Assurances from the UAE government and cricket officials in the country had convinced the BCCI that the match-fixing cloud over Sharjah in particular had lifted and that the IPL will be corruption-free

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Mar-2014On Wednesday, the IPL announced the first of the three phases of the tournament this year with 16 matches to be played across the three venues in UAE – Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. The last of those venues grabbed immediate attention and raised a pertinent question: how could Sharjah, once the hub of match-fixing activities, be shortlisted as a venue for IPL especially in the light of the corruption scandal that erupted last season?At the turn of the millennium, even the mention of Sharjah was a taboo: the Indian federal government in 2001 had barred the Indian team from playing at the venue for a period of three years in the light of the findings in the Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal. Over the years, the BCCI maintained an unwritten rule that Indian teams would not play in UAE. Incidentally, as late as 2010, Kings XI Punjab asked the IPL for permission to play exhibition matches in Dubai considering one of their sponsors then was the Gulf-based airline Emirates. The IPL replied saying the BCCI does not “recognize” the UAE as a venue.So what has changed now for the BCCI to make a U-turn and permit matches at the tainted venue? According to BCCI officials the decision was not taken overnight and should not be looked as a desperate one. They pointed out the IPL had carried out an extensive recce of all the venues in UAE before taking the final decision. Importantly, the officials argued that there was no point singling out only Sharjah because any venue would be equally vulnerable to corrupt elements.”In India the bookies are more active too. Are there not bookies in South Africa? What guarantee do we have anywhere?” a senior BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo. “We can educate the players. We can create a bubble where we can secure the players’ movements and them meeting people. Also, the government of UAE has told us they are going to provide us with the best of security. They have told us if we have any specific information on suspicious elements they will take swift action.”David East, the Emirates Cricket Board chief executive, confirmed the IPL was given all assurances. “The UAE government is entirely supportive of the IPL being here and will do everything to ensure it is a hugely successful tournament,” East said.It is understood that assurance from the UAE government with regards to keeping the event clean, made as late as Wednesday, swung the BCCI’s decision towards staging the IPL in the Middle East. “There are two separate issues at work here and are both at the top of our minds. Going to Sharjah is separate from the IPL events of last year and the Mudgal committee report. Both are on top of our minds and must be dealt with,” the BCCI official said.According to another BCCI insider, the dark clouds of match-fixing that encircled Sharjah in the 1990s had passed long ago. “The main culprit at that point was Dawood Ibrahim, and he is on the run. And things have changed a lot from those days definitely,” the insider said.Kings XI Punjab’s request to play exhibition games in Dubai was turned down some years ago•Indian Premier LeagueHowever, the perception about Dubai still being the core centre for match-fixing and betting in cricket persists. In the Mudgal committee report on corruption in the IPL last year, one of the panel members, Nilay Dutta, noted that the Delhi Police had “intercepted” calls between a couple of Indian bookies, who had mentioned names of two “international-level Indian players”, and their partners in a betting syndicate based in Dubai and Pakistan.However the BCCI insider remained positive. “Now, Dubai and Sharjah are far better managed places by their government who do not tolerate any nonsense anymore,” the insider said.Although many within the BCCI remained tight-lipped, an influential senior member did have a voice of caution. “Let us wait and see. It is too early to say anything,” he said when asked if Sharjah was an appropriate venue.A franchise head said he failed to understand how the BCCI had changed its stance on UAE compared to a few years ago when few teams wanted to play there. “It has been out of bounds of Indian cricket to such an extent that any cricket contact in that region has been discouraged. Few years back some of the IPL teams wanted to play exhibition matches in Dubai and they were told to stay away. You (BCCI) had certain doubts and concerns earlier, and, now suddenly to revoke that and change the stance is a bit odd,” the franchise official said.The Mudgal committee, an independent three-man commission, was set up by the Supreme Court to probe into the allegations of corruption during the last IPL unearthed by the Delhi and Mumbai Police originally. They concluded that the IPL was far from clean.”The folklore of corruption and such other malpractices that has come to surround the game of cricket and in particular, IPL, unfortunately has a ring of truth to it. If unchecked, the same would be damaging for the game of cricket and defeat public confidence in the integrity of the game,” Dutta, who also sits on the IPL Governing Council, said in his conclusion.The insider agreed about the seriousness of the report and pointed out the BCCI would have a “much improved” system this time to fight corrupt elements as it had taken on board most of the recommendations made by Ravi Sawani, the board’s anti-corruption unit chief. “So there were far more robust protocols enforced,” the insider said. One of the major changes will be an anti-corruption officer travelling and staying with the teams. This concept was tried out during the last edition of the Champions League and proved to be useful.”He would accompany the team to every place and stay in the same place. He is not someone who is snooping on players and officials but he is just around to facilitate. He is easily accessible and someone who can be approached for help or any advice if required,” the BCCI insider said.The anti-corruption code of the BCCI has also been revised with “far stricter” provisions being included for any offences committed. A corporate style audit is one of the new things brought on board. “There will be stricter enforcements. Earlier there were no requirements to record players and team and tournament officials receiving gifts. Prior permission would be required in case gifts are above a certain value. There will be more rigid rules about who can visit and not visit players at the team hotels,” the insider said.The presence of the ICC’s watchdog, the Anti-Corruption and Securities Unit (ACSU) is another advantage the BCCI official pointed out would aid Sawani’s team. It is understood that the IPL would utilise the ACSU’s services during the first phase of the IPL. “They have hands-on experience in UAE on plenty of international matches and have liaisons with local authorities. So their presence there is beneficial,” the insider said.

