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South Africa’s all-round strength makes them firm favourites against an inexperienced Pakistan team missing its two best fast bowlers.

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan11-Nov-2010Zulqarnain Haider’s departure from the squad is just another addition to the long list of issues that have plagued Pakistan for a while now. Misbah-ul-Haq, in his new role as captain, leads a talented, yet highly inexperienced side in the two Test series against an in-form South Africa, which features the first ever Tests to be played at Dubai and Abu Dhabi.Pakistan’s recent Test form has been quite poor: they lost a controversial series 3-0 in Australia in January 2010, which included a close defeat in the second Test in Sydney. Top-class swing bowling by Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir helped them level the two-match series against Australia in England, but the following series against England was a disaster: they were bowled out three times below 100 and lost three of the four matches by huge margins. The sole consolation was a four-wicket win at The Oval, which was brought about by excellent bowling by Amir and Wahab Riaz.

South Africa have done much better in the last couple of years, which is also why they are ranked second in the ICC Test ratings, while Pakistan are sixth. South Africa created history in January 2009 by becoming the first team in over 15 years to win a Test series in Australia, but were defeated 2-1 by Australia in the home series that followed. They drew the two-match series in India 1-1, following up a comprehensive innings victory in Nagpur with a heavy defeat in Kolkata. Their last series was in March 2010, when they comfortably beat West Indies 2-0 away. The last series between the two teams was played in Pakistan in October 2007, when South Africa won 1-0.

Hashim Amla has been in outstanding form over the last two years aggregating over 1500 runs at an average of 58.12. Since November 2009, he has been even more prolific, scoring nearly 1000 runs at an average of 65. In the two-Test series in India, he made a double-century in Nagpur followed by twin hundreds in the Kolkata Test. Jacques Kallis, who had an ordinary 2008, has bounced back in 2010, averaging more than 60. While JP Duminy’s Test form has fallen drastically since his fantastic start against Australia in December 2008, his recent ODI performances have been encouraging.

In the absence of Salman Butt, Imran Farhat will come under pressure to deliver at the top of the order. The line-up includes the experienced Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, which is a major boost, considering that Pakistan’s fragile batting has capitulated so often in the last few matches. The talented Umar Akmal proved to be Pakistan’s best batsman on the disastrous England tour and his positive approach will be vital in an otherwise thin lower middle order.

Dale Steyn has been the world’s best fast bowler over the last two years averaging just over 24. He picked up eleven wickets at an average of just over 20 on the Indian tour. His superb spell of 7 for 51 set up South Africa’s victory at Nagpur. Morne Morkel has done well on bouncy pitches in South Africa, but could struggle on slower surfaces in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Paul Harris did not have a great time in the two Tests in India, where he picked up five wickets at a very high average of almost 60, but he will provide the South African attack with the much needed variety on the spin-friendly pitches.Pakistan’s attack has been severely depleted in the absence of Asif and Amir, who were the best bowlers on the England tour. Wahab Riaz, who picked up a five-wicket haul in Pakistan’s win at The Oval, will lead the pace attack along with Mohammad Sami, who last played in the Sydney Test in January 2010. Saeed Ajmal bowled quite well on the England tour, picking up 12 wickets in three Tests, and will lead the spin attack in the absence of Danish Kaneria.Abu Dhabi and Dubai host their first ever Test matches after a thrilling one day series which South Africa won 3-2. The pace bowlers had a slightly better time than the spinners; they picked up 42 wickets in the five matches at an average of 36.33, while the spinners averaged more than 42 for their 23 wickets.The conditions could be difficult for fast bowling, but South Africa will rely heavily on the strike power of Steyn, who has been their best matchwinner, picking up 149 wickets at an average of 15.85 in wins. He has been one of the quickest to the 200 wicket mark in Tests, achieving it in his 39th Test, while his strike rate of 39.2 is the best among bowlers who have picked up more than 200 wickets.Going by Steyn’s record against right- and left-handers, Pakistan would be well advised to open their batting with left-handers Farhat and Taufeeq Umar. That’s because Steyn has been far more successful against right-hand batsmen, picking up 145 wickets at a stunning average of 18.07. Among right-handers, Ricky Ponting is one of the few right-handers who has done well against him, scoring 115 runs at nearly five runs per over and being dismissed only once. Against left-handers, Steyn has been less effective, picking up 66 wickets at an average of 31.53. Andrew Strauss has been the best left-hander against Steyn, scoring 161 runs and being dismissed only once.

