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The only USA player in the Champions League, is a vital cog in the Guyana side, with his versatility, experience and never-say-die spirit

Peter Della Penna12-Sep-2010When Guyana take on Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday, there will be a tremendous amount of support from fans back home on the northern coast of South America. But because of one player in the team, they’ll have support stretching across the Caribbean to North America as well.Lennox Cush, a senior member of the Guyana squad, is the only player participating in the Champions League who plays for the USA national team. While he came up through the Guyana system as a hard-hitting batsman and still plays in the top order for the United States, he has demonstrated all-round skills by morphing into an attacking offspin bowler for Guyana in Twenty20. In a squad with an average age just under 27, Cush’s versatility, experience and spirit are a definite plus for the captain, Ramnaresh Sarwan.”Obviously we use him as a bowler, but of course I think he’s one of the individuals that’s very focused, very fun,” said Sarwan. “He always brings a certain type of spirit to the team and everyone welcomes him because he’s so funny. I think it’s always good to have someone like that in your team.”There have been a few bumps on Cush’s road to playing in front of a worldwide audience, but he’s managed to hold on to his big smile all this time.He was brought up in Georgetown with his four sisters by a single mother. “It was a mess,” says Cush. “It was kind of tough because our mother was left to fend for us. Things turned out well, but at the end of the day she’s the one that should be taking all the praise.” Sadly, Cush’s mother died from kidney failure only a month after he made his first-class debut against Windward Islands in 1996.”When it had happened, he took it very hard, like, I think, every other person would,” reflected Sarwan, who has known Cush very well for more than 15 years. “His mum was such a loving and caring person, and she was such a good mum to him. She taught him the right things in life. Obviously she wasn’t there to see him play on a consistent basis, but I think it kind of motivated him to try and see what he can achieve. Even when we’re playing cards sometimes, he brings up his mother’s name. It shows obviously that he still thinks about her and he holds her very close to his heart.”Cush started to achieve more in 1998 during the domestic one-day competition. In the Red Stripe Bowl Final, he took a catch that dismissed Leeward Islands captain Stuart Williams, before taking 4 for 37 to bowl Guyana to the title.After some solid batting performances playing league cricket in England during the summer of 1999, he was looking forward to building on his success for Guyana and pushing for a place in the West Indies side when a freak accident curtailed those plans.”I was just kidding around with a little relative of mine in New York and he ran behind me,” says Cush, motioning to show how his right knee wound up being dislocated. He points to the sizeable surgical scars that trace the outside of his knee. “I didn’t know the seriousness of it. I just told him to pull it, turn it back into place. You can imagine that. I blacked out two times in five minutes.”All of his ligaments had been damaged and he wound up needing two surgeries three months apart and missing the entire 1999-2000 season.”I think he was very close,” surmised Sarwan when asked if Cush could have made it into the West Indies team had he not suffered such a devastating injury. “His knee, that was a big setback for his career.”A few years after recovering, Cush reached his best form with the bat during the 2001-02 season, scoring two centuries while averaging 39 in the domestic four-day competition. But it wasn’t enough to crack the West Indies side and by 2005 he had played his last four-day and one-day games for Guyana.The following year he had qualified to play for the USA. He had become a permanent resident, having met the woman who would become his wife in New York and married her there in 2001. He was selected to play for America for the first time at the 2006 ICC Americas Division One Tournament held in Canada.Cush is a more than handy attacking offspinner in the short form•International Cricket CouncilThe emergence of the Stanford Twenty20 competition, though, breathed life back into his Guyana career. In the second edition, held in 2008, he was the second highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with eight in three games, and he was drafted into the Stanford Superstars team. However, he sustained another knee injury during the training camp, this time to his left anterior cruciate ligament. He gave it a go against Middlesex, but when it came time for the grand finale against England, he failed a fitness test and didn’t get to participate in the Superstars’ ten-wicket romp.Almost two years later, it appears that Cush is finally going to get his chance on a big stage. So far he has been having a golden summer. It started with his performance in July at the Caribbean T20, where he formed a potent spin combination with Devendra Bishoo to help Guyana win the title. Cush was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with 11 in four games, including a hat-trick against Combined Campuses and Colleges.Three weeks later he helped USA win the ICC World Cricket League Division Four in Italy, where he was named Man of the Match in the final against the hosts. He opened USA’s chase and rampaged his way to his first century in a red-white-and-blue uniform, notching 101 off 57 balls with 14 fours and four sixes in his team’s eight-wicket victory.It may have been a 50-over game but he was already prepping himself for Twenty20 mode in the Champions League. He’ll be batting down the order for Guyana, but his team should feel confident that he’s capable of scoring runs if needed.”I think we’ve got a very strong batting line-up and he’s being picked mainly for his bowling in this team,” said Sarwan. “But I think it’s important that because we have a few experienced guys and a few inexperienced guys, we want to try and spread them out and allow everyone to be able to handle situations. I think Lennox batting at that position, if we were in trouble, I think he would be a good player for the situation and probably guide us through it.”Cush hopes that he will serve as an inspiration for players from the USA to strive for bigger and better things in the future and hope that they too might get to stand toe to toe one day with some of the biggest stars in the game. “I think knowing that they can be there sometime or at some point is an added motivation for them, and me playing there, I think that will help them to even play harder to get to that level and bring US cricket to that level,” says Cush.In the meantime Sarwan is just happy to have Cush healthy and with a smile on his face and believes that he will be a key ingredient for a successful two weeks in South Africa.”My mindset is to enjoy myself, give it my best and just enjoy the cricket,” says Cush on his mental approach to the tournament. “Whatever I’m doing – batting, bowling or fielding – just enjoy it, take the pressure off of myself.”Fans on two continents are hoping that mindset will lead to triumph for Cush and Guyana in the Champions League.

