All posts by h716a5.icu

Sportspersons and politicians react to Sachin Tendulkar being nominated to India’s upper house of Parliament

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-2012″It’s good for the entire sport fraternity. It’s undoubtedly a great honour for Tendulkar and he deserves it. He is a great ambassador of the game. I hope Sachin does a great job. There have been a lot of issues in sport, with cricket being given the top priority. His valuable inputs would definitely help the Indian sport. He may not devote a lot of time to attend Rajya Sabha, but he can convey his ideas.”
“It’s an honour to be a Rajya Sabha member. Having known Sachin from really close quarters, I don’t think he will be able to do justice to the position. He is a straightforward person. I know his attitude and approach. He will not change his ideology or bend himself to do some favour. You know what politics is. We sportspersons tend to hit the ball straight but politicians hit the ball indirectly. I think Sachin deserves much more than that.”
“Many congratulations to him. But it’s up to him how he goes about it. It’s difficult to say whether this move will give us results. It’s like you cannot say a great cricketer [will] be a great coach. It’s entirely up to him to manage this. I wish him all the best.”
“I don’t know whether he has time to do that, because I think he is playing international cricket, he is playing in all formats of the game … [Will] he have time to attend the Parliament [sessions]?”
“Frankly, I am at a loss for words. I never realised these sort of things interested him. He is not one to express his views publicly and this would be a real test for him. I hope he can make a difference in parliament.”

My first ipl game against a rajya sabha member 😉 Hope the weather holds n we get a full game today. #tweementary

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 27, 2012

“Sachin is a great player and we are proud of him. If Sachin is being nominated, surely he would devote some time to Parliament.”
“I think it’s a completely personal decision, if Sachin [Tendulkar] thinks he should join politics and he can make a difference, it’s most welcome. For a sportsperson, I think, people like Sachin coming in is always good, because it’s going to benefit sports. I think Sachin is one person everybody looks up to, and I am sure he will do a great job. We need good politicians, good, honest people in the Parliament.”
“Delighted to hear on the news that Sachin has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha. Befitting an extraordinarily accomplished Indian.”

Having reached two finals and a semi-final in the opening three editions of World T20, Pakistan will hope to continue their success in the shortest format’s marquee tournament

Umar Farooq22-Sep-2012OverviewUnpredictability is the defining feature of the Pakistan team, but you still can’t shun the thought that they are one of the compelling sides in the format. Their notoriety for inconsistent performances was on show during their warm-up games: they botched a mild chase of 111 against England right after succeeding in chasing down 186 – a rare sparkling chase against India.Pakistan are always surrounded by off-the-field issues but presently things are relatively stable, which bodes well for the creation of a positive team atmosphere under a new captain, Mohamamd Hafeez, who has succeeded Misbah-ul-Haq. Although Hafeez’s Twenty20 form doesn’t warrant him an automatic place in the side, the PCB has taken a decision largely in the best interests of the team, deeming the allrounder a sensible leader in the longer-run. He has so far led Pakistan in five matches, losing two and winning three, including a Super Over victory against Australia in Dubai earlier this month.Pakistan enter the event as the world’s most experienced side in the format, having played most number of matches – 58 – winning 34 and losing 22 with two tied matches. They were the explosive starters in T20 cricket but have lost momentum since 2010, playing 22 matches and losing 11. In a bid to pick up momentum, the selectors have picked the country’s potent and hugely experienced Twenty20 specialists for the job.The squad is flexible enough to accommodate three explosive specialist openers in the top order, namely Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed and Kamran Akmal, followed by a mixture of skilful youngsters in Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq and experienced men in Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi, to guard the middle-order. And they have an agile bowling line-up, strengthened by the return of Umar Gul – he is back at the World T20 after missing the previous event in the West Indies.Pakistan enter the tournament with the entire squad having accumulated ample practice in Sri Lanka. Pakistan had a full series against the hosts earlier this year and, later, players from the T20 squad featured in the Sri Lanka Premier League.Key PlayerThe Pakistan bowlers have been dominating the T20 format, occupying the first three spots in the list of leading wicket-takers, with Saeed Ajmal leading the chart with 60 wickets followed by Shahid Afridi, 59, and Umar Gul with 58. The linchpin will be Ajmal, who has an exceptional economy rate of 6.03 in the format. He will be out to further stamp his authority as the world’s best bowler. His control over his spin and clever variations of his doosra certainly make him dangerous. Pakistan, expectedly, will look to capitalise on more spin options with Ajmal having a significant role to play in the coming days.Surprise packagePakistan have recently unleashed a 20-year-old rookie left-arm spinner: Raza Hasan, largely known as a death bowler, averaging 13.65 in 22 matches with 40 wickets. He is not a big turner of the ball but his fearless approach and decent variation contain the run rate and made him a prominent bowler on the Pakistan domestic circuit. He was first noticed in 2010 when Pakistan called him up for the tour of England, but he didn’t get a game. His wares were finally on show earlier this month in the three-match T20 series against Australia in Dubai. He is perhaps unlikely to play in every game but he has a definite future with the team.Weakness If the script runs correctly, you will barely find any flaws within the Pakistan set-up, but if not, the fragile batting could be rattled. Ensuring a blistering start through the openers is a problem, as Mohamamd Hafeez takes his time to settle in, while Imran Nazir is cautions at the crease these days. The lost form of Afridi is another definite blow for Pakistan and there is obviously a concern over the allrounder.World T20 historyPakistan have an impressive record in the World Twenty20 and their pedigree has been remarkable in the three editions so far. They have been the best side in tournament’s brief history. Had Misbah-ul-Haq not skied the paddle-scope to fine-leg in the 2007 final against India, Pakistan could have won the inaugural tournament. In 2009, Pakistan, led by Younis Khan thrashed Sri Lanka to lift the title. Pakistan were once again on course for another title in the Caribbean in 2010 but were undone by Australia’s Michael Hussey’s heroics in the semi-final in Saeed Ajmal’s final over. Their win-loss tally in World Twenty20 is 12 victories to eight defeats, including the bowl-out loss against India.Recent formPakistan landed in Sri Lanka after intense preparation in a three-match ODI and three-match T20I series in the Dubai against Australia in the exhausting heat of the desert. Pakistan lost the ODI series but went on to win the T20I series 2-1.

