The start to his career had not always been easy, but Tom Maynard’s development hinted at a future at the top level

George Dobell18-Jun-2012Sometimes it is in the most emotional moments that a man’s character is most apparent. Returning to Cardiff in April 2011, just months after he and his father, the former England and Glamorgan batsman Matthew, had departed under acrimonious circumstances, Tom Maynard recorded his maiden first-class century.While some may have taken the opportunity to settle scores, Tom Maynard took the chance to praise his family and build bridges. “I’d like to dedicate that innings towards the family rather than anything malicious towards the management,” he said. For a 22-year-old bristling with emotion and pride, it was a remarkably gracious reaction. It was telling, too, that even in the aftermath of Maynard’s departure, no one at Glamorgan uttered a negative word about him. He had handled an impossible situation perfectly: with honesty, loyalty, firmness and restraint. In a situation from which few emerged with credit, Tom Maynard shone.Maynard was, no doubt, as flawed and confused as any young man finding his way in the world. Only fools and obituary writers look for perfection. But he also had bountiful positive qualities, and as that innings and his reaction afterwards showed, innate class on and off the pitch. His loss casts a long shadow over English and Welsh cricket.Tom Maynard, who has died aged 23, was born to play cricket. Steeped in the game from birth, just nine months after his father’s Test debut, he used to accompany his dad into the Glamorgan dressing room from his early years, and progressed smoothly through the club’s youth system to earn his place in that same dressing room through talent. He attended Millfield School, played county 2nd XI cricket at 16, first-class cricket at 18, and on List A debut, thumped a run-a-ball 71 against Gloucestershire. He hit the ball hard, cutting and pulling with the same panache as his father, but was perhaps blessed with an even better ability to play straight. He was brilliant in the field.His progress was not always as smooth – he averaged just 19.16 in first-class cricket in 2009 and 27.50 in 2010 – and struggled, initially at least, in alien conditions on last winter’s England Lions tour to Bangladesh.But having left Glamorgan for Surrey at the end of 2010, when his father’s position as coach was rendered untenable after the club management imposed a new captain against his will, he began to add consistency to his undoubted flair. It was no coincidence that Surrey won County Championship promotion and the CB40 title in his first season. Like a seed transplanted from rocky ground to rich, he soon excelled on the better pitches and in a high-achieving environment. His final first-class average – just 32.65 – may look modest on the surface, but it is surely relevant that his first-class average for Surrey – 42.48 – was almost double that for Glamorgan – 21.38. This season, on testing pitches and against Division One attacks, he increasingly displayed the calm shot selection and the calculated aggression of a special talent. His was a life and a career just about to flower.Maynard passed 1000 first-class runs for the first time in 2011, scoring a match-winning century in the final Championship match to help his side secure promotion. He was also the club’s leading scorer in T20, with 392 runs at a lofty average of 43.55 (only two men had higher averages in the country) and he replaced Mark Rampakash in the Surrey one-day side. He flourished in all three formats of the game.His future would, no doubt, have been filled with the highs and lows, the triumphs and disappointments that make up any life. Young people do not come with guarantees, but Maynard had everything it takes – the talent, the temperament, the technique and the environment – to have played for England with distinction for many years. It seemed he had a golden future.It was not to be. While the details of Maynard’s death remain unclear, it may prove, in time, that the tragic circumstances of the final chapter in his life and the somewhat prurient reaction to it in some circles, reflect more on our society than they do on the deceased. A 23-year-old man may want for many things; hope should never be one of them.The cricket community is not large and the pain of this loss will be felt widely. Not just at Surrey and Glamorgan but in the England set-up and beyond. The tragedy seems all the more acute for the contrast with Maynard’s obvious vitality: his youth; his potential as a sportsman and a man. Put simply, he seemed so full of life. So full of potential.Some in the dressing room at the time felt that the shock and grief of Ben Hollioake’s death in 2002 was a huge contributory factor in Surrey’s subsequent struggles. It was not spoken about publicly for fear that cynics might presume it was being used as an excuse. But the Surrey and Glamorgan dressing rooms of 2012 will also struggle for equilibrium. They will want the world to stop for a while. They have lost a team-mate and a friend.More importantly, a family has lost a son. You don’t need a weatherman to tell you, this has been a bitterly harsh summer.

Kolkata Knight Riders, the most consistent team so far in IPL 2012, face their toughest challenge yet against the two-time champions, who have peaked at just the right time

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan26-May-2012Advantage defending champions
In a tournament characterised by fluctuating fortunes and unpredictable results, the presence of Chennai Super Kings in the final seems to be the only constant. A week before the playoffs, Super Kings had to depend on multiple results going their way and were nearly out of the reckoning. However, an extraordinary sequence of results followed by two impeccable performances ensured that Super Kings qualified for their third consecutive final, the second in Chennai. Super Kings’ batting struggled for much of the tournament but came good when it mattered most. In their two playoff matches, against Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils, they amassed huge totals of 187 and 222. Super Kings, easily the most consistent team across the five seasons, have reached four finals; the only time they failed to was when they lost the semis to Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2009.Kolkata Knight Riders had a very different path to the final. Knight Riders finished second in the league, behind Daredevils, and comfortably won their qualifier against them in Pune to reach the final.played the fewest games among teams in the top-four, finished with the best win-loss ratio of 2.20 (11 wins and five losses).They did not dominate at home but were outstanding in away matches, winning eight of the nine games. Their average difference (difference between batting and bowling averages) and run-rate difference (difference between batting run-rate and bowling economy rate) are the best among the top four teams. In their last two games, Super Kings scored 409 runs at a run-rate of 10.22 and restricted their opponents to a scoring rate of 7.73. Their batting average in the last two games was 40.90 while that of the opposition (both games combined) was just 15. Super Kings started their season with an ordinary run in Chennai but restored their supremacy at home by winning their previous three matches and five of the last six.Playing their first final, Knight Riders, one of only three teams to have beaten Super Kings in Chennai this season, will bank on their superb away record and all-round consistency.

