The last post

It should have been this, and shown up here, but didn't. So here goes.

2-1 England and a prediction, revisited!

On why England will win the Ashes

1. Ricky Ponting's reverse reverse psycho-babble

Starting from questioning the schedule pre Cardiff through to questioning Jonathan Trott's place before the Oval Test, the Prick had an opinion on everything.

2. Fast Bowling depth

3. Spin Bowling depth

Two stats

Number of 5+ wickets in an innings

England - 4
Australia - 2

Number of times the side took 20 wickets

England - 2
Australia - 1

So, despite taking 84 wickets to 71, Australia's inability to take 20 wickets in a game cost them. And while England could call on Harmison and Onions from the bench, Australia had no fall back. And Australia's inability to get thier bowling order right ( except for Headingley) cost them.

4. Lee and Clark will be coming of injuries

Lee never played a test. Nuff said!

5. Match practice -

England were outplayed. Just look at the stats. And yet, when the big moments came, it was England that was able to put one over the Australians. There is merit in playing the West Indies in Tests, however weak the opposition. And there is virtue in lasting beyond the first week in the World T20 competition. England were pushed in the T20 Cup, and thus tested. Australia werent.

Therein lies the difference.

6. Home field advantage - Ask Malcolm Conn!

7. Because it is the Ashes

And it showed!

Truth be told, I am glad its over.. A dull series enlivened by the propensity of both teams to out do each other in the ineptness stakes.. So unlike 2005.

The problem with WADA

Many South African officials are still wary of speaking on the issue, given that it involves the powerful IPL, but the belief that Steyn was shabbily treated is clearly widespread. "He took a common headache medicine - Myprodol - containing codeine, which is not a prohibited substance. In certain people codeine can cause a high concentration of morphine in the urine. Anyone who has laboratory experience in analysing this situation knows that a slightly higher presence of morphine than otherwise permitted is totally acceptable where there is also this level of codeine," one CSA official said.

( A few days ago, I had an debate with Raja Bharadwaj on BCC! - here)

The ACSU makes its case

The Australian team management has filed a report with the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit after a player was approached by a man suspected of links to illegal bookmaking. Cricinfo has learned the approach was made in the bar of the team's London hotel, the Royal Kensington Garden, following Australia's Ashes defeat at Lord's in July.

So let me understand this

• There is a lot od chatter and rumor about the integrity of the IPL hosted in South Africa. Sufficient enough for the ACSU and, in turn the ICC, to be concerned.
• Logic would dictate that more stringent measures would be put in place given the ICC concerns and the fact that it is a World Cup. But no, there is a report of players being approached by bookmakers during the World Twenty20 held in England.
• Such things happen, but surely there is now a water tight case for the ACSU to put together measures to "provide a professional, permanent and secure infrastructure to act as a long term deterrent to conduct of a corrupt nature prejudicial to the interests of the game of cricket."
• And yet, after the Lords Test, there is the report that an Australia player was approached by a bookie. In the team hotel no less.
  

Has there ever been a stronger case for organizational incompetence? And doesn't the BCCI stand vindicated in that it did not invest the $1.2 million in paying an organization that is incapable of executing even the role it was tasked for in the first place?

How effective is the ACSU?

"We are aware of a number of approaches that were made to key players during the tournament, and they were reported to the Anti Corruption and Security Unit. We were provided with very helpful information," said the source, who added that none of the ICC Twenty20 matches had been fixed.

writes Scyld Berry.

"We didn't cover it [the second IPL] but, in terms of intelligence, the volume of rumours and noises raised concerns about its integrity. One of the most significant rumours was that a bookmaker seemed to have a surprising access to the players," the source said. "The second IPL should have been covered properly, and cricket has paid a price. It was a wake-up call that the game has taken too long to respond to."

So lets understand this

• The ICC deems the IPL a domestic event and therefore cannot be granted a window, so what is the jurisdiction of any of the ICC affiliated bodies over a "domestic event" ?

As regards the coverage by the ACSU of the IPL2, the argument I had made was

I recruit an organization to implement a certain project. They provide consultants for the job, requiring me to hire a whole new set of people to implement the project. So far so good.