The India coach is in a territory he’s often stayed out of since he took charge. He’s in the limelight, and his familiarity with South Africa has a lot to do with it

Sidharth Monga in Centurion13-Dec-2010Gary Kirsten’s shoulder has played a major role in India’s rise as a team during the almost three years that he has spent with them. He is supremely fit for a man his age, for someone who last played international cricket six-and-a-half years ago, fitter probably than some of his wards. No one has kept a count on the number of balls he throws down to the Indian batsmen in the nets, but here is an estimation guide: in every nets session he gives each batsman about 40 throwdowns. And there is at least one nets session before every international match to go with the training camps and pre-tour preparations where he goes absolutely berserk working at the batsmen’s techniques. Just count the number of games India play, and the number of batsmen they have, and do the math.And these are not half-hearted throwdowns from the middle of the pitch. These come at full pace, from across the whole 22 yards. And he is no bowling machine. He adjusts according to batsmen’s weaknesses, the conditions and the opposition bowlers’ strengths. He scuffs up the balls to swing them at times, and sometimes he uses soft balls and serves them with a tennis racquet to either get prodigious swing or the disconcerting bounce. After almost every shot he gives the batsmen feedback on their position, their bat swing, their feet movement. He puts an arm around Gautam Gambhir’s shoulder and talks, he keeps joking with Virender Sehwag, and he has long earnest discussions with Sachin Tendulkar, who incidentally is the biggest fan of Kirsten’s throwdowns and always keeps asking for more.When somebody plays a good shot, he shouts “shot” followed by the batsman’s full name; when somebody doesn’t he comes up close and tries to understand why he might not be playing good shots.On one of the most important tours his team is on, one that he says could be the “defining moment”, he has been pulled out of his comfort zone. His comfort zone has been to stay away from the limelight, to let his team express itself, and in the process give him expression. His comfort zone has been to try and put the team in a happy place, to allow it to make optimum use of the talent he knows it has. Suddenly, though, with his being a South African, everybody is talking of the effect Kirsten’s knowledge of the local conditions and the psyche of the South African players might have on the outcome of the series.There was also a small matter of having convinced the BCCI to do something unprecedented, to make them pull out many of the star players from a home ODI series, a big commercial draw, and send them to South Africa early so they could get acclimatised with the conditions, so they could get into a happy place. Down here in South Africa he has had the team train at his academy for about a week. For a change Kirsten is drawing all the attention.Out of his comfort zone, Kirsten has shortened the lengths of his throwdowns, and is also running in a bit so that the balls are coming quicker at the batsmen. And he is getting them to bounce head high on the practice pitches at the Supersport Park in Centurion, where two days of drizzle and cold weather finally gave way to a sunny Monday afternoon and a three-hour-long workout for the team. There is a lot of precision involved: the difference between the lengths of deliveries that Suresh Raina should sway away from and the ones he should duck under is less than a foot. And Kirsten keeps hitting those lengths. Raina sways out of the line of most, staying outside their line, and ducks under a few. Suddenly a full one arrives without warning, and Raina’s weight is not back and he drives handsomely. “Shot Suresh Raina.”When Tendulkar gets to face Kirsten, he requests for more even when his time is over and he is supposed to switch to the other net. Kirsten will be happy he has been shouting out full names often today. Especially Sehwag’s. He has an eye over at the adjoining nets too where Tendulkar – bowling with pads and the full batting gear save the helmet on – has caused a racket by bowling Gambhir around his legs. He joins in the laugh for a few seconds, and then gets back to his throwdowns.Kirsten is happy that the team is happy, looking prepared for their biggest challenge since their ascent to No. 1 started. And the team is happy with him. “Apart from having good players in the side, he was the one thing – you can say the best thing that happened to Indian cricket,” MS Dhoni says. He also adds that having Kirsten is a huge advantage coming to South Africa. “It is not only about the conditions, he also knows about the mindset of the players that are part of their side. Of course it is a good asset.”Over the next two days, Kirsten will do his utmost to prepare the team in the best possible way, for the conditions he knows and the opposition whose mindset he knows. But come 10 am on Thursday, when Dhoni walks out for the toss, he will disappear into the background again. His comfort zone.

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Pune Warriors at the Wankhede Stadium