Watching Associates get hammered in World Cups is dispiriting, but there must be a way of ensuring they play against big teams more than once every four years

Osman Samiuddin in Hambantota20-Feb-2011Such days make for a dispiriting – and complicated – spectacle. The two matches in Chennai and Hambantota on Sunday are precisely what the format and the World Cup don’t need, yet it is the very existence of such matches that allows cricket to think of itself as a global game.Much has been said on the issue of the Associates in the run-up to this tournament. Probably the most thoughtful and reasoned assessment of their plight came from Ricky Ponting, who in his sporting old age, appears to have found a wisened balance.The World Cup needs to be more competitive, he said, and that can’t be argued with. The first two days have seen individual and collective quality, but no competitiveness. But Associates also need to be given a platform to develop. They only get to play big teams once every four years. There, they get duly battered, go away, come back four years later and go through it again. Here is the real plight.Occasionally there is hope: Kenya’s run in 2003, Ireland’s performances in 2007. But where do they go from there? Into the glass ceiling Ireland spoke of a few years ago? Mostly, there is what happened to Kenya and Canada on Sunday. What, Ponting asked, do they learn from such batterings?Canada showed some spirit and bite in Hambantota. For 25 overs in the field they can say they had things under control. But it was always a precarious kind of hold, prisoner to the gulf in quality of superior opponents and their own lack of exposure to it. Once Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara decided to take the game away, they simply went on and did so. As Canada’s Sri Lankan coach Pubudu Dassanayake later acknowledged, they what to do; the plans were in place; presumably some kind of SWOT analysis coaches love doing was carried out as well. They just didn’t have the tools to do it.In four World Cups since 1979, Canada has won one game, against Bangladesh. Yet there is something to build on with this side. There are young players coming through. They have coaches with international experience. The ICC facilitates their preparation for such tournaments.But without playing any top-flight cricket outside the World Cup, how do they grow as players, as a team, how do they build? Not by playing top sides every four years.Dassanayake seems a cheery man, so he insisted that his players would have learnt something from the 210-run defeat to Sri Lanka. “Mainly this is a great experience for my youngsters,” he said. “Playing against great bowlers like [Muttiah] Muralitharan and [Ajantha] Mendis, it gives them a lot of confidence. If you talk about talent they are all talented but just not exposed at this level. We can coach certain things but it’s all about them going and experiencing this and getting the belief they can compete against top players.”They might very well take something from this, but where do they take it? These sides want to become full Test members. Ultimately, that must be the aim of everyone involved in cricket. By not playing regular top-level cricket, or not, as may be the case, playing in future World Cups, that will not happen.Ponting’s suggestion – taken up by Mahela Jayawardene as well – that there should be another way of getting them to play constant top-flight cricket offers a solution if there is seriousness about finding one.”You need to give them opportunities to play more regular cricket with top nations,” Jayawardene said. “Maybe on and off they need to organise certain things for them because their cricket can be improved. Cricket is a global game and we need to try and make sure everyone plays and comes to that standard one day.”Until – and if – that day comes, associates, as Dassanayake put it, are in the dark about where they go next. He is not alone.

By 2014 the historic South Australian ground is likely to become a stadium with vast stands and drop-in pitches. Will it retain a sense of its old self at all?

Daniel Brettig25-Apr-2011First, a few facts. Pending a South Australian Cricket Association members’ vote, Adelaide Oval is to be redeveloped significantly in time for 2014. The new ground will be ringed on three sides by vast stands, raising capacity from about 40,000 to 50,000. Room will be made by bulldozing the Sir Donald Bradman Stand, the south eastern hill and the eastern Chappell Stands, while the northern hill, the Moreton Bay Figs and the old scoreboard will remain. The Victor Richardson Gates will be pushed eastwards into the Creswell Gardens.On the oval itself, the pitch square will be dug up and removed, replaced by drop-in wickets during the summer and football-friendly turf during the winter. The precinct will be augmented by the addition of a footbridge across the Torrens River, while sharp traffic restrictions will be put in place on match days to limit the expected bottleneck of cars. Total cost of this venture, excluding the footbridge, will be about A$535 million. The vote takes place on May 2.Whether all this is exciting or horrifying depends very much on one’s point of view.Approached plainly, Adelaide Oval seems destined to end up a cousin of those major Australian cricket grounds to have undergone extensive redevelopments over the past decade. It has already been upgraded significantly, as the new Western Stand, opened in time for the 2010 Ashes Test, can readily attest. In the cases of the forbidding Gabba, the mighty MCG and the in-betweener SCG, each venue has retained some of its character despite losing either its pitch or its traditional views. Adelaide’s great challenge will be to retain a sense of self while losing both.Most accept the current pattern of development would remove the oval from a most exclusive circle of Test match grounds, all in the name of providing a suitable venue for Adelaide’s two Australian Rules football clubs. Lost will be the intimacy Gideon Haigh summed up in , his account of the 1994-95 Ashes: “You could get lost in the catacombs of the MCG and SCG for weeks and not come up for air. Here you can say and mean it: ‘I’ll see you at the ground tomorrow’.” After 2014, only Lord’s and Newlands will remain among the most stately of international locales, as Adelaide Oval becomes, but for a few leafy metres at the northern end, Adelaide Stadium.Ricky Ponting has articulated his sorrow about the end of Adelaide Oval “as we know it”. He worked on the groundstaff in the early 1990s while part of the national cricket academy intake, and was nostalgic for nothing so much as the old members’ benches he maintained as fastidiously as his batting technique. “I’m basically sad to see all those coloured seats go in the members’ stand because when I was at the academy I changed every nut and bolt on those seats,” Ponting said in 2009, shortly after the upgrade was first announced. “That was my job for the year, so I’m sad to see those go. It’s sad to see the Adelaide Oval go as we know it. But it looks like it’s going to turn into a fantastic stadium.”It is this change that has caused the most consternation among some of Adelaide’s members, who must vote “yes” in an overwhelming 75% majority in order to amend the South Australia Cricket Association constitution. The constitutional adjustment would allow the new ground to be shared with football under the jurisdiction of the Stadium Management Authority, at a cost of temporary pitches and incalculable ambience. The possibility remains that the state government will still push the development through regardless, though a favourable vote would quicken the process. Sceptics reckon the public money to be funnelled into the oval should instead go towards building an all-purpose stadium elsewhere near the city, arguing it is a more logical way to replace the outmoded Football Park and so leave Adelaide Oval in its current state.

