A fine allrounder, Rusi Surti played 26 Tests, and emerged as one of India’s finest fielders of the era

R Mohan13-Jan-2013Rusi Surti was India’s Garry Sobers. There was something remarkably similar in the languid grace and easy pace at which Surti bowled the new ball. Sobers may have been a greater mover of the ball but Surti could be deceptively sharp. More, there was the same sort of ebullience that he brought to the game; it made him a much-admired figure among youngsters.Always ready to accept any challenge thrown at him by the game, Surti was a cricketer with a fine attitude. It showed in his fielding too. Sharp at cover or cover point, he could throw down the stumps with an accuracy that may have matched that of his captain, MAK Pataudi.Indian cricket fans may like to be reminded of those far-off days when India’s fielding standards were uniformly high, close to the bat as well as in the deep. In Pataudi and Surti, they had two of the finest fieldsmen on the off side. Australia boasted Paul Sheahan in the covers when they played at home and toured India in the late ’60s, but India had two men who could match him stride for stride in their panther-like movements in that lovely fielding position, which offers so much scope to show the full range of the art of fielding. That was the era in which India also had Eknath Solkar, who was beginning to excel at short leg, and Srinivas Venkataraghavan, Abid Ali and Ajit Wadekar close to the bat.Against the pace bowlers, Surti was as courageous as his captain, even if he did not have half the stroke-making capacity of Pataudi. Surti was at his most fluent at the crease when he was up against pace bowlers. You can well imagine the impact cricketers like Surti and others of his time had in changing the face of Indian cricket from one when the retreating back foot was thought of as the norm. It was on the twin tours of Australia and New Zealand in 1967-68 that Surti made his greatest impression – so much, in fact, that he landed a contract with Queensland.Surti scored more runs than any other Indian batsman on the twin tours, which began disastrously, with Pataudi unfit and Chandu Borde taking over for the first Test. Wiped out 4-0 in Australia, the tourists went on to create history across the Tasman where they scored their first-ever Test- and series wins for India abroad. Surti topped the aggregate with 688 runs at an average a fraction under 46, and he took 22 wickets at under 36 runs apiece. In the famous Brisbane Test, for which ML Jaisimha had been flown in, India came as close as 40 runs to victory, with Jaisimha making 74 and 101 and Surti chipping in with half-centuries in both innings and three wickets in each innings to boot.It’s a pity Surti did not make a Test century, though he came agonisingly close in the Auckland Test. Bleary-eyed, we would tune in to the radio early to catch the play, so far east of India. If memory serves me right, Surti was twice dropped when in the 90 – perhaps he was 99 on both occasions, and the poor man was dismissed on the same score, caught by Mark Burgess in the slips off the quick Gary Bartlett.Surti did not play too many Tests after that and was not picked after 1969, by which time he had settled in Australia. (There was never a firm rule about these things: Farokh Engineer would come over from Lancashire to don the blue national cap, but then he would also hurry across to play a first-class game in India to ensure the BCCI selectors would pick him.)Surti will always be remembered as an uncomplaining person who loved to play the game because he enjoyed it. The comparison to Sobers was not always as pleasant as it seemed: Surti was called the “poor man’s Sobers”, and until he blossomed on the twin tours of 1967-68, was not seen as a vital component of the team.And yet, he was not the sort to give bitter interviews about how he was discriminated against in selection. He was a constant for many years in the Gujarat team, although he did move to Rajasthan, before ending up in Queensland, for whom he played his last first-class game.

A West Indies fan on experiencing the softer side of the once-feared Roy Gilchrist