There’s a subtext to the de Kock-Bowes opening partnership. Bowes replaced de Kock as captain for the World Cup, leaving the latter to focus on his roles of key batsman and wicketkeeper

George Binoy in Townsville18-Aug-2012Quinton de Kock and Chad Bowes, South Africa’s opening batsmen, are among the highest run-scorers of the group stage of the Under-19 World Cup. De Kock is first, with 226 runs, while Bowes is third, with 179. In each of South Africa’s three matches, at least one of them has made a significant score. Against Namibia, both made hundreds in a total of 359. Not bad for batsmen who are touring Australia for the first time.They haven’t even been opening together for very long. De Kock is from Johannesburg and Bowes is from Durban, so while they’ve played a lot against each other, they only began opening for South Africa in the one-day tri-series involving Pakistan and Zimbabwe in January. They’ve forged a partnership since.Their contrasting styles complement each other. De Kock, a powerfully built left-hand wicketkeeper-batsman, is more aggressive, while Bowes, a more slender right-hander, prefers to start slowly and then catch up.”You could say I’m a pretty orthodox opening batter,” Bowes says. “I like to play straight and as I get my time in the middle I like to expand my shot selection. Rotate the strike with Quinton and let him do the damage up front.”De Kock says he “connects really well” with Bowes. “He starts a little bit slow but he always seems to give me the strike, which I enjoy,” de Kock says. “Once he’s in then he plays his game. We always try to look for a single off a good ball instead of just blocking and getting no run.”On the eve of their quarterfinal against England, de Kock knows he’ll be targeted. He toured England in the summer of 2011 and was the highest run-scorer in the seven-match one-day series. England fast bowler Reece Topley and captain Adam Ball have said they have plans for de Kock. “In England they didn’t like me at all,” de Kock says. “So I know they’ll come hard at me tomorrow. I shouldn’t have a problem, I’m going to just do my thing, keep my own focus. Not going to be bothered with what they do.”There’s a subtext to the de Kock-Bowes partnership. Bowes wasn’t on that Under-19 tour to England. He only broke into the team during the tri-series in January involving Pakistan and Zimbabwe. De Kock was already established by then and was the captain. Bowes, however, was named captain for the World Cup, leaving de Kock to focus on his roles of key batsman and wicketkeeper. Both batsmen say the change in leadership has improved performance.”They decided they didn’t want to put too much pressure on me, which I accept fully,” de Kock said. “I think it’s been a good decision, Chad’s doing an awesome job as captain. Everything is going to plan.”The Under-19 World Cup is effectively Bowes’ first assignment as captain and he’s had good results so far, winning both warm-up matches and all three Group D games. “I knew it would be a challenge but I was up for it. I have captained a few provincial or state teams back in South Africa, so I do have an idea of what to do,” Bowes says. “I have a lot of respect for all the guys in the team and they respect me so I’m able to communicate with everyone well. I have a good relationship with the coach, we communicate well with each other, it’s been good so far.”Being a left-hand, aggressive wicketkeeper-batsman, de Kock looked up to Adam Gilchrist as he was growing up. His strike-rate far at the World Cup is 108 and in three-day matches for Gauteng he averages more than 60 and strikes at 90. He’s played a few limited-overs games for Lions too, but without much success, and hopes to get more opportunities with them next season.Bowes’ idol is not someone who is remembered for his batting – Jonty Rhodes. “All I wanted to do was field like him,” he says. “He got me passionate for the game. Guys have referred to me as the Jonty of the team so I’m pretty pleased with that. I do pride myself in my fielding and winning games from that position like Jonty did.” Bowes says he usually fields at point and cover too, like Rhodes, but isn’t at the moment because of a broken finger and will be at mid-off at the start.South Africa prepared for this World Cup in their own way, preferring an intensive camp at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria over overseas tours as a method of building the team. It meant that on coming to Australia, the openers had to adjust quickly to an environment they’d never been in before. De Kock said it was only his third time out of the country for cricket but adapting had been no problem. They’d even prepared for the spin they’d face against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and later on in the tournament during their camp.”I just needed to get used to one or two of the conditions, the extra bounce,” de Kock said. “We do have one or two such pitches in South Africa but not as much as in Australia. Takes one or two innings, a couple of net sessions, and then I’m on my way.”Their coach Ray Jennings is renowned for running a tight ship and Bowes said that they had developed a strong work ethic during their time at the High Performance Centre. “We got a saying that we learnt at the camp, ‘Looking after the pennies will look after the pound.’ So do the small things right and the bigger things will come later.”That attitude is perhaps best captured by de Kock’s response when asked whether he was happy with his performance in the World Cup so far. “Fairly satisfied but not quite where I want to be,” he said. “I feel like I could do a lot better, got lots more to prove. I did miss out on one game, a bad run out, not great decision-making from me.”De Kock and Bowes will walk out on Sunday in the unfamiliar surroundings of the Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville to face perhaps the quickest new-ball attack in the World Cup – Topley and Jamie Overton. It will be their toughest task in Australia yet.