Most accept the current pattern of development would remove the oval from a most exclusive circle of Test match grounds, all in the name of providing a suitable venue for Adelaide’s two Australian Rules football clubs. Lost will be the intimacy summed up by Gideon Haigh: “You could get lost in the catacombs of the MCG and SCG for weeks and not come up for air. Here you can say and mean it: ‘I’ll see you at the ground tomorrow’.”

While it will be impossible to measure the number of naysayers until the vote itself, they have been drowned out in terms of volume by a powerful conglomerate of SACA, SANFL, two AFL clubs, the state government and the , Adelaide’s only daily newspaper. Missionary zeal does not come close to describing the intensity with which these groups have pushed for change, spruiking their wares in the manner of Benny Hinn, the television evangelist turned used-car salesman. At times, the truth appears to have been lost in the selling.Greg Howe, ringleader of the “no” voters, built a rudimentary website at saveadelaideoval.com. To his great surprise, he soon discovered that the similar saveadelaideoval.com.au address diverted surfers to the redevelopment’s far swankier homepage. Ian McLachlan, the SACA president, has gone as far as saying that Adelaide Oval risked losing its annual Test match if the upgrade does not go ahead, a view not shared by Cricket Australia. He and others have also stated, straight-faced, that drop-in pitches “will be necessary to ensure that cricket is provided with the best possible playing surface for the entire summer”. Not even the hefty involvement of Les Burdett, the oval’s popular groundsman for 31 years until he retired in 2010, can divert from the fact there remains no comparison between the qualities of a permanent wicket and a drop-in. Local league football has been played on the oval for years, without the need for digging. Footballers are commonly complimentary about the surface.Debates over the future of the oval extend well beyond matters of concrete and turf. The very essence of Adelaide, and South Australia, is regarded by many to be at stake. A streak of conservatism has run through the state since its founding by an unholy marriage of Masonic English speculators and European religious refugees from 1836. This is epitomised by a lack of major development in Adelaide when placed against the changes seen in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Test match visitors to Adelaide are typically seduced by the city’s lack of hustle and bustle, yet that is precisely the kind of thing the government wishes to create by holding AFL matches in the city.Among the more valuable voices, though little heard in this debate, are those of the state cricketers who will be taking part in most matches at the ground. The former batsman Greg Blewett has been used as a pro-spokesman by the SACA, while current South Australia players have largely allowed general sporting altruism to overrule any private misgivings about what may become of the pitch. Interstate combatants have been less enthusiastic, some shocked to discover the oval’s wickets would become drop-ins.One player, making note of the MCG’s portable pitch, alluded to the hollow sound made whenever a paceman deigned to deliver a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield match at the ground. Whichever way the SACA members vote on May 2, some will be left feeling decidedly hollow about the result.

Vincent Barnes, South Africa’s bowling coach, still hopes to take charge of the side some day. Till then he’s concentrating on motivating the bowlers, teaching them the importance of attitude, and planning for the future

Interview by Firdose Moonda12-May-2011″I see my role as a bowling coach to develop the bowler so he understands his own body and his own bowling”•Getty ImagesWhat made you want to become a coach, and how did you go about it?
I played under the Western Province Cricket Board, which was for players of colour during the apartheid era. We would play home and away against three other provinces: Natal, Transvaal and Eastern Province. When unity happened, I played some one-day cricket for Western Province (WP) and was part of the side that lost the Benson & Hedges final to Kepler Wessels’ Eastern Province. I knew I wouldn’t play cricket for South Africa, given the time frame, so I wanted to get into coaching to help players of colour achieve what I couldn’t. I played a bit of cricket in England, and while I was there I did a few coaching courses at the National Cricket Association. When I came to South Africa I did my Level 4 coaching course.I was coaching part-time for the WP Cricket Association in 1995. One day my mom called to say Duncan Fletcher was looking for me. I wondered what he wanted from me because I wasn’t playing anymore. When I called him back he told me there was a position for a WP assistant coach coming up and asked if I would like to apply. I got the job and I worked as Duncan’s assistant until the 1999-2000 season, when I took over as the WP coach.After two seasons as WP coach, I applied for and got the position of head of the national academy and South Africa A coach. I was only there for a year when I was appointed as the bowling coach of the national side, and I’ve been there ever since.Was there ever a time when you thought you would be head coach of the national team?
I thought I had a good chance of getting it in 2005. That was when Mickey Arthur was appointed. During the England series just before, we looked after the South Africa A team together. I was the head coach and Mickey was my assistant. He was also coaching the Warriors.Mickey was appointed ahead of me and I didn’t understand why. I was devastated. It was the lowest blow for me as far as being a cricket coach was concerned. I felt at the time that I was ready to coach the national team.Don’t get me wrong, Mickey is a good friend and he was on the phone to me daily throughout that period. I wanted to walk away but Mickey thought it was important to have me in the set-up. He asked me to reconsider so I thought I would give it a go and stay. There were guys like Makhaya Ntini and Ashwell Prince around, and I felt it was my job to nurse them through their careers.You have had a special relationship with Makhaya through the years. How did that develop?
It really grew after Makhaya had to change from being from a new-ball bowler to a holding bowler. We were playing in Pakistan in 2007, and Graeme Smith felt quite strongly that in order for us to go forward we needed to expose strike bowlers like Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. For years Makhaya had bowled with Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener, and he was the strike bowler. But he understood that we had a young attack and he had to be a father figure. At the time, his strike rate and his economy rate were both high and his pace had started to drop so we worked on bringing his economy rate down. After that I saw him bowl some of the best spells of his career, like the one against Australia at Newlands in 2009, where he got little reward but bowled very well.

