Author: Bobji

Will Langer conjure a miracle?

Posted on by Bobji

Justin Langer, the combative former Australian coach is back in the news. This time for good reason. Rather good reason from a general perspective. A report has emerged that he is interested to take up the role of head coach of the England cricket team. The position has fallen vacant after Chris Silverwood was shown the door after the Ashes debacle. Interview with prospective candidates hasn’t been called yet but Langer has already thrown his hat into the ring. Will Langer conjure a miracle?

Langer had resigned his Australia coaching role after Cricket Australia offered a 6-month contract extension. Langer, who had just won the Ashes and the World T20 prior to that will have none of it and he wanted a longer tenure which the players and CA were unwilling to accommodate his wish. He was left with no choice but to resign. Now, the job of coaching the old enemy may fall on his lap.

The ECB wants to fill this role by the middle of April. However, they will have to first appoint a Director of Cricket and then the head coach. The time available is quite less and hence, there may not be a formal interview process. If ECB decides to appoint Langer, they will give the job to him straightaway. Afterall, he does not have anything to prove to anyone.

Langer left behind a far confident Australian team

Langer may or may not have the support of the Australian team but when he left, he has left behind a much healthy Australian side than what he had inherited. So much so that the Australian team even won a series in Pakistan after a very longtime. He was a hard task master and he demanded the best from his players. Only thing that may work against Langer is that Australians are known for their toughness and being aggressive. If Langer proved to be overbearing even for Australia, what chances does the English team have?

English cricket is in need of a complete overhaul. Appointing Langer as the coach will not solve the problems overnight. Nevertheless, it is a start in the correct direction.

Former cricketers are supporting this move

Mathew Hayden said, “Sign him up,” Hayden told 7NEWS when asked if Langer should be headhunted to turn around England’s recent woes.

“If he can turn Cricket Australia around in four years, imagine what he could do with the England Cricket Board. God help us.”

Andrew Strauss on whom so much rests said, “I know him well and on the surface he’s done a very good job with that Australian cricket team so I wouldn’t rule him out (for the coaching job),” said Strauss.

The wizard said, “If I were the ECB (England Cricket Board) I’d be poaching Justin. I’d be signing him up next week,” Shane Warne said speaking to Fox Cricket.

Nasser Hussain, the much respected commentator said, “Langer would be very good for two reasons,” Hussain told Sky Sports News. “He has just played against England, so knows exactly where their strengths and weakness lie, as he’s literally been there and seen it. He’s also the type of character England need at the moment. They do need that micro-management and they do need that kick up the backside. There are not performing, and they’ve got to get results going, so Langer would be a good candidate.

Will the English players handle Langer?

The question is, will the England players be capable of handling a personality like Langer? He is grumpy and intense. The Amazon series, The Test, comes to mind. England is likely to be reminded of the Andy Flower days. He was much the same as Langer. England players are not that used to authoritarian ways. They loathe such high-handed and arbitrary coach. Remember the days of Gower, Lamb and the rest? They played the game just out of passion and winning or losing did not really matter. England toughened under Gooch but not to the extent of Australia. The English public by and large are quite laidback and they will allow things to happen in their natural course of time. The cricket team is exactly the same.

It is this attitude that Langer will have to change if he becomes the coach. I am sure there will be a lot of resistance to his style of management. In this, ECB will have to give him unconditional support. Take the case of Broad and Anderson. They were dropped from the squad because Root wants a more calm team environment or an environment that will be under his direct control.

Conclusion to Langer is back in the news

Having said that, Langer does bring in passion and a penchant for results. He will not be happy with England’s mediocrity. If Langer is offered the job, he will bring in intensity and will demand the best from the players. With South Africa and India scheduled to tour England, it will be a good time to invest in Langer so that by the time the next Ashes comes around, England will be primed and be ready.

Women’s World Cup any takers?

Posted on by Bobji

Australia have for the 7th time won the Women’s World Cup. Their compatriots have won 5 whereas the women have surpassed them by a couple. That is an incredible record whichever way you look at it. It also shows how challenging are the other teams. However, the question that keeps coming up is that, did anyone follow the World Cup? Did the wider public even know that there was something called a World Cup was even going on? I for one, do not remember watching any of the games. Even when India was playing. This brings us to the point, women’s world cup any takers?

Let me make onething clear at the very outset. I am not against women’s cricket or a world cup for them. They are an important part of the game itself and as such will need to stand on their own. Having said that, the reason for there being no takers for women’s cricket is pretty obvious. A distinct lack of interest on the part of the governing body and more precisely, the BCCI. It is now a well-established fact that for cricket to survive and thrive, the Indian cricket board and India is pretty important. Infact, Indians are paramount to run the game.

It will not be an exaggeration to state that if Indians stop watching the game, the game will be forgotten. Indians bring in the big dollars into the game. All the countries want to host India because it allows them to pay the bills and keep the game alive in their country. Australia did not leave any stone unturned when the Indian men toured that country in the middle of the pandemic in 2020. I am not so sure that they would have done the same for any other country.

The onus is on the Indian board

Inorder for women’s cricket to survive, it is important that the BCCI supports the women of the country. This will help in improving the performance of the Indian women which inturn will bring in more spectators to watch. It is not an exaggeration. If women’s cricket needs to survive and thrive, Indian women will have to perform. The results must be favourable. Only then will the spectators tune in to watch them play. The Indian women have had good results over the last couple of years but none of them were earth-shattering. They drew the test in England but lost miserably against Australia. Such flash in the pan performances will not help.

