NZ beats India again

McCullum played a key role as NZ beat India in 2nd T20 International also. With this result NZ has maintained their clean slate against India in T20 Internationals. NZ is clearly a superior side in this format under the conditions and they will be tough to beat in ODIs also. India would have settled by then and acclimatised to conditions better, hence I think India would be a 3-2 winner.

This match was much closer that previous one and at one stage India looked like in a better situation to win it but McCullum's composure under pressure clinched the game for his team. Hopefully India will maintain the trend and keep improving with each match and soon we will see India leading in ODI series.

NZ tour starts

India began NZ tour with a loss in first T20 international. Not a surprise since NZ is very competitive team in shorter formats and Indians did not get any practice game. It was very similar to last year’s Aus series when India got thrashed badly in T20 international but came back to win ODI series. Like the last time, Indian team tried to impose itself on the opposition and win psychological points for a long battle which remained ahead. Last time, it went very badly and India lost the T20 comprehensively. The result this time is not that bad.

This match has actually given me hope that India would do better than I initially expected in this series. Indian batsmen did not feel much uncomfortable on pitch and scored freely though they went overboard in trying big hits. If nature of pitches remain same over the next weeks, India would be favourite to win test series though ODIs will still be close affair.

In terms of team composition, Irfan looks to be a liability and Praveen or Munaf would be a better choice. In batting, Rohit Sharma is slowly becoming a problem as it has been a long time he has played any useful inning. He had a great opportunity yesterday and he should have stayed on the crease and stabilized the innings with Raina but he missed another opportunity. Hopefully, Yuvraj will get into his elements soon. NZ tour would be a great opportunity for him to cement his place in Test side and also make people stop talking about his records on difficult pitches abroad.

Will ICC ever approve ICL?

I doubt if this is going to happen. And the reason is not BCCI as projected by everyone but insecurities of all ICC members. Though in short run, BCCI is the affected party as its market is getting affected immediately but in long run, ICL has the potential to affect all boards and even finish off ICC.

Indian Cricket market is huge and can sustain two parallel leagues. Though BCCI will be affected if ICL is approved and its profits hit but it will still be profitable. A rebel league in other markets can finish off the member board itself. Consider the scenario that ICL is approved and it looks for growth beyond India. Of course, Pak and BD are going to be the first targets and it is very popular in pak also. What happens if it schedule matches in parallel with any international series going on in Pak? Won't PCB be hit? Some of its players may prefer to play in ICL depending on returns and it will slowly be curtains on Pakistan's international cricket.

The country most hit would be Eng. Its local season is from Jun-Aug when it is typically off-season for most countries. An extended season of ICL or any other league in parallel with English Season with most of world's cricketers available to play will surely kill English season and slowly whatever control ICC has on cricket will be lost to corporates. Is this bad, I do not know but this is the reason ICL is facing issues and not because of BCCI only.

The reason I belive private leagues will overrun ICC's version of cricket is that traditionally Cricket administrators have been very poor in handling business issues and this is the reason most of the boards are facing fiscal issues and are dependent on one country to bail them through. A private league like ICL will have professional handlers and is bound to have more commercial success than cricket run by ICC administrators.

PS: I saw this statement in one of the articles on Cricinfo - "The ICC recently drafted new rules on official and unofficial cricket making it virtually impossible for future ICL models to come up but these rules are effective in June. The ICL request falls under existing rules, which state: "In the event of anybody wishing to stage an 'unofficial cricket event', ICC approval should first be obtained before full members could release their players for the event"."
URL - http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/icl2008/content/story/390559.html

In future there cannot be ICL like leagues as this is what all member countries are scared of and even ICC and they are trying to nip this in bud itself.

What wrong did ECB & Giles Clarke do?

