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Former Australian captains Richie Benaud and Bill Lawry shared memories of their careers at the Sydney Cricket Ground, even as Benaud revealed he had been fighting skin cancer

Daniel Brettig10-Nov-20144:52

Benaud ambles down memory lane

Seventy-four years after his first visit to the SCG, Richie Benaud looked out across the field. He pondered how much it had changed, and what that first glimpse of great cricketers had inspired.”I saw NSW play South Australia, Bradman was in the side,” Benaud said. “My father Lou brought me out and it was a packed house. We watched all day, we saw Clarrie Grimmett take 6 for 118 and then we got on the old tram outside the ground, went into Central Station and finally got home to Paramatta at night.”The next day I was out in the backyard, trying to bowl leg breaks like Grimmett, who’d got all the wickets, and like my father, who was also a legspinner, and that was how it all started off. The SCG one day, the backyard at North Paramatta the next.”Benaud was 10 years old that January day in 1940, and at 84 he has battled a year of setbacks stemming from a car accident near his Coogee home last October. The accident left him with multiple fractures, and kept him away from the Nine commentary box last summer, the first such absence since World Series Cricket began in 1977.His features are frailer, his voice a little croakier. But there is still the neat phrasing, the jutting lower lip, and the dry wit. Asked by Mark Nicholas whether he’d had a rough year, Benaud replied “Well, roughish”.”Progress is slow but I’m very fortunate in a lot of ways to be with Daphne. One of those is that she’s a great walker and we’re out every morning very early, the sun’s just up, and we do a 40-minute walk every morning and that’s showing beneficial effects for me.”The car accident produces the pain with the two fractured vertebrae and what finished up as a crush fracture. But that works out and medical people do wonderful things these days.”Richie Benaud shared his memories of the Sydney Cricket Ground, where he found inspiration in the bowling of Clarrie Grimmett•Getty ImagesGrimmett inspired Benaud to twirl down the leg breaks that would tease out 248 Test wickets, for a time making him Australia’s most prolific bowler of all. But another inspiration was Keith Miller, and the debonair allrounder’s reluctance to wear a cap has left Benaud also seeking treatment for skin cancers this year.”When I was a kid we never ever wore a cap … because Keith Miller never wore a cap,” Benaud said. “‘Nugget’ Miller never wore a cap on his head, so I didn’t. I wish I had.”If I knew, when I was at school and playing in my early cricket days, the problems that would have come if I didn’t do something about protection of the head and using sunscreens and all sorts of things like that, I’d have played it differently.”It’s one of those things in life; you live and learn as you go along. Nowadays I recommend to everyone that they should have protection on their skin, on their heads, creams and things like that. I can give you one good reason for that – 84-year-olds don’t seem to mend as well as they used to.”Joining Benaud on stage was Bill Lawry, at Nine’s cricket launch for a summer that takes in series against South Africa and India before a triangular tournament with India and England and, finally, the 2015 World Cup. Seldom shy of an opinion where Benaud has often sat artfully on the fence, Lawry suspended the warning about skin cancer with a glistening-eyed reminiscence of his own.”He’d burst through the gate with the shirt open and the Brylcreem and the tan, it was just magnificent,” he said. “Forget the skin cancers Richie, you looked beautiful back then.”The laughter this drew from the room was hearty, but it grew louder still when Nicholas lobbed down a softball closing question about the excitement of the summer ahead. There was a beat, and a further query by Nicholas, as silence filled the space Lawry occupied happily for much of the discussion.”Because I’ve been dominating the conversation,” Benaud deadpanned, “I want Bill to have a word.”Lawry regaled the audience with tales of World Series Cricket’s earliest days of television coverage, from the children fetched from West Lakes shopping centre to provide some kind of crowd for the tournament’s sparsely populated debut at Football Park in Adelaide, to the television camera shots that revealed the West Indies viewing area at Waverley Park outside Melbourne to be filled as much with young ladies as cricketers.But Lawry saved his wisest crack for this season preview question, as he cast an eye back to Australia’s results in the UAE. “You must have been watching different Test matches than me over the last few weeks,” he exclaimed to Nicholas. “No it’s going to be a fascinating series who’s going to play for Australia, who’s going to bat No. 3, who’s going to keep wickets, who’s going to win the World Cup.”I’m not a gambler. If I was I’d back New Zealand to play in the final. I think they’re the sleepers, but it’s going to be great.”With that, Benaud and Lawry retired from the stage. There is no guarantee Benaud will be back to the SCG for January’s New Year’s Test, but it had been well worthwhile to hear him ponder its impact on his life … and his on all of ours.