Mushfiqur Rahim’s decision to invite West Indies to bat on a decent track was designed to protect his eight batsmen rather than his limited bowling attack

Mohammad Isam05-Sep-2014Bangladesh traded in their usual olive green baggy caps for a lighter shade, the kind they used in limited-overs matches, at Arnos Vale. Proceedings on the first day left one wondering if Mushfiqur Rahim was thrown off by the wardrobe change. For long passages of play, he led Bangladesh as he would in a one-day match.He resorted to Mahmudullah, a semi-regular bowler, in the sixth over after putting the opposition in to bat. At the toss, he said his decision was based on the promise of a few hours of movement for the quicks. It is debatable if there was such help but Mushfiqur barely allowed his seamers enough time with the new ball.Bangladesh have been in a slump in 2014 and Mushfiqur’s tactics on the first day mirrored another down-on-his-luck captain. Nasser Hussain had invited Australia to bat at the Gabba in 2002 and watched his bowlers get methodically dismantled. While the fate of this Test has yet to be determined, Mushfiqur’s decision may come to shape the result.Mushfiqur wanted to give Bangladesh the opportunity to bat when the pitch would be at its best. But judging by how the West Indies batsmen fared, the first day wasn’t a bad batting day either. His decision seemed to protect his eight batsmen rather than his three specialist bowlers, one of whom is a debutant, one who is playing only his fourth Test and another with an 80-plus bowling average. In the end, Bangladesh were left nursing a long day on the field.Rubel Hossain’s first spell was cut short at two overs and Mahmudullah replaced him, with a long-off in place. This wasn’t the inspired Mushfiqur who challenged Gayle by keeping Sohag Gazi on in 2012. This was a captain looking for the most defensive ways to get through a problem.Mahmudullah’s purpose was to stymie the batsmen, but his first ball slid down leg and Gayle’s sweep thundered into the boundary boards. By the end of his two overs, he had conceded more runs than Rubel. Shuvagata Hom, the debutant offspinner, then replaced Mahmudullah and was struck for two fours in two overs prompting Rubel’s return. If Mushfiqur was hoping to surprise the opposition by springing his spinners, it backfired.Bangladesh have now put in the opposition 16 times in Tests, and have conceded more than 400 runs on seven occasions. It suggests that they have opted for self-preservation even in conditions ideal for batting.This was the fifth time Mushfiqur had won a toss in Tests, and the second time he had sent the opposition in. The first occasion was last year in Harare when Zimbabwe made 389 and went on to bowl Bangladesh out for 134 and 147 to win by a huge margin. On that occasion, there was help for the seamers, but Bangladesh didn’t exploit the conditions well. Bowling first, moreover, did no favours to their three spinners.On the three occasions that Mushfiqur has chosen to bat, Bangladesh made more than 350 twice and were bowled out for 282 the other time.Thankfully for Mushfiqur, his two debutants brought Bangladesh back into the contest after lunch. Mushfiqur didn’t go on the defensive after they had dismissed Chris Gayle and Kirk Edwards, but his bowlers couldn’t separate Brathwaite and Darren Bravo until the pair had added 128 and put West Indies back in command.At 264 for 3, West Indies haven’t run away with the game yet, but it seems a difficult ask for three specialist bowlers to restrict them to anything below 400. Mushfiqur had the chance to give them a score to bowl at, and by the end of the day may have rued his decision not to.

Also, best percentage of hundreds to innings, most frequent appearances on the Lord’s honours board, most first-class fifties, and Sanga and Mahela’s twin totals

Steven Lynch01-Jul-2014Who has the best percentage of hundreds to innings scored? Is it Don Bradman – and if it is, who’s next? asked Nate Johnson from Barbados

Don Bradman is indeed top, as he scored 29 centuries in 80 Test innings, or 36.25%. This excludes Andy Ganteaume, who scored 112 in his only Test innings for West Indies, and Rodney Redmond, who had just two knocks for New Zealand but scored 107 in one of them. Ignoring people who played less than a dozen Tests, two West Indians come next: George Headley, whose 40 innings produced ten centuries (25%), while Clyde Walcott hit 15 centuries in 74 innings (20.27%). The highest current player is India’s Cheteshwar Pujara, with six hundreds in 32 innings (18.75%).Who’s the only batsman to hit 50 boundaries in a Test innings? Is it Brian Lara? asked Chris Leigh from England