The Indian men did the unthinkable

A classic example is the men’s game. Cricket was a popular game even before India won the World Cup in 1983 but it really exploded only after Kapil Dev’s team created history on 25th June 1983. More people started to follow and play the game. Kapil’s team achieved the unthinkable and that helped in expanding the base significantly. The advent of satellite television in 1992 further added impetus to the sport and resulted in 2nd significant explosion. When it comes to the women’s game, the second part is already taken care of. They do not have to reinvent the wheel. It is the first part that they need to take care. In this, they cannot do that without the help of the parent body.

Far too many losses too quickly

They came quite close in 2018 when they lost to England by 9 runs. A game that the Indian women must have won. However, their performance in the 2022 World Cup has actually taken the game quite a few steps back. India failed to defeat any of the bigger teams. Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand. The 5 consecutive losses in New Zealand prior to the world cup did not help either. This most certainly brought down the level of expectation and it continued in the world cup.

How can this be changed? I do realise that the base for women in the country is not that wide enough like that of the men. They do not get the same facilities, be it in equipment, training, accommodation and others like that of the men. Hence, the women will have to break the ceiling. They will have to demand better treatment from the board through their performance. They cannot afford to sit back and wait for the board to evolve. It is certain that the board will not. Women will have to consistently defeat better nations like Australia & England. If they had won the world cup, it would have forced the BCCI to do something for them but they not only failed in their quest but they did not even qualify for the semi-finals. It was the bare minimum that was expected.

Kapil’s men are the inspiration

Kapil’s men broke the ceiling in 1983. Until then, the men weren’t paid well. Yet, they played because of their passion for the game and unconditional love for the country. Much the same is expected of the women too. Will they be able to transcend all the shortcomings and rise above expectations? Until then, they cannot anticipate anything noteworthy from the board. I know it is tough and difficult but it is not impossible.

Conclusion to women’s world cup any takers?

BCCI does not care much about the women’s game. They never bothered and they are not going to bother in the future as well. For the board, it is money that speaks. They pretty well know that women’s game is not going to earn them revenue and hence, they do not want to invest time and money onto that. Unless this attitude is changed, women’s cricket will suffer.

In this, I will also include the ICC. Women are still playing 4-day tests. The boundary is significantly shorter. It is like the 30-yard circle is the boundary. All of these things must change. Women must play the game in the same way men play. They say that they are ready to play for 5 days with bigger boundaries. Let it be.

Other topics to read

Root and Stokes

Virat Kohli’s form

Indian team contract

Shane Warne

Bumrah

England need a new captain

Posted on by Bobji

It is a foregone conclusion that England need a new captain. There is no doubt about it. Joe Root, the incumbent, wants to continue as the captain for the foreseeable future. I can think of only one reason for him wanting to continue. He hasn’t won the Ashes in multiple attempts. A couple of times losing miserably and the 3rd time saving the series by a whisker. Not winning the Ashes is quite common for English captains. From the early 90s till the middle of 2000s, no England captain have won the Ashes.

It all changed with Michael Vaughan and every English captain who had captained England for a reasonable amount of time have managed to win atleast one. Strauss, Vaughan and even Cook. Strauss infact won in Australia. Now, Root does want to be rated among those men. He does not want to go down in history as the first captain to have not won a single Ashes in the new millennium. However, I think that his time is up. Who are the contenders then?

Popular choice is Ben Stokes

Stokes is the most obvious choice. He has been the understudy to Root for a very long time. He is the firm favourite to takeover from Root if the ECB decides to replace the current captain. Stokes is someone who has earned the respect of the team. He has accomplished enough as an English cricketer that others listen to his words of wisdom. However, there is one huge if. Being the premier all-rounder in the team, what if he injures himself while bowling? What if he bowls himself to the ground as he is known to? Can English cricket afford to lose a player of the calibre of Stokes?

More importantly, would he want to step into the breach if Root is removed rather than Root gives up out of sheer loyalty to his captain? These are questions that are difficult to answer. Moreover, Stokes is just back from a prolonged mental rehabilitation. Captaincy, that too when England are in such a serious spot of bother is likely to put him under an enormous amount of pressure. Perhaps, in a couple of years time, Stokes will be alright. Will ECB take the punt on him at this moment or will they want to wait?

Stokes led a few rookies in 2021 to a couple of series wins against Pakistan in limited overs. He has shown that he has the capability to inspire his fellow cricketers. I personally think that if Stokes is willing, ECB does not have to look anywhere else. Appointing Stokes will not going to change the fortunes of English cricket overnight. However, it will be a start.

Next on the line is Stuart Broad

Broad is not part of the team any longer. Even when he was, he wasn’t an automatic selection that he was until a few years ago. The introduction of Archer, Stone, Wood and Robinson has all but ensured that Broad is an afterthought unless quite a few of the above are injured. However, Broad has shown an appetite for captaincy. He has led England in more than T20 games and so he does have experience at the highest level. Broad is known as a good thinker of the game. The one problem that I see with Broad being the captain is that he is unlikely to be among the first choice pace attack once all the bowlers are fit but seeing that it is a captain that England now needs, other bowlers, will have to play around him.

One point that goes in favour of Broad is that he is straight-talking. It is something England needs desperately. He has shown that in his articles even during the middle of the Ashes by criticising the choice of selection or how he could have added value to the team.

The only problem in appointing Broad is that will Andrew Strauss, after famously dropping him from the squad, have the nerve to go back and support Broad?

