Bobji, Author at Cricket Critique

Pietersen and his early life

Posted on 1 September 20241 September 2024 by Bobji

The first couple of parts Kevin Pietersen’s autobiography can be read here and here. This is the next chapter of his autobiography. Pietersen and his early life.

Kevin Pietersen, in this chapter reminisces about his England career while preparing to leave for India to participate in the Indian Premier League. He gets nostalgic thinking about his first international cap. He is sad that he will never be able to wear that cap again. KP kept all the 5 caps, debut, twenty-fifth, fiftieth, seventy-fifth and hundredth always in his kit bag. These are testimonies to how he has performed for England. Now, he had no choice because England was done with him. He went to Harrods and bought a brand new kit bag for his onward journey. His new bag felt lighter but his heart heavier because it wasn’t an England kitbag.

Pietersen was born in South Africa where he spent the first nineteen years of his life. Naturally, he is attached to that country but both his children are English. He went to Maritzburg College which is known for respecting seniors. The juniors whenever they talk to the seniors will have to use the world please at the end of every sentence. Likewise, when KP made his debut, he knew fully well that there are some players who are his seniors like Vaughan, Harmison, Hoggard and Flintoff. He gave them the respect they deserve.

There are some decisions that KP loathes now. The three Lions tattooed on his arm, kissing the three Lions on his helmet in South Africa where he scored a hundred, without understanding the political situation and a few others. He was out to prove a point that he is English and will be English because I remember from the headlines those days that suspected his loyalty.

Where did he belong?

Graeme Smith, the South African captain wasn’t very fond of Pietersen’s behaviour. KP feels that he deserved every bit of what he got. Mark Boucher wanted to sort things between him and Smith so that they could become friends. Pietersen was very confused about who he really was. Was he a South African? Was he an English? He didn’t know what to think. It took him a few years to realise that he is a South African by birth and an English by choice.

His mother is English and moved to South Africa with his dad who is a South African. KP has three brothers none of whom are in the public eye. The attention on Pietersen by the tabloids sort of disturbed the family. His dad would talk to them only in Afrikaans on Wednesdays whereas on the other days, it was English. The family were really close to each other. Two of his brothers in his father ran the London Marathon side-by-side. It showed the bond the family had. His parents were fond of sports. Pietersen says that his brother Bryan, was easily more talented than him but did not work that hard.

The discipline at home was incredible and they were all church goers. Every Sunday the entire family went to the church. KP liked rugby but two incidents in his life when he broke his arm, changed his focus towards cricket. KP has the highest regard for his father who was tough but pragmatic. He wanted the best for his boys and was firm in his dealings.

His idea of an ideal coach

Pietersen has his own way of how a coach and his assistant must be. He likens it to a family. The coach must be like the father who is strict and a disciplinarian whereas the assistant coach must be like the mother who is caring and loving. It will help in creating a closer bond. Pietersen also reveals that the coach must be able to fill a player with confidence. Andy Flower was the assistant coach to Peter Moores. Both of them were quite intense which Pietersen loathed. They were always about cricket and never had time for individual needs. KP was firm that if there is a change in the management, both Moores and Flower must go out.

Pietersen liked the atmosphere that was created by Fletcher and his assistants. They would constantly encourage him knowing that he was a game changer who needed to be taken care of. They never chided him for getting out in a reckless fashion.

With Moores and Flower, the team was expected to train and train and train even more. They did not like if someone did not practise. None of the players were given any sort of off-time to go around. When Flower became the coach, KP wasn’t impressed. However, KP admits that Flower was a darn good batsman. He was the opposite of KP in that he grinds all day long whereas KP was more of an instinctive player. KP had empathy towards Flower because what he did with Henry Olonga, took some courage. It started to wear off slowly. Flower for his part, was against the way KP batted. To his credit, his flamboyance did make the members of the MCC to meet to discuss about a shot, the reverse sweep. This sort of shot was what made Flower frown.

First brush with Strauss

With Pietersen back in the ranks, the captaincy was thrusted upon Strauss with Flower as the caretaker. Both of them began well in that they co-operated with each other. Initially, KP liked the captaincy of Strauss. He says that Strauss was straight and to the point. More importantly, he managed Flower and acted as a bridge between him and the players. England went to West Indies where KP scored more than 400 runs. A good performance considering the events before the series. Kevin’s first gripe against Strauss came immediately in the Caribbean where he was refused permission to meet the family who were also in the Caribbean but not with the England team. Other players had their families with them but KP didn’t.

Yet, he wasn’t given permission. I think that if his family wasn’t with him, it was his problem. Strauss was correct in refusing. KP was being childish to allow such a minor issue to come between him and Strauss. KP also writes that he was on the road for too long. Well, he only needed to talk to an Indian cricketer about on the road for too long. The incident of KP not being allowed to meet his family was the catalyst for Flower to impose a blanket ban on families travelling to Australia.

Flower explained his stance to all the wives and girlfriends. KP is the most disliked English cricketer in Australia probably because of his Australian way of batting. He needed his family to be with him to take the pressure off but was refused again. He believes that Flower did not understand the pressures of playing in Australia.