It’s not Brian Lara, although he came close with 47 boundaries (four of them sixes) in his 400 not out against England in St John’s in 2003-04. Matthew Hayden fell one short – 38 fours and 11 sixes – in his 380 for Australia against Zimbabwe in Perth in 2003-04. The answer might come as a bit of a surprise, as the man concerned is remembered now as a bit of a stodgy batsman – but in his early days John Edrich gave the ball a hearty thump, and actually struck 57 boundaries, five of them sixes, in his 310 not out against New Zealand at Headingley in 1965. Edrich, Hayden, Inzamam-ul-Haq (in his 329 for Pakistan v New Zealand in Lahore in 2001-02) and Virender Sehwag (293 for India v Sri Lanka in Mumbai in 2009-10) are the only batsmen to score more than 200 runs in boundaries in a Test innings. For the full list, click here.Whose name appears most often on the honours board at Lord’s? asked Craig Moore from South Africa

The most prominent name on the Lord’s honours boards – for notable batting and bowling feats in Tests there – is that of Ian Botham. He’s there ten times in all – for his century against Pakistan in 1978, for eight five-fors and one ten-wicket match (also in 1978, but against New Zealand). The leaders on the individual boards are (for England) Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan for batting – they both scored six centuries at Lord’s – and Botham for bowling. Gooch is actually up there seven times, as his hundred in the MCC Bicentenary match in 1987 is also commemorated. For the visitors, Dilip Vengsarkar alone has scored three centuries in official Tests there, although Garry Sobers hit two for West Indies and another for the Rest of the World in an unofficial Test in 1970 (it is on the board, though). Richard Hadlee, Glenn McGrath and Charlie Turner all took three five-fors; Turner alone managed ten in a match.Who is the only bowler to take more than 300 Test wickets with an economy rate of less than two runs per over? asked Jamie Stewart from Canada

The only man to manage this is the West Indian offspinner Lance Gibbs, who took 309 wickets in 79 Tests, and conceded just 1.98 runs per over in all. He was helped by his best figures, against India in Bridgetown in 1961-62, which in full were 53.3-37-38-8. Several other parsimonious performances included 1 for 68 in 57 overs against England in Port-of-Spain in 1967-68. Actually no one with more than 200 Test wickets was as thrifty; you have to go down to the former Australian seamer Alan Davidson, who took 184 wickets, to find a better overall economy-rate – 1.97 per over.Jack Hobbs holds the record for most hundreds in first-class cricket, but who has the most fifties? asked Ali M from the United States

If you mean most scores of 50 or over, it’s still Jack Hobbs, who made 273 half-centuries to go with 199 hundreds (some sources show slightly different figures). His 472 scores of 50-plus is 30 more than the Middlesex stalwart Patsy Hendren (170 hundreds plus 272 fifties). However, Kent’s Frank Woolley had more innings in the 50-99 bracket than either of them, with 295. Philip Mead of Hampshire is the only other batsman to have reached 50 on more than 400 occasions in first-class cricket, finishing with 153 hundreds and 258 fifties.Sanga and Mahela now have the same number of Test runs. Is this the highest aggregate shared by two batsmen at the end of a match? asked Maduwatha Liyanage from Sri Lanka

After the exciting Headingley Test, both Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene had 11,493 runs in Tests, putting them joint-sixth on the overall list. There hasn’t been a tie for a higher number, certainly not between players from the same team. The oddest similar occurrence I can remember followed the second Test between Australia and Pakistan in 2010 – also at Headingley, as it happens – at the end of which both Simon Katich and Michael Hussey had played 52 Tests for Australia and scored exactly 3981 runs.

So far in his short career, Mominul Haque has walked the walk and talked the talk that should have Bangladesh fans hoping he is a match-winner in the making

