Let’s back up to a few weeks ago.
The IPL bigwigs decide that England would be a less suitable venue for their uber-lucrative tournament than South Africa. The main reson for their decision: The weather in England was likely to be more of a liability than in South Africa.
Fast-forward back to the present. 4 of the 8 completed IPL matches thus far have been in some way affected by poor weather.
Makes your proud to be English…
It started like any other morning.
I woke up, had a shower, got dressed, took the train to work. Read my newspaper, got to work and fired up my browser. It automatically takes me to the BBC Website homepage and at the point, my face drops.
Having read the breaking news, I frantically dial my parent’s home in Lahore to check that they are okay. They live a stone’s throw from where the anarchy had taken place. I get no answer. For the next 25 minutes I read in more detail about this morning’s terrorist attacks and my anxiety begins to grow. I get a call back from them. They’re safe. Thank God.
I go back to reading. The more I read, the more unsettled and angry I get. I had only just got back from Lahore 5 days ago. All I’ve done since I’ve arrived back in London is wax political about how great Lahore is. How beautiful and tourist-friendly it is and crucially…how safe it is. And then this morning’s events go ahead and undermine everything I’ve said. My word, as a British-Pakistani, is all of a sudden less credible.
There must be millions of us. British-Pakistanis who try and spread the belief that Pakistan is a beautiful country with much to offer the world. It’s not a big terrorist training base, as a frightening proportion of people believe. However, all of our efforts were destroyed in one fell swoop by 12 evil gunmen. These gunmen probably convinced themselves that their despicable actions would in some way serve to help Pakistan. Though how assassinating the Sri Lankan Cricket team would help Pakistan is beyond me. How can someone be so fundamentally stupid?
The Sri Lankan team, who were touring Pakistan as goodwill ambassadors were trying to help show the World that it is a safe place to visit. For years countries have avoided Pakistan citing “security issues”. It’s sad to see so many of them taking the “I told you so” stance. Rest assured, Pakistan will probably not see international cricket for a very long time. There will be no more goodwill ambassadors to help Pakistan rectify its image. Not for a while.
But more than cricket, I feel for the country. It breaks my heart to see its image crumbling. Lahore itself is a beautiful city with so much to offer the world. Its rich heritage is befitting of more recognition. Sri Lanka tried to trust us and we let it down. Let’s hope Lahore and Pakistan is in a better position to rebuild this trust sooner, rather than later. One can only hope it isn’t ostracised for too long.
All we can do is apologise for producing these pathetic excuses for human beings in our society. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those affected by these attacks.
Here’s hoping the perpetrators can be brought to justice.
©Doctor Cricket 2009
Bat and stumps. Ball and glove. Tea and veranda – all items that marry together in blissful matrimony and flow like words from a song sheet when playing word association games with a cricket theme (what do you mean no one plays that?). However, throw the words Cricket and Bollywood into the mix and what happens? Is it a test century? Or is it out for six? One would think that due to the way both entities manage to capture the hearts and heads of many would mean a cricket film would be the jewel in the crown so to speak.
Bollywood Mega-star Aamir Khan shows off a useful stance.
It has to be said the relationship between two of the most popular past times amongst the Sub Continent is not a clear cut one. While some films have delivered a no ball at the box office, others have danced for joy like Kajol dancing in K3G on learning India have won the match (“Jeet gaya! Kya batting shatting ki Sachin ne – sau runs not out!!!”)
That cricket has a profound effect on Bollywood on screen and off screen is no surprise to anyone. Whilst films like K3G and Hum Aapke Hain Koun use cricket as way of promoting family values (the family that plays together stays together – anyone?), from a business point of view, everyone in Bollywood knows the worse time to release a film is during the cricket season – quite simply, the drama of a test series match easily outdoes the melodrama of a film.
Furthermore, an interest in cricket has always been seen as an acceptable past time for actors to indulge in on those rare days off. There were even charity matches with stars old and new queuing up to participate. As recently as 2006, for Sport Relief UK, a team compromising of heroes like Aftab and Ritesh Deshmukh played against a team of British celebs and won, showing how Bollywood can multitask with elaan (OK, maybe it didn’t).
Keeping it in the family.
But in recent years, a new phenomenon has developed – the cricket film. Though we have had cricket films in the past (Awaal Number anyone? To be fair, this film is probably more remembered for its cringe worthy take on the infamous kiss in the sea scene From Here To Eternity, where Aamir’s character buys matching his and hers swimwear for his girlfriend and the couple lie on a filthy beach and get splashed by even dirtier water – only to later wear Daz whites as they play cricket later. Clearly, cricket is not a sport for sinners) not only do films now integrate cricket as a pivotal part of the story but also, the promotion of the films is done on a much more considered level meaning cricket is now a promotional tool rather than a threat to a film’s box office prospects.
Lagaan, the mother of all cricket films is a good example of this. With its themes of secularity and finding strength in unity (and add any other epithets you see fit to) this four hour film about cricket not only enthralled Bollywood and cricket buffs alike but even international audiences got in on the game, with a Best Foreign Film Oscar nomination that sadly fell at the last hurdle.
Interestingly, the team in the film (known as the Lagaan XI) played against real players and even against fans to promote the film and the DVD release, plugging the film long after it had finished its cinematic run.