Richard Minott08-Mar-2013I faced up to Roy Gilchrist once, and the experience was far from terrifying. There were no decapitating beamers, no sharp rising bouncers, no harsh words and certainly no knives (we will get the knives bit later). In fact, I came away from the five-minute encounter with what can only be described as a few ‘juicy’ full tosses.It was 1995 and I, a single-minded 17-year-old, was making my debut for the Hanover cricket team in Jamaica’s premier club competition. We were playing against Melbourne Cricket Club (that institution that produced Michael Holding, Courtney Walsh, and Marlon Samuels). No pressure then. Playing cricket for Jamaica and West Indies was only going to be my job for the next 20 years.I opened the innings and after an hour or so, I was out for 17. Shivnarine Chanderpaul could not have been more disappointed. I walked off the field and straight into the dressing room to sulk. After a few minutes, one of my team-mates came in and told me someone wanted to have a word. I was not keen on talking to anyone but I came out anyway.My team-mate pointed me to an old man sitting on a chair and told me he was Roy Gilchrist, the former West Indies fast bowler. I had come across the name before during my many hours in the Hanover Parish Library, reading any cricket book I could lay hands on. But whatever little I had read about him, had drowned in an ocean of knowledge about Frank Worrell, George Headley, Viv Richards, Jack Hobbs and even WG Grace.I walked over and Mr Gilchrist extended his hand, the same hand that had propelled a red five-and-three-quarter-ounce object with velocity and meanness in the direction of batsmen throughout his career. I did not know this then, nonetheless I was touched. I shook his hand and he smiled.We chatted for a little while and he said he liked my determination and courage (I was backing up to Melbourne pacers Junior Hall and Derron Dixon). He told me that if I continued like this I would be a successful player, but I needed to work really hard on my running between the wickets. I thanked him and walked away with an even greater determination to become a professional cricketer.Years passed and like many with similar dreams, I realised that my skills did not equate with my desires. So I traded those dreams for more realistic, if mundane, ones.I did, however, properly research Roy Gilchrist, and was sad to discover that he was not always easy to get along with. I was even more disappointed that he did not achieve the greatness that his talent deserved. He was sent home from the 1958-59 West Indies tour of the subcontinent after ignoring his captain’s warning to stop bowling beamers and bouncers. He is also alleged to have pulled a knife on his leader. He was regarded as the world’s fastest bowler, but he never played for the regional team again.Despite the issues, I think Gilchrist’s international career could have been salvaged. CLR James, the cricket writer and journalist, felt the same. In 1959, while campaigning for Worrell to become the first black captain of the West Indies team, James tried to have Gilchrist reinstated. He was convinced that the pacer’s impoverished background and his sudden elevation to stardom was the cause for some of his bad behaviour, and said it was to be presumed that Gilchrist would mature with time and under the right leadership. Unlike the incumbent, Gerry Alexander, whom he could not get along with, Gilchrist worshiped Worrell and James knew this.His plan was to have Worrell talk to the bowler and have him make a public apology but his effort was stonewalled. So he wrote in his newspaper, asking the West Indies authorities reconsider, but to no avail. And so, at 24 with only 13 matches and 57 wickets at 26.68 apiece, Gilchrist’s international career had come to an end.Some would say Roy Gilchrist was his own demolition man. And what do I know? I only met him briefly, at a time when he might not have been able to lob a cricket ball 11 yards much more 22, or even cut bread properly. However, in those few minutes, he proved he wasn’t all menace.If you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line

From Alex Braae, New Zealand

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013
Is there something unworthy about a No. 1 side being solid and dependable, at the expense of being supremely and unpredictably talented•Getty ImagesEngland are the deserving world leaders of test cricket. Such a simple sentence, but one that has been uttered so infrequently in the wake of their demolition of India. Why is this? Perhaps it has something to do with the way this England side are seen to be, as Andrew Miller put it “ruthlessly competent”. For some reason, this appears to be something of a denigration as well as a plaudit, to be competent implies that a spark of genius or greatness is missing.England’s bowlers put the ball in the right areas, nick batsmen out in the slips and trap them LBW, without creating extraordinary moments or unplayable deliveries. Their batsmen play solid, percentage cricket, without being the swashbuckling adventurers seen in recent years in India’s team. The hallmark of England’s batting is the flick to midwicket for a single. But what is wrong with this?There is a sense among cricket commentators that there is something unworthy about a No. 1 side being solid and dependable, at the expense of being supremely and unpredictably talented. We like to think of Test cricket as being the ultimate long-form sport, yet the heroes of the game are those who turn a match in 20 minutes of magic. Sehwag scoring a century before lunch. Steyn ripping out the top order. This is absolutely not what cricket is really about, something that this England side has recognised. When we think of the last great Australian side, the first name to come to mind is Shane Warne, the bowler who has been hit for the most sixes in Test cricket, but who also had the potential to win any game on the fifth day.The men who deserve the credit from that team though are the likes of Steve Waugh or Glenn McGrath, the real engines of that winning side. McGrath would put the ball on the right spot for days on end. Waugh would square his jaw and will himself through adversity. In short, they were winners. This England team is a side full of winners. They deserve to be No. 1 because they understand exactly what winning in the longest sport entails.The reason India looked so abject in this series was simple, England had the firmer hand and steelier gaze. Let’s not forget, this Indian side contained players who were truly spectacular, players who have a reputation for explosive brilliance. However, they couldn’t handle the pressure of a side who came at them relentlessly day after day.India worked hard on day 1 of the first Test, and so did England. With Zaheer, Sharma, and Kumar all bowling well, the series appeared to be reasonably even. It was an illusion. England showed straight away why they would not lose. They gritted their way through a tough day, and backed up quickly enough to wrench the game out of India’s grasp over the next few days. Much has been made of India’s ability to bounce back, but the series was in truth already over.The No. 1 Test side should be the team which takes the longest amount of pressure before buckling. Without a doubt, the team that best fits this bill is currently England. English fans would do well to enjoy this period, it can’t last forever. In the meantime though, cricket fans worldwide should salute a team who define test cricket, through their grit, resolve and perseverance.