Wrapping up Pietersen and his early life

KP insists that Flower was always upset with him. Flower used to tell him that when you sit in team meetings, you need to look into the eyes of whosoever the speaker was. Naturally, KP hated this sort of micro-management. KP now is harsh on Flower whom he says can suck all the joy out of any room in 5 seconds. He never found Flower approachable or someone who could have a good time laughing and joking with the team.

Autobiography

Kevin Pietersen captaincy and Moores

Posted on 1 September 20241 September 2024 by Bobji

The first part Kevin Pietersen and the meeting can be read from the link given at the end. This is the next chapter of his autobiography. Kevin Pietersen captaincy and Moores

After the drubbing at the hands of Australia in 2012, KP left Australia a day earlier than the rest of the team. This irked the tabloids who wrote that he arranged his exit from the tour earlier. For his part however, KP says that he does not hang around in Australia after a series is over because the abuse is rather too high to bear. He spoke to Andy Flower who also agreed for him to leave early. On the way from Australia, during the stopover in Dubai, the English newspapers were full of KP vs Flower at the front page. KP called the media manager, Rhian Evans who told him she did not know how it came about but enough people were roaming with journalists after the tour. KP refrains himself from naming anyone.

Next, KP dwells about his captaincy stint. He made his debut under Michael Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher who KP says brought about a revolution in English cricket when they won the Ashes after 17 years. A couple of years later, he became the captain with Fletcher gone and the new coach Peter Moores sworn in. KP did not have the best time with Moores ofcourse. This is known to everyone who followed English cricket or cricket in general during that period. Pietersen gives his account of the events that led to him becoming the captain . He first became the captain of the ODI team by default because Paul Collingwood was banned for 4 games.

Captain by default

Prior to that, his captaincy experience was zero. Clive Rice, whom KP says is a South African legend, got in touch with him and told him to make a big first impression. It must also be mentioned that it was Rice who had a bigger influence of Pietersen relocating to England. Michael Vaughan was still the captain of the Test team when South Africa under Graeme Smith was in England for a Test series.

First Test was drawn with KP scoring in excess of 150 but things went down haywire from then on when South Africa blitzed England and won the series with KP getting out at Headingley in his typical fashion of going for a 6 to get to his hundred. The tabloids were angry and called that shot reckless. By the final Test, the series was gone and Vaughan’s place in the squad came up for questioning. Peter Moores was the coach and it is safe to say that KP disliked him for his methods. Moores was fond of data, strike rates and averages which drove KP to nuts. KP did not have any nice words to say about Moores. Vaughan resigned before the final Test.

Paul Collingwood was the obvious choice because he played both Test and ODIs. Collingwood also dropped himself from the Test and he resigned the ODI captaincy as well. Andrew Strauss was next in line but he wasn’t playing ODI cricket which left KP as the last man standing. KP became the captain and picked Steve Harmison in the team. He wanted Moores to just be a facilitator but Moores was having none of it. He preferred to run the team.

The Moores episode

The final Test was won by England with KP himself scoring a hundred while Moores was making things uncomfortable for him in the dressing room. KP wanted to plan for the long term and steer the team away from the direction Moores was driving them. The Ashes loomed large but before that India was on the way. Next stop was the Indian tour and that was where Moores and KP had to be together throughout the day. Suriving in the dressing room became uncomfortable with KP feeling that they were slipping into mediocrity. Tensions began to rise in the dressing room where Moores was relentless. He just would not relax. There were far too many team meetings. KP feels that Moores did not understand the modern England cricketer who wore the jersey on the road for more than 200 days.

The days when they do not have to wear them are gold. A team meeting might only take 30 minutes but the time leading upto it and the cliches during the meeting were all just too much for KP. He felt that the body needs rest and the mind must be in the right place to be able to go out and perform. Moores failed to understand that there are some who do not speak more about cricket and there are others who wants to talk about the game. KP was of the opinion that if you want to talk about cricket, talk to the coach only to improve your game.

He gives the example of New Zealand tour where after a game of more then 700 runs scored, Moores made the England players to practise whereas the New Zealand cricketers were laughing and drinking. The result, New Zealand thrashed England easily in the next game.

The high-handed approach of Moores

He complains that Moores made them do army-type training, running up the hill, sprints and carrying each other. Pictures of them in underwear were taken to understand the body shapes. At this point KP remembers what Vaughan told him that he, Vaughan wanted to retire because he was unable to handle Moores. KP had several discussions with the team members because the coaching methods of Moores was too much to bear. They were all of the opinion that Moores must be gone. KP called Giles Clarke the ECB chairman and told him that he did not want to continue as the captain with Moores as the coach. If the ECB was happy with Moores, he was happy to go down the ranks and just play as a batsman. He never told him that it is him or me.

The ECB gave him a questionnaire on how to improve English cricket. KP was pleased and expected things to change. He was supposed to submit the questionnaire after his vacation in South Africa when the tabloids were full of KP wants Moores out stories. Initially he was angry with Vaughan beacuse he thought Vaughan must have leaked. KP wanted Vaughan in the team because of his stature though he wasn’t scoring runs. With captaincy off his shoulder, he expected Vaughan to be back at his best. Peter Moores did not want Vaughan and brought in youngsters.