Bollywood's Oscar-nominated cricket-themed offerring.
Iqbal, produced by Subash Ghai is another example of how Bollywood has tapped into the obsession with cricket whilst maintaining creative integrity. Shreyas Talpade had his big break as the aspiring batsman facing obstacles in achieving his cricketing dreams and the idea of using the sport to overcome real life obstacles was one that resonated with audiences and critics alike.
One the biggest hits of last year, Jannat exposed a different side to cricket. Supposedly “inspired” by the death of the Australian cricket coach Bob Woolmer, the film managed to generate curiosity amongst filmgoers but what was truly exceptional about this was the film was released at the time of the Cricket World Cup and despite India being knocked out early on, the film went from strength to strength, giving Bollywood audiences their cricket fix on screen (seeing as they didn’t get it off screen!) Hattrick was another film that tried to cash in on the WCC but did not get as successful response, despite coming being the most high profile cricket film that year.
The most recent cricket themed release, Victory has crashed badly at the box office, despite arriving having cameos from stars from the world of cricket such as Brett Lee, Mike Hussey, Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir, Jayasurya, Ajantha Mendis, Harbhajan Singh, Rohit Sharma and RP Singh. Even though the film got some critical acclaim, it does not seem to have gelled with audiences.
Brett Lee gets in on the action.
Whilst the debacle of Victory cannot be explained so easily, it does make one wonder what the future holds for the relationship between cricket and Bollywood. With sports like basketball, football and of course hockey gaining more screen time in recent years, Bollywood will have to become far more innovative in its use of cricket and certainly, marketing cricket themed films to cricket fans has already become a pre-requisite to any film being made in the genre. But I’m confident the next time one plays the word association game, Bollywood and Cricket will qualify as a valid suggestion. You read it here first.
©Bhushan Kumar 2009
You can read more of Bhushan’s work at his Blog on www.bogeyno2.wordpress.com.
Turbulent times continue for Pakistan Cricket Fans with the announcement that Shoaib Malik had been sacked as Pakistan Captain on the back of a “humiliating” defeat to Sri Lanka. Now, at the risk of disagreeing with pretty much every commentator of Pakistani Cricket (a risk I rarely take) I have to say I do not approve of Shoaib Malik’s dismissal.
Shoaib Malik: Pushed into the background.
Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman confirmed the following to reporters at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore:
“We asked Shoaib Malik to step down as captain. He agreed and only then did we appoint Younis Khan as captain of Pakistan. We have taken this step because our performances weren’t great. The end result is not just winning but the performance. We didn’t just lose to Sri Lanka, we performed poorly. So we have made Younis Khan the captain of both Test and ODI sides.”
This approach was almost unanimously praised. One of my idols, leading cricket-writer Osman Samiuddin stated that the move was two years overdue. Inzamam-ul-Haq, whom Malik had succeeded as captain, cited his inability to “properly handle the players”. Even the great Imran Khan stated that Younis, as one of the best batsmen in world cricket and one of the most respected members of the team, would be better placed to lead Pakistan.
Now I accept that Shoaib Malik was never a perfect captain. I completely understand that his people management skills needed some work and the fact that he made some public relations faux pas. But the fact that the PCB can turn around and dismiss him on the back of a single defeat is alarming to say the least. Is the captain now accountable for the entire team’s performance? What happened when he was carrying his team to several decent performances in recent series?
Do we remember when he led his team to the final of the Twenty20 World Cup? Do we remember when he took us to series wins against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, the Kitply Cup and, most recently, the West Indies. Or are we to forget all of his achievements because of one loss to a better team that had played more than 3 times the cricket Pakistan had?
I can accept that his favourable record was predominantly built against weaker opposition, but surely that’s the administration’s fault? Sri Lanka dominated Pakistan in the third ODI, but why did anyone expect anything different? After all, Sri Lanka are an exceptional team with a good run of form and, crucially, infinitely more playing activity over the last 6 months. That Pakistan managed to take the series into the third ODI alone is an achievement.
To me, this just seems like another in a long line of knee-jerk reactions from the PCB. Geoff Lawson was a casualty. The ICL players were a casualty. And now Shoaib Malik, who given more time and better guidance evolved into a mature and respected captain, joins the list. I feel like I’ve already lost confidence with the new board who seem keen to purge themselves of any responsibility of the dire state of affairs by playing the blame game.
All one can hope is, Younis Khan can take the ball and run with it. God knows, Pakistani Cricket needs something to go right!
©Doctor Cricket 2009
Having tasted some success with my recent predictions (so South Africa didn’t complete a whitewash, they came really close), I feel like I should start 2009 by gambling my credibility with some educated guesses relating to every Series scheduled to be played in 2009.
Will be collecting several trophies in 2009 if I'm right...
It’s worth pointing out that is a good chance several of these series may never take place. After all, can you really see Australia visiting Pakistan for 5 ODIs in this political climate? Nevertheless, I’m going to take a look into my crystal ball and make a few predictions. Some are calculated, others slightly bold, but hopefully by now, you’ll understand my thinking behind each one of them.
The period I’m covering is from the beginning of the Pakistan/Sri Lanka series to the Pakistan/New Zealand series in December/January. All of the series are listed as per the ICC’s Future Tours Program.