Anderson is also in the mix

Anderson is 40 and unlikely to play for more than a year or two. He remains a champion in English conditions. Much like Broad, he may not be among the first choice attack outside of England. However, you do not take more than 650 wickets if you cannot think well. Giving him the captaincy will be a good gesture on the part of the ECB to honour his accomplishments. Being dropped from the squad rather unceremoniously will spur Anderson to give more than his best.

The 4th member is Rory Burns

Burns was all at sea in Australia. He looked like a walking wicket but after Root, it is Burns who averages in the 40s before Australia. The one challenge is whether will he be able to inspire the rest of the team when he is struggling for runs?

There is a rank outsider

Eoin Morgan. He has led the white ball team amazingly. He is a World Cup winner. Ofcourse, he is old and age is not on his side. Also, his previous stint as a pure batsman wasn’t a huge success. As a result, he found himself out of the test team permanently but considering the fact that most of the players are the same across all the formats, Morgan does command the respect of other players. Morgan can easily replace Lawrence or Foakes with Bairstow taking over the keeping duties. Off late, he is struggling for form even in white ball cricket. The only factor against Morgan is his age. He can be the captain till the end of next year’s Ashes and handover to someone who is more eligible at that point.

Conclusion to England need a new captain

Whoever becomes the captain of England, he is not going to change the fortunes immediately. However, Root cannot be allowed to continue after so many failures.

What do you think of these contenders? Do you think Root must be removed or should he be allowed to continue until the end of next year’s Ashes so that he will get one final chance to fulfil him ambition?

Are Root and Stokes overrated?

Posted on by Bobji

For quite sometime now, I have been thinking about whether both Root and Stokes are overrated? I have my own reasons to think along those lines. They are good cricketers. There is no doubt about that but are they great cricketers as they are made out to be? This is something that is not clear yet. Atleast based on their performances so far. Let me offer my thoughts in are Root and Stokes overrated?

I will start with Root

Root is someone who has scored runs all over the world. His match-winning and series-winning runs in India and Sri Lanka during the early part of 2021 went a long way to dispel doubts whether he can play spin. He has also scored runs in South Africa, West Indies and New Zealand. However, there is one glaring omission. He hasn’t scored a single hundred in Australia. It is hard to believe but it is true. Every batsman worth his salt must have scored atleast one hundred in Australia.

Root has played 27 innings down under but hasn’t got even a single hundred to show for his efforts. This despite the fact that Australia was far from the all-conquering sides under Taylor, Waugh & Ponting. This is something Root will find very hard to shake from his conscience. By the time the next Ashes comes around, Root will be 4 years older which essentially means that his reflex is likely to slowdown and he will not find that much time to play every delivery. He is unlikely score a hundred at that point.

More than the lack of hundreds, his runs or lack of it, directly contributed towards the ignominy that England faced in Australia over the last couple of tours to that country. I am not saying that if Root had scored lot of runs in the recently concluded Ashes, England would have won a couple of games. Far from it. Atleast, England would not have been this humiliated as they were.

Ashes is the pre-eminent series for the English

Of all the series that the English think about, it is the Ashes that is paramount to them. Other series does not really matter. Every other series is treated as preparation for Ashes. Chris Silverwood, the former England coach laid out a 2-year plan to succeed in Australia. He did not treat games against India, New Zealand and a host of others that seriously. The bottomline for any English cricketer is that success against Australia and that too in Australia, your name will be etched in the annals of the game forever.

Take the case of Flintoff. His only claim to fame was the stellar role he played in the 2005 Ashes. He is considered to be an excellent cricketer just because of that one series. It shows the importance that the English accede to the Ashes. For Root to have failed in that, does not really merit the tag of a great.

The curious case of Shane Warne

Ofcourse, not everyone will succeed in every nation. The greatest spinner of the modern age, Shane Warne, did not succeed in India. His worst record was against India. Be that in Australia or in India and it has not diminished his aura or his greatness one bit. Root’s supporters may point to that. However, let us also remember that Warne may not have had an extremely good average in India but he did end up taking a 5-fer. Added to that, Root’s average has fallen to 47 about 15 months ago which he managed to increase to 50 and now it is back to below 50.

It is an average that is the minimum requirement for a batsman to be rated amongst the great ones of the game. I will still expect Root to finish his career with an average in excess of 50 but I do not think that he will correct the stigma that he has never scored a hundred in Australia.

Now, onto Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes is another English cricketer who has been known as a great player. He does have some special performances like the Headingley come-from-behind win, the World Cup heroics, the belligerent 258 in South Africa, the superhuman skills on the field, the tireless bowling efforts. Stokes’s influence must not be seen from the perspective of statistics. For the record, his batting average is less than 40 and his bowling is more than 30. Not exactly the hallmark of a great. As mentioned above, his contribution goes above and beyond average.

Having said that, whatever I have written about Root, stands true in the case of Stokes too. David Lloyd, the respected English commentator, predicted that Australia will win 4-0 when Stokes was unavailable for the Ashes. As soon as Stokes made himself available, Lloyd reversed his opinion and predicted that England will win 4-0. Ofcourse, in the end, his prediction was spot on one way or the other. The point is, the awe that Stokes inspire. If just by his inclusion, he was coming off a long break from injury and mental health related issues, could turn opinions around, he was expected to play that sort of a role. This was his 3rd tour to Australia and as such, he cannot claim inexperience. Yet, his failure in Australia and West Indies was a major factor, England weren’t competitive at all.