ECB and Giles Clarke have been pillored a lot in last few days due to their decision of aligning with Stanford for sponsorship and generating cash for english cricket. I do not understand why are they being treated in this way. Clarke and ECB did what they thought was an excellent way of generating cash for players and board and also help in revival of WI Cricket. Any person in their capacity would have loved this idea. A few days effort every year which would make them richer by $3.5 m and give English players a strong chance to become millionaires. They would have been fools to reject such an offer. Why do people expect them to verify Stanford's credentials? They are in no position to validate Stanford's accounts and check if he is a fraud. This is something that SEC or similar organizations need to do and none of them had raised any red flag at Stanford when this deal was made. ECB even added clauses in their contract with Stanford which gave them "get out" options in case they cannot continue to handle this type of exigency. So, In my opinion, they did no wrong and this move would have been hailed as a master stroke had English players not made a mockery of themselves on Nov 1 against Stanford XI.

I do understand that they were trying to get even with BCCI and also trying to prevent English players from participating in IPL - this motive is something that I do not agree with and this was probably only fault that Clarke's and ECB's thinking had while signing up with Stanford.

Ricky Ponting will not play in 2nd edition of IPL

A one word response to this - Thanks.

There is no point of someone coming for only two weeks time. This would disturb team's strategy and balance and I am sure Kolkata Knight Riders and IPL management would have said the same thing to him.

There was no point in him making claims of putting country ahead of IPL. The fact that he was negotiating with IPL and KKR for 2-3 months shows that he was trying his best to squeeze in some time this year but IPL and team management did not agree to it. There is also some possibility of him not being picked for matches when he is available and that is going to tarnish his reputation. Ponting has made right decision for himself and the team management but there this is not a case of putting country in front of money.

Who is under more pressure - Aus or SA?

Ponting claimed while coming to SA that SA would be under more pressure as they want to be #1. I am not sure if he really means that or it is just his attempt at mental disintegration of SA. SA team has shown maturity in not responding to Ponting's comments.

Ponting himself seems to be confused about what he is saying as he also mentioned that winning the series is the highest priority for Aus. This would mean that Aus would be under far more pressure than SA. SA will automatically become #1 in August when previous year's results will be taken out (when Aus was a dominant force) and current year's results get higher weightage (when SA is doing better) and even India may bypass Aus though a lot will depend on India's NZ series.

Meanwhile, Ponting must learn from Smith. Smith hardly made any comments before last year's series in Aus but showed greater application on field. Ponting should understand that a quieter SA is more dangerous and should plan better for upcoming series. A loss here would really put pressure on his captaincy.

New Zealand Tour: The most difficult test for Dhoni

Coming NZ tour would be the most difficult test for Dhoni's captaincy so far. NZ, for some reason, has turned out to be most difficult tour for Indian teams in the past. Last time, India was beaten 2-0 in tests and 5-1 in ODIs. This was just before 2003 WC where India was runners up. Whether it is the pitches or conditions, Indian teams have usually struggled there and this time would be no exception. How India and Dhoni comes out of it would be interesting to see as it will define if India has in it to become #1 team in the world.

A number of people have termed India as #1 team after their recent victories but in my opinion they are still way behind SA and even Aus. The away record needs to be improved and also the consistency. As per current standings, India should beat NZ 2-0 or 3-0 in tests and by a huge margin in ODIs as well. Lets see and hope India gets the same result on field also which is expected on paper as per team strength and rating.

Brad Haddin: The next-in-line for Oz captaincy

Brad Haddin was named captain of Aus Cricket team for T20 match against NZ. Michael Clarke was not fit for the match and Ponting was being rested. Haddin seems to have proved his credientials by claiming Brooms out during Ist ODI against NZ when it was his glove and not the ball which actually hit the stumps. It looks to me as tradition of Aus to select captains who use unfair means to dismiss opponents when they are in tight spot.

This tradition is running at least since the time of Steve Waugh who claimed catch of Brian Lara during 1994-95 series in WI which Aus won and staked its claim for #1 rank by becoming the first team to beat WI for 15 years. That catch proved critical as Aus went on to win that match and ultimately series was won 2-1.