“I felt this side was the best group of people I have ever worked with in a South African squad, both in personality and talent. [the World Cup] was one of the best tours I have ever been on. I really thought this was the squad that would lift the trophy”

How difficult was it to drop Makhaya?
It’s always difficult to drop a player, let alone an iconic player like Makhaya. His 100th Test in Centurion was very emotional for him. He didn’t bowl particularly well but it might have been the emotion. In the next match, in Durban, also he didn’t bowl well but he wasn’t the only one. We were 0-1 down and we needed to win the next Test, so we had to make some decisions. The problem was that when you decide to drop a player, the player must think the decision was handled well. I don’t think that was the case here. Anyway, he was dropped and we went to West Indies without him. I don’t think it was the right time to let him go, and I know that if any of the fast bowlers had broken down on that tour, I would have wanted to call him back. Everyone wants to leave on their own terms and maybe Makhaya didn’t get to do that.That episode emerged as one of the reasons behind Mickey Arthur’s resignation in January 2010. How did that all play out?
I had no idea it was coming. I knew winning the one-day series against England would be important, but we lost that. There were some board members who disagreed with Mickey and he ruffled a few feathers, but I was still flabbergasted when Mickey told me he had resigned. To be honest I thought I was gone too. I eventually called him and asked him what happens to the rest of us and he said we would be fine.Did you think that was your opportunity to be appointed coach?
I felt I could have been the interim coach, and when Corrie was officially announced I was a little disappointed. There were transformation issues at the time. I didn’t have the same issues but I can’t absolve myself from those decisions that were made at the time. We all had a job to do with the World Cup coming up, so I didn’t dwell on it.How did you feel about the squad before the World Cup?
I felt this side was the best group of people I had ever worked with in a South African squad, both in personality and talent. It was one of the best tours I have ever been on. I really thought this was the squad that would lift the trophy.Talk us through the group stage.
Everything was fine until the England game. I knew it would be a difficult pitch when on the day before the match we went to the ground and the groundsman didn’t want us on the square. Our next opponents were the world’s best side [India], so there was no dwelling on the England match or what people were saying. We knew we had to step up.When we won the India game, I was overjoyed. I felt something special was here. The boys were calm and relaxed and took control. It was incredible the way JP Duminy, Johan Botha and Faf du Plessis took control, and the way Robin Peterson finished the game.What happened in the quarter-final against New Zealand?
The pressure just got to us. It was the kind of match where we needed a 120-run partnership to win, chasing 222, and with Graeme and Jacques Kallis at the crease, I thought we would. We knew that New Zealand would find other ways to upset our game plan, whether it’s mentally or verbally, that’s just how they play, and we knew we had to counter that.”Mickey was appointed ahead of me and I didn’t understand why. I was devastated”•Getty ImagesAfter Graeme and Jacques got out and we had two new guys at the crease, we could see it was difficult to score, even though it had looked easy for the two guys who were in. Suddenly New Zealand had six guys in the ring and we had to take a few risks. Maybe we should have done that because the gaps were blocked. JP played an average shot and then AB was run out. I thought AB had the situation under control – he was aware of how we needed to play. I watched how he hesitated as he backed up when Faf du Plessis hit the ball to the best fielder there [Martin Guptill], and that’s why he ended up run-out. I still thought Faf and the tail would take us through, but when Robin Peterson got out, I knew it was over.How did management react to the loss?
Obviously with disappointment, but it was part of our job to help the team recover as quickly as possible. We knew that the next few weeks would be tough as we had to deal with the disappointment and the media and public comments that come with losing in a major tournament. We, as management, had to stay strong and get the team through the difficult period. They had to know that the world had not ended and that there was so much to play for in the future.The reality is, it’s not often that you find a young team winning. In this type of tournament, you need experience.I really felt for Corrie. It must have been so hard for him, as it was for all of us. To come out of that with nothing is so unfair on him. He put so much in.After the initial disappointment, you must have looked back at the bowling performance with pride?
We were the only bowling side to have the opposition out in every game except the quarter-final, where we lost. All round, the bowlers did well, but it felt a bit like being the Man of the Match and losing. I wouldn’t have minded if they bowled the biggest heap of crap and we won the tournament.You mentioned experience. That was one of the things Herschelle Gibbs mentioned in in his book as a reason for South Africa’s failing in World Cups. How right was he?
Herschelle is a very good friend, although it was very tough dealing with some of the trouble he got himself into. The night before the 438 game was an example. He was in no condition to play and I was very upset with him, but then he went and scored 175 and all I could think is that maybe he just prepares for games totally differently.I like to think that I have a relationship with him where I can sit him down and say, “This is not right.” He’s got a fantastic cricket brain but he’s got to realise that not everybody has the same type of natural talent he has. I always wanted consistency from him. He said it himself, that big players win you tournaments, and I thought of that during the Australia-India game at the World Cup, where Yuvraj took India home in a tight finish. Herschelle understood these things.The timing of his book was not great but that’s him. Team dynamics shouldn’t be discussed in public but I don’t have a problem if he wants to tell the truth about his private life. I’ve got a lot of time for him. He has one of the kindest, warmest hearts. If we are playing golf and he sees the golf course staff bowling, he will be the first one to go the fence and bat for them.