Headingley greatness did not achieve series win

Even during the infamous Headingley heist, it merely helped England to level the series. It is another matter that without Stokes’s brilliance on that day, England would have surrendered the Ashes to Australia. The point is, Australia were not only expected to be uncompetitive but they were expected to be rolled over. Yet, in the end, they had earned a creditable draw. I am not saying that it was because of Root and Stokes but they were a big part in the whole scenario.

Conclusion to are Stokes and Root overrated?

I am not for a moment stating that Root and Stokes are incapable cricketers at the highest level. I will never do that mistake. All I am saying is that they are good cricketers capable of performing at a level against mediocre to good bowling attacks but when it comes to top bowling, they do not inspire that much confidence.

What did we learn about England against West Indies?

Posted on by Bobji

England lost the series to West Indies for the umpteenth time. It was a foregone conclusion. I for one fully expected England to lose the series. Not because they dared to drop Anderson and Broad but because of their inherent fear of West Indies. Mind you, West Indies are no way near the great sides of their past and yet, England somehow find it tough to defeat them. It even extends to England where they have consistently lost tests to the West Indies. Perhaps, the scar left by Clive Lloyd and Vivian Richards are still fresh in the memory. So, what did we learn about England against West Indies?

England is a team that is hard to fathom

England is an enigma. They certainly are. It is so difficult to understand why are they losing consistently and that too against teams like West Indies who are nowhere near the sides of 70s through early 90s. England still remains one of the 3 teams to have won a series in Australia. I am not even going back to the previous century. I meant in this century. They are among the 2 teams to have won a series in India and they are amongst the 3 teams to have won in South Africa. In between, they have also dominated Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.

Yet, they are ridiculed throughout the world for their insipid display. I for one do not have an answer for this shoddy performance. Anderson and Broad or not, England must have won the series. They paid the price with the slow batting. They failed to take the initiative and dictate terms to the West Indies. Once the first and second tests were drawn, it will just a question of when will England lose the 3rd. West Indies were quite content to save the games whereas England were the one who had lot of things to prove.

Players weren’t motivated enough

The bold decision to drop Anderson and Broad, their most successful pairing, should have been enough for the players to be highly charged and prove that this is indeed a new and bold England and that they will not leave any stone unturned in an effort to silence their critics. However, what transpired on the field was completely different. If I as a batsman see Chris Woakes running in to bowl the first ball of the first test, I will be thrilled and extremely pleased to be facing some friendly bowling.

Is Chris Woakes even an international player?

Chris Woakes outside of England does not have a future. It is time the English selectors understand this. His record speaks for itself. He averages more than 50 when the ball stops to move. In England, it is the exact opposite. When Woakes is paired with Robinson and Overton, the other similar type of bowlers, any opposition will be very happy to be facing them. Ofcourse, outside of England.

England surely missed the services of Wood but it must not mean the end of the world for them. Their county system is robust enough to throw quite a few quick bowlers. Pitches in the Caribbean needs bowlers with the ability to bowl quick and spinners with guile. England had neither. It really is a wonder how Jack Leach is playing at the international level. If Leach is the best spinner England have got, they are in serious trouble. It is hard to believe that Graeme Swann hasn’t inspired too many to take up spin.

Last wicket stand

It is hard to imagine that a score of 297 could well have resulted in innings victory if not for the last wicket pair of Leach & Mahmood. Such is the sorry state of England in this test.

Root’s comments about captaincy

A failure like this must definitely end the captaincy tenure of Joe Root. Especially, after the annihilation in Australia. However, Root is defiant. He is not prepared to resign.

“I am very passionate about taking this team forward,” Root said. “I made that clear ahead of the game and that is not going to waver.

“The most promising thing is the good things that appeared and how close we are. I know this is a results based business, but it does not feel like we are far away from turning results.

“I think, yes, absolutely, I have the support of the coaches. As always, you use the people around you that you trust [to ensure he is doing the right thing]. That’s been the case since I took the role on. I’ve a great group of players that have got a brilliant attitude.

“I think I’ve spoken quite enough on the subject if I’m being honest.”

If Root is this adamant, it is time for ECB to take things under their control. Root must be removed from captaincy forthwith. He has been given enough chances already. Honestly, it is a miracle that Root has survived despite not winning a single Ashes series in multiple attempts. Two resulted in 0-4 humiliation on successive occasions in Australia. Yes, Root fails to see the writing on the way. He maybe passionate to take the team forward but he does not have the credentials to do so. Let us also remember the fact that Root lost the last series in West Indies 0-2.

Atherton wants Root out

Michael Atherton was spot on when he said, “Root’s captaincy is untenable, and he must surely know it deep down. His team have gone five series without victory and have won only one Test in the past 17, a shocking run for a side so well resourced.”

Changing Root the captain may not change the fortunes of England whose problems are basic but it is the bare minimum that is required.

Who after Root?

It absolutely beggars belief that England is not able to find a replacement for Root. It looks like Ben Stokes is overworked. I just cannot understand that. Stokes did not play long enough in Australia or in the West Indies to be tired. He is back from an injury and mental illness which is all fine but if the ECB thinks that he must not be overburdened with captaincy, they are living in fools land. On the otherhand, if the ECB thinks that Stokes is not captaincy material, that is well and good. They can very well come out and say that and look for alternate candidate.

It probably is time to handover the captaincy to Broad. After all these years, it will not hurt if Broad takes over captaincy for 2-3 years. Someone, it could be Crawley or Bairstow who will come along and perhaps be the ideal captain.

Conclusion to what did we learn about England against West Indies?

That England is still afraid of the West Indies and they do not think that they can overcome them.

