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Plays of the day from the first day of the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa in Abu Dhabi

Firdose Moonda in Abu Dhabi14-Oct-2013The birthday gift
Shan Masood received a present anyone would want on their birthday – a first Test cap. As the more junior of Pakistan’s two debutants – Masood is a decade younger than Zulfiqur Babar – he was stationed at short leg. He, however, was soon called into action soon when Alviro Petersen was surprised by the extra bounce generated by Mohammad Irfan. Masood juggled the offering initially before holding on to a second take. It look a lengthy referral to adjudge whether the catch had been taken clearly, and once that was confirmed, Petersen was sent on his way. It provided a birthday gift the youngster would not forget in a hurry.The no-ball
A man the size of Irfan is bound to be too big for some things, and his oversized feet are occasionally guilty of creeping over the line. After lunch, the frequency of the error became greater, but umpire Paul Reiffel did not seem to take notice. Television cameras caught Irfan overstepping at least three times before Reiffel spotted one himself. As he held his arm out to signal the no-ball, Graeme Smith stood up to applaud sarcastically, a display the broadcasters were quick to capture.The blunder
The searing heat in the post-lunch session may have made some people dozy, but not Younis Khan and Adnan Akmal. AB de Villiers strode forward to defend a Babar delivery but inside-edged on to his pad, and the ball ended up rolling to first slip. He thought that was the end of things for the moment and held his pose, leaving his back foot on the crease. Akmal, however, was quick to notice the indiscretion and signalled to Younis to return the ball to him. Younis did, and Akmal stealthily took off the bails. Replays showed de Villiers’ foot was on the line, and he was sent packing to give Pakistan a timely breakthrough.The catch that wasn’t
Dale Steyn may not have fancied a bowl late in the day, but he also did not want to hang around without contributing with the bat. He took a liking to Babar, and after defending one ball that was tossed up, waltzed down the pitch to loft the next inside-out and down the ground. When Steyn hit it, he seemed to have top-edged it to long-off, but the ball went high and long, just carrying over the rope for six. He tried it again three balls later, and this time Khurram Manzoor got his hands to it, but when he realised the shot would carry the ball over the boundary with his momentum, Manzoor was able to release the ball back onto the field in the nick of time.

Many Indian players from small towns with little to no cricket facilities have made it big recently. One of them is India’s Under-19 captain, Vijay Zol

Kanishkaa Balachandran13-Feb-20140:00

‘Familiarity with conditions gives us an advantage’

When Vijay Zol was in class nine, he had had enough. The promising left-hand batsman was busy playing matches in his district, but at the expense of his school attendance, which had fallen well below the minimum 75%.”My school timings were from 8am to 5pm. I would be up at 5, practise in the morning, head to school, practise again in the evening for a couple of hours, head to tuitions, and then return home only at 9,” Zol says. “It was difficult and I did that routine for a year. But despite that, I wasn’t allowed to sit for the exams. I was quite pissed”.Juggling cricket with studies was clearly proving to be unmanageable, so Zol decided he had to quit one. He hasn’t been back at school since.It was a decision driven by his passion for the game and a determination to succeed. His parents supported his move, which, in academics-obsessed India, is unimaginable. The most common reason for cases of students dropping out of school is a cash-crunch at home, but in Zol’s case, money was not the issue.Zol’s father, a criminal lawyer in Jalna, Maharashtra, where the family lives, had the resources to prepare a cement wicket in their backyard so his son could practise. The small town, hardly a nerve centre of sport, had barely any cricket facilities to speak of. The only ground was used for football and there were no turf wickets.

“I remember Sachin [Tendulkar] telling us that come what may, when the chips are down, you need to deal with it as a team. We really back each other when someone fails or is feeling down”