Plays of the day for the first T20 between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Bulawayo

Mohammad Isam11-May-2013The punt
In the tense final overs of the chase, Brendan Taylor looked to be short of bowling options towards the end but he decided to go with Brian Vitori in the penultimate over with Bangladesh needing 20. Barring a cover-driven six, the visitors only got four singles and required ten off the last over. Taylor then had to choose between Tendai Chatara and Tinashe Panyangara, who had a good previous over. It paid off, as Panyangara gave away just three runs, and picked up his third wicket too to seal the match.The second chance
Shakib Al Hasan almost dropped Sikandar Raza at wide long-on, only to catch it on the second attempt, one-handed. After completing the catch, Shakib stuck out his tongue to show how that drop could have cost Bangladesh, as Raza has a reputation locally of being a fine Twenty20 player.The shot
Brendan Taylor brought out one of his unique brand of shots, a sweep shot where the bat is curved and yet used as a ramp. He employed it against the left-arm seamer Sajidul Islam and sent it over fine leg for six. What was most interesting was that Taylor connected the ball behind him. Earlier he had struck a four off Abdur Razzak with the same shot.The shackle-breaker
Shamsur Rahman had played out 23 deliveries to score 14, and it looked like he was struggling to get the ball away from the 30-yard circle. Prosper Utseya let him go, bowling a full-toss which he dispatched over midwicket. It was the trigger he needed, smacking three more boundaries in the next seven balls he faced.The effort
Tinotenda Mutombodzi had hurt his hand when he ran out Nasir Hossain at the bowler’s end in the 16th over. He needed some attention from the physio, who wrapped up his injured hand. He continued bowling a good over, and off the last ball, he ran across to his left, picked up the ball and threw it to the keeper Taylor who broke the stumps, which resulted in Mahmudullah’s run-out.The soft dismissal
Vusimuzi Sibanda’s first forceful shot after his century in the third one-dayer was a pull, but it ended up on square-leg’s hands. It was a soft dismissal, especially coming in the first over of a Twenty20 game.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the second ODI at the Ageas Bowl

Andrew McGlashan at the Ageas Bowl02-Jun-2013Slower ball of the day
Tim Bresnan is waiting for a special delivery at home (his wife is pregnant) and he produced a special delivery himself at the Ageas Bowl. England’s pace bowlers have all worked on the slower-ball bouncer as part of their armoury for one-day cricket – it has been successful, at times, in Twenty20 for them – but Bresnan’s attempt did not go to plan. The ball to Ross Taylor slipped out and bounced almost at Bresnan’s feet, then looped towards Taylor who swished at fresh air. There were smiles all-round (and it wasn’t even called a wide) and Bresnan might have wished he could have bowled it again when his next delivery was cut for four.Drop of the day
The number 13 certainly isn’t unlucky for Martin Guptill. Twice in three days he has been dropped on that score and gone onto make a hundred. The chance that Jonathan Trott spilled at midwicket off Chris Woakes was far simpler than the top edge that flew to Bresnan at Lord’s. It came off the splice of Guptill’s bat but Trott did not seem to pick it up and looked somewhat startled when it burst through his hands. The net result was a cost of 176 runs.Landmark of the day
Guptill tore up the record books during his 189: highest score by a New Zealand batsman in one-day cricket, the joint-highest score conceded by England an ODI and back-to-back hundreds. A quirk about that last achievement is that the only other New Zealand batsman to score one-day hundreds in England, Mark Greatbatch, also scored them in the space of 72 hours – at The Oval and Headingley in 1990.Pantomime of the day
After his earlier drop, Trott almost pulled off a brilliant piece of fielding on the deep midwicket boundary when Brendon McCullum smote James Anderson for what looked like a certain six. Trott managed to cling onto the catch, but knew he was stumbling back over the rope so chucked the ball up (as is often seen in Twenty20) with the hope of catching it again inside the boundary. The only problem for him was that he then had no idea where the ball had gone until. “Behind you!” The Crowd cried, and a few seconds later, Trott noticed the ball trickling towards the rope. He tried to flick it back, but after much deliberation by the third umpire it was given as four. Trott and Alastair Cook did not seem amused.Ovation of the day
Never mind all the dazzling strokeplay from New Zealand, the biggest cheer of the day may just have been left for Trott when he lofted James Franklin straight down the ground for a six – just the third of his ODI career. Perhaps the crowd had been reading some of the coverage Trott has had over the last week, because they also loudly applauded his single to get off the mark. – with just a hint more sarcasm.

The cancellation of the Sri Lanka Premier League serves as a strong warning to the Bangladesh Cricket Board, which risks suffering huge losses if the Bangladesh Premier League franchisees continue to miss payment deadlines

