Peter English on Cullen Bailey, Australia’s bright new legspin hope

Peter English20-Jul-2007

Accurate and consistent: Don’t expect Cullen Bailey to turn the ball like Stuart MacGill © Getty Images

Cullen Bailey is a modern mix of elements of Australia’s romantic and successful legspin past. His side-on sidling to the wicket carries more than a hint of Richie Benaud, the tutoring from Terry Jenner has covered 11 years, and the arm-raised, down-on-one-leg appeal is straight from Shane Warne. Advice from Stuart MacGill is as easy as dialing ten numbers and asking about field settings or technique.Despite having cherry picked the attributes of his predecessors, Bailey knows who he is. He’s not the next Warne. He won’t rip the ball as sharply as MacGill.”My strengths are accuracy, and when the conditions suit, I can spin it,” he says, clicking his fingers like Jenner does when talking about turn. “I’m not going to bowl massive legbreaks. I’ll just be consistent, accurate, and a good contributor.” He calls himself a thinking legspinner; lately there has been plenty to consider.In two years Bailey jumped from a rookie contract at South Australia to the national squad, with a six-figure bonus. As his wrist turned impressively, curling legbreaks, the whispers began about an heir emerging from Adelaide to succeed MacGill and, eventually, Warne. Barely out of his teens, Bailey entered the game’s consciousness and expectations grew.Warne’s retirement after the Ashes added significantly to Bailey’s premature rise, and when his elevation to Australia’s contract list was confirmed in May, he answered questions about playing in the first Test against Sri Lanka in November. Surprised by the extra attention, he was able to fly out of the debate later that day, starting his honeymoon to Malaysia. At 22 he had gained a life partner and a new lifestyle in the same week.While Bailey was away, the Australian cricket community realised a young bowler who had played only 17 first-class matches, taking 54 wickets at 41.51, could be part of the international line-up as soon as the local summer. MacGill, 36, the favourite to take over from Warne, will not have played a Test for a year and a half when Sri Lanka arrive, and if he doesn’t fit in immediately, the next-best legspinner on Cricket Australia’s rankings is Bailey.Brad Hogg, who is one of the three other slow-bowling options, reinvented himself at the World Cup, but he is virtually a limited-overs specialist, having appeared in only ten Pura Cup games for Western Australia in the past four seasons. At times Cameron White doesn’t seem sure what to bowl, and Dan Cullen is fighting to regain his confidence and flight after a year spent slipping from Test status to South Australia’s second choice in the Pura Cup.Jenner has already warned the national selectors who looked through Bailey’s numbers and focused on his potential that an early international appointment could be devastating. Bailey accepts Jenner’s advice and admits the contract promotion came a couple of years ahead of schedule, but says he is ready whenever Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, scribbles his name.

“If I improve as much in the next two years as I have in the past two then hopefully I’ll be around the mark” © Getty Images

“That’s what you’ve got to aim for,” he says. “TJ always thought long term with me and I really appreciate that. I have high expectations of myself. If I improve as much in the next two years as I have in the past two, then hopefully I’ll be around the mark.”Bailey’s fast-tracking has involved a follow-up short-term contract at the Centre of Excellence a year after being on a full scholarship. He has been working with Jenner at home and at the Academy on trusting his variations and continuing to fine-tune his major weapon. “At times last year and the year before, I just wanted to bowl good legbreaks,” he says. “There’s a place for that, but I need to trust my wrong’un and my flipper, if it’s going well. That’s a big step for me, and that’s going to make me a better bowler.”Along with Mark Cosgrove and Luke Ronchi, Bailey is one of the Academy’s big names in the current Emerging Players Tournament in Queensland, and unsuspecting batsmen have become his guinea pigs. He tricked three opponents in a Twenty20 game against New Zealand A, including the left-hander Bradley Scott, who failed to pick a wrong’un and was then dismissed next ball when he misjudged the dip. Like most legspinners, Bailey dropped short when his shoulder tightened and was punished, but when he landed his zippy stock delivery there was tentativeness from the batsmen.Bailey has played only four domestic one-day games and his time in red and black has been restricted by the jostling for prime position at South Australia. Cullen, the offspinner, is usually preferred in the limited-overs contests while Bailey became the first option in Pura Cup games last summer, capturing 26 wickets in eight matches. The interchanging adds to the national selectors’ dilemma, and if MacGill is not the answer, they may be forced into picking a slow bowler who is not guaranteed to appear in every game for his state.”It’s a tough one,” Bailey says during a match off at Caloundra. His words are cheerful and the semesters spent studying for a media degree in Adelaide make him want to avoid a standard answer. It is not always possible.”Whoever is playing for South Australia has the better chance to impress. I think the selectors, the Australia ones, are pretty understanding of what happens. They realise you can’t always play two spinners. If in seven games you take 30 wickets, you’re probably playing anyway.”A ball has been in Bailey’s pocket and as he walks back to his Academy mates he pulls it out and starts ripping legbreaks like an alcoholic knocking the top off a bottle. He is already addicted to spin bowling.

