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ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the second day of the second Test between India and West Indies in Kolkata

S Aga15-Nov-2011The product placement
With a small traffic jam for the No. 6 spot in the Test line-up, Yuvraj Singh knows that time isn’t on his side. Having failed to make a dent on the scoreboard in Delhi, he arrived at the crease here knowing that a platform was already in place for a huge total. En route to 25, he miscued a pull and got hit. It was the slowest of the West Indies pace trio that dismissed him though, with Darren Sammy getting one through his defences to win a close leg-before shout. Yuvraj’s slow walk back included plenty of glances at the giant screen. But instead of a replay, it just kept showing an advertisement.The delayed redemption
MS Dhoni was on 13 when he threw the kitchen plumbing at a Kemar Roach delivery. Carlton Baugh caught the edge, but the celebrations were cut short by a no-ball call. Dhoni had added just three more to his total when the routine repeated itself, only this time Roach’s foot was even further in front of the line. By the time he finally got his man, Dhoni had pummelled the small matter of 144 runs.The swat
Soon after the two no-ball reprieves, Fidel Edwards decided to test Dhoni with a short ball. The response was smashed straight past him with the velocity of a Roger Federer forehand. It set the tone for a buccaneering innings.The trademark wristwork
Years from now, when we think of VVS Laxman, we’ll think of those clips through midwicket, often picking up the ball from well outside off stump. One such stroke, essayed with typically wondrous timing got him to his fifth century at Eden Gardens.The payback
It was like watching a replay of countless dismissals from the 1980s and 90s. Only, this time, it was a West Indian at the receiving end. Short of a length at lively pace from Umesh Yadav, a bit of extra bounce and a tentative fend from the batsman that flew off the edge to the slip cordon. Times have changed.The where is DRS moment
With 432 needed just to stave off the follow-on, what West Indies didn’t need was to lose a second wicket before the gloom descended. But R Ashwin was getting appreciable bounce, and most of the close-in fielders went up in appeal as the ball looped up to short leg off Kraigg Brathwaite’s forward prod. The umpire’s decision didn’t take much time, but replays appeared to suggest only pad and no bat. With no Decision Review System in place for this series, Brathwaite could only grimace and walk off.

ESPNcricinfo looks back at the players who helped Pakistan to a famous whitewash over England with the spin bowlers and a fine captain to the fore

George Dobell07-Feb-2012Mohammad Hafeez 7/10
Technically correct, patient and disciplined, Hafeez dealt calmly with a testing England seam attack – they dismissed him only once in the series – but was troubled more by Monty Panesar’s left-arm spin. He made a polished 88 in the first Test to give his side a strong platform and weighed in with useful contributions in a low-scoring game at Abu Dhabi. He also claimed five wickets – all of them left-handers – at an average of just 16 with his miserly offspin. England could barely hit him off the square and he conceded fewer than two runs an over.Taufeeq Umar 3
A series of diminishing returns. Looked disciplined and solid in making 58 in his first innings of the series, but was subsequently unsettled by James Anderson’s inswinger and drawn into a series of unwise pokes outside the off stump. He only made only 29 runs in his next five innings.Azhar Ali 8.5
A breakthrough series for a 26-year-old who could go on to be Pakistan’s Test captain. Certainly Azhar demonstrated a temperament that might have been tailor-made for Test cricket. He also showed a tight technique and a welcome aptitude to shine under pressure. The highlight was his marathon effort in Dubai, but he also produced a match-turning innings of 68 in Abu Dhabi. No-one on either side batted for longer or came within ten of his series average of 50.2.Younis Khan 7.5
He may only have contributed one innings of substance to the series, but what an innings it was. Dripping with quality and class, Younis’ century in Dubai changed the course of a game that Pakistan – bowled out for 99 in their first innings – might easily have lost. He looked in decent touch for the rest of the series, but never went on to register a significant score.Misbah-ul-Haq 8.5
How can we evaluate Misbah’s influence on the team? It clearly extends far beyond making runs; important as they often were. Misbah sets the tone for Pakistan, on and off the pitch, coaxing the best from his team and ensuring calm professionalism pervades whether winning or losing. It would be easy to characterise him purely as a dour, obdurate batsman – and there were certainly periods during his vital half-century in the first Test where those qualities stuck out – but he also showed his selfless, intelligent side with his calculated attacking at Abu Dhabi that brought him four sixes. He may have to watch one weakness with the bat, however, as England soon worked out that, for all his discipline outside off stump, he is a likely lbw victim. He fell that way in all five innings. Despite all the team’s success, some still dislike Misbah. They accuse him of being boring. Maybe, though, after everything that has happened in Pakistan cricket over the last few years, a little bit of boredom is not such a bad thing?Asad Shafiq 6.5
Played a large part in the victory in Abu Dhabi – in a low-scoring game his contribution of 101 runs in total was highly significant – and top-scored with 45 in the first innings rout in Dubai. He showed with his dismissal in the first innings in Abu Dhabi – heaving across the line due to a lapse in concentration – that he is not the finished article, but he displayed enough talent to suggest he should have a long future at this level.Adnan Akmal 6.5
An accomplished keeper who, but for one out of character mistake on the last day of the series, kept neatly to spin and seam alike. He still has some work to do on his batting – he contributed only one meaningful innings as a batsman and may be a place or two high at No. 7 – but this is a man who could represent Pakistan for much of the next decade.Saeed Ajmal was the leading bowler during the series•Getty ImagesAbdur Rehman 8.5
A vastly underrated cricketer. Rehman may not have much mystery, but he has excellent control and a wonderful ability to change his pace quite extravagantly without any obvious change in his action. He finished the series with 19 wickets at 16.73, including his first two five-wicket hauls in Tests. Ajmal ended with more wickets, but how many came partially as a result of the pressure built by Rehman who simply hardly bowled a poor ball? It is hard to think of a better spin partnership in contemporary world cricket. His problems with the bat – and he struggled horribly against Graeme Swann – will be over-looked if he continues to bowl like this.Saeed Ajmal 9
Masterful. With 24 wickets at 14.7 apiece, Ajmal tortured the England batsmen. As if his doosra was not enough – and it was more than enough for Ian Bell, who fell to it four times – he also displayed superb control and a host of other, subtle variations. Sometimes it was the ball that spun that caused England problems; sometimes it was the ball that went straight on. His 7 for 55 in the first Test set the tone for the series and unsettled several England batsmen. He may even have ruined a couple of illustrious careers.Umar Gul 8
An unsung hero in a side built around spin, Gul still enjoyed an excellent series. Wholehearted, strong and fit, Gul gave his side an edge with his committed seam bowling and at times troubled the England batsmen as much with his pace as his consistent line and length. Fully deserved his last day burst of four wickets.Aizaz Cheema 4
In years to come, the identity of the second seamer in the famous victory in the third Test might make a searching quiz question. With just one wicket in his two Tests, it could seem that Cheema was almost an irrelevance. He actually bowled pretty well without much fortune and supported Gul and the spinners better than the figures suggests. He beat the England openers frequently.Junaid Khan 2
On the face of things, Junaid had a shocker: he made a pair in his only Test and dropped an easy catch. He actually bowled very well in his limited opportunities – he beat Trott on several occasions -and, on more helpful pitches, will surely enjoy better games. His fielding does have to improve, though.