Modern captains have less power than ever, yet they are still held overwhelmingly accountable for decisions and tactics arrived at by backroom consensus

Ed Smith16-Feb-2015People who don’t believe that the media indulges honeymoon periods should consider the relative treatment of Alastair Cook and Eoin Morgan. Having survived a media storm as Test captain in the summer of 2014, Cook was eventually sacked as ODI captain at the 11th hour before the World Cup. Most pundits felt this was a good idea, even though it left Cook bereft of his dream of captaining in a World Cup, and left Morgan very little time to put his stamp on the team.Now Morgan has scored three noughts in his last four innings and four noughts in his last seven. Many of those who called for Cook’s sacking seem very relaxed about this, citing’s Morgan superb natural talent and better track record as an ODI match-winner. Yet Cook’s resilience and capacity for enduring pressure was equally well-established. In short, I’m less convinced that Morgan’s bad form exists in a different category from Cook’s.The reasons given for Cook’s sacking were: 1) his poor form with the bat, and 2) the need to protect his long-term prospects as an England player. The selectors felt that continuing with Cook for the World Cup might radically deplete his resources. Effectively it would burn through too many miles on the clock, racing Cook towards a hastier exit from the English game. Though no one seemed to notice at the time, exactly the same arguments could have been presented as reasons for not making Morgan captain either. If Cook was in danger of ending the World Cup exhausted and short of confidence, Morgan might end it disillusioned and disengaged, one step closer to a career oriented to the roving life of a T20 specialist. It is far too early to be certain – England could still win the competition with Morgan as its hero – but it is a very real possibility that in sacking one captain England will end up undermining two careers.There is a much deeper question. How much does the captaincy, over the short term, affect performance? Morgan or Cook? Bailey or Clarke? Everyone has a view and can marshal the evidence to support their prejudices. It makes a nice “talking point”, as the saying goes. That does not, however, mean the decision under review is important in explaining events.Put differently, what if England would have lost anyway on Saturday, whoever was captaining? And suppose that Australia would have won, whichever of their strong captaincy candidates was in charge? In obsessing about the psychodrama at the top, we ignore the underlying fundamentals.There are two central trends in the evolution of professional sport and its coverage. The odd thing, however, is that the two movements are contradictory, indeed irreconcilable.The first is the cult of personality the hero, the champion, the winner, the master of mind games, the tactical wizard, the leader of men, blessed with the Midas touch. This is the way elite sport is frequently presented and analysed. Why? First, because it fits the modern obsession with celebrity; secondly, because it is endlessly useful as a media “talking point” – big personalities are always easier to discuss than systems or ideas.

It is a very real possibility that in sacking one captain England will end up undermining two careers

Then there is the underlying reality of how professional sport is actually evolving. Every top team now employs a massive backroom staff of coaches, physios and analysts, all of whom are trying to find a tiny incremental advantage, a fraction of 1% here or there, to help their team. The idea that one single mind controls the whole team is laughably out of date. Even in football, where the manager is like the cricket captain, coach and selection panel rolled into one, he actually sits atop a vast coaching machine. Yes, he steers the wheel, but there are many more cogs in the machine than ever before.In cricket, the captain’s power and control are increasingly shared with other influences on the team. He can still make a difference, of course. But he exists in a highly professional context in which control is shared widely.I was recently asked to write a new introduction to the reissue of Mike Brearley’s iconic book . One thing that struck me was how much more control Brearley had over his teams than any captain would have today. On being recalled as England captain in 1981, one of his first acts was to restore the pre-match warm-up and stretching routine. It is unimaginable today – given the number of physios and trainers – that this area of team life would be the preserve of the captain.Critics of captains today lightly ignore a contradiction: modern captains certainly have less power than ever, yet they are still held overwhelmingly accountable for decisions and tactics that usually originated in discussions with the team’s whole top table.We have not yet mentioned by far the biggest constraint of all on any captain: the form and quality of the players.In his post-match interview, Morgan was asked by Andrew Strauss why the England death bowlers favoured the bouncer over the yorker. Morgan’s answer was that the boundaries at the MCG are shorter straight (65 yards) than square of the wicket (85 yards). Yorkers tend to be hit down the ground, whereas short balls are often hit square of the wicket. So as the fielding captain, Morgan was trying to force batsmen to play the harder, riskier shot. Had England bowled well, this would have sounded shrewd and canny. Because England bowled badly, it sounded too clever by half. In other words, it is the bowlers who make and unmake the success of tactics, not captains.I will always believe in the power of great leadership, especially by gradually improving team culture over the long term. Right now, however, the correct answer to the question “Bailey or Clarke?” and “Morgan or Cook?” is: “Nice talking point, but it doesn’t explain very much about the result.”