Zaheer Khan’s 9 for 134 is the sixth-best figures by an Indian fast bowler abroad

S Rajesh31-Jul-2007Despite all the noise about subcontinent fast bowlers relishing conditions overseas, traditionally plenty of seamers from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have done better at home than overseas – Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Waqar Younis, Chaminda Vaas and Javagal Srinath all have better stats at home. Which is why Zaheer Khan’s matchwinning performance at Trent Bridge, coupled with Sreesanth’s excellent display in South Africa, bodes well for the future. Zaheer’s match figures of 9 for 134 is the sixth-best by an Indian bowler overseas; exclude Bangladesh and Zimbabwe from the list, and Zaheer’s performance rises to No.3.Kapil’s best abroad was 8 for 85 against Pakistan at Lahore in 1982-83, while outside the subcontinent it’s his 8 for 106 against Australia at Adelaide in 1985-86. Javagal Srinath only had one eight-wicket haul overseas in his entire career; Sreesanth admittedly had a terrible game here, but he has already had two eight-fors, both against South Africa on the tour in 2006-07.

Best bowling by an Indian fast bowler overseas

Bowler Match figures Against Venue & year

Irfan Pathan 12 for 126 Zimbabwe Harare, 2005 Irfan Pathan 11 for 96 Bangladesh Dhaka, 2004-05 Venkatesh Prasad 10 for 153 South Africa Durban, 1996-97 Chetan Sharma 10 for 188 England Edgbaston, 1986 Irfan Pathan 9 for 111 Zimbabwe Bulawayo, 2005 Zaheer Khan 9 for 134 England Trent Bridge, 2007 England were eventually outplayed, but there was one bowler who would be justified in believing his figures should have been resembling those of Zaheer. Ryan Sidebottom repeatedly beat the outside edge of the bat through the Indian first innings, but finished with figures of 1 for 75, and in the entire game he conceded just 103 runs. As the table below shows, he forced almost as many false strokes (edges, play-and-misses, which are shown by the batsmen’s not-in-control percentage) from the batsmen as Zaheer. Sadly, though, the bowling figures will not indicate the number of times he beat the bat.

Not-in-control percent for Zaheer and Sidebottom

Bowler Total balls Not-in-control balls Percent Match figures

Zaheer Khan 288 76 26.39 9 for 134 Ryan Sidebottom 264 66 25.00 1 for 103 Thanks to their more incisive bowling attack in recent years, India have won 16 times abroad since 2000, which is more than 50% of their entire overseas wins. The victory was also an excellent way to celebrate their 200th overseas Test. Seven of those 16 wins have come against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, but even excluding matches in the subcontinent and in Zimbabwe, India have done much better when they have toured since 2000.

India’s overseas record

Period Tests Won Lost Drawn

Overall 200 29 84 87 Since 2000 45 16 15 14 Outside subcont, and excl Zim,
since 2000 27 6 10 11

Stat snippets on Jacques Kallis, who went past the 9000-run mark in Tests

Mathew Varghese10-Nov-2007

Jacques Kallis’run-fest continues © Getty Images
As South Africa piled on the runs against New Zealand, Jacques Kallis went past a number of personal milestones and, along with Hashim Amla, set a few more records.Kallis became the eighth batsman to go past to 9000-run mark in Tests and currently possesses a batting average of 57.74, second only to Ricky Ponting’s 59.27 among batsmen to have scored more than 9000 Test runs.Kallis is also by far South Africa’s leading Test run-scorer, with Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs the only other batsmen to have gone past the 5000-run mark.With 218 wickets to his name, Kallis is also one of three players – Garry Sobers and Ian Botham are the others – to have completed the treble of 5000 runs, 200 wickets and 100 catches. In fact, Kallis’ Test record is uncannily similar to that of Sobers, generally considered to be the greatest allrounder.