Nitin Sundar20-Apr-2011Uthappa v Malinga ILasith Malinga returned for his second spell with half of Pune’s line-up already dismissed. Robin Uthappa, however, had survived the early damage and was looking to shift into a higher gear. Still, one expected him to shackle his usual audacity and guard his toes against the purple cap holder. Uthappa had other ideas, though. After spanking a full delivery straight down the ground for four, he took guard nearly a couple of feet out of his crease. Malinga did not like what he saw, and sent down a brute of a bouncer. Despite being well forward, Uthappa did well to duck before it took him with it.Uthappa v Malinga IIThat bouncer did not scare Uthappa one bit. He continued to stand well out of the crease, looking to press the front foot further ahead as Malinga steamed in for the 13th over. He must have been looking for the yorker this time, but the ball slipped out of the sling and hurtled across at head-height. Luckily, the line was as bad as the length and it slid down the leg side. Uthappa gave it a bewildered swat towards short midwicket. Sachin Tendulkar completed the catch, but it was quite clearly a no-ball for height.Pollard’s Flintoff-Afridi momentDespite those two iffy moments against Malinga, Uthappa had swaggered along to 45, when he tried to launch Ali Murtaza over long-on. He didn’t hit it cleanly though, and Kieron Pollard motored across to his left and dived forward to take a spectacular catch at close-to-full stretch. He got up on his knees, stretched his arms on either side à la Andrew Flintoff, and then held the pose in Shahid Afridi fashion, even as his team-mates converged.Thomas’ Pollard momentAlfonso Thomas was lurking in the deep when Ambati Rayudu looked to smash a six over wide long-off. He made solid contact and the ball seemed set to go all the way when Thomas reprised Pollard’s boundary stunt from the game against Kochi. Thomas back-pedalled, leapt up full length and caught the ball mid-air, but realising he was going to land behind the boundary, he dropped the ball back into play. If not for Thomas’ effort, Tendulkar would not have been on strike, and subsequently got out to the next ball.Rayudu takes a beatingIt wasn’t Ambati Rayudu’s best day. He fumbled a few behind the stumps after taking over wicketkeeping duties from Davy Jacobs, but his evening worsened when he was batting. They say the non-striker’s end is the best seat in the house when Tendulkar is in full flow, but the statement comes with some fine-print pertaining to personal safety. In the 13th over of the chase, Tendulkar lunged forward and smashed a Murali Kartik delivery straight at Rayudu. Despite his best efforts, Rayudu could not evade the missile and was left wincing after taking the blow on his hand. A couple of overs later, he missed a slow bouncer from Thomas that nipped in and hit his elbow. Ouch.The hyped analogy“Pune are the Manchester City of the IPL, they are just noisy neighbours” – an innocent piece of reader feedback raised the bar for what was anyway expected to be a close contest between India’s western neighbours. The Maharashtra derby, however, was a bit of a damp squib, last-ball finish notwithstanding. The smile on Yuvraj Singh’s face at the end of it all reiterated how far this game was from the ankle-crushing tackles of football derbies. The football connection, however, triggered off an avalanche of comments comparing cricketers to footballers. Sachin Tendulkar/Ryan Giggs was the most popular one while Sreesanth/El Hadj Diouf was somewhat left-field.

India’s opening tour match against Somerset will give a first glimpse of what could become one of the most intriguing battles of the summer: Andrew Strauss versus Zaheer Khan

Andrew McGlashan at Taunton14-Jul-2011England and India begin their Test series next week at Lord’s, but there will be an early taste of what’s on offer when the tourists play their three-day match against Somerset. And that’s not just because it will be a chance to see MS Dhoni’s team, but because it is set to be round one of Andrew Strauss versus Zaheer Khan.It’s not a contest that will decide the series – England are good enough to win without Strauss’s runs and India have other bowlers besides Zaheer – but it’s an intriguing head-to-head. Strauss has issues with left-arm quicks and Zaheer is the best in the business. For both players Taunton is important; Strauss ideally needs a decent score before the Test series and Zaheer needs miles in his legs having not played since the IPL.The two sides are, of course, seeing the opportunity very differently. Strauss is playing down the significance of the outing, suggesting he would need it even if he had scored plenty of runs against Sri Lanka rather than the 27 he managed in four innings, but there was a hint from Duncan Fletcher that India see it as a chance to make an early mark.”If he gets out early there’s a chance we’ll have something over him, but I believe our bowlers are pretty confident at the moment even if he does get runs,” Fletcher said. “You are allowed to get runs at some stage. From our point of view we have to be careful that there are other batsmen in that side we need to look at. The problem really lies with Straussy, if he feels he has a problem it’s more a concern for him than us.”MS Dhoni, meanwhile, had a wry grin when asked about his leading bowler against the England captain. “One thing for sure I won’t be thinking much about Zaheer versus Strauss,” he said. “Strauss will be batting and Zaheer bowling. It’s good practice for both of them and we’ll try to get the most we can out of this game because Zaheer hasn’t been bowling for a while. Records don’t play a big role.”Andrew Strauss does some work in the nets with former South Africa opener Jimmy Cook ahead of India’s tour match against Somerset•Getty ImagesStrauss, who spent part of the afternoon facing a bowling machine on the outfield, insists that what happens over the next three days won’t have a major bearing on the series. Since the end of the Sri Lanka Tests he has played one innings for Middlesex where he made 2 against Gloucestershire and has since been restricted to net sessions.”It’s not a gamble,” he said. “I’ve played no cricket for three weeks so it was crucial for me to be able to play some cricket this week. I don’t think I’ve ever taken part in a Test match having not played cricket for three weeks beforehand.”Thankfully this opportunity came up otherwise I would be probably be playing a second team game for Middlesex somewhere. What I do this week is not going to have a dramatic effect on the Test series but it will be nice to get some runs to feel confident, see a lot of their bowling and move to Lord’s in a good frame of mind.”Strauss’s form – and his performance against Zaheer – is just one of many potential themes that will emerge over the next five weeks, which is what makes for such an enticing prospect. It was confirmed on Thursday that if England win the series by two clear Tests they will overtake India and secure the No. 1 spot for the first time.It has been the stated ambition of the Strauss-Flower regime to propel England to the top but now that it’s within touching distance the captain doesn’t want minds to wander away from the smaller goal of each Test match.”It’s possible to jump up rankings and fall back over a couple of games,” Strauss said. “I think what we’re looking at is to become No.1, but a little more sustained than that. It would be great if we can achieve this goal this summer. But I wouldn’t say the hard work would be done then. It’s one thing being No.1 in the world but quite another to be acknowledged all round as No.1 in the world.”

