RIP Norman Gordon

Norman Gordon (South Africa) (1911-2014)

Cricket's first and till date only ever centurion against time bids farewell.

Well played Sir.

The longest lived Test cricketer - a record which will stand for some time.


Nishant Kumar for DieHard Cricket Fans

Follow Nishant on Twitter @NishantSKumar

India in England, 2014 - Numbers Don't Lie

Chart above shows the Test-by-Test batting average comparison for Pataudi Trophy. And while it is often said that numbers hide more than they reveal, the above chart tells the entire series story.

NO PAIN, NO GAIN

courtesy: ESPNcricinfo

At the time of writing, India are getting quite a beating from Cook’s men at the Oval. The rapid disintegration of the players in the last three tests has been painful to watch; actually, scratch that…I have stayed off from watching most of the days’ play since the Ageas Bowl test. As Devanshu pointed out in a brilliant article recently, the emotional toll that my team’s performance exacts on me can be draining in defeat as exhilarating as it is in victory. After all, I still have not fully recovered from the 0-8 memories of 2011.

India in England, 2014 : Can't Bat, Can't Bowl, Can't Catch, Can't Run

After the 2nd Test in Lord's, England was the team in disarray. Cook's captaincy was in question, Prior had taken a possibly career-ending break, the attitude and form of many senior players was in question, the batting had been found out by India's seam bowling, there was no proper spinning option. All signs pointed to a prolonged summer of agony for the English. While the Indian  fans exulted. This was going to be the balm of the pain caused by the summer and winter of 2011. 

And then...

Cricket in the 80's - Rookies, Rebels & Renaissance

Commonwealth Cricket, Why Not?

The Commonwealth games have just kicked off, and this year Glasgow are hosting the plethora of sporting events. The Commonwealth games, although inferior to the Olympic Games, still successfully airs sport around the globe, introducing new events to the estimated 1 billion viewers. I will undoubtedly be transfixed by the majority of sports during these games as I am every time a large scale multisport event comes along. The weightlifting will force me to the edge of my seat and during the judo I’ll be cheering for an ipoon. Despite this, I would never think about watching these sports away from the Olympics or Commonwealth games. I can’t help but get the feeling that cricket, a far more interesting sport than most of the events currently featuring in the Commonwealth games, is missing out.

England Deserve to Lose It All

There was a time where it was fun to root for England, namely when they went about toppling the unbeatable Australians in 2005. The underdogs beating the Aussies at their own game playing with aggressive swagger and style.  It was great.

But that was nearly a decade ago. The so called English dominance of test cricket, brief as it was, is going through a painfully slow death where they can no longer play Ishant Sharma. 

And they absolutely deserve it.

lol

There is a difference between the once great Australia and the once "great" England.  Australia were ridiculously good and they knew it, they could field three cricket teams who could blow apart anybody that dared to turn up. One would scream out for those precious moments when another team actually got the better of them (the aforementioned Ashes 2005, a prime example).

Rahul Dravid: One Final Adoration

I do not want to write this. This is too emotional a subject for me. The title itself makes me go mushy. And you do not write, when you know you are going to be bias, when you know your emotions will win over your logical approach. Yet I do, for the simple reason that this the only way I can pour my heart out.

An exhibition match became worth a celebration when it was confirmed that India’s Mr. Dependable (I like this name. It complements the mannerly, unblemished schoolboy that you have always been) will be walking out to take guard once again at the #3 slot. This game out of nowhere equals a pilgrimage for your fans, Dravidians, as we like to call ourselves. After having withstood your ODI and Test retirement, one odd goodbye isn’t much of a thing. But the fact that this might be your last game ever, sends tingles down the rachis.

Now more than the exuberance of seeing you bat once again, there’s some off-base fear that grips me.  The fear of you not finding your form, again.  The fear of what your final scores will be. The fear of exodusing amidst the nostalgic concert halls of the Mecca of Cricket, as you turn up. The fear of standing misty-eyed, as you cosset every blade of the grass on the field. The fear of misplacing my nonage once again, as you stop the ticking clock and vamoose into the beguiling alcoves of athanasia.

So how do I groom for such an exploit, emotionally?  Even if it’s plainly as a rubbernecker.

