For all England’s success in recent years, they are yet to find consistent form in Asia. They meet Pakistan, who are rebuilding after the spot-fixing scandal and Misbah-ul-Haq could be the ideal man to guide them

George Dobell in Dubai16-Jan-2012Perhaps it is fitting that Pakistan and England should meet at a cricket ground in the middle of a building site, surrounded by rubble and desert, because both these teams are a work in progress.England, for all their success at home and in Australia, have a modest record in Asia. Pakistan, for all their success in their last three series, know that a far stiffer test now lies ahead. We will have a clearer picture of the progress of each side in a few weeks.England are further along the road of achievement but the next 12 months will begin to define their legacy. They face three tough tours in Asia – Sri Lanka beckons in April before England visit India at the end of the year and a strong South African side in between at home. If England win all four of those series – and the series against West Indies squeezed amid them – then there can be no caveats to their status as the No. 1 Test team.”English sides have not done particularly well in Asia,” Andrew Strauss said. “That’s an immediate hurdle we need to overcome. There’s a lot of scope for improvement in our side and I’ll be very disappointed if anyone sits back and thinks we’re the finished article. We’re clearly not.”England routinely refuse to show their hand regarding the balance of their side. It would appear, however, that the selection has come down to a straight choice between a third seamer – Chris Tremlett – and a second spinner – Monty Panesar. A return for Tremlett seems the most likely conclusion.Stuart Broad bowled in training and looked to have recovered from the blow to his foot. There was more concern over an injury sustained by Ian Bell, who was hit on the left wrist while receiving throwdowns from Graham Gooch. Bell was taken to hospital for scans but he did not appear overly concerned and X-rays subsequently cleared him fit to play.

Pakistan are seeking their fourth series win in succession and, despite the spot-fixing debacle, have quickly rebuilt a team that demands respect

Pakistan also have selection decisions to make. The most pertinent is whether to pick Aizaz Cheema or Wahab Riaz as the second fast bowler. It would be a surprise if they did not field both specialist spinners and so made room for both Cheema and Riaz.The recall of Riaz is potentially inflammatory. He was questioned by police and named during the spot-fixing trial of his three former teammates – Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amir – in October, but no charges were ever made. He also had an altercation with England’s Jonathan Trott at a practice session towards the end of the acrimonious ODI series in 2010.But he is a fine bowler. Blessed with pace and the ability to move the ball both ways, the Riaz took five wickets in an innings on debut during the Oval Test of 2010, the final Test of an ill-fated series.This series is not all about the result. After what has gone before there will also be focus upon the spirit in which the series is played. That does not mean there will be any less intensity than normal, only that both sides have to be aware of their responsibility to the wider game. There can be no repetition of some of the scenes that marred 2010.”Given the history between the two nations it is important we recognise our responsibilities,” Strauss said. “But any idea that it won’t be a competitive series is well wide of the mark. It’ll be a very competitive series between two very good sides, both of whom are hungry to improve.”It was a point on which the Pakistan captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, agreed. He knows the image of Pakistan cricket has been tarnished in recent months and is eager to see his side regain the respect and affection which it once enjoyed.”I have told the team that you can get your image back only by playing good cricket, by winning and by your good conduct in the field,” he said. “That’s what we are trying to do and the way we have played for the last year-and-a-half shows we are on the right path.”Indeed it does. Pakistan are seeking their fourth series win in succession and, despite losing several of their finest players to the spot-fixing debacle, have quickly rebuilt a team that demands respect.History may not remember Misbah as the most dynamic or visionary captain. But bearing in mind the hand fate dealt him and the context in which he took on the job, he may prove to be exactly the right man in the right position at the right time.Pakistan cricket has had plenty of flamboyant, unpredictable individuals. It could, perhaps, do with a little more calm, a little more predictability and a little more teamwork. Pakistan may yet come to be very grateful for Misbah-ul-Haq.

Since playing as a batsman in 2010, Wriddhiman Saha has been a perpetual standby. But with MS Dhoni under pressure, and his peers failing to make an impact, Adelaide could be his chance to impress the selectors