I’ve not made a distinction of ODI winner and Test winner. My prediction merely relays which team I feel will emerge from the tour with a greater sense of victory.
Jan 2009
Sri Lanka in Pakistan (ODIS) – Winner: Pakistan
Zimbabwe in Bangladesh (ODIs) – Winner: Bangladeh
Tri-Series in Bangladesh (Ban, SL & Zim) – Winner: Sri Lanka
Feb 2009
England in West Indies (4 Tests & 5 ODIs) – Winner: England
New Zealand in Australia (5 ODIs) – Winner: Austalia
Australia in South Africa (3 Tests & 5 ODIs) – Winner: South Africa
India in New Zealand (3 Tests & 5 ODIs) – Winner: India
Sri Lanka in Zimbabwe (2 Tests & 3 ODIs) – Winner: New Zealand
March 2009
IApril 2009
West Indies in Bangladesh (2 Tests & 3 ODIs) – Winner: West Indies
May 2009
West Indies in England (2 Tests & 3 ODIs) – Winner: England
Tri-Series in Sri Lanka (Ind, SL & SA) – Winner: Sri Lanka
June 2009
ICC T20 World Championship – Winner: Pakistan
Australia in England (5 Tests & 7 ODIs) – Winner: Australia
July 2009
New Zealand in Zimbabwe (2 Tests & 3 ODIs) – Winner: New Zealand
Pakistan in Sri Lanka (3 Tests & 5 ODIs) – Winner: Pakistan
August 2009
New Zealand in Sri Lanka (3 Tests & 5 ODIs) – Winner: Sri Lanka
Bangladesh in Zimbabwe (2 Tests & 3 ODIs) – Winner: Bangladesh
September 2009
ICC Champions Trophy – Winner: South Africa
October 2009
Australia in India (7 ODIs) – Winner: India
Zimbabwe in Bangladesh (3 Tests & 5 ODIs) – Winner: Bangladesh
November 2009
England in South Africa (4 Tests & 5 ODIs) – Winner: South Africa
Pakistan in Australia (3 Tests) – Winner: Australia
Sri Lanka in India (3 Tests & 5 ODIs) – Winner: India
December 2009
West Indies in Australia (3 Tests) – Winner: Australia
India in Bangladesh (2 Tests) – Winner: India
New Zealand in Pakistan (3 Tests & 5 ODIs) – Winner: Pakistan
©Doctor Cricket 2009
Nothing gets a good debate going more than a mention of the phrase” Twenty20″. It seems that the shortest format of the cricket, is also its most divisive. However, instead of marauding it as the murderer-to-be of Test cricket, one must look at the exciting possibilities it brings.
Picture the scene: An Arab fast bowler is running into bowl to a Brazilian batsmen. A rabid, sold out crowd fills a cricket stadium in Japan. The bowler charges in to bowl a full toss and the batsman strikes it straight down the throat of the Egyptian fielder at deep square leg. The Chinese non-striker shakes his head in disgust whilst the crowd roars their approval. The fielding team is captained by a local after all. The world’s media and cricketers watch this spectacle, for this is no ordinary fixture. This is the final of Champion’s League in 2025.
As unlikely as it sounds, cricket is moving in a direction where the above may well become a reality. The introduction of the Indian Premier League, the first successful franchise based twenty20 league has opened new doors for cricket. Its overwhelming popularity has not only translated into millions of dollars in revenue for the franchise owners. It’s impact is far greater than that.
Soccer/Football fans: take note.
At the conclusion of the IPL earlier this year, Lalit Modi, the league’s chairman, announced that cricket authorities in England, India, Australia and South Africa were in discussions to create a new international club competition. Pakistan was later added to a list of countries, which would see 8 of it’s clubs play for a winning prize of $2.5 million dollars. This was later raised to $5 million dollars. Though this is not a patch on the multi-million dollar salaries of Premiership footballers, such prize-money in cricket was virtually unheard of.
As the months went on, Modi unveiled his vision, to have 12 and later 16 teams participate in the annual Champion’s League. The phrase alone was enough to send a tremor of excitement throughout the cricket community. The prospect of taking the world’s best domestic teams/franchises and making them all compete for a global prize was once again, a concept that had existed for many decades in football, a concept cricket authorities has struggled to grasp.
Modi also elaborated on plans for creating franchise-based tournaments in England, South Africa, Pakistan and Australia. With India leading the way, it’s not impossible for each of these countries to find investors for such franchises. Of course, months later, England would unveil its English Premier League, the exact structure of which has not yet been confirmed, but the value of which was confirmed at a whopping $100 million.
Whilst all of this is happening, the ICC continues to develop the second and third tier of cricketing nations. Countries as disparate in ability as the weak Afghanistan and the more seasoned Netherlands all have a path to both the World Cup and the Twenty20 World Championship. This has come via the World Cricket League, which has to be ranked among one of the best things to come out of the ICC.
After all, if Cricket ever wants a hope of replicating the appeal and success, both artistically and commercially of Football/Soccer, it must progress beyond the 10 countries which are constantly pitted against one another. Cricket needs more countries to step up to the plate and become competitive. What better way than to sneak these players amongst their more experienced counterparts in Twenty20 competitions like the IPL. If a rule was introduced which insisted on every franchise including 1 player in it’s starting line-up that was from an ICC Associate (e.g. United Arab Emirates) or ICC Affiliate (e.g. China) country, this could become a possibility.
