with Dravid when I was confused as to who was on strike. There can’t be a greater compliment for a young batsman.One thing I’d have changed
I would have given the first over of the Kings XI innings to Johan Botha because spinners have managed to get the usually rampaging Gilly out early in T20s. Siddarth Trivedi was easy meat for him.Face-off you relished
Piyush Chawla v Rahane – two talented youngsters trying to win back a place in the national side. Round one went to Chawla who beat Rahane twice in his first over, and later removed another future star, Ashok Menaria. But round two went to Rahane when he hit Chawla for four fours in one over (one was a leg-bye though, but hey, it was Rahane’s leg!). That over shifted the momentum towards the Royals.What an entry
Kevon Cooper’s first-ball six made him a crowd favourite. Though the Royals had maintained a good run-rate and hit fours right from the start, there had been only two sixes in the innings till 19.3 overs. But then out came Cooper – an unknown commodity for the opposition and the spectators – and smashed his first ball of the IPL, and in India, over backward point for an 85-metre six.Wow moment
The usually slow-moving Shah dived full-length at the boundary line to save a four. Then he picked the ball up cleanly and flicked it back to another fielder nearby. Fabulously done. He saved two runs, but more importantly, showed the hunger he has despite being ignored by the selectors for some time now, even though he’s one of England’s most dangerous T20 batsmen.Close encounter
My seat was too far from the boundary to get a good look at the players, but I enjoyed watching Ramesh Powar – who didn’t play the match – warming up with the team. It was fascinating to see someone who looks so unfit field so actively.Getting to watch Gilchrist live for the first time was a moment I’ll cherish.Shot of the day
Owais Shah swept Praveen Kumar for a four. What made it the shot of the match for me was the fact that after connecting with the ball, Shah didn’t even look behind to see if it had gone for four. Instead, he looked at the bowler, as if to say, “Mate, someone told me you are a fast bowler so why are you bowling spin today?” Terrific, loved the attitude.Crowd meter
The chants from the crowd in my section built up to a crescendo. Louder than the reception usually given to politicians and at religious functions. They were also singing old Hindi film songs during the game, which was unexpected. But the most hilarious part came when they chanted “Baith jaao” (“sit down”) in the tone of “Sachin, Sachin” to people who stood up on their seats in front of them. That made the standing spectators smile and immediately sit down.Entertainment
The DJ at the stadium deserves a high-ten, if there is such a thing. From the latest Hindi film songs to Punjabi music to the IPL trumpet, he had it all. But nothing entertained the Jaipur crowd more than the dancing cheerleaders, not even the 22 players, I dare say.Overall
It was a lovely game for me, maybe because my team won. But it was also fascinating to watch the tussle between two captains who were probably unlucky not to have led their national teams for longer periods. I also got to watch the birth of a new T20 star and a youngster showcasing his splendid talent again. I couldn’t have asked for much more from the Royals’ first game in 2012.Marks out of 10
8.5. I deduct 1.5 because I couldn’t get to see Rahane score a century and because Kings XI didn’t really give much of a fight, which meant there weren’t any nail-biting moments in the game.

In Indian cricket’s brand landscape, once you get past the big two, there isn’t any one name that commands universal attention

Tariq Engineer27-Jun-2012It is no surprise that MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar are the two Indian sportsmen – and the highest-ranked cricketers – to feature in magazine’s list of the top 100 highest-paid athletes for the period June 2011 to June 2012, having made $26.5 million and $18.6 million respectively. India is cricket’s biggest market and Tendulkar was India’s first national sporting brand, while Dhoni has arguably been better than any Indian sportsperson at spinning on-field success into endorsements.When a brand looks for a sporting celebrity to associate with, the first criterion is naturally sporting success. You can’t be a celebrity without fame, and (in most cases) you can’t be famous without consistently performing at the highest level of your sport. Both Dhoni and Tendulkar are at the very top of their field. After that it comes down to how relevant the player’s image is to a particular brand. “That’s when the personality kicks in,” Samir Kale, the founder and president of SportzPR, a sports communications firm, told ESPNcricinfo. “There has to be a personality fit with the brand.”Personality has been Dhoni’s trump card. He is cool under pressure, seemingly fearless, yet easy-going and relatable to his small-town, middle-class background. He has also presided over a winning team (save for the last 12 months), for which he has often played a pivotal role, especially in the limited-overs formats, and that has made him even more of a coveted celebrity than Tendulkar.”Sachin Tendulkar came into Indian cricket when India didn’t win so often,” Kawal Shoor, planning head at advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather, said. “So his greatness came from the individual records he has accumulated. Whereas if you were to look at Dhoni, the three or four big milestones against his name are not centuries or runs; it is about getting India wins.”The timing of Dhoni’s rise as a cricketer also coincided with the India growth story. It came at a time when the country’s economic engine hummed along at a pace exceeded only by China. In effect, Dhoni became a metaphor for a changing India, where small-town boys could dream of becoming world beaters. Dhoni’s contribution to the team’s success cemented his appeal across demographics, allowing brands of all kinds to court him.Look beyond Dhoni and Tendulkar at the next generation of players, however, and it raises the question of who might step into their commercial shoes in the years to come. The answer is not straightforward, say brand and advertising experts. This is partly because the next generation has not yet established itself, but more importantly the nature of the advertising industry is changing too, which will make it much more difficult for one player to corner the market as Tendulkar and Dhoni have done.”People are not going to follow one person,” Ramanujam Sridhar, the head of brand consulting firm Brand-Comm, said. “There is a void to find a person of that stature. So rather than one big punt on a Dhoni or a Tendulkar, I think you are going to get a slew of cricketers rather than one cricketer or one sportsman taking the lot.”The possible exception is Virat Kohli, perhaps the only one of the heirs apparent who has come to close to cementing a place in the Indian side. Kohli also seems to be the only one with an outspoken personality. His modern, somewhat devil-may-care attitude was showcased in a series of flirtatious ads for Fastrack bags, products aimed at teenagers and young adults, with the tagline “Move On”. In one of the ads, Kohli and a girl (played by a Bollywood actress) are in an elevator alone. When they start to get cosy, he points out the video camera in the corner. She promptly empties her Fastrack bag and uses it to cover up the camera.Kohli’s advantage is that in his own way he represents the next stage in India’s transformation. Where once a clean-cut image in the mould of a Tendulkar was a necessity, India’s youth now are a lot more confident and fearless than previous generations. “To that extent, somebody having attitude or being in your face is perfectly acceptable, and in fact there is a perverse sense of aspiration to be like that,” Sridhar, said. “This is why Kohli could do well as a model.”