Five one-day international sides that have left a lasting mark on the game

George Dobell01-Dec-2011Australia 1999-2007
No side has dominated the ODI format for as long or as completely as Australia. On several occasions they strung together lengthy winnings runs – including a record 21 consecutive victories in 2003 – and their World Cup record is simply staggering: between 1999 and 2007 they lifted three consecutive World Cup trophies; between 1999-2011 they won 25 consecutive World Cup games and went 34 consecutive games without a defeat.It was a team blessed with several outstanding individuals: Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting played in all three World Cup finals in those years, with Gilchrist and Ponting both claiming Man-of-the-Match awards in the 2007 and 2003 finals respectively and McGrath claiming the Man-of-the-Tournament award in 2007.But perhaps the most impressive aspect of this team was the way in which they kept reinventing themselves. Even after losing a player as valuable as Shane Warne, who won the match award in the 1999 World Cup final, Australia found a replacement in the form of Brad Hogg who slipped into the winning culture and found a way to sustain the unprecedented record of dominance.West Indies 1975-1984
The ODI game has changed enormously since its early years. In those days the game was played in whites, with a red ball, sometimes over 60 overs and without the fielding restrictions and power-plays with which we are now familiar. In some ways, the World Cup finals played at Lord’s in 1975 and in Mumbai in 2011 are different sports.Yet few would dispute the abundant talent in the Caribbean in the late seventies; or the ability of such great players to have adapted and flourished in the current environment. Any side blessed with the likes of Viv Richards (who may well have been the best ODI batsman in the history of the format), Clive Lloyd and Andy Roberts (all three of whom played in the first three World Cup finals), as well as, at various times, Gordon Greenidge, Rohan Kanhai, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall Desmond Haynes and Collis King – who memorably out shone Richards at his best for a glorious hour in the World Cup final of 1979 – could never be described as anything less than magnificent. They defeated a formidable Australia side in a pulsating 1975 World Cup final, before repeating their success in 1979.There were reverses. New Zealand and Australia both inflicted series defeats, while India upset the odds memorably by seizing the 1983 World Cup. Few, however, would dispute that the West Indian team of the period produced the first great ODI side.Sri Lanka 1996
Was this the moment Sri Lankan cricket came of age? Instilled with belief by their pugnacious captain, Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka played a brand of thrilling, skilful cricket that confirmed their position among the world’s elite. Muttiah Muralitharan, a key member of the side and the leading wicket-taker in ODI history, referred to the win as “the most important cricketing thing” in his life and expressed his belief that it “brought us everything.”It was a side bursting with talent. Chaminda Vaas – who went on to become the fourth highest wicket-taker in ODI history – provided control and incision with the new ball, while Aravinda de Silva batted masterfully throughout the World Cup success and took the man of the match awards in both the semi and the final.It’s not quite true that this side invented pinch-hitting, but they certainly took the tactic to new heights. At a time when sides routinely accumulated 60 or so from their first 15 overs, openers Sanath Jayasuriya, the man if the tournament, and Romesh Kaluwitharana thrashed 117, 123 and 121 in those overs against India, Kenya and England respectively. Their total of 398 against Kenya remained the record ODI score for more than a decade. Some (particularly England supporters who recall the 5-0 annihilation of 2006 with shivers and Netherlands supporters who saw their team concede the record ODI score, 443, in Amstelveen) might argue that the team of 2006-07 was even stronger – blessed, as it was by then, with the likes of Lasith Malinga and Kumar Sangakkara – but, bearing in mind the wider significance of the World Cup triumph, it’s hard to deny the claims of the class of ’96.Imran Khan led from the front as Pakistan’s captain•Getty ImagesPakistan 1989-1992
A controversial selection, perhaps. Pakistan, for all their success, have never hinted at consistency and, even during their 1992 World Cup triumph, they flirted with failure. Had rain not intervened after they were dismissed for just 74 by England in Adelaide, Pakistan would have been heading home. As it was, Imran Khan’s ‘cornered tigers’ – infuriating and captivating in equal measure – produced some superb cricket to snatch the trophy. Who can forget Wasim Akram’s remarkable spell to seal the final?At their best, this was an irrepressibly wonderful side. Blessed with two of the great fast bowlers, Waqar Younis and Wasim, a fine legspinner in Mushtaq Ahmed and a coterie of devastating batsmen such as Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Salim Malik, Pakistan possessed all the ingredients to dominate world cricket. The key, however, was the strong leadership of Imran who succeeded where many before and since have failed, in harnessing the undoubted talent and channelling it into meaningful success.The World Cup was not their only triumph. Between 1989 and 1991 they also won the Nehru Cup (defeating India, Australia, England, Sri Lanka and West Indies) in India, The Champions Trophy (defeating India and West Indies) in UAE, The Austral-Asia Cup (defeating India, Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka) in UAE and The Wills Trophy (defeating West Indies and India) in UAE.It is telling that results paled after Imran’s retirement following the World Cup success, but few would deny that his team had played some of the some memorable and high-quality ODI cricket imaginable.India 2011
A daunting batting line-up – Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag MS Dhoni et al. – a vastly improved fielding unit and an attack boasting variation and control provided the basis of India’s second World Cup success. They became the first host nation to lift the trophy and, after several years of planning and building, developed what their influential coach, Gary Kirsten, referred to as “a sense of destiny” about their triumph.If Yuvraj Singh, for all excellent all-round contributions, fully deserved the Man-of-the-Tournament award, it was surely fitting that Dhoni, with a masterful, unbeaten innings of 91, should take the man of the match award in the final. Calm and authoritative, in success or failure, Dhoni united his talented side and, when it counted, ensured they kept their heads under pressure.There are caveats. South Africa beat them in a series before the World Cup and in the group stages during it. An injury-weakened India lost away to England and some doubts persist about the comfort of some Indian batsmen on quicker surfaces. But the way they bounced back to thrash England in India provided a powerful reminder that, at least in Asian conditions, the side of 2011 is formidable.The India side of the mid-80s has a decent case for inclusion, too. Not only did they win a World Cup in 1983 (and anyone who think that fortunate should bear in mind India also beat West Indies in the group stages), but they won every game in the 1984-85 Benson and Hedges World Championship of Cricket (defeating England, Australia, Pakistan and New Zealand in the process) in Australia and the Rothmans Four Nations Cup (in the UAE) a few months later.