Sidharth Monga in Adelaide 20-Jan-2012Wriddhiman Saha will not end up as just an answer to the trivia question: “Who is the Indian wicketkeeper who played one Test for no dismissals or byes, and scored 0 and 36?” Thanks to the slow over-rate ban on MS Dhoni, Saha will get a proper opportunity to play in a Test, in Adelaide.Record-books will tell you Saha has already made his Test debut, but this will be his first real Test match. He made his debut in bizarre circumstances. India’s squad for the first Test against South Africa, in February 2010, included – you better believe it – just six batsmen. A day before the Test VVS Laxman fell sick. Luckily Rohit Sharma was in town. He was asked to stay back. On the morning of what would have been Rohit’s debut, though, he injured himself while warming up.Without warning, Saha, in the squad as the reserve wicketkeeper, was thrown into the unknown, as a specialist batsman who would bat at No. 7. Like a ghost he walked into a red-hot Dale Steyn spell, and shouldered arms to a big reversing inswinger. Bang went the off stump, and you wondered if that would be the lasting image of Saha’s career. Laxman was sure to come back and reclaim his place, Dhoni would keep on keeping, but unwittingly Saha had become the face of the selectorial farce that played a part in that huge innings defeat.For almost two years since then Saha has travelled with the team without getting a second game. A chance at redemption seemed nowhere in sight. Apart from being standby keeper for home Tests, Saha has been to Sri Lanka, South Africa, England and Australia, getting a fielding session here, a net there. Now, though, he will play. And once again, for the sake of sameness, Rohit will still be waiting for his debut. Such is life.Back to Saha, though. He is rated highly as a wicketkeeper by those who have seen him in domestic cricket. Gautam Gambhir said two days after Dhoni was banned: “He is a very good wicketkeeper and hopefully he can contribute with the bat as well. I want to wish him good luck as playing in Australia is going to be tough. He is a gritty kind of player.”Saha said he has spent enough time on the sidelines, waiting for his chance. “I have been travelling with the team for a long period,” he said. “Now that I have got the chance I just want to do what I have learned right from my younger days.”Reminded of his debut, Saha didn’t sound bitter. “I remember that day,” he said, “but mostly because it was my first match. I remember the circumstances in which I debuted. But I had told myself I would try my best: be it batting, fielding or keeping.”Saha said there was no pressure on him because it was cricket he was going out to play after all. “I don’t feel any extra pressure. Right from my childhood I have played freely. Even when I play in India, be it a club game or state game, I take them similarly.”Saha said he had prior experience of keeping wickets in Australia so that should not be too much of a bother. “I have played here in the Emerging Trophy. I kept wickets in a lot of two-day games, one-day games and Twenty20s. It wasn’t a big problem keeping in Australia so I should be fine.”Wicketkeeping in India has led to a dead end for everyone other than Dhoni ever since he smashed that 148 against Pakistan in Vizag in 2004-05. Parthiv Patel and Dinesh Karthik have had their chances, often as specialist batsmen in ODIs, but neither of them has been able to stake an absolute claim to being the second-best wicketkeeper in the country. Dhoni, to his credit, has shown he is better than them purely as a wicketkeeper too. All the while the selectors have earmarked Saha as the Test back-up.Now is Saha’s time – as Dhoni’s performance and captaincy in Tests comes under the scanner – to try to do better than Karthik and Parthiv, and possibly give the selectors an option that will help ease Dhoni’s workload.

Not for the first time, the England captain has been left discussing Twitter, which he knows is important but has no intention of joining

David Hopps at Trent Bridge24-May-2012Andrew Strauss has always given the impression that if cricket had not intervened, he could already have forged a successful career in the diplomatic service. His discretion was to the fore as he considered the Twitter imbroglio involving Kevin Pietersen that has imposed itself upon England’s plans for the second Test against West Indies.Not for the first time, Pietersen is established as the rascal in the England set-up, his dismissive tweet about the Sky TV commentator, Nick Knight, viewed as improper conduct worthy of an undisclosed fine thought to be £3,000 ($4,700) and no doubt a private rebuke. His sin, for those who have been concerned over the past day or two by weightier matters, went thus: “Can somebody PLEASE tell me how Nick Knight has worked his way into the commentary box for Home Tests?? RIDICULOUS!!”Knight is an inoffensive chap. But he is an inoffensive chap with a modest Test record who when Pietersen’s one-day form was at its lowest, questioned his right to a place in the team. Pietersen respects stardom and celebrity and seems oblivious to the fact that Knight was one of the most effective England one-day players of his time. It is curious how long this has rankled.Strauss’ reflection on the balance between free speech and corporate responsibility will surprise those who still live under the illusion that our national sportsmen and women are untamed spirits, determined on the field and off to accept no limits, live life to the full, soar to the heavens, or whatever latest catchphrase their kit companies come up with.”That is the way of the world,” Strauss said of Pietersen’s fine. “If you sign an England contract you can have opinions on things but you can’t say them publicly.”Having laid down the boundaries, he defended them: “There are good reasons for that. Any employer would expect their employees to be aware of sensitive issues for their employer and that is the way it is.”Anybody who has worked close to the England set-up is aware how extreme that sensitivity can be. It takes a player of considerable character to refuse to become as anodyne as the ECB prefers, indeed trains, them to become: mouthing platitudes, sticking to set formulae, officially encouraged to drain the life from their own personalities. Strauss can speak intelligently within strict limits, so it suits him; Graeme Swann has a maverick’s ability to sail close to the edge; others are noticeably suppressed by their upbringing.Pietersen attempted to recover lost ground as the Trent Bridge Test approached, referring to Knight’s fellow Sky commentators, Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Ian Botham, David Gower and David Lloyd as “legends,” at every opportunity. Or, to adopt KP’s tweeting style, “LEGEEENDS!!!” might be more appropriate. The implication was clear: if the ECB had accused him of attacking Sky TV, the host broadcaster, it was simply not the case; it was far more personal than that.Pietersen assumed that Twitter gave him a convenient vehicle for retaliation in an intrinsically personal capacity, only to find like many before him that the corporate world is now so aware of social network sites these days that, if you are in a certain kind of job, you are no longer as free as you think you are. The illusion exists that you are sharing personal thoughts with your followers, but in actuality you are tweeting into a world awash with rules and regulations. The validity of the argument that you represent your employer at all times is a legal debate that runs far wider than England cricket.One of the more intriguing aspects of this foolish affair is that Strauss repeatedly referred to the fact it was the ECB board, chaired by Giles Clarke, that decided action was necessary. They had any number of codes to consider: the ICC code of conduct, England contracts, informal dressing room codes on Twitter, agreements with broadcasters, all of them precluding free expression to some degree.But it is quite possible that no one on the ECB board is on Twitter. Clarke should be, because it could be enormous fun, but that is another point entirely. The board has therefore passed judgement on Pietersen’s use of a social media platform that it does not fully understand. It has gained popularity as a looser form of communication, which seeks to capture a current, often transitory mood. Only by using Twitter, and appreciating its boundaries, can you intelligently judge whether these boundaries have been crossed.”It is obviously a difficult one,” Strauss said. “Twitter is a great way for individuals to express opinions on things and to garner positive publicity for the game of cricket. That’s where it can be really helpful.”But obviously we have conditions of employment that don’t allow us to talk about everything. We can’t criticise the ICC, we can’t criticise umpires, and in this case the board obviously wasn’t happy with Kevin’s comments about our broadcaster. That is their right as a board and so Kevin has received a fine because of that.”You can understand that the board is concerned with making sure that their sponsors and broadcasters are looked after. It was a tough one. There were shades of grey. But the truth is that the board were unhappy with it and that is the situation.”We also have our own informal code of conduct with regard to Twitter and generally it has worked very well. You are going to get the odd occasion when somebody oversteps the mark and somebody says, ‘Sorry mate, that’s outside the boundaries,’ and you are going to have to pay a price for us.”Pietersen was part of the group that accepted such guidelines, but then so was Stuart Broad when he called cricket writers during a recent Lancashire-Nottinghamshire match liars, jobsworths and muppets. He was not fined and few seriously thought he should be because such tension between the media and those they write about has occured since the first newspaper rolled off the press. In the blogging era, the readers pile in, too. For Pietersen, though, the rules seem tighter. Ever since he lost the England captaincy he has become to the authorities the individual who occasionally needs taming.For Strauss, it is just another situation to manage, one that he does not really care about. He does not tweet. “I am just too boring,” he said. “I can’t think of anything interesting to say. It wouldn’t be useful to me.”