As marketers start to develop clear ideas about how they want to use cricketers to target the segment of the population they want to reach, they will start looking for brand ambassadors who fit their brand’s unique profile

However, Kohli could well have to navigate a landscape different from the one Dhoni has made his own. The majority of Indian brands have so far typically focused purely on raising awareness and chased a mass audience. Signing any celebrity fulfilled that purpose, irrespective of the brand’s identity. But as marketers start to develop clear ideas about how they want to use cricketers to target the segment of the population they want to reach, they will start looking for brand ambassadors who fit their brand’s unique profile.”Until now, most brands have spoken to mainstream India and hence they have looked for mainstream heroes,” Shoor said. “You will see a lot of so-called fringe players – people who have appeal for a limited set of audiences.”That would bring someone like a Gautam Gambhir into play. Shoor thinks Gambhir, who is serious and intense on the field, would make an ideal spokesperson for the army. Making it even more of a match is that Gambhir had considered enlisting before cricket claimed him, and that his hero growing up was the Indian revolutionary Bhagat Singh. (The army, however, recently made Dhoni its brand ambassador.)Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron, should they establish themselves as India regulars, are two others who could eventually draw commercial attention because “pace bowlers evoke a very different kind of feeling”, according to Shoor. Yadav, the son of a coal miner, has the kind of rags-to-riches story that appeals to everyone as well. Of course, the two need to produce memorable match-winning performances first.Shoor also expects athletes from other sports to begin to challenge cricket for advertising rupees as the sporting landscape changes. Cricket is by far the dominant sport in India and any significant shift is still years away, but the signs are clear. Companies are investing in football academies, while success in individual sports, such as Saina Nehwal in badminton or the boxer Vijender Singh, will inspire others to follow in their footsteps. “It will take time, but India will become a multi-sport nation.”A current ad for Pepsi plays on that potential shift. Ranbir Kapoor, a Bollywood star, tries to convince a teenage boy doing tricks with a football to switch to playing cricket. In the end the boy convinces Kapoor to give football a shot. The tagline: Change the Game.Another of the brand’s ads features football stars Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Fernando Torres alongside Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Kohli and Suresh Raina in a three-on-three game of cricket.Sridhar believes that thanks to the IPL, mass brands might turn to international players in greater numbers for endorsements. Foreign players have been used in the past – Seagram in India chose to use some of the all-conquering Australians after the 2003 World Cup, and watch-maker Timex used Brett Lee as their brand ambassador in 2008 to great effect – but the advent of the IPL has allowed Indian fans to become more familiar with more international players. Also, most of them cost less than Indian cricketers do.Brand Dhoni: Companies clamour after the Indian captain because of his appealing personality and the team’s success during his tenure•AFPIPL franchises have already begun capitalising on their foreign stars by creating advertising campaigns around them. Last season Kolkata Knight Riders unveiled an ad for the Matrix forex card featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Yusuf Pathan, Jacques Kallis and Lee – two foreign cricketers versus one Indian.At another level, the creation of the IPL and similar leagues in other sports could also throw up their share of sporting heroes, players that could have local appeal rather than national appeal. “There is no reason why you couldn’t create local heroes for local brands,” Kale, the founder of SportzPR, said.Ultimately, though, if a sportsperson, cricketer or otherwise, has the aura, the success and universal appeal, then the sport he or she plays is not all that relevant. Boxer Floyd Mayweather topped list of earners, with fellow boxing star Manny Pacquiao in second place, far ahead of stars in more popular sports, such as Argentina and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. “Personalities are bigger than the sports they play,” Shoor said. “It underlies the fact that it is the individual’s charisma that helps him rise above the sport he plays.”