Super Kings’ middle order a major threat
For most of the tournament, Super Kings top order was kept afloat by Faf du Plessis. With M Vijay out of touch and Suresh Raina struggling, the middle order was under pressure often. The arrival of Michael Hussey provided more stability at the top and helped Vijay rediscover the form that made him dangerous in IPL 2011. Super Kings’ middle order has always had a powerful look about it with MS Dhoni, Albie Morkel and Dwayne Bravo capable of changing the course of a match in a few overs. Knight Riders’ batting fortunes have revolved around Gautam Gambhir, who is the second highest run-getter in IPL 2012. The presence of Brendon McCullum and Yusuf Pathan does add to the threat. Super Kings’ top-seven batsmen have scored at a slightly higher average (26.74) and run-rate (7.60) compared to their Knight Riders counterparts. While Knight Riders’ batsmen average similarly against pace or spin, Super Kings have done better against spinners in terms of average. However, Knight Riders’ scoring rate against spinners (6.81) is still higher than the corresponding number for Super Kings.*

Super Kings’ remarkable batting performance in the last two games has meant their run-rate in the first six overs has gone up appreciably. Knight Riders have a slightly better run-rate (7.41) during that period but a lower average (35.60). However, on the bowling front, Knight Riders have been the better team in this period. Their average and economy rate (29.45 and 6.75) are well ahead of the figures for Super Kings (38.75 and 7.59 respectively). In the middle (overs 7-14) period, there is hardly anything to choose between the two teams. While Knight Riders have a slightly better batting average, Super Kings are marginally ahead on the scoring rate. Super Kings have a number of quick-scoring batsmen in the middle order and this is reflected in their high run-rate in the final six-over period (9.66). Knight Riders, however, are ahead when the bowling stats are compared. In the last-six overs, they have a better average (13.48) and economy rate (7.86) compared to Super Kings, who concede close to nine runs per over.

Narine puts Knight Riders well ahead on spin front
Before the game against Daredevils, R Ashwin had managed only five wickets at home in the season. Defending a huge total, he was able to bring out his variations and finished with excellent figures of 3 for 23. In what is likely to be a contest between two teams with excellent spin attacks, Knight Riders have the edge because of Sunil Narine, who has not gone for more than 29 runs in a completed spell. Not only is his haul of 24 wickets in the tournament the second highest, his economy rate of 5.20 is also the best by a distance. Spinners have taken a higher proportion of wickets for Knight Riders (42 out of 92) than for Super Kings (36 out of 89). Super Kings’ pace bowlers, led by Ben Hilfenhaus, have done better than Knight Riders’ fast bowlers against right-handers on the wickets and average front. Knight Riders’ fast bowlers have more wickets against left-handers than Super Kings’ pace bowlers but have a higher average and economy rate. On the spin front, Knight Riders dominate the stats. Against right-handers, they have a far better average (17.21) and economy rate (6.14) as compared to the figures for Super Kings’ spinners. The difference is larger against left-handers. Super Kings’ spinners only managed seven wickets at an average of 44.71 and economy rate of 7.30, while Knight Riders’ spinners have excellent figures of 14 wickets at an average of 19.64 and economy rate of 6.02.

Bravo’s all-round display tilts the scales
It can be argued that Daredevils’ move to keep Morne Morkel, the highest wicket-taker in IPL 2012, out of the starting XI, was a huge mistake. That they did so to accommodate Andre Russell emphasises the value of an allrounder. Jacques Kallis, who has had an ordinary season with the bat by his standards, has raised his level with the ball. With the bat, he averages 22.66 at a scoring rate of 5.07 but Kallis has taken 14 wickets at an average of 26.35 and economy rate of 7.38. For Super Kings, not only has Bravo contributed vital runs in the final overs but he has also bowled economically at crucial stages. Presently, he is the second highest run-getter this season, behind du Plessis, and their highest wicket-taker.Shakib Al Hasan has been below par as a batsman but impressive as a bowler (11 wickets at an economy rate of 6.29). Super Kings’ spin-bowling allrounder Ravindra Jadeja has outperformed Shakib with the bat (191 runs at an average of 15.91) but has been more expensive with the ball (economy rate of 7.82). Albie Morkel, who has had mixed success in IPL 2012, came good when it mattered in the league game against Royal Challengers, taking 28 runs off the penultimate over to deliver Super Kings victory in a difficult chase. Yusuf has hardly matched his success in the previous seasons but performed in the qualifier against Daredevils by scoring 40 off 21 balls. He has, however, been underused with the ball in this tournament, bowling only 21 overs and taking three wickets at an ordinary average and economy rate (55.00 and 7.85 respectively).

Another big hundred, important wickets and safe hands – Jacques Kallis is finally getting some of the credit he deserves