Wrapping up Kevin Pietersen captaincy and Moores

Pietersen was under the impression that it must have been Vaughan who leaked because Vaughan knew Moores did not want him and hence to get rid of Moores, he must have leaked. When he got back to England, he got a call from Hugh Moris, the managing director of ECB who told him that they have agreed for Moores to go but KP must also go beacause if the ECB agreed to let only Moores go, they would have succumbed to the demands of KP where there were none. From then on, things were never the same for KP.

During the India series, the Mumbai attack happened. England were flown back to London but they still had a couple of Tests to play. KP was on the phone with all the players because he wanted to return. India and Indian cricket will always be grateful towards KP because without his insistence, England would not have come back to play. Security was assured and it was tight. The first Test in Chennai, England lost that game and with that the series.

Autobiography

Kevin Pietersen and the meeting

Posted on 1 September 20241 September 2024 by Bobji

Pietersen starts with a disclaimer. He says he is not someone who can be trampled upon. In February 2014, Pietersen went to the ECB to meet the then 3 powerful people in the English game, captain Alastair Cook, Managing Director Paul Downton and James Whitaker, the Chairman of Selectors. England had just concluded a disastrous tour of Australia losing 0-5. Pietersen knew that he was in trouble and he believed that those men wanted him out of the team. Before meeting them, KP searched for who Downton was. He found that he played international cricket but wasn’t world class. KP seems to respect only those cricketers who are world class. KP rang up Downton and asked to meet to discuss the tour. Downton agreed and also told him that James Whitaker would also be present in the meeting. First chapter, Kevin Pietersen and the meeting.

KP’s first brush with Whitaker wasn’t good. He recollects that he, KP scored a 100 after coming back from an injury while his parents and Trott’s parents were chatting in the stadium. An old man, to whom Whitaker had purchased a ticket came upto him and started to abuse him. This did not please KP and a few days later, he asked Whitaker to apologise to his parents or the old man to apologise but Whitaker refused.

The Downton showdown

When he met Downton, he gave an honest account of how the tour went. Mainly his relationship with the coach Andy Flower. He also admitted that he could have scored some more runs but defended that he was still the highest scorer for England. Downton was forthright when he said that KP did not bat well enough. This left KP aghast. He thought of how Downton had a modest average of 20 and wasn’t able to digest that someone like him criticised KP. He felt that Downton did not have the credential or the right to do so. KP confronted Downton asking him whether he was his batting coach. Naturally, Downton wasn’t pleased. He also reminded Downton that he has scored more than 13000 runs for England and pondered whether Downton saw his innings at Melbourne.

Downton was defiant and said that he got out several times playing reckless cricket. KP says he chose to remain calm and also felt that after playing more than 100 Tests, he was being interviewed for a job. Downton’s next question was where KP see himself in 5 years. For that, KP told him he would like to score 10000 runs but Downton wasn’t amused. Downton expected KP to answer that he will try to win as many games as possible for England. This was their first meeting about the tour.

The decision

The next one was at Danubius Hotel. In this meeting, KP wanted to reveal a lot more. Mainly about Mathew Prior who had a negative influence on the team. He says he had a good relationship with the rest of the team. Now, at the Grace Suite, KP walks in with Cook present as well. He shook hands with all of them when Downton told him that he would not be part of the plans for the World T20. KP asked him whether he was sacked but Downton was effusive. He said that KP wasn’t part of the plan for now and the future is yet to be decided. KP was shocked and left the room immediately with his agent. They went to the lawyer Bob Mitchell to discuss severance terms. From then on, Downton also repeated how disinterested KP looked in Australia.

He said that he has never seen anyone who is facing Australian bowlers look so disinterested. KP is however adamant that why didn’t Downton talk to Flower to understand why England’s highest scorer looked so disinterested on the field? Was the team environment conducive? Was there any underlying tension among the players? Shouldn’t Downton, being the Managing Director of the ECB, have taken some steps to rectify the situation? Well, none of these happened. Instead, Downton told the press that the time is ripe for rebuilding the side and it cannot be done with KP in the team. He had to go.

Wrapping up Kevin Pietersen and the meeting

KP for his part, believed that this wasn’t the end of his England dream. He will and wanted to come back and play again. England has given him everything. He is recognised by everyone only because he was an England cricketer. His heart yearned for more. He yearned for more. Alas, it remained a pipe dream. Now, KP comes to the point that he will reveal everything that happened during his career and ask the viewers to judge. He has described the events from his perspective. There are events where he may well have been correct but equally, there are also events where he was in the wrong.

Autobiography

The IPL discussion

Posted on 3 August 20243 August 2024 by Bobji

India is involved in a series against Sri Lanka. The schedule for the next 6 months involves a series in Australia. The BCCI is busy discussing with the various franchises about the next IPL that is 10 months away. The franchises have placed various demands on the BCCI. It remains to be seen how many does the BCCI take into consideration and how many do they not agree. The IPL discussion. Let me try to analyse the merits of every point raised by the franchises in the IPL discussion.

Mega auction

KKR owner Shahrukh Khan and SRH owner Kavya Maran, both of them are against mega auction that is due next year. They are in favour of holding smaller auctions. Their intention is to retain as many players as possible. It is not surprising considering the fact that both those teams met in the finals of last year’s IPL. However, what they have proposed does not really make any sense. They want to hold on to their players for additional years because of their performance in 2024. It does not provide for a level playing field. Other franchises would have missed out on picking better cricketers because of lack of funds or some other reason. They would not be having a chance to bid for those players if the auction is postponed by a couple of years.