Plays of the day from the Group B game between Ireland and Zimbabwe in Hobart

Brydon Coverdale in Hobart07-Mar-2015Drop of the day
There were so many to choose from on a miserable day in the field for Zimbabwe, but the really costly miss came when Ed Joyce top-edged a pull off Tawanda Mupariwa in the 20th over. The ball flew high out towards midwicket and the bowler was the man with the best chance of making it; Mupariwa did just that, but misjudged slightly and the ball ricocheted off his fingers and into the turf. Despite the distance he had to cover it was very catchable. It was also very costly; Joyce was on 34 at the time, and went on to make 112.Catch of the day
The contrast in the fielding of both sides was stark until a few nervous fumbles from Ireland later in the chase. It was particularly notable when William Porterfield clasped a much harder skied chance than the one that Mupariwa had put down. Porterfield had to run back from point, with the flight of the ball, and he judged it perfectly as the ball sailed down over his left shoulder and straight into his hands.Anti-climax of the day
There were a few aborted cheers and mystified faces in the Bellerive Oval crowd when Tinashe Panyangara yorked Joyce in the 29th over. The stumps splayed, the bails lit up, but Joyce was going nowhere. The umpire had signalled it was a free hit for Joyce after Panyangara overstepped on the previous delivery, which, incidentally, Joyce had slashed over cover for four.Sub of the day
Stuart Matsikenyeri must be sick of the sight of Ireland. At the 2007 World Cup, it was Matsikenyeri who failed to connect to the last-ball full toss that resulted in a tie between the two teams. In the 2015 World Cup, Matsikenyeri was not picked, but was on the field as 12th man when Kevin O’Brien drove uppishly to cover on 5. Matsikenyeri not only spilled a chance he should have taken, he also suffered the indignity of his shoe falling off in the process. At the end of the over Chamu Chibhabha came back on to the field and a disappointed Matsikenyeri jogged off.Kick of the day
As the chase entered the tense final five overs, it looked like Regis Chakabva and Sean Williams might have misjudged a leg bye. Chakabva tried to work Alex Cusack to leg but the ball flew off his pad out to cover. Niall O’Brien ran in and soccered the ball at the stumps at the non-striker’s end but missed by a large margin, allowing two important overthrows, or overkicks.

In contrast to previous World Cups, this time most teams seem to have followed a strategy of constructing an innings till about the last quarter and then launching an all-out attack

Sharda Ugra17-Mar-2015In the southern hemisphere, where, as urban legend has it, water circles into a drain in the opposite direction to that up north (not true), there has emerged one certainty. The rules, conventions and theories relating to ODI cricket have been stood on their head.The smash-bang of the first 15 overs; the acceleration of the Powerplay, taken before the tail end of an innings; the doubling of the 30-over score – that is all so 2011.Through the group stages of this World Cup, there has been a change of tempo: with a bat-first innings paced like a long-distance race: few frenzied starts, and the kick is kept for the end, like with Gebreselassie in his prime.The statistics reveal the pattern: over the course of the last five World Cups, the shift in run rates has taken place not in the first 15 overs despite batting-friendly fielding rules but rather in the death overs.Run rates across the first ten overs in the last four World Cups have been fairly similar: from 4.54 (2003) to 4.38 (2007), 4.73 (2011) and 4.74 (2015). The rationale for the change of ODI rules, bringing in Powerplays and field restrictions, was to make 50-over games free of their turgid middle overs. The Powerplays were meant to lure batsmen into taking the six-or-out cavalier approach, and at one point they did end up making batsmen overthink, and made them profligate in their shot selection as they tried to force the scoring rate, squandering wickets in the process.Yet like water, the middle overs have found their level again – full of singles and steady cricket, nurdles and low-risk scoring. The new rules – a new ball at every end and only four fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle – have added to overs Nos. 15 to 35 being dealt with fairly respectfully by batsmen. Each World Cup has marked small changes in scoring rates in overs 15 to 35: from 4.33 in 2003 to 4.69 in 2007, dropping to 4.58 in 2011.At the current World Cup teams have been content to score at 5.01 runs an over in the first innings, due to what takes place in the last 12 or so overs.The big numbers – a direct reflection of the influence of T20, as well as of the new rules – are to be found at the far end of a 50-over innings, in the last ten overs: from 6.98 in the West Indies 2007 to 7.01 in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh 2011. And in 2015, the stratosphere is the limit; at the end of the group stage, it was 8.44 runs an over.David Warner says Australia approach their 50 overs in two ways: “positive”, aka attack in the first ten, and from then on, “pick the gaps until the last 15”. Teams with tall totals in the World Cup have, he said, “pretty much batted at a nice rate to about the 30-over mark without losing too many wickets, and then they’ve gone from there for the last 15 or 10 overs, accelerated and got 125 to 150 off that last 15 overs”.Pakistan’s strategy is to let their pace bowlers go full tilt early on and look for wickets•Getty ImagesSouth Africa’s Morne Morkel had sympathy for a fellow fast bowler. “Poor old Jason Holder bowled well against us and then came back and went for 80. With two new hard balls, Powerplays at the back end, if teams have wickets in hand – those last 15 overs, you can easily go for ten an over if you don’t have proper control. It’s things we as bowlers are aware of.”A bowler knows, Morkel says, run-rate security is a misnomer for ODI bowlers: if he goes for seven apiece in his first spell, it could well be 100 at the far end.The way to tackle the onslaught is to take wickets. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has said that asking his pacers to go full tilt is the only way. For Pakistan, two spinners in the side is difficult, “because sometimes you lose that pressure which is built by the pacers, especially up front. Our approach is straightforward, simple: go out there, be positive, and especially when you are there to bowl, just try to get wickets.”Occasional Australia ODI captain George Bailey agrees that the bowling side must make the opening aggressive play with the new ball and upset a team’s innings construction all the way up to the 35th over. “As a bowling team, the best way to negate that is to get a team five or six down by the time you get to that 35th-over mark. That makes it really hard for the batting team to launch, or to know when to launch.”In helpful conditions, India with their spinners do the opposite of Pakistan and use scoreboard-pressure strangulation better than most teams. The rules that have changed the pattern of ODI play are not loved at all by MS Dhoni, as they have made India play with one specialist batsman fewer. But it is the Indian pace bowling that has stepped up and given India a storm trooper performance in the group stage.Everyone is largely in agreement about how the rules have impacted the tempo of the ODI at this World Cup, but Mitchell Johnson wonders if the “fearlessness” of the last 12-15 overs may have to do with the relatively lower pressure of group games. Johnson said he always expects kamikaze batting at the end of a 50-over innings. “It is what we accept in this day and age. Two new balls with four fielders out makes it a little bit predictable.” Will the approach remain the same when the temperature of the tournament rises, as it will, starting on Wednesday? “It will be interesting to see if there’s a bit more pressure on how guys play the game. Coming into a quarter-final, we’ll see if guys are still prepared to play that type of cricket.”In the case of these latest ODI rules, the change has done the opposite of what the rules intended. They will be up for review after this World Cup, and any new rules, if passed, will come into play only in October, for the next World Cup cycle. The 50-over game is once again seeking to get the balance right between attack and defence.With inputs from Firdose Moonda, Daniel Brettig and Brydon Coverdale