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong15-Nov-2014The position immediately below Don Bradman’s 99.94 on Test cricket’s batting average charts is a temporary seat for successful beginners. If batsman starts off with a century or a double, or goes on to hit a few in his first few Test matches, he is just a step down from Bradman, people notice. But, eventually, that average inevitably begins to come down. The latest batsman to occupy that spot is Bangladesh’s Mominul Haque, with an average of 63.05 after his unbeaten 131 against Zimbabwe in Chittagong.Of course, Mominul has had a 50-plus average since his fourth Test, but he is only 23 innings into his career and, like all those others before him, being second only to Bradman is not likely to last too long for him either. Still, his position looks awesome and sounds amazing to any Bangladesh fan.And that average is a fair reflection of his unique temperament among his peers. Mominul’s strokeplay, too, and the confidence with which he lays bat on ball, is also starting to standout. The two drives between extra cover and mid-off early in his innings today, his body position while playing drives off the backfoot through mid-on, and the sweeps, pulls, tickles and cuts … it all made for great viewing pleasure.His journey in Test cricket has not been as effortless. Mominul had got to a half-century six times this year before today, and only one of those he converted into a hundred – on all five other occasions, he was out before getting into the 60s. Mominul had to find out a way to get out of the fifties.It was something as simple as having fewer negative thoughts that worked for him, he said after the day’s play in Chittagong. And despite a brisk start – he got to 50 off 69 balls – he did not lose concentration, even willing to battle it out for 22 balls after getting into the nineties before he hit the four that got him to his fourth century.”It really feels great to be able to do something for the team,” Mominul said. “I try in every game to make some contribution. I didn’t want to lose concentration. I wanted to play ball-by-ball, session-by-session. I was less negative today. I had fewer negative thoughts, which possibly helped me get the runs. The wicket was good. I tried to attack, dominate their bowlers.”I didn’t make any technical changes in my batting. It was mostly tactical. I think about my batting when I am on my own. I try to overcome the areas which are not helping me, which were holding me back. It is not a lot of things that I think about. It is better to stay normal and take on less pressure. But now that it has happened, I am saying this. If I hadn’t scored a century, I wouldn’t be able to say it.”To put his 131 into perspective in terms of match situation, compared to his previous three hundreds, Mominul was cruising in Chittagong rather than navigating through choppy waters. His 181 and unbeaten 126 against New Zealand last year came when replying to a large score and trying to save a Test match respectively. Against Sri Lanka, when he scored his third century, an unbeaten 100, it came on the final day with the opposition pushing for a win.This time, he was allowed to bat with the freedom provided by a 165-run cushion and against a bowling attack that was running on empty. It was his third century in three Tests in Chittagong, and he duly pointed out that it would be unwise to expect him to score big every time he turns up at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.”I have scored three of my four centuries at this ground, but it doesn’t mean I have to score a hundred here every time,” Mominul said. “It is a matter of luck. If it happens, it happens. I don’t think much about it. There was no extra pressure on me.”But I worked out why I was getting out in the fifties. I tried to do something more to go past it. And when success comes to a player, the responsibility rises. Now there is expectation on me, and it is steadily rising.”That attitude of Mominul’s is quite refreshing for those who have got used to Bangladesh cricketers showing early promise, followed by a display of bravado, only to experience the inevitable come-down. Mominul is experiencing the first part of that process, but his personality hasn’t allowed him to move on to the second, so far. He will not be Bradman’s sidekick for too long, but the fact that he has not got carried away by his early success can only be good for Bangladesh.

Stats highlights from the third day of the third Test between South Africa and West Indies, in Cape Town

Bishen Jeswant04-Jan-20156 Number of Test hundreds for AB de Villiers against West Indies, the most for him against any team. He has five against Australia, four against Pakistan, three against India, two against England, one against Sri Lanka and none against Zimbabwe, New Zealand and Bangladesh.21 Number of Test hundreds for de Villiers, equalling Gary Kirsten and putting him fourth on the list of South African batsmen with the most Test hundreds, after Jacques Kallis (45), Graeme Smith (27) and Hashim Amla (23).7 Runs scored by Kraigg Brathwaite to get off the mark in the fourth over of West Indies’ second innings. Only four batsmen have scored seven runs off one ball since 2001 – Michael Clarke (2006), Andrew Symonds (2008) and Chris Rogers (2014) being the others.1526 Partnership runs between Hashim Amla and de Villiers since 2012. They are the only pair to score more than 1500 runs in this period, at an average of 73 runs per partnership. They posted 97 runs in the first innings, their thirteenth 50-plus partnership since 2012, also the most for any pair.3 Number of South Africa batsmen who have scored more than 7500 Test runs. De Villiers reached this mark when he was on 42, during his innings of 148. The other South Africa batsmen to reach this mark are Kallis (13206) and Smith (9253).3 Number of South Africa batsmen who were run out during the first innings, the most in a Test innings for South Africa. This has happened twice before, in 1932 and 2003.9 Number of Tests since Marlon Samuels’ last Test wicket. When he picked up the wicket of Stiaan van Zyl in the first innings, it was his first wicket in 66.2 overs. His last Test wicket was Zimbabwe’s Tendai Chatara in March 2013.