Firdose Moonda25-Jul-2012Jacques Kallis had waited 143 Test matches and 15 years to score his first double hundred. It was thought of as the only thing he could not do. When it eventually came, against India in Centurion at the end of 2010, most expected a flood of twin tons to follow. They were not far wrong.The second was scored just seven matches later and the third was not far off coming up on Sunday at The Oval. Had it done so, it would have been Kallis’ third double in 10 Test matches.With South Africa leading by 252, an advantage that would cushion them but could still be plumped, and the England attack meandering, there did not seem to be a reason Kallis would not get there. Unexpectedly, he was denied, left on 182. Graeme Smith made a positive declaration after consulting with Kallis, who gave his blessing that he would sacrifice an individual accolade for the team goal.A day later, Kallis and Gary Kirsten, South Africa’s coach, were tasked with the post-match media session after an emphatic win. Kallis was asked about the current South Africa bowling attack and how he ranked them compared with packs of the past.”In terms of variations, it’s right up there, as good as we’ve had,” he said. “We’ve got Vernon who puts the batsmen under pressure, we’ve got Dale Steyn’s pace and swing, we’ve got Morne with his bounce and we’ve got Immi [Imran Tahir] as a legspinner, which we haven’t had for a long time, to add attacking value, so we’ve got a nice balance.”Kallis ended his assessment there but Kirsten interrupted him. “And then we’ve also got some guy who has taken 280-odd Test wickets, I can’t think of his name,” the coach said, nudging Kallis in jest. Kallis only smiled.As one of the most under-appreciated players of his generation, he is used to being forgotten about when greats of the game are discussed. Occasionally a debate will spark that compares Kallis with Garfield Sobers, Ian Botham or Imran Khan and none is clear favourite for the ‘greatest allrounder’ tag. Even if there was a conclusion, Kallis wouldn’t care to know. He maintains that comparisons over different eras are irrelevant because “we play so much cricket these days”, and statistics may only mean something to him when he retires.Had he said something like that a few years ago, he may not have been believed because he was seen as man who played for himself before others. At the 2007 World Cup in particular, Kallis did all he could to portray himself as that type of person. He single-handedly turned the speeding car of a chase against Australia in the group stages into one whose engine had stalled.Perhaps it was performances like those that kept Kallis from earning the praise he deserved but in recent years the stodginess has smoothed. Evidence of that can be gleaned from something as simple as Kallis’ strike rate. In five of the last six years, he has managed to keep it over 50 in Test cricket, having been a steady lower 40s before that. Included in that period has been his fastest century.There is an interesting correlation between the time when Kallis started scoring quicker and his contribution to South Africa wins. Ten of his 19 hundreds scored since June 2006 have been in winning causes; before that, 11 out of 24 hundred contributed to victories. His new-found vitality in run-scoring has extended as far as earning him a recall to South Africa’s T20 squad, from which he was dropped in 2010.Along with his batting, Kallis has always made a telling but often overlooked contribution with the ball. To say he was quicker when he was younger, would be incorrect. He remains able to bowl at around 145kph, especially as his workload has been steadily decreased. While he once had to shoulder the considerable burden of being a wicket-taker, he now acts as a balancer to the other attacking options around him.Jacques Kallis showcased his all-round abilities in South Africa’s crushing win•Getty ImagesThat is not to be mistaken for saying Kallis is the holding bowler. He is the multi-faceted one. At times, he is called on to give the others a break and contain, at others as the reserve armoury, to come out and strike when no-one else and usually it works. At The Oval, it was Kallis who made the crucial breakthrough late on the first day when he removed Kevin Pietersen with a bouncer – one of the few short balls South Africa bowled on a sluggish track that day.Had England’s premier batsmen survived into the next morning, the match may have played out in completely different fashion. But Kallis changed the course of that and although he does not need that to recognised as a turning point, it ended up being one of the most significant.Ian Bell acknowledged it when he said: “Kallis on day one was important, when the ball swings he is as good as anyone in the world.” James Anderson paid homage to him in the London , saying Kallis “gives great balance to their team as a fourth seamer and he is one of the greatest batsmen there has ever been but somehow doesn’t quite get the credit for it.”That has been the story of Kallis’ career for as long as it has lasted. For more than ten years, from 2000 to late 2011, he was ranked the top allrounder in Test cricket. He lost that status to Shakib Al Hasan a few months ago and shrugged it off as no big deal. Today, Kallis regained that spot.Many will say rightfully so, after he conquered the one territory he had not been able to reach in the past. A century, an incisive showing with the ball and his usual safe hands in the slips have shown why Kallis’ all-round abilities are vital to South Africa’s quest to reach No.1 in England.

Sachin Tendulkar talks about the year ahead for India, and the need to stay in love with the game

Interview by Sai Mohapatra11-Jul-2012You are not part of the squad that is going to Sri Lanka. Are you at a stage where you can actually pick and choose between series, looking at the kind of workload you are in for – big series coming up next, England and Australia?
No. I basically requested the BCCI that I wanted to spend some time with my family. That’s the only reason I’m not going. This is school holiday time for my children. I don’t get to spend much time with them. Looking at the rest of the calendar, it becomes difficult, and to match that with them bunking school to spend time with me… And after this for about next ten months they will not be able to spend enough time with me. So I made a request for a break.After the World Cup you said you don’t have any batting aspirations anymore. Don’t you want to prove anything to anyone?
I never wanted to prove anything to anyone ever. Not that it is only post-World Cup, because that would send wrong signals. I never thought I am out here to prove anything to anyone, but yes, one big target was winning the World Cup. Other than that my only aim was to enjoy the game of cricket. I have grown up playing cricket. I haven’t done anything else in my life from a professional point of view. Cricket has been my life, my passion. I just want that to continue.You have pretty much ticked all the boxes – part of a World Cup-winning squad, India winning series abroad… A phase for you to now go out and just enjoy yourself and nothing else?
Yes. Even while doing that – playing cricket in various countries – I had fun, but when you win it gets even sweeter.You take a lot of pride in playing for your nation. I have that terrific feeling and privilege of playing for India for the last 23 years and it’s been a fantastic journey. I have no complaints at all. There have been ups and downs, and it makes you a better and strong person, it teaches you so many things in life around cricket, just as a person.There has been an evolution in your batting, from an ultra-aggressive batsman to controlled aggression. Are there times when you think of possibly going back to some of your best years – 1998 etc – and telling yourself “I want to live that life all over again”? Deep down is there an internal competition there?
Yes, every season you always feel towards the start of the season: How do I approach the season? What is it that I can bring to the team? And this year it’s no different. Always I want to do something special with the bat and to do something which I look back at after a few years and say, “Yes the season was a great one.”For any player who has played for 23 years, there are several impediments – injury, loss of form, lack of motivation, fatigue. What do you reckon you need, to be able to be at the top of your game? What is that you need to guard against?
In my case, lack of motivation was never a problem. I can’t speak for anyone else. From a cricketer’s point of view, you’ve got to be madly in love with cricket. Once cricket has started from your heart – for first it needs to have a solid foundation in your heart – and gradually from that solid foundation I believe you start building as you grow up, start playing more matches, play better standard of cricket; then gradually it finds its way to your brain and you start figuring out how to score runs and how to take wickets. But if cricket is not in your heart then results are not that great.Rahul Dravid quit recently, and before that some of your contemporaries like Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly quit too, leaving you in a situation where you play with a number of youngsters. How important is it for you to invest in relationships, to get partnerships going with them?
It’s important to know each other’s nature, each other’s personality, how they react to various situations, and it only helps when you have made an understanding in guiding each other when you are batting. You need that guidance, good communication, to build partnerships. And it is there. I have played with the current lot for some time, and there was one stage when I was already a part of the Indian team for six years when Rahul and Sourav joined me. So in every generation this process has to take place. I can say that I have played with all of them, so that understanding is very much there.VVS Laxman and you are perhaps the last two remaining of that old school, for whom Test cricket is top priority. When you look at the current lot, who do you reckon the responsibility lies on to take your legacy forward?
To make someone like Test cricket, it has to [come from] within. There is no set formula that you have to do certain things and then you start liking Test cricket. I grew up dreaming about playing for India – that was the biggest thing I wanted to achieve: to play Test cricket for India and to do well. Every practice session I went out, I was prepared to work as hard as any of my coaches wanted me to; the only thing I wanted was an India cap. If anyone is prepared to do that, I would love to have him in my team.