Zol may not yet have transformed his town’s reputation as a cricketing backwater, but he has certainly put Jalna on the map while still in his teens. An aggressive batsman who initially shot to fame with a monumental 451 in a Cooch Behar Under-19 game in 2011, he is now India’s U-19 captain, hoping to defend their World Cup title in the UAE. He was part of the previous World Cup as a player, and is now in charge of the most successful U-19 team in the world, on current form. India have won all four series they have played in the lead-up, defeating Australia and South Africa in two finals. Zol’s century in the Asia Cup final, against Pakistan, showed his big-match temperament.Aside from junior cricket, his impressive CV includes a century on first-class debut – against an international attack – and a double-century on Ranji Trophy debut for Maharashtra. His rise coincided with Maharashtra’s in this year’s Ranji Trophy, in which they finished runners-up. His unbeaten 91 helped beat defending champions Mumbai in the quarter-final, and though the U-19 camp was gathering steam ahead of the World Cup at the time, he was asked to play in the final. Though he wasn’t as successful in Maharashtra’s last two knockout matches, he remained a player to watch.On paper, Zol’s transition from U-19 cricket to first-class may appear seamless – with an average pushing 50 after 11 games – but he says it has been a humbling experience. “I learnt how to react if things don’t go your way. In U-19 cricket you sometimes dominate, but the Ranji Trophy is a different league in which you have to be very patient. I have played well in patches.”Zol was fast-tracked into the India A side before his Maharashtra debut. Against a New Zealand A attack that included Mark Gillespie and Doug Bracewell, he smashed 19 fours in his 110. Recounting the innings, he says he told himself not be overwhelmed by the occasion or the bowlers. “When I went in, the ball wasn’t doing much, but I was still nervous. I just focused on facing the ball, not the bowler. I attacked their legspinners.”Zol’s father can take some credit for his son’s achievements. It was when Zol was recovering from a knee surgery a few years ago that his father had the cement wicket made. There are shades here of the Yuvraj Singh story, but unlike Yograj Singh, Zol’s father only mentors his son, leaving the technical aspects to Zol’s childhood coach.”He [my father] is a big follower of the game and understands the game really well. We never discuss technique much, he mostly advises me on the mental side of the game, boosts me when I lose confidence, tells me to stay balanced and not let success get to my head. Even when I achieve something, I don’t feel as happy. I would rather see my father happy, and that’s not always easy, I know,” Zol says with a chuckle.”So long as I work hard and smart, the facilities don’t really matter. The hunger was always there to play for India. My dedication and motivation always made up for it”•ICC/GettyWhen he scored his quadruple-century against Assam in December 2011, his father refrained from gushing about the innings. Zol understood then that while it’s good to toast a headline-grabbing innings, you’re only as good as your last knock. “On day one I was on 261. I got a call from my dad and he told me to chill and play [according] to the merit of the ball. When I passed 400 my coach called my dad. He was happy but he didn’t show it. He just told me to concentrate on the next game. [That innings] has a special place in my heart.”That knock, and his latest exploits, have underlined the fact that small-town players have taken Indian cricket by storm of late. Zol insists there was no temptation for him to move to a bigger centre like Mumbai or Pune for the sake of his cricket. In fact, he says the lack of facilities in his town fuelled his determination to grab every opportunity.”So long as I work hard and smart, the facilities don’t really matter. The hunger was always there to play for India. My dedication and motivation always made up for it [lack of facilities]. But cricketers have to face certain difficulties or you don’t get there very easily. There are so many players from the bigger cities who have the best of facilities and still don’t make the cut.”The squad Zol will lead has a blend of players from cities and towns of varying sizes and cricketing pedigree. He says the sense of “togetherness” has been carried forward in every series and that has made his job easier.”I remember Sachin [Tendulkar] telling us that come what may, when the chips are down, you need to deal with it as a team,” he says. “We really back each other when someone fails or is feeling down. We enjoy each other’s success. I don’t feel any pressure, because we understand each other’s roles.”While Zol will look to take his cricket forward after the World Cup, he insists that he hasn’t abandoned his books for good. His brother is also a lawyer and his sisters are teachers. “I come from that environment, so I have to study,” he says with a smile, shrugging his shoulders.

He has gone under the radar for much of his career but Nathan Lyon is now Australia’s joint-leading Test wicket-taker in 2013 and a fixture in the team

Brydon Coverdale at the MCG28-Dec-20130:00

‘No one can take my 100 wickets away from me’ – Lyon

Dropped for Doherty, moved on for Maxwell, axed for Agar – Nathan Lyon has been Australia’s most underappreciated cricketer this year. What might have been had the selectors stuck firm with him? He could have been second or third on the world Test wickets list in 2013; instead he joins Peter Siddle as Australia’s leading wicket-taker for the year. Siddle’s 42 victims took 14 Tests to accumulate, Lyon claimed his in only 11.It was fitting that Lyon finally gained recognition in Australia’s last Test match of the year. When he flighted and turned a ball that caught Stuart Broad’s edge to slip, Lyon was mobbed by his team-mates, his thinning hair tousled so vigorously that what remains of it was lucky to survive. The MCG’s monstrously large new scoreboard flashed the message that Lyon had just taken his 100th Test wicket. It did not highlight how great an achievement that was.No Australia offspinner has reached that milestone in the past 30 years. Only Hugh Trumble, George Giffen, Ashley Mallett, Bruce Yardley and Ian Johnson had ever done it. The spin cycle that began when Shane Warne retired seven years ago looked like it would run ad infinitum, slow bowlers used and abused, discarded after one or two Tests, some sent into retirement, others back to Sheffield Shield cricket.Australia have tried 13 specialist spinners since Warne. Lyon has taken 101 wickets at 32.23 in 29 Tests; the other 12 collectively managed 119 victims at 48.75 from 46 appearances. But for all of his Test success, Lyon has been an under-the-radar type. He has never been Man of the Match in a Test. He had never, until his 5 for 50 here at the MCG, taken five wickets in a Test match in Australia. He says little, is as economical with his words as with his bowling.

Lyon proud to be part of Australia attack

Nathan Lyon praised the influence of Australia’s captain Michael Clarke and his deputy Brad Haddin as he ended a year of challenges with his 100th Test wicket, and his first five-wicket haul in Australia.
Dropped twice in 2013, Lyon is now secure as the nation’s No. 1 spinner, a mantle he underlined by helping usher England’s latest collapse.
“I’m pretty happy,” Lyon said. “To be inside and outside the side is a massive challenge but I’m lucky to have a great captain, an awesome vice-captain and a really good relationship with both of them.
“To have their support’s been fantastic. I knew what I had to do and I knew if I kept trying to get better and really enjoy my cricket things would roll along well for me.
“I’m pretty proud of the achievement today but I don’t get the results I’ve got today without the fellow members in my team. To have Mitch Johnson, Ryan Harris, Pete Siddle, Shane Watson bowling at the other end helps me massively.
“I agree with Craig McDermott, our pace attack’s been fantastic, it’s probably up there with the best in the world right now. I’m lucky to be involved with them and if we keep bowling well in partnerships who knows where it may take us.”

