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The fact that his wrist is not behind the ball and the seam doesn’t come out upright speak volumes

Aakash Chopra23-Oct-2013Let me start with a disclaimer: I’ve been a huge Ishant Sharma fan, right from the day I saw him bowl in a Ranji Trophy one-dayer years ago. It was rare to see an Indian fast bowler as tall as that. He also had the perfect high-arm action and a solid wrist behind the ball.His height offered him extra bounce off the surface, and the ball almost always came out of his hand with the seam upright, which allowed him immense control. Such was his mastery over his line that we at Delhi could give him a 7-2 off-side field and the chances were he would not go for a single boundary off the legs throughout the day.He was barely out of his teens then, but it was quite evident that this lad would almost certainly play for the country, for he had potential and promise. Besides the obvious physical advantages, his mind seemed perfectly primed for the job: he simply loved bowling. Ishant would never shy away from bowling long hours in the nets. He was the first to raise his hand if the captain needed some overs, even towards the end of a long day.So I wasn’t surprised one bit when he bowled that magical spell to Ricky Ponting in Perth. Ishant went on to bowl many such probing spells, especially when India toured overseas. He wasn’t the typical Indian swing bowler – more the sort of hit-the-deck-hard bowler who was likely to get purchase off hard and bouncy Australian and South African pitches.Ishant stood out on another count – he typically bowled slightly short of a good length. If one can get steep bounce, along with some sideways movement, as Ishant used to, both ways, success can almost be taken for granted.However, as he progressed in his international career – and he progressed much faster than many of his age – his wrist started to defy his commands. It was no longer willing to stay behind the ball every time he bowled, and that meant the seam was rarely upright on release. If the seam is wobbling at the point of release, it’s improbable that the ball will land on the seam, which in turn means negligible lateral movement off the deck. The extra bounce, which was his best ally, lost its sting because the predictability of length coupled with the lack of lateral movement off the surface allowed batsmen to ride the bounce.Ishant could still bowl some probing spells on days when his wrist didn’t fall, or when, by some stroke of luck, the ball landed on the seam more often than not. I distinctly remember his spell to Mahela Jayawardene on a docile Sri Lankan pitch, in which he made one of the world’s finest batsmen dance to his tune. Unfortunately those spells were few and far between.Even when Ishant was far from his best, MS Dhoni kept faith in him, for he was still one of the few who would readily bowl 18 or 20 overs in a Test match day. There are bowlers who are there to take wickets and then there are the ones who the captain wants in his side, for you need workhorses if you are to get through 90 overs in a day. Not that the latter variety are not expected to take wickets, but they are allowed to take fewer than the rest; that’s part of the bargain.In the last six months things have taken a turn for the worse, for Ishant has seemingly almost stopped even attempting to bowl with the seam upright. When a fast bowler ceases to deliver the ball with the seam upright, you know his confidence is at its lowest ebb. Sacrificing the upright seam and its benefits is usually part of a bid to gain more control, but ironically control is also a matter of confidence. If you aren’t 100% sure of where the ball is going to land, chances are, more often than not it won’t land where you want it to.Ishant’s lack of confidence in his ability to put the ball in the desired spots was clearly visible in that 30-run over. But while post-match analyses wrote him off, and the next morning’s newspapers carried obituaries, not many attempted to deconstruct those infamous six balls.

When a fast bowler ceases to deliver the ball with the seam upright, you know his confidence is at its lowest ebb. Sacrificing the upright seam and its benefits is usually part of a bid to gain more control, but ironically control is also a matter of confidence

Ball one: Long-on and long-off were on the fence, and Ishant attempted a yorker. The ball ended up two feet outside off and at least a couple short of the blockhole. Faulkner dispatched it for four over covers.Ball two: Ishant brought mid-off inside the circle, which meant that he had to bowl a short ball, and he did. Just that Faulkner was ready for it and hit a six.Ball three: Ishant brought third man and fine leg inside the circle, and had long-on and long-off on the fence. The only place to bowl was full and within the stumps. Another attempted yorker missed its spot by a good few feet and went for a six over his head.Ball four: Not knowing what to do, Ishant bowled a length ball. Most times, bowling a length ball in the death overs is a sin, but he got away with only two runs this time.Balls five and six: Ishant had one fielder on the fence on the off side, long-off, and three on the on side. He had two options to choose from: one, a yorker within the stumps, or two, a short ball to the body. He chose the latter and gave away two more sixes. Which raises the point that if that was what he wanted to do, he should have brought long-off inside the circle and sent fine leg to the fence. With fine leg inside the circle it was not prudent to dig it in too short, for even a top edge would go over the infield. And there was very little chance of a bouncer being hit over the mid-off fielder.Unfortunately, Ishant couldn’t deliver good old yorkers, conventional or slower bouncers, or changes of pace with precision under pressure.I’ve not come across many players who are as hard-working as Ishant is, and it saddens me that he is not learning from his mistakes – or perhaps the lessons aren’t being conveyed to him accurately. He is only 25 and it’s not too late for him to go back to the basics of keeping the wrist steady and attempting to release the ball with the seam upright. The rest is bound to fall in place.