Four IPL teams head to South Africa for the tournament, but the home board’s chief executive isn’t too worried about Indian domination or about fan fatigue

Interview by Firdose Moonda08-Oct-2012The Champions League brings in much-needed revenue for the three shareholding boards•AFPAlthough you were not in office when the CLT20 was conceptualised, can you explain what the three boards involved in it had in mind?
It was formed as a partnership between us [Cricket South Africa], Cricket Australia and the BCCI to give an opportunity to domestic teams to play at the next level and provide another platform for them. It is also a very lucrative tournament for all of us in that we share the broadcasting rights and the commercial rights. So it made commercial sense to do it.Are all three boards equal shareholders in the deal?
No, India is the biggest shareholder. But India is also the biggest commercial draw card. You’ve got to seek combinations that work.India and South Africa are the two countries where the tournament has been held so far. It looks unlikely that Australia will have the same opportunity because of their time zones. Does CSA make a significant amount of money from hosting it, and does Cricket Australia lose out?
We don’t make any money from hosting it. We only make money within the shareholding, which we would make no matter where it is hosted. A lot of people confuse the CLT20 with the big money of the IPL, but that is not the case. We work on a much lower cost base. As far as CSA is concerned, we host the tournament on behalf of CLT20 and then we get our shareholding distribution. There is no big financial benefit for CSA if the tournament happens in South Africa versus if it happens somewhere else. By the same token, CA get their shareholding, so they don’t miss out.Do the hosting franchises make any money?
They get a hosting fee that is actually paid out of our shareholding because we are hosting the tournament. So if we host at venues that are more costly, CSA will make less profit. That’s why we are under pressure to host it in a way that’s cost-effective. In 2010, we managed to do that. This time there are different pressures. For example, electricity has gone up 29%, so that will influence cost.Then a shareholder could make more money out of not hosting the tournament, because then you would not have to pay the stadium fees? If that is the case, then why does CSA want to host the tournament?
Yes, it is possible that you will make more money if you don’t host it. But I believe our stadiums benefit. We’ve got to serve cricket and it’s good to be able to give the stadiums content. We are very happy to have that. Are you happy with the standard of cricket the CLT20 brings?
I’m happy with the opportunity it provides the players. I’m happy to see a player like Chris Morris – who we want to look at as a future T20 option in South Africa – compete with the real world stars. We’ve also got different conditions here, and it’s amazing to see true world stars adapt to playing here. Cricket has become a world game and to be successful you’ve got to be able to play all around the world. Our players benefit playing in India. I know it might not be that logical after losing to India in the World Twenty20, but we do get better. And other international teams benefit from playing on more bouncy wickets in South Africa.There is criticism that the tournament is not a true “champions league”. The domestic tournament winners from those countries who are not shareholders have to qualify for the competition but the shareholders’ teams are automatically through. Is that a legitimate point?
Yes, it is, but I can also understand why teams would still want to be part of it. I think it’s going to evolve and we want to get more teams involved. You’ve got to take into account their willingness to be involved and their time schedules. The name is probably a debate, isn’t it?Especially as there is not even balance in the shareholding, because there are four IPL teams. Might it reach a stage where each of the shareholders wants the same number of teams?
No, I don’t think so. To start with, we’re not all equal shareholders. The commercial success of the tournament relies on the Indian market, so it makes a lot of sense to have a lot of Indian teams in there. It doesn’t bother us that there are more Indian teams because we’ve also got a lot of South Africans playing in Indian teams. Although the IPL is based in India, it has become a true international tournament. So I wouldn’t see that as a negative. As CSA, we are happy with the two teams that go through. We’ve only got six franchise teams anyway, so even if we made it three out of six that play CLT20, that may be a bit too much.There is the also the possibility that non-shareholders will not want to play in the CLT20 anymore. England said they will not be sending teams to next year’s event because they are forced to shorten their domestic season to make their teams available. Does their decision concern you?
We would love the English team to play in the competition but it’s clear that scheduling is a problem. We’ve got to respect their decision to give their domestic cricket priority. We’d probably do the same if it was to be hosted at a different time. We are always talking to them about how we can include them. They’ve got valid reasons for saying they won’t come but there are ongoing conversations in that regard to change that.This year, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh are the only Full Members who do not have representatives at the CLT20. If England withdraw from future editions, might it open the door for either or both to be involved?
It would be lovely to have them both, and, for me, to have Zimbabwe involved, especially from an African perspective. Kenya is the same, but I think it would be good to get Zimbabwe in. They are a better team than was shown at the World Twenty20 and they will benefit from this competition.”We would love the English team to play in the competition [next year] but it’s clear that scheduling is a problem. We’ve got to respect their decision to give their domestic cricket priority”•Getty ImagesMore teams would probably mean a longer tournament. There are big concerns about the amount of cricket being played worldwide and about player fatigue. What are your thoughts on that?
We are very wary of the volume of cricket, and managing our world stars is something we’ve got to look at. I was at the ICC chief executives’ meeting and it’s definitely in discussion. We are talking about when is it too much. Having said that, we’ve got an obligation, and so do the other shareholders, to play our best players in this competition, and we will honour that. At the same time, players have got a responsibility to not over-extend themselves. Maybe they can cut out some of the other competitions, but I know that is tough. We’ve still got players keen to play in the UK and the IPL. I am happy if somebody can make a good living out of it. But they’ve got to be careful as well. You’ve only got one body and there are not a lot of spare parts for it. What about fan fatigue? At the end of this tournament, spectators would have seen two months of 20-over cricket, and it’s a format South Africans may not be taking too kindly to at the moment, given the national team’s showing at the World Twenty20.