Australia’s inconsistency in the CB series and their listlessness in the second final cannot be put down solely to Ponting’s absence. But, as Mickey Arthur, says it is difficult to replicate Ponting’s intensity

Daniel Brettig07-Mar-2012Dare it be said that 17 days after the national selectors deemed it the right time for Ricky Ponting to move on the Australian one-day team is missing him? Perhaps not his batting, which had offered nothing in his final five innings, but certainly his dressing-room influence, energy, drive and focus.While Michael Clarke and Shane Watson seek to establish their leadership axis on the eve of the West Indies tour, the team around them has looked listless in the field since the 30th over of the first CB series final, in Brisbane. Clarke’s face has looked sterner in the past 48 hours than at almost any stage of his captaincy so far, and Watson’s anger when a concerted caught-behind appeal was refused in Adelaide on Tuesday night was obvious to all. This team must now work out who will lift them out of their fast-onset slumber.”I said when I took over the captaincy there were going to be some challenges and this is probably one of them,” Clarke said after the first final. “We’re playing against a very good team full of confidence, and we have to play our best cricket and turn things around very quickly to win the third final. But it is 1-1 in this finals series, so I don’t think we’re doing that badly, that’s for sure. I’m confident the boys will get out there in a couple of days and play our best cricket.”Both Clarke and Watson have their own problems to confront. Clarke is now sidelined by a serious hamstring strain, and will be out of action for about a month. In a trice the team has lost its best batsman and most capable leader. Watson must assume the mantle in Clarke’s absence, as he fights to re-establish himself after a three-month injury layoff. While his bowling has been sound since his return, Watson is battling for timing and rhythm with the bat.Under them is a team that is confronting its first significant flat spot for some time. With the exceptions of stormy Test matches in Cape Town and Hobart, the team led by Clarke has been operating on a steady upward curve for almost 12 months. Limited-overs series wins in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa, coupled with steadily improving Test results, have demonstrated plenty of discipline, focus and the desire to improve. Ponting was a part of all those squads.In his absence this series, Australia have performed passably, have alternated wins with losses, and have now struck a particularly poor phase in the field. Bowlers are struggling to maintain their line and length, fielders are proving sloppy, and even Clarke’s usually sharp judgement has been questionable at times – note his angry slap of the turf after positioning only one slip for James Pattinson’s outswing in the second final.”We’re giving away too much width more than anything else,” Clarke said of his bowlers. “We’re getting a little bit of swing but we’re giving good players width, and you can’t afford to do that on good batting pitches like that [Adelaide]. We’ve got to be more disciplined with our areas, I said that the other night [in the first final] and unfortunately once again we didn’t execute anywhere near as well as we would have liked. But it’s all facets contributing to the loss: our fielding was sloppy and we were probably 40 runs short of the total we wanted on that pitch, with fairly small square boundaries.”Australia’s coach Mickey Arthur is in no doubt that Ponting has left a significant gap in the team. Ponting’s relentless pursuit of fitness, success and consistency often left him as the last man on the field at training, long after younger and fresher legs had been exhausted. Arthur said Michael and David Hussey had filled some of the breach, while David Warner also acted as a source of energy, and runs.”We’ve certainly asked for other guys to take on that mantle and the guys have tried to step up,” Arthur said. “But you don’t replace that intent, that ability to execute his [Ponting’s] all-round [game], that aura that Ricky had in the dressing room, you never replace that easily. But it is a team in change now and the other guys need to step up to the plate.”I’ve certainly seen Michael Hussey stand up a little bit, David Hussey has stood up a little bit, and we’re hoping Davey Warner stands up as well, and certainly with his form he’s taken that mantle on properly.”The difficulties faced by the Australian team towards the end of a long and demanding summer – it is set to continue in the West Indies – go beyond the decision to jettison Ponting. But it is significant that the downturn has accompanied his absence. Watson, Clarke and the selectors are now aware of precisely how much was lost with Ponting’s removal. It will be a major step for the team if they can conjure the right result without him in the third final.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