People may typecast him as a T20 specialist, but Kieron Pollard’s ambition is to play five-day cricket. He talks about his plans, his early struggles, and his success in the IPL

Interview by Jack Wilson22-Jan-2014Tell us about your early days in cricket. At first, it was pretty tough, wasn’t it?
It really was. I grew up in a single-parent home with just my mum. It was always going to be hard. We weren’t wealthy, and cricket was an expensive sport. We had to make a lot of sacrifices in order for me to play cricket.Did you miss out on facilities and luxuries that others had?
Equipment-wise, yes. It was pretty difficult for us as a family. I didn’t have full kit until I was 15 or 16. My mum bought me a second-hat bat when I was 13 and I had to use all the school’s gear when I was there. I wasn’t as fortunate as others.What was it like growing up playing cricket in Trinidad?
Despite a lot of things being against me, it was exciting. What we all had as youngsters was Brian Lara to look up to. At that point, playing cricket, watching cricket and watching him was motivating enough. The West Indies had a great team. Carl Hooper, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh were all big heroes.You came over to Haxey in Lincolnshire in 2006. What was it like as a 19-year-old being so far away from home?
I had been on tour with the West Indies Under-19s, but this was my first real experience of leaving home for a long period of time. It was a challenge and I was living by myself for the first week. I didn’t like it and I told the club that it was pretty difficult for me. I moved in with the club captain and it was much better. I was supposed to be there five months but ended up leaving after five games to play in the Stanford 20/20.It must have been a big lifestyle change in England and a big change in cricketing conditions too.
The cold, mainly. It was something new to me. I was wearing a lot of sweaters! I learned a lot in a small space of time there, about myself and about my cricket.When you went back you made 83 off 38 balls to put Trinidad in the Stanford 20/20 final. Do you consider that your big break?
It was a huge day for me, certainly. I was lucky I got the opportunity I did. Some of the other guys were away on a West Indies A tour in England, which meant I got my chance, and I took it.It led to international honours and making your West Indies debut in the 2007 World Cup under Brian Lara. At the time questions were being raised about Lara’s captaincy. What are your experiences of him?
I was just coming out of first-class cricket, so getting an opportunity in a World Cup on television was just incredible. I didn’t have the greatest debut against South Africa, making just 10, and we lost. But Brian Lara was a great figure, and we still see each other and have conversations now.And his captaincy?
I think it would be unfair for me to judge. I was more in awe of him than anything else.Thinking back to the $20million winner-takes-all match against England – the boy who had nothing growing up suddenly had everything. What are your recollections of that?
Elation, pure elation. It was absolutely amazing, brilliant. It didn’t just happen, though. As a group we worked so hard before that game. We had an intense training camp and everyone put in such a big effort. There was a lot of hard graft and England were a very, very strong team then. Beating a side with Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff is never easy.What did you spend the money on?
My family. I have a lovely wife and two children, a boy and a girl.So could we have another Pollard to watch out for?
I don’t know. He’s picked up a bat and is already swinging to leg!In 2009, no one wanted you at the IPL auction. A year on, you were the most sought-after player and ended up going for $750,000. Did you watch the bids come in?
I was practising with South Australia in the Big Bash at the time, but it turned out well. Cricket in India and the IPL have personally been massive for me. I’ve had some great days with Mumbai.Were there any greater than last year’s Man-of-the-Match performance in the final?
It hurt when we lost in 2010, so to put that right last year was special.

“I want to help take talented young Trinidadian cricketers to the next level. The game of cricket has already given me so much. I feel it only right that I give something back”