“All round, the bowlers did well in the World Cup, but it felt a bit like being the Man of the Match and losing. I wouldn’t have minded if they bowled the biggest heap of crap and we won the tournament”

The World Cup also brought about the surprise form of Robin Peterson. What did you think of that?
I was not surprised that Robbie has done as well as he has. He was in the U-19 side when I was a coach and I’ve known him since he was 17. Unfortunately with the all-pace attack, he missed out early in his career and then he lost out to the likes of Nicky Boje and Paul Harris later on.I always knew he was extremely talented and intelligent. But he is also very dedicated and forceful. After 2007, his career was basically in the doldrums. Roelof van der Merwe was emerging and Harris had the Test place sewn up. He went to play some county cricket and that’s when he matured. He realised he had do everything for himself. He had to knuckle down because playing cricket was his livelihood. I think it’s important that players do that. It’s good for the character; and he has come back very strongly.Lonwabo Tsotsobe is another bowler who has blossomed under you. How have you helped him develop?
There are three keys ingredients he has as a bowler – his height, so he gets good bounce, his swing and his pace. He was always very accurate and could hammer the same area all the time, but he wasn’t using his swing and pace. I had to ask him, “Do you want to play international cricket?” When he said he did, I told him he had to sharpen his attitude, and he did. He started taking more pride in his work and became more miserly. Now he is upset when he goes for runs. He has upped his pace, he swings the ball both ways, and I think he will be really effective in Test cricket. I see my role as a bowling coach to develop the bowler so he understands his own body and his own bowling, and Lopsy is getting there.Someone who understands their body better than most is Dale Steyn, and he has credited you with his success. Is he your best bowler?
He has become an unbelievable bowler and is so talented. He has seen the tough times and his mindset is good. I always say that fast bowling is about attitude, and Dale has that. He learnt a lot during the England series in 2009-10 and matured as a bowler. He was bowling in the first five overs, in the middle and at the death and was struggling. Wickets were scarce and England didn’t take too many risks against him. He came to me and said that it was hard and I said, “But aren’t you learning so much about yourself?” And he was.The bowling attack, with the inclusion of Imran Tahir, looks like one of the most aggressive out there. Do South Africa still need a holding bowler, like you said Makhaya had to be, especially in Test cricket?
Yes, it will depend on the situation in a game. The good thing is that now any one of the bowlers can do the donkey work in Test cricket. The important thing is that we have so many bowlers who have natural aggression and we don’t ever want to lose that, because you can’t get that back. You can’t coach people to have that; it’s a mindset and instinctive.”The important thing is that we have so many bowlers who have natural aggression and we don’t ever want to lose that, because you can’t get that back”•Getty ImagesHow do you see the national team going forward?
The squad is entering an exciting era. I went to watch the A side in Paarl recently and I saw some very talented cricketers, and those weren’t even all the fringe players, because some of them are playing in the IPL. The World Cup was a sign of things to come in some ways. It was so good to see how vocal Jacques Kallis was and how much input he had. He was really enjoying himself. The same goes for AB and Hashim Amla.One of Graeme’s biggest things was to allow players to grow. He didn’t want players to be cloned or to want everyone to bat like Jacques Kallis or bowl like Dale Steyn. It’s wonderful to see senior players like Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn lead and contributeWhere to from here for you?
I want to be involved in international cricket because that stimulates me. My ultimate goal is to coach the Proteas. I’ve always been a tough, hard sportsman, and I believe that you have to pray for the difficult times because it defines your character. It’s fantastic to bowl in good conditions and bowl five overs and get 3 for 24 but that’s not when you should want to bowl. You should want to bowl when the opposition is 150 for 1. You should want to bowl when the opposition needs six runs off the last over. That’s the kind of squad we have built.

… while the Titanic sank. If only Clarke had won the toss, things would have been so much better for this Lanka fan

Rukshan Fernando21-Aug-2011Choice of game
Since the World Cup game between the two sides was a washout, I was determined to go for this one, and bought tickets the day they were out. After Sri Lanka bounced back to win the third match, my prediction was that they would win this one and keep the series alive. After all we are known to be invincible at home.Team supported
Sri Lanka.Key performer
Xavier Doherty is not one to dominate the headlines, but he got the job done with a tight spell that strangled the Lankans.Three things I’d have changed
For Michael Clarke to have won the toss and put Sri Lanka in, for I read in ESPNcricinfo’s preview of the game that Australia lost four of nine ODIs when he’s won the toss, and only three of 21 games when he’s lost the toss.A stronger opening stand by the Sri Lankan openers.Chamara Silva’s inclusion in the side. I think the 30,000-plus fans in the stadium were wondering the same thing, especially as he got out in two balls without scoring.Face-off I relished
I was looking forward to two but neither materialised. Tharanga v Bollinger – after providing many chances in the previous match this would have been an epic contest had Brett Lee not pipped him to the post. And Malinga v Watson, because I expected the Australian opener to go after the bowler who got him out early in the third ODI. But it was not to be. Malinga got his man again.Wow moment
The catch to get rid of Kumar Sangakkara was the gamechanger. It wasn’t spectacular, but for Australia it came at a time when the partnership was beginning to take momentum. That wicket precipitated the Sri Lankan collapse.Shot of the day
You couldn’t help admire the level of control Shaun Marsh had in the game during the chase. He had no fear and dispatched every bowler apart from Malinga and Mendis.Fancy-dress index
With the exception of a bunny sponsoring a telephone network, there was little to see. Of course there was a group of shirtless men with the letters spelling out Sri Lanka in a unique Sinhala and English combination painted on their torsos.Entertainment
Entertainment is never a disappointment during matches in Sri Lanka. An awesome private Papare band playing at the row behind me softened the blow of this thumping defeat. To an extent it felt like being on the Titanic (movie version, at least) – while the ship was sinking the band was playing away. It might take a while for my ears to recover but it worth it.Banner of the day
Apart from the usual “Sri Lankan stuff is too hot to handle”, an interesting banner caught my attention when it was carried by a group across the stands. It was today’s dinner menu which included an expected Kangaroo Curry, a Wallaby sambol, a Koala mix of some sort and surprisingly Kiwi chutney.Overall
The atmosphere and energy at the ground were in line with the true Sri Lankan spirit of having a good time no matter the outcome. However, had the result been more favourable I’m sure the roof would have come down.Marks out of 10
3, mostly for Mahela Jayawardene’s gutsy knock and Malinga’s breakthroughs which gave us a hint of hope. But apart from those the Sri Lankan team did not really turn up.