The MCC university cricket system provides a chance to prepare for life after the game while pursuing a county contract

George Dobell22-Jun-2012If the last few days have taught us anything, it is that there is far more to life than cricket. So while the outcome of the final of the British Universities and Colleges Cricket (BUCS) competition might not, in itself, seem particularly important in the grand scheme of things, such encounters actually carry much deeper significance. Indeed, you could make a strong case to suggest that the introduction of MCC University cricket (MCCU) is, alongside Chance to Shine, central contracts, four-day cricket and the adoption of promotion and relegation, one of the most positive developments in domestic cricket in the last 20 years.Professional sport is a seductive beast. It sucks you in with whispered promises of glory and glamour and spits you out with broken dreams and an aching body. For every cricketing career that ends in a raised bat and warm ovation, there are a thousand that end on a physio’s treatment table or in an uncomfortable meeting in a director of cricket’s office. Many, many more stall well before that level.And that’s where the trouble starts. Young men trained for little other than sport can suddenly find themselves in a world for which they have little training and little preparation. Without status, salary or support, the world can seem an inhospitable place. It is relevant, surely, that the suicide rate of former cricketers is three times the national average.The Professional Cricketers’ Association does sterling work trying to help former players who have fallen on hard times, but prevention must be better than the cure, and a huge step on the road of progress has been taken in the form of the MCCU.It has had different names along the way but the MCCU scheme was set up in the mid-1990s by former England opening batsman Graeme Fowler. Confronted with a choice between university and full-time cricket when he was 18, Fowler opted for university. It was a decision that provided the foundations for financial stability that extended far beyond his playing days. As Fowler puts it while watching the Durham MCCU team he coaches play Cambridge MCCU in the BUCS final: “Even a cricketer as successful as Alec Stewart had more of his working life to come after he finished playing. And not everyone can be a coach or a commentator.”The fundamental aim of the MCCUs is to allow talented young cricketers to continue their education while also pursuing their dream of playing professional cricket. It is to prevent a situation where they have to choose between the two. It should mean that young players gain the qualifications and skills for a life beyond cricket while still giving themselves every opportunity to progress in the game. Graduates will have enjoyed good-quality facilities and coaching while also maturing as people. It should be no surprise that several counties actively encourage their young players into the scheme as they know they will return, three years later and still in their early 20s, far better prepared for the rigours of professional sport and life beyond it.It works, too. Just under 25% of England-qualified cricketers currently playing in the county game graduated through the system. Durham MCCU alone has helped develop more than 50 county players, six county captains, three England players and, most obviously, England’s Test captain, Andrew Strauss, who credits the initiative as vital to his success. “It was at Durham University that I went through the transition of being a recreational cricketer to one who had the ambition to play the game for a living,” he has said. The MCCUs have a mightily impressive record.And, these days, it costs the ECB nothing. Not a penny. Instead the six MCCUs (Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, Cardiff, Leeds/Bradford and Loughborough) have, since 2005, been funded by the MCC. Each institution receives £80,000 a year and hopes to cobble together enough extra funding from sponsorship and other smaller grants to meet their annual running costs of around £130,000. You might well ask why the ECB – despite its annual income of around £110 million and rising – cannot find some more money for such an admirable scheme.Indeed, it is interesting to reflect on the roots of the MCCUs. In the mid-1990s, the ECB (or the TCCB as it was known at the time) lost its Lottery funding as the Lottery Commission was concerned that the sport did not possess a complete development programme that incorporated higher education. The board, in panic, embraced Fowler’s plans and appointed a couple of dozen regional development officers. Had the Lottery Commission not intervened, it is debatable whether the ECB would have had the foresight to act at all.