Tete-a-Tete with the Swami Army

First of all we would like to thank the members of the Swami Army for taking time out of their schedule and talking to us.

It is impossible to miss them if you watch any India match. They turn the match atmosphere into that of a carnival and ensure that there are no dull moments in the matches for the fans present at the ground and the ones viewing on TV. 

DieHard Cricket Fans spoke to them about their inception, activities, planning and much more.

• When and how did Swami Army come about?

The Swami Army was formed during India’s tour to Australia in Season 2003/04 by a group of 10 die-hard Indian cricket supporters, using the Swami Army moniker as a bit of fun while following their beloved Indian team around Australia in that season. The tour was significant in that it was Steve Waugh’s final Test series, but also represented the start of India’s climb to the top of the Test rankings. As the crowds flocked to the grounds to watch India come close to beating Australia in the Test Series decider in Sydney 2004, the Swami Army grew from its core group of 10 supporters to a large gathering occupying Bay 26 of the SCG.

Since then, the Swami Army have gone from strength to strength. With nearly 5,000 members across the globe, we are recognised by cricket authorities as the leading Indian cricket supporter group, with a presence at every Team India match. We continue to work with cricket boards to ensure that the Swami Army has Designated Areas at cricket grounds worldwide to enhance the viewing experience of all cricket supporters at cricket grounds in an enjoyable, family-friendly environment, dhol player and all!

My IPL Diary# Ane Booysen

I was asked to write about my trip to India and Dubai as an IPL cheerleader and jumped at the opportunity to do so because, wow, what a truly amazing opportunity it was! Something I would love to share!

Now, where to start! We had numerous dance rehearsals in Cape Town to prepare for the matches, and we learned around 9 routines to ensure we were prepared and that we could keep the audience  entertained by making sure there was a wide variety of options.

So, lets fast forward to Dubai... we arrived in great anticipation and wonder for this magnificent Country! Just the bus ride from the airport was an experience as we started seeing all the billboards advertising the IPL! We also met all the girls in our team and started bonding immediately.  I could see this was going to be an amazing journey! There were 40 cheerleaders sent to Dubai, and due to the fact that one of the team's dancers were only going to arrive in India, my group of 10 cheerleaders had to rotate between all the White Mischief Teams (Kings  XI Punjab, Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore). Although we danced and cheered a lot, this was a great way to see all the stadiums as well as get to know all the aspects of the amazing game of cricket.

Mankading & "Spirit of Cricket"

Mankading - the act of a bowler running out the non-striker batsman before bowling the ball has always been a source of needless controversy. 

In fact for some weird reason it has become a test of the "sportsman spirit" of a bowler who does not do the "Mankad". Cortney Walsh has received a medal for not running out Salim Yousuf. But if the bowler does Mankad, like Sachitra Senanayake did to Jos Buttler, all hell breaks lose. The bowler and the fielding captain are accused of having destroyed "the spirit of cricket" - the greatest crime imaginable in the gentlemans's game.

Well here are my two bits on Mankading.

It is within the laws of the game. In fact there is a specific law for the situation, hence no ambiguity is possible. Law 42(15) states - "The bowler is permitted, before entering his delivery stride, to attempt to run out the non-striker. Whether the attempt is succesful or not, the ball shall not count as one of the over. If the bowler fails to run out the non-striker, the umpire shall call and signal Dead ball as soon as possible". 

So if there exists a specific law which states what are the consequences of a bowler breaking the stumps with the non-striker outside his crease, then why the hue and cry? The "spirit of cricket" has already been murdered many a time (Fixing, Corruption, Walking/Not walking etc.) by different sets of players, officials and administrators. Guess that is why it exists in "spirit" form.

Here the batsman was wandering outside the crease and with run-out decisions sometimes become a matter of TV frames, then it does become an advantage for the non-striker to back up as far ahead as possible. In this case, Buttler had been warned twice by Senanayake in his previous over. (Which is where the matter of cricket's spirit should rest, which seemingly is not the case). And when Buttler was found wandering out again he was run-out. A result very rightly deserved. 