Cricket is better placed than Football/Soccer for global domination as the main centres of the game are better spread, yet united. India and Pakistan’s proximity to China suggests they take a more active part in developing what could, in time, turn into a worthy opponent. Similarly, the West Indies and Canada are geographically closest to that other major country: the USA. If cricket is every to become a truly global sport, these are two of the countries that will greatly help their cause. Their populations alone suggest that there must be some cricketing talent hidden in there somewhere.
But how much will India, Australia and the rest of the big guns think about this? Will they consider the value a developed associate nation would bring to the game, especially when they may have to cut a slice of their own pie to help them develop? It remains to be seen.
Either way, these are exciting times for cricket fans. We’ll have our very own equivalent to Manchester United this December.
©Doctor Cricket 2008
On the 24th of October, Geoff Lawson, the Pakistan cricket coach, had lunch with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s new chairman, Ijaz Butt. In this meeting, he outlined his vision for Pakistani cricket and how he intended to help the team progress. Butt then advised him that he would confer with the Board and get back to him on Monday.
Hours later, Lawson would turn on the evening news to watch a news reporter announce his immediate dismissal. When he attempted to contact Ijaz Butt directly, he failed to get a straight answer from him. Butt didn’t even have the courage, dignity or class to explain his actions to Lawson.
Where did this come from? The argument that the team’s performances during his tenure were not up to scratch has little evidence to support it. In the 15 months he was employed by the PCB, Pakistan played only 5 tests and 28 ODIs. Of these, 13 were against cricketing lightweights Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Hong Kong. Is that really enough to judge his capabilities?
Geoff Lawson: Under undue scrutiny from Day 1
Ijaz Butt’s eagerness to sack Lawson becomes even more baffling when one considers Pakistan hasn’t played a single Test this year. How can he be determined a failure without ever having been tested?
On behalf of Pakistani cricket-fans around the world, I would like to extend an apology to Geoff Lawson. He was made a scapegoat by an administration that seems increasingly incompetent. Perhaps the Pakistani Prime Minister Asif Zardari will consider the impact Butt’s treatment of Lawsom will have on Pakistan’s already fragile reputation in terms of interacting with foreigners. Perhaps he will consider that the PCB would be better of being spearheaded by an actual administrator rather than ex-cricketer. What is needed is someone who can put fixtures together and develop the game domestically. Not someone to meddle with the cricket and be more divisive.
Ironically, Lawson’s successor, former Pakistan captain Intikhab Alam, may well prove to be a worthwhile choice in the long run. The polar opposite of Lawson, Alam is more about organising fielding drills and managing player egos. Whilst they’ll miss out on all the fancy analysis and modern coaching methods of Lawson, they’ll benefit from Alam’s local knowledge and ability to keep the players in line.
Intikhab Alam: The PCB's Great Brown Hope.
It’s a sad fact that the Pakistani cricket fraternity will need to absorb and accept. The Pakistani cricket team is not suited to working with a foreign coach. Hopefully, in time, this will cease to be the case.
©Doctor Cricket 2008
A lot has been said about Alan Stanford’s latest enterprise: The 20/20 for 20. A single twenty20 international with the victorious players all becoming instant dollar millionaires.
Of course it wasn’t really an international. It wasn’t the West Indies but the “Stanford Superstars”. It wasn’t really cricket because of the extra technology and the black cricket bats. The critics, as sceptic as ever, viewed it as a chance for the England team to make a “quick buck”. They viewed it as merely a match motivated by commercial gains rather than for the cricketing benefits.
Erm…what cricketing benefits?
Entertainment? It was very entertaining. Waste of time? Surely it served as practice in an increasingly lucrative format, which England are rationally weak in. And surely any competition which offers the players a chance to bolster their bank balances and hence their general outlooks is worth spending a week on.
Inspite of its obvious benefits, few seem convinced. The ICC refused to sanction it and the critics refused to accept it. It’s only backers were the players and the respective boards. Even the former began to question it’s important in the wake of Stanford’s ill-informed photo-shoots. However, when it all came down to it, it was all about the money.
One of the more conceited individuals I know one stated that money can buy happiness. While I’m sure many share his viewpoint, I believe a more pertinent statement would be that money can help facilitate a standard of living that makes happiness in the long term more probable. This standard of living is something that has eluded the inhabitants of the countries collectively known as the West Indies. However for 11 lucky individuals and their family and friends, the days of struggling to make ends meet are gone.
One match. One result. The Stanford Superstars beat England by 10 wickets. $20 million!
New Millionaires: The victorious Stanford Superstars
The elation that comes with being a millionaire was perfectly summed up by the Stanford Superstars’ captain Chris Gayle: “This is better than anything in the world, I’ll tell you straight up. We created history tonight. If anyone said to me that one game would bring so much pressure I’d have said it was a lie. But this is the most pressure I have ever felt, coming into this game”
Pressure was a necessary bi-product of Stanford’s intriguing concept. Orgasmic for the victors. Heartbreaking for the losers. And while many will question Stanford’s long term motives around cricket, the impact of this, the first of 5 $20 million matches, cannot be understated. It remains to be seen if the he is able to penetrate the lucrative American market, but for now, the rest of the World is watching his brainchild. All the pressure. All the money.