Fowler never actually wanted the games to carry first-class status but worries that if such status is stripped the funding may disappear too. He also worries that the matches against the counties – key factors in the development of his young players – might go

There are detractors. When, in April, Durham MCCU were bowled out for 18 by a Durham attack that contained Graham Onions, among others, it provided fresh ammunition for those who say that such games should not hold first-class status.It is a fair point. Fowler never actually wanted the games to carry first-class status but worries that if such status is stripped, the funding may disappear too. He also worries that the matches against the counties – key factors in the development of his young players – might go. Without those two facets, the system loses its attraction and the safety net disappears. The odd aberration in the first-class record might well prove to be a price worth paying for the benefits of MCCUs.As it was, Cambridge MCCU, boosted by an innings of 129 by Ben Ackland, defeated Durham MCCU by 24 runs in the BUCS final in the scenic surrounds of Wormsley. Perhaps only four or five of the players on show have realistic hopes of enjoying a career in cricket – Surrey’s Zafar Ansari is currently with Cambridge MCCU, though he missed the BUCS game, while Paul Best (Cambridge MCCU and Warwickshire), Chris Jones (Durham MCCU and Somerset) and Freddie van den Bergh (Durham MCCU and Surrey) are among those already affiliated with counties – but it was noticeable that at least one first-class county sent a scout to the match.”I spent my whole professional playing career on a one- or two-year contract,” Chris Scott, the Cambridge MCCU coach, says. “It probably made me a more insecure, selfish cricketer than I should have been. The MCCU scheme provides a safety net for players and helps them grow up and improve as players as people. It helps prepare them for life, whether that is in cricket or not.””And it’s not just about playing,” Fowler adds. “Some of our graduates have gone to be coaches or analysts at counties. Some might have become solicitors, but set up junior coaching schemes at their local clubs. There is a cascade effect that people sometimes don’t appreciate.”The quality of the head coaches is a vital factor. Scott, for example, is a philosophical fellow well suited to preparing his charges for the inevitable slings and arrows. He has needed to be. As Durham wicketkeeper he was, after all, responsible for the most expensive dropped catch in first-class history. Playing at Edgbaston in 1994, he put down Brian Lara on 18 and moaned to the slip cordon, “I bet he goes on and gets a hundred now.” Lara went on to score an unbeaten 501.Cambridge are the standout side among current MCCUs, and Scott’s record in aiding the development of the likes of Chris Wright and Tony Palladino should not be underestimated.The graduates of Durham MCCU are also lucky to have Fowler. Not just for his playing experience – anyone who scored a Test double-century in India and a Test century against the West Indies of 1984 knows a thing or two about batting – but also his life experience. For his easygoing good humour and mellow wisdom. He enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a player, but the formation of the MCCUs is surely his biggest contribution to the game.

Having felt let down by their side in losing the 2011 World Cup final, Sri Lankan fans are back behind their team hoping for their party to climax