So the right decision was taken on action justified and well within the laws and more importantly the previous over Senanayake having shown the proper "spirit" also, guess Buttler should have nothing to complain about. Don't see any justifications for the hue and cry it has raised.  Nor do I see why the batsman is being portrayed as a victim, when its his own actions which are to be blamed for his fate.

To me its clear, Senanayake and the rest were well within their rights to run-out Buttler. And no harm was caused to the so called "spirit of the game".

Closing Notes - a couple of interesting exhibits on Mankading

Exhibit A - The original report on Mankading

IPL7: The AfterThoughts

The 7th edition of the Indian Premier League has come to an end. And Congratulations to Kolkata Knight Riders for their second IPL title. After an embarrassing defeat to Rajasthan in which they lost 6 wickets for 2 runs they have really lifted their game and were deserving winners in the end.

Now the time to note down some after-thoughts (not a review) from this year's IPL.

• The Impossible Chases - The tougher the ask, the higher the stakes, the more seemingly easy it becomes to chase it down. The team batting second knows the target and also the fact that they can only win if they go slam-bang from the first ball. And apparently this belief is actually carrying them to victory. Examples - KKR chased down 160 in under 15 overs to finish 2nd in the League; Mumbai Indians chased 191 in 14.3 to enter the qualifiers; CSK blitzed 100 in 6 overs in a chase of 227; Rajasthan smashed 65 in 3 overs to win with an over to spare. And it all culminated in the final with KKR chasing down 200.

The Arrival of the WASP

WASP has come under a great deal of stick since its introduction to our T.V screens. The cricket faithful have taken to twitter to express their discontent. Sky’s commentators have tried their very best to explain the winning and score predictor, to give the gadget its full title, but still people seem to be either against it or confused to what it’s use is. The main argument against the WASP is that it takes the unpredictability out of the game but I think this stance misses the point.

The Kiwi Corruption Files

Corruption. IPL.

Ironic that these two are simultaneously headlining the world of cricket today. Oddly enough it's not India nor Pakistan who are at the forefront of the latest scandals to emerge, instead the beacon is shining on the calm and friendly backwaters of New Zealand cricket.  Who would have thought?

How Bad is it?
Whether corruption exists or not is not even a question. It's there, it's been there for a couple of decades at least. It's been there in plain sight in front of administrators, players and audiences alike. Until recently all have chosen to sweep it under the carpet and pretend it's not real. We all stand with our eyes closed and fingers crossed with an elephant in the room, chanting "if I can't see you, you can't see me".

The real question is not if the elephant is there, but instead just how gigantic it is. I'm not even sure I want to know. If it's so bad that the ICC pretend it doesn't happen, the full truth will get ugly.

An example of the ignorance: the famous India-Pakistan World Cup Semi Final. The ICC watched on all smiles as arguably the two most corrupt teams in the sport engaged in a scripted farce.

The Butt-Asif-Amir affair had undeniable evidence, only then was something done about it. What about those hundreds of cases of obvious under-performing and rigging that didn't have concrete evidence?

But How Did New Zealand Get Involved?
Before the IPL kicked off there was this awful thing called the ICL. This 'rebel' league was basically a hunting ground for disgruntled ex-players to make easy undeserved money through staged exhibition games which nobody cared about. Heck even the ICC wanted nothing to do with it, and that says something.

And as far as disgruntled ex-players goes, New Zealand had plenty to offer. We fielded enough players to almost form a special New Zealand ICL Team:

- Astle
- Cairns
- Hamish Marshall (remember him?)
- McMillan
- Harris
- Parore
- Bond
- Andre Adams
- Tuffey

... and in plain sight we have a potential list of corrupt kiwi players. And in fact a pretty solid team, that lot would probably have beaten the real black caps. Notice how almost all of them disappeared completely from the cricket world other than to take on match fixing allegations. The exceptions being Bond and McMillan.

Of that list, three guys have been named as possible riggers of the game. Lets spotlight these:

Lou Vincent

Who?
He kicked off his career in fine style by smashing a McGrath-Gillespie-Lee-Warne attack around (in Perth no less). Destined for big things, it instead was a career of licorice all-sorts consisting of handing out towellings as an opener, some wicketkeeping, a patient double hundred against Sri Lanka (he was dropped from tests for good not long later) and finally re-emerging from the IPL as a T20 gun for hire wielding a ridiculous mongoose bat.