Players with 5000 runs, 200 wickets and 100 catches in Tests

Player Matches Runs Average Wickets Average Catches

Jacques Kallis 110 9066 57.74 218 31.40 109 Ian Botham 102 5200 33.54 383 28.40 120 Garry Sobers 93 8032 57.78 235 34.03 109Kallis has equally impressive records both home and away; in fact his average of 58.85 in 49 away Tests is better than the 56.82 he manages at home. That away record is boosted by the fact that Kallis has amassed 503 in four innings in Zimbabwe, being dismissed only once in the process. Against Australia, the best side during his playing days, Kallis averages 38.32. Sri Lanka is the only other team against whom he averages below 40, an indication of his consistency. (For Kallis’ career batting summary, click here.)With his 186 in South Africa’s second innings, Kallis is now seventh on the list of all-time leading centurions, with 28 hundreds. However, he would be disappointed to once again miss out on a double-hundred. Surprisingly, for a batsman known for his ability to occupy the crease, Kallis is yet to go past the 200-run milestone in a Test innings, despite having eight previous scores of 150-plus prior to this knock. Kallis utilised 262 balls for his 186, his best hundred till date in terms of strike-rate.Kallis is the lone batsman among the 11 with more than 25 Test hundreds not to have made a double-century. His 330-run stand with Amla – the best for any wicket in New Zealand-South Africa Tests – helped the hosts set an imposing target of 531 for the visitors. Kallis has been at his best in the third innings of a match, with an average of over 70. However, 996 of those 2643 runs have come in drawn matches, at an average of 166 in 14 innings. Kallis’ average in the 29 drawn Tests he’s played in is 78.74.

Best batsmen in the third innings of a match (Minimum 500 runs)

Player Innings Runs Average 100s 50s

Don Bradman 15 1565 130.41 7 4 Jacques Kallis 46 2643 77.73 7 15 Herbert Sutcliffe 16 897 74.75 3 5Though Kallis has batted at the No. 3 position, he’s at his best at two-down, where his average is next only to Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousuf.

Best averages for No. 4 batsmen (Minimum 1000 runs)

Player Innings Runs Average 100s 50s

Mohammad Yousuf 40 2832 76.54 11 10 Jacques Kallis 90 5327 71.98 19 26 Garry Sobers 24 1530 63.75 6 4Kallis also inched closer to 1000 Test runs for the fourth time in a calendar year. He currently has 994 runs in 2007, having previously achieved the feat in 2001, 2004 and 2005. He has scored four hundreds so far this year, and averages over 90, his best in any calendar year.During the course of his innings, Kallis became South Africa’s leading run-scorer against New Zealand, while Amla’s unbeaten 176 bettered his previous best of 149, also against New Zealand in Cape Town last year..

Devon Malcolm on how he traded one set of whites in for another

Interview by Mark Pennell24-Jan-2010Who was your most feared opponent?
I played against Sachin Tendulkar in India and England, but over there [in India] you had no chance. The wickets were so placid it was ridiculous. Even so, he was a fine player. But my No. 1 batsman was Brian Lara, in his pomp, because he always tried to dominate you. He was a phenomenal player. I always felt he would give me a decent chance before he had made 10. But if you didn’t take that chance you knew something big was going to happen. He’s not the sort of guy to get out for 101. He likes big hundreds and once he’s set, you’re in danger. He’s unorthodox with that bat-swing and his mental attitude is to try and hit every ball for four.What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen on a cricket field?
On my first trip to Australia we were practicing at the WACA in Perth ahead of the Test. By then John Morris had been punished for the Tiger Moth incident and was being made to carry the drinks and do the mitt work at practice sessions. We were doing fielding drills under lights and I threw the ball in from the deep towards John. I really let it rip. He lost the ball in the lights and missed it completely. He took it straight between the eyes. Man, it felled him! We all cracked up.What have you done since retiring from the game?
I set up a business called Johnjac Cricket Supplies. We manufacture cricket field equipment like sightscreens, roll-on covers, black and white-sided sightscreens, which we have supplied to Leicestershire and Essex. I also patented a product called the cricket concertina, a space-saving fold-up cricket net, which we now supply to the Cricket Foundation so that kids can play in the playground and whack the ball as far as they want without hitting it over a wall or onto the road.Did you ever fancy becoming a county coach?
I took the courses and passed to become a Level II coach, even though I love watching the game and prefer being outdoors rather than stuck in the indoor nets. I still play a bit of cricket, so I’ve kept pretty fit and love being outdoors. Cricket has been good to me and I want to keep that connection. It’s in my blood.I then took my Level III coaching certificate and was ready to deal with Level IV, but your heart has got to be fully into things like that and my heart was telling me I’d rather be an umpire.When did you first think of becoming an umpire?
About five years ago. But there was an influx of ex-players onto the ECB first-class umpiring panel and when I first applied I was told I’d be better off waiting a while longer. I’ve done that now and will take my first batch of umpiring exams this winter [2009] and hope I can get fast-tracked onto the reserve list for next year if I stand in a few games next summer.As an ex-player which of the umpires do you recall most fondly?
I had a lot of respect for Dickie Bird though he hardly ever gave me an lbw decision. He was consistent in his ways. I also had a lot of time for Ray Julian. He communicated with players and warned you if your front foot was getting close to going over the line and told the batsmen that if they kept walking across and getting their pads in the way, he’d soon be giving them out.Which umpire would you most like to emulate?
I liked how John Hampshire controlled a game. I played with him for a while at Derbyshire too and he was always straightforward to you as a fellow player or when umpiring a match. You’ve got to be in charge of the game without being over-officious.As a cricketer there were certain umpires I didn’t get on with – those who didn’t communicate with you, so I’d try not to be that way.