The celebrations were not restrained in Bangladesh after they made the final, but Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal said they were not yet finished

Siddarth Ravindran in Mirpur20-Mar-2012As soon as Nasir Hossain pushed the ball past mid-on to complete one of the greatest achievements in Bangladesh cricket, the Shere Bangla turned into a frenzy of celebration. The players rushed out to grab stumps as souvenirs, they took off on a joyous lap of honour with Nasir egging the already partying fans to shout some more, the bowling coach Shane Jurgensen was using his iPad to capture the crazy scenes, the watching Prime Minister came down to congratulate the team, and even when the post-match presentation began, the players were jumping up and down in a delirious huddle.When a beaming Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal walked in for the press conference, they were greeted by boisterous applause from the journalists, and one of the items on the agenda was when to present the birthday boy Tamim his cake. All the rejoicing and backslapping made it seem as though this Bangladesh team had already considered its work done for the Asia Cup, but Tamim corrected that impression with his first answer.”It’s a great achievement for the country, so far the biggest,” Tamim said, before adding, “We realise it’s still not over, we have another very important game. We’ll enjoy tonight, we’ll party, but tomorrow we’ll be back to business. I hope we will fire on the 22nd.”Tamim, through grinning through most of the press conference, was more composed than Shakib. Normally a man of few words, Shakib couldn’t stop talking after the win. “I can’t understand what my feelings are,” he said. “Of course when I talk to the team-mates I will realise what this is. I am very excited, very happy because we don’t usually achieve such things.”Nasir Hossain’s winning runs were the start of a massive party•AFPShakib, too, wasn’t basking in satisfaction, and was already setting his sights on more glory. “If we win in the final, it will be the best moment of my career,” he said. “We know that nothing is impossible and the way we are playing we will do well in the final.”Bangladesh have always been capable of one-off upsets, catching the bigger teams on an off day, but rarely have they been able to string together a series of strong performances. Shakib underlined the importance of their efforts over the past week. “We never played well in the Asia Cup so it is really big,” he said. “We beat the current world champions and runners-up, which is a huge achievement for us. It gives us a lot of confidence, teaches us a lot of things. This change will take us a long way.”Shakib highlighted the difference between the current team and the ones in the past, when Bangladesh were involved in lots of so-near-yet-so-far losses. “I think when we talk in the dressing room its like, 100 runs in 20 overs is no problem. This is the sort of confidence that we have now,” he said. “Cricket is a mental game so this confidence is very important. If a player goes down the wicket and thinks he’ll get stumped, he will. If he thinks he will hit a six, he’ll be successful at most times.”As the press conference wound down, the cake was brought out, Shakib handed over his party hat to Tamim and led the cheers for the birthday boy amid much laughter. Amid all the elation, both players had made it clear Bangladesh weren’t done yet.The fans, though, were in no mood to think of tomorrow. Even hours after the game, they were gathered outside the stadium, dancing in the streets, banging their drums, blowing their horns at every passing car, and shouting their victory. There was such pandemonium that a TV journalist decided to get on the roof of a nearby bus, so that he and his cameraman would have an undisturbed spot to telecast from. Friday’s win had set off what must surely have been the biggest celebrations for a victory in an Asia Cup match; today’s party promises to top that. Imagine Thursday.

An amusing travelogue where cricket is a sidelight, written by two fans who are insiders as well as outsiders

Alex Bowden04-Aug-2012The law of diminishing returns applies to even the best Test series. I’ve already read two books about England’s last tour of Australia, and I also watched it, listened to it, read about it, and wrote about it at the time. As such, I have to admit to approaching with a degree of trepidation. This was compounded by the fact that it’s a book about following the team as a fan. I’ve read a few of those too.The twist is that the authors, Stuart Croll and David Alexander, are Scots supporting England. This is fairly unusual, but is it really worth 300-plus pages?While the premise seems limp and uninspired, it doesn’t really matter because the whole thing is saved by the quality of the writing.On my website, I publish match reports from readers. The submission guidelines are very straightforward: on no account should you mention the actual cricket. Croll and Alexander have adopted a similar approach. The point is that if someone wants to find out about a cricket match, they come to ESPNcricinfo or they buy a newspaper. With something as well documented as the Ashes, the more a writer focuses on the action, the more pages he wastes. Croll and Alexander sidestep this by focusing on what we don’t see while we’re sitting at home.As much as anything, this book is about being in Australia. It is not a cricket book. It is a humorous travel book where cricket is the theme. They do attend the matches, but the action only really matters for its impact on those watching. Other than that, they see the sights, they go for a beer, and Stuart has a series of arguments in phone shops. It’s relaxed and funny, but serious points are made from time to time as well.It was a struggle to get into the writing early on. The jokes are frequent and for the first few chapters the relentless whimsy was a little bit wearing. However, this feeling didn’t last. I don’t know whether I warmed to the style or whether the rhythm settled down a bit, but it didn’t take long before I was absorbed as well as amused.Maybe I came to trust the writers (there’s only one narrator, incidentally, despite there being two authors). The great benefit of being Scots supporting England is that they are both insiders and outsiders and can therefore offer perspective. They are emotional fans but can also see the intrinsic pointlessness of it all, which gives rise to a healthy distrust of the nationalistic tribalism that can sometimes infect sports fans.The feeling of being part of a group while simultaneously apart from it applies to their relationship with the Barmy Army as well. Both are members, but they haven’t been conscripted. Instead, they dip in and out, frequently going off to do other things. Equally they clearly love Test cricket without being in thrall to tradition. In a world of extremes, they provide a happy middle ground.If there is a criticism, it is that the editing is a bit slapdash. Rogue words crop up in the middle of sentences quite regularly – the kind of thing that could easily be spotted with a quick read-through. It’s annoying and the book deserves better, not least because all proceeds go to the Lord’s Taverners, who strive to improve the lot of disadvantaged young people through cricket.Australia Blues
by Stuart Croll and David Alexander
Jibba Jabba Publishing