Andrew Fernando in Colombo06-Oct-2012There is an unnatural hush in the Khettarama locale of the Premadasa Stadium. The area is often a crush of commotion; tuk tuks spluttering around a labyrinth of roadside stalls, produce vendors squawking out prices to a tangle of passersby, and in the evening, the Muslim mosque and Buddhist temple on opposite ends of the ground go toe-to-toe on loudspeakers. On the eve of the first major final the stadium has hosted, only the yelps of children playing with a taped up tennis ball and homemade bat pierce the quiet. Here at cricket’s coalface, the suspense is unmistakable. Over the past few days, it has spread swiftly from the tournament’s nerve centre to every corner of the island. Sri Lanka are in another final, and this time, they’re playing at home.For many fans, the pain from the 2011 World Cup final loss was still raw when this tournament began. They had expected Sri Lanka to win that trophy, imagined the team arriving triumphantly and parading along Galle road as it had done in 1996. Many had stockpiled fireworks to set loose at the clinching moment. Others sprung for new televisions and antennas to behold the spectacle in the highest number of pixels their money could buy. What stung them most was not that Sri Lanka lost, but that the team had seemed so limp in the field – hapless against a more determined India. Many swore off cricket that day. Unfairly, there was even a hint of betrayal because they felt the team had not really tried.That is not a criticism anyone will level at Sri Lanka in this tournament. There have been all the hallmarks that make the hosts such a watchable side – a mystery spinner bagging the format’s best ever haul, a captain who seems to fashion savagery from silk and a gifted teenager who has taken the pressure of international cricket on the chin. But this time, Sri Lanka have backed their flamboyance with an iron will. When tested, they have shoved back harder, and like lovers who spurned-then-returned after realising they couldn’t do any better, Sri Lanka’s fans have flocked to support the side once more.Mahela Jayawardene has been on the forefront of the team’s new resolve, and for all his instinct and brilliance on the field, it is his understanding and focus that has snapped Sri Lanka out of a post-World Cup funk, and brought the joy back into their cricket. He has his own reasons for wanting to rid himself of the reins, but while he has been at the helm, Jayawardene has coaxed the best out of the individuals under him, and cultivated a resilience the team had missed. Youngsters like Thisara Perera and Lahiru Thirimanne have flourished on Jayawardene’s watch. At the older end of the scale, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Rangana Herath have revelled in the freedom to be themselves.Part of the attraction of Sri Lanka’s campaign has also been the breadth of contributions they have benefited from. Unlike West Indies who have fired or failed largely on the strength of Chris Gayle’s blows, there is no obvious talisman for Sri Lanka. Kumar Sangakkara and Ajantha Mendis prospered in the tournament opener, Dilshan and Lasith Malinga shone in the first Super Eights match, the middle order proved their mettle against England and Herath and Angelo Mathews bowled the hosts into the final against Pakistan. Along the way, fringe players like Jeevan Mendis and Akila Dananjaya have also made their presence known.They have all added to the texture of Sri Lanka’s campaign and the fans have taken notice. After Sri Lanka’s victory in the semi final, the party in the stands spilled raucously into the streets. Tickets are selling for four or five times their retail value on the black market. Suddenly, thousands of people are wearing Sri Lanka team shirts and the anxious excitement preceding a final has taken hold.”Playing in Sri Lanka is not an added burden for us at all,” Jayawardene said. “We are very lucky to be able to do that. Playing in a final with our home fans gives the team strength and confidence. It’s unfortunate the capacity is only 35,000. The enthusiasm is so much people who come in will have a great time, and the rest of the fans will find a way of supporting us as well. Their thoughts and prayers will be with the team and I really appreciate that. We enjoy having that kind of atmosphere playing at home.”Jayawardene’s men will not read into three failures in recent finals, and perhaps rightly so. On each previous occasion, they were defeated by a team much better than themselves. This time, things are different. They are the form team of the tournament, and have proven themselves against a variety of opposition at three distinct venues. On Sunday night, Sri Lanka will watch once more. Perhaps this time, their fireworks will have lit up the night.

A timeline of the Deccan Chargers saga, from its stirrings to the franchise’ termination

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2012June 15, 2012
News emerges that Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited (DHCL), the owners of the Deccan Chargers side, are exploring the possibility of selling the franchise.July 16, 2012
Former Chargers chief executive Tim Wright wins a case of wrongful dismissal against the franchise and is awarded £10.5 million ($16 million approx), plus legal costs, by the High Court in London. He was dismissed by the Chargers in January 2009; he began legal proceedings against them the following month. In September 2012, Wright registers a ‘foreign decree’ in an Indian court to enforce the judgement passed by the London court.August 15, 2012
The franchise is given until the end of the month by the BCCI to pay its players their dues, as it had defaulted on the scheduled date. The board also seeks an explanation for the owners mortgaging the team ownership rights to two leading Indian banks.September 6, 2012
DHCL, under pressure from lenders to service its debt obligations, puts the franchise up for sale, officially, after approaching the BCCI for help.September 13, 2012
DHCL refuses the sole bid it receives at the auction. The “price and terms” of the bid from PVP Ventures, a company that finances film projects in India, are deemed “not suitable” by the owners. Reports say the offer was for Rs.900 crore (then US$164 million).September 14, 2012
The BCCI terminates the Deccan Chargers franchise, claiming defaults of payments to players, foreign boards and its possible “deleterious” effects on the IPL prompted the decision. DHCL challenges the decision in court the next day.October 9, 2012
DHCL asks a three-day extension to raise Rs.100 crore (US$19 million) as a bank guarantee, one of the conditions set by the Bombay High Court ruling of October 1, to avoid termination from the IPL.October 12, 2012
The Chargers are terminated from the IPL, as their owners fail to produce the bank guarantee. It leaves the BCCI free to invite bidders for a new franchise, with the status of Chargers’ players and staff currently unclear.October 13, 2012
In a countermove, the Chargers approach CK Thakkar, the court-appointed arbitrator, who puts a stay on the termination order passed by the High Court. In turn, the BCCI files for an “urgent” hearing in the High Court, challenging Thakkar’s ruling. The court overrules the arbitrator’s ruling, and the Chargers’ termination stands.October 14, 2012
The BCCI floats a tender, inviting bidders for a new IPL team.October 18, 2012
Bombay High Court overrules the arbitrator’s decision to impose a status quo on their expulsion from the IPL.October 25, 2012
Sun TV Networks Limited, one of India’s biggest television networks headquartered in Chennai, wins the Hyderabad franchise, bidding around $15.9 m for a five-year deal.