Fazeer Mohammed on Marlon Samuels’ two year-ban, and whether he can be expected to make a return to the West Indies team

Fazeer Mohammed15-May-2008

	Marlon Samuels during that fateful tour to India in January, 2007 © AFP

Put aside the instinctive, shallow triumphalism in the wake of Monday’s announcement from the West Indies Cricket Board, and contemplate if you will, on the bigger picture surrounding the enigmatic Marlon Samuels.Yes, the temptation is almost irresistible for those still stung by his role (inadvertent or otherwise) in the demise of Brian Lara on the national hero’s final day as a player for the regional side. However, after uttering “It good for him!” or “he look for dat!”, what do we have left but time to properly contemplate on an unfulfilled career that seems so sadly typical of a talented yet misdirected generation, both on and off the field of play?And let’s not write his epitaph as a West Indies batsman as yet, for much in the same way as the ravenous, ultra-competitive Indian media were tripping over themselves to draw the curtain on the Jamaican batsman’s international career when the allegations first arose following last year’s limited-over series in India, rumours of Samuels’ final demise may prove exaggerated.It is unlikely that the ICC will accede to the tribunal’s consideration that Samuels be placed on probation instead of being suspended altogether after he was found guilty on the charge that he “received money, benefit or other reward which could bring him or the game of cricket into disrepute”, all stemming from his contact with bookmaker Mukesh Kochar prior to the first ODI in Nagpur on January 21, 2007.Still, he will be well short of his 30th birthday when the sentence, if upheld, is completed on May 8, 2010. In fact, it can be argued that Samuels has been in and out of the senior regional squad so often and for so many different reasons since an impressive entry into Test cricket as a 19-year-old in Australia that a two-year hiatus is more or less par for the course. So it shouldn’t be the end of his time wearing the burgundy cap, assuming he retains the desire to return to the highest level in the midst of what could be a very frustrating exile.And that really is the question. Does he care enough, does it mean enough to him that he will want to emerge after this considerable blot on his career to make amends for time and opportunities lost?Carl Hooper was another consistent under-achiever before his surprise retirement at the end of the 1999 home series against Australia. He returned, to the consternation of some, to lead the West Indies against South Africa in 2001 and for another two years until the first-round exit at the 2003 World Cup. However, Hooper was far more reliable in his second coming than the first 12 years of his international career in which he promised much but delivered little.Samuels’ time as a West Indies batsman, especially in Tests, has been pretty much the same, as an average of 28.73 over 29 matches will attest. He has appeared in 107 ODIs (average 30.27), which is again unexceptional. So, will the two-year ban make him realise how much he has squandered his considerable talent, and therefore contribute to significantly altering his attitude to batting and the game in general?Or will he bristle defiantly, his misplaced anger fuelled by fair-weather friends convincing him that this is all a great conspiracy and that he has done nothing wrong? Given the degree of selfish, self-indulgent behaviour that defines prevailing youth culture, it will not be surprising if Samuels refuses to accept that he has played any role, however unwittingly, in his own impending alienation.

	In an earlier era, he [Samuels] would have been permanently cast aside as a chronic under-achiever or lifted himself up and developed into one of the premier batsmen of modern times. That neither has happened is in keeping with the inertia that has West Indian cricket administrators and fans still dizzy with the prospect of recapturing past glories in the not-too-distant future

It is always somebody else’s fault, in keeping with the siege mentality that repels even the mildest and most constructive of criticism, an insecurity and an immaturity that blights any prospect of real progress in contemporary Caribbean society.Part of growing up is acknowledging when you have done wrong, for such an admission is the first step towards reconciliation and reformation. If you exist in the sort of delusional world where everything is pleasing, then there’s no need to change anything. Before you know it, the world has passed you by and your disconnection from reality means you don’t even have a clue as to how to get back on track.On Monday night, Samuels informed an interviewer on a Jamaican radio station to the effect that as far as he was concerned, nothing had changed regarding his status in the West Indies training squad ahead of the Australian series and he was preparing to leave for Antigua where the preparatory camp is based this week.Not for the first time, perception and reality are poles apart.In an earlier era, he would have been permanently cast aside as a chronic under-achiever or lifted himself up and developed into one of the premier batsmen of modern times. That neither has happened is in keeping with the inertia that has West Indian cricket administrators and fans still dizzy with the prospect of recapturing past glories in the not-too-distant future.It is this unfounded belief in the eventual fulfillment of an empty promise that nurtures the willingness to excuse the indiscretions of the modern crop.At another time, or in another environment, you would give Samuels a very good chance of coming back better than before. You fear, though, that a cricketer of such sumptuous talent has contributed to his own demise and, sadly, doesn’t even know it.