And you are back with Mumbai this year too.
That also was very special. It shows I’m doing something good for them. I know I need to be more consistent but I’m working on that.It is hard enough winning the IPL but is it even harder to retain it?
It’s another big challenge but I’m looking forward it. There’s a buzz around any tournament, especially when you’re going back into it as champions. I don’t know what sort of team we’re going to have and it’ll be exciting to see how that pans out. My focus is on retaining the title.But you will have to do it without Sachin, won’t you?
He won’t be playing and it’s a big disadvantage for us. When Sachin is there, we know everywhere we go we will have support. He will be a big miss for us – a massive miss. But at the end of the day, Sachin is a Mumbai boy. He was born there and has Mumbai blood running through him. He loves cricket and will be somewhere around our camp, I’m sure.There is huge money in the IPL and there was huge money in the Stanford game. How do you deal with that?
It’s not something I’m used to, but I’m still the same individual that started playing cricket so many years back. I keep my feet on the ground and haven’t changed. I want to give my children what I didn’t have growing up.Talk us through the World Twenty20 win.
The people of West Indies needed that and we as players needed that. Things hadn’t been going the way we wanted. T20 cricket, with the power-hitting and athletic fielding, was built for us. We had players who had played in the IPL with a lot of experience, and it all came together at the right time. It was not down to one individual, it was down to us as a team. People can say it was Marlon Samuels’ knock in the final that won it, but we still had to hold Sri Lanka to less than 137. Each and every game someone different put their hand up.Do you see yourself as a T20 specialist?
Of course not. Everybody says I’m big and strong and suited to it, but when you look at cricket, the game is changing so much. A few years ago they said David Warner was a T20 specialist but look what he has achieved in Test cricket. Think back to why I was called up in the first place to the West Indies side too. It was because I made centuries in four-day cricket. I’m not a specialist.You are 26 and have years ahead of you. What goals do you have?
I don’t want to let everyone know what I want to achieve. I like to tick the boxes quietly and keep myself to myself. But I’ll give you one – to play Test cricket for West Indies.Was that always the dream growing up?
Mine was to play international cricket, but Test cricket was huge as a child. It’s what you got up at 6 o’clock in the morning to watch. My ambitions are still the same – to pull on the whites for my nation. Yes, I’ve played a lot of one-day and T20 cricket, but the ambition to play in the Test team is there. I’m not an old guy just yet.Do you think you are close to a Test call-up?
I don’t know how close I am. I might be a way off – I don’t know. I’m highly unlikely to play a full season of first-class cricket, so my only way of playing is by performing well in the ODIs. I could be wrong but that’s the way I think I can do it. The way the fixtures are made up make it hard. I played two games last season and the year before, I played one.How do you need to adapt your game?
I’m the first one to admit I’m inconsistent and I need that to change. It’s like in business. There you have to be consistent and it’s the same in cricket.What would you rather do: get West Indies to No. 1 in the Test rankings or win another World Twenty20?
(Laughs) Both. At the moment I’m not playing Test cricket, but I can help us win the World T20.Tell us a bit about the Atlantic Pollard Scholarship, which you have helped set up back home.
I want to help take talented young Trinidadian cricketers to the next level. The game of cricket has already given me so much. I feel it only right that I give something back. It gives some of the best young guys a chance to come over to play club cricket in England and learn more about themselves and their game. They get opportunities that they might not have had before.And there is a Lara involved, too?
Yes, we’ve had Akeal Hosein and Savion Lara – Brian’s cousin – playing at Barnes and Purley respectively last season. They get opportunities that they might not have had before. We will shortly announce our two new scholars to play at Purley CC and Barnes CC in 2014.You are over in England recovering from your knee injury. How is it going?
It’s getting there. I’m doing a lot of work in London to sort it but I don’t want to rush back. It’s six hours a day at the moment. I’m a sportsman and I want to be playing, I want to be on the park.Allrounders have a big strain on their bodies, but you have been lucky with injuries, haven’t you?
I have, thank god. This is my first major injury in cricket, and I wasn’t even playing at the time. It happened in a charity football match and I made a bad turn while I was dribbling. Playing football is what we do and everything happens for a reason. I love my football. I’m a big Manchester United fan and went to watch them play Chelsea on Sunday. Unfortunately we lost, but it was a great experience going to the game.

With uncapped Indian players entering the IPL auction pool for the first time, franchises have begun inviting talented domestic players for trials to assess their value

Nagraj Gollapudi and Amol Karhadkar11-Feb-20140:00

Rishi Dhawan, Manish Pandey could attract big bids

It became evident how much franchises value uncapped players when Rajasthan Royals retained Sanju Samson•BCCITwo days after Karnataka won the Ranji Trophy, KL Rahul, the second highest run-scorer in the tournament, flew to Mumbai. He was scheduled to squeeze in a trip to Kolkata as well, but that didn’t happen.The reason behind Rahul’s whistle-stop tour was to audition for two IPL franchises (Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders), who had booked his flight tickets. Unlike in the past, the franchises were not fighting hard to lure Rahul into their fold. This time, Rahul was part of a bunch of players they had called for trials in which they could assess their talent by putting them through various match-like situations.At 21, Rahul is one of the 300-odd uncapped Indian players who for the first time will be part of the player auction, which will be held in Bangalore on Wednesday and Thursday. Uncapped players form an integral part of an IPL squad. The size of a squad, from this season, has been restricted to 27, and with a maximum of nine overseas players permitted, franchises point out the advantages of having an uncapped player whom they feel can be procured at a reasonable price and give them more value-for-money returns.It became evident how much franchises value uncapped players when Rajasthan Royals retained Stuart Binny and Sanju Samson and Kings XI Punjab retained Manan Vohra. Uncapped players who prospered during the last IPL season include Rajat Bhatia, Manvinder Bisla, Hanuma Vihari, Ashok Menaria and Pravin Tambe.”It [having uncapped players in the auction pool] makes it very clean and transparent and gives every franchise an equal opportunity,” says Venky Mysore, the Kolkata Knight Riders chief executive. According to Mysore, the big difference between the previous seasons, when franchises would call uncapped players for trials, and now is there is no longer any need to negotiate.”You had a situation where different type of influences came into the picture and that would determine who the player would sign with eventually,” Mysore says. “Our intention was to call some of the boys whom we did not know much about.”According to Mysore, the overall approach and the composition of the squad with regards uncapped players will not change. “On an average, each franchise will have 8-12 uncapped players in the squad,” he says. “The difference this time will be you will have equal opportunity to buy the player provided you are willing to pay the price.”Barring Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings, the rest of the franchises conducted trials, which generally ranged from one to two days. Even if they cannot offer shortlisted players a contract without buying them in the auction, most franchises say they wanted to see which players suited their needs. One franchise coach says he was looking at “players on the fringe of playing Ranji Trophy” for his franchise.”You are trying to put a face to the name,” the coach says. “Although we cannot assess too much in two days, coaches can get a glimpse of the players’ mindset. These players are very important keeping the future in the mind. Most of the players, both Indian capped players and overseas, are not getting younger. So if somebody has the potential, and even if he does not play this year, you can always hang on to that guy and build on him for the future.”The trials themselves involved net sessions, simulating match scenarios and, in some cases, practice matches. “We are not looking to teach the player anything,” the coach says. “You just want to see whether he fits into your strategy and for the player it is to get an idea about the franchise.”From a player’s perspective, he gets a peek into the how a franchise operates. First impressions work in life and they can work even in the IPL. “It is speed dating in the IPL,” is how a franchise head sums up the concept.Most of those who are being invited have bloomed in the domestic circuit over the last couple of seasons. One promising batsman, who had a consistent Ranji Trophy season, was invited for a trial by a former IPL champion team. “I was given three sets of 20 balls each to show my prowess,” he says. “First I was told to bat assuming they were Powerplay overs, then they told me to treat the ball and field placements like those in the middle overs and the last set was to bat the way I would in the death overs. It may not sound so innovative but the field placements were constantly revolving and it was challenging to score under such pressure. It was a perfect dress rehearsal to bat in the IPL.”Even the bowlers were told to show their skills by bowling either one over or two at a stretch at different intervals in an innings. “I was given the confidence first that I am being considered only because of my accuracy and variations and was told to use as many variations as I had,” a medium-pacer says. “It was a wonderful experience.”