Despite their excellent record in world tournaments, New Zealand lack an edge to their cricket

Sidharth Monga01-Oct-2012Less than a fortnight after receiving their Spirit Of Cricket Award, New Zealand already seem to have done enough to win another. When a debutant bowler was hit in the face, Brendon McCullum and Rob Nicol – never mind his Italian mob guy looks – didn’t for a moment think of running off the ricochet, instead showing concern for Akila Dananjaya. It becomes all the more significant when you look at the result: a tied Super Eights match against Sri Lanka, after which the Super Over – not quite as preposterous as the bowl-out, yet not quite cricket – denied them the points.It is tempting to think how many other batsmen would have reacted in a similar manner in a format where hitting and running like hell is just the thing to do. Forget the spirit of cricket, though. New Zealand have won hearts over the years with their show at world events: their seven semi-finals in 14 World Cups across formats is second only to Australia’s semi-final record.They haven’t gone past any of those semi-finals, though. So they are a general nice team that try hard, reach the last four, but mean no offence. They were not even behind the change of water suppliers at this World Twenty20, although their players suffered the most gastric problems. It is endearing all right for neutral supporters, but their fans and players have to be sick of these frustrating misses.They might be massive overachievers to some, but on days like the last day of matches in their Super Eights group, you wonder if there are bigger underachievers around. They had no business losing, and they had only themselves to blame. Despite stomach bugs, sore Achilles, a key player’s personal issues keeping him out and botched batting orders, on pitches increasingly helping spinners, they still came to within scoring 140 in 20 overs with 10 wickets in hand of giving themselves a fair chance of making it to their eighth World Cup semi-final.Yet, with no obvious pressure of extraordinary bowling – not until Sunil Narine bowled the 17th and 19th overs for just five runs – their batsmen bottled it. They were up against three specialists bowlers, and Darren Sammy and other bits-and-pieces men, but no one other than Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum could score at more than a run a ball.Taylor, the lone man on the burning deck, who almost single-handedly tied the game, and changed his gameplan on the spot to counter Marlon Samuels’ 125kmph darts from two steps, was too gutted to talk about what happened. “We gave it our best. At times we didn’t execute as we would have liked. We lost key moments in the game against Sri Lanka and again here today,” was all he could say.Ask him of the luck involved in the Super Over, and Taylor goes, “No, I think execution comes into it,” Taylor said. “There’s a bit of luck that goes into everything you do, but there’s a lot of training and thought that goes into all aspects of the game. It just wasn’t our day.”Niceness again. You want some badness from New Zealand at such times. You want them to complain of the seven runs that Steve Finn’s kicking of stumps cost them. You want them to complain about the absurdity of a Super Over in non-knockout games. They just stay nice, racking up spirit-of-cricket points.There is no empirical study that will tell you niceness equals lack of ruthlessness, or if New Zealand have not found themselves out of their depth in some of these semi-finals, but for once you want them to be dragged out of a World Cup. Kicking and screaming.

JP Duminy emerged from nowhere to star in South Africa’s first series win in Australia

