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Here come the effigies
By Will 4 months ago, 36 Comments »
Surprisingly delayed, but here come the effigies of the three doomed members of the Sydney Test: Ricky “boooo” Ponting; Steve “Edges” Bucknor. And Mark “give us a” Benson:
Here’s how to make your point. LOTS OF FLAMES AND FIRE AND BURNING THINGS:
I have to tip my hat to this one though. Inspired use of the roadside donkey:
All in all, a disgraceful turn of events. Let them abandon it and let them bugger off home. Just spoken to my Indian friend who diplomatically asked my opinions on it. I told him how India have dug themselves a hole, and continue to act as though Australia have nicked their dummy. He and his mates, all Indian, agree. I fear he and they are in the minority.
Get over it.
36 Comments »It is all very curious
By Scott 2 years ago, mid-December, 13 Comments »
New Zealand wrapped up the First Test against New Zealand, winning by five wickets. The final day was not without controversy, after Muttiah Muralitharan was run out in strange circumstances.
Kumar Sangakkara had brought up his century with a neat flick down to third man. Murali finished the run, and without waiting for the ball to become dead, he motioned up the pitch to congratulate his team-mate. He had only advanced a few paces when the ball was returned from the deep and wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum promptly removed the bails, running him out.
It was a harsh act and Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene protested it was against the spirit of the game, but New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming pointed out that had the ball gone for overthrows, Sri Lanka would have gladly accepted them.
I can understand Sri Lankan fans being disappointed but it is the responsibility of the batsman to protect his wicket. Watching the Ashes, I have noticed that batsmen on both sides now refuse to pick up the ball in situations where they might do so in a club game, precisely to avoid the possibility of a controversial situation arising. To me, the bottom line is that Murali didn’t value his wicket highly enough, and he paid the price.
Your views?
13 Comments »BBC close Test Match Special messageboard
By Will 2 years ago, mid-February, 6 Comments »
Just blogged this at the Surfer, and am posting it here very briefly - will comment on it later in the week when I have time, but it’s fairly big news. The BBC’s cricket messageboard, Test Match Special, has been closed due to a torrent of racist comments. The Times has more. Thoughts?
6 Comments »Peter Roebuck sledges India
By Scott 3 years ago, mid-December, 2 Comments »
How to win friends and influence people:
IT’S ABOUT time the Indian cricket community grew up. Inflammatory remarks, burning effigies, blocking roads and messages of hatred are not the sort of conduct expected from mature adults committed to their country and versed in the ways of life.
Seasoned observers understand that the world is a complicated place.
Obviously, the dropping of a beloved son from the Test team has been the hot topic of conversation. At least the fury confirms that cricket still matters in this country. Unfortunately, it also confirms that it’s at the mercy of the mob. Worse, recently elected officials have fanned the flames.
Roebuck is of course talking about the fuss being made about the dropping of Ganguly. While he is actually right in what he is saying, I do not agree with the condescending way in which he has said it. People in India are sensitive to being talked down by Oxford-educated white people. No doubt, Roebuck would consider himself to be a ’seasoned observer’, and should know better.
2 Comments »Chucking chuckers - Shabbir and Malik reported
By Will 3 years ago, mid-November, 7 Comments »
The big news today (which depresses me - an Australia-West Indies Test ought to be bigger news, but they’ve been routed. Again) is Shabbir and Malik have been reported for chucking. Well, chucking chuckers, who’d have thunk it?
7 Comments »Warne “publicly humiliated younger players”
By Will 3 years ago, at the end of April, 3 Comments »
Shane Warne will go down in cricket history as the greatest spinner the world will ever see. But, surely, his greatest feat has been in the enlivening of the game: he is a brilliant, absorbing entertainer who most cricket fans would pay to watch even standing at 2nd slip, or batting…let alone twirling his arm over. There’s no one like him.
With entertainment comes controversy: he’s been involved in several off-the-field problems with dodgy text messages, and dodgy women, and dodgy drugs and dodgy other things. However, today’s latest “Warne Shocka” involves him on the field, by a very bitter and upset Chris Adams. Adams claims Warne, with great intent, tried to “humiliate” a number of Sussex’s players in the recent (and exciting) county game. This is not good news, of course - if Adams is correct. But I can’t help feeling it’s one failed English batsmen’s cheap shot at one of the greatest players in history.
Sledging is par for the course. Some would say - me included - that the English game could do with a bit of edge to it, a bit of hard-arse play out in the middle. And as Adams admits, Warne was the perfect gentleman off the pitch:
Off the field he was outstanding and the first person to congratulate us and say what a great game it was, but I have lost a lot of respect for him because of the way he behaved in this match.
In his enthralling book, which I read a few months back, Shane mentions a Pura Cup match which had the rarity of having a number of then-playing Australian Test cricketers. (not got the book at hand - perhaps someone can fill in details if they know the players concerned). These Test cricketers had obviously become great mates over a number of years - and yet, the match itself was played harder and with greater intensity than a Test match. I think that sums up today’s storm in a tea-cup, unless Warne did indeed cross the “decency boundary” and went too far (but we’ll never know).
For once, the BBC almost jump off the fence to make a scathing remark. But they didn’t. So I’m interpreting it for them:
Adams, 32, played a handful of games for England in the late 1990s. Warne, 35, has a world record 583 Test wickets and will aim to add to that tally when the Ashes series starts at the end of July.
Precisely: Adams, grow up and grow some testicles. I’m sure Matt Prior, who is a potential ‘keeper for England this summer, will in retrospect be thankful of Warne’s “outburst”: he knows what to expect if he makes it to the Test arena! County cricket is still weak, and harbours weak individuals. Crack on, Warney.
3 Comments »