Kavya Maran has given another reasoning for postponing mega auction. Her contention, though, has been that teams need continuity for brand-building and fan engagement.

“It takes a lot of time to build a squad and as discussed it also takes quite a bit of time and investment for the younger players to mature. It has taken Abhishek Sharma three years to become consistent with his performances. You would agree that there are many such examples in other teams too.”

However, Partha Jindal of Delhi Capitals did not agree to too many player retentions.

Impact player

Quite a few franchises have expressed the opinion that the impact player rule must be scrapped. This makes perfect sense. It actually makes mockery of the game. Teams usually plan for the likely players in the opposition. With impact player, you will not know who is going to come in. It is tough to plan for an uncertain outcome. In 2024, the full impact of the impact player was seen. Teams were able to score in excess of 250 regularly. With one more batsman waiting, the openers and the top order were given full freedom to go after the bowling which actually made the bowlers look second-class citizens. This rule must be done away with.

Two years ban on players

Another point worth considering is the late withdrawal of players after they were sold to various franchises. The case of Harry Brook, who withdrew after the auction, though for family reasons, is understandable but there were other withdrawals for apparently no reason at all. The England players were all withdrawn before the playoffs when the franchise were told that they were available for the entire season. Two years ban is sufficient enough. What should happen is that these franchises hold majority stake in other leagues. SA20, ILT20 and the American league. Franchises must ensure that if any player withdraws at the last minute, he must not be allowed to participate in any of the leagues for two years. That will teach them a lesson.

The RTM

This is a draconian rule in the IPL. It was scrapped a few years ago but Shahrukh Khan wants to bring it back. He seems to have hit a jackpot with his hire in 2024 and wants to retain the core if not the entire team. With the RTM, he will be in a position to do so. It is both unfair to the players and to the other franchises. The players will not be able to earn more income whereas the franchises will not have the services of better cricketers. This rule must not be brought back. Several players will be happy to go into the mega auction wich will fetch them higher income. Especially, the ones who have established themselves. This rule will be detrimental to their potential earnings.

Increased purse

This makes sense because franchises are hamstrung because of the meagre purse all these years. If someone is sold for 15-20CR, the franchise will hardly have any left in the bank to make further high profile purchase.

Wrapping up the IPL discussion

Some of the demands raised by the franchises were all legitimate like increased purse, the two years ban but some of them like RTM is draconian. The BCCI will again meet the franchises shortly to discuss the way forward.

The sad part is that none of the franchise spoke about increasing the experience of the fans who throng the stadiums. Indian stadiums are some of the worst to watch the game from. Lack of food, horrible smelling bathrooms, outrageously maintained seats, garbage and various other things make watching from the stadium a chore. It is a pity none of these were discussed.

Mathew Mott’s sacking

Posted on 3 August 20243 August 2024 by Bobji

England have chosen to sack their white-ball coach, Mathew Mott. It wasn’t surprising at all given the performance of the team over the last couple of years under Mott and Buttler. What was unexpected however was the retention of Jos Buttler as the captain. From the heady days of the ODI World Cup win followed by the T20 World Cup win, England have gone down the abyss. There wasn’t a way out of it. The team still remains the same with the obvious exception of Ben Stokes. Under Buttler and Mott, things have taken a nosedive which has now resulted in the sacking of one. This is about Mathew Mott’s sacking.

Assistant coach, Trescothick has taken over as the interim coach of the white-ball team. His first assignment will be against a powerful Australian side through three T20s and five ODIs.

The defence of the ODI title

England were just blown away during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. The defence of the title that was won in 2019 was shambolic. England could win only 3 games out of 9 which included wins against The Netherlands and Bangladesh. From being one among the favourites to win the title, not least because of the way England had been playing white-ball cricket for close to 9 years, to one to finish among the bottom teams, must have been soul-crushing for every England fan. It should have been the last straw. Somehow Mott and inexplicably, Buttler survived only for another disaster at the World T20 in England. This time they atleast reached the semi-finals before losing to the ultimate champions, India.

These reverses convinced Robert Key, the managing director of the ECB to decide enough is enough and to make a move away from Mott, for now atleast. England have series of ODIs lined up over the next year culminating with the Champions Trophy later next year. They need to find a coach rather quickly.

“After three World Cup cycles in a short space of time, I now feel the team needs a new direction to prepare for the challenges ahead,” Key said. “This decision was not made lightly, but I believe it is the right time for the team’s future success. With our focus shifting towards the Champions Trophy early next year and the next cycle of white-ball competition, it is crucial that we ensure the team is focused and prepared.”

Record under Mott and Jos Buttler

In both white-ball formats England’s record since Mott’s arrival was not as good as it was before he was appointed. England won 16 of the 34 completed ODIs played under Mott. A 47% win rate. In the three years before his appointment they had won 18 or 64%, of their 28 games. They won 23 of 42 completed T20s under Mott or 55%, down from 23 out of 38, or 61%, in the previous three years. To the credit of Mott, England did win the T20 World Cup in Australia when he was the coach. However, there was a nagging suspicion that that was achieved on the back of the foundation laid by his predecessors, Eoin Morgan and Trevor Bayliss. Not to mention the clinching contribution by Ben Stokes.