He may have been out of the West Indies side for over a year, but Chris Gayle is still someone who doesn’t have to say much for his team-mates to feel his presence

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Jun-2012Having reached dizzy heights that no No. 11 in the history of Test cricket had before, with his 95, Tino Best returned to bowl an aggressive first spell with the new ball. He then retreated to the third-man region at the Pavilion End at Edgbaston. Sweat glistened on his clean-shaven pate as Best shouted to “Castro” (Fidel Edwards) to get some water. Then, spotting a familiar figure sitting outside the West Indies dressing room, the showman from Barbados assumed a stand-to-attention pose, raising his right hand to salute Chris Gayle. Both men smiled and then chuckled.At Lord’s, two days later, Gayle, Best and Edwards walked towards the indoor centre in overcast conditions. Gayle spotted a television camera off to one corner and put his arms around Best, shouting theatrically: “Don’t get him angry. Don’t get him angry. He’ll kill you. He’s an animal.”Gayle went on to bat for about an hour on his own. Afterwards, as he was taking off his pads, Best walked up to him and lifted Gayle’s heavy, meaty bat with the “Spartan” label on its shoulder. Assuming his best actor’s voice, Best pointed the bat towards Gayle and said: “Spartan – this bat is illegal and harmful for the health of fast bowlers,” cracking Gayle up. “The way it looks, it is so intimidating to bowlers,” Best explains later.For Best, Gayle has always been “Crampy” because of his susceptibility to cramp. “As a youngster, he would bat for long and cramp up, and that is how the boys from the old school refer to him.”Best first met Gayle in a regional match in Barbados, and immediately took a liking to the Jamaican’s attitude. “I was 20 and he looked just so cool with all his charisma,” Best says. “I said to myself, ‘One of these days I hope to be playing in a team alongside him.'” They played together when Best made his debut against Australia in 2003.Best and Gayle are not quite peas from the same pod. Gayle keeps his cards close to his chest, Best shows his hand easily. But though Best is given to hyperbole, his admiration for Gayle is genuine. “Everybody thinks he doesn’t really care about cricket, but he does. He is a very, very good student of the game,” Best says. “He is a very intelligent person. That is a phenomenal thing for person who is so quiet. He can get bored at times but he is very funny as well. I totally adore him.”At 30, Best is among the senior players in the current West Indies squad. He has trained with various coaches and played under various captains, both at regional and international level. According to him, Gayle stands out as a leader mainly because of the way he communicates.”Whenever I play in a game with Chris, both of us encourage each other. Chris always tells me, ‘Pull down the handbrake and bowl quick. You get picked to bowl quick, so bowl quick.’ That is something that is always intriguing about him – the way he says it. Some people tell me, ‘Tino, bowl fast.’ But it is the way that people say things to you that gets you going. And he is one of those guys that gets you going.”The respect for Gayle among the current side is seemingly universal. Kieron Pollard, one of the most popular players among West Indies’ younger brigade, says Gayle is the only cricketer he consciously decided never to sledge. “I don’t know [why]. Maybe out of respect, or maybe it is out of knowing that when I’m bowling he can smash me out of the park,” Pollard says. “At the end the day, you need to know which fights to pick.””Sledge him, sledge him,” Gayle, tying the laces of his eye-catching blue and red sneakers nearby, urges Pollard. But Pollard refuses to fall for the bait. “Smarter than that, ain’t I?” Pollard quips. Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach who is passing by, cautions Pollard too: “Careful, Polly, careful.”

“Everybody thinks he doesn’t really care about cricket, but he does. He is a very, very good student of the game. He is a very intelligent person”Tino Best on Chris Gayle