Matthew Wade’s century in Sydney showed that he has the fighting instincts and batting power to add tungsten to the Australian middle order at a time when there is brittleness elsewhere

Daniel Brettig at the SCG05-Jan-2013On Test match eve, Michael Clarke was posed an earnest question: having reclassified Mitchell Johnson as an allrounder, was Australia’s captain giving any thought to promoting him to No. 6, ahead of Matthew Wade? Generally Clarke will give any question its due, even if most of his answers tend to be towards the safe side. This time, though, his response was pointedly dismissive.”He won’t be batting No. 6 ahead of Wade,” Clarke said. “He is a genuine top-order batsman, Matthew Wade. It’s just that he keeps, so batting at six or seven gives him more time to recover. He has been hitting the ball really well [though] hasn’t made a big score for a while, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you see him walk out and make a hundred in this Test match.”Emphatic as those words were, they paled next to the actions with which Wade vindicated his middle-order posting on the third morning at the SCG. In guiding the tail through the morning and making a joyous century, Wade set Australia up for a much improved third-day performance in which Sri Lanka were hurried towards defeat. There is even a case to be made that Australia’s wicketkeeper should be considered for a higher commission than No. 6. At the very least, he should be acknowledged as Australia’s best allrounder – more reliable than Johnson, more durable than Shane Watson.As he did in Dominica last April, guiding Australia out of awkward circumstances with another compelling century, Wade arrived at the wicket at a moment on the second evening when the game was slipping from his team’s grasp. He was cautious early on, even a little uncertain, as he tried to get acquainted with the turning ball. The early passages of a Wade innings can appear hesitant, almost apologetic, for he commits time to establishing himself deliberately, not manoeuvring the ball around with the alacrity of Michael Hussey.But there is invariably a moment in Wade’s innings when he clicks up several gears, going from a posture of reacting to the circumstances to an altogether more assertive one where his intent is to set the tone for proceedings. In Dominica, that moment had been when he passed 50. Earlier this summer against South Africa in Brisbane, Wade stodged his way to two from 23 balls, before cracking a straight drive that nearly took the head off Rory Kleinveldt, then cutting him to the boundary next ball. Wade plays himself in carefully, but having done so he feels free to unleash.A special day for Wade

Matthew Wade’s century had added significance on Jane McGrath Day at the Sydney Test. With the ground decked out in pink to raise awareness and funds for cancer sufferers, Wade felt proud to have made a batting contribution given he had fought testicular cancer himself as a teenager.
“It was an amazing feeling,” he said. “Driving to the ground today, I didn’t think that would happen. To do it on a day like today with the McGrath Foundation day it was something special. I will never forget it. As a young kid growing up watching cricket, the last few years watching this Test match on day three, the pink day for the McGrath foundation – it was a special day for me.
“I was really keen to make a good score in this last Test match. I felt like I’ve been building towards something since the WACA game probably [against South Africa]. I feel like I’ve been flirting with my form a little bit with the bat, so it’s nice to get a score I’m happy with.
“We didn’t bowl the best we’ve bowled throughout the summer, but credit to the boys – when we sat down at tea and had a think about it, we took six wickets. It could’ve gone the wrong way for us this afternoon, but our bowlers are good enough and we fielded very well to pull it back.”

