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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]