After a cagey beginning, New Zealand decided to depend on aggression rather than the pitch to make inroads, with Chris Martin leading the way. Once conditions started helping, their bowlers had South Africa in trouble

Firdose Moonda in Dunedin 07-Mar-2012The first day of a Test series between two sides that have not played each other in a while is similar to a first date. In conditions where no-one was quite sure what to expect, with the sky promising bowling rewards but the strip batting ones, the introductory dance took even longer. By the end of the day, New Zealand made up for an ordinary first session with an explosive second one to start the series on a strong note.The score is enough to justify Ross Taylor’s decision to put South Africa in to bat, one that was made with an eye above, rather than below. With clouds overhead and the world’s best bowler, Dale Steyn, as part of South Africa’s armoury, Taylor may have wanted to protect his batsmen. With four fast bowlers in his attack, he may have hoped they would be able to take advantage of the same things he was worried Steyn and Co. would exploit.Through the first period, it appeared that he was wrong. The bowlers wrestled with unhelpful conditions: they searched for non-existent swing through the cold air and any sign of pace or bounce to assist them from the placid surface. Instead, their efforts only allowed Graeme Smith time to organise himself at the crease. With a vacant leg-side field and a wayward line, they gave Smith the luxury of playing the way he is most comfortable: taking the ball from outside off and playing it to the leg side.Alviro Petersen’s dismissal was the only cause for early celebration as a lack of penetration allowed a free-flowing partnership to develop between Smith and Hashim Amla, neither of whom looked like in any danger of being dismissed in the first session. Amla described South Africa’s position at tea as “good”; considering that they were asked to bat, it was closer to very good.The break allowed time for New Zealand to remember that conditions alone do not take wickets. And since conditions were not actually bowler friendly, they were unlikely to spook a line-up that has established itself as one of the most solid in the world. What would be needed was piercing, aggressive bowling that would create uncomfortable situations for the batsmen even in fairly friendly surroundings.Chris Martin understood that best. He returned after the break knowing that it was up to him to change the course of events. “I was probably a little bit more geed up,” Martin said. “We didn’t operate all that well in the first session and sometimes it’s up to the senior guy to take the lead. So it was time to stand up and get the ball in the right areas. The way it panned out was far beyond expectation.”Martin bowled a better length post tea, a slightly fuller one, and a line that was closer to the stumps. After working Graeme Smith over with two deliveries that angled across him, and two that beat the bat, he had done enough to dismiss him with a ball that was not as challenging as the other four. “He bowled well but we also had a few soft dismissals,” Amla said. “If I look at the wickets, the one of Graeme, it wasn’t a great wicket-taking ball.”The deliveries that removed Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers were wicket-taking balls and served as an indication that conditions had changed. Under clearing skies, and in warmer air, Martin found swing and had better control over the ball. Although he sent down what Daniel Vettori called “the worst hat-trick ball ever,” short and on Jacques Rudolph’s hips, he had prised open a gap big enough to give New Zealand a glimpse of what could be achieved.Tim Southee and Trent Boult searched for similar movement but produced loose spells to allow Amla and Jacques Rudolph to score at more than five runs an over. Instead of restricting runs and continuing to create pressure their lengths wavered in every over, inviting boundaries. Again, it was up to an experienced player to step up and Daniel Vettori did it by getting a grip on the scoring and repeatedly beating Amla in the flight before dismissing him.With South Africa’s middle order exposed, Doug Bracewell had a burst at the end, bowling a collection of fast, swinging deliveries, including a selection of yorkers. Although he overstepped at a crucial time and could have had Jacques Rudolph out lbw had he not, Bracewell’s dismissal of Dale Steyn opened the doors to the tail.From searching for a way to stem a gushing run flow, New Zealand were able cut it off close to the source. Martin is aware that they are far from finished and need more of their second-session determination, rather than their first-session lethargy, to keep themselves in the driver’s seat.”The job is not really done. It’s just a little pocket of the game that we played well in so far,” Martin said, an indication that New Zealand are wary of South Africa’s lower order, which Amla hopes will come through. “We’ve had days like this before and we have come out on top,” Amla said. “Let’s see how long we can take it. Vernon [Philander] is a proper allrounder.” Then, a massive smile crept over his face. “And then, you’ve got Morne [Morkel] and Imran [Tahir].” The latter, in particular, is who New Zealand will want to be bowling at as early as possible on the second day.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the fourth day in Port-of-Spain where rain had a major impact