The five oldest cricketers to have played in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2015Shane Warne Age: 41y 249d
Teams: Rajasthan Royals
What he did: ‘Hollywood’ provided the IPL with the perfect story in its inaugural season: his captaincy, big-game temperament and ability to infuse self-belief in little-known players led the unfancied Royals to the title in 2008. The results weren’t as spectacular in the three seasons that followed, but there was another story perfect for the IPL in his final year: a high-profile romance with Hollywood star Liz Hurley•AFPMuttiah Muralitharan Age: 42y 35d
Teams: Chennai Super Kings, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Royal Challengers Bangalore
What he did: Test and ODI cricket’s leading wicket-taker didn’t make quite the same impact in the IPL – he was an integral performer in the first three seasons with Chennai Super Kings, after which he was a fringe player for four years•AFPPravin Tambe Age: 43y 198d
Teams: Rajasthan Royals
What he did: Perhaps the most heart-warming story in the IPL. At 41, senior cricket seemed to have passed him by, before Royals made another of their punts to give Tambe a chance at big-time cricket. It proved to be one of their most astute investments, as he has developed to become a certain starter over the last two seasons•BCCIBrad Hogg Age: 44y 81d
Teams: Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders
What he did: He was one of Royals’ wildcard picks in 2012 but only played 10 lukewarm matches over two seasons. Two years later, Knight Riders’ love of unconventional spinners and Sunil Narine’s unavailability due to doubts over his action provided Hogg another shot•BCCI

Bangladesh’s batsmen didn’t look out of place against perhaps the best bowling attack in the world, but they perished to South Africa’s part-timers after settling in