It’s a real fear, especially, because you don’t know some of these things when you plan to host the event. If South Africa had won the World Twenty20, interest could have gone in the other direction. We are mindful of an overload of cricket, but I think South African fans love cricket and love world stars. We’ve also got such a diverse community and this tournament can cater to that because there are teams from all over.It’s also important to note that CLT20 creates interest for a different group. It’s a product that brings new cricket fans into the stadium. Outside World Cup events, it’s a major tournament, so we hope that will bring people in. We accept that if you are a Test cricket fan this might not appeal to you at all. But just as Test cricket has got its rightful place, T20 has also got its rightful place.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from Chennai Super Kings v Sydney Sixers at the Wanderers

Firdose Moonda at the Wanderers14-Oct-2012Throw of the day Ben Hilfenhaus had misjudged a catch off Michael Lumb that seemed to circle Pluto before dipping, but that was not a true measure of his fielding ability. When Shane Watson cut the ball to the sweeper and called for the second, Hilfenhaus was called to action. His throw – flat and accurate – came in quickly to MS Dhoni in front of the stumps who managed to break them without getting his gloves in the way. Watson looked in World T20 form and Chennai Super Kings were lucky to get rid of him before he reached his half-century. Hilfenhaus had the spotlight on him again when he caught Brad Haddin, falling forward, in the deep a few overs later.Reception of the day With a lot of big names in action, there were bound to be big greetings from the crowd. Sachin Tendulkar may receive the biggest cheers later on, but in the first match, those went to South Africa’s Faf du Plessis, who doesn’t usually get welcomed so warmly at the Wanderers. Du Plessis plays for the Titans franchise domestically, who are arch rivals of the home team, the Lions. The derbies between the two sides are fierce but the fans were able to put that aside when they saw du Plessis come on to bowl in yellow.Test series pre-cursor of the day Australia’s bowling attack will clash with South Africa’s batsmen again in three weeks’ time for a Test series in Australia and two players in this match provided a bit of an appetiser. Chennai’s du Plessis, who is pushing for a spot in South Africa’s XI in the No.6 position, played an innings about half as good as Jacques Rudolph’s last night. He took a good few off a man who will appear for Australia in Perth, Pat Cummins, including three fours off his first over: a leg-stump half-volley that was dispatched, a drive through the covers and a pull after charging the young quick. Cummins won the war though. Du Plessis did not get enough on an attempted clearance of long-on and was caught by another national bowler, Mitchell Starc.Contribution of the day Steve Smith scored a handy 26 but is often criticised for both his batting and bowling. One thing he could not be jeered at about was his catch on the boundary. Suresh Raina was on 57 and hit out high to long-on where Smith was stationed. He caught the ball over his shoulder and some nifty footwork ensured that he remained inside the playing area, saving six runs and dismissing Chennai’s top-scorer.

Plays of the Day from the only Twenty20 between Bangladesh and West Indies in Mirpur

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur10-Dec-2012Shot of the day
Rubel Hossain gave away 29 runs in the final over, and that figure proved more than the margin of victory. The best of the four sixes hit by Marlon Samuels was the last one, a blockhole delivery that was sliced high, too high for the cameraman to spot the ball in the misty Dhaka sky, and it landed quite a way out of long-on’s reach.Shadow shot of the day
The only six that Tamim Iqbal hit off Chris Gayle was a shadow six down the ground, in the 17th over, after the bowler had missed his run-up. Gayle had re-bowled the shadow ball after going some way down the pitch, but Tamim didn’t back down. Gayle didn’t concede a six in his four overs, perhaps his best time in the middle since arriving in Bangladesh four weeks ago.Opener of the day
Sohag Gazi’s Twenty20 debut also began with him opening the bowling, as he did on Test debut. He also became the fourth offspinner to open the bowling on T20 debut. This time, too, Gayle played him cautiously but Dwayne Smith tonked him for a six, reminding him of his first international match.Drop of the day
Samuels was dropped when he was on 10, by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim off Ziaur Rahman, in the eleventh over. Mushfiqur also dropped him in Ziaur’s next over, and missed a difficult stumping off Gazi in the following over when Samuels was on 25.