Both sides came into the game with one win and four defeats behind them; both seemed afraid of victory

Cricinfo staff03-May-2008
Rahul Dravid needs to sort out issues with the batting order and the constant shuffling has only exposed their weakness © AFP
There were times tonight when Bangalore Royal Challengers and Deccan Chargers felt like the resistible force and the movable object. Both sides came into the game with one win and four defeats behind them; both seemed afraid of victory. And, well though Praveen Kumar and Zaheer Khan bowled at the death, it seemed appropriate that the final nails were banged into the Hyderabadis’ coffin by two poor legbefore decisions – one each by Billy Doctrove and Suresh Shastri.Even then, there was time for a final twist as Anil Kumble, the most experienced man on either side, was hit for successive sixes by Sanjay Bangar with the Chargers requiring 18 off four balls. But each time the momentum appeared to swing one way in this match, it duly swung the other. “I thought, ‘he can’t do it again, can he?'” said Rahul Dravid, afterwards. He couldn’t: Bangar managed just a single off the game’s penultimate delivery and Arjun Yadav was unable to clear the ropes off the last.Fireworks went off around the Chinnaswamy Stadium even as the batsmen completed their forlorn single and Bangalore will be hugely relieved. “I thought we deserved a bit of luck today,” said Dravid. Perhaps. But the truth is his side could easily have lost.In a match riddled with doubt, Deccan Chargers appeared to be on their way to a much-needed win of their own while VVS Laxman – finally doing a decent impersonation of a Twenty20 batsman – and the prodigiously gifted Rohit Sharma were adding 96 for the third wicket in 11.4 overs. But with 30 needed off 19 balls and Bangalore shoulders preparing to slump yet again, Rohit plonked one down Wasim Jaffer’s throat at long-on, before Shahid Afridi fell to a stunning catch in the same position, this time by Dale Steyn.Then came the lbw howlers. There must have been some doubt in Doctrove’s mind before he dispatched Laxman as to whether the ball had pitched outside leg (it had, just). But Shastri’s decision to give out Scott Styris next ball to Zaheer was truly awful, the ball landing several inches outside leg. To lose to Rajasthan when Shane Warne butchered Andrew Symonds was hard enough; but this was sickening.”It’s disappointing to lose these close games,” said Laxman, before exaggerating by one the number of truly close games his side has actually been involved in. “We have lost three close ones and if they had been three wins, it would be a different story altogether. Rohit’s wicket was the key, but from the 16th over, we lost too many wickets. We’re just not able to finish things off at the moment.”The Royal Challengers can consider themselves fortunate to have come up against a side that currently lacks the killer instinct, because – as Dravid himself admitted – a total of 156 for 8 was at least 15 runs below par. This is hardly surprising, since the top order, now without the classy hitting of Ross Taylor, who has gone to play for New Zealand in England, still looks desperately unsettled.The constant tinkering with the batting line-up suggests all is not well. Five different batsmen – Jaffer, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Bharat Chipli, Praveen and Dravid himself – have formed four different opening partnerships, and together they have totalled 74 runs in 12.3 overs. That’s one run per ball – unacceptable when the fielding restrictions are in place for the first six overs of every innings – and a wicket on average at the end of the second over. This is not the stuff of which firm foundations are made.There’s more. No Bangalore player has yet made more than Jacques Kallis’ 54, against Delhi Daredevils. That’s the lowest high score of any of the eight franchises. Of the 37 scores in the competition of 50 or more, only three have come from the bat of a Royal Challenger. They are manifestly not pulling their weight, despite Dravid’s assertion last night that Jaffer has “always been a strokemaker” and has suffered from being pigeon-holed too early.It’s true that Dravid himself batted well at No. 6 for a 19-ball 26 – the role of an innings finisher surely suits him best – but you sense Bangalore will need to assign specific tasks to each of their top six for their remaining eight group games if they are to reach the last four.

How the advent of one player promises to mark the beginning of an epoch for a country’s cricket