Stats highlights from Ireland’s narrow victory over the UAE

Bishen Jeswant25-Feb-20153:55

Insights – Centuries batting first v batting second

107 Runs scored by Shaiman Anwar and Amjad Javed for the seventh wicket. This is the highest seventh wicket stand for any team in World Cup history. There has never previously been a 100-plus stand for the seventh wicket in World Cups.106 Runs scored by Anwar, the most by any UAE batsman in a World Cup game. He is the first UAE batsman to score a World Cup hundred and the second to do so in any ODI. The only other UAE batsman to score an ODI hundred is Khurram Khan, who scored 132 against Afghanistan in 2014.200 Kevin O’Brien’s strike rate during his innings of 50 off 25 balls. This is the only instance of an Ireland batsman making a 50-plus score at a 200-plus strike rate. This is the eighth such score in a World Cup match, with Mark Boucher and Brendon McCullum doing this twice each.278 Runs scored by UAE, their third-highest total in ODIs. UAE have only made three 275-plus scores in ODI cricket, with two of those coming in this World Cup.6 Number of instances of a No. 6 batsman making a century in a World Cup match; Anwar is the sixth. Three of these six instances have come during this World Cup. JP Duminy, Lendl Simmons and Anwar are the three No. 6 batsmen to score centuries.508 ODI runs scored by Khurram Khan, making him the first UAE batsman to score 500-plus runs. Amjad Ali, with 444 runs has scored the second-most runs among UAE batsmen.74 The partnership between Gary Wilson and Andy Balbirnie, the highest fifth-wicket partnership for Ireland in a World Cup match. The subsequent 72-run partnership between Wilson and Kevin O’Brien was the second-highest sixth wicket stand for Ireland in World Cups.80 Runs scored by Wilson, the second-most by any Ireland No. 6 batsman in a World Cup match. The only higher score is Kevin O’Brien’s famous 113 against England during the 2011 World Cup.

Sky has done a lot of good for English cricket but the extension of its contract until 2019 should not be an excuse for the ECB to give up on trying to attract new audiences

George Dobell08-Jan-2015News that Sky Sports has extended its broadcast partnership with the ECB until the end of the 2019 season, just as the Big Bash League is drawing huge audiences at home and in the ground, is sure to revive the debate about the virtues of cricket on free-to-air television.As part of the broadcast deal agreed in 2012, Sky always had the option to extend its exclusive deal to televise English cricket beyond the apparent expiry in 2017 and was always likely to do so. In many ways, English cricket will breathe a sigh of relief.Sky has been the broadcast partner of the ECB since 2006. In that time, it has pumped unprecedented resources into the game – the current deal is worth around £65m a year – and enabled the ECB to invest in better facilities, better coaching and medical resources and provide a huge increase in funding to grassroots cricket. The company pays handsomely for its exclusivity. It is no coincidence that the ECB has also been able to invest heavily in women’s cricket and disability cricket during the Sky era.Sky has also taken coverage of the game to a new level. It is easily forgotten now but Channel 4’s coverage of two Ashes series was interrupted, in all, by 33 hours’ worth of horse racing. Channel 4 also persuaded the ECB to start Tests at 10.30am one summer in order not to disrupt the evening scheduling of and .Equally, the BBC coverage of “Botham’s Ashes” of 1981 was interrupted by programmes such as , and while, for several years, their Sunday League coverage consisted of a single camera.

ESPNcricinfo understands that it is highly likely that some domestic cricket will return to free-to-air TV this year in a bid to reach out to a new audience