Was it worth it? Chris Gayle seems to think so.
On the 8th/9th November, 8 teams representing 7 countries will compete in one of crickets oldest tournaments. The Hong Kong Sixes is the longest-running, best established and single most high-profile sixes tournament in the World. It features a mixture of established and up and coming cricketers and crucially, takes place in outside of cricket’s traditional hotspots.
Yet it’s has barely registered on the cricketing radar.
A quick scan of the world wide web’s most prominent cricket websites shows that there has been little or no mention of this tournament. No previews, no team reports. Nothing. Nada. Zip.
Interesting. Let’s look a little more closely at this tournament.
First played in 1992, the tournament is fully sanctioned by the ICC and backed by all the major cricket boards. Major players to have featured in this tournament over the years include Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Akram, The Waugh Brothers, Viv Richards, Andrew Flintoff, Inzamam-ul-Haq…the list goes on. And it all takes place at Kowloon Cricket Club, situated at the heart of the ex-pat paradise.
The 2007 Champions: Sri Lanka.
So why aren’t people jumping on the bandwagon? Obviously in the age of US$20 million pay-offs, a prize pool of US$300,000 isn’t quite exciting enough for cricket commentators. Neither are the pulsating and audience-friendly 45 minute matches. And there’s no way sports fans with short attention spans would be enthralled by the real shortest format of the game.
This year’s tournament again features world-class players most notable England’s Matthew Hoggard, Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuria and West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Here’s hoping the administrators of the game will give it more attention and view it for what it is: a potential goldmine.
©Doctor Cricket 2008
Picture the scenario:
The Pakistan team has just won a match. The post-match ceremony is in progress and the presenter invited the Pakistani captain onto the stage for a few thoughts on the game. This is the moment where millions of Pakistani-fans around the world begin to cringe.
Tony Greig : “Inzy, great win for the guys tonight. Were the conditions more suited to batting first?”
Inzamam-ul-Haq: “Thanks Tony. Boys did good. If we play good we can play well.”
The commentator will ask a question and receive an answer that in no way shape or form is connected with it. Fans around the world will wince as their cricketing representatives show themselves to be completely illiterate on the world stage.
Let me not just restrict this to Pakistan. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and occasionally even the mighty India often find their players struggling through interviews where they’re unable to understand the most basic of English questions.
Why is this still an issue? More than 2 billion people around the world speak the language and in most major cricketing countries, it is a second or business language. So why are we subjected to such sub-standard vocabulary.
Rameez Raja commentates on the toss of an international cricket match.
In Pakistan’s case, cricket is integral to it’s international identity. What kind of a message does it send about it’s position in the world’s hierarchy when the representatives of its most famous export cannot string together a few coherent sentences.
If not for their countries, they must think of themselves. What will their life be like after cricket? Not speaking English will severely restrict their employment opportunities. They must look to the examples set by Rameez Raja and Imran Khan, the former being Pakistan’s premier cricket commentator and in both English and Urdu. But it seems for now, most are content to be spoon-fed by bilingual interviewers and willing to turn a blind eye to their own ignorance.
But there is no excuse. They spend months and month on the road, travelling. For god’s sake guys. Turn the Bollywood music off and listen to a “learn to speak English” CD.
Maybe I should just scrap my thoughts and launch Aatif’s English Speaking Academy in Lahore. Though one can only hope, I wont need to.
©Doctor Cricket 2008
Earlier this month, in a virtually empty cricket ground in South Africa, something that could well be noted as a watershed moment in cricketing history occurred. Niall O’Brien’s cover drive for four secured a win for Ireland against Namibia in the final of the 2008 InterContinental Cup. This was their third consecutive victory in this tournament and capped off a golden period in Irish Cricket. But their victory in a tournament designed to give associate nations a chance to play first class cricket has once again posed a $64,000 question: Should Ireland be made a full ICC member and thereby become the 11th Test-playing Nation?
Let’s take a closer look at their case.
The Greatest Moment in Irish Cricket: A win against Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup.
Ireland’s incredible run began at the 2007 World Cup where they tied with Zimbabwe and scored impressive wins over Bangladesh and more notably Pakistan. The nature of the latter was so convincing, casual cricket fans would be forgiven for mistaking which team was the established nation and which the relative novice. There was an immediate impact on the cricketing world as their performances lifted them to 10th place in the ICC ODI World Rankings.
Though they would struggle to maintain this form in tours to Bangladesh and Scotland, the team rebounded well by reaching the final of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in Belfast, thereby ensuring a place at the cricket’s showpiece event in the shortest form of the game. They went on to consolidate their place as the leading associate by winning the European Cricket Championship for a third time and performing admirably in the limited-overs English domestic tournament.
However, such feats are not quite enough to carry Ireland to a permanent place competing with the big guns. Richard Done, the ICC High Performance Manager (whose job it is to develop the second tier of non-Test playing nations) pointed out that despite the fact Ireland has established itself as the leading associate nation, it needs to maintain this form for a longer period of time. He was even more specific about the requirements for Ireland to progress:
“To hit the radar, Ireland would also want to be winning next April’s World Cup qualifying tournament and then beat one or two of the full members in 2011 (in the tournament proper). There has to be sustainability too. It would be important to know that this team isn’t just a short-term boom — that there is a depth there in playing strength, and the youth development pathway is right”
Done also noted that sustainability off the field will be another key factor, with Ireland needing to be able to finance professional contracts, support administration, umpiring structures and even build a National Cricket Stadium.