Sa'adi Thawfeeq03-Jan-2009

A new dawn: Mendis has already almost taken over the mantle of main match-winner for Sri Lanka © AFP
Two thousand eight, according to Chinese astrology, was the Year of the Rat. For Sri Lanka cricket, it was the year of Ajantha Mendis.The 23-year-old burst into the limelight in the Caribbean in April, bemusing the best of West Indies batsmen, who were at sea against the five varieties of spin he bowled. When Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene threw the ball to Mendis in the first one-day international, inPort-of-Spain, little did anyone realise that it would herald a new genre of spin.Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan came into thelimelight at a time when the art of spin bowling was dying. In the next 15 years orso they raised it to a level it had never attained before. Butnothing lasts forever. Warne left the game in 2007 and Muralitharanis nearing the end of the road. The old fears were back that spin would become a dying art. Then came Mendis.Dwayne Bravo, the West Indies allrounder, recalled his first sighting: “[Ramnaresh] Sarwan had problems picking him, and from the time we saw this, most of the batsmen retreated to the dressing room and had a close look at his hand on the TV monitor.” However, the best quote came from Rob Steen, on Cricinfo: “I have just seenthe future of spin bowling – and his name is Ajantha Mendis.”Mendis really came into the limelight in his second ODI series, the Asia Cup inPakistan, where he spun his team to a remarkable 100-run victory over favouritesIndia in the final in Lahore.He continued to torment the Indian batting when they toured Sri Lanka for a three-Test series and lost it 2-1. The difference was Mendis, who broke a 62-year-old record, held by England fast bowler Alec Bedser, by taking the most wickets in a debut series – 26. The strong Indian batting line-up of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman was left so bemused by the mystics of Mendis’ spin that they managed only three fifties between them.With Mendis catching so much world attention it was no surprise when he won the ICC’sEmerging Player of the Year award.In a rather restricted Test calendar year, where Sri Lanka played fewer Test matches (six) than even Bangladesh (nine), the most memorable were their first Test victory in the Caribbean, by 121 runs in Guyana, and the home series win over India. The hero of the Guyana victory was Chaminda Vaas, who once again showed that he still had enough steam left, even at theage of 34, to spearhead his team to victory: he had a match haul of eight wickets to gowith his unbeaten half-century. A fortnight later Vaas was cast in the villain’s role when he conceded a four and then a six off the last two deliveries of the match to Shiv Chanderpaul as West Indies pulled off a stunning victory over Sri Lanka in the first ODI.While Sri Lanka continued to impress in the longer game, their unpredictable battingwas a cause for concern in the limited-overs matches, where they continued to losebilateral contests but managed to come out on top in tournaments – the most remarkable of those was the victory in the Asia Cup. On a more low-key note, they also pocketed the tri-nation T20 Canada, beating Pakistan in the final.The arrival of the Indian Premier League and the rebel Indian Cricket Leaguebenefited Sri Lanka’s present and former cricketers with monetary gainsof the sort SLC could never dream of matching. Overall, 15 of SriLanka’s top cricketers were signed in both tournaments.Sri Lanka’s women cricketers once again had to be satisfied with the runner-up titlewhen they lost the Asia Cup final, held in Sri Lanka, to India. Pakistan and Bangladesh were the other participating countries. The Sri Lankan women, however, gained some consolation later in the year when they defeated West Indies 3-2 in a thrilling five-match one-day series at home. Opening bat Dedunu Silva and the captain, Shashikala Siriwardena, entered the top 20 of the ICC ODI women’s batting rankings for the first time.

First blood: Sri Lanka celebrate their maiden Test win in the West Indies © AFP
On the domestic front Sri Lanka’s cricket continued to falter under an interimadministration. When former captain and present politician Arjuna Ranatunga wasappointed chairman, replacing businessman Jayantha Dharmadasa, by the country’spresident, there was plenty of hope that with his vast cricketing experienceRanatunga would put Sri Lankan cricket, which has been plagued in the past byalleged misappropriation of funds, on the right track. But Ranatunga fell out with the national team over the IPL contracts, and then made unwarrantedremarks against the Indian board, which soured the good long-standingrelationship the two countries had enjoyed over the years. He had constant clasheswith the sports minister, whom he accused of not allowing him to do aproper job. By the end of the year everything pointed to a change in administration,with either a new interim committee being appointed or elections being held.New kid on the block
Ajantha Mendis, who promises to become Sri Lankan cricket’s new chief match-winner, succeeding Muttiah Muralitharan, who has held the mantle for many years.Fading star
Workhorse Chaminda Vaas began the year on a high, bowling his country to their firstTest victory in the Caribbean, but has struggled since to keep his place against awhole crop of youngsters breathing down his neck.High point
Following a poor one-day series in Australia, and a 2-0 lossto West Indies in the Caribbean, Sri Lanka were under pressure to perform in the AsiaCup. They did it in magnificent style, beating India in the final.Low point
Losing the first ODI to West Indies to a last-ball six whenvictory was well within grasp.What 2009 holds
An unscheduled tour to Pakistan for three Tests will boost Sri Lanka’s output forthe year to 10 Test matches – possibly 13 if they tour India later in the year.The year begins with the second Test against Bangladesh, followed by Pakistan, whom they will play away and at home in six Tests. They also host New Zealand for athree-Test series.

A statistical preview to the second Test between India and Australia in Mohali

Siddhartha Talya16-Oct-2008The lacklustre performance of the spinners was a talking point in the first Test, with Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh way below their best and Cameron White, though exceeding expectations, barely troubling the Indian batsmen. However, the reputation of the Punjab Cricket Association stadium in Mohali- where Australia haven’t played a Test- won’t encourage them too much; it’s among the least favourable venues for spin in India.Of seven Tests in Mohali, India have lost one – the first there, against West Indies- and won two, both against England. Kumble and Harbhajan took 25 of the 40 wickets in those two wins and India will look for a similar performance from them over the next five days.