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong22-Jul-2015The industry of Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes was essential to Bangladesh’s survival on the second day in Chittagong, but neither the openers nor the day’s highest scorer made it through to stumps as the home side remained 69 runs behind South Africa’s 248 with six wickets in hand.The good news for Bangladesh was that none of these three batsmen looked uncomfortable against one of the world’s best bowling attacks. The problem, however, particularly with Imrul and Tamim, was that they were dismissed by part-time bowlers after dealing adeptly with the first spells of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel.Batsmen pride themselves on the ability to leave the ball and there were plenty of occasions for the Bangladesh openers to resist flashing at deliveries that were slightly wide. Tamim’s only show of intent was when he struck back-to-back boundaries, one through mid-on and the next past covers. That there were no flashy square-cuts in a Tamim innings that lasted nearly four hours was a marvel in itself. He made 57 off 129 balls but as many of his 50-plus innings since October 2013 have shown, this is a glimpse of a new Tamim, one who is ready to give up short-term glory for durability.Imrul’s form has also been one of the positives for Bangladesh’s Test side. He has three hundreds since February last year and despite having a woeful World Cup campaign, he remained one of the batsmen whose Test form did not suffer much. His 26 had the promise of much more but he was the first to fall, stumped down the leg side. Stiaan van Zyl’s gentle pace earned him his second Test scalp, while Tamim became Elgar’s fifth victim.While Mahmudullah said the openers’ dismissals were not due to lack of concentration, South Africa bowling coach Charl Langeveldt felt that it was the result of the pressure created by their four main bowlers.”Stiaan [van Zyl] and [Dean] Elgar are part-timers so it is rewarding,” Langeveldt said. “If they do get wickets, it does help us. But it was the pressure that the other guys, the four main bowlers, put on the batsmen. Sometimes you bring on a part-timer and he gets the wickets.”Mahmudullah, who made 67 in more than three hours, was out to a Philander delivery that slanted into him as he tried to flick it. He had started off coolly, with five early boundaries, but between the 37th and 46th overs he made just six runs. The South African bowlers put him under a lot of pressure again and he took 26 balls to move from 40 to 53. After passing 50, Mahmudullah struck three more fours but he rued his late dismissal – play was possible for only five more deliveries because of rain.”I don’t really think much about it. I try to bat normally,” Mahudullah said. “I know they are the No. 1 team in the world. I think they have the best bowling attack at the moment. We knew scoring runs wouldn’t be easy. We have to bat carefully. I think it was a wise decision to wait for the bad balls.”I was quite disappointed. I was trying, plus I could sense that rain was around. I wanted to stay not out and start anew on day three. I felt well while batting. The start wasn’t easy but as the innings progressed, I was finding rhythm. I was thinking that there was a chance for a big innings today.”During a gritty innings that lasted 192 minutes, Mahmudullah’s two back-foot punches stood out. He is one of the taller Bangladesh batsmen and to play this shot he stands up higher against the fast bowlers. He did it with great effect at the World Cup in Nelson, Adelaide and Hamilton and credited batting on a granite slab in Dhaka during the pre-tournament training camp.”It is quite different playing this shot on granite and playing it out in the middle. They were bowling well but the ball wasn’t swinging as much. The ball was coming on to the bat. I was planning that when I get in my zone, I will use it properly.”All three batsmen will now sit in the dressing room, two with the knowledge that they got out to part-timers. Mahmudullah will also feel he has unfinished business, but their fight said a lot about the changing nature of Bangladesh’s batsmen.

Ajinkya Rahane is well equipped at No. 3 to play the role Kane Williamson does for New Zealand, but with Virat Kohli having established himself in that position the team management has a tightrope to walk

Alagappan Muthu in Indore13-Oct-20151:39

‘Rahane compliments me well’ – Rohit

One bat leans against the stumps, presumably the heavier one. The other is in Ajinkya Rahane’s hands as he marks his guard and then gets to work. A few blocks. Then some firmer pushes. Everything is kept along the ground. That he needs to work himself into the big shots holds true even at training. Then comes the bat switch, and a blistering straight drive that any No. 3 would be proud of. The question is, will he be a permanent one?Rohit Sharma on…

Dhawan’s form: “He was our highest run-getter in the World Cup, scored two beautiful hundreds, was the highest run-getter in Bangladesh. I don’t know where that [questions on his form] is coming from. Couple of games shouldn’t be a worry. If you see the amount of runs he has scored over the past two years – he has scored eight hundreds – so it’s simply not a joke.”
Death bowling: “It’s a concern. We cannot run away from that. But when you are bowling to someone like [AB] de Villiers and those kinds of players, you have to be extra smart and be more proactive as to what they do and what kind of shots they play. In the last few games that we’ve played, not only against South Africa but in Bangladesh and in Australia as well, we were making small, small mistakes in the last five or ten overs. But that shouldn’t be a concern now because we have one more fielder outside the circle to work with.”
Gameplan for second ODI: “The pitch looks good. It’s a high-scoring ground. We’ve played here before, I remember Virender Sehwag got a double-hundred here. We know what to expect here. But at the moment we don’t know whether we will get dew or not. So after looking at all that then we will discuss all of it in our team meeting and decide.”

