England No. 1; India No. 2

It would be an understatement to say that the crown of best Test team has passed from India to England.

The crown didn’t pass, it was seized. And England didn’t just seize it. They seized it and then used it to beat India to a bloodied pulp. Then they stood over the carcass and took photos while wearing their new crown at a jaunty angle.

The margin of defeat – an innings and 242 runs – does not deceive. India were murdered in this game. And not just murdered. England murdered them and danced round their grave singing comic songs in a raucous voice.

A dispirited India, ground into the blameless Edgbaston turf by the relentless glacier that is Alastair Cook, were torn apart by the skill of James Anderson. Anderson, gaining life and movement that had been absent when India bowled, claimed the first four wickets to fall in the final innings and has now overtaken both Andrew Caddick and Sir Alec Bedser in list of England bowlers with the most Test wickets.

Where do India go from here? As a Test team, their future is bleak. Most of their best players are far nearer the end than the start of their careers and the priority of the BCCI remains the money-spinning limited-overs game.

It seems the BBCI are emerging as the villains of the piece, but that may not be fair. After all, the IPL was set-up partially to negate the ‘rebel’ ICL. All the Indian board have done is try to meet the insatiable desire for players to earn more. The ECB fell victim to a similar problem with the Stanford event.

In the long-term, Indian players will need to work hard to have any hope of retaining their No. 1 status. They’ll have to be fitter and stronger. They’ll have to play county cricket to experience differing conditions and they’ll have to accept that many of them are hopeless against the short ball. While they remain in denial, they’ll never improve.

They’d be fools to hide behind an injury to Zaheer Khan. England were missing Chris Tremlett, too. These things happen. Instead, they should examine why Zaheer reported for a tour so out of shape and they should reflect on why their bowling resources are so limited.

That Praveen Kumar has been their best player so far tells as much about his tremendous heart as it does about the underachievement of the rest of the team. Kumar is a worthy but limited cricketer making the best of himself; his colleagues – Dravid excepted – are complacent superstars who have become too posh to push. Literally and metaphorically they have grown fat on their success. It remains to be seen whether they have the hunger to regain the top spot.

It’s worth remembering, too, that the first two World Test Championships are to be played in England. It’s hard to see how India can win.

Is there a better bowler than Anderson in world cricket? Probably not. Where once Anderson was a bully in helpful conditions and a liability in others, he’s now a superb on any surface. The ability to move the ball both ways in the air and off the pitch is precious in itself, but allied to Anderson’s accuracy and control and England have a special bowler.

Certainly Gambhir, who prodded Anderson’s first ball of the day to slip, and Laxman, who edged a beauty that left him, were the victim of a fine deliveries.

But perhaps India were also unfortunate. Sachin Tendulkar, batting with an ease that none of his colleagues could match, was run out backing up as Graeme Swann, in his follow through, got just a finger on MS Dhoni’s firm, straight drive. Then Dravid was victim of a poor umpiring decision. He was adjudged caught behind, though replays suggest he hit only his shoelaces. India’s failure to request a review, however, was inexplicable.

Dhoni and Kumar showed some belated heart with a furious counter-attack, but the game was long-since over as a contest. The pair thrashed 75 in seven-and-a-half overs – Swann was slogged for 55 from his last four overs – but even that came at a cost. Kumar sustained a horrid blow to the thumb off Anderson and must be rated as doubtful for the final Test. Sreesanth also sustained a blow to the hand.

The manner in which victory was sealed spoke volumes. Sreesanth, jerking out of the way of a short ball, fenced a catch off the shoulder of the bat to gully. India, battered, bruised and embarrassed had been blown away.

There are, of course, other hurdles to clear before England can claim to categorically be the best Test team in the world. They need to defeat India in India and they need to defeat a South Africa side that, with Imran Tahir involved, at last look to have strength and balance. Both opportunities present themselves in the next year.

England have already proved themselves an excellent side however. People may mutter about the strength of the opposition but that’s not totally fair. Australia had never been beaten by an innings margin three times in a series until the last Ashes series and India – with one of the strongest Test top fives in history – have not lost a series since 2008. England have made both sides look ordinary. It’s not coincidence. England really are very good.

Alastair Cook is never finished

I love sleeping, but I wouldn’t spend 13 hours in bed. I love steak, but I wouldn’t spend 13 hours eating it. I love sex, but I couldn’t, sorry wouldn’t, erm… you get the idea.