Jos Buttler is the most essential batsman in the England white-ball setup. His returns have not been that impressive. It has directly contributed to England not performing to its optimum capacity. His captaincy hasn’t been that great either. The decision to open the bowling with Will Jacks in the T20 group game against Australia or the selection of four seamers on a pitch that helped the spinners. He even failed to turn to his only spinner on that game, Moeen Ali.

Buttler is 34 and by the time the next ODI World Cup comes around, he will be 37. I doubt whether he will continue to be the captain till then, leave alone the fact that with diminishing returns, he may not even be in the squad. For the moment though, he is surviving because of lack of options in the squad. Joe Root may not be interested in the job any longer and Johnny Bairstow is a pale shadow of the relentless assaulter just a couple of seasons ago.

The future

England are overdue a revamp of their white-ball squad. The cramped schedule means that some of their Test cricketers, namely Harry Brooks, may not be able to play both Tests and ODI. Trescothick, if he is interested in a full-time role, is likely to become the next coach. We all know about his mental frailties and hence, he is likely to be contented with supporting role. He and Buttler has been together since their Somerset days. Other names to do the rounds are Kumar Sangakkara, Buttler’s Rajasthan Royals director of cricket. Michael Hussey, who was England’s consultant during the successful campaign in Australia. Kieron Pollard and Andrew Flintoff who has just returned to cricket and has started coaching one of the team in The Hundred. Whoever becomes the coach, it is time for Buttler to step up or step down.

Wrapping up Mathew Mott’s sacking

It was longtime coming. It now remains to be seen whether Buttler will still be the captain in next year’s Champions Trophy or will England turn to a new face.

Other blogs about England

https://icricketcritique.com/michael-vaughan-about-england/
https://icricketcritique.com/dont-discard-bazball-england/
https://icricketcritique.com/the-series-from-englands-perspective/
https://icricketcritique.com/englands-series-against-india/

The England West Indies series

Posted on 3 August 20243 August 2024 by Bobji

Well, there was a series between England and West Indies. Not that many paid much attention to the series. As expected, England won the series 3-0. It is actually a big improvement for England against this particular opponent. For some reason, England and Pakistan are the only teams that still lose games to West Indies. England have infact lost the last 2 series in the islands and they somehow manage one defeat in England. This time however, the Ben Stokes and Bazball era has changed things for England. They were expected to win the series 3-0 and they did just that. The England West Indies series.

West Indies is not even a semblance of the all-conquering teams of the 80s and 90s. For that matter, they are not even as competitive as the early 2000 teams. Yet, they keep ploughing along. To their credit, they do notch up some impressive series victories against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh but against the much tougher opponents like India, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, they are not even close. Anyway, that is not the point of this blog.

The James Anderson swansong

James Anderson, the highest wicket taker among the seamers, chose this series as his swanswong and bowed out of international cricket at the end of the 1^st Test. He will be remembered for a very longtime. A separate blog about him will be written later. He left the scene with bag full of wickets. Thanks Anderson for all the wonderful moments.

It is clear that Shoaib Bashir is thought highly by none other than the captain Ben Stokes. He has hardly played a handful of first class games. Now, he has become the main spinner for England. Jack Leach, who was the leading spinner until Bashir made his debut in India, was dropped from the squad. Bashir is tall and quite talented. He did not have a great debut series but is quite young and energetic. He has the skills to become a good bowler. His height is especially advantageous for him. Let’s see how far he progresses.

Openers and top order for England

Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope enhanced their reputation with some aggressive innings. 178 runs and 239 runs respectively denotes a solid series but not an extraordinary innings. However, against a side like West Indies, England will be hapy with solid series from their prime batsmen. It wasn’t song and dance for the other opener, Zak Crawley. He had a swashbuckling series in India but again, he has gone back to being inconsistent. How long will England endure him remains to be seen. They just cannot afford to take an inconsistent batsman at the top of the order to Australia.

The middle order for England

Joe Root is the exact opposite of Crawley. He is Mr. Consistent. When someone like Root walks in at number 4, it gives jitters in the minds of the opponents. They know that they have a battle on hand. He eschewed some of the shots of the Bazball era and stuck to what he does best. The 87 at Edgbaston helped take his side out of the bother that they found themselves in. Will Root go on and surpass Tendulkar and become the highest rungetter? It is not impossible but a touch difficult. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to follow him.

Harry Brook scored just that one hundred that proved to be match winning. He has been out of action for sometime because of personal issues and injury. Now that he is back and back at his pugnacious best, England will want him in form for Australia.

The keeper and the bowlers

For those fortunate enough to have seen him bat at domestic level, his batting displays will not have come as a surprise. Nor will his cool-headed approach to dealing with the razzamatazz of Test cricket. This is just another rung on the ladder he has been climbing successfully since boyhood. A few innings of note is proof that he is here to stay. The wicket-keeping though? Who expected the natural movement, the soft hands, the anticipation and the balance from a part-timer? He is only three Tests in, but the eternal question of who should take the gloves for England may be settled for the next decade.