“Always I want to do something special with the bat and to do something which I look back at after a few years and say, “Yes the season was a great one”

Yes, maybe there are individuals around who feel, “If I don’t play Test cricket I don’t miss much.” You need not force them into [something] they don’t want to be. If someone wants to be [in Test cricket] then he will find his way, will be ready to push himself as hard as anyone to realise his dreams. I don’t like to push someone to like Test cricket and make him like Test cricket forcibly. I would just keep those two individuals separate.More than the talk about having a batting vacuum once you and Laxman eventually quit, possibly a bigger problem for India is not having a great bowling combination. You need a pack of bowlers who can consistently take 20 wickets to win you matches. Isn’t that the bigger challenge for India?
Yes, to win matches outside, you need an all-round good side. You need to, for sure, pick up 20 wickets. You might not have to use 20 wickets while batting to win matches but you have to pick up 20 wickets while bowling – there is no short cut, no option. All I can say is that it just can’t be good batting and bad bowling and vice versa. Also, backed by good fielding.I remember we played a Test match in Zimbabwe in 2001-02, and we won, in Bulawayo, where not a single hundred was scored,
not a single five-wicket haul was taken by any of our bowlers, so that was a clear-cut indication of good team work. So in all departments you need to make sure you have done your job.Everybody is waiting for another debut for you – as a Member of Parliament. How are you looking at that responsibility? You have always stayed away from controversy – no distractions, only focused on your cricket. But if at all it comes to taking up a stand, be it political or otherwise, are you in a position to do that?
I look at it as an honour – it’s a nomination; I have not fought an election. When your name gets nominated by the president of India… I have been nominated because of my contribution to cricket for the last 22 years, which has brought me here. I cannot ignore that all of a sudden. I am an active cricketer, I will be focused on cricket. But when the time is right I will look into all those things.This is something new to me. It’s not that I will overnight bring in a lot of changes and be involved in various things. I don’t want to give that impression to anyone. I will be focused on cricket for sure.Up next are two big-ticket series – England’s and Australia’s tours of India, and New Zealand’s tour of India before that. With a good show at home, India realistically has a great chance of regaining the No. 1 ranking. How much does becoming No. 1 again mean to you?
We can’t get that far ahead and start thinking of being No. 1 again. Yes, everyone wants to be No. 1 but there are certain steps that you need to take. You can’t forget the process. First we play New Zealand, so we are going to be focusing only on New Zealand and nothing else. And then the England and Australia series. We can’t jump to the month of March; that way you lose your focus.To be focused on the present is the most important factor, and that is what not only me but the entire team would want – to achieve those results which will make us smile. Everyone is expecting that we will give our best, entertain everyone with good competitive cricket. This interview was conducted in Herzogenaurach, Germany, at the headquarters of Adidas, where Tendulkar placed the shoes he wore during his 100th century in the Adidas walk of fame

Ajit Agarkar, Mumbai’s new captain, on what leading a team with such a successful history means to him