It has been an arduous journey for him to get here. Rahane was dropped in Bangladesh because India thought they needed a big hitter more than technically-correct batsman. Against South Africa in the T20s, he could not be fit into the top three so was dropped again. In between, he was India captain on a tour to Zimbabwe. It seemed the higher-ups just could not make up their minds about leaving Rahane feeling like Schrödinger’s cat with no way to know if he is in or out. Last week at Eden Gardens, he was both: in amongst the XI, out because of the rain.But Kanpur may be the start of a long-awaited symbiotic relationship. Rahane needs more one-day cricket to expand his range. India need batting depth. So why waste one of their best resources?”If you see our batting line-up on paper, this team looks very strong when Jinks [Rahane] bats at the top of the order followed by Virat [Kohli] and followed by me and [Suresh] Raina,” India captain MS Dhoni said. “It looks like it has got all the ingredients.”So will the recipe be handed down from Kanpur to Indore and beyond? “It’s a thought we need to look into carefully,” Rohit Sharma said at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “And what we do with our players as to the batting order really depends on what MS thinks about it. I know that Virat has scored most of his runs batting at No. 3 and Ajinkya has just got in at No. 3 and scored some runs. But I don’t know if it’s a permanent solution. But time will tell you what the ideal batting line-up will be for us.”Therein lies a tightrope walk for the team management. On the one hand, India have woken up to a combination worth persisting with, but for that their best batsman has to be pushed out of his preferred spot. There have been times when India have worked on the principle of having a flexible No. 3. An early wicket would bring Rahane out to calm things down, a good foundation would bring Kohli out to heat things up. This ploy may yet continue, but the point is that India will at least be using their best players as they try to overturn a 0-1 disadvantage in this series.The problem, a well-documented one, for Rahane has been his scoring rate. But it can be less of one in a line-up that has Rohit at the top, Kohli right next to him and Suresh Raina and Dhoni to round things off. Like in Kanpur, where Rahane made 60 off 82 balls but the partnership he had with Rohit amounted to 149 runs in 157 balls. That’s brisk by any standard. And more importantly it set the team up for victory until India suffered a second final-overs fiasco on the same day.The other issue, although this one is not unique to him, is that Rahane needs a few deliveries to warm-up, perhaps as a result of his orthodox technique. Opposition captains can tell their bowlers to stick to a line and pack the field accordingly to dry the runs and wait for the mistake. That doesn’t necessarily mean Rahane should shed his old-school methods. Kane Williamson, as a contemporary example, is pretty much a walking, talking coaching manual and he has an ODI strike-rate of 84.19 and the No. 4 spot in ICC rankings for ODI batsmen, only two rating points behind Kohli.Williamson’s success has stemmed from his ability to update his repertoire as opposed to overhauling it. The inside-out loft over cover has become a signature stroke and his skill in working the angles on a cricket field is on par with the best. And rarely does he muscle the ball away or look for reverse sweeps and switch hits. Simple, straightforward strokeplay allows him to be a lynchpin for the New Zealand batting line-up. Rahane could perform a similar role for India, but he definitely needs time to work out a few kinks. Whether he gets it will depend on the thinktank.”We have Mr Ravi Shastri and Bharat Arun and Mr [Sanjay] Bangar to get that thought process going and come out with a solution,” Rohit said. “I’m sure whatever they decide to do, it will be best for the team. At the moment, yes we are trying to find out what the best combination is going forward – who will be No. 3, who will be No. 4. But I’m sure in the next few games you will see that we will have a proper batting line-up.”The next 50-over World Cup, and even the Champions Trophy for that matter, are far away so India and Rahane have some time to figure it all out.

Why many Pakistanis want the tainted fast bowler back

Talha Ahmad16-Dec-2015Somewhere in Pakistan, someone is confused about the Mohammad Amir drama. This someone is a shocked Pakhtun after seeing and hearing different views and opinions about the return of Amir.The Pakhtun wakes up in the morning, offers his prayers, eats his breakfast, wears the cultural Chitrali hat and shawl, and also puts the traditional sandals on. He goes for a walk in the dense winter fog early in the morning and thinks to himself, ‘why do they want Amir back?’The confused man doesn’t find an answer to the question and keeps on walking. Then he asks himself, ‘why don’t they want Amir back? Well, he has brought shame to our country, our beloved homeland. There are enough reasons not to want him back to play for Pakistan and yet the majority wants him,’ he thinks to himself, his bemusement increasing.By this time, the Pakhtun has reached his rice fields, where a spectacular thought comes to his mind. The Pakhtun says to himself, “they want him back because they want to show they have forgiven him and want to give him another chance.”While on his way back to his house, the fog lightened and the sun produced the winter’s warming heat. He thinks to himself, “Isn’t allowing him back to live in Pakistan already a gesture of forgiving him? After all that he has done, allowing him to live in his country is big already that we have done. Then why do they want to forgive him again?”Just as he reaches his home, he sits on the (traditional bed in villages). He continues to wonder why Pakistan wants Amir back. He arrives at a conclusion that Shahid Afridi is going to retire soon. The great Imran Khan was a cricketer that came ages ago and went away from the game by making his country very proud. The days of Waqar and Wasim are long gone and the Inzamams, Saeed Anwars and Mohammad Yousufs were no longer playing for Pakistan. Javed Miandad and Saqlain Mushtaq were also long ago. Younis and Misbah are also only playing Test cricket and are on the verge of retirement. He says to himself, “they don’t want Amir, they need him. Pakistan needs a cricketing hero once again for the coming generation and they all know, inside their hearts, that despite whatever Amir has done, he is the only one who can become their hero.”The Pakhtun takes off the shawl, chitrali hat and the traditional sandals. He drags a towards the area in his house where the sun is shining and just lays there and closes his eyes, “yes, that is the reason they want him back.”They know he is the one who can give them reasons to smile in the coming years.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the third one-day international in Sharjah