Then those consultants, and the people hired for the implementation, are a bit too over zealous with their tasks. ( Shahrukh not allowed in the KKR dug out!)Again, so far so good.

Then the head of the consulting firm bad mouths the project after the implementation despite me ceding control to his organization to oversee the said project.

Then, when I have to implement the same project all over again this year, the consulting firm quotes an exorbitant price for its services.

So much for cricket paying the price. Anywho, the point of of creating the ACSU, per the ICC website is

ANTI-CORRUPTION

• To assist the ICC Code of Conduct Commission ('the Commission') and the Members of ICC in the eradication of conduct of a corrupt nature prejudicial to the interests of the game of cricket; and to provide a professional, permanent and secure infrastructure to act as a long term deterrent to conduct of a corrupt nature prejudicial to the interests of the game of cricket.

SAFETY & SECURITY

• To evaluate safety and security assessments and intelligence in order to provide advice to the ICC Chief Executive and/or the Executive Board of the ICC ('the Executive Board') in relation to: (a) any event or competition organised by the ICC; and (b) the provision of match officials for FTP commitments

Given that 9 years after it came into existence, players are still being approached by bookmakers speaks volumes of the efficacy of the ACSU to providing "a professional, permanent and secure infrastructure to act as a long term deterrent to conduct of a corrupt nature prejudicial to the interests of the game of cricket."

And given that the IPL is deemed a "domestic event" by the ICC, what is the locus standi of the ACSU given that its brief is "To evaluate safety and security assessments and intelligence in order to provide advice to the ICC Chief Executive and/or the Executive Board of the ICC ('the Executive Board') in relation to: (a) any event or competition organised by the ICC; and (b) the provision of match officials for FTP commitments "?

Isn't the "senior source at the International Cricket Council." protesting too much?And what is the ICC doing about such unsolicited leaks?

And what about the ACSU itself - other than being another level of bureaucracy in an already over crowded bureaucracy that is the ICC, how effective is it exactly ( other than arriving at the scene of the supposed crime after the fact, in true police fashion)?

PS:- "In keeping with ACSU protocols, no specifics will be discussed in relation to the investigation and no further comment will be made." - which begs the question - What action is the ICC going to take against the "senior source at the International Cricket Council."?

And the beat goes on... flip flop flip....

Yesterday it was

And the thorny issue of whether Pakistan will be able to travel to India and play World Cup games there is yet to be resolved.

Butt said the final decision on whether Pakistani cricketers will be allowed to go to India will be taken by the government.

''It's for our government to decide about it,'' he said.

Last year, India refused to send its team to Pakistan after a terrorist attack in Mumbai in November.

Since then, both countries have suspended sporting ties though there have been a couple of minor breakthroughs with Pakistan sending its squash and table tennis colts across the border for international events earlier this summer.

When asked whether there are any contingency plans in case political situation in 2011 prevents his team to play on Indian soil, Butt said there will be no World Cup without Pakistan.

''Off course, there are contingency plans,'' Butt said.

''If there are security problems then the World Cup will go to Australia and New Zealand. But if by any chance Pakistan cannot take part in it, then there will be no World Cup,'' stressed Butt, a former Test cricketer.

Today it is

Well-placed sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board told PTI that ICC President David Morgan, during his talks with PCB chairman Ejaz Butt, had assured that he would try to convince the BCCI to play a series in England.

"Morgan has made no promises but has assured Pakistan he would use his good offices to try to organise such a series next year," a source said.

India have suspended bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan since last November's the Mumbai terror attacks.

"The proposal is for three Tests, three One-dayers and a couple of Twenty20 matches," the source said.

He said Morgan had assured Pakistan he would try to do everything to help them overcome the financial loss caused due to the sifting of the World Cup matches from here due to security reasons.

Pakistan is due to play Australia next year in England apart from a separate series against Andrew Strauss' men.

"If India agrees the series could be squeezed in at a time when both teams are free of international commitments," the source said.

The source said Butt told Morgan that the PCB would lose nearly $70 million from television rights deal with Dubai based Ten Sports network if India didn't play a bilateral series in Pakistan.

Based on his utterences, Ijaz Butt makes a solid case for administrators to be included in the WADA regime!