The past is often remembered with a romantic filter and Sky, with its coverage of all England games home and away, guaranteed 60 days of county coverage each season, and willingness – a willingness we often take for granted in the UK but which is rare elsewhere – to ask the hard questions in interviews and commentary probably offers the best service cricket lovers have ever had.Or at least those who can afford it. And there is the rub, because whatever the virtue of the Sky deal for the ECB’s finances and whatever the virtue of their coverage, the fact is that vast sections of the country have no access to live cricket on television. And whatever the virtues of sending coaches into primary schools – and Sky’s money has helped fund Chance to Shine – there is no way that 1000 hours of helping kids hit tennis balls off cones will ever replace one hour of inspiration provided by watching the likes of Ian Botham or Andrew Flintoff lead England to the Ashes.So, after almost a decade without any free-to-air coverage, there is a growing fear that the balance between the need for revenue and the need for exposure has fallen out of kilter. An uncomfortably large number of households in a country recovering from recession cannot afford subscription TV and that means a generation of children will grow up without exposure to the game and never having the chance to fall in love with its many charms.Look through the county squads: a disproportionate number of players developed either abroad or through the private school system. Cricket is simply not relevant to vast swathes of the country.This fear, growing in intensity over the years, was supported by figures released towards the end of 2014. Not only did the average number of spectators per game fall after the ECB relaunched its T20 competition, but figures showed that the number of people playing the game at recreational level had fallen. Meanwhile, there were worryingly poor ticket sales for the Southampton Test and in the Lord’s domestic final, in particular, and cricket’s place in local and national newspapers dwindled ever further. One prominent national paper even made the position of cricket correspondent redundant.Cricket has not been on free-to-air television since England’s 2005 Ashes triumph•Getty ImagesAnd, all the while, the BBL appears to go from strength to strength. Although there is no evidence that the quality of cricket is any higher than the NatWest Blast – quite the contrary, really – the fact is the competition, broadcast on free-to-air TV, has captured the imagination of a huge audience. Families flock to the grounds; viewing figures are impressive. If the aim of the competition is to raise revenue and inspire a new generation of supporters, it has been an unmitigated success.To this end, a group of county chief executives have been pursuing the English game’s broadcast options. ESPNcricinfo understands that it is highly likely that some domestic cricket will return to free-to-air TV this year – likely to be a NatWest Blast highlights show – in a bid to reach out to a new audience. The county CEOs believe the arrangement is permitted under the current broadcast deal and, while Sky believe they would have to give approval, there does not appear to be any attempt – at present – to prevent it. That could change.There are legitimate questions to ask about the precise value of free-to-air coverage, too. Tennis – and Wimbledon, in particular – is given tremendous coverage on free-to-air TV but it does not appear to have created a generation of players. Equally, Channel 5 already broadcast international highlights during peak viewing hours in a lively, well-produced show: it seems to have done little to stem the tide.Nor is it clear which free-to-air channels have any desire to broadcast cricket. There has been little interest from traditional broadcasters in recent bidding processes and it is safe to assume that Sky chose to show highlights of the last Ashes tour on its Pick channel only because there was no significant demand elsewhere. The uncomfortable truth is that cricket really isn’t inspiring schedulers. Sky may well be the best friend English cricket has.It would be simplistic to claim a return to free to air TV will solve all the ills of the game. The selling of school playing fields, the changing nature of teaching, the growth of other leisure pursuits and pastimes have all conspired to reduce the opportunities for young people to play the game. The world has changed. Cricket, with its sometimes demanding need for pitch preparation, equipment and, most of all, time, sometimes seems as relevant to modern society as Morris dancing and origami.But if enthusiasm can be sparked there is always a way and free-to-air cricket must surely have a part to play in providing that. As the Afghanistan players emerging from the refugee camps of Pakistan remind us, if the spark is lit, the game will grow. Even when they had balls made from tape and bats fashioned from wooden posts and panels, their enthusiasm found a way. Once a love for cricket is born, it often proves irrepressible.But unless there is that initial spark, unless a new generation is given the opportunity to stumble upon the game – as an earlier generation did through the BBC’s Sunday League coverage – they will never have that chance. The current ECB leadership seems not to understand that not everything of value can be packaged and sold.

Plays of the day from the Group A match between England and Sri Lanka in Wellington

George Dobell and Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Mar-2015The beamer
Bowling at the death in limited-overs cricket is a thankless business. With Jos Buttler hitting even the good deliveries to the boundary, Lakmal found himself struggling for answers. The first delivery of the final over – perhaps an attempted yorker – was a high full toss that was called as a no-ball due to its height and pulled to the boundary. Later in the over, after a perfectly respectable full ball had been driven over mid-off for six, Lakmal delivered a head-high beamer – presumably an attempted slower ball – and was removed from the attack by the umpire. With Rangana Herath forced to withdraw midway through the previous over due to a hand injury, it meant Sri Lanka had utilised four bowlers in the final two overs of the England innings.The start
England enjoyed a bright start, reaching 61 without loss by the end of the eighth over mainly because of Ian Bell. He enjoyed some fortune, though, at one stage surviving two chances in successive deliveries. First Dinesh Chandimal, diving full length to his right, was unable to cling on to what would have been a spectacular catch at cover off Suranga Lakmal in the fourth over before, next ball, Tillakaratne Dilshan failed to lay a hand on a more straightforward chance at point as Bell failed to keep his cut shot on the ground.The drop
Joe Root was on just two when he edged a delivery off Angelo Mathews to first slip. But Sri Lanka had gone funky and posted Mahela Jayawardene wider, at a position more like second slip, and though he flung himself to his left and laid a hand on the ball, he was unable to cling on. Root went on to make 121, becoming England’s youngest World Cup centurion, and provide the platform for the England total.The other drop
Root was also involved in the other key drop of the day. Lahiru Thirimanne had scored only three when he was drawn into poking at a delivery angled across him by Stuart Broad and edged towards the slip cordon. Initially it seemed that Jos Butter was going to go for the catch and it may be that his movement either impeded Root’s sight or just distracted him. Either way, Root seemed to react late to the chance and was only able to parry it to the boundary. Thirimanne went on to score 139 and, in the process, became Sri Lanka’s youngest World Cup centurion.The grand-prix impersonation
Root had flicked through the gears seamlessly to help yank England out of mild trouble while batting, but when he drilled one past point on 96, he was in such a hurry to get back to the striker’s end, he ended up celebrating his first World Cup ton in a memorable manner. Root had expected the cover-sweeper to reel his shot in, and perhaps beset by nerves, dropped his bat as he turned for the second run. In the end the ball would cross the boundary, and Root would have nothing to acknowledge the crowd’s applause with. He raised his gloved hands and his helmet above his head – more like a victorious formula one driver than a cricket centurion. review
Most of the DRS referrals in this tournament have vindicated the umpires; this one just made you wonder if the players were watching the same game. The delivery from Lakmal would, in other circumstances, have been called a wide but with Root giving himself room, the full toss hit him on the thigh or knee and he hobbled through for a run. But Sri Lanka surprised everyone by calling for a review. It showed the ball passing down the leg side by such a long way – getting on for a foot – that it raised the question: was this the worst review in history?