An attempt at examining why they bottle it in major tournaments

Firdose Moonda09-Mar-2013One of the chief selling points of most sports books is that they tell stories of achievement and triumph. If the tale has not reached that point, you could consider it premature to pen pages and pages about a subject. That, however, is what Luke Alfred has chosen to do.After the 2011 World Cup, the former sports editor of the South African was left wanting to understand why major tournaments are an Achilles heel for South Africa, and whether, in dissecting the reasons for the losses, it would lead to the discovery of an ideal approach to winning. is an in-depth look at all six World Cup campaigns South Africa have participated in and examines the reasons for their shortcomings.It begins with the blunt words, “This is a book about failure.” And goes on to: “It is also a book about ghosts and about how ghosts tend to haunt even the brave and strong-willed, the courageous and noble.” South African cricket purports to be the entire latter quartet; still it is troubled by an inability to cross the finish line.Only halfway through the book does the first argument for sub-standard performances at crucial moments make an appearance. That stands to reason because before then South Africa had played in just three World Cups and only one of them, 1999, was an event they should have won.The chapter on the 2003 World Cup sees the introduction of a psychologist, Clinton Gahwiler from the Sports Science Institute. He discusses, in general terms, how South African coaches are not honest enough with their players and how the type of cricketers bred in the country are not always the sort who can think for themselves.But that does not mean the sections preceding do not have value. They are necessary to establish a pattern and track the development of South African cricket since readmission. They also feature colourful, intimate anecdotes that have not been published before.The narrative begins with an insightful look at the politics of re-entering the global sports stage and how that affected the 1992 squad. The recollection of that World Cup is gently spiced with details that put sport in the context in which it was played, against the background of the country’s political referendum. Had the outcome of that vote, which asked whites only whether apartheid should end, been no, the team may have had to return home mid-tournament. Details about which players voted – there were only three – and how Alan Jordaan, the manager, handled the situation will be new to most readers.The section is spoiled somewhat, as is the rest of the book, by match details, which tend to get tedious. Some may disagree, but in an age where scorecards are available with a few clicks, recalling them in specific detail breaks the flow of what is essentially a human story.The first-hand anecdotes make the book. Steve Palframan remembers replacing Dave Richardson in the 1996 World Cup squad and arriving at the pre-tournament camp at the team hotel with his wife and one-day old baby, who “had his second bath in a basin at the Fish River Sun”. Cassim Docrat, now the chief executive officer of the Lions franchise and manager of that campaign, explains the dietary challenges the South Africans, who had hardly travelled to the subcontinent before then, faced, and the joys of shopping there.While the failure to progress in those first two tournaments was put down to inexperience, the exit of 1999 was far more significant. The event is built up to in a chapter of its own, with the emphasis on Lance Klusener. The tournament itself is covered in two more parts, with interviews from Derek Crookes, Neil Johnson of Zimbabwe, and Herschelle Gibbs, and a link is drawn between the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich, and South Africa and Australia.Similar key player interviews are missing on other occasions, though. Allan Donald is a glaring example from 1999. None of Shaun Pollock, Eric Simons or Mark Boucher feature in the 2003 section, Graeme Smith and Mickey Arthur are absent from 2007, and only Corrie van Zyl, Paddy Upton and Morne van Wyk feature for 2011, where one of the more experienced players could perhaps have explained the hurt better.The common thread is how South Africa have responded to pressure: with undue aggression and internal combustion. Two eye-opening incidents, one to do with how a project to film a television documentary on World Cup campaigns was aborted, and the second an altercation between team management and a journalist after South Africa’s loss to England in Chennai 2011, shed light on that point.Despite the absence of some of the main characters, Alfred offers up varied, thought-provoking reasons for South Africa’s lack of silverware. He questions whether it is a product of the schooling system, with a close look at the context in which the country’s cricketers have been educated, and discusses Malcolm Gladwell’s essay dealing with the difference between choking and panicking.He does not fully answer the question on the cover: about why the Proteas choke at the cricket World Cup. Instead he presents a range of reasons. In that respect, the work is a new concept in South African cricket writing, which is often coloured only in black and white as it aims to underline itself with certainty.Alfred’s narrative is coloured many shades of pastel, and it subtly opens the door for discussion and debate. Whether he has succeeded may only be known after the next limited-overs campaign, in a few months’ time.The book was launched late last year, after the author had begun working for CSA as a consultant, and immediately ruffled feathers because of its title. In keeping with the old adage of not judging a book by its cover, however, its contents are not as inflammatory as the name suggests.It may have been ill-timed, especially with the Test side enjoying their most dominant phase and the next World Cup two years away, but there is a Champions Trophy in a few months’ time, and South Africa’s current limited-overs struggles illustrate many of the themes in the book, which may become more relevant if silverware continues to stay away.The Art of Losing
by Luke Alfred
Zebra Press, 2012
296 pages, R220

