All's not well

in the Emerald Isles

The unravelling of a team.

"Maharashtra is a huge state," says Ajay Shirke, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) president. "And it's not feasible for the talent in the districts and small towns to come to us; we will have to go to them with the game. We realised that for the last two-three seasons we have been working on that."

is that why

Ajay Shirke, an entrepreneur from Maharashtra was busy striking a deal with Lawson, the West Indies fast bowler capable of flustering the likes of Australia. In India, Maharashtra has taken the lead in this regard having got Darren Holder as their director of cricket last year, and 'importing' Munaf, Sairaj Bahutule, Sridharan Sriram, Chandrakant Pandit by getting them to shift allegiance from their original states.

and

Bangladesh left-arm spinner Enamul Haque Jr and Sri Lankan medium-pacer Sujeewa de Silva will join the Maharashtra squad for the 2008-09 season. Haque and de Silva will replace Sairaj Bahutule and Munaf Patel who have not renewed their contracts. The selectors were keen on choosing international professionals since other states could be interested in domestic players, Maharashtra Cricket Association president Ajay Shirke, has said.

This, from a team that

Maharashtra have surprised all so far by securing 15 points from four games - with seven debutants and several unknown players, they have outplayed every team they've come up against. They started the season without veterans Sairaj Bahutule and Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who were not back to full fitness after injuries from the previous season.

and

Maharashtra went into the first match of the season with seven debutants. Some had not played much outside their districts, most were torchbearers for towns that hadn't produced first-class cricketers earlier. Unlike a few other states, Maharashtra hadn't been impoverished by the ICL (only a couple defected) but had decided to ease out a few players for a few fresh ones.

Left to themselves in unknown territory, they've held their own. Halfway into the Ranji season, and they've been the side that's made everyone take notice. They entered the first match without Sairaj Bahutule and Hrishikesh Kanitkar, their two most experienced hands, but nearly grabbed first-innings points against Tamil Nadu. Had rain not intervened, a victory was on the cards. They went on to beat Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh before stunning Mumbai, at the Wankhede Stadium, for the first-innings lead.

I am sorry, but this is plain wrong.. For a team that, for a substantial portion of last season, was a contender, to unravel in this manner is nothing short of criminal.

Vikram Solanki and Kabir Ali did not do the trick for Rajasthan. Why should Maharashtra be any different?

The Soufth Effrikan

India, December 2008.

After circumnavigating most of northern India ( and getting walloped), England face a rampant Sehwag and Gambhir on a shirt front at Ahmedabad ( and there is no liquor around to drown their sorrows in)..

Monty, England's best bet to get them out of the hole they find themselves in, come on to bowl.

Which Soufth Effrikan would be the best bet to marshal the English in this situation?

I thought Strauss, the English selectors thought otherwise.