Ponting and Clarke have proven credentials in this area as we saw in last year's series against India. Clarke is relatively inexperienced player but still he moved pretty fast in leadership stakes and his flair towards claiming dropped catches seems to have played a critical role in this. It was no coincidence that he was the bowler when Haddin claimed Brooms as bowled out.

Adam Gilchrist seems to be the biggest loser in this race and Aus selectors never saw him fit to be captain of the side as he never dismissed opponents by making false claims. Lst year against India he tried to mend his ways by claiming Dravid in Sydney test when Dravid had not touched the ball but by the end of the match he realized Clarke is way ahead of him and decided to retire after the series.

Brad Haddin seems to have justified the selectors' decision as Aus went on to win the match in a thrilling finish and Aus selectors' would be hoping that they will keep finding cricketers like him who will justify their unfair means as hunger to win and mental toughness.

Is Michael Clarke captaincy material?

Clarke is being groomed for captaincy role in Aus after Ponting. I see him as misfit in this role. Though based on his performance, he is certainity to be part of Aus team, but he seems to be pretty selfish person who likes to put himself before his team.

Clarke was responsible for Symonds being sent back when he went for fishing. This was his first full series as Captain and he was clearly trying to assert himself as the decision making authority. This was ostensibly done because Symonds had broken team discipline and his team members were feeling let down and some action should have been taken. Well done!!!

Aus team have a tradition of team anthem and after Sydney test, who was keen to leave the dressing room to attend to personal matters. Pup did not think about letting down his team mates but was looking at the clock to make sure his personal commitments do not suffer. What an example of mate-ship?

In the recent series against NZ, Clarke showed what he puts first - his record or team's result. He decided to open after being made the captain and batted to make sure he gets a big score to show he is ready for the big role. His slow batting ultimately helped NZ to restrict Aus to manageable total and they won from there. Had Aus won, the headlines would have screamed that the new leader has ensured Aus win and he should be appointed captain immediately. The final result, hopefully, would have sobered him a bit.

Clarke at least meets some of the criteria for qualification as Aus Captain - claiming one-drop catches that is. Be it Waugh or Ponting, they always claim one-drop catches and ask fielder's word to be taken for contentious catches. In thsi regard, at least, Michael Clarke satisfies criteria to be Aus Captain.

India Vs SL T20: Pathan brothers' show

Last evening's T20 between India & SL was highly entertaining and had a thrilling finish with Pathan brothers' showing their talent and might to the world. India looked down for the count at one stage and SL win was looking like a formality and then Pathan bros' weaved their magic. Both played very sensibly and took calculated risks and at the end India looked like comfortable winner.

In hindsight, one can question Dilshan not employing Jayasuriya who was bowling well but the fact is that he made the right decision to move towards medium pacers knowing Yusuf can hit any spinner out of the park. Bandara was doing well with 3/15 in 3 overs before he came up against Yusuf who hit him for 16 in 4 balls out of a total of 22 that he scored. Jayasuriya could easily have got the same treatment. Against seamers, it was Irfan who hit most of the big shots for which Dilshan had no counter-plan.

This win shows Indian team has become mentally tough and can pull itself from any situation. Any team would have given up at the stage when 57 runs were required off 29 balls and only three wickets remaining.

But one would also question how did this team get into that situation at the first place. Raina and Dhoni were doing well and asking rate was not too much and then with some silly shots from them, we reached a difficult situation. Dhoni also needs to think about the batting order. In the current circumstances, it was strange to see Yusuf coming after Rohit and Jadeja. If he wants to give Rohit more chances, he could have been sent at #3 so that he could have settled down and played a longer inning.