But there was love for Lyon on the third day in Melbourne. Much love, and not just from his team-mates. As he ran back to field at fine leg during the afternoon, a beach ball lobbed on to the ground from the Olympic Stand. The security guard on duty collected it, sat on it, looked ready to burst it. Lyon signalled him to throw it back into the crowd. In the end, Lyon ran over, grabbed the ball from the guard and tossed it back to the raucous fans himself, winning a few thousand new friends.The Nathan Lyon of two years ago, perhaps even one year ago, would not have done that. When first picked for the Test side, Lyon was painfully shy in public. He is slowly coming out of his shell. When Australia were one wicket from victory at the WACA, Lyon was one of three or four players urging the crowd to get involved, signalling for them to cheer their team home. Hours later, he led an emotional rendition of “Under the Southern Cross”.Lyon was named by Michael Hussey as the song’s new custodian in January, but so miserable was Australia’s year that he did not have a chance to lead the chorus until November. He has now done so three times in three Tests, and his bowling on the third afternoon in Melbourne gave Australia a strong chance of making it four from four. His work cannot be underestimated. A 300-plus target would have been a challenge; the 231 they were set is very gettable.His drop did for Ian Bell, who didn’t get to the pitch of the ball and lofted a drive to mid-off. His dip also accounted for Ben Stokes, who also lifted a catch to mid-off. He got rid of Tim Bresnan and Broad, and most importantly Kevin Pietersen, who prides himself on going after the spinners. Lyon’s list of batsmen he has dismissed most in Test cricket now has Pietersen and Sachin Tendulkar at the top. Not a bad pair to have claimed four times each.It is hard to believe that only a year ago Lyon was struggling for wickets, though his figures in the last Australian summer were distorted by an unfair share of dropped catches and missed stumpings. In February he was attacked by MS Dhoni in Chennai and dumped from the next Test, replaced by Xavier Doherty and Glenn Maxwell. They failed, Lyon returned and took nine in the Delhi Test.Nathan Lyon reached 100 wickets in his 29th Test•Getty ImagesThat made him the incumbent spinner when the Ashes came around, but Australia’s desire to surprise England led to Ashton Agar making his debut at Trent Bridge. Two Tests later, the selectors realised their error and returned to Lyon. He duly took seven in Chester-le-Street, a performance that might have led to victory were it not for a collective panic attack from Australia’s batsmen.This summer Lyon has been in the side to stay. The spin coach John Davison has travelled with the squad, tutoring Lyon one-on-one in the nets in the lead-up to matches. Lyon has taken 16 wickets for the series, third behind Mitchell Johnson and Broad for this Ashes campaign. He outbowled his England counterpart Graeme Swann, a man Lyon had looked up to as a developing offspinner without doosras and other tricks.Swann retired with 255 wickets before this Test. Lyon emerged from it with 101 and a long future ahead of him. He doesn’t shatter stumps and bruise batsmen like Johnson and co. He rarely makes the headlines. He’s happy to be under the radar, just not to be underappreciated.

Otherwise known as part two of the Curiously Disappointing in a Particular Batting Position Test XI