Stats highlights from yet another Virat Kohli special, India v South Africa, World T20, semi-final, Mirpur.

Shiva Jayaraman04-Apr-2014

• India’s chase was the highest successful one against South Africa in T20Is and only the second time a target of 165-plus has been chased successfully against them. The previous best against them was by New Zealand in East London in 2012, when they overhauled a target of 169.
• South Africa have now lost ten of the 12 knockout matches (semi-finals and finals) they have played in major (involving five or more teams) limited-overs tournaments. The last time they won a knockout was in the finals of the Champions Trophy in 1998-99, when they beat West Indies.
• Virat Kohli’s 44-ball 72 is his seventh fifty in T20Is and his fifth in chases. Kohli has scored 496 runs at an average of 82.66 in chases in T20Is. Batting first, he averages 25.61 and has scored 333 runs in 13 innings with two fifties. Kohli’s average is the highest among batsmen with a minimum of 400 runs in chases. The second-best batsman in this list, Michael Hussey, averages 30 runs fewer than Kohli.
• Kohli went past Netherlands’ Tom Cooper as the top run scorer in this World T20 – he has scored 242 runs at an average of 121.00 and a strike rate of 128. Kohli also went past Gautam Gambhir as the India batsman to have scored the most runs in a World T20 series. Gambhir had scored 227 runs at 37.83 in the 2007 World T20.
• Kohli played only three dots in the 44 balls he faced in his innings. This is the least number of dot-balls faced by a batsman in an innings of 40 or more balls. JP Duminy’s five dot-balls in a T20I against Australia at the Gabba in 2009 was the previous lowest.
• R Ashwin’s bowling figures of 3 for 22 are his second best in T20Is and only the second instance of him taking more than three in a T20I. His best figures came in India’s previous game against Australia when he took 4 for 11. Ashwin has taken ten wickets at an average of 9.5 and has economy of 4.91 at Mirpur. Only Samuel Badree – who has 11 wickets at 10.27 – has more wickets at this venue.
• Amit Mishra’s second over in the match went for 17 runs, which is the most he has gone for in an over in T20Is. Mishra’s figures of 0 for 36 are also his worst of his T20I career. Mishra has taken ten wickets at 13.60 and has an economy of 6.18 in six T20Is.
• Dale Steyn’s economy of 11.36 is his second worst in T20Is. His worst economy in a T20I came against England in a league match of the 2010 World Cup, when he went for 50 runs in four overs.
• Faf du Plessis’ fifty in this match was his fifth in T20Is and his second against India. Du Plessis has scored 123 runs in two games against India at a strike rate of 155.7. His four fifty-plus scores now equal the most by a South Africa captain, same as Graeme Smith.

James Anderson and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been the leading bowlers in the series so far with similar stats, but in their head-to-head battles Bhuvneshwar is ahead

S Rajesh05-Aug-2014Over the last few days, all the talk has been about the off-the-pitch battle between James Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja. In this series, though, the more relevant on-the-pitch battle has been between Anderson and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The new-ball bowlers from each team have been the two top wicket-takers in the series, and have led the attacks for their teams admirably.The overall numbers for the two are remarkably similar so far: Anderson has bowled 26 more overs and has 16 wickets to Bhuvneshwar’s 15, while their series averages are separated by a run. Against the top six batsmen, though, Anderson has done significantly better: when bowling to India’s top six (Vijay, Dhawan, Pujara, Kohli, Rahane and Rohit), Anderson has achieved figures of 10 for 221, compared to figures of 6 for 163 when bowling to the rest of the Indian batsmen.Bhuvneshwar, on the other hand, has been more successful against England’s lower order than their top six. Against Cook, Robson, Ballance, Bell, Root and Moeen, he has only managed eight wickets at 33.12; against the other England batsmen, Bhuvneshwar has been outstanding, with figures of 7 for 76.