Gus Atkinson had a wonderful debut and alongwith Mark Wood, they could form a formidable pair in Australia later next year. Both of them have pace and if Archer is fit, the next Ashes series will be a mouth-watering contest. As for Chris Woakes, I really do not know what his role is in the team. It will be better to hide him away from home.

Wrapping up the England and West Indies series

There was nothing to write about West Indies. They do possess genuine fast bowlers who are capable of bowling at 150KMPH throughout but the execution falters at crucial times. They need 6 good batsmen and 4 bowlers to remain competitive.

Blogs about West Indies

https://icricketcritique.com/west-indies-have-a-chance-to-win-games/
https://icricketcritique.com/west-indies-home-season/
https://icricketcritique.com/the-rise-of-the-west-indian-empire/
https://icricketcritique.com/the-fall-of-the-west-indian-empire/
https://icricketcritique.com/pollards-retirement-and-chahals-revelation/
https://icricketcritique.com/what-did-we-learn-about-england-against-west-indies/
https://icricketcritique.com/west-indies-cricket-chief-grave/

Gautham Gambhir the new coach

Posted on 30 July 202430 July 2024 by Bobji

Gautham Gambhir has been appointed as the new Indian coach. He took over from Rahul Dravid after his tenure came to an end after the T20 World Cup. That Gambhir will take over from Dravid was a done deal long before it was officially announced. It seemed like no one was even considered for the role. I did not find any foreigner applying for this position. Perhaps, they felt that it does not matter how prepared they come for the interview, it would still be an Indian who would be given the role. BCCI, probably to save face, asked WV Raman to apply just in case so that the ultimate decision would seem like a fair decision. Nonetheless, Gambhir has finally become the coach after not so much deliberation. Gautham Gambhir the new coach.

His credentials

Gambhir has not coached an international team or even a state team at any level prior to this. Ofcourse, not everyone can become the coach of an international team. If that is the criteria, coaching will be shuffled between a few individuals. Nevertheless, Gambhir has quite a few solid performances as an individual of handling pressure. Let us remember that he was the highest scorer for India in the finals of both 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup. It was a pity that Dhoni took away the player of the match in 2011. It was Gambhir in the company of a young Kohli who not only resurrected a stuttering chase but eventually solidified the chase. He is someone who can be depended on to handle pressure. Not to mention the small matter of IPL trophies under him.

His credentials are solid. Gambhir may finally put an end to the individual worship and put the team above everyone else. This is not a India only trait. It can been seen in various sporting teams. Australia could be an exception and that helps them to win multiple tournaments. Gambhir is likely to insist on group contributions. It may take the form of recognising those performances which had an impact but it wasn’t the sole performance. The innings of Sanjay Bangar at Headingley in 2004 that allowed the likes of Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly score massive 100s to help India win the Test.

Gambhir’s relationship with Kohli

Gambhir and Kohli have a relationship that is far my ideal for a team game. Both of them will have to work together for the betterment of its fortune. Kohli is a star cricketer and Gambhir does not take too kindly to star players. As mentioned above, he would probably rate small contributors on the same wavelength as the significant contributors. It is not at all wrong. When Lord Ram built the bridge to Sri Lanka, a small squirrel did its part. In the 2023 IPL, the world witnessed an ugly spat between Gambhir and Kohli. They seemed to have resolved their differences but much may require to be done.

Gambhir said, “What kind of relationship do I share with Virat Kohli, I think it is between two mature individuals. On the field, everyone has got the right to fight for their own team, for their own jersey, and want to come back in a winning dressing room. But, at the moment, I think you are representing India and representing 140 crore Indians and I am sure we are going to be on the same page and try and make India proud.”

Gambhir’s support staff

Gambhir has decided to dispense with all but one of Dravid’s support staff. The fielding coach, Dilip, is likely to stay. He has earned a lot of plaudits for his innovative thinking. Namely, the introduction of fielding medals. It has made the players look forward to winning the medal which will only improve the fielding standard. Apart from him, Abhishek Nayar and Ten Doeschate will join Gambhir as assistant coaches. There are rumours going around that he has asked for Morne Morkel, the former South African fast bowler to be the bowling coach. Until Gambhir and the board confirms, it will remain to be a rumour.

Wrapping up Gautham Gamhir the new coach

All said and done, Gambhir will have an easy outing in Sri Lanka. He will expect the team to sweep the series. His real challenge lies await in November. Away in Australia where we have won two consecutive series. Australia are difficult to be beaten at home. This time around, they would like to set the record straight. How fresh and fit is Gambhir able to keep the players prior to the series, will determine how India will perform. He must also insist of a minimum of 2 practice games before the first Test. All the best Gautham Gambhir.

Ganguly needs to grow up

Posted on 30 July 202430 July 2024 by Bobji

I am an ardent fan of Saurav Ganguly. The man who transformed Indian cricket and the way the players approach every game, especially on foreign shores. He instilled the much needed confidence in every player. His shenanigans of making Steve Waugh wait for the toss during the famous 2001 series was legendary. The entire Indian community will owe him a debt of gratitude for what he achieved as a captain. Test wins in England, Australia and West Indies, who were the pushovers they are now, was unexpected but sweet. The same Ganguly, since his retirement, has become somewhat of a rotten apple. Ganguly needs to grow up. More of that later. First about the man himself.

