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    Articles tagged as: john-stern

    Dave and Beefy

    By Will 3 months ago, Comments

    Enjoyable spottage from John Stern:

    As a piece of electioneering, it was a pretty feeble effort. David Cameron, leader of the Conservative party, was at Lord’s yesterday showing off his alleged cricketing credentials to Test Match Special listeners. He was just about to enter the TMS commentary box when he noticed Sir Ian Botham pacing back and forth earnestly, mobile phone clasped to ear, outside the neighbouring Sky Sports TV booth. Cameron stopped and waited until he could make eye contact with the great man. Then he bowed sycophantically in the manner of a courtier to a royal. But there was not a flicker – even of recognition – from Botham who simply carried on his phone conversation. I suspect he’ll always be a Maggie man.

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    It’s Sreesanth, not Sreesunth

    By Will 2 years ago, mid-March, Comments

    Sreesanth, the India fast bowler, is my latest favourite player. Not because of his cricketing credentials, but for his name. Sreesanth. It’s singular; his first name is too long and complicated (it’s Shanthakumaran if you must know) and I have a curious liking for names and words and things.

    I don’t know why…it’s probably because it’s so uncommon in Britain to be known nationally by your last name. Only if you’re a celebrity, and usually not a very good/popular/talented one, are you afforded notoriety by your surname. In the subcontintent, it’s common!

    Anyway, I really am talking some rubbish here. The point of all this is highlighted by John Stern who, as I have mentioned before, is writing a diary for us at our Tour Diaries blog. And today’s entry should provide great reading for those of you interested into the world of a cricket journalist (John’s the Editor of The Wisden Cricketer):

    But after leaving his seat and made for the exit, he promptly returned to the microphone-laden table. “I want to make an announcement,” he said. Comments like that lead to wild and excitable speculation. Journalists could see their careers flashing before their eyes. Is this the big one?

    “I would like everyone to know that my name is Sreesanth. That’s S-R-E-E-S-A-N-T-H. Thank you.”

    You what? We don’t do jokes ten minutes before deadline. Was it a joke? Not a very funny one clearly. Apparently, there had been a misspelling of Mr Sreesanth’s name (there was a U instead of an A, if you must know). And he’s not amused. But the culprits have been apprehended and they will be facing him and Munaf Patel in the nets tomorrow.

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    Stern blogs

    By Will 2 years ago, mid-March, Comments

    Much to his amusement, John Stern, the Editor of The Wisden Cricketer, can now be called a blogger. He’s kindly offering his thoughts over at our Tour Diaries blog while in India for the third Test. Check it.

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    The far from super ICC Super Series

    By Will 3 years ago, at the start of October, Comments

    It’s really not been all that super, has it? John Stern, editor of The Wisden Cricketer in his column, Stern Words, wrote before this series:

    Australia will be so up for it as to make the contest potentially one-sided despite the obvious talent they will be facing. Had Australia beaten England, the chances are that the World XI players might have fancied it more than the Australians. The opposite now seems to be true.

    While the matches haven’t been wholly one-sided, Australia have certainly outplayed World XI who, as a team, lack the intensity that a group of players (a “team”) who represent a country usually have. It’s a shame, though; Lara, Flintoff, Sangakarra, Shoaib, Gayle…some fine, fine players. And my boss made a good point about the trouble the series faces; we see so much cricket these days that we’ve become spoilt for choice. The tasty prospect of picking Murali’s doosra isn’t a rare enough occasion to get excited about. Lara? Christ, I’ve seen him bat more than some of England’s players.

    So what can the future of a “world series” hold? After England’s memorable summer, Australia - the caged animal, as John said - has fought back, determined to show the world that they are indeed the best. Better than all the rest, as (and I shudder that I know this) Tina Turner once said. But these two victories are a feeble attempt at confirming their waning authority as cricket’s leaders, not that that is Australia’s (or Cricket Australia’s) fault.

    It’s the fault of the Ashes. Damn this summer, and damn all that participated; any other cricketing contest now seems weak and watery in comparison.

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