Pakistan lost because of their own stupidity

Posted on by Bobji

So, after a couple of exceptionally boring tests, Australia have won the final test and thereby the series. It was a commendable performance from Australia. They were not even expected to compete but have now ended the series by winning it. Coming on the heels of a resounding Ashes win, this must certainly taste sweet for Cummins. At the moment, it seems he can do no wrong. Whatever he does turns to gold. All the more the fact that he was instrumental in the series win with the ball. The 5 wickets in the first innings of the third test, virtually ensured that Pakistan cannot win. However, I do feel that Pakistan lost because of their own stupidity.

Pakistan were let down by the lack of crowd

I am certainly not exaggerating. If only Pakistan had been a bit bolder, they would have won the series handsomely. Cricket returned to Pakistan after close to a decade. It was supposed to be a celebration. Crowds were expected to throng the stadiums but what was witnessed was mostly empty stands. On the last day of the 3rd test, with Pakistan chasing an improbable 351 to win and having started the day at 75 without loss and with a chance to create history, if you had expected the fans to turn up in huge numbers to support their team, you would not have been wrong. However, only a handful turned up.

It was because of that Pakistan never really got the support of the home crowd. Probably, the PCB did not promote the game enough or did not inspire the crowd to come over to the stadium. This was their first mistake.

Pakistan was scared of Australia

Coming to the cricket itself, Pakistan were clearly feeling the pressure. Even before a ball was bowled, they seemed to have resigned to the fact that they are no match for Australia. They never believed in their ability to defeat Australia. Perhaps, they were influenced by Australia’s dominating performance in The Ashes. What Pakistan failed to understand is that that was achieved in a completely different environment where the pitches favoured the Australian pacemen.

Lack of turn on the pitches hurt Pakistan badly

In an effort to not lose the series, Pakistan prepared pitches that were slow and low and without any help for the bowlers. Either the spinners or the fast bowlers. This played right into the hands of Australia. Whenever a team outside of the sub-continent tours Asia, they expect to play on spinning tracks. They come prepared for that. Marnus Labuschagne’s famous video, of him, practising with tapes and thereby trying to replicate the turning conditions, showed clearly that the Australians expected the pitches to turn. What they came across must have come as a pleasant surprise for them.

The pitches in all the 3 games never turned. It was purely because of Pakistan’s fear of the might of Australia. There is no other way to explain this lack of spin. A few years ago, against South Africa, in UAE, Pakistan prepared pitches that were a nightmare for any bowler. It was out of sheer fear of South Africa. So much so that a bowler like Dale Steyn was reduced to a mere club bowler. Much the same happened in this series as well. This brought the Aussie batsmen right into the game. They were able to trust the pitch and play the ball knowing fully well that it is not going to turn. The Aussie batsmen made merry.

Lack of decisiveness on the part of the Pakistan batsmen

Another factor for Pakistan’s loss was their scared batsmen. Never once did they threaten to bat aggressively. The batsmen gave ample amount of time to the Aussie bowlers to settle into a nice rhythm. Lyon and Swepson were not taken for runs either. Australia probably went into the series wanting the draw. Pakistan obliged them by their inept attitude. It was really a mystery that Pakistan did not trust their spinners to deliver them series win. Afridi and Naseem Shah were given much more importance when their spinners could have won the series.

Australia have reasons to smile

As for Australia, at the moment, they are riding on a high. After the clinical annihilation of England, they have one more series win and this time in the tough Asian environs. Cummins has secured his 2nd successive series win. They have justified their ranking as the number one but firmer challenges await them. The 4 test series against India later this year will show where they are placed. It will be a much more tougher challenge for Australia. If the first choice Indian players remain fit, Australia will be hard pressed to win a test.

Having said that, the form of Usman Khawaja, on whom the entire Australia win in Pakistan was setup must encourage Australia. The form of Cummins and Starc, with their ability to reverse swing will also give them much to cheer about. Lyon picking up a 5-fer on the last day will reinforce the fact that he is indeed Australia’s number one spinner. Swepson will have to wait for a very long time to replace him that is provided he improves manifold. However, the failure of Marnus and Smith will rankle them. Smith is a modern day great and he will motivate himself against tougher opponents. For some reason, India brings the best out of him. He hasn’t gone a single series against India without a century. The true test of Marnus’s ability will come into sharp focus in India.

Conclusion to Pakistan lost because of their own stupidity

Cummins would not have expected his luck. He would have wanted his team to fight as much as possible but he would not have expected a timid Pakistan. He must be given credit for accepting the opportunity and to have fashioned a famous series win. India will certainly challenge his captaincy credentials and followed by next year’s Ashes, it will be litmus test for Cummins.

Draw is back in test cricket

Posted on by Bobji

The West Indies vs England series and the Australia vs Pakistan series are boring advertisement test cricket. There isn’t any other way to say this. There were lot of expectations before the series began. England have traditionally struggled against West Indies whereas Australia have not travelled well in Asia. Especially, against Pakistan, they have not won a series in Pakistan after the all-conquering Australian sides. Hence, they have a lot to prove. The stage was set for a couple of wonderful series but what happened, in the end, belied all expectations.

The sheer length of test cricket is mindboggling

6 hours a day over 5 days, test cricket is pretty lengthy. It takes a lot of patience not just for the players but for the spectators as well. No other sport can even come close to the time that is required to complete one test. It calls for a lot of temperament on the part of the watching spectators. As such, the game is duty bound to appeal to them. I do understand that a draw is part and parcel of the game. It is one of the facets of the game that in some cases ends up in a thrilling draw. However, what happened over the first and second tests in West Indies and Pakistan is something that must not be swept under the carpet.