Cook loves runs, and at the moment is more insatiable than Marilyn Chambers in her prime. It is saying something that when the historians look back on his inevitably record-breaking career some years from now, it is unlikely they will find anything as tantric as this near 13-hour crease-fest, all of which helped England to their third highest, and the 16th highest total of all time at 710-7.

By the end, the Indians were so broken it was a miracle that Suresh Raina could bring himself to take the catch that ended it on 294.

Virender Sehwag had clearly had enough after 188.1 overs in the field – a scarcely credible king pair the quickest way to put his feet up legitimately. It was extraordinary stuff in front of a baying crowd who had been forced to turn early to grog to convince themselves they were enjoying the Cookathon, the only surprise being that more didn’t follow before the close.

Cook Cook Cook Cook Cook Cook Cook Cook Cook. It was that monotonous for India, and at one stage he had three fours from the first 57 overs of the day – he does not give innings away these days. England’s objective was to bore India into the ground, and they did, but the tourists can take heart from a better day in the field. Who are we kidding – the obscene nuns in the Hollies stand could have put up a better show than India did yesterday, but there was at least a sense of discipline, typified by Sachin Tendulkar’s diving catch to dismiss Matt Prior.

Eoin Morgan crawled to his second Test hundred, before leaving the stage to Ravi Bopara. Morgan’s innings was functional, never fluid, but goes some way to establishing him as England’s sixth batsman. It’s main function was to leave Bopara as such a ball of nervous energy that he got out almost straight away. it was left to Bresnan to keep Cook company, another half century continuing his extraordinary statistics in the Test game.

Sam Collins is 50% of The Chuck Fleetwood-Smiths

England’s split leadership: 3 formats, 3 captains

England’s new leadership team

In an unprecedented move, the ECB today announced that England will have 3 captains – one for each format.

Following Andrew Strauss’s not unexpected announcement to relinquish the ODI captaincy, Alastair Cook was today named as the new captain.    Strauss also announced his retirement from international limited overs cricket, something that he wasn’t expected to do because of the impact on his central contract.  Historically, players are just “not selected” rather than retire.

In addition to this, Paul Collingwood has been effectively sacked as England T20 captain to be replaced by fast bowler Stuart Broad – a move that has raised some eyebrows but was necessary because of the question marks over Cook’s abilities in T20 cricket and Collingwood’s injury concerns and poor recent form.

Cook is far from proven as a 50 over opener and indeed wasn’t even in the recent England one day squad although did make a good impression during his captaincy stint in last year’s winter tour of Bangladesh.  Cook said “I have worked hard on my limited overs cricket in recent times, I’ve never seen myself as a test batsman exclusively and I know I have a lot to offer both strategically and as a top order batsmen in one-day cricket”

Strauss said “retiring from One-day cricket will enable me to focus solely on the test captaincy and our on-going development in the Test arena as we strive to be to the top ranked team in World cricket.”

“There is still a long way to go for us in One day cricket and this is the perfect opportunity for someone new to take up the challenge.  I look forward to working closely with both Alastair and Stuart.  They are both proven world class cricketers and have outstanding leadership qualities”.

ECB Managing Director, Hugh Morris paid tribute to both Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood and reiterated that Strauss will continue to play an important strategic role in the development of Team England and a crucial role in developing and mentoring both Cook and Broad.   Broad in particular is a totally inexperienced captain admitting during the press conference that he hasn’t captained a cricket team since school and there are only a handful of scheduled international T20 matches before the 2013 T20 World Cup.   When asked how he will cope with the captaincy having had so little experience he said “every time I step on the cricket pitch I try to think like a captain, think about fielding placements and I have had the benefit of the experience and knowledge of 2 great captains, Andrew Strauss and Michael Vaughan, both of whom have taught me a lot”.

Team director Andy Flower said he did try and persuade Strauss to stay on for another year or so but that Strauss had been fully involved in the discussions about his replacement and the future direction. As Strauss put it “the end of a World Cup is a watershed for all teams not just England and an opportunity to refresh and rejuvenate and plan for the next one.”  It is clear that there is very much a 4 year plan in place to take us to the next World Cup in 2015.

Alastair Cook wasn’t the only candidate for the role though.  Demonstrating how businesslike and professional the England set up is these days, Andy Flower admitted  that a number of candidates went through a rigorous interview process by a selection panel for the role although he wouldn’t divulge who these candidates were or who was on the selection panel.