How long before the Greens of One-Day Cricket are swapped for the Whites of Test-Cricket?
But for how long can they be held back. The under-19s team put in some impressive performances at the World Cup. The women’s team is also developing and there are signs of the game’s popularity increasing nationally. Their case get’s stronger and stronger.
All of a sudden, countries that had long been touted as future test nations, countries like Kenya, Holland, Canada and Scotland, have been pushed further to the back of the queue. Though Ireland aren’t quite there yet, they’re well on their way.
©Doctor Cricket 2008
On the 13th of November, 83,000 cricket fans gathered into the little known Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, India. They did this to witness the first final of a tournament that had virtually no support from any recognised governing body within cricket, though I’m sure this meant little to them.
The next two finals would see the crowd return, as well as millions of viewers around the World, some of who would never have given cricket a chance, tuned in to the excitement on offer. Unique cricket shots were played. Incredible deliveries were bowled and the general standard of the game was very high. And though the Lahore Badshahs, (ironically the only team not representing an Indian city) emerged victorious, the real winner was cricket.
The Lahore Badshahs celebrate as another wicket falls.
Yet the rest of the cricketing world feels justified in demonising this organisation. Why? Well because the Almighty Lalit Modi, with all the financial muscle of the BCCI and the IPL, has commanded it! Mr Modi’s influence is so great that the government of Bangladesh has banned the broadcast of any if the league’s matches. This is despite of the fact that the league now incorporates a team comprised entirely of Bangladeshis; the Dhaka Warriors.
It’s not just Mr Modi’s Asian allies that are standing by him. The Pakistan Cricket Board has banned many of it’s most talented players simply for participating in the “rebel” league. Imran Nazir, Abdul Razzaq and most recently, Mohammad Yousuf, the latter currently sits at number 3 on the World Test Rankings for batsmen and number 6 on the World ODI Rankings for batsmen. These are just a few players whose exodus has left the national team severely weakened. Even worse for Pakistan, their counterparts in the ICL, the Lahore Badshah’s seem to be playing more cricket and generating more interest amongst fans starved of Pakistani-cricket.
The most recent attack on the ICL has come in the form of the Lalit Modi’s position regarding a team’s eligibility for the lucrative Champions League. Basically, any team that fields an ICL player will automatically be deemed ineligible for qualification. This policy has resulted in teams like Kent (who themselves lost their automatic qualification due to this rule) terminating the contracts of their ICL players, meaning several players are now able to only ply their trade via the ICL.
Lalit Modi: man on a mission.
It’s worth remembering that the BCCI is responsible for 75% of international cricket’s revenue and it has used this to flex it’s muscles around the cricketing world. Their quest to destroy the ICL has not just been consigned to players. Media outlets around the world are banned from giving the league coverage. Even the mighty Cricinfo, the internet’s most celebrated Cricket Website, is not permitted to give the league prominent coverage. However, to their credit, they still give it more coverage than most.
What must go through a player’s mind when they sign with the ICL? They’re effectively signing up for a league which will have no-one’s backing, little advertising, almost no coverage and will result in them severing their ties with the remainder of the cricketing world. There’s no better answer to this than the example of Shane Bond. Having to play cricket for only 4 months and earning $1.5 million a year seems to be all the motivation he needs. I’m sure Mohammad Yousuf has landed himself a similar contract.
Needless to say, it’s all money well spent as the leagues fan base continues to grow and more and more people are drawn into the spectacle of the Indian Cricket League. Surely a tournament that offers its man-of-the match USD 10,000, a digital set-top-box, a trophy, a laptop, a pocket-PC and an electric scooter is worth a watch?
©Doctor Cricket 2008
When Kevin Pietersen was appointed England captain this summer, there was a wave of optimism in the country. Of course optimism is a very un-English trait. Fittingly then, the source of this was England’s first South African-born captain.
The new England Captain in action.
Pieterson’s appointment worked instant wonders for, what was then considered, an inconsistent team. They would win their first test match (albeit a dead rubber) and four of the following five ODIs. This wave of optimism grew with each win to the point where the legendary Ian Botham declared that England would whitewash Australia in the following season’s Ashes series.
He’d almost knowingly set himself up to be proved wrong.
It was understandable that England were heavy favourites to win the Stanford Super Series, with momentum and a better team (on paper at least). We all know what happened. We’ve all heard the excuses. It’s almost as if that loss was stricken from the record as preparations began for England’s Indian adventure.
India were an entirely different beast. Having comprehensively defeated Australia in both the ODI and Test series, they were being touted as the best team in the world. In spite of this, England fans were still optimistic. Remember, they had won all the “proper” cricket they’d played. Besides, they had a super-skipper under whom the team would be fearless. Under whom they would beat the mighty Australians and reclaim their place at the top of World Cricket (the World Cup and the World Twenty20 are meaningless apparently).
Four matches. Four losses. Reality begins to sink in.
England have a lot of work to do. It was MS Dhoni, India’s captain fantastic, who can add yet another series win to his already impressive captaincy record. The Indian monster continues to destroy everything in it’s path. Four matches won. Series won. Time to relax? Absolutely not.
