Here’s a fascinating statistic for those who swear by numbers.

In the 24 months leading into the World Twenty20 in September 2007 (where India emerged champions), India played 23 Test matches and 66 one-day internationals (see graphic). In the 25 months or so thereafter, right up to Wednesday night’s big win in Nagpur, India had played 22 Tests and 66 ODIs, an almost identical number.

The difference? The 17 Twenty20 International games India played, including 14 at the two Twenty20 World Cups, between September 2007 and October 2009. In a similar period before that, between September 2005 and August 2007, India played just one T20 game.

But even that difference in T20s is not much really, given that the World Cup games all happened over hectic fortnights. So why do we really get the impression that there’s suddenly too much cricket?

Logically, only because of club cricket: primarily the two seasons of the Indian Premier League, and now, the just-concluded Champions League, gave us 59 games for 2008 and (whew!) 82 for 2009.

Even if you go by pure numbers, 2009 saw much more cricket than any year preceding it. But that feeling of being swamped was probably heightened because of two reasons. First, there was a disconnect with the IPL this year because it was geographically distant from the Indian fan. Two, the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 failed to enthuse because of a triple whammy —local fans had trouble identifying or identifying with most foreign teams; the IPL teams that made the cut did badly; and most top India players were missing in action.

So against this backdrop, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting’s statement right before Read more…

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How often does all of India pray that Pakistan wins a cricket match? Well, that’s what it’s come down to, for India to make the semifinals of the Champions Trophy. On Wednesday morning, even as India begin their pre-match routine for a day-night match at Wanderers they will keep a close eye on how Pakistan are faring against Australia in their day game at Centurion.

And it’s not as though India don’t have problems of their own. The prime among them is Ishant Sharma, and the time may have come to leave him out. The state that he is in, a spell out, even only a match or two, might be better than bowling him into the ground.

The conditions will play a big part in determining India’s combination — and Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted they would track the Pakistan-Australia match before taking a final call on the team’s balance — but either way it’s not a bad idea to give Abhishek Nayar a go.

Harbhajan Singh has had a couple of bad games, but it’s difficult to see Dhoni going the same way as Kumar Sangakkara, who left out Muttiah Muralitharan in the game against New Zealand. Amit Mishra is the form spinner, and given the West Indies’ traditional difficulties with leg-spin, Dhoni would like to have him in the mix, but doing so at the cost of Harbhajan in a pressure game is unlikely.

If for some reason — either an Australia win or an inability to catch up with their net run rate — India fail to progress to the next round, it will be the second time in successive ICC events that India have failed to make the semifinals. Given the reaction to India’s ouster in the World Twenty20, the pressure will be on.

West Indies, India’s opponents, are in exactly the opposite position.

They came to the tournament as rank minnows and anything they achieve will be a bonus. Players like fast bowler Kemar Roach and batsman Andre Fletcher have only enhanced Read more…

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Pakistan’s famously volatile cricket team repeatedly tests the resolve of even the most committed fans. The euphoria of a world Twenty20 title sandwiched between terrorism in Lahore and embarrassment in Sri Lanka has left supporters spent and exhausted.

It has been a rollercoaster ride that started out with a terrifying fall, shot up into a delightful crescendo full of giddy excitement and butterflies in the stomach, and then plunged into a dark and dismal pit which, although uncomfortable, is nevertheless familiar.

The bulk of its support comes from fair-weather fans, but our beloved team has also always enjoyed steadfast devotion from a diehard segment. It is easy to spot diehards. Inspired by unquestioned love, they refuse to be disappointed. Even in the face of utter cricketing disaster; such as 17 for four after follow on, or the opposition’s 228 without loss after being put in to bat — the diehard is able to extract some positive note, an inspiring take-home message with which to console (and often delude) oneself. People often mistake diehards for optimists, but they are not the same. The optimist merely hopes for good times; the diehard believes it.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are the sceptics and malcontents. Both groups seemingly have the same defining characteristic — a pessimistic view of any cricket performance Read more…

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So, my friend, you want to legalise ball-tampering, do you? Well, Allan Donald, the great South Africa fast bowler of yesteryear, did not say that so precisely but that was what he was getting at when he suggested that administrators ought to go all laissez faire on bowlers and allow them to “prepare” the ball as they see fit. When a man such as Donald puts forward such a radical suggestion, it is worth reflecting on.

The reason behind his contention that bowlers should basically be allowed to do whatever they like with the ball, provided no outside implements such as bottle tops or Stanley knives are used, is that he, like many, considers the balance between bat and ball to have shifted massively in the past few years in favour of the batsmen. Speaking on behalf on the beleaguered fast bowlers’ club, Donald said: “We need some sort of defence mechanism, something to fall back on.”

Donald makes his claim on the assumption that we are in a golden age of batting, a kind of bull market that has sent batting (and bowling) averages soaring. The evidence is often anecdotal and impressionistic, but based on sound empirical research, too.

In the 1950s the average runs per wicket was 30.1 and 6.8 per cent of scores were Read more…

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For all those who are desperately looking for a new dawn in the 'invisible' fire lit by the ongoing Ashes, here is a downer: it is nothing but a false sun.