Mohammad Isam20-Jul-2013The cancellation of this year’s Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) has served as a strong warning to those running the two-season-old Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The contracts of five out of the seven BPL franchisees had been conditionally terminated by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) last month after they missed the deadline for the third installment of the 2013 season’s player payments; the BCB could suffer huge losses if the franchises continue to miss payment deadlines, but they have kept the door open as a “last chance” for the franchisees to complete payments.If the organisers plan to keep the tournament afloat, though, they think the only way out is to completely overhaul the BPL’s business model, which could take another nine months.The SLC barred the franchises from taking part in the players’ draft after they missed two deadlines to provide bank guarantees for player payments. The BCB, on the other hand, became the players’ payment guarantor after the franchises missed payment deadlines during and after the first season in 2012. As a result, the board has had to pay on behalf of the franchises that haven’t made these payments. Only two of the franchises have reportedly cleared 50% of the players’ dues. In addition, six of the franchises still haven’t paid the annual $250,000 ownership fees.BPL secretary Ismail Haider Mallick said that the board has sent out half the players’ payments, and is on target to complete all payments within the next few months. He was also confident that despite legally terminating the franchisees’ contracts, the league can still get them to complete all their payments and continue to play in the league.”We have paid 50% of the players’ dues,” Mallick said. “We have terminated contracts for five franchisees, but we are still open to discussion. We have only begun talking to some of them, so I am hopeful that they will come up with the money to cover the players’ payment.”With regards to the unpaid franchise fees, Mallick is particularly concerned about Rajshahi, Sylhet, Khulna and Barisal clearing the payment. Rangpur has already paid 40% of its Tk 2 crore ($250,000) annual fee, while 2013 finalists Dhaka and Chittagong are supposed to receive prize money, which will be adjusted with their franchise fees. While the franchises themselves will remain alive, according to Mallick, he did not rule out a change in ownership if the dues are not cleared.”Rangpur has paid Tk 80 lakh ($100,000) and has committed to pay the rest. Dhaka and Chittagong’s prize money will be adjusted accordingly. We are only focused on the four other franchises in this case. If any of the franchises fail to pay up, and we do expect one or two to not do so, the ownership will transfer hands, though the franchise will remain alive.”He also pointed to the BPL’s earnings from Game On Sports, the tournament’s event management company, which could help mend their monetary hole somewhat. “They [Game On Sports] have given us a bank guarantee of Tk 10 crore ($1.25 million), and we should get another Tk 18 crore from them. This will help us, but we are still hopeful of getting fully paid by the franchises.”Mallick was appointed the BPL governing council’s secretary alongside new chairman Afzalur Rahman Sinha a few months ahead of the 2013 tournament, and their first act was to clear player payments from the first season. But he has been critical of the BPL’s business model, and has little confidence that franchisees would thrive after incurring such large losses.”The third edition of the BPL will take place. We will have to change the business structure drastically, because we can’t expect the owners to incur losses close to Tk 10 crore [$1.25 million] per year,” Mallick said. “We have to consider the sort of market they operate in. The Bangladesh economy may not be strong enough to support them commercially. I think the initial structure wasn’t sound, so we have to look into this before we decide anything.”Since the BPL governing council is still confident of receiving all dues, it is a little hard to estimate how much the BCB stand to lose ultimately. But if its effort to hold one more round of talks with the franchisees falls through, there will be a severe hole in its coffers no doubt. The first edition had reportedly earned BCB some money, but its own expenses far outweighed the earnings.The story was similar this year too, with the BPL once again taking financial blows, as well as having its image devalued with Mohammad Ashraful confessing his involvement in fixing. The BCB expects the ACSU report on the alleged BPL corruption next month, and they could have done without the financial trouble at this stage. But having been too hasty in launching the venture last year, without proper paperwork and contracts in place, strict governance remains elusive for the BPL organisers as the franchisees have dictated terms mostly.The financial blow resulting from a lack of cooperation from the franchisees could be so big for the BCB, that despite Mallick’s insistence of holding the tournament “either in December or after World Twenty20s”, the third edition may be a bridge too far to cross.

At an iconic venue that has seen some remarkable feats, Australia could rewrite the record books this week but not how they would have liked

Brydon Coverdale30-Jul-2013Old Trafford is not a place of cricketing miracles, for a miracle implies divine intervention. If Australia’s plans for this week are based on divine intervention, they’re in bigger trouble than anyone realised.But Old Trafford is the venue of some extraordinary Ashes achievements, from Jim Laker’s 19-wicket Test to Shane Warne’s ball of the century, from Victor Trumper’s hundred before lunch on the first day in 1902 to Ian Botham’s tour de force in 1981. As Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath showed by clinging on in 2005, even its draws can astonish.In short, strange things happen at Old Trafford. They might happen due to exceptional human talent and audacity, as in the case of Warne or Botham or Trumper. It might be the combination of circumstance and the seizing of an opportunity, as with Laker on a surface that was made for him. Or they may happen because of sheer bloody-mindedness and fight, as in the 2005 draw. The pitch might have rotated 90 degrees since then but Old Trafford still feels like a history-making venue.Unfortunately for Australia, the history that appears most likely to be created over the next week is the equalling of a 125-year-old record, for not since 1888 have Australia lost seven consecutive Tests. The Lord’s defeat was their sixth in a row, stretching back to Chennai in February, which was also the last Test in which an Australian scored a century. That their sequence of losses has coincided with such a triple-figure drought is no coincidence.If rectifying their batting issues was a simple matter, Michael Clarke and Darren Lehmann would have sorted things out already. Even against a modest attack at Hove, the Australian batsmen for the most part were unable to convert their encouraging starts into hundreds. To that end, David Warner has to play at Old Trafford, after mauling a South Africa A attack featuring Kyle Abbott and Marchant de Lange during an innings of 193 last week.Australia do not have a Warne, nor a Botham, nor an artist like Trumper. But a fighting draw is of no use; they must find a match-winner somewhere in their squad. At 2-0 down, they must be prepared to take risks, and Warner could hardly be more of a risk-taker if his hobby was skydiving. The Australians need to push him out of the plane and see if his parachute opens. If it doesn’t, they are no worse off for his crash landing than they are now. But if he gets it right, Warner will force the pressure back on England.That is not to say the team as a whole should be reckless. The dry pitch already sported some bare patches two days before the Test, and a few cracks. It will spin as the match wears on, if not from the very start. Warner can be given licence but other batsmen must anchor the innings, Chris Rogers and Michael Clarke among them. They are the kind of men who naturally accumulate runs if they bat time; Clarke has done it at Test level and Rogers at length on the first-class scene.