In Sydney the point at which Wade declared his intent sticks in the memory not so much for the runs that were gathered as for the pain that was inflicted. On 22 he had endured a torturous period in which he was given out caught behind and escaped via DRS – which spotted a no-ball in addition to the absence of an edge. Next he was dropped at short leg, and finally given out caught at bat pad off Rangana Herath’s bowling – this dismissal was also overturned via the DRS, but it was clear that a change in approach was required.In the same over Wade responded to a pair of similarly pitched deliveries from Herath by sweeping with a great deal of venom. Twice he knelt down to play the shot, twice he connected sweetly, and twice Dimuth Karunaratne was sent hopping around the infield after being struck stinging blows to the body. From this over Wade was far more committed in his intentions and went to stumps well set on 47.A series of indifferent strokes and questionable judgements by the other batsmen had left Wade with only the tail for company on the third morning, and his innings resumed in a collected manner. Again he followed the pattern of the evening before, gathering himself and reading the circumstances before going on the offensive. This time the loss of wickets forced Wade into greater aggression, but when he chose to attack after the arrival of the last man Jackson Bird he did so with breathtaking precision and power, going from 70 to 101 in 18 blistering balls.Nuwan Pradeep felt the brunt, as Wade bisected the two men roaming the offside boundary early in an over, before taking advantage of the field coming up to stop the single by cuffing behind point for another. On a pitch Phillip Hughes had described as difficult to drive on, Wade’s timing was beyond compare, pinging further boundaries to cover and wide long off. He saved his best for the shot that took him from 97 to 101, gliding with power to the square side of deep cover and racing in ebullient celebration towards the dressing room.Given that this will be the last match in which Michael Hussey takes a place in the middle order, it was a performance to hearten Australia, expert in its rhythm and decisive in its execution. Wade’s wicketkeeping has a little further to go, particularly on the higher bouncing surfaces of Australia, but his fighting instincts and batting power to give them full vent offer tungsten to the middle order at a time when there is brittleness elsewhere.As for where Wade might bat in the future, it is worth remembering another line from Clarke, which he uttered in the wake of the Dominica innings. “I think if he plays the way he’s been playing,” Clarke had said, “there’s no doubt he could play as a batsman.” Those words ring truer now than ever.

It will be one of sports great tragedies if it gets to the stage where Tendulkar’s attempted preservation of what he has left, is only acting as detriment to his legacy

Freddie Wilde25-Feb-2013No one knows Sachin Tendulkar better than Sachin Tendulkar. If he thinks he can score international fifties and hundreds again, then he probably can, and right now among what must be a mind-ridden with doubt, there will be some semblance of confidence that he can come good again. If there wasn’t he would’ve retired already. Now, I’m not for a minute going to tell Sachin Tendulkar what to do. He is arguably the greatest cricketer of the modern age and I’m an 18-year-old gap-year student.But what I am going to do is tell you a story, a life story, and a story that relates to Tendulkar and what must be one of the most talked about retirements in the history of sport. When I was seven years old, my Dad returned from England’s tour of India in 2001 with a BAS cricket bat. He’d got the bat from a factory where some of Tendulkar’s bats are made, he’d even asked for Tendulkar’s trademark red, blue and white grip to be applied to the little size four bat, and on the back, in a black ball point pen was Tendulkar’s autograph.For any cricket fan to possess such an item, it would mean the world to them, and to me, even at the age of seven, it did too. About three weeks after being given the bat, I sheepishly asked my Dad if he would be offended if I never used the bat in matches or at practice, as I didn’t want the autograph to ever fade or for the bat to ever get damaged. In not using that bat I was looking to preserve the life of that autograph, my little piece of ‘Sachin’.Fans can actually do the same to players’ careers. Arguably Tendulkar’s last two years have been driven by a reluctance to let his millions of fans down. But this reluctance to not let down, and desire to satisfy the masses, can only last so long. The preservation of something that is dying often only serves to tarnish or ruin – I learnt this bitter lesson a year after receiving my autographed bat… I was now eight and the bat was a year old. Only a year.But one day I discovered the autograph to be fading – even despite my disinclination to use it. In my naive, clumsy, eight-year-old kind of way, I took the radical decision of pulling my black gel pen out of my pencil case and re-drawing over the signature on the back of the bat. To my horror my Dad told me later that day that the autograph was now worthless – completely ruined.I’d tried to preserve my little bit of Sachin by not using the bat, and that had worked. But such things only work for so long, and in seeking to revitalise my precious possession, by taking my own pen to the bat, I’d ruined it. Again, I won’t claim to know more about Tendulkar than Tendulkar himself, and if he thinks he’s got runs left in him, he’s probably got runs left in him. But it will be one of sports great tragedies if it gets to the stage where Tendulkar’s attempted preservation of what he has left, is only acting as detriment to his legacy and impact on the game.

The tale of how Yuvraj Singh beat cancer and came back to cricket is now the subject of a book that reveals the man behind the allrounder