True, the first Test attracted decent crowds; it ended in a gripping climax as well, with England's tail walking on tenterhooks and eking out a heart-thumping draw.

True, the second Test is also interestingly poised; at the time of writing, England have eschewed the follow-on and are salivating for their first win over Australia at Lord's in 75 years.

But both, let us be very clear, are more like falling stars on a particularly dark night: the Ashes, no doubt, ignite England and Australia like no other sporting contest; they usually draw the right numbers in too.

This time, though, the higher attendance for the opening match was due to the Cardiff factor: the tiny tourist attraction in Wales was hosting its first-ever Test and the town was suitably enthused.

As for the current Test at Lord's, the high point is the prospect of an England win; the cricket itself hasn't risen to any great heights so far. We are still waiting for the moment that will charge the series and take it to a higher plane. Read more...

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After heavy losses in Galle and Colombo, it’s pretty clear that Pakistan are not the triumphant unit all and sundry chose to hail them as post-World Twenty20 success.

Indeed, victory in England was a fairytale-esque comeback for a nation deserved of reprise after a year of off-field woe, but proceedings in Sri Lanka have inevitably undone all that the Lord’s jubilation promised.

The fact that Mohammad Yousuf - who didn’t play in England - and Fawad Alam - who hardly featured - have been the only batsmen to put in notable performances in the ongoing Test series advocates the growing concern that Pakistan’s World Twenty20 winners are comfortably stuck in their recent heroics abroad.

90 all out and nine second-innings wickets for the loss of 35 runs is not the stuff of World Champions and it’s clear that Pakistan are nowhere close to returning to the dominant force they once were. Read more…

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The England women’s team - Ashes winners, 50-over World Cup winners and now World Twenty20 winners - are, undoubtedly, the alpha females of their sport, writes Mike Atherton in the Times.

… when it comes to skills as opposed to power or speed, the women could teach the men a thing or two. Katherine Brunt was able to control the swinging ball under pressure on a finals day at Lord’s in a way that has not always been apparent in men’s finals, as Scott Boswell, of Leicestershire, who got the yips in the 2001 Cheltenham; Gloucester Trophy final, would testify. Sarah Taylor, the England wicketkeeper, could pass on a tip or two to Matt Prior about soft hands (her stumping in the opening over of the final would have pleased James Foster) and I cannot remember a better chasing innings in a Twenty20 match than the one played by Claire Taylor against Australia.

According to Mike Selvey in the Guardian Claire Taylor is not only a very fine pugnacious batsman but has incredible drive, a cricket brain to die for, and a rounded view of life. Read more…

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In his column for the Times, Shane Warne admits he expected Sri Lanka to beat Pakistan in the World Twenty20 final. But with the problems in Pakistan, the result couldn’t have been better. He adds that the success of Twenty20 has reduced the Champions Trophy to a joke. Plus, his two cents on the Ashes and Australia’s ideal line-up.

One of the best things about Twenty20 is the way that women and kids, new spectators, are coming to games. But we have to be careful. To have the next event in April 2010 seems too soon. I think one of these tournaments every two years is about right.

In the same paper, Adam Gilchrist talks about his celebrated habit of ‘walking’ and its orgins. Gilchrist plays hard, is fond of a sledge, speaks bluntly - but he has had this moral code since childhood that it is wrong to dupe the umpire, writes Patrick Kidd. Read more…

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About a fortnight ago when I wrote the blog, Why Pakistan must win Twenty20 World Cup, I was flooded with colourful abuses. An overwhelming majority of respondents labelled me "unpatriotic."  Many appeared convinced that India was going to win the World Cup and that Pakistan will be knocked out in the first round.

They had their reasons, I guess. Some were political and had little to do with cricket. But for a variety of reasons, many genuinely believed that Pakistan wasn't going to put up a good show. To begin with, Younis Khan and company hadn't seen much of international cricket in recent times. That apart, none of them had played in IPL2. Even in the practice games, the team hardly inspired confidence.

So how come Pakistan is playing Sunday's final while MS Dhoni's million dollar boys nurse their wounds. Let us try to analyse:

1. Unlike us, Pakistan improved with every game: Younis Khan and his men looked rusty in the warm-up matches. But rather than being dismissive or cocky, they worked on their shortcomings... Read more...

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Harsha Bhogle writes in the Indian Express that a good team doesn’t become bad overnight. He says that it was the batting that let India down, and that there were no easy bowlers to target in the World Twenty20 unlike the IPL. He doesn’t think fatigue or injuries were the major reasons behind India’s abysmal show.

Being on tour for long periods is part of the job now and players must rest and train to counter that. It is a personal responsibility and one that is non-negotiable. South Africa have been one of the best teams in this tournament, and one of the sharpest in the field, and they went into the IPL after draining back-to-back Test and one-day series against Australia. Most of their players were at the IPL too. If India’s players are fatigued they need to look within.

And in a scathing piece on exchange4media, a website that focuses on the media and advertising, BV Rao slams the over-the-top, less-than-nuanced coverage of India’s defeat by the country’s news channels. Read more…

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