Nathan Lyon found some loop and dip against Sussex and his experience at Test level means he must play in such an important match.

Should England include Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, the Australians could do worse than looking to Laker’s match for some hints. The opener Colin McDonald top scored in both innings in that game. His second-innings 89 took five and a half hours. Of course, the conditions were extreme – McDonald described the pitch as like Bondi Beach in the first innings and a mud-heap in the second, after heavy rain – and Australia’s batsmen need not replicate his scoring rate. But they can take note of his advice on handling challenging spin.”It was necessary to apply all your concentration,” McDonald said of batting in that Test. “My technique was based around two things. One was side-on play, and secondly, any ball that was pitched up you used your feet to get to. You had to largely play back against fairly prodigious offspin.”Use your feet when the ball is tossed up, play back to the quicker balls, concentrate intensely – it remains sound counsel. Whether Australia’s current batsmen have the required techniques and patience is another issue. As is whether they have the spinners to exploit the turning conditions. Nathan Lyon has bowled well in the nets at Old Trafford and found some loop and dip as the Sussex game wore on, and his experience at Test level means he must play in such an important match.At 19, Ashton Agar has immense potential, but he is still learning. Agar’s batting at Trent Bridge was as memorable as some of Old Trafford’s finest moments but he is primarily a bowler, and his work with the ball needs improvement. Even on a spinning pitch, the selectors should seriously consider Jackson Bird ahead of Agar, after Bird found swing and seam at Hove and hit such accurate lines that the pressure naturally built on the batsmen.Whoever is chosen can create their own individual piece of Old Trafford Ashes history. Otherwise – and barring divine intervention – the Manchester Test of 2013 may go down in the annals as Australia’s record-equalling seventh straight defeat. Either way, it will be worth watching.

Newlands was painted green and white, and the chants had a subcontinental ring to them

Samantha Smith23-Nov-2013Choice of game
Like many Capetonian cricket supporters, I was bitterly disappointed with the news that Newlands would not host a South Africa v India contest. However, the prospect of watching two international games in three days at the same venue, albeit a very familiar Pakistan, was an opportunity too good to pass up. Given Pakistan’s recent poor form and South Africa’s outstanding record at Newlands, I expected nothing less than a 2-0 series win for the home side. As it turns out, the men from the subcontinent had other plans!Team supported
South Africa. Despite my allegiance, I had hoped enigmatic Pakistan would provide a more even contest from what we have become accustomed to over the last month. Nobody really pitches up to watch a thrashing. Indeed, I got more than I bargained for as a brilliantly bowled final over from Sohail Tanvir converted a nail-biter into a done and dusted affair, much to the disappointment of the Newlands faithful.Key performer
Despite the excellent 102-run partnership between Umar Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi’s notable contribution of three wickets, it was the bowling of Bilawal Bhatti that proved instrumental. He may not have picked up a wicket but in conceding just 19 runs in four overs, he demonstrated the variation required to place South Africa on the back foot. He specifically illustrated his skills in the 15th and 17th overs, bowling back of a length and utilising the yorker and slower bouncer to great effect.One thing I’d have changed about the match
I would have liked to have seen Imran Tahir bowl. Given his recent success against Pakistan it would appear that the decision to play Aaron Phangiso, who went for 11 an over and failed to bowl his full quota, was a poor one. That, and I was looking forward to watching Tahir’s boisterous, over-the-top celebrations.Face-off I relished