Hard Times for Kevin Pietersen and Peter Moores
India’s coach Gary Kirsten has asked his team to look at the remaining contests as a three-match series. You can bet India want a 7-0 win against England. It would almost be symbolic of the way the BCCI has managed to roll over it’s English counterpart.
For the English, they enter yet another rebuilding phase. It is crucial to salvage as many consolation wins as possible to set the stage for a competitive test series. In the meantime, here’s hoping Ian Botham will hold back on making any further predictions until the time is right (ideally, after the match).
©Doctor Cricket 2008
The recent terror attacks in Mumbai have caused carnage and devastation across a proud nation. Every area of Indian interest has been hurt, even what most Indians fanaticise about most: Cricket.
The ongoing series between England and India lay tantalisingly close to dead, as cricketers evacuated the city and indeed the country. The final two ODIs have been cancelled and the remaining two test matches are anything but a certainty.
The Indian team, escorted by armed guards, walk away from the aborted matches.
The BCCI, desperate to salvage the tour, have unveiled a revised itinerary for the tour, with Mohali and Chennai named as the two test venues, replacing Ahmedabad and Mumbai. The first of these test matches is due to begin on the 9th of December. The change of venue came after the ECB specifically requested a southern Indian venue, as this had the least threat perception from a security point of view. However, will 8 days to go, there has still been no official confirmation from the ECB that the tour is back on.
Another head-ache for the BCCI is the fact that the inaugural Champion’s League, recognised as the biggest domestic Twenty20 tournament in the world, has had to be postponed.
Lalit Modi, chairman of the Champion’s League Twenty20 commented:
“We held consultations among all the stakeholders, including the founding members, the participating teams and members of the Governing Council after the unfortunate terrorist attacks in Mumbai on Wednesday night. It was agreed that in the best interests of all concerned, the inaugural edition of the Champions League 2020 should be postponed,”
All of this is playing on the England team’s mind. To tour or not to tour? The ECB have made it clear that no-one will be forced to tour. If any individual player would prefer to stay behind, they will not be penalised. After all, recent events are the kind which inspire the kind of fear which makes one long for the relative safety of home.
The terrorist attack in Mumbai which began on Wednesday night, when militants attacked high-profile landmarks, including the iconic Taj Mahal Palace and the Tower Hotel, the Oberoi Tident Hotel, Metro Theatre has sent the entire nation into shock. Despondent people are praying for the victims and fear is making people stay in their homes or evacuate the city all-together. To compound matters, there is no escape from this tragic event. Cinemas have been closed down, Bollywood movies postponed and of course, cricket tournaments cancelled.
Tough decision to make.
One can only hope that England will make the right choice and tour India, even if with a second string team. If there is no cricket, it will be a symbolic victory for the terrorists. But not India, nor the world need concede defeat. We must stand up and continue to progress though our lives, without fear. If our hearts are filled with fear, the terrorists win. Of course, our deepest regrets and sympathies lie with the families of those who have suffered. Be we cannot go on suffering or e play into their hands.
Let’s get back on the cricket field, go to our local stadium and engage in global unity. For even in the face of disaster, we will not fear those who seek to weaken us.
©Doctor Cricket 2008
The recent inclusion of Amjad Khan in the England squad for the remainder of the India tour is a bit of a milestone in English cricket. It is the first time they will have a Danish fast bowler within their ranks. In recent times, foreign-born players are nothing out of the ordinary in the England set-up, but a European-born player is something truly unique, particularly when one takes a closer look at Amjad’s journey to the summit.
Amjad Khan takes another wicket during a devastating spell for Kent.
In 1998 he became Denmark’s youngest player when he was picked against Ireland in the European Championships, and in the next game, against Scotland, he claimed an impressive 3 for 34. Still, his real big break come when Kent snapped him up and Amjad made his debut in 2001. He took 63 wickets the following summer and by the time he’d completed his residency qualification and earned a British passport in 2006, the England selectors were already watching.
Then disaster struck. A crippling knee injury meant he needed surgery on his cruciate ligament and was ruled out of the entire 2007 season. It seemed the injury would put a dent in his 93mph pace bowling and more importantly, his overall capabilities.
Less than two years later, the dream is back on track. He finds himself one stroke of luck away from Test debut, and that too after playing only six Championship matches last season as Kent nursed him back into first-class cricket. He claimed 21 wickets at an average of 20.61 in that time, and more importantly, showed he hadn’t lost the pace and swing that first caught the selectors’ eye.
In a country with only 45 registered cricket clubs, it is remarkable that a player of such capability has emerged. But not without years of sweat, blood and tears. His hard work and perseverance have landed him in a position few could have predicted. And with his abilities on the field, he may be able to swing England’s fortunes on an already difficult tour.
At the very least, let’s hope other Danes will take Amjad’s example and take up a new sport for the summer.
©Doctor Cricket 2008
For the last 15 years, Australia have dominated the ICC Test World Rankings. In fact, since the exception of the ICC Test Championship, Australia is the only country with it’s name on the trophy as they have won this for 7 consecutive years. Under captains Michael Slaytor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting, Australia has gone through the kind of golden period which surpassed the achievements of the great West Indies team of the 1970s and 80s. This is before one even takes into account their numerous achievements in the shorter form of the game – having won 3 consecutive ODI World Cups. Sure, there have been glitches along the way, but all things considered, no-one can dispute the fact that they have been and are the very best team in the world.