He may have been out of the West Indies dressing room for more than a year, but Gayle remains ever a magnetic force. Richie Richardson, the former West Indies captain who shared a dressing room with the likes of Viv Richards, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and Brian Lara, has no doubt that Gayle’s return can only be for the good. “It is very important to have big names, players who have done well, players who have a big personality,” Richardson, currently West Indies’ team manager, says. “They encourage the youngsters, make them feel secure, build more comfort, and also provide someone the young players can aspire to be.”Gayle, Richardson says, commands “tremendous” respect despite being quiet. “Players around him look up to him, and look forward to him doing big things for the team. He is an individual who doesn’t have to say much for people to feel his presence. He just naturally has that command.”Pollard remembers when he first he walked into the West Indies dressing room, one full of stars like Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Gayle. “When you see that imposing figure and you are sitting next to him… I just stood my ground, stood in my corner for a bit, tried to see what he is thinking, tried to see how he approached the game… But as you watch, you don’t know what is going on in his mind,” Pollard says, even as Gayle taps my shoulder, saying, “That is enough, maan.”Gayle may usually be quiet, walking slowly, with the gait of a judoka, but his lightheartedness is attractive. “Whatever he does, he is funny,” Pollard says. He says Gayle is “a gentle, gentle, giant”.Richardson says Gayle has been supportive of the captain, Darren Sammy. “I can say this since I have seen it. Darren was appointed the captain when Chris was there. Chris gave him a lot of support. I can’t recall there being an instance of Chris trying to supersede Darren. He just continued to be his calm self and did the work he had to do.”At the beginning of the England tour Sammy had said that if and when Gayle returned, he would enter a different dressing-room culture from the one he had left last year, with the emphasis now more on hard work.For Richardson, Gayle has always been a competent cricketer, but more than that, highly committed to his trade. “You can’t just be scoring so many runs, especially like he has done in the past and now in the IPL [without working] hard. To compete at the highest level you have got to put in a lot of mental and physical effort. You can’t just sit down and turn up on the day of a game.”Richie Richardson, the team manager, maintains Gayle has fully supported Darren Sammy as captain•West Indies Cricket BoardRichardson says the biggest thing Gayle brings in is the confidence that West Indies can win. “If Chris is playing, especially in the shorter versions, you fancy your chances. If he bats even 50% of the overs, you know you are going to produce a match-winning total. He is powerful, strong, destructive, a sort of batsman any team would like in the side.”Under Sammy and Gibson, West Indies have taken more than a few measures to correct the wrongs of the past 17-odd years. But they need Gayle on their side. He has been in the news over the last year or so for his hard posturing with the WICB, but both parties recently resolved their issues and Gayle has said he is now ready to commit himself to West Indies in all three formats.Among those that announcement has pleased is Pollard, who thinks Gayle is very important for West Indies. He says: “The way Chris does things, he just does bring a different sort of a feel and a different sort of sense to everything.”

In a top-of-the-table contest between two well-matched all-round teams, England’s stronger lower-order batting gives them a slight edge going into the first Test

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan18-Jul-2012Both teams fall short of greatness
During their outstanding run between 1999 and 2007, Australia established their supremacy over all Test-playing teams home and away. Twice, they won 16 consecutive Tests in a row and lost just three series in the same period. However, since the middle of 2008, Australia’s dominance waned and England and South Africa have battled for the top spot. England, who have won the last two Ashes series convincingly, last lost a home series in 2008 (against South Africa) and boast a win-loss ratio of 4.75 in home Tests since May 2008. Their record in away series in the same period has not quite been up to the same standard. Although they managed to draw the series in Sri Lanka, they lost to both India and Pakistan. South Africa, who briefly displaced Australia at the top of the Test rankings in 2009, have since struggled to force series wins. They drew home series against both England and India (2009 and 2010) and played out a draw in the series against Pakistan in the UAE. Despite being the two best teams in recent years, both England and South Africa are yet to display the all-round consistency that was a hallmark of the dominant Australian team.Australia’s success was built on a solid batting line-up and a brilliant bowling attack. The variety and experience in the bowling allowed them to dominate and win on almost all surfaces. Between August 1999 and August 2008, Australia won a remarkable 76 Tests out of 103 Tests and suffered only 12 losses (win-loss ratio of 6.33). Their aggressive brand of cricket meant that the draw percentage in the matches they were involved in was just 15%. Of the 33 series they played, Australia won 28 and lost just three. Following the retirements of a number of top players, Australia failed to dominate and lost series to England (2009 and 2011) and South Africa (2008-09). Since May 2008, England have been exceptional at home (19 wins and four losses) but less convincing in away matches (seven wins and eight losses). South Africa have a lower win-loss ratio (1.77) than England but have been the better team in away matches. However, the visitors, who can rise to the top of the Test rankings with a series win, will be confident of their success given that they were the last team to win a series in England (in 2008).

South Africa marginally ahead in head-to-head clashes
After their readmission, South Africa played their first Test against England in 1994 at Lord’s and went on to win by 356 runs. The series, however, ended in a draw after Devon Malcolm’s 9 for 57 at The Oval helped England win by eight wickets. Overall, the head-to-head results are marginally in favour of South Africa (11-10) and the teams are locked at 6-6 in Tests in England. In their last series in England, South Africa won 2-1 with Graeme Smith scoring a superb 154 to set up the five-wicket win in Edgbaston. South Africa dominated the home series in 2009-10 but England held on to draws with one wicket remaining in the first and third Tests. In the two Tests that yielded results (Durban and Johannesburg), England and South Africa went on to complete convincing innings victories.Of the six Test wins for South Africa in England, three have come at Lord’s and two at Leeds. On the other hand, England have won three of their six home Tests against South Africa at The Oval. South Africa have won three and lost two of the eight series played between the two teams since South Africa’s readmission but neither team, however, has gone on to win two successive series.

Evenly-matched with bat and ball
Since May 2008, England and South Africa have been the most consistent teams in Tests. Following their loss to South Africa at home in 2008, England have remained undefeated at home. Their batting in home Tests in the period has been top class (average of 41.66) with the batsmen notching up 107 fifty-plus scores in 30 Tests. On the bowling front too, England have been highly dominant in home Tests and have picked up four more wickets (per match) than the opposition on average. The average difference (difference between batting and bowling averages) of 12.72 is the highest among all teams in home Tests in the same period. South Africa have a slightly lower batting average at home (37.41) and hence a lower average difference (9.37). However, the figures for fifty-plus scores per match (3.41) and wickets-difference (4.41) are almost on par with those for England.South Africa, who have not lost a single series (home or away) since the defeat to Australia in early 2009, are well ahead of England on the batting front in away/neutral Tests. While South Africa have a batting average of 45.03, England have a corresponding figure of 38.12. Though England have the marginally better bowling average, the average difference for South Africa (10.27) is much higher than England’s. In the same period (since May 2008), South Africa also have a higher value of fifty-plus scores per match (3.88) and wickets difference per match (2.17) than England. Overall (home and away), both teams are evenly balanced on the batting and bowling fronts and there is very little to choose between the two teams in the last four years.