Chris Gayle’s innings’ of note have come at long intervals of late; he’ll be hoping to break that trend against South Africa following his punishing double against Zimbabwe

Firdose Moonda in Sydney26-Feb-2015Gayle misses training on match eve

Chris Gayle did not train with West Indies the day before the match against South Africa as he continues to battle a back issue that has plagued him for almost two years. Gayle was “given the day off,” according to a team spokesperson but “is available,” for Friday’s match at the SCG.
After his World Cup record 215 against Zimbabwe on Tuesday, Gayle shed light on the injury which he said “can’t seem to be solved,” and restricted his ability to prepare for games. Gayle explained that he was not able to have as many gym sessions as he would like and that even simple movements like sitting down can become painful after a long day in the field.

Legend has it that Chris Gayle’s penchant for clearing the boundary developed when he discovered it was easier to do that than run between the wickets. You only have to watch a West Indies’ training session to understand where the myth sprouted from.While his team-mates bound about, Gayle sticks to saving his legs, if he is at practice at all. A near-crippling back injury has kept him on the sidelines more often than he has liked, and the result is that he has not been on a run, in the figurative sense, in almost six years.His last period of ODI form came between April 2008 and July 2009, when he scored four of his 22 centuries along with five fifties in 29 matches at an average of 45.57. Before that Gayle had profitable patches early in his career – four fifties in succession in 2002, three hundreds in four innings that same year against India, back to back centuries at the 2006 Champions Trophy – but his recent big scores have been followed by lengthy lean periods.After his 125 against New Zealand in July 2012, Gayle had just four scores over 20 from his next 14 innings, before scoring 109 against Sri Lanka. That was followed by two scores over 20 from his next 10 innings before he managed a half-century against Bangladesh. It was another eight innings after that, before his 215 came.Faf du Plessis joked that it was “unfortunate that Zimbabwe decided to bowl Chris Gayle into some really good form”, but Gayle’s record suggests South Africa may not have to be too nervous about Gayle blowing them over like he did to their neighbours, unless, according to Ian Bishop, he can replicate the most important part of what he did right against Zimbabwe.”One of the things I liked about his innings against Zimbabwe, which I think he has been trying for a while, is that he got himself in. Everyone says he should go in and have a dash. I disagree. I think he is good enough to get himself in,” Bishop told ESPNcricinfo at an ICC event in Sydney.Although Gayle did not bat slowly against Zimbabwe, he was noticeably watchful upfront, especially after surviving a lbw shout off his first ball that was reviewed. Gayle’s first four came after seven balls, he hit just one six and faced 27 dot balls in his first fifty runs. The time he took to his get eye in is what Bishop thinks allowed him to stay in, which is why Shaun Pollock advised South Africa to put all their energy into removing Gayle early.”Before he gets properly in, from a technical perspective, there are ways you can get him out. Within the first few deliveries you bowl to him, we’ve seen it in South Africa, you can get him out cheaply,” Pollock said. “But once he gets going you have to make sure each bowler has a clear game plan.”If Gayle is allowed to gust freely, Pollock would like to see bowlers challenge him by forcing him to look for runs in areas he does not usually score in. “There is an obvious hitting zone, you can see which balls disappear. He loves to play the ball straight down the ground so you if you can take him out of that comfort zone, bowl in different areas and make him try and score in different areas, you can get him out too,” he said.If that fails, Bishop had told South Africa to fight fire with fire and unleash everything they have at Gayle. “If you’ve got pace, you’ve got to run hard at him, you’ve got to be aggressive to him,” Bishop said. “Every bowler in the world has to be precise. Chris is an excellent player but his footwork may be a little bit slower.”Age is creeping up on Gayle, as it did on Jacques Kallis. When Kallis began skipping more training sessions than he took part in and workload was spoken about as something that needed to be managed, twilight found his career. The same could be happening to Gayle. AB de Villiers said his RCB team-mate “doesn’t train often” because “he needs to look after himself”. There has even been talk among those in the know that Gayle could call time on his ODI career after the World Cup.”He has obviously found it a little more challenging in fifty-over cricket in the last couple of years. Fitness wise, it’s also a challenge. Can he stay fit?” Bishop asked. “If he continues scoring runs and if he is happy, he is the only one who can judge if he wants to continue … But the team enjoy him, they enjoy his success and he keeps them going.”So much so that Bishop believes Gayle’s knock in Canberra has completed the batting outfit and put West Indies on course for the quarter-finals. “It has buoyed them hugely,” Bishop said, and the first mention of Gayle to Jason Holder confirmed it. “Chris is one of the most jovial people in the dressing room. He brings a lot of fun and he is a real team man. It was really good to see him get runs,” Holder said. “He has set the benchmark in world cricket, in a sense. We love him.” And they would love him to get on a good run too.