Multiple books speaks about a divided team

I have read quite a few books that were written by some of the former players. It includes Straight from the heart by Kapil Dev, Sanjay Manjrekar’s Imperfect. Saurav Ganguly’s A century is not enough, Laxman’s 281 and beyond. Apart from these, there were innumerable number of articles in various publications. In all the publications, almost everyone talks about some kind of rift within the team throughout their playing career. East vs West, South vs North, senior vs junior etc.

Infact, Manjrekar even goes on to write that the Mumbai players, when it comes to Ranji trophy were much more motivated than while playing for the country. He also adds that the players from the north, especially the seniors, expected everyone to address them with respect. Ganguly & Laxman writes that the players were more worried about their individual contribution than the team’s cause partly because of the less chances newcomers are given and partly because they were not at all comfortable when they played because of the bigger names in the team.

Laxman writes that whenever he was dropped, he didn’t really know the reason and no one bothered to tell him why was he was dropped and what are the areas that he needs to improve. From all these accounts, it seems that the Indian cricket team of the 80s and 90s were very much individual driven rather than a collective effort driven towards a common cause.

How Ganguly changed this division

When Ganguly became the captain he did not care about which state or zone is a player from. If he sees talent, he supported them all the way until they realised their potential. He ensured that the newcomers are integral to the overall planning and that they are given adequate space to express themselves. All kinds of divisions north/west, senior/junior were all eradicated.

When Ganguly became The Captain

It was under such depths of despair did Ganguly took over the captaincy. Immediately, he moulded the team into a fighting unit. He placed a lot of importance of winning outside the country. He led from the front like the 144 he scored in Brisbane. Ganguly also ensured he gave opportunities to youngsters who turned out to be match winners. He brought the best out of Dravid, Laxman & Sehwag who won many games during Ganguly’s tenure. His inspired move to ask Sehwag to open, Dravid to keep wickets proved to be brilliant decisions.

After more than 16 years, the team went onto win games in West Indies, England, Australia & Pakistan. I do agree that except for Pakistan, he did not win any series in the above mentioned countries but statistics do not always convey the real picture.

But the Ganguly off late is a whining maniac

First, the total and utter failure as the President of the BCCI. Then, came the mismanagement in selecting the coach of the Indian team when he and Ravi Shastri washed dirty linen in public. The Virat Kohli fiasco followed and now, he has said that it was he who appointed Rohit Sharma as the captain and seeks credit for that.

“I was criticised when I handed over the captaincy to Rohit. And now that we’ve won a trophy under his captaincy, no one is abusing me. Everyone has forgotten that I made him the captain,” Ganguly said in a chat with a Bangla newspaper AajKaal.

First of all, does Ganguly even realise that when Kohli was removed, Rohit was the only choice? He was already the captain in T20. Next to Kohli, infact, he is much more experienced than Kohli in terms of number of years at the highest level. Obviously, he became the captain. Even if someone who does not know the game at all was the pick the captain, he would have picked Rohit. There wasn’t any obvious replacement. It is not that Ganguly picked Rohit from a tree and made him the captain.

Wrapping up Ganguly must grow up

It has been 17 years since Ganguly retired. He has been in the news since then. Now that he does not have any responsibility, it is better if he remains quiet.

Kohli and praise for Bumrah

Posted on 12 July 202412 July 2024 by Bobji

There is no doubt that Bumrah played a stellar role in the T20 World Cup win. He bowled 2 of the last 5 overs and gave away just 4 and 2 runs to go with the wicket of Marco Jansen. Incredible performance by any standard. More so, when it comes to the final of the World Cup. Bumrah’s efforts were exemplary. South Africa were intent on playing the bowler and not the ball delivered. Jansen, before he got out, stood rooted to the crease. All that he wanted to do was somehow survive Bumrah’s burst of 2 overs and the cup was theirs. Alas, it wasn’t to be. He was transfixed on Bumrah which brought uncertainty to his batting. Anyway, that was in the past. Kohli has acknowledged Bumrah’s contribution. Kohli and praise for Bumrah.

Kohli’s & Rohit’s comments

“Like everyone in the stadium [here], we also felt at one point if it is going to slip away again, but what happened in those [last] five overs was truly, truly special,” Kohli said, at the team’s felicitation at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday night. “You know what I’d like everyone to do is applaud a guy who brought us back into games again and again and again in this tournament. What he did in those last five overs, bowling two out of the last five overs, it was phenomenal. A huge round of applause for Jasprit Bumrah, please.”

Rohit said he was “relieved” to end India’s long wait for a global title. “Bringing the World Cup to this country means the world to us. This is for the people who support and watch the game, and, along with all of us, for the last 11 years, they’re the ones who’ve been wanting this trophy to come back. Finally it’s here, and I’m very happy and relieved.”

Marine Drive had a festival look

This was a great gesture on the part of Kohli. Indian team were welcomed back to the nation with a ticker tape parade at Mumbai’s Marine Drive. The whole area was packed with supporters of the Indian team. The images show a sea of humans filling a wide street. Reception was great to say the least. Players must have been overwhelmed by the support and gratitude that was on display. The BCCI and the Maharashtrian Board arranged things quite so beautifully.