Tony Greig had unlimited enthusiasm for the game, and he took it global, working from Brisbane to Bridgetown and everywhere in between

Mark Nicholas30-Dec-2012So Greigy has died. He didn’t seem the sort. That huge heart, the heart that brought an uncompromising and triumphant life, finally said enough now, enough. He was born in 1946, and you kind of expected him to say good morning to all his viewers in 2046. Unbreakable Greigy; spirited, talented, courageous, opinionated, passionate, compassionate Greigy. Hard nut one minute, soft as the sands of Bondi the next. Goodbye, mate.Anthony William Greig was out of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, to Sussex in England, then Sydney, where he settled with a beautiful family of young and old, from marriages old and new. He first met his second wife, Vivian, soon after the World Series Cricket days and they became an irresistible partnership – breathtakingly good-looking, stylish and fun. Eventually their joint legacy was to be two children: Beau who is tall, gifted and 12, and Tom, two years her junior and a complete natural with bat and ball. Today their confusion and grief will be overwhelming. Though time will never fully heal, it will allow space for their father’s strong leadership to make its impact.Greig was a dynamic and fearless leader. He brought confidence and bravado to English cricket and unwavering commitment and showmanship to World Series Cricket. That move away from England was the seismic shift in his life. He stood at Kerry Packer’s side and from an unlikely friendship came the seismic shifts of modern cricket. More money, more colour, more drama, more commerce. He was the face of the game’s popular culture, full of mischief but still grounded, rooted even, by cricket’s inherent and traditional values. This was a contradiction that England could not understand. The old school patronised his belief in a better world for all and vilified his desertion. He was sacked as captain – of course he was, like a dozen strokes from the headmaster solves anything – and left to rot as the adopted son who betrayed a nation.Greig did anything but rot. This was a man who conquered epilepsy, the English establishment was but a bauble of intrusion. He convinced the greatest players in the world to come to Australia and play for Packer. He made the World XI a team that took on and beat the Aussies and by galvanising this so-called circus – probably the best cricket ever played, incidentally – he gave credibility to the show that ultimately brought Packer the television rights he so desired. This was, by any standard, a phenomenal achievement. In less than two years the game had changed forever.The Eastern Suburbs of Sydney became his home, the Packer compendium his playground and the beaches his relaxation. But most of all, the television screen gave him a new identity. He became cricket’s greatest salesman, taking it global, working from Brisbane to Bombay, from Birmingham to Bridgetown. He understood television’s unique access and its value to the broadcaster, the advertiser and audience. “This is the time, boy” he once said to me, rubbing his hands with glee as we took our commentary seats at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, “that we get the housewives and the children: get them now and they are ours forever.”

He stood at Kerry Packer’s side and from an unlikely friendship came the seismic shifts of modern cricket. More money, more colour, more drama, more commerce. He was the face of the game’s popular culture, full of mischief but still grounded

He loved it – absolutely, unconditionally loved that microphone. Yes, he could raise the hairs on the back of any neck and just occasionally he pushed his luck but mainly, day in and out, he educated and entertained in a way like no other. Bill Lawry and Geoffrey Boycott loved to work with him; Ian Healy, Ravi Shastri and Ian Botham loved to work with him too. There you have it, a common appeal. Sure, he could shoot you a look or fire a barb; intimidation was often the name of his fame. Surprisingly, when it came to work he was as insecure as the next man – “The jury’s still out on you blokes” he said to Ian Healy, Mark Taylor, Michael Slater and me three or four years back, with tongue only marginally in cheek – but he cared deeply about the product and was terrified that one day he may not be a part of it. He need not have worried. The key with Greigy was to divide most things he said by half; that way you got a better feel for their real meaning.For example, he was not remotely racist in his threat to make the West Indians “grovel”. Rather he thought that if you got on top of them, you had better stay there or they would bounce back and bite your balls off. And he was right, they bit and they bit, until he screamed. When he arrived in India as captain of England, he emerged from the plane into the subcontinental clamour and pronounced Indian umpires to be comfortably the best in the world. This got him favourable decisions previous touring teams could not have dreamed of. Against all odds England won the first three Tests and secured the series before anyone worked it out. Sort of a heist, or better explained as the power of personality.It is worth noting that Tony was an exceptional cricketer, without ever quite looking like one. Platinum blond, gangly tall, long arms loping, big hands flapping, bigger smile disarming, and a huge, almighty, competitor. He scored his runs at more than 40 per innings and took his wickets, as both swing bowler and offspinner, at better than 33 per innings. Only two other men have ever done that. And he took a heap of catches, mainly at slip. The runs came against Lillee and Thomson; Roberts and Holding; Bedi, Prasanna and Chandrasekhar. Hardly muggins. The wickets included names such as Richards and Chappell – in other words, the best.So what is left? The memory of a wonderful life, for sure. A strong family, with Viv at the helm and his older children, Mark and Samantha – who have children of their own – close by in spirit and place. A legacy of unbridled passion for cricket and everlasting enthusiasm for life. A gift of energy, of a determination to move things on, to not look back. Sure he liked a bit of hype; frankly, he couldn’t see the downside. And yes, he liked to be No. 1 but he is not the lone ranger there.There are myriad friends of course, and warm audiences that miss him already. And there is a sense of romance left behind, in the sense that cricket and family are as one in their ability to unite and broaden. In the redemptive MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture that he gave at Lord’s earlier this year, he said: “Give your hand to cricket and it will take you on the most fantastic journey.” You, Tony, have been the best evidence of that.