England boosted by lower-order batting
One of the major reasons for England’s success has been their powerful batting line-up. Not only do they have an experienced opening pair, they also have an exceptionally strong middle and lower order. The depth in the batting was evident in the home series against India last year as Matt Prior, Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan bailed England out of trouble more than once and turned the complexion of the match around with their aggressive batting. Except for their struggles against Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman in the 3-0 series loss against Pakistan in the UAE, nearly all England batsmen have performed consistently against pace and spin. South Africa, unlike England, have not had a settled opening pair but nonetheless have maintained an equally good average at the top of the order. The presence of Jonathan Trott and Hashim Amla at No.3 provides the necessary stability to the middle order of both teams.Jacques Kallis, who has the highest average at No.4 (4000-plus runs), averages less than 30 in England and will be keen to turn around his fortunes on what could be his final Test tour of England. Since the beginning of 2010, he has been in top form scoring ten centuries in 19 Tests. Kevin Pietersen, England’s No.4, had an excellent run in the home series against India and rounded off the series in Sri Lanka with a match-winning 151 off 165 balls. Ian Bell, who scored nearly 1000 runs in 2011 (average 118.75), has had an ordinary run this year with an average of just 32.36 in eight Tests. On the other hand, AB de Villiers, South Africa’s No.5 batsman, averages over 75 in the four Tests played in 2012. Between No.7 and No.11, England have seven centuries and 21 fifties. In contrast, South Africa have managed 13 fifties in the lower order (No.7 to 11). This difference in quality in the lower-order batting could prove crucial in a series where the two teams are otherwise very closely matched.

Settled opening pair gives hosts advantage
During England’s successful run in the last three years, Cook and Strauss became England’s most prolific batting pair. Strauss, who had failed to score a century since the Brisbane Test in 2010, added two to his tally in the recent home series against West Indies. Cook has also forged excellent partnerships with Pietersen (average 74.62) and Trott (69.58). His association with Pietersen has been extremely prolific and has yielded eight century stands and six half-century partnerships in 27 innings.Smith, who is set to overtake Allan Border for the record of most matches as captain, has scored over 1000 runs in England with four centuries in nine matches. He scored consecutive double-centuries on the 2003 tour and added two more hundreds in the 2008 series which South Africa won. Smith and Amla average 64.48 with seven century stands in 36 innings. Kallis and de Villiers, however, have been the most consistent pair for South Africa since 2008. In 27 innings, they have aggregated over 2000 runs with nine century partnerships.

Swann’s variety crucial
The most interesting plot in the series is likely to be the contest between the top two pace attacks in Tests. By virtue of maintaining a stunning strike rate of 40.9, Dale Steyn has already established himself as one of the game’s greats. Steyn has, however, played just two Tests in England averaging 36.25. In sharp contrast to his overall average of 23.18, his average of 34.89 in eight Tests against England is the highest against a particular opponent. Against right-handers, Steyn’s average (19.65) and strike rate (36.37) are top-class. However, the corresponding figures against left-handers are much higher (29.21 and 54.37 respectively). Vernon Philander had a dream start to his Test career becoming the second-fastest bowler to reach the 50-wicket mark (in seven Tests). As a consequence, his stats against both right and left-handers are outstanding. Morne Morkel, who picked up 15 wickets on the last tour of England, has fairly similar numbers against both right and left-handers. While Cook and Strauss have been dismissed six times each by Morkel in 12 innings, Kallis has had his problems against Anderson falling four times in 11 innings.Since 2010, James Anderson has transformed himself into a more complete bowler and averages 24.08 as compared to a much higher career average of 30.05. In the same phase, he has been even more lethal in home Tests averaging just 22.08 with three five-wicket hauls in 14 Tests. While Anderson has been equally successful against right and left-handers, his new-ball partner Stuart Broad has found life difficult against left-handers. His average of 40.10 against left-handers is nearly 15 more than his corresponding number against right-handers. In a series that features two potent pace attacks, it could be Graeme Swann’s spin that makes the difference in the end. Swann, who is second behind Derek Underwood on the list of England spinners with the most five-fors, has proved to be far more dangerous against left-handers. But given that the South African batting line-up features very few left-handed batsmen, Swann will have a major challenge ahead.

For the first time in 29 years and only the fourth time ever, The Oval is set to host the first Test of a series (excluding one-off Test series). Since 2000, among venues where they have played at least ten Tests, England have the third-highest win-loss ratio at The Oval (3.50) after Old Trafford (6.00) and Lord’s (4.66). In Tests played since 2005, Headingley has not had a single draw while seven out of 16 matches at Lord’s have ended in draws.While the first-innings averages at Lord’s and The Oval are high (43.75 and 43.19), the corresponding figure is much lower in Headingley (31.44). However, the batting average is the highest in the second innings in Headingley (38.95) followed by Lord’s (38.78). The average falls to 29.08 and 20.23 in the third and fourth innings in Headingley Tests. In contrast, batting in the last two innings at the other two venues has been much easier. In Lord’s Tests since 2005, pace bowlers have picked up more than three times as many wickets as spinners have and also have a better average. The difference is not as pronounced at The Oval; spinners have picked up 66 wickets at 35.34 while pace bowlers have 148 wickets at 35.65. Spinners have struggled for impact in Tests in Headingley. In five Tests played there since 2005, they have managed only 17 wickets at 49.05 while pace bowlers have 139 wickets at 29.39.