India’s record in Mohali

Span	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn
Overall	7	2	1	4
Since 2000	4	2	0	2

Since 2000, Mohali has witnessed two comprehensive victories and two high-scoring draws. Kumble and Harbhajan, along with Munaf Patel, have played vital roles in the wins over England in 2001 and 2006, but their averages at the venue – 30 for Kumble and 34.2 for Harbhajan – are still significantly higher than their averages in home Tests.

Kumble and Harbhajan in Mohali

Bowler	Matches	Wickets	Average	Matches won by India	Wickets	Average
Anil Kumble	7	36	30	2	17	16.41
Harbhajan Singh	3	10	34.20	2	8	24.12

Mohali’s been considered as conducive to fast bowling, but for India both seamers and spinners have done equally well – or worse. The quicker bowlers – both Indian and visiting – have averaged around 37 per wicket. What brings down the overall record for spinners is the performance of overseas spinners. They have taken 21 wickets at 57.04; in contrast the Indian spinners have picked 59 at 34.81.

Pace and Spin in Mohali

Span	Bowler type	Wickets	Average	5W/10W
Overall	Pace	111	37.07	4/0
	Spin	80	40.65	4/0
Since 2000	Pace	54	41.72	1/0
	Spin	52	36.28	4/0

Unlike in Bangalore, India’s batting line-up has excelled in Mohali; it’s the only Test ground in India where each of India’s top six batsmen average over 50. VVS Laxman tops the list with an average of 128.50 in three Tests, while Sachin Tendulkar, who has played all the seven Tests at this venue, averages 51.The success of India’s top order in Mohali is also reflected in their partnerships. India’s batsmen average over 60 for the first four wickets, while visiting teams average a touch below 50.

Indian batsmen in Mohali

Batsman	Tests	Runs	Average	100s/50s
VVS Laxman	3	257	128.50	1/2
Virender Sehwag	3	427	85.40	2/1
Gautam Gambhir	1	73	73.00	0/0
Sourav Ganguly	4	243	60.75	1/1
Rahul Dravid	6	470	58.75	1/3
Sachin Tendulkar	7	459	51.00	1/3

The pitch in Mohali tends to aid the bowlers, especially seamers, on the first day, but eases out as the game progresses. Sides batting first average 36 per wicket in the first innings, 41.51 in the second innings, and 46.78 in the third; however, it drops to 33.27 in the fourth . A case in point is the Test against New Zealand in 1999, when India were bowled out for 83, only to score 515 for 9 in their second attempt and set their opponents an imposing target. However, in their wins at the ground, India have succeeded in bowling out England cheaply in the third innings, winning by ten wickets in 2001 and nine wickets in 2006.

Innings-wise average runs per wicket in Mohali

Span	1st innings	2nd innings	3rd innings	4th innings
Overall	35.98	41.51	46.78	33.27
Since 2000	41.11	43.68	31.76	117

India have fielded first in Mohali six times in seven games. Both of India’s wins have come batting second; the home team has won the the toss thrice and fielded each time. Given that the side batting second has gained a first innings lead five out of seven times, scoring on average 150 runs more than its opponent, the two captains might consider putting the opposition in on the first day.

Cricinfo asked former and current women players for their lasting memories from each of the eight World Cups so far. Janette Brittin, the former England batsman, remembers an eminently forgettable game from the fourth tournament

08-Mar-2009

	Brittin, not in crawl mode © Getty Images

1988, Australia
Janette
Brittin
My memories aren’t very happy ones because it was not one of England’s best
tournaments, and it certainly wasn’t for me personally. England may have reached the
final, but unfortunately we didn’t make much of a game of it. It was quite
a painful experience.I remember standing in the dressing room at the MCG and
looking out into the vast stadium and thinking, “Wow, this place is just massive.” The
ground was wall-to-wall seating with no one sitting in them, which didn’t lend
itself to a big-match atmosphere. We won the toss and elected to bat on a slow, low
track. Lyn Fullston, or Lefty as the Aussies called her, did all the damage with
her unorthodox slow left-arm spin, and she was ably assisted by Lyn Larsen, the
Australian captain and legspinner.It was like watching paint dry and then playing
in glue when you got out there (or so it seemed). Struggling to break through the
ring and get the scoring ticking over was just awful. We crawled to a paltry
total of 127. Then to our dismay the Australians came out and appeared to blast
their way to our total. I remember the ground seemed a very large and a very lonely
place during those overs.