The last post

Because I cannot be bothered anymore.

What point pontificating about the game when the outcome of a marquee series can be predicted so far in advance?

What point talking about the nuances and the vagaries of the game when the only nuance is the pitch being rolled twice instead of thrice and the only vagary is the wicket having four blades of grass instead of one?

Test Cricket is a joke, with anodyne wickets rolled out and semi skilled batsmen piling on runs like there is no tomorrow. And while it may provide enjoyment to some, I want no part of it.

"It's a fact of life that cricket can only survive and grow through finance, and much of that finance comes from revenue generated by broadcast and sponsorship revenue and attendances. So if matches don't run the distance, that can hit clubs and boards in the pocket."

"The ICC has not issued any such directive since my involvement with it began in 1999. It is also incorrect to say that the ICC wants to standardise pitches worldwide. Nothing is further from the truth. The preparation of pitches for all Test matches and ODIs is a matter entirely for each individual home board to manage when they are staging a match or a series under their control. "

When the ICC pitches manager makes the above comments with a straight face, no amount of pink balls and day night cricket and other fancy gimmicks is going to revive the game.

And thats fine by me.

I am content watching ODIs. Or Twenty 20 cricket. Because atleast then the expectations are clear - flat wicket, bowler's graveyard, batsmen swinging across the line. And the monotony lasts a few hours, not a few days.

When I first started analyzing Test series, it was in early 2003. India was to tour Australia and the Willow package cost $149.99. And conventional wisdom was that India would repeat its 1999 showing, if not a 4-0 mauling. With 150 bucks on the line, a cost benefit exercise was necessary. And I went ahead and bought the package, hoping against hope that India would turn out a credible performance and not get humiliated. They did better that expected.

By the time the South Africa series came around, it was much easier. It was simply a question of juxtaposing the strength of schedule, quality wins and player match ups. Because player match ups mattered then.

Shiraz prices led to an assessment of how India would fare in Australia but by the time the return series happened, the assessment was not even a challenge.

Ditto the South Africa tour to Australia. And now, the Ashes.

The one that got away was the return series in South Africa. But that was more to do with not factoring the South Africans not playing competitive cricket than an assessment of strengths and weaknesses.

So, what point assessing a series when the outcome of marquee series can be predicted based on who has the greater number of bowlers and the more variety in their bowling stocks and the stamina to bowl on dead, unresponsive wickets?

The joy of analysis for me is to be proven wrong in the analysis. Because that helps me re-evaluate and come up with more robust analyses. But given the way Test cricket is shaping up, its good bye to all that.

I would much rather focus on the domestic scene, where new and exiting talent is on display all the time. And where the expectations are lower and correspondingly, the disappointments.

And if that ceases to excite me, I will be content just watching him play-


With an unorthodox batting stance and the right team colors and with a seam position like this, whats not to like?

And in conclusion, I want to that each and every one of you who took time off their busy schedules to indulge me on the blog. Your readership was a huge motivation for sustaining the blog for over 2 and a half years. And to all of you who commented, a big thank you. Your insights have helped broaden my horizons and have helped me have a better understanding of the various facets and nuances of the game. But for you, my understanding of the game would have been limited.You have helped me stretch the boundaries of my limitations.

The tamasha will go on, but the dopaisekatamasha ends here.

Cheers.

Steps in the right direction

The BCCI has already disbursed Rs. 4 crore to each of the 25 State units as advance against TV subsidy

The BCCI increased the 2009-10 Ranji Trophy winner’s prize from Rs. 60 lakh to Rs. 2 crore

---

Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India at the working committee meeting here on Thursday said that its 25 State units would receive around Rs. 20 crore each for fiscal year 2008-09 as their share from the annual television subsidy and money earmarked from the IPL-II held in South Africa.

They were also informed that should all the international engagements be held in the 2009-10 fiscal year, the associations were likely to receive between Rs. 24 and Rs. 28 crore.

The BCCI has already disbursed Rs. 100 crore (Rs. 4 crore to each of the 25 State units) as advance against TV subsidy. In the coming months and after its 80th AGM there in the last week of September, the BCCI will remit the balance amount of around Rs. 500 crore.