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day for the fifth ODI between West Indies and Australia

Brydon Coverdale25-Mar-2012The dribble
If Australia’s former prime minister John Howard was watching this match, he could take comfort from a delivery sent down by Ben Hilfenhaus. Footage of Howard awkwardly rolling his arm over and thudding the ball into the ground a few inches from his feet has been a staple of Australian TV comedy shows for years. Now he knows it can even happen to professionals. Hilfenhaus appeared to be trying to send Adrian Barath a slower ball when he ran in and thumped the ball into the turf just in front of him. It bounced six or seven times and dribbled off the side of the pitch.The collision
It was impossible not to think of the sickening crash between Steve Waugh and Jason Gillespie in Kandy in 1999 when Matthew Wade raced back and collided with the fine-leg Hilfenhaus in an attempt to catch Carlton Baugh. Hilfenhaus steadied with one knee on the ground and took the catch, while Wade careened into him and copped a knee to the midriff. Wade immediately collapsed on the ground and appeared to be in serious pain, but after a few minutes he regained his composure and resumed his place behind the stumps.The save
It is not uncommon these days for fielders to toss the ball back into play as they fall over the boundary, but even so Andre Russell’s effort in this match was something to behold. Shane Watson slogged the ball to long-on and it seemed destined to clear the rope when Russell leapt high into the air and clasped the ball cleanly in one hand, then lobbed it back into play as his momentum carried him over the boundary. It was the height and athleticism that made Russell’s effort stand out, and while he didn’t take the catch, he turned a six into a two.The promotion
Australia lost their third wicket less than two overs into the batting Powerplay and a surprise was in store as Watson sent Brett Lee to the crease as a pinch-hitter. Lee was fresh from a half-century in the previous game but it’s rare that a pinch-hitting promotion truly works, and while he managed to score a couple of boundaries he was soon out for 12 from 10 balls, and normal service was resumed as Michael Hussey came to the crease.

He may be on the fringes of South Africa’s Test side but Lonwabo Tsotsobe still has a lot to contribute

Firdose Moonda11-Aug-2012Lonwabo Tsotsobe is under no illusions. He knows he will not play in the third Test against England at Lord’s unless there is an injury. But it did not stop him from running in faster than he has done in recent memory, bowling at a better pace or conducting himself as though he was on trial.”We’ve got 15 good players in our squad and you just wait for your chance and take it with both hands. I am always ready to take the chance,” Tsotsobe said after the drawn tour match against Derbyshire.They are not words locals would associate with the Tsotsobe they knew. He was given a chance, by Essex last season, and quite clearly did not want it. It was against Derby that Tsotsobe threw the chance away when he bowled so forgettably that people still remember it: off a few paces with a distinct sense of lethargy. He fielded as though he’d rather not be there and a few days later, he got his wish when Essex booted him out.Back home, he was highly regarded as a limited-overs bowler and had taken baby steps in the Test side and his conduct on the county circuit barely registered. He did not say much in the local press about his unhappy time at Essex, apart from his outburst on Twitter that caused all the trouble in the first place, and continued to turn in good performances for South Africa.Before Vernon Philander was picked, Tsotosbe was the third seamer in the Test side and he had not disgraced himself in that role. He took the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni in the Test match in Durban and was building a reputation as a giant slayer of sorts.Tsotsobe was not spoken about in the same way as someone like Marchant de Lange, who made an impact months later against the touring Australians, because he was not nearly as quick. Qualities such as subtlety are often underappreciated but it was what Tsotsobe used to his advantage.Philander, who also relies on skilful rather than spectacular bowling, was chosen ahead of Tsotsobe and his extraordinary success saw him take the third seamer’s role. When Philander was injured, for the Boxing Day Test of 2011, de Lange was picked ahead of Tsotsobe and became the year’s most successful debutant with a return of 7 for 84 in the first innings. De Lange was then picked in the squads for New Zealand and England – from where he had to return home with a lower back injury – and Tsotsobe slipped down the pecking order.He has forced himself back up with strong showings in the tour matches, starting with his 3 for 46 against Somerset at Taunton, his economical 1 for 38 against Kent and his four-for at Derby. Although those hauls won’t see him perform a coup over one of the first-choice seamers, they can ensure he keeps the pressure on them. “It’s always a good thing to have competition because it pushes guys to the limits,” he said. “It pushes the guys who are playing to perform in the matches and guys on the outside to keep doing well when they get a chance.”Tsotsobe also appears to have picked up some speed but says he done nothing different in terms of action or approach. What he has worked on is his “fitness”, evident in his leaner physique and zippy work in the field.He has also taken on additional chores, such as sharing drinks duties with the rest of the fringe players, and although he has not been called on as a substitute fielder yet he has been made as much a part of things as anyone else. Faf du Plessis spoke of the sense of inclusion in the South Africa squad and how every member feels wanted and worthwhile.Tsotsobe is no different. On match day, he can be spotted chatting to Philander, gesturing and perhaps even advising the seamer. In spare moments he is bowling with Allan Donald either in the nets or on the practice pitches, something Tsotsobe did not usually do before.If South Africa rise to No. 1 in the world, he will not be among the players recognised for it but a small part of the victory will also belong to him. He has played a part in the preparation and the build-up and, although few will know it, it may have been one of the more important parts in keeping the rest of the attack on its toes.Tsotsobe said although the squad knows that something big awaits, they are trying to remain as calm as possible in the lead up. “We’ve got good ways of switching off and taking our minds off cricket,” he said. “The boys seem very calm. It’s what got us going in our first Test. We were calm and cool so we’re going to stay in that zone of not being too excited.”