Andy Zaltzman13-May-2014A reminder of the top five in this historic XI that will unquestionably lead to a deeper understanding of the human condition and, from this, world peace:1. Geoff Boycott – averaged 43.9 at number 1; 55.2 at No. 2
2. Mark Taylor – averaged 36.1 at number 2; 52.0 at No. 1
3. Norman O’Neill – averaged 32.0 at number 3; 57.4 at No. 4
4. David Gower – averaged 38.3 at number 4; 49.4 at Nos. 3 or 5
5. The Nawab of Pataudi jnr (captain) – averaged 26.2 at No. 5; 46.0 elsewhereNumber 6. Ian Botham (94 innings at 6, average 29.2; 54 innings at 5 or 7, average 44.8)
No. 6 was, unquestionably, Botham’s position. He owned it for as long as he was fit. Or, in the latter stages of his career, even partially fit, when injuries had taken such a toll that his aura had far better averages than his body. Botham is one of the first names on most all-time England XIs, a match-shaping force of nature, who, in his early years in Tests, was the most complete allrounder that cricket has produced. Botham at 6, plus ten others. In fact, if we are talking about a Botham in his magnificent, statistic-melting, and disappointingly short-lived pomp, you could pick Botham at 6, plus seven or eight others, just to give him a challenge.How do we explain then, that, of the 39 batsmen who have played 30 or more Test innings at No. 6, England’s greatest allrounder has the 38th best average, with only Dwayne Bravo (26.6) beneath him? Batting at 5 (average 53) and 7 (average 40), Botham compares well with the best the Test game has seen, albeit from relatively few innings. He clearly responded well when batting with the extra pressure of the number 5 position. And to the reduced pressure of coming in at 7.Number 7 & wicketkeeper: MS Dhoni (India; 97 innings at 7, average 30.8; 28 innings at 6 and 8, average 67.5)
Counting only innings at 6 and 8, out of the 411 batsmen who have played in those positions a minimum of ten times, Dhoni has the best average in Test history. He averages mid-to-high 60s in both positions. As a No. 7, however, where he has played more than three-quarters of his Test innings, he nestles in the statistical foothills, amongst the likes of less-garlanded and lower-earning wicketkeepers Ridley Jacobs, Prasanna Jayawardene and Rashid Latif, and only slightly ahead of his Indian predecessor Parthiv Patel. A statistical quirk of the highest order.It seems clear from these stats that Dhoni’s mind is focused by not batting in his listed position – it worked for him in the 2011 World Cup final, after all. He should be India’s official No. 11. Then, wherever he bats, he will be like a cross between Gilchrist and Bradman.Number 8. Graeme Swann (England; 13 innings at 8, average 12.5; 61 innings at 9 or 10, average 23.7).
I have bent the qualification criteria to include Swann, because his average as a No. 8 batsman, although garnered from only 13 innings, was what initially sowed the seeds for this blog. Statistically, Swann is Test cricket’s best ever No. 10, and second only to Broad as an England No. 9 (15 innings minimum in both cases). He was a magnificent striker of the ball, and played a number of important innings under pressure. Technically, you would assume there is no practical difference between batting at 8 and batting at 9 or 10. But Swann, in his innings at 8, has a highest score of 32, and had the fifth worst average of the 43 players who have batted at least ten times at No. 8 for England, behind Andy Caddick (who, conversely, averaged 14 at Nos. 8, 10 at number 9, and a pitiful 6.9 at No. 10).Was Swann a talented lower-order batsman who was most comfortable batting in positions that he was too good for? Was he good under certain types of match-play pressure, but not under the added expectation of batting as high as 8? Was Caddick a genuine tailender who, when asked to bat higher up the order due to England’s selectors opting for a tail-end that almost defied cricketing science in its ineptitude, reacted with determination and fortitude, spurred to play above himself by the responsibility thrust upon him? Or are they just the kind of numerical coincidences that cricket pukes out on a daily basis? Send your answers to the International Institute For Cricketing Psychology, c/o La Paz University, Bolivia.Oddly, Swann’s tweaking predecessor for England, Hedley Verity, one of his rivals to the claim of being England’s best ever tailender, suffered a similar failure to replicate low-order effectiveness in the loftier realms of the batting order. The Yorkshire war hero averaged 26.9 at 9 and 10, but only 14.5 at No. 8.Number 9. Ray Lindwall (Australia; 37 innings at 9, average 15.5; 33 innings at 7 or 8, average 29.2)
Lindwall’s bowling was so brilliant that his excellence with the bat is sometimes overlooked. The Eddie Hemmings of his day. The post-war paceman scored a 90-ball century in his fourth innings for Australia, batting at 9 at the MCG against England. For the rest of his career, however, he averaged under 13 when batting there, despite it being his regular position in the order. As a 7/8, however, he was statistically more effective than either Benaud or Davidson, both of whom are more highly regarded as allrounders.Number 10. Phillip DeFreitas (England; 13 innings at 10, average 4.6; 26 innings at 9, average 14.2; 21 innings at 8, average 21.1)
A decent No. 8; an acceptable No. 9; a truly abysmal No. 10. DeFreitas seemed to bat according to the expectations of his batting position. If England had grabbed hold of the promising 20-year-old DeFreitas who toured Australia in 1986-87, and told him to bat at 3 for his entire career, he would have been the new Wally Hammond.Number 11. Lance Gibbs (West Indies; 71 innings at 11, average 4.9; 31 innings at 9 or 10, average 10.3)
Despite a healthy proportion of not-outs, Gibbs was next to useless when going in last. He seemed to thrive on the added excitement and self-esteem of having someone even worse than him in the batting order.This XI will play a five-Test series against the forthcoming Confectionery Stall Brilliant In One Position Only XI, at some point in the next two months. Subject to (a) logistics; (b) TV money; (c) reversibility of retirement/old age/death; and (d) me writing the Brilliant In One Position Only XI.

Cook averages much more against spin than he does against pace. Whatever could it mean?