Thank god it never took off

Billy Bowden rejoins Elite Panel

Umpire returns after 2013 dumping

New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden will return to the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires from July 1 this year, the 51-year-old regaining his position after being dropped in early 2013.

Bowden will fill the position vacated by fellow Kiwi Tony Hill who stepped down to become the New Zealand Cricket Umpire Coach.

The ICC Umpires Selection Panel reached their decision following an annual review and selection process, with chairman Geoff Allardice applauding Bowden’s efforts during his time away from the group.

“Billy’s return to the elite panel is a result of his hard work and perseverance,” Allardice said.

“His skills and experience will further strengthen the ICC umpiring team.”

THE EMOTIONAL JOURNEY OF THE INDIAN FAN DURING THE WT20 – THROUGH GIFS

India came into the World T20, after a dispiriting few months where they just about lost every series, regardless of the format, since November last year. So, when it was time for the World T20 to begin and we realized that we were grouped with Pakistan, West Indies and Australia…..

The campaign started on a perfect note though, with a clinical win over Pakistan, but the heart refused to accept that the team would fare better in the remaining games…..

Then India beat defending champions West Indies in similarly convincing style. Suddenly, the expectations were kindled….

Have England forgotten how to win?

England fans, no matter how strong of a position England find themselves in, can never be assured that their team will finish on top. Yesterday’s result was particularly painful to the England team. This was a match that England needed to win, not only to put them 1-0 up in the ODI series, but to help them put the abysmal Australian tour behind them. It was always going to be difficult, but there was never going to be an easier chance than the one they were presented with. A weakened West Indies side with injuries to Gayle and Samuels, a number of new players in the side who didn’t play major roles in the defeat to the Aussies and also the only two players whose reputation had been enhanced during the Ashes – Broad and Stokes. On paper, England looked to be in a strong position.

England started exceptionally well. Broad, who had taken on the captaincy for the first time in ODI cricket, employed the right tactics, bowling the spin of Joe Root, James Tredwell and debutant Moeen Ali early in the innings to the Windies top order. England dominated the first 30 overs with tight lines, sharp fielding and a high intensity. It all made for an impressive picture. However, it wasn’t to last. The all important death overs, where the game is won or lost, were England’s undoing. As Bravo and Sammy started swinging the pendulum, England couldn’t find an answer. Plans were telegraphed by field placings and there was little variation allowing Bravo and Sammy to settle, able to choose their hitting areas.

 

The Reminiscences of an Old Fashioned Cricket Fan: A Flash from the Past

As school life is nearing the borderline, and with each passing day I am inching towards the ‘adult’ lot, my pen makes me realize why life was bliss when I was a kid.

Life was bliss when after a nice chiding by the teacher at school, you walked into your room, and your face immediately enlivened on seeing your MRF bat with a Britannia sticker (yes, my bat was an amalgamation of both Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid).

Life was bliss when you stormed out off the room after learning‘karele’ is what you’ll have to eat today, only to be stopped by your Mother who gave you two rolled paranthas, daubed by Kissan Fruit Jam, which you gulped down in no time (yes, Kissan was more relished than Butter Paneer).

Life was bliss when  you went birthday shopping with your parents and returned with a light blue shaded jersey, that read – ‘Dravid 19’ (yes, ‘Dhoni 7’ came quite late).

Life was bliss when you woke up paralyzed, halfway through the night, after an incubus, and the huge poster of Rahul Dravid kissing his cap that graced your bedroom door, caught your attention. You were re-assured of everything being alright and you crawled back into your bed, to have a good night’s sleep (now you know why I call him my Watchful Protector, my Silent Guardian).

Life was bliss because along with your parents, friends and family, there was a pack of guys who owned you, who inspired you, constantly, and who imbued in you a belief to become whatever you wanted to be, the way they did, ‘cause they were just like you!