Among India’s top order, only two batsmen – Ajinkya Rahane and Murali Vijay – have averaged more than 40 against Anderson in this series. Rahane has been the best among them, scoring 51 off 100 balls and getting out just once – a superb caught-and-bowled effort when Rahane was batting with the tail and looking for quick runs at Lord’s. Vijay has been extremely patient against Anderson, scoring 94 off 259 balls. Both Vijay and Rahane have similar control percentages against him.Shikhar Dhawan has been Anderson’s bunny in the series, getting out to him three times in 78 balls, but surprisingly, his control percentage isn’t very different from those for Rahane and Vijay – in fact it’s marginally higher. Jadeja has scored runs at a fair clip against Anderson, but his control factor is poor – only 62%. Cheteshwar Pujara has a much higher control factor, but has been kept scoreless for long periods.However, the biggest non-contest of the series so far has been between Anderson and Virat Kohli. Coming into the series, they were the leading bowler and batsman for their respective teams, but while Anderson has lived up to that tag, Kohli has struggled. In their head-to-head battles, Kohli has scored two runs from Anderson, and been dismissed twice – in the first innings at Lord’s and Southampton. Before this series, Kohli had 23 runs off 81 balls from Anderson in Tests, and had been dismissed once; now the numbers read 3 for 25 from 102 balls – average 8.33, runs per over 1.47.In fact, the only batsman who has faced more than ten balls from Anderson without being dismissed by him in this series is Bhuvneshwar, whose numbers against England’s leading bowler are excellent – 32 runs from 61 balls, and a control factor which is the best so far by any Indian batsman.

Among England’s batsmen, Gary Ballance, Joe Root and Alastair Cook have all done pretty well against Bhuvneshwar so far, being dismissed only once each and achieving a pretty high control factor. Ian Bell and Sam Robson have been dismissed twice each, which is the highest number of times Bhuvneshwar has dismissed any England batsman in this series so far. Moeen Ali has a reasonable control factor against Bhuvneshwar, but has struggled to get him away for runs, scoring 10 off 63 balls.Anderson has done well to be dismissed only once from 42 balls against him, but Bhuvneshwar can point to the control factor to show that he has been edging their head-to-head contest. (It’s also pertinent to point out here that Bhuveshwar has a first-class batting average of 30.59, compared to Anderson’s 10.40.) The overall control factors for batsmen against Bhuvneshwar and Anderson are also very similar, indicating there’s been little to separate the two bowlers so far.

Where the runs have been scored v Anderson and BhuvneshwarWhere the runs have been scored against James Anderson and Bhuvneshwar Kumar•ESPNcricinfo LtdMuch has been said and written about the number of runs scored through the third man region in this Test series, and the wagon-wheel of runs scored against Anderson bears this out. Out of the 55 fours that have come off his bowling, 23 have been behind the wicket, either through third man or backward point; in all, 126 out of the 384 runs he has conceded have come in that region. Against Bhuvneshwar the runs scored in that region are considerably lesser, possibly because of his lesser pace. On the other hand, Bhuvneshwar has been hit through the covers more often, conceding 13 fours, and 88 runs, in that region.

ESPNcricinfo writers look back at their worst moments in English cricket in 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Dec-20141. The moment the ECB lawyers agreed to the gagging clause with KPIt meant the rest of the year would be dominated by whispers. Then the story blew up again with his book in October. It should all have been dealt with when the sacking happened, whatever the short-term pain – 2. The day of Kevin Pietersen’s book launch The miserable handling of the Pietersen affair was hauled into the public eye with the claims and counterclaims merely damaging the image of cricket in the UK – 3. The booing of Moeen Ali A reminder that, for all the progress we think we have made in Britain as a multicultural society, there is a long way to go. The ECB’s silence on the subject remains shameful – 4. The Test pitch at Trent BridgeWhether it’s the type of clay, artificial sunlight or, hell, even astroturf, something needs to be done about the standard of pitches in England, which seem to be on a continual decline. Kudos to Horsham who, with the help of Hove groundsman Andy Mackay, produced one of the best wickets of the summer for the Sussex-Warwickshire Championship match – 5. The ECB’s role in the Big Three’s power grab In prioritising self-enrichment in the short-term, the ECB has shown contempt for expanding the sport. Supporting a 10-team World Cup, with a 45-game group stage, and effectively vetoing cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics showed a depressing lack of vision – or sensitivity, indeed, towards maximising profit in the long-term – 6. The slow-motion car crash of Alastair Cook’s final ODI seriesDesperately seeking the runs that would prop up his World Cup ambition, Cook bore the pressure with dignity before being sacked, but the ECB should have acted months ago 7. Decline in recreational cricketConfirmation by the ECB that participation in recreational cricket was down by 7% with a growing number of matches conceded underlined that recreational cricket is facing a crisis. The desire for instant gratification, changing social norms and lessening of community ties has put the game in England under enormous strain –

It may be hard to keep track of a tournament on the other side of the world but it is time to dispel the negativity

David Hopps13-Feb-20151:36

NYC Speaks – Who will win the World Cup?