Suresh Menon06-Apr-2013Towards the end of this book, Yuvraj Singh asks the question: “What if I had been any Indian sportsman but a cricketer?” And he answers thus: “There would have been a few articles in the newspapers and some stories on TV. Federation bosses would have made the right noises and everyone would have clucked in pity. After that my family and friends would have had to run around trying to get me treated… it would have been easier to walk away from the sport I loved.”Being a cricketer meant that Yuvraj was under the care of India’s richest sporting body, the BCCI. It meant that he was guaranteed the best treatment, a clear path back to his sport, and sufficient media space to tell his story. Not surprisingly, he became the best-known cancer survivor in the country, and even if the occasional tasteless advertisement capitalised on that, the larger picture was positive.During the World Cup, India’s captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, said to the media, “[Yuvraj] has been vomiting a lot.” It was seen as an anxiety reflex. In fact, Yuvraj himself said, “Yes, the anxiety can be really heavy.” Yet this wasn’t about butterflies in the stomach but a tumour, and a cancerous one at that. No one knew then, of course, and in hindsight one marvels at how Yuvraj kept playing and carrying on as if everything was normal.The story is an inspiring one, and the book tells it with the clarity and insight of a newspaper report, which is both its strength and its weakness. Had this been a Bollywood story, it might have been dismissed as fanciful and far-fetched. Yet it is all true, which is why it is not difficult to forgive the descent into heart-tugging Bollywood style, and constructions like “Water, juice, energy drinks, by this time these were all into-Yuvi, out-of-Yuvi.”Of the three strands that make up the narrative – family, cricket and cancer – each serves as a cautionary tale. Yuvraj does not shy away from speaking about his father, the India player Yograj Singh, and his obsession with making his son a star; for every Yuvraj-type success, there are possibly thousands who might be marked for life. The cricket part too hints at many what-might-have-beens.The cancer – the time wasted on alternative medicine, the denial, confirmation, and finally full recovery and return to the Indian team – forms the most crucial cautionary tale of all. “You could have died of a heart attack,” his doctor tells Yuvraj. The tumour had been pressing against an artery.The book bravely strips away the macho public image of a talented allrounder good enough to play for India at 19, and reveals a vulnerable human being unafraid to cry. Top of the world at 29, within weeks Yuvraj faced the prospect of the end, and not just of his career. The horror (and necessity) of chemotherapy is well told, the gratitude at the simple fact of being alive is a subtext.Better editing might have ensured a smoother read. Such sentences as “You reach downtown, and steam rises out of manholes, the buildings are huge, but hardly a soul to be seen” stick in the throat. The ghostwriters have attempted to speak in Yuvraj’s voice, so there are few literary flourishes. The story is compelling enough to make the many irritants seem irrelevant.The Test of My Life: From cricket to cancer and back
by Yuvraj Singh
Random House India
Hardback, 189 pages, Rs 399

Mumbai Indians have been quick to snap up players to address weaknesses that have surfaced through the seasons, and their monetary power has helped them do that

Siddhartha Talya25-May-2013Rajasthan Royals have traditionally drawn much sympathy from IPL watchers, and their captain constantly reminded everyone this year of how they are a “moneyball” side, how under-resourced they are in terms of personnel and yet punch above their weight each time. Mumbai Indians are a popular side, too, but for reasons totally different. They are a side filled with big stars, and have a line-up that cannot have too many excuses to stop short of winning the title.The hunger to win remains, not just evident in the team’s improved performance this year that’s taken them to the final for the second time, but also tweaks made to their squad through the seasons, the management compensating for any weaknesses that surface with high-profile purchases, be in the auctions or in between seasons, of players that have caught the eye. And the franchise’s monetary power has played a significant role in ensuring Mumbai have got what they want.Kieron Pollard blasted his way to an IPL contract when he smashed an unbeaten 54 off 18 balls for Trinidad and Tobago against New South Wales in 2009, and Mumbai fought hard in the subsequent auctions to buy him. He fetched the maximum bid of US$750,000 before Mumbai bagged him in the secret tie-break, beating Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore by paying an undisclosed amount. He was one of four players retained by them after the 2010 season, and is now a key part of the middle order.Though he’s not been as effective in the second half of this season with the bat, Dinesh Karthik was an important transfer ahead of last year’s IPL during the transfer window. Ambati Rayudu, who remained in the Mumbai side, had kept wickets before him, but the need for a specialist wicket-keeper batsman prompted the franchise to shell out an undisclosed amount that may well have been among the most paid for a player in the transfer window. He had been bought for US$900,000 by Kings XI Punjab, a team that had a specialist wicketkeeper-batsman as their captain.In the bowling, Mumbai bought Pragyan Ojha during the transfer window to bowl in tandem with Harbhajan Singh, and Ali Murtaza went to Pune Warriors. And in the auction, they bid US$600,000 for RP Singh. RP, until then, had been the leading wicket-taker in the IPL, and Ojha was not far behind him, in fourth place. Three of the leading five bowlers in IPL were with Mumbai at the start of the 2012 season.Last year, Mumbai tried as many as nine opening combinations. One of those openers was Richard Levi, who went unsold in the auctions in February but was snapped by Mumbai, who beat Pune Warriors to sign him, almost immediately after he smashed 13 sixes in a T20 century against New Zealand. Davy Jacobs was another opener, bought by Mumbai after he made 286 runs in six innings in the Champions League the previous year.Dwayne Smith hadn’t played for West Indies in the longer formats for a while when he was signed up by Mumbai last year, but a quickfire half-century against Australia in a T20 international and a successful stint with Khulna Royal Bengals in the Bangladesh Premier League won him a call-up. This, after he went unsold in the auction. And he’s been an important player for them at the top of the order this year.Pollard, Smith, Karthik and, to a lesser extent, Ojha have had a role to play in their team’s march to the final this season, their presence in the team a product of some opportunistic, and occasionally aggressive, buying. An ideal culmination to this process for Mumbai would be a title victory, slightly belated you would think for one of he most powerful franchises in the tournament.