Daniel Brettig in Port-of-Spain18-Apr-2012Dual drop of the dayFidel Edwards has been short of fortune during this Test and his dry run continued in the fifth over of Australia’s second innings. Bowling a short of a length delivery that cramped Ed Cowan for room, Edwards coaxed an outside edge as the opener tried to force off the back foot. The ball flew straight to Darren Sammy at slip, who dropped it. The ball’s downward path was not without a chance of a second grab, however – Carlton Baugh dived across but, unfortunately in keeping with his untidy work behind the stumps all match, was unable to close his gloves around the ball in time.Near run-out of the dayCowan received a rare loose delivery from Kemar Roach on 9, a full toss that he pushed wide of mid off and set off for a single. Misjudging the speed at which the ball reached Edwards, Cowan left Ricky Ponting in dire danger of being run-out for the second time in as many Tests, again the victim of his partner’s overzealous search for runs. So far short was Ponting that he appeared to give up the run, letting Edwards’ throw decided whether or not he would continue batting. However Edwards was narrowly off target with his return, and Baugh had not made it up to the stumps in time to retrieve it and complete the run-out.Doosra of the dayShane Shillingford has so far shown accuracy and persistence in Trinidad, and on the fourth day he also showed he was patient enough to hold back a variation for an entire innings. For 49 overs in the first innings and eight in the second, Shillingford kept more or less to off breaks, relying on the natural deviation and variation to be found in a co-operative Port-of-Spain pitch. But in his ninth, Shillingford revealed a top-spinner/doosra that gripped and bounced significantly, beating the outside edge of Ponting’s bat and thudding into his thigh. Happy with how it had come out, Shillingford bowled another before the over was done.

Plays of the Day for the Champions League final between Lions and Sydney Sixers in Johannesburg

Firdose Moonda at the Wanderers28-Oct-2012Bowling decision of the day With an attack that includes three of Australia’s most promising quicks, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, it was somewhat surprising to see Sydney open the bowling with spin. Nathan McCullum was given the new ball, perhaps not such an unprecedented act because Sydney used Steve O’Keefe in the same role against Yorkshire in the group stage. But it was definitely surprising when they gave O’Keefe the ball for the second over to begin with spin from both ends. It was move that paid off handsomely.Panic and more panic moments of the day When the Lions lurched to 8 for 3 after three overs, they had to do some damage control. Sohail Tanvir was sent in up the order at No.5 but things got even worse three balls later when Alviro Petersen went forward to an O’Keefe delivery and edged tamely to slip. All talk of the World T20 final dissipated as the dreaded “choke” word crept out of its hole again.Near run-out of the day Jean Symes and Thami Tsolekile put the Lions back on vaguely respectable ground and then had to up to the run-rate. Symes made it his responsibility to call for quick singles and when he edged an O’Keefe ball to the offside, scurried through. Brad Haddin, despite his injured thumb, managed a quick pick up and his throw to the non-strikers’ end was good. The bowler could not pick up cleanly but if he had, Symes could have been well out.Wicket of the day The Lions batted so badly that by the final over the tournament’s top wicket-taker, Mitchell Starc had not even claimed a scalp. But they did save one for him. When Aaron Phangiso tried to pull Starc but ended up doing nothing more than awkwardly hitting him to fine leg, Josh Hazelwood was there to ensure Starc a wicket.Drop of the daySydney were cautiously building their total and the Lions seemed to be able to do nothing to make them take a risk. After the Powerplay, Phangiso was called on and he gave them their first chance. Lumb charged him and hit to long-off where Gulam Bodi was positioned. He put both hands up in front of his face, but the ball slipped through and ricocheted off his shoulder to the boundary. Lumb was on 17.Punch of the dayBrad Haddin also got another chance. When he flicked Dirk Nannes down to deep square, he had not got hold of it properly and Dwaine Pretorius was in the perfect position to catch it. With hands above his head, all he managed to do was help the ball over the boundary, in front of the Sydney dugout. He had to make his way through them to collect the ball afterwards.Coup of the dayWhen the match started, Lumb was 58 runs behind the leading run scorer and fifth on the overall list. Four South African batsmen were ahead of him: Bodi, Neil McKenzie, Jacques Rudolph and Henry Davids. To leapfrog all of them he needed the two playing in the match, Bodi and McKenzie to score very little, and for him to post a half-century and more. It was possible though it seemed unlikely. Bodi managed 6 and McKeznie 0 respectively and Lumb’s flick to deep midwicket at the end of the 11th over saw him overtake them all.