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the World T20 Group C match between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in Hambantota

Andrew Fernando in Hambantota18-Sep-2012The speech


Fielding captains usually can’t say enough during the pre-innings huddle. Whether it’s going over the game plan or firing up the side, most yap on animatedly until the batsmen cross the boundary to force an end to the pow-wow. Brendan Taylor’s approach in Hambantota was simpler, and you suspect more powerful, given the occasion. “Give it everything,” he said, and nothing more. The words would have resonated with a team that is often overlooked to the point of being forgotten. This was their first international in seven months.The run out


Dilshan Munaweera looked nervous on his international debut, and his awkward dismissal will not make him feel any easier at this level. Munaweera played a sweep off Prosper Utseya, lost his balance and stumbled into the pitch. The fall meant he didn’t see Christopher Mpofu field the ball at short fine leg when he took off for a run. Tillakaratne Dilshan sent him back quickly, but Munaweera lost his bat amid the commotion, and a lunge with his boot was not enough to get him home.The triple misfield


Zimbabwe had many ordinary moments in the field, but none so comical as the misfield in the 13th over that went through two sets of hands, evaded a third fielder and narrowly missed the umpire and the non-striker to boot. Chris Mpofu got down to stop a Jeevan Mendis straight drive, but the ball popped up off his wrist and had both Kumar Sangakkara and Ian Gould ducking to avoid being hit. Long off and long on converged to clean up the misfield, but Brian Vittori let the ball slip through his fingers as well, and that deviation undid Prosper Utseya’s efforts and the ball crossed the rope.The shot


Kumar Sangakkara is renowned for the correctness of his strokes, and though he has made himself a very good limited-overs batsman, daring strokes and innovation have not been a strength, particularly in comparison to the other senior batsmen in the Sri Lanka side. His ramp shot off a slower bouncer in the 16th over hinted he had been working on a new facet of his game, but it was the slog sweep off Chris Mpofu in the final over that confirmed a willingness to innovate. Mpofu barely overpitched, but Sangakkara had picked the length early, and hammered the 125 kph delivery over square leg for six.The shot II


Lasith Malinga may be the fastest bowler in Sri Lanka’s arsenal, but Hamilton Masakadza wasn’t afraid to treat him like a spinner when he charged the first delivery of the fourth over, intent on pounding him to the boundary. Malinga saw the batsman and dug it in short, but Masakadza had been ready for that. He curtailed his backswing and clobbered Malinga over wide mid-on for four.

Michael Hussey, the team man, was set apart as an individual as he batted for Australia one last time

Daniel Brettig at the SCG06-Jan-2013About 40 minutes to tea the chant went up. Starting somewhere near the Bill O’Reilly Stand but quickly swelling to include most of the 10,505 in attendance, the call of “Hussey … Hussey … Hussey” reverberated around the SCG. In the Australian viewing area as he waited to go out to bat, Michael Hussey suggested quietly to the coach Mickey Arthur that it might not be a bad idea to take to the loudspeaker and ask the crowd to refrain.Hussey had been overwhelmed, even embarrassed, by the wave of adulation sent his way this week, but this was something else entirely. Ed Cowan and Michael Clarke heard it loud and clear at the batting crease, as the ground witnessed that rarest of sounds – an Australian crowd baying for an Australian wicket. From his preferred perch in the Victor Trumper Stand, there is every chance that the national selector John Inverarity heard it too, after unilaterally ending Hussey’s ODI career in the morning.It was no surprise to hear the chant, given Hussey’s last day as a Test cricketer had arrived. But the timing said much for the affection with which Hussey is held, and the sadness around Australia at his retirement. However logical the selectors’ reasons, there was much public discontent at the news that this would be Hussey’s final international appearance, only adding to the pathos of his departure at the start of a year in which India and England await. The call for Hussey went beyond a cry for one more innings – Australian cricket simply does not want him to go.”I would’ve liked to play but the selectors spoke to me and said they’re starting to look towards the 2015 World Cup and that’s fine,” Hussey said, accepting the final curtain with grace. “I understand where they’re trying to go with it. It would’ve been nice to play but I totally understand where the selectors are going, no worries.”What a place to finish. The SCG’s probably in my top three favourite grounds in the whole world. The crowd support and support in general has been a bit overwhelming really. I’ve been a little bit embarrassed by it to be honest. But in a way I’m quite relieved that it’s over now. The stress, the pressure, I can just relax away from that now and I don’t have that sick feeling in my stomach before every game or before I bat.”I think it would be hard in a lot of ways to go around and get that in every one day game. I’ve had a great opportunity here. It couldn’t have ended any better. I feel very proud to have been able to wear the baggy green cap. I’ve achieved a lot more in my career than I ever dreamed I could, so I feel very fortunate. The game has given me so much.”When Clarke obliged to the chant, squeezing Tillakaratne Dilshan to short leg, another 37 runs remained to be gathered. One final time, Hussey would be the finisher. This he did with typical aplomb, busily compiling 27 not out in 28 minutes to bring the match to a finish. There was one final flourish to remember him by too, a delectable reverse sweep from the bowling of Rangana Herath that scuttled to the third-man boundary.It was the sort of shot he would never have considered in his early days as an opening batsman, but typified the gathering of skills both unorthodox and not to make him such an accomplished exponent in all formats. His running between the wickets was decisive and focused as ever, at one point waving Matthew Wade through for a single with the kind of urgency any junior coach should seek to instil in their young batsmen.Hussey’s favourite memory as an Australian Test batsman was the moment in which he scored the winning runs at the end of the dramatic Adelaide Ashes Test of 2006. This time he did not notch the winning single, even insisting to Mitchell Johnson that the winning runs be scored as they came, not engineered for a photo opp as Australia completed a 3-0 sweep of Sri Lanka.”I was was telling Mitch the over before, if it comes up that you hit it, let’s just get it over with,” Hussey said. “I was hoping we could make the runs none down, then I was hoping that Pup and Ed were going to be there at tea, because the crowd were starting to get a bit vocal and I was going to make sure they finished the job as well. I was more than happy just to be out there when the winning run was hit, it was a dream come true.”Once the winning run was found, Hussey’s celebrations were reserved. He took in the sights and sounds of the SCG one final time, then walked to the boundary’s edge, where in a broadcast interview he made a concession to the curiosity of the crowds that had so feted him this week. Hussey had intended to tell the team his choice of the man to lead their victory song “Under the Southern Cross” in the privacy of the dressing room. But now, with so many watching, he allowed them to know that he had chosen Nathan Lyon, a man of similarly uncomplicated character and unbridled joy in playing for Australia.”I picked Nathan because I think he’s a man of great character,” Hussey said. “I think he plays the game for the right reasons, I think he understands and respects the fabric of the baggy green cap, and that’s what I want to come through from him when he leads the team songs in the future. Not to say the other guys don’t, but I think he’s a man of great character and the people before me have had great character, so I want to look for those sorts of traits in the next song master.”It was those traits that had the SCG chanting Hussey’s name. He has been close to the ultimate team man, but on this day he had been set apart as an individual. Uncomfortable as he may have felt at the time, in years to come Hussey is bound to remember the chant fondly. He earned it.