There are plenty of things to dislike about the IPL, but the cricket certainly isn’t one of them

Peter Miller, United Kingdom03-Apr-2013When Conrad wrote those immortal words in , his masterpiece deriding cultural imperialism and all its ills, he was without doubt predicting the arrival of T20 cricket, and more specifically the Indian Premier League. The IPL is like a crazy ex-girlfriend. You never want to see her again, but you still check her Facebook status when no one is looking.I don’t want to know the shirt sponsor of the Chennai Super Kings, but I do. I wish I had no idea how much Glenn Maxwell is earning, but it appears in my mind anyway. Like Alcatraz, there is no escape. You want to be able to tell people, “Oh, I never watch it, it isn’t proper cricket.” But to do so would be lying.As time goes by, I find myself more in tune with the cadence of Twenty20 cricket. While it doesn’t have the ebb and flow of Test cricket, it has moments of the most intense drama. That these periods of high tension are hidden amongst games between two teams where someone finishes third makes them all the more exciting when they do happen. While a Hashim Amla Test innings is finesse and beauty, a Chris Gayle innings is power and bravado. Both have their place, they are two sides of the same ceremonial IPL coin, which is also available to purchase via auction on the IPL site.So why am I embarrassed about watching the IPL? Why do I hide behind snobbish mockery? For the same reason I would not like to be seen reading a Dan Brown novel on the train – it does not fit in with the picture I have of myself. I like to think of myself as a cricket connoisseur. If you asked me about my favourite innings of all time, I would tell you it was Michael Atherton’s marathon 185 not out at Johannesburg in 1995 – a full 645 minutes and 492 balls of gritty determination.Where the IPL never fails to annoy is the way that those who promote and commentate on the event talk of it as the most important thing to happen in the field of sport. It is a hit and giggle tournament that is there to entertain. It is not an Ashes test, the Wimbledon final or the 100 metres at the Olympics. To give it the same hype as something that a sportsman has worked his entire life for is to patronise the viewer and demean the player.The thing about the IPL that I find hardest to stomach is the relentless commercialism of the event. If you stand still long enough at an IPL stadium you will have 14 different sponsors bedecking your shirt. There are sponsored sixes, sponsored catches, sponsored “moments of success”. The only thing that gets more screen time that Sachin Tendulkar is the car on the boundary that the players are competing for. If the sponsors believe that a newly made millionaire in his twenties is looking for a reliable family car they may be sadly mistaken.I long to live in a world where sport takes place in a vacuum, where commercial realities are a grubby necessity confined to other fields. This is a dream about as likely to come true as the one I regularly have involving Angelina Jolie, Emma Stone and a hot tub.So I will watch the IPL. I will make jokes about MS Dhoni and N Srinivasan’s relationship and about Tendulkar getting bowled. I will be made nauseous by the commercialism and the faux sincerity. But more than that, I will enjoy the all-too-rare moments of pure drama and try not to feel too superior. I might fail at the last bit.If you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line

Pakistan found a home away from home at The Oval but only Misbah-ul-Haq seemed to appreciate it