The decision to have 3 different captains is unprecedented but Flower is, as always, willing to try new things  “this has never been tried before…..we do not know 100% that it will work as an efficient and effective system but we are going to give it a try and it is an exciting opportunity for us to work closely together as a leadership team sharing ideas which will benefit us across all 3 formats. “

Much has been said in recent weeks about overcrowded schedules and although Flower was clear that this decision is not as a direct result of schedule or workload issues he suggested that having “might be the most effective use of our resources”    Flower also talked about how workloads mean that they need to think more smartly about squad rotation.

Paul Collingwood is said to be “very upset” at the decision to remove him as captain and although Flower said he is very much still involved as a player,  if the focus is all on planning for the T20 World cup in 2013 and the World Cup in 2015, it is doubtful whether we will ever see Paul Collingwood in an England shirt again.

When asked whether it’s now a “straight shoot-out” between Broad and Cook who takes over the test captaincy, Flower naturally denied this was the case but they are clearly both being developed for future leadership and Cook may turn out not to be the natural first choice even though he is clearly the front-runner, it may be that there are some question marks about his test captaincy potential and this arrangement leaves the door open for Stuart Broad and possibly even others.  Andrew Strauss is adamant that although you can never predict the future it is his intention to still be captain for both the Ashes series in 2013 and 2014.

The move to 3 captains is not without its logic but isn’t proving to be universally popular with some claiming that it makes England look directionless and chaotic and raising questions about how it will actually work in practice.  One thing is clear though, if any man in world cricket can make an arrangement like this work it will be Andy Flower who will manage Team England like a well run business with his 3 captains running each of their departments with leadership and support from their Chief Executive.

This is the sort of arrangement that happens all the time in the real world and works very well. Individual players are perfectly capable of working out who their captain is on the field and strategic decisions are taken as part of a management team.    It remains to be seen whether in practice it actually works.

How do you solve a problem like Collingwood?

When we reflect, in years to come, on the Ashes success of 2010-11 it will probably be the names of Alastair Cook and James Anderson that spring to mind.

But there were other, largely unsung, heroes. Not just those members of the tour party, like Tim Bresnan, who chipped in with valuable performances when their opportunity arose, but the support staff and coaches who helped the team remain fit and discover their best form. The likes of Graham Gooch (batting), Richard Halsall (fielding), Bruce French (wicketkeeping) and David Saker (bowling) all played a fulsome role.

And then there were the selectors. They have enjoyed a wonderful few months and deserve a great deal of credit.

The decision to replace Steve Finn for Bresnan, for example, was a masterstroke. Finn was, at the time, England’s leading wicket-taker, so the decision to omit him was controversial. After all, can you imagine a side dropping their leading run-scorer?

But Bresnan came into the side, bowled impressively and fully vindicated the decision. The recall of Tremlett was also astute.

Most of all, however, the selectors deserve praise for their faith in Cook. Coming into the series, Cook has passed 50 just once in his previous 10 Test innings and, but for a century against Pakistan in the penultimate Test of last summer, might have been struggling to make the tour.

Or so it was thought.

Actually, it appears Cook’s spot was never in doubt.

Such was the selectors’ faith in him, that Cook was certain to tour even if he’d failed in every innings against Pakistan.

“As far as I’m concerned, Cook was never anywhere near being dropped,” Ashley Giles said this week. “He has a very good Test record and we’re not into knee-jerk reactions.”

But, what would have happened if Cook hadn’t scored that century against Pakistan?

“It didn’t make much difference,” Giles replied. “We’d have stuck with him. Perhaps we’d have taken a reserve opener on the Ashes tour. But, in Australia, we all thought it was vital to have someone of Cook’s mental strength and we all thought he’d come good.”

766 Ashes runs later, it’s looking like an excellent decision. We can only speculate on how well Graeme Hick and Mark Ramprakash – who made their debuts in the same Test in 1991 – might have fared had they enjoyed such enlightened management. Against the far more modest bowling attacks of today, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that both men may have averaged around 50.

But every silver lining has a cloud. And if you were a batsman on the fringes of the England team, you may feel that the consistency of selection policy has allowed some to coast on reputation for some time.

Consider Paul Collingwood. England must pick their World Cup squad this week and the Collingwood issue is beginning to cause the selectors a major headache.