The players fully deserve this. This is not an uncommon sight. Wherever you go, if any country wins the World Cup, be it in football or cricket or a sport that is popular in the country, the national team of that country is accorded a similar welcome. I do not know whether I support this because I thought that it should have been treated as one of those victories and nothing more. It would have shown a confident India that is on the throes of greatness. Having said that, I am not averse to such a welcome.

If Marine Drive was jampacked, the Wankhede witnessed similar scenes. What was heartening to see was the crowd’s support to Hardik Pandya. Just over a month ago, he was abused and ridiculed by a large section of the crowd. They didn’t like the fact that Pandya was bought from Gujarat and then later, made the captain replacing Rohit Sharma. They didn’t appreciate the fact that change is the only constant. Mumbai Indians were looking to the future when they decided to replace Rohit.

Wrapping up Kohli and praise for Bumrah

It was a nice gesture on the part of Kohli to recognise the contribution of Bumrah. It is not that none of the other players would not have noticed but it felt nice to be acknowledged for the efforts.

The retirement of the seniors

Posted on 12 July 202412 July 2024 by Bobji

Well, it was much expected. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jadeja were expected to retire from T20 at the end of the World Cup. It didn’t come out of the blue. The writing was on the wall ever since the last T20 World Cup in which India were unceremoniously dumped by England. Suddenly, both Rohit and Kohli were back in the scheme of things. To their credit, they did have a significant impact in the tournament. Kohli in the final and Rohit in the league games. Having said that, with the next World Cup a couple of years away, it is time to give the youngsters a run so that they are ready for the next World Cup. This is about the retirement of the seniors.

T20 cricket is for the youngsters. They are the ones who have the power and send the ball soaring over the boundary. The format itself calls for brute force. Rohit and Kohli are touch players and Jadeja is the only one among the trio who has got some power. It is to their credit that they adapted to the demands of the format after dismal World Cups in UAE and Australia. Kohli even chose to sacrifice his slot at number 3 and decided to open in the World Cup. The bottomline is that all goods things must come to an end.

They are leaving satisfied after years and years of reversals in the World Cups . Probably, they were destined to win the World Cup just before retirement.

The predicament of the previous seniors

It was a good decision to drop both of them. It was time to plan for the next 10 years with the service of younger players. Afterall, T20 is a format for the youngsters. Back in the day, when T20 cricket was very much in vogue, the first World T20 was inaugurated in 2007, the stalwarts of the Indian team, Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly, who were all in the mid-30s, felt that the format was not for them and they promptly choose to skip the World Cup altogether, thereby a young Indian team under Dhoni to take shape. It was a courageous decision on their part.

It would not have been easy for them, who have served the country for so long and faithfully, to conclude that their game and age does not suit the requirements of one particular format. The ego would not have allowed it. The selectors for their part, would have happily selected them in the squad.

At the corner of their mind, they still would have wanted to have a crack just to be part of the new format but they were not swayed by their ego and promptly decided not to even contemplate T20. Ofcourse, Dravid still went onto make his debut in T20, just one game when there wasn’t enough players around in England. The truth is that Dravid, Tendulkar amd Ganguly understood the requirements of the format and took a decision that benefitted the team.

Statements of Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja

“This is my last T20 game playing for India, my last World Cup I was going to play,” the 37-year-old Kohli said after the final. “I wanted to make the most of it. And this was our aim. We wanted to win an ICC tournament, we wanted to lift the cup.

“With a heart full of gratitude, I bid farewell to T20 internationals,” Jadeja wrote underneath a picture of him holding the trophy.

“Like a steadfast horse galloping with pride, I’ve always given my best for my country and will continue to do so in other formats,” added Jadeja,

“This is my last game as well, no better time to say goodbye to this format,” Rohit said after the T20 World Cup final.

These retirements leaves a void in the squad but fear not. There are adequate replacements for all of them. Ruturaj, Jaiswal and Gill for opening the innings not to mention Abhishek Sharma who in the company of Travis Head, lit the IPL with his aggressive batting at the top. Sundar can slot in for Jadeja. Axar Patel has already made Jadeja’s spot his own. He will be part of Indian T20 cricket for the foreseeable future just for his ability with the bat. Another is Venkatesh Iyer with his ability to open the innings and bowl a few overs. Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson and a few others can fill the Kohli spot. Basically, replacements are adequate. How are they utilised is the question.

Pandya in all likelihood will become the designated captain with Bumrah closely following him. Everything depends on who among the two is likely to be fit for a large part of their careers. Sanju Samson is an outside chance to become the captain. Especially, if he has a successful 2025 IPL season.

Wrapping up the retirement of the seniors

The next T20 World Cup will be in 2026. Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja will be on the wrong side of 30s. Logically, they will have to announce retirement at the end of the World Cup from T20. They must not force the selectors to drop them which will not sit well with any of them. These players will continue to play for their respective franchises in the IPL. That is for the franchise to decide. Rohit and Kohli is a brand and their franchises will not allow them to leave the scene that easily. Take the case of Dhoni who is still playing without creating much impact thereby making a joke of himself.