Shahryar Khan’s memoir recalls the Inzamam-Woolmer heyday, and the nadir of the Oval, 2006

Tim Wigmore29-Jun-2013There’s no shortage of people who have analysed the problems of Pakistan’s cricket from afar. Inevitably this lends itself to half-truths, stereotypes and generalisations. Aided by his three years as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Shaharyar Khan avoids these traps.As a former foreign secretary, Shaharyar was well placed to straddle the meshing of sport and politics that characterises cricket in Pakistan. Most of his three-year reign was successful: he restored cricketing ties with India and organised the Friendship Tour of 2004, recruited Bob Woolmer as coach, and presided over a stirring on-field rejuvenation. But Shaharyar’s tenure was marred at the end by the debacle of the Oval Test of 2006.Shaharyar was desperate to avoid the forfeiture. Indeed, he was instrumental in convincing the Pakistan side to return to the field after tea, only for the umpires to leave the field just as the players were taking their first steps.While the match referee, Mike Procter, is described as “passive and weak”, the obstinate Darrell Hair is Shaharyar’s villain: given his history of altercations with Pakistan, he was a “time bomb”. There is nothing surprising in that, although Shaharyar’s criticism of the ICC is astute. Why was Hair given four Pakistan series in 18 months, when the ICC had taken a very different attitude in the wake of Sri Lanka’s complaints about him, at one stage giving him no Sri Lankan series for eight years? And what of Steve Bucknor being removed by the ICC after wrongly giving Sachin Tendulkar out? Shaharyar’s contention that some ICC members are more equal than others seems hard to dispute.Inzamam-ul-Haq also comes under heavy scrutiny. His reluctance to play in the ODIs following the Oval Test is put down to “base instincts and crass stupidity”. Inzamam’s stubbornness amounted to “player power at its worst with a leader who seemed to be guided by a self-destructive urge”, Shaharyar writes.Inzamam is criticised for his “excessive religiosity” as captain. During his reign, no answer from a player would be complete without an “inshallah”; several players grew traditionally Islamic beards; and prayers seemed the main facet of team bonding. While Shaharyar concludes that the benefits to team unity outweighed the difficulties, we hear of Woolmer at one point complaining about “the constant and lengthy prayer sessions that the team held, which gave him no time to strategise or advise the players”. And, as Shaharyar observes, there seemed a particularly noticeable increase in the religiosity of fringe players keen to win Inzamam’s favour.Since Inzamam’s resignation, ostentatious religion has faded from view in the Pakistan side, returning to the “middle Pakistan” attitudes of before. This bears out Shaharyar’s central thesis: that Pakistan’s cricket team reflects its wider politics and society: “Its lack of accountability [is] evident, as are its insecurities and patronage structures.” Perhaps nowhere does the point hold truer than in regard to corruption, with Shaharyar contending that a lack of strong role models in the side has allowed it to linger. Few, sadly, would dispute his view of the spot-fixing scandal of 2010 as being only the tip of the iceberg.Unfortunately the book occasionally slips from insightful, providing largely redundant summaries of matches. “Sehwag, Laxman and Ganguly played steady knocks and Yuvraj seemed to take the game away from Pakistan with a quick-fire 78, leading to a respectable total of 292” is padding of the most banal sort. This is a book that would have benefited from sharper editing, as the factual inaccuracies highlight: Pakistan won the World Cup in 1992, not 1996, while the World Test Championship did not take place this year.Shaharyar himself emerges as a sympathetic figure who is outward-looking and rides above the factionalism cricket boards are so prone to. If there is a hero of his book it is his friend Woolmer, who Shaharyar appointed to replace Javed Miandad, despite considerable opposition. He writes that Woolmer “proved that with a sensitive approach, a foreign coach could overcome the cultural and language gap”.Like Woolmer, Shaharyar has a grasp of the wider good cricket can do. He was instrumental in Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s daughter returning to Pakistan for the first time since her father’s death to watch the series against India in 2004, and writes of an “extremely warm and gracious” foreign leader netting with local schoolchildren – George W Bush.Shaharyar also has interesting ideas for the future of cricket in Pakistan. His suggestion of building five-star hotels on Test grounds (so negating the need for daily travel to the stadiums) is relevant to the country’s hopes of hosting internationals once more.Seven years after Shaharyar’s resignation, it remains unclear whether his aim – “to change the PCB from being a dictatorial one-man show to an institution with a corporate structure” – has been realised. But it was no coincidence that his reign coincided with perhaps the most successful period in Pakistan cricket since the days of Imran Khan.The game needs more independent-minded cricket administrators capable of looking beyond the next pay cheque: a lesson that extends way beyond Pakistan cricket.Cricket Cauldron: the turbulent politics of sport in Pakistan
by Shaharyar M Khan and Ali Khan
I.B. Tauris
320 pages, $26.96
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