One more victim of IPL

Last year, Andrew Symonds was the highest paid foreign cricketer in IPL and see where he is currently - not fit to be part of most important series that Aus is going to have in recent times where their #1 ranking is on the line. Last year would rank among the most tumultuous for Aus Cricket in general and Symonds in particular. No doubt, Symonds had some record earlier also but that does not compare with his infringements last year since he became the highest paid cricketer in IPL - skirmish with Clarke in WI, fishing incident, Pub incident and radio talk.

This year the honour of being the highest paid cricketers goes to Flintoff and Pietersen and results have started coming in. Eng lost the first test miserably to WI. Even before the series there were spats between the captain and coach (both ex now) once it was clear that KP would be among the top money makers in IPL. Would we see the same trend as last year?

Looking at the behavior of Symonds and now English cricketers, my respect for Indian cricketers esp Sachin Tendulkar has increased mani-fold. If this is how cricketers get affected by money in cricket then imagine how well Sachin has coped with this distraction for last nearly 20 years. He has been getting this kind of adulation and attention since the time he started playing international cricket but this has never got into his head unlike some of the cricketers and he has been among the most consistent batsmen. Not only Sachin but other Indian cricketers have been getting similar distractions but hats off to them that we do not see such negative press covergae for them except for a few.

What happened to Australian Cricket System?

For past decade, there have been lot of comments about how good Aus cricket system is, that they have professional cricket system with strong academies for learning, competitive domestic cricket and administrators who were way ahead of others in terms of cricket management and coming up with innovative ways to stay ahead of others and making sure Aus is #1 cricket team in the world. It was supposedly this system which kept Aus ahead of others in field.

Looking at current results, it seems there were two reasons for Aus' success - Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. All Aus captains of recent time had the luxury of calling upon services of these great bowlers whenever in trouble and these two delivered almost every time. They also created enough opportunities for batsmen to play without pressure and freely and there is palpable difference in batting records of same personnel after these two left.

After these two have left, the system, administrators, captains and other players are looking human and Aus will struggle to be among the top 3 cricket nations. One could understand the impact that absence of such players can cause to any team but the way rest of the people have behaved clearly shows Aus System is just like any other cricket system like we see in other countries.

Aus selectors first make Ponting rest for some ODIs and when the team loses the next ODI, they immediately ask him to get back. In the past we did not use to hear people raising concerns on teams being selected, now this is commonplace. In fact, the noise looks like pretty similar to what we used to see after India used to have an overseas series (Losing usually) and then teams being selected to for next series.

Though Ponting is among the best captains statistically but the decisions that he made during India and SA series shows him in very poor light. In the earlier days, all he used to do was throw ball to McGrath and Warne and they would make people call it a masterstroke but now decisions are far more complex. There are too many disciplinary discussions happening, Symonds, Katich-Clarke arguments showing team is not happy and there is no unity among the team. Players are looking mediocre and this is reflecting in on-field results also.

Though some people feel that Aus will emerge again as a strong power in cricket or they still are. The only reason that they will stay at top is that the standard of cricket is falling in most countries and there are not enough teams to challenge them. Only SA and India look to be places where cricket is thriving and Aus will be next to them.

Pakistan players not coming for IPL

As expected, Pakistan players are not coming for IPL. Pakistan Govt itself made the decision making it easier for franchises to make early plans about team composition and replacements. After Mumbai attacks, it was nearly impossible for Pak players to participate in IPL. Either Govts of any of the countries or some political party would have made it very difficult for them to come and play or increase security headaches for IPL-administration.
The decision has been timely and come just before auctions, so would help franchises. Irrespective of Govt stand, it would have been very difficult (if not impossible) for Pak players to come here and uncertainity over their participation would have created problems for franchises in doing their team planning. All-in-all a timely decision for franchises and right one too.

Addendum: IPL has leveraged the situation to its own benefit. Six of the pakistani players see their contract terminated. Not surprising that all these players were pretty ineffective in the first edition and four other players who made some impact last year (Gul, Tanvir, Akmal and Misbah) have their contracts suspended meaning they can play next year on same terms and conditions.