There were sporadic sparks from West Indies, but to seriously compete at a World Cup, they will need more than just a few one-off moments

Firdose Moonda22-Mar-2015How their tournament panned out
“We are not Chris Gayle United.”That was exasperated response from someone close to the West Indian team after being asked yet another question about the Jamaican.Will he train, won’t he train? Can he run, can’t he run? Will he play, won’t he play?The story of the West Indies World Cup has actually been the story of Chris Gayle, and on most days, the story of Chris Gayle’s back. His long-standing injury has become so bad that there are days when he does not make out of the hotel at all and he has accepted there is “nothing that can be done to fix it.” He has resigned himself to playing through pain but in this tournament, that was not enough to bring West Indies joy.Instead, Gayle served as a sidebar to distract from the real story of the extent of the damage done to West Indies cricket as it continues to muddle through regression.The deficiencies which were exposed on their tour to South Africa earlier in the summer have deepened and they continue to struggle to get it right.When the batting clicked in the first two games, Gayle and the bowlers didn’t. Then, the batting floundered, the bowling looked even worse. West Indies never looked as though the attack or the line-up to be counted among the top four teams at this tournament, unless… well, unless Gayle was fired up enough or they remembered not to be Chris Gayle United.In the end, neither happened as much as West Indies needed and the lasting image of their final moments of the tournament belonged to Gayle. After the quarter-final loss he regaled supporters by tossing what one reporter present in Wellington described as “almost all of his kit” into the crowd. Later that night, he dismissed talk of retirement in any format. And so the story of Chris Gayle United will go on.High point
It could only belong to one man, couldn’t it? After what seemed like an 18-month absence from the fifty-over format, because that’s how long it had been since he scored a century, Gayle reappeared in spectacular fashion when he smashed records to become the first non-Indian double centurion in ODIs. Zimbabwe were the (un)lucky opposition as Gayle scripted an innings of contrasts. The first half was a grind and he seemed willing to work for every run even as his aching back threatened to strand him. When the hundred came up, Gayle barely celebrated. Perhaps he knew there was more to come. The second century was the Gayle we’ve come to know. He bludgeoned and he bashed and he beat his way into tournament history by also registering what was then the highest individual score at a World Cup.Low point
After a squeaky bum victory over Scotland in the warm-ups, West Indies seemed ripe for the picking and Ireland were intent on doing the plucking. West Indies were 87 for 5 before Lendl Simmons drove the recovery with a century and after they posted 304, would have thought themselves safe. That was only the fifth match in the tournament but the previous four had all seen the team batting first post over 300 and win. Ireland changed that. They chased clinically against what looked a blunt attack and got there with more than 25 balls to spare. The loss hurt but maybe not as much as knowing it was not even written up as an upset.Star performer
It could be Chris Gayle, especially as he was their leading run-scorer but, it really really wasn’t. In Jason Holder, West Indies had a captain who led by example even as he tried to find his feet. Holder scored two defiant half-centuries against South Africa and India to show the kind of fight that has been missing from West Indies. He finished as their fourth-highest run-scorer despite batting in the lower middle-order and their third highest wicket-taker. Holder took the new ball and used himself in pressure situations in Powerplays and at the death and although he was not always successful, he was always willing, he was always thinking and he was always doing his best to get it right.What we learnt
West Indies aren’t Chris Gayle United. He finished as their top scorer largely because of one standout knock and his injury problems have forced them to look elsewhere and perhaps slowly, they are finding something. Marlon Samuels and Lendl Simmons contributed a century each and Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Jason Holder and Darren Sammy chipped in with fifties. Although West Indies have always had more names than just Gayle, the focus always seems to find him and there are times when it should fix itself on other players. Samuels, for example, was singled out by Holder as being one of the few players who had been part of every competitive day of cricket West Indies have had since December. That is impressive. Andre Russell has been the architect in getting them out of trouble, be it through a fast finish to an innings or with ball in hand. That is impressive too. West Indies are not a one man team but when that one man is Gayle, it’s easy to forget that.What they learnt
To seriously compete at a World Cup, they will need more than just a few one-off moments. The marquee batsman – be it Gayle or someone else – needs to come off more often than not and needs the backing of a strong and stable line-up around him. The attack needs someone to share the load with Jerome Taylor. Both those things indicate issues with squad selection, which proved a major hinderance to West Indies. Imagine this squad with Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard. Then they may have been West Indies United.