Although I salivated at the prospect of watching Saeed Ajmal and Co bowling to the Proteas’ middle order, it was the short-lived contest between Dale Steyn and Umar Akmal that generated entertainment. At the start of the 17th over, Steyn relied on a change of pace to deceive Akmal. Off the fourth ball, Akmal managed to edge a short ball for four. He was finally off Steyn caught by JP Duminy near the boundary line in the final over. In between deliveries, Steyn playfully grabbed Akmal’s bat – much to the amusement of a few alert spectators.Wow moment
During the Pakistan innings, overs 11 to 15 yielded a massive 69 runs and no less than four sixes were struck over the bowlers’ heads into President’s Pavilion, where my friends and I were sitting along with a surprisingly large contingent of Pakistan supporters. Every six was met with loud cheers of “Pakistan Zindabad!” and triggered a Mexican wave. And a big-boned Pakistan fan thought it appropriate to run up and down the aisle screaming and waving his enormous flag.Close encounter
A few of the Pakistan players’ wives were seated directly behind us. An immensely avid and camera-ready supporter appeared every ten minutes to snap some pictures. Not convinced that his first 20-odd photos were good enough, he returned for more “close-ups”. Weird is not even the word.Shot of the day
In Tanvir’s first over, Hashim Amla sweetly timed a shot through point for four. It was pure poetry in motion and unequivocal proof that there is room for class in the T20 format.Crowd meter
I felt like I was in Karachi when Akmal and Hafeez were batting. There were a significant number of Pakistan flags in the near-capacity crowd and both sides were well-supported. The chorus of “Pakistan Zindabad!” droned with great regularity, and local boys like Duminy were particularly greeted with a huge applause.Fancy dress index
You cannot attend a game involving Pakistan without encountering a few outlandish fans decked out in white and green. As for South Africa fans, the customary Amla beards were on show as were an assortment of watermelon hats. Trust the folks on the grass embankments to keep it simple.Entertainment
I was patiently waiting to hear reverberate over the speakers. But alas, the DJ had other plans. The PA system blared with radio favourites, and when that wasn’t enough, a drummer sitting next to the sight screen tried his luck at captivating the crowd. He failed. He did get on TV, though.ODI v Twenty20?
The purist in me is inclined to lean toward the ODI, which requires consolidation at the fall of a wicket and isn’t as harsh on a bowler’s figures as the T20. Secondly, if success in the T20 arena were the mark of a top batsman then Chris Gayle and not Sachin Tendulkar would be the greatest batsman of the modern era. However, the T20 format appeals to younger families and professionals with a few hours to spare. An ODI, by contrast, requires all-day attendance and loses its appeal when the game stagnates during the middle overs. As long as Test cricket is alive and well, it makes no odds which limited-overs format is better celebrated.Banner of the day
There were many posters encouraging Pakistan to “Unleash the Tiger” and “Beat the Proteas”, but no catchy or original banners to speak of. I am pretty sure some people write anything in the hopes of getting on TV. I was on the lookout for a controversial anti-BCCI poster or something equally cheeky about Haroon Lorgat. Unfortunately, I didn’t get my wish. Perhaps the more daring fans will pitch up for Sunday’s ODI.Marks out of 10
8. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, and the people of Cape Town came out in their numbers. A 1-1 series draw bodes well for the ODIs to come, and if Pakistan can play in the same aggressive fashion that they did tonight, we are in for a cracker of a series.

A superb innings by Katich, a sharp run-out by Mitch Marsh, and a near-full house at the WACA

Scott Hazebroek04-Jan-2014Choice of game
This was the game that could end the season for the Sydney Thunder and keep the Perth Scorchers’ season alive. I expected it to be a close match, as the Thunder would be aiming to end their losing streak, while the Scorchers would be hoping they could keep their chances of making the semi-finals.Team supported
As always I was hoping the Scorchers would come away with the win.Key performer
Simon Katich was the difference between the two teams. He was the only batsman who converted a start into a big score and he guided the Scorchers’ run chase very well. His experience proved to be vital.One thing I’d have changed
As a Western Australian I would have loved it if Michael Hussey was still playing for the Scorchers. As it is, he chose to move to the Thunder and in doing so joined a team without a lot of recent success. He got the odd boo but didn’t cop too much sledging from the WACA crowd. The revenge was his team losing!Face-off I relished
It was interesting watching Brad Hogg bowling to Eoin Morgan: two world-class players battling it out. Morgan attempted a couple of reverse sweeps, one of which went for four, however, he didn’t really look comfortable against Hogg. Unfortunately Morgan got run out, in rather strange circumstances, between Hogg’s second and third overs, preventing any more face-offs between the pair.Wow moment
The run-out of Morgan by Mitch Marsh. The ball on which it occurred was a free-hit. Marsh bowled a yorker that Morgan just managed to squeeze out. Not realising the ball had bounced straight down the pitch to Marsh, Morgan left his crease. Marsh flicked the ball at the stumps, and Morgan dived back. The ball hit the stumps but Morgan appeared to be comfortably in. There was a half-shout from the Scorchers, so the third umpire decided to go upstairs just to be sure. The Scorchers were not too confident. They all returned to their positions in readiness for the next ball. There were a couple of replays played on the big screen which seemed to confirm Morgan had made his ground, and then it cut to shots of the crowd. A minute later more replays were shown, and the crowd soon realised that Morgan might just be out. Hogg ran in from the boundary at deep midwicket to congratulate Marsh, and the rest of the team soon followed. The verdict was delivered soon after and the crowd cheered.Close encounter
Craig Simmons fielded in front of me during the Thunder innings and took a great diving catch to dismiss Michael Hussey. Dirk Nannes was there when the Scorchers were batting. He fumbled once to allow an extra run and got a cheer from the crowd. A couple of balls later when he fielded one cleanly, he got an even louder cheer and he doffed his cap to the crowd.Shot of the day
Katich’s six over cover off the bowling of Tillakaratne Dilshan was a marvellous shot, timed beautifully and easily clearing the fence.Crowd meter
There was barely a spare seat anywhere. The crowd was enthusiastic and cheered the Scorchers loudly. There were lots of beach balls being thrown around, and whenever a security guard took it upon himself to pop one he got a huge boo. There were also a fair number of Mexican Waves towards the end of the match.Fancy-dress index
There wasn’t a whole lot of fancy dress at this game, just lots of orange everywhere. There were orange wigs, face-paint, hairspray, and anything else you could think of.Entertainment
There were the usual fire and fireworks when the Scorchers entered the field. Under the Inverarity Stand there were three people playing big drums with drumsticks with fire on the end of them. There was also a dance group dressed in orange that performed during the innings break.Overall
It was an exciting game of cricket with plenty of runs and wickets and a fairly close result. The crowd was good as always, so overall it was another great experience.Marks out of 10
8.5.