Andy Zaltzman08-Jul-2014I understand that one or two articles have already been written which preview the England v India Test matches, both on these esteemed virtual pages and elsewhere. The Confectionery Stall will therefore make a series prediction, then concentrate on one stat and various accompanying sub-stats, that may be of relevance to a crucial sub-contest that could shape the series: Alastair Cook (or, as he seems to have been renamed, The Under-Pressure Alastair Cook) versus the Indian seamers.PART 1: SERIES PREDICTION
England 2 India 1.PART 2: THE STATPART 2, SUBSECTION 1: PREAMBLE TO THE STAT
If India can continue the England captain’s cold streak, and expose the rest of England’s still largely unproven top order, they will have a good chance of victory. If Cook dominates them, as he did in 2012-13, they will have a very bad chance of victory. That said, last time India came to the undisputed home of European cricket (take that, Germany, and shove it up your football semi-final), they restricted England’s then skipper Andrew Strauss, as well as Cook himself, to one innings of over 40 each in the four Tests, and were still hammered like an uncooperative tent peg at a speed-camping competition.Amidst all the verbal kerfuffles that have accompanied England’s spectacular involuntary toboggan ride back down Mount Cricket, one question that is seldom, if ever, asked is this: Is Alastair Cook a natural opener?The obvious answer is: Yes. Of course he is. He looks like an opener. He bats like an opener. He even talks like an opener. He battles, accumulates, deflects and grinds. He was born an opener. His first words, at the age of nought days old, were: “Middle and leg please, midwife.” He is as much as opening batsman as Monty Panesar is a No. 11 – he could bat somewhere else, but it would seem absurd for him to do so.However, for such an apparently dyed-in-the-wool opening batsman, Cook generates one unusual statistic.PART 2, SUBSECTION 2: THE STAT
In Tests, Cook averages 40 against pace bowlers, and 66 against spinners.PART 2, SUBSECTION 3: THE SUPPORT STATS
You would not necessarily expect openers to have especially stellar averages against pace, as they have to face the new ball, and fresh bowlers. Often having had an unhealthily large breakfast. Or whilst suffering from a massive hangover. (The latter two difficulties, I admit, may be less prevalent at international level than in the village game.) Also, when openers do face spin, they will generally have played themselves in.However, the discrepancy between Cook’s averages against pace and spin is strikingly conspicuous when compared to the performances of other batsmen.ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball records began in May 2001. Since then, 22 players have scored 2000 runs as Test match openers. Taking all their innings in the recorded period (i.e. including when they have batted down the order, not just their innings as openers [for Statsguru-related logistical reasons]), Cook’s overall average of 46.1 places him sixth out of 22. His 40 average against pace puts him 14th; and his 66.0 average against spin is the best of the 22. Collectively, the other 21 average 43.4 against pace, and 47.1 against spin.So, compared with his peers, the other regular openers of the millennium, Cook has been 8% worse than average against pace, and 40% better than average against spin. Furthermore, the ratio of his average against spin compared to his average against pace – 1.65 – is the highest of the 22 batsmen.The two openers who most closely replicate Cook’s relative excellence against spin are Michael Vaughan (38.7 against pace, 62.7 against spin), and Chris Gayle (39.2 v pace; 60.4 v spin). Proving that style and statistics do not always go hand in hand. At the other end of the scale, David Warner averages 52.5 against pace (top of the 22), but only 33.8 against spin (21st). Perhaps surprisingly, Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya is one of the other five with a superior average against pace (along with Graeme Smith, Simon Katich, Andrew Strauss and Herschelle Gibbs).Cook has the best record against spin of any recent England batsman. Of the ten specialist batsmen or allrounders who have batted most often for England during the span of his career (Cook himself, Pietersen, Bell, Strauss, Prior, Collingwood, Trott, Flintoff, Root and Vaughan), Cook has the highest average against spin, but only the fifth-best against pace (Pietersen, at 46.2, has comfortably the best stats against opposition seamers).There are contributory factors that help explain Cook’s relatively unimpressive record against pace compared to his stellar numbers against the tweakers. He has frequently opened the batting in English conditions, has suffered a recent pace-aggravated slump, and has played some of his biggest innings in and against India. However, when judged against his English and international peers and contemporaries, Cook fares better against spin than against pace by a remarkable margin.PART 2, SUBSECTION 4: THE STATISTINTERPRETATION
What can be concluded from this? Possibly nothing. Such is the way with stats. Jonathan Trott (40.8 against pace, 62.3 against spin) has a similar statistical profile in this matter; perhaps these numbers are a simple result of them playing at a time when England have faced several potent pace attacks but few highest-level spinners.There has been little questioning of Cook’s batting over the course of his career. His stellar debut in India, and a strong first home Test summer in 2006, meant that his place in the team has seldom been under threat, even though for the best part of four years, until his fleeting selectorial crisis point against Pakistan in 2010, he generally performed usefully rather than outstandingly against the leading teams.Then, after a scratchy Oval hundred, came his abacus-melting 2010-11 Ashes, followed by a bumper series against the 2011 Sri Lankans, and a mammoth 294 against Dhoni’s disintegrating India. His place in the team has never been questioned since, although his performances in the past three years have been fitful (other than in that 2012-13 series in India). His captaincy began well, faltered a little, and then crumbled. His batting has followed a similar pattern, as it has with many captains before him. He is young enough and good enough to recover his form, although such things are not inevitable, and his troubles against pitched-up swing and seam bowling are not a recent development.So should Cook consider batting in the middle order? As an almost impregnable repeller of the world’s tweakers and twirlers, perhaps it is a move that he, and England, should one day contemplate. Sooner or, more likely, later. Or, more realistically, never. England have struggled enough to locate a long-term replacement for Strauss, without voluntarily making themselves find someone to step into Cook’s position as well.You could argue that Cook is an opening batsman in everything apart from statistics. He could be England’s Shivnarine Chanderpaul – a middle-order grindmeister, using the craft and skills honed over years of Test cricket to bind his team’s batting together, away from the menace of the new ball. (Since 2006, Chanderpaul has averaged 58 against spin and 63 against pace. Suggesting that he could also be West Indies’ Alastair Cook.)* Out of (possible) interest, some other batsmen with a distinct Cook-like preference for spin over pace (figures refer to Tests since May 2001): Rahul Dravid (44.7 v pace – 83.8 v spin); Jacques Kallis (51.7 – 90.9); Younis Khan (43.2 – 81.8); Mahela Jayawardene (43.3 – 72.6); MS Dhoni (30.7 – 60.1); Stephen Fleming (36.3 – 71.6).And some batters who, like Chanderpaul, buck the overall trend by averaging more against pace than spin: Mohammad Yousuf (61.3 v pace – 55.1 v spin); Ashwell Prince (48.3 – 34.0); Andrew Strauss (42.7 – 37.2); Herschelle Gibbs (50.4 – 37.2).* England’s much-trumpeted lack of a front-line spinner is unlikely to be a significant factor. In India’s last four away series, which have resulted in 10 defeats and two draws from 12 Test matches, the home team’s spin bowlers have taken 30 wickets at an average of 50, whilst their pace bowlers have taken 200 wickets at just under 23.