No-one disputes that Collingwood has been a wonderful servant of English cricket. His determination, his selflessness, his superb fielding and his all-round ability have rendered him an automatic selection in all formats for several years. It’s not hard to see why colleagues and supporters feel such loyalty towards him. He’s a good man.

But that’s not the criteria for selection, is it? If it was, Nelson Mandela would open the bowling for South Africa and Cheryl Cole would be keeping wicket for England.

Ultimately a batsman’s job is to score runs. And Collingwood hasn’t scored many in a long, long time.

Sound harsh? Well, consider this. In the last year, he’s played 13 T20 internationals. In them he’s scored just 119 runs at an average of 10.8. Despite batting at number four, his highest score is just 21.

Meanwhile, he’s passed 50 just once in his last 15 ODI innings (in a game that England lost) and, in his last seven matches, he averages only 19.

And, in Test cricket, he passed 50 just once in his last 14 innings and, in that time, averaged just 14.

That’s not just a poor run. It’s a crisis. You have to go back a long, long time to find a match-winning performance.

While it’s true that Collingwood adds value with his bowling and fielding, there are several prospective replacements who might feel they can also offer an all-round package.

Ravi Bopara, for example, has a better strike-rate with the ball (39.1 balls per wicket compared to Collingwood’s 46.2) and concedes his runs at almost the same rate (5.07 an over compared to Collingwood’s 5.01). Collingwood’s last 25 ODIs have garnered just 11 wickets at 52 apiece, while his record in India (four wickets at 72 apiece in 18 ODIs with an economy rate of 5.78) hardly makes a compelling case for inclusion, either.

While the smart money suggests Collingwood will be selected in England’s 15-man World Cup squad, his position now hangs by a thread. If he is to see off the threat of the likes of Trott and Bopara, he really needs to start repaying the selectors faith with something more tangible than being a good influence. He needs runs and he needs them now.

Cook leads the way for England

Alastair Cook 10/10
766 runs at 127.66

A magnificent series. By the end of last summer, Cook was clinging on to his place in the England side and, by his own admission, “couldn’t hit a beach ball.” He averaged just 26 in previous Ashes encounters and his troubles outside the off-stump had the Australian bowlers salivating in anticipation. His career appeared to be in the balance.

It’s not any more. Cook batted for more than 36 hours in the series – no Englishman has ever spent longer at the crease in a Test series – and scored an eye-watering 766 runs. Only Wally Hammond and Don Bradman have scored more in an Ashes series. He fully deserved his man of the series award.

How did he do it? He left the ball outside the off stump and waited for the bowlers to stray into his areas. Then he cut, pulled and flicked to his heart’s content. And, as his confidence grew, he even unveiled a surprisingly elegant cover drives. Aged just 26, he’s already scored over 5,000 Test runs and recorded 16 Test centuries: he’s going to break every English Test batting record in existence.

Credit, too, for the selectors who stuck with him and the coaches who worked with him. Their judgement and faith has been fully vindicated.

Andrew Strauss 8/10
307 runs at 43.85

A sound, if unspectacular, series with the bat. Bouncing back from his first over dismissal at Brisbane, he settled England’s nerves with their first century of the series in the second innings. He passed 50 three more times in the series, often helping his side steal the initiative, but failing to go on.

His greatest contribution, however, remains the captaincy. While he’s somewhat conservative on the pitch, his admirable calm head ans sensible disposition helped England regroup after a shaky start at Brisbane and the debacle of Perth. He’s now one of just three man (Hutton and Brearley are the others) to have led England to Ashes success home and away. There’s little reason to think he can’t go further and lead England to World Cup success and the top of the Test rankings.

Jonathan Trott 9/10
445 runs at 89

You have to go back a long, long time to find a better England No. 3 than Trott. His sound technique, calm head and relentless hunger for runs have created a wonderfully consistent Test batsman who is equally proficient coming in at 0-1 or 200-1. And he seems to love batting against Australia: before his duck in Sydney he averaged more than 100 in the Ashes. Don’t forget that run-out of Katich at Adelaide, either. Trott was superb and has now answered every question about his technique and temperament.

Kevin Pietersen 7/10
360 runs at 60
1 wicket at 16

A somewhat perplexing series. Magnificent at Adelaide – he scored a match-winning double-century and took a crucial wicket – he only passed 50 once more in the series. For a player with as much talent as Pietersen, that’s slightly disappointing. Some of his off-field comments – such as the swipe at Peter Moores – hardly helped team unity, either. Even if there was more than a grain of truth in them.