Stats highlights from an incredible career, both as batsman and as leader

S Rajesh05-Mar-2014Nine thousand six hundred and twenty five runs from 117 Tests at an average of 48.25 are impressive stats, but with Graeme Smith the runs tell only half the story. Over a 11-year period, Smith also led South Africa to spectacular success in international cricket, while continuing to score valuable runs. His ungainly batting technique cost him points in the aesthetics department, but in terms of scoring tough runs he was among the best South Africa ever had.SMITH THE BATSMAN
The fact that Smith led South Africa for ten years – when many experts reckon the shelf life of a captain is usually around half that time – is remarkable, but it sometimes tends to draw attention away from his batting stats, which were top-class. Throughout his 12-year Test career, there were few prolonged periods when he was out of form and struggling for runs.On his Test debut, which incidentally was also against Australia in Cape Town, Smith batted at No. 3 and scored 68 in the second innings against an attack that included Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee and Shane Warne. In his fifth Test innings he scored 200, even if it was against Bangladesh, which established his hunger for runs and his ability to bat long. Two double-centuries in his first five innings as captain – both 250-plus scores in England – further established him as a special talent, and while he never touched those heights again in terms of sheer runs scored, he made plenty of vital contributions that led to victories for South Africa. (The 714 runs he scored in England in 2003 is the seventh-best by any captain in a series, and the best for a South African captain.)The only period Smith struggled with the bat over a long time span was in 2006 and 2007, when he averaged 31.81 during a two-year period. Thereafter, though, he was back among the runs in 2008, and was largely impressive in his last six years, averaging more than 50 during this period. Unfortunately, he finished on a low, averaging 7.50 in his last series, the second-lowest by a South African top-order batsman in a series since their readmission (cut-off: five innings).

Graeme Smith’s Test career

PeriodTestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sTill Dec 200542356452.4111/ 122006 and 200717101831.811/ 6Jan 2008 onwards58468350.9015/ 20Career117926548.2527/ 38Fourth-innings superstar
Perhaps the stats that stand out more than any other are Smith’s fourth-innings numbers. Overall, he scored 1611 runs in fourth innings, at an average of almost 52. Only Sachin Tendulkar scored more, but a comparison of their averages indicates how far ahead Smith was, in this respect at least – his fourth-innings average is 15 more than Tendulkar’s. Smith is one of only five batsmen – Sunil Gavaskar, Ricky Ponting, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Younis Khan being the others – to score four fourth-innings hundreds.In successful chases, though, Smith is even better. He’s the only batsman to score 1000-plus runs and four centuries in these situations, three of which were overseas – in Wellington, Edgbaston and Perth. That no other batsman has scored 1000 in successful chases shows Smith’s mental toughness, and his ability to rise to a challenge.

Most runs in fourth-innings wins

BatsmanInningsRunsAverage100s/ 50sGraeme Smith22114187.764/ 6Matthew Hayden2791357.061/ 6Ricky Ponting2491182.813/ 4Gordon Greenidge2385065.381/ 4Justin Langer2384949.942/ 5Desmond Haynes3080967.411/ 4

Most runs scored in 4th innings of Tests

BatsmanInningsRunsAverage100s/ 50sSachin Tendulkar60162536.933/ 7Graeme Smith41161151.964/ 9Rahul Dravid57157540.381/ 9Shivnarine Chanderpaul45151844.642/ 11Ricky Ponting43146250.414/ 6Brian Lara46144035.122/ 7Sunil Gavaskar33139858.254/ 8Gordon Greenidge38138353.193/ 6At home in England
More than in South Africa, it was in England that Smith most prolific. In 12 Tests there, he scored 1355 runs at an average of 67.75, with five hundreds. He played three series and averaged more than 54 each time. In nine Tests against them in South Africa, his average dropped to 43.50.Among overseas batsmen with at least 1000 runs in England – there are 32 of them – only three have a higher average than Smith: Don Bradman, Steve Waugh and Rahul Dravid. Smith’s average is higher than those of Allan Border and Viv Richards, both of whom were prolific in England.Smith’s stats in England are also a contrast with those of Jacques Kallis, clearly South Africa’s best batsman since their readmission to international cricket. Kallis scored runs all over the world, but could never conquer England: in England he averaged only 35.33 from 25 innings; in four series in England, only once – in 2012 – did he average more than 45.