“The sum would have been much more, but there was a revenue shortfall of Rs.59 crore because of the cancellation of the Pakistan tour and the curtailment of the England tour,” said Rajiv Shukla, Chairman of the Finance Committee, BCCI. The Champions League T20 was also cancelled after the terrorist attack in Mumbai.

Last year the 25-member units received a sum between Rs. 14 and 18 crore from the TV subsidy alone, with Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) receiving a maximum of Rs. 18.60 crore. In addition they received around. Rs.8 crore each from the IPL-I revenue.

First class players

The BCCI did not disappoint the first class players in the country. At its Working Committee meeting the BCCI increased the 2009-10 Ranji Trophy winner’s prize from Rs. 60 lakh to Rs. 2 crore.

It also earmarked Rs. 1 crore for the runner-up and Rs. 50 lakh each for the losing semifinalists.

With the increase in prize money for the national championship winner, an Elite Group cricketer who would play 11 or 10 matches league and knock out matches and goes on to be part of the Ranji Trophy winning team would take home around Rs. 19 lakh or Rs. 18 lakh.

And a Plate League cricketer who would play a maximum of eight league and knock out matches would take home around Rs. 13 lakh. In addition a cricketer who plays an additional 25 days of senior tournaments in the Duleep Trophy, Irani Cup and the inter-State one-day tournaments will take another Rs. 10 lakh, even should the BCCI maintain Rs. 40,000 match fee per day.

There was good news for women cricketers too, but they may be somewhat disappointed with the Rs. one lakh fee per player for each tour the national team undertakes. But they receive the same daily allowance of around $70, which is what the men receive.

The BCCI also announced a bonus of Rs. one lakh to each player and support staff of the Emerging Players’ team that won a limited overs tournament in Brisbane recently.

The BCCI also revised the domestic match-fee (IPL not included) of the umpires from the 2009-10 season. An umpire will receive Rs. 7,500 per match day out of which Rs. 3,750 per match-day will go towards the Benevolent Fund. The umpires and Match Referees (IPL excepted) will receive Rs. 10,000 per match-day.

Other decisions taken at the Working Committee were (1) to make the former ICL players eligible for the IPL-III with a franchise asked pay a minimum fee of Rs. 8 lakh and a maximum of Rs. 20 lakh (2) to retain Amish Saheba and nominate Shavir Tarapore in the ICC International Panel and Sanjay Hazare as the ICC International TV panel (3) to establish specialised coaching centres at Mumbai (batting), Mohali (bowling) and Chennai (spinners and wicketkeepers), (4) to appoint specialist coaches on an annual retainership (5) to establish an Umpire’s Academy (6) reject KSCA’s request to hire outstation players in the Karnataka Premier League (KPL).

The BCCI President Shashank Manohar released the NCA coaching manual at the meeting. Present at the release function was Dav Whatmore, Direct Operations, National Cricket Academy.

East v West

or when "magical wrists" meet "sweaty brows"!

The case for isolation

Does India need International Cricket?

I say that the costs outweigh the benefits and that channeling our attention and energies towards domestic cricket will do India a world of good.

Ideally, I would like the Indian domestic scene to be structured like the NFL. And like the NFL, the game will be played on our terms, devoid of any outside interference, including the ICC.

As the two editions of the IPL showed, the BCCI has the capacity to organize and to market the game like no one else does.

And given the narrative of the Ranji Trophy over the last 4 seasons, there is a ready product available for the BCCI to exploit if they can only get themselves interested.

No more having to kow tow to all and sundry within the ICC, no more being held hostage to the whims and fancies or Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia or anyone else who wants to take a pot shot at us for the heck of it, no more of having to comply with rules and officials despite our reservations.

No more trying to shore up the ICC by contributing up to 70% of its monies while having to incur all the opprobrium for its inadequacies.

We have the talent, and the visible talent is but the tip of the iceberg. We have the fan base, we have the infrastructure. More can be done and should be done, but on our terms alone.

Our game, our terms, our way.That's all.