It is little surprise that a team which pulled out of a major bilateral tour only four months ago, and against India of all opposition, continues to be the subject of murmurings of further discontent

Andrew McGlashan in Nelson16-Feb-20152:37

If we bowl like this, we won’t win many matches – Sammy

Before play in Nelson, Curtly Ambrose shook hands with Mike Atherton. Two adversaries who produced many a great battle in the 1990s. That was the decade which began with West Indies still a powerhouse in world cricket, but by the end the decline had set in. Since then it has become almost passé to refer to the downward spiral of West Indies cricket.However, the speed of the unravelling has been alarming of late. These are desperate times. The World T20 title in 2012 was hoped to mark the beginning of something better, instead it is appearing increasingly like the final glory of a once great cricket nation.Among the saddest aspects of West Indies’ display in Nelson, without for a moment diminishing another glorious World Cup day for Ireland, was that West Indies’ performance was entirely predictable. Being especially harsh, the fightback from 87 for 5 was the unexpected aspect. If Darren Sammy’s first ball edge had not eluded the left hand of Paul Stirling at slip, it could have been very one-sided. He and Lendl Simmons, at least with the bat, looked like two players who did care.Sammy went as far as to say that West Indies had taken Ireland “for granted” with their performance in the field. “The batting partnership should have been motivation enough to go out there and want to run into the Irish,” he said. “We were lackadaisical in the field and we just thought ‘yeah, we scored 300 and are supposed to win’.”It is little surprise that a team which pulled out of a major bilateral tour only four months ago, and against India of all opposition, continues to be the subject of murmurings of further discontent. Their public pronouncements of unity and ‘the team’ are sounding increasingly hollow. The encouragement in the field as Ireland hurtled to their target came from a few rather than plenty.The ‘laid-back’ attitude of some – notably Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels – is often mentioned and regularly dismissed with the same ‘it’s the way they play’ manner as when batsmen keep picking out deep fielders. You could not have had a more stark contrast to the hustle of Ireland’s fielders to the shuffle of West Indians.Sammy talked of helping Jason Holder, the raw 23-year-old captain, but in truth he should still be the captain himself. He certainly does more than his fair share of cajoling and field setting. However, these experiences are draining even for someone of his exuberant nature.”When things are not going your way it’s always difficult to motivate yourself, but as a group you have to keep believing and we need to find some inspiration somewhere – and we need to find it quickly. I will always try to be positive, help our young captain, and hopefully the rest of the team could follow.”Talking on ESPNcricinfo’s Match Point show, Michael Holding asked why Holder was being burdened by the captaincy. There were glimpses today of his significant potential as a bowler. He was the most economical pacemen in the match, only to watch his fellow quicks plundered.His speed was up a notch from the tour of South Africa, where he rarely nudged 140kph, but he has some major technical issues to work on. Better to allow him to do that without having to coax a rabble onto the park.Not all fault is on the players’ side in the various problems that are inflicting West Indies cricket but the fractious nature of both sides only goes to highlight the deep divides that have opened up.There are many decisions of late that do not make much sense in West Indies cricket. There are strange goings on back in the Caribbean, even leaving aside the debate around Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard missing this tournament. No satisfactory explanation of the situation regarding Kieran Powell, for example, the opening batsman who appears at odds with the board and management over his status following a period of absence from the game.Then there is Sunil Narine who decided two days after taking 6 for 9 in the Nagico50 final that he was not confident enough in his action to go to the World Cup. What a hole he leaves in the side. Sulieman Benn’s back twinge was unfortunate timing but West Indies significantly misread the pitch in not playing left-arm spinner Nikita Miller, although neither of them come close to matching Narine in limited-overs cricket, and were out-thought by Ireland who had a brace of specialists plus a handy part-timer.Their problems were exacerbated by Sammy’s own back issues. He battled through it with the bat, regularly flexing during his 89, but the three overs were less than comfortable: painful bowling, painful viewing.”It’s one game,” Sammy said, a glazed look in his eyes, “we still believe.” It was words he had to say, but it was hard to know if he really believed them. Where West Indies go from here is difficult to say, but it would take a brave person to suggest it is a quarter-final of this World Cup.

Stats highlights from the first ODI between South Africa and West Indies, in Durban

Bishen Jeswant17-Jan-2015101 Innings in which Hashim Amla got to 5000 ODI runs, the fastest for any batsman. He broke the previous record of 114 innings, jointly held by Virat Kohli and Viv Richards. Amla also holds the record for being the fastest to 2000, 3000 and 4000 ODI runs.23 Jason Holder’s age (23yrs 72days), making him the youngest player to captain West Indies in any format of international cricket. The previous youngest was Jackie Grant who captained West Indies in a Test against Australia in 1930 aged 23 years and 217 days.6 Ducks scored by Rilee Rossouw in international cricket, the most by any top-order batsman (Nos. 1 to 7) since 2014. Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera has also scored exactly six ducks in this period. Rossouw has scored five of his six ducks in ODIs, from only ten innings.7.3 Vernon Philander’s economy rate in this ODI, his highest in a game where he has picked up a wicket. Philander returned figures for 3 for 44 from his six overs.2 Ducks scored by Faf du Plessis in his last seven international innings. He had not scored a single duck in the 108 innings prior to that.79.8 The average partnership between Amla and AB de Villiers in ODIs, the highest for any pair who have shared at least ten partnerships. They have scored 2473 runs in 33 innings. Amla and de Villiers posted a 99-run partnership for the third wicket in this match.5.8 South Africa’s run-rate during their innings of 279 in 48.2 overs. This is the fourth-highest run-rate for a team batting first at Kingsmead, Durban.