Highest Test averages for overseas batsmen in England (Qual: 1000 runs)

BatsmanTestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sDon Bradman192674102.8411/ 3Steve Waugh22163374.227/ 4Rahul Dravid13137668.806/ 4Graeme Smith12135567.755/ 3Shivnarine Chanderpaul15139966.613/ 9Allan Border25208265.065/ 12Viv Richards24205764.285/ 12Arthur Morris10103357.383/ 6The team that Smith had the most problems against was Australia. His last series turned out to be a disaster against them, and of the eight series he played against them over his entire career (excluding the one-off Super Test), only three times did he average more than 40. His overall average against them: 32.57, his lowest against any opposition.Fifty-plus since 2008
Smith’s last series was a disaster from a batting point of view, but in the six years before that he was pretty effective. Since 2008, Smith’s Test average was 50.90, which is a touch higher than Kallis’ average during the same period. The average wasn’t as high as those of Chanderpaul, de Villiers and Sangakkara, who breached the 60-mark, but it was still good enough to be No. 8 in the list (with a 3000-run cut-off).

Highest Test averages since Jan 2008 (Qual: 3000 runs)

BatsmanTestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sShivnarine Chanderpaul48392565.4112/ 19AB de Villiers59506663.3216/ 22Kumar Sangakkara51511960.2219/ 21Hashim Amla58516458.6818/ 22Thilan Samaraweera41334055.669/ 17Michael Clarke75641953.0422/ 20Sachin Tendulkar57455551.1714/ 20Graeme Smith58468350.9015/ 20Jacques Kallis54400750.0816/ 12VVS Laxman47342149.576/ 26SMITH THE CAPTAINSmith’s batting numbers tell only part of the story, for he was also South Africa’s captain for over a decade, a period during which he led the team in 109 Tests, winning 53 of those. No other player has captained in 100 Tests – Border is second with 93 – or 50-plus victories – Ponting’s second on 48.One of the most impressive aspects of his captaincy was the number of Tests South Africa won away from home. They won 23 out of 56 Tests, which equals the record for most Test wins overseas under a captain – Clive Lloyd’s West Indies won 23 out of 50. Of the 20 overseas series in which Smith led South Africa, they lost only four – to Pakistan in 2003, Sri Lanka and India in 2004, and Australia in 2005-06 – drew six, and won ten. Since the defeat to Australia in 2005-06, Smith captained South Africa to 12 overseas series (including series at neutral venues), winning eight and drawing four.At home, Smith’s South Africa won 30 out of 53 Tests, which is again a record. Next best is Ponting’s Australia, which won 29 out of 39. However, the one puzzle Smith couldn’t crack was beating Australia in a Test series at home: he led South Africa four times against them, and lost thrice – in 2006, 2009, and most heartbreakingly in 2014.

Most Tests won by a captain

OverallAwayCaptainTestsW/ LRatioTestsW/ LRatioGraeme Smith10953/ 291.825623/ 141.64Ricky Ponting7748/ 163.003819/ 111.72Steve Waugh5741/ 94.552819/ 72.71Clive Lloyd7436/ 123.005023/ 102.30Allan Border9332/ 221.454213/ 111.18Stephen Fleming8028/ 271.034210/ 160.62Hansie Cronje5327/ 112.45239/ 61.50Viv Richards5027/ 83.372612/ 62.00Over an extended period of captaincy, Smith also ensured that his batting did not suffer, scoring 8659 runs at an average of almost 48; he scored more than 2000 runs more than the next highest as captain. His centuries as captain are the most as well – no other batsman managed even 20.He also opened the batting throughout, which meant he had to often switch from captaincy mode in the field to batting mode with only a ten-minute interval in between. He did that superbly – no other opening batsman managed even 4000 runs as captain, while Smith scored 8538. In fact, only seven opening batsmen have touched 2000 Test runs as captain.

Most Test runs as captain

PlayerTestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sGraeme Smith109865947.8325/ 36Allan Border93662350.9415/ 36Ricky Ponting77654251.5119/ 35Clive Lloyd74523351.3014/ 27Stephen Fleming80515640.598/ 31Brian Lara47468557.8314/ 19Greg Chappell48420955.3813/ 19SMITH IN ODISAnd there was Smith the ODI player and captain. He finished three matches short of 200, but is still South Africa’s third highest run-getter in the format – after Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs – with 6989 runs at an average of 38.19, and a strike rate of 80.86. (He also played one game for Africa XI, in which he got a duck, bringing down his overall ODI average to 37.98, at a strike rate of 80.81.) Like in Tests, where he enjoyed batting in the fourth innings with a target to achieve, in ODIs too his effectiveness went up in a chase: he averaged 44.14 when batting second, compared to 32.45 when setting up a target. In successful run-chases, it went up further to 55.20, with six hundreds in 58 innings.And as captain, Smith did a fine job with South Africa’s ODI team too, achieving a win-loss ratio of 1.80. Among captains who led in at least 100 matches, only four have a better win-loss ratio.South Africa will have a tough finding a replacement for not only Smith the opening batsman, but also Smith the captain.

Best win-loss ratios for ODI captains (Qual: 100 matches)

CaptainMatchesWon/lostRatioRicky Ponting230165/ 513.23Hansie Cronje13899/ 352.82Steve Waugh10667/ 351.91Viv Richards10567/ 361.86Graeme Smith15092/ 511.80Wasim Akram10966/ 411.60Allan Border178107/ 671.59MS Dhoni15988/ 571.54