There was a short, curly haired, five foot something, who was the only one you hero worshiped, next to your Father. You had heard narratives of people ‘dancing down the aisles’ from his famous Sharjah blitz. You had even braved splintering your ankle as you had climbed up your neighbor’s wall to watch the Indo-Pak clash of WC, 2003, because your house had a powercut. You saw Shoaib Akhtar steaming in, and Sachin cutting him for a six over backward point. You were overpowered, and just then your nearby resident misreckoned you for being another mango heister. You had to race back home before anyone could know what had happened.

Bedi Calls for Changes After Another Series Defeat

Former Test captain, Bishan Singh Bedi, has hit out at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after yet another away series defeat.

India suffered their fourth successive loss on tour when they were beaten in New Zealand. The fact it took a majestic, record-breaking triple century from Black Caps skipper, Brendon McCullum, in the drawn second Test in Wellington should not gloss over the fact that India have been poor once again away from home and they got what they deserved from the series - nothing.

The fact it followed on from a 4-0 drubbing for MS Dhoni's World Cup champions in the preceding one-dayers only adds to the sense of embarrassment and leaves India to reflect on a month without a single success against a country the cricket betting odds expected them to get the better of.

When Kiwi's Soared Above India

My initial prediction of 4-1 to New Zealand was met mostly with polite ridicule. Against the world number one ranked team? The World Cup and Champions Trophy holders no less? Blasphemous.

Courtesy of Sir Jadeja I narrowly missed out, 4-0 however at least landed in the right ball park!

But why would anybody have backed New Zealand?

The Hesson-McCullum partnership is really onto something, despite it starting off with theTaylorgate scandal. Since then Taylor is back and poking his tongue out more than ever and that's not all, New Zealand have constructed a team based on consistent selections, depth in all positions, and a splash of genuine pace along with the usual outstanding fielding and sportsmanship.

© Getty

In the bad old days they only had fielding and sportsmanship, but now this team is a threat in all three formats. With the World Cup around the corner and that too at home, everybody should be on their guard against this dark horse of cricket that might just steal the show.

World Cup 2015 and Team India

People and Cricket lovers in India tend to have very short memory, extremely short indeed.

2 away series with lukewarm performances and this absolutely inexperienced team is being riled and grilled with calls to bring back the seniors or bring in the fresh blood.

Let us take an impartial look...

1. Rohit Sharma: I never liked him getting millions of chances while never doubting his talent. He has played just 1 innings on any consequence ever since the ODI 200. But if he has been persisted with for so long, I think, some more persistence should not hurt. Remember he didn't do all that badly in England. The guy whom he has replaced, Sehwag has not scored even in domestic Cricket and his fielding is a joke. Unmukt Chand, Vijay Zol and co still have a lot to prove before they can stake claims.
2. Shikhar Dhawan: Well, he can't play the short ball. But so was the case with Gambhir and Ganguly before him. They survived after some adjustments. Gautham has looked extremely scratchy in Ranji Cricket this year. Shikhar deserves a decent run.
3. Virat Kohli: no questions about him.
4. Ajinkya Rahane: If he can hold his own against South Africa in tests, he can do well elsewhere in ODI Cricket. He deserves a fair chance. Don't decide after just one and a half series.

England Must Make One-Day Changes

Ahead of the World Cup in 2015, limited-overs coach, Ashley Giles, has pretty much admitted what everyone else already knew - England's one-day squad is in drastic need of major surgery if it is going to compete with the best teams on the planet.  Giles, speaking after the hugely-disappointing 4-1 ODI series defeat in Australia, has admitted he has some “tough decisions” to make as he bids to get England back on track. The way they threw away another winning position in Adelaide, to add to similar capitulations earlier on the tour, will have caused great alarm among the ECB hierarchy.

Thoughts of an Aussie Cricket Fan

I’m Aussie. And I’m a cricket fan. So yes, right now I’m pretty happy with our boys!



How long that happiness will last though, now that the team are winners, is a point of great doubt.

For me, the joy of the emphatic 5-0 success in the Ashes series comes mostly from knowing how low the team has been within the last twelve months. I became a more-than-casual cricket fan somewhere between the Aussie team being on the other end of an Indian Test series whitewash less than a year ago, and failing to regain the Ashes in July/August with England’s 3-0 victory on home soil.