Interview by Amol Karhadkar03-Nov-2012Ajit Agarkar: “You would want Wasim [Jaffer] to be around all the time. That’s a massive hole to fill. But you’ve got to lead with what you have.”•FotocorpWhat does leading Mumbai mean to you after being around for 16 seasons?
Big honour. An absolute honour. You just have to look at the names who have led Mumbai earlier and you know what it is like. And a great challenge too – to follow in their footsteps.Has it been difficult to motivate yourself to come back and slog it out on the domestic circuit after being an India regular for almost a decade?
It’s not easy, honestly. Motivation is not at all a problem. As long as you love running in with the ball in your hand, you enjoy. It’s a bit difficult to return to where it started from after not being around for almost 10 years. It’s not easy to go through the paces all over again. But if you really enjoy playing the game, all other things take a backseat. You just tend to forget everything else, enjoy yourself and try and help your team as much as you can.Last year, you were in the news for all the wrong reasons. Have all the problems been sorted out with the coach Sulakshan Kulkarni?
Life moves on. You don’t hold anything against anyone in a team sport. Anyway I led [in] the one-dayers and the Twenty20s last year, so that’s not an issue at all now.So would you say that both of you have moved on like two mature individuals?
The team comes first. That’s what we in Mumbai cricket are taught as a kid first up. And that’s why it’s such a wonderful sport. To have 11 or 15 individuals coming together and aiming towards the better of the team makes it special. So what suits the team best is what suits you as a member of it and that’s what we have done.Due to the Champions League Twenty20, you haven’t been able to spend a lot of time with youngsters in the team. Have you managed to do one-on-ones with all of them?
Not really. We’ve just practised (together) for the last four days. Since I was away playing the CLT20 and I was appointed sometime mid-October, I haven’t had sufficient time to do one-on-ones. But I know everyone else well and the last four days were focussed on preparing for the game [against Railways]. I think I am still settling into the new role. Perhaps it will take a game for me to really settle in. You tend to discuss with others while practising and so far everyone has responded very well.Players like Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, just like last season, are likely to be in and out of the side for most of this one. How do you plan for such chopping and changing during the season from a captain’s perspective?
I will find out now . You do need enough depth in batting. And it’s ideal to settle in to a consistent batting line-up as early as you can. But I think we as a team are used to players joining the Indian team mid-way through a season. And from their perspective, if you are asked to play a Ranji game rather than sitting in the dressing room when you’re not playing a game for India, you are lucky in that sense. But I am still figuring it out. I haven’t got much time to delve over it since I was appointed a little late. It’ll take a game to settle down a little bit. We will have to settle the team down. You need some time for that and I am sure that will happen.Add to that Wasim Jaffer’s absence for the initial phase of the season due to personal reasons. How much will you miss him, not just at the top of the order, but as the leader of the batsmen?
You just have to see his numbers to know what Wasim means to the Mumbai team for the last 15 years. You would want Wasim to be around all the time. That’s a massive hole to fill. But you’ve got to lead with what you have.Luckily, we have Sachin [Tendulkar] available for the first game. And we couldn’t have asked for anything better to start off the season with. The batting looks pretty solid. We’ve generally had decently settled teams. Zak [Zaheer Khan] and Sachin are available for just one game, so that will change a bit. But we just couldn’t have asked for anything better than to have these two around at the start of the season.

“It’s not that we didn’t want an outright victory. But when you have eight or nine games to go with very little gap in between, you are tempted to hold yourself back, especially the bowlers. Obviously it’s an interesting rule change and the additional point for an outright win may make not just us but all the teams more aggressive.”Ajit Agarkar

What do you think is your biggest challenge as Mumbai captain?
Firstly, we have not won a trophy in two years, which I don’t think happens too often for Mumbai cricket. So that is a big challenge. The pressures of leading are very different than leading any other domestic team because you are always expected to win the Ranji Trophy. Merely qualifying for the knockouts is never good enough. Another challenge would be to keep the balance of the team intact. Luckily in Mumbai, since there is so much of quality cricket being played all the time, there is no dearth of back-ups in case something goes wrong.Of late, Mumbai have preferred to opt for gaining the first-innings lead and relax rather than going for an outright win. Will the additional point for a victory change the team’s attitude?
It’s not that we didn’t want an outright victory. But when you have eight or nine games to go with very little gap in between, you are tempted to hold yourself back, especially the bowlers. Obviously it’s an interesting rule change and the additional point for an outright win may make not just us but all the teams more aggressive. But it’s very difficult to keep on pressing yourself as a team all the time for maximum points.Would you then say that it would be better to revert to the ’90s style when there used to be decent gap between the Ranji Trophy league and knockouts?
It’s not the gap between the phases but the time between two games that needs to be looked at. When you’re playing eight back-to-back games with three days between the games, including one day of travel, it just wears you down as a player. I don’t know what can be done but if something can be done, it should be about the gap between two games.The last four seasons, as you keep on saying, have been kind of ‘stop and start’ seasons for you due to health and fitness issues. What have you been working on during the build-up to ensure you last the whole season?
More than injuries, I had to pace myself a little bit. Playing six-seven league games and three knockout games – it’s not easy being a bowler. Sometimes you have to hold back if you want to go the distance. Being the captain, it changes drastically now and I cannot afford to not look after my body. Not that I ever have done that, but now it becomes of utmost importance to be at my best always. And I haven’t done anything specifically as much. Just been trying to keep myself as fit as I can.

Sri Lanka made their second World Twenty20 final after being through a dogfight against Pakistan