Anurag Thakur steadily ascended the BCCI’s ladder in the 2000s, and was the first sign of any opposition to N Srinivasan’s style of functioning during the IPL corruption scandal

Amol Karhadkar03-Mar-20152:32

‘Reposing faith in cricket most important’ – Thakur

While introducing BCCI’s new secretary Anurag Thakur, a television reporter talking to his camera said, “We have with us the newly-appointed BCCI secretary Anurag…” Thakur interrupted him and said, “Let’s do it again. I am elected, not appointed.” Politicians take pride in being elected, no matter what the election, and Thakur is no exception. A member of parliament and career politician, Thakur has become a familiar face in BCCI over the past decade, seasoned in its own dynamics.Barely 24 hours before voting in the election, as Jagmohan Dalmiya stood firm in his desire to contest the presidential post and turn down the offer of being a ‘patron-in-chief’, Thakur also happened to be the most sought-after man on both sides. At one point, N Srinivasan had offered Thakur a nomination for the BCCI presidency and the requisite support from East Zone to stand against Dalmiya, but the offer was turned down. Sharad Pawar’s men managed to retain Thakur as the face of their campaign, and the candidate for secretary’s post. On Thakur’s part it was an enormous gamble that paid off – by a single vote.A three-time MP from the Hamirpur constituency in Himachal Pradesh and the son of a former chief minister of the state, Thakur also happens to be the chief of the youth wing of the BJP, India’s ruling political party.Now 40, he steadily ascended the BCCI’s ladder in the 2000s, building on his work to bring international cricket to the stadium in Dharamsala. Thakur took over the reins of the HPCA in 2000, at the age of 25, and began to represent the association in the BCCI. Early on in his administrative tenure, he was embroiled in a controversy for having possibly become the first cricketer to have made his first-class debut after taking over as the president of the association. That debut enabled his induction into the national junior selection committee, satisfying the condition that only first-class players could be national selectors. Since then, Thakur has come a long way and has been joint secretary for the last three years. He had the credentials and ability but he could not get two supporters from the East Zone, whose turn it was to nominate the president till 2017, either by himself or through the Pawar lobby.Once he was elected as secretary, pipping holder Sanjay Patel, the staunchest Srinivasan loyalist, by a solitary vote, he did not want to talk about the elections “once they are over.” Asked why he’d settled for the secretary’s post when he had the chance of becoming president, Thakur said, “Let us rest that issue. The more important issue is how to resolve the controversies. And how to popularise the game from here on.”Ever since his induction into the administrative set-up as joint secretary, Thakur had been in the thick of action through Srinivasan’s controversial reign as the BCCI chief. As Srinivasan stubbornly continued to stick to his post despite the arrest of his son-in-law during the IPL corruption scandal, Thakur chose to remain as distant from him and his cosy club as possible. And as Srinivasan’s inaction over the issue concerning his son-in-law and his IPL franchise dragged on, towards the end of May 2013, Thakur had appeared on television channels asking the board to convene a meeting to take action. It was the first sign of any opposition to Srinivasan’s style of functioning.A few hours after being elected secretary, Thakur said he did not agree with the charge that the BCCI had been converted into a monopoly over the last three years. “We have an internal democracy. Every member is free to give his viewpoint. Yes, people in positions have to take decisions. But as far as the functioning of the BCCI is concerned, I think no one can say this that there was any dictatorship or monopoly. I think everyone had that freedom of speech as far as the BCCI members are concerned,” Thakur told ESPNcricinfo.Once the election was done, the seasoned politician in Thakur was determined to keep the flock together. He had no hesitation in admitting the game had lost its credibility during the last two years, but he said that he and Dalmiya would work towards restoring it. “We all are here to deliver in the interest of the game of cricket and to repose the faith [of fans] in the game, which is the most important [challenge],” Thakur said. “We will take every step required to take cricket to the next level. Cricket in the last few years has gone through a lot. We just want it to give it a new look. And with an experienced man like Mr Dalmiya with us and with a young team, we all are here to unanimously deliver, contribute in the interest of the game.”The Thakur-Dalmiya partnership is not a new one. While Arun Jaitley, India’s finance minister and a former BCCI vice-president, is his political guru, Thakur spent his early lessons as the prodigy of Dalmiya during the former ICC chief’s heydays. A little over a decade ago, when Dalmiya was running Indian cricket single-handed, Thakur used to be his blue-eyed boy. He was one of Dalmiya’s trusted lieutenants in the 2004 BCCI election, possibly the murkiest, when Dalmiya blocked Pawar’s entry into BCCI.The wheel is turning for Thakur – by the time the next BCCI election is held, in 2017, it will be North Zone’s turn to nominate a candidate. Thakur would be a frontrunner for holding the top post.

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2015Brendon McCullum kept his calm and played out a few quiet overs before stepping on the throttle•BCCIThough McCullum was clearly feeling the heat and humidity of Chennai, he didn’t hold back on his favourite shot – the paddle sweep – to bring up his fifty off 44 deliveries•PTI Faf du Plessis and McCullum put on 101 for the third wicket as Super Kings eyed a late surge•PTI The partnership ended with du Plessis being run out for 29 by Shane Watson in the 17th over•BCCIMS Dhoni and Dwayne Bravo added 28 in 15 balls to help Super Kings finish on 157 for 5•PTI Chris Morris was the pick of the Rajasthan Royals’ bowlers with figures of 4-0-19-3•BCCIRoyals’ lost Ajinkya Rahane in the sixth over while Watson kept dealing in singles and doubles•BCCIBut just when he looked to up the ante and lined up a straight six…•BCCIBravo plucked the ball out of mid-air and sent the fans at the MA Chidambaram stadium into delirium•BCCISuper Kings applied the squeeze through the middle overs via their left-arm spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Pawan Negi. Jadeja ended with figures of 4-0-11-4•PTI The incoming Royals batsmen perished trying to play the big shots and eventually ended up 12 runs short•PTI

Plus: oldest debut centurions, youngest to 9000 Test runs, and the highest completed innings without extras

Steven Lynch23-Jun-2015What is the smallest amount of play on any day in a Test match – maybe owing to bad weather, or because the match finished? asked Sreeram from India