From Gareth Flusk, South Africa
God, from not liking the tournament at all and now having to endure a gluttonous six-week period in my own country

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013Gareth Flusk, South Africa
God, from not liking the tournament at all and now having to endure a gluttonous six-week period in my own country. Never have I been less inclined to watch cricket. The semi-naked, flashing-light, loud-music brand of cricket has just shown how truly rank the South African fan is. All they want is to swill beer, get a front row seat and see if they can get a look under a dancer’s skirt. That vantage point also grants you the chance to hurl abuse at your favourite international player. In all of this kerfuffle with your mates, if you have seen any of the cricket, it’s simply unforgivable.Last night, the chairman said that this is will bring more people to cricket. This rot is not promoting the game at all. It promotes the IPL for the IPL. One day internationals and Test matches will still pull the same crowds. The beautiful blonde causcasian most-non-Indian-looking girl doesn’t want to go to a Test match, as there is no chance of being spotted by “Miss Bollywood” scouts. The traditional format will still see chaps sit in the stands explaining it to their really interested girlfriends, whilst actually watching.If fans around the world are to determine that Twenty20 is the future, then great. But simply know that Modi’s minions are exploiting the men around the world for their drunken, leery nature and the females in the pursuit of being the next big thing. The IPL is so attractive to the crowds because the psychology fits in perfectly with their ADHD nature. Modern spectators simply have this need to constantly to move around, be distracted by various random activities and not concentrate on the reason they entered the stadium. A little known fact is that Ritalin is banned within a 10 km radius of the stadiums. (As well as that this tournament is not under ICC Match fixing scrutiny; Modi deemed it too expensive at 7 million pounds – never mind that the IPL is worth approximately 8 billions dollars).In two short years and 12 very long weeks, we have successfully produced a generation of “I want all the glory for as little effort as possible” cricketers. Can’t wait to see what happens when we have the proposed two IPL’s per year. Ouch.