Andrew Fernando in Colombo04-Oct-2012Nothing came easy for Sri Lanka in their semi-final against Pakistan. After five overs, they had made 24 – easily their slowest start of the tournament. An opener renowned for his aggression couldn’t find the boundary, heaping inadvertent pressure on the men around him on a difficult track. Kumar Sangakkara rarely looks comfortable attacking, but that’s exactly what he had to do from his first ball. He landed a few punches, but was knocked out sooner than he would have liked.Still, he can console himself that has never made a score so vital for Sri Lanka that superficially reads so poorly on the scorecard.Each cog in Pakistan’s bowling attack was secure. There were few loose balls and even fewer mistakes in the field. Perhaps Pakistan released some pressure when Umar Gul’s final over went for 16, but Gul had done exceedingly well to build up much of that pressure in the first place, in an 18th over that cost just 3.In the field, Sri Lanka knew they had to save every run. Lasith Malinga had a shocker, but as a unit Sri Lanka were unrelenting. Tillakaratne Dilshan set the standard when he dived full length to intercept two balls heading for the boundary inside the Powerplay, and the young guns in the circle followed suit. Two or three fielders backed up every throw, and when the ball dribbled into the infield, it was swarmed from every direction. They were defending only 139, but they threw themselves around as if they hadn’t even made 100. The result was a Pakistan Powerplay that was less productive than their own.Sri Lanka’s captain – a man who bats so beautifully his blade appears to be made of liquid – dutifully played an innings that was as ugly as any that he has played. In the fifth over, Mahela Jayawardene ran down the pitch to Sohail Tanvir, looking for his release shot over midwicket, but the heave he ended up playing would have drawn blushes from a rusty gate. Jayawardene top scored for his side, but the channel outside off stump was a battlefield in which he copped repeated blows from Tanvir, but somehow evaded the coup de grace.In 2009, Jayawardene was having so much trouble timing reverse strokes that he resorted to using the back of the bat to open up that part of the field. Two World Twenty20 tournaments later, those shots brought him more than a quarter of his runs in a semi-final. To look at his strike rate of only 117 is to do injustice to the fire in his innings, and the preparation that had gone into it. He will think the 12 runs he scored with the reverse sweep were more than just reward for all the hours he has spent in the nets practicing the stroke.Then there is Rangana Herath. A man with spirit so indomitable that being held at arm’s length for a decade by the selectors only amplified his drive to deliver for Sri Lanka. Having stared from a distance for so long, what was a few matches in one tournament? He had played only two of Sri Lanka’s five games leading into this one, but bowled the over that took the hosts to the final.Pakistan are said to have a weakness against left arm spin, but Herath has not been among their tormentors. He averages over 30 against them in all forms. Each fresh battle, however, is an opportunity. In two balls he brought Pakistan to their knees. Herath doesn’t fret over past injuries, he just puts every ounce of himself into every game he plays. That he returned to make that double strike immediately after having bowled the most expensive over of the innings spoke volumes about his character and the trust his captain puts in him.Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera didn’t watch from a distance either. The pair had failed to propel Sri Lanka home once in the tournament, but they were determined to finish well with the bat, even if Gul had rediscovered his gift for yorkers. Their 16 off the last over was another crucial factor in Sri Lanka’s win. Mathews then returned with the ball to bag two invaluable scalps of his own. Before his second over, Pakistan had built a terrific platform from which to launch and the crowd had lost its voice almost entirely. When he took two in four balls, the Premadasa began believing again.Throughout this campaign, Sri Lanka have proved they will not back down when the going is difficult. In the Super Over against New Zealand, there were no boundary balls to hit, yet somehow they managed 13. Under threat of having their captain suspended, the team produced a piece of tactical genius to circumvent the law. In their own home tournament, they are the only team who have had to play at all three venues. The powdery brute they encountered against Pakistan is worlds away from the fast southern seamers they began their tournament on.In the 2011 World Cup, it was said Sri Lanka had the easy path to the final. This time around, they have scrapped their way there. Every man down to the youngest player has proved himself. The scorecard of the first semi-final may suggest an unremarkable affair, but Sri Lanka know they have been in a dogfight, and the triumph here will add more steel to a side who have been burned at the last hurdle too many times before.

For more than seven years, Michael Hussey was a permanent fixture in Australia’s Test team and has played in 48 victories. Here ESPNcricinfo recalls five of his best Test performances

Brydon Coverdale06-Jan-2013137 v West Indies, Hobart, 2005-06
This was the innings that made Michael Hussey a Test batsman. On debut a fortnight earlier, Hussey had shown some nerves – only natural for a man wearing the baggy green for the first time at the age of 30. But in his second Test, Hussey displayed all the talent that had earned him 15,313 first-class runs before his call-up. He was confident enough to pull, despite the shot getting him out cheaply on debut, and was not worried by some moisture in the pitch. Filling in for the injured Justin Langer, Hussey was part of a 231-run opening stand with Matthew Hayden. His performance ensured that he would be moved down the order rather than being dropped when Langer returned. As it turned out, he never once missed a Test through injury or axing.122 v South Africa, Melbourne, 2005-06
Later the same summer, Hussey was settling into a middle-order role when the South Africans toured. In the Boxing Day Test, only four of Australia’s batsmen reached double figures – including Glenn McGrath – and it was centuries to Hussey and Ricky Ponting that put Australia on top. Most impressive was the way Hussey batted with the tail, and especially McGrath. They came together at 9 for 248 and Hussey avoided the Steve Waugh approach of treating McGrath like any other batsman. Instead, he tried to play the first half of the over and then take a single late to keep the strike. It was a strategy that required serious concentration and an ability to switch gears, both of which would remain strengths of Hussey’s over the years to come. In the end, Hussey made 122 and a 107-run stand pushed Australia to 355. The Bradmanesque start to his career was continuing.Michael Hussey’s hundred against Pakistan in Sydney set up victory from what seemed an unwinnable position•Getty Images91 and 61* v England, Adelaide, 2006-07
Hussey says this Test provided his most memorable moment in Test cricket, hitting the winning runs in an Ashes Test that gave Australia a 2-0 series lead. Certainly his efforts in the second innings were critical for Australia, as he came in at 2 for 33 in a chase of 168. With only 36 overs available for the whole innings, he used is one-day finishing skills to deliver one of the finest come-from-behind wins in modern Test cricket. But just as important was the 91 he scored in the first innings. Again, he had arrived at a difficult time, with Australia 3 for 65 in reply to England’s 6 for 551 declared. Hussey and Ricky Ponting put Australia back in the contest. Ponting was Man of the Match, but the result wouldn’t have been possible without Hussey’s two invaluable contributions. All those English folks who saw Hussey pile up runs in county cricket in the previous years and wondered why he wasn’t in the Test team were now wishing he wasn’t.134* v Pakistan, Sydney, 2009-10
Another come-from-behind victory, and another in which Hussey played an enormous role. After Australia were skittled for 127 on the first day, Pakistan took what appeared to be an unbeatable position when they scored 333 and then had Australia 8 for 257 in their second innings. But then Hussey and Peter Siddle came together. Hussey completed another fine display of batting with the tail – with help from some overly defensive field placements – and the 123-run stand he and Siddle compiled gave Australia a sliver of hope. Pakistan were set 176 and they crumbled. Thanks to Hussey’s unbeaten 134, Australia had again snatched a victory that had looked impossible.195 v England, Brisbane, 2010-11
Entering the 2010-11 Ashes, Hussey was in the midst of a lean patch that was threatening to end his career. There had been occasional glimpses of his best, but two centuries from his past 51 Test innings was not an adequate return. Perhaps he sensed he was on his last chance, but whatever the case, Hussey batted at the Gabba with a freedom and purpose seldom seen in the previous couple of years of his Test career. He played his shots, found boundaries all around the ground and over five and a half hours compiled a career-best 195. It was the innings of a man who no longer had a clouded mind. Hussey and Brad Haddin took Australia from a vulnerable 5 for 143 to a position from which the team was able to post 481, and while the match was drawn, it at least prevented Australia from beginning their Ashes series with a loss.