The one that came to my mind first was the final Test of the 1936-37 Ashes series in Melbourne, when the fifth day started with England 165 for 8, still 200 short of avoiding an innings defeat. Australia wrapped up the match – and a unique come-from-behind 3-2 series win – when the left-arm spinner Chuck Fleetwood-Smith took the final two wickets with the first two deliveries of the day, in front of a crowd of around 12,000, admitted free.There are, however, two other instances of a day’s play lasting only two balls. In Georgetown in 1964-65, Lance Gibbs completed West Indies’ 212-run victory over Australia by dismissing Graham McKenzie second ball. And at Edgbaston in 1992 only two deliveries were possible on the second day of England’s Test against Pakistan because of rain (the first day had been completely washed out too). Pakistan’s opener Aamer Sohail did manage to score three runs in that time.There is one other instance of no runs being scored on a day in a Test where there was some play – at Adelaide in 1972-73, when it took Australia 14 deliveries to take the last Pakistan wicket to complete an innings victory in the first Test of the series.And there are two cases of a day’s play containing just one run. In Sydney in 1932-33, in the first Test of the Bodyline series, Australia – 164 for 9 in their second innings overnight, having just drawn level overall – lost their last wicket without addition, which left England needing one to win, which they scored off the first ball bowled. And at Old Trafford in 1976 England started the final day at 125 for 9, needing just 427 more for victory: they managed one before Mike Selvey was out.In the Test in Fatullah India had scored 259 runs – and Bangladesh had bowled 62.4 overs – before there was an extra – was this a record? asked Hemant Kher from the United States

I knew it wasn’t a record, as the highest completed innings without any extras at all was Pakistan’s 328 in 187.5 overs against India in Lahore in 1954-55. I wasn’t sure, however, about the highest total reached before an extra was recorded, so am indebted to Charles Davis, the Melbourne statistician, who tells me it came during India’s recent series in Australia. In their first innings in the third Test in Melbourne in December 2014, India had reached 402 before the first extra – a leg-bye off the fourth ball of the 106th over. In terms of overs bowled, in Johannesburg in 1957-58 Australia had faced around 149 eight-ball overs – the equivalent of 198.4 of six balls – before South Africa conceded the only extra of the innings, a leg-bye which took the score to 400 of the eventual 401. That innings included two no-balls, but as they were scored from they did not, under the regulations of the time, register as extras as they would now.I read that Adam Voges was the oldest man to score a century on Test debut. Who held the previous record? asked Mohammed Majendie from Pakistan

That’s right, Australia’s Adam Voges was 35 years eight months old when he completed his Test-debut century against West Indies at Roseau earlier this month. The previous record was held by Dave Houghton, who was about four months younger when he made 121 in Zimbabwe’s inaugural Test, against India in Harare in 1992-93. Before that the record had been held for around 45 years by Sussex’s Billy Griffith, who scored 140 for England after being pressed into service as an opener against West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 1947-48. Legend has it that Griffith, who later became MCC’s secretary, ran out his opening partner early on, and thought he’d better hang around to make up for it. He made only 17 runs in his other four Test innings. Australia’s Bert Collins (in 1920-21), Aminul Islam of Bangladesh (2000-01) and the English legend WG Grace (1880) were all 32 when they made a century in their first Test. Another England opener, Arthur Milton, was 30 when he did it in 1958.Now that Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s international career seems to have ended, who are the longest-serving current players in Tests and ODIs? asked Subramanian from Singapore

The recent recall of Harbhajan Singh, for India’s one-off Test against Bangladesh in Fatullah, gives him the longest span of any current player if you exclude Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Harbhajan made his debut against Australia in Bangalore in March 1998, so has lasted more than 17 years so far (and he’s still only 34). Chanderpaul’s Test career stretched just over 21 years from his debut in March 1994. Only 11 men have enjoyed longer Test careers; for the list, click here.The longest one-day international career of any current player appears to be nearly 16 years by Chris Gayle, who made his debut back in September 1999. Next comes Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik (debut October 1999). Three players who have appeared in ODIs in 2015 had longer careers, but announced their retirements from the format after the World Cup: Shahid Afridi (well over 18 years), Daniel Vettori (18 years four days), and Mahela Jayawardene (17 years 53 days). For that list, click here.Sydney Barnes has taken twin five-fors in a Test six times – a record•Getty ImagesAlastair Cook reached 9000 runs in the second Test against New Zealand. Is he the youngest player to reach this mark? asked Joel Pojas from the Philippines

Alastair Cook scored his 9000th Test run in the second innings against New Zealand at Headingley – and was then immediately out, giving him a nice round career figure to take into the Ashes series. He was 30 years 159 days old, 94 days younger than Sachin Tendulkar was when he reached the 9000 mark in January 2004. Ricky Ponting was 31 when he got there, and Jacques Kallis, Mahela Jayawardene and Graeme Smith all 32.Which bowler took two five-wicket hauls in a Test the most times? asked Amit Kumar from India

It’s no great surprise to find Muttiah Muralitharan on top of this list: after all he took 67 separate five-wicket hauls in his long Test career, nearly twice as many as the next man (Shane Warne, with 37). Murali took at least five in both innings on 11 occasions, his biggest haul being 16 for 220 (7 for 155 and 9 for 65) against England at The Oval in 1998. Warne took twin five-fors on five occasions, the same as Clarrie Grimmett and Richard Hadlee. But this illustrious trio are all shaded by the legendary England bowler Sydney Barnes, who did it six times – in just 27 Tests, in which he took 189 wickets at 16.43.