Paul Collingwood 3.5/10
82 runs at 13.83
2 wickets at 36.50

He took several wonderful catches and a couple of useful wickets but, from a personal perspective, this was a bitterly disappointing series from Collingwood. He rarely looked comfortable at the crease and, while all his colleagues flourished, often looked as if he were struggling to cope with the pace of the Australian bowlers. His retirement was inevitable. It was the right decision, too. For all his determination and all his positive contributions behind the scenes, it’s runs that define a batsman’s worth and Collingwood simply hasn’t scored enough.

Ian Bell 8/10
329 runs at 65.80

If there were still doubters before this series, they are surely silenced now. No-one on either side timed the ball as sweetly as Bell and his century at Sydney, an innings that ensured his side of a series win, was the coming of age of a man who has promised much for a long time. Batting at least one place too low, he was often obliged to sacrifice his wicket in the search for quick runs and the feeling persists that, with more opportunity, Bell might have gained many of the plaudits that have gone to Cook. It is surely telling that, in the first innings at Brisbane and Perth, with all his colleagues struggling, Bell top scored. The next few years promise much.

Matt Prior 7/10
252 runs at 50.40
23 catches

A much improved ‘keeper, Prior was very good against the fast bowlers and, the odd indiscretion apart, reliable against the spinners. His six catches in an innings at Melbourne equalled an Ashes record and he finished with an admirable 23 victims. With the bat, he improved after a shaky start (he was part of Siddle’s hat-trick in Brisbane) and scored a maiden Ashes century at Sydney. To underline the selfless nature of his play, it was the fastest Ashes century by an Englishman since Ian Botham in 1981.

Stuart Broad 3/10
0 runs at 0
2 wickets at 80.50

A bitterly disappointing series. A muscle tear forced Broad out of the series after the second Test, by which time he’d claimed just two wickets and suffered a first ball dismissal. He had bowled somewhat better than the figures suggested, however, conceding just 2.3 runs an over and ensuring his captain a measure of control in the field. The pitch at Perth would surely have suited him ideally bit, with Tremlett, Finn and Bresnan now all pressing for inclusion, Broad can no longer consider himself an automatic selection.

Graeme Swann 6/10
88 runs at 22
15 wickets at 39.80

It was presumed before the series that if England were to win, Swann would need to enjoy a big series. It didn’t turn out that way. Swann failed to find much help from the Australian pitches and found Hussey one of the toughest opponents of his Test career to date. Swann didn’t always look comfortable against Australia’s quick bowling, either. Still, when conditions suited, at Adelaide, he played his part with a five-wicket haul that helped his side to victory, while his excellent bowling at Melbourne went largely unrewarded. He remained cheerful on and off the pitch, too, and certainly contributed to the relaxed and happy mood in the England camp.

Chris Tremlett 9/10
19 runs at 6.33
17 wickets at 23.35

A breakthrough series. Seemingly in the cricketing wilderness just 12-months ago, Tremlett build on his excellent season in county cricket with a performance that announced him as one of the most fearsome fast bowlers in world cricket. Casting off his reputation as injury prone and small hearted, Tremlett bowled with pace, bounce, hostility and skill. In such form, he is as fearsome as fast bowler as any in the world.

Tim Bresnan 8/10
39 runs at 19.50
11 wickets at 19.54

Called into the side for the final two Tests, Bresnan responded with two highly impressive performances. Maintaining an excellent, nagging line and length, Bresnan gained movement in the air and off the pitch and generated surprising pace. While the highlight may have been the superb spell in Melbourne that accounted for Ponting, Hussey and Watson within 18 balls at the cost of just two runs, his batting at Sydney will also have reminded the selectors of his all-round ability.

James Anderson 9/10
22 runs at 4.40
26 wickets at 26.04

The series that established Anderson’s reputation as one of England’s finest post-war bowlers. Answering all the questions, Anderson swung the new ball conventionally, reversed the old ball, gained movement off the seam and, throughout, maintained excellent control and a wonderfully probing line and length. There are very few better fast bowlers in world cricket.

Steve Finn 7/10
3 runs at 3
14 wickets at 33.14

Started the series well, with six wickets in an innings at Brisbane and a brave performance in Adelaide. But he seemed to tire in Perth and paid the price for conceding more than four an over by losing his place for the final two Tests. It was a brave decision from the selectors, however, as, at the time, Finn was England’s leading wicket-taker in the series. Aged only 21, Finn remains one for the future.