Mitchell Johnson will get a chance to re-group and toughen up away from international glare if he is dropped

Peter English at Edgbaston29-Jul-2009It’s almost eviction time in Australia’s touring Big Brother house. “Day 49, and Mitchell Johnson is still bowling rubbish,” the Geordie narrator dribbles, changing only the date in his repetitive voiceover. The public now wants to dump Johnson, the pre-tour favourite for reality stardom in England. Most of his housemates have wavered at some point over the past week, downgrading him from a certainty to possibly, maybe, hopefully. For many of those on the outside they just want the saga to end this week in Birmingham.But this is not a popularity contest. Johnson’s position in the Test goldfish bowl depends on the selectors, three former opening batsmen with risk-free outlooks and a larrikin fast bowler. Andrew Hilditch and his panel don’t want to discard a man who won all the challenges during the South Africa edition earlier in the year. Back then Johnson was seriously A-list, but over the first two Tests in England he has been the unintentionally bumbling extra nobody can stop looking at. And it hasn’t been funny.Ricky Ponting, the leader of the house, insisted he has not considered dropping Johnson during their preparations for Thursday’s third Test, but left some wriggle room by talking about the unpredictability of the conditions in Edgbaston. He now wants Johnson at first-change instead of with the new ball and to employ him in short, attacking bursts. He doesn’t believe any of the problems are technical.”Right at the moment it is more of a confidence thing,” Ponting said. “I’ll probably look at him in this game playing in a slightly different way than I have in the last couple, and use him more as a strike-impact type of bowler. He has had the ability to strike for us and take wickets. That part of his game is still there. He is going okay, there has been other stuff going on off the field that is probably not making life any easier for us.”After weeks of silence, Johnson, 27, entered the diary room this week to open his hurt heart to a cashed-up women’s magazine. Speaking in his soft, sensitive and sometimes squeaking voice, he said his mum’s comments over his girlfriend stealing him away were not the reason for his loss of focus.Allan Border, one of Australian cricket’s godfathers, doesn’t like what he saw in Cardiff or London and wants Johnson to have another week off. All the tour batsmen say in public that he is bowling well in the nets. All the Australians are, apart from Brett Lee, who is coming in off four steps. But occasionally hitting the strip has been too difficult for Johnson at training.England want him to play to re-hone their cut shots and clips through midwicket. Andrew Strauss and his men have thought a little about possible replacements – Stuart Clark is the most likely, followed by Shane Watson and Andrew McDonald – but are ready to blaze at Johnson if he stays in the limelight. “At this stage of the series it is important you look to seize on any opportunities that come your way,” Strauss said. “We did that pretty well at Lord’s, not just with Johnson, but generally. If we get those opportunities again it’s important we take them.”The danger lies in the ability of Johnson’s body to remember how to deliver a wicket-taking ball. He has eight victims in the series, mostly from batsmen who have been either surprised by some sudden late movement, or shocked to find a ball in a troubling area. Strauss succumbed in Cardiff and Alastair Cook fell at Lord’s after the pair put on 196 before tea. Rarely have they benefitted from so many first-day donations as those offered by Johnson.In the tour game at Northampton over the weekend he was rationed, delivering 18.1 overs and failing to intimidate lower-rung county players. There was only one wicket, but his team-mates have talked of all the edges through or over the slips. Such strong public support for a player so obviously out of form hasn’t come since Mark Taylor arrived in England 12 years ago, when every cover drive in the nets was applauded.

His team-mates have talked of all the edges through or over the slips. Such strong public support for a player so obviously out of form hasn’t come since Mark Taylor arrived in England 12 years ago, when every cover drive in the nets was applauded

Ponting warned observers not to make any assumptions on the make-up of the team for Edgbaston. How times have changed. In the England camp the only real issue is Andrew Flintoff’s fitness, and he looked fine at training on Tuesday. Australia have whiteboards full of possible formations. “I don’t know which way it is going to go with the overall attack,” Ponting said. He does expect Nathan Hauritz, the offspinner, to have a significant role and believes the pitch will turn from the opening day.Moulding the pace stocks is the migraine area. Ponting said Peter Siddle and Clark could fit in the same team – the coach Tim Nielsen believes they are too similar – but there is also some support for the multi-skills of Watson and McDonald. Even though Phillip Hughes has been wide-eyed and unsuccessful, Marcus North could be vulnerable if Australia want to shoehorn an allrounder into the side. Two hundreds in North’s opening four matches make it hard to believe the issue has been discussed.All these combinations would have remained wacky internal thoughts if it hadn’t been for Johnson. Currently it feels like it would be too demoralising for the side’s most qualified bowler to be dropped, but it is something that has happened often in the past. With only three or four spots for fast men in a side, they have always been vulnerable to conditions, form, injury and mood, both of themselves and the selectors. It happened to McGrath, Gillespie, Lee, McDermott and every other long-term contender.Johnson has not been dropped since debuting in 2007, and any omission won’t lead to years in the wilderness, especially with the recent rate of regeneration. If the team’s Big Brothers evict Johnson before the toss it gives him a chance to re-group and toughen up away from international glare. In his current state they would be doing him a favour.