Thursday, August 25, 2005

World XI selection: a few raised eyebrows indeed!

While no team selection of this kind will not attract a wholesome debate, I do think that some of the selections and some non-selections do warrant some eyebrows. The selectors have not applied the same standards to all selections and that is of some concern. Were they selecting on the basis of current form or past records - this is not very clear.

There was always going to be a debtate with regards to the opening slot - Graeme Smith or Michael Vaughan - for opener and by default Captain. I guess the selectors chose Smith because he actually opens for his country whereas Vaughan would have been an makeshift opener. I guess there will be some murmurs also because of Smith's inexperience compared to the team that he is supposed to lead.

What is baffling is the inclusion of Shaun Pollock in both the one day and test sides. On current form, I am not sure he should have been in the 20. What is even more unbelievable is the fact that Inzamam-ul-Haq does not make it to either team. There is simply no reason - form or record - why he should not be there on either of the lists. One one hand people like Kevin Pietersen have been chosen on current form and on the other hand Sachin Tendulkar appears on both sides just by the dint of his past record - his current form has been abysmal.

What about old man Kumble - does he not have a decent record against the Aussies and has he not been winning matches against them lately? Vettori probably makes it to both squads to make up the NZ quota. Also, whats the reason that the South African team has 6 representatives across the two squads - last I heard they were not ranked in the top 3-4 in both forms of cricket. If you take out some of the South Africans - may be you have space for the likes of Inzy, Vaas and Kumble. Clearly, the South African selector on the panel had a stronger voice than anyone else. Not only do they have 6 players, they have both the captaincy slots also. Was'nt Shaun Pollock not considered fit to lead SA sometime back. How come has he become so good a leader so as to lead a World XI?

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

The Indian team loses because it lacks passion for the game!

One day cricket is played in the mind more than any other form of the game. Teams do not need to have the best talent to have a winning record. They just need players who have the deep desire to win. India lacks players who have this desire and it is reflected in its record in recent years. The team ostensibly has enough individual talent at its disposal, it does not have players with a passion for the game. This is the single most important issue that Greg Chappell has to contend with if he has to raise the performance of his new team.

Sri Lanka is clearly a team with a lot of passion for the game. Its players have a lot of heart as exemplified by Jayasuriya braving a broken shoulder to win the first one dayer in the tournament of the game. The passion shows up on the field as its spinners strangle batsmen with a nagging line and by bowling to a field - and more importantly the field responds by throwing itself at everything that leaves the bat. Without exceptional talent (with the exception of Murali and an over-the-hill Jayasuriya), this is the single most important reason why Sri Lanka is ranked number 2 on the one-day international ranking and India makes the bottom of the list of serious one-day playing nations. What is even more interesting is that the ranking of money made by cricketers would be the reverse. Indian cricketers probably at the top of the heap whereas Sri Lankan cricketers could probably be close to the bottom. The Sri Lankans clearly play for the love of the game. The Indians clearly have a big distraction that probably leaves them less passionate for the game.

Monday, August 08, 2005

Ashes Second Test: Unbelievable finish sets series up!


The World Champions will not give in easily! What was a foregone conclusion turned out to be nail-biter of enormous proportions. Was Kasper out or not, is debtatable as the picture shows, but his stand with Brett Lee will go down in history as one of the most astonishing last-minute stands in the history of the game.

The next test will not have McGrath once again. But I expect to see Australia firing. England will have its own worries also. Their batting has only fired in one out of 4 innings played in this series thus far. Vaughan, Bell and to a lesser extent Strauss have had problems getting runs on the board. Hence, if Pietersen and Freddie have off-days with the bat, they could have problems putting a decent size score on the board. Also Old Trafford is a happy hunting ground for Warne - he would not mind going after the England line-up which does not appear to have overcome their issues with Warne yet. Yes, he will surely reach 600 wickets and get lots more there!

Friday, August 05, 2005

Ashes Second Test: No McGrath, no teeth in Aussie fast bowling attack!

In my previous post I had mentioned that it would be interesting to see what happens if McGrath or Warne are not in action in any of the tests in this Ashes series. Lo behold, McGrath decided to step on a ball and tear his ligaments minutes before the second test. On the evidence of the play in the second test so far, this single piece of unexpected news not only leveled the playing field but actually tilted the balance in England's favor even before the first ball was bowled.

Psychologically, England were a different side in the first innings. The openers were clearly more confident and that showed in the 100 plus opening stand. The rest of the batting were very positive and that was evident in the 5 plus run rate witnessed across the stretch of the England innings. Since it was the first day, the wicket did not assist Warne as much although he was good enough to take 4 wickets on an opening day wicket.

For England, Kevin Pietersen continues to impress not only with his shot making ability but also with his temperament. I fail to understand how Ian Bell was a certain selection ahead of him and Thorpe. England would have been better served if they had the experience of Thorpe to go along with the exuberance of Pietersen. Flintoff return to batting form was a big plus for England. Now that they have 400 plus runs on the board, England has the advantage and this does make for an interesting battle ahead in the second test.