England will sleep through much of this World Cup. The time difference between New Zealand and Australia makes that inevitable. Perhaps that is a good thing because, by and large, England sure has been sleeping through the build-up.A few media types stirred on Thursday to deride the opening ceremony. Danny Boyle it wasn’t. A man of a certain age singing “Howzat” – nearly 40 years after he briefly sent teenaged girls into raptures – and an administrator saying “May the best team win”, with the emphasis on the wrong words as if he had spent too long practising it in the bath, was Australia’s contribution to popular culture.Australia might win the World Cup but New Zealand won the opening ceremony.And before we move on, England were represented by ballerinas in Union Jack tutus dancing to “Money Can’t Buy Me Love” by the Beatles. What on earth do we make of that? Maybe it was intended as a subliminal message to the ECB, a warning that after a decade trying to stabilise cricket’s finances, the nation is in danger of falling out of love with the game. Or maybe it was a preview of the half-time show in this season’s NatWest Blast.Wake up, England! Rediscover that love. The World Cup is upon us. It is about to begin; yes, now. It is time to push aside the pessimism and negativity and soak up the delights in store. Otherwise in England this will become the Rip Van Winkle World Cup, where you will all wake up a long time hence to discover that the tournament is finally over, your muskets are rotting and rusty, your beards a foot long (even if you are a woman, because it is a very long tournament) and your dog is nowhere to be found.

In India you will struggle to find a bar not showing the cricket. In England, you struggle to find a bar that is

Wake up, England. Who cares how you do it. If it grabs your fancy, you can even satisfy your mobile phone obsession and use Wakie, an alarm clock app which promises to pair you up with a total stranger who will call you to get you out of bed in the morning. Imagine that. You are slumbering through a World Cup group game when Ian Bell rings you up and says: “Get out of bed for heaven’s sake, I’m 58 not out, I’m working my guts off here.”Believe it or not, there are parts of the world where ESPNcricinfo’s 100 Day Countdown to the World is a perfectly natural thought process. Not in England though. Even the football World Cup is only allowed a week’s anticipation at best. If a comet was hurtling towards earth and predicted to wipe out the entire planet, until the precise moment when it began to blot out half the sky it would just have to take its chance along with the supermarket run, the meet-up in the pub and a discussion about why they bothered making a second series of .In Bangalore, the headquarters of Cricinfo, where I have decamped for the tournament, the sporting obsession is palpable. World Cup previews and re-runs flicker from every TV screen. The only place that will matter on Sunday will be Adelaide as India do battle with Pakistan. In India you will struggle to find a bar not showing the cricket; in England, you struggle to find a bar that is.The Indian prime minister has sent tweets to every member of the squad. A British prime minister, even an Old Etonian, would first check with focus groups whether being associated with cricket was a good idea in an election year. They would advise him to tread very carefully. Back in 1999, England made a mess of the opening ceremony, firework smoke engulfed the VIPs and Tony Blair told an aide that it did not entirely fit his vision of “Cool Britannia”. The 2005 Ashes apart, cricket in England has rarely been cool.England’s players soak up the atmosphere in Australia but the World Cup will be watched from under the duvet at home•AFPTo be English in Australia is to be the butt of a nation’s humour. There is no cheerier way for Australia to begin the World Cup than indulging in their traditional bagging of the English. Presumably this is a more of a survival mechanism than ever after their prime minister chose Australia Day to give Prince Philip a knighthood.Buy a coffee: “You’re English? Ah, that’s bad luck.” Ask for a beer: “Your team are s***, mate.” At least the taxi drivers rewarm the old jokes. “I couldn’t live in England – it’s cold, overcrowded and full of the English.” On Friday, a plane circled the city carrying the banners that have adorned advertising hoardings all week: “Missing: pair of balls. If found, please return to the England cricket team.”There is a lot of flapping of gums. But at least they are enjoying themselves.It was a relief to arrive in India with the World Cup about to begin. Inconvenient for sure, because a day after leaving the central heating broke down, and the tickets for Dara O Briain will go to waste, and there is a wedding in the diary that will have to be given a miss.But it has been a wonderful escape from English negativity: the complaints that the tournament is too long, the reluctance to buy into the hopes and aspirations of a reshaped one-day side that is at least showing signs of adventure and ambition, and a general carping about the game that has become a default position that many cricket lovers cannot quite escape.Wake up, England! But only when you are ready to join the fun.