Until Now.
The familiar sight of Australia with a trophy - but will it remain a familiar sight?
A peculiar set of circumstances mean that they are only a few results away from losing their coveted number 1 spot in the ICC World Test Rankings. And hence, the ICC Test Championship 2008.
Brace yourself, it’s about to get complicated!
If South Africa are to complete an admittedly unlikely 3-0 whitewash against the Australians in the forthcoming series, they will go to the head of the table. The Australian’s ranking worries will be further compounded if the Indians go on to complete a 2-0 series win against England. India, who briefly occupied the World number 2 spot after their 2-0 win against the Australians, were leapfrogged by the South Africans after the latter’s 2-0 defeat of Bangladesh.
All of which means there is a remote possibility that Australia could drop to an unthinkable World number 3 by the end of January.
Don’t count out the Australians just yet though. A lot needs to go against them for the above to happen. Plus they just recorded a 2-0 win against New Zealand to give themselves some breathing room. And even though they’ve just lost to India, it’s hard to imagine an Australian team being whitewashed at home.
But one can sense a changing of the guard. One which began a little over a year ago, when the South Africans halted the Australian juggernaut by taking the World Number 1 ranking in ODIs between the 18th of February 2007 and the 7th of April 2007. It was brief, but it happened.
Now we are tantalisingly close to the end of a long established Australian dominance of cricket. An era which has seen remarkable achievements, but also one which has almost made many results a foregone conclusion.
Here’s to a shake-up that will benefit the game for decades to come.
©Doctor Cricket 2008
“You are not God. You are a cricketer, and I’m a better one.” Kevin Pieterson to Yuvraj Singh during an on-field chat in the second test.
What makes a player of Kevin Pieterson’s calibre resort to mind games and attempting to shake up another player? Pieterson, widely recognised as one of the best batsmen, if not the best batsman in the world could surely let his bat do the talking. Having scored brilliant 144 in the first innings of the second test, it seemed he could take solace from the fact that his individual performance was up to scratch, even if his team’s wasn’t. Yet, the verbal’s continued:
“When you’ve got a pie-chucker like Yuvraj Singh bowling at you I don’t really mind…When you’ve got Zaheer Khan bowling from one end and you get filth like that it makes you feel really good.”
Kevin Pieterson - letting his bat do the talking.
Pieterson, not content with making his century has to re-enforce a message, a message to Yuvraj Singh: I am better than you.
Of course, anyone with more than a passing interest in Singh’s career will be aware that if there’s one ego that can mirror Pieterson, it’s his.
“I asked a few people what pie-chucker meant and they told me it was a useless kind of bowler. Well a useless bowler getting him out 5 times, that’s useless batting I’d say.”
Touché.
But there’s more.
“His bowling action is useless though and mine is much better. But if he works hard he can be a good bowler, I’ll give him some tips and show him how to bowl in the rough if he likes.”
Yuvraj Singh - never short of a few words.
A dim-witted person might mistake the above for an olive branch, but I would advise you to start googling for pictures of Yuvraj and Pieterson at a joint practice session just yet. Yuvraj is clearly not going to take Pieterson’s comments lying down, but the quotes are not just a retort. They’re a message: I am better than you.
Now cricket fans can argue for hours upon hours over who is the better cricketer. The only real form of evidence one can look at is statistics. If we ignore the bowling careers of both players, the stats would read as follows:
Test Cricket
| Tests played | Batting average | 100s | 50s | Total Runs | |
| Pieterson | 45 | 50.48 | 15 | 11 | 4039 |
| Yuvraj | 25 | 36.05 | 3 | 5 | 1262 |
ODI Cricket
| ODI’s played | Batting average | 100s | 50s | Total Runs | |
| Pieterson | 87 | 48.36 | 7 | 20 | 3047 |
| Yuvraj | 222 | 37.16 | 10 | 37 | 6466 |
The statistics clearly show that Pieterson is the more accomplished of the two and his reputation is more than backed up by his incredible track-record in both forms of the game. However, many will point out that statistics are often misleading and Yuvraj has put in several performances that have changed the course of a game completely. I’m sure Stuart Broad will attest that when Yuvraj is in form, he’s as close to invincible as can be.
Nevertheless, Pieterson has a long list of accomplishments himself and at 28 is only a year older than Yuvraj. The true test of both player lies in their longevity and how they contribute to their team’s success. Whilst India have dominated their home series, Pieterson will be eager to take revenge at the forthcoming Champions Trophy and the Twenty20 World Cup. But for now, he has to be content with being the “better” player in the “worse” side.
This intriguing rivalry seems to be born of Pieterson’s frustrations. Though one can hardly hold this against him. His team had just lost 5 ODIs on the trot and then snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the first test. It was all of a sudden becoming a more difficult job, captaining the cricket team of a country with one of the most unsympathetic collection of journalists and commentators. Time to go home and face the music…for now.
There is another potential twist in the Pieterson/Yuvraj saga. It’s possible that if and when Pieterson signs up with an IPL franchise, the two could end up being team-mates. Imagine being in that locker room!
©Doctor Cricket 2008
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