Bump him up to No. 6 and see the magic unfold

Andy Zaltzman26-Feb-2013You did not need to be a qualified mathematician to calculate that – as of the close of play on day four of the Chennai Test – MS Dhoni had scored 224 runs in the series so far. At an average of 224. After one mesmeric innings, Dhoni has already posted his second highest ever series aggregate, his best having come more than four years ago, on Australia’s 2008-09 visit to India. Since then, Dhoni has played three Tests in seven separate series, and four Tests in two (as well as five two-Test rubbers). His previous highest series aggregate in those encounters was 220, in eight innings in England, as he led his team on their post-World-Cup “Back To Earth With A Splodge 2011 Comedown Special” World Tour. Even since his best period as a Test batsman ended in early 2010, his performances have been adequate rather than disastrous for a wicketkeeper, but, for a man who so regularly grabs ODI matches, series and tournaments by the scruff of their necks and barks at them until they call him “Sir”, he has often had little or sporadic impact on Test series.Perhaps this is changing. In his two Test innings since he elevated himself from his customary No. 7 spot to bat at 6 (or was forcibly elevated from 7 to 6) (ask him if you see him), he has scored 99 and 224. Is this coincidence, or a man reacting to a fresh challenge and the deservedly increased pressure on his captaincy?Over the course of his Test career, Dhoni has batted predominantly at 7 in Tests – 89 innings, with two centuries and an average of 31. Batting at both 6 and 8, he has hit two hundreds and averages over 70 (in 13 and 10 innings respectively). This pattern is repeated, to an extent, in ODIs. He has batted most often at 6 – 82 innings, averaging 42, with no hundreds and a strike rate of 81. In his 114 innings batting elsewhere in the order – most often at 5 and 7, but with striking success in his few innings at 3 and 4 – he averages 58, with eight centuries, and a strike rate of 92, and he has found or cleared the boundary rope 25% more regularly than when batting at 6.Perhaps these are statistical coincidences. Perhaps not. Perhaps India’s captain is a man who thrives when out of his zone of comfort and familiarity, and thrust into novel scenarios, voluntarily or otherwise. Since the knives started being earnestly sharpened and waggled in his captaincy’s general direction after India’s abject subsidence in December’s Kolkata Test, he has scored his first ODI hundred for almost three years, after coming in at 29 for 5 against Pakistan, and, in Tests, played a dogged if ultimately pointless innings in Nagpur, and his match-grasping masterpiece in Chennai.Australia’s green bowling attack, in which only Peter Siddle has taken more than 100 first-class wickets (but which should be far better suited to English pitches), presented less of a challenge than England’s seasoned pack of proven Test performers, who were themselves toothless in their first Test in November. It would, moreover, be simplistic to say that what we saw in Chennai was a great player seizing the moment when his team most needed it – there have been too many moments since his World Cup final apotheosis have not merely been unseized as barely even tickled. But Dhoni’s innings was a monument of skill and will, another spectacular chapter in one of 21st-century cricket’s most fascinating personal narratives.● Seven Indians were bowled out in their first innings, the first time this millennium that the bails have bailed by the ball seven times in an innings, and the equal most occasions that bowlers have tinkled the timbers in a Test innings since eight Englishmen were castled by Kiwis in Wellington in 1950-51. No team has bowled out seven Indians in a Test innings since West Indies, led by an explosive Roy Gilchrist, repeatedly smashed the ash to wrap up India’s heaviest ever defeat at Eden Gardens in 1958-59.● In India’s last four Tests, since Umesh Yadav and Zaheer Khan took five wickets between them in England’s second innings in Ahmedabad, their pacers have taken 5 for 413 in 151 overs. They have not bowled much, and when they have, they have been almost heroically ineffective. Only two of those five wickets have come in the first 100 overs of an innings – the exceptions being Ishant’s early bolts from the statistical blue on that comatose hippopotamus of a pitch in Nagpur.If Ishant fails to harvest Australia’s final wicket in Chennai this morning, it will be his first wicketless match in the 26 Tests he has played since February 2010. On an extremely flippety flip-side, however, it will also mean that he has taken the less than Philanderian, almost Salisburyesque, total of 16 wickets in his last 12 Tests, averaging close to 80, and dispatching a batsman pavilionwards once every 25 overs.● Moises Henriques, batting with the poise and panache of someone who should have a higher first-class average than 30, not only became the first lower-order batsman to pass 60 in both innings of his first Test match, but also ended the three-decade wait for an Australian to score two half-centuries on debut.In the late 1970s, you could hardly move for baggy green batsmen who hit twin debut fifties. Or at least, you couldn’t if you were stuck in a bobsled with Peter Toohey, Rick Darling and Bruce Laird. Which you might have been, for all I know. Before the Australian government commissions too many 100-foot-high gold statues of the man who looks set to establish himself as the greatest ever Portugual-born cricketer, however, it should remember that passing fifty twice in your first Test is no guarantee that you will go on to serially singe the pages of Wisden with incendiary deeds of batting brilliance. Darling, Toohey and Laird between them played a further 47 Tests, posting just a single century – Toohey’s 122 against a Packer-ravaged West Indies in 1978 ¬¬- and collectively averaging 29.By way of a counter-however to that however, however, before prime minister Julia Gillard completely dismisses the plans for a giant golden Moises in every town square by 2025, they should also remember that the last three players to hit double debut demi-tons in India have been Alastair Cook, Gordon Greenidge, and Clive Lloyd. Who have scored over 7000 runs each, and collectively played 305 Tests, hit 61 centuries, and averaged almost 47.Conclusion: Moises Henriques might or might not prove to be an adequate or outstanding Test Match batsman. As I write, at close of play on day four, he is, with a Test career average of 143, a 43.08% better batsman than Don Bradman. And 7150% better than Pommie Mbangwa. He is unlikely to remain ahead of both over the course of his career. He will be disappointed if he remains ahead of neither. (It will take immediate dismissal today, followed by 70 consecutive ducks, to get him below Pommie’s career average of 2.00.)● AB de Villiers has scored three centuries and three half-centuries in his most recent six Tests as wicketkeeper, over three months. His only half-century in eight previous Tests with the gloves had been an unbeaten 52 in his first game as keeper, against England in 2004-05. He has now scored more hundreds in his last six Tests than Mark Boucher did in his last 123.

Shifting him from the top of the order may not result in a directly proportional increase in his yield of runs