West Indies and England do not want to take a chance

West Indies are a weak side. They do not want to lose a series of all the teams to England and that too in their own islands. They probably thought that they do not have the personnel to challenge England. It is another issue that England have gone to the West Indies on the back of a severe Ashes drubbing. England have left out their senior most bowlers and have gone with a rookie pace attack. Nonetheless, the West Indies seems to have felt that they still do not have the firepower to overpower England and they have laid out absolute placid tracks. In doing so, though they have ensured that they can draw the first couple of tests, they have overlooked the neutral observers.

Yes, it is perhaps true that the West Indian supporters are delighted by the results so far. Perhaps they are happy that they will not be humiliated on their home grounds. Let us also remember that West Indian cricket is short of money. Their cricket is struggling to capture the imagination of the wider audience. They need as much support from the outside so that they can thrive but with pitches where run scoring is difficult and picking up wickets is even more difficult, it is hard to see anyone wanting to follow West Indies cricket. If not for England trying to force a result on the 5th day in both the tests, things would have been even more mundane.

The Pakistan vs Australia series

The Pakistan series is another that is quite boring. Scores in excess of 450 were achieved with relative ease. Bowlers even of the calibre of Cummins and Starc or Lyon struggled to get wickets on such roads. On the otherhand, Khawaja, who is not known to perform when there is something in the pitch, is making hay while the sun shines. The same goes to Imam-Ul-Haq as well. The rate of scoring was again too slow. It clearly shows that the pitches were not ideal for batting or for bowling.

In the first test, Pakistan batted for almost 2 days and yet was able to score only 476. Australia were able to pick up just 4 wickets. In reply, Australia batted for 2 days and scored 25 runs less than Pakistan. On the whole, only 14 wickets fell in 5 full days. If this is not height of boring, I do not know what is.

Cricket returned to Pakistan after more than 10 years. If you had thought that the series will be good if not memorable, you would not have been wrong. However, what transpired on the field was not thought even in my wildest dream. Heck, Marnus Labuschagne’s picture of roti with curry with viral more than the game itself. The second test was slightly better in that Pakistan lost their way in the first innings with an inexplicable collapse but normal service was resumed in the second innings.

Cricket requires patience

Cricket is a game that requires an enormous amount of patience to sit through. More so test cricket. The players, the administrators and the pitch preparers are duty bound to provide entertainment for the general public. The cricket that is being played must be riveting if not exciting. It can only happen if the pitch has got something in it for the bowlers. At the sametime, overly bouncy pitches or overly turning pitches will kill the contest right there. There must be an adequate balance between the ball and the bat with a slight edge towards the ball.

Otherwise, the batsmen will pile on the misery upon the bowlers. Without any help from the pitch, the bowlers will be hard pressed to pick up wickets. Even the great bowlers have struggled when the pitch offers nothing. Great bowlers of the calibre of Steyn, McGrath, Warne or even the greatest fast bowling quartet, West Indian fast bowlers, have struggled on an unresponsive pitch.

Conclusion to draw is back in test cricket

Slowly but surely, limited overs cricket have taken over the entire game. This is not the 1990s when people had much more time to sit and endure test cricket. It is a fast world and people want instant gratification. ODIs and T20s offers them that. Already, lot of test series were cancelled in favour of limited overs. If not for WTC, most of the tests involving West Indies, Sri Lanka, Pakistan or even New Zealand will not be played at all. Crowds seldom turn up for watch these teams in tests even in their own backyard. This is a plain fact.

Test cricket with its unsustainable pace and length will eventually burn out. The pitches in West Indies and Pakistan will only propel test cricket to its sad demise sooner rather than later.

The form of Virat Kohli is worrying

Posted on by Bobji

An average of 30.88 in 15 tests and 33.40 in 10 ODIs with no hundreds in more than 45 innings if one must include T20s as well. These are damning statistics. One that will worry the Indian supporter in general and Kohli supporter in particular. It is no secret that the form of Virat Kohli is worrying. He is the mainstay of the Indian batting around whom the entire team evolves. Whenever, Kohli performs with the bat, India mostly wins. The influence that Kohli has on the opponents and upon his own team members is hard to express in words. It is under such circumstances that Kohli must find form and find it soon.

The other two are already jettisoned

It is not easy being Virat Kohli these days. He is among the triumvirate alongwith Pujara and Rahane upon whom much of Indian batting revolved over the first part of their careers. However, runs have dried up from the blades of all the three and as such, Pujara and Rahane have found themselves out of the Indian team. Presumably, forever. Their lack of runs and the decent success of Vihari, Iyer and Jadeja have more or less ensured that Pujara and Rahane will not be missed. Kohli, the third member of that that triumvirate is sailing on a rocking boat.

His performance is not that great when compared to the other two over the last 2 years but considering what he has accomplished before that, it does make sense to give him a much longer rope than anybody to find form and save himself from the ignominy of being dropped. Having said that, why is Kohli struggling? Does he enjoy the game as before? Does he feel that not being the captain any longer is seriously affecting his game? That probably must not be the case because he was struggling even when he was the captain in all the format.

England series is very important

This is an important season from Indian cricket perspective. The England series is set to conclude in the month of July. England is likely to be formidable when compared to last year. Archer, Stone and Stokes are likely to come back into the team. With Anderson & Robinson already part of the team, the bowling attack will be tough for the Indian batsmen. Moreover, Indians will not get the time to play practice games to adjust to the pitch conditions. All of these compels the Indian batsman to hit the ground running which makes Kohli a vital cog in the wheel.