Just the way to spend a Saturday

Manish Achuth 01-Sep-2012Choice of game
I have watched most of the Test matches played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium since 2004. The last time I went there for a Test, I was privileged to see a masterclass in batting by Sachin Tendulkar. Though age has caught up with the great man, I felt a special innings was around the corner and was hoping to be at the stadium when he batted.Key performer
Virat Kohli played a significant innings of the day. He was slow to start and was overshadowed by Suresh Raina, he paced his innings brilliantly. He played two straight drives that would have made Tendulkar proud. But it was a pull off Doug Bracewell that made the crowd rise to its feet.Innings of the day
Raina may look at this knock as a turning point in his Test career. He played good strokes, and there were none of those swipes and hoicks he uses in the shorter formats. He wasn’t severely tested by the short ball, but he played them competently and displayed his growing confidence with a controlled pull, Bracewell being the victim again.One thing I’d have changed
I am an unabashed admirer of Chris Martin. He is the kind of cricketer I like – hardworking, honest and someone who can laugh at himself. I was hoping he would play and I would get a chance to watch him bat.Wow moment
Kohli played two cover drives that would have gone to boundary but for Brendon McCullum. He stopped it inches from the rope with acrobatic saves both times. The crowd appreciated the effort every time the replay was shown on the giant screen.Crowd meter
Test matches in Bangalore have always had good crowds. After defeating Australia in 2010, MS Dhoni even went on to say that the Bangalore crowd was the 12th man. I was a bit apprehensive about the crowd turnout for this game, considering that New Zealand was a low-profile team. But because the ticket prices were low (gallery tickets were Rs 50), a lot of people turned up and in the ensuing chaos to enter the stadium, I missed the remainder of the New Zealand innings. The noise generated by the spectators more than made up for the few unoccupied seats in the stadium.Tests v limited-overs
I have watched IPL games at the same stadium, but I prefer the quiet calm associated with Test matches. The blaring music and fireworks are not for me. The gallery stand, which gives the spectator a midwicket view, was a nice vantage point to observe the game from.Interplay I enjoyed most
Dhoni forced Jeetan Patel to adapt a defensive line by attacking him as soon as he came on strike. His first six was the trademark helicopter shot, the second was more of a mishit that went to midwicket. Patel immediately went around the wicket and adopted a more defensive leg stump line.Marks out of 10
This was a good day of Test cricket with plenty of runs and wickets. The only thing I would change was the over-rate. At the end of the day, nine overs were yet to be bowled – this despite having an early start and the using of the extra half hour. The game is nicely balanced with both teams happy with the days’ proceedings. The cricket today gets 8 from me.

Tributes to Tony Greig, who died in Sydney at the age of 66

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Dec-2012″Tony was a tough opponent who took on all opposition with aggression and a determination to win. He had a take-no-prisoners attitude which helped him lead England with flair and toughness. He was a genuine allrounder who in turn was an integral part of World Series Cricket’s success. Once his playing days were over Tony offered an insightful commentary. We will not forget the way he stirred the viewers in a similar vein to the way he did to opposition teams. He will be sadly missed.”
“I was only speaking with Tony a couple of days ago so news of his passing is absolutely devastating. Tony has a long and decorated history with international cricket both as a player and commentator and cricket will be much poorer for his loss. Personally, he has also been a great mentor for me, providing great advice through the good times and the bad.”
, the Australian captain, in The Age.”Tony was a very willing opponent on the field, but was equally willing as a friend off the field. He made himself into a successful Test cricketer and Test captain by that willingness to take the game up to his opponent whether with bat or ball. He was also one of the best slip catchers of all time. I got to know Tony well during the World Series period and have worked with Tony many times since as a commentator. His enthusiasm for the game and his combative nature came to the fore in this role as well and while he was always happy to stir the Australian audiences, behind the scenes he loved this country as much as we do. My memories of Tony are of his gregariousness and his generosity of nature.”
.”I don’t know as a player whether he was an icon. I think in some ways he’ll be remembered more for his commentary in Australia. I don’t think that is a bad thing to say about him because he was very special as a commentator. He got the place alive and working, that Channel 9 commentary box. He loved the game and he served the game very well.”
.”It’s a deeply upsetting time for his family and for everyone associated with Tony at Nine, and indeed for many, many others who came to know and love the man. He’s not only been part of our family, but he’s had a seat at the head of the table.”
“He was a combative on-field rival of Australian cricket but became one of Australian cricket’s firmest friends, with his long-running role as a Channel Nine commentator making him an Australian household name.”
.”Tony did so much for the game of cricket & always stood up for what he believed in & had the game of cricket at heart, we will all miss him.”
“As a superb all-rounder, ambitious national captain and authoritative commentator over the best part of half a century, Greig’s standing in the game is matched by very few others. Australia has lost one of the iconic voices of sport.””Vale Tony Greig, a good man, a strong man, a trailblazer, a crash-hat wearer. Pitch reporters have lost their patron ..summer is poorer.”
.”Tony Greig will forever be in our commentary box. RIP Tony. It was a privilege to play against you and to work with you.”
.”Awfully sad news with Tony Greig’s passing. A significant contributor to players’ rights worldwide and never afraid to speak his mind.”
.”There isn’t a single professional cricketer playing today who does not owe him a debt of gratitude for the role he played in the 1970s in vastly improving their working conditions and making professional cricket a viable and attractive career proposition.”
“He was a giant of a man who played a major role in the changing face of cricket during the 1970s. He will be fondly remembered for his informed commentaries, his embracing of innovation to enhance the game including day/night cricket as well as his performances on the field of play.”
.”Tony will long be remembered as someone who gave so much to cricket in this country and in particular to the development of the sport in this State. As someone who resided in Sydney and was an outstanding cricketer with the Waverley Cricket Club, Tony was actively involved in the promotion of cricket at junior level, particularly through his close relationship with the Scots College. He was forthright and passionate about the game and always thinking about how it could move forwards and develop.”
.”Can’t believe one of my heroes Tony Greig has passed away. One of the greatest voices in cricket and will be sorely missed.”
.”His cricketing talents were combined with a fierce competitive nature and, as such, his personality was imprinted on any team he represented. I consider myself very fortunate to have played in the same Sussex team as Tony, and saw first-hand his resolute love of cricket.”
.”RIP Tony Greig. You have left a great footprint on the world of cricket.My condolences to the Greig family.”
“Saddened to hear the passing away of Tony Greig, RIP. Great commentator,mentor, player & friend will be missed by the cricketing family.”
on Twitter.“RIP Tony Greig. So many memories. So much to thank him for, for where themodern game is, along with many of his mates @ the time.”
.”RIP Tony Greig. Mentor and friend. We will miss you, a genuine friend andadmirer of SL cricket. It was indeed a pleasure to have known you!”
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