Andrew Fidel Fernando at The Oval07-Jun-2013Not long after Misbah-ul-Haq became captain of Pakistan, he spoke candidly of the challenge he had been saddled with. “It is bad for Pakistan cricket when people taunt us at home and abroad,” he said. “It is a mental torture to go through such things.”There was torture at The Oval for Misbah, as his team-mates abandoned him one after another, like an incompetent conga line, stumbling over every piece of furniture in the room. But there were no taunts from the Oval crowd – only adoration. As each new batsman drove their innings nose-first into the dirt, the zindabads did not abate, and cries of “Misbah, Misbah” grew louder.The ground is located in a part of town that is heavily settled by West Indians, and twenty nine years ago, they had packed it out during the Blackwash series. Today, maroon shirts only speckled the stands like bits of driftwood heaving in an ocean of green. The weather was cloudy and crisp, and there was no Karachi sea-breeze or Lahore dry heat, but a team that hasn’t played in their country in four years with a home-town reception, as they so often do in England. Among the Pakistan batsmen, only Misbah seemed to appreciate it.At times he would acknowledge their fervour. The Oval roared at every Pakistan single like a batsman had just blazed a hundred, or Saeed Ajmal had conjured a hat-trick – perhaps to make up for the cheers from Punjab or the Sindh, that this group of players may never hear. When there was a moment’s relent from the clatter of wickets, Misbah would look up into the stands from the non-striker’s end and breathe in the flags being flown around him. Only he can say how much the sight steeled his resolve, but how could it not? As a leader of nomads, he must find sustenance where he can get it, and today, Kennington was his oasis.”When you’re not playing at home you feel for it,” Misbah said after the match. “It’s always like that. You want to play at your own home grounds in front of your own crowds, but here, there was a big support for Pakistan wherever you looked in the ground. It looks like we were playing at home. It’s a great feeling to be playing in front of your own crowd.”There was emotion in those words, but when he takes the field, Misbah has no interest in the flamboyance that has so often titillated and frustrated a nation. Foremost a pragmatist, he rarely played a stroke that ill-fit the circumstance throughout his innings.Nasir Jamshed had perhaps set himself fifty for a target, and planned to counterattack thereafter, and two balls after reaching the milestone, he attempted to hit his first six and perished. Perhaps on another day, that stroke might have heralded a surge, but it was a high-risk strategy from Jamshed, who had looked untroubled for the last 50 balls of his innings, and did not need to throw away Pakistan’s recovery. Misbah continued to graft securely, hoping that each new arrival could stay and do the same, and it was only when it became absolutely necessary for him to hit out, that he changed his stance, and his approach. The same hankering for safety sees him maligned when he refuses to pursue a Test win, with Pakistan sitting on a series lead. It is often said there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity, but Misbah may never be one to approach it.The pitch did not warrant such a low-scorer, but although West Indies should have made short work of 170, Pakistan managed a bowling performance worthy of the love flowing from the stands. Perhaps at another venue, Kieron Pollard might never have been kept scoreless for his first 17 deliveries. Maybe Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels would not have been scuttled, just as they had begun to sail smoothly after early losses. In the field Pakistan drew from their fans, and gave them plenty too, when the attack began to show why it had come into the tournament so highly rated. But it so often happens in cricket, that the fight begins when the battle is almost lost. Every time Pakistan made a breakthrough late in the match, it seemed ten runs too late.Misbah should have made his first ODI hundred today. Instead he was left stranded on 96, when Mohammed Irfan fended the ball to Dwayne Bravo. After the game, he spoke of how special that first hundred is, and how the feeling stays with a batsman forever, but at the end of the innings, he affirmed Irfan for surviving so long with a pat on the back. It is not like he had really attempted the milestone anyway, turning down singles to throw his bat early in each over. When he left the field, he raised his bat to a standing ovation. Perhaps in their next match in Birmingham, others in the top order will add their own efforts to the labour of Misbah and his “home” crowd.

Stats highlights from the exciting final day’s action at The Oval

Shiva Jayaraman25-Aug-2013 With this, England have won 31 Ashes series and have drawn level with Australia. Playing at home, both England and Australia have now won 17 Ashes series. This was the third consecutive Ashes series win for England at home. The last time England won three consecutive series at home was between 1977 and 1985. England won the series 3-0 in 1977, 3-1 in 1981, and 3-1 in 1985. After 1977, when they lost by a similar score line of 3-0, this was the first instance of Australia losing an Ashes series without winning a single Test. This match ranks 13th in terms of the closest draws by runs remaining, in Tests. This was also the second closest draw in the Ashes, in terms of runs remaining. The closest draw in terms of runs remaining, in the Ashes, was this match at the MCG in 1974. A total of 447 runs were scored in the day, which is the most scored in the fifth day ever in an Ashes Test. The previous highest on the fifth day of an Ashes Test was 407 runs at Leeds in 1948. This was only the fifth instance of 400 or more runs being scored on the fifth day of a Test match. All these instances have involved Australia. Overall, the most runs scored on the fifth day of a Test was between Australia and New Zealand at Brisbane when 459 runs were scored. Click here for a list of most runs scored in a day in Tests. Brad Haddin’s catch off Ryan Harris to dismiss Joe Root* was his 29th of this series. With that catch he broke Rod Marsh’s record for the highest number of catches taken by a wicketkeeper in a Test series and also the highest number of dismissals collected by a wicketkeeper in a Test series. Marsh, Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist have collected 20 or more dismissals in a Test series five times in their careers, which is a record for wicketkeepers in Tests. For England, the record for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper is held by Jack Russell who collected 27 dismissals in a series against South Africa in 1995-96. Kevin Pietersen’s half-century off 36 balls in England’s fourth-innings chase was the fastest fifty by an England batsman in the Ashes. Pietersen took one fewer than Matt Prior, who held this record previously with a 37-ball half-century at Lord’s in 2009. The record for the fastest fifty in Tests by an England batsman is held by Ian Botham, who scored a half-century off 28 balls against India in 1982 at Delhi. The record for the fastest half-century in Tests is held by Jacques Kallis, who hit a fifty off 24 balls against Zimbabwe at Cape Town. Including the runs scored in this match, Kevin Pietersen has scored 897 runs at The Oval in Tests. He is averaging 59.80 at the venue and has hit four centuries and three half-centuries. He is now one of the seven batsmen to score 800 or more runs at The Oval. Jonathan Trott – whose strike rate in ODIs has been the topic of debate of late – did his bit for England in their chase by scoring at a strike-rate of 67.81, which was his second highest strike-rate in an innings of fifty or more runs. His fastest innings of fifty or more runs came against Sri Lanka at Lord’s, when he scored at a strike rate of 77.33. Alastair Cook scored 277 runs from five matches in the series at an average of 27.70. This was only the sixth instance of an England captain, and a recognised batsman, winning the Ashes series despite averaging 30 or less from five or more matches in the series. Mike Brearley won the Ashes twice, in 1977 and 1978, in spite of averaging less than 30 as a batsman in the series. Cook is also the third England opener-captain, after Len Hutton and Brearley, to win an Ashes-series while averaging less than 30 as a batsman in the series.*0600GMT, August 26: The article had said that Brad Haddin broke Rod Marsh’s record with James Anderson’s catch. This has been corrected.