George Dobell17-Nov-2015Chance of the dayHad Jos Buttler been stumped before he had scored – as he probably should have been – England would have been 103 for five and in the midst of a familiar collapse against spin bowling. Buttler, facing just his third ball, had skipped down the wicket against Shoaib Malik and effectively yorked himself. But Sarfraz Ahmed could not take the ball cleanly and Buttler regained his ground. He went on to score an unbeaten 49 and added an unbroken 117 for the fifth-wicket with James Taylor in a partnership which settled the game.Run out of the dayThis was an unusually competitive category, with three Pakistan batsmen succumbing to run outs and each a contender for the most embarrassing. But perhaps it was Shoaib Malik who should take the accolade. As the last recognised batsman, Pakistan could well have done with him to shepherd the tail and ensure the team utilised all their overs. Instead, backing up to Wahab Riaz, he attempted an all but impossible run to the best fielder in the England squad, displayed the turning circle of an oil tanker and was run out by some distance to become the fifth wicket to fall in the space of just 29 runs. It is hard to imagine there would have been a run in any circumstance – Wahab turned the ball pretty much straight to midwicket – but the fact that it was Chris Jordan placed there made it all the more unlikely.Setback of the dayPerhaps the most significant blow in this encounter was struck the day before the game. Yasir Shah, the Pakistan legspinner, injured a knee in training the day before the match and was ruled out of contention. While he conceded 70 runs in the previous ODI, he took seven wickets in the Test on this very pitch barely a couple of weeks ago and would surely have relished the conditions. His replacement, Zafar Gohar, did pretty well but, bearing in mind England’s long term record against legspin, Yasir’s absence may have proved the difference between the sides.Milestone of the dayThe wicket of Eoin Morgan was Malik’s 150th in ODI cricket. Quite a ball it was, too. Drifting in to Morgan, it then spun sharply, beating the outside edge of the bat as he remained on the back foot and clipping the top of off stump. It seemed, at the time and with Morgan having batted so well, as if it may be the wicket to settle the game: England were 93 for 4 and 209 looked far away.Start of the dayWhatever their problems in developing another generation of batsmen, Pakistan’s ability to unearth new bowlers is uncanny. Here, with Yasir injured, they gave an opportunity to a 20-year-old with only 19 List A games behind him. And if Gohar’s first wicket – Joe Root – owed a little to fortune (Root slog-swept a full toss, just Zafar’s fifth delivery in international cricket, down the throat of deep square leg), his second, Alex Hales, was the result of a fine ball that drew the batsmen into a stroke but then spun sharply to take the outside edge. Zafar also drove David Willey for a straight six and, if he could improve his consistency and his fielding, looked a fine prospect for such an inexperienced cricketer.

Fomer England keeper Jim Parks talks about how he took to the job, and cricket in the ’30s and ’40s

Interview by Crispin Andrews10-Apr-2016Your father, Jim Sr, played his only Test as Len Hutton’s opening partner, in 1937. What do you remember about that game?
It was Hutton’s Test debut, against New Zealand. My dad was Hutton’s first opening partner. Hutton got 0 and 1 and had a long and distinguished Test career. Dad outscored him, got 22 and 7, and took three wickets, but never played for England again.Did you watch much cricket as a young boy?
It was that same year, 1937, that I started watching cricket. I was five years old and my grandmother used to take me down to the county ground at Hove, where Dad played.The first game I remember was Sussex against the Australians in 1938. Hugh Bartlett smashed the Aussies all over the place to get one of the quickest hundreds I’ve ever seen. I thought, “That’s how you play cricket.” Ironically, Hugh was my first captain when I joined Sussex in 1949.Any other memorable pre-war games?
Sussex’s last match before the war was my dad’s benefit match. Yorkshire were supposed to come down to play in the Championship, but that was called off when war broke out. Yorkshire still turned out for the benefit match, though, which was good of them.Did you see your dad play for Sussex very often?
Not really. He finished playing county cricket in 1939.I remember one game, against Surrey, where he kept cutting Alf Gover over the slips. Dad was quite short and stocky, he cut and hooked a lot.