The Sri Lanka fast bowler proved he had the heart to go from the most devastating match in his career, to being Man of the Match in the next

Andrew Fernando in Pallekele04-Nov-2012Four Sundays ago, the second ball of Lasith Malinga’s second over was thumped off the pads over midwicket for six. It was the violent beginning to Marlon Samuels’ World Twenty20 final rampage and the delivery upon which the trophy pivoted.For the remainder of the over, Malinga tried sticking to yorkers; the delivery he had worshipped as a teenager before becoming its foremost disciple as a cricketer. He had himself turned matches with that ball; reaped sensational success with the way he got it to dip and swerve well after the batsman had begun playing at it. This time though, his most trusted instrument failed him. Twice he overpitched and was scourged over cover and long on. His next over was no less painful. He has since said it was his most difficult day on a cricket field and blamed himself for his side’s defeat.In the time since he has endured much criticism, and his motivation has been questioned. Whatever Malinga may say about his knee injury, he must accept that Test retirement was not best announced during a lucrative tournament which he would have had to miss part of, if he were to continue playing Tests. Whatever the reason behind that timing, it invited doubt about his commitment to Sri Lanka.But against New Zealand, in his very next international match, Malinga responded to his critics by his performance, the way all the best cricketers do. He was intense at the beginning, skidding through with pace in the channel outside off stump.The Pallekele pitch had lost a great deal of bounce in the five days since the opening Twenty20, and the low carry initially served to further vex the New Zealand openers, neither of whom had seen much of Malinga’s low-arm action. Rob Nicol could barely lay bat on ball in Malinga’s first spell. Often Malinga would bring the ball in, before moving it away a touch off the seam. If Angelo Mathews had been positioned closer to the keeper at first slip, Malinga should have removed him for 4. Tom Latham was not so fortunate. Malinga angled one across him, and the ball kept low and skidded in between bat and pad to clip off stump. In his first five overs, he rarely allowed the batsman to safely leave the ball. The spell cost 12 runs – much of that in edges.He returned to deliver three more during the batting Powerplay. In his first spell, Malinga had gone full and low, but with Ross Taylor batting well, he changed his approach. The fast, uncomfortable bouncers that had been missing almost entirely during Sri Lanka’s World Twenty20 campaign became a feature of his next three overs. He pitched short to Taylor several times in a short period, but as length is more difficult to determine with Malinga’s low arm, Taylor was surprised each time. Once he was hit on the glove, another time, flush on the helmet. Taylor tried to pull and hook, but in the end, the best he could do was to fend him away for singles.At the death New Zealand got Malinga away for one four – only the second he had conceded in the day, and the first had been the edge past Mathews. The yorkers were humming nicely, only without the late swing he used to generate before the rule that made reverse swing obsolete in ODIs. He then put a neat full stop on a plucky performance, when he got one to dip beneath Andrew Ellis’ bat, to take the base of leg stump off the last ball of the innings.Mahela Jayawardene had backed Malinga to the hilt on the night of the final, and had been roundly chastised himself for that decision. Jaywardene is generally a master at sizing up conditions, but on that occasion he had allowed West Indies to have the pace on the ball that Malinga provided on a sluggish pitch, when he still had slow bowling options available. But in their next match together, the relationship between captain and strike bowler had not been shaken. Jayawardene still relied on Malinga to deliver the most high-pressure overs of the innings.”I think I’ve often repaid that trust when he has given the ball to me,” Malinga had said before the match. “I have bowled well in those pressure situations and given the team what it expects. I couldn’t do that in the final, but I think that’s why Mahela gives me the ball in those situations.”For much of his career, Malinga has been a player who has been given the toughest job on the field, and often he has done it well. No one can doubt his form has slipped over the past year, as his figures against India in particular, clearly lay out. But if anyone doubted his hunger, perhaps his 2 for 39 from 10 overs in this match will placate them. It takes heart to go from the most devastating match in one’s career, to being Man of the Match in the next.