Tony Greig shared a special bond with Sri Lanka, dating back to before their World Cup win

Andrew Fernando30-Dec-2012Two years ago I was travelling with a cricket-illiterate foreign friend through Colombo when a billboard showing a large man with a wide-brimmed hat caught his attention.”Who is that? I keep seeing him around,” he asked, pointing.”Tony Greig,” I replied. “He is a cricket commentator. He’s very popular here.””Just for being a commentator? What about all the other commentators?””Well… no,” I stuttered, struggling to find the words that would capture the warmth and history of Greig’s relationship with the island. “Tony’s different,” I finally offered. “We love him and he loves us.”For many people, especially in the provinces of Sri Lanka, it is common practice to have the radio on alongside the cricket on television, providing the Sinhala commentary they understand. Often six or seven neighbours sit cloistered together in a small room, in front of one of the few television sets in the village. When Greig’s name appears on the bottom of screen, though, someone calls it out. Nothing more needs to be said. The radio is turned down and the TV volume cranked up. Perhaps no one in the room understands Greig, but they feel like they know him. He is an old friend. He has been part of their lives for so long now, and to leave his commentary unheard is like leaving him on the doorstep to wither in the heat.Sri Lanka’s love affair with Greig began during the 1996 World Cup, though he himself had admired its cricketers and their country for some time by then, even consoling the side after Muttiah Muralitharan had been called for chucking on Boxing Day 1995.Sri Lanka were barely better than minnows in most estimations then. Talented, perhaps, to a point, but far too young and erratic still to make a genuine play for a title as coveted as this. Greig nailed his colours to the mast early in the tournament. “I just love the way these little Sri Lankans play,” he declared during one of Sri Lanka’s group matches. “I really think they can win this World Cup if they play well.””These little Sri Lankans” was to become his catchphrase during the tournament, alongside his nickname for Romesh Kaluwitharana – “little Kalu”. Perhaps on the lips of any other, those words may have seemed tinged with condescension, but the affection in Greig’s voice was unmistakeable. He is remembered as a combative man and cricketer, but he only ever had love for Sri Lanka.

Both in the cricketing universe and elsewhere, Greig believed in Sri Lanka before she even believed in herself

It was fitting that he was on air as Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva took Sri Lanka close to triumph in the final. “These Sri Lankans are giving the Aussies a real hiding,” Greig boomed, after Ranatunga hit a Shane Warne full toss over the square-leg rope – a cricketing moment almost every Sri Lankan remembers.After the winning runs had been hit, Greig dubbed the victory “a little fairytale”. “The thing that I like about these guys is that they not only win, but they win in style. It is only a small place, Sri Lanka, and what a moment this is for Sri Lankan people.”Over the years Greig’s love for the island grew irresistible, and the nation embraced him as one of their own. Sri Lanka perhaps suffers from a condition that might be termed small-nation syndrome. Locals feel they are perennially overlooked and constantly lumped with neighbours from the north they have little in common with. Greig was Sri Lanka’s relentless champion, proclaiming the wonder of her beaches, the sweetness of her seafood, and the hospitality of her people, even while the country was in the grip of an ugly civil war.In 2010, Greig was made a brand ambassador for tourism in Sri Lanka, but as many noted, it was strange that he was being paid for a job he had been performing with untamable enthusiasm for years. Both in the cricketing universe and elsewhere, Greig believed in Sri Lanka before she even believed in herself.When he announced his illness in October, Sri Lankans were sympathetic and sincere. A Buddhist blessing ceremony was organised for Greig in Colombo, with Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara in attendance. Greig was overwhelmed with get-well messages from Sri Lanka and he acknowledged their support with a heartfelt message of his own.”You’ve no idea what it means to me,” he said, “to have received the support that I have from so many Sri Lankans in so many different ways. It’s a very special feeling in the heart of someone that there is a nation of cricket-lovers like the Sri Lankans, who care about an individual like myself.”The news of his death shocked almost everyone, and the outpouring of grief from Sri Lanka has been immense. Greig had many friends in the country, and countless men in high places have had his company, though he had always taken care to remain unbiased and apolitical. In many ways, he chose to see the best of Sri Lanka and to ignore, at least outwardly, her less praiseworthy traits.Sri Lanka is now a more united country than it was during much of Greig’s commentary career, and it will be united now in acknowledging the loss of a favourite adopted son. Farewell, Tony, and may the earth give you peace. Beloved of Sri Lanka, big friend of our little island.

Ahead of the meeting of the national selection panel, which coincides with the final day of the ongoing Irani Cup, a look at what’s on offer for the selectors for the upcoming Australia series