Win or draw will mean that India win the series which will help in their cause to reach the WTC finals for the second consecutive time. With India continuing to play 5 batsmen plus Jadeja and Pant, Kohli runs in the middle is of paramount importance. He is the most experienced in the current Indian team and as such has lot of experience playing in England. He hasn’t had a fabulous series in England. He will be longing to complete the series with a bang. Moreover, this is likely to be Kohli’s final test in England and he must all the actions within is power to make it a great end to the series.

The World T20 in Australia

Apart from the England series, there is also the small matter of World T20 in Australia. In 2021, India failed to proceed beyond the first round. It was rather disappointing for the fans. With a change in guard, Rohit as the new captain and Dravid as the coach, the expectation of the fans has increased. Rohit has won a couple of tournaments and multiple IPL trophies. Hence, the expectations upon Rohit and the Indian team is at an all-time high.

Again, Kohli is centre to the success of the team. He is yet to score a hundred in T20. He is likely to continue at number 3 during the World Cup. It is a vital spot and as such, Indian fans will want Kohli to be at his absolute best. Without the pressures of captaincy, a Kohli in full flow, is a dangerous Kohli for the opposition.

Dravid will have to bring Kohli upto his best

Dravid’s role is very important. He himself went through periods where he wasn’t able to score. He came out of that and played quite a lot of innings that defined Dravid the batsman. Dravid will have to discuss with Kohli and help him get out of the prolonged form slump. Dravid at the end of his tenure will not only be judged based on the results of the team but how he was able to motivate Kohli and the rest to come out of the bad form and contribute to the success of the team in a big way.

The contracts of the Indian team

Posted on by Bobji

The contract for the Indian players was announced a few weeks ago. This will be for a period of one year starting from October 2021 which runs through till September 2022. The contract as usual is split into 4 categories with A+, A, B & C. The retainer will vary according to the grade in which a particular player is placed. Let me analyse the contracts of the Indian team.

The retainer fees will be 7 CR A+, 5 CR for A, 3 CR for B & 1 CR for C. When the longevity of the players is taken into consideration, the retainer fees is perfectly alright. Let us also remember that this is in addition to the regular match fees, allowances etc that every player will receive for the games in which they are part of. A sportsperson’s shelf life is extremely short.

The best performer cannot hope to be part of the team for more than 15 years except in some rare cases. As such, every player is under tremendous pressure to make the most of his or her playing career. It is precisely because of this fact that the earnings of a player must not be judged because the stories about aspirants not making to the international team or even to the state team and thereby losing their way are far too many.

Why is the coach paid more than the players?

Having said that, I do believe that the retainer fees must merit some form of accountability. In other words, the players who are slotted into different categories must have earned that rather than just given to them on a platter. The starting category of 7 CR for A+ must be higher. If what I understand is correct, the coach of the Indian team is paid more than the highest earner amongst the players. It is 8 CR. That is an enormous amount for a coach who himself is not involved in the thick of things. He motivates, inspires, plans etc behind the scene and for that the coach does deserve his fair share of payment. However, it is the players who are actually doing their work. Hence, they must be paid more than the coach. I do not mean all the players but only the top players.

There must be a new higher grade

I would like to see the retainer fees for A+ must be increased to 10 CR. However, it must be paid only to the most deserving of the players. Currently, Rohit Sharma, Kohli and Bumrah are in the A+ category. If the rules are to be understood, this payment is for their performance last year. As we all know, Kohli has been struggling for the last 3 years. Ofcourse, he has done enough in his career to be considered a permanent A+ grader but that will dilute the whole structure. If needed, one more category, A++ must be created and only the truly deserving players must be part of that category and for a period of one year only. If their performance dips, they must be immediately brought down to A+ or other category depending upon their performance.

Just a cursory look at the players in A+ contract will reveal that except for Rohit Sharma, the other two, Kohli and Bumrah does not really deserve to be in that category. Bumrah for all his potential and for all his guile is still not someone on whom you can depend to run through sides consistently. I meant the top teams like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or England. In close to 30 tests, he is yet to take a 10-wicket haul. This despite the fact that he has played more than 80% of the games outside of India and in favourable bowling conditions. He sure does deserve to be in A but A+ he certainly is not.

Kohli must be downgraded to a lower grade

Kohli for all his brilliance over the first half of his career, hasn’t managed consistent returns in the last 3 years. The other two, Pujara and Rahane, alongwith whom Kohli remained inconsistent are out of the squad itself. Kohli does not deserve a similar predicament but he cannot be in the A+ category. Moreover, in a long captaincy stint, he didn’t win a single ICC tournament nor did he win the meaningful series except for the one against Australia in 2018. If he needs to be there, another higher category, as discussed above, must be created and only the truly deserving must be part of that.

Rohit is the only one

In the current team, Rohit is the only one who can merit. He played stellar role in England because of which India is currently leading in that series. He also played a couple of incredible knocks against England in India on extremely difficult pitches. His absence was the sole reason India lost in South Africa. He has had a good start to his captaincy career. Having said that, if his performance dips, he must immediately be brought down to a lower grade.

Shardul Thakur deserves better

I think Shardul Thakur, who was instrumental in India winning a couple of tests in Australia and England deserve to be in grade A.

The BCCI has only contracted 27 players. This is too less of a pool. There must be atleast 50-60 players. If needed, categories can be extended upto E & F. The top 60 cricketers of the country must concentrate solely on playing the game and being ready whenever called for. The financial aspect must be taken care of by the board by having additional grades. BCCI with its resources, can easily afford that.