ESPNcricinfo’s correspondents at the World Cup pick their best moments from the fifth week of matches

22-Mar-2015Firdose Moonda: Steyn pops a vein
Dale Steyn seemed to have been waiting for Faf du Plessis to take that catch his whole life. When Tillakaratne Dilshan edged and du Plessis moved forward, Steyn seemed to be blue in the face holding his breath. Then du Plessis caught it and Steyn let it all out. He screamed, veins popping, eyes rolling, arms outstretched. Crazed, possessed, and pumped up – that’s how South Africa started the journey into the semis, and their intensity did not wane all through the game.Andy Zaltzman: Kusal Perera’s masterclass
Sri Lanka are no strangers to taking weird selectorial punts at big World Cup matches, as the team sheet from the 2011 final can testify. This time they chose to break up the flourishing Dilshan-Thirimanne opening partnership by bringing in flamboyant strokeplayer Kusal Perera to face the vaunted South African pace attack, on the back of one fifty and an average of 17 in his previous 18 ODIs (and four ducks in his previous nine).And he produced a masterclass: how not to open an innings in a World Cup quarter-final. First over, Dale Steyn the bowler. Perera dutifully played himself in. For two balls – a leave, and a drive to cover. Then, he cut loose. Ball three: a flamboyant swish; bat and ball emerge unscathed. Ball four: see ball three, but resulting in an edge over the slips for two. Ball five: a slightly more controlled drive, no contact. Ball six: see ball five, but resulting in an edge through the slips, and a single. Second over, Kyle Abbott the bowler. Ball seven: Perera unveils a new shot from his repertoire – the forward defensive. Perera accessorises the block with a scamper a few yards down the wicket for an obviously non-existent single, and a scamper back to safety. Ball eight: see ball three. Ball nine: see ball eight. He could have been out six times in seven balls. Seven, if you include the run out that would have transpired had he carried through with the scamper. Ball ten: forward defensive, edge, out. Entire SCG reportedly “unsurprised”.Sharda Ugra: Rubel’s rebel yell
The send off Rubel Hossain gave Virat Kohli involved neither gestures nor words. He had just dismissed India’s biggest batting star, luring him into a drive from wide outside off stump, and his celebration involved a sound that arose from the bottom of the bowler’s stomach and carried all the way to everyone watching, at the MCG and on millions of TV sets around the world. It carried with it history – Rubel and Kohli have been going at each other since their Under-19 days – and a declaration: the game was on and Bangladesh would compete on even terms. It took all of Mushfiqur Rahim’s calmness and determination to physically restrain Rubel, 5ft 10 and as strong as a tree, from charging into Kohli’s face. India did go on to quell the rebellion from their neighbours, but Rubel’s rebel yell at India’s heir apparent will always echo through the ages.Andrew Fernando: Rahat drops the game
Rahat Ali had already completed a catch in the least assuring manner. Cantering in from third man, he intercepted the uppercut from David Warner’s bat in front of his moving right knee – almost like he was bending down to pull up his trouser leg and suddenly found a ball lodged in his palms. Pakistan were elated at that. Their World Cup hopes remained alive. But the next time a high ball came to Rahat, the universe he existed in had changed.In between those two chances, Wahab Riaz had summoned a transcendental spell. He had bounced out Michael Clarke, and given Shane Watson the one-day working-over of a lifetime. The next high ball that came to Rahat was brimful of meaning. If there was any bowler who deserved a wicket at this World Cup, it was Wahab, in that moment. If there was any time his team needed a fielder to be safe, it was now. It wasn’t just six ounces of leather hanging in the air, it was the delicious possibility of a Pakistan surge. But Rahat got his hands to the ball and spilt it. So often missed chances fade over time in the memory. But for as long as Wahab’s spell is spoken of, or remembered, or written about, so will Rahat’s drop. Rahat will know that most of all.Rubel Hossain gave Virat Kohli a send-off to remember•Getty ImagesDevashish Fuloria: The no-ball that moved a nation
There was one pivotal moment in the quarter-final in Melbourne and anyone with basic needlework skills would have been able to almost capture it: put a green-chequered cloth in between the embroidery hoops and you have the MCG; stitch out a batsman in blue, half-crouched as he smites a high full-toss; a fielder, in green and red, waiting in the outfield, his team-mates, expectant; and an umpire with a red shirt with one arm raised, signalling a no-ball. But it would have taken talent and a whole lot of passion to represent in thread the disappointment of the green team, the drooping of shoulders, the change in the mood, and the end of fight. You’ll find many artists who can do that, but it won’t be a surprise if most of them are from Dhaka.George Binoy: Vettori’s age-defying leap
In a team full of players on the cutting edge of the next stage of fielding evolution, Daniel Vettori is perhaps New Zealand’s weakest link. And that link showed just how strong that chain is with an age-defying snatch on the boundary in the quarter-final against West Indies.Marlon Samuels slashed Trent Boult, and as the ball sailed towards third man it seemed certain to clear Vettori, who was back-pedalling and found himself a few yards inside the boundary as the catch descended over his head. He sprung up like a jack in the box, one arm raised above for the interception and his other three limbs thrust out at awkward angles. The catch stuck and Vettori landed only a little less gracefully than a gymnast. He indulged in a little swagger to celebrate as Blackcaps from far and wide on the field sprinted towards their old third man, with looks of amazement on their faces. “I couldn’t believe it,” Boult said after the game. “For him to leap up a couple metres in the air and stick out his paw. I actually enjoyed the celebration afterwards, it was just a little strut. It was very cool.”Arya Yuyutsu: Gayle hands out goodies
Given Chris Gayle’s fitness it’s hardly surprising that rumours have been rife that this World Cup could be the last time he plays for West Indies. And, after the loss to New Zealand, he certainly looked like he was ready to bid the game adieu. He pulled out his two pairs of batting gloves, throwing them into the crowd, one by one, to the sheer glee of the fans. Three of the gloves reached New Zealand fans. Realising that, he looked for the West Indies supporters higher up the stand. With a lazy smile, he wound up and zipped that final glove right amongst them. That catch was worth more than a million to those fans. But there were still people without any souvenirs. And the big man realised that. He pulled out his pads and frisbeed them into the stands. Next came his cap. A kid in the front of the stands got that cap, complete with signature. Later, he laid the rumours of retirement to rest; more opportunities in future to gather Gayle memorabilia then.Andrew McGlashan: A blast from the past
Obvious point first: this World Cup is all about the current players. This moment should probably be about Martin Guptill. It is wonderful, though, occasionally to dip back into cricket’s storied history. The here and now is important, but we should never forget what has gone before. Watching West Indies get dispatched for 393 in the quarter-final would send a shudder down the former greats of that region. One of them, Curtly Ambrose, has taken on the herculean task of trying to help lift them back up the ladder of world cricket. But, for half an hour at the Basin Reserve, he dipped into tales of the past: of bowling into the wind in Wellington, of being hit for six, of being angered by Dean Jones. He smiled through it all – a couple of days later he must have grimaced at the current generation. Certainly in the West Indies, they don’t make them like they used. But thank goodness Ambrose is involved. If only there was time for more stories.