Faster is better

Batsmen’s strike rates were once not collected; now they are an integral part of the game. Cricket’s attitudes towards its fielding statistics needs rethinking, especially since fielding, in every sensible cricket fan’s mind, has changed dramatically, and for the better, in the course of the last twenty years.

Read more.. here.

Test 4 Day 2

Signed in about half an hour ago, saw England collapse from 58/0 to 78/5 and the question is - can my local league team play England? We have been on a bit of a skid recently and beating an international team will do our morale a world of good!

On a wicket on which Australia managed 445, it takes a special level of skill to first score 102 and then to lose 5 wickets for 20 runs.

Brilliant!

Test 4 Day 1

One thing differentiated the two sides on Day 1 of the Headingley Test - Discipline. Australia displayed oodles of discipline while England were all over the shop floor.

Like Edgbaston, England were slow on sussing up the bowling conditions. And when they did, they reaped immediate rewards.

Like Peter Siddle. And Stuart Clark. Whose lines were immaculate.

There is a special thrill that comes with seeing a bowler make a batsman look like an idiot. Doesn't happen all the time, and is much rarer these days with dead wickets, but when it happens, the joy! Oh the joy!!

And both Siddle and Clark delivered. It was exemplary bowling, marrying discipline with immaculate lengths. And it was brave. Having lost the toss, the Australian bowlers could just as easily have lost the plot by bowling too full or too short. That they did not is a tribute to the bowling.

England batted sloppily and bowled equally badly.

And yet, at the end of the day, England are still in with a chance if they can restrict Australia's lead to 150 or less.

If it seams, it will spin. And Australia have to bat last. With time no longer a factor in the game, England will have to emulate the Australians tomorrow by bowling much tighter. And then bat, remembering that this is a test match and not some charity match. Do that and we have a contest. A real contest.

Finally, the Ashes seems to be delivering on the hype!

Test 4 Prelude

England's mantra going into this test should be - bat first.For a multitude of reasons, some of which are listed below

1. It will force Australia to take 20 English wickets to win the test, something they have not done in the previous 3 tests.
2. Batsmen get offered the light - if atmospherics on the first 3 days transpire as the Met Office predicts, there will be opportunities for bad light. And England will be in control.
3. If batting conditions are hostile, it may seem a gamble but it is still upto Australia to get the right bowling combination and then to exploit the conditions. If conditions are not hostile, then Australia should be made to toil.
4. If England falter in the first innings, Australia will have to set the pace. And factor in time as they would not want a repeat of Cardiff. That in turn can lead to mis steps.
   
5. Australia have to bat last. With the Ashes on the line, pressure can do strange things to the best of them.

Bowling wise, England needs to think about what bowling combination gives them the best opportunity to take 20 Australian wickets.That should be the basis of naming their XI. If 5 bowlers is the way to go, Flintoff or Bopara must give way for Broad. If 4 bowlers is the norm, Broad must make way.

So, my line ups will be

With 5 bowlers

Strauss
Cook
Bopara
Bell
Collingwood
Prior
Broad
Swann
Sidebottom
Anderson
Harmison

And with 4 bowlers

Strauss
Cook
Bopara
Bell
Collingwood
Prior
Flintoff
Swann
Sidebottom
Anderson
Harmison

England has to do what India did in 2002 - play to their strengths and weather be damned.

An alternate view

Cricket journalism is dying if not dead and buried already. The new generation of cricket writers are not a patch on Harsha Bhogle and Rohit Brijnath. And they cannot hold a candle to Raju Bharatan and Rajan Bala.

Who amongst the new crop can marry music, anecdotes and cricket as beautifully as Bharatan did?

And who amongst the new crop can intoxicate the senses with words and transport you to a happy place the way Brijnath does?

Heck, they cannot even put a proper sentence together. All this generation does is blog and Twitter.

Condensing a thought to 140 characters or less, can there be anything more preposterous than twittering? No form, no rhythm, no narrative - even the grammar leaves a lot to be desired.

Imagine that!

Whatever happened to mellifluous prose, the gentle narrative of bat hitting ball, of building up the narrative till it reached a crescendo, of art and form?

And when they are not twittering, you can find them preening around like peacocks on Facebook. So much for the legacy of Cardus and James!

Sounds familiar? It is.