Conclusion to the contracts of the Indian team

An absolute elite grade must be introduced that must only include players who have performed well during the previous year. It not only signifies that the said player was the runaway best but someone whom the entire team can hope to emulate. It may just be the catalysed that will proper others to attain the same level.

The genius and the legend who will be missed

Posted on by Bobji

I wanted to write a tribute to the genius and the legend who will be missed. Someone who changed the face of cricket with his magic. The flight, the drift, the dip, flipper and whatnot. He was poetry in motion. Then I thought. What am I going to write about the greatest spinner since I began to watch the game, Shane Warne, that has not been written elsewhere by much eminent columnists and scribes? Who am I, a nobody to write about the all-time-great and a freak like Warne? What am I even going to write about? Will anyone be interested to read what I have to write? Nonetheless, I must write something about him. I have written previously about Warne but that was more about his personality. Finally, I made up my mind to write the tribute.

What must I write about?

Now, the next question. What must I write about? Shall I write about the ball of the century? Ball pitching on the 8th stump outside the leg-stump and hitting the top of off. There are more than a billion memorabilia about this delivery. That is more than enough. That one delivery has been dissected enough.

Next up, shall I write about the delivery that had Strauss look like joker in a circus? As Jarrod Kimber rightly pointed out, it was delivered 10 years after the Gatting ball. By then, every possible facet of Warne’s bowling was known to everyone. Everyone knew what to expect. Yet, Warne delivered an absolutely spellbinding delivery. To my mind, this was better than the Gatting delivery because it was well after Warne began his beautiful journey. Again, another million beautiful pieces were written about it.

Third, what about the magnificent spell of bowling during the 1999 ODI World Cup Semi Final against South Africa? It was Warne who won that game. There was no way on earth Australia would have defended a less than par total without Warne. He not only picked up wickets but he induced the much needed confidence in the Australian team that they can win. However, another million pieces already.

Warne ended a couple of careers

Fourth, shall I write about that one delivery that finished Basit Ali’s career? Warne took unusually longtime to bowl the final ball of the day. Basit Ali stood like a rabbit at the crease waiting to be snared. Warne ambling along bowled him around his legs and that effectively sealed Ali’s spot. No, there were quite a few that I have read.

Fifth, how about the nervous wreck that was Daryl Cullinan? He did everything in his capacity, even opened the innings in a ODI and yet fell prey to Warne. Warne himself has ridiculed Cullinan multiple times. I do not want to add to that.

I hit upon a thought

So, what is it that I can write about? And then, it struck me. I will write about something that I suppose no one has attempted at this point. I will write about the experience of the Indian supporter watching Warne. How Warne was handled better than every other team around the world. How the Indian team for once, was able to tame a superstar. It is in no way disrespectful to the champion but it will show how satisfying was it to see a giant being tamed by the follow countrymen. It felt as though I myself had won the battle against the goliath.

The year was 1993/94, semi-finals of the Austral-Asia Cup. Until that point, India have not played Warne after his debut. He had already become a superstar. Warne was feared the world over. He had made mincemeat of South Africa, Pakistan & England until that point. His litmus test awaited him against India, the pre-eminent players of spin bowling. The first spell was quite tidy. India were cruising anyway. Everything depended on Warne. In his success stood the success of Australia. Up against him was Vinod Kambli.

Indians wanted the world to agree

Indians were all nervous. We were all waiting for us to be proven correct, that Indians are the pre-eminent players of spin bowling. We were actually waiting for confirmation. Indians did not want to hear that the Indian players are neither good in playing fast bowling nor in playing spin bowling. We wanted to be respected the worldover for our ability to play spin. When I say, we, it does not mean the playing eleven alone. It includes the entire billion population. If this acceptance comes from the white nation, we will stand vindicated. This sentiment still prevails.

Kambli against Warne

Here was Kambli who wasn’t that much experienced against the greatest spinner. How is he going to fare? Will he be a nervous wreck or will he be able to hold himself? The crowd was watching with much expectation. Sunil Gavaskar who took over the coaching duties just for that tournament was watching from the pavilion. Tension all around.

First ball, Kambli danced down the track and lofted a straight and effortless six. The hit was as smooth as a whistle. Kambli did not hesitate for a moment and that resulted in that magnificent straight six. Warne the cunning bowler was alert to the situation. He expected Kambli to come down the track again and fired a wide one the next ball but Kambli read Warne’s mind clearly and did not move an inch. The stage was set for an entertaining over.

The next ball was flighted quite generously. It was way above the eye-line of the batsman but dipped right on the slot. Kambli timed a drive towards the cover boundary with great precision. By now, Warne was rattled. One more six and a boundary followed in an over that went for 22 runs. Hoots, whistles, cat-calls ringed around the stadium. All the Indians in unison felt euphoric. Here was the greatest spinner on earth being toyed with. It was something usually Shane Warne does to his opponents but here he was on the receiving end.

It never felt better to be an Indian fan than at that point

Conclusion to The genius and the legend who will be missed

My generation is the most privileged to have watched a wizard in action. It cannot get any better than this. Warne will always remain someone special. The aura, the slow run-up, the quick arm action and the sheer revolutions on that ball will forever remain etched in the memories of everyone who had seen him bowl. Harry Potter was written much later after Warne made his debut. I wonder whether J K Rowling thought of writing stories that revolved around magic after witnessing Warne’s on field magic.