Firdose Moonda06-Nov-2012After being completely outplayed in Australia in 2001-02, South Africa managed to just avoid a second whitewash when they returned in 2005-06.A draw in the first Test, in Perth, was somewhat cathartic for Jacques Rudolph. He scored an unbeaten century after being left out of the XI in all three matches of the previous visit because of a change in selection policy. But South Africa lost the next two Tests and returned home empty-handed again.By the time they made the trip four seasons later, South Africa were a team transformed. They had beaten England for the first time since readmission and went to Australia with a fresh mindset. There was not the excitement of 1993, or the false bravado of 2001, but a quiet confidence in their plans.The tour didn’t begin well, though, when a day before the first Test, Ashwell Prince, who had made two centuries in England and was a core part of South Africa’s middle order, injured his thumb in the nets. Losing him was a big blow, especially because his replacement, JP Duminy, was a rookie.”I was in the field catching for Paul Harris and I didn’t really bat much that day, because the playing XI got preference, when Mickey [Arthur] rushed over and said Ashwell had got hit,” Duminy said. “Mickey said I’ve got to get into the nets and prepare.”Duminy had a “sleepless night”, but when his phone buzzed early the next morning he knew what was coming. “Ashwell SMS-ed me at 6 o’clock to say he didn’t think he was going to be able to play, and he wished all the best to me, which was quite nice from his side.”Australia took a first-innings lead of 94, and Mitchell Johnson, who took 8 for 61, was looking dangerous. One of Johnson’s wickets was that of Duminy, although the South African batsman maintains he wasn’t out. “I got a bouncer from Johnson, was hit on the arm and got given out. So I was a little disappointed.”The short ball would go on to become Duminy’s nemesis further in his Test career, but only after his heroics in Perth and Melbourne.Australia scored 319 in their second innings, and even though none of their batsmen made hundreds in the match, they set South Africa 414 to win. It required a near-world-record chase*, and few thought South Africa could do it, given their reputation as chokers.Opener Neil McKenzie fell to Johnson for 10, but Graeme Smith added to his enormous pile of second-innings runs in successful chases with a stoic century, and Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis contributed fifties. On a fifth-day pitch that was as good as a third-day one, South Africa inched closer.With Kallis and AB de Villiers at the crease, they had the right mix of experience and aggression, but when Kallis was dismissed with South Africa still needing 111, the responsibility fell on young Duminy.”I was walking out and Kallis said to me as we passed each other, ‘Go make history.’ It’s something that I’ve always remembered, because that’s what it was. It was history in the making and it was a special effort from our side.”

“I was walking out and Kallis said to me as we passed each other, ‘Go make history.’ It’s something that I’ve always remembered”

Displaying remarkable clarity of mind and control, Duminy crafted a fine fifty and hit the winning runs. At no stage did he think South Africa would not get there. “We had six wickets in hand, the pitch was playing very well and AB was going well too. I thought we had the upper hand. I suppose, on the plus side, we didn’t lose any more wickets.”The victory represented more than just an odds-defying achievement. A series lead had been taken over the old enemy. “Going up 1-0 against Australia gave us the belief that we can chase down anything and that we can beat the Aussies in Australia,” de Villiers said. “That was a massive mental thing for us to get over.”Come Boxing Day, however, tension had mounted to the point of exploding. Ricky Ponting’s century was offset by the South African pace trio’s wickets, and Australia went to stumps at 280 for 6. On day two, Michael Clarke and the tail added another 114 runs, after which the Australian bowlers stuck into South Africa.With his side on 132 for 5, Duminy was presented with a different kind of pressure from that in Perth. His team’s hope that he could be like Prince and drag them out of trouble, his own uncertainty about his position and his game plan all weighed him down.”Leading up to that second game, I still wasn’t sure if I would play, because Ashwell was getting a lot of rehabilitation. There was still a chance of him playing, so I wasn’t sure where I stood until fairly late again. I just took the opportunity that arose. The team was in a bit of trouble when I went in to bat and I just took it ball by ball. Initially it was a little bit difficult, but it was just about absorbing that pressure.”Duminy lost partners steadily, though, and when Dale Steyn walked in at No. 10, South Africa were still 143 runs behind. “The partnership with Dale stands out because of the way he went about his business, Duminy said. “He was getting hit quite a few times on the body and [there were] one or two dropped catches.” Johnson struck Steyn on the left hand, Ponting dropped him at second slip, Michael Hussey at mid-on, and Nathan Hauritz off his own bowling. Steyn went on to score a career-best 76.Duminy accelerated at all the right moments – when the Australian seamers were tired and when Steyn was able to hold his own. When he got to his hundred, Duminy leaped up and punched the air. Mark Nicholas, on commentary, exclaimed, “You beauty, you superstar”.Duminy was finally dismissed for 166 and South Africa on 459. The lead of 65 was worth far more because of the psychological blows they had dealt Australia.Ponting led the reply with 99, but when South Africa were set only 183 to win, Australia’s series defeat was inevitable. Duminy did not have to bat again but there was no doubt that he was the architect of South Africa’s series win. “We had a team huddle and a meeting on the field, and a few guys spoke. There were definitely emotions around and we made memories I will always hold close,” Duminy said.South Africa were the first team to beat Australia at home in 16 years. That it came down to a player who would not even have featured in the series seemed to make it more special. De Villiers pointed out that the bowlers’ contributions were vital as well. “JP’s innings in Melbourne was special, but also the way our bowlers came to the party.” Steyn took ten wickets and his all-round performance earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.The champagne flows after the series win•PA PhotosAustralia pulled back a victory in Sydney but the Test is better remembered for Graeme Smith batting with a broken hand. He was given a thunderous standing ovation – an affirmation that he is one of the great captains of the game.The bulk of that 2008-09 South African squad are now back in Australia for more, and they hope to achieve the double – winning in England and Australia in the same year – again.This time, Steyn said, they are better prepared than before. “The last time, I wasn’t as prepared for how difficult the cricket was going to be or for the crowd’s abuse. This time I know what to expect.” But there is also the burden of expectations, which Duminy hopes they can shake off quickly. “Whatever happened four years ago is in the past. It’s about making new memories this time. The only difference is that we’ve come here now expecting to win, because we are the No. 1 Test team.”08:41:13 GMT, 6 November 2012: Corrected from “world-record chase”