The best and worst of 2010

Highlight of the year:
England’s success in the World T20.
Until May, England held an unwanted record in limited-overs cricket. Of all the ever-present Test-playing nations over the last 25 years, England were the only side not to have won a global tournament. West Indies, India, Pakistan, Australia, Sri Lanka and New Zealand all had better records.
All that changed in May. Stung by a series of embarrassing reverses, England coach Andy Flower resolved to adopt a bold, new approach. As Paul Collingwood, England’s T20- captain put it: “It got to the point, last year, when the two Andys [Flower and Strauss] said, ‘Look, we’ve got to do things differently. If we continue to do the same old things, we’ll continue to get the same old results.’ England have never really done very well in one-day cricket. I remember in my early days Duncan Fletcher used to tell us, “Just bat though the 50 overs in a one-day international, because we kept getting bowled out in 40 overs. Our aim was just to bat 50 overs!”
So England selected a new-look side. In it were the likes of Michael Lumb, Michael Yardy, Ryan Sidebottom and Craig Kieswetter – all of whom might be considered T20 specialists – and all of whom combined to form a far more positive, athletic and fearless team than England ever before fielded.
Kevin Pietersen batted brilliantly, Graeme Swann bowled superbly and all their colleagues chipped in with bat, ball and in the field. There was nothing lucky about England’s success: the best team won.

Lowlight of the year
The match-fixing scandal.
It was surely fitting that the news broke during an epic Test at Lord’s – the home of cricket – that should have captivated spectators.
An outrageously talented, young fast bowler – Mohammad Amir – was doing battle with England’s golden boy – Stuart Broad – in a wonderfully entertaining game.
But then ‘those’ pictures were published. Pictures that proved, beyond reasonable doubt, that Pakistan players were taking money in exchange for match-fixing. Amir was right in the thick of it, but the episode has raised serious questions about many of his team-mates and Pakistan cricket in general. It’s no exaggeration to say that the integrity of the sport has never been so badly compromised.
There is a bright side. Such has been the furore around the story that the ICC have finally been forced to confront a cancer that has eaten away at the game for years. Several players face lengthy bans, though it is hard to see how the game can really be clean while Pakistan cricket – rotten to its core – is allowed to compete at world level. Just as it is sometimes necessary to cut off a limb to save a body, so Pakistan cricket requires a substantial period in isolation before we can be assured it will not poison the rest of world cricket.

Comeback of the year:
Worcestershire.
Few gave Worcestershire much hope of success in 2010. After a horrid 2009 saw them relegated after going through the whole Championship season without a win, they then lost five senior players (Kabir Ali, Steve Davies, Stephen Moore, Gareth Batty and Simon Jones) to other counties and had to cut their cricket budget by £300,000.
Yet, thanks to a strong team spirit, some astute recruiting – Alan Richardson and Shakib-Al-Hasan in particular – and some encouraging performances from young players such as Moeen Ali and Alexei Kervezee, Worcestershire achieved an unlikely but thoroughly deserved promotion.
There were still some poor days – remember that loss against the Unicorns? – that suggest Worcestershire remain a work in progress but, with results showing a marked resurgence once Daryl Mitchell assumed the captaincy (they won four CB40 games in and four of their last six Championship games) they may shock a few in 2011, too.
Chris Tremlett also deserves a mention in this category. At the end of 2009, Tremlett was unwanted by Hampshire and in danger of drifting out of the game as a massively unfulfilled talent. Barely 12-months later, however, he has developed into the world-class fast bowler his talent always suggested he could become and is an automatic selection in the England side.

Man of the year
Zulqarnain Haider
He may never have made a huge impression as a player – he played only one Test, after all – but the world of cricket may yet come to be most grateful for Zulqarnain Haider’s contribution.
Haider, a wicket-keeper batsman on the fringes of the Pakistan side, not only declined the overtures of those wanting to lure him into match-fixing, but blew the whistle on their entire operation.
It was a brave move. Not only did it end Haider’s hopes of a career in international cricket, but it may well have jeopardised his safety and the safety of his family. If, as suspected, the roots of match-fixing spread into the worlds of terrorism and organised crime, then Haider has made some powerful enemies. He recently sought asylum in the UK and may require protection for the rest of his life.
The reaction of many involved in cricket in Pakistan spoke volumes. Instead of offering Haider support, he was ridiculed. The reason? His information promises to bring down many players and officials who have made vast sums from match-fixing. It was also telling that Haider reported his concerns not to the cricketing authorities, but to the media. It suggests, surely, how much confidence he had in the game’s governing body to deal with such a serious situation. Remember, it was the media – not the much-vaunted Anti-Corruption Unit – that uncovered the Pakistan match-fixing story in the first place.