Ross Taylor’s search for a long awaited Test hundred is over, and the manner in which he applied himself to score a maiden double-ton will benefit New Zealand in the future

Andrew McGlashan in Dunedin04-Dec-2013When Brendon McCullum finally called a halt to New Zealand’s mammoth innings – the fourth-highest in their Test history – Ross Taylor strode off University Oval to another standing ovation. He had received a few over the last couple of days.New Zealand’s history is not littered with a vast array of double hundreds: Taylor’s unbeaten 217 was only the 17th score of above 200 which have been spread among just 13 cricketers. The previous one had been Brendon McCullum’s 225 against India in 2010.In a neat piece of symmetry, the closure of the innings left Taylor with an average of 45.36 – exactly the figure of his mentor, Martin Crowe, with whom he had shared a pre-Test conversation that Taylor acknowledged after the first day. There is just one New Zealand batsman with a higher Test average: John Reid sits 46.28 over a career of 19 matches.Taylor had ended his year-long wait for a hundred the previous evening but he had spoken of his desire to not waste the chance to build an even more substantial contribution. After the early-morning losses of McCullum and Corey Anderson, it was important Taylor took control of the innings if New Zealand were to obtain their target of a total in excess of 550.If Kieran Powell had been sharper at short leg, Taylor’s innings would have been ended on 131 when he inside-edged Shane Shillingford into his pad, but it was the only chance of his lengthy stay.Tino Best, who caused Taylor the few other uncomfortable moments he did have, was happy to acknowledge the performance. “The fella is a class act,” Best said. “He’s a very humble person. I’ve always admired him for a long time. I’m happy for him. The last year or so he’s been going through a tough period in New Zealand and to come and score a double hundred, I know the wicket is a little placid, but he showed a really good attitude and his concentration was immense. We were a little unlucky not get him early but he showed the temperament of an international batsman in his prime.”His previous highest score in Tests was a coursing, unbeaten 154 against England, at Old Trafford, in 2008 when he repeatedly took England’s attack into the stands over midwicket. He has the ability to move into a higher gear when the mood takes him, but this innings was made at a relatively consistent pace throughout, the four fifties coming from 66, 84, 81 and 64 deliveries. The slog-sweep, often seen off the spinners (and even medium-pacers) by Taylor did not make an appearance as he left the lofted shots mostly to his team-mates.Such had been the pace of scoring on the first day that there was no pressure to accelerate beyond what came naturally against a West Indies attack that, although more consistent than yesterday, remained limited and lost the services of their captain, Darren Sammy, with a leg injury during the first session.Darren Sammy injury update

West Indies remain confident that their captain Darren Sammy will be able to play a significant role during the remainder of first Test despite leaving the field with a glute strain at the start of his 24th over. Sammy had felt the twinge in his 23rd over, and was in noticeable discomfort when an edge from Ross Taylor fell just short of him at gully. He later returned to the field but did not bowl for the rest of the innings and hobbled between his fielding positions. Under the new ICC regulations, he will not be allowed a runner. A West Indies spokesman, using a phrase unlikely to be heard from many Test nations, said: “He’s our warrior.”
Sammy’s absence puts extra onus on the remaining bowlers and Tino Best remained wholehearted in his efforts. He sent down the most overs he has bowled in a Test innings, 34.1 overs, and said West Indies had improved from their first-day showing. “Six-hundred, it’s not a reflection on how we bowled today. The first day was the problem, 300 and more runs on the first day of a Test is not good enough. It’s something we have got to look at as a team and a bowling unit. To be honest my mother always said to me, ‘Tino, as a professional you can’t worry about looking for excuses’. We are a little tired, I am a little jet-lagged, and today is the most I’ve ever bowled in a Test innings. You’ve just got to run in and bowl.”