Mohan Cudali Shridhar25-Feb-2013Age inevitably slows down hand-eye co-ordination; high-risk batting and consistency are mutually exclusive on testing pitches; proactive decision making with the future kept in mind is the need of the hour. These are some of the many rather sound arguments being made in favour of Virender Sehwag dropping down the batting order in Test cricket. Pragmatic as it may sound, is it the most productive decision for the Indian team and for Sehwag himself? I’m not convinced it is. There are a few reasons why Sehwag partnering Gambhir at the top of the order remains the best option for India.Firstly, a move down the order is not directly proportional to a fertile yield of runs in Sehwag’s case. The swinging ball did trouble him in England but he did enter that series with one shoulder and one eye. Over the course of his career, Sehwag hasn’t displayed a significant vulnerability against the new swinging red ball. He either compensates for the swing with his superhuman hand-eye coordination or compels the bowlers to stray from the fourth stump line.As a matter of fact, he relishes the hard new ball coming on to his bat. Hence, protecting him from the swinging ball is not a dire necessity. In other words, if Sehwag bats at 4 or 5, it’d be unwise to expect his average to suddenly skyrocket.Secondly, it’s not very often that Sehwag gets dismissed for ducks or scores below 10 – 15. When he comes off, he has an impressive conversion rate. But, even when he doesn’t he often gets quickfire 30s and 40s. The value of these knocks is perennially downgraded and the thing most remembered in such innings is his atrocious modes of dismissals. But, the fact that he consistently propels his team to starts of 60/1 – 70/1 goes unheralded. Home and away, a decent platform for the No. 3 batsman to walk in will never be a meager contribution.The crucial aspect here is that he provides such starts in innings that are regarded as failures. How often do we get to see a batsman who makes a vital contribution to the team in failure? Conversely, a quickfire 30 from a No. 4 batsman fails to have nearly the same kind of effect as it does when it comes at the top. Assuming that Sehwag will bat at No.4 the same way he does at No.1, his bursts of strokeplay will cease to have the same value they currently possess.On a contemplative note, does Sehwag really intend to be a middle-order batsman? “It’s tough opening the innings after fielding for a day”. These were his words when once interviewed after a tiring day of Test cricket. Fitness has never been Sehwag’s forte. The generous waistline and leisurely running between the wickets indicate a general disregard to the importance of fitness. The question however is – Does Sehwag want to be a middle-order batsman because he believes he will find more success there or does he want to demote himself down the order because he thinks it’ll be more comfortable? I suspect that the latter is the answer and the latter is just not good enough a reason for the balance of the team to be altered.Finally, is there a better replacement available? Murali Vijay came, Murali Vijay went. Abhinav Mukund arrived, Abhinav Mukund faded away. Neither managed to leave a lasting impression. Ajinkya Rahane is waiting in the wings. To his credit, he does have an enviable domestic record to back him. But neither is he as battle hardened in the shorter formats as Virat Kohli nor has he grabbed international opportunities as desperately as Cheteshwar Pujara. Moreover, he’s been batting No. 3 for Mumbai in the previous few Ranji seasons. The current “wait and watch” approach the team management is using with Rahane seems appropriate, not unjust.Rahane aside, there is not a single opener knocking on the selector’s doors. So, is there really a better alternative? Be it the following eight Tests against England and Australia or be it South Africa 2013, Sehwag in my opinion should continue opening the innings for as long as he continues to play Test cricket.

The IPL was reportedly created to keep the ever-demanding Indian fan happy, but the recent developments have managed just the opposite

Srinath S, India26-May-2013Since the time televised cricket became the norm, the Indian cricket fan has become among the ficklest species on the face of this planet. The rate at which he is capable of switching from worshipping his heroes to throwing stones at them would put a chameleon to shame. Movies over the years have dwelt at length on the topic of amnesia and short-term memory loss. In the world of cricket, and arguably across most sport, you would not have to look beyond us fans for a full-length case study on such topics.And then the BCCI chose to create a monster of its own. A popular narrative around the origin of the IPL is that it was created to keep the ever-demanding Indian fan happy. After all, at the end of an IPL game, either way, an Indian team always wins. No stone-throwing, no effigy-burning, more money for the sporting body, and eternal happiness for the Indian fan. What happened in these two months of the year, in fact, brought down the amount of displeasure the Indian fan showed in the other ten, when the national team suffered defeat. Even when 0-8 happened, we did not see public protests of the sort we saw when India crashed out of World Cup 2007. Not even a whimper when a home ODI series against Pakistan was lost. So what has changed in the last few years?Crony capitalism. Cabals. Conflict of interest. Fancy terms doing the rounds in the past few years in India. In about the same time the IPL has grown from being Lalit Modi’s baby to a multi-million dollar Frankenstein. Cricket fans from previous eras, while observant of allegations doing the rounds, chose not to pay too much attention to them. Here and there, a sting operation or a small-scale expose would crop up. Life moved on. The prospect of seeing so many cricketers getting financial security for life, should they not make it big, made us proud. To the league’s credit, the loyalty of the fan bases grew rapidly, at least in certain pockets. The rise of social networks and micro-blogging meant more people discussed cricket at one place, like never before. It all somehow fit. Coincidence, said the critics. Planning and perfect execution, was the IPL’s riposte.Amid all this, it would even be safe to say that the rabid Indian fan we all knew of half a decade ago – he who threw stones and set Eden Gardens afire in 1996, he who rioted and made Sachin Tendulkar walk out and plead to him to let cricket go on in 1999, he who threw crackers at the West Indians in Jamshedpur, is now an extinct species. Ironically, six years from when the process of keeping the fan happy at all times began, we find ourselves at a place where we wouldn’t mind going back to the time when effigies were burnt. Back then, nobody spoke of “bereavement” and “death of the game”. To use a political analogy, this is conclusive proof that the perils and ills of democracy are far more palatable than those of anarchy and oligarchy.That afternoon in 1999, when India floundered against Pakistan at the Eden Gardens, Sachin came out and asked thousands of angry fans to calm down. We smirked, but we moved on. Fast forward to today. It seems impossible to figure out where we would start this time. Who is going to come and convince us that all is well with the game?Even worse, it is not about us fans anymore. Even if Sachin were to come out today, who would he go and plead at? Power, resting in the hands of a few men who knew little of the game and its history, has put cricket at a place where we only thought politics and society existed. We always believed, when we said cricket is a religion. Whatever happened in life, we thought the game was too good for all this. Six years, and they’ve made my generation think, those days of effigy-burning and cracker-throwing were the best days of our lives.If you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line