Batsman of the year:
Alastair Cook.
Within an ace of being dropped late into the English summer, Cook has responded with a run of form so purple that it threatens records only Don Bradman could reach. Cook has produced match-turning innings in four of his last six Tests and, after 695 runs at an average of 116 a time (with power to add) is fully vindicating the England selectors’ admirable faith in him.

Bowler of the year:
Graeme Swan
Most people thought off-spin was a dying art. Particularly if the spinner didn’t have the ability to bowl the ‘doosra’; a delivery that many feel is impossible without being chucked in any case.
But then Swann came along. With the old-fashioned virtues of flight, control, variation and turn, Swann has claimed 62 Test wickets at 26 apiece this year (with power to add) and played a key role in England’s World T20 triumph. He rose to second in the world Test ratings, third in the ODI ratings and proved that hard work, intelligence and perseverance are qualities that never lose their value at any level of the game.

Near miss of the year:
Somerset.
Runners-up in all three domestic competitions, it was hard not to feel sorry for Somerset in 2010. They remain one of the few counties never to have won the county championship but, having strengthened once again this winter, may well break their duck in 2011.

Johnson sparks Australian revival

England exorcise demons with emphatic win

Prolific Cook roasts Australia

Has England ever boasted the better fielding side in an Ashes series?
Before now, anyway.

For many years, Australia have looked fitter, stronger and more
athletic in the field. They have taken more than their fair share of
half chances and, while England have sometimes looked ragged,
Australia punished nearly ever lapse by opposition batsman.

Not any more. England look fitter, better drilled, more athletic and
more confident in the field. And, when chances have come their way -
such as Trott’s run-out of Katich in the first over of this game -
they have, generally, taken them.

Australia, however, have not. And it could prove to be the difference
between the sides in this series.

They did create a few chances on the second day in Adelaide. After the
vital early wicket – Strauss leaving the third ball of the day -
Trott, on just six, survived a run-out chance when Xavier Doherty
missed his shy at the stumps. Trott was also missed on 10 when Hussey
spurned a relatively straightforward chance at gully off Bollinger and
again on 76, when Haddin put down a gloved pull shot off the deserving
Harris. On pitches as flat as this, such profligacy will be punished.

And so it was. Trott, driving through the legside with the sweetest of
timing, continued his superb record against Australia (he currently
has the third highest batting average – 61.63 -of anyone who has
played more than 15 Tests; only Bradman and Barnes better him),
Pietersen returned to something approaching his best form and Cook,
well, Cook just went on and on.

He gave no chances. Instead he recorded his third century in four
Tests and took his series tally to 438 for only one dismissal. He has
now been on the pitch for all but an hour of this series and has
surpassed Wally Hammond’s record of 365 Test runs without being
dismissed. Just 25 years old, Cook already has 15 Test centuries. He’s
going to break every English batting record in existence.

It’s no secret that he is mentally strong. Now, however, he has added
style to his substance. Some of his cover drives were reminiscent of
David Gower and his cutting – particularly off Doherty – was of the
very highest class.

He enjoyed only one nervous moment. He was given out once, on 64, when
the umpire thought he had gloved a hook off Siddle, but successfully
reviewed and scarcely played a false shot afterwards.

Once England had resisted the initial onslaught, there was little to
trouble them from the Australian attack. Though Siddle and Harris
remained admirably hostile, their approach lacks the subtly to
dislodge good batsmen on such wickets, while Bollinger, for all his
passion, lacks the accuracy for Test cricket.

As for Xavier Doherty… well, suffice it to say, the search for an
Australian spinner goes on. He was out bowled by North and milked by
Pietersen, the man Doherty was supposed to threaten, as if he were a
Friesian. It will be some surprise if he remains in the side for
Perth.

The fact is that England’s last three wickets – here and in Brisbane -
had now added 828 runs. Such stats do not lie. And they do not reflect
well on Australia’s bowling.

So, England reached the close 72 ahead and with plenty of power to
add. Australia will have to bat much, much better if they are not to
go one down in this series.

Siddle seizes initiative for Australia

Next Page »