Briefly, Taylor unleashed against Shannon Gabriel, taking 18 off an over with four lacerated boundaries, but that did not signal a blitz towards two hundred as he nudged his way there against a deep-set field, with Shillingford and Narsingh Deonarine operating in tandem. Shortly before tea, he then skipped out to drive Deonarine through the covers, and the following delivery he tickled towards fine leg.He had kept his emotions in check when he reached the hundred, and the double did not see the extravagant celebration that some players unfurl for such landmarks. There is a sense that after the mental battles he went through a year ago, with the loss of the captaincy, he is trying to find a level to his emotions whether in good times or bad.Neil Wagner, who was at the other end when the double was reached, said: “It’s a massive milestone, something awesome and he batted really well. I jogged over to him and he was very calm and quiet and all he said was, ‘Thanks for batting with me’. I’m stoked for him.”While the quality, or lack of, in West Indies’ attack did not provide the sternest of tests, Taylor’s success is notable given that his preparation for this series was hampered by a knee injury and included a solitary first-class match for Central Districts which brought scores of 10 and 0.Although he provided more than a third of New Zealand’s runs it was a collective effort with the bat from the home side. While no one else dominated on the second day, BJ Watling, Ish Sodhi (whose lively innings suggested he should be above Tim Southee in the order) and a merry dash from Wagner all contributed to keep West Indies off the field until after tea.It was an innings of rare plunder for New Zealand. Only Wellington 1991 (671 for 4 dec against Sri Lanka), Mohali 2003 (630 for 6 dec) and Napier 2009 (619 for 9 dec against India), have been bigger. Taylor was around in 2009, where he also played a considerable part with 151, in concert with Jesse Ryder’s 201 and a hundred for McCullum.Having spent more than five sessions in the field, the loss of two early wickets for West Indies was predictable. The fulcrum of their order is Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. This is a surface they should relish batting on and the ball is already 24 overs old, but they will need to channel the spirit of Taylor.

Saeed Ajmal made a relatively late entry into international cricket but didn’t play his first Test till he was almost 32. He is 36 now and is doing his best to make up for lost time having been a key player for Pakistan for many years

Umar Farooq in Dubai10-Jan-2014Pity Saeed Ajmal. Since May 2011, he’s bowled the most overs in international cricket (1914.1 overs, far ahead of Graeme Swann’s 1619.3 and James Anderson’s 1640.1 overs). And he’s missed only six international matches out of the 122 Pakistan have played since becoming a permanent member of the team across all formats. A relatively late entrant to international cricket, at the age of 30, he played his first Test when almost 32; now 36, it seems he’s doing his best to make up for lost time.He’s been a key player for Pakistan for all this time. And now the strain is showing.The Abu Dhabi Test took its toll on Ajmal. He has never waited so long for a wicket in a Test innings: his previous longest wait was 41.1 overs, in the first innings against England at Lord’s in 2010 and he ended with figures of 2 for 126 from 44 overs. He remained wicketless in the second innings of the first Test with 49 overs, conceding 115 runs, and had to wait another 28.2 overs in Dubai to take his first wicket, making the stretch 77.2 overs.There was a debate of sorts in the dressing room of the Sheikh Zayed Stadium before the first Test over resting Ajmal but captain Misbah-ul-Haq voted out the other spinner Abdur Rehman and insisted on sticking with the veteran. By no means has Ajmal been the wrong pick but he didn’t fire in time. Probably, he wasn’t given much support from the other end, or as Ramiz Raja suggests, he was “neutralised” well by the Sri Lanka batsmen.Ajmal doesn’t want to rest, he has barely asked for it. He wants to play every match and Pakistan don’t want to drop him because he has been doing well. He was supposed to be rested with his suspected hernia last year but doctors cleared him with a week’s rest before the ODI series in Scotland in May.Saqlain Mushtaq, on the other hand, made his Test debut at 19 and became the quickest to 100 one-day-international wickets. His career was damaged by knee injury and in nine years – in which he played 49 Tests and 169 ODIs – his career was over. He made a final unsuccessful attempt in 2004 to force his way back into the Test side, against India in Multan, only to concede 204 runs in 43 overs. Disappointed with Ajmal’s workload, Saqlain advised him to take a break to avoid getting fatigued.”He [Ajmal] is a quality spinner and has proven himself in every format but he looked tired against Sri Lanka and perhaps he needs to be given a break from the sport so that he can refresh himself and come back fresh,” Saqlain said. “He can still play for some more years and is our match winner.”Ajmal is an automatic selection in every format for Pakistan and dropping him could be the hardest thing for the selectors who normally adopt a safety-first policy. Rotation doesn’t work in Pakistan, players are insecure, selections are inconsistent and players have no guarantee if they will be recalled after been rested.Cricket is money in Pakistan and for Ajmal it’s no exception. He wants to earn as much as he can before he walks away. He has been one of the best spinners in the world in the last three years but he is missing out on the IPL money. After a late entry and with age not on his side, it’s uncertain how long he will manage to play. He would want to play the 2015 World Cup but Pakistan would prefer an in-form and fit Ajmal who can contribute with his performances.

Trent Bridge has been one of the very best grounds for fast bowlers over the last decade, with James Anderson taking 49 wickets at 17.34. It is also a venue where England have won each of their last five Tests

S Rajesh07-Jul-2014In the 52 Tests that India have played in England, they have won five and lost 27. That is a win-loss ratio of 0.18, which is their worst in any country – worse than in Australia (5-26), and in South Africa (2-8). Most of that is admittedly because of their early results in England – before 1970, India were 0-15 in 19 Tests – but it’s also true that their most recent result there was a throwback to those early days: a 4-0 whitewash in 2011.India have plenty to prove after their recent overseas debacles – 10 defeats in the last 12 Tests – and it’s likely that their first test will also be the toughest, for Trent Bridge, the venue of the first match, is one of the best grounds for seam and swing bowling over the last decade. In 10 Tests played here since 2003, seamers have taken 292 wickets at an average of 27.11 and a strike rate of 53. Among venues which have hosted at least six Tests during this period – there are 37 that make this cut-off – only Sabina Park in Jamaica, has a better average for quick bowlers (24.31).

Best venues for fast bowlers in Tests since Jan 2003 (Qual: 6 Tests)

VenueTestsWicketsAverageStrike rate5WI/ 10WMKingston, Jamaica1023724.3149.012/ 1Trent Bridge, Nottingham1029227.1153.016/ 2Harare Sports Club1023727.7655.010/ 1Wanderers, Johannesburg1133828.0952.414/ 4Melbourne Cricket Ground1125729.1257.27/ 1Bridgetown, Barbados1124429.3157.86/ 2SuperSport Park, Centurion1230429.8353.117/ 4England’s leading fast bowler has enjoyed bowling here more than at any other Test venue in the world. James Anderson has 49 wickets from seven Tests at Trent Bridge, which is his second-highest at any venue: he has 68 at Lord’s but from 15 Tests, and at an average of 25.14; at Trent Bridge he averages an exceptional 17.34, which is his best at any ground. Six out of his 15 five-fors and both his ten-wicket hauls have come here, which indicates just how dangerous he can be at the venue.In fact, Anderson has as many five-fors in seven Tests at Trent Bridge as he has in 46 matches in all other grounds in England put together. The last time he played here, in the 2013 Ashes, Anderson took five-wicket hauls in both innings, and finished with match figures of 10 for 158. However, his worst figures here were against India, in 2007, when he had match figures of 1 for 157 in England’s seven-wicket defeat. Anderson needs only five more wickets to become the leading wicket-taker in England – he has 225 currently, four behind Fred Trueman’s 229. Given how he generally bowls here, the record should be his before the Test is over.Stuart Broad has been impressive here too, with 21 wickets from five Tests at 22.76. The only time he took more than two wickets in an innings here was in 2011 against India, when he claimed 6 for 46 in the first innings.

James Anderson at home, at Trent Bridge and at other venues

TestsWicketsAverageStrike rate5WI/ 10WMAt Trent Bridge74917.3437.26/ 2Other grounds in Eng4617629.7258.26/ 0With Anderson and Broad very effective at Trent Bridge, it isn’t surprising that the stats for England’s quick bowlers are impressive here: 166 wickets in ten Tests at an average of 23.43; overseas fast bowlers average almost 32, which suggests that England’s seamers and swing bowlers have been instrumental in winning them Tests here. Overseas spinners have done slightly better than England’s, but the home team have not relied much on spin here.

Pace and spin at Trent Bridge in Tests since Jan 2003

PaceSpinWicketsAverageStrike rateWicketsAverageStrike rateEngland’s bowlers16623.4347.22534.1270.4Overseas bowlers12631.9660.64231.7359.8Trent Bridge has been a venue that England’s fast bowlers have enjoyed over the last decade, but their batsmen haven’t enjoyed similar success. Alastair Cook has already been undergoing a miserable run as captain and batsman in Tests, and he won’t be enthused by his Trent Bridge stats: in 13 innings he has scored only one half-century, and averages 21.50. That half-century came in his most recent Test innings here, against Australia last year, when he scored exactly 50 in the second innings. In four tries against India here, he has managed only 73 runs, with a highest score of 43.In fact, all the specialist batsmen for England have struggled here over the last decade: Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell and Andrew Strauss all average in the late 30s, while Jonathan Trott’s is less than 25. Stuart Broad has averaged more than all of these batsmen with three 50-plus scores in eight innings here.

England’s batsmen at Trent Bridge

BatsmanTestsRunsAverageStrike rate100s/ 50sStuart Broad531339.1264.400/ 3Kevin Pietersen854338.7852.611/ 3Ian Bell638338.3052.252/ 0Andrew Strauss850133.4045.501/ 2Matt Prior524831.5559.531/ 2Jonathan Trott417024.2855.010/ 0Alastair Cook725821.5038.450/ 1Trent Bridge has been a happy venue for quick bowlers, but teams batting first have still done well: in the last ten Tests, seven have been won by the side batting first, with England achieving it six times. One of the exceptions was India in 2007, when they bowled England out for 198 in the first innings after choosing to field, and then scored 481 to set up the win.Generally, though, Trent Bridge has been a difficult venue for teams batting last: Pakistan were bowled out for 80 in 2010, India for 158 in 2011, England for 190 against Sri Lanka in 2006, and South Africa for 131 in 2003. Even in the 2005 Ashes Test which England won, they managed to chase down 129 with only three wickets in hand.In the fourth innings too, fast bowlers have played key roles at this ground, taking 49 wickets at 20.79, compared to 17 wickets for spinners at 20.23. The fast bowler stats here in the fourth innings are better than in the first three innings: they’ve averaged 29.72 in the first innings, 27.09 in the second, and 28.34 in the third.With Zaheer Khan at the top of his game in 2007 – taking 9 for 134 – India exploited those conditions better than the home team to win by seven wickets; in 2011 too, the Indian seamers were superb in the first innings, bowling England out for 221, before being taken apart in the second. They’ll need a couple of their bowlers to step up again to prevent England from winning their sixth consecutive Test here.

Runs per wkt in each innings at Trent Bridge since 2003

1st inngs2nd inngs3rd inngs4th inngs32.5929.1030.0821.67