Siddhartha Talya in Mumbai09-Feb-2013Rohit Sharma’s careless dismissal in the Irani Cup could dampen his chances of being selected for the Australia series•West Indies Cricket BoardOpeners Virender Sehwag was ruled out of the match due to a stomach upset, when he perhaps needed a stint in the middle before the Australia Tests since being dropped from the ODI side. M Vijay did his case no harm with a century in the first innings, but played a loose drive, not for the first time, to be dismissed in the second. Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir could still be likely starters, so Vijay, who had a poor Ranji season but has been a Test opener, could be in contention as a back-up option. Likewise with Wasim Jaffer. With an average of 76 this domestic season, and a fluent 80 in the first innings of the Irani Cup, he’s in better nick than most. Shikhar Dhawan missed out on a good chance to score a century in the first innings, having played a solid innings, and was dismissed cheaply in the second while trying to pull Dhawal Kulkarni in the first over. He is part of the India A squad for the warm-up game against Australia, but that’s after the selectors have picked the 15 for the Tests. Middle order Ajinkya Rahane has been part of India’s Test squads in the past, and he strengthened his case during his 83 against Rest of India. He looked set for another ton, but was at the receiving end of a poor lbw decision. The selectors, in the past, have said he is a middle-order option, and he is a strong candidate for the No.6 slot. Rohit Sharma played a reckless shot against Harbhajan Singh to be dismissed for a duck. He played out 11 dot balls before trying to slog-sweep Harbhajan, and got a top edge. He has been long tipped for a Test place, but that dismissal is unlikely to sit well with selectors. Suresh Raina, together with Rahane, will be a contender for a No. 6 slot. He made an attacking century in the first innings, coming in to the Irani Cup with runs in the ODI series against England. Ravindra Jadeja, who is not playing the Irani Cup, could still be favoured over his competitors; he made his debut in the Nagpur Test against England. Manoj Tiwary had trouble against Abhishek Nayar, but reached a fifty in the second innings. Ambati Rayudu batted positively in both innings, making an attractive century in the second, but he and Tiwary are still down in the pecking order for a middle-order position. Pace Dhawal Kulkarni, leading an inexperienced attack, didn’t put the batsmen under enough pressure. He picked up nine wickets in the Ranji Trophy final but faces stiff competition. Parwinder Awana and Ashok Dinda were part of the squad for the Nagpur Test, but are not part of the Irani Cup. Sreesanth bowled some testing bouncers, but Rest of India’s seamers hardly got any movement and were low on pace. Abhimanyu Mithun and Ishwar Pandey picked up wickets but didn’t make a compelling case. Like Sreesanth, they, too, had problems with overstepping, were taken for runs during a seventh-wicket stand between Sachin Tendulkar and Ankeet Chavan, and rarely beat the bat. Shami Ahmed bowled well in the nets on the eve of the game, but wasn’t picked in the XI. He’s part of the India A squad, but it’s unclear if he’s done enough to break through for the Tests. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who made his international debut this home season, is also in contention. Spin Pragyan Ojha had a poor game, unable to impart much spin on the ball, and was toyed with by Tendulkar. But he and R Ashwin, away playing the Corporate Trophy, are almost certain to be picked. Harbhajan Singh is keen to return to India colours; he’s one game away from playing his 100th Test and has a good record against Australia. He was the better of the two Rest of India spinners in Mumbai but was a beneficiary of some poor shot selection and an umpiring error. That the selectors are looking at Harbhajan again says much about the lack of spin options emerging from the domestic circuit.

A few key numbers from the Women’s World Cup, which gets underway in Mumbai on January 31

S Rajesh30-Jan-20139 – The number of Women’s World Cups that have been held so far; the first one was in 1973, in England, who also hosted the tournament in 1993. Australia, New Zealand and India have also hosted the event twice, while South Africa have hosted it once.3 – The number of different teams which have won the nine editions of this tournament. Australia have lifted the cup five times, England thrice, and New Zealand once.4 – The number of instances of the host nation winning the World Cup. It happened in the inaugural edition of the tournament, in England in 1973, and then in Australia in 1988, England in 1993, and New Zealand in 2000.229* – The highest individual score in a Women’s World Cup, which is also the highest in a one-day international. Australia’s Belinda Clark scored those runs against Denmark in the 1997 tournament, in India. In fact, the three highest scores in women’s one-day internationals have all come in World Cup matches.1 – The number of World Cup centuries, out of 34, scored by a player not belonging to England, Australia or New Zealand: South Africa’s Linda Olivier scored an unbeaten 101 against Ireland in Christchurch in 2000. England have scored 17 hundreds, Australia nine, and New Zealand seven.6 – The most hundreds scored in an edition of the World Cup. It’s happened twice – in India in 1997 and in New Zealand in 2000. However, only three centuries have been scored in each of the last two editions. The only World Cup in which no centuries were scored was in 1978, in India: the highest score in that edition was 67 not out.412 – The highest team score in a World Cup game, by Australia against Denmark in the same match in which Clark scored the unbeaten 229. In all, teams have gone past 300 five times, and have scored 250 or more 26 times. (Click here for the highest scores in World Cup matches)218 – The highest team score in run-chases in World Cup matches. There have been 49 instances of teams scoring more than 218 when batting first.76 – The number of times teams chasing have had a target of 190 or more in World Cup matches. 1 – The number of times, in those 76 matches, that teams have successfully chased a target of 190 or more. The only such win was by New Zealand against India in the 2009 tournament in Sydney, when New Zealand chased down a target of 208 with 14 balls to spare.363 – The biggest margin of victory for a team batting first in a World Cup game. Australia beat Denmark by that margin, in the 1997 edition, in Mumbai. Australia scored 412 for 3, and Denmark were bundled out for 49.27 – The lowest team total in a World Cup game. Pakistan were bundled out for that score against Australia in the 1997 edition, in Hyderabad. Australia won by nine wickets, with 43.5 overs to spare.307 – The record for the victory margin with most balls to spare, in a World Cup game. This was in a 60-over-per-side match between Australia and Denmark in the 1993 tournament in England. Denmark were bowled out for 76, and Australia won with 51.1 overs remaining.39 – The most wickets taken by a bowler in World Cup matches. Australia’s Lyn Fullston took 39 from 20 matches over two tournaments, in 1982 and 1988. Fullston’s 23 wickets in 1982 is also a record for a single World Cup tournament.3 – The least runs conceded by a bowler who’s bowled at least ten overs in a World Cup game. New Zealand’s Catherine Campbell had figures of 10-7-3-0 against Netherlands in 2000.11 – The most maiden overs sent down by a bowler in a single World Cup game. West Indies’ Carol-Ann James had incredible figures of 12-11-4-1 in a 1993 World Cup game against Denmark. Quite fittingly, James’ international career consisted of 11 ODI matches.26 – The most maiden overs bowled by a team in an innings in a World Cup game. Australia sent down 26 maidens against Ireland, who managed 78 for 8 in a 60-over-per-side match in Sydney in 1988.