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Jonathan Trott

Who are Cricket’s Future Greats?

8 June 2011. Are there batsmen and bowlers to replace Tendulkar, Kallis, Sangakkara and Steyn? And will they give rise to great teams as well? Over the last 30 years cricket has been blessed with greatness, a trait currently in short supply. Indeed the game has been lucky enough to produce great teams and great […]

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Shane Watson

Watson’s Turnaround

25th May 2011. Shane Watson has transformed the fragility of his body into solidity and become perhaps the most valuable player in the game at the moment. Not long ago Shane Watson was a crock. Now he counts among the most valuable cricketers – might even top the list – and serves as vice-captain of […]

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Allan Donald

Wright and Donald Could do Australia Good

11 May 2011. The back-room team that guided New Zealand at the World Cup would not be a bad bet for the former champions as they look to rebuild. John Wright and Allan Donald ought to be high on the list of candidates as the Australia think tank ponders changes to its coaching staff. That […]

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Mashrafe and Shakib

What Bangladesh Could Learn from Sri Lanka’s Success

27 April 2011. Sri Lankan cricket has its problems, but it is overall a success and born of a system worth emulating. Amidst the furore about the next World Cup – or glorified Champions Trophy as it has become – it’s important not to lose sight of the perilous position of the game in some […]

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Bangladesh Players

Cricket’s Impending Crisis

The ICC board talks a lot about cleaning up the game. They might consider starting with themselves. Only those immersed in the thrills and spills of the IPL will be feeling confident that cricket is on the right track. Of course that includes the bulk of the leading players and a sizeable proportion of the […]

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Yuvraj Singh

An Encounter to Stop a Subcontinent

30 March 2011. It may be only a cricket match, but try telling the millions who’ll watch India v Pakistan in the World Cup semi-final that. A cricket match can hold only so much weight. In that regard the forthcoming semi-final, a local derby as well, and a tussle between sometimes agitated old rivals, is […]

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2011 cricket world cup

Don’t Knock the World Cup

16 March 2011. The enthusiasm of the crowds, the organisation, the number of competitive matches, and the fact that three countries are sharing the load, has made this one a tournament worth watching. Let’s stop bagging this World Cup. As far as can be gleaned from a relatively brief exposure, it is going to be […]

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Robin Petersen

South Africa’s Unburdened Youngsters Could Do It

2 March 2011. The team’s World Cup chances are better this time round because many of their players don’t carry the baggage their predecessors did. But they will be challenged by an underrated England. After several predictable editions whose twists and turns came in the telling and not the conclusion, this World Cup remains wide […]

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Wankhede Stadium

Why We Need a World Cup

16 February 2011. Every sport requires a tournament that marks its pinnacle, that provides the ultimate testing ground for players and teams, that is a fitting shop window for the game. The 2011 World Cup is upon us. Already the teams have arrived and though the final is seven weeks away their prospects are under […]

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Jacques Kallis

Go Back to the Basics

2 February 2011. The reason Australian batsmen are struggling to bat through a session is because they are caught up in the nonsensical new notions of Twenty20 technique. To talk to an Australia coach and to a 30-year-old former Shield player recently was to understand the challenges currently faced by those responsible for directing the […]

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Simon Katich bowling

After the Debacle

19 January 2011. To repair its reputation and standard of cricketing excellence, Australia must restore the strength of its domestic cricket and introduce balance in its corridors of power. Over the weekend, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Hauritz, David Warner and Phillip Hughes turned out for their clubs. At once, it was a commonplace event and a […]

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Tim Bresnan

The Voice of New England

30 December 2010 The MCG result tells us things about the visitors and the hosts both: one young and ambitious, the other inept and fretful. England’s comprehensive victory in Melbourne meant that the Ashes had been retained. It is an outstanding achievement. It’s one thing to win the urn on home soil, another to venture […]

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Jonny Bairstow bowled by Mitchell Starc

All Hail Juicy Pitches

22 December 2010. Australian wickets have been denatured and characterless for far too long. Let’s hope Melbourne produces a track like the one in Perth. Only in cricket can the pitch attract so much attention. A darts board is a darts board. Rugby and soccer fields vary little and home advantage is more often due […]

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Monty Panesar

The Might of the Melting Pot

9 December 2010. England’s resurgence has come about thanks to intelligent use of its natural resources, whether the variety within the immigrant community or the grey matter of former captains. Fifteen years ago I predicted that by 2010 England would be the strongest team in the world. It was a bold forecast, since they have […]

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Ian Bell

A Chess Match, Not a Bullfight

30 November 2010. Both sides essentially approached the Brisbane Test defensively, and sound as the reasoning was, it didn’t help set pulses racing. Ultimately the Gabba Test petered out into a boring draw. It was a curious match. Every day seemed like an eternity, not because the play lacked sparkle but rather due to the […]

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Kevin Pietersen

Ready to Relaunch, Pietersen Could be Decisive Factor

11 November 2010. Kevin Pietersen arrives in Australia with his game in working order and his purpose renewed. Kevin Pietersen is a cricketer in search of his game and a man in search of his life. At last he is starting to look in the right places. After two years spent in self-indulgent folly he […]

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Graeme Swann bowling

England Aren’t Favourites

4 November 2010. They have a settled side and a united leadership, but they haven’t been as impressive away as at home, their bowlers are unproven and their batsmen far from impregnable. Everything has been going England’s way. According to the pundits a glorious victory awaits. As far as they are concerned, the Australians are […]

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Cricketer Michael Clarke

Is Clarke up for the Captaincy?

20 October 2010. He fits the type and is the right age but is yet to show that he can confront his weaknesses and toughen up like Ponting did. Michael Clarke is an established Test batsman with an impressive record, a successful leader of his country’s Twenty20 team and the vice-captain of a Test side […]

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Virat Kohli

Better Days Might Lie Ahead for India

21 October 2011. Victory will go to the boldest and the best-organised outfit. India has every right to be delighted by its performances in the One-Day Internationals. By no means can the trouncing of England be taken lightly. In a trice M.S. Dhoni’s side has stopped its run of defeats, doused English ardour and restored […]

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Australian cricket team 1921

Australia has Turned the Corner

8 October 2011. Has India recognised the need to change? Australia is on track to regain a high place in the cricketing rankings. Within three years it will be challenging England for the top spot. And the reason is simple. Australian cricket has taken a hard look at itself and realised it had become complacent. […]

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Mitchell Starc

Next Generation Attempt to Absorb so Many Skills Fast

30 September 2011. Anyone doubting that Twenty20 has changed the game substantially needs to take a closer look at the Champions League. Actually it’s not the game that has changed so much as the education of the young cricketer. Jonny Bairstow bowled by Mitchell Starc. Australia beat England by 120 runs in 2nd Ashes (Day|Night) […]

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Decision Review System in cricket

India’s Reluctance Over DRS a Mistake

24 September 2011. The issue is not whether the systems are 100 per cent reliable but whether better verdicts are reached. India’s reluctance to accept the Decision Review System is regrettable. The BCCI wants to wait till the technology has been rendered foolproof. But humanity cannot wait upon perfection or else we’d all still be […]

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