“Godfrey Evans was the absolute best keeper I ever saw. He could even stand up to Alec Bedser on a wet wicket”

What sort of player was he?
Everyone always called him solid and steady. But in 1937, he changed his style. My mother had died the previous winter, and according to John Langridge, who opened the batting with him, Dad completely transformed his approach. Langridge was still playing when I started in 1949, and he told me that Dad just went out and smashed the ball everywhere. That year, he had 3000 runs and took 100 wickets with his slow-medium bowling. That record will never be broken.Your uncle, Harry, was quite a good player for Sussex too, wasn’t he?
He finished in 1948; I started in 1949. He was a strong player, a batsman who slogged it. Before the war, Sussex batted him in the middle order. After the war they moved him up to open with John Langridge. Lovely person, Harry. He was a flight lieutenant during the war.What do you remember about life during the Second World War?
I remember counting the German bombers as they flew over the south coast, towards London. Sometimes there were 150 of them. My dad was too old to join the armed forces. He was a policeman and moved up to Lancashire towards the end of the war. He played a few Lancashire league games for Accrington, as a professional. There he became good friends with Learie Constantine. Learie was working for the Ministry of Labour. He was a real flamboyant character. I never saw anybody hit the ball as hard or as far as him. After the war, Learie got me out to Trinidad to do some coaching.Parks walking out to bat with Ted Dexter in 1956: “I didn’t keep wicket at the start of my career. I was a specialist batsman”•PA PhotosYou played for the air force team after the war?
For one season, while I was doing national service. Those games against the army and the navy, we had a really good team. Fred Trueman, Fred Titmus and Ray Illingworth were all in the RAF side.Brian Close was your last captain, at Somerset. He started playing one year before you, in 1948. What was he like as a young player?Closey, when he started, bowled really quickly. He was fearless, even back then. He had so much talent that he could have played a hundred times for England. But he had a reputation for arguing with the wrong people, and so England only picked him 22 times.Who was your hero growing up?
I didn’t want to be a wicketkeeper when I was younger. I was more interested in batting. Denis Compton was my hero. I first saw him play against Dad, who played for the combined police and fire services team during the war. Compton was in the army team. He played all the shots, improvised, ran down the pitch. On a bad wicket, his technique was perfect. When it was difficult, he straightened everything up.What was it like playing against him?
Denis played the finest innings I ever saw, in 1955. It was at Lord’s, and with Middlesex due to bat, he was late and still in his civvies on the balcony. But it was a wet wicket and Middlesex were two wickets down for just four runs. Denis was in at No. 4 and we had to wait ten minutes for him to get ready and get onto the field. When Middlesex were finally out for 206, Denis was the last man out for 150. On a really dodgy wicket, he smashed it. The next highest score was John Warr, who got 13. When I made my Test debut against Pakistan, Denis was in the England side.

“There we were in the Chelmsford dressing room before the start of play and we suddenly realised we’ve got no wicketkeeper. Robin Marlar looked at me and said, ‘You’re doing it'”

Didn’t your dad come back to Sussex in the mid-’60s to do some coaching?
He was there for a year, in 1966, and then in 1967 he suffered a stroke. He got over it but was never the same again, and his career in cricket was over. Back then coaches looked after the second team and the young players. The first team looked after themselves. So I didn’t see that much of him.When you were growing up, were wicketkeepers expected to score runs?
Back then, wicketkeepers never worried about scoring hundreds. Their work behind the stumps was more important. They’d bat down the order at nine or ten. Arthur McIntyre and Roy Swetman were wicketkeepers who might occasionally put together a score. Godfrey Evans was no mug with the bat, but he averaged only half what would be expected of today’s keepers. Catch Bradman or George Headley for a low score and your team had a head start. Miss a stumping off one of these greats and you were in trouble.What was it like playing on uncovered wickets?
It was difficult keeping wicket, especially when you stood up to medium-pacers. You would do that to keep the batsman back in their crease and maybe get the chance of a stumping. Godfrey Evans was the absolute best keeper I ever saw. He could even stand up to Alec Bedser on a wet wicket.”My body was trained to run around in the outfield. I wasn’t used to jumping up and down 600 times a day”•Getty ImagesIt was difficult for the batsman too, with the ball flying around all over the place off a length. I remember seeing Derbyshire’s Les Jackson and Cliff Gladwin bowling at Hove on a wet wicket. They were unplayable.Who inspired you to be a wicketkeeper?
No one, really. It came about by accident. I didn’t keep wicket at the start of my career. I was a specialist batsman. A couple of years after that, Sussex were playing against Essex in a Championship game at Chelmsford, when our wicketkeeper, Rupert Webb got injured. There we were in the Chelmsford dressing room before the start of play and we suddenly realised we’ve got no wicketkeeper. Robin Marlar, the Sussex captain, looked at me and said “You’re doing it”. I didn’t have any kit and so had to borrow Essex keeper Brian Taylor’s gloves.How did that first game behind the stumps, go?
My body was trained to run around in the outfield. I wasn’t used to jumping up and down 600 times a day. After the game, I was so stiff I couldn’t play for a week. It took a while to get used to wicketkeeping. After that game, I started a new exercise regime to loosen up my lower back and legs. It’s nothing like they do today, though. Just a few minutes stretching before matches.