Plays of the Day from the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Mumbai

Sidharth Monga25-Apr-2015The change-up
Praveen Kumar loves bowling the first over of an innings, but in the Sunrisers Hyderabad attack he is option number four. It doesn’t swing that much when you bowl second change, but Praveen can show he can swallow his ego. In his first over he beat Lendl Simmons with two slower legcutters that were short and outside off. Unmukt Chand would have seen both these balls from the other end, and would have had the slower balls at the back of his head when Praveen bowled short at regulation pace to end the over. Chand was late into the pull, the ball hit the sticker on the bat, and ended up in the lap of midwicket inside the circle.The overthrow
We saw in how Rahul Tewatia ran out M Vijay recently that spinners are actively looking to catch non-strikers short if the ball is hit back at them. At Wankhede Stadium, Simmons pushed one hard back towards Karn, who tried to deflect it on to the stumps behind him. He missed the stumps by inches and conceded a single to long-on. Replays also showed that Rohit Sharma, the non-striker, was not as dreamy with his backing-up as Vijay had been. Rohit had slid his bat back in by the time the ball went over the stumps.The penalty
After having hit the top of Simmons’ middle stump in the 13th over – redemption after going for two fours – Dale Steyn went to work on the new batsman Kieron Pollard. Steyn had his tail, and his pace, up. The first ball hit the sticker of the bat as Pollard looked to defend off the front foot. Steyn then dug the next one in short, getting it to rise towards the chest of the big man. Pollard fended, once again uncertainly. You would have expected one full and fast at his toes now, Steyn wanted to do the same, but missed his line by six inches. Instead of middle the ball ended at the base of leg stump, and Pollard got enough bat on it to beat short fine leg and take four. Margin of error for bowlers is almost non-existent at times.The unfriendly treatment
Harbhajan Singh and Shikhar Dhawan are good friends. Harbhajan calls Dhawan “Gabbar”, and you can see on Twitter the joy he derives from Dhawan’s success. In the brief duel on the field, though, Dhawan showed he knew his friend’s game better than the other way around. Dhawan and David Warner are two left-hand openers, and in defence of a small total Mumbai went to their No. 1 offspinner with the new ball. Dhawan, though, played him with aplomb: caressing the first ball of the innings for four, and reverse-sweeping the first ball of Harbhajan’s second over for four. More unkind shots were to follow. Harbhajan to Dhawan: 23 off nine balls.

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2015Resuming on 85 for 4, after being rattled by Mitchell Johnson, Alastair Cook fortified one end…•Getty Images… while Ben Stokes attacked at the other•Getty ImagesHe brought up a fifty off 67 balls and looked set to soar to a second successive century at Lord’s….•Getty Imagesuntil he played on for 87 to hand Mitchell Marsh his second Test wicket; the 145-run partnership was broken just before lunch•Getty ImagesPeter Nevill claimed a low catch to snaffle a nick from Jos Buttler, but replays showed that the debutant wicketkeeper had just grassed it•Getty ImagesThree overs later, Buttler edged behind a simple catch for Nevill•AFPCook would have been out earlier on 63 had Steven Smith not dropped a sitter at backward square leg•Getty ImagesJosh Hazlewood then wrapped up the tail with the second new ball as the hosts were bowled out for 312•AFPChris Rogers and David Warner started